South Africa: High Court confirms 3Sixty Life curatorship The South African Reserve Bank's Prudential Authority (PA) has welcomed a High Court ruling confirming the curatorship of life insurer, 3Sixty Life. In a statement, the Reserve Bank said the PA remains of the view that the curatorship of 3Sixty Life is in the best interests of its policyholders. The insurer was in November last year placed under provisional curatorship. This after the PA became aware that 3Sixty Life had failed to maintain its business in a financially sound condition by not holding eligible own funds that are at least equal to the minimum capital requirement or solvency capital requirement, as prescribed, whichever is the greater. 3Sixty Life informed the PA that the failure was attributed to higher-than-usual claims experienced, as well as a shortfall in its budgeted premium income, both as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown restrictions, the central bank said in a statement. The PA said during 2021, it had numerous engagements with 3Sixty Life in an effort to gradually implement measures to return the insurer to financial soundness in order to meet legislative requirements and address the challenges the insurer had been faced with. This included a plan by the shareholder to recapitalise the insurer, said the PA. On 9 November 2021, the PA informed 3Sixty Life that if its recapitalisation plan had not materialised and its business had not returned to financial soundness by 1 December 2021, 3Sixty Life would be prohibited from taking on any new insurance business. In addition, 3Sixty Life was informed of further regulatory steps that could be taken by the PA, should the recapitalisation fail. 3Sixty Life, however, failed to restore the business to financial soundness by the deadline of 1 December 2021, as prescribed by the PA. On 21 December, the High Court in Johannesburg granted an ex parte application to place 3Sixty Life under provisional curatorship. Yashoda Ram, who at the time was from BDO Advisory Services, was provisionally appointed as the curator of the business, with the High Court issuing specific directives to the curator to take immediate control of the business. On 30 September 2022, the High Court of South Africa delivered its judgment and granted the order confirming the curatorship of 3Sixty Life. "The High Court of South Africa cancelled the appointment of Ms Yashoda Ram, with effect from 30 September 2022 and appointed Mr Tinashe Mashoko, of BDO Advisory Services, as the final curator of 3Sixty Life, with effect from 30 September 2022, the Reserve Bank said. It said the PA would work together with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), which is responsible for the regulation of market conduct and the curator, to ensure 3Sixty Lifes policyholders continue to be properly protected during this process. The curatorship, in the PAs view, presents the most suitable and most effective mechanism to facilitate the orderly management of 3Sixty Life back to a position of financial soundness. "With the appointment of the curator, the board of directors and management of 3Sixty Life were relieved of their powers and those vested in the curator. At this stage, the business of 3Sixty Life will continue under the control of the curator, the central bank said. 3Sixty Life policyholders, who have any concerns, claims-related queries and complaints, may contact the curator at email address info@3Sixtylife.co.za. 3Sixty Life has delivered an application for leave to appeal against the 30 September 2022 judgment and the PA intends to oppose the application for leave to appeal. The PA would like to assure the public that the South African insurance sector remains safe, sound and adequately capitalised, the central bank said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-10-05. 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In addition to Kliyul, the Company's project portfolio includes the RDP copper-gold project (optioned to Antofagasta Minerals S.A.), the Onjo copper-gold project, and the Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge will continue to search for projects that offer discovery opportunity in our regions of expertise. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed gratitude to the European Union for providing 30 million Euro humanitarian aid for the flood victims. Taking to Twitter, PM Sharif said, "Grateful to European Union, particularly @vonderleyen, President of @EU_Commission for the announcement of EUR30 million in new EU humanitarian aid for Pakistan." "Gravity of food & health challenges can be met through deeper cooperation from the world," he added. Earlier, the United Nations launched the revised flash appeal of USD 816 million to respond to the need of people affected by floods. The revised '2022 Pakistan Floods Response Plan' (FRP) was shared with UN member states and humanitarian organizations in Geneva, according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "The revised appeal urgently seeks USD 816 million to respond to the growing lifesaving needs of the people - a jump of USD 656 million from the initial appeal of USD 160 million," the OCHA said in a press statement. This increase reflects the rising needs and the unprecedented scale of destruction caused by the current climate-induced disaster which has affected a population of 33 million, cost 1,600 lives and threatened hundreds of thousands more as a second disaster looms within the first one. Over 2 million homes have been destroyed or damaged, forcing people to live under open skies exposed to threats of dengue, malaria, and the biting cold of the fast-approaching winter. This appeal focuses on providing urgent and lifesaving humanitarian assistance and protection to 9.5 million people until May 31, 2023, with a focus on the 34 most affected districts in Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. "This prioritisation is based on the number of houses damaged and destroyed, available projections of water level changes, and the population of displaced people in the districts. It aims to enable a more cohesive response for people in areas that have been most severely affected, and to foster a focused, multi-sectoral approach," the UN agency said. Pakistan Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman headlined the unimaginable scale of loss and damage caused by unprecedented climate-induced floods in Pakistan. She highlighted that the scale of a catastrophe had gone beyond all previous climate disasters, affecting a population larger than the size of many countries. She referred to the continued inundation of large swathes of the country in pestilent water, pointing to the health risks such flooding posed. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths in his remarks said, "People in Pakistan are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, where catastrophic flooding has taken a devasting toll on the most vulnerable. We are now in a race against time ahead of the winter season and funding is now urgently needed so humanitarians can prepare to respond to rising health, hunger and other debilitating needs." Earlier, it emerged that Pakistan and the United Nations (UN) will jointly launch an up-scaled flash appeal in Geneva for $800 million on the basis of an updated on-ground need assessment of the flood situation in the country. The WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The water has stopped rising, but the danger has not, we are on the verge of a public health disaster. Many more lives than were lost in the floods could be lost in the coming weeks if we don't mobilize greater support for Pakistan." "WHO will do everything we can to support the people of Pakistan now, and in the coming months and years as you recover and rebuild. And even as we respond to the emergency in Pakistan, we must remember that unless we address the existential threat of climate change, we will be responding to emergencies like this and worse more often," the WHO chief added. An initial USD 160 million flash appeal was made to address immediate needs based on estimates a month ago. The international community's support for the initial appeal allowed the humanitarian community to respond to immediate life-saving needs. However, the results of the recent needs assessments, that led to the up-scaling of the flash appeal to USD 816 million, revealed that much more was needed to save those struggling to survive the aftermath of the floods. (ANI) Deputy Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in Geneva Sanchita Haque has demanded the recognition of the 1971 Genocide committed by the Pakistani Army. While addressing a side event at the UN on Monday, Haque said, "The Bangladesh government has declared 25th March as Genocide Day. Bangladesh condemns genocides committed anywhere, everywhere. We will continue to raise our voices against genocide and demand justice and accountability for the victims of genocide. We will also continue working for the recognition of the 1971 genocide," BSS (Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha) news agency reported. On March 25, 1971, Pakistan Army launched 'Operation Searchlight', wherein a planned military operation was carried out by the Pakistani Army and its military deliberately harmed hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi citizens. The Deputy Envoy also said that in Bangladesh, International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was set up to try the collaborators of the Pakistan Army who played a crucial role in facilitating the genocide, and the ICT is still continuing. The event was organised by the Europe-based diaspora organisation BASUG, in collaboration with European Bangladesh Forum (EBF) and Switzerland Human Rights Forum Bangladesh. The conference was held when the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council was going on at the UN in Geneva, reported BSS. The event was also addressed by former High Court Justice in Sweden Justice Syed Asif Shakar, Director of Development Research Cooperation, Brussels Professor Tazeen Murshad, Brand ambassador of Bangladesh Daniel Seidl, Communications Director, Zurich Chris Blackburn, exiled Chairman of United Kashmir People's National Party Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, President of Baloch Voice Association, France Munir Mengal, Ansar Ahmed Ullah, President, EBF UK organizing secretary of All European Muktijoddah Sangsad Abul Kalam and Khalilur Rahman Mamun, President of International HR Commission BD, Switzerland. Apart from her, other speakers at the side event also reiterated the demand for international recognition of the Bangladesh genocide 1971 committed by Pakistan and urged the global community including the United Nations to recognise the 1971 genocide without wasting time, according to BSS. They said the time is right for recognition of the Bangladesh genocide, adding, it is of great importance and an absolute necessity to honour the victims of the 1971 genocide and their descendants through recognition. Unfortunately, the Bangladesh genocide has today become a forgotten chapter in history, speakers added. (ANI) Pakistan is entangled in yet another controversy as Islamabad has been found supplying arms and ammunition to Kyiv in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. As per reports Pakistan is not impartial in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and has been involved in supplying arms and ammunition, made in Pakistan, for the end use of Ukraine. Islamabad is apparently utilising third-country-based defence suppliers and contractors to route these defence sales to Ukraine, reported Europe-based publication Geo-politik. Credible inputs suggest that Islamabad-based arms supplier M/s DMI Associates has been in contact with Bulgaria-based firm M/s Defence Industry Group to facilitate the supply of manufactured defence stores to the Ukrainian government. Separately, a Slovakia-based defence company M/s Chemica had reportedly approached M/s Kestral, a defence supplier of ammunition of Pak Ordinance Factories, on behalf of Ukraine's Defence Ministry, reported Geo-politik. M/s Kestral may be using the conflict to spread its activities in countries adjacent to Ukraine, namely Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as the CEO of Kestral, Liaqat Ali Beg, visited these countries in May and June this year. In another such development, Kyiv-based Ukrainian company M/s FORMAG was learnt to have approached Pakistan-based M/s Bluelines Cargo Pvt Ltd to ship gloves meant for use by the Ukrainian army. A recent report published in Riafan, an online Russian web portal, states that Pakistan's Noor Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi has become a key base for the UK for the transportation of military equipment for the Ukrainian Army. The evidence of Ukraine using Pakistan-made ammunition comes from no other than 'Ukraine Weapon Tracker', a website which tracks usage/capture of weapons and ammunitions in Ukraine. The website mentions that Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) artillery uses 122 mm high-explosive fragmentation artillery shells made in Pakistan Ordnance Factory, Punjab, reported Geo-politik. After making a self-goal in February 2022, when then Pakistan's PM Imran Khan visited Russia during the onset of the Ukrainian war, this is another incident which puts the country's image at stake. Islamabad is now out to make money off the Russia-Ukraine war by supplying much-needed ammunition to Ukraine. The Ukrainian military is reportedly using Pakistan-made artillery against Russian troops. As per reports, 122 mm HR artillery is being used against Russian troops in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. These ties run deep, reported Geo-politik. Pakistan has awarded a contract worth USD 85.6 million for modernizing T-80UD battle tanks to Ukrainian state arms conglomerate UkrOboronProm. Earlier this year Ukraine also discussed with Pakistan new orders for the supply of 6TD1 and 6TD2 engines. In 2021 alone, Pakistan signed a USD 85.6 million contract to repair its T-80UD fleet in Ukraine, reported Geo-politik. Ukraine's relations with Pakistan are largely about weapons. Over the past few decades, Islamabad has been among the most loyal clients of Ukraine's arms industry. Last year, Pakistan Army Chief visited Ukraine eyeing to shop "sophisticated" arms. Pakistan has been keen to enhance defence cooperation with Ukraine on the basis of the Transfer of Technology and Joint ventures in the future, as both sides can benefit from each other's experience. Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa stated this during his visit to a Military Test Site in Kharkiv region of Ukraine last year. He had also witnessed field tests of various weapons and equipment and took a keen interest in the tests and appreciated the performance of all ranks associated with the projects, reported Geo-politik. The Pakistan Army Chief said that defence cooperation between both countries has traditionally been an important component of Pak-Ukraine bilateral relations. (ANI) Birla is leading the Indian delegation of the P-20 conference (organization of the parliaments of G-20) to Jakarta comprising Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha PC Mody, and other officials. He was welcomed by the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Manoj Bharti. Speaker Birla and Indian parliamentary party welcomed the P-20 summit being held in Indonesia. The organization of the parliaments of G-20 countries is P-20. It represents 80 per cent of the world's GDP and 75 per cent of trade. It also represents two-thirds of the world's population. Birla will address many important issues at the conference. "Leaving for #Jakarta, Indonesia with Indian Parliamentary Delegation to attend Eighth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (#P20) from 5-7 October. Will address the Summit on important issues and hold bilateral meetings with my counterparts from friendly countries. #G20Indonesia," tweeted Birla before leaving for Indonesia. As oversight authorities, the parliaments of G20 countries have a crucial role in ensuring governments are held accountable for implementing decisions. The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union. The 19 countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Notably, India will be hosting the G-20 (Group of 20) leaders' summit in New Delhi next year in 2023. The 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will be held in Indonesia in November 2022, after which India will assume the presidency of G20 from December 2022.India is assuming the Presidency of the G20 for a year. The presidency of the G20 rotates every year among members, and the country holding the presidency, together with the previous and next presidency-holder, form the 'Troika' to ensure the continuity of the G20 agenda. Italy, Indonesia, and India are the Troika countries right now and Indonesia holds the current Presidency. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, S Jaishankar said, "Telephonic discussion today with my Finnish counterpart @Haavisto on current issues of the multilateral agenda. This was in the spirit of our close partnership." Earlier, on May 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Finland PM Sanna Marin on the sidelines of the 2nd India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen and discussed ways to further cement this partnership in trade, investment, technology and other such sectors. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders and helps to bolster the relationship. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of the bilateral Virtual Summit held on March 16, 2021. The year 2022 marked 73 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries as it was established in 1949. India and Finland have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations. In recent years, bilateral relations have acquired diversity with collaboration in research, innovation, and investments by both sides. The Indian community in Finland is vibrant and well-placed. Indian culture and yoga are very popular in Finland. The countries have shared numerous high-level prime ministerial and presidential visits over the years. Finland PM Sanna Marin and PM Modi held a virtual bilateral meeting on 16 March 2021. In their first meeting, the Prime Ministers had an extensive discussion on how to deepen concrete cooperation between their countries and addressed several key international issues. Recently in April, Finland's Minister of Economic Affairs met India's Union Minister of State Science & Technology. They announced the decision to establish an Indo-Finnish Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing. The Indian side has identified three premier institutes - IIT Madras, IISER Pune and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) Pune for Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing. As per the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 2019, within the EU, Finland ranks 12th among countries investing in India. More than 100 Finnish companies have operations in India, including through investments. Nokia, Kone, Wartsila, UPM, Fortum, Metso, Huhtamaki, Salcomp, Ahlstrom, etc have set up their manufacturing facilities in India. (ANI) The dialogue is part of an official and business delegation visit to Washington DC and Houston, USA, from October 6-11 being led by Hardeep S Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs. In Washington DC, the Minister will co-chair the USISCEP on October 7 with Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy, USA. The revamped USISCEP was launched in accordance with US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden at the Leaders' Summit on Climate held in April 2021. The partnership continues to advance energy security and innovation; scaling up emerging clean energy technologies; and deploying technical solutions through five pillars-- Responsible Oil and Gas Pillar, Power and Energy Efficiency Pillar, Renewable Energy Pillar, Sustainable Growth Pillar, and Emerging Fuels and technologies. The Minister will interact with World Bank Officials on Climate Resilient Urban Infrastructure. He will also participate in two executive roundtables with USA India Business Council in Washington D.C. and with USA India Strategic Partnership Forum in Houston. The Minister will also hold discussions with CEOs of US-based energy companies. (ANI) China's minority communities - Tibetans and Uyghurs burned Peoples Republic of China flags at demonstrations in several US and UK cities on the occasion of its National Day on October 1. Protesters gathered in cities around the world to protest against the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s ongoing persecution of ethnic minorities and dissidents, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA). Demonstrators in London burned the Chinese flag, and threw maggots and dung on it outside the Chinese embassy, in protest at Beijing's human rights record. Hong Kongers, Tibetans and Uyghurs organized around 15 protests in UK cities to mark the 73rd National Day and "say no to the CCP, reported RFA. Chanting "China lied! People died! Shame on the CCP!", the demonstrators marched from Piccadilly Circus to the Chinese embassy, carrying placards opposing totalitarian rule by the CCP. A protester surnamed Tse said he was carrying the colonial-era Hong Kong flag at the protest, to express nostalgia for the city's lost freedoms. "We want a Hong Kong with freedom, democracy and the rule of law like we had in the past," Tse told RFA. "Hong Kong people should have the final say in (how to run) the place, not the country next door." "They have trampled on the promises made to the people of Hong Kong, the commitments made in the (1984) Sino-British Joint Declaration and on its promise to the world," he said. "Did they once ask the people of Hong Kong (what they thought?)" Uyghur dissident Rahima Mahmut told the rally that, since the PRC was founded 73 years ago, Tibet and Xinjiang have been occupied, the Cultural Revolution brought political turmoil to China, and the CCP had bloodily suppressed dissent in the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, reported RFA. Hong Kong's freedoms and democracy have been destroyed, and Uyghurs have suffered genocide, including the mass incarceration of Uyghurs in their homes for more than a month without food as part of CCP leader Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy, she told the crowd. from agents of the Chinese state while in exile overseas. In the United States, protesters gathered on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley on October 1, waving the Tibetan flag, the colonial-era flag of Hong Kong and placing a tombstone effigy inscribed with the an estimated death toll under CCP rule since Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China from Tiananmen podium on October 1, 1949, reported RFA. Chanting "Free Tibet!", "Free Hong Kong!" and "Free the Uyghurs!", the protesters also hung a placard which read "I know what you did in the Czech Republic" on a tree outside the building. Chen Guodong, a member of the Asian-American political group Far East Youth Freedom League, said protesters had also brought along a portrait of late Czech official Jaroslav Kubera, who died of a heart attack in office shortly after receiving a threatening message from the Chinese embassy in the Czech Republic, according to his relatives, reported RFA. "Mr Kubera passed away (in 2020), when he was about to visit Taiwan," Chen said. "He was threatened by Zhang Jianmin and died shortly after (so we believe) Zhang Jianmin has blood on his hands." Tenzin Dorji, a member of the Northern California Tibetan Association, said he took part to protest the illegal occupation of Tibet by the CCP, reported RFA. "The CCP has illegally occupied Tibet, and Tibetans are suffering a genocide under its brutal rule," he said. Protest motorcades also turned out in San Gabriel, Los Angeles, and Park City, Montreal, with signs that read "Destroy the CCP!" The LA protest took a detour to take in the Chinese consulate in the city, where a group of protesters that included Tibetans and Uyghurs burned the Chinese flag. (ANI) A recent survey by the US-based think tank, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) revealed that experts believe China does not have a coherent internal strategy and road map to achieving peaceful unification with Taiwan. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, has carried out military drills around the island nation after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei in August. CSIS conducted the poll with 64 leading experts on the People's Republic of China (PRC), Taiwan, and cross-Strait relations to get the views on China's game plan that started after Pelosi visited Taiwan, Nikkei Asia reported. The findings show that the majority of US experts believe that China does not have a coherent internal strategy and road map to achieve peaceful unification with Taiwan. As 80 per cent of respondents have said that they don't believe that Beijing has "a coherent internal strategy and road map, with concrete stages and actionable next steps, to achieve peaceful unification with Taiwan." CSIS noted that this is likely related to "China's inability to win the hearts and minds of the Taiwan government and people" and the collapse of the "one country, two systems" model offered by Beijing after it reversed its promises of autonomy in Hong Kong. The findings also revealed that the majority of the experts do not believe Beijing is preparing for immediate action on Taiwan, contradictory to what was presented in the media or at other think tank seminars. According to the survey, 44 per cent of respondents said Beijing has set a hard deadline to achieve unification by 2049. The experts were divided on the internal "deadline" that Beijing may have to solve the Taiwan issue -- anywhere between 2027, 2049 and 2072. Bonny Lin, the director of the centre's China Power Project and the leader of the survey said, "The survey shows that some of the catchy media headlines about how China may use force against Taiwan tomorrow do not reflect the view of leading experts on China and Taiwan," according to Nikkei Asia. Meanwhile, some experts do believe that Beijing is willing to wait for unification but will not accept the status quo permanently. "For this group, there is likely an assessment that Beijing is willing to wait because the conditions -- political, economic, or military -- are not yet optimal for China to achieve peaceful or forceful unification," CSIS said. Elbridge Colby, one of the respondents and author of "The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict," told Nikkei Asia, "Beijing will be willing to permanently accept the status quo if the alternative is a humiliating failure." Noting that Beijing probably does not have a "drop-dead date" for solving the Taiwan issue and that it is flexible in its approach, Colby said there is a possibility that China could engage in an amphibious invasion of Taiwan in the next 10 years. "If the U.S., Taiwan and Japan neglect the threat, I think the risk will be much higher. I think if we prepare to defend Taiwan, the risk will be much lower," he said as quoted by Nikkei Asia. (ANI) Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Pacific Fleet said that the US could upset Chinese designs of blockading Taiwan. He said that if China imposed a maritime blockade of Taiwan, the US and its allies would have the capability to break it, reported Nikkei Asia. "The question that follows is 'Do the allies have the capability to break that blockade?' And the answer to that is a resounding yes." China certainly has "the number of vessels, and the capability at sea to execute a blockade," said Paparo to Nikkei and a group of reporters travelling with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to Hawaii last week. Paparo expressed confidence that Washington could do so even on its own, citing its volume of firepower and "superiority in key domains," likely a reference to nuclear submarines and other undersea forces, reported Nikkei Asia. Meanwhile, a US defence official raised concerns that Beijing could use other means to cut off maritime access to Taiwan while concealing its intention to do so, similar to the live-fire drills announced after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei. China conducted large-scale military drills in August, it designated exercise areas near the Taiwanese ports of Taipei and Kaohsiung. Chinese forces fired 11 ballistic missiles during the drills, and there was a nonzero risk that one could have landed outside these zones. The exercises forced civilian vessels and aircraft to change their routes. "That's a pretty significant impact on normal activities," the official said. The line between warning civilian ships in advance of military exercises to keep them safe, and imposing a blockade to keep them out, is blurry. "You could essentially blockade Taiwan's access, through the repeated imposition of these kinds of closure areas, legally, safely, and in a way that would be extraordinarily difficult, either for Taiwan or the US, to challenge and to counter," the defence official said. Moreover, Beijing could deny any US accusations that it intended to impose a blockade. And if Washington could not conclude definitively that one was in place, it would not be able to conduct an operation to break it, reported Nikkei Asia. However, a senior Taiwanese official asserted that Taipei would not bow to Chinese pressure. "I think the Chinese pressure campaign, coercion campaign, has proven counterproductive," the official said. "These coercive measures strengthen our people's determination, our will, to defend our own democracy, and rally international support to Taiwan." Moreover, US President Joe Biden has stated that Washington would defend Taiwan if China invaded, but has provided no details. The Kinmen and Matsu islands near the Chinese province of Fujian, along with the island of Taiping in the South China Sea, are seen as particularly tough to defend. (ANI) In an opportunity to expose trainees to the military and maritime linkages of India with Kuwait, the ships of the First Training Squadron comprising Indian Naval Ship Tir, Sujata and Coast Guard Ship Sarathi arrived at Port Al-Shuwaikh, Kuwait. The ships arrived at the port on Tuesday and are deployed in the Persian Gulf as part of their training deployment. The naval ships were accorded a warm welcome by senior officers of the Kuwaiti Naval forces, Border Guard and the Embassy of India officials besides school children. The three-day port call includes professional engagements, cross-ship visits, community outreach and social interactions. The ships of 1TS, based at Kochi, are part of the Southern Naval Command, the Indian Navy's Training Command. The deployment of 1TS is aimed at exposing the trainees to the conduct of various evolutions at sea and port familiarisation. The present deployment also provides an opportunity in exposing the trainees to the sociopolitical, military and maritime linkages of India with friendly countries in our maritime neighbourhood. India and Kuwait traditionally enjoy friendly relations, which are rooted in history and have stood the test of time. This year, India and Kuwait are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Both countries have maintained regular high-level contacts. Kuwait stood with India during the second COVID and provided quick support in the form of oxygen and other relief material to India. An air/sea bridge was established between both countries in this regard. Kuwait had sent a special aircraft with 282 oxygen cylinders, 60 oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical supplies on May 4, 2021. Indian Naval Ships, INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Tarkash, INS Tabar and INS Shardul carried liquid medical oxygen in ISO tanks, oxygen cylinders, concentrators and other medical supplies to India. Over 425 metric tonnes of liquid medical oxygen, 12,500 oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical equipment was sent from Kuwait to India during the month and half long operation. Indian community in Kuwait also contributed to the efforts. (ANI) 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. Indian ambassador Harsh Jain met Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko on October 4 and exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine. This meeting comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the Russia-Ukraine war that has claimed thousands of lives since it began in February this year. "Ambassador Harsh Jain called on Mayor of Kyiv H.E. Mr Vitaliy Klitschko on October 4, 2022, and exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine," the Indian embassy said in a tweet. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi, in his telephonic conversation with Zelenskyy, expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India's readiness to contribute to any peace efforts. PM Modi once again called for the cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of diplomacy, according to a press release issued by Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The Prime Minister also reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. In his phone call with PM Modi, Zelensky discussed the issue of Russia's referenda "in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, food and nuclear security, and invited him to visit Ukraine." Ukrinform News agency reported that Ukraine's President noted that "all the aggressor's decisions aimed at attempted illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories are null and void and do not change reality." Zelensky emphasized that under such conditions, Ukraine will not conduct any negotiations with the incumbent president of the Russian Federation, and recalled that Ukraine has always been committed to a peaceful settlement through dialogue. Since the start of the conflict, India has advocated a path of dialogue and diplomacy. It has also repeatedly called for an immediate cessation of violence. Notably, PM Modi's recent remarks that "today's era isn't of war" was hailed by leaders around the world. On September 30, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, said India is deeply disturbed by the recent turn of developments in Ukraine and stressed that dialogue is the only answer to settle differences. Kamboj urged that all efforts are made by the concerned sides for the immediate cessation of violence and said that dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes. "Dialogue is the only answer to settling differences and disputes, however daunting that may appear at this moment. The path to peace requires us to keep all channels of diplomacy open," she said during the address at UNSC. (ANI) As Afghanistan continues to witness a surge in bombings, a blast was reported at a mosque near the office of the Taliban-led Ministry of Interior (MoI) on Wednesday, media reports stated citing a Taliban spokesperson. Taliban spokesperson Abdul Nafai Takor provided the information pertaining to the blast and added that an investigation is underway into the incident, reported Tolo News. So far, there are no additional details on the explosion and the casualties. The Taliban officials have yet to issue a statement on the blast. Earlier, on Monday, just days after the Kabul education centre blast killed over 40 people, an explosion occurred in the western part of the Afghan capital, targeting another Hazara-populated area. The explosion occurred near the Pul-e-Sukhta area near the Shahid Mazari Road, The Khaama Press news agency reported. The blast happened in the west of Kabul's PD 6 at around 2:00 pm, the report added. The blast that took place in the Shaheed Mazari area is reportedly a Hazara-populated area. However, there are no additional inputs on the blast. United Nations over the Kabul education centre blast said that at least 46 girls and young women were among the 53 people killed in last Friday's blast at the education centre in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. On Saturday, dozens of women from the minority Hazara community protested in Kabul against the terror attack at the Kaaj Educational Centre. The women protestors dressed in black chanted slogans against the genocide of minorities and demanded their rights, Pajhwok Afghan News reported. This series of blasts come as the Taliban completed one year of its rule in Afghanistan following the ouster of the US-backed civilian government last year. Rights groups said the Taliban had broken multiple pledges to respect human and women's rights. (ANI) A European lawmaker cut off her hair during a debate in the Parliament to express solidarity with Iranian women amid the ongoing protest in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Addressing the EU debate in Strasbourg, Swedish politician Abir Al Sahlani said, "We, the people and the citizens of the EU, demand an unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against men and women in Iran." "Until the women of Iran are free, we will stand with you," Al Sahlani said as she cut off her hair using a pair of scissors in front of members of the European Parliament, according to a video she posted on her Twitter handle. More than 100 people have been killed in nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO. Iranian schoolgirls and women have come out in huge numbers to demonstrate by removing their hijabs and staging rallies in protest over Amini's death. Many women have even cut off their hair while chanting anti-government slogans. Abir Al-Sahlani, a member of the European Parliament, pointed out that three weeks of continuous courage have been shown by the women of Iran. "They are paying the ultimate price for freedom with their lives." "Enough of the press releases now, enough of the mumbling, it's time to speak out, it's time to act. The hands of the regimes of the mullahs in Iran are stained with blood. Neither history or Allah of god almighty will forgive you for crimes against humanity that you are committing against your own people," she added. Amini, 22, died in custody after being arrested by Iran's "morality police" in Tehran on September 13 for allegedly violating the strict dress code. She later fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention centre and died three days later from a heart attack, according to authorities. Since her death, thousands have joined anti-government demonstrations throughout the country. Security forces have responded at times with live ammunition, and many people have been killed, injured and detained in the protests. Last week, the UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was becoming "increasingly concerned" about reports of the rising death toll. He said he had been following events closely, and he called on security forces to stop using "unnecessary or disproportionate force". Breaking his silence on the protest, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for the ongoing protest in the country. Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Khamenei said he was heartbroken at the death of the 22-year-old girl in police custody. However, he did not approve of the large-scale demonstrations following the death of Amini. "We were heartbroken, too. But the reaction to this incident, while no investigation has been done and nothing has been certain, should not have been this that some people come and make the streets insecure, cause the people to feel unsafe, harm the security, burn the Quran, remove the hijab of a woman, burn mosques and hussainiyahs, and arson banks and people's cars," he was quoted as saying by news agency IRNA. (ANI) At least four people were killed and 25 others were wounded in a blast in the Kabul mosque, the latest in the series of targeted explosions in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The blast reportedly took place at a mosque of the Taliban's Interior Ministry, TOLOnews reported. A Taliban spokesperson said that an investigation is underway and further details will be shared soon, the agency added. "After a bomb attack in a mosque at the Interior Ministry, EMERGENCY NGO Surgical Centre has received 20 patients - 2 were already dead on arrival," Kabul's Emergency Hospital tweeted. The hospital said this is the 2nd mass casualty the hospital has handled in recent days, and the 23rd of the year so far. "At approximately 2 pm, we started to receive some patients with injuries and burns, but there was no news yet about any explosion or attack," Acting Country Director Dejan Panic said in a statement. "But a few minutes later, the number of injured people arriving increased and they reported seeing a man detonate a device. It was a suicide attack," he added. Panic erupted as the number of casualties may, unfortunately, increase again in the next few hours and we may receive patients from other nearby facilities. On Monday, an explosion occurred in the western part of the Afghan capital, targeting another Hazara-populated area near Pul-e-Sukhta. This blast occurred just days after the Kabul education centre blast killed over 40 people. The blast that took place in the Shaheed Mazari area is reportedly a Hazara-populated area. However, there are no additional inputs on the blast. United Nations over the Kabul education centre blast said that at least 46 girls and young women were among the 53 people killed in last Friday's blast at the education centre in Afghanistan's capital Kabul. On Saturday, dozens of women from the minority Hazara community protested in Kabul against the terror attack at the Kaaj Educational Centre. The women protestors dressed in black chanted slogans against the genocide of minorities and demanded their rights, Pajhwok Afghan News reported. This series of blasts come as the Taliban completed one year of its rule in Afghanistan following the ouster of the US-backed civilian government last year. Rights groups said the Taliban had broken multiple pledges to respect human and women's rights. (ANI) "Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed four federal constitutional laws on the entry of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation," said the lower house of Russian parliament Wednesday citing government documents. "He also signed the relevant laws on ratification," it added, reported Al Jazeera. This comes after last week's developments where both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions part of Russia. Russia's annexation has sparked wide criticism from around the world. The United States announced that it will impose a "swift and severe cost" on Russia. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the "United States unequivocally rejects Russia's fraudulent attempt to change Ukraine's internationally recognized borders." "We will continue the United States' powerful, coordinated efforts to hold Russia to account, cut Russia's military off from global commerce and severely limit its ability to sustain its aggression and project power," he added. After Putin's formal announcement of the annexation of the said four regions, western leaders condemned it, termed it "illegal" and vowed that they will "never recognize" these areas. Earlier, Putin during the formal announcement of the annexation said that the millions of ordinary citizens, whose culture has been "destroyed", carried the "love for their historical homeland in their hearts" and in the heat of the battle, "heroically" came to the referendum and made their choice to be with Russia. (ANI) European lawmaker Abir Al Sahlani, who cut off her hair in solidarity with the ongoing protests in Iran, said she wanted to show the women of Iran that they have been heard and that they have a voice in the European Parliament. The death of 22-year-old girl Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran's "morality police" last month, has set off large-scale protests in the country where thousands have joined anti-government demonstrations. Security forces have responded at times with live ammunition, and many people have been killed, injured and detained in the protests, according to media reports. In a rousing speech delivered during the EU debate in Strasbourg, the EU lawmaker Al Sahlani extended her support to protesting people and said, "The hands of the regimes of the mullahs in Iran are stained with blood. Neither history or Allah or god almighty will forgive you for crimes against humanity that you are committing against your own people." "Until the women of Iran are free, we will stand with you," she said in a video that went viral on Twitter. In response to a media query, Al Sahlani exclusively told ANI that she wanted to show that the rights of women are as important all over the world, not just in the EU. "I wanted to show the women of Iran that they have been heard and that they have a voice in the European Parliament. I wanted to make a physical manifestation (by cutting off my hair), not just a speech, to underline the anger I feel," she said. The Iraqi-born Swedish member of European Parliament said the women of Iran have been putting their lives at risk for three weeks, showing incredible courage, to fight for their freedom. She said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is a "spineless coward" who has refrained from supporting the protesters in Iran. "The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, has shown everything but the same courage. He has cowardly refrained from supporting the protesters in Iran. That has made me so frustrated, that he is such a spineless coward." The EU lawmaker said she wants to "show that we can act, and not just say things." "Sweden and the EU can be much clearer in our support for the protesters in Iran. They want international support to keep up their energy and feel that they are not alone in this fight," she added. More than 100 people have been killed in nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO. Iranian schoolgirls and women have come out in huge numbers to demonstrate by removing their hijabs and staging rallies in protest over Amini's death. Breaking his silence over the protest, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for the ongoing protest in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Khamenei said he was heartbroken at the death of the 22-year-old girl in police custody. However, he did not approve of the violent demonstrations following the death of Amini. (ANI) Two Pakistani soldiers, including seven militants, were killed in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the militants fired at a military convoy. There were two separate incidents in the Hassan Khel and Tank areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In the militant fire on the convoy that transpired in the Hassan Khel area, the media wing's Tuesday statement read that the Pakistani soldiers retaliated killing three militants. The troops also recovered weapons and ammunition from them, reported Dawn. During the intense exchange of fire, a Pakistani soldier Muhammad Pannah of Pak Army, 30, resident of Jaffarabad District, and Frontier Constabulary's Sepoy Shamas Ullah, 36, resident of South Waziristan District, were killed. Meanwhile, security troops after tracking down the movement of the militants Tank area, engaged in a combat and killed four terrorists during an intense exchange of fire. Here too, the Pakistani army recovered weapons and ammunition from them. The militants were involved in target killings, kidnappings and extortion in the area, Dawn reported quoting the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Tuesday statement. September witnessed 42 militant attacks with an increase of 35 per cent compared to August. The Pakistani think tank "Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies " also observed an increase of 106 per cent in violence in erstwhile Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). "In September, the militants carried out 42 attacks in which 40 people were killed, including 24 security forces personnel, and 77 people were injured, including 19 security forces personnel. Overall 60pc of the deaths were from the security forces which showed that they were the prime target of the militants," the PICSS stated. In August this year, the think tank said the militants carried out 31 attacks across Pakistan, in which 37 people were killed and 55 others injured. "Peace negotiations with the TTP remained in limbo during the month but due to fear of target killing, top leadership of the group, including its head Mufti Noor Wali, went into hiding. A series of target killing incidents happened in August in which some senior TTP commanders were killed in Afghanistan," PICSS was quoted as saying by Dawn. Global security agencies say there's a high threat of terrorism and sectarian violence throughout the country. The main terrorist threat comes from TTP, an umbrella organisation of groups primarily based in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Daesh is also active, according to multiple reports. "While both groups' activities are primarily directed against the Pakistani state, they have in the past stated an intent to launch attacks on western interests. TTP and Daesh conduct attacks throughout Pakistan," the UK government assessment says.It says that previous methods of attack have included grenades, shootings, bombings and suicide bombs. Militants can launch complex and deadly attacks. (ANI) Taking to Twitter, ambassador Ackermann said wished everyone a happy Dussehra - the celebration of the victory of good over evil. "Attended #Dussehra (Vijayadashmi) in my neighborhood. A heady mix of sights and sounds with wonderful warm people around. I had an amazing evening! Wishing everyone a #happydussehra - the celebration of the victory of good over evil," the German envoy tweeted. With the occasion of Dussehra being celebrated throughout the country to mark the victory of good over evil, several effigies of Raavan were burnt on Wednesday to end the annual Durga Puja festival. Dussehra is that time of year when the well-known Ramlila is held, massive fairs are organized and people gather in large numbers to see Raavan effigies burst into flames, and the aroma of traditional sweets fills the air. As the nine-day-long Navratri came to an end on Vijayadashmi, people in various cities across the country including Leh, Ludhiana, Dehradun, Patna and Amritsar among others celebrated the auspicious festival by burning Raavan effigies. The Dussehra celebration at the Ram Leela ground in Delhi was attended by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar along with Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena and former President Ram Nath Kovind. The Vice President was presented a mace (Gada) by the Ramlila organisers and he also released white pigeons- symbol of peace. Thereafter, he held a bow and symbolically shot an arrow marking the Ravan Dahan on the occasion. (ANI) (Adds Bahrain government spokesperson comment) By Emma Farge GENEVA, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Bahrain will no longer run in an election to the U.N.'s top human rights body later this month, a U.N. website showed, after critics drew attention to alleged human rights violations. A U.N. site showed that Bahrain withdrew its candidacy on Sept. 26 to run for a three-year seat at the Geneva-based body, without giving details. A Bahrain government spokesperson told Reuters in a statement that the deferral of the Gulf Arab state's candidacy "results from ongoing consultation with its geographical group", describing that as a standard practice. "Bahrain remains fully supportive of the Human Rights Council, to which it has been elected three times, and will continue to work with other UN member states to promote global human rights best practices," the spokesperson added. Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, has imprisoned thousands of protesters, journalists and activists - some in mass trials - since an anti-government uprising in 2011. It says it prosecutes in accordance with international law those who commit crimes, and rejects criticism from the United Nations and others over the conduct of trials and detention conditions.. A memo circulated among council members by the London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) drew attention to allegations of arbitrary detention as well as reprisals against individuals, as cited in a U.N. report last month. The non-profit organisation also held a series of meetings with U.N. officials and diplomats in August to urge states not to support Bahrain. "It's a huge relief to see Bahrain withdrawing after our effective advocacy in Geneva against their candidacy," said Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, advocacy director at BIRD. A scorecard published by the International Service for Human Rights gave Bahrain a green tick for just three of 16 criteria, one of the lowest scores among candidate countries. States with poor human rights records are sometimes elected to the 47-member council, although they may be suspended for abuses, as was the case with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in February. Moscow says it quit the body and denies targeting civilians in Ukraine. The rights council does not make legally binding decisions but it carries political weight and can authorise investigations which sometimes help international trials. Elections are due to take place later this month at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. (Reporting by Emma Farge and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel) In 1942, Calvin Graham was an 11-year-old living in an abusive situation that forced him and his brother into a Texas boarding home. It was there that he hatched a daring escape plan: Join the U.S. Navy and fight Nazis. In an effort to look older, Graham began shaving his face and practicing a deeper voice. But being a 52, 125-pound sixth-grader with razor burn hardly fooled anyone. It was forging his mothers signature for consent and lifting a notary stamp that ultimately sealed the deal on his enlistment. Graham simply told his mother that he was going to stay with relatives for a while, according to Business Insider. He did, however, run into trouble when a dentist realized Graham still had baby teeth a tad uncharacteristic of a self-proclaimed 17-year-old. But Graham was persistent, and the flustered dentist waived him through. Graham was sworn into the Navy on Aug. 15, 1942, at 12 years old, making him the youngest person to enlist during World War II. After training, he was sent to serve in the Pacific as a gunner aboard the USS South Dakota. During the Battle of Guadalcanal, Graham took shrapnel to the face, and though wounded, still continued to help other sailors. For this, Graham was awarded the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He lost those awards, however, when his mother sold him out and revealed his age. Graham was originally thrown in the brig, but got out when his sister threatened the Navy with bad press. He became known to headline-writers as the baby vet after the Navy gave him a dishonorable discharge and revoked his disability benefits and his decorations, the New York Times reported. In addition to his medals, the discharge cost him disability benefits, which would have helped following the combat injuries he sustained. At 14, Graham married and had a child. By 17, he was newly divorced and decided to re-enlist, this time as a Marine. Unfortunately, a broken back, for which he received 20 percent disability, ended his military career once and for all. Story continues President Jimmy Carter later chose to return all of Grahams medals, save for the Purple Heart. But it wasnt until 1988 that President Ronald Reagan signed a bill restoring Grahams status and paying out the disability owed. I have today approved H.R. 610, An Act for the relief of Calvin L. Graham. Mr. Graham is a veteran of Navy and Marine Corps service who has honorably served his country, the bill reads. Section 1 of the Act provides that, for purposes of service-connected disability compensation, the dental injuries that Mr. Graham incurred in the Battle of Guadalcanal will be considered to be a permanent service-connected disability incurred in the line of duty. Section 1 also provides for reimbursement of Mr. Graham for costs he incurred for the treatment of those injuries. Ever the embodiment of live fast, die young, Graham passed away in 1992 of heart failure. He was 62. His nephew, Dean Lowrey, visited him shortly before he died, according to the Chicago Tribune. It was during that visit that Graham expressed sadness that he hadnt had his Purple Heart restored. Calvin told me, You know Im not going to be here much longer, my old hearts fixing to play out on me, Lowrey told the Chicago Tribune. He talked about his medals. Hed gotten his Bronze Star and the others back, everything except the Purple Heart. He couldnt figure why theyd held up that one. He said, Maybe theyll give me my Purple Heart after Im gone. He was right. Then-Navy Secretary John Dalton restored Grahams Purple Heart to his widow, Mary Graham, in 1994. A missing 14-year-old girl was found in a Texas park a day after she ran away from home, authorities say. The teen, who had left her home in Evans, Louisiana, the night of Monday, Oct. 3, was spotted in a park in Aransas Pass on Tuesday, Oct. 4, according to the Vernon Parish Sheriffs Office. Aransass Pass Police Department says officers located the girl lying under a park bench. Just days before, on Thursday, Sept. 29, the girl had disappeared with a 26-year-old man, according to deputies. She was located that day and was sent home. The man had agreed to questioning but never showed up. After the teen went missing again on Monday, deputies say they received a tip that the same 26-year-old had tried to use a cash app card, which was stolen, at a gas station in Aransas Pass. Vernon Parish officers contacted the Aransas Pass Police Department and officers began canvassing the area. Aransas Pass is on the Texas Gulf Coast, about 390 miles southwest of Vernon Parish. At the same time deputies contacted the police department, Aransas Pass police received a tip that a bystander had seen a male in his 20s and a very young female at the little league park who appeared suspicious, according to a news release from the department. The bystander described the girl as out of it and said the man had a large cut on his leg. Police found the girl at the park, but by the time they arrived the man was gone, the release says. While investigating, officers noticed a man riding a motorcycle, and after conducting a traffic stop, they confirmed the man as their suspect. The suspected kidnapper, who at the time of his arrest had multiple warrants from Vernon Parish, is charged with multiple counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and one count of second-degree kidnapping, deputies say. Additional charges are expected. He is being held in Texas until he can be extradited to Louisiana. Law enforcement is making plans to bring the girl back home to Louisiana, deputies say. Story continues Aransas Pass is about 160 miles southeast of San Antonio. Vernon Parish is about 230 miles northwest of New Orleans. Woman gets kidnapped and is found fatally shot hours later in SUV, Texas cops say Man used dating app to meet with 12- and 14-year-old girls, North Carolina cops say Accused kidnapper gets into shootout with state trooper from victims truck, NC cops say NextShark A Chinese woman thought she was the victim of racism after receiving a letter from her alma mater addressed to a Ms. Ching Chong, but was shocked and relieved to learn the truth. Former University of Queensland student Sierra Chen took to the Facebook group UQ Stalkerspace, which is described as a platform for discourse about University of Queensland campus life, to share the letter she received from the university and to see if anyone could help her contact the addressee to verify whether the letter was sent maliciously. In her post, Chen said the contents of the letter were not unusual, but the name listed as the recipient concerned her, as ChingChong is a racial discrimination word against [sic] Chinese. There are two festivals already happening in Iowa City, and this weekend, there will be a third. The Iowa Dance Festival returns with three performances across Iowa City, while Oktoberfest in northside Iowa City will serve up some brew for attendees. Whether youre busy attending the Iowa City Book Festival, the inaugural Refocus Film Festival, a dance festival or all three, here are three more things to do this weekend in Iowa City. 17th annual Iowa Dance Festival The Iowa Dance Festival returns with three performances across Iowa City after being on break since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented by the nonprofit InterDance, the weekend festival began more than a decade ago after Nora Garda, InterDance executive director, visited Spain and witnessed a dance festival there. She told the Press-Citizen she was inspired by that event, and the next year, Iowa City had a new dance festival. Along with performers who have a studio or stage they frequent, Garda said the Iowa Dance Festival is an opportunity for performers who cant rent a theater to do a show. Returning performance groups come from across Iowa, including Des Moines, Ames, Iowa City and the Quad Cities. This year, two dance companies from Illinois will be participating in the festival. I always say that theres not too many venues and events for dancers, Garda said. There is a lot that cover music and video or movies, even theater. There is not a lot on dance, in general everywhere, not only Iowa City. So, whenever there is an opportunity, people just say, yes, yes, I want to be there. The Iowa Dance Festival kicks off Friday at Public Space Ones Close House at 7 p.m. The interdisciplinary, experimental installation tour invites audiences to walk through the building to see continuous, different performances, Garda said. Adorning the space is work created by visual artists, while other artists will be moving about. We've been including musicians and writers before and trying to create collaborations between the dancers and the musician. But then I was thinking there are so many different pieces of moving art, so performance art, that are not necessarily dance but connect with dance very well, Garda said. Story continues On Saturday, a free community dance performance will be held at the Chauncey Swan Park at noon, featuring performances from Infinity Dance in Iowa City and more. The festival will complete with an evening dance concert at the James Theater at 7 p.m. Sunday. The performance will feature professional and amateur groups from Iowa and Illinois, including Nolte Academy, the Trifecta Dance Collective and more. The Iowa Dance Festival promotes the collaboration of dancers, choreographers and artists of other disciplines. Not only will audiences witness that collaboration, theyll also see many dance styles showcased. The interesting thing of the festival is that in one place, people will see performances by many different artists, with many different backgrounds that come here from different parts of the state of Iowa, mostly, Garda said. The performance at Public Space One costs $10, and it's $15 for general audience tickets at the James Theater. Visit the Iowa Dance Festivals website for more information. Run of the Mill presents Monstersongs The Iowa City nonprofit theater company Run of the Mill is bringing audiences to a world of art, rock music and monsters. Monstersongs follows the journey of a child who opens a portal into the psyches of often misunderstood creatures, according to Monstersongs website, complete with projections of art and different rock genres that celebrate the monsters that take the stage. Its written by Rob Rokicki, the composer of the Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical," with art by David ONeill and directed by William Asmus. Monstersongs will open at 8 p.m. Friday. Here are other dates to catch the production: Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 at the door and online. Northside Oktoberfest in Iowa City Image from Iowa City Brewfest/Northside Oktoberfest 2019. The historic Northside Iowa City will transform into a one-day Oktoberfest on Saturday. Celebrating 26 years, Northside Oktoberfest will include Iowa City BrewFest, a sampling event for guests whove purchased tickets. So while people can walk around the festival, youll need a ticket if you want to try some drinks. Tickets for Iowa City BrewFest cost $94. This includes unlimited samples from vendors, a beer at the Outdoor Bier Hall at Northside Oktoberfest, games and more. BrewFest participants include Big Grove Brewery, Backpocket Brewery, Millstream Brewing Co., Iowa Brewing Co., Peace Tree Brewing Co., Firetrucker Brewery, Confluence Brewing Co. and Wild Culture Kombucha. From noon to 8 p.m., folks can visit the Northside Oktoberfest Outdoor Bier Hall and purchase a $15 mug. The mug comes with a beer, and from there, folks can purchase more beer and wine at Northside Iowa City businesses to take with them while they enjoy live music and festivities at Oktoberfest. Performers include Barefoot Becky and Czech Plus Band. There are also brat-eating and stein-holding contests, and more. Just an hour before, the Iowa City BrewFest and the kids event SodaFest commences. For $5, kids can try samples of soda in a specialty soda-tasting glass in the Pagliais parking lot. Presented by the Iowa Childrens Museum, there will also be pumpkin-decorating, inflatables and more. Visit the Iowa City Downtown Districts website for a schedule of activities, Iowa City BrewFest participating vendors and to buy tickets. Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or (319) 519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Things to do this weekend in Iowa City include Iowa Dance Festival The red arrow and circle shows the swelling on the woman's right jaw. Cureus/Rishwanth Vetri et al. A 37-year-old woman went to a dentist in India with a painless lump on her right lower jaw. Surgeons later diagnosed her with breast cancer, which had spread to the jaw, causing the lump. The woman's nipple had retracted but she didn't know this was a sign of cancer. A woman who went to the dentist with a swollen jaw and a toothache was later diagnosed with breast cancer, which had spread to multiple parts of her body, according to a report. The 37-year-old unnamed woman first noticed her jaw was swollen seven months before the dentist appointment, a group of trainee surgeons and medical students wrote in a report published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science on Friday. The woman had also noticed that her nipple had become inverted eight months before the appointment, but didn't know that it could be a sign of breast cancer that requires medical attention, they wrote. The woman's case is rare, but draws attention to a possible lack of awareness of breast cancer and its symptoms, according to the report. As Insider previously reported, breast cancer symptoms can depend on the type of cancer and whether it has spread. Each year in the US, about 264,000 women and 2,400 men are diagnosed with the condition. According to research cited in the report, tumors in the mouth that have spread from other parts of the body, including the breast, account for only 1% of all tumors found in the mouth, but once diagnosed, less than 10% of those patients survive for more than four years. Overall, breast cancer kills around 42,000 women and 500 men each year in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An examination revealed lumps in her right and left breasts In this case, the dentist extracted the woman's teeth that had tooth decay which were causing the toothache and took a biopsy of the jaw lump. It had features of breast cancer so the dentist referred the woman to surgeons. The surgeons examined her and found lumps in her right and left breasts and that her right nipple was inverted. Story continues After scans and further biopsies, the surgeons diagnosed the woman with breast cancer, which had started in her right breast and spread to her left breast, jaw, lymph nodes, skull, ribs, spine, clavicle, and the thigh bone of her right leg. The jaw swelling was treated with radiotherapy and, in July 2019, she started a combination of palliative treatments, that aren't aimed at curing the cancer, including chemotherapy and a hormone treatment, which helped reduce the amont of tumors in her body. She will continue to take a hormone treatment until there are signs that her condition is getting worse. A scan in August 2022 didn't find any signs of tumors in her breast, according to the report. Read the original article on Insider Tacos may have come into prominence in the 18th century in the silver mines of Mexico. Jeffrey M. Pilcher, a professor of history at the University of Minnesota who studies Mexican food, found that the word taco referred to the little charges miners used to excavate the ore, according to an article in Smithsonian magazine. Now tacos are so rampant in restaurants that they have their own sections on menus and day to celebrate with discounted versions. Here in the Des Moines metro, you can find tacos all over the city. Heres a look at five you should try. This newcomer in West Des Moines took over the former Rusty Taco space, now outfitted with Day of the Dead decor. Blue Agave serves street tacos with three per order, wrapped in corn tortillas made in house. Try cochinita with slow-cooked pork, fish that can be fried or grilled, shrimp, or even veggie with zucchini, squash, corn salsa, and avocado. Each comes with side options such as black beans, cilantro white rice or spicy veggies and quinoa. Prices start at $13. Find it: 9500 University Ave. Suite 2108, West Des Moines Street tacos at Malo. George Formaro took numerous trips to Mexico before opening Malo in 2014 in the historic Fire Station No. 1 in downtown Des Moines. The tacos here come three to an order with a choice of flour or corn tortillas or lettuce for the wrap. Options include chicken tinga, mahi-mahi, al pastor (marinated pork shoulder), wood-grilled skirt steak and vegetarian options such as crispy onion and avocado or Portobello mushroom. Prices start at $11.99. Find it: 900 Mulberry St. More:The 33 essential restaurants of Des Moines: 2022 edition The casa de la barbacoa in the River Bend neighborhood serves street tacos in a small space along Sixth Avenue in Des Moines. Order barbacoa (lamb) pata de res (beef feet), camaron (shrimp) or picadillo (beef and potatoes). Try the taco ahogados (fried tacos) with corn tortillas dipped in beef birria and fried with melted cheese that start at $3.50 or street tacos with double corn tortillas that start at $3. Story continues Find it: 1610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines Tacos Mariana's in the King Irving neighborhood restaurant serves 10 different protein options in its tacos that come with two soft corn tortillas made in house. Try proteins such as carnitas, pollo, chorizo, and asada, as well as cabeza (beef head), tripas (beef intestine) and birria (shredded beef). Prices start at $1.25 or head here on Wednesdays or Thursdays for 99 cent tacos. Find it: 1305 University Ave., Des Moines More:9 places to eat near Drake University including Indian, diner fare, burgers, ice cream Richard and Antonia Mosqueda opened Tasty Tacos in 1961, and since, it's grown to six locations for Mexican food in the Des Moines metro. The fluffy flour version comes with options such as seasoned beef, beans, chicken, steak or pork starting at $3.50, while the crispy corn shell versions (same options) start at $2.35. Find it: 1400 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines; 6326 Mills Civic Pkwy., West Des Moines; 5847 S.E. 14th St., Des Moines; 2900 E. Euclid Ave., Des Moines; 2401 S.E. Delaware Ave., Ankeny; 8549 Hickman Road, Urbandale Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter or drop her a line at sstapleton@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Where to find the best tacos in Des Moines, Iowa An estimated 700 Malaysian victims who were lured by human traffickers are being held for ransom in a casino and hotel resort in northern Laos. The victims were lured with promises of employment at the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo province. The area reportedly has a gambling hub that caters to Chinese citizens. The detained migrant workers face abuse from resort managers, who reportedly put them to work as online scammers and ensure their compliance by beating and torturing them. The traffickers most often demand large ransoms for a victims release. If they or their family cannot provide the money, they are forced to continue working. Some workers are sold to different companies or agencies and sent to other countries, while Malaysian women are also reportedly forced into prostitution. More from NextShark: Korean American Rap Group Drops Powerful 'Viral' MV on Contagious Racism I see people here from many different countries, including Vietnam, Myanmar and Malaysia, an anonymous source told Radio Free Asia. They work at many different jobs, but most of them here at the Golden Triangle work online as scammers. Their Chinese employers confiscate their passports and cell phones, and most of the workers are confined to their buildings, another escapee was quoted as saying. Foreign workers like the Malaysians also have trouble complaining to the Lao authorities because of the language barrier. When foreign workers are abused by a Chinese employer, they dont know whether they should report the abuse to the governments SEZ Task Force or to their own embassies. According to Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim, the secretary general of Malaysia International Humanitarian Organization, four Malaysians managed to escape by digging a tunnel at their work site, and six others were rescued by the Malaysian embassy in Vientiane, Laos. More from NextShark: Canadian Journalist Loses Job After Coronavirus Joke on Twitter The captors have demanded a ransom of up to RM100,000 (approximately $21,596) to release their captives. Story continues The Malaysian embassy has contacted the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Interpol to ask for help in rescuing the trapped Malaysian victims. Similarly, authorities rescued 118 Malaysians and 50 Filipinos who were lured to Cambodia and held as prisoners last month. There were also 60 Vietnamese nationals who collectively managed to run for freedom from human traffickers at a Cambodian casino. Since the beginning of this year, authorities have rescued more than 600 Vietnamese victims lured through online scamming. More from NextShark: Wisconsin Man Arrested for Racist Comments Against Hmong Americans Wearing Masks in Store Featured Image via Denis Oliveira More from NextShark: Man accused of fatally shoving Vicha Ratanapakdee enters preliminary hearing We may be done with the pandemic but many U.S. restaurant chains are continuing to struggle, faced with declining sales on one hand and rapidly changing consumer behaviors on the other. Chains that have avoided bankruptcy thus far have done so at considerable expense, shedding dozens of restaurantsand in some cases, hundredsin order to stay afloat. Legacy brands of the '80s and '90s have been particularly hard hit in the past few years, with once massive brands like Ruby Tuesday and Boston Market sustaining considerable losses and shrinking in size to a few hundred locations each. Meanwhile, buffet-style restaurants like Ponderosa and Golden Corral have had their moment of reckoning, prompted by the pandemic to reconsider a business model that may no longer be tenable. Here are eight American restaurant chains that are currently much smaller than they were in their glory days. RELATED: America's Second-Largest Burger Chain Has Gotten Much Worse at the Drive-Thru, New Study Shows 1 Subway subway exterior America's largest sandwich chain is shrinking. Subway has been shedding domestic locations for years now and the trend is likely to continue as the company attempts to rid itself of unprofitable restaurants. In 2020, the chain set an unfortunate industry record. Sure, it was the first year of the pandemic, when most fast-food brands struggled with closures and losses. But Subway had them all beatit lost upward of 1,600 restaurants (and according to franchisees, well over 2,000), more than any other chain in the history of the business. In 2021, the company lost another 5% of its domestic footprint when its franchisees shuttered more than 1,000 locations, according to Restaurant Business. This brought its American store count down to just over 21,000. According to some estimates, the chain's store count keeps dropping and is currently at about 20,890. For comparison's sake, Subway had more than 27,000 domestic units in 2013. According to CEO John Chidsey, however, it's all part of the plan, and Subway won't be rushing to continue the frenzied growth it has been known for. Story continues "I don't really see a lot of growth in the U.S.," he said earlier this year. "I still think there's some non-traditional opportunities in the U.S. But we want to get away from being so unit-focused in the U.S and focus more on the quality of what we have." Eat this, not that Sign up for our newsletter! 2 Ruby Tuesday ruby tuesdays storefront Ruby Tuesday made it through the pandemic, but just barely. Like many other fast-casual chains now decades past their prime, Ruby Tuesday was pushed into bankruptcy, filing for Chapter 11 protection in late 2020. Debt protection was awarded in February of 2021, but the chain emerged from bankruptcy court a ghost of its former self, with its restaurant count cut by more than halffrom 451 to 209. 3 Boston Market boston market Boston Market has been in the news recently, following last year's announcement of ambitious expansion plans and the debut of a new, takeout-friendly restaurant design. But the regional favorite has been in a nose-dive for the past two decades, following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 1998. Since then, Boston Market has passed through the hands of no fewer than three different parent companies, and has watched its restaurant count steadily decline, from a high of 1,200 units in 1998, to an all-time low of 326 last year. 4 Golden Corral golden corral As recently as 2018, when many other buffet chains were showing signs of decline, Golden Corral was still cracking the top 100 of Restaurant Business's annual "Top 500" list, reporting a restaurant count of 489. But even America's #1 buffet restaurant couldn't beat the pandemic. Since 2018, Golden Corral's footprint has shrunk by over 25%, with most of the losses occurring in the past two years. Last month, the buffet chain reported a system-wide total of 360 restaurants, with 80 restaurants lost in pandemic-related closures. Despite its significantly reduced footprint, Golden Corral is still plotting a comeback, with plans for a new line of restaurants with a simplified andwait for ittakeout-friendly store design. 5 Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse ponderosa steakhouse Beloved steakhouses Ponderosa and Bonanza (whose names were inspired by the '60s Western show, Bonanza) were acquired by FAT Brands in 2017, following several decades of ownership by conglomerate Metromedia Restaurant Group and a bankruptcy filing in 2008. While the sister brands have found a sanctuary of sorts in FAT Brands, they show no signs of recovering from their years-long decline. Their current collective restaurant count totals just 23 locations, down from 75 in 2019. 6 Steak 'n Shake steak 'n shake Founded in 1934, Steak 'n Shake is another decades-old fast-food brand with an uncertain future. Handed off from one parent company to another, Steak 'n Shake experienced something of a resurgence in the late 2000s, under the leadership of entrepreneur Sardar Biglari. Unfortunately, however, that momentum was short-lived, beginning to peter out by 2016. In the years since, the company has routinely made headlines with its erratic finances, announcing a fire sale of hundreds of its restaurants in 2018, and narrowly avoiding bankruptcy in early 2021. All the while, its store count has been steadily decreasing, from as many as 423 restaurants in 2008 to just 306 in 2020. 7 Quiznos Men sitting outside of a quiznos One of the biggest stories in declining quick service chains, Quiznos' store count has shrunk by an incredible 94% in the past 15 years. The sandwich chain peaked in size in 2006, with 5,000 units to its name. In the time since, it's footprint has (roughly) halved every five years: it was down to 2,800 units in 2010, 671 units in 2016, and 255 last year. The sandwich brand is hoping to find renewed sales through a partnership with ghost kitchen company Ghost Kitchen Brands, which in 2021 announced plans to bring Quiznos into 100 of its stores, across the U.S. and Canada. 8 Fuddruckers fuddruckers Despite the liquidation of its parent company Luby's in 2020, beloved burger chain Fuddruckers is still hobbling along, acquired for $18.5 million by Black Titan Franchise Systems in late 2021. But Black Titan will have its work cut out in attempting to rehabilitate Fuddruckers. The brand has been in a steady decline since at least 2010, when it was acquired by Luby's. Its store count has shrunk by about half in the past decade, from 198 stores in 2010 to just 92 last year. Residents in one Deltona neighborhood are still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Ian days after the storm. >>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<< Neighbors along Sunday Drive say the standing water there is starting to cause problems. They say its blocking off access to the entrance to the street, and starting to smell bad. READ: Thats my everything: Man recounts riding out Ian aboard sailboat in Fort Myers Homeowner Nick Lulli says he never expected to see and smell standing water outside of his home, even after a hurricane. We are not in a high-risk flood zone, Lulli said. We are not on a lake or a river. As Hurricane Ian bore down on Central Florida, Lulli says he thought they would be in good shape, until they werent. READ: Hurricane Ian: Cleanup efforts continue as piles of debris await collection The water approached two to three feet of my home, Lulli said. Much of the water eventually receded, but the leftovers remain days after the storm. Its absolutely disgusting, Lulli said. READ: Hundreds of Orange County families being evicted after Hurricane Ian damages complex Whats worse, Lulli says, is what he thinks is the source of the water. A city of Deltona storm water pond just a few blocks north staged out and surged out into our community, Lulli said. When asked if the city agrees on the source, Mayor Heidi Herzberg said it very well could be. READ: A nightmare: Seminole County residents near Saint Johns River still plagued with flooding issues If theres a retention pond there, you have to look at what the pond is capturing, Herzberg said. How are things working with the pond? Story continues Herzberg told Channel 9 News the city is looking into the matter while working on getting the water out of Sunday Drive. Right now, I know the city has gone down there. Theyve assessed it. They put some pumps out there, Herzberg said. They talked to a private landowner on the other side of (SR) 415 who is allowing them now to pump water over to that area. READ: Florida National Guard rescues hundreds from flooded homes, ferries supplies to those stranded Herzberg says there are other areas besides Sunday Drive dealing with the same issue. A thing were going to do now is look at the areas that had these water impacts, and really address where is the storm water? Where do we need to invest more? Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Kim Jung Gi displays his work onstage at Comic-Con 2018 in San Diego. (Christy Radecic / Invision / Associated Press) Renowned illustrator Kim Jung Gi died Monday in Paris at age 47 after suffering a heart attack, the Daniel Maghen art gallery announced Wednesday. According to a statement shared on Kim's Instagram page, the South Korean artist had just completed his final engagement in Europe and was about to board a plane to New York, where he was scheduled to appear at Comic Con this week. After experiencing chest pains at the airport, Kim was taken for surgery to a nearby hospital, where he died. "After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes," wrote his collaborator, Hyun Jin Kim. Kim was known for his exceptional ability to draw intricate illustrations entirely from memory, with no references whatsoever, on large canvases with his trusty brush pen. The talented craftsman who also contributed artwork to graphic novels, as well as Marvel and DC comics held the Guinness World Record for longest drawing by an individual. "His sudden disappearance contrasts with the immense happiness he brought us," read a statement from the Maghen gallery in Paris, where an exhibition of Kim's work is on display. "We are speechless. Daniel Maghen, the entire gallery team, and particularly Olivier Souille, who had accompanied him for ten years, are terribly affected by his loss. All our thoughts are turned to his family, his wife and his two children, his friends, his collaborators Kim Hyun Jin, Boin Lee, Jean-Christophe Caurette and his fans, for whom his disappearance will leave a great void." At the request of Kim's family, his exhibition at the Maghen gallery will continue in the artist's memory until Saturday. Born in 1975 in the South Korean town of Goyang-si, Kim began sketching at an early age before studying art and design at Dong-Eui University in Busan, according to his artist bio. After attending college, Kim was required to serve two years in the South Korean army, where he pretended to draw poorly to avoid getting asked to sketch portraits of people's loved ones. Story continues "They didn't really ask me too many favors," Kim said in a 2018 interview with Proko. "I don't even draw my own family, so why should I have to draw someone else's? There was another art student that joined a few months after me who ended up shouldering a whole lot of this burden. And when he later found out that I was actually very good at drawing, he got a little annoyed." While serving in the army, Kim memorized the structure of various weapons and vehicles, such as military aircraft, and began to draw them in his mind. "Of course, it was a little scary, but my interests overrode any fear," he told Proko. "I would keenly observe the gears and the guns and try to touch them and feel them if I could." Early in his artistic career, Kim often drew erotic illustrations with graphic depictions of sex and nudity, for which he was sometimes criticized. Some were so explicit that he could not include them in his official sketchbooks, which sold for more than $100 apiece. "I have been told that my drawings are misogynistic, and I've had people ask me why I draw genitalia," he told Proko. "Well, I draw them because they're there. "I still have a lot of naughty thoughts inside of me. I just have more people around me that keep me under control. ... They tell me stop drawing stuff like that. I used to draw whatever I wanted back when I wasn't famous ... But since I now have a reputation to keep, I have limitations. That makes me a little sad." Over the years, Kim's sprawling, imaginative drawings have depicted all kinds of things: people, lions, tigers, mythical creatures, superheroes, cityscapes, battles and beyond. In addition to selling his sketch collections, collaborating with comic book publishers, teaching online art courses and displaying his work at galleries and events, Kim also entertained the masses in real time during his live drawing sessions. While sketching elaborate portraits before an audience sometimes over the course of several hours the cartoonist would crack jokes and offer insight into his artistic process. Once his performances attracted a significant following, he held live drawing sessions in France, the United States and all over Asia. On Wednesday, DC Comics Publisher Jim Lee hailed Kim via Twitter as "one [of] the absolute greats," while Marvel Comics editor C.B. Cebulski said he was "still sitting here stunned" after learning of the artist's death. Kim "was a truly phenomenal talent whose pen and brush wizardry captivated and inspired millions of fans around the world," Lee tweeted. "While he drew some incredible comics, it was his live drawing & his sketchbooks about his life, travels and dreams which spoke to me most. It was downright eerie and spellbinding to see someone with a near photographic memory bring an illustration to life with the style and flair that only Jung Gi could deliver." "There was no one quite like him," Cebulski wrote. "Rest in peace." As of this year, Kim had published six sketchbooks that amount to approximately 4,500 pages worth of drawings spanning more than a decade. He also illustrated the Seung-Jin Park comic-book series "Tiger the Long Tail," as well as the Bernard Werber novels "The Paradise" and "Third Humanity." Drawing is "as natural for me as breathing," Kim told Proko in 2018. "I'm not even thinking about what I'm drawing most of the time. If I can't think of anything to draw, I just draw a person first and keep adding to it. ... I still find drawing fun, and I hope that I won't lose that sense of joy for a long time." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A former Army paratrooper who admittedly threatened to kill President Biden is set to be released from federal custody Thursday after authorities agreed not to prosecute him if he undergoes treatment for mental health problems stemming from his combat experiences in Afghanistan, according to court filings. Scott Merryman, 38, who served in Afghanistan for 15 months in 2007 and 2008 and was later diagnosed with various mental illnesses related to post-traumatic stress disorder, was in the throes of a "hyper-religious" psychotic breakdown this year when he made the threats against Biden in Facebook posts and phone calls to the White House and the Secret Service. He was arrested Jan. 27 in Maryland after traveling from his home in rural Kansas, vowing to "lop the head off the serpent in the heart of the nation" and "slay the Anti-Christ," as he called the president on social media. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. His attorneys and family members have long argued that Merryman is a psychiatric casualty of war, not a criminal, and that he belongs in a treatment facility, not a prison. After months of court wrangling, federal prosecutors and the chief judge of U.S. District Court in Maryland now appear to concur with the defense, based on an agreement finalized this week with Merryman and his main lawyer. "I'm a very, very, very happy mom," Merryman's mother, Terry Bryant, said Tuesday from her home in Independence, Kan., in the southeastern corner of the state. "I told his lawyer: 'You went up against the government and you won! You should be proud of yourself!' Finally, Scott is going to get the help he needs." The U.S. attorney's office in Maryland declined to comment on the deal. Under the "deferred prosecution" agreement, filed in court Tuesday, the U.S. attorney's office agreed to put off prosecuting Merryman for up to 36 months. In the meantime, Merryman will be released from incarceration Thursday and immediately begin receiving inpatient treatment at a private mental health facility. The agreement includes provisions barring him from possessing weapons, consuming intoxicants, disrupting his treatment or "engaging in criminal activity," including threatening anyone. Story continues The criminal case against him could resume if he breaks the agreement. If Merryman "has successfully satisfied the requirements of this agreement," he can request to be released early, after 24 months, from mandated mental health treatment and supervision. Provided he cooperates in therapy and abides by other rules - whether he remains in treatment for 36 or 24 months - the charges against him will be dismissed "with prejudice," meaning they could not be refiled. He was charged in an indictment with threatening to harm the president and making threats in interstate communication, each punishable by up to five years in prison. Since his return from deployment with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in 2008, Merryman's life has been marred by depression, guilt, outbursts of rage, "intrusive memories," alcohol abuse, opioid addiction, failed relationships, self-isolation and suicide attempts, according to hundreds of pages of mental health records reviewed by The Washington Post. He was initially diagnosed with PTSD in 2009, after what the Army said were his "multiple exposures to combat," and was honorably discharged based on his disability. Over the years, in counseling with mental health professionals at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Merryman has said he is most haunted by a firefight with insurgents in an Afghan village in which he mistakenly machine-gunned a small girl. After more than a decade of debilitating emotional ailments, Merryman suffered a psychotic breakdown late last year in which he became obsessed with the Bible's Book of Revelation, believing he was a God-anointed prophet of the world's final days, according to friends and loved ones. Soon afterward, he set out for the nation's capital. After his medications were adjusted following his arrest, the delusions went away, although the PTSD remained, his lawyers said. From the beginning, they argued that he should be placed in a mental health facility for PTSD treatment while he awaited a trial, at which they intended to argue that he was not guilty by reason of temporary insanity. But prosecutors and Chief Judge James K. Bredar insisted that a defendant accused of threatening to kill the president should be kept behind bars under tight security. Merryman's lead attorney, Sedira Banan, said her client's good behavior and apparent mental stability while in federal custody in recent months - along with evaluations conducted by government mental health experts - changed the minds of prosecutors and the judge, who agreed that Merryman could be released to get treatment in a private facility. Banan declined to comment further on the agreement. Related Content How Ukrainians, targeting by drone, attacked Russian artillery in Kherson The National Gallery thought this painting was a Vermeer. Now? Not so much Political spam is out of control. Now Gmail is about to make it worse. Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, after the jury convicted Travis McMichael of murder on November 24, 2021. Stephen B. Morton-Pool/Getty Images Ahmaud Arbery's mother condemned Kanye West's stunt at his recent fashion show in Paris. West sported a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt, sparking reactions from activists and celebrities. Arbrey's mother told Rolling Stone that West's actions made the phrase trend on social media. The mother of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was murdered by white men while jogging in a Georgia neighborhood in 2020, called out Kanye West for sporting a "White Lives Matter" T-shirt at his fashion show in Paris on Monday. "As a result of his display 'White Lives Matter' started trending in the U.S., which would direct support and legitimize extremist behavior, [much] like the behavior that took the life of her son," the civil-rights attorney Lee Merritt told Rolling Stone in a statement on behalf of Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones. "That is the thing that Wanda and families like hers continue to fight against." Ahmaud Arbery. Marcus Arbery/Handout via REUTERS Videos that surfaced online this week show West and the models for his YZYSZN9 fashion show wearing a black, long-sleeve shirt with the phrase "White Lives Matter" on the back. According to the Anti-Defamation League, the racist slogan is used as a direct response to the Black Lives Matter movement by white-supremacist groups, including the Texas-based Aryan Renaissance Society. The far-right pundit Candace Owens also shared a photo of herself and the rapper wearing the controversial shirts, sparking immediate backlash after the phrase began trending on social media. A slew of celebrities, including Jaden Smith, who reportedly walked out of the show when the shirts were shown, have condemned West's actions. The model Gigi Hadid called out West after he attempted to discredit a Vogue editor, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who called the shirts "pure violence" and "hugely irresponsible." West responded by ridiculing Karefa-Johnson's outfit and saying she wasn't a "fashion person." West took to Instagram to respond to the criticism on Tuesday, appearing to stand by his actions: "EVERYONE KNOWS BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM. NOW ITS OVER. YOU'RE WELCOME." Story continues Cooper-Jones expressed her disappointment with West's sentiments in the statement to Rolling Stone. "This mockery of the Black Lives Matter movement, and his now denunciation of the movement as some sort of hoax flies directly in the face [of what he's said]," the statement continued, per the outlet."It's confusing for her, it's confusing for the families to receive his support privately, but publicly to set us all back." At the pinnacle of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, the "Off the Grid" rapper donated $2 million to families impacted by police brutality, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Arbery. Read the original article on Insider MOBILE, Ala. (AP) A south Alabama pastor was arrested Tuesday after being indicted on rape and sex abuse charges, news outlets reported. A grand jury indicted Gregory Renee Adams, 64, on five counts of rape, two counts of sodomy and two counts of sexual abuse by force, according to court documents. Two of the charges involved victims who were between the ages of 12 and 16, according to the indictment. Jail records show that Adams was arrested Tuesday. Dennis Knizley, an attorney representing Adams, declined to comment Wednesday, saying he had not yet seen the indictment. Police said the investigation began after several victims came forward. The case was sent to a grand jury which returned the indictment, the first step in sending the case to trial. WKRG-TV reports that an investigator testified at a preliminary hearing last year that Adams used his power as a pastor to make his victims fear him. Testimony included allegations that he told victims that he chooses who goes to heaven or hell and that he told one victim that God would strike her down with lightning if she rejected him, the station r eported. The Mobile Police Department said last year that the investigation suggested Adams met some of his victims through churches in Citronelle, Alabama, and Waynesboro, Mississippi. (Reuters) - A New Mexico prosecutor on Wednesday said a settlement between actor Alec Baldwin and the family of the cinematographer he shot during filming of the Western "Rust" in 2021 had no impact on her eventual decision whether to file criminal charges in the case. "If the facts and evidence warrant criminal charges under New Mexico law then charges will be brought. No one is above the law," the office of New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies said in a statement on the proposed settlement of the civil suit brought by the Hutchins family. (Reporting by Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; Editing by Chris Reese) The workers cited safety concerns after a fire broke out at the Staten Island facility. ane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images Amazon has suspended workers at a Staten Island warehouse after they refused to work. The workers cited safety concerns after a fire broke out at the facility. Amazon workers in Staten Island are the first in the company's history to unionize. Amazon has suspended more than fifty workers at a Staten Island warehouse after they refused to work due to safety concerns over a fire in the facility. The Washington Post first reported the news. A cardboard compactor caught fire in a Staten Island facility leading to a small fire in the warehouse on Monday afternoon, representatives for Amazon confirmed to Insider. The spokesperson said that all employees were "evacuated safely, and day shift employees were sent home with pay." Labor leaders told the Washington Post that the warehouse smelled of smoke, some workers couldn't breathe, and one worker went to the hospital. The Amazon spokesperson told Insider, however, that the warehouse had been certified as safe after the incident, but "a handful" of employees refused to work. All night shift employees were asked to report to their regularly scheduled shifts but the group of workers that refused to work remained in the building without permission, according to the spokesperson. They were later placed on paid investigatory suspension while the company looked into the incident, the spokesperson said. Union organizers told the news agency that Amazon suspended 10 union leaders and 40 warehouse workers on Tuesday due to the work stoppage. Union leaders did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Seth Goldstein, a labor attorney for Amazon Labor Union, told The Washington Post that the suspensions were a violation of the employees' rights. He said: "The workers didn't feel safe going back to work. They were engaging in rights that have been protected for 85 years under the National Labor Relations Act." The workers at Amazon's Staten Island facility represent the first union in Amazon's history. Read the original article on Business Insider NEW YORK (AP) Amazon has suspended at least 50 warehouse employees who refused to work their shifts following a trash compactor fire at one of its New York facilities, according to union organizers. The company suspended the workers, with pay, on Tuesday, a day after the fire disrupted operations at the Staten Island warehouse that voted to unionize earlier this year. Derrick Palmer, the vice president of the Amazon Labor Union, said day-shift workers were sent home with pay due to the fire, which began late afternoon Monday. But night-shift employees, who were just coming in for their shift were told to remain in a break area until management figured out the situation, he said. Dozens of workers began to raise concerns about safety. Some were worried the air in the facility would be unsafe to breathe because of smoke from the fire. Eventually, roughly 100 workers held a sit-down protest at the facilitys main office, demanding to be sent home with pay. They were saying we dont feel safe, we dont feel safe to work,' Palmer said. Amazon spokesperson Paul Flaningan said in a prepared statement that the company had asked all night shift employees to report to their shifts on Monday after the New York Fire Department certified the building as safe. While the vast majority of employees reported to their workstations, a small group refused to return to work and remained in the building without permission, Flaningan said. Some workers had also walked out, while others continued with the protest, according to organizers. The suspended workers were notified by email and phone that their security badges would be inactive during the duration of the probe, Palmer said. The suspensions are in effect indefinitely as the company investigates. The number of suspended workers could rise. Seth Goldstein, an attorney for the union, said the workers intend to file unfair labor practice charges against Amazon with the National Labor Relations Board. Amazon has filed over two dozen objections with the agency seeking to toss out the unions April win. Meanwhile, warehouse workers at a separate facility near Albany, New York will be voting in their own union election next week. A group of national medical associations are asking President Biden's Department of Justice to investigate alleged "disinformation campaigns" against transgender surgeries for minors. The American Medical Association (AMA), Childrens Hospital Association (CHA) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday asking the department to take "swift action to investigate and prosecute" individuals responsible for what they alleged are "increasing threats of violence" against hospitals and physicians targeted for "providing evidence-based gender-affirming care." "From Boston to Akron to Nashville to Seattle, children's hospitals, academic health systems, and physicians are being targeted and threatened for providing evidence-based health care," the letter states. PEDIATRICIAN GROUP SLAMS ITS OWN MEMBERS OVER TRANSGENDER TEEN PUBERTY BLOCKER CRITICISM: DISINFORMATION "The attacks are rooted in an intentional campaign of disinformation, where a few high-profile users on social media share false and misleading information targeting individual physicians and hospitals, resulting in a rapid escalation of threats, harassment, and disruption of care across multiple jurisdictions," the letter continues. The groups are also calling on Big Tech companies Twitter, TikTok and Meta "to do more to prevent coordinated campaigns of disinformation" and "take bolder action when false information is shared about specific institutions and physicians." The request sparked immediate backlash from some conservatives, including Republican Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who tweeted: "Outrageous. The Biden DOJ is thoroughly corrupt & weaponized to attack their political enemies. They are in bed with Big Tech billionaires in trying to silence you." He continued on to say that members of the American Medical association should "resign now" and "demand your dues be refunded." DEMOCRATS WANT TO EXPAND DOJS POWER TO FIGHT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Story continues Boston Childrens Hospital this summer came under fire over its Center for Gender Surgery that performs mastectomies on teenagers as young as 15, as well as since-deleted wording on the hospital's website that claimed teens as young as 17 can get vaginoplasties. The hospitals website stated as recently as Aug. 12 that "to qualify for gender affirmation at Boston Children's Hospital, you must be at least 18 years old for phalloplasty or metoidioplasty and at least 17 years old for vaginoplasty." The website for Boston Children's Hospital's Center for Gender Surgery stated as recently as Aug. 12, 2022, that "to qualify for gender affirmation at Boston Children's Hospital, you must be at least 18 years old for phalloplasty or metoidioplasty and at least 17 years old for vaginoplasty." Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL DELETES REFERENCES TO VAGINOPLASTIES FOR 17-YEAR-OLDS AMID ONLINE FUROR In their letter this week, the national medical associations say bomb threats and threats of personal violence against childrens hospitals and physicians have increased. The AAP and AMA collectively represent more than 270,000 physicians and medical students, and CHA represents more than 220 childrens hospitals across the country. "Our organizations are dedicated to the health and well-being of all children and adolescents. We are committed to the full spectrum of patient care from prevention to critical care," the groups said in a media statement. "We stand with the physicians, nurses, mental health specialists, and other health care professionals who provide evidence-based health care, including gender-affirming care, to children and adolescents." DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. Twitter, TikTok and Meta also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Fox News Jessica Chasmar contributed to this report. A man from Northern Virginia was killed while vacationing in Turks and Caicos over the weekend, according to the island's police force. The man, identified by police on Wednesday as Kent Carter, was shot by armed gang members "who acted without conscious." Police do not believe he was targeted. "The violence is linked to drug supply and issued by revenge, turf wars and retribution," Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting said during a press conference Tuesday. Carter, along with another American tourist, had been out on an excursion on Sunday, Botting said. Staff members from a local business were driving them back to where they were staying around 6 p.m. local time when several people in another vehicle began firing at them. Police said two people were killed Carter and a local employee. Three people were wounded, including the other tourist, according to Botting. In a statement, the NAACP branch in Arlington, Virginia, identified Carter as its first vice president. "Our deepest sympathies go out to his family," the statement said. "May God grant them strength during this time of sorrow." The shooting that killed Carter was the first in a string of attacks across the island on Sunday. In total, three people died including one person police believe was a suspect in the shootings and five were wounded. The incidents are under investigation, police said. Book banning in schools and libraries gains momentum Denial of 2020 election shapes key Arizona races Urgent search for family abducted in California NAACP Arlington An NAACP leader from Arlington, Virginia, has been identified as the American who was gunned down over the weekend while he vacationed in Turks and Caicos, local authorities said. Kent Carter was traveling back from an excursion on Sunday evening when his group was ambushed by gang members. The suspects, armed with automatic weapons, opened fire on the vehicle Carter was traveling in indiscriminately, authorities said. As a result of this attack, two persons were murdered, police commissioner Trevor Botting said at a press briefing several hours later, one from the local business and another being a tourist from the United States. Police also believe one of the gunmen was killed in the attack. After responding officers engaged in a shootout with the assailants, five othersincluding a police officer and an Americanwere noted as wounded. Botting did not identify the victims, but the NAACPs branch in Arlington, Virginia, said its vice president, Carter, had been killed in the attack. Words alone arent enough to say how much this hurts, how much we grieve right now, Julius D. Spain, the branchs president, told NBC Washington. Spain told a Fox 5 reporter that he had spoken to Carters girlfriend, Alonia Williams, who said she was with him when he was fatally shot. The couple had been visiting the archipelago to celebrate his birthday, Williams said, adding that Carter had used his body to shield her in the attack. Recent reports suggest surging gang violence in the British overseas territory of 40,000 people has become a serious issue this year, with the United Kingdom allocating 3 million ($3.3 million) to recruit 24 anti-gang detectives to the island. Back home, loved ones have been mourning the loss of Carter, who was a real estate agent, military veteran, and father, people close to him told NBC Washington. Robert York, Carters neighbor in Arlington, told Fox 5 that he was a great, stand-up guy and one of the best neighbors you could have. Story continues The government for Turks and Caicos, which relies heavily on tourism to sustain its economy, called Sundays incident a rare occurrence that does not reflect who we are as a people. These criminals proceeded to indiscriminately shoot into the vehicle transporting the employees and tourists, Botting said. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of those murdered. The head of Turks and Caicos, Premier Washington Misick, made it a point to assure potential visitors that his island territory is a safe place to vacation. The TCI has long established itself as a safe destination for visitors from around the world, a statement from Misick read in part. Evidence of this can be seen in the countless awards the destination has won, most recently at the World Travel Awards. Though Botting initially said he believed Carter had been killed in a targeted attack, Misick clarified that Carter was not singled out specifically in the slaying. On behalf of the government and people of these islands, we extend our sympathies to the family and friends of the victim, Misick said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. For two years, Annette Anderson, an education professor and mother of three attending Baltimore City Schools, saw a coming storm of teacher shortages across the country and the desperation to fill them. A scholar on education leadership at John Hopkins University, Anderson grew frustrated as district officials stayed quiet about mounting vacancies. Meanwhile, in Maryland, the number of teachers with conditional certifications good for two years as new teachers gain classroom experience and work toward full licensure had doubled in under 5 years. Uncertified teachers make up over 13% of Baltimore City Schools educator force, the second-highest rate in the state. The impact would be catastrophic, Anderson believed, particularly for low-income children. No paywall. No pop-up ads. Keep The 74 free for everyone with a generous donation. There is a cumulative price for society to pay because we have neglected this issue for far too long. And our most vulnerable students and families will always lose the most Anderson said. We have doomed an entire generation of poor children, because we didnt care enough to get ahead of a coming storm. New research suggests Andersons instincts were right: U.S. schools currently employ at least 163,650 underqualified educators, teachers working without state certification or outside of their subject area. In 2017, at least 109,000 underqualified teachers were estimated to be in classrooms. The underqualified group comprises roughly 5% of the U.S. teaching force. States with the highest ratios of these hires relative to the student population include Washington, Utah, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and Maryland. In the last pre-pandemic school year, nearly a quarter of Louisianas teachers were instructing out of their field or uncertified, mostly in math and science. Black, brown and low-income students are still more likely to be taught by underqualified educators than peers, research shows, despite federal law attempts to protect against this by requiring states receiving Title I funding to make plans to address disparities. Story continues Related: Black, Latino Students Disproportionately Taught by Inexperienced, Uncertified Teachers, New Research Shows Fueling the rise in uncertified teachers is a dramatic drop in teaching candidates America lost at least a third in the last decade, with some states facing enrollment declines near 80%. The trickling pipeline of new educators coincided with the growth of an alternative sector of over 200 organizations countrywide where candidates may not have to take on as much debt or devote as much preparation time to lead classrooms. It is actually life and death for many students when they receive an unprepared teacher, said Jacqueline Rodriguez, vice president of research at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Their life outcomes are dramatically different and we need to be taking those students into account when we deprofessionalize the field. Experts further caution against current efforts to fill vacancies with adults who have no experience in schools or with children, who may have completed shortened preparation programs. In Florida, military veterans without degrees can now obtain a 5-year temporary teaching certificate. These types of short-term solutions may be appealing in a crisis, but present long-term funding and equity problems. The dilemma becomes a Catch-22: You lower the requirements for entry, you put an unprepared person in a classroom, Rodriguez said. They do not feel like they can meet the needs of students in their classroom, and then they depart. The churn of unprepared, early career educators who had little intention of becoming career teachers, or may not feel set up to succeed, can strain local budgets and make it so that students dont benefit from experienced teachers, she added. Even in states that seem to be managing staffing challenges well, numbers can be deceiving. Utah, for instance, appears to have bucked teacher preparation enrollment declines, seeing the most growth of any state from 2010 to 2018. But Mary Burbank, University of Utahs associate dean for teacher education, thinks the increase is not an indicator of a boom in quality teachers. A floodgate of underqualified teacher candidates opened in 2016, Burbank said, when Utah made it possible for any college graduate to teach via alternative certification programs so long as they eventually pass licensure exams. Last school year, the state had one of the highest ratios of underqualified educators to students in the nation, according to researchers at Kansas State University and the University of Illinois tracking the population. Related: A National Teacher Shortage? New Research Reveals Vastly Different Realities Between States & Regions Theres tension there I dont know that anyones thrilled, Burbank said. We want a teachers classroom ready on day one. We dont want the classroom to be a testing ground. In Arizona, where over 5,000 teaching positions are vacant or filled by underqualified staff, districts have taken to hiring student teacher candidates in their senior year of college to fill vacancies. Teachers colleges, unhappy with the practice, have asked districts to stop. Were saying you cant put these people in classrooms by themselves youre doing them a disservice. Theyre not going to stay. And youre doing their learners a disservice, said Carole Basile, dean of the teachers college at Arizona State University. The toll that underqualified and inexperienced teachers has on students is also a key concern for parents like Anderson. A child with their heart set on becoming a doctor, for instance, could lose foundational years of STEM learning: By sixth grade your science teacher is a long term substitute [and] when you try to take a magnet test for your district high school your composite score doesnt make the cut. You take vocational courses instead, where the teachers are also not highly qualified. So you dont quite make the grade to pass the state assessment to graduate, Anderson told The 74. Researchers told The 74 the fascination around shortages ignores a critical consideration when it comes to making quality education a reality for all students. Is there really a shortage, because schools are fully staffed? What they should be asking is, who are being staffed in the schools? Rodriguez said. The question needs to be why are states allowing people who are unprepared to be in classrooms when they could be working towards short- and long-term solutions to addressing shortages, so we dont have to be talking about this in 2030. (This Oct. 5 story has been corrected to change designation of John Clifford to COO from CEO in paragraph 16) By Divya Rajagopal TORONTO (Reuters) - As British lender HSBC Plc explores a potential sale of its Canadian unit, lawyers and analysts say the country's concentrated banking market could discourage big domestic banks from bidding as the government has charged the antitrust regulator to push for more competition. An HSBC deal would be the first big banking sale in a decade in Canada, one of the world's most concentrated markets where the top six banks control about 80% of total assets, according to Reuters calculations, about double the saturation of the United States where the top five banks control 40%. The market is so saturated that Canadian banks are expanding overseas to reduce their exposure and the Competition Bureau Canada was granted more powers to prevent further concentration. The most likely bidders who would have the least trouble with antitrust regulators are smaller Canadian banks, analysts said, while a sale to a Chinese bank would not have antitrust problems but could be scuttled by national security concerns. Reuters reported on Tuesday that HSBC has tapped JPMorgan Chase to handle a potential sale of Canada's seventh biggest lender by assets to beef up the parent bank's returns as demanded by its largest shareholder. HSBC's Canadian unit could be valued around C$8 billion ($5.9 billion) to C$10 billion ($7.4 billion), analysts estimate. It generated C$952 million of pre-tax profit in 2021, according to its annual report. The universe of potential buyers could already be small since some large Canadian lenders, including Toronto Dominion Bank, and Bank of Montreal are in the middle of buying assets in the United States, said James Shannan, senior equity analyst with Edward Jones. "No banks in Canada seem to be likely candidates for this deal," Shannan said. He ruled out any bids by U.S.-based banks, saying they have been unsuccessful in expanding in Canada due to high disclosure and capital adequacy requirements. Story continues He said Royal Bank of Canada, the country's biggest lender, has the capacity to do the deal but might not be attracted by HSBC's business mix. Gabriel Dechaine, a banking analyst with National Bank of Canada said in a note that regulatory hurdles will be even higher for RBC than other Canadian banks, although all would face competition issues. RBC declined to comment, while TD and BMO did not respond to Reuters request for comment. CHINESE BIDDER? Smaller lenders such as National Bank of Canada and some Chinese suitors are likely to show interest, analysts said. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said in a research note that HSBC's footprint in western Canada could give an instant diversification to Montreal-based National Bank. National Bank, which has a market value of C$30.1 billion, declined to comment. Dechaine said HSBC's business could be attractive for a large Chinese bank. But national security issues could complicate the process. "Possibly, the federal government would be concerned about whether acquisition of HSBC Canada by a Chinese-controlled buyer would enable the Chinese government to have access to the Canadian banking system," said John F. Clifford, Chief Operating Officer, McMillan LLP. "I can easily envision the federal government taking a very deep dive to assess the potential security and public interest concerns." HSBC Bank Canada is the biggest international player in Canada, with commercial banking, personal banking, investment banking and markets services businesses. Still, its $120 billion assets in Canada are much smaller than those of National Bank, Canada's sixth largest, with assets of C$387 billion. Consumer advocates have long complained about high fees for everyday banking, and would probably oppose further consolidation. The average monthly fee on a Canadian checking account is $11, compared with $7 in the United States, according to a Reuters analysis that excluded student accounts. The Competition Bureau Canada said in an email to Reuters that if the federal ministry of finance in public interest certifies a banking merger, there will not be any scope for litigation. In 1998, the government of Canada blocked RBC's proposed acquisition of BMO, and TD and CIBC merger on grounds that the deal would lead to an unacceptable concentration of economic power. Since then the only sizeable banking deal to be approved was Scotiabank's C$3.1 billion purchase of ING Groep's Canadian online bank in 2012. Nigel D'Souza, an investment analyst with Veritas Investment Research, said HSBC is unlikely to find a single buyer that can pass antitrust muster. "So I think the most likely outcome for the deal to actually get done is for HSBC assets to be broken up and split across several of the larger banks," he added. ($1 = 1.3507 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Divya Rajagopal; Writing by Denny Thomas; Editing by David Gregorio) In the face of devastating flooding that spread out across southwest Florida, one woman took it upon herself to help an 84-year-old stranger stranded thousands of miles away from her daughter living on the other side of the country. Christine Bomlitz took to Facebook on 29 September to seek help as Hurricane Ian tore through her 84-year-old mothers home state and trapped countless people inside their flooded homes, unable to escape with dangerous winds still threatening their safety and emergency services being pushed beyond the brink. Any of my FL friends know anyone in Englewood? I Need to check on my mom. She doesnt have a cell. I called to have well check, but who knows when that will be, Ms Bomlitz wrote. The group she signed up to evacuate seniors did not get her so she rode it out by herself, she added in her first social media callout, noting that her mother, Shirley Affolter, had no way of contacting her as her cellphone had gone missing before the category 4 hurricane made landfall and after it touched down, her landline was knocked out. By the next day, Ms Bomlitzs pleas were beginning to turn desperate as it had been more than 24 hours since shed last heard from her mother, who lives alone in Englewood and requires a walker to get around. Ive posted all night on all emergency boards as well as all Englewood storm pages checking on people. If anyone knows anyone in Englewood please give them my cell, she wrote from her home in Las Vegas, nearly 2,500 miles away from where her mother lives in a retirement community. In this photo provided by Cheynne Prevatt, Shirley Affolter is found safe and dry at her home in Englewood, Fla., by Good Samaritan Prevatt, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 (Cheynne Prevatt via AP) By that afternoon, Ms Bomlitzs calls for help were heard by a local good Samaritan. Despite suffering significant damage to her own home, 26-year-old Cheynne Prevatt took it upon herself to check-in on the 84-year-old Florida resident, wading through chest-high water to reach Ms Affolters front door. To her great relief, Ms Affolter was alive and well when she made it through the threshold of her flooded front doorway. Story continues I didnt know who she was, but she was really kind of surprised to see me, Ms Prevatt told the Associated Press in an interview after the daring rescue. Once the Good Samaritan had explained her unexpected presence on Ms Affolters doorstep, she was able to connect the 84-year-old with her daughter with a cellphone. The conversation didnt last long, the Associated Press reported, as Ms Affolters hearing aids had stopped working and being unable to leave her own home meant that she hadnt been able to get them repaired since the storm had touched down. Though her mom was found to still be in shock when Ms Prevatt knocked at her door, she was soon safely removed by a volunteer who had escorted her through the streets floodwaters by paddleboard. Ms Bomlitz relayed in a follow-up post how eternally thankful she was for the angel strangers who swam down the street to check-in on her mother. The amazing souls, complete strangers, who came together and helped me orchestrate this from Las Vegas is astounding. I am deeply and profoundly moved beyond words by people coming together to help each other in such a way to save lives, wrote Ms Prevatt, commending Ms Prevatt for wading through the waist-high water all despite losing her own home in the storm. Its been an incredible experience. Words cannot express my sincerest gratitude to everyone. Ms Prevatts roof was punctured by a falling palm tree, rendering her home impossible to live in in the days since the hurricane that knocked out power to more than 4 million crossed through the state. Our house didnt really make it, she told the Associated Press. All of our stuff is packed up, and we are trying to go to my grandmothers house. In this photo provided by Cheynne Prevatt, Prevatt's home, seen Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, was damaged by Hurricane Ian and by a fallen palm tree, making it uninhabitable, in Englewood, Florida (Cheynne Prevatt via AP) As of Wednesday, a week after the storm surged across the Atlantic Ocean and blew across Florida and South Carolina, nearly 310,000 homes and businesses remained in the dark on the same day that President Joe Biden travelled to the Sunshine State and pledged support to help in the recovery. Tens of thousands of homes were examined again by search-and-rescue teams after initial searches brought the death toll from Ian predicted to be the costliest storm in the state since 1992 topped 100. Washington A federal appeals court in Atlanta agreed to speed up consideration of the Justice Department's appeal of a lower court order appointing an outside legal expert to review the documents seized by the FBI at former President Donald Trump's Florida residence. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted the request from federal prosecutors to shorten the timeline for the Justice Department and Trump's lawyers to file briefs in the dispute. The former president opposed the request, arguing in a filing to the 11th Circuit on Monday that he would be prejudiced if the appeal were expedited. Under the schedule set by the court, federal prosecutors must file their initial brief by Oct. 14, and Trump's team has until Nov. 10 to submit its response. If the Justice Department wishes to reply, it has until Nov. 17 to do so. No extensions will be allowed, the court said. Previously, the court's schedule provided that federal prosecutors were to file their initial brief by Oct. 19, with Trump's lawyers to respond by Nov. 18, and the government to file its reply by Dec. 9. Federal prosecutors had suggested a slightly shorter timeline than what the court set. Under their proposed schedule, Trump's team would have had until Nov. 4 to respond to the Justice Department's opening brief, and prosecutors would have had until Nov. 11 to reply. Justice Department lawyers asked the court to schedule oral arguments "at its earliest convenience." Former US President Donald Trump spoke at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio on September 17, 2022. / Credit: YOUNGSTOWN, OH - SEPTEMBER 17: Former US President Donald Trump spoke at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown, Ohio on September 17, 2022. He held a rally in support of Ohio Senate candidate JD Vance, a Republican, who is running against US Representative Tim The one-page order from Judge Adalberto Jordan, who sits on the 11th Circuit, also noted that after consultation with the circuit's chief judge, the appeal will be assigned to a "special merits panel from the classified appeals log" randomly selected by the clerk of the court. The panel will decide when to hear oral arguments, during which attorneys for both Trump and the Justice Department will face off to present their case. In their filing opposing the faster review, Trump's lawyers argued the "extraordinary circumstances herein presented an investigation of the 45th President by the administration of his political rival would countenance against any rush to judgment." Story continues "No good cause has been shown as to why President Trump should have significantly less time than the government and less time than that provided under the rules to prepare and brief his arguments before this court in this unprecedented case," Trump's legal team wrote Monday. They also requested the court hold oral arguments in January 2023 at the earliest. But the government argued for an expedited appeal because there's no need to "analyze an extensive factual record," it wrote Friday in its request to the 11th Circuit. Prosecutors said there are two questions they want considered: 1) whether U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon was wrong in concluding she had the authority to grant Trump's motion for a special master; and 2) whether Cannon erred in barring the government from reviewing or using the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago in its criminal investigation. The Justice Department is arguing in part that the lower court does not have the power to impede the investigation of a criminal proceeding, that is, its probe of whether Trump mishandled government records taken with him from the White House to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his presidency. Trump sued the Justice Department in August after investigators executed a search warrant at his Florida residence earlier that month, seizing dozens boxes containing roughly 11,000 documents, including about 100 with classified markings like SECRET and TOP SECRET. In conjunction with the lawsuit, Trump's legal team asked Cannon to both appoint a special master to review the seized materials for any privileged documents and prevent investigators from using the materials in their probe pending that review. Cannon granted Trump's requests over opposition from the Justice Department, appointing Judge Raymond Dearie, who serves on the U.S. district court in Brooklyn, as special master and stopping the FBI from using the documents in their probe. The Justice Department appealed that decision and obtained a stay, successfully convincing a three-judge panel on the 11th Circuit to unanimously agree that the 103 documents with classified markings seized from Mar-a-Lago should be used in the ongoing criminal matter even as the special master review got underway. Trump on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to intervene and allow the special master to review the sensitive records. The former president did not, however, request the high court stop federal investigators from using the document bearing classification markings in their ongoing criminal probe. Biden meets with DeSantis during Florida trip to survey Hurricane Ian damage Former NASA astronaut discusses successful launch of Crew-5 mission Florida man rescues 86-year-old mom after Hurricane Ian floods her house A federal appeals court agreed on Wednesday to expedite consideration of a Justice Departments bid to shut down the external review process for the 11,000 documents seized by the FBI during its August raid of former President Donald Trumps residence. The Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order Wednesday morning setting tighter deadlines in the governments appeal to remove what prosecutors contend is an unnecessary obstacle to their investigation into potentially illegal retention of classified information, theft of government records and obstruction of justice. The schedule set by the appeals court for legal briefing on the issue is not quite as rapid as the Justice Department proposed, but is faster than Trumps legal team urged. Under the new schedule, Trumps lawyers would have to stake out their position in the dispute by Nov. 10 and briefing would be complete by Nov. 17. No extensions allowed, Judge Adalberto Jordan wrote, indicating that he had consulted with Chief Judge William Pryor on the plan. No date was set Wednesday for oral argument, but Adalbertos order said a special merits panel would be assigned to the case. The legal fight over the documents found at Trumps Mar-a-Lago club in Florida has now proliferated into four arenas: the Florida courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, who first approved the former presidents request for a special master; the Brooklyn courtroom of the special master she appointed, senior Judge Raymond Dearie; the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Just Tuesday, Trump drew the Supreme Court into the fray, asking Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees the 11th Circuit, to restore Dearies authority to review about 100 documents with classification markings. The multiple moving parts, and the way they interact with each other, have complicated the status of Trumps legal plight, though it has largely left the Justice Department free to advance its criminal probe into his handling of the highly sensitive documents recovered from his estate. Story continues Dearie is currently reviewing 11,000 unclassified documents seized by the FBI during its Aug. 8 search of the Mar-a-Lago premises, and he had asked Trump for evidence to support his claims that the FBI may have manipulated evidence. Cannon, however, overruled Dearies request for this information and extended the timetable for the review at Trumps urging. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit, meanwhile, dealt Cannon her own setback recently, overturning her decision to include 100 documents with classification markings in Dearies review and enjoining the Justice Departments criminal probe. That is the ruling Trumps team is seeking to have partially halted at the Supreme Court. The 11th Circuit has an unusually large complement of Trump appointees. Six of the 11 active judges were tapped by Trump and seven of them are Republican appointees. Adalberto, who issued the scheduling order Wednesday, is an appointee of President Barack Obama. Pryor was appointed by President George H.W. Bush. Cannon is a Trump appointee and Dearie was appointed by President Ronald Reagan. In The Know by Yahoo A little girl is being dubbed a real-life "fairy" for her fearless love of creatures big and especially small. The post Toddler is real life fairy when she lets praying mantis hop on her face appeared first on In The Know. Reuters Sensing that Russia has been weakened by its war in Ukraine, some of its closest allies in Central Asia are displaying a newly assertive streak. The region's five former Soviet republics are increasingly standing up to Moscow, aware of their new-found leverage as Russia looks to their markets and trade routes in a bid to circumvent Western sanctions. The new dynamic was strikingly illustrated when Russian President Vladimir Putin ran into a seven-minute tirade from the leader of Tajikistan, one of the region's smallest and poorest countries, at a summit in Kazakhstan last week. After only reaching 75% of its recruiting goal in fiscal 2022, the Army ended the period with nearly 20,000 empty seats, according to the services top general. In a Monday phone interview with Army Times, Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville explained that the exact number of troops the Army ended September with isnt yet finalized, but the service landed close to an estimate it provided to a panel of lawmakers in July. If we round...its 465,600, the general said, right around where we said [to Congress] we [were] going to land, which was 466,000. The Army typically releases final end strength numbers in mid-to-late October to allow human resources officials time to input and track separations, medical retirements and other fluctuations in personnel. The shortfall is nearly 20,000 fewer soldiers than the 485,000 that Congress funded, though the Army told lawmakers in March that it had to cut its target to 476,000 to avoid filling the gaps with lower-quality recruits. Army Times reported in July that a major end strength shortfall was imminent, due to slumping recruiting that couldnt be buoyed by the services usual emergency measures like larger bonuses, over-retention and new contract options, among other efforts. The short-fall led the Army to establish the Future Soldier Preparatory Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where recruits who previously would have been turned away for excess body fat or poor test scores have a chance to improve themselves on the Armys dime. An Army Times reporter embedded at the course in late August. Officials have insisted that this first-of-its-kind prep course offers young Americans an unprecedented opportunity to meet the Armys standards, rather than lowering the bar for entry. Leaders note that trainees who cant meet the requirements to proceed to basic training will be discharged after 90 days. Army misses recruiting goal by 15,000 soldiers McConville reiterated that argument in the interview, calling standards essential to a high quality force. Story continues But theres concern that leaving boots empty could impact the services ability to meet its mission requirements, which have increased in recent months. Expert Katherine Kuzminski, who leads the Military, Veterans & Society team at the Center for a New American Security think tank, likened the situation to [Obama-era budget] sequestration, where...a smaller number of people [have] to still carry out the constant number of missions, though the analogy isnt perfect. McConville said he isnt worried yet that the Army wont be able to fulfill its commitments in fiscal 2023 and beyond, but were certainly concerned. The general once advocated for a much larger force before the recruiting crisis combined with relative budget stagnation to dash those hopes. The crisis isnt limited to the active duty force, either. The Army National Guard will end fiscal 2022 at about 6,000 troops short, according to its chief, Gen. Daniel Hokanson. The Army Reserve hasnt met its budgeted end strength since fiscal 2016. A trail of debris from the asteroid struck by a Nasa spacecraft can be seen stretching thousands of kilometres A new image shows that an asteroid which was deliberately struck by Nasa's Dart probe has left a trail of debris stretching thousands of kilometres. A telescope in Chile captured the remarkable picture of a comet-like plume spreading behind the giant rock. The probe was crashed last week to test whether asteroids that might threaten Earth can be nudged out of the way. Scientists are working to establish whether the test was a success, and the asteroid's trajectory altered. The extraordinary image was taken two days after the collision by astronomers in Chile, who were able to capture the vast trail using the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (Soar). It stretches for more than 10,000km (6,200 miles), and is expected to get even longer until it disperses completely, and looks like other space dust floating around. "It is amazing how clearly we were able to capture the structure and extent of the aftermath in the days following the impact," said Teddy Kareta, an astronomer involved in the observation. The trail of debris would be monitored over the coming weeks and months, Michael Knight of the US Naval Research Laboratory said. Infographic. The $325m (240m) Dart mission saw the probe deliberately smashed into the asteroid, destroying the spacecraft in the process. It will be some weeks before scientists know for sure whether their experiment has worked. However, Dr Lori Glaze, the director of planetary science at Nasa, was convinced something remarkable had been achieved by the mission. "We're embarking on a new era of humankind, an era in which we potentially have the capability to protect ourselves from something like a dangerous hazardous asteroid impact. What an amazing thing; we've never had that capability before," she told reporters. Scientists will determine whether the mission has been successful by studying the changes to the orbit of Dimorphos around another asteroid called Didymos. Story continues Telescopes on Earth will make precise measurements of the two-rock, or binary, system. Dart is an acronym for Double Asteroid Redirection Test. It was designed to do "exactly what is says on the tin", mission lead Dr Andy Rivkin told BBC News. The technique could be used if there was an asteroid heading for Earth at some point in the future, he said, describing it as a "very simple idea" - ramming the spacecraft into the object you are worried about, and using the mass and speed of the craft "to slightly change the orbit of that object enough so that it would miss the Earth". The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Inspector General is recommending Highmark Healths Medicare Advantage program repay $6.2 million in what it said an audit found were overpayments in the Medicare Advantage program in 2015 and 2016. Highmark is disputing the findings. The inspector generals office did an audit of Highmark Senior Health Co., a subsidiary of Pittsburgh-based Highmark Health for 226 medical conditions and high-risk diagnosis codes. In a news release, the inspector said that some diagnosis codes didnt comply with Medicare Advantage regulations and medical records didnt match with the diagnosis codes in samples. The errors occurred because the policies and procedures that Highmark had to prevent, detect, and correct noncompliance with CMSs program requirements, as mandated by Federal regulations, could be improved, the report said. As a result, the Hierarchical Condition Categories (diagnosis code groupings based on similarity of clinical characteristics, severity, and cost implications) for these high-risk diagnosis codes were not validated. Click here to read more from the Pittsburgh Business Times. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Target 11: Student who allegedly raped teacher accused of previous assault Family, friends remember man who died after falling from escalator at Acrisure Stadium Man killed after dump truck flies off overpass in Indiana County VIDEO: Missing Allegheny County woman had PFA order against boyfriend, prime suspect in her disappearance DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts STANISLAV POHORILOV WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 21:55 Oleksii Reznikov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, released a map that clearly shows how the Armed Forces of Ukraine are liberating Ukrainian territories from the occupiers. Source: Reznikov on Twitter Quote from Reznikov: "While the "Russian Parliament is drunk with unsuccessful attempts of annexation, our soldiers continue to advance." Details: "This is the best answer to all kinds of referendums, decrees, treaties and pathetic speeches," Reznikov said. #UAarmys autumn offensive, day by day. While the "russian parliament" is intoxicated from the futile attempts at annexation, our soldiers continue moving forward. This is the best answer to any and all "referenda", "decrees", "treaties" and pathetic speeches. pic.twitter.com/qLCBu0Vdns Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) October 5, 2022 Previously: As reported by the Financial Times, US officials and lawmakers have warned that Ukraine faces a decisive battle to reclaim territory in the south of the country before winter brings treacherous fighting conditions if it is to prevent Russia from tightening its grip on the region. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A former bakery owner was pretending to be someone else when she applied for a passport, got a job as a flight attendant and defrauded the government out of pandemic relief money, officials said. Authorities said Ava Misseldine, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, was convicted of theft, forgery and escape in 1997 before her release from prison in 2000. A few years later, in 2003, she was photographed getting an Ohio ID card with the name Brie Bourgeois, authorities said. Brie was a baby who died in 1979 and was buried in a Columbus cemetery, according to court records. Misseldine had stolen the dead infants identity then continued to use her real and fake name for years, authorities said. Authorities began investigating when she tried to renew a fraudulent passport in 2021, according to an Oct. 5 news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Ohio. Misseldine pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 in federal court to 16 counts of wire and passport fraud, according to the news release. In addition to facing decades in prison, she agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution, forfeit her Utah home and give up the profits from her Michigan house that was recently sold. Ms. Misseldine is very remorseful for her actions and looks forward to making full restitution to the United States and then moving forward with her life, defense attorney Alan Pfeuffer said in a statement to McClatchy News. The accusations After applying for an Ohio ID card in 2003, authorities say Misseldine posing as Bourgeois then applied for a Social Security card, according to a criminal complaint in federal court. She lied about being home-schooled and said she needed to get a Social Security card to enroll in college, officials said. She provided Bourgeoiss birth certificate and her newly issued ID card, according to the criminal complaint. Also in 2003, Misseldine got a drivers license using her new identity. With those identification documents, Misseldine worked several jobs, authorities said. Story continues In 2007, she used her stolen identity to get a student pilot certificate and U.S. passport, according to the complaint. She said she needed a passport to travel internationally as a flight attendant for JetSelect. Over the next 13 years, Misseldine continued to obtain identity documents in both her real and fake names, authorities said. When the U.S. Small Business Administration began offering Paycheck Protection Program loans to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities said Misseldine defrauded the government out of about $1.5 million. She did so using her real and stolen identities, records show. Her submitted PPP loan applications listed several businesses including her former bakeries Sugar Inc(luded) Cupcakes and Koko Bakery and included forged documents. Authorities said she used the pandemic relief money to buy a $647,500 home near Zion National Park in Utah and a Michigan house for $327,500. Misseldine was arrested in June while she was in Utah, according to the news release. Man stole nearly $600,000 in student financial aid through yearslong scheme, feds say Real estate agent steals $1.8 million by trying to sell properties not for sale, feds say Man gets job using Social Security number that wasnt his, feds say. Hes prison-bound Man used someone elses identity to reenlist in Army, and kept it 33 years, feds say Its hard to miss the large Shell plant off the Beaver Valley Expressway. After years of construction, signs are there that opening day is just weeks away, but it wont come without some residential concerns. The light pollution because it is running 24 hours a day and it is very bright and some of the noise pollution; theres a low-level whirling now that things are getting up and running, said Beaver resident Izzy Soriano-Clark. Soriano-Clark said she worries about the impact and that its hard to predict what may happen. I feel like the rivers are pretty clean and the air is pretty clean, Soriano-Clark said. Finding out the exact health of the environment right now is where Pitt researchers come into play. Beaver County has higher rates of mortality from cardiovascular disease and respiratory and Alzheimers and diabetes between 10 to 15 percent greater than what one sees in Pennsylvania on average, said Dr. James Fabisiak, director of the Center of Healthy Environments and Communities at Pitt. Without a county health department, no one is asking the necessary questions. Some is the perception of the environment like, Do you feel air pollution has adversely affected your health?, Dr. Fabisiak said. Its all part of a survey for Beaver County residents to create a baseline so researchers know what the current health of the community is before more industry moves into the area and opens up. I think its a great thing having a baseline to be able to compare and contrast to down the line is a really good thing. I think its important to have a solid understanding of where we are starting, Soriano-Clark said. In order to get that data, Pitt researchers need 600 Beaver County residents to complete the survey. All it takes is reaching out to bchealth@pitt.edu in order to get the link to the survey and answering just a few questions. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Rust shooting: Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins family reach settlement T rail car derails in Dormont, PRT says Target 11: Student who allegedly raped teacher accused of previous assault VIDEO: Where is our help? Pittsburgh Cultural District business owners say violence is rising DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A 31-year-old Belleville man has been convicted in federal court of using the dark web to obtain an illegal party drug known as ecstasy or MDMA from a source in the Netherlands and then mailing the drug to someone in Mascoutah, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday. Delon Echols was found guilty of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance by a federal jury in East St. Louis last week, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release. Echols, who remains in custody, is being represented by St. Louis attorney Nick Zotos. Zotos said he and Echols believed the evidence presented was unpersuasive but that the jurors disagreed with their position. Prosecutors said Echols used the U.S. Postal Service to send drugs to an unwitting individual in Mascoutah. In August of 2019, the individual learned about the package containing narcotics and immediately went to the Mascoutah Police Department, the news release stated. Police discovered that 911.5 grams of MDMA was concealed in vacuum sealed bags inside whey protein jugs to avoid detection. The news release said the Mascoutah resident testified in the trial that Echols actions put both her and her family at risk. Echols, who faces up to 20 years in prison, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 10 before U.S. District Judge Stephen P. McGlynn, the news release stated. This case serves as a great example of how a concerned member of the public working with law enforcement can help make our communities safer, said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe in a statement. I join with our law enforcement partners in thanking her for her courage in coming forward. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karelia S. Rajagopal and Kimberly S. Arshi. The federal Drug Enforcement Administrations website says MDMA is also known as molly. It comes in a pill or powder form and can lead to liver, kidney and cardiovascular failure and death. A U.S. Justice Department report states the dark web has emerged as an important hub of criminal commerce, a fully functional marketplace where hidden customers can buy from hidden sellers with relative confidence. EXCLUSIVE: The Geena Davis-founded Bentonville Film Festival has nailed down its dates for 2023, with the event that spotlights underrepresented storytellers set to unspool June 13-18. Like this years edition, an on-demand streaming portion will run through the following week that will include selections from its competition lineups. The Arkansas-based festival, which will be celebrating its ninth edition, is also adding short film categories in its Animation and Adventure lineups for the first time. They join sections covering narrative, documentary and episodic titles. More from Deadline Related Story Narrative Feature 'Every Day In Kaimuki' Takes Home Top Honors At 2022 Bentonville Film Festival With Jury Awards Related Story Geena Davis Celebrates "Great Progress Made" By Institute On Gender In Media While Receiving Emmys' Governors Award Related Story Geena Davis Institute On Gender In Media To Be Honored By Television Academy With 2022 Governors Award Were delighted to bring groundbreaking projects to the heartland where we have been an annual convening place for independent film, artists and audiences for the last eight years, said Wendy Guerrero, president of the Bentonville Film Festival. With the culturally rich community, accessibility to outdoor adventure, and focus on innovative technology, we are excited about the added short film categories in Animation and Adventure at the 2023 festival. By expanding our program in these areas, it will further our mission in championing women; people of color; LGBTQIA+ individuals; people with disabilities; older persons (50+); and large-bodied individuals in two new categories for 2023. Story continues Bentonville organizers said the 2022 edition featured 82% of the competition program from content creators who identify as female or gender non-conforming; 65% who identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of color, Asian, or Pacific Islander; 62% who identify as LGBTQIA+; 42% who are over 50; and 20% who identify as a person with differing abilities. Submissions for the 2023 edition are now open for feature films here, with shorts to follow November 14. Bentonville is produced by the BFFoundation. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The new US military aid package includes additional HIMARS MLRS "President Biden pledged to continue supporting Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression for as long as it takes, including the provision today of a new $625 million security assistance package," the statement reads. Read also: US to send four HIMARS launchers to Ukraine within next military aid package The Pentagon clarified that the assistance package includes: four HIMARS MLRS and ammunition; 16 155 mm howitzers and 75,000 artillery rounds for them; 500 precision-guided 155 mm artillery rounds; 1,000 155 mm rounds of remote anti-armor mine systems 16 105 mm howitzers; 30,000 120 mm mortar rounds; 200 MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles; 200,000 rounds of small arms ammunition; obstacle emplacement equipment; Claymore anti-personnel munitions; field equipment. This is the first military aid package from Washington following Russia's claimed annexation of four Ukrainian oblasts. Read also: Biden bans the exchange of special borrowing rights with Russia and Belarus The Pentagon announced a new $1.1 billion military assistance package for Ukraine, including 18 HIMARS systems, on Sept. 28. The U.S. Department of Defense clarified that the delivery of these systems may take several years. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine FORT MYERS, Florida (AP) President Joe Biden surveyed the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida on Wednesday, promising to marshal the power of the federal government to help rebuild as he comforted local residents alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 foe. Biden praised DeSantis' handling of the storm recovery as both men who have battled over pandemic protocols and migration as the governor mulls a presidential bid put aside politics for a few days. The state is struggling to recover from the wreckage of Hurricane Ian, which tore through southwestern Florida last week and left dozens dead. Today we have one job and only one job, and thats to make sure the people in Florida get everything they need to fully, thoroughly recover, Biden said in a community that bore the brunt of Ian's assault. He warned that the rebuilding effort will take months or years. Its going to take a hell of a long time, hopefully without any snags in the way," he said as DeSantis stood behind him, hands folded as he squinted into the glaring sunlight. Later, after the television cameras have moved on, were still going to be here with you. The days after Ian's landfall in Florida have prompted a temporary detente between Biden and DeSantis, who had spoken on the phone at least three times to coordinate recovery efforts. They spent part of Wednesday meeting with area residents and, for Biden, absorbing the full scope of Ian's devastation. After Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived earlier at Fisherman's Wharf where homes and businesses lay in ruins amid debris and muck DeSantis offered his hand to the president for a shake. Next to them as they spoke was a boat that the storm had lifted into a cafe The solidarity, however fleeting, continued Wednesday afternoon when DeSantis formally welcomed Biden to his state and praised the collaboration with officials on the ground and the federal government in Washington. Story continues We are cutting through the red tape and thats from local government, state government, all the way up to the president. We appreciate the team effort, DeSantis said. Biden said DeSantis had done a good job when asked by reporters to assess the governor's handling of the recovery efforts. We have very different political philosophies ... but we worked hand in glove, Biden said. "On things related to dealing with this crisis, weve been completely lockstep. Theres been no difference. The breadth of the devastation that Biden witnessed was immense. The presidential motorcade drove by wind-shorn trees, some uprooted, others with branches pulled backwards by the storm. Fields off the highway were still flooded, forming stagnant lagoons. Signs for stores and restaurants were blown out; ruined mattresses were piled in neighborhood streets, a building was tipped to the side like a chess piece. An armada of workers and repair trucks struggled with recovery. Hurricane Ian has resulted in at least 98 people confirmed dead, including 89 in Florida, and many people still wait for power to be restored. Ians 150 mph winds and punishing storm surge last week took out power for 2.6 million in Florida. Many people still are unable to get food and water, although DeSantis said power has been restored to more than 97% of the state. With the midterm elections just a month away, the crisis was bringing together political rivals in common cause at least for a time. Biden and DeSantis have had a multitude of differences in recent years over how to fight COVID-19, immigration policy and more. In recent weeks, they tussled over the governors decision to put migrants on planes or buses to Democratic strongholds, a practice that Biden has called reckless. Along with DeSantis, Sen. Rick Scott has also been one of Biden's most prominent Republican critics. He, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and other state and local officials joined the president and governor. Rubio, like DeSantis, is up for reelection in November. Jeff Rioux, a general contractor in Fort Myers and a registered Republican, said as he mopped up floors and tore out soaked drywall from his flooded house that he welcomed Bidens visit. The world does need to see what happened here. Its going get some help down here, Rioux said of the national attention. At some point youve got to put politics aside. People are hurting down here. Its not right or left, its America at the end of the day. Biden resorted to profanity at one point, but only in an apparently jocular comment picked up by a microphone and causing much comment on social media. As Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy thanked Biden for coming, the president said at one point in the brief conversation, "No one f with a Biden, and appeared to offer the mayor some advice. Thats exactly right, thats exactly right, Murphy said, laughing. All right, good to see you. Before the storm hit, the president had intended to visit the Florida cities of Orlando and Fort Lauderdale to stress his efforts to strengthen Social Security and Medicaid. Biden has accused Scott of wanting to end both programs by proposing that federal laws should expire every five years, although the Florida senator has said he wants to preserve the programs. The hurricane changed the purpose and tone of Biden's first trip to Florida this year, which was in an area devastated by winds and surging water. Boats, including huge yachts, were capsized and hurled inland. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters on Air Force One that the cost of rebuilding will be significant: It will certainly be in the billions and perhaps one of the more costly disasters that weve seen in many years. The White House message of bipartisan unity in a time of crisis marked a difference from Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, who at times threatened to withhold aid from the states of Democrats who criticized him, including Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York. ___ Kim reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Bobby Caina Calvan and Curt Anderson in Fort Myers, Zeke Miller in Washington and Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida, contributed. ___ For more AP coverage of Hurricane Ian: apnews.com/hub/hurricanes (Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden will meet with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday during a tour of areas in his state devastated by Hurricane Ian. Most Read from Bloomberg Biden plans to meet with workers aiding in the recovery and will be briefed by DeSantis, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. Governor DeSantis, the FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and other state and local officials will also provide the president with an operational briefing on the current response and recovery efforts, Jean-Pierre said at a briefing Tuesday. Biden and DeSantis have feuded over political issues -- including migrants -- but are coordinating on assistance for Floridians hit by a hurricane Bidens called among the worst in the nations history. DeSantis, a Republican whose name has been floated as a potential 2024 presidential candidate, boosted his national profile by assailing Democrats on culture-war issues that play well with the Republican base. The governor, who is running for re-election this year, drew Bidens criticism last month for using taxpayer dollars to fly dozens of Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts, a stunt intended to embarrass the president for his handling of immigration. Other Republican governors from Texas and Arizona have also sent migrants to cities, including New York and Washington, that are run by Democrats. Asked if the president would discuss the migrant flights with DeSantis during their meeting, Jean-Pierre said Biden had previously expressed his concerns about the political stunt, but added now is not the time. When it comes to delivering and making sure that the people of Florida have what they need, especially after Hurricane Ian, we are working as one, she added. Story continues Read more: Ian Latest: Florida Toll From Storm Rises; Biden Visit Planned Ian slammed into the state last week, bringing deadly storm surges, catastrophic flooding and powerful winds. Floridas death toll from Ian is at least 68 according to state officials. DeSantis has toned down his rhetoric in the wake of the storm, complimenting the president for quickly lining up disaster relief and expressing gratitude to Democratically-led states like New York and New Jersey for sending assistance. Biden and DeSantis spoke during the hurricane, and the president later downplayed any tensions. This is not about anything having to do with our disagreements politically, this is about saving peoples lives, homes and businesses, Biden told reporters during a visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agencys headquarters in Washington last week. Read more: DeSantis Tones Down Rhetoric as Ian Throws Spotlight on Florida Hurricanes are often viewed as events that can make-or-break politicians, particularly in Florida, a state prone to tropical storms. Governor Jeb Bushs popularity rose dramatically on the back of his response to more than a half-dozen major hurricanes, including Ivan, in two years. Democrat Lawton Chiles plummeted in the polls over discontent about his handling of Hurricane Andrew, which slammed greater Miami in 1992. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie met President Barack Obama in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Christie hugged Obama, praised him for his response and flew on Marine One. That meeting came shortly before the 2012 election. GOP rivals criticized Christie for the embrace during his failed 2016 presidential bid. Biden will travel to Florida with First Lady Jill Biden. During the visit, he will meet with small business owners and local residents impacted by Hurricane Ian and thank the federal, state and local officials working around the clock to provide life saving assistance, restore power, distribute food and water removing debris and begin rebuilding efforts, Jean-Pierre said. The Bidens on Monday also visited Puerto Rico, which is recovering from Hurricane Fiona. (Updates with additional details throughout) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk next to Florida governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis as they tour Hurricane Ian destruction during a visit to Florida (REUTERS) President Joe Biden on Wednesday toured scenes of devastation left in Fort Myers, Florida by Hurricane Ian last week alongside a frequent nemesis and potential 2024 election opponent, Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Mr DeSantis and his wife Casey greeted Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden upon arrival at Fishermans Wharf in Fort Myers. The two men spoke to several groups of residents before moving to a briefing with Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Deanne Criswell. Mr DeSantis made a point of thanking Mr Biden and his administration at the outset of the briefing for the significant federal assistance the president has authorised since just before Ian slammed into Floridas west coast. Thanks to President Biden ... we now have over 97 per cent of power in Florida, Mr DeSantis said, rattling off a lengthy description of what has been accomplished since the storm hit. Its been a team effort and we really appreciate what you guys have been able to do, he added. More follows... If you want to know who really controls Bigtincan Holdings Limited (ASX:BTH), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 51% to be precise, is individual investors. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Hedge funds, on the other hand, account for 24% of the company's stockholders. Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about Bigtincan Holdings. Check out our latest analysis for Bigtincan Holdings What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bigtincan Holdings? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Bigtincan Holdings. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Bigtincan Holdings' historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Our data indicates that hedge funds own 24% of Bigtincan Holdings. That worth noting, since hedge funds are often quite active investors, who may try to influence management. Many want to see value creation (and a higher share price) in the short term or medium term. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is SQN Investors LP with 14% of shares outstanding. Regal Partners Limited is the second largest shareholder owning 11% of common stock, and Australian Ethical Investment Ltd. holds about 10% of the company stock. Story continues Our studies suggest that the top 16 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder. While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of Bigtincan 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. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. We can see that insiders own shares in Bigtincan Holdings Limited. It has a market capitalization of just AU$293m, and insiders have AU$3.4m worth of shares, in their own names. This shows at least some alignment, but we usually like to see larger insider holdings. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a substantial 51% stake in Bigtincan Holdings, suggesting it is a fairly popular stock. This size of ownership gives investors from the general public some collective power. They can and probably do influence decisions on executive compensation, dividend policies and proposed business acquisitions. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. I like to dive deeper into how a company has performed in the past. You can access this interactive graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow, for free. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Ready, set, Blink! One of the biggest events of the season, Blink Cincinnati 2022, returns Oct. 13-16. The nation's largest art, light and projection mapping festival will feature over 100 installations spanning 30 Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky blocks this year, making it the largest iteration yet. But before you head Downtown for the four-day event, you may want to do a little preparation. Here's everything you should know ahead of Blink Cincinnati 2022. Blink 2022 parade details: Torchbearers, a new route and road closures How to make the most of Blink: A guide to the 2022 festival of lights and sounds The Blink map:Get ready for Blink 2022 with this map of all the art installations When is Blink Cincinnati? What time does it start? Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 13-16, from 7-11 p.m. Installations of light displays begin Oct. 9. Do I need tickets? No, Blink is free and open to the public. In 2019, Blink organizers offered attendees a $350 VIP package that included exclusive hospitality areas, drink tickets, dedicated viewing areas, Blink swag and more. This year, organizers decided to do away with the VIP experience because they want the event to be enjoyable and accessible to all Cincinnatians regardless of financial restraints. "We sort of made the philosophical decision to say that Blink is meant to be experienced by all on the streets equally," said Justin Brookhart, executive director of Blink. A disco ball lights up the Rose Window in Music Hall for Blink Cincinnati in 2019. Where to park for Blink Cincinnati 2022? Public and private parking garages and surface lots will be open in areas surrounding the event location. However, commuters and visitors are still encouraged to carpool and use public transportation due to anticipated traffic and limited parking availability. Metro and Tank will suspend fare collection on all routes during the event, from approximately 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. nightly. The Connector, Cincinnati's premier streetcar, will also be operating during the four-day festival and will be adding extra streetcars during the four-day event. Story continues For safety reasons, the streetcar will not operate the Downtown loop during the parade. Service in OTR, however, will continue. Will there be a Blink app? There is no Blink app this year. Attendees may visit blinkcincinnati.com for more information. Will there be guided tours? No guided tours will be provided by Blink Cincinnati this year. ArtsWave, event co-sponsors, will host a virtual tour accessible by mobile devices. The virtual tour will feature exclusive content about the festival and the participating artists. The tour is $10 and free for ArtsWave donors that qualified for Team Cincinnati. For more information, visit artswave.org. Is there a Blink Cincinnati map? Yep, see the FULL high-res map right here. Can pedestrians cross the Roebling Bridge? Attendees can cross back and forth from Cincinnati to Covington using the Roebling Suspension Bridge. However, this year's festival will not feature a 30-minute Roebling Bridge performance. Are pets allowed at Blink Cincinnati 2022? According to Bradley Mason, digital marketing manager for the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, it is not recommended to bring your furry friend due to the large crowd size and the time of the event. Will there be food vendors at Blink? For the first time, Blink Cincinnati will include a nightly food market produced by the local Asian food and cultural association, Asianati. The Asianati Night Market will be open daily from 6-11 p.m. at the Court Street Plaza. Asianati Night Market Food Vendors: Lalo Neko Sushi Tea n Bowl Onolicious Hawaii Qlicious Bubble Tea & Pastries Mahope Cambodian Food Truck Boba Cha Thai Express Blesame Global Cuisine Chino Street Food Which streets will be closed? The following streets will close to all vehicular traffic on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. and remain closed throughout the week. These streets will reopen by 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Court Street between Race and Walnut streets. Vine Street between Ninth Street and Central Parkway. Eighth Street westbound between Vine and Elm streets. Jackson Street between Central Parkway and Twelfth Street. Stark Street between Branch and Dunlap streets. Eton Alley between Elm and Race streets. Freedom Way between Rosa Parks Street and Marian Spencer Way. Marian Spencer Way between Theodore M. Berry Way and Second Street (Garage access maintained from Second Street). Elm Street between Fifth and Sixth streets (will close at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12). The following streets will close at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, for parade staging. Sentinel Street between Fifth Street and Eggleston Avenue. New Street between Broadway and Culvert streets. Seventh Street between Broadway and Culvert streets. Reedy Street between Broadway Street and Eggleston Avenue. Culvert Street between Fifth and Reedy streets. More:Blink Cincinnati adding drone show to 2022 festival The following streets will close at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, until 11 p.m. for the parade route. Fifth Street between Central Avenue and Pike Street. Broadway Street between Fourth and Sixth streets. Sycamore Street between Sixth and Fourth streets (garage access maintained from Sixth Street). Main Street between Fourth and Sixth streets. Walnut Street between Fourth and Sixth streets (garage access maintained from Sixth Street). Vine Street between Fourth and Sixth street (hotel access maintained from Fourth Street). Race Street between Fourth and Sixth streets (garage access maintained from Fourth Street). Elm Street between Fourth and Sixth streets. The following streets will close nightly to private vehicular traffic from 6:30 p.m. until approximately 11 p.m. on Oct. 14-16. Dunlap Street between McMicken and Findlay streets. Elm Street between 12th and McMicken streets. Race Street between McMicken and Twelfth streets. Findlay Street between Central Parkway and Vine Street. Elder Street between Central Parkway and Vine Street. Green Street between Vine and Logan streets. Pleasant Street between Liberty and 14th streets. Wade Street between Central Parkway and Elm Street. Odeon Street between Central Parkway and Elm Street. 15th Street between Walnut Street and Central Parkway. Magnolia Street between Central Parkway and Elm Street. 14th Street between Central Parkway and Sycamore Street. 13th Street restricted between Race and Sycamore streets (garage access maintained). 12th Street between Vine and Main streets. Jackson Street between Central Parkway and 12th Street. Main Street between Second and Liberty streets. Walnut Street between Liberty and Second streets. Vine Street between Sixth Street and Central Parkway. Eighth Street between Elm and Sycamore streets. Seventh Street restricted between Race and Sycamore streets (may close depending on traffic volumes). Fourth Street restricted between Sycamore and Vine streets (may close depending on traffic volume). Additional streets may close as needed for traffic volumes. Visitors navigate Gano Street for Blink Cincinnati in 2019. What's on the schedule for 2022? When is the parade? Thursday, Oct. 13 Parade: 7:15 p.m. (approximately 90 minutes) Drone show: 9 and 10 p.m. Covington Sundae Drives at 8 p.m. On the One at 9 p.m. Elijah Baston at 10 p.m. The Banks Cultivate Movement Studios at 7 p.m. Bill Donaldson at 8 p.m. Maria Carrelli at 9 p.m. New Royals at 10 p.m. Fountain Square Culture Queer at 7 p.m. Noah Wotherspoon at 8 p.m. Cole Baker at 9 p.m. K-Drama at 10 p.m. Visitors interact with "Wave-Field Variation G" designed by Lateral Office and CS Design for Blink Cincinnati in 2019. Court Street DJ Wavy Moe from 7-9 p.m. The Tillers Duo at 9 p.m. Gracetet at 10 p.m. Washington Park Olivia Meade at 7 p.m. Soul Criminal at 9 p.m. The Golden Theory at 10 p.m. Second Sunday on Main Ria Matlib at 8 p.m. Harp by Victoria at 9 p.m. Aimee Jo at 10 p.m. Hanna Park Abiyah Rawers from 7-9 p.m. Animal Crackers from 9-11 p.m. Zach Robinson performs with the Know Theatre of Cincinnati for Blink Cincinnati in 2019. Friday, Oct. 14 Drone show: 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Covington Coast Off at 7 p.m. Slow Glows at 8 p.m. Sungaze at 9 p.m. Moonbeau at 10 p.m. The Banks Shiny Old Soul at 7 p.m. Moses at 8 p.m. Devin Burgess at 9 p.m. The Heavy Hours at 10 p.m. Fountain Square Renchler at 7 p.m. Physco at 8 p.m. Mandy Gaines at 9 p.m. 3SideSayge at 10 p.m. Court Street Lemon Sky at 7 p.m. Carriers at 8 p.m. Coastal Club at 9 p.m. Just Strange Brothers at 10 p.m. Washington Park Muse Cincinnati Women's Choir from 7-11 p.m. Second Sunday on Main New Earth Objects at 7 p.m. The Electric Indigo at 8 p.m. Heavy Hinges at 9 p.m. Siri Imani at 10 p.m. Hanna Park Sons of Silverton at 10 p.m. Matt FX from 7-11 p.m. More:Blink Cincinnati unveils second wave of artists for 2022 festival. Here's a look A Brave Berlin and Saya Woolfalk design is projected for Blink Cincinnati in 2019. Saturday, Oct. 15 Drone show: 8 and 9 p.m. Covington Sign Language at 7 p.m. Spooky Dreamland at 8 p.m. Malibu Wild at 9 p.m. Daniel Bennett & the Dirty Shirleys at 10 p.m. The Banks Dead Humor at 7 p.m. El Ritmo del Manana at 8 p.m. Hydrophonics at 9 p.m. Romel Sims & the 21c Strings at 10 p.m. Fountain Square Deuces II at 7 p.m. Keeps at 8 p.m. Leggy at 9 p.m. Mike Wade and the Nasty Nati Brass Band at 10 p.m. Court Street Brian Bacon at 7 p.m. National Barks at 8 p.m. Baily Miller at 9 p.m. Us, Today at 10 p.m. Washington Park Freedom Nicole Moore at 7 p.m. The Harlequins at 8 p.m. Vacation at 9 p.m. Black Signal at 10 p.m. Second Sunday on Main Abby Vice at 7 p.m. Mynah Tones at 8 p.m. Mol Sullivan at 9 p.m. Kendall Parke at 10 p.m. Hanna Park Al Sigman from 7-11 p.m. Ernie Johnson from Detroit at 10 p.m. Christopher Wagner, of Oakley, takes a photo in front of the "Neon Flex" projection by Brave Berlin and Xylene for Blink Cincinnati on 12th Street in Over-the-Rhine Thursday, October 10, 2019. Sunday, Oct. 16 Drone show: 8 and 9 p.m. Covington The Moon and the Stars at 7 p.m. New Moons at 8 p.m. Daniel in Stereo at 9 p.m. The Banks Queen City Silver Stars at 7 p.m. Bershy at 8 p.m. Multimagic at 9 p.m. Fountain Square All the Things at 7 p.m. We Are the Walrus at 8 p.m. Sound the Alarm at 9 p.m. Court Street Heist at 7 p.m. Chris Chomer Trio at 8 p.m. Go Go Buffalo at 9 p.m. Washington Park Highway to Health at 7 p.m. Tasteful at 8 p.m. DarkWave / Ready Player One Theme at 9 p.m. Second Sunday on Main Preston Bell Charles II at 8 p.m. Jess Lamb and the Factory at 9 p.m. Hanna Park Soul Step Records DJ from 7-8:30 p.m. Colemine Records DJ from 8:30-10 p.m. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Blink Cincinnati 2022: What to know before you go The Sandusky County Board of Elections could use some poll workers for the Nov. 8 election, according to Lisa Hartley, board director. Voting stations from a previous election are seen at the Fremont office of the Sandusky Board of Elections. Applications are being accepted from anyone who would like to work the polls in November. "We're down a little bit, but not too bad this year," Hartley said of the county's number of available poll workers. She added that closer to the election, the board always deals with call-offs due to scheduling changes and illness. To bolster the board's contingency plans, applications will be accepted until the election. Poll workers are not required to work in the precincts in which they vote. That way the board maintains the flexibility to send workers wherever they might be needed, though they try to assign workers to their home precincts whenever possible. Workers always welcome "We're always taking names," Hartley said. "We'll take names all the way up to the elections." Anyone interested in becoming a new poll worker may contact the Sandusky County Engineer's Office, 2500 W. State St., at 419-334-9731. The office will then send necessary information to parties expressing interest. Instruction for new workers is brief and that for returning workers may be done online. "It's about an hour, hour-and-a-half at the most," Hartley said. "There's a certain amount of information to go over." Absentee, early voting Military and overseas absentee voting for the upcoming Ohio election began Sept. 23 and early, in-person voting begins Oct. 12, including the two Saturdays, the Sunday and the Monday before Election Day. The deadline for Ohio voter registration is Oct. 11. Polls open at 6:30 am on Nov. 8 and close at 7:30 pm. The Nov. 8 mid-term election ballot for Sandusky County includes candidates for governor and lieutenant governor of Ohio, chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, two judges of the Sixth District Court of Appeals, one Sandusky County commissioner, two justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, Ohio auditor, Ohio attorney general, U.S. Senator from Ohio, Sandusky County auditor, Ohio secretary of state, Ohio 88th District state representative, 9th District U.S. representative and Ohio treasurer. In addition, Ohio issues one and two, both proposed amendments to the Ohio Constitution, as well as school funding and various township issues also will appear on the ballot. Story continues Many contested races Running for the governor and lieutenant governor's seats are incumbent Republicans Mike DeWine and Jon Husted, running against Democrats Nan Whaley and Cheryl L. Stephens, while Republican Sharon L. Kennedy opposes Democrat Jennifer Brunner for chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Incumbent Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justices Pat DeWine and Pat Fischer face challenges from Democrats Mailyn Zayas and Terri Jamison, respectively. Incumbent Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague faces Democrat Scott Schertzer, while incumbent Republican Attorney General Dave Yost runs against Democrat Jeffrey A. Crossman. Russ Zimmerman, incumbent Republican Sandusky County commissioner, faces Democrat Scott Williams. Republican J.R. Majewski takes on incumbent Democrat Mary Kaptur for 9th District representative for the U.S. Congress. Incumbent Republican State Auditor Keith Faber is slated against Democrat Taylor Sappington and Democrat Chelsea Clark challenges incumbent Republican Frank LaRose and independent Terpsehore Tore Maras for Ohio Secretary of State. In the race for 88th District Ohio state representative, Republican incumbent Gary Click opposes Democrat Diane Selvey. Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Ryan vie for the seat of retiring Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman. In the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals, Democrat Tom Puffenberger and Republican Charles E. Sulek vie for the vacating seat of Judge Mark Pietrykowski, while incumbent Republican Judge Christine Mayle runs unopposed. Jerri A. Miller, incumbent Republican audtior for Sandusky County, also runs unopposed. mmagnuson@gannett.com 419-332-2674 This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Board of elections looking for poll workers Tony Bobulinski, former business partner of the Biden family, claimed Tuesday that the presidents son and brother cheated him out of millions of dollars in a deal to form a joint venture with a Chinese firm. The former Navy officers accusations involve a contract initiated between a Delaware firm he started, owned by him, Jim and Hunter Biden, and partners Rob Walker and James Gilliar, to create a joint venture with CEFC, the Chinese firm that pledged to give them $10 million of working capital. Bobulinski alleged that the Bidens embezzled at least $5 million from CEFC. Hunter Biden and Jim Biden defrauded [us] and took the money for themselves stole it from me and my other partners, Rob Walker and James Gilliar, he said during an exclusive interview with Tucker Carlson Tuesday night. He claimed that Hunter Biden replicated the contract and had over $5 million of Chinese money funneled to his personal enterprise. It appears that Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, and the Biden family really copied the same document down to typos [and] the serial number and they removed [the name] Oneida Holdings [and] replaced it with Owasco, which was [the name of] Hunter Bidens law firm or business that he operated, Bobulinski said. He speculated that the Biden family expected to make billions of dollars through its business involvements with the Chinese. From diverting the money from the Chinese firm, Hunter received over five million dollars, bank statements have been made public, Bobulinski added. During the conversation with Carlson, Bobulinski also addressed the censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story prior to the 2020 election, which he called a complete blackout. I cant find another story in the history of our country that has been so suppressed. A complete blackout. You can go to CNN.com today and search my last name and it still shows you zero results, he said. There has not been one credible interview or debate on refuting anything Ive said or any piece of evidence. Story continues In August, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted to podcast host Joe Rogan that his company suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, exposed by the New York Post, before the 2020 election after the FBI said it should look out for Russian misinformation. Distribution of the bombshell report was restricted for five or seven days when it was being determined if the laptop was real, Zuckerberg said. Bobulinski noted that only after the election the Justice Department publicly announced it was investigating the Biden familys foreign business dealings. Five weeks too late, and the American people deserve those facts before the election, he said. Bobulinski said hed be willing to speak to the FBI and U.S. attorneys again at any time. The facts of the case are extensive, well-documented, easily verified, he said, rejecting the theory that the story was Russian misinformation. In August, a whistleblower claimed that FBI officials instructed agents not to probe the Hunter Biden laptop situation ahead of the 2020 presidential election, saying the bureau was not going to change the outcome of the election again, according to Republican senator Ron Johnson. Democrats blamed the FBI for driving Hillary Clintons loss to former president Trump in the 2016 election by reopening an investigation into her private email server days before the presidential election. Carlson mentioned the grand jury that was impaneled in Delaware as part of the Hunter Biden investigation. Bobulinski confirmed that he was not called to testify, despite his former close affiliation with the Biden family and its business activities. In April, it was unearthed that a key witness in the probe was asked to identify the individual who is referred to as the big guy in an email exchange detailing the equity distribution stemming from the Hunter Bidens deal CEFC. The big guy was first referenced in an email obtained by the New York Post in October 2020, in which Gilliar pitched, 10 held by H for the big guy?, suggesting that this person would get a 10 percent stake. Many Republicans have guessed that the individual in question was President Biden. More from National Review A mans body was discovered near the base of a snowbank, with his hands in handcuffs, one day after a fake U.S. marshal visited his Vermont home to arrest him, federal prosecutors said. Gregory Davis, who was involved in a business dispute ahead of his death, was killed after being repeatedly shot in the head and torso, according to the Justice Department and court documents. His body was found partially covered by snow about 15 miles from his home in Danville. Now the masked man accused of posing as a U.S. marshal, Jerry Banks, of Colorado, was charged on Oct. 4 with a murder-for-hire conspiracy and the kidnapping of Davis, resulting in his death in January 2018, prosecutors announced in a news release. A criminal complaint previously charged Banks with kidnapping in April. The charges come after authorities said Banks, 35, made a misleading 911 call the day of the kidnapping, followed by exhaustive investigation involving state police and FBI agents, according to prosecutors. Investigators said they learned Davis was disputing with Serhat Gumrukcu, 39, of Los Angeles, who is accused of arranging his killing by having a hitman Banks kidnap and kill Davis, according to investigators and prosecutors. Gumrukcu was arraigned Oct. 4 on a murder-for hire conspiracy charge in connection with the case. Gumrukcu pleaded not guilty, The Associated Press reported. Attorneys representing Banks and Gumrukcu declined requests for comment from McClatchy News on Oct. 5. Origins of the case On Jan. 6, 2018, Davis and his wife heard knocking at the door of their home, and Davis went to answer it, according to the wifes interview with detectives, court documents state. Davis told his wife that a man identifying himself as a U.S. marshal came to arrest him, according to court documents. As a result, Davis left with the man who claimed to have a warrant for his arrest related to racketeering and was supposedly taking him to Virginia. His wife saw the man and described him as having handcuffs, a rifle, and wearing a jacket and mask with an eye opening, both of which had a U.S. Marshals emblem, an affidavit states. Meanwhile, Davis 12-year-old son later told police that the man drove a white car with red and blue emergency lights. Story continues Ultimately, Davis never returned home because he was found dead the next day on Jan. 7, 2018, with bullet cartridge casings discovered at the crime scene, according to investigators. On Jan. 10, 2018, investigators learned that Davis was never arrested by a U.S. marshal, and there were no warrants out for his arrest, the affidavit states. In reality, it was Banks carrying out his job as a hired hitman, according to the release. Around the time Banks kidnapped Davis, it is believed that Banks made a 911 call to facilitate the kidnapping and murder, according to the affidavit. Dispatchers received a call from a man claiming to have shot his wife and threatening to shoot himself before giving a vague address and hanging up, the affidavit states. This sent Vermont state police and FBI agents investigating and was later traced back to Banks. At the time of Davis death, he was involved in a series of investment ventures, which his family depended on as financial support, and was trying to leave an oil deal with Gumrukcu, a biotech investor, and his brother, The Associated Press reported. Additionally, Davis had threatened to inform the FBI about his dealings with Gumrukcu and the brother, according to The Associated Press. Gumrukcu is accused of having Berk Eratay, 36, of Las Vegas, contact a man named Aron Ethridge to find someone to kill Davis, according to the release. As a result, Ethridge found Banks and hired him to kill Davis as part of the conspiracy orchestrated by Gumrukcu, the release states. Ethridge was paid $100,000 by Eratay for doing so, prosecutors said. Ethridge has previously pleaded guilty to hiring Banks to murder Davis and conspiring to kidnap him, the release states. McClatchy News contacted Eratay and Ethridges attorneys for comment on Oct. 5 and was awaiting a response. Gumrukcu and Eratay have been in custody since their arrest in May, according to the release. Gumrukcu and Eratay are both from Turkey and are friends who had previously worked together, VTDigger reported. Eratay was charged, alongside Gumrukcu and Banks, in connection with the murder-for-fire conspiracy, in a superseding indictment, the document shows. A judge denied Eratays request to be released ahead of a trial, the release said. The charges in the superseding indictment carry a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, prosecutors said in the release. Danville, Vermont, is about 180 miles north of Boston. Man accused of killing ex also tried to have investigator killed, Illinois cops say Registered sex offender offered up $200 to have 12-year-old witness killed, feds say Car dealer charged in $750,000 murder-for-hire plot that killed TN couple, feds say Inject her with heroin. WA doctor accused of hiring hitmen to kidnap estranged wife BOSTON (AP) The Boston Symphony Orchestra is embarking on a four-city tour of Japan next month, for its first overseas engagements since before the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of cultural events around the world. The orchestra is scheduled to perform at Yokohamas Minato Mirai Hall on Nov. 9; Kyotos Concert Hall on Nov. 10; Osakas Festival Hall on Nov. 11; and Tokyos Suntory Hall on Nov. 13, 14 and 15. The last few years have taught us to be especially grateful for the gifts of our lives," Boston Symphony Orchetra music director Andris Nelsons said in a statement Wednesday. This is how we feel about returning to Japan, where we will passionately share our music while expressing our deep appreciation for the people and culture of this great country. The tour repertoire will include Mahlers Symphony No. 6; Mozarts Symphony No. 40; Shostakovichs Symphony No. 5; Strauss Alpine Symphony"; and Caroline Shaws Punctum." The orchestra will be joined by Mitsuko Ushida on piano in Osaka and Tokyo. The stops in Yokohama and Kyoto are the orchestra's first visits to those cities since the late 1980s. The trip to Japan is the 29th international tour in BSO history. The orchestra's last overseas tour was an eight-city European trip in September 2018. Tours to Asia (Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) scheduled for February 2020 and to Europe (Vienna, Leipzig, Hamburg and Paris) scheduled for May 2022 were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, seen at a news conference at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on Oct. 4, is running for re-election. (Reuters/Adriano Machado) Jair Bolsonaro, Brazils incumbent president, outperformed polling averages by as much as 8% in the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, setting up an Oct. 30 runoff with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. All their predictions were wrong, and they are already the biggest losers of this election. We beat that lie, and now were going to win the election, Bolsonaro, who has spent months discrediting the integrity of Brazils elections, said Monday. Polling numbers leading up to last weekends voting had consistently shown a strong advantage for Lula, and Bolsonaro, much like one of his main foreign backers, former President Donald Trump, had routinely criticized those surveys, while also appearing to lay the groundwork for contesting his possible defeat. The population wants our government to continue. These polls are worthless, he told reporters in mid-September. Aggregate polling averages suggested he would only receive around 35% of the vote and that Lula might even win in the first round by receiving more than 50%. Instead, Bolsonaro received 43.2% and Lula secured 48.4%. Skepticism about polling is part of a larger effort by Bolsonaro to call into question Brazils electoral system. His comments have even hinted at violent confrontation and coincided with an increase in political violence in Brazil. In late August, he asserted that he would not leave office unless he were arrested or killed, adding, And let me tell the scum out there: I will never be arrested. Like Trump ahead of the 2020 U.S. election, Bolsonaro began casting doubt on electoral processes in Brazil long before Election Day, stating that he would only support the outcome if he felt the election was clean and transparent. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, who will face Bolsonaro in a runoff vote in the current presidential election, at a meeting with campaign associates, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday. (Reuters/Carla Carniel) In July, Bolsonaro convened a meeting with foreign diplomats in Brazil to document his concerns about electoral fraud, although, like Trump, he failed to present any credible evidence of widespread voting irregularities. In a presentation to diplomats, he chose to focus on an incident that took place in 2018, in which a single hacker breached the countrys electronic voting system, but failed to access any voting machines or critical source code. Police ruled that the breach had no effect on the outcome of the election. Story continues In both countries, a lack of proof has not stopped claims of electoral fraud from spreading, and as in the U.S., a sizable percentage of the population in Brazil has doubts about the integrity of elections. An Axios-Momentive poll in January 2022 found that more than 40% of Americans did not believe President Biden had been legitimately elected. Likewise, just before Sundays race, a Gallup poll found that two-thirds of Brazilians reported they did not believe Brazils elections would be fair. Brazils electronic voting system, which has been in place since 1996, has robust security protocols and is subject to randomized testing, to ensure compliance with election norms. After criticisms from Bolsonaro in 2018, Brazils national electoral authority invited a record number of foreign observers to oversee this years voting, including from the Carter Center and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Bolsonaro and Lulas policies stand in stark contrast to one another. Bolsonaro has built a reputation as a nationalist espousing many conservative positions, including opposition to same-sex marriage, LGBTQ rights, abortion and environmental regulations, as well as support for gun ownership and for the military. Lula is running a campaign that strongly appeals to the working class, with promises to raise the minimum wage, expand the social safety net and, critically, crack down on deforestation in the Amazon. Both candidates have made promises to increase cash transfers to the countrys poorest populations. Trouble ahead? A man in Brasilia, the capital, walks past presidential campaign materials depicting former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and and President Jair Bolsonaro on Sept. 23. (Reuters/Adriano Machado) On Monday, the White House indicated that the election in Brazil had occurred in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner. According to the Brazilian Report, Brazils Justice Ministry reported 87 cases of vote buying or electoral corruption ... 71 violations of vote secrecy, 379 instances of illegal campaigning, and 62 instances of illegal transportation of voters. The big question is how far Bolsonaro and his supporters will go if he loses on Oct. 30. For months, experts have worried about the ramifications should he reject the election results, fearing an event like the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol or something worse. Before the first round, Bolsonaro told his supporters, If necessary, we will go to war. Of particular concern is Bolsonaros close relationship with the military and law enforcement, potentially his key allies if he tries to contest the election. At times, more than half of his Cabinet has been made up of former military officials. He has further raised alarm by pushing for the military to play a role in certifying the election results, inviting comparisons with the military dictatorship in Brazil that ended in 1985. Yet most analysts generally think that military intervention on behalf of Bolsonaro is unlikely. Brazils Supreme Court has taken steps to reduce political activity among military police and signaled its intention to reject any attempt by Bolsonaro to overturn the results should they go against him. Likewise, the army has made efforts to distance itself from Bolsonaro. This weekends voting passed off without violence, but observers worry that a close second round could be a recipe for trouble if the results do not go his way. Bolsonaros actions between now and when Brazilians return to the ballot box on Oct. 30 will be watched closely. Breeze Airways is expanding with a one-way route to Westchester, New York, on sale for $50 until Oct. 30, for travel from Nov. 1 to Feb. 14. Breeze Airways began service in May 2021 from 16 destinations, primarily in the east and southeast of the United States. For more information, travelers can visit www.flybreeze.com. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Jax Beach police officer goes above and beyond Read: FHP reports student injuries after DCPS school bus collides with box truck Read: Clay County yard trash update: What you need to know [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The Paso Robles Municipal Airport has an unusual visitor this month: a massive British Royal Air Force plane thats in town for training at Fort Hunter-Liggett. On Monday, the RAF landed an A400 Airbus, a transport thats large enough to carry 116 fully-equipped troops, vehicles, helicopters and more, according to the British Royal Air Force website. The British Royal Air Force wound up in Paso Robles because it needed a base of operations for training high-altitude paratroopers, Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin told the Tribune in an email. Paso Robles is geographically close to the training area at Fort Hunter-Liggett, has facilities that can accommodate the large A400 aircraft and enjoys favorable weather conditions most of the year, Martin said. Paso Robles Mayor Steve Martin sits inside the British Royal Air Forces A400 plane, which landed at the Paso Robles Municipal Airport on Oct. 3, 2022. All of these features made it a good airport for the visiting troops. Payloads are dropped from the A400 by paratroopers, who exit from the belly of the plane by parachute, according to the RAF. Martin told The Tribune he believes this plane was just used to transport the troops, who will then do training using smaller aircraft at Hunter-Liggett. Although this is the first visit by the British Royal Air Force to the Paso Robles Airport that Martin could recall, it may not be the last. The City of Paso Robles is considering a one-year pilot program with the RAF to gauge impacts to the airport. The Airport Commission will be in charge of reviewing the possibilities. Martin said he was told up to 80 troops could come to train here for several weeks at a time. A British Royal Air Forces A400 transport plane landed at Paso Robles Municipal Airport on Oct. 3, 2022. British paratroopers will be doing training at nearby Fort Hunter-Liggett. The plane can carry 116 fully-equipped troops, vehicles, helicopters and more. The City of Paso Robles is open to using the airport capabilities to host future international visitors, Martin said. The phone lines are open, he said. The Paso Robles Airport Commission is also working on securing licensing through the Federal Aviation Administration to transform the municipal airport into a horizontal launch spaceport. The timeline to have the spaceport license issued is June 2024, according to past Tribune reporting. Brittney Griners wife, Cherelle Griner, said in a new interview that the WNBA star is effectively a hostage in Russia, where shes currently serving a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. In a preview clip of a full-length interview with CBS Mornings host Gayle King, Cherelle said she never thought two world leaders would have to meet to discuss the freedom of my wife. Its like a movie for me, Cherelle explained. Im like, In no world did I ever think, you know, our president and a foreign nation president would be sitting down having to discuss the freedom of my wife. And so to me, as much as everybodys telling me a different definition of what B.G. is, it feels to me as if shes a hostage. The two-time Olympic gold medalist was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on Aug. 4 for allegedly carrying cannabis in vape containers while entering a Moscow airport in February. Her lawyers appealed the Russian courts decision on Aug. 15, and now, the Moscow region court will hear the appeal on Oct. 15, according to The Associated Press. There have been long-standing talks about a prisoner swap that would bring Griner and former U.S. marine Paul Whelan to the U.S. in exchange for a Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, but no further confirmation has been established. Cherelle has been in contact with President Joe Biden and the White House for months hoping that Biden would bring Brittney home swiftly. After a meeting with Biden in the Oval Office in September, she thanked him and his administration for its efforts to secure my wifes release in a post on Instagram. It was an honor to speak with him directly about the Brittney we know and love, Cherelle wrote in the caption. Ive felt every minute of the grueling seven months without her. I look forward to the day my wife is back home. She also thanked friends, leaders and supporters who continue to stand with us and advocate for Brittneys swift and safe return before adding: Lets share a unified commitment to bringing all Americans home to their families and loved ones. Together We Are BG. Story continues This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Cole Beasley is calling it a career. The veteran wideout retired Wednesday after 11 seasons, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. Beasley, 33, had signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' practice squad just 14 days ago. He is ready to be with his family after playing in 11 seasons," Beasley's agents told Pelissero and Garafolo, "and its time to be a full time dad and husband. Beasley played two games for the receiver-depleted Buccaneers this year and caught four of his five targets for 17 yards in 13 total offensive snaps. Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Beasley played three years with the Buffalo Bills and seven with the Dallas Cowboys after going undrafted in 2012. Beasley made league-wide news in 2021 for being outspokenly against the NFL's COVID-19 vaccine policies. He talked about leaving the NFL over the protocols and engaged in multiple Twitter arguments over the subject. That season, Beasley was fined upward of $100,000 total for multiple COVID-19 protocol violations with the Bills, according to ESPN, and he missed one game after being a close contact with a Bills staff member who tested positive but was vaccinated. He'll finish his NFL career with 554 career receptions for 5,726 receiving yards and 34 receiving touchdowns. Beasley was known primarily as a reliable slot receiver who had a career catch rate of 71 percent. He also averaged 7.3 yards per target. Buckeye police are seeking the public's help in identifying suspects they are are calling "porch ninjas." Buckeye police announced on Twitter that they are searching for suspects in relation to a series of package thefts. Typically, package thieves are referred to as "porch pirates" but some on Twitter wisely pointed out that these thieves may be the dawn of a new breed. "Porch ninjas." Draped in all black and gone in the blink of an eye, Arizonans will now have to keep an eye out for both pirates and ninjas. Buckeye police are urging anyone with information to contact their tip line at 623-349-6411. Reach breaking news reporter Kye Graves at klgraves@gannett.com or on Twitter @kyegraves BPD needs your help identifying suspects in a series of package thefts that occurred last Thursday between 3-4 pm near Yuma/Watson. Suspect vehicle is newer model gray Nissan Sentra, front passenger side hubcap missing. If you have info, please call our tip line at 623-349-6411. pic.twitter.com/OmJ0tIN3oF Buckeye Police Dept (@BuckeyeAZPD) October 3, 2022 This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Porch ninjas': Buckeye police seek new package thieves California police have released video footage of a person of interest tied to six murders and one attempted murder since April 2021. The video only shows the person of interest walking through what appears to be a multifamily residence or apartment complex wearing dark-colored clothing, including what appears to be a dark hat. The suspect was initially accused of fatally shooting Paul Yaw, 35; Salvador Debudey Jr., 43; Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21; Juan Cruz, 52; and Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, over the last three months, with the most recent murder taking place Sept. 27. Police have since announced, however, that the suspect is linked to additional incidents that occurred in April 2021, including the shooting of an unnamed 46-year-old Black woman in Stockton April 16 and the fatal shooting of an unnamed 40-year-old Hispanic man in Oakland April 10. Both shootings occurred in the early morning at 3:20 a.m. and 4:18 a.m., respectively. STOCKTON SERIAL KILLINGS: CALIFORNIA PERSON OF INTEREST SPOTTED NEAR MULTIPLE MURDER SCENES, POLICE SAY A $125,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the case, according to police. The woman who survived the perpetrator's shooting attempt in April 2021 had been in a tent when the attack occurred, Stockton police announced during a Tuesday evening press conference, CBS Sacramento reporter Madisen Keavy reported. STOCKTON SHOOTING MURDERS: POSSIBLE SERIAL KILLER SEEN IN NEW IMAGE AS POLICE OFFER $85K REWARD Each of the six deceased victims was male and was alone at the time, Stockton police officer Joseph Silva previously confirmed to Fox News Digital, though they differ in age and other circumstances. One of the victims was shot while alone inside a vehicle, while the other four were alone outside at the time, Silva said. Four of the victims were Hispanic men, while the fifth was a White man. Silva, the departments public information officer, said all five murders were carried out in "very dark" areas. Story continues Silva told Fox News Digital Monday that investigators have tracked the person of interest "near some of the crime scenes." He would not divulge more about the sightings. But he said investigators have not "caught anyone on video surveillance holding a gun or even committing a crime." Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden notified the public of a startling pattern Friday, shortly after being briefed by his detectives of the circumstances and similarities between each case, according to Silva. In an announcement posted to Facebook, McFadden urged the public to remain vigilant as the manhunt continues . "Please avoid isolated areas and travel in well-lit areas. Remember, there is safety in numbers. So if you can, travel with a friend," McFadden stressed. "If you see suspicious activity, call 209-937-8377 or 911 if its an emergency." Stockton police are asking anyone with information to call (209) 937-8167 or email policetips@stocktonca.gov. Tipsters can also submit information anonymously to Stockton Crime Stoppers via its website or by calling (209) 946-0600. A new state law in California could incentivize "bad actors" from around the world to skirt custodial laws by relocating to the Golden State, a conservative legal group claims. "We think it's a drastic overreach by California," Emilie Kao, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), told Fox News Digital. "Not only does it violate parents' fundamental rights to direct the upbringing of their children, it also violates federal law on child custody and jurisdiction because it basically supersedes the federal law that gives jurisdiction to states on child custody matters." California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed SB 107, which will block state officials from enforcing laws from other states that hinder access to transgender medical procedures and drugs. "With this law, California is basically saying it can take temporary emergency jurisdiction over any child from anywhere if there's a disagreement between a parent and the state of California over how to treat a child's gender distress," said Kao, whose organization was one of 50 groups that sent a letter of protest to Newsom over SB 107. CHRISTIAN PARENTS WIN IN COURT AFTER SCHOOL LABELED 6-YEAR-OLD SON POTENTIALLY TRANSPHOBIC Originally sponsored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, the bill passed the state legislature in late August after recent efforts from some states to ban transgender procedures and drugs for minors. The bill effectively sets up California as a sanctuary for those seeking to escape those laws. Under the California law, state agencies and law enforcement organizations are now banned from cooperating with subpoenas and other out-of-state legal actions on these matters, and both children and parents seeking to obtain or provide transgender services are shielded from legal consequences. NEWSOM SIGNS LEGISLATION MAKING CALIFORNIA A SANCTUARY STATE FOR TRANSGENDER PROCEDURES "SB 107 protects families with transgender children by ensuring parents arent tossed in prison for allowing their trans kids to access health care," Wiener told Fox News Digital about the law. "Texas, Alabama and other states are literally threatening to incarcerate parents and physicians for allowing this health care. SB 107 protects these parents and physicians by making clear California isnt going to be a party to these horrific laws." Story continues Alliance Defending Freedom sees it differently. "With this law, California is basically saying it can take temporary emergency jurisdiction over any child from anywhere if there's a disagreement between a parent and the state of California over how to treat a child's gender distress," Kao said. She added that SB 107 also "carves out a massive exemption to all existing laws on child custody and on the respect for other states' jurisdiction," which she predicts will lead to costly, drawn-out interstate litigation that will waste California tax dollars. LOS ANGELES PASTOR JOHN MACARTHUR PUBLICLY REBUKES GAVIN NEWSOM FOR DIABOLICAL POLICIES, INVOKING JESUS "Already, several states have taken very positive steps to protect children from the irreversible harms of not only experimental use of puberty blockers and cross sex hormones, but even life-altering surgeries like double mastectomy, even hysterectomy," Kao explained. "These are surgeries that cannot be reversed, and that will leave children with permanent damage, including possibly sterilization." A protester holds the trans flag and snaps in solidarity with other speakers, during a demonstration at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, June 25, 2021. Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Explaining how the law potentially denies parents access to medical information about their child if that child is in California, even if they were taken there or ran away there, Kao said the law "creates very bad incentive that basically carves out an exception to normal protections of children by saying that anyone can take a child to California, and it won't be treated in the way that taking a child from their custodial parent normally would be treated. CHRISTIANS SLAM NEWSOM FOR DISGUSTING PRO-ABORTION BILLBOARDS QUOTING JESUS: SATANIC "So it gives an incentive to bad actors, bad parents and ill-meaning relatives to take a child away from the custodial parents to California. It also creates a very dangerous incentive for children to run away from their homes and other states if they have a disagreement with their parents over the issue of gender distress," Kao continued. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a bill signing ceremony Feb. 9, 2022. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images "We also think that, in addition to the other states that could be challenging this law, this one could really affect a child from anywhere in the world, not only American children, but really any child could be subject to this law if they are in the state of California," Kao added. "So there are a lot of possibilities for litigation." "There is a lot of misinformation about what this bill does and doesnt do," a spokesperson for Newsom's office told Fox News Digital. "It protects parents seeking medical care for their child. States like Texas are trying to turn parents into criminals for doing what they think is best for their child. In California, we are making sure parents arent prosecuted for their kids getting the care they need." Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report. Reports say Canada has spent nearly half a billion dollars to maintain an irregular US-Canada border crossing at Roxham Road, between Quebec and New York state. Canada's Supreme Court has heard for the first time a Canada-US asylum pact case that will weigh whether the country can consider its southern neighbour "safe" for those seeking refugee status. The outcome could determine whether Canada can trust that the US treats migrants properly, and could answer whether Canada holds any responsibility for migrants turned back at its border. At the heart of the matter is the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) - a pact between the two countries in place since 2004 that requires refugee claimants to request protection in the first "safe" country they reach. Campaigners in Canada have long argued that the STCA should be struck down on the grounds that migrants are at risk of mistreatment in the US and that the agreement violates their constitutional rights. On Thursday, Canada's Supreme Court judges questioned if there was enough evidence to suggest widespread systemic issues in how the US treats migrants that would deem the agreement unconstitutional. In response, refugee lawyers argued the detainment of some migrants is quick and inhumane, and violates the "right, liberty and security of the person" as outlined by Canada's charter. Refugee lawyers and advocates say some of migrants sent back were imprisoned in "freezing cold" detention centres or subject to solitary confinement. Meanwhile, lawyers for the Canadian government argued the US is a democratic country that has a robust and fair system for processing asylum claims. Experts say the outcome of the case could also determine the future of "irregular" land crossings into Canada, which reached a record high this year. Canada and the US share a 5,525 mile (8,891 km) border - the longest between two countries in the world. The STCA was put in place to better manage refugee claims at the US-Canada land border and to avoid asylum seekers making claims in multiple countries, or so-called "asylum shopping". Story continues The agreement applies to almost all refugee claimants coming through the US, except if they have a family member in Canada or if they are an unaccompanied minor. The US is the only nation designated as a "safe third country" by Canada - a designation based, in part, by Ottawa's belief that the US meets a high standard in protecting human rights. Canadian campaigners have mounted successful legal challenges in the lower courts to the STCA, the first one in 2005 shortly after it was signed. But those outcomes were challenged by the Canadian government and overturned on appeal. Most recently, in 2020 a federal court ruled the STCA unconstitutional citing the possibility that the US could imprison migrants. The matter will now be decided by Canada's highest court. In a statement to the BBC, Immigration and Citizenship Canada said they believe "the STCA remains a comprehensive means for the compassionate, fair, and orderly handling of asylum claims in our two countries". US officials contacted by the BBC did not respond to requests for comment. Oct. 4Gov. Janet Mills and former Gov. Paul LePage criticized each other's records on economic issues and clashed on abortion policies as Maine's three candidates for governor took the stage Tuesday night for the first in a series of debates before the Nov. 8 election. LePage criticized Mills for providing $850 inflation relief checks to residents, referring to the checks as an attempt to buy the election and saying they contributed to inflation. "The governor may have gone to law school but she certainly didn't go to an economics school," LePage said. Mills defended the checks as a bipartisan effort to give Maine people relief from rising prices, then criticized LePage for his management of the state budget. "I've spent four years repairing the damage of his administration," she said, highlighting LePage's cuts to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Mills challenged LePage directly after the Republican nominee did not say whether he would veto any legislation restricting access to abortion. LePage has said "we should not have abortion" and attended anti-abortion rallies when governor. After LePage said he would not sign legislation adding new restrictions, Mills interjected: "Would you allow it to go into effect without your signature?" "I would honor the law as it is. You're talking hypotheticals," LePage answered. When asked by moderator Jennifer Rooks if he would veto a bill restricting abortions after 15 weeks instead of the current law restricting access after 22 weeks, LePage answered, "Yes." LePage said he would not support MaineCare-funded abortions, a policy in place now that Mills supports. Mills vowed to prevent any new restrictions from being placed on abortion in Maine, but also said she would not seek to relax current restrictions on abortion after 22 weeks. The Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun Journal and Maine Public sponsored the 90-minute debate. Rooks moderated the debate, while journalists Penelope Overton of the Press Herald and Steve Mistler of Maine Public asked questions, many of them contributed by readers and viewers. Story continues This was the first time Mills, LePage and independent challenger Sam Hunkler appeared together to answer questions and debate policies. Hunkler used the debate as an opportunity to introduce himself to voters, saying that he would bring their ideas and concerns to Augusta if elected but not offering many specific policy changes. In his closing statement, Hunkler said he offers Maine people a choice by not taking donations and by being willing to listen to them. "I will bring your voice with me to the governorship," he said. "The special interests are corrupting our whole political system with the influence of money." Supporters of Mills and LePage made their presence known outside of the Franco Center before the debate Tuesday evening. LePage supporters, stationed on Lincoln Street, appeared to outnumber Mills supporters gathered in a dimly lit park on River Street. They also seemed to get a more enthusiastic response from passing vehicles. A couple of drivers lobbed profanities at Mills supporters. Mills and LePage are among Maine's best-known politicians. Before she became governor, Mills served as the Attorney General for six out of LePage's eight years in office. The two battled in the press, in the courtroom and in behind-the-scenes memos about policy and the role of the AG, who is appointed by the Legislature. Until Tuesday, the race for governor had been relatively subdued except for the numerous television ads aired by Mills, LePage and their allies. Tuesday's debate changed that. Leveraging her incumbency, Mills has largely eschewed campaign events, opting instead to conduct the business of being governor, visiting businesses and communities throughout the state to announce various grants and new programs. She has been emphasizing collaboration and bipartisanship, releasing a new campaign ad Tuesday featuring Republicans, including state Sen. Kim Rosen and former state Sen. Roger Katz, who support her campaign. She has rallied with abortion rights demonstrators and last week held a press conference to announce Sen. Angus King's support for her campaign. LePage, meanwhile, has been on the attack, holding a series of press conferences hitting Mills on the economy, inflation, opioid addiction, crime and education. He has previously criticized Mills' handling during the pandemic. LePage also has the support of the Maine Republican Party and the Republican Governor's Association, which has paid for ads attacking Mills. Mills has raised more than twice the amount of campaign donations as LePage, while also benefiting from millions of dollars in spending from outside groups attacking her Republican opponents. During the debate, Mills and LePage also clashed over immigration. When asked about how to better integrate immigrants into the economy, LePage avoided talking about "illegal aliens," a term he's used to describe asylum seekers, and instead said he would advocate to allow them to work within 30 days of filing their applications, rather than six months. Mills called out LePage for supporting former President Donald Trump's restrictive immigration policies, including a proposed travel ban on people from Muslim-majority nations. "Janet Mills, you are a liar," LePage shot back, claiming he never supported Trump's proposed ban. Mills was correct, however. One of the biggest legal disagreements between Gov. LePage and Attorney General Mills was whether Maine should file a legal brief in support of the policy when it was being challenged in court. LePage supported Trump's plan, while Mills opposed it. On housing, Mills criticized LePage's refusal to release $15 million in voter-approved bonds to build affordable housing for seniors. She said she has since met with dozens of seniors living in new units created with those funds. "They are very comfortable in their affordable housing units," Mills said. LePage said he withheld the money because he believed it would build market-rate housing. He said he would focus on school consolidation if elected to a third non-consecutive term and would reuse empty school buildings as housing. Hunkler avoided hard and fast policy positions. Hunkler said he would never do anything to endanger the life of a mother, while also saying he'd likely support any abortion law that reached his desk with two-thirds support of the Legislature, the threshold needed to overturn a veto. Hunkler also staked out some middle ground regarding use of MaineCare funding for abortions and reproductive health care. Such funding, he said, should only be used when the mother's health is endangered. Mills supports that funding while LePage opposed it. All three candidates agreed that President Biden won the 2020 presidential election and said they would accept the electoral outcome in November. However, LePage defended his support for requiring voter identification, saying IDs should be provided free of charge to all eligible voters. He asked Mills why she opposed such proposals and she replied that voting is a fundamental right that should not be infringed upon. On tribal sovereignty, LePage said he would be willing to talk to the tribes and address specific issues, while Mills touted advances under her administration that gave tribes exclusive rights to online sports betting, income tax reform and more control over their drinking water. Both Mills and LePage have previously expressed support for the state's 1980 land claims settlement act, which treats Maine tribes like municipalities rather than sovereign nations. Mills said her concerns about a bill that would restore full sovereignty to tribes have not been addressed. Those include water quality regulations and fisheries. Hunkler said he fully supports tribal sovereignty. "I do support sovereignty for the Wabanaki and all of the tribes in Maine and I would do whatever I need to do to make that happen," he said. During his closing statement, LePage said the state is facing challenges but that he turned the state around 8 years ago and he can do it again. "Janet Mills' only solution over the last four years is to throw money at a problem, but what do we do when the money is gone?" LePage asked. Mills closed by saying she worries about the future for her five daughters and her grandchildren and whether they will have the same rights and opportunities she has enjoyed. "We've made good progress for the last few years through the toughest time in history and we won't go back," she said. Federal authorities arrested an Ohio pastor Wednesday for his alleged role in the insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021. Bill Dunfee was arrested on felony charges of interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding, in addition to five misdemeanors. Dunfee serves as the pastor at the New Beginnings Ministries Warsaw and used the pulpit to express the baseless belief that Joe Biden stole the 2020 election. The FBI stated that it began its investigation into Dunfee in February 2021, the month after supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the formal counting of the electoral votes showing that Biden had won. The bureau added that Dunfee confirmed his attendance to the FBI in a March 2021 phone call, and it received additional tips that summer about his role. Rioters clash with police as they try to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) According to the criminal complaint, Dunfee spoke about the election during a sermon on Dec. 27, 2020, saying, The Government, the tyrants, the socialists, the Marxists, the progressives, the RINOs, they fear you. And they should. Our problem is we havent given them reason to fear us. Dunfee added, As I said earlier in another previous sermon is this: They used to tell us, you know what, you settle your differences at the ballot. How did that work out for us? Its not over. The Justice Department alleges that Dunfee illegally entered the Capitol grounds with a bullhorn that he used to say, We are taking our house. As some of the insurrectionists dispersed on the afternoon of Jan. 6, Dunfee told them, Mission accomplished, and replied Hallelujah to a fellow rioter who said, We did it, we shut 'em all down. We did our job. Pastor Bill Dunfee, left, of New Beginnings Ministries Church. (Jay LaPrete/AP) Dunfee spoke about his experience during a May 2021 sermon, saying, We show up January 6th at the Capitol Building right? To let it be known that we are not going to stand back and let an election be stolen. That we are going to hold our legislators accountable, and so on and so forth? And what did that get us? Huh? We are all deemed what? Huh? Bunch of terrorists, right? Story continues I can tell you, having been there [at the Capitol], that um, we were surrounded by patriots, Dunfee added. Many, many, many, many patriots. And I thank God they showed up to just to let it be known, that you know, what the bottom line is this, that you are not stealing this election. Youre not going to rob us, deprive us of a democracy, of a republic, without us being heard. Dunfee was expected to make his first appearance in court in the Southern District of Ohio on Wednesday. Nearly 900 individuals have been arrested for their roles in the events of Jan. 6. The House committee investigating Jan. 6 was planning to have an additional hearing last week but postponed it due to Hurricane Ian. Members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia are currently being tried on a number of charges, including seditious conspiracy. A man is wanted after burglarizing a car and returning in three days to break into the same car, according to the Memphis Police Department. Police said it happened on Sept. 14 around 10:24 pm in the 6600 Block of Kirby Trace Cove. Officers were advised that the victim observed a Black male entering their vehicle parked in the driveway. MPD said the victim saw a man entering the car parked in the driveway. The man took several credit cards, a ring valued at $500.00, and a Gucci diaper bag valued at $1,400, police said. According to MPD, the man returned on Sept.17, with another person attempting to break into the exact car but was unsuccessful. Police said the suspects fled northbound on Kirby Parkway in a 2013 Kia Sportage, dark Gray with Tennessee Tag 3R1-6T3. MPD said the car was reported stolen hours prior. Police uploaded pictures of the suspects, the car used during the crime, and also the Gucci Diaper bag. Anyone with information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers at 528-CASH. Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: Carlos Ocampo is on the rise. The 26-year-old Mexican is 34-1 (23 KOs). He has won his last dozen fights, nine by knockout. Hes ranked at 154 pounds by the WBC. All of which is why he received a crack at top contender Sebastian Fundora on Saturday in Carson, California. Yet most of the questions he fielded during a recent virtual news conference centered on his only loss four-plus years ago. Ocampo was stopped by a single right to the body from welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr. that rendered him unable to continue in the final seconds of the opening round of their June 2018 fight, a disappointing end to the momentum he had built over six years as a pro. He has done a good job of rebuilding but cant shake the setback. Look, I made a rookie mistake, Ocampo said through a translator. There was about three seconds left in the first round and I got careless. I shouldve have done that, it shouldnt have happened, but I moved forward and am better for it. Ocampo returned at junior middleweight only two months after the loss to Spence, kicking off a successful run that has lifted him back into the rankings. The first 10 of his 12 victories came against mediocre opposition in Mexico. He then knocked out capable Canadian Mikael Zewski in nine rounds this past March in Quebec and stopped Vicente Martin Rodriguez in one round in June in Anaheim, California. Ocampo feels hes ready for The Towering Inferno, the hard-charging 6-foot-5 Fundora. I think the last two fights were huge for me, he said. Both were [minor] title fights one in Canada, one in the United States. Thats exactly what I needed to get where I want. Of course, Ocampo wants to get another shot at a world title. And he feels hes in a better position to win one than he was when he fought Spence. He was only 22 when he challenged Spence; he said hes more mature now, both physically and mentally. He has the experience of fighting on the biggest stage, against Spence. And, again, he learned first hand what can happen when you let your guard down. Story continues The biggest lesson I learned was that I have to be more cerebral, to think about things more, he said. Just one second of being careless in the ring, you can pay a very high price for it. That was a hard, but necessary lesson to learn. Im not going to make that mistake again. Lesson learned, I can assure you of that. Related Fight Week: Chris Eubank Jr., Conor Benn set for showdown; Sebastian Fundora in action Sebastian Fundora: 'It's good that people are finally noticing (my ability)' Story originally appeared on Boxing Junkie Supermodel Carmen Dell'Orefice, 91, graces the cover of New You magazine where she spoke about her legendary career and the joys of aging. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows) Carmen DellOrefice, the oldest living supermodel at age 91, is still breaking barriers. In the latest cover story for New You magazine, Dell'Orefice graces the pages with fellow fashion icon Beverly Johnson, 69, in which the duo discuss their decades-long careers and how they've never allowed age to dictate their perspectives on beauty. "We keep growing every day, and we're not finished until the day we're finished," DellOrefice says of getting older. "You learn something from the day before, and you're constantly changing yourself like the hands of a clock. Time is passing, but you can't see the hands move. That's happening to humans daily, and it's how you handle and accept the change." Dell'Orefice also posed nude for the shoot. Photographed by Fadil Berisha, the model looks radiant as she lounges in all white bedding. At 91 years old, supermodel Carmen DellOrefice posed nude for the cover of New You magazine. (Fadil Berisha for New You) Of shooting nude, she says, "It's their perception of what they see in you or me. We are there, a synergy starts to happen, and they bring it out. It's where their mindset is. The photographer's mindset is high, not in the gutter. It's all projection. We're all silent actresses, and that's what it's about." Since the beginning of DellOrefice's modeling career, the silver-haired beauty has set records. She became one of Vogue's youngest cover models of all time at 15 years old. She also spoke of being photographed for the magazine by renowned fashion photographer Irving Penn. "[Penn] told me to try to breathe as little as possible and dont move. Just sit there," she reflected on the historic shoot. "Irving was a really good friend to me, and he saved my life physically. He made me go to the Vogue staff doctor to ensure I was healthy enough to work because, in those days, you needed permits due to child labor, especially at my young age. But I met the Vogue staff doctor who took care of me many decades later, until the day he died." Story continues Carmen Dell'Orefice, pictured here circa 1950, has been working steadily as a model since the late 1940s. (Erika Stone/Getty Images) The supermodel's legacy is so ingrained within the industry that even Johnson couldnt help but gush. "This woman is my idol. She is model goals," Johnson, who was Vogue's first-ever Black cover model in 1974, said of Dell'Orefice. "She's been a mentor to me and doesn't even know, and I have the utmost respect for this woman. I know all of her photographs. She has the biggest, most stunning body of work of any model in fashion." Even now, Dell'Orefice has yet to stop working, having appeared in campaigns for such companies like H&M, Sephora and Missoni. She's even walked on runways for such designers as Thierry Mugler, Moschino and Isaac Mizrahi. As for what keeps her going, the ageless beauty says it's all about self-love. "Men and women should care for themselves and love themselves," she said. "One of the secrets to maintaining beauty is doing what you do for a baby, nurturing and feeding the baby with love." Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here. Acclaimed Korean illustrator and cartoonist Kim Jung Gi, 47, died from a heart attack. Kim was in Paris while on his way to the New York City Comic-Con, where he suddenly experienced severe chest pains. He was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital and undergoing surgery on Oct. 3. Born in 1975 within South Koreas Gyeonggi province, Kim enrolled at Dong-Eui University in Busan to study art and design. He also spent two years serving in the South Korean military, where he was exposed to and memorized a vast array of weapons and vehicles, according to his official website. Kim was famed throughout the art industry for his astonishing ability to create detailed illustrations without the aid of a reference. His work has appeared in popular graphic novels and comics, including Tiger the Long Tail, Paradis and SpyGames. More from NextShark: North Korea launches 3 ballistic missiles amid its first COVID outbreak He has also contributed his talents to comic giants DC and Marvel, where he designed cover art for issues of Justice League, Wonder Woman and a series of sprawling, interconnected variant covers for the Civil War II crossover event. Kim also holds a Guinness World Record for the longest drawing by an individual, a feat that he performed live by illustrating his interpretation of the living heritage of Penang, a region in Malaysia. After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes, longtime collaborator Hyun Jin Kim wrote in a tribute. More from NextShark: Homeless Asian Grandma in TEARS After Getting Spit On, Cursed At Asking for Help in NYC Fellow artists Karl Kopinski and Peter Han shared their own heartfelt messages for Kim on Instagram. Story continues He influenced me hugely gave me confidence taught me talked with me even though we couldnt speak the same language shared jokes and fantastic trips together with so many wonderful people, wrote Kopinski. All I can think about is what did he see as he passed over. And how frustrating it must have been for him to not sketch it. At least, that's what would be on my mind, wrote Han. A trailer for Filipino Irish psychological thriller Nocebo, featuring Chai Fonacier, has sparked heated debate over the accent the local actor uses in the film. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan, Nocebo follows a fashion designer, played by Eva Green, who comes down with a mysterious illness that bewilders her doctors and husband (Mark Strong). The family hires a Filipino caretaker, played by Fonacier, who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth. Many moviegoers were ecstatic to see Fonacier make her debut in the West after starring in award-winning Filipino films such as Patay na si Hesus (Jesus is Dead) and Respeto (Respect). However, some viewers were less thrilled about her characters accent. The accent is unbearable. Why was the accent greenlit? Is it really necessary? Good for Chai, but my left eyebrow is raised. We know she doesnt speak English like that, one viewer wrote in a Twitter thread. More from NextShark: Randall Park to return as Agent Jimmy Woo in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania' the accent is unbearable. why was the accent greenlit? is it really necessary? good for chai but my left eyebrow is raised. we know she doesn't speak english like that. https://t.co/X80DiEMvRe ginoe (@hubineer) October 4, 2022 More from NextShark: Back again like a boomerAANG: New Avatar: The Last Airbender film revealed to be about Aang and friends They added that the problem is not about being ashamed over having an accent, but more about depicting dangerous stereotypes in Western media. Immediately invalidating multiple people feeling off about this and the valid criticism makes you sound like puro reklamo, suporta na lang kase, the Twitter user added. Other users did not have an issue with Fonaciers accent, arguing it only becomes a dangerous stereotype if its used for mockery or adds nothing of value to the characters story. Story continues More from NextShark: 'Invincible': Steven Yeun returns to the recording booth for Season 2 of the adult superhero show It is a dangerous stereotype if the accent does not add value to the character or the movie is making fun of it. It's not. Filipinos uncomfortable hearing the Filipino accent is internalized racism at work. angelo (@angelongonyama) October 4, 2022 More from NextShark: 'Cheer Up': All 9 members of Twice renew contracts with JYP and announce August comeback Accents like that exist in the Philippines. It is accurate to whatever region the character is supposed to have come from, another user said. The Cebu native actor has spoken out following the buzz around her characters accent. Theres some talk about the accent I used in the trailer, Fonacier said. Simply put: you would shit on me as an actor if I spoke in better English and THEN you found out what my characters background is when you see the film. Yun lang. Ok. I have Chais permission. I#posting this again. pic.twitter.com/lLv6GU8eQ2 Chris Costello (@chris_costello) October 4, 2022 She has also amassed much support since the trailer dropped on Monday. can people who are not bisaya please shut up about nocebo??? chai fonacier is proudly bisaya and i trust that she wouldn't be so excited about this role if this demonized bisaya culture bisaya language enjoyer (@bisayabot) October 4, 2022 filipino traditional folk healing to barang?!?!?! do it for them madam chai fonacier as a payback for colonizing, abusing, terrorizing, demonizing and every wrongful deeds they've done HAHAHAHA ASWANG REP, char. galing, miss chai! https://t.co/uu2G3v6kMy denise (@tomasilog) October 5, 2022 Green also praised her co-stars extraordinary depth and sensitivity in playing the character. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Eva Green (@evagreenweb) Nocebo is set to release on Nov. 4. Featured Image via Movie Coverage Tuesday marked 25 years since one of the biggest armored car heists in U.S. history, and it all went down in Charlotte. The man at the center of that heist was David Scott Ghantt. He have since served time in prison for the crime, and told Channel 9s Glenn Counts he learned a valuable lesson while behind bars. Part 1: When you have money, you just have different problems: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms Sun, sand and beaches are all part of why Jacksonville, Florida is a popular destination. The towns booming construction industry attracts workers from around the country. Its attracted workers like David Ghantt. Im married, I got one girl, shes 15 going on 30. I ride motorcycles and fish -- normal guy, Ghantt told Counts. >> PHOTOS: The Loomis Fargo heist, 25 years later He has a regular life now, but 25 years ago, David Ghantt was the mastermind behind the 3rd largest bank robbery in U.S. history. It took me going to prison to realize I was a bag of worms, and it took me years of work to be somebody worthy to come back into our society, he said. David Scott Ghantt Ghantt, his former co-worker Kelly Campbell and her friends Steve and Michelle Chambers carried out the Loomis Fargo heist on Oct. 4, 1997. Ghantt was the vault manager and was surrounded daily by millions of dollars-worth of temptation. So its one thing to go from up here, thought, to action, he said. ALSO READ: Trio charged following takeover-style bank robbery in South End, sources say When did you conclude yeah Im actually going to do this? Counts asked. To be brutally honest, it was that morning, Ghantt replied. I thought yeah, sure, I can beat them' Since Ghantt was the supervisor, he sent his co-worker home first. Then, he proceeded to load 2,800 pounds of cash into a van. The money weighed as much as a compact car and he did it all by himself. I made a joke once that was the hardest Id ever worked for Wells Fargo -- yeah, its a lot of work, Ghantt said. Story continues Driving away, he said he felt a mix of fear, confidence and excitement that he outsmarted the FBI. Probably very egotistical of me, I though yeah, sure, I can beat them, theyre college smart and thats about it, Ghantt said. Ghantt met up with the other members of the plot and offloaded the cash. Even with several vehicles, they underestimated how much space they would need and they had to leave $3 million behind. ALSO READ: Police: Suspect arrested in Rock Hill following bank robbery in northwest Charlotte David Scott Ghantt speaks with Channel 9's Glenn Counts 25 years after the robbery. How I held it together is beyond me, Ghantt said. The old man me would never survive that, Id have a heart attack. Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Steve Chambers would keep the rest. The plan was to maintain a low profile and wait for things to cool off, allowing Ghantt to return to the states and collect his cut. From my standpoint it was just a business deal, Ghantt said. Its like, me and you sat down, I have access to pie, you like pie, all I want is my share of the pie. If we work together, we can all have plenty of pie. But things didnt quite work out that way. FBI: Agents arrested Ghantt to save his life The FBI says Chambers hired a hit man to tie up the ultimate loose end -- Ghantt. The FBI heard about the plot and agents knew they could no longer wait. So they went to Mexico and arrested Ghantt in order to protect him. I was relieved emotionally because I knew there was a good chance my luck might run out, Ghantt said. David Ghantt took $50,000 for himself and fled to Cozumel, Mexico. Steve Chambers would keep the rest. The plan was to maintain a low profile and wait for things to cool off, allowing Ghantt to return to the states and collect his cut. Ghantt didnt know the full extent of what was happening back home -- how that lay low plan turned into a flurry of extravagant spending. Steve and Michelle Chambers, who had lived in a mobile home, bought a mansion in Cramer Mountain. They also purchased expensive cars, jewelry and a breast enhancement or two. My knee-jerk reaction was to be angry, and then the sarcastic ass side of me started laughing about it, Ghantt said. FBI video shows agents searching the Cramer Mountain home and finding stacks of cash. Agents raided safe deposit boxes, where they recovered more than $11 million. ALSO READ: Business owner says more than $100K in checks stolen, then forged and deposited In all, agents arrested 24 people in the heist. All but one took plea deals, including Ghantt, who was sentenced to seven years in prison. Most people are going to forgive you That first day in prison was scary, Ghantt said. And then I realized that a lot of people knew who I was and they had followed the case. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. That movie, Masterminds was filmed in 2014. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. The case had gotten national publicity and was the subject of numerous articles, documentaries and even a movie. That movie, Masterminds was filmed in 2014. Ghantt, who by then was long out of prison, served as a consultant. Its a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I went down and talked to them, got to meet Zach Galifianakis and the director, Ghantt said. Ghantt says he believes in redemption, and that his mistake 25 years ago brought him all the things that are important in his life today. Hes a family man with a wife and daughter. He loves his motorcycle and enjoys going fishing and, while hes sorry for the past, hes not ashamed to talk about it. Most people are going to forgive you. Not all of them, but some of them are going to forgive you, theyre going to overlook it., he said. And if that gives people out there a little bit of hope, then Ive served my purpose on this earth. (WATCH BELOW: The Loomis Fargo heist: 25 years later) Im no doctor, but allow me to prescribe Young Plato as a potential cure for what ails our increasingly fractured society. This charming and profound documentary blossoming from Northern Ireland, of all places, is an elixir for the mind, body and soul. Peace through philosophy, thats the fascinating credo of Kevin McArevey, the Elvis-worshiping, Zen-like principal of Holy Cross Boys Primary School in the depressed Ardoyne section of North Belfast. Plato, Socrates, Confucius and Elvis have nothing on this critical thinker whose own checkered history lends credibility to his messiah-like hold over a student body haunted by the past, present and future in a locale where war, not peace, is the norm. Principal Kevin McArevey appears in a scene from the documentary "Young Plato." A bald, Gaelic disciple of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., McArevey eats, sleeps and breathes nonviolence. But persuading his young charges to buy into that philosophy is often impeded by the troubled home lives of students exposed daily to the ravages of drugs, alcohol and suicide. His pathway to cutting through that outside discord is what makes McArevey and Young Plato so relentlessly inspiring. Theater: 'Legends of Tomorrow' superhero hits Norwell stage in 'Sweeney Todd' It begins at the philosophy board, where his precocious, prepubescent pupils eagerly offer ideas on the best ways to calm feelings of anger, anxiety and insignificance. Taking a cue from the ancient Greeks, McArevey, as teacher, simultaneously learns from the young scholars he emboldens to think independently. He floats a subject, and they respond with thoughts that are jotted down on the board and ultimately molded into a central idea that seldom fails to sway impressionable minds. The objective is to break the cycle of violence that has been a mainstay in Belfast since the Troubles began in 1968. Skip or stream?Zac Efron and Peter Farrelly take 'The Greatest Beer Run Ever' McArevey is just one man, a Sisyphus pushing the boulder of 50-plus years of history up a steep incline of hatred and distrust. Like the Rev. King, hes been to the mountaintop, after years of being drunk, violent and infused with anger. He knows the way out, but will these kids follow? From what directors Declan McGrath and Neasa Ni Chianain reveal through a years worth of remarkable footage, the answer is a resounding yes, although some are more reluctant than others. But even when the few slip up, mostly in schoolyard skirmishes, he calmly addresses the combatants, placing the onus on them to examine and discover the error of their ways. Story continues Principal Kevin McArevey appears in a scene from the documentary "Young Plato." Its amusing watching the children literally shake in their shoes as they confront the sources of their anger in hopes of quickly coming up with an answer they know will please McArevey. But theres much melancholy too, heartbreaking instances of home lives diminished by divorce and the passing of one boys mother. Hers is not the only death we encounter. Theres also the grief expressed over a former students suicide, a too-common outcome in a neighborhood where ghosts born of poverty and depression haunt the streets. 'A wicked good time': Sanderson sisters cast a spell in 'Hocus Pocus 2' McArevey knows he cant save them all, but hes not going to stop trying. To him, theres no such thing as a bad kid, just uninspired thinkers. And to watch him redirect negative mindsets to a place of harmony and contentment is not just rewarding to him and his students; it also uplifts us. How ironic that a school gated to protect against the outside world has become the epicenter of what could be the gateway to not just peace, love and understanding, but also the freeing of minds long cluttered with resentment and suspicion of the other. Cant we all just get along? At Holy Cross, thats not just an idle wish; its a way of life. Principal Kevin McArevey appears in a scene from the documentary "Young Plato." 'Young Plato' Rated: Not rated Featuring: Principal Kevin McArevey and the students and teachers at Holy Cross Boys Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland Directors: Declan McGrath and Neasa Ni Chianain Writers: Etienne Essery, Declan McGrath and Neasa Ni Chianain Run time: 102 minutes Where: Dedham Community Theater Grade: A- Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'Young Plato' documentary: An Elvis-loving headmaster changes lives Chatham County court filings reveal that a 26-year-old man shot and killed another man on May 8 after a hit-and-run accident downtown, just nine months after receiving a plea deal for a 2018 shooting. On Sept. 28, a Chatham County grand jury indicted Rashad Deshawn Williams on felony murder charges for the shooting death of Ashton Gibbs, 32, on Bull and Broughton Street. Williams also was indicted for aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a first-offender probationer. Arrests Made: Port Wentworth Police apprehends final suspect in August 13 killing of Dion Farmer Targeted Efforts: Savannah Police's Operation Total Focus nabs 30 and recovers 5 stolen guns, illegal drugs In August 2021, Williams pled guilty to two counts of aggravated assault for the Aug. 8, 2018, shooting of Inga Kelly. According to police reports and court transcripts, Williams and Breanna Kelly were arguing when he grabbed a gun from his car and made "threatening statements." Williams then fled in his sister's car and began firing at witnesses, Shamone Reddick and Inga Kelly. Inga Kelly was grazed by a bullet. A Honda was also hit by bullets. Williams was charged with two counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal damage to property, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The minimum sentence for the crimes is six years; the maximum is 55. Williams was arrested and charged while Meg Heap served as Chatham County District Attorney. But by the time the case moved through the court system, delayed 18 months due to COVID-19 closures and a mounting backlog, Shalena Cook Jones had been elected district attorney. Williams negotiates plea deal Williams received, according to court transcripts, what then Assistant District Attorney Casey Ross Blount called a "very lenient sentence" 15 years, including four years of prison time. Williams had already served three years while awaiting a plea hearing, so he would only have to serve one year in prison. The remaining 11 years, Williams could serve on probation. Story continues Searching for Answers: Family of Diontae Robertson, missing since August, asks community for tips on his whereabouts Also: Savannah Police investigate 24th homicide of year. Detectives say shooting was not random The negotiated plea deal also abandoned a separate charge against Williams for the October 2017 theft of a .40 caliber pistol. Superior Court Judge Benjamin Karpf granted Williams first-offender status. In an argument against the first-offender status, Blount argued, "Society would be less safe if he were to walk out of here with his record restricted or under First Offender. I think that's just not something the Court should consider, and if it does consider, you should deny that, Your Honor. I dont usually do that, but in this case, the facts are serious, and the negotiated plea is already a very lenient sentence, said Blount. Why Williams was considered a first-time offender is unclear. The DA's Deputy Chief of Communications Nathanel Wright declined to comment, stating that commenting on the plea deal could taint the jury pool for the pending murder trial. Williams attorney and assistant public defender Kaitlyn Elizabeth Walker, though, gave multiple reasons Williams should receive a more lenient sentence and first-offender treatment. He had been incarcerated for a long time since Dec. 8, 2018, nearly three years. Plus, he had no prior criminal history, she said. I think the First Offender provides him a valuable opportunity," said Walker. "Really, the Court should be, I think, incentivized to give it here because if there is a high level of concern that he may reoffend, as I think the State is alluding to, that will give the Court the opportunity to re-sentence him in the future if he comes back and would have more capacity to re-sentence him and restructure a sentence should he come back. Williams "lucky" for getting plea deal After negotiating the plea deal and providing him first-offender status, Karpf called Williams lucky. You're never going to get another chance like this," said Karpf. "You have got to turn it around at this point and make sure that you're not in a situation where you're going to fire a gun out of frustration or anger or whatever it was. Nine months after the plea agreement, Savannah Police detectives arrested Williams and charged him with the murder of Gibbs. Williams next court date a bond hearing is set for 9 a.m., Oct. 11. Drew Favakeh is the public safety reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com. This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Rashad Williams indicted for murder after earlier lenient plea deal CHICAGO Chicago police allegedly shot a man inside the Ogden District police station on Wednesday afternoon, officials said. The man was wounded in an extremity, possibly his arm, and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment after the shooting, which happened about 1 p.m. inside the West Side station, 3315 W. Ogden Ave., Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said. The ticket says police shot him, Langford said. Police could not immediately confirm the information. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability was on the scene. It was the second shooting at a police facility in recent days. Late last month, a man broke into the Homan Square facility and allegedly pointed guns at police officers, who shot him. Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Chinese President Xi Jinping at BRICS Summit in Brasilia Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images China's imports of Russian crude oil were up in the second quarter of 2022, according to the EIA. 21% of China's August crude imports were Russian, a 5% increase from a month earlier. Meanwhile, China is processing its own crude at two year lows. China has deepened its reliance on Russian crude oil, with imports soaring over the summer according to a report from the Energy Information Administration. Russian oil to China were as high as 21% of Beijing's total crude imports in August, the report says, a 5% increase compared to a month earlier. In 2021, Russian crude made up 16% of China's total crude oil imports, a sharp uptick from less than 400,000 barrels per day, or 8%, in 2011. The rise in oil imports from Russia shows Beijing's willingness to engage with the Kremlin despite turmoil stemming from the war in Ukraine. Chinese President Xi Jingping has mostly toed the line between condemning the invasion without criticizing Russia, but has recently called for a more peaceful solution to the war. China's overall crude imports sank at the beginning of the summer to 8.8 million barrels per day in June, the lowest level since 2018. Imports remained at that level through July before sharply increasing to 9.5 million barrels per day in August. Meanwhile, the report added that China is processing its own crude at the lowest level since 2020, due in large part to an uptick in COVID-19 cases and resulting lockdowns throughout the country that have dampened demand. Read the original article on Business Insider Christian Bale in 2000's "American Psycho." Lions Gate Films Christian Bale was the star of the 2000 movie "American Psycho." Bale said he was paid the "absolute minimum" for the movie. "Nobody wanted me to do it except the director," Bale told GQ. "So they said they would only make it if they could pay me that amount." Christian Bale has been an actor for practically his entire life, but that doesn't mean he's always been financially comfortable that whole time. Despite having already scored leading roles in movies like Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" and Disney's "Newsies," the studio producing Bret Easton Ellis' "American Psycho" wasn't thrilled to have him play the lead role, psychotic yuppie banker Patrick Bateman. Instead, Lionsgate wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to play Bateman and Bale said this affected his payout. "They had paid me the absolute minimum they were legally allowed to pay me," Bale said in a recent interview with GQ. "Nobody wanted me to do it except the director," Bale explained. "So they said they would only make it if they could pay me that amount. I was prepping for it when other people were playing the part. I was still prepping for it." Christian Bale in 2020. Matt Sayles/Invision/AP And to make matters worse, Bale said he was literally on the verge of living on the streets. "I had a house that I was sharing with my dad and my sister and that was getting repossessed," he revealed. "So the first thing was: 'Holy crap. I've got to get a bit of money.'" "I remember one time sitting in the makeup trailer and the makeup artists were laughing at me because I was getting paid less than any of them," Bale continued. "And so that was my motivation after that. Was just: 'I got to get enough that the house doesn't get repossessed.'" The performance in "American Psycho" catapulted Bale to leading-man status. He then went on to star as Batman for a trilogy of movies and was cast in a slew of high-profile dramas, including 2010's "The Fighter" which culminated in an Oscar win. Read the original article on Insider UPDATE: The Clay County Sheriffs Office announced that the two teens who were reported missing out of the Orange Park area on Wednesday have now been located safe. They gave that update around 9:30 p.m. No other details on where they were found were released. #UPDATE: Clay County authorities say the two teens who were missing earlier today have been located safe. @WOKVNews @ActionNewsJax https://t.co/tUadet5Btf Jeana Gondek (@WOKV_Jeana) October 6, 2022 ORIGINAL STORY: The Clay County Sheriffs Office is asking for the communitys help locating two missing teens in the Orange Park area. 17-year-old Catherine Elizabeth Kelly and 16-year-old Kayla Jo Hout both left Paddock Lane off of Blanding Boulevard around midnight Tuesday and have not been seen since. Catherine is 55, 200 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Its unclear what she is wearing at this time. Kayla is 58, 280 pounds, with brown hair, and brown eyes. She is reportedly driving a 2012 Honda accord with Florida tag number 25BQCB. Anyone with more information on either of their whereabouts should call the Clay County non-emergency number at (904) 264 6512. You can also remain anonymous and submit a SaferWatch tip in the app. (1/3): MISSING JUVENILE: The Clay County Sheriff's Office needs our community's help locating Kaylah Jo Hout, Missing from the Orange Park area. Kaylah is 16 years of age, 5'8" tall, 280 lbs., with brown hair, and brown eyes. pic.twitter.com/FQuMThXT4Y Clay County Sheriff's Office, FL (@ccsofl) October 5, 2022 As Hurricane Ian was beginning to pummel southern Florida last week, CNN anchor Don Lemon asked Jamie Rhome, the acting director of the National Hurricane Center, about any connections between hurricanes and human-caused climate change. At first, Rhome resisted, saying during Tuesdays TV interview that we can come back and talk about climate change at a later time and that he wanted to focus on the here and now. Pressed a second time, Rhome gave in. I dont think you can link climate change to any one event, he said. On the whole, on the cumulative, climate change may be making storms worse. But to link it to any one event I would caution against that. Rhomes remarks quickly became a sort of rallying cry for climate change deniersand their allied right-wing media. The nations top hurricane expert shared their view that climate change is not influencing hurricanes, they concluded, and that it is therefore not the threat that so-called climate alarmists want the public to believe. This is amazing. Don Lemon tries to blame Hurricane Ian on climate change. NOAA's hurricane director shuts him down. pic.twitter.com/svTjHtE8hl Alex Pfeiffer (@__Pfeiffer) September 28, 2022 Fox News anchors piled on Lemon and gave airtime to a number of climate contrarians, as Media Matters for America documented. Fox also published a piece Wednesday declaring that President Joe Bidens NHC chief had shut down Lemon, but it offered zero information about scientific research into climate change and tropical cyclone activity. Other outlets wrote that Lemon face-plants in the CNN footage and had been schooled by Rhome. The Daily Caller accused liberal media of desperately trying to score political points by linking the near-Category 5 storm to man-made global warming. Story continues And the Heartland Institute, a libertarian think tank in Illinois with a long history of peddling climate misinformation,accused the media of lying through their teeth about hurricanes. The group applauded Rhome for saying the truth instead of just parroting the narrative and keeping the cult going. The truth, however, is that Rhomes choice of words that scientists cant link climate change to any specific hurricane event is seemingly at odds with the science. While climate change cant be pointed to as the singular cause of any given storm and scientists are careful not to do so little doubt exists around the linkage between increasing planetary temperatures and more intense storms. In other words, climate change does not cause a hurricane, flood or wildfire, but it has and will continue to leave its mark on such events. A pair of studies in 2017, for example, found that rainfall from Hurricane Harvey was at least 15% stronger due to global warming. I think part of the problem is what one means by event, Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, told HuffPost. Could there still have been a Hurricane Ian in the absence of human-caused warming? Sure. Would it have been as strong, or as much of a coastal and inland flooding event? Almost certainly not. Mann was among those who criticized Rhomes comments to CNN. In a series of posts to Twitter, Mann accused Rhome of spouting climate denial talking points and of going out of his way to misrepresent the state of understanding of climate change impacts on these storms. He later softened his criticisms. Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist at Texas Tech University and the chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy, called Rhomes statement outdated messaging from a decade ago that is unaware of the rapid developments in the field of attribution. To be clear, Jamie Rhome isnt a climate change denier (see: https://t.co/pRSZEN2B8U). He was inaccurate in his recent comments however. Extreme event attribution has come a long way over past decade. Susan and I discussed in the linked piece. https://t.co/QGMhKnstEL Prof Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) September 28, 2022 Among those who came to Rhomes defense was Ryan Maue, a meteorologist who served as the chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under former President Donald Trump. Maue believes in human-caused climate change but often downplays the threat and its links to extreme weather. Nearly a Category 5 hurricane landfall in Florida and the National Hurricane Center Director is providing non-stop emergency briefings, and what's going on with CNN and activist climate scientists like Mann and Hayhoe? Calling him a "climate denier" and fomenting online mobs. pic.twitter.com/KbiEy6eiXD Ryan Maue (@RyanMaue) September 28, 2022 If nothing else, the incident exposed how desperate the climate denial movementhas become. In this case, its leaders latched on to a poorly worded statement and found their hero in a federal scientist who, it turns out, does not share their view. In an interview earlier this year, Rhome clearly laid out the ways in which planetary warming is and will continue to fuel more destructive tropical storms. Heres the bottom line of whats happening: If the globe is warming and it is its going to retain more moisture, right? Its going to hold it better. And then a hurricane is going to come and extract it all. So it means its going to rain its going to rain harder in future hurricanes, he told News 6 WKMG in Orlando, Florida. You also dont need me to tell you that the sea level is rising. You can see it. We can all see it. We go to the coast, [and] the coastlines changing. The sea level is rising. That is a higher base or foundation upon which future hurricanes will have to push storm surge. So the storm surge will be deeper and go farther inland, he added. Whether the [hurricane] numbers are increasing or not, storms that are forming are packing a bigger punch. Asked about the fallout from Rhomes CNN appearance, National Weather Service spokesperson Susan Buchanan said Rhome clearly stated that on the whole, on the cumulative, climate change may be making storms worse. That comment is supported by the overwhelmingly clear science on what climate change means for storms like Ian in general: heavier rainfall, possible slower movement which prolongs heavy rain and battering winds, and more inundation as sea levels rise, she said via email. With a major hurricane and catastrophic storm surge bearing down on Florida during the CNN interview, Jamies focus was on the ongoing and pressing impacts. Jamie Rhome (right), the acting director of the National Hurricane Center, gives an update about Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26 in Miami. (Photo: AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Jamie Rhome (right), the acting director of the National Hurricane Center, gives an update about Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26 in Miami. (Photo: AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) Mann said Rhome should have used more nuance in his comments. I think one can attribute [it] to an inartful response to a question he didnt expect to have to field, rather than an intention to downplay climate change, he told HuffPost. Pressed about whether Rhome misspoke during the CNN interview, Buchanan told HuffPost that her colleague is on record affirming there are linkages between hurricanes and climate change. In that moment, his goal was to keep the focus on a deadly storm bearing down and the imminent public danger, she said. Researchers will quantify science-based linkages to climate change after an event is over, which is the appropriate time for that conversation. Thats already underway. Last week, a preliminary analysis by a pair of climate researchers found that Hurricane Ians total rainfall was approximately 10% higher due to human-caused climate change. Hurricane Ian had the characteristics of the type of storm that, according to experts, will become increasingly common in a warming world. It underwent whats known as rapid intensification, growing from a tropical storm to a major hurricane in just a few days. It dumped upward of 20 inches of rain in areas of central Florida, and the storm surge inundated coastal cities like Fort Myers and Naples. By Tuesday, the death toll had climbed to at least 102, according to CNN. In an opinion piece in the Guardian last week, Mann and Susan Joy Hassol, the director of the nonprofit Climate Communication, called Ian a tragic taste of things to come and threw cold water on Rhomes CNN comments. Too often we still hear, even from government scientists, the old saw that we cannot link individual hurricanes to climate change, they wrote. There was a time when climate scientists believed that to be true. But they dont any more. We have developed powerful tools to attribute the degree to which global warming affects extreme events. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Oct. 3An El Paso County man accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old child was arrested Friday after an investigation spanning over two weeks, Colorado Springs police announced Monday. On Sept. 13, the 13-year-old victim was walking in the area of the 3100 block of South Circle Drive in south Colorado Springs when Wilbert Porter, 47, allegedly approached the child, who then got into Porter's vehicle, police said. Porter allegedly then drove the victim to an apartment in the 800 block of South Circle Drive, where he sexually assaulted the victim. Police said evidence collected during the investigation pointed to Porter being the suspect. He faces charges of sexual assault on a child, a fourth-degree felony, enticement of a child and a misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to court records. Officials said investigators believe Porter could have "additional victims," and encouraged anyone with information about this case to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000. 12 arrests announced in El Paso County child sexual exploitation cases 1 dead after apartment complex shooting near Colorado Springs high school The Tulsa Fire Department and city leaders are honoring their friend, a retired assistant fire marshal, who drowned in a tragic accident on Skiatook Lake. Terry McGees body was recovered this week. On Sunday, he jumped from his boat into the lake to help his grandchild. The child made it out okay, but Terry never resurfaced. The Tulsa Fire Department is mourning a huge loss. They say McGee was a retired assistant fire marshal who served the community for around a quarter of a century. Fire Department Spokesman Andy Little says, he was a father; he was a grandpa; he was a brother, and there are so many people that are hurt right now. This is really gut-wrenching and his family deserves to know we appreciate him. Terry was also known for his company, McGee Enterprises. He was dedicated to developing and building quality homes in the Tulsa, especially north Tulsa. Weve told you about Black Wall Street square. Renderings show the plan is for it to have 24 townhomes sitting on the corner of MLK and East Reading Street, honoring the legacy of Greenwood. This was Terrys idea. Now the hope is to continue his dreams and legacy. Friend Damali Wilson says, Terry was is a doer. There are a lot of folks in our community that talk about what we should do. Terry wasnt about all that talk. He was about finding a solution, whether that was going national or international to figure out how to create development in north Tulsa, and make the community better. He always wanted to have that spirit of excellence and bring quality, so its not just Im throwing up a house, I am building a home. Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum wrote, this is heartbreaking news for Tulsa. Terry McGee was a wonderful man. Always upbeat, always positive, always focused on what he could do for the community, first as a Tulsa Firefighter for more than a quarter century and then as an entrepreneur. He had great plans for what North Tulsa could be, and was actively engaged in making them happen. His love and enthusiasm was contagious. And his final act on this Earth was attempting to help someone else. God bless you, Terry. Conor McGregor has named the toughest opponent he has ever fought as Nate Diaz, with whom he traded wins in 2016. McGregors professional record as a mixed martial artist stands at 22-6, with Diaz having been responsible for one of those defeats alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier (twice), Joseph Duffy and Artemij Sitenkov. And Diaz was the toughest of them all, according to McGregor. When asked, toughest opponent youve ever faced? in a Twitter Q&A on Wednesday (5 October), the Irishman simply replied: Nate. Diaz submitted the former dual-weight UFC champion in the second round of their first fight, in March 2016, after stepping in for Rafael dos Anjos on short notice. McGregor then outpointed the American over five gruelling rounds in August of that year, to avenge what was his only loss in the UFC at the time. Since then, the 34-year-old has been submitted by heated rival Nurmagomedov and twice lost to Poirier, whom McGregor previously knocked out in 2014. Seven years after their featherweight clash, Poirier knocked out McGregor in a lightweight rematch becoming the first man to beat the Irishman via KO/TKO. Six months later, in July 2021, Poirier defeated McGregor again when the latter suffered a broken leg at the end of the first round. McGregor has not fought since but is expected to be back in the Octagon in early 2023. The lawsuit quotes a White House fact sheet that claims Black students and their families are more likely to borrow for school and to take out larger loans. More than 45 million Americans are in debt due to student loans. While many are likely thrilled about President Joe Bidens loan forgiveness plan, a conservative Wisconsin law firm has joined the opposition, saying the initiative is discriminatory and unconstitutional. According to Madison.com, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, representing the Brown County Taxpayers Association, filed a federal lawsuit on Oct. 4. The suit contends that because Bidens proposal aims to narrow the racial wealth gap and aid Black borrowers, it is discriminatory and involves taxation without representation. The lawsuit requests that the judge immediately halt any student debt forgiveness while the case is being heard in court. It simply cant be the case that a president, Republican or Democrat, can create law, can make a spending program out of whole cloth without being called to the carpet and (having) to defend its constitutionality, said Rick Esenberg, the institutes president, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) reported. President Joe Biden (left) spoke about the plan for student loan forgiveness at a White House briefing in August. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, who was at his side, was named along with Biden in a lawsuit filed this week in federal court in Wisconsin that seeks to block the plan from being implemented. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Madison.com reported that the Department of Education estimates the cost of canceling student loans will top $300 billion over the next 10 years. However, a study by the University of Pennsylvania cited in the Wisconsin lawsuit estimates a cost of up to $519 billion, and perhaps over $1 trillion once all details are disclosed. According to WPR, while there are no racial requirements for loan eligibility, the lawsuit quotes a White House fact sheet that claims Black students and their families are more likely to borrow for school and to take out larger loans, and that Black students and other students of color are more likely to qualify for Pell Grants, which are income-based. Scot Ross, a Democratic strategist, rejected the argument raised by plaintiffs in the lawsuit. This is so obnoxious for them to try and claim that the law is somehow the law because there are more student loan borrowers who may be African American, that this is somehow a violation of the equal protection clause, he said, according to WPR. The fact is that student loan borrowers are hardworking. They did the right thing. They took on the responsibility for financing their higher education. They are simply asking to be treated fairly in a system that treats them unfairly. Story continues Bidens one-time loan forgiveness proposal has income restrictions for low- and middle-income families. Students who obtained a Pell Grant can receive up to $20,000 in debt reduction, and students who did not can receive up to $10,000. The Biden administration said applications will open in October and remain open through the end of 2023, according to WPR. Additionally, the administration is extending the pause on student loan debt payments for a final time through Dec. 31, theGrio previously reported. WPR reported that a White House official claimed in a statement that the government acted within its legal boundaries to offer working- and middle-class families some breathing room. Republican officials are standing with special interests to try to keep millions of borrowers under mountains of unmanageable student loan debt, the statement said. After the Biden administration extended a pause in student loan repayments, borrowers and the Too Much Talent Band gathered outside the White House in January to thank President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and demand that they cancel student debt. The announcement later of a loan forgiveness plan drew lawsuits, including one this week in Wisconsin. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million) According to Madison.com, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Republicans resistance to the plan shameful during a briefing on Tuesday. Its a shame that you have Republicans out there Republican groups, Republican states that are trying to stop Americans from getting a little bit of a breathing room, she said. Were talking about 40 million Americans that could benefit from getting student loan relief. It is shameful that they are siding with the special interests. It is shameful that they are not siding with the American people on this. In addition to Biden, the lawsuit also names Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the Department of Education, the Office of Federal Student Aid, and its top operating officer. The HEROES Act, passed in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and resulting in an American-led military fight against terrorism, allowed Biden to implement the debt reduction program. It gives the executive branch the power to discharge the student loan debt of people taking part in military operations or assisting with national emergencies. In its complaint, the Wisconsin lawsuit alleges that the president overreached by inappropriately avoiding Congress and also by citing COVID-19 as a reason to invoke the HEROES Act. The president has no authority to order a wholesale forgiveness of student loans, costing taxpayers up to a trillion dollars, Esenburg said, according to Madison.com. Whether this plan is good for America is for Congress to decide. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Conservative law firm files suit to stop student loan forgiveness, cites closing racial wealth gap as unjust appeared first on TheGrio. Olena Barsukova, staff writer at Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia, 5 October 2022 The Ukrainian military and animal rights activists of the UAnimals organisation have rescued a bear that had suffered a concussion near the liberated Lyman. When the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated the city in Donetsk Oblast, the injured animal was found locked in an enclosure. The private zoo was on the occupied territory, but the bear miraculously survived. UAnimals reports that everything was destroyed within three metres around the bear's enclosure. Photo: UAnimals Photo: UAnimals "The invaders mistreated most of the wild animals kept there, but the bear survived. Although he is in a terrible condition and is concussed from a shell that hit the building where he was sitting," animal rescuers say. A bear with a concussion was found near de-occupied Lyman A bear with a concussion was found near de-occupied Lyman Now a team of volunteers is taking the bear to the Nataliia Popova and UAnimals Wild Animal Rescue Centre for treatment. When the bear's condition improves, he will go to the Arden Predator Park in Khmelnytskyi Oblast for rehabilitation. "We hope that the bear's treatment will be successful and he will recover soon!", the animal rights activists say. When the bear's condition improves, it will be taken to rehabilitation When the bear's condition improves, it will be taken for rehabilitation They are also calling on Ukrainians to join the March for Animals to help animals affected by the war. "Many animals suffer from war, and therefore, we encourage you to join our online march for animals. To those who are in Poland now: come out in Warsaw, on 8 October, to [join] the march, and invite your friends, relatives and colleagues with you," UAnimals added. Earlier, it was revealed that the family of a Ukrainian soldier died after a rocket attack on Dnipro. The surviving dog named Krym was waiting for them at the ruins of their house: he got a concussion and was crying, waiting for his owners. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! WASHINGTON It was an oddity amid the chaos. As a rowdy pro-Trump mob tried to force their way into the Capitol on Jan. 6, a Capitol Police lieutenant emerged out of the Columbus Doors on the eastern side of the building, where windows had been shattered by the mob. Following a civilian in a brown Eddie Bauer jacket with a police bullhorn, the lieutenant led a procession of officers in riot gear down the stairs and through the crowd. As the officer made his way through the sea of rioters, he put on a red MAGA hat. Trump supporters on the stairs celebrated, thinking that officers were giving up the building and that perhaps Donald Trump was going to remain president after all. Make a hole! Theyre leaving! one man yells in one of many videos that captured the moment. The cops are leaving! We won! says another. A man slaps the police officers helmets in support, as others slap them on the back. A woman in a USA sweatshirt hugs the officers, who do not hug her back as they make their way out of the Capitol and through the crowd. Through their face shields, none of the cops looks thrilled. A man in a black QAnon hoodie and a Trump hat blesses the officers as they go down the stairs. Stephen Ayres, a Capitol rioter and later a defendant who testified before the Jan. 6 committee, is there, watching from the sides. So is the QAnon Shaman, Jacob Chansley, fresh off a visit to the Senate chamber that would later lead to a sentence of more than three years in prison. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, as police in riot gear march out, is 37-year-old Roberto Minuta of Texas. Thats the police being escorted by the people, thats what that is, cause its our f---ing building, says Minuta, filming the scene on his phone. Escorted! The man escorting them, with the bullhorn in the Eddie Bauer jacket, was a member of the far-right Oath Keepers organization. Video from earlier in the day shows him flashing what appears to be a police badge at the officer and offering to help. Story continues The Wall Street Journal reported on the officer in the MAGA hat Tarik Khalid T.K. Johnson, a former Capitol Police lieutenant in the days after Jan. 6, but questions remain about what exactly happened on the Capitol steps that day. Some saw it as evidence of a far too cozy relationship between law enforcement and the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol, while others on the right, including some lawyers for members of the Oath Keepers now on trial for seditious conspiracy, argue it is evidence that members of the Oath Keepers assisted law enforcement on Jan. 6 and that the charges against them are overblown. But an NBC News review of the incident doesnt align with those narratives. NBC News, with help from a group of open-source researchers that have focused on the Oath Keepers, reviewed multiple videos of the moment and spoke with Johnsons lawyer and with Michael Nichols, the Oath Keeper and retired police officer who assisted the Capitol Police that day. Johnson put on the MAGA cap as a ruse to get people in the crowd to help him, his lawyer confirmed. He was trying to rescue over a dozen officers who were pinned down inside the Capitol, caught between rioters who had already broken into the building and a flood of other Trump supporters who had breached a door and were trying to push their way in. And it seems he succeeded. Once the officers were safely out of the way, other officers were able to temporarily shut the doors, which rioters had breached by taking advantage of the fire exit mechanism, which allowed them to open the magnetically-locked doors by pushing a bar for three seconds. The officers Johnson rescued were then able to redeploy elsewhere in the Capitol, Johnsons lawyer said. Johnson, who was demoted in connection with the incident, recently resigned from the U.S. Capitol Police, NBC News learned. Capitol Police Officer Tarik Khalid Johnson, bottom, wears a Nichols does not appear to have any ties to the Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy, and there is no evidence he communicated with them before the Jan. 6 attack, despite their defense lawyers arguments, in court and in the press, that his assistance to Johnson helps their case. Eleven members of the Oath Keepers an anti-government group primarily consisting of former members of law enforcement and the military that formed after the election of Barack Obama as president are facing seditious conspiracy charges in connection with their conduct on Jan. 6, including Minuta, who filmed Nichols and Johnson descending the steps with the rescued officers. Five of those members Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins and Thomas Caldwell are currently on trial after pleading not guilty. A second group of Oath Keeper defendants Minuta, Joseph Hackett, David Moerschel, and Edward Vallejo are scheduled to go to trial at the end of the year. Three other Oath Keepers Joshua James, Brian Ulrich and William Todd Wilson have already pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy. Wilson is expected to testify that Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, tried to speak directly with Trump on Jan. 6 when they were in a hotel suite after the Capitol riot and that Rhodes was imploring his Trump contact to tell the then-president to call upon groups like the Oath Keepers. Defense lawyers have argued that video of Nichols helping law enforcement undermines the governments case that the Oath Keepers conspired in advance to overthrow the U.S. government on Jan. 6. Video of Oath Keepers Rescuing 16 Police Officers Deflates Jan. 6 Sedition Narrative, Attorneys Say, declares a headline in the far-right Epoch Times, one of many conservative outlets that has spread disinformation about Jan. 6. Members of the second stack of Oath Keepers charged, which includes Minuta, assisted the rescued officers once they reached the bottom of the stairs, their lawyers have argued. That group provided security and escort to overwhelmed Capitol police officers and assisted them in escaping that immediate threat and danger, Rhodes attorneys wrote in one filing. But the rescue effort was led by Nichols and theres no evidence that he was coordinating that day with Oath Keepers who have been charged. Barring some unforeseen development, its unlikely Nichols will be charged himself after he proactively assisted law enforcement on Jan. 6. Nichols said hes been visited by the FBI twice: in January 2021, and last September. He says he was questioned about his connections to the Oath Keepers organization, whether he was communicating with anyone via radio, and whether there were plans to attack the Capitol again. Im like, whoa, we were there for a speech, Nichols said. An FBI official declined to comment on Nichols. They wanted to connect me to these groups and connect me to these things that Im not a part of, Nichols said. Im an American soldier and a retired police officer, and Ill stand up for anyone at any time, and thats it. I dont know Stewart Rhodes, I dont know any of those people. I wasnt communicating with any of these people. You might be a Boy Scout but you dont know all the Boy Scouts in the world, Nichols said. How can we help? Nichols had a great spot for Donald Trumps speech at the Ellipse on the morning of Jan. 6; video shows him and his wife toward the front of the crowd. They stayed for the whole thing, too: video shows hes still there when YMCA begins to play after Trump told his supporters to march down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol when his speech wrapped up around 1:10 p.m. just after the first barricades were breached on the western front of the Capitol grounds. But Nichols and his wife didnt go immediately to the Capitol, he said. First they walked around a bit, intending to head back to their hotel in Arlington, and then wound up at some food trucks, he said in an interview. Video shows him walking down toward the Capitol, hand-in-hand with his wife. Its more than a mile and a half from the White House to the Capitol, so walking can take awhile, even without crowds and a pit stop. Given the timing of Trumps speech, Nichols wouldve arrived at the Capitol long after the barricades were gone, having been breached by the mob on the east side of the Capitol at about 2 p.m. There were no barricades, there were no officers, there were just people wandering around, so we just wandered around, Nichols told NBC News. They made their way to the east side of the Capitol, where Nichols said they joined a group that was praying and singing Christian music on a staircase leading to the Senate, which is confirmed by video viewed by NBC News. Nichols said that going to the Capitol wasnt on his agenda on Jan. 6, and his wife posted that he went with her because he knew how important it was to me for us to be a part of this incredible moment. Nichols said he saw a commotion at the top of the stairs as rioters tried to break into the Capitol and tried to help. Thats when he saw Johnson. Ive got to let him know and see if I can help him get this crowd off the stairs, Nichols said he thought. Video captures what happened next. Johnson, sporting the MAGA hat, tells Nichols and another man that officers are getting beat up and tries to portray himself as a like-minded conservative, saying that the people who didnt vote for him [Trump] are laughing at us. (Johnsons lawyer confirmed reports that he is a Democrat.) How can we help to take control? Nichols asks. Johnson asks for help extracting officers from inside. Nichols says he can help, flashes a badge and makes a plan with the officer to head up the stairs. You can even use my megaphone, and Ill follow you, Johnson tells Nichols. They make their way up the stairs, at points hand-in-hand. Another man accompanying Nichols and Johnson tells one bystander that theyre Oath Keepers; that man has not been charged either. The three men make their way to the doors, and before long, begin escorting a group of officers out of the building and down the stairs, where Minuta is waiting with his phone. Unlike the colleagues behind him, Johnson has no additional protective gear on him, unless you count his blue medical mask. He was also more vulnerable: a Black officer amid a mob that included neo-Nazis, Confederate flags and as court documents have made clear plenty of fascists and racists. Multiple Black officers and first responders have said they were the subject of racist taunts that day, and an attorney for Johnson said at least one video shows a rioter using a racial slur to refer to the lieutenant during the rescue, telling others in the mob: That n----- is tricking us. Johnson did not hear the slur himself that day, his lawyer said. Moments after the men came down the stairs, police were able to temporarily, at least secure the east rotunda door, preventing more rioters from entering or re-entering the Capitol. As the day wore on, Nichols returned to the door. Theres video of him, without audio, that shows him speaking to rioters near the door of the Capitol and then talking at length to police officers through the door he says he was trying to calm the situation and help police close the door, which wasn't locking. There was like a broken piece of metal that was stuck to the magnet part way up above where it would have locked the doors, Nichols said. Nichols identified himself as former law enforcement and one of the officers asked him if he could shut the larger, decorative Columbus doors, he said. But those heavy doors wouldnt budge, and the crowd started to turn on him. Nichols decided to leave because there wasnt much more he could do to help, he said, and he was worried that he or his wife would be hurt. They went down and found Johnson again and told him what was happening, a moment that is also captured in a photo reviewed by NBC News. Nichols is a former police officer in Cortland, New York, outside of Syracuse. Lt. Dan Edwards of the Cortland Police confirmed that Nichols retired in February 2017 and that the department does give out retirement badges like the one that Nichols appeared to flash during his exchange with Johnson. Our officers fought like hell In the wake of the attack, Johnson was demoted for donning the MAGA hat. Mr. Johnson contested the disciplinary process including the demotion, Johnsons attorney said. A thorough investigation found he [Johnson] did not help the rioters before, during or after the attack. The Department took appropriate actions to address the officials conduct about his personal decisions and the acceptance of the hat, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement to NBC News. It is important to remember that our officers fought like hell that day to win back the Capitol so Congress could carry out their legislative duties. Two officers who served on Jan. 6 said that while some on the force certainly questioned the wisdom of Johnsons techniques, nobody questioned that he had the right intent that day: protecting officers and securing the Capitol. Johnsons lawyer said that he helped to rescue U.S. Capitol Police officers from then being surrounded and subject to life-threatening attacks by the rioters (who already had gravely assaulted and threatened to kill other USCP officers on the Capitol West Front, who then were defending against the rioters intrusions before he provided tactical guidance on the eastern side of the Capitol until rioters dispersed. Johnson wasnt aware that Nichols was an Oath Keeper, nor of who the Oath Keepers were, his lawyer said. Image: Protests As Joint Session Of Congress Confirms Presidential Election Result (Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Gus Papathanasiou, the chairman of the U.S. Capitol Police Labor Committee, told NBC News that he does not believe any USCP officer should have been disciplined for their actions on Jan. 6 since no higher ups in management were disciplined. Papathanasious union did not represent Johnson in the incident because Johnson was a lieutenant at the time, but he said that the union was fighting for officers whove been disciplined relating to January 6th and that Johnsons actions were honorable. From what Ive seen on social media video of T.K. Johnson and what I heard on the radio that day, T.K. should have been promoted after Jan 6th, not demoted, Papathanasiou said, calling the departments treatment of him a travesty. Nichols said that he thought Johnson went above and beyond and put his life at risk on Jan. 6. He was on his radio, he was calling for instruction, and they were just left with no resources there, Nichols said. Johnsons lawyer said that the then-lieutenant spent the first hour of the attack giving tactical direction to more than 20 officers and was instrumental, through his initiative, in evacuating Senators and their staffs from the Senate Chamber and then, a few minutes later, evacuating House Members and their staffs from the House Chamber all just shortly before the rioters entered those Chambers in search of Senators and House Members. After Johnson returned to duty demoted from his position as a lieutenant, but in good standing as a USCP police officer, his lawyer said that he decided to resign, effective Sept. 23. Theyre being scapegoated The Oath Keepers charged in the seditious conspiracy, according to the governments evidence, came prepared on Jan. 6. Rhodes, the leader, set up quick reaction forces or QRFs outside of D.C., prosecutors say, and spoke with a Trump associate the night of Jan. 6, urging the person to put him in contact with Trump and to have Trump call upon groups like the Oath Keepers to keep him in power. Its unclear how much of Nichols and Johnsons cooperation the Oath Keepers lawyers will be able to work into the first trial, given that this set of defendants dont appear to have interacted with Johnson. The judge overseeing the Oath Keepers case said that the evidence can be introduced only if the defendants witnessed it directly. Brad Geyer, an attorney for defendant Harrelson, told NBC News after opening arguments on Monday that he was going to try to bring in as much evidence about the incident as he could. Although Nichols draws a distinction between himself as an oathkeeper someone who swore an oath to protect and defend the country and the Oath Keepers organization, of which he is a member, he gets defensive about those members who have been charged. He said he was under the impression they went there to protect speakers at events surrounding Jan. 6, not overthrow the government. I dont know those people, Nichols said. I dont know what anyones mindset is, but based on my understanding of it, theyre being scapegoated. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A federal appeals court on Wednesday said the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy violates U.S. immigration law, dealing a blow to an Obama-era program that provides deportation protection and work permits to nearly 600,000 immigrant "Dreamers" who lack legal status. A three-judge panel for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals concluded the Obama administration did not have the legal authority to create DACA in 2012, affirming a July 2021 ruling from a federal judge in Texas who barred the Biden administration from enrolling new immigrants in the decade-old program. Despite its conclusion, the appeals court did not order the Biden administration to shut down DACA completely or stop processing renewal applications, deciding instead to leave in place an order from U.S. Judge Andrew Hanen that left the policy intact for current beneficiaries. The government, however, will continue to be prohibited from approving first-time DACA applications. The appeals court sent the case back to Hanen, tasking him with reviewing regulations that the Biden administration unveiled in August to address the legal challenges over the Obama administration's decision to create DACA through a memo, instead of a rule open to public comments. The regulations are currently slated to go into effect on October 31. The Justice Department, which represents the federal government in lawsuits, said it disagreed with the ruling and vowed to "vigorously defend the lawfulness of DACA as this case proceeds." The Biden administration is likely to file a formal appeal, paving the way for the conservative-leaning high court to issue a final decision on DACA's legality next year. In a statement issued late Wednesday night, President Biden said he's "disappointed." "The court's stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo," he said, adding, "it is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship." Story continues Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he was "deeply disappointed" by Wednesday's court decision, denouncing the "ongoing uncertainty it creates for families and communities across the country." He said his department would continue processing DACA renewal cases. "We are currently reviewing the court's decision and will work with the Department of Justice on an appropriate legal response," Mayorkas added in his statement. In its ruling Wednesday, the three-judge panel concluded that DACA had the same legal defects as another Obama-era program that would have offered deportation protection to the unauthorized immigrant parents of U.S. citizens and green card holders. The program, known as the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA), was blocked in court and was never implemented. "Like DAPA, DACA "is foreclosed by Congress's careful plan; the program is 'manifestly contrary to the statute,'" the ruling said. Like Hanen, the Texas judge who declared DACA unlawful last summer, the appeals court expressed sympathy for immigrants currently enrolled in the program in justifying its decision to allow the government to continue accepting renewal applications. "We also recognize that DACA has had profound significance to recipients and many others in the ten years since its adoption," the court said. As of June 30, 594,120 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children were enrolled in DACA, half of whom live in California, Texas and Illinois, according to data published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency that administers the program. Wednesday's court ruling stems from a lawsuit filed in 2018 by Texas and other Republican-controlled states that have argued DACA was an overreach of the federal government's immigration powers. While DACA allows beneficiaries to live and work in the U.S. legally without fear of deportation, it does not qualify them for permanent legal status or citizenship. Those enrolled in DACA had to prove they arrived in the U.S. by age 16 and before June 2007, studied in a U.S. school or served in the military, and lacked any serious criminal record. The court ruling could create a renewed sense of urgency in Congress to pass legislation that places the program's beneficiaries on path to citizenship, a proposal with robust bipartisan support among lawmakers and the American public. For over two decades, however, proposals to legalize Dreamers have died in Congress amid intense partisan gridlock over other immigration issues. In the current Congress, Democrats would likely need to accept border security measures to secure the necessary number of Republican votes to pass such a legalization bill. Mayorkas on Wednesday urged Congress to "swiftly" take action. "Last month, DHS issued a final rule to preserve and fortify DACA, recognizing that it has transformed the lives of so many Dreamers who have enriched our nation through their contributions," he said. "It is clear, though, that only the passage of legislation will give full protection and a well-deserved path to citizenship for DACA recipients." Elon Musk's $44 billion Twitter acquisition back on track for completion Deadly Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia as Ukraine war rages California begins issuing gas tax rebates to 18 million eligible residents UKRAINSKA PRAVDA WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 07:18 There is a lack of medical supplies for the treatment of injured occupiers at the medical facilities of Yevpatoriia in the Russian-occupied Crimea. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on Facebook Details: The Russian invaders are having problems with certain types of supplies during the so-called "partial mobilisation". Conscripted personnel from the Molkino training centre in Krasnodar Krai [a region in Russia - ed.] have been sent back to Primorsko-Akhtarsk due to the inability to accommodate soldiers and provide them with food and clothing. Men from Luhansk [a temporarily occupied city in Ukraine - ed.] are being sent, without medical examination or training, to replenish the units that have suffered the greatest losses right away after conscription. While retreating from their positions, the Russians are placing mines in infrastructure facilities and private households in Kherson Oblast. They also prohibit any movement of local residents. Russians are regrouping their troops on separate fronts. Russian forces carried out 9 missile and 6 airstrikes and more than 56 MLRS attacks over the course of 4 October. The strikes caused injuries to civilians and damage to infrastructure in more than 30 cities, towns, and villages, including Kharkiv, Shypuvate, Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Mayorsk, Huliaipole, Zaliznychne, Andriivka, Bilohirkam, Voznesensk, and Prydniprovske. There were no changes on the Volyn and Polissia fronts. On other fronts, the Russians continued to fire: On the Sivershchyna front: areas of Pysarivka and Holyshivske settlements in Sumy Oblast with tubed artillery systems; On the Slobozhanshchyna front : areas of Hraniv, Ohirtseve, Hatyshche, Vovchansk, and Bilyi Holodiaz settlements with tanks, mortar systems, tubed and rocket artillery systems; On the Kramatorsk front: areas of Bilohorivka, Serebrianka, and Spirne settlements with mortar systems, tubed and rocket artillery systems; On the Bakhmut front: areas of Soledar, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Odradivka, Zaitseve, Opytne, Yakovlivka, and Yurivka were attacked; On the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts: infrastructure facilities of more than 24 settlements, including Avdiivka, Vodiane, Marinka, Novopil, Olhivske, and Pervomaiske with tanks, mortar systems, tubed and rocket artillery systems. On the Pivdennyi Buh front: areas of Vyshchetarasivka, Dobra Nadiia, Illinka, Marhanets, Chervonohryhorivka, Nikopol, Pokrovske, Velyke Artakove, Andriivka, Stepova Dolyna, Bezimenne, Myrne, Luch, Shyroke, Bilohirka, and Lozove settlements with tanks, mortar systems, tubed and rocket artillery systems. Story continues Over the past day, the Ukrainian defence forces have successfully repelled Russian attacks near Strilecha, Zelene, Mayorsk, Spirne, Zaitseve, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Kurdiumivka, Novomykhailivka, and Vuhledar. A S-300 missile system was destroyed near Tokmak. Russian positions in the areas of Huliaipole and Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast were also attacked. The Ukrainian Air Force carried out 17 strikes. Four command posts, 11 areas of where weaponry and equipment were concentrated and two missile systems are confirmed to have been hit. In addition, Ukrainian units of the air defence forces shot down a helicopter and two UAVs on different fronts. Rocket Forces and Artillery units struck two command posts, four areas of concentration of manpower, weaponry and equipment, one missile system, as well as a bridge and pontoon crossing belonging to the occupiers. The General Staff also reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit a pontoon bridge crossing and a ferry crossing over the river of Dnipro in Kherson Oblast on 3 October. General losses of Russians are being confirmed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Dallas Police Department is searching for multiple suspects accused of firing a gun at a 7-Eleven clerk and ripping an ATM out of the store using a pickup truck in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The incident happened near Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood around 4:30 a.m. The suspects smashed the front window of the 7-Eleven and hooked the ATM up to a pickup truck, then pulled the machine into the parking lot, WFAA reports. TEXAS POLICE CHIEFS DECRY SURGING VIOLENCE: THERES A LACK OF VALUE FOR HUMAN LIFE NO FEAR OF CONSEQUENCES' FILE PHOTO: A Dallas Police Department vehicle patrols an area in Dallas, Texas. Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images No one was wounded, but the suspects fired multiple shots at the clerk during the robbery, according to the local news outlet. The ATM was located by police smashed into several pieces. The suspects fled in an unknown direction and no arrests have been made, a spokesperson for the Dallas Police Department said. Darrell Brooks reads from the Bible during jury selection in his trial as he appears via video in a separate courtroom in Waukesha County Circuit Court in Waukesha, Wis., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, Pool Darrell Brooks is accused of killing six people at a Wisconsin Christmas parade last year. A judge had to call recess at least 11 times due to disruptions caused by Brooks. Legal experts say that Brooks who is defending himself may be trying to cause a mistrial. On the first day of jury selections for Darrell Brooks' trial, the judge had to call recess at least 11 times after a series of outbursts from the defendant before kicking him out of the courtroom entirely. During Monday's hearings, Brooks interrupted the judge to say he "doesn't recognize" his own name as "Darrell Brooks," objected to the jury selection process, and called himself a "sovereign citizen," Fox 6 Milwaukee reported. On Tuesday, Brooks continued his disruptions, which included him failing to pay attention during proceedings and reading verses from the Bible over Zoom after the judge grew so frustrated with the frequent interruptions that he was sent to another courtroom to participate in jury selections while on mute. Brooks is accused of killing six people and injuring dozens more on Nov. 23, 2021, after driving through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. He is facing six counts of first-degree intentional homicide each of which could result in a life without parole sentence and 71 other criminal charges, from battery to 61 first-degree counts of recklessly endangering safety. Brooks, who is defending himself, has caused a commotion in court before. Last week, during hearings on his self-representation, Waukesha County Judge Jennifer Dorow had to adjourn after Brooks repeatedly talked over her. 'He can't win with conventional evidence' Susan Opper, the district attorney who has been building a roster of witnesses against Brooks, told the judge last week there was "going to be no question in this jury's mind what happened, who was driving, how these people were injured or killed," the Associated Press reported. Legal experts told Insider the chaos may be Brooks' attempt at being strategic especially considering the evidence is stacked against him. Story continues By disputing court proceedings, Brooks could be trying to cause a mistrial or build an appeal case to demand that his case be retried. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told Insider these types of outbursts are common among sovereign citizen identifiers, who claim they are outside the jurisdiction of the law. Rahmani said the judge will need to ensure Brooks' rights as both a lawyer and a defendant are respected in court, despite his constant interruptions. "The last thing you want to do is go through this whole process and have it reversed on appeal because you didn't get Brooks's procedural due process rights," Rahmani said. Brooks' lack of experience in courtroom procedures will probably make the trial longer and much more difficult for everyone involved, Rahmani added. Brooks has already shown he lacks basic knowledge about courtroom rules, including those that bar attorneys from directly addressing the jury. Brooks' mother, Dawn Woods, told Milwaukee station WDJT that she anticipated Brooks' behavior, saying that it was a result of his bipolar disorder and lack of access to medication. She had previously begged Dorow not to allow Brooks to represent himself. Woods warned that he may continue to break down in court, telling WDJT that she has witnessed him in this state before "shouting, acting out... throwing chairs." "I can see the storm coming," Woods told WDJT. Ed Bull, an attorney with the Marion County, Iowa, District Attorney's Office, told Insider that Brooks' outbursts will make the prosecutor's job more difficult as the potential of a mistrial becomes more possible. "Most people in the public don't realize that as prosecutors, we are responsible for ensuring that the defendant is treated fairly in the system," Bull said. "And there's nothing that we want more than competent counsel on the other side...I think sometimes people are surprised when I say I really want the defendant to have a really good attorney." Thomas Grieve, a defense attorney from Waukesha, told Insider he expected Brooks' outbursts, noting that he probably feels he has "nothing to lose." "He can't win with conventional evidence... So if you can't beat the evidence, try to change the conversation, which is what he's doing by talking about sovereign citizenship," Grieve said. "And he's going to try to claim that he didn't have a fair trial at the end of the day." Grieve added: "Or he's just doing it out of spite." Insider reached out to the Wakeusha Sherriff's Department in an attempt to reach Brooks for comment. Opper declined to comment to Insider. Read the original article on Insider D.C. Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart has been charged with assault and battery over a parking lot dispute on Saturday, according to police. Geldart is accused of assaulting a man outside of a Golds Gym in Arlington, Va., the Arlington County Police Department said in a summary of the incident. After Geldart allegedly struck the mans car with his car door, the two argued and Geldart allegedly grabbed the man by the throat. The deputy mayor has been placed on leave while the incident is reviewed, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers office said, according to FOX5 News. We take any accusations seriously and are reviewing the matter, Bowsers office said in the statement, adding, Unfortunately, it sounds like something that happens to a lot of people a dispute over something minor and we hope it is resolved quickly. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dustin Woodward (left) charged Washington, DC, mayor Chris Geldart (right), with assault after an alleged fight in a gym parking (Fox 5) Washington DC Deputy Mayor Chris Geldart has been charged with assault, after allegedly being caught on video putting his hands around the neck of a physical trainer during a fight in a gym parking lot in Arlington, Virginia, over the weekend. Trainer Dustin Woodward of Golds Gym shared surveillance video of the alleged Saturday incident with local media. The clip shows the two men go face-to-face, before the larger of the pair, Mr Geldart, appears to try to briefly choke Mr Woodward. Bystanders later separated the men, the video shows. The dispute reportedly began after the deputy mayor opened his car door into the parked vehicle of Mr Woodwards girlfriend. The Independent has contacted the deputy mayors office for comment. This is a developing news story and will be updated with new information. Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Twitter @RexHuppke and Facebook: facebook.com/RexIsAJerk In the Republican Party of Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, only those faithful to Trumps cult-like MAGA movement are safe. Democrats are called the enemy, labeled killers. And even Republicans who dont embrace MAGA dogma any lost election was stolen, Trump is always right . have a death wish. More:Donald Trump Jr: Tim Ryan's kill, confront movement remake makes MAGA 'enemy of the state' Former Ohio lawmaker: J.D. Vance a 'craven shapeshifter' regurgitating MAGA speak Trump, the current front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination should he decide to run, took to Truth Social on Friday night and attacked Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell because he voted for legislation sponsored by Democrats: He has a DEATH WISH. Trump threatens McConnell, hurls racist nickname at Elaine Chao Trump then launched a racist attack on McConnells wife, Elaine Chao, who served in Trumps Cabinet when he was president: Must immediately seek help and advise from his China loving wife, Coco Chow! Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, in 2020. We know from Jan. 6, 2021, that Trump has potentially violent followers who take cues from him, so theres no way to see the DEATH WISH comment as anything more than a veiled threat. With racist garbage about the wife of a high-ranking member of the party Trump claims to represent, the former president shows the world his true nature for the 10 millionth time. And by misspelling advice as advise, Trump shows the world, also for the 10 millionth time, that he can't be bothered with little things like attention to detail. More:I am pushing 'back against crazy extremists bent on smashing our republic.' You should too Michigan Republicans line up to kiss Trump's ring This is dangerous rhetoric, but rather than stand up to it, many Republicans remained silent over the weekend. In fact, several Republicans joined Trump at a Saturday rally in Michigan, including GOP candidates for the states three highest offices: Tudor Dixon, running for governor; Matthew DePerno, running for attorney general; and Kristina Karamo, running for secretary of state. Story continues Greene, of Georgia, was also there and, as if to impress Trump with violent rhetoric of her own, told the crowd: Im not going to mince words with you all. Democrats want Republicans dead, and they have already started the killings. That is absolute insanity. And like Trumps comments directed at McConnell, its sickeningly dangerous. Not to mention false. Trump and Greene make it clear that no one disloyal is safe Saying a Republican has a DEATH WISH because he did his job and voted for legislation puts a target on the back of that Republican. Saying Democrats have already started the killings provides a justification for violence against anyone who happens to be a Democrat. Openly spouting a racist nickname against a woman of Asian heritage tells people, during a time of rising anti-Asian hate crimes, that its OK to be hateful. Former President Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene at a golf tournament in Bedminster, N.J., on July 30, 2022. And this all happened over the course of TWO DAYS! Republicans keep their mouths shut in face of Trump's hatefulness Any serious response from so-called reasonable Republican elected leaders? Nope.GOP Sen. Rick Scott, asked several times about Trump's words, told CNN he doesn't "condone violence" and added the useless, mealy mouthed comment: "I hope no one is racist." How courageous. Republican leaders wont say a thing, even to defend themselves, even when its clear Trump and his MAGA minions have loyalty only to themselves. More:Letters: Stomach-turning Donald Trump Jr. twisted Ryan's words into lies For the sizable swath of voters and politicians who remain loyal to Trump despite his falling approval numbers, this is not the behavior of a political party. This is the behavior of a cult: fealty to one individual; zero tolerance for any who stray from the core beliefs; threats of violence toward any who step out of line; characterizing those who disagree as existential threats. MAGA followers think you are not a Democrat; you are a member of a party now actively killing Republicans. You are not a mainstream conservative; you are a person with a death wish. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2022. How can Americans of good conscious not come together to shut this down? How is it possible those of us who see how wildly messed up this all is cant come together as one in condemnation? How is it possible for Republicans to continue supporting a malignant figure who would unleash his hateful hounds on them in a heartbeat? As Trump and pathetic wannabes like Greene have committed outrage after outrage after outrage, each time sinking to new depths, theres a common refrain: Ignore them. Dont give them the attention they crave. Like it or not, Trump and Greene have power and stand to gain more Thats fine if youre fending off a meaningless internet troll, but as I've said already, Trump is likely to be the next Republican candidate for president. And he is, of course, a former president. Hes not nobody. Greene is a big-time fundraiser for Republicans and someone routinely praised by Trump and revered by his loyal followers. As much as wed like her to be nobody, shes not. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. These cartoonish MAGA knuckleheads have power, and if we dont denounce them, if we dont vote them into oblivion, they stand to gain more. Real danger could follow because as they made clear over just one weekend, they will come for you if youre an apostate Republican. They will come for you if youre a Democrat because theyll be told youre coming for them. Let's stop dancing around it and call the MAGA movement what it is They will come for any who question them. Because theyre not a political movement.. Theyre a dangerous and swiftly worsening cult. And they need to be denounced by everyone, including Republicans who still value basic human decency. Then they need to be rejected by voters, en masse and with thunderous force. Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Twitter @RexHuppke and Facebook: facebook.com/RexIsAJerk More columns from Rex Huppke: Clarence Thomas must address Ginni Thomas' balmy conspiratorial beliefs Lizzo plays James Madison's crystal flute while racists play dog whistles Ken Paxton heroically runs from subpoena. Here's a new political ad on his bravery. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump hurls violent threat, racist comment at Mitch McConnell, wife ISLAMABAD Pakistans powerful military chief met Wednesday in Washington with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other security and government officials, the military said. Qamar Javed Bajwas trip to the United States comes weeks before hes expected to retire after an extended six-year tenure. Although Pakistan has been ruled by the elected civilian leadership since 2008 when the former military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf resigned, the military still maintains influence. The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the countrys 75-year history. According to a military statement, Bajwa in his meeting with the U.S. defense chief and other officials thanked them for extending help to flood-hit Pakistan, where deluges since mid-June have killed nearly 1,700. The statement said Bajwa expressed his condolences over the devastation caused by the hurricane in Florida, saying Pakistan understands the loss and pain of victims of a devastating storm. Pakistan has not named Bajwas successor. A DeKalb County day care where three teachers were arrested has lost its license from the state of Georgia, officials said Wednesday. The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) said it revoked the license for Clarkston First Baptist Academy on Oct. 3. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] This action is taking place in response to multiple incidents of inappropriate discipline at the facility, DECAL officials said. Channel 2 Action News first reported on parents claims of abuse at the day care in July after a mother said her child was thrown around by workers. TRENDING STORIES: Video showed a teacher appear to pick the child up by his arms and then his shirt and then throw him down. Two workers, Autumn Coney and Bernetta Glover, were arrested in August and charged with first-degree child abuse. The day cares owner, Angela Moore, was later arrested on charges that she didnt report the abuse. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] The day care has 10 days to appeal the revocation to an administrative law judge. Parents impacted by this situation can connect with child care resources at www.qualityrated.org or by calling the toll-free number 1-877-ALL GA KIDS, DECAL officials said. Parents will be assisted in locating quality child care options. Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration took aim at the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its lead producer, Saudi Arabia, following the announcement that the OPEC+ bloc will cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day. The announcement comes months after President Biden visited Saudi Arabia to appeal to the kingdoms leaders to increase production in hopes of reducing domestic gas prices and depriving Russia of energy revenues. The cuts could mean an increase in gas prices ahead of election day and throw a lifeline to the Kremlin after weeks of gains by Ukrainian forces against the Russian invasion. Its clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with todays announcement, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters hours after the announcement. Pierre was noncommittal on whether the announcement would affect broader Washington-Riyadh relations, saying, I can speak to this decision: its a mistake. Democrats in Congress were blunter, specifically questioning the purpose of overlooking Saudi Arabias human rights records and selling the nation weapons at no benefit to the U.S. I thought the whole point of selling arms to the Gulf States despite their human rights abuses, nonsensical Yemen War, working against US interests in Libya, Sudan etc, was that when an international crisis came, the Gulf could choose America over Russia/China, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted Wednesday morning. Murphy further excoriated the decision in an interview with CNBC Wednesday from the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, calling for a full-scale re-evaluation of the U.S.-Saudi alliance. Whats the point of looking the other way as the Saudis chop up journalists [and] repress political speech inside Saudi Arabia if, when the chips are down, the Saudis essentially choose the Russians instead of the United States? Murphy said, referencing the 2018 assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Story continues Weve been very clear with them; we need them right now and it seems like either the Saudis arent willing to stand with us or have to be pushed very hard to stand with us, Murphy said. The Connecticut senator struck a pessimistic note on Bidens July visit, saying it does not seem to have gotten us what we need, also referencing the collapse of the truce in Yemens civil war. I think you have to be very careful doing business with the Saudis these days. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a frequent critic of both foreign energy dependence and Riyadhs human rights record in general, went further, telling CNN the Saudis are actively fleecing the American people and destabilizing the economy. The Saudis need to be dealt with harshly. They are a third-rate power. We are the most powerful country in the world. I dont know why we kowtow to them, Khanna told the network. He went on to call on the U.S. to retaliate by barring major defense contractors like Boeing and Raytheon from sales to the Saudis. The president needs to make it clear we will cut off their supply. We could ground their air force in a day, Khanna said. The Hill has reached out to the Saudi Embassy for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Nikolaj Skydsgaard and Stine Jacobsen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark's centre-left Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday called a general election for Nov. 1 and said she would seek to form a broad coalition reaching across political divides at a time of international uncertainty. Denmark is currently the focal point of a global political crisis after two pipelines carrying gas from Russia to Europe via the Baltic Sea last week suffered damage in what world leaders have called an act of sabotage. "We want a broad government with parties on both sides of the political centre line," the prime minister, who currently heads a one-party minority government with her Social Democratic Party, said in a speech. "With the difficult times we live in and the hardships the world is facing ... the time has come to test a new form of government". Leaders of the two largest opposition parties, the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, however, immediately rebuffed the idea of forming a bipartisan government with Frederiksen's party. "We are not going to form part of a government with the Social Democrats... We will pursue a different economic policy," prime ministerial candidate and Liberal Party leader Jakob Ellemann-Jensen said shortly after her speech. Frederiksen, 44, became Denmark's youngest-ever prime minister in 2019, after promising to improve welfare services that had been eroded by liberal economic reforms since the beginning of the century. After what could be viewed as the most chaotic term to befall a Danish government in decades, the election will serve as a test of the government's handling of COVID and soaring inflation in recent months. Recent opinion polls show a near dead heat between Frederiksen's Social Democratic minority government and left-wing parties supporting it, and a right-wing bloc led by the either the Conservative or the Liberal party. Frederiksen was generally been applauded for steering Denmark through the coronavirus pandemic with relatively few health and economic consequences, receiving massive popular backing for her swift lockdown of society in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020. Story continues But her decision later that year to cull all mink in the country over fears of spreading a mutated coronavirus variant drew criticism when it emerged there had been no legal basis to call for healthy mink to be culled. Frederiksen eventually avoided any legal consequences, but polls have since showed a fading support and the scandal also shortened her tenure when political ally, the Social Liberals, threatened a no confidence vote unless an election was called. (Reporting by Stine Jacobsen and Nikolaj Skydsgaard; editing by John Stonestreet, Terje Solsvik and Toby Chopra) Oct 2, 2022; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) is pressured by Adelaide 36ers guard Mitch McCarron (10) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic Devin Booker is aware of his power to cause a stir on social media. He laughed during his explanation to reporters on Tuesday about the premise of his self-made LeBron James "mood" meme he posted on his Instagram account the previous day. That photo of James with Booker's "mood" caption came after the Suns' preseason home-opening 134-124 upset loss to Australia's NBL team, Adelaide 36ers. Booker's screenshot of James was derived from the postgame press conference when the 2011 finals-closing Game 6 when the James was a member of the Miami Heat, which lost to the Dallas Mavericks. Many fans speculated that Booker channeled James' infamous response to a reporter's question justifying his dismissive approach to critics and fans who wanted to see him lose in the finals. James received much backlash when he revealed on ESPN in July 2010 he wouldn't re-sign with his home-state team Cleveland Cavaliers, which drafted him in 2003, and joined the Heat instead. "Its just one of those interviews that sticks in my head," Booker said about James in that press conference. "I remember watching it live, man. And that just comes with it. A lot of criticism comes with playing sport or being on TV. "It's just a perspective thing. Everybody take a look in the mirror, and nobody's perfect. Its just how I felt at the time." "A lot of criticism comes with playing sport or being on TV. It's just a perspective thing. Everybody take a look in the mirror. Nobody's perfect" Devin Booker on Instagram post of LeBron James photo tagged MOOD after #Suns loss to Adelaide 36ers "It's more of a life statement" pic.twitter.com/bb3VKxsYaK Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) October 4, 2022 Many fans on social media deemed Booker to be too sensitive to the criticism. Story continues "I remember when he first said it, people didnt take it well. I knew it was coming," Booker added about James and his meme with a chuckle. Booker claimed its more of a life statement" than just about the vitriol of the Suns losing to the 36ers. The Suns will play in their second preseason game against James and the Lakers on Wednesday in Las Vegas. The Lakers were routed by the Sacramento Kings in their first preseason game on Monday, 105-75. Booker said it doesn't matter who the Suns' opponent is to bounce back from the loss. Even if that means beating their Pacific Division rival Lakers with James' fellow All-Stars Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to silence critics following the Suns' loss. I want to win every time I touch the floor," Booker said. "From one-on-one drills, two-on-two drills, to who can walk the fastest to their car. I think thats how our team is, too. Were just competitive. "Theres no excuse for us losing, and were gonna try to win (on Wednesday), but it is the preseason. Were still 0-0 going into the Game 1 versus Dallas. The Suns play their first regular season home game against the Mavericks, the team they were blown out by at home in Game 7 of last season's Western Conference semifinals, on Oct. 19. Oct 22, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) in the second half at Staples Center. The Suns defeated the Lakers 115-105. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Booker said he doesn't play for pride in rivalry matchups like the Suns and Lakers, but he's more motivated to play against his childhood idols such as James and other elite players. It just depends. I mean, I respect everybody, usually players, guys that I idolize and still idolize at the same time," Booker said. "I say I bring the same energy to every game, but, you get a chance to play against LeBron, I dont lose sight of when I was a kid watching him, or my early years when Im playing against Dwyane Wade and Tim Duncan. Its not team to team for me, more players. Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott. Support local journalism. Start your online subscription today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Devin Booker explains his LeBron James photo on Instagram, Suns-Lakers matchup 35 years after the premiere of the classic sitcom A Different World, the cast taking social media by storm after reuniting. On Oct. 1, former A Different World cast member and animation legend Cree Summer took to Instagram and posted a photo of her and her fellow cast members Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Dawnn Lewis, Cree Summer, Charnele Brown and Darryl M. Bell. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cree Summer (@iamcreesummer) The Band Got Back Together, she said in her caption. 35 Years Going Strong. The photo was posted days after the cast reunited for a discussion panel at Wilmington Public Library in Wilmington, Delaware, to commemorate the anniversary. Summers Instagram post received replies from fellow actresses Vanessa Williams and Rachel True. However, a common denominator in the replies was how youthful Dawnn Lewis, who portrayed Jaleesa VinsonTaylor, looked. Jaleesa didnt age at all, one reply said. A spinoff of The Cosby Show, A Different World premiered on Sept. 24, 1987 and chronicled the lives of college students who attendd a historically Black college. UKRAINSKA PRAVDA WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 08:00 The Russians hit Dnipro Oblast with heavy artillery systems and Grad multiple-launch rocket systems on the night of 4-5 October. Source: Valentyn Reznichenko, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram Details: Chervonohryhorivka, Nikopol and Marhanets hromadas [administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories - ed.] came under fire. The Russians struck recreation centres in Nikopol. Two houses were destroyed and 20 more damaged in the Chervonohryhorivka hromada. Russian shells hit two lyceums [specialised secondary schools - ed.], a church, a shop, a gas pipeline and power lines. The scale of the damage in Marhanets hromada is currently being ascertained. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Dr Mehmet Oz at a campaign event in May - he has been the subject of allegations about research on animals Even in a Senate race already marred by insults and mudslinging, the term "puppy killer" stood out. The term - directed at Trump-backed Pennsylvania Senate hopeful Dr Mehmet Oz - followed a report by the US news website Jezebel that said research led by Dr Oz had killed at least 329 dogs as well as dozens of pigs and hundreds of rabbits and rodents. While a spokesman for Dr Oz denied the claim and said "only an idiot" would believe it, the celebrity doctor's political opponents were quick to pounce. His election rival, Democrat John Fetterman, branded him "sick" and began selling "Dog Lovers for Fetterman" campaign stickers. His wife, Gisele Fetterman, also piled on the pressure. "We know what the stakes are in this election... add one more: PUPPIES," she tweeted. The allegations against Dr Oz came as he was closing the distance in the polls against Mr Fetterman with just one month to go until the 8 November midterm elections. "When you frame someone as a puppy killer, it's controversial. It's attention-grabbing," Syracuse University Professor Jennifer Stromer Galley, who researches the political impact of social media, told the BBC. "America loves its dogs," she added. "To be on the wrong side of this particular story is hard as a candidate." The claims, some experts believe, could be the latest example of what is known as an "October surprise" - news stories that have the potential to upend campaigns and influence voters shortly before the November elections. Here are some other notable - and varied - October surprises. 1980: Iran Hostages The term "October surprise" comes from the 1980 electoral race between then-President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, who reportedly feared that a last-minute release of US hostages held in Iran would boost Mr Carter in the polls. Ultimately, the hostages were released on the same day as Reagan's inaugural address. Then-President Reagan at an event welcoming hostages home from Iran in January 1981 Some - including former Iranian President Abdulhassan Banisadr - later claimed that Reagan conspired with Iran to keep the hostages from being released before the election. Story continues Two congressional investigations, however, found no evidence that this was the case. 2000: A George W Bush revelation During the tight final days of the 2000 presidential race between George W Bush and Al Gore, Fox News revealed that Mr Bush had been arrested for drunk driving 24 years earlier in 1976. While Mr Bush became president, his adviser and strategist Karl Rove later said he believed the news had cost the campaign five states. In a later book, Mr Rove accused Al Gore's press secretary of spreading the news to tip the election. "The timing of the DUI disclosure - four days before election day, with the candidates tied in the polls - was suspicious," Mr Rove wrote. The Gore campaign denied any involvement. 2012: Mitt Romney's "47 percent" Just weeks before Americans headed to the polls to cast their ballots for Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, video emerged of Mr Romney in which he was seen telling a group of campaign donors that "47 percent" of voters would vote for Mr Obama "no matter what". Mitt Romney later said that the revelation of his "47 percent" comment damaged his campaign He added that 47% of voters "believe they are victims" and that "government has a responsibility to care for them". The videotape immediately put Mr Romney's campaign on the defensive, while Mr Obama's team made mentions of it a fixture of last-minute campaign ads and interviews. "That hurt," Mr Romney told Fox News. "There's no question that hurt and did real damage to my campaign". 2016: Trump and Clinton The 2016 presidential election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump saw a number of last-minute surprises that experts speculated could upset the election. In early October of that year, a 2005 video emerged showing soon-to-be President Trump saying that "you can do anything" to women "when you're a star". He later apologised. The very same day, WikiLeaks unveiled emails from John Podesta - who was then chair of the Clinton campaign - which included portions of speeches she gave to Wall Street banks. Lastly, on 28 October - 11 days before the election - then-FBI Director James Comey announced he would take "appropriate investigative steps" to examine Mrs Clinton's use of an unsecured private email server. "[It] upended the news cycle, and soon halved Clinton's lead in the polls, imperilling her position in the Electoral college," US writer and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver wrote the following year. You might also be interested in: A corn plant that died before producing ears of corn remains on a field below Second Mesa on the Hopi Reservation on Sept. 10, 2020. Rising temperatures and years of drought are making traditional dryland farming more challenging for Hopi families. This story, like many, starts with rejection. Jose Gruenzweig grew up in the lush, green hills of Switzerland and studied the cold, wet forests of Alaska before settling into his current position as associate professor of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Israel's climate is notably drier than those he'd lived in before, with scarce rainfall, mild winters, and hot, dry summers that produced one of the world's hottest temperatures ever recorded at 129 degrees Fahrenheit. As a keen observer of ecosystems, he couldn't help but ponder the differences. Gruenzweig studies soil decomposition, among other things. The process of microbes breaking down dead plant material into nutrients that growing plants can use is a critical natural cycle in many ecosystems. In some conditions, soil can also capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping counteract the climate-warming effects of this common greenhouse gas. In short, he spends a lot of time walking around looking at decaying plants. And one of the first things he noticed when he left Alaska for the semi-arid forests of Israel was that the pine needles on the forest floor seemed to decompose over the summer despite almost no exposure to moisture or intense sunlight, one or the other of which is typically thought to be required for the breakdown of organic matter. More in this climate series: The latest from Joan Meiners, a column on climate change that publishes weekly After a conversation with one of his graduate students, the two hypothesized that slight increases in humidity from overnight breezes off the Mediterranean Sea might actually be enough to facilitate decomposition in this drought-adapted ecosystem. And then I thought, well, with climate change, this can happen elsewhere. One of the most agreed-upon consequences of climate change is that, as increasing heat retained in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases catalyzes more chaotic weather patterns, dry areas will get drier and wet areas will get wetter. This prediction is intensifying discussions about the future of agriculture and how the shrinking Colorado River, for example, should be divided among seven western, drying U.S. states. Story continues But scientists also expect an overall drying trend, with a growing proportion of the globe routinely experiencing extreme drought. To Gruenzweig, this meant that deciphering the unique ways drylands function, on large and small scales and on fast and slow timelines, would be a little bit like staring into science's future. Chaotic weather: Not-so-natural disasters are on the rise. What in the world is going on? With this goal in mind, he assembled an ecological think tank of researchers, including some in desert climates like Arizona, Spain and Utah who also routinely walk around pondering the state of drylands. They reviewed the existing literature and developed a list of 12 ecological processes they think control natural cycles in dry environments, that are distinct from the processes, or mechanisms in science-speak, that dictate how plants grow and decompose in wetter habitats. But when they submitted their research paper to a top scientific journal for publication, the editor rejected it, explaining that research in drylands was a "special discipline, not of interest to the broader audience." "I knew that this might happen," Gruenzweig said, "but still, I didn't expect it in such a blunt way. It made me angry." Dry and cracked earth at a plot of land used for plant research at the U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center on Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021, in Maricopa. The land is, in part, used as a testing ground for Hussein Abdel-Haleem's, a research geneticist who works on genetic studies of plants growing under drought stress conditions. Deserting desert dwellers About 41% of the Earth's land surface is currently classified as dryland, or water-limited, by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. Some scientists anticipate that, with climate change, up to 56% of global land area could become water-stressed by the end of this century. More than 2 billion people live in these regions. But drylands are distributed in swaths across northern and southern Africa, Australia, the Middle East, western and northern Asia and patches of western North and South America, while modern science has mostly unfolded in regions with wetter, more temperate climates, like western Europe and the eastern United States. Gruenzweig thinks this might explain the initial lack of interest in his 12 mechanisms. "From our perspective, what we're studying here is of importance to us (in drylands), but it's also of importance to more moist regions now that they will experience conditions that are going to be similar to our conditions," Gruenzweig said. "Ecosystem services (are) going to change now with climate change. Human well-being is affected by how nature functions and how these mechanisms come into play." Last week: Sustainable spending or 'sustainobabble'? A new group of experts will try to sort it out On the opposite side of the drying planet, in northern-hemisphere-centric terms at least, Heather Throop, a professor and global futures scientist at Arizona State University, agrees. Theres just a huge amount of geographic and sociopolitical bias where weve had so much amazing research in these places where it is much wetter," Throop said. "And we see that in these cultural biases around what is a 'normal' system and these cultural biases where people think deserts are wastelands. You see it in movies like 'Dune.'" These traditional scientific biases won't serve us in a warming, drying world, Throop warns. Of those people living in dryland environments, 90% are in developing nations. Drylands contain 27% of global forests, which help sequester carbon and slow global warming. Another 14% of drylands are used to farm crops. And about half of global livestock production occurs on drylands, Throop said. Even with increasing global desertification due to climate change on the horizon, though, research on how ecosystems will adapt is scant. That's particularly true for drylands that are about to get drier. That story, thats not written yet," Throop said. "We can speculate on what negative consequences there will be for organisms involved. Theres been debate about whether animals and plants that are present in drylands, if theyre going to be less vulnerable than in wetter systems because theyre already adapted to being dry. Or are these plants already at their physiological limits and thats as far as theyre going to be pushed?" Drylands are key in climate research On the list of 12 dryland mechanisms compiled by Gruenzweig, Throop and colleagues are processes like: Hydraulic redistribution, by which desert plants redistribute moisture in the soil from deeper, wetter layers to shallow, dry layers through the root system; The formation of biological soil crusts, which stabilize soil, contain dust and retain nutrients and moisture; Vegetation patchiness, which occurs when wind and water push limited nutrients laterally across a desiccated landscape, determining where plants can grow; And humidity-enhanced biotic activity, the ability of decomposition to occur in dry habitats with the infusion of just a tiny bit of moisture that Gruenzweig observed in Israel. Mechanisms are ecologist bread-and-butter. But the editor who rejected the team's first manuscript might be correct in assuming that most average people won't care to hear about them in detail. Still, an attitude that research in drylands doesn't belong in the mainstream scientific literature potentially jeopardizes the futures of more than 2 billion people, many of whom are members of poor, minority or otherwise disadvantaged groups that will already face some of the gravest consequences of climate change. To Throop, this might be the most offensive part of the science gatekeeping they experienced. "Much of the historical scientific tradition didn't value dryland systems. But these are areas where human population is growing much faster than average, and you certainly see that in Phoenix, but it's worldwide," Throop said. They hold this really important key to climate change. Especially in developing nations, its imperative that we understand these systems now." Justice in climate action: Climate report draws an arc toward environmental justice, seeking equitable emissions cuts In July, their paper on the 12 dryland mechanisms that control ecosystem functioning in a drier and warmer world was published by another top-tier scientific journal, Nature Ecology and Evolution. And it spells out more than just gloom and doom for drying lands. Some of the mechanisms identified might function to buffer the effects of climate change. Hydraulic redistribution, for example, can help plants deal with drought. But it's still unknown to what extent these abilities are baked into existing plant communities in wet areas that may become drier. "Plants in temperate or tropical regions, they might not be able to get enough water through their leaves. It might be enough to cope with shortages or bridge dry periods, but if it happens over longer periods, it can be critical, Gruenzweig said. The most important thing now is that scientists, planners and leaders appreciate deserts as a scientific and cultural resource and potentially a window into our climate future, even if they aren't interested in mechanisms. But the story doesn't end here. Though the once-rejected paper has now been published, Gruenzweig says understanding drylands is vital for mitigating global damage expected from climate change, and he's passionate about these ideas reaching as many people as possible in dryland and temperate corners of the world. "When the paper was published, I did something that I never do. I sent it to many people and put it on Twitter," he said. "I wrote that 'here we published a paper and the point we make is that drylands matter.' This was the message in the paper, that people out there in the more temperate regions should pay attention to drylands." Joan Meiners is the Climate News and Storytelling Reporter at The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Before becoming a journalist, she completed a doctorate in Ecology. Follow Joan on Twitter at @beecycles or email her at joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com. Support climate coverage and local journalism by subscribing to azcentral.com at this link. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The world's deserts could be key to understanding climate change Tonys Steak and Seafood, a downtown Lexington restaurant, has denied allegations that it committed wage and tip theft after the restaurant was sued by former employees in both state and federal court. The two lawsuits were filed by former bartender John Harley, who filed a lawsuit in Fayette Circuit Court, and former employee Christopher Sullivan, who filed a lawsuit in federal court. Both lawsuits featured similar accusations against the restaurant. Harleys lawsuit alleged that the restaurant forced him and other tipped employees to participate in a tip pool that gave portions of their tips to salaried members of management, including the maitre d, who is not named in the suit. Harleys lawsuit alleges that the tip pool violated the Kentucky Wages and Hours Act, which allows restaurants to pay hourly employees less than minimum wage because the tips make up the difference. According to the suit, Harley, who now lives in Nashville, was a bartender at Tonys Steaks & Seafood from January 2016 through March 2017. During that time he was paid about $5 an hour, the suit claims. The extra $2.25 an hour to reach Kentuckys minimum wage and the extra $5.88 and hour for overtime wages was supposed to come from his tips, but Harleys lawsuit claims by forcing employees to share tips the restaurant forfeited the legal right to claim the tip credit. But Tonys filed a reply to Harleys lawsuit last week denying that they required Harley and other tipped employees to contribute their tips to salaried employees. The restaurant denied that remitting tips to others was a mandatory requirement of being employed. The restaurants representatives also said in the reply that they did utilize a tip credit for each hour worked by tipped employees in order to comply with state law on minimum wage. According to court documents, Tonys management denied all the claims made by Harley. In addition, they asked that the lawsuit be dismissed with prejudice, and that the restaurant receive repayment for costs, attorneys fees and any other relief they could be entitled to. Story continues Sullivans lawsuit, filed in federal court, has been scheduled for a trial in July, although Tonys Steak and Seafood has filed a motion asking a judge to dismiss that lawsuit too. According to the lawsuit, Sullivan worked at Tonys from February 2015 through May 2021 and was paid less than minimum wage. The restaurant claimed the tip credit on his wages in violation of federal and state labor laws, according to the lawsuit. As of Monday afternoon, another individual named John Saltigerald had filed court documents seeking to join the lawsuit as a plaintiff. The lawsuit was a potential class-action suit. Tonys Steak and Seafood filed a legal reply to Sullivans lawsuit in July. The restaurant admitted to paying less than minimum wage to tipped employees, but stated they utilized a tip credit per hour to be compliant with minimum wage and did not require tipped employees to share tips with other members of management. The restaurants representatives denied all other allegations made by Sullivan, with the exception of certain claims to the way their business operated. Reporter Janet Patton contributed to this story. Lil Miss Hot Mess and Marco Rubio This election cycle, Floridas senator Marco Rubio has firmly established himself in a right-wing, anti-LGBTQ+ message camp that is ultra-MAGA. In some of his recent television advertisements, the senior senator included conservative talking points, which has caused a person featured in the ads to wonder why he is obsessed with her. Drag queen Lil Miss Hot Mess asks Rubio, Why are you so obsessed with me and drag story hour? in a video collaboration with GLAAD. The senator from the sunshine state, which just had one of its worst hurricane disasters, has spent much of his time attacking drag performers as far away as Germany. In June, Rubio sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in which he perpetuates the false smear that LGBTQ+ people and drag queens are somehow sexualizing children. It is completely insane for Ramstein AFB to use on-installation resources for rituals like Drag Queen Story Time, Rubio wrote. These inappropriate events are extremely divisive at home for good reason; in all cases, they place young children in close proximity with adults who are intentionally and explicitly sexualized. This is an old and recycled trope that conservative influencers have employed with ubiquity this election cycle. Were simply out here reading books to children, encouraging them to use their imagination to envision a more just and fabulous world, Lil Miss Hot Mess, who is on the board of Drag Queen Story Hour, says in the video. President and CEO of GLAAD, Sarah Kate Ellis, tells The Advocate that what politicians like Rubio are doing to scapegoat LGBTQ+ communities is harmful and must stop. We have seen increased threats and harassment directed not just at drag performers who do library readings, but also at library staff, teachers, and others who support inclusive learning materials for youth, Ellis says. It is abhorrent that extremists are targeting and threatening members of our communities dedicated to educating our youth and promoting literacy. Story continues The extremist message must be working on Rubio. One of his campaign ads is a collection of anti-LGBTQ+ talking points. The radical left will destroy America if we dont stop them, begins Rubio with menacing music opening the commercial. They indoctrinate children and try to turn boys into girls, Rubio continues while insincerely claiming that the left will call him names like racist for his views but that hes the guy to protect the country from its inevitable demise. One should note that Rubios seeming obsession with Lil Miss Hot Mess is illustrated by the fact that he made the message of her book, The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish, which serves as permission for kids to express themselves, into something dirty. In his letter, he wrote, A flyer for the similar event last year highlighted the apparent inclusion of a controversial book, The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish. The author of the book said they wrote it so that children could experience the magic of drag and to get a little practice shaking their hips or shimmying their shoulders to know how [they] can feel fabulous inside of [their] own bodies. As I hope you can agree, decisions over children and their bodies should be left to moms and dads serving our nation, not mediated through publicly funded propaganda on U.S. Air Force bases. Other political candidates have created similar ads that scapegoat drag performers and transgender peopleoften in the same ad. For example, Oscar Rosa, a candidate for Texas state representative, has an ad that promises, This should be common sense, but it sadly needs to be said. I will never allow drag shows or transgender studies in our schools. It is Ellis's contention that purposeful disinformation and misinformation are catalysts for violence due to their seemingly endless availability. Anti-LGBTQ disinformation, like you see in this ad, as well as on Fox News and social media, fuels extremist attacks across the country. Public figures, media, and tech companies must be held accountable. And elected officials like Sen. Rubio must follow through on their oath of office to protect and represent all of their constituents, rather than pushing anti-LGBTQ rhetoric for political points, Ellis says. The driver that crashed into the Danvers River late Tuesday night is now facing speeding and negligent driving charges, according to an official from the Salem Police Department. Police told Boston 25s Drew Karedes Tuesday that the driver plunged into the water from a nearby roadway and was likely to face charges. His path from the roadway to the river have to be awfully determined to get that far out, said Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A state commission has decided to spread $3 million in relief funds across Oklahoma to assist farmers and ranchers during a worsening drought, while the governor announced he was sending another $20 million to help. The three-person emergency drought commission voted this week to allocate $33,000 to each of the state's 77 counties, with individual farmers and ranchers eligible to receive up to $7,500. The program is intended to cover the majority of costs associated with a drought relief project, but individuals are expected to contribute up to 20% of their own money. Eligible projects can include water well drilling, new pumping facilities and pipeline, and cleaning out dry ponds. More:As drought worsens, Oklahoma ranchers look to the state for relief The Oklahoma Conservation Commission will oversee the disbursement of funds through its local conservation districts. The emergency drought cost-share program will allow these funds to be distributed in a way that allows for each district to use the funds to best address the needs of the farmers and ranchers in the local area, said Blayne Arthur, Oklahomas secretary of agriculture and chair of the emergency drought commission. On Tuesday, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill to send another $20 million to the emergency fund. This years extreme drought conditions have created unprecedented challenges for our agricultural producers and as governor I will always do everything I can to support Oklahomas great farmers and ranchers, Stitt said in a statement. I am proud to have partnered up with the Legislature to deliver this much-needed relief. A vast majority of Oklahoma is in a severe to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor Report. The dry conditions have reduced access to hay and grass to feed cattle, dried out ponds, and forced some ranchers to sell off their herds prematurely. Cattle are worked through an auction on Aug. 23, 2021, at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City. Many ranchers across the state are selling off cattle because of the ongoing drought. (The drought is) actually a carryover from last fall and winter and then it lingered into spring and really clamped down on us in the summer, said Gary Crawley, a local commissioner with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and a rancher in Pittsburg County. Story continues Ive got one place that is completely dry. Theres no grass, no nothing. It looks like a desert. The funds will be dispersed by Dec. 2, according to the commission. Any money left over will be shifted to areas of the state with the worst drought conditions. Oklahoma state government reporting is supported in part by a grant from the Kirkpatrick Foundation. The Oklahoman retains editorial control. To support work like this, consider purchasing a digital subscription to the Oklahoman today. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Drought funds in Oklahoma to be dispersed COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who has made his opponent's questionable record fighting the opioid epidemic a central theme of his campaign for Ohio's open U.S. Senate seat, has received campaign donations over the years from drug distributors blamed for key roles in the crisis, an Associated Press review found. The contributions to Ryan from AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Health, the three biggest drug distribution companies in the U.S., came in between 2007 and August of this year. Earlier this year, the companies finalized a $21 billion settlement with state, local and Native American tribal governments and others over the toll of the opioid crisis. The settlement is the largest over opioid claims and keeps the companies from facing thousands of lawsuits. The trio's combined giving to Ryan of $27,000 represents a fraction of the $50 million he has collected over the course of his career. Still, contributions from those donors are notable as Ryan hammers the spotty record of the anti-opioid nonprofit started by his Republican opponent, Hillbilly Elegy author JD Vance. Ryan's campaign spokesperson called him one of Congress' most outspoken fighters against the opioid epidemic. She noted that Cardinal is a major Ohio employer and the companies' donations represent just one-fifth of 1% of the $17 million Ryan raised this quarter alone. Vance's nonprofit, Our Ohio Renewal, spent far more than that "for political polling and consultant fees to his top political advisor when it wasn't promoting a Purdue Pharma-linked doctor with a reputation for downplaying the deadly threat of OxyContin, spokesperson Izzi Levy said. Vance's campaign said accepting the donations represented shameless hypocrisy by Ryan. It had not yet reported its latest fundraising figures Wednesday. Ryan and Vance are locked in a tight contest for the coveted open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman. Republicans see the seat as a critical one to hold if they hope to retake the Senate, while a flip to Democrats would be a major victory in the increasingly conservative-leaning state. Story continues The distributor most generous to Ryan was from Cardinal Health Inc., a multinational health care services company headquartered in his home state. The companys PAC has given him $21,000 since 2007, including $5,000 this August. McKesson Corp. Employees PAC gave Ryan $5,000 in 2012. Amerisource Bergen Corp. PAC gave him $1,000 in 2019. The opioid crisis was ongoing during all those years. The three companies PACs have donated nearly $10.8 million combined to a wide range of candidates across the country since 2007, according to campaign finance figures compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. About $4.5 million of that went to Democrats, and the other roughly $6.2 million went to Republicans. Vances campaign has not received any donations from the PACs. Ryan's early ads called Vance's Our Ohio Renewal a sham that didn't fund a single addiction program to fight the crisis, but rather backed efforts that made it worse. A second ad featured an August Associated Press article detailing a residency the nonprofit organized for an addiction doctor with links to Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin. Vance has said that he did not know about the addiction doctors ties to Purdue Pharma, but that he remains proud of her work to treat patients, especially those in an area of Ohio who needed it most. Ryan's campaign said the congressman had helped bring funding to health care providers and law enforcement officials working to fight opioids and had worked to expand access to treatment for residents with substance abuse issues. Tim Ryan has a proven record of working across the aisle to combat this epidemic, campaign spokesperson Levy said in a statement. During the same years that the now-shuttered Our Ohio Renewal was operating in southern Ohio, Ryan was casting votes in Congress on a host of bills aimed at tackling various elements of the opioid crisis sometimes for, sometimes against. He voted overwhelmingly in support of such efforts including co-sponsoring the INTERDICT Act praised by President Donald Trump for allocating $15 million to beef up illegal drug screenings on the southern border. But Ryan also opposed several measures aimed at addressing opioid enforcement and addiction, the AP review found. Those included funding packages aimed at providing medical care to address the problem and legislation intended to crack down on illegal fentanyl trafficking. Levy said the congressman had policy objections to aspects of those bills. Ryan also missed a vote in 2020 on legislation extending the Drug Enforcement Administration's temporary order listing fentanyl-related substances as Schedule 1 controlled substances. Levy said he was attending a family funeral on that day. __ Geoff Mulvihill in Cherry Hill, N.J., contributed to this report. Promoter Bob Arum has accused Eddie Hearn of slow-playing negotiations surrounding Tyson Furys bout against Anthony Joshua. The compatriots were in talks to fight on December 3 but discussions stalled and no contracts have been signed. Arum says Hearn did not want to fight from the get go and therefore slowed talks so no contracts would be agreed. The first issue was well theres different [TV] networks involved, Arum told Sky Sports. So, there was a meeting held and, lo and behold, all the networks signed off and they found a way to do it. Now, Mr Hearn got involved and he didnt want the fight to happen from the get-go, so he slow-played it. Ive been in this business almost 60 years so I can tell when somebody doesnt want something to happen and then slow-plays a negotiation. Here, once the percentages were decided, there were no real issues. You could sit in a room for three hours and get everything finalised, but Hearn refused to do it. I think that was terrible on his part because I know Frank Warren and George, partners from Queensberry, were prepared to meet personally with Eddie and get everything worked out, I mean there were no issues, for a fight not to happen where there are no issues because one promoter doesnt want it to happen and is in a stalling position is to my mind reprehensible. The fight would have given Joshua another attempt to be a heavyweight title holder once again after he failed to regain his belts in his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk. The bout would have also seen Fury come out of retirement and Arum is not the only person accusing Hearn of blowing up the fight. Furys father John took to social media and said: This is a video to Eddie Hearn. Mr Brains of Britain. Let me explain it to you, my friend, how you cost your man over 100m, Fury Sr. said in a video on social media. 15m step-aside money. Free money. Then Tyson wouldve gone and done what AJ couldnt do. Hes gone and beat Usyk and brought all the belts back to the UK. In the meantime, AJ couldve had a couple of easy victories another 30m and then he couldve challenged Tyson for the belt. Well, who knows what numbers what wouldve done. A sympathetic profile of Eugene Yu and his election-logistics software firm, Konnech, was published by the New York Times on Monday. Stuart Thompson, a technology reporter specializing in misinformation and disinformation, declared that Konnech had been accused of giving the Chinese government backdoor access to the personal information of poll workers based on threadbare evidence, or even none at all. A day later, Thompson reported that Yu had been arrested, as Los Angeles County district attorney George Gascon put it in a statement, as part of an investigation into the possible theft of personal identifying information of Los Angeles County poll workers. According to Gascon, information was stored on servers in the Peoples Republic of China, a breach of the countys contract with Konnech. Data breaches are an ongoing threat to our digital way of life. When we entrust a company to hold our confidential data, they must be willing and able to protect our personal identifying information from theft. Otherwise, we are all victims, said Gascon, a progressive Democrat who survived a recall effort earlier this year. The district attorney emphasized that the alleged conduct had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results, but did note that security in all aspects of any election is essential so that we all have full faith in the integrity of the election process. In his original report, Thompson characterized the accusations against Yu and Konnech as a conspiracy theory, writing that the attacks on Konnech demonstrate how far-right election deniers are also giving more attention to new and more secondary companies and groups. Thompson regurgitated Konnechs plea that all the data for its American customers were stored on servers in the United States and that it had no ties to the Chinese government, while noting that the claims have had consequences for the firm, which hired a public relations firm and conducted audits of its processes. Story continues He also noted that a Republican Party county chairwoman in Georgia had expressed concerns about signing a contract with Konnech, before quoting the election board chair who called those concerns fabricated before saying its absolutely bizarre, but its part of the tone and tenor of what were having to deal with leading up to the elections. The article ends with a quote from Yu, who said of his critics, as we did more research into who they were, it became more and more clear that they had no interest in the truth. For them, the truth is inconvenient. Konnech has called Yus arrest wrongful, and argued that any L.A. County poll worker data that Konnech may have possessed was provided to it by L.A. County and therefore could not have been stolen as suggested. True the Vote, the group credited by Thompson with popularizing theories of Konnechs wrongdoing, said in a statement that it was profoundly grateful to the Los Angeles district attorneys office for their thorough work and rapid action in this matter and honored to have played a small role in what must have been a wide ranging and complex investigation. The group oftentimes promotes filmmaker Dinesh DSouzas 2000 Mules, a misleading documentary that argues that there was a coordinated effort to steal the 2020 presidential race from Donald Trump through voter fraud in key swing states. Thompsons original article debunking wrongdoing on the part of Konnech is linked in the article on Yus arrest, within the sentence Konnech came under scrutiny this year by several election deniers, including a founder of True the Vote, a nonprofit that says it is devoted to uncovering election fraud. More from National Review Jeremy Allen White, Lionel Boyce and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in The Bear' (FX) Theres a cliche about what it takes to be a rockstar chef. It combines Anthony Bourdains aesthetic arms tattooed, a puckish sparkle in his eye with Gordon Ramsays propensity for swearing at people. Restaurant kitchens are as scorching and vicious as the machismo it takes to thrive in one. To be the best, youve got to bleed, bruise, sweat and scream for it. You have to live to cook. For most of its electrifying first season, The Bear a show from Christopher Storer (a producer on 2018s coming-of-age indie-hit Eighth Grade and Ramy Youssefs celebrated comedy Ramy ) about a ramshackle mom-and-pop Italian beef sandwich shop nearly invisible among the skyscrapers of Chicagos River North neighbourhood leans into that stereotype. The kitchen staffs yelling is so loud and nasty and incessant, I found myself hitting pause just to give my adrenal glands a break. But in the Disney+ series penultimate 20-minute episode, Review, the ticking time bomb of the lunch rush bubbles over into actual violence. Shot in one long, roving take, the episode explodes the myth of the tortured, erratic genius and the kitchen hierarchy that props up his ego. The genius in question is Carmen Carmy Berzatto, a gifted cook at New York Citys Noma who returns home when he inherits The Beef of Chicagoland following his beloved brother Mikeys suicide. Its not going well for Carmy, played on the relentless edge of a nervous breakdown by Jeremy Allen White (from the US remake of Shameless). The regulars whove worked the shop since forever resist regime change, and hes locked in a power struggle with Mikeys hot-head best friend, Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who played Desi from Girls). Plus, Mikey the always charismatic Jon Bernthal was better with ingredients than he was with numbers. Carmy owes their sharky uncle (Oliver Platt) $300k (257k) for covering his big bros debts. Every urgent moment of every episode is a fight for the sandwich joints survival. The villains are the meat wholesalers, the health inspectors and the industrial mixer that wont stop breaking down. Hope arrives in the form of Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Dickinson), a culinary school grad who prefers making real meals for real people to working the line in the citys grander kitchens. (At one job she held for eight months, she was never allowed to do more than zest lemon.) Syds as impatient to revolutionise The Beef as Carmy is to just make the place solvent. Story continues In Review, the urgency isnt just a fact of the narrative, but the viewers uncomfortable reality. The one-take episode is set inside the tight quarters of The Beefs shabby kitchen, starting on the day Sydney implements an online ordering system. Its also the day the chefs are bickering over a five-star review in the Chicago Telegraph. It should be good news for the struggling shop, but when the critic reserves his most effusive praise for one of Sydneys fancy new entrees a risotto a peeved Carmy finds himself siding with the old guard. All hell breaks loose when the pace of to-go orders overwhelms a kitchen staff used to dealing with one customer at a time. Most episodes of The Bear are about how the kitchen is self-destructing, but this one implicates the viewer, too. How often do we think about the human beings on the other side of our UberEats delivery? Not just the human beings, but all of the steps from prep work that starts at 10am to clean-up that ends half a day later that go into making a single sandwich. The Beef is a messy, frantic place, but in Review you start to understand how vulnerable it makes a person to work in a space so small. When Carmy starts screaming mostly at Syd but eventually everybody theres nowhere to hide. Boiling Point, the 2021 restaurant drama starring Stephen Graham as a swearing, stressy London chef, was similarly filmed in a single take. But here the cinematography is even more claustrophobic. The camera never steps outside the stainless-steel prison of the kitchen. For a cook at The Beef, the deli counter is the limit of the universe. The staff are used to alerting each other to their own presence, screaming corner! every time they go around a bend and behind! whenever they need to pass. But in real-time, the collisions feel more imminent. The knives are sharper. A petty argument between Syd and Richie over whos prepping the giardiniera ends with Syd accidentally stabbing Richie, or maybe Richie accidentally walking into Syds long chefs knife. Even the first aid kid is on the staff side of the counter. Drawing blood is no reason to leave your post. Scars are part of the recipe. Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Ayo Edebiri in The Bear (FX) This isnt just any 20 minutes in the life of The Beef but 20 minutes with everyone at their hubristic worst. Carmy screams at Syd until she finally hangs up her apron and walks out. In an especially cruel move, he destroys the donuts a tentative pastry chef has been working to perfect all season. Carmys not a misunderstood genius but a bad guy. He was mistreated in the kitchens he worked in, and now hes recreating that bedlam in his brothers old sandwich shop. Before Review, there was a general impression that making food had to be like this: scrappy, mean and exhausting. But something about a chef as talented as Carmy trying to punch a little machine thats spitting out to-go orders exposes the whole arrangement as ridiculous and untenable. Just unplug it, dude. The Bear doesnt mimic intensity; it creates it. If the episode lasted a minute longer, Id turn my apron in, too. The sentencing of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has been delayed. The decision was made by US District Judge Edward Davila on Monday. Mr Davida will review claims raised by Holmess attorneys that the prosecution allegedly engaged in misconduct by forcing a key witness in her initial trial to give testimony that made everyone look bad. In an early September filing, Holmes requested a new trial and stated that former Theranos lab director Adam Rosendorff visited her home on 8 August and told her partner that prosecutors had twisted his testimony. The request was made eight months after Holmes was found guilty of conspiracy and defrauding Theranos investors for her role in the collapse of the blood testing company she founded after dropping out of Stanford University in 2003. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for every charge The sentencing trial had been scheduled for 17 October. Instead, Mr Davila will conduct a hearing to review evidence by the defence, and if grounds to delay the sentencing are found, it could be postponed to January. According to the filing in September, Mr Rosendroff told Holmess partner Billy Evans that he tried to answer the questions honestly at Ms. Holmes trial, but the government tried to make everyone look bad. Mr Rosendroffs testified at Holmess trial that he alerted Holmes to issues in the Theranos lab and faced an intense, days-long cross-examination from Holmess attorneys who noted that Mr Rosendroff worked in several other labs that had regulatory issues. Notably, Mr Rosendroff was also a source for the Wall Street Journal article that precipitated Theranos demise in October of 2015. Holmes was found guilty in January of three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of fraud. Ms Holmes business partner and ex-romantic partner Ramesh Sunny Balwani was also convicted of fraud earlier this year. Elon Musk on March 9. Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Elon Musk could be facing up to $100 million in personal legal fees after renewing his offer to buy Twitter. Both Twitter and Musk employed over 50 lawyers in the months leading up to the trial. Lawyers at the top firms can make up to $2,500 an hour, one expert said. The all-in cost for Elon Musk from his months-long attempt to get out of a deal to buy Twitter is estimated to be as much as $100 million and that's just for his side of the case. The question of just how much of a legal bill Musk faces was renewed when Musk pulled an abrupt U-turn this week, returning to his original proposal to acquire Twitter for the same amount he agreed on back in April. This came after more than three months of dozens of lawyers at two firms going back and forth constantly, combined with experts, at least three data analysis firms, and various other untold costs working to support the billionaire's arguments that he could walk away from the agreement entirely. Robert Miller, a lawyer, law professor and expert on mergers and acquisitions in Delaware Court of Chancery, said the total cost to Musk alone is likely $100 million. "Probably that much again on Twitter's side," Miller added. "And of course, Musk effectively pays Twitter's costs, too" if he becomes the company's new owner. That puts his total bill for the case at a likely and eye-watering $200 million. A lot of the cost, of course, is going straight to the lawyers and major firms Musk and Twitter employed. Over the course of the last four months, both sides altogether brought in over 50 lawyers from some of the most expensive firms in the country, Bloomberg reported. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom helped represent Musk. Meanwhile, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP were set to assist Twitter in court. Each side also employed multiple additional firms to send out a slurry of hundreds of subpoenas in the months leading up to the trial. Story continues Litigators, merger and acquisition lawyers, and senior partners at such notable firms can make up to $2,500 an hour, according to Anat Alon-Beck, a business law professor at Case Western Reserve University. She put the estimate for Musk's costs for just lawyers at around $30 million. Transperfect CEO Phil Shawe, who has litigated cases for his company in Delaware Court of Chancery, said Musk could easily be shelling out $7 million to $10 million per month in legal fees and potentially even more in the months closer to the trial. "It really depends on the numbers of lawyers involved in the case and how much Musk bugs them," Alon-Beck noted. All in, she said the cost to Musk could be as much as $100 million, saying "I can't imagine it would be more than that, unless he's bugging them 24/7." Tom Sharbaugh, a law professor at Penn State and the former managing partner of operations at Morgan Lewis, a large law firm, said what lawyers were paid for the case probably comes to "staggering amounts." He added that hourly billing is unlikely to be how Musk and Twitter were solely charged in this case. "The really huge deals like this, people don't bill by the hour," Sharbaugh said. But, for the richest man in the world the mountain of fees could be a drop in the hat. With Musk's massive personal wealth of more than $220 billion, based largely on his holdings of Tesla stock, even $200 million in costs related to the case is a price tag he can deal with his own wealth can fluctuate by much more than that in a single day on Wall Street. "Even spending this much on legal expenses, it's so tiny to him," Miller said, "it's almost like he's litigating for free." Are you legal professional involved in Musk vs. Twitter or someone with insight to share? Contact Kali Hays at khays@insider.com or on Signal at 949-280-0267. Contact Grace Kay at gkay@insider.com. Reach out using a non-work device. Read the original article on Business Insider Charges have been dropped against seven people who had been implicated in the Flint water crisis. Meanwhile, a group of major oil producing countries considers a supply cut. This is Overnight Energy & Environment, your source for the latest news focused on energy, the environment and beyond. For The Hill, were Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Charges against seven people over Flint dismissed A Michigan judge on Tuesday dismissed criminal charges against seven former government officials who were accused of misconduct in the Flint water crisis. Judge Elizabeth Kelly in the Genesee County Circuit Court ruled the charges were invalid against the officials, including two former state employees accused of involuntary manslaughter after some Flint residents died from Legionnaires Disease following the water crisis. The ruling comes about three months after the Michigan Supreme Court said a one-judge grand jury that indicted the former government officials did not have the authority to do so. Criminal charges are now wiped out against several state government officials, including Nick Lyon, the former director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and former chief medical executive Eden Wells. Lyon and Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter for the deaths of nine people and had faced up to 15 years in prison. Charges against former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) were not impacted by Tuesdays dismissal, but the states Supreme Court has also cast the charges against him into doubt. Charges against Richard Baird, a former senior adviser to Snyder, as well as Jarrod Agen, the former chief of staff and communications director for the governor, and Nancy Peeler, a former manager of the Early Childhood Section at MDHHS, were dismissed. At the local level, former Flint emergency managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley also had their charges dismissed. Story continues The background: Flints drinking water was contaminated after the source of their water supply was shifted from Lake Huron to the Flint River in 2014. The water wasnt adequately treated and this caused lead from pipes to leach into the citys drinking water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this exposed approximately 99,000 residents to lead. Lead exposure can cause kidney and brain damage and has greater impacts on children than adults. The water source switch has also been linked to a Legionnaires disease outbreak that killed 12 people. Prosecutors, in a statement on Wednesday, condemned the dismissal, which they described as courts siding in favor of well-connected, wealthy individuals with political power and influence. The prosecution has pledged to exhaust all available legal options to pursue this case and that pledge remains. The team will review todays ruling and continue its pursuit of justice for Flint, the statement said. Read more here, from The Hills Brad Dress. OPEC+ to consider cutting oil production OPEC+ is set to hold a critical meeting on Wednesday in Vienna to decide whether to cut production, a move that would drive up the price of oil. Energy industry analysts say the cut could be as much as 2 million barrels per day, a move that would likely contribute to higher gas prices in the United States and inflation more generally. It would also serve as a diplomatic blow to the White House, which has sought to get Saudi Arabia and other producers to keep production up as sanctions on Russia raise energy prices around the world. Over the summer, President Biden encouraged OPEC+ to increase production to bring down prices. Following a visit from Biden to Saudi Arabia in July, the group raised its output levels by a slender margin of 100,000 barrels a day starting in September. Any increase in U.S. gas prices could have an impact on the upcoming midterm elections, which Republicans want focused on inflation and the economy. Oil prices have been declining since June from above $120 a barrel to just above $80 a barrel. Some economists see this as a sign of declining demand as forecasters fear a global recession. A possible explanation: Ben Cahill, a senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the decreases in demand for energy associated with a slowing global economy were top of mind for OPEC+. Im not surprised that OPEC+ is contemplating a cut; theyre defending against downside risk, he said. I think [OPEC+ countries] are signaling to the market that they want to regain control of the narrative, he added. He pointed to August remarks by Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman complaining about volatility in the market. Read more about the impending decision here, from Zack and The Hills Tobias Burns. SENATORS CALL FOR CLIMATE EMERGENCY DECLARATION A group of eight Democratic senators are renewing a push for President Biden to declare a national climate emergency, saying the idea would build off recent legislative victories. President Biden had been weighing the declaration of a climate emergency, which would unlock additional powers to address the problem, when it appeared that talks for the climate bill had fallen through earlier this year. But he never took the step, and swing vote Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) eventually came around to supporting the Democrats climate agenda with some changes added to make the bill more friendly to the oil and gas industry. In their new letter, the Democratic senators said they still want Biden to declare the emergency, saying it would further the progress that was achieved by the legislation, called the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) noted that while the bill is expected to help the country make significant climate progress, its not expected to get the country all the way to reaching Bidens goal of cutting emissions down to half of their 2005 levels. We will only achieve these targets if you build off the momentum of the IRA with strong executive action. We urge you to take the important next step of declaring a climate emergency and unlocking the full tools at your disposal to address this crisis, they wrote. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question from The Hill about whether a climate emergency declaration was still on the table. Read more about the letter here. DRYING LAKE POWELL FOREBODES SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES If Lake Powell recedes much further, one of the nations largest reservoirs could be at risk of no longer generating hydropower for the region. Lake Powell was just under 24 percent full as of last week, and had lost 16 feet in the last year. Its depth level currently stands at around 3,530 feet. How much power does it generate? Northern Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates the lake, has a full capacity of 1,320 megawatts, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. However, the receding water levels have already greatly reduced the reservoirs generating capacity, to about 800 megawattsabout 60 percent. How many people rely on it? Lake Powell generates power for about 5.8 million households and businesses in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. In addition to the power the lake generates directly, it is a major source of grid resilience when full, serving as a quick backup source in cases where solar or wind power cant meet demand. On top of the hydropower the lake generates, its the source of drinking water for the 7,500 residents of Page, Ariz., and the 1,443 members of the LeChee chapter of the Navajo Nation. If allocations from the Colorado River dip below the levels necessary for some customers to receive hydropower, the real question [becomes] what can our grid accommodate from a hydropower perspective in terms of compensating production losses from Glen Canyon? said Justin Mankin, an assistant professor of geography at Dartmouth College. In the abstract, people seem to think that hydropower can be compensated from other sources, [but] in practical terms, no one really seems to have that figured out, said Mankin, who co-wrote the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Drought Task Forces annual report in 2021. Read more about the potential consequences here. WHAT WERE READING He survived Ian on Pine Island. Then his granddaughter lost contact (Tampa Bay Times) Always check the label: ESG funds not as green as they seem study (Reuters) Like Manchin, Obama tried to fast-track transmission. Nope. (E&E News) Baton Rouge unveils electric vehicle strategy, hopes to attract federal funding (The Advocate) Can Invasive Species Ever Be Good? (The Atlantic) ICYMI Kemp suspends Georgia tax on gas until after elections In hurricanes, more people die from indirect causes than the storms themselves Lighter click: Democracy at work! Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Energy & Environment page for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Saudi-led OPEC+ bloc is cutting oil production by 2 million barrels a day. Meanwhile, heating costs may spike this winter, and President Biden and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) offer a rare bipartisan moment after Hurricane Ian. This is Overnight Energy & Environment, your source for the latest news focused on energy, the environment and beyond. For The Hill, Im Zack Budryk. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Democrats criticize OPEC+ production cuts The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its oil-exporting allies announced a 2 million barrel per day cut in oil production Wednesday, bucking months of pressure from Washington to increase production and potentially spiking gas prices again. The coalition, which includes the 13 OPEC nations and 11 nonmembers including Russia, made the announcement at its Vienna meeting, the first in-person summit since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The announced cut is roughly equivalent to 2 percent of global supplies. How we got here: In July, President Biden visited Saudi Arabia to directly appeal to its leaders to increase oil production, despite his administrations frequent criticism of the kingdoms human rights record. After the meeting, Saudi Arabia announced a production increase, but a significantly smaller one than the U.S. had requested. The cut announced by OPEC+ is about twice the amount the U.S. has been releasing daily from the strategic petroleum reserve. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that future strategic petroleum reserve releases have not been discussed. Its unclear what direct impact the cut will have on domestic gas prices, but it could prompt an increase weeks before the midterms after the Biden administration has touted lower prices recently. Initial reports increased the price of oil by about $3 a barrel Wednesday morning. Prices have fallen from about $120 a barrel in June to around $80 a barrel amid concerns about a potential global recession. Story continues Democrats blast announcement: Its clear that OPEC+ is aligning with Russia with todays announcement, Jean-Pierre told reporters hours after the announcement. Jean-Pierre was noncommittal on whether the announcement would affect broader Washington-Riyadh relations, saying, I can speak to this decision: its a mistake. Democrats in Congress were blunter, specifically questioning the purpose of overlooking Saudi Arabias human rights record and selling the nation weapons at no benefit to the U.S. I thought the whole point of selling arms to the Gulf States despite their human rights abuses, nonsensical Yemen War, working against US interests in Libya, Sudan etc, was that when an international crisis came, the Gulf could choose America over Russia/China, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, tweeted Wednesday morning. Murphy further excoriated the decision in an interview with CNBC Wednesday from the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, calling for a full-scale re-evaluation of the U.S.-Saudi alliance. Whats the point of looking the other way as the Saudis chop up journalists [and] repress political speech inside Saudi Arabia if, when the chips are down, the Saudis essentially choose the Russians instead of the United States? Murphy said, referencing the 2018 assassination of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Weve been very clear with them; we need them right now and it seems like either the Saudis arent willing to stand with us or have to be pushed very hard to stand with us, Murphy said. Read more about the announcement and the Democratic backlash here. US staring down increased heating costs this winter Home heating costs in the United States are expected to exceed usual costs this winter amid the growth of natural gas exports. Natural gas, which is used in both home heating and electricity generation, is in particularly high demand as Europe seeks supplies from the U.S. and elsewhere following Russias invasion of Ukraine. For American consumers, and Americans in the northeast in particular, that could lead to higher bills, experts say. It certainly appears that were going to continue to see relatively high natural gas prices in the U.S., said Harrison Fell, a senior research scholar at Columbia Universitys Center on Global Energy Policy. Were going to see higher bills for a lot of customers throughout the U.S., he added. Early warning signs: The country is already seeing high prices for natural gas this year. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) an independent statistics agency thats part of the Energy Department said Tuesday that prices have been significantly higher than they were a year ago. Prices in 2021 were already relatively high, and this year, they have exceeded the previous five-year range. The EIA said that in several months this year, spot prices for a key benchmark were essentially double last years price for the same month and pointed to increased exports of fuel. Record-high liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, in particular, have been a growing source of natural gas demand. Since 2021, the volume of natural gas used to support U.S. LNG exports has exceeded the volume consumed in the commercial sector, the agency said. The U.S. has been increasing its exports of the fuel, largely to Europe to compensate for the loss of Russian natural gas amid its war with Ukraine. In the first half of this year, it became the worlds largest exporter of the fuel. Read more about the looming prospect here. Biden, DeSantis project unity after Hurricane Ian President Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) put their political rivalry on hold Wednesday as the two toured damage from Hurricane Ian and projected a sense of unity in vowing to help the hardest hit parts of the state rebuild. Today we have one job and only one job. That is to make sure the people of Florida get everything they need to fully recover, Biden said in prepared remarks as DeSantis stood behind him. Asked about DeSantiss response to the storm, Biden told reporters: I think hes done a good job. We have very different political philosophies, but weve worked hand in glove. Biden and DeSantis emphasized the cooperation between the federal government and state and local officials, highlighting emergency declarations and the allocation of federal resources that allowed for a prompt response to the storm before it even made landfall. We were very fortunate to have good coordination with the White House and FEMA from the very beginning of this, DeSantis said. The two men were in Fort Myers, one of the areas that sustained the most damage when Hurricane Ian made landfall last week as a Category 4 storm that left millions without power and destroyed homes. State and local officials warned rebuilding would be a years-long process in some areas. Biden received a briefing on the response and recovery efforts from DeSantis and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and met with residents and small business owners impacted by the storm. Biden also met with Florida Sens. Rick Scott (R) and Marco Rubio (R), as well as Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Read more from The Hills Alex Gangitano and Brett Samuels here. WHAT WERE READING EPA is falling behind on power plant rules, report says (The Washington Post) What Does Sustainable Living Look Like? Maybe Like Uruguay (The New York Times Magazine) Tax people in this room to help the poor, Shell CEO tells energy conference (Reuters) As Salton Sea faces ecological collapse, a plan to save it with ocean water is rejected (The Los Angeles Times) Podesta, IRS get to work on climate laws tax incentives (E&E News) Lighter click: Turtling a corner Thats it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hills Energy & Environment page for the latest news and coverage. Well see you tomorrow. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul is coming under fire from his Republican opponent for saying that his agency would prosecute anyone who attacks or harasses election workers in Wisconsin this fall. Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac County district attorney, said Kaul's agency does not have the authority, on its own, to prosecute people who intimidate or attack an election worker. Toney said Kaul's agency would have to work with a local district attorney to charge and try an individual who is accused of interfering with the work of someone working at the polls. The Department of Justice, Toney said, cannot take such action independently. Kaul and Toney square off in the general election Nov. 8. "Josh Kaul has been caught in a lie," Toney said. "His willingness to lie is yet another example of how he abuses the DOJ to advance his partisan agenda." Subscribe to our On Wisconsin Politics newsletter for the week's political news explained. But a Kaul spokesman said the first-term Democrat was not misleading the public. Josh Oslund, communications director for Kaul, said state law gives DOJ the authority to investigate crimes that are "statewide in nature, importance or influence." Criminal threats against election officials are attacks on our democracy, so they would qualify, Oslund said. More: What to know about Eric Toney, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin attorney general More: What you need to know about Josh Kaul, the Democratic attorney general running for another term in Wisconsin Beyond that, Oslund said, the Department of Justice frequently works with local district attorney's offices to act as a special prosecutor in a case. He cited several examples of this, including the ongoing prosecution of Harry Wait, who has been accused of election fraud in Racine County, and a serial sexual case in Jackson County. "Kaul is committed to ensuring that anyone who illegally threatens election officials is held accountable," Oslund said. "Local law enforcement could investigate, DOJ could investigate, or they could jointly investigate. A DA could prosecute a case or ask for DOJs assistance in prosecuting a case. Story continues "But bringing those who commit crime to justice is an important part of DOJs work, even if Eric Toney doesnt understand that." Election officials say threats against them have increased in recent years Some supporters of former Republican President Donald Trump have refused to accept that he lost in November 2020 to Democratic President Joe Biden. In Wisconsin, Biden edged Trump by about 21,000 votes. Earlier this year, the Center for Justice found one in six election officials have experienced threats because of their job, and that 77% say that they feel these threats have increased in recent years. In August, Kaul told The Associated Press that he doubts Toney would defend the 2024 election results in court if Trump lost in a presidential race in Wisconsin. More: 'I dread 2024': America's local election officials are being pushed to their limits More: More election workers plan to leave jobs before 2024 election amid threats, conspiracies, new report finds Kaul noted that former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman once suggested decertifying Biden's win as part of his probe into Wisconsin's election. Gableman, who produced no evidence of fraud in $1 million review, now suggests the country needs a revolution against government officials over the 2020 election. "I'm proud to have defended the will of the voters and our system of government," Kaul told The Associated Press. "Based on what we've seen from (Toney), he hasn't shown that type of commitment." Toney, who knocked off two other candidates in the Republican primary, dismissed the criticism. "I have repeatedly spoken out publicly against threats of violence, and I take all threats of violence seriously," Toney said. "When threats of violence rise to the level of a crime, I have fought to hold those who make them accountable." Toney said he was confident that district attorneys across Wisconsin will address those circumstances, if they occur, "just as they did when I have been targeted by threats of violence." He added that Kaul's office circulated proposed legislation earlier this year that would give the Department of Justice the ability to prosecute threats on its own. Kaul's office said the measure would pertain to all threats, not just those related to elections. The bill was not officially filed with the Legislature. "Kaul knows he doesnt have the authority to prosecute these crimes," Toney said "because his office is pushing legislation to obtain the proper authority." Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 313-6684 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Eric Toney said Josh Kaul can't prosecute election worker harassment By Gabriela Baczynska and Philip Blenkinsop BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union gave its final approval for a new batch of sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine, the bloc's executive arm in Brussels said on Wednesday. The EU was spurred into action by Russia's nuclear threats and military mobilisation for its seven-month war in Ukraine, as well as Moscow announcing annexation of parts of its neighbour - a former Soviet republic that now wants to side with the West. The measures include more restrictions in trade with Russia in steel and tech products, and an oil price cap for Russian seaborne crude deliveries to third countries through European insurers meant to align the bloc with the United States. In addition, the sanctions will target more individuals at the Russian defence ministry, people involved in Moscow's ad-hoc annexation votes in occupied eastern Ukraine and those participating in bypassing sanctions. "I welcome the member states' agreement today on the eight sanctions package," said the head of the bloc's executive, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We will never accept Putin's sham referenda nor any kind of annexation in Ukraine. We are determined to continue making the Kremlin pay." The agreement is to be formalised by 0800 GMT on Thursday if no EU country raises last-minute objections. With sanctions requiring unanimous backing of all the bloc's 27 members, the deal is more modest than Russia hawks had proposed. That group, which includes Poland and the Baltic states, had sought a complete ban on nuclear energy cooperation and diamond imports from Russia, as well as the blacklisting of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, a Kremlin ally. Moscow-traded shares of Russia's state-controlled diamond miner Alrosa were up on the news as Belgium - home to the world's biggest diamond trading hub Antwerp - blocked an EU embargo on the luxury industry. Story continues "The package could have been far stronger," said Poland's EU ambassador, Andrzej Sados. "But given that we require unanimity... it is important that we have this strong response to Russia's latest aggressive steps." The oil cap - designed to align the whole of the EU with the G7 group of the world's most industrialised countries - was also watered down to give exemptions to seafaring countries like Greece, Malta and Cyprus, EU diplomats said, with some doubting its practical feasibility or efficiency. Eurasia consultancy said that tying the EU's insurance ban to a price cap was actually watering down a blanket ban on providing insurance and financial services for Russian seaborne oil that the bloc had agreed previously and which would have taken effect from December. Law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed said the latest sanctions were swift for EU standards, left the room for more and affected third parties to a larger extent than before. "The eighth package shows that the top of the sanctions ladder has not been reached, there may be more to come," said Jan Dunin-Wasowicz, a lawyer with the firm. (Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Jonathan Oatis) The EU is "ready to discuss" a price cap on gas within the bloc to bring down soaring energy costs, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. Her comment to the European Parliament signalled a shift in tone after EU powerhouse Germany had expressed worries a broad price cap might divert supplies away from Europe. It comes as 15 EU countries -- more than half the bloc -- are pushing for the EU to impose a price ceiling on how much it would pay for gas piped or shipped in, as the northern hemisphere winter sets in. Europe is facing an energy crunch as the price of electricity generation skyrockets because of a massive surge in gas prices. Russia, which used to be Europe's main supplier, has largely turned off the taps after being hit by EU sanctions over the war in Ukraine that, while not touching gas, crimped sales of its more lucrative oil exports. "We are ready to discuss a cap on the price of gas that is used to generate electricity," Von der Leyen told MEPs sitting in Strasbourg, France. "This cap would also be a first step on the way to a structural reform and overall reform of our electricity market." She added, "We also have to look at gas prices beyond the electricity market". - Still being 'fleshed out' - Her spokesman, Eric Mamer, explained the proposal was still being "fleshed out" and "related to the wholesale market of gas trading in Europe" and not directly on the price paid for imported gas. He acknowledged however "links between the price of gas traded within Europe and the price of the gas that we buy from outside". Norway, which has become Europe's main gas supplier as Russian deliveries have fallen, reiterated Wednesday its opposition to a price cap saying it would not resolve the problem of a shortage of gas. "It would rather make the situation worse because you can expect such a solution to contribute to increased consumption and fewer deliveries," said the non-EU nation's energy minister Terje Aasland. Story continues "No one can use more gas or energy than exists," he told AFP by email. Brussels has been amenable to a cap on pipeline gas to hurt Russia and deprive it of cash. But it has resisted a cap on liquified natural gas (LNG), fearing that sellers might simply divert shipments to higher-paying markets, further starving Europe of gas. Germany, traditionally the biggest beneficiary of Russian gas, had also rebuffed the idea. But it has come under pressure from other EU members after announcing a 200-billion-euro ($199-billion) fund to protect consumers. Von der Leyen admitted a price cap "entails drawbacks in terms of security of supply of gas". In a letter to EU leaders for them to consider at a Prague summit on Friday, she said her "roadmap" included negotiating a "corridor" for gas supplies from trusted partners such as Norway and the United States. She stressed also, in apparent allusion to the criticism of Germany's go-it-alone approach, that, "to avoid serious fragmentation (in the EU), we need a united and common European response" to avoid "distortions of the single market" While gas storage ahead of winter has hit 90 percent -- exceeding targets -- there remained "a heavy burden on people and our economy". She said her commission would present its outline for a structural reform of the EU's electricity market by the end of the year, incorporating the ambition of "a more decarbonised future". bur-rmb/rl (Bloomberg) -- European Union countries reached a compromise on a new package of Russia sanctions that includes support for a price cap on oil sales to third countries, with a formal agreement expected on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg EU ambassadors on Tuesday night discussed ways to mitigate the impact the new package would have on countries with large shipping industries, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. Greece, Cyprus and Malta expressed concerns about curbs on transporting Russian oil and have been pushing for assurances on the effectiveness of the new mechanism and its potential impact, according to the people. Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign policy chief, told European lawmakers in Strasbourg on Wednesday that he expects an agreement to be reached later in the day on sectoral and targeted personal sanctions. This should further constrain Russias export capacity and the relations its industry continues to carry out particularly in the technological sector, Borrell said. The sanctions would add a ban on shipping Russian oil to existing restrictions on services needed to transport it, but carve out an exemption for oil priced at or under a level set by a coalition of the Group of Seven and other countries, according to a draft of the proposal seen by Bloomberg. The compromise reached on Tuesday would make entry into force of the sanctions conditional on adoption of the measures by the G-7. The sanctions package will be formally adopted by the bloc on Wednesday barring any last-minute objections by national governments. Story continues The broader sanctions package would target a range of individuals and entities, including senior Russian ministry officials and people involved in staging the recent, widely condemned referendums. It would also restrict access to aviation items, electronic components and specific chemical substances to deprive Russias military from important technologies. Some nations were upset that the latest draft of the sanctions appears to have weakened several of the proposed measures, including the removal of a Russian diamond mining company from the penalty list. To allow for an oil price cap, the bloc will have to change its current legislation. In June, EU nations agreed to a full ban on insurance and financial services for seaborne oil, while shipping was spared from the restrictions. Most of those prohibitions are due to kick in Dec. 5 alongside a ban on EU purchases of Russian crude. The G-7, which endorsed a cap earlier this month, has said it wants an agreement in place before that date. (Updates with Borrell comments in fourth, fifth paragraphs) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is proposing that the bloc intervene in the gas market to cap the rise in prices that is threatening to push the region into recession. Most Read from Bloomberg Bowing to pressure from more than half of the EUs member states calling for action to rein in soaring energy costs, von der Leyen is suggesting a plan that would include a temporary price limit in relation to the Dutch Title Transfer Facility -- the virtual marketplace whose main index is the benchmark for all gas traded in Europe. The commission contends it no longer reflects the blocs energy reality and the quickly shrinking share of Russian gas. The proposal, details of which still need to be worked out, would also involve working on setting up a new LNG benchmark. Pending the introduction of such a complementary benchmark, we should consider a price limitation in relation to the TTF in a way that continues to secure the supply of gas to Europe and to all Member States and that would demonstrate that the EU is not ready to pay whatever price for gas, von der Leyen wrote Wednesday to EU heads of government. The latest effort would come after the EU has already imposed windfall taxes on energy companies profits and agreed power and gas-demand reduction goals to contain an unprecedented energy crunch triggered by a cut in supplies from Russia following Moscows invasion of Ukraine. But those actions have not been enough to alleviate the fears of many governments, who over the past weeks have been pushing for a cap on all wholesale gas transactions amid concerns over rising prices and potential social upheaval. Story continues The commission had earlier this year highlighted the drawbacks of the intervention it is now weighing. They included endangering the security of supply and risk of undermining the consumption-cut targets. It has changed its course two days before an informal meeting of EU leaders in Prague. Still, von der Leyen made clear that a cap would still require a broad reduction in energy usage. As the EU imports almost all the gas it consumes, the deeper the public intervention on gas prices we envisage, the more demand reduction and supply solidarity we need, she wrote. We therefore need to acknowledge the risks that a cap on gas prices entails and put in place the necessary safeguards. In an internal document earlier this year, the commission said that as a last resort in case of supply disruption, the EU could explore temporarily pegging the TTF to the JKM Asian benchmark as a dynamic cap. Yet that would require the use of other hubs or mechanisms to allocate gas inside Europe, it added. A price cap on all wholesale gas market transactions has been urged by at least 15 member states, including Spain, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Greece. Germany, the regions biggest economy, has been against such a move. The idea of imposing price cap in a market distorted by supply concerns also drew criticism from Patrick Pouyanne, chief executive officer of TotalEnergies SE. Of course the states are under pressure, he told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London on Wednesday. But at the end of the day they should rely on the companies. He added he was surprised that none of the governments asked the two largest LNG players, referring to Shell and TotalEnergies. In her letter to EU leaders, von der Leyen also offered a measure to limit the inflationary impact of gas prices by a severing the link between the fuel and electricity costs. The commission is ready to discuss a narrower, temporary cap on the price of gas used for power generation that would be designed in a way to avoid consumption of the fuel. The steps that the EU is taking to reduce its reliance on Russia -- from investments to energy infrastructure to insulating houses to boost energy savings -- would be expensive. In the letter, von der Leyen acknowledged that the blocs current budget for the energy pivot may not be sufficient and said the Commission will explore other sources of funding. Earlier this week, two EU commissioners suggested that countries need to consider issuing new joint debt to fund Europes energy needs. Noting the recent explosions in the Nord Stream pipeline, said she would present leaders with measures that would help prevent sabotage, including stress testing, preparedness, cooperation and information exchange. (Updates with TotalEnergies in the ninth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Everytown, a major gun safety advocacy group, has launched a $2.1 million ad blitz in Pennsylvania targeting Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz ahead of Novembers midterm elections. The effort focuses on mobilizing voters and calling out candidates, including Mastriano and Oz, who the group says are beholden to the gun lobby. In the ad, titled Home, the advocacy group hits Oz, arguing that the Senate candidate will not keep us safe. For too many women, home is the last place they feel safe. Because when an abusers armed, women are five times more likely to be killed, a female narrator says. Mehmet Oz would make it easier for domestic abusers to get guns, even opposing background checks on all gun sales, the narrator continues. The ads will run on television and across digital platforms starting in the Philadelphia media market, according to Everytown. The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania voters are looking for candidates who will stand up for public safety and fight for common-sense gun safety laws, John Feinblatt, president of Everytown, said in a press release announcing the blitz. Everytowns investment will ensure Pennsylvania voters know the truth: by standing in the way of gun violence prevention laws, extremists Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano are a threat to the safety of our families and communities. The move comes amid new polling showing that Oz, a former television personality and cardiothoracic surgeon, has closed the gap with his opponent, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D). The campaign for Senate has gotten personal, with Oz calling into question Fettermans health following a stroke Fetterman suffered in May. Fetterman, for his part, has used social media to slam his opponent, painting him as a wealthy outsider from New Jersey disconnected from everyday Pennsylvanians. Story continues Oz has previously touted his support for the Second Amendment and opposes gun restrictions like red-flag laws, according to his campaign website. Recent polling has shown Mastriano behind his opponent, Josh Shapiro (D), in the race for the governors mansion. According to a Monmouth University poll released last month, half of Pennsylvania voters said that they would vote for Shapiro. The poll found that nearly half of voters in that same poll 45 percent said that they would definitely not vote for Mastriano. The Republican candidate has taken some hard-line stances on hot-button issues such as abortion, following the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade. Mastriano has proposed a ban on the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NEWMARKET A former firefighter is facing new criminal charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a disabled girl over several years. Joshua Gilbert, 43, was indicted recently on six charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault. He was previously indicted in August 2021 on 18 counts of aggravated felonious sexual assault, but 12 of those charges were dropped in August 2022. Rockingham County Attorney Patricia Conway stated in court documents the new indictments allege Gilbert assaulted the then-teenager when he was in a "position of authority" and used this authority to "coerce (the teen) to submit." The dropped charges alleged that the young woman "had a disability that rendered her incapable of freely arriving at an independent choice as to whether or not to engage in sexual conduct." It was revealed in May, according to court documents, that a state expert witness could not conclude she was incapable of consenting due to her disability alone. Conway previously stated the female victim was between the ages of 15 and 19 at the time of the alleged assaults. The six remaining indictments that were not dismissed alleged abuse when the girl was 13 years or older but under the age of 16. Gilbert waived arraignment on the six new indictments on Sept. 27. An indictment is not an indication of guilt or innocence. It just means the grand jury found enough evidence to warrant a trial. Seabrook nuclear plant false alarm: Here's why it took nearly an hour to notify public Gilbert was arrested after teen's mom came forward Stratham police arrested Gilbert on April 1, 2021. The investigation into Gilbert began by Newmarket police on Jan. 16, 2021, after the mother of the person Gilbert is charged with sexually abusing reported the alleged crime against her disabled daughter. Stratham Police Chief Anthony King previously said his department took over the investigation at the request of Newmarket police. Story continues Newmarket Town Manager Steve Fournier previously said the decision to transfer the investigation to Stratham police was to make sure there was no appearance of any conflict of interest because Gilbert worked for the town as a full-time firefighter. Gilbert, who was initially put on paid administrative leave after his arrest, is no longer employed by the town. Joshua Gilbert, 43, was indicted recently on six new charges of aggravated felonious sexual assault. New details of alleged abuse revealed in court filings The court affidavit detailing the complaints against Gilbert has been sealed. However, in subsequent filings, some details of the allegations have been made public. Court records also show the teen first reported the abuse in June of 2014. According to Conway, the woman filed a report with Newmarket police that a man named "Justin" had raped her but recanted the story. When the young woman reported the abuse in 2021, she disclosed that the person she identified in 2014 was Gilbert and that he persuaded her to recant the allegations. "He told the (her) to give police a different name as he would get in trouble, and no one would believe (her)," Conway stated in court documents. "This is the reason why (she) recanted her original statement." More: Man who shot and killed Seabrook man in dispute over car now faces federal charge 132 accidents in 10 years: Route 33 safety improvements eyed in Stratham, Greenland Gilbert's trial set for May 2023 Gilbert, who has been out on bail, is being represented by Joseph Fricano, according to court documents. He has plead not guilty to the crimes. His attorney filed several motions including a notice of possible defense that the relationship was consensual. He also filed motions to exclude the word "victim" in court and to have the ability to present evidence of the young woman's prior sexual activity. A motion to suppress a phone conversation between the young woman's mom and Gilbert that was taped by police and could be viewed as an "involuntary confession" was also filed. However, the motion was denied. Gilbert is scheduled to go to trial in May. If convicted, Gilbert faces 10 to 20 years in prison on each count. If you need help As a community service, the following information is published with stories in which domestic and/or sexual violence is alleged, while making no judgment on the guilt or innocence of the accused: If you need support Haven has trained confidential advocates available. The free 24-hour hotline is (603) 994-SAFE (7233). Or to connect to Haven's confidential, online chat service Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., please click the Chat Now button on the website at havennh.org. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ex-Newmarket firefighter charged with sex assault of disabled teen Cody Easterday is headed to prison after being sentenced for a massive ghost cattle scam that defrauded Tyson Foods and another company out of more than a quarter billion dollars. Easterday pleaded guilty in March 2021 to wire fraud but has remained out of prison while he helped settle the bankruptcy for his familys extensive businesses, Easterday Farms and Easterday Ranches. Easterday was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Yakima to 11 years in prison. Hell be on probation for three years after that. He also was ordered to pay the full restitution of $244 million agreed to in his plea agreement. However, the judge will hear arguments at a later date, that could reduce the amount he still owes. It was, in a weird twisted way, the reason I was doing it ... was to fix the problem I had created. It was circular, Easterday said at the hearing. There is no excuse. Ive let a lot of people down, and it will take a long time to fix that, if I ever can. Im just sorry, and this is not the man I am, he said. Easterday will likely be sent to Sheridan Prison in Oregon, but the final decision will be made by the federal Bureau of Prisons. He will turn himself in at date that was not immediately disclosed in the hearing. His cooperation in the bankruptcy helped earn time off the possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years. Easterday admitted to what prosecutors dubbed a ghost cattle fraud in which he charged Tyson for the care of more than 265,000 head of cattle that never actually existed. He said he stole the money in order to offset more than $200 million in losses on the commodity futures market. Just this month his attorneys argued Easterday has a gambling addiction, in a bid to reduce his sentence. Cody Easterday of Easterday Farms looks out over his feedlot off Nine Canyon Road south of Kennewick in 2005. Final arguments Easterdays attorneys had asked federal Judge Stanley Bastian to spare him from prison for the crime, instead requesting he serve one year on house arrest and three years probation. They claimed the hundreds of millions of dollars he defrauded arbitrarily raises the sentencing range and should be used to determine his sentence. Story continues Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office said that Easterdays crime was massive, brazen and long-term and argued that a crime of that magnitude deserved an equally harsh sentence. Prosecutor John Fritz Scanlon said Easterday that while Easterday coming clean and trying to help guide the bankruptcy was commendable, he was only taking steps to fix a problem he had created. He didnt have much choice about coming clean, the cattle werent there, Scanlon said. Tyson was going to find out. Bastian said the theft was the largest he has ever seen, and likely ever will. Easterdays attorney, Carl Oreskovich, argued that he was an integral part of the agricultural community, who made a mistake and in trying to fix it kept digging himself deeper. They argued that using a sentence as a deterrent is ineffective, and said the guidelines do not take into account the kind of person Easterday is one who is constantly helping others. He described Easterday as a hand shake kind of guy, who was always good for his word. In asking for only house arrest, they said it was no more of a reach than sentencing him to as many as 12.5 years because a guideline said so. Eastern Washington U.S. District Court cases are heard at the federal courthouse in Yakima, Wash. Easterdays attorney also argued that Tyson should have known they were being defrauded by the sheer scale of the deception. Im not saying that it justifies anything, but at some point, I look at it and wonder whether he wanted to be caught, Oreskovich said. A representative for Tyson pushed back during their victim impact statement, saying that Easterday shook hands with a lot of people at Tyson, and he defrauded all of them. Scanlon said that coming in more than a year after pleading guilty and asking for no jail time did not come across as taking responsibility. Right now as hes sitting here to take responsibility, he shouldnt be coming in and saying actually I shouldnt spend any time in prison or pay back (the money), Scanlon said. Scanlon noted that the offsets Easterdays attorneys were arguing for would effectively wipe out what he still owed Tyson, leaving him having only paid about 29% of the $244 million stolen. The enormity and the audacity of this crime has captured the attention of the public, Scanlon argued. An appropriate sentence will send a message that if you commit a crime, you will be punished. If you commit enormous theft, youll get an appropriate sentence. Judge Bastian said he often has to decide sentences based on addiction, and the issue at hand was not drugs but money. He said he took into consideration the dozens of letters of support for Easterday, and the fact that dozens of people appeared in court Tuesday on Easterdays behalf. He also considered Easterdays cooperation and his admission of guilt without going to a trial. Im not sure how we got here. You built an empire, then you destroyed it. Bastian said. This wasnt greed, but I dont know how you got so deep into this you couldnt get out. I understand that youve spent the last year and a half trying to clean up the mess, so to speak. I give you credit for that. Bastian added that while it may upset some people to hear, many of the letters of support for Easterday came from those who had been on his payroll at one point. Youve had a lot of people who came here today, and who have written me ... Many people youve helped, Bastian said. Thats all great. Youve had a good life, but many of these people supporting you were paid by you. The Easterday Farms fresh onion facility at on North 1st Avenue in downtown Pasco is part of a new federal lawsuit claiming the Easterday family defaulted on payments. Gambling addiction The claim that Easterday suffers from a gambling addiction is a key component of the defenses request to lessen his sentence. His attorneys argued in court filings that his compulsion because of the gambling addiction was the reason he kept making commodity trades, and there is court precedent to reduce his sentence because of an addiction. While his lawyers have included a few excerpts from a mental health evaluation in their sentencing recommendation, they successfully petitioned to have the entire report be sealed for privacy reasons. They also claim that even before his death in a wrong-way collision, Codys father Gale Easterday had been suffering from Parkinsons Disease and a general decline in health. That was causing Gale Easterday to withdraw from closely overseeing his son and the business operations. Thats when he began making riskier trades and then scrambling to cover his losses, said his attorneys. The commodity futures trading was, according to Cody Easterdays attorneys, a part of their business model, as a hedge against fluctuating market prices. Prosecutors called the gambling addiction claim into question. Easterdays gambling addiction was diagnosed only after he was caught and by health care professionals who met with Easterday and his family for short periods of time and thus should be viewed skeptically, they wrote. The prosecutors say that Easterday only met with some of the professionals quoted for a few hours, and that none addressed how a gambling addiction would lead someone to steal significantly more than they had lost. Fraud discovered According to the filings, during a meeting with Tyson representatives on Nov. 30, 2020, Easterday admitted to Tyson that the cattle did not exist. He then cooperated with audits conducted by Tyson. Easterday Ranches North Lot cattle feedlot at 8230 Blanton Road near Eltopia in rural Franklin County. Cody Easterday kept a ledger of the false documentation, listing the nonexistent cattle as being held in Lot 99. Over the past decade Easterday Ranches did about $2 billion worth of business with Tyson, according to court filings. Easterday Farms also was making about $250 million in revenue as of 2020. On Dec. 10, 2020, he flew to Dakota Dunes, S.D., to meet with Tyson officials and laid out a plan to still feed cattle on Tysons behalf, but apply any profits to the debts owed to Tyson for the previous fraud. His father died later that night in the crash in Pasco. Later that month, Tyson filed a notice with the Securities Exchange Commission, notifying them of a $285 million loss due to misrepresentation of cattle numbers by a single unnamed supplier. Determining a sentence Federal sentencing guidelines are determined by a point system, with points assigned according to the severity of a crime and risk of reoffending. Easterdays sentencing recommendation is at 32 points. The base level offense of the crime is 7 points, the amount of money stolen increases it by 26 points, and another two points are added because sophisticated means were used to conduct the crime. Three points were taken off for acceptance of responsibility. Eastern Washington U.S. District Court cases are heard at the federal courthouse in Yakima, Wash. At 32 points, the sentencing range of 10 and 12.5 years is significantly less than the 14 to 17.5 years he could face based on the points scale. His attorneys believe the 26 points for the amount stolen should be disregarded because of his good behavior, standing in the community and gambling addiction. Restitution After the sentencing, Cody Easterdays attorneys argued for more time to determine how much restitution should be ordered. His attorneys are asking Judge Stanley Bastian to hold off on the restitution, as they argue Tyson is owed significantly less. In a nearly 60-page filing last week, Easterdays attorneys claim that Tyson actually owes him money for various things, which would ultimately reduce the remaining debt to just $7.5 million. If the court agreed to their claims, that would mean Cody Easterday ultimately would pay back less than 30%, or about $70 million, of the $244 million he pleaded guilty to stealing. Cody Easterdays attorneys are arguing that Tyson Foods owes him as much as $100 million for using his likeness in a branding deal for beef sold in Japan. Images of the branding materials was included in a recent court filing. The biggest claim his lawyers are making is that Tyson owes Cody Easterday $100 million for a branding deal for beef sold in Japan over the course of 7 to 8 years. They claim Easterdays likeness was used, but he was not compensated. While marketing materials for that branding deal were included in the filing, a contract or cost breakdown was not. It is unclear how his attorneys settled on the $100 million value. Cody Easterdays attorneys are also claiming that Tyson illegally collected $51 million in interest and owes Easterday about $12 million for care and feed for the cattle. In filings ahead of sentencing, the U.S. Attorneys Office indicated that they are amenable to determining what, if any, other offsets Cody Easterday is entitled to, but would object based on the possible impact to when Easterday would have to report to prison. The familys bankruptcy proceedings are also nearly wrapped up, with a tentative settlement agreed upon by most debtors. By Marianna Parraga HOUSTON (Reuters) -Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido asked the United States for details of Chevron Corp's expanded license request to operate in the South American country, according to a letter sent to a senior U.S. official on Monday that also asked to be consulted before any U.S. decisions. Guaido's team is concerned an agreement between Chevron and Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA underlying the license request would not be legal under Venezuelan law, according to people familiar with the matter. Guaido's envoys are expected to meet this month with U.S. officials in Washington and lay out those reservations. Chevron, the last major U.S. oil producer still in Venezuela, reached a preliminary technical service agreement with PDVSA this year to revamp their joint ventures. The pact would give Chevron a greater say in operations, trading and procurement, aiming to expand oil output. However, no action can be taken until the U.S. government reviews the agreement and rules on Chevron's request for a broader license to operate in Venezuela under U.S. sanctions on PDVSA and President Nicolas Maduro's administration. Chevron's existing U.S. authorization expires Dec. 1. The United States and other Western nations called Maduro's 2018 re-election a sham, and recognized Guaido's interim government as rightful. A senior U.S. State Department official declined to comment on the request. However, a spokesperson said: "We have previously signaled that we would review our sanctions policies in response to constructive steps by the Maduro regime to restore free and fair elections in Venezuela" through negotiations with the U.S.-recognized interim government and opposition parties. The office of Guaido's ambassador to the United States, Carlos Vecchio, did not reply to a request for comment. Chevron did not comment on Guaido's request for license details, but said in a statement the company continues to conduct business in compliance with the current sanctions framework and remains committed to the "integrity of its joint venture assets, and the company's social and humanitarian programs." Story continues The U.S. Treasury Department and PDVSA did not reply to requests for comment. "It is understood that for some actors this decision may seem to be merely of a commercial nature," Guaido said in an Oct. 3 letter to Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols, seen by Reuters. "I would like to insist that this issue regarding oil licenses over Venezuela could make the difference between achieving an effective and successful negotiation that will make possible the return of democracy in Venezuela," he wrote. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in August asked Chevron for details on its PDVSA deal. At stake are millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil that could help replace Russian supplies and expected OPEC production cuts. An expanded license could also allow Chevron to recoup at least a portion of billions of dollars in unpaid debts from its four joint ventures. Washington has pressed to resume dialogue in Mexico between the Venezuelan government and the opposition, a move that so far has failed to deliver a concrete schedule for the talks. Maduro last week released seven Americans held in Venezuelan jails in return for two Venezuelans held in the United States. President Joe Biden's administration has said dialogue is a condition for any easing of sanctions, and helped organized meetings that could prompt the Mexico talks: one on Oct. 13 in Panama for opposition parties to discuss topics including elections; and another on Oct. 17 to receive Guaido's envoy Gerardo Blyde in Washington. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga and Gary McWilliams; Additional reporting by Vivian Sequera in Caracas and Humeyra Pamuk in Santiago; Editing by Josie Kao) WASHINGTON (AP) Elon Musk's sudden about face on a $44 billion agreement to acquire Twitter, reversing an earlier attempt to rescind that offer, came as a surprise even from the mercurial billionaire who loves to shock. It sent shares of the social media platform soaring Tuesday and stoked alarm among some media watchdogs and civil rights groups about what kind of free speech will flourish on Twitter under Musk. Yet the legal challenges faced by Musk in the three months since he announced that he intended to back out of the deal continued to mount, increasingly closing off avenues of escape for the Tesla CEO. Gambles, missteps, and potential reprieves that failed to pan out, weakened an already dicey case for withdrawal. And then there is the potentially embarrassing deposition scheduled for Thursday and what most considered a long-shot chance for reprieve before a Chancery Court in Delaware in less than two weeks. Musk said he'll only agree to continue willingly with the acquisition if that trial is put on hold. Here's a look at how the legal battle unfolded: What was Musk's main argument for backing out of buying Twitter? Musk grounded his argument largely on the allegation that Twitter vastly misrepresented how it measures the magnitude of spam bot accounts, a discrepancy that could diminish the money advertisers are willing to pay to appear on the platform. But he faced a difficult challenge in making that case to Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the courts head judge. The judge was widely expected to focus narrowly in line with the courts mandate: on the merger agreement between Musk and Twitter, and whether anything had changed since it was signed in April that would justify terminating the deal. She also made clear she wanted to proceed with the case swiftly, and several times denied Musks attempts to delay it and keep bringing in new evidence. A former Twitter head of security, fired early this year and turned whistleblower, appeared to bolster Musks argument. Peiter Mudge Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, filed complaints in July with federal regulators and the Justice Department alleging that Twitter misled regulators about its efforts to control millions of spam accounts as well as its cyber defenses. Story continues Yet any hope that Musk's case would be bolstered by Zatkos disclosures was a longshot, said Brian Quinn, a professor at Boston College Law School, and in the end, it didnt really change the (legal) landscape in any significant way. Did Musk's approach to buying Twitter hurt or help his case? He was fairly cavalier, Quinn said. Recently released text messages between Musk and others appear jubilant over Musk's large stake in Twitter and the potential for taking a board seat. It wasnt until after Musk signed the merger agreement in late April that he undertook whats called due diligence, or a close inspection, of the company's health. It is only then that he started lodging complaints about bots, Quinn said. That may not have impressed the judge as the right approach for someone buying a major company. Why did Musk change his mind now? In addition to the trial and Thursday deposition, the cost of borrowing money is ticking steadily higher as the Federal Reserve and central banks worldwide attempt to constrain soaring inflation. If Musk lost at trial, the judge could not only force him to close the deal but also impose interest payments that would make Twitter even more expensive for Musk than the current $44 billion price tag. Experts say the interest costs likely started piling up mid-September. But of course the deal isnt done yet, and there are legal hoops yet to be jumped through. Given Musks track record and volatility, it would be a mistake to assume that its tied up in a bow. Elon Musk's monthslong tussle with Twitter took another twist this week when the Tesla billionaire seemed to return to where he started in April offering to buy the company for $44 billion. But it's not over yet. Twitter says it intends to close the deal at the agreed-upon price, but the two sides are still booked for an Oct. 17 trial in Delaware over Musk's earlier attempts to terminate the deal. The judge presiding over the case said this week that she will continue to press on toward our trial because neither side has formally moved to stop it and on Thursday she ordered both sides to wrap up disputes over evidence. IS THE TRIAL STILL ON? Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the Delaware Chancery Court's head judge, hasnt explicitly weighed in on Musks new proposal, but in a Wednesday ruling on an unrelated evidence dispute she made clear that nothing had changed for the court. The parties have not filed a stipulation to stay this action, nor has any party moved for a stay, she wrote. I, therefore, continue to press on toward our trial set to begin on October 17." On Thursday, she reiterated that the trial is fast approaching in a letter to lawyers and ordered Musk's side to respond to outstanding evidentiary disputes by midday Friday. Musk's lawyer told Twitter this week that the Tesla CEO will complete the deal as long as he lines up the promised debt financing and provided that the Delaware court drops Twitters lawsuit against him. But Twitter is unlikely to give up on its legal proceedings unless it confirms that the deal is for real this time and not a tactical gambit. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Twitter lawyers had been preparing to grill Musk in a deposition set to begin Thursday, but it appears to have been put off as Musk's renewed takeover offer remained in play. The interview was scheduled to happen in Austin, Texas, not far from Tesla's headquarters, after wrangling between the two sides over its location and timing. An earlier meeting was also postponed after Musk raised concerns about potential exposure to COVID-19, which led Twitter lawyers to complain to the judge about Musk's long resistance to the meeting and concerns that he is seeking to evade fair examination as the central witness in the dispute with less than two weeks before the trial begins. Story continues At the time he had been scheduled to be deposed, Musk was tweeting about Russia's war in Ukraine. IS MUSK READY FOR TWITTER TAKEOVER? Musk's ability to avert a trial and take Twitter private depends in part on how soon he and his co-investors can put up $44 billion to close the deal he spent months fighting to get out of. Musk had already started preparing for the possibility a likely one according to legal experts that the court could side with Twitter in forcing the merger to go through. He sold about $7 billion worth of Tesla shares in August, saying it was important to avoid an emergency stock sale if the deal were forced to close and some equity partners dont come through. It's not clear where those equity partners are today. Musk in May announced he had strengthened his stake with commitments of more than $7 billion from a group of investors, including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who contributed $1 billion. I agree that is has huge potential ... and it would be lots of fun, Ellison told Musk in April, according to text messages disclosed last week in a court filing. But Ellison hasn't weighed in publicly on the renewed offer. Powerful explosions were heard in the occupied city of Kherson in southern Ukraine. Read also: Ukrainian Army liberates several settlements in Kherson Oblast The strike also damaged a building located near the hotel. Read also: Russians announce volunteer mobilization units in Kherson, fears men in occupied area may be targeted Allegedly, the explosions source was the Ninel hotel in the central part of the city, which is rumored to quarter Russian FSB security service agents, as well as pro-Russian collaborators. The blast is said to have resulted in casualties, though no official confirmation has been issued by any group. Read also: Russian invaders tried and failed to bribe locals in Kherson Oblast to take part in sham referendum, activists claim Russian media reported on Sept. 25 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a hotel in occupied Kherson where RT propagandists were based. According to preliminary information, the attack killed former Ukrainian Party of Regions MP and collaborator, Oleksiy Zhuravko. Ukrainian forces also struck at a large cluster of Russian military who were quartering in a dormitory building belonging to a local university in occupied Kherson on Sept. 28. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Actress Park Eun-bin to meet fans in Singapore. (ILLUSTRATION: Viu) SINGAPORE Fans of Park Eun-bin in Singapore can get to meet the South Korean actress up close next month. The star of TV series Extraordinary Attorney Woo will be holding her first Asian fan meet tour organised by Viu on 11 November at 8pm at the Capitol Theatre, which also includes stops in Manila, Bangkok and Tokyo. Park has been widely praised for her role as rookie lawyer Woo Young-woo who has autism spectrum disorder in Extraordinary Attorney Woo. In July, the show became the No.1 most viewed non-English series on Netflix for two weeks and remains popular around the world. Her portrayal of Woo has ignited widespread debate about workplace autism. The 30-year-old award-winning actress has also starred in dramas like Hot Stove League, Do You Like Brahms?, and The Kings Affection. Tickets for Parks fan meet in Singapore will be sold from next Wednesday (12 October) at 12pm and are priced at $188, $168, $128 excluding booking fees. All ticket holders can take part in a lucky draw to win signed A4 posters. A separate lucky draw will be held for VIP and Cat A ticket holders to win a polaroid selfie of the actress. Yahoo Singapore Telegram Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) The family of a migrant authorities say was shot to death in Texas by two brothers including one who was the warden of a detention facility with a history of abuse allegations are demanding more information this week, as the two men charged in the killing were released from jail. Jesus Ivan Sepulveda, 22, of Durango, Mexico, was identified by family members as the man who was killed in the Hudspeth County shooting that also left one woman injured. The woman remained hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday, according to a statement from the Mexican Consulate, Sepulveda was trying to get to the Texas capital of Austin to reunite with his wife and two children a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old and hoped to make enough money to build a home for his family in Mexico, his family said. People go (to the U.S.) to follow a dream, Napoleon Sepulveda, the victim's father, told the El Paso Times in Juare z, Mexico, on Tuesday. And theyre just out there hunting people down. DPS said the victims were among a group of migrants drinking water from a reservoir near a road when a truck with two men inside pulled over. The group took cover to avoid being seen, according to court documents, but emerged when the truck backed up. Witnesses told authorities that one of the men in the truck yelled derogatory terms and revved the engine. The driver then exited the vehicle and fired two shots at the group. Michael Sheppard, a former warden at the privately run West Texas Detention Facility, which can house immigrant detainees, and his brother Mark Sheppard, both 60, were arrested and charged with manslaughter following the shooting. Both were released on a $250,000 bail each this week, according to the Hudspeth County Sheriff's Office. A voicemail left Wednesday at a number belonging to Mark Sheppard was not immediately returned. No current contact information was immediately available for Michael Sheppard, and it was not clear whether either has retained an attorney. Story continues A spokesman for facility operator Louisiana-based Lasalle Corrections, which runs the West Texas Detention Facility, told The Associated Press last week in an email that Michael Sheppard had been fired as warden due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment." The Mexican Consulate said it was working with local attorneys to seek possible cases for human rights violations. Additionally, the Anti-Defamation League has been notified about the shooting. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat, said Michael Sheppard was warden at the West Texas center during the period examined in a 2018 report by The University of Texas and Texas A&M immigration law clinics and the immigration advocacy group RAICES. The reported cited multiple allegations of physical and verbal abuse against African migrants at the facility. Information provided by Doggetts office shows the webpage for LaSalle Corrections listed Sheppard as an employee at West Texas since 2015. According to the report, the warden was involved in three of the detainees reports of verbal threats, as well as in incidents of physical assault. The warden cited in the report was not named. Sepulveda's death was the first of two deadly shootings along the U.S.-Mexico border in less than a week. A Mexican citizen who was in custody was fatally shot at a the Ysleta Border Patrol Station in El Paso on Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the FBI said. The Border Patrol said its agents were involved in the shooting, but no details were released about what preceded it. The Mexican Consulate in El Paso said the man who died was a Mexican citizen who was being processed at the station when criminal charges against him were discovered. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting. The proposals have met fierce opposition Controversial rules aimed at reducing agricultural pollution in rivers are being delayed by three months, the Welsh government has announced. Ministers will also consult on a licensing scheme giving more generous allowances for farmers spreading slurry and fertiliser on land. They have promised to provide an extra 20m to help farmers comply. Farming unions and opposition parties have been opposed to the all-Wales nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ). A Plaid Cymru source said their party had pushed Labour ministers to act. "If we weren't in the co-operation agreement [in the Senedd] with the government, this wouldn't have happened," they said. Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths said the new steps "represent further significant action towards our shared aim to reduce pollution from agriculture and our continued commitment to do so in partnership with the farming community to achieve lasting results". Welsh government ministers have defended the original proposals, which control how farmers spread slurry and fertiliser, as vitally important to tackling river pollution incidents. Speaking in February 2021, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "The level of pollution incidents in the agriculture sphere are damaging the reputation of farmers, they are damaging our environment." But farming unions had called the regulations "draconian" and "punitive". In a statement on the proposed changes, Ms Griffiths said a court challenge had caused some farmers to delay preparing for the regulations. Plaid Cymru had called on government ministers to rethink "These preparations are now also under pressure due to the current rising cost pressures we are all experiencing, alongside the wider backdrop of the global implications of the war in Ukraine," she added. The minister said she would delay the implementation of the annual nitrogen holding limit of 170kg per hectare for three months from 1 January 2023 to 1 April 2023. She is also consulting on a licensing scheme to extend the holding limit to 250kg of nitrogen per hectare, which could last until 2025. Story continues Samuel Kurtz MS, of the Welsh Conservatives, said: "I'm pleased that some progress has been made on making these NVZ regulations more proportionate, but time will tell if Plaid's cosying up to Labour will deliver for our rural communities. "Nothing has been guaranteed by this consultation, and if the Welsh government failed to take notice of the industry's longstanding concerns on the derogation limit previously, then this could be nothing more than a desperate attempt by Plaid and Labour to salvage their reputation with the agricultural industry. "However, we must treat this as a fresh opportunity to seek parity for Welsh farmers with our UK neighbours. The additional 20m is welcome and will go some way to helping the industry meet the wider aspects of this regulation." Plaid Cymru's rural affairs spokesman, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS, said: "Plaid Cymru has consistently argued for a more proportionate approach that works for farmers and for better financial help to support changes. "Today's statement will directly address these points and provide greater security to farmers and the agricultural community at a time of great uncertainty. It offers a way forward that can work for all. "Plaid Cymru now encourages all farmers to participate in the consultation to ensure the voice of rural and agricultural Wales is heard loud and clear." NFU Cymru said it welcomed the proposed changes, adding: "The union is pleased that through the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, the government has listened to the very real concerns of Welsh farmers and has shown some recognition of the impacts that the regulations, in their original form, will have on Welsh farming's viability and the knock-on impact on the supply chain. "The licensing component now being consulted on by government gives all interested parties more time to find a fit-for-purpose, evidence-based solution that delivers the outcomes for water quality that we all wish to see, alongside a thriving Welsh agricultural sector." Around the BBC iPlayer banner Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony 2008 A plaque depicting Alfred Nobel at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo on Dec. 10, 2008 in Oslo, Norway. Credit - Chris JacksonGetty Images The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced at 11am local time on Friday in Oslo, Norway. The Peace Prize is one of six awards established by Swedish chemist (and inventor of dynamite) Alfred Nobel in 1895. The prize is considered the most expansive in its recognition, given that it awards people who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The other five recognize contributions in literature, physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and economic sciences. The winner is selected by the five-person Norwegian Nobel Committee, which is appointed by Norways parliament. According to a Reuters survey, Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, British nature broadcaster David Attenborough, the World Health Organization, environmental activist Greta Thunberg, Pope Francis, Tuvalus foreign minister Simon Kofe, and Myanmars National Unity government are among those who have been nominated by Norwegian lawmakers. The lawmakers have a track record of picking the eventual winner. Below, a list of some of the favorites to win, based on nominations that were made public via Norwegian lawmakers, bookmakers odds, and a personal shortlist by the director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo. Volodymyr Zelensky Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was on the 2022 TIME 100 list, is the bookmakers favorite to win the peace prize. After Russian President Vladimir Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, Zelensky stood firm in Kyiv. He recorded a simple message, saying: We are here We are in Kyiv. We are protecting Ukraine. Zelensky has since repeatedly spoken out against Russias actions on the global stage and urged international allies to punish the Kremlin for its aggression. He has had his share of close escapes; as the war first broke out, Russian troops were just minutes from finding him and his family. And more than seven months after the conflict broke outand after Russia annexed parts of UkraineZelensky continues to advocate for the country. Story continues Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has been living in exile ever since running against Alexander Lukashenko in the countrys 2020 presidential election. Lukashenko claimed victory despite concerns that the election was unfair and a widespread belief that the results put Tsikhanouskaya ahead of him. Tsikhanouskaya didnt always intend to enter politics. She was a full-time mother who had been considering restarting her career as an English teacher until May 2020 when Belarusian authorities arrested her husbandbringing his campaign to President to an end. Thats when she stepped in. Her candidacy galvanized many Belarusians and women in particular. After Lukashenko claimed victory two years ago, he ordered security forces to crack down violently on protests. Demonstrations against Lukashenkos regime have continued since and Tsikhanouskaya has continued to play a key role in challenging the President and authorities in calls for fair elections and an end to violence. Tsikhanouskaya was on the 2021 TIME100 Next list, which honors emerging leaders shaping the future. Alexey Navalny Russias jailed opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny has been a key figure in fighting for democratic reform. In 2011, Navalny created the Anti-Corruption Foundation to investigate high ranking Russian officials for corruption. For years, he has worked to hold Putins regimealong with its allied oligarchsaccountable. Navalnys work has come at a high cost to his personal safety and freedom. He survived an assassination attempt in 2020, when he was poisoned by a nerve agent. Despite the danger to his life, he returned to Russia after living briefly in Germany during his recovery. Navalny has some critics on the liberal side, too. Amnesty International stripped Navalny of his prisoner of conscience status after receiving many complaints about xenophobic comments he made that appeared to compare immigrants to cockroaches. Navalny was recognized on the 2021 TIME100 list. The U.N. Refugee Agency The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been at the forefront of responding to crises in Ukraine and Afghanistan, providing cash assistance and relief items to those in need. The war in Ukraine has led to more than 7.2 million refugees from Ukraine across Europe since Feb. 24 and more than 6.9 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced, according to the U.N. It amounts to Europes largest refugee crisis since the Second World War. In recent years, UNHCR has also led humanitarian responses to the Syrian war and the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean. The agency previously received the peace prize in 1954 and 1981. The World Health Organization For almost three years, the World Health Organization has been at the forefront of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In that time, it has garnered praise for providing money, vaccines, and equipment to help contain the disease around the world. The WHO-backed COVAX program, which focuses on poorer countries, has so far delivered more than 1.7 billion vaccines to 146 countries. But the United Nations agency has also been criticized for a series of missteps. Among them: a weeks delay in declaring the outbreak in China an international emergency, contradictory statements about asymptomatic spread, and a lack of urgency in advising people to wear masks to reduce transmission in the early phases of the outbreak. The WHO was also considered a frontrunner to win the peace prize in both 2020 and 2021. Simon Kofe Tuvalus foreign minister Simon Kofe has made it a key part of his mission to address the climate crisis. Rising seas are a significant threat for sinking Pacific islands like Tuvalu, which is the fourth smallest country in the world and made up of nine small islands. Kofe delivered his COP26 speech while knee-deep in the ocean to show just how much global warming and the sea level rise was impacting the island nation. Kofe pulled out of this years U.N. Ocean Conference to protest Chinas decision to block Taiwanese delegates. David Attenborough David Attenborough, 95, is most beloved for his iconic voice and award-winning nature series, including Life on Earth and The Blue Planet. His works have intimately showcased wildlife and nature for many decades. More recently, Attenborough has spoken before the U.N. and World Economic Forum to advocate for addressing the climate crisis. Greta Thunberg Swedish climate activist Greta Thunburg, TIMEs 2019 Person of the Year, has kept the pressure on global powers to do more to combat the climate crisis. Thunberg has long been vocal about a lack of action on climate change. In 2021, she dismissed the COP26 climate summit as a failuresaying that it did not do enough to drastically cut CO2 emissions. More recently, she took aim at Swedish politicianssaying that they ignored the climate crisis ahead of Septembers national elections. Thunberg first rose to fame in 2018 after starting a movement for students across the world to protest in favor of actions to combat the climate crisis. The 19-year-old has been considered a favorite to win the Peace Prize every year since 2019. Pratik Sinha and Mohammed Zubair Journalists Pratik Sinha and Mohammed Zubair, co-founders of Indian fact checking website AltNews, have relentlessly been battling misinformation in India, where the Hindu nationalist BJP party has been accused of frequently stoking discrimination against Muslims. Sinha and Zubair have methodologically debunked rumors and fake news circulating on social media and called out hate speech. Indian authorities arrested Zubair in June for a meme he tweeted four years ago. Journalists around the world condemned the arrest and argued it was retribution for his fact-checking work. It is apparent that AltNews alert vigilance was resented by those who use disinformation as a tool to polarize the society and rake nationalist sentiments, said a June 28 statement from the Editors Guild of India. The Committee to Protect Journalists also called for Zubairs releasepointing to his arrest as another low for press freedom in India, where the government has created a hostile and unsafe environment for members of the press reporting on sectarian issues. Myanmar National Unity Government The Myanmar National Unity Government emerged as a shadow government after the countrys military detained Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup last February. The military charged her with violating COVID-19 rules and corruption. More than 1,000 people have been killed since her arrest. Thousands more have been arrested for protesting military rule. The Myanmar National Unity Government is made up of elected officials who oppose military rule; many remain in exile. Myanmars military has ruled with a heavy handperpetuating a genocide against Rohingya Muslims and cracking down on nationwide protests calling for democratic reform. Other contenders The director of the Peace Research Institute Oslos personal shortlist includes Tsikhanouskaya and Navalny but also features: the International Court of Justice; Indian activist Harsh Mander and Karwan-e-Mohabbat (Caravan of Love); Uyghur activist Ilham Tohti and Hong Kong activists Agnes Chow and Nathan Law; and the Human Rights Data Analysis Group Center (HRDAG) and the Center for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies (CANVAS). Bookmakers also list the People of Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. According to the Reuters survey, the Arctic Council, aid group CARE, Chelsea Manning, Iranian human rights activist Masih Alinejad, the International Criminal Court, NATO, and WikiLeaks are also nominees that have been revealed by Norwegian lawmakers. This story was updated on Oct. 5, including the addition of more names. Several sources have confirmed to Boston 25 that the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force apprehended a suspect wanted for multiple Boston bank robberies Wednesday afternoon. According to sources, the man was arrested at approximately 4:00 p.m. when he walked into the Citizens Bank on Boylston Street. While members of the FBI were talking to a bank manager, warning them about the suspects recent crime spree, the man allegedly walked into the building. Agents took him down inside the Citizens Bank, according to an eyewitness. Sources told Boston 25 that the suspect has spent more than three decades in jail for bank robberies and had robbed at least four Boston banks in the last week and a half. The suspect has been taken to the Boston Police District Four building in the South End. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Photograph: Apu Gomes/AFP/Getty Images The FBIs annual crime data released on Wednesday suggested a slight increase in homicides in the US in 2021, but officials warned that the statistics were incomplete and excluded some major cities due to a new data tracking system. The agency said that homicides increased by 4.3% in 2021, following a nearly 30% surge in homicides in 2020, which marked the largest single-year increase since the FBI began keeping count in the 1960s. But the murder rate still remained below the historic highs of 1991. While the estimates suggest homicides did not rise as steeply as they did in 2020, it appears they remained higher than they were before the onset of the pandemic. The data suggested that 58% of the homicide victims were Black, and 37% were white. For victims where ethnicity was reported, 14% were identified as Latino. The FBI estimates that the number of murders increased from 22,000 in 2020 to 22,900 in 2021. The FBI said that overall violent crime, however, decreased by 1%, with the robbery rate declining by 8.9% and the property crime rate dropping by 4.5%. Experts, however, caution that the margin of error in the FBIs new estimates is larger than the suggested increases and decreases, making it difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions from the report. Wednesdays data does not paint a full picture of homicide trends in the US, however. The FBI recently transitioned to a new data collection system, the national incident-based reporting system (NIBRS), which, according to the agency, offers more granular and better-quality data. But only 52% of US law enforcement agencies had submitted their full 2021 data by the deadline, covering roughly 65% of the population. New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Phoenix were among the cities that did not submit data, leaving major gaps in the database. This missing data from law enforcement agencies that have yet to make the transition to NIBRS could not have come at a worse time, said Jeff Asher, a New Orleans-based data analyst who co-founded AH Datalytics, a company that uses homicide data from 22 major US cities to estimate crime trends. Its one thing to estimate in calm waters and another to do it in 2021 after we have had a surge in gun violence, Asher said. Story continues US homicide and crime data was never released quickly and could be infrequent at times in the past, but before this year it at least captured nearly the entire nation and had a degree of certainty that 2021s FBI data will not, Asher said. Given the politics associated with crime trends and the impending midterms, voters need access to data that will allow them to make informed choices rather than being solely reliant on police, officials and candidates whose political interests are often tied to the ebb and flow of crime, Asher added. It leaves the conversation in an untenable place to understand what is truly happening and create effective public policy in response, he said. Theres an air of uncertainty with crime, with one candidate saying crime is up and another says its down. And both of them could be right. After reviewing the data on Wednesday, Asher added, We have so little precision and confidence in the data ... The margins of error are so big. Im worried that not having the authoritative data people rely on will strand our understanding of national crime trends in 2020 for another year, echoed Ames Grawert, senior counsel in the justice program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a law and policy thinktank. Since we cant say things with authority our policy response will be grounded in the past and may make it harder to think about creative and necessary solutions. Grawert said while the data needed to be approached with caution, the estimated 4.3% increase in homicides appeared in line with city-level data and anecdotal reports. People living and working in communities with high levels of violence say 2021 has felt little different from the year before, with many of them describing living through a second year of anxiety and trauma due to increased homicides. At least 102 people were killed in Oakland in 2020, 24 more than the year before. In 2021, 134 were killed including Chalinda Hatchers 15-year-old daughter Shamara Young. The teenager was shot on 6 October while on her way home from a hair appointment. Her uncle, who had been shot non-fatally at a transit station less than six months before the incident, drove her to Highland hospital in Oakland, where she died. One minute Im talking to her on the phone the next minute shes gone, Hatcher recalled. Once they told me she didnt make it, everything went black. Its still really sad for me. I miss her so much. The gun violence saddens me so much. When it was really high last year I was so scared because every other day you turn around and someone is getting shot, Hatcher, 38, added about shootings in her city last year. I realized that people are on edge and out here wildin out. [Shootings] went up and it still feels like theyre up, echoed Paul Carillo, director of the Center for Violence Intervention at Giffords law center for violence prevention. The numbers are comparable and I cant make a distinction between the years, all I know is that its too high and folks are scrambling to meet the need. At the beginning of the pandemic street-level violence prevention workers also became health advocates who delivered masks, hand sanitizer and food in the communities that were simultaneously at greatest risk of dying from Covid and lived in areas where there were decades of gun violence and underinvestment. Though the need for prevention workers to act as health workers tapered off in 2021, groups remained inundated with shootings and ever-growing caseloads of young people in need of housing and mental health care. The regularity of shootings puts violence prevention staff in constant triage mode, Carillo said. Once you clock in there are already two to three bodies on the ground and you have to respond. No one has been arrested for killing Shamara Young and Hatcher said that without the support of the gun violence prevention non-profits Youth Alive! And Adamika Village she doesnt know how she would have managed to keep going and raise her 13-year-old twin sons. Now she is hoping to leave Oakland and move to a city where she wont be afraid to let her remaining children out of her sight. I have to leave before another one of my kids is gone, she said. I dont wanna keep them in the house like prisoners. They deserve to have a life and its threatened here. Oct. 5A federal judge has refused to dismiss a majority of the retaliation claims launched against West Chester Twp. officials by two former police captains who accused the police chief of creating an "intolerable" workplace. The officials who were sued asked the court to dismiss the allegations as unfounded and claimed governmental immunity, but the judge has ruled against them on most of the issues. Former captains Joe Gutman and Jamie Hensley filed suit in June 2021 seeking an undisclosed amount including lost pay and benefits and compensatory and punitive damages, among other requests. The lawsuit is against Police Chief Joel Herzog, the township trustees and township Administrator Larry Burks and the independent lawyer hired to investigate allegations against the chief. U.S. District Court Judge Michael R. Barrett issued his ruling on Friday, dismissing a couple claims as redundant or inappropriate this early in the litigation but finding in many cases the township officials "acted in at least bad faith." Hensley quit the department in 2020, and Gutman left in January last year after what the suit describes as "intolerable" work conditions. The pair claimed Herzog made sexist comments about female employees and their appearance; referred to two officers as "White Mike" and "Brown Mike," "mocked" Trustee Lee Wong's accent, referred to Indian residents as "dots" and his allergist, the husband of a mosque leader, as a "terrorist." They also claimed Herzog gave preferential treatment to some employees. After the captains began complaining, they say Herzog began freezing them out of command staff decisions, undermining their authority and giving them less than stellar performance reviews, which impacted their pay, among other things. The motion to dismiss filed a year ago said the retaliation claim must be dismissed because the defendants are entitled to statutory immunity. It also says there is no proof of retaliation. The judge said there is a provision of Ohio law that "provides absolute immunity to employees of political subdivisions against civil liability, with some exceptions." Story continues "Plaintiffs argue that one of the exceptions applies here. Plaintiffs explain that Herzog and Burks acted 'with malicious purpose, in bad faith, or in a wanton or reckless manner,' and therefore they are not entitled to immunity under Ohio Revised Code...," Barrett wrote. "In order to reject the argument that the immunity exception applies, the Court must find that the complaint is 'devoid of allegations tending to show that the defendants acted in at least bad faith.' Here, the amended complaint is not devoid of such allegations." The suit also takes the township to task for publicly releasing the 54-page investigation report by consultant Douglas Duckett before he talked to everyone with information about the situation and making statements supporting the chief. The captains are accusing the trustees and others of defamation. Duckett concluded Herzog did not deserve disciplinary action but needed to make some improvements. The motions to dismiss say the township officials have statutory immunity because they were acting in their official capacity by keeping the public informed about the issue. Plus they did not act with "malice, in bad faith, wantonly or recklessly." Barrett disagreed again, as he did when examining the individual claims against the trustees, Burks and Duckett and denied the dismissal motion. "The Board of Trustees argue that even if Plaintiffs have plausibly alleged a claim for defamation, they are entitled to statutory immunity. However, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have included allegations in the Amended Complaint tending to show that the Board of Trustees acted 'in at least bad faith'...," Barrett wrote. "Plaintiffs allege that the Board of Trustees, along with Burks, 'directed Defendant Duckett to prepare a report and recommendations for public consumption that they knew contained false accusations about Plaintiff, warped the investigative evidence to justify additional retaliation, and would ultimately result in Plaintiffs' termination or resignation.' As such, statutory immunity under Ohio Revised Code 2744.03(A)(6) does not apply at this stage of the proceedings." The captains' attorney Elizabeth Tuck told the Journal-News this is a big win for her clients whose "long and distinguished careers" were irreparably damaged by "Chief Herzog and his cronies." She told the Journal-News "they intended to retire from policing and the department many years in the future, so they have lost massive amounts in pay and pension." "We are extremely pleased with the judge's decision," Tuck said. "This means that Chief Herzog and the other individuals who destroyed the captains' careers to cover up what was going on in the department are going to have to answer for their statements and actions." The township generally does not comment on pending litigation. "Litigation is a process that has to run its course," Barb Wilson, director of public information and engagement told the Journal-News. "To comment specifically on details as they are revealed could have impact on the overall case, so West Chester will wait for final outcomes from the court." A North Carolina woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison for distributing the drugs fentanyl in particular that led to the overdoses of multiple people and the death of at least one. Victoria Kerrigan Irby, 26, of Brevard, was sentenced in federal court by Judge Max Cogburn on Monday, according to a news release by the U.S. Department of Justice. She pleaded guilty earlier this year to possession with intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and a quantity of buprenorphine. As part of her plea, Irby admitted to knowingly and intentionally distributing a mixture or substance that contained fentanyl to an individual who died as a result of the drug. Irby was convicted and sentenced on federal trafficking offenses and not under North Carolinas relatively new death by distribution law. The act of selling someone the drug that kills them became a felony known as death by distribution in the state in 2019. As an investigation from The Charlotte Observers revealed just this week, overdose deaths are particularly difficult to prosecute. Out of just under 100 cases of death by distribution charges, only six have so far led to convictions. Fentanyl overdose is becoming increasingly common in North Carolina, and fentanyl itself is the most common drug distributed in Charlotte because other drugs are laced with it, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officials say. Fentanyl-related overdoses increased 30% from 2020 to 2021 in North Carolina, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Irby distributed narcotics in and around Buncombe County, according to court records. Between 2018 and 2019, multiple of her customers overdosed after taking pure and mixed fentanyl and Irby had to revive them, court records show. In May 2019, according to prosecutors, one of those overdose victims died. Irbys conduct of continuing to sell fentanyl she knew was causing her customers to overdose and her continuing to sell fentanyl even after the fentanyl death occurred was particularly troubling, Cogburn said in the release. Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman said Tuesday that his health is not a major concern after he suffered a stroke in May and said his Republican opponent, Mehmet Oz, lies about my health again and again. Fetterman, who currently serves as Pennsylvanias lieutenant governor, said during an appearance on MSNBC on Tuesday that medical officials have said hes fit and ready to serve. Dr. Oz lies about my health again and again. Its the Oz rule again. When hes on TV, hes going to be lying. And the truth is also is that in January, Im going to be much better but hell still be a fraud, Fetterman said. Fetterman previously spent months dodging Ozs requests to debate, leading Oz to suggest in early September that the Democrat is either healthy and hes dodging the debate because he does not want to answer for his radical left positions, or hes too sick to participate in the debate. Oz has called on his opponent to release his medical records. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazettes editorial board similarly raised concern about Fettermans debate dodging, writing that if he is not well enough to debate his opponent, that raises serious concerns about his ability to serve as a United States senator. However, Fetterman and Oz ultimately agreed to hold a single debate on October 25. Fetterman also spoke about his stroke recovery, including his auditory processing difficulties, during a campaign event over the weekend. As you know, I had a stroke, he said in a twelve minute speech in Pittsburgh. Oh and Im so grateful to be here today now after surviving that better and better, you know? You know, the only lingering issue that I have after that stroke is sometimes auditory processing, sometimes. And, every now and then, I might miss a word or, sometimes, you know, I might mush two words together, he said. At times during the speech, Fetterman paused at length or struggled with words, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The paper suggested the speech was an overall improvement from the last time he spoke in Pittsburgh on September 5. Story continues Fetterman also dismissed Republican criticisms about his positions on crime and his tattoos, which some have suggested indicate ties to gang activity and crime. He said the tattoos represent the dates when people were killed in Braddock when he served as mayor. Its absurd, and its the Oz rule. You know, when hes on TV, hes lying, he said Tuesday. Meanwhile, a USA Today-Suffolk University poll released Tuesday showed Fettermans lead over Oz shrinking to 6 points from 9 points in June. More from National Review On June 24, 2016, the first-ever Fiesta Bresh was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a party collective that in the span of six years has earned its name as la fiesta mas linda del mundo (the most beautiful party in the world). Bresh which closed the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week with an electrifying event at The Oasis in Miami has since expanded from a local party in Argentina to an international event. It became something innovative, a party that toured the country as if it were an artist, Alejandro Broder Saporiti, artistic director, tells Billboard. Suddenly, it was part of festival lineups, and then we started having collaborations with the artistic community and with record labels. More from Billboard A year later, the initiative that began with a group of friends counted on the support of stellar guests including Tini, Paulo Londra, Lit Killah, WOS, and Duki, to name a few who would not only attend the party, but also do impromptu performances for fans. But beyond becoming a traveling party that plays the biggest reggaeton, Latin pop, and old-school hits, Fiesta Bresh is an inclusive, safe space for the party lover. With our nightlight experience in Buenos Aires, we never found a space where we felt identified and comfortable, Saporiti recalls. The experience was always a bit traumatic, because you go out with your friends, they dont accept you at the door, or youre not dressed for the occasion or suddenly, you dont connect with the music, or the people inside are a little tense. These were some of the obstacles that distanced us from the clubbing scene. Bresh was born because were fans of concerts, parties, and DJs, and we wanted to create an enjoyable and comfortable space for all. Story continues As Bresh grew locally thanks to its social media and word-of-mouth strategies, Saporiti assures that the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was the best thing to happen to the project. They hosted Instagram Lives every Saturday, each going viral and garnering over 80K connected fans, and ultimately began working with brands and sponsorships. This allowed us not only to consolidate ourselves with our experience in Argentina but also to reach many territories where we could not reach before, he explains. Now, Bresh counts with the collective effort of over 200 employees and presence in 13 countries including the United States, Spain, Colombia, Peru, Japan, and Italy, to name a few. Its star-studded guest list has also expanded to the likes of Rauw Alejandro, Anuel AA, Danna Paola, Anitta, and many more. Its a unique experience, Saporiti expresses. A space that accepts all people, that welcomes everyone and tries to maintain beautiful values. We try to have a very clean image. What matters here is meeting people and the enjoyment of music. Up next, Fiesta Bresh plans to explore new markets including Mexico, Los Angeles, and Chile, with the mission of celebrating worldwide. Click here to read the full article. Asian Americans from different ethnic groups possess significantly varied obesity rates, a new study has found. The study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine on Oct. 4, analyzed the data of 70,000 Asian Americans sampled from the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys conducted from 2013 to 2020. Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the survey masked actual obesity rates and other associated risks among Asian American adults. They also discovered that six largest subgroups of Asian Americans Asian Indian, Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Americans had varying degrees of obesity. More from NextShark: Poll: Almost 9 in 10 Taiwanese oppose China's 'one country, two systems' policy According to the report, the survey lumped all Asian Americans into one group and used the standard body mass index (BMI) cutoff for obesity instead of the suggested lower threshold for obesity in Asians. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended in 2014 that a lower threshold of a BMI 27.5 kg/m2, instead of BMI 30 kg/m2, should be used in defining obesity in Asian groups. Utilizing the subjects self-reported heights, weights, demographic data and the standard definition of obesity, the researchers estimated that the overall prevalence of obesity was 11.7% in Asian Americans. The results in different Asian subgroups ranged between 6.3% and 16.8%. More from NextShark: Majority of Republicans believe immigrants hurt the country and make it a worse place to live,' says poll When they used the lower BMI threshold for Asians, the prevalence doubled to 22.4% overall. Looking at separate data, obesity rates in Filipino and Japanese Americans were revealed to be the highest among Asians at 28.7% and 26.7%, respectively, which is close to the 29.4% rate in white people but still lower than the 39.7% rate of obesity in Black participants. Story continues Using the standard definition, the prevalence of obesity among Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean Americans was 6.3%, 6.5% and 8.5%, respectively, but using the suggested version revealed 13.6%, 13.2% and 17.4%. The study authors explained that in order to mitigate the potential lifetime consequences of excessive weight and obesity, it is necessary to identify and address the Asian American subgroup-specific factors that contribute to obesity. More from NextShark: Scientists say racism among causes of disproportionate cancer rates among Asian Americans In an interview with Medscape Medical News, research author Nilay S. Shah, MD, MPH, highlighted that the number of Asian Americans with obesity, which is "a fundamental risk factor for several chronic diseases," is much higher using the definition for Asians Given the findings and other similar research on the subject, he pointed out that clinicians should be considering obesity-related risks at lower BMI in Asian American populations. Christina C. Wee, MD, MPH, noted the importance of such change in her editorial, where she explained that "obesity is among the leading causes of preventable deaths, a focus of research, and a public health priority in the United States and worldwide." More from NextShark: WHO accused of kowtowing to China after skipping Greek letter 'Xi' for 'Omicron' on new COVID-19 variant She added that current guidelines provide little guidance specific to Asian American populations and must be addressed. While Shah lamented that individuals who identified as Asian were grouped into one category, he noticed that changes are being made at least in the last five to 10 years. "We really started to understand that the communities that make up the Asian American population are actually very diverse in things like health behaviors, socioeconomic patterns, educational attainment, and English language literacy," he said. Featured Image via Bru-NO Sheriffs officials say armed suspects robbed a fisherman, threatened his life and stole his vehicle near the California Aqueduct in Hesperia. Sheriffs officials are investigating after armed suspects robbed a fisherman, threatened his life and stole his vehicle near the California Aqueduct in Hesperia. The Hesperia Sheriffs Station reported that at about 11:20 p.m. on Monday, a 36-year-old man was fishing in the aqueduct near Nolina Drive and Brent Wood Street. The area is located near several housing developments, south of Main Street and east of Escondido Avenue. As the victim picked up his fishing gear and began walking to his car, three unknown Hispanic male suspects approached him. One suspect was armed with a gun, and another armed with a knife. The victim was ordered to the ground as the suspects took personal property and threatened to kill him. The suspects then fled in the victims vehicle, sheriffs officials said. The victim was able to call 911. Shortly after, responding deputies located the victim's abandoned vehicle in the area of First Avenue and Sage Street. The area is located west of the BNSF railroad tracks, south of Lime Street Park, and nearly 3-miles from the location of the carjacking. Additional property was found to be missing from the victim's vehicle. The victim did not receive any injuries during the incident. Deputies were able to track the suspects' direction of travel, which led them to a residence in the 16200 block of Sage Street. Several subjects, both adults and juveniles, were contacted at the residence and detained during the investigation. Detectives responded to assist with the investigation. A search warrant for the Sage residence was issued and executed. During the search, detectives recovered the knife believed to have been used in the carjacking and clothing believed to have been worn by one of the suspects during the incident. No arrests have been made pending positive identification of suspects and their involvement in the robbery. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked by the Sheriffs Department to call the Hesperia Sheriffs Station at 760-947-1500 or Sheriffs Dispatch at 760-956-5001. This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fisherman robbed, carjacked near California Aqueduct in Hesperia Progressives love Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). But they are increasingly realizing the two senators, who are 81 and 73 years old, arent going to be their leaders forever. Thats intensified debates within the left about who might be the best faces to succeed them. Sanders and Warren could both still run for president in 2024 if President Biden decides not to, but the president has been telling close allies in recent weeks that he will seek another term. There are a lot of names being thrown around, but here are the top five young progressives people are talking about as the movements next standard-bearers. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), 32 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., at an event ahead of a House vote on the Womens Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Womens Right to Reproductive Freedom Act at the Capitol in Washington, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) Many progressives really, really want Ocasio-Cortez to be president. The question is: does she? What I think is required for that is a desire to do it, said a left-wing Democratic operative, who is close to the congresswoman. You have to want to be president in a way to become president. If youre super hesitant youre just not going to do it. True. Unlike other liberal firebrands, the millennial lawmaker has stuck closely to Capitol Hill and her constituents in New Yorks 14th Congressional District, as well as to her fan base of some 22 million followers on Instagram and Twitter. But if she were to make a run for the White House, shed have a considerable national launching pad. Ocasio-Cortez is, other than Sanders and Warren, perhaps the most well-known progressive in the U.S. She would likely have Sanderss endorsement and would potentially enjoy much of the support she helped build across generations and demographics, including among Latinos, a group whose support the Democratic Party continues to lose. Story continues At just 32, she has time. Shes nearly five decades younger than Biden and Sanders, a literal lifetime in politics. As the presidential cycle is expected to kick off after the midterms, theres likely to be talk about whether she would start making early moves, like heading to battleground states. But some progressives say dont get your hopes up just yet. It doesnt sound like shes even considered that, the close ally said about a 2024 run. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), 46 Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is seen during a press conference with climate activists on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 to call on President Biden to declare a climate emergency. (Greg Nash) Khanna has quickly risen to the top of progressives preliminary draft lists as an appealing alternative to Sanders, whose presidential campaign he co-chaired and with whom he still enjoys a close relationship. The California congressman has fine-tuned Sanderss populist vision to address the nations income inequality as voters continue to rank the economy as their top concern. He has made the argument hit home by focusing on innovation in industrialized parts of the country that he believes dont get enough attention, including in struggling areas of the Midwest and some cities. Sanders and Warren both had economic messages that resonated with voters and Ro is building and expanding on that progress, a source close to Khanna told The Hill on Wednesday. Ro has a clear economic vision for the country centered on investing in the industries of the future and making things in America again, the source said, who is familiar with the congressmans thinking. There arent enough Democrats making a strong argument on the economy right now. The midterms indicate theres a desire for that kind of messaging. One Democratic Senate candidate, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, has led in polls much of the cycle against Republican challenger Mehmet Oz, a physician, while espousing a populist ideology though the race appears to be tightening. Progressives are excited about him and battleground candidates like John Fetterman are inviting him to campaign with them, the source close to Khanna said. Thats a good place to be. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), 46 Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) addresses reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 about a resolution condemning Rep. Lauren Boebert's (R-Colo.) use of Islamaphobic rhetoric and removing her from her current committee assignments. Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) has broken into the national spotlight as the face of many social justice movements. (Greg Nash) Bush emerged into the national spotlight after ousting longtime former Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) in 2020. An activist before joining Congress, she has since become the face of many social justice movements, sleeping on the steps of the Capitol to protest the end of an eviction moratorium during the COVID-19 pandemic and joining abortion rights protests in front of the Supreme Court. Bush has won against unlikely odds. When she beat Clay, she was taking on what she and many on the left viewed as an ineffective establishment wing of Democrats unwilling to challenge the conventional wisdom in Washington. Now, she seems to be expressing some skepticism about another traditional Democrat: Biden. Hes our president right now, he has experience, he has qualifications. I wont say if hes best or if hes not, Bush said in an interview with ABCs The View this week when asked if Biden is the best candidate to run again in 2024. Ill just say this, he has the qualifications to run. Bush also has a new memoir out called, The Forerunner, which would allow her to tour early nominating states like New Hampshire and South Carolina, a blueprint many former presidential candidates have enjoyed before announcing bids. Cori Bush would excite the progressive base and bring real world life experiences to the main stage of American politics, said Cullen Tiernan, a union leader and former Sanders delegate. The Missouri congresswoman also has a background that stands out among a sea of elected officials. She has spoken openly about being homeless during one point in her life. And as a Black woman in politics, her legislative portfolio often combines her individual experiences with what she views as a more just system of governing the country. Her story would be transformative for people to hear and internalize, Tiernan said. Missouri deserves more attention and she would campaign with true grit and determination, just as she did to win her seat in Congress. One of the few figures who continues to defend the defund the police slogan that many Democrats have condemned, Bushs progressivism puts her squarely in the left lane without compromising on rhetoric for the sake of electability. Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), 53 Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, meets with supporters as he leaves his event in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. (Associated Press) If Fetterman wants to have a shot at the Democratic presidential nomination, hed have to win his nail-biter Senate race first. Polls have tightened around Pennsylvanias lieutenant governor. The Cook Political Report on Tuesday moved its rating to a toss-up, indicating the closeness of the race just weeks out from the midterms. If Fetterman wins, hell likely secure a place on progressives short list for another Sanders-style populist. Personally, I love wearing my Fetterman hoodie whenever I can, said Tiernan. Pennsylvania is undoubtedly vital to winning the White House and his folksy charm will serve him and the progressive movement well throughout the heartland of America. Fetterman could be compelling for a few reasons: Hes progressive, backing things like legalizing marijuana as a criminal justice reform, but hes walked a fine line on other issues like fracking, a move that would normally alienate him from climate hawks but has afforded him credibility with other constituencies. An early Sanders backer who has in turn received the senators support, Fetterman is surrounded by Sanders World campaign hands who know how to build grassroots movements, a skill that could come in handy if he decides to aim higher than a potential U.S. Senate seat. Hed be a first-term senator and a newbie in national politics. But theres a path for that too. Just a couple of years ago, then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) leveraged her own first term Senate seat into a much-hyped presidential bid and eventual spot as Bidens vice president. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), 54 California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York. (Associated Press) Newsom is not going away. If you turn on CNN or MSNBC, you might catch a glimpse of the California governor going hard against red-state Republicans. Hes progressive on the social and cultural issues du jour, like sanctuary cities and transgender rights, and is carving out a lane as both a critic and momentum-builder for the Democratic Party. On a personal level, hes easier to deal with, than some other rising stars in the party, said the progressive operative close to several lawmakers. Progressives, like many Americans more broadly, dont know him that well, some concede, but what they do know, they dont mind yet. Ive been excited to see him move in a good direction on labor issues, but people want that to be genuine too, said Tiernan. Acts done and bills signed not as political calculations, but because hes the foremost diplomat for Californian values. Liberals like that he can inspire some in the party to kick up the rhetoric against the other side, especially around former President Trumps style of politics, and many think hes taken the right approach on things like COVID-19, where he implemented strong mask requirements. The road from governor to president is well established. And for now, he would have the progressive state executive lane to himself. In 2020, a handful of governors like Jay Inslee of Washington state and John Hickenlooper, now a senator from Colorado, competed for the nomination but failed to catch on. Newsom is taking a more national approach, getting out on television in the final leg of the midterms to acquaint himself with voters. As they say, as goes California, so goes the nation, Tiernan said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. PeopleImages / Getty Images Among the many government programs initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic was an IRS initiative that gave holders of health flexible spending accounts greater latitude to carry over unused amounts and extend the permissible period for incurring claims. Now those relaxed rules are coming to an end. See: 7 Walmart Brand Items That Are Just as Good as Name Brands Find: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time Job FSAs let workers set aside pretax money from their paychecks for medical and dental care not covered by health insurance plans. Employers set a deadline for when employees must spend the funds or forfeit them, usually by the end of the calendar year. The IRS eased those rules during the pandemic, but with the pandemic mostly over, the agency will soon return to the old rules. This means some workers might have more cash than usual to spend before the deadline hits. If ever there was a year to pay attention to the rules, this is it, Steve Durso, associate director of benefits accounts at Willis Towers Watson, told The New York Times. During the peak of the pandemic, many FSA account holders delayed in-person medical care and ended up amassing large sums of money in their accounts. That was no problem in 2020 and 2021 because the U.S. government allowed employers to extend spending deadlines by up to a year, or they let workers roll over their entire balances into the next year. Now that the rules are returning to pre-pandemic norms, some FSA account holders might need to crank up their spending to ensure they dont leave money behind. Rachel Rouleau, chief compliance officer for Health-E Commerce, advises workers to check their FSAs to see if they have cash that must be spent by Dec. 31, or if their employers offer a grace period through March 15, 2023 or some other date. As the NYT noted, it is unclear how many workers might be affected by the expiration of the relaxed FSA rules. A total of about 16 million workers contribute to an FSA, according to Jake Spiegel, research associate with the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Story continues Take Our Poll: Do You Tip for Service? Discover: 6 Mistakes To Avoid With Your FSA If you have an FSA, you should go ahead and confirm various deadlines with your employer, Durso advised. Although expenditures must be incurred by the deadline, employers can still offer a run out period of several months after the deadline, during which workers can still submit receipts for reimbursement. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Flex Spending Account Deadlines Have Returned ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. (AP) Surrounded by Hurricane Ians destruction, many residents of one Florida island have stayed put for days without electricity or other resources while hoping the lone bridge to the mainland is repaired. Pine Island, the largest barrier island off Floridas Gulf Coast, has been largely cut off from the outside world. The pounding storm damaged the island's causeway, rendering its towns only accessible by boat or aircraft. We feel as a community that if we leave the island abandon it nobody is going to take care of that problem of fixing our road in and out, Pine Island resident Leslie Arias said as small motorboats delivered water and other necessities. A temporary bridge to span the damaged parts of the causeway would be ready Wednesday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. It will aid in restoring electricity, delivering fuel and supplies, and reopening the island's supermarket, he said. By Wednesday night, traffic was restricted to official vehicles only. The governor spoke while visiting Matlacha, a community on its own small island astride the roughly 5-mile (8-kilometer) causeway. On Tuesday, an orange excavator could be seen scooping bucketfuls of earth into a wide gap where the island meets a cement bridge, apparently eroded by the storm. Nearby, part of a damaged building sagged into the water. Piles of rubble and debris have replaced many of the Pine Islands homes. Power lines and their wooden poles litter yards and roadways. The 17-mile-long (27 km) island is bigger than Manhattan but is mostly rural and has no street lights or sandy beaches, according to the islands civic association. It has about 9,000 year-round residents but the population doubles between Christmas and Easter. Jay Pick, who has been on the island since May to help his in-laws, said winds from Ian blew the houses roof off. Were all safe, though, Pick said Tuesday afternoon. Were blessed. Driving around seeing what some people have compared to what we have left, you get that survivor-guilt thing. Im trying not to. Im trying to be happy for what we do have left. Story continues A week after the Category 4 storm hit, the full breadth of the destruction across southwest Florida is still coming into focus. Utility workers pushed to restore power Wednesday, as crews searched for anyone still trapped inside flooded or damaged homes, The number of storm-related deaths has risen to at least 98 in recent days, 89 of them in Florida. Among the new deaths reported Wednesday by medical examiners across the state were several drownings. One 82-year-old man died after evacuating without his medicine. In hardest-hit Lee County, Florida, the vast majority of people killed by the hurricane were over age 50. Five people were also killed in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia since Ian made landfall on the Caribbean island Sept. 27, a day before it reached Florida. After roaring northeast across Florida and into the Atlantic, the hurricane made another landfall in South Carolina before pushing into the mid-Atlantic states. Biden toured some of Floridas hurricane-ravaged areas on Wednesday, surveying damage by helicopter and then walking on foot alongside DeSantis. The Democratic president and Republican governor pledged to put political rivalries aside to help rebuild homes, businesses and lives. Biden emphasized at a briefing with local officials that the effort will take months or years. The only thing I can assure you is that the federal government will be here until its finished, Biden said. Jeff Rioux, a general contractor in Fort Myers and a registered Republican, welcomed the president's visit. The world does need to see what happened here, Rioux said as he mopped up floors and tore out soaked drywall from his flooded house. At some point youve got to put politics aside. People are hurting down here. Its not right or left, its America at the end of the day. At a briefing earlier in the day, DeSantis made a point of praising the Federal Emergency Management Agency along with local and state governments, saying coordination has been exceptional. I will say, from local, state coordination and FEMA theres been less bureaucracy holding us back in this one than probably any one Ive ever seen, DeSantis said, referring to previous hurricanes. The governor also said running water has been restored across much of the affected zone. Lee County had been without running water since the hurricane passed over. But state Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Wednesday that all 13 of the countys water treatment plants are pushing water into distribution. Back on Pine Island, small motorboats have been the only way to bring in supplies since the storm hit. Arias, the resident who chose to stay, said Tuesday that many who remained are supporting each other. We have now gathered a lot of resources, not only donations but volunteers as well, Arias said. It's a wonderful thing to see how the community has come together. In every end of the island ... there is a family member or a neighbor helping that other neighbor. ___ Associated Press reporters Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee and Curt Anderson and Bobby Caina Calvan in Fort Myers, Florida, contributed to this report. ___ For more coverage of Hurricane Ian, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes NSW Cop A former police officer in Australia has come forward with whistleblower accounts of police abuses against the LGBTQ+ community in the 1980s. Former New South Wales police officer Mark Higginbotham described the abuses on the local crime program Under Investigation, and said he was coming forward now to provide validation for the victims of these crimes. Im doing it because I want the people who are victims of this conduct to be validated and for them to have their stories accepted, Higginbotham revealed on the most recent episode of Under Investigation. Higginbotham revealed police actively committed crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. He described his first exposure to the cops gay bashing when he was told to meet a group of six to ten officers at a local Sydney park while in uniform. Moore Park was a known hangout for gay men at the time, and the bathrooms were a favored cruising spot. Higginbotham quickly realized it was not a legitimate police operation, but instead a brazen and public mob attack by uniform police targeting gay men. Men were running from the toilets, scattering, and running away from the police, Higginbotham recalled. Eventually, I understood that this was beating gay people and it was beating gay people with aluminum truncheons and it was done by on-duty uniformed police. Higginbotham described the attacks by police as particularly brutal and terrifying, and he had few good things to say about the NSW police of the time. The beatings were merciless. They stopped when the offenders were finished, not when the victim was done, Higginbotham said of the constabulary, adding, Some of them were absolute animals. The cliffs surrounding the greater Sydney area in NSW were popular with members of the gay community looking to hook up during the 1970s and 80s. Homophobic groups of men and youth would assault and often murder gay men, throwing them or forcing them to leap from the cliffs onto the rocks below. As many as 80 gay men were killed in the area during the period. Higginbotham revealed NSW police had a policy of refusing to investigate these crimes, which they termed poofter bashings. Story continues He recalled one occasion where a gay man approached him on the street while Higginbotham was in uniform, reporting he had been a victim of gay bashing. When Higginbotham investigated and made an arrest in the case, his local supervisor flew into a rage. We dont charge poofter bashers here! What have you done?! Higginbotham recalled the officer screaming at him. When it was learned the victim was a local journalist who reported on the crime and arrest, Higginbotham was told he had brought shame on the police. Soon officers started calling him a faggot and refused to work with him. He eventually left the NSW police and took a job as a police officer in the state of Victoria. Higginbotham said some of those hateful cops might still be on the force. He also made clear the gravity of the crimes committed by police of the time Theres no moral confusion about that. Its ugly, its wrong. Its criminal. And its done in police uniform, said Higginbotham. JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent tests after feeling ill during prayers on the Jewish Day of Atonement, his office said in a statement on Wednesday. "Former Prime Minister Netanyahu felt unwell while praying at synagogue. He underwent a series of tests on site that came out normal and he now feels well," the statement said. Netanyahu will undergo further checks at a hospital "to remove any doubt," it added. The former premier, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, heads a bloc of right-wing and ultra-religious parties ahead of a general election on Nov. 1. He has vowed to make a comeback despite standing trial for corruption charges that he denies. (Reporting by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Former Amazon Web Services engineer Paige Thompson, who was convicted of stealing data from more than 100 million people, was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle. Thompson, 37, was sentenced to time served and five years of probation, including location and computer monitoring for seven federal crimes connected to her scheme to hack into cloud computer data storage accounts and steal data and computer power for her own benefit, Nick Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, said. During Thompsons sentencing, the U.S. district judge said her time in prison would be particularly difficult due to her mental health and transgender status. While we understand the mitigating factors, we are very disappointed with the courts sentencing decision. This is not what justice looks like, said Brown. Ms. Thompsons hacking and theft of information of 100 million people did more than $250 million in damage to companies and individuals. Her cybercrimes created anxiety for millions of people who are justifiably concerned about their private information. This conduct deserves a more significant sanction. [DOWNLOAD: Free KIRO 7 News app for alerts as news breaks] Thompson, aka Erractic, was arrested in July 2019 after Capital One alerted federal investigators to her hacking activity. Thompson was found guilty in June 2022 of wire fraud, five counts of unauthorized access to a protected computer and damaging a protected computer, according to Brown. She was not found guilty of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington, prosecutors used Thompsons own words in texts and online chats to show how she used a tool that she built to scan Amazon Web Services accounts and find misconfigured accounts. Officials said she used those misconfigured accounts to hack in and download the data for more than 30 entities. She also planted cryptocurrency mining software on new servers with the income from the mining going to her online wallet, advancing her conspiracy, which she bragged about to others in texts and online forums. Story continues Prosecutors asked the court to impose a sentence of seven years, writing, Thompsons crimes were fully intentional and grounded in spite, revenge and willful disregard for the law. She exhibited a smug sense of superiority and outright glee while committing these crimes. Thompson was motivated to make money at other peoples expense, to prove she was smarter than the people she hacked and to earn bragging rights in the hacking community. A hearing on Dec. 1 will be held to determine the restitution that Thompson must pay her victims. [SIGN UP: KIRO 7 Daily Headlines Newsletter] Two men were charged with human trafficking at a group home on Tuesday after the victim was able to alert staff at the local library branch, court records show. Charged in the case are Justin Terrel Hoyt, 25, of Newberry, and Kevarius Nyrtell King, 20, of Gainesville. A report from the Gainesville Police Department states that the victim met both men after moving into a group home on Sept. 19 that partners with homeless shelters. The woman told police that both suspects have coerced her into "commercialized sexual activity" with dozens of men inside the residence over the past two weeks, while also forcing her to take drugs and drink alcohol. Tropical weather: Storm-related deaths get wildly reported in Florida, but medical examiners make the final call Education: University of Florida partners with Alachua County Public Schools to improve literacy Art and entertaiment: 'A magical place at a magical time': Photos from Great Southern Music Hall shown at Matheson The victim told police that the suspects would arrange meetings between her and other men at the home where she was staying and that the men would receive money in exchange for her performing the sex acts. She said Hoyt and King would take photos and videos on their cellphones of the sex acts. The police report also stated that the sex acts would often make her vomit in disgust and that she was in fear of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. The men would yell at the victim if she refused to perform the acts and if she ate too much, according to the report. It was "basically like they own me," she told the police. On Oct. 2, the woman said one of the men shoved his fingers in her mouth to force her to take the drug commonly referred to as "molly," while performing sex acts on a man. She also drank brandy from a bottle given to her by the suspects. She said that after she was forced to take the drugs, she had a seizure and was unconscious for several hours. Story continues The victim was later taken by the suspects to a local library branch at 3020 SW 75h St., where she was able to alert staff that she was the victim of human trafficking and to call law enforcement. A search warrant for the resident revealed mail/receipts in the suspects' names, condoms and an empty bottle of brandy. While on the scene for the warrant, the suspects were seen driving by in a dark blue Hyundai. Both men were found and placed under arrest at the Gate Station at 3001 NW 13th St. in Gainesville. Both men were in possession of phones matching the description given by the victim as the ones used to record the sex acts, according to the police report. Both Hoyt and King were suspects in a previous incident of human trafficking at the same address six months ago, police said. Both admitted to prostitution occurring at the residence, according to GPD. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: GPD: Two men charged with human trafficking at group home By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - A lawsuit filed in San Francisco on Tuesday accuses online gaming firm Roblox Corp of enabling a California girl's sexual and financial exploitation by adult men. The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, also targets online chat company Discord Inc, Snapchat parent Snap Inc and Instagram parent Meta Platforms Inc. Snap and Meta are already facing dozens of similar lawsuits. Meta declined to comment. Roblox and Snap could not immediately be reached. A Discord spokesperson said the company has a zero-tolerance policy for anyone who endangers or sexualizes children but declined to comment directly on the lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, which was seen by Reuters, the girl, S.U., was born in 2009 and began using Roblox when she was nine or ten years old. Roblox is popular with children under 13 but also has adult users. Starting in early 2020, S.U. came into contact with adult men through Roblox, who encouraged her to sign up for Discord, Snapchat and Instagram to communicate with them, according to the lawsuit. None of the companies required parental consent, and Discord did not verify S.U.'s age even though it said it did not allow users under 13 years old, the lawsuit said. The men exploited her by encouraging her to drink and abuse prescription drugs and send sexually explicit photos of herself, according to the lawsuit. One man allegedly persuaded her to send him money. S.U. suffered severe mental health problems leading to suicide attempts and hospitalization as a result of her experience, the lawsuit said. S.U. and her mother, C.U., claim the companies failed to take steps to keep minors using their platforms safe, and that Snap and Instagram encouraged addiction in children. They are seeking unspecified damages. (Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) AFP Former US president Donald Trump complained about the Justice Department's criminal investigation into the handling of classified documents recovered from his Florida estate, claiming during a rally that several of his predecessors personally took files to unsecured locations. This is inaccurate; the records of the presidents Trump named were transported and sorted in secure temporary facilities by the federal agency responsible for preserving government documents -- not the politicians themselv Reuters Members of India's opposition Congress party voted on Monday to elect its first head in nearly 25 years from outside the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty of leaders, with a veteran loyal to the family expected to win. Results are due on Wednesday in the battered party's bid to revamp itself after losing the last two general elections to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party, despite the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia. With the next general election due by 2024, Modi retains a big edge over the party, which dominated politics for decades after leading India to independence from Britain in 1947, but has recently struggled to recoup its fortunes. An 8-year-old girl was shot at a playground when gunfire erupted nearby, North Carolina police said. The girl was playing at a park near Peace Court and Hope Lane in Winston-Salem when shots were fired about 5:10 p.m., Winston-Salem police told WGHP. Several young males began shooting at each other in a nearby parking lot, where police found multiple shell casings, according to WFMY. The girl was shot in the torso and taken to a local hospital, where her injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening, police told WXII. Detectives are investigating the shooting, which involved four people between the ages of 15 and 20, according to WFMY. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800. McClatchy News reached out to the Winston-Salem Police Department on Oct. 5 for comment and was awaiting a response. Winston-Salem is about 80 miles northeast of Charlotte. Cops drive head-on into car with mom and kids, she says. They thought it was someone else Beloved hairstylist found dead in Virginia home, cops say. 19-year-old is a suspect Bullet flies through attacking pit bull and then strikes deputy, Florida cops say 15-year-old and her boyfriend arrested after her dad is found dead, Nebraska police say PHOENIX Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has entered an $85 million settlement with Google LLC for allegedly tracking the users' location with "deceptive and unfair" practices to sell advertisements, his office announced Tuesday. Brnovich started investigating Google after a 2018 Associated Press article said the company was misleading consumers on how they were tracking and using their location data, according to a news release. In May 2020, Brnovich sued Google for allegedly tracking people's location with deceptive practices and coercive design tactics that were built into its software even if they were told to stop. The suit accused the tech giant of taking users' location to amplify ad revenue, invading user privacy and not giving users a clear way to cancel location tracking. Even when users turned off their location history in settings, Google allegedly collected their location without their consent through other settings like the Web & App Activity to sell ads, according to the release. Google generates most of its profit by selling ads that are shown to its users. "The tactics Google deploys to surveil its users' locations including users in Arizona include willfully deceptive and unfair acts and practices within the meaning of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act," read the complaint. This was one of the biggest consumer fraud lawsuits in the history of Arizona, according to the release, and the settlement is the largest amount per capita that Google has paid in a lawsuit about privacy and consumer fraud like this one. In June: Google settles lawsuit with Illinois residents for $100M after photo app privacy concerns Snapchat: Snapchat settles Illinois class-action lawsuit for $35M. Here's how to file a claim I am proud of this historic settlement that proves no entity, not even big tech companies, is above the law, Brnovich said in the release. Most of the money from the settlement will be directed to the general fund and can be used after legislative appropriation. The release states $5 million will be directed toward attorney general education programs. Story continues In response, Google spokesman Jose Castaneda stated that, "This case is based on outdated product policies that we changed years ago." "We provide straightforward controls and auto delete options for location data, and are always working to minimize the data we collect," Castaneda continued. "We are pleased to have this matter resolved and will continue to focus our attention on providing useful products for our users. What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day A Maricopa County Superior Court judge in January allowed for the state to continue the suit, but denied the AG's key argument that Arizona consumer fraud laws were violated by the sale or lease of merchandise linked to third-party advertising sales. The judge's move was described as "a significant legal ruling" in a Google company blog post. "We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data," Castaneda said after the suit was filed. Arizona was represented by Phoenix-based law firm Gallagher & Kennedy. Viktor Benjamin, information systems assistant professor at Arizona State University's W.P. Carey School of Business, said Google's primary source of revenue comes from ads. Google may be willing to settle with the state to avoid incurring more costs through a court decision and legal precedence not in their favor, Benjamin offered. "They may be freeing themselves up from liabilities or legal issues in the future by just accepting the costs now of doing these payouts," Benjamin said. He added the amount won in the settlement is "just a road bump" for Google and other tech companies. Follow Angela Cordoba Perez on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Google to pay Arizona $85M settlement in user location privacy lawsuit This article was first featured in Yahoo Finance Tech, a weekly newsletter highlighting our original content on the industry. Get it sent directly to your inbox every Wednesday by 4 p.m. ET. Subscribe Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 Google is selling you on its software Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is set to unveil its latest Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones and its first-ever smartwatch, the aptly named Pixel Watch, during an event on Thursday in Brooklyn. The show should be replete with plenty of talk about how Googles AI smarts make its hardware superior to offerings from competitors like Apple. Whats more, the Pixel Watch will give the tech giant a chance to show off why it spent $2.1 billion to acquire Fitbit in 2021. But, according to experts, Googles hardware strategy isnt about sticking it to Apple (AAPL) in terms of sales or trying to outmuscle its ecosystem partner Samsung. Rather, its all about showing global manufacturers whats possible when you combine the right hardware and software. I think of the Google hardware as loss leaders, Tuong Nguyen, senior principal analyst at Gartner, told Yahoo Finance. They're not making hardware for the sake of making hardware. It's to showcase their own services and capabilities. An added bonus? Googles hardware gets more users to sign up for its services and allows it to gather more data on how consumers use those platforms. After all, the more Google understands how you use its features, and the more it can collect data on your web searches, the better it can target you with ads. Google has been releasing its own smartphones since 2010, but it's still nowhere near as popular as Samsung, which controls 21% of the global market share, or Apple, which holds 16% of the market, according to Counterpoint Research. Google CEO Sundar Pichai. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) And that not only helps Google, but, eventually, the likes of Samsung and its Android cohorts, while making Apple look like its standing still at least as far as software goes. Story continues Google leads with software Googles prior Pixel phones never stood out in terms of overall performance. Their cameras, at least from a component standpoint, didnt match up to Samsungs or Apples. Its Googles software capabilities that shine. When Google introduced its Night Sight software for the Pixel in 2018, its low-light photos blew away the competition. Google has pushed other software capabilities in the ensuing years, including calling features that navigate automated phone center call lines for you and deep integration with Google Assistant. But Google isnt rolling out these software updates to show up companies like Samsung that use Android to power their devices. Instead, Google is trying to demonstrate the full potential of Android devices. Google's Pixel lineup has been around for years. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOSH EDELSON/AFP/Getty Images) This is all about demonstrating how the Android experience can be, or this is how the Wear OS experience can be, and this is how they can all work together in concert, Ramon Llamas, research director for mobile devices and AR/VR at IDC, told Yahoo Finance. Google isnt the only company to take this approach. Look no further than Microsoft (MSFT) and its Surface line of products for a major software distributor that built its own hardware to showcase its offerings. The company puts out its own laptops, laptop-tablet hybrids, foldable smartphones, and hybrid all-in-one desktop at a premium price, with the goal of demonstrating what Microsoft has to offer. Each of those, except for the Duo, shows how a clean design language coupled with Microsofts Windows 11 operating system can come together to make truly desirable PCs. It worked, too. Companies ranging from Dell and Lenovo to HP and ASUS are pumping out stylish systems and you can, at least partly, thank Microsoft for that. It's not just looks either. Googles Tensor chip, which is designed specifically for the companys AI-powered software, is also part of the equation. It's about setting an example for other vendors, Nguyen explained. In this case it's vendors that use Android. The whole Tensor chip, I think that was an announcement to say, Hey, this is why you need a dedicated AI/ML chip in a personal device. The Pixel Watch should follow the same formula, providing users with solid looks and software meant to elevate the Wear OS brand and get third-party hardware partners thinking more about how Googles software and their own hardware can meld in new, interesting ways. More data for Google Of course, Google is an advertising company first. And it aims to get more consumers to use its variety of services to ensure the Silicon Valley behemoth has plenty of data to target you with ads. Thats why Google loads up third-party Android devices with its Maps, Gmail, Google Search, and Assistant apps. Its also why Google paid Apple between $8 billion and $12 billion as of 2020 to keep Google as the default search engine on its Safari browser. And putting those apps on its own handsets makes it far easier to reach users. Its also a means to ensure that you stay with Google over the long run. Just like Apple and its vast ecosystem of apps and devices keeps users hooked on its platforms and services, Google wants to give you a reason to stick around. By Daniel Howley, tech editor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him @DanielHowley Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Flipboard, and LinkedIn Republican candidate for governor Tim Michels greets supporters at the Square Tavern in downtown Baraboo on Tuesday, Oct. 4. BARABOO - Republican candidate for governor Tim Michels is signaling he is open to enacting a flat income tax in Wisconsin but would not pursue a plan if it raised taxes on the residents with the lowest incomes. "I'm going to sit down with all the smart tax people, we're going to figure out how low we can get the income tax," Michels said. "Right now, it looks like we could get it somewhere just below 5%. If you had a flat tax at that number, the tax level would actually come up for those on the lowest income bracket. I do not want to raise the taxes on anyone." Michels, a wealthy construction executive who co-owns Michels Corp., made his comments to reporters Tuesday at the Square Tavern in downtown Baraboo where he held a campaign event to celebrate receiving the endorsement of the powerful Tavern League of Wisconsin. Paul Salzwedel, owner of Tall Paul's in Ripon, said the group was endorsing Michels, after previously endorsing Michels' primary opponent Rebecca Kleefisch, because of Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers' stay-at-home order that largely shuttered bars throughout the state for two months in spring 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm here to tell you that this is the right guy at the right moment," Salzwedel said at the event. More: 'This is going to be the final nail in the coffin.' Bar owners worry for the future with 25% capacity mandate Wisconsins income tax rates start at 3.54% and rise to 7.65%. Republicans who control the state Legislature over the past decade have focused their income tax rates on the middle brackets but largely left in place the top rate, which is levied on individuals for income of $267,000 and up. Evers has backed progressive income taxes, as have his fellow Democrats who argue those who make more should pay a larger share of their income to the state. As governor, Evers has signed two rounds of Republican-authored income tax cuts. He has touted the tax cuts after pledging during his 2018 run to cut income taxes for the middle class by at least 10%. Story continues "Governor Tony Evers is focused on lowering costs for working families and helping them keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. Thats why he signed a 15% income tax cut for most Wisconsinites, and has pledged to cut income taxes by another 10% in his second term," Evers campaign spokeswoman Kayla Anderson said in a statement. "Tim Michels doesnt have a serious plan, hes just looking for excuses to pass massive tax cuts for himself, while leaving working families behind." Michels tax records from 2020 show he owed $3.7 million in state income taxes an amount that suggests he reported income of tens of millions of dollars that year. Evers earns around $152,000 per year as governor. In 2020, Evers owed $11,900 in income taxes. More: Wisconsin Republican governor candidate Tim Michels signals he would increase police funding, but won't increase taxes Wisconsin was the first state to impose a workable income tax in 1911. The federal government adopted its current income tax system two years later. Thirty-two states have progressive income taxes, according to the Tax Foundation. Eleven states have flat income taxes and seven have no income taxes. Minnesotas income tax rates start at 5.35% and go up to 9.85%. Illinois has a flat income tax rate of 4.95% and Michigan has a flat income tax rate of 4.25%. Iowas income tax rates start at 0.33% and rise to 8.53%. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds recently signed a law that will give the state a flat tax of 3.9% in 2026. Michels has pledged "massive tax reform" if elected governor but has not released details of his positions or answered questions about what policies he would pursue aside from eliminating the personal property tax, which is levied on businesses for their equipment and furniture. More: Tony Evers, Tim Michels agree to a single debate ahead of the Wisconsin governor election. Here's how to watch Republicans who control the Legislature and Evers have both proposed plans to end the personal property tax but could not agree in 2021 how to do so. Michels said Tuesday he would "sit down and we'll figure out what the best tax reform is for Wisconsin." "Wisconsin will become more competitive with other states, more young people are going to want to stay here, more businesses are going to want to relocate here," he said. Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tim Michels says he is open to a flat income tax for Wisconsin Former prime minister Gordon Brown said the government would be 'immoral' if they did not increase benefits in line with inflation. (Reuters) Gordon Brown has issued a stark warning to the government, telling them to expect a national uprising if benefits are not increased in line with inflation. The former Labour prime minister has added to Liz Trusss woes by becoming the latest political heavyweight to weigh in on the row over the uprating of benefits amid the cost of living crisis. The issue has already prompted a Tory backbench revolt and prompted signs of splits within the Truss government after the PM suggested she could scrap former chancellor Rishi Sunak's commitment to increase benefits in line with inflation, instead increasing them in line with earnings. Appearing on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Brown said it would be immoral not to uprate benefits in line with inflation, which has soared in recent months to levels unseen in generations. Prices rose by 9.9% in the year to August 2022 (Yahoo News UK/Flourish) Liz Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng have so far not ruled out a real-terms cut to benefits. (AFP/Getty) Truss and chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng have so far not ruled the real-terms cut to benefits, as the pair seek out ways to shave billions off government spending following last months tax-cutting mini-budget. Brown said such a move would be unfair and unequal. He said: Its divisive because were not in this together any more. Its anti-work because 40% of those who would suffer are people on low pay in work. Its anti-family because five million children would be in poverty. Watch: Liz Truss will lead the Conservatives into the next election, James Cleverly says And I think most of all, its immoral. Its asking the poor to bear the burden for the crisis that we face in this country and for mistakes that other people have made, and its a scar on the soul of our country, its a stain on our conscience. Brown said the majority of the public would be against it, warning: There will be a national uprising if this goes ahead because it is nothing to do with making the growth policies of the government work, it is simply making the poor pay the price. On Tuesday, leader of the House Penny Mordaunt became the most high-profile member of the Truss top team to back calls to uprate benefits with inflation, straining the limits of cabinet collective responsibility. Story continues Proportion of universal credit recipients who are employed. (Yahoo News UK/Flourish) Liz Truss has seen her popularity plummet since the mini-budget. (PA) Truss ruled out sacking her former leadership rival for speaking out on the issue, one of several problems to dominate the conference as MPs piled pressure on the chancellor after successfully forcing a U-turn on plans to scrap the 45p top rate of tax. The prime ministers first conference as leader and prime minister has been overshadowed by the row over the mini-budget, while Tory MPs have had their confidence shattered by a huge Labour lead in the polls. Truss has also been described as incompetent by Britons, in a poll for JL Partners, while a YouGov survey found that she is already more unpopular than Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn ever was. Liz Truss' first party conference as leader has been overshadowed by the row over the mini-budget. (Reuters) Just 14% of the public now say they have a favourable impression of the PM, compared with 26% who said so between 21-22 September. Nearly three-quarters (73%) now see the PM in an unfavourable light, including more than half (55%) who see her very unfavourably. That gives her a net favorability rating of minus 59, depths not plumbed by Boris Johnson, who hit minus 53 in July or Corbyn who fell to minus 55 in June 2019. ATHENS (Reuters) -Greek authorities rescued 30 migrants whose boat sank after hitting a rocky area in stormy waters near the island of Kythira on Wednesday, the coastguard said. Authorities had mounted a search and rescue operation to save about 100 migrants who had been on board the vessel. "Thirty people have been rescued so far. The operation is ongoing amid adverse weather conditions," a coastguard official said. Strong winds were blowing in the area. The boat carrying the migrants had smashed into a rocky area and sank. One coastguard vessel, joined by a Greek navy helicopter, had rushed to the area. The coastguard did not provide additional information on possible casualties or the nationality of the migrants. Kythira is an island lying opposite the southeastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. Greece was the frontline of Europe's migration crisis in 2015 and 2016, when a million refugees fleeing war and poverty from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan arrived, mainly via Turkey. The number of migrant arrivals has fallen sharply since, but attempts to enter the country by sea through its islands continue. (Reporting by George Georgiopoulos; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Story at a glance In May 2022, the European Union passed the Digital Services Act which aims to improve digital spaces for social media users. Now, several environmental groups are calling on Twitter, TikTok and others to put more effort into addressing climate disinformation under the law. They argue the companies owe it to their users and to the planet. In a letter addressed to the CEOs of Facebook, TikTok, Google and YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, more than a dozen environmental groups called on the companies to improve transparency in their reporting and moderation of climate disinformation under European Unions Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA was passed in May 2022 and aims to create a safer and more open digital space for social media users. Unfortunately, the spread of climate disinformation undermines governments ability to efficiently and effectively respond to the climate crisis, the letter reads. It is signed by Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, as well as the Union of Concerned Scientists, among others. The environmental groups say social media companies bear a responsibility for their role in amplifying and perpetuating climate disinformation. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. Research has shown oil companies in particular engage in disinformation, fostering doubt about fossil fuels role in climate change. One way social media companies can combat disinformation is by increasing transparency to quantify the exact extent of the problem, according to the environmental groups. To do so, they ask platform leaders to fulfill obligations set forth in the DSA, and to commit to including climate disinformation as a separately-acknowledged category in its reporting and content moderation policies in and outside of the [European Union.] They also call on the platforms to disclose data on content moderation decisions related to the topic, claiming the companies owe it to users and the planet to stop amplifying such content. Story continues Concerns about the proliferation of online mis- and disinformation grew after the 2016 U.S. presidential election and reached another peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. While misinformation is classified as any false or inaccurate information, disinformation is misinformation deliberately spread with the intention to mislead. This past April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the third part of its sixth assessment report, detailing the risks posed by climate change misinformation. Accurate transference of the climate science has been undermined significantly by climate change counter movements, particularly in the US in both legacy and new/social media environments through misinformation, including about the causes and consequences of climate change, the report reads. Conspiracy theories can also spread on social media, and the medium may influence public narratives on climate change. For social media, novel technical tools, such as automated bots, are emerging to shape climate change discussion on major online platforms such as Twitter, authors added. The letter comes as the world prepares to convene in November for the United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP 27. Previous conferences saw discussion of climate change disinformation, while U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres recently called out the dangers posed by social media platforms. In a tweet, he stated the platforms are based on a business model that monetizes anger and negativity are causing untold damage to societies. Hate speech & misinformation are proliferating. Our data is being bought & sold to influence behavior. We need regulatory frameworks to change this. In recent years, Facebook, Google and YouTube, and Pinterest have all introduced policies aimed at curbing climate mis- and disinformation, albeit to varying degrees of success. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Oct. 4The state health department is once again offering mobile vaccination clinics and in-home inoculations of the COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots to Granite Staters, after halting the initiatives this summer when a previous round of federal funding ran out. The N.H. Department of Health and Human Services said in a news release Tuesday that these programs initially launched in the summer of 2021 aim to increase access for those who may not be able to get vaccinated without them. The department discontinued these programs on June 30 because the COVID-19 federal funding for them ended, according to a news release at the time. Before pausing, the mobile vaccine program hosted more than 700 clinics and administered 37,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine, the state health department said in June. Last month, Gov. Chris Sununu and the Executive Council approved American Rescue Plan funding for these initiatives, Tuesday's release says. The programs will run through March. Three mobile vaccination vans are available to provide free COVID-19 vaccines, including the primary series and booster doses. Clinics through the van are available upon request for any group or employer at no cost, according to the release. For New Hampshire residents who are unable to leave their house, the Homebased Vaccination Program will provide free in-house COVID-19 inoculations. To schedule a mobile vaccination clinic, visit on-sitemedservices.com/van or call 826-6500. To make an appointment for an in-house vaccination, go to on-sitemedservices.com/vaccine or call 826-6500. Appointments for both services usually book out one or two weeks in advance, the release notes. Funding for the Monadnock Region Health Reporting Lab comes from several sources, including The Sentinel and several local businesses and private donors. We continue to seek additional support. The newsroom maintains full editorial control over all content produced by the lab. Olivia Belanger can be reached at 352-1234, extension 1439, or obelanger@keenesentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @OBelangerKS. A laptop. Illustrated | Getty Images The Los Angeles Unified School District the second-largest district in the United States fell victim to a cyberattack in early September. On Saturday, after LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho refused to pay a ransom, the hackers released some of the stolen data onto the dark web. Here's everything you need to know: How did the cyberattack unfold? On Sept. 3, LAUSD technicians saw that a cyberattack was in progress and cut it off; if they hadn't acted as quickly as they did, Carvalho said, the situation would have been a lot worse. Officials revealed there were two parts to the attack the stealing of data and the encryption of some data to make it inaccessible and it's not yet clear if "human error" caused the breach or if it was "a systemic failure on the part of a third-party entity" connected to the system. Carvalho acknowledged that the district may never find out how this happened. In the wake of the attack, most of the district's computer systems were shut down, and employees and students were asked to make new passwords. Last week, Carvalho announced the district had received a ransom request from the hackers, "and we have been responsive without engaging in any type of negotiations." He added: "We have not responded to that demand." He did not reveal the ransom amount. The hackers, who call themselves the Vice Society, made an announcement on the dark web warning that if the ransom wasn't paid, they would begin publishing information obtained in the hack on Monday. Carvalho again refused, with the district saying Friday that paying ransom "never guarantees the full recovery of data" and "public dollars are better spent on our students rather than capitulating to a nefarious and illicit crime syndicate." The next day, sensitive information from the district's system was released on the dark web. What information is now on the dark web? The Los Angeles Times said Monday it had scanned the documents and found some identifiable information on minors, as well as records of disciplinary actions against building and grounds workers dating back to 2008 and 2009. The LAUSD's analysts and law enforcement officials have reviewed about two-thirds of the data, and Carvalho said Monday that "based on what we have seen, there is at this point no evidence of widespread impact as far as truly sensitive, confidential information. The release was actually more limited than what we had originally anticipated." Story continues Because every document requires close analysis, LAUSD's chief information officer, Soheil Katal, said it could take another week to review the leaked material. Carvalho also conceded that the hackers could be holding onto more sensitive information to release in the future. How much data was involved? The LAUSD has 1.6 million gigabytes of data in its system, and officials said the hackers were able to obtain about 500 gigabytes. The computer system belonging to the Facilities Services Division, which oversees maintenance and construction, was the most compromised, per the Times. What does the LAUSD know about the hackers? The hackers used servers based in Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, Carvalho said Monday, and "based on available information, it is quite likely that this entity operates within the geographic boundaries of Russia." What are LAUSD employees and parents saying? Many have expressed their frustration over a lack of communication from the district, the Times reports, and are worried about their information or their children's being exposed. Others are saving their ire for the hackers. "I am so disgusted by this act against the most vulnerable members of our society," Alicia Montgomery, head of the advocacy group Center for Powerful Public Schools, told the Times. "To think they are just holding districts across the country hostage impeding academic instruction and growth at a time when we are all trying to mitigate the harm from two years of emergency instruction is bad enough. But to add insult to injury, they are selling information about children. This is just so despicable," she said. The district said anyone whose data was affected will be contacted and offered credit monitoring services, and that a hotline has been set up to provide assistance. Has there been an increase in cyberattacks involving U.S. schools? The LAUSD attack was the 50th attack on the education sector this year, cybersecurity firm Emsisoft told CNN. In January, Albuquerque Public Schools had to cancel classes for two days following a cyberattack, which affected its systems containing information on student emergency contacts. Brett Callow, a threat analyst with Emsisoft, told the Times that schools are in "a very tough position. People want them to be spending money on educating kids, and dedicating millions of bucks to additional IT security measures and IT staff may not be the most politically popular decisions, until something like this happens." You may also like Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home Russian war reporters warn Ukraine is threatening thin, fragile defensive lines in southern Kherson Survey reveals less than half of Americans plan to get flu shot this season Several local organizations have teamed up for a Hurricane Ian relief event on Wednesday morning. Orlando residents impacted by the storm will be able to pick up baby supplies, food boxes and limited amounts of water starting at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday at the Dr. James R. Smith Center. Orlando Commissioner Bakari Burns teamed up with the Central Florida Diaper Bank, Second Harvest Food Bank, Equal Ground, and OUC to pull together resources for the event. Read: As flooding recedes, is Central Florida prepared for a wave of evictions? While some in our community have returned to normal activities, many havent and still need help, Burns said. So, my office has partnered with local organizations that can assist, like the Central Florida Diaper Bank and Second Harvest. Were grateful these groups jumped in so quickly to help, and we look forward to continuing to serve our community. The giveaway is first-come, first-served, and supplies are limited. Read: Hundreds of Orange County families being evicted after Hurricane Ian damages complex Residents can call 407-246-2006 for more information. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The administrator of a Head Start program in Washington state said she went "though hell" fighting to keep her job in the face of state and federal vaccine mandates for program staffers which still remain even as the rest of the country rolls back pandemic restrictions. Sarah Werling, a Head Start center manager in Friday Harbor, Washington, told Fox News Digital that due to state regulations, she was barred from the classroom until this fall when Gov. Jay Inslee lifted the state's coronavirus emergency. Last October, she was initially granted a religious exemption by her program, but was told she would need to be reassigned from her job. Werling said she pushed back against that decision before being allowed to keep her job, with an accommodation that barred her from coming into contact with "children, families and staff" essentially exiling her from the classroom. However, even now with Washington's regulations lifted, Werling says she is forced to get tested for COVID-19 once per week and must wear a mask when in the classroom, due to Head Start's rules for religious exemptions. The testing requirement is consistent with guidelines laid out in the HHS interim final rule for religious exemptions. GOP WELCOMES END TO DISASTROUS POLICY OF MASKING HEAD START TODDLERS "We're working in early childhood education," Werling said, speaking about the mask mandate's effect on her students. "This is the prime time their brains are developing and all these social cues they're missing out." Werling, who is also an elected school board director on San Juan Island, also said she "still feel[s] excluded" by the terms of her religious accommodation, which forces her to wear a mask when others do not need to. Additionally, she said she is concerned for others who might not have been able to fight for their jobs the way she did. "I would have left two years ago, but I believe in it so much," Werling said of Head Start. "I've put myself through hell." Story continues "Programs have lost quality staff for those that chose to remain unvaccinated, and programs have missed out on hiring quality staff due to the vaccination requirements for new employees," Werling added. The Department of Health and Human Services still mandates staff in about half of the country's Head Start programs to be vaccinated for COVID-19, despite loosening CDC guidelines and a recent legal injunction paused the mandate. HHS rolled back its masking mandate for toddlers in Head Start an early childhood education program that serves vulnerable children after political pressure last month. Shortly after that, U.S. District Court Judge Terry A Doughty ruled that the department had no authority to mandate masks or vaccines for program staff, which it did concurrently in an "interim final rule" last year. ARMY PENALIZING SOLDIERS SEEKING RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION TO VAX MANDATE: TECHNIQUE OF COERCION "There is nothing in [federal law] which would allow Agency Defendants to make medical decisions for employees and volunteers, and/or to require two (2), three (3), and four (4), year-old students to wear masks the majority of the day," Doughty wrote in his ruling. However, Doughty limited the injunction he issued to just the 24 states behind the lawsuit against the coronavirus mandates. That left the rest of the country except Texas which blocked the mandate's enforcement via a separate case still subject to a requirement that Head Start employees be vaccinated. Meanwhile, CDC guidelines no longer differentiates between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The new guidelines cite the fact breakthrough infections regularly occur in vaccinated people, and that unvaccinated people often have natural immunity due to previous infection. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., pressed the Biden administration to roll back the Head Start mask mandate. Susan Walsh/Getty Images HHS, led by Secretary Xavier Becerra, did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital asking if it plans to rescind its vaccine mandate for staffers. Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. who was one of the lawmakers pressing the Biden administration to abandon the Head Start mask mandate before it did so last month, said Tuesday the vaccine mandate should go as well. "Americans have had it with government mask and vaccine mandates," Thune said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "If the pandemic is over, as the president himself declared, these misguided and outdated federal policies should end in every state today." Fox News' Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report. For years, Jeri Stuart didn't get a flu shot. Now, the 54-year-old breast cancer survivor does not want to gamble with her health. She got her flu shot last week. "My mother always hounded me to get them done," she said. "I figured, you know what, let's just get everything that we can to ensure that I don't get sick." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging everyone 6 months and older to also get their flu shot. Public health officials are worried about a false sense of security after two milder flu seasons due to COVID precautions. Australia, which experiences winter ahead of the U.S., just had its worst flu season in five years. "I don't want to be alarmist, but I am concerned. We know that it's going to be a strain of flu that tends to be more severe," said Dr. Michael Phillips, an infectious disease expert at NYU Langone Health. "For those ages greater than 65, there's a specific formulations of vaccines that you should get and it dramatically reduces the likelihood of hospitalization and death." Less than half of U.S. adults plan to get a flu shot this year and just a third feel safe getting a flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, according to a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases survey. Stuart opted for both a flu shot and the bivalent COVID booster, which the CDC says can be safely given together. "If it's something that's going to help lessen symptoms, then every little bit helps," she said. Flu season typically starts in October, peaks in December through February and can last into the spring. Like COVID vaccines, the flu shot may not stop you from getting infected, but the CDC says it can significantly lower the risk of hospitalization and death. Biden meets with DeSantis during Florida trip to survey Hurricane Ian damage Former NASA astronaut discusses successful launch of Crew-5 mission Florida man rescues 86-year-old mom after Hurricane Ian floods her house BERLIN (Reuters) - A clouded economic outlook means it is impossible for Henkel to plan for the coming weeks with certainty at the moment, the chief executive of the chemical and consumer goods company told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "We live in a time when it is impossible to reliably plan what will happen in the coming weeks," Carsten Knobel told the newspaper in comments published on Wednesday. "We are still assuming cost increases in the mid-20 percent range, which has been consolidated at this level over the past months," he added. "But it is still too early to say how things will go in 2023." Last month, Henkel raised its 2022 outlook for organic sales based on strong sales growth in its adhesives unit. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) We can readily understand why investors are attracted to unprofitable companies. 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. Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Cyclopharm (ASX:CYC) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. View our latest analysis for Cyclopharm How Long Is Cyclopharm's Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Cyclopharm last reported its balance sheet in June 2022, it had zero debt and cash worth AU$27m. In the last year, its cash burn was AU$4.1m. That means it had a cash runway of about 6.5 years as of June 2022. Even though this is but one measure of the company's cash burn, the thought of such a long cash runway warms our bellies in a comforting way. Importantly, if we extrapolate recent cash burn trends, the cash runway would be noticeably longer. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years. How Well Is Cyclopharm Growing? It was fairly positive to see that Cyclopharm reduced its cash burn by 40% during the last year. And considering that its operating revenue gained 20% during that period, that's great to see. It seems to be growing nicely. 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. Can Cyclopharm Raise More Cash Easily? While Cyclopharm seems to be in a decent position, we reckon it is still worth thinking about how easily it could raise more cash, if that proved desirable. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund 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. Story continues Cyclopharm has a market capitalisation of AU$133m and burnt through AU$4.1m last year, which is 3.1% of the company's market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan. So, Should We Worry About Cyclopharm's Cash Burn? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Cyclopharm's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash runway stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. And even though its revenue growth wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. After taking into account the various metrics mentioned in this report, we're pretty comfortable with how the company is spending its cash, as it seems on track to meet its needs over the medium term. An in-depth examination of risks revealed 1 warning sign for Cyclopharm that readers should think about before committing capital to this stock. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Oceania Cruises Even among the creme de la creme of luxury liners, some stand out from the rest. While the cruising industry took a large operational and financial hit during the pandemic, companies have adapted and brought back quality travel with health and safety in mind. Dollar Tree: 5 High-Quality Items To Buy Now See: This Credit Score Mistake Could Be Costing Millions of Americans The emphasis is still on luxury and catering to vacationers needs, but the best high-end cruise lines offer something unique to its passengers, who are looking to get away and have the experience of a lifetime. While mainstream cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Disney or Carnival rule the seas with on-board amenities and activities for travelers of all ages, luxury lines cant be beat for off-the-beaten-track destinations, customized travel, offboard excursions and top-shelf service. In its 2022 Best Luxury Cruise Lines report, U.S. News & World Report rated the following six luxury cruise lines as the best. However, each of these luxury lines offer an equally diverse range of experiences and extravagances for the well-heeled traveler. With input from sites like TripSavvy, The Richest, Travel + Leisure and Cruise Critic who also rate all these six companies highly it is easy to see that any of these six cruise lines couldve topped a best of list for luxury cruise lines. 1. Viking Ocean Cruises One of the best designed cruise lines is also one the most well-respected. With eight identical 930-passenger cruise ships in its fleet, Vikings smaller ships allows them to access more exclusive ports throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. This adult-only luxury cruise line is perfect for those looking for the perfect vacation to reignite the spark with their significant other, or perhaps wants something slightly different for their honeymoon, according to The Richest. Although mainly known for its European itineraries, Viking added Mississippi River and Great Lakes cruise offering this year, per Travel + Leisure. Its easy to see why U.S. News has it ranked as its No. 1 Best Luxury Cruise Line. Story continues 2. Seabourn Cruise Line Though it ranks second with U.S. News, The Richest ranks it at number 1 in its 10 Best Luxury Cruise Lines list for its intimate setting and detail to the finer things in life (like cultural and culinary partnerships with UNESCO and some of the most renowned chefs in the world respectively), but this cruise line is beloved for its exotic itineraries around the world. Whether you are itching to visit the Amazon or the Arctic or anywhere in between and beyond Seabourn caters to those looking to immerse themselves in a destination. Its Seabourn expeditions allow adventurers the chance of a lifetime to visit popular and underexplored areas. Take Our Poll: Have You Ever Lost Wealth Due To a Natural Disaster? 3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises Regent provides passengers with a luxury getaway with a personal touch. Although ranked third by U.S. News, Regent is consistently ranked near, if not at the top, of the best luxury cruise lines lists at outlets like Travel + Leisure and TripSavvy. With one crew member for every 1-2 passengers, Regents Seven Seas ships offer all-suite accommodations and specialty culture and culinary lessons, per U.S. News. Regents all-inclusive packages include everything, from business-class flights to on-shore excursions plus any amenity you could wish for. With ocean views from every suite, voyages range from seven to 120 days. Its Seven Seas Explorer liner was billed as the most luxurious ship ever built upon its launch in July 2016, according to Cruise Critic. 4. Azamara With a smaller ship capacity and 1:2 ship member-to-passenger ratio, almost every luxury travel site describes Azamara cruises as cozy, and who are we to argue? According to Cruise Critic, Azamaras fleet consists of four ships that travel to more than 300 ports in South America, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia and Asia. It also runs fashionable county-intensive voyages, which stick to one country but travel to multiple ports, so passengers can immerse themselves in a personalized country-culture cruise. 5. Silversea Cruises Known for its beautiful vessels and specialty restaurants, Silversea is a popular choice among passengers wanting to cruise away to far-flung locales without the hustle and bustle of crowds. With a passenger capacity of around 700, according to U.S. News (The Richest claims between 100 and 596), Silversea was voted by TripSavvy as the Best Small Ships company. The cruise line specializes in remote voyages (one of its most popular cruises travels to a host of Japanese and Russian ports) and boasts the best itineraries in the world. And whats not to love about getting pampered by Silverseas 24-hour butler service? 6. Oceania Cruises Although some of their vessels hold over 1,200 guests, Oceania is recommended by TripSavvy as the best line for first-time cruisers because most of their ships sail with an average 850 guests, traveling to more than 450 ports around the world. TripSavvy also notes that Oceania cruises are less expensive than the larger luxury lines, but without skimping on the elegance. Attention to detail is key with Oceania. Its butlers are graduates of the Guild of Professional English Butlers and its kitchen is staffed with world-class chefs, per Travel + Leisure. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What Is the Highest Rated Luxury Cruise Line? Photo: The Canadian Press A House of Commons committee is calling for a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology by federal police and Canadian businesses unless there is court authorization or input from the privacy watchdog. In a report tabled Tuesday, the committee on access to information, privacy and ethics also urges the government to develop a regulatory framework concerning uses, prohibitions, oversight and privacy of the emerging tool. Facial recognition technology can allow an image of a person's face to be matched against a database of photos with the aim of identifying the individual. The MPs say appropriate privacy protections should address issues including accuracy, retention of data and transparency in facial recognition initiatives, as well as a comprehensive strategy around informed consent by Canadians for the use of their private information. They also want the government to amend the private-sector privacy law to prohibit capturing images of Canadians from the internet or public spaces for the purpose of populating facial recognition technology databases or artificial intelligence algorithms. Several witnesses who took part in committee hearings acknowledged some positive uses of facial recognition, such as quick and secure payments at a checkout counter, life-saving medical applications and solving crimes. However, MPs also heard about the dangers of misidentification of Black and Asian people through the technology; indiscriminate and warrantless mass surveillance; and the lack of regulation, transparency and accountability from police and intelligence agencies. The report warns that without an appropriate framework, facial recognition technology and other artificial intelligence tools could cause irreparable harm to some individuals. These innovations must be used responsibly within a robust legislative framework that protects Canadians' privacy rights and civil liberties, the MPs say. "Since such a legislative framework does not exist at the time, a national pause should be imposed on the use of FRT, particularly with respect to police services." The committee "strongly encourages" Ottawa to implement its recommendations as quickly as possible. Tim McSorley, national co-ordinator of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group, welcomed the report, noting that for more than two years, government regulators, civil society groups and leading experts in human rights and technology have been calling for decisive action on facial recognition by the federal government. "We hope that this latest report finally leads to the legal reforms that are necessary to rein in facial recognition, and artificial intelligence technology more broadly," said McSorley, who testified before the committee in March. In May, Canada's privacy commissioners said it should be illegal for police to use facial recognition technology to monitor people involved in peaceful protest. In a joint statement, federal, provincial and territorial privacy watchdogs also called for a prohibition on any police deployment of the technology that could result in mass surveillance. The privacy commissioners of British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec have ordered facial recognition company Clearview AI to stop collecting, using and disclosing images of people without consent. An investigation by the three provincial watchdogs and their federal counterpart found in February last year that Clearview AIs technology resulted in mass surveillance of Canadians and violated federal and provincial laws governing personal information. They said the New York-based companys scraping of billions of images of people from across the internet to help police forces, financial institutions and other clients identify people was a clear breach of Canadians privacy rights. To view past editions of The Hills 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/30ARS1U To receive The Hills 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: https://bit.ly/3qmIoS9 > A midday take on whats happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* *Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Habreaks down crying hysterically. TALK OF THE MORNING The Washington Posts Josh Dawsey and Jacqueline Alemany report that after the National Archives sought former President Trumps presidential records for more than a year, Trump personally packed 15 boxes of presidential records to be returned to the National Archives and Records Administration in January. Trump then asked his lawyer, Alex Cannon, to declare that all materials requested by the agency had been returned. Trumps lawyer declined because he was unsure whether that statement was actually true. As it turned out, thousands more government documents including some highly classified secrets remained at Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence and private club. The thousands of government documents that were not returned then became the subject of the grand jury subpoena in May and the subsequent August FBI search of Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence. Read the full Washington Post report WHATS IMPORTANT HERE TRUMPS DIRECT HANDLING OF THE RECORDS: The Hills Rebecca Beitsch explains how that detail of former President Trump personally packing the initial 15 boxes of presidential records may strengthen the governments case if they decide to prosecute. Explainer of why this new reporting is important Its Wednesday. Tis another day in D.C. without sun. Womp. Im Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and whats coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. News this morning This, well, wont be great for gas prices: Via The Hills Zack Budryk, The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its oil-exporting allies announced a 2 million barrel per day cut in oil production Wednesday, bucking months of pressure from Washington to increase production and potentially spiking gas prices again. Story continues What does this mean?: It will essentially cut 2 percent of global supplies. For context in the U.S.: The cut announced by OPEC+ is about twice the amount the U.S. has been releasing daily from the strategic petroleum reserve. How this could *help* Russia: An OPEC+ production cut could benefit Russia by propping up the Kremlins own petroleum revenues before European Union sanctions are set to take effect in December. What we know about the announcement and its ramifications globally KEEP IN MIND BIDEN HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS NOT TO HAPPEN: Via The New York Timess Jim Tankersley, Biden administration officials have spent more than a week in discussions with their counterparts from oil-producing countries in the Middle East, seeking to minimize production cuts by OPEC Plus, the group led by Saudi Arabia, in an effort to keep global oil prices from rising drastically. The full story Just now To the International Space Station and beyond!: NASA and SpaceX just launched a crew to the International Space Station. Watch On the campaign trail A campaign issue that could help Republicans win the Senate crime: For example in Pennsylvania: Republicans are seizing on high-profile incidents in the Philadelphia area, including the recent ransacking of a Wawa store and the shooting of five students outside a high school last month. Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman, the states lieutenant governor, has been forced to play defense by erasing statements of support for the Black Lives Matter movement from his website. And in Wisconsin: Republicans are trying to link Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic Senate nominee, to former San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who was recalled from office in June amid growing voter frustration over rising crime and homelessness. How this could materially help Republicans in November, via The Hills Alexander Bolton Another weapon in the GOP arsenal Bidens gaffes: Republicans are seizing on recent gaffes from President Biden, putting a spotlight on his slip-ups to attack Bidens competency ahead of both the midterms and a 2024 presidential race. Like, last week: When Biden spoke at an event, he asked whether a congresswoman was in attendance. That congresswoman died in August. Keep in mind Biden has been making gaffes for years: As a presidential candidate in 2007, then-Sen. Biden apologized after describing then-Sen. Barack Obama as the first mainstream African American presidential candidate who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. But Bidens older age is fueling questions by Republicans. More examples of Bidens recent gaffes, via The Hills Alex Gangitano and Amie Parnes In Russia Lets talk hypotheticals here: AP/Sergei Guneyev via Sputnik Russian President Vladimir Putin has the world on edge about whether he would use a nuclear weapon amid his losses in Ukraine. While the administration says there are no signs that the Kremlin has made moves toward a nuclear strike and that Washington has not changed its own nuclear position experts say the potential U.S. options could turn into a very real scenario given Russias floundering military campaign and an increasingly frustrated Putin. The Hills Ellen Mitchell spoke with foreign policy experts about what a U.S. response to a Russian nuclear attack in Ukraine might look like. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES PUTIN USES A NUCLEAR WEAPON?: Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNN its unlikely but possible. Espers reasoning TIDBIT FROM FORMER CIA DIRECTOR AND RETIRED U.S. ARMY GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS: Petraeus said in a new interview that Russia can still inflict destruction upon Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot reverse Ukrainian gains in the four regions Moscow recently annexed. Petraeus told CNBCs Hadley Gamble: I think hes literally out of moves. He elaborated: Hes trying all these different desperate actions, but the fact is, the reality that confronts Russia on the battlefield in Ukraine is that Ukraine has a vastly more capable and larger force than does the country that is more than three times their size. So the reality on the battlefield now is desperate for Putin. Theres literally nothing he can do. It is irreversible. More of Petraeuss predictions Op-ed on the Ukraine war Latest with COVID THE COVID-19 NUMBERS Cases to date: 96.2 million Death toll: 1,054,443 Current hospitalizations: 20,686 Shots administered: 619 million Fully vaccinated: 67.9 percent of Americans CDC data here. Notable tweets I would love to see a behind-the-scenes video of the photoshoot: The Wall Street Journals Natalie Andrews tweeted, The photos attached to the Tim Ryan fundraising emails are something else. The photos with captions Keep in mind: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) is running for Senate. Tidbit this morning: Ryan raised more than $17 million for his Senate bid over the last three months, a sum nearly twice as large as his campaigns previous best. On tap The House and Senate are out. President Biden is in Florida. Vice President Harris is in Connecticut. 9:45 a.m. : Harris left for New Britain, Conn. 10:15 a.m. : Biden and first lady Jill Biden left for Fort Myers, Fla. Photo of their departure 1 p.m. : The Bidens survey the damage from Hurricane Ian in a helicopter. 2 p.m. : The Bidens receive a briefing on the response and recovery efforts and then meet with residents and small business owners impacted by the storm. 4:40 p.m. : The Bidens leave for Washington, D.C. 7:10 p.m. : The Bidens returns to the White House. No longer happening on Oct. 12: The debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Democratic challenger Charlie Crist has been postponed due to Hurricane Ian response efforts. All times Eastern. What to watch 11:30 a.m. : White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell gaggled with reporters aboard Air Force One. Watch 1:15 p.m. : Harris participates in a reproductive rights conversation with Planned Parenthood Federation of America CEO Alexis McGill Johnson and Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) Livestream 3:15 p.m. : Biden delivers remarks on supporting Florida in the recovery and efforts to rebuild after Hurricane Ian. Livestream In lighter news Today is National Pumpkin Seed Day and National Apple Betty Day. How festive. McDonalds is now selling adult Happy Meals. I just thought you should know.: Getty images McDonalds is selling boxed meals for adults that even include a toy. The name: The meal has an odd name the Cactus Plant Flea Market Box thats based on the fashion brand collaborating with McDonalds on the promotion. Whats included in the box?: 10 Chicken McNuggets or a Big Mac, fries, drink and a toy. Details and photos And to leave you smiling, I would like for you to see Rorys Halloween costumes. Rory keeps losing costume contests, but shes a winner in our hearts. ^ Make sure your sound is on. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. IPO Edge and the Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association will host a fireside chat with Selina and BOA Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: BOAS) on Tuesday, Oct. 11th at 11 am ET to discuss their upcoming merger as well as the fundamentals, secular trends, market opportunity, financials, performance and growth strategy. The live event will feature the CEO of Selina, Rafael Museri, and the President and Chief Financial Officer of BOA Acquisition Corp., Ben Friedman, joined by IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone and Editor-at-Large Jarrett Banks in a moderated video session lasting approximately 60 minutes including a Q&A with the audience. To register, CLICK HERE Selina and BOA Acquisition Corp. management will discuss: Fundamentals/secular trends/market opportunity Financials/performance Differentiators (experiential hospitality, largest brand targeting millennials and Gen Z) Rapid international expansion Efficient repositioning program Curated, authentic experiences; properties are frequented by travelers as well as locals About the Speakers Rafael Museri Rafael (Rafi) Museri is the co-founder & CEO of Selina, a nomadic lifestyle brand that accommodates the needs of a new generation of travelers and digital nomads. Rafi and his business partner, Daniel Rudasevsk, launched Selina in 2015 with the mission of inspiring authentic and meaningful connections through the worlds first work, stay and play ecosystem. Rafi and Daniel have been immersed in cultural and community building for over a decade originally through their disruptive real estate company (Dekel), which redevelops struggling neighborhoods into vibrant communities. Based on key learnings from their work with Dekel, they launched Selina and have carried forward the concept of converting distressed assets into community-based and economically viable hospitality properties. Over the past 6 years, Selina has expanded to 144 properties in 25 countries as one of the worlds fastest-growing hospitality brands, blending beautifully-designed accommodation with coworking, recreation, wellness, and local experiences. Custom-built for todays nomadic traveler, Selina provides guests with a global infrastructure to seamlessly travel and work abroad. Each Selina property is designed in partnership with local artists, creators, and tastemakers, breathing new life into existing buildings in interesting locations worldwide from urban cities to remote beaches and jungles. Story continues Ben Friedman Benjamin Friedman is President and Chief Financial Officer for BOA Acquisition Corp. Mr. Friedman has extensive experience in public and private financial markets, specializing in high yield and distressed investments across sectors and products. Prior to joining BOA Acquisition Corp., he was a Director and Senior Trader at Citigroup Global Markets leading the high-yield Energy and Utility trading franchise. Previously, he served as a Portfolio Manager at CQS, UK LLP, an $18 billion hedge fund and asset management firm focused on opportunistic credit investments. He was responsible for US high-yield credit hedge fund investments employing a mix of capital structure arbitrage, fundamental credit analysis, and relative value risk strategies to deliver returns. Additionally, he has taken part in a number of complex corporate restructurings and subsequent equity re-organizations. Mr. Friedman also was a member of the long-only multi-asset strategic investment team with over $7 billion in assets under management, managing a dedicated high-yield corporate credit book. He began his career at Bank of America Merrill Lynch on the leveraged finance trading team. He was named to Forbes Top 30 under 30 in 2017. Mr. Friedman received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, graduating Magna Cum Laude. About Selina Selina is one of the worlds largest lifestyle and experiential hotel company built to address the needs and desires of millennial and Gen Z travelers, blending beautifully designed accommodation with coworking, recreation, wellness and local experiences. Custom-built for todays nomadic traveler, Selina provides guests with a global infrastructure to seamlessly travel, work and play. Founded in 2014, each Selina property is designed in partnership with local artists, creators, and tastemakers, breathing new life into existing buildings in interesting locations around the world from urban cities to remote beaches and jungles. Selinas portfolio includes over 163 open or secured properties across 25 countries and 6 continents. On December 2, 2021, Selina entered into a definitive merger agreement with BOA Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: BOAS), the closing of which, which is subject to customary conditions, will result in Selina becoming a publicly listed company. For further information on Selina, visit www.selina.com or check out @selina on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. To explore Selina real estate partnership opportunities, please contact partnerships@selina.com. About BOA Acquisition Corp. BOA Acquisition Corp. (BOA) is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While BOA may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its search on businesses that provide technological solutions and innovation to the broader real estate industry. Contact: www.IPO-Edge.com Daniella Parra daniellap@capmarketsmedia.com Twitter: @IPOEdge Instagram: @IPOEdge -0- A church former members have described as a cult has lost its GI Bill eligibility after two decades of allegedly bilking Bible school students out of millions of dollars of veterans benefits. On Monday, officials from state regulatory agencies in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas disclosed that schools connected to the House of Prayer church had been stripped of their eligibility for GI Bill money. The loss of access to GI Bill funds had not been previously reported. House of Prayer had collected $7 million in veterans' tuition money over 18 years. In addition, several veterans told Military.com that they were expected to donate their housing allowances to the church. Read Next: Troops, Veterans Can Get More Life Insurance Coverage Under Bill on Biden's Desk In Hinesville, Georgia, where the church is headquartered, beneficiaries earned $1,500 per month, according to 2022 Department of Veterans Affairs data. The church's other locations include Augusta, Georgia; Tacoma, Washington; Killeen, Texas; and Fayetteville, North Carolina. A spokesperson for the church did not respond to a request for comment ahead of this storys publication. A Military.com investigation detailed how a complex string of businesses connected to the church's leadership had been relying on veterans and their benefits for nearly 20 years, pushing service members and veterans to turn over their military paychecks and disability pay, and use their home loan and GI Bill benefits to create revenue for the church. Those who disagreed with church leadership often had to leave their families behind and relinquish contact, according to several former church members, some of whom called the organization "a cult." Texas' decision to revoke authorization for the House of Prayer schools came July 21, days after the Military.com investigation was published; North Carolina and Georgia had suspended the schools the month before. In June, the House of Prayer's five churches were raided by the FBI. Authorities seized computers, church records and cash. All of those facilities are located near major Army installations. No charges have been filed. Story continues The church's Bible schools, which received the GI Bill money, offered no degrees, with veterans expected to attend until their benefits ran out, according to former students and a former school administrator. The courses were virtually identical to any typical Sunday school, Arlen Bradeen, who ran the bible schools from 2004 to 2019, told Military.com in a July interview. The classes would often be renamed to subvert GI Bill regulations preventing students from taking redundant classes on the taxpayer's dime, he said. In some cases, church rooms would be rearranged to look like formal classrooms ahead of inspections from the VA, he added. The GI Bill eligibility decisions came from State Approving Agencies, or SAAs, which serve as the VA's enforcement arm for GI Bill rules. It's a relatively low-profile, state-level bureaucracy, but it oversees what is widely considered one of the federal government's most cherished public programs. Roughly 1 million beneficiaries use the GI Bill, a key recruiting tool for the military, each year, serving as a direct path for service members to reach the middle class. SAA operations vary from state to state, and the SAAs in Georgia, North Carolina and Texas independently cut off the House of Prayer at different times. While the agencies have faced criticism in the past for not being more critical of some for-profit schools, some have become more proactive. The District of Columbia's regulatory arm temporarily stripped Howard University of its GI Bill eligibility over paperwork snafus by a school staffer who left the job after Military.com's reporting on the incident. Veterans Education Success, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that lobbies on military education issues, told Congress that the House of Prayer's alleged scam against veterans serves as a flashpoint for the need for boosted oversight over the GI Bill and which schools can become approved institutions. Military.com visited the House of Prayer church in North Carolina, located just outside of Fort Bragg, in August. The church appeared to be abandoned and unkept, with a man sleeping on one of the steps. A store owner in the area said no one had been in the building since the FBI raid. In July, a reporter from this publication was also granted a tour of the Hinesville headquarters, which appeared fully operational. Congregants declined to answer questions or issue comments on the record, but pointed to signs of damage to doors they claimed was caused by federal agents during the raid. The church may also be operating under other aliases, including The Place of Help and On Fire Missions, according to the church's website and former members. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: How a Church Allegedly Scammed Millions in VA Money from Vets SINGAPORE Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are making inroads into the realm of filmmaking. The blockchain assets exploded in popularity in 2020 for their novel application of certifying ownership of digital or real-world assets through blockchains. We have seen films being funded through NFTs, as well as NFTs being made into films. Now, Asian filmmakers are experimenting with even newer ways of integrating NFTs into creator and fan communities. Hong Kong actor-filmmaker Stephen Fung speaking to attendees at the Sleepless In Singapore Token2049 Afterparty on 29 September 2022 at Projector X: Picturehouse at The Cathay. (Photo: Mecenia) Last week, the Token2049 crypto event, which provides a networking platform for blockchain investors, creators, and entrepreneurs, saw various side events in the lead-up to the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore. Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and now NFT creator, Stephen Fung, was at one such event on 29 September which brought filmmakers, creators and artists together. Grid6 Studios, founded by Stephen Fung, Media Asia Group and Everest Venture Group, wants to combine cinematic storytelling and web3 ownership. In April, Grid6 Studios announced the Departed Apes NFT collection, which consists of 8027 characters on the Ethereum blockchain which live in a parallel universe of the internationally acclaimed crime film Infernal Affairs. These characters are crafted by artist Logan Lubera, whose drawings were featured on Marvel Comics covers. Departed Apes is a collection of NFT characters who live in a parallel universe of the internationally acclaimed crime film Infernal Affairs. (PHOTO: Grid6 Studios) Fung says the NFTs offer interactive opportunities for user-led cinematic storytelling. Owning a Departed Ape is merely a passport to a community of owners on a Discord group who play a choose-your-own-adventure-style game and participate in co-creating stories based on their NFT characters. Participants can vote to see their characters featured in films made by Grid6 Studios. "What was successful in the first wave of NFTs might not be successful subsequently. So we're doing something to make it more interesting," said 48-year-old Fung. "Ours is a parallel universe inspired by the Infernal Affairs world that's populated by ape characters. We've added storytelling to the mix your character can enter the world and be an Infernal Affairs mole. It's like a video game, but it's also an experience." Story continues Stephen Fung having an AMA dialogue with Mecenia co-founder Low Ser En. (Photo: Mecenia) Web3 Film Studio Mecenia, another Web3 film studio, seeks to forge stronger, more direct links between creators and their supporters, and therefore reward creators more for media properties that they build by cutting out corporate middlemen. Mecenia will soon launch its first film, "The Shiba And The Whale", which it calls the world's first fully fractionalised animation. From our team to the moon and back https://t.co/kQcn44a9af The Shiba and the Whale (@shibaandwhale) September 16, 2022 Produced by Mecenia's co-founder, BAFTA winner Low Ser En, the 14-minute whimsical Studio Ghibli-style film will be split into 10,000 frames for its NFT launch. Every frame will be a collectible NFT. Lim Liang Chun, Mecenia's other co-founder, said, "With NFT technology, fans have been given the power to immutably own digital assets that resonate with them emotionally, while Internet culture continues to facilitate co-creation between creators and fans. NFT projects will seed the next generation of media franchises, which will be Internet-native and capture value primarily through online means." Organisers of the Sleepless In Singapore Token2049 Afterparty: (from left to right) Blockbusters Lab co-founders Rubio Chan and Jamie Cheung; Conan Li, Blockbusters Lab's head of creative and community; Departed Apes creator Stephen Fung; Blockbusters Lab co-founder Kyle Leung; and Mecenia co-founders Lim Liang Chun and Low Ser En. (Photo: Mecenia) You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Oct. 5Howard County police said late Tuesday afternoon that they believe a threat called in about River Hill High School earlier in the day was "a hoax." The Howard County Police Department said there was no evidence of danger at the Clarksville school Tuesday afternoon. A phone call to police just before 2 p.m. reported that a student with a gun and bomb was at the high school. The school went on lockdown at about 1:45 p.m., according to school officials. At 5:01 p.m., police said the building had been cleared and that no danger had been located. According to the police statement, detectives believe the threat to have been a hoax and they are still investigating the source. River Hill H.S. has been cleared. No danger was located by police. Detectives believe the phone threat called in this afternoon about a possible gun and bomb at the school was a hoax and are investigating the source. No additional information at this time. Howard County Police Department (@HCPDNews) October 4, 2022 Videos posted to social media Tuesday afternoon showed armed law enforcement officers rushing toward the school building during the afternoon and numerous police vehicles parked outside. This story may be updated. A Newport News jury failed Wednesday to reach a verdict in the slaying of a 17-year-old student who was shot during a fight outside Menchville High School after a basketball game late last year. Newport News Circuit Court Judge Bryant L. Sugg declared a mistrial after jurors could not unanimously agree on whether to find Demari Antonio Batten guilty of second-degree murder or manslaughter or not guilty at all following a full day of deliberations. The breakdown of how many jurors favored each choice wasnt clear, though Battens attorney said the jurys finding on a separate count makes clear their disagreement was between manslaughter and acquittal. Newport News prosecutors now must decide whether to retry Batten in the Dec. 14 killing of Justice Michael Dunham. Prosecutors havent announced their plans, and no new trial date has been set. Dunham, a standout football player at Woodside High School, was shot to death near a parked car as fans cleared out after the packed game between Menchville and Woodside. Battens attorney, James Broccoletti, made a self-defense case, with Batten testifying he shot Dunham as he was being attacked and while Dunham and another student were trying to grab his gun. I wanted them to back off of me and get away and to leave me alone, Batten testified Tuesday. While the 12-member jury failed to reach a verdict on the homicide charge, jurors found Batten guilty on three other charges possessing a firearm on school property, shooting a firearm on school property, and carrying in public a loaded semi-automatic pistol with a magazine holding more than 20 rounds. Those charges will move forward to sentencing in January. But jurors found Batten, who turns 19 on Thursday, not guilty of another gun charge using a firearm in the commission of second-degree murder. Broccoletti contended the acquittal on that count indicates jurors agreed not to convict Batten of second-degree murder and were split only between finding him guilty of manslaughter and finding him not guilty at all. Story continues That created about 45 minutes of legal wrangling following the verdict. If that was indeed the jurors point of impasse, Broccoletti contended, Sugg needed to toss the second-degree murder charge and bar the prosecution from bringing it back later. Broccoletti asked the judge to poll the jurors to resolve this matter once and for all. But Senior Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Jennifer Titter disagreed, asserting that polling the jurors would be improper under the courts rules and the case law. She said the judge should not inquire about their decision beyond the verdict forms. They are not allowed to explain things to us, she said of jurors. We are not to know what goes on back there. In the end, Sugg didnt ask jurors where the stalemate was. He instead asked the jurys foreman only if they considered all three options, and the foreman said yes. That means prosecutors can bring back the second-degree murder count if they choose. During closing arguments Tuesday, Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Mary Button said Batten overreacted after the Dec. 14 basketball game and brought a gun to a fistfight. He retreats to where the gun is, Button said. He aims the gun, and he shoots the gun. Those were all his choices ... If they were going to beat him so severely, why would they do it in a packed parking lot with police and other people around. Broccoletti, on the other hand, asserted that Dunham and his friends were attacking Batten from both sides of a parked car, severely limiting his options to get away. What did they want him to do, stand there and take an a** whooping? Broccoletti asked. Hes trapped like a rat with nowhere to go and acted reasonably under the circumstances. As for the prosecutions argument that Batten brought a gun to a fistfight, Broccoletti said Batten only brought a gun to a parking lot, and they brought the fight to where the weapon was. Batten had no idea, he said, how far they were going to go to injure him. Batten, who was attending Warwick High School at the time, testified Tuesday that he thought it was going to be a fun night when he went with a friend to the Menchville-Woodside basketball game after work. But during the first half, Batten said, he got an ominous text message from a friend that another group of students was watching his every move. Text messages introduced at the trial showed that a group of students including Dunham was mad at Batten about an Instagram post he made that they interpreted as mocking of their gang, the Playboy Bunnies. They were upset that Batten had posted a video along with an upside-down bunny. We really about to do his a** tomorrow, Dunham texted another student the night before the basketball game, with texts also indicating the group was watching Battens movements during the game. Batten said that to get away from any danger, he left the tied game early with about two minutes left and walked to his friends parked car. There he had a gun a Glock 9 mm with an extended magazine and 22 rounds on the floorboard and illegally on school property. As Batten waited outside the car, Kaveon Eley, one of the students who had a beef with Batten, approached. Batten said he tried to get quickly into the sedan and close the door, but Eley held it open and punched him once in the face. Then, he testified, Eley reached over him and tried to grab his gun. Batten said he picked up the gun, tried to block Eley with his body and pointed the weapon toward the empty drivers side window. Just then, he said, a student in a ski mask later identified as Dunham ran around the front of the car and opened the drivers side door. Batten said Dunham leaned into the car and tried to grab at the gun. Batten said he closed his eyes and fired, striking Dunham once in the chest. Police arrested Batten at the scene. Under questioning from detectives that night, he at first denied the gun was his, before later admitting to he bought it on the street two months earlier. Batten then told detectives he was wrestling with his attackers over the gun when the gun went off before later acknowledging that they never got their hands on it. Peter Dujardin, 757-897-2062, pdujardin@dailypress.com The devastation from Hurricane Ian has left schools shuttered indefinitely in parts of Florida, leaving storm-weary families anxious for word on when and how children can get back to classrooms. As rescue and recovery operations continue in the storms aftermath, several school systems in hard-hit counties in southwestern Florida cant say for sure when theyll reopen. Some schools are without power and still assessing the damage, as well as the impact on staff members who may have lost homes or can't return to work. Shuttered schools can worsen the hurricane's disruption for children. Recovery from natural disasters elsewhere suggests the effects on kids can be lasting, particularly in low-income communities that have a harder time bouncing back. In a week or two, well have forgotten about Hurricane Ian. But these districts and schools and students will be struggling months and years later, said Cassandra R. Davis, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina. In Florida, 68 of 75 school districts are open for in-person instruction, and two more districts are expected to reopen this week, the state Department of Education said Tuesday. Among those still closed is Sarasota, where nearly half of students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, an indicator of poverty. Abbie Tarr Trembley, a mother of four in Sarasota, said her youngest, a 9-year-old boy, asks each morning when he can go back to school. Every morning hes like, Mom, is it a school day? Is it a school day? she said. Every morning, Im almost in tears. The hurricane damaged the roof of her house, and the family lost power for three days. She was grateful to be spared worse. But she has begun to worry about the effects on her children and their education. Her son already repeated first grade to help him catch up from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning recently has been an option for schools dealing with disasters from the coronavirus pandemic to hurricanes, but researchers have said overreliance on remote education is not sustainable. Story continues Davis has studied how Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018 impacted student learning in the southeastern U.S. She said research shows elementary students continued to fall behind academically, as much as two years after a storm. But districts where parents are affluent and school budgets are healthy tend to recover more quickly. Sarasota County school officials say they hope to reopen schools for some of their 45,000 students on Monday. School leaders are aiming to reopen buildings in the northern part of the county, which suffered less damage compared to the schools in the south. In the meantime, students can use online resources students if they have access to the internet, Sarasota school officials said at a news conference. Floridas education department did not respond to questions about its guidance to local school systems for addressing the missed school days. Sarasota workers are ripping out and replacing carpets and drywall where water breached school buildings and discarding spoiled cafeteria food that went unrefrigerated in the days without electricity. For now, school officials said, standing water makes some streets unsafe for students and families to navigate. School leaders are also assessing which teachers and other staff wont be able to return to work when schools reopen. Two schools in the county have served as shelters for displaced residents and will close on Friday to give workers time to clean them before reopening Monday. Schools in the southern part of the county will take at least another week to reopen, Superintendent Brennan Asplen told reporters Tuesday. Trembley has heard rumors that when schools do start back up, it will be online. She hopes that is not the case. "Theres no way that I can assist a 9-year-old with schoolwork and continue my job, said Trembley, who works at a general contractors office. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, some students faced displacement for a long time, up to five to six months until they were resettled, according to a study. There was a drop in test scores in that first year. Not only do they have to move their home, but theyre even out of school for some time, explained Bruce Sacerdote, a economist at Dartmouth College. Sacerdote compared regions that are harder hit by Ian to a mini-Katrina and said students in the places where the hurricane did the most damage will likely see severe effects in the first year, especially if they are fully displaced and must move to another town or state. COVID was also a really severe disruption and imposed learning losses on these kids already, he said. Its a double whammy for a lot of these kids. ... Remote (learning) is better than nothing," he said, "but its nowhere near as good as in person. ___ For more hurricane coverage, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes ___ Associated Press writers Brooke Schultz in Harrisburg, Pa., and Michael Melia in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report. Schultz 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. ___ The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Action News Jax along with other Cox Media Group stations across the southeast, have partnered with the American Red Cross to help get some much-needed relief to those hit the hardest by Hurricane Ian. Red Cross volunteers from across the country are working to provide food, shelter and comfort to Floridians whose lives were devastated by the storm. Entire communities have been wiped out. Thousands are without power, cell service and access to clean water. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Read: Vilano Beach man builds makeshift dune, protects neighbors from storm surge Volunteers say money is needed more than supplies right now. The Red Cross is looking for $10 donations, or whatever amount youd like to give. Click here if youd like to donate, or scan the QR code above. You also text IAN to 90999. Click here to learn more about the Red Crosss hurricane recovery work. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Hurricane season isn't over yet. Forecasters are keeping an eye on a developing tropical system spinning in the Caribbean that could become a tropical storm or hurricane as it moves toward Central America and Mexico over the next few days. People in Central America should closely monitor the storm, AccuWeather forecasters warned, as there is the potential for a direct impact by a strengthening tropical storm or hurricane this weekend and into early next week. This latest disturbance, known to meteorologists as "Invest 91L," was moving through the Windward Islands just north of the coast of South America on Wednesday, Weather.com said. An "Invest" is an area the National Hurricane Center is watching closely for development using advanced computer models and other resources, including the Hurricane Hunters. A developing tropical system in the eastern Caribbean Sea (red x) could impact Central America as a tropical storm or hurricane over the next few days, forecasters warned. What's the forecast for Invest 91L? The hurricane center said Wednesday that the system is forecast to move generally westward near the northern coast of South America, and interaction with land is likely to hinder significant development during the next day or so. Environmental conditions are expected to become more conducive for development "after that time," the NHC said, and a tropical depression is likely to form within the next two to three days when the system is over the south-central Caribbean Sea." WHAT'S NEXT? Ian, Fiona shattered hopes for a quiet hurricane season What are its potential impacts? A strengthening tropical storm or hurricane would carry the risk of flooding rainfall, mudslides in hilly terrain and damaging winds and dangerous storm surge along the coast near and well north of the center in Central America, AccuWeather said. "All interests in Central America from the southern Yucatan Peninsula to Costa Rica, including Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize, should monitor this forecast closely for updates in the coming days," Weather.com said. THIS FLORIDA WOMAN SURVIVED HER 'BIGGEST MISTAKE' IN HURRICANE IAN: Why experts say many others didn't Story continues Will it get a name? If this system gets a name, it would likely be Tropical Storm Julia, or possibly Karl depending on the actions of another system in the far eastern Atlantic that could briefly develop into a named storm. The other system, Tropical Depression 12, located west of the Cabo Verde Islands, is expected to remain over open waters until it dissipates by the end of the week. WHAT IS THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SPEED SCALE? Breaking down the hurricane category scale How many storms have formed this season? Nine tropical storms and five hurricanes have formed this season. Of these, Hurricanes Fiona and Ian reached major intensity and peaked at Category 4 strength (130-156 mph), according to AccuWeather. Based on data from 1991-2020, the average Atlantic hurricane season has 14 named storms, with three being major hurricanes (Categories 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale), according to the National Hurricane Center. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, The Palm Beach Post This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hurricane season could next threaten Central America, forecasters say Photo: The Canadian Press Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to design better medicines. Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were cited for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions, which are used to make cancer drugs, map DNA and create materials that are tailored to a specific purpose. Its all about snapping molecules together, said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners Wednesday at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Sharpless, 81, who previously won a Nobel Prize in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the award twice, first proposed the idea for connecting molecules using chemical buckles around the turn of the millennium, said Aqvist. The problem was to find good chemical buckles, he said. They have to react with each other easily and specifically. Meldal, 68, based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Sharpless, who is affiliated with Scripps Research, California, independently found the first such candidates that would easily snap together with each other but not with other molecules, leading to applications in the manufacture of medicines and polymers. Bertozzi, 55, who is based at Stanford University in California, took click chemistry to a new level, the Nobel panel said. She found a way to make click chemistry work inside living organisms without disrupting them, establishing a new method known as bioorthogonal reactions. Such reactions are now used to explore cells, track biological processes and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely. "Doing chemistry inside human patients to make sure that drugs go to the right place and stay away from the wrong place, Bertozzi explained. Speaking by phone at a news conference following the announcement, Bertozzi said she was absolutely stunned to receive the prize. Im still not entirely positive that its real, but its getting realer by the minute, she said. Meldal said he received a call from the Nobel panel about half an hour before the public announcement. They (...) told me not to tell anyone. So I sat inside my office and I shook my pants with fright, he told The Associated Press. This is a huge honor. Meldal started out as an engineer. "But I wanted to understand the world so I thought chemistry would give me the solutions, he told the AP. Last year the prize was awarded to scientists Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan for finding an ingenious and environmentally cleaner way to build molecules that the Nobel panel said is "already benefiting humankind greatly. A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system. Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger had shown that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information. The awards continue with literature on Thursday. The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Monday. The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10. The money comes from a bequest left by the prizes creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895. Daniel Kelly and his wife bought a 1977 doublewide mobile home in May for about $83,000 at Tropicana Sands, a community for people 55 and older in Fort Myers, Florida. But he ran into roadblocks when he tried to insure it. Managers at Tropicana Sands told him he likely wouldnt be able to find a carrier who would offer a policy because the home was too old. He said he checked with a Florida-based insurance agent who searched and couldnt find anything. I can insure a 1940s car, why cant I insure this? Kelly said. Kelly was lucky that his trailer was largely spared by Hurricane Ian aside from some flood damage. But for many Floridians whose homes were destroyed, they now face the arduous task of rebuilding without insurance or paying even steeper prices in an insurance market that was already struggling. Wind and storm-surge losses from the hurricane could reach between $28 billion and $47 billion, making it Florida's costliest storm since Hurricane Andrew made landfall in 1992, according to the property analytics firm CoreLogic. Even before Ian, Florida's home insurance market was dealing with billions of dollars in losses from a string of natural disasters, rampant litigation and increasing fraud. The difficult environment has put many insurers out of business and caused others to raise their prices or tighten their restrictions, making it harder for Floridians to obtain insurance. Those who do manage to insure their homes are seeing costs increase exponentially. Even before Hurricane Ian, the annual cost of an average Florida homeowners insurance policy was expected to reach $4,231 in 2022, nearly three times the U.S. average of $1,544. They are paying more for less coverage, said Floridas Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter. It puts consumers in dire circumstances. The costs have gotten so high that some homeowners have forgone coverage altogether. About 12% of Florida homeowners don't have property insurance or more than double the U.S. average of 5% according to the Insurance Information Institute, a research organization funded by the insurance industry. Story continues Floridas insurance industry has seen two straight years of net underwriting losses exceeding $1 billion each year. A string of property insurers, including six so far this year, have become insolvent, while others are leaving the state. As of July, 27 Florida insurers were on a state watchlist for their precarious financial situation; Mark Friedlander, the head of communications for the Insurance Information Institute, expects Hurricane Ian will cause at least some of those to tip into insolvency. The insurance industry says overzealous litigation is partly to blame. Loopholes in Florida law, including fee multipliers that allow attorneys to collect higher fees for property insurance cases, have made Florida an excessively litigious state, Friedlander said. Florida currently averages about 100,000 lawsuits over homeowners' insurance claims per year, he said. That compares to just 3,600 in California, which has almost double Florida's population. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation said the state accounts for 76% of the nations homeowners' insurance claims lawsuits but just 9% of all homeowners insurance claims. Plaintiff attorneys in Florida have historically found ways of circumventing any efforts at reining in legal system abuses, making it likely that ongoing reforms will be needed to further stabilize the insurance marketplace," said Logan McFaddin of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. But Amy Boggs, the property section chair for the Florida Justice Association a group that represents attorneys said the insurance industry is also at fault for refusing to pay out claims. Boggs said homeowners are driven to attorneys as a last resort. No policyholder wants to be embroiled in years of litigation just to get their homes rebuilt," she said. They come to attorneys when their insurance company underpays their claim and they cant rebuild. Rampant fraud particularly among roofing contractors has also added to costs. Regulators say it's common for contractors to go door-to-door offering to cover homeowners' insurance deductible in exchange for submitting a full roof replacement claim to their property insurance company, claiming damage from storms. Things have gotten so bad with insurance that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called a special session in May to address the issues. New laws limit the rates attorneys can charge for some property insurance claims and require insurers to insure homes with older roofs something they had stopped doing because of rising fraud claims. The legislation also includes a $150 million fund that will offer grants to homeowners to make improvements to protect against hurricanes. But that program has yet to be launched, and experts say it will take years to reverse the damage to Florida's insurance market. In the meantime, the crisis has pushed more homeowners to Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-backed insurer that sells home insurance for those who can't get coverage through private insurers. Citizens had more than 1 million active policies as of Sept. 23, before Ian hit, according to Michael Peltier, a spokesman at Citizens. In 2019, that number was roughly 420,000. He said the company had been writing 8,000 to 9,000 new policies per week, double compared with a few years ago. Citizens has $13.4 billion in reserves and predicts it will pay 225,000 claims from Ian worth a total of $3.7 billion. Even if they have homeowners insurance, many Floridians could still be facing financial ruin because of flooding. Flood damage isnt typically covered by homeowners insurance but can be costly; Floridas Division of Emergency Management says 1 inch of floodwater can do $25,000 in damage. Friedlander said just 18% of Florida homeowners carry flood insurance, either through the federal governments National Flood Insurance Program or private insurers. In some coastal areas, more than half of homeowners have flood insurance, but in inland areas where flood waters continued to rise even after the storm had passed it's closer to 5%. Kelly, whose trailer in Fort Myers was saturated in 4 feet of salt water and sewage after Hurricane Ian, could have benefitted from flood insurance. He thought he might not be able to get it because he didn't have homeowners insurance, but that's not the case flood insurance is completely separate and can even be purchased by renters, experts say. I kinda let it lie when I originally couldnt find someone to insure it," he said. It's a costly oversight on my part." ___ Associated Press writer Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report. ___ For more coverage of Hurricane Ian, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes The Wewahitchka Public Library in Wewahitchka, Fla. is one of just two polling places in Gulf County after Hurricane Michael damaged other sites across the county or required that the sites be used for other purposes. Hurricane Ian is significantly disrupting Floridas midterm election in a highly-populated and heavily-Republican region, potentially impacting voter turnout in part of the state thats critical for the reelection bids of Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Ian slammed into Southwest Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, with the most significant damage in four deep red coastal counties Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier. Those four counties have a combined 1.3 million voters, including 582,743 Republicans, 321,706 Democrats and 371,390 no party or minor party voters. The regions strong Republican tilt makes it essential to the GOPs playbook for winning statewide races in Florida. Republicans need to have big margins of victory in this part of the state to offset losses in Democratic-leaning areas, something the GOP has been highly successful at over the years. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis holds a double-digit lead over Democrat Charlie Crist in a new poll. DeSantis carried three of the four counties by double digits in 2018. He won Collier by 30 percentage points, Charlotte by 26, Lee by 22 and Sarasota by 9. Recent statewide polls show he and Rubio with significant leads over their Democratic challengers, former Gov. Charlie Crist and Congresswoman Val Demings. Now DeSantis is weighing what kind of emergency elections accommodations to make for this region, a move that could impact his own chances for reelection and is likely to be highly scrutinized after he spent the last two years tightening voting rules. Midterms: Hundreds of elections deniers running for office nationwide in 2022 pose 'major threat' to U.S. democracy DeSantis said Wednesday during a press conference on Pine Island that some communities impacted by Ian may need flexibility in how they administer elections. He singled out Lee and Charlotte Counties as those most in need, saying "my sense is the other counties probably are in good shape" when it comes to elections. The governor also said he wants to change as little as possible. Story continues "I want to keep it as normal as humanly possible," DeSantis said of the election. "I think the more you depart... it just creates problems." Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio leads Democratic challenger Val Demings in a new Mason-Dixon poll, but his support is below 50%. Super voting sites? Lee County Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle said he is requesting an executive order that would allow him to scrap the traditional Election Day practice of having voters cast ballots in their neighborhood polling locations. Many of those facilities were destroyed or are unusable including all of the ones on the barrier islands and he doesnt have the staff to man others, Doyle said. Instead, he wants to operate 12 super-voting sites that would open for early voting and stay open continuously through Election Day, providing three extra days of early voting. Anybody in the county could vote at any of the 12 sites through Election Day. The same thing was done in Bay County and other Panhandle communities devastated by Hurricane Michael shortly before the 2018 midterm election. Former governor and current U.S. Sen. Rick Scott signed an executive order providing voting flexibility in eight counties, most of them heavily Republican. OnPolitics newsletter: Get political news, fast and to the point, delivered to your inbox. I dont have the manpower to run Election Day, which if we didnt have this storm would be 97 voting sites, Doyle said. I do have the manpower to run (voting) centers if they let me have that. Doyle also wants DeSantis to suspend a requirement that voters must request in writing to change the address where a mail ballot is sent. Making a request in writing could be difficult for voters displaced by the storm. Doyle wants to accept verbal address change requests over the phone. Secretary of state'Election security and integrity is top priority" Doyle met Tuesday with Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd, the state's chief elections officer, who has been touring counties damaged by Ian to assess their election needs. In an interview with the USA TODAY Network - Florida Wednesday during a stop in Bradenton, Byrd said he's considering the changes requested by Doyle and other supervisors and expects to make a decision soon. Byrd said he's using the executive order on voting that was issued after Hurricane Michael as a template. The order authorized super voting centers and an extension of early voting. Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett met in Bradenton Wednesday, Oct. 5. Byrd was touring counties impacted by Hurricane Ian to assess how their election infrastructure held up. Byrd seemed more skeptical of waiving the signature requirement for sending absentee ballots to a different address. Obviously, election security and integrity is a top priority of the governor, of the legislature, of myself and of the supervisors, and so before we make any changes were going to give it full and due consideration," Byrd said. DeSantis has tightened rules for absentee ballots, which could leave him open to criticism if he loosens the rules to boost voting in a GOP-leaning area, even during a disaster. In the wake of former President Donald Trumps false claims that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election, DeSantis signed major election overhauls each of the past two years. Fact check: Joe Biden legally won presidential election, despite persistent contrary claims Much of the stated focus by Republican leaders has been on reducing the risk of people fraudulently casting ballots. Among the changes is stricter scrutiny by elections supervisors of absentee ballot drop boxes and limits on where they can be placed, a ban on people dropping off more than two mail ballots other than their own, unless they belong to immediate family members, and enhanced identity requirements for people requesting a mail ballot. Byrd disputed the idea that any changes to help communities impacted by Ian would cut against the grain of the GOP's recent focus on tightening voting rules, saying he doesn't believe lawmakers have made it more difficult to vote. I would disagree with the contention that weve made it harder to vote, it is incredibly easy to vote," he said. The Crist and Demings campaigns did not respond to requests for comment about possible changes to voting rules for the communities impacted by Ian. A total of 17 counties have been declared major disaster areas by the federal government, but many of them likely will be able to run a normal election. Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis: A 2022 hurricane could preview the 2024 election Elections officials in communities slammed by Ian are looking for guidance from Panhandle communities impacted by Michael. Bay County Supervisor of Elections Mark Andersen said his best advice is to allow the super-voting sites. Thats the only way I pulled it off, Andersen said. Couldnt have been done any other way, and I think thats going to happen again. Doyle believes the storm is likely to drive down voter turnout. Im sure its going to affect turnout," Doyle said. "Its going to lower the turnout. Were going to do everything we can to give access to voting, but it definitely will. Elections are not on peoples minds." That's not what happened in Bay County in 2018, though. Voter turnout actually went up, from 51% in the 2014 governor's race to 53%. "I heard a lot of voters say: 'I cant do anything else but I can do this,'" Andersen said. More: New Maggie Haberman book details Donald Trump's take on Ron DeSantis USA TODAY Network - Florida reporter John Kennedy contributed to this report. Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached at zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Hurricane Ian impacts could reduce turnout in Florida midterms Iman. Her name has become a brand synonymous with modeling since breaking into the industry in 1975. She told Hoda Kotb on an episode of TODAY Show Radio at SiriusXM recorded on Oct. 5 that she serendipitously stumbled upon the gatekept profession she later unlocked and broke barriers in. Iman, 67, retired from modeling in 1989, having set the standard for how to be a supermodel and how to make an industry more inclusive and equitable. SiriusXM's Hoda Kotb Hosts A Town Hall With Supermodel And Entrepreneur Iman For TODAY Show Radio (Cindy Ord / Getty Images for SiriusXM) How Iman got into modeling Iman said she was waitressing and translating travel brochures (she speaks five languages!) in Kenya when photographer Peter Beard stopped her on the street and asked if she'd ever been photographed. "I felt, oh, white people think Black people have never seen cameras," she said through laughter. "I said, 'Of course I've been photographed.' And he said, 'By whom?' And I said, 'My parents.' He said, 'No, no, no, I'm talking professional.' And all I could think of was my brother's Playboy and I said, 'I'm not that girl.'" After talking more about what it would actually involve, Iman said she agreed to let him photograph her in exchange for $8,000 so she could pay her tuition at a local university. Beard returned to New York and used her picture as the face of his following big exhibition, Iman shared, adding that he later called and offered her a modeling job in New York. "I will come and check" she remembered responding before flying to New York for her first visit to the city. "The surroundings was quite weird because I've heard of Gotham City. God, I've heard everything about New York. I arrive here, there was actually a garbage strike. There was garbage everywhere and I thought, 'Really? This is like a third world country.'" Portrait Of Iman (Anthony Barboza / Getty Images) 'The first time I was described as a Black model' Iman said Beard told his peers that Iman was a goat herder and did not speak English. Iman let him dig himself into that hole and watched as he dug himself out. "(It was) racist because if I was not Black, he would not say I was herding goats and didn't speak a word of English," the supermodel said. "I can speak for myself, but I wanted him to be in trouble. They asked a question. I looked at him waiting for him to translate it. And then I told him that I speak five languages. I'm an ambassador's daughter. But they ran with (the goat herding) story. They ran with it because it was much more interesting." Story continues Iman said that is just one of her early experiences where she was disrespected as a Black person in the modeling industry. She said another time was on her fourth day in New York on set of her first job that she booked with American Vogue. "There was a white model and I, and the makeup artist did her makeup," Iman recalled. "He came to me and the first question he asked me was very perplexing to me, because first of all ... I was aware that he didn't ask the other girl that question, 'Did you bring your own foundation?' Now, first of all, I had no idea what he was talking about. But I said, 'No.' And then he mixed some stuff and put it on my face and when I looked in the mirror, I looked gray." Iman said moving to the U.S. was the first time she was treated like she was Black, as opposed to being treated as a person, like she was in her home country of Somalia and during her travels throughout Africa. "I was watching something that was very foreign to me," she described. The first time I was described as a Black model I never associated myself as a Black person. I come from a country 100% Black. We never called ourselves 'Were black.' We're Somali. Its very obvious we're Black. And I couldnt understand what does that mean." Fashion Model Iman by Window (Bettmann Archive via Getty Images) Iman's efforts to reshape the industry Iman said the bad makeup experience and being socialized as Black came with pros and cons. The pro with the makeup snafu was that it taught her to bring her own makeup supplies and she shared them with the other Black hires on sets they worked together. Several years later, in 1994, Iman launched a cosmetics company named after her for "skin of color." The con with learning she was Black came with an unintended consequence of the industry pitting those models against one another. "There was silent but very visible tokenism. There has to be one Black model at a time. So they made the girls feel that you have to dethrone that girl to get a space for yourself." Another con was learning that Black models were paid less than white models. Iman said she asked for equal pay to no avail, so she refused employment offers for three months until a job offered her the market rate. Her getting paid set the standard by which other Black models were paid, she said. Iman's more recent activism efforts include partnering with fellow model Naomi Campbell and others in 2013 to make the industry more equitable. They wrote to the governing organizations of the fashion industry saying there needs to be more Black models on runways, and the organizations did it expeditiously. Iman said the quickness was thanks to social media casting a spotlight on the issue. Iman attends The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America (Mike Coppola / Getty Images) Meeting David Bowie was 'destiny' Iman is the widow of famed musician David Bowie, who died six years ago from liver cancer. She said they met on a blind date in 1990, even though he had seen pictures of her and she had been to one of his concerts. Iman said timing was everything for them. "I think if we had met in our 20s and 30s, I think this wouldn't be happening," said Iman, who had moved to Los Angeles shortly before they met. "I had no idea why I was going to LA. I mean I don't like it. I'm not an LA person. But I moved there and my destiny was getting me there so we can meet. And literally we met eight months later. David Bowie and Iman (Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) They married in 1992. Iman has said she won't remarry, but she is open to non-romantic love. "I'm always open to love. I just don't know, if I'm open to that kind of relationship. It's only been six years.... "Sometimes it feels like a blink and sometimes it's 100 years." Iman said they picked their home in upstate New York because of the white birch trees on the property and its view of the sunset. Iman still lives there and said every time she sees the sunset, she thinks of the love of her life. This article was originally published on TODAY.com The Conversation The collective memory of school desegregation is of anger and division, like in this photo of 15-year-old Elizabeth Eckford walking away from a crowd outside a high school in Little Rock, Ark. Bettmann via Getty Images Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question youd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. What did white children have to say about their all-white schools integrating? Julia M.N., age 11, New York City In 1954, the Bougainville Copper Limited (ASX:BOC) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 17% in the last quarter. But that doesn't undermine the rather lovely longer-term return, if you measure over the last three years. The share price marched upwards over that time, and is now 215% higher than it was. So the recent fall in the share price should be viewed in that context. If the business can perform well for years to come, then the recent drop could be an opportunity. Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns. Check out our latest analysis for Bougainville Copper We don't think Bougainville Copper's revenue of K3,917,000 is enough to establish significant demand. As a result, we think it's unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. It seems likely some shareholders believe that Bougainville Copper will find or develop a valuable new mine before too long. Companies that lack both meaningful revenue and profits are usually considered high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. Bougainville Copper has already given some investors a taste of the sweet gains that high risk investing can generate, if your timing is right. Our data indicates that Bougainville Copper had K3.9m more in total liabilities than it had cash, when it last reported in June 2022. That puts it in the highest risk category, according to our analysis. So we're surprised to see the stock up 70% per year, over 3 years , but we're happy for holders. It's clear more than a few people believe in the potential. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Bougainville Copper's cash levels have changed over time. Story continues Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. One thing you can do is check if company insiders are buying shares. If they are buying a significant amount of shares, that's certainly a good thing. Luckily we are in a position to provide you with this free chart of insider buying (and selling). A Different Perspective We regret to report that Bougainville Copper shareholders are down 19% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 2.8%. 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. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 1.3% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Bougainville Copper better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Bougainville Copper , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. 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 AU exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) An 85-year-old Iranian-American detained for six years in Iran on what the U.S. says were specious espionage charges left the country and was flown to Oman and then to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for urgent medical treatment. A lawyer for Baquer Namazis family and the Omani government confirmed his arrival in Muscat. Irans state-run IRNA news agency published video of Namazi boarding a Royal Oman air force jet in Tehran and later Omani state TV aired video of his arrival in Muscat. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday evening that Namazi had been reunited with his family in Abu Dhabi and would soon receive treatment. Namazis release is the first of an American by Iran since President Joe Biden took office, although his son, Siamak, 50, and several other Americans remain in Iranian custody. Baquer Namazis release on humanitarian grounds, which was brokered by the United Nations, comes as talks have stalled on reviving the tattered 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. Jared Genser, a Washington-based lawyer representing the Namazi family, shared a photo of Namazi on the plane in a suit and tie. Today is a good day for the Namazi family, but the work is far from over, Genser said in a statement. We now need the United States and Iran to act expeditiously to reach an agreement that will finally bring all of the American hostages home. In addition to Siamak Namazi, there are at least three other Americans still held by Iran. After a brief stop in Oman, Namazi will undergo a procedure at the local branch of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi to clear a severe blockage to his left internal carotid artery, Genser said. That blockage put Namazi at high risk of a stroke. Blinken said: Baquer has asked that we convey his deepest thanks to all of those who worked so tirelessly to secure his release. I add my own gratitude for all of the friends and partners who helped bring about his freedom. Story continues In particular, we thank the Sultanate of Oman, which worked with Iranian authorities to arrange for his flight out of the country, and the United Arab Emirates, which is generously hosting him and his family during his medical treatment, he added. Namazi is a former UNICEF official who served as governor of Irans oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah. He was arrested in 2016, apparently drawn to Iran over fears about his incarcerated son detained in 2015. He was placed under house arrest for medical reasons in 2018 but prevented from leaving Iran despite his familys pleas that he travel to receive emergency heart surgery after suffering multiple hospitalizations. Last October, he underwent surgery in Iran to clear a blockage in an artery to the brain that his family and supporters described as life-threatening. Security forces arrested his son, Siamak Namazi, an advocate of closer ties between Iran and the West, while he was visiting Iran on a business trip. Both Namazis were sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran on what the U.S. and U.N. say were trumped-up spying charges. The U.N.s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention dismissed the cases against the two men, saying in 2017 their case is part of an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals. There is no evidence either Mr. S. Namazi or Mr. B. Namazi had a criminal record, including in relation to national security offenses, their report read. There is nothing to indicate that they have ever acted against the national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ___ Lee reported from Washington. STORY: Earlier, a lawyer for the Namazi family, Jared Genser, said Namazi was on his way to Muscat "after more than 6.5 years of illegal detention in Iran," referring to the time Namazi was jailed as well as when he was out of prison but effectively barred from leaving Iran. Namazi, a former official with the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, holds U.S. and Iranian citizenship and was one of four Iranian Americans, including his son Siamak, detained in Iran in recent years or barred from leaving the country. Namazi was convicted in 2016 of "collaboration with a hostile government" and jailed for 10 years. Iranian authorities released him on medical grounds in 2018 and closed his case in 2020, commuting his sentence to time served. However, they had effectively barred him from leaving until Saturday (October 1), when the United Nations said he would be allowed to leave for medical treatment. His son Siamak, 51, who was also convicted of "collaboration with a hostile government" in 2016, was released from Tehran's Evin prison Saturday on a one-week, renewable furlough after nearly seven years in detention. The U.S. government has described the charges against both as baseless. VALENTYNA ROMANENKO WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 13:54 Experts say that the Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones can cover a distance of up to 1,000 kilometres. Russian occupiers can launch them from different directions. Source: Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on air during the national joint 24/7 newscast on 5 October Quote: "The target is complex, but the drone is not so large: the wingspan is 2.5 metres, the weight is 200 kg, the warhead is 40 kg. In fact, it is like an artillery projectile that flies at a speed of 120 kilometres per hour, and when it hits the target, it descends at a higher speed. According to the Iranian manufacturer, this UAV can cover up to 2,500 kilometres. However, experts note that it is unlikely that this kamikaze drone will cover that distance, because such a weight and speed will require a commensurate consumption of fuel, and a number of other factors indicate that it can fly about a thousand kilometres." Details: The strike on 5 October was carried out by drones launched from the south. However, according to the spokesman for the Air Force Command, strikes can be expected from other directions as well, because the Russians could have sent drones to occupied Crimea and Belarus. Ihnat noted that Iranian-made drones are a new threat to all Ukrainian defence forces and must be destroyed by all available means. The Ukrainian Armed Forces need various forms of air defence in order to carry out this mission; in particular, they need anti-aircraft guns and large-calibre machine gun systems, which can shoot down drones at different stages. Ihnat confirmed that Russia has switched from using Kh-101, Kalibr, Kh-555 and Iskander high-precision missiles, which cost millions of dollars, to unmanned aerial vehicles. The Russians are probably going to threaten the whole world with the aforementioned missiles, which are capable of carrying tactical nuclear charges. Story continues Previously: More than a dozen drones attacked Ukraine from the south of the country. Six of them were shot down, three by anti-aircraft missile forces in the south, and three by Air Force aircraft. The remaining drones reached Kyiv Oblast, where they struck the city of Bila Tserkva. According to official data, three infrastructure facilities were damaged in the city as a result of the night attack by drones; there were no civilian casualties, and the life of the one person who was injured is not in danger. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man during clashes in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the latest in a series of near-daily confrontations. At least six other Palestinians, including two journalists, were wounded by Israeli fire and dozens more were treated for tear gas inhalation, medics at the scene said. The clashes began when Israeli forces surrounded the house of Salman Imran, claimed as a member by the Islamist militant group Hamas, in the town of Deir al-Hatab east of Nablus. The Israeli military said in a statement that it carried out the operation to apprehend Imran, who was suspected of involvement in an attack against Israelis in the West Bank on Sunday. Soldiers surrounded Imran's house following precise intelligence, the statement said, and responded with live fire after he shot at the forces while barricaded inside. In an audio message circulating on social media, Imran said he was engaged in a gun fight with Israeli soldiers and called on other men to join. Witnesses said dozens of Palestinian gunmen fired at Israeli forces in an attempt to foil their operation. Videos on social media seemed to show Imran being escorted outside his house by Israeli soldiers after hours of fighting. The wanted man's uncle, Bassim Imran, told Reuters he convinced his nephew to eventually turn himself in after Israeli forces fired a grenade at the multi-storey family home and began knocking it with a bulldozer. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the man who was killed, 21-year-old Alaa Zaghal, was shot in the head. Palestinian medics said he was unarmed when Israeli forces fired at him near the town's entrance, away from where the clashes were taking place. The Israeli military said in its statement that an assailant was killed during an exchange of fire. "These clashes are part of an escalation in our resistance in the West Bank and is our people's response to what is happening in the blessed Al Aqsa Mosque," Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Reuters. Story continues Israel has intensified its raids in the West Bank in recent months following a spate of Palestinian street attacks that killed 19 people in its cities and as a general election approaches on Nov. 1. More than 80 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have been killed since January, in what the European Commission described as the deadliest year in the West Bank since 2008. Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in a 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians seek these territories for a future state. (Reporting by Ali Sawafta in Nablus and Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; Additional reporting and writing by Henriette Chacar; Editing by Bernadette Baum) Housing Authority ushered in housing services Established in 1966, the Chickasaw Housing Authority was one of the first such entities in the state formed with the mission to extend housing programs to Chickasaw people. It was organized just three years after Overton James appointment as Governor of the Chickasaw Nation and before the existence of tribal headquarters or businesses. The Chickasaw Housing Authoritys function was to administer programs from a new federal agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Chickasaw Nation boundaries. Governor Bill Anoatubby said the Housing Authority served as the foundation for the wide range of housing services now offered by the tribe. Establishing the Housing Authority was the first step in our efforts to help meet the housing needs of our citizens, Gov. Anoatubby said in 2016. Since then, housing has remained a high priority for the Chickasaw Nation, because high quality affordable housing is essential to enhancing the quality of life of our citizens. Five decades later, the Housing Authority still plays an important role in our service to the Chickasaw people. The Oklahoma Housing Authority Act of 1965 allowed for the creation of the Chickasaw Housing Authority. The Act recognized the need for safe, decent and affordable housing for low-income families within the state and allowed the establishment of public and First American housing authorities to administer housing programs for the tribes and cities of Oklahoma. Fillmore, 1967 The tiny Johnston County, Oklahoma community of Fillmore was the site of the first housing program offered by the Housing Authority in 1967. Families took part in the mutual help home ownership program and willingly invested their time and effort, known as sweat equity, in the construction in order to be involved in becoming homeowners. They cleaned, moved rubble, laid foundations or performed other tasks as an in-kind down payment. The program was successful. As reported in a 1992 Chickasaw Times article, 1,864 mutual help homes were completed in the Chickasaw Housing Authoritys 25-year history. Homeowners made monthly payments for 25 years. At the end of the term, the Chickasaw Housing Authority returned the deeds to the land and houses to the families. Gov. Anoatubby led a special ceremony in April 1995 at the Chickasaw Motor Inn in Sulphur, Okla., to present 75 families warranty deeds to celebrate their achievement. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, the Chickasaw Housing Authority worked hard to secure limited and extremely competitive HUD grants to fund projects. Yet, First American tribes faced an uneven playing field during the early years, Chickasaw Nation Secretary of Community Services Wayne Scribner said. You competed against all the bigger cities, Mr. Scribner said in 2016. We were in the same boat as big cities in terms of gaining federal funds for housing. We were kind of a small fish in a big sea. Undeterred, the Housing Authority and the Chickasaw Nation worked diligently to develop several housing programs, including home ownership services and rental assistance for low-income residents. While there was a Chickasaw preference for services, the Housing Authority also served other low-income residents of Oklahoma. The Indian Housing Act of 1988, a housing program developed specifically for First Americans, provided another step toward assisting Chickasaw people to obtain safe homes. The 1988 act streamlined acquiring grant funds for the Chickasaw Housing Authority. The Act amended the 1937 Public Housing Act, added funding and regulations specific to First American housing authorities and created a First American housing unit that addressed First Americans unique needs. Gov. Anoatubby testified before the U.S. Congress on several aspects of the legislation, helping make it more effective in addressing the needs of Chickasaws and all First Americans in Oklahoma. NAHASDA opens doors The ability to expand housing programs came with the 1996 passage of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act, or NAHASDA, which allowed tribes to receive and control the use of HUD funds directly. Passage of NAHASDA was a major milestone, because it allowed more flexibility to tailor our housing programs to the specific needs of our citizens, Gov. Anoatubby said. We believe it is important to listen to the people to better understand how we can best meet their needs. Gov. Anoatubby served on the original negotiated rulemaking committee charged with developing regulations necessary to implement the legislation. The legislation further simplified the system of providing housing assistance to First American communities by consolidating the myriad programs previously available to tribes into a single grant program known as the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG). Under NAHASDA, the Chickasaw Nation assumed responsibility for the administration of its housing services. Some tribes dissolved their housing authorities after the passage of NAHASDA, but the Chickasaw Nation chose to continue its Housing Authority working alongside the Chickasaw Nation Divison of Housing. To this day, the Chickasaw Housing Authority continues to be a sub recipient of NAHASDA funds. After the introduction of NAHASDA, housing specifications for Chickasaw families increased considerably in size and added modern amenities such as carpeting and central heating and air conditioning. Meetings to determine what building programs and services would most benefit Chickasaw families resulted in the development of new programs. From these meetings, among other things, we discovered that nearly 60% of the home loan applications being submitted by Chickasaws were being turned down by lenders, Gov. Anoatubby said. We wanted to address this issue, so, the Chuka Chukmasi Home Loan Program was developed. In the two decades since Chuka Chukmasi was established, it has facilitated millions of dollars in loans to scores of families, setting them on the path to home ownership. Since the passage of NAHASDA in 1996, the Chickasaw Nation has developed a wide variety of housing services in addition to home ownership and rental assistance for low-income families. They include home ownership counseling and home loan services, home maintenance and repair, as well as home improvement assistance, driveway construction and storm shelter installation. In 2022, the Chickasaw Housing Authority board of commissioners, appointed by Gov. Anoatubby, meets monthly to install policies and approve formal resolutions as the Chickasaw Nation continues to develop quality, affordable housing for Chickasaw families. Photo: The Canadian Press The case of an eastern Ontario doctor charged with killing four people will return to court in May for a preliminary hearing. Dr. Brian Nadler was initially charged with first-degree murder last year in the death of 89-year-old Albert Poidinger at the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital. Police laid three additional charges of first-degree murder against him in August in the deaths of 80-year-old Claire Briere, 79-year-old Lorraine Lalande and 93-year-old Judith Lungulescu. Nadler's preliminary hearing will take place next year between May 1 and May 5 and between May 8 and May 12 after a confirmation hearing on April 24. Court documents allege Poidinger was killed on March 25, 2021, and the three others "on or about" that date. The documents say Briere, Lalande and Lungulescu also died in Hawkesbury, Ont. Nadler's lawyers maintain their client's innocence and say his patients died from COVID-19. DEIR AL-HATAB, West Bank (AP) Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinians during an arrest raid in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, killing one Palestinian and forcing the surrender of a wanted man. The raid unfolded in the village of Deir al-Hatab, near the West Bank city of Nablus, a recent flashpoint of violence. The Israeli military identified the wanted man as an activist in the Islamic militant group Hamas, and said he was suspected in a shooting attack on an Israeli bus and a taxi near Nablus earlier this week. Troops surrounded the three-story building where the suspect, Salman Omran, was staying, the army said. It said Omran opened fire, setting off a gun battle. Troops also used grenades and a bulldozer in attacking the hideout, the army said. It said Omran eventually surrendered, handing over his M-16 assault rifle. Troops also exchanged fire with several gunmen in the area. Palestinian health officials said a 21-year-old man was killed by a shot to the head. He was buried later Wednesday in a nearby village. The Palestinian Red Crescent said seven people were wounded, including three journalists, during the clashes and that one of its ambulances had been hit by tear gas. Israel has carried out similar incursions almost every night in the West Bank since the spring after a s pate of Palestinian attacks against Israelis killed 19 people. Israel says its operations aim to dismantle militant infrastructure and prevent future attacks, and that it has been forced to act because of ineffectiveness on the part of Palestinian security forces. For Palestinians, the nightly raids into their cities, villages and towns have undermined the Palestinian security forces and strengthened Israel's control over lands Palestinians want for their hoped-for state. The Israeli raids have killed some 100 Palestinians, making this year the deadliest since 2015. Most of those killed are said by Israel to have been militants, but local youths protesting the incursions as well as some civilians have also been killed in the violence. Hundreds have been rounded up, with many placed in so-called administrative detention, which allows Israel to hold them without trial or charge. The raids have increased tensions in the West Bank, with a recent uptick in Palestinian shooting attacks against Israelis. They have also drawn into focus the growing disillusionment among young Palestinians over the tight security coordination between Israel and the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, which work together to apprehend militants. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war and 500,000 Jewish settlers now live in some 130 settlements and other outposts among nearly 3 million Palestinians. The Palestinians want that territory, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for their future state. A lawyer for jailed former Guinean dictator Moussa Dadis Camara on Tuesday asked the court to place the ex-leader under house arrest during the trial over the 2009 stadium massacre. Camara and 10 other former military and government officials are accused over the killing of 156 people and the rape of at least 109 women by security forces loyal to the then-junta leader at a political rally in a Conakry stadium on September 28, 2009 and in the days that followed. Camara, 58, and the other defendants face a litany of charges from murder to sexual violence, kidnappings, arson and looting, and Camara himself is charged with "personal criminal responsibility and command responsibility" over the crimes. He was jailed on September 27, a day before the long-awaited trial began in a purpose-built court in the capital Conakry. He had returned to Guinea only a few days before after living in exile in Burkina Faso. But one of his lawyers, Pepe Antoine Lamah, challenged the decision to keep Camara in jail for the duration of the trial over security fears. Camara is in jail with others including his former presidential guard chief Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite, alias "Toumba", who shot him in December 2009 after the ex-junta leader appeared to blame him for the massacre. "Whether we like it or not, at one point in Guinea's history, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara led this country, so we must have a little respect," Lamah told the court. He added that a "villa" could be arranged for Camara but the prosecutor, Alghassimou Diallo, insisted Camara "will be treated like the others". The court has not yet responded to the lawyer's request. The hearing began on Tuesday with the questioning of defendants but soon descended into wrangling over procedure. But the judge was able to ask one suspect, Major Moussa Thieboro Camara, whether he accepted the allegations against him over the massacre, to which he said he would plead not guilty. A Guinean government spokesman, Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, told AFP in Paris that the trial would last "at least a year to a year-and-a-half" because of the "massive number of victims and thousands of witnesses". bm-lp-lal/raz/rox Longtime political strategist James Carville suggested Tuesday that Republicans are running very low-quality candidates in the midterms because they have a lot of stupid people that vote in their primaries. They really do, Carville said during an appearance on MSNBCs The 11th Hour. Im not really supposed to say that but its obvious fact. And you know, when stupid people vote, you know who they nominate? Other stupid people. Carvilles comments came amid a discussion about the recent controversy surrounding Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Herschel walker, a pro-life Republican who was accused of paying for an abortion for his then-girlfriend in 2009. Anchor Ayman Mohyeldin and Carville went on to discuss other low quality candidates, including Doug Mastriano, the Trump-backed Republican candidate for Pennsylvania governor, Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters, and Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Mehmet Oz. The very low-quality people that vote in their primaries are producing predictably very low-quality candidates, Carville said. Its evident right in front of you. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell previously suggested the House is more likely to return to Republican control than the Senate, partially because in Senate races candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome. Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, were likely to have an extremely close Senate. Either our side up slightly or their side up slightly, he added. Former president Donald Trump lashed out McConnell over the comments, calling him a broken down hack. Why do Republicans Senators allow a broken down hack politician, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage hard working Republican candidates for the United States Senate, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, adding that McConnell should spend more time and money trying to help Republican candidates get elected. Story continues Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight also previously noted that weak candidates are hurting the GOPs chance of taking the chamber in November. Polling averages from RealClearPolitics show Democrats leading in all three aforementioned Senate races: John Fetterman leads Oz 48 percent to 43.7 percent in Pennsylvania, Senator Mark Kelly leads Masters 48.2 percent to 44.2 percent in Arizona and Senator Raphael Warnock leads Walker 47 percent to 46.3 percent in Georgia. More from National Review Kyoto University researchers have recently made a breakthrough in A.I. technology after demonstrating their latest laughing humanoid robot last week. The team, led by Inoue Koji, an assistant professor at Kyoto University's Graduate School of Informatics in Japan, demonstrated the capabilities of the robot on Sept. 28, showing the A.I.-powered machine conversing with a human and laughing. In a recent video, the robot,which is named ERICA, can be heardsaying a few phrases in Japanese as it tries to have a conversation with a human, such as Thats wonderful, Oh, is that so? and Thats right, isnt it? The robot is also programmed to laugh in the middle of conversations. The researchers explained that they installed A.I. technology into their existing model of the robot that can already converse with people. They then had it listen to recordings of 82 conversations to analyze laughs using A.I. More from NextShark: Hong Kong mandates all 7.5 million of its residents be triple tested for COVID in March The researchers said the robot can tune into the voice of whoever it is speaking to and attempt to adjust the volume of its laugh accordingly. Speaking to Japanese reporters, Koji said his team hopes to develop the robot to give more appropriate replies while conversing. Additionally, the researchers hope ERICA can become a source of comfort and mental stimulation for Japan's aging population. More from NextShark: Rihanna Secretly Attends #StopAsianHate Rally in NYC By developing a robot that laughs naturally, we hope to create a robot that can coexist alongside people, Koji said. The first time I heard the robot laugh at the right time, it felt like we could really communicate with each other, Koji told NHK. His team also noted that their work was published on Sept. 15 in the international academic journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI, where they fully detail how their technology works. More from NextShark: Vancouver groups free plugin removes red line that marks Asian names as errors in MS Word Featured Image via Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! China facing UN action after damning human rights report (Bloomberg) -- Japans ruling Liberal Democratic Party is looking to provide new support for heavily indebted firms amid fears that some of them may go bust after a Covid-related credit program ends, a senior party official said. Most Read from Bloomberg The public and private sectors need to cooperate quickly to provide aid, said Satsuki Katayama, head of the LDPs Research Commission on the Finance and Banking Systems in an interview last month. The LDP will draw up new support proposals for firms at risk of default, and aims to have them reflected in the governments economic package that will be put together by the end of the month, Katayama said. The new measures would follow on from a pandemic program of loans launched in March 2020 that deferred the paying of interest for up to three years and principal repayments for up to five years. Applications for that program ended in September. Renewed support for firms that are effectively insolvent on paper is likely to fuel concern that the government is overdoing its efforts to keep inefficient businesses in operation, a factor that can contribute to lower growth over the longer term. Were not planning some kind of uncontrolled attempt to keep zombie firms alive, but we need this type of effort to maintain the regions, Katayama said. Core local businesses and transportation providers are among the firms still suffering from the impact of Covid and in need of support, she added. A possible solution might be for a public-private fund focused on regional revitalization to help deal with the economic effects of the pandemic, she said. The Regional Economy Vitalization Corporation of Japan could buy up the debt of struggling companies and reduce the burden of repayments, Katayama said. Private-sector institutions might then be encouraged to offer new financing. Story continues This kind of public-private cooperation was used to support the recovery from the massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in northeastern Japan in 2011, Katayama added. While other countries including the US and UK have provided financing for SMEs hit by the virus, the scale of Japans aid has been enormous. The interest-deferred loan program to Covid-hit companies still has outstanding debt of 18.2 trillion yen ($126 billion) loaned by the government and 23 trillion yen lent by the private sector, according to the economy and industry ministry. The Bank of Japan is now phasing out its Covid-era funding programs for struggling firms, some of which overlap with the governments various loan programs. The BOJs extra loans during the pandemic peaked at just over 100 trillion yen in March, enough to pay off the debts left behind by every company that went out of business in the last two decades owing at least 10 million yen, according to Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd. figures. With the unprecedented support from the government and BOJ, bankruptcies fell in 2021 to their lowest level since 1964 despite the global health crisis, according to Tokyo Shoko Research. Still, the number of companies that cant cover their debt servicing costs from current profits for an extended period -- one definition of a zombie firm -- remains relatively large. According to an estimate by Teikoku Databank, more than 10% of Japans companies fell into this category in 2020. Among these 165,000 firms, about 80% had borrowed money under special Covid terms, and 15.5% were concerned about repaying their debts. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Rival Pennsylvania Senate candidates John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz have been trading barbs for months. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images John Fetterman labeled Mehmet Oz a "puppy killer" following a bombshell news article by Jezebel. The outlet reported on Oz-supervised experiments that resulted in the death of 329 dogs. Fetterman dragged Oz on Twitter, asking for "help to keep the #PuppyKiller out of the US Senate." Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman slammed his GOP rival Mehmet Oz on Tuesday following a bombshell report on hundreds of dogs that died in experiments linked to the latter. Fetterman took to Twitter to share a report from Jezebel titled "Dr. Oz's Scientific Experiments Killed Over 300 Dogs, Entire Litter of Puppies." Published on Monday, the article was a deep dive into scientific studies from Oz published between 1989 and 2010, when he was a principal investigator on 75 projects at the Columbia University Institute of Comparative Medicine. According to Jezebel's review of the 75 studies, Oz's team conducted experiments on 1,027 live animal subjects, including dogs, pigs, cows, rabbits, and rodents. The outlet reported that 329 dogs died during 34 of these studies and noted that Oz did not kill the animals himself. Insider could not independently verify if animals had been killed during experiments supervised by Oz. A representative for Oz did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. In his tweet on Tuesday, Fetterman wrote, "BREAKING: Dr. Oz is a puppy killer." Fetterman continued to slam Oz for most of the day, referencing the content of the Jezebel article in multiple tweets. "I LOVE my dogs. Apparently some sick people like Dr. Oz get their jollies by harming animals..." Fetterman wrote in another tweet. "We have a close race here in PA and I could use your help to keep the #PuppyKiller out of the US Senate." I LOVE my dogs Apparently some sick people like Dr. Oz get their jollies by harming animals... We have a close race here in PA and I could use your help to keep the #PuppyKiller out of the US Senate https://t.co/nelNpgVs0U John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 3, 2022 Fetterman also retweeted on Tuesday a photo dated May 13 of Oz holding a therapy dog. Story continues "Has anyone seen this dog since May?" Fetterman questioned. Has anyone seen this dog since May? https://t.co/PPbpGJSA8y John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 4, 2022 Fetterman has also launched a new piece of campaign merchandise a 2.5-inch sticker of a golden retriever with the words "Dog Lovers for Fetterman" on it. Where are the dog lovers??? Buy our latest sticker + help keep #PuppyKiller Dr. Oz out of the US Senate: https://t.co/487WSeYLhB pic.twitter.com/73kTH800Zz John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 4, 2022 Oz did not appear to have responded to Fetterman, per a check of the GOP candidate's tweets on Tuesday night. Fetterman and Oz have been trading barbs for months. In September, Oz got dragged on Twitter after his insult about Fetterman's fashion sense backfired. Meanwhile, in August, Fetterman mocked Oz for messing up the name of the grocery-store chain Wegmans and called it "Wegner's" instead. He also accused Oz of carpetbagging and pushed for the Republican to be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame when Oz's tenuous connection to Pennsylvania came to light. Read the original article on Business Insider A Las Vegas judge approved a motion to remove Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles from office Wednesday as he undergoes trial for the alleged murder of journalist Jeff German. Las Vegas police arrested Telles in early September and subsequently charged him with murder. Telles, a Democrat, had led the county office that handles the assets of residents who die without a will or close family contacts. Telles' office released a statement announcing his removal Wednesday. "Clark County two weeks ago filed to remove Robert Telles from office as the elected Public Administrator. In the Countys filing, Clark County asserted that following the charge of open murder in the death of Jeff German, Robert Telles was unable to fulfill his job responsibilities and was neglectful of office," the statement read. "Today, a judge agreed and removed Telles from elected office. The County will now move forward in appointing someone to fulfill the end of Telles term, which expires on January 1, 2023, when the new Public Administrator elected this November takes office," it continued. POLICE SEARCH HOME OF DEMOCRAT OFFICIAL IN CONNECTION WITH STABBING OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST JEFF GERMAN LAS VEGAS JOURNALIST STABBED TO DEATH OUTSIDE HIS HOME German, 69, was found dead outside his Las Vegas home with multiple stab wounds on Sept. 4. Police immediately stated that they had leads, and they were seen searching Telles' home in the following days. German had written extensively about Telles' troubled election campaign, detailing the alleged hostile work environment Telles reportedly ran at the city office, as well as an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. German's previous reporting indicated that staff at the Clark County office were deeply critical of Telles, accusing him of favoritism and bullying. "The Clark County Public Administrators office has been mired in turmoil and internal dissension over the past two years, with allegations of emotional stress, bullying and favoritism leading to secret videotaping of the boss and a co-worker outside the office," reads one of his articles, published in May. Story continues Telles lost his re-election bid in June following the release of German's report, placing third in a Democratic primary. Staffers reportedly filmed Telles and one of his staffers, Roberta Lee-Kennett, in the back seat of a car to secure proof of the pair's "inappropriate relationship." German had worked as a journalist in Las Vegas for more than 30 years and had been with the Las Vegas Review-Journal for 10 years prior to his death. "The Review-Journal family is devastated to lose Jeff," Executive Editor Glenn Cook said in a statement at the time. "He was the gold standard of the news business. Its hard to imagine what Las Vegas would be like today without his many years of shining a bright light on dark places." A federal judge has ordered state Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify in a lawsuit brought by eight nonprofits that hope to resume helping pregnant Texans schedule and pay for out-of-state abortions. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman reinstated two subpoenas compelling Paxton's testimony, saying in a Tuesday evening order that only Paxton can clarify what he meant when he threatened legal reprisals against those who facilitate abortions in states where the procedure remains legal. The judge gave both sides until Oct. 11 to agree on whether Paxton should testify in the courtroom or by deposition. More:Dysfunction in Texas attorney generals office as Ken Paxton seeks third term Pitman had originally quashed the subpoenas shortly before a Sept. 27 hearing on the lawsuit in his Austin courtroom. But the judge said Tuesday that he made that decision based on incomplete and misleading statements by Paxton and lawyers in the attorney general's office including claims that the subpoenas were served on "the literal eve of trial" when in fact lawyers for the abortion funds tried for at least four days to confirm that Paxton was available to testify. Paxton also questioned whether he had been properly served with the subpoenas not mentioning, Pitman said, that his agency's lawyers repeatedly rebuffed requests to accept the subpoenas on Paxton's behalf or set up another form of service. More:Ken Paxton flees home while being served with subpoenas, abortion advocates tell federal judge In court documents challenging the subpoenas, the attorney general's office also made no mention of Paxton's apparent attempt to evade a process server who appeared at his McKinney home on the day before trial in an attempt to hand over the subpoenas. According to an affidavit from the process server, Paxton ran back into the house when confronted in his driveway. A short time later, his wife state Sen. Angela Paxton walked to a vehicle and started it, leaving the rear passenger door open. Ken Paxton ran into the vehicle and his wife drove away, the process server said, adding that he left the subpoenas in the driveway. Story continues Paxton, a Republican seeking a third term as state government's top lawyer, later claimed that the process server, who had previously knocked on his door and presented his card to Angela Paxton, was acting erratically and that he feared for his safety. The abortion groups argue that Paxton's threatening statements made in press releases, on Twitter and in interviews on right-wing media are restricting their ability to arrange and pay for out-of-state abortions and limiting their First Amendment right to speak about and fund abortion care. More:Court rejects AG Ken Paxton's bid to continue prosecuting election crimes Joined in the lawsuit by a Dallas abortion doctor who wants to resume working in out-of-state clinics, the funds are seeking an injunction protecting them from being punished for resuming their activities. In the days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled June 24 that there is no constitutional right to abortion, Paxton issued statements proclaiming abortion illegal under existing Texas law. Paxton also vowed to vigorously pursue civil penalties of at least $100,000 and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who perform or induce an abortion, noting that his office considered abortion illegal for Texans whether the procedure occurred in Denver or Dallas, in Las Cruces or Lamesa." In the face of the threats, the abortion funds halted services and the Dallas doctor stopped traveling to abortion clinics outside Texas, representatives testified in the Sept. 27 hearing before Pitman. "Several witnesses stated that they understood these statements to cover out-of-state abortion care but could not be sure because the statements were unclear," Pitman said. In court filings, lawyers for Paxton suggested that Paxton does not consider out-of-state abortions to be illegal under Texas law. But the same filings argue that the attorney general is required under state law to pursue civil penalties against violators, Pitman noted, placing the abortion funds at a disadvantage. "Given this contradiction, Paxton alone can testify as to which represents his position on out-of-state abortion care," Pitman wrote in his order. More:Judge dismisses State Bar lawsuit against Paxton deputy over 2020 election claims "If their fears are unwarranted, then that will become clear during the course of his testimony. But the Court will not sanction a scheme where Paxton repeatedly labels his threats of prosecution as real for the purposes of deterrence and as hypothetical for the purposes of judicial review," Pitman added. The judge also rejected arguments that Paxton, as a high-ranking official, should not be compelled to testify because of significant time constraints. "It is challenging to square the idea that Paxton has time to give interviews threatening prosecutions but would be unduly burdened by explaining what he means to the very parties affected by his statements," Pitman wrote. "To the extent Paxton is burdened by his testimony, it is because both he and his office have declined to take a clear stance on the legality of out-of-state abortions while issuing statements suggesting they are illegal." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Judge reinstates subpoenas, orders Paxton to testify in abortion case Facebook Two South American research scientists were identified as the homicide victims discovered after a Kansas City apartment fire was put out over the weekend, according to Missouri authorities, which had not announced any arrests in the case by Tuesday. Camila Behrensen, 24, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pablo Guzman Palma, 25, of Santiago, Chile, were declared dead at the scene early Saturday, suffering from apparent trauma unrelated to the blaze when firefighters found them around 5 a.m., a police spokeswoman told the Kansas City Star. Both were predoctoral graduate students at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research center in Kansas City. The Stowers Institute said in a statement that the community was devastated by the loss, adding: Our deepest sympathies are with their families. During this difficult time, and most importantly, out of respect to the two families, we want to honor and remember the joy, optimism, and exceptional work these two individuals embodied and all that they have accomplished. A statement from the Stowers Institute community. pic.twitter.com/ncmtdZXx0e Stowers Institute (@ScienceStowers) October 4, 2022 Behrensen, an Isaac Asimov lover with a penchant for middle-distance running, was described as a brilliant young woman with a vibrant intellect by colleagues and faculty at the Stowers Institute. She spent two years studying metabolic changes in fruit flies, according to a Stowers Institute biography, and had been looking forward to living on her own in a different country when she joined the organizations 2020 class of researchers. Palma, a gentle soul, earned his bachelor of science and post-bachelors degrees in biochemistry at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the institute said. His research was focused on nervous system development and organization, with one previous project centered around spinal cord regeneration. Story continues A cause of death had not been released by authorities as of Tuesday night. Hours earlier, Kansas City police made an appeal for help from residents in the area who might have recorded the events of Saturday morning or the previous night on their home security cameras. Police released few immediate details but offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. In a movie-like twist, detectives also obtained a search warrant pertaining to an Alexa devicethe Amazon virtual assistantfound in the apartment on Saturday. In a warrant application, an investigator supplied that detectives believed the suspect spent a considerable amount of time at the site before the bodies were found, based on physical evidence at the scene. Detectives further believe there may have been verbal communication between the two victims and the suspect during the commission of the homicides, the investigator added, according to the Star. The warrant was granted Sunday. Its pretty crazy stuff, a neighbor remarked to KMBC-TV on Monday, adding that Behrensen and Palma had seemed just normal. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Kansas City police detectives investigating the killings of two doctoral researchers in Midtown were granted a search warrant Sunday by a Jackson County judge to obtain digital information stored on an Alexa virtual assistant as they continue to search for a murder suspect. Detectives discovered the Amazon, Inc. device on Saturday during a search of the apartment, according to a separate search warrant application filed in Jackson County Circuit Court. Investigators say they believe the device may contain evidence directly related to the homicide investigation. This device is voice-activated and responds to voice communication within the confines of the residence, a Kansas City detective wrote in the warrant application. Detectives believe that based on physical evidence at the scene, the suspect spent a considerable amount of time in the apartment where the victims were found. Detectives further believe there may have been verbal communication between the two victims and the suspect during the commission of the homicides. As of Sunday, homicide detectives were awaiting that digital data from Amazon. Kansas City police had yet to identify a suspect in the killings as of Tuesday morning, and issued a call for neighbors to share surveillance photos or footage that may have been recorded in the general area between late Friday night and Saturday morning. Kansas City police are asking anyone living in the vicinity outlined in red with video surveillance to contact detectives. Two people were found dead Saturday after an apartment fire in the 4100 block of Oak St. Authorities discovered the bodies of the two homicide victims Camila Behrensen, 24, and Pablo Guzman Palma, 25 after the Kansas City Fire Department was called around 5 a.m. to investigate a report of smoke coming from an apartment building in the 4100 block of Oak Street. Kansas City police have said Behrensen and Guzman Palma suffered traumatic injuries not caused by the fire. Behrensen, of Buenos Aires, and Guzman Palma, of Santiago, Chile, were both pre-doctoral medical researchers with the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. In a statement Monday, Stowers said the pair were part of the 2020 class and vibrant members of our Stowers Institute community. Story continues Our deepest sympathies are with their families at this difficult time, the institute said in its statement. Stowers declined to comment further on Tuesday. A family friend of the Behrensens said they will not be making a statement. On Tuesday, the building showed signs of fire damage including a broken second-story window and charred brick. A neighbor in the building said he heard loud noises around 3:30 a.m. Saturday that sounded like stomping. A couple hours later, he awoke to blue and red lights. The killings of Behrensen and Guzman Palma marked the 125th and 126th homicides in Kansas City this year, according to data tracked by The Star. Last year, the city saw a total of 157 homicides, representing the second-deadliest year in its history. Police were asking anyone with information regarding the homicides to call KCPD homicide detectives at 816-234-5043, or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. The Stars Anna Spoerre contributed to this report. Photo: Pixabay Just three years ago, in 2019, the average price for B.C. natural gas was $1.02 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), according to Deloittes 2022 oil, gas and chemicals forecast. This year it has averaged $6 per Mcf. Going forward, B.C. natural gas prices are expected to remain well above $5 per Mcf for the rest of the decade, according to Deloittes latest forecast. A pandemic, an energy crisis in Europe, and the war in Ukraine, which has resulted in a major shift of oil and natural gas markets, has made predicting energy prices extremely challenging. In 2020, Deloitte had forecast B.C. natural gas prices would be just $2.75 per Mcf in 2022, rising to $3.05 by 2028, and Albertas Western Canadian Select (WCS) would be $49.65 per barrel in 2022 and $61.05 per barrel by 2028. Deloitte now expects B.C. natural gas prices will be nearly twice as high over the next decade as it had forecast in 2020. Deloitte has also adjusted its crude oil price forecast upwards to an average of $101.64 per barrel for WCS for 2022, and in the $80 per barrel range for the next two years. Things are a little better now than they were a quarter ago, said Andrew Botterill, Deloitte Canadas National Leader in Oil, Gas and Chemicals. Supply and demand is a little bit better balanced, theres a little bit better understanding how Europe is going to be supported through the winter. All in all, were going to have a really robust energy sector for the coming year as energy prices are relatively high. Almost overnight, thanks to the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, Europe has lost about 40% of its natural gas supply. Europeans have been furiously importing liquefied natural gas, a lot of which is coming from the U.S. Canadas own natural gas sector is part of a North American system, so the sudden increased demand for American LNG has pushed up natural gas prices North America-wide. Canadian companies are benefitting from those higher prices because, as were moving a bunch of volumes from natural gas into LNG and moving them off the continent, its creating firmer pricing here, Botterill said. Our buoyant natural gas market has been very important for energy security in Europe. Were benefiting from it both in the U.S. and Canada, but what I think is important to know is that Canada is not benefiting as much. The U.S. is getting much better prices. Theyre exporting a lot of LNG. Theyre benefittng from those LNG facilities that they built years ago, and Canadas on the outside looking in because we werent able to necessarily get all the projects built in time for this. In 2019, the price for B.C. natural gas was just $1.02 per Mcf. When you look at that dollar price in B.C. back in 2019, we were awash with natural gas and not a lot of demand coming into the market, Botterill said. Higher prices going forward are based on increased demand for North American natural gas to supply the LNG export market. Canadas own LNG exports may help to sustain natural gas prices here somewhat, once LNG Canada begins exporting LNG around 2025, but its mainly American LNG exports that will give the biggest boost to North American natural gas prices. Were seeing Europe sign up for LNG volumes, Botterill said. We expect Europe to continue to sign up for significant LNG volumes out of North America. I think theyre doing this in the longer term.This is not something to get through this winter. I think theyre looking and saying were not sure were ever going to buy Russian gas again.' "We do think that, in the long-term, North America, given its trading partnerships, is going to become a significant part of the energy mix through LNG into Europe. While domestic demand for natural gas can be expected to fall over the next decade, as homes and buildings move off natural gas for heating to electricity (heat pumps being a likely replacement), that decline in demand may be offset somewhat as provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan phase out coal power with renewables backstopped by natural gas thermal power plants. As for Canadian crude oil, Deloitte is now forecasting much stronger prices in the coming decade than it was forecasting three years ago. Deloitte now predicts prices for WCS to be in the $80 range for the next couple of years, dipping below $80 per barrel, and then rising again to $83 in 2029. I think were going to see companies delivering into a relatively firm market, Botterill said. In this world of energy security, I think its likely to see higher energy prices than weve seen in the past because there is absolutely a need and weve got a lot of pressures in the system. As for the next generation of fuels hydrogen the Canadian energy sector needs to start making those investment plans now, or miss the boat, as Canada did with LNG, Botterill warns. There are investment cycles and windows for large energy projects, whether its LNG or hydrogen, and these investments need to be timed right in order to capture market share. LNG had a window, and LNG Canada hit it, and nobody else did, Botterill said. We have good cash flows right now. We can afford to make some of these investments to de-risk (future projects). But we have to keep our eye on the ball and make sure were not just developing what our portfolio needs next year, but also what we think our portfolio needs in 10 years. One person was killed in a daylight shooting Tuesday afternoon in Kansas City, Kansas, according to police. Police officers were dispatched around 12 p.m. to the 400 block of Troup Avenue on a reported shooting, Nancy Chartrand, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement. Inside an apartment there officers found one person, identified as an adult male, dead of apparent gunshot wounds. Further information about the killing was not immediately available from police. The homicide case was being investigated by the departments Major Case Unit, Chartrand said. Police were asking anyone with information to call the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. A Kansas sheriffs deputy who handcuffed, hogtied and used a Taser on a boy with autism in February can continue to work in law enforcement, according to a state licensing agency. The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (CPOST) concluded Matthew Honas used excessive force multiple times during the Feb. 23 encounter in Holton, about 90 minutes northwest of Kansas City. CPOST can issue, suspend and revoke state law enforcement licenses. In Honas case, the agency issued a reprimand, but allowed him to keep his peace officers license. Lauren Bonds, legal director for the National Police Accountability Project, said CPOSTs decision puts the publics safety at risk. CPOST has again shown that it does not take police violence against civilians seriously, Bonds said in a statement. It is hard to think of a situation that more clearly demonstrates a persons unsuitability to be a police officer than assaulting a special needs child. The incident occurred when Honas, who had worked for the Jackson County Sheriffs Office in Kansas since 2006, responded to a report that the 12 year old, who was a foster child, was trying to run away. Honas shoved, elbowed and hogtied the child, CPOST records said. Several police departments across the country have banned the practice of hogtying because it can restrict a persons ability to breathe. While the boy was in the patrol car and handcuffed, Honas began to press his jaw pressure points. This appeared to be of a punitive nature, CPOST said. About five minutes later, Honas used a Taser on the child, who was handcuffed and shackled. CPOST said the boy was not a threat to Honas or other officers. The unreasonableness of Honas actions was compounded because he refused help from two other officers, did not use de-escalation techniques and used inappropriate language with the boy, CPOST said, including threatening to tase him again. Honas left the department March 3. Story continues Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said Honas was dismissed. The sheriffs office found his use of force to be excessive under the circumstances and policy prohibits excessive use of force. CPOST said this week that he is not currently employed as a law enforcement officer in Kansas. The Department for Children and Families said it was aware of the incident, but could not comment further due to privacy rules. Attempts to reach Honas were not successful. Gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake speaks during the Turning Point Action event at South Mountain Pavilion at Tumbleweed Park in Chandler on Aug. 27, 2022. Well, it took awhile, but it appears that Kari Lake is learning from the master. Blake Masters, that is, the Senate candidate who, upon winning his Republican primary, promptly gave a scrub-a-dub to his views on abortion. Like Masters, Kari Lake has been a stanch advocate of outlawing abortion. Or she was. There she was last year, extolling the virtues of Texas heartbeat bill, which bans abortion after detection of a heartbeat, about six weeks -- even in the case of rape or incest. Lake called for Arizona to join Texas in having what was then the most restrictive abortion law in the land I call on the Arizona Legislature to put a carbon copy of Texas S.B. 8 on the Governors Desk, she tweeted in September 2021. If my Predecessor refuses to sign it, I will do so in a Heartbeat. There she was in January, promising never to back down. "ALL Baby Lives Matter every single heartbeat is a gift from God & we will never stop fighting to protect life." she tweeted. "We must make Arizona a Sanctuary State for the unborn." There she was in February, rooting for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade so that Arizonas territorial-era law the one that criminalizes abortion even in cases of rape and incest could make a comeback. I have a good feeling that theyre going to do the right thing, she said of the Supreme Court during a Republican candidate forum. We have a great law on the books right now, if that happens, we will be a state where we will not be taking the lives of our unborn anymore. In June, Lakes spokesman said Lake is pro-life but supports exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother" but he declined to elaborate. Meanwhile, she has called abortion "the ultimate sin" and "murder." There was Lake in July, saying she supports that territorial-era law that mandates a two- to five-year prison sentence for anyone who provides an abortion to a victim of rape or incest or to anyone other than a dying girl or woman. Story continues My personal belief is that all life matters. All life counts, and all life is precious, and I dont believe in abortion, she said during the Republican gubernatorial debate. I think the older law is going to take and is going to go into effect. Thats what I believe will happen. Lake also said that abortion pills should be outlawed -- the ones used by roughly half of the Arizona women who obtained abortions in 2020. And there she was even just a few weeks ago, after a Pima County judge lifted the 49-year-old injunction that blocked enforcement of that territorial-era abortion ban. "I'm pro-life, Lake said on Fox News. I've never backed away from that and never will. Until now, that is. On Tuesday, Lake told KTAR's Mike Broomhead that abortion should be legal in some instances. It would be really wonderful if abortion was rare and legal, the way they said it before, Lake told Broomhead, referring to Bill Clinton and other Democrats who called for abortion to be safe, legal and rare. "Remember rare, but safe; rare, but safe? " Lake added. "I think thats what they said. Be really wonderful if thats how it turned out. Itd be wonderful? Unfortunately, Broomhead didn't follow up with a question to clarify what appears to be a shift from the position staked out by Lake for well over a year. Her spokesman, Ross Trumble, didnt respond to my questions about her apparent change of heart on that "great" territorial-era law or her belief that "ALL Baby Lives Matter." But he later tried to walk back Lake's comment, telling the Associated Press she didn't mean to use the word "legal." Sure, after more than a year of being staunchly anti-abortion, the word "legal" just popped, unbidden, out of her mouth. More likely, it has something to do with public opinion polls that show the vast majority of Arizonans believe abortion should be legal up to some point. And that, with just seven days until early ballots arrive. the issue is at the top of many voters' minds. And so when confronted with a choice between the life of the unborn and the life of her gubernatorial campaign Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LaurieRoberts. Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake just pivoted on abortion (somebody's reading the polls) ASTANA (Reuters) - Kazakh authorities on Wednesday rejected a demand from Russia that they expel Ukraine's ambassador over comments about killing Russians, chiding Moscow for what they called an inappropriate tone between "equal strategic partners". Russia's ties with Kazakhstan and some others of its ex-Soviet allies have become strained during the war in Ukraine, notably over attempts by President Vladimir Putin to renege on post-USSR border agreements in the country's east. Tensions escalated after Ukraine's ambassador in Astana, Petro Vrublevskiy, said in August in an interview with a local blogger, referring to the war in Ukraine, that "the more Russians we kill now, the fewer of them our children will have to kill". Russia demanded that Kazakhstan expel the diplomat in response, but Astana instead asked Kyiv to replace him, telling him his comments were unacceptable for a country with a large ethnic Russian minority. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday said Moscow was "outraged" by the fact that Vrublevskiy was still in Astana, and had summoned the Kazakh ambassador. Kazakh foreign ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov on Wednesday called Zakharova's tone "discordant with the nature of the allied relations between Kazakhstan and Russia as equal strategic partners", adding that the Russian ambassador would in turn be summoned to the Kazakh ministry. Smadiyarov said Vrublevskiy would leave Kazakhstan once a new Ukrainian ambassador was in place. Kazakhstan has traditionally maintained close economic and security ties with Russia, but distanced itself from Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in February. Astana has called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict - which Moscow terms a "special military operation" - and refused to recognise referendums through which Russia annexed parts of Ukraine. (Reporting by Tamara Vaal; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; editing by John Stonestreet) A Kansas City man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly fatally shooting his cousin last weekend in an Independence apartment, police said. Jordan Huff, 23, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for allegedly shooting and killing 25-year-old James P. Robertson, Jr. on Saturday, said Officer Jack Taylor, a spokesman with the Independence Police Department. When officers arrived around 9:30 p.m to the 3900 block of Redwood Drive, they found Robertson dead inside the apartment, police said. Huff had allegedly fled the scene before officers arrived. SheKnows Heidi Klum is celebrating a big milestone on Instagram, but shes not doing it with balloons or confetti. She found a much sexier way to honor hitting 10 million followers on the social media platform: hot-pink lingerie. The 49-year-old supermodel posted an Instagram Reel that might take the cake for being one of her popular [] Kim Kardashian speaks onstage during the 2020 Winter TCA Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on 18 January 2020 (David Livingston/Getty Images) Kevin Keith, a man who has been imprisoned since 1994 for a triple murder he says he didnt commit, is the subject of a new podcast by Kim Kardashian. Spotify on Monday (3 October) unveiled the first two episodes of The System by Ms Kardashian, who has campaigned for criminal justice reform over the past few years. Mr Keith has always affirmed his innocence in the case. He has been supported by his brother Charles Keith, who has advocated on his behalf, and by Lori Rothschild, an executive producer who has investigated the case independently and brought it to Ms Kardashians attention. In the first episode of The System, Ms Kardashian explains that she met Ms Rothschild, a producer on Family Feud, while taking part in the show a few years back. (The Kardashians first appeared on Family Feud in 2018.) Ive only been on the case about a year. It really spoke to me. The whole situation sucks, Ms Kardashian says in the episode. And I just don't feel like he was given a fair shot. The Systems first episode presents the facts of the case as follows: In February of 1994, three people Linda Chatman, 39; her niece Marichell Chatman, 24; and Marichells four-year-old daughter Marchae Chatman were killed in Bucyrus, Ohio. They had all been in the same apartment, along with Marichells boyfriend Richard Warren and her two young cousins, when a man started lingering around the door, according to The System. The man asked to speak with Linda, and once inside, asked for a glass of water, drank it, pulled out a gun, and opened fire. The man fled the scene. Richard Warren was wounded but managed to run to a nearby restaurant and ask for help. He and Marichells cousins survived the attack. Kevin Keith was arrested two days later and charged with three counts of aggravated murder. According to the podcast, he was never questioned by the police. Kevin Keiths trial began on 10 May 1 of 1994, only three months later. This is unbelievably and concerningly fast for a capital murder trial, Ms Kardashian says on the show. Kevin was represented by defense attorney James Banks. Banks had never worked on a capital murder case before. Story continues Mr Keith was convicted despite what his lawyer at the time and advocates since described as a lack of evidence. They searched the apartment where the crime was committed, Mr Banks, the defence attorney for Mr Keith, says in an audio clip. They considered fingerprints. They considered glass samples fiber samples, and yet not one piece of evidence was retrieved that would point to Kevin Keith. Mr Keiths friends and family expressed concern that the jury selected was all white, especially considering that the key witness, surviving victim Richard Warren, was also white, Ms Kardashian says on the program, adding: In fact, Richard Warren was the only victim that wasnt Black. Mr Keith was sentenced to the death penalty. In 2010, then-Ohio Governor Ted Strickland commuted that sentence to life without parole. His legal team, supporters, and family are now hoping to secure a pardon, a commutation to time served, or the possibility of parole, Ms Kardashian says in the podcast. The Systems first episode serves as an introduction to the case; its second episode examines Mr Keiths alibi. Eight episodes will air in total. Khloe Kardashian has denied a weird photo edit claim following reports that she allegedly uploaded a heavily edited picture of herself. On Tuesday, the 38-year-old reality star reacted to the discourse surrounding the image in question on Twitter. The now-viral photograph shows Kardashian posing in a black catsuit with her leg on a chair and arm leaning on a dresser. When the photo made the rounds online, fans immediately accused Kardashian of editing the image and claimed that she made her body look much slimmer than it actually is. However, the Good American founder claims that she didnt post the photo or edit it. I never even posted this photo. Maybe my glam did but I didnt. Also I mean. The bent lines in the back lol please, she wrote, openly acknowledging that the photo looks edited. Kardashian also shared a follow up post to emphasise her point and defend her styling team, adding: Wait not sayin my glam did that either in just saying I didnt post this photo on my page. Wheres the receipts that I did lol people are so weird. In response to her tweet, many fans praised Kardashian and criticised the online trolls who shared the allegedly edited photo. You are so beautiful Koko, dont care about them, you already know, the internet is treacherous, one wrote, while another added: They do everything to make you the subject lolll. I never even posted this photo. Maybe my glam did but I didnt. Also I mean. The bent lines in the back lol please https://t.co/npQOdcevxN Khloe (@khloekardashian) October 5, 2022 A Kardashians fan account later noted that the reality stars makeup artist, Ash K Holm, had originally posted an unedited version of the viral image of Kardashian. The fan account pointed out that the photo on Holms page is not the fake photoshopped one and showed a side-by-side of the original image next to the edited one. Story continues In the comments, Kardashian seemingly criticised any online trolls who accused her of doctoring the image, writing: I mean why must someone always make up something lol anyways, I just want a croissant. This wasnt Kardashians first time addressing online rumours about using photo editing software. On her Instagram Story in April, she posted a video with her and ex Tristan Thompsons daughter, True, at Disneyland for the first time in honour of her fourth birthday. However, fans were quick to notice that her sister, Kim Kardashian, shared photos of her daughter, Chicago West, with True at Disneyland in December 2021, prompting them to question if Kardashians daughter was edited into those images. Kardashian seemingly confessed to her daughter being edited into the pictures, writing: Welllppp I f***ed this one up. Anyways.. lets focus on something else. Khloe Kardashian has urged Kanye West to stop tearing her sister Kim Kardashian down, after he slammed the Kardashian family in a recent social media post. In Instagram post shared on Wednesday, the 45-year-old rapper addressed some of the widespread backlash he has received from celebrities for his Yeezy fashion show in Paris on Monday. Specifically, many took issue with West, a group of models, and conservative figure Candace Owens wearing shirts emblazoned with the phrase White Lives Matter. Wests response to the critics was that public figures didnt chime in when he was allegedly kept from seeing [his] child on her birthday. He claimed that it was wrong that no one spoke up when the Kardashians [kept him] from seeing [his] daughter. West and his ex-wife share four children, North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three. The Good American founder then defended her older sister in the comments of Wests post, explaining that while she loves the rapper, he is the one who keeps bringing his concerns about his children to social media. She also urged him to stop publicly criticising his ex. You are the father of my nieces and nephews and Im trying to be respectful but please STOP tearing Kimberly down and using our family when you want to deflect, Kardashian wrote. She then shut down the narrative that he missed his childs birthday, claiming: We all know the truth and everyones tired of it. You know exactly where your children are at all times and YOU wanted separate birthdays. Kardashian went on the emphasise that she could prove her point, that she has seen all of the texts about points where West changed his mind about having separate birthdays and then decided to attend his childrens parties. She also addressed a comment that West made last month, where he said that his ex-wife is with their children 80 per cent of the time, before emphasing that he should leave the Kardashian family out of his Instagram page. Story continues Please leave her and the family out of it so the kids can be raised peacefully, she concluded. I come from a place of love and I am happy to continue this conversation with you privately if you wish. On Twitter, multiple people agreed with Kardashians point and praised her for sharing such a real message about West. Khloe is so real for being the only kardashian to rip Kanye a new a**hole, one wrote. The deflection to blaming Kim Kardashian every-time Kanye is remotely called out for his abusive behaviour is disgusting and I am so glad Khloe and Gigi are sticking up to him publicly, another added. One Twitter user also described Kardashians message as fiery. On his own Instagram, West has shared a screenshot of and response to Kardashians comment, claiming that the Kardashians were liars. He also doubled down on his remark about missing his childs birthday, claiming that the family kindapped Chicago from him. YALL BASICALLY KIDNAPPED CHICAGO ON HER BIRTHDAY SO SHE COULD REMEMBER HER FATHER NOT BEING THERE TRAV GAVE ME THE ADDRESS OF MY CHILDS PARTY THATS HOW YALL PLAY WITH BLACK FATHERS YALL, he wrote in the caption. West continued with claims about not being a part of Psalms birthday, writing: ALSO THREW A PARTY BEFORE PSALMS BIRTHDAY WHEN I WAS FLYING BACK FROM JAPAN TO BE THERE FOR HIS BIRTHDAY AND THE FIRST I HEARD ABOUT IT WAS SEEING PICS OF THE PARTY ON LINE. He noted that the problem with seeing his children 80 per cent of the time is that he should be seeing them 100 per cent of the time. He said that, because of his divorce from Kim, his and his ex-wifes time with their children should be split evenly. SINCE THERES A SEPARATION IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 50% OF THE TIME YALL WOULDNT HAVE PLAYED WITH DONDA LIKE THAT IN JESUS NAME, West concluded. Wests post comes two weeks after he apologised to Kim Kardashian for any stress that he may have caused her. Despite the fact that their divorce was announced in February 2021, the pairs split has continued to make headlines. West has shared numerous social media posts about the reality star, including about who shes been dating and how shes allegedly given him limited access to his children. This is the mother of my children and I apologise for any stress that I have caused, even in my frustration, because God calls me to be stronger, West said in an interview on Good Morning America on 22 September. The Independent has contacted a representative for West and Kardashian for comment. (Independent) Cartoonist Kim Jung Gi has died of a sudden heart attack aged 47. The South Korean artist was known for his ability to recreate complex scenes entirely from memory and holds the Guinness World Record for longest drawing by an individual. In a statement shared on Wednesday (5 October), collaborator Hyun Jin Kim announced that the artist had died on Monday (3 October) in Paris. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of Kim Jung Gi, he wrote. After finishing his last schedule in Europe, Jung Gi went to the airport to fly to New York, where he experienced chest pains and was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, but sadly passed away. Hyun continued: After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes. Thank you Jung Gi. The Daniel Maghen Gallery, which is currently showing an exhibition of Kims work, wrote: It is with a great sadness that we inform you of the death of Kim Jung Gi on Monday evening in Paris. The South Korean artist died after a heart attack at the age of 47. His sudden disappearance contrasts with the immense happiness he brought us. We are speechless... All our thoughts are turned to his family, his wife and his two children, his friends, his collaborators Kim Hyun Jin, Boin Lee, Jean-Christophe Caurette and his fans, for whom his disappearance will leave a great void. They added that their exhibition would stay open until Saturday 8 October at Kims familys request. Born in 1975 in Goyang-Si, Kim showed an interest in the arts at a young age and enrolled at a fine arts school when he was 1, before attending Dong-Eui University in Busan for three years. He served his two years of military service as part of the Special Forces Unit in the South Korean army. This is a breaking news story more information to follow... Whatever happened to "when the going gets tough, the tough get going"? My favourite (television drama from the 1970s) Barretta quote is, "if you can't do the time, then don't do the crime". Maybe it's time for the B.C. Attorney General to step up to the plate. Keep arresting the violent and 200-plus arrest career criminals and then put pressure on the judiciary to keep them in jail. Everyone likes to quote their favourite part of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms regarding being held without bail. Well, there is another part to that. If the accused is, or poses, a threat to society bail can be refused. I guess judges forget about that part. (Residents) throughout B.C. and Canada are fed up with the catch and release system we have. Lord knows, if you beat the daylights out of a thief in your house or on your property youll be thrown in jail and sentenced harsher than the criminal ever is. M. Boyer, Kelowna Money Magazine has released its latest ranking of the 50 best places to live in the U.S., and Kirkland is one of just two Washington cities to make the list. Kirkland earned the No. 3 spot on the list, landing just below Atlanta, Georgia and Tempe, Arizona in first and second place, respectively. Its an honor that Kirkland has been recognized nationally for something that we all know to be true: Kirkland is such an amazing place to live, said Deputy Mayor Jay Arnold in a statement. Thank you to our wonderful residents and businesses who together contribute to Kirklands vibrant and belonging community. Money Magazine says it examines data in several different areas including cost of living, economic opportunity and quality of life to determine which cities make the list. In its article, the magazine described Kirkland as a family-friendly, community-focused town with great schools and employment opportunities. Kirklands waterfront location, parks and pedestrian-friendly downtown district were also highlighted in the magazines writeup. The other Washington city to make the list? Camas, which earned the No. 32 spot on the list for its strong schools, decent-paying jobs and a quaint downtown. The Heritage and Harvest Porch Tour Saturday, October 8, 2022, from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m., will take you north along Highway 3049 and Highway 71 where you can see the small towns. For the second time, the tour is focusing on the porches of beautiful homes, "It's a friendly way because they can sit on a porch and enjoy southern hospitality" said Red River Crossroads Historical and Cultural Association board member Sandie Smoak. Her charming porch at her family-owned Dixie Farms Lavender will be a stop on their year's tour. Sandie Smoak of Dixie Farms Lavender. The Red River Crossroads Historical and Cultural Association offers this information on how to enjoy this year's free and family-friendly event. Dixie Highway 3049 The community was named for Dixie Cross Roads in Bossier Parish from where many settlers migrated. The railroad came to the area in 1899. A cotton gin was on the left of the road in Dixie and a railroad depot on the right. Visit Dixie Farms Lavender Shoppe - Shop a variety of lavender products and art www.dixiefarmslavender.com Dixie Farms Lavender a family owned farm in Dixie Louisiana. The Cairo Home - John and Tonya Sloan, 8305 Sentell Road, Shreveport. Established in 1893, rebuilt in 1950. Original buildings include a white frame home, a commissary and a corn crib. Belcher Highway 3049 The village of Belcher began in 1899 when steamboat landings at Rush Point and Briarfield on the Red River largely were bandoned and shipping traffic moved over to the railroad. A new community was named "Horseshoe" and later renamed Belcher in honor of John Belcher who owned the land. The Connell Home Hunter and Mallory Brantly, 225 Gray Street. Built in 1901, the home remained in the Connell family for 59 years before being sold to a succession of owners. The home is in the American Foursquare architectural style with a wrap-around porch and porte-cochere. The Log Home 625 Self Road. The home was built in 1999, by David and Carolyn Self Lawrence. Greg and Christi McWhiney purchased the home in 2017, from Christis parents. Belcher Presbyterian Church - On Gray St/Hwy 3049. The present building, constructed in 1925, features the original pipe organ. Gail Moore will play the pipe organ from 11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon the day of the tour and also for the weekly Sunday worship services at 11:00 AM. Visitors are wlecome. The Storer Home Craig and Judy Storer, 516 Gray Street. This Greek Revival style home is of solid masonry construction built in 1890, and remained in the Glassell family 160 years. Lynn Plantation Commissary 11580 Hwy 3049. Newly released Ross Lynn Legacy Photography book on sale. Lynns photography also on display. The Wild Petunia and Tea Room will be re-opening the day of the tour. Sample a tea room delicacy and, if in a hurry, purchase a box lunch to go. Local artists will be on site. Horseshoe Bayou Bridge - Caddo St Historic one-lane bridge built in 1915. Veterans Memorial - On Gray St/Hwy 3049. Honoring all veterans. D & I Country Cafe and Deli 312 Caddo Street Belcher 71004. Home-cooked lunches and sandwiches served daily. Story continues Gilliam Highway 3049 In the 1880s R. L. Gilliam came to the area and bought land. In 1898, when the railroad came through the area, Mr. Gilliam donated a right of way on the agreement that the railroad put a depot on the land and name it Gilliam. A post office was established in 1900. In the aftermath of a cyclone in 1908 which killed 40 people, the TS&N Railroad sent carloads of emergency supplies and provided railcars for temporary storage for belongings of the survivors. Red River Crossroads Museum : First Sale of Crossroads Cuisine Cookbook - a collection of heritage recipes from families in these communities. Also, Display and sale of the Plein Air Art painted on the Sunflower Trail this summer. The Museum features displays dating from the Caddo Indian mounds to the development of plantations and towns following the clearing of the Red River raft. A special display depicting the recent discovery of the Caddo Indian dugout canoe in the Red River near Belcher. The Malone Home Steve and Amy Malone, 5564 1st Street. Built 1910. Main Street Restaurant - 12807 Main Street Enjoy delicious food in an interesting and scenic setting in one of the original brick store buildings. Varied lunch menu selections available for lunch. Red River Crossroads Museum - 12797 Main Street Located in the Gilliam Library. The Museum features displays dating from the Caddo Indian mounds to the development of plantations and towns following the clearing of the Red River raft. A special display depicting the recent discovery of the Caddo Indian dugout canoe in the Red River near Belcher. Gilliam Gin Company - Highway 3049 South of Gilliam. See a modern cotton gin in operation. Learn about cotton harvesting and ginning at the Red River Crossroads Museum. James Country Store 12781 Main St. Food available The Heritage and Harvest Tour is Sept. 22. Hosston Highway 71 North The area was settled between 1830 and 1850 by George Hale. Just east of Hosston, a steamboat landing was used for selling wood to steamboat captains. A ferry was operated on Black Bayou for the distribution of mail up and down North Caddo Parish and into Arkansas until a post office was chartered in 1901. Old Hosston Public School / Singing Pines Recreational Complex - Kirby family, 14905 Oak St. Singing Pines is the former Hosston Elementary/Alternative School. The main building is Art Deco Style and was completed in approximately 1932. A gymnasium was completed in 1951. The facility is available for rent for events. 318-287-3360 Old Church House - Open new event venue The Old Church House is the former Hosston Methodist Church. The McKinney's purchased and renovated the building to open as a Coffee Shop/Museum and a Farmer's Market. On Tour day the outdoor market will feature various arts and crafts vendors and McKinney Hill Farm products. Big Mama's Antiques and Restorations 6403 Parkway Drive Hosston 71043 Shop interesting collectibles and hear about the early days of Hosston from owner Ray Stevenson. For more information 318-573-2127 More on Ray Stevenson - https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2021/08/08/antique-dealer-ray-stevenson-brings-hosston-post-office-back-life/7979317002/ Ray Stevenson is the owner of Big Momma's Antiques and Restoration in Hossten, Louisiana. Mira Highway 71 North The area was settled around 1872. The village originally was called Loma, and was later named Mira, after the daughter of an early settler. Designs by Carol Quilt Shop - Hwy 71 North. Handmade quilts for sale or will quilt your tops. Also, Muscadine preserves on sale as well as cakes and sorbet. For more information please call 318-287-3380. Ida The area was settled in the 1800s and named Ida after the daughter of the postmaster, Jonathan Chandler, when the Post Office was established in 1897. Hillsong House Bed & Breakfast - Recently opened by David and Aimee Neu at 19535 Highway 71, Ida, LA 71044. The Home was built in 1912 by the Allison family. It offers a wooded path and tea lunch 10-3 during the tour. Chef Aimee also runs the Reservation Table Restaurant in Vivian 318-422-5065. Smokies Antique car Museum - Enjoy viewing the private collection of CH Maddox at 18876 Alabama Avenue, Ida 71044. The Capt. Fletcher E. Adams 357th Fighter Group Museum. Cold drinks, coffee, water, and snacks. (318) 469-1060 Ida Methodist Church - built in 1904. Capt. Fletcher E Adams 357th Fighter Group Museum - 18876 Alabama Ave More on The Reserved Table - https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/2022/08/15/check-out-vivian-restaurant-serving-meals-and-community/10133724002/ Aimee Neu is the owner of The Reserved Table in Vivian, Louisiana. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Info heritage and harvest porch tour louisiana LONDON (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia must be part of investigations into last week's explosions in the two Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea. "So far, from those news conferences which took place in Denmark and Sweden, we've heard disturbing statements that any cooperation with the Russian side is ruled out," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "We, obviously, will be waiting for some clarification on that as we believe that, definitely, participation of the Russian side in examining the damaged area and investigating what happened should be mandatory." European governments and NATO say the two Nord Stream pipelines were attacked in an act of sabotage, which has further roiled global energy markets after months of tension and disrupted supplies since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin on Friday blamed the United States and its allies, allegations rejected by Washington. Russia has rejected what it called "stupid" theories in the West that it sabotaged the pipelines itself. The operators of the two pipelines between Russia and Germany have said they are currently unable to inspect the damaged sections because of restrictions imposed by Danish and Swedish authorities, in whose waters the blasts and leaks occurred. Nord Stream 2 AG, Switzerland-based operator of the second pipeline, said on Tuesday it will examine the condition of the leaking pipelines once a police investigation of the "crime scene" is completed and a cordon is lifted. Later on Tuesday, Nord Stream AG, operator of the older Nord Stream 1 pipeline, said it had been told by Danish authorities that receiving the necessary permits to carry out an inspection could take over 20 working days. (Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; writing by Vladimir Soldatkin) DUBAI (Reuters) -Kuwait's crown prince reappointed Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah, the ruling emir's son, as prime minister on Wednesday and later approved a new Cabinet following legislative polls in the Gulf state, where a domestic political feud has stalled reforms. A decree announcing the government formation in the OPEC oil producer named Hussein Ismail as oil minister to replace Mohammed Al-Fares. Finance Minister Abdul Wahab al-Rasheed and Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Sabah kept their posts. Kuwait held early elections on Sept. 29 in which opposition members made big gains, after Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved parliament in a bid to end the standoff between government and the elected assembly. Kuwait bans political parties but has given its legislature more influence than similar bodies in other Gulf monarchies, and political stability in the U.S.-allied country has traditionally hinged on cooperation between the government and parliament. The crown prince, who has taken over most of the emir's duties, first appointed Sheikh Ahmad as prime minister in July after some opposition MPs staged an open-ended sit-in to press for a new premier. He replaced Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah, who resigned in April ahead of a non-cooperation motion in parliament against him. While Kuwait's leadership, following opposition demands, has moved to clamp down on perceived corruption, restructure some key institutions and grant amnesty to dissidents, key reform proposals such as a public debt law remain stalled. The dissolved parliament had yet to approve the state budget for the fiscal year starting April 2022. The finance minister had said it needed to be approved before November and until then the government would continue working based on the 2021/2022 budget. The 2022/2023 budget draft has set spending at 23.65 billion dinars ($77.24 billion) compared with 23.48 billion in the previous budget. Story continues The new Cabinet includes two women ministers whereas the previous government had only one. Rana Al-Fares remained as minister of state for municipal affairs and telecommunications and information technology affairs. Huda al-Shaiji became minister of social affairs. Sheikh Abdullah Ali al-Sabah, from the less powerful Salem branch of the ruling family, was appointed defence minister. (Reporting by Mahmoud Mourad, Lilian Wagdy and Alaa Swilam in Cairo and Ahmed Hagagy in KuwaitWriting by Ghaida GhantousEditing by John Stonestreet and Matthew Lewis) The littoral combat ship Sioux City recently completed what the Navy is calling an historic deployment that saw the Florida-based ship become the first LCS to operate in the waters of U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. 5th Fleet during a five-month cruise. Sioux Citys blue crew returned to Mayport on Oct. 2. Along the way, the ships deployment revealed how the Freedom class of LCS can still conduct operations, even as most of that class of ships are awaiting modifications to their combining gear, a class-wide design flaw that first emerged in 2020. An LCSs combining gear connects the ships diesel engines to gas turbines that provide a power boost, goosing the ships top speeds in the process. While the combining gear issue has hobbled the ship class to an extent, officials now say they have figured out a workaround to keep those LCS operational, even as existing ships await modifications. Sioux City steamed 28,000 nautical miles during its deployment, and achieved speeds of more than 30 knots, all without receiving the combining gear fix or damaging that system, according to Cmdr. Scott Whitworth, the commanding officer of the ships blue crew. US Navy accepts first Freedom LCS since discovering widespread defect in combining gear system There were absolutely no issues operating the ship without the repair being done, Whitworth told reporters Wednesday. That mitigation basically involved not running the ship in a combined gas turbine and diesel mode, while limiting the speed of the ship, according to Capt. David Miller, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2. It was definitely time and we were ready to send Sioux City, and we could manage the operational limitations with the gears that there were, he said. When the combining gear problem first emerged in 2020, Sioux Citys planned deployment to the European and Middle Eastern waters of 6th and 5th fleets, respectively, was delayed until officials had a better handle on the issue. Story continues We found we could definitely mitigate that challenge and deploy the ship successfully; Sioux City proved that was the case, Miller said Wednesday. Weve really put that problem behind us. Sioux Citys cruise saw it transit the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Northern Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. Along the way, LCS underwent maintenance in those fleets, a first for the ship class. In Bahrain, the ship got equipped with a underwater anti-mine drones, and the ship was able to deploy and control those systems remotely as well. I could not be more proud of this ship and her crew, Whitworth said. They made it look easy. A view of protestors waving Ethiopian flags in the country in 2021. AMANUEL SILESHI/AFP via Getty Images More than 50 people were killed and at least 70 more were injured following an airstrike on a school in Ethiopia on Tuesday, Reuters reported. The airstrike took place in the nation's northern Tigray region, around 25 miles from the Ethiopian border with Eritrea, according to aid workers in the region. Tigray freedom fighters told Reuters the school was being used as a temporary shelter for people who had been displaced by an ongoing civil war between conflicting factions of the Ethiopian government. An exact death toll was not confirmed, but the airstrike, which was directed at the town of Adi Daero, is reportedly one of the deadliest events of the ongoing, nearly two-year war. Larger-scale fighting has been plaguing Ethiopia since at least 2018. Total deaths from the conflict are estimated to be in the thousands, Reuters reported, with millions more having been displaced from their homes. One of the aid workers said the school safehouse was on a list of sites sanctioned by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. A letter from the Tigray public relations office estimated the number of airstrike deaths to be least 65, Reuters reported. Despite this, Ethiopian military officials would not comment on the death toll, or even confirm the attack happened. This is the second time in under a week the town of Adi Daero has come under siege; a Sept. 30 airstrike killed at least five civilians and injured 16 more, per The Associated Press. You may also like Survey reveals less than half of Americans plan to get flu shot this season Russian war reporters warn Ukraine is threatening thin, fragile defensive lines in southern Kherson Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home Liz Truss has endured a torrid six weeks since being announced as the new UK prime minister after beating rival Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership contest on 6 September. The former foreign secretary took office at No 10 Downing Street that day, only for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to pass away two days into her premiership, prompting a period of national mourning, after which her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng sent the international financial markets into turmoil with his radical but ill-advised and uncosted mini-Budget, which ultimately forced his premature exit from No 11 and replacement with Jeremy Hunt as Treasury chief. Whether Ms Truss can survive so nightmarish a start remains to be seen. For now, she remains in Downing Street, which she entered with her husband, Hugh OLeary, and their two teenage daughters. The family of four also have homes in Greenwich and Norfolk. It marks the first time the government headquarters will be home to teenagers since Tony Blair became prime minister in 1997. At the time, Mr Blairs eldest son, Euan, made headlines after police found him drunk and throwing up in Leicester Square after celebrating his GCSE exam results. Ms Truss mostly keeps both of her daughters, Frances, 16, and Liberty, 13, out of the public eye, bar the occasional social media post of the back of their heads or their birthday cakes. In an interview with The DailyTelegraph earlier this summer, Ms Truss said her family was still coming to terms with how her new position could affect them, but that her daughters are already getting stuck into the world of politics. I think theres a dawning realisation that this is real, Ms Truss explained. I think my daughters friends at school are quite amazed by whats happening. My oldest daughters working on the digital team, Ms Truss said of her leadership campaign. Shes done a computing GCSE so shes helping out on that. And my younger daughter was there as well, giving general political advice. Story continues She also revealed that the pair had already started making requests to hold sleepovers at Number 10. But whats in store for them once they move into their new abode? Heres what we can learn from previous children of world leaders. Amazing and very quiet The wife of David Cameron, Samantha, opened up about life at Downing Street during her husbands tenure between 2010 and 2016 in an interview with Hello! earlier this year. The couple have three children; daughters Nancy, 18, and Florence, 12, and a son named Arthur, 16. The couples eldest son, Ivan, died of of cerebral palsy and severe epilepsy in 2009. Florence was born in 2010, the same year that Mr Cameron took office. Samantha told Hello! her birth was a great thing because it insulated and protected her family from the shock of suddenly being in the public eye. It meant that I had a bit of time to adjust before I was expected to do too much. She literally arrived as we moved into Downing Street, she said. The Cameron family leaving Downing Street (Getty) It gave me a chance to work out how I wanted to live and work there before I had to go out to do things in public. However, Samantha noted that having young children worked in her favour as it meant they were not being followed or photographed by the press. When they were little, it was easy, in a sense you could protect them from quite a lot, she said. They didnt really understand what was happening. I was glad we left Downing Street before my older children became teenagers because I think that would have been really difficult. Samantha and the children would come and go through the back door of the property and didnt have security in a bid to keep everything as similar as it had been at home. My husbands good at compartmentalising, he would come up into the flat in the evenings and be able to spend time with us as a normal family even though we were effectively living in the office, Samantha recalled. The flat is amazing and very quiet, you dont hear whats going on in the rest of the building. The children were small and much more unaware of what was happening around them. Not a normal teenage life A good indicator of what life at Downing Street might entail for Ms Trusss daughters is the experience of Mr Blairs son, Euan, who was 13 when his father took office and 23 by the end of his decade-long term. Euan lived a somewhat ordinary teenage life, enjoying a few alcoholic beverages with a friend after receiving his GCSE results in 2000. Things went downhill after he was picked up by the police, drunk and throwing up in central London, and then lied about his name and address in an attempt to disguise he was the son of the serving prime minister. Tony Blair and his family outside Downing Street (Getty) In his first public speech following the incident, Mr Blair said being a parent is probably tougher than being the prime minister. Sometimes you dont always succeed but the family to me is more important than anything else, he said. Downing Street also issued a statement saying Euan was very sorry and is in no doubt of the seriousness of his actions. In his 2010 memoir, A Journey, Mr Blair detailed less harsher consequences for Euan and a somewhat normal familial relationship. Recalling the night of his sons arrest, Mr Blair wrote: I got no sleep that night. Around 2.30am Euan insisted on coming into my bed. Alternately, he would go into a mournful tirade of apology and then throw up. Had a police cell been available, I would have been all for moving him there, Mr Blair wrote. Living in a museum More recently, Barack and Michella Obamas teenage daughters, Sasha and Malia, entered the spotlight as their father took office in 2007. Michelle previously detailed how living in the White House affected her children in an interview with CBS in 2019. The Obama family (Getty) She said the older the girls got, the less excited they were about living in a museum. My kids had armed guards with them at all times. Imagine trying to have your first kiss [around] a bunch of men [with guns] and earpieces, Michelle said. While Ms Trusss daughters have expressed excitement at the prospect of having sleepovers at No 10, Michelle said she was surprised her daughters had any friends as sleepovers anywhere other than the White House meant there will be a man with a gun sitting outside. The Obama family in 2016 (AFP/Getty) Imagine having Malia and Sasha come to your house for a sleepover, Michelle said. This is the call, OK, were gonna need your social security number, were gonna need your date of birth. There will be men coming to sweep your house. If you have guns and drugs, just tell them. Because theyre going to find them anyway. Dont lie. Theyre not gonna take em, they just need to know where they are. And by the way, there will be a man with a gun sitting on the front porch all night. Let him come in and use the bathroom, it would just be nice. The flu is a virus you can catch year-round but it tends to start spreading now in October, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The agency predicts this year is going to be a bad one. >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Its flu vaccine time and seniors need revved-up shots NewsCenter 7s Kayla McDermott spoke with a local doctor and he told her last year because of Covid-19, people were staying away from one another and he had one or two people visit him for flu. Doctor Joseph Allen, Regional Medical Director of Premier Health, told McDermott, based off of data from Australia, it was the worst flu season the country had ever had in over the past five-plus years. Doctors here use that data since their seasons are opposite ours, meaning Australias flu season has already passed. McDermott says the prediction for this year is to be so bad with the flu mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, people have been able to get back together, stop wearing masks and ditch almost all of the Covid restrictions we have been living with the past two years. Lives kind of have gotten back to what it was before Covid to large extent, said Allen. So, were expecting the flu to be a little bit more robust this year. Certainly, I think well see more of it than we did the last two years anyhow. >>RELATED: Is it safe to get both Covid booster and flu shots at once? Doctor Allen thinks getting the flu shot is a blanket recommendation that applies to everyone six months and older who can get it. He also told McDermott the really young and elderly are the most at-risk of becoming seriously sick from the flu and possibly dying from it. Specifically premature babies and ones just born are high risk, and the risk increase if the child is not being breastfed to receive some immunity from their mother. As for the elderly, anyone ages 65 and up can suffer from the flu much more than those who are few years younger and teenagers. While the flu does not tend to impact high schoolers too badly, Doctor Allen said to McDermott them being in school with other students can cause the flu to spread more easily. Story continues School aged kids in particular, typically are not adversely affected but they feel sick, he said. Man, they transmitted like crazy amongst themselves and then bring it home and give it to all of us. >>RELATED: What to know: Can you get the updated COVID booster shot, flu shot together? If you have a school aged kid who could pass it to you, getting the flu shot is an option. For people who are allergic to the traces of egg in the shot, there are versions made without the egg protein for you. Photo: The Canadian Press The Komagata Maru memorial is seen in downtown Vancouver, on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. Vancouver police are investigating a new incident of vandalism of the memorial on the downtown waterfront, and whether it's connected to the recent smashing of the nearby Olympic Cauldron. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck Police are investigating the vandalism of the Komagata Maru memorial on Vancouver's downtown waterfront, and whether it's connected to the recent smashing of the nearby Olympic Cauldron. The VPD says it launched an investigation Tuesday after being alerted by a social media post that the glass covering the memorial in Coal Harbour had been shattered. Const. Jason Doucette says officers are looking into any links to what he called a "similar crime" in which glass sections of the Olympic Cauldron less than 200 metres away were smashed on Saturday morning. The memorial records the names of almost 400 people who sailed to Vancouver from India aboard the Komagata Maru on May 23, 1914, but were denied entry to Canada even though they were British subjects. It's the second time the memorial has been vandalized in 14 months, after it was splattered with white paint and handprints in August last year. A man was arrested and has been charged with mischief over the earlier incident. We dont just want to find the person who did this, but also understand why this cherished memorial was targeted, said Doucette in a news release about the latest attack. Oct. 5More concerns were addressed Friday, Sept. 30 when local residents had a chance to meet with the mayor. Dr. John Uzzo brought up an issue he had with Northeastern Health System administrators stating the closure of the labor and delivery department was simply not true. Mayor Sue Catron reassured him that the department did not close and patients were diverted due to nurses being short-staffed. "What is true is that occasionally they do have to divert patients elsewhere," Catron said. Uzzo then brought up his next issue which he called "in line" with NHS and that pertained to NHS having a hospital in Sallisaw. Uzzo said the hospital in Sallisaw owed the Tahlequah Hospital Authority $7 million for contract salary and benefits and management fees. "Why are we paying those people when we don't have nurses here? That's what I want to know. They're paying these salaries and expenses for this hospital and why are we not hiring a nurse to take care of our local people," Uzzo asked. Catron said the hospital has a subsidiary LLC that provides management services to other hospitals. "They have entered into contract agreements with those hospitals to do the administration of those hospitals for them," she said. Uzzo then wanted to discuss what he considers another concern toward the hospital in Sallisaw in which management plan to alleviate substantial debt, according to the hospital's audit report. "We have all of this uncertainty about the ability to pay us all this money or somebody all of this money and that's what I'm concerned about," he said. The mayor explained to those in attendance that the THA is an authority of the city of Tahlequah, which makes it a part of the city. "They are a separate legal entity and the city appoints the trustees to take care of hospital business for us," she said. "They hire people to run a hospital so our trustees, on our behalf, can run the city to the best of their ability to cover the needs of city of Tahlequah." Story continues Catron added that's why appointing trustees is critical and reminded Uzzo that THA is its own separate business entity. Pamela Stern discussed an incident wherein she wasn't able to get ahold of 911 and Catron said initiatives are already in place concerning the 911 center. "It was a serious situation and I did resolve without any police coming. I am not being critical of the police. I'm here standing up for them because we need to address the citizens being able to reach," Stern said. Catron said the 911 center is also a separate business entity, but it is a countywide one. While EMS, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, and the fire departments are dispatched from there, dispatchers are having to contact the Tahlequah Police Department when calls are coming in within city limits. "Our police department needs to be as quickly dispatched and as directly dispatched as any of the rest," she said. Police Chief Nate King and Tahlequah Fire Chief Casey Baker have already brought the idea of moving the entire 911 center to the PD and being under the same roof. What's next When and where another Meet the Mayor event will be held hasn't been announced as of Tuesday, Oct. 4. A Louisiana congressional candidate addressed her states newly imposed abortion ban by unveiling a stirring and surprisingly intimate campaign ad. In footage shared across her social media accounts Monday, Katie Darling can be seen being wheeled into a hospital while heavily pregnant. Moments later, the Democrat is shown going into labor and giving birth to a son. These days, I worry about storms that are stronger and more frequent because of climate change, about our kids underperforming public schools, Darling, currently an account executive for a local tech company, says in the clip. As for the states abortion ban, she adds: We should be putting pregnant women at ease, not putting their lives at risk. Watch the Katie Darling For Louisiana ad below. Louisiana outlawed abortion with very few exceptions in July, just weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to eliminate federal abortion rights by overturning Roe v. Wade. Speaking to The Washington Post, Darling said she and her husband considered leaving Louisiana after the abortion ban was enacted. Ultimately, the couple opted to say so that Darling could run for office instead. I wanted to share that this is real for me, she told The Associated Press Wednesday. I am literally the one hooked up to the machines and the IVs in the hospital bed, going through childbirth and nobody else should be deciding how I handle that. By Wednesday afternoon, the ad had been viewed more than 1 million times on Twitter alone. Darling has said that 99 percent of the responses have been positive. As numerous outlets have pointed out, however, her campaign faces an uphill battle in a district thats been a Republican stronghold for 45 years. Currently, the 1st Congressional District which includes suburban New Orleans is represented by Steve Scalise, the Republican House minority whip. In 2020, he was reelected with 72% of the vote. Darling, however, isnt deterred. Sharing my birth definitely required some vulnerability, but I didnt have reservations about it because Im so committed to the cause, she told The Cut. Now is the time for us to stand together and to jump into these campaigns and into office so that our voices can be heard. Now is the time for us to show up and represent ourselves and each other in office. Story continues This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... (Reuters) - Louisiana will pull $794 million out of BlackRock Inc's funds, state Treasurer John Schroder said on Wednesday, citing the asset management giant's push to embrace environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment strategies. "This divestment is necessary to protect Louisiana from mandates BlackRock has called for that would cripple our critical energy sector," Schroder said in a statement. The U.S. state has already withdrawn $560 million from the funds to date, he said. BlackRock did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. The company, which managed nearly $8.49 trillion of assets as of June 30, has faced criticism from many sides in the debate on low-carbon fuels. While environmentalists have protested that the world's largest asset manager does too little to press for change at fossil fuel portfolio companies, Republican politicians have accused it of boycotting energy stocks. (Reporting by Niket Nishant and Mehr Bedi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) By Emma Farge GENEVA (Reuters) - Nuclear powers have criticized an effort led by the Marshall Islands at the United Nations to seek help on dealing with the consequences of nuclear testing, sources following the talks involving countries including the United States, Britain, Russia, India and China told Reuters. Pacific islanders, who are particularly threatened by rising sea levels from climate change, are becoming more vocal in seeking redress from former colonial powers and wealthy countries on environmental and climate issues which they say affect their human rights. This motion brought to the Human Rights Council on Monday by the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa and Vanuatu and backed by Australia requests assistance from the U.N. rights office; seeks a report from its boss; and calls for a future debate at the council. "The nuclear legacy is a lived reality for us that must be addressed," Samuel Lanwi, deputy permanent representative of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in Geneva told Reuters. The United States conducted 67 nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands from 1946 to 1958 including "Castle Bravo" at Bikini Atoll in 1954 - the largest U.S. bomb ever detonated. Islanders still suffer the health and environmental effects such as high cancer rates and enduring displacement from contaminated areas. The Marshall Islands Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Doreen de Brum could not join the talks because she is on leave following her daughter's death from cancer. "My fight for nuclear justice is personal," she said on Twitter. While the motion does not mention the United States by name, some see it as an attempt to wield leverage over Washington in ongoing negotiations on a Compact of Free Association (COFA) that governs U.S. economic assistance to the RMI. Marshallese diplomats deny this. The nuclear legacy has been a major sticking point in the talks, although last week U.S. President Joe Biden's administration acknowledged it and said it remained committed to addressing concerns. Story continues The U.S. mission in Geneva declined to comment. FUTURE LIABILITY? The Marshall Islands, one of 47 voting members on the rights council, is a key Western ally including on human rights, such as on scrutiny of China's rights record. Three sources who attended the Geneva talks told Reuters they were surprised by the level of resistance to a resolution seeking "technical assistance" - a term that could take the form of legal and political advice - rather than a formal probe. "Nuclear powers were converging in their determination to protect themselves from any future accountability and there were attempts to empty out the resolution of any significance," Yves Lador from Earthjustice said. Diplomats say there were concerns about opening the door for future litigation. Past nuclear test sites include French Polynesia, Algeria, Kazakhstan and China's Xinjiang. The United States, Britain and India all argued that the rights council was not the appropriate forum to raise the issue and sought to strip out references to the new U.N. right to a clean and healthy environment, according to the sources. China and Russia also argued for the latter, they said. The British and Russian missions declined to comment. India's did not respond. A spokesperson for China's mission said they had "constructively participated" in the talks. A vote might be called later this week - something that happens in a minority of cases when countries cannot agree. Jennifer Philpot Nissen from the World Council of Churches said that her Marshallese constituents were hoping for a win. "Knowing they are not forgotten is huge," she said. (Additional reporting by Michael Martina in Washington; Editing by Josie Kao) A man is accused of hitting a police officer and dragging another during a traffic stop in Penn Hills on Tuesday. According to the criminal complaint, police were told a car went off the road near the old police station along Frankstown Road around 1:30 a.m. An officer found a damaged vehicle with an unresponsive man inside, later identified as Dajuan Austin. The officer shook Austin, waking him up. Austin then told police he was waiting for a friend. Austins breath smelled strongly of alcohol and the officer saw a gun next to Austins feet, which was later determined to be stolen, according to court documents. Police said Austin was also slurring his speech and his eyes were bloodshot. The officer asked Austin to get out of the car, but police say he refused. Court documents say while the officer tried getting him out, Austin was reaching for his gun. Another officer arrived on the scene to help. According to the criminal complaint, Austin put the car in reverse and accelerated, hitting one of the officers with a car door and dragging the other officer 20 feet before hitting a building. Austin then sped off, almost hitting both officers. He was later found on a hillside next to his car and then ran off when officers tried to arrest him. Police said there was a struggle and he was tased and put into custody. Police said they found several drugs including suspected heroin and crack cocaine. They also said Austin had a suspended DUI and didnt have a license to carry. Austin is facing a number of charges including aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, fleeing or attempting to elude police. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Target 11: Student who allegedly raped teacher accused of previous assault Family, friends remember man who died after falling from escalator at Acrisure Stadium Man killed after dump truck flies off overpass in Indiana County VIDEO: Missing Allegheny County woman had PFA order against boyfriend, prime suspect in her disappearance DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts A man charged in the Brittanee Drexel case is set to appear in court later this month, according to a news release from 15th Circuit Solicitors Office. Raymond Moody, 62, will appear in court on Oct. 19 at 10 a.m, the press release states. Moody is charged with murder, kidnapping and first degree criminal sexual conduct, according to the Georgetown County booking records. Moody was arrested in May on an obstruction of justice charge and remains incarcerated as of Wednesday. Drexel was reported missing from Myrtle Beach in 2009 when she was 17 years old. She was visiting the area from New York with friends. Her remains were found in May -- 13 years after she went missing. Jailhouse tips, searches and vigils: A timeline of Brittanee Drexels SC disappearance Drexels case has attracted national attention since her disappearance, appearing on numerous true crime shows and an episode of CNNs Real Life Nightmares in 2020. Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Los Angeles Times) A Compton man pleaded no contest last month to theft and assault charges in connection with a 2020 attack on a group of transgender women along the Hollywood Walk of Fame that sparked outrage in the city's LGBTQ community, authorities said. Carlton Callaway, 31, was sentenced to one year in jail and probation and ordered to undergo mental health treatment for the August 2020 attack, according to Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Ceballos. Since Callaway, who is currently out of custody, spent more than a year in county jail while waiting for his case to be resolved; he will remain free under the terms of his probation, Ceballos said. Ceballos said Callaway also pleaded no contest to a hate crime allegation. Police had claimed he made derogatory comments about the victims gender during the assault. Eden the Doll, a transgender Instagram influencer with over 400,000 followers, was on the Walk of Fame with Jaslene Whiterose and Joslyn Flawless around 2 a.m. when Callaway began to threaten them, according to a widely viewed video of the incident that was published on social media. Whiterose was struck in the head and people can be heard heckling and taunting the women throughout the incident. Ceballos said the victims approved of the plea agreement. In a short social media post on Monday night, Eden said she hoped it brought "closure." A second man, Davion Williams, 24, also of Compton, was charged in the attack but remains at large, Ceballos said. Callaway and Williams did not know each other, according to Ceballos, who said the attack was committed on the "spur of the moment." Although police initially alleged a crowbar was used in the attack, Ceballos said Tuesday that was not true. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Democrat Mandela Barnes, left, and Republican Ron Johnson Wisconsin's race for U.S. Senate gets its first dramatic clash Friday night when Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson meets Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in a televised debate in Milwaukee. The event will take place from 7 to 8 p.m. Here's what to know. Debate organizer: The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. Broadcast coverage: More than 70 television and radio stations will air the event either live or delayed. Key outlets include WMVS-TV (Channel 10) in Milwaukee; C-SPAN National Cable Network; Wisconsin EYE; Wisconsin Public Radio/PBS Wisconsin. The full list of stations can be found here. Moderator: Jill Geisler, veteran broadcast journalist Debate panelists: A.J. Bayatpour, Capitol Bureau Chief, WKOW-TV, Madison Mark Leland, Anchor/Reporter, WLUK-TV, Green Bay Kim Murphy, Anchor, WITI-TV, Milwaukee Montse Ricossa, News Anchor, Telemundo Wisconsin Dale Ryman, Anchor/Reporter, WSAW-TV, Wausau Brad Williams, Anchor/Reporter, WIZM Radio, La Crosse Next debate: Oct 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Marquette University's Varsity Theater and broadcast by WTMJ-TV (Channel 4). More: Tony Evers, Tim Michels agree to a single debate ahead of the Wisconsin governor election. Here's how to watch Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mandela Barnes and Ron Johnson debate Friday. Here's how to watch In Somalia, a nation of poets, droughts are named for the kind of pain they bring. Their current one doesnt yet have a name. DOLLOW, Somalia (AP) A man in a donkey cart comes wheeling through the dust, carrying two small, silent boys. The sky is overcast. It could rain. It wont. It hasnt for a very long time. Mohamed Ahmed Diriye is 60 years old, and hes completing the grimmest journey of his life. He set off from a seaside city on the northern edge of Somalia two weeks ago. People were dying. Livestock were dying. He decided to abandon work as a day laborer and flee to the other end of the country, crossing a landscape of carcasses and Islamic extremist-held territory along the way. Seven hundred miles later, he is exhausted. The food has run out. He clutches a battered stick in one hand, the nearly empty cart in the other. His boys are just 4 and 5. Displaced people who have arrived at a camp wait for plot allocation on the outskirts of Dollow, Somalia last month. Somalia is in the midst of the worst drought anyone there can remember. A rare famine declaration could be made within weeks. Climate change and fallout from the war in Ukraine are in part to blame. (Photo: Jerome Delay/AP) They had tried to escape, Diriye says. But we came across the same drought here. More than 1 million Somalis have fled and discovered that, too. In Somalia, a nation of poets, droughts are named for the kind of pain they bring. There was Prolonged in the 1970s, Cattle Killer in the 1980s, Equal five years ago for its reach across the country. A decade ago, there was Famine, which killed a quarter-million people. Somalis say the current drought is worse than any they can remember. It doesnt yet have a name. Diriye, who believes no one can survive in some of the places he traveled, suggests one without hesitation: White Bone. This drought has astonished resilient herders and farmers by lasting four failed rainy seasons, starting two years ago. The fifth season is underway and likely will fail too, along with the sixth early next year. A rare famine declaration could be made as soon as this month, the first significant one anywhere in the world since Somalias famine a decade ago. Thousands of people have died, including nearly 900 children under 5 being treated for malnutrition, according to United Nations data. The U.N. says half a million such children are at risk of death, a number, a pending nightmare, we have not seen this century. Story continues As the world is gripped by food insecurity, Somalia, a country of 15 million people shaking off its past as a failed state, can be considered the end of the line. The nation of proud pastoralists that has survived generations of drought now stumbles amid several global crises descending at once. They include climate change, with some of the harshest effects of warming felt in Africa. Russias invasion of Ukraine, which stalled ships carrying enough grain to feed hundreds of millions of people. A drop in humanitarian donations, as the world shifted focus to the war in Ukraine. One of the worlds deadliest Islamic extremist groups, which limits the delivery of aid. The Associated Press spoke with a dozen people in rapidly growing displacement camps during a visit to southern Somalia in late September. All say theyve received little aid, or none. A days meal might be plain rice or just black tea. Many camp residents, overwhelmingly women and children, beg from neighbors, or go to sleep hungry. Mothers walk for days or weeks through bare landscapes in search of help, at times finding that the withered, feverish child strapped to them has died along the way. Hamdi Yusuf, a malnourished child, is held by her mother in Dollow, Somalia last month. She was little more than bones and skin when her mother found her unconscious, two months after arriving in the camps and living on scraps of food offered by neighbors. (Photo: Jerome Delay/AP) Wed grieve, stop for a while, pray, Adego Abdinur says. Wed bury them beside the road. She holds her naked 1-year-old in front of her new home, a fragile hut of plastic sacks and fabric lashed together with cord and stripped branches. Its one of hundreds scattered over the dry land. Behind a thorn barrier marking her hut from another, giggling children pour cherished water from a plastic jug into their hands, sipping and spitting in delight. The home the 28-year-old Abdinur left was far superior a farm of maize and dozens of livestock in the community where she was born and raised. The family was self-sufficient. Then the water dried up, and their four-legged wealth began to die. When we lost the last goat, we realized there was no way to survive, Abdinur says. She and her six children walked 300 kilometers (186 miles) here, following rumors of assistance along with thousands of other people on the move. We have seen so many children dying because of hunger, she says. At the heart of this crisis, in areas where famine likely will be declared, is an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida. An estimated 740,000 of the droughts most desperate people live in areas under the control of the al-Shabab extremists. To survive, they must escape. Al-Shababs grip on large parts of southern and central Somalia was a major contributor to deaths in the 2011 famine. Much aid wasnt let into its areas, and many starving people werent let out. Somalias president, who has survived three al-Shabab attempts on his life, has described the group as mafia shrouded with Islam. But his government has urged it to have mercy now. In a surprise comment on the drought in late September, al-Shabab called it a test from Allah, a result of our sins and wrongdoings. Spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage claimed that the extremists had offered food, water and free medical treatment to more than 47,000 drought-affected people since last year. But in rare accounts of life inside al-Shabab-held areas, several people who fled told the AP they had seen no such aid. Instead, they said, the extremists continue their harsh taxation of families crops and livestock even as they withered and died. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. One woman says al-Shabab taxed up to 50% of her familys meager harvest: They dont care whether people are left with anything. Some flee their communities at night to escape the fighters attention, with men and even young boys often being forbidden to leave. One woman says no one from her community was allowed to leave, and people who received assistance from the outside would be attacked. Weeks ago, she says, al-Shabab killed a relative who had managed to take a sick parent to a government-held city and then returned. Those who escaped al-Shabab now cling to a bare existence. As what should be the rainy season arrives, they wake in camps under a purple sky, or a gray one offering the tiniest specks of moisture. Children send up kites, adults their prayers. Black smoke rises in the distance as some farmers clear land just in case. In the only treatment center for the most severely malnourished in the immediate region, 1-year-old Hamdi Yusuf is another sign of hope. She was little more than bones and skin when her mother found her unconscious, two months after arriving in the camps and living on scraps of food offered by neighbors. The child was not even alive, recalls Abdikadir Ali Abdi, acting nutrition officer with the aid group Trocaire, which runs the center of 16 beds and has more patients than they can hold. Now the girl is revived, slumped over her mothers arm but blinking. Her tiny toes twitch. A wrist is bandaged to stop her from pulling out the port for a feeding tube. The ready-to-use therapeutic food so crucial to the recovery of children like her could run out in the coming weeks, Abdi says. Humanitarian workers describe having to take limited resources from the hungry in Somalia to treat the starving, complicating efforts to get ahead of the drought. The girls mother, 18-year-old Muslima Ibrahim, anxiously rubs her daughters tiny fingers. She has saved her only child, but survival will require the kind of support she still hasnt seen. We received a food distribution yesterday, Ibrahim says. It was the first since we arrived. Food is hard to come by everywhere. At midday, dozens of hungry children from the camps try to slip into a local primary school where the World Food Program offers a rare lunch program for students. They are almost always turned away by school workers. Mothers recall having to eat their stockpiles of grain and selling their few remaining goats to afford the journey from the homes and lives they loved. Many had never left until now. I miss fresh camel milk. We love it, says 29-year-old Nimco Abdi Adan, smiling at the memory. She hasnt tasted it for two years. Residents outside the camps feel the growing desperation. Shopkeeper Khadija Abdi Ibrahim, 60, now keeps her goats, sheep and cattle alive by buying precious grain, grinding it and using it as fodder. She says the price of cooking oil and other items has doubled since last year, making it more difficult for displaced people to obtain food with vouchers handed out by WFP. Hundreds of families continue to emerge from the empty horizon across Somalia, bringing little but grief. The true toll of dead is unknown, but people at two of the countrys many displacement camps in the hardest hit city, Baidoa, say over 300 children have died in the last three months in rural areas, according to aid organization Islamic Relief. One day in mid-September, 29-year-old Fartum Issack and her husband carried a small body along a dusty track to a graveyard. Their 1-year-old daughter had arrived at camp sick and hungry. She was rushed for treatment, but it was too late. The graveyard opened in April especially for the newly displaced people. It already had 13 graves, seven of them for children. Theres easily room for hundreds more. Issack and her husband chose to bury their daughter in the middle of the empty ground. We wanted to easily recognize her, Issack says. At the camp, eight other hungry daughters are waiting. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post So many children dying: Somalia drought brings famine near appeared first on TheGrio. Ruined clothing, furniture and appliances litter neighborhoods in Florida where Hurricane Ian plowed through last week. Many residents still lack food, running water and electricity in the aftermath of the storm, which was one of the strongest to ever hit the nation. "Now with the storm, they don't have nothing," Miriam Ortiz, who runs a Florida food pantry, said about the Fort Myers community. The Gladiolus Food Pantry in Fort Myers' Harlem Heights neighborhood usually assists about 850 families each month, Ortiz said. Since Friday, the pantry has served at least 1,600 meals. Ian made landfall last Wednesday in southwestern Florida as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm then raced across the peninsula, went out into the Atlantic Ocean, and made a second landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in South Carolina on Friday. More than 100 people have been reported dead. Baltzars Lopes said he evacuated his family to the roof at the height of the storm as the home filled with water. "I tell everyone just to lay down on the roof, don't move," he recalled. "Because the winds was so high." Men walk past destroyed homes and debris as they survey damage to other properties, two days after the passage of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Sept. 30, 2022. / Credit: Rebecca Blackwell/AP The storm, which upended communities with vibrant tourist economies like Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel and Captiva, left many unemployed. Sylvester Manjaras worked as a restaurant worker but said he's now looking for any type of job to support his family. Two other women said they spend hours on the phone trying to reach the Federal Emergency Management Agency and unemployment assistance in the wake of the storm. "I don't have a job," one woman said. "I don't have money. I need money. I need pay bills. I need eat and I need water." FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is set to travel to Florida with President Joe Biden Wednesday as the agency's damage assessment is underway. So far, more than 2.3 million meals and more than 15 million water bottles have been distributed throughout the state, according to officials. Florida man rescues 86-year-old mom after Hurricane Ian floods her house Oath Keepers trial set to resume as Trump asks SCOTUS to weigh in on Mar-a-Lago President Vladimir Putin illegally annexes four Ukrainian regions despite troops losing territory Photo: The Canadian Press Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks during the primary election night party for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in New York. Gillibrand and Rep. Brian Higgins, Democrats both, have written to urge President Joe Biden to reciprocate Canadas new COVID-19 border policy. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mary Altaffer A prominent New York senator is joining the ranks of American lawmakers who want the White House to end vaccination rules at the Canada-U.S. land border. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Brian Higgins, Democrats both, have written to urge President Joe Biden to "reciprocate" Canada's new COVID-19 border policy. Gillibrand says businesses, hospitals and medical suppliers in New York have been suffering throughout the pandemic as a result of border restrictions. Canada dropped its vaccination requirement for visiting foreign nationals last week, and made it optional for travellers to use the controversial ArriveCan app. Gillibrand is only the latest U.S. lawmaker to put pressure on the Biden administration to lift vaccine rules for visiting foreigners. Higgins and Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, want the Department of Homeland Security to drop the requirement as soon as possible. "We urge the United States to reciprocate the policy of our Canadian neighbours by easing our own COVID-19 restrictions for the sake of our northern border communities and their economies," Gillibrand and Higgins write in their letter. Both Canada and the U.S. have seen "significant declines" in their COVID-19 caseloads and death rates, in part thanks to the work the two countries have done together to manage their shared interests, it reads. "We believe now is the most opportune moment to ease restrictions that would once again unleash the northern border economy, reunite friends, families, and colleagues across the border, and continue the U.S.-Canada partnership that has been crucial for both of our nations' successes." The letter even quotes federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos saying Canada is at the point it can "safely lift" the border vaccination measures. "The United States must reciprocate this decision and allow Canadians to enter the country without requiring the reporting of an individual's vaccination status." White House officials will only say that no changes to U.S. land border procedures are imminent. WASHINGTON The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, facing a decision point early next year on the light amphibious warship, are working to balance the Corps focus on affordability with the Navys push for survivability. Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, the deputy commandant for combat development and integration, told Defense News the two services are emerging from an initial disagreement about the cost and capabilities of this new platform. The Marine Corps, since the early days of the light amphibious warship program, has aimed for a price of $100 million to $130 million a copy. But the Navy whose sailors would drive and maintain the ship and the Office of the Secretary of Defense wanted much greater protection for the personnel onboard, tripling the cost and leading the Navy to plan to buy just 18 instead of the Marines stated objective of 35. What should be a $120-$130 million ship should not be north of $350 million a copy, Heckl said. Though the platforms will have to be tougher than a commercial vessel, Heckl said the light amphib is meant to appear like a commercial craft to hide in plain sight. The [Indo-Pacific] sea lines of communication are the most traversed sea lines in the world; it would be a challenge for any power to surveil everything all the time in that area, he said. However, if you dont look like everything else youre trying to blend in with, you make your adversarys problem set much simpler. The Marines dont envision using this vessel during combat operations either, the general said. If there are indications a conflict may break out, the combatant commander would order the light amphibious warships, or LAW, to quickly relocate Marines or resupply units, and then it goes into hiding, it goes into bed-down somewhere. Nowhere do we envision the LAW out transiting the sea lanes in the middle of a kinetic fight. After several meetings between Heckls team and the Navys Program Executive Office for Ships and the assistant secretary for research, development and acquisition, Heckl said the group agreed there is a lot of maneuver space to come to an agreement and keep the program on track for its planned fiscal 2025 start of construction. Story continues Five companies are working on preliminary designs following a June 2021 contract award, and the Navy-Marine team will review those designs in January, Heckl said. At that point, with industry input in hand and an agreement in place over the right balance of survivability versus cost, he said the team will be in a better place to decide what that balance of survivability and affordability looks like and which companies are equipped to build that vessel. In the meantime, the 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment in Hawaii will begin experimenting with a leased stern landing vessel in January, and the Marines will explore other temporary options such as putting Marines on expeditionary fast transport vessels or littoral combat ships. I need a shore-to-shore connector, Heckl said, meaning these other ships wont be helpful in the long run. But in the short term, the Marines can use them to get forces at sea and work through the Stand-In Forces concept so theyre ready as soon as the light amphib delivers in the 2029 timeframe. The Marine Corps envisions keeping small units of Marines scattered throughout the Pacific, moving around on aircraft and on the light amphibious warship. These units of about 75 Marines would be tailor-built for the mission. In contrast, the traditional amphibious forces consist of about 2,200 Marines in a Marine expeditionary unit embarked upon a three-ship amphibious ready group. This fleet of traditional amphibious ships is separate from the light amphibious warship. A wider disagreement over high-end combat tools At the crux of the disagreement about the light amphibious warship is division over the capabilities the military needs to potentially defeat China. The Marines argue amphibious and stand-in forces match the National Defense Strategys priority of deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary. They say their small units will be focused on deterrence, but also outfitted with the sensors and weapons to fight if necessary. But the Office of the Secretary of Defense and its Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office have been focused on buying systems designed for high-end combat against a near-peer competitor. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Republican from Wisconsin, successfully added to the House Armed Services Committees annual defense policy bill this year a new naval mission: the peacetime promotion of the national security interests and prosperity of the United States. In response, OSD said this addition would dilute the U.S. Navys focus on combat operations at sea at a time when peer adversaries rapid military modernization (including naval modernization) and increasingly aggressive foreign policies require a strong emphasis on the development and modernization of U.S. naval forces tactics, forces, and capabilities for the effective prosecution of naval warfare. Two Marine generals said the dissent that difference has affected the LAW program and contributed to the different ideas of what the ship needs to be and how much it should cost. In the building, a lot of the discussion is: Are platforms survivable in the over-the-horizon precision strike regime that China has? Lt. Gen. David Furness, the deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations. But 99% of the time, these ships are focused on building partner capacity in allies and partners; gaining access, basing and overflight; and campaigning to enhance deterrence, which is the principal element of our National Defense Strategy. Furness said the way the light amphibious warships operate would mitigate the risk China defeats them. These ships would operate in and around the 7,000 islands of the Philippines, for example, blending in with local commercial craft and not likely to become a target for Chinese precision missiles. Heckl acknowledged the ships might be operating within the range of Chinese anti-ship missiles, but said the military too often focuses on worst-case scenario, which drives us into situations where the force becomes just simply unaffordable and unattainable. He said the stand-in forces will play an important role in supporting the strategy. One of the strengths of the stand-in force is to cause the adversary that moment of guessing and second-guessing their decision, and ratchet down and deescalate, Heckl said. Pensacola contractor Matt Banks found himself indebted to more creditors Wednesday after Escambia County ordered him to refund more clients' money. Banks, a contractor accused of pocketing payments for home remodels he never completed, has been the subject of complaints from dozens of homeowners in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and facing criminal charges on suspicion of fraud and more than $1 million in total sanctions. Matt Banks, owner of Banks Construction LLC, had his contractor license revoked in Escambia and Santa Rosa County on Aug. 10 and Aug. 11, respectively. He has also filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. That amount grew after a meeting Wednesday, when the Escambia Contractor Competency Board ordered Banks to pay a total of $161,948.21 in restitution to six clients and an additional $86,350 in fines. While Banks continues to compile a restitution tab from clients, Escambia County Attorney Christi Hankins mentioned during the meeting that the competency board does not have authority to force Banks to repay clients. Growing restitution: Pensacola contractor Matt Banks faces $300K in restitution as queue of complaints grows More money, more problems: Contractor Matt Banks faces new $540K restitution bill after nine more client complaints Criminal charges: State Attorney files first criminal charge against Pensacola contractor Matt Banks "The bankruptcy courts will make all decisions as to what happens with the restitution," Hankins said. "We are under a stay and cannot enforce it." Banks filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy Aug. 9 before refiling the case under Chapter 11 on Aug. 11. That same week, Banks had his license revoked in both Escambia and Santa Rosa for allegedly fraudulently failing to complete home remodels after receiving upwards of 50% down payments. Since then, Banks' fines and restitution between Santa Rosa and Escambia counties have topped the seven-figure mark and are still growing. More complaints against Banks are expected to come before the competency board in the coming weeks. Additionally, Pensacola police put out a warrant for Banks on Aug. 10 and he was arrested by Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies. He was originally charged with larceny for allegedly failing to provide a refund to a client, but the charge was changed to fraud under Florida statute covering money received by contractors. Story continues The State Attorney's Office filed formal charges against Banks in late September. Banks has been under investigation by the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement for several weeks, and OALE officials said there were roughly 70 victims in the large-scale consumer protection investigation. Benjamin Johnson can be reached at bjohnson@pnj.com or 850-435-8578 This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Escambia contractor board orders Matt Banks to pay another $200K Pet care is anything but cheap. According to the American Kennel Club, the lifetime cost for small dogs, which have an average life expectancy of 15 years, is approximately $15,051, while large dogs, which have an average life expectancy of 10 years, have a lifetime cost of $14,480. Other estimates tell a different story. According to Forbes, the lifetime cost of a dog can be anywhere between $17,650 a year to a shocking $93,520, depending on size, breed and care required. But what about from the beginning? How much do some pups cost if you're looking to purchase rather than rescue? We have you covered on what is the most expensive dog, plus other pricey pooches. The lifetime cost of a dog can be anywhere between $17,650 a year to a shocking $93,520, depending on size, breed and care required. Pups galore: The 30 most popular small dog breeds in America What is the most expensive dog? The Tibetan mastiff is considered the most expensive dog, as it has sold for thousands and even millions. In 2014, a Tibetan mastiff puppy was sold for nearly $2 million in China, according to AFP, which cited a report in Chinese newspaper Qianjiang Evening News. The dog was sold at a premium pet fair in the eastern province of Zhejiang for 12 million yuan, around $1.95 million, to a property developer. The pup was 80 centimeters (31 inches) tall and weighed 90 kilograms (nearly 200 pounds). This wasn't the first time this breed of dog had a high price ticket. In 2011, another Tibetan mastiff puppy sold for $1.5 million, according to NBC News, which reported the animal was the most expensive dog sold at the time. According to the AKC, the Tibetan mastiff is a "watchful, aloof, imposing, and intimidating" working breed and affectionate with family, yet distant to strangers. On average, males of the breed can weigh between 90 to 150 pounds, while females weigh 70 to 120 pounds. The minimum heights for a Tibetan mastiff are 26 inches for males and 24 inches for females. Video: Clever dog expertly maneuvers backyard obstacle course How much is that doggie in the window? Try $2M Story continues What are the top 10 most expensive dogs? Fetching for a high price tag? Here are the top 10 most expensive dogs and their average prices, according to Reader's Digest: Tibetan mastiff ($3,000 to $5,000) Black Russian terrier ($3,000 to $5,000) Samoyed ($2,500 to $5,000) French bulldog ($2,500 to $4,000) Lowchen ($2,500 to $4,000) Cavalier King Charles spaniel ($2,500 to $3,500) Bernese mountain dog ($2,500 to $3,500) Biewer terrier ($2,500 to $3,500) Staffordshire bull terrier ($2,000 to $3,000) St. Bernard ($1,500 to $3,500) How often should you walk your dog? Best practices for keeping your pup healthy. What human foods are safe for dogs to eat? Here's what is and isn't safe for your pet. What is the least expensive dog? Not all pooches cost hundreds or thousands. If you rescue a dog, adoption fees can range from $50 to $500 with an average fee of $300, according to rescuepets101.com. The North Shore Animal League America breaks down its adoption fees: Puppies (up to 6 months): $350 Adult dogs (over 6 months): $100 Puppy mill rescues (over 6 months): $250 Small breed and pure breeds (over 6 months): $250 In dog years: These are the longest living dog breeds in the United States Pet care: What we know about your pet's health and common behaviors Just curious?: We're here to help answer life's everyday questions This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is the most expensive dog? What to know about the pricey pup. Two men followed a Black man leaving a Family Dollar to the parking lot and started attacking him with fists and an ax handle while hurling racist slurs in Florida, federal prosecutors said. Months after the assault sent the victim to a hospital, both men were charged with a hate crime in what prosecutors described as a racially-motivated attack at the store in Citrus Springs, according to the Department of Justice. One of the men involved, Robert Lashley, 52, pleaded guilty to the charge on Tuesday, Oct. 4, in connection with beating the man due to his actual and perceived race, a news release says. The other man, Roy Lamar Lashley, plans to plead guilty at a hearing scheduled for Oct. 17, court records show. Acts of violence against anyone because of their race or ethnicity are abhorrent, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg, of the Middle District of Florida, said in the news release. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that such crimes are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Robert Lashleys attorney, Douglas Stamm declined a request for comment from McClatchy News on Oct. 5. McClatchy News also contacted Roy Lamar Lashleys attorney for comment on Oct. 5 and was awaiting a response. The attack On Nov. 17, Robert Lashley and Roy Lamar Lashley walked into the Family Dollar in Citrus Springs where a Black man was shopping, prosecutors say. As the pair opened the stores door, the Black man exited the doorway and the men walked in, court documents state. While inside, Roy Lamar Lashley asked Robert Lashley if he saw the man, referring to him as a racist slur. Then, they approached the store clerk at the cash register where Roy Lamar Lashley asked if the woman saw the Black man push him to which the clerk answered no, according to a plea agreement. Roy Lamar Lashley asserted that he was pushed, and stated, that (racist slur) needs to be taught a lesson, the plea agreement states. Meanwhile, store surveillance footage shows the Black man never came into physical contact with Roy Lamar Lashley, according to investigators. Story continues After the store clerk admonished the men for using a racial slur, the duo left the Family Dollar and followed the Black man into the parking lot, according to the plea agreement. Robert Lashley ran over and began beating the man with his fists while Roy Lamar Lashley grabbed an ax handle from his truck and proceeded to strike the man with it, according to prosecutors. They both hurled racist slurs at the man during the course of the attack, prosecutors said. Ultimately, the Citrus County Sheriffs Office responded to the parking lot and arrested both Robert Lashley and Roy Lamar Lashley, the plea agreement says. The attack left the man with a cut inside his mouth and injuries covering his face and legs, according to the release. EMS treated him in the parking lot before driving him to a nearby hospital for more treatment, according to the plea agreement. In both of the mens plea agreements, they admitted to attacking the man because of his race, the documents show. Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim, these crimes threaten and intimidate entire communities, Sherri E. Onks, FBI special agent in charge for the Jacksonville Field Division, said in the news release. Because of their wide-ranging impact, investigating and preventing hate crimes is a top priority for the FBI and we will stop at nothing to protect the public from these heinous crimes, Onks added. A sentencing hearing for Robert Lashley has not been scheduled as of Oct. 4, according to the release. He faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case against Roy Lamar Lashley continues ahead of his Oct. 17 plea hearing. Citrus Springs is about 85 miles northwest of Orlando. Dad chokes driver who tried to run Florida family off road in hate crime, feds say Gay man awarded $4.5 million after alleged attack by religious patrol, officials say Passerby hurls racial slur, then throws gasoline on driver, California police say Terrible, hateful acts of murder. Killings of 4 Muslim men may be linked, NM cops say SheKnows In his new position as reigning monarch of the U.K., King Charles III may be getting ready to change things up. According to a source at the Daily Mail, the royal has reportedly decided not to move to Buckingham Palace, a move that was previously reported as fact given the residences title as the monarchs [] EL PASO, Texas (AP) A Mexican citizen was fatally shot at a U.S. Border Patrol station in Texas in the second deadly shooting along the U.S.-Mexico border in less than a week. The man was in custody at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station in El Paso on Tuesday when he was shot, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the FBI said. The Border Patrol said its agents were involved in the shooting but no details were released about what preceded it. The Mexican Consulate in El Paso said the man who died was a Mexican citizen who was being processed at the station when criminal charges against him were discovered. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting. The shooting happened days after two migrants were shot, one fatally, while getting water along the U.S.-Mexico border in rural Hudspeth County, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of El Paso. In that case, two Texas brothers including one who had been a warden at a detention center that has housed immigrants were arrested and charged with manslaughter. The man who was killed and the woman who was wounded in Hudspeth County were both from Mexico, the consulate said Tuesday. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico will file a new lawsuit in the United States seeking responsibility for cross-border gun flows after a U.S. judge last week dismissed a separate $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers, Mexico's foreign minister said on Wednesday. The lawsuit will be filed in Arizona, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said during a speech before Mexico's Senate. Mexico's foreign ministry last week said it would appeal the Sept. 30 decision of a federal judge in Boston to dismiss the lawsuit Mexico filed last year seeking $10 billion in damages from U.S. gun companies, including Smith & Wesson Brands Inc and Sturm, Ruger & Co. Mexico had accused the companies of reckless business practices that enabled the flow of guns to Mexico, undermining local law and leading to thousands of deaths. During his speech on Wednesday, Ebrard referred to a bipartisan package of gun safety measures passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in June. The law blocks gun sales to those convicted of abusing unmarried intimate partners and cracks down on gun sales to purchasers convicted of domestic violence. "Illicit arms trafficking is already a crime in the United States," Ebrard said. "You have to start establishing criminal responsibilities because the companies that are selling these weapons in these counties (in Arizona), which are very few, of course they know where those weapons are going," he added, but did not specify which companies he was referring to. On Sept. 30, Judge F. Dennis Saylor of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts threw out Mexico's original lawsuit, saying U.S. law "unequivocally" bars lawsuits seeking to hold gun manufacturers responsible when people use guns for their intended purpose. Ebrard said the issue will be "the primary topic" at meetings on border security and migration that Mexican and U.S. authorities will hold next week in Washington. (Reporting by Brendan O'Boyle and Raul Cortes Fernandez; Editing by Paul Simao) A Miami-Dade police officer was legally justified in fatally shooting a troubled woman who shot at cops while being evicted from a luxury Brickell apartment, prosecutors say. No charges will be filed in the April 6, 2021, killing of Stephanie Voikin, a shooting that was captured on newly released police body-camera video. The Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office, in a recently released memo on the case, ruled that Officer Kelmi Ramos was justified in using deadly force after Voikin, who barricaded herself behind two upturned mattresses, fired a shot at another officer, who was not injured. The bullet struck and penetrated the ballistic shield carried by one of the officers, the memo said. The 10-page memo chronicles the final hours of Voikin, 40, who had a history of squatting in homes and had a long record of arrests, substance abuse and mental-health woes. Her problems had been well-documented over the years, and included a series of restraining orders filed by former lovers or acquaintances who accused her of unhinged behavior, stalking and long overstaying her welcome. One of those people was Pegi Smith, a former high school classmate who allowed Voikin to stay at her Sanford town home in 2019. She said Voikin got her falsely arrested for simple battery and involuntarily committed for a psychiatric evaluation. Ultimately, Smith convinced a Seminole County court to issue a permanent restraining order against Voikin. Stephanie was a menace to society. All the warning signs were there, for 20 years, and nobody gave a damn, Smith said. I had my kid taken away and she left a permanent mark on my life and all I was trying to do was help this girl. Smith added: Thank God, she didnt kill one of those cops. Last year, her mother, Cindy Voikin Scarpone, told the Miami Herald in an email that her daughters history was no different than anyone elses unsuccessfully battling bipolar disorder and being lost in the quagmire of the system. Story continues Stephanie Voikin, 40, was shot and killed by police during an eviction in April 2021 in Miami. Prosecutors say Voikin fired one shot at an eviction team, hitting an officers shield before she was struck by police bullets. Cindy Voikin Scarpone also questioned if police had done enough to draw her daughter out peacefully she noted that police never contacted her to try and convince the woman to surrender. Police were well aware that Stephanie was mentally ill, potentially violent, armed, and desperate with no place to go, she wrote. Voikins possession of a firearm was no secret on Instagram, before the shooting, Voikin had posted at least two selfies with the pistol, seemingly taunting officers. Got the police bustin at ... but they cant do nothing, she wrote. Investigators later learned shed managed to steal the Glock pistol from a man she met on a dating website in September 2020. Voikin had claimed she was an officer with U.S. Customs, rummaged through his bedroom drawer and took the gun, although she denied it, he later told police. He reported the gun stolen to Miami police, although its unclear what steps, if any, the department took to recover the weapon. Her final stay was inside apartment 2204 at the Brickell 1st Luxe City Rentals, where shed attended a party and never left. The tenant wound up leaving, but not Voikin, who stayed for months, even as the building tried to evict her. According to the prosecutors final report, Miami-Dade polices eviction enforcement unit knew Voikin had a history of making statements and leaving notes on the apartment door threatening to shoot anyone who attempted to remove her. Back away from the door In an effort to get her out safely on the morning of April 6, 2021, Miami-Dade police pulled the fire alarm, with plainclothes detectives watching to see if she left the unit. She did not. Finally, the Enforcement Writ Section knocked on the door, ordering her to leave because of the eviction order signed by a judge. According to police body-cam footage, she refused, cursing at officers, even a female officer who was recorded attempting to establish a rapport and calm Voikin, the memo said. You know what? I was born a f---ing patriot. Im going out a f---ing patriot. Officer back away from the doorway, she yelled, according to the body-cam. Voikin also yelled out that she was live-streaming the confrontation. Investigators later learned shed positioned her phone to record the incident on the WhatsApp messaging app. She was live-streaming with a man overseas shed met online. He was a construction worker in London, and was heard at a job site yelling for someone to drop the gun and telling officers not to shoot, the memo said. He was later interviewed by London police officers, who sent a copy of the statement to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which investigated the Brickell shooting. After more back and forth, a Miami-Dade police tactical unit arrived, busted down the door just after noon and yelled for Voikin to surrender. Officer Eric Novo and Kelmi Ramos, both carrying tactical shields, entered first. According to the memo, they saw Voikin hiding behind two mattresses propped up inside the kitchen, and yelled for her to surrender. Thats when Voikin fired her gun. According to body-cam footage obtained by the Herald, officers yelled out. Shes behind the mattress. I think she shot the shield. Anybody hurt? Let me see your hands! I think she shot the shield, another police officer yells out. Kelmi you got her, an officer asked before two police gunshots rang out from Ramos. Voikin mortally wounded yelled out in pain. Officers moved her to the hallway, where Miami Fire-Rescue paramedics found officers trying CPR on Voikin. She was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Based on the totality of the evidence, including review of the body cam video footage recorded during the event, prosecutors Brena Mezick and Andrew Hague wrote, there is evidence sufficient to conclude that Officer Kelmi Ramos fired his Glock in defense of himself and his fellow officers. Photo: The Canadian Press B.C. Premier John Horgan addresses the Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention, in Whistler, B.C., on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. The premier is travelling to San Francisco for a series of climate-focused meetings with leaders from U.S. West Coast states.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck British Columbia Premier John Horgan is travelling to San Francisco for meetings with leaders of U.S. West Coast states, where he expects to sign up to joint action on climate change. Horgan says the gathering of the Pacific Coast Collaborative grouping that starts Thursday includes himself and the governors of California, Oregon and Washington. The premier says the leaders expect to sign a memorandum agreement on climate approaches for the region. Horgan says B.C. and the U.S. West Coast states are facing similar climate-related issues, including wildfires, weather events and wild salmon declines, and the jurisdictions are looking for ways to work together. The Pacific Coast Collaborative, formed almost 15 years ago, has previously discussed high-speed rail connections, including a line between B.C. and Washington. Horgan says the more recent focus of the collaborative has been on climate change and its consequences to the region. "When we look to the fire seasons and droughts, devastating droughts in California, the impacts of those issues are all the way up the coast," he said. "The impact on salmon. Salmon are not just an iconic B.C. species, they're iconic to Californians as well as Oregonians and Washingtonians. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on international partners to respond to Russia's attempt to take control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) after annexing the territory of Ukraine where it is located. This is reported by European Pravda. In the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Putin's decree on the illegal seizure of the nuclear plant is null and void. The move is condemned as a crime that "further increases the risks and threats in the field of nuclear security caused by the Russian occupation of the ZNPP." "We suggest that the European Union, the G-7 countries and other partners urgently consider the introduction of sanctions against the Russian state corporation Rosatom, its affiliated companies and institutions, as well as other key factors of Russia's nuclear energy industry," the Ministry said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also calls on the members of the International Atomic Energy Agency "to limit cooperation within the scope of any projects with Russia, which is resorting to undisguised nuclear blackmail of the whole world." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that all those involved in the occupation of the ZNNP will be held accountable, and called on Russia to "ensure the safety and integrity of Ukrainian citizens who continue to perform critical functions at the nuclear power plant." On Wednesday, Putin, signed a decree declaring the ZNPP seized by the occupiers will be handed over to Russia. Since Ukraine does not recognise the annexation, this decision actually has no force. The situation at the ZNPP has been in the centre of attention since the beginning of August, when the Russian military began attacking the plant. Russia has rejected calls for the demilitarisation of the nuclear plant, under the pretext of "protecting it" from provocations, and blames Ukraine for the shelling. After a short mission at the ZNPP, IAEA experts presented a report in which they confirmed that Russia had placed "military personnel, vehicles and equipment in various locations at the plant. The Agency's governing board adopted a resolution demanding that Russia end its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron Amy Koopman said she wanted to livestream the encounter on Facebook to guarantee the safety of the two Black men and impose consequences on the police. A white woman who was charged after recording police pulling their firearms on Black motorists during a traffic stop in 2018 has settled her case with a Minnesota city for $70,000. According to the Star Tribune, Amy Koopman filed a lawsuit against the city of Robbinsdale and officers Christine Allen, Joshua Heasley and Nicole Saba. She previously faced a misdemeanor charge of obstructing the justice system after she livestreamed officers who had pulled over a car and approached it with guns drawn. Koopman was reportedly a member of a group that assembled at a nearby intersection to observe the encounter. The police instructed the bystanders to leave so they would not be in the line of fire. Amy Koopman has settled a lawsuit with the city of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, after she faced misdemeanor charges for livestreaming a police encounter involving two Black motorists in 2018. (Photo Credit: YouTube/ACLU Minnesota) She hollered for police to put away their weapons, and after the men were arrested, she was cited for obstruction. A judge in Hennepin County subsequently dismissed her charges after concluding that no reasonable officer could view her shouting as physically blocking or interfering in the performance of their duties. The ability to record police, stand witness and hold police misconduct up to public scrutiny is critical to help stop killings by police and over-policing, said American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota staff attorney David McKinney, who represented Koopman in her lawsuit, the Star Tribune reported. This settlement sends a clear message to law enforcement across our state that cracking down on peoples constitutional rights to record or speak to police is bad public policy, and will not be tolerated. Court records claim that Heasley stopped the car after reading its license plates and discovering that the registered owner was wanted for felony first-degree burglary. Allen and Saba joined him at the traffic stop. The citys reply to Koopmans lawsuit claims that police safely took the two individuals into custody. Story continues Following the dismissal of her misdemeanor criminal complaint in 2019, Koopman, a church secretary and seminary student at the time of the encounter, filed a lawsuit against the city. City attorney Jason Hively said Robbinsdale and its insurer, the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust, agreed to pay Koopman in exchange for her releasing the city and its police officers from her lawsuit. He added that settling the case out of court would minimize the attorneys fees and expenditures involved with going to trial. The city consented to nonfinancial terms on guidelines, protocols and training, according to Hively. Per the settlement, the Robbinsdale Police Department must develop regulations that codify onlookers rights to observe and record police activity while prohibiting officers from retaliating against bystanders who do so or who verbally criticize the action. There also has to be a policy subjecting officers who break the law or disregard departmental policy to discipline, up to and including termination. In addition to the ACLU of Minnesota, pro bono attorneys from the Bass Law Firm and Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver represented Koopman in the lawsuit. She said she wanted to livestream the encounter on Facebook to guarantee the safety of the two Black men involved and impose consequences on the police. I am proud and humbled to have been able to hold their feet to the fire and push them as far as we did toward reformation and reparation, Koopman said, according to the Star Tribune. I hope this puts other police departments on notice that there are citizens who are filming them, holding them to account, and who will fight them for as long as it takes to ensure that peoples rights are upheld. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Minnesota city settles suit with woman who filmed cops drawing guns on Black motorists appeared first on TheGrio. The new Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel. Grant Foto The new Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel is speaking out about abortion laws in her home state of Texas. Texas banned abortion except to save the mother's life after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Gabriel told Insider she was extremely disappointed and thinks abortion should be a woman's choice. Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel was crowned the new Miss USA on Monday night, and will represent the US during the Miss Universe pageant in January. Gabriel sat down with Insider on the first day of her reign, and was candid about the political debates that continue to rage in America including her home state. The 28-year-old fashion designer spoke out against Texas' law on abortion, which is banned in all cases except to save the life of the mother. Gabriel told Insider that "as a woman, and as a Texan, it was extremely disappointing" to see the new ban go into effect after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Gabriel during the 2022 Miss USA pageant in Reno, Nevada. Finesse Levine "I think, personally, with abortion there's so many different instances and situations in a woman's life where it could be appropriate, and other reasons why it's inappropriate," Gabriel said. "I think it's a case-by-case basis that's very personal to a woman's life in general." "I personally believe that she should be able to make that decision on abortion, and not the government or anybody else," she added. "At the end of the day, I would want a woman to be able to have that decision. In Texas, even if its rape or incest, abortion is still illegal and I disagree with that." Gabriel is a 28-year-old fashion designer. Grant Foto Gabriel also spoke about her state's gun laws following the Uvalde school shooting, in which 19 children and two adults were killed on May 24. "That was extremely heartbreaking," Gabriel told Insider. "We don't want parents worrying if their kids are going to be victims of shootings." "In Texas, and in our country, we can't completely abolish guns but I think we need to take steps to make everybody feel safer," she added. "In Texas, you don't need a concealed handgun license to carry a gun, and I strongly disagree with that." Story continues Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel and Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu. Finesse Levine Gabriel said she hopes to see more mental-health checks and red flag laws, which give authorities the power to temporarily confiscate a person's firearm if they pose an immediate threat to themselves or others. "Guns are getting in the hands of wrong people, and people that need help," she added. "We need to check on our neighbors and, if we see something, speak up. I think we need to look out for each other more, and be more aware of our surroundings in that regard." A day after the Uvalde school shooting, Governor Greg Abbott said the gunman had no known history of mental-health issues before blaming school shootings, in part, on mental-health issues. He added that more restrictive gun laws weren't a "real solution" to America's epidemic of mass shootings. "One thing that has substantially changed is the status of mental health in our communities," he said during a press conference. "We, as a state, we, as a society, need to do a better job with mental health." A month before the Uvalde shooting, Abbott cut $211 million from the Texas state department that oversees mental-health programs, NBC News reported. Texas also ranked last for overall access to mental-health care in State of Mental Health in America's 2021 report. Read the original article on Insider A 29-year-old man is accused of shooting his girlfriends mother after she threw him out of the familys home, according to Texas police. The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4, in San Antonio, where the 46-year-old woman was found with a gunshot wound to the stomach, according to a a preliminary police report. She told officers that the suspect, who is her daughters boyfriend, had fled out the back door of the home. Police told KSAT the suspect was staying with the family, but (the woman shot) wanted him to leave and ordered him out of the home. The shooting happened while the daughter was at work, WOAI reported. A second victim, a 17-year-old male, was also involved, police said. He told officers he had been duct taped and locked in a storage shed by the suspect, who then shot the mother with a rifle. Its unclear the relationship of the 17-year-old to the suspect and woman. Police said the mother was hospitalized and is listed in stable condition. Officers were continuing to search for the suspect on Wednesday afternoon. Woman gets kidnapped and is found fatally shot hours later in SUV, Texas cops say Stepfather killed in fight with men dropping off teen stepdaughters, Texas cops say Woman stabs boyfriend during fight over her OnlyFans account, Texas cops say Dozens of Moroccans demonstrated outside the European Union's office in Rabat on Tuesday in protest at "racist" and "humiliating" treatment over visa applications, particularly by former colonial ruler France. "We're here to express our anger at the humiliation, arrogance and racism endured by many of our compatriots whose visa requests have been rejected by EU states," said Aziz Ghali, one of the organisers and head of the AMDH rights group. Ghali accused EU states of limiting the number of visas issued and rejecting applicants despite the fact they met the criteria. "Depriving visas is discriminatory and racist," one placard read. Protesters also criticised policies such as refusing to justify rejections or refund processing fees. Following a call by the AMDH and the LMDDH rights group, around 50 people attended the protest, many chanting: "Yes to freedom of movement, no to colonial agreements!" Schengen visas issued to non-EU citizens allow the holder to travel freely among 26 EU countries. AMDH activist Khadija Ryadi said Moroccan applicants for the visas faced "unacceptable and unjustified" rejections, despite having legitimate reasons to travel to EU countries, "particularly France". In 2021, France decided to halve the number of visas it issues to Moroccans and Algerians, citing those countries' reluctance to repatriate their citizens living clandestinely in France. The decision has sparked ongoing public anger in both countries and tensions between Paris and their governments. A French official however accused Moroccan media and social media users of exaggerating the rate of rejected applications, insisting that the number of student visas issued in 2022 was similar to that of last year. isb-agr/ezz/par In the hills of northern Morocco, vast cannabis fields are ready for harvest, but farmers complain that a government plan to market the crop legally is yet to deliver them any benefits. The marginalised Rif region has long been a major source of illicit hashish smuggled to Europe while Moroccan authorities, wary of social unrest, have often turned a blind eye. Growers now hope that a change in the law last year will help them profit legally from medicinal cannabis, increasingly used to treat conditions including multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Morocco -- the world's top producer of hashish according to the United Nations -- lies on Europe's doorstep and is potentially well placed to become a top legitimate exporter. But a domestic crackdown on growers, slow progress in issuing licenses for legal production and strong competition from European operators has left Rif farmers out in the cold. "We're still attached to this plant, but it has stopped giving us anything," said Souad, a cannabis farmer in the village of Azila. Like others AFP interviewed, she did not want her real name to be published. "Nobody wants it anymore," Souad shrugged. "Our lives are hard now." Under a law the government approved in March last year, farmers will be able to form cooperatives to grow limited amounts of cannabis for processing and sale by licensed firms. Souad, who still helps her sons on the family plot despite being in her 60s, holds tentative hope that this will help her community make a better living. "If it's serious, it's a good thing," she said. - 'We're just farmers' - Demand for the Moroccan product has dropped as legal, highly regulated, production in Europe has fed the market. Moroccan farmers' income from cannabis fell from 500 million euros (now around $497 million) a year in the early 2000s to less than 325 million euros in 2020, according to an interior ministry study last year. "The market has fallen drastically," said Karim, another grower. Story continues Adding to the pressure, he was only able to farm part of his family's land in Azila this year because of water shortages driven by the worst drought in decades. Moroccan authorities have also stepped up raids against farmers in the Rif as they seek to dismantle smuggling networks in favour of the legal trade. "Farmers are the weak link in the supply chain -- we're the ones who pay the price" for involvement in the illicit market, Karim complained. "The only option we have left is prison," said the 44-year-old. Nourredine, another cannabis grower, said he too holds out hope that legalisation of the drug could help farmers in the Rif. However, he added, "so far nothing has changed. We're always seen as thugs and criminals, but we're just farmers." - Complex bureaucracy - A six-hour drive away in the capital Rabat, a government official insisted that better times were around the corner for cannabis growers. "There may be concerns, but legalisation will dispel them because it will benefit the growers," he said, asking not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media on the subject. The state estimates that growers could receive some 12 percent of revenues from regulated cannabis production, compared to just four percent on the black market, according to state news agency MAP. But authorities have stressed that the process must not be rushed. An initial round of licenses is to be issued to Moroccan and international firms to process cannabis for therapeutic purposes, the official said without specifying a date. ANRAC, an agency the government has created to regulate the industry, began operating in June and is currently studying license applications by hopeful firms. Then it will be the turn of farmers in the Rifian provinces of Al-Hoceima, Chefchaouen and Taounate to form cooperatives and register with ANRAC. But under the 2021 law, licenses to produce cannabis are granted "only within the limits of the quantities needed to meet the needs for the manufacture of products for medical, pharmaceutical and therapeutic purposes". Cannabis farms covered 55,000 hectares (around 136,000 acres) in the northeast of the kingdom in 2019, providing livelihoods for up to 120,000 families, according to a study prior to the law being passed. Civil society groups in the area are now mobilising to inform farmers about the technical aspects of the new system. Some details are "complicated", said Soufiane Zahlaf, who represents Azila residents in dealings with authorities on the matter. "But if the approach of the authorities is inclusive," he said, "then great things can be achieved." kao-agr/fka/ezz/par/dwo/fz Mr. Gus' Ristorante opened in 2008. The Montgomery City Council voted Tuesday to strip longtime Atlanta Highway eatery Mr. Gus' Ristorante of its business license if it can't settle a tax debt by the end of the month. A city representative said the business entered an agreement earlier this year to repay back taxes that it owes the city, but the restaurant has since defaulted on the agreement. The vote to revoke the restaurant's license was unanimous, but it won't be finalized until after a show-cause hearing at the Nov. 1 council meeting. If the business and the city agree to terms on a new repayment deal before that, the restaurant will keep its license. Family friend Michael Passineau took over the family dining spot after original owner Dimitri Polizos died in 2019. But an existing debt mounted when the pandemic arrived and the restaurant was forced to shut its doors last year. For subscribers:Inside Alabama's coonhound cemetery, a love letter to man's best friend In other news:Brothers say their land was stolen: For nine years, they've fought to get it back The restaurant reopened earlier this year after working out a deal to repay thousands of dollars in back taxes that it owed the city. That plan required Passineau to pay 40% of the debt upfront and to pay the remaining balance within a year. In Montgomery, 10 cents of every dollar paid at a restaurant or other business goes toward taxes that fund local services. That breaks down to 4 cents for the state, 3.5 cents for the city and 2.5 cents for the county. "It never belongs to the business," city Compliance Officer Pam Rowe said earlier this year. If a restaurant agrees to a plan but can't make the payments, Rowe said the city will try to work with them to come up with a new plan. She said businesses often enter several repayment agreements before winding up at a City Council meeting, where they get a hearing to explain their situation. "It takes a lot to get here," she said. The historic Martin's meat-and-three restaurant in Cloverdale avoided losing its license earlier this year when they reached a deal with the city after a similar council vote. Brad Harper covers business and local government for the Montgomery Advertiser. Contact him at bharper1@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Mr. Gus' Ristorante faces shut down threat from Montgomery City Council Reba Saldanha / AP Don Bolduc, 60, is a retired brigadier general of the United States Army who is running as the Republican candidate (New Hampshire) in the upcoming Senate election. He is running against incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, a Democrat. Political critics accuse him of frequently shifting his platform position, per The New Yorker, and also of not filing requisite personal financial disclosures as of late, according to Insider. See: How Rich Are King Charles III and the Rest of the British Royal Family? Find: How Rich Is Meghan Markle? Bolduc is a decorated combat veteran who served for 33 years in the Army Special Forces, serving 10 tours in Afghanistan. He was awarded two Purple Hearts for his service, in addition to several other medals and commendations. In 2019, he earned about $10,000 from speaking engagements in New Hampshire. He earned $65,000 from teaching and his retirement income rests at about $115,000 per year. His investment portfolio brings his estimated net worth to as much (or more) than $1 million, per the federal governments SEC Report. Early Life, Personal Life, and Career Donald Bolduc was born to Armand and Janet Bolduc on May 8, 1962, in Laconia, New Hampshire. His father was a farmer who served in the National Guard, and who later became a local politician. At the age of 18, Bolduc became a local police officer. Soon after, he enlisted in the Army. He participated in the ROTC program at Salem State University, where he earned his degree in 1989. He then became a commissioned officer in the Army and later earned a masters degree in security technologies from the United States Army War College. Take Our Poll: Are You Struggling To Keep Up With Your Utility Bills? Zelle Facebook Marketplace Scam: How To Recognize and Avoid This Scam He shares three sons with his wife of over 30 years, Sharon, and resides in Stratham, New Hampshire. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Is Don Bolduc Worth? A 12-member New Hanover County jury began deliberating the guilt or innocence of a Wilmington man charged in a 2019 murder on Oct. 5, 2022. A Wilmington man was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2019 stabbing death of his co-worker, roommate, and friend following seven days at trial. After less than two hours of deliberation, the New Hanover County jury returned its unanimous verdict Thursday. Andrew Webster Boynton, 59, was convicted of first-degree murder in the November 2019 killing of 58-year-old Kimberly Joy Bland. Superior court judge Kent Harrell sentenced Boynton to life in prison without parole. A deputy with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office placed silver handcuffs on a gray-haired Boynton. Trial concludes Wednesday The killing of Kimberly Joy Bland is the stuff of horror novels. The 58-year-old woman was stabbed 28 times before her body was wrapped in trash bags, rolled into an area rug and shoved behind the couch in her living room. The murder trial against 59-year-old Boynton began last week, and the state began presenting evidence against him on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Assistant District Attorneys Doug Carriker and Amy White are prosecuting the case for the state. Assistant Public Defender Thomas Woodrum represents Boynton. Blands friends and clients of her cleaning business took the stand and testified to the days in early November 2019 when they realized she was missing. Law enforcement and crime scene investigators testified to the chilling scene they found inside Blands residence at Mill Creek Apartments: the smell of decomposition in a cold and otherwise neat and tidy apartment. The doctor who performed her autopsy took the stand to detail how she was killed. A Wal-Mart employee testified to surveillance evidence that Boynton on Nov. 5 purchased black trash bags and an area rug identical to that used to conceal Blands body. Blands body was discovered on Nov. 7 and showed signs of decomposition, suggesting some time had passed since her death, according to her autopsy. Blands ex-boyfriend, the man police initially suspected was responsible for her death, told the jury that while their romantic relationship wasnt stable, he never physically hurt Bland. Story continues Boynton was arrested on November 8, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia, after allegedly fleeing the state in Blands vehicle. An interview between law enforcement and Boynton following his arrest was presented in court. I dont have the guts to kill somebody, Boynton told law enforcement in 2019. I really dont. Boynton repeatedly maintained his innocence during that interview. I did not do this, he repeated. The state presented evidence over five days, concluding Tuesday. Boynton did not testify at trial and the defense did not present any evidence. The jury in Boyntons murder trial heard closing arguments on Wednesday morning and began deliberating on his guilt or innocence Wednesday afternoon. The jury was asked to return one of three verdicts in the case: guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, or not guilty. The 12 returned a verdict of guilty of first-degree murder after less than two hours of deliberation. Jamey Cross is the public safety reporter at the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington man guilty in roommates 2019 slaying, jury says By Katie Paul and Sheila Dang (Reuters) - Some Twitter employees were engaged in a company-wide planning process for next year on Tuesday when their phones began buzzing with news that Elon Musk had again reversed course in his on-again, off-again $44 billion bid to buy the company. This time, the deal was on. The plans they were in the middle of presenting? Perhaps not. One employee described a brief pause in a meeting to note the news, then continuing with discussions. "I think everyone is used to the drama," said the person. "We're just along for the ride." Months of whiplash over the deal have left employees used to uncertainty, and many greeted the news of Musk's proposal to return to his original offer with a sense of deja vu, three company sources who were not authorized to speak publicly told Reuters. Since the world's richest person disclosed in April that he had acquired a stake in the social media platform, Musk has accepted and rejected a seat on Twitter's board, launched a bid to take the company private and tried to back out of the deal altogether. The social media company is only pursuing about half the projects it normally would due to uncertainty about how many employees will flee, and to ensure it can deliver on commitments, one employee told Reuters. Many blew off steam on the platform they run, tweeting about their confusion and perceived futility about planning for the future when Musk is expected to call for seismic shifts in how Twitter works. "All of the frazzled nerves, all of the uncertainty, all of the worrying, all of the back and forth and back and forth, people I care about struggling and anxious," tweeted JP Doherty, an engineering manager at Twitter. "And we just come right back to where it started, maybe. Unbelievable." Multiple staffers tweeted a meme showing a paper labeled "2023 Planning," with a cartoon character first exclaiming "woah" and then saying "this is worthless." Story continues Another meme popular with Twitter employees showed characters from the cartoon show SpongeBob SquarePants, with one labeled Elon and the other labeled Jack, for Twitter's founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey, who publicly backed Musk's bid. The two stood smiling as buildings burned around them. "We did it Elon! We saved Twitter," the caption said. Some employees in Twitter's internal Slack channel lamented they had sold some Twitter shares the day prior, before Musk's return to the deal prompted the stock to surge more than 22%, according to a source. Others expressed skepticism that Musk would ever make good on his offer, after so much uncertainty. "Wouldn't be surprised if it's a delay tactic to get more time for trial discovery and he'll back out again after a month or something," wrote one employee on Slack. (Reporting by Katie Paul and Sheila Dang; editing by Peter Henderson and Lincoln Feast) Two Stowers Institute researchers were found dead in Missouri (The Stowers Institute) Two South American researchers found dead amid the smouldering remains of a Kansas City apartment building fire were victims of homicide, local law enforcement agencies say. On Tuesday, the police were yet to identify any suspects or make any arrests, however. Camila Behrensen, 24, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Pablo Guzman Palma, 25, of Santiago, Chile, were declared dead on Saturday at the scene of the apartment fire. Police said that they were suffering from apparent trauma unrelated to the blaze when firefighters found them. Their bodies were found around 5am in the morning. They were declared dead at the scene. Both Behrensen and Palma were predoctoral graduate students at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a biomedical research centre in Kansas City. The Stowers Institute expressed sympathies with the families of the two South Americans. In a tweet, the institute said: Our deepest sympathies are with their families. During this difficult time, and most importantly, out of respect to the two families, we want to honour and remember the joy, optimism, and exceptional work these two individuals embodied and all that they have accomplished. The Kansas City Police Department has asked the public for help in obtaining information concerning the double homicide. The department is asking homeowners or tenants with video surveillance in the area to reach out to them, especially if they have video surveillance or still photographs from any time between 10.30 pm on Friday and 5am on Saturday, the Kansas Star reported. There is also a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. A statement from the Stowers Institute community. pic.twitter.com/ncmtdZXx0e Stowers Institute (@ScienceStowers) October 4, 2022 Local media reported that detectives have now also obtained a search warrant pertaining to an Alexa device found in the apartment on Saturday. The detectives believe that the suspect spent a considerable amount of time at the site before the bodies were found. Behrensen was described as a brilliant young woman with a vibrant intellect by colleagues and faculty at the Stowers Institute, who had been looking forward to living on her own in a different country. Palma was described as a gentle soul who earned his bachelor of science and post-bachelors degrees in biochemistry at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Nasas Crew-5 mission at the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center ahead of its launching on 5 October 2022 (Nasa) Nasas Crew-5 mission is on its way to the International Space Station after a successful launch from Kennedy Space Center, in Florida, Wednesday afternoon. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from launch complex 39A at noon EDT Wednesday, carrying a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft dubbed Endurance into orbit, where it separated from the rockets upper stage about 25 minutes after launch. It is the eighth human spaceflight launched by SpaceX and the sixth flight as part of Nasas Commercial Crew program, in which the space agency contracts with civilian launch providers to ferry humans to and from the space station. A post launch media conference will be carried live on Nasa TV beginning at around 1.30pm EDT. It will now take the Crew-5 mission nearly a day to reach the ISS and draw close enough to dock with the space station. That docking procedure is expected around 4.57pm EDT Thursday afternoon. Missions like Crew-5 are proof we are living through a golden era of commercial space exploration, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a media statement. During their stay aboard the International Space Station, Crew-5 will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies on printing human organs in space and better understanding heart disease. Crew-5 carries a complement of four: Nasa astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese Space Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. Ms Kikina is the first cosmonaut to fly on a US rocket as part of a new cross-flight agreement signed by Nasa and Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, on 15 July. Lt. Col. Mann, a former US Marine Corps pilot, is also the first Native American woman astronaut to fly to space for Nasa, being of Wailacki heritage, a tribe from northern California. The first Native American astronaut to fly for Nasa was John Herrington, a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, who flew to the space station aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in 2002. The members of Crew-5 will share the space station for a few days with the members of the Crew-4 mission Nasa astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, Jessica Watkins, and European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti who have resided on the space station since their launch in April. Weather allowing, the Crew-4 team will soon board their own Crew Dragon spacecraft that has been docked at the ISS since their arrival and return to Earth, splashing down in the ocean waters off the coast of Florida. (Getty) Nasas Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station is a go for launch Wednesday afternoon. The four astronaut mission is scheduled to lift off no earlier than 12pm EDT Wednesday from launch complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. Nasa TV coverage of the pre-launch activities will begin at 8.30am EDT and continue through the launch, with a post-launch news conference scheduled for around 1.30pm EDT. The Crew-5 mission will see Nasa astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Japanese Space Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina fly in a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft named Endurance, lofted into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. After reaching orbit Wednesday afternoon, it will take the crew roughly a day to dock with the International Space Station at around 4.57pm EDT on Thursday. The Crew-5 astronauts will spend several days sharing the space station with the astronauts of the Crew-4 mission, which launched to the space station on 27 April. After a few days, the Crew-4 mission astronauts will return to Earth in their own Crew Dragon spacecraft, splashing down in the waters off the coast of Florida. Although Nasa gave them thumbs up for the launch on Tuesday, some issue could arise that would delay or cancel the launch. However, the US Space Force 45th Weather Squadron on Tuesday predicted a 90% chance of favorable weather for the Wednesday launch window, according to Nasa. Crew-5 is the fifth mission of Nasas Commercial Crew Program, which contracts with private space launch companies to fly astronauts to and from the Space Station. Nasa awarded Commercial Crew contracts to two companies, Boeing and SpaceX, but only SpaceX has flown astronauts so far, with its Crew-1 mission flying on 16 November 2020. After some problem in uncrewed Testing, Boeings Starliner spacecraft may fly its first crewed test mission sometime in early 2023, after which it could begin regular service to the space station just like the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft. While almost routine in its logistics, the Crew-5 mission will help make history: Nicole Mann, a former US Marine Corps fighter pilot born in Petaluma, California, will be the first indigenous woman Nasa astronaut to fly in space. When a child is diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, there often follows a wave of parental guilt: What caused the problem? Could it have somehow been prevented? Although doctors are not able to pinpoint the cause of an individual childs ADHD, depression or anxiety, we do know that genetics and environment both play a role in the development of such disorders. A new study shines light on how stress during pregnancy can affect a childs mental health, and how climate change is taking a toll on kids today. The study looked at kids who were in utero during Superstorm Sandy By the time Superstorm Sandy made landfall in New York City in October 2012, Yoko Nomura, a professor of psychology at Queens College, and her colleagues had already embarked on the Stress In Pregnancy Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to understand the effects of maternal stress during pregnancy on childrens development. When the study was underway, Superstorm Sandy happened, Nomura told HuffPost. That gave researchers an opportunity to study how the storm affected New York children who were in utero when it hit. In the storms aftermath, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers were left for days without electricity. Some suffered damage to their homes. The college where Nomura teaches opened up its gymnasium to be used as a shelter. Seeing people sleeping on the floor of the gymnasium, Nomura said, really made me think, This is much more stressful than I had anticipated. Because I do human research, I cant manipulate a stressor. I cannot assign a baby to a more abusive mother, Nomura explained. The storm, she said, provided an unparalleled opportunity to conduct a study of psychosocial stress. Nomura and her colleagues quickly added questionnaires to their study to measure the hardships faced by pregnant people during the storm. People who needed to deliver, for example, were left with only one open hospital labor and delivery ward, citywide. One pregnant woman described being trapped in an elevator for hours due to a power outage. Story continues Nomura hypothesized that the childrens exposure to their mothers stress hormones even though the placenta converts cortisol into an inactive form, cortisone would have an effect on childrens brains. But she was surprised by the initial data that researchers collected regarding childrens stress response. The difference was humongous. It was literally like over 20 times [the] difference in anxiety and aggression, Nomura said. She and her colleagues wondered if they were exaggerating the differences somehow, perhaps because they were using a self-reported scale. However, in follow-up interviews where children were thoroughly assessed by trained clinicians, the numbers held. There were 163 preschool-aged children enrolled in the study, of whom 66 were exposed to Superstorm Sandy in utero and 97 were not. Eighty-five percent of the children were non-white, and 35% came from families with low socioeconomic status. The overall rate of any disorder in the Sandy-exposed group of children was significantly higher (69.2%) than in the control group (51%). Exposed children had five times the risk for anxiety disorders and ADHD, and 16 times the risk for dysthymia, also known as persistent depressive disorder. The results were even more striking when broken down by gender. Girls in the exposed group had 20 times the risk for generalized anxiety disorder. Boys had 15 times the risk for oppositional defiant disorder, 20 times the risk for conduct disorder and 62 times the risk for ADHD. It was just so clear-cut, there was no room for arguing, Nomura said. [The] magnitude of difference is so strong in terms of the risks. While it is unclear how the stress of Sandy caused these increases, it is clear that the effect on the childrens psychiatric health was substantial, and that it was mediated significantly by gender. Damage from Superstorm Sandy seen in Staten Island, New York, Nov. 6, 2012. (Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS via Getty Images) Damage from Superstorm Sandy seen in Staten Island, New York, Nov. 6, 2012. (Photo: PAUL J. RICHARDS via Getty Images) What we know about kids mental health and exposure to stress Dr. Helen Egger is a child psychiatrist, former director of the Child Study Center at New York University and co-founder of Little Otter, a company that provides online mental health care to children. The results of this study, Egger told HuffPost, are remarkable but not entirely surprising. (Egger is not one of the studys authors.) She believes psychiatric disorders in children this age are generally under-diagnosed, as evidenced by the high rate of such issues in both groups of children involved in the study. Egger explained that by isolating other variables, the study is able to show a link between the stress these children experienced in utero and the way their brains work. We know that genetics and environmental stressors encountered after birth have an impact on kids mental health, but this study indicates that stressors in utero also play a role. What we really are seeing, and [what] I think this study emphasizes, is that when moms are experiencing significant stress, that its actually getting into the architecture of the babies brains, Egger said. One in five preschool children has a clinically significant mental health challenge, she said, noting that this is the same rate as seen in older children, although kids are not generally screened for mental health issues while they are this young. Egger believes this must change. Just as we are now more aware of the benefits of early intervention for children with autism, and children are carefully screened by their providers for autism risk, Egger believes that mental health checkups should become the norm for younger children, too. People are quick to talk about kids resilience, but we need to understand that this resilience isnt infinite, she said. There are experiences that young children have its true of older people, too that no human being could remain intact and not be impacted, Egger said. I think thats where the resilience discussion needs to be nuanced, because those children didnt fail to be resilient. Kids risk of mental health issues goes up for every stressful event, whether its a natural disaster or a death in the family, she said. Once a child has experienced five or more significant stressors, 100% of those children have a clinically significant problem, Egger said. Is climate stress different from other kinds of stress? In quantifying the psychological impact of a hurricane, Nomuras study suggests that other stressful events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, may have a similar effect. And if natural disasters provoke this kind of a stress response, then we can expect further mental health implications as climate change intensifies, causing more storms like Sandy and Hurricane Ian. Is this different, somehow, from existential threats that humans have faced in other times? The way in which climate change is different is that there is so much evidence that it is irreversible, and that this generation of adults are not trying to preserve the world for the next generation, Andrew Solomon, whose book Far From The Tree explores parents relationships with children who differ from them in a significant way, told HuffPost. But there have been arguments of similar urgency before. Ours is not the first generation to confront a doomsday scenario, Solomon explained, citing instances of naturally occurring devastation like the bubonic plague, as well as human-created catastrophes like slavery and the Holocaust. Parents of children with psychiatric disorders tend to blame themselves wrongly in general. They are likewise blamed by the people around them.Andrew Solomon Even the knowledge that a disaster during pregnancy can affect a childs brain is not new. Children whose mothers were pregnant during the Dutch famine at the end of World War II were found to have more than twice the risk of developing schizophrenia as adults. Climate change presents a unique threat, but when it comes to mental health, we have more ability than ever to screen, diagnose and treat psychiatric conditions in children. Our understanding of the complex interplay of biology and environment has advanced considerably, allowing us to identify those children who are most at risk. How can this information help parents, instead of just making them feel guilty? The studys findings might make some parents feel like its their responsibility to avoid all stress during pregnancy an impossible feat.Parents of kids who do have psychiatric diagnoses might also wonder what they could have done to prevent them. These feelings of guilt are nothing new. Parents of children with psychiatric disorders tend to blame themselves wrongly in general, Solomon said. They are likewise blamed by the people around them. Part of this guilt stems from old, now disproven theories. The midcentury psychiatrists who said that schizophrenia, for instance, was caused by withholding mothers, are now viewed as naive, Solomon said. But these disproved theories have a long tail, and the question of blame haunts the conversation. Likewise, Egger noted, the field of child psychiatry is rife with blaming mothers. Of course, theres nothing the mothers in the study could have done to stop Superstorm Sandy, just as theres nothing a child can do to erase a genetic risk or an environmental stressor. What these high rates of psychiatric conditions should encourage is screening and treatment for affected families. This is about what we dont have in place to support mothers and families and children, not about a personal failing, Egger said. Being guilty is a waste of time, Nomura said. It is the responsibility of policymakers, not individual parents, to provide solutions. Community health really directly is influencing individual health... so thats the kind of thing we really have to invest [in] for future generations, she said. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of thinking about health at the community level, Nomura noted. And now we can add it to the list of stressors that have affected childrens mental health, whether they were in utero or in kindergarten when the pandemic hit. Rather than getting caught up in our guilt, or in trying to isolate the cause of a childs struggle, Egger suggests that parents realize that the earlier we identify when our child is having challenges, the more effective intervention can be. Egger speaks of mental health diagnoses the way a teacher might describe a learning disability: a challenge to learn to work around and cope with, rather than a sentence to being unsuccessful or unhappy. When children are identified and treated properly, as early as possible, youre in some ways really preventing the impairment, Egger explained. What to do if you suspect your child is having mental health problems If you have concerns about your young child, you can start by discussing them with your pediatrician, who can help you find a mental health professional who can do a psychological evaluation. It can be tricky to pick up on what a preschooler is feeling when they arent able to articulate it themselves. And signs of struggle can be difficult to interpret: Tantrums, for example, are normal for young children. However, if a child hits, bites, kicks, or breaks something during a tantrum... they are seven times more likely to have a clinically significant mental challenge, Egger said. These aggressive tantrums, as Egger calls them, predict not behavior problems but depression and anxiety. When hunting for a therapist, you want someone who doesnt treat your child in isolation, but includes you in a family-centered approach. Two promising therapeutic models, according to Egger, are parent-child interaction therapy, designed to address behavior problems, and child-parent psychotherapy, designed to address trauma. You can look for a therapist trained in one of these models. While we may be powerless to prevent events like hurricanes, were not powerless in how we respond, Egger said. Were not powerless in the world that we create, and how we support ourselves and our kids. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... The USS Gerald R. Ford transits the Atlantic Ocean on March 26. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jackson Adkins The US Navy's first-in-class aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed Tuesday. The massive ship cost $13 billion to build and comes with a slew of new technologies. President Donald Trump once ranted about the ship's look, a book says. The US Navy's most advanced aircraft carrier which was commissioned and later critiqued by President Donald Trump, according to a book deployed Tuesday from Norfolk, Virginia, to head to the Atlantic. After years of delay and costly setbacks that amounted to a $13 billion price tag, the USS Gerald R. Ford set off on its first deployment, entering the competitive arena of naval ships from countries like Russia and China. The ship comes with a slew of new technologies, including electromagnetic catapults that can launch planes and advanced weapons elevators that will move bombs and missiles up to the flight deck. This is not only one of the most advanced aircraft carriers to enter the waters, surpassing the Navy's Nimitz-class carriers, but also the world's largest. Its sheer size hasn't won over everyone, however. Trump was among the critics of the ship. "Peril," a book by the Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, says Trump was often preoccupied by the carrier, with rants about the ship's high cost, as well as the placement of the flight command center on the flight deck. "It just doesn't look right," Trump said, according to the book. Congress members have also taken issue with the ship. Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia called the ship a "$13 billion nuclear-powered floating berthing barge." Ford's deployment in the Atlantic Ocean will consist of military exercises involving about 9,000 personnel from nine countries, 20 ships, and 60 aircraft, according to the Navy. Take a peek at the Navy's latest aircraft carrier: An MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter lands on the flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford. Behind it is the flight command center, or the ship's "island," that Trump is said to have ranted about. Story continues MC2 Jackson Adkins/Navy A tugboat directs the USS Gerald R. Ford as it leaves the pier in Newport News, Virginia, on October 25, 2019. A tugboat directs the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford as it leaves the pier in Newport News, Virginia, October 25, 2019. US Navy/Mass Comm Specialist Seaman Cory J. Daut Here's the empty flight deck of the USS Gerald R. Ford. The ship can hold about 75 aircraft, according to the Navy. The USS Gerald R. Ford underway on its own power for the first time. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni The Ford has a massive hangar bay. Daniel Brown/Business Insider The advanced weapons elevators move ordnance, such as bombs and missiles, up to the flight deck. Daniel Brown/Business Insider Here's a view from the flight deck. Daniel Brown/Business Insider The ship is also equipped with multiple short-range antiaircraft and missile systems called Sea Sparrows. Daniel Brown/Business Insider Personnel navigate the ship from the bridge. Daniel Brown/Business Insider The lead helm digitally controls the speed and steering of the aircraft carrier. Daniel Brown/Business Insider Here's how the Ford looks when it's loaded with aircraft on its flight deck. The USS Gerald R. Ford set sail on Tuesday from Norfolk, Virginia. Navy Read the original article on Business Insider LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's military has secured the release of the remaining 23 hostages from a train attack by gunmen in northern Kaduna state in March, which saw dozens kidnapped and six others killed, a defence official said on Wednesday. The government blamed the attack on Islamist insurgency Boko Haram. The attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train led to the suspension of a service that was popular with passengers who feared attacks and kidnappings by gunmen on Nigerian highways. Usman Yusuf, secretary to the chief of defence staff, said in a statement that the military had "secured the release and taken custody of all the 23 passengers held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists." He did not provide details. Nigeria's state railway company initially said it could not account for 168 people who according to a passenger log had booked to travel on the train. Most were later traced to their homes, but 65 were confirmed missing. The kidnappers had been releasing hostages in batches. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) Oct. 5LIMA Authorities are seeking the public's help in their investigation into a Monday morning shooting in Lima that left two men injured. According to a statement issued by the Lima Police Department, officers were dispatched shortly after 11:30 a.m. Monday to the area of State Street and Lincoln Avenue in reference to a report of shots fired. A short time later police learned that two subjects suffering from gunshot wounds arrived in a private vehicle at Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center. Officers learned that Leroy Page, 32, of Lima, and Corderrell Lovette, 34, of Cincinnati, were sitting in a vehicle in the 300 block of Lincoln Avenue when they were shot. Both victims were treated for what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries. Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to contact the Lima Police Department at 419-227-4444, Detective Jesse Harrod at 419-221-5296, or Crime Stoppers at 419-229-7867. Detectives talked to neighbors to try and get a description of the shooter or their vehicle and the case remains under investigation. North Carolinas long-litigated voter photo identification law was appraised at the state Supreme Court on Monday. Justices heard arguments on whether it was reasonable for trial judges to throw out the law that they determined was tainted by racial bias and designed to help Republicans retain their grip on the legislature. The voter ID law was approved by the General Assembly in December 2018, but it has never been enforced, as the requirement has been blocked by both federal or state courts over time. That remains the case for next months midterms. An attorney for the Republican legislative leaders said a majority of trial judges conducting a trial on the law last year got both facts and conclusions wrong when they struck down the law. PREVIOUS: NC Supreme Court to hear voter ID arguments next month Those judges failed to take into account the bipartisan nature of its passage and rule changes that would eliminate any disadvantage that Black voters would have in carrying a photo ID, lawyer Pete Patterson said. People without qualifying IDs would still able to cast ballots by filling out a form. This is the most forgiving, reasonable impediment (form) provision in the nation, Patterson told the justices in urging them to uphold the law or void the trial courts decision. The notion that this was meant to be passed for partisan entrenchment just does not match up with the evidence. But minority voters represented by lawyer Jeff Loperfido urged the Supreme Court to keep intact the lower court ruling, saying its not the job of the justices to substitute a different result if the trial judges decision is reasonable. The question before this court is whether that conclusion is supported by findings of fact based on competent evidence, Loperfido said. And the answer to that question is an unequivocal yes. Justices didnt say when they would issue an opinion following an hour of arguments at the old Chowan County Courthouse in Edenton. But its likely to occur by the end of the year given that Senior Associate Justice Robin Hudson is retiring and Associate Justice Sam Ervin IV may lose a reelection bid. Hudson and Ervin are part of the four-member Democratic majority on the seven-member court. Story continues MORE COVERAGE: Supreme Court rules for GOP lawmakers in NC voter ID case Republicans have been trying for over a decade to implement photo ID. A 2013 voter ID law that was later struck down was carried out in 2016 primary elections. The legislature then put a photo ID constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2018, which voters approved. Lawmakers followed mere weeks late to pass a separate law implementing voter ID rules, which was Mondays topic. Republicans with large enough majorities at the time overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers veto of the bill, resulting immediately in a lawsuit filed by minority voters. In a 2-to-1 ruling following a three-week trial, judges found in September 2021 the implementing law was rushed through and discriminated against Black voters, violating the equal protections contained the state constitution. In turn, according to the voters who sued, the law made it harder for Black citizens to cast ballots that could erode GOP power. The majority wrote dozens of Republicans, who voted both for the 2013 voter ID law and the 2018 law, knew of earlier evidence that Black residents had less access to voter ID than others. A few Democrats voted for the 2018 law, one of them a Black senator who worked with Republicans to develop it. But the minority voters who sued diminished the Democrats role. READ MORE: Voter ID lawsuit heads to NC Supreme Court in accelerated appeal Lawyers for the Republican legislative leaders said voter ID is designed to bolster confidence in elections. Thirty-five states request or require some ID at the polls, with about half asking for photo identification, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In August, the Supreme Courts 4-3 Democratic majority opened the door to voiding the November 2018 voter ID constitutional amendment because lawmakers who agreed to put it on the ballot were elected from districts blemished by illegal racial gerrymandering. The majority sent the case back to a lower court judge to accumulate more evidence. That decision didnt moot the voter ID lawsuit that was heard Monday. A federal lawsuit filed by the state NAACP and several local chapters and challenging the same November 2018 voter ID law still hasnt gone to trial. The case could become moot if the state Supreme Court agrees with the lower court that the law is unconstitutional. State law allows the justices to convene up to twice annually in the courthouse in Edenton, which is a former colonial capital about 115 miles (185 kilometers) northeast of Raleigh, the current capital of the state. The proceedings were livestreamed. (WATCH BELOW: NC voters sue Moore, Berger claiming rights of unaffiliated voters are being violated) (Bloomberg) -- North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles toward waters where a U.S. aircraft carrier had been deployed, ratcheting up tensions in the region. Most Read from Bloomberg The missile launches off North Koreas east coast Thursday added to one of its biggest barrage of tests under leader Kim Jong Un, including its first launch of a rocket over Japan in five years. It came shortly after North Korea condemned the Biden administration for redeploying the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier group to waters east of the peninsula, saying the move escalated tensions. The group first arrived in the South Korean port of Busan in late September and conducted drills that included Japan and South Korea -- a move that Pyongyang protested. The DPRK is watching the US posing a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in its vicinity by redeploying the carrier task force in the waters off the Korean Peninsula, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on state media, referring to the countrys formal name. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea appeared to have test-fired two short-range missiles from an area near Pyongyang at 6:01 and 6:23 a.m. The first missile flew about 350 kilometers (220 miles) and reached an altitude of about 80 kms and the second flew a distance of about 800 kms with an apogee of 60 kms, it said. Biden, Kishida Condemn North Korean Missile Launch Over Japan Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called the latest launch unacceptable. He spoke with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday for about 25 minutes, Yoons office said. The US Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of the test that it called destabilizing, and closely consulting with allies and partners. Story continues The aircraft carrier group was redeployed Wednesday to waters between South Korea and Japan, making a rare U-turn that came after Kim fired the missile over Japan. The group has been in the Pacific to the east of Japan, US Naval Institute News, which tracks the movement of the groups, reported. Japan, South Korea and the US conducted joint naval drills Thursday after the latest launch to counter missile threats from North Korea, which involved the USS Ronald Reagan group, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The drills included exercises to track missiles and then intercept them, it said. North Korea has bristled for decades against joint exercises with the US, calling them a prelude to an invasion and nuclear war. It has also long complained about US nuclear assets in the region such as aircraft carriers and warplanes in Guam that have the ability to carry atomic weapons. Since April, North Koreas official media has refrained from commenting on the tests so the statement from the Foreign Ministry is the closest link revealing the thinking behind a provocation for months. Meanwhile, leader Kim has been out of the public eye for more than three weeks in his longest absence of the year. Questions about his health may come to the surface if he doesnt show up for celebrations on Monday to mark the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers Party -- one of the biggest events on the countrys calendar. Kim has fired off a record number of ballistic missiles this year as he has modernized his arsenal with weapons that increase his ability to deliver a credible nuclear strike against US allies in the region and the American homeland. His latest barrage, which has so far totaled 10 missiles, began on Sept. 25 and also coincided with a visit to Japan and South Korea by US Vice President Kamala Harris. Further provocations may be coming with US, Japan and South Korea saying Pyongyang may be ready to conduct its first nuclear test in five years -- with the three pledging a stern and united response if theres a blast. The missile that flew over Japan on Tuesday was a suspected Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile that traveled a distance of about 4,600 kms, representing the longest-range weapon fired by North Korea since May. It also hearkened back to the autumn of 2017 when Kims regime unleashed its largest barrage of long-range rockets and detonated a nuclear bomb. That prompted then-US President Donald Trump to threaten to totally destroy North Korea and led the United Nations to impose some of its toughest sanctions to punish Kim. The North Korean leader has ignored Bidens calls to return to disarmament talks and has fired off ballistic missiles in defiance of a United Nations ban. The provocations will likely add to global anxiety over nuclear saber-rattling as Russian President Vladimir Putin alludes to his atomic arsenal while attempting to bolster his struggling invasion of Ukraine. The USs push to isolate Russia over the war -- coupled with increasing tensions between Washington and Beijing -- has allowed Kim to strengthen his nuclear deterrent without fear of new UN sanctions. Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted sanctions resolution against North Korea at the UN Security Council in May and theres almost no chance of them supporting measures like they did in 2017. China fired its own ballistic missiles over Taiwan in August to protest US House Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taipei. (Updates with joint naval drills.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. A view of a TV screen on Oct. 4 in which a North Korean missile is being fired. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images via Getty Images North Korea launched another ballistic missile towards its eastern waters, South Korean officials said Thursday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the weapon had been launched Thursday morning, but did not provide specific details, The Associated Press reported. The missile was the sixth round of weapon launches from the North Koreans in less than two weeks, and came just two days after a medium-range missile was fired over Japan. AP reported this was the first North Korean missile to be launched at Japan in more than five years. The barrage of missile launches was likely in response to recent joint military tests conducted by the United States, Japan, and South Korea near the coastline of the Korean Peninsula. Following Tuesday's test, the United Nations Security Council was asked by the U.S. to meet regarding the North Korean threat. North Korea's rapid weapons tests come at a watershed moment for the isolated dictatorship, as diplomatic talks with Western nations have largely come to a halt. The AP report noted that "North Korea aims to expand its nuclear arsenal to boost its leverage in future negotiations with the United States." In response to the continuing weapons tests, both the U.S. and South Korea conducted missile launches of their own, with CNN reporting that the combined armies fired four missiles off the Korean Peninsula following Tuesday's actions by North Korea. The move was the allied nations' second military test in less than a day. You may also like Survey reveals less than half of Americans plan to get flu shot this season Russian war reporters warn Ukraine is threatening thin, fragile defensive lines in southern Kherson Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home A soft-spoken and seemingly ageless presence at WLS-Ch. 7, Alan Krashesky is stepping down after four decades as an anchor and reporter at the ABC-owned Chicago station. Krashesky, 61, who co-anchors the top-rated 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts, made the announcement Tuesday evening exactly 40 years to the day he first hit the Chicago airwaves. Advertisement Its been a great ride, Krashesky told viewers during the 6 p.m. newscast. Now the time, just simply, is the right time. A Philadelphia native and Ithaca College graduate, Krashesky has been a mainstay at ABC 7 since joining the station as a general assignment reporter and fill-in weathercaster on Oct. 4, 1982. Krashesky hit the ground running, covering a school bus crash on his first day at the job. Advertisement The rest of week one at the station was spent covering the Tylenol murders, a series of unsolved cyanide poisonings that killed seven people in the Chicago area and created a worldwide panic. His prodigious tenure at ABC 7 spans so long that he filed his inaugural reports in the waning days of the seminal happy talk anchor team of Joel Daly and Fahey Flynn, which reshaped local news and built an enduring ratings giant in Chicago television. Krashesky has since steadily risen through the ranks, ultimately filling the role as top anchor at the station. When I came to Channel 7 as a 21-year-old my goal was to be the primary news anchor at ABC 7, Krashesky said Wednesday. And obviously, it took decades for that to unfold. Relieved of his fill-in weather duties in 1984, Krashesky began doing local news segments during the daily Good Morning America broadcasts. In 1989, he became the first anchor of the morning newscast at ABC 7, partnering with Kathy Brock the following year. When it was all done, Krashesky would have a lengthy roster of co-anchors covering nearly every daypart at the station. In 1994, Krashesky moved from mornings to the 5 p.m. newscast, where he co-anchored with Diann Burns. He shifted to the 6 p.m. newscast in 1998, replacing the retiring Floyd Kalber alongside Brock. When Daly retired in 2005, Krashesky added the 4 p.m. newscast to his duties, co-anchoring with Linda Yu. Krasheskys elevation to the coveted top job came in 2016, when he succeeded Ron Magers as co-anchor of the 10 p.m. newscast. He currently partners with Cheryl Burton on the 5 and 10 p.m. newscasts, while Judy Hsu is his co-anchor at 6 p.m. Alan Krasheskys career is a template for any aspiring journalist, John Idler, president and general manager of ABC 7 Chicago, said in a news release. His professionalism, skill as an anchor and fairness as a reporter has earned not only countless awards but the respect of our viewers and his ABC 7 colleagues. Advertisement While Krashesky spent nearly all of his career in Chicago, he started as a news reporter and weathercaster for brief stints at WBNG-TV in Binghamton, New York and KTBC-TV in Austin, Texas, before arriving at ABC 7 as a fresh-faced 21-year-old. But Krashesky had a challenging path to adulthood, his life fundamentally shaped by a family tragedy that has stayed with him throughout his career, informing and imbuing his reporting with an empathy born of his own loss. At the age of four months, my father was murdered in a robbery in Philadelphia, Krashesky said. So I never knew my dad, and obviously my family, they became the victims of violent crime. With his mother struggling to raise four children alone, Krashesky was enrolled as a 4-year-old at the Milton Hershey School, a private Pennsylvania boarding school for orphans and impoverished children founded and endowed by the chocolate magnate. His own experience resonates every time he reports on a crime in Chicago, Krashesky said. It moves me knowing the lasting impact something horrible like that has, he said. Advertisement A number of high-profile and long-tenured Chicago news anchors have retired in recent years, including Magers, Yu, Brock and Mark Suppelsa, who unplugged and moved to Montana after 25 years of the daily TV news grind. Krashesky said navigating the pandemic played a role in his decision to join them in retirement. Certainly the experience weve all gone through during the pandemic had an influence on this, Krashesky said. It just underlined the reality that the amount of time we have in this life is extremely precious. A resident of Naperville, Krashesky and his wife, Colleen, have three children, three grandchildren and remain rooted in the Chicago area. He said he has no plans to leave the area. He also has no post-anchor plans, other than to take a life sabbatical, reflect on a successful career and figure out what he might do with the next chapter of his life. My simple answer to what Im going to do next is, I dont know, Krashesky said. Advertisement Krasheskys last day on the air is scheduled for Nov. 22. The station has not announced his successor. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Reuters Hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of developing uterine cancer among those who use them frequently, a large study published on Monday suggests. "We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%," study leader Alexandra White of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) said in a statement. Still, uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with rates rising, particularly among Black women. Maitland Jones Jr., a chemistry professor at New York University who also taught for four decades at Princeton, was fired in August after undergraduate students circulated a petition complaining that his course was too difficult. Dozens of the college students, many of them aspiring doctors, signed on to the petition in the spring. "We are very concerned about our scores, and find that they are not an accurate reflection of the time and effort put into this class," the petition read, according to the New York Times. "We urge you to realize that a class with such a high percentage of withdrawals and low grades has failed to make students learning and well-being a priority and reflects poorly on the chemistry department as well as the institution as a whole." Jones, 84, told the New York Times that he started seeing a loss of focus among students about a decade ago, but the problem was exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. "They werent coming to class, thats for sure, because I can count the house," Jones told the newspaper. "They werent watching the videos, and they werent able to answer the questions." PROFESSOR FINDS MOST STUDENTS CAN'T DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN US AND RUSSIAN CONSTITUTIONS A spokesperson for New York University disagreed with the way Jones' dismissal has been framed, saying that in addition to the petition, Jones' class also had a "very high rate of student withdrawals" and "evaluations scores that were by far the worst" across the school's undergraduate science courses. "In short, he was hired to teach, and wasn't successful," an NYU spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "NYU has lots of hard courses and lots of tough graders among the faculty they don't end up with outcomes that raise questions about the quality and effectiveness of the teaching, as this class did." Before lecturing at NYU, Jones pioneered a new way of teaching that emphasized problem-based learning over a "lecture-memorize-regurgitate facts" style, Princeton University's Dean of Faculty wrote. Story continues "Our aim is to teach the best course in organic chemistry anywhere," the course description for his organic chemistry class read. Jones told the New York Times that he's concerned about the precedent his firing could set. "I dont want my job back," he told the newspaper. "I just want to make sure this doesnt happen to anyone else." Supremely diabolical Star Original series El Encargado, directed by innovating Argentine creative duo Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat (The Man Next Door), teased a first episode as part of the Capitulo Uno strand of soon-to-bow series at the 2nd Iberseries & Platino Industria, which unspooled Sept. 27-30 in Madrid. The series opens with protagonist Eliseo preparing dinner in a spotless kitchen, calling out to his family to set the table as he sips from a glass of wine. Every detail in his succulent pasta dish is fine-tuned. As he sits at the head of the table, the camera pans back revealing hes alone. Thoroughly enjoying his own company, he finishes his exquisite meal, straightens up and leaves the borrowed space. Scenes of him feeding his Venus Flytrap, a carnivorous plant that mimics some of his darker inclinations, are laid into the title sequence, alluding to his reality as a sly inner predator, disguised as an everyman. More from Variety The series takes place in present day Buenos Aires, where all the modern trappings of apartment living are catching up to an ever-more antiquated stalwart, the Encargado, or building manager. Dutifully going about his job assisting tenants and maintaining the grounds, Eliseo, played by the enigmatic Guillermo Francella (Animal), is made aware of building gossip surrounding a renovation plan that threatens his livelihood. Building managers in Argentina live on the grounds, with families trusting them with their keys, secrets, to uphold their privacy. As Cohn related, its one of the most esteemed jobs in the country but comes with a glaring con: You cant pick your building manager, they come pre-tethered to the property. Story continues I love the character of El Encargado. The role of Eliseo is the neurological center of a large nervous system through which absolutely everything passes, Cohn stated. He has control of the building, access to privacy, 24-hour monitoring, and he has a lot of families living in that consortium at his disposal. Its like an anthropological laboratory experiment. Im fascinated by the observation of a character with those qualities, Cohn added. With a taught smile, Eliseo slowly dips down a consuming rabbit hole, hatching a convoluted counter-strike against a handful of highly-strung tenants causing him grief. An integral cog in a much grander machine, he takes advantage of his proximity to his adversaries and, with each mischievous advance, the suspense exposes depths of character that those on the surface will learn not to scratch. Guillermo Francellas work is fundamental. It is a millimetric construction that we arranged in the script, in each scene, in each take, Cohn relayed. Its a very complex role, a great showcase for an actor, because it has an acting range that allows the same character to perform an infinite number of tones, going from drama to comedy in the same series as if nothing happened. Guillermos done it masterfully, Cohn added. Cohn and Duprat began their creative partnership in the 90s, creating a national experimental television program, Television Abierta that Duprat explained, was an emblematic program, which was similar to YouTube, televised on an over-the-air channel in Argentina six or seven years before YouTube existed. That program was replicated in many parts of the world. The jump from experimental to mainstream was also a natural occurrence as the most important aspect for the pair is ensuring an amusing and original production regardless of its structure. Although theyre very different forms of production, our way of thinking about projects remains the same, Duprat assured. It has to do with feeling that we can contribute a new point of view in terms of content, style, aesthetics and concept. Thats the real engine that propels the projects, being convinced that the point of view that we propose hasnt been covered yet, that its fresh, he added. The duos lasting bond has ensured their ability to dive into a variety of projects, Apart from being creative partners, more than anything else, weve been friends for a long time and we feel that the others gaze always enriches the project, the scripts, the direction and adds to the productions in general, Duprat remarked. El Encargado feels similar to an elaborate whodunnit, the viewer coaxed into becoming an additional voyeur, along for the ride. An eclectic cast make up the tenants who unknowingly fall victim to Eliseos scheming. Led by Francella, the series also calls on veteran Argentine talents Mariana Anghileri (Paola), Gabriel Goity (Matias Zambrano) and Pochi Ducasse (Beba), curating a grand ensemble that plays off one another. The series, which bows on Star+ Oct. 26, comprises 11 half-hour episodes. It is produced by Star Original Productions and presented by The Walt Disney Company Latam. It promises a darkly comedic dive into the underpinnings of a widely-respected figure, questioning the notion of blind trust and loyalty when it comes to the seemingly innocuous and kind Eliseo, who embodies the grandest saboteur. I see the figure of Eliseo as bridging the gap, like a shark, not like the sharks in a movie but a shark that you know is swimming along the coast when there are people bathing and at some point its going to eat someone, says Cohn. A lot of times you dont see him, you see only the fin, and very rarely do you see when he eats, but youre expecting it. I think thats where the potential lies, what fascinates me most about the series, which is that quality of Eliseo, an urban predator. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. As confidence in democracy and elections take a hit, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose wants to devote one or two investigators to root out fraud. LaRose, a Republican running for reelection this November, says illegal voting and election fraud are extremely rare, but they are still worth investigating. He plans to hire the investigators for a new public integrity division following the 2022 elections. These investigators would probe threats ranging from racist robocalls made by far-right activists to an attempted data breach at the Lake County Board of Elections. The team would tackle illegal voting, campaign finance problems, cybersecurity and even unauthorized notaries. Without a dedicated team, these investigations fall to state or local election officials with pile of other tasks. In some instances, federal investigators get involved. "Ohio elections have safeguards built throughout them to ensure election integrity, and we think that this effort could create even more comfort for Ohioans," said Jen Miller, executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. "It would be a big plus if there was more transparency in money in politics." Election deniers: Hundreds of elections deniers running for office nationwide in 2022 pose 'major threat' to U.S. democracy But Democrats called LaRose's proposal a political stunt to further his future U.S. Senate aspirations. Hes creating a taxpayer-funded solution to a problem that doesnt exist in order to further his own political ambitions, Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson Matt Keyes said. 'A crisis of confidence' in elections One in five Ohioans listed "threats to democracy" as their top concern heading into the November elections, coming in second only to economic issues, according to a recent USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll. But the cause of those threats varies depending on one's political ideology. "It's important that we address that kind of crisis of confidence, and part of that means we need to show Ohioans that we take this kind of crime seriously when it occurs," LaRose said. "It occurs rarely, and when it does, there will be consequences for it." Story continues LaRose blames both Republicans and Democrats for questioning the results of elections when the race doesn't go their way. "When your favorite team wins, you don't tend to question the decision made by the referees," he said. "But when your favorite team loses, sometimes it's a tendency to say, 'Oh, well, there were some bad calls.'" LaRose has walked a fine line between criticizing how other states ran their 2020 elections while reassuring Ohioans that voting here is safe and secure. Former President Donald Trump who erroneously claims that systemic voter fraud led to this 2020 defeat endorsed LaRose's reelection bid. "There are Republicans who are raising concerns that are not legitimate based on fears about certain kinds of voting machines or whatever else," said LaRose, without referencing Trump. "The 2020 election is over. The results of that election are known and clear that the winner of that election was President Biden." One of LaRose's opponents in November, conservative podcaster Terpsehore "Tore" Maras, falsely claims that Biden, a Democrat, lost the 2020 race. Maras, running as an independent, insists that Ohio should eliminate all voting machines and return to paper ballots to ensure accurate results. LaRose also faces Democrat Chelsea Clark, a Forest Park councilwoman. The little-known candidate is running an underfunded bid to unseat LaRose, whom she says embraced "MAGA lies." Secretary of State Frank LaRose delivers the keynote address during a conference about election cybersecurity at the Ohio Statehouse in February. How common is voter fraud in Ohio? This year, LaRose referred 77 cases of potential voter fraud to local prosecutors. These cases include possible instances of people double voting, dead people voting and non-citizens voting. Those numbers represent an extremely small percentage of the 5.9 million votes cast in 2020. And the cases rarely lead to convictions. Still, every vote counts. Since 2020, 31 Ohio races have ended in ties. "It corrodes confidence that people have in our elections," LaRose said of voter fraud. "It can actually change the outcome of an election." Jessie Balmert is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. It serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio election integrity unit launches despite voter fraud rarity On Tuesday, Oklahoma enacted legislation that would ban gender-transition procedures for minors at a major childrens hospital in the state. Oklahoma Republican governor Kevin Stitt signed a law Tuesday that would block funding to prevent gender-transition medical interventions such as reconstructive genital surgery and hormone therapy for children at Oklahoma Childrens Hospital at the University of Oklahoma Health Services. Under Senate Bill 3XX, OU facilities cannot administer to a minor any health care to facilitate the transitioning of a patients assigned gender identity on the patients birth certificate, to the gender identity experienced and defined by the patient. The bill stipulates that no funding should be budgeted or expended for the benefit of any facility owned by OU that performs gender-transition treatment on children under the age of 18. It also provides nearly $40 billion for behavioral health care for children and $20 million for cancer patients, in addition to other health expenditures. By signing this bill today we are taking the first step to protect children from permanent gender transition surgeries and therapies. It is wildly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used for condoning, promoting, or performing these types of controversial procedures on healthy children, Stitt said in a press release. The OU Childrens Hospital website includes an information blurb dedicated to gender affirmative care. It advertises that child patients can pursue a number of treatment paths, including pausing puberty to further explore gender, managing gender-affirming hormone therapy, and helping find surgeons who perform gender-affirming surgeries. Stitt also urged the legislature to outlaw all irreversible gender-transition surgeries and hormone therapies on children when it starts its next session in February 2023. We cannot turn a blind eye to whats happening all across our nation, and as governor I will not allow life-altering transition surgeries on minor children in the state of Oklahoma, he added. More from National Review Photo Illustration by Luis Rendon/Photos by Peter Lilienthal Just hours after the eye of Hurricane Ian passed over Pine Island off Floridas southwest coast on Wednesday, Peter Lilienthal was already on the move. Having stayed through the stormthe most brutal of the 15 previous hurricanes hes weatheredhe knew this barrier island of 9,000 would soon be powerless and cut off from the mainland. So he embarked on a mission to find food before it spoiled, and serve it to his hardest-hit neighbors. We were getting permission from everyone we could, asking if we could go in and raid their kitchens, said Lilienthal, whose day job is running a food club on the island. At one spot, we had to crawl through a doggy door to get in and get food out. By the evening of Sept. 28, the day Ian made landfall, Lilienthal was cooking up hamburgers, pork chops, and hot dogs to deliver on foot to those who didnt evacuate. As he went around making deliverieswhere storm surge allowedhe said the entire island was already at work rebuilding. He soon learned these efforts would have to be mostly on their ownthe only road connecting the island to the mainland, Pine Island Road, had been washed away. A man walks over a broken section of the Pine Island Road in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Ricardo Arduengo/Getty Ever since, Lilienthal has been cooking, delivering generators brought by boat, and trying his best to lift the spirits of those who lost everything. As word has spread about Lilienthals efforts, the 53-year-old has earned himself the nickname Chef Pete. And he no longer has to deliver food or salvage grocerieseveryone now comes to him. The home where Lilienthal cooks, belonging to a friend of his, has become an island hangout of sorts. Its one of the few places on Pine Island with internet access, via Starlink, and the dinner menu has grown increasingly sophisticated, free to anyone in need. Residents of Pine Island gather around a table to eat in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian last week. Peter Lilienthal Lilienthal said that Tuesdays meal was a seafood stew, full of calamari and crab legs. Wednesday night will feature pasta Bolognese. Thursday will be a return to seafoodalready a staple among the island's residentsafter a neighbor donated 10 pounds of grouper and snapper. Story continues Everyone is just sitting in chairs, eating, drinking beer, and just not even thinking about the storm for a minute, Lilienthal said. By morning, reality returns as the sun rises on the ravaged area. Lilienthal recalls looking out his window while in the eye wall and seeing a shed fly over three houses. Some of his friends' homes were completely inundated by water. He still cant believe his Kia Seltos, purchased just three weeks ago, survived the storm. Lilienthal said Pine Island feels isolated. FEMA didnt arrive until Monday evening and many are stuck on the island, which Ian passed directly over. Lilienthal said he hasnt seen a single cop car since last Wednesday, and he said that residents have acknowledged theyll be left to rebuild almost entirely on their own. Besides a few scumbags who have decided to loot, everyone here is doing their part and getting to work, all day, every day, he said. I dont feel like Im doing enough, and others feel the same way, but were doing as much as we can. A warning to looters is painted on the side of a car destroyed during Hurricane Ian on Oct. 3 in Pine Island. Win McNamee/Getty Images Pine Island is in Lee County, which had the highest confirmed death toll from Ian at 55, though the toll is not broken down by city or area. Lilienthal thinks the confirmed casualties on Pine Island will only grow once rescue and recovery crews spend more time there. Celebrity chef Jose Andres also briefly served food for free to Pine Island residents for a day this week, the Washington Post reported. Hes been cooking and serving food around Southwest Florida, and said that Pine Island and nearby Fort Myers Beachalso decimated by Ianare two different universes, with Pine Island having more full-time residents in what is generally viewed as a working-class area. Regardless of outside aidand encouragement from officials that residents should evacuate the islandLilienthal said he and his neighbors plan on staying and rebuilding the place they love. A huge step in that process, restoring road access to the mainland, is poised to be completed Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, and a Publix grocery store on the island had workers sent over by boat to have the store prepare for reopening. A man moves through gulf water flowing through a broken section of Pine Island Road a day after Hurricane Ian made landfall. Miami Herald/Getty Images Among those who refuse to leave the island is Lisa Bently. Her sister, Alison Bently, told The Daily Beast that Lisa, who suffers from diabetes and is a cancer survivor, decided to ride out the storm with her Vietnam war vet husband in their Pine Island home. She called me during the storm crying and saying goodbye, Bently told The Daily Beast. She just kept saying, This is catastrophic. But the decision to stay on the island during the hurricaneand to remain despite no water, power, and a destroyed houseis simple: The pair have farm animals and a beloved home they refuse to leave behind. They have nowhere to go and they wont leave behind the animals so they are just staying in the house. They have goats and cats and peacocks, she said, adding that a part of her sisters roof was blown off during the storm. I just hope their house gets back together before she runs out of time. She said that she would rather stay in her house and die than go somewhere unknown, Bently added. She just kept saying, I am not taking a chance for maybe. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Migrants walk in Edirne, Turkey, near the Turkish-Greek border, on March 4, 2020. (Darko Bandic / Associated Press) In my homeland of Syria, I thought my fame would protect me. But after I received attention for seeming to speak out against the totalitarian and violent Assad regime, being famous suddenly became a curse. It sent me on a punishing journey I never would have chosen but which has had its own unexpected rewards. I knew everything was about to change when the head of a major Syrian movie studio ordered me to appear on television and apologize for something I would never have dared to say in public. An August 2011 front-page article in the Los Angeles Times had begun by saying I had openly accused Syrian security forces of torture and corruption. Not until the third paragraph did the journalist make her writerly reveal: I was actually delivering a line of dialogue playing the hero in a soap opera whose title roughly translated to Torn From the Womb. That it was a character speaking, not me as myself, would not matter to the government. Since the Syrian uprising against Assad had begun months earlier, the secret police had tried to recruit me and many other public figures for its propaganda machine. I resisted and avoided speaking out against the regime. But the article had made one truth clear: I did not support the villainous Syrian President Bashar Assad or his henchmen. There would be no TV apology from me, and life as I knew it would soon be over. The secret police began repeatedly threatening me, making the land beneath my feet feel like it was quaking. I knew that the Syrian regime was like an octopus mafia if you were able to escape one tentacle another one would ensnare you. I was also acutely aware of the harrowing punishment being meted out to other artists. Ali Farzat, a famous political cartoonist, was badly beaten, his fingers deliberately broken by pro-Assad gunmen. A few months later, Zaki Kordelo, an actor and my treasured friend, was forcibly disappeared overnight. At any moment, I expected a horrifying death to come my way. Story continues In my 50s, I was forced to flee my country, leaving behind my elderly parents, a vibrant acting career, my house, all my assets. And I began a journey of survival as a refugee, becoming one of the more than 89 million people in the world who have had to escape persecution, war and natural disasters. Fortunately, my wife was already in the U.S. studying public policy at the University of Minnesota, and I joined her there in October 2011. When she asked me to sign an application to apply for asylum in the U.S., she shared a painful truth that horrified me: There is no more home to go back to. Soon, I would even leave behind my given name. Every time I introduced myself to someone in Minnesota, they would react with incredulity. So Jihad a common name back home became Jay. If only reinventing yourself in another country was as simple as changing your name. The asylum process dragged on for years. Life was brutal and perpetually on hold. We struggled to find work. I got pizza and flower delivery jobs, but I didnt even make enough to cover our groceries. Visits to the doctor were an unaffordable luxury. We were starving, scared and very much alone. But we had each other, and we found strength in knowing that the high price we were paying was because we had taken a moral stand, along with other innocent people, against the killing machine that is the Syrian regime. In an attempt to resuscitate my acting career, we made our way to Los Angeles in 2012. I would go on more than a hundred auditions without landing a part. Finally, I connected with the director Werner Herzog, who cast me in his 2015 film Queen of the Desert, starring Nicole Kidman. Parts in other films featuring such actors as Tom Hanks and Ben Affleck would follow. My wife eventually secured a good job in her field, which freed me to pursue acting. Nearly a decade would pass before we became U.S. citizens. By any measure, we are a success story refugees who were able to build a productive new life in America. Since I became a refugee more than a decade ago, the global refugee population has more than doubled. By one accounting, more than two-thirds of us have come from just five countries. Its not surprising to me that Syria leads the list, with nearly 7 million displaced people. Millions live in refugee camps, essentially forgotten by the world at large. In every moral challenge, some people find the fortitude to stand up while others dont. Some Syrian artists who were once my friends became cheerleaders for the Assad regime. They chose to remain on the dark side of history. I chose to seek the light. In the short drama Facing Mecca, I play a Syrian refugee who struggles to bury his wife in accordance with Muslim rites. When it won a Student Academy Award in 2017, it made me believe I could turn to film to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and highlight other injustices in the world. Fellow refugees often tell me my story helped them hold on to hope in their darkest moments. That has made me realize I already inhabit my greatest role: speaking out for refugees and those who are unable to escape the violence and chaos in their home countries, whether through activism or the film projects I pursue. And this is why my journey as a refugee will never end. Jay Abdo is an actor and producer. He will receive FilmAids Richard C. Holbrooke Award for Humanitarian Service on Oct. 12. @JayAbdoActor. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. TheStreet.com Built in 1999, the Venetian Las Vegas isn't one of Sin City's oldest resorts, by any means--though it certainly is one of the biggest, as it boasts 36 stories and is more than 475 feet. As part of the purchase, Adelson's Las Vegas Sands sold Vici Properties rights to the land under the facilities for $4 billion, and Apollo Global Management purchased the operations for $2.25 billion and changed the name of the Sands Expo convention center to the Venetian Expo. This is one of the largest investments in an existing property in Vegas' history. Photo of the Tuskegee student uprising in 1968 Tuskegee students outside Dorothy Hall, a campus building where the board of trustees was meeting, Apr. 6, 1968. Credit - Courtesy of Tuskegee University Archives, Tuskegee, Alabama The murder of George Floyd help raise new awareness of the gaps in the teaching of Black history. Faced with demands from students, more universities and high schools added courses on this history, and ethnic studies. The establishment of some of the first Black studies departments at colleges and universities decades ago also required protest. A new book aims to provide context for the history of student activism in demanding more inclusive curriculum on campuses by highlighting one 1960s protest in particular in which Black students forced reforms to campus life that are considered standard at colleges and universities today. In The Tuskegee Student Uprising: A History, out Oct. 4, Brian Jones, a scholar at the New York Public Library, zeros in on an uprising at Alabamas Tuskegee Institute on April 6, 1968, where students surrounded a campus building, essentially holding members of the board of trustees hostage at one of their meetings. Approximately 300 students participated in this occupation. Tuskegee, now called Tuskegee University, is known for its pioneering pilot training program during World War II, and also holds an infamous place in history as the site of an experiment on Black men with Syphilis, as exposed by the Associated Press in 1972. Read more: Student Walkouts Have Changed American History Before. Heres How Tensions were already high at the the time of the protest; civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. had been assassinated in Memphis just two days earlier. The National Guard had been deployed to demonstrations in cities, and the Alabama Governor sent the states National Guard to respond to the situation on Tuskegees campus. Before swarming the meeting, students had tried to convey their demands by appealing to Tuskegees all-Black leaders in writing, but change was not coming quickly enough. Their demands included financial aid packages for athletes, the end to compulsory participation in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program while the war in Vietnam was raging, the formation of a Black studies program, and even changes to the structure of college classes, such as the right to see a syllabi for classes at the beginning of the school year. Story continues At first, Tuskegee responded by shutting down campus and making students reapply for admission, in the hopes of weeding out the radical troublemaker students, a local TV station reported at the time. But in the end, administrators met students at the negotiating table, and their dramatic action ultimately led to the implementation of nearly all of their demands. Read more: African-American History Finally Gets Its Own AP Class Tuskegee students push for a revamped Black studies program helped create a blueprint that Black students at other colleges followed to advocate for similar curricula on their campuses, says Jones. Their effort cracked open the curriculum and made possible ethnic studies, womens studies, LGBTQ studies, he adds. Jones hopes his book on Tuskegee students bold activism would re-center Tuskegee as a pioneer in modernizing higher education and highlight its place as a site of campus activism during the watershed year that was 1968. In todays era of increased scrutiny of how U.S. history is taught, and book ban attempts, he believes stories about student activists who demanded more education are only more relevant, especially stories focused on a university like Tuskegee, founded in 1881 to educate Black Americans in the Jim Crow South. Black peoples education and Black history as a topic have always operated under threats of censorship and violent suppression, says Jones. He says he also wrote this book to show that the Tuskegee student uprising is one part of a long pattern of Black people fighting to expand the horizons of learning in this country. Students walk near the Widener Library at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., in 2019 The Supreme Court is set to hear two cases filed by Students for Fair Admissions on behalf of Asian American students who claim they were passed over for admission to Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, essentially because they didnt belong to the right minority group. (Charles Krupa/AP) The Supreme Courts latest affirmative action case reminds me of a married couple I know who both happen to be attorneys of color. Hes a U.S.-born Black lawyer. Shes an Afro Dominican and Puerto Rican-born Black American lawyer. Advertisement They both vote similarly as liberal Democrats, as he describes them. But they sometimes surprise each other on such sensitive issues as the law and civil rights. Were both patriotic but I cant help but remember that America as a land with a history of oppression, he said. She tends to see it as a land of opportunity. Advertisement Thats a profound point that sounds even more profound the more I think about it. It comes to mind now as the Supreme Court begins its new session with yet another affirmative action case on its docket that could end affirmative action for college admissions. A long trail of cases since the 1970s has established that race can be used as one of several factors in deciding who gets admitted, as long as its not the only factor. Justice Sandra Day OConnor famously concluded in her opinion in the landmark 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger case that affirmative action in college admissions is justifiable, but not forever: We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences (in student body diversity) will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today. While it never has been clear where she found that 25 years from now goal, Chief Justice John Roberts very conservative court appears to be teed up and ready to do away with the preferences. This time, the court is set to hear two cases filed by Students for Fair Admissions on behalf of Asian American students who claim they were passed over for admission to Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, essentially because they didnt belong to the right minority group. Its an argument that was just waiting to happen, helped along by conservative legal activists. But Im also not surprised to see a lot less agitation around this issue than, say, the high courts recent overturning of the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision. As an African American parent, Im not delighted that affirmative action might end, but I was never that satisfied with it anyway. Advertisement For one thing, It reaches too few children who need help. Instead we see a creaming, as some call it, to help the high-performing students who are the most likely to succeed anyway. As a step toward racial equality, affirmative action is constantly at war with the more fundamental principles of fairness that Americans of goodwill would prefer. Certainly, after centuries of slavery, Jim Crow segregation and systemic discrimination, we needed radical steps to move our racial divided country closer to true equality of rights and opportunity. But the end of affirmative action would not mean the end of opportunity. Rather, it should be the beginning of a new movement to take better advantage of the opportunities recent decades of hard-won progress already have brought to us. Which brings me back to the subject of Black American immigrants. Conservatives often argue that the academic performance of immigrants from Asia, in particular, and their offspring has been so successful without affirmative action that it has produced a new and misleading stereotype: the model minority. Advertisement In fact, in Americas ethnic mixing bowl, immigrants and their children often have excelled more, regardless of race, than native-born children. The same spirit of relentless optimism that has driven countless immigrants to seek and find opportunity in this land shows up among Black immigrants too. Overall, Black immigrants earn college degrees at a similar rate to U.S. immigrants overall. Some 31% of Black immigrants ages 25 and older have a bachelors degree or higher, almost as high as the 33% share of the overall immigrant population in the U.S. with a college degree, according to a study r by the Pew Research Center in January. In fact, Pew reports, the number of Black immigrant bachelors degree holders has grown faster between 2000 and 2019 than that of the Black U.S.-born population (8 percentage points), the entire U.S.-born population (9 points) and the overall immigration population (9 points). I dont view that as a reason to celebrate and declare that we Americans have made so much progress that we dont need some sort of action, affirmative or otherwise to help equalize opportunity for children of color. Quite the contrary, I think the success of immigrants of color, including Black immigrants, offer excellent underappreciated examples of how and why we need to help more young African Americans take advantage of the opportunities that we already have. Advertisement Sign up here to receive Clarence Pages columns by email as soon as they are published. Clarence Page is a member of the Tribune Editorial Board. cpage@chicagotribune.com Twitter @cptime EVANSVILLE The owner of a Vanderburgh County Chinese restaurant was sentenced to time served Wednesday after pleading guilty to money laundering and transporting and harboring undocumented workers. Kent Dam, 55, who owns Gracie's Chinese Cuisine with his wife, pleaded guilty to the charges during a hearing in U.S. District Court in January. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the restaurant will also pay a $15,000 fine and be put on two years probation for unlawful employment of undocumented workers. Dam and Gracie's was put under surveillance after the launch of a federal investigation in June 2020. In February 2021, the Internal Revenue Service and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raided the business at its strip-mall location off U.S. 41, forcing it to temporarily close. For subscribers:Gracie's Chinese Cuisine immigration case highlights vulnerability of unauthorized workers Federal agents accused Dam of underpaying employees who weren't authorized to work in the U.S., thereby increasing his profits. According to court records, he found some of the workers from "smugglers and handlers." The U.S. Attorney's Office laid out that alleged process in the release. "Agents were told that a human smuggler was facilitating the exploitation of undocumented laborers by delivering them to businesses," the release states. "On multiple occasions, the smuggler drove the undocumented workers from another state to Gracie's Chinese Cuisines and to two residences owned by Dam on West Wortman Road in Evansville. Dam and his wife personally paid the smuggler for delivering workers to the West Wortman Road residences." According to court records, the handler charged Dam a fee for locating a worker, and Dam then charged that fee to the employee. In October 2020, officials claim, Dam was pulled over with five people in his car who weren't legally allowed to live in the U.S. The passengers who were from Indonesia, Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador, respectively all reportedly told police they worked in the kitchen at Gracie's. Some had been here for a few months, while at least one said he'd worked there for more than seven years. Story continues They claimed they were paid between $800 and $2,500 a month via check or cash. "The workers said that Dam did not ask them to complete the standard employment forms regarding citizenship and taxes. Some claimed that they did not even have to show Dam identification to get a job," the release states. "Two of the workers stated that they were brought to Dams restaurant by a smuggler." Four of the men were ultimately released, while the fifth, who had been previously deported, was charged with illegally entering the U.S. and sent back to his home country. "Shortly after the traffic stop, Dam contacted a human smuggler and stated that he needed a worker," the release states. U.S. District Judge Richard Young also ordered Dam to pay a $35,000 fine and relinquish his 2017 Toyota Tundra, which he reportedly used to transport the workers. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Owner of Evansville Chinese restaurant sentenced after federal raid ISLAMABAD (AP) Pakistan's powerful military chief met Wednesday in Washington with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and other security and government officials, the military said. Qamar Javed Bajwas trip to the United States comes weeks before he's expected to retire after an extended six-year tenure. Although Pakistan has been ruled by the elected civilian leadership since 2008 when the former military dictator Gen. Pervez Musharraf resigned, the military still maintains influence. The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the country's 75-year history. According to a military statement, Bajwa in his meeting with the U.S. defense chief and other officials thanked them for extending help to flood-hit Pakistan, where deluges since mid-June have killed nearly 1,700. The statement said Bajwa expressed his condolences over the devastation caused by the hurricane in Florida, saying Pakistan understands the loss and pain of victims of a devastating storm. Pakistan has not named Bajwa's successor. PANAMA CITY Nurse practitioner Shawntell World always knew she wanted to provide primary care services, and after much hard work, she's celebrating one year of serving out of her own clinic. Bridge Care Health Network is holding a celebration to mark its first year of providing primary care services of excellence. Bridge Care Health Network will celebrate its one-year anniversary at 26 W. Oak Ave. on Friday. Nurse practitioner Shawntell World is the founder and owner of the business. Panama City: PanCare bringing lower-cost pharmacy, optometry center to Panama City. Here's what to expect HCA Gulf Coast: Freestanding emergency room coming to Panama City Beach. Here's where and when. The celebration will be held at Bridge Care Health Network, 26 Oak Ave., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, with a ribbon-cutting at 10:15 a.m. The event will feature a raffle for free or discounted vitamin infusion or weight loss services, light refreshments and a tour of the facility. For World, opening a primary care office was a critical goal. She described the opportunity to serve patients every day as a rewarding experience. Bridge Care Health Network will celebrate its one-year anniversary at 26 W. Oak Ave. on Friday. "This is more than your typical primary care office. You come in as strangers but leave as a team. We listen and develop a plan together," World said. "This celebration is a way to thank my patients and welcome anyone interested in learning more about our primary care services." Alongside appointments, the clinic accepts walk-ins Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. Most insurance will be accepted, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare and Tricare for retired veterans. Bridge Care Health Network offers all the services expected from a primary care provider, including telemedicine visits. The office also offers vitamin infusion or weight loss support. The office has two exam rooms, an infusion therapy room, and separate waiting rooms for medical and counseling services. One exam room also functions as a consultation room. Bridge Care Health Network offers all the services expected from a primary care provider, including telemedicine visits. The office also offers vitamin infusion or weight loss support World initially anticipated opening her office in June 2021 in the Millville community to fulfill the need for primary care services in an underserved area. But after many setbacks, such as licensing and coding issues, she relocated to an office in downtown Panama City pushing her opening date back four months. Story continues "My whole life, I knew I wanted to live a life of service. And after working in a hospital for 14 years, I decided I should move in a different direction and open a clinic," World said, reflecting on the start of her four-year journey. "I came a long way to make this happen, and I knew if I kept going, it would eventually get done." This milestone is just the start for World as she continues to grow her business and clientele. Eventually, she hopes to incorporate additional services into her clinic, including counseling, hair restoration, massage and G.I. health options. "I'm just so grateful that people trust me to care for them. I'm happy with the growth we've seen in the past year, and we're able to continue growing," she said. "I could not imagine my life not serving people. I want my patients to live, not just be alive, but live their healthiest and best lives." Bridge Care Health Network is accepting new patients. To book an appointment, call 850-215-3480. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City nurse practitioner celebrates one year of serving patients The Pentagon could not confirm rumors of Russian forces transporting nuclear weapons to the Ukrainian border by rail. Read also: Putin may conduct nuclear test on Ukraines borders, says NATO On the nuclear issue, we have certainly heard saber-rattling from Putin, but we dont see any signs that would make us change our position on nuclear weapons, she said. Read also: White House formulating contingencies for nuclear weapon use by Russia Earlier this week, UK newspaper The Times reported that Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin is going to demonstrate his willingness to use weapons of mass destruction by conducting a nuclear test on the borders of Ukraine. Concerns about nuclear escalation intensified after rumors appeared on the pro-Russian Telegram channel Rybar that a train belonging to a secretive Russian nuclear division was moving towards Ukraine. Read also: Germany takes Putin's nuclear threats seriously, says FM Baerbock On Sept. 21, Putin, after announcing a partial mobilization in Russia, once again threatened Western countries with the use of nuclear weapons, saying that "this is not a bluff." The United States stated that in the event that Russia uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the response of Washington and its allies will be decisive. The U.S. warned the Kremlin of "catastrophic consequences." Read also: NATO fears Russia preparing to test Poseidon nuclear torpedo for the first time According to Ukraines military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, Russia will not launch a nuclear strike in the near future. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The U.S. military and South Korean forces held joint missile drills a day after North Korea launched a missile over Japan, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command announced late Tuesday. The bilateral exercise over the West Sea was meant to showcase combined deterrent and dynamic strike capabilities and included the dropping of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs on the uninhabited island of Jikdo off the western coast of South Korea, according to the release. In their own statement, South Koreas Joint Chiefs said four U.S. Air Force F-16s and four South Korean F-15K fighter jets took part in the exercise, with an F-15K dropping two JDAMs. The U.S. remains committed to peace and prosperity through the region in order to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Indopacom statement said. Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad. During the live fire drills, however, a South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned as it landed, according to multiple reports. The explosion caused a fire which panicked those in Gangneung on South Koreas eastern coast, as Seoul did not give an explanation as to the reason of the accident. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff later said no injuries were reported and no civilian facilities were affected from the explosion, which happened when a Hyumoo-2 missile crashed inside an air force base on the edges of the city, The Associated Press reported. North Korea on Monday tested an intermediate-range ballistic missile by firing it over Japan, raising alarms over the hermit nations growing nuclear capabilities and fears it may soon conduct its first nuclear test since 2017. The missile eventually landed in the Pacific Ocean and did not cause any casualties, though Japanese authorities issued evacuation warnings to residents of Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures in the islands north. Story continues The weapons test Pyongyangs fifth in roughly a week is seen as the isolated nations most provocative in five years, as the last time it fired a missile over Japan was in September 2017. Both U.S. and Japanese officials have condemned the launch, which came just days after Vice President Harris traveled to Asia for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes funeral and to meet with South Korean leaders. In another response to the North Korean missile, the Pentagon has repositioned the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and strike group east of North Korea, Reuters reported. South Koreas military said it was a highly unusual move meant to show U.S. commitment to respond to any threats from North Korea, according to Reuters. A spokesperson from U.S. 7th Fleet later confirmed to The Hill that the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the Sea of Japan. The U.N. Security Council was also set to meet Wednesday to discuss North Korea, per the U.S. request. Updated at 4:24 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Pete Buttigieg has hit back at Marjorie Taylor Greene after she accused him of trying to emasculate people by encouraging them to opt for electric cars over carbon dioxide emitting vehicles. The Georgia congresswoman levelled the offensive remark at Democrats like Pete Buttigieg while she was stumping in Michigan over the weekend alongside former President Donald Trump, who held the campaign-style rally where he once again voiced his unproven allegation that the 2020 election was stolen and simultaneously endorsed several Republicans in the November midterms. Democrats like Pete Buttigieg want to emasculate the way we drive and force all of you to rely on electric vehicles after they shut down your great Michigan auto industry., said Ms Greene while she touted the Americanness of the roar of a V8 engine under the hood of a Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro. The transportation secretary struggled to hide a look of bemusement when the quote was read back to him by Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Tuesday night. I literally dont even understand what that means, said Mr Buttigieg. My sense of manhood is not connected to whether or not my vehicle is fuelled by gasoline or whether its fuelled by electricity, he said, before calling it a strange thing to say. My sense of manhood is not connected to whether my vehicle is fueled by gasoline or whether its fueled by electricity, says @SecretaryPete. pic.twitter.com/vmrwJSPxBm Adam Wren (@adamwren) October 4, 2022 Mr Cavuto then asked the transportation secretary if he was offended by Ms Greenes remarks, noting that there were people who even share her politics that didnt share that view. You know, to be honest, there are other members of Congress that I pay more attention to when Im thinking about opinions that really matter or ideas that are going to be critical to engage with, Mr Buttigieg replied. Story continues He went on to say that the conversation around electric modes of transportation neednt be ideological, but rather a practical one. [Its about] how we get from point A to point B. And if industry and the world are moving in a direction that adopts a new technology, the real question is are we gonna let China lead that or are we gonna lead it here in the United States of America? he added. This isnt the first time that the Georgia congresswoman has gone on the attack against Mr Buttigiegs policies on green transportation while using lines tinged with homophobic and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. In March, during a separate Trump rally, Ms Greene bizarrely accused Mr Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten, of entering womens bathrooms while using bicycles. You know what? Pete Buttigieg can take his electric vehicles and his bicycles and he and his husband can stay out of our girls bathrooms, she said, a comment that became widely panned online with comedians like Kathy Griffin later tweeting: You guys, I cannot get secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten out of my bathroom. Other high-ranking GOP members have used homophobic lines to attack the transportation secretary for his green initiatives, such as when Michigan Republican Party co-chair Meshawn Maddock called Mr Buttigieg a weak little girl in response to a video that showed him championing Californias 2035-ban on gas-powered cars. Ms Greenes record of anti-LGBTQ comments has become so extensive that the GLAAD Accountability Project has listed at least 10 recent instances where she has made problematic and hateful remarks about marginalised groups. As well, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Georgia Equality the states largest LGBTQ advocacy organisation steadily tracked Ms Greenes anti-LGBTQ and racist history as she rose to win her seat in 2020 and immediately condemned her victory in Georgia citing her dangerous embrace of extreme, divisive and uninformed views. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the company, her union and a former colleague who pleaded guilty last year to dead-bolting the cockpit door during a flight and stripping naked in front of her. Christine Janning alleges that Southwest retaliated by grounding her after she reported Michael Haak to the company and the FBI, that it kept him employed despite an alleged history of sexual misconduct and that managers disparaged her in memos. She also alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conspired with the airline and refused to support her. She is suing Haak for sexual assault. He pleaded guilty last year to a federal misdemeanor charge of committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act and was sentenced to probation. Haak's attorney, Michael Salnick, said Wednesday that his client disrobed only after Janning encouraged him to and never did anything else. Southwest said it supported Janning and that it will vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. The union did not respond to a phone call seeking comment. The Associated Press doesn't normally identify people who say they are victims of sex crimes, but Janning through her attorney agreed to the use of her name. According to the lawsuit filed last week in Orange County, Florida, Janning had never met Haak before August 2020, when she was his co-pilot on a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando. She says Haak, a 27-year veteran of the airline, had used his seniority rights the previous day to bump another pilot who had been scheduled to command the flight. Janning believes that's because he saw a woman was the scheduled co-pilot. Video: Southwest Airlines passenger AirDrops nude photo to other fliers Janning said that when they reached cruising altitude, Haak told her this was his final flight and there was something he wanted to do before retirement. She said he bolted the door so no flight attendant could enter. He then put the plane on autopilot, stripped off his clothes, began watching pornography on his laptop and committed a lewd act for 30 minutes while taking photos and videos of himself. Story continues Salnick said it was Janning who asked Haak if there was anything he wanted to do before retiring. When he replied he wanted to fly naked, she told him to go ahead and then made sexual advances after he disrobed, Salnick said. He said Haak rejected those and adamantly denied a lewd act occurred. At his sentencing hearing last year, Haak called the incident a consensual prank that got out of hand. Janning's attorney, Frank Podesta, denied she encouraged Haak or made any advances. Janning said in the lawsuit that she was horrified, but she kept flying the plane while taking photos to create a record. The plane landed safely. And that wasnt Haaks final flight he flew for three more weeks. Meanwhile, Janning didnt report the incident to a Southwest employee relations investigator until three months later. She said she waited because her boss had disparaged her to a male colleague previously. She said she asked the investigator not to inform her boss, but she did. Janning says she was soon told that because Haak had retired, the airline's investigation was closed. Janning then went to the FBI, who charged Haak. She alleges Southwest had sent Haak to a Montreal sexual harassment counseling center after a 2008 incident involving a flight attendant. Janning said as retaliation for the FBI report, she was grounded for more than three months, costing her part of her salary. She was then required to take unnecessary flight simulator training before she could work again. She also said that on the day she was grounded, the airline stranded her in Denver and the FBI had to book her a United Airlines flight so she could return home to Florida. She said a Southwest manager sent a memo to more than 25 employees that made baseless allegations about her flying competency. Southwest denied Janning's allegations, saying we immediately supported (Janning) by cooperating with the appropriate outside agencies as they investigated. Our corporate Culture is built upon treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and the events alleged in this situation are inconsistent with the behavior that we require of our Employees, the statement read. She said that when she contacted the union, its leaders did nothing to help her but did write a letter to Haak's judge during his misdemeanor case saying he had a spotless record. No hearings have been scheduled. While others were driving out, four Pittsburgh firefighters were driving into the area flooded by Hurricane Ian. It took me about five minutes to have three firefighters with me and ready to go, Captain John Gardell said. At the end of the day, I know any of these firefighters would do the same for me. Their mission: to help Florida firefighters working around the clock without time to shore up their own homes, also badly damaged. Being here firsthand, it absolutely is very devastating, Gardell said. A lot of people with a lot of damage. It will take a while to recover here. Between tree removal, tarping roofs and cleaning up, they want to make sure that they do the job right. The Florida firefighters and their families are grateful that what Mother Nature tore down, the human spirit is building back up. You see neighbors helping neighbors. Everything flowing together to get the job done, Gardell explained. When our backs are against the wall, we come together as a group, everyone. Gardell sends thanks back home to the Pittsburgh Fire Fighters Local No. 1 and Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire for giving this crew the time and support to go and assist those in need. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Target 11: Student who allegedly raped teacher accused of previous assault Family, friends remember man who died after falling from escalator at Acrisure Stadium Man killed after dump truck flies off overpass in Indiana County VIDEO: Missing Allegheny County woman had PFA order against boyfriend, prime suspect in her disappearance DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts The Pittsburgh Pirates play the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. Pittsburgh is 61-100 overall and 33-47 in home games. The Pirates are 45-23 in games when they record at least eight hits. St. Louis is 40-40 in road games and 93-68 overall. The Cardinals have a 71-23 record in games when they record at least eight hits. Wednesdays game is the 19th time these teams match up this season. The Cardinals are up 13-5 in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: KeBryan Hayes has 24 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 41 RBI while hitting .245 for the Pirates. Oneil Cruz is 15-for-35 with three doubles over the past 10 games. Paul Goldschmidt has 35 home runs, 79 walks and 115 RBI while hitting .317 for the Cardinals. Juan Yepez is 10-for-34 with three doubles, a home run and three RBI over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Pirates: 6-4, .250 batting average, 3.70 ERA, outscored opponents by one run Cardinals: 5-5, .243 batting average, 3.93 ERA, outscored opponents by 13 runs INJURIES: Pirates: Zack Collins: 10-Day IL (undisclosed), Wil Crowe: 15-Day IL (elbow), Eric Stout: 15-Day IL (undisclosed), Colin Holderman: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Yerry De Los Santos: 60-Day IL (lat), Max Kranick: 60-Day IL (elbow), Canaan Smith-Njigba: 60-Day IL (wrist), Roberto Perez: 60-Day IL (hamstring), Blake Cederlind: 60-Day IL (elbow) Cardinals: Ryan Helsley: day-to-day (hand), Jordan Hicks: 15-Day IL (neck), Tyler ONeill: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Drew VerHagen: 60-Day IL (hip), Alex Reyes: 60-Day IL (shoulder) TRENDING NOW: Rust shooting: Alec Baldwin, Halyna Hutchins family reach settlement T rail car derails in Dormont, PRT says Target 11: Student who allegedly raped teacher accused of previous assault VIDEO: Where is our help? Pittsburgh Cultural District business owners say violence is rising DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Reuters PARIS (Reuters) -Real Madrid's France forward Karim Benzema won the 2022 Ballon d'Or award for the best men's player in the world on Monday, while Barcelona's Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas won the women's award for a second time. Benzema, who played a pivotal role in Real's run to the Champions League title last season, is the first French player to win the trophy since Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and the fifth after Raymond Kopa, Michel Platini and Jean-Pierre Papin. Debris at the scene of a building explosion that happened the previous day near North Central Avenue and West Washington Boulevard in Chicago on Sept. 21, 2022. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune) Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a disaster declaration Tuesday for the apartment building in Austin that collapsed in September, killing one person. The declaration will allow those affected to apply for loans not covered by insurance, according to a news release. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency said in the release the U.S. Small Business Administration approved the disaster declaration for the building at 5601 W. West End Ave. where a man was killed and seven others injured. Advertisement The collapse was the aftermath of an explosion about 9 a.m. on Sept. 21. The Chicago Fire Department office of fire investigation found the cause of the explosion to be the ignition of natural gas. We requested a disaster declaration on behalf of the families who were left homeless by this explosion and subsequent structural collapse, IEMA Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau said in a statement. Illinois is very grateful to the SBA because it will help these families rebuild their lives. Some of these residents lost not just the structure of their home, but everything they owned. I encourage every resident affected by the explosion to apply for one of these loans. Advertisement City building inspectors examined and helped stabilize the damaged portion of the multiunit apartment building. Pritzker said the disaster declaration is one of many ways those affected by the building collapse are being provided financial relief. The disaster declaration allows for residents, condo homeowners and businesses affected to apply for low-interest loans for any damages not covered by insurance. Victims of the Sept. 20 Chicago apartment building explosion deserve all of our available resources to heal and rebuild, Pritzker said in a statement. Homeowners can apply for up to $200,000 in low-interest loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed property, according to the release. Homeowners or renters can apply for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Businesses and nonprofits can borrow up to $2 million for physical damages. Staff from the SBA will be at the Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St., starting at 11 a.m. Thursday to help people with their loan applications, according to the release. The Disaster Loan Outreach Center will be open Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., then on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The center will close at 4 p.m. on Oct. 20. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement the disaster declaration gives people affected yet another option to consider in their collective road to recovery. Law enforcement in Kharkiv Oblast discovered a Russian torture chamber in the the liberated village of Pisky-Radkivski. Read also: Russian commander of the Western Military District removed for failures in Kharkiv The chamber was discovered thanks to a tip from local residents, who directed law enforcement to the basement of a local residence where Russian occupation forces were holding kidnapped civilians, Ukrainian military veterans, and prisoners-of-war, Bolvinov said. Read also: Invaders rigged dam in Kharkiv Oblast with about 650 kilos of explosives Neighbors constantly heard screams from there, he wrote. At the moment, the police definitely know about the tortures like burying someone alive and then digging them out, and using a gas mask with a smoldering rag. Another objects that were found in the torture room include a dildo, a box with torn dentures, wires with ropes, and a letter containing an interrogation transcript of one of the men who was held there. Read also: SBU head describes Russian troops attack on civilian convoy in Kharkiv Oblast Bolvinov added that investigators and prosecutors are establishing all the facts, and they are aware of the names of the victims that had been kept in the chamber. Evidence of torture chambers and mass graves have been found all across liberated Ukrainian settlements. Read also: Putin plans to take Kharkiv, Odesa after announced mobilization, says Bloomberg On Oct. 4, the Office of the President reported that 483 settlements had been liberated in Kharkiv Oblast. Due to intense shelling, a partial evacuation is being carried out in the region. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A heavy police presence, including multiple jurisdictions and a SWAT team, is outside a Frances Street duplex Tuesday night. KAUKAUNA - The Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group - Drug Unit said it arrested a person as part of an investigation that led to a heavy police response Tuesday afternoon and night at a Frances Street duplex. Law enforcement from numerous agencies including a SWAT team, the MEG unit, the Kaukauna Police Department, the Outagamie County Sheriff's Office and the Appleton Police Department were outside the residence in the 600 block of Frances Street. The location is just south of County CE near the intersection with Fieldcrest Drive. The Outagamie County Sheriff's Office was called at 12:24 p.m. Tuesday to assist the Kaukauna Police Department at the Frances Street address, according to the sheriff's office incident summary report. The suspect was booked into the Outagamie County jail on a probation violation at 10:43 p.m., according to the county's jail media report. According to the MEG unit, as police arrived at a Frances Street home to conduct a search, the suspect was believed to have fled the home and was later located and arrested at a neighboring home. No other details about the incident, including what occurred during the hours-long police presence, were released. The MEG unit is a multijurisdictional drug task force comprised of investigators from 15 law enforcement agencies in Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet and Fond du Lac counties. It's led by an agent from the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation. MORE: Neenah police organize collection of supplies for Hurricane Ian victims in south Florida MORE: How race affects social media efforts to find missing kids A heavy police presence has been outside a Frances Street duplex in Kaukauna for much of Tuesday. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: One person arrested after long police presence outside Kaukauna home Police in North Strabane Township investigated rumors of a threatened school shooting at Canon-McMillan High School. A statement began spreading on social media, saying an alleged note threatening a school shooting was found at the high school. After being alerted of the activity on social media, the district reached out to authorities. The district said officers reported the information was false. Parents and guardians of students were notified of the investigation. Please continue to keep our schools safe by encouraging your children that if they see something to say something, the school district said in a statement. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW Buckeye Police released information on an ongoing sex crimes investigation involving a photographer who was contracted for school pictures. Buckeye police on Wednesday released information on an ongoing sex crimes investigation involving a photographer who was contracted for school pictures by Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye in September. On Sept. 2, Buckeye police received reports the photographer reportedly committed sexual offenses against minors, police said in a statement. Liberty Elementary School District Superintendent Lori Shough said in a letter sent to families that police informed the district about the allegations after they learned about them. Shough said the photographer was on the Freedom Elementary School campus in September. The district canceled a "retake day" of school pictures that had been scheduled with the photographer as a result of the investigation. They also put contracts with the photographer's employer on hold indefinitely, according to Shough. The photographer had not been arrested or charged as of Wednesday, according to Buckeye police. The investigation is in its early stages and detectives were conducting interviews. Shough said no further information could be shared with parents as of Wednesday and encouraged anyone with information to contact the Buckeye Police Department tip line at 623-349-6411. "We are committed to the safety of our students and expect all contractors to adhere to the highest ethical practices and conduct. We will not tolerate behaviors that compromise the safety of our children," Shough said. Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Photographer hired by Liberty Elementary in Buckeye is under inquiry Clayton County police have arrested the parents of a 7-year-old girl who was killed in a hit-and-run along Tara Boulevard last month. It happened in the early hours of Sept. 4. Keymoriona Williams was walking in front of the hotel where her family was staying when she was hit by a car. Clayton County police say after watching surveillance footage from the hotel, it revealed the parents had left Keymoriona and her other siblings alone for nearly four hours. TRENDING STORIES: When police search the hotel, they said they found two 9-year-old juveniles asleep inside the room. The investigation revealed that the parents, Jordan (Wint) and Christal (Williams), both left the hotel room to deliver food. They left a cellphone in the three juveniles possession to contact them if need be, police said in a news release. Williams and Wint have been charged with cruelty to children, contributing to the deprivation of a minor and reckless conduct. As for who hit and killed Keymoriona, that still remains a mystery. RELATED NEWS: A police detective in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Vallejo was fired after an independent investigation concluded that his use of deadly force in the shooting of a 22-year-old man in 2020 "was not objectively reasonable" a rare move by a department that has come under review for its high rate of fatal shootings by officers. The Vallejo Police Department, which commissioned the investigative report, did not name the officer in a news release Monday, but an attorney with the family of the man who died, Sean Monterrosa, identified him as Jarrett Tonn, a detective with the department for more than six years. The department has not publicly named Tonn nor the other officers who responded to a report of looting at a Walgreens after midnight on June 2, 2020. The incident came amid widespread protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Vallejo police officials aren't identifying the fired officer because a court order in a related lawsuit brought by the union, the Vallejo Police Officers' Association, prevents them from doing so. The department and the city also declined to comment further, but said it would make a redacted copy of the "notice of discipline" publicly available. Neither Tonn nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment, and it was unclear whether he planned to challenge his firing in arbitration. He was placed on leave in the aftermath of the shooting of Monterrosa, who was from San Francisco. At the time, authorities said, an officer arriving at the scene was sitting in the back of an unmarked police truck when he fired five times through a windshield, fatally hitting Monterrosa, who the officer believed had a gun and was kneeling "in preparation to shoot." Image: Sean Monterrosa (Wendy Tavares / GoFundMe) Monterrosa had stopped and was crouched down in a half-kneeling position facing the officers, authorities said, and investigators later retrieved a hammer from his sweatshirt pocket. A month after the shooting, police released officers' body camera footage. Three officers in the truck had activated their cameras, but none of the videos showed Monterrosa prior to Tonn firing his weapon through the front windshield. The vehicle itself did not have a camera. Story continues In a notice to Tonn on Dec. 1, 2021 warning that he was facing termination, Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams noted that while the officer felt compelled to use his Colt M4 Commando rifle, none of the other officers at the scene had even unholstered their weapons. "Your generalized concern that people were engaged in criminal activity, i.e. looting, did not give you a reasonable basis to believe that Mr. Monterrosa, in particular, posed a threat of death or serious bodily injury to you or anyone else," Williams wrote. In addition, the police chief said that Tonn "failed to timely active your body worn camera," which violates department protocol, and his actions "undermine public confidence" in the department. But at a hearing in April, an outside consultant reviewing the case recommended that he not be fired. The Vallejo Police Officers' Association said Tuesday it was "disappointed" that Williams went against that guidance and "unilaterally decided to terminate our member." "We are confident this egregious political move will be overturned in arbitration," the union said in a statement. The firing of a police officer in Vallejo for actions while on duty is rare and comes as the California Department of Justice is conducting an "expansive review" of the city's police department after the community demanded accountability over fatal shootings by officers, with the majority of those killed Black men and other men of color, records show. Monterrosa was Latino. Vallejo last fired an officer in October 2020 in connection with the death of Willie McCoy, a local rapper who was shot by officers 55 times in 3.5 seconds. That officer, however, was not fired over his use of deadly force but because Williams said he had endangered the lives of other police officers, neglected basic firearm safety and demonstrated "unsatisfactory work performance." The state Department of Justice's investigation into the death of Monterrosa is ongoing. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had called for the FBI to investigate as well. In the weeks after the shooting, the city confirmed that the bullet-riddled windshield from the police truck from which the officer fired had been destroyed. A police lieutenant was placed on administrative leave in connection with the windshield's destruction. Monterrosa's family said in a social media post Monday that while they believe Tonn should have been fired immediately, they were "grateful for this administrative step." "After two years we continue to demand that the California DOJ under the leadership of [state Attorney General] Rob Bonta take immediate action to prosecute and hold the responsible Vallejo officers accountable for their crimes," said the family, which has a pending wrongful death lawsuit against the city and Tonn. The city has denied the allegations in the suit. Melissa Nold, an attorney who is working with Monterrosa's family on advocacy issues, has said that reviewing the windshield was necessary to accurately recreate the scene and help determine the trajectory of the bullets, since bodycam video does not show Monterrosa until he was already lying on the ground. "Tonn's termination is a pivotal step towards reform and accountability," Nold said Tuesday. "Real leadership requires difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions, but rules and laws must be enforced." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Every investor in Mirvac Group (ASX:MGR) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 51% ownership. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn). Institutional investors would probably welcome last week's 7.9% increase in share prices after a year of 26% losses as a sign that returns are likely to begin trending higher. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Mirvac Group. View our latest analysis for Mirvac Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Mirvac Group? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. Mirvac Group already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. 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 Mirvac Group's earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters. Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Mirvac Group is not owned by hedge funds. BlackRock, Inc. is currently the largest shareholder, with 10% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 9.5% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 7.3% by the third-largest shareholder. Our studies suggest that the top 25 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder. Story continues Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily. Insider Ownership Of Mirvac Group While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it. Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances. Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Mirvac Group in their own names. It's a big company, so even a small proportional interest can create alignment between the board and shareholders. In this case insiders own AU$16m worth of shares. It is always good to see at least some insider ownership, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been selling. General Public Ownership The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 49% stake in Mirvac Group. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: 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 be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Mirvac Group . 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here A local cancer survivor is selling handcrafted wooded ducks to raise money for people who are battling the horrible disease. Learn about his story in the video above. To purchase a duck, click here. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW While visiting Fort Myers, Florida to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Ian, President Biden can be heard saying no one fucks with a Biden. Although it is unclear what else he is saying or who he is talking to, this comment is very clearly heard. President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden arrived in Fort Myers, Florida to meet the victims of Hurricane Ian and hold a press conference with Governor DeSantis. The President and the Governors relationship with each other has been a prominent topic as they have previously expressed dislike for each other. However, the President and the Governor have both made it clear that their main priority is the health and well being of Floridians. Hurricane Ian was a Category 4 hurricane that hit Floridas west coast. It had been the first time in one hundred years that the west coast of Florida had been hit directly by a hurricane. Over 100 people are reported to have died and search-and-rescue efforts are still underway. BIDEN: No one fucks with a Biden. IRYNA BALACHUK WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 11:03 The President's Office has said that Putin's so-called "laws on the admission" of Ukrainian oblasts into Russia are not worth the paper they are signed on, and that Ukraine will reclaim all its territories. Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President, on Telegram Quote from Yermak: "The worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on. This collective madhouse can continue to live in a fantasy world." Details: Yermak says that the best cure for Russian madness is "the Armed Forces of Ukraine, high-precision weapons, the offensive [the counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine - ed.]. Let's return them to reality, let's take back everything that is ours," Yermak concluded. Background: On 5 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed "laws on the admission" of the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! 79 villas to be pulled down in Phu Quoc for construction violations Authorities in Phu Quoc Island in the southern Kien Giang Province are removing 79 villas that were illegally built in Duong To Commune. 79 villas are illegally built in Duong To Commune, Phu Quoc Island. According to the chairman of the provincial people's committee, Le Quoc Anh, the 79 villas were illegally built on an area of about 18 hectares of public land in Duong To Commune. "We have revoked the land and asked authorities in Duong To Commune to complete procedures for the demolition of the villas," Anh said on Monday. Some 12 villas have been demolished so far. An investigation showed that some local people had encroached upon public and forest land and sold it to people from other places between 2017-2018 when the tourist island experienced rocketing land prices. The buyers then subdivided the lots into plots of 200-350 square metres and sold these on. The first villas were built some four years ago when land prices in Phu Quoc boomed. More were constructed during the period of Covid-19 social distancing during the past two years. "We'll penalise the developers of the villas and ask them to demolish their illegal construction works and return the land to the local authorities," Anh added. "We'd summoned the developers several times to deliver warnings, but they simply ignored them. We gave them the September 30 deadline to furnish documents proving title to the lands and construction permits for the villas but none of them showed up. And some 12 villas have been demolished by local authorities so far." The official said that they had set up a task force to carry out inspections of encroachments on public and forest lands in Phu Quoc. Initial investigations showed that nearly 140 hectares of forest land had been illegally occupied and nearly 40 tourism projects had encroached on a marine protected area. "We're also finding out the responsibility of local authorities and relevant agencies involved in these violations," he noted. A Chicago man was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery after he was arrested for shooting and seriously injuring a 7-year-old boy in the Roseland neighborhood Sunday morning, Chicago police said. Kentrell Gayden, 22, is charged with one felony count of attempted first-degree murder, one felony count of aggravated battery/discharge firearm and two issuances of warrants, police said. Advertisement The sun sets on a church at the scene where a 7-year-old was shot on the 10800 block of South State Street on Oct. 2, 2022, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) He was arrested around noon Sunday after he was identified as the gunman who roughly 40 minutes earlier fired shots at a vehicle the 7-year-old boy was in on the 10800 block of South State Street, police said. The boy was in the car with four members of his family, on the way to church. The boy, Legend Barr, was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in Chicago and transferred to Comer Childrens Hospital. He suffered a gunshot wound to one of his legs that shattered his femur, according to a GoFundMe page. As of Tuesday evening, the fundraiser had raised nearly $5,000. Prince Andrew meets well-wishers outside Balmoral on 10 September following the Queen's death. (Getty Images) There was a moment earlier this year where Prince Andrew truly believed he was building the path towards a comeback. Stripped of his titles and relegated to a retired life at home, sources tell me in early spring the prospectless Duke of York held a series of meetings with his lawyer and members of his team all third party employees, since the Palace refuse to deal with him anymore to discuss potential routes back into the public eye. Not that he ever thought he would be a working royal again, a close source tells me, but he did discuss creating duties of his own, through philanthropic efforts and being seen as the supportive son of the Queen These would contribute to rehabilitating his image. Not as the Duke of York, but simply as a man who wanted to do good. Read more: The UK's economic turmoil is a reminder than the royals must rein in the extravagance His return to a somewhat public role was also dependent on a continued proximity to his former position as a working royal. Though his military honours had been taken away and use of HRH banned, there was one role he had left at his disposal: Knight of the Garter. Prince Andrew looks set to remain out of the public eye after the Queen's death. (PA) Prince Andrew was notably absent from the annual Order of the Garter Service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in June. (PA) Walking in the Garter Day procession in Junemarking one of the most honourable orders of chivalrywould have put him front and centre once again. It was going to plan until, at the 11th hour, senior family members intervened, not wanting his presence to overshadow Camillas debut as Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter or bring further embarrassment to 'The Firm'. We saw little of Andrew since that moment until a few weeks ago, when he adopted a visible role in the ceremonial proceedings following the death of the Queen. Thanking well-wishers outside Balmoral Castle, it was one of the few moments he genuinely had the right to be a part of. He would be sorely mistaken if he believes that might parlay into anything else, a palace source explained to me last week. He had every right to be part of each family event, but there was a conscious effort [behind the scenes]within the institution and the familyto ensure he didnt take advantage of the situation. (Down to every last detail, including the optics of taking custody of the late monarchs two dogs, which a York representative only named Sarah Ferguson in media briefings confirming the decision.) Story continues Without the soft spot of the Queen at his disposal it was no secret that Andrew was her favourite child, the door is now shut tighter than ever for the prince. Though King Charles III has sympathy for his brother, Im told, the newly-minted sovereign will never allow him to set foot near the family business again. So much so that Andrew may soon be stripped of his final link to the Crownhis role as a Councillor of State, which still allows the prince to deputise for the King should he be unable to work due to illness or absence abroad. Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew pictured in 2017. (Getty Images) Last month, it was reported that Charles is considering rewriting the 85-year-old Regency Act to exclude non-working members of the Royal Family meaning Andrew, Prince Harry and Princess Beatrice would be off the list. There is every reason extra effort is going into ensuring Andrew remains out of sight. While his fall from grace began with his friendship with billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, it crescendoed with his multi-million settlement to Virginia Giuffre after she filed a civil case alleging him of sexually assaulting her as a teenager. Though he consistently denied the allegations, he also consistently showed little empathy towards the countless young women and girls whose lives were destroyed. There is also speculation that Maxwell could try to reduce her 20-year prison sentence by becoming a government witness in any broader investigation into the social circle of Epstein, potentially thrusting Andrew into the limelight again. Prince Andrew pictured with a then 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell. This week, a new documentary, Banished: Prince Andrew, reveals more details of Andrews life of bad decisions and womanising. Alongside suggestions that he was a sex addict, the production not only presents the eighth-in-line to the throne as a predator but also as a man who pursued a depraved friendship with Epstein and Maxwell so they could help him fulfil needs he was unable to satisfy elsewhere. Read more: 'Sink or swim': The future of the monarchy rests on King Charles's newly crowned head I recently saw a preview and the archive interview with a masseuse who claims Andrew greeted her with the line, Hey, nice a**. Do you take it up the a**? is as stomach churning today as it was the first time around. Whether any of this makes headlines in the British press will be another story altogether. Most newspapers seem to still be obsessively focused on stale tales about the Duchess of Sussexes supposed workplace bullying (the latest revelations still failing to provide any anecdotes or proof of said behaviour). But whether the latest Andrew revelations get attention or not, none of this changes the bleak outlook for him. To the majority of the world, they will never see him as anything other than the man who continued a disturbing friendship with a convicted paedophile and paid out millions to an underaged rape accuserand theres no coming back from that. Watch: Prince Andrew says he will miss Queen Elizabeth's advice and humour Prince William honored the late Queen Elizabeth II in his first public speech as the Prince of Wales Tuesday. The Duke of Cambridge and Cornwall attended the United for Wildlife Global Summit, where he spoke about animals being threatened by poachers. Prince William created United for Wildlife in 2014 as part of the Royal Foundation. William also acknowledged his father King Charles III and his late grandfather Prince Philip's work. "Our natural world is one of our greatest assets," William said, according to People magazine. "It is a lesson I learnt from a young age, from my father and grandfather, both committed naturalists in their own right, and also from my much-missed grandmother, who cared so much for the natural world." PHOTO OF KING CHARLES, PRINCE WILLIAM AND THEIR WIVES SHOWS STUNNING EXAMPLE OF FAMILY UNITY: ROYAL EXPERT Prince William mentioned the late Queen Elizabeth II in his first speech as the Prince of Wales. Getty Images "In times of loss, it is a comfort to honor those we miss through the work we do," Prince William added. "I take great comfort then from the progress we are making to end the illegal wildlife trade." The creation of the Prince of Wales' foundation has led to 450 law enforcement cases, 250 arrests and almost 200 seizures, according to People magazine. Prince William noted there is still more work to do. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER "While we do not have the luxury of time, clearly we do have a proven roadmap to success and the motivation to put it into action," William added. "I hope you all leave here today energized and motivated to intensify this work. Because there are still too many criminals who believe they can act with impunity, too many lives being destroyed and too many species on the brink of extinction due to this heinous crime." Prince William honored Queen Elizabeth II previously with an Instagram post. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images This isn't the first time Prince William has honored Queen Elizabeth II. Shortly after her death on Sept. 8, the prince shared an emotional message on social media. "On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader, whose commitment to the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the days ahead about the meaning of her historic reign," he wrote. Story continues "I, however, have lost a grandmother," he added, reflecting on what the queen meant to his family. "And while I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of the queen's wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade. My wife has had twenty years of her guidance and support. My three children have got to spend holidays with her and create memories that will last their whole lives. Queen Elizabeth II died Sept. 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Chris Jackson "She was by my side at my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life. I knew this day would come, but it will be some time before the reality of life without Grannie will truly feel real." A Staten Island Ferry ride has turned into a princess cruise. Princess Anne, 72, the daughter of the late Queen Elizabeth II, was pictured on Oct. 4 taking a ride on the famous ferry that travels to and from the New York City borough. Fans got a smile out of seeing the Princess Royal take a ride on the boat many Staten Islanders use to commute to work every day. We were pleased to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Anne to the #StatenIslandFerry today. pic.twitter.com/XTQjIWqpJM NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) October 4, 2022 "We were pleased to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Anne to the #StatenIslandFerry today," the New York City Department of Transportation tweeted with a photo of Princess Anne looking out over the water from inside the ship. Its usually Staten Island royalty Colin Jost and Pete Davidson who are known to ride (and purchase) a Staten Island Ferry, but Princess Anne represented the Britons when she hopped on at the St. George Ferry Terminal and took a ride across New York Harbor. Fans enjoyed seeing Anne taking in the sights. "Had I known the Princess Royal was in town Id have invited her for tea!" one person tweeted. "Glad Her Royal Highness passed the ferry worker civil service exam. Welcome aboard maam," another commenter tweeted. "I dont know why, but I find it pretty hilarious to find our municipal leaders taking the royal family on the most mundane of NY transit trips. Next up: Princess Anne takes the 5:48 LIRR to Port Wash!" another person wrote. "Pete Davidson really started a trend here," the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services tweeted. Her ferry ride was part of an event involving the National Lighthouse Museum, according to the Staten Island Advance. Anne is a lighthouse enthusiast and the honorary chair for the National Lighthouse Museum's Campaign for Illuminating Future Generations, a fundraising effort to expand and preserve lighthouses, as mentioned on the National Lighthouse Museum's official website. Story continues During this visit, the Advance reported that Anne also toured the museum and gave a speech about the importance of preserving lighthouses. Her visit also comes nearly 65 years to the day that her mother and father, Prince Philip, paid a visit to Staten Island, according to the Advance. Anne's trip on the ferry happened just over two weeks after Queen Elizabeth's funeral ceremony following her death at 96 last month. Anne was by her mother's side in her final 24 hours, calling it "an honour and a privilege" in a statement. The queen's only daughter also made history as the first woman to participate in the royal tradition of the Vigil of the Princes, a symbolic watch over the monarch's coffin. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Police are investigating the homicide of a student who was killed in a residence hall at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. The suspect has been identified as the victim's roommate and has been arrested on a murder charge, according to NBC News. A 911 call was made to police at 12:44 a.m. on Oct. 5 by a suspect described as the victim's roommate, according to a statement by Purdue's Director of Media and Public Relations Tim Doty. The suspect is Ji Min "Jimmy" Sha, 22, a junior cybersecurity major and international student from South Korea, Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete said during a news conference on Oct. 5. Tippecanoe County Coroners Office identified the victim as 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda, a senior from Indianapolis who was studying data science, and they released a preliminary autopsy that found Chheda died of "multiple sharp force traumatic injuries." No details have been released about a motive or what Sha said on the 911 call. I believe this was unprovoked and senseless, Wiete said at the news conference. School officials said in a statement that there was no threat to the community. "This is as tragic an event as we can imagine happening on our campus and our hearts and thoughts go out to all of those affected by this terrible event," Purdue President Mitch Daniels said in a statement on the school's website on Oct. 5. Daniels added that the school does not have all the details of the incident and the Purdue University Police Department is conducting an ongoing investigation. The staff at the residence halls, the Office of the Dean of Students, and Purdue's counseling and psychological services are available to support anyone in need at the school of almost 50,000 students in West Lafayette, Indiana, according to his statement. Nearby students at McCutcheon Hall where the call came from, according to WTHR, were moved to another area as police investigated. Story continues "As Purdues president, but even more so as a parent myself, I assure you that the safety and security of our students is the single highest priority on our campus," Daniels said in the statement. "Purdue is an extraordinarily safe place on any given day, and compared with cities of Purdues population (approximately 60,000 in all), we experience a tiny fraction of violent and property crime that occurs elsewhere. "Such statistics are of no consolation on a day like this. A death on our campus and among our Purdue family affects each of us deeply." Dennis Bisgaard, interim head at Park Tudor School, a private school in Indianapolis, confirmed that Chheda had graduated from the institution in 2020 and expressed in a statement how saddened the community was by Chhedas death. The entire Park Tudor community is incredibly saddened by the tragic loss of Varun Chheda, Park Tudor class of 2020, Bisgaard said in the statement. Our prayers are with his family at this difficult time." This article was originally published on TODAY.com YEVHEN KIZILOV WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 16:13 Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, claims that the results of the so-called referendums held in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, had taken him by surprise. Source: Russian Kremlin-aligned information agency RIA Novosti Quote: "Frankly speaking, the results of the referendums did not only satisfy but also surprised me, as people there lived and continue to live in harsh conditionsthe result is, of course, more than convincing, absolutely transparent and is not subject to any doubt". Background: From 23 to 27 September, the occupiers held sham referendums about the integration of the occupied territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts into Russia. According to the fabricated results, 87-99% of the population are in favour of the integration. On 30 September, Putin signed the "agreement on the integration into Russia" of the occupied Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts and claimed that the residents of these territories were now Russian citizens. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Putin branded Western leaders as racist and claimed they were guilty of spreading Russophobia all around the globe. However, his main focus was the allegedly imperialistic policies of the West. The Russian leader supported his argument by reciting a long list of crimes committed in the name of Western imperialism including everything from the colonization of Africa to the mid-nineteenth century Opium Wars in China. For centuries, the West has claimed to be bringing freedom and democracy to the world, he declared. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Read also: Putin signs decree on the claimed annexation of occupied Ukrainian territory Putin is apparently oblivious to the absurdity of condemning imperialism while at the same time committing the most brazen act of imperial aggression in modern European history. Perhaps this should not come as a surprise. After all, for years he has been transforming Russia into a fascist state while presenting himself an anti-fascist. Why not also pose as an anti-imperialist while engaging in naked imperial aggression? Many veteran Kremlin observers commented that this was comfortably the most vitriolic public attack on the West ever delivered by the Russian leader. Ive watched a lot of Putin speeches over the last 10-15 years and this is the most anti-US one by a really long way, tweeted Financial Times Moscow bureau chief Max Seddon. Putins decision to focus his annexation address on the alleged injustices of modern Western imperialism was in part motivated by a desire to distract domestic attention away from Russias embarrassing battlefield defeats in Ukraine and place the war in a broader geopolitical context. But it also aimed to position Russia at the forefront of a new global coalition of anti-Western forces. At one point in his speech, the Russian leader spoke specifically of ending US hegemony through an anti-colonial movement to be led by Moscow. Read also: Time to question Russias imperial innocence Story continues This emphasis on anti-imperialism reflects Russias broader geopolitical realignment as the Kremlin comes to terms with the fallout from the disastrous invasion of Ukraine. Moscow now appears to recognize that there is little chance of repairing relations with Europe or the US. Instead, Russia will seek to mobilize global anti-Western sentiment and play the role of counter-weight to Western dominance in the international area. It is far from clear whether this gambit will be successful. At present, few countries from the developing world seem ready to align themselves with Russia. Judging by voting habits at the United Nations, only a handful of global pariahs such as Syria and North Korea are currently prepared to side with the Kremlin. Meanwhile, both China and India have signaled in recent weeks that they are far from happy with the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Nor are Putins anti-imperial credentials particularly convincing. While he has tried to blame the war in Ukraine on everything from NATO expansion to imaginary Ukrainian Nazis, it is now painfully obvious that the invasion is actually an old-fashioned war of imperial aggression. Putin himself admitted as much in summer 2022 when he compared the invasion to the eighteenth century imperial conquests of Russian Czar Peter the Great. His decision to annex approximately 15% of Ukraine now removes any lingering doubts. Read also: Biden vows grave consequences for Putin in case of use of nukes Todays speech should cure Western policymakers of any illusions regarding the possibility of a pragmatic relationship with Russia as long as Vladimir Putin remains in the Kremlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already drawn the necessary conclusions and declared that there will be no more negotiations with Putin. Given the gravity of the situation, similar clarity from other Western leaders is now urgently needed. Putin has effectively declared war not only on the West but on the entire rules-based system of international relations. He is attempting to redraw the map of Europe by force and is holding the world hostage with the thinly-veiled threat of nuclear apocalypse. It is crucial that the democratic world stands up to Russias nuclear blackmail. Failure to do so will have potentially catastrophic consequences for international security. Putin would be emboldened to repeat his nuclear ultimatums against new victims throughout the former Soviet Empire, while countries across the globe would soon scramble to protect themselves from this new reality by acquiring nuclear arsenals of their own. Decades of nuclear nonproliferation efforts would collapse and give way to a perilous new era of international instability. Putin is not escalating from a position of strength. His fake referendums, absurd annexations, nuclear threats, and anti-Western rants all point to the fact that he is losing the war in Ukraine. This desperation makes him more dangerous than ever. The West must respond by demonstrating unwavering unity and resolve. This means tougher sanctions against Russia and accelerated military support for Ukraine. Todays events make clear that Putin can no longer be reasoned with. He can only be defeated. This story was originally published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine OLENA ROSHCHINA WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 09:48 Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed "the laws on acceptance" into the Russian Federation of the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblasts. Source: Kremlin-aligned news outlets RIA Novosti and TASS Details: On 5 October, Putin signed laws ratifying the "treaties" on accession and federal constitutional laws on "accepting" the "DPR, LPR [Donetsk Peoples Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic - self-proclaimed formations in Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts respectively - ed.], Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts" as Russian federal subjects, as reported by Russian propagandists. It should be noted that the Kremlin has not even created the semblance of so-called republics for the territories of occupied Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts - they have simply annexed them. Putin has appointed Denys Pushylin to be the temporary acting "Head of the DPR"; Leonid Pasichnyk as the temporary acting "Head of LPR"; Yevhen Balytskyi as the temporary acting "governor" of Zaporizhzhia Oblasts; Volodymyr Saldo as the temporary acting "governor of Kherson Oblast". Those were the people that the Russian President signed sham and legally void "treaties" on the "acceptance" of the occupied territories of the east and the south of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. Kyrylo Stremousov, a Kremlin-appointed puppet, has already stated that there is no customs control on the "border" between Kherson Oblast and Crimea. Russian propagandists have shared a map which indicates that the entire Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk Oblasts are now parts of the Russian Federation, even though there are battles going on for those territories, and part of them is controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti says that this means approximately 8.8 million residents. Story continues Ukraine and the democratic world do not recognise either the results of the sham referendums on the occupied territories, or the so-called accession of any other part of Ukraine to Russia, as was the case with Crimea, illegally annexed in 2014. Background: Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed documents to absorb four Ukrainian regions, formalizing a major escalation in the seven-month war that has been condemned by U.S. and Western officials. The documents were published on a Russian government website, The Associated Press reported, and follow Kremlin-orchestrated referendums in the regions. The Russian parliament earlier this week ratified the annexations of Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces, but Ukrainian forces have continued fighting in the regions, keeping Russia from maintaining complete control. The Ukrainian military over the weekend reclaimed the key transportation hub of Lyman, located in Donetsk, and also made gains in the countrys south in the Kherson region. It remains unclear the exact borders of Russias new territorial claim. Ukrainian forces had made significant land gains in recent weeks, especially in the countrys northeast, causing repeated embarrassments for Putin. He responded by calling up 300,000 reservists to bolster the Russian military operation and threatening the use of nuclear weapons, saying it was not a bluff. Those threats caused alarm among Western leaders. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told CNN that it amounted to nuclear saber-rattling, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan vowed a decisive response and severe consequences for Russia if it follows through. Russia has claimed that residents of the four provinces signed off on the annexation plans in referendums, although the votes were widely condemned by U.S. officials as a sham. The U.S. responded to the annexation by announcing new sanctions, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced officials in Kyiv would seek a fast-track application to join NATO. The United States condemns Russias fraudulent attempt today to annex sovereign Ukrainian territory, President Biden said last week when Russia announced the annexation. Russia is violating international law, trampling on the United Nations Charter and showing its contempt for peaceful nations everywhere, Biden continued. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Arkansans are yearning for someone who cares about them and wants to solve problems, Chris Jones, Arkansas gubernatorial Democratic nominee. Arkansas gubernatorial Democratic nominee Chris Jones is closing the gap against his Republican opponent Sarah Huckabee Sanders ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election. According to a local poll, Sanders currently holds an 11% lead against the Democrat. However, Jones remains hopeful and believes he still has a shot at becoming the states first Black governor. Left to right: Democratic nominee for Arkansas governor Chris Jones and Republican nominee Sarah Huckabee Sanders. (Photo: Getty Images) In an interview with theGrio, Jones conceded that Sanders, the former White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump or as he described her, the [former] mouthpiece for the Trump machine has a ton of money and 100% name recognition. What [people] dont see is that [Sanders] spent over almost $6 million and her favorability actually went down, said Jones. What they dont see is that on the ground, Arkansans are yearning for someone who cares about them and wants to solve problems. Sanders, who served as Trumps presidential spokesperson from 2017 to 2019, is making her bid to be elected to the same office once held by her father, Mike Huckabee, who served as the governor of Arkansas for nearly a decade. A health scare recently marred her campaign as Sanders announced in September that she underwent surgery following a thyroid cancer diagnosis. Jones, a Black man with little name recognition compared to Sanders in a state where the African-American population is less than 16%, is currently canvassing the entire state including all 75 counties for voter support. Hes told Arkansans that he is on a mission to create a better future for them and their families. Michael Steele, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee, told theGrio that although Jones is not the kind of scary Democrat that Arkansans would say, oh hell no we dont want that, he expected the poll margins between the two candidates to be much wider. Story continues Executive Director of Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub Dr. Christopher Jones speaks onstage during the 2018 Concordia Annual Summit Day 2 at Grand Hyatt New York on September 25, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Riccardo Savi/Getty Images for Concordia Summit) The conservative political strategist believes this signals that Jones is in a good spot in the race and could have a better chance of winning the election in four years. Steele, who notably voted for President Joe Biden over his own party leader, Donald Trump, in the 2020 presidential election said that he met Jones previously and feels he presents a very different picture of the Democratic Party, adding people consider his policy decisions. He is not a gadfly. As for the top issues of his gubernatorial campaign, Jones said there are a lot of cross-cutting issues that matter. Voting rights, health care access, climate change, and yet the message that we drive on a day-to-day basis, every place we go is that we need to spread PB and J [preschool, broadband and jobs] across the state. He knows from personal experience that real solutions are needed. Jones recalled as a child his family struggled and lived off food stamps. I remember cars getting repossessed and my parents working hard, he shared. My mom, [who was] a lifelong educator, even when we barely had enough food on the table for us, she made sure that she went out and helped feed somebody else. Thats what Arkansans are about. One of Arkansas most luminary Democratic governors former President Bill Clinton, who at the time made history and became the youngest governor in the country. Jones said Clinton inspired him to run for governor when he was just 8 years old. Governor of Arkansas and democrate candidate Bill Clinton campaigning for presidency in Orlando. (Photo by Ira Wyman/Sygma via Getty Images) We ran into Bill Clinton. He was governor at the time. I was fascinated by him. And I said, Dad, what does he do? And my dad said, hes a governor. I said, Whats a governor? And what did my dad say?: Go look it up. We went to the Encyclopedia Britannica, and I found out that a governor could serve people and make a difference in peoples lives, he recalled. While Jones may be seen as the underdog in his race against a more well-known Sanders in a red state like Arkansas, theres still hope. Roughly 7-8% of Arkansas voters are undecided and could play a major part in which candidate becomes the states next governor. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Race for Arkansas governor heats up between Chris Jones and Sarah Huckabee Sanders appeared first on TheGrio. The idea behind The idea behind "normal marital hatred" is that once you recognize that the feeling is normal, you can become better equipped to handle your anger. (Photo: CSA-Printstock via Getty Images) First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes normal marital hatred? Thats the latest buzzword to enter the relationship/pop psychology space, thanks to marriage therapist Terrence Real, a family therapist for two decades and the author of the new book Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. In an interview with The Washington Post, Real illuminated what he means by normal marital hatred. There are going to be moments when you look at your partner, and at that moment, there is a part of you that just hates their guts, Real told the paper. Youre trapped with this horrible human being. How did you wind up here? What I want to say is, Welcome to marriage. Welcome to long-term relationships. The idea is, once you recognize that marital hatred is par for the course in long-term unions, you can learn how to defuse the situation. Critics online, though, were quick to call the concept of marital hatred into question. (The term is decidedly less warm and fuzzy-sounding than a concept like love languages.) Its not normal to hate your spouse, said Hannah Evans, a sociology Ph.D. candidate whose tweet was widely shared. If you hate your spouse, you should see a therapist and/or get a divorce. The point of platforming all of these opinion pieces that basically say the same thing appears to me to be trying to discourage people, particularly women, from leaving. I dont think marital hatred is the right word for this, as hatred implies a deep disdain for the other person.Amanda Baquero, a marriage and family therapist in Miami Sex and culture writer Ella Dawson shared her thoughts, too. I dont know who needs to hear this tonight but it is not healthy to hate your partner. It is not healthy to ~occasionally~ hate your partner, she tweeted. Frustration and annoyance are going to pop up in any long-term relationship, but hatred should not. Story continues Idealizing your relationship to the point that you think it will remain anger- and argument-free is a bad idea, of course, but is calling angsty moments normal marital hatred going a little too far? Is Real right in saying its normal to hate your spouse? Is it normal and commonplace but still gravely unhealthy? Is it a clever marketing ploy when disdain or annoyance would have gotten the point across better? (Probably, yes!) To answer those questions, we asked other marriage therapists to weigh in on Reals claim that sometimes we all low-key hate the ones we love. Heres what they had to say. If [your hate] is a day or a week here and there after a fight, thats normal. This is certainly a pretty normal feeling for most long-term married people. Theres seasons of a marriage where you feel disconnected, angry and even hateful. If this is all the time, something is wrong. But its very harmful to act as though marriage should be all happiness all the time. This is an impossible expectation for all but newlyweds. Some people feel emotions more intensely than others, so they will feel hate vs. irritation. I think a good analogy is sometimes you hate your sibling even if you love them overall. Close relationships lead to intense feelings. If you hate your spouse unrelentingly for months, try couples counseling, but if its a day or a week here and there after a fight, thats normal. Samantha Rodman Whiten, a clinical psychologist and the host of The Dr. Psych Mom Show podcast When I mention normal marital hatred to the couples I see, they usually laugh, then express relief. When Terry Real talks about normal marital hatred, he is talking about a process that almost all marriages go through a relational weather system with storms, springtime, flowers, ice storms, blue skies, frozen pipes and lots of electrical outages. Clients may have relational fantasies and say, I want a happy sitcom family, or a marriage where were best friends, passionate lovers, our children love us, and all runs smoothly. The problem with that is its not realistic for a relationship with two people or more in it to not experience ups, downs, and everything in between. We are human; therefore fallible, sometimes cranky, tired, and self-oriented. We are all emotionally damaged in various types of ways and from families where we often hated one another at various times. Usually, biological family hatred is fleeting, just like marital hatred. Getting couples to understand this is crucial so that they learn not to run when the marriage is running low on fuel, and to get over the idea that they are only in the relationship so long as everything is working for them. When I mention normal marital hatred to the couples I see, they usually laugh, then express relief. People are often quick to think they are the only ones struggling and everyone else has it better. Becky Whetstone, a marriage and family therapist in Little Rock, Arkansas, and co-host of Curly Girls Relationship Show "When I mention normal marital hatred to the couples I see, they usually laugh, then express relief," marriage therapist Becky Whetstone said. (Photo: Carles Navarro Parcerisas via Getty Images) I dont think marital hatred is the right word for this, as hatred implies a deep disdain for the other person. When I work with couples, its totally normal for them to express negativity, frustration and annoyance toward one another. But I dont think marital hatred is the right word for this, as hatred implies a deep disdain for the other person. While temporary frustration or even longer-term resentment happens in many relationships, hatred towards your partner would make me wonder if theres a deeper issue, like incompatibility. If you feel like you hate your partner, it may be worth asking yourself whether you want to stay in the relationship at all. Having conflict or disliking some parts of your partner or relationship is absolutely normal, but calling it hatred may be taking it a bit far. Amanda Baquero, a marriage and family therapist in Miami Normal, relatively healthy couples will feel annoyed or frustrated at times. I think the use of the word hate is an eye-grabber, but not entirely accurate for Terrys explanation. For many years, the late psychologist and author David Schnarch spoke of normal marital sadism, which stems from the same idea. It speaks to the idea that normal, relatively healthy couples will feel annoyed or frustrated at times and express their anger through aggressive or passive-aggressive means. Theyll forget something on their partners calendar or fail to pick up their partners staple item from the store or fake an orgasm. It is certainly something to work through, as direct communication is generally preferable to indirect or passive-aggressive avenues, but the fact that we are sometimes angry with our partner is normal and needs to be managed with maturity and clarity. Furthermore, the closer we get to someone, the more likely we are to speak to them the same way we speak to ourselves, which isnt always pretty. To deny marital disappointment is to say that all healthy marriages are free from occasional problems or misunderstandings. The truth is, if were choosing a dancing partner, were going to step on toes once in a while. Work on expressing your displeasure with the missteps as course corrections and learning opportunities rather than dealbreakers. Ryan Howes, a psychologist in Pasadena, California, and author of the Mental Health Journal for Men "The closer we get to someone, the more likely we are to speak to them the same way we speak to ourselves, which isnt always pretty," psychologist Ryan Howes said. (Photo: Dean Mitchell via Getty Images) To me, hate conjures up resentment and bitterness. I have heard of this phenomenon and really dont like the word hate. Getting angry at your partner is understandable, even in the best of relationships, but the emotion of hate is something else. To me, hate conjures up resentment and bitterness. Bitterness in particular is utterly toxic and not healthy for the person who is feeling it, and certainly not their relationship. So, no. I do not think it is normal or healthy to feel chronic hate. It is definitely not, in my opinion, a healthy word choice. There is also a trend in our culture since the 1970s that portrays partners as adversaries. This has led to hate in relationships and has hurt the ability of many couples to be more concerned with being close because they are more focused on being right. Hate totally destroys that ability to be understanding. In turn, this leads to chronic anger and disappointment, and that can lead to feelings of hate. This is a damaging cycle that I see so much of the time in my practice. Gary Brown, a couples therapist in Los Angeles Id use the word disdain rather than hatred. Do I believe in the concept of marital hatred? Sure, though Id use the word disdain rather than hatred. But only because hatred is too polarizing and leads people to overlook the more subtle message, as I think many did with Reals Washington Post article. But the emotion is the same. My wife and I have been married 25 years this coming March, and I can say that we are happy and deeply in love. We fully expect the next 25 will be better than the first. Have those 25 years been bliss? Anything but. Weve each had stretches of time where we felt trapped, alone, or deeply disdainful towards each other. At times Ive been convinced my life would be better if I had married someone else. Problems seem both insurmountable and her fault. But without exception, once the dust of those moments settles, the problem hasnt been that my wife was worthy of my disdain, it was that I needed to stop projecting some hated aspect of myself onto her. I think of marriage as two people growing up together. Married or single, growing up is a messy process full of ups and downs as you gradually learn which responsibilities are yours and which arent. If youre married, youre just going through that journey next to someone else, meaning they get a disproportionate amount of your crap projected onto them as you figure life out. They get blamed for all sorts of nonsense that really is yours. In that sense, my marriage has become valuable to me not as a source of deep, unending Disneyland love, but rather because it offers a mirror into parts of me I dont want to see, and an unending invitation to become a better person by working on those parts. If you let it, the crucible of marriage will refine you like nothing else. (Not including abuse, of course. In that case yeah, get out). Sean Davis, a therapist and professor in the couple and family therapy program at Alliant International Universitys campus in Sacramento, California "I think of marriage as two people growing up together," therapist Sean Davis said. "Married or single, growing up is a messy process full of ups and downs as you gradually learn which responsibilities are yours and which arent." (Photo: Suparat Malipoom / EyeEm via Getty Images) Once I hate you, it is very difficult to turn back. First, I would like to say that I am a big fan of Terry Reals approach and philosophy for couples. I would say he and I are usually 99.9% aligned. However, in this particular case, I differ slightly. Although I have not yet finished his book Us, I feel that his quote of normal marital hatred is being taken a bit out of context in the media. While it is a great sound bite, I believe that this deep feeling, encountered in a committed relationship such as marriage, is complex. We can experience moments of very strong feelings in relationships. Although I do believe that hatred can be experienced in relationships, if it is more than a moment or two, more than a passing feeling, then there is serious trouble. I believe that anger is the more prevalent emotion in relationships and that anger is very normal, dare I say healthy, if managed correctly. Anger can pass, sometimes very quickly. Hatred, on the other hand, seems to have a permanence, or let us say depth, that I believe is not healthy. As a marriage and family therapist, and a certified anger management specialist, I believe that defining the difference between anger and hatred is very important. Anger is triggered when ones expectation is broken or challenged and can usually be linked to a specific event or action. I can love you, or at least like you, yet be angry with you. Now hatred, on the other hand, seems to get to the core being of the individual it is directed at. Once I hate you, it is very difficult to turn back. This is why I feel that hatred may not be accurate for what Terry has been quoted for as normal. I agree with him that anger is very normal, especially as an automated coping response to developmental trauma. Hatred, on the other hand, in marriage, well, that feels like it should not be considered normal, in my opinion. Ken Ribotsky, a marriage and family therapist in the South Bay area of Los Angeles While its not good, its still normal. Yes, in my 12 years in practice as a focused marriage counselor, marital hatred is absolutely normal at times. While its not good, its still normal. In the discussions since the article came out, people seem to be getting stuck on the word hate, and it doesnt allow them to see the principle behind the thought. I say all the time in my counseling, it sounds like you dont like your partner very much, and I get a lot of nods when I say it. But if I use the word hate, couples often disagree with me. Even though the couples who use the word dislike vs hate are treating their partner the same way. Its really just semantics. And the difference (if any) is just splitting hairs. Side note: Most of the time they dont use the word hate because it implies that they are actually capable of hate and they dont like to hear that about themselves. And this same ego that keeps them from looking internally into the dark corners of themselves is usually also causing other problems in the marriage that need to get sorted out either to help this marriage or the next one. Whatever words you prefer to use, its liberating for a lot of spouses to hear from a marriage counselor that this behavior is normal at times, because theyve been taught this should never happen in a marriage and that their marriage is broken or that they or their spouse are personally and irreparably broken if they feel this way. Honestly acknowledging their hateful feelings helps disempower the stigma and shame of how theyre feeling and really explore themselves and the marriage in an honest light without flinching. The fact that theyre willing to do this for someone they hate at that moment is an absolutely beautiful thing. It shows courage and a willingness that is nothing less than heroic. Its a beautiful thing as a counselor to see a couple who treats each other horribly come to counseling for help and do the work that is hard and painful. And the rewards are worth it. Absolutely worth it. Aaron Anderson, a therapist and the owner of The Marriage and Family Clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada and Provo, Utah Also on HuffPost This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Police officers stand outside the Chicago police 10th District station where a person reportedly was shot on Oct. 5, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune) Police shot and wounded a man inside a police station after he walked inside shouting anti-police sentiments and pointed a gun wrapped in a plastic bag at officers, police Superintendent David Brown said Wednesday afternoon. The shooting happned about 12:50 p.m. at the West Side station, 3315 W. Ogden Ave., after a man walked in and began mumbling and ranting in the lobby, Brown said at a news conference. Advertisement The man had a plastic bag wrapped in his hand, and an officer saw what appeared to be the barrel of a gun sticking out of the bag, Brown said. The man shouted anti-police sentiments and began to point the gun at officers working at the front desk. Officers drew and fired their weapons as a response, Brown said. Advertisement The man was shot in the arm, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. Brown said he believes three officers fired their weapons, but their guns will be inspected to confirm how many officers fired shots. No officers were injured, Brown said. The mans gun was recovered at the scene, police spokesman Tom Ahern wrote in a tweet. BREAKING: Police involved shooting in @ChicagoCAPS10 station. No Officers injured. One offender in custody and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital. Stable condition. Offenders gun recovered on scene. IRT on scene.Additional details to follow. @Area4Detectives #ChicagoPolice pic.twitter.com/66eYpOFC7F Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) October 5, 2022 The man who was shot has not yet been identified, Brown said. He is not being very cooperative telling us who he is, Brown said, adding that authorities will attempt to identify by his fingerprints. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the shooting, Brown said. The officers involved in the shooting will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days. This anti-police sentiment expressed by this particular offender has us all concerned about access to our police facilities where our officers are, Brown said. But we have to balance that with being open to the community to come in and make reports and engage with our officers. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > COPA is responding to an officer-involved shooting in the 3300 block of West Ogden. If you have any information related to this incident, please call our office at 312-746-3609 or visit https://t.co/LqABRQD4n4 COPA (@ChicagoCOPA) October 5, 2022 It was the second shooting at a police facility in recent days. Late last month, a man broke into the Homan Square facility and allegedly pointed guns at police officers, who shot him. Brown said the department is looking into adding a layer of security for officers working in police facilities after these two recent incidents. Advertisement Were asking for the citys prayers, Brown said. Associated Press The decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees did not start on time because of rain. The game was scheduled to begin at 7:07 p.m. on Monday night, and Major League Baseball announced at about 6:20 p.m. that the start was being delayed. An announcement by public-address announcer Paul Olden informed fans of the impending delay, and the grounds crew at Yankee Stadium covered the infield with the tarp just before 6:40 p.m. A steady rain started at 7:30 p.m. Story at a glance A recent survey from the online language learning app Preply measured the swearing habits of more than 1,500 adults in the nations 30 largest cities. People curse most frequently in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus is followed by Las Vegas, where the average resident curses 30 times every day. The average American swears about 21 times each day, a new survey found. But the rate varies widely among cities, and people curse most frequently in Columbus, Ohio. A recent survey from the online language learning app Preply measured the swearing habits of more than 1,500 adults in the nations 30 largest cities to gauge who swears the most, in what situation people are most likely to swear and in which cities people are most likely to use profanity. In Columbus, the average person swears 36 times per day, and they are most likely to swear while at work, the survey found. Columbus is followed by Las Vegas, where the average resident curses 30 times every day. Jacksonville, Fla., rounds out the top three. America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news. Overall, people who swear the most in these major cities use this type of language at home, and about a quarter of the time when theyre out with friends. Only 7 percent swear the most when driving. Yet half of those surveyed said they swear at themselves a little more than half the time. Broken down by generation, members of Gen Z swear most often around 24 times per day while Baby Boomers break down and utter profanity ten times daily. Residents in Phoenix swear the least, according to the survey, at 14 times per day. The survey measured the responses of 1,549 American residents from the 30 largest cities in the country July 11-12, 2022. Participants were required to live in their city for at least one year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Daewoung Kim and Joori Roh SEOUL (Reuters) - Hours after North Korea flew a ballistic missile over neighbouring Japan on Tuesday, residents in a South Korean seaside town were startled to see flames leaping from a nearby military base and missiles soaring into the sky. It wasn't the start of a war, but a South Korean display of military force that went wrong in a blaze of burning rocket fuel. Intended as demonstration to deter North Korea, South Korea said it was conducting a nighttime drill with Hyunmoo-2C short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) when one failed shortly after launch and hit the ground inside the base in Gangneung, on South Korea's east coast. The missile was carrying a warhead, but it wasn't armed and didn't explode, and there were no casualties, a military official told a briefing. The official apologised for causing residents to worry. The burning rocket fuel lit up the night sky, however, sparking calls to emergency responders and fuelling social media rumours that went unanswered for eight hours until the military disclosed the drill and explained the fire. "All of a sudden I heard a roar and it made me think something has gone wrong," said Kim Hee-soo, a nearby resident. "So I looked at the area where they've fired Hyunmoo missiles before and there was flame and smoke and it was a total mess." A video that Kim shared on social media went viral overnight, and other residents chimed in with concerns and fears amid silence from military authorities. "I thought it was a war," one said in a comment on the video. Another said their house was shaken by the blast, and a third said they evacuated, thinking a landslide was headed for their home. In densely populated South Korea, military training is often conducted near communities, sparking some protests. The 24-hour disaster management office in Gangneung told Reuters that it had received several calls from worried residents. Story continues An official with the agency said the military had confirmed it was conducting a drill, but did not explain the fire, and no city firefighters were called to the base. Kim said he is used to missile launches from the base, including a joint U.S.-South Korea daytime drill in June in response to other North Korean tests. "I've never experienced such an accident in my years having been born and raised here," said Kim, 43. "It makes me very nervous and I hope that they can let us know whenever they conduct a training." (Writing by by Josh Smith. Editing by Gerry Doyle) Like many of the Florida hurricane victims she's helping, Red Cross worker Laura Callahan of East Providence will sleep on a cot in a shelter tonight. Callahan, 32, headed to Florida in a Red Cross truck Saturday, arrived Monday and is set up in Fort Myers, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. "A lot of the homes are destroyed," she said. "It was a fierce storm." Looking around, she also sees fallen trees and downed power lines, flooded roads and yards. A lot of people lost their cars as well as their houses, she said in a phone interview Tuesday. More: Hurricane Ian reminds us about disaster prep. Here's how New Englanders can be storm-ready Hurricane Ian tore into Fort Myers last Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, delivering 150-mph winds and a 15-foot storm surge. More than 100 people have died, including more than 50 in Lee County, of which Fort Myers is part. Seven Rhode Islanders are among the 40 volunteers and staff members the American Red Cross, Connecticut and Rhode Island region, has helping in Florida, according to Jocelyn Hillard, regional communications director. Overall, the Red Cross has sent more than 1,500 trained volunteers to the state, she said. "Each day youll see more Red Cross vests reaching more hard-hit neighborhoods. More than 80 Red Cross emergency response vehicles are on the roads delivering tens of thousands of meals and relief supplies," Hillard said in an email. Callahan and fellow disaster worker Kenneth Sliney drove a Red Cross emergency response vehicle the 1,428 miles from Providence to Florida. The trucks are used to deliver meals, water and snacks, clean-up kits and other items, Hillard said. Red Cross workers Laura Callahan and Kenneth Sliney left Providence on Saturday for Fort Myers, Fla., to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. A disaster program specialist with the Red Cross, Callahan is overseeing distribution centers in Fort Myers that are giving people food, water and toiletries. They're working with the Mt. Olive A.M.E Church and Lee County NAACP. Story continues "Anyone can come. Whatever they need, they can take," Callahan said. More: Floods are a growing threat to New England hospitals what do you do? Callahan started with the Red Cross in 2018 as a volunteer. She's now a staff member. The organization's mission of saving lives "makes sense to me," she said. "I felt as though I was young and able and happy to help." Through the years, Callahan has assisted people in different parts of the country hit by hurricanes, floods, blizzards and wildfires. In December, she went to help after powerful tornadoes ripped through western Kentucky, killing 80 people. Callahan described that damage as "surreal" and says the aftermath in Fort Myers is similar but spread over a broader area. The destruction has affected people from "all different walks of life," Callahan said. Callahan expects to spend at least two weeks in Florida, with a typical workday lasting 12 hours. The Red Cross is "collaborating very closely" with the Fort Myers community, according to Callahan. "The resiliency of these people is inspiring," she said. "It's all hands on deck." "It's remarkable to be part of it," she said. Here's how you can help people affected by Hurricane Ian, according to the Red Cross. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word IAN to 90999 to make a $10 donation. jperry@providencejournal.com (401) 277-7614 On Twitter: @jgregoryperry Be the first to know. Sign up for our breaking news alerts This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI Red Cross workers help Floridians recover after Hurricane Ian The question of worth flows through Ruben Ostlunds Triangle of Sadness, a handsomely grotesque satire about the guests and workers aboard a luxury yacht. The ideas might not be new, and the targets might be easy, but the Swedish filmmaker who has made a cottage industry out of picking at social scabs in films like Force Majeure and The Square has once again made something exceedingly uncomfortable and undeniably entertaining. Besides, from Succession to The White Lotus, its not like well ever tire of watching the privileged class enjoying its privileges, to quote The Philadelphia Storys Macaulay Connor, regardless of whether they get their comeuppance in the end. The beauty and pleasure of something like Triangle of Sadness is in the details, like the well-observed and precisely crafted awkwardness over who should pay the restaurant bill, or the rules about who gets to sit in the front row of a fashion show shifting in real time. The ideas about class consciousness arent anything that a college freshman isnt already well-versed in. But even when the movie starts quoting Marx, its done with a wink and amid a deluge of bodily fluids. Seasickness really is the great equalizer (consider yourself warned). The title, Triangle of Sadness, Ostlund says, is a reference to the wrinkles in between ones brows that plastic surgeons can fix with a shot of botox. Its not a phrase Ive ever heard worry or frown lines seem to be the common ways to describe that, but, apocryphal or not, its a good one. Here, our entry into the world of the one percent, are a model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, a promising talent who tragically died in August at age 32 ). Their only currency is their youthful beauty, which is lucrative for now. After a sharp glimpse inside their public and private world, Carl and Yaya are invited aboard a $250 million yacht for a little vacation among a rarified set. Their ticket is paid for on the hope that Yaya, who is also a social media influencer, will Instagram the experience. The others on board have presumably paid their own way, with riches from big business tech, agriculture and even arms dealing (embodied by the most harmless looking English grandparents youve ever seen). Story continues The crew are reminded that every request should be met with a yes. In this transactional relationship, the hope is that their servitude is rewarded with a big tip. But what happens when a guest requests, then demands, that the entire crew take a break and go swimming on the afternoon when everyone is supposed to be preparing for the big captains dinner? Well, its the avalanche scenario of Force Majeure but with champagne and fine dining. They keep up appearances for a bit. Then its all vomit, blood and general excreta as Woody Harrelsons drunk, Marxist captain and a Russian oligarch (a scene-stealing Zlatko Buric) opine on ideologies and quote Noam Chomsky over the loudspeaker. This could be a natural conclusion to Triangle of Sadness, but Ostlund, who wrote and directed, still has one chapter to go focused on what happens when several of the guests and crew become stranded on a desert island. There, a character weve barely met, Abigail (a terrific Dolly de Leon), who on the ship was the toilet manager, is the only one who knows how to catch and clean fish and build a fire. In this environment, her skills are the only ones that matter, and a new world order is formed. The third episode on the island is not lesser than the others, but it does start to overstay its welcome. Triangle of Sadness, which clocks in at almost two and a half hours, is at its sharpest before the symphony of bodily fluids and survival plots arrive. Ostlund could have probably kept the whole story under two. But maybe the maximalism is part of the point since revolution certainly is not. The film won the Palme dOr at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, a gathering that is not without its own excesses. Maybe Ostlunds thesis was right there at the beginning, on the large screen behind the fashion show: Cynicism masquerading as optimism. Again, its territory that has been covered before, but one only need look at the shenanigans currently happening at Paris Fashion Week to realize that for as hyperbolic as he tried to be, he only scratched the surface. Triangle of Sadness, a NEON release, in limited release Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for some sexual content and language. Running time: 149 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four. - MPA Definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr. The 26-year-old man convicted of killing retired St. Louis Police Captain David Dorn was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Wednesday. Stephan Cannons sentencing comes after a jury convicted him in July of fatally shooting Dorn in June 2020. The 77-year-old was responding to a burglary alarm at a friends pawn shop during a night of Black Lives Matter rioting when Cannon shot him. Cannon was convicted in July on all of felony charges he faced, including first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, stealing $750 or more, unlawful possession of a firearm, and three counts of armed criminal action. Dorns widow, Ann Wood-Dorn, has said her husband would regularly respond when Lees Pawn & Jewelrys burglar alarm was triggered. On the night of his death June 2, 2020 Dorn was defending the shop from looters around 2:30 a.m. when he was fatally shot. Cannon was one of the robbers Dorn confronted before he was murdered. His death was live-streamed on Facebook Live. During the 13-minute-long video that circulated online, a young man can be heard saying, Oh my God, cuz They just killed this old man at the pawn shop over some TVs cmon, man, thats somebodys granddaddy. Attorney Marvin Teer said Cannon fired ten shots at Dorn as he arrived at the scene and fired off warning shots to stop the looters, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Public defender Brian Horneyer argued during the trial that police had tunnel vision in accusing Cannon of the crime and suggested detectives relied on co-defendant Mark Jackson as their main witness despite Jackson being a man who lies as easily as he breathes. Cannon continued to maintain his innocence during the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, KSDK reported. Wood-Dorn also spoke during the hearing, saying that her husband became a victim of the very thing he fought against. Dorns son Brian Powell told Cannon: I hope your eyes are woke. You still have time to get everything together and make amends with your maker. Story continues Then-St. Louis police Chief John Hayden previously described the night of Dorns death as mayhem. Four police officers were shot, some 55 businesses were attacked, and a convenience store was set on fire. It was just one of countless nights of rioting that gripped nearly every major American city after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer. Dorn, an African-American, retired from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in 2007 after 38 years of service. He became Chief of Police for the Moline Acres Police Department the next year. On the first anniversary of the officers death, St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch told National Review he remembers Dorn as a great friend and wonderful law enforcement officer. Hes very much missed and the night that he was taken from our community was a horrible evening for everyone in St. Louis, Fitch said. He added that the violent evening of unrest was really fed by the defund the police crowd which really whipped up a lot of protests in the St. Louis area that ultimately led to Captain Dorns death. More from National Review Biden and DeSantis US President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have briefly set aside their political differences to tour damage from Hurricane Ian. After seeing the storm wreckage by helicopter, Mr Biden shook hands with the Republican rising star and they complimented each other. At least 108 people were killed by Ian, a category four storm. Mr Biden said Florida's recovery may take years. Officials are searching buildings for more victims as crews begin repairs. The president and the Florida governor have previously clashed over pandemic policies, climate change, abortion and LGBT issues. Most recently Mr Biden slammed Mr DeSantis for flying undocumented migrants to the wealthy liberal enclave of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. But on Wednesday the two had only warm words for one another as they focused on hurricane relief during a joint press conference in the city of Fort Myers. Mr DeSantis, who is widely expected to run for president in 2024, and his wife met Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on a wharf littered with storm debris. Flooded homes seen from the air Mr DeSantis thanked the Bidens for coming to Florida, and said he had been "very fortunate" to have good co-ordination with the federal government. Mr Biden told reporters that Mr DeSantis had done a "good job", and that "we have very different political philosophies, but we've worked hand in glove". "What the governor's done is pretty remarkable," Mr Biden said, adding that he had "recognised there's a thing called global warming". Mr DeSantis has backed funding to harden Florida's defences against flooding, but has also argued in the past that global warming is being used as a pretext "to do a bunch of left-wing things". Mr Biden said on Wednesday the debate over whether climate change is happening had finally ended. "More fires have burned in the west and the south-west, burned everything right to the ground, than in the entire state of New Jersey, as much room as that takes up," the president said. Story continues "The reservoirs out west here are down to almost zero. We're in a situation where the Colorado River looks more like a stream." Meanwhile, Mr DeSantis received praise from another potential White House rival. At an event in Miami, former President Donald Trump lauded his response to the hurricane, saying: "God bless our governor." Mr Trump and his former protege have been circling each other warily ahead of a widely anticipated duel for the 2024 Republican White House nomination. Over 278,000 homes and businesses in Florida did not have electricity on Wednesday a week after Hurricane Ian made landfall, according to website poweroutage.us. A temporary road to the hard-hit Pine Island - population 9,000 - opened ahead of schedule. But Sanibel Island is still cut off. Officials say the death toll from Hurricane Ian may rise as more victims are identified. The family of a mother of four from Ohio say she died after travelling to Fort Myers to celebrate her 40th birthday. Nishelle Harris-Miles became trapped in an Airbnb rental as floodwaters in the home pushed her towards the ceiling and a nail pierced her main artery, according to local media. Roger Waters has claimed hes on Ukraines kill list in a recent interview. The Pink Floyd co-founder was discussing his recent statements regarding the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia when he made the remark. Recently, Waters wrote an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, asking them for their commitment to help bring the war to an end. Now, Waters claims he himself is under threat from Ukraine. Dont forget, Im on a kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government, Waters said in an interview with Rolling Stone. Im on the f***ing list, and theyve killed people recently... But when they kill you, they write liquidated across your picture. Well, Im one of those f***ing pictures, he claimed. According to Rolling Stone, Waters is referring to a list that is maintained by a far-right Ukrainian organisation that contains hundreds of thousands of enemies of Ukraine. A website, cited by Rolling Stone, claims that the list is not a kill list as Waters suggests but instead an information for law enforcement authorities and special services and although internationally condemned the government has not removed it. Waters went on to claim that most of the criticism around him stems from Ukrainian websites: When I read stuff, which I have done in blogs and things, criticising me for my I always go and look and see where it came from. And its amazing how often when Ive done the hunt and hunted it down, it is da, da, da.ukraine.org. In his recent open letter to Putin, Waters questioned if Putin wanted the war to be over: Would you (Putin) like to see an end to this war? If you were to reply and say, Yes please, that would immediately make things a lot easier, the 79-year-old musician wrote in a letter on Sunday (25 August). If you were to come out and say, Also the Russian Federation has no further territorial interest beyond the security of the Russian-speaking populations of The Crimea, Donetsk, and Lubansk [sic], that would help too. Story continues The Pink Floyd co-founder, who recently announced his farewell tour, urged the Russian president to issue a message of assurance to the western areas of Ukraine and Europe, as he [has] kids and grandkids, and so do most of my brothers and sisters all over the world and none of us would relish that outcome. If Ive read your previous speeches correctly, you would like to negotiate a state of neutrality for a sovereign neighbouring Ukraine? Is that correct? Waters questioned. Assuming such a peace could be negotiated it would have to include an absolutely binding agreement not to invade anyone ever again. I know, I know, the US and NATO invade other sovereign countries at the drop of a hat, or for a few barrels of oil, but that doesnt mean you should, your invasion of Ukraine took me completely by surprise, it was a heinous war of aggression, provoked or not. This letter to Putin comes after Waters wrote an open letter to to the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, seeking her support in persuading her husband to stop the slaughter by pursuing a ceasefire at the expense of control over two eastern Ukrainian regions. Referring to Zelenskas Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg interview that aired on BBC News earlier this month, Waters pointed out a statement where she said: If support for Ukraine is strong, the crisis will be shorter. Uganda's defence ministry on Tuesday announced that the president's powerful son Muhoozi Kainerugaba would no longer lead the country's land forces, hours after a social media tirade by the outspoken scion caused uproar in Kenya. The ministry said that President Yoweri Museveni had also promoted his 48-year-old son to the rank of general, but analysts said the elevation was likely a cosmetic move aimed at lowering his profile in the region. "According to the powers entrusted to him as the president and commander in chief, President Yoweri Museveni has promoted Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to the rank of general," the ministry said in a statement. Although Kainerugaba has repeatedly denied claims he intends to succeed his 78-year-old father -- one of Africa's longest-serving leaders -- he has enjoyed a rapid rise through Uganda's army ranks and has often sparked controversy on social media. The move followed an endorsement on the weekend by some senior officials from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) who selected Museveni as their candidate in the country's 2026 presidential elections. Soon after, Kainerugaba triggered a firestorm on Twitter with tweets discussing plans to invade Kenya. "It wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi," he said on Monday evening, before making an about-turn. "I would never beat up the Kenyan army because my father told me never to attempt it! So our people in Kenya should relax!" The social media fracas forced Uganda's foreign ministry to wade in and release a statement expressing its "commitment to good neighbourliness (and) peaceful coexistence" with Kenya. As a serving soldier, Kainerugaba is prohibited from discussing political matters in public. But this has not stopped him from airing his views on sensitive foreign policy issues, offering up opinions on subjects ranging from last year's coup in Guinea to the brutal war in northern Ethiopia. - 'Lower his profile' - "One potential explanation of Muhoozi's Twitter storm over the last days is the endorsement of his father for the 2026 elections by top NRM officials over the weekend," said Kristof Titeca, an expert on Central African affairs at the University of Antwerp. Story continues "This could have triggered him, as he might also be eyeing the 2026 elections," Titeca told AFP. "It can be questioned whether this promotion effectively entails more power. It could be perceived as a way to lower his profile, and reduce his real power." A Ugandan political analyst who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity agreed, saying "the elevation to general was a cosmetic move (by Museveni) to avoid upsetting" his son. Kainerugaba said Tuesday's announcement was grounds for "a celebration". "I thank my father for this great honour," he said on Twitter. Kainerugaba will continue to serve as a high-profile presidential adviser on special operations -- a role that extends to the political sphere. His foreign policy interventions have not been limited to social media. He is said to have been instrumental in the recent rapprochement between Uganda and Rwanda and was involved in a joint operation launched last year by Ugandan and Congolese forces against the Allied Democratic Forces rebel group in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The prospect of Kainerugaba's elevation to the presidency has aroused the ire of opposition politicians and government critics, forcing some into exile. Prominent author Kakwenza Rukirabashaija fled to Germany in February this year, alleging that he was tortured in custody on charges of insulting Museveni and Kainerugaba, who he has described as "obese", a "curmudgeon" and a "baby despot". gm-bur/lcm A Chicago man accused in 2016 of killing six family members in their Gage Park bungalow was found guilty Wednesday afternoon. The verdict put to rest a years-old case that horrified Chicagoans when chilling details of the mass slaying, including two children, were released to the public. Diego Uribe Cruz, 28, was found guilty on all six counts of first-degree murder after jurors deliberated for two days. Advertisement Prosecutors had alleged that Uribe Cruz went to the home of relatives in order to rob them and ultimately killed the family members so as not to leave witnesses. His defense attorneys countered during the trial that one person could not have overpowered six people and that the states case was lacking on several fronts. The six slain relatives made up three generations and included two children, 10-year-old Alexis Cruz and 13-year-old Leonardo Cruz. Maria Herminia Martinez, 32, her brother, Noe Martinez Jr., 38, and their mother and father, Rosaura Martinez, 58, and Noe Martinez Sr., 62 were also killed. The two children were Maria Martinezs. Advertisement Family members watched the trial, at times growing emotional when attorneys showed crime scene photos or re-creations. Jurors deliberated late into the evening on Tuesday and resumed late Wednesday morning before coming to a decision. An employee of Bio-One, a company that specializes in biohazard removal and crime scene cleanup, on Feb. 10, 2016, walks past memorials at the home where six members of the Martinez family were found slain the previous week. (Armando Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Todays verdict has been six years in the making, said First Assistant States Attorney Risa Lanier after the jury decision. Its been a long time for this family who has been hoping for justice for this long. Advertisement Prosecutors began presenting evidence to the jury last week, including testimony from Uribe Cruzs former girlfriend, Jafeth Ramos, who said that Uribe Cruz started driving toward the Martinez home and told her they would come back with some money. These were women, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, cousins. They were a family, said Jason Fisher, an assistant states attorney. Ramos testified as part of a plea deal by which she pleaded guilty to armed robbery in order to get reduced charges and likely a 25-year sentence as opposed to life in prison. She told the jury Uribe Cruz asked Maria Martinez to talk upstairs but held a gun to her, demanded money and shot her when she did not comply. He bludgeoned Noe Martinez Jr. with the pistol and put his knee on his neck after he came upstairs, prosecutors alleged. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > At that point the brother, Noe Jr., made the mistake to come to the aid of his sister, Fisher said. Uribe Cruz then pushed Rosaura Martinez down the stairs after she followed them up, prosecutors said. He stabbed Rosaura Martinez and the children, they alleged, and killed Noe Martinez Sr. after he returned home with food. Advertisement Prosecutors said they found DNA that matched Uribe Cruz under Maria Martinezs fingernails and in a smear of blood. During the trial, they also showed video of Uribe Cruz confessing some details of the crime to Chicago police detectives. In her closing arguments, Uribe Cruzs attorney Margaret Domin told the jury that her client could not have overpowered six people without a 911 call or neighbors hearing a commotion. She said the details of the crime are difficult to hear, but she contended the pieces didnt fit together. Domin questioned why Uribes DNA wasnt found elsewhere in such a brutal crime scene. She said that Uribe Cruz confessed after being held without access to water or a bathroom for a time. The evidence the state presented doesnt make sense, she said. The state not been able to explain to you how one person could have done this. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com A video shared by Crimea's interior ministry that shows two women apologizing for singing a song. Telegram/MIA Crimea Miss Crimea 2022 was fined for singing what Russian authorities called an "extremist" song. The woman was fined $680 for singing the song, which encourages Ukraine to "rise up." She was not detained as she has children but her friend was held for 10 days, per Russia media. Russian authorities fined a beauty queen in the Russian-occupied Crimea region of Ukraine $680 for singing a patriotic Ukrainian song, Russian media has reported. Crimea's interior ministry said on Telegram that a woman was fined 40,000 rubles over a video that showed her and another woman singing. Russian state news agency TASS identified her as Olga Valeeva, who was crowned Miss Crimea 2022. TASS said on Sunday that the song is "considered the anthem of Ukrainian nationalist groups." Crimea's interior ministry said the two women sang "the battle anthem of an extremist organization" and that they were "suspected of committing illegal actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, as well as publicly displaying prohibited symbols." Valeeva received only a fine because she has children, but the other woman in the video was sentenced to 10 days of "administrative arrest," the interior ministry said. The song,"Chervona Kalyna," tells Ukraine to "rise up" and has gone viral since Russia invaded Ukraine, CNN reported. Valeeva said on Instagram before she was given the fine that she was not aware of the meaning of the song, The Guardian reported. She said that she did not wish to "harm anyone," and added "we just sang a Ukrainian song. We thought it was just a little song that we knew for a long time," per The Guardian. On Monday, Crimea's interior ministry shared a video on Telegram of two women with their faces blurred, in which they apologized for singing the song, according to a translation by The Guardian. One woman says in the video, according to The Guardian: "I did not know and did not realize that it had a nationalist character and definitely did not want to spread propaganda by singing it." Story continues TASS reported that the video of them singing appeared online on Sunday. It is not clear when the video was recorded, or if Valeeva shared it herself. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, though Crimea is recognized internationally as part of Ukraine. Oleg Kriuchkov, an adviser to Russia's government in Crimea, said on Telegram on Sunday: "In Crimea, no one is punished for normal Ukrainian songs." "But! No one will allow nationalist hymns to be sung here!" He added anyone who did would be taken "to neutral territory to Nikolaev or Zaporozhzhia. Sing all you want!" Russia has tried to stamp out marks of Ukrainian identity in the areas of the country is occupies. It has introduced Russian passports and money in the eastern regions that it seized after its invasion on February 24, something it had already done in Crimea. Read the original article on Business Insider In response, the US will be forced to take action, including releasing oil from strategic reserves The amount of the cut is yet to be agreed, but Saudi Arabia and Russia are pushing for cuts of 1-2 million barrels per day or more, the article says. FT analysts believe that in response the United States will be forced to take measures in response, including the release of oil from strategic reserves. Read also: OPEC may kick Russia out after EUs partial embargo WSJ Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak will attend the summit, the FT added, saying that he will presumably support production cuts "since Russian oil is already on sale, at a huge discount." Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia is lobbying for a secret ballot instead of a public vote when the 193-member U.N. General Assembly next week considers whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine and allies have denounced the votes in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as illegal and coercive. A Western-drafted U.N. General Assembly resolution would condemn Russia's "illegal so-called referenda" and the "attempted illegal annexation" of the areas where voting occurred. "This is a clearly politicized and provocative development aimed at deepening the divide in the General Assembly and bring its membership further apart," Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia wrote in a letter to U.N. states, seen by Reuters. He argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that "it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly." Diplomats said the General Assembly would likely have to vote publicly on whether to hold a secret ballot. Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last week. "Unless the international community reacts there can be claims that no-one pays attention and this now a carte blanche for other countries to do likewise or to give recognition to what Russia's done," European Union U.N. Ambassador Olof Skoog said on Wednesday. He said the EU was consulting broadly with U.N. member states ahead of a likely vote on Wednesday. Russia does not fully control any of the four provinces it claims to have annexed, however, and Ukrainian forces have recaptured thousands of square miles of territory since the start of September. The moves at the United Nations mirror what happened in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea. At the Security Council Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognize it. Story continues The General Assembly then adopted a resolution declaring the referendum invalid with 100 votes in favor, 11 against and 58 formal abstentions, while two dozen countries didn't take part. Russia has been trying to chip away at its international isolation after nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly voted to reprimand Moscow and demand it withdraw its troops within a week of its Feb. 24 invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Ahead of a vote by the General Assembly in April to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, Moscow warned countries that a yes vote or abstention would be viewed as "unfriendly" with consequences for their relations. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Grant McCool) VALENTYNA ROMANENKO TUESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2022, 13:26 Russian Defene Minister Sergey Shoigu said that more than 200,000 people have joined the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under the partial mobilisation. Source: Shoigu, quoted by the Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti Quote: "According to the decree of the President of the Russian Federation, a partial mobilisation has been carried out in the country since 21 September. To date, more than 200,000 people have joined the Armed Forces." Details: The Russian minister stated that "the training of personnel of the units formed is being carried out at 80 training grounds and in six training centres". Previously: British intelligence stated that Russia has significant problems with deploying, training, and equipping conscripted and mobilised personnel. Background: On 21 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation. Since 23 September, men who plan to leave Russian-occupied Crimea must obtain an appropriate permit from the military enlistment office. On 25 September, Sergey Aksyonov, Head of the occupation administration of Crimea said that measures taken under the partial mobilisation decree were completed in Crimea. He claimed that the mobilisation plan had been "implemented in full". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! This undated photograph released by the Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate shows the wreckage of what Kyiv has described as an Iranian Shahed drone downed near Kupiansk, Ukraine. Ukrainian military's Strategic Communications Directorate via AP A Ukrainian official said Russia used Iranian kamikaze drones to attack a city near Kyiv. Oleksiy Kuleba alleged the drone was a Shahed-136, a type of loitering munition. The attack near Ukraine's capital hundreds of miles from the war's frontlines was rare. Russian forces used Iranian kamikaze drones to strike a city near Kyiv, a rare attack targeting hundreds of miles from the war's frontlines, a Ukrainian military official said Wednesday. Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, said on Telegram that six suicide drones exploded overnight in the city of Bila Tserkva, about 50 miles south of Ukraine's capital city. One person was injured and infrastructure was damaged, he said, adding that rescue and emergency crews were working to assess the full scope of the damage. "I ask the residents not to ignore air warning signals and safety rules," Kuleba said. Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces shared in a separate update that the military shot down six other Iranian drones. Kuleba identified the drones used in Wednesday's attack as a Shahed-136, which is a type of loitering munition that carries a range of nearly 1,250 miles. Loitering munitions small systems that can fly like regular unmanned aerial vehicles and are packed with explosives are sometimes referred to as kamikaze or suicide drones because once they identify a target, they can soar into it, striking it and detonating. Oleksii Krasov, a Ukrainian politician, shared a video on social media purportedly showing the drone strikes in Bila Tserkva. Krasov said Iran has supplied Russia with a "large number" of drones. When asked by a reporter on Monday how many Iran-made drones Russia is currently using, and if the number is in the hundreds, a senior US military official responded: "No, they are not." Ukraine's military has previously confirmed that Russian troops deployed the Iran-made Shahed-136 on the battlefield, even claiming last month that it shot one down for the first time. Story continues Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 13, 2022 The Biden Administration said back in July that Iran was preparing to send these drones to Russia. In August, Iranian Shahed and Mohajer drones arrived, only to then be bogged down by technical issues. US officials said Russia's hunt for weapons in countries like Iran was a clear sign that President Vladimir Putin's forces were struggling on the battlefield. Wednesday's attack in Bila Tserkva is notable, however, because the city is so far from where fighting is ongoing, and attacks near Kyiv have become increasingly rare. Since Russian forces withdrew from the Kyiv region in the spring after failing to capture Ukraine's capital city, hostilities have mostly remained centered in eastern and southern Ukraine. There, Ukrainian forces are in the process of staging various counteroffensives along both the eastern and southern fronts, where thousands of square miles of territory have been liberated from Russian occupation. "Ukrainian forces continued to make deliberate progress in the Kharkiv region, and also further south around Kherson," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper told reporters on Tuesday. "The Ukrainian counter-offensive in Kherson has made significant advances over the last 24 hours, and Ukrainian forces continue to liberate villages as they press forward." Translation by Oleksandr Vynogradov. Read the original article on Business Insider UKRAINSKA PRAVDA WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 10:15 The Kremlin has said that it plans to strengthen the "security of transport infrastructure" in occupied Crimea, which is allegedly threatened by the activities of the Ukrainian special services, and that the protection of transport facilities should not be entrusted to "unauthorised persons". Source: Russian news outlet Interfax, quoting a statement made in Sevastopol by Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Quote: "The sabotage and terrorist activities of the Ukrainian special services and international terrorist organisations represent a danger to transport infrastructure." Details: Patrushev stated that there are plans to "assess the vulnerability" of transport infrastructure facilities in occupied Crimea and to equip them with engineered and technical means of protection. In addition, the protection of transport facilities on the peninsula should not be entrusted to "unauthorised persons who have not undergone special training". Patrushev emphasised that "the probability that unmanned aerial vehicles will be used to harm the operation of the transport complex has increased". Quote: "It is important to increase the readiness of forces and resources to respond to emergencies. For the same purpose, we should conduct joint training and exercises. I would also draw attention to the need to tighten up security at railway stations, railway lines, overpasses, bridges, ports and pipeline transport facilities, and to increase control over passenger and freight transportation. Previously: In August, a series of explosions rocked the facilities of occupied Crimea, in particular at the military airfield in Novofedorivka in the Saksky district. Russias Ministry of Defence stated that the cause of the explosions at the ammunition storage site near Dzhankoi in Crimea was sabotage. Story continues Background: On 1 October, explosions were heard and black smoke was visible near Belbek airfield in occupied Sevastopol. The occupiers claimed that a plane had caught fire. Earlier the railway in the Dzhankoi district of occupied Crimea was damaged due to an explosion at an ammunition storage site in the village of Maiske; trains from Russia had to stop in Vladyslavivka, in the east of the peninsula. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The set of "Rust" at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, N.M. (Roberto E. Rosales / Albuquerque Journal) News that the husband of Halyna Hutchins has reached a settlement with actor Alec Baldwin and other producers over her shooting on the set of "Rust" stunned many in Hollywood and beyond. After all, Matthew Hutchins had angrily blamed Baldwin and others for negligence in the death of his wife, a tragedy that became a rallying cry for safer film sets nationwide. Now Hutchins has agreed to serve as executive producer on the film that is set to resume production in January. Speculation that the proposed settlement would influence the ongoing criminal investigation into the accident was swiftly dispelled Wednesday when ' Dist. Atty. Mary Carmack-Altwies of New Mexico's First Judicial District vowed to proceed with the case, in which she has said up to four people, including Baldwin, could be charged. "No one is above the law," her office said in a statement. Although the settlement could be affected by any criminal charges that may be brought against Baldwin and other crew members, legal experts said it could certainly complicate the D.A.'s case. For example, it could be a problem for the district attorney if she had planned to call Matthew Hutchins to the stand, typically described as a "spark of life" witness, to talk about the victim. "If he's going to testify that he believes that it was an accident, it's certainly not helpful for your case if you're trying to pursue murder charges," said trial attorney and former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani. Another potential challenge for the prosecution: Halting the civil case will limit one source of possible evidence prosecutors could use. "Information that will come from discovery, witnesses, depositions, subpoenas, anything like that, can only hurt [Baldwin] in a criminal case, so I think them shutting down this civil case was an extremely smart move," said Los Angeles personal injury attorney Miguel Custodio, co-founder of Custodio and Dubey LLP. Nonetheless, Custodio and other legal experts said that Wednesdays proposed civil resolution, which still must be approved by a judge, will not derail a criminal prosecution. Story continues The thing to understand about criminal cases is that it's not up to the victim to bring the case, it's up to the state of New Mexico to bring the case, said Maryam Ahranjani, a law professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. "If they feel that there is value to the public in bringing a criminal case, and if they can prove the material elements of whatever charge beyond a reasonable doubt, then they may still bring a case, regardless of what happened in the civil system, Ahranjani added. In New Mexico, which has seen a dramatic surge in Hollywood film productions, the D.A. also could face local pressure to press charges, some observers said. The prosecutor needs to be independent and make the best decision for the people she represents the people who elected her and those who live there and probably feel very strongly about this case, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia. "The D.A. may feel there is a strong public interest in bringing a case, perhaps tell people that they have to be more responsible in that situation." While the settlement brings an end to one prong of civil litigation, other lawsuits remain pending in New Mexico and Los Angeles, as well as the potential for criminal charges. Given the outcry from film crews in the wake of Hutchins' death and the effect on the local film industry, the prosecutors may want to use this case to make a stand on set safety. "It really seems like the state of New Mexico, which has seen increasing movie productions in the state, I think they really want to send a strong signal out to not only this current project and producers, but to future movie production sets that intend on filming in New Mexico that it's OK to be a [low] budget movie and to cut some corners, but safety is not a corner that should ever be cut," Custodio said. "And I think they are going to most likely charge [Baldwin]." To be sure, an attorney for Baldwin has said that the district attorney has not said whether she will bring any charges. And Baldwin has denied wrongdoing, and said he did not pull the trigger on the gun. In one similar case, that of 27-year-old camera assistant Sarah Jones who was killed when she was hit by a train on a Georgia film set, the family settled their suit, but the director of the movie "Midnight Rider" was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served a prison sentence. "If you have a case where there's a civil settlement, and the family tells the D.A. that they don't want there to be criminal charges and they feel like there's closure from the civil case, sometimes that influences the D.A.'s office, but sometimes it doesn't because it's a completely independent decision," said Jeff Harris, of Harris Penn, who represented the Jones family in their wrongful death suit in 2014. But ultimately Tobias didn't think the settlement would affect any criminal case. At least some jurors might be aware of the familys settlement with Baldwin and the producers," Tobias said. But the civil settlement doesn't have any clear legal effect on potential charges. In the criminal case, the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office gathered evidence for more than six months. FBI analysts tested the weapon Baldwin used, concluding that the trigger had to have been pulled for the gun to fire. Now it is up to Carmack-Altwies and the special prosecutor she appointed to assess whether crimes occurred. The standard in civil cases is much different than it is in a criminal case, said Ahranjani. Its just not the same. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Clement Uwiringiyimana KIGALI (Reuters) -A Rwandan court on Wednesday acquitted three journalists who had been detained for four years on charges of spreading false information with the intention of inciting violence and tarnishing the country's image. Rights groups say Rwanda is among the countries in sub-Saharan Africa that has the worst record for jailing journalists, and accuse the government of using authoritarian means to stifle dissent. The government rejects the accusations, saying it guarantees free speech. Jean Damascene Mutuyimana, Niyonsenga Schadrack and Jean Baptiste Nshimiyimana, reporters with the YouTube channel Iwacu TV, were arrested in October 2018 for, authorities said at the time, causing unrest and spreading rumours. They were repeatedly denied bail before their trial, according to the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists. "There is no evidence to prove that their publication incited violence," said Speciose Nyirabagande, one the court's three judges. After their release from Mageragere Prison near the capital Kigali, all three reporters said they would continue to practise journalism. "I am a journalist, and I was a journalist, and I will always be," Nshimiyimana told Reuters. The trio's defence lawyer Jean Paul Ibambe said he welcomed the acquittal, but criticised the length of their pre-trial detention. "Imagine serving four years in preventive detention, the courts should be quickening the procedures instead of taking this long time," Ibambe told Reuters. A national prosecution authority spokesman said the body respected the court's decision. "The relief at the acquittal of the three journalists is overshadowed by the court's failure to stop this sham of a trial earlier," said Lewis Mudge, central Africa director at rights watchdog Human Rights Watch. "The fact a prosecution took place at all will send a chilling message to others who dare to exercise their right to free expression in Rwanda." (Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana and Hereward Holland; Editing by James Macharia Chege and Alistair Bell) NORWICH Police are warning the public to be aware of an armed and dangerous 32-year-old city man who is still at large after allegedly firing several bullets at a vehicle on Saturday evening. An active arrest warrant has been issued for a David Holland Jr., on several charges, including a second-degree threatening charge for alleged telephone threats he made while speaking with police in which he reportedly said hed terrorize the town, police said. Police said Holland has spoken with detectives several times and stated he was prepared to turn himself by 2 p.m. on Tuesday. That did not happen. Police lights Holland is believed to have fired several bullets at a vehicle parked on Boswell Avenue at approximately 6 p.m. on Saturday. Police, who described the shooting as a targeted attack and part of a domestic-related incident, said no one was injured. An arrest warrant charges Holland with unlawful discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, second-degree reckless endangerment and criminal mischief. Anyone with information on Hollands whereabouts is asked to contact Norwich police at 860-886-5561, ext. 3159 or at kwright@cityofnorwich.org. Information can also be relayed to the departments anonymous tip-line at 860-886-5561, ext. 4. John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965. This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Police seek armed and dangerous Norwich shooting suspect A US service member adjusts an aqueous film-forming foam sprinkler on the flight deck of an amphibious assault ship. US Navy The US Navy recently acknowledged it found jet fuel in the drinking water aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. Veteran sailors and Marines told Insider that contaminated water has been endangering crewmembers for decades. These service members, who served on different ships across decades, said they were told not to worry about the jet fuel. Sailors aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier recently found themselves drinking and bathing in water contaminated with jet fuel. Veterans say this problem is one that has spanned decades and many different ships. After Navy officials revealed in late September that the service found what it described as "traces" of jet fuel in USS Nimitz's water, a sailor on the ship and their parents shared photo evidence and testimony with Insider that the problem was significantly worse, with more than just "traces" of fuel in the water. "We were exposed to an unhealthy amount of" jet fuel, the sailor said last week, arguing that the seriousness of the issue was initially downplayed by the Navy, even as some of the carrier's crewmembers developed rashes and other troubling symptoms. USS Nimitz (CVN-68), a US Navy aircraft carrier. US Navy Nearly a dozen veterans have since reached out to Insider to share that they also came in contact with water contaminated by jet fuel during their service aboard US warships. Insider spoke with a handful of these veterans sailors and Marines who served aboard aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships about their experiences. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal in their current roles. These veterans served across four different decades, and all of them said that at some point during their service, they drank or bathed in water contaminated by jet fuel. Some recalled showers that reeked of gasoline and buying flavor packets to try and dilute the fuel taste from their tap water. Some of them said their leaders failed to properly address it, saying that they were told the problem would go away and not to worry about it. Story continues Others said they weren't sure if there was a good solution, suggesting this occupational hazard may just be a fact of life for service members aboard Navy vessels. "I believe this has been going on for quite a while," a sailor who served on the Forrestal-class carrier USS Saratoga in the 1970s said of the contaminated water on the Nimitz. "It's not the first time. It probably won't be the last." Flight ops aboard USS Saratoga (CV-60) during a 1969 demonstration of NATO firepower. Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images 'It was just terrible.' The veterans who spoke to Insider about their service said that they definitely could smell and taste the jet fuel in the water, though it wasn't always visible. Some said they were told by leadership that jet fuel had gotten in the water. Contaminated water could be found in water fountains, sinks, and showers on the ships, they said, and it was also used to cook the food they ate. Some identified the fuel as either JP-5 also called jet propellant-5 or Jet A. Along with JP-8, these are types of kerosene-based fuel that the military uses in jets and helicopters deployed on flattops like carriers and big deck amphibs. According to a 2017 report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, these fuels are all flammable and smell like kerosene, and they can enter an individual's body through skin contact, the digestive tract, or the lungs. Once jet fuel enters the body, it can spread throughout. "When you go to take a shower, it smells a lot like jet fuel. It tastes like jet fuel. It was terrible," a sailor who served on USS Ranger, another Forrestal-class carrier, in the 1980s said. They said because the drains didn't work in the showers, a few inches of water would build up on the floor, and the whole bathroom "smelled like you were in a gas can." USS Ranger years after it was decommissioned in 1993. RODRIGO ARANGUA/AFP via Getty Images Steven Dockstader, who held the rank of a lieutenant during his time on the Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli in the 1990s, said it was "one thing" to bathe in the contaminated water and smell like jet fuel but another thing entirely to drink it. He said that whenever his ship was in port, sailors and Marines would collect fresh water to bring back so they didn't have to drink the water on the ship. Aerial shot of USS Tripoli during a 1994 deterrence exercise. Barry Iverson/Getty Images A Marine who sailed on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer during the 2010s said their ship eventually ran out of bottled water, so they bought caffeinated flavoring packets to try and dilute the taste of jet fuel in the water because they were told they would just have to keep using the water supply until the traces of jet fuel washed out. The USS Saratoga sailor, who was a seaman apprentice at the time, said they tried not to drink the contaminated water and would stick to fountain drinks or milk from the mess hall. "Everybody knew," the USS Ranger sailor said of the contaminated water. "Everybody talked about it, everybody complained about it. We all knew that it was happening." As with the latest incident aboard the Nimitz, it's not always clear how jet fuel gets into a ship's water supply. Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer and current defense expert with naval engineering experience, told Insider that one way this can happen is if the fuel tanks and the potable water tanks get cross connected. "It would not be hard to do, since the piping is set up to allow for a freshwater flush," he said. "The most likely scenario is the piping was set up for a flush at some previous time, and was not realigned afterward. In that case one or two valves out of position could put fuel into the potable water system." The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) is underway during exercise Dawn Blitz 2013. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mark El-Rayes/Released 'We were just told that it'll go away.' The USS Saratoga sailor said that when their fellow sailors approached the vessel's leadership about the issue, they were told, "Don't worry about it. It's not going to hurt you." "They were aware of the situation and didn't really do anything about it," the sailor added. Sailors said they believed the medical teams on their respective ships were aware of the problem as well but said they didn't remember noticing any widespread health issues being reported at the time. Three of the service members Insider spoke with said they don't think that they've had any complications as a result of their suspected exposure to jet fuel. One said they get the shakes, which they feel may be a result of the contaminated water, and responded affirmatively when asked if they knew other Navy personnel who have also dealt with various complications. Dockstader, one of the ones who hasn't had any complications, said he saved a sample of the contaminated water as an "insurance policy" while hoping he didn't develop any health issues. "We were just told that it'll go away," said the Marine who served on USS Boxer and left the service as a corporal. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said in its 2017 report that "very little" is known about the health effects of jet fuel exposure. But going off accounts from people who have been exposed to kerosene, the agency cited reports of "harmful effects" on an individual's nervous system, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. "The observed effects included cough and difficulty breathing, abdominal pain and vomiting, drowsiness, restlessness, and convulsions," the agency said in its report. These symptoms are consistent with some accounts from a USS Nimitz sailor, as well as statements from Navy officials on the conditions of Nimitz personnel who recently reported falling ill after jet fuel was detected in the water supply. Accounts of jet fuel in the water aboard Navy vessels are far from the only times that individuals serving in the US military have been exposed to potentially toxic and hazardous substances. Last year, for instance, petroleum leaked into the Navy's water supply at a base in Hawaii, putting sailors and their families at risk, and former service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and were exposed to burn pits, where sewage, trash, and medical waste was disposed, have experienced adverse effects. 'The sad truth of the matter' Some veterans suggested that there may not be a good solution to the problem and that their ship's leadership didn't have a way to fix the problem and did the best they could under the circumstances. The Marine who sailed aboard the Boxer acknowledged that it would have been a challenge for their ship to offload everyone to land and clean out the system. Still, "I don't think it was adequately addressed because I shouldn't have been drinking water that tasted like jet fuel for two weeks," they said. Clark, a defense expert at the Hudson Institute, said it isn't common for jet fuel to contaminate a ship's water supply, but it happens often enough that the Navy has procedures in place for troubleshooting it. The views expressed by veterans that the issue shouldn't have happened at all were reflected in comments from a USS Nimitz sailor and their parents, who all said the contaminated water situation was downplayed by Navy leadership and wasn't initially seen as a pressing issue. Insider reached out to the Navy for comment on the concerns raised by former service members but has not yet received a response. "The sad truth of the matter," Dockstader said, is that "people that serve our country don't necessarily have their complaints fall on the ears of those that are willing to do something about it right away. And this is potentially a big deal." Read the original article on Business Insider For decades, independent scientists have been working to expose how the federal government fails to protect citizens from unsafe meat and eggs. Well over 1 million Americans fall ill annually due to salmonella, E. coli and other pathogens in animal products. Now, in a distressing turn of events, the Biden administration has sided with Big Pork in an effort to prevent states from enacting common-sense standards to protect their residents. We urge the administration to change course before more Americans are sickened by unsafe ham, bacon, chops and other forms of pork. The issue stems from a 2018 California ballot measure, Proposition 12, aimed at preventing the sale within the state of meat and eggs produced in cruel and unsafe ways. Much of the pork and eggs sold in the U.S. comes from industrial factory farms that confine animals in cages so small they can barely move. Proposition 12 requires that for those items to be produced or sold in California, they must come from facilities that give animals a bit more space. The initiative was backed by animal protection groups, the Center for Food Safety, and hundreds of other nonprofits, experts and faith leaders, and it passed with overwhelming support from voters. While many producers changed their practices to comply with the new law, some multinational pork corporations have sued repeatedly to overturn it so they can continue to keep mother pigs in cages so small they cant turn around. Now the producers challenge to Proposition 12 is in front of the Supreme Court. Advertisement Corporations that confine animals in highly restrictive cages in crowded production facilities create the ideal breeding ground for dangerous bacteria and viruses. These pathogens spread and mutate, ultimately threatening people in two ways: through direct transmission to workers in factory farms or slaughterhouses and through food poisoning. This isnt just theoretical; the 2009 swine flu killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. And each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans become ill from consuming pork alone. Lawyers for the pork industry are arguing to the Supreme Court that confining pigs in tiny crates doesnt represent a health threat. Unfortunately for those lawyers and their clients, independent experts state exactly the opposite. In a brief submitted to the court, the American Public Health Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Center for Food Safety and others wrote that confining mother pigs in crates causes them tremendous stress, which in turn makes them more susceptible to disease that then can be passed on to their piglets. They note that pathogen-infected piglets often do not exhibit any symptoms, meaning that infectious diseases will persist in the piglets through slaughter without detection, resulting in pork products contaminated with pathogens. Advertisement In a disappointing move, U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar submitted a brief siding with the pork producers on behalf of the Biden administration. This decision may have been influenced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, onetime governor of Iowa, the top pork-producing state, who has deep ties to industrial agribusiness. Prelogars brief essentially argues that there could be merit to the pork producers allegations, including that Proposition 12 has no real health and safety purpose. Courts, however, have consistently determined that states have the right under the Constitution to enact measures such as Proposition 12 to protect the health of their residents. We suspect that the solicitor general was misled by pork industry lawyers who have downplayed the very real threat that extreme confinement of pigs causes to American families. We in the public health community hope that Prelogar will change course before the court hears the case. There is still time to protect the well-being of people in California and elsewhere. Dr. Joann Lindenmayer is an adjunct associate professor of public health at the Tufts University School of Medicine and is an alumnus of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Epidemic Intelligence Service. She was an epidemiologist for three state health departments. Dr. Gail Hansen is a private consultant on public health policy. She was an epidemiologist for Kansas for more than 10 years. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com. Society has failed to unpack the madness of motherhood. The lifelong responsibility of caregiving is often reduced to smiling women cooing at babies on television and glossy Instagram photos of perfectly poised tots celebrating their birthdays or the holidays. Only when something unconscionable happens does anyone think to examine the tax of motherhood and how it might impact someones mental health. In 2013, a 39-year-old Senegalese Frenchwoman named Fabienne Kabou sat her 15-month-old baby on the beach in Berck-sur-Mer, France, and let her get carried away by the sea. It was a horrific crime that shocked the country and fascinated documentary filmmaker Alice Diop, who was pregnant at the time of Kabous 2016 trial. In her debut feature film 'Saint Omer,' Diop interweaves fact with fiction. Saint Omer opens with Rama (Kayije Kagame), a stoic novelist focusing on her new book as the weight of her pregnancy and estranged relationship with her mother looms in the background. Seemingly unnerved by the impending birth of her first child, Rama puts her focus elsewhere, traveling from her home in Paris to Saint-Omer, where a young woman named Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanga) is on trial for infanticide. Though Rama is watching the trail for her research on the Greek enchantress Medea, Laurence's story haunts her. The trial reveals an overachieving immigrant who moved to France to study before slowly spiraling out of control. Laurences story begins to gnaw at Rama, forcing her to recall an isolated childhood, her distant single mother, and her fear of whats to come for her own relationship with her child. Much of Saint Omer is like a talking photograph, with long silences and pensive looks. Most of the action occurs in the wood-covered courtroom where witnesses, the judge, and lawyers fling out questions to one another, desperate to find some tangible motive from Laurence and concrete reason as to why she chose to end Baby Elises life. Story continues Using actual transcripts from Kabou's trial to compose her script, Diop delivers an ultrarealistic film. The shock of the crime is written on all the actors faces, especially Kagame, whose elegant demeanor wilts as the movie presses forward. Malagna is equally commanding as Laurence, replying to all of the questions asked of her with a polite but eery coolness thats nearly unreadable. As the judge and the prosecutor try desperately to determine what drove Laurence toward this choice, be it witchcraft, a mental break, or something else entirely, the audience realizes that the why isnt the point of Diops film. Since the We filmmaker chose to tell this story from Ramas point of view, it offers a perspective toward Laurence that we wouldnt ordinarily be privy to. A humanization that is typically only afforded to white killers. It is not to sympathize with Laurence but to allow the audience to understand the world as she may have. In court, constant racial microaggressions are lambasted toward her. Baby Elises father, an older married white man, continuously makes her feel othered, and as the timeline of her life in France is revealed, it becomes clearer how she may have been pulled to the edge of herself. 'Saint Omer' doesn't offer any answers but instead examines two strangers connected by trauma, one who can never undo what she's done and another who isn't sure she will be able to break her own familial curse. As Saint Omer wraps, we dont get to learn Laurences fate. Instead, we see Rama with her swollen belly, sending time with her mother, now with a new understanding of the emotional toll of motherhood and how she might seek a different path. Saint Omer premiered Oct. 3, 2022 at the New York Film Festival. Aramide A. Tinubu is a film critic, consultant and entertainment editor. As a journalist, her work has been published in Netflixs Tudum, EBONY, JET, ESSENCE, Bustle, The Daily Mail, IndieWire and Blavity. She wrote her masters thesis on Black Girlhood and Parental Loss in Contemporary Black American Cinema. Shes a cinephile, bookworm, blogger and NYU + Columbia University alum. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) San Francisco Mayor London Breed pledged for the second time in a year Wednesday to crack down on open-air opioid drug sales and rampant public drug use that she says is destroying the city. What's different this time, she said at a news conference, is that police officers have support from new District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, both of whom she appointed and she says share her desire for accountability and enforcement. The political appointees face voters in the Nov. 8 election. Breed is up for reelection next year in a city where frustrated voters already ousted a politically progressive prosecutor in June. Chesa Boudin clashed with the mayor over her plans to increase the number of police officers to battle drug dealing, saying that money should be spent on housing and drug treatment. Let's be clear: Selling drugs is not legal. Using drugs out in the open is completely unacceptable, Breed said. There needs to be consequences, for the seniors, for the immigrants, for the kids who are trying to just live their lives. Jenkins, appointed by the mayor in July to replace Boudin, said that upon taking office, she revoked 30 plea offers to fentanyl dealers that she considered too lenient. She has announced a new policy informing fentanyl sellers they could face murder charges if their goods are linked to an overdose death. She said that people who receive five citations by police for consuming drugs in public will be referred to an alternative community court for treatment. We are a city of compassion. But compassion is not leaving people to languish on the street, potentially to die of overdose. Its using the tools that we have to propel people to change their lives, Jenkins said. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said officers began ramping up arrests for drug dealing in June, and since then have issued more than 350 citations to people using drugs in public. In the last three months, his office said, officers have made over 260 felony arrests for narcotics sales. Story continues Dorsey, a police spokesperson who was appointed to the Board of Supervisors in May to replace a newly elected state legislator, said he would work with fellow supervisors to craft solutions. Dorsey represents much of the downtown area that suffers from illegal drug dealing. San Francisco Public Defender Mano Raju said in a statement Wednesday that he appreciated the mayor's efforts to expand treatment and services, but that relying on police and punishment does not deter crime and drug use. Prosecuting subsistence-level drug sellers will do nothing to disrupt the supply and demand, and arresting someone using or selling drugs can often lead to worse health outcomes, like accidental overdoses, he said. In December, Breed announced new initiatives aimed at curbing open drug dealing and other crimes, saying it was time to get aggressive and less tolerant of all the bull - that has destroyed our city. She received immediate pushback from other elected officials who said she was simply reviving a tired war on drugs that was bound to fail. Despite her announcement, drug dealers and users continue to cluster in the city's Tenderloin and downtown areas. PARIS (Reuters) - A French court on Wednesday ordered the country's customs agency to release an impounded yacht owned by a Russian billionaire hit by European sanctions, due to procedural errors made during the seizure of the vessel. Customs agents seized the 27-metre "La Petite Ourse" on March 16, after its owner, Alexey Kuzmichev, one of the main shareholders of Russia's Alfa Bank, was sanctioned by the EU in March for his ties to President Vladimir Putin. The Paris Appeals court ruled that customs officers had not followed correct procedures when they boarded the vessel, which was moored in the Cote d'Azur town of Antibes. The agents had cited a fraud investigation when they presented themselves to shipyard authorities, which under French law permits customs to search a vessel. The ruling underlines the challenges faced by European nations in freezing the assets of Russian oligarchs. Kuzmichev sued the French authorities in an effort to win back access to his two yachts held in France, La Petite Ourse and La Petite Ourse II. As a sanctioned individual whose assets are frozen, Kuzmichev is still prohibited from taking La Petite Ourse out of French territorial waters, but he is now allowed to access the yacht and use it within French waters, his lawyer said. "Inside [of France], he is allowed to move around, whether by foot, by horse, by car or by boat," lawyer Philippe Blanchetier said. The court also ordered that French customs pay the tycoon 10,000 euros in compensation. The customs agency declined to comment immediately. A court in Rouen will rule on the second vessel, La Petite Ourse II, moored in Cannes, at a later date. (Reporting by Layli Foroudi in Paris; Editing by Richard Lough and Matthew Lewis) Jennifer Hensel wipes away tears as she testifies during Alex Jones' Sandy Hook defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Connecticut. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP For the past three weeks, Sandy Hook families have been testifying in the second Alex Jones trial. Jones is facing three similar defamation damages trials over his false claims that the shooting was a hoax. The families recalled similar stories of being harassed by hoax believers online and in real life. About three years after her son Ben died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Francine Wheeler said she attended a conference for mothers who had lost their children due to gun violence. In the elevator at the conference, she came across another woman sobbing and tried to comfort her. She learned that the woman's 19-year-old son had died in a shooting three weeks earlier. When Wheeler told the woman how her own child died, she said the stranger's demeanor suddenly changed. "She said 'You're lying, that didn't happen,' " Wheeler recalled. For the last nearly four weeks, the parents of Sandy Hook victims have described in court testimony how their personal tragedy was turned into even more of a nightmare when conspiracy theorist Alex Jones started claiming the shooting was a hoax. Closing arguments in the case are set to take place on Thursday after Jones decided against testifying in his own defense. The jury will then start deliberating on how much to award the plaintiffs since Jones has already lost the defamation case by default. Within hours of the shooting, Jones went on his show Infowars to suggest that the massacre was actually staged by the government as a pretext to restrict gun ownership. Those statements had a devastating effect on the families of the victims, according to their testimony. The families said they were soon hunted and harassed by Sandy Hook hoax believers. Alex Jones addresses the media outside of his defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Connecticut, on September 21, 2022. Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images Strangers at the door Francine Wheeler's husband, David, said strangers have shown up at their home, demanding to see Ben because they were convinced he was still alive. Eventually, David was forced to install a security camera system on the house. Story continues David said people have also harassed him on Facebook, calling him a "fake" and a "liar." Clips from his unsuccessful acting career were used as evidence that he was hired to play a part in the shooting. FBI agent Bill Aldenberg, who was one of the law enforcement agents to respond to the shooting, is among the plaintiffs in the Connecticut trial. During his time on the stand, Aldenberg explained how Sandy Hook questioners began to claim that he and David Wheeler were the same person and were playing different parts in the "staged" shooting. Aldenberg said he found video after video online of people comparing a photo of him responding to the shooting with pictures of Wheeler. Aldenberg said that while he feels he can take the online harassment and questions over whether he was a real FBI agent, he hurts for the pain it's caused Wheeler. "He's suffered enough," Aldenberg said. How a smile led to harassment Robbie Parker, who lost his daughter Emilie in the shooting, arguably bore the brunt of Jones' skepticism. Jones targeted Parker, saying he looked like an actor because he smiled just before giving a press conference the night after his daughter died. Parker said on the stand that he had quickly laughed at the time because his dad called him by a childhood nickname right before he started speaking. Parker said he's had to deal for years with the burden of feeling like he aided the skepticism with that split second of laughter, and eventually, he and his family moved across the country to get away from Newtown. "We had this family here of people who knew exactly what we were experiencing ... and I didn't know if I could move anywhere in the country and find that kind of support system. But I was so shamed in my belief that I had brought this on everybody because I was the first person who said something, I was the first person who laughed, I was the person who was being targeted," Parker said. Parker also described being confronted by an angry man on the street in Seattle who accused him of lying about the shooting. Parker said the man initially came up to him and asked if he had a daughter who was killed. Parker thought the man was going to try to comfort him. The man swore at him and asked him how he slept at night. "He had so much venom toward me, for who he thought I was," Parker said. Robbie Parker, father of deceased Sandy Hook Elementary School student Emilie Parker, testifies during the Alex Jones defamation damages trial in Waterbury, Connecticut. Brian A. Pounds/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool Impossible to mourn Carlee Soto-Parisi, who lost her sister Victoria in the shooting, said the Sandy Hook doubters made it difficult to mourn her sister. Victoria was the teacher in the first-grade classroom in which most of the victims were students. "It's hurtful, it's devastating, it's crippling," Soto-Parisi said. "You can't grieve properly because you're constantly defending yourself, defending your family, your loved ones." Soto-Parisi is pictured in one of the most famous images to come out of the tragedy, crying on the phone after rushing to the scene. She said that people who shared Jones' belief that the shooting was staged over-analyzed the photo online, comparing her to women photographed at other tragic events like the Boston Bombing, claiming they were the same person and that it was evidence she was the same "crisis actor" hired time and time again. Prowling the cemetery Jennifer Hensel lost her daughter Avielle in the shooting. Years later, her husband, Avielle's father, Jeremy Richman, died by suicide. Hensel said that when her husband died, she didn't immediately get him a burial plot in the town cemetery where Avielle was buried, because she was deciding how best to honor him. Later, she heard from locals who said they saw people entering the cemetery looking for her husband's tombstone. When they didn't find it, Hensel said that information was used as evidence by the hoaxers that her husband never died. Hensel is now parenting her two other children as a single mom, and she says she's tried to shield them from what happened at Sandy Hook and all the people who believe it was staged. "There are a horde of people out there who could hurt them and shouldn't hurt them, shouldn't talk about them, shouldn't even know about them. And because of what has happened after 12/14 and this hoax, they will know about that at some point, but I want to keep them as innocent as I can for now," Hensel said. "When they're old enough to find out, I'm going to have a lot of explaining to do, and that's going to be really, really hard," Hensel added. Read the original article on Insider Oct. 4GUILFORD COUNTY Finally, nearly five months after winning the approval of voters, Guilford County officials can begin work on the first school projects to be paid for with this year's $1.7 billion bond package. The N.C. Local Government Commission voted 5-1 Tuesday, with one abstention, to approve the county's plan for managing the debt, but not until after nearly an hour and a half of discussion dominated by State Treasurer Dale Folwell throwing bucket after bucket of cold water at it. Folwell said he thinks the bond package is much too large and already is unfairly burdening Guilford County's taxpayers. But he also acknowledged that many of the county's schools are in terrible shape, costs are rising, and the projects will only get much more expensive if delayed. "The $1.7 billion, based on the promises you made to people, has got to be off by a lot," he said. Guilford County Schools Superintendent Whitney Oakley emphasized that the school system's master plan puts the schools that are in the worst shape schools that members of the commission acknowledged are in appalling condition at the front of the line for projects. "This is what the kids are sitting in now," she said. Folwell snapped back sharply at Oakley's suggestion that delaying projects effectively would punish the students in those schools. "I don't think I or anybody else on this board wants to punish kids, so I think that was inappropriate," he told her. But Folwell seemed to fall back after vocal support for the bonds by commission members Nancy Hoffman, who also is on the Greensboro City Council, and John Burns, a former Wake County commissioner who grew up in High Point. Burns also countered part of Folwell's opposition by saying that voters approved the bond proposal, and if taxpayers become angry at the tax burden, then the Guilford officials behind it will suffer the consequences. "It's not upon me to save county commissioners and school board members from electoral consequences," he said. Story continues In the end, Folwell announced he would abstain from voting. "I hope you all are right and I hope that I'm wrong," he told the other commission members. Tuesday's vote removed the final hurdle preventing county officials from being able to use any of the bond money even for planning and design work. Even though 61% of voters in the May primary approved the bond proposal, it still required review from the Local Government Commission, whose approval is needed before any municipality can take on new debt. But that review was delayed for months by a protest filed by former commissioner Alan Branson, who contended that county government officials used public resources improperly to encourage support of the referendum issue. The commission finally took up the Guilford County bond package on Sept. 22, but because of Folwell's intense skepticism and some questions by other board members the board voted to postpone consideration. KITTERY, Maine Inside the Kittery Community Center late Monday, Mark Michael Adams adamantly expressed he believes in liberty and justice for all and will not tolerate the belittling of marginalized groups of people. The South Berwick residents remarks came prior to a well-attended community event titled Understanding and Preventing Hate-Based Activity, organized by numerous community groups and local police departments in the wake of multiple appearances in the Seacoast by a neo-Nazi group dating back to last December. Based on my experience, its always been around us, Adams said of hateful acts. Just the zeitgeist changes, the pendulum swings, and there are moments where these individuals and groups are more emboldened to be more public with their opinion. So, how does it make me feel? Its infuriating. Its heartbreaking. You have to make a stand against it and you cannot let them get momentum. Miriam Kovacs, owner and chef of The Broken Spoon in Franklin, New Hampshire, was the target of online attacks from a neo-Nazi group. Seen raising her hand, Kovacs was at a community discussion Monday night at the Kittery Community Center called Understanding and Preventing Hate-Based Activity." Several dozen residents of towns and cities across the New Hampshire Seacoast and southern Maine, as well as some traveling from communities further away, gathered at the Star Theatre to discuss the rise in hate speech and demonstrations in the region. Event attendees were broken up into small groups to discuss recent acts of hate in local communities and have the chance to speak with their respective municipal and law enforcement leaders on how to address such incidents. This is a very important subject, especially with the recent activity weve seen along the Seacoast, said Kittery Police Chief Robert Richter. Its wonderful to see that people care enough to come out and have what sometimes is a tough conversation. Hate group makes multiple appearances in Seacoast communities On the forefront of attendees minds was the Nationalist Social Club, otherwise known as NSC-131, a recognized hate group that formed in eastern Massachusetts in 2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Members of the neo-Nazi group left recruitment flyers on Kittery and Portsmouth properties in July, in addition to standing mask-clad outside the Kittery Trading Post holding a sign promoting white supremacy. NSC-131 also protested a drag story hour for children at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth in late 2021, with some members holding a banner containing a derogatory message about drag queens. Story continues While the Nationalist Social Club has appeared on the Seacoast, other hate groups have been active in Maine and New Hampshire, according to Zandra Rice Hawkins, executive director of Granite State Progress. Other active groups include the Three Percenters, a militia-minded group that believes a small number of patriots should protect Americans from government tyranny; the Oathkeepers and the Proud Boys, two separate groups involved in the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021; and Patriot Front, a white supremacist group responsible for the highest dissemination of white supremacist propaganda in the country over the last few years. Hawkins told the crowd that the Southern Poverty Law Center releases an annual report outlining what hate groups are active in each state and that New Hampshire typically sees six to 10 groups present. Our experience on the ground is that some of the groups that they name are very active. Others are kind of loose-knit or are emerging that maybe those of us in our communities have experienced but havent really hit the national radar yet, she said. What to do if you experience a hate crime Capt. David Keaveny of the Portsmouth Police Department gave a presentation detailing what constitutes a hate crime and what people can do if they are a victim of a hate crime. A hate crime, he explained, is a crime that is committed with a motivation based on bias. People who believe they may be the victim of a hate crime were encouraged to report it to local authorities, seek medical attention if necessary, document all speech and physical evidence from the incident and compile the names and contacts of other victims or witnesses. In 2020, the FBI found there were 8,052 single-bias hate crime incidents around the country, with 11,126 victims involved, per an event pamphlet distributed to attendees. The Rev. Heidi Carrington Heath of the New Hampshire Council of Churches led a reflection toward the end of the event, pausing to ask how many attendees had feelings of fear due to the rise in hateful incidents. One of the goals of hate groups is to drive us to despair, to the belief that our collective voices cant change the tide, she said. But they can, and I suspect in your hearts you know that because you are here. The event Understanding and Preventing Hate-Based Activity was put on by numerous organizations and agencies: Granite State Progress, the New Hampshire Council of Churches, New Hampshire Listens, United Against Hate on the Seacoast, local school districts, and police departments in Kittery, Portsmouth, South Berwick, Ogunquit, Dover and from the University of New Hampshire. An online version of the event is being held Thursday evening from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Information: kitteryme.gov/home/events/74651 This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast communities in NH, Maine unite to address rising tide of hate Residents and business owners in Seattles Chinatown neighborhood protest nearly daily in hopes of blocking what they call a mega-plex homeless shelter on the edge their district. They march to the King County Council board meeting and to the site of the shelter carrying signs that read stop Asian hate and systemic racism again. Theyre fighting a big expansion of a 270-bed homeless shelter that has attracted a large unsanctioned tent encampment. Its one of 15 homeless shelters within one mile of Chinatown. Residents there say enough is enough. "We have been feeling the negative impacts of these shelters," said Tanya Woo, a Chinatown business owner, "all these problems in terms of public safety have just exploded with the encampments, open air drug markets." Andrea Suarez dismantles a tent as garbage lies piled at a homeless encampment on March 13, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images Despite the opposition, King County is moving forward with plans to renew the lease of the existing shelter and continue operating it for 5 more years. Also, the county plans on adding 150 shelter beds by establishing a tiny house village, an RV lot, a sobering center and a shelter in a currently vacant building that will house and treat homeless people suffering from drug addiction and mental illness. The county has budgeted $66.5 million for the project, much of the money coming from federal Covid relief funds. SEATTLE SUSPECT AT LARGE AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING IN CHINATOWN-INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT Leo Flor, Director of King Countys Human Services Department, says 750 people live on the streets in and around Chinatown. Bringing some of them inside, including many of the difficult-to-shelter homeless people, is a priority that cant wait any longer." Downtown Seattle for this particular shelter has more people experiencing unsheltered homelessness than any other part of the county," Flor said, "And what we see is that people dont tend to go far from where they became homeless. They want to stay in their community." SEATTLE TO VOTE ON $1.25 BILLION IN NEW TAXES TO FUND MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM Story continues Other cities are grappling with the same problem. With a big increase in people living in tents the last two years, elected officials are turning to dramatically adding shelter space, by purchasing hotels and leasing large commercial buildings. When adding shelter beds the sticky questions are always how big? and where? Oftentimes cities shrink planned shelters in the face of opposition. San Francisco dramatically downsized a shelter along Embarcadero and New York City pulled two of three new shelters planned in its Chinatown neighborhood after large protests. Kevin Dahlgren visits an encampment to speak with residents about moving to a homeless shelter on March 12, 2022, in Seattle, Washington. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images But Seattle is moving forward vowing to work with Chinatown residents on some of the particular plans drawing the most concern. But its already too late for some business owners who feel theyve already carried too much of the homelessness burden. This week the Viet Wah Market closed its doors after 34 years in Seattles Chinatown International District. Leeching Tran was just two-years old when her father established the Vietnamese store. Now, as vice-president shes sad to be closing down. "Crime has gone up in the neighborhood," Tran said, "People dont feel safe coming to the area anymore, our customers dont feel safe coming, our staff dont feel safe coming to work." Local businesses that used custom bourbon bottle labels to satirize Bob Baffert and his horse's failed drug test following the 2021 Kentucky Derby have apologized to the famed thoroughbred trainer as required by a settlement agreement between the parties, according to his lawyer, with terms that include a $50,000 donation in Baffert's name to three equine charities. The settlement, which was confirmed through documents reviewed by The Courier Journal, was notorized on Aug. 31 and came after the Louisville Bourbon Club collaborated with Louisville-based Cox's and Evergreen Liquors this summer on a limited-edition release of Pinhook Bourbon, with labels that included an image of Baffert holding a syringe in one hand and a water bottle that reads "Bobby's Secret Horsey Stuff" 115.3-proof bourbon with a "new and improved makeumgofast formula" in the other. "Just let Ol' Uncle Bobby blend ya up a batch of that good-good stuff," says a quote next to the image of Baffert, who's shown in front of the Kentucky Derby's iconic garland of roses. The Louisville Bourbon Club and Cox's & Evergreen Liquors collaborated on "Bobby's Secret Horsey Stuff," a limited edition bottle of Pinhook bourbon featuring a label that depicts Hall of Fame horse trainer Bob Baffert holding a syringe. In a statement, Baffert's attorney Craig Robertson said the trainer was unaware his image had been used without his consent until The Courier Journal published a story about the labels in July and was "very upset." Robertson reached out to the parties that were on the label, he said, and demanded several actions from the companies, which he said had "violated both federal and state law" with their actions. Representatives for Cox's and Evergreen Liquors, the Louisville Bourbon Club and Pinhook Bourbon could not be reached at the time of publication. 2022 Kentucky Derby memories:Owner Rick Dawson bet on Eric Reed, Rich Strike and won big Terms of the settlement provided to The Courier Journal included the companies cease and desist from further production of the bottles and that all remaining bottles as well as more than $18,000 received from bottle sales be sent to Baffert. Additional terms of the settlement included formal letters of apology from the companies be sent to Baffert along with legal fees he'd incurred, and a donation of $50,000 to go toward three thoroughbred racing charities Old Friends, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation. Story continues "l will not tolerate defamatory conduct that portrays me in a false light and injures my reputation. I will always be prepared to litigate to defend my name against unacceptable acts, including those which cause people nationwide to be influenced by a false and malicious portrayal of me," Baffert said in a statement sent to The Courier Journal. Apology letters sent to Baffert and provided to The Courier Journal showed the Louisville Bourbon Club and Cox's and Evergreen Liquors apologized to Baffert for the incident, with a representative from Cox's and Evergreen Liquors noting the company had agreed to pay back money from bottles that had been sold as well as make the requested donations. Pinhook, a small-batch bourbon produced at Frankfort's Castle & Key Distillery, was not required to pay as part of the settlement, Robertson said, as the brand had not been involved in the production of the labels. The bottles were produced over the summer after Medina Spirit, a horse trained by Baffert that finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby but was later disqualified over a positive betamethasone test, with second-place finisher Mandaloun being declared the winner. Baffert's horses have tested positive for betamethasone which is banned on race day as it is used to reduce joint inflammation and could "give horses an advantage over those ... who wouldnt feel the therapeutic effects while racing," according to The Associated Press or have been cited for other drug violations at least 30 times in his career, according to a previous Courier Journal tally and figures provided by the Association of Racing Commissioners International. Loretta Lynn:Kentuckians remember singer who was 'straightforward, just like her music' Churchill Downs levied a two-year suspension at Baffert over the disqualification, which went into effect in April after his appeals failed and will bar him from running any horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby. In his statement, Baffert said he and his family are satisfied with the terms of the settlement and pleased about the donations to "three deeply personal and worthy equine charities to fund their valuable operations." Old Friends is a Kentucky horse farm that provides a "dignified retirement" to thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers are over. The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund supports jockeys who have suffered serious on-track injuries and the Edwin J. Gregson Foundation works to "develop programs to benefit and enhance the quality of life of California thoroughbred horse racing's backstretch workers and their families." Clarification: This story was updated to reflect who had levied a suspension at Baffert and with more background as to how betamethasone is used in horse racing. Reach reporter Ana Rocio Alvarez Brinez at abrinez@courier-journal.com and follow her on Twitter at @SoyAnaAlvarez. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bob Baffert, groups behind satire bourbon labels reach $50K settlement WASHINGTON (AP) Two Democratic senators urged the Education Department on Wednesday to strengthen regulations against quietly excluding kids from class because of behaviors related to a disability a practice known as informal removal. Since the pandemic began, parents of kids with disabilities say the practice is on the rise, denying their kids the legal right to an education. Disability rights advocates and legal experts say the removals likely circumvent protections for these children, who are not supposed to be disciplined because of their disability. In a report Tuesday, The Associated Press and The Hechinger Report documented the impact of these informal removals on children and families. In interviews with 20 families in 10 states, parents said they were called repeatedly, sometimes less than an hour into the school day, to pick up their children. Some said they left work so frequently they lost their jobs. The Education Department says it's seen an increase in informal removal. In May, the department said it intended to strengthen protections for students with disabilities. Officials are considering regulatory amendments to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which protects people from being discriminated against based on their disability. The department also issued guidance to schools in July advising against discriminatory practices in discipline for students with disabilities. That guidance defined informal removals as an action taken by school staff in response to a childs behavior that removes the child for part or all of the school day, or even indefinitely. In their letter Wednesday to the Education Department, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, both from Illinois, urged that practice be formally defined in regulation and included as a form of prohibited, discriminatory action. Informal removals not only restrict childrens personal growth and decrease their likelihood of graduating, but they also are discriminatory, the letter said. Federal and state laws and regulations, including Section 504, were intended to eliminate the segregation of students with disabilities. Story continues Federal law protects students from being repeatedly taken out of the classroom for disability-related behaviors. After 10 suspensions, families of disabled children are entitled to a review of whether the behaviors are a result of the child's disability. If so, schools are supposed to make adjustments, such as providing additional accommodations or considering a change in placement. But when the removals are not recorded, those protections are not always triggered, and families may not know they have recourse. The department's July guidance made clear students who are informally removed have the same rights as those who are officially suspended, including to the review process. The informal removal of students with disabilities is a pernicious and dangerous practice that the Office for Civil Rights has seen arise with increasing frequency, the Department of Education said Wednesday in a statement. "All students have the right to an education free from discrimination. The senators noted formal removals, such as documented suspensions and expulsions, lead to a loss of 11 million instructional hours per year. Many schools have promised to cut down on suspensions, since kids cant learn as well when they arent in class. But because informal removals are not recorded, the full scope of their impact on children remains unclear. In some cases, informal removals may result in students with disabilities missing months and even years of classroom instruction, the senators wrote. Missing school also deprives children of other important services, such as access to free lunch, referrals to outside services, medical care, evaluation services, access to a library and playground, extracurricular activities, and a sense of community and belonging. ___ Parents, has your child been removed from class, especially because of a disability? We want to hear from you. Visit: https://hechingerreport.org/informal-removals/ ___ This story was produced by The Associated Press and The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. ___ The Associated Press reporting around issues of race and ethnicity is supported in part by the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. A car ad on Facebook led to a shooting that critically injured one person a southwest Charlotte shopping center, police said Wednesday. The shooting happened around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Berewick Town Center parking lot off Steele Creek Road, just south of Interstate 485. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, in a news release, said Tan Nhat Tran, 20, met with a person to sell a Dodge Charger that he had listed on Facebook Marketplace. Tran pulled out a handgun during the meeting, CMPD said on Twitter. The potential buyer attempted to flee in a truck, but Tran clung to the passenger side and shot him in the abdomen, police said. The truck sped into the shopping centers parking lot, where it hit at least one parked car and damaged another, according to CMPD. The victim wrestled the gun away from Tran, who fled to a nearby Hampton Inn & Suites, police said. Tran was arrested outside the hotel. Video obtained by The Charlotte Observer shows Tran and the shooting victim struggle next to a blue Chevrole Tahoe SUV. The victim pleads for help from witnesses, the video shows. After a Charlotte firefighter pulls the victim to safety, a third individual runs to the SUV, grabs a gun and chases Tran. CMPD did not release information on the third person. The Charger was reported stolen out of Alabama, police said. Tran is charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and possession of a stolen motor vehicle. CMPD have not provided an incident report. Teens from The Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park listen Thursday as Bettenhausen Auto technician Tyler Aitchison explains how to maintain a vehicle by changing the air filter and performing other routine maintenance. Most of the programs at the center are taught by volunteers from the community. (Melinda Moore / Daily Southtown) As the sounds of a rambunctious game of pingpong reverberated in the next room, a small group of teenage boys and girls looked under the hood of a van and listened as an auto technician held up an air filter and talked about the importance of installing a clean one. Meanwhile, just outside the buildings garage door, other teens watched intently as another service technician explained tire safety and how to change one if it goes flat. About 30 minutes later, the groups swapped places. Advertisement Gearheads: Winterize Your Car With Bettenhausen Auto was just one of more than 100 free student programs scheduled this semester at The Bridge Teen Center, 15555 S. 71st Court in Orland Park. Upcoming programs this semester cover such things as crafts, yoga, what its like to be a health care professional, Instagrammable photo tips, Halloween makeup, guitar lessons and songwriting. The list is nearly endless. Mark Scheve, a service technician and mobile service mechanic whos been at Bettenhausen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Tinley Park for 43 years, said its important for teens to know about vehicles because all of them are going to be driving. Advertisement Its good just to have a back knowledge of something that youll probably be using for the rest of your life as a tool, he said. Scheve, whos been leading programs at The Bridge since the nonprofit opened 12 years ago, said he most hoped teens gained general knowledge of how their vehicle works and whats required to keep it in good working order. One surprising thing teen member Patrick Sullivan learned at the program was that coolant has to be pumped out with an air compressor. He said he attends every car-related program The Bridge offers. Theyre useful for kids short on money. If you dont go to the dealership, you dont have labor charges, he explained. instead, hes going back to The Bridge. Its such a great place one of a kind, he said. Theres not anything like it anywhere. Patrick Sullivan, left, and other teens at The Bridge Teen Center listen as semiskilled technician Tyler Aitchison talks about how to winterize a car. (Melinda Moore / Daily Southtown) The center, free and open to anyone in seventh to 12th grade with an approved student membership, offers programs from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. every other Friday during the school year. All Ive gotten is positive responses from the parents who sent their kids there and the kids themselves, Scheve said. You never know what pressures kids are facing, but it does have some serious ramifications in these kids lives and what theyre providing to these kids. Advertisement More than 11,000 teens from the south suburbs and northwest Indiana have been members since The Bridge opened in 2010, according to a news release from the organization. Founder and Executive Director Priscilla Steinmetz is proud that the center will become a teenager itself in June 2023 when it turns 13 years old. There is a need for students outside of school and outside of their homes to feel valued, for students to have opportunities to grow. It fits that need for students socially. At the same time, it can provide a new start for some youths. They can really reinvent themselves. Youre not stuck with an identity you have at school. You can figure out who you are, she said. We always encourage students, especially in our after-school things, to try things and find out things they dont like. We remove fear of failure. Sara Cetera loosens lug nuts with instruction from Mark Scheve, right, a service technician with Bettenhausen Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Tinley Park, as other teens look on Thursday at The Bridge Teen Center in Orland Park. You get a good feeling knowing that you can share some knowledge that could be useful in the rest of their lives, Scheve said. And they seem pretty enthusiastic about learning. I get something out of it and they get something out of it. (Melinda Moore / Daily Southtown) She said programs are carefully thought out. Advertisement We really put our heart and soul in what we offer and think about. Well be listening to students and hear them talking about something, she explained. We listen to our students. We watch them and observe them. We take the pulse of the culture.. Were extremely intentional about the programs we design for teenagers and how we lead volunteers to do them. For instance, programs have limited slots so every student can have hands-on experience. Some of the favorites have 80 students on a wait list. Not surprisingly, culinary programs are the most popular. What teenager doesnt love food? Steinmetz asked with a laugh. To help plan activities, student ambassadors in high school meet six to eight times a year and gain leadership training. We pick their brains. And we do take little surveys after programs. In addition, students suggest programs. Were a bridge for families, for schools, for the community, Steinmetz said. Thats why its called The Bridge. Advertisement The programs have a bigger purpose than just keeping teens occupied. The Bridge is not just a place for students to be but a place for students to become, she emphasized. We hope our program offerings help students become aware that theyre a holistic being and that their life matters they have something to contribute. We dont want them to just be consumers but to contribute to this community. If we dont give them the tools and knowledge and opportunities to get them to learn, were not doing our job in this generation. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > One program that has been offered at the center since its beginning is Soul Cafe, in which professional counselors lead programs on specific topics such as healthy relationships, divorce, anxiety, bullying and how to navigate siblings. Those actually have doubled, maybe because its post pandemic, said Steinmetz, whos worked with youths for 30 years. Usually we would have to encourage students to come to a lot of those programs, but now theyre filling up. Im not sure if parents are encouraging that more or they are coming in themselves. She said wasnt certain if this generation has a lot more introspection than the previous generation or if theyre more willing to be transparent and emotional. Maybe because were talking about it more in schools. But thats been an interesting thing so far. Advertisement Of the approximate 350 free after-school programs offered annually, 85 to 90% are taught by volunteers, people in the community who have gifts and talents and abilities theyre passing down to the next generation, Steinmetz said, with the rest covered by staff. Im so proud of our communities and volunteers. But ultimately, its all about the teens. There are students out there who have their tribes, their support groups. Students really use The Bridge to fit an area of their life that is missing. Maybe mom and dad are working and dont have time to teach life skills, Steinmetz said. Its a bridge to whatever you need to get to, so thats why its a holistic approach. Melinda Moore is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown. A former Kansas City priest and retired Wyoming bishop whose numerous sexual abuse allegations were dismissed by the Vatican but deemed credible by two current U.S. bishops is moving back to the metro area. Joseph Hart, who left Kansas City more than four decades ago to become Bishop of Cheyenne, will be residing in a senior living facility, The Star has learned. Hart, who turned 91 last month, has a brother also a priest who lives in Kansas City. One of Harts victims told The Star that he was contacted last week by Bishop James V. Johnston Jr., head of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, to let him know Hart would be returning. Ashlie Hand, spokeswoman for the diocese, referred questions to the Diocese of Cheyenne. Since retired Bishop Hart (regardless of where he lives) reports to the current Bishop Biegler in Cheyenne, they are the best ones to answer, Hand said in an email. The safety protocols that were established for Bishop Hart in the Diocese of Cheyenne and by the Vatican will remain in place here, in addition to engaging our own diocesan safety protocol process. Bishop Steven Biegler confirmed Harts relocation in a statement to The Star on Tuesday afternoon. Bishop Joseph Hart made the decision to move to Kansas City, MO, Biegler said. He is free to decide to relocate and reside where he wishes. Nevertheless, he is to observe certain limitations in his social interaction because Pope Francis imposed upon Bishop Hart the prohibition that he refrain from any contact with minors, youth, seminarians, and vulnerable adults and from presiding or participating anywhere in any public celebration of the Liturgy. Biegler said the Cheyenne diocese is responsible for ensuring that a retired bishop is provided with proper sustenance, which includes his essential needs (food, shelter, and medical care). Bishop Harts sustenance will be met by the monthly stipend that he receives from the priests retirement pension, based on his years of ministry, and by supplemental funding from the Diocese of Cheyenne to cover the financial needs associated with his sustenance, Biegler said. Story continues Finally, I am in the process of contacting the survivors who brought allegations of sexual abuse against Bishop Hart. I continue to pray for the survivors, their family members, Bishop Hart, and all who are affected by sexual abuse. News of the move incensed victims of sexual abuse by priests in the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese. All the survivors deal with this every day of their lives, said Michael Sandridge, a victim of another credibly accused priest in the diocese and one of six men featured in Procession, a highly acclaimed Netflix documentary about priest sex abuse. His coming back is a slap in the face for all his victims. There are several other options available. Send him to the Vatican and let them deal with him. They are responsible for that monster not the parishioners of Kansas City. Ed Gavagan, Michael Sandridge and Dan Laurine in a scene from Procession, a documentary that follows six men, all survivors of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic priests and clergy, who come together to direct a drama therapy-inspired experiment designed to collectively work through their trauma Sandridge said he received an email Friday from Jennifer Prusa, director of Journey to Bethany, a diocesan initiative in Kansas City created to help clergy sexual abuse victims heal. You may already know that Joseph Hart is relocating to Kansas City, Prusa wrote. Bishop Johnston has spoken personally to Harts victims here and is talking with Bishop Biegler in Wyoming If you think anyone else in the film or any other survivors you know would like to understand more about this move and the plans in place, Id welcome a connection with them. On Monday, Prusa responded to Sandridges followup questions asking for more information about Harts relocation. He is moving this week and will reside in a senior citizen facility, she wrote. She offered to help get Sandridge in touch with diocesan leadership so that you can ask questions directly. I understand your curiosity about Bishops calls to the survivors in our area, Prusa wrote. We considered whether or not a call from him would be triggering for the survivors and decided that it was important that they knew that he personally understands the effect Harts move could have for them. He is a very good listener and good at sitting with survivors, in other words, the calls were meant to be both informative and pastoral. Johnston serves as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People. Ed Gavagan, another abuse survivor featured in Procession and the man whose allegations against Hart led to criminal investigations in Wyoming, said the retired bishop doesnt deserve to live in comfort. To me, he should be a pariah and in a cellblock, so any accommodations beyond that are not only an insult, they are a disgrace, said Gavagan, now a New York City contractor. Someone in these institutions needs to follow through and do the right thing, from the Vatican, to the police department and the district attorneys of two states. There needs to be some accountability. Bishop Joseph Hart, a former Kansas City priest, stands accused of multiple allegations of sexual abuse now deemed credible by dioceses in Kansas City and Cheyenne, Wyo. Joe Eldred, a victim of three other priests in the diocese in the 1980s who also is featured in Procession, said Harts return could re-traumatize abuse victims. Why should Kansas City welcome back this child molester who has not taken any accountability for the harm he caused? said Eldred, who lives in southwest Missouri. Bishop Hart has been credibly accused of sexually abusing many boys and as an abuse survivor myself, I know that his very presence in Kansas City will rip open barely healed wounds. Bishop Harts victims deserve his criminal accountability and the backing of the diocese that failed them in such a heinous way as children. Turn up the heat and do not welcome him back. Protect the children and support his victims. Kansas City deserves better. Diocese changed stance on allegations Hart was a priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph from 1956 to 1976, then served as auxiliary bishop of Cheyenne from 1976 to 1978 and bishop from 1978 until retiring in 2001. Allegations against Hart first surfaced in 1989 and 1992 in Kansas City. Diocesan officials originally deemed those allegations not credible, but in 2018, Bishop Johnston found them to be substantiated. In 2002, Gavagan, who grew up in Wyoming, accused Hart of sexually abusing him as a boy. Authorities in Cheyenne concluded there was no evidence to support the allegations. But in July 2018, Biegler then the new Bishop of Cheyenne announced that the diocese had reopened its investigation into Hart. Biegler said the previous investigation was flawed and said a second man had come forward alleging sexual abuse by Hart. Both mens allegations, Biegler said, had now been deemed credible and substantiated. Wyoming authorities, spurred by the Cheyenne diocese, opened a new investigation. If charged, Hart would have become the highest-ranking Roman Catholic cleric in the country to face criminal prosecution for sexual abuse of a minor. Though the alleged abuse occurred decades earlier, Wyoming unlike most states has no statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions, so charges can be filed years later. In a 2000 ceremony, newly ordained Rev. Robert Cook (left) was annointed by Bishop Joseph Hart during the Rite of Ordination in St. Marys Cathedral. Hart, a former bishop in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyo., was twice accused of sexual misconduct with boys while he was a priest in Kansas City. By September 2019, the Diocese of Cheyenne said it had received six credible allegations against Hart. And the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese, which in 2008 and 2014 had settled two lawsuits for $10 million each in cases involving numerous priests and dozens of victims including 10 who alleged abuse by Hart said it had received four additional allegations against Hart in the past year. The Cheyenne Police Department recommended that Hart be charged. But a special prosecutor assigned to the case declined to file charges in 2020, citing insufficient evidence. And though both Biegler and Johnston have deemed the allegations against Hart to be credible, the Vatican last year cleared him of seven accusations that he sexually abused minors and said five others could not be proven with moral certitude. The accusations involved 11 males and one female. Moral certitude is held to be equivalent to beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard of proof required for a criminal conviction. Two other cases that involved boys who were 16 and 17 could not be prosecuted, the Vatican said in its decree, because the church didnt consider them minors, and another allegation was not addressed. But the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith also issued a canonical rebuke to Hart for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips, which could have been potential occasions endangering the obligation to observe continence and that would give rise to scandal among the faithful, according to a statement from the Diocese of Cheyenne. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reminded Hart that restrictions placed upon him by Pope Francis in October 2018 remained in force. Those restrictions prohibited Hart from having any contact with minors, youth, seminarians and vulnerable adults and from presiding or participating anywhere in any public celebration of the Liturgy. Last month, the Cheyenne diocese showed Procession to Catholics in three Wyoming towns, followed by a Q&A session with three of the men in the film Gavagan, Sandridge and Dan Laurine, who also is from the Kansas City area. One scene in the film recreates an incident of Harts abuse of Gavagan. Hart must be receiving negative pressure, and I wonder if his leaving Cheyenne is even his idea, Eldred said Monday. Now that his evil truth of his actions has been made public, he slinks off to re-enter his old hunting grounds. A Fort Stewart soldier and his wife were found dead in their south Georgia home after their kids were locked out and struggling to get inside, local outlets report. Deputies were called to a home in Ludowici where they discovered the bodies of a man and wife on Wednesday, Sept. 28, WTOC and WSAV reported, citing the Long County Sheriffs Office. Army officials identified the husband as a staff sergeant with the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion at Fort Stewart. McClatchy News is declining to name him for privacy reasons. A concerned neighbor called police after spotting the couples children trying to enter the home just after 4 p.m., WTGS reported. The neighbor, who wasnt identified, told deputies that the wife would call her to watch the kids if she was unable to make it before they got home from school. Attempts to reach the couple went unanswered, though their cars were still in the driveway, the neighbor told police, according to the news station. A second neighbor spent nearly 30 minutes knocking on the door with deputies, who eventually entered the home through a sliding window, WTOC reported, citing an incident report. Inside, they found the couple dead. Deputies also found a gas can in the kitchen and said the home reeked of gasoline, according to WSAV. McClatchy News reached out to the Long County Sheriffs Office on Wednesday, Oct. 5, and was awaiting a response. The couples bodies were taken to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for an autopsy, Detective Tom Solosi told WTGS. Their cause of death is pending, and the incident remains under investigation. The Armys Criminal Investigation Division is also looking into the case, according to a Fort Stewart spokesperson. On behalf of the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, I express our deepest condolences to the families as they grieve in the wake of this shocking tragedy, Lt. Col. Kevin Ike said in statement. We are offering support and resources to both families, and to our Soldiers, during this difficult time. Story continues Ludowici is about 55 miles southwest of Savannah. Soldiers killed in weather-related incident on Georgia mountain identified, Army says Army soldier uses TikTok to talk about trauma and to break stigmas. I wont stop Army veteran who vanished in 1976 identified as murder victim, North Carolina cops say SYDNEY (Reuters) - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will visit Australia on Thursday as both countries look to mend ties which soured after the Pacific nation struck a security pact with China in April. The agreement raised concern for the United States and Australia, who have for decades seen the Pacific region as largely their sphere of influence. "Our relationship with Solomon Islands is incredibly important," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. "I look forward to engaging with Prime Minister Sogavare on building a strong and prosperous Pacific region, based on principles of transparency, respect and partnership." Both leaders last met in July at the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji. Australia is the Solomon Islands' largest development partner in health, justice, education, infrastructure and other areas. But an offer by Canberra to fund the Pacific island's next election led Solomon Islands last month to accuse Australia of "interference". The bilateral meeting also comes days after U.S. President Joe Biden and 14 Pacific island states issued a joint declaration to strengthen their partnership amid Washington's offer of hundreds of millions in new aid for the region. Solomon Islands endorsed the document after earlier indicating it would not sign the declaration. (Reporting by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) Oct. 4GRAND FORKS The Gyda Varden Sons of Norway Lodge is hosting its first Norwegian Waffle and Egg-Coffee Breakfast beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. The main feature will be the famous Norwegian heart-shaped waffle, or "vaffler," which will be served with either sweet or savory toppings, according to tradition. Breakfast will be served until 11 a.m. "or until we run out of waffles," said Marianne Oyerhavn Knudson, lodge president. "This is a New Member event, which means that potential new members will get their waffle breakfast free," she said, "however, joining the lodge is not a requirement for joining us at the breakfast." Each breakfast platter is $10 for members. The Norwegian heart-shaped waffle is topped with either brown cheese, sour cream and strawberry jam, or whipped cream and strawberry jam, said Knudson, a native of Norway. It will be served with two pieces of bacon, scrambled eggs, egg-coffee and orange juice. "Norwegian waffles are immensely popular in Norway," Knudson said. "Pretty much everyone has a waffle iron. When you move from your parents' house, you usually get a waffle iron pretty soon after. ... I don't know anyone who doesn't have a waffle iron." "You can have all kinds of toppings on Norwegian waffles and brown cheese, sour cream and strawberry jam, or whipped cream and strawberry jam are some of the more popular ones," she said. "The toppings can, however, be both sweet and savory." Her personal favorite topping is "Norwegian Gouda, or Havarti over here," she said. Norwegian waffles, a staple of Norwegian cuisine, are not like Belgian waffles, Knudson said. "If you haven't tried the Norwegian waffle before, you are in for a treat." "It's something that everybody eats at home" in Norway, she said. The waffles are made from "a pretty basic recipe that includes a little bit of cardamom," she said. "They are not crispy; they're soft," and are not made with yeast. Story continues The design of the waffle, featuring five heart-shapes, adds to its appeal. In the Sons of Norway kitchen, Knudson will likely be making the waffles with Therese Hugg, a native of Norway who lives in Grand Forks, she said. "We have 23 volunteers to take care of everything for this event. We are prepared for quite a few guests. We expect people will be coming and going while we are open." Norwegian egg-coffee is often served after church services in rural North Dakota, she said. "The egg is used to bind the coffee grounds and does not add taste to the coffee but, instead, apparently, makes the coffee taste very smooth." Saturday's event will also feature speakers who will talk about the benefits of joining Sons of Norway. Benefits include financial products, fraternal programs, scholarships, grants and lodge activities, Knudson said. The Gyda Varden Sons of Norway Lodge is at 1401 Ninth Ave. S. For more information, call the lodge at (701) 772-9963. JOHANNESBURG (AP) At least three people of interest have been identified by South African police investigating the killing of a German tourist by gunmen. Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the site of the killing Wednesday where he said that authorities are searching for the suspects identified in their probe. We are working to find out how far we have gone with them. So we believe that we will be able to crack the case very, very soon, he told reporters. The tourist was fatally shot Monday afternoon near an entrance to Kruger National Park, South Africas largest game reserve in Mpumalanga province. He was driving a vehicle carrying three other travelers when it was attacked near the Numbi entrance to the park. He was shot after locking the car doors when the gunmen demanded that he unlock them, according to the police. The vehicle reversed for a few meters until it came to a halt after hitting a wall, but the suspects sped off without taking any belongings from their victims, according to the police. The killing has sparked concerns about South Africa's tourism, of which Kruger Park and the countrys wildlife reserves are a significant part. The government condemned the killing, maintaining that South Africa is still a safe travel destination. SOUTH BEND Police and city officials on Tuesday unveiled a series of policies that are aimed at governing the use of South Bends new Real Time Crime Center. The project will feature an expansion of video cameras and facial recognition technology as part of the citys push to curb violent crime. The goal, outlined by city officials, is to have the various pieces of surveillance technology feed into a central hub, or Real Time Crime Center, that will allow officers and analysts to track incidents as they happen. The Common Council has approved funding for the center, but city officials are seeking feedback on the policies, which will govern the center. On Tuesday evening, South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski, Mayor James Mueller and Chief Innovation Officer Denise Riedl presented the policies in a public meeting held at the OBrien Fitness Center. During their remarks, officials encouraged residents to submit feedback online and attempted to assuage concerns about Big Brother implications of the new technology. We want to balance the effectiveness and efficiency that this technology brings us in delivering safety services to our community and do it in such a way thats not causing new issues, Mueller said at the meeting. Real Time Crime Center In its policy outlining the use and scope of cameras connected to the Real Time Crime Center, the location of cameras is a central focus. The policy says that city cameras will only monitor public rights of way or areas where no reasonable expectation of privacy exists. Surveillance cameras will only record video, not audio, footage, the policy states, and decisions about where cameras are installed must be approved by the police chief and mayor. This will be in public spaces only. If you had your cell phone out and recording it would be no different, Ruszkowski said. Its not invading anyones privacy. More on the Real Time Crime Center:South Bend police plan 'real-time crime center.' Success rests on buy-in for surveillance Story continues The city also plans to partner with private businesses to install cameras that police can access, though those entities must have a written agreement giving law enforcement specific permission to view the feeds. The South Bend Police Department in July signed a contact with software company Fusus, which will provide the cloud-based technology for the crime center. Facial recognition and license plate readers Most of Tuesdays conversation revolved around questions from the public and explanations from city officials on how facial recognition would be used to investigate crimes as part of the new surveillance initiative. According to the draft policy, facial recognition will only be used in investigations involving violent crimes such as murder, assault or robbery. Even then, facial recognition can only be used as lead only, meaning it cant be used as the sole basis for probable cause to make an arrest or to obtain a warrant. For instance, if a shooting is committed in an area with video surveillance, police could use facial recognition to identify a potential suspect, Ruszkowski explained. However, detectives would need other corroborating information, such as a witness identification or phone records, before making an arrest. The facial recognition policy also limits the number of people who can authorize a facial recognition search to a handful of police department command staff. A written request must be filled out each time facial recognition analysis is run. The police department also posted its policy governing license plate readers, though that technology has been in use for years and has proven successful in solving a variety of cases, according to Assistant Police Chief Dan Skibins. Community concerns Of the handful of residents who attended Tuesdays meeting, some felt the policies as outlined are murky in how the data collected by video systems will be used and stored. Though no further meetings have been scheduled, officials are encouraging residents to read and submit feedback on the policies online. The proposed policies must be approved by the Board of Public Safety before being implemented. South Bend crime news:South Bend man arrested, charged with attempted murder stemming from police shootout Darryl Heller, a member of the board and director of the Civil Rights Heritage Center, said he isnt sold on the use of facial recognition software, calling it notoriously bias, and questioned the departments motivations for it. Heller also wants to examine how sites for police cameras are chosen and worries about whether video systems will prevent crime. I think that it doesnt actually deter crime, it just moves to places out of range of the cameras, he said. One academic study conducted by Michigan State University on Detroit's Project Greenlight showed "no measurable change in violent crime" though shootings in Detroit as a whole decreased from 2011 to 2019. The study did show an increase in property and disorder crimes at Greenlight-affiliated locations, though the apparent increase in crime was likely due to increased reporting of incidents, rather than a true rise. The study does highlight a 46% drop in carjackings at Project Greenlight locations, suggesting the cameras acted as a deterrent. South Bend city officials toured Detroit's crime center and are basing aspects of the Real Time Crime Center off Project Green Light, with police adding that Atlanta's systems will also serve as a model. Timetable The draft policies were given to the Board of Public Safety in late September and board members are expected to discuss them at the bodys Oct. 19 meeting before a potential vote in November. According to its presentation, the city expects to begin installing its cameras and setting up the crime center in early 2023. Before that, Skibins said the police department hopes to have a few cameras set up at local businesses to give the concept a pilot run. The city is in the process of reaching out to businesses in areas where violent crimes has occurred, he said. Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Police reveal policies for Real Time Crime Center in South Bend Oct. 5Carey Holbrook A woman is facing multiple charges after she struck a pedestrian in a Richmond gas station parking lot. The Madison County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) responded to a dispatch call in reference to "a large recreational vehicle that had backed over a male subject," according to police documents. The incident occurred at the WOW gas station off of 101 Interstate Drive in the evening hours of Saturday, Oct. 1. According to an arrest citation, when officers arrived on scene, a deputy saw a man on his back between a large RV and a GMC truck. When the deputy spoke with the victim, the citation stated it was apparent he was experiencing a great deal of pain in his legs. In his statement to law enforcement, the victim explained he was hooking up his personal truck to the RV with a device that connects both vehicles for travel, and said he needed his wife, Melinda Kuenzi, to back up the RV to connect the two vehicles. When the victim instructed Kuenzi to inch the RV towards him, she backed the RV too far and struck the victim in the legs with the towing device, according to an arrest citation. The deputies then spoke with Kuenzi and noted in the arrest report that, upon first observation, the woman was "obviously under the influence of alcohol." According to Kuenzi's arrest citation, the deputies requested Kuenzi to perform a field sobriety test. Kuenzi allegedly declined, entered the RV, and told officers to "foff." The officer followed Kuenzi into the RV and told her she was under arrest. According to police documents, Kuenzi then began to struggle and pull away. The victim was transported to University of Kentucky's Chandler Hospital to receive medical treatment. Kuenzi was arrested and charged with second-degree assault, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and resisting arrest. The Register collects and publishes police reports as a public service to its readers. The reports often contain allegations against individuals and do not mean the individuals committed a crime. All people named in connection with a crime are presumed innocent until guilty in a court of law. The US and South Korea fired missiles into the East Sea - also known as the Sea of Japan South Korea's military has apologised after a failed missile launch during a joint drill with the United States sparked alarm among residents in the coastal city of Gangneung. They reported hearing an explosion and seeing a fire overnight. But the military, which has said there were no casualties, did not acknowledge the incident until seven hours later. The launch was in response to North Korea firing a missile over Japan early on Tuesday. This is the first time Pyongyang has flown a missile over Japan since 2017 - and it prompted a show of force from the US, Japan and South Korea which conducted military drills. Seoul and Washington also fired a volley of missiles into the East Sea - also known as the Sea of Japan - between the Korean peninsula and Japan. The South Korean military later confirmed that one of their missiles failed soon after it was launched and crashed - this was separate to the ones launched with the US. The military also said that the Hyunmoo-2 missile carried a warhead but that it did not explode, and apologised for causing worry. Residents in Gangneung said they saw a bright flash and heard an explosion at around 01:00 on Wednesday (16:00 GMT Tuesday). They were left in the dark for hours, and many of them posted on social media wondering what had happened, while sharing photos and videos of the incident. The footage showed what appeared to be a brightly burning fire, with smoke rising from a distance. "I can't sleep because I feel anxious [after hearing] the explosion," said one user, according to news site Kang Won Ilbo. Another wondered if a plane had crashed. An explosion near Gangneung last night caused a social media storm in South Korea. Zero media reports or emergency alerts, raising suspicions of a cover up, a jet crash, or a missile launch. It turns out it was the latter, gone very wrong.pic.twitter.com/AjT6dHPcYL Raphael Rashid (@koryodynasty) October 5, 2022 North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday was the fifth carried out by Pyongyang in a week. Many of its missile tests are conducted on a flight path that reaches a high altitude, avoiding flights over its neighbours. Story continues But firing over or past Japan allows North Korean scientists to test missiles under circumstances "that are more representative of the conditions they'd endure in real-world use", analyst Ankit Panda told news agency Reuters. In September, North Korea passed a law declaring itself to be a nuclear weapons state, with leader Kim Jong-un ruling out the possibility of talks on de-nuclearisation. Coming off a 35-28 loss to Eastern Kentucky, Southern Utah makes a return back home and back to WAC play as 4-1 Tarleton State travels to Cedar City. Coming off a 35-28 loss to Eastern Kentucky, Southern Utah University makes a return back home and back to WAC play, as Tarleton State travels to Cedar City on Saturday night. Despite hanging around with the current #25 team in the FCS, head coach DeLane Fitzgerald felt as though his team let the Colonels off the hook on Saturday. Were not proud of what happened last week at all. We never had control of that football game. We never led, we attempted a field goal in the first half and attempted a field goal in the second half that would have given us the lead, but we missed both of those. We didnt control that football game like we had controlled a lot of them this year. We let one slip away, a little bit hard to swallow. Saturdays contest was a back-and-forth affair. For every score Eastern Kentucky put up, Southern Utah answered. The Colonels led on four separate occasions heading into the fourth quarter. A Justin Miller pass to Isaiah Williams tied the game at 28 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter. A 27-yard run by Braedon Sloan with 6:13 to play proved to be the game-winner. Sloan had a 34-yard touchdown catch from Parker McKinney late in the third quarter. McKinney had three two-yard touchdowns in the first half. Southern Utah rushed for a season-high 168 yards, with Bobby Cole leading the way with 69 yards on nine carries. Isaiah Wooden had a nine-yard rushing touchdown and added a 19-yard receiving touchdown. Joe Davis also ran for a score. I thought we ran the ball pretty well last week and plan to run it better this week, Fitzgerald said. Weve run the ball kind of the way we want to run the ball last week, so were excited about that and this week were working to get better. Tarleton State enters Eccles Coliseum with a 3-1 record. The lone loss for the Texans was to TCU. Saturdays game will be their WAC opener following a bye last week. Theyre a good football team, Fitzgerald said. Theyre well-coached. Ive won a lot of games after a bye week, so Id put them as the favorites. Theyve had two weeks to get ready for us and weve got four or five days of work to get ready for them. Story continues At the helm for the Texans in his 13th year is Todd Whitten. Tarleton State is led by Kentucky transfer Beau Allen at quarterback. Allen was a four-star quarterback and the 19th-ranked pro-style quarterback in the class of 2020, per Rivals.com Allen saw limited playing time behind Terry Wilson Jr. in 2020 and Will Levis in 2021 before entering the transfer portal. Through his first four games with the Texans, Allen has ten touchdowns and 1,139 yards to go along with four interceptions. He played in 2020 and 2021, he gets both of those years back so now hes a 20-year-old freshman. Hes a good quarterback and hes getting better each week. The quarterback scares me. Allen is coming off his best performance to date, throwing for 316 yards and four touchdowns against Northern Alabama. Allens top target 66 Jaden Smith had five catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Alabama. Smith had 11 catches and three touchdowns in a win over Mississippi Valley State. Theyre really tall. The speed and the height concern me, Fitzgerald said. Were going to have to change coverages up on them, mix the coverages up on them so they dont know what were sitting in. When Allen isnt dropping back to pass, the Texans have two running options in Derrel Kelley III and Deangelo Rosemond. Kelley III averages 6.4 yards per carry and has 223 yards. Rosemond has three rushing touchdowns to lead Tarleton. Their offense is patient. Theyre as patient a group as were going to see. If they dont score in the first two quarters, they dont panic. They dont panic and they end up scoring down the road. The Texans' offense seems to be finding its stride, scoring 84 points over the last two weeks. While Fitzgerald wasnt pleased with the outcome and execution last week, keeping it close against a top-25 team in the first year of a rebuild has to count for something. Even if Southern Utah doesnt come out on top and falls back to .500, they should test the Texans. Sean Ellertson is a sports reporter for the St. George Spectrum & Daily News. To continue to support his work, please subscribe to The Spectrum. Follow Sean on Twitter @SeanEllertson. This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Southern Utah returns home after close to loss to play Tarleton State A defiant Mayor Tiffany Henyard swaggered into Dolton Village Hall Monday night and flaunted her appellate court victory Friday that found June 28 votes to recall her were invalid. Henyard showed no signs of being humbled by costly and wasteful legal battles that have divided the impoverished community of about 22,500 residents. She danced in place where the mayor presides over Village Board meetings while the 1979 disco hit Aint No Stopping Us Now by McFadden and Whitehead played loudly over a sound system. Advertisement I am and forever will be Doltons mayor, Henyard told a standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 people packed into a space where there was seating for perhaps 50. There was no doubting Henyards statement that she intends to remain mayor for life. She not only spoke the phrase as the capstone of a victory speech, she had it printed upon an 8-foot tall poster that bore the headline, Recall Null & Void. Advertisement No mayor has done the things I have done in the short time of being mayor, Henyard said. She was elected to a four-year term in April 2021 after narrowly winning a three-way Democratic primary in February 2021. Henyard publicly hurled unfounded claims of misogyny at her political opponents. I want to be inspiration for young women of America, she said. I am living testimony that if its for you, no man can remove you from that seat. Henyard has been at odds with a board majority of five of the six elected trustees. Three of the five in the majority Trustees Kiana Belcher, Tammie Brown and Brittany Norwood are women. Trustee Edward Steave publicly spoke on behalf of the board majority and graciously congratulated Henyard on the appellate courts decision. I commend the mayor on her fight, Steave said. I congratulate her on her outcome. I only pray that this experience serves as a lesson that this seat that she holds or we hold is not ours, it belongs to the residents. Henyard responded with a juvenile, personal attack on her foes. The phrase "I am and forever will be Dolton's mayor" appears on a poster with a picture of Mayor Tiffany Henyard Monday at Dolton Village Hall. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown) My board has been obsolete as it relates to unity and they have divided our community because of their personal hatred for their mayor, their jealousy toward their mayor, she said. Advertisement Henyard appeared to use a nonpartisan government public meeting for political purposes by calling on residents to oust her opponents in the upcoming spring municipal election. His seat is up come February of 2023, Henyard said of Steave. You all need to make sure you get to the polls and vote. Mondays meeting seemed to indicate gridlock between Henyard and the board majority will continue for the foreseeable future. The mayor and trustees have battled over hiring, spending and other issues. The board majority voted Monday to not pay any bills submitted for approval on a list of warrants, other than the biweekly payroll for village employees. Trustees needed more time to review the warrant list and would call a special meeting to consider items, Trustee Jason House said. A year ago our deficit was $380,000, now its $1.5 million, House said. Dolton and many other suburban municipalities typically are squeezed this time of year. Fund balances tend to run low as towns await disbursements of real estate taxes collected by the county treasurer. Advertisement This year, the Cook County assessors office was late sending out tax bills. Cook County offered no-interest loans to communities that needed funds to pay bills, and Dolton applied for and received the largest grant awarded. If this administration was responsible we would not need to take out loans to pay bills, Steave said. Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard presides over a Dolton Village Board meeting Monday. (Ted Slowik / Daily Southtown) Henyard said many communities routinely issue tax anticipation warrants this time of year to make ends meet while awaiting property tax payments. She accused trustees of wasting public funds in legal fees over the recall issue. They could have done several things with the funds used to recall me, she said. Thats what you call wasteful spending. However, Henyard initiated the legal fight by filing a lawsuit April 25, and trustees said their legislative counsel has not been paid for seven months. House has said trustees wanted to consult with their attorney before deciding whether to appeal the appellate court ruling to the Illinois Supreme Court. Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Mondays meeting consisted of more arguing, talking over one another, bickering, sniping and circular back-and-forth exchanges that have characterized Dolton public meetings for the past year. Advertisement The crowd appeared about evenly split between supporters of Henyard and the board majority. Some spoke during public comment in support of the mayor, while others expressed support for trustees. Henyard may have lured supporters to the meeting with the promise of free food. Vendors served free tacos in the parking lot outside Dolton Village Hall before and during Mondays meeting. If no other developments break the present stalemate, the next chance to change the dynamic may be the spring elections. In addition to Steave, seats up for reelection are Henyard ally Andrew Holmes and board majority member Tammie Brown. Dolton municipal elections are among the most competitive in the Southland. Eleven people ran for three seats in 2019, and nine ran for three seats in 2021. Ted Slowik is a columnist at the Daily Southtown. tslowik@tribpub.com SpaceX successfully launched another batch of astronauts to the International Space Station Wednesday, part of an ongoing astronaut transportation contract with NASA. Like the companys seven other human spaceflight missions, it was completely routine -- and thats what made it so remarkable. The Crew-5 mission (so named because it's SpaceXs fifth crewed mission with NASAs Commercial Crew Program) took off from launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center at noon. The crew of four -- which includes American astronauts Nicole Mann, mission commander, and Josh Cassada, mission pilot; JAXA astronaut Koichi Wakata, mission specialist; and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, mission specialist -- are traveling to the station in a Crew Dragon dubbed Endurance. It separated from the Falcon 9 rocket shortly after launch and is expected to arrive at the station on Thursday. The quartet will spend up to six months aboard the ISS. Wakata is the sole spaceflight veteran amongst the crew, having spent more than 11 months in space. SpaceX has now delivered 30 humans to space. The mission is notable for a few other reasons, too. It also marks the first time that a cosmonaut has flown on a SpaceX Crew Dragon and the first time a cosmonaut has flown on an American spacecraft since 2002. Cosmonaut Kikinas spot on the spacecraft is part of a recent astronaut transportation deal between the U.S. and Russia. American astronaut Francisco Rubio flew to the ISS on a Russian Soyuz last month as part of the deal. In a post-launch briefing, Roscosmos chief of human spaceflight Sergei Krikalev said the Crew-5 mission marked a new phase of our cooperation between the U.S. and Russia, part of a relationship that began more than 40 years ago. Krikalev has struck a decidedly more conciliatory tone than some of his former colleagues in recent weeks. In a NASA media briefing prior to the Crew-5 mission, he said that the Russian space agency is in talks with Moscow to extend its participation in the ISS -- despite Roscosmos head Yuri Borisov announcing just a few months earlier that Russia planned to leave the station after 2024 and operate its own orbiting platform. When asked if his recent comments on the NASA-Roscosmos partnership is part of an effort to smooth relations between the two countries, Krikalev said it was. Crew-5 is the eighth human spaceflight mission for SpaceX in less than three years. The Endurance Dragon also flew on Crew-3. MADRID (AP) The leaders of Spain and Germany held talks in Spain Wednesday, two days before both participate in an European Union summit to discuss Europes energy crisis derived from Russias invasion of Ukraine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the northwestern city of A Coruna. The two center-left leaders were accompanied by 15 ministers from their governments. The EU summit in Prague on Friday will likely include discussions on Germanys plan to subsidize gas prices for its consumers and businesses, a move that has raised questions from France and Italy. Sanchez said that he empathizes with Germany due to its pressing need to find alternatives to Russian gas and oil, while adding that the EU should find common solutions. Both Sanchez and Scholz support reforming the EU's energy market. The consequences of the war in Ukraine impact us all, but clearly it has a greater impact on the countries with a higher dependency on Russian carbon-based fuels so we empathize with the situation that Germany is in, Sanchez said. (And) Germany is Europes leading economy, so it is in all our interests that Germany does well. Scholz, meanwhile, reiterated his support for Spains push to build another, larger pipeline with France that could pump natural gas, and potentially green hydrogen, northwards to the rest of Europe. That plan, however, has received zero support from French president Emmanuel Macron. Scholz said that they did not discuss Germanys suggested European anti-missile defense shield as some local media had anticipated. On Thursday, leaders of over 40 EU and non-EU countries will meet in Prague to launch a European Political Community championed by Macron and aimed at boosting security and prosperity across the continent. The next day the leaders of the 27 EU members will gather to talk about energy and the war in Ukraine. Springfield High School's automotive and diesel technology course was built by teacher Mark Simmons over the past two decades. And now he has another $50,000 to fine-tune it. Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, a nonprofit program established by Harbor Freight Tools, surprised Simmons with a check on Tuesday during an assembly that was kept secret for nearly a month. "I'm still in shock," Simmons said. "Usually, I like to try to put the spotlight on the kids, not on me." Mark Simmons, who teaches automotive and diesel technology at Springfield High School, gives a tour of the school's auto shop on Tuesday. The Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program awards checks to 20 high school teachers nationwide every year to help improve their CTE and trade skills programs. Since 2017, they have given away more than $6 million to schools, according to Harbor Freight district manager Jim Weiland. This year, Simmons was the only Oregon teacher awarded the prize. Simmons was one of 768 individuals who applied for the funding this year. Weiland, who presented the award to Simmons, said the judges found him to be an "exemplary" teacher. "He's passionate about teaching, but he's also great at teaching the automotive and diesel skilled trades," Weiland said. "He connects very well with his students in a real-world scenario, and helps prepare them for potential career opportunities down the road." Engineering the automotive program Simmons grew up in what he described as a "pretty poor" family, working on a farm in Ohio and servicing agricultural equipment as a sixth grader at an automotive shop in high school. He served in the United States Air Force as a mechanic, working on fighter jets and on the F-117 Stealth in the first Gulf War. After leaving the Air Force and working in private aviation, his wife, Leslie Simmons, convinced him to become a teacher like herself. He discovered a passion for it. "My wife's been a big inspiration," Simmons said. "She brought me into teaching. She had me help out with field trips and those kinds of things. I like being around young people. I really do think being around young people keeps you young at heart." Story continues Mark Simmons, who teaches automotive and diesel technology at Springfield High School, embraces his wife, Leslie Simmons, after hearing he won $50,000 from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools on Tuesday. Simmons worked as an assistant in the SHS auto shop for two years, attending night school to earn his associate's and master's degrees to complete his teaching license. He has taught SHS's automotive and diesel technology course full-time for the past 19 years. Simmons has transformed the mechanics course in his time at SHS. He extended and finished the workshop, collected computers, coordinated furniture from the metalwork and wood shop classes and spent endless hours seeking out grants for his classroom. Simmons also maintains a business co-op run by his team and students in his class that allows people to bring in cars for repairs. The students get to keep a percentage of the profits. Simmons said the co-op contributes about 85% of the auto shops budget. The annual operating budget provided by the district without the co-op is $1,800. Simmons said all the machinery and tools he has collected over the years are worth millions together. "One of the things that I want to do with some of the Harbor Freight funds is I want to turn more of that (co-op management) over to the kids," Simmons said. Revving up students for trade careers Simmons said his students keep him motivated in the classroom. Many of them don't know how to use basic tools when they first start out in his class. His goal is to prepare them for a profession in the real world. Students in his CTE program can earn college credits and shadow local professionals who may provide apprenticeship opportunities, according to a news release about his course. Simmons added that trade professionals reach out to him regularly about hiring his students due to the shortage in the field. He said the lack of CTE and trade courses play a role in this shortage. "Most of my students understand that being skilled will benefit them in the long run, so my program's an easy sell," Simmons said. Mark Simmons, who teaches automotive and diesel technology at Springfield High School, is awarded $50,000 from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools on Tuesday. Simmons poses with some of his leadership students in his class in front of the check. JJ Baker, a senior at SHS who has been taking Simmons' class since he was a freshman, said Simmons is a leader in the classroom. "When I always, always do things with my family, mechanics-wise, it would always be kind of the backyard mechanic," Baker said. "He shows the proper ways and techniques to do it that an actual business would use, makes it a little bit safer, a little bit easier." Lucas McCutcheon, a senior at SHS who assists in the same class as Baker, said he expects Simmons to use some of the money to buy more tools the classroom needs. "He's really got the best auto program in the area," McCutcheon said. Going forward, Simmons hopes to build a presence on social media for his classes to promote the work they do and potentially inspire other schools. "The world needs to know what the kids are doing," Simmons said. Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon high school CTE teacher Mark Simmons given $50K check This story has been updated Latest:Man killed Wednesday after shooting at Springfield police identified Springfield Township police shot and killed a man accused of shooting at officers about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the man's home off East Waterloo Road. The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed that the shooter, a 38-year-old male, died. The medical examiner's office said an autopsy will be done Thursday and the office will put out another update after next of kin are notified. The shooter, who has not been identified, was taken to Summa Akron City Hospital, township police said in a news release. The shooting happened at a residence in the 2300 block of East Waterloo Road, police said. The location is in a mixed residential and commercial area near Canfield Road and Springfield Lake. "The shooting occurred during a follow-up investigation of a zoning law violation at a residence in the township," the department said in the release. "While conducting the investigation, the officers were shot at by the property owner. The officers returned shots, incapacitating the shooter." The officers were not injured, the department said. Second shooting Wednesday:Man, 22, arrested in shooting death of 58-year-old man in Akron's University Park neighborhood Andrea Dalton, a neighbor of the man who died, said the zoning dispute apparently involved vehicles parked on the man's property that the township wanted to be removed. The township had removed two trucks over the winter and came to the property Wednesday to remove a third vehicle, she said. "He had two that were already hauled off," Dalton said. "They gave him chance after chance." She said the man kept to himself, and other neighbors said the same. "In six years I've only seen him three times," she said. Dalton said she gave investigators a digital audio recording of the shooting but she did not have video of the incident. She was not home at the time of the shooting. On the recording, she said police could be heard shouting for the man to put down a gun. Story continues Danielle Shackelford and Jeff Woods II were in the bedroom when they heard shots near the man's house. The couple live in a home adjacent to the man's property. "I've got four dogs in there going [crazy]," he said. "...At first, I thought it sounded like fireworks." Shackelford and Woods went outside to investigate, they said. "We saw the [man] laying out here behind the camper, laying in some tall grass," Shackelford said. When emergency medical services arrived, they placed the man on a stretcher and gave him oxygen, but he seemed unresponsive, she said. "When they rolled him over, it didn't look like he was moving," she said. Both Woods and Shackelford said the man was quiet and would go out walking after dark, often returning with groceries from a nearby store. Another neighbor said he heard four to five shots in the morning in quick succession but did not realize the shots involved township police. Akron dash cameras:City to consider dash cameras for Akron Police vehicles The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called to the scene and will handle the investigation, according to the release. By early afternoon, authorities had taped off the man's home and Dalton's house, although she said she still had access to her home. "I can get in the house, but they asked me not to go in the back yard," she said. Her back yard connects to the man's property. The officers will be placed on mandatory administrative leave, which is customary in officer-involved shootings, the department said. Springfield police said they will not be releasing additional information "at this time," but that further updates will be made as more information becomes available. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Springfield Township police fatally shoot man accused of firing at them Ahead of midterm elections in November, politician Stacey Abrams graces Essence Magazines October digital cover. Democratic politician and activist Stacey Abrams is looking to make history as she campaigns to become the first ever Black women governor in US history. Abrams nearly made this accomplishment back in 2018 but lost to Republican Brian Kemp, whos the current governor of Georgia. In the 2020 presidential election, Abrams and her organization Fair Fight Action played a crucial role in helping Joe Biden win over the typically red state of Georgia. With her organization, she also helped to monitor and make sure voter practices were fair across other swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Essence Abrams discusses in her cover interview for Essence the importance of the Black community selecting the right political candidates. We must elect candidates who see us, hear us, represent us, and have a commitment to passing legislation that ensures our communities have the opportunity to thrive, she says. This is why she hopes to dispel some of the negative notations that Black voters have on the power of their vote. You may not win with your vote every time, but you make them work for it every time, she says on the importance of Black voter turnout. Thats the point. If somebodys got to work for something, theyre not going to be as mean to you as they were. Theyre not going to ignore you the way they do. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Essence At the core of Abrams, campaign run is her commitment to protecting abortion rights and her economy plan for Georgia that invests in its citizens. The Georgia politician hopes to lean on her faith as she prepares for her big showdown at the polls next month. [My parents] always reminded us that our faith should be a shield to protect and not a sword to strike down, she says. This belief still guides me today as I fight to ensure that Georgians of all backgrounds are seen [and] heard. EXCLUSIVE: The Starz #TakeTheLead Writers Intensive has selected Corey Dashaun, Gabriela Revilla Lugo, John Lowe, Naiyah Ambros, Raymond Arturo Perez, and Tennessee Martin as the programs finalists. The second and final phase, which kicks off on October 3, will see the 6 writers develop, write and pitch a spec episode script for a current Starz series with the support of writers Danny Fernandez and Sahar Jahani as well as Starz executives Samantha Offsay-Nissen, Senior Vice President, Original Programming; Alex Alberts, Director, Original Programming; Giovanna Desselle, Director, Original Programming; and Tara Roy, Director, Original Programming. More from Deadline The program will wrap on November 4th when participants will pitch their spec episode to the Starz programming team. We are elated with the success of this inaugural program and our partnership with Starz and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles as we celebrate the finalists in phase two of the Writers Intensive, said Karla Pita Loor, chair of NALIPs Board of Directors. With these types of collaborations, NALIP continues to discover, develop and support opportunities for content creators from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Throughout phase one, participants gained a comprehensive understanding of television writing and received critical insight on how to navigate their careers as emerging TV writers. Phase one culminated in the cohort outlining and pitching spec episode treatments for a current Starz series to Starz executives Karen Bailey, Executive Vice President, Original Programming, and Kathryn Tyus-Adair, Senior Vice President, Original Programming. Best of Deadline Story continues Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has put himself at forefront of recovery efforts (Getty Images) There is a clip of Ron DeSantis being interviewed on CNN that is really worth taking a look at. It is not that clip - the angry, aggressive hectoring of a reporter back in January 2021 when she asked why the vaccine roll out in Florida appeared to be going quite slowly. Rather it occurred his week, when in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian that had left more than 100 people dead, he was asked about whether the evacuation orders had got out to places such Lee County quickly enough. The governor certainly starts to snap at the question - Where was your industry station when the storm hit where you guys in Lee County? No, you were in Tampa - but he quite quickly changes to defending his actions in a measured way. You know, everybody had adequate opportunity to at least get to a shelter within the county. But a lot of the residents did not did not want to do that. I think probably for various reasons, he says, explaining how the forecast had suggested Tampa, where the media had stationed itself, was most likely to be hit. There is another press conference that is crucial to watch to get an understanding of the 44-year-old Republican governor, first elected in 2018, who is seeking to secure a second term in Novembers midterms. That took place just a few days before the storm struck, when Mr DeSantis was defending what many critics and human rights activists had denounced as a political stunt, using real people. In a move that appeared designed to his base voters, Mr DeSantis used Florida state funds to fly to Texas, collect up to 50 Venezuelan asylum seekers detained by the Texan authorities, and fly them to Marthas Vineyard, a luxury island off the coast of Massachusetts. The message to liberals was clear: If youre so keen to declare yourselves sanctuary cities, how about we fly you some migrants directly, regardless of whether you have the resources to handle them, or regardless of whether those people seeking to escape desperate straits back in Venezuela, were lied to? Story continues Nobody can deny that theres a crisis. Everybody now knows, he said. I think its opening peoples eyes to the solution. He added: I dont hear outrage about the criminal aliens that have got through and have victimised people. So what are people to think? As the nation prepares for the midterm elections which could see DeSantis secure another term that he could use as a platform for a White House run for if he so wishes, what has he been trying to do in these recent days. Is he the would-be statesman, preparing to welcome Joe Biden to Florida and thank him for the many millions of dollars set aside by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), even though when he was a member of Congress, he voted against spending federal money when Hurricane Sandy struck the New York region in 2012? Or is Mr DeSantis the hard-knuckled conservative willing to clash with everyone from teachers unions to Disney, sign into law legislation restricting how race, sexual orientation and gender identity can be discussed in the classroom, and fly migrants to Marthas Vineyard? I think [the hurricane] gave him an opportunity to soften his image with voters, says Professor Todd Belt, of George Washington University. Mr Belt, a political scientist who heads the universitys political management programme, tells The Independent that when natural disasters occur, it is up to elected officials to provide, assistance without favour. Hes really signaling to people that hes doing that and taking his job seriously and thats quite in contrast to somebody like Donald Trump, who didnt want to provide forest fire aid for California, because they did not vote for him, he says. That not only distinguishes himself from Mr Trump, but also from a recent avatar of himself - the one who sent migrants to Massachusetts. He is trying to shift the narrative in that way. For a states governor, responding to a natural disaster and securing a close - but not too close - relationship with the White House can be be a careful path to tread. It can also be tricky for a president, particularly one from a different party. Migrants in Marthas Vineyard who were flown from Texas on flights organised by Floridas governor (Cape Cod Times) Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey managed to work pretty effectively together when Sandy devastated parts of New Jersey. Republican critics of Mr Christie will say he worked too closely, given Democrats happily made use of footage of their appearances together in his reelection campaign later that year. It was a contest he eventully won 51- 47 against Mitt Romney. In 2005, both Republican President George W Bush and Louisianas Democratic Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco fared poorly in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that killed more than 1,000 people. Mr Bush was accused of being distant, and was attacked for flying over the city of New Orleans by plane rather than setting foot on the ground. There were accusations of racism, and claims that the administration would not have responded so haplessly had the citys population not been made up so much of people of colour and the poor. Ms Blanco said the states despair was made worse by a White House eager to blame someone else for its failed disaster response: I just thought I could shout more loudly than the noise around me, but in the end I couldnt. There was just too much pain, she said. She did not seek reelection and died in 2019 after contracting cancer. Mr Trump received poor marks from everyone but himself when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017, killing more than 3,000 people. Mr Trump was accused of failing to respond either quickly enough or at a big enough scale. A report in 2021 by the Housing Departments Office of the Inspector General found the Trump administration delayed more than $20bn in hurricane relief aid for the island. Mr Trump clashed repeatedly with the mayor of San Juan, Democrat Carmen Yulin Cruz. The Trump administration killed Puerto Ricans with neglect, she later said. Speaking to CNN, she added: The Trump administration led us to believe that they were helping when they werent really up to par. Mr DeSantis and Mr Biden have vowed that they are working together for the benefit of Floridians. While the Republican frequently attacked Mr Biden in the weeks and months ahead of the storm, his rhetoric shifted just before Ian hit. When peoples lives and their property are at risk like this, we all need to work together regardless of party lines, Mr DeSantis told Fox News. The Biden administration has approved our request for a pre-landfall declaration and did that very quickly, so we are very thankful for that. And its my sense that the administration wants to help. In Washington DC, Mr Biden sent similarly warm words, very much aware that with just weeks before the midterms, Democrats need to be able to project themselves as party that can get things done. The president was asked about his relationship and conversations with the governor when he spoke at FEMA headquarters. Its totally irrelevant, but Ill answer it, OK? he repied. Very fine. He complimented me, he thanked me for the immediate response we had. He told me how much he appreciated it. He said he was extremely happy with whats going on. Richard Conley is an associate professor of political science at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He says there are always political considerations when natural disasters strike. He believes from what has played out so far, both the White House and the governors office in Tallahassee, will have been pleased with the way the two men have been able to work together. I think this is a time when both Biden and DeSantis can look statesmen-like and above the fray, he says. You know, the important thing is to get the water, the electricity, the resources back. He adds: At this juncture, it really becomes kind of an administrative deal where the administration, meaning the gubernatorial administration has to try to coordinate with FEMA. And the not for profits. The danger for Mr DeSantis is that if things are not repaired quickly people can look for people to blame. And that may not be any fault of his own, he says. Others have a more critical take on Mr DeSantiss actions. Adriana Rivera Sanchez is communications director for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, a Miami-based group working to help migrants to the US. Governor DeSantis is an extremely politically savvy governor. He knows how to play to his strengths, she says. He is using this moment to the sympathiser, the person whos there for you, as he should as a governor honestly. For months Mr DeSantis may have been criticisng Mr Biden but realizes he now need his help Politicians like the Santas and Greg Abbott in Texas have been using culture war issues as their campaign. That is what happened with sending the migrants to Marthas Vineyard, Ms Sanchez says. Theyre using immigration, and theyre vilifying people that are looking for opportunities, just like his great grandparents, who all came from Italy. Does she think Mr DeSantis has genuinely changed with this weeks display of concern? He has no regard for people. Hes shown that. Its like I say when when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time, she says. He needs the funding for hurricane recovery. However, hes using $12 million of Floridians taxpayer money that was actually earmarked for Covid relief and hes using it to traffic people across state lines. The Supreme Court. Illustrated | Getty Images The Supreme Court is about to decide the future of the internet. The court this week agreed to hear a case involving Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields internet providers from lawsuits over material posted online by users. The law "helped enable the rise of huge social networks like Facebook and Twitter," reports The New York Times, by ensuring they couldn't get sued every time a user posted something false or inflammatory. But Section 230 "has come under heavy scrutiny from the right and the left in recent years," NBC News reports, "with conservatives claiming that companies are inappropriately censoring content and liberals saying social media companies are spreading dangerous right-wing rhetoric." What will happen to the internet if Section 230 goes away? Here's everything you need to know: What is Section 230? It's "one of the most valuable tools for protecting freedom of expression and innovation on the internet," according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. That's a bit ironic, since the purpose of the Communications Decency Act was originally designed to prevent young kids from encountering obscene materials in what was then called "cyberspace." But Section 230 of the law also held that "no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." That means the law "protects websites from lawsuits if a user posts something illegal," Casey Newton wrote for The Verge in 2020. (Practically, it allows YouTube to let millions of users upload and publish videos without worrying about getting sued if one of them posts something out of bounds.) But it also gives them the freedom to create their own moderation rules. "This is why Facebook and Twitter ban hate speech, for example, even though it is legally permitted in the United States." Why do Republicans criticize Section 230? The short answer: Donald Trump. Since tech companies are empowered under Section 230 to make their own content moderation choices, they were protected in early 2021 when the biggest of them Twitter, Facebook, and others banned him from their sites in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. But Trump was arguing for the repeal of Section 230 even before that, when social media companies started blocking user posts that contained factual inaccuracies about COVID-19 and started posting warning labels on some of his tweets as well. Conservatives have spent the past few years arguing that "Big Tech" engages in censorship, mostly of conservative viewpoints (although studies show conservatives actually dominate social media). And a few GOP-run states, like Florida, have passed laws that prohibit social networks from "deplatforming" candidates for their views. Story continues Why do Democrats criticize Section 230? The short answer: Donald Trump. The Trump Era also led many Democrats to believe social media companies are too lax in permitting hate speech and Big Lies to proliferate. "Generally, Republicans worry that Section 230 gives internet companies too much leeway to suppress what people say online," the Times summarized last year, while Dems believe it gives "companies a pass for failing to effectively stop illegal drug sales or prevent extremists from organizing violence." What is the Supreme Court case about? Oddly, it's not about Trump at all. The case Gonzalez v. Google LLC "centers around the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, who was killed in an ISIS terrorist attack in Paris in 2015," Politico reports. The family says YouTube's algorithm pushed terror-sympathetic videos that helped inspire the attack. "The question before the court is whether Section 230 grants immunity for recommendations made by algorithms pushing certain content for users or if it only applies to editorial changes like content removal made by the platforms." It's the first time the Supreme Court will directly consider Section 230, and industry observers are watching to see if justices issue a narrow ruling or something much more expansive. "The entire scope of Section 230 could be at stake, depending on what the Supreme Court wants to do," Jeff Kosseff, a law professor at the Naval Academy, told The Washington Post. What will happen if Section 230 falls? Some observers fret that the Supreme Court might use the case to gut Section 230 entirely. "The worst case scenario Section 230 basically being entirely nullified would be devastating to countless online platforms and companies," Devin Coldewey writes for TechCrunch. That's probably not likely. But "little changes make a big difference" and even a narrow ruling could end up forcing Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to alter how much freedom they give users to post. It won't just be Big Tech companies that are affected, however. "If the Supreme Court erodes Section 230 immunity, it could create a nightmare scenario not just for Big Tech but for anyone [who] runs a website with user-generated content," Axios notes. Legally speaking, then, the whole internet might be up for grabs. You may also like Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home Russian war reporters warn Ukraine is threatening thin, fragile defensive lines in southern Kherson Survey reveals less than half of Americans plan to get flu shot this season The Supreme Court. Illustrated | Getty Images The Supreme Court on Monday started a new term that will give the 6-3 conservative supermajority opportunities to leave its mark on more hot-button issues after its landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which protected abortion rights for a half-century. This term, the court will consider cases involving affirmative action, gay rights, voting, and religion. Polls show that public approval of the court has fallen to historic lows, with a record number of Americans complaining the court is too conservative following former President Donald Trump's appointment of justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, who replaced the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Those critiques could intensify if, as expected, the high court continues its lurch to the right this term by permitting more restrictions on abortion and fewer on guns, and relaxing the line separating church and state. In a rare display of discord, the justices themselves this summer plunged into the debate about the court's credibility after a term in which it overturned longstanding precedents. "It just doesn't look like law when, you know, the new judges appointed by a new President come in and just start tossing out the old stuff," liberal Justice Elena Kagan said in a public appearance in Rhode Island. Chief Justice John Roberts defended the high court in a separate appearance in Colorado. "Simply because people disagree with an opinion is not a basis for questioning the legitimacy of the court," he said. His fellow conservative Justice Samuel Alito went a step further, saying that implying "the court is becoming an illegitimate institution or questioning our integrity crosses an important line." Is the Supreme Court's legitimacy in danger of crumbling in its new term? The high court's credibility is on the line The Supreme Court's legitimacy is in peril, says Fareed Zakaria at CNN, and the justices have only themselves to blame. Time after time, the majority has taken "actions that make the Court seem more partisan, more radical, more out of tune with the country." And this has been going on for decades. The high court's approval rating took a dive just over two decades ago after Bush v. Gore. "That was a nakedly partisan ruling in which conservatives, who had long championed states' rights, suddenly discovered that the federal government had a crucial role in the 2000 election." The court has only grown "more ideologically predictable that is, politically partisan in recent years," with justices "appointed by Republicans now almost always rule in ways that Republicans want them to. Ditto for judges appointed by Democrats. It is all part of the hyper-polarization of American life." Liberals are just trying to intimidate the majority "The barrage of liberal attacks nefariously questioning the institutional legitimacy of the court" is part of a careful campaign to "advance a court-packing pipe dream," says Carrie Severino at Fox News. If the left can convince people the court is too conservative, the logic goes, maybe they can get people to support their call to expand the court and fill it with more liberal justices while Democrats are in power. The left also has tried to turn up the heat on the majority with "streams of left-wing protestors who continue to harass the justices at their homes, showing no signs of relenting" while Attorney General Merrick Garland looks the other way. The protests and the insults have gone on non-stop since "the unprecedented leak of Justice Samuel Alito's opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization," telegraphing the majority's intention to overturn Roe and correct "one of the greatest acts of judicial arrogance in history." But it won't work. In the new term, expect the justices to preserve the court's dignity and legitimacy by keeping "their heads down" and respecting "the original meaning of the Constitution," following "the law where it leads." The partisan court is protecting minority rule The "zealous band of Republican partisans" that make up the high court's conservative wing isn't defending the Constitution, says Katrina vanden Heuvel in The Washington Post. It is "using a self-selected docket of cases to advance minority rule." A smaller conservative majority gutted the core enforcement mechanism of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, opening "the floodgates of voter-suppression laws across the South" and other red states. Now the right's supermajority is taking up two redistricting cases Merrill v. Milligan in Alabama, and Moore v. Harper in North Carolina that could result in rulings protecting "blatant" racial and partisan gerrymandering, weakening what remains of the Voting Rights Act. "Forget the years of Republican railing about activist judges legislating from the bench," says Ruth Marcus, also in the Post. "This majority is perfectly willing to rewrite laws it doesn't like." Race will be a focus this term with cases on voting rights and affirmative action in college admissions. But the conservative supermajority will take up a host of politically charged issues, including clashes where religious liberty is likely to prevail over gay rights. As the court's new term gets going, the majority appears "heedless" of the "constraints on its power" and the consequences of its actions "on women, on minorities, on public safety, and, most worrisome, on democracy itself." That makes me worried "for the court and for the country whose future it will shape." Everyone should be against ideology undermining the court If Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 presidential election, instead of Donald Trump, it's easy to imagine the roles being reversed in the debate about the court's legitimacy, says Richard Wolf in USA Today. Clinton might have renominated former President Barack Obama's pick to replace the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, and Merrick Garland would have joined the court. Clinton then could have picked the successors of justices Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and, "yes, even Republican nominee Anthony Kennedy," possibly. Then there would be a 6-3 liberal majority, and Republicans would be screaming about the elimination of state abortion restrictions, the upholding of strict gun control laws, and the death penalty and political gerrymandering would be on the way out. "If it would be wrong for a court built by Hillary Clinton to go so far left, it's wrong for the one built by Donald Trump to go too far right." You may also like Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home Russian war reporters warn Ukraine is threatening thin, fragile defensive lines in southern Kherson Survey reveals less than half of Americans plan to get flu shot this season lyric-wood-devin-clark-murder-suspect - Credit: Orange County Sheriff's Office; Facebook After weeks of unease, a suspect has been detained in the double homicide of Lyric Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18, who were found murdered last month in North Carolina. The unnamed suspect is a juvenile, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office, so their identity will not yet be released to the public. Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a statement: We hope this apprehension provides some relief to the families and friends of Devin and Lyric, who have experienced an excruciating loss. Obviously, the capture of the suspect does not restore their loved one to them. The grieving process is a long one, and we hope the community will continue to support them in their pain. More from Rolling Stone Teenagers Woods and Clark were found murdered on an Orange County trail on Sept. 18. Soon after, police announced that a 17-year-old was the prime suspect in their deaths, but did not release any more information, frustrating friends and family. We cant find his phone, we dont know where his backpack is, Clarks uncle, Joe Concepcion Jr., tells Rolling Stone. We dont know nothing. We didnt even have an open funeral. They had to put the pieces together. Mallory Thornton, the mother of one of Woods friends, says that her child and her friends have been scared to go to school with a suspect on the loose. These children are literally fighting over this case, she tells Rolling Stone. [Blackwood should] come out and look these children in the face and say, Hey, I understand what youre saying, but Im not at liberty to say certain things about the case, I just want to reassure you that youre safe.' In the statement, Blackwood addressed the lack of information about the suspect: We understand our community is hungry for information to help process this tragedy; however, the laws regarding juvenile confidentiality are ironclad. We have no ability to set them aside, even given the heightened interest in this case. Story continues The Sept. 18 911 call made by the ATV riders who discovered the teens was previously released to the press; a local blogger, Gerald Jackson, tells Rolling Stone he obtained it via FOIA. However, when Rolling Stone attempted to FOIA the 911 call made the night Woods went missing, an Orange County official told us the Orange County District Attorneys office has a court order to not release any records or files related to this call and they have been sealed. Rolling Stones request for the 911 call made after Clark went missing is still outstanding. Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. The Rev. Paul Cao, pastor at St. Mother Theodore Guerin church in Elmwood Park, blesses 12-year-old, Alyssa Buffalos dog, Lucy, Oct. 1, 2002 as part of the lead up to Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, on Oct. 4. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press) Across Chicagoland, Catholic church parishes hosted pet blessings in the days leading up to the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. From the south suburbs to parishes in the northwest and west suburbs, including in Elmwood Park, dozens of churches had people lined up to have faith leaders offer special prayers and faithful well-wishes. The special events started last Saturday and were scheduled to continue through Oct. 8. Advertisement According to an Archdiocese of Chicago news release, Tuesday marked the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi and to commemorate the observance, parishes and shrines hosted the outdoor pet blessings. The schedules were all weather-permitting and temperatures outside cooperated from Saturday through at least Wednesday, with cooler air temps and rain predicted for the final days for the event. The Rev. Paul Cao, pastor at St. Mother Theodore Guerin church in Elmwood Park, blesses pets Oct. 1, 2002 as part of the lead up to Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, on Oct. 4. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press) The Rev. Paul Cao, pastor at St. Mother Theodore Guerin church in Elmwood Park, blesses blesses C.K. Keatings dog, Jacky, Oct. 1, 2002 as part of the lead up to Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment, on Oct. 4. (Brian OMahoney / Pioneer Press) Furry, feathery, fluffy, slimy and spikey friends of all shapes and sizes are welcome to the celebrations, officials stated in the release. All animals must be safely secured or on leashes. Advertisement The pet blessings were set to be held on parish lawns or parking lots, and those participating were asked to confirm details of the listings with their parishes in advance. ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is following the situation at Credit Suisse closely, SNB Governing Board member Andrea Maechler told Reuters on Wednesday. Switzerland's second-biggest bank saw its shares slide by as much as 11.5% and its bonds hit record lows on Monday, before clawing back some of the losses, amid concerns about its ability to restructure its business without asking investors for more money. "We are monitoring the situation," Maechler said on the sidelines of an event in Zurich. "They are working on a strategy due to come out at the end of October." The SNB has declined to comment in the past about Credit Suisse, which has said it has a strong capital base and liquidity. It is due to announce details of a restructuring plan along with third-quarter results on Oct. 27. In July, Credit Suisse announced its second strategy review in a year and replaced its chief executive, bringing in restructuring expert Ulrich Koerner to prune its investment banking arm and cut more than $1 billion in costs. The bank is considering measures to scale back its investment bank into a "capital-light, advisory-led" business, and is evaluating strategic options for the securitised products business, Credit Suisse has said. (Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Michael Shields and Mark Potter) NEW YORK (AP) After 15 years running SXSW's film festival, director Janet Pierson is stepping down. Her longtime deputy, Claudette Godfrey, will take over leading the annual Austin, Texas, gathering, one of America's premier film festivals. SXSW announced the change Wednesday, saying that Pierson, a longtime champion of independent film, will shift to a director emeritus role. That will include serving as a programmer at the next SXSW Film & TV Festival in March 2023. In a statement, Pierson called her years at SXSW a wonderful and quite unexpected adventure. Its been glorious to present so much great work at our unique event, yielding so many transformative experiences for creators and audience alike, said Pierson. Im intensely proud of the work our small and very mighty team has accomplished. Since taking the reins of film at SXSW in 2008, Pierson had helped develop the festival as a major destination for independent film and genre movies. Films like Bridesmaids, The Cabin in the Woods and, earlier this year, Everything Everywhere All at Once have debuted at SXSW. Filmmakers like Lena Dunham, Joe Swanberg and Paul Feig have been regularly celebrated at the festival. In the last few years, Pierson helped steer the festival through the pandemic, including a canceled 2020 edition, a virtual 2021 festival and an in-person comeback SXSW earlier this year. Godfrey has been with the festival since first serving as a volunteer crew manager in 2006. Three years later, she became coordinator of the festival. Janet is an incredible leader and mentor, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to watch and learn from her example, Godfrey said in a statement. Im a hype woman at heart, and its a great joy in my life to discover and elevate new talent by curating and evolving an event that celebrates film, TV, and creativity. I started from the bottom and the journey has been exceptional its an immense honor to continue to build on the legacy of SXSW Film & TV and take it into the future. Story continues The SXSW change in leadership follows some musical chairs at other top U.S. film festivals. In June, Tabitha Jackson stepped down as director of Utah's Sundance Film Festival. Last month, Eugene Hernandez, director of the New York Film Festival, was announced as Sundance's new leader. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP (Bloomberg) -- Taiwan pledged to work closely with the US and other allies to prevent Chinas military from acquiring state-of-the-art technology, as Washington steps up efforts to contain the worlds No. 2 economy. Most Read from Bloomberg Taiwan, home to the worlds largest semiconductor foundry, will keep its advanced chip development at home, while adopting measures to stop its tech from being used by the Peoples Liberation Army, C.C. Chen, deputy minister of economic affairs, said on Wednesday. While Taiwans economy will not be able to decouple from its biggest trade partner, it will implement very firm export controls to keep advanced technologies from Chinas military, Chen said. With respect to national security, we will take measures to safeguard our trade secrets, safeguard our key technologies, safeguard our talents (so that they are) not to be poached illegally. Taiwan investigated Alchip Technologies Inc. for allegedly supplying advanced supercomputer chips to Chinas Phytium Information Technology Co. -- which some analysts have said has links to the Chinese military -- and banned chip exports to Phytium, Chen said. Once we find a loophole, we plug it. Phytium, which is affiliated with research arms of the Chinese military, relied on Alchip for certain designs, the Washington Post reported in April 2021. The Taiwanese company also dealt with TSMC for production on behalf of Phytium, it said. The US eventually blacklisted Phytium, prompting Alchip to declare a suspension of shipments. Regulators will also fine iPhone maker Foxconn Technology Group for failing to report an acquisition by the companys Shanghai-listed arm of a stake in Chinas top chipmaker, state-backed Tsinghua Unigroup, he said. Story continues Chens comments come as the Biden administration prepares new restrictions on chip exports to China. Those will formalize export controls on technology behind advanced semiconductors, while restricting access to chips used in supercomputing and artificial intelligence. Read more: US Deals Heavy Blow to China Tech Ambitions With Nvidia Chip Ban As the US seeks to limit access to cutting-edge technology while boosting its own domestic production capacity, Taiwan and fellow US allies South Korea and Japan have been forced to navigate increasingly incompatible business and security interests. Taiwans position as a leader in semiconductor production remains vulnerable. Concern is growing in the US over its reliance on chip production in Taiwan, as China ramps up military threats toward the democratic, self-ruled island that Beijing says is part of Chinese territory. With the implementation of the $50 billion Chips Act, the US plans to cut its dependence on Taiwan for semiconductors over the next decade, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said last week. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co., and Intel Corp. are all building new fabrication plants in the US, as Washington strives to increase chip production on American soil. (Updates with details on Alchip from the fifth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Taiwan will not rely on others for its defense, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Wednesday, while welcoming a U.S. commitment to the democratically governed island's security during what she called Chinese encroachment on its sovereignty. Tsai's remarks, pre-recorded and delivered to a U.S. audience at a Washington forum, come after U.S. President Joe Biden pledged in September to defend Taiwan in the event of any "unprecedented attack" by China. In her address to the Washington-based Global Taiwan Institute think tank, Tsai thanked the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress for upholding the U.S. commitment to Taiwan's security and for recent U.S. military arms sales. "But we will not depend on others to come to our own defense," Tsai said. "That is why I want to reiterate that Taiwan is fully committed to protecting our security and maintaining our democratic way of life. We're also working to adapt our defense strategy to the changing threats we face." Though the White House has said Biden's pledge did not signify a change in U.S. policy, critics argue he may have undercut intentionally or not a U.S. stance of not taking a position on Taiwan's independence. China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, mounted large-scale military drills to display its anger over an August visit there by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Chinese military activities have continued since then, though at a much reduced level. Chinese military aircraft have continued routinely crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which had for years acted as an unofficial barrier. Taiwan said on Wednesday that eight Chinese fighters flew across the median line. Tsai said those operations "encroach on Taiwan's sovereignty and threaten peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region." "We know from history and current events that threats against any one country or region translate directly and indirectly to increasing threats against its neighbors." Story continues CHINESE DEADLINE TO TAKE TAIWAN? James Moriarty, the U.S.-based chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington's de facto embassy in Taipei, said "strategic ambiguity" over whether Washington would come to the island's defense had never been stated as policy in any documents. "It's never been a policy. It's been a description of what we do," Moriarty told the forum. Referring to the decades-old Taiwan Relations Act, which forms the basis of the United States' unofficial ties with Taiwan, he said: "The original documents make it clear that we would have to do something if there is an attempt to change Taiwan's status by force." Moriarty added that he did not think Chinese leader Xi Jinping had set a deadline of 2027 to take Taiwan, only that China's military should have the capability to do so by then. "We have no idea what impact a slowing economy has on his thinking. We have no idea what impact the Russian failures in Ukraine have on his thinking ... So is there a firm deadline? I don't think so," he said. (Reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom in Washington, and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Josie Kao) TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan has been taking monthly inventories of critical supplies like food and energy in case of a conflict with China, a government official said on Wednesday. China, which claims democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, mounted war games near the island in August following a visit to Taipei by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that included firing missiles and steps to mount a blockade. Taiwan Deputy Economy Minister Chen Chern-chyi told reporters that it is already codified in law to maintain energy stockpiles, which state-run Taipower and state-owned refiner CPC Corp do. "With respect to a possible military conflict, we do have preparations for food and for energy and critical supplies including manufacturing supplies. We have a system, we do inventory every month," Chen said. "We want to ensure we have a certain period of stockpiles in Taiwan, including food, including critical supplies, minerals, chemicals and energy of course." Taiwan's power mix is made up of liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal, nuclear and renewables, the latter of which the government is trying to scale up. "We remain very comfortable with respect to these possible energy security issues," Chen added. Resource-poor Taiwan aims to generate more electricity from LNG in the shift away from both coal-powered and nuclear plants, and is building a massive new LNG terminal off its northwestern coast. Speaking separately at parliament where she was taking lawmaker questions, Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said meetings have been taking place to discuss increasing LNG storage capacity. "Certainly when it comes to LNG storage, we have previously already had cross-department discussions on this," Wang said. Those talks also involved whether to use Taiwan-flagged tankers to import LNG, she added. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Jeanny Kao; Editing by Kim Coghill) The need for taxi services in Fort Smith has doubled since the closing this year of Razorback Cab. A serious wreck and a civil lawsuit shut down Razorback Cab in May. But another cab company's owner has been approved to expand in Fort Smith. Westark Taxi will soon have five cars on duty around the clock, the owner told the Fort Smith Board of Directors. And Jerry Burnett, taxi company owner whose expansion has been approved by the board of directors, says he needs 10 cabs on duty to keep up with the number of calls. There has been a shortage of drivers with the demand for rides up, Burnett said. The need for cab service increased this year with the number of calls for rides. But cab companies are having a hard time finding drivers. Burnett applied to do business as Westark Taxi LLC. and operate. Director Lavon Morton questioned whether the cab company would have enough insurance to protect any victims in accidents. The most recent company to fold due to the serious wreck a driver was involved in did not have adequate insurance. Razorback Cab:What happened to Razorback Cab? Burnett also operates Payless Taxi LLC service with five cabs available around the clock each day in Fort Smith. Burnett said insurance covers his businesses. He is expanding by opening Westark which will be insured under his policy. The companies comply with the state laws for insurance, $25,000 per person per accident, $50,000 for multiple people per accident, plus property damage. Morton talked about the collision with injury reported in Fort Smith involving a Razorback Cab driver. "I want to bring to the board's attention something that happened," Morton said. "It was not this company or the other company that Mr. Burnett owns, but in May of 2019 a taxi cab company here in Fort Smith no longer in business ran a stoplight and hit an 88-year-old lady and turned her car over and injured her pretty badly. And her attorney when he looked into this because she wanted some damages for her personal injuries, discovered that that company had no insurance, at all, but it had more than 25 taxi cabs," Morton said. Story continues Morton said there may be future consideration to increase taxi cab insurance requirements. The company is insured as required by state law, with cars leased to drivers in owner/operator arrangements that allow drivers to have more coverage. "I think that is something to keep in mind for the city going forward," Morton said. "For a commercial vehicle, you know I think in terms of construction contracts we require a lot more than $25,000 per person, $50,000 max, I'll tell you we require a lot more liability insurance." He said the Razorback Cab saga should be considered. "I do not know if we have the ability in Fort Smith to make any changes that would apply to this in the future, certainly not today, but to be mindful this did occur in Fort Smith and it is something we would depend on the legislature to change so you can make your own conclusion about how likely that is," Morton said. "But this sort of thing that happened in this accident, that Mr. Burnett and his companies had nothing to do with, should not happen. It should not happen." Directors voted unanimously, 7-0, Tuesday night to approve the non-exclusive franchise taxi operation. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Fort Smith Board of Directors approve taxi company expansion plan EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, Mo. (WDAF) A Missouri police officer injured in a shooting over the weekend is expected to be OK, partially thanks to the help of a teenager. On Saturday, police in Excelsior Springs were trying to arrest a man wanted for an assault on a law enforcement officer when he began firing at them. One officer was hit in the shoulder and wrist before the man, identified as 65-year-old Carl Carrel, was fatally shot by another officer, authorities explained. Ava Donegan, a student at Oak Park High School, recalled it as being a helter-skelter scene. Donegan said she and her boyfriend had been visiting Excelsior Springs when the incident broke out. I had never heard gunshots so close up. I had never even I had never even seen a cop draw his gun in general, Ava said. Ava said the officer who had been shot asked her to help him apply a tourniquet, a tool with which she was already familiar. Her father, Devin, is a trauma nurse at University Health in Kansas City. She said she even carries a tourniquet in her car. I was putting the tourniquet over his arm. He was telling me that it was numb. I could tell it was numb because his arm was completely limp, Ava said. Woman found guilty after killing pregnant mom, cutting out her unborn baby I think it was exceptional that she was able to get out and have the wherewithal to get out and help. Just to hear my daughter step up to the plate and help somebody in need, I was ecstatic, Devin told Nexstars WDAF. The officer and Carrel were transported to an area hospital following the incident. According to the Clay County Sheriffs Office, Carrel was pronounced dead on Sunday. Excelsior Springs Police said in a Monday Facebook post that their officer, who they havent identified yet, is expected to recover. He has undergone two surgeries already and will have a third procedure Tuesday. Officer is in good spirits and has already made comments about wanting to get back to work, the department wrote in the post. He has a long road of recovery, but the outlook is very positive. Story continues The second officer in the incident is doing well also, police added. WDAF spoke briefly with Excelsior Springs Police Chief Greg Dull on Monday. He wouldnt comment on any of Carrels previous cases, or what might be next in this investigation. Missouri court records show two charges against Carrel related to previous cases involving assaults against a law enforcement officer, and another for failing to appear in court. The shooting remains under investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A federal jury in Sherman convicted a Texas financial adviser on Wednesday of a fraud scheme that included the murder of a friend, who was one of his clients, at a Carrollton home in February 2020. The killer tried to make it look like a suicide, authorities said. Jurors convicted Nine Band Brewing owner Keith T. Ashley, 50, on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence in the death of 62-year-old James Jim Seegan at Seegans home in Carrollton, said Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston in a Wednesday news release. Authorities had estimated that Ashley bilked at least nine people out of more than $1.9 million. The verdict was reached Wednesday following a week-long trial before U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant in Sherman. Ashley faces up to life in federal prison at sentencing. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. Ashley went to great lengths to defraud clients that trusted him, Featherston said.. By plotting and causing the death of one client to steal his money, Ashley committed the ultimate betrayal of trust and decency and the jury saw Ashley for who he is, a con-artist who would go so far as murder to get what he wanted. Incredible work by investigators and prosecutors, as well as coordination between the Feds and the State have succeeded in getting this depraved criminal off the street. Jim Seegan of Carrollton was found dead at his home on Feb. 19, 2020, with a typed note near his body suggesting it was a suicide. His financial advisor, Keith Todd Ashley, was convicted Wednesday by a federal jury of operating a Ponzi scam that netted Ashley almost $2 million and included Seegans murder. In 2020, Carrollton detectives said the motive for the killing was that the adviser was attempting to gain control of his clients finances, according to a warrant that charged Ashley with murder on state charges. A grand jury later indicted Ashley on federal charges. Keith Ashleys desire for wealth and comfort outweighed his ability to uphold his professional responsibility in both the medical and financial fields. He failed to act in the best interests of his clients and instead robbed them of their financial security; in this specific instance, he also ended a life, said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno in a news release.. We will continue to seek justice for victims of these deceitful schemes, and I am grateful for the collaborative and investigative work performed by local and federal law enforcement on this case. Story continues Ashley shot and killed Seegan on Feb. 19, 2020, in Seegans home on Cannes Drive in Carrollton, police have said. Carrollton police said Ashley then staged the death to make it look like suicide, placing a handgun in Seegans left hand and leaving a typed note near the body, according to the murder warrant released by Carrollton police. The warrant written by Carrollton Detective B. Bonner gave this brief account of the investigation: Sakidida Dida Seegan arrived home on the night of Feb. 9, 2020, after a day of work and found her husband, Jim Seegan, dead from a gunshot wound to his head in an upstairs office in their home. Carrollton police found Seegan seated in an office chair with a black semi-automatic handgun in his left hand. His wife told detectives her husband was right handed and he did not own a gun. Lying on a desk near Seegans body was a typed suicide note without any handwriting or signature. The last sentence stated, My last friend Keith Ashley will help you with 972-658-6113. Detectives discovered a Nest video doorbell and footage on Seegans phone showing Ashley arriving at the Carrollton home at 9:31 a.m. on Feb. 19, 2020. At 10:15 a.m., an unknown loud noise activated the Nest camera that was set up in the interior of the garage. The video showed Ashley leaving the home at 10:21 a.m., but he returned a few minutes later. Ashley let himself in the home and left again a few minutes later. Later in the investigation, detectives conducted a sound reconstruction test in the home and in the office by firing the exact model handgun into ballistic gel. Authorities observed that the test gunshot noise caused the garage camera to activate. While viewing the surveillance video, detectives determined that Ashley was the only person who entered the home until Seegans wife arrived later that evening. Drug screen tests on Seegan determined that he had Etomidate in his system at the time of his death, according to the warrant. The warrant stated that detectives learned that the drug was an anesthetic agent used by paramedics, nurses and anesthesiologists. When injected, a patient is rendered unconscious almost instantly. Detectives learned that Ashley also was a registered nurse working for City Hospital at White Rock. Days after Seegans death, authorities conducted more interviews with his wife, who told them she had talked to Ashley, as the note had instructed her to do in regards to contacting Seegans financial institutions. Ashley told her that he would need Seegans phone to obtain phone numbers and other information. Dida Seegan told detectives she saw Ashley go to the text messages between him and Seegan and delete them from her husbands phone. When she asked him about it, Ashley told her he accidentally deleted the messages. Ashley later denied doing it when questioned by detectives. In that interview with detectives, Ashley also said he was not reimbursed for being Seegans financial adviser. He stated he only made money by selling Seegan two life insurance policies. But detectives found bank accounts for Seegan that showed he had transferred about $750,000 to KBKK in the last five years. KBKK was a business owned by Ashley, according to the warrant. A forensic download of Seegans phone revealed that Seegan had an entry set at 9 a.m. on Feb. 19, 2020, that stated, Keith -Blood. Detectives believe Ashley used the ruse of needing to draw Seegans blood to update his life insurance policy and this was the time Etomidate was injected into Seegan. In a Sept. 3, 2020, search of Ashleys home, business, vehicle and electronic devices, authorities found an empty envelope from the Dallas Medical Examiners Office and a receipt for Seegans autopsy report.. The autopsy had been mailed to one of Ashleys employees who worked at the brewery. Ashley had told that employee that he was going to have an autopsy report sent to him and mentioned that the family of the deceased was trying to determine if the person had been poisoned or if it was a suicide. During that same search, detectives found multiple financial documents where it appeared Ashley had forged signatures, according to the warrant. One of those documents was a forgery where Seegans signature was fraudulently placed, giving Ashley $65,000 as a non-repayable gift, according to the warrant. The warrant also noted that Ashley had defrauded at least nine other people including Seegan for a minimum of $1,919,334.79. Five of those people were over the age of 65. In the Ponzi scheme, Ashley took money from people as an investment and instead of depositing their funds into an investment account, he used it for his own personal purposes. According to a federal indictment against him, Ashley used the money for utilities, college tuition and student loan payments, mortgage payments, cash withdrawals, legal fees, payments on personal credit cards, spending at casinos and brewery expenses. Seegan had two life insurance policies, and one was worth $2 million. The beneficiary for the policies was his wife. The $2 million policy was then changed from his wife to Seegans trust, where Ashley was listed as the trustee and would have direct access to the funds. Ashley also was the executor of Seegans will. Seegans wife told detectives she was unaware of the $2 million policy and she was certain it was not her signature on the beneficiary change forms, according to the warrant. This report contains information from the Fort Worth Star-Telegrams archives. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) A Texas death row inmate whose case redefined the role of spiritual advisers in death chambers nationwide was executed Wednesday, despite the efforts of a district attorney to stop his lethal injection. John Henry Ramirez, 38, was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was convicted of killing 46-year-old Pablo Castro in 2004, as he took out the trash while working at a convenience store in Corpus Christi. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Ramirez, saying states must accommodate the wishes of death row inmates who want to have their faith leaders pray and touch them during their executions. In the execution chamber, his spiritual adviser, Dana Moore, placed his right hand on the inmates chest, and held it there for the duration. With his back to witnesses, Moore offered a brief prayer. Look upon John with your grace, he prayed. Grant him peace. Grant all of us peace. As Moores prayer ended, Ramirez responded: Amen. After the prayer, Ramirez addressed five of Castros relatives -- including four of his children -- as they watched through a window a few feet from him. I have regret and remorse, he said. This is such a heinous act. I hope this finds you comfort. If this helps you, then I am glad. I hope in some shape or form this helps you find closure. Ramirez expressed love to his wife, son and friends, concluding with: Just know that I fought a good fight, and I am ready to go." As the lethal dose of pentobarbital took effect, he took several short breaths then began snoring. Within a minute, all movement stopped. Ramirez was pronounced dead 14 minutes later, at 6:41 p.m. CDT. Prosecutors said Ramirez robbed Castro of $1.25 then stabbed him 29 times. Castros killing took place during a series of robberies conducted by Ramirez and two women following a three-day drug binge. Ramirez fled to Mexico but was arrested 3 years later. Ramirez challenged state prison rules that prevented his pastor from touching him and praying aloud during his execution, saying his religious freedom was being violated. That challenge led to his execution being delayed as well as the executions of others. Story continues In March, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Ramirez, saying states must accommodate the wishes of death row inmates who want to have their faith leaders pray and touch them during their executions. On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously declined to commute Ramirezs death sentence to a lesser penalty. According to his attorney, Ramirez had exhausted all possible appeals and no final request to halt the execution was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. The lead prosecutor at Ramirezs trial in 2008, Mark Skurka, said it was unfair that Ramirez had someone praying over him as he died when Castro didnt have the same opportunity. It has been a long time coming, but Pablo Castro will probably finally get the justice that his family has sought for so long, despite the legal delays, said Skurka, who later served as Nueces County district attorney before retiring. Ramirezs attorney, Seth Kretzer, said while he feels empathy for Castros family, his clients challenge was about protecting religious freedoms for all. Ramirez was not asking for something new but something that has been part of jurisprudence throughout history, Kretzer said. He said even Nazi war criminals were provided ministers before their executions after World War II. That was not a reflection on some favor we were doing for the Nazis, Kretzer said. Providing religious administration at the time of death is a reflection of the relative moral strength of the captors. Kretzer said Ramirezs spiritual adviser was also allowed to hold a Bible in the death chamber, which hadnt been permitted before, but it was unclear to witnesses whether Moore was carrying the book. Ramirezs case took another turn in April when current Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez asked a judge to withdraw the death warrant and delay the execution, saying it had been requested by mistake. Gonzalez said he considers the death penalty unethical. During a nearly 20-minute Facebook live video, Gonzalez said he believes the death penalty is one of the many things wrong with our justice system. Gonzalez said he would not seek the death penalty while he remains in office. He did not return a phone call or email seeking comment. Also in April, four of Castros children filed a motion asking that Ramirezs execution order be left in place. I want my father to finally have his justice as well as the peace to finally move on with my life and let this nightmare be over, Fernando Castro, one of his sons, said in the motion. On Wednesday evening, Fernando Castro described the punishment as a long time coming and said Ramirezs apology to him and his siblings was not going to bring our dad back. He could say what he wanted to say. Whether its true, who knows? I feel my dad finally got his justice but Im not happy about the situation. In June, a judge declined Gonzalez request to withdraw Wednesdays execution date. Last month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to even consider the request. Ramirez was the third inmate put to death this year in Texas and the 11th in the U.S. Two more executions are scheduled this year in Texas, both in November. ___ Lozano reported from Houston. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 A Texas woman was fatally shot by her husband as she was filing a domestic violence complaint against him and as she held their baby, officials said. Takara Hightower, 34, was being interviewed by two Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents in connection with a domestic violence complaint she filed against her husband at their Humble home on the afternoon of Sept. 22, NCIS spokesperson Jeff Houston said. Her husband, Gregory Hightower, 37, a Navy recruiter, was also in the home at the time. During the interview, he pulled out a pistol and fired shots, injuring one of the NCIS agents in the upper shoulder and the lower abdomen, Harris County Senior Sheriffs Deputy Thomas M. Gilliland said. The two agents returned fire, striking Gregory Hightower somewhere in the lower stomach. Police investigate a shooting near Houston on Sept. 22. (KPRC) Takara Hightower, who tried to flee the home as she was carrying the couple's baby, was also shot by her husband, authorities said. Police were not able to provide an exact age for the baby, who they said is about 1 year old and was not hurt. Neighbors who witnessed the shooting ran toward the mother to assist her and the child. Another child the couple shared, who is about 3 years old, was also in the home, police said. Gregory Hightower then jumped into his vehicle and fled, officials said. The Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to the home on 3200 Tullich Run Drive in Humble, about 30 minutes northeast of Houston, at around 1:30 p.m. Deputies pronounced Takara Hightower dead on the scene. The injured NCIS agent was taken to a hospital and has been released, the agency said. Deputies found Gregory Hightower outside his mother's apartment complex about 40 minutes away from the home and exchanged gunfire with him, police said. He was killed on the scene, they said. An infant that was inside the home where incident occurred is safe. Another agent was also on-scene, but does not appear to be injured. It appears it was HC Pct 4 deputies that encountered the suspect somewhere near Mist near Jones. Male, believed to be the suspect is deceased. https://t.co/8jDiGFEfjC Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) September 22, 2022 The two children who were at the home during the shooting have been released to Takara Hightowers relatives. Story continues It was not the first time she had tried to report her husband for domestic abuse, police said. On July 16, the Harris County Sheriff's Office responded to the home over reports of a verbal and physical altercation between the couple. "There were mutual claims that they hit each other, and neither one of them were keen to be transported or to press charges," Gilliland said, adding that the district attorney ordered one of them to leave the home for 24 hours as a result of the incident. Just two days before the fatal shooting, Takara Hightower had called the sheriff's office again to inquire about how she could file for a restraining order. A deputy provided her with the information, Gilliland said. She was remembered by friends as a fearless Lioness and protective mamma bear in a verified GoFundMe account created to assist her family with funeral costs and support her children. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A group of protesters holding signs seeking justice for Marcellis Stinnette made an appearance at the Waukegan City Council meeting Monday. (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun) Charging a former Waukegan police officer in the 2020 shooting death of Marcellis Stinnette was apparently not enough for a small group of protesters Monday at a City Council meeting, which also featured the unrelated arrest of the local Black Lives Matter chapters founder. A handful of protesters dominated the regularly scheduled Waukegan City Council meeting at City Hall seeking the resignation of Mayor Ann Taylor and all nine aldermen, as the elected officials listened quietly to their comments. Advertisement Led by Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef of Chicago, an activist and advocate for the Stinnette family, the group of six protesters held signs reading, Justice for Marcellis Stinnette and chanted at Ben Yosefs prompting. Justice for, Ben Yosef called out. Marcellis Stinnette, the protesters responded. Advertisement Walking in front of the room holding one of the signs, Ben Yosef also said, Say his name. Marcellis Stinnette, they answered. Ben Yosef said he was glad former police officer Dante Salinas was indicted Sept. 22 for second-degree murder and manslaughter, but added justice for Stinnette is lacking. A partial solution, he said, would be the resignation of Taylor and the aldermen for, silently protecting the killer cop. Marcellis Stinnettes name is now exonerated ... almost two years after his death, Ben Yosef said. You only believed that his murder was justified by your two years of silence and lack of action. Today begins a relentless campaign for the Stinnette family to make his life matter. Waukegan police dashboard and body camera footage shows that Stinnette and his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, were sitting in her parked car in front of her house on the night of Oct. 20, 2020, when a police officer stopped and began questioning them. After several minutes, Williams suddenly drove away, and the officer radioed for assistance. Salinas responded and chased Williams for several blocks until Williams car ran off the road near Martin Luther King Drive and Helmholtz Avenue after she failed to negotiate a curve. Salinas got out of his car as Williams put her car in reverse, and then he fired six shots into the side of her car. The vehicle stopped after it backed into a small brick building. Stinnette died from gunshot injuries, and Williams underwent surgery for bullet wounds, authorities said. Salinas was fired shortly after the shooting. Advertisement Taylor said after the meeting she has no intention of resigning, and situations like Mondays motivate her to seek reelection in 2025. Listening to comments from the public is part of the job, she said. People are entitled to free speech, Taylor said. You still have to be respectful and follow the rules of decorum, which are there to establish respect. You have to be respectful of yourself and others. Apart from the comments of the protesters, Clyde McLemore, the founder of the Lake County chapter of Black Lives Matter and a Zion resident, continued the criticism of the mayor. He initially took issue with Taylor at the Sept. 19 council meeting for allowing GOP gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Louisville, to take a picture of her and other aldermen the day before. At Mondays meeting, McLemore said, Again, I ask the city who invited Darren Bailey here to Waukegan. Was he invited as a senator from Louisville? He came here as a candidate for governor. Why would he come to a city which has a Democratic senator and a Democratic state rep? As he left the podium saying, I aint done, McLemore kept talking as he walked back to his seat. He was followed by Police Chief Keith Zupec, who warned McLemore twice to stop talking. When he kept speaking, he was asked to leave. Advertisement When Clyde McLemore, the founder of the Lake County Chapter of Back Lives Matter, refused to stop talking and leave the meeting, he was arrested by Waukegan police. (Steve Sadin/Lake County News-Sun) (Steve Sadin / Lake County News-Sun) McLemore said if officials wanted him to leave they would have to arrest him, which they did. Zupec said he warned McLemore twice before arresting him for trespassing. Zupec would not comment further. Bailey was in Waukegan Sept. 18 for the Fiestas Patrias parade when he walked into City Hall for a gathering of elected officials who were there for the event. He took a picture with Taylor, Ald. Lynn Florian, 8th Ward, and others. The photo was later posted by Baileys staff on his campaign Facebook page. It was removed at Florians request when she learned it was used for campaign purposes. During her comments at the start of the meeting, Taylor talked to the crowd of approximately 40 people, including a variety of city officials, about the rules of decorum. Corporation counsel Kelley Gandurski read the rules to the crowd. McLemore was warned at the Sept. 19 meeting about his behavior. Ben Yosefs refusal to abide by those regulations when the council met Sept. 6 caused a 20-minute recess while order was restored. It is not a conversation between you and the aldermen, Taylor said. We are here to listen. That is what audience time is. Tonight I would like us all to be respectful of that, and show respect for ourselves and our fellow citizens. Third-party candidate Paula Overby, who was running in a competitive race for the congressional seat in Minnesota's 2nd District, died Wednesday of heart complications, Overby's son confirmed to WCCO CBS Minnesota. WCCO reporter and anchor Esme Murphy was scheduled to interview Overby on Tuesday, Murphy said in a tweet, and after the Marijuana Legal Now candidate did not show up, Murphy was told Overby had been hospitalized. (credit: Paula Overby) Overby, who was running on the Legal Marijuana Now ticket died just about a month before the midterm elections. The office of Minnesota's secretary of state of will not be postponing the election, and Overby's name will remain on the ballot. The Republican challenger in the race, Tyler Kistner, is pausing his events for the next two days, out of respect for Overby's family. "This is a very sad day for Minnesota's Second District," Kistner said in a statement. "Paula Overby cared deeply about our state, and the principles she believed in. It was an honor to have gotten to know Paula throughout this campaign." In an odd coincidence, this is the second consecutive congressional election in which the Marijuana Legal Now candidate in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District died just before the general election. In September 2020, Adam Weeks died, apparently of an accidental fentanyl overdose. After his death, the The Star Tribune reported that before his death, Weeks had left a voicemail for a friend saying that Republicans had recruited him to run for the seat just to take votes from Democratic Rep. Angie Craig. The 2nd District, which encompasses a suburb south of Minneapolis, is rated as a toss-up by Cook Political report.. Aaron Navarro contributed to this report. Third party congressional candidate in Minnesota dies before election NOAA releases new action plan to protect Florida's coral reefs Ukrainian troops retake Russia-annexed territory The U.S. Department of Education has awarded four grants of at least $1.4 million dollars to four institutions in southwest Ohio, including three in the area, according to Senator Sherrod Brown. >>RELATED: University of Dayton receiving federal grant money from National Science Foundation The three-area schools are Wright State University, Sinclair Community College and Miami University in Oxford. The funding is part of the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program and will be used to support low-income parents in postsecondary education by providing campus-based child care services, the release said. No parent should have to choose between getting an education or making sure their children are well cared for, said Senator Brown. These awards will help Ohios great institutions provide more opportunities for parents so they can succeed. Universities receiving the funding are: $343,177 grant to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College in Cincinnati. $188,570 grant to Miami University in Oxford. $551,439 grant to Sinclair Community College in Dayton. $397,073 grant to Wright State University in Dayton. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly three-quarters of Americans say that the United States should continue to support Ukraine, despite Russian threats that it could use nuclear weapons to protect its territory, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Wednesday. The polling suggested continuing backing for President Joe Biden's provision of weapons systems, training and other military assistance for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's government, despite concerns that the war might escalate if Ukraine is provided longer-range weapons that could hit Russia. The online poll of 1,005 Americans showed that 73% agreed that the United States should continue to support Ukraine, despite Russian warnings that it could make use of its nuclear arsenal. Both Democrats and Republicans agreed, although there was more support among Biden's fellow Democrats - 81% - than Republicans - at 66%. And in the most recent poll, conducted Oct. 4-5, 66% of respondents said Washington specifically should continue providing weapons to Ukraine, up from 51% in a similar poll in August. The Biden administration has provided more than $16.8 billion of security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. On Tuesday, Biden promised a new $625 million package for the Kyiv government, including more of the mobile rocket launchers used in a recent Ukrainian counter-offensive that forced Russian troops into retreat. On Wednesday, Russia's ambassador to the United States responded saying Washington's decision to send more military aid to Ukraine poses an "immediate threat" to Moscow's interests, prolongs the bloodshed, and increases the risk of a military clash between Russia and the West. Russian President Vladimir Putin explicitly raised the specter of nuclear conflict in recent weeks amid Ukrainian battlefield gains, warning the West that he would use all available means to defend Russian territory, including Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia. Story continues The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that a majority of Americans - 58% - said they were afraid that the country is heading toward nuclear war with Russia. And 65% are concerned that the war may escalate if Ukraine is provided longer range weapons that could hit Russia itself. But fewer Americans believe that Ukraine's problems are not the country's business and that the country should not interfere, with 35% expressing that sentiment, compared with 40% in August. U.S. voters will go to the polls on Nov. 8 for midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and many state governments. In the most recent poll, 68% said they were more likely to back a candidate who supports continued military aid for Ukraine, and 72% said they were more likely to support a candidate who supported Ukrainian refugees. The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 4 percentage points. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Scott Malone) Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) raised more than $17 million for his Senate bid over the last three months, a sum nearly twice as large as his campaigns previous best. Ryans campaign said it raked in $17.2 million between July 1 and the end of September. The vast majority of those funds about 95 percent came from contributions of less than $100, according to his campaign. Ryans latest numbers show how his pace of fundraising has ramped up in recent months. In the second quarter of the year, covering April 1 through June 30, the Ohio Democrat pulled in about $9.1 million. Ryans campaign didnt say how much money it has in the bank, though his most recent federal filing from July showed him with just under $3.6 million on hand. Ryan is facing Republican J.D. Vance, the author and venture capitalist, in the November general election to succeed retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R). While Ohio has lurched to the right in recent years former President Trump carried the state in 2016 and 2020 recent polling shows Ryan and Vance in a statistical dead heat. Vance himself has raised far less than Ryan so far. He hasnt released third-quarter figures yet but his most recent filing with the Federal Election Commission showed him ending the month of June with less than $630,000 in the bank. Vance was helped early on by billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel in Ohios hotly contested Republican Senate primary. But there are signs that Thiel may be taking a step back from the race: CNBC reported this week that Thiel had signaled to allies that he may be done helping out Vances campaign. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Tiny Vermont boasts a giant thirst for beer. Autumn foliage has long made the rural, rugged state an idyllic destination for leaf peepers. They find brilliant New England images of fiery red, orange and yellow mountainside forests punctuated by covered wooden bridges passing over rippling creeks. They also find today one of the best and most beautiful places on the planet to drink world-class beer. "Being remote means having to do things yourself," John Holl, the editor of All About Beer magazine, told Fox News Digital. "Theres no room for doing things half-a**ed, and that includes brewing a quality pint. There is a can-do spirit in Vermont you dont find in other states." MEET THE 5 FINALISTS IN SAMUEL ADAMS' BREWING THE AMERICAN DREAM CRAFT BREWERS COMPETITION That can-do small-town spirit makes for an artisanal culture of farmhouse cheese makers, barnyard woodworkers and, yes, boutique brewers. The Green Mountain State boasts 59 breweries, according to the Vermont Brewers Association, among a population of just 643,000 residents. Only wide-open wild west Wyoming has fewer people. Thats one brewery for every 10,900 Vermonters the most beer makers per capita of any state in the union. Its as if New York City was home to 800 breweries. The Big Apple boasts only 24. Vermont enjoys not just an abundance of breweries but a unique cluster of quality. The Alchemist, Hill Farmstead and Lawson's Finest Liquids, to name just three, all rank among the best brewers in the nation, according to beer-rating sites such as BeerAdvocate.com. MEET THE AMERICAN WHO INVENTED LIGHT BEER The Alchemist's Heady Topper, a hazy, pungent double India pale now known as New England-style IPA inspired a worldwide "cult beer" phenomenon a decade ago. Typical New England scene: Stowe Church in a landscape of fall foliage colors in Stowe, Vermont. The ski resort town is a powerhouse of American beer making as the home of critically acclaimed The Alchemist and Von Trapp Brewing. Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images Beer enthusiasts waited hours in line to spend $75 on a case of Heady Topper, offered only in limited release each day at the height of its popularity in 2013. Those out of the daily allotment offered up to $1,000 to people lucky enough to score a stash of 24 cans of the coveted suds. A resale market for individual cans exploded online. Story continues In the small town of Waterbury, lines of autos outside the brewery created a traffic nightmare. The Alchemist opened a larger brewery in Stowe in 2016. BEER SHORTAGES FEARED AFTER EXTINCT UNDERGROUND VOLCANO CONTAMINATED RESERVOIR: BIG CONCERN "If India pale ale were rock n roll, Heady Topper would be the Stairway to Heaven or Hey Jude of the genre," raved The Boston Herald at the time, calling it "a layered atmospheric anthem that defines an art form." Hill Farmstead enjoyed similar cult status. It inspired urban hipsters from the trendiest neighborhoods of Boston, Brooklyn and Manhattan to drive hours to Vermont's most remote "Northeast Kingdom." There, they enjoyed the honor of standing in line amid the reek of manure at the 18th-century Hill family farm and brewery in Greensboro. Its rustic, full-flavored American farmhouse beers are among the most celebrated in the world. The critical acclaim brought global attention to Vermont's unique beer and its curious cultural paradox. Vermont is largely rural and isolated. It leans left politically but boasts small-town values. Its voters elected a socialist senator, Bernie Sanders in 2006, and a Republican governor, Phil Scott, amid the Donald Trump ascendancy of 2016. Scott was reelected in a 2020 landslide with 68.5% of the popular vote. One observer described Vermont as a state of "gun-toting hippies." The beer scene reflects the Vermont paradox. It's a European culture of farmhouse and village breweries. But, in the American craft-beer style, it brazenly challenges centuries-old continental brewing tradition. The powerful New England-style IPAs pioneered by breweries like The Alchemist bore little resemblance to the traditional and more genteel English India pale ales that inspired them. Julie Andrews portrays Maria von Trapp in a scene from the popular movie of 1965, "The Sound of Music." The real-life Maria and Baron Von Trapp escaped Nazi Austria and landed in Stowe, Vermont, because the mountain climate reminded them of the Alps. Their son Johannes Von Trapp today runs Von Trapp Brewing in Stowe. Getty Images Vermont feels much like rural Bavaria, where remote villages and Alpine valleys hide cozy hunting lodge beer halls and some of the worlds best breweries. The Bavarian vibe is what attracted the real-life Maria Von Trapp the heroine played by Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" to the Green Mountains, her grandson Sam Von Trapp told Fox News Digital. SOUND OF MUSIC STAR JULIE ANDREWS REFLECTS ON RECENT REUNTION WITH VON TRAPP CHILDREN: WERE FAMILY' "There is a focus on agriculture, artisanal foods and creativity in Vermont," said Von Trapp, who today helps run Von Trapp Brewing with his father, Johannes, the youngest son of Maria and Baron Von Trapp. The Von Trapps first landed in Philadelphia, the grandson said, after escaping Nazi Austria. They found it too hot and humid. They visited Vermont and instantly felt at home among its rugged mountains and cooler climate. Skiers take a break at The Trapp Family Lodge beer hall on March 1, 2020, in Stowe, Vermont. The brewery boasts an Alpine beer hall vibe. Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images "They realized how beautiful it was and that it reminded them of Austria, so they decided to stay," said Von Trapp. The bought a farm in the ski resort two of Stowe in 1942 and turned it into a hotel, the Von Trapp Family Lodge, in 1950. Johannes Maria was carrying him when the Von Trapp's escaped Austria opened the brewery at the Lodge serving mostly European-style lagers in 2010. Von Trapp Brewing specializes in European-style lagers. It's brought renewed international attention to Vermont's robust beer scene. It earned first-place honors in the Bohemian pilsner and strong beer categories last autumn at the Great International Beer, Cider Mead and Sake Competition, while Von Trapp Dunkel was named the world's best dark lager at the 2022 World Beer Awards. Alchemist brewery owners John and Jen Kimmich pose for a portrait while sitting on stacks of Heady Topper in Waterbury, Vermont. Heady Topper, a hazy "double IPA" in the New England style, became a cult phenomenon around 2012 and helped elevate the profile of the Vermont beer scene. Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Vermont established itself as a craft-brew powerhouse in the early days of the movement. Homebrewer Greg Noonan opened Vermont Pub & Brewery in Burlington near the shores of Lake Champlain in 1988. It was the first craft brewery in Vermont and among the earliest in the nation. Noonan became one of the most influential figures in the history of American craft brewing. NATIONAL BEER LOVER'S DAY 2022: HERE ARE 5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE BEVERAGE He opened his Burlington brewery "after spending three years lobbying the Vermont legislature to legalize brewpubs," the pub notes today on its website. "Because there was little literature available for small-scale brewers, he literally ended up writing what was the book." Aerial view of colorful fall foliage in Newark, Vermont, on Oct. 12, 2021. Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Noonan's technical tome "Brewing Lager Beer: The Most Comprehensive Book for Home and Microbrewers," passed along his knowledge to a generation of budding beer-makers around the country. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Noonan opened additional breweries in New Hampshire in Massachusetts. He died in 2009, but his original "Brewing Lager Beer" book is still in print today. "Vermont is pretty and peaceful and attracts a lot of quirky creative people from big cites like Boston and New York," Great International Beer competition founder Gregg Glaser told Fox News Digital. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "It's a great place to drink beer, but also a great place to find potters, glass makers, woodworkers and cheese makers. They all require the same artisanal creativity." Jameela Jamil has responded to She-Hulk: Attorney at Law viewers who have criticised the show, suggesting they not be so hostile when expressing their opinions. Ahead of the Disney Plus series final episode which premieres on 13 October Jamil, who stars as Titania, the titular She-Hulks (Tatiana Maslany) rival, tweeted a video showing herself stood in Times Square eating fries with the caption: Waiting for the final episode of She-Hulk like... After a male user implied that he wasnt looking forward to the finale, Jamil replied: Lol... why are so many men upset? Are you all ok? On Monday (3 October), in a subsequent post, the British actor praised the series for not sticking to any old formula, and we still made it to number one in the ratings, and we had a BLAST making it. She later added: TO BE CLEAR. It is absolutely FINE if you personally dont like She-Hulk. I know it doesnt appeal to everyone. Some people F***ING LOVE IT. But can we all agree that you dont need to be *so* hostile when you express your feelings *TO* me. Were all fans, lets talk nicely. When another user criticised Jamil for her hypocrisy, arguing that she attacks anyone and everyone who doesnt agree with you, Jamil countered: Nope. I clap back when people are UNKIND And hostile. I was told I'm a diversity hire. I was told I would never work again. I was told we should stop letting women write shows, I was told I look disgusting, I was told I would only be remembered for being shit. You tell me what is hostile? TITANIA (@jameelajamil) October 3, 2022 A fan followed up, writing: Well, it depends what u feel is hostile. And what do u gain by clapping back? I dun get it. Its super annoying. It does not change a thing. There are people who love the show. Dat is all dat matters. To this, Jamil clarified: I was told Im a diversity hire. I was told I would never work again. I was told we should stop letting women write shows, I was told I look disgusting, I was told I would only be remembered for being s***. You tell me what is hostile? She-Hulk: Attorney at Laws finale will be released on Thursday (13 October) on Disney Plus. In this article, we shall discuss the top 10 REIT stocks under $10. To skip our detailed analysis of the real estate investments sector in 2022, go directly and see Top 5 REIT Stocks Under $10. With no end in sight to the ongoing global macroeconomic crisis, the stock market and industries all over the world are incredibly distressed. Supply chain disruptions exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and central banks tightening their monetary policies have resulted in global economic expansion projections declining to 3.2% in 2022, according to a report by Bloomberg. According to the latest economic outlook report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), inflation is the worst it has been since the economic depression of the 1980s. The report suggested that global economic activity shall remain downcast for the rest of 2022. According to the report, 2023 will see a massive drop of $2.8 trillion in the global GDP. This will lead central banks to further tighten their monetary policies in an effort to reduce inflation and introduce measures which could topple several major economies into a major recession. In this situation, investors are searching for safe options to shield themselves from the rising inflation and interest rates. REITs are under investors' radar amid all of this. Although certain REITs, such as mortgage REITs, are susceptible to interest rates and macroeconomic influences, other REITs like ones that invest in infrastructure, retail chains, and healthcare are relatively less turbulent and have significant defensive properties which make them a safe and stable investment opportunity. Some of the most prominent players in the REIT sector are Realty Income Corp. (NYSE:O), Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) and American Tower Corp. (NYSE:AMT). In this article, however, we shall be going over the top 10 REIT stocks, priced under $10, to buy. Unsplash Our Methodology For this article, we tracked the data of over 895 hedge funds for the second quarter of 2022. From this data, we picked 10 top REIT stocks with a share price of $10 or less. The price of each stock was noted on September 27. Story continues The stocks have been ranked based on the number of hedge funds which hold stakes in them, from lowest to highest. Top 10 REIT Stocks Under $10 10. SITE Centers Corp. ( NYSE: SITC Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 16 Share Price (As of September 27): $9.92 Based in Beachwood, Ohio, SITE Centers Corp. (NYSE:SITC) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that invests in shopping centers. As of December 2021, the company owns more than 200 shopping centers in the United States. As of the second quarter of 2022, Israel Englander's Millennium Management is the largest stakeholder in the stock, having a stake value of $20.32 million. On September 25, Mizuho analyst Haendel St. Juste upgraded Site Centers (NYSE:SITC) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $17, up from $15. The analyst cited the company's core growth, signed pipeline, minimized leverage and opportunistic balance sheet. Q2 2o22 earnings were strong for the shopping center REIT stock, with the company posting an EPS of $0.27 in the second quarter of 2022, beating estimates of $0.04 by $0.23. Furthermore, Site Centers (NYSE:SITC) posted a revenue of $140.7 million. The analyst believes Site Centers' (NYSE:SITC) portfolios, with a strategy geared towards defense and a focus on internal growth, hold the highest chances of outperformance as recession risk intensifies. 9. Summit Hotel Properties (NYSE:INN) Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 16 Share Price (As of September 27): $7 Based in Austin, Texas, Summit Hotel Properties (NYSE:INN) is a leading publicly-traded lodging real estate investment trust focused on high-end, deluxe hotels. As of the second quarter of 2022, investor interest in Summit Hotel Properties (NYSE:INN) increased, with 16 hedge funds long the stock, compared to 15 in the preceding quarter. Citadel Investment Group is the largest shareholder in the stock, having stakes worth $14.04 million. The preferred dividends have a coverage ratio of more than 500% based on Q1 2022 earnings. The company's performance has undergone a continuous improvement during Q2 2022, with the stock digesting a large acquisition of a 27 hotel portfolio for $777 million. This acquisition will contribute to the financial results which will be posted for the third quarter. Though the company is not as big a player as Realty Income Corp. (NYSE:O), Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) or American Tower Corp. (NYSE:AMT), the recent improvement in Summit's (NYSE:INN) Q2 2022 performance, and the favorable projections for Q3 2022, make it one of the best bets in the REIT sector. 8. The GEO Group Inc. ( NYSE: GEO Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 17 Share Price (As of September 27): $7.38 Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, The GEO Group Inc. (NYSE:GEO) is a publicly traded company which focuses on the development, construction, and investment in private prisons and mental health facilities all over the world. The GEO Group Inc. (NYSE:GEO) has also curated programs to reduce recidivism, facilitating prisoners in returning to civilian life by providing therapy, life skills courses, job training, and housing assistance. GEO Group (NYSE:GEO) has managed to maintain investor interest in Q2 2022, with 17 hedge funds long the stock. Mason Capital Management is the largest shareholder in The GEO Group Inc. (NYSE:GEO), having a total stake value of $38.16 million. The company has refinanced its debt, leaving ample room for a dividend payment or share buyback program. The impressive financial position of the stock, the ability to commence a share buyback program, and the resolve to pay dividends, make GEO (NYSE:GEO) one of the best real estate stocks to buy. Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 17 Share Price (As of September 27): $8.89 Based in Brentwood, Tennessee, CoreCivic Inc. (NYSE:CXW) is a company which owns and operates private prisons and detention centers. As of 2022, it is the second largest private corrections company in the United States, managing more than 65 state and federal correctional and detention facilities. Investors should not be misled by the company's dismal history concerning stock returns, considering the fact that the real estate trust's negative history was due to CoreCivic's (NYSE:CXW) massive loans, which the company had not cleared timely. However, the company's total debt has declined substantially, and debt maturities are still a long way into the future. Liquidity is significantly strong for the coming years. On September 1, it commenced an expansive share buyback program, with a yield of more than 15% as of Q2 2022. This will decrease share availability and is likely to boost the stock price. Investor interest around CoreCivic Inc. (NYSE:CXW) increased in the second quarter of 2022, with 17 hedge funds long the stock. This was up significantly compared to Q1 2022, in which 15 hedge funds held stakes in CoreCivic Inc. (NYSE:CXW). Mason Capital Management is the largest stakeholder in the stock, having a stake of $40.65 million. As of September 27, the company has a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.61. 6. Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. ( NYSE: SHO Number of Hedge Fund Holdings: 18 Share Price (As of September 27): $9.62 Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE:SHO) is a lodging real estate investment trust. The company pursues a strategy to create long-term stakeholder value through acquisitions and active ownership of hotels considered to be Long-Term Relevant Real Estate. Sunstone Hotel Investors' (NYSE:SHO) hotels are primarily in the premium, 7-star segment, and operate under well-known, deluxe brands such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Fairmont, and Sheraton. The company beat EPS estimates of $0.06 by $0.09 in Q2 2022, posting an EPS of $0.15. On August 11, Evercore ISI analyst Duane Pfennigwerth assumed coverage of Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE:SHO) with an Outperform rating and a price target of $13.50, down from $14. According to the analyst, lodging revenue is steadily returning to pre-pandemic peaks. Even though equity markets have grown increasingly cautious, the company's fundamentals maintain the recovery trajectory, said Pfennigwerth. Moreover, the company has a reputation for maintaining an immaculate balance sheet, with the analyst contending that the decreased levels of debt make the risk/reward ratio of the preferred shares very impressive. Just like Realty Income Corp. (NYSE:O), Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) and American Tower Corp. (NYSE:AMT), Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE:SHO) is one of the best REIT stocks to invest in in 2022. Here is what Baron Funds had to say about Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. (NYSE:SHO) in their Q2 2022 investor letter: Exceptionally strong leisure demand and the resumption of business travel are contributing to robust business fundamentals for the Funds hotel REIT investment in Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (NYSE:SHO). Given that economic worries have now emerged, we are closely monitoring business fundamentals and our hotel REIT investments. At their current share prices, however, we believe the company is valued at steep discounts to replacement cost and our assessment of intrinsic value. Click here to continue reading and see Top 5 REIT Stocks Under $10. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: none. Top 10 REIT Stocks Under $10 is originally published on Insider Monkey. In the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, organic defines the modus operandi of everyday lifenot only in the abundant juice shops and health food stores but in the hilly landscape where houses are tucked among lush palms and cypress trees. So when AD100 designer Mandy Cheng and her husband, architect Rory Reynolds, set out to overhaul one such home as their own, the vistas from the backyard provided a natural point of departure. We wanted it to feel like a tree house, or like being under the canopy, Cheng recalls of the renovation, which began a little more than two years ago and unfolded as a fully hands-on process. Early on, the DIY-savvy couple knocked out the wall separating the enclosed kitchen from the living room, then peeled back the ceiling to reveal the gabled roof. Exposed redwood joists are now complemented by white-oak engineered-hardwood floorboards, a wall of ash cabinets, and the pendant of handwoven date branches that anchors the open-plan space. Reflecting on her unconventional mix of different woods, Cheng says, In nature, all the different trees look very beautiful together. Reynolds installed insulation between the joists to improve the homes energy efficiency and tiled the kitchen backsplash in zellige, while Cheng painstakingly coated walls with limewash, applying construction techniques she learned as a Hollywood production designera former life spent hauling two-by-fours and sheets of plywood. Though the couple dont formally collaborate, both treated the house as a case study for ideas clients might not typically choose, among them forgoing a dining table in favor of a generously sized kitchen island. I would never propose omitting your dining room, says Cheng, but we can work here, and whenever guests come everybody always hangs out in the kitchen. The guest room offers additional workspace when the custom Murphy bed is tucked into the wall. Today, the couples vision of a tree house resounds in rooms that combine sylvan colors (the evergreen of cabinets in the kitchen, the sage hue of built-ins in bedrooms) alongside that diverse variety of woods. In the backyard, an outdoor living room doubles as a comfy home theater, while a network of timber-framed gathering spaces cascade down the hillside. More of a DIY-Savvy Couples Nature-Inspired Los Angeles Home Image may contain: Living Room, Indoors, Room, Furniture, Couch, Screen, Electronics, Monitor, Display, and Interior Design Bedroom with queen sized bed against a window Empty bedroom with door to backyard open Kitchen with cream tiles and dark brown cabinetry Kitchen with large islands Mandy Cheng lying on the floor Mandy Cheng seated at the island in her kitchen Murphy bed extended Murphy bed folded up with workspace nearby Mandy Cheng sitting on a bench outside. Her husband Rory Reynolds on a terrace next to her The overall mood is one of tranquil minimalism, albeit warmed by contrasting ochre touches and artworks infused with their personal histories. Hanging in the guest room is a large-scale calligraphic poem, written by Chengs grandfathers best friend, that her grandparents brought from Hong Kong when they immigrated to the United States with their children in the 1970s. In the living area, meanwhile, is a series of framed vintage blueprints for Sears, Roebuck and Co. houses. And elsewhere are sculptures collected during trips to China and Mexico. More than anything, Cheng says, I dont want anybodys home, including my own, to look like a showroom. Having an array of things, new and old, adds layers that make the house feel like it came together naturally. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest More Great Stories From AD Trader Joe's store in North Brunswick Township, New Jersey. Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty It's good news for Trader Joe's shoppers! The grocery store chain is reintroducing a pre-pandemic perk: free in-store samples. "Demo is back in our stores," a Trader Joe's spokesperson confirms with PEOPLE. And the fan favorite initiative is returning with a reimagined edge. "We are bringing it back with a new approach. We want to focus a little more on new products. Things not necessarily on your shopping list but things we're excited to share," the statement continued. "Customers can stop by their neighborhood store and talk to the crew to find out what's new." Loyal customers have expressed their excitement on social media. TikTok user @hannah_ford posted a video of herself walking up to a granola station at her local store. "Free samples are back in my #traderjoes store after 2 years and 7 months ," she captioned the video, which has already garnered over 33,000 views. RELATED: All the Seasonal Trader Joe's Items Returning This Fall Plus a New Family-Friendly Treat "The greatest hole in my life has been refilled," one user commented. Amid the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sampling stations at Trader Joe's were shut down. In 2020, Trader Joe's former PR director Kenya Friend-Daniel spoke with the Today Show digital about the safety precaution. "In accordance with current health and safety guidelines, in general we are not providing food and beverage samples in our stores. We still encourage our customers to discover products by trying them, and we do this by reminding them that if they buy a product and don't like it, they can return it for a full refund," she told the outlet. RELATED: Some Grocery Stores Are Transitioning to Online Orders Only amid Coronavirus trader joes Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Trader Joe's 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. While the grocer is ushering in pre-pandemic freebies, the chain is still not offering a dedicated food delivery service. While many grocery store giants shifted their attention to online orders and food delivery during the pandemic, Trader Joe's did not. The company does not offer delivery or pick-up, with their reason being the high costs and "tremendous resources" required to build an entire infrastructure dedicated to online grocery shopping. Additionally, the company feels that adding these services and outsourcing delivery options "eliminates the need for people." "Customers are asking if given current circumstances, we're planning on offering delivery or curbside pickup," Tara Miller, Trader Joe's marketing director, said during the company's podcast in 2020. "We understand the impulse, and we know that some other retailers are offering these services. We also know those offerings don't always translate into positive results." Tropical disturbance 91L continues to show a flare-up of clouds as it moves west toward the far SE Caribbean, Channel 9 certified chief meteorologist Tom Terry said. Wind shear may keep TD12 from becoming Julia after all. Weak storm in the eastern Atlantic. Won't be around by the end of the week. @WFTV pic.twitter.com/Od8OO1QclI Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) October 5, 2022 Tropical disturbance 91L continues to show a flare-up of clouds as it moves west toward the far SE Caribbean. Models continue keep a strong high pressure area moving in over the southern US, keeping the system way south. Still monitoring! @WFTV pic.twitter.com/4lHshgBHD8 Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) October 5, 2022 Models continue keeping a strong high-pressure area moving in over the southern United States, keeping the system way south. Terry will keep an eye on the system as it approaches Central America. READ: Thats my everything: Man recounts riding out Ian aboard sailboat in Fort Myers TD91L is one of two systems Channel 9 meteorologists are tracking, but Terry said neither are moving toward Central Florida. READ: Absolutely disgusting: Deltona residents puzzled by standing water outside flood zones However, as of Tuesday evening, wind shear may keep TD12 from becoming Julia. The weak storm in the eastern Atlantic wont be around by the end of the week. The next storm names are: Julia and Karl. READ: Hurricane Ian: Cleanup efforts continue as piles of debris await collection Two systems we're tracking today, with NONE of them moving our way. We're going to keep an eye on the system moving into the Caribbean through the upcoming weekend. Next storm names are: Julia and Karl. @WFTV pic.twitter.com/C5byVm8hKb Tom Terry (@TTerryWFTV) October 4, 2022 Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The Naperville City Council agreed Tuesday that only sections of a noise abatement wall that qualify for federal funding, seen here in green, will be included in its plans to widen and improve 248th Avenue between 95th and 103rd streets. (City of Naperville) The Naperville City Council rejected a request to spend an extra $2 million to build noise reducing walls along 248th Avenue in areas that dont qualify for federal funding. In a unanimous decision Tuesday, the council authorized city staff to proceed with plans to construct abatement walls that will benefit 75% of the residents whose yards backup to 248th Avenue. Blocks that did not meet the federal criteria, such as from Grassmere Road to Lapp Lane and from the Tall Grass Greenway to Landsdown Avenue, will not receive the walls. Advertisement Locations were based on a noise study completed by city consultant Civiltech Engineering, which took into account the added traffic that will be generated by Masjid Al-Nur, an under-construction Muslim mosque complex that will be fully built out about 2040. The abatement walls are part of a project to improve and widen 248th Avenue between 95th and 103rd Streets, which will increase from two lanes to five. Naperville secured $6.45 million from the Federal Highway Administration to help pay for the $9.5 million project, construction of which is to begin in 2026. Advertisement Residents abutting areas not receiving walls had asked the city spend an additional $2 million to erect them, but Councilman Paul Hinterlong said he couldnt support that. If it doesnt meet the criteria, then we shouldnt be spending the money for a select few residents that will be getting a huge advantage on the rest of the taxpayers in town, Hinterlong said. He also questioned whether the fences will even be necessary in a few years given that the state and federal governments are phasing out gas-powered vehicles in favor of quieter, electric vehicles in the coming decade. Bill Novack, director of citys Transportation, Engineering and Development department, said the model used in the traffic study does not take into account the use of or increase in electric vehicles. Mayor Steve Chirico said he was favoring the expenditure because the intersection of 75th and Washington streets an area where the city paid for walls in spots that didnt meet federal standards turned out well aesthetically, but acknowledged Hinterlongs arguments were compelling. Things are changing, and one of the things thats changing is that these cars will be considerably quieter, Chirico said. Whether its two, five or 10 years, he said, its going to be happening. Novack said the homes near Grassmere Road are set back from 248th Avenue because of stormwater management facilities and narrowly missed meeting the federal criteria. Houses near Landsdown Avenue dont qualify because of their distance from 248th Avenue due to their configuration on a cul-de-sac. Advertisement In addition, the house on the southwest corner of 248th and Lapp Lane that backs up to the Tall Grass Greenway fell short because a continuous wall cannot be built there. The city opted not to install a wall at the northwest corner of 248th Avenue and 103rd Street, where a residential development is under consideration. Despite the growth in the area, 248th Avenue from 95th to 103rd streets remains a rural roadway with a gravel shoulder, drainage ditches and one 11.5-foot lane in each direction. When its widened, there will be two lanes in each direction with a landscaped median and left-turn lanes at intersecting streets. Storm sewers, curbs, gutters and streetlights will be installed and sidewalks added where there are gaps. In addition, a pedestrian refuge island will be added at the Tall Grass Greenway Trail crossing. subaker@tribpub.com Donald Trump. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Former President Donald Trump's attorneys on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the case involving classified documents seized on Aug. 8 by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. At Trump's request, Judge Raymond Dearie was appointed as special master in September. In their Tuesday application to the Supreme Court, Trump's lawyers asked that a lower court ruling preventing Dearie from reviewing about 100 documents marked classified be overturned. In that ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit agreed with the Department of Justice, which argued that there wasn't a legal basis for the special master to conduct his own review of the material. In their application to the Supreme Court, Trump's attorneys said the special master must have an independent review to ensure a "transparent process that provides much-needed oversight." The application was submitted to Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees emergency matters from Florida, and he can either refer the appeal to the rest of the court or act on his own. Earlier this year, Thomas was the only justice to vote against allowing the release of presidential documents to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. His wife, Ginni Thomas, is a conservative activist who has falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen and encouraged Republican lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin to submit their own slate of electors who would support Trump. You may also like Lizzo invited for an encore flute performance at James Madison's home Russian war reporters warn Ukraine is threatening thin, fragile defensive lines in southern Kherson Survey reveals less than half of Americans plan to get flu shot this season Donald Trump greets supporters, tourists and the curious after taping an interview with Anderson Cooper at a Trump owned building in mid-town Manhattan on July 22, 2015 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Donald Trump invented his oft-repeated audit excuse for not releasing his tax records. "'I could just say, 'I'll release them when I'm no longer under audit,' Trump said,'" according to the book "Confidence Man." He called Mitt Romney's release of his taxes a "huge mistake." Donald Trump invented his oft-repeated audit excuse for not releasing his taxes on the fly, while aboard his plane between campaign events as a 2016 presidential candidate. Advisors were pressing Trump to deal with the issue and Hope Hicks, then the press secretary noted that every other candidate had released theirs and the pressure would increase, according to the newly released book "Confidence Man," by New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. Trump, looking at his former rival and then-advisor Chris Christie, said 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney "made a huge mistake" by releasing his taxes, which showed him paying a relatively low effective rate. "Trump thought for a second about how to 'get myself out of this,' as he said," Haberman wrote. "He leaned back, before snapping to a sudden thought. 'Well, you know, my taxes are under audit, I always get audited,' Trump said." Haberman wrote that Christie "looked puzzled." "'So what I mean is, well I could just say, 'I'll release them when I'm no longer under audit,' Trump said. 'Cause I'll never not be under audit.'" Most major party nominees since Richard Nixon had released their taxes and there was no legal reason for Trump not to do so. Christie told Trump that the audit wouldn't prohibit their release. But Trump said, "I'm sure my lawyers and my counsel will tell me not to.'" He began citing the claim "almost immediately" that he could not release his taxes, Haberman wrote. The New York attorney general's office now investigating Trump's business practices has since filed a civil lawsuit against the former president, his three eldest children, and the Trump Organization. The suit alleges that Trump inflated his net worth and accuses the Trump Organization of artificially inflating or deflating asset values for loan and tax purposes. The office has asked federal prosecutors to investigate. Read the original article on Business Insider Former President Trump on Wednesday praised the work of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other state and local officials for their response to Hurricane Ian, drawing cheers from a Miami crowd at the mention of the governor. Trump delivered the keynote address at the Hispanic Leadership Conference, hosted by the America First Policy Institute. He opened his speech by expressing condolences to Floridians who lost their lives and homes in the storm last week. We also thank God for the Coast Guard, and the National Guard, and law enforcement always, and first responders and countless others who have stepped forward in this time of need, Trump said. And God bless our governor and all of the mayors. Theyre all working so hard, and theyre heroes, and were going to get through this in Florida. Trump did not mention DeSantis by name, but the crowd audibly cheered at the mention of our governor. DeSantis spent the day in Fort Myers, Fla., touring hurricane damage with President Biden. DeSantis is widely viewed as perhaps the most formidable GOP challenger to Trump should the former president seek another term in the White House in 2024. A survey released last month from Morning Consult and Politico found 52 percent of Republican primary voters would support Trump, followed by 19 percent who said theyd back DeSantis. But a USA Today-Suffolk University poll released around the same time found DeSantis leading Trump by 8 percentage points among Florida Republican voters, a sign of the governors strength in the state. DeSantis is up for reelection in November, while Trump has repeatedly hinted that he may run for president in 2024 without explicitly revealing his plans. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former President Donald Trump's Palm Beach, Florida, estate, Mar-A-Lago, was searched by the FBI in August. Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images Bloomberg News got emails with information about boxes packed during Trump's White House move. Trump said the FBI found classified documents at his home because federal workers packed them. But the emails, with the GSA, show the boxes were already packed when the movers arrived. President Donald Trump's boxes may have already been packed when movers arrived at the White House after his election loss, according to emails and documents that Bloomberg News obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Trump previously and publicly said one of the reasons the FBI found classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida, estate, Mar-a-Lago, when it was searched on August 8 was that federal workers had packed the boxes. "They packed them," Trump told the Fox News host Sean Hannity late last month. Kash Patel, a former defense official for Trump who handled his presidential records with the National Archives and Records Administration, also said during a radio-show appearance on August 15, just days after the FBI executed its search warrant, that federal workers from the General Services Administration packed the boxes. "They're the ones that packed up and moved these documents," Patel said of the administration on "The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show." "It's not like President Trump put them in his briefcase and hopped aboard Air Force One on January 20 and said, 'OK, I'll see you guys later.'" But Bloomberg's Jason Leopold and Jack Gillum reported Wednesday that the email correspondence between the General Services Administration and Trump's operations team told a different story. According to the documents Bloomberg obtained, Mark Meadows, Trump's then-chief of staff, signed an agreement on January 11, 2021, laying out the guidelines for both Trump and then-Vice President Mike Pence to use Mar-a-Lago as a "temporary office space" for six months. The agreement also allotted $2 million for Trump and $520,000 for Pence so they could acquire "office space, furniture, shipping costs and other expenses," the documents say. Story continues Trump aides used kitchen space and resort rooms at Mar-a-Lago and GSA-provided office space in Arlington, Virginia, to process and appraise gifts for the National Archives, requiring at least 100 boxes at one time, Bloomberg reported. The documents show that in April 2021, Desiree Thompson Sayle, the correspondence director for the Office of Donald J. Trump, emailed the GSA, asking what she described as a "weird" question: "Does GSA work with a contractor for interstate shipping? We have a portrait of President Trump and it needs to be shipped to FL, but in its crate it is 300 lbs, 6 x 8 feet." Kathy Geisler, a GSA facilities manager, responded that the painting was considered "personal property," meaning it was not eligible to be shipped using taxpayer dollars, the documents show. Another GSA spokesperson made it clear that its contract solely covered shipping and not packing. The documents show that the spokesperson told Trump's office, "The outgoing transition team was responsible for putting the boxes on pallets and shrink-wrapping each pallet." Bloomberg reported that another email sent in July 2021 shows Thompson Sayle informing the GSA that the first pallet of boxes was ready for shipment, with it weighing in at 598 pounds. One email shows Thompson Sayle sending the GSA multiple pictures of boxes stacked on pallets, wrapped in cellophane, and ready for shipment to Florida. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump sought US Supreme Court intervention in the fight over government papers seized at his Mar-a-Lago home, asking the justices to let a court-appointed special master review 100 documents with classified markings. Most Read from Bloomberg The move escalates what already was an extraordinary showdown, as the Justice Department investigates whether Trump or his aides illegally took sensitive government records when he left office and obstructed repeated efforts to recover them. A federal appeals court last month partially blocked an order issued by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who has appointed a special master to review about 11,000 documents seized in a court-authorized search in August. Any limit on the comprehensive and transparent review of materials seized in the extraordinary raid of a presidents home erodes public confidence in our system of justice, Trump argued in an application filed with Justice Clarence Thomas, who is assigned to handle emergency matters from Florida. Thomas asked the Justice Department to respond by Oct. 11. In its Sept. 21 order, the three-judge appeals court panel said it cannot discern why plaintiff would have an individual interest in or need for any of the one-hundred documents with classification markings. The panel comprised two judges appointed by Trump and one by former President Barack Obama. Trumps lawyers repeated claims they made in the lower courts that Trump, as a sitting president, had sweeping authority to declassify documents. They again stayed away from declaring outright thats what happened with the Mar-a-Lago documents. The appeals court rejected suggestions that Trump had declassified the documents. Story continues The declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal, the panel said. So even if we assumed that plaintiff did declassify some or all of the documents, that would not explain why he has a personal interest in them. Cannon had blocked federal investigators from using the documents with classified markings in the criminal probe while the special master did his review. The Justice Department also challenged that injunction and the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the government, allowing them to resume using those materials. Trumps lawyers made clear they were not challenging that part of the appeals courts decision. The case is Trump v. United States, 22A283. (Updates with Thomas seeking response in fifth paragraph. An earlier version corrected scope of Trumps request.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Donald Trump says in newly-released audio that Ron DeSantis likely wouldnt be governor at all had it not been for his endorsement. The audio clip was released to CNN on Wednesday by New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman, the product of one of her interviews with Mr Trump. Haberman released the audio as part of a press tour for her book, Confidence Man, which published on Tuesday. In the clip, Mr Trump is heard calmly describing to Haberman how he rescued Mr DeSantiss gubernatorial came from the brink of defeat. He was at 3 per cent. [But] he was a great defender of mine in the Russia hoax, he was on television, Mr Trump explained. He came to me, he said, Id love your endorsement, the former president is heard saying. I said, Ron, youre at 3 per cent. You cant win. He said, If you endorse me, I can. Mr Trump goes on to assert in the clip that Floridians did not associate with him with the word governor. Its his latest effort to take credit for the success of a successful GOP politician; the ex-president frequently enjoys touting the success of candidates he endorses, particularly in GOP primaries. Mr DeSantis eventually won his general election campaign against Democrat Andrew Gillum by less than half a percentage point. Since then, however, his popularity has risen both in his state and nationally with Republicans in other regions who have declared their intentions to turn their respective states into the Florida of whatever region they are from. As a result, Mr DeSantis is widely viewed as a credible 2024 Republican candidate, and therefore a threat to Donald Trump who clearly has his own plans for the next election cycle. Most polls show Mr Trump handily leading Mr DeSantis in a hypothetical 2024 matchup Mr Trump himself frequently reposts these polls on his Truth Social platform, suggesting that the rivalry remains at the top of his mind. Twitter employees have expressed concerns about the deal before. Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Some Twitter employees aren't happy that Elon Musk has returned to his deal to buy the company. Several have expressed their frustration on social media and in private forums. One employee likened Musk's U-turn to the plot of "Succession." Some Twitter employees aren't happy with Elon Musk's announcement that he will proceed with the deal to buy the company after spending months trying to back out of it. The billionaire wrote a letter to Twitter saying that he would agree to buy it at the price originally agreed as long the court wrangling immediately ended. Since then, staffers have been using social-media networks and private forums to vent their frustrations and concerns about the proposed deal. "Living the plot of succession is fucking exhausting," tweeted Rumman Chowdhury, the director of Twitter's ML Ethics, Transparency, and Accountability team. She added that the company did not address the developments when they first emerged: "I am sitting on 2023 company wide strategy readouts and I guess we are going to collectively ignore what's going on." Another Twitter employee, senior financial analyst Parker Lyons, tweeted a meme complaining that the company's 2023 plans were now "worthless." Lyons also posted a series of memes lamenting the Tesla CEO's return to the deal, including a joke about Meta recruiters welcoming Twitter employees and an image of a young girl crying captioned: "Me writing my emails today." CNN reported that some employees had also been venting on Blind, an anonymous private forum popular with Twitter staff. Employee's comments on the forum were overwhelmingly negative, according to screenshots seen by CNN, with many staffers concerned that Musk would roll back Twitter employee's benefits including severance packages. According to CNN, one employee commented: "Cue the layoffs." Musk has alluded to layoffs at the company in the past. During an all-hands meeting with Twitter employees in June, Musk said the company "needs to get healthy." Story continues Employees were informed of Musk's return to the $44 billion deal to buy Twitter with a brief email from Twitter's general Counsel, Sean Edgett, per CNN. A Twitter spokesperson told Insider at the time: "We received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC. Our intention is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share. Representatives for Twitter did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about staff morale, following the news. Twitter employees have expressed concerns about the potential deal before. In April, a former Twitter executive said many employees had plans to quit in protest if Musk took over. Read the original article on Business Insider Two men are indicted following a 2021 officer-involved shooting in Ripley, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. TBI said it happened in the 300 block of Stardust Drive on Feb. 21, 2021. RELATED: TBI: Agents investigating officer-involved shooting in Ripley, two injured According to investigators, occupants in two cars exchanged gunfire along Jefferson Street, resulting in a Ripley police officers car being struck. TBI said the officer was on routine patrol at the time and was not injured. A Lauderdale County grand jury charged both men in each of the cars, Demarco Taylor, 19 of Jackson, and Chrishun Taylor, 20, of Lauderdale County. Demarco Taylor, 19, is charged with felony reckless endangerment, felony possession of a deadly weapon, evading arrest, and felony evading arrest- endangering others. His bond is set at $150,000. Chrishun Taylor is charged with felony reckless endangerment, felony possession of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault, and tampering with evidence. His bond is set at $250,000. They were both booked into the Lauderdale County Jail today. Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: An early morning traffic crash Wednesday involving a semitractor-trailer and an SUV claimed the lives of two people near Hamel in Madison County. The Madison County Coroners Office said no information will be released about the victims until family notification is completed. Illinois State Police District 11 is handling the investigation of the wreck. The agency released information saying the accident occurred at the intersection of Illinois 4 and Illinois 140 at 7:56 a.m. According to preliminary information developed by state police crash scene investigators, a semitractor-trailer was traveling south on Illinois 4 near Illinois 140 and an SUV was traveling west on Illinois 140. The truck failed to stop at the intersection, which has a flashing red light and a stop sign, and struck the passenger side of the SUV, killing the two occupants inside, police said. The victims were pronounced deceased on the scene. According to preliminary information, a semitractor-trailer traveling south on Illinois 4 collided with an SUV at the intersection of Illinois 4 and Illinois 140 near Hamel. The truck failed to stop at the intersection and struck the passenger side of the SUV, killing the two occupants, police said. The driver of the truck refused medical attention. It was not immediately known where the trucker was from or where he was going. Also, officials havent said where the deceased people are from or where they were traveling. Illinois State Police said their investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time. This is a developing story and will be updated when additional information is confirmed. California voters are open to prosecuting former President Trump if there's enough evidence of wrongdoing. (Sarah Rice / For The Washington Post) Two-thirds of California voters believe former President Trump should be prosecuted if the government feels there is sufficient evidence of crimes, but far fewer believe he is likely to face charges, according to a new poll. The Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies survey, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, found stark partisan divides over the investigations into the former president, with nearly 6 in 10 Republicans believing that prosecuting Trump would not be good for the country, while just 4% of Democrats feel the same. Still, there are signs that Trump's hold on the GOP is diminishing in California, with a small but noticeable drop in Republican voters who identify themselves as Trump supporters instead of supporters of the party. The poll shows President Biden's approval ratings in the state have rebounded into positive territory, powered largely by an improving performance with key Democratic voters. "He's shored up some of his base," said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS poll. "You'd have to have [these voters] with you if you're thinking of running for another term. The demonstration he can get things done ... really is helping him." The survey was conducted in late September after a summer of escalating legal woes for Trump. An investigation into whether he unlawfully kept presidential documents, including classified material, led to an unprecedented FBI search of his Florida estate in August. A separate federal investigation into the Jan. 6 attack and efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election has encompassed a growing number of figures in Trump's orbit. The former president, his company and his children have also been sued by the New York attorney general, alleging vast business fraud. Democratic voters are nearly unanimous 91% in believing that Trump should be prosecuted if warranted by the evidence, and nearly 70% of voters with no party preference feel the same. Just 22% of registered Republican voters think charges should be brought. Story continues "Republicans clearly have a different view of what should be done even if they find some evidence against him," DiCamillo said. "They are also more skeptical that this is likely to lead to anything." In all, a slight plurality of California voters 49% do not believe Trump will face legal action stemming from the investigations, while 46% think charges are likely. Among Republicans, 70% think charges are unlikely, while 6 in 10 Democrats believe at least one of the investigations will lead to prosecution. No party preference voters are more evenly split, with a slight majority expressing doubt that Trump will be charged. "The findings suggest that while most voters support the idea of filing charges against Donald Trump, a significant number are unsure that this would be a likely outcome," said G. Cristina Mora, co-director of IGS. "This brings up important questions about Californians trust in the federal government and its capacity, as well as voters faith in fair investigative outcomes." Roughly 60% of respondents believe that prosecuting Trump would lead to increased acts of political violence a view held by strong majorities of Democrats and unaffiliated voters, but only a third of Republicans. The survey found Republicans are more likely to prioritize their support for their party over Trump. Just 16% of Republicans say they identify themselves foremost as Trump supporters, compared with 25% in April 2021. The decline in those who back Trump over the GOP is found across the board, from the strongest conservatives to more moderate members of the party and throughout the geographical regions of the state. "There's a significant decline in about every subgroup we can examine," DiCamillo said. "It does represent a weakening of Trump in terms of how the Republicans view him." Biden has improved his standing with California voters, with 52% approving of his job performance and 43% disapproving, up from an approval/disapproval rating evenly split at 48% in the last IGS poll in August. His stronger footing is powered by upticks among crucial Democratic constituencies, including voters of color and self-identified liberals. The president's improvement is especially notable among Latino voters, who gave Biden a 53% approval-39% disapproval assessment, after being split 47%-47% the month before. Biden also has majority approval among Black voters (58%) and Asian American respondents (54%), gaining with both groups since August. Biden's standing among voters ages 18-29 jumped 8 percentage points, with 47% approving of his performance. In the last poll, the state's youngest voters "were much more likely to be disapproving of the president. I think it's because they didn't see him as very effective," DiCamillo said. He added that Biden's executive order to reduce student loan burdens may have helped change those views. The state's no party preference voters, who are typically seen as bellwethers because their views are less colored by partisanship, gave Biden a mixed grade, with his approval and disapproval ratings equally divided at 46%. The Berkeley IGS poll was conducted online Sept. 22-27 among 8,725 California registered voters. The sample was weighted to match census and voter registration benchmarks. Because of weighting, precise estimates of the margin of error are difficult, but the results are estimated to have a margin of error of approximately 2 percentage points in either direction for the full sample. For the Republican voter sample, the margin of error is plus or minus 4 points. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The number of lanes on Washington Street bridge in downtown Naperville will be reduced effected Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022. The bridge, which spans the west branch of the DuPage River, is more than 40 years old and so deteriorated the city now restricts the size of vehicles to less than 8 tons. (Suzanne Baker / Naperville Sun) Washington Street bridge through downtown Naperville will be reduced to one lane in each direction this week because of increased deterioration found during a September inspection by the state. The city had been planning to reduce traffic to a single north and southbound lane so the span can be rebuilt but now must do so earlier than anticipated. Advertisement One-lane traffic begins Thursday, with the outside southbound lane and the inside northbound lane closed until further notice. The city of Naperville provided this map to show how the Washington Street bridge through downtown will be reduced to one lane in each direction because of deterioration found in the span. - Original Credit: (City of Naperville / HANDOUT) The bridge, which crosses the DuPage River between Chicago and Aurora avenues, is more than 40 years old and so deteriorated that the city had to restrict the size of vehicles using it to 15 tons in 2016. Advertisement The city plans to demolish and reconstruct the east side of the span in 2023, followed by the west side in 2024. Regular inspections of the bridge started in 2016, with monthly inspections ongoing since January 2019. City officials said the September inspection showed signs of increased deterioration. Bridge engineers from the Illinois Department of Transportation directed the city to lower the posted weight limit to 8 tons and recommended the lane closures. The lane closures are being instituted to shift traffic flow away from the effected area of the bridge and to allow the city to prepare for a long-term solution. To accommodate the lane reductions, Aurora Avenue will be converted into a left-turn-only lane between Webster and Main streets and closed between Main and Washington streets. The outside southbound lane on Washington Street will be converted into a right-turn-only lane between Jackson and Chicago avenues. City officials are advising motorists using Washington Street to allow for greater travel time or use alternate routes. On-street parking on Washington Street will not be impacted. Advertisement Naperville secured federal funding from IDOT to replace the bridge through the Federal Bridge Program, which will cover 80% of the cost. The citys share of the project is about $3.2 million. For more information about the project, including a map of current lane closures and project updates, visit www.naperville.il.us/dtwashingtonbridge. subaker@tribpub.com Tyson Foods will relocate around 1,000 corporate positions from the Chicago area as well as South Dakota to its headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. One of the world's largest meat producers said Wednesday that corporate staff at its Chicago and Downers Grove, Illinois, locations and Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, office will begin relocating early next year. The consolidation of corporate offices is intended to allow for closer collaboration and no layoffs will accompany the shift, the company said. Tyson plans to expand and remodel its headquarters in Arkansas. The parent company of Jimmy Dean and Ball Park products employs about 137,000 workers worldwide. The announcement follows some recent high-profile corporate maneuvers, including naming John Tyson __ the great-grandson of the company's founder __ as its chief financial officer. Chicago has had a number of corporate departures in recent months. Boeing Co. announced in May that it would move its headquarters from Chicago to Arlington, Virginia. The following month, construction equipment maker Caterpillar said it was moving its headquarters from the Chicago suburbs to Texas. Citadel hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin, a billionaire who has been a vocal critic of Illinois' Democratic governor and of crime rates in Chicago, also recently moved his company's headquarters to Miami. In a speech to the Economic Club of Chicago last month, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said he often fields calls from mayors and governors trying to get him to move McDonald's headquarters out of Chicago. Kempczinski said McDonald's has no plans to leave, but has struggled with crime and homelessness in its Chicago restaurants. While it may wound our civic pride to hear it, there is a general sense out there that our city is in crisis," Kempczinski said, adding that it is becoming more difficult for the company to recruit promising employees. ___ This story has been updated to correct a reference to the location of Tyson's headquarters. It's in Arkansas, not Kansas. A sign stands in front of the Tyson Foods plant in Waterloo, Iowa. Tyson Foods, one of the world's largest meatpacking companies, is shuttering multiple corporate offices, including one in southeastern South Dakota. On Wednesday, Tyson released a press brief announcing the company's plans to shut down its Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, Downers Grove, Illinois and Chicago offices and transfer employees to the international meatpacker's world headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas as soon as early 2023. There are about 1,000 Tyson Foods employees between the Chicago and Dakota Dunes office that will be affected by the relocation, according to an e-mail to the Argus Leader from Derek Burleson, public relations director of Tyson Foods. Burleson also wrote no layoffs are associated with the announcement and the company will provide relocation assistance to employees to relocate to Springdale and northwest Arkansas. The Sioux City Journal reported the moves will affect about 500 Dakota Dunes employees. The move is being positioned by the company as an expansion of their Arkansas headquarters and a multi-year campus development plan. Tyson Foods will expand its world headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas to bring together all of its domestic corporate team members from Chicago and Downers Grove, Ill. and Dakota Dunes, South Dakota into one location. The multi-year project, the details of which will be rolled out over the next several months, will include a number of features to enable connectivity, collaboration, and innovation through sustainable and dynamic spaces including state-of-the-art technology. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Tyson Foods to shut down South Dakota, Illinois offices in 2023 Taiwanese military personnel participate in an amphibious landing as part of military exercises in Pingtung, Taiwan on July 28, 2022. (Lam Yik Fei/The New York Times) WASHINGTON American officials are intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in Taiwan after studying recent naval and air force exercises by the Chinese military around the island, according to current and former officials. The exercises showed that China would probably blockade the island as a prelude to any attempted invasion, and Taiwan would have to hold out on its own until the United States or other nations intervened, if they decided to do that, the current and former officials say. But the effort to transform Taiwan into a weapons depot faces challenges. The United States and its allies have prioritized sending weapons to Ukraine, which is reducing those countries stockpiles, and arms makers are reluctant to open new production lines without a steady stream of long-term orders. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times And it is unclear how China might respond if the United States accelerates shipments of weapons to Taiwan, a democratic, self-governing island that Beijing claims is Chinese territory. U.S. officials are determining the quantity and types of weapons sold to Taiwan by quietly telling Taiwanese officials and American arms makers that they will reject orders for some large systems in favor of a greater number of smaller, more mobile weapons. The Biden administration announced Sept. 2 that it had approved its sixth weapons package for Taiwan a $1.1 billion sale that includes 60 Harpoon coastal anti-ship missiles. U.S. officials are also discussing how to streamline the sale-and-delivery process. President Joe Biden said last month that the United States is not encouraging Taiwans independence, adding, Thats their decision. Since 1979, Washington has had a policy of reassuring Beijing that it does not support independence. But Chinas foreign minister, Wang Yi, said in a speech at the Asia Society last month that the United States was undermining that position by repeated official exchanges and arms sales, including many offensive weapons. Story continues The Peoples Liberation Army of China carried out exercises in August with naval ships and fighter jets in zones close to Taiwan. It also fired ballistic missiles into the waters off Taiwans coast, four of which went over the island, according to Japan. The Chinese military acted after Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, visited Taiwan. But even before that, U.S. and Taiwanese officials had been more closely examining the potential for an invasion because Russias assault on Ukraine had made the possibility seem more real, although Chinese leaders have not explicitly stated a timeline for establishing rule over Taiwan. The United States would not be able to resupply Taiwan as easily as Ukraine because of the lack of ground routes from neighboring countries. The goal now, officials say, is to ensure that Taiwan has enough arms to defend itself until help arrives. Biden said last month that U.S. troops would defend Taiwan if China were to carry out an unprecedented attack on the island the fourth time he has stated that commitment and a shift from a preference for strategic ambiguity on Taiwan among U.S. presidents. Stockpiling in Taiwan is a very active point of discussion, said Jacob Stokes, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security who advised Biden on Asia policy when he was vice president. And if you have it, how do you harden it and how do you disperse it so Chinese missiles cant destroy it? The view is we need to lengthen the amount of time Taiwan can hold out on its own, he added. Thats how you avoid China picking the low-hanging fruit of its fait accompli strategy that theyve won the day before weve gotten there, that is assuming we intervene. U.S. officials increasingly emphasize Taiwans need for smaller, mobile weapons that can be lethal against Chinese warships and jets while being able to evade attacks, which is central to so-called asymmetric warfare. Shoot-and-scoot types of armaments are popular with the Ukrainian military, which has used shoulder-fired Javelin and NLAW anti-tank guided missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles effectively against Russian forces. Recently, the Ukrainians have pummeled Russian troops with mobile American-made rocket launchers known as HIMARS. To transform Taiwan into a porcupine, an entity bristling with armaments that would be costly to attack, U.S. officials have been trying to steer Taiwanese counterparts toward ordering more of those weapons and fewer systems for a conventional ground war like M1 Abrams tanks. Pentagon and State Department officials have also been speaking regularly about these issues since March with American arms companies, including at an industry conference on Taiwan this week in Richmond, Virginia. Jedidiah Royal, a Defense Department official, said in a speech there that the Pentagon was helping Taiwan build out systems for an island defense against an aggressor with conventional overmatch. In a recent article, James Timbie, a former State Department official, and James O. Ellis Jr., a retired U.S. Navy admiral, said that Taiwan needs a large number of small things for distributed defense, and that some of Taiwans recent purchases from the United States, including Harpoon and Stinger missiles, fit that bill. Taiwan also produces its own deterrent weapons, including minelayer ships, air defense missile systems and anti-ship cruise missiles. They said Taiwan needs to shift resources away from expensive, high-profile conventional systems that China can easily destroy in an initial attack, although some of those systems, notably F-16 jets, are useful for countering ongoing Chinese fighter jet and ship activities in gray zone airspace and waters. The authors also wrote that the effective defense of Taiwan will require stockpiling ammunition, fuel and other supplies, as well as strategic reserves of energy and food. Officials in the administration of Tsai Ing-wen, the president of Taiwan, say they recognize the need to stockpile smaller weapons but point out that there are significant lags between orders and shipments. I think were moving in a high degree of consensus in terms of our priorities on the asymmetric strategy, but the speed does have to be accelerated, Bi-khim Hsiao, the de facto Taiwanese ambassador in Washington, said in an interview. Some American lawmakers have called for faster and more robust deliveries. Some senior senators are trying to push through the proposed Taiwan Policy Act, which would provide $6.5 billion in security assistance to Taiwan over the next four years and mandate treating the island as if it were a major non-NATO ally. But Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, said in an interview that weapons makers want to see predictability in orders before committing to building up production. Arms directors from the United States and more than 40 other nations met last week in Brussels to discuss long-term supply and production issues. If China decides to establish a naval blockade around Taiwan, American officials would probably study which avenue of resupplying Taiwan by sea or by air would offer the least likelihood of bringing Chinese and U.S. ships, aircraft and submarines into direct conflict. One proposition would involve sending U.S. cargo planes with supplies from bases in Japan and Guam to Taiwans east coast. That way, any Chinese fighters trying to shoot them down would have to fly over Taiwan and risk being downed by Taiwanese warplanes. The sheer amount of materiel that would likely be needed in case of war is formidable, and getting them through would be difficult, though may be doable, said Eric Wertheim, a defense consultant and author of The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World. The question is: How much risk is China and the White House willing to take in terms of enforcing or breaking through a blockade, respectively, and can it be sustained? China has probably studied the strategic failure of Russias invasion of Ukraine, he said, and the United States should continue to send the kinds of arms to Taiwan that will make either an amphibious invasion or an attack with long-range weapons much more difficult for China. The Chinese naval officers Ive spoken to in years past have said they fear the humiliation that would result from any kind of failure, and this of course has the effect of them being less likely to take action if there is an increased risk of failure, Wertheim said. In essence, the success the Ukrainians are having is a message to the Chinese. Officials in the Biden administration are trying to gauge what moves would deter China without actually provoking greater military action. Jessica Chen Weiss, a professor of government at Cornell University who worked on China policy this past year in the State Department, wrote on Twitter that Bidens recent remarks committing U.S. troops to defending Taiwan were dangerous. She said in an interview that pursuing the porcupine strategy enhances deterrence but that taking what she deems symbolic steps on Taiwans diplomatic status does not. The U.S. has to make clear that the U.S. doesnt have a strategic interest in having Taiwan being permanently separated from mainland China, she said. But other former U.S. officials praise Bidens forceful statements, saying greater strategic clarity bolsters deterrence. President Biden has said now four times that we would defend Taiwan, but each time he says it someone walks it back, said Harry B. Harris Jr., a retired admiral who served as commander of U.S. Pacific Command and ambassador to South Korea. And I think that makes us as a nation look weak because whos running this show? I mean, is it the president or is it his advisers? So maybe we should take him at his word, Harris added. Maybe he is serious about defending Taiwan. 2022 The New York Times Company (Reuters) - Baquer Namazi, an 85-year-old Iranian American who was jailed in Iran on spying charges that the United States called baseless, is en route to Oman on Wednesday after Iranian authorities allowed him to leave for medical treatment, his lawyer said. "I am pleased to confirm that Baquer Namazi, 85-years-old, is safely on his way to Muscat, Oman, after leaving Tehran. He should arrive in the next hour or so. After a short layover, he will be leaving Oman and heading to Abu Dhabi," Jared Genser, a lawyer for the Namazi family, said in a statement. (Reporting By Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Students seeking post-graduate degrees continue to bolster enrollment at the University of Memphis, which saw modest growth in overall enrollment this fall despite having fewer undergraduate students this fall compared to last. U of M's student body has hovered around 21,000 over the last 10 years as leaders seek to grow the school. This year, at an enrollment of 21,917, university data show, the urban institution is just shy of the 22,000 mark, one it has only surpassed in Fall 2020. Growing enrollment remains an institutional focus under U of M President Bill Hardgrave, who took the reins back in April from M. David Rudd. Earlier this fall, Hardgrave made a formal motion to the board of trustees to launch an updated strategic plan, which he expects to deliver for review in March after six months of conversations with an 11-member group of faculty, staff, students, alumni and people involved with the U of M foundation. U of M will look to Probity Business Group to assist in the planning, Hardgrave said. Hardgrave engaged the group for previous strategic plans he crafted while dean and provost at Auburn University. More:College, trade school enrollment hits five-year low for Shelby County Speaking on a panel of local higher education leaders recently hosted by the Greater Memphis Chamber, Hardgrave said the U of M, like most of higher education, should do more to focus on outcomes for students as fewer and fewer of high schoolers in Tennessee are seeking college degrees. "We have to do a better job in higher education of starting with that end goal in mind and then working backwards as to how to get there," Hardgrave said. Rather than presenting students with a set of options of majors and degrees, U of M should be more specific about how degrees in each field prepare students for the next steps in the workforce or their next degree, Hardgrave said. He acknowledged, alongside fellow Memphis education leaders David Archer of Christian Brothers University, Vernell Bennett-Fairs of LeMoyne-Owen College and Peter Buckley of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the struggles of collegiate enrollment are not unique to U of M. Story continues While a college degree can be a valuable asset, "it does cost a lot," Hardgrave acknowledged. When students and their families select a college, Hardgrave added, universities should be prepared to help them answer this question: "If I go here, and I major in X, what happens when I finish? The new strategic plan will assess enrollment as it determines how U of M continues to fit within Memphis. The university is closing in on its first year with the top research designation, Carnegie R1, which it believes will continue to facilitate its growth and research accolades. "Its interesting because when you look at who we are, were really kind of a different animal right now," Hardgrave told The Commercial Appeal after a board meeting in September. "Were a large, public, urban institution thats now R1. And so, if you say, Well just look at R1s, well, were not like an Ohio State or something like that, right. But were also not a small regional institution either." As the U of M assesses its strategic plan, it will consider universities it is like and those it hopes to grow toward. We will live by our strategic plan," Hardgrave said. For now, the university continues to serve a student body that hails predominantly from the Memphis area and Tennessee. And even more students stay in Memphis than come to the U of M from Shelby or nearby counties, Hardgrave said last week. He praised the university's alignment with local business needs by partnerships for internships and co-ops for students. University data shows the arts & sciences and business colleges remain the largest for undergraduate students, and enrollment has soared in both colleges among graduate students in recent years. U of M also continues to grow the number of students completing dual enrollment courses, the result of strategic plans to increase access to the university in hopes of students continuing enrollment. We're trying to lower every barrier there can be to a kid taking dual enrollment," Hardgrave said last week, listing the benefits of cost savings and earlier graduation. He's also tasked U of M staff with making "the University of Memphis...the most transfer-friendly university in the country. Laura Testino covers education and children's issues for the Commercial Appeal. Reach her at laura.testino@commercialappeal.com or 901-512-3763. Find her on Twitter: @LDTestino This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: U of M enrollment 2022: Where students are from, what they study By Hilary Russ NEW YORK (Reuters) - Four U.S. Senators have asked Starbucks to disclose how much the coffee chain has spent on lawyers and consulting fees to counter the growing union membership at hundreds of its locations in the United States. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal, all Democrats, and independent Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, sent their request in a letter late Tuesday to Starbucks Corp Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz and its board of directors. According to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters, they cited "reports that Starbucks is engaging in illegal union-busting tactics" and asked Starbucks to respond within a month. "We appreciate every opportunity to share the facts and address inaccuracies about our company and our partners, and we are confident in our stringent compliance with federal labor law," Starbucks said in response to the letter. Employees at about 245 out of Starbucks' nearly 9,000 company-owned U.S. locations have voted to unionize in just over the past year. The Senators also said in their letter that they want to see the guidance Starbucks gave to managers about how to deal with workers organizing unions and whether its spending expenditures to counter unions were listed in its tax filings. They also asked for a list of changes the Seattle-based chain has made to benefits for non-unionized employees. The company has been boosting benefits, including expanded coverage for adoption services on Monday that applied to all employees. But some other enhanced benefits, including hourly pay hikes, were given only to employees who are not in a union. Starbucks is "weaponizing benefits and wage increases to discourage workers from organizing," Warren said in emailed remarks to Reuters. Bargaining is tentatively set to begin on various days this month at some stores. August, the National Labor Relations Board accused Starbucks of illegally withholding raises from unionized workers. Story continues Starbucks said on a company blog that labor law requires it to negotiate any changes in benefits or working conditions with the union representing those employees. (This story has been corrected to show some benefit enhancements given to all employees regardless of union status in eighth paragraph) (Reporting by Hilary Russ) University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Fielding School of Public Health researchers have been awarded $3 million to study the sexual and reproductive health of Asian immigrant women in the United States, the university announced on Monday. The five-year study, which will be conducted in New York, Georgia and California, received the grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal grant started at $646,606 in September, according to the NIH. Asian immigrant women report a higher chance of unintended pregnancies and use less sexual and reproductive health care compared to their US-born counterparts, but are often disregarded in policy solutions, Dr. May Sudhinaraset, associate professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and vice chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences, said in a statement. More from NextShark: Indian American Neeli Bendapudi is first woman, first POC chosen to be Penn State president Sudhinaraset will be leading the study, according to the university. Our goal in this project is to provide comprehensive sexual and reproductive health data among the most diverse sample of Asian immigrant women to date, which is critical to ensuring reproductive justice at a time when Asian women are facing assaults from multiple fronts, Sudhinaraset added. The Asian population is the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. Over 20 million Asians and Asian Americans live in the U.S., 60 percent of whom are immigrants. More from NextShark: Cats can recognize names and faces of their feline friends, says new Japanese study The group is expected to be the largest immigrant group in the country by 2055, which includes 1.5 million undocumented Asians, according to UCLA. Asian-Americans and Asians in the US are very diverse, from Americans whose ancestors came to the US in the 1800s to very recent immigrants; from civilians to undocumented migrants; and from the working poor to the very rich, and everything in between, Dr. Gilbert Gee, professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and chair of the Department of Community Health Sciences, said. Story continues Historically, however, national health statistics have often thrown Asians into a different category or completely excluded them. focused and effective, he added. More from NextShark: Students report that crying during exams activates schools anti-cheat software The study, which focuses on Asian American and Pacific Islander women of different ethnicities and immigration statuses, is a collaboration between the UCLA Fielding School, UC Irvine, Rutgers University, and the National Asian Pacific American Womens Forum (NAPAWF). There is a serious lack of data on the unique and intersectional life experiences of Asian-American and Pacific Islander women, particularly the barriers immigrant women face when accessing sexual and reproductive health care, Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director at NAPAWF, said. NAPAWF is excited to partner with UCLA on this study to uncover the needs of AAPI subgroups, which will strengthen the ability of AAPI organizations to best serve the realities and needs of our communities, she continued. More from NextShark: PhD student in UK who masturbated to manga about young boys for research paper triggers investigation Featured Image via Dragon Pan LONDON and WARSAW, Poland Britain and Poland are investigating possible cooperation in the development of a surface-launched, long-range missile in the latest step towards strengthening their ties in the defense sector. The two nations announced their intention to take a look at forming a partnership at the end of a visit Oct. 5 to Poland by British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace for talks with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Baszczak. Russias invasion of Ukraine has accelerated plans by Poland to develop the nations short-range air defense capacities. In April 2022, Baszczak signed a contract to procure a short-range air defense system, dubbed Narew, using MBDAs Common Anti-air Modular Missile, or CAMM, for the countrys military this year. Under the envisioned partnership with the U.K,, the CAMM family of missiles will find its way into several new applications in the Polish armed forces, according to a British Ministry of Defence statement. The two ministers agreed to form a new working group examining relevant use cases for land and maritime environments. During an Oct. 4 signing ceremony, Baszczak announced the first of the ordered systems, which the ministry calls small Narew, had been delivered to the Polish Armed Forces. A second system is to be supplied in the first half of 2023, the Ministry of National Defence said in a statement. The small Narew system comprises Polish radars, Polish trucks, and British launchers and missiles. We could say it is based on the Sky Sabre anti-aircraft and anti-missile system which was also deployed to our country owing to the decision of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, Baszczak said. CAMM is already in service with British forces, and the land version, known as Sky Sabre, is among the weapons the British Army have deployed in Poland. The Polish governments interest lays in the development of a missile that could be used by the Wisla mid-range air defense system and the three Miecznik frigates slated to be built locally using Britains Babcock Arrowhead-140 design. Story continues Collaboration on the procurement and operation of a Arrowhead variant for the Polish Navy was among several areas of cooperation proposed by the British and Polish ministers. As part of their bilateral plans, Wallace and Blaszczak touted a memorandum of understanding on air defense capabilities, enabling both countries two sides to team on the development and manufacture of current and future complex weapons. The two sides also signed a framework agreement for cooperation on the Polish Pilica+ very short range air defense system. To that end, the Polish minister signed a contract for the delivery of 21 upgraded PSR-A Pilica+ anti-aircraft missile systems with a consortium led by the countrys state-run defense giant PGZ. The weapons modernized version will be equipped with CAMMs. Chris Allam, the managing director of MBDA UK, said the new British-Polish pacts pave the way for further steps in weapon development. Todays agreements launch the next step in Polish-UK missile cooperation and underpins the PGZ-MBDA technology transfer proposal on Narew, while also supporting Pilica+, Miecznik, a tank destroyer, and other vital projects, he said. Andriy Kostin with French Minister of Justice Eric Dupont-Moretti Read also: Russia guilty of war crimes in Ukraine, UN report says We need international support to find a mechanism for punishing the crime of aggression, said the Prosecutor General. The ICC [International Criminal Court] cannot accept this case, so the creation of the Special Tribunal is proof at the international level that any act of aggression in the modern world will be punished. And not only on the field of battle, but also on the legal one. During a meeting with French Minister of Justice Eric Dupont-Moretti on Oct. 5, Kostin said that 176 Russian soldiers had charged with war crimes, and courts have indicted 44 Russian service members. Ten Russian soldiers have received sentences in Ukrainian courts. Read also: Ukrainian court sentences Russian soldier to 10 years in prison On May 23, the Solomensky District Court of Kyiv sentenced Russian servicemen Vadim Shishimarin to life in prison for the murder of a civilian in Sumy Oblast. The verdict was the first given to a Russian soldier who committed crimes on Ukrainian soil. On July 29, the Court of Appeal commuted his life sentence to 15 years in prison. Ukraine has called for the creation of a special tribunal to bring Russia's top leadership to justice for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Vietnam requests Netflix remove Korean drama "Little Women" The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications has requested that streaming platform Netflix stop showing Korean drama "Little Women" due to its alleged distortions of the Vietnam War. A scene in Korean drama "Little Women" The movie has provoked anger among local viewers as it twists Vietnamese history, denies Vietnamese revolutionary achievements, and insults national heroes. It also violates restrictions in cinematographic activities in accordance with Vietnamese law. The alleged violations took place in episode three at between 58:01 and 58:22 and in episode eight between 5:41 and 7:01 when actors spoke about the Vietnam War. The Korean drama directed by Kim Hee-won is loosely based on a novel of the same name written by Louisa May Alcott which tells stories of three sisters starring Kim Go Eun, Nam Ji Hyun, and Park Ji Hoo. The drama which is also available to view on Netflix mentions the war and distorts Vietnamese history in some episodes. This has led to calls for a boycott of the Korean drama on social networks after many Vietnamese viewers criticised the show due to stating inaccurate information about national history. A grand ceremony paying tribute to Huangdi, a legendary ancestor of the Chinese nation who is believed to have been sovereign of a united China around 5,000 years ago, was held at the Xiandu Scenic Spot in Jinyun, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. Tuesday also marks the Double Ninth Festival or Chongyang Festival in China. The festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar every year to honor and respect elders. The ceremony, which started at 9:50 am, used the highest sacrificial rites in ancient China, including striking bells, offering flower baskets and wine to ancestors, reading a ceremonial address and singing carols. During the ceremony, drums were played 34 times and bells were rung 15 times, representing 1.5 billion Chinese from 34 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and special administrative regions in China and overseas Chinese. Troupes in traditional costumes displayed sacrificial rites in music and dance performances, showing people's contemporary respect for Huangdi and the efforts to develop a sense of belonging to the country and enhance their sense of national identity. The ceremony had more than 300 attendees including Taiwan compatriots, experts and people from all walks of life. The memorial ceremony for Huangdi in Jinyun dates back to the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). The event was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. Jinyun should conduct deep research of the Huangdi culture, take the initiative to tell a story about Huangdi, carry forward the Huangdi spirit, and strive to make the Huangdi culture provide cultural support and spiritual impetus for promoting the development of the county's economy and society, said Jin Baoping, consultant of the China Pre-Qin History Union, during the 5th China Huangdi Culture Academic Seminar, which was held in Jinyun on Sunday. With the pervasive influence of the Xiandu scenic area and the ever-growing popularity of Huangdi culture in Jinyun in recent years, its culture and tourism sector is thriving, enriching locals' lives and boosting the economy. For example, its leading local products such as Jinyun shaobing Jinyun bucket baked rolls are growing rapidly. In 2021, the output value of Jinyun shaobing reached 2.7 billion yuan ($379 million). "We should tell a good story about the Huangdi culture in southern China, and further use the sacrificial ceremony to inspire patriotic enthusiasm and invigorate the Chinese to unite," said Xie Ligen, vice-president of the Zhejiang Federation of Humanities and Social Sciences Circles. Fang Xiaoying contributed to this story. By Helen Reid JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to push its ally Belarus to the top of an international diamond certification body to protect Moscow's gems from being branded conflict diamonds following its invasion. Some members of the Kimberley Process, a coalition of governments, industry and civil society that certifies diamonds, have called for diamonds from Russia, the world's top producer by volume, to be labeled conflict diamonds. Belarus has applied to be the KP's vice chair in 2023 and chair in 2024, according to a Sept. 19 letter seen by Reuters. The KP makes decisions by consensus, so the rift over Russia risks paralysing it. "Russia is pushing Belarus to become chair, so that Russia's interests can be better pursued and protected within the KP," Ukraine's Kimberley Process representative Vladimir Tatarintsev said in an email on Tuesday. Belarus did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Russia has said it condemns attempts to "politicise" the KP. The KP has the power to ban diamond exports from certain countries, as it did in 2013 when rebels seized power in Central African Republic. In its bid, Belarus said it was prepared to uphold the KP's "unity and authority". Belarus, which has never before been KP chair, supported Russia in quashing a proposal to discuss the invasion of Ukraine at a KP meeting in June. Jacob Thamage of Botswana, the current KP chair, to whom the bid was addressed, did not respond to a request for comment. The United Arab Emirates, the world's top rough diamond trading centre, also bid for the 2024 chairmanship in an Aug 2 letter seen by Reuters. The UAE has not imposed sanctions on Russia, seeking to maintain what it calls a neutral position on the war in Ukraine. Tatarintsev said Ukraine has no objection to UAE's nomination, but added that "it is unlikely that anyone will be able to unite the Kimberley Process". (Reporting by Helen Reid; editing by Frank Jack Daniel) The latest hardware being sent to Ukraine includes more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) The US's decision to send more military aid to Ukraine "increases the danger of a direct military clash" between Russia and the West, Moscow has warned. Russia's ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, said it was an "immediate threat" to Moscow, describing the US as "a participant of the conflict". Earlier, the US announced another $625m (547m) in military aid to Ukraine. Advanced US weaponry has been credited with helping Ukraine build momentum against occupying Russian forces. Ukrainian troops have made significant advances in the country's north-east and south in recent weeks. The latest US hardware includes another four of the high-precision Himars multiple rocket systems. In all, Washington has committed nearly $17bn in military support for Kyiv since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on 24 February. In a statement on Thursday, Mr Antonov warned that the US decision "to continue pumping the Kiev regime with heavy weapons only secures Washington's status as a participant of the conflict". He said this would result in "protracted bloodshed and new casualties". "We call on Washington to stop its provocative actions that could lead to the most serious consequences," the Russian ambassador said. After suffering a string of major defeats on the battlefield in Ukraine in recent weeks, Russia has vowed to defend itself with all means available - not ruling out the use of its nuclear weapons. Moscow is also pushing ahead with its annexation attempts of four of Ukraine's regions: Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. However, Russia does not fully control any of the regions, and Ukrainian troops have been making rapid advances in the Kherson region in recent days. Mr Antonov's warning comes shortly after US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris discussed further military co-operation with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Story continues In a statement, the White House stressed that "the United States will never recognise Russia's purported annexation of Ukrainian territory. "President Biden pledged to continue supporting Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression for as long as it takes." The statement said the new military aid package included "Himars, artillery systems and ammunition, and armoured vehicles". The US-made HIMARS -High Mobility Artillery Rocket System - have been used to hit Russian targets such as command posts and ammunition depots. It has also been used to target bridges, including those on the approach to Russian-occupied Kherson, which Ukraine is trying to reclaim. A Ukrainian soldier stands near pieces of a Russian tank Tuesday in the Kharkiv region. (Andrii Marienko / Associated Press) As Russia suffers one devastating military setback after another in Ukraine, a key player in the conflict is stepping out of the shadows: the private army known as the Wagner Group. Despite the Kremlins longtime practice of publicly distancing itself from the paramilitary organization, Wagner mercenaries who first emerged during Russias 2014 conquest of Ukraines Crimean peninsula have taken part in some of the most consequential battles of the 7-month-old war, according to Western military analysts. Now, at a potentially fateful juncture in the fighting, experts say Russia is likely to become even more dependent on the private army, which has been implicated in human rights abuses in Ukraine as well as other conflict zones, including Syria, Libya, Mali and Central African Republic. The more dire the situation gets for the regular [Russian] army, the more it will be required to lean on private mercenaries like the Wagner Group, said Christopher Faulkner, an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College. As finger-pointing has intensified over recent battlefield losses in Ukraines south and east, the group's self-declared chieftain, oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, has become increasingly virulent in his criticism of the Russian war effort. Send all these bastards to the front, barefoot and with machine guns, a Wagner-linked Telegram channel quoted him as saying in an apparent reference to the senior military leadership. Prigozhin, who only last month publicly claimed to be the head of what is formally called PMC Wagner, for private military company, unleashed his critique after Russian forces fled or were wiped out in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lyman, a key operations hub. Ukrainian soldiers sit on an armored vehicle as they drive on a road between Izyum and Lyman in Ukraine on Tuesday. (Francisco Seco / Associated Press) The city was recaptured last week by Ukrainian troops a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the province in which it is located to be part of Russia an annexation that most of the outside world, and of course Ukraine, rejected as illegal. Russias most hawkish commentators, who champion the war on Telegram channels and state television, reacted with fury to the loss of Lyman, but 61-year-old Prigozhin went further than most. Story continues It was a pugnacity that analysts said could help establish him as a political threat to Putin despite his professed fealty to the Russian president. Prigozhins comments came on the heels of another eye-catching recent episode: the surfacing in September of video, widely shared online, that showed him at a Russian state-run prison recruiting inmates to fight in Ukraine. Previously, convicted rapists and murderers were not accepted as volunteers, but according to the group Russia Behind Bars, which works to support prisoners families, Wagner is throwing open its doors to anyone willing to risk service on the front lines, no matter their crimes. Recruits listen to an instructor during military training at a firing range Tuesday in the Rostov-on-Don region in southern Russia. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the military has recruited more than 200,000 reservists as part of a partial mobilization launched two weeks ago. (Associated Press) In addition to undermining Kremlin denials that Wagners operations are officially sanctioned, Prigozhins prison performance was a powerful appeal to those who venerate strongman-style leadership and may be disenchanted with Putin. Abbas Gallyamov, a political analyst and former speechwriter for Putin, wrote on Telegram that Prigozhin is clearly positioning himself to appeal to those disappointed with the current government. Christo Grozev, of the investigative group Bellingcat, said that in the eyes of Prigozhins followers, his stature has grown even as the president's is diminished by wartime failures. Wagnerites tell me they'd vote for him over Putin any time, and it seems to me he smells blood, Grozev wrote on Twitter last month. In past conflicts, the deliberate ambiguity of Wagners relationship with the Putin government worked to Moscows benefit, said Tracey German, a professor of conflict and security at Kings College London. The advantages of a group like Wagner are obvious, she said. On the one hand, they can use the unit to exert military influence in various places around the world. At the same time, the Kremlin can always say that it has nothing to do with the group. Wagner is not the only paramilitary group that is operating in a legal gray zone in Ukraine. Another, called Redut, allegedly has close links to the Russian forces and the Ministry of Defense. According to the Russian-language news portal Meduza, a detachment of Redut mercenaries in the Donbas region carried out reconnaissance that laid the groundwork for the push into Ukraine in the morning hours of Feb. 24. Putins highly unpopular military call-up of 300,000 Russian men, announced last month, does not negate the need for firepower that Wagner can provide, analysts said. I don't think that this is mutually exclusive, said Faulkner, of the Naval War College, who was voicing personal views rather than citing a Pentagon assessment. Russia will still use groups like Wagner, even if they increase their formal mobilization. If anything, analysts said, deploying reluctant or hapless draftees to the front lines is likely to exacerbate the regular armys severe problems with morale, training and equipment. But while Wagner mercenaries may be more efficient fighters than regular troops, their numbers are not great enough to be a game-changer militarily, according to experts. Wagner forces are highly unlikely to be sufficient to make a significant difference in the trajectory of the war, British military intelligence said in an assessment in July. But it pointed out that the group had probably played an important role in summertime Russian advances in the Donbas, the eastern industrial heartland gains that are being partially rolled back by Ukraine. Wagner, however, has shared some of the disaster-prone tendencies of Russian regular troops. Several thousand of its fighters are thought to have been killed in Ukraine. About 200 of its personnel were in the vanguard of the ultimately failed attempt to capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, at the start of the war, Bellingcats Grozev told British lawmakers in April testimony. And in one widely publicized incident in August, a pro-Kremlin journalist posted a photograph of an alleged Wagner base in eastern Ukraine in which a street address could be seen. Ukrainian forces subsequently bombed the structure into rubble, though without saying whether the photo enabled them to pinpoint it. The prison-recruitment drive, human rights activists said, demonstrates Wagners ruthless quest for fodder at a time when front-line duty has become even more dangerous. Those who are desperate to escape Russias brutal penal system have little inkling of the battle conditions they would probably face, said Berlin-based activist Olga Romanova, who founded Russia Behind Bars. Prisons have proved to be fertile recruiting grounds: Romanova said her organization has tracked the cases of about 11,000 inmates who joined Wagner, of whom 7,500 are believed to have been deployed to Ukraine. The paramilitary group promises they will be freed after six months of service, but Romanova said her organization hadnt learned of anyone who was recruited long ago enough to reach that benchmark if they survived. The family of one prisoner, Vadim Akimov, tried desperately to dissuade him from joining Wagner. His mother, Svetlana, told the group My Russian Rights that she and his father thought they had convinced him not to believe the groups assurances that he would be doing construction work in Ukraine; but in August, they abruptly lost contact with him. The prison administration will not tell the family if he agreed to join up. We want to know where he is, whether he is alive," the mother said in a video made by the rights group. In the end, he may have signed the contract. In the recruitment video, Prigozhin makes it clear that once inducted into the Wagner ranks, there was no going back. If you arrive in Ukraine and decide its not for you, he is heard telling prisoners, we will execute you. Special correspondent Ziener reported from Berlin and Times staff writer King from Washington. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. YEVHEN KIZILOV WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 22:32 The Armed Forces of Ukraine have liberated six settlements of Luhansk Oblast. Source: Serhii Haidai, the head of the Luhansk Oblast Military Administration, in a comment on the Freedom TV channel Details: Haidai did not reveal which settlements and advised the media to wait for those details in the official statement of the General Staff. He said Russian forces could watch the broadcast and, having received such information, they would intensify the attacks on these settlements. Quote from Haidai: "I can only say that today six settlements [have been liberated]." Previously: On 4 October, information appeared that the Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated eight more settlements in the Kherson region from Russian invaders. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Debate over how to handle a North Korean ballistic missile launch over Japanese territory split an already deeply fractured U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, with Russia and China insisting that U.S.-led military exercises in the region had provoked North Korea into acting. Wednesdays session ended with no agreement on next steps, despite warnings from the U.S. and its allies that the councils inability to reach consensus on North Koreas record number of missile launches this year was emboldening North Korea and undermining the authority of the United Nations' most powerful body. This council should be mindful that it is being tested and its credibility is at stake. This council should act, and produce an action that restores its credibility, said Hiroshi Minami, Japan's deputy representative to the U.N. and one of those unsuccessfully urging the council back into its formerly unified stand over North Koreas launches. North Koreas missile flight Tuesday was its longest-range weapons test ever, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that soared over Japan and had enough punch to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond. It forced the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains. The U.N. said the North Koreas unprecedented number of ballistic missile launches this year, now numbering more than 40, comes as North Korea also appears to be moving toward a seventh test nuclear blast. Early Thursday, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters just 22 minutes apart, officials said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is pushing to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and the territory of U.S. allies, with a goal of wresting concessions from those countries, some experts say. Tuesday's launch was the first that Kim has aimed over Japan since 2017. It came within days of a U.S.-led military exercise in the Sea of Japan with allies Japan and South Korea. The exercise included a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier. Story continues Russias deputy U.N. representative, Anna Evstigneeva, insisted to Security Council members that it was the irresponsibility of that U.S.-led exercise, along with growing U.S. alliances with partners in the Asia-Pacific region, that prompted North Koreas action. Chinas deputy U.N. representative, Geng Shuang, depicted the matter as a confrontation between the U.S. and North Korea, and urged a more conciliatory approach by Washington. Wednesdays session ended only with a vague call for more discussion on the matter. It served as the latest example of a growing polarization pitting Russia and China against fellow permanent Security Council members the United States, United Kingdom and France. Brought to the forefront by Russias invasion of Ukraine, Chinas military assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region and the U.S. response to it, and other matters, the divide has paralyzed the Security Council on many key actions. Thats because all five permanent members have the power to veto council actions. The Security Council imposed sanctions after North Koreas first nuclear test explosion in 2006, and tightened them over the years seeking to rein in its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and cut off funding. In May, however, China and Russia blocked a Security Council resolution that would have toughened sanctions over the missile launches, in the first serious rift on the council over the sanctions against North Korea. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., told Security Council members Wednesday that two permanent members of the Security Council have enabled Kim Jong Un. Past missile launches this year had clearly been launched without any concurrent U.S. military exercises or any other clear triggers, Thomas-Greenfield said, calling North Korea's a self-initiated escalation. We wont tolerate any country blaming our defensive actionsas somehow the inherent cause of these threats, she said. She added, The United States will not stand by as the DPRK directly threatens the U.S. or its allies. The southern African mountain kingdom of Lesotho holds parliamentary elections on Friday, which analysts expect to deliver another coalition government, unlikely to tackle poverty and instability. Famed for the beauty of its mountainous terrain, the country that styles itself the "Kingdom in the Sky" has long been beset by political turmoil, with coups and attempted coups dotting its history since independence from Britain in 1966. For the past 10 years it has been ruled by coalition governments that have proved fractious and frail, with no premier serving out a full five-year term. Thousands of people, some wrapped in traditional shepherd's blankets, gathered around large marquees set up on mountain plateaus for campaign rallies over the weekend. The All Basotho Convention (ABC) has been the leading party since the last elections in 2017. But current Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro is not seeking another term, as he was ousted as party head earlier this year. His predecessor Thomas Thabane was forced to step down in 2020, after being accused of ordering the murder of his estranged wife. Charges against him were dropped in July. The ABC's new leader, former health minister Nkaku Kabi, will square off against an array of contenders. These include Mathibeli Mokhothu, who heads Lesotho's second largest party, the Democratic Congress, and Sam Matekane, a millionaire believed to be the country's richest man who could be a dark horse, according to analysts. No one is expected to win outright. - 'Haphazard government' - "Whichever party emerges victorious, a coalition government is inevitable," said Seroala Tsoeu-Ntokoane, a politics expert at the National University of Lesotho. That could make it difficult to push through much needed reforms. The outgoing parliament failed to pass a law on electoral reform aimed at ending political volatility, which would have prohibited lawmakers from switching party allegiance within the first three years of their tenure. Story continues "Our government is haphazard. Coalitions just seem to eat our institutions from inside out," said Tsoeu-Ntokoane. With a population of about two million people, Lesotho is surrounded by South Africa, which relies on it for essential water supplies to Johannesburg and other cities. It ranks among the world's poorest countries, with more than 30 percent of its population living on less than $1.90 a day. About one in three children are stunted due to malnutrition, according to the UN. And almost one in four people is infected with HIV, the second highest rate in the world. A constitutional monarchy ruled by King Letsie III, who has no formal power, it has a mixed parliamentary system. Eighty lawmakers are voted in by constituents, while another 40 seats are distributed proportionally. A party needs more than 61 of the 120 seats available to rule without being forced into a coalition. Only 47 percent of registered voters bothered to cast their ballot in 2017. But observers say turnout might be higher this year. The ABC and the DC have filed relatively young candidates -- Kabi and Mokhothu are both under 50s -- which could help inspire a larger share of the electorate. And Matekane, the 64-year-old outsider, has drawn large crowds at party rallies in recent weeks, which sometimes saw him land from a helicopter. International observers will monitor the vote. cld/ub/lc Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images US recovery from the Covid pandemic is in jeopardy unless the Biden administration supports making treatment and testing for the disease more readily available to low-income countries, a powerful congressional group has warned Joe Biden. In a letter to Joe Biden led by congressman Earl Blumenauer, chairman of the subcommittee on trade, the group urged the president to extend a June World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement aimed at easing exports of generic vaccines to treatments and therapeutics. The letter comes ahead of what is expected to be a contentious meeting of the WTO council for trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights that starts on Thursday, where the proposals will be discussed. As more contagious variants of the disease emerge it is critically important that the US backs the agreement to ease access to therapeutics and treatments for poorer nations, the group writes. The proposals are being championed by South Africa and India but face stiff opposition from the pharmaceutical industry and Switzerland and the UK. In June the WTO reached a limited agreement to facilitate exports of generic Covid vaccines made under compulsory licenses a license issued by a government to a third party to produce a patented medicine when the patent owner has refused a voluntary license. The WTO proposed extending the agreement to treatment and testing within six months. Critics of the original deal argued it was too little, too late and said a broad waiver for intellectual property rights on Covid vaccines and treatments was needed to stem the deadly pandemic, which has now infected more than 619 million people worldwide and caused more than 6.5 million deaths, according to John Hopkins. Max Lawson, co-chair of the Peoples Vaccine Alliance and head of inequality policy at Oxfam, called it a technocratic fudge aimed at saving reputations, not lives. But some were hopeful that the US would support an extension to treatments and testing, seen as a high priority as the coronavirus continues to ravage countries where vaccination rates are still low. Just 19% of people in low-income countries are vaccinated compared with 75% in high-income countries, according to the Multilateral Leaders Taskforce on Covid-19. Story continues It is critically important that the United States announce support for the extension and join with our allies South Africa and India to forcefully advocate to extend the decision to diagnostics and therapeutics, the congressional group told Biden. Emerging Covid-19 variants are more contagious than ever and are mutating quickly. Extending the decision to therapeutics and thus making them more available will reduce rates of serious illness, hospitalization, and death, which is especially important in low-income countries where only a small percentage of the population has been vaccinated. Likewise, more widely available diagnostics will slow the spread of new variants by alerting individuals and public health officials of outbreaks so countermeasures can be employed, and treatments can be provided within the key window. Industry groups have opposed any relaxation of intellectual property (IP) rights on therapeutics and testing, arguing it will disincentivize the industry and weaken IP protections overall. The US Chamber of Commerce has been highly critical of the WTOs original decision, calling it a solution in search of a problem and arguing that intellectual property rights helped deliver Covid-19 vaccines in record time, and today the world is awash in vaccine doses. In a letter to the Biden administration, the US Chamber of Commerce said it also had serious concerns regarding any extension of the agreement, arguing it would further undermine intellectual property (IP) rights around the world. The proposal for an expanded waiver now under consideration by WTO members further threatens US leadership in biotechnology and other key sectors, including digital, green, and agricultural technology, by reinforcing a precedent for the ready expropriation of IP, it wrote. Lori Wallach, director of Rethink Trade at the American Economic Liberties Project, said: Big pharma killed the waiver of intellectual property monopolies in the first instance and are now greedily seeking to stop the modest WTO agreement to help export generic treatment and test made in compliance with WTO rules in a way that could devastate peoples lives while increasing big pharmas profits. As concerns grow over Russian President Vladimir Putins nuclear saber-rattling amid continued losses in Ukraine, what a U.S. response would look like has become an increasingly urgent question. U.S. officials since the start of Russias attack on Ukraine have stressed there are plans being developed to counter a range of moves by Moscow but have kept specifics under wraps. While the administration says there are no signs that the Kremlin has made moves toward a nuclear strike and that Washington has not changed its own nuclear position experts say the potential U.S. options could turn into a very real scenario given Russias floundering military campaign and an increasingly frustrated Putin. Mark Cancian, a former Pentagon official-turned-defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said a U.S. response to a major Russian attack would be twofold one military and one diplomatic. If the Ukrainians kept fighting, we would continue our flow of aid and wed probably take the gloves off in terms of weapons provided to Kyiv, he told The Hill. At the top of Ukraines wish list is the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a surface-to-surface missile that can travel four times farther than anything Kyiv has now in its fight against Russia. The embattled country has pressed the U.S. for the system for months, but Washington has been hesitant to provide it over fears it could escalate the conflict. However, should Moscow use a tactical nuclear weapon on Ukrainian troops or civilians, or even detonate such a device away from populated areas, Cancian predicted the administration would finally allow Kyiv to have ATACMS or anything else they wanted to go after Russian targets. On the diplomatic side of things, meanwhile, Russian use of nuclear weapons could very well prompt countries such as India, China and Turkey the latter a NATO ally to put pressure on Putin economically, according to Cancian. A nuclear strike would really, I think, put them under a lot of pressure to go along with the sanctions and take a tougher line towards Russia, so Russia would lose these lifelines that theyve been clinging to and nurturing, he said. Story continues National security adviser Jake Sullivan last week said there would be catastrophic consequences should Moscow deploy nuclear weapons and said a more specific ultimatum had been delivered to Moscow privately. President Biden has said since the start of the war that U.S. troops will not be sent to Ukraine, and experts warn that a nuclear response to a nuclear attack could quickly escalate into a nuclear world war. Retired Gen. David Petraeus offered a prediction of how the U.S. would respond to a Russian nuclear attack on Sunday, though he noted that he had deliberately avoided speaking with Sullivan about it. I mean, just to give you a hypothetical, we would respond by leading a NATO, a collective effort, that would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine and also in Crimea and every ship in the Black Sea, he said. Laura Cooper, the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, said Tuesday that U.S. officials have continually consulted with allies about the Russia threat, and the nuclear threat that Russia poses is just one aspect of that, and certainly the NATO forum is our premier forum for consultation on these issues. One Austrian official told The Hill that its offered the country as a neutral ground for difficult negotiations and is ready to host de-escalation talks and maintain channels with Russia. Though Putins national televised speech last month was not his first time raising the specter of nuclear war, current and former U.S. officials have raised new alarms over the Kremlins increasingly bellicose nuclear rhetoric as it moves to annex four regions of Ukraine. Putin threatened on Aug. 21 that Moscow would deploy its massive nuclear arsenal to protect Russian territory or its people which could now include the four Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions. However, both Kyiv and Washington have said they will not be deterred from continued fighting to take back those regions. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in an interview with CNN aired Sunday, said that while he hasnt seen intelligence to suggest the Russian leader has chosen to use nuclear weapons, there are no checks on Mr. Putin. To be clear, the guy who makes that decision, I mean, its one man, Austin said. John Kirby, the National Security Councils coordinator for strategic communications, said Monday that the U.S. is closely watching Russian activity at the Zaporizhzhia power plant another location Putin could choose to attack to escalate the war. And former national security adviser H.R. McMaster on Sunday said Putin is under extreme pressure due to battlefield failures and domestic outcry over a mobilization order that could send hundreds of thousands of reservists into the war. I think the message to [Putin] is If you use a nuclear weapon, its a suicide weapon. And the response from NATO and the United States doesnt have to be nuclear, McMaster told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan on CBS. Fears were further stoked this week when an online video emerged of a train in Russia appearing to carry equipment from a Kremlin military unit that handles nuclear weapons. The video, which Pentagon officials could not confirm, shows military vehicles allegedly from the secretive 12th Main Directorate of the Russian ministry of defense being transported on the train, according to Konrad Muzyka, an aerospace and defense analyst focused on Russia and Belarus. The Kremlin unit is responsible for nuclear munitions, their storage, maintenance, transport and issuance, Muzyka tweeted Sunday. I have seen these reports. I have nothing to corroborate, Cooper told reporters Tuesday when asked about the video. Pressed on whether the Pentagon has seen anything to indicate that Russia is contemplating the use of nuclear weapons, she said officials have certainly heard the saber rattling from Putin but see no signs that would cause us to alter our posture. Cooper also declined to answer questions on whether the U.S. has seen any movement of Russias nuclear forces, citing the protection of U.S. intelligence. Some, including Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, have urged the administration to increase its nuclear readiness in Europe and move additional missile defense assets into the region. This administration needs to step up its game on missile defense, Turner said on Fox News over the weekend. We have assets in Europe, and we need to engage them so that we can provide protection to our allies. Much speculation has also been given as to the exact kind of weapon Putin might potentially use, with fears he could resort to using tactical nuclear weapons meant to be used in a battle or on a specific population center to try to bring an end to the conflict. We always have to try to take the threat of nuclear use seriously and so we do, and thats why we are watching very closely, and thats why we do consult closely with allies, Cooper said. But at the same time, at this point, [Russias] rhetoric is only rhetoric, and its irresponsible saber-rattling that we see at this point, Cooper said. For now, the U.S. will respond to Russian aggression by continuing to pour weapons and other aid into Ukraine, including four more of the advanced rocket systems Kyiv has credited with greatly helping its offensive begun at the start of this month. The soon-to-be delivered High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems used by the Ukrainians to target bridges, roads and munition storage areas Russia uses to supply its forces are part of a new $625 million lethal aid package announced Tuesday. Asked later on Tuesday whether the United States will provide anything to help the Ukrainians protect themselves against a possible nuclear strike, Cooper said Washington has already provided a considerable amount of protective equipment against chemical, biological and radiological threats. She pointed to a military aid package from earlier this year that included a number of personal protective equipment items as well as significant quantities of such equipment given as part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. Laura Kelly contributed reporting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. U.S. intelligence officials allege Ukraine was responsible for a car bomb that killed the daughter of a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. Daria Dugina, the daughter of Russian nationalist Alexander Dugin, was killed in August when an explosive device planted under her Toyota Land Cruiser went off. American officials told the New York Times that U.S. intelligence believes parts of the Ukrainian government authorized the attack, though they did not specify whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was aware of or had signed off on the attack. The U.S. was not aware of the attack ahead of time and admonished Ukrainian officials over the killing, the American officials said. The lack of transparency about Ukraines military and covert plans has reportedly led to frustration among U.S. officials, according to The New York Times. Russias Federal Security Service accused Ukrainian secret services of the killing in late August, blaming a Ukrainian named Natalia Voyk. However, Ukraine denied the accusations. We are not a criminal state, unlike Russia, and definitely not a terrorist state, Zelensky adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said. Duginas father, a political thinker known to some as Putins brain, is suspected by some American officials to have been the intended target of the attack, The New York Times noted. Dugin has been sanctioned by the U.S. since 2015. A television commentator, journalist and chief editor of nationalist outlet United World International, Dugina was sanctioned by the U.S. in March. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In 2013, when Joselyn Gerarda Whitaker Rae was 22 years old, she took a trip from New York to Huanuco, Peru, the city where she was born but hadnt been to since she was adopted by a white American family as a 1-year-old. Whitaker Rae, whose adoptive parents had recently died, was in search of family and home, but she only had the village where she was born and the name of her birth mother. After four hours of searching for information at the mayors office, an outdoor artisan offered to yell Whitaker Raes birth mothers name through a megaphone. The womans sister-in-law responded to the call, informing Whitaker Rae that her mother had died but that she had relatives in Lima. Three years later, she moved to the Peruvian capital to join them. Whitaker Rae is part of a growing number of first- and second-generation Latinos who are rematriating a term used as an alternative to repatriation, reflecting a return to ones cultural way of life in their motherland to Latin American countries where they or their parents were born. What is Hispanic Heritage Month?: Latinos and Latino culture can be celebrated year-round Reconsider travel?: Safety experts talk violence in Mexico tourist spots Jocelyn Gerarda Whitaker Rae, who was adopted as a 1-year-old, returned to her native Lima, Peru, in search of her birth family. To be clear, Latin Americans returning to their homeland isnt new. Throughout history, migrants from Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean have been forced to go back to their countries of birth as a result of deportation or other state-sanctioned campaigns like the 1942 Bracero Program. Other times, migrant workers have participated in circular migration, a pattern of mobility between ones home and host country, for economic opportunities. But increasingly, younger generations have been moving back to their ancestral lands, seeking reconnection, a sense of belonging, healing and change. Three months after her 2013 trip to Huanuco, Whitaker Rae found the courage to call her biological sister from whom she had been separated. After that call, the two spoke every day, working through language barriers to understand each other and build a relationship. Story continues Whitaker Rae moved to Lima in 2016, after completing her masters degree in philosophy from Fordham University in New York City. Now 32 years old, she teaches English in Lima. I was an only child in the U.S. I didnt have an immediate family anymore, and the rest of my relatives were spread around the country. The U.S. is very individualistic, and I wanted community. I wanted to spend time with my biological family. I felt more at peace here, despite the country being more conservative, said Whitaker Rae, who is trans. Story continues below. 'Were so focused on working that we forget to live sometimes' In the coastal Colombian town of Puerto Colombia, Ailyn Robles understands. In 2018, the New Jersey-born Colombian American was burned out. She was a 28-year-old nonprofit professional disillusioned by toxicity at the organization she worked for and exhausted by the workload of her full-time job, freelance gigs and creative projects she needed to survive in costly New York City. In need of restoration, she took a sabbatical, traveling throughout her parents homeland to learn more about her Colombian roots and understand where her sadness was coming from. She initially extended her three-week trip for a year, and then she decided to stay for good. In the States, I was always working, studying and looking for ways to help my people. Were so focused on working that we forget to live sometimes, Robles, now 31, said. Ailyn Robles is photographed with her daughter, Ile Mar. In the South American country, life hasnt exactly been easier but it has been more fulfilling. Robles, who didnt have a family home to return to in New Jersey, planted roots in Puerto Colombia, where she worked call center jobs, built a community by offering queer and feminist activists free headshots, met a guy while learning to surf and gave birth to her daughter, Ile Mar. When the pandemic hit, her already precarious life, which her family never understood, became even more difficult. She lost her job, and her partner was forced to close his restaurant. With no income, her relatives asked her to come back to the U.S., where they said shed be safe. But home and security had taken on new meaning in the years she had been living in Colombia. I used to think I had no home, that no place belonged to me, but I know now that both of these countries are my home, and that neither of them is safe. Do I feel safe in a supermarket or subway station in New York? No. Colombia has always felt dangerous, but at least you can rest. The quality of life is just respected here in a different way, she said. Robles is aware that, in many ways, its her U.S. citizenship that allows her to experience relaxation, freedom and joy in the land her family once fled. This is the tension that many young rematriators contend with: leaving the U.S. as marginalized Latinos and entering Latin America as privileged foreigners. Even without riches or prestigious family pedigree, nonnatives, and especially Americans, are afforded advantages, such as job opportunities and resources, and find themselves having to make sense of new complex identities. 'I was humbled right away' When Frances Medina, 33, moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2018, the Nuyorican went to reconnect with her ancestral land and offer her talent and connections as a communications strategist and producer to uplift the stories of Puerto Ricans in their fight for justice, recovery and freedom. Frances Medina found cultural connection in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was humbled right away, Medina said. In many of these spaces, she was called a gringa, not as an insult but as a reminder of her positionality. Medina was initially confused. Like her new friends, she grew up on arroz con gandules and salsa. Like them, she read literature on Pedro Albizu Campos and marched against La Junta. Unlike locals, though, she thought her University of Michigan degree afforded her with more understanding and solutions to the plight locals have lived with and fought their entire lives. I used to be a brat; I used to have that mentality of, I do advocacy, and you need to listen to me. But no one wants that or responds to that, so your ego gets deflated quickly, Medina said. Now I come from a place of respectful and compassionate curiosity, not an almighty Diasporican. A local's beach guide to Puerto Rico: Which beaches to visit, what to know in San Juan, Culebra and more A local's beach guide to Uruguay: Which beaches to visit, what to know in Maldonado and Rocha 'In the diaspora, we fetishize the island' In the neighboring Dominican Republic, Bonao-based Melania Luisa Marte can relate. When the 28-year-old relocated to the Caribbean nation in 2020, she had just planned to temporarily move in with her partner during the pandemic. In many ways, she had romanticized the trip, viewing it as a time to immerse herself in the land and culture she had written so much about as a poet and to write her best work while in paradise. But then came the reality of island life: Stores werent open 24/7, traffic felt unbearable and life was really, really slow. In the diaspora, we fetishize the island. We think of it as an exotic, tropical paradise where everything is perfect. There are red carpets to beaches and rivers are at your disposal. Its a utopia. And yes, island life is a type of paradise, but I had to let go of looking at this island as something that was mine to consume, devour and romanticize, she said. Melania Luisa Marte relocated from the U.S. to Bonao, Dominican Republic, in 2020. With help from her partner, Marte was able to recognize how she, an artist whose work has long critiqued social injustice, was aiding and abetting capitalism and colonialism by expecting that people and businesses needed to cater to her, on her time. In unlearning this colonial mentality or, as she calls it, the white man in my head she has been able to fall in love with the nonfantastical version of the Dominican Republic, where she now lives and has started a family. It has taken many Latino rematriators time to appreciate the slower pace of life across Latin America relative to the hustle and bustle in much of the U.S. However, through leisure, many have found time for reflection, rebalance and reconnection, not just to the land but also to self. 'I am living more intentionally' When Kim Guerra left Los Angeles for Mexico City in 2020, the creative entrepreneur and therapist relinquished so much of what she had thought made up who she was: around-the-clock workload, evening and weekend social events and her community. While the 30-year-old Mexican American grew up moving back and forth across the border, her family is not from the capital. There, she had no one but her now-ex-girlfriend. Kim Guerra sought solitude and acceptance when she moved from Los Angeles to Mexico City, in 2020. While this solitude felt scary at first, it later became an opportunity an invitation to heal the traumas she had known in Mexico, to embrace her queerness away from her religious family, to build authentic friendships based on true connection rather than social capital, and to feel at home, on this land and in her body. Being back as an adult and reconnecting, on my own terms, with my culture and with myself as a woman and as a queer person has been really powerful. Ive been able to be, to listen and heal in ways I didnt have space to in LA because everything is so cluttered. I am living more intentionally and falling in love, she said. It feels like coming home. For Whitaker Rae, the Peruvian adoptee, being in her homeland has also allowed her to wholly be herself. Living here has allowed me to be me. I transitioned here. Without Peru, I would have never been comfortable with myself, discovering myself and finding happiness in myself and my family, she said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why some Latinos are returning to their motherland During the National Day holiday in China, both online and offline shopping have gained momentum in the country, thanks to heightened consumer enthusiasm and the implementation of pro-consumption policies. During the seven-day Golden Week holiday, various pro-consumption activities have been launched nationwide to boost spending and sustain the recovery of China's consumer market, said Shu Jueting, a spokesperson with the country's Ministry of Commerce. Local governments have come up with diversified measures, including handing out consumption vouchers, enriching traveling activities and organizing consumption festivals to boost culture and tourism consumption. For instance, Fuzhou City in southeast China's Fujian Province plans to issue consumption vouchers worth 3 million yuan (about 423,000 U.S. dollars) during the holiday season to encourage spending, and southwest China's Sichuan Province will organize over 70 activities such as cultural and night tours to attract travelers. "Local governments have adopted vigorous measures this year, and these are accessible to a wider range of consumers," said Chen Lifen, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council, adding that such moves will further unleash consumption potential. Travel fervor runs high during the Golden Week holiday season. According to Lvmama, a domestic online travel agency, bookings for trips during the seven-day holiday through their platform increased by over 87 percent from Sept. 11 to 20, compared with the previous 10 days. Travel goods have become increasingly popular on online delivery platforms, mirroring the holiday boom. Data from Meituan, one of China's online delivery platforms, showed that a week before the holiday, online searches for travel toothbrushes, travel sub bottles and travel shampoo packs soared by 1,037 percent, 368 percent and 272 percent, respectively, compared with a week ago. With a growing interest in outdoor recreation among the Chinese people, sales of outdoor equipment have also increased sharply. Two weeks ahead of the holiday, sales of outdoor photographic equipment, in particular, increased by over 300 percent compared with the previous two weeks, data from e-commerce giant JD.com showed. Along with the recovery of the tourism sector, the country's catering industry is also warming up, as restaurant businesses have boomed during the holiday. Restaurant reservations during the National Day holiday via online platforms increased by 87.6 percent compared with the same period last year, according to data from Meituan. The data also revealed that besides big meals, consumers are showing greater interest in snacks, beverages, pastries and other food items in small eateries during the holiday. Sales of home appliances have also soared during the week-long holiday, fueled by subsidies from local governments and generous discounts offered by e-commerce platforms. According to data from the online retailer Suning, on the first day of the National Day holiday, customer flow in its physical stores surged by over 200 percent from the day before, and the number of orders placed at its newly opened stores rose 120 percent compared with the previous day. On the first day of the holiday, online sales of air purifiers, robot vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and other advanced home appliances jumped more than 100 percent from the previous day, data showed. China has rolled out a raft of measures to promote consumption recovery, including boosting consumption in key fields such as automobiles, green and intelligent home appliances as well as catering and accommodation, among others. "The country's consumer market will consolidate the recovery trend and continue to play a fundamental role in bolstering the country's economic growth, as pro-consumption measures take effect," said Guan Lixin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. Virgin Atlantic originally canceled flights to Hong Kong in December 2021, but was set to resume in March 2023. Virgin Atlantic Virgin Atlantic is ditching routes to Hong Kong partly because it's no longer able to fly over Russia. The closure of Russian airspace has added nearly two hours to some flights, Virgin said Wednesday. Virgin originally suspended flights in December 2021 and was set to resume services in March 2023. Virgin Atlantic is permanently ditching flights to and from Hong Kong, partly because the closure of Russian airspace amid the Ukraine war has made it too complex to operate from the hub, the airline said Wednesday. "We've taken the difficult decision to suspend our London Heathrow Hong Kong services and close our Hong Kong office, after almost 30 years of proudly serving this Asian hub city," a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told Insider in a statement. "Significant operational complexities due to the ongoing Russian airspace closure have contributed to the commercial decision not to resume flights in March 2023," the spokesperson said. The airline originally suspended flights between London Heathrow and Hong Kong in December 2021 after the Hong Kong government suspended flights as part of its coronavirus measures. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin closed Russian Airspace to 36 countries, including the UK, US, and Canada, in response to bans they introduced against Russian-operated planes, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This decision left carriers used to operating over the country juggling higher fuel and labor costs as flights were rerouted. Virgin was set to resume Hong Kong services on March 26, 2023. However, it said the plan has changed on the basis that the closure had added one hour on to flights Heathrow to Hong Kong flights, and as much as one hour 50 minutes the other way. The airline also cited a fall in the number of connecting passengers passing through Hong Kong, following the scrapping of a Melbourne to Hong Kong route by Virgin Australia in 2019, as another reason for the decision, which was first reported by Bloomberg. Story continues The airline has 18 ground staff and 28 cabin crew based in Hong Kong. Virgin said the capacity unlocked by ending Hong Kong flights will enable to increase flights to other key markets in Summer 2023, the airline said. "Anyone booked to travel from March 2023, will be offered a refund, voucher, or the option to rebook on an alternative Virgin Atlantic route," the spokesperson said. Read the original article on Business Insider Kanye West responds to backlash over White Lives Matter T-shirts (Getty/Gabriella Karefa-Johnson/Instagram) In an interview last month, Kanye West said that he doesnt read any book. This week, hes proving thats why he doesnt make any sense. West sparked yet another avalanche of controversy on Monday when he wore a White Lives Matter shirt at his Yeezy fashion show in Paris. Conservative commentator Candace Owens posted a photo of herself wearing the same shirt alongside him. The backlash was immediate. Kanye quickly began trending #1 on Twitter. Jaden Smith, who was at the event, left early and tweeted: Black Lives Matter... I Dont Care Whos It Is If I Dont Feel The Message Im Out. Atlantic contributor Jemele Hill called the shirt a dangerously dumb message to send for someone with his massive platform. Ill say upfront it seems clear to me that this was a stunt on Kanye Wests part to (once again) steal the limelight at any cost. West is in the same category of egomaniacal characters as Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Few people more desperately seek to tap into the attention economy. Well, you have our attention now, Kanye. Regardless of the reasoning behind why he did this, I do see this as an educational moment that can be used to inform on the mechanics of white supremacy. Some on social media are defending West, claiming that it shouldnt be controversial to say white lives matter. Its similar to the All Lives Matter response to the statement Black Lives Matter. Its whataboutism at its worst. Heres the thing: No one is saying white lives dont matter, but in America, Black lives have been degraded for centuries. Obviously, every life matters, but the reason the statement Black Lives Matter is so powerful is because of the historical context of slavery, segregation, and the continued racial injustice we face today. Declaring that Black lives matter isnt a statement that seeks to erode the value of other lives, while the White Lives Matter slogan does. Just as Make America Great Again was a racist reaction to the Obama presidency, White Lives Matter is a racist reaction to the modern racial justice movement. As the Anti-Defamation League points out, White Lives Matter serves as a white supremacist response to Black Lives Matter. Since 2015, white supremacist groups, including the Klu Klux Klan and the Proud Boys, have used White Lives Matter in the perpetuation of their hateful ideology. Kanye West might know this if he decided to take up reading instead of believing whatever Candace Owens feeds him. Story continues As for Wests intentions with the shirts, he has sent some signals as to his potential reasoning. In an interview that was published before the fashion show on Monday, West toldVogue, Our point, our idea, is that there is no one who is not welcome at YZY, at Donda. If his goal was inclusivity, West certainly undercut that through the White Lives Matter stunt and his statement responding to the controversy. On Tuesday morning, he posted on Instagram: Everyone knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam. Now its over. Youre welcome. To be fair, West appears to be pointing to a lawsuit alleging misused funds at the Black Lives Matter nonprofit. But the organization Black Lives Matter is not synonymous with the statement itself. Black Lives Matter as a slogan stands on its own. West attacking the BLM nonprofit doesnt excuse him from choosing to wear a symbol of white supremacy. Many people point to his bipolar disorder diagnosis to excuse Wests antics, but this is part of a pattern of behavior that happens whenever he is seeking to promote something. West has always been a provocative contrarian, but his moves took a more overtly right-wing turn during the Trump era. In 2018, West infamously called slavery a choice at the TMZ headquarters, with Candace Owens by his side. Later that year, he wore a MAGA hat and met with Trump in the Oval Office. During Wests 2020 presidential campaign if you can call it that he claimed that Harriet Tubman never actually freed slaves. Last year, it seemed West may be turning a corner when it came to engaging in politics. On his Grammy award-winning song Jail, Jay-Z rapped, Told him stop all that red cap, we going home. Since then, Kanye kept pretty quiet when it came to social issues, instead focusing on cyber-bullying Pete Davidson. But now, hes back at it again just in time to promote his new clothing line after ending his partnership with GAP. Its important to note that theres a lucrative market for Black people selling out for right-wing clout and money. Its an easy grift and almost always disingenuous. These Black conservatives are often used to spread white supremacist ideas. Look no further than Diamond & Silk and Candace Owens. Now, West could be looking to cash in on the right-wing conservative grift factory. While none of this is surprising, its still disappointing. West went from rapping Racisms still alive, they just be concealin it and saying George Bush doesnt care about Black people in the 2000s to wearing a MAGA hat and White Lives Matter shirt in the 2020s. Those lyrics about racism were in a song called Never Let Me Down in Kanye Wests debut album The College Drop Out. I was 11 when that album dropped in 2004. I was a huge fan for years and his music made a big impact on my life. But he let me down, as well as millions of others. Kanye West used to inspire Black people and now he embraces those who hate us. He used to be a voice a young Black kid could listen to. Now hes a voice they should ignore. Biden speaks on reproductive rights on Tuesday October 4th (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) This week, when President Biden announced his measures to protect abortion rights, I debated over whether to even listen to his speech. I live in Michigan, where our pro-choice governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is up for reelection and is running against Tudor Dixon, a candidate notorious for her extreme stance toward abortion access (she is against all abortion, in all circumstances including the life of the woman carrying the fetus). Its difficult to get excited about Bidens plans, which involve $6 million in grant monies to expand reproductive healthcare, and warnings to universities that discriminating against pregnant studentsincluding those seeking to terminate their pregnanciesis a Title IX violation. But most sobering of all, his plans almost completely rely on taking back the Senate. With a Democratic majority, the Senate would be able to abolish the filibuster. According to the Foley Institute, abolishing the filibuster would probably aid in passing legislation on highly divisive issues such as healthcare or immigration. In theory, by abolishing the filibuster, Congress would be able to lock in reproductive rights, regardless of our extreme right-wing Supreme Court. Lovely as they are, I cant help but to view Bidens ideas as a pipe dream. And while there are a lot of reasons for my cynicism, the reality of the state in which I currently live is chief among my inability to put much stock in our presidents announcement. Michigan is best described as a purple state, and thats a generous interpretation of our political landscape. Our progressive cities and towns are lined at their perimeters by Trump flags and Impeach Biden yard signs. Its all too common to see pickup trucks decorated from bumper to bumper with Trump 2020 stickers and American flags, lest anyone forget what the flag actually looks like. We have curriculum transparency extremists running for school board seats up and down the state, and its impossible to forget the woman who went viral as Rudy Giulianis Michigan-based top voter fraud witness. She gained notoriety for her outlandish testimony during which she made unsubstantiated claims about widespread voter fraud that shed sworn had occurred at a Detroit-based polling site. She also attempted to run for legislature in Michigan, but thankfully, due to her own dishonesty, was disqualified. It took lying about traffic tickets and other debts versus lying about a presidential election to be removed from the ballot. Cest la vie in a purple state. Story continues Sure, every state has its cast of characters. If there is a God, sometimes shes kind enough to leave them wallowing in obscurity. We usually only hear about the ones who trend in our social media feeds or wind up caricatured on Saturday Night Live. But the sad reality is, Michigan is also the site of a micro-version of the January 6th siege: In April of 2020, heavily armed protestors with military-style weapons rushed the State Capitol, demanding to be let inside. Soon thereafter, our governor became the target of an intricate kidnapping plot. These are my neighbors, and they, too, are casting votes. The Michigan Republican party controls both chambers of our state legislature. Democrats are notorious for losing seats during the midterms because of their failure to simply show up. Even if Whitmer is reelected for another term, our state has term limits for governors. The way I see it, we are never more than one election away from an extremist being voted into power. If Dixon happens to lose this year, its a bug not a feature of our states political trends. My stomach is in knots every other November over these realities. Year after year, Democrat complacency ensures that extreme, fringe, and antiquated views about the world about women remain relevant and powerful. President Biden needs to do more than beg the American people to step up. A healthy and functional society does not necessitate that more than half of its population see its humanity up for debate during presidential, gubernatorial, and midterm elections. This is why I cant get excited about Bidens speech. Unless and until democratic voters wake up, plans to secure reproductive rights are nothing more than lip service a temporary Band-Aid before the next systematic rush to subjugate our bodies. Starting in January 2023, Disney After Hours will be returning to Walt Disney World. Its scheduled to kick off on Jan. 4 at Disneys Hollywood Studios and Jan. 9 at Magic Kingdom. These tickets allow guests to stay for an extra three hours after regular park hours. Disney said that its goal is to offer a way for guests to experience Disney magic during the last months of The Worlds Most Magical Celebration honoring WDWs 50th anniversary. Read: Disney+ subscribers can save on select Disney resort stays this holiday season Admission for Disney After Hours is a separately priced ticket not included with regular daytime park admission. The company said that snacks are all included in the cost of this ticketed event available at carts stationed throughout the park. The number of tickets are limited and can be purchased starting Oct. 7. Prices range from $129 to $159 (plus tax). Read: See whats ahead for Disney Cruise Line Click here for more information. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Blane Lane was "living his dream" working in law enforcement when those dreams were shattered early Tuesday morning. Lane, 21, was killed serving an arrest warrant in Polk City after two fellow deputies opened fire on a suspect who pointed a weapon at them. "Blane was doing what he always wanted to do. He wanted to be a cop. He wanted to work for Polk County Sheriff's Office he was doing it. He was living his dream," said Kevin Wells, the football coach at Mulberry High School, where Lane played football and golf. Shawna Wilson, Lane's second cousin, said he had been passionate about pursuing a career in law enforcement since pre-school. Lane spent his early childhood "loving everything outdoors, from four-wheelers to hunting," she said. Previously: Polk sheriff's deputy killed by friendly fire serving warrant in Polk City In case you missed it: A wrongful conviction? Podcast explores 1987 Polk murder and the man in prison for it A poster of Polk County Deputy Blane Lane during a press conference at the Sheriff's Operation Center in Winter Haven on Tuesday. Lane was fatally shot early Tuesday morning in Polk City when fellow deputies opened fire on a suspect who pointed a weapon at them. Lane's family and friends knew him as a dedicated family man with an infectious sense of humor. "He was a ball of energy and laughs, he would make a joke out of anything," Wilson said. From an early age, Wilson said Lane also had a kind heart and compassionate side, and his younger cousins looked up to him. Tommy Myers, a retired Mulberry High agriculture teacher, first met Lane when he got involved in the Future Farmers of America program in middle school. "Blane's one of those guys you can't ignore, he lights up a room when he walks in. He always wants to be part of what's going on," he said. Deputy Blane Lane's name is embossed on a patrol car at the Sheriff's Operation Center In Winter Haven on Tuesday. While Lane never raised an animal, Myers said he was involved in the farm, always asking to drive the tractor, and he took an interest in the mechanical innovations in farm machinery. Lane was highly involved in the leadership aspect of the programs, Myers said, serving as the school's delegate during a state FFA convention in Orlando. "He was kind of a born leader, always wanting to be in the forefront," he said. Story continues 'You are going to vote for me' It was no secret, despite Lane's strong involvement with the FFA, that he planned a future career in law enforcement, not agriculture. "He wanted to be a deputy sheriff since the day I met him," Myers said. "He used to say, 'You are going to vote for me when I run for sheriff of Polk County.'" Myers said he had a sheet of the radio codes Polk deputies used to communicate with each other via radio. He shared this with Lane, who committed the list to memory. Lane tried to use these codes to communicate during class, Myers said with a laugh. Family and acquaintances described Deputy Blane Lane as a deeply compassionate person with an infectious personality who always dreamed of being in law enforcement. The former teacher said he remember Lane having a deeper side that went beyond his sense of humor. If Lane saw a classmate going through a hard time, it wasn't unusual to see him sit down, talk to them and empathize with them. "He always said he wanted to be the next Grady Judd," Wells said. Deputy Blane Lane, right, with Sheriff Grady Judd in a sheriff's department photo. Lane, 21, was killed early Tuesday while serving a warrant. Lane went to the police academy in September 2020 and was sworn in as a detention deputy in May 2021. In January, he was transferred to the patrol division as a deputy. His family was apprehensive, given the inherent danger of the job, Wilson said. But they were proud of Lane for pursuing his dream. "[Blane] strived to make something of his life to be a good example for his daughter. He accomplished that," Wilson wrote. "Not only did he accomplish that, he became a real life hero." Lane leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter, Kate, and acted like a father to her sibling, Wilson said. 'This is going to be hard' Wilson said Lane's family was amazed by the number of officers who showed up at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center on Tuesday morning to honor him with the procession to the medical examiner's office. Polk County sheriff's communications editor Robin Jenkins places a poster of Deputy Blane Lane in a memorial patrol car Tuesday at the Sheriff's Operations Center In Winter Haven. And she's aware that more than one family is grieving Lane was killed by friendly fire. "We are praying for the officer who accidentally shot him as well," she said. "It was not his fault, but I know this is going to be very hard on him and his family as well and that breaks my heart." Wilson said she hopes Judd will continue to push for all possible charges against those at the scene of the shooting. She believes the witnesses who allegedly knew the suspect was armed with a BB gun should be held accountable. The family has been approached by the Tampa Bay Jeep Club, with whom they have connections, about doing a fundraiser to raise money to provide long-term support for Lane's daughter. No specific details on the event were available. Michael Mike on a Bike Madison, the leader of Heaven's Saints Motorcycle Ministry of Lakeland, has also extended the offer of a motorcycle ride to honor Lane and raise funds for the family. A tentative date is set for Nov. 5 starting at Revolution Church off Kathleen Road in Lakeland. More details will be announced in the future. Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County sheriff's deputy Blane Lane: Law enforcement was "dream" Oct. 5WILLMAR Several people from the area have participated in a public service advertising campaign to encourage people to get their COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots. Among the 14 Minnesotans participating in the promotions from the Minnesota Association of Area Agencies on Aging are Don Schwarz of New London, Kenneth and Ardis Newburg of Willmar and Bisentius Emmis of Milan. Pioneer PBS worked with the association on the campaign. Nearly 4 million Minnesotans, 71.6 percent of the state's population, have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. About 3.8 million people, 67.5%, have completed their initial vaccine series. Only 239,000, 4.3% of the population, are considered up to date, meaning they have received their recommended booster shots. In the videos, Schwarz and the Newburgs are featured polka dancing. Emmis is seen getting his vaccination. "It's good to be vaccinated," Ardis Hewburg says in the video. "A word to the wise is everyone should get vaccinated. You could still get sick, but you won't die from it. You'll get well again." Kenneth Newburg adds, "We have had our booster shots, so everybody, get your shots and booster." In his video, Schwarz says, "I got the COVID vaccine because I thought it was important for me and important for people that I had contact with. I encourage everyone I can to make sure they've got the vaccine or to get the vaccine." Emmis says he got the vaccine "to save my life from disease, to be strong. ... It's important for me to be vaccinated, live longer and be strong." Participants are featured in videos, radio public service announcements, newspaper advertisements and social media posts, generally aimed at an older audience. The project featured people who are active in their communities. Some have been affected personally by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is intended to promote the vaccines and boosters in advance of the coming flu season, according to a news release from Pioneer PBS. Story continues The project features other Minnesotans who are active in their communities including Janet Timmerman, the former director of the Murray County Historical Society based in Slayton. Another participant was longtime County Commissioner Warren Strandell of East Grand Forks whose wife died of COVID-19 before vaccines were available. Community activist Portia Johnson of Duluth volunteered to share her strong belief that getting vaccinated shows your consideration for other people. The videos, PSAs, advertisements and social media posts are all part of the statewide campaign that began at the end of September. Anyone interested in using information in the campaign is welcome to share the messages. For more information, contact Patrick Moore, communications director at Pioneer PBS, at pmoore@pioneer.org or 320-841-1487 . (Bloomberg) -- White House officials have asked the US Energy Department to analyze the possible impacts of a ban on exports of gasoline, diesel and other refined petroleum products, an indication that the controversial idea is gaining traction in some parts of the Biden administration. Most Read from Bloomberg The request follows a tense meeting between top administration officials and oil industry executives and comes amid growing concern that high gasoline prices pose a political threat to Democrats in the November elections, according to people familiar with the discussions. The Energy Department is providing insights on the economics at play and evaluating all tools on the table, but not in response to a formal or informal request for a study, said a another person familiar with administration conversations on the matter. Both people asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. An export ban would mark the most radical step yet by the Biden administration to tackle gasoline prices that surged over the summer and have risen again recently, just four weeks before midterm elections that will decide whether Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate. Oil producers and energy analysts have criticized the idea, saying it could backfire by ultimately raising costs even more for US consumers, while disrupting markets and cutting off European allies in their time of need. The move underscores increasing consideration within the Biden administration of potential export limits. Government officials had raised the prospect of curbing exports in Fridays meeting with executives from some of the nations largest oil companies. The discussions come just four weeks before midterm elections that will decide whether Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate. Story continues Read more: Biden officials float fuel export limit in meeting with refiners Administration officials have grown increasingly frustrated with what they see as a lack of action by industry in response to repeated warnings about low fuel inventories. Energy Department officials have been meeting with leaders from the West Coast, East Coast and Midwest to examine regional concerns. A session last week with West Coast officials focused on high gasoline prices, declining inventories and refinery outages, one of the people said. White House and Energy Department representatives didnt respond to requests for comment. Recent polling shows gasoline prices, which remain stubbornly high in western states such as California, are a drag on Democratic candidates. Biden administration officials also have been concerned about low fuel inventories in the Northeast US. The heads of the American Petroleum Institute and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers said in a letter sent Tuesday to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm that limiting exports would disrupt global markets, harm US national security interests and raise fuel prices domestically. Banning or limiting the export of refined products would likely decrease inventory levels, reduce domestic refining capacity, put upward pressure on consumer fuel prices and alienate US allies during a time of war, the trade groups said in the letter. The risk is particularly acute in the import-reliant East Coast. Limits on pipeline capacity and US-flagged tankers capable of carrying gasoline and diesel from the Gulf Coast to New England mean the area depends on imported fuels, the groups said. And with fewer US fuels on the world market, the price of those imports could increase too. There simply is not sufficient pipeline connectivity or the range of economic shipping alternatives that would be required to transport significantly more fuel to the East Coast from refineries in the Gulf, the letter said. Banning exports of fuel from the United States will not eliminate this challenge or make it easier and more affordable to supply American-refined fuel to the East Coast. Instead, by cutting into global fuel supplies, it would likely raise the cost of fuel imported into the East Coast from the global market. As recently as Sept. 23, Granholm said restrictions were not being considered at the time. (Adds details on administrations frustrations in fifth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Whoopi Goldberg just decided to set the record straight following an awkward review of the new movie Till. Daily Beast Review In an awkward Daily Beast review, a since edited erroneous statement alluded mentioned that Goldberg only was in a distracting fat suit in her role on Till. When Goldberg caught wind of the review, she addressed it on The View. In the statement she said: I dont really care how you felt about the movie, but you should know that was not a fat suit. That was me. That was steroids, said Goldberg. Goldberg also had some words of advice for the reviewer, stating that it was okay for them to have thoughts about a movie or the acting, but it was best to leave peoples looks out of the critiques. This was a sentiment that her co-host Sara Haines agreed with. Sciatica For context, last year Goldberg was battling sciatica, a condition that Mayo Clinic refers to as a pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve. According to the organization, the sciatic nerve travels from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. The condition caused Goldberg to be hospitalized for a period of time, but she later shared updates about her recovery on The View. WELCOME BACK, WHOOPI! Our @WhoopiGoldberg returns to @TheView after suffering from sciatica and shares about her recovery. https://t.co/f8u2wbJuik pic.twitter.com/cqOW6sbRvQ The View (@TheView) June 29, 2021 Premiere Date Till premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 1, 2022, and is slated to be released in United States and Canada on October 14, 2022, with a wide release on October 28, 2022. The film is a biopic of Mamie Till-Mobleys relentless and heartbreaking pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who was mercilessly lynched in Mississippi in the year 1955. Albania was hit by cyberattacks earlier this year so debilitating that the government considered invoking a NATO declaration that could have pulled all member states into confrontation with Iran, Prime Minister Edi Rama said. It would have been the first time a NATO member state used a cyberattack to invoke Article Five which treats an attack against one member as an attack against them all, requiring collective defense. Ultimately Albania decided against taking that action rather than risk escalation and antagonizing powerful allies, Rama said in an interview from his office in the Albanian capital. Rama did not say how seriously the option to trigger Article Five was considered or for how long. I have too much respect for our friends and our allies to tell them what they should do, Rama said. We are always very careful to be very humble in our assessments. The discussion inside the Albanian government over triggering Article Five underscores the ongoing debate as to whether a cyberattack will ever be serious enough to truly trigger a full-blown NATO collective defense response which could involve cyber retaliation against the attacking country by all NATO members or crippling sanctions. The provision has only been triggered once, just days after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, and the consequences have not been fully spelled out for a cyberattack. NATO member countries must come to the aid of the nation that invokes Article Five, but each member country can determine the extent of their response. For Rama, the July attack which forced the country to shut down websites across government used for everything from paying utilities to obtaining drivers licenses walked right up to the line. It's like bombing a country, Rama said of the cyber strike, which was widely attributed to Iranian hackers. Ninety-five percent of Albanias government services are provided online, meaning daily operations halted at government offices across the country, he said. The hackers also attempted to wipe sensitive government data, he said, but were not successful. Story continues Albania severed diplomatic relations with Iran in response believed to be the first time a nation has taken this step due to a cyberattack. But Rama decided against taking the incident to NATO. It was too much for us to think about and to get to the decision that we should ask NATO to trigger Article Five, Rama said. In likely retaliation for the severing of relations, Iranian hackers again attacked Albania in early September, disabling certain systems used in border and customs processing. Rama warned that his nation expects more attacks from Iran, and is working to strengthen cyber defenses. The line around when a cyberattack could trigger Article Five is unclear. The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence described the application of it to a cyberattack as a blurry but consistent position of NATO, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in 2018 that the level of cyberattack to trigger collective defense must remain purposefully vague. I am often asked, under what circumstances would NATO trigger Article Five in the case of a cyberattack? My answer is: we will see, Stoltenberg said at the time. Jim Lewis, director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said NATO is likely still working through the menu of options it would use to respond to a cyberattack. Its going to be messy for a while until we sort out what you can do short of violence that can have [an] effect. The Iranian cyberattacks may have caused widespread disruption, but did not lead to any deaths or permanent destruction of systems. These facts, paired with the smaller size of Albania in terms of geography and population, made triggering Article Five even more remote. If the attack had been more damaging, they might have gotten some support, Lewis said. No one was hurt, so its hard to make the case that its Article Five. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has intensified these discussions, given recent warnings that Russia is preparing to intensify cyberattacks against Ukraine as the winter months approach, and that a cyberattack against Ukraine could spill over into neighboring countries that belong to NATO. Many NATO members, including Albania, have provided cybersecurity support to Ukraine. We have done our part, Rama said of Albanias assistance, but what's happened with Iran imposes a different speed. NATO and its member states did take actions to support Albania after the July strike. NATO released a statement condemning the attack and pledging to provide support to strengthen Albanias cyber defense. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Irans intelligence agency and its leader, and the Justice Department indicted alleged Iranian hackers for widespread attacks against global critical infrastructure. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a joint advisory in September detailing how the Iranian hackers gained access to the victimized Albanian networks 14 months prior to the attack being carried out, periodically stealing emails associated with the government of Albania. The British government noted in a separate alert that Ramas emails were among those accessed. Rama pointed to U.S. assistance following the attack, which included providing in-person expertise to investigate the incident, as a big support, and noted that Albania is currently awaiting U.S. financial aid for cyber defense efforts. Every dollar that will come will be very much appreciated, Rama said. I think they should and they will show that they support us in this situation. Raytheon Technologies Corporation's (NYSE:RTX) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 28x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 14x and even P/E's below 8x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified. Recent times have been advantageous for Raytheon Technologies as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings performance will continue. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price. See our latest analysis for Raytheon Technologies pe Keen to find out how analysts think Raytheon Technologies' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start. What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E? There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like Raytheon Technologies' to be considered reasonable. If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 115%. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year EPS frustratingly shrank by 33% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth. Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 27% each year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 9.6% per year, which is noticeably less attractive. With this information, we can see why Raytheon Technologies is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock. The Bottom Line On Raytheon Technologies' P/E Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company. Story continues We've established that Raytheon Technologies maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price. And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Raytheon Technologies you should know about. If you're unsure about the strength of Raytheon Technologies' business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here You are here: Business China's RMB settlements with Belt and Road countries stood at 5.42 trillion yuan (763.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, up 19.6 percent year on year, according to the central bank. It accounted for 14.8 percent of China's total cross-border use of RMB in 2021, said a report released by the People's Bank of China. The RMB settlements climbed 14.7 percent in trade of goods and 43.4 percent in direct investment. By the end of 2021, China had signed bilateral currency swap agreements with 22 countries along the Belt and Road and established RMB clearing arrangements in eight countries along the Belt and Road. A woman holding the "Woman, Life, Freedom" sign, with the fallen street sign "Jomhouri Eslami" (Islamic Republic) in the background and tear gas in the air. October 1st 2022. Tehran, Iran. Credit - Middle East Images/Redux In a country where a mans voice has historically been louder, the women of Iran now lead the fight for change. Over two weeks since the innocent death of 22-year-old Mahsa (Jina) Amini by the brutal forces of the Iranian regimes morality police, the nations ever-present cry for change has been supercharged by the countrys fearless women and girls calling for individual, social, civil and economic reforms. These unprecedented proteststhe largest since the 2009 green movementcontinue to be met by a systematic crackdown including the killing and arrest of hundreds of civilians, journalists, and activists. Among those detained are two young female journalists, Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, without whom the world would have never known about Aminis horrific plight. As Iranians move into the third of week of protests, dozens of students and civilians relived the horrific memories of July 1999 crackdowns, as government forces sieged the prestigious Sharif University complex on Sunday. This was followed a day after Iranians came together worldwide in show of defiance against the regime and in solidarity with Iranians inside the country. With every bullet fired and every arrest, the regime is shooting itself in the leg. The Iranian government wants to kill the messengers in order to conceal the truthbut for the Iranian people the truth is crystal clear, a prominent journalist in Iran, who for security reasons asked not to be named, told me in a phone interview. While we may not know how this will all end, she added, all know that we no longer want this governing system and regime. A few nights ago, I saw two teenage girls near my home and on their way to join the protests, the journalist said. One told the other about her mother not wanting her to leave the house out of fear for her daughters life: What difference does it make mom? The way things are at present, I dont feel like Im living anyway, the girl told her friend. Story continues The leaderless protests appear to be a generation that has seen siblings and parents choke in silence vehemently denouncing settling for that same life. These teens have witnessed the doomed protests of the past few years, parted with their older sisters and brothers who left the country in search of their dreams, and drowned in their parents suffering under economic hardship. Worse yet, they are confronted with a future thatll be contained by the dark shadows of a patriarchal theocracy they find as antiquated as it is barbaric. Their rage is youthful, female-ledand found common cause with an older generation of protestor (both men and women) who after decades of financial, social, and political confinement feel they have nothing more to lose. I was lucky enough to travel outside of Iran and experience some of the most basic and rudimentary experiences in life without an interfering force controlling every aspect of my life, said a female entrepreneurship advocate and former university instructor and in Tehran. Today, there are millions of Iraniansespecially womenwho have suffered from the many corrupt, discriminatory, and demeaning policies of the regime. On top of all that, men and women are equally facing severe financial insecurity at the behest of the government, she explained, underscoring how Aminis death was a spark to an already inflamed society. So as we say, there is no darker color than black. Peopleold and young, men and womenhave nothing to hold onto anymore. For much of the world, the protests have been understood as the Iranian womens opposition to the forceful hijab mandates or autonomy over their body. However, whats taking place on the ground should not be reduced to the womens compulsory wearing of the headscarf or the bodily rights. This is instead, about their fundamental call for freedom of choice. Read More: Irans Leading Human Rights Lawyer on the Protests As history reflects, religion at large and specifically the issue of hijab have long been used by Iranian rulers as a measure to control society. In 1936, then Irans Monarch Reza Shah issued a decree to ban women from wearing the hijaba practice that at the time, more than being rooted in devout religious beliefs, was embedded in tradition and culture among the majority of women in Iran. At the time, this forceful mandate caused much affront and resistance in the society, and as I unpacked in the first chapter of my book, my own grandmother, whose family were far from conservative or religious, was asked by her grandfather to stay home for several weeks as her family was not yet ready to accept the forceful decree. When the Islamic Revolution overthrew the Reza Shahs son and last monarch of the Pahlavi dynasty, the decree went the other wayhijab becoming mandatory, and, of course, a major point of contention between the people and the new regime. For the past four decades, the world has seen a 3000-year-old civilization through the lens of a stifling regime, its nuclear weapons program, and didactic clergy that has so little in common with the majority of its 83 million populationin both practice and ideologyespecially its women and even more so its youth. But the current uproar is about much more than clothing. Women and girls in Iran are not risking their lives in hopes of wearing a mini-skirt to school or office. They are fighting tooth and nail to claim their freedom of choice and their right to live life as they please. Iranian women and girls are fighting side by side their fathers, brothers, and husbands (who for the longest time were presented to them as more superior), with the knowledge that their lives should not be defined by a militarized and corrupt theocracy. Consider: With more than 60 percent college entry rates, Iranian women are some of the most highly educated in the Middle East. According to the United States Institute for Peace, since 1976, female adult literacy have more than tripled; females who finished primary education increased from 36 percent in 1971 to 99 percent in 2017; the percentage of females in higher education increased by nearly 20 timesfrom three percent in 1978 to 59 percent in 2018; and the percentage of women in the workforce almost doubled in three decadesfrom 11 percent in 1990 to 19 percent in 2020. To support the Iranian women on the ground, it is critical that the international community not regard Iranian women as victims. Rather, they are survivors of a gender-based apartheid state whoagainst all oddshave still managed to make tremendous strides in both public and private of life, which only reflect their exuberant zeal and readiness for change. The Islamic Republics medieval rule have not succeeded in, like the Taliban, imprisoning the Iranian women and girls behind closed doors. Instead, they are louder, more vocal, and more aware of their rights. Whats unfolding in Iran right now is led by a capable generation of highly educated and globally-minded women and girls who see themselves as equal to their male counterparts, both at home and beyond. As the world once witnessed the many Arab women courageously taking the front row in what became known as the Arab Spring, Iranian women too are collectively denouncing the many backward policies that have been holding them back for decadesall in hopes of tangible and long-lasting results. Iranian men and women are all united in this fight; and while at present they may be struggling to find the leadership needed to bring their movement home, its essence is perfectly summed up in the chant taken up across the entire country: Women, Life, Liberty. Girls chant religious slogans while celebrating Mawlid al-Nabi in Karachi, Pakistan in 2021. AP Photo/Fareed Khan Most Muslims celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad on the 12th day of the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi al-awaal which starts on the evening of Oct. 7 in 2022. Muslims view the celebration, called Mawlid al-Nabi or simply the Mawlid, like many other Islamic celebrations: as a sign of respect and adoration of Muhammad, whom they believe to be Gods messenger. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad was a righteous man born around A.D. 570, whom God designated as his final prophet. He learned Gods message by heart and recited it. Later on, the verses were written down to preserve the text what is now the Quran. Most countries with majority Muslim populations, from Pakistan to Malaysia to Sudan, commemorate the prophets birthday each year. The most colorful celebrations are carried out in Egypt, with Sufi dhikr poetry commemorating the prophet, and games, toys and colorful sweets given to kids. Yet not all Muslims will mark the holiday. In a few countries, like Saudi Arabia, its just like any other day. The focus of my research is how Muslim societies relate to their faith, including their sense of social justice and their expectations of governments. While most Muslim countries encourage commemorating the Mawlid, the opposite is true in communities shaped by the ultra-conservative Wahhabi school of Islam, whose global influence has rapidly expanded in recent decades. Wahhabi disapproval The Wahhabi movement was started in 1744 by Muhamed Ibn Abdel Wahab, a religious scholar and reformer in what is today Saudi Arabia. Muhamed Ibn Saud, a political leader considered the founder of the Saud dynasty, legitimized his authority by seeking Ibn Abdel Wahabs religious opinions. Ibn Saud was eager to wrest more power from the Ottoman Empire, which controlled much of the peninsula at the time. Since then, Wahhabism has spread across the Muslim world in countries such as Yemen, the post-Soviet states, Tunisia and Egypt especially after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which spurred Irans rise as a regional power and prompted Saudi Arabia to try and compete. Story continues An austere school of Islam, Wahhabism often encourages the literal interpretation of the Quran and is especially suspicious of any practices they see as idolatry. For example, Saudi authorities have clamped down on worship at saints tombs and razed some holy sites entirely. In extreme cases, Salafis a related school of Islam have claimed that the relics and statues of ancient Egypt should be destroyed. In Saudi Arabia, the religious police, called mutaween, guard the prophets burial grounds in Medina during pilgrimage seasons to prevent visitors from touching it or praying close to it. Muslims visit the burial chamber of the Prophet Muhammad at Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Conservatives frown upon adoration of the prophet. Wahhabi puritans consider the Mawlid heretical, citing a saying of the prophet, called a hadith: Every heresy is a misguidance, and every misguidance will end in hell. The word for heresy here, bid'ah, is often used to condemn Muslim practices seen as innovations, like celebrating the prophets birthday. Celebrating with awe Critics of Wahhabism argue that it compromises peoples relationship with God by cutting off instinctual human behavior, like wanting to honor a prophet. As opposed to the literal and conservative focus on the oneness of God, which Wahabis emphasize, most Muslims observe the prophets birthday as a sign of love, respect and awe. The Mawlid is celebrated in many ways and forms in the Muslim world, whether it is quietly observed by fasting and reading the Quran, or by kids dressing up in bright colors and getting a tiny horse or a doll made out of sugar. The practices vary, but the one thing they articulate are the admirable qualities of the prophet and how dear he is to his followers. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Deina Abdelkader, UMass Lowell. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Read more: Deina Abdelkader does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. (AP) Days after crews erected airplane hangar-sized tents in a parking lot in The Bronx, a weekend of downpours brought several inches of rain to the site, flooding an area that planned to temporarily house hundreds of recently arrived migrants. New York Citys first Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Center intended to support thousands of people seeking asylum in the US, including hundreds bused to the city by Texas Governor Greg Abbott will instead open on another parking lot on Randalls Island in the East River. The plan under Mayor Eric Adams aims to ease the burden on the citys already-strained shelter system, while addressing what he has called a humanitarian crisis fuelled by Republican governors like Abbott and Floridas Ron DeSantis sending recently arrived migrants most of whom have fled violence and political and economic collapse in South and Central America before crossing the US-Mexico border to Democrat-led cities hundreds of miles away. But immigration advocates, civil rights groups and city leaders say theyve been ignored in the process, while repeatedly warning that the plan violates the citys right-to-shelter mandate, excludes families, and risks isolating vulnerable people from critical services. Weve surpassed well over 15,000 asylum seekers, New York City Council member Shahana Hanif told The Independent. For me, its been about ensuring and guaranteeing a compassionate and humane humanitarian response from our city. To build the tents, the city has hired Texas-based firm SLSCO, which has built field hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients and rehabilitated homes in Puerto Rico damaged by hurricanes. The company also received lucrative government contracts to build a portion of Donald Trumps wall on the US-Mexico border. Migrants have reportedly said that the shelters also resemble notorious icebox detention centres, freezing and cramped facilities used by federal law enforcement along the US-Mexico border. Story continues We dont have to have an undignified response, where we are one of the wealthiest cities, and here we are trying to not live according to our values, council member Hanif told The Independent. We should not have companies that have used [public] dollars to build walls, she said. Its a contradiction how are we working to build trust? This was just another sort of example of the administrations incompetence and like lack of alignment with immigrant justice principles. Orchard Beach migrant tent encampment is flooded after .55 of rain in 24 hrs. SLSCO, the Texas-based contractor chosen by city for site is the same contractor used by Trump to build the border wall. Migrants say the site build is identical to the Icebox TX detention center pic.twitter.com/w6Y5K5ivZy South Bronx Mutual Aid (@SBXMutualAid) October 1, 2022 Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said in a statement that rights groups have repeatedly asked the city to be involved with the shelter plans, but keep getting rebuffed. Thats how we ended up here with a contractor who built the southern border wall, and one proposed site that has already flooded, he said. The Independent has requested comment from the company. The parking lot at Icahn Stadium on New York Citys Randalls Island will serve as a location for a humanitarian relief shelter for people seeking asylum, after thousands of migrants recently arrived in the city (AP) The original site for the tent shelter was set to house up to 1,000 people for up to three nights. The new site on Randalls Island in a parking lot south of the Icahn Stadium will hold up to 500 people. That lot is in a high risk flood zone, according to the citys official flood maps. A description of the plans from the Adams administration said the structures will be expertly designed and climate controlled. Flexible barriers will also be deployed to prevent flooding. During a briefing on 4 October, Mayor Adams said he has communicated with the White House, state and federal agencies and the mayors of Washington DC and Chicago, where Governor Abbott has also sent hundreds of migrants. I just find it ironic that buses [are] coming to cities with Black mayors thats not lost on me, Mayor Adams said on Tuesday. Were going to use the National Guard, were going to use our medical facilities, were going to use everything thats possible so we can navigate ourselves out of the crisis that were facing, he said. The far right is doing the wrong thing and the far left is doing nothing Everyone should be all hands on deck. New York is the only state in the country that is legally bound to a right to shelter mandate for anyone who needs it. Years-long legal challenges, court rulings and city measures have expanded that access, but legal aid groups, civil rights advocates and city officials have warned that the temporary tent shelters could violate that mandate, a more than 40-year-old policy that has established minimum standards for what a shelter must provide. More than 52,000 people are living in New York City shelters on a given night, according to Coalition for the Homeless, while thousands of others live in other shelters, on the streets and in subway stations and trains. The organisations 2022 report examining the state of homelessness in the city underscored officials continued failure to address the underlying causes of the crisis, including a lack of investment in affordable housing that has left thousands of households with annual incomes below $30,000 at risk of homelessness while paying more than half of their incomes on rent. Meanwhile, migrant families in the citys shelter system who are not eligible for government assistance are going hungry. People seeking asylum in the US wait in line before boarding buses to New York and Chicago from El Paso, Texas on 3 October (REUTERS) Under the shelter mandate, people seeking shelter can request housing at Department of Homeless Services intake centres, after which the city must promptly provide that shelter. But the temporary tent facilities will instead will be operated by the New York City Emergency Management and the Health + Hospitals Corp. Ms Hanif, who chairs the councils Committee on Immigration, fears the tent shelters are circumventing the right-to-shelter mandate. Are we doing everything in our power to fill every single bed in shelters? she told The Independent. I mean, there are tangible policy items and budgetary needs that can be filled immediately, according to Ms Hanif, pointing to new regulatory framework for basement-level units and an expansion of a housing voucher programme, which has waiting lists that are often months or years long. Were at very risky territory here, she said. Moving it to another beach, another sort of island that is equally prone to flooding, and which is also a transit desert, remains to be both an operational and moral failure. Last month, the city councils Committee on Immigration held a hearing to press the administration for details about the plan. Emergency Management commissioner Zach Iscol tol the committee that the plans are set up not to replace the shelter system but to give us the time and space to do that operation correctly. To make sure that we are figuring out what the needs of people are, he said. To welcome them with a shower, a warm meal, meet their immediate medical needs and then figure out what the next steps for them are. New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told The New York Daily News that we can get to a place with a better solution to address the crisis, She rejected characterisations that she was ripping the Adams administration with her remarks. I wasnt ripping anyone, she said on Twitter. The people who actually need to get ripped are Abbott [and] DeSantis, who did this while the federal [government] funds their facilities. Despite that I believe we can get to a better solution together, and were exploring ways to find the resources to make it happen. She suggested that there should be a more immediate process to allow people seeking asylum to get work authorizations so they can get on their feet [and] start providing for themselves and their kids rather than be forced to move across the US. Sadly, too many [politicians] are focused on punishing refugees instead of letting them contribute, she said. A family from Venezuela boards buses to New York from El Paso, Texas on 3 October (REUTERS) Mr Awawdeh with the New York Immigration Coalition accused the administration of trying to subvert the states right-to-shelter mandate with a poorly conceived plan to hide asylum seekers in relief camps in remote areas of New York that are prone to flooding. Despite the availability of underutilized buildings that are more accessible to mass transit and the social service needs of asylum seekers, the city continues to remain stubbornly committed to the development of relief camps across the five boroughs, he said in a statement. With a more permanent solution, the encampments put people seeking asylum in harms way after being treated like pawns in a political game, Mr Awawdeh said. A joint statement from the Legal Aid Society and Coalition for the Homeless urged the city to seek other solutions instead of tent cities, where our clients will be isolated, vulnerable to extreme weather, and far from public transportation and other critical services. Right now, this administration can unilaterally remove the many bureaucratic barriers that plague its housing voucher process to transition more homeless New Yorkers from shelters into safe, permanent housing, according to the groups. An aerial photo shows New York Citys initial emergency tent facilities in The Bronx before it was disassembled days later due to flood risk. The city is now using a lot on Randalls Island for its shelter plan (EPA) Instead, the flooding at the initial Orchard Beach location in The Bronx should serve as a canary in a coal mine for the wrongheaded tent shelter plan, according to the groups. Mayor Adams has repeatedly dismissed concerns that the city is violating that mandate, insisting that the citys overburdened and under-supported shelter system and the daily arrival of hundreds of people seeking asylum in the US are separate crises. Some people look at things and always find the negative. I look towards the positive, he told reporters on 4 October. Theres a lot of pivoting and shifting that will take place Were going to ensure safety [and] the support that no one else in the country is doing. A worker with a back condition was fired from a Virginia-based company after she requested an ergonomic chair, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The department filed a lawsuit against Resource Metrix, a management consulting and software development company in Alexandria that contracts with the military and the federal government, on Sept. 29 and accused it of discriminating against the employee because of her disability, according to a news release. Resource Metrix did not immediately return a request for comment from McClatchy News on Oct. 5. Before the employee was hired in 2019, she told hiring managers and human resources administrators about her disability and said she would need an ergonomic chair in order to work, according to the release. She has regular neck pain that makes it difficult to sit still, according to the lawsuit. The woman arrived for her first day of work on Sept. 3, 2019, and did not have an ergonomic chair to sit in, the Labor Department said. The company gave her a substitute chair that exacerbated her back condition. She told human resources about the problem on Sept. 6 and was given permission to leave work to go see a doctor, the lawsuit says. The company told her that it would get her an ergonomic chair. Her doctor sent a note to her employer confirming her condition and saying that she required special accommodations to be able to work, according to the Department of Labor. The worker received an email from the company on Sept. 10 saying that she had been terminated for not showing up, even though her absences had been excused while she waited for the company to acquire the ergonomic chair, the lawsuit says. When she told her boss that she had been on leave while she waited for the chair, he replied, Dont give me that disability excuse, the lawsuit says. The Labor Departments Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs mid-Atlantic regional director Samuel Maiden called the companys actions discriminatory and unacceptable, in a statement. Story continues Companies will not be permitted to reap the benefits of contracting with the federal government while unlawfully discriminating in their employment process based on ones disability, Maiden said. The U.S. Department of Labor is seeking position reinstatement, back and front pay, interest, retroactive seniority and all other employment benefits for the employee who was terminated, according to the release. Startup hired teen delivery drivers, feds say. It will cost California firm $140,000 Barbecue restaurants took thousands in tips from servers and gave to managers, feds say Workers felt dizzy and unsteady after exposure to chemical at Connecticut lab, feds say The annual list of The World's 50 Best Bars in 2022 was released in October. Paradiso, a bar in El Born, Barcelona, topped this year's ranking. Two bars in New York City ranked among the list's top 15 bars. For the first time in the history of The World's 50 Best Bars, the top-ranked bar isn't located in New York or London. This year, Paradiso, a bar hidden behind a pastrami shop in Barcelona, Spain, was crowned the world's best bar. The results were announced at a live awards show on October 4 in Barcelona. Paradiso is known for its discreet entrance, which looks like a freezer door, and its signature cocktails, like smoked milk punch with bourbon, sweet potato, and tahini. The speakeasy was ranked third in the 2021 edition of the list. In this year's edition, some 650 experts, including bartenders, consultants, and writers voted to determine the best bars around the world. The annual list, which is affiliated with The World's 50 Best Restaurants, is produced by the UK media company William Reed. This year, the bar that won top honors in 2021 and 2020, the Connaught Bar in London, dropped to eighth place. Two New York City establishments ranked among the top 15 bars in the world: Double Chicken Please, which took the sixth spot, and Katana Kitchen, which ranked ninth. Rounding off the best 15 bars were seven establishments located in Europe, four in Latin America, and two in Asia. According to The World's 50 Best Bars official website, there is "no pre-determined criteria" in how the bars are evaluated. The voters, who come from dozens of different regions around the world, determine their top picks by naming the seven bars "in which they have enjoyed the best experience" over the course of 18 months. These are the best 15 bars in the world, according to the list: 1. Paradiso (Barcelona, Spain) 2. Tayer+Elementary (London, UK) 3. Sips (Barcelona, Spain) 4. Licoreria Limantour (Mexico City, Mexico) 5. Little Red Door (Paris, France) Story continues 6. Double Chicken Please (New York, US) 7. Two Schmucks (Barcelona, Spain) 8. Cannaught Bar (London, UK) 9. Katana Kitten (New York, US) 10. Alquimico (Cartagena, Colombia) 11. Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City, Mexico) 12. Jigger & Pony (Singapore, Singapore) 13. Hanky Panky (Mexico City, Mexico) 14. BKK Social Club (Bangkok, Thailand) 15. Salmon Guru (Madrid, Spain) Read the original article on Insider Former Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.), who is attempting a comeback bid next month in New Yorks 11th Congressional District, said neither President Biden nor former President Trump should run for president in 2024. I do not think that Donald Trump should run in 2024, Rose told Fox 5 New Yorks Teresa Priolo. I do not think that Joe Biden should run in 2024, he continued. Im sick and tired of that generation being in power. Weve got to move on. Questions have swirled over whether Biden should run for reelection given his age and low approval ratings. Biden, the oldest president in the countrys history, would be 82 at the start of his second term. We have to turn the page not just on this politics of ineffectiveness but also this politics of division and vitriol, Rose told Fox 5. Its time to move on as a nation. Biden has insisted he intends to run again. The president has said this himself: He intends to run in 2024, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. Trump, meanwhile, has openly teased another bid for the presidency but has not made any formal announcements. The former president is facing multiple investigations and lawsuits ranging from his companys property values to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, but his supporters have doubled down. Trump has continued to be a force within the Republican Party, stumping for candidates in competitive midterm races, many of whom he endorsed during their primaries. Rose, who was elected to Congress in 2018 before losing reelection two years later to Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (N.Y.), is now headed for a rematch with the incumbent Republican. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as likely Republican. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. LONDON (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his government on Wednesday to take control of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, as the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned that power supply to the site was "extremely fragile". However, the boss of Ukraine's state energy agency announced he was taking over the plant, which has become a focus of international concern due to the possibility of a nuclear disaster after shelling in the area for which Moscow and Kyiv have blamed each other. Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in March shortly after invading Ukraine, but Ukrainian staff have continued to operate it. The plant is located in the southern Ukrainian region also called Zaporizhzhia, one of four regions that President Vladimir Putin formally incorporated into Russia on Wednesday in a move condemned by Kyiv as an illegal land grab. "The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is now on the territory of the Russian Federation and, accordingly, should be operated under the supervision of our relevant agencies," RIA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin as saying. Putin later signed a decree that designated the ZNPP "federal property". Russia's nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom said in a statement it would conduct an assessment of how to repair damage and transfer all existing Ukrainian employees to a new Russian-owned organisation. "The new operating organisation is designed to ensure the safe operation of the nuclear power plant and the professional activities of the existing plant personnel," it said. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said Putin's "attempted legal raid" demanded an immediate response. Writing on Twitter, he called for sanctions against state-owned nuclear power supplier Rosatom. He also demanded a halt to all construction of nuclear facilities with Rosatom and the rejection of any nuclear partnerships with Russia. Story continues UKRAINE SAYS IT TAKING CONTROL The head of Ukraine's state nuclear energy company said he was taking charge of the ZNPP and he urged workers there not to sign any documents with its Russian occupiers. "All further decisions regarding the operation of the station will be made directly at the central office of Energoatom," Petro Kotin said in a video . "We will continue to work under Ukrainian law, within the Ukrainian energy system, within Energoatom," Kotin said. His comments followed the brief detention by Russian forces last weekend of the ZNPP's Ukrainian director Ihor Murashev. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) later said that Murashev had been released but would not return to his old job. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi is currently in Ukraine for further consultations on "agreeing and implementing a nuclear safety and security protection zone around the ZNPP as soon as possible", the U.N. agency said. On Wednesday Grossi reiterated his concerns about the power supply to the plant. "The situation with regards to external power continues to be extremely precarious. We do have at the moment external power but it is, I would say fragile," he told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London via telephone. Grossi is also due to visit Moscow this week, and Russia's state-owned TASS news agency said he might also visit the ZNPP after traveling there last month with a team to inspect damage caused by shelling in the vicinity. Before Russia's invasion, the plant produced about one-fifth of Ukraine's electricity and nearly half the energy generated by the country's nuclear power facilities. Russia acted to annex Zaporizhzhia and three other regions after holding what it called referendums votes denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. Moscow does not fully control any of the four regions. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Gareth Jones and David Ljunggren; Editing by Hugh Lawson) ALONA MAZURENKO WEDNESDAY, 5 OCTOBER 2022, 12:14 On 5 October, a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was held under the chairmanship of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Source: Zelenskyy on Facebook Quote: "This morning began with another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Representatives of intelligence, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the military commanders of the operational fronts reported on the current situation on the front. Among the other important issues considered are stabilisation in the newly liberated territories, further liberation of our lands, countering new types of weapons that the aggressor has begun to use, and preparation of our army for the winter period." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! The Blue Ridge Tunnel, which runs between Nelson and Augusta counties, was recently recognized for its historic significance. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources announced Sept. 22 the tunnel and eight other historic sites have been added to the Virginia Landmarks Register. Reopened to the public in 2020, the restored Blue Ridge Tunnel spans 4,279 feet from Afton to about three miles east of Waynesboro and was bored 700 feet below the Rockfish Gap in the Appalachian Mountains. It now functions as the centerpiece of the 2.25-mile Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail. Construction on the railroad tunnel began in 1850, according to the VDHR nomination form, after the French engineer Claudius Crozet was hired to design and oversee construction of a 17-mile section of railroad over the Blue Ridge Mountains. This Blue Ridge Railroad included four tunnels, the Blue Ridge Tunnel being the longest. Construction of the tunnel took eight years and was completed by a workforce of primarily Irish immigrants, aided by enslaved people. Workers dug the tunnel with hand tools and by blasting black gunpowder, without the use of ventilation shafts or dynamite. Charlottesville author Mary Lyons has written three books on the tunnel and the Blue Ridge Railroad and transcribed an e-book of letters between Crozet and the Board of Public Works in Richmond. Her most recent book is Slave Labor on Virginias Blue Ridge Railroad, published in 2020, and focuses solely on the labor of enslaved people. Lyons said in a Sept. 29 phone interview she first started researching Irish immigrant labor on the railroad in 2009, and within four months had uncovered the names of 500 immigrants who worked on the Blue Ridge Railroad. That was the first thing I wanted to do, was name them, she said. Through studying and transcribing the Blue Ridge Railroad papers collection at the Library of Virginia, Lyons recorded the names of thousands of workers, many repeated over the months and years. Lyons interest stems from her own heritage. An Irish and American citizen, her great grandparents were children during the Great Hunger in Ireland, and emigrated to the United States, later followed by their son, Lyons grandfather. Her great-grandfather worked in a coal mine, and her idea of his experience drew her to the immigrants who built the tunnel. There was just something about knowing that that was his life down in that dark, damp, dangerous place thats why the tunnel called to me and the men who built it, because it was definitely dark and damp and dangerous and noisy. According to the nomination form, laborers worked on the tunnel 24 hours a day in shifts, boring from both ends simultaneously to meet in the middle. Progress averaged 26 feet on each side per month, and was slowed by yearly labor strikes and a cholera outbreak in 1854. Lyons said one labor strike in 1853 lasted three weeks. Enslaved workers were contracted out by their masters and completed less dangerous work like hauling debris, blacksmithing and laying rails, while Irish workers did the more treacherous work of blasting and drilling not out of concern for the enslaved people but because contractors would have to pay the slave owner if an enslaved worker lost his life. Lyons has recorded 13 Irish immigrants who died in violent construction accidents inside the tunnel, though hundreds of railroad workers and their family members died of various illnesses. She also knows of four enslaved men who died on the tracks in railroad car accidents. Irish workers were a source of cheap labor after their mass immigration to the U.S., fleeing poverty and starvation in their home county. They were considered a different race, really, Lyons said. These immigrants lived in simple shanties around railroad work sites that were abandoned after the job was complete background provided in the nomination form describes the unsanitary and mean conditions in shanty towns. Lyons said many Irish workers on the Blue Ridge Railroad settled in Staunton, where there was a Catholic church. Others moved north or west with railroad construction, or returned to Ireland. The Blue Ridge Tunnel opened for use in 1858 and was the longest tunnel in the U.S. at that time. It remains the longest hand-excavated and black powder-blasted tunnel in the U.S. and is one of the earliest efforts to cross the Appalachian Mountains by rail. Its atypically elliptical shape was part of Crozets design; he calculated the shape would be stronger, prevent collapse and be cheaper to blast. During the American Civil War, the Blue Ridge Railroad and Blue Ridge Tunnel became very important to Confederate forces for transporting troops and supplies, and the tunnel was a target for Federal troops. Confederate forces successfully defended it until the Battle of Waynesboro in 1865. The federal government continued to consider it a vital transportation system and placed guards at the tunnel during World Wars I and II. It was abandoned in 1944 when a larger tunnel was constructed running parallel to it. Nelson County purchased the tunnel from the CSX Corporation in 2002 and sought to restore it in cooperation with the Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation. Restoration started in 2014 and was completed in three phases: building a parking area and multi-purpose trail on the eastern side, repairs to the interior brickwork, and construction of a parking lot and trail from the western portal to U.S. 250. The tunnel saw nearly 7,000 visitors in the 10 days after its opening on Nov. 21, 2020. This tunnel was is a big part of Virginias history and national history, Lyons said. The fact that Irish laborers built it alongside enslaved laborers I think is very important to recognize. The Amherst County Board of Supervisors has appointed Jeremy Bryant as interim county administrator following the recent resignation of Dean Rodgers. Bryant, the countys director of community development, has headed the planning and zoning division since 2006. The board appointed him to the interim position following a closed session Oct. 4 on a 4-0 vote with member Claudia Tucker absent. A 1997 graduate of Amherst County High School, Bryant steered the county through development of a new comprehensive plan in 2007 and several updates to that extensive document, a guide for future growth and development, including the most recent one earlier this year. The 16-year veteran of the county also has highly involved in efforts to grow the county, including the current Madison Heights master planning efforts and redevelopment endeavors for the Central Virginia Training Center property, as well as a countywide broadband expansion project underway. David Pugh, the boards chair, said supervisors look forward to working with Bryant. Supervisor Jimmy Ayers said after the meeting the board will advertise for the county administrator position that oversees daily operations of the county government, which according to an August staffing report has 217 active full-time employees and 113 part-time employees. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my community, Bryant said. I look forward to advancing the Board of Supervisors vision and working with a great team of staff members who deeply care about Amherst County. In early 2018, Bryant was selected to join the commonwealths Rural Broadband Coalition, which represents many stakeholders who have a role in developing policies to encourage broadband expansion across rural Virginia. He graduated from Radford University and holds a masters degree in public administration from East Tennessee State University and a doctorate degree in leadership studies from the University of Lynchburg. Prior to starting his Amherst County tenure in late 2006, he worked a few years as an environmental inspector for the City of Lynchburg. Rodgers, who served as county administrator since August 2014, resigned following a closed session with the board on Sept. 20. In a phone interview, Tucker didnt give exact reasons for a majority of the board asking for his resignation, which she opposed, but in her view they didnt reach to the level of justifying his being removed from the role. Rodgers last day with the county was Sept. 30. Bryant said the county will sort out management of responsibilities within the community development department as he takes on the interim administrator role. Amherst County is my home, Bryant said. I care about the people and how we can help them. I see great potential in the future and I look forward to what that means for Amherst County. Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged a team of geological workers in east China's Shandong Province to carry forward fine traditions and play a greater role in mineral resource exploration. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Sunday in a letter replying to a team of geological workers in the Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. In the letter, Xi said that since the sixth geological work team of the bureau was founded, generations of team members have made arduous efforts and surmounted difficulties, yielding rich fruits in mineral resource exploration. Noting the important role of mineral resources in the country's economic and social development, Xi said that the exploration of mineral resources has a significant bearing on the national economy, people's livelihood and national security. Xi urged endeavors to act on the vision of green development, ramp up efforts in mineral resource exploration and make scientific breakthroughs, so as to make new contributions to safeguarding the country's energy and resource security and building a modern socialist country in all respects. Established in 1958, the geological work team has explored and located over 2,810 tonnes of gold. Recently, the whole team wrote a letter to Xi, briefing him on the results of their work and the resolve to dedicate themselves to geological work and contribute their strength to ensuring the country's energy and resource security. Two residential developments recently given the go-ahead from Amherst County officials to pursue construction have spurred the countys school board to prepare for potential enrollment growth in upcoming years. The Amherst County School Board during a Sept. 29 work session approved a measure that would split the planned Madison Heights Town Centre development, which ensures students living in the future neighborhood would be adequately divided between Amelon Elementary School and Madison Heights Elementary School. Sam Patel, developer of the Madison Heights Town Centre, has said the project is planned to include about 100 single-family homes, 250 patio homes, 250 townhomes and 450 apartments plus a mixture of commercial and civic use on about 180 acres of property on U.S. 29 Business between Temple Baptist Church and the Seminole Plaza Shopping Center. A separate project on Virginia 163 in Madison Heights from developer Terry Morcom also recently received the Amherst County Board of Supervisors approval for a senior living facility and more than 500 housing units. While those projects and the potential redevelopment of the Central Virginia Training Center, a state-owned site in Madison Heights that closed in 2020 as a campus for residents with disabilities, are in the works and have not yet broken ground, the board is bracing for the effects of population growth on county schools. Amherst County Public Schools Superintendent William Wells during the work session presented potential scenarios for boundary line adjustments that would send students from Elon Elementary, a school that is facing capacity issues, to Madison Heights Elementary. He also suggested potential line changes that could send more students to the Amherst Elementary zone. Elon Elementary currently has just more than 340 students and is running out of classroom space, according to Wells. Some consideration was given to potentially expanding that school but redrawing boundary lines to shift students to Madison Heights Elementary, which has just more than 420 students with capacity off 550 to 600, is a move that could save money and maximize space. It is something to consider that is much more cost effective than spending $3 million to build four classrooms, at Elon Elementary, Wells said. Wells said it is much easier to absorb future growth in Madison Heights Elementary and noted the two residential developments recently given zoning approval from the county and future plans for CVTC, including a preference for mixed-use residential and commercial uses. If those developments get up and running in future years, the division must adjust to meet the enrollment demand, he said. Youre going to overwhelm our capacity on the south end of the county, Wells said. Elon Elementary is approaching maximum capacity, he said. Theres not a lot of room in that building, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Dana Norman said. They are using every space available. School board member Eric Orasi said his concern is the effects of changing boundary lines on residents who buy homes in a particular area in large part because of the school in that district. He asked about the timeline for informing the public if the board formally considers going that route. Wells said the division has a year to study the potential boundary adjustments and hold community meetings for public feedback. Im not saying this has to be done immediately, Wells told the board. Norman said some programs have been relocated from Elon Elementary to Madison Heights Elementary based on needs. The boundary line adjustment the board approved for the 180 acres within the Madison Heights Town Centre project has no current effect on existing homes and is for future development, Wells said. Monelison Middle School is situated to handle the future growth. The school has roughly 600 students and was built in the 1970s for up to 1,200, Wells said. When Wells attended that school as a student, he said, the enrollment was about 1,000. The divisions overall enrollment across all grade levels hovers at about 4,000 and that number is projected to increase by just more than 80 students in the 2023-24 school year, according to figures recently presented to the school board. Lynchburg City Schools administrators addressed the school systems accreditation ratings Tuesday following recent Virginia Department of Education data showing only half of Lynchburg City Schools received full accreditation for the 2022-23 school year. Bedford Hills, Paul Munro, Robert S. Payne, Sandusky, Sheffield and T.C. Miller School for Innovation were the six elementary schools that received full accreditation from the state, according to VDOE data released last month. Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle for Innovation and E.C. Glass High School were the only middle and high schools given full accreditation for the 2022-23 school year. Dearington, Heritage, Linkhorne, Perrymont and William M. Bass elementary schools all received accreditation with conditions, as did Linkhorne Middle, Sandusky Middle and Heritage High schools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ratings for the 2022-23 school year are the first accreditation ratings issued since the 2019-20 school year, which was based off testing from the 2018-19 school year. Accreditation ratings are determined based upon several factors from the preceding school year. While only half of the schools were fully accredited, administrators emphasized Tuesday that no Lynchburg public school was outright denied accreditation. According to VDOE data, accreditation takes into account overall proficiency and growth in English reading/writing, math and science, and English and math achievement gaps at the elementary and middle school level. High schools take all of the same indicators into account, in addition to graduation and completion rates as well as dropout rates. Traditionally, accreditation ratings take into account absenteeism, but Deputy Superintendent Amy Pugh said during Tuesdays regular school board meeting that absenteeism was waived in the 2022-23 scores due to COVID factors. Schools are given either a level one, two or three rating in each category. Schools with no level three indicators mean they receive full accreditation, and those with at least one level three indicator will receive accreditation with conditions. Pugh presented information to the board that showed how accreditation ratings are determined, and what happens in the case of accreditation with conditions. The deputy superintendent said schools accredited with conditions must include specific steps in their yearly comprehensive school improvement plans as to what they plan to do to address their ratings. Pugh said the steps laid out are specific to determining and doing a needs assessment to determine perhaps the root cause of why that school in that area is at a level three. And then put together some action steps they can work on as an entire school, with the support of the [curriculum and instruction] department and division staff to support them. Accredited with conditions is accredited, Pugh said. It just means that that school has an action plan they need to work on throughout the year. During the boards conversation Tuesday night, two members defended the administration, pointing out the silver lining in the ratings. There are other school districts that have a significant number of accreditation with conditions like Newport News, Richmond, even Charlottesville, I think are within areas that are a more urban environment, school board member Martin Day said. So, for those who might be disappointed in our number of schools that still have conditions, its not unusual given the kind of demographics that we have. Other cities districts with similar demographics find themselves in a similar state of affairs. Examples of other city school divisions in Virginia and their percentages of schools receiving full accreditation for the 2022-23 school year are as follows: Danville City Public Schools, 20%; Charlottesville City Public Schools, 66%; Newport News City Public Schools, 61%; Richmond City Public Schools, 36%; Roanoke City Public Schools, 96%, according to VDOE data. School board member Atul Gupta said he wants people who use this as an opportunity to attack our superintendent to look at the accreditation numbers dating back prior to Superintendent Crystal Edwards tenure, which started in the 2018-19 school year. I see the number two, three, five and seven. Thats anemic, Gupta said. She comes over, the number jumps to 12 and then 13 referring to the number of Lynchburg schools accredited in 2018-19 compared to 2019-20. Then two years and you give her a little break for the pandemic and its eight. Its not like the whole roof is falling down. The London Bridge is not fallen down yet. Gupta said he wants the administration to look at what it can do better, while pointing out signs of improvement seen already. What well be seeing in the future years will be the real numbers, which I think in my opinion, LCS will shine. Theyve got to hold their guns in battle. Dont attack [Edwards], look at the historical data, he said. Lynchburg City School administrators are expected to present Standards of Learning and accreditation data to Lynchburg City Council during councils work session at 4 p.m. Oct. 11 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 900 Church St. MADISON The Madison County School Board has begun work on a state-mandated policy for instructional materials with sexually explicit content. Discussion has turned toward possibly banning books from school libraries as well. In April, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a bill requiring the Virginia Department of Education to develop model policies to ensure parents are notified if students are being taught sexually explicit instructional materials in the classroom. The bill requires local school boards to adopt the policies based on the model policies, which will be minimum requirements. The model policy, vetted through a public comment period which ended in August, require that parents are notified at least 30 days in advance of any instructional materials with sexually explicit content. Parents will then be able to review the materials and principals will maintain a current list of the materials on the school website by grade and subject. Local school boards have until Jan. 1 to adopt the model policy or create their own using at least the minimum standards. During a special called work session last month, school board members in Madison County, a rural community north of Charlottesville, began discussing the creation of the policy dealing with instructional materials, including library books assigned by teachers. Board members sought to take it a bit further, banning all books from the school libraries that have sexually explicit content. School board member Christopher Wingate introduced samples from five books found within the Madison County High School Library that he said have sexually explicit content: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky; Tar Baby by Toni Morrison; The Tale of the Body Thief, by Anne Rice; Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson; and Empire of Thrones, by Sarah Maas. Wingate said he has a real problem with the states draft policy which he said seems to allow sexually explicit materials in the school system providing theres parent notification. Board member Charles Sheads agreed, saying the school board should be building a wall against sexually explicit material and keeping it away from Madison County schools. We need to be cautious about what we allow in, board member Damon Myers added. Even putting it up for question says we condone it. Allen said she saw the policy as only being instructional materials and not something that includes banning books. Board member Nita Collier said the draft policy is too broad and needs some additional language. Sheads said opting-out doesnt work. He said he and his wife opted out to his daughter reading a book in high school, but the book still made its way home. Wingate said library books are paid for by taxpayers and thus should be included in a policy regarding sexually explicit material. Superintendent Anna Graham explained that library books were not part of the original intent for the policy by the Department of Education. Allen said the policy and library books should be two different issues. She also questioned how including library books would even work. Youd almost have to read every single one of them, she said. They buy books every year. Graham said parents have the ability to flag their childs account so if they have a concern, the student wouldnt be able to checkout that book. Sheads suggested utilizing the boards lawyer to develop a policy prohibiting sexually explicit materials unless the teacher contacts the parent. Wingate said he favored including library books in the boards policy, stating he wants people to know the board is taking concrete action about the issue. Allen said censoring books is an important conversation, one that should be given adequate time for discussion, something that may not be possible with the state requiring the board to have a policy by Jan.1. Children are innocent until bombarded with things that take their innocence, Sheads said. I dont want to apologize to someone [that they] had to read a book; I want to say youre welcome for not having to read that here. Board members decided to have Wingate draft a policy for the board regarding sexually explicit materials including library books. The draft will also be vetted by the boards lawyer. Wingate and Sheads said the books need to come out of the library and said theyre bad for children. I cant imagine anyone would want to take the school board to [court] over keeping materials out of schools, Sheads said. Lets take this [policy] and beat it out until its a nice piece of shiny metal to hang on the wall to say were protecting these children. TOKYO, Oct 05 ( NHK ) - Formula E racing, known as the F1 championship for electric vehicles, could be coming to the streets of Tokyo in the spring of 2024. Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko signed a partnership agreement on Tuesday with the group that organizes Formula E races. Tokyo will now start planning the circuit. If the race goes ahead, it will be the first to be held in Japan. ...continue reading Bank of America today announced an additional $100 million in low-cost deposits to minority depository institutions ( MDIs ), which will facilitate lending, housing, neighborhood revitalization and other banking services in minority and low- to moderate-income communities. This program will double Bank of Americas existing $100 million in deposits in MDIs , part of the companys industry leading $2 billion portfolio of loans, deposits and investments in Community Development Financial Institutions ( CDFIs ) and MDIs . These low-cost deposits will help MDIs expand their lending capacity and leverage the investments made by Bank of America and other institutions across the U.S., as well as the U.S. Department of Treasurys Emergency Capital Investment Program ( ECIP ). It is well recognized that MDIs are a critical resource to minority and underserved communities by providing banking services, creating jobs and helping businesses grow, said D. Steve Boland, Chief Administrative Officer of Bank of America. As a founding member of the Economic Opportunity Coalition, we are committed to finding innovative ways to scale and expand the reach of our capital to provide access to economic opportunities and support diverse communities across the country. This builds on the companys longstanding work to advance racial equality and economic opportunity, including $42.5 million in equity investments to 22 MDI and CDFI banks, of which, Bank of America will acquire up to 4.9% of common equity. It also includes our commitment of $350 million to over 100 private equity funds that provide capital to minority and women entrepreneurs and small business owners. MDIs are federal insured depository institutions for which (1) 51% or more of the voting stock is owned by minority individuals; or (2) a majority of the board of directors is minority and the community that the institution serves is predominantly minority. Bank of America Bank of America is one of the worlds leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,000 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs and award-winning digital banking with approximately 55 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock ( NYSE: BAC ) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, register for news email alerts. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Luxembourg considers the autonomy plan, presented in 2007 by Morocco, as a good basis for a solution accepted by the parties regarding the Sahara issue. This came in a joint statement issued after talks, Tuesday in Rabat, between Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn, who is on a working visit to Morocco, and his Moroccan peer Nasser Bourita. In this sense, Asselborn reiterated Luxembourgs long-standing support for the process led by the United Nations for a political solution that is realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and mutually acceptable to the parties. According to the joint statement, Morocco and Luxembourg agree on the exclusivity of the UN in the political process and reaffirm their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2602 which noted the role and responsibility of the parties in the search for a realistic, pragmatic, sustainable and compromise-based political solution. The two ministers also welcomed the appointment of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General, Staffan De Mistura, and reaffirmed their support for his efforts to advance the political process on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. During a joint conference held after the meeting, Nasser Bourita stressed the quantitative and qualitative dynamics in Europe around the autonomy plan, presented in 2007 by Morocco to resolve the artificial dispute over the Sahara. At least a dozen European countries have clearly expressed their positive appreciation of the autonomy initiative, said Bourita, citing as an instance Portugal, Spain, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Cyprus, Romania, Hungary and Serbia. This dynamic around the autonomy plan is also noted in other regions of the world. The Minister recalled in this regard the strong, visible and constant support of many Arab and African countries, and that of the United States, whose position is a turning point in this issue. In addition, Bourita said that this momentum, which is the result of the vision and involvement of King Mohammed VI, is important at three levels. It is important, first, because Europe is a legalist voice that other parts of the world listen to and that does not constitute an emotional reaction. It follows a thoughtful evolution, noted at the level of several countries, he said. Secondly, because Europe is close to the regional dispute. It knows its genesis, its cost and the importance of a pragmatic and realistic solution, said Bourita. This dynamic is also important because it helps the efforts of the United Nations, and those of the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, Staffan De Mistura, to achieve the Security Councils call for a realistic and achievable solution, based on compromise. This momentum around the Moroccan autonomy initiative can, thus, constitute the prelude to action at the international level to finally find a final solution to this regional dispute, in full respect of the territorial sovereignty and national unity of the Kingdom of Morocco, said Bourita. Zhao Xinxin grows wheat, corn, sweet potatoes, Chinese cabbage and pepper on her farm in Zhongying village, Zibo city, East China's Shandong province. She also rears chickens. Traditional? To a point. The 33-year-old differs from other farmers in that she always carries a smartphone to record her day-to-day life. She's a vlogger, filming snippets of her rural life and traditional homemade food for her 168,000 followers on video-sharing platform Douyin. After quitting a job in city three years ago, Zhao went back home and turned to social media to give city dwellers a look into the countryside life. What's more, her videos can tap into the memory of homesick migrant workers through the nostalgic imagery. "Through my lens, I want to bring the people, the land and the daily life in my hometown to people in front of the screen," Zhao says. She adds that she wants more people to know the place. Named Jiuyue Yimeng on Douyin, she has posted about 70 videos, recording her life with her parents. The videos have garnered nearly 2.9 million likes. A Douyin user called Liu Laoxian comments after her video that it is typical of what village life looks like. Reminding her of her childhood in the countryside, another user named Sheng Yan says that Zhao's videos makes her homesick. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheng Yan says she has not been home and reunited with her family for a long time. "Many migrant workers coming from my hometown asked me to post more videos via social media, because they want to see how their families are doing," Zhao says. In her videos, she records the cheerful and precious moments in her life, such as her son's birth and her grandpa's 83rd birthday. "I enjoy documenting these moments, which reflect the power of family," Zhao says. Using her influence on social media, Zhao has volunteered to help local farmers sell agricultural products through livestreaming, a burgeoning trend in the countryside. Like Zhao, many people have become rural influencers who after years in the cities have decided to return to the countryside. Thanks to the popularity of the short-video platforms, an increasing number of farmers share their lives online and use the internet as new sales channels. These channels do not only bring higher incomes but also inject new life into the country's rural vitalization. According to an annual report released by Douyin earlier this year, rural-themed videos on the platform received more than 2.4 billion likes last year. A report released by the China Internet Network Information Center in August showed that through June, China had a total of 962 million short-video app users. Of them, 716 million use livestreaming. Under the guidance of Zhao, locals are catching up on the trend and turning to smartphones to sell their products. "As a daughter of farmers, I want to bring good products in my hometown to more consumers directly from the farm to the table, making my little contribution to my village," Zhao says. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska on Tuesday commended Morocco as a strategic partner in the fight against terrorism, and hailed its cooperation with Spain in this field. Morocco is an absolutely strategic partner in the fight against terrorist cells, stressed the Spanish minister, in statements to the press, following the dismantling earlier in the day of a terrorist cell allegedly linked to the Islamic State. The cell members were nabbed thanks to cooperation between the security services of the two countries. Grande-Marlaska said that cooperation between Morocco and Spain has allowed us to dismantle dangerous jihadist networks. In this sense, the Spanish official highlighted the effectiveness and the firmness of joint actions to move forward in the fight against terrorism, welcoming the tangible results achieved in this area. The Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) succeeded Tuesday, in a joint and simultaneous security operation with the General Intelligence Station of the Spanish National Police, to dismantle a terrorist cell operating in Nador and Melilla, allegedly linked to the Islamic State. Two men, aged 34 and 39, were nabbed in the Moroccan Northeastern city of Nador and nine others were captured in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in the operation. The members of the busted cell were promoting extremist ideology on social media networks with the aim of recruiting vulnerable people for their obscurantist terror projects. Mobile phones, SIM cards, a computer and digital material were found by the police while searching their premises. According to preliminary investigation, the emir of the terrorist cell had links with the jihadist network dismantled in December 2019 in the suburbs of Madrid and Nador. Morocco condemns strongly the Iranian interference in Yemen and in Arab internal affairs, said Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, insisting that Iran undermine security and stability in the Arab region, especially in Yemen, the Middle East and North Africa, and that Morocco is also a victim of this interference. Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, held after talks in Rabat Monday, Bourita expressed Moroccos solidarity with Yemen in the face of Iranian interference, stressing the strong and constant support of King Mohammed VI to the legitimacy in Yemen, through the Presidential Council, and to all efforts to complete the transitional stages in this country. Morocco defends legitimacy in Yemen and the imperative of guaranteeing conditions of security and stability for the Yemeni people, he said, expressing the Kingdoms recognition of the Presidential Council as the legitimate representative and official interlocutor of Morocco in all matters concerning the Republic of Yemen. He noted, in this sense, the great interest the King grants to the humanitarian situation in Yemen, recalling that the Sovereign had given his instructions to deliver material aid to this country during the current year. Regarding the latest developments in the Yemeni file, Bourita noted that Morocco welcomes the wise and positive positions expressed by the Yemeni government and the legitimate authority in Yemen on the issue of renewing the truce, welcoming the tendency of the legitimate authority and the presidential council to always put the interest of Yemen and Yemenis above all other considerations. Unfortunately, this positive spirit has not been echoed by the other side which operates according to the logic of blackmail, undermining the security of Yemen and Yemenis, working for foreign agendas, threatening regional security and peace, not only in Yemen, but also in other neighboring countries, he continued. Morocco had clearly expressed, at the highest level, its condemnation of terrorist acts committed by Houthi militias, the minister recalled, noting that these acts constitute a threat both to the safety of Yemenis and the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He, in this regard, urged the international community and the Security Council to consider these armed attacks as terrorist acts of a group that does not take into account the security of Yemen and the interests of Yemenis, but rather acts according to agendas supported mainly by the Iranian side. In response to a question about the ongoing events in Yemen, Bourita said that Morocco supports the integrity of Yemen and its national and territorial sovereignty, while supporting all international references, the Gulf and Yemen, subject to consensus on the matter. The truce, despite all violations by the Houthis, was a positive signal for the safety, tranquility and security of the Yemeni people, he noted, stressing that Morocco, like the international community, welcomed the positive response of the Yemeni government, which prevails the principle of responsibility and the interest of the country. On the other hand, the Houthi position does not serve the interests of Yemen and its people, but those of Iran in the first place. It contributes to the escalation and destruction of the few gains that have been achieved during the truce, Bourita added, noting that the Houthi position on the truce jeopardizes the security of other Arab countries. Yemen has become a space of Iranian interference through the Houthi militias, said the minister, ensuring that other Arab countries are victims of this interference either directly or indirectly, or through the use of armed and terrorist organizations. In this sense, the minister said that the proliferation of armed non-governmental actors is a threat to peace and security at the regional and international levels, noting that the countries arming these actors with sophisticated technologies must assume full responsibility before the international community, since these non-governmental actors have no legal responsibility and are not a party to demilitarization agreements or agreements on the use of weapons, unlike official governments. Bourita said that Iran cannot continue to exploit this loophole to undermine security and stability in the Arab region, especially in Yemen, the Middle East and North Africa, noting, in this sense, that Morocco is also a victim of this interference. The Arab League Committee to address Iranian interference was clear in advancing that Iran is the official sponsor of separatism and terrorism in the Arab world, with the contribution of several parties, said Bourita. For his part, Mr. Awad Bin Mubarak expressed his countrys gratitude for the clear and explicit position of Morocco regarding Iranian interference in Arab affairs, ensuring that the Kingdom of Morocco was among the first countries to take a clear position against this interference. The head of Yemeni diplomacy said that his country supports all efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace based on international references and resolutions, adding that the Arab coalition is working to bring together all the conditions conducive to peace and return to the negotiating table. The truce that lasted six months was a hope for the Yemenis and an opportunity to discuss several issues despite the violations of the Houthi side, which prevailed its interests and those of Iran at the expense of the Yemenis, said the minister. At a time when everyone was supporting the Yemeni dialogue, Iran was sending ships full of weapons to the Houthis. This is an operation recorded in international reports, said the head of Yemeni diplomacy, adding that every time we get closer to the solution, Iran intervenes to sabotage the negotiations. He called on the international community to adopt clear positions and a new approach to the political scene in Yemen and the intervention of Iran in this country, stressing the need to register the Houthi militias as a terrorist group. The ECOWAS mediator for Burkina Faso has ended his visit to the country in the wake of last weeks coup, the second in eight months, whose main objectives were to establish relations with the new junta leader and to reinforce a two-year transition period for the country to return to democracy set up under the previous junta. Speaking to the press after the meeting with Burkina Fasos new strongman, Captain Ibrahim Traore, the ECOWAS mediator, Mahamadou Issoufou, reaffirmed his commitment to the Burkinabe people. We will report on our mission to the current president of ECOWAS and to the heads of state. But I can already assure you that we will continue to accompany the Burkinabe people in this very difficult ordeal they are going through, Issoufou said. During the meeting, the new leader of Burkina Faso promised to keep the commitments made in July by the previous leadership regarding the organization of elections and a return of civilians to power by July 2024 at the latest. As the delegation from the West African political bloc ECOWAS arrived in Burkina Fasos capital city Ouagadougou on Tuesday (4 October), protesters took to the streets outside the airport, shouting anti-ECOWAS and anti-French slogans and insisting it was time for the country to manage its own return to security. Burkina Faso has been locked in a conflict with militant groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida for almost seven years, experiencing its second coup in eight months this weekend. Burkina Faso is seen as a strategic lynchpin in the western Sahel conflict, with terrorism already spreading from its southern border to West Africas coastal states. ECOWAS has a major stake in Burkina Fasos success in security matters. To tackle complaints of discrimination against English speakers, Cameroons President Paul Biya has ordered officials to enforce a 2019 law on bilingualism and make life easier for English speakers in the French-speaking majority country. The sense of marginalization among the English-speaking minority in Cameroon sparked a separatist conflict that, since 2017, has left more than 3,500 people dead. Earlier this week, civilians assembled at the city council in the countrys capital Yaounde to complain about difficulties they encounter in public offices because they speak only one of the central African states two official languages. Civilians who fled the fighting in western Cameroon between troops and separatists say they often face discrimination in public offices when speaking English. A December 2019 law states that French and English have the same value and should be used equally in public offices, and says Cameroonians should be able to express themselves in either language. But according to officials dispatched to enforce the bilingualism law, people reportedly abuse public office by refusing to attend to civilians who speak either in English or French. The Cameroon president is said to no longer tolerate French-speaking workers imposing the French language on English-speaking citizens, and English-speaking workers should also be patient when they receive French speakers in public offices. After educating citizens on the importance of the two languages co-existing peacefully, the government is now ordering Cameroonians who do not speak the two languages to register in language schools. Signboards written in one language are being pulled down and replaced. Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has promised that his country will do all it can to send more grain to Africa, as many countries on the continent depend heavily on grain imports from Ukraine and Russia while the war between the two has disrupted global supply. As he began his African tour this week in Senegal to marshall support for his country, Kuleba said his country would be sending boats full of seeds for Africa. After meeting with Senegals president and foreign minister in Dakar on Monday (3 October), he pledged to do our best until the last breath to continue exporting Ukrainian grain to Africa and the world for food security. Senegals President Macky Sall, the current chairman of the African Union, has urged Russia and Ukraine to resume their grain exports despite the ongoing war. After his two-day visit to Senegal, Dmytro Kuleba flew Tuesday to Cote dIvoire where he is set to meet with the countrys Vice President Tiemoko Kone Meyliet. Many African countries depend heavily on grain imports from Ukraine and Russia. Amid market shortages, Moscow has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices. Western leaders, meanwhile, have slammed the Kremlin for waging an imperial-style war of conquest against its smaller neighbor and cynically using food as a weapon. So far, Africa has stayed somewhat neutral on Ukraine, with some 25 African countries either having voted to abstain or did not vote at all on the United Nations resolution that condemned the war in Ukraine earlier this year. Despite these positions of neutrality, Kuleba said he wants to deepen his countrys ties to Africa. I do not come to Africa against anyone, Ukraines foreign minister said, adding that we must strengthen our cooperation. Our future depends on the relationships we build and what happens every day. Proponents of the planned Central African pipeline network encompassing seven regional states argue the project could revolutionize energy access, but critics question the funding, refining capacity and the environment. Central Africa, which is well-known for its insecurity and coups detat rather than commerce, is often left out of discussions about Africas energy transition. The sub-region has the continents poorest electricity access where over 580m Africans lack access to electricity and 730m lack access to clean fuels, according to the International Energy Agency. But now the proposed oil and gas pipeline network connecting Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Africas second biggest oil producer, Angola, has given some hope to Central African nations that they may finally be able to boost oil and gas supply and take control of their energy futures. The aim is to build three multinational oil and gas pipeline networks measuring over 6,500km, including storage depots, liquefied natural gas terminals, at least three refineries and gas-fired power plants. Proponents say the ambitious partnership could help end energy poverty for some of the worlds most vulnerable people and boost long-suffering economies. But some are more critical and skeptical of the project. It would be too simplistic to believe that the pipeline will lift people out of poverty the evidence of the resource curse is well documented, cautions Carole Nakhle, a leading energy expert and CEO of Crystol Energy. It takes much more than a pipeline to support sustainable economic growth. There are also questions over funding, even though regional financial institutions were reportedly prepared to finance the project. Pooling resources from several nations offers an interesting prospect for cash-strapped African governments, but it will not be enough. With Western countries reluctant to support new oil and gas projects in Africa as the world transitions away from dirty fuels, there is still the possibility that China, India or Russia could potentially back the project. Yet another obvious major challenge to the ambitious project is regional insecurity, with political and armed conflicts destabilizing eastern DR of Congo, Cameroon, Chad and Central African Republic. Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares met on Tuesday with UN Sahara envoy Staffan de Mistura for the fourth consecutive time since the appointment of the Italian-Swedish diplomat to the UN job in October 2021. During the meeting held in Madrid, I reiterated Spains support for his mission, said Mr. Albares in his Twitter account without giving further details. On Monday, the UN envoy met in Brussels with Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib amid a growing international support for Moroccos territorial integrity and autonomy plan offered for the Sahara under its sovereignty. The two meetings come as the UN Security Council is expected to renew the mandate of the MINURSO, which expires on 31 October. Ahead of the mandate renewal, Council members are also expected to receive a briefing on the Secretary-Generals annual report on the Sahara. The Council will also be briefed by MINURSO Chief Alexander Ivanko and the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sahara, Staffan de Mistura. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has slammed Algeria for the abduction, unlawful confinement and arbitrary detention of activist Kamira Nait Sid since August 2021. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UN-WGAD) issued a ruling in this regard after examining the complaints of abduction, unlawful confinement and arbitrary detention of Kamira Nait Sid, filed by the Amazigh World Congress and Riposte Internationale NGO against the Algerian state. The complaint on the case of Kamira Nait Sid, co-president of Riposte Internationale and the Amazigh World Congress (CMA), for kidnapping, sequestration and arbitrary detention, is not an isolated case as hundreds of other people are arbitrarily detained or abducted by the Algerian military regime, sometimes on alleged accusations of terrorism. The ruling comes at a time when the Algerian military regime has been holding activist Kamira Nait Sid for more than a year arbitrarily and without a trial, and turns a deaf ear to international indignation and injunctions, according to UN-WGAD. Kamira Nait Sid was abducted and detained by Algerian state agents, on August 24, 2021, which constitutes a particularly serious form of arbitrary detention, the UN Body says. The Algerian Govenment does not report any activity carried out by Ms. Nait Sid that could be considered as constituting an act of terrorism. In the absence of information demonstrating her involvement in acts of violence, there are no legitimate grounds for restricting the exercise of her freedoms, the UN agency points out. The Government did not explain why it was necessary to prosecute Ms Nait Sid in order to protect a legitimate interest or why charging her with serious terrorist crimes carrying long prison sentences was a proportionate response to her activities. Furthermore, there was no evidence that Ms Nait Sids conduct or activities could be considered a threat to national security, public order, public health or morals, or the rights or reputations of others. The Government does not specifically mention any act of terrorism committed by Ms. Nait Sid. The Working Group concludes that she was arrested and detained because she is a member of the Amazigh community and defends its rights. The UN-WGAD argues that Ms. Nait Sid is detained for exercising the rights enshrined in articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and articles 19, 22 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and that her deprivation of liberty is contrary to the provisions of article 7 of the UDHR and article 26 of the Covenant. The arrest and detention of Ms. Nait Sid are devoid of any legal basis and are therefore arbitrary, the UN body insists, adding that the activist is deprived of her liberty on discriminatory grounds, namely her national, ethnic or social origin and her status as a human rights defender, in violation of Articles 2 and 7 of the UDHR and Articles 2 and 26 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Consequently, no trial concerning Ms. Nait Sid should take place and the Algerian Government must immediately and unconditionally release the activist, who has been arbitrarily deprived of her liberty since 24 August 2021, and ensure that she receives the necessary medical care. The Government must also grant her the right to obtain redress, including compensation, in accordance with international law. Likewise, the Algerian Government should ensure that a thorough and independent investigation is carried out into the circumstances of the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of Mrs. Nait Sid, and take appropriate action against those responsible for the violation of her rights. Flags to fly at half-staff for firefighters memorial LINCOLN Gov. Pete Ricketts has ordered all U.S. and Nebraska flags to be flown at half-staff this weekend in observance of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service on Sunday. Flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise on Friday to sunset Sunday. As Americans gather for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Nebraskans honor and remember the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the state this year: Lincoln Fire Inspector Donald Gross Jan. 4. Elwood Volunteer Fire Chief Darren Krull April 7. Retired Cambridge Fire Chief John JP Trumble April 22. Purdum Volunteer Fire Assistant Chief Mike Moody Oct. 2. In Nebraska, there are 478 fire departments with over 17,000 firefighters who courageously serve to protect their communities. More than 15,000 of these firefighters provide unpaid, volunteer service. During this years national memorial service, two Nebraska firefighters will be honored: Dennis M. Bender (Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department) and Bob J. Kneifl (Ponca Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department). Telegraph staff reports The energy of economic development flowed from the Sustainable Beef groundbreaking at Venue 304 Tuesday afternoon west on Highway 30 to the future rail park site near Hershey. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, along with North Platte and Hershey community leaders, participated in a briefing inside the former Greenbrier facility east of Hershey. Gary Person, president and CEO of the North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corp., offered a round of thanks to all the supporters of the project. Person took a moment to thank Cassie Condon, the chambers vice president of operations, for her work in quickly filing the application for the state match funding. Legislative Bill 40, which established the state match program, received unanimous 49-0 approval in May 2021. North Platte submitted its application for rail-park aid seconds ahead of other interested communities on Jan. 3. Those are $30 million fingers, Person said of Condon. She got the application in before anybody else. With that timing, the proposed rail park project began moving forward. Ricketts spoke earlier Tuesday at the Sustainable Beef event and followed that up with an appearance at the former Greenbrier facility. A guy who has been a champion of rural Nebraska his entire governorship, who really cares about every square inch of this state, Person said in introducing Ricketts, we cant thank you enough for your outstanding leadership governor. Youre one of a kind and we appreciate you. Ricketts said the rail park project is exciting. I mentioned at the last event we had with Sustainable Beef, Ricketts said, how important it is for communities to take the initiative to grow. It doesnt happen by accident. He gave kudos to various entities involved with the rail park project including the chamber, the village of Hershey, Lincoln County, Nebraska Public Power District and the city of North Platte. Several community leaders shared their thoughts about the potential impact the project will have on economic development in Lincoln County, including state Sen. Mike Jacobson; Brandon Jones, Chamber & Development Board chairman; Thom Wolfgang, Hershey Village Board chairman; Chris Bruns, Lincoln County Board chairman; North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher; and Cory Johanson, the chambers economic development chairman for targeted projects. Melanie Standiford has told countless stories as a print and broadcast journalist for more than two decades, including the last five years with KNOP, the NBC affiliate in North Platte. But after she was quoted in a Flatwater Free Press story about her involvement in a ballot initiative to ban abortions in Curtis, her employer, Gray Television, terminated her Friday. Six small Nebraska towns are trying to ban abortion. Will it change anything? In practice, these ordinances may not change much. Still, pro-choice advocates in these towns worry that the ordinances will create a chilling effect for women trying to find care. Shannon Booth, the vice president and general manager of KNOP, confirmed the firing in a statement. Booth added that company policy encourages civic involvement among our employees, so long as such activities do not give the appearance of interfering with journalistic impartiality. In furtherance of that qualification, KNOPs news personnel are not permitted, at any time and regardless of beliefs, to actively engage in any political activity for any candidate, party or ballot initiative. Standiford, who was appointed KNOPs news director in 2021, said in a roughly half-hour phone conversation Monday afternoon that she refused to sign any company paperwork to acknowledge her termination. She said the move cost her a $4,000 severance payment, but she is not bound to a nondisclosure agreement. Standiford added she is considering legal action as well. That remains to be seen, she said. Ive had a lot of lawyers reach out to me and Ive had a lot of people tell me that what happened was not fair. I dont know what I am doing (legally). I dont know. I have zero regrets, Standiford said. Im sad about the situation. Im said about my (co-workers) at KNOP. I hope everybody is nice to them. This (decision) wasnt them. Im sad that we live in a world where we cant have a personal life without it being questioned. Flatwater Free Press is an independent, nonprofit Nebraska newsroom whose stories are published online and in many Nebraska newspapers, including The North Platte Telegraph. The article last weekend focused on six Nebraska towns that will vote on banning abortions within their city limits, and states that Standiford helped collect 47 signatures for the initiative in Curtis. Standiford is pro-life but said abortion has never been one of her soapbox issues. Standiford said she had nothing to do with putting the petition together and added that her involvement consisted of sitting at a table at my church with the petition (on it) and somebody witnessed the signatures. People can spin it however they want, Standiford said. It did not occur to me that I was doing something partisan. It was within the walls of my church, and the people in the community who were not in my church were the people who reached out to me. Nobody was coerced. I wasnt a journalist that day. I should at least be able to feel safe in my church and with my community without being thought of as Melanie Standiford, News 2. About the interview, Standiford said she was awoken by a call from Free Press reporter Natalia Alamdari after having worked until 3 a.m. and said she should have waited to talk until she had collected her thoughts. Alamdari asked her if it was appropriate for her to cover an issue that shes politically involved in. Youre probably right, Standiford is quoted as saying. I probably, maybe, shouldnt have even done that. But who knew it would be an issue. Standiford said her comment came at the end of the conversation and, in her mind, she felt it was being made off the record. Thats what she put in quotations, Standiford said. Free Press editor Matthew Hansen emailed a statement in support of Alamdaris work and attached documents, signed by Standiford and delivered to the state, showing she collected 47 signatures as a petition circulator. We stand by this fact-based reporting, and personally Im proud that Flatwater Free Press published an important story about small towns debating whether they should ban abortion, and the legal and symbolic impact of those bans, Hansen wrote in the email. Standiford plans to continue telling stories as well. She started a Facebook page over the weekend, called Midwest Media by Melanie, on which she said she will continue to continue reporting stories on whatever the people want. She was present at the Big Red Roundup Republican event Sunday and the Sustainable Beef ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday. She plans to start a website soon, and she has started fundraising to assist in those ventures. Anyone who knows me knows I cant sit still for very long, Standiford said. Standiford also said she would strongly consider running for political office because her mouth doesnt have to be closed any more. Now I can stand for what I believe, she said. Now I would absolutely run for government office. Absolutely, in a heartbeat. A 15-year-old girl and her 16-year-old boyfriend have been arrested in the stabbing death of her father on Monday, according to Lincoln Police. Sallie Gilmer had called police to report her 70-year-old father, Jesse Gilmer, was unconscious at about 4 p.m. Monday, Police Chief Theresa Ewins said during a Tuesday morning news conference. Officers arrived Monday at the Lodge Apartments near South 40th Street and Nebraska 2 to find Jesse Gilmer dead, the injuries caused by a bladed instrument. After talking to Gilmer, police found and also arrested her boyfriend, Isaac Honigschmidt, Ewins said. Gilmer was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and Honigschmidt was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting first-degree murder. Ewins said police do not know what led to the death. "A daughter killing her father is difficult to understand," she said. Both will be charged as an adults on Wednesday, according to County Attorney Pat Condon, who joined police at the news conference. Police said both teenagers are students of a Lincoln high school, although they did not specify which one. The investigation is continuing and police asked anyone with information about the killing to contact Lincoln Police at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600. The homicide marks Lincoln's 10th this year and the 12th recorded in Lancaster County, where there were eight killings in all of 2021. If you are searching for a demonstration of just how performative government budgeting public discourse has become in the Cornhusker state, look no further than the farce that was the joint property tax hearing held at North Plattes McKinley Education Center last week. Under a new law passed by Nebraskas Unicameral, local governmental bodies whose property tax request will increase 2% more than percentage of growth in real estate tax valuations were required to present specific data at the hearing. The law requires the hearing to occur between Sept. 17 and 29, months after political subdivisions began working on and holding public discussions about their budgets and only days before the deadline for submitting final budgets well after any input could have practical impact on any budget. Yes, the hot pink notices caught the attention of justifiably frustrated property tax payers. At the hearing, many voiced their displeasure with the increasing burden that property taxes are imposing. Some provided persuasive financial information to illustrate how continued annual bumps in property taxes can no longer be absorbed. Some voiced concerns about their ability to continue to afford homeownership. Those that did not speak applauded those who did. Of course, the citizens were speaking to neighbors and friends who were elected to serve on local government boards. And people elected to and serving on those boards already know the problem that property taxes present. So the Nebraska Legislature required local governments to send blazing notices about a hearing at which citizens could tell their elected representatives what those officeholders already know. This at a hearing that was too late for it to be anything more than an airing of well-known and long-standing grievance. And all costs of creating and mailing the notices and holding the hearing are mandated by the Unicameral to be paid by, you guessed it, the participating local governments required to show up at the hearing to be criticized for spending too much. What those hot pink notices did not mention is what is known by anyone anyone who has thoughtfully considered the source of the ever-increasing burden of property taxes in our state. Among the 50 states, Nebraska is either 48th or 49th depending on which study you look at, in the percentage of public education funding from state revenue resources; in Nebraska that means state income tax and sales taxes. Under the formula that determines what each public school district receives from state resources, most Lincoln County and rural public schools get next to nothing in state support, leaving local property taxes as their principal funding source. So as Gov. Pete Ricketts and senators in Lincoln well know, it is the state school funding formula, exclusively controlled by state government, that has been ratcheting up the property tax burden for years while they disingenuously tout holding the line on taxes and blame local elected officials for property tax increases. Another thing the day-glo postcards failed to mention is that, unless some other revenue source fills the void created by less property tax revenue, any meaningful reduction in property taxes means cutting public services. Reducing spending in public education means fewer teachers, larger teacher-to-student ratios and fewer student programs. Reducing spending by cities and counties means fewer dollars for road maintenance and police and fire protection. Maybe next year the Unicameral will suggest that those speaking at the hearing let all of us know which roads and streets can use less grading and repair, what teacher positions should be eliminated, and how many law enforcement officers ought to be let go. It is easy to be in favor of lower taxes, and it is understandable that taxpayers are angered by the property tax burden. But positive movement is not going to be generated by too-late public hearings that serve as nothing more than a venue for venting understandable but misdirected frustration. The property tax burden is not going to be relieved in any sustainable, meaningful fashion until the state steps up to pay a larger share of public education costs. And the senators who voted in the new mandate for a worthless hearing, and the governor who signed it into law, know that better than anyone. If pandering politicians in Lincoln succeed in misdirecting us with eye-catching postcards, useless public hearings and empty sloganeering about reducing local government spending, the property tax problem will continue to worsen. 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. Company Logo Global Pet Food Market Global Pet Food Market Dublin, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Pet Food Market Outlook 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The market was valued around USD 142 Billion in 2021 which is anticipated to reach USD 195 Billion by 2027. Further, the CAGR is projected to be more than 5% for 2022-2027. Pet guardians are much attracted towards ready to eat nourishment for their pets. These are snacks and treat a form of food that indulges the habit of taking small meals as what humans do it more often. This report helps to understand the in-depth understanding of global pet food market products along with its historical & forecasted analysis and the top profiled companies. Pet food is considered as one of the largest adapted segment among all the pet products. The report shows the prominence of pet food in the market as it has registered a dynamic growth historically. Apart from these top-performing regions, the market has posed its expansion in the nascent markets like South America, the Middle East. The South American pet food market has heavily relied on local brands like Biobase Animal Feed in Brazil, Laboratorio Pro Agro in Argentina, etc. Globally pet foods in the market are segmented in the form of dry pet food, snacks, and treats, wet & canned food products. All these food products have their importance while dry food posing the highest adaption in the market. Growing dog food demand along with higher traction in the premium pet food segment is anticipated to drive the pet food market over the forecast period. Dry food is witnessing rapid growth in demand as compared to other product counterparts owing to its convenience in terms of storage and feeding pets without creating a mess. This is positively influencing urban consumers to increasingly opt for dry pet food. Canned food is more palatable to dogs and cats as this product type contains proteins, fats, and a few carbohydrates. Wet/canned pet food is easy to digest and thus limits the backyard cleaning activity to a minimal. The higher digestibility offered by wet food makes it preferable for cats and dogs with illnesses and those that are finicky eaters. On the other hand, the rising trend of dog adoption as a companion for families is projected to propel the product demand. Particularly dogs are witnessing an upward trend in terms of the concept of humanization of pets. This has resulted in an increased number of people owning dogs and feeding them premium food. Story continues Furthermore, rapid urbanization is among the key factors driving the market. According to recent estimates from the Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 3.2 million homes in the U.K. have adopted a pet since the outbreak began (Paley, 2021). Pet-owning households presently number 17 million in the U.S. The previously stagnating levels of pet ownership in the last five years have risen to 57 percent in May 2021 (Mintel, 2021). New trends in the pet food market are attracting customers. There is a growing demand for protective and informative packaging of pet food. Hence, manufacturers in the pet food market are increasing their efforts to develop sustainable pet food packaging. Growing concerns about the environmental impact of plastic has led to a rise in the development of sustainable packaging solutions. For instance, in April 2019, global flexible packaging company ProAmpac, revealed their fiber-based PRO-EVP multiwall bags that are made from renewable resources. How personalization of pet foods is gaining importance? The people want custom-made food for their pets because they know what is better for them. There are special stores in the market, where the pet owners can decide the ingredients liked and easily digested by their pets and customize the food accordingly. It is expected that this pattern will open new doors in pet food advertizing. Concerning personalization, there are no restrictions on anybody's creativity. Presently it is the opportunity to bounce on to, that may take the brand stand out in the crowd. Particularly in the pet food segment, the pet guardians appear to welcome this trend with all their hearts as this gives them the sentiment of having more command over the fixings they are taking care of their pets. Major companies present in the market Nestle SA Mars Incorporated Colgate-Palmolive J M Smucker Blue-Buffalo Champion Pet Foods United Pet Group Inc PLB International Scott Pet, Inc. Unicharm Corporation Laroy Group Deuerer GmbH Heristo AG Well Pet Proveedora La Perla S.A. de C.V. Considered in this report Geography: Global Historic year: 2016 Base year: 2021 Estimated year: 2022 Forecast year: 2027 Aspects covered in this report Global Pet Food market with its value and forecast along with its segments Region & Country-wise pet care market analysis Various divers and challenges Ongoing trends and developments Five force models Top profiled companies Strategic recommendation Segment covered in the report Pet foods Pet healthcare Pet accessories Pet grooming By Pet Type in the report Dog Food Cat Food Fish Food Bird Food Others By Food Type in the report Dry Food Wet or Canned Snacks and treats Others For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/k6h9s3 Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body An Auburn University research team in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, or CFWE, has been awarded a $459,482 grant from the U.S. Department of the Treasury in cooperation with the State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Center of Excellence at the MESC/Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Led by Christopher Anderson, lead principal investigator, the grant will fund a study to assess the function and vulnerability of forested wetlands in the Mobile-Tensaw-Apalachee River Delta, or MTA River Delta. Often referred to as Americas Amazon, the MTA River Delta is approximately 260,000 acres and is dominated by a complex network of tidal and non-tidal wetlands. The watershed draining to the MTA River Delta is approximately 46,000 square miles extending over most of Alabama, including drainage from the Alabama, Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers. Anderson, a professor of coastal wetland ecology, will lead the study with a team of researchers that includes Auburn Professor Latif Kalin of the CFWE and the University of South Alabama Professor Ruth Carmichael from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The delta is a tremendous wetland complex of international significance; however, it remains greatly understudied, said Anderson. The MTA has significant river flows that are highly connected to tidal forested floodplain wetlands before draining to Mobile Bay. These wetlands likely provide important contributions to the bay and its productivity. The objective of the teams research is to examine tidal forested wetlands of the MTA River Delta and predict changes to the delta due to sea level rise and future river flows. Using a combination of field data and environmental modeling, the team will examine how proximity to Mobile Bay influences wetland hydrology, salinity and forest communities. A total of nine salinity gaging stations and over 40 forest survey plots will be established across the lower MTA delta to determine forested wetland types and their susceptibility to sea level rise and change in salinity, said Anderson. The team will collect field data for approximately two years. Salinity and tidal connectivity data will be used with other existing long-term data to develop predictive models for each gaging station. River salinity and tidal connectivity models will be developed using artificial neural networks, or ANNs. ANN modeling is a data-driven approach that can help learn and map complex relationships between inputs and outputs, said Anderson. These models will be used to forecast MTA River Delta salinity and tidal connectivity based on expected shifts in important input variables such as tide levels and river flow. The team also plans to characterize the relationship between river flows from the MTA and the extent of delta derived organic matter to Mobile Bay. There is uncertainty about the role that the MTA delta plays in terms of export of organic matter and nutrients to the greater estuary, says Anderson. These materials may be very important for the aquatic productivity of Mobile Bay. The collaboration with Carmichael and others at Dauphin Island Sea Lab, or DISL, will bring technical expertise to the project that will enable the team to evaluate the Deltas influence for the first time. Working with the DISL, we will trace organic matter from the delta by measuring carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios that can help us distinguish sources, Anderson said. This approach will help us determine the role of the MTA River Delta in exporting organic matter of different sources due to tidal connectivity and river flow. There is tremendous urgency to better understand the expected fate of the MTA River Delta because there are important questions about its functional role in the larger Mobile Bay estuary, said Janaki Alavalapati, dean of CFWE. Andersons research will help to identify potential risks to this important coastal resource. The Hollywood Reporter surveyed dozens of Academy members to find out if they'd vote for Smith. Most of the responses are very negative about Smith, with some questioning why the film is being released so soon after the slap. Others say they wouldn't vote for him, but don't think the film should be penalized, while some say he should be allowed to grow.Here's a sampling of what voters said: Member of actors branch: I think more time should go by before Will Smith is considered for any award. Im surprised Emancipation is being released, but I assume its for financial reasons, as well as hoping for award nominations. However wonderful he may be in the film, it will be hard to watch it and not continually think of the slap. It will be really hard to judge the performance on merit, and by extension the whole film. Member of actors branch: I have no reaction to the Apple film getting released frankly, Im getting tired of the slave theme for now. But yes, I would consider voting for him if he is great in something. Member of directors branch: No chance I would vote for him. However, I support the release of Emancipation. We need some good films out there, which I am assuming and hope this is. This is likely coming from Smith the decision to release it now, I mean and it shows the same hubris and arrogance that had him go dancing after the Oscars. Member of directors branch: Hundreds of people worked on that film, and they shouldnt be penalized. As far as it being a contender, if its well-received, well done and deserving, it should be allowed to be given its shot and let the voters decide. Re: Will? I dont know. He did something terrible. He apologized. We have to allow people to grow and learn and atone. A list of all the responses at the source. Iraqs Federal Supreme Court (FSC) has invalidated the decision of Iraqs government to establish the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC) on the basis that several of its founding clauses are in breach of the constitution, according to local news sources. Previous iterations of INOC have been focal points for the corruption that permeates Iraqs oil sector and there was every sign that this latest version would be the same. In cancelling this toxic idea, the FSC has reopened the way for new investment from international oil companies (IOCs) into Iraq, most notably the US$27 billion four-pronged deal from TotalEnergies. Back in February, before the idea for the new iteration of INOC had truly gathered momentum, TotalEnergies had stated that it was ready to move into the execution phase of the US$27 billion deal that it had agreed with Iraqs Ministry of Oil (MoO) within the following three months. At around the same time, though cynics might say precisely because of the massive opportunity for self-enrichment for those connected to INOC from a fresh US$27 billion floating around in the oil and gas sector the push to get INOC up and running began in earnest. It quickly became clear that one does not get to become a senior figure in Frances leading oil and gas company by being as stupid as seems to be the minimum requirement to secure a senior position in INOC, with TotalEnergies refusing to partner with INOC due to the lack of clarity on the legal status of the company. In laymans terms, the French oil and gas behemoth did not trust INOC as far as it could throw it. Related: U.S. Shale Wont Fill Gap If OPEC+ Cuts Oil Production This view is well-founded, given the actions of previous versions of INOC, with the first iteration appearing in 1966, before it was incorporated into the MoO in 1987, after which its omni-toxic legacy seeped into much of Iraqs state-led oil and gas organisational infrastructure, making it one of the most corrupt oil and gas sectors in the world. The sheer scale of theft of public money that resulted is mind-boggling, evidenced partly in a statement made in 2015 by then Minister of Oil and later Prime Minister of Iraq Adil Abdul Mahdi, that Iraq lost US$14,448,146,000 from the beginning of 2011 up to the end of 2014 as cash compensation payments to various state and corporate entities. If this amount in single dollar bills was laid end to end, then it would stretch from Earth to the Moon nearly six times over. The precise way in which such a staggering sum was lost is fully analysed by OilPrice.com here, but in basic terms it related to the way in which gross remuneration fees, income tax and the share of the state partner was deducted and accounted for in the compensation paid out relating to reduced oil production levels. This accounting factor used in calculations solely related to expenses of various kinds that have never been disclosed or in any way clarified by the MoO but is key to the merging of public funds with private ones. It saw its true genesis in 2009 when IOCs in many cases were asked to make large upfront payments as part of their bid, which would supposedly be repaid at some unspecified later date. Despite all this, by 2018 moves were afoot to re-establish the official INOC entity, with the legislation required to do so voted into the statute books on 5 March that year until a legal challenge derailed the plan. The key reason for that legal challenge was the wide-ranging powers of the proposed INOC and the moral ambiguity encouraged in the wording of the law that brought it into being. The powers under the law relating to the creation of the new INOC in 2018 identical to those underpinning this latest version included: controlling all hydrocarbon revenues and determining what is passed to the national treasury; owning all upstream, midstream, downstream, marketing and tanker interests and the associated pipeline and export infrastructure; and being the only authority allowed to sign contracts with international companies investing in oil and gas and other parts of the energy sector. Related: Oil Prices Jump As OPEC+ Considers 2 Million Bpd Production Cut As highlighted back in 2018 by former senior economist with Iraqs MoO, and now head of the Oslo-based Development Consultancy & Research, Ahmed Mousa Jiyad, Article 12 of the law relating to the establishment of INOC contained: The most ridiculous, disintegrative, destructive and unconstitutional aspects of this law [providing] the legal cover for formalised corruption and kleptocracy by assigning the three funds [Citizens Fund, Generations Fund, Reconstruction Fund] at least 10 per cent of the revenues of the oil exports at the discretion of the INOCs board of directors. The power of the INOC board of directors, though, could be extended further, he added at the time, as under the 2018 version of the law (and the latest version relating to INOC), revenues generated from the export and sale of oil and gas will be considered as financial revenues for INOC. This is a flagrant violation of the Constitution, which states that oil and gas belong to the Iraqi people and not a financial return to one public company, said Jiyad. Again, the full scope of the powers of the new iteration of the INOC was not formalised, which means in Iraq, that no constraints on what it could do were in place. Provided that Iraq takes the very clear hint from TotalEnergies and from the mass exodus of Western companies from Iraq in the past few years the country might finally be able to make the leap into the oil and gas superpower that it could be. TotalEnergies four-project deal is a solid stepping-stone to this, with the first of the projects being crucial to enabling Iraq to reach its longer-term crude oil production targets of 7 million barrels per day (bpd), and then even 9 million bpd and perhaps 12 million bpd, as also analysed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets. This first stage comprises the completion of the Common Seawater Supply Project (CSSP), which will see an initial investment of US$3 billion in its first phase and involves taking and treating seawater from the Persian Gulf and then transporting it via pipelines to oil production facilities to maintain pressure in oil reservoirs to optimise the longevity and output of fields. The long-delayed plan for the CSSP is that it will be used initially to supply around 6 million bpd of water to at least five southern Basra fields and one in Maysan Province, and then built out for use in other fields. The second of the projects is also a matter of high importance and urgent necessity: to collect and refine associated natural gas that is currently burned off at the five southern Iraq oilfields of West Qurna 2, Majnoon, Tuba, Luhais, and Artawi. TotalEnergies is to provide US$2 billion in the first phase of the project for the building of the processing plant to do this, with initial comments from Iraqs Ministry of Oil last year highlighting that the plant is expected to produce 300 million cubic feet of gas per day (mcf/d) and double that after a second phase of development. Iraqi Oil Minister, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, stated last year that the gas produced from this second TotalEnergies project in the south will also help Iraq to cut its gas imports from Iran, with the domestically produced gas also cheaper than the Iranian gas, which would open the way for major reinvestment by U.S. oil and gas giants. Successfully capturing associated gas rather than flaring it will also allow Iraq to revive the also long-stalled US$11-billion Nebras petrochemicals project with Royal Dutch Shell, which if it went ahead in a correct linear fashion could be completed within five years and would generate estimated profits of up to US$100 billion for Iraq within its 35-year initial contract period. The third part of TotalEnergies four-pronged US$27 billion deal is aimed at boosting crude oil output from Iraqs Artawi oil field to 210,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, up from the current circa-85,000 bpd. This project may lead TotalEnergies to engage in similar crude oil production boosting projects across the country, as it already has a 22.5 percent stake in the Halfaya oil field in Missan province in the south and an 18 percent stake in the Sarsang exploration block in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in the north. The last of the four projects to be undertaken by the French company will be the construction and operation of a 1,000-megawatt solar energy plant. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The full OPEC+ group has agreed to cut production by 2 million bpd, according to sources, after the JMMC recommended a 2 million bpd cut early today. The OPEC+ group met in Vienna on Wednesday to discuss oil output cuts for November. Leading up to the meeting, different sources cited different figures that the group would be willing to cut. But the key to understanding how this will affect oil prices is not just the overall cut, but the distribution and timing of those cuts, and from what baseline those cuts will be made. For Octoberand also in Augustthe OPEC 10 production target was 26.689 million bpd, with the non-OPEC members of OPEC+ had a collective target of 17.165 million bpd. But the group as a whole has failed to meet those targets. The actual realized production cut will be smaller than the 2 million bpd quota cut, but estimates are that Saudi Arabias output alonewhich is currently meeting its production targetswould be cut by more than 500,000 bpd if the 2 million bpd cuts are distributed pro rata. OPEC sources suggested shortly after the meeting concluded that the 2 million bpd would be cut from current baselines, with no adjustments made today to the individual country baselines. The specter of OPEC+ even considering such a large cut as global oil supplies are tight has sent the Biden Administration reeling. White House spokesman John Kirby on Wednesday said that the United States needed to be less dependent on OPEC+ and other foreign producers of oil. The White House was reportedly in a panic leading up to the meeting, trying to prevent OPEC+ from taking such a hostile act. In the runup to the meeting, the White House unleashed Amos Hochstein, Janet Yellen, and Brett McGurk to plead its case with the Gulf Nations. Evidence suggests the move had zero effect. Brent crude prices began to slip on the news but were still 0.29% higher on the day, with WTI trading flat. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabia has agreed to cut its production for November by 526,000 bpd, from its current quota of 11.004 million bpd, according to data provided by OPEC following its Wednesday meeting to set new production targets. OPEC+ decided to cut its November production quotas by 2 million bpd, according to the Wednesday press release, In light of the uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks, and the need to enhance the long-term guidance for the oil market, and in line with the successful approach of being proactive, and preemptive, which has been consistently adopted by OPEC and Non-OPEC Participating Countries in the Declaration of Cooperation. The group also extended the compensation period to the end of March 2023 for those not meeting their quotas. Saudi Arabias actual September production came in at 10.904, according to OPECs most recent Monthly Oil Market Reportmaking the Kingdom one of the few OPEC+ members that will realize a nearly complete cut. Other OPEC producers, such as Angola, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria, are already producing below their reduced November quotas, and as such, will not be required to cut production further. OPEC+ classified its cuts today as voluntary. Source: OPEC Energy is something that can never be attended to in short-term tweaks and moves, Saudi Arabias Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the presser following the meeting, in a seeming jab to U.S. Presidents SPR releases and discussions about restricting refined product exports as a means to control prices at the pump. In a rather surprising move, an oil price chart was shown during the meeting despite the groups reluctance to discuss the oil market in terms of prices, to tout what OPEC+ has done so far. Ask yourself the question: who delivered? the Prince prompted. When asked if OPEC was using energy as a weapon, Show me where is the act of beligerance, period, the Prince quipped. The full group will hold its next meeting on December 4, 2022. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The oil-rich Latin American country of Ecuador finds itself yet again on the cusp of an economic crisis. Attempts to reform the disaster-prone economy and ease fiscal pressures for a heavily indebted government continue to flounder, with most efforts ending in civil unrest. Ecuador, like many countries in the region, was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the gross domestic product to contract by 7.8%, poverty to soar and already weak government finances to come under considerable pressure. Even the adoption of the U.S. dollar after the 2000 economic collapse and populist left-wing coup, as well as the Andean countrys significant oil wealth, have failed to stave off a series of subsequent crises. Ecuador finds itself yet again facing dire economic headwinds with its economically crucial oil industry, once again, under considerable pressure. The last decade has been a tumultuous period for Ecuador and the countrys vital hydrocarbon sector. Successive governments have been mired in economic, political and social crises. In 2010 populist left-wing president Rafael Correa, who was found guilty in a 2020 Ecuadorean court ruling of serious corruption, was almost overthrown by an attempted coup. Correas successor Lenin Moreno faced violent protests, sparked by his plan to reduce fuel subsidies, which forced his administration to flee the capital, Quito, for the safety of the port city of Guayaquil. Current right-wing President Guillermo Lasso was forced to abandon plans to rationalize government spending and reduce a burdensome budget deficit after violent civil unrest, led by Indigenous organizations, rocked Ecuador during June 2022. The latest anti-government protests were again triggered by spiraling fuel prices and a rapidly rising cost of living, which are weighing on many communities that are still affected by the fallout from the pandemic. Roadblocks and oilfield invasions effectively shuttered significant parts of Ecuadors economically vital hydrocarbon sector. National oil company Petroecuador declared force majeure, halting operations and petroleum exports. As a result, oil production plunged by over 50% to be between 236,037 and 236,571 barrels per day during the period from 24 June to 29 June 2022. That caused June 2022 output to plummet by 18% compared to a month prior and 17% year over year to 408,076 barrels per day. Petroleum exports also fell sharply, seeing the total volume of oil exported by Ecuador for January to July 2022 plunge to 65.9 million barrels, the lowest level in nearly two decades. Those events couldnt have occurred at a worse time for an increasingly unpopular President Lasso. He is under considerable pressure to reform Ecuadors crisis-prone economy, repair government finances and reduce an unsustainable budget deficit. That burden is magnified by the requirements set by the IMF for a $6.5 billion financing package provided to Ecuador to assist with the countrys recovery from the pandemic while ensuring economic stability. The IMF imposed a series of conditions for the approval of facilities including continued improvement in public finances by cutting government spending, increased transparency and reduced corruption. Since the financing deal was struck, Ecuador has struggled to comply with the IMFs terms. The latest $1 billion disbursement was approved in late-June 2022, as violent protests rocked Quito, after the institution accepted a December 2021 request from Ecuadorean authorities for a waiver of non-observance with performance criterion. Related: Will Xis Third Term Help Or Hinder Chinas International Standing? The sharp decline in oil production and exports due to the civil dissent will further impact Ecuadors already dysfunctional and fiscally weak economy, which is heavily dependent on oil production and exports. Prior to the pandemic, World Bank data indicates oil rents were responsible for around 7% of the Andean countrys gross domestic product, while petroleum accounts for a third of exports, according to government data (Spanish). Quito is highly dependent on the oil industry for fiscal income, with the notable rally in oil prices, which sees the international Brent oil price up 17% since the start of 2022, expected to deliver a considerable fiscal windfall. That saw the Lasso administration, before the June 2022 protests, announce that Ecuadors budget deficit could fall to less than the 2% of GDP target stipulated by the IMF. For some time, Quito has viewed the successful exploitation of Ecuadors considerable oil wealth as a silver bullet for the Andean countrys economic woes. For that reason, Lasso has proposed doubling oil production by the end of his term in 2025, which, if successful will see it hit nearly one million barrels per day by the end of his term in 2025. Quito intends to achieve this by instituting a raft of industry reforms aimed at attracting substantial foreign energy investment. State-controlled Petroecuador, which is responsible for 80% of Ecuadors oil output, announced in August 2022 that it is seeking partners to invest in 23 of its oilfields. That includes one of Ecuadors most productive the Sacha oilfield which is pumping around 70,000 barrels per day with peak production anticipated to reach 96,000 barrels daily by 2025. Ecuador possesses sufficient oil reserves to support a significant leap in production. The Andean countrys current proven reserves are estimated to be 8.3 billion barrels, the third largest in South America behind Venezuela and Brazil, with a production life at the current rate of around 500,000 barrels per day of 47.3 years. Even if production doubled, those reserves will sustain over two decades of industry operations. If successful, Lassos initiatives will boost oil industry activity at a crucial time with prices remaining firm, leading to higher production and ultimately increased public revenues. If successfully executed, that will improve Ecuadors economy and public finances, therefore, helping to head off any further crises. There are fears that further civil unrest coupled with a diminished social license will negatively affect Lassos plans to grow Ecuadors oil output. Indigenous communities in the Amazon, where most oilfields are located, continue to contest industry operations claiming they are inflicting considerable environmental damage in the worlds most important ecological region. Tired industry infrastructure, notably failing pipelines, are weighing on Ecuadors oil production. Pipeline ruptures caused by landslides led to large oil spills and sharply diminished output between April 2020 and December 2021. It is for these reasons that Ecuadors oil industry is struggling to return to pre-pandemic production volumes and tempo of operations. September 2022 production of 489,734 barrels per day was nearly 1% lower than a month prior and a whopping 10% lower than the 546,907 barrels daily pumped during September 2019. The Baker Hughes rig count, a reliable de-facto indicator of oil industry activity, shows there were only 10 active rigs in Ecuador at the end of August 2022. That is one more rig than for July 2022 and two greater than for the same month in 2019, indicating that drilling activity in the impoverished Latin American country is picking up, despite the June 2022 anti-government protests, boding well for increased oil production. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: European Union ambassadors reached an agreement on Wednesday to impose a new package of sanctions on Russia, including banning maritime transportation for Russian oil to third-party countries unless the oil is sold below or at a certain price cap. Ambassadors reached a political agreement on new sanctions against Russia - a strong EU response to Putins illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories, the Czech rotating presidency of the EU said in a tweet today. A written procedure now follows, and sanctions enter into force upon publication in the Official Journal, the Czech Presidency said. The eighth package of sanctions includes Prohibition of maritime transport of Russian oil to third countries above the oil price cap and a ban on related services. The additional sanctions also extend import bans on goods such as steel products, wood pulp, paper, machinery and appliances, chemicals, plastic, and cigarettes. The EU is also banning the provision of IT, engineering, and legal services to Russian entities and is expanding the tech-export ban. The political agreement on the price cap contains measures to soften the impact of the sanctions on EU member states with large shipping industries and fleets, such as Greece, Cyprus, and Malta, sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. A sanctions package would need unanimous approval by all 27 EU member states, but Hungary has said it would block new energy sanctions against Russia. EU leaders are set to discuss Russias war in Ukraine, energy, and the economic situation at a meeting in Prague on October 7. Earlier this week, Ben Harris, Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department, said that the Treasury is looking to structure a three-phased approach to the G7 sanctions and price caps on Russian oil to keep Russian crude and products flowing, but at lower prices. The G7 group of the most industrialized nations will first target Russias crude oil, then move on to include diesel at a second stage. Finally, the lower-value products such as naphtha will be part of a third phase, Harris said at the Argus European Crude Conference in Geneva on Tuesday. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit saw China enhance its influence with several of the worlds leading players in the oil and gas sector. These included not just the stalwart full SCO members of Russia, Kazakhstan, and India (which was handed the presidency of the organisation for the coming year) but also new full member, Iran, whose new status in the group was announced at the end of the summit. Additionally, and crucial to Chinas long-term plans for the SCO that run alongside its multi-generational One Belt, One Road (OBOR) power-grab project, memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed granting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt, among others, the status of SCO dialogue partners. Agreement was also reached on admitting, among others, Bahrain, the UAE, and Kuwait as upcoming SCO dialogue partners. Lest there be any misunderstanding about the true intention of all these manoeuvres by China, January saw foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, and the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), arrive in Beijing for a five-day visit to push ahead on negotiations over the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA). At these meetings, the principal topics of conversation were to finally seal the China-GCC FTA and a deeper strategic cooperation in a region where U.S. dominance is showing signs of retreat, according to local news reports. One element of the SCO that is particularly useful to China in its use of soft power, alongside its use of several hard power mechanisms, to co-opt countries into its sphere of influence is that the SCO is often overlooked by Western media. This lack of coverage, though, belies the SCOs enormous scale and scope, which broadly is the China-led equivalent of the European Union (EU), the United StatesMexicoCanada Agreement (USMCA), and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) all rolled into one. Founded in 2001, although pre-dated by the Shanghai Five group established in 1996 (comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan), the SCO is the worlds biggest regional organisation both in terms of geographic scope and of population. It covers 60 percent of the Eurasian continent (the biggest single landmass on Earth), 40 percent of the worlds population, and more than 20 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP). The operational scope of the SCO ranges from collective security and military cooperation (in the mould of NATO) to economic and trade union (in the manner of the EU and the USMCA). Related: EU Ambassadors Agree On A Russian Oil Price Cap The top of Chinas agenda in energy terms remains the Middle East, with its immediate goal being to secure for itself the largest possible pools of oil and gas with which it can continue to fuel its economic growth. Chinas goal economically is to surpass the U.S. in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) within the next 10 years to become the worlds leading economic power and, as a corollary of that, the worlds leading superpower. Therefore, it is not just enough for China to secure the largest possible pools of oil and gas that it can in the Middle East, which remains the worlds largest collective reservoir of such products, but also to secure these at the expense of the U.S., making it a zero-sum game for both countries. This model of exponential economic growth fuelled by Middle Eastern oil is the one that the U.S. itself used for many decades and it makes sense for China to do the same, taking advantage as well of the previous dithering in the West over the climate change impact of carbon emissions. The reluctance of the West to press ahead with oil and gas investment, whilst at the same time not building the infrastructure bridge required to move seamlessly into green energy as a substitute for these high carbon emissions products notably the failure to invest in nuclear power has allowed Chinas sphere of influence to exploit two huge advantages. First, China itself has continued to use whatever fuel it wants to power its growth, usually at a much cheaper cost than the Wests green alternatives, and secondly the lack of building the transitional infrastructure bridge to green energy in the West has made core strategic parts of it notably, the European Union beholden to Chinas great partner in this scheme, Russia. At the very top of Chinas power structure, Xi Jinping is a man who, aside from entirely understanding how the U.S. forged its growth over the last 100 years or so (buying in oil cheaply from the Middle East being a key component), also understands how the UK did it in the 100 years or so prior to that. Xi is a great admirer of the [British] East India Company, and his knowledge of how it operated commercially, and effectively as a spearhead of British state interests, is extensive, a senior energy security source from the European Union exclusively told OilPrice.com. Indeed, one lesson learned by Xi, it transpires, is the value of offering investment into countries initially and then leveraging this out into extensive political power, as the East India Company successfully did across India, southeast Asia, and east Asia as well, including in Hong Kong and China. Related: OPEC+ To Cut Oil Production By 2 Million Barrels Per Day Top of Chinas list in this regard is not Iran, although it is a useful country to have in its figurative back pocket, given both its huge and relatively under-developed oil and gas riches and its ability to cause chaos in the region and to U.S. interests there and elsewhere. The country that China is really after in the Middle East is Saudi Arabia and by signing an MoU with it, via the SCO, for it to become a full dialogue partner for the organisation, China is adding a layer of official organisational credence to what it has been busy doing with Saudi Arabia for years. Beijings efforts in this regard have been most effective since it stepped in to save Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) from domestic and international humiliation in his proposed initial public offering of Saudi Aramco, as analysed in depth in my latest book on the global oil markets. From this point onwards, MbS has been in Chinas debt as were the leaders of countries targeted and similarly helped by the East India Company and Saudi Arabias positivity towards China increasing its influence there has followed. Not only is Saudi Arabia now a prime mover in advancing the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA) a key aim of which is to forge a deeper strategic cooperation in a region where U.S. dominance is showing signs of retreat but also the Kingdom is now a prime advocate for switching away from the hegemony of U.S. dollars in the pricing of global oil and gas. Just after China made the offer to MbS to privately buy the entire 5 percent stake in Saudi Aramco that he originally wanted to float, the then-Saudi Vice Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed al-Tuwaijri, told a Saudi-China conference in Jeddah that: We will be very willing to consider funding in renminbi and other Chinese products. He added: China is by far one of the top markets to diversify the funding[and] we will also access other technical markets in terms of unique funding opportunities, private placements, panda bonds and others. These comments came at around the same time as the visit of high-ranking politicians and financiers from China to Saudi Arabia, which featured a meeting between King Salman and Chinese Vice Premier, Zhang Gaoli, in Jeddah. At these meetings, according to comments at the time from then-Saudi Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, it was also decided that Saudi Arabia and China would establish a US$20 billion investment fund on a 50:50 basis that would invest in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, mining, and materials, among other areas. The Jeddah meetings in August 2017 followed a landmark visit to China by Saudi Arabias King Salman in March of that year during which around US$65 billion of business deals were signed in sectors including oil refining, petrochemicals, light manufacturing, and electronics. Since then, there have been a slew of deals done between the two countries, the most recent being the signing in August of a multi-pronged memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Saudi Aramco and the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec). As the president of Sinopec, Yu Baocai, himself put it: The signing of the MoU introduces a new chapter of our partnership in the KingdomThe two companies will join hands in renewing the vitality and scoring new progress of the Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] and [Saudi Arabias] Vision 2030. China also played a key role in engineering the five rounds of secret talks between Saudi Arabia and its historical nemesis, Iran, as reported by OilPrice.com. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In late June, a severe earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) announced it would provide 50 million RMB ($7.2 million) in emergency aid, including tents, blankets, cots and other sorely needed supplies to the impacted areas (Peoples Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FMPRC), June 25). Beijing invests in Afghanistan to further its long-term economic, strategic and political interests. Since the U.S. withdrawal last year, China has had an opportunity to advance its interests and deepen its clout in Afghanistan. When Kabul fell, China did not condemn the move and announced that it respected the choice of the Afghan peoplea sign of goodwill from Beijing to the Taliban that it subscribes to the narrative that the new government has the full support of the population (Xinhua, August 16, 2021). China has never been militarily involved in Afghanistan. Uyghur militants have found safe-haven in the country for decades, but the level of threat they pose to the PRC is debated even among Chinese analysts (China Brief, February 11). Despite such long-running concerns, Beijing was unperturbed by the Talibans return to power in Afghanistan last year. The PRC kept its embassy open through the fall of Kabul, and Beijing has sustained extensive diplomatic contact with the Taliban leadership to safeguard its security, economic and strategic interests in Afghanistan (Global Times, August 17, 2021). In fact, the PRC is seeking to carry out a complex balancing act in Afghanistan. Concerns about Afghanistan becoming a safe haven for extremist groups that could target neighboring states persist, but Beijing also perceives huge opportunities in Afghanistans natural resources, markets and potential to serve as a key node linking western China with South and Central Asia. In order to achieve a stable and secure Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will advance Chinas interests throughout Central Asia, Beijing needs a stable Afghanistan. China and Post-9/11 Afghanistan The basis of PRC policy toward Afghanistan are the five principles of peaceful coexistence: non-intervention, peaceful co-existence, mutual non-aggression, respect for sovereignty, equality and mutual benefit (FMPRC, July 1, 2014). Moreover, China has economic, security, and strategic equities in Afghanistan, which provide a basis for its involvement in the country. China-Afghanistan relations have generally remained smooth throughout their diplomatic history, except from 1979-1989, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and China refused to recognize the Soviet-installed government. Similarly, Beijing did not recognize the Taliban government from 1996-2001. [1] Following the September 11 attacks, the U.S. proposed a resolution in the UN Security Council for military action targeting Afghanistan. China favored the resolution, which allowed Washington to move forward with its military campaign. In Beijings view, the U.S. toppling the Taliban was beneficial from a security perspective, as under the Taliban, Afghanistan had become a hub for militants, including substantial numbers of Uyghurs from Chinas western Xinjiang region. However, from a geopolitical perspective, an entrenched U.S. security presence on Chinas western flank was not in the interests of Beijing, which had established good relations with the Taliban. In order to support the peace process in Afghanistan, China hosted several Taliban delegations (Xinhua, July 28, 2021: South China Morning Post [SCMP], June 20, 2019). Moreover, China never used the term Taliban while denouncing terrorism and militant activities in Afghanistan. China did not condemn the capture of Kabul and looked instead to continue a smooth relationship with the Taliban. For their part, Taliban leaders have repeatedly made assurances to Beijing not to allow their territory to be used to harm China or its interests (FMPRC, March 25; Guancha, July 28, 2021). Economic Incentives Afghanistan is an underdeveloped country with vast natural resources, in particular, lithium, cobalt, copper, gold, natural gas, coal, and oil. The country has 16 trillion cubic feet of gas, 500 billion barrels of liquified natural gas, and 1.6 trillion barrels of crude oil, per the U.S. Geological Survey (IOP, 2020). The total estimated value of Afghanistans natural resources is $1 trillion, which was a source of attraction for China after the U.Ss exit (The Times of India, August 25, 2021). Due to its growing domestic energy demand and tight global supplies since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, China is concerned about both energy security and access, and wants to explore new options in addition to producing clean energy (China Daily, August 15). Similarly, Afghanistan is a market for the export of Chinese goods, which further encourages Beijing to remain engaged with the country. Moreover, given Afghanistans geographic location along the BRI, it is a vital state for Chinas efforts to develop both Central Asia and its Western territory. As a result, Chinese efforts in the Afghan peace process aimed to foster stability in Afghanistan, which would ultimately serve Chinas economic and strategic interests. In a meeting with his counterparts from Afghanistan and Pakistan, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, we will jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative, extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, and help Afghanistan participate in regional connectivity (Global Times, March 31). However, the bigger question is: will the Taliban be able to provide sufficient security to protect Chinese projects and encourage further investment? In addition to facing international isolation, the Taliban government in Kabul is struggling with a feeble economy. In dire straits, the Taliban cannot be picky when it comes to foreign economic and political support. However, the Taliban regime has high expectations for China, which is primarily due to its strategic rivalry with the U.S. Moreover, Beijing is seeking to pave the way for Afghanistans inclusion in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is often termed the BRIs flagship mega-project. During Foreign Minister Wang Yis visit to Afghanistan in late July, he expressed the PRCs desire to extend the CPEC to Afghanistan (Li Bijian, Twitter, July 29). Nevertheless, Beijing has still displayed a degree of caution in handling the Taliban government and has refrained from providing any economic aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The PRC has not been forthcoming with aid, but Beijing has still sought to economically bolster the Taliban in other ways. For example, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Foreign Ministers meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the PRC announced a tariff waiver on 98 percent of Afghan goods (FMPRC July 29). The PRC statement further read: China hopes to push the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the development strategies of Afghanistan, support the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, and share Chinas development opportunities. China also resumed the issuance of visas to Afghan nationals (Khama Press, July 30). Chinas Security interests in Afghanistan China has been cautious toward Afghanistan due to concerns that insecurity there could spill over into Xinjiang, which has a large ethnic minority Muslim population that has been subject to increasing state control and repression over the past decade (PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs, April 29, 2021). One of the reasons that China supported the U.S. war in Afghanistan, which began in late 2001, was the activities of militant groups there that threatened Chinas security. The U.S. operations and presence in Afghanistan were favorable as this diminished several security threats to the regional countries, including China. At the same time, however, the U.S. presence in Afghanistan was a potential threat to China and its interests in Afghanistan. According to Andrew Small, an expert on Chinas involvement in South Central Asia at the German Marshall Fund, The U.S. presence was understood as a geopolitical threat, much like the Soviet military presence in the 1980s, but Beijing had grown to see it as the lesser of two evils. [2] Hence, the U.S. presence had both merits and drawbacks for China. Likewise, Beijing is worried about the terrorist spillover into neighboring countries, especially Pakistan, its all-weather friend and strategic partner. China has hugely invested in CPEC as a core component of the BRI. However, the Baloch insurgency and the activities of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) pose a serious threat to CPEC projects as well as Chinese nationals (China Brief, July 15). The threat from the Baloch militants intensified this April when a female suicide bomber staged an attack on the Confucius Institute in Karachi, which represented a dramatic shift in the tactics of the Baloch insurgency (Terrorism Monitor, May 20). For Beijing, the threat to CPEC underscores that its interests entail more than protecting its territory; it also drives home that the PRC has a strong interest in promoting regional security to safeguard its investments, workers and partners. The rise of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Afghanistan-Pakistan regions are severe concerns for China. [3] In an effort to mitigate the regional security challenges it faces, Beijing has been constantly engaged with the Taliban since the group established a political office in Doha,Qatar in 2013. A month after the Taliban captured Kabul, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting was held in mid-September 2021, wherein Chinese president Xi Jinping reiterated: We need to follow the journey of upholding our common security. We need to pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and take tough actions against the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (FMPRC September 17, 2021). Beijing wants to promote a more moderate Taliban in Kabul who can run the country effectively and extricate Afghanistan from its economic crisis through engagement with the outside world. However, promoting a functioning government in Kabul is also motivated by Chinas desire to hold the Taliban to its promise not to allow Afghan soil to be used by terrorist and extremist groups. China is reportedly providing drones to the Taliban in order to strengthen their capacity to neutralize their opponents. The risk for China is that the still comparatively radical Taliban will not be able to stabilize Afghanistan politically nor integrate it economically with the world. The Taliban remains a pariah in the west due to its negligence of human rights, including girls education and providing safe havens to al-Qaeda, as demonstrated by the U.S. strike in downtown Kabul that killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in late July (SCMP, August 2). Chinas Broader Strategic Interests in Afghanistan Chinas engagement with Afghanistan in general, and the Taliban in particular, has intensified over the last decade. China has long promoted economic development as the cornerstone of achieving a peaceful, stable Afghanistan, but its strategic interests in the country cannot be overlooked. Chinas strategic interests in Afghanistan are to forestall the country from becoming an arena of geopolitical competition; prevent Afghanistan from falling back into the orbit of the West; and promote stability to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for extremist groups. Related: EU Ambassadors Agree On A Russian Oil Price Cap In the long run, China has adopted a diplomatic and developmental posture to secure its strategic interests in Afghanistan. In 2014, China appointed Sun Yuxi as its special envoy for Afghanistan in an effort to step up the communication with Afghanistan and all parties concerned and safeguard lasting peace, stability and development of Afghanistan and the region. [4] In October 2014, China hosted the Heart of Asia Conference, a forum to discuss regional issues, especially Afghanistan (FMPRC, July 14, 2014). During the conference, Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed talks among various factions in Afghanistan that could help resolve differences among them. At least in part, China sought to reduce the level of insecurity in Afghanistan so that there was no further justification for the U.S. to remain. Beijings frequent hosting of Taliban delegations and support for the Afghan peace process were a part of this strategy to get the U.S. out of Afghanistan. On the other hand, Chinas economic aid and investments aim to strengthen its foothold in Afghanistan. Furthermore, due to its strategic location, Afghanistan has great importance in Chinas strategic calculus. Afghanistan is key to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative because it lies at the crossroads of three regions: South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East (China Brief, August 17, 2021). Beijing recognizes that its long-term strategic objectives cannot be met unless Afghanistan is stable and peaceful, with an emphasis on economic development. Unlike the West, China has not thrown its weight behind democracy in Afghanistan but does share the international communitys interest in achieving a stable Afghanistan. Beijing recognizes that Afghan society is multi-ethnic, and as a result, an inclusive government with broad support from different ethnic groups is a condition of stability (China Daily, August 18, 2021). Conclusion Chinas post-9/11 interest in Afghanistan has intensified since the U.S. departure last year. Much of this interest stems from Beijings desire that Afghanistan achieve peace and stability so that it ceases to be a hub for terrorist and militant groups. For its part, the Taliban government has high expectations that China can provide sorely needed economic aid and political support. Moreover, the Taliban expect China to extend diplomatic recognition. Despite the close engagement between the Taliban and China over the last decade, whether such a move is forthcoming is uncertain. The efforts by China to promote peace over the last decade demonstrate that Beijing understands that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is integral to its broader political, economic, and strategic interests. [5] However, the current situation in Afghanistan confronts China with both opportunities and challenges, and whether Beijing can succeed, particularly over the long term, in transforming Afghanistan into a peaceful, stable waystation on the Belt and Road, remains to be seen. By The Jamestown Foundation More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: There is some speculation that Russia will receive agricultural goods and potentially future access to Afghanistans vast natural-resource wealth. Moscow inkedc a preliminary agreement with the Taliban to provide key fuels to Afghanistan, though what it is set to receive in return is not yet clear. Russia has joined the short list of capitals willing to trade with the Taliban. The Taliban, struggling to navigate Afghanistan through an economic and humanitarian crisis as its rule over the country remains unrecognized by the world, has found willing partners in two countries whose trade is severely restricted by international sanctions -- Russia and Iran. Moscow joined Tehran on the short list of capitals willing to deal with the Taliban under a preliminary agreement signed last week. Afghanistan will get 1 million tons of gasoline, 1 million tons of diesel fuel, 500,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and 2 million tons of wheat a year, Taliban Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi announced last week. With the deal, "Russia joins that small number of countries which are willing to do business with Taliban, in terms of export and import," said Narendra Taneja, a prominent economist who chairs the Indian-based Independent Energy Institute. What Russia will get in return from its cash-strapped partner is much less clear, but it appears that agricultural goods and the prospect of future access to Afghanistan's natural-resource wealth could be on the table. The Taliban, which like Russia is essentially cut off from the global banking system, has said that it will pay for the commodities in Russian rubles. But Taneja suggests that is unlikely, considering Afghanistan's difficulties in obtaining the Russian currency through trade. "It seems to be more like a very informal kind of deal, a barter kind of deal, where Russia will supply oil and gas and [Afghanistan] will supply whatever they can in return," Taneja told RFE/RL from New Delhi. Russia, like the rest of the international community, does not recognize the Taliban government and officially considers the hard-line Islamist group to be a terrorist organization. But Moscow on multiple occasions hosted Taliban officials amid peace talk efforts prior to the group's forcible takeover of Kabul in August 2021. Since then, Moscow has maintained an embassy in Kabul and a special representative to Afghanistan. President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would take steps toward removing the Taliban from its terrorism list and instructed the country's media to stop identifying the group as such, as required by Russian law. Just ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, which was attended by a Taliban delegation including Azizi, Putin allocated grain exports to the drought-ravaged country "if necessary." The new deal comes after weeks of discussions in Moscow that transpired after a visit last month by Azizi. Moscow's special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, confirmed to the Russian state news agency TASS that a "preliminary" agreement had been worked out and Azizi has said that a longer-term deal will be forthcoming if both sides are happy with the arrangement. Azizi said that Afghanistan would be receiving the commodities at a discount, and the fuel supplies will reportedly be delivered by road via Central Asia. The Taliban commerce and industry minister also said that Afghanistan had received gas and oil from Turkmenistan and Iran. In late August 2021, Tehran lifted barriers to the export of fuel to Afghanistan that had been introduced earlier this month out of safety concerns amid unrest in the country. Iran reportedly exported about 400,000 tons of fuel to Afghanistan from May 2020 to May 2021, and prior to the Taliban takeover Turkmenistan was the leading supplier of gasoline to Afghanistan. "A country...shouldn't be dependent on just one country, we should have alternative ways," Azizi told Reuters last week. The deal with Russia is seen as one of the Taliban's largest trade deals and has raised questions about what the militant group can offer. To date, the export of and custom duties from coal have been a key source of revenue for the Taliban. Much of the coal has been trucked to neighboring Pakistan. Related: The LME Is Carefully Considering A Potential Ban On Russian Metals Aside from coal and agricultural goods such as fruits, nuts, and medicinal herbs, Afghanistan's untapped resources appear to be a potential trade chip. The poverty-stricken country is believed to hold a wealth of mineral resources, including copper, iron ore, gold, lithium, and cobalt, as well as a host of rare-earth elements. U.S. government agencies have placed the value at more than $900 billion, while the former Afghan government placed the number at $3 trillion. Afghanistan's potential has attracted keen interest from China, India, Russia, and other countries, and has led the Taliban to pursue the resumption of China's Aynak Copper Mine project while also cautiously negotiating over the mining of lithium and cobalt, two key components to the batteries that are fueling the world's green-energy drive. Afghanistan also has untapped reserves of oil and natural gas, according to Taneja, but has not been able to exploit the resources commercially. "I think the significance of the deal between the Taliban and Russia is that this is the beginning of something, and this something may grow into bigger things, such as mining of rare minerals in Afghanistan, or maybe mining of natural gas," Taneja said. While he says that Afghanistan might want to use the opportunity to promote the development of a pipeline, it is too early to say whether that could become a reality. The completion of the TAPI pipeline, a major project that was intended to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan, has been stalled for years, although the Turkmen leg was completed in 2019. In November 2021, Turkmen officials engaged in discussions with the Taliban aimed at completing the Afghan section of the pipeline, which began in 2018 and was intended to provide Afghanistan with 5 billion cubic meters of gas annually, more than enough to cover its annual use of 200 million cubic meters. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February led many Western countries to impose sanctions on Russia, including on its petroleum and gas exports. The deal with Afghanistan, however, would effectively evade such punitive measures. "Since the sanctions against Russia's oil and gas, Russia is looking for new markets, looking for new countries where they can sell their oil," Taneja said. "So, Afghanistan may not be a big buyer -- it is a very small buyer of oil and gas -- but nevertheless, it is another country which seems to be interested in Russian oil and gas. And as you know, the Taliban government is not recognized by any country, practically. So therefore, they escape the sanctions." Continued fuel deliveries by Russia could encounter other obstacles, however, with Taneja listing the need to find companies willing to insure cargos, the establishment of reliable payment and delivery mechanisms, and the risk of attracting sanctions in the future. Moscow's dealings with the Taliban have led to criticism, and the new agreement to export oil and gas is no exception, as evidenced by the number of social-media posts noting the Taliban's official status as a terrorist organization in Russia. But with Afghanistan suffering from a massive humanitarian crisis brought on by drought, floods, and war -- leading to its recent designation by the United Nations as a "hunger hot spot" -- Russia's delivery of wheat is being viewed as a positive development. "Keeping aside politics, what's happening over Ukraine and between Russia and the West -- I think it's important for us as humans, to make sure that not a single person in Afghanistan starves," Taneja said. "The people are not Taliban, the rulers are Taliban. And the people are starving. So, they should be helped by every country." By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Exxon expects to report strong financial results for the third quarter of the year after smashing previous profit records in the second quarter on the back of the oil and gas price rally. Per a Reuters report citing a snapshot issued by the supermajor, Exxon could book a third-quarter net profit close to its second-quarter record of $17.9 billion. Average oil prices in the third quarter were $98 per barrel of Brent, which was substantially lower than the $109-per-barrel average in the second quarter, but still high enough to boost profits. Natural as prices on international markets in the period averaged $7.95 per million British thermal units, however, up from $7.17 million per mmBtu in the second quarter, Reuters also noted. Exxon booked second-quarter earnings of $4.21 per share assuming dilution. This is nearly quadruple the $4.69 billion in earnings for the second quarter of last year, and more than triple the earnings from the first quarter of this year. Exxons earnings per share easily beat the analyst consensus of $3.84. Higher oil and gas prices, the highest refining margins in years, increased production, and aggressive cost control all contributed to the record-breaking profits at Exxon, which beat its previous quarterly earnings record from 2012 and the quarterly profits from 2008 when Brent prices hit a record $147 per barrel. Now, despite the almost 25-percent slide in oil prices during the third quarter of the year, price levels remained conducive to higher profits, especially coupled with the increase in gas prices on international markets demand continued to outstrip supply. The outlook for the immediate term is bullish, too, as the market anticipates a deep production cut from OPEC+, which would push oil prices significantly higher, creating yet another potential windfall for the industry, in which Exxon is among the biggest players. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A new piece of street art in a Tbilisi underpass is a play on the classic Soviet The Motherland Calls poster from World War II. But instead of holding the military oath as in the original, the woman is clutching a Georgian khinkali dumpling. And instead of the patriotic slogan, the caption now reads, Hurry, or it will get cold. As thousands more Russians again pour into Georgia this time, escaping their countrys mass military mobilization for the war in Ukraine Georgians are greeting them with characteristic irony. The humor, though, has been mixed with more emotions as Georgians struggle to come to terms with how to think about the influx, let alone what to do about it. As a country that has suffered much at the hands of Moscow, and today remains in open conflict with the Kremlin, Georgia has struggled to figure out what to call these new arrivals; attempts have ranged from refugees and deserters to tourists or occupiers. And the phenomenon of their arrival is also imagined variously, from a security issue to an ethical responsibility to a moral dilemma. "It would be wrong for us to close the border to Russians," prominent TV anchor Merab Metreveli wrote on Facebook, arguing that if Georgians were faced with similar circumstances, they also would be trying to flee. "But it would be also wrong to let in everybody in an uncontrolled way. What is the way out?" he asked. The first instinct of Georgias government, though, was not to define things at all. These people, ethnic Russians, have been arriving in Georgia for years. Does it have to become a problem now? Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri told reporters on September 27. As public concern mounted, however, ignoring the problem was no longer viable and the authorities have begun to offer more data and clarity on the issue. Official numbers released at the end of September showed a sharp rise in Russians entering the country following the mobilization announcement on September 21, with a net of 5,000-6,000 entering daily starting on September 23. By September 30, though, the numbers had returned to normal. That was attributable at least in part to the fact that officials in North Ossetia, the Russian republic on the one border crossing with Georgia, on September 28 reported halting in-bound car traffic and tightening restrictions on men subject to mobilization trying to leave the country. Based on the official data, then, somewhere north of 20,000 people have joined the already large community of Russians who moved to Georgia in the wake of the war in Ukraine. They came in distinct waves: first, in the immediate aftermath of the invasion, politically minded Russians and those whose businesses were hit by sanctions flocked in. Then in the summer, Russian tourists no longer bound by Covid restrictions and with fewer vacation options as a result of the war came in numbers rivaling those in the pre-pandemic years. Now, as fall arrives and the tourist waves have receded, Georgia is experiencing the third wave. The exact number of Russians who came to stay in Georgia prior to mobilization has been a matter of dispute, with estimates varying from 20,000 to more than 40,000. On top of that, Georgia is sheltering around 15,000 Belarusians plus an estimated 30,000 Ukrainians who have fled the war. The most noticeable effect of the influx has been skyrocketing rents, as landlords seek to take advantage of the rising demand. It will be a heavy burden for the social fabric of the country and also for the budget of our small country, Nikoloz Samkharadze, the head of the Georgian Parliaments foreign relations committee, told CNN on September 29, in a rare acknowledgment by a Georgian official of the complexity of the situation. Describing a moral dilemma, Samkharadze said closing the border was not an option because that would be in favor of Putin, because he wants to mobilize these people and send them to fight in Ukraine. Many in Georgia, particularly in the political opposition, had proposed closing the border in response to perceived economic or security threats the new arrivals may pose. The opposition party Lelo for Georgia suggested a special entry regime for citizens of the country carrying out a military occupation (Russia bases troops inside Georgias two breakaway territories, Abkhazia and South Ossetia). The proposed special regime envisaged issuing short-term visas (as opposed to the current one-year, visa-free entry policy) at the border and demanding written confirmation that the entrant recognizes the Russian occupation and Georgias territorial integrity. For its part the United National Movement, Georgias largest opposition party, proposed that Russians entering Georgia pay an occupation tax of 1,000 Lari (about $350). Others, though, called for cooler heads to prevail and to recognize that the young men arriving in Georgia are trying to escape Russia and the war. Russians run from Russia to not get killed for Russia and not to turn into killers for Russia! Lasha Bugadze, a prominent Georgian writer, wrote on Facebook on September 30, warning against letting fear and paranoia dictate Georgian policy. However many more of them are to arrive, remember that they are fleeing! he wrote By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The astonishing multitude of orange and green-tiled roof tiers at Wat Suthat tower above the humble visitor, and the shining glass ornaments catch the eye from far away. The ornately-carved golden points extending from the bargeboard of the roof those are called lamyong, and they evoke the form of the Naga and Nagi, the half-man, half-serpent children of the gods. I just arrived in Thailand last week, and I still have a lot to learn about Thai Buddhism and Thai temples. But one thing that is very familiar to me in the yard of Wat Suthat is the long-bearded warrior wielding the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. It appears to me to be none other than Guanyu. Images from Chinese legends and art are prevalent at Thai temples. Besides the apparent sighting of Guanyu, I have also seen other statues that look Chinese. The painting style of the murals on the walls of the temples also seems to have some kind of Chinese influence. China and Thailand have had significant trade relations and cultural exchanges throughout history. In the 1400s, Zheng He navigated his treasure ships to Ayutthaya, the ancient Siamese kingdom that existed during the Ming and early Qing dynasties. The treasure ships brought with them statues and paintings that would be exchanged and put on display in temples. Trade missions would continue over the ensuing centuries. Victor Lieberman, a prominent historian of Southeast Asia at the University of Michigan, wrote that the late 1600s and 1700s were, for Siam, a "period of Chinese-assisted economic vitality that would continue into the 19th century." The population of ethnic Chinese in the kingdom also flourished during that time. Temples would be designed with pieces taken from those with whom they traded. Aiken Unni, a student of Siamese and Southeast Asian art at the University of London's Courtauld Institute of Art, points to the glass paintings hanging high above worshippers in the main hall of Wat Pho. The paintings of junks sailing along the Guangzhou coast and phoenixes with red and blue feathers were produced in southern China and imported to Thailand during the golden age of the Ayutthaya. Those renditions were drawn on paper and then traced with oil paint on glass. Because they could be produced rather efficiently, yet maintained an air of luxury, they were popular souvenirs. "Historians believe that glass paintings, like ceramics and other Chinese goods, were used to indicate wealth and abundance," Unni wrote. Other popular themes on display at temples are plants and animal life, the Legend of the Three Kingdoms, and seascapes. There is a reason for each of these depictions. The flora and fauna evoke the Himavanta, the magical wooded paradise of Buddhist lore. The bravery of the warriors and emperors battling to reclaim lost territory in Legend of the Three Kingdoms reflects the bravery of the Thai warriors and kings who had to fight back to reclaim land contested by Burmese and Khmer kingdoms. The junks represent how one's journey to enlightenment is similar to a ship's journey across the sea. I visited Wat Pho and looked at the paintings high up on the wall and could identify the Chinese junk Unni pointed out in his article. It would have been easy to miss otherwise. I plan to talk to Unni next week and learn more about Thai temple art. The stone statues of the Guanyu-like warriors, however, are impossible to miss. They stand guard next to almost every major doorway. They are protector warriors, imported from China, clearly inspired by Guanyu. Who better to protect a temple? Thai artist Komkrit Tepthian noticed the similarities between the Chinese warrior and Thai culture's giant white nature-spirit Sahassa Deja and displayed them conjoined together at the 2018 Bangkok Art Biennale. Both "have the same role of guarding temples," Komkrit said at the time. "King Rama II very much liked to bring in Chinese craftsmen Back then, Thai and Chinese people were close like siblings." Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. India, the worlds third-largest crude oil importer, is looking to lock in term purchase contracts with crude producers, expecting a redirection of trade flows and a tighter market when the EU embargo on imports of Russian crude enters into force in early December. Major state-held refiners in India, including the biggest refiner Indian Oil Corporation, and Bharat Petroleum, are looking to sign term deals with major producers, expecting more Middle Eastern crude to flow to Europe once the EU bans Russian imports, officials at the refiners tell Reuters. Contacts are also ongoing with the United States, according to the sources. Due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict, we expect a possibility of tight oil markets and a change in flows with most Middle Eastern crude going to meet need of European markets so we need to diversify our oil sources, a source at one Indian state-owned refiner told Reuters. India, which depends on imports for more than 80% of its crude oil consumption, is looking to diversify its sources via term deals amid uncertainties about what will happen to oil trade flows and oil prices in two months time. Last week, top refiner Indian Oil Corporation signed term oil supply contracts with Brazils Petrobras and Colombias Ecopetrol. IndianOil is committed to strengthening Indias energy security, the company said as it announced the signing of the deal with Ecopetrol in Singapore. Earlier this year, India took advantage of cheap Russian crude oil on the spot market and boosted significantly its purchases of spot Russian supply, to the point that Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to become India's second-largest supplier of crude oil behind Iraq. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India was a small marginal buyer of Russian oil. In September, however, India was expected to slow purchases of Russian oil and look to more African and Middle Eastern supply as shipping rates on longer voyages jumped. Indian refiners havent expressed hesitation to deal with Russiatheir primary incentive to buy was the much cheaper Russian oil than international benchmarks and similar grades from the Middle East and Africa. However, with a recent surge in freight rates, Russian oil doesn't look so cheap. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) of the OPEC+ group recommended on Wednesday that the alliance cut 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of production for November, according to various sources after the committees meeting ended. The full OPEC+ ministerial meeting begins shortly. Earlier reports suggested that OPEC+ would discuss a production cut of between 500,000 bpd and 1 million bpd at todays meeting. Most analysts were leaning toward predicting a 1 million bpd cut. Then on Tuesday, more reports emerged that OPEC+ could discuss a cut as deep as 2 million bpd. Just before the JMMC and OPEC+ meeting started, the most circulated number was a cut of 1.8 million bpd. The actual cut in OPEC+ production could be much smaller, considering that the alliance is estimated to be around 3.6 million bpd below its target production. The White House, meanwhile, was reportedly up in arms to try and prevent the potentially major production cut in OPEC+ just a month before midterm elections when the current Administration least needs higher prices at the pump. Arriving at the OPEC+ meeting in Vienna the first in-person meeting of the alliance since March 2020 Suhail Al Mazrouei, the energy minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said that OPEC+ is a technical organization, when asked whether the U.S.-UAE relations risk being damaged because of the large proposed cut. Most officials from the OPEC+ producers said any cut would be a technical not political decision and cited a risk of recession for cuts as they entered the OPEC headquarters in Vienna. After rallying on Tuesday, oil prices were mostly flat and undecided on Wednesday as the market expects the final decision and official communication from OPEC+ after the meeting ends. Brent Crude was up 0.32% at $92.00 as of 9:13 a.m. ET. The U.S. benchmark was up by 0.23% at $86.66. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian President Vladimir Putin has decreed Ukraines Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant is a Russian federal asset, absorbing all facilities and employees as the Kremlins push in the east loses momentum against Ukrainian forces. The nuclear facility, the largest in Europe, was captured by Russian forces in March, with Ukrainian employees running day-to-day operations under siege conditions that have the worlds nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, concerned about the facilitys vulnerability to disaster. In a decree published Wednesday by Russias Tass news agency, Putin ordered the official takeover of Zaporozhye nuclear assets, stating: "The Russian government shall take measures to establish federal ownership of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant and other facilities necessary for its operation." According to Tass, Putin also instructed the government to set up the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant federal state unitary company, granting the joint-stock company the Operator of the Zaporozhye NPP the status of an organization with operations in the area of nuclear energy. Ukraines state energy agency has responded with a categorical rejection of Putins decree, announcing that its state energy agency head was taking over the plant. "All further decisions regarding the operation of the station will be made directly at the central office of Energoatom," Ukraine state energy chief Petro Kotin said in a video address posted on Telegram, as reported by Reuters. "We will continue to work under Ukrainian law, within the Ukrainian energy system, within Energoatom," Kotin said. The plant is located in Zaporizhzhia, a region that Putin officially integrated into Russia on Wednesday, following sham referendums. Russia has now annexed four partially Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. Moscow formally annexed the Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions into the Russian Federation earlier on Wednesday. Three weeks ago, Ukraine was forced to shut down the nuclear facility amid heavy shelling. At the time of Putins decree, Ukraine was considering whether to restart Zaporozhye to ensure the equipment is not undermined. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Locking in long-term gas deals with Norway, Qatar and other countries around the world has become a priority for the new Liz Truss government, as the prime minister said her focus has turned to keeping lights on this winter. Truss said ministers are looking at multi-year deals to cut reliance on imports from authoritarian regimes. I have not signed any deal. But what Im saying is that Britains energy security is vital and what we will be doing is always looking for value for money, of course we will, but its important that we have that long-term energy security, she said. Debt Truss promised to bring down debt after being challenged on whether it was wise to borrow money to sign import deals that lock in current record prices. She said: We will be bringing down the debt as a proportion of GDP over the medium term, but making sure weve got energy security is clearly vital for our country. Asked if she is contemplating buying many years worth of Norwegian gas at close to current prices, Ms Truss said: What I have said is, first of all, we will move forward on our own energy security, so thats more renewables here in the UK, its more nuclear power here in the UK, and its also moving forward faster with using North Sea facilities. But we are looking at long-term energy contracts with other countries because as well as making sure weve got a good price, energy security is vitally important. We never want to be in a position again where were dependent on authoritarian regimes for our energy. Thats why were in the situation we are now, said Liz Truss It comes just days after the energy regulator Ofgem warned there is a significant risk of gas shortages in Britain this winter due to the war in Ukraine and shortages in Europe. Britain already gets more gas from Norway than any other source. Around 52 percent of all the UKs gas imports came from Norway in the second quarter of the year. Related; DoE Scientists Reveal New Process At Tokamak Fusion Reactor The second highest was Qatar, which supplied less than 9 percent of the imports. Britain has five gas pipelines that bring gas here from Norway and from Norwegian gas fields in the North Sea. There are also two gas pipelines leading to the Netherlands and Belgium. However, the UK has been exporting through these pipelines all through this summer in order to help meet demand on the continent. The UK also has one of the best-developed infrastructure networks to bring liquid natural gas on ships into the country. A lot of this has been arriving on British shores and then shipped by pipelines to mainland Europe. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Werner Enterprises announced Monday that it has acquired Baylor Trucking. With the acquisition, Werner, which is based in Omaha, will add Baylors 234 drivers, 200 trucks and 980 trailers to its company. Werners acquisition of Baylor, which was founded in 1946 and is based in Milan, Indiana, will expand the transportation and logistics companys footprint in the east-central and south-central U.S. Werners fleet size will increase by 2.4%, the company said in a press release. A Werner spokesman said the company has more than 10,000 drivers. The spokesman declined to disclose the price of the acquisition, although he described it as a small acquisition. Werner said Baylor will operate as a stand-alone business unit and retain the Baylor brand. Baylors existing leadership, drivers and nondriver workers will remain in place. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) The Democratic challenger to U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise in a Louisiana congressional race released a campaign ad on social media that includes video of her giving birth. Katie Darling said she was seven months pregnant when she decided to join the race in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that ended constitutional protections for abortion. The 75-second video documents Darling traveling from her family farm in St. Tammany parish in September to a hospital, where she grips the side of a bed while in labor. I wanted to share that this is real for me, Darling, 36, said in an interview with The Associated Press. I am literally the one hooked up to the machines and the IVs in the hospital bed, going through childbirth and nobody else should be deciding how I handle that. In a voiceover, Darling highlights her concerns about climate change, Louisiana underperforming in education and the states near-total abortion ban the only exceptions to the ban are if there is substantial risk of death or impairment to the patient if they continue with the pregnancy and in the case of medically futile pregnancies when the fetus has a fatal abnormality. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. Louisiana deserves better than the path its on, Darling says in the video. I want that better path, she adds, for you as the ad pans to her husband in the delivery room. For her, as a the video shows her six-year-old daughter. And for him, she says directly into the camera from her hospital bed as she cradles her newborn. Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, said the ad is part of a larger trend of how women have used motherhood in campaign ads in recent years as a selling point. In all of these cases (candidates) are really using their motherhood in their identity and their childbirth as saying, I understand most innately and Im most committed to these issues in the future because of my children, Dittmar said during a press availability Tuesday. While Darlings ad garnered more than 1 million views and nearly 6,000 retweets as of Tuesday afternoon, she faces an uphill battle for a seat Republicans have held since 1977. Scalise has held Louisianas 1st Congressional District, which includes suburban New Orleans, the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain south to the Mississippi River delta, since 2008 and is seeking his ninth consecutive term in November. He reported more than $8 million cash on hand in his most recent campaign finance report. Darling has not yet reported how much she has raised. Howard Kearney, a libertarian, is also running for the seat. - Associated Press reporter Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report. Ben Lenagh was never angry, even as the youngest of five brothers. He always had a smile on his face, his oldest brother Jason recalled. And this year, Lenagh had finally found his calling: teaching. Ben Lenagh, 23, was one of six people who died after a car crashed into a tree early Sunday in a residential Lincoln neighborhood. He was a passenger in a Honda Accord that crashed into a tree near 56th and Randolph Streets shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday. He and four other people in the car, all of whom were in their 20s, died at the scene. A sixth person, a 24-year-old woman, was freed from the wreckage by Lincoln Fire and Rescue workers and taken to the hospital, but she died later that morning. Lenagh graduated from Millard North High School and took just three years to graduate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was working on a masters degree at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, his brother said. Lenagh was teaching at Westside High School in Omaha. A statement the school sent Monday to Westside families said Lenagh had been working with three Westside teachers and was in the accelerated teacher preparation program at UNO. The statement said Lenagh was set to graduate in the coming year. We shared this news in person with your student this morning, making brief announcements in our business classes where Mr. Lenagh assisted, the statement reads. Westside officials also said school counselors were available if students needed to talk. Jason Lenagh said that in teaching, his brother knew what he wanted to do in life. He was so happy. He knew who he was, Jason said of his brother. Ben Lenagh loved sports, especially playing basketball with his brothers, who often credited him with having the best shot on the family team. He also enjoyed playing video games, singing and dancing and watching anime videos. Jason Lenagh said his brother always ended phone calls by saying, I love you. He just had fun, his brother said. He just brought joy to everybody. A celebration of life will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Christ the King Catholic Church, 654 S. 86th St. in Omaha. In addition to Jason Lenagh, Lenaghs survivors include his parents, Ed and Mary Ann Lenagh; brothers Matthew, Zachary and Jacob Lenagh; and his grandmother, Helen Lenagh. Visitation is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Friday at Westside Church, 15050 West Dodge Road. Memorials are requested to the family for a scholarship fund to be established in Lenaghs name. Holocaust survivor Katherine Kitty Williams busied herself with raising a family after coming to the U.S. in 1947 and marrying a Council Bluffs man, who discouraged her from talking about her experiences in a German concentration camp. My father told her on the train (from New York) to Council Bluffs that his family was bigoted, said her son, Mark Peters of New York. He said it was not a good idea to let them know that she was Jewish. It was rough, Peters said. She basically went from one anti-Semitic society to another. Williams died Sunday in her home at age 98. Her family will receive visitors from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home, 1221 N. 16th St., Council Bluffs. An 11 a.m. graveside service will be held Friday at Walnut Hill Cemetery, 1350 E. Pierce St., Council Bluffs. In some ways, Peters said, it was a relief for his mother to not talk about the horrors she had endured. She opened up more after divorcing her husband, who Peters said was an abusive alcoholic. Williams later married another Council Bluffs man, Bill Williams. She accepted his proposal only after telling him that she was Jewish. My stepfather said, So what? and my mother was able to acknowledge her identity, said Peters, who is gay. She later told my partner, So thats what its like coming out of the closet! Williams, who grew up as Katherine Ehrenfeld in Sarand, Hungary, went on to speak about her experiences dozens of times. She has been honored by the Institute for Holocaust Education in Omaha and the Iowa Holocaust Memorial in Des Moines. I was silent for so many years, Williams told The World-Herald in 2017. Its my only regret. But I will try my best to make up for it. In her Holocaust presentations, Williams said that she and her father were forced onto a train bound for Auschwitz in June 1944. Her first night there, she smelled burning flesh and heard screams of people begging for their lives. She got the chance to work in a German munitions camp, where conditions were slightly better. As the Allies came closer, the Nazis planned to send the workers to another camp to be gassed, but Williams and about two dozen female workers escaped when the guards abandoned them. Starving, they ate grass until units from the U.S. Army arrived. You look back on it, and you think it cant happen, she said during an interview. In everything, I was so fortunate. I dont know why I was picked to be alive. Her father died in Auschwitz, and a brother died as a forced laborer in Russia, but Williams five siblings survived the war. About 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. More than 1.1 million people died at Auschwitz. In Iowa, Williams worked on her first husbands family farm but later got a job at a bank and worked her way up to vice president. She raised three children, one of whom later died. Bill Williams died in 2012. I didnt really get the full story (of her experiences) until later on, Peters said. I remember her telling us about arriving (at a camp) and seeing her reflection in a window for the first time in a long time. She was startled because she was only 20 years old, her head was shaved and she was very gaunt. Kitty Williams returned to Europe multiple times and spoke often about her Holocaust experiences. You just feel like you dont have much time left, she said in the 2017 interview. I just hope that my health holds out so that I can keep on talking. I benefit more out of it than the people Im talking to because I have the satisfaction that theyre informed, that they know it really happened. Williams daughter, Pamela Peters, who also lives in New York, said her mother also recalled the good people she had met, including members of a Christian family in her hometown who helped hide her early in the war. Basically, she felt like there were always good people, and she was so thankful, Pamela Peters said. She was particularly thankful for the people who helped her and her family during the Holocaust. Williams voice will continue to be heard in a video recorded when she spoke in Omaha on Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2019. Morning routines are looking a little different this fall in a growing number of Nebraska classrooms. In addition to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and taking attendance, teachers are facilitating things like mood check-ins and listening sessions to gauge how students are doing. The practices are part of social and emotional learning, an area of curriculum that many districts across the state are investing in this year with the latest round of federal COVID-19 relief money. The pandemics impact has taken a toll on students in particular, contributing to an increase in mental health problems since 2020, according to statewide and national data. Nebraska districts, and schools across the U.S., are using the federal money to hire more mental health specialists, roll out new coping tools and expand social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, which prioritizes emotional health. About one-third of school districts in the U.S. have earmarked COVID money for social and emotional learning, said Justina Schlund, spokeswoman for Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, a national nonprofit that has worked for more than two decades to spread and develop social and emotional learning practice. The organization defines social and emotional learning as the process through which youths acquire the skills to develop healthy identities, manage emotions, show empathy for others, establish supportive relationships and make responsible, caring decisions. In Nebraska, the money has allowed the Creighton Community Public Schools to heavily invest in social and emotional learning for the first time, Superintendent Josh Weber said. The northeast Nebraska district is using about $20,000 to $25,000 for social and emotional learning programs, including Second Step a common SEL program used by multiple districts for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Students meet with their school counselor weekly to go through lessons. One week might focus on being a good listener, and the next week they will learn what it means to be kind, Weber said. I hope it is going to be a really positive program for us. The district also is starting a new mental health program, which includes reinforcing school expectations, tiered support for challenges, and learning about social skills. Weber said this is the first year a licensed mental health practitioner will be available twice a week. Since COVID happened, we have really decided to take off with this, Weber said. Before COVID, students were still doing social emotional learning, but COVID has really shone a light on some mental health issues and pushed us to address them. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 70% of public schools reported an increase in the percentage of students seeking mental health services at school, according to a survey that the National Center for Education Statistics published in May. About 76% reported an increase in staff voicing concerns about their students exhibiting symptoms of depression, anxiety and trauma. Nebraska mental health providers reported in a 2021 survey that cases of pediatric anxiety, depression and family stress have increased both in quantity and severity during the pandemic, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. More than 50% of children surveyed in a separate 2021 UNMC statewide assessment had received mental or behavioral health services during the pandemic. While social and emotional learning doesnt replace the need for mental health services, it can prevent risks and promote mental wellness, Schlund said. Its preventative and helps reduce risks of mental health challenges, because it develops social-emotional skills that help students be able to process different emotions and cope with challenges, Schlund said. Research shows when they have relationships and strong SEL skills, it can help protect against mental health risks. Social and emotional learning has been around for decades, Schlund said, and was even on the rise before the pandemic began. About 95% of school districts in the U.S. have some type of social and emotional learning, according to a 2021 survey that involved CASEL. But the pandemic revealed the mental wellness need among students and teachers, Schlund said. Earlier this year, when 100 school district leaders across the country were asked what their main priorities are, the top response included social and emotional learning. Its safe to say it is a really huge focus across the nation, Schlund said. This year, the Ralston school district is checking in on students daily through morning meetings, said Cecilia Wilken, assistant superintendent for learning. The meetings take place in every classroom prekindergarten through sixth grade. Each one consists of a greeting to students, welcoming them to class, a sharing activity and an activity focused on a specific behavior or academic area. A morning message concludes the meetings, where teachers write to students what is on the schedule for the day. Its the idea of taking time to build community and knowing each other, Wilken said. Its about how students interact with each other and they get to learn about each other. Ralstons chunk of federal COVID relief money also paid for new social and emotional learning curriculum for students prekindergarten through sixth grade this year. Wilken said it focuses on self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills and social awareness. The district has also been using a different curriculum for grades 7-12 that includes the topics of gratitude, courage, compassion and forgiveness. Wilken said while Ralston has been incorporating a variety of other social and emotional curriculum throughout the past several years, recently purchased programs are focused on helping students transition into a more post-pandemic world. Our students have been through a lot, Wilken said. We are making sure we have those social and emotional supports in place, and we are helping students learn those life skills. When we think about helping students as we find our new normal, we try to give them opportunities to help them grow. The Palmyra school district in southeast Nebraska plans to purchase a $4,200 universal social emotional learning screener, which identifies students who may need advanced support. It gives you data to say Hey, make sure we are following up with this kid or We need to create a safety plan for this kid, said Superintendent Michael Hart. Its another instrument to intervene hopefully as proactively as possible. The Omaha school district is investing $460,000 from its federal money to implement more social and emotional learning districtwide. The money has paid for the Second Step curriculum to be incorporated into all K-8 schools. The district also purchased training from the Yale Center for Intelligence for 14 schools. OPS has been able to host parenting workshops for families. OPS schools are also incorporating SEL into daily activities. For example, Bryan Middle School hands out Bear Bucks to get rewards for positive behavior. The school has already handed out 11,000 Bear Bucks this year. The district has future plans to incorporate more social emotional learning. Officials are currently searching for proposals from companies who can provide online emotional regulation and mindset tools that could be used in all grade levels. Firms have until Oct. 24 to submit their proposals for the materials, according to the OPS website. Josie McDonnell, social emotional learning supervisor for OPS, said while the district has been prioritizing social and emotional learning for decades, she thinks the increased focus on SEL is because of how the pandemic has affected students and teachers well-being. Its a new buzzword, right? It seems like as we are still in a pandemic, were really focusing on students and educators mental health and wellness, McDonnell said. And I think that in schools, its really important that we teach (SEL) because they are lifelong skills that we use every single day. Flash Syed Ali Haider Shah Bukhari, chairman of Hussain Shah Bukhari Welfare Trust, a Pakistani charity organization, was distributing school bags, shoes and candies to the kids studying in a tent school. The kids were the flood-affected internally displaced people (IDPs) living in a newly established tent camp using China-donated tents, in Matli town of Badin district in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. Bukhari appreciated China's support for Pakistan in the fight against the ongoing disaster and humanitarian assistance in relief work which is facilitating the country in providing basic education and health services to the affected people. "China's tents are playing a good role in our society because still sometimes there is rainfall over here and sunshine is also very intense," Bukhari added. Talking to Xinhua, Noor Ahmed Khahro, Assistant Commissioner of Matli town, said that the China-donated tents are waterproof and heat resistant, and are designed in a way that cross ventilation easily takes place inside them. Sindh has been the worst-hit province of the country where at least 759 people died and 8,422 were injured due to the floods since mid-June and over 366,000 people are currently living in camps, according to the figures released by Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Khahro said that Matli is one of the most low-lying areas in the Badin district so most of the schools in the area were also flooded and consequently damaged. To save the academic year of these children, they have been provided with the education facility utilizing the spacious and well-ventilated Chinese tents and assigned a couple of teachers to the tent school, he added. Mangan, a young teacher who lives in a nearby village, volunteered himself and asked officials to provide him with some facilities to teach the students of the tent camp for free. The local authorities hired him for the tent school on a reasonable monthly salary. "All these students here are poverty-stricken and are very good learners. They are good at reading, writing, and learning. Because of these spacious tents, we are going to teach these kids here," Mangan told Xinhua. Around 95 tents were installed in the area where 581 people are currently living, including 379 children. One of the biggest challenges the flood-affected people, including the tent camp IDPs, are facing is the rapid spread of water-borne, vector-borne and viral diseases. According to a health official, almost all IDPs are malnourished and presently suffering from dengue, skin infections, headache, body aches etc. As their overall health conditions are not good, even a mild fever can become a serious issue for them. In the wake of the health crisis, a clinic has also been established in the Matli's tent camp using two China-donated tents. One of the tents is being used for patient examination while the other is a pharmacy where all medicines are provided free of charge to the IDPs. Khahro said that these tents are very productive for providing health facilities since they have all necessary features and protections, as they can be completely closed using attached zips, preventing mosquitoes from entering. "These China-donated tents are the best quality tents, among all the tents I have seen up till yet being currently utilized for the relief work," he said. Thanking China for its support, Khahro said that it was one of the few countries that came to help Pakistan soon after the floods hit the South Asian country. "Chine extended their help in terms of goods, and as you can see this tent city has also been established with their cooperation and assistance," he said. "I would like to express my gratitude to the people of China, to the government of China because China has always been Pakistan's long-lasting friend, has always helped Pakistan in terms of crisis, particularly whenever a disaster has struck Pakistan. I also wish and hope that this cooperation between the two counties will continue in the future," Khahro said. The Council Bluffs Parks and Recreation Department is using a herd of 45 goats to clear a 5-acre area along the northern section of Big Lake Park. In May, Council Bluffs used a team of 55 goats to clear weeds and brush along the riverfront at Tom Hanafan Rivers Edge Park. The goats are provided through Goats on the Go, a company that works with affiliate herds across several states, including Nebraska and Iowa. The goats for this project are provided by Matt and Jocelyn Vermeersch of Mud Ridge Ranch in Council Bluffs, who will monitor the herd during the project. The goats will eat up the vegetation in the area, including noxious weeds such as poison ivy and nettles, city officials said. Goats do eat grass, but they will mostly eat weeds and brush when available, according to the Goats on the Go website. With the help of the goats, were able to restore this area of Big Lake Park by opening sightlines and giving park goers a greater sense of security while walking through the paths, Vincent Martorello, Parks and Recreation Department director, said in a press release. Using a grazing goat herd can be both cost effective and environmentally friendly. Controlled grazing eliminates the need for spraying herbicides or mowing, which in turn reduces fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Goats on the Go website. Using goats also frees up city employees to work on other projects, the city said. The only thing city employees have to do is clean up larger logs and debris after the goats are done munching. The public is welcome to check out the goats in action at Big Lake Park, but city officials ask people not to approach the fenced area where the goats are grazing. Plans that would have seen 100 rowhouse-style homes built in Omaha have been downsized. The Omaha Planning Board unanimously approved plans to downsize the Uptown District, which would redevelop multiple sites across the city. The original plan was approved in 2015, with revisions made in 2017. The revised plan approved Wednesday by the Planning Board would eliminate six parcels. Documents sent to the board said that changes in market conditions no longer favor for-sale town-home units in the area. Two of the six parcels being removed from the plan are being redeveloped as a separate project dubbed The Digs. The project would see an apartment building built at 522 S. 31st St. and 522 S. Park Ave. Two other parcels would be donated to the nonprofit inCOMMON. The board also recommended approval of two other developments that sought tax-increment financing. Those projects are: A four-story apartment building that would be built at the corner of 30th and Leavenworth Streets after the existing building there is demolished. The apartment building would have 73 units for rent. Prices would start at $1,188 for a studio and go up to $1,973 for a two-bedroom unit. The building would include a fitness studio, yoga room, bicycle storage, coffee bar and common gathering areas. Developers expect to start construction in April 2023, wrapping up by July 2024. Developers are asking for $1.8 million in tax-increment financing for the $18 million project. A building near 24th and Laird Streets would undergo extensive rehabilitation and construction of a small addition. The building would have three apartments one one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units on the second floor. A commercial kitchen, office space and community event space would be on the first floor. Officials expect to start construction in October, with the project complete by July 2023. Developers are asking for $203,000 in tax-increment financing for the nearly $2.2 million project. All the projects now go to the Omaha City Council for final approval. WASHINGTON (AP) Lawyers for former President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to step into the legal fight over the classified documents seized during an FBI search of his Florida estate, escalating a dispute over the powers of an independent arbiter appointed to inspect the records. The Trump team asked the justices to overturn a lower court ruling and allow the arbiter, called a special master, to review the roughly 100 documents with classification markings that were taken in the Aug. 8 search of Mar-a-Lago. A three-judge panel from the Atlanta-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit last month limited the special master's review to the much larger tranche of non-classified documents. The judges, including two Trump appointees, sided with the Justice Department, which had argued there was no legal basis for the special master to conduct his own review of the classified records. But Trump's lawyers said in their application to the Supreme Court that it was essential for the special master to have access to the classified records to determine whether documents bearing classification markings are in fact classified, and regardless of classification, whether those records are personal records or Presidential records. Since President Trump had absolute authority over classification decisions during his Presidency, the current status of any disputed document cannot possibly be determined solely by reference to the markings on that document, the application states. It says that without the special master review, the unchallenged views of the current Justice Department would supersede the established authority of the Chief Executive. An independent review, the Trump team says, ensures a transparent process that provides much-needed oversight. The FBI says it seized roughly 11,000 documents, including about 100 with classification markings, during its search. The Trump team asked a judge in Florida, Aileen Cannon, to appoint a special master to do an independent review of the records. Cannon subsequently assigned a veteran Brooklyn judge, Raymond Dearie, to review the records and segregate those that may be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege and executive privilege. She also barred the FBI from being able to use the classified documents as part of its criminal investigation. The Justice Department appealed, prompting the 11th Circuit to lift Cannon's hold on investigators' ability to scrutinize the classified records. The appeals court also ruled that the department did not have to provide Dearie with access to the classified records. Trumps lawyers submitted the Supreme Court application to Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees emergency matters from Florida and several other Southern states. Thomas can act on his own or, as is usually done, refer the emergency appeal to the rest of the court. Late Tuesday the court said the government was being asked to respond to the petition by Oct. 11. Thomas has previously come under scrutiny for his vote in a different Trump documents case, in which he was the only member of the court to vote against allowing the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot to obtain Trump records held by the National Archives and Records Administration. Thomas wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas, is a conservative activist and staunch Trump supporter who attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally on the Ellipse and wrote to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the weeks following the election encouraging him to work to overturn Bidens victory and keep Trump in office. She also contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the election. Thomas was recently interviewed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection and she stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent. Associated Press writers Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko contributed to this report. LINCOLN The last person Dustin Rymph expected to see in a political ad attacking a candidate running for legislative District 26 in northeast Lincoln was himself. But shortly after the flyer appeared in mailboxes last week, Rymph learned a political action committee had mistaken him for his friend, George Dungan, who will face Russ Barger on Nov. 8. My reaction was thats not George, thats me, said Rymph, who saw the mailer over the weekend from his home in Oregon, where he moved from Lincoln four years ago to attend graduate school and now works in wildfire risk mitigation. The attack ad was paid for by Nebraska Federation for Children a state affiliate of the American Federation for Children, founded and formerly run by Betsy DeVos, the education secretary under former President Donald Trump. The group said Tuesday it stands by its use of the photos. Lauren Garcia, the Nebraska state director for American Federation for Children, said the photos were pulled from Dungans personal Facebook page, where she said they appeared without indication that it was someone else. Facebook allows users to tag other people in posted photos, videos or other features on the application, but its not required. Users can also remove their tags in other peoples photos. It is reasonable to conclude the photos posted by Mr. Dungan are of himself, Garcia said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Rymph said Garcias suggestion that the photo shows anything inappropriate was false. The photos of Rymph were posted to Dungans Facebook page more than a decade ago. One photo, taken in July 2011 when Rymph was visiting Dungan in Washington, D.C., where Dungan was attending law school at American University, depicts a shirtless Rymph standing in front of the Nebraska plaque at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall on what he recalls was a hot day. It was over 100 degrees out, Rymph said. The other, from July 2010, shows a shirtless Rymph sitting on a bouncing horse toy taking what he described as a goofy photo. The two have been friends since middle school, he added. Everybody has goofy photos that they took when they were in their early 20s, Rymph said. They dont say anything about his policies or issues, or anything about his character. Garcia also claimed both photos were removed from Dungans personal Facebook page sometime after American Federation for Children took a screenshot of them on Sept. 1. She said that shows Dungan believes they are unbefitting for a candidate for office. Candidates asking for Nebraskans trust to represent them in the Legislature should be held to a high standard, which includes being forthright and honest, Garcia said. Dungan said he didnt pull the photos, as Garcia said, but rather made them private so people who arent me dont get pulled into a smear campaign. American Federation for Children, which pushes for charter schools and expanding private school voucher programs, has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to its state affiliate over the last two years. The Nebraska Federation for Children, in turn, has funneled money from the national PAC and donations collected in state to two dozen lawmakers and a handful of candidates seeking seats in the Legislature. The group has previously supported Barger, a registered Republican running against Dungan, a Democrat, to replace the term-limited Sen. Matt Hansen in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. Barger said Monday that he did not endorse the attack ad, which he called tasteless. The attack ad delivered last week doesnt focus on Dungans stance on education issues. Dungan said in addition to using a photo of a person who is not him, it also misrepresents his positions. He called the situation absurd. Im not surprised by this group doubling down on a lie just to further mislead the public, Dungan said Tuesday. Im happy to provide the American Federation for Children with a headshot if theyre still unsure what I look like. Trading in shares of Twitter was halted after the stock spiked on reports that Elon Musk would proceed with his $44 billion deal to buy the company after months of legal battles. Musk offered to buy the San Francisco company at $54.20. Shares jumped nearly 13% to $47.95 before trading stopped. Bloomberg News reported Tuesday that Musk made the proposal in a letter to Twitter, according to people familiar with the case who were not identified. Musk has been trying to back out of the deal for several months after signing on to buy the social media platform in April. Shareholders have already approved the sale. Musk claimed that Twitter under-counted the number of fake accounts on its platform, and Twitter sued when Musk announced the deal was off. Neither Twitter nor lawyers for Musk responded to messages seeking comment on Tuesday. The trial seeking to compel Musk to buy Twitter is set to start in Delaware Chancery Court on Oct. 17. Musk's argument for walking away from the deal has largely rested on the allegation that Twitter misrepresented how it measures the magnitude of "spam bot" accounts that are useless to advertisers. But most legal experts believed he faced an uphill battle in convincing Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the court's head judge, that something changed since the April merger agreement that justifies terminating the deal. WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday sought U.S. Supreme Court intervention in the fight over government papers recovered from his Mar-a-Lago home, asking the justices to let a court-appointed special master review 100 documents with classified markings. The move escalates what already was an extraordinary showdown, as the Justice Department investigates whether Trump or his aides illegally took sensitive government records when he left office and obstructed repeated efforts to recover them. A federal appeals court last month partially blocked an order issued by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who has appointed a special master to review about 11,000 documents recovered in a court-authorized search in August. Any limit on the comprehensive and transparent review of materials seized in the extraordinary raid of a presidents home erodes public confidence in our system of justice, Trump argued in an application filed with Justice Clarence Thomas, who is assigned to handle emergency matters from Florida. In its Sept. 21 order, the three-judge panel said it cannot discern why plaintiff would have an individual interest in or need for any of the one-hundred documents with classification markings. The panel consisted of two judges appointed by Trump and one by former President Barack Obama. Trumps lawyers repeated claims they made in the lower courts that Trump, as a sitting president, had sweeping authority to declassify documents. They again stayed away from declaring outright thats what happened with the Mar-a-Lago documents. The appeals court rejected suggestions that Trump had declassified the documents. The declassification argument is a red herring because declassifying an official document would not change its content or render it personal, the panel said. So even if we assumed that plaintiff did declassify some or all of the documents, that would not explain why he has a personal interest in them. Cannon had blocked federal investigators from using the documents with classified markings in the criminal probe while the special master did his review. The Justice Department also challenged that injunction and the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the government, allowing them to resume using those materials. Trumps lawyers made clear they were not challenging that part of the appeals courts decision. Thomas has previously come under scrutiny for his vote in a different Trump documents case, in which he was the only member of the court to vote against allowing the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot to obtain Trump records held by the National Archives and Records Administration. Thomas wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas, is a conservative activist and Trump supporter who wrote to then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in the weeks following the election encouraging him to work to overturn President Joe Bidens victory. She also contacted lawmakers in Arizona and Wisconsin in the weeks after the election. Ginni Thomas was recently interviewed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection and stood by the false claim that the 2020 election was fraudulent. This report includes material from the Associated Press. BLOOMINGTON Answering the question "Do Black lives matter?" and grappling with issues of ensuring equality, securing elections and having guns in government buildings, some candidates for county and state office spoke Thursday at a forum hosted by the local NAACP. The Bloomington-Normal NAACP invited candidates for Illinois's 17th Congressional District, the 46th Illinois Senate District and McLean County treasurer and county clerk to a public forum Tuesday night at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, a historic Black church. Those who attended were state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria; incumbent Republicans Kathy Michael, the county clerk, and Rebecca McNeil, the county treasurer; and Laura McBurney, who is running for county clerk. Koehler's opponent, Republican Desi Anderson, and McNeil's opponent, libertarian Charles Sila, did not attend. Both candidates for the Illinois 17th Congressional District, Democrat Eric Sorensen and Republican Esther Joy King, also were invited but did not attend, organizers said. Questions came from the general public and those in attendance concerned such issues as election integrity and voter access, diversity in the workplace and employment opportunities, gun control, the environment and racial equity. Do Black lives matter? One of the final questions of the night but one that moderator Carla Campbell-Jackson, first vice president of the local NAACP, call "poignant" was "Do black lives matter?" The two Democrats present, Koehler and McBurney, both answered, "Absolutely." McNeil said, "Of course they do. All lives matter." Campbell-Jackson asked, "Is that a qualifier?" to which McNeil responded, "All lives matter. I'm sitting here in your church and I am not going to just say that Black lives matter. All lives matter, even the unborn. All lives matter." Michael said, "Of course Black lives matter. I agree with the treasurer on this and with a lot of other people, always. "And I also believe that, when you're selecting election judges, or anyone else in process, let's stand behind our police. I stand proudly behind our police and law enforcement." Diversity When asked about diversity, equity and inclusion, Koehler said: "My staff is just one person right now, the director of my Peoria staff. The rest of the staff is in Springfield. It's a very diverse staff, both young men and young women, Asian, African American, Hispanic; it's important to have that inclusion in your staff." McNeil, the treasurer, said she has a small staff of only five full-time employees, most of whom stay for several years. "I am very, very blessed to have staff and they're very, very dedicated to their jobs, and working with 30 other departments. And they tend to stay there I have employees that have been there 20 years," she said. McNeil said, "As those (hiring) opportunities come about, we'll always be looking to see how we can expand." McBurney, the clerk candidate, acknowledged that she does not have a staff at the moment, but said a key duty of the county clerk's office is to ensure accessibility for residents. "Offices are currently open until about 4:30 p.m.," she said, "I would really love to extend that to 5 o'clock, or even some weekend hours, make it easier for people to make it to the office." Michael said, "We're open, I tell people, 24/7. Sometimes people get annoyed with me when I answer them at 4 o'clock in the morning not really annoyed." She added: "One thing in our office that we don't say: 'We've always done it that way.' And that's a big no-no to say. But we say, 'How can we improve?' Maybe we can't. But we're always looking for that." Gun safety Koehler, who is a gun owner, said he authored the recent firearm owner's identification (FOID) reform law that took effect at the beginning of the year. "My position is I tried to be a moderate on this issue (the issue is) very polarized, but we wanted to improve the FOID card protections for people in Illinois." He said the law calls for regularly checking FOID holders. "You're checked every 24 hours against the national database. And that's important because what we have to do is we have to make sure that the wrong people do not have access to weapons." McNeil acknowledged the treasurer's office has little sway with gun legislation, but agrees with gun registration. "I believe that there should be stronger restrictions and stronger rules. I think anybody that owns a gun should be registered. And I think that's part of gun ownership responsibility," McNeil said. McNeil then pointed out what she said was a lack of security at the Government Center, 115 E. Washington St., which is shared by the City of Bloomington and the county. Unlike the Law and Justice Center, it doesn't have metal detectors, she said. Michael echoed McNeil's concern about safety at the office. "We work with cybersecurity and homeland security. All those things that we never worked with before. They give us helpful hints, sometimes every day," she said, "but it doesn't provide us with a gun to protect ourselves ... What do I do if someone comes in with a gun? Throw my pencil at them? Because we're not allowed to have guns in the building. "I mean, you tell me what we do, I don't have the answer. Or I think that I have the right to carry a gun in my office properly registered to defend my staff, they can take me down first. I'm old enough to go. They're not going to take my staff and I want to be able to protect them. So, I hope you can help with that, Dave (Koehler)," Michael said. Voter accessibility On voter accessibility, Michael said, "I actually believe that we should have more (voter) ID. I don't know how to do it yet. I'm working on that." The county clerk told an anecdote from her first years in office. Michael said an elderly voter had been denied the ability to vote because her signature did not match the record. "She'd had a stroke," Michael said. "Who writes the same way that you did 10 or 20 years ago?" She said, "Now we have a backup plan, which is good. 'Were you invited to vote provisionally?' She said she was too humiliated." Koehler said, "We have passed, continually in the state of Illinois, bills that have allowed better, easier access to voting. This year, you'll get a chance to ask for a permanent vote by mail. That's probably the solution to people who have had strokes." He added: "Voting by mail is easy. Some states do that as a matter of course. We don't have ID (requirements) in this state." Election integrity/2020 election Koehler said, "Our elections are safe and fair. In this kind country, thanks to people like our county clerk and county clerks everywhere and election commissions, we do a good job of making sure that people are voting correctly, those who should vote." McBurney, who is running for county clerk, acknowledged some of the concerns that people may have about election integrity. "I know that some of the conversations around that are a lot of concerns about ballot drop boxes, people putting mail-in ballots in there that some people would believe to be invalid. And also issues like some people being afraid of dead people voting," McBurney said. "The truth is that as a recorder of vital records, the clerk's office is directly connected to being able to process that information and add it into your voter registration," she said. McBurney added that a photo ID with current address is required to register to vote in a given district. "If you look through all of the information that they will take down it's your full name, even down to part of your Social Security number. So I don't believe that IDs are a necessity to vote," she said. Michael touted the clerk's offices accomplishments in terms of voting integrity. "You can tell them the last time we had a complaint with the state board: never. You can tell them the last time we had a voter suppression claim: never. And I'll brag on that. Because that's what's important for you," she said. Michael then turned to the question of the 2020 election. She said it was "a whole nother story ... There's a song, 'Let it go, Let it go...'," Michael said, singing the lyric from the popular Disney anthem. "You know what I'm saying? I respect everybody's opinions, time to go, time to move on and take your fight to the next battle. And then prove it. When you can prove it, you've got a case with me." McNeil, agreeing with Michael, said: "As far as what happened two years ago, that's water under the bridge. The people voted. And the people spoke. And that's over with and done." How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region. 100 years ago Oct. 5, 1922: Nine veterans of the 39th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, nicknamed the "Yates Phalanx," attended a reunion at the Bloomington Association of Commerce assembly room. Another 45 "honorary members" widows and children also attended the gathering. The regiment was mustered into service in 1861 and disbanded in December 1865. There are 145 members still living across the United States, records show. Read the story. 75 years ago Oct. 5, 1947: Alderman Walter Benson of the sixth ward, who has recently made a personal study of Bloomington's finances, said the city council could not vote to give employees a 40-hour work week. He said the city is $294,000 "in the red" and changing from a 44-hour work week would cost another $30,000. Currently, city laborers receive 96 cents an hour, and mechanics, linemen, etc., receive $1.12 an hour. Read the story. 50 years ago Oct. 5, 1972: The Roland's store in Eastland Shopping Center will double in size with an addition scheduled for completion about April 1. Mrs. Margaret Wakeley, president and general manager of Roland's of Bloomington Inc., said the expansion would accompany remodeling of the existing store. An elaborate brick and glass exterior with a display window and plantings will grace the back of the addition for a new outside entrance. Read the story. 25 years ago Oct. 5, 1997: More than 3,000 Central Illinoisans made the trek by plane, bus, train and car to the Promise Keepers' gathering of Christian men in Washington, D.C. The trip was a one-day affair for more than 170 people who traveled from Bloomington-Normal via jet. Those who traveled via other modes of transportation left the region on a Friday and were expected to return Sunday. Read the story. BLOOMINGTON McLean County veterans, you may qualify for compensation. Thats the message state and county veterans service officers were hoping to spread Wednesday. With the passage of the Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 and the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021, veterans are beginning to file claims addressing harmful exposure to contaminants and toxins during their time in the U.S. military. Were just trying to educate folks about what conditions that would qualify for filing a claim under either one of those subjects, along with all other things that are going on with veterans service-connected disabilities, said Keith Wetherell, executive director of the Illinois AMVETS organization. He and other veterans service officers held a session at the VFW John H. Kraus Post #454 in Bloomington, answering veterans' questions and, for some, beginning the process of filing a claim under the recent laws. Noting there is a shortage of veterans service officers in the McLean County area, Wetherell said they worked with the McLean County Veterans Assistance Commission to ensure veterans in this area had the opportunity to hear from claims experts. After a morning of meeting veterans with questions, he said Illinois AMVETS might return in the future to hold another session. PACT Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics expanded Veterans Affairs benefits for those veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances during their service. Camp Lejeune is a Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, that was shown to have two on-base wells that were contaminated. Under the Camp Lejeune law, individuals who were exposed to that contaminated water for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987, have the right to sue and recover damages for harm. However, while that law has specific date ranges, the extent of the coverage and compensation under both laws remains unclear, Wetherell said. Its a fluid situation because theyre adding conditions and removing conditions or expanding conditions, sometimes on a weekly basis. So this is going to be a constant change, he said, noting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to start addressing claims at the start of 2023. Theyre still trying to work out the details, so as they work out the details, those will get passed down to the public. Wetherell said even those who were not stationed at Camp Lejeune within the specified ranges could have conditions that qualify them to receive damages. Heart and lung conditions have been linked to the exposure at Camp Lejeune, but other conditions including cancers could qualify as well. Rather than seeking a private attorney, Wetherell said veterans with questions should reach out to their local veterans service organization first for more information about which conditions qualify and how to file a claim, including what service and medical documentation would be necessary for a successful claim, because the attorney is going to take a portion of their claim where the veteran service organization doesnt take anything. CHICAGO A suburban Chicago woman has been charged with first-degree murder more than a week after the death of her 3-year-old nephew, who she allegedly pushed into Lake Michigan and watched as he sank into the water. The Cook County State's Attorney's office announced the murder charge Tuesday against Victoria Moreno, 34. She was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a child and ordered held without bail. Moreno, a Des Plaines resident, was again denied bail Tuesday during a second bond hearing on the new charge, WTTW-TV reported. She is due back in court on Oct. 24. Moreno is accused of shoving her nephew, Josiah Brown, into the water near Chicago's Navy Pier on Sept. 19 and watching as he sank below the water, prosecutors said. Divers found him about 30 minutes later after passersby called 911 and threw a life preserver in the water. The boy was transported in critical condition to Comer Children's Hospital, where he died on Sept. 25, the Cook County medical examiner's office said. On the morning of Sept. 19, prosecutors said, Moreno stole the keys to a family truck in Des Plaines and "snuck out of the residence without anyone knowing that she had left." Prosecutors said Moreno was not allowed to drive because she takes medication for "mental health issues" and because of an incident a week earlier when she drove to Navy Pier with several children, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Moreno's attorney said during Tuesday's bond hearing that the state had failed to prove that his client had any "intent to kill" the boy. WEST LAFAYETTE A Purdue University student was arrested Wednesday in the killing of his roommate in their campus dorm room, authorities said. Ji Min Sha, a 22-year-old cybersecurity major from Seoul, South Korea, was arrested on a preliminary murder charge in the killing of 20-year-old Varun Manish Chheda, a 20-year-old data science major from Indianapolis, Purdue Police Chief Lesley Wiete said. Authorities didn't say how Chheda was killed, but the Tippecanoe County coroner's office was expected to release preliminary autopsy results later Wednesday. According to Wiete, Ji Min Sha called police at around 12:45 a.m. "alerting us to the death of his roommate" in their first-floor dorm room on the campus in West Lafayette. He has not been formally charged. Wiete said investigators don't know why Chheda was killed, but they think he was awake at the time. "I believe this was unprovoked and senseless," Wiete told reporters outside the residence hall. Students living near the crime scene were moved to other rooms, and the university provided counselors for those who need it, Purdue spokesman Trevor Peters told the (Lafayette) Journal & Courier. Purdue President Mitch Daniels said in a statement that "this is as tragic an event as we can imagine happening on our campus and our hearts and thoughts go out to all of those affected by this terrible event." NORMAL Months of planning and coordinating logistics, from building a stage to feeding workers, will culminate Thursday night at Illinois State University as the state's two gubernatorial candidates meet for their first debate. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his Republican opponent, state Sen. Darren Bailey of Xenia, are set to face off at 7 p.m. at an event sponsored by the university and AARP Illinois. Nexstar Media Group will broadcast the debate through its affiliates throughout the state, including Central Illinois WMBD-TV, and radio broadcasts will be carried on NPR affiliates, including WGLT and WCBU. The plans stemmed from a December meeting between Ryan Gruenenfelder, AARPs director of advocacy and outreach for Southern Illinois, and Jonathan Lackland, the university's director of government relations. The two had been looking for ways for their organizations to partner around civic engagement and brought this idea forward to their bosses in the spring. Coordination quickly grew more complex, with weekly meetings that now involve 15 to 18 people. Its just been a very collaborative process all around, Gruenenfelder said. Support from AARP, ISU President Terri Goss Kinzy, Nexstar, and others helped make it possible now, he said. The event has evolved since the initial planning, with additions such as the inclusion of Nexstar to broadcast the debate. Its kind of morphed over time and gotten bigger, said Eric Jome, ISU director of media relations. Having a broadcast adds new tech and space needs, Jome said. Nexstar staff have been on site this week setting up, including a purpose-built stage. One responsibility that the university and AARP have not taken on: determining what questions the candidates will answer. The organizations have not had a role in choosing the questions, with those specifics being handled by Nexstar, the organizers said. We hope it will reflect the integrity of the fact that we are nonpartisan, Gruenenfelder said. A new frontier Topics like security and crowd management are not new territory for ISU, but this is a larger event, Jome said. The university police department has worked with the campaigns on security needs. The university also regularly hosts large events, like homecoming which is next week, and coordinates on security for those. At the same time, hosting a debate like this is a new step for ISU, and one Lackland is very excited to see the university take. "We can't recall us every having an event like this at ISU," he said. AARP and ISU are approaching the debate as an intergenerational event, giving the audience a chance to hear about issues that impact both young adults and older adults. AARP regularly advocates for changes that benefit college students too, Gruenenfelder said, such as the Illinois Secure Choice Savings Program and the requirement to provide coverage to children up to age 26. Theres a lot of issues that we work on that transcend generations, he said, noting that the organizations are also connected by their nonpartisan focus. Illinois State wants to encourage civic engagement among students, which made it attractive to host a candidate debate, Jome said. Were really trying to work that into curriculum and a lot of things we do in encouraging students to be active, engaged citizens, he said. () Really this is an embodiment of that civic engagement focus on campus. To that end, the university is also hosting a watch party for students, faculty and staff at the Bone Student Center during the debate, Jome said. The event will include a panel of speakers after the debate, with the goal of promoting intergenerational dialogue. Lackland hopes that the audience, at the event and across the state, can come away from the debate with more information that will inform their vote in the election. It is also a chance to encourage civic engagement, and education, among students beyond this election. "This is so much greater than this just being a gubernatorial event," Lackland said. Helping students learn to seek out the information they need to make informed choices is part of what ISU is looking to do with its focus on civic engagement, he said. Having informed, engaged students leads to an informed, engaged electorate and leaders. "Even from a public policy perspective, that is so critical," Lackland said. The candidates are set to meet for a second debate Oct. 18 at WGN-TV studios in Chicago. I write this to appeal to independent voters and disaffected Democrats. Do you see Illinois spiraling out of control? Check the party of all state-wide offices. Illinois has one-party rule and we and our neighbors are either leaving or suffering higher taxes, weaker schools and diminished freedoms. Special interests are spending impressive amounts of money to buy even more power and influence to continue benefiting the rich and connected. They are skilled in marketing bad ideas in attractive packages. Look deeper than the ads. Amendment One attempts to put the constitution in the pocket of the union bosses. Illinois is already very friendly to union workers. Amendment 1 would destroy the balance allowing employers and employees to find win-win deals. All taxpayers will pay the price. Vote no on Amendment 1. Electing Republicans in Illinois will restore the potential for checks and balances. The voice of the Democrat party continues to swing toward socialism, which history shows always fails (e.g. USSR). Bringing Republican representation will bring balance and alternative solutions that have a history of working. In McLean County, voting Republicans to the county board is critical in preventing more tax increases. Elections determine whose hands are in your (and my) pocketbook. Seek educated, independent sources for your research, analyze the mistakes of yesterday and choose wisely. Bruce Hany, Bloomington Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu has welcomed joint efforts to combat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) with an estimated amount of 10 million in funding for research in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger. NHIR/Global Health Research Centre for NCD The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), United Kingdom (UK) and the Department of Health and Social Care, UK, have scaled up efforts to combat NCDs. NIHR which is an institution at the forefront of tackling health issues will provide support for the establishment of a Global Health Research Centre for Non-Communicable Disease control in West Africa to address the scourge of NCDs over a five-year period. The centre will comprise the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) as the co-lead institutions working in partnership with other institutions, namely Ashesi University, Ghana; Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO-UUB), Burkina Faso; and Laboratoire dEtudes et de Recherche sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Developpement Local (LASDEL), Niger. The centre will also develop the skills of local researchers and clinicians and will run a PhD and masters programme to provide formal training for students in all three countries (Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger). Gratitude to funders The Health Minister, giving his keynote address at the official announcement of NIHR Global Health Research Center for NCD West Africa, (STOP NCD) Award, Tuesday at the Alisa Hotel, said despite an increasing trend in NCD-related morbidity and mortality, implementation of global interventions such as WHO policy recommendations remain slow. "It appears that despite the initial achievements by African countries towards fulfilling the commitments in the 2011 UN Political Declaration and the 2014 outcome, Africas commitment to implementing the NCD policy responses has waned". According to him, "in Ghana, the Ministry of Health with the support of its Agencies and stakeholders in March 2022 launched the National Policy for Non-Communicable Disease with a goal to ensure that the burden of NCDs is reduced to the barest minimum to render it of little or no public health importance and an obstacle to socio-economic development. He therefore believes, the "findings of this all-important collaborative research work" will go a long way in improving the health and well-being of populations by developing the capacity for high-quality research to inform improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of inter-connected NCDs (hypertension, diabetes and co-existing stress, anxiety, and depression). "I wish to further express my gratitude to the funders The government and the people of the United Kingdom through the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) as well as the National Institute of Health and Research (NIHR) for agreeing to support the research proposal submitted with an amount of ten million pounds over the next five years" he added. A shift to LMIC-led research Dr Sylvia Anie, National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK in an address said the NIHR Global Health Research Centres will provide a sustainable platform for high-quality applied health research in low-and low middle-income countries (LMIC) to address the burden of NCDs and improve health outcomes. It is time to shift the centre of gravity to LMIC-led research. On her part, Prof. Irene A. Agyepong, the Director for NIHR Global Health Research Centres West Africa, stated the fifteen countries of ECOWAS, like most LMICs, are increasingly challenged by rising illness and deaths related to NCDs. This is additional to their long-standing challenges from communicable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Research is at the heart of the innovation needed to address these problems, and establishing the centre is a timely and welcome effort to make a difference. Meanwhile, Professor Tolib Mirzoev, Co-Director for NIHR Global Health Research Centres West Africa is "delighted to jointly lead the Stop-NCD programme together with Professor Agyepong from the GCPS". he says "our programme addresses an important and urgent need for high-quality research to improve the control of NCDs in West Africa. Through excellent science, comprehensive capacity strengthening and equitable partnerships involving research teams and key stakeholders, we will ensure the longer-term legacy of African-led research for improved policy and practice in NCD control. About NCDs NCDs, also known as chronic diseases, are not passed from person to person. They include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease. Across the world, NCDs kill 41 million people yearly, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. A report by WHO in April 2022 highlighted the alarming rate of deaths from NCDs in Africa, and the NCDs are increasingly becoming the main cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, where the diseases were responsible for 37% of deaths in 2019, rising from 24% in 2000. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Police Service is offering a GHS2,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of a man seen abusing an infant in a widely circulated video. The Police in a statement said the reward is part of ongoing efforts to track down the individual involved, have him arrested and rescue the child. They have also put out a hotline to receive tip-offs - 0243809991. "The Police have sighted a horrifying video on social media in which a male adult is seen subjecting an infant to severe beating under a tree," the Police said in a statement. "Efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested and rescue the child. "In view of the urgency associated with the matter, a reward of GH2,000.00 has been set aside for anyone who is able to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the individual and rescue of the child. "Anyone with such information should contact the police on 0243809991". Video The disturbing one-minute 19 seconds clip starts under a tree with an unidentified man propping up an infant by its hand while he whips its legs with what appears to be the branch of the tree. A voice is heard off-camera warning that the man would injure the crying child. However, the lashes go on for about a minute with pauses when at times the man moves off camera and returns to whip the infant with enough force to the extent where it falls. The man lashed the infant 24 times before the video cut off. 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 The decision to undertake arguably the largest investment in the countrys health care system, Agenda 111, arose from Governments determination to close the gaping lack of access to healthcare facilities, especially in remote areas of the country, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has explained. Inspecting progress of work one of the dozens of new hospitals under construction across the country at Bunkprugu in the North East Region on Tuesday, 4th October 2022, Dr Bawumia said this was the first time a concerted effort has been made to ensure that every Ghanaian, irrespective of where they live, has access to a quality health facility within a relatively short distance. The Agenda 111 Project is to bridge a 60-year gap in access to health facilities across the country. 90 districts in our country do not have District Hospitals. Six Regions do not have Regional Hospitals. Large parts of our country do not have access to Specialist hospital facilities and services. This is despite over 60 years of being Independent. So the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took the bold decision to build these hospitals and meet the health care needs of the people of Ghana, to ensure that every District has a hospital and every Region has a Regional Hospital. This will greatly increase access to health care, prevent avoidable, preventable deaths and reduce the suffering of our people, he added. The Agenda 111 project involves the construction and/or upgrading of 101 district hospitals, construction of six regional hospitals in the newly created regions, two specialised hospitals in the middle and northern belts, as well as a regional hospital in the Western Region and renovation of the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital. Officials of the Ministry of Health say the Project, when completed, will significantly deepen delivery of quality healthcare at the district level and boost access to healthcare services for all citizens towards ensuring the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Three. The Vice President had earlier inspected ongoing works at Savelugu and Yendi, both in the Northern Region, as part of the first leg of his working visit to the five northern regions of Ghana. He was accompanied by Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare, Presidential Adviser on Health, Hon Ambrose Dery, Minister for the Interior, and other government officials. 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 The National Peace Council (NPC) has urged the youth not to be pushed into extremist activities due to the current economic hardship. The Chairman of the NPC, Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, said though the economic situation was difficult, the youth must avoid violent extremist groups who enticed them with juicy monetary rewards. He was speaking in an interview on the sidelines of a countering violent extremism workshop in Cape Coast yesterday. The two-day trainer of trainers workshop was organised by the NPC with support from the Danish International Development Agency for student leaders selected from various tertiary institutions in the southern sector of the country. Participants were from the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast Technical University, University of Ghana, Legon, University of Education, Winneba, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Takoradi Technical University and the Perez University. Rev. Adu-Gyamfi acknowledged that failure to tackle the nations high unemployment situation could push its young people into extremist activities. He said it was, therefore, crucial that the youth were consciously oriented on the dangers of extremism and radicalism and educated to stay off such activities. It was important to get young people to appreciate peace and the negative effects of radicalism and get them to promote peace and tolerance among their peers and communities. Social media extremism He further cautioned the countrys youth to be wary of high-level social media extremism through influencers who might want to use them to perpetuate acts of terrorism and radicalism. He said it was essential for the youth to understand the beliefs and ideologies of influencers to ensure they did not direct them into acts of extremism, terrorism and radicalism, adding if you see something say something. He said in the past most of the NPCs programmes were targeted at chiefs, the clergy and people in high places, noting that the council was now going down to involve the youth. He said similar workshops would be held in the middle and northern sectors of the country. He had earlier urged the participants to work hard to maintain the nations peace. In an address read on her behalf, the Central Regional Minister, Justina Marigold Assan, urged the participants to appreciate the reality of extremism and to support efforts at keeping their activities outside the country. The Deputy Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Vibeite S. Pedersen, pledged to work with the NPC towards curbing extremism, saying such dialogues were important building blocks to countering extremism that was gathering momentum across the world. Effects of extremism A Lecturer at the Sociology Department of the University of Cape Coast, Dr Razak Jaha Imoro, said extremist activities continued to increase in the Sahelian region and urged the youth to understand the socio-economic and psychological effects of extremists and work to avoid them. 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 The Akufo-Addo government is full of wickedness, UT Bank founder Prince Kofi Amoabeng has said. According to him, unlike former President John Mahama, who, in his view, was tolerant, President Akufo-Addo and his government are full of envy and jealousy; and quick to target people of fortune for persecution. One thing I know is that, at least, with the NDC, envy and jealousy and persecutions were limited, if they existed at all, Mr Amoabeng told Nana Otu Darko on CTVs morning show Dwabre Mu on Tuesday, 4 October 2022. With this government [Akufo-Addo administration], however, what you find is that, for some reason, they are full of wickedness, he noted. I mean, the way they willy-nilly pursue people who are supposed to be making it; it happened only in Rawlings time and, so, for a civilian government, I find it surprising because my relationship with the NPP wasnt bad at all and if you want to close down a bank, I felt the least you could do is to call the directors of the bank and say, because of A, B, C, we are closing down the bank, he explained. The bank cannot run away like a fugitive, Mr Amoabeng pointed out. UT Bank and some eight other Ghanaian banks were collapsed by the Bank of Ghana in the first term of President Nana Akufo-Addo for various infractions. Some of them had gone insolvent while others mismanaged bailout funds given to them by the Bank of Ghana, the Governor of the central bank announced at various media engagements during the financial sector clean-up exercise. Mr Amoabeng, however, said using armed security personnel to close down the bank in a war-like fashion spoke volumes of the kind of government Mr Akufo-Addo was leading. In the morning [of the banks closure], like a military operation, you organised the police and the press to go and close down a bank. The banks insignia was vandalised as though they were bringing down an evil fetish god. Thats what happened, he recalled. I was asleep at Kukurantumi when all this was happening, he revealed to Nana Otu Darko, noting: I was never told about the closure of the bank. In his view, If you [government] felt because the bank was owing the Bank of Ghana, even if you wouldnt discuss that with us and were going to close the bank down, was that how to go about it? With armed police to vandalise the banks insignia? he wondered. But I dont live in the past. Im a very happy person Even if we were at fault, was that how to close down the bank? he stressed. He said: Im not saying they cant close down the bank; its an option that they had but unfortunately, I personally dont agree with the option but I dont want us to go there. Source: class fm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaarly, has squashed claims that Ghana might soon not be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some international markets due to a new legislation in Europe. According to him, EU has not placed a ban on Ghana's cocoa from entering the European market. Speaking at the second Edition of Orange Cocoa Day 2022 in Accra, Irchad Razaarly explained that the EUs legislation on afforestation and forest degradation must not be seen as a threat to Ghanas cocoa sector. He said the EU was in support of Ghana and Cote dIvoire among all of the producers who meet the export requirements. The call for more sustainable cocoa production is growing globally. And our citizens in Europe are increasingly demanding measures for ensuring that cocoa and other commodities are produced in a socially environmental sustainable way. This explains EUs legislation on afforestation and forest degradation and must not be seen as a threat to Ghanas cocoa, Irchad Razaarly stated. There is no ban on Ghanas cocoa. On the contrary, we want more of Ghanas cocoa, and we are in support of Ghana and Cote dIvoire amongst all of the producers who meet these requirements, the European Union Ambassador to Ghana stated. His comment comes on the back of a report by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah warning that Ghana might soon be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some international markets. According to Oppong-Nkrumah, the ban might happen because of a new legislation in Europe. In a post shared on Facebook, the minister indicated that the government was warned of this move by the Ghana Embassy in Belgium, which has started working to ensure that the ban does not come into force. 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 Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has made donations of tools and equipment to students of Winneba NVTI. The tools and equipment which were handed over to Mr Martin Young, the Principal of the institute include ovens, sets of tool boxes for plumbing and electricals, laptops for I.T and industrial sewing machines for students in fashion. Receiving the tools and equipment, the Principal of the institute recounted all the help and assistance received from the Honourable Member of Parliament for Effutu. This institute is very grateful to Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin for his immense contributions to the growth and development of this Winneba NVTI. At no point in time have we called on him that he hasnt assisted us he said. Quite a number of students received scholarships from him every year. We have also received drilling machines today from him. He has built and furnished for us a new library complex stocked with 50 computers. There is also a 60-capacity classroom which has helped in our intake he said. Mr Martin Young also pointed out that the Deputy Majority Leader has also built a summer hut for the Winneba NVTI. We are eternally grateful for the assistance we have been receiving from Honorable Alex Markin. Without these tools and equipment, we have been finding it extremely difficult to function. This is a great relief to us and we are grateful to our MP he further stated. Dont forget the MP for Effutu, Honourable Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin. It is not everybody, it is not every MP thatll do this. He has done so much for the school and he is now doing it for individuals. He knows you are finishing school and that you need these things to start life. So you tell your parents to appreciate these he said in his concluding remarks. The donations were made on behalf of Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, at the Winneba National Vocational Training Institute. 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 Vietnam seeks ways to increase export of organic farm produce Vietnam was seeking ways to expand the export of organic farm produce as global demand was anticipated to increase rapidly with consumers paying more attention to health. Organic farming is a trend as consumers are looking for better food to ensure health. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the global organic farm produce market expanded rapidly in the past two decades, from just US$18 billion in 2020 to $188 billion in 2021. The market is forecast to reach $208 billion this year. The US and the EU are the largest markets for organic products, all together holding a market share of 90 per cent. However, markets that saw rapid growth in the consumption demand for organic farm produce come from other regions, such as Canada (26.1 per cent), China (23 per cent) and Germany (22.3 per cent). Those are potential markets for made-in-Vietnam organic products, according to the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture. Currently, Vietnams organic products are present in 180 countries with annual revenue of $335 million, still a very modest share. Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Trade Promotion Centre for Agriculture, said consumers around the world were looking for better food for their families to ensure health with increasing demand for products with traceability and food hygiene and safety. Countries were also increasing the standards for sustainability, product labelling process and quarantine regulations to aim at protecting public health and the environment. The organic food market was expected to reach $437.36 billion by 2026 with a compounded annual growth rate of 14 per cent. With the organic agriculture development project for the 2020-30 period, organic farming emerged to be a trend in Vietnam. Statistics showed that the total agricultural land for organic farming reached 174,000 hectares, an increase of 47 per cent over 2016, putting Vietnam in the top ten countries with the largest organic agricultural land in Asia. Vietnam set the target of increasing the total organic land area to 2.5-3 per cent of the agricultural land area by 2030. According to the ministrys Department of Agro Processing and Market Development, organic agriculture become an unavoidable trend not only to ensure health but also to protect the environment in the context that climate change is seriously affecting agricultural production. Bui Hong Quan, deputy chairman of agriculture processing company Vinamit, said that the most important thing for enterprises in organic agriculture was to fulfil their commitments to quality and maintain their reputation, adding that enterprises would face a lot of difficulties during this process, such as a lack of resources. Tu Thi Tuyet Nhung, head of the Participatory Assurance System Vietnams Coordination Committee, said that organic products had not been priced at their true value and faced difficulty in competing with other products. Many organic agriculture producers were forced to give up because of losses, she said. Nguyen Hong Lam, chairman of Que Lam Group pointed out that the bottlenecks in the development of organic agriculture were the lack of trust among enterprises, farmers and consumers and the exploitation of resources to the point of exhaustion. Lam said that the focus should be placed on developing policies to encourage enterprises to establish organic value chains together with enhancing quality control measures. Organic agriculture production is a long-term process. We must persevere, there is no other way, he stressed. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director of the Department of Agricultural Product Processing and Market Development, said organic production played an important role in the green growth of the agricultural sector. He pointed out a number of difficulties enterprises were encountering during the process of moving towards organic production such as building trust of consumers in organic products, limited conditions for large-scale production, and the lack of synergy to further promote organic production on a larger scale. The key would be traceability, transparency and digitalisation of organic products, Toan said. Currently, there are about 17,000 organic agriculture producers, 555 processors and 60 exporters in Vietnam. Prosecutors in the Mankessim murder case have amended the case to include a third accused person, Jonathan Obeng, 26, a mason and in-law to Christopher Clark Quansah, the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, who was arrested on September 28, 2022. The prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daniel Gadzo, said Obeng was contracted by Quansah to dig up the grave in which the deceased, Georgina Asor Botchwey, was buried. Their plea was not taken by the Cape Coast district court, and the case was adjourned to October 18, 2022. Dozens of people gathered around the court complex to catch a glimpse of the accused persons as they entered the vehicles back to police custody. Some hooted at them and prayed for long sentences for them. Arrest Initial police investigations into the murder case led to the arrest of a self-styled pastor, Michael Darko, and the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, Christopher Clark Quansah. The two were arrested for the murder of a prospective student nurse and appeared in court on September 22, 2022 in Cape Coast, charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder; and murder contrary to section 46 of the Criminal and other offences Act, 1980, Act 29. The prosecutor, DSP Gadzo, told the court at their first appearance that the two lured the deceased, Georgina Aso Botchwey, who lived at Yeji in the Bono East Region and had travelled to Cape Coast as part of admission procedures, to the Ankaful Psychiatric Nursing School and later killed and buried her at Quansahs home in Mankessim. More killings Later last week, police investigations established that one Gloria Yeboah, a resident of Obokrom in Kumasi, was lured by the two to Accra on June 17, 2022 on the pretext of helping her to travel abroad but lured to Mankessim, where they killed and buried her. 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 Ghana Police Service has offered 2000ghc reward for information leading to the arrest of a man spotted in a viral video flogging a toddler mercilessly. In the video, the man is seen flogging the little baby with what looks like a mesh cane. The police said efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested and rescue the child. The statement read; The Police have sighted a horrifying video on social media in which a male adult is seen subjecting an infant to severe beating under a tree. Efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested and rescue the child. In view of the urgency associated with the matter, a reward of GHC2000 has been set aside for anyone who is able to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the individual and rescue of the child. 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 Ghana Red Cross Society will conduct a nationwide sensitisation of the National Polio Vaccination campaign to increase awareness on the exercise. The exercise is being undertaken by the Ghana Health Service from Thursday to Sunday to vaccinate children under five years across the country against Type Two poliovirus to break the transmission of the disease. During the week, volunteers from the Ghana Red Cross Society will join the exercise with public sensitisation to complement the government's efforts to cover 6.9 million under-five children across the country. At a press conference in Accra yesterday[October 4, 2022], the President of the Ghana Red Cross Society, Kwame Gyimah-Akwafo, said 400 volunteers had been deployed to mobilise hard to reach communities across the country to create awareness for polio vaccination by the Ghana Health Service. He said the campaign was geared towards encouraging parents to allow their children under five years to get the polio vaccination. Volunteers before the campaign, will conduct door-to-door household interaction, in preparation for the polio vaccination campaign to mobilise households with children under five years, Mr Gyimah-Akwafo said. Ghana Red Cross He explained that each volunteer was expected to reach out to 150 households in three days before the campaign starts, adding that through its volunteer base they would be able to reach over 60,000 households across the country. The volunteers are also to conduct mop up activities where they are visiting households for missed children. Vaccinators will be referred to visit such households to vaccinate the missed children or they would be escorted by the volunteers to the nearest health facility for vaccination. This is expected to support the government to meet its set target of 6.9 million children across the country. This campaign marks a key milestone in our quest to contain the ongoing polio outbreak in Ghana, the Ghana Red Cross Society president said. Mr Gyimah-Akwafo said the sensitisation was crucial as it would ensure that people would be responsive and take part in the polio vaccination. This is key in ensuring that the government would be able to achieve its target of vaccinating six million children across the country, he noted. He thanked the volunteers for putting in great effort in the campaign, noting that it marked a key milestone for the Ghana Red Cross Society and other stakeholders in ensuring that the people received proper healthcare services. The President of the Ghana Red Cross Society said the campaign was being funded by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the Coca Cola Foundation. Polio The Ghana Red Cross President also indicated that the tools for halting transmission of polioviruses had stood the test of time and, therefore, called on the public to join the fight against the polio outbreak and other public health emergencies. As a leading volunteer-based humanitarian organisation in Ghana and also an auxiliary to government, the Ghana Red Cross Society will continue to complement the government's efforts in the areas of social interventions, which include, emergency response, health education, social mobilisation, risk communication, media sensitisation, community engagement and Water Sanitation and Hygiene Project(Ghana-WASH) in communities, he said. The Programmes Coordinator of International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Nuor Pwani, expressed the commitment of the society to offer technical and funding support to its members to carry out humanitarian activities. 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 The first Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu has said the government should strengthen regulations in the mining sector to prevent those engaging in it wrongly. Speaking in an exclusive interview on GHOne TV with Serwaa Amihere, the deputy speaker indicated that the government must not incur cost in an area he is not getting anything from. According to him, mining per se is not the challenge but mining irresponsibly is the issue, adding that they are not protecting the water bodies. Mining has gone on but in a very irresponsible and so regulations should be harder. But the point is that with all the people making the money the government does not even get a portion. So why should the government continue to hire more people and spend it there? Already you are overburdened and the people who are destroying the environment are not putting it back. If there is a way you can get some revenue from them thats fine. But, one, he is stealing and he doesnt have a license either. No account for anything revenue he gets and yet you are to add to your cost? the MP quizzed. He has however absorbed the government from the responsibility of creating jobs. According to him, the governments responsibility is to create an enabling environment for businesses to strive. The lawmaker also described as outmoded the expectation from people blaming the responsibility of job creation solely on the government. The time that the government took the responsibility for creating jobs is long gone. The governments position is that I will provide the enabling environment for you to create the job for yourselves. So we should stop placing responsibility where you should not. A lot of the time we make people feel that it is the governments duty to do this and that and people dont do what they can do for themselves, he explained. Mr. Osei-Owusu added that he is leaving politics and therefore can voice out, I will speak boldly on what matters. If we want to move forward people must take responsibility for their lives. Source: starrfm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A forensic pathologist and Head of KNUST School of Medicine and Dentistry, Dr. Paul Ossei Sampene is concerned about the recorded cases of newborn babies with deformities in mining communities. Speaking to GHOne News, the pathologist observed that illegal mining activities which continue to contaminate food crops and river bodies have far-reaching consequences on human health, which is partly why the countrys health facilities are overwhelmed by strange diseases and defects in births. He stressed the heavy concentration of metallic substances found in river bodies is worrying. We need to appreciate the fact that cumulatively if these patients get even 0.005% of heavy metal, and assuming the person stays there all his life you can imagine the sort of concentration that you can get in a year or in a month, and that is what we should consider. When you live there permanently, that is your place of abode and consume whatever is produced there, you drink the water there and eat the food there, cumulatively it can affect your life. And we need to take action. If care is not taken in the near future we need to import food. Irresponsible small-scale mining activities across mining communities in Ghana continue to have adverse impacts on lands and water resources and threaten human survival in mining areas. Newborn babies with deformities, and kidney failure, among others, are on the rise as a result of the intake of polluted water and consumption of food crops in mining areas, the pathologist observed. Per my particular examinations of people that have passed on at certain areas seem to be telling me that there is a lot of heavy metal pollution in our food chain which has found its way into the body of the human. The gastrointestinal tract which we call GIT per our medical term is one of the things that is affected when you consume these heavy metals. I did one work by using placenta and looking at it I think is alarming. Even though I havent been able to do more of these things nationwide, but I think that if we allow it to continue, we will be in a position where in the near future well get a lot of babies with deformities. Some of them fortunately the deformities are not compatible with life and so some of them just die immediately after birth. But if youre not careful and you survive it, you might have somebody with an internal organ deformity. Source: starrfm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Chairman of McDan Group of Companies, Dr. Daniel Mckorley has indicated that the way forward for African brands for growth, sustainability, and robust capacity is to be able to break down all the barriers to trade to enable intra-African trade to flourish. According to him, African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) is a beautiful platform that begins its maiden journey to break down those walls from the North to the South and from the East to the West of Africa. McDan was addressing IAA Africa Rising Conference, 2022 where he indicated that African brands are like African families, they have always known how to do it for themselves. So, while they rely on others, their foundation is always strong. I believe in the future of brands in Africa. It is possible if we can work within the global and local economic challenges, knowing that they are part of our business evolution, understanding also, that, the challenge of change will continually come, and navigating the business brands through this is part of the purpose to success. He gave some lessons in Sustaining Brands; indicating that one has to learn and teach the team to be adaptable and responsive to the tiniest level of change, Strong personalities dont just build a business rather SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES. You must let your systems, structures and good governance work and your business will succeed. Lesson3: Discipline is not just a keyword but a watchword. And above all, the fourth industrial revolution is closer than we ever thought. We felt it through the pandemic, we feel it now and we are going to feel it tomorrow. He was speaking on the Theme Building And Sustaining Brands Through Tough Economic Seasons. Below is his full address at the event: Good morning, ladies, and gentlemen I would like to stand on existing protocols and to say welcome to all of you traveling from far and near and to you being with us virtually, you are welcome to our beautiful nation of Ghana. I would like to thank the conveners of this relevant and noteworthy event. To the leadership of the IAA, Mr. Joel Nettey, Madam Norkor Duah, and the entire organizing partners across for inviting me and for giving us this platform to have a conversation about brands with purpose and for people. My topic today, Building and Sustaining brands through tough seasons, is a topic I have spent my last couple of years living the reality of: So, my conversation with you this morning is going to be from experience I have gathered, the lessons I have learned and where I expect to see not just my business brands, but yours and the others across our continent. When we hear the concept about finding opportunity in adversity it sounds straightforward. And of course, my life story as a street boy who hustled to get by daily bread and eventually founded a significant Ghanaian brand, makes it all possible. However, our biggest challenge yet, happened very recently: When I led my Group of Companies to launch two pioneer sizeable businesses at the peak of the Covid 19 pandemic. Over the period I have asked myself many times if I was being brave or I was being completely foolish. Whilst I have never gotten my answer, I can say the journey continues to be worth it. The first business was in the mining sector. I started a project to build what is arguably, the largest salt mine in West Africa; a natural resource that has the potential to transform an industry, our country, and our continent. The second was the first private jet terminal and local fixed base operator in Ghana. These businesses were large, they were in 2 growth sectors in the country, and they had to be driven with clear direction and purpose. The projects required physical activities for engineering, construction machinery operation, whilst keeping teams safe and healthy. Those were challenging times but yes, it is always said that tough times dont last but tough people do. Well, in this case, I had to lead my team through impossibilities to make them tough people that got through the period of the pandemic. What are the experiences we had? What are the lessons we learned? The first experience we had was working with technical partners who were the best in the world but had to design, organize, and coordinate a whole project across borders. The second experience was logistics. Getting any kind of item in our value chain (even including acquiring a plane) across borders. As some of us may know, I started my first and flagship business in logistics, my group is a logistics business and I have been in logistics for close to thirty years. Through these trying and testing seasons I had to find creative and innovative ways to drive logistics not only for my business but also for other businesses that continued to rely on us as trusted partners. Lessons in Sustaining Brands Lesson1: learn and teach your team to be adaptable and responsive to the tiniest level of change Lesson 2: Strong personalities dont just build a business rather SYSTEMS & STRUCTURES. You must let your systems, structures and good governance work and your business will succeed Lesson3: Discipline is not just a keyword but a watchword And above all, the fourth industrial revolution is closer than we ever thought. We felt it through the pandemic, we feel it now and we are going to feel it tomorrow. When I look at African Brands, what is the way forward? The way forward for African brands for growth, sustainability, and robust capacity is to be able to break down all the barriers to trade to enable intra-African trade to flourish. And that is why I am so excited to partner with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) as they begin their maiden journey to break down those walls from the North to the South and from the East to the West of Africa. We must remember, no one is going to do it for us. African brands are like African families, they have always known how to do it for themselves. So, while they rely on others, their foundation is always strong. I believe in the future of brands in Africa. It is possible if we can work within the global and local economic challenges, knowing that they are part of our business evolution, understanding also, that, the challenge of change will continually come, and navigating the business brands through this is part of the purpose to success. As I conclude, I would like to share this quote with us Its not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the most responsive to change. Charles Darwin I believe that African business brands with purpose will respond to change and will sustain its growth, and leave lasting legacies Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen. 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 A 21-year-old Florida woman has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly stabbing her sister to death after learning she had been flirting with her boyfriend. Fatiha Marzan reportedly killed her younger sister, 20-year-old Sayma Marzan, at 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 26 in the bedroom they shared in their family home in Orlando. Fatiha had just found out that her long-distance boyfriend of five years and her sister had been flirting with one another in messages exchanged through a video game they played together, the Orlando Sentinel reported. She allegedly decided to kill Sayma after she learned her boyfriend had told Sayma he loved her. Fatiha bought a "dagger style knife set" from Amazon two weeks before the stabbing, investigators said. She hid the knives in a closet and waited until her family members went to bed before pulling out a knife and allegedly stabbing her sister in the heart three to four times in the bedroom they shared, police said. Fatiha called 911 hours later at 7:30 p.m. and reportedly said she stabbed her sister. Deputies responded and found Sayma dead inside the home. Fatiha confessed to stabbing Sayma three to four times, specifically in the heart, authorities said. She is being held in Orange County Jail without bond. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has stated that the party is determined in its quest to mobilise its rank and file for a third consecutive electoral victory in 2024. Consequently, he said, the party has put in place various strategies and measures such as regular interaction between the partys national officers and government appointees aimed at improving party-government relationship. He said the initiative was also geared towards providing mutual assistance in fulfilling governments programmes and interventions for the good of the Ghanaian people. The visit Mr Boakye stated this when the Registrar of the Scholarships Secretariat, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, paid a visit to the national headquarters of the NPP in Accra last Monday to interact with national officers of the party. The visit forms part of the initiative introduced by the current executives, dubbed, Party-Government Engagements, meant to bridge the gap between government appointees and party officers. Dr Agyemang, who was accompanied by the Head of International Relations and Partnership of the secretariat, Richard Gyamfi, interacted with Mr Boakye; Deputy General Secretary, Dr Antoinette Tsibu-Darko; Director of Finance and Administration, William Amoah; Director of Research and Elections, Evans Nimako; Deputy Director of Research, Dr Nyame Baafi, and some staff of the party headquarters. Commendation Mr Boakye thanked the Registrar of the Scholarships, Secretariat for the visit, and commended him for transforming the entity through the successful rollout of many interventions including the digitisation of the scholarship application process, decentralisation of the scholarship award process to the various districts, among others. He urged the registrar to take immediate steps, to address the legitimate concerns of beneficiaries of government scholarships such as undue delay in the release of scholarship subventions. Mr Boakye also commended Dr Agyemang for doing an excellent job in widening the scholarship net and implored him to do more to increase scholarship opportunities for the nations youth and members of TESCON in particular. Dr Agyemang, for his part, assured the party leadership that his outfit was committed to collaborating with the party and all relevant stakeholders in the discharge of their mandate of administering government scholarships both locally and abroad. So far Following the introduction of the policy, the party headquarters has hosted some government appointees including the CEO of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Dr Clifford Braimah; the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor; Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, and the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mavis Hawa Koomson. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate for Kpone Katamanso, Hopeson Adorye, has stated that Trade and Industry Minister, Alan Kyerematen, is an action-oriented person. He said in an October 3 interview with Accra-based Okay FM that the minister has for long been committed to the idea of industrialization. Adorye mentioned that the reported flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party played a key role in getting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat to be headquartered in Ghana. With his vision of industrialization, the former NPP parliamentary candidate believes the country will progress economically under the presidency of Alan Kyerematen. Alan is a cool person and a doer. He is not going to be a talkative but action-oriented person. Nations that have developed have based on industrialization and with Alan Kyerematen, it is not because of President Akufo-Addos appointment that he is working on industries. He was the coordinator for Trade Commission for the whole of Africa in the 90s. He presented a paper where he advocated for the creation of the African Continental Trade. When he became Trade Minister, he pursued it and lobbied for AfCFTA headquarters to be in Ghana. If somebody like this, with an industrialization vision, when he becomes president, you will see that the country will also be driven by industrialization. Industrialization will reduce hardship and the Cedi's depreciation. Our only hope is Alan Kyerematen, Adorye said. Background The New Patriotic Party, is bent on breaking the eight-year rotational power cycle between itself and the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC. Ahead of that, it is billed to elect a flagbearer next year. Some of the names which have popped up besides Alan Kyerematen include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong. Political analysts however predict that the contest is going to be a two-horse race between Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nursing students attend physical classes inside a university in Manila, Philippines on February 23, 2022. (Photo by George Calvelo/NurPhoto via Getty Images) While the health care worker (HCW) shortage in the Philippines has been well documented, a professional organization is pointing out that the country also lacks nursing educators. The Philippine Star reported that Philippine Federation of Professional Associations (PFPA) president Dr. Benito Atienza said schools offering nursing courses could only accommodate a limited number of students due to a shortage of educators. Speaking during the Laging Handa public briefing on Monday (October 3), Atienza noted that some nursing teachers are already going abroad, while many Filipino HCWs leave the country to work overseas because local hospitals cannot provide comparable compensation. In this regard, some private hospitals can no longer accommodate patients due to manpower shortages, with K-12 programs also causing a backlog in the generation of nursing graduates. "The salary difference between private and government institutions is big. In the government, its only contractual, six months to one year only. That needs to be resolved," he stressed. Atienza noted that countries like the United States are in dire need of HCWs and looking to the Philippines, the world's largest exporter of nurses, to fill manpower requirements. Last Friday, Department of Health (DOH) Officer-in-Charge Maria Rosario Vergeire told reporters that the Philippines has incurred a shortage of around 106,000 nurses, due to the "migration" of Filipino health workers abroad to seek better opportunities. In this regard, the health department wants to retain the annual deployment cap of 7,000 for newly-hired medical professionals going abroad. Separately, the Alliance of Filipino Workers (AFW) said the government must ensure that the 2023 national budget includes funds that are specifically earmarked for HCWs. "Our health workers deserve to have well-funded programs that provide them with the necessary resources to do their jobs in a safe, dignified and humane manner," said the AFW in a statement. Watch more videos on Yahoo: Map showing the San Juan, NM region containing a large coal mine. Known methane emission sources sampled during 2020/2021 mobile surveys and the location of the fourier transform spectrometer instrument are identified. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022JD037092 A new study in New Mexico's San Juan Basin will boost efforts to identify and reduce methane emissions, a key element of the Global Methane Pledge. The research team found that using multiple methods to measure the ratio of ethane to methane in the ambient air around fossil energy development regions can be used to attribute emissions to specific polluters. "We were able to show that individual sources of methane from coal, oil and gas, and fossil fuel infrastructure in New Mexico's San Juan Basin have different ethane-to-methane ratios that can be detected at various scales, allowing us to differentiate among them," said Aaron Meyer, a graduate student researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory and lead author of a paper on the research published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres. Meyer said the results bring an important new capability for attributing natural gas leaks with greater fidelity, which can help nations meet the Global Methane Pledge, signed by the United States, the European Union and about 100 nations at the COP26 climate conference. The pledge aims to reduce methane emissions globally by 30% by 2030, compared to 2020 levels. The results in the San Juan Basin provide a basis for source identification and apportionment using a variety of measurement techniques that can be extended to other oil and gas basins. While oil, gas and coal production is widely known to emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, the industry's geographically vast and variable infrastructure from extraction sites to processing facilities makes attributing these emissions to specific sources challenging. "Natural gas is primarily methane but includes other hydrocarbons, including ethane," said Manvendra Dubey, co-corresponding author of the paper and leader of the project at Los Alamos. "The composition of the gas varies with the source. We were able to discriminate among these using unique instruments that span many scales that were deployed by Los Alamos in the Four Corners. Our findings enable emitter accountability to reduce methane emissions, which are 84 times more potent as a warming agent than carbon dioxide, in this decade." Focusing on a methane hot spot discovered several years ago above the Four Corners, the study for the first time analyzed observations made at time scales from seconds to hours and length scales from meters to tens of kilometers. The research team took measurements with a mobile ground-based sensing system and studied older data from aircraft campaigns and remote sensing platforms. The analysis determined that the vent shaft of the San Juan coal mine consistently emitted a stable ratio of ethane to methane over eight years of measurements. The ratio held up under a variety of measurement techniques and over a range of distances from the source. That ethane-to-methane ratio serves as a distinct signature identifying the coal vent and differentiating it from other sources, many of which showed drastically different ratios, Meyer said. "Despite a diverse and changing emissions environment, we successfully used ethane-to-methane ratios to identify and apportion several sources across scales in space and time," Meyer said. "Using different measurement techniques can leverage the advantages of each to build a systems-level approach to monitoring across an entire basin." "Without the ability to identify, locate and quantify methane emissions, any reduction attempts are thwarted," Meyer noted. Explore further Tropical wetlands emit more methane than previously thought More information: Aaron G. Meyer et al, Using Multiscale Ethane/Methane Observations to Attribute Coal Mine Vent Emissions in the San Juan Basin From 2013 to 2021, Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres (2022). Journal information: Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres Aaron G. Meyer et al, Using Multiscale Ethane/Methane Observations to Attribute Coal Mine Vent Emissions in the San Juan Basin From 2013 to 2021,(2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022JD037092 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Climate change has many catastrophic consequences, including droughts, floods, wildfires, heat waves, rising sea levels and biodiversity loss. These all have adverse implications for social cohesion, economic development and financial stability. Regrettably, the goals of advancing a better environment and a flourishing economy don't always line up. Driving greater awareness of climate-related risks among large firms and powerful financial institutions is therefore of paramount importance and urgency. Responding to this challenge, economists, environmentalists, activists and politicians have sought ways to ensure financial decisions factor in climate change. To that end, policymakers are now considering the introduction of mandatory climate-related disclosures for firms and financial institutions. In essence, the idea is to employ disclosures to force large financial actors to consider their impact on climate change, and the impact of climate change on them. For example, consider the potential exposure of a bank to climate risks. Home loans may not be recoverable if houses become uninhabitable because of rising seas. Other homes may become uninsurable because of increasing flood risks. Likewise, agricultural loans may become riskier because of the increasing intensity of droughts. All of these risks are important not only to the bank's profitability but also to the homeowners, farmers and manufacturers who borrowed money from that bank. Who should disclosures target? New Zealand's recently published draft General Requirements for Climate-related Disclosures defines climate-related disclosures as: "disclosures about climate-related risks and opportunities that are useful to primary users when they assess, and make decisions about, an entity's enterprise value, including information about its governance, strategy and risk management, and metrics and targets." The rationale behind the proposed framework is that consistent, comparable and understandable disclosures will encourage better climate-related decision-making and risk management. In turn, this will encourage firms to adopt more climate-resilient strategies, smoothing the transition to a net-zero economy. The disclosures themselves seek to inform "primary users"defined as "existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors"how companies respond to and consider the impacts of climate change. Armed with this knowledge, primary users are then presumed to be able "to assess the merits of how entities are considering climate-related risks and opportunities". But the proposed framework regards only investors, lenders and other creditors as primary users. The definition does not include employees, customers or the public. This narrow definition represents a missed opportunity. Stakeholders versus shareholders Focusing on a relatively narrow range of primary users undermines the potential for disclosures to bring about change. Including employees, customers and the public would make the disclosures more powerful. By increasing their impact and relevance, the disclosures would better serve their goals. This touches on the modern concept of stakeholders and "stakeholder capitalism" rather than only shareholders. Shareholders will mostly (or only) care about one limited dimension of the firm's impact: profits. If they own only a small share of the entity through the stock market or their superannuation or pension fund, shareholders may not even pay much attention to what the firm does. Stakeholders, however, include the firm's employees, customers and everyone directly affected by its activities. Unlike shareholders, stakeholders often have a long-term perspective and a more immediate and direct interest in what the entity does. The public interest Stakeholders will therefore typically look beyond the firm's profits to consider the broader social and community interests at stake. Stakeholders will desire, or indeed demand, more sustainable strategies that benefit a larger set of groups (rather than just the shareholders). Interestingly, the European Union adopted a similarly broad perspective in its "guidelines on reporting climate-related information" in 2019. These require firms to adopt a "double materiality" standard: looking at what is material for both shareholders (the financial audience) and stakeholders (the environmental and social audiences). Considering the public's interest in financial disclosures about climate change also aligns with other recent regulatory efforts, such as the Plain Language Bill currently before parliament. This signals that citizens have a democratic right to receive comprehensible information from government organisations. While the bill focuses on public service and Crown agencies, it illustrates the need to put citizens at the centre of laws and communicate with them effectively. NZ is set to be the first country in the world to require reporting on climate risks across the financial sector. Reporting would be on a comply-or-explain basis, based on the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures framework.https://t.co/UkT1KN4qDQ pic.twitter.com/qhKbQn2OEr Ministry for the Environment | Manatu mo te Taiao (@environmentgvnz) September 14, 2020 Disclosure for all The New Zealand External Reporting Board, which is responsible for the proposed disclosure framework, has invited responses and is now considering the submissions. This final review and consultation stage provides a valuable opportunity to reconsider the definition of primary users. While New Zealand is a world leader in advancing these measures, just how effective and useful they will be remains to be seen. A revised definition that will encompass all stakeholdersincluding customers, employees and the public at largewill increase the disclosures' efficacy. In New Zealand and elsewhere, governments should adopt as wide a target audience as is feasible for climate-related disclosures. Otherwise, we risk undermining the promise of disclosures to mitigate climate change and contribute to a more climate-resilient future economy. Explore further Alternative earnings disclosures are high-quality if women are on board This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Lucy Harding and Dr Nick Payne work with their collaborators from Beneath the Waves to tag a 3 m tiger shark in the Bahamas in May 2019. Credit: Diego Camejo. New research from marine scientists raises potential red flags for sharks that are caught and released by recreational anglers. The team has discovered that the ocean's iconic predators typically spike in temperature after they have been caught, which may have physiological and behavioral impacts. Sharks around the Irish coast, and across the world, are often caught by recreational anglers and scientists, and then returned to the water. However, with the increasing occurrence of this catch-and-release fishing practice, do we know enough about what impacts this procedure may have on the health and welfare of the animalsmany of which are critically threatened? Lucy Harding, Ph.D. candidate from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences, and her international team of collaborators worked directly with shark angling operators to assess how catch-and-release fishing might be affecting shark behavior and physiology in sharks swimming in the Bahamas, off the coast of Cape Cod in U.S., and in Irish waters around Co. Cork. The team caught sharks using rod-and-reel and drum lines (baited hooks) andwithout damaging the animalsinserted thermometers into muscle to see if their body temperature was changing. They also attached biologging devices to the fins of sharks, which recorded things like body temperature and water temperature when they were then released back into the wild. Lucy Harding and Jenny Bortoluzzi from Trinity work to insert a temperature probe into a 2 m blue shark caught off the coast of Co. Cork, Ireland, in August 2021. Credit: Haley Dolton. Lucy, who is the first author of the associated research article, which has just been published in the journal Conservation Physiology, says that "the temperature measurements we took show that catching sharks on a line resulted in rapid spikes in their body temperature, with one blue shark showing an increase of 2.7C in just a few minuteswhich, in physiological terms, is a huge elevation." As the sharks in this study (the Blue shark, Prionace glauca, and the Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier), are considered "cold-blooded" their body temperatures tend to match whatever temperature water they are swimming in. It is thus unusual to see such an elevation. The team also found that it took the sharks up to 40 minutes to cool down after they had been released back into the water. Nick Payne, Assistant Professor in Trinity's School of Natural Sciences, says that "results like these illustrate the physical exertion sharks undergo during catch-and-release fishing. We don't yet know whether the rapid, fishing-induced heating has a damaging effect on shark physiology but it's something that is important to study in more detail in the future." Lucy Harding and collaborators from Beneath the Waves work to attach a biologging device to the fin of a blue shark in Cape Cod, in September 2019. Credit: Hana Isihara. These large, fast increases in body temperature appear abnormal in the context of what these animals experience naturally, and the authors hope their data might help with management. Dr. Payne added that "results from these studies could be used to design best handling practices for shark angling going forward; if we can adopt the least stressful fishing methods then it's a win for the sharks and also for future generations of anglers." Explore further New Irish research reveals the secret lives of tiger sharks More information: Lucy Harding et al, Capture heats up sharks, Conservation Physiology (2022). Lucy Harding et al, Capture heats up sharks,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac065 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Researchers from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam published a new article that examines the impact of owned social media on customer engagement and sales. The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is authored by Georgia Liadeli, Francesca Sotgiu, and Peeter W.J. Verlegh. With more than 3 billion social media users worldwide, brands have long recognized the importance of establishing a strong social media presence. Recent surveys indicate that over 91% of firms will increase social media marketing budgets in the next three years and that 62% of consumers believe brands will succeed in the long run only if they have a strong social media presence. The content that brands create and share through their social media channels is called "owned social media." Liadeli says that "While brands are increasingly investing in owned social media, many are unsure about the overall return on their social media presence and ask how they can design more effective social media campaigns along the purchase funnel." In other words, firms ask the following questions: How effective are owned social media and do they only drive engagement, or also sales? Can the content that generates social media engagement also be used to improve sales? Is a firm's owned social media equally effective across settings? Is it more effective for hedonic brands than for functional brands? This new study about the impact of owned social media on social media engagement and sales is based on a meta-analysis of 1,641 elasticities across 86 studies spanning from 2011 to 2021 that covers 31 industries, 14 platforms, and 17 countries. Sotgiu explains that "Contrary to managerial beliefs that owned social media are primarily an engagement tool, we observe a stronger impact of owned social media on sales. There may be many consumers who 'like' individual posts or take the time to leave a comment or share the post from their personal accounts, but brands may be underestimating the impact of their owned social media by focusing on such easy-to-measure metrics." To create engagement via social content, companies are often advised to include a question at the end of their posts or create a contest. "However," says Verlegh, "our study shows that the most effective content to stimulate social media engagement is to focus on emotions, such as with funny or touching posts. But if the goal is to stimulate sales, social media content should focus on communicating information and product benefits and steer away from the emotional." The study provides the following guidelines for Chief Marketing Officers and social media managers: Balance "what you say" and "how you say it" depending on the goal: Focus on the "how" to engage consumers with more emotional content and on the "what" to stimulate sales with more informational content (e.g., the hedonic brand Oreo recently boosted its sales using an informational post on Facebook about a recipe featuring its limited-edition red velvet flavor). It is not necessary to always grow communities to reach as many consumers as possible. Owned social media are more effective for small brand communities with consumers valuing the intimacy of a small community with greater trust in the brand and its messages. Social networks like Facebook and Instagram are better suited for stimulating social media engagement than microblogs such as Twitter. This suggests that tie strength and trust are more important than open access and wide dissemination. The introduction of advertising on different platforms weakened the effect of owned social media on engagement. While advertising may amplify the reach and engagement of owned social media content, it can distract the audience and reduce its contribution. It may be suboptimal for brands to use one social media strategy across different geographies, so managers should adapt strategies to account for differences in country characteristics. The increasing use of social media on smartphones amplifies the impact of owned social media on sales, and managers can expect stronger sales effects in countries with a greater mobile phone penetration. For countries with high power distance, owned social media exerts stronger effects on sales. High power distance is related to greater receptiveness of branded communications fulfilling materialistic and status needs. Explore further Sponsorship disclosures by social media influencers reduce engagement, study finds More information: Georgia Liadeli et al, EXPRESS: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Brand Owned Social Media on Social Media Engagement and Sales, Journal of Marketing (2022). Journal information: Journal of Marketing Georgia Liadeli et al, EXPRESS: A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Brand Owned Social Media on Social Media Engagement and Sales,(2022). DOI: 10.1177/00222429221123250 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A study in the Review of Development Economics examines whether a typical developing country should invest more in agriculture or education, and at what stage of development it's optimal to invest more in each of these sectors. The author, Maxwell Mkondiwa, Ph.D., a Spatial Economist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) currently based in Delhi, India, proposes a "soil-human capital conceptual framework of economic development" and uses it to determine the effects of schooling on agricultural incomes in Malawi. The analysis revealed annual agricultural returns to schooling in Malawi of 3-4% after correcting for various factors. There were consistently higher returns to schooling in the non-agricultural sector for those not living in the village of birth and higher returns in the agricultural sector for those living in the village of birth. "The rapid loss in soil health across countries with less educated rural populations presents a precarious low soil healthlow human capital development trap." Dr. Mkondiwa said, "Getting out of this trap requires consistently high investments in high quality education for rural farm people while also delivering agricultural technologies that make such education valuable." More information: Is wealth found in the soil or in the brain? Investing in farm people in Malawi, Review of Development Economics (2022). Is wealth found in the soil or in the brain? Investing in farm people in Malawi,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/rode.12946 EURISCO documents crop diversity including different varieties of barley, pictured. Credit: Nora Capozio Genebanks play an important role in the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Out of 1,800 genebank collections worldwide, more than 600 are in Europe. This vast array of crop diversity can be exploited to make our crops more nutritious, productive and resilient to pests, diseases and environmental changes, only if we have information about it. The European Search Catalogue for Plant Genetic Resources (EURISCO) is an international aggregated database that provides a central entry point for information on the large crop genetic diversity preserved in more than 400 institutes in 43 European and neighboring countries. An update on EURISCO has recently been published in the Nucleic Acids Research (NAR) special issue on biological databases. Currently, more than 2 million plant genetic resources accessions are documented in EURISCO comprising 6,737 genera and 45,175 species. These include major cereal grains such as wheat and maize, pulses such as beans, peas and vetches, edible oilseed crops such as sunflower and linseed, tuber crops such as potatoes, and Brassica crops. More than 400,000 accessions are part of the Multilateral System of Access and Benefit Sharing (MLS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), which means that they have been confirmed by the respective countries to be promptly available under standard and internationally agreed benefit-sharing conditions. In addition, there are 2.6 million records of phenotypic data from more than 3,800 experiments conducted on genebank material. Since the first publication in the NAR Database Issue in 2017, the volume of data in EURISCO has been expanding continuously: the number of data provider institutions rose from 376 to 402, the number of documented accessions increased by more than 200,000, and the number of phenotypic data points increased by 2.2 million (500%). "This shows that EURISCO is steadily gaining acceptance as a repository of such data," says Stephan Weise, EURISCO coordinator. "In addition, the data on plant genetic resources are continuously maintained and expanded by the data providers. Each year, between 30 and 40 National Inventory datasets are updated in EURISCO, for an average of 350,000400,000 accessions per year. With the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR), we organize training workshops to support data providers, and ultimately improve data quality." In early 2022, EURISCO's user interface was completely revised, and includes a combined search via passport and phenotypic data, faceted search, map-based selection options of accessions as well as search indices for scientific names and common crop names. In 2023, EURISCO will also carry out an extension to include data on in situ crop wild relatives' populations, which are a key resource for crop improvement programs. "EURISCO is a cornerstone of the European plant genetic resources information system, and its further development and strengthening are key targets of the Plant Genetic Resources Strategy for Europe," concluded Lorenzo Maggioni, ECPGR Secretary. Explore further New knowledge in history: Evaluating seven decades of ex situ seed regeneration More information: Pragna Kotni et al, EURISCO update 2023: the European Search Catalogue for Plant Genetic Resources, a pillar for documentation of genebank material, Nucleic Acids Research (2022). Journal information: Nucleic Acids Research Pragna Kotni et al, EURISCO update 2023: the European Search Catalogue for Plant Genetic Resources, a pillar for documentation of genebank material,(2022). DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac852 Provided by The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A small team of researchers with members from Sorbonne Universite, the University of Maryland College Park, the University of Pisa and Universite Cote d'Azur has developed a theory to explain the odd tilt of Uranus and its opposite spin. The group has published a paper describing their work on the preprint server arXiv and are awaiting results of peer review before it is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Among the planets in our solar system, Uranus stands out for two reasons. The first is its odd tilt angle of 98 from its orbital planethat is much steeper than any other planet. The other is its clockwise spin direction, differing from most of the other planets in the solar system. Over the past several years, space scientists have put forth theories to explain the unique characteristics of Uranus. Some have suggested, for example, that the tilt was caused by a collision with another large body; others have said it could have been influenced by a group of smaller bodies. Either scenario has been difficult to back up due to the absence of evidence of such bodies. In this new effort, the researchers have come up with a new theorythey suggest the unique tilt angle is due to the migration of its moons. A few years ago, members of the team noticed that Jupiter's tilt was increasing due to migration of its moons. Math calculations predict that its tilt will change dramatically over the next few billion years. And when they looked at Saturn, they found similar results, mostly due to migration of its largest moon, Titan. That prompted the researchers to look at Uranus and its unique tilt angle. To find out if moon migration could be behind the large tilt angle, the researchers created computer simulations showing a range of moon migrations, varying the size and speed of the moons. They found that a moon with just half the mass of the one circling Earth could raise Uranus' tilt angle to close to 90 over millions of years. But they also found that the moons that now circle Uranus do not have enough mass to create such a tilt. But their simulations also showed that if a large moon pushed Uranus's tilt to 80, things would become unstable and the moon would crash into the planetand that, the researchers found, could explain the amount of tilt and also the planet's opposite spin. More information: Tilting Uranus via the migration of an ancient satellite, arXiv:2209.10590 [astro-ph.EP] Journal information: Astronomy & Astrophysics Tilting Uranus via the migration of an ancient satellite, arXiv:2209.10590 [astro-ph.EP] arxiv.org/abs/2209.10590 2022 Science X Network The different orientation of atomic bar magnets of an iron film: In a magnetic mosaic lattice (above), they are oriented in groups either upwards (purple) or downwards (white). In the skyrmion lattice (below), they point in all directions. Credit: Andre Kubetzka For about ten years, magnetic skyrmionsparticle-like, stable magnetic whirls that can form in certain materials and possess fascinating propertieshave been a focus of research: easy to control electrically and only a few nanometers in size, they are suitable for future applications in spin electronics, quantum computers or neuromorphic chips. These magnetic whirls were first found in regular lattices, so-called skyrmion lattices, and later individual skyrmions were also observed at the University of Hamburg. Researchers from Kiel University and the University of Hamburg have now discovered a new class of spontaneously occurring magnetic lattices. They are related to skyrmion lattices, but their "atomic bar magnets" on the nanometer scale are oriented differently. A fundamental understanding of how such complex spin structures form, how they are arranged and remain stable is also needed for future applications. The results are published in the current issue of Nature Communications. Quantum mechanical interactions Attaching magnets to a refrigerator or reading data from a hard drive is only possible because of a quantum mechanical exchange interaction between the atomic bar magnets on the microscopic scale. This interaction, discovered by Werner Heisenberg in 1926, explains not only the parallel alignment of atomic bar magnets in ferromagnets, but also the occurrence of other magnetic configurations, such as antiferromagnets. Today many other magnetic interactions are known, which has led to a variety of possible magnetic states and new research questions. This is also important for skyrmion lattices. Here the atomic bar magnets show in all spatial directions, which is only possible due to the competition of different interactions. "In our measurements, we found a hexagonal arrangement of magnetic contrasts, and at first we thought that was also a skyrmion lattice. Only later did it become clear that it could be a nanoscale magnetic mosaic," says PD Dr. Kirsten von Bergmann. With her team from the University of Hamburg, she experimentally studied thin metallic films of iron and rhodium using spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy. This allows magnetic structures to be imaged down to the atomic scale. The observed magnetic lattices occurred spontaneously as in a ferromagnet, i.e., without an applied magnetic field. "With a magnetic field, we can invert the mosaic lattices, because the opposing spins only partially compensate for each other," explains Dr. Andre Kubetzka, also from the University of Hamburg. Surprising: Magnetically different alignment Based on these measurements, the group of Prof. Dr. Stefan Heinze (Kiel University) performed quantum mechanical calculations on the supercomputers of the North German High Performance Computing Network (HLRN). They show that in the investigated iron films the tilting of the atomic bar magnets in a lattice of magnetic vortices, i.e. in all spatial directions, is very unfavorable. Instead, a nearly parallel or antiparallel alignment of neighboring atomic bar magnets is favored. "This result completely surprised us. A lattice of skyrmions was thus no longer an option to explain the experimental observations," says Mara Gutzeit, doctoral researcher and first author of the study. The development of an atomistic spin model made clear that it must be a novel class of magnetic lattices, which the researchers called "mosaic lattices". "We found out that these mosaic-like magnetic structures are caused by higher-order exchange terms, predicted only a few years ago," says Dr. Soumyajyoti Haldar from the group of Kiel. "The study impressively shows how diverse spin structures can be and that a close collaboration between experimentally and theoretically working research groups can be really helpful for their understanding. In this field a few more surprises can be expected in the future," states Professor Stefan Heinze. Explore further Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals the origins of stable skyrmion lattices More information: Mara Gutzeit et al, Nano-scale collinear multi-Q states driven by higher-order interactions, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Mara Gutzeit et al, Nano-scale collinear multi-Q states driven by higher-order interactions,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33383-w Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain "Fixed-duration" strikessuch as the three-day walkout by 15,000 nurses in mid-Septemberprotect worker interests and impose financial and reputational costs on employers, suggesting that confrontational tactics can help unions counteract increasing employer power, according to new Cornell University ILR School research. "Retooling Militancy: Labor Revitalization and Fixed-Duration Strikes," published Sept. 8 in the British Journal of Industrial Relations, authored by doctoral student Johnnie Kallas, tracks the rise of militant leadership at the California Nurses Association in the mid-1990s and its strategic adaptation of the strike. Kallas examined 10 fixed-duration strikes by the California nurses between 2011 and 2015. Most of the strikes lasted one day. Three-dozen interviews and other research led Kallas, who was an organizer with the union from 2016 to 2017, to determine that militant leadership and staff resulted in the adoption of the fixed-duration strike. The fixed-duration strikes by thousands of nurses built a more militant membership and organization as it developed a social justice vision while resisting nearly 100 concessions proposed at the bargaining table and laying the foundation for larger wage gains in subsequent contracts, he said. The fixed-duration strike "is a crucial component of labor revitalization and the union's strategy to resist both individual hospital employers and the broader private health care system in the United States," he wrote. U.S. unions and labor organizations representing teachers, fast food workers and others are retooling the strike to confront increasing employer power and to revitalize the labor movement, Kallas said. He is director of the ILR Labor Action Tracker, which recorded 545 labor actions in 803 U.S. locations between Jan. 1 and Sept. 29. Although there has been a dramatic uptick in work stoppages in the past four years, the number of U.S. strikes has fallen sharply since the 1980s. Fixed-duration strikes, Kallas wrote, create economic and reputational costs for employers. For instance, the hospitals impacted by the nurses' strikes couldn't shut down; they were forced to hire temporary nurses with expensive fees. The unionized nurses did not abandon patients; they returned to work after the strike. The disadvantages of fixed-duration strikes are that they might not force a settlement, Kallas said, but they can be highly effective tool to "protect the economic interests of nurses and advance their role as patient care advocates, while still imposing financial and reputational costs on employers." Explore further Unions fight to secure better pay and conditions for workers, but they can also benefit employers More information: John Kallas, Retooling militancy: Labour revitalization and fixedduration strikes, British Journal of Industrial Relations (2022). John Kallas, Retooling militancy: Labour revitalization and fixedduration strikes,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/bjir.12709 In Texas, fracking companies obtain consent by negotiating directly with households. Credit: Sean Hannon acritelyphoto/Shutterstock The UK's new prime minister, Liz Truss, recently announced the reversal of the 2019 ban on fracking. Facing an acute energy crisis, the government want to increase domestic energy production. According to conventional economic theory, whether or not fracking should occur is simple. If the private benefits exceed the social costs, then fracking companies should be able to obtain local consent by compensating households with cash. If the costs are so large that households cannot be compensated, then fracking should not happen. Yet in recent history fracking has occurred irrespective of whether there is a public appetite. In 2016, the government permitted fracking at Fylde's Preston New Road site, overturning Lancashire county council's initial rejection. The current approach echoes this. Despite announcing that fracking will only take place where there is local consent, guidance on how this will be gauged is unclear. A framework for transparent cost-benefit analysis on prospective extraction sites has so far not been introduced. Fracking in the UK has a difficult history. However, if fracking is to play a role in the country's future, how should it unfold? Calculating fracking's worth The first step is to estimate how much companies are willing to pay for the right to explore for and extract shale gas in a given area. This represents fracking's private benefit. The introduction of 3G mobile communication services in the UK illustrates how this can be done. How much mobile operators valued a license to provide 3G was unknown, but overcharging might have delayed the development of critical communications infrastructure. An auction was held, allowing mobile operators to bid competitively until each of the five licenses were allocated to the highest bidder. The auction raised 22.5 billion and established precisely how much companies valued the licenses. Auctions have become regular practice in UK utility markets. Renewable energy companies compete for contracts to produce electricity. The bidder offering electricity at the lowest price is paid a flat rate for their production over the next fifteen years, insulating them from volatile market prices. Through a similar process, it would be possible to accurately determine the value of shale gas extraction in the UK. For each potential extraction site, fracking firms could bid competitively for exclusive drilling rights. The winning bid would be legally bound to an upfront payment to the local authority in the case that consent is given. Involving local consent The second part of the process should then determine whether firms' valuation of shale gas extraction is higher than the social cost. The costs associated with fracking are high. Shale gas is mostly methane, a fossil fuel with high carbon emissions. Its extraction also involves drilling using a high pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals. Fracking in the UK has been linked to several local earthquakes as a result. The process also produces highly saline wastewater that must be disposed of. A recent survey shows just 27% of Britons support fracking. However, reports indicate that fracking firms are currently obtaining consent in Lancashire by negotiating directly with individual households. Research into the Texan fracking industry shows that this approach underestimates the social cost. Fracking companies generally have a greater knowledge of their own industry and the legalities of licensing law than households. The researchers also found that factors including language, poverty and race also determined how much compensation a household received. In Texas, non-native English speakers generally received comparatively low compensation, while their contracts were 10% less likely to contain environmental, noise or road traffic clauses. To avoid this issue, county or city councils could instead grant approval if they deem the compensation offered to local residents as sufficiently high. Councils generally command greater public trust than national politicians and through local consultations, a more precise estimate of fracking's cost to local residents can be gauged. Does fracking make economic sense? By comparing valuations of the costs and benefits, a decision on whether there is a case for fracking can be made. If the industry believes there is an abundance of shale gas to extract, then it may well resume. On 11 Dec. 2018, an earthquake measuring 1.5 in the Richter Scale was recorded at a fracking site in Lancashire. Fracking is dangerous, polluting & lethal for local water supplies. Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) September 27, 2022 However, there are doubts over whether Britain has enough shale gas reserves for fracking to become commercially viable. The British Geological Survey reported in 2019 that the UK has ten times less shale gas reserves than the level cited by fracking advocates. Since then, the scientific evidence has not changed and even the UK shale gas industry has recognised fracking's minimal value. Shale gas executives are cautious not to claim that the UK industry can cut soaring energy bills. Questions remain over the economic viability of UK fracking. However, if it is to have a future then this should be determined by a system of formal compensation and consent. This way, if shale gas extraction in the UK is as futile as the science suggests, then it will not happen. Explore further Very little public support for relaxing rules and regulations around fracking This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain In 2019, Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) eliminated the Graduate Record Examination as a requirement for admission to the school's graduate programs for a pilot period of three years. The school's decision was fueled by a growing body of data that indicated that the GRE is costly, biased, a poor predictor of academic success, and a barrier to admission for historically underrepresented students. Proponents of standardized testing have long argued that the GRE provides an objective measurement of students' academic capability and potential to succeed in their graduate programs. But now, a new BUSPH analysis reveals that eliminating the GRE as an admissions requirement did not diminish the quality nor performance of students at the school, which is currently ranked 6th in the nation among schools and programs of public health. Published in Public Health Reviews, the analysis and policy brief presents data on student diversity and success in the BUSPH Master of Public Health program, for a total of six admission cycles between 2016-2021three years before and three years after BUSPH stopped requiring GRE scores from prospective students. The BUSPH study was led by Dr. Lisa Sullivan, associate dean for education and professor of biostatistics, and was coauthored by Amanda Velez, executive director of educational initiatives; Nikki Longe, registrar; Ann Marie Larese, assistant dean for admissions; and Dr. Sandro Galea, dean and Robert A. Knox Professor. After removing the GRE, the school observed an increase in African American/Black and Hispanic applicants, rising from 7.1% and 7%, respectively, when the exam was required, to 8.5% and 8.2% after the GRE was eliminated. There was also no difference in student performance in the MPH program; 94.5% of students earned passing grades in required core courses after the GRE was eliminated, compared to 93.5% of students prior to the GRE removal. Furthermore, the academic quality of BUSPH applicants, measured by undergraduate grade point averages, remained 3.4 throughout all six admission cycles, and graduate employment also remained unchanged, with more than 93% of students becoming employed within six months of graduation. Based on these results, BUSPH will permanently omit the GRE from its admissions requirements, and the authors recommend that other academic institutions consider this move, as well. "The decision to eliminate the GRE was based on evidence of bias and structural barriers that we as a school aim to eliminate to ensure that all students have access to high-quality educational programs," says Sullivan. In the paper, the authors detail the burdens that many students, particularly underrepresented students, face to take the GRE. For one, it's a financial burden, costing more than $200 plus additional fees to submit scores to institutions, and potentially thousands more for those who enroll in GRE tutoring courses. The authors also point to systematic bias within standardized testing, as data from the Educational Testing Service shows that women score on average 80 points lower than men, and African American test takers score around 200 points lower than their White counterparts. They also highlight the lack of evidence connecting GRE scores with demonstrated improvement in student presentations and publications, or time it takes to receive their graduate degree. "We are encouraged, but not satisfied, by the modest increase in diversity of applicants, and thus, will continue to monitor and adjust as needed to ensure that we are a school that welcomes and supports students from all backgrounds," Larese says. Even with BUSPH's permanent removal of the GRE as an admissions requirement, the authors say there is more work that the school can do to support a diverse student body. "Eliminating the GRE is one step of many that are needed to create a welcoming and supportive environment to all students," says Velez. "Our programs are better and stronger with a more diverse student body, and we will continue to add to our programming to support all students." Caroline Adamson, a BUSPH student in the school's BS/MPH dual-degree program, applauded the school's decision to remove the GRE requirement permanently. "It's really exciting to know that my education has been designed to include a wide and diverse range of experiences from my peers," says Adamson, who is studying program management and health policy and law. She says her class discussions are deeply enriched by her classmates' contributions. "Throughout the first four weeks of class alone, I have had the opportunity to hear the experiences my peers have had working for various government agencies, non-profit organizations, and healthcare facilities, and I think that omitting the GRE requirement for admission has only fueled these contributions and therefore, everyone else's learning experience." More information: Lisa M. Sullivan et al, Removing the Graduate Record Examination as an Admissions Requirement Does Not Impact Student Success, Public Health Reviews (2022). Lisa M. Sullivan et al, Removing the Graduate Record Examination as an Admissions Requirement Does Not Impact Student Success,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2022.1605023 Surface features of Jupiters icy moon Europa are revealed in an image obtained by Junos Stellar Reference Unit (SRU) during the spacecrafts Sept. 29, 2022, flyby. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI Observations from the spacecraft's pass of the moon provided the first close-up in over two decades of this ocean world, resulting in remarkable imagery and unique science. The highest-resolution photo NASA's Juno mission has ever taken of a specific portion of Jupiter's moon Europa reveals a detailed view of a puzzling region of the moon's heavily fractured icy crust. The image covers about 93 miles (150 kilometers) by 125 miles (200 kilometers) of Europa's surface, revealing a region crisscrossed with a network of fine grooves and double ridges (pairs of long parallel lines indicating elevated features in the ice). Near the upper right of the image, as well as just to the right and below center, are dark stains possibly linked to something from below erupting onto the surface. Below center and to the right is a surface feature that recalls a musical quarter note, measuring 42 miles (67 kilometers) north-south by 23 miles (37 kilometers) east-west. The white dots in the image are signatures of penetrating high-energy particles from the severe radiation environment around the moon. Juno's Stellar Reference Unit (SRU)a star camera used to orient the spacecraftobtained the black-and-white image during the spacecraft's flyby of Europa on Sept. 29, 2022, at a distance of about 256 miles (412 kilometers). With a resolution that ranges from 840 to 1,115 feet (256 to 340 meters) per pixel, the image was captured as Juno raced past at about 15 miles per second (24 kilometers per second) over a part of the surface that was in nighttime, dimly lit by "Jupiter shine"sunlight reflecting off Jupiter's cloud tops. Designed for low-light conditions, the SRU has also proven itself a valuable science tool, discovering shallow lightning in Jupiter's atmosphere, imaging Jupiter's enigmatic ring system, and now providing a glimpse of some of Europa's most fascinating geologic formations. "This image is unlocking an incredible level of detail in a region not previously imaged at such resolution and under such revealing illumination conditions," said Heidi Becker, the lead co-investigator for the SRU. "The team's use of a star-tracker camera for science is a great example of Juno's groundbreaking capabilities. These features are so intriguing. Understanding how they formedand how they connect to Europa's historyinforms us about internal and external processes shaping the icy crust." It won't just be Juno's SRU scientists who will be busy analyzing data in the coming weeks. During Juno's 45th orbit around Jupiter, all of the spacecraft's science instruments were collecting data both during the Europa flyby and then again as Juno flew over Jupiter's poles a short 7 hours later. "Juno started out completely focused on Jupiter. The team is really excited that during our extended mission, we expanded our investigation to include three of the four Galilean satellites and Jupiter's rings," said Juno Principal Investigator Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "With this flyby of Europa, Juno has now seen close-ups of two of the most interesting moons of Jupiter, and their ice shell crusts look very different from each other. In 2023, Io, the most volcanic body in the solar system, will join the club." Juno sailed by Jupiter's moon Ganymedethe solar system's largest moonin June 2021. Europa is the solar system's sixth-largest moon with about 90% the equatorial diameter of Earth's moon. Scientists are confident a salty ocean lies below a miles-thick ice shell, sparking questions about the potential habitability of the ocean. In the early 2030s, the NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will arrive and strive to answer these questions about Europa's habitability. The data from the Juno flyby provides a preview of what that mission will reveal. Explore further NASA spacecraft buzzes Jupiter moon Europa, closest in years US physicist John Clauser poses in his home in Walnut Creek, California, on October 4, 2022, after winning the Nobel Prize for physics. American physicist John Clauser won the 2022 Nobel Prize for a groundbreaking experiment vindicating quantum mechanicsa fundamental theory governing the subatomic world that is today the foundation for an emerging class of ultra-powerful computers. But when he carried out his work in the 1970s, Clauser was actually hoping for the opposite result: to upend the field and prove Albert Einstein had been right to dismiss it, he told AFP in an interview. "The truth is that I strongly hoped that Einstein would win, which would mean that quantum mechanics was giving incorrect predictions," the 79-year-old said, speaking by telephone from his home in Walnut Creek, just outside San Francisco. Born in Pasadena in 1942, Clauser credits his father, an engineer who designed planes in the war and founded the aeronautics department at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, for instilling in him a lifelong love of science. "I used to wander around his laboratory and say 'Wow, oh boy, when I grow up I want to be a scientist so I can play with these fun toys too.'" As a graduate student at Columbia in the mid-1960s, he grew interested in quantum physics alongside his thesis work on radio astronomy. Quantum entanglement According to quantum mechanics, two or more particles can exist in what's called an entangled statewhat happens to one in an entangled pair determines what happens to the other, no matter their distance. The fact that this occurred instantly contradicted Einstein's theory of relativity which held that nothingincluding informationcan travel faster than the speed of light. In 1935 he dismissed this element of quantum entanglementcalled nonlocalityas "spooky action at a distance." Einstein instead believed that "hidden variables" that instructed the particles what state to take must be at play, placing him at odds with his great friend but intellectual adversary Niels Bohr, a founding father of quantum theory. In 1964, the Northern Irish physicist John Bell proposed a theoretical way to measure whether there were in fact hidden variables inside quantum particles. Clauser realized he could resolve the long standing Bohr-Einstein debate if he could create the right experiment. "My thesis advisor thought it was a distraction from my work in astrophysics," he recalled, but undeterred, he wrote to Bell, who encouraged him to take up the idea. As a graduate student in the mid-1960s, John Clauser grew interested in quantum physics alongside his thesis work on radio astronomy. It wasn't until Clauser had completed his doctorate and taken up a job at UC Berkeley that he was actually able to start working on the experiment, along with collaborator Stuart Freedman. They focused a laser on calcium atoms, making it emit particles of entangled photon pairs that shot off in opposite directions, and used filters set to the side to measure whether they were correlated. After hundreds of thousands of runs, they found the pairs correlated more than Einstein would have predicted, proving the reality of "spooky action" with hard data. At the time, leading lights of the field were unimpressed, said Clauser, including the renowned physicist Richard Feynman who told him the work was "totally silly, you're wasting everybody's time and money" and threw him out his office. Questioning the foundation of quantum mechanics was deemed unnecessary. Quantum computing That wasn't the view of the Nobel committee, who awarded Clauser, Alain Aspect of France, and Anton Zeilinger of Austria the world's most prestigious science prize for their pioneering work in advancing the field. "It took a long time for people to realize the importance of the work," chuckled Clauser. "But I suppose it is a certain vindication, everyone was telling me it was silly." Einstein's theory had more appeal to Clauser than Bohr's, which he confessed to not fully grasping. But over time, he came to realize the true value of his and his co-winners' experiments. Demonstrating that a single bit of information can be distributed through space is today at the core of quantum computers. Clauser pointed to China's quantum-encrypted Micius communications satellite, which relies on entangled photons thousands of kilometers apart. "We did not prove what quantum mechanics iswe proved what quantum mechanics isn't," he said, "and knowing what it is not then has practical applications." 2022 AFP Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren, centre, Jonas Aqvist, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, left, and Olof Ramstrom, member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry announce the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi of the United States, Morten Meldal of Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless of the United States. Credit: Christine Olsson /TT News Agency via AP Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of "snapping molecules together" that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were cited for their work on click chemistry that works "sort of like molecular Lego." "It's all about snapping molecules together," said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Sharpless, 81, who previously won a Nobel in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the prize twice, first proposed the idea of connecting molecules using chemical "buckles" around the turn of the millennium, Aqvist said. "The problem was to find good chemical buckles," he said. "They have to react with each other easily and specifically." Meldal, 68, based at the University of Copenhagen, and Sharpless, who is affiliated with Scripps Research in California, independently found the first such candidates that would easily snap together with each other but not with other molecules, leading to applications in the manufacture of medicines and polymers. Bertozzi, 55, who is based at Stanford University "took click chemistry to a new level," the Nobel panel said, by finding a way to make the process work inside living organisms without disrupting them. Stanford Professor Carolyn Bertozzi fields congratulatory emails shortly after learning she was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Palo Alto, Calif. This years Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to Americans Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together" that can be used to design better medicines. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger The goal is "doing chemistry inside human patients to make sure that drugs go to the right place and stay away from the wrong place," she said at a news conference following the announcement. The award was a shock, she said. "I'm still not entirely positive that it's real, but it's getting realer by the minute." Later, speaking to The Associated Press by Zoom, Bertozzi said one of the first people she called after being awakened by the call around 2 a.m. was her father, William Bertozzi, a retired physicist and night owl, who was still awake watching TV. "Dad, turn down the TV, I have something to tell you," she said she told him. After she assured him nothing was wrong, he guessed the news. "You won it, didn't you?" One of three daughters, Bertozzi said she was "fortunate because I grew up with parents that were very supportive, evangelical almost, about having their girls participate in the sciences." This undated photo provided by Georgia Institute of Technology shows K. Barry Sharpless. Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to design better medicines, including ones that target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Americans Sharpless and Carolyn R. Bertozzi and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were cited for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions, which are used to make cancer drugs, map DNA and create materials that are tailored to a specific purpose. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology via AP Bertozzi, who is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press' Health and Science Department, said she was grateful for the energy and enthusiasm that a Nobel Prize win will inject into the field. Meldal said he received the call from the Nobel panel about half an hour before the public announcement. "They ... told me not to tell anyone," he told the AP, adding that he just sat in his office, shaking a bit. Meldal started out as an engineer, "but I wanted to understand the world so I thought chemistry would give me the solutions." Jon Lorsch, director of the U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which supports the work of Bertozzi and Sharpless, described click chemistry as "sort of like molecular Legoyou have a group on one molecule that specifically attaches to a group on another molecule," like Lego clicking together. Stanford Professor Carolyn Bertozzi discusses her research shortly after learning she was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Palo Alto, Calif. This years Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to Americans Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together" that can be used to design better medicines. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger "That makes it possible to attach molecules in very specific pre-defined ways," he said, and gives scientists a very precise tool to build complex new molecules for use in drugs, synthetic materials and other uses. However, the first iteration of click chemistry could not be used with living cells. "The original click chemistry used copper as a catalyst to join molecules," Lorsch said. "But the trouble is that copper is toxic to most living systems at higher concentrations." Bertozzi then devised a way to jumpstart the reactions without copper or other toxic solventsbroadening the applications to human and animal tissues. "Being able to work without dangerous solvents, opened many new doorsit enabled scientists to work on new types of reactions that actually take place within the human body," said Angela Wilson, president of the American Chemical Society. Stanford Professor Carolyn Bertozzi discusses her research shortly after learning she was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, in Palo Alto, Calif. This years Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded to Americans Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal for developing a way of snapping molecules together" that can be used to design better medicines. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger That has allowed scientists to attach dyes to cancer cells to track their movements and analyze how they differ from healthy tissue. Wilson believes the advances of this year's Nobel laureates "will allow more individualized medicine in the future because we can really track things much better within the human body." Sharpless credited his passion for looking for the impossible and not accepting limits for helping him stumble upon his discoveries. "I'm just really lucky to have a photographic memory and love the periodic table," he told a virtual news conference from his home in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla. "Prizes aren't what I'm doing science for. ... I have to do it. It's kind of a compulsion," M.G. Finn, a chemist now at Georgia Tech who collaborated with Sharpless on his Nobel-winning work, said click chemistry's use in biology and drug development was still "at its infancy," with more exciting discoveries to come. K. Barry Sharpless points to a sample used in his work, as he stands on the balcony outside of his home office in La Jolla, Calif. on Oct. 10, 2001. This years Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded in equal parts to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless for developing way of snapping molecules together. Credit: AP Photo/Denis Poroy Meldal agreed. It's "very much an opportunity ... when you get this kind of award to argue for our young people to take chemistry as a discipline," he said at a news conference in Copenhagen. "Chemistry is the solution to many of our challenges." Last year's prize was awarded to scientists Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan for finding an environmentally cleaner way to build molecules that the Nobel panel said is "already benefiting humankind greatly." A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system. Three scientists won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger showed that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information. This undated photo provided by Georgia Institute of Technology shows K. Barry Sharpless, center. Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022 for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to design better medicines, including ones that target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Americans Sharpless and Carolyn R. Bertozzi and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were cited for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions, which are used to make cancer drugs, map DNA and create materials that are tailored to a specific purpose. Credit: Georgia Institute of Technology via AP Professor Olof Ramstrom, member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, speaks during the press conference to announce the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi of the United States, Morten Meldal of Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless of the United States. Credit: Christine Olsson /TT News Agency via AP Professor Olof Ramstrom, member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, speaks during the press conference to announce the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi of the United States, Morten Meldal of Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless of the United States. Credit: Christine Olsson /TT News Agency via AP Jonas Aqvist, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, looks on during the press conference to announce the winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi of the United States, Morten Meldal of Denmark and K. Barry Sharpless of the United States. Credit: Christine Olsson /TT News Agency via AP The awards continue with literature on Thursday. The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the economics award on Monday. The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10. The money comes from a bequest left by the prize's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895. Nobel Committee press release: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 to Carolyn R. Bertozzi Stanford University, CA, U.S. Morten Meldal University of Copenhagen, Denmark K. Barry Sharpless Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, U.S. "for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry" It just says clickand the molecules are coupled together The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 is about making difficult processes easier. Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal have laid the foundation for a functional form of chemistryclick chemistryin which molecular building blocks snap together quickly and efficiently. Carolyn Bertozzi has taken click chemistry to a new dimension and started utilising it in living organisms. Chemists have long been driven by the desire to build increasingly complicated molecules. In pharmaceutical research, this has often involved artificially recreating natural molecules with medicinal properties. This has led to many admirable molecular constructions, but these are generally time consuming and very expensive to produce. "This year's Prize in Chemistry deals with not overcomplicating matters, instead working with what is easy and simple. Functional molecules can be built even by taking a straightforward route," says Johan Aqvist, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. Barry Sharplesswho is now being awarded his second Nobel Prize in Chemistrystarted the ball rolling. Around the year 2000, he coined the concept of click chemistry, which is a form of simple and reliable chemistry, where reactions occur quickly and unwanted by-products are avoided. Shortly afterwards, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharplessindependently of each otherpresented what is now the crown jewel of click chemistry: the copper catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. This is an elegant and efficient chemical reaction that is now in widespread use. Among many other uses, it is utilised in the development of pharmaceuticals, for mapping DNA and creating materials that are more fit for purpose. Carolyn Bertozzi took click chemistry to a new level. To map important but elusive biomolecules on the surface of cellsglycansshe developed click reactions that work inside living organisms. Her bioorthogonal reactions take place without disrupting the normal chemistry of the cell. These reactions are now used globally to explore cells and track biological processes. Using bioorthogonal reactions, researchers have improved the targeting of cancer pharmaceuticals, which are now being tested in clinical trials. Click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions have taken chemistry into the era of functionalism. This is bringing the greatest benefit to humankind. Their functional chemistry works wonders Sometimes simple answers are the best. Barry Sharpless and Morten Meldal are awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 because they brought chemistry into the era of functionalism and laid the foundations of click chemistry. They share the prize with Carolyn Bertozzi, who took click chemistry to a new dimension and began using it to map cells. Her bioorthogonal reactions are now contributing to more targeted cancer treatments, among many other applications. Ever since the birth of modern chemistry in the eighteenth century, many chemists have used nature as their role model. Life itself is the ultimate proof of nature's supreme ability to create chemical complexity. The magnificent molecular structures found in plants, microorganisms and animals have spurred researchers to try to construct the same molecules artificially. Imitating natural molecules has often also been an important part in the development of pharmaceuticals, because many of them have been inspired by natural substances. Centuries of accumulated knowledge in chemistry has proved its worth. Using the sophisticated tools they have developed, chemists can now create the most astounding molecules in their laboratories. However, one challenging problem is that complex molecules must be built in many steps, with each step creating unwanted by-productssometimes more and sometimes fewer. These by-products must be removed before the process can continue and, for demanding constructions, the loss of material can be so great that hardly anything is left. Chemists often achieve their challenging aims, but the route there can be both time consuming and expensive. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022 is about finding new chemical ideals and letting simplicity and functionality take precedence. Chemistry has entered the era of functionalism Barry Sharpless, who is now being awarded his second Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was the one who started the snowball rolling. Around the turn of the century, he coined the concept of click chemistry for a functional form of chemistry, where molecular building blocks snap together quickly and efficiently. The snowball became an avalanche when Morten Meldal and Barry Sharplessindependently of each otherdiscovered what has become the crown jewel of click chemistry: the copper catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Carolyn Bertozzi developed click reactions that can be used inside living organisms. Her bioorthogonal reactionswhich occur without disturbing the normal chemistry of the cellare used globally to map how cells function. Some researchers are now investigating how these reactions can be used to diagnose and treat cancer, something we will return to. Let us now follow the first of the two threads that lead to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022. Sharpless believes chemists need new ideals We start unravelling this thread in 2001, the same year that Barry Sharpless received his first Nobel Prize in Chemistry. However, that was yet to happen when he, in a scientific journal, argued for a new and minimalistic approach in chemistry. He believed it was time for chemists to stop imitating natural molecules. This often resulted in molecular constructions that were very difficult to master, which is an obstacle to the development of new pharmaceuticals. If a potential pharmaceutical is found in nature, small volumes of the substance can often be manufactured for in vitro testing and clinical trials. However, if industrial production is required at a later stage, a much higher level of production efficiency is necessary. Sharpless used a powerful antibiotic, meropenem, as an example. Six years of chemical development work were necessary to find a way of producing the molecule on a large scale. Wrangling molecules is expensive One stumbling block for chemists, according to Barry Sharpless, was the bonds between carbon atoms that are so vital to the chemistry of life. In principle, all biomolecules have a framework of linked carbon atoms. Life has evolved methods for creating these, but it has proven notoriously difficult for chemists. The reason is that carbon atoms from different molecules often lack a chemical drive to form bonds with each other, so they need to be artificially activated. This activation often leads to numerous unwanted side reactions and a costly loss of material. Instead of trying to wrangle reluctant carbon atoms into reacting with each other, Barry Sharpless encouraged his colleagues to start with smaller molecules that already had a complete carbon frame. These simple molecules could then be linked together using bridges of nitrogen atoms or oxygen atoms, which are easier to control. If chemists choose simple reactionswhere there is a strong intrinsic drive for the molecules to bond togetherthey avoid many of the side reactions, with a minimal loss of material. Click chemistryfunctional green chemistry with huge potential Barry Sharpless called this robust method for building molecules click chemistry, saying that even if click chemistry cannot provide exact copies of natural molecules, it will be possible to find molecules that fulfil the same functions. Combining simple chemical building blocks makes it possible to create an almost endless variety of molecules, so he was convinced that click chemistry could generate pharmaceuticals that were as fit for purpose as those found in nature, and which could be produced on an industrial scale. In his publication from 2001, Sharpless listed several criteria that should be fulfilled for a chemical reaction to be called click chemistry. One of these is that the reaction should be able to occur in the presence of oxygen and in water, which is a cheap and environmentally friendly solvent. He also provided examples of several existing reactions that he believed fulfilled the new ideals he had laid out. However, no one yet knew of the brilliant reaction that has now become almost synonymous with click chemistrythe copper catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. This was about to be discovered in a laboratory in Denmark. The click reaction that changed chemistry Azides and alkynes react very efficiently when copper ions are added. This reaction is now used globally to link molecules together in a simple manner. An unexpected substance in Meldal's reaction vessel A great deal of decisive scientific progress occurs when researchers least expect it, and this was the case for Morten Meldal. In the early years of this century, he was developing methods for finding potential pharmaceutical substances. He constructed enormous molecular libraries, which could include hundreds of thousands of different substances, and then screened them all to see whether any of them could block pathogenic processes. While doing this, one day he and his colleagues conducted a purely routine reaction. You don't need to remember this bit, but their aim was to react an alkyne with an acyl halide. The reaction usually goes smoothly, as long as chemists add some copper ions and perhaps a pinch of palladium as catalysts. But when Meldal analysed what happened in the reaction vessel he found something unexpected. It turned out that the alkyne had reacted with the wrong end of the acyl halide molecule. At the opposite end was a chemical group called an azide (illustrated above). Together with the alkyne, the azide created a ring-shaped structure, a triazole. This reaction was something special People who understand some chemistry may know that triazoles are useful chemical structures; they are stable and are found in some pharmaceuticals, dyes and agricultural chemicals, among other things. Because triazoles are desirable chemical building blocks, researchers had previously tried to create them from alkynes and azides, but this led to unwanted by-products. Morten Meldal realised that the copper ions had controlled the reaction so that, in principle, only one substance formed. Even the acyl halidewhich really should have bonded to the alkyneremained more or less untouched in the vessel. It was therefore obvious to Meldal that the reaction between the azide and alkyne was something exceptional. He first presented his discovery at a symposium in San Diego, in June 2001. The following year, 2002, he published an article in a scientific journal, showing that the reaction can be used to bond together numerous different molecules. Molecules snap together quickly and efficiently That same yearindependently of Morten MeldalBarry Sharpless also published a paper about the copper catalysed reaction between azides and alkynes, showing that the reaction works in water and is reliable. He described it as an "ideal" click reaction. The azide is like a loaded spring, where the force is released by the copper ion. The process is robust and Sharpless proposed that chemists can use the reaction to easily link different molecules. He described its potential as enormous. In retrospect, we can see that he was right. If chemists want to link two different molecules they can now, relatively easily, introduce an azide in one molecule and an alkyne in the other. They then snap the molecules together with the help of some copper ions. Click reactions can be used to create new materials This simplicity has led to the reaction becoming tremendously popular, both at research laboratories and in industrial development. Among other things, click reactions facilitate the production of new materials that are fit for purpose. If a manufacturer adds a clickable azide to a plastic or fibre, changing the material at a later stage is straightforward; it is possible to click in substances that conduct electricity, capture sunlight, are antibacterial, protect from ultraviolet radiation or have other desirable properties. Softeners can also be clicked into plastics, so they do not leak out later. In pharmaceutical research, click chemistry is used to produce and optimise substances that can potentially become pharmaceuticals. There are many examples of what click chemistry can achieve. However, something that Barry Sharpless did not predict was that it would be used in living beings. Now we will unravel the second thread in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022. Bertozzi starts investigating elusive carbohydrates This thread begins in the 1990s, when biochemistry and molecular biology were undergoing explosive progress. Using new methods in molecular biology, researchers around the world were mapping genes and proteins in their attempts to understand how cells work. There was a pioneering spirit and, every day, new knowledge was generated about areas that had once been terra incognita. However, one group of molecules received hardly any attention: glycans. These are complex carbohydrates that are built from various types of sugar and often sit on the surface of proteins and cells. They play an important role in many biological processes, such as when viruses infect cells or when the immune system is activated. Glycans are therefore interesting molecules, but the problem was that the new tools for molecular biology could not be used to study them. Anyone who wanted to understand how glycans work therefore faced an enormous challenge. Only a few researchers were prepared to try to climb that mountainand one of them was Carolyn Bertozzi. Bertozzi has a bright idea In the early 1990s, Carolyn Bertozzi began mapping a glycan that attracts immune cells to lymph nodes. The lack of efficient tools meant that it took four years to get a grip on how the glycan functioned. This challenging process made her dream of something betterand she had an idea. During a seminar, she listened to a German scientist who explained how he had succeeded in getting cells to produce an unnatural variant of sialic acid, one of the sugars that build up glycans. Bertozzi therefore started to wonder whether she could use a similar method to get cells to produce a sialic acid with a type of chemical handle. If the cells could incorporate the modified sialic acid in different glycans, she would be able to use the chemical handle to map them. She could, for example, attach a fluorescent molecule to the handle. The emitted light would then reveal where the glycans were hidden in the cell. This was the start of long and focused development work. Bertozzi started searching through the scientific literature for chemical handles and a chemical reaction she could use. This was no easy task, because the handle must not react with any other substance in the cell. It had to be insensitive to absolutely everything apart from the molecules she was going to link to the handle. She established a term for this: the reaction between the handle and the fluorescent molecule had to be bioorthogonal. and make the hidden glycans reveal themselves To make a long story short, in 1997 Carolyn Bertozzi succeeded in proving that her idea really worked. The next breakthrough occurred in 2000, when she found the optimal chemical handle: an azide. She modified a known reactionthe Staudinger reactionin an ingenious manner, and used it to connect a fluorescent molecule to the azide she introduced to the cells' glycans. Because the azide does not affect the cells, it can even be introduced into living creatures. With this, she had already given an important gift to biochemistry. With a little chemical creativity, her modified Staudinger reaction can be used to map cells in a variety of ways, but Bertozzi was still not satisfied. She had realised that the chemical handle she usedthe azidehad a lot more to give. Blows new life in an old reaction At this time, word was spreading among chemists about Morten Meldal's and Barry Sharpless' new click chemistry, so Carolyn Bertozzi was well aware that her handlethe azidecan rapidly click onto an alkyne as long as there are available copper ions. The problem is that copper is toxic to living things. So she once again began to dig deep into the literature, and found that back in 1961 it had been shown that azides and alkynes can react in an almost explosive mannerwithout the help of copperif the alkyne is forced into a ring-shaped chemical structure. The strain creates so much energy that the reaction runs smoothly. The reaction worked well when she tested it in cells. In 2004, she published the copper-free click reaction, called the strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloadditionand then demonstrated that it can be used to track glycans (see the illustration above). Click reactions put a spotlight on the cell This milestone was also the start of something much bigger. Carolyn Bertozzi has continued refining her click reaction, so it works even better in cell environments. In parallel with this, she and many other researchers have also used these reactions to explore how biomolecules interact in cells and to study disease processes. One area that Bertozzi focuses on is glycans on the surface of tumour cells. Her studies have led to the insight that some glycans appear to protect tumours from the body's immune system, as they make the immune cells shut down. To block this protective mechanism, Bertozzi and her colleagues have created a new type of biological pharmaceutical. They have joined a glycan-specific antibody to enzymes that break down the glycans on the surface of the tumour cells. This pharmaceutical is now being tested in clinical trials on people with advanced cancer. Many researchers have also started to develop clickable antibodies that target a range of tumours. Once the antibodies attach to the tumour, a second molecule that clicks to the antibody is injected. For example, this could be a radioisotope that can be used to track tumours using a PET scanner or that can aim a lethal dose of radiation at the cancer cells. Elegant, clever and novel, but most of all useful We do not yet know whether these new therapies will workbut one thing is clear: research has just touched on the enormous potential of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry. When Barry Sharpless gave his first Nobel Lecture in Stockholm in 2001, he talked about his childhood, which was coloured by the simple values of the Quakers and has influenced his ideals. He said: "Elegant" and "clever" were the chemical accolades of choice when I started doing research, just as "novel" is high praise now. Perhaps the Quakers are responsible for me valuing "useful" most. All four of these words of praise are necessary to do justice to the chemistry for which he, Carolyn Bertozzi and Morten Meldal have laid the foundation. In addition to being elegant, clever, novel and useful, it also brings the greatest benefit to humankind. Explore further Nobel panel to announce winner of chemistry prize 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In a sport where the finest of margins can determine the winner, a new study has shown that parental age can be a determining factor in who comes out on top in horse races. Experts from the University of Exeter have shown that the speed of thoroughbred horses declines as parental age at conception increases. The research team analyzed more than 900,000 race performances from more than 100,000 racehorses from races across Great Britain. They found that the age of both the mothers and fathers of the horses played a significant role in the overall speed of the racehorses. The researchers believe the study can play a pivotal part not only in optimizing racehorse breeding, but crucially offers further evidence that parental age can affect offspring characteristics. The study is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. Dr. Patrick Sharman, Postdoctoral Research Associate (Visiting) from the Center for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall said, "The fact that parental age affects racehorse speed should be of interest to the horseracing industry. "More generally, it adds to an increasing body of evidence which points towards parental 'state' at the time of conception having an influence on offspring phenotype. This would have implications well beyond racehorses and the horseracing industry" The effects that parental age can have on the characteristics of their offspring has been studied in a number of species in recent years. However, this is the first in-depth study which attempts to estimate maternal and paternal age effects specifically for speed in thoroughbred horses. The study analyzed data from almost 25 years of racing results, from 1996-2019, from meetings across Great Britain. Their data included offspring of 41,107 mothers and 2,887 fathers. They found a "significant effect" of maternal age on speed, with each additional year of age at conception decreasing the offspring speed by 0.017 yards per second. While this may sound modest, it actually converts into a predicted difference of approximately one second over a race of one mile between, by way of example, a five-year-old and a 15-year-old mother. Intriguingly, the paternal age also showed a decrease of 0.011 yards per second for every increasing year in stallion agea key finding since thoroughbred stallions play no active involvement in parental care. Dr. Sharman added, "It is perhaps not surprising that offspring speed declines with increasing maternal age. It is the dams, after all, who care for the foal, first in utero, and then through to around 6 months of age. "What I find fascinating, though, is that increasing paternal age also causes a significant decline in racehorse speed. Thoroughbred stallions play no part whatsoever is raising a foal, so what is behind this decline in speed?" The team say that further research is now required to determine the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. Evidence of maternal and paternal age effects on speed in thoroughbred racehorses is published in Royal Society Open Science. More information: Evidence of maternal and paternal age effects on speed in thoroughbred racehorses. Royal Society Open Science. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.220691 Journal information: Royal Society Open Science Evidence of maternal and paternal age effects on speed in thoroughbred racehorses. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Rent spikes have developed in the Sun Belt and the West, a pattern clearly driven by local supply and demand issues, according to the latest analysis by researchers at Florida Atlantic University and two other schools. Florida continues to dominate the list of largest premiums and largest annual rent increases, as of the end of August. Miami is No. 1 in both categories, with renters paying 21.98% above the long-term rental trend and 21.92% more than they did a year ago. Fort Myers previously had the largest year-over-year rent increase but slipped to No. 2 in August. Markets in Arizona, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah also rank near the top of both lists. But other metros aren't facing a rental crisis. The lowest year-over-year increases are Fresno, California (3.50%); Spokane, Washington (4.20%); and Minneapolis (5%). Those levels fall in line with traditional annual increases of 3 to 5%. The full rankings can be found here. "In areas around the country where demand overwhelms supply, renters are getting hit with near-record premiums and annual increases," said Ken H. Johnson, Ph.D., an economist in FAU's College of Business. "In markets with more of a balance between supply and demand, rents are relatively stable." Johnson, Shelton Weeks, Ph.D., of Florida Gulf Coast University, and Bennie Waller, Ph.D., of The University of Alabama, use leasing data from Zillow's Observed Rental Index to determine existing rents and statistically model historical trends from 2014. The Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index covers the entire rental stock of homes and apartments. Recent rent increases in Florida, while still elevated, are showing signs of slowing, said Weeks, of FGCU's Lucas Institute for Real Estate Development & Finance. He noted that most of metro Miami's 21.92% year-over-year increase occurred between September 2021 and February. "In the last six months, rents in the area are up only 6.80%, implying a slowdown in the pace of rent increases," Weeks said. Weeks and the other researchers agree Hurricane Ian's recent landfall in southwest Florida will have a short-term effect on rents. Areas hit by the storm already lacked enough rental units, and the disruption caused by Ian will only slow down needed construction, forcing rents even higher near landfall areas, if only temporarily. A storm's impact does slow housing demand in areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts not directly impacted by the storm, but it returns relatively quickly, the researchers said. "In the long run, people still will want to live in Florida, increasing demand dramatically," Johnson said. The recent surge in rents nationwide is not entirely unexpected, said Waller of UA's Culverhouse College of Business. "During the height of the pandemic, construction nearly stopped," he said. "As the pandemic lessened, supply chain problems continued to hamper construction. All in all, we are just now getting back to levels of construction necessary to support population growth." The rental crisis will ease when delivery catches up to demand, but in many parts of the country, that could take several years, Waller said. The researchers said recent demographic shifts across the country are complicating the supply side of the crisis, with population movements making it difficult for developers to determine where best to build rental units. Explore further New study measures rent spikes in three Florida markets Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Scientists have shown that in one in every 4,000 births, some of the genetic code from our mitochondriathe 'batteries' that power our cellsinserts itself into our DNA, revealing a surprising new insight into how humans evolve. In a study published today in Nature, researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London show that mitochondrial DNA also appears in some cancer DNA, suggesting that it acts as a sticking plaster to try and repair damage to our genetic code. Mitochondria are tiny 'organelles' that sit within our cells, where they act like batteries, providing energy in the form of the molecule ATP to power the cells. Each mitochondrion has its own DNAmitochondrial DNAthat is distinct to the rest of the human genome, which is comprised of nuclear DNA. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down the maternal linethat is, we inherit it from our mothers, not our fathers. However, a study published in PNAS in 2018 from researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the U.S. reported evidence that suggested some mitochondrial DNA had been passed down the paternal line. To investigate these claims, the Cambridge team looked at the DNA from over 11,000 families recruited to Genomics England's 100,000 Genomes Project, searching for patterns that looked like paternal inheritance. The Cambridge team found mitochondrial DNA 'inserts' in the nuclear DNA of some children that were not present in that of their parents. This meant that the US team had probably reached the wrong conclusions: what they had observed were not paternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA, but rather these inserts. Now, extending this work to over 66,000 people, the team showed that the new inserts are actually happing all the time, showing a new way our genome evolves. Professor Patrick Chinnery, from the Medical Research Council Mitochondrial Biology Unit and Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge, explained: "Billions of years ago, a primitive animal cell took in a bacterium that became what we now call mitochondria. These supply energy to the cell to allow it to function normally, while removing oxygen, which is toxic at high levels. Over time, bits of these primitive mitochondria have passed into the cell nucleus, allowing their genomes to talk to each other. "This was all thought to have happened a very long time ago, mostly before we had even formed as a species, but what we've discovered is that that's not true. We can see this happening right now, with bits of our mitochondrial genetic code transferring into the nuclear genome in a measurable way." The team estimate that mitochondrial DNA transfers to nuclear DNA in around one in every 4,000 births. If that individual has children of their own, they will pass these inserts onthe team found that most of us carry five of the new inserts, and one in seven of us (14%) carry very recent ones. Once in place, the inserts can occasionally lead to very rare diseases, including a rare genetic form of cancer. It isn't clear exactly how the mitochondrial DNA inserts itselfwhether it does so directly or via an intermediary, such as RNAbut Professor Chinnery says it is likely to occur within the mother's egg cells. When the team looked at sequences taken from 12,500 tumor samples, they found that mitochondrial DNA was even more common in tumor DNA, arising in around one in 1,000 cancers, and in some cases, the mitochondrial DNA inserts actually causes the cancer. "Our nuclear genetic code is breaking and being repaired all the time," said Professor Chinnery. "Mitochondrial DNA appears to act almost like a Band-Aid, a sticking plaster to help the nuclear genetic code repair itself. And sometimes this works, but on rare occasions if might make things worse or even trigger the development of tumors." More than half (58%) of the insertions were in regions of the genome that code for proteins. In the majority of cases, the body recognizes the invading mitochondrial DNA and silences it in a process known as methylation, whereby a molecule attaches itself to the insert and switches it off. A similar process occurs when viruses manage to insert themselves into our DNA. However, this method of silencing is not perfect, as some of the mitochondrial DNA inserts go on to be copied and move around the nucleus itself. The team looked for evidence that the reverse might happenthat mitochondrial DNA absorbs parts of our nuclear DNAbut found none. There are likely to be several reasons why this should be the case. Firstly, cells only have two copies of nuclear DNA, but thousands of copies of mitochondrial DNA, so the chances of mitochondrial DNA being broken and passing into the nucleus are much greater than the other way around. Secondly, the DNA in mitochondria is packaged inside two membranes and there are no holes in the membrane, so it would be difficult for nuclear DNA to get in. By contrast, if mitochondrial DNA manages to get out, holes in the membrane surrounding nuclear DNA would allow it pass through with relative ease. Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, vice principal for health at Queen Mary University of London, said: "I am so delighted that the 100,000 Genomes Project has unlocked the dynamic interplay between mitochondrial DNA and our genome in the cell's nucleus. This defines a new role in DNA repair, but also one that could occasionally trigger rare disease, or even malignancy." Explore further Study in mice shows potential for gene-editing to tackle mitochondrial disorders SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from left, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata pose for a photo as they leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux For the first time in 20 years, a Russian cosmonaut rocketed from the U.S. on Wednesday, launching to the International Space Station alongside NASA and Japanese astronauts despite tensions over the war in Ukraine. "We're so glad to do it together," said Anna Kikina, Russia's lone female cosmonaut, offering thanks in both English and Russian. "Spasibo!" She was among the three newcomers on the flight, alongside Marine Col. Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman to orbit the world, and Navy Capt. Josh Cassada. They were joined by Japan Space Agency's Koichi Wakata, who is making his fifth spaceflight. "Awesome!" radioed Mann. "That was a smooth ride uphill. You've got three rookies who are pretty happy to be floating in space right now." They're due to arrive at the space station Thursday, 29 hours after departing from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and won't be back on Earth until March. They're replacing a U.S.-Italian crew that arrived in April. Their SpaceX flight was delayed by Hurricane Ian, which devastated parts of the state last week. The weather was ideal as the Falcon rocket blasted into a brilliant noontime sky. "I hope with this launch we will brighten up the skies over Florida a little bit for everyone," Wakata said before the flight. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon capsule, with a multinational crew of four astronauts, lifts off from Launch Complex 39-A Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., beginning a five-month mission to the International Space Station. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux Kikina is the Russian Space Agency's exchange for NASA's Frank Rubio, who launched to the space station two weeks ago from Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket. He flew up with two cosmonauts. The space agencies agreed over the summer to swap seats on their flights in order to ensure a continuous U.S. and Russian presence aboard the 260-mile-high (420-kilometer-high) outpost. The barter was authorized even as global hostilities mounted over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February. The next crew exchange is in the spring. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the key reason for the seat exchange is safetyin case an emergency forces one capsule's crew home, there would still be an American and Russian on board. In the meantime, Russia remains committed to the space station through at least 2024, Russia space official Sergei Krikalev assured reporters after liftoff. Russia wants to build its own station in orbit later this decade, but he said that will take time and until it's ready, it makes sense to keep working with NASA. SpaceX Crew5 astronaut NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, right, talks to family members as she leaves the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Terry Renna Krikalev, a former cosmonaut who was the first to launch on a U.S. rocket, noted that the two countries are at a new phase of space cooperation that began with the Apollo-Soyuz orbital linkup in 1975. NASA's commander for that mission, Thomas Stafford, attended Wednesday's launch. "I hope we will cooperate together the way it was started in 1975," said Krikalev, while acknowledging he's trying to quell any friction between the two space agencies. NASA started flying cosmonauts on its space shuttles in 1994, first to Russia's Mir space station and then to the fledgling space station. The 2003 Columbia reentry disaster put an end to it. But U.S. astronauts continued to hitch rides on Russian rockets for tens of millions of dollars per seat. Kakina is only the fifth Russian woman to rocket off the planet. She said she was surprised to be selected for the seat swap after encountering "many tests and obstacles" during her decade of training. "But I did it. I'm lucky maybe. I'm strong," she said. SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from left, NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, NASA astronaut Nicole Mann, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux SpaceX Crew5 Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata waves as he leaves the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from row from left, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, second row from left, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux SpaceX Crew5 Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina gestures as she leaves the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux SpaceX Crew5 astronauts, from left, Anna Kikina, of Russia, Josh Cassada, Nicole Mann, and Koichi Wakata, of Japan, pose for a photo as they leave the Operations and Checkout building before heading to Launch Pad 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., for a mission to the International Space Station Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands ready for launch on Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. The Crew5 mission is scheduled for launch tomorrow at noon. Credit: AP Photo/Terry Renna A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon capsule, with a multinational crew of four astronauts, lifts off from Launch Complex 39-A Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., beginning a five-month mission to the International Space Station. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux Mann, a member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in California, took along her mother's dream catcher, a small traditional webbed hoop believed to offer protection. Retired NASA astronaut John Herrington of the Chickasaw Nation became the first Native American in space in 2002. "I am very proud to represent Native Americans and my heritage," Mann said before the flight, adding that everyone on her crew has a unique background. "It's important to celebrate our diversity and also realize how important it is when we collaborate and unite, the incredible accomplishments that we can have." As for the war in Ukraine, Mann said all four have put politics and personal beliefs aside, "and it's really cool how the common mission of the space station just instantly unites us." Added Cassada: "We have an opportunity to be an example for society on how to work together and live together and explore together." Elon Musk's SpaceX has now launched eight crews since 2020: six for NASA and two private groups. Boeing, NASA's other contracted taxi service, plans to make its first astronaut flight early next yea r, after delays to fix software and other issues that cropped up on test flights. Explore further Space station gets 3 new residents after Russian launch 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A small group of Nobel winners have won more than once. American Barry Sharpless on Wednesday became only the fifth person ever to win a second Nobel Prize, two decades after being awarded his first. AFP looks at the four other people who received the illustrious award twice for their services to mankind: Marie Curie (1903, 1911) The mother of modern physics was the first woman ever to win not one, but two, Nobel prizes for her seminal discoveries in physics and chemistry. Born Maria Sklodowska in Poland, Curie moved to Paris as a student and is famed for having isolated the elements of polonium and radium as well as for promoting radium to alleviate suffering. In 1903, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, along with her husband Pierre Curie and French physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel for their research into spontaneous radiation. A second Nobel followed in 1911, this time for chemistry, when Curie was honoured alone for her work on radioactivity. Linus Pauling (1954, 1962) Linus Pauling, the US chemist who posited that huge doses of vitamin C can ward off the common cold, is the only person to have been awarded two unshared Nobel Prizesthe 1954 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Peace Prize. Marie and Pierre Curie were at the start of the research for the radioactivity and Marie Curie was the first woman rewarded with the Nobil Prize. Undated picture taken at Paris showing the physicists Marie Curie and Pierre Curie at work in their laboratory. Pauling won his first Nobel in 1954 for his work in molecular chemistry, particularly in the field of proteins and anti-bodies. His second award came eight years later in 1962 was in recognition for his campaigning against nuclear testing. John Bardeen (1956, 1972) US engineer John Bardeen shared the Nobel Prize in Physics twice. In 1956, he and two colleagues at Bell Labs, William Shockley and Walter Brattain, won for inventing the transistor, which revolutionised the field of electronics by leading to smaller and cheaper radios, calculators and computers, amongst other objects. In 1972, he picked up his second Nobel for developing the BSC-theory of superconductivity, with fellow American physicists Leon Cooper and John Robert Schrieffer. A portrait taken December 1975 of US physicist John Bardeen (1908-91) during a trip to Finland. Bardeen with William B. Shockley and Walter Brattain shared the 1956 Nobel Prize for jointly inventing the transistor. Frederick Sanger (1958, 1980) British biochemist Frederick Sanger, dubbed the father of genomics, was the only person to win the chemistry Nobel twice. Sanger was the sole winner of the prize in 1958 for his work on the structure of proteins, notably insulin, and then shared it with two others, Paul Berg and Walter Gilbert of the United States, in 1980 for pioneering developments in DNA sequencing that are still being used today. His work allowed long stretches of DNA to be rapidly and accurately sequenced and was central to the Human Genome Project's mammoth achievement in mapping more than three billion units of human DNA. Chemist Frederick Sanger, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1958 and 1980, sitting at his desk in Cambridge on October 27, 1958. ICRC and UNHCR Two organisations have won multiple Nobel Peace Prizes. The International Committee of the Red Cross won in 1917, 1944 and 1963 and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees won in 1954 and 1981. Explore further A quick look at the 2022 Nobel Prizes 2022 AFP Pieter Cullis, Drew Weissman and Katalin Kariko are thought to be among the favourites for the Nobel Chemistry Prize. The development of mRNA vaccines, "bioorthogonal chemistry" or even artificial skin are some of the discoveries tipped for the Nobel Chemistry Prize announced Wednesday, which experts see as a toss-up. The winneror winnersof the prestigious award will be unveiled at 11:45 am (0945 GMT) "at the earliest" by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm. Last year, the academy honoured Germany's Benjamin List and US-British dual national David MacMillan for their development of a precise tool for molecular construction known as asymmetric organocatalysis. Thought to be among the favourites for the medicine prize that was announced on Mondaywhich went to Swedish paleogeneticist Svante Paabothe pioneers of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could see their work instead snatching the chemistry category. Hungarian biochemist Katalin Kariko and US immunologist Drew Weissmanwhose work served as a basis for the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 mRNA vaccinesare also favourites for the chemistry prize. They could be honoured alongside Canada's Pieter Cullis, another mRNA expert. Long wait While many hope to see the mRNA vaccines, of which billions of doses have already been administered, receive a Nobel Prize, it is unlikely, according to Linus Brohult, editor of the science desk at Swedish public broadcaster SVT. "Nobel committees tend to wait a long time before awarding a prize," he told AFP. Brohult also noted that mRNA vaccines are under development and could be used in other fields such as cancer prevention. "mRNA vaccines might be an even bigger thing in a few years, and then they will want to include those who have been part of that development," Brohult said. While under-represented among Nobel science prizes, and after no woman was crowned in the science categories last year, experts queried by AFP nonetheless cite a number of female researchers as potential Nobel candidates, including Kariko. David Pendlebury, head of research analysis at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivatean organisation which closely monitors potential science laureatessaid American Carolyn Bertozzi was a likely winner for chemistry this year. Pendlebury told AFP that "she coined the term and helped develop what is today known as bioorthogonal chemistry," which refers to chemical reactions occurring inside of living systems without interfering with biochemical processes. Bertozzi could potentially share the prize with American Stephen J. Lippard, an expert in the role of metal ions in biology, which for instance is used in the development of cancer treatments. Brohult also thinks American molecular biologist Bonnie Bassler, a specialist in intercellular communication, has a good chance of earning a Nobel medal this year. Artificial skin Stanford University chemical engineering professor Zhenan Bao could also be awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry, according to Brohult. The Chinese-American and her team have invented an "artificial electronic skin" by developing materials for stretchable circuits and flexible batteries. Another skin-related field that may get the nod is that of tissue engineering thanks to the American trio of Cato Laurencin, Kristi Anseth and Robert Langer. The latter is known for developing technologies that allow the delivery of drugs directly to diseased tissues without the use of needles or other invasive measures. One man believed to be in the race is American Barry Sharpless, who is also in a position to achieve the rare feat of grabbing a second Nobel after first winning in 2001. Not counting organisations, only four people have done so, starting with Polish-born Frenchwoman Marie Curie. He could be awarded the prize for so-called "click" chemistry, a term he coined which refers to the use of molecules that are easily joined together. Also speculated to be in the running in recent years are Japan's Susumu Kitagawa and Makoto Fujita and American-Jordanian Omar Yaghi, considered to be pioneers of metal-organic frameworks which allow for the storage of large quantities of gas without requiring high pressure. On Monday, the medicine prize went to Paabo for his discoveries on the genomes of extinct hominins and human evolution. Then on Tuesday, physicists Alain Aspect of France, John Clauser of the United States and Austria's Anton Zeilinger were given the physics prize for developing experimental tools that helped prove quantum entanglementa phenomenon Albert Einstein dismissed as "spooky action at a distance". The chemistry prize will be followed by the highly watched literature and peace prizes, announced on Thursday and Friday respectively. The peace prize is expected to hold a special significance this year given the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Explore further Nobel panel to announce winner of chemistry prize 2022 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new research study overseen by Brian Verrelli, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Center for Biological Data Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, could have major implications for research across the university and beyond. It shows that scientific researchers are looking to incorporate many of the social inequality issues raised during the pandemic and George Floyd protests into future research. Verrelli studies biological diversity and evolution. He focuses on the impact that the urban environment has on biological organisms. He recently helped oversee research into the impact that urbanization has on black widow spiders in the American West. The research, led by Lindsay Miles, a former Ph.D. student in integrative life sciences at VCU, examined the genetics of black widow spiders as health pests in the urban and nonurban environment. The work found that urban and nonurban black widow spiders were genetically different and that has evolutionary and medical implications. "You start taking organisms that interact in a certain way for millions of years and then you drop an urban area on top of that," Verrelli said. "And you look at what happens to those interactions and how does it impact humans and how does it impact environmental and human health." He believes studying biological impacts of urbanization is an important and growing field, given the world's changing demographics. "Demographic predictions suggest that by 2050, urban areas will be home to approximately 68% of the human population," he said. "With this rapid urbanization, habitats will be irrevocably changed, and natural resource extraction will accelerate." A few years ago, Verrelli became part of a team of researchers that received a five-year grant through the National Science Foundation to create a research coordination network to study urban ecology and evolutionary dynamics around the world. Verrelli was the lead author of the first major research paper to come out of the grant. The article was published on the Trends in Ecology & Evolution's website in August and will be published in the November issue of the journal. The paper was a horizon scan of urban evolutionary ecology. Verrelli said horizon scans are frequently conducted in the social sciences but are not seen as often in the life sciences. The format surveys leaders in the field and asks them to identify major trends. The goal is to look at what the future of research will be in the field. The survey asked the opinion of 100 scientists from around the world, using an open-ended question: What future topics will be the focus of urban evolutionary ecology research? Based on the experts' feedback, the study's authors identified 30 key categories in the field. From that, the team of researchers grouped the categories into six major themes. They were (with some examples): Processes (mutation and speciation). Scales (temporal, spatial, and historical). Sustainability (pathogens, rewilding, and disease). Climate change (extreme weather and sea level changes). Sociopolitical (ethics, race, legacy, and governance). Technology (artificial intelligence and genetic engineering). The survey took place in 2020 during the pandemic and widespread protests after the death of George Floyd when there was a heightened awareness of social justice issues. Verrelli believes current events at that time played a large role in people's answers and the direction of the discussion. That proved particularly clear when the 29 authors of the paper met for three days in a virtual workshop and discussed the 700 entries. The conversations about the entries gravitated toward a central theme of social injustice. "The fact that the George Floyd event got so much attention from everyonewhy is it so surprising that this would have a downstream effect on the science as well?" Verrelli said. "Why can't we look at how inequity in cities can alter our view of biodiversity?" Verrelli believes the study has implications outside of evolutionary ecology. Other fields can benefit from seeing what concerns the field of evolutionary ecology and apply the ideas to their disciplines. He believes that fields such as engineering could look to the study when considering future research. New technologies must be developed to address the environmental impact of urbanization. Political science and urban planning investigators could also look to the study in addressing social injustices within urban areas and to set public policy. Verrelli said he has been working with groups around the university also interested in social injustice and the role it plays in scientific research. For instance, he helps administer a core group interested in sustainability research within VCU's Institute for Inclusion, Inquiry and Innovation (iCubed), which strategically invests in academic and research programs that employ transdisciplinary approaches to solve challenging and persistent problems in urban communities. Explore further Examining how urbanization induces changes in invasive toad populations More information: Brian C. Verrelli et al, A global horizon scan for urban evolutionary ecology, Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2022). Journal information: Trends in Ecology & Evolution Brian C. Verrelli et al, A global horizon scan for urban evolutionary ecology,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.07.012 Blast-off for the SpaceX Crew5 mission is set for noon from the Kennedy Space Center, with the weather forecast so far promising. The United States will on Wednesday carry a Russian to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX ship, in a voyage that carries symbolic significance amid the Ukraine war. Anna Kikina, the only female cosmonaut in service, is part of the Crew-5 mission, which also includes one Japanese and two American astronauts. Blast-off is set for noon from the Kennedy Space Center, with the weather forecast so far promising. Two weeks ago, an American astronaut took off on a Russian Soyuz rocket for the orbital platform. The long-planned astronaut exchange program has been maintained despite soaring tensions between the two countries since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February. Ensuring the operation of the ISS has become one of the few remaining areas of cooperation between the United States and Russia. "When you each are flying other's crew members, you know that you have a huge responsibility that you're promising to the other country," NASA associate administrator Kathy Lueders told reporters in a recent press conference. "At a working level, we really appreciated the constancy in the relationship, even during some really, really tough times geopolitically." Fifth female cosmonaut Kikina, 38 and an engineer by training, will become the fifth Russian female professional cosmonaut to go into space. Anna Kikina, 38 and an engineer by training, will become the fifth Russian female professional cosmonaut to go into space. "I hope in the near future we have more women in the cosmonaut corps," the Novosibirsk native told AFP in August. The Soviet Union put the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, in 1963, nearly 20 years before the first American woman Sally Ride. Since then, America has flown dozens more women. It will also be the first spaceflight for American astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, but the fifth for Japan's Koichi Wakata. After a journey of about 30 hours, their ship will dock with the station on Thursday, ready to begin a five-month science mission and relieve the four members of Crew-4, who will stay a few days for handover. Crew-5's arrival will bring the total number of astronauts on the ISS to 11, including two other Russians and an American who arrived on the recent Soyuz. ISS future unclear Kikina will be the first Russian to fly with Elon Musk's SpaceX which, along with Boeing, has a "taxi service" contract with NASA. Musk himself waded into the conflict Thursday by proposing a peace deal that involved re-running, under UN supervision, annexation referendums in Moscow-occupied regions of Ukraine and acknowledging Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula. The post enraged Ukrainians, including the country's envoy to Germany, who responded with an expletive. The International Space Station, which has been continuously occupied since 2000. Tensions between Moscow and Washington have increased considerably in the space field after the announcement of American sanctions against the Russian aerospace industry, in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Russia thus announced this summer that it wanted to leave the ISS "after 2024" in favor of creating its own station, albeit without setting a precise date. The director of manned flights at Roscosmos, Sergei Krikaliov, declared Monday he hoped the Russian government agrees to extend participation in the ISS after 2024. The United States, for its part, wants to continue operating until at least 2030, then transition to commercially run stations. As things stand, the ISS cannot function without joint cooperation, as the US side is responsible for power and life support and the Russian side for propulsion and maintaining orbit. Between 2011when the Space Shuttle program endedand SpaceX's first flight to the ISS in 2020, the United States was dependent on Russia for flying its crew to the station, paying tens of millions of dollars per seat. The loss of this monopoly represents a significant income reduction for the Russian space program. The current crew exchange program, by contrast, is a barter-based agreement with no exchange of money. 2022 AFP John F. Clauser speaks to reporters on the phone at his home in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Three scientists jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday, for their work on quantum information science that has significant applications, for example in the field of encryption. Clauser, Alain Aspect of France, and Anton Zeilinger of Austria were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for discovering the way that particles known as photons can be linked, or entangled, with each other even when they are separated by large distances.Credit: AP Photo/Terry Chea This is what it's like to get "the call"the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ringing you up to say you won the Nobel Prize. It's usually a dream-of-a-lifetime call that only the special few get in private. But for American physicist John Clauser, who was awarded the Nobel for his work on quantum mechanics, it rang a little different. Thanks to a three-hour delay from a phone busy with congratulations and reporters' queries, the call finally got through to him while he was on a live Zoom interview with The Associated Press. And he shared his side of the notification and celebration. "Oh hang on. They're on the phone right now," he said. "OK. Hang on just a second. Can I talk to the guys from the Swedish Nobel Committee?" Over the next nine minutes, Clauser recounted to the Swedish academy the difficult road that eventually led to a Nobel-awarding phone callalbeit a few hours late. While studying at Columbia in the 1960s, Clauser became interested in designing practical experiments to put quantum mechanics to the test. But his ideas weren't always well-received in the field, he said. Leading physicist Richard Feynman, who won his own physics Nobel in 1965, "kind of threw me out of his office," Clauser said. "He was very offended that I should even be considering the possibility that quantum mechanics might not give the correct predictions." John F. Clauser stands in his kitchen at his home in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Clauser, Alain Aspect of France, and Anton Zeilinger of Austria were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for discovering the way that particles known as photons can be linked, or entangled, with each other even when they are separated by large distances. Credit: AP Photo/Terry Chea But Clauser said he was having fun working on these experiments and thought they were important"even though everybody told me I was crazy and was going to ruin my career by doing it." While continuing his work at University of California Berkeley, he and the late physicist Stuart Freedman "had to build everything from scratch. There was very little money so I was basically cobbling together junk or scrap from the UC physics department," he told the academy. "There's a lot of stuff unused in storerooms," Clauser said. "I would rummage around and say, 'Oh, hey, I can use this.'" This photo provided by the Berkeley Lab shows John Clauser with quantum mechanics experiment to test Bell's theorem at Berkeley, Calif., on Nov. 7, 1975. Three scientists jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, for their work on quantum information science that has significant applications, for example in the field of encryption. Clauser, Alain Aspect of France, and Anton Zeilinger of Austria, were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for discovering the way that particles known as photons can be linked, or entangled, with each other even when they are separated by large distances. Credit: Steve Gerber/ Berkeley Lab via AP Some of the great physicists of the past scavenged the same way, he pointed out. And those experiments, with all their backlash and scraped-together budgets, were the very reason he was on the phone with the Swedish academy decades later. John F. Clauser speaks to reporters on the phone at his home in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Three scientists jointly won this year's Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday, for their work on quantum information science that has significant applications, for example in the field of encryption. Clauser, Alain Aspect of France, and Anton Zeilinger of Austria were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for discovering the way that particles known as photons can be linked, or entangled, with each other even when they are separated by large distances.Credit: AP Photo/Terry Chea As the call wrapped up, there was the matter of logistics. Clauser asked the academy about when he would "get some dates and times on what I'm expected to do." Of course, there's something you definitely have to say to the academy when it calls: "Thanks a lot." 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. HUDSON FALLS A Hudson Falls man has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for breaking into a residence in March. Gerald F. Colombe, 37, is accused of entering a Hudson Falls home during a domestic incident on March 30. Colombe broke into the home and was in possession of a knife. He also is accused of choking the person. When police arrived, he ran and a brief pursuit ensued, court documents showed. Colombe told police that he was not going to go back to prison and wanted officers to kill him. He eventually was arrested and kicked the police vehicle. Colombe also fought with hospital staff when taken to the hospital. Colombe pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary in satisfaction of the charges. He is a second felony offender with two previous criminal convictions. He served four years in prison for second-degree attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance and was released to parole in November 2017. Before that, he served nearly 3 years in prison from for third-degree criminal mischief, according to the state inmate database. Colombe also received 5 years of post-release supervision when he was sentenced on Sept. 23 in Washington County Court. Colombe plans to appeal the conviction. ATLANTIC CITY Two technologies that have helped major cities combat crime and better manage municipal services are about to debut here, state and local officials said at a symposium Wednesday at Stockton Universitys City Campus. Both programs have an emphasis on accountability, said Rob Long, deputy commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs, which has oversight of the city under the state takeover. The DCA is partnering with Stockton, the city government and its Police Department in bringing the CitiStat and CompStat programs to the city, Long said. The CitiStat system will allow residents and others to report potholes, streetlights that dont work, trash collection and code enforcement issues, and more. City department heads and other workers will meet with the public biweekly to report on progress made under the program. The first meeting will be Nov. 16 at Stocktons City Campus, in the Fannie Lou Hamer Room. The time will be announced on the citys website, according to officials. Atlantic City committee finds keeping the lights on easier said than done ATLANTIC CITY The Clean and Safe Atlantic City group has a straightforward goal: Get the s Jacqueline Suarez, head of Local Government Services for the DCA, said she has repeatedly heard residents, visitors and business owners ask for one thing: Make Atlantic City clean and safe. Its the mantra from everybody, Suarez said, adding the programs will help to achieve a cleaner, safer city. CitiStat debuted in Baltimore, Long said, where it produced dramatic improvements in city services and efficiency. The CompStat system, pioneered by the New York City Police Department, will provide data collection and analysis so Atlantic City police can better prevent and combat crime. It holds police managers accountable for subordinates performance, Long said, and helps determine where to deploy forces to reduce and prevent criminal activity. The city has been using Risk Terrain Modeling, developed by Rutgers University, since 2017 to analyze crime patterns and determine crime hot spots. It also is using the ProPhoenix public safety software program to provide the information and statistics for CompStat to be successful, according to the DCA. CitiStat and CompStat will debut along with a new police deployment plan, Suarez said. Acting police Chief James Sarkos said the new deployment system will start in February and will maximize the visibility of police, increase the number of neighborhood coordination officers assigned to neighborhoods and move the force from eight-hour shifts to 11-hour shifts. The goal is higher visibility, Sarkos said. He is working with the state to get grants for additional officers, especially for the NCO program. The new technologies will be helped by security cameras that will soon be placed in all city neighborhoods, paid for with new state funding, and the ShotSpotter gunshot-audio detection system already in use, Suarez said. And the city will soon install license plate readers at all entrances and exits, to alert police of stolen vehicles coming into town or vehicles owned by people with outstanding warrants. PBA President Jules Schwenger said after the meeting she is hopeful the new programs will be a positive development, but she is concerned about staffing levels. She said the force is now at 257 officers, and often loses officers to other departments. It needs to be at about 330, she said. Stockton professor and dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Marissa Levy, who has worked with the NYPD, has been working with the Atlantic City Police Department for the past few months on how to best use CompStat, she said. CompStat is about accountability, from the officer on the street through the chain of command and finally with the chief who is accountable to the citizens, Levy said. It allows an interactive process. Levy said in New York it was credited with reducing crime 50% to 60% and has been used in police departments around the world. Lt. Kevin Fair gave a brief glimpse of the CompStat program, using city data. Calls for service are up 22% year-to-date over the same period last year, the program showed. New Atlantic City police contract restores some funding, rights to cops ATLANTIC CITY The new police contract approved by City Council and ratified by membership He also showed report pages that included heat maps for various types of criminal activity for the previous two weeks, service calls by type, and breakdowns showing what hours of the day and what days of the week generate the most police calls. While Fridays and Saturdays generated somewhat more calls, it wasnt drastically more than on every other day, according to the report. It also tracks which types of crimes are increasing and which are decreasing. Shoplifting increased by 36% over the previous two weeks, and motor vehicle thefts decreased from eight to two during that time, the report showed. Wednesdays event drew a mix of police and other city workers, and city and state officials, a combination that in one instance led to political fireworks. That occurred when Mayor Marty Small Sr. used his podium time for a 10-minute rebuke of state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, over Polistinas criticisms of the citys lack of safety and cleanliness. Polistina, who was in attendance, had recently sent a letter to Small, which he made public, accusing Small of making their disagreements over governing into a personal vendetta. Polistina also further criticized Smalls leadership in that letter. Civil Service requirements now hold up Atlantic City police chief appointment ATLANTIC CITY The Civil Service Commission is expected to issue an announcement Aug. 1 for Small has repeatedly accused Polistina of being behind a successful petition drive to move to nonpartisan elections, a charge Polistina denies. The question regarding a change from partisan elections will be on the Nov. 8 ballot. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. CAMDEN A Burlington County man and former physicians assistant on Wednesday was sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement in a South Jersey scheme that defrauded taxpayer-funded health benefit plans of millions of dollars. Aaron Jones, 28, of Willingboro, became the schemes second conspirator to be sentenced for their involvement, joining Steven Monaco, 40, who was sentenced Monday. Both men were sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Robert Kugler in federal court. Jones actions contributed to $1 million being lost by the state health insurance plans. Kugler is directing Jones to pay $1.04 million in restitution and undergo three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release. Jones in March pleaded guilty to helping drive Monacos plan, which involved having former Stratford, Camden County, physician Dr. Michael Goldis fill prescriptions for unnecessary compound mediations, seeking large reimbursements from the states health insurance plans. Court records show Jones, who was employed by Goldis, was paid by a pharmaceutical sales representative, Richard Zappala, to spot patients carrying insurance plans that would pay for the compound drugs. Gloucester County man sentenced for role in South Jersey health care fraud CAMDEN A pharmaceutical salesman involved in two South Jersey health care fraud schemes wa In doing so, Jones received $10,000 for his work, according to court records. Jones forged Goldis signature on many prescriptions, including for non-patients, despite a lack of indications as to whether the drugs were necessary for treatment, court records show. Zappala pleaded guilty to his charges in September 2017, followed by Goldis in June 2020. Both men await sentencing. Monaco recruited Zappala to join the scheme. As a pharmaceutical salesman for a diagnostic laboratory, Monaco made about $350,000 from the scheme, costing public insurance over $4.6 million, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Monaco was convicted in April of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, health care fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Travel Act. Monaco had Goldis and his assistant, Jason Chacker, sign off on prescriptions for Monacos family and others who did not consult with the doctor, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Other conspirators, including Chacker, are set to be sentenced in the coming months. Northfield drug salesman William Hickman is set to be sentenced this month in a more local version of the scheme. Others yet to be sentenced include three brothers, Thomas, Michael and John Sher, all of whom are former Margate firefighters who took part in the conspiracy under Hickman. Jed Gaylin, music director of the Bay Atlantic Symphony in Atlantic City, attended Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio because he wanted a music education in a place where efforts were made to make classical music more inclusive. Gaylin, who received his master's degree in music at Oberlin in 1985, took the values he already had and that were enhanced at the conservatory and brought them to the Bay Atlantic Symphony, which celebrates its 40th anniversary season this academic year. He has been the music director for 25 years. "People are paying more attention to it, and it's good," Gaylin said about classical music offering more cultural variety in soloists and composers. "Now, it's totally accepted and natural to do it." Gaylin has brought to the symphony soloists such as violinist Hilary Hahn, pianist Terrence Wilson, Chinese classical pianist Yuja Wang, flutist Eugenia Zukerman and violinist Stefan Jackiw, who was born to parents of Korean and German descent. The effort to expose audiences to a diverse collection of classical soloists continues this year. Jackiw will be back at 3 p.m. Oct. 22 at Rowan College of South Jersey in Vineland and 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Stockton Performing Arts Center in Galloway Township. Other artists performing with the symphony this season include Chinese guitarist Junhona Kuang, Haitian-American soprano Renee Richardson and mezzo-soprano Barbara Dever. Stockton's Performing Arts Center to reopen this fall We are going to tie more closely to the university than it has been, said Lisa Honaker, St "The arts are enriched by the breadth of voices folded into it," Gaylin said. The symphony has had a long relationship with Stockton University and is a staple of the PAC's season, said Anjanette Christy, Stockton PAC's interim director. "Educationally, they (the symphony) helped me fulfill our mission for high-quality programming for the community and high-quality programming for the students. Students can go for $10," Christy said. As the orchestra in residence at the university, the symphony has participated in a program called music mentorship where symphony musicians and Stockton music students visit Atlantic City High School to teach string instruments. The program was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic but is expected to resume in the spring at the Sovereign Avenue School in Atlantic City. The symphony has been integrated into Stockton's curriculum through presentations and rehearsals that turned into the focus of seminars and course work. Gaylin has led "Conversations with the Conductor" sessions before shows, Christy said. "He (Gaylin) is such a remarkable artist and a remarkable person," Christy said. Atlantic City's 48 Blocks program to go virtual this year ATLANTIC CITY An annual event celebrating the citys diversity and culture through art, 48 Besides entertaining at postsecondary institutions, the symphony is known for playing in Cape May, Atlantic City, on New Year's Eve in Margate and a summer concert series in Avalon. The symphony has played on July 4 in the borough for at least the past decade, said Scott Wahl, Avalon's business administrator and public information officer. "I haven't missed one," Wahl said of the symphony's free Independence Day concerts. "Parents bring children. The kids' eyes are as wide as saucers." The symphony is celebrating its 40th anniversary season after surviving the worst of the pandemic. The orchestra had no concerts in the spring of 2020. After that, Gaylin arranged for the pre-recording of virtual concerts. Smaller-scale performances with fewer musicians were held until the full orchestra was back for a free Veterans Day concert last year in the Stockton PAC. "People were so excited. It was amped up," Gaylin said. "People craved this stuff. People couldn't wait for us to be back. People really wanted it. They missed it. It is not an incidental part of their lives." The symphony made it through the pandemic to its current anniversary season due to its donors and patrons staying with it, said Brian McPeak, the symphony's executive director. Other funding sources included the federal Small Business Administration, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. "We couldn't have survived for 40 years without Jed being at the helm for 25 years of it," McPeak said. "You don't have to go to the big cities to get a first-rate concert experience." As part of Gaylin's 25th anniversary year, he will be the featured soloist for a concert scheduled for 3 p.m. Jan. 21 in Vineland and 2 p.m. Jan. 22 in Galloway Township under the title, "Vienna, Now and Then." Before the pandemic by coincidence, Gaylin was getting back to the piano. He started practicing more during the pandemic. "I haven't played a concerto in quite a long time," Gaylin said. "You can play and conduct." Besides the Bay Atlantic Symphony, Gaylin also serves as the music director of the John Hopkins Symphony Orchestra in Baltimore and the Two Rivers Chamber Orchestra in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Gaylin, 59, was forced to slow down during the height of the pandemic. He did not like it, so he plans to continue being the music director of all three organizations. He renewed a multiyear contract with the Bay Atlantic Symphony last year. "We keep growing. ... You change, so the music changes," Gaylin said, adding he wants to explore more repertoire. "I believe the new focus is how our art soothes people." 9:05 p.m. Coastal flooding hit the shore for the fourth day in a row, with some seeing moderate flood stage for the third consecutive day. Rain and gusty winds gripped the shore as well. Meteorologist Joe Martucci says the storm is almost done, though. He forecasts out the rest of it and looks forward to brighter weather. 5:50 p.m. High tide has passed in a number of locations. Some still have an hour or so to go before reaching it. Flood stage peaked on the border of minor and moderate flood stage. This was a bit lower than Tuesday afternoon's high tide. The shore was saved from higher flooding by wind direction. Winds were northwest in Cape May County, an offshore wind. It's from the north-northeast in Atlantic and Ocean County, which is parallel to the shore, keeping tides lower than if they were easterly. Furthermore, being near the quarter moon, tides are astronomically lower than usual. If it was the new or full moon, a week ahead or prior to now, tides would border between moderate and major flood stage. Still, for some locations, it was the third straight afternoon and evening of moderate tidal flooding, which brings property threatening flooding. The coastal flood warning by the National Weather Service is still in effect. 4:35 p.m. High tide on Tuesday made Ventnor's Dorset Avenue bridge impassable by around 4 p.m. A text advisory the city issued advised drivers to proceed down Atlantic Avenue on Tuesday afternoon. The text also urged drivers to avoid flood waters. 3:30 p.m. Coastal flooding is beginning across the area. The north winds will try to fight against the water already built up along the bays. Figure tides wind up on the border of minor to moderate flood stage. 1:04 p.m. The Cape May - Lewes Ferry is cancelling all of its trips today as rough seas are expected to improve until after midnight, the DRBA said. Cross-state travel via the Delaware Bay should restart at 7 a.m. Wednesday, officials said. 12:48 p.m. This storm, which is a counter-clockwise low pressure system at the surface and aloft, is a part of a broader weather pattern. Known as the "omega block" it is a notoriously slow moving system that's shaped like the Greek letter omega. Roughly 10 to 20 thousand feet high, a high pressure system to the north and two low pressure systems to the south and west as well as the south and east are present. Meteorologist Joe Martucci has more. 12:46 p.m. Atlantic City officials aren't delaying flood warnings on Tuesday. After tidal flooding swamped city streets on Monday, officials are planning to sound the warning sirens on Tuesday, alerting residents to rising waters by telling them they should move their vehicles to higher grounds. Possible heavy flooding is expected to affect the city on Tuesday, officials said. Heavy flooding closed portions of Route 40, Route 30, along Melrose Avenue near New Jersey Avenue, at West End in Chelsea Heights and along Fairmount Avenue near Mississippi Avenue on Monday. The city's Office of Emergency Management said warnings on Monday helped thwart major incidents, except for some cars getting standard on flooded streets. Drivers are being warned to Tuesday to avoid travel unless necessary. 10:07 a.m. Ventnor City officials on Tuesday morning cautioned the public of continued flooding throughout the day. An additional threat for coastal flooding is expected on Tuesday as high tides again rise to moderate levels. High tide is expected to be reached by around 3:30 p.m., city officials said. 9:15 a.m. The Atlantic City School District is shortening its school day. The city's elementary schools will dismiss at 12:45 p.m., and the high school will let students leave at 12:15 p.m., Assistant Superintendent Dr. LaKecia Hyman said on the district's Facebook page, citing ongoing weather conditions. The city dealt with heavy tidal flooding throughout its streets on Monday while remnants of Hurricane Ian made their way along the coastline. Free parking for city residents at the Wave Parking Garage on Mississippi and Fairmount avenues was extended until Thursday in anticipating for prolong effects from the storm. There is a threat for additional coastal flooding today as high tides again reach moderate flood stage. 6:30 a.m. Moderate stage coastal flooding gripped much of the Jersey Shore on Monday, prompting schools to close early, evening meetings to be cancelled and roads to be closed. Meteorologist Joe Martucci recaps the day of flooding, including why it could have been worse. Wawa wants a U.S. congressional candidate from New Jersey to stop using a campaign logo that company attorneys say is too similar to the convenience store chains signature flying geese. Lawyers for Wawa sent a cease-and-desist letter to New Jersey Democrat Matt Jenkins, requesting the U.S. House candidate stop using the logo immediately so as not to give the impression that Wawa is affiliated with his campaign. The news was first reported by Politico, which published a copy of the letter. Attorney Douglas Panzer, of the Center City firm Caesar Rivise PC, and Jenkins campaign manager confirmed the letters authenticity to The Inquirer. It has come to our attention that your congressional campaign is using a logo highly similar to and likely to be confused with Wawas well-known goose logo, Panzer wrote in the letter. In fact, it appears that the geese used in your campaigns logo are identical to Wawas earlier goose logo. While we appreciate your affinity for Wawa and your recognition of its special relationship with the people of New Jersey, failure of Wawa to enforce the exclusivity of its marks could have a diluting effect on the value of Wawas trademark, the attorney continued. Jenkins, a health and wellness consultant who is running against Republican incumbent Chris Smith in central New Jerseys solidly red 4th Congressional District, acknowledged the logos similarities to Politico. However, he said they were a coincidence. For a lot of people in our district, Wawa represents them, Jenkins tweeted last week. When we launched this race to replace Chris Smith, I wanted our logo to feel instantly familiar. Later the same day, he tweeted again, adding: It is only a coincidence they are similar. Anyone who has been to my district has seen geese and seagulls. They are a Familiar sight. As of Tuesday, Jenkins told Politico in a phone interview that he wasnt sure whether he would change the logo. In the letter it says this was an old trademark ... formerly registered, Jenkins told Politico. This is going to cost me money to change. Everybody knows my finances. I dont have any. To go out and reprint my signs, all my literature. Alison De Noia, Jenkins campaign manager, on Tuesday confirmed receipt of the cease-and-desist letter. In a statement, Jenkins said the focus should be on policy issues, such as abortion, not his logo. Why are we talking about birds when my opponent is writing the national abortion ban alongside Sen. Lindsey Graham? Jenkins said in a statement. Anyone living in this district knows its normal to see geese. Smith, who is projected to win handily in next months election, told NJ Advance Media last week that to plagiarize a corporate symbol is seriously wrong. Its unclear whether the campaign has responded formally to the letter or whether the Wawa attorneys plan to sue if the campaign doesnt comply. Schools across the country and the Quad-Cities are increasingly falling victim to false reports of threats. These pranks rose to popularity, notably among gamers, in the 2010s. Often, these calls are made to attract authorities, retaliate against someone or generally cause chaos. The Davenport Community School District dealt with these incidents last Wednesday at West High School. The next day, Davenport police arrested a 13-year-old Smart Junior High School student who was taken to the Scott County Juvenile Detention Center. The student was charged with one count of making threats of terrorism. When prank emergency calls trigger a SWAT team response, it's often referred to as "swatting"though that hasn't happened locally. Police and school districts say it's a difficult problem because authorities are obligated to respond even if the threat is fake. Jack Schwertman, a school resource officer at the Eldridge Police Department, said schools assume the threat is real until it's confirmed to be a hoax. Davenport Superintendent TJ Schneckloth said his district is trying to educate students as a safeguard. "The best thing we can do for our students is pre-teaching. Our buildings are already proactively reading announcements and talking in their classrooms about the negativity that it brings," he said. "Unfortunately, the decisions of a few affect many in these instances, so we're just going to continue to move forward, investigate each threat and when we do find those making the threats, we're going to take care of it." Like in the case at Smart, Schneckloth said Davenport schools will continue to fully prosecute fake emergency callers in partnership with the Davenport Police Department. "We work very closely with law enforcement on that," Schneckloth said. "In these instances, they almost always find who is threatening the environment." Moline-Coal Valley School District closely coordinates with the Moline Police Department: "...to determine the necessary next steps with regard to any threat to school or student safety," said spokesperson Candace Sountris. "We are aware that some prank-calling threats have occurred in schools across the country. Moline-Coal Valley takes every threat seriously." North Scott Superintendent Joe Stutting also said his district would fully prosecute prank callers. "We're aware of the trend going on around the country. Our district safety team will be discussing this," he said. "We currently have procedures in place that will address this issue in our school district." Many school districts, including several in the Quad-Cities, purposefully don't release details about their response protocol or safety procedures, a move to stifle unwarranted threats. Deputy Chief of Police Timothy McCloud is to meet with the Rock Island-Milan School District next week to discuss steps to address fake threat calls. Since law enforcement personnel must respond to these threats armed, there's an increased risk of violence. At the least, authorities say, they waste time and resources for both those targeted and those who respond. "I would estimate it consumes multiple hours of law enforcement resources," Schwertman said. Schneckloth encourages the Davenport community to speak up. "We are utilizing resources that could be out in the community; any information about who are doing the false threats, you'd report to your building principal or law enforcement," he said, "because we really need to make sure these things are stopping." SPRINGFIELD The battle for control of the U.S. House could very well run through Illinois' 17th Congressional District, where attorney Esther Joy King, a Republican, and former television meteorologist Eric Sorensen, a Democrat, are vying to succeed retiring Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline. King came within four percentage points of defeating Bustos in 2020. And though the district, which includes Bloomington-Normal, Peoria, the Quad Cities and Rockford, was slightly shored up for Democrats in the last redistricting process, most political handicappers view it as a "toss up." It is the largest congressional pickup opportunity for Republicans in Illinois. And both parties know it, with millions of dollars being spent on advertisements thus far and even more on the way. Axios reported earlier this week that the Congressional Leadership Fund, a PAC with ties to the House GOP, planned to spend another $1 million on King's behalf. The House Majority PAC, aligned with House Democrats, has already dropped more than $735,000 in support of Sorensen. But it's an anti-King ad produced by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that's receiving a lot of attention this week and uproar from King's campaign. The ad, titled "Can't Trust Her," highlight's King's position against abortion rights, including video of the candidate stating in an interview that she is "unapologetically pro-life." But here's where things get murky: a voiceover next states that "Esther Joy King even stands with Republicans who want a national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest." "That would make abortion illegal here in Illinois," the ad reads. "Thats too extreme. The facts are clear, we cant trust Esther Joy King." The advertisement is airing on 12 broadcast television stations across the district. On Tuesday, those station managers received a letter from a law firm representing King's campaign requesting that they cease airing it "no later than close of business today." The letter, from attorney John G. Fogarty, Jr., states that it is "an intentionally disingenuous advertisement" in which "the DCCC is purposefully distorting Ms. Kings publicly-stated position." For the record, King has consistently said she supports exceptions for victims of rape or incest and to protect the life and health of the mother. She has also said she supports the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and that abortion laws should be in the hands of the states. She is against a national abortion ban. "The type of smear that is contained in the advertisement is a desperate and unfortunate campaign tactic," Fogarty told station managers. "But it is not one in which your station is obligated to participate." Lee Enterprises reached out to the stations that received the letter but only received two responses as of Wednesday afternoon. Robert Folliard, a senior vice president for Gray Television, which owns stations Peoria and Rockford, said that "we cannot comment either way on this matter." Jim Kizer, station manager for WQAD-TV, the ABC affiliate in the Quad Cities, also declined comment. The DCCC declined to comment on the letter, but did provide Lee Enterprises with a "fact sheet" to back up the statements made in the ad. Specifically regarding the claim that King "stands with" Republicans who want a national abortion ban, the DCCC cited a news release in which King touted the endorsement of several Republican members of Congress who are cosponsoring a bill known as "The Life at Conception Act," which would guarantee "right to life" and equal protection under the law from the moment of conception. This is a common tactic in campaigns associate an opposing candidate with the most extreme positions of certain members of their political party. Republicans use it all the time when they paint all Democratic candidates as liberals in the mold of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or socialists like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Is the advertisement a distortion? It appears that way. At the very least, it is a stretch. Though the same could be said for many other political ads. But, there is one word in the ad's title that stands out: trust. That's what it is about. Should voters trust King's position on abortion when many in her party have indicated that they would vote for a national ban? According to a poll released last week, abortion is the third most important issue on the minds of Illinois voters. Democrats believe it to be an opening to win votes in a midterm year that they would historically be expected to fare poorly in. Election Day is just over a month away. Soon after, it will be known where voters in the 17th plan to place their trust. Duckworth, Salvi spar on abortion Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Republican challenger Kathy Salvi met for a debate sponsored by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors on Monday. Though they discussed a number of topics, the sparing was most intense on abortion, with each painting the other as extreme on the issue. However, a fact check is warranted on some of the claims. For instance, Salvi argued that "Senator Duckworth supports taxpayer-funded abortion on demand up through the ninth month of pregnancy," adding that "there isn't an abortion that she doesn't support." That is not true. Under Illinois law, elective abortion is allowed up until viability, which is generally considered 24 weeks. Procedures after that can only be done to protect the life and health of the mother. Duckworth reiterated that she supports that standard, which was the standard under Roe, and acknowledged that "there is a role for government to restrict abortion." And though Salvi did not give a direct "yes" when asked if she would oppose a federal abortion ban, she said that she believes "that the state's duly elected representatives rightly will pass the laws that are appropriate for those particular states." However, Salvi made clear that she is personally anti-abortion and is not in favor of the laws Illinois has passed in recent years that have expanded abortion rights. The proof is in the record, too. Salvi has filed at least five witness slips in recent years on abortion-related state legislation, including in opposition to House Bill 40, which permitted state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions and removed "trigger law" language that could have made the procedure illegal in the event Roe v. Wade was overturned. It was signed by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican in 2017. She also filed in opposition to the Reproductive Health Act, signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019, which enshrined abortion access as a "fundamental right" in the state. She also signed on in support of legislation that would have banned abortion on the basis of the fetus's race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of the fetus having Down syndrome or any other disability. That bill died without receiving a hearing in the Democratic-controlled legislature. Jeffries visits 13th Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., the fourth-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House, was in Springfield on Wednesday to campaign with 13th Congressional District nominee Nikki Budzinski. Jefferies, whom many consider a leading candidate to eventually succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader, headlined a voting rights event at Union Baptist Church in Springfield with local faith and community leaders, according to the Budzinski campaign. The district, which stretches from East. St. Louis to Champaign-Urbana picking up Decatur and Springfield in between, is considered a prime pickup opportunity for Democrats this fall. It voted for President Joe Biden by about 11 points in 2020. "The 13th Congressional District is a critically important race in a critically important midterm election Nikki Budzinski is a great candidate and a phenomenal public servant, and someone that will put people over politics and deliver for the people of this congressional district, and I wanted to be there to support her," Jeffries said in a statement to Lee Enterprises. Budzinski, a former senior official in the Biden and Pritzker administrations, is running against Republican Regan Deering, a Decatur community activist and philanthropist. Community leaders are looking for a way forward for the state of Iowa. The Vision to Vitality Conference was conducted by the Iowa Business Council at the Eastern Iowa Community College Urban Campus in downtown Davenport Tuesday afternoon. The goal of the symposium was to gather information, tips and strategies for growing the region by attracting and retaining talent. Established in 1985, the council is comprised of 20 CEOs and executives in the top employers in the state. Members work together to find solutions to leadership, research and advocacy at both the state and local level. Speaking Tuesday were community leaders who lent their insight to how the local community is grappling with statewide problems. Executive director Joe Murphy addressed a number of concerns statewide with "apples to apples" comparisons to other states. "The general point remains that we are competitive in some areas, but not in others," he said. In regard to economic growth, Murphy said Iowa stands firm. The gross state product is ranked 30th in the country but stays consistent with a value of $195 billion. "We're really holding our own, particularly when you think about extreme weather events that have happened over the last few years," he said. Iowa is also holding its own in regard to manufacturing. It ranks among the top five states for manufacturing growth, Murphy said. "We're able to weather economic hardships much better than the rest of the country. That was the problem in 2008-2009 economic crisis," he said. Workforce is an area where the state is struggling, however. Murphy said one way the business council has been able to combat that problem is by enhancing work-based learning opportunities for high schoolers. In 2020, only 121 of Iowa's 453 high schools had programs that allowed students to earn school credit for working. Last year, the number of programs jumped to 329. "That is awesome progress," he said. "This is the future of how we will build a talented and successful pipeline." John Deere Vice President Jerred Pauwels spoke during the symposium and highlighted the programs Deere has initiated to help combat the labor crisis. Pauwels said there are 7,000 Deere employees in the Quad-City area, but the population is declining and those who are here are aging. One program Deere has found success in is Skillbridge, which allows members of the armed forces to finish their commitment with their branch with jobs at Deere. "Workforce is the challenge," he said. "There's a tremendous need for technicians who can fix things." Ellen Bluth, vice chancellor for Workforce and Economic Development at the college said continuing the talent pipeline is a top priority. Increasing opportunities affordably and accessibly has been the challenge, she said. "We're seeing more individuals question the value of a higher education," she said. To get around this, college officials are expanding career awareness and working with local high schools to help students learn the value of work-based learning. At Shive-Hattery, this is a priority, too. Vice president/director Cory Satterfield said last year the firm employed 11 interns. Of those, three were able to join the firm full time. "In that internship program, we try and identify local talent that has gone off to college and give them an option for work when they come back from school," he said. In stark contrast to Iowa's success in manufacturing, the diversity rate is abysmal, Murphy said. Iowa ranks 45th for ethnic diversity. "This is an extreme challenge for us when you think about our population," he said. "If it weren't for immigration into our state over the last 10 years, Iowa would have lost population." This problem did not crop up overnight, he said. Two-thirds of Iowa's 99 counties reached peak population by 1950. It is also the only state whose population has not doubled since 1900. "We need to think creatively about how we can recruit new people into this state," he said. He's not the only one who thinks so. Chris Caves, vice president of business and economic growth with the Quad Cities Chamber, said investments in technology have to be made even though the workers are not there -- the job still is. Locally, six businesses were awarded $2 million in grants for tech-based upgrades. Pauwels said Deere is facing the same problem. The pressure to meet the demand is consuming, and companies are having to turn to automated services to accomplish tasks. "The application of technology to do more with less is a tremendous demand," he said. Turning to the future, the economic outlook is positive, with the employment rate now matching January 2020 numbers. But, the labor force has dropped by 38,200 people. Thats a hugely concerning number for us," Murphy said. The trial began Tuesday for a man accused of illegally recording people in 2019 and early 2020 in his Bettendorf home. Clinton R. Van Fossen, 61, faces five charges of invasion of privacy, a charge of electronic and mechanical eavesdropping and another of obstructing prosecution or defense, according to Scott County court records. Authorities allege at least two people were recorded multiple times without their knowledge or consent in late December 2019 and early January 2020. At the time, they were staying as guests in a bedroom at Van Fossens home. Authorities also accuse Van Fossen of disposing of a cellphone which may have contained evidence pertinent to the case. In previous reporting, the Bettendorf police said it was not thought that the case involved any minors. Tuesdays testimony began with witnesses for First Assistant Scott County Attorney Amy DeVine, who is prosecuting the case. First were the two people whose activities were recorded. The newspaper is not identifying them. Their testimony included that they thought they had an expectation of privacy while they were in the bedroom. They said they did not know they were being recorded and did not give their consent to be recorded. Portions of the footage allegedly recovered from the home was played during Tuesdays proceedings. It showed them at several points while they were partially clothed inside the bedroom. Under cross examination by Ryan Beckenbaugh, Van Fossens defense attorney, their statements included that Van Fossen has never made any sexual advances or comments to them and that they did not know whether or not he had ever viewed the footage. Bettendorf Police Detective Jeff Buckles, who took part in the investigation and wrote the initial complaint and affidavit outlining the charges against Van Fossen, was another witness Tuesday. He walked through how the case began and of the evidence collected once police became involved. The complaint he wrote included that the police were initially notified via a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip included that an apparently teenage female was being filmed, at times nude, likely without knowledge that the device was present. Buckles testimony on Tuesday included that, during the investigation, Van Fossen initially told investigators he did not know of the cameras in his home, or that the two cameras, disguised as smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, were different from the other smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in his home. Footage allegedly recovered from one of the cameras shows Van Fossen using a cellphone and looking in the direction of one of the cameras, then manually adjusting that cameras direction, according to Buckles complaint. That footage is from October of 2019. When they researched the brand of cameras recovered, investigators learned a cellphone or other device could be used to interact with them, Buckles testified. The company also confirmed that Van Fossen bought two of the cameras. While being questioned by Beckenbaugh, Buckles testified that the cameras could operate without human intervention, and that he did not know if Van Fossen viewed the footage, which was recovered directly from the cameras storage. Shortly after learning of the investigation, Van Fossen purchased a new cellphone and the phone he possessed before that was not found during the investigation, Buckles testified. The complaint Buckles wrote states authorities think Van Fossen somehow disposed of the phone to prevent police from examining it. Tuesday, he testified that suspicion stemmed from the timing of Van Fossens purchase of the new cellphone. Evidence presented during Buckles testimony included photographs taken by police of the two cameras allegedly recovered from the home and the positions on the ceiling where police said they were recovered. One was positioned just inside the bedroom door and the other, just outside it, in the hallway. There was also a list of various computers and other devices confiscated from the home, which was at least partially read aloud by Beckenbaugh as he questioned Buckles. Buckles said the devices did not contain any evidence pertinent to the investigation, but that portions of the items on the list belonged to other members of Van Fossens household. Van Fossen has opted for a bench trial. That means District Court Judge Meghan Corbin, who is presiding over the case, will decide Van Fossens culpability instead of a jury. When he was charged, Van Fossen was a teacher for the Davenport Community School District, according to previous reporting. At the time, district officials said he had been put on paid administrative leave. Recently Mike Vondran, district spokesman, said Van Fossens employment with the district was terminated on April 16, 2020. A former South Carolina man was taken into custody Tuesday by Clinton County officials so he can began his 5-year prison sentence on a 2021 incest conviction, the sentence of which was recently affirmed by the Iowa Court of Appeals. Mark Alan Richards, 45, had been charged in Clinton County District Court, with three counts of third-degree sexual abuse and three counts of incest. Richards was alleged to have sexually abused an underage family member between February 2017 and May of 2018. Third-degree sexual abuse is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 10 years, while incest is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. Richards eventually pleaded guilty to one count of incest during a sentencing hearing held in Aug. 20, 2021. On Oct. 29, 2021, Clinton County District Judge Stuart Werling sentenced Richards to five years in prison. Richards also was made to understand that he would have to register as a sex offender for the next 10 years. According to the Appeals Court records, Richards had requested a deferred judgement, telling Werling that, I know Im here for incest, and its something I regret, Richards said according to Court of Appeals record. Ive taken full responsibility for my actions in this, at least my part of it. It was a mistake, and I just want to move on with my life. Richards went on to tell Werling that, I have a fiancee overseas. If I register they wont allow a registered person in. And I dont need to register. I dont need to be on that list. This was consensual. According to the Court of Appeals record, Werling denied Richards request for a sentence of deferred judgment, stating, that today at sentencing the defendant expresses no remorse whatsoever for his criminal actions that involved a minor. He claims that the acts were consensual when consent is not an issue when youre dealing with a minor here. For these reasons, and as recommended by the pre-sentence investigation report, the court will impose a term of incarceration in this matter. According to the Court of Appeals record, before ending the hearing, Werling told Richards, I just want to say one thing to you. What you did was wrong, and you need to acknowledge it. You havent yet. Until you acknowledge it, youre a risk to society. Okay? So think about what you did. This is a minor. This is a family member, for Gods sake. This little girl trusted you and expected you to protect her. She had the right to expect that, and you didnt. Richards appealed his sentence to the Iowa Court of Appeals which affirmed the sentence and notified Clinton County District Court authorities on Thursday that Richards sentence had been affirmed. Richards was being held Tuesday night in the Clinton County Jail awaiting transport to the Iowa Department of Corrections. According to the arrest affidavits filed by then Clinton County Sheriffs Investigator Marissa Mussmann, the victim reported the incidents to sheriffs investigators in December 2018. The victim said the incidents had occurred Feb. 11, 2017, and May 20, 2018, when Richards visited. The victim was a juvenile at the time of the incidents. While living in North Augusta, South Caroline, located in Aiken County, Richards began sending explicit photos and texts in October 2016 and has asked the victim to respond in kind, according to Clinton County District Court electronic records. On Nov. 27, 2018, Richards sent the victim a Facebook message that read, in part, Im as embarrassed as you and wish what happened never did but cant change the past. Richards was arrested Aug. 8, 2019, in Aiken County, South Carolina, on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a Class A misdemeanor under South Carolina law that carries a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to $3,000. He posted bond through a bondsman. Charges against Richards were filed in Clinton County District Court on Oct. 4, 2019. Richards was then taken back into custody by Aiken County authorities on a hold for Clinton County, Iowa. According to Aiken County Second Judicial Court electronic records, Richards was sentenced on Dec. 5, 2019, to 26 months with 44 days credit for time served for Aiken County charge, to which he had pleaded guilty. Richards was returned to Clinton County to face the sex abuse and incest charges and booked into the Clinton County Jail on Dec. 31, 2020. Hamer's lecture is titled Welcome to Spaceship Earth: Reimagining Climate Action via Popular Culture," and will dive in to how stories we tell and hear can either weaken or strengthen our responses to measurable physical realities. Hamner aims to challenge both academic and nonacademic audiences toward broad, urgent climate action through a wide range of liberal arts traditions. The stories we understand ourselves to be living in shape our choices a great deal around climate destruction, just like other pressing social problems, said Hamner in a press release. What we can imagine heavily shapes the reality we create. If youre an engineer, a supply chain manager, a teacher, a counselor, a farmer, you name ityou have an idea of future conditions that constantly affect the risks youre willing to take. Yes, we use hard data and we need to use it a lot more. But on the starship we call Earth, we also rely a great deal on popular cultural narratives, for better and for worse, consciously and unconsciously." Breweries from across the Quad-Cities and Midwest will offer samples of their craft at the Village of East Davenport's first Village Hops event this weekend. Village Hops, put on by the Village of East Davenport Business Association, will take place 3-6 p.m. Oct. 8. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 the day of the event, and can be purchased online. Participants will receive a sampling cup and wristband when they check in, and will be able to sample all the brews for free. Kim Wessel, president of the business association, said they will have samples from 28 local and regional breweries available to try. "We're kind of just wanting to showcase the great craft beer industry in the Quad-Cities, but we have so many good ones coming from all over the place," Wessel said. Seeing the success from the village's Wine Walk, Wessel said the business association wanted to host a similar event that would showcase the craft brewing industry. Village Hops is an Oktoberfest-style outdoor event along 11th Street. Craft brews from across Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin will be on-hand for sampling, Wessel said, including Exile Brewing Co., Big Grove Brewery and Blue Cat Brewing Co. Food trucks will park in the village for the event, Wessel said, to give people more options to choose from and to keep restaurants from being overly crowded. Funds from Village Hops will go towards putting on the village's free events and projects to improve and beautify the area. Wessel said the business association hopes to put on the sampling for years to come and expand it into more of a regional craft beer festival. "We think the village could support it, with the park and the river, and we just hope to see this grow every year," Wessel said. Rob Sand, the Democratic incumbent state auditor, is taking the humorous route once again with the first ad in his re-election campaign. Sand, who won his first election as auditor in 2018 after deploying a campaign ad that humorously described his frugality, is at it again: his first 2022 re-election campaign ad again plays on the notion that Sand is relentlessly thrifty with taxpayer dollars. Sand is seeking re-election against Republican challenger Todd Halbur, a businessman and former worker in the state Alcoholic Beverages Division. The ad features a fictional, self-described government bureaucrat who laments Sands attention to detail. So four more years of Rob Sand as auditor? Sure, it will save Iowans millions. But whos going to save me, the fictional bureaucrat says in the ad. BUSINESS GROUP ENDORSES GRASSLEY: The Business-Industry Political Action Committee endorsed Sen. Chuck Grassley for re-election, according to a news release from the campaign. BIPAC is an organization that advocates for business interests at the state and federal level. The groups website says it aims to improve the political climate in America for the business community and help employers and employees play a more active role in public policy and the political process. The PAC donates to both Republican and Democratic candidates, but has donated significantly more to Republicans in previous campaign cycles, according to Open Secrets. Because you have been a consistent voice for the business community and the working men and women of Iowa, we are pleased to endorse your candidacy and know that you will be a strong advocate in the Senate for policies that impact and stimulate growth, innovation, and prosperity at both the federal and state levels, the groups president and CEO Timothy Riordan wrote to Grassley in a letter, according to the news release. KINNEY AIRS AD: Kevin Kinney, a Democrat running in one of the Iowa Senates most competitive campaigns, has his first campaign ad of the cycle on the air. Kinney, a retired sheriffs deputy from Oxford, because of redistricting is running against fellow incumbent and Republican Iowa Sen. Dawn Driscoll. The ad highlights Kinneys support for law enforcement, and includes testimonials from retired Iowa law enforcement officials. Im proud of my nearly thirty years in law enforcement and working to protect domestic abuse and human trafficking victims, Kinney said in a campaign news release. While I may have taken off my badge to serve in the state Senate, I have always worked in Des Moines to keep our kids and families safe, and to support law enforcement in all the work they do. KINNEY, BOHANNAN ENDORSE: Christina Bohannan, the Democrat running for Congress in Eastern Iowas new 1st Congressional District, endorsed Kevin Kinney, a Democrat running for re-election to the Iowa Senate in rural Eastern Iowas 46th District and vice versa. Bohannan, an attorney and state legislator from Iowa City, is running against Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Kinney, a retired sheriffs deputy from Oxford, because of redistricting is running against fellow incumbent and Republican Iowa Sen. Dawn Driscoll. Kevin is one of the most impactful and influential legislators in the Iowa Capitol. He is as effective as he is humble about his accomplishments. I dont know another Iowa legislator who is more bipartisan, Bohannan said of Kinney. Christina shows up for rural Iowans. Shes been to every corner of my district talking with farmers, business owners, teachers, and folks from every walk of life. She listens and tries to do whats right for her constituents, not what's politically expedient, Kinney said of Bohannan. Iowa will receive about $6 million in federal grant dollars to help schools address student well-being. The U.S. Department of Education last week announced awards to states and territories totaling nearly $1 billion through the bipartisan gun violence bill signed by President Joe Biden in June in the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting. The money is intended to foster safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments, including funding to address mental and emotional health concerns for students, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Schools might add counselors, social workers and psychologists; partner with community organizations to offer mental health support for students; training staff on how to handle trauma; or create calming spaces for staff and students, officials say. States are being directed to use the money in districts with high rates of poverty, chronic absenteeism, a high number of referrals to the juvenile justice system, high incidents of bullying or harassment or districts where students recently experienced a natural disaster or traumatic event. Money could also be used for "limited infrastructure improvements," such as repairing or replacing building locks and securing building entrances. School districts would competitively apply for funding from state education agencies, according to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel A. Cardona. A representative from the Iowa Department of Education was unavailable for comment Monday. Research has shown that students who feel a sense of belonging in school are more likely to perform better academically and less likely to be absent, engage in risky behavior, experience emotional distress and misbehave, Cardona wrote to education officials. The U.S. Department of Education is encouraging states to prioritize funding to school districts that: Use evidence-based strategies to create positive, inclusive and supportive school environments Increase access to interventions and strategies that support students' physical, emotional, mental an social well-being Engage students, families, educators, staff and community organizations in the selection and implementation of strategies and interventions Designs polices and practices that advance equity, protect student rights and are responsive to underserved students Cardona notes in his letter that research demonstrates students of color are disciplined more harshly and frequently disproportionately so than their white peers, "especially for minor and more subjective offenses." And are more likely to be met with discipline rather the appropriate mental health assessment, treatment and supports they require. Such disparities in discipline policies have also been reported by and among students with disabilities, English-language learners and LGBTQ students. Last month, a federal judge denied a request from a group of parents to bar the Linn-Mar school district from enforcing a series of transgender student support policies for grades 7 through 12. U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams concluded that granting an injunction against the policies would leave transgender students subject to bullying and harassment. He wrote that the policies ensure Linn-Mar schools "are productive, safe places to educate children and to ensure no child is subject to harassment, bullying or made to feel lesser for any reason by students, staff and others while at school." The seven anonymous parents who filed the lawsuit fear the policy allows school staff to create a gender support plan without parental consent. The parents assert their fundamental right to make decisions about the care, custody and control of their children, according to court documents. John Speer, chief administrator of the Grant Wood Area Education Agency, said the announced funding will enable school districts to provide more resources in a more timely manner. "That's a win for students," said Speer, who noted mental health and student behavior consistently remains among the top most-pressing needs among school districts. "The pandemic, I think, kind of has exacerbated or made that even a little more noticeable than it was before," he said. "There just are not enough resources available, even in a resource-rich area like the Corridor is and our surrounding counties. There just aren't enough licensed mental health counselors to meet the needs of a growing student population that needs supports more than ever." As a result, students often have to wait for extended periods before they can see counselor or be evaluated for mental health services. Speer said Grant Wood AEA has tried to connect schools and its partners "as best possible" to local resources through partnerships with Tanager Place, Covenant Family Solution and Foundation 2 Crisis Services. "We do have some districts that have licensed mental health counselors right in the school, who both help staff with professional learning around the signs of students who are in distress, but also can provide actual mental health counseling on site," Speer said. The Grant Wood AEA supports more than 72,000 students in public and approved non-public schools in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn and Washington counties. Speer added the agency has also worked with Foundation 2 to get every school building in its seven-county coverage area access to mobile crisis counseling, where they can call a number and have a mental health counselor dispatched to help a student in distress. "It's a growing crisis, both for students and adults, but anything that can be done to help that situation will be greatly appreciated," he said. Iowa schools will have access to naloxone a medication that can reduce the effects of an opioid overdose under the expansion of a state program. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced it is expanding its initiative, which started earlier this year, to provide naloxone to organizations, businesses and schools that may be in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose. The state will not make the free naloxone nasal spray kits available to schools. While the hope is there would never be a need for the use of naloxone, having this medication available as part of a first-aid response could save someones life, the state agency said in a news release. The naloxone program is funded by a two-year, $18 million federal grant to provide treatment and recovery programs, as well as services to more than 11,000 people, the state agency said. LANGUAGE BARRIER GRANTS: New state grants, supported by federal pandemic relief funding, are designed to reduce language barriers in Iowas workforce, Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a news release. A total of $5 million through the Iowa Language Learners Job Training Program will help employers provide English language instruction to support improved communication in the workplace, the governors office said. Here in Iowa, were focused on breaking down any barrier that may stand in the way of a successful career, Reynolds said in the news release. As I travel the state, employers regularly highlight the importance of English Language Learner training. The Iowa Language Learners Job Training Program will provide employers with resources to offer or expand ELL training while at the same time supporting job safety, recruitment and retention efforts. The federally funded, state-operated grants are available to employers or groups of employers with at least 25 full-time employees who are either expanding or creating a language program, the governors office said. Applications are being accepted at iowagrants.gov and are due on Dec. 2. JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT: Jessica Noll, of Akron, has been appointed a district associate judge in northwest Iowa, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced. Noll is a magistrate in Woodbury County and an attorney in Sioux City. She will serve as an associate judge in District 3B, which includes Woodbury, Crawford, Ida, Monona, Plymouth and Sioux counties. TRAVEL APP UPDATED: The state transformation departments free travel information app, Iowa 511, has been updated to include new features. Among those features is a nearby events tab that notes nearby issues like crashes and construction. It includes the ability to save and view favorite traffic cameras and weather radar and alerts during inclement weather. The Iowa 511 app is available in the Apple and Google Play stores. One of the prime fishing and hunting weeks of the year is on tap for South Dakota outdoor sportsmen this weekend with the opening of the resident only pheasant hunting season on Saturday, an annual event that when coupled with typical excellent fall fishing prospects portends excellent blast and cast opportunities for the next few weeks. Adding to the special South Dakota flavor is that pheasant hunting is a honored tradition for many South Dakota families. And the month of October is typically a period when walleye put on the anticipatory feedbag. The result of these concurrent fishing and hunting happenings is a rare opportunity for sportsmen to double on their outdoor enjoyment. Meanwhile, the Black Hills area continues to feature multitude fishing opportunities. Area streams are still alive with trout activity. And high-altitude lakes offer both trout and panfish bites while the large prairie lakes bookending the Black Hills (Angostura and Orman) are experiencing a gradual improvement in walleye action, particularly during early morning or evening hours, periods of the day when walleye, benefiting from a visual advantage over prey in dusky conditions, are able to seek and feed on baitfish near rocky outcrops or weedy conditions. All in all, the upcoming week would seem to offer a little bit of everything for outdoor sportsmen and sportswomen. Heres a brief peek at whats been happening. Angostura Reservoir: Though walleye are being caught and some limits taken, crappie and smallmouth bass activity appears to top the chart at present. Walleye are typically located in 10-15 feet of water and responding to minnows. The south marina area has been a hot spot for crappies, and bass are active in bays and near weed lines. Lures and spinners are working well. Belle Fourche Reservoir (Orman): Walleye bite has improved though majority of fish showing up are on the small side with and overs can be a hard to hook commodity. Minnows have been working best. The lake will be busy with the Wild Walleyes Outfitters fishing tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Black Hills Area Streams: Rapid, Castle and Spearfish Creeks remain the prime waters for steady trout action. And will continue to improve as cooler weather sets in. Hoppers and terrestrials are working well. Custer State Park Lakes: Fishing activity has quieted somewhat of late though trout activity remains a constant on most days. Deerfield Reservoir: No fishing activity reported. Likely some trout, perch or northern pike action available to those who willing to make the trip. Pactola Reservoir: Crappie and trout have been active particularly near the south boat ramp and other south side areas. Neither species appear particularly finicky as minnows, flies and spoons have all been working. Shadehill Reservoir: Reports remain positive with walleye and crappie activity highlighted. Sheridan Lake: Trout and bluegill activity reported on crawlers and spinner baits. Also, northern pike bite has picked up (on chubs) along Hwy. 385. Lake Oahe: Walleye bite continues to gather slowly gather steam as fish seek shallower water in search of an abundant shad population. Nonetheless, some limits are being caught though unders are most prevalent. Pulling plugs with minnows or crawlers are suggested. Lots of smallmouth bass are being caught as well. Limited salmon activity continues with fish located at depths of 90 feet. Lake Sharpe: Walleye bite is improving though catches are typically small and with the 15-inch minimum length in effect, finding a limit of keepers can be difficult. Fish are moving into shallower water seeking baitfish. Pulling plugs and jigging with crawlers, minnow and leeches are working well. Best bite occurs when water is released at the dam, and a light chop on water prevails. Lake Francis Case: Limits of walleye are being taken, particularly by anglers who are familiar with the waters and hotspots. Pulling crankbaits and minnows in 10-16 feet of water is working best. Fish are typically small and sorting generally required. FISHING TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND Wild Walleye Outfitters First Annual Fall Brawl: October 8th-9th at Black Hills Reservoir (Orman); event is limited to 60 teams ($200 entry fee). First place payout, $2000 with a $1000 prize for largest fish caught. Call Kevin Vaughn (605) 519-4286 for additional details. Dakota Angler & Outfitter, 513 Seventh St., Rapid City; The Rooster, 1441 W. Main St., Rapid City; Wheel in Bait Shop, 18696 Fishermans Road, Fruitdale, and West Prairie Resort, 28354 182nd, Pierre (605-264-5303) have contributed to this report. Despite the concerns of some lawmakers and citizens, South Dakota election officials are very confident that the state electoral process is sound and that the 2022 general election results will be accurate and valid. As is the case in almost all states, the South Dakota electoral process has come under increased scrutiny since the 2020 election in which former President Donald Trump lost but has continued to claim the election was rigged and electoral processes in America were compromised. However, South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett and county auditors who run local elections say they have reviewed the concerns and concluded that the electoral process in place in South Dakota is secure and that voters can trust the results of the Nov. 8, 2022 election. Im very confident in our system, which is a bottom-up approach led by auditors at the county level, and I also know that our election laws are strong, Barnett said. We have paper ballots, our tabulating machines are not connected to the internet, and a statewide canvass is completed after election day. Barnett said that while he is highly confident in the South Dakota electoral system, he is aware that scrutiny of elections is at an all-time high in America. Some of the uncertainty also arose after election officials across the nation found ways to hold valid elections in 2020, a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing and procedures such as absentee voting rose to unprecedented levels of use. I think some people across the country have lower voter confidence, so that carries over to other states, Barnett said. At more of the ground level in our elections, the auditors are seeing more questioning of the process and the system than theyve probably ever seen before. 'Freedom Caucus' questions integrity Some of the recent concern has come from Republican lawmakers, including those in the new Freedom Caucus in the South Dakota Legislature, a group of 24 conservative Republican lawmakers. In an Aug. 19, 2022 letter to Gov. Kristi Noem and Attorney General Mark Vargo, the lawmakers requested the two officials take steps to preserve 2020 election records by directing our county Auditors to uphold the rights of our citizens to oversee and review the election process to further strengthen our elections, and to honor our commitment to our citizens for government transparency. In an Aug. 17 press release, the Freedom Caucus asked Noem and other lawmakers to join them in taking immediate action in light of election integrity findings the caucus says they have recently become aware of. The release continues: The caucus has not disclosed the specific details regarding their findings, but stated that some of the issues are time sensitive and affect the oversight of the election process. When asked what election integrity findings the lawmakers were referring to, Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Aaron Aylward, R-Harrisburg, said the caucus wants to help a citizens group obtain access to voting records to review them for inconsistencies, and has heard that some voters have been turned away from the polls in South Dakota. The caucus also wants to preserve records from the 2020 election in order to allow for further reviews. The point Im coming from is that in the 2020 election I had concerns with the way elections were being carried out, Aylward said. Some states were worse than others, but it just caused folks here in South Dakota to look into it a little more. No 'concrete evidence' of fraud Barnett said he and his staff have listened to and reviewed those concerns but have not found any concrete evidence of electoral problems or anything that shows a lack of integrity in South Dakota elections. Barnett said he hasnt seen any materials or information produced by the Freedom Caucus or a citizens group that he would consider as integrity findings, or actual evidence of electoral errors or wrongdoing. Im not aware of anything concrete; its more like rhetoric, Barnett said. Theres nothing that Ive seen concrete that they have reported to law enforcement or anything concrete that has been brought to our attention. And I dont know who theyre attacking, really; it just gets to be like playing whack-a-mole. Some of the concerns raised by lawmakers dovetail with those of the citizens group, called the South Dakota Canvassing Group, which claims to have evidence of significant electoral problems in the state. The groups website asks visitors to Help us save South Dakota, and provides basic 2022 election and ballot information, but also asks for donations and seeks volunteers to send in election fraud tips. Citizen group joins fight The website includes a video of a South Dakota Canvassing Group member speaking at a Moment of Truth Summit hosted by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, and the site references connections to Capt. Seth Keshel. Both Lindell and Keshel are known to be election deniers. Aylward said the Freedom Caucus is not formally connected to the canvassing group but shares some of its concerns. They contacted us on this issue, and I agree with them on a lot of the concerns that they have, Aylward said. A lot of people see the stuff they [the canvassing group] are pursing as fringe, but I would say they raise a lot of good questions. Aylward said that human error, including voter error, plays a role in many election issues. Aylward said in an interview with News Watch that he has no concrete evidence of any electoral fraud in South Dakota at this time. But in a subsequent interview, he said his concerns increased after watching a video of a Sept. 20 press conference held by the canvassing group in Sioux Falls where members raised questions about electoral integrity in South Dakota. Searching for records One of the key talking points raised by the canvassing group and other national election critics is a desire to review Cast Vote Records, which are documents that some electoral machines produce to show how votes were cast and by whom. Citizens and groups across the country prompted by national election deniers have made formal records requests to see the CVRs, though many of the documents are not subject to open-records laws. Aylward said he had heard that some South Dakota auditors have released CVRs and some have not; and he said he heard that some auditors are aware that CVRs exist and others are not. That seems to result from a communication or training issue, he said. Barnett told News Watch in an interview that South Dakota voting machines do produce the CVRs but do not include images of actual ballots that could prove useful to someone trying to reconcile votes cast with vote tallies. If their goal is to lower voter confidence statewide, thats a tool to ask for something and then say, We asked for it and didnt get it, and that raises suspicion and lowers voter confidence, Barnett said. I dont know what they hope to gain or what the motive is, so some of this is a head-scratcher. Aylward also said he had heard from citizens he trusts that they were unable to vote as expected in the 2022 primary election in June, or were turned away at the polls. Barnett said some voter confusion did result from the redistricting process undertaken recently in South Dakota in which a few legislative districts and polling sites were changed for some voters. Barnett urged voters to visit the secretary of states website and use the Voter Information Portal to double-check their registration status, the district in which they can vote, and their polling locations. Aylward said he does not believe any issues raised by the caucus or the citizens group will have an effect on the validity of the 2022 election in South Dakota. I see it as, if we come out with these letters and were able to come together with the auditors to work together, I think that improves voter confidence, Aylward said. But if you end up butting heads or not coming to the same conclusion, I can definitely see that making confidence worse in the publics view. Safeguards in place Barnett said some of the new election scrutiny likely has its roots in Trumps consistent allegations of electoral fraud. Hes got a following of folks upset that he didnt win, said Barnett. Hes got a following, and some of his followers are going to believe what he says but if people have questions, the best resource would be to turn to their county auditors. Barnett and Aylward, both Republicans, said they acknowledge that President Joe Biden was duly elected in 2020. Lincoln County Auditor Sheri Lund said voter fraud is extremely rare in South Dakota, and added that those who do try to game the system are typically caught and prosecuted. I do not believe it is common, and the safeguards are in place to prevent that, she said. Many of the problems that occur during voting are due to unintentional errors on the part of the voter, she said. For instance, a 90-year-old woman who voted absentee in a recent election forgot she had done so, and then was taken by her son to vote on Election Day. The error was caught and the woman was not allowed to vote twice, Lund said. Every ballot that goes out is accounted for, and if there is a discrepancy, we would stop the process until the discrepancy is resolved, she said. We have checks and balances for every aspect of the election process. Lund said one criticism of the election process that arose in South Dakota recently involved claims that there were roughly 125 voters whose ages were listed as 120 years or older on the voter rolls. Upon investigation, she said, officials were able to determine that some voter ages were incorrectly entered into the system when a voter-registration computer program was changed and the ages wrongly defaulted to those unobtainable ages. Lund said she and other auditors have received numerous Freedom of Information Act requests for voting records and information, and that they do their best to follow state laws in responding or providing material. Lund said auditors recently have received numerous copies of the same FOIA request for election documents signed by different people. Theyve sent out a mass mailing to every auditor in the state with the same request, she said. Theyre trying to find somebody thats going to give them information that they [the requesters] dont have. When the Freedom Caucus letter was sent to the governor and attorney general, Lund said she took notice, and with the help of Charles Mix County Auditor Jason Gant, arranged a public meeting where election concerns could be raised and addressed. When you get 24 legislators signing off on a letter that there are issues with elections in South Dakota, thats a concern, she said. After hosting the meeting, and hearing the concerns, Lund said she remained steadfast in her support of the current electoral processes in her county and others across the state. Auditors in South Dakota stay in frequent contact about election processes, and if problems arise, they work together to fix them, Lund said. So far, she said, she hasnt seen evidence of fundamental issues with the state electoral process. Lund said she respects the rights of citizens to question government and government officials. If youre not comfortable with whats going on, question it, and If they give you an answer and youre not comfortable with that answer, then second-question it, she said. But if you have no basis in what youre arguing about, does it really become a question at that point? Lund said she feels that some people, be it the canvassing group or those who show up to county meetings, can sometimes go overboard in trying to spread controversy over things they dont understand or agree with. I absolutely appreciate anybody that ever questions government, but if you get an answer and you get an explanation and then youre using fear-mongering to try to get people to believe your thought, I dont think thats right, she said. Aylward said he and others will continue to ask questions that he hopes will make the electoral process in South Dakota more transparent and more secure. As far as the election coming up, if we can make it as transparent as possible, and make the public feel better, it will put everybody at ease, he said. I do believe that the auditors are trying their hardest and all of them are trying to do a great job. I do have confidence in the process, but I dont see the problem with looking into things a bit more. The Rapid City Area Schools Board of Education will sell three of five book titles previously slated for destruction after a Tuesday vote. After months of seeking advice from legal counsel, the board voted 4-2 to sell 174 copies of "How Beautiful We Were: A Novel" by Imbolo Mbue, 26 copies of "Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel" by Bernadine Evaristo, and 72 copies of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky to a book buyer. Board members Clay Colombe and Michael Birkeland voted against selling the surplus. Board member Jamie Clapham was absent from the meeting. The books were previously slated "to be destroyed" on a May 3 board agenda along with two other titles: "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" by Alison Bechdel and "The Circle" by Dave Eggers." RCAS Interim Chief Executive Officer Nicole Swigart told the Journal in August that 30 copies of "The Circle" and 35 copies of "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" are no longer at the school warehouse. All five books were deemed inappropriate by district administrators earlier in the 2021-2022 school year. The books were purchased the summer before last school year for 12th grade English classes. At the May 3 meeting, the board voted to delay a decision to destroy the books. Interim CEO Nicole Swigart said the superintendent's office takes responsibility for the books because "the buck stops" at her office. She said the district is tasked with providing materials that are suitable for all students. She said when administrators, teachers, students and community members find fault with the curriculum, those concerns deserved to be addressed. Swigart said in this case, a new course was created. "To be perfectly honest, from all the research I have done, the process to select materials was not equal to our normal curriculum process," Swigart said. She said typically new curriculum faces a total curriculum review, but in this case, books were picked by staff on a very short timeline, those book titles were shared through a purchase order, came to the superintendent's office and were then purchased. Swigart said complaints came quickly and because the process was not followed in its entirety from the start, the books were pulled. "The district needs to accept and take measures to make sure that future curriculum materials are fully vetted and approved in the same manner as all course material is approved for this district," she said. Birkeland said selling the books now and placing it on a surplus list is premature and believes the books should go through the review process. He said he feels the books would pass the review process and even offered to hold the books at his home himself. He said mistakes were made across the entire process. Birkeland said in the spring, before he was on the board, it felt like the situation was being "scapegoated" to the staff. He also said he thinks it's a mistake to say teachers were distributing pornographic material. "Pornographic and graphic are very different things, and I think that line needs to be drawn," he said. He said there are graphic parts in classics like "Romeo and Juliet" and terrible language in "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." "Where do we draw that line?" he said. Birkeland suggested a new policy may be necessary, and said he was worried about the precedent this could set with input on curriculum and materials. Students, parents and community members spoke for and against the book titles, and asked for updates, between May and October. The controversy became so widespread that it attracted national attention, including author Dave Eggers who traveled to Rapid City and offered to purchase the books that were slated for destruction. Eggers also offered to ship any of the books to Rapid City high school seniors from independent bookstores. The board also approved a change in the district's organizational chart that would be implemented July 1, 2023. According to the resolution, which was approved 6-0, further work will be done on the chart in the next few weeks. The board will also bring forth in the future a request for proposal for a superintendent search. The chart the board approved now places the superintendent/CEO position and chief financial and operations officer under the Board of Education separately. Under the superintendent/CEO are the assistant superintendent and directors, and under the chief financial and operations officer are support services. Above the board, though, is the community. Carr said he suggested the changes to the organizational chart because there was previously a bottleneck in communication between administration and the school board. "We were finding out that we didn't know a lot of thing that were supposed to be communicated to the board," he said. "Those that were under the superintendent's office assumed that the information was getting back to us. That was not the case." Carr said he hopes the new organization will eliminate some of that, and that the board will be informed and educated on what's going on. PIERRE South Dakota students and families can access a new, online tutoring program, staffed by college students who are preparing to become teachers. The Dakota Dreams Online Tutoring Program offers free online tutoring to K-12 students across the state. The online tutoring program allows students kindergarten through high school to receive individualized support after the school day has ended, said Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson. Once a parent has registered their child, students can access a tutor from home, the local library or after-school program, or even their favorite coffee shop. I think parents are going to like this one-on-one support as much as their students. The new program utilizes a simple and secure online platform, where students and tutors connect for virtual sessions. Tutors can provide support in English/language arts, math, science and social studies. To access the free service, parents first need to register their students to use the platform. Once registered, sessions can either be pre-scheduled or on-demand, depending on tutor availability. The program is staffed by university students accepted into their Schools of Education at Black Hills State University and Northern State University. Tutors will be available Monday through Sunday afternoons and evenings. The service will not be available on holidays and during Christmas and spring breaks. This is an incredible opportunity for South Dakota students, said Board of Regents Executive Director Dr. Brian Maher. While this program provides academic support for K-12 students, it additionally gives university students practical experience in their future field of work. The Dakota Dreams Online Tutoring Program is administered by the South Dakota Board of Regents and funded by the South Dakota Department of Education. Questions about this program should be directed to onlinetutoring@sdbor.edu. Pennington County commissioners approved updates to the county's public comment policy at their regular meeting Tuesday morning, after a series of recurring comments at numerous meetings prompted the policy's review. Holli Hennies, commission manager, presented the board with an updated Public Comments Period policy on Tuesday, after direction from the board at its Sept. 20 meeting. The updated policy added one additional item to five existing rules, and amended two others. The new policy item places a time limit of three minutes for public comment, but with discretion afforded to the chair of the meeting to grant additional time, if needed. The commission also requested that the existing number 2, which read Comments must be directed to the County Commission and not to individual Board members; be amended to included employees, and that the existing number 5, which read Individuals who engage in repetitive comments will be asked to refrain and/or yield the floor; include threatening in addition to repetitive in describing the comments. The decision to add threatening and include comments not be directed at employees came after a Pennington County citizen called a county employee a domestic terrorist Tuesday morning when commenting on an item from the consent agenda. I was kind of shocked to have someone come up and call somebody a domestic terrorist in front of us. I think (that) was inappropriate without the background and so forth, Commissioner Lloyd LaCroix said. Commissioner Travis Lasseter echoed LaCroixs concerns, saying accusations needed evidence to back them up, which was not presented. Commissioner Deb Hadcock said she appreciates when the public addresses the commission, but Tuesday's comments had veered into nonsense. When we see a lot of nonsense like that, it becomes nonsense, because it's just inappropriate, Hadcock said. It just seems like nonsense after a while so I didn't really listen to him too much today because of that reason. He's not giving the facts. He's just making a statement. So making statements in front of people doesn't find solutions. It causes more controversy. The same commenter had expressed concerns at previous meetings over the public comment policy and its interpretations, as well as how public comment is reflected in the minutes. During public comment offered on the policy update, a commenter joining via Zoom suggested the board have its attorneys look at the policy before voting. He referenced a 1964 U.S. Supreme Court Case ruling New York Times Co. v. Sullivan that he felt the commissions existing policy violated. The commenter said the case debated public issues should be uninhibited, robust and wide open and so that vehement criticism and even mistakes were part of the price of a democratic society. Hadcock said you can find case law on everything, questioning if the case referenced was the only relevant example. She said she would support the updates, recommending they still have the county's attorneys look over them. To me, it's just common sense that you present yourself in a professional manner, Hadcock said. You're not threatening people. And basically, you don't have to be profane, vulgar or abusive because people aren't listening to you anyway. The existing five rules included direction on who comments can be directed at, that they be concerning matters within the scope of the county, and they shall be presented in a professional demeanor and not in a threatening, profane, vulgar or abusive manner. They also stated that individuals who engage in repetitive comments will be asked to refrain and/or yield the floor. LaCroix made a motion to approve the Public Comment Period policy update, as well as directing attorneys to review the policy. The motion carried unanimously. The board also approved updates to the Recordings of Public Meetings and other Proceedings policy, including clarifying terminology relating to when and where the recordings are available and payment. In other business, the board scheduled a special meeting to address Pennington County elections, at the request of Matthew Monfore. Monfore summarized concerns regarding election fraud and voting machines at Tuesdays meeting, with the board setting a special meeting for 4 p.m. Oct. 26. This story was updated on Oct. 5, 2022 to reflect the correct date of the special meeting dealing with elections. The Pennington County State's Attorney's Office announced Tuesday the creation of a new position to prioritize its relationship with local law enforcement agencies. The law enforcement liaison will focus on building and maintaining positive working relationships with law enforcement agencies, facilitating training opportunities, and providing special attention to high priority cases and community safety issues. "As Pennington County continues to grow, it will be vital for the States Attorneys Office and law enforcement agencies to maintain a close working relationship to enhance community safety and the effectiveness of the justice system," Interim State's Attorney Lara Roetzel said in a news release. Olivia Siglin, the first to fill the position, will act as the office's primary advisor to law enforcement, providing legal advice and support to Pennington County law enforcement agencies. They will attend briefings, serve on committees related to community safety, and facilitate training for law enforcement officers and fellow prosecutors. Siglin is a deputy state's attorney in the Criminal Division of the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office since September 2020. Along with the liaison position, she will prosecute all felony crimes against law enforcement and other high-priority cases. Siglin has prosecuted thousands of cases and tried a number of jury trials ranging from DUIs and assaults to manslaughter and attempted murder. The state bar president appointed her to serve as the 2022-2023 chair of the South Dakota State Bar Criminal Law Committee. Prior to joining the Pennington County States Attorneys Office, Siglin interned with the United States Attorneys Office in Sioux Falls, and worked as a judicial law clerk for South Dakotas Third Judicial Circuit, in which she assisted judges with over 15 jury trials and drafted memoranda and judicial opinions on legal issues. Putin signs law on incorporation of four new subjects into Russia MOSCOW, October 5 (RAPSI) President of Russia Vladimir Putin has signed federal constitutional bills on the admission of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics to the Russian Federation into law. A transition period when prosecutor offices are to be established and the Russian judicial systems functioning is to be provided in the regions will be active of the laws entry and until January 1, 2026. People living on the new Russian territories and those who previously lived there but left for Russia will acquire Russian citizenship. Documents confirming education, marital status, employment history, right to pension, social and medical aid of residents of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics will be recognized in Russia. Putin also approved the ratification of treaties on the admission of new regions to the Russian Federation and appointed the territories former heads to the posts of acting heads of new Russias regions. Referendums in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions were held from 23 to 27 September. An absolute majority of their residents voted for the accession of the territories to Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking about the referendums, reminded that Russia is guided by the opinion of people living in the respective territories, and they are the masters of their own destiny. Deputy head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev said that the referendums should restore historical justice. Swift Creek Mill Theatre and Virginia Repertory Theatre were among the big winners at the 14th Richmond Theatre Community Circle Awards event held last weekend. The awards, formerly Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Awards, returned to an in-person, black-tie event to recognize excellence in Richmond-area theater with the theme Were Still Here, a reference to the resilience of the arts and arts organizations through the COVID-19 pandemic. Swift Creek Mill won seven Artsies, including six for its production of Murder for Two, which won Best Musical. Emily Berg-Poff Dandridge and Mark Schenfisch won for Best Lead Performance in a musical for the show and Tom Width for Best Direction in a musical. Schenfisch also won for Best Musical Direction. Virginia Rep came away with 10 Artsies, five for its production of Mamma Mia! Richmond Triangle Players won three Artsies, including Best Play for its production of Sugar in Our Wounds. Firehouse Theatres production of The Barber of Moville was honored as Outstanding Original Work. Jamar Jones won Best Lead Performance in a play for Firehouses Fires in the Mirror. The other award for Best Lead Performance in a play went to Alec Beard for Quills one-man show, An Illiad. Two theater companies that did not survive the pandemic each won an award: The Illuminated Stage Theatre Company was honored with Best Direction of a Play for Julie Fulcher-Davis work on Every Brilliant Thing. Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew was recognized for Breakout Performance for her role in TheatreLABs The Niceties. The Artsies also serve as the primary fundraising event for the Theatre Artist Fund of Greater Richmond, which provides emergency financial assistance to theater artists who have experienced an exceptional financial need related to a specific crisis beyond their control. Since its inception, the Artsies have raised almost $90,000. Best Musical Murder for Two, Swift Creek Mill Theatre Best Direction, Musical Tom Width, Murder for Two Best Lead Performance Musical Emily Berg-Poff Dandridge, Murder for Two Best Lead Performance Musical Mark Schenfisch, Murder for Two Best Supporting Performance Musical Anne Michelle Forbes, Winter Wonderettes Best Supporting Performance Musical Grey Garrett, Mamma Mia! Best Musical Direction Mark Schenfisch, Murder for Two Best Choreography Ashleigh King, Mamma Mia! Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Musical Sue Griffin and Marcia Miller Hailey, Mamma Mia! Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design, Musical Joe Doran, Murder for Two Outstanding Achievement in Set Design, Musical Josafath Reynoso, Mamma Mia! Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Musical Jacob Mishler, Mamma Mia! Best Play Sugar in Our Wounds, Richmond Triangle Players Best Direction, Play Julie Fulcher-Davis, Every Brilliant Thing Best Lead Performance, Play Alec Beard, An Iliad Best Lead Performance, Play Jamar Jones, Fires in the Mirror Best Supporting Performance, Play Laine Satterfield, Pipeline Best Supporting Performance, Play Catherine Schaffner, A Dolls House, Part 2 Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Play Margarette Joyner, Fires in the Mirror Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design, Play Steven Koehler, Sugar in Our Wounds Outstanding Achievement in Set Design, Play William Luther, Sugar in Our Wounds Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design, Play Joey Luck, Small Mouth Sounds 2022 Ernie McClintock Best Acting Ensemble Award The cast members of the Cadence Theatre, in partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre, production of Small Mouth Sounds are honored for their notable performance as a cohesive and compelling ensemble: Larry Cook, Marisa Guida, Jenny Hundley, Lauren Leinhaas-Cook, Maura Mazurowski, Jim Morgan, Adam Valentine Breakout Performance Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, The Niceties Outstanding Original Work Draw a line from where Virginias Chesapeake Bay pollution was in 2009 until now and project it forward to 2025, and the state seems to be on track with its Bay cleanup promises but closing the final gap is going to take work on farms and on city and suburban storm drains that so far is lagging, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation says. The gap is a challenge since theres still a lot of work to do planting buffers and installing cattle fencing along streams flowing past farms, while pollution from rainfall flowing off streets and carrying nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment into the Bay watershed is on the rise, as populations grow and climate change brings stronger storms. And the state is losing lots of forest land trees help slow the flow of groundwater toward the Bay, giving soil time enough to absorb nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment so they can feed plants on land instead of the algae in the Bay that cause huge summertime dead zones. While Virginia has made meaningful progress, the vast majority of pollution cut so far has come from wastewater plants. That approach is not sustainable, said Peggy Sanner, the foundations Virginia executive director. About 90 percent of Virginias remaining pollution reductions must come from agriculture, and population growth and climate change are leading to more polluted runoff from developed areas, she said. What makes Virginia look to be on track for its 2025 goal to cut pollution is its effort to clean up the flow out of wastewater plants. So far, these efforts account for more than 90% of the reductions Virginia has seen the state has cut more than 11.4 million pounds a year of nitrogen flowing into the Bay, as it moves to hit its 2025 goal of a 14.9 million pound decline, for instance. Virginia has dedicated more than $70 million in wastewater plant investments to meet pollution cutting goals while legislation last year stepped up state efforts by directing regulations to set specific nitrogen and phosphorus reductions to specific plants. But state permitting for city and suburban storm drainage is running behind, which means the regulators are simply extending permits without updating pollution reduction goals. A big increase in funding for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share program this year should help farmers in their efforts to cut pollution, although so far, only about 10% of the states goal for stream buffers have been planted. For the whole Bay watershed, the partnership of six states with federal and local governments, nonprofits and universities has put in place programs that cut nitrogen pollution flowing into the Bay each year by 30 million pounds roughly 42% of the required reduction, the foundation said. But reaching the 2025 goal, along with goals for phosphorus and sediment reduction, means a renewed commitment that includes targeting the most effective practices in the most effective places, paying for performance with incentives based on measurable results, improved accountability and reaching out to farmers, homeowners, and community groups to overcome any obstacles slowing pollution reduction efforts. Sanner said the foundation shares Gov. Glenn Youngkins concern that Virginia may not be able to meet its 2025 deadline, but said she was heartened by what he has said about making cleanup efforts a priority. Three weeks ago, Youngkin said he is pushing his administration for a detailed plan for cutting pollution, with specific objectives and targets for each year remaining, as well as specific funding and programs, to move the cleanup faster than it has been going. I put an emphasis on the agricultural side of things, best management practices is one that can have the largest effect on downstream and there was not a great level of trust in the previous administration in the ag community, he said in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Im not tapping the brakes, he said. Im just acknowledging that we can drive really fast and come up short. Press secretary Macaulay Porter said the administration is committed to addressing Virginias environmental, energy and natural resources challenges, including protecting the Bay. After taking office, it was clear that Virginia was not on track to meet our 2025 commitments, but the administration also discovered there was not a realistic plan to achieve significant progress, she said. She said Youngkin is looking hard at the best way to meet Virginias Bay cleanup obligations. Thursday and Friday will bring a surge of warmth, with afternoon temperatures reaching well into the upper 70s and marking the start of a dry period that will settle in for several additional days. But another surge of cool air, now sliding southward across the Canadian Prairies, will push into central Virginia on Friday night. Unlike the chilly spell of the past few days, this mass of cool air will also be dry, meaning a much sunnier sky is ahead both days this weekend and afternoons will hold in the 60s. Friday night and Saturday morning will also be breezy, as the leading edge of that cool air mass advances from the northwest. So, despite the warmth on Friday afternoon, a definitive chill will be in the air after sunset, as temperatures drop quickly into the 50s within a couple of hours after dusk. As the winds become light late on Saturday, temperatures will fall more quickly, leading to the coldest night since last spring. Temperatures by daybreak Sunday will be near 40 degrees across most of metro Richmond, but farther west into Amelia, Goochland and Powhatan counties, readings will likely edge into the 30s. Even in those locations, a freeze is extremely unlikely, but a few spots of thin frost may form in the last couple of hours before sunrise on Sunday. And if temperatures do manage to edge below 40 on Saturday night in Richmond, it would be the first time since the mornings of April 28 and 29, when it reached 39 degrees. In the past 30 years, the average date of the first freeze in Richmond has come during the first week of November, so reaching into the lower 30s this weekend would put us in record cold territory. Record lows this Saturday and Sunday nights are 32 (1935) and 36 (1977), respectively, but a freeze this early is not without precedent; Richmonds earliest freeze on record was 31 degrees on the morning of Oct. 3, 1974. The core of this weekends chill retreats early next week, allowing high temperatures back into the 70s for the first few afternoons next week. By the middle of the week, a few showers may drift across central Virginia, but there are no obvious signs of accumulating rain until at least the second half of next week. This means good weather for the Richmond Folk Festival, with sunshine and afternoons in the 60s both weekend days. And if you are traveling toward the Blue Ridge or deeper into Virginias mountains to take in a little early season fall color, it will be just as sunny there, but be ready for low temperatures west of the Blue Ridge on Saturday night close to 30 degrees. Michael Paul Williams Follow Michael Paul Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today For a transgender youth to come out to their parents is not easy. Its a process that takes a lot of courage and time, says Skylar, a senior at Open High School in Richmond. Her family was accepting of the news, but thats not the case for every trans kid, she said. Schools and teachers need to be protecting all their students. And by outing students, it can be really damaging to their personal lives. It still took a lot of courage for me to come out to them, Skylar, 17, said of her parents. It was a big conversation. Gov. Glenn Youngkin would circumvent that conversation. He would have teachers betray the trust of their students by having them out students to their parents. The recent walkout protest by thousands of Virginia high school students suggests that Youngkins desire to hand transgender students over to potentially hostile parents is deeply unpopular with them. Parents rights dogma helped elect Youngkin as governor. Hes citing it in his attempt to roll back transgender student rights. But its built on the fallacy that all parents are the same. Its a privileged phrase. Its rooted in this idea that every youth grows up in a home with two loving, caring, adult individuals who are providing good examples, said Jamie Nolan, co-executive director of operations and development for Side by Side, a support organization for Virginias lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Every home is different. Every child is different. And every relationship that they have with their parent or caring other is different. According to The Trevor Projects 2022 national mental health survey, fewer than 1 in 3 transgender and nonbinary youths find their homes to be gender-affirming. And when these young people feel unsafe, they are more likely to attempt suicide, engage in substance abuse or be depressed. More than half of trans and nonbinary youth seriously considered suicide; nearly 1 in 5 attempted to take their own life. The 2022 Model Policies on the Privacy, Dignity and Respect for All Students and Parents in Virginias Public Schools a gaslighting of a title if ever there was one would require students to use school bathrooms that match the sex they were assigned at birth except to the extent that federal law otherwise requires. That last bit of disclaimer is an acknowledgment of the 2020 decision in which the Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Gloucester County School Board violated transgender student Gavin Grimms constitutional rights when it banned him from using the school bathrooms for boys. The new policies also require parental approval of changes to a students name, along with any nicknames or changes in pronouns. It is bullish in asserting a parents fundamental right to make decisions concerning their children. It would enlist teachers to divulge to parents what LGBTQ students have confided to them. Williams: Mathews County must not surrender its Confederate monument to a Confederate group "Once in the not-so-distant past, before jurisdictions gained local control, the Commonwealth of Virginia enacted laws to protect Confederate monuments," writes columnist Michael Paul Williams. The Youngkin administration apparently has a compulsion to encourage schoolhouse snitching. One of its first acts was to establish a tip line to dime out teachers for inherently divisive lessons. Teachers, Nolan said, have always been on the front lines of providing safe spaces for all of our youth and in the past few years theyve been asked to step up even further and provide more resources in different ways through COVID. And now were going to ask them to lose the trust in their students, to speak with them earnestly, and be that second space for them to feel safe. If Youngkins policies are enacted. Nolan said Side by Side will be keeping an eye on the houseless rates for LGBTQ youth in the event that some of those parents decide to exercise their right to kick their child out of the house. Youngkins new transgender policies are the subject of a 30-day public comment period. The protest ground will move from the schoolhouse to local school boards. Before the election, I was really excited to see Virginia was moving in a more progressive direction, said Felix Hedberg, a senior at Open High School in Richmond who with Skylar was a participant in the marches organized by Pride Liberation, a student-run group of queer and allied students in Virginia advocating for the rights of LGBTQ students. To see that all that kind of be swept away in one go and kind of be regressing is pretty heartbreaking, Hedberg said. Or as Nolan said: Weve stopped prioritizing the lives and the livelihood of young people who should be at the center of these conversations. Enough touting of the rights of right-leaning parents, to the exclusion of others. Students are the consumers of Virginias K-12 education. Its time for them to be heard. A jury found a Roanoke man guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder in the death his ex-girlfriend, who tried to drive away after being shot but was found dead inside her crashed car. The three-day trial in Roanoke Circuit Court hinged on circumstantial evidence. There was no eyewitness that connected Todd Emanuel Manns directly to the shooting and he did not testify in his defense. Manns, 37, was charged with fatally shooting Taniko Belt, 46, of Roanoke, a health care worker and grandmother, on the night of May 2, 2021. The trial began Monday as Assistant Commonwealths Attorneys Jack Patterson and Andrew Stephens said Belt and Manns dated for about a year before breaking up in January 2021. Four months later, on May 2 at about 11:20 p.m., Roanoke police officers respond to shots fired calls in the area of the Cove at Peters Creek apartments on Panorama Avenue northwest. A patrol officer testified that police were initially told two cars had been shooting at each other near the intersection of Panorama Avenue and Westside Boulevard. But en route, officers received word that a gunshot victim had been located about a mile away on Peters Creek Road. A Roanoke Fire-EMS first responder testified his crew was called to the site for a reported downed power line. The crew found a silver 2019 Honda Civic crashed into a utility pole in the 600 block of Peters Creek Roads median. Once the deployed airbag was cut away, Belts body was found slumped into the passenger seat. Also, testimony indicated that bullet holes in the car and shattered glass were visible. Patterson said Belts cause of death was a gunshot to the neck. She also sustained gunshots to her chest and wrist. As the crash scene was being processed by law enforcement, a police officer found shell casings and broken glass at the Cove apartment parking lot. Patterson said police collected 10 cartridge casings, one unspent cartridge and one bullet jacket. In the following days, police interviewed apartment residents about the night of the shooting. One man, David Jones, testified Monday that he was indoors when he heard someone yelling, and then gunshots. When the gunfire stopped, Jones testified he went outside and observed a man wearing a white shirt and jeans. Jones approached the man and asked if he was OK. The man replied, using expletives, that a woman had messed up. Then, Jones watched the man get in a vehicle and drive away. Police also interviewed a juvenile after the shooting. The male teenager and a friend were in a parked car in the apartment complex lot when shots broke out. The teen testified Monday that he heard someone yell, Get out of the car! Get on the ground! Then he heard gunshots. There was a quiet pause, and the shooting resumed. The juvenile said he heard a car reverse its direction and saw a man repeatedly fire at the car as it left the parking lot. On May 7, Manns was arrested inside a Roanoke probation office. The car that dropped Manns off at the office left and returned, and the vehicle was searched. In the glove box, an officer located a black 9mm handgun. And in the seat pocket in front of the back passengers seat where Manns had been sitting he found another 9mm handgun, this one black and silver. Julia Pugh of the Virginia Department of Forensic Science office in Roanoke, testified Wednesday that DNA samples were taken from both handguns. DNA samples were also taken from blood found on Belts fingernails and from the inside of Manns cheek. Pugh said male DNA was detected on a fingernail from Belts left hand, and Manns could not be eliminated as a contributor, nor could any of his paternal male relatives. The forensic scientist also said male DNA was detected on the black and silver handgun, but there was not enough suitable DNA available in the sample to make a comparison to Manns swab. Laura Hollenbeck, another forensic scientist and weapons expert, said the spent cartridges found in the Cove apartments parking lot matched the black and silver handgun. Hollenbeck said a nick left on the cartridge casings caught her attention as she was examining them. When she test-fired the black and silver handgun in her lab, she found that those casings had the same nick. Manns attorney, public defender Charles Bullen, suggested that there was no murder weapon in this case. But Stephens told the seven-woman, five-man jury that the gun was found sitting in front of this angry boyfriend, before he left the vehicle at the probation office. A Roanoke police detective testified cell tower data indicated Manns was near the Cove apartments on the night of the shooting before he left the area. Four short calls were made from Manns to Belts phone between 11:09 p.m. and 11:13 p.m. on the night she died. The next day, at 10:54 a.m., the detective said cell tower data indicated Manns phone received a text in Greensboro, North Carolina. Calls from Manns phone were detected throughout May 3 in Greensboro, the detective testified. Then, shortly before 11 p.m., Manns phone was detected in Rocky Mount, then Boones Mill. Exactly 24 hours after the last call from Manns to Belt was detected, Manns phone was detected again in Roanoke by a cell tower on Franklin Road in Roanoke. Patterson said all of the background evidence presented during the trial pointed to Manns as Belts killer. None of it points to anyone else, the prosecutor added. Patterson argued that texts sent from Belt to Manns in April indicate that she had moved on from the relationship. While she said she wanted nothing but the best for Manns, Its clear she doesnt want anything to do with him, Patterson said. A text thread between the pair revealed that, when Belt asked to be left alone, Manns responded rapidly. Some of Manns texts to Belt said, U dont deserve to breathe, I hope u wreck your car and u die tramp, and I [expletive] hate u n I hope all yall must die. This man wanted to control Ms. Belt, and when he couldnt control her, he killed her, Stephens said. He killed her, and then she wrecked her car, because she was dying, Patterson said. Bullen maintained that there wasnt enough evidence to eliminate the possibility that Belts murder had been committed by someone other than Manns. They didnt really look into anybody else, Bullen said. The jury deliberated for about two and a half hours Wednesday before presenting its verdict. Manns was found guilty of both first-degree murder and using a firearm in commission of a murder. His sentencing hearing is expected to be held in January. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Mortgage and insurance companies rely on various data to assess a property's risk for natural disasters. For flood risk, the primary source is FEMA flood maps. Like on Risk Factor, consumers can plug in their address and see areas with flood risks within their community. But unlike Risk Factor, the FEMA data isn't property specific. FEMA's flood maps are created by FEMA agents and a floodplain administrator who work with local engineers and surveys to collect data on flood zones. Flood zones are primarily determined by the history of flooding in the area and are rated according to the probability of annual flooding. FEMA maps do not consider how the climate is expected to change in the future and how that will impact weather events. Advertisement Risk Factor, however, uses current climate data, maps and precipitation, and includes areas that FEMA hasn't mapped. This model identifies the likelihood of flooding by recreating dozens of past hurricanes, tropical storms, nor'easters and major inland flood events. The Risk Factor model also calculates the current probability of tidal, storm surge, pluvial (rainfall) and fluvial (riverine) flooding for individual homes and properties. The resulting analysis reveals a far different picture than what FEMA maps paint. For example, FEMA classifies 8.7 million properties as having substantial flood risk or being within special flood hazard areas. Risk Factor, on the other hand, after adjusting for future environmental factors like changing sea levels, warming sea surface and atmospheric temperatures and changing precipitation patterns, finds the number about 70 percent higher with 14.6 million properties at the same level of risk. Another example is wildfire risk. States prone to wildfire typically assess a property's wildfire risk based on factors such as topography, vegetation, wind patterns and how accessible a home is to firefighters in the event of a fire. According to Verisk Analytics, a data analytics and risk assessment firm, 4.5 million U.S. homes are identified at high or extreme risk of wildfire. In determining a property's wildfire risk, Risk Factor digs deeper. It uses data on historical wildfire occurrences to inform where wildfires may occur based on the Fire Occurrence Database developed by the United States Forest Service. But it also considers climate changes. The tool identifies more than 10 million U.S. properties at major risk to extreme risk of wildfire. Overall, Risk Factor found that 71.8 million homes have some level of wildfire risk in 2022, growing to 79.8 million by 2050 due to the changing climate. Risk Factor also predicts the frequency, duration and intensity of extremely hot days will change over the next 30 years. Its model shows that 50 counties in the U.S. with more than 8 million residents will experience temperatures above 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.6 degrees Celsius) in 2023 and by 2053, a total of 1,023 counties are expected to exceed 125 degrees, affecting 107.6 million Americans. Research shows that extreme heat increases the risk of other natural disasters including drought. Hot, dry conditions can, in turn, create an environment ripe for wildfire. Beyond Risk Factor, First Street Foundation and the Research Lab team continue to better understand climate risk, its consequences and possible solutions. Take a look at some of the nonprofit's recently published research here. " " This hyper-local map from Risk Factor shows an extremely granular understanding of heat risks. It was created using climate-adjusted predictions for the monthly averaged daily maximum temperature for the hottest month of the year over a seven year period. Risk Factor Now That's Scary Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in Florida Sept. 28, 2022, and again in South Carolina Sept. 30, tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever strike the United States. But it was the flooding and storm surge that were so catastrophic. Ian dumped as much as 15.5 inches (39.37 centimeters) of rain in Brevard County, 17 inches (43.2 centimeters) in Orange County, 16.4 inches (41.7 centimeters) in Osceola County and 21 inches (53.3 centimeters) in Volusia County in about 12 hours, producing 1-in-1,000-year rainfall in some areas. FLORENCE, S.C. The Greater Florence Chamber of Commerces Fall Legislative Breakfast is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4. There will be three guest speakers at this years breakfast session at Florence Center. South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall will be updating those attending on the status of the state road system throughout South Carolina and whether any new projects are expected here in the Pee Dee region. Jason Springs of the Florence County Council will provide an update on Florence County, and City Councilman Chaquez McCall will update attendees on city of Florence topics. We are delighted to have these representatives address our business community, said Florence Chamber President Michael Miller. We know the breakfast sessions always make for informative programming and look forward to hearing the messages. The Legislative Breakfast sessions are held twice a year. The program has varied in format, but always has been focused on community needs, legislative issues, or a local government update theme. Individual tickets for the breakfast are available for $25 and special reserved tables of 8 for $225. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:50 a.m. Contact the chamber at 843-665-0515, or click here for ticket information https://www.flochamber.com/event/2022-fall-legislative-breakfast/. FLORENCE, S.C. An idea from two 1974 high school graduates is helping todays students take on the world. The two women, Sharon Mitchell and Myra Lane, helped form United 74, a community organization that partners with local high schools to provide scholarships, tutoring and current technology for Florence graduates. The two women came up with the idea at their class reunion in 2009. They noticed their classmates had gone on to achieve great things and wanted to use their collective wisdom to make sure the younger generations have support. United 74 members all graduated in 1974 from four high schools in Florence Wilson, Southside, West Florence, and McClenaghan, which closed in 1975. The group realized that once they entered the real world there was a lack in their educational development and the group committed themselves to using their experience to equip the younger generation to prevent the rude awakening that was forced upon them. Members of the organization are in different parts of the world and gather in Florence every month. Some members live in Atlanta, Columbia, Virginia, Baltimore, Connecticut, but the majority are in Florence. The idea was to give back to the community in a meaningful way, Brown said. We committed ourselves to not solely come back home for a party. We wanted to do something that impacted the youth and the families in the community. Lamar Brown is the president of United 74. The organizations mission is to transcend the time they gather for a reunion and make a lasting impact on the community. In 2010, the group officially became organized and in 2012, the group became a 501c3 organization. United 74 works closely with high schools in Florence to identify students who meet the criteria to receive scholarship assistance from the organization. All of the funds pertaining to the organization are raised through the community. Its really a community scholarship, Brown said. The community gives the money to the students. United 74 seeks to make sure students have everything they need to be able to pursue higher education. The organization gives two scholarships annually. One scholarship is worth $1,000 and that comes along with a computer and a printer. The other scholarship is worth $1,500 and that comes along with a computer and printer as well. The organization does not currently have a physical building to house its needs. They rent buildings and use the public library when they tutor children every month. Lamar Brown is hoping that a building can be donated for its cause. We meet every month and its for a weekend, Brown said. We come on that Friday and leave on that Sunday. When we are here, we contact as many kids that the school has made available to us. Brown said the pursuit is not always successful because children are left to their own devices to get to the place where the tutoring is being held. The school identifies children who need the extra help and the organization reaches out to the parents of the students, making them aware that an organization that excels in tutoring and financial assistance is there for help. We let the parents know that were a legitimate organization, Brown said. And we are serious about the health, wellbeing, and success of the student. In August, the organization had its scholarship banquet at which two students received scholarships. The organization also created another program called Room for One More. In 2016, storms hit and a lot of families were flooded out of their homes and were displaced. The program seeks to provide clothing, help with getting families appropriate housing, and during the holiday season, the program makes sure families have gifts. We try to give them stem games so they can stimulate their mind, Brown said. Over 50 students since its inception have been awarded scholarships and the organization is working to reach children and change the trajectory of their lives. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Latest, but not greatest, FBI crime numbers show murders up in 2021, but overall violent and property crime down | Main | Texas executes John Henry Ramirez, months after SCOTUS win on RLUIPA execution claims October 5, 2022 Oklahoma criminal justice reform include expanding parole eligibility to reach nearly 15% more of its prison population The Sooner State might have some current prisoners securing release from incarceration a bit sooner after today's signing of a notable state criminal justice reform bill. This local piece, headlined "Gov. Kevin Stitt signs bill aimed at tackling criminal justice reform," provides some of the details: Gov. Kevin Stitt on Wednesday signed a criminal justice reform bill to help inmates qualify for parole. "I firmly believe we should be locking up people that were afraid of, not that were mad at," Stitt said. "And thats something that were pushing in our state." House Bill 4369 gives those convicted of non-violent crimes more opportunities for parole. "What it does is it reduces the time on parole, but it also saves taxpayer dollars," state Rep. Brian Hill said. Lawmakers introduced the Sarah Stitt Act along with House Bill 4369. A key part of the bill is making sure people can re-enter society successfully. "Like obtaining an ID, Social Security card, even a resume," Stitt said. "Isnt that what we want? We want them back reunited with their children and involved in society, paying taxes and contributing." The bill also helps connect people to jobs. "Through this initiative, youll now be able to work with the DOC to do the interview before someone comes out of incarceration so on day one youre coming out with a job," Hill said.... About 3,600 inmates will be eligible once the law goes into effect, according to lawmakers. This tracker indicates that there were just over 21,000 persons in Oklahoma prisons as of June. So, if the new law makes 3600 eligible for earlier parole, perhaps as much as 15% of the Oklahoma prison population should benefit from these reforms. And many more should benefit from other aspects of these seemingly "smart-on-crime" measure. (I hope folks who know more about Oklahoma law will let me know if I have any of these details wrong.) October 5, 2022 at 04:41 PM | Permalink Comments I'm glad Oklahoma's government is taking the initiative to reduce incarceration. What's even more impressive is the decline in juvenile arrests and incarceration in Oklahoma since 1990. Racial disparities unfortunately still exist. However, the disparity has narrowed and the state legislature could and should abolish juvenile incarceration in Oklahoma. Posted by: anon | Oct 6, 2022 1:53:17 AM Post a comment The first-ever two-day hybrid event on 26-27 October 2022 aims to help sellers grow their brand on a global scale with the theme Small Businesses, Big Ambitions SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 5 October 2022 (NASDAQ:AMZN) The Amazon Southeast Asia Seller Summit 2022 returns for its fourth edition on 26-27 October 2022, with the theme 'Small Businesses, Big Ambitions' and a bigger focus to support sellers in Singapore to expand their businesses online, locally and globally. For the first time ever, the Summit will be held in a hybrid format online via an Event App, and in person at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center in Singapore. Sellers can expect to learn about the world-class logistics network and tools Amazon offers businesses to reach shoppers overseas with Amazon Global Selling (Day 1) and within Singapore on Amazon.sg (Day 2). Across both days, the Summit will include educational and advanced sessions on key e-commerce topics such as shipping and fulfillment, e-commerce store optimizations, sourcing, product research strategies, advertising, and brand building. Attendees can also look forward to networking with Amazon leaders including Anand Palit, Head of Global Selling, Southeast Asia, and Jan Lim, Country Leader, Singapore Marketplace as well as successful Amazon sellers such as Naoki Matcha and Pristine and third-party service providers. Teams from Amazon Advertising, Amazon Global Logistics, and Amazon's Seller University will also join the event. Commenting on global e-commerce growth opportunities, Anand Palit, Head of Global Selling, Southeast Asia, Amazon, said: "I have seen big ambitions from businesses in Singapore. To help local sellers realize their potential and take advantage of cross-border e-commerce, we have set the theme for our Summit as 'Small Businesses, Big Ambitions'. In these two days, we will push the boundaries to help local and small businesses discover innovative solutions, and use selling and advertising tools to build their strengths. Seller success is our success, and our mission is clear to prepare and support local sellers so they can sustain their growth even beyond Singapore by selling on Amazon stores worldwide and thriving on an international playing field." Adding on about domestic e-commerce opportunities and selling online in Singapore, Jan Lim, Country Leader Singapore Marketplace, Amazon, said: "In Southeast Asia, Singaporeans form one of the highest proportions of digital consumers today and shopping online has quickly become a habit for many of us. As a growing number of people shop online, local businesses have more avenues to engage them and gain new customers. With Amazon.sg, local brands can access our increasing number of shoppers to build a prominent and sustainable presence in Singapore. I am excited for Day 2 of the Summit where we will cover how our tools and resources can help sellers tap on Amazon.sg to sell online and reach more customers in Singapore and beyond." Showcasing sellers' success The upcoming Summit will feature some of the new Global Selling seller ambassadors such as Naoki Matcha and Pristine, who have been successful on Amazon's international stores and have leveraged Amazon's services and fulfillment tools to scale their businesses globally. "Having sold on Amazon since 2016 and being in a niche product category, we fully appreciate the importance of thinking globally from day 1. With Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), we easily reach and deliver our products to customers in the USA and the UK despite being based here. We consider it a great honor to be invited as a Global Selling seller ambassador and look forward to sharing our experience. We hope to give back to the seller community and help inspire the next wave of globally successful Singapore brands," said Samuel Loo, co-founder, Naoki Matcha, a homegrown business that offers a wide range of specialty matcha blends. "We never thought we could reach customers in the US, Canada and the UK from Singapore, before starting our journey with Amazon. We are glad that we decided to expand beyond Singapore after seeing the large international customer base Amazon has. Today, we have loyal international customers everywhere, and we have been able to delight them from our home base in Singapore because of Amazon's guidance and global network. Being a Global Selling seller ambassador is an affirmation of the progress we've made as a local business, and we would love to share our experience with other sellers at the upcoming Amazon Southeast Asia Seller Summit," said Jeremy Teo, General Manager (North America & Europe), Pristine, a Singaporean home fragrance brand. To address local sellers' needs, the Summit has three core learning pillars: Story continues Be Inspired: With seller sharing and panels; Learn: The latest tips and tools to sell from Amazon leaders; Network: With other sellers, Amazon Seller ambassadors, and e-commerce service providers. While Day 1 of the Summit (26 Oct) will focus on cross-border selling on Amazon.com and internationally, Day 2 (27 Oct) will dive into selling on Amazon.sg and in Singapore. Some key sessions include: Opening address by Kelvin Woon, Regional Director (US Southeast), Enterprise Singapore. Inspirational keynote by Tiffany Lung, retail analyst for Inside Retail Asia, on the 2023 outlook of Asian e-commerce trends and how brands can connect with consumers. Panel discussion with top Amazon.com sellers: Pristine, KeaBabies, and Naoki Matcha on 'Building a Global Brand: Having the right mindset to succeed globally'. For more information and event registration, please visit: https://sell.amazon.com.sg/seller-summit-2022 Appendix New Amazon Global Selling Seller Ambassadors featured at the Amazon Southeast Asia Seller Summit 2022 Naoki Matcha is a homegrown brand that curates and offers specialty matcha from different tea regions of Japan. Offering a selection of various grades of matcha, the brand is on a mission to share knowledge about Japanese matcha and help customers enjoy matcha in different ways. Pristine seeks to inspire rejuvenation with aromatherapy. With various products such as reed diffusers, scented candles and essential oils, Pristine is on a mission to consistently restore its customers back to their pristine condition so that they can take on every day refreshed and with the clearest state of mind. Hashtag: #Amazon The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Amazon Global Selling Amazon Global Selling helps businesses from anywhere in the world to launch a global business, reach Amazon customers around the world and build international brands. Through selling on Amazon online stores, sellers of different types and scale can reach Amazon's millions of Amazon customers worldwide, including 200 million+ Prime customers in overseas Amazon online stores; and more than five millions of business and institutional buyers in the USA, Europe, and Japan. For more information about selling on Amazon, please visit http://sell.amazon.sg Nursing students during a demonstration inside an operating room at the Asian Breast Center in Makati City, in Manila. By Kanoko Matsuyama and Andreo Calonzo The toll of nearly three years of COVID-19 includes millions of nurses broken by punishing hours and low pay, many of whom quit the profession and left hospitals dangerously short of critical staff. Now with pandemic-related travel restrictions easing, countries from Germany to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore are stepping up efforts to lure foreign nurses and other medical professionals with promises of expedited visas and better pay. Second-year nursing student Elaine Nicole Torres, from the Philippines, wants to help fill that gap forecast by the International Council of Nurses to widen to 13 million in the coming years. Shell graduate at an opportune time, with the global health care staffing sector expected to grow 6.9% a year to $63 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. Youve got this mismatch between the supply of nurses and demand for health care, said Howard Catton, chief executive officer at the Geneva-based ICN. It has become much more competitive. Health professionals have been migrating for decades. The US and UK have the largest number of foreign-trained nurses among OECD countries, but they are more heavily concentrated in other nations. Before the pandemic hit, roughly one-in-four nurses in New Zealand and Switzerland had studied abroad, the highest ratio among the OECDs 38 member states. No nation is better prepared to help the world staff up its hospitals and clinics than the Philippines, the single biggest exporter of nurses. Germanys government said it wants to recruit 600 Filipino nurses for hospitals and elderly care centers, offering qualified applicants free travel expenses, language training, a bonus for passing exams on the first try and help finding accommodation, its embassy in Manila posted on Facebook Sept. 5. Singapore and the Philippines also opened talks last month on hiring more Filipino nurses and other health care workers. Senior nursing students attend a training lecture at Phinma Corp.'s St Jude College in Manila on Sept. 16. The Philippines isnt the only option, though. The UAE signed an accord with India in February, which include expedited approval for skilled workers, including nurses. In April, the UAE said it would offer golden visas which allow workers to live in the Gulf nation for 10 years without a sponsor to frontline heroes in the pandemic fight and others with critical skills. Story continues That followed separate deals by the UK with Kenya, Malaysia and Nepal over the past year to hire unemployed health workers, with the potential to have some travel and training costs covered. The World Health Organization has warned of the potential risks from increased recruiting, particularly to developing nations. Historically, there have also been concerns about the human rights and working conditions of employees recruited overseas. At its annual assembly in May, the WHO asked countries and institutions to ensure they are using ethical recruiting standards so they dont drain nations of critical personnel. Without such efforts, market-led and/or pandemic-driven economic demand for international health personnel may have direct or inadvertent consequences on access to health in other countries, according to the WHO. Indeed, the Philippines faces a shortfall of nursing staff, and theres longstanding political debate over whether so many local nurses should be allowed to leave. Maria Rosario Vergerie, officer-in-charge of the Philippines Health Department, said that the countrys hospitals and clinics have a shortage of about 106,000 nurses, according to the Manila Bulletin. Vergerie wants to retain a cap on the number of health care workers allowed to go abroad at 7,500 a year. But new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he plans to ease that limit. Filipino nurses who migrate typically earn far more than those who stay back to work in the domestic market and, with about 9% of gross domestic product coming from remittances, higher earning health care workers overseas can provide a local economic boost. Elaine Nicole Torres Most of the new nursing students, like Torres, have set their sights on foreign shores, with the overseas bidding war for staff seen as a major factor boosting nursing school enrollment. Phinma Corp., which operates several schools in the Philippines, says the number of freshmen for its four-year nursing program has jumped nearly 400% since 2019 to about 6,000 students, exceeding its projected target for 2025. Another school, Our Lady of Fatima University, also says nursing enrollment is up. Torres says her degree will open up opportunities for a higher quality of life, adding that she wants to work in a country with better health care systems, hospital equipment and pay. It will be very difficult to stay behind in the Philippines after graduation, said the 19-year-old, who juggles a six-hour round-trip to attend in-person courses at a university in Manila with online coursework at home. Some experts are warning countries against trying to fix their health care staffing shortages with immigration policies alone. Theres a large population of nurses in the Philippines, but they will not be able to supply nurses for the rest of the world, said Gaetan Lafortune, a senior economist at the Paris-based OECD. Governments must also spend more to increase wages and educate and train new nurses domestically, he said. Senior nursing students attend a letcure at Phinma Corp.'s St Jude College. Australia is one nation pursuing both options. Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses government is increasing its skilled migrant cap by 35,000 to 195,000. Domestically, the Victoria state government wants to boost the domestic supply of medical professionals, announcing a A$270 million ($175 million) package to support the recruitment and training of 17,000 nurses and midwives to the health system starting in 2023. With so much demand, Torres and her classmates expect to have far more options in terms of countries they can work in after graduation, according to Christopher Tan, the head of nursing school operator Phinmas education unit. Previously students were more focused on working in the US and Canada, but their horizons are broader now, Tan said in an interview. Our market has a very astute sense of the demand for work, he added, referring to the students. Theyre usually two, three steps ahead of us. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2022 Bloomberg L.P. A total of 20 pieces of rhinoceros horns, weighing 34kg in total, were found in two pieces of transit baggage bound for Laos. (PHOTOS: NParks) SINGAPORE Singapore authorities have seized $1.2 million worth of rhinoceros horns that were smuggled through Changi Airport, in the largest ever seizure of its kind in the city-state. In a press release on Wednesday (5 October), the National Parks Board (NParks) said 20 pieces of rhinoceros horns weighing 34kg, which were found in two pieces of transit baggage bound for Laos, were seized on Tuesday by airport security and the NParks K9 Unit. The owner of the bags, who was travelling from South Africa to Laos through Singapore, was arrested, NParks added. Rhinoceros are protected and trading of their horns are prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which Singapore is a signatory. "Genetic testing is being carried out at NParks Centre for Wildlife Forensics to identify the rhinoceros species. The horns will subsequently be destroyed to prevent them from re-entering the market, disrupting the global supply chain of illegally traded rhinoceros horns," NParks said. Under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act, an offender who is convicted of possessing CITES-scheduled species in transit in Singapore without a valid CITES permit faces a maximum fine of $50,000 per scheduled species not exceeding a total of $500,000 or a jail term of up to two years, or both. The same penalties apply to the possession or transshipment of CITES-scheduled species, including their parts and derivatives. "Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance stance on the illegal trade of endangered wildlife species, and their parts and derivatives," said NParks. Local agencies collaborate closely with international partners to enforce against illegal wildlife trade, it added. "The community can play a key role as well by ensuring their purchases do not contain animal parts of endangered species, and not contributing to the demand for the illegal trade of wildlife." Story continues Members of the public can contact NParks at cites@nparks.gov.sg if they spot any incidents of illegal wildlife trade. Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube. The Democratic challenger to U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise in a Louisiana congressional race has released a campaign ad on social media that includes video of her giving birth. Katie Darlings ad shows her traveling in September from her family farm in St. Tammany parish to the hospital, where she grips the side of a bed while in labor. In a voiceover, Darling highlights her concerns about climate change, Louisiana underperforming in education and the states abortion ban. While Darlings ad garnered more than 1 million views and nearly 6,000 retweets as of Tuesday afternoon, she faces an uphill battle for a seat Republicans have held since 1977. ATLANTA (AP) Former President Donald Trump and his allies have whipped up a relentless campaign of attacks against voting equipment since his loss in the 2020 election. After nearly two years, no evidence has emerged that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election or that there was any widespread fraud. Conspiracy theories spread online and in forums across the country nevertheless have undermined public confidence in voting machines and election results, while leading some counties to consider ditching the equipment in favor of hand-marked and hand-counted ballots. Elections have been held across the country this year during a busy primary season. While programming errors sometimes occur and equipment can malfunction, no major problems have been reported. Voting equipment is tested before and after to identify any problems, while audits done after the election confirm it worked correctly. The Associated Press explains how we got to this point, the efforts to increase security of the vote and the fallout from the false claims surrounding the 2020 presidential election. VOTING TECHNOLOGY IN USE IN THE U.S. The types of voting equipment used throughout the U.S. varies by location. For in-person voting, most people fill out ballots by hand, and those ballots are inserted into an electronic tabulator. In many cases, this happens at the polling location. Elsewhere, the ballots are collected in a secured box, with rules governing the chain of custody, and taken to an election office for electronic tabulation. In some places, a specialized computer is used by voters to mark their ballots electronically. Those ballots are printed, reviewed by the voter for accuracy and then inserted into a tabulator at their polling location. A lawsuit in Georgia is challenging the use of these "ballot-marking" machines because they use bar codes to record votes. Mailed ballots also are counted by tabulators at a local election office. A small number of jurisdictions, mostly small towns in New England, don't use tabulators and count their ballots by hand. HOW HAS THIS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? After the hanging chad chaos of the 2000 election, Congress provided money for voting system upgrades. Many jurisdictions opted for electronic voting machines to replace their punch-card ballot systems. But those machines did not produce a paper record; instead, all votes were cast and recorded electronically. For years, election security experts raised concerns about these direct-recording machines and the potential for someone to tamper with them. A more secure method, they say, is a system that uses paper ballots and electronic tabulation with post-election reviews and tests to ensure the machines faithfully recorded voters' choices. Over the last decade, state and local governments began replacing their paperless machines, a process that accelerated after the 2016 election and revelations that Russia had scanned U.S. voting systems looking for vulnerabilities. Today, paperless machines are used only in Louisiana and a small number of jurisdictions in Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Tennessee and Texas, according to Verified Voting, a group that tracks voting technology in the U.S. CLAIMS MADE AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION In the weeks after the 2020 election, Trump and his allies made numerous unsupported claims about voting machines, including that their software was created in foreign countries and designed to flip votes for desired candidates: With the turn of a dial or the change of a chip, you can press a button for Trump and it goes to Biden, Trump said in a Dec. 2 speech. These claims have largely centered on Dominion Voting Systems, one of a handful of companies that dominate the U.S. voting technology market. In response, Dominion has filed defamation lawsuits against conservative media companies and Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, saying lies and misinformation have severely damaged our company and diminished the credibility of U.S. elections. But rather than dissipate, conspiracies surrounding voting machines have only grown. Trump allies have been traveling the country to speak at conferences and with community groups, armed with algorithms and charts purporting to show machines have somehow been rigged. Election technology expert Kevin Skoglund said part of the challenge is that voting systems are complex. Its understandable that some people would be persuaded that something nefarious happened when it did not. If you are a person who is not technical, if someone is telling you the machines are cheating you, you might believe it because you dont understand how the systems work, Skoglund said. ARE VOTING SYSTEMS SECURE? Any device run by software -- a cell phone, a laptop or voting system -- is vulnerable to hacking. Thats why election experts have been pressing for the replacement of paperless voting machines. Experts say the U.S. has taken steps to improve election security in recent years. That includes designating U.S. voting systems in 2017 as critical infrastructure -- on par with the nations banks, dams and nuclear power plants. Congress has sent nearly $900 million in election security funding to states, which has been used to replace outdated voting systems, hire cybersecurity staff and beef up cybersecurity defenses. There is no such thing as an invulnerable system, said Larry Norden, an election security expert at the Brennan Center for Justice. That doesnt mean we cant do better. We should always be looking at how we can do better, but you cant eliminate risk. FALSE CLAIMS FUEL DOUBT AND SECURITY CONCERNS The false claims have not only undermined public confidence in elections. They also have led to security breaches at some local election offices in Colorado, Georgia and Michigan. Soon after the 2020 election, Trump allies seized on a programming error in a Michigan county and, through the courts, gained legal access to its voting system. But a copy of the countys election management system was made available at an August 2021 event hosted by a Trump ally, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, according to attendees. Also released at that event was a copy of the system used in Mesa County, Colorado. Details have surfaced recently of another suspected breach in Coffee County, Georgia in January 2021 as Trump allies sought ways to overturn the result of the presidential election. And Michigan authorities are investigating after voting equipment in a handful of counties was made accessible to unauthorized people. Those developments have prompted concerns that rogue election workers sympathetic to conspiracies might use their access to election equipment and the knowledge to launch an attack from within. A poll worker in Michigan was recently charged with inserting a personal thumb drive into an electronic pollbook during the state's primary, while authorities in Colorado are investigating a case in which a voter is suspected of tampering with a voting machine earlier this year. Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security, told reporters Monday that threats to the security of elections have never been more complex citing misinformation, the insider threats and harassment of election workers. THE MOST SECURE ELECTION After the 2020 presidential election, a coalition of federal cybersecurity and election officials along with state election officials and representatives from voting machine companies issued a statement calling it the most secure in American history. The group said there was no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised." This was due largely to paper records being available for an estimated 93% of all ballots cast and a system of post-election checks to test the accuracy of the electronic tabulators. In Georgia, the presidential vote was counted three times -- once entirely by hand -- and each tally affirmed President Joe Bidens win in the state. It doesnt matter what happens in the machine, said Norden, of the Brennan Center. We have a piece of paper that tells us whether votes were recorded accurately. Associated Press technology writer Frank Bajak in Lima, Peru, contributed to this report. Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Another union has approved the deal it made with the major freight railroads last month that helped prevent a strike to secure 24% raises and $5,000 in bonuses for the workers it represents. The American Train Dispatchers Association said Tuesday that 64% of its roughly 1,600 members approved the deal with Union Pacific, BNSF, Kansas City Southern, CSX, Norfolk Southern and other railroads. The union said dispatchers will receive an average payout of $17,500 when the five-year deal becomes final because it is retroactive to 2020. Four smaller railroad unions have now approved their deals with the railroads, but the two biggest unions that represent engineers and conductors won't vote on their tentative agreements until mid-November. All 12 unions that represent some 115,000 workers have to approve these deals to prevent a strike, but much of the attention is focused on the engineers and conductors because they have some of the biggest concerns about schedules and working conditions. Those two unions have said that the strict attendance policies some railroads have put in place after the industry cut nearly one-third of its jobs over the past six years make it difficult to take any time off and keep workers on call 24-7. But even if one of the rail unions does reject their deal now, there won't automatically be a strike because both sides have agreed to allow some time to return to the table if a deal does fail to get approved. Most of the deals the rail unions are voting on closely follow the recommendations that a special board of arbitrators that President Joe Biden appointed made this summer to help resolve the contract dispute that began nearly three years ago. The administration put pressure on both sides to reach agreements before the Sept. 16 strike deadline because of concerns about how a strike might cripple the economy. In addition to what that board recommended, the unions that represent engineers and conductors the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers unions also negotiated to get three unpaid leave days for medical appointments and a promise that workers wont be penalized if they are hospitalized. The railroads also agreed to negotiate further with those unions about improving the scheduling of regular days off for workers. SIOUX CITY The number of tests coming back positive for COVID-19 in Woodbury County has remained in the double digits for the second straight week. The data, which was updated by the Iowa Department of Public Health on Tuesday, shows 80 positive tests, which is up slightly from 76 positive tests reported on Sept. 27, but down from 115 positive tests reported on Sept. 13. The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions COVID Data Tracker rates Woodbury Countys community transmission level as low. That level was calculated on Sept. 29 using data from Sept. 22 to 28. When community transmission is low, the CDC recommends that individuals stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if they have symptoms. Wearing a mask is advised on public transportation and when a person has symptoms, tests positive for the virus, or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19. SIOUX FALLS -- A North Sioux City businessman has pleaded guilty in federal court to filing a false income tax return and not filing other tax returns. James Winckler, 59, entered his pleas Monday in U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls to one count of filing a false income tax return and three counts of willful failure to file returns. Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 27. He faces a sentence of up to three years in prison for filing a false tax return and up to one year in prison for each of the three remaining misdemeanor charges. Winckler, president of Medco Labs, a North Sioux City skincare product manufacturer, since 2015, admitted that he did not report $452,771 used to buy his Dakota Dunes home on his 2012 income tax return. He received the money from Medco Labs from his father, who started the company, and it was intended to be a loan. Winckler did not treat it as a loan by signing a promissory note or mortgage or making consistent interest and principal payments. Instead, he represented on his income tax return that the payment from Medco was for a home mortgage loan rather than taxable income. Each year from 2015-17, Winckler received more than $13,850 in gross income from the sales of skincare products through Medco Labs and did not file income tax returns during those three years, as required, reporting the income. SIOUX CITY -- A Sioux City man who filmed himself engaged in sex acts with a 12-year-old girl was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years in federal prison on child pornography charges. Mario Reyes, 23, pleaded guilty in May in U.S. District Court to two counts of possession of child pornography. Sioux City police arrested Reyes in December 2020, and court documents filed in Woodbury County District Court said he met several times in September and October 2020 with a 12-year-old girl at his home, and they engaged in sexual activity. Reyes was accused of using his phone to record videos of the sex acts and sending videos and photos to other people. Reyes was initially charged in Woodbury County with third-degree sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a minor, lascivious acts with a child, indecent contact with a child and dissemination of obscene materials to a minor. Those charges were dismissed after Reyes was indicted in federal court. SIOUX CITY A Spencer, Iowa, man has been sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine. Armando Silva Reyes, 55, pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced Friday to 235 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Silva Reyes and others sold methamphetamine between January 2020 and February 2021 and on at least two occasions, Silva Reyes sold more than one-fourth of a pound of meth to individuals cooperating with law enforcement. He and others received approximately 3 pounds of meth through the mail on Feb. 3, 2021. SIOUX CITY The construction of a permanent location for Sioux Citys online school is over halfway complete and teachers will begin moving into the new space over winter break. Despite numerous advertisements throughout the city and online, enrollment in the two-year-old VIBE Academy has dropped significantly from the previous year. There are 330 students enrolled in the The Virtual Institute for Brighter Education, as of Sept. 23. That's around a 190-student decrease from the previous year. Because students can enroll at any time, the number of students fluctuates daily. School Board President Dan Greenwell said the low enrollment is below earlier estimates. "With the current low enrollment, we will continue to evaluate how to best deliver online instruction in the future," Greenwell said. The academy employs 19 teachers, two school counselors, one office manager and one principal. Students can experience all classes in the district, including art, music and physical education. Due to the lower enrollment, a few teachers had to be moved to different areas in the district. In March, the district reported there were 28 teachers and full-time counselors for VIBE. The academy was approved by the Department of Education in February 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the last year, the district has been renting space on the fourth floor of the Ho-Chunk Centre on Fourth Street. The district then decided to remodel space for the teachers on the second floor of the Educational Service Center building downtown. The new space, which is right next to the Career Academy, was originally used as storage. Most of the changes needed were cosmetic. VIBE Principal Dave Vickery said the staff is excited to move into the permanent space. The space is an open concept with a few separate rooms. Most of the teachers will be in cubicles in the main area, with specialty teachers like music, science, counseling and principal in smaller separate rooms. Tim Paul, the districts director of operations and maintenance, said the VIBE teachers are used to the collaborative, open space set-up. Greenwell said because the space is designed for flexible use, it can be used for multiple purposes if VIBE doesn't need all the space. One of the largest changes made to the VIBE Academy space was the installation of windows. It originally only had three windows and so the district wanted to open up the space and have more lighting. Our goal was to make it not look like a call center, Paul said. The space is expected to be complete in November. To prevent disruption from learning and teaching, the staff will move during winter break. "The space is coming together nicely," Vickery said. Interim Superintendent Rod Earleywine said there are currently a few fire alarm components the district is waiting for that could push back the timeline. If those components arrive when they are expected, the teachers will still move in over winter break. From the start, the construction project has been fraught with uncertainty and delays. In November 2021, in one of its final decisions prior to seating two newly elected members, the school board voted 4-3 to approve the remodeling project. Two of the four who voted yes, Jeremy Saint and Ron Coling, have since been replaced by Bob Michaelson and Jan George. Greenwell and Taylor Goodvin both voted no. In January, the board rejected the original bids due to higher than anticipated costs. W.A. Klinger submitted the low bid of $1.93 million at that time. The district then rebid the project. Paul said various items were removed from the project to slash the cost, including removing a section of administrative space, a training room, modifying light fixtures and changing the layout of the space to reduce square footage. In April, by a 5-2 vote, the school board approved the low bid of $1.3 million from L&L Builders Co. Greenwell and Goodvin were again the lone no votes. Counting architecture and engineering fees, the cost totals about $1.45 million. Elementary and secondary school emergency relief (ESSER) III funding is being used for the project. The federal COVID relief dollars are also being used to rent the current Ho-Chunk space but that authority runs out after 2024. To continue leasing for 10 years at the current rate would have cost the district $1.49 million. The ESSER funding is also being used to pay salaries and benefits for the virtual school's principal, registrar and teachers. There is an $8.19 million budgeted total in both ESSER II and ESSER III for the staffing of VIBE Academy project. Some of that $8.19 million is spending authority savings, meaning it is funding the district would still have those expenditures without the VIBE Academy. Greenwell said the district and board will need to review funding options in the future when the ESSER funding has been depleted. Kindergarten through high school students can enroll in the virtual school, regardless of where they live in Iowa. Vickery said there are kids finding success in the virtual learning model where they didn't in traditional learning environments. The virtual school isn't intended solely for parents and students worried about the COVID-19 pandemic. There are 100 different reasons why a student may choose this model, Vickery said. Some of the students may have social anxiety or behavioral issues, some may be pregnant or dealing with different home circumstances, and others may have health problems or be bedridden, he said. Sioux City students can choose to move to the virtual academy at any time throughout the year. Earleywine said the district constantly looks at the sustainability and viability associated with every program offered. Greenwell said there needs to be a review of recent VIBE student achievement results, compared to in-person learning achievement results. "Numerous national studies have shown substantial learning loss gaps in online classes compared to in-person classes," he said. SIOUX CITY Sioux City police are seeking the public's help locating a missing Sioux City woman. Brenda Payer, 36, was last in contact with her family on Sept. 29, when she parked her van at McDonald's in the 700 block of Hamilton Boulevard. Her family and friends have been unable to contact her since then. Payer is Native American with black hair and brown eyes. She is 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. Police do not suspect foul play is involved but said Payer may be having a mental health crisis. Anyone who has any information on Payer's whereabouts can call the police department at (712) 279-6960. DAKOTA DUNES Metro Sioux City is losing about 500 white-collar jobs as a result of Tyson Foods plan to close its offices in Dakota Dunes. Tysons fresh meats division is now based in a sprawling office complex that anchors the Two Rivers Business Park in Dakota Dunes, an upscale planned community in Southeast South Dakota. Tyson announced Wednesday that about 1,000 corporate staff in the Dunes and Chicago area will move to the meat companys world headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. All of the approximately 500 employees in Dakota Dunes will be eligible for assistance to relocate to Northwest Arkansas, company spokesman Derek Burleson said. Those who chose to stay will be eligible for severance, with packages determined on an individual basis, he said. The relocations, scheduled to be completed in phases, will begin in early 2023. Wednesdays announcement surprised many community leaders, who immediately offered their support to the Tyson employees, who now must decide whether to move or stay in Siouxland. First and foremost, our thoughts are with every single person who is adversely affected by todays announcement. Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan said in a statement. We were surprised and saddened by todays news and want to reassure our community that the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce will do everything in our power to mitigate the negative impact on our tri-state region, while working tirelessly to assist those who have been affected and want to find employment locally so that they and their families may remain in Siouxland. The sprawling Tyson complex in Dakota Dunes was built in 1997 as the world headquarters for IBP Inc., which moved from Dakota City to Dakota Dunes. Just four years later, IBP was acquired by Tyson in October 2001 for $3.2 billion in cash and stock, creating the worlds largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork. Tyson will continue to operate its flagship Dakota City beef plant, which employs about 4,500 people, and its cold storage facility in Sioux City. The publicly-traded company is by far the metro areas largest employer. Tyson said no layoffs are expected as a result of consolidating its corporate offices. The company said the move will foster closer collaboration, enhance team member agility and enable faster decision making, positioning Tyson to win with its team members, customers, and consumers. Bringing our talented corporate team members and businesses together under one roof unlocks greater opportunities to share perspectives and ideas, while also enabling us to act quickly to solve problems and provide the innovative product solutions that our customers deserve and value, Tyson President and CEO Donnie King said in a statement. Tyson also announced Wednesday it will expand and remodel its corporate offices in Springdale to help prepare for the arrival of the relocated workers. Metro Sioux City has seen a number of corporate departures in recent decades. In 1998, Gateway, a Fortune 500 computer maker, moved its headquarters from North Sioux City to the San Diego area. In the aftermath of the Tyson deal in 2001, hundreds of former IBP executives relocated to Springdale. After Gateway left, a large number of executives who moved to California sold their homes in Dakota Dunes, trigging a housing market downturn that lasted about 18 months, recalled Jeff Dooley, manager of the Dakota Dunes Community Improvement District. The simultaneous departure of hundreds of Tyson employees could have a similar impact on the metro area housing market, which already faces rising mortgage interest rates after years of robust sales driven by historically-low rates and a short supply of homes listed. Dooley noted unemployment in the metro area is lower and the local economy is more diversified today than it was at the time of the Gateway and IBP corporate relocations. Siouxland has a lot of companies that could use their services, he said of the Tyson employees who want to stay in the region. Tyson did not immediately respond to a Journal reporters question Wednesday about what will happen to the corporate complex in Dakota Dunes. At the time IBP opened it, thousands of employees were based there. But as more and more jobs were transferred to Arkansas, Tyson began leasing space to other employers. The tenants included the direct sales division of Vizio, a leading maker of televisions and other electronics. Postings in chatrooms by members of a paramilitary group connected to a 2020 anti-government plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer included instructions on how to make explosives, an FBI agent testified Wednesday. Screenshots of excerpts from the 1971 counterculture book "The Anarchist Cookbook, which contains instructions for making bombs and illicit drugs, among other things, were taken from the cellphone of a man who approached authorities with information about the Wolverine Watchmen militia, Special Agent Henrik Impola told a Jackson County Circuit Court jury. Its an old book describing guerrilla warfare, said Impola. So, its used as a manual on how to train, how to build bombs, how to create booby traps. Basically, how to maim or harm people. Impolas testimony came during the first day of the trial for Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar. The three were members of the Wolverine Watchmen, a group that trained in Jackson County, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Detroit. They are not charged with directly participating in the kidnapping scheme involving Whitmer. Instead, they are accused of assisting others who did. Each man is charged with three crimes, including providing material support for a terrorist act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Prosecutors also told jurors about the formation and actions of the Wolverine Watchmen, alleging that the group trained as part of the kidnapping plot. Assistant Attorney General Bill Rollstin described the group as a gang and said in his opening statements that its purpose was to target law enforcement for violent action. Everybody in the Wolverine Watchmen shared a very common ideology in that they hated our government, they wanted to kill law enforcement police officers, and that the gang gave them motive, means and opportunity to train Adam Fox knowing he was going to commit an act of terrorism," Rollstin said. A jury convicted Fox and Barry Croft in August of two federal counts of conspiracy related to the kidnapping scheme and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. They face up to life in prison when they're sentenced Dec. 28. But attorneys for Musico, Morrison and Bellar said their clients did not provide material or other support to those who plotted to kidnap Whitmer, and that they were only concerned about how the government was operating. This is a collection of guys who sat there and said Im tired. Im frustrated, said Leonard Ballard, Morrisons attorney. Andrew Kirkpatrick, Bellars attorney, said in his opening statement that the terrorists in this case are Adam Fox and Barry Croft. The FBI foiled the plot in October 2020. Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks pleaded guilty to conspiracy in federal court. Two other men were acquitted. The investigation began when Army veteran Dan Chappel joined the group and became alarmed when he heard talk about killing police. Chappel alerted police in the Flint, Michigan, area, who contacted Impola. Until Chappel came forward, Impola said his office had no knowledge of the existence of the Wolverine Watchmen. Morrison, Musical and Bellar also were not on the agencys radar. Chappel agreed to become an FBI informant and spent the summer of 2020 getting close to members of the group, secretly recording conversations and participating in drills at shoot houses in Wisconsin and Michigan. The FBI turned it into a major domestic terrorism case with two more informants and two undercover agents embedded in the group. Evidence showed that group members had many gripes, particularly over stay-at-home orders and other pandemic restrictions imposed by Whitmer. Impola said Morrison was the group's commanding officer and that Chappel served as its executive officer. Musico and Bellar also were in leadership positions. While recruiting for the Wolverine Watchmen, Morrison would ask prospective recruits if they were willing to be considered a domestic terrorist, Impola testified. If you didnt believe in tearing down the government, they wouldnt allow you to be in the group, he said. The trial was expected to resume Thursday. Find more AP coverage of the kidnapping plot cases: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial. The application for President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan is expected to go live as soon as this week. But the nation is divided over the program, flooding social media platforms with praise or criticism. Additionally, ongoing legal challenges and lawsuits aiming to block the plan are creating a few hurdles for the administration. Putin signs annexation of Ukrainian regions as losses mount KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the final papers to annex four regions of Ukraine while his military struggled to control the new territory. In a defiant move, the Kremlin held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine. Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that certain territories will be reclaimed" and that Russia would continue consulting residents about joining Russia. He did not specify which additional Ukrainian territories Moscow is eyeing. The four annexed regions were added in violation of international laws. Ukrainian law enforcement officials, meanwhile, reported discovering more evidence of torture and killings in areas retaken from Russian forces. North Korea launches more missiles as US redeploys carrier SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea has launched two ballistic missiles into its eastern waters after the U.S. redeployed an aircraft carrier in response to the Norths earlier launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said North Koreas continued launches were absolutely intolerable. The launches Tuesday were North Koreas sixth round of weapons tests in less than two weeks, adding to a record number of missile launches this year that has been condemned by the United States and other countries. Thursdays launches came as the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan returned to waters east of South Korea. Biden and DeSantis join together in Ian recovery effort FORT MYERS, Florida (AP) President Joe Biden has surveyed the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida, promising to marshal the power of the federal government to help rebuild. Biden comforted local residents alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 foe. Biden praised DeSantis handling of the storm recovery as both men who have battled over pandemic protocols and migration as the governor mulls a presidential bid put aside politics for a few days. The state is struggling to recover from the wreckage of Hurricane Ian, which tore through southwestern Florida last week and left dozens dead. Twitter under Musk? Most of the plans are a mystery SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A super app called X? A bot-free free speech haven? These are some of Elon Musks mysterious plans for Twitter, now that he may be moving toward buying the company after all. After months of squabbling over the fate of their bombshell $44 billion deal, the billionaire and the bird app are essentially back to square one if a bit worse for wear as trust and goodwill has seemed to erode on both sides. Revised Dreamers program to get another review by court NEW ORLEANS (AP) A federal appeals court has ordered a lower court to review an Obama-era program preventing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children. A Texas-based federal judge last year declared that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was illegal. But he left the program temporarily intact for those already benefiting from it, pending the appeal. Wednesday's appellate ruling in New Orleans upholds the judge's initial finding. But it sends the case back to him for a look at a new version of the rule issued by the Biden administration in late August. Kidnapped California family, including baby, found dead SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The sheriff of Merced County in California says a baby girl and three other family members who were kidnapped at gunpoint have been found dead. Sheriff Vern Warnke announced Wednesday that the bodies were found in a Merced County orchard and told reporters: Our worst fears have been confirmed. The announcement came after authorities released surveillance video of a man kidnapping 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents and uncle from their business Monday in Merced in the San Joaquin Valley southeast of San Francisco. Authorities earlier said the four were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings. The kidnapper made no ransom demands but the sheriff has said he believes it was a financially motivated crime. Barges grounded by low water halt Mississippi River traffic The unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in the mud and sand. That's disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line. The lack of rainfall in recent weeks has left the Mississippi River approaching record low levels in areas from Missouri south through Louisiana. The U.S. Coast Guard says at least eight grounding of barges have been reported in the past week, despite low-water restrictions on barge loads. The National Weather Service says nearly all of the Mississippi River basin, from Minnesota through Louisiana, has seen below-normal rainfall over the past 30 days. Missing snow puts famed New Zealand ski areas on precipice TUROA SKI AREA, New Zealand (AP) New Zealands Turoa ski area closed three weeks early because it has hardly any snow. Rain washed it away all winter, and snowmaking machines proved no match against balmy temperatures. Throughout the season, workers used machines to push what snow there was onto Turoa's trails, but that allowed only limited runs for expert skiers and snowboarders. The disastrous snow season follows two years disrupted by COVID-19, leaving Turoa and its sister ski area Whakapapa on the brink of bankruptcy. Climate change appears to be a significant factor, after New Zealand's warmest winter on record. That's raising questions about the future of skiing and snowboarding in a nation known as an outdoor adventure destination. At 15 least dead as 2 migrant boats sink in Greek waters ATHENS, Greece (AP) At least 15 people have died as two boats carrying migrants sank in Greek waters in separate incidents, and rescuers are looking for dozens still missing. Greece's coast guard says 15 bodies have been recovered near the eastern island of Lesbos after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank Wednesday. It says five people were rescued and three have been located on a rocky outcrop near the site of the sinking. A second night-time rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers to the west, near the island of Kythira, where a sailboat carrying about 100 migrants hit rocks and sank. Fan who caught Aaron Judge's 62nd HR offered $2M for ball The owner of a sports memorabilia auction house says he has offered $2 million to the fan who caught Aaron Judges American League-record 62nd home run. JP Cohen, president of Memory Lane Inc. in Tustin, California, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has texted and emailed Cory Youmans, who caught Judges milestone shot Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Cohen says Youmans has not yet replied. Youmans grabbed the historic souvenir on the fly as it sailed into the front row of section 31 in left field. CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A former government staffer testified Wednesday about being raped by a colleague in the Australian Parliament House and described her fears of not being believed because of the disparity in their workplace statuses. Brittany Higgins became the first witness to testify against Bruce Lehrmann, 27, who has pleaded not guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to a charge of sexual intercourse without consent in a ministers office in March 2019. He faces a potential 12-year prison sentence if convicted. The jury heard evidence from Higgins in person and watched video recordings of her two interviews with police in February and May last year. Higgins said she was a 24-year-old staffer in an administrative role in then-Defense Industry Minister Linda Reynolds office while Lehrmann had a more senior role as a ministerial adviser. The pair had gone back to Parliament House early one Saturday morning after a night of heavy drinking with colleagues. Higgins said she thought Lehrmann wanted to collect documents from Reynolds office, where she fell asleep on a couch and was awoken by Lehrmann raping her. Higgins said she felt trapped, not human as Lehrmann hovered over her, grunting and making noise. She said she started crying and told him to stop but he continued. She told police that when she returned to work Monday, two days after the alleged rape, she feared she would be fired because her and Lehrmann entering the ministers office was flagged as a security breach. I knew what had happened to me was wrong, I knew I hadnt consented, she said. She told police she didnt think anyone would believe her story and figured Lehrmanns words carried more weight than hers because of his more senior role. He was in the office on Monday. He didnt seem ashamed (or) upset, Higgins said. It just didnt feel like something he wanted to address. On Tuesday after the alleged assault, Higgins said she was questioned by one of her superiors on why she had visited the office on the weekend. She told police when she identified the incident as a sexual assault to her former chief of staff, the gears shifted. It became less about me and more political, in a sense, she said. While her rape allegation was recorded, Higgins did not make a victim statement to police until 2021, after she quit her government job. Defense lawyer Steven Whybrow told the jury Higgins allegations had not been tested or proven and Lehrmann denied having sex with her. Higgins said Lehrmann had attempted to kiss her after a staff dinner weeks before the alleged rape. She said she politely rebuffed his advance and the pair never spoke about the moment again. I rebuffed the kiss mostly out of shock because I wasnt anticipating it, she told the court. She said during her career in Parliament other men had made similar passes at her. Higgins was allegedly raped only weeks before then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison set the date for the May 18 election that his conservative coalition won against expectations. Higgins said she was aware of the implications her allegations could have on the then-ruling Liberal Party the whole way through. I was so scared coming forward, she said. She conceded that her fear over damaging the party's election chances if her allegation was leaked to the media made it more difficult to verify her account later. Prosecutor Shane Drumgold flagged more than 50 witnesses who could be called to give evidence during the trial, which is expected to last between four and six weeks. Among the witnesses are Reynolds as well as former government ministers Michaelia Cash and Steven Ciobo. The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Higgins has chosen to identify herself in the media. Morrison's coalition was voted out of office in May after nine years in power. Higgins will continue to testify when the trial resumes Thursday. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) An independent expert appointed to mediate in the bitter dispute between the Dutch government and the nation's farmers over plans to drastically slash emissions of nitrogen and ammonia presented a report Wednesday that included a suggestion that the government buy out hundreds of the heaviest polluters. The report could reignite protests by farmers who say their way of life is under threat and cause tensions in Prime Minister Mark Ruttes four-party ruling coalition over how best to move forward. Two tractors parked in a peaceful protest outside the temporary home of the Dutch parliament as the report was unveiled. Johan Remkes said in his 58-page report that he called a line of thought, not a plan, that it is necessary in the very short term to emit much less nitrogen. If that doesn't happen, the Netherlands will be locked up because it will be legally almost impossible to issue permits. Not for houses, not for farms, not for roads. He added: I write this with a heavy heart, but I see no other way. Remkes suggested the government buy out within a year 500-600 of the heaviest polluters from the agricultural and business world. He said by targeting the biggest farms only 1% of the farming community would be directly affected. I dont expect the agricultural sector will be happy with this report, Remkes wrote, but added that he believed it was important to present an honest story. Bart Kemp, leader of the Agractie farmers' group, said that the report contained positive things but also very worrying points. He said that compulsory buying out of farms was out of the question for his organization. Remkes held a series of meetings over the summer with farmers, government ministers, environmentalists and other sectors in a bid to soothe soaring tensions over the government's plans to halve nitrogen emissions by 2030. The government announcement in June that farmers and regional authorities had a year to draw up plans for the reductions unleashed a wave of protest by irate farmers who blocked roads with their tractors, dumped garbage including in some cases asbestos on highways and torched bales of hay. Around the nation, farmers and their supporters have hung Dutch flags upside down as a sign of their anger. Remkes handed his report to the new Minister for Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Piet Adema, and the minister responsible for nitrogen policy, Christianne van der Wal. She said the government would study the report and give a formal reaction on Oct. 14. Adema said he wanted to visit rural areas to discuss the report's contents with farmers. Rutte tweeted his thanks to Remkes for the report and said the government would study it and I hope that we, together with all parties farmers, nature organizations, businesses and governments can make progress because the urgency remains great. The government says emissions of nitrogen and ammonia produced by livestock, as well as by heavy industry and the transport sector, must be drastically reduced close to nature areas that are part of a network of protected habitats for endangered plants and wildlife stretching across the 27-nation European Union. The government has earmarked billions of euros (dollars) to fund the transition. Farmers say their very livelihoods are under threat and argue that they are being unfairly targeted while other polluters face less far-reaching rules. BRUSSELS (AP) European Union countries agreed Wednesday to impose a price cap on Russian oil and other new sanctions after Moscow illegally annexed four regions in Ukraine amid its monthslong war, EU officials said. Diplomats struck the deal in Brussels that also includes curbs on EU exports of aircraft components to Russia and limits on steel imports from the country, according to an official statement from the Czech rotating EU presidency. The 27-nation bloc will impose a ban on transporting Russian oil by sea to other countries above the price cap, which the Group of Seven wealthy democracies want in place by Dec. 5, when an EU embargo on most Russian oil takes effect. A specific price for the future cap has yet to be defined. A deal on the price cap was not easy to reach because several EU countries were worried it would damage their shipping industries. More details about the sanctions will be published as soon as Thursday. The new package of sanctions was proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week amid heightened security concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putins nuclear threats and his annexation of parts of Ukraine. We have moved quickly and decisively," von der Leyen said as she welcomed the deal. We will never accept Putins sham referenda nor any kind of annexation in Ukraine. We are determined to continue making the Kremlin pay." The new sanctions also include an extended import ban" on goods such as steel products, wood pulp, paper, machinery and appliances, chemicals, plastic and cigarettes, the Czech presidency said. A ban on providing IT, engineering and legal services to Russian entities will also take effect. The package, which will also include new criteria for sanctions circumvention, builds on already-unprecedented European sanctions against Russia as a result of its invasion of Ukraine in February. EU measures to date include restrictions on energy from Russia, bans on financial transactions with Russian entities, including the central bank, and asset freezes against more than 1,000 people and 100 organizations. The 27-nation bloc already agreed to ban Russian oil that comes by sea, not pipeline, but some member countries still require Russian supplies at low prices. Hungary, which has questioned the efficiency of the previous measures and earlier said it could not support further energy sanctions, said it has been granted exemptions from any new steps that would have put its energy security at risk. The EU's planned ban on most Russian oil products could force Russia to lower prices to find new customers. OPEC oil-producing countries are meeting Wednesday to discuss cutting production to boost oil prices, which would help Russia. Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report. NEW YORK (AP) Leading Republicans are entering the final month of the midterm campaign increasingly optimistic that a Senate majority is within reach even as a dramatic family fight in Georgia clouds one of the party's biggest pickup opportunities. And as some Democrats crow on social media about apparent Republican setbacks, party strategists privately concede that their own shortcomings may not be outweighed by the GOPs mounting challenges. The evolving outlook is tied to a blunt reality: Democrats have virtually no margin for error as they confront the weight of history, widespread economic concerns and President Joe Biden's weak standing. There is broad agreement among both parties that the Democrats' summertime momentum across states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin has eroded just five weeks before Election Day. Theres reason to be apprehensive, not reason to be gloomy, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said. It looked like at the end of August we had a little momentum. I dont know if weve regressed any, but were not progressing in many places. That tepid outlook comes even as Republicans confront a series of self-imposed setbacks in the states that matter most in the 2022 midterms, which will decide the balance of power in Congress and statehouses across the nation. None has been more glaring than Herschel Walker's struggles in Georgia, where the Republican Senate candidate's own son accused him of lying about his personal challenges including a report from The Daily Beast alleging that the anti-abortion Walker paid for a girlfriend's abortion in 2009. Walker called the accusation a flat-out lie and said he would sue. Walker had not taken legal action as of late Tuesday, but he repeated his denials Wednesday morning during a Fox News interview, even as he talked generally of a difficult past as a husband and father. Shown an image of the get well card the Daily Beast reported that he sent to the girlfriend which was signed with an H, not his full signature Walker said, he doesn't sign cards with just an initial. The Republican establishment, including the Sen. Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, and former President Donald Trump himself remained staunchly behind Walker on Tuesday in his bid to oust first-term Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. A Walker campaign adviser said the candidate has raised at least $500,000 since he first responded publicly to The Daily Beast report. If youre in a fight, people will come to your aid, said Steven Law, head of the Senate Leadership Fund and a close ally of McConnell, R-Ky. Law said the Georgia race had grown increasingly competitive despite the Democrats' focus on Walker's personal life. And looking beyond Georgia, Law said the political climate was predictably shifting against the party that controls the White House, as is typically the case in midterm elections. It certainly seems that voters are returning to a more traditional midterm frame of mind, Law said. Should Republicans gain even one Senate seat in November, they would take control of Congress' upper chamber and with it, the power to control judicial nominations and policy debates for the last two years of Bidens term. Leaders in both parties believe Republicans are likely to take over the House. Even facing such odds, it's far too soon to predict a Republican-controlled Congress. Democrats remain decidedly on offense and are spending heavily to try to flip Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Voter opposition to the Supreme Court's decision this summer to strip women of their constitutional right to an abortion has energized the Democratic base and led to a surge in female voter registrations. Republicans are most focused on Democratic incumbents in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Nevada, although Republican officials believe that underwhelming Trump-backed nominees in Arizona and New Hampshire have dampened the party's pickup opportunities. The Republican candidates they're running are too extreme, said J.B. Poersch, who leads the pro-Democrat Senate Majority PAC. I think this is still advantage Democrats. Meanwhile, conditions in the top battleground states are rapidly evolving. In Pennsylvania, Republican Senate nominee Mehmet Oz faced difficult new questions this week raised by a Washington Post article about the medical products he endorsed as a daytime television star. Another news report by the news site Jezebel detailing how his research caused hundreds of dogs to be killed rippled across social media. Still, Democratic officials acknowledge the race tightened considerably as the calendar shifted to October. And while there is disagreement within the White House, some officials there are concerned about Democratic nominee John Fetterman's stamina as he recovers from a May stroke. Senate Republicans had a very bad start to October, but we know each of our races will be tight and were going to keep taking nothing for granted, said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who leads the Senate Democrats' campaign arm. The GOP Senate candidates' latest challenges in Georgia and Pennsylvania dominated social media Monday and Tuesday, according to data compiled by GQR, a public opinion research firm that works with Democratic organizations. News stories about Walker's abortion accuser and Oz's animal research had the first- and second-highest reach of any news stories on Facebook and Twitter since they surfaced Monday, topping content related to the television show Sons of Anarchy," another report about Planned Parenthood mobile abortion clinics and news about Kanye West. GQR used the social listening tool NewsWhip, which tracks over 500,000 websites in more than 100 languages roughly in real time. In swing-state Nevada, the rhetoric from Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has become increasingly urgent in recent days as she fends off a fierce challenge from former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Within the White House, there is real fear that she could lose her reelection bid, giving Republicans the only seat they may need to claim the Senate majority. We have a big problem, friend, Cortez Masto wrote in a fundraising appeal Tuesday. Experts say that our race in Nevada could decide Senate control and right now, polling shows me 1 point behind my Trump-endorsed opponent. Democrats and their allies continue to hope that backlash against the Supreme Court's abortion decision will help them overcome historical trends in which the party controlling the White House almost always loses seats in Congress. Democrats, who control Washington, are also facing deep voter pessimism about the direction of the country and Biden's relatively weak approval ratings. The traditional rules of politics have often been broken in the Trump era. In past years, Republicans may have abandoned Walker. But on Tuesday, they linked arms behind him. Law, of the Senate Leadership Fund, said he takes Walker at his word that he did not pay for a former girlfriend's abortion, despite apparent evidence of a Get Well card with Walker's signature and a check receipt. He said voters believe that Walker may have made mistakes in his personal life that affected him and his family, but Warnock has made mistakes in public life in Washington that affected them and their families. There were some signs of Republican concern on the ground in Georgia, however. Martha Zoller, a popular Republican radio host in north Georgia and one-time congressional candidate, told her audience Tuesday that the latest allegations require Walker to reset his campaign with a straightforward admission about his personal demons and what hes done to overcome them. He needs to fall on the sword. I was a dog. ... And I have asked forgiveness for it, she said, detailing the kind of message she believes Walker must give voters. It would be so refreshing to have somebody just tell the truth. Walker attempted his version of that strategy Wednesday on Fox News. It's like they're trying to bring up my past to hurt me, he said, before quoting Christian New Testament text. I'm a sinner. We all sin before the glory of God. Yet Walker insisted his past transgressions don't include encouraging and paying for an abortion. Everyone is anonymous, and everyone is leaking, and they want you to confess to something you have no clue about, he said. Veteran Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin warned his party against writing off the Georgia Republican. I wouldnt say Walker is done. Over the last couple of cycles weve certainly seen Republican candidates survive things that are not supposed to be survivable, Schwerin said. "There are a lot of close races, and the dynamics of this election are difficult to predict. Everybody is expecting multiple shifts in momentum between now and Election Day. Ba Ria-Vung Tau hands over rescued sailors to Myanmar The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau handed over eight rescued Myanmar fishermen to representatives of the Myanmar Embassy in Vietnam on October 5. At the handover ceremony (Photo: VNA) The handover ceremony was jointly held by the provincial Border Guard Command, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Public Security. A representative from the Myanmar embassy thanked local authorities and border guards for their whole-hearted support and care for the sailors. The eight men were spotted on August 26 by a Panamanian vessel, TRUMP SW, which had 22 crew members, including seven Vietnamese nationals, and was sailing from China to Indonesia. On August 29, the ship docked at a port in Vung Tau and handed over the survivors to local border guard force./ KUWAIT CITY, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Kuwait Environment Public Authority is preparing an environmental project to address climate changes in the country and experts here have called for more cooperation with China, a pioneer country in their view, in combating climate-related issues. As the world is witnessing severe droughts, storms, heat waves and other disasters triggered by an increasingly abnormal weather, the project aims to introduce new laws and regulations to address climate issues and reduce the risks of aftermaths in the country. Speaking to Xinhua, Jenan Bahzad, a member of the Board of Directors of the Kuwait Environment Protection Society, a non-profit organization, praised China's contribution to addressing global climate change, especially its pledge on reducing emissions and carbon neutrality. It will not be an easy solution without taking drastic measures and conducting global cooperation in the shortest time frame to help developing countries move towards a low-carbon economy, Bahzad said. She noted that climate change is obvious in the Gulf region, where the declining rainfall requires an insight to protect the environment and avoid natural disasters. "It is a global challenge that does not stop at national borders, and it is an issue that requires solutions that need coordination on the international level," she added, extending hope to work together with China in this regard. Bahzad called on governmental and private entities to implement environmental protection laws, as well as follow-up regulations, especially those that limit effects directly and indirectly resulting from climate change. Shabib Al-Ajmi, an advisor to the Kuwaiti minister of municipality, expressed support for China's stance on climate change, that is, countries around the world need to stick to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities when tackling the issue. He spoke highly of China's efforts in this field, noting that "ecological protection has already become a consensus among common families and society in China." Hassan Dashti, a meteorology observer at the Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation, said his country's goal is to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by adopting a circular carbon economy. "If we apply it, we could avoid the pessimistic scene where temperatures will rise by 4 degrees Celsius within 100 years," Dashti said. Countries' keenness in reaching net-zero carbon emissions is important, and China has pledged great efforts, the observer noted, adding that Beijing's commitment plays a significant role in encouraging others and contributing to achieving the global goal of controlling the rising temperatures on the planet. JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) Acting state Revenue Commissioner Deven Mitchell has been chosen as the new chief executive officer of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. The announcement was made Monday by the fund's board. The corporation said in a statement that the selection is contingent on the successful negotiation of a salary and benefits package and that a start date has not yet been set. Mitchell has called Alaska's nest-egg oil wealth fund the state's trump card as a renewable source of revenue, the Anchorage Daily News reported. His message to the board was that he would not chase short-term cash yields, as the fund has been invested for long-term growth. He also said he doesnt see the CEOs role as second-guessing investment decisions made by the corporations chief investment officer or as overriding his decisions. Earnings from the fund traditionally have been used to pay annual dividends to residents. Since 2018, earnings also have been used to help pay for state government. Mitchell last month stepped down as the state's debt manager and executive director of the Alaska Municipal Bond Bank Authority when Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed him to be the acting Department of Revenue commissioner. Mitchell is poised to replace Angela Rodell, who was fired by the board last year. An Anchorage law firm hired by a legislative committee to investigate the firing released its final report last week, finding that the board used a deficient performance evaluation process, but that a loss of confidence was reason enough to fire her and that there was no credible evidence that Dunleavy was involved. A recruitment company whittled the list of applications for the CEO position to 10 finalists. The boards hiring committee picked its five finalists last month and conducted interviews to choose its top three candidates to go before the full board Monday for public interviews and the final selection process. The other finalists were Melanie Hardin, who currently lives in California and is an executive at Verizon Communications, and Morgan Neff, chief investment officer of the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. Five board trustees were part of the final vote. Mitchell, who was the newly appointed sixth trustee because of his position as acting revenue commissioner, recused himself. After a three-hour closed door meeting, the selection of Mitchell as CEO was unanimous. Acting CEO Valerie Mertz said she will return to work as the corporations chief financial officer once the new CEO starts. DENVER (AP) Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced an expansion Wednesday of a National Park Service historical site dedicated to t he massacre by U.S. troops of more than 200 Native Americans in what is now southeastern Colorado. Haaland, the first Native American to lead a U.S. Cabinet agency, made the announcement during a solemn ceremony at the Sand Creek Massacre National Historical Site about 170 miles (272 kilometers) southeast of Denver to honor the dead, survivors and their descendants. The move marks the latest step taken by Haaland to act on issues important to Native Americans in her role as Interior Secretary. Haaland's Tribal Homelands Initiative supports fundraising to buy land and requires federal managers to seek out Indigenous knowledge about resources. Haalands selection to lead the federal agency that has wielded influence over the nations tribes for nearly two centuries was hailed as historic by Democrats and tribal groups who said it meant that Indigenous people who lived in North America before the United States was created would for the first time see a Native American lead the powerful department where decisions on relations with the nearly 600 federally recognized tribes are made. Earlier this year, the agency released a first-of-its-kind report about Native American boarding schools that the U.S. government supported to strip Indigenous people of their cultures and identities. She has also formally declared squaw a derogatory term and taken steps to remove it from federal government use and to replace other derogatory place names. Expansion of the Sand Creek Massacre site will provide more opportunities for visitors to learn about the 1864 massacre of Cheyenne and Arapaho, most of them women and children, Haaland said Wednesday. She declared that it is her department's "solemn responsibility to tell the story of our nation. "The events that took place here forever changed the course of the Northern Cheyenne, Northern Arapaho, and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, she said. We will never forget the hundreds of lives that were brutally taken here men, women and children murdered in an unprovoked attack. Stories like the Sand Creek Massacre are not easy to tell but it is my duty our duty to ensure that they are told. This story is part of Americas story. The historic site near Eads, Colorado, preserves the haunting landscape of the Nov. 29, 1864, attack by a volunteer U.S. Cavalry regiment. Troops swept into a sleeping encampment of 750 Native Americans along Sand Creek, killing more than 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho, most of them women, children and the elderly. The expedition ostensibly was to retaliate for Native American raids on white settlers. Soldiers carried body parts back to Denver in celebration. But some commanders refused to attack, saying Native American leaders who believed they had made peace with the U.S. commander of nearby Fort Lyon tried to wave white flags. Congress condemned leader Col. John M. Chivington for an unprovoked massacre. Max Bear, the tribal historic preservation officer for the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, welcomed Haalands homage as sustaining the storytelling mission he and countless others have dedicated their lives to. We dont want our children and grandchildren to fight an uphill battle to know what happened to our folks, said Bear, a descendant of Cheyenne Chief Black Whiteman, who sought food and shelter for the widowed and the orphaned after the attack. Whiteman also signed the Treaty of Medicine Lodge in 1867, intended to end retaliatory Indian raids by forcibly settling Cheyenne, Arapaho and other tribes to reservations on Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma, Bear said. We werent at war. ... You cant call Sand Creek a battle, Bear said. In this time of book banning, I think its more important than ever that our history be told correctly. Sand Creek was established as a National Park Service historic site in 2007. The service has collaborated with the Northern Cheyenne of Montana, the Northern Arapaho of Wyoming and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. The new expansion also will preserve what Haaland called one of the largest intact shortgrass prairie ecosystems within the National Park system. In recent years, Colorado officials have attempted redress. State and U.S. officials are preparing to rename Mount Evans, a prominent Rocky Mountains peak named after Territorial Governor John Evans, who resigned after the Sand Creek massacre. Last year, Gov. Jared Polis rescinded an 1864 proclamation by Evans that called for citizens to kill Native Americans and take their property. In 2014, Gov. John Hickenlooper apologized on the states behalf to tribal members on the 150th anniversary of the massacre. Tribal representatives, National Parks Service Director Chuck Sams and Colorado officials, including Hickenklooper, now a U.S. senator, attended Wednesday's ceremony. Incorporating land from a private seller, the expansion was financed by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, established by Congress in 1964, and Great Outdoors Colorado, which invests state lottery proceeds to wildland preservation. The lands include significant archaeological remains and are considered sacred by the tribes. The former director of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska's domestic violence department has been federally charged with embezzling money meant for victims. At a hearing this month in U.S. District Court in Lincoln, Andrea Rodriguez pleaded guilty to embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization. In a written plea agreement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessie Smith said from July 2019 until the end of October 2020, Rodriguez worked in the role, responsible for grant money that the tribe received as part of the Victims of Crime Act. "These monies were intended to be used to support Ponca tribal members who were dealing with domestic-violence related issues," Smith said. Instead, Rodriguez created false reimbursement requests for medical bills, grocery bills and home furnishing expenses purporting to be victims. She ultimately used the money to pay her own personal bills. In total, Smith said, Rodriguez received $19,431 in tribal funds as a result of the scheme, which she has agreed to pay back in restitution. At her sentencing in December, Rodriguez will face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Brenna Bird, the Republican candidate for Iowa attorney general, accused current Attorney General Tom Miller of allowing a sex offender to go free because of a gender transition in a new ad. The ad then says the individual reoffended with child pornography after being released. The ad references two articles in the Storm Lake Times that deal with the case of Josie Smith. Liberal Tom Miller - after 40 years in office, hes making Iowa less safe, the ad says at the end. The Iowa Attorney General has the responsibility to keep Iowans safe and fully prosecute threats to our neighborhoods, Bird said in a press release. Tom Miller refused to do that and used a sex change as the basis to allow a convicted child molester to go free. Enough is enough. Its time for a new Attorney General. In an interview, Miller said the ad is false and misleading on a number of scores. Shes been a candidate for nine months and has gone from issue to issue, and has not gotten any attraction to her campaign in terms of why she should be attorney general and why I shouldnt be, so shes desperate at this point, he said. The background The claims in the ad center around Smith, who was convicted of lascivious acts with a minor in 2014 and put on probation, but in 2015 was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison after violating the probation. Smith had also been previously convicted of sex offenses as a juvenile. According to the Storm Lake Times, Smith began treatment for gender reassignment and started using female pronouns in 2017. In June 2018, the Iowa Attorney Generals office sought to commit Smith to a secure unit for sexual predators ahead of her scheduled release of July 2018. A psychiatrists assessment found Smith was more likely than not to engage in predatory sexually violent offenses if not confined in a secure facility. The decision had been made based on assessments before Smith began transitioning. But in January 2020, the states lawyers filed to dismiss that request because of new information from the states expert. Miller and his chief of staff Lynn Hicks said the hormone therapy Smith was receiving, which lowered her testosterone, was part of the experts updated evaluation. The expert who evaluated Smith and originally said Smith had a high probability of offending later learned of the hormone therapy and changed the evaluation, Hicks said in an email. We could not go to a judge without the experts recommendation. Miller said the decision to not move forward with the recommendation was made by a prosecutor's review committee, which he said unanimously agreed there was not enough evidence to pursue commitment. The prosecutor's review committee is a group appointed by the attorney general which, according to state law, "shall assist the attorney general in the determination of whether or not the person meets the definition of a sexually violent predator." If the committee determines a person is a sexually violent predator, the attorney general can file a petition to support that claim, and the court then determines whether the person should be committed to a secure facility. Smith was released from prison and subject to monitoring of her location and devices. She was also required to complete sex offender treatment. In 2022, while residing in Sloan, Smith was found with an unauthorized cell phone that she admitted to using to view child pornography. She was also found in previous circumstances to have been drinking alcohol and using an unauthorized tablet to solicit sex in violation of her parole. Because of those violations, she returned to prison. Kush Desai, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, called the events a tragedy" in an emailed statement, and that ...Bottom Line: Iowa needs an attorney general wholl put Iowans and their safety above everything else, including nap time and woke agendas." Harmful stereotypes Keenan Crow, the director of policy and advocacy for One Iowa, an LGBTQ rights organization, said the ad deals in harmful stereotypes equivocating LGBTQ people to sex predators. Folks who commit sexual offenses against children need to be held accountable, I dont think anybody questions that and their transgender status shouldnt matter in that at all. At least towards that premise we are in agreement, Crow said. But, they said, the ad is framed in a way that demonizes transgender people. "It's doubling down on the kind of harmful rhetoric we've told these folks is very dangerous already," Crow said. This article has been updated to include information about the prosecutor's review board which determines whether a person is a sexually violent predator. The last person Dustin Rymph expected to see in a political ad attacking a candidate running for legislative District 26 in northeast Lincoln was himself. But shortly after the flyer appeared in mailboxes last week, Rymph learned a political action committee had mistaken him for his friend, George Dungan, who will face Russ Barger on Nov. 8. My reaction was, Thats not George, thats me, said Rymph, who saw the mailer over the weekend from his home in Oregon, where he moved from Lincoln four years ago to attend graduate school and now works in wildfire risk mitigation. The attack ad was paid for by Nebraska Federation for Children a state affiliate of the American Federation for Children founded and formerly run by Betsy DeVos, the education secretary under former President Donald Trump which said Tuesday it stands by its use of the photos. Lauren Garcia, the Nebraska state director for American Federation for Children, said the photos were pulled from Dungans personal Facebook page, where she said they appeared without indication that it was someone else. Facebook allows users to tag other people in posted photos, videos or other features on the application, but it's not required. Users can also remove their tags in other people's photos. It is reasonable to conclude the photos posted by Mr. Dungan are of himself, Garcia said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Rymph said Garcia's suggestion that the photo shows anything inappropriate was false. The photos of Rymph were posted to Dungan's Facebook page more than a decade ago. One photo, taken in July 2011 when Rymph was visiting Dungan in Washington, D.C., where Dungan was attending law school at American University, depicts a shirtless Rymph standing in front of the Nebraska plaque at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall on what he recalls was a hot day. It was over 100 degrees out," Rymph said. The other, from July 2010, shows a shirtless Rymph sitting on a bouncing horse toy taking what he described as a goofy photo." The two men have been friends since middle school, he added. Everybody has goofy photos that they took when they were in their early 20s, Rymph said. They dont say anything about his policies or issues, or anything about his character. Garcia also claimed both photos were removed from Dungans personal Facebook page sometime after American Federation for Children took a screenshot of them Sept. 1. She said that shows Dungan believes they are unbefitting for a candidate for office. Candidates asking for Nebraskans trust to represent them in the Legislature should be held to a high standard, which includes being forthright and honest, Garcia said. Dungan said he didnt pull the photos, as Garcia said, but rather made them private so people who arent me dont get pulled into a smear campaign. American Federation for Children, which pushes for charter schools and expanding private school voucher programs, has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars to its state affiliate over the past two years. The Nebraska Federation for Children, in turn, has funneled money from the national PAC and donations collected in-state to two dozen lawmakers and a handful of candidates seeking seats in the Legislature. The group has previously supported Barger, a registered Republican running against Dungan, a Democrat, to replace the term-limited Sen. Matt Hansen in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. Barger said Monday he did not endorse the attack ad, which he called tasteless. The flyer delivered last week doesnt focus on Dungans stance on education issues. Dungan said in addition to using a photo of a person who is not him it also misrepresents his positions. He called the situation absurd. Im not surprised by this group doubling down on a lie just to further mislead the public, Dungan said Tuesday. Im happy to provide the American Federation for Children with a head shot if theyre still unsure what I look like. A flyer that landed in northeast Lincoln mailboxes last week accusing a legislative candidate of trying to radically transform the state itself radically transformed the person it was attacking. So much so that the mailer attacking George Dungan, who will square off against Russ Barger for the District 26 seat in November, features two black-and-white photos of shirtless men who are not Dungan. The public defender who ran second in the primary said the mailer, which states it was paid for by Nebraska Federation for Children, was "misleading and deceitful" in several ways. While it features a photo of the actual Dungan on one side, it also takes aim at Dungan for attending American University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a law degree after graduating from the University of Kansas. And it states he supports an environmental policy that would purportedly raise taxes and drive up energy costs, as well as prohibiting businesses from asking about criminal history when hiring. It is clear that they do not know my position on any issue, considering they do not even know who I am or what I look like, Dungan said. Barger, reached by phone Monday, called the mailer super tacky and said he was not involved in its creation, nor did he give it his approval. Ive not been in contact with (Nebraska Federation for Children), Barger said. They are doing that on their own. That was kind of a tasteless mailer, I would never approve anything like that. Although focusing on environmental and labor issues, the group that paid for the attack ad on Dungan is largely funded through a Washington, D.C.-based group founded and formerly run by Betsy DeVos, who served as education secretary for former President Donald Trump. The American Federation for Children describes itself as a school choice organization and has backed candidates and initiatives who support expanding charter schools and private school vouchers in states like Wisconsin and Arizona. But the group has other connections to the Cornhusker state, too. Corey DeAngelis, a national research director for the American Federation for Children, appeared on Gov. Pete Ricketts The Nebraska Way podcast in September 2021 to discuss school choice initiatives. DeAngelis has also used his social media platform to comment on debates over school choice legislation in Nebraska, including debates in 2021 and 2022 about a plan (LB364) from Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn to provide incentives to taxpayers who donate to private school scholarship programs. The Nebraska Federation for Children, its state affiliate, registered with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission as an independent political action committee in April 2020, but did not report any activity until 2021. Christina Usher, a partner at the Mattson Ricketts law firm in Lincoln, is listed as the committees treasurer. Usher did not respond to a phone call and email seeking comment. Along with in-kind donations from American Federation for Children, the PAC has reported $25,000 donations from Ken Stinson, a former chairman of the Kiewit Corporation; and James Timmerman, the vice president of administration for Nebraska Beef; $10,000 from Stinson's wife, Ann; well as $1,000 from Republican gubernatorial nominee Jim Pillen, and $500 from Hal Daub, a former congressman and Omaha mayor. The PAC reported direct contributions to two dozen state lawmakers in 2021. Most of the donations were made to Republicans in the officially nonpartisan Legislature the largest was $5,000 to Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island although some registered Democrats also benefited. Both donations and spending have increased in 2022 ahead of the legislative elections, according to campaign finance reports. During the period leading up to the May primary, Nebraska Federation for Children reported more than $160,000 in receipts, including $100,000 from American Federation for Children, and nearly 20 individual donors. Most of its spending was with Axiom Strategies, a Kansas City-based election consulting firm that has historically worked with Republican candidates in Nebraska and elsewhere. A spokesperson from Axiom Strategies said the company has not done any mailers for the general election in the District 26 race and is not responsible for the ad attacking Dungan. Nebraska Federation for Children spent more than $10,600 supporting Barger ahead of his primary election win, according to a finance report filed after the May primary. Barger said he thinks "competition in the school system is good," but added: "I don't know what the best system for that is." A former assistant attorney general and clerk for the National Right to Life Committee in Washington, D.C., Barger defeated Dungan, a public defender, by 290 votes in a four-way race to replace Lincoln Sen. Matt Hansen, who is term-limited. Nebraska Federation for Children also supported former Omaha Sen. Merv Riepe, who is seeking election to District 12 after Sen. Steve Lathrop defeated him in 2018; and Christian Mirch, who is challenging Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh for the District 6 seat. Campaign finance reports show the committee has also purchased flyers opposing Cavanaugh. The ad that was sent to voters in District 26 last week comes about two years after another legislative race used a photo of an individual that was not the candidate the ad was trying to portray in a negative light. In 2020, a flyer from then-state Sen. Andrew La Grone featured a photo of a volunteer for his challenger now-Sen. Jen Day instead of Day, who went on to win the District 49 election. Dungan said the flyer isnt the first time in this electoral cycle that hes been portrayed as someone hes not. A video advertisement posted to Nebraska Federation for Children's YouTube page also uses pictures of men that are not Dungan. I was hoping to have this campaign centered around issues that matter to those of us from northeast Lincoln and not childish, lazy political games from someone trying to buy a seat in the Legislature, he said. It's been a great eight-year run for Mark Kolterman. But it's almost over now three months to go before the senator from Seward bumps into term limits along with 10 other legislative veterans. Kolterman has been a difference-maker who led the way to enactment of significant legislation, including modernization of Nebraska's business investment tax credit program and state funding support for a blockbuster $2.6 billion project designed to position the University of Nebraska Medical Center to be a leader in response to future national emergencies. Both major bills were enacted in the final days of the 2020 legislative session. Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Bryan Slone and UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey Gold both chose Kolterman to lead the way. Kolterman is one of five departing members of the nonpartisan Legislature who might best be described as Republicans who often became the difference-makers. Sen. John Stinner of Gering, Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg and Kolterman became known as the three apostles there is no Luke in the Legislature and they were joined by Sen. John McCollister and Sen. Robert Hilkemann, both of Omaha, on that list. Not bound to party or dogma, or to a governor, but focused on their own independent judgment. Just the kind of senators that you might imagine George Norris had in mind when the fiercely independent U.S. senator from Nebraska led the way to adoption of the state's unique nonpartisan, one-house Legislature, a revolutionary change approved by Nebraska voters in 1934. Norris served his final Senate term as an independent after a lengthy Republican congressional career. Sitting in his first-floor office at the state Capitol last week after a recent bout with COVID-19, Kolterman said he has treasured his years in the Legislature. But he sees some changes developing that prompt concern. "The first two years there was more camaraderie and less partisanship," Kolterman said. "During the last six years there has been lots of partisanship, and that's not good for our state. "I hope there would be some moderation in the body," he said. In 2015, Kolterman said, after the Legislature dramatically overrode Gov. Pete Ricketts' veto of legislation that repealed the death penalty in a vote that shattered party lines, "we all walked away respecting one another." But two years later, he said, when legislative leadership elections took on a distinctly partisan tone, "that changed the atmosphere." Kolterman expressed concern about "the influence of money creeping in more and more" into Nebraska elections, not only in legislative races, but perhaps most dramatically in this year's multimillion dollar Republican gubernatorial primary contest. As he prepares to leave, what would Kolterman change? Give senators an opportunity to serve three consecutive four-year terms, rather than two, before they are term-limited out of office, he suggested, and raise their salaries. Both of those changes would require a vote of the people to amend the state constitution. "If I was younger, I probably would have run for a third term," Kolterman said. "But I probably would not have run again at age 72." The current two-term limit results in the loss of "a lot of institutional knowledge" that's valuable in determining state policy, he said. And the $12,000 annual salary for senators rules out "a lot of young people who might be our best and brightest," he said. Kolterman said he has no proposed salary in mind, but suggested that "perhaps it should be as much as a starting teacher would get." Senators currently are compensated for travel expenses along with their salary. As he prepares to leave, Kolterman points to one specific item of unfinished business on his agenda that he will urge the Legislature's Retirement Systems Committee to consider: guaranteed retirement benefits for firefighters in first-class cities, which in Nebraska are defined as cities with populations of more than 5,000 people. If he were a member of the 2023 Legislature, Kolterman said, he would vote against the approaching effort to end secret ballot selection of legislative leaders and committee chairpersons, a change being urged by a new political action committee formed by Charles Herbster after he lost his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. "I'm a true believer in nonpartisanship in the unicameral," Kolterman said, and that effort is designed to turn the choice of legislative leaders into a partisan exercise. "Personally, I think the biggest accomplishment of my time in the Legislature was to get along with both sides of the aisle," Kolterman said. "I was working to find common ground. "The Bible says that to whom much is given, much is expected," he said. "You have to give back; that's what I have tried to do." Despite his independence from party or partisan interests, Kolterman said, he "maintain(s) a very good relationship" with Ricketts, the Republican governor. And the support he has gained from his fellow senators was recently on full display after the Legislature's redistricting committee informed him that "we're going to take your legislative district (District 24) and move it into Sarpy County." "I said: 'No, you aren't,'" Kolterman recalled. He went to work contacting his colleagues. And it did not happen. Instead, the Legislature shifted District 36, represented by Williams, from south-central Nebraska to account for growth in the metropolitan Omaha area. Looking back over his legislative record, Kolterman peers beyond the major development projects that he ushered to enactment and points to his support for telehealth services that came to the aid of many Nebraskans during the COVID-19 pandemic along with his strong support for cancer research. "That won't bring my wife back, but it might save some lives," he said. For Kolterman, this legislative journey was accompanied by great personal pain. His wife, Suzanne, died in November 2017 after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer. They had been married 46 years. Metro Sioux City has seen a number of corporate departures in recent decades. In 1998, Gateway moved its headquarters from North Sioux City to the San Diego area. In the aftermath of the Tyson deal in 2001, 100s of former IBP executives relocated. Its not really news when an ambitious fellow from a country town decides to move to Chicago. But 56-year-old Darren Bailey, who announced last month that he is living in the dark-glass skyscraper known to most Chicagoans as the John Hancock Center, is not just any farm boy with big dreams. Hes the Republican nominee for governor. Hows life in the big city? Chicago is living the purge, when criminals ravage at will, and the cops stand down, Bailey told reporters last month, making a reference to the horror franchise in which murder is legal for one night a year. The state senator has spent most of his campaign decrying Chicago as a crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole, and sponsored a bill in the Illinois Senate to make Chicago its own state, freeing farmers like him from the citys left-wing political influence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why move to Sodom on the lake? I want to immerse myself in the culture, Bailey said. Its an unusual tactic, albeit one with some history. Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne moved into the Cabrini-Green homes, a public housing project, in 1981. The architect Erno Goldfinger briefly lived at the top of Trellick Tower, the London council block he designed in 1972, inspiring J.G. Ballards book High-Rise. His stunt may have grabbed headlines, but Baileys rhetoric about Chicago is less unusual. Bashing the countrys cities and the people who live there has found new life in the Donald Trump era as Republicans try to ape the former presidents blend of nastiness and victimhood. An example of the former was Trumps comparisons of Chicago and Baltimore to Afghanistan. An example of the latter was his incessant railing against the elites, though it seemed he was conscious that this may have been a tough sell from a man with a gold toilet. (Why are they elite? he wondered aloud at a 2018 rally. I have a much better apartment than they do. Im smarter than they are. Im richer than they are. I became president, and they didnt.) Its like the entire Republican Party is running for police commissioner of Gotham City. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Each tactic is alive and well as the midterms approach. Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance does a nice job hitting both notes. I have to go to New York soon and Im trying to figure out where to stay, he tweeted last summer. I have heard its disgusting and violent there. But is it like Walking Dead Season 1 or Season 4? Around the same time: How do we stop the elites from plundering the greatest country in the world? Advertisement Advertisement Disgusting and violent, but also rich and powerful? Its a critique of New York City thats not wrong, exactly, but its certainly not meant to be the least bit sympathetic or constructive. And no city is as irredeemably messed up and as powerfully elite as San Francisco, whose troubles with homelessness, street crime, and school policy have become an obsession of the Wall Street Journal opinion page, even as the city functions as a metonym for the technology industry and its thought policing. The citys long transition to flowers-in-your-hair progressivism, the Journals Daniel Henninger writes, is a suicide pact. Advertisement To a certain degree, disgust and mistrust for the American city, laced with bits of antisemitism, xenophobia, and racism, dates back to Thomas Jefferson. When Vance says the professors are the enemy, hes quoting Richard Nixon. In April, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton complained: They want to make you live in downtown areas, high-rise buildings, walk to work or take the subway They want to get you out of your pickup truck, out of your SUV, out of your home in the suburbs where you can have a backyard with your kids. Thats the rhetoric of the Agenda 21 conspiracy. (I wish Democrats wanted anyone to get out of their pickup truck!) Advertisement Advertisement Still, the nations leading conservative politicians didnt always sound like Travis Bickle. On the campaign trail in 2008, after Sarah Palin made her infamous real America remark to an audience in North Carolina, she had to apologize! Advertisement Advertisement No such luck with Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters, who, when asked about the countrys gun violence epidemic, said: Its people in Chicago, St. Louis shooting each other. Very often, you know, Black people, frankly. (On Sunday, he shared on Twitter a pair of photos of bloody bodies that allegedly belong to Los Angeles store owners killed while trying to prevent robberies.) Advertisement To some extent, its not hard to explain the circumstances that have led one of the countrys two major political parties to line up behind a leader who says things like, Right here in Ohio, our once-great cities are now scenes of horror riddled with bullet holes and soaked in blood. The Republican Party is no longer competitive in major population centers, so lambasting those places and the people who live there can be construed as an attack on the Democratic Party. Often, though, it transcends partisan politics. Its a message to rile up Americans whose urban realityeven if, like most Trump voters, they live in the suburbsconsists of violent viral videos filtered through conservative news sources. Advertisement Advertisement Its impossible to imagine the shoe on the other foot. Barack Obama was pilloried for his observation that small-town residents cling to guns or religion; Hillary Clintons great sin was to label Trump supporters a basket of deplorables. Theres simply no equivalent rhetoric on this side of the city line. In 2013, in the aftermath of the Romney-Ryan rout in metropolitan America, Ed Glaeser wrote in City Journalthe house organ of the right-leaning think tank the Manhattan Institutethat Republicans should not give up on cities. Glaeser makes a convincing case that some conservative ideas could find traction with urbanites, though the piece feels about as distant from American politics in 2022 as the Epic of Gilgamesh. Congestion pricing? Zoning reform? Streamlined city services? This is not a language Republicans speak. Advertisement Republicans justify the way they talk about cities by saying they are being tough on crime, responding to one of voters main concerns. For the last eight or nine months I could just see [crime] coming as the worst issue for the party in power, a GOP Senate strategist recently told the Washington Post. The result is a string of scary ads associating criminals with Democratic candidates that some critics have called racist. But Republicans dont actually have any ideas about solving crime. They just want to revel in its rise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of this is actually new, suggests Steven Conn, a historian at Miami University of Ohio and the author of Americans Against the City. The general tune of the song is the same, he told me. Whats underneath all this rhetoric is an anti-urban animus that has two parts. The first has to do with heterogeneity. In the early 20th century, it was Jews and Italianssubstitute Blacks and Mexicans. The second was cities were places where governmental and collective action made life better, so for your rugged libertarianism, cities represent the antithesis. And not only that, Conn suggested. The real injury, in a country where 4 in 5 people now live in urban areas, is that life is better there. Just as earlier generations bemoaned the sinful city but envied their electricity and indoor plumbing, todays GOP base knows that despite what Trump calls blood, death, and suffering on a scale once unthinkable, urbanites in the United States have it better. They have faster internet, higher incomes, and more jobs to choose from. They also live longer. Some of them even have gold toilets. BOGOTA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday welcomed the restart of ongoing formal peace negotiations between his government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group in Venezuela's capital Caracas. "The peace talks between our government and the ELN have officially resumed in Caracas, along with the guarantor countries of Venezuela, Cuba and Norway," Petro said on social media. The president also posted a statement signed by the high commissioner for peace Danilo Rueda, ELN leaders Antonio Garcia, the group's top leader, and Pablo Beltran, the group's second in command. Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velasquez urged the rebel group to release those held captive by it in different places of the country, noting that the ELN must end illicit activities to achieve peace. After winning the presidential elections in June, Petro announced he would be resuming peace talks started by then president Juan Manuel Santos and suspended by his successor Ivan Duque. The two negotiating teams will take up the issues agreed upon during the Santos government, when the talks were hosted by Cuba. Scroll through the right TikToks and youll find a cottage industry of would-be financial advisers who are obsessed with the money moves of lawmakers. Sometimes, its a little hard to tell whether these accounts are looking to scold politicians or celebrate them. Many take a special interest in Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who, to be fair, does not trade stocks herself. But her husband doesaggressively. One TikToker called her a psychic. The optics of this whole practice are pretty uncomfortable and sort of gross from a good-government perspective, says Sam Brodey, who reports on Congress for the Daily Beast. Advertisement Despite all the cheerleading on TikTok, most Americans do not think lawmakers should be able to trade stocks at all, which is why some thought this was going to be the year Congress reined itself in when it came to the stock market. After all, there are multiple bills floating around the Capitol that could ban elected officials from investing in companies directly. Theres not a whole lot of issues that are talked about on the agenda right now that command such bipartisan support, says Brodey. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The public wants them to do it. Many congresspeople themselves want to do it. So why wont Congress quit stock trading? I had Brodey on Wednesdays episode of What Next to find out. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: Its not like there are no rules for how politicians should conduct themselves when buying stocks. Its just that the rules that exist are pretty loose. In 2012, Congress passed the STOCK Act. It mandates regular disclosure of a members investment activity. And it also prohibits members of Congress from using private information gleaned from their public job when they invest. But theres a problem with that. Sam Brodey: The standard for nailing someone on a STOCK Act violation is really, really hard. A good example here is former Sen. David Perdue of Georgia, who was an influential lawmaker on a specific Armed Services subcommittee related to naval ships and submarines. And while he was active on that subcommittee, he had invested heavily in a contractor that got a massive contract to build submarines for the U.S. Navy and ended up increasing the value of the stock that Perdue owned. That is allowed. There is no rule saying that you cant do that. Advertisement Advertisement There are plenty of examples like thistrades that come at a particularly opportune moment and seem to play hopscotch with the ethical line. But the recent push to ban stock trading in Congress really picked up steam a couple of years back after a few senators made trades that were hard to ignore. These trades stood out because the politicians involved seemed to be adjusting their portfolios based on information they got at work. Back in January 2020, after an intelligence briefing on the dangers of the novel coronavirus, senators from Georgia and North Carolina seemed to dump vulnerable stocks. Sen. Richard Burr averted $87,000 in losses, and then became subject to a lengthy investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats when a few members of Congress began pushing for reform. Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Rep. Chip Roy introduced a bill in June of 2020 that quickly drew bipartisan support. Members from across the political spectrum in both parties have written and gotten behind these bills because the politics are so good. And it gives basically anybody a readymade and compelling political message, whether thats Im fighting the swamp or you can even work out some kind of Pelosi message into it if you want. Advertisement Advertisement An anti-Pelosi message. Exactly. Or if youre Abigail Spanberger and youre in a tough district, you can say, Look, Im fighting to clean up Washington. Thats a tried-and-true message that weve seen over the years to be pretty effective. Advertisement Because the politics of it were so good, we saw lots of members introduce various proposals related to stock trading on both sides of the Capitol. They shared the same goal, which was to severely curtail or outright ban members of Congress from trading stocks. But because members are so sensitive to this, because it affects them, there was a lot of debate and discussion about the finer points of how these bills were actually going to work. The Spanberger-Roy bill required members to put their assets into blind trusts, and others said that would be too onerous for some members. And then other proposals were like, Well, we should just have this apply across the government. Lets have this apply to the judicial branch. So there were a lot of proposals, and then the problem became reconciling those proposals to arrive at one bill that could get consensus support. Advertisement Its interesting, because Nancy Pelosi assigned one of her top deputies, Zoe Lofgren, to work on this bill. It seems like a good sign that she would do that. But was it? Advertisement Advertisement Let me take us back to a day in February of this year, when the House is in session. And there was kind of a critical mass on stock trading. People like Spanberger were getting really bullish about their ability to move this thing quickly. It wasnt unreasonable to think that perhaps this could get done. So theres all this hype that Pelosis going to make a big announcement on this. And then she goes to her weekly press conference, and she gets up there, and she says, Well, were going to consider doing this, but we need to get members to support it. And we have to look at expanding this to the judicial branch and the Supreme Court. So what were going to do is were going to see if the members want to do this and get to yes. Advertisement And people are like, Wait, that wasnt an announcement of anything. That was an announcement that were going to take a look at this. So shes pumping the brakes. Yeah, Pelosi punted on that one. And then ultimately she handed the ball to Zoe Lofgren, a close ally of hers, who chairs the House Administration Committee, which sets the rules for members of Congress. There was a sense that Pelosi and her senior team were not supportive of this, didnt really see the political upside, and were really reflecting the concerns of their closest allies, the senior members who have been there for a long time, in the lukewarm bathwater of Capitol Hill where you start to lose touch with reality, who are saying, Why should I have to do this? Who cares? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Im trying to figure out who Nancy Pelosi is in the stock ban conversation because she, of course, has a husband whos heavily invested in the stock market. And that raises a lot of red flags for folks. And she definitely doesnt seem warm on the idea of stock ban legislation. Do you have theories here about whats going on? Because she certainly has the power to block legislation if she wants to. Advertisement Advertisement The optics are not good. But what people miss in this conversation is how Nancy Pelosi operates and what ultimately has made her probably the most effective Democratic legislative leader in history. What Nancy Pelosi cares about is the unity of the Democratic caucus in the House. They have a narrow majority. This is her strength: She avoids issues that split her caucus. Thats what makes her effective. This is an issue that, for better or for worse, splits her caucus. Advertisement And oh, yeah, the people who are the most opposed to this are the people that Nancy Pelosi has served with for 10, 20, 30 years and are her closest allies. And if this came up for a vote, they would be under immense pressure to vote yes because the optics are so bad and this would end up being a headache and potentially split the caucus and give Kevin McCarthy and the Republicans something to beat us up with. That is a theory as to why she has been so reluctant to move the ball forward. Advertisement When did it become clear that a stock ban was not going to happen? At least not in the next few weeks, maybe not in this term. Advertisement Theres been a stewing sense for a few weeks that it was not going to happen before members left for the October pre-midterm campaign recess. Thus denying folks something to run on. Exactly. And Ive been told by operatives they would love to cut ads talking about how Democrats did this. So, over the span of months, they had a long-delayed hearing. And then there were all these really incremental developments. It got kind of ridiculous to the point that youre like, OK, how many announcements about announcements are going to happen here? Advertisement The final week that the House was in session before leaving for the recess, they finally dropped text for a bill that was the product of the House Administration Committee and Lofgren process, ostensibly blessed by leadership. Advertisement It feels a little bit like turning in your term paper right before the deadline. It came across so obviously to proponents of the push that this was never designed to happen. They drop it three or four days before theyre supposed to leave. This is fairly complex. So it gives everyone a perfect out to say, Well, this is a really complicated bill, and we should have a robust debate about it. Thats always a tell in Congressrobust debate. And you have people like Spanberger and others tearing their hair out, going, Weve been talking about this since February, and now we dont have the time to do it because this bill dropped three days before were supposed to leave. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Another important thing is that the bill, in the eyes of a lot of folks who are close to the process, is pretty flawed. It cast a very broad net, saying that not only members of Congress and senior staff would be subject to this, which is what most people supported, but also brought in the judicial branch, which was not really something that proponents were super interested in tackling in this context. So, a lot of the good government groups that have been involved here panned the bill. Progressives felt it didnt go far enough. And it probably wouldnt have ultimately gotten a ton of support. And so now here we are. Perhaps this could get done in the lame-duck session. Weirder things have happened, but they do need to resolve some substantive issues in the bill, and theyve got to find the time to do it, which leadership to this point has not really seemed like they wanted to do. Advertisement Advertisement Part of the reason this legislation to ban stock trading died, according to the official narrative, is that the votes were not there. As far as you can tell, Is that true? This was never whipped in any formal sense because there was no bill to whip until three days before they left. And so there was never a tally of who supports this and who doesnt. This particular bill would not have been the bill a lot of these folks who are supportive of a ban wanted to see. However, if it had come up for a vote, I do think it would have been really hard for a lot of Democratsand some Republicans tooto vote against it just because the optics are so bad. Advertisement Advertisement Throughout the whole year when this process was going on, I heard that members were opposed to thisa vague blob of members. We never got any names or even an inkling of who the people were who opposed it. And thats because most members did not want to be even close to on the record opposing this. So that tells me that if the legislation had come up on the floor, it would have had a pretty decent chance of passing. One of the interesting factoids youll stumble across if you dig into the stock trades of politicians is that people whove studied them dont think theyre market geniuses. Theres a professor at Dartmouth who said politicians would be better if they were just in index funds. Its a weird thing to know because then you really do start to wonder why this group wouldnt police themselves. Advertisement The vast majority of members who trade individual stocks are getting information that much of the public does not, but theyre out there making dumb trades like your average American. The problem is that a lawmaker cannot see why an average member of the public would say, Wait, sure, I can do that, but how the hell are you able to do that? And the fact that this has been allowed for so long calcifies in the culture of Capitol Hill to the point that its just accepted. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. You mentioned that there were a bunch of members of Congress who were waiting to be able to craft ads for this latest midterm election where they said, Weve done this, weve put in this stock trading ban for politicians. Look what we did for you. And now they cant do that. I wonder if instead those same politicians are crafting ads saying, Im going to go back to Washington and make sure this happens, and Im going to be fighting against Nancy Pelosi and Democratic leadership. And whether that opens up a whole new rift that, as youve said, Nancy Pelosi was trying to avoid by shunting this issue to the side. Advertisement Thats exactly right. I would not be surprised whatsoever if a Democrat running in a tough race cut an ad saying, I fought to ban members of Congress from trading stocks. I fought against corruption. Nancy Pelosi stopped me from doing that. Send me back to Congress and Ill keep fighting. Yet, something thats been a throughline for Nancy Pelosi is that her attitude is Just win, baby. Thats what Nancy Pelosi cares about. So she doesnt care if you use her as a tagline. She never has. Because Republicans have always made her into this boogeyman in campaign season, and Democrats in those races have had to distance themselves from Nancy Pelosi. Many of them said that they would not vote for her for speaker. But then they show up, and they have a change of heart, and they vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker because thats just what happens. So Nancy Pelosi shrugs her shoulders and says, You do you. What does she care about at the end of the day? She cares about holding the gavel. Whatever gets her to 218 seats in the House, thats just fine with her. Two things were obvious after Tuesday mornings oral arguments in Merrill v. Milligan, one of the terms most important voting rights cases: One is that there will be three female justices on the losing side of virtually every single important case for the foreseeable future. And twothey are not going down quietly. All three of Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson brought the full force of history, text, original intent, and statutory purpose to the table during arguments about the enforcement of the Voting Rights Actvalues the courts conservatives purport to espouse. In so doing, they highlighted that the state of Alabama, aided and abetted by the courts so-called textualists and originalists, is engaged in a radical project to engineer a new era of race blindness in voting that violates both the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. That these oral arguments are now broadcast live means that Americans could listen to three women, one of whom is Black, one of whom is Latina, and one of whom is Jewish, administer nothing short of a beatdown to both Alabamas solicitor general, Edmund LaCour, and their own colleagues on the bench. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Merrill is a challenge to an Alabama gerrymander that packed most of the states Black voters into a single district and spreads the remainder throughout white districts where they would not be able to elect their preferred candidate, a trick known as packing and cracking. As a result, Black voters control just one of seven congressional districts despite making up nearly a third of the population. The Supreme Court has previously held that such race-based vote dilution is impermissible under both Section 2 of the VRA and the 14th Amendment, so the case should have been straightforward. When faced with this lawsuit, however, Alabama turned those ideas on their heads by insisting that any maps that take any race into account violate the Constitution. In other words, redressing illegal racial discrimination is, itself, illegal race discrimination. This is a parody of an argument about the need for race-blindness, but its an idea that is ascendant this term, here and in the upcoming affirmative action and Indian Child Welfare Act cases. Advertisement Advertisement The problem with this strategy, as Kagan immediately pointed out, is that when the Supreme Court took away Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in Shelby County, it promised that Section 2 would be available to remediate racialized voting measures. When the Supreme Court chipped away at Section 2 of the VRA in Brnovich v. DNC, it glibly promised the law would still be available in cases where states diluted the power of racial minorities votes. But now the court has a vote dilution case in Merrill, and that promise has proved hollow; instead, the court is preparing to take away the use of Section 2and with it, the VRAaltogether. Whats left, Kagan asked, after that? Advertisement Justice Kagan runs through the Supreme Courts recent assaults on the Voting Rights Act then asks the Alabama solicitor general: If you succeed in blowing up the VRAs ban on dilution of minority votes, whats left of the law? pic.twitter.com/jrc0FXPiwP Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) October 4, 2022 Advertisement Advertisement Kagan also said that under existing precedents, Alabama could only prevail if the court ignored or overruled existing law. Of course, ignoring and overruling existing law is the raison detre for the new conservative supermajority, for which precedent is a mere annoyance on the way to its final destination. Advertisement Advertisement Up next was Jackson, who cogently explained that the Alabama legislatures claim in Merrill is itself rooted in a lie. The 14th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act both explicitly provide for race-conscious measures to remediate historic efforts to suppress Black voters. It is not a race-blind project and it never was; it wasnt even intended to be. It is race conscious on its own terms, and Jackson read from the contemporaneous reports at the drafting to make that very point: Advertisement Advertisement Justice Jackson tells the Alabama solicitor general that the Framers of the 14th Amendment did NOT intend it to be race neutral or race blind, so taking race into account to protect minority voting rights is perfectly constitutional. Progressive originalism at work. pic.twitter.com/aCXAq2CnJu Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) October 4, 2022 Advertisement To have a Black woman read the clear text and purpose of the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to a white man who claims disingenuously that it is racism to try to remediate racism is a simply extraordinary moment in constitutional history. Jackson cannot prevent her colleagues from using bogus history to assail equal rights for racial minorities. But she can highlight the absurdity of their anti-originalist convictions in a manner thats perfectly legible to the public. Advertisement After Jackson and Kagan refuted LaCours legal theories, it fell to Justice Sotomayor to lay out the factual frailty of Alabamas arguments. When the solicitor general asserted that the state just so happened to divide up communities in whats known as the states Black Belt, Sotomayor asked why it mysteriously kept white areas intact. Just so happens that all of those people are white, Sotomayor told LaCour. And youve never split those communities. Meanwhile, through the decades, the Black community has been split three or four ways. Now the question is, why? Alabama claimed it was perfectly acceptable to divvy up the Black Belt if it wasnt considering residents race. But as Sotomayor noted, indifference to racial inequality is exactly what Section 2 is barring or prohibiting. Whatever the states purported reason for diluting votes in the Black Belt, its actions cannot be squared with the VRA. Advertisement The conservative justices pushed back, naturally. Throughout the day, they urged LaCour to focus on his least radical arguments, preemptively seeking to make their decision seem reasonable. Yet in a sense, this debate was largely academic. Merrill was already decided temporarily at the high court, on the shadow docket, last February when the justices ruled 5-4 that Alabama could use its preferred map in the midterms, with Roberts joining the courts three liberals in dissent. But Roberts vote last year was merely a protest against his colleagues abuse of the shadow docket. On Tuesday, he sounded much more favorable to Alabamas claims. The chief justice has, after all, dedicated the bulk of his judicial career to an ahistorical, fact-free, and fatuous claim that racism is over in America, and that the best way for everyone to get past racism is to imagine it away. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race, he infamously wrote, in a case about efforts to desegregate schools, is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. As a consequence, the courts conservative justices keep performing the sad spectacle of defending structural, generational, pervasive racism in Alabama. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Nothing about this looks like colorblindness, or like post-racial America, or like neutral, colorblind, computer-generated maps. It looks like the vestiges of white supremacy, elevated to a lofty principle of colorblindness that itself smacks of white supremacy, as three women, two of whom are women of color, call it precisely that. In the midst of a raucous national referendum on the continued legitimacy of the court, perhaps the most important development is that the justices are letting us listen in to these conversations, in real time. The three liberal justices surely already know they will be dissenting for the foreseeable future. Theyre focusing on using their voices. We should listen. Pop open a seltzer or eat a cookie and feel extra relaxedthats the promise of CBD (aka cannabidiol)infused drinks. Major food and beverage companies such as Mondelez, Molson, and Alkaline88 have expressed interest in marketing CBD-infused food and drinks. While you might be able to find CBD beverages sold in some stores (it depends on where you live), you cant walk into any supermarket in America and grab a pack of CBD cookies. CBD is a chemical compound extracted from the cannabis plant. It doesnt get you high; it just might (might!) make you feel calm. As long its extracted from hemp, its technically legal under the federal lawunless its sold in a food or as a drink. Advertisement The Food and Drug Administration has been expressing disapproval for almost all CBD products except an oral prescription drug called Epidiolex that is used to treat seizures in children, which the FDA says is a highly purified form of CBD. The FDA has several concerns about CBD going into other drugs, and food and drinks. One of the main side effects the agency is concerned about is potential liver damage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But is CBD really that harmful to the liver? After all, people already use CBD products all the time. Despite the FDAs reservations, some states have even legalized CBD food and beverages. As far as I know, there have not been an influx of cases of healthy adults taking retail products and having acute liver toxicity, says Ryan Vandrey, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins who researches the behavioral effect of cannabis. By and large, CBD as a chemical entity is relatively safe, Vandrey says. But there are some important caveats, including when it comes to liver function. Advertisement Advertisement Heres where that particular concern comes from: While using the FDA-approved Epidiolex, some children developed problems with their liver. Specifically, their enzyme levels went up, which is a sign that the organ is either inflamed or damaged, explains Robert Kaufmann, an Illinois-based physician who has consulted for cannabis companies like American Shaman. But a 2020 study that analyzed 12 previous clinical trials comprising 800 participants notes that liver issues occur in kids taking both Epidiolex and another anti-epilepsy drug, one that is known to cause liver enzyme elevations. CBD can cause some liver function elevations, explains Kaufmann, But its almost always associated with the taking of other drugs. Advertisement Studies with animals do clearly show that extremely high doses of CBD are damaging to the liver. In one study, researchers administered CBD extract to mice. The animals died after four days (again, the doses they gave the mice were extremely high). When they slightly lowered the dose so that the mice lived, they observed elevated liver enzymes. Although the study doesnt reflect a real-life scenario, it pinpointed the adverse effects that CBD could cause when we take it in really high doses. Advertisement Theres some research evidence that CBD is just fine for human livers in small doses: One study that Kaufmann published last year in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research involved around 800 people taking CBD, and it concludes that self-medication of CBD doesnt damage the liver. (For Kaufmanns study, 12 CBD product companies provided funding.) Around 30 days after participants consumed CBD, researchers performed liver tests on the study participants and found that everything looked normal. Studies examining the effect of high doses of CBD have not been done in humans yet, but Kaufmann and Eric Leas, an assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego, who specializes in drug policy, both told me that heightened levels of CBD could indeed be detrimental to us. Moderation, emphasized Kaufmann. CBD could be an issue if you put too much load on your liver. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats where the problem with food and drink loaded with CBD comes inmoderation can be trickier if you arent taking a precise dose. If you dont have CBD in the form of a pill, and [youre] adding it to coffee or salad, you never know how much CBD you are consuming, says Leas. Imagine having several CBD beers over the course of a night, and not really keeping trackand then doing that regularly, along with having CBD snacks in between. Its possible that that could all add up to concerning levels of CBD. What about CBD-instilled tinctures and oils that are applied to the skin, and which are easily available to buy right now? Though it could be easy to slather on more oil than is intended, such topical products get absorbed in very little quantities in the bloodstream, says Vandrey. Advertisement In CBD products, there can also be other chemical compounds that cause harm, says Vandrey. If you purchase CBD, you should buy it from a reputable source that shares certificates of analysis to confirm that the product isnt contaminated. Interestingly, in small doses, CBD could in fact have some beneficial effects on the liver, Kaufmann says. In lab animal models, its been shown that CBD can reduce the onset of Type 2 diabetes, which is associated with liver disease. Whats more, studies in mice models even say that low doses of CBD could be beneficial by reducing inflammation in liver. Kaufmann cautions that we really cannot be sure if these benefits will also show up in humansin most animal studies, researchers inject the drug into animals, rather than giving it to them orally. CBDs effect on the liver should be researched more. Vandrey says we need to be mindful of the limitations of the data that we have and collect more information to better understand the cases in which CBD can impair liver function. In the meantime, having a little bit of CBD to relax wont hurt. After all, too much beer can cause liver issues, too. Week by week, thanks in large part to climate change, it seems we hear new stories of natural disasters and their horrific effects across the United States: hurricanes slamming Puerto Rico and Florida, droughts in the American Southwest, wildfires scorching the Pacific Northwest as well as punishing heat waves in Texas, incomprehensible flooding in Kentucky and Missouri and the Plains. All together, these horrorshow events have devastated millions of Americans and indicate grim times ahead. But some communities and regions weathered the effects of these disasters better than othersand they all have something in common. Advertisement Lets scan some recent dispatches from especially hard-hit areas. In Florida, the renewables-dependent solar town Babcock Ranch endured Hurricane Ian with no loss of power and minimal damage, CNN reported Sunday; days later, thousands of other Floridians are still enduring both. As Ian neared South Carolina shortly after, the states Emergency Management department explicitly recommended that vulnerable residents keep a battery operated, solar-powered, or hand-crank-operated radio or television for use during power outages. Last month, Inside Climate News found that Puerto Ricans who had privately installed solar panels on the roofs of their homes and businesses retained power access while the islands erratic grid collapsed after Hurricane Fiona. (The local government is now going ahead with a plan to install even more solar-power capacity.) Residential solar panels in California were obscured by smoke and cloud cover during the summer spate of wildfires, heavy rainstorms, and heat waves, but the amount of energy that existing panels had generated for battery-storage systems provided residents with days worth of power in the face of blackout scares. The Oregon Military Department told an energy trade publication that its mostly solar-powered microgrid kept a readiness centers air conditioning going during an unprecedented heat wave. Also in Oregon, the nonprofit Energy Trust noted that solar microgrids allowed hundreds of homes in wildfire-prone areas to maintain electricity access while the state cut off power from the main grid, in order to reduce the risk of blazes resulting from weather-sensitive utility equipment. And when Texas faced the risk of June blackouts thanks to record energy demand, wind and solar ended up providing one-third of the states power, the Dallas Morning News reported, thus lessening pressure on the local grid. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can find even more examples if you stretch further into the past. A multiyear Department of Energy study whose findings were released just last month revealed that in 2020, power loss from hefty summer thunderstorms in both Iowa and Texas was effectively mitigated by solar supply. The researchers ultimate takeaway, after looking at historic weather disasters in various states from 20172020, was that even a modest system of solar plus one battery can power critical loads in a home for days at a time, practically anywhere in the country, as they wrote in the Conversation. In 2018, solar farms in North Carolinathe third-most solar-powered state, behind California and Texaswithstood Hurricane Florence as other electric sources went down. The year before, off-grid solar systems in Florida cities powered both household lights and traffic signals during Hurricane Irma. And while both that storm and Hurricane Maria wrecked Puerto Rico in 2017, a massive San Juan medical center saw no disruption in operation thanks to an elaborate rooftop solar array. Most famously, as much of Lower Manhattan went dark in the midst of 2012s Superstorm Sandy, a New York University campus continued to run with the help of an off-grid, renewables-supported microgrid. Advertisement Advertisement Of course, all this could be perceived as anecdata of lucky breaks. Solar panels arent exactly weather-proof and can be bruised by any number of weather effects: relentless high temperatures, harsh winds, increasingly heightened water levels, air pollution. Poorly constructed solar equipment can catch fire, as happened at a few Amazon fulfillment centers in California, and solar tech installed on the ground without ample weatherization can be much more vulnerable to the apocalyptic effects of supercharged rain- and snowstorms. Renewable power might not get to all the people it could otherwise reach if aboveground transmission lines buckle under. And of course, the intermittency of sunlight patterns can weaken a solar system without attached storage infrastructure, through batteries or other means, as the aforementioned DOE study noted. No matter how diversified your power sources, protected your facilities, or sophisticated your mechanisms, theres no mass electrical system currently in existence that can take on a severe catastrophe completely unscathed. Its also worth noting that its a privilege to have access to substantial green infrastructure: Many renewable power sources are inequitably distributed, leaving lower-income communities behind. Some government programs are attempting to rectify this. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet the proven examples we have of solar resilience have lessons for improvement and adjustment. Use of decentralized, localized microgrids and power systems can aid entire communities even when a state or citys central grid fails. (Dont forget: batteries, batteries, batteries.) Newer panels on the market have been engineered to stave off harmful effects of snow, rain, earthquakes, and extreme heatand to last much longer while generating more energy overall. Community solar initiatives are being tested for their weather resilience prior to going live. Firm attachments on roofs and tall buildings can help panels avoid disruption by high floods and gusty currents. And even more experiments, like weather monitors on solar installments and smart technology for microgrids to communicate with larger utilities on power needs, are in the works. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Renewable energy was never intended to be the silver bullet, let alone individual forms of it. We know wind patterns are inconsistent, and that droughts plus a stressed water-distribution system establish limits on hydropower, despite all the other benefits. Its essential that the new clean-energy age be built with an eye to the inevitably worse climate effects to come; just having more green power isnt going to save us. Still, cities and states are paying attention for the future. In New Orleans, restaurants are going solar to maintain power during frequent hurricanes and provide shelter for residents in need. Austin, Texas, is establishing solar- and battery-supported resilience hubs to act as self-sustaining emergency centers for when the next big one hits. More and more cities and counties and states are incorporating solar into their plans for sustainability. Few places are going to be able to deny the role of solar in climate adaptation and mitigation. After all, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may be obstructing many climate efforts for his state, but even he seems to recognize the utility and importance of solar: In April, in a rare gesture of defiance to the GOP-controlled Legislature, he vetoed a bill that would have made solar development far more expensive for interested Floridians. After Ian, DeSantis is probably thankful he stuck to that. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. In the grand scheme of tensions between Russia and the United States, the election that took place last week in Romania for the new secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union was relatively tame. It was a race between two candidatesone Russian and one Americanfor a largely bureaucratic position running the ITU. An international organization founded in 1865, originally to coordinate telegram communications between countries, today the ITU coordinates international issues related to radio spectrum, long-distance calling, and satellite orbits. Advertisement On a practical level, it might not really matter who won the electionas it stands, the secretary-general doesnt have the power to remake the internet. But as several commentators pointed out in the lead-up to the vote, the vote was still incredibly important, as the 193 member states of the ITU had to decide whether they align with Russias vision for the future of the internet or with the United States. If a lot of countries voted for Russias candidate, that would have been a strong sign that they wanted to see control of the internet shift to the ITU, as Russia has long advocated. That would mean potentially putting the ITU and its member states in charge of deciding who gets to own which domain names or when to add or remove websites from the internets global addressing systemdecisions that may effectively shape what the internet looks like. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So it was a big relief for the U.S. and its allies when the American candidate, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, beat former Russian deputy telecommunications minister Rashid Ismailov, with 139 votes to Ismailovs 25. It was a sign not just that the United States could control the agenda of the ITU for the next four years but, much more importantly, that the large majority of voting members were supportive of U.S. leadership at the organization, and more broadly, supportive of the U.S. goal of maintaining a model of internet governance where governments are not the final decision-makers about how to distribute online resources like IP addresses and domain names; civil society, corporations, and other stakeholders have a say, too. That was a particularly big deal because many more countriesnot just Russiahave been skeptical of that model of governance in the past, and wary of how much influence the U.S. wields over the internet. Advertisement But Bogdan-Martins decisive victory suggests that Russias war with Ukraine has alienated many of the other countries that it might once have been able to muster to support a more government-centric model of internet governance. Where once Russia was able to rally nearly half of the ITU countries with accusations that the U.S. is too powerful when it comes to running the internet, now the vast majority of those same countries seem to prefer U.S. leadership to a Russian alternativeand thats a shift that could have profound implications for the future of the internet and who gets to run it. Its a striking example of how Russias invasion of Ukraine is thwarting its international ambitions related to the internet, an outcome that may well frustrate China, Russias long-time ally in rallying ITU members to oppose US leadership. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The ITU deals with international telecommunications issues like long-distance calling rates, radio spectrum use, and satellite orbits. It also develops some technical standards and helps promote broadband access. What it doesnt doand has never doneis actually administer any of the internets infrastructure or resources (like IP addresses and domain names). Partly, thats because a lot of internet infrastructure is owned and operated by private companies, and partly thats because by the time many of the ITU member states became interested in internet governance, the U.S. government had already signed a contract with a nonprofit organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers to manage critical internet resources. Unsurprisingly, many countriesespecially those like Russia and China that were suspicious of the United States particularly close relationship with ICANN, a nonprofit headquartered in Californiawere not thrilled with that arrangement. Up until 2016, for instance, the U.S. government held the power to veto some of ICANNs decisions about the internet under the contracts it issued to the organization. Even when the U.S. gave up that powerand stopped issuing contracts to ICANN altogethermany governments continued to believe that ICANN did not listen to them when making decisions. Russia, in particular, has long pushed for the ITU, where every member state gets one vote, to be the forum for internet governance instead of ICANN, where governments get no votes at all and instead offer input to the CEO and board through a Government Advisory Committee. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So even though the ITU is essentially a nonentity when it comes to internet governance, countries like the United States, which want to maintain the status quo of multistakeholder internet governance and prevent the ITU from seizing any additional power. Theyre worried that under Russian leadership, it might make a bid for some of ICANNs authority. Theres good reason to be concerned about that possibility, since it actually happened not so long ago. Advertisement The last time the United States squared off against Russia for a big vote at the ITU happened at the 2012 World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai, when all 193 members came together to negotiate the international treaty that governs telecommunications, the International Telecommunication Regulations. That vote hinged, in part, on the question of whether the ITU would assume some greater responsibility for global internet governance. Advertisement The United States and its allies pushed for the ICANN-run model of internet governance in which governments had no greater say than anyone else involved (except for, arguably, the U.S. government, since it was still four years away from giving up its administration of ICANNs contract at the timeand had not yet announced its intention to do so). Advertisement On the other side was a group of countries led by Russia and China, pushing for the ITU to assume more control over the internet so that all countries would have a vote and governments, not private actors, would be the ultimate authorities when it came to deciding how the internet was run. That might have meant government delegates, instead of the ICANN board, deciding whether a company like Amazon could own the .amazon top-level domain over the objections of the Brazilian and Peruvian governments, or whether to delist .ru domains from the internets addressing system at the request of the Ukrainian government earlier this year. It wouldnt necessarily have been disastrous for those decisions to be made by government delegations instead of ICANN, but there was also considerable fear that governments, due to their lack of understanding of how the internet works, might try to do other, more impractical things through the ITUlike dictate how their internet traffic was routed in ways that would be impossible for internet service providers to implement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, with 193 countries involved, this wasnt just a battle between the United States and Russiabut theres no question they were the two central figures in that fight. One op-ed in the New York Post at the time claimed that if delegates have their way at next weeks World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai, the man in charge of the Web will be a Soviet-trained apparatchik from Cold War days. Advertisement Advertisement The 2012 treaty negotiations were a mess. Even though the new treaty didnt actually wrest any authority from ICANN, 55 countries, including the United States and most of Europe, refused to sign it for fear it might move the ITU closer to assuming some control over the internet. But another 89 states did sign it, including Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, and much of the Middle East and Africa. Advertisement So while the United States and its allies were able to keep the internet out of the ITUs hands, they also realized that dozens of countries were fed up with how the internet was being run. Not long after, the Commerce Department announced that it was taking steps to stop administering ICANNs contract in order to make the organization more fully independent of the US government and in 2016 the last contract officially ended. Some U.S. politicians, notably Ted Cruz, decried that change as greatly endanger[ing] Internet freedom because it would make it slightly harder for the US government to intervene if ICANN made decisions it disagreed with. But that, of course, was exactly the pointthe change was supposed to appease the international community and reassure them that the internet was not under U.S. control. Advertisement Bogdan-Martins victory last week can be seen, in part, as evidence of the success of that maneuver. If dozens of ITU members were still suspicious of how much power the US wields over the global internet, presumably they would not have supported her candidacy. Advertisement But the dramatic drop in support for Russias agenda of having the ITU take control of internet resources cant be attributed just to the 2016 change in ICANN governance. Many governments still find ICANN a frustrating forum for their delegations and unresponsive to their interests. In 2012, 89 members sided with Russia in ratifying the new treaty and holding open the possibility that the ITU might eventually help administer the internet. The only plausible reason for that number to have dropped to 25 by 2022 is Russias war with Ukraine and how wary it has made ITU members of aligning themselves with Russia or its representatives. Its not a particularly surprising outcome given the current political climate, but its a striking one all the same because it suggests that Russias decisions with regard to Ukraine may fundamentally reshape the sides in the fight over internet governance. Now, it seems, its going to be much more difficult for Russia to work with China and other allies to limit U.S. influence over internet governance bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ten years ago, many ITU members viewed the United States as the aggressor when it came to internet governanceit was seen as a country that had parlayed its early investment in and development of the internet to controlling the global resources underpinning it that were now shared by the entire world. Some states worried at the time that the US government might shut off or otherwise manipulate their internet access thanks to their influence over ICANN. Last week, those concerns seemed to be much less prominent for ITU members than concerns about Russias aggression and instability. And if Russia cant effectively rally other governments against the existing model of internet governance, it may be that we can go at least another 10 years before it is seriously challenged again. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. On Feb. 15, a Telegram account called @truckersforfreedomglobal posted an update to its nearly 100,000 followers. Governments are after unvaccinated people, following them on social media and coming to their doors. What it is to be done? [sic] The answer: use a VPN, which makes it much harder for authorities to hack you. The author included an affiliate link for a virtual private network company, which pays a commission to the promoter for each click. The post was part of a flurry of online activity surrounding the trucker convoys earlier this year, which shut down central Ottawa for weeks. Its characteristic mix of paranoia and entrepreneurship, plus the fact that it appeared on Telegram, hints at the ways that the alt-tech movement has changed in the nearly two years since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In the aftermath of the violence that took the lives of five people, the social media app Parler, where planning for the attack took place and many rioters live posted photos and videos of themselves overrunning the Capitol, was temporarily shut down. Now, as the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol attack prepares for its final hearing, it is worth examining how alt-tech activists tactics have evolved since early 2021. Understanding how these networks operate, communicate, and solicit funds will be critical to efforts to curtail future violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A year and a half after the Capitol attack, the United States seems even more polarized and divided, with 1 in 5 Americans reportedly saying that they believe political violence is justified in some circumstances, according to a large-scale survey published in July by researchers from the University of California-Davis. The trucker caravan and the swift leap to Telegram as an organizing platform only one year after the assault on Congress are reminders that extremist currents are fast-moving and dynamic. The alt-tech movement and the far-right, anti-government, and white supremacist ideas and attitudes that birthed it are constantly adapting and evolving in concert with efforts to counter them. While startup alt-tech platforms like Parler and Gettr are still relevant, today the platform of choice for many alt-tech activists is the Russian-made, UAE-based social media app Telegram. The shift appears to be a direct response to U.S. tech industry titans efforts to regulate false and violent content on their services. Kicked off of Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, those who hawk spurious COVID-19 cures, protection against 5G radiation, and online anonymizing technologies have found a home on far-right Telegram channels. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The first real-world signs of these shifting dynamics appeared early this year in January and February when thousands of semi-trailer trucks crowded into downtown Ottawa, blocking traffic and disrupting daily life for residents. Organizers of the so-called Freedom Convoy launched the movement to protest mandates for COVID vaccines for anyone crossing the U.S.-Canada border, but the demonstration quickly morphed into a generalized right-wing populist uprising against government responses to the pandemic. What began in Canada soon spread to the United States and beyond. While the protests did not succeed in directly influencing policy decisions for either the U.S. or Canadian governments, they were successful in raising money and garnering public attention. $10 million in donations were made to the Freedom Convoy GoFundMe fundraising page, although GoFundMe subsequently froze the money on the grounds that the donations violated the platforms terms of service. In the immediate aftermath, the competitor site GiveSendGo received $8.7 million in donations in a matter of days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Before long, the convoy had inspired a wave of similar protests in the United States, including an effort to drive convoy traffic to Washington, D.C. There was a notable overlap in themes and tone as well as networks of supporters between both the American and Canadian Freedom Convoy protest movements and participants in the Jan.6 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, as reported in Mother Jones, Telegram became a key hub for planning similar protests in the United States and beyond. Telegrams light moderation touch and large user base made it the ideal place for anti-vax moms to meet anti-government truckers and form the digital grassroots of an increasingly global movement. Supporters began to see the Canadian trucker protest as a repeatable model, and soon Telegram channels popped up for trucker caravans around the world. Advertisement Advertisement Telegram is fast becoming a preferred platform of last resort for users who run afoul of other sites terms of service. Evolving from a peer-to-peer messaging service into one of the worlds largest social media platforms, Telegram takes a hands-off approach to content moderation. This has made it a haven for groups that are routinely deplatformed from other sites such as white supremacists, anti-government militias, and anti-vaccine activists. While the sites users skew toward India, Indonesia, Iran, and Russia, Telegram has seen robust worldwide growth in recent years, reaching 700 million users worldwide in June. In many parts of the world, its used by basically everyone. In the U.S. and Canada, though, its seen particular growth in certain niches, like the alt-tech ecosystem. Advertisement Advertisement Starting in February, we searched for Telegram channels with the largest amounts of followers and found that the highest-ranking channels at the time that mentioned truckers also mentioned the term truckers for freedom. We collected a years worth of data from 18 of these channels covering February 2021 through February 2022. While not a comprehensive review of all trucker protest-supporting Telegram channels, these data give us some insight into the kinds of conversations that occurred under the banner of a global movement. Advertisement In our analysis, very little if any of the content of these channels focused exclusively on the execution of a caravan protestwho should go where when. Instead, on the discussion was devoted to raising awareness, encouraging donations to specific links, and calling out notable individuals for attention. We also observed determined efforts in this virtual caravan to profit from anti-government protests. Advertisement In both the prominent channels and the smaller ones in our collection, appeals abound to protect oneself from radiation, surveillance, the poison jab, and the collapse of society. In turn, these channels hawk a comprehensive line of products to fit the bill. For example, a post on @truckersforfreedomusa from Feb. 13 advertised emergency food supplies with the warning that [o]nce it happens, its already too late. Advertisement Advertisement Other messaging emphasized health and wellness. One Feb. 15 post found on @freedom_convoy_messages_uncensored_news promoted an anti-cavity treatment capable of rebuilding teeth and gums almost overnight! Online anonymizing technology also figures prominently in the collection. For example, the popular channel @truckersforfreedomglobal relentlessly promoted the use of a VPN to protect oneself from prying government eyes, such as in a Feb. 4 post that stated they cant shut this funding down [sic] and urging readers to buy a VPN service. Advertisement This might seem like a bit of innocuous spam, but it tells us a lot about the connections within Telegram. The exact same offer linkposted by channel owners, not random usersappears in both @truckersforfreedomglobal and @freedomideasnovax. In fact, it appears in 64 different posts in our collection since Jan. 1, 2022. Going back to October 2021, the link occurs more than 200 times, originally posted by @freedomideasnovax. This pattern of two Telegram channels repeatedly posting an identical affiliate linkwhich funnels money to the links creatorsuggests a fundamental connection between the channels. The two channels may even share an owner. Based on industry averages for affiliate links and the wide reach of these channels, we estimate that at the height of the trucker convoys this single link may have earned as much as $3,000 per day. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The reach of a highly subscribed channel on Telegramand the ability of the platforms channel format to bring users together around a tightly curated stream of contentlends itself to online organizing. The channel host has authority about what content is broadcast, making it a handy go-to place for information and updates. The username of the administrator is also not displayed, with the channel name being listed as the author of posts instead. Because it provides both centralization and some degree of anonymity, the Telegram channel format lends itself to the interdependent activities of propagandizing and profiteering. The Telegram posts we examined make up a small volume of the overall activity online surrounding the 2022 trucker protests in the U.S. and worldwide. But they indicate a key dynamic to watch for as protests threaten to re-emerge in the United States surrounding both the 2022 midterms and former President Donald Trumps legal troubles. Protests are not just fundraising opportunities for big-name activists or political candidates. Rather, they create opportunities for smaller-scale entrepreneurs and opportunists to cash in, too. In turn, this incentivizes those benefiting to stoke the sound and fury of right-wing spectacle, creating a self-sustaining feedback loop that drives toward ever more extreme politics. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The trucker convoys also heralded Telegrams arrival as a major player on the alt-tech stage. With its growing user base, minimal moderation, and anonymity-friendly privacy policies, Telegram offers opportunities for broadcasting messages to potentially huge audiences with little risk of being deplatformed, moderated, or even identified. From Jan. 6, 2021, to February 2022, the use of alt-tech by right-wing extremists underwent a phase change. In the 12 months between the Capitol insurrection and the trucker convoy protest in Ottawa, Parler was deplatformed, then re-booted, while Telegram expanded its reach with 430 million downloads in 2021 alone. This shift demonstrates that the world of alt-tech remains fit and agile. That is, the political movements that use these platforms show a willingness to change and adapt to the most useful available technologies, and the landscape of those technologies is constantly shifting. Advertisement Advertisement Although the Jan. 6 Committee has worked to evaluate the role of social media and tech in fueling extremist violence, this scrutiny has been episodic. Understanding the rapidly changing terrain of alt-tech demands constant attention to multiple platforms that wax and wane in popularity. It might be tempting for policymakers at this stage to view events like the Jan. 6 attack and the trucker convoys as discrete episodes, but both are expressions of a durable and adaptable movement that sustains itself online between violent outbursts. To that end, Congress should consider holding a dedicated hearing to shine a light on what is clearly a permanent trend in our contemporary politics. Failure to do so could easily set conditions for another insurrection come 2024. Crystal Nguyen contributed research for this article. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Here are all the bank holiday days in Spain for 2023 Each community in Spain will enjoy at least five long weekends next year Every year in Spain there are a total of 14 compulsory holiday or red days, and 2023 will be no exception. These are made up of: 8 days which are mandatory across the country and cant be substituted by regional governments, unless they fall on a Sunday 4 days that can be moved around at the discretion of the local authorities 2 holidays that are chosen by each city council In 2023, every community in Spain will enjoy at least five long weekends, with the Friday and Monday mandatory days off throughout the country. These are: Friday April 7 (Good Friday) Monday May 1 (May Day/Labour Day) Friday December 8 (Immaculate Conception) Monday December 25 (Christmas Day) Friday January 6 (Three Kings) On top of these national holidays, several regions have chosen to add an extra one or two long weekends: Aragon (Community Day, Monday April 24) Asturias (Community Day, Friday September 8) Cantabria (Day of the Institutions, Friday July 28 and the Day of the Well, Friday September 15) Catalonia (Diada, Monday September 11) Valencian Community (Day of the Community, Monday October) Extremadura (Community Day, Friday September 8) Murcia (Day of the Region, Friday June 9) La Rioja (Community Day, Friday June 9) Ceuta (End of Ramadan, Friday April 21) Since Easter/Holy Week falls on Thursday April 6 and Friday 7, all of the regions in Spain (bar Catalonia) have decided to also make Holy Thursday a holiday. As Easter Monday on April 10 is also a holiday, La Rioja, the Basque Country and Navarra have opted to join both celebrations and enjoy a 5-day bridge. Madrid will also gain an extra bank holiday weekend next year thanks to May Day, the national holiday coinciding with May 2, the capitals Community Day. You might also like: These are the bank holidays in the Valencia Region in 2023 Image: Pixabay Drone, bridal veil, and metal rose among items found. Divers in one of the Slovak mountain lakes during clean-up (archive photo). (Source: Facebook/Statne lesy TANAPu) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled More than 100 kilos of rubbish was pulled out of four lakes in the Tatras last week as the summer tourist season in the mountains came to an end. Dozens of drivers dredged up a total of 112 kilograms of waste from Strbske, Popradske, Velicke, and Nove Strbske pleso as part of the 29th Clean Waters event at the end of the summer tourist season on the last day of September, Martina Petranova from the Tatra National Park Administration (TANAP) based in Tatranska Lomnica, said. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side. The majority of the rubbish - 82.5 kilos - was fished out of Strbske pleso, the TASR newswire reported. A team of 22 divers pulled up plastic cups, food packaging, construction waste and glass bottles from the lake. Among their more unusual finds were three metal rods that were probably once used to break ice, a bridal veil, a badge with a Tatra theme, a drone, and a shoe. The least amount of trash was found in Nove Strbske pleso, where six divers collected four kilograms of garbage. Another 9.5 kilograms of waste ended up on the shore of Velicke pleso, and 16 kilograms was found in Popradske pleso. "We were not pleasantly surprised by the amount of waste the volunteers managed to pull out today," Peter Spitzkopf from the TANAP Administration in Tatranska Lomnica, which is the main organiser of the Clean Water event, said. Spectacular Slovakia travel guides The government wants to support the father-child relationship from an early age. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Fathers will be entitled to two weeks of paid leave, even if the mother receives maternity or parental allowance at the same time. The novelty, which is adopted from the EU directive into the national legal order of Slovakia, will enter into force on November 1. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The goal is to support a more equal distribution of caregiving duties between women and men and to create a bond between father and child at an early age, as soon as possible after birth. Read also: Read also: FAQ: What to do after your baby is born in Slovakia Read more Parliament approved the change on October 4. How much father will get Fathers can apply for maternity benefit, known as materske in Slovak, within six weeks of the birth of the child. Fathers will get two weeks of paid leave regardless of whether the child's mother receives maternity or parental allowance. The average daily benefit per father has been estimated at 36.5 in 2022, 39 in 2023, 41.50 in 2024 and 43.50 in 2025. Paternity leave will not be paid for by the employer, but will be paid for by the Socialna Poistovna social insurance company from the insurance for ill health. Two periods According to the new rules, fathers will be able to divide their entitlement to materske into two periods. This means that after the birth of the child, the father will be able to request the benefit lasting a maximum of two weeks, and he can request the rest later. This period of two weeks will be included in the total period of 28 weeks, during which the father, while caring for one child, is entitled to materske even today. https://sputniknews.com/20221004/blinken-discusses-peace-agreement-with-armenia-azerbaijan-foreign-ministers---state-dept-1101513557.html Blinken Discusses Peace Agreement With Armenia, Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers - State Dept. Blinken Discusses Peace Agreement With Armenia, Azerbaijan Foreign Ministers - State Dept. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with his Armenian and Azerbaijan counterparts, Ararat Mirzoyan and Jeyhun Bayramov, on... 04.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-04T21:41+0000 2022-10-04T21:41+0000 2022-10-04T21:41+0000 world azerbaijan armenia us antony blinken /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/13/1100978196_0:126:3193:1922_1920x0_80_0_0_0204b72d439c20f62426d9a4bc996387.jpg Secretary Blinken expressed our appreciation for the positive steps Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking towards reaching a sustainable peace agreement. In a week that has been marked by too much violence, including the deaths of Armenian soldiers and Azerbaijani civilians in landmine explosions, he welcomed the meeting between the ministers on October 2 as an important step forward in the peace process, Price said on Tuesday.Blinken commended both sides for their decision to exchange prisoners of war and confirmed the US commitment to help them resolve all issues through diplomacy, Price added.On September 12, new clashes broke out on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border in an area unrelated to the breakaway region Nagorno-Karabakh region - also known as the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. Baku and Yerevan accused each other of ongoing shelling and reported losses in their ranks.By September 13, the parties agreed on a ceasefire that was reached thanks to talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian upper house of Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Grigory Karasin told Sputnik. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) reached an agreement to send a mission led by CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas to Armenia. https://sputniknews.com/20221004/baku-returns-17-armenian-pows-to-yerevan-through-us-mediation---armenian-defense-ministry-1101513265.html azerbaijan armenia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International azerbaijan, armenia, us, antony blinken LUSAKA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government will soon meet bondholders of a 750 million-U.S.-dollar Eurobond, which matured last month, to discuss how it could be restructured, said a senior official on Tuesday. The meeting will focus on restructuring the repayment of the Eurobond to the creditors, said Situmbeko Musokotwane, the Minister of Finance and National Planing. Since last month, the government has been seeking new terms of payments for Eurobonds including the deferment of the payment. Zambia issued three Eurobonds between 2012 and 2015, with the first worth 750 million dollars in 2012, the second 1 billion dollars in 2014 and the third 1.25 billion dollars in 2015. The first Eurobond was due for payment in Sept. 23 when it matured, while the government was scheduled to settle the second bond in 2024 and the third bond in 2025. https://sputniknews.com/20221004/le-pen-calls-french-officials-urge-to-wear-turtlenecks-infantilization-of-citizens-1101512571.html Le Pen Calls French Officials' Urge to Wear Turtlenecks 'Infantilization' of Citizens Le Pen Calls French Officials' Urge to Wear Turtlenecks 'Infantilization' of Citizens PARIS (Sputnik) - French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday accused the country's authorities of "infantilizing" the population for encouraging people... 04.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-04T20:47+0000 2022-10-04T20:47+0000 2022-10-04T20:47+0000 world europe france marie le pen energy crisis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/12/1100933313_0:0:2536:1427_1920x0_80_0_0_bc6bd98990f6fc5d2f4c8662b0c70d41.jpg "A few days ago, Economy and Finance Minister [Bruno Le Maire] explained to us that the French budget is calculated 'up to every euro'. This came before the wardrobe tips to spend the winter better, which were successful in the government, from warm sweatshirts to turtlenecks. I will not participate in this infantilization of our compatriots," Le Pen said at the National Assembly's meeting.Earlier this week, French media noted that many politicians have started wearing winter clothes, despite the warm weather, in order to promote energy-saving measures.On September 27, Le Maire tweeted a photo of himself smiling and wearing a blue turtleneck in his office. The minister said that employees of his department will dress warmer, wearing turtlenecks instead of ties to save energy.French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also came to the meeting wearing a warm jacket after her speech on Monday about France's readiness for the looming winter, despite the gas shortage in Europe.On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron recorded a video message to citizens, wearing a jacket and a turtleneck, which has become a new symbol of an energy sobriety program launched by the French government this summer.According to the program, France needs to reduce electricity consumption by 10% by 2024 to avoid shortages during the impending winter. The government called on enterprises and transport companies to submit concrete plans to reduce energy consumption. The governments energy-saving plans include limiting the heating in public buildings and government ministries to a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius.Since 2021, energy prices in Europe have been surging as part of a global trend. After the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 and the adoption of several packages of sanctions against Moscow by the West, fuel prices have accelerated the growth, pushing many EU governments to resort to contingency measures. https://sputniknews.com/20220928/frances-le-pen-urges-international-organizations-to-investigate-nord-stream-sabotage-1101305896.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International europe, france, marie le pen, energy crisis https://sputniknews.com/20221004/ukraine-nato-bid-could-trigger-world-war-yet-not-impossible---ex-us-official-1101512841.html Ukraine NATO Bid Could Trigger World War, Yet Not Impossible - Ex US Official Ukraine NATO Bid Could Trigger World War, Yet Not Impossible - Ex US Official WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Ukraine joining the US-led NATO alliance would pose an enormous threat to world peace and threaten a world war, yet the intellectual... 04.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-04T21:19+0000 2022-10-04T21:19+0000 2022-10-04T21:19+0000 opinion & analysis nato us europe ukraine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/06/1d/1096779496_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f9e3cdc39e3462c37a285e551d5d59b6.jpg "The danger that such a move would pose to global peace and stability, however, is absolutely no guarantee that it will not happen," Petro said.Last week, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected NATO to speed up his country's accession to the bloc following the referenda on joining Russia of Donbas, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.Petro, who served as State Department special assistant for policy on the Soviet Union under President George H.W. Bush, pointed out that joining NATO has long been an aspiration of the US-backed, weak governments in Kiev following the toppling of Ukraine's democratically elected government in the February 2014 Maidan coup.Publicly, top US and NATO officials have avoided endorsing Zelensky's demand.US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Friday that the best way for the West to support Ukraine was on the battlefield and suggested that the military alliance would take up Kievs bid "at a different time."However, the governments of nine Eastern European members of NATO have already issued a joint call for the Alliance to accept Ukraine.The document was signed by the presidents of the Czech Republic, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland and Slovakia.Petro said a widespread effort was already being made to prepare the public of Western nations to support Ukrainian accession to NATO even though it might trigger a disastrous global conflict."The preparatory intellectual work is already being done to 'normalize' world war. In a nutshell: since we are already at war, what's the big deal in acknowledging it?" he saidIn this context, immediate NATO membership could easily be justified as an "extraordinary circumstance," Petro explained.War hawks in the West were already rallying around the new talking points to justify increased confrontation, Petro warned."The script almost writes itself," he said.Andriy Yermak, the head of the presidential office in Ukraine, told Polish President Andrzej Duda that Kiev counted on Warsaws help in joining NATO. https://sputniknews.com/20220930/ex-us-secretary-of-state-kissinger-says-did-not-think-it-wise-to-include-ukraine-in-nato-1101391973.html https://sputniknews.com/20220928/china-in-the-crosshairs-why-natos-next-line-of-defense-will-be-south-china-sea-1101312790.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nato, us, europe, ukraine https://sputniknews.com/20221005/clear-about-not-speaking-to-pakistan-indian-home-minister-says-at-kashmir-rally-1101531241.html Clear About Not Speaking to Pakistan, Indian Home Minister Says at Kashmir Rally Clear About Not Speaking to Pakistan, Indian Home Minister Says at Kashmir Rally Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan came to a standstill in August 2019 when Delhi revoked Kashmir's autonomy and divided it into two union territories... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T11:28+0000 2022-10-05T11:28+0000 2022-10-05T11:28+0000 amit shah jammu kashmir border conflict pakistan pakistan-india relations militant /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/05/1101532660_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_d9e1ee86a71f69570a290c8cd8754de7.jpg ndian Minister for Home Affairs Amit Shah has said that he is clear in his mind about not speaking to Pakistan, criticizing regional politicians in Kashmir over advocating for a dialogue with Indias western neighbor.The comments were made during a public rally in north Kashmirs Baramulla district which has a sizeable population of Gujjar tribal communities and Pahari-speaking people.Shah further commented that while regional parties advise him to be mindful of Pakistan, the Modi government's main purpose is to uproot separatism and militancy in Kashmir.Furthermore, Shah accused the Indian National Congress Party, the Abdullah's of the regional National Conference and Mufti's of the Peoples Democratic Party of being responsible for the deaths of 42,000 people killed in the Kashmir conflict.Shah also attacked the regions Gupkar Alliance, a conglomerate of regional political parties advocating the return of special autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir revoked in August 2019.Those who support terrorism while sitting in the government were identified and action was taken against them, he further stated while attacking previous governments.The minister also stated that state-level elections will happen as soon as the pre-election exercise be completed. The last state elections were held in 2015. An alliance government of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), regions Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples Conference had come to power but fell in the summer of 2018 over key political differences.Meanwhile, strict security measures are in place in Kashmir as the ministers visit nears its conclusion. Earlier in the day, a civilian was killed in an accidental fire by security forces in south Kashmir. Four militants were killed in two separate gunbattles in the same region in the past 24 hours. https://sputniknews.com/20221003/official-position-us-envoy-under-fire-for-referring-to-pakistan-administered-kashmir-as-azad-jk-1101458206.html jammu kashmir Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Azaan Javaid https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/19/1094183852_0:0:1080:1080_100x100_80_0_0_1fd4d8740a02742b3f72f82306742213.jpg Azaan Javaid https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/19/1094183852_0:0:1080:1080_100x100_80_0_0_1fd4d8740a02742b3f72f82306742213.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Azaan Javaid https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/03/19/1094183852_0:0:1080:1080_100x100_80_0_0_1fd4d8740a02742b3f72f82306742213.jpg amit shah, jammu, kashmir, border conflict, pakistan, pakistan-india relations, militant https://sputniknews.com/20221005/ethiopian-government-accepts-african-unions-offer-for-peace-talks-with-tigray-rebels-1101524411.html Ethiopian Government Accepts African Union's Offer for Peace Talks With Tigray Rebels Ethiopian Government Accepts African Union's Offer for Peace Talks With Tigray Rebels The conflict, which broke out in November 2020 and has cost an unspecified number of lives, caused a severe humanitarian crisis in the region. A truce was... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T12:19+0000 2022-10-05T12:19+0000 2022-10-05T12:36+0000 africa ethiopia african union (au) tplf (tigray people's liberation front) peace peace deal /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/05/1101528965_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_bc5e959ce31bb60141912b849502d70a.jpg A National security adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Wednesday that the Eastern African country's government has agreed to hold peace negotiations with Tigrayan rebels after receiving an invitation from the African Union (AU).In a separate statement, the government, cited by Ethiopian Press Agency, however, did not provide the specifics of the proposed talks, but indicated that the AU has set "both the date and the venue."The statement, which comes more than a month after fierce violence restarted in northern Ethiopia, breaking a March truce and lowering the prospects of putting an end to the nearly two-year escalation of a conflict which has endured for decades, received no immediate comment from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the rebellious region and its forces.On Sunday, in order to combat a significant offensive by the Ethiopian government taking place to the north, the TPLF pulled militants from seized areas of the neighboring Amhara region due to the deployment of the Eritrean troops which reportedly returned to the battlefield in support of Ethiopia's federal and regional forces. The Eritrean government, however, did not confirm that it launched this move.The relocated rebel troops were placed in the southern region of Tigray. The Tigrayan authorities noted that the withdrawal had been going on for three days and could be stopped if the front came under attack once more.Notably, in early September, Tigrayan officials declared they were prepared to take part in talks mediated by the African Union. But since then, some military analysts assert, the conflict has only intensified. https://sputniknews.com/20221003/tplf-says-withdrew-troops-from-ethiopias-amhara-afar-to-meet-elusive-eritrean-offensive-1101478483.html ethiopia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Kirill Kurevlev Kirill Kurevlev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Kirill Kurevlev ethiopia, african union (au), tplf (tigray people's liberation front), peace, peace deal https://sputniknews.com/20221005/finland-removes-last-remaining-lenin-statue-over-ukraine-conflict-1101517537.html Finland Removes Last Remaining Lenin Statue Over Ukraine Conflict Finland Removes Last Remaining Lenin Statue Over Ukraine Conflict Vladimir Lenin, the founder of the Soviet State, has been venerated for being partly responsible for Finland's independence in 1917, which came less than a... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T05:39+0000 2022-10-05T05:39+0000 2022-10-05T05:39+0000 world europe news scandinavia finland russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/104614/82/1046148205_0:0:1133:637_1920x0_80_0_0_04bbaa5947f5c34d265e42d9597bc647.png Finland's last remaning statue of Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin has been removed from a public space in the city of Kotka and relocated to a warehouse.Earlier, Kotka City Council voted to remove the statue from the central square, citing Russia's special operation in Ukraine. Similarly, a petition requesting that it do so had been launched.The statue is part of an art collection belonging to City of Kotka, and its future fate will be decided by the local Kymenlaakso Museum, a process that may take years.Kymenlaakso Museum director Kirsi Niku said the museum's opinion is that the statue could well have remained in its original location.The statue of Lenin was a gift from Kotka's twin city of Tallinn, given in 1979.This is not the first instance where Finland has removed Soviet-gifted statues, citing the conflict in Ukraine as a pretext. The capital city of Helsinki took down a Soviet-gifted statue in August, whereas Turku removed a Lenin statue in mid-April.During the Soviet Era, Lenin was seen as the man behind Finland's nationhood. In 1917, the founder of the Soviet Union and the head of the burgeoning Soviet state granted independence to Finland, a former Grand Duchy of Russia. Following the start of Russia's special operation in Ukraine to protect the inhabitants of the People's Republics of Donbass, a number of European nations, including Poland, the Baltic States and Bulgaria, removed their Soviet-era monuments, including those of World War II heroes and liberators, emphasizing their apparent Russian connection. Russia denounced these steps as not only as desecration, ignorant of history, but also as a proof of the West having set a course to reincarnate fascism, in the words of Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova.Finland enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Soviet Union and, later, Russia, which included lively trade and economic cooperation. However, following the start of Moscow's special operation in Ukraine, it joined the West in launching several rounds of sanctions against Russia, bringing economic activity to a grinding halt. As trade plummeted to nearly non-existent levels, the Finnish-Russian Chamber of Commerce was rebranded as EastCham Finland, and now works with Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe, including Russia.Finland also restricted travel, stifled visa issuance and closed its border for Russian tourists in a move not merely symbolic, as visitors and shoppers from Russia have enriched numerous border communities. Lastly, the Nordic country is now seriously discussing fencing off parts of its eastern border with Russia as part of a general security beef-up, to the tune of millions of euros. This step, which undoubtedly will damage relations with Russia further, has been welcomed by Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin. https://sputniknews.com/20220915/slovak-authorities-level-cemetery-containing-graves-of-russian-wwi-soldiers-with-bulldozer-1100824474.html https://sputniknews.com/20220927/finnish-border-guard-wants-to-spend-hundreds-of-millions-of-euros-on-border-fence-against-russia-1101256165.html scandinavia finland russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Igor Kuznetsov Igor Kuznetsov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Igor Kuznetsov europe, news, scandinavia, finland, russia https://sputniknews.com/20221005/in-photos-south-korea--us-conduct-drills-in-response-to-dprk-ballistic-missile-launch-1101534290.html In Photos: South Korea & US Conduct Drills in Response to DPRK Ballistic Missile Launch In Photos: South Korea & US Conduct Drills in Response to DPRK Ballistic Missile Launch In the most recent escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired an intermediate-range ballistic... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T12:21+0000 2022-10-05T12:21+0000 2022-10-05T13:51+0000 military multimedia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/05/1101521789_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_e494d7b2e2a3af4064c16470e0e6b464.jpg In the aftermath of the missile launch by North Korea, and responding to the perceived threat from the DPRK, the US along with South Korea kicked off military drills in a move to show allies' capability to prevent "further North Korean provocations". The South Korean and the US fighter jets conducted precision bombing that fired weapons at a training target off South Koreas west coast. Also, during the exercise two sides successfully fired a total of four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles into the sea early Wednesday. Check out how the US-South Korean drills look like! 2 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International multimedia, "So far, from the press conferences that were held in Denmark and Sweden we have heard such alarming statements that any cooperation with the Russian side is excluded. We will certainly wait for some clarifications on this; we believe, of course, that the participation of Russia in the inspection of damaged sites and in the investigation of what happened should be mandatory," Peskov told reporters, commenting on whether the ban of the Swedish coast guard on the movement of ships within a radius of 5 nautical miles from the accident on the pipeline will mean that this zone will be put of reach for Gazprom and its contractors. https://sputniknews.com/20221005/military-expert-pentagon-threats-against-crimea-are-mere-rhetoric-part-of-info-warfare-1101548334.html Military Expert: Pentagon Threats Against Crimea Are Mere Rhetoric, Part of Info Warfare Military Expert: Pentagon Threats Against Crimea Are Mere Rhetoric, Part of Info Warfare Washington went so far as to claim on Tuesday that the high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) provided to Kiev can reach Crimea. In response, the... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T17:50+0000 2022-10-05T17:50+0000 2022-10-05T18:05+0000 opinion us russia ukraine crimea himars nato opinion & analysis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/09/1d/1101335388_0:7:770:440_1920x0_80_0_0_0d525dfa29fa2d8decef62ef36451912.jpg Pentagon representative Laura Cooper said that the rockets they supplied to Kiev can reach Crimea for precisely the same reason that Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed he is not against Ukraine using western weapons to strike regions which held referenda to join Russia, according to Scott Ritter, a military analyst and former US Marine Corps intelligence officer.The Biden administration earlier claimed that it would not recognize the referenda which saw overwhelming support of the people of the Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions for unifying with Russia. Likewise, the US did not recognize the 2014 referendum on the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the local government of Sevastopol. In March 2014, 95.5% of Crimean voters backed joining Russia. The plebiscite followed the US-backed coup detat in Kiev with ultra-nationalists and neo-Nazi paramilitary groups playing a prominent role in the regime change.Regardless of what Pentagon official Cooper and Secretary of State Blinken said, Washington's bellicose statements are just rhetoric, according to Ritter. Neither the United States nor NATO want a direct confrontation with Russia, he highlighted.'Rhetoric is Ahead of Actual Intent'Moreover, Russia and the US are now "in the midst of a very critical transition in the nature" of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, according to Ritter. After Vladimir Putin signed a constitutional law on making the regions part of Russia on October 5, the Russo-Ukrainian standoff transformed into a conflict between "a NATO proxy supported by the collective West" and Moscow.Ritter went on to project that the West is still struggling to come up with a plan on how to respond to the referenda and Russia's incorporation of new territories "without escalating the conflict into a direct struggle between NATO and Russia.""I think paying too much attention to what people say at this point in time is risky, because the rhetoric is getting ahead of actual policy () the policy is still being formulated," he presumed.Meanwhile, in the eyes of the West, Russia has gone "all in" by holding the referenda and by carrying out this partial draft mobilization, Ritter continued. According to him, "Russia has raised the stakes and that victory cannot be defined as anything less than total accomplishment of its goals and objectives of de-Nazification and demilitarization." Under these circumstances, the US and its NATO allies will try to prevent Russia from accomplishing either or both goals, which would be seen as Russia's "defeat" by the West, according to Ritter."For the West right now, victory against Russia is not defined by Ukraine defeating Russia. It is defined by Ukraine not being defeated by Russia," he explained. "So the goal of the West is to make the costs of Russia's ongoing participation in this special military operation or this military conflict so high that Russia cannot achieve its objectives, and therefore Russia is defeated not by losing the war, but by failing to win the war."Why UN Turning Blind Eye to US-Backed EscalationThe United Nations and other international institutions appear to have turned a blind eye to the admission that Washington knowingly provides Ukraine with weapons which can be used against Russian territory. Furthermore, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres previously expressed concerns regarding the referenda held on former Ukrainian territories as well as what he called "annexation" by Russia. Moscow criticized the UN chiefs statements, highlighting that Guterres had overstepped his powers by declaring non-recognition of the referendums."The United Nations is dominated by the United States, the United States has a history of putting pressure on international institutions and the constituent members of these international institutions to do the bidding of the United States," Ritter said. "That's what we're seeing. We're seeing a situation where the world is willing to accept, at face value, any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of Russia in Ukraine, but ignore real, fact-based evidence of Ukrainian atrocities, Ukrainian crimes."However, at the bottom of this UN hypocrisy is the fact that "Russia is facing a virtual existential conflict between it and the West," according to the military analyst. He underscored that the West is "committed to the destruction of Russia, not necessarily bombing it into oblivion, but to return Russia to the status of the 1990s, where it was a subservient, compliant, defeated nation at the mercy of a benevolent West." https://sputniknews.com/20220918/us-veterans-if-nato-didnt-want-ukraine-grid-hit-it-shouldnt-have-taken-part-in-kievs-offensive-1100916066.html https://sputniknews.com/20220921/checkmate-putins-address-marks-game-over-for-kievs-us--nato-backers-analysts-say-1101056726.html https://sputniknews.com/20220930/rules-for-thee-but-not-for-me-referenda-the-west-recognized-when-it-suited-them-1101393969.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova opinion, us, russia, ukraine, crimea, himars, nato https://sputniknews.com/20221005/new-push-to-get-ukraine-into-nato-shows-zelenskyy-running-out-of-props-1101515733.html New Push to Get Ukraine Into NATO Shows Zelensky 'Running Out of Props' New Push to Get Ukraine Into NATO Shows Zelensky 'Running Out of Props' WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's latest desperate attempt to convince Western politicians that Kiev can now join NATO is a sign... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T00:30+0000 2022-10-05T00:30+0000 2022-10-05T07:40+0000 opinion & analysis volodymyr zelensky us ukraine nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/0c/10/1091567690_0:317:3076:2047_1920x0_80_0_0_b97764c87e048874ee353d3715cf0168.jpg On Friday, Zelensky said that Ukraine was applying to join NATO in an expedited manner after the DPR, the LPR, the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions decided to join Russia."He is running out of props... so he is grasping at whatever mirage might save him," University of Pittsburgh Professor of International Affairs Michael Brenner said on Monday. "Thus, the idea of joining NATO."The fantasy that his Western masters would allow Ukraine to join NATO revealed the imaginary nature of the world Zelensky lived in, Brenner observed."Of course, it never will happen because it would mean all-out war with Russia. Even the lunatics in Washington are not that suicidal," he said.Zelensky is a TV producer and actor, Brenner added, who improbably finds himself the star player in a real life drama of historic importance.So, he must do anything that keeps the war going - not for Ukraine but for an American strategic victory - in other words, to bleed the Russian and weaken them, he said.The Americans felt no loyalty or special ties to Zelensky, whatever he believed to the contrary, Brenner stressed.Retired veteran Pentagon analyst Chuck Spinney commented that the NATO membership fantasy was an absurd aspiration even for Zelensky and that it revealed his fading grip on reality."It is beyond stupid. Which raises a question of why do it now? Has someone given him a green light or is Zelensky going off the rails?" Spinney told Sputnik. "My impression is that he is becoming more erratic. His quasi-Hitlerite stance of fighting to the last man to save territory may be an indicator of instability."Danger To PeaceCanadian political commentator and historian Matthew Ehret, vice president of the Rising Tide Foundation, cautioned that this pattern of increasingly bizarre public actions made Zelensky a greater danger to world peace, not less of one.Zelensky had been encouraged by Western intellectuals who still fantasized that, following the end of the Cold War, Western democracy as defined in Washington and London was the only plausible political and economic future for the human race, even though a vast majority of humanity did not live under it, and many of those who did were increasingly frustrated with their experience, Ehret observed."They have overplayed their hand and in their arrogance are still trying to hold on to an obsolete geopolitical script from the early 1990s that posited foolishly the doctrine that the end of history had arrived and a unipolar epoch was upon us," he said.These technocrats still refused to acknowledge that the world today was unlike anything their ivory tower models presumed possible and their scripts for a New World Order no longer applied, Ehret noted. https://sputniknews.com/20221004/ukraine-nato-bid-could-trigger-world-war-yet-not-impossible---ex-us-official-1101512841.html https://sputniknews.com/20220925/jerusalem-post-names-zelensky-worlds-most-influential-jew-1101216194.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International volodymyr zelensky, us, ukraine, nato https://sputniknews.com/20221005/pentagon-himars-rockets-supplied-to-kiev-can-reach-crimea-1101523471.html Pentagon: HIMARS Rockets Supplied to Kiev Can Reach Crimea Pentagon: HIMARS Rockets Supplied to Kiev Can Reach Crimea On Tuesday, Washington announced plans to provide an additional $625 million in military aid to Ukraine, a package that includes more deliveries of high... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T09:51+0000 2022-10-05T09:51+0000 2022-10-05T10:01+0000 russia us ukraine himars special operation aid security americas /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/05/1101525321_0:161:3067:1886_1920x0_80_0_0_209709e69f9c7b5a569d75e6f411edd8.jpg Laura Cooper, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian and European Affairs, has stated that HIMARS missile systems that Washington continues supplying to Kiev can reach the vast majority of targets, including Crimea.The remarks came as she announced the Biden administrations additional security aid to Kiev, which she said is valued at up to $625 million and which will contribute to meeting Ukraine's critical defense needs.Moscow Warns West Against Providing Kiev With Arms Shortly after Moscow kicked off the special operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, the US and its allies responded by slapping packages of severe sanctions against Russia and ramping up their military support for Ukraine.Moscow has repeatedly slammed the West for its weapon supplies to Kiev, with Russias Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warning that "any weapon, [and] any arms shipment on the Ukrainian territory" would be considered a legitimate target by the Russian military.For her part, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has recently stressed that Washington has once again demonstrated how much it has lost touch with reality, having actually become a party to the Ukraine conflict. According to her, further evidence of this is the US Congress recently agreeing on the allocation of a new assistance package to the Kiev regime worth almost $12 billion.Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted in his address to the nation in late September that the Wests current goal is to weaken, divide and ultimately destroy Russia. Putin referred to some irresponsible politicians in the West, who talk about plans to organize the supply of long-range offensive weapons to Ukraine, systems that are capable of launching strikes against Crimea and other regions of Russia. https://sputniknews.com/20220719/heavy-weapons-deliveries-to-ukraine-heighten-risks-of-world-war-iii-german-mp-1097580949.html https://sputniknews.com/20220927/more-americans-oppose-sending-military-aid-to-ukraine-without-diplomatic-efforts---poll-1101290478.html russia americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg russia, us, ukraine, himars, special operation, aid, security MOSCOW, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russia has declared the charge d'affaires of Lithuania in Russia, Virginija Umbrasiene, "persona non grata," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. An employee from the Lithuanian Embassy was summoned to the foreign ministry on Wednesday over the "unjustified expulsion of the Russian charge d'affaires in Lithuania" earlier this week, and was informed of Russia's decision, the ministry said in a statement. The Lithuanian diplomat has five days to leave the territory of Russia, the ministry said, adding that Moscow reserves the right to take additional measures if further hostile actions are taken by Vilnius. https://sputniknews.com/20221005/protests-spread-across-the-us-empire-us-wants-to-destroy-eu-liz-truss-administration-imploding-1101514715.html Protests Spread Across the US Empire; US Wants to Destroy EU: Liz Truss Administration Imploding Protests Spread Across the US Empire; US Wants to Destroy EU: Liz Truss Administration Imploding The fallout from US-inspired sanctions against Russia is causing significant blowback as the US empire sees rising protests throughout its system of vassal... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T08:50+0000 2022-10-05T08:50+0000 2022-10-05T08:50+0000 the critical hour israel australia & oceania bob menendez new world order radio sputnik north korea radio julian assange /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/04/1101514433_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_6214668d7ecd8f34ddc8fe0c1d23c73f.png Protests Spread Across the US Empire; US Wants to Destroy EU: Liz Truss Administration Imploding The fallout from US-inspired sanctions against Russia is causing significant blowback as the US empire sees rising protests throughout its system of vassal territories. Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents, joins us to discuss the rise of protests in the West. The fallout from US-inspired sanctions against Russia is causing significant blowback as the US empire sees rising protests throughout its system of vassal territories.Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss the Ukraine crisis. Russia's federal council has ratified the treaties on admission for the former Eastern Ukrainian regions. Also, NATO has said that it is not obliged to assist Ukraine, and we discuss Russia's withdrawal from Lyman.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist, joins us to discuss US foreign policy. A highly respected US intellectual was almost shut down as he told the truth about the Nord Stream attacks. Also, the neocon project in Ukraine is spinning out of control.KJ Noh, peace activist and writer, joins us to discuss Asia. North Korea has fired a missile over Japan. Also, Senate hawks push to get an aggressive bill through congress that would obliterate the one-China policy and China shows off its newest nuclear submarine.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestine activist, joins us to discuss the Middle East. A close relationship between Israeli intelligence and Hollywood has created a new marvel superhero, a Mossad agent. Also, Liz Truss admits that she is a "huge Zionist and supporter of Israel," and US sanctions against Syria are causing disease and poverty.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, joins us to discuss the new world order. Patrick Lawrence has an excellent article detailing the difference between a nation that uses force to project the illusion of power and one with the foundational properties needed to be strong.John Kiriakou, journalist, author and host of Political Misfits, joins us to discuss foreign policy. John Kiriakou traveled to Israel and England last month and was deeply concerned about Julian Assange and the Palestinian people.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik israel australia & oceania Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Garland Nixon https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/13/1082125302_0:0:239:239_100x100_80_0_0_d5d43c970b0740f228597fbcdb4ffd66.jpg israel, australia & oceania, bob menendez, new world order, , radio sputnik, north korea, radio, julian assange https://sputniknews.com/20221005/report-al-qaeda-claims-responsibility-for-burkina-faso-attack-amid-security-crisis-1101536628.html Report: Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility for Burkina Faso Attack Amid Security Crisis Report: Al-Qaeda Claims Responsibility for Burkina Faso Attack Amid Security Crisis On September 26, terrorists attacked a military convoy nearby Gaskinde, Burkina Faso. Eleven soldiers were killed and about 50 civilians were reported missing... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T16:43+0000 2022-10-05T16:43+0000 2022-10-05T16:43+0000 africa africa burkina faso france coup military coup terrorism al-qaeda /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/05/1101544297_0:143:3072:1871_1920x0_80_0_0_76c25f483a8dd02353b4ffe0d160d5c2.jpg An Al Qaeda* branch operating in the Sahel region has claimed responsibility for the September 26 attack in Burkina Faso, in which almost a dozen soldiers taking supplies to a town in the north died, according to Reuters, citing the SITE Intelligence Groups Tuesday statement.The Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen branch reportedly stated that the attack "caused significant economic losses to the enemy and led to a shakeup in the Burkinabe Army ranks, culminating in the military coup". Burkina Faso suffered a coup carried out by Captain Ibrahim Traore on September 30, as a result of which the previous government - headed by Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba - was removed.According to an International Crisis Group report from 2017, terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso severely intensified since 2015, and the north of the country, which neighbors Mali and Niger, suffers the most.So far in 2022, the African country experienced at least seven attacks.The deadliest attack of recent years happened on June 4-5, 2021, when over 160 people were killed in the Solhan village in northeastern Burkina Faso. According to the Crisis24 company's analysis, the Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimeen and Ansar-ul Islam groups are the largest armed groups in the country.The security problem is so significant that Burkina Faso's authorities are not able to control around 40 percent of the country's territory, a mediator from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stated in June this year.The country's security problems were one of the reasons that led to the military coup as officers leading the effort explained that their decision to remove Damiba from power was caused, among other things, by a failure to deal with an armed uprising by Islamist militants.The coup leaders also expressed their determination to deal with the security situation and, in particular, change their international security partners, effectively ditching cooperation with the French. Moreover, prior to the latest coup, the country saw multiple mass protests against the government's handling of security issues, during which some of the participants carried Russian flags.French troops were deployed in the Sahel in 2014 as part of Operation Barkhane, which looked to fight terrorists in response to the tensions growing in the Sahel after NATO forces removed Muammar Gaddafi in Libya in 2011. Experts believe that Gaddafi was able to contain the contradictions between the regional forces, which prevented the spread of terrorism.However, even after years of operating in the region, France failed to tackle the crisis, which caused multiple anti-French protests.In recent months, mass protests against the French military mission have arisen again in many countries of Western Africa due to the fact that the French troops' presence has not improved the security situation.* terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other states. https://sputniknews.com/20220930/burkina-faso-military-leader-deposed-constitution--transitional-charter-suspended---army-captain-1101395939.html https://sputniknews.com/20221004/protesters-hold-pro-russian-rally-in-burkina-faso-after-military-takeover---photo-video-1101508132.html africa burkina faso Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Olga Borodkina Olga Borodkina News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Olga Borodkina africa, burkina faso, france, coup, military coup, terrorism, al-qaeda https://sputniknews.com/20221005/swedish-ambassador-to-turkey-summoned-over-insulting-state-tv--content-reports-say-1101544320.html Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Summoned Over 'Insulting' State TV Content, Reports Say Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Summoned Over 'Insulting' State TV Content, Reports Say ANKARA (Sputnik) - Swedish Ambassador to Turkey Staffan Herrstrom was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Wednesday for allegedly "insulting" President... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T15:29+0000 2022-10-05T15:29+0000 2022-10-05T15:29+0000 sweden turkey ambassador /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/103821/18/1038211810_0:7:1600:907_1920x0_80_0_0_5ff9667ad661de944c2c9846a1388864.jpg Swedish ambassador in Ankara was summoned to the foreign ministry in connection with insulting content of a show that ran on the Swedish state television, which was allegedly directed against Turkey and Erdogan, the Turkish Star newspaper said.Herrstrom was told that the "impertinent and ugly expression and images" regarding Erdogan and Turkey shown on state television were "unacceptable," according to the newspaper.The move, which further exacerbates already strained relations between Ankara and Stockholm, comes at a time when a Swedish delegation is visiting Turkey from October 5-6 for talks on accession to NATO. The delegation is also holding talks with their Turkish counterparts on the extradition of individuals designated as terrorists by Ankara. sweden turkey Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International sweden, turkey, ambassador https://sputniknews.com/20221005/the-onion-files-a-semi-serious-amicus-brief-to-the-supreme-court-1101516813.html The Onion Files a (Semi) Serious Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court The Onion Files a (Semi) Serious Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court Satirical news website The Onion filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of a lawsuit filed by Anthony Novak, who was arrested for making a... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T03:18+0000 2022-10-05T03:18+0000 2022-10-05T03:18+0000 americas us the onion u.s. supreme court satire first amendment /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/05/1a/1095807395_0:428:2881:2048_1920x0_80_0_0_df3ddf414b62de41528cbff425996685.jpg Six years ago, Novak, who resides in Ohio, was arrested after posting six times on the Facebook page with satirical posts and charged with a felony under a law that made it a crime to disrupt police functions using a computer. He was acquitted of the charges and sued the police officers who arrested him, saying they violated his First and Fourth Amendment rights.However, the US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled against him, saying that the police had probable cause to believe that the speech was criminal and they were protected under qualified immunity, which protects police and politicians from civil lawsuits unless clearly established rights have been violated.The court also argued that parody is not protected speech unless the author warns the public that the content is fictional.In its brief, which was predictably littered with bits of satire itself, The Onion contends that not allowing Novaks case to proceed would allow government officials to attack people who make fun of them. They also argue that if satirists were required to prewarn their audiences that their content is satire, it would lose not only its humor but also the forms unique ability to criticize institutions and society.Novaks posts included a fake advertisement announcing that the Parma Police Department was hosting a pedophile reform event where participants would be able to have their names removed from the sex offender lists and become honorary police officers if they completed puzzles and quizzes. Another said the department had discovered an experimental technique for abortions and would be providing them for free in a police van. A third post said the department was banning citizens from feeding homeless people, in an attempt to lessen the homeless problem through starvation.The Onion brief argues that those posts would have been recognized as satire or parody by any reasonable reader and points to several court cases that ruled that disclaimers are not necessary, including NYSE v. Gahary, a 2002 case in which a satirist posted obscene and vulgar messages online under the persona Richard Grasso, which was the same name as the CEO of the New York Stock Exchange. https://sputniknews.com/20221005/what-is-fat-bear-week-it-starts-tomorrow-and-its-beefy-1101516155.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino us, the onion, u.s. supreme court, satire, first amendment https://sputniknews.com/20221005/uk-home-secretary-accuses-tory-rebels-of-trying-to-oust-truss-after-kwartengs-u-turn-on-mini-budget-1101528714.html UK Home Secretary Accuses Tory Rebels of Trying to Oust Truss After Kwartengs U-Turn on Mini-Budget UK Home Secretary Accuses Tory Rebels of Trying to Oust Truss After Kwartengs U-Turn on Mini-Budget On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Liz Truss made it clear that she continues to have confidence in her Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, who earlier announced the U-turn... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T10:23+0000 2022-10-05T10:23+0000 2022-10-17T19:43+0000 world uk liz truss kwasi kwarteng government cost of living budget /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/0a/05/1101528161_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_5742996eea7506f35fbf185f172c5bc8.jpg UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman has accused Conservative Party rebels of trying to stage a coup and undermine Prime Minister Liz Truss in an unprofessional way following the governments U-turn on its mini-budget plan to scrap a 45% income tax rate for top earners, part of what The Guardian described as open warfare in the PMs cabinet.The home secretary was supported by Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke, a close Truss ally, who said that Suella speaks a lot of good sense, as usual.Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch, however, lashed out at Braverman over her remarks, saying that she doesnt think its necessary for MPs to talk about coups.An array of backbench MPs, including Simon Hoare and Steve Double, made it clear that they had been standing by their constituents in opposing the abolition of the 45% income tax rate.Doing what we believe to be right for our constituents is not a coup or unprofessional. Its called doing our job as backbench MPs. If this is the approach the cabinet take, were in for a bumpy time, Double argued, while Hoare insisted that representing ones constituents is not a coup.This came after Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng conceded in his speech during the Conservative Party Conference that his mini-budget, which was announced on September 23, had caused "a little turbulence," adding that the government will forge a new deal to help ensure economic growth in the country.The chancellor unveiling the mini-budget triggered a backlash from Conservative MPs amid ensuing financial turmoil, the pound plunging to a record low since 1971 and mortgage lenders pulling a spate of key deals. https://sputniknews.com/20220930/almost-half-of-uk-citizens-say-starmer-would-be-better-prime-minister-than-truss-poll-shows-1101365726.html https://sputniknews.com/20220923/british-chancellor-unveils-mini-budget-to-tackle-runaway-inflation-1101117219.html Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg uk, liz truss, kwasi kwarteng, government, cost of living, budget https://sputniknews.com/20221005/west-seeks-to-move-hostilities-from-ukraine-to-russian-territory-security-council-head-says-1101523315.html West Seeks to Move Hostilities From Ukraine to Russian Territory, Security Council Head Says West Seeks to Move Hostilities From Ukraine to Russian Territory, Security Council Head Says SEVASTOPOL (Sputnik) - The United States, the United Kingdom and their satellites want not only to drag out the Russian special military operation but also to... 05.10.2022, Sputnik International 2022-10-05T07:45+0000 2022-10-05T07:45+0000 2022-10-05T07:45+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine russia ukraine nikolai patrushev nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e6/08/13/1099752731_0:24:943:554_1920x0_80_0_0_0b33002ec581f0188e187959be8b04b0.jpg "The Anglo-Saxons", who have long been the main sources of instability in the world, want to push Russia and Europe into a military confrontation for their own benefit, the official said, adding that their main goal is to suppress Russia, and to preserve the unipolar world.He stated that NATO is in fact fighting against Russia, providing data, weapons and ammunition to Kiev, planning operations against Russia and threatening to use weapons of mass destruction. Patrushev also stressed that peace talks between Moscow and Kiev were disrupted by the US.Since February, Russia has continued to conduct its special military operation, aiming to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine. Russian forces have liberated vast territories in Donbass and southern Ukraine from Kiev's troops, and following the referendums they decided to join the Russian Federation. russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2022 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russia, ukraine, nikolai patrushev, nato Trotting filly Stella Volo garnered the highest tag of the 235 yearlings sold during the third session of the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 5). Stella Volo, a daughter of Six Pack from the Windsongs Legacy mare No Im Not, sold for $250,000 to Fred Kruszelnicki of Brooks, Alta. The filly, sold as Hip No. 528, is the sixth foal from the mare, whose progeny includes three winners of over $200,000. She was consigned by Kentuckiana Farms. Another trotting filly attracted a large price tag with the session's second-largest purchase Midwind Dolce, selling as Hip No. 396. The daughter of Father Patrick, from the Donato Hanover mare Boccone Dolce, sold for $215,000 to Euro Stall SE of Berlin, Ohio. She was consigned by Peninsula Farm and is the fourth foal from the mare, who is a half sister to champion trotting mare Bella Bellini. Brittany Farms-consigned yearling Gifted One, Hip No. 419, sold for the third-highest price when leaving the ring at $180,000 to Tony Alagna of Manalapan, N.J. The filly by Captaintreacherous is the first foal from the Artspeak mare Creative Power, who is a three-quarter sister to millionaire Western Fame. Rounding the largest purchases of the session are a trio of yearlings, all colts, that sold for $170,000. Secret Agent Man, Hip No. 450, was consigned by Brittany Farms and sold to Andy Miller Stable Inc. of Millstone Twp., N.J. The son of Chapter Seven is the first foal from the Trixton mare Feel The Magic, who is a half sister to half-million-dollar-earner Master Of Law. Next came Vincendi Blue Chip, selling as Hip No. 473, to Determination of Montreal, Que. The Blue Chip Farms-consigned colt is a son of Bettors Delight from the Art Major mare Incredible Beauty and is the seventh foal from the mare, who is a full sister to Precocious Beauty and a three-quarter sister to North America Cup champ Sportswriter. Last for the $170,000 tag was Cincinattus, Hip No. 593. Amanda Fine of Guelph, Ont. purchased the son of Sweet Lou, from the Western Terror mare Weapons Against, from consigner Vieux Carre Farms. The colt is a full brother to stakes-placed Lyons Night Hawk and is the fifth foal from the mare who is a half sister to Meadowlands Pace winner A Rocknroll Dance. Sales from session three totaled $11,994,000 up from 2021's figure of $10,169,000. The sale average from the session also hopped from $47,594 in 2021 to $51,038 this year. Through three sessions, 584 yearlings have brought $55,494,000 for an average of $95,024, up from 2021's total through three sessions of $46.6 million. IMPORTANT LINKS Trustworthiness, responsibility, citizenship, cooperation and respect are values celebrated artistically through a mural recently completedunder the guidance of a school parentin the main hall of Culpeper County's A.G. Richardson Elementary School. When artist Stacy Ridgeway moved with his family to Culpeper this year, the father of a kindergartener and a fifth grader wanted to get all students involved in the creative project, according to Laura Hoover, Culpeper County Public Schools spokeswoman. He did it to say thank you to the school. Children worked hand-in-hand over a week in September to create the mural with Ridgeway, CEO of Mural Mural on the Wall, a mascot, cartoon and painting company he founded in 1986. Under the Atlanta natives guidance, the company's latest work was drawn from the 2021 Universal Pictures film "Dear Evan Hansen, an adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical. In Culpeper, Ridgeway engaged students in painting the mural through a layering process. During their art class, children worked on the masterpiece, which spans more than 40 feet. Fifth-grader Cayson Wade was glad he had the chance to be part of the effort. "It was wonderful to paint the mural because it will be here for many years, Wade said. Third-grader Sapphire Mack shared her positive experience. I felt happy and calm when painting, especially with the music playing," she said. "The finished project was awesome!" Students were excited to know they would be part of painting the mural, Principal Temesha Dabney said. Including our students in the process signified a sense of pride and comradery among students in various grade levels, Dabney said. Students will now be able to see the mural for years to come and know it is a representation of their work. The colorful mural includes images of athletes and the state of Virginia, also features science and the arts. Assistant Principal Erica Hoy described the work as a stunning representation of the school's bulldog community spirit. Teachers, students and parents worked together under the creative eye of Mr. Ridgeway to design a mural that visually brightens our day and inspires everyone passing by, Hoy said. The core message is not only instructional, but also inspirational as it reminds us that, together, we can be amazing students and community members. Ridgeway started painting murals in college. He has painted them across the United States since forming his company more than 30 years ago. While painting in the Culpeper school, he discussed his favorite kind of murals, which include wild animals. Ridgeway especially likes tigers and bulldogs because of their character. He worked with school administrators to decide what to include on the wall at A.G. Dabney offered a sincere thank-you to the muralist for sharing his talent. This project definitely had a positive impact on our current students and will be something we can all treasure for years to come, the school principal said. See Muralsonthewall.com and @muralsonthewall on Twitter and Instagram. U.S. House members have introduced a resolution to support human-rights protests in Iran after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Co-sponsored by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the measure condemns the Ayatollah regime's oppression of the Iranian people, the congresswoman's office said in a statement Tuesday. On Sept. 14, Irans morality police arrested Amini, alleging she wore a hijab incorrectly. The young woman died shortly after being detained. In response, Spanberger joined the resolution to denounce the Iranian regime's violence and oppression. U.S. Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., led the measure, which was also joined by Reps. Maria Salazar, R-Florida, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. Devastating images of government thugs oppressing women and violently attempting to stifle peaceful protests have been published in the weeks since Aminis murder, Spanberger said in a statement. "Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle need to make clear that the American people stand with the thousands of Iranians who are marching for their basic freedoms and fundamental human rights, she said. Kim added that there is nothing moral about brutally beating and killing a young woman. I stand with the thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets of Iran ... to protest the Ayatollah regime by cutting their hair, burning their hijabs and demanding accountability and freedom, Kim said. This resolution will demonstrate to the Iranian people that the United States stands with them. Salazar said the United States has always stood firmly for freedom. As the daughter of Cuban exiles, I am proud to join my colleagues and stand with pro-democracy activists in Iran rallying against tyranny," he said. "We denounce, in the strongest terms, the violent and barbaric tactics of the Iranian regime against so many courageous Iranians, especially women like Mahsa Amini, who are rejecting religious extremism and demanding the right to representative government." According to the House resolution, presented on Sept. 27, Amini died three days after being arrested and taken to police headquarters. She was transferred to a hospital in a coma and died from internal injuries. Her family has said she did not have any preexisting health conditions. Since protests broke out in Iran, security forces have fired on crowds, killing men, women and teenagers, the resolution states. Iranian state media report that 41 have died in the protests, while other reports suggest the number is higher. The resolution calls on the Treasury secretary to continue sanctions against Iran. It also calls on the U.S. secretary of state to use America's voice and vote in international organizations to urge adoption of more resolutions condemning Amini's death and to unequivocally express support for the Iranian people and their desire for a free, fair and democratic Iran. Students and teachers at Westmoor Elementary started their day with a breath of fresh air on Wednesday in recognition of International Walk to School Day. School leaders encouraged students to walk to school from home if they were able, and drop sites were set up for students who live farther away or ride the bus so no one would miss out on the experience. International Walk to School Day has been getting students to enjoy this healthy practice for 26 years. Westmoor teacher Jennifer Schwartz has organized participation at her schools for most of her career. It cuts down on our traffic congestion, it cuts down on pollution, and it enforces the importance of neighborhood schools and communities, Schwartz said of walking to school. Just simply walking to school has so many benefits. And it can also be fun. Schwartz previously taught and advocated for walking to school in Gering, and many schools there are still taking part in International Walk to School Day after her departure. When students arrived at Westmoor on Wednesday morning, they were treated with time to play and interact with athletes from Scottsbluff High School and Western Nebraska Community College. Schwartz said that spending time with role models is one of the highlights of the annual event. I dont know if high school kids really understand the magnitude of their ability to mentor kids, and I dont think that should ever be taken lightly, Schwartz said. I hope that high school athletes, college athletes understand the role they play in our students lives and that they never disregard that. At a short assembly in the Westmoor gymnasium, Schwartz had a conversation with students about why walking to school was important. Obviously, the physical fitness component, she said. Being able to walk and talk with people, youre coming into a classroom in a good mood, so it helps you with some academic success. A short skit followed, highlighting the many ways that students can get to school. Some examples included bicycles, roller skates, even galloping on wooden horses. Scottsbluff Mayor Jeanne McKerrigan read an official proclamation detailing the citys commitment to protecting students and recognizing the impact of walking to school. Partnership with the city and the community was one of the most important aspects of the event to Schwartz, who has a passion for making the neighborhood safer for kids. This passion is fueled by the memory of a past student who was lost in a tragic accident. I had a student that passed away was hit by a car, Schwartz said. That was really motivating for the school and the community to really step up and bring together our efforts to help encourage kids to walk to school but to be able to do it safely. Schwartz believes that by encouraging students to walk to school and highlighting the need to protect those who do, resources can be allocated for improving the safety and accessibility of neighborhood schools and the community that surrounds them. Schwartz has already had an impact on the safety of local kids. When I was at Northfield, the city and the state provided funding for my program so that we were able to build a walkway that is parallel to Highway 71, right there on Country Club (Road), Schwartz said. So that came as a result of me pushing the importance of walking to school. As important as safety is to Schwartz, she also wants to shine a light on accessibility for all students and advocate for infrastructural changes that prevent it. Are there places where our handicapped children cannot (participate) because we dont have the curb cuts? Schwartz asked. It helps us address some of those issues so we can maximize the amount of participation and that all kids are able to do this. Addressing those issues requires a close partnership with local government, and Schwartz said that McKerrigan has been on-board from the start. Walk to School Day is a passion project for Schwartz, but she receives help from fourth and fifth grade students and teachers alike. To incentivize students to continue this healthy habit, Westmoor gave all participants a bracelet or necklace. Every Wednesday that they walk to school from here on, they will receive a charm that can be added to it. BRUSSELS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Train services were severely disrupted in Belgium on Wednesday, after rail unions staged a 24-hour strike over working conditions and wages. The strike began at 10 p.m. Tuesday, with disruptions expected until late Wednesday evening. Initially scheduled for Oct. 18, the strike was brought forward to put additional pressure on the authorities during the discussion of the 2023-24 budget. The rail unions were protesting against the lack of structural means granted by the federal government to the National Railway Company of Belgium (SNCB). They also called on the federal government to adjust its railroad budget to allocate more resources to dealing with staff shortages, and deteriorating working conditions. The General Central of Public Services (CGSP) told the Belgian online newspaper 7sur7 that due to a rise in staff shortages and sick leave rates, roughly 22,000 trains were canceled this year. LINCOLN The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services/MLTC Division will visit communities across the state as part of its upcoming Medicaid listening tour. Moving Forward with Medicaid: A Listening Series will take place across seven cities, including Scottsbluff, as well as a virtual option. The listening tour will include a presentation from Nebraska Medicaid that will focus on new information for members, including the newly selected provider contracts and other important updates. After the presentation, time will be reserved in which members of the public can ask questions or give feedback. Our listening tour earlier this year reinforced for us the value of regularly hearing from stakeholders, Medicaid Director Kevin Bagley said. We want to build on that by sharing our vision for the future of the program and hearing from members and providers about their priorities as well. Information for the Scottsbluff and virtual session are as follows: Virtual Wednesday, Oct. 12, 10-11 a.m (CDT); Hosted via WebEx, please use this link to join, or go to https://bit.ly/3fLQkKg. Participants can listen via phone at 1-408-418-9388, meeting number 2489 961 3487 Scottsbluff Monday, Oct. 17, 6-7 p.m., (MDT), Scottsbluff High School Board Meeting Room, 313 E 27th St. ALLIANCE United Way of Western Nebraska is "Fighting Hunger in the Community" kicking off its efforts with the first of seven planned food distributions on Tuesday, Oct. 4 in Alliance. The distribution is part of United Ways efforts in Western Nebraska to fight hunger in Western Nebraska by distributing necessary food to food insecure families including seniors, low-income families and those experiencing food insecurity. Fighting Hunger in Our Community provides each household with several complete meals including non-perishable items, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and dairy products for local families. The first event held in Alliance on Oct. 4 served 100 families. Volunteers from United Way, Healthy Blue Nebraska, Farm Credit Services of America, FNBO and Bank of the West packed the food items in reusable bags for each household. The next event is scheduled in Scottsbluff and Gering on Thursday, Oct. 18 with plans for additional events in Chadron, Sidney, Crawford, Kimball and other areas throughout western Nebraska. This event is made possible by Healthy Blue Nebraska, Farm Credit Services of America, Platte Valley Bank, Arbys Foundation, Medica, Alliance Community Pharmacy, Sandhills State Bank, TEAM Auto Center, Walmart, ALLO and donations earmarked to fight food insecurity. To learn more about United Way, please call the United Way office at 308-763-8031 or email kbenzel@uwwn.org BELLEVUE A Bellevue man who fatally shot his wife will spend the rest of his life in prison, a judge announced Monday. Lovell Jones Jr., 44, had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and firearm use in connection with the Jan. 22 death of his wife, 40-year-old Deyvonndra Jones. Monday, Sarpy County District Judge Stefanie Martinez sentenced Jones to 70 years to life on the murder charge and 35-50 years on the firearm charge, with the sentences to be served consecutively. Under state law, which generally cuts sentences in half, and the mandatory minimum sentence on the firearm charge, Jones must serve at least 55 years in prison. Authorities went to the couples home near 22nd Avenue and Jefferson Street at about 10:45 p.m. Jan. 22 after Jones had called police. He told them that he had shot a woman in the home while a child was sleeping upstairs. Deyvonndra Jones had been shot several times and suffered at least one gunshot wound to the head. The child was not injured. Deyvonndra Jones was taken in critical condition to Nebraska Medical Center, where she later died. Since she was just a little girl, Erin Beinstock has been a runner. So, when she was presented with the challenge of organizing a community service event for her sophomore year project for South Iredell High Schools International Baccalaureate program, she knew immediately what she would do. With that, the Health and Wellness Family 5K and Fun Run was born. After spending a lot of time running in similar events, Beinstock, along with her charity partner FeedNC, is hosting her own. Ive always loved going to 5K events, she said. To get a chance to put one on and work with a charity like FeedNC has been really fun. The event, which will take place at the Lowes YMCA in Mooresville on Sunday, is set to benefit FeedNCs program Building Healthy Habits, which is planned to debut after the completion of the charitys new facility on U.S. 21. Building Healthy Habits will serve as an after-school program for kids in grades two through five with the goal of teaching them how to develop a healthy lifestyle through educational activities centered around cooking classes, stress management, exercise and more. The program also will be offered for free to families who are struggling financially. FeedNC has been super supportive of the event and has been helping me generate ideas, Beinstock said. Ive always loved helping kids in need, too, so this all has been great. Not everything has been easy for the young organizer, though. Since beginning the planning, Beinstock has realized just how much goes into putting an event like this on and making it successful. Its been a new experience. I havent always been very comfortable reaching out to people and starting conversations, she said. But after a couple days of walking into businesses and asking about sponsorship, I got used to it and Ive really liked it. Beinstocks adventures in acquiring sponsors for the event have been very successful, particularly with businesses near the event site such as Brawley Animal Hospital, Brusters, Hoptown, Joshs Farmers Market and many more. Its been cool to see how generous people are, she said. To see the community come together for events like this is always cool. There will also be other things going on besides running at the 5K, such as a DJ, face painting, yard games and a raffle. To reserve a spot to participate in the Health and Wellness Family 5K, preregister at health-and-wellness-family-5k-fun-run.cheddarup.com. The cost to register is $25, and all proceeds go directly to FeedNC. For information, visit the runs website at sites.google.com/view/health-and-wellness-family-5k/home. A Longview man pleaded guilty to sexual crimes involving two different minors as far back as a decade ago, when he was also under 18, and was sentenced Monday in Cowlitz County Superior Court as if he was still a minor. Taylor Andrew Porter, 21, received five years of supervision under the Washington State Department of Corrections for both cases. Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Patricia Fassett said if he didnt follow DOC and treatment provider orders, he could serve 28 months, or a little over two years, in prison. Fassett said if this had been discovered eight to 10 years ago, Im sure Mr. Porter would have received this alternative sentencing to prison, in regards to the older case, which occurred when he was around 12 and the victim was about 6 years old. In that case, Porter pleaded guilty on Aug. 17 to two counts of second-degree child molestation. On the same day, he also pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree rape involving a victim who was about 16 at the time, when Porter was around 17. Mr. Porter, these charges are obviously concerning, Fassett said. The courts hope is that you get the help that you need so none of this ever happens again. There is also clearly recognition that when these events occurred you were a juvenile and frankly didnt have the best circumstances around your upbringing. No-contact orders were placed to prevent Porter from communicating with either victim. He was ordered to pay $600 in both cases, with restitution to be determined later. Dozens of workers and supporters clad in purple picketed outside PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center early Tuesday afternoon, calling for wage increases amid strained staffing levels. SEIU Local 49 held informational pickets at St. John in Longview and PeaceHealth Sacred Heart locations in Eugene and Springfield, Oregon to show power and unity and send a message to management that we deserve a good contract, according to representatives. The union represents about 700 St. John employees, including CNAs, secretaries, medical assistants, pharmacy technicians, cooks, janitors, and other staff. SEIU, which stands for Service Employees International Union, has two contracts with St. John, one representing a larger group of positions and another with technical workers who voted to join in 2016. Negotiations began in June, and grossly underpaid employees are asking for wage increases and improvements to their health care plan, said Matthew Amata, CNA secretary and negotiation team member. The hospital has not responded with adequate changes that would make wages competitive or health care affordable, he said. Were hoping tomorrow will be the last day of negotiations, Amata said. But it wont be if they cant come to the table with something reasonable. In a statement, PeaceHealth said it respects staffs right to participate in activities such as informational picketing. Our shared focus remains on providing safe, high-quality and compassionate care to the people in our region, the hospital stated. We look forward to re-engaging in constructive, good faith bargaining. Our goal is to reach an agreement as soon as possible so our caregivers can benefit from the highly competitive improvements our offers would provide, and we can focus on our shared goal of serving our patients with the highest quality care. Amata said this is his third negotiation since joining PeaceHealth in 2002 and he thought discussions would be more collaborative after the pandemic. However, the union received nos across the board until August, when they started reaching agreements on some small things, he said. The union held the picket Tuesday to get information out to members and let them know the negotiation team is fighting for them, Amata said. We want to make this a place people want to work in the community, he said. Stephanie Brown, CT technologist, said technical workers havent been negotiating as long, but are asking for similar changes in their contract, which expired Sept. 30. Like other areas of the hospital, the imaging departments have seen staffing shortages as people leave the workforce or get jobs elsewhere, Brown said. The X-ray department dropped from 17 or 18 people before the pandemic to 10, she said. The hospital, like others nationwide, has hired traveling nurses and other staff to help fill gaps. Brown said while those people care, they arent invested in the community like regular employees, but are paid much higher rates. Were asking the hospital to invest in us, she said. SALEM Oregon Supreme Court Justice Thomas Balmer has announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Balmer, 70, said in a statement Monday that he had written a letter to Gov. Kate Brown announcing his retirement, calling it an honor and the privilege of a lifetime to serve on the high court. I have done my best to live up to my judicial oath to faithfully and impartially fulfill my duties as a judge, uphold the constitutional role courts play in our democracy and contribute to a justice system that strives towards equal justice under the law, he said. Balmer has been a member of the Oregon Supreme Court since 2001 and was chief justice from 2012 to 2018, overseeing the statewide Oregon eCourt system project, and rebuilding Oregons court system after severe budget reductions in the 2009 recession, among other projects. Without fanfare, he instigated and completed a myriad of projects designed to modernize and strengthen our courts and to increase access to justice, Supreme Court Chief Justice Martha Walters said in the statement. Brown said he has brought a keen legal intelligence, a commitment to hard work and a deep understanding of the state to the Supreme Court. Before serving on the court, Balmer, from Portland, worked in private practice, for the U.S Department of Justice, and as deputy attorney general in the Oregon Department of Justice. Brown said she is accepting applications to fill the vacancy. SEATTLE (AP) The first payments from a $518 million settlement with the nations three largest opioid distributors will begin reaching Washington communities in December, providing much-needed cash officials can use to hire first responders or direct toward prevention, treatment and other services, Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Monday. These significant resources will help Washington fight back against the opioid epidemic that continues to rip holes through the very fabric of our communities and of families, overwhelm our public health resources, and inundate our foster care system with young, innocent victims, Ferguson told a news conference in Seattle. Ferguson, a Democrat, rejected a national settlement with the distributors McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. as well as Johnson & Johnson that nearly every other state has accepted. Under that deal, the states will receive nearly $20 billion over 18 years. Instead, Washington spent six months in a complex trial against the companies before reaching its own settlement in May, one thats worth $46 million more than the state would have received under the national deal. Washington is also pursuing a separate lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson, which is expected to go to trial next year. Over the last two decades, the deaths of more than 500,000 Americans have been linked to overdoses of opioids, including both prescription pain kills and illicit drugs such as heroin. Deaths have recently skyrocketed from the spread of illegally produced fentanyl. The attorney general argued that the three companies shipped such a vast amount of drugs to Washington that it was obvious they were fueling addiction: Opioid sales in the state rose more than 500% between 1997 and 2011. In 2011, more than 112 million daily doses of all prescription opioids were dispensed in the state enough for a 16-day supply for every resident. In 2015, eight of Washingtons 39 counties had more prescriptions than residents. The companies insisted that they merely supplied opioids that had been prescribed by doctors, and it wasnt their role to second-guess the prescriptions or interfere in the doctor-patient relationship. Further, the companies argued, Washington state itself played a large role in the epidemic. In the 1990s, concerned that people in chronic pain were being undertreated, lawmakers passed the Intractable Pain Act, which made it easier to prescribe opioids. Nationally, the opioid industry has agreed to settlements totaling more than $40 billion. The $518 million from the settlement with distributors is coming to Washington over the next 17 years, with $55 million arriving in the first payment on Dec. 1. Some $476 million of the total will go toward combatting the opioid crisis, such as to substance abuse treatment; expanding access to overdose-reversal drugs; and providing housing, job placement and other services for those struggling with addiction. The rest of the money will go toward litigation costs. Washingtons settlement required approval from 125 cities and counties, which are receiving $215 million directly and which agreed among themselves how to split the money based on factors such as how many painkillers were shipped to their jurisdictions and how many residents died from overdoses. While Washingtons most populous county, King County, and its cities will receive $56 million, some smaller communities are receiving more modest amounts. Burien, a south Seattle suburb, is getting just $58,000. Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon, who is a registered nurse by training, said she expected that her city would pool its money with several other cities in south King County on initiatives that could include better crisis treatment centers for the region. Many of the cities are still thinking about what they can be doing, she said. Now that all 125 jurisdictions have signed on, it will be a lot easier to coordinate. Ferguson also declined to go along with a national bankruptcy plan for Purdue Pharma, maker of Oxycontin, and the Sackler family. In March, he and eight other attorneys general won an additional $1.2 billion from the Sacklers to help states, cities and tribes address the harms of the opioid epidemic. Washingtons share of the bankruptcy payout more than doubled, from $70 million under the original plan to $183 million. SALEM A jury has awarded a racial justice demonstrator more than $1 million in a federal lawsuit she filed in 2020 against the city of Salem accusing officers of violating her civil rights. Eleaqia McCrae, a Black woman, sued the city and the police department, accusing police of intentionally targeting Black people with deadly force during the protest, which followed the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by Minneapolis police officers in late May 2020. The jury found McCrae proved that Officer Robert Johnston shot her in the eye and chest with rubber bullets, and violated her Fourth Amendment right not to be subjected to excessive force, the Statesman Journal reported Monday. McCrae said the bullets caused permanent vision loss and a chest injury. The jury also found she did not prove by preponderance of the evidence that Johnston violated her First Amendment right to lawful assembly and that he committed battery against her. She was awarded $250,000 in economic loss and $800,000 in non-economic loss, the jury verdict documents said. McCraes attorney, Kevin Brague, said in the lawsuit that McCrae attended a demonstration on May 31, 2020, and after nightfall, people unrelated to the march arrived and began throwing objects. The demonstrators were then met by Salem police officers in full militarized gear, Brague said. McCrae said she, her sister and a friend were kneeling at the front of the march when police sirens blared and she was shot twice with rubber bullets. The city, through their lawyers, said McCraes injures, if any, were due to her own negligent conduct by failing to disperse the area when the protests were no longer peaceful and had at one point alleged McCrae was hit by an object thrown by another protester. My client, Ms. Eleaqia McCrae, is very grateful for the jury and their recognition and validation of the facts and circumstances of this case, Kevin Brague, McCraes attorney, said in an email to the newspaper. Salem officials said in a statement that they appreciate the jurys work on this case and respect their verdict. Sunspot AR3112 is on the verge of explosion. There is a possibility of an x-class solar flare eruption today that can cause radio blackouts on Earth. This week has been scary for Earth and latest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projections suggest that it is going to get a lot scarier. Just a couple of days ago, the USA suffered heavy radio blackouts due to an X1-class solar flare eruption on the Sun. The biggest effect was felt in Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina where rescue operations and disaster management missions are being conducted in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The eruption resulted in GPS and radio waves being blocked and these operations being delayed by hours. Now, the Earth is looking at another solar flare eruption which can be even more intense. One of the largest sunspots of the year, AR3112, can explode any moment and scientists are concerned about its consequences. The development was reported by SpaceWeather.com, which wrote, Behemoth sunspot AR3112 is poised to explode. NOAA forecasters estimate a 65% chance of M-flares and a 30% chance of X-flares today. Any eruptions will be geoeffective as the sunspot is almost directly facing Earth. Solar flare eruption can cause further blackouts on Earth While it cannot be predicted when the sunspot can explode, it is likely to happen over the next 48 hours. The previous solar flare eruption was caused by a smaller sunspot and it produced an X1-class flare. X-class is the most powerful category of solar flares. The numerical 1 represents the intensity in the class. So, an X2-class solar flare will be twice as strong as X1. It remains to be seen how powerful the eruption will be. The expected impact on Earth includes GPS disruption and shortwave radio blackouts but a more intense radiation burst can also trigger mobile network disturbances and power grid failures. This can propel a major communication blockade and can harm infrastructure and life. The DSCOVR satellite by NOAA is responsible for tracking such solar events and predicting space weather. It has various instruments to observe temperature, speed, density, degree of orientation and frequency of solar particles ejecting from the Sun and calculates their intensity. This data is then added to a prediction model that gauges if sunspots can emerge, if a CME burst is possible and whether a solar flare or solar winds can strike the Earth. In this coming 10.10 sale, Samsung Malaysia will be hosting another one on its Lazada and Shopee online stores. The company just announced that there will be various items on sale with up to 40% off and many more that you can get. According to Samsung, the exclusive 10.10 all-day RM100 vouchers will be up for grabs, alongside Samsung Brand Store Rate & Review upsized vouchers. Samsung Members will also have RM100 stackable vouchers with no minimum spending, as well as an additional RM99 off if you visit the Lazada Samsung Brand Store daily sign-in. Also, remember to save these voucher codes (SHP100PR or LZD100PR) for another RM100 off. There will also be limited-time deals with special prices up for grabs that you can view in the table below: Besides the Xiaomi 12T series, Xiaomi Smart Band 7 and the Redmi Pad, Xiaomi Malaysia also released two new vacuums. Depending on your choice, you can either get a Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+ or the Xiaomi Truclean W10 Wet Dry Vacuum series. The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+ is the latest in Xiaomi's robot vacuum lineup and is designed to help make cleaning easy. Paired with its intelligent base station, the device can empty trash in its dustbin, clean mop pads, refill the water tank, keep its mopping cloth moist, and self-dry to avoid moisture retention and odours when the machine is not in use. Designed to be fully automated, it is also specially adapted to clean every floor type. The mop can lift itself when the in-built ultrasonic sensor automatically detects carpets while picking up dust particles thoroughly with 4,000Pa suction power. Powered by the patented S-Cross AITM system, it can avoid every object on its cleaning path and also comes with a dual-line laser and an RGB camera for target detection. Next, the Xiaomi Truclean W10 Wet Dry Vacuum Series is the company's first-ever wet dry vacuum lineup. The series comes with two handheld models - Xiaomi Truclean W10 Ultra Wet Dry Vacuum and Xiaomi Truclean W10 Pro Wet Dry Vacuum. Powered by an intelligent dirt detection system, the in-built adaptive function enables the device to adjust the cleaning power automatically based on the amount of dust being identified. The Xiaomi Truclean W10 Ultra Wet Dry Vacuum (left) and Xiaomi Truclean W10 Pro Wet Dry Vacuum (right) The Xiaomi Truclean W10 Ultra Wet Dry Vacuum is equipped with a 75C2 high-temperature cleaning mode that can provide a more thorough cleaning session. It can also self-clean, refill with water, and dry itself automatically with an all-in-one smart base station. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Truclean W10 Pro Wet Dry Vacuum is specifically designed to cover larger spaces and has a 90-degree adjustable handle that helps clean below most furniture effectively. In terms of prices, the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum X10+ costs RM3799 and will be available for purchase soon. The Xiaomi Truclean W10 Wet Dry Vacuum Series is also coming soon, priced at RM3599 and RM2599 respectively. Every purchase of the new Xiaomi vacuum will grant a customer a free Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Compact. We will know when these new vacuums arrive in Malaysia. Until then, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com. Professor Itai Einav's team simulated Karin Einav Perez's artwork using physics. Credit: Professor Itai Einav, Dr Benjamin Leithon Art and science may seem light years apart, but according to a team of civil engineers they're simply different ways of making sense of the world. A new paper led by University of Sydney Professor of Civil Engineering, Itai Einav posits that the interface between art and science is not only a source of inspirationit can be used to unlock new scientific approaches and transform research, potentially leading to new insights. Published in Leonardo, the research investigated the paradigm of art-inspired science, analyzing the body of work "Everything Connects" by artist Karin Einav PerezProfessor Einav's sister. While science has long inspired art, the team wanted to explore whether art could also inspire science, after both siblings found themselves amused by the possibility that Everything Connects may retrospectively connect their corresponding interest in pattern formations on canvas and in geology. "While the disciplines are vastly different, both art and science seek to interpret the world around us. They offer different perspectives that should be more routinely combined to mutual benefit," said Professor Einav, whose research is used to better understand the physics of granular materials, ranging from powdered snow in avalanches through to beach erosion and best practice for crushing minerals in industrial grinders. In the explorative study, the researchers first analyzed Einav Perez's 2014 artwork, "Like a Rock" which although appears to portray a large, mountainous monolith traversed by regions of geometric patterns, was conjured subconsciously. "Intriguingly, Karin didn't consciously seek to create a portrayal of a mountain. Later, she realized it may have been subconsciously influenced by Devil Tower from Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'one of the first films we ever saw together as children," said Professor Einav. The work was a launching point for the engineering team's art-inspired science: its similarities to Professor Einav's area of research prompting an examination of the granular phenomena. To analyze the work, the engineers recreated the general patterns in the artwork using a computational simulation model. This allowed them to inverse time and analyze the collective interaction of the individual particles they imagined behind Like a Rock, later analyzing the formation of stalactites detected in the process. "To make the leap from art to science, we recreated the artwork by simulating our imagined particulate system using a physics-based computational model of granular systems, allowing us to quantitatively analyze stalactite structures," said Benjamin Leithon, an honors graduate student who carried out the simulations. "Recreating 'Like a Rock' as a scientific demonstration forced us to analyze the complex physics processes involved in the formation of granular stalactitesstructures which we wouldn't necessarily go and study normally. Understanding the physics behind these structures has the potential to benefit industrial processes where 'stickiness' of grains is a defining factorsuch as mud in agricultural settings," said Professor Einav. The engineers said, ultimately, the purpose of the study was to encourage others in their field and to expand their minds. "Doing things the same way over and over again isn't always innovative or productive. Art, by its very nature, prompts subjective interpretations which should be harnessed to generate new insights or methods." "When colleagues from different fields saw Like a Rock, it made them immediately think of their own work on traffic networks, capillary adhesion and falling jets." "By having an open mind and going into things without any preconception, areas that may have borne no relation to a scientist's research could inspire a new way of thinking and doing." More information: Benjamin Leighton et al, Inverting the Paradigm: From Art to Granular Science, Leonardo (2022). Benjamin Leighton et al, Inverting the Paradigm: From Art to Granular Science,(2022). DOI: 10.1162/leon_a_02252 Ride hailing companies have found success in the transport sector in Ghana. Credit: G.KBediako/Wikimedia Commons Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have become ubiquitous in many parts of the world over the past decade. Criticism of their business model has also become commonplace: ride-hailing companies are frequently accused of destroying traditional taxi businesses, undermining wages, and creating the digital equivalent of sweatshops. Though many of the complaints have emanated from wealthier countries in the West, there are growing concerns that such companies' African operations are not above reproach. From Abuja to Cape Town, Cairo to Nairobi, researchers are documenting the precarious conditions in which drivers operate. In our recent paper, we examined the situation in Ghana. We interviewed drivers, riders, car owners and other scholars who are researching Ghana's ride-hailing industry. We found that the popular narrative of blaming the industry's precarious labour conditions on ride-hailing companies is problematic. It deflects attention from the structural enablers of the conditions (which predate the companies), while fomenting life-threatening hatred for the drivers who work with them. Our analysis draws attention to the need to address the broader societal influences of labour exploitation in Ghana's urban transport sector. These include the inadequate prioritisation of the creation of adequate, secure jobs and strong labour protections. It's no joyride Some ride-hailing drivers own their cars. But the majority operate under either 'sales' or 'work and pay' contracts. Drivers employed under sales contracts operate their cars as a sort of franchise and pay a daily or weekly fee to the owners. They also have to foot daily operational expenses including companies' commissions; the cost of fuel, internet and sometimes maintenance. The drivers' take home is what remains after deducting the sales and operational costs. Under the work and pay contract system, however, the driver operates the car and pays the owner a weekly or monthly sum up to a pre-agreed vehicle value, after which ownership of the vehicle transfers to the driver. Car owners, under both sales and work and pay contract systems, normally demand weekly returns of GH 400500 from drivers. These arrangements did not arrive with the emerging of the ride-hailing industry; they have long existed in the traditional taxi business and are merely being copied by the industry's players. Unlike tro-tro (minibus) and taxi drivers, ride-hailing drivers serve two masters: the company and the car owners. This doubles their financial obligations and contributes to tremendous financial precarity, which seeps into the rest of their lives. They work long hours and sometimes sleep in their cars. One driver in Accra told us that some of his colleagues: "don't even go home; they have their toothbrushes, sponge, and towel in their cars. They drive from morning to evening, park at filling stations, take a nap, take a bath and continue driving." These experiences may suggest that ride-hailing activities are creating shaky labour conditions. However, as we have extensively documented elsewhere, the tro-tro and shared taxi drivers who dominate Ghana's urban public transport sector operate under similar conditions. The fact that both traditional and ride-hailing company drivers face similar precarious conditions suggests that the roots of the labour issues in Ghana's urban transport sector go deeper. Tracing the roots of the problem Most people walk a great deal to access work and services in Ghana's cities. For longer distances, however, they rely on the ubiquitous tro-tros, shared taxis and, in recent times, Okada (motorcycles). While being 'popular' in the sense that they are widely used, these privately-run transport modes remain marginal in terms of public support and investment. The operators are highly fragmented, and financial capital is thus dispersed. Their business perspective largely focuses on individual short-term profits, which are also generally low. These conditions undermine a deeper focus on investing in vehicle maintenance/replacement or digital innovations to improve service delivery. Their regular use means that large numbers of passengers and workers are exposed to high levels of discomfort, safety and other problems which undermine the quality of passengers' experience. It is against this backdrop that ride-hailing arrived in Ghana; Uber was the first to launch operations there in July 2016. It alone is estimated to have 180,000 active riders and some 3,000 driver-partners. Our interviewees told us that ride-hailing companies are driving up the standards of commercial passenger transport. Ride-hailing trips are generally seen as affordable compared to hiring traditional taxicabs. The trips are also traceable, which reassures users that they can recover lost items or track down criminal drivers and passengers. The problem, however, is that ride-hailing companies do not offer their drivers guaranteed incomes or wages. Neither do they pay them any benefits like social security. In fact, they strenuously avoid such employment obligations, insisting that their drivers are not their "employees". The companies have been able to implement this business model easily in Ghana because the youth are desperate for jobs. To put the issue of youth unemployment into perspective, in 2018, the Ghana Immigration Service received 84,000 applications for just 500 entry level vacancies. Ghana's youth unemployment, as with the problems with the popular transport systems, is linked to policy marginalisation. Successive governments have failed to create or stimulate the creation of enough secure jobs. Meanwhile, the state barely concerns itself with employment practices and labour relations and conditions in the passenger transport sector. These conditions are what have created room for international (and a few indigenous) ride-hailing companies and other powerful private interests (including vehicle owners) to profit from the labour of drivers they do not 'employ'. These issues will persist even if ride-hailing companies shut down tomorrow. Towards better protection All of these issues have led to dangerous tension between ride-hailing drivers and traditional drivers. Some have been killed; cars are frequently burned. Luckily Ghana hasn't yet experienced any violent skirmishesbut the animosity between different kinds of drivers is growing. Ghana can learn from the emerging developments in the US and the UK, where lawmakers and the courts are strengthening labour protections for gig workers, including ride-hailing company drivers. In some Australian cities, like Sydney, lawmakers introduced rules that created an equal playing field for taxis and ride-hailing companies. If left unregulated, drivers of all stripes will continue to be disadvantaged. That's bad for them, and it's bad for their passengers. Now is the time for authorities to act. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Using a new power sector model, a team of researchers, including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York, has proposed a method for Europe to eliminate natural gas imports from Russia. The team's commentary article, "Europe's way out: Tools to rapidly eliminate imports of Russian natural gas," was published in Joule. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the depth of Europe's dependence on Russian natural gas imports. The REPowerEU plan, released by the European Commission, maps a European Union-wide pathway to reduce Russian natural imports by two-thirds by the end of 2022, with the complete elimination of Russian gas by 2027. Overall, there are only four main policy levers in the short term: Increase pipeline gas and liquified natural gas imports from non-Russian sources, reduce gas demand in heating and industry, reduce gas-fired electricity generation and adopt flexible gas storage targets. A research team including Binghamton University engineer Neha Patankar has created a power sector model for Europe and a gas network model to analyze multiple feasible pathways to secure full independence from Russian natural gas. Patankar is an operations research analyst with a research focus on energy system and power system modeling. Her research aims to provide insights for constructing a robust decision under parametric and structural uncertainty. Her research also includes the evaluation of low-carbon technologies and the effects of policy scenarios on energy systems. The team modeled European natural gas and electricity systems to assess the feasibility and potential impact of a near-complete embargo on imports of Russian natural gas to Europe beginning in October. It found that Europe can eliminate reliance on Russian natural gas by augmenting REPowerEU plans with a temporary boost in coal and recalibrated gas storage. "All successful gas independence pathways increase reliance on coal-fired electricity generation but reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions due to offsets from lower gas demand," said Patankar, assistant professor in Binghamton University's Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering. To be successful, these actions will have to be sustained for the next two winters, Patankar said. "Increasing renewables, electrification of heating and liquified natural gas imports will steadily replace the current policy levers and maintain Europe's long-term energy transition," she said. Contributing to this research were Michael Lau, a second-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University; Wilson Ricks, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University; Jesse Jenkins, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. More information: Michael Lau et al, Europe's way out: Tools to rapidly eliminate imports of Russian natural gas, Joule (2022). Journal information: Joule Michael Lau et al, Europe's way out: Tools to rapidly eliminate imports of Russian natural gas,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2022.09.003 The engineering feat in Niederfinow, eastern Germany, stands at 55 metres tall. Germany's whopping new boat lift could lug the weight of 50 blue whales over a stretch of canal between Poland and Berlin. The powerful concrete elevatorthe country's largestis designed for big modern barges, and began welcoming ships for the first time on Wednesday. The engineering feat in Niederfinow, eastern Germany, measures 133 by 46 metres (145 by 50 yards) and stands at 55 metres tall. German Transport Minister Volker Wissing said it was "taking inland waterway transport into the future". The lift around 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Berlin takes a few minutes to hoist boats over a height of 36 metresallowing them to travel smoothly from the Polish port of Szczecin to the German capital. With its mesh of metal cables, the huge concrete structure rises up against a backdrop of green fields by the Oder-Havel Canal in the state of Brandenburg. The lift was built to replace an old one in the same location, commissioned in 1934 but no longer sufficient for modern maritime traffic. Tourist attraction The new version is 30 metres longer than its predecessor and can carry nearly twice as much weightequivalent to "50 adult blue whales or 1,600 elephants", Wissing said at the official opening on Tuesday. The lift takes a few minutes to hoist boats over a height of 36 metres. The old lift will be kept as the main tourist attraction in Niederfinow. Building the structure was not plain sailing, thoughthe process was delayed eight years by late deliveries, a supplier going bankrupt, worker shortages and the coronavirus pandemic. Local media dubbed the project the maritime BER, a reference to Berlin's long-delayed airport which finally opened in 2020. The old structure was the tallest boat lift in the world when it was built. That record has long since fallen to a mighty lift at the Three Gorges Dam in China, which raises and lowers boats over a distance of 113 metres. Niederfinow's old lift will continue operating until 2025, and live on as the main tourist attraction in the rural village of around 600 inhabitants. 2022 AFP Elon Musk's potential stewardship of Twitter has sparked worry from activists, who fear he could open the gates to abusive and misinformative posts. Elon Musk on Tuesday offered to push through with his buyout of Twitter at the original agreed price, as a trial over his efforts to withdraw from the deal loomed. The world's richest man said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that he sent Twitter a letter vowing to honor the contract. The latest twist in the long-running saga came ahead of the high-stakes court battle launched by Twitter in an attempt to hold the Tesla chief to the deal he signed in April. Musk's potential stewardship of the influential social media site has sparked worry from activists who fear he could open the gates to more abusive and misinformative posts. "We write to notify you that the Musk Parties intend to proceed to closing of the transaction," read a copy of the letter to Twitter filed with the SEC. Twitter confirmed to AFP that it received the letter from Musk, and said it intends to close the buyout deal at the agreed-on price of $54.20 per share. Conditions noted in Musk's letter included that the court halt action in the lawsuit against him. He had been slated to be questioned under oath by Twitter attorneys later this week. The 51-year-old tweeted that buying Twitter "is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app," offering no details. During an annual shareholders meeting in August, Musk said Twitter could add momentum to a vision he had for the X.com company he founded in 1999. X.com merged with Confinity, whose co-founders include Peter Thiel, and the entity went on to become PayPal. "I do sort of have a grander vision for what I thought X.com, or X corporation, could have been back in the day," Musk said at the shareholder meeting. "I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three to five years." Buyer's remorse? A serial entrepreneur made rich through his success with Tesla electric cars, Musk began to step back from the Twitter deal soon after it was agreed. Twitter has been seeking to prove Elon Musk was contriving excuses to walk away for his purchase offer. But "I think that Musk realized he was not going to win that trial" next week, University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias told AFP. "Ever since he had buyer's remorse, the problem has been why, and why had he not done due diligence up front." Musk said in July he was canceling the purchase because he was misled by Twitter concerning the number of fake "bot" accounts, allegations rejected by the company. Twitter meanwhile has sought to prove Musk was contriving excuses to walk away because he changed his mind. In July, a Delaware judge agreed to fast-track a trial on Twitter's allegations. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in an email that Musk's pivot showed he recognized "this $44 billion deal was going to be completed one way or another." Musk made his unsolicited bid to buy Twitter without asking for estimates regarding spam or fake accounts, and even sweetened his offer to the board by withdrawing a diligence condition, the lawsuit said. "Ultimately, we will not know why Elon elected to change course ahead of trial, though we speculate that there are details of the negotiation or legal process that he preferred remain privateincluding deposition," Baird Equity Research analysts said in a note to investors. Free speech Seen by his champions as an iconoclastic genius and by his critics as an erratic megalomaniac, Musk surprised many investors with his pursuit of Twitter. Claiming to be a free speech advocate, he has said he favored lifting the site's ban on Donald Trump, who was kicked off shortly after the former president's efforts to overturn his election defeat led to the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. "Musk made it clear that he would roll back Twitter's community standards and safety guidelines, reinstate Donald Trump along with scores of other accounts suspended for violence and abuse, and open the floodgates of disinformation," said Angelo Carusone, president of watchdog group Media Matters for America. "In effect, Musk will turn Twitter into a fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery, and operationalized harassment." Musk's norm-defying conduct over Twitter come after the Tesla and SpaceX chief's past record of statements that flout or test convention and sometimes provoke a crackdown from regulators. On Monday he was embroiled in a Twitter spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over his ideas on ending Russia's invasion. Explore further Twitter to depose Elon Musk ahead of buyout deal trial 2022 AFP Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The National research center for Cybersecurity ATHENE has found a way to break one of the basic mechanisms used to secure internet traffic. The mechanism, called RPKI, is actually designed to prevent cybercriminals or government attackers from diverting traffic on the internet. Such redirections are surprisingly common on the internet, for example, for espionage or through misconfigurations. The ATHENE scientist team of Prof. Dr. Haya Shulman showed that attackers can completely bypass the security mechanism without the affected network operators being able to detect this. According to analyses by the ATHENE team, popular implementations of RPKI worldwide were vulnerable by early 2021. The team informed the manufacturers, and now presented the findings to the international expert public. Misdirecting bits of internet traffic causes a stir, as happened in March this year when Twitter traffic was partially diverted to Russia. Entire companies or countries can be cut off from the internet or internet traffic can be intercepted or overheard. From a technical point of view, such attacks are usually based on prefix hijacks. They exploit a fundamental design problem of the internet: The determination of which IP address belongs to which network is not secured. To prevent any network on the internet from claiming IP address blocks they do not legitimately own, the IETF, the organization responsible for the internet, standardized the Resource Public Key Infrastructure, RPKI. RPKI uses digitally signed certificates to confirm that a specific IP address block actually belongs to the specified network. In the meantime, according to measurements by the ATHENE team, almost 40% of all IP address blocks have an RPKI certificate, and about 27% of all networks verify these certificates. As the ATHENE team led by Prof. Dr. Haya Shulman discovered, RPKI also has a design flaw: If a network cannot find a certificate for an IP address block, it assumes that none exists. To allow traffic to flow on the internet anyway, this network will simply ignore RPKI for such IP address blocks, i.e., routing decisions will be based purely on unsecured information, as before. The ATHENE team was able to show experimentally that an attacker can create exactly this situation and thus disable RPKI without anyone noticing. In particular, the affected network, whose certificates are ignored, will not notice it either. The attack, called Stalloris by the ATHENE team, requires that the attacker controls a so-called RPKI publication point. This is not a problem for state attackers and organized cybercriminals. According to the investigations of the ATHENE team, at the beginning of 2021 all popular products used by networks to check RPKI certificates were vulnerable in this way. The team informed manufacturers about the attack. Now the team has published its findings at two of the top conferences in IT security, the scientific conference Usenix Security 2022 and the industry conference Blackhat U.S. 2022. The work was a collaboration between researchers from ATHENE contributors Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Fraunhofer SIT and Darmstadt University of Technology. Explore further Measurement tool for emerging Border Gateway Protocol security technologies Provided by Nationales Forschungszentrum fur angewandte Cybersicherheit ATHENE The College Station man who was shot by a College Station police officer after threatening the officer with an axe last month was arrested Tuesday for the incident, police said. Andrew Sunghun Choi, 26, was charged with aggravated assault on a public servant. He is being held on a $100,000 bond. In accordance with College Station Police Department policy, the officer who shot Choi has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation. The incident occurred on the morning of Sept. 19 in the 5100 block of Bellerive Bend Drive in College Station. Police said they received a 9-1-1 call at around 5:50 a.m. from the residence where the incident occurred and said a man, later identified as Choi, was hallucinating inside the home and was armed with an axe. The first officer who responded made contact with Choi, who came from the front of the house and was armed with an axe, according to police. The officer made repeated commands for Choi to put down the axe as he walked through the yard toward the road where the officer was located. Police said Choi made it to the roadway and then began running at the officer. The officer retreated, but later engaged with Choi and shot him twice in the upper torso, according to police. Police said Choi threw the axe and struck the officer in the lower leg. Both Choi and the officer were taken to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries. Choi was a resident of the home and no other people in the house were injured, police said. AUSTIN The family of a migrant authorities say was shot to death in Texas by two brothers including one who was the warden of a detention facility with a history of abuse allegations is demanding more information this week, as the two men charged in the killing were released from jail. Jesus Ivan Sepulveda, 22, of Durango, Mexico, was identified by family members as the man who was killed in the Hudspeth County shooting that also left one woman injured. The woman remained hospitalized in stable condition Wednesday, according to a statement from the Mexican Consulate. Sepulveda was trying to get to the Texas capital of Austin to reunite with his wife and two children a 6-month-old and a 3-year-old and hoped to make enough money to build a home for his family in Mexico, his family said. People go (to the U.S.) to follow a dream, Napoleon Sepulveda, the victims father, told the El Paso Times in Juarez, Mexico on Tuesday. And theyre just out there hunting people down. DPS said the victims were among a group of migrants drinking water from a reservoir near a road when a truck with two men inside pulled over. The group took cover to avoid being seen, according to court documents, but emerged when the truck backed up. Witnesses told authorities that one of the men in the truck yelled derogatory terms and revved the engine. The driver then exited the vehicle and fired two shots at the group. Michael Sheppard, a former warden at the privately run West Texas Detention Facility, which can house immigrant detainees, and his brother Mark Sheppard, both 60, were arrested and charged with manslaughter following the shooting. Both were released on $250,000 bail, according to the Hudspeth County Sheriffs Office. A voicemail left Wednesday at a number belonging to Mark Sheppard was not immediately returned. No current contact information was immediately available for Michael Sheppard and it was not clear whether either has retained an attorney. A spokesman for facility operator Louisiana-based Lasalle Corrections, which runs the West Texas Detention Facility told the AP last week in an email that Michael Sheppard had been fired as warden due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment. The Mexican Consulate said it was working with local attorneys to seek possible cases for human rights violations. Additionally, the Anti-Defamation League has been notified about the shooting. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat, said Michael Sheppard was warden at the West Texas center during the period examined in a 2018 report by The University of Texas and Texas A&M immigration law clinics and immigration advocacy group RAICES. The report cited multiple allegations of physical and verbal abuse against African migrants at the facility. Information provided by Doggetts office shows the webpage for LaSalle Corrections listed Sheppard as an employee at West Texas since 2015. According to the report, the warden was involved in three of the detainees reports of verbal threats, as well as in incidents of physical assault. The warden cited in the report was not named. Sepulvedas death was the first of two deadly shootings along the U.S.-Mexico border in less than a week. A Mexican citizen who was in custody was fatally shot at a the Ysleta Border Patrol Station in El Paso on Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the FBI said. The Border Patrol said its agents were involved in the shooting but no details were released about what preceded it. The Mexican Consulate in El Paso said the man who died was a Mexican citizen who was being processed at the station when criminal charges against him were discovered. The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting. Despite some Republican governors using migrant buses to try to embarrass Democrats, transportation for migrants from border areas to places where they can find shelter may be an important part of handling an unprecedented crush of asylum-seekers. Providing bus and plane tickets is a longstanding method used by local officials and advocates trying to speed migrants on their way to family and friends while they legally apply for asylum, and to clear shelter space for newcomers. But advocates stress that transportation must be welcomed by the migrants and coordinated with people who will be receiving them. The notion of getting people from the border to their final destination, if they are going to present an asylum case, is not a crazy idea, especially if its done right. Its a stopgap solution while we work on policy solutions, said Andrew Selee, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Migration Policy Institute, a think tank that favors more legal immigration to discourage individual border crossings in search of asylum. Theres just so many people who want to get here right now and so much demand for their labor. The thousands of migrants offered bus rides to Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C., by Texas and Arizona governors are a tiny fraction of the record movement of migrants over the Mexican border, driven by demand for their labor and repressive conditions and economic crises in countries such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela. At the Arizona border near Yuma, most asylum-seekers released after federal screening, about 350 a week, get on airplanes in Phoenix with tickets bought by friends and family members, said Amanda Aguirre, a former Democratic state senator who is president of the nonprofit Regional Center for Border Health in Somerton. Only about 60 people a week use buses provided by Arizona to reach areas near Washington, D.C., she said. People are protesting the buses, but most (migrants) are arriving at airports, said Aguirre, whose organization helps migrants get where they need to go once released after federal screening at the border. The same is true at the Texas border, advocates said. Migrants were purchasing Greyhound and airplane tickets long before state buses came on the scene, said Tiffany Burrow, operations director for the Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition in Del Rio, Texas. The Democratic-led city of El Paso recently started providing buses as a wave of Venezuelan migrants overwhelmed shelter space in the city. The city has chartered at least 60 buses since August to take 3,000 people to New York City and Chicago. We dont send anyone where they dont want to go. We make sure we help them, El Pasos mayor, Oscar Leeser, a Democrat, said in a recent interview with ABC News. The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been helping asylum-seekers arrange travel under the Democratic administration of Mayor Tim Keller. Most migrants have to leave since the state does not have an immigration court where they can seek asylum. Still, most arrange their own flights or buses, and others get help through private donations arranged by volunteers, said Michelle Melendez, director of the citys Office of Equity and Inclusion. Florida and Texas have been getting the most asylum-seekers, according to federal statistics. Republican governors there and in Arizona have been vocal about sending migrants on buses to Democratic cities, though many riders disembark in red states anyway. Federal asylum offices in Florida, where migrants register while awaiting asylum hearings, got the largest share of asylum-seekers, about 45% of the national total of 43,289 applications between January and March of this year, the latest figures available. Houston handles about 10% of cases, which can include migrants living in nearby states, and about 9% are handled in the Washington, D.C., area by an Arlington, Virginia, office. Asylum-seekers paroled at the border dont have legal work permission until an immigration court accepts their case, which can take years. The countrys top border official, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus, has accused Republican governors of luring more migrants with transportation to the East Coast and false promises of work in Democratic cities. A group of Venezuelan immigrants, aided by advocates, filed a lawsuit Sept. 20 against Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying they were misled into boarding a plane that later landed unannounced in Marthas Vineyard, Massachusetts. Immigration advocates in New York City and Washington, D.C., also have complained that Texas state-sponsored buses arrive without notice or coordination and that migrants often are hungry or sick. Arizona buses, by contrast, serve food and carry medical professionals to help migrants on the way. Arizona is definitely the best example of doing this the right way, Selee said. In the 11-month period from October 2021 to August 2022, the U.S. Border Patrol said it found 2.15 million people crossing the border from Mexico, a record for any one year and more than four times the 2020 level. Some of those border crossings are second or third attempts, as migrants barred from seeking asylum keep trying, said Sara Ramey, director of the Migrant Center for Human Rights, a legal services group in San Antonio. That doesnt include thousands who come to the United States on tourist visas every month from Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who often apply for asylum as well, said Ava Benach, a Washington, D.C., immigration attorney who has helped hundreds of migrants with asylum cases. There are a ton of Venezuelans and Cubans showing up who are all headed to Florida, Benach said. Along with Nicaraguans, she added, those migrants often complain of repressive semi-governmental community brigades who enforce leftist ideology in their home countries and threaten or harass anyone believed to be a dissident. Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott cited the announced ending of a Trump-era border policy that immediately expelled migrants to stop the spread of COVID-19 when Abbott started offering bus rides to migrants in April. The so-called Title 42 federal restrictions are still in place, however, resulting in expulsions at the border for many from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. But Cubans, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans cant be expelled from the United States because Mexico wont accept them, Selee said. The Biden administration, in light of the influx, is negotiating with Mexico to let more of those migrants be sent back over the border, U.S. and Mexican officials told Reuters. Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of 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Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The number of sexually transmitted infections is rising in the Hall County area. According to numbers provided by the Central District Health Department in Grand Island, in 2020 there were 377 reported cases of STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV and syphilis, and in 2021 there were 415 cases. In 2022, so far, there have been 286 cases. We are seeing a rise in STIs, said CDHD Disease Contact Investigator Gabriella Ochoa. In response, if someone tests positive for gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV or syphilis, CDHD will reach out to them as disease intervention specialists. We want to help with partner notification and this is the only way were going to stop the transmission and prevent new infections from happening, said Ochoa. Confidentiality is maintained throughout. When we call on your contacts, we dont say so-and-so gave us your name and we want to let you know to get tested. We just say, youve been exposed to an STI, we recommend you go get tested, Ochoa explained. CDHD also provides such resources as where to get tested and guidance on the next steps to take while ensuring the privacy of both the person who tested positive and his or her sexual partners. Popular sites for contacts in the Hall County area include such social media sites and apps as Bumblebee, Tinder and Plenty of Fish, as well as Facebook and Twitter. Popular among high school age youths is Snapchat, said Ochoa. Knowing information about your partners is important, such as full name, phone number, or even a social media account identity. Anything that will help us get in contact with them, said Ochoa. Its important if you can remember that contacts information, because if you cant then we cant properly do our part in trying to help our contacts and help stop that transmission. CDHD is able to do more follow-ups now than before thanks to a grant through the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDHD received $100,000 for the services, The Independent reported in April. This allows us to do that contract tracing, Ochoa said. Before, the state was doing it, but it wasnt possible for them to contact everyone in the state. We just cover Hall, Hamilton and Merrick, so were able to get a hold of those people. Knowing what symptoms to look for is also important. For gonorrhea and chlamydia, symptoms include abnormal vagina discharge and a burning sensation when urinating. With HIV, there are flu-like symptoms. Syphilis varies with stage, but symptoms include sores and rashes. Its always important to know the symptoms. If youre experiencing the symptoms, go get tested right away, Ochoa urged. CDHDs goal is to decrease the number of STIs in the three-county district. If left untreated there can be serious consequences, she said. For example, with syphilis, it can lead to neurological issues. With chlamydia, it can lead to pelvic abdominal pain or ectopic pregnancies. She added, Leaving these untreated is very dangerous not only for spreading it, but for the individual. The rising number of STI cases in the district is a concern for CDHD, said Head Public Health Nurse Jonna Mangeot. Its certainly an area of concern, especially when you think about what happens when STIs go untreated and the long-term damage it can cause, she said. It affects fertility in women. Who knew your chlamydia when you were 19, untreated, made it so you couldnt have kids later in life? Theres many other ill health effects, but when you put it into perspective like that, we just want to stop the spread and make sure people are having safe encounters. CDHD does not offer testing, but will refer people to resources available in the community and can provide a DIS investigator. We can assist them with whatever STI questions that they may have, Ochoa said. People have been receptive to receiving care when they get a call from CDHD. Getting contact information has been a challenge, though, said Ochoa. Some people dont keep track of their contact information for individuals that they have sexual encounters with, she said. Its important to remember, at least, first and last name, if they can. Mangeot added, Know your partner. For assistance with STD and STI treatment, and for information about other services, visit the Central District Health Department website at www.cdhd.ne.gov. YORK Zoning conversations and considerations will start soon on the countys end, regarding regulations and provisions pertaining to energy-related projects such as wind, pipeline and solar endeavors. The countys comprehensive plan isnt scheduled for an update until late 2024, early 2025. And funds were not budgeted for a comprehensive plan update for this fiscal year. Still, the county commissioners want to move forward with zoning regulations pertaining to these topics which arent mentioned now in the countys rules or planning. Deputy York County Attorney Christopher Johnson, who is also the countys zoning administrator, spoke with the York County Commissioners this week during their regular meeting. He said he has been talking with an individual who is working on comprehensive plan updates in a number of counties in Nebraska. One of those counties is Holt, where Johnson said officials are addressing energy-related projects right now. Because this county planner has the experience in working within this realm, Johnson said he is also going to meet with him on Oct. 18, in order to get more information about how counties are handling these types of situations with these types of projects growing every day. This person knows about this topic, this is what he does statewide, Johnson said. We also need to get a zoning meeting set up. I would love to meet with this individual first to get more guidance. Ive been having to recreate the wheel with this position (of zoning administrator) and Ive been speaking with Seward Countys zoning person, who has been a Godsend. I dont want the comprehensive plan to hold up the zoning work we have to do, said York County Commissioner Chairman Randy Obermier. And we do need to appoint someone to the planning commission first, we need to handle that. Id recommend reaching out and getting something going. The commissioners recognized that an update of the comprehensive plan will not start until the 2023-24 fiscal year and it takes approximately one year to complete. But we definitely want to start this process as soon as we can, as far as zoning, Obermier said. We need to get started. Administrative Solutions New Jotform Sign Software Aims to Help Schools Digitize Paper Forms Aiming to help K12 schools digitize their paper-based processes, online form-building provider Jotform has launched a lite version of its enterprise software called Jotform Sign with a no-cost starter plan and 50% discount offer for educational institutions that subscribe to paid plans, the company said in a news release. Jotform Sign is a cloud-based e-signature and form-building software that works within a browser to allow organizations to build forms and share them for digital signatures, using the same technology as its more expensive enterprise solution. Jotforms digital signature technology complies with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act and the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce (E-sign) Act, serving as legally binding signatures, the company said. The new Jotform Sign interface has a drag-and-drop process so users can create, share, finalize, and approve e-signature documents signed on any device, or users can upload their existing forms to be turned into digital forms. Jotform said subscribers also have access to 600 form templates with built-in security features, compliance, and certifications across a variety of industries, including education. Learn more about Jotform Sign features and subscriptions at the Jotform Sign website. The company will hold a webinar to demonstrate Jotform Signs potential in schools at 11 a.m. PT on Thursday, Oct. 20. Register to attend at Jotform.com/products/sign/webinar/. North Carolina Will Stop the Radical Left with Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson NEWS PROVIDED BY CURE America Action Oct. 5, 2022 HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 5, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- CURE America Action, a nonprofit 501(c)(4) based in Washington, DC, is bringing practical solutions to the communities forgotten by government. Black Americans, in particular, don't need more crack pipes in our communities nor encouragement to continue being the largest commodity to the abortion industry. Leaders across three states invited CURE America Action into their communities to reflect on our shared moral heritage, and to promote the traditions of God, family, and country. On Saturday, October 8, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30a.m., The Cure America Tour stops by New Day Church located at 8619 Bame Rd, Colfax, North Carolina, and will join Pastors Mike and Debbie Sirianni and North Carolina's own The Honorable Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson along with CURE America Action's executive director Pastor Marc Little. "The time for watching the decay of our nation with soaring grocery bills and sky-high gas at the pump, the unbelievable surge in crime associated with the defund the police movement, compels our organization to take the issues directly to those most impacted by the current administration's policies, said Little. Pastor Mike extended his hand to CURE America Action to promote "unity in community." They will be joined by Catherine Davis, founder of The Restoration Project, and a 2022 Republican candidate for Governor in Georgia who will expose the lies of the left on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned. "If we are ever to be a free people in America, we must start with the truth of who and what we and our babies are - blessings, not curses, Davis said. Valorie Miller (BLEXIT), and a host of local candidates for local, state, and federal office will also be in attendance. Candidate for U.S. Senate Ted Budd (R) has been invited. The Cure America Tour is scheduled to visit Racine, Wisconsin and Toledo, Ohio later this month. SOURCE CURE America Action CONTACT: Marc Little, 888-353-5999, marc@cure-action.com Local civic leaders are getting an up-close look at the ways high schools and community colleges are preparing students for careers through a special tour organized by two organizations which work to promote career and technical education. Leaders of the Association for Career and Technical Education and the Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education are making stops at several area educational institutions where, together with governmental and business leaders, they are learning from career and technical education programs within their communities. The tour made stops at Carbondale Community High School and Southeastern Illinois College on Tuesday and is visiting Mount Vernon Township High School on Wednesday. Including stops in the Belleville area, the organizations are visiting nine secondary and post-secondary career and technical education programs. At each stop, area legislators, community leaders and members of the media were invited to join the tours and demonstrations. At Southeastern Illinois College, the visitors met with instructors and students in programs including outdoor wildlife management, powersports maintenance, diesel mechanics and welding. During a stop at Carbondale Community High School, guests learned about a wide variety of programs preparing high school students for immediate careers including culinary and food service, electronics, exterior carpentry and nursing. Cindy Stover, executive director of the Association for Career and Technical Education, said the tour is more to build awareness locally about these programs than it is to inform her staff of the classes. This brings attention to our wonderful tech ed programs that are training students for future careers. We want to bring attention because in many communities, people dont know all of the opportunities that may not require college, she said. CCCHS Culinary Instructor Dana Lipe shared how the students in her classes are able to explore a possible career in the hospitality industry and gain a working knowledge of restaurants and food service. Culinary students are responsible for catering many of the high schools special events. She currently teaches several culinary and nutrition courses most of them are full or over capacity, Lipe said, adding that the courses prepare them for food service licensing exams. She explained that instructors in career and technical classes, like her, often bring real-world experiences into the classroom. Thats a big thing bringing in experience and being able to say, This is exactly how it is done in a restaurant. It lets the students know what to expect in the workforce, Lipe said. Carbondale Community High School District Superintendent Daniel Booth said the school offers classes in more than ten career paths, many which can lead to high-paying employment opportunities right out of high school. During the tour, guests learned of a recent CCHS graduate who completed Certified Nursing Assistant Classes at the high school, earned state credentials and immediately went to work at a local nursing facility with plans to get an advanced nursing degree. Similar classes were on the tour at the Carbondale stop, where guests watched CNA students learn patient shaving techniques, first on balloons and then on one another. Instructor Melanie Nelson asked the students during the tour how many students were planning on nursing careers. Every hand in the classroom went up. She said that shows the value of the career education programs. I didnt know all of these programs were available to high school students, admitted Carbondale City Councilmember Carolin Harvey. This is amazing, how students can take these nursing classes, for example, and within a few months, they are qualified to work in their chosen career field. SPRINGFIELD Illinois voters will be asked in November to decide whether the right of workers to form unions and engage in collective bargaining should be enshrined in the state constitution. The first clause of the amendment contains two sentences. The first would establish a fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively and to negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions, and to promote their economic welfare and safety at work. The second would prohibit the state or any local unit of government from enacting any law that interferes with, negates, or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and workplace safety. The provision is intended to prevent passage of any state or local right to work laws, which prohibit employers from requiring workers to be union members to keep their jobs. The second clause states that the amendment would be controlling over another part of the constitution that spells out the powers of home rule units of local government, meaning those units of government would still be subject to the amendment. Lawmakers approved putting the measure on the ballot during the 2021 spring session. The resolution passed both chambers with bipartisan support: 49-7 in the Senate and 80-30 in the House. Like any constitutional issue, however, there is considerable disagreement over what those words mean and what effects they would have if the amendment is adopted. The proposal is supported by several large labor unions, but it has drawn opposition from groups such as the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Manufacturers Association. To gather a sense of the arguments for and against the measure, the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors convened an online forum with Joe Bowen, communications director for a Vote Yes for Workers Rights, the only organized political committee campaigning on the issue. They also spoke with Mailee Smith, director of labor policy and a staff attorney with the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank that opposes the measure. The questions came from representatives of the Daily Herald and Shaw Media. The video is available here or linked below. Bowen and Smith were asked at the outset what they believe the amendment would mean and the implications of adopting it. The workers rights amendment will guarantee your fundamental rights in the workplace to organize and bargain collectively with your coworkers to negotiate for things like better pay, safer working conditions, and crucially, it will also protect Illinois voters from politicians who try to take away their rights in the future, Bowen said. He said it gives Illinois workers an opportunity to vote for themselves on Nov. 8. It will enshrine protections that most of us are already enjoying while extending protection to workers who don't currently have it, Bowen said. It will be a tremendous win for our workers as well as our entire economy and local communities. Smith, on the other hand, asserted that the amendment would apply only to public-sector workers because private-sector workers are already covered by the National Labor Relations Act, which would supersede any state law or state constitutional provision. As a result, she argued that it would drive up local property taxes by giving public employee unions power to negotiate a broader range of issues, including economic welfare, which isnt defined in the amendment or other state law. And it's not defined in other similar laws like the National Labor Relations Act, she said. That could mean things like the expansion of affordable housing or positions on rent abatement could be demanded by government unions. She also said the provision preempting right-to-work laws could have unintended consequences. It prohibits lawmakers, as the people's representatives, from ever enacting reforms or fixes, she said. So if lawmakers decide down the line, Oh, wow, we didn't mean economic welfare to mean all of these broad subjects, they could never go back and define what economic welfare actually is because they'd be prohibited in the amendment itself from doing that. Bowen countered that the amendment has nothing to do with taxes but, instead, protects only the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively in the workplace. If it were adopted, he said, it would apply uniformly statewide to all workers in both the public and private sectors. He also said it would protect workers from politicians who attempt to enact right-to-work laws, a reference to former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, who tried unsuccessfully to push such legislation through the General Assembly. Finally, he suggested that the rights spelled out in federal law could change or be repealed at any time, referring to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned the right to abortion that had been established under Roe v. Wade. And I think it's critically important at a time when we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow and we've seen a lot of unpredictability and rights under attack, both federally and here in Illinois to make sure that these rights stay in a lockbox and that they're safe for workers for generations to come, he said. As a follow-up, the two were asked to identify what rights workers would have under the amendment that they dont already have under existing law. Bowen said the amendment would protect existing rights and extend them to hundreds of thousands of workers who arent covered under existing law. He said its important to guarantee bargaining rights now and into the future, considering we spend almost half of our lives in the workplace. Whether or not you have the ability to earn a good living, to stay safe on the job, it really impacts every part of your life, he said. So making sure that we guarantee these protections in the Illinois Constitution is critically important. Smith argued that elevating collective bargaining rights to the level of the constitution would put labor agreements beyond the reach of existing statutes that apply to public employee contracts. If a teachers union didn't want to have background checks as part of the job application process, the hiring process, they could write that into their contract, she said. It could keep government union contracts a secret. They could actually void the (Freedom of Information Act) law that requires government union contracts to be open to the public, simply by writing that provision into the contract. Bowen initially declined to respond to that assertion, but later in the discussion said, I don't believe it's legally permissible to enter into a contract that violates state or federal law. Constitutional amendments have two paths to passage in Illinois. If the measure receives 60% of the vote from those voting on the question, it passes. But if it fails to reach the 60% threshold on the question but still musters yes votes from more than half of those voting in the election, it would still pass. Election Day is Nov. 8, but early voting has already begun. More information is available at local election authorities. The American Library Association, which knows a lot about borrowing, has taken a page from other great causes and declared this "Banned Books Week." That's welcome news, because any hint of censorship should always be taken seriously. Civilization hangs by but a thread and free speech is crucial to its survival. In his not-yet-banned post-apocalyptic novel, "The Road," author Cormac McCarthy depicts a father and boy fighting to keep a last candle burning as their sacred duty and humanity's last hope. I see censorship in those terms. New ideas simply just scare some people, who then go too far. In 213 B.C. China, Emperor Qin Shi Huang hosted the first recorded book burning. He also had 460 Confucian scholars buried alive. Later came Adolf Hitler. Under his deranged and genocidal rule in Nazi Germany, publicly attended bonfires were fueled with the works of Jewish, liberal and leftist writers, including Karl Marx, all for being "un-German." Tuck that thought into your mental file for the next time former president Donald Trump declares the media the enemy of the United States. More recently, right here in America, book banning is enjoying something of a resurgence. We now have a week to mark its return and we also have a new PEN America report about the steady growth of the U.S. book-banning movement. Things appear to be escalating at a pace roughly tracking our decline in public discourse. From July 2021 to June 2022, PEN America's school book bans index lists 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles. Most of the titles, though not all, relate to race or some variation of sex or sexuality. Topping the banners' lists today are minority and LGBTQ writers. Some of the writers might surprise you; some you won't have heard of, unless a child or grandchild has brought home a book that made you look twice. Only a few authors have been brash enough to put "sex," "gay" or "gender" in the title, but I'm guessing Maia Kobabe's "Gender Queer: A Memoir," might raise some eyebrows. It's all about context, though, isn't it? Of course, elementary schoolchildren aren't going to be exposed to such a book. But, plainly, a 16-year old doesn't need the same level of protection. Some banned books defy reason, such as "To Kill a Mockingbird," which includes racial language and is often criticized for presenting a "white savior" in the iconic character of Atticus Finch, the erudite lawyer who defends a Black man falsely accused of rape. Never mind that Harper Lee's novel takes place in small-town Alabama between roughly 1933 and 1935. A fact we can abhor, but a fact nonetheless: There were only four Black attorneys in Alabama at that time, according to Marquette University Law School. I suspect Lee wanted to convey that not all White Southerners were racist and that some were noble, caring and committed to justice. In less-controversial categories of books lately banned, we find writers such as Aldous Huxley and George Orwell. Perhaps the censors worry that students might recognize their own times in Orwell's "1984" and begin to question their parents' thinking. Having read a lot of Huxley, I can't imagine what he's done wrong. Another banned book in some parts is F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." (Why? Because every sentence is perfect?) And don't forget about Toni Morrison's "Beloved," which is frowned upon by those still living in the 19th century because she treats racism realistically. And yet some wonder why critical race theory has come along so fast. Strangest of all on PEN's list, perhaps, is Wes Moore's "Discovering Wes Moore," in which Maryland's Democratic gubernatorial nominee writes of meeting another Wes Moore, whose life took a different turn than his own. The author realizes how easily their roles could have been reversed. It's an inspirational read, as is the author. Then again, "The Holy Bible" made the American Library Association's top 10 most challenged books in 2015 for, get this: "religious viewpoints." Leading the book-banning movement are about 50 groups, with around 300 regional branches. Most banned books are connected to legislation, in some way, or to elected officials seeking to rouse the rabble. The most active states for this strange business include Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Utah and Georgia. In other words, banning books is more about political maneuvering than about children. Twas ever thus, I suppose. That said, many parents are understandably concerned about what passes for "literature" these days. I understand wanting to protect a child's innocence. I also want them to grow up in their own measured time. These issues are complicated, to be sure. But banning books is never a solution. If I might indulge a memory and offer some advice? My best recommendation to parents about books comes straight from my father, circa 1961, when his sixth-grade daughter was obsessed with the work of best-selling novelist Harold Robbins. (Please don't judge.) One night while studiously reading "The Carpetbaggers," I overheard my mother say, "Should we be letting her read that?" And my father, bless his open mind, said: "I don't care what she reads as long as she's reading." I'd go with that if I were you, assuming you can separate the kiddos from their screens. South Carolina State Universitys Words Across the Water program on Thursday, Oct. 6 will feature poets Cyndi Marshall of Barbados and Jillian Hanesworth of Buffalo, New York. Beginning at 5 p.m., the event is free on Zoom, but pre-registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/3nr3jy9a. Poet and educator Hannah Hoilett-Frierson, an S.C. State alumna, will be the moderator. Words Across the Water provides a discursive space for poets, writers, thinkers and attendees from different geographies, but especially around South Carolina and the Black Atlantic, to explore connections in and through their work. Co-founded by Drs. Alison Mc Letchie and Frank Martin of S.C. State, this is the fourth semester the series has been presented to the public through the support of South Carolina Humanities, S.C. State, the Department of English and Communications, the Department of Social Sciences, the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. Local farmers could receive federal money to implement climate smart production practices through a $70 million grant provided to South Carolina State University and Clemson University. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant will provide $22 million to S.C. State and $48 million to Clemson. The funding will allow South Carolina State to train our ag scholars and our agribusiness students with real applications to meet the changing demands of the industry, S.C. State President Alexander Conyers said during a Tuesday announcement of the project in Orangeburg. Today, we certainly look forward to being on the cutting edge of issues that impact the world's climate change, he said. Conyers added, This is indeed a very historic day. The universities, which are the states land-grant institutions, have established strategic partnerships with 27 regional entities to develop a pilot project that will focus on small and underserved, minority producers. The five-year project will provide technical and financial support to peanut, vegetable, beef cattle and forestry farmers. It will aim to measure and verify carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, identify benefits associated with the practices and support markets for the products. S.C. State is developing the process for recruiting and enrolling farmers into the project. The information on how and when to apply will be forthcoming, according to university officials. The grant has been touted by officials as the largest single award from a federal agency in the history of both universities. It is one of only three projects awarded over $70 million and one of only two projects dedicated to a single state. The $70 million in funding is part of an initial funding pool for the grant. The USDA is investing up to $2.8 billion in 70 selected projects under the first Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding pool. Clemson University President James P. Clements praised U.S. House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn for being a champion of education for Clemson and S.C. State. Clyburn, and the rest of the state's Congressional delegation, were instrumental in helping move the project forward. He knew that leveraging the resources and the research capabilities and expertise of both Clemson and South Carolina State would bring tremendous economic prosperity to our region and have the potential to transform the field of agriculture, Clements said. I am proud that Clemson University, in partnership with South Carolina State, will be leading the future of agriculture for our state, for our country and the world. Clyburn said, This is an opportunity for us to bring these two land grant land institutions together. He noted the funding will focus on small and underserved farmers. Clyburn said too many people leave the state searching for opportunities. With this program, we can do a lot to reverse that trend so these families can find a future here where they belong and stop the brain drain, Clyburn said. I thank you in advance for making this a successful effort. St. Helena Island minority fruit and vegetable farmer Jacky Frazier came to Orangeburg for Tuesday's announcement to learn more about what opportunities are available. We have the best practices for the environment, Frazier said. I am here today to find out what is all involved and how it will help us to implement some of these practices. Clemson University Associate Dean Paula Agudelo, the project lead, said the project will aim to bring together organic and conventional growers. We expect that this effort will increase the acreage and the number of farmers using cover crops, prescribed grazing, reduced tillage and other conservation practices that will not only benefit greenhouse gases but also improve water quality, biodiversity, and, most of all, the well-being of the greater farming community in the state, Agudelo said. We will be recruiting producers to implement climate smart practices on a voluntary basis on working farms, Agudelo continued. These recruitment events will be conducted in different geographic regions of the state and will be directed to enroll a representation of management styles and farm sizes. The funding will help offset the cost of implementing practices and provide educational opportunities, technical assistance and demonstrations for farmers. Agudelo said the state is ideal for such a program thanks to its diversity of soils and agriculture. It can serve as a model for a future climate-smart models nationally. The project will decrease carbon emissions, increase carbon sequestration, improve soil health and create markets for growers, said Dr. Lamin Drammeh, director of Strategic Initiatives, Evaluations and External Affairs at the SCSU 1890 Research and Extension program. It is a monumental responsibility and task, Drammeh said. S.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers asked, How do we play a part in addressing climate change? Others will look back and see this as a point when the state was able to serve its neighbors with climate mitigation practices, he said. What we are talking about is the future of our state, Weathers said. U.S. Department of Agriculture Chief of Natural Resources Conservation Service Terry Crosby said, We know our American farmers are on the front line when it comes to climate change. We know there is a strong interest in the private sector to invest in climate smart production and also in agriculture. Crosby said that every acre counts. A big part of this is a part of our equity we are doing in USDA. No one should be left behind. We want to make sure that anyone who wants to participate in our program will have that opportunity, he said. This is going to change how we look at farming across this country, across South Carolina, Crosby said. We have to demonstrate to the American public when we invest these types of dollars in agriculture what are they getting for their dollar. COLUMBIA A wave of hoax emergency calls about school shootings across South Carolina sent hundreds of police officers into schools on Wednesday as scared students hid behind locked classroom doors. The calls affected more than a dozen districts from Charleston to Greenville. At least one 911 caller faked their caller ID information to make it seem like the call came from inside Blythewood High School, said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. Lott said this information made the threat so real that he had no choice but to send waves of deputies, and to ask students and teachers to follow safety procedures. We had to respond the way we did, Lott said. Other fake calls came into Burke High School in Charleston, Beaufort High School and at least four schools in Horry County on Wednesday morning. Another wave of calls about non-existent shooters poured in throughout the day in places like Newberry, Greenville, Chester, Lancaster, Greenwood and other locations around the state, officials said. No arrests were made, but the FBI and State Law Enforcement Division are investigating. Parents rushed to the schools and the response disrupted the entire school day. Blythewood students were released early to parents, according to the Richland County Sheriffs Department. Everyone from the governor to law enforcement demanded serious punishment for causing such emotional harm and taking away a day of learning. They came to school today and it's supposed to be a place where joy is supposed to reside. They came to school today with the intentions of bettering themselves academically and socially and emotionally and then we have to deal with something like this, Richland 2 School District Superintendent Baron Davis said. Patrick Kelly, director of government affairs for the Palmetto State Teachers Association, said that the calls were very much an act of violence. While Kelly said no single policy will eliminate these types of threats, he called on political candidates to share their plans to improve school safety. The calls that shut down our schools today were very much an act of violence, and this fact makes the need for leadership and proactive policy action more urgent now than ever, Kelly said in a statement. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The snail darter, a tiny Southeastern fish that derailed a federal dam during an epic battle over Endangered Species Act protection in the 1970s, is no longer considered imperiled, officials announced Tuesday. The fish held up construction of the Tellico Dam in Tennessee for more than two years as biologists and others fought to protect its only known habitat, the free-flowing Little Tennessee River. The battle, which went to the U.S. Supreme Court and beyond, is still sometimes cited as an example of environmentalist overreach, although the reality is much more complicated. The dam eventually was built, with snail darters collected and transplanted into other rivers. They were also later discovered in several additional streams. Snail darters went from being considered an endangered species in 1975 to a threatened species in 1984 as they continued to recover. Three years ago, the Center for Biological Diversity, Jim Williams and Zygmunt Plater petitioned to remove the fish from federal protection altogether. Williams is the biologist who listed the snail darter as endangered. Plater is the attorney who sued to protect it. The U.S. Department of the Interior on Tuesday announced the snail darter's official removal from the federal list of threatened and endangered wildlife. It is the fifth fish species, and the first in the eastern United States, to be delisted because the population has recovered, according to the agency. NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Oct. 5, 2022 NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on President Biden's remarks yesterday on the University of Idaho: Ever since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion, the Biden administration has seized on the ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to scare Americans about their access to abortion. They did so in a grand way on October 4 at the White House. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona sounded the alarm over a new policy issued by the University of Idaho. According to Biden, officials at the University of Idaho "told the university staff that they could get in trouble just for talking or telling students about where they can get birth control." This is utter nonsense. No such policy exists. What Biden was referring to is a September 23 memo by the General Counsel of the University of Idaho to university employees titled, "Guidance on Abortion Laws." The memo was issued to comply with a new restrictive abortion law passed by Idaho lawmakers that banned the use of state resources to promote abortion. The memo focuses almost exclusively on abortion. It lists six "prohibited activities" under the law: "Counsel in favor of abortion; Promote abortion; Provide institutional facilities or institutional funding for providing an abortion or abortion training; Provide referrals for abortion; Contract with abortion providers; Dispense emergency contraception as classified by the FDA." Regarding emergency contraception, the New York Times said in 2012 that RU-486, a popular emergency contraception medication, "is prescribed for terminating pregnancies" by "destroy[ing] implanted embryos." It is therefore an abortifacient, not a contraceptive. Biden's characterization of the free speech issue is not supported by what the memo says. "University employees may, with certain limitations: Direct students to sources of information outside university; Have classroom discussions on topics related to abortion or contraception limited to discussions and topics relevant to the class subject and instructor neutrality; Provide condoms for the purpose of helping prevent the spread of STDs and not for purposes of birth control." The General Counsel is correct to note that the law that his memo addresses "is not a model of clarity." Indeed, it needs to be refined. For example, classroom discussions, on any topic, should be robust and not subject to irrational limitations. Having said that, Biden's comment that university employees can "get in trouble just for talking or telling students about where they can get birth control" is absurd. In fact, the memo says, "Counselling on birth control, as well as providing the means of birth control, can be done through licensed physicians and their health care workers at Student Health locations run by Moscow Family Medicine, our Student Health provider." Why, then, did Biden say they had a gag rule on campus? It's because he and his administration are furious with the Dobbs decision and are engaged in fear-mongering before the mid-term elections. Notice, too, that he mentions a gag rule on contraception, not abortion, even though the memo says very little about contraception. This is not a coincidence. Under ObamaCare, there was a Health and Human Services "contraception mandate" forcing Catholic non-profits like the Little Sisters of the Poor to pay for contraception in their healthcare plans. This was a misnomer. As the Catholic League pointed out on many occasions, the mandate covered abortifacients. Therefore, it should have been called the "abortion-inducing drug" mandate. Obama and Biden knew that contraception was much less controversial than abortion, and that is why their policy was dubbed the "contraception mandate." The same reasoning is behind Biden's characterization of the University of Idaho's policyhe cites contraception, not abortion, as the key issue, knowing it is more likely to set off the alarms. What Biden is doing is playing on people's fears. It's just that simple, and just that diabolical. BEIRUT Lebanon has submitted to the United States a list of changes it would like to see in a proposal on how to delineate a contested maritime border with Israel, a top Lebanese official said on Tuesday. US envoy Amos Hochstein has shuttled between Lebanon and Israel since 2020 to seal a deal that would pave the way for offshore energy exploration and defuse a potential source of conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. Hochstein sent a draft proposal to Beirut last week. It was discussed on Monday by President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Deputy speaker of parliament Elias Bou Saab said he had earlier that day submitted to the US ambassador in Lebanon the amendments Beirut would like to see, without providing details. He said he does not think the proposed changes would derail the deal and that, while the response did not signify approval of the draft, talks were so advanced that "we are done negotiating." Speaking to local broadcaster LBCI, he said the draft deal had been produced by thinking "outside of the box." "We started to talk about it as a business deal," Bou Saab said. The 10-page draft appears to float an arrangement whereby gas would be produced by a company under a Lebanese license in the disputed Qana prospect, with Israel receiving a share of revenues. While that company has been officially named, Lebanese officials have publicly suggested a role for TotalEnergies SE. A top Israeli official was meeting company representatives in Paris on Monday, according to a source briefed on the matter. Bou Saab on Tuesday said that, according to the draft deal, Lebanon had secured all of the maritime blocs it considered its own. He added that Lebanon will not pay one cent from its share of Qana to Israel. Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis. A man convicted of selling fentanyl near a Cheyenne school was sentenced to five years in prison last week, according to Wyoming's federal prosecutor. Robert Butler was also ordered to complete five years of supervised release after his sentence. According to court documents, Butler was found with fentanyl and cocaine during a traffic stop in Cheyenne earlier this year. The officer had pulled him over after finding his Michigan license was suspended, in a car with an Indiana registration. Butler reportedly told the officer he had a small amount of marijuana with him, and a body search found nearly six ounces of cocaine. Around 600 fentanyl pills, as well as additional marijuana and cocaine, were found while authorities served a search warrant at the place where Butler was staying in Cheyenne, according to court filings. The residence, court documents state, is across the street from Goins Elementary School in Cheyenne. Police also found sandwich bags and a scale with cocaine residue in the home. Butler pleaded guilty to two felony charges in July. Lawmakers could see salary hikes and other added compensation for their service in upcoming years. The Wyoming Legislatures Subcommittee on Legislator Compensation recommended to Management Council on Tuesday several bills that would give lawmakers health insurance benefits and increase their salaries, per diem rates and constituent allowances. The recommendations come amid increasing workloads for lawmakers and concern that a lack of adequate compensation discourages people from serving in the Legislature. I want the person that works for the railroad, I want the person that works for the hospital, I want the person thats a retired rancher, I want the person thats a current rancher, a member of the subcommittee, Rep. Landon Brown, R-Cheyenne, said. The only way to do that is to have a fair and equitable salary where somebody steps away from what theyre doing on a day-to-day basis, and they can afford to do it. Wyoming hasnt increased legislator salaries since 2005, according to the Legislative Service Office. Right now, lawmakers get $150 for every day of the Legislative session, including weekends, as well as days they work during the interim session. The committees recommended bill would boost lawmaker salaries to $230 a day, with the new rate taking effect January 2027. At the suggestion of Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, the committee also added an amendment that would form a five-person commission, independent of the Legislature, to make recommendations for lawmaker salaries in the future. The governor would appoint three of the commissions members. The Speaker of the House and Senate President would each appoint one member. The committee also voted in favor of bills that would increase lawmakers per diem rate from $109 to $155 per day, and their constituent allowance from $750 to $1,000 per quarter. The per diem rate is a daily allowance that covers lawmakers expenses related to serving. Wyoming hasnt increased these rates since 2008, according to the Legislative Service Office. The $155 is based on the rate set by the U.S. General Services Administration for federal employees in Wyoming, according to Legislative Service Office Director Matt Obrecht. The bill specifies that the rates for Wyoming lawmakers would be adjusted every year by the state auditor to match those of the administration. If passed in the Legislature, the new per diem rate would be effective Jan. 1 through June 30, 2024. The bill would also appropriate $200,000 from the states general fund to supplement lawmakers daily allowance as well as the allowance of other members of state entities with per diem rates based on those paid to lawmakers until the act takes effect. This is one that really is a no-brainer, a member of the subcommittee, Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, said. Weve heard from our own about the difficulty in securing lodging during the interim for the current per diem. But also, this impacts so many others who volunteer their labor for our important boards and commissions. The $250 boost to lawmakers quarterly constituent allowance would take effect July 1. A constituent allowance is a stipend to cover the cost of activities that lawmakers undertake on behalf of the people theyre representing. The committee voted down a bill that would have given lawmakers an additional $750 quarterly constituent allowance if they represented districts that were 2,000 square miles or larger. In what some considered to be the most important benefit for lawmakers, the committee also recommended a bill giving lawmakers the option of opting into the state employee group health insurance program in the same way state employees participate in the plan. Rep. Dan Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, who came to speak before the committee, said that he had forgone health insurance for 10 of the 18 years he has been in the Legislature, and that he knows a number of former lawmakers who left because of health insurance. Brown also said in a previous committee meeting that he had to give up health insurance at one point to be in the Legislature. Dan Zwonitzers father, former legislator and Republican nominee for House District 8 David Zwonitzer, actually proposed a similar bill in previous years. But it never made it into law. I do think its preventing, and maybe its the strongest prevention, of people being able to serve in the Legislature, Dan Zwonitzer said. DESPITE the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG) is set to regain its 2019 profitability. So said chairman and chief executive officer of the board, Jose S Suquet, at the companys tenth anniversary celebration of its establishment in the Caribbean, at the Hyatt Regency hotel, last week. It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the October 5, 2022 Albert Einstein's "happiest thought" has been proven again by four international astronauts and a small doll made in his likeness. Upon entering Earth orbit on Wednesday (Oct. 5), the crew members on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Endurance" revealed their chosen "zero-g indicator," a plush toy of the late theoretical physicist. Floating at the end of a tether, the doll not only confirmed that the Crew-5 astronauts were safely on their way to the International Space Station, but that one of Einstein's ponderings was indeed true. "A couple of years after he came up with his groundbreaking theory of special relativity, Einstein, in his mind, still had a couple of loose ends to tie up," Crew-5 pilot Josh Cassada, a NASA astronaut, U.S. Navy captain and physicist, radioed back to SpaceX's mission control in Hawthorne, California. "While he was sitting [at his job] in the patent office because he wasn't famous yet [though he] definitely should have been Einstein had what he said was one of his happiest thoughts of his entire life... that a person in free fall could not feel his own weight." "That thought, along with some others that he built upon, led to the general relativity and our understanding of gravitation and the curvature of space-time," said Cassada. A tradition first started by Soviet-era cosmonauts and later adopted for SpaceX crewed spaceflights, zero-g indicators signal to the still strapped-into-their-seats crew members that they have entered orbit or are in free fall around Earth such that they experience weightlessness. Einstein had his "happiest thought" in 1907, more than 50 years before the first human launched into space. "We're experiencing Einstein's happiest thought continuously, as the International Space Station has been doing for over 20 years," said Cassada. "On Crew-5, we call this little guy our 'free-fall indicator.' We're here to tell you that there's plenty of gravity up here. In fact, that is what keeping us in orbit right now and preventing this trip on Crew Dragon from being a one-way trip." Crew-5's free-fall indicator was made by The Unemployed Philosophers Guild, a speciality shop offering "thoughtful gifts for thinking people," as part of its "Little Thinker" line of dolls. The 11-inch-tall (28-cm) Albert Einstein plush, dressed in a gray sweater and black pants, features the physicist's trademark unruly white hair. Einstein has now joined a small but growing collection of dolls that have flown on SpaceX missions to the space station. Previous zero-g indicators have included a plush Earth globe, a sequined dinosaur, a toy Grogu (Star Wars' "baby Yoda"), a baby penguin, a couple of turtles, a stuffed dog and a monkey. The Einstein doll, together with Cassada, Crew-5 commander and first Native American woman in space Nicole Mann, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and Anna Kikina, Russia's only active female cosmonaut, are scheduled to arrive at the space station on Thursday evening. "A little bit like life, we live in the same world, we live in the same universe," said Cassada. "Sometimes we experience it in a very different way from our neighbors. If we can all keep that in mind, we can all continue to do absolutely amazing things and do it together." SpaceX's flight controllers thanked Cassada for sharing his sentiments, as well as the meaning behind the Crew-5 "stowaway." "My crewmates are just happy that we didn't break out a dry erase board and get into more detail," replied Cassada with a smile. Police Constable Herman Mohan, who was described as having an instrumental role in the captu All murders are tragic but the killing of a child is in a category of its own. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing sweeping changes in the way chicken and turkey meat is processed in an effort to reduce salmonella illnesses from food contamination. But those changes could require meat companies to make extensive changes to their operations. The agencys Food Safety and Inspection Service will begin a lengthy process of proposing new rules by holding a public hearing on Nov. 3 to get input from the poultry industry and others. The government wants new regulations rolled out beginning next year and completed within two years. Proposed changes include testing incoming flocks of chickens and turkeys for salmonella before they enter the slaughterhouse and limits on how much certain strains of salmonella can be on meat sold to consumers. Marana police arrested a 15-year-old girl after authorities said she sent threats to a school in Maine. A law enforcement agency in Maine recently contacted Marana police and reported that one of their local schools was receiving multiple threats from someone saying they were going to shoot students and place bombs. The agency was able to track the information to a former student who now lives Marana, police said. Officers learned the juvenile was using a third party app to send threats to her former school. She was found by officers, interviewed and arrested on suspicion of making threats against a school, police said. In a post on Facebook, Marana police said it will continue to take all school threats seriously no matter which social media platform, apps or methods are utilized. If we receive information of a school threat, even from another state, follow up will immediately be conducted and if probable cause exists, an arrest will be made, the post said. After the premiere of new voting technology this year, Pima County election officials have reviewed issues faced during the primary election and made plans some changes before the general election in November. Election officials have said that while the majority of vote centers operated smoothly at the Aug. 2 primary election, the first election using new voting equipment revealed some issues that will be addressed before the Nov. 8 general election, which will likely draw a much larger turnout. This years primary election marked the countys debut of e-pollbooks and voting centers, where poll workers check in voters with an iPad, or e-pollbook, that scans voters IDs and confirms their eligibility to vote. The e-pollbook then sends a ballot specific to each voter to a ballot-on-demand printer. The new voting model also replaces the precinct-based polling system under which voters were required to vote at the location assigned to them based on their residence. Pima County voters could instead show up at any of 129 vote centers across the county to cast a ballot regardless of the precinct they live in. Pima County Elections Director Constance Hargrove detailed problems encountered during the primaries and solutions to address them in a 17-page after-action report requested by the countys Board of Supervisors. Supervisors discussed the report Tuesday with Hargrove and Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cazares-Kelly but mainly asked clarifying questions instead of commenting on the matter. Most of the boards questions came from Supervisor Steve Christy, the boards sole Republican who has expressed concern with the obstacles elections officials faced in August. These are the types of issues, and Ill be very blunt, that drive my side of the aisle crazy and get them all riled up and understandably so, Christy said. He added later, If these issues arent either resolved one way or another to everybodys satisfaction, were going to have the same cycle of conspiracy theories, lack of confidence, distrust, and its imperative that these issues be taken seriously and addressed. In an interview after the boards meeting, Supervisor Rex Scott, who has continuously expressed his confidence in the countys elections system, said: I think (Hargrove) was very candid and transparent about what they needed to do better. She had an action plan for all those areas and all the subsets under those areas. So I think we are in very good hands. Expectations vs. reality The introduction of e-pollbooks came with expectations of quicker election results, shorter wait times and increased voter security. Although those goals were not completely realized in the initial run of the new technology on Aug. 2, elections officials say the general election will see better results now that key issues have been recognized. Anticipated quicker election results were partially based on an estimated 83% reduction in provisional ballots as voters could cast a ballot at any vote center instead of only in their precinct. But according to the after-action report, provisional ballots increased to 4,368 this year compared to 4,206 in the 2018 primary election. About 90% of those provisional votes were from those on the early voting list due to a state law that requires voters who received an early ballot to vote provisionally, the report says. The number of provisional ballots should decrease in the general election as new legislation goes into effect that permits those on the early voting list to use a regular ballot on Election Day. None of the e-pollbooks, printers nor routers experienced breaches on Election Day, according to the report. The report acknowledges, however, that some concern arose after the election over a lack of understanding of how transactions are processed. While the countys initial understanding was that the e-pollbooks transferred data in real-time through a cloud server, staff later learned the tablets also communicate sideways to each other to update the database of all voting-related transactions. This process occurs in real time if all devices are connected, but elections staff were unaware of the need to update the tablets the Monday before election day to ensure all data is updated on the e-pollbooks, which created a scenario that could allow someone to check in more than once. The sideways communication transfers information called delta files, which host information such as voter registration updates, poll worker information and early ballot returns. That information must be preloaded into the system ahead of Election Day. Only one voter was checked in more than once, the report says, but did not vote twice after a poll worker spoiled the original ballot after realizing the error. Elections staff will be trained to monitor the e-pollbooks to ensure information is transferred throughout the day, and Ensuring that delta files are current will prevent voters from checking in more than once, the report says. E-pollbooks may require a manual push because of inactivity to wake up the touchpad to ensure all information is up-to-date. Focus on training, supplies Training poll workers, the report acknowledges, was a key issue going into the primaries and did not adequately prepare some poll workers to conduct the election successfully. The report says the large class sizes for poll workers to learn the new voting system didnt create the best learning environment. Some poll workers didnt understand how to close the polls and packed away e-pollbooks before recording the information in the Official Ballot Report, while others didnt permit observers in the centers, a process thats allowed by state law. The elections department plans to provide new training for both returning and new poll workers before Nov. 8 while reducing class sizes to allow for hands-on experience with the e-pollbooks. While most vote centers operated smoothly on election day, the Kirk-Bear Canyon Library on the east side of the county had to close for two hours after running out of ballot stock. Poll workers encouraged voters to go to another voting center, an option that didnt exist in precinct-based voting. A line formed around the library, however, as many decided to stay and wait to cast their votes. Other vote centers ran out of envelopes that provisional ballots must be placed in, but late delivery of the envelopes to the elections department delayed the envelopes arrival to vote centers to the morning of the election. According to the report, this caused delays at three vote centers. Heading into the general election, the elections department plans to increase ballot stock by up to 30% and has ballot envelopes ready to be sent to vote centers, the report says. Technical difficulties also affected the primary election, with some vote centers experiencing tables dipping inwards and causing printer malfunctions, calibration issues and operational errors. The printers worked after being transferred to a flat surface, and simply turning the e-pollbooks on and off again often allowed them to reconnect to printers, the report states. Some vote centers had further issues with provisional ballots due to poll workers using incorrect passwords, which was corrected with help from the IT department. During the general election, the elections department plans to increase staff at their call center to handle technical support questions from poll workers while assigning a supervisor to manage equipment replacement and another employee to monitor connectivity throughout the day. Although the report focused on issues with the primary election, Hargrove acknowledged, Overall, the response from poll workers and the public regarding vote centers and e-pollbooks was very positive. Poll workers commented that they loved the new system, stating that it was an improvement from 2020 and that the e-pollbooks allowed for a faster and smoother process. Key general election dates Oct. 11: Last day to register to vote for the general election Oct 12: Early ballots mailed out Oct. 12-Nov. 4: In-person early voting Oct. 28: Last day to request a ballot by mail Nov. 1: Last day to request a replacement ballot Nov. 1: Recommended last day to mail in ballot Nov. 8: Election Day To check your voter registration, visit: recorder.pima.gov/voterstats/voterinfo For more information on Pima Countys elections, visit: Pima.gov/Vote2022 The Ford Foundation will commit $80 million over the next five years to work that strengthens nonprofits fighting against authoritarian regimes. Such groups are struggling in the face of governments that are restricting the right to protest, hobbling nonprofit organizations with an avalanche of bureaucratic requirements meant to stymie their effectiveness, and threatening the safety of people who work for such groups, Helena Hofbauer Balmori, director of Fords international civic engagement and government work and director of the new grant-making effort, announced Tuesday. There is a rise in authoritarian tendencies or authoritarian governments, she said. The conditions under which social movements and civil-society organizations operate are becoming harder. The Ford commitment, called Weaving Resilience, will not provide grants to individual nonprofits. Instead, it will support virtual hubs in 12 countries: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, where civil-society groups can receive help to make their organizations stronger. The hubs will provide consulting for groups in their regions that need a guide to navigate labyrinthine regulatory and tax systems, draw up plans and publicize their work, and protect against physical and online threats to workers and their families. The idea behind the grants is that supporting single nonprofits has no lasting impact and does little to help a broad array of organizations. Through Weaving Resilience, Ford wants to strengthen the civil-society ecosystem and foster the development of hundreds of vital organizations. There is never a shortfall of interventions on the side of foundations doing institutional strengthening efforts but that all of them ultimately always fall short, she said. They never have a comprehensive vision, and they only focus on very specific issues as if those issues were enough to create resilience for the organization. The piecemeal approach to institutional strengthening has not been effective. Hofbauer Balori hopes other foundations will join in. Weaving Resiliences Mexico hub, which will offer services to organizations in Central America and Mexico, has attracted $11.6 million in support including the Ford commitment and planned grants from seven other foundations including the Foundation for a Just Society and the Kellogg, Open Society, and Packard foundations. The grants come as democracy and free expression seem to be faltering across the globe. Basic liberties declined in 2021 for the 16th straight year, according to the Freedom in the World report from Freedom House, a group that works to promote democracy worldwide. The report found that 38% of the worlds population lives in countries that are not free, a designation made based on a range of criteria, including government corruption, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and a functioning electoral process. The trajectory has been discernibly negative, says Christopher Walker, vice president of studies and analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy. Walker, who spoke before the Ford commitment was announced, said philanthropy could play a critical role in reversing the tide. Philanthropy may be positioned to stimulate innovation in ways that other resources might not be able to, he said, especially when the challenges and the threats are growing and changing at such a fast pace. Each hub will design its own strategy. Two organizations, Compartamos con Colombia, connects nonprofits to a network of lawyers, consultants, and bankers, and Dejusticia, a legal and civil-rights group, will manage the effort in the Colombia region. During its first year, the hub will offer its services to Colombian nonprofits and then expand to Peru and Venezuela. Over the next several years, the two organizations together hope to provide services to about 200 groups in the region. During decades of internal conflict, Colombian nonprofits were stigmatized as being related to leftist guerilla groups, says Vivian Newman Pont, executive director of Dejusticia. Following the countrys 2016 peace accord, and the election in June of Gustavo Petro, the countrys first leftist leader, nonprofits got some breathing room, Newman Pont said. But despite the changed politics, nonprofits in Colombia have a lot of needs, she says. Many are in poor financial straits after years of struggling. Many have lost leaders who have joined the new administration. The Petro administration is not immune from sliding back into authoritarianism, Newman Pont said, and environmental and Indigenous leaders remain under the threat of assassination. The government has given nonprofits space, but Newman Pont worries social-justice and democracy organizations will lose some of their independence because they dont want to be seen contradicting the new government. It is a new space, and we have to take advantage of it, she said. We feel stronger; we feel more heard. And we have to use it because now it is the moment for hope. A big problem with foundation support from U.S. grantmakers, Newman Pont said, is that such giving is usually earmarked for specific purposes. When new needs arise, civil-society groups often feel constrained to spend their grants as they were designed so they can keep a relationship with a grant maker, rather than use funds to respond to new challenges. The Ford commitment, Hofbauer Balmori said, looks to break that cycle. The groups that will decide how the money is best used are from the region and have a better sense of emerging needs than a New York grant maker, she said. They are grounded in the political context of these countries and understand the trends that are manifesting themselves. ____ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Alex Daniels is a senior reporter at the Chronicle. Email: alex.daniels@philanthropy.com. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. BOSTON (AP) The last of dozens of migrants shipped to Martha's Vineyard last month are set to depart temporary shelter at a military base on Cape Cod for transitional housing by the end of the weekend, according to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's administration. The Venezuelan migrants were lured onto Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flights to Marthas Vineyard from San Antonio. A lawsuit filed in federal court in Boston last month alleges the migrants were told they were going to Boston or Washington and were induced with perks such as $10 McDonalds gift certificates. Instead the migrants were flown to Martha's Vineyard with no notice to local officials. DeSantis, a Republican, has defended his decision to fly the migrants to the island saying they went completely voluntarily and without evidence that they were in awful condition when Florida got involved. The planes with the migrants landed on Sept. 14. Two days later, 49 migrants were moved to Joint Base Cape Cod for shelter and humanitarian aide. Of those, 14 have already left the base for opportunities in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The remaining 35 were working with case managers to develop more sustainable housing plans, according to Baker's administration. While on the base, the migrants were provided with temporary shelter, food, clothing and hygiene supplies, legal aid, and access to health care, mental health, crisis counseling services. A community services organization on Martha's Vineyard also helped provide financial assistance to those receiving shelter at the base. CHICAGO (AP) A Chicago police officer shot an armed man who entered a police station on the city's West Side ranting" anti-law enforcement statements on Wednesday, just days after an officer shot a man who infiltrated another police facility and pointed guns at officers, a department spokesman said. Police Superintendent David Brown said during a news conference that the man walked into the lobby of the Ogden District station shortly before 1 p.m. holding a plastic bag with what appeared to be the barrel of a gun sticking out of it. Brown said the man was ranting anti-police sentiments, and that when officers told him to drop the weapon, the man instead pointed it at officers, prompting approximately three of them to open fire. Brown said the man was shot at least once in the shoulder. The department said his injuries are not considered life threatening. Department spokesman Tom Ahern said in a tweet that the man was taken to a hospital in stable condition and that his gun was recovered at the scene. Brown said detectives had not yet determined the man's identity, saying he has been uncooperative. The shooting occurred a little more than a week after 47-year-old Donald Patrick of Waukegan was shot by police after he climbed a fire escape of another West Side station, entered the building, grabbed handguns off a table and allegedly pointed them at officers who were undergoing SWAT training. Patrick was arrested and charged with burglary and aggravated assault of an officer using a firearm. He remains in jail. Brown said the department is examining what it can do to beef up security at police stations in the city. But he also said the department has to make sure that police facilities remain open to allow citizens to come in to make reports and talk to officers. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Serbian special police raided a makeshift camp near the border with Hungary and detained alleged people smugglers found there Wednesday along with weapons, money and about 200 migrants. The police operation by the Tisa River came two days after the governments of Serbia, Hungary and Austria agreed to take joint action to curb an increased arrival of migrants into their countries. Serbia's police said in a statement that some of the people from the tent camp were transferred to state-run facilities and others were brought before prosecutors for investigation of migrant smuggling, weapon and drug possession, and committing violent acts. Serbia has not been and never will be an area where criminals and scum come and stay, who traffic in people and make money on their hardship and sorrow, Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin said. Photos from the scene showed special police searching the camp and escorting a group of people holding their hands above and behind their heads. Police said they found three handguns, an automatic rifle, knives, machetes and money at the camp site, At a meeting in Hungary this week, Serbia, Hungary and Austria said they would draft a joint action plan on how to counter the arrivals of people fleeing wars or poverty in the Middle East, Africa or Asia. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are believed to be camping in Serbia by Hungary's border, seeking help from smugglers to cross and move on toward Western Europe. Hungarian authorities put up a double-wire fence along the border. Follow all AP stories on migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration In one photo, Johnny Lauders 86-year-old mother is in her Florida home, submerged nearly to her shoulders in black murky water, staring straight at the camera, mouth open. In another, she lies just above the waterline on a table, wrapped in sheets to keep warm. In yet another, she's being pushed through the water in a wheelchair, her rescue nearly complete. The photos were taken after Hurricane Ian made landfall last Wednesday, bringing a powerful storm surge and 150 mph (241 kph) winds. They tell the story of Lauders journey to save his mother, Karen Lauder, from the home she refused to leave, despite the familys pleading . He sent the short videos and photos to his family, letting them know he was OK. Thats how I unintentionally documented the whole ordeal, he said. Before the storm hit, Lauder said his mother who lost a leg and requires a wheelchair kicked and screamed and said she didn't want to leave her home in Naples, Florida. We didnt evacuate because we couldnt leave her behind, he explained. She did not expect the level of destruction Ian would bring. Speaking from his son's home on Tuesday, Lauder said his mom's house had flooded about 6 inches (15 centimeters) deep during Hurricane Irma in 2017, so she assumed a similar outcome with Ian. Instead, Ian ravaged Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S. and sent more than 3 feet (91 centimeters) of water around her home, trapping her inside. She called her son for help. She said the water was up to her wheelchair and hitting her belly button, Lauder said. He was sheltering at his son's house, a half mile (0.8 km) from his mom. Lauder, who said he has rescue diver training, dove out the window. He swam, walked, waded and kicked through water for about 45 minutes to get to her house. He said a van and a couple cars floated past him as he steered clear of sparking electric poles. Lauder said he heard his mother screaming as he approached. It was a sense of terror and relief at the same time, he said. The terror was that I didnt know if something was falling on her or if she was trapped and hurt. But the relief was knowing that theres still air in her lungs. He put her on a table and bundled her in dry sheets from a high shelf. He worried about the sores around her body open wounds that were dangerously susceptible to infection in the bacteria-ridden floodwater. They waited three hours for the water to subside, so he could push her through the streets in her wheelchair. When the water was a couple feet high, he called for his 20-year-old son to join them and help push grandma to safety. Around 1 a.m. about 11 hours after Lauders mother called him for help Lauder returned to his older sons house with his mother and younger son in tow. Lauder said his mom was later taken to a hospital, because she had some infections. But they were treated, and shes warm. Shes in a soft comfy bed. Shes good, he added. Cassandra Clark, Lauder's sister-in-law in Miami, started a GoFundMe to raise money for Lauder, his mother and his sons. While were so grateful our family is physically alright, theyve lost absolutely everything in this storm and, unfortunately, did not have any renters insurance, Clark wrote. The page raised over $17,000 as of Tuesday. I get choked up that all these people are helping me and they dont even know me, Lauder said. He hopes that people will know now to evacuate. My mom has changed her tone: she will be evacuating next time, he said. "I hope people learn from others' mistakes and not their own. Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter. For more coverage of Hurricane Ian, go to: https://apnews.com/hub/hurricanes The Oklahoma City Community Foundation recently awarded scholarships to four Owasso High School graduates through the states largest independent scholarship program. Emily Cobb, Ashley Hillman, Kennerly Holloway and Michael Morris received a total of $11,000 in scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year. Cobb and Holloway are both recipients of the Oklahoma State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: Professionally Engineering the Future Scholarship, an award of various amounts offered to third-, fourth- and fifth-year students pursuing degrees in engineering or engineering technology from a university in Oklahoma. Cobb is entering her fifth year at McPherson College, and Holloway is entering her senior year at Oklahoma State University. Hillman received the Oklahoma Youth with Promise Scholarship, an award of at least $4,000 through one of the Community Foundations statewide scholarship programs. Morris is a recipient of the Donna Vandiver Knapp Piano & Vocal Music Education Fund, a $2,500 award offered to students pursuing a music education degree with an emphasis in piano or vocal music at the University of Oklahoma. He plans to study music at the University of Oklahoma this fall. At the Community Foundation, it is our mission to recognize and meet the changing needs in our community, said Trisha Finnegan, Oklahoma City Community Foundation President and CEO. The cost of higher education has steadily increased over the past two decades and is a major barrier for many students. Our scholarship program, thanks to generous donors, continues to grow, more than doubling the total amount awarded over the past six years. Designed to support a diverse range of students, the Oklahoma City Community Foundations scholarship program assists students as they pursue the educational opportunities needed to reach their highest aspirations. In total, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation awarded more than $3.3 million in scholarships to more than 800 students throughout the state for the 2022-23 academic year. Several scholarships are renewable to assist with costs beyond one year. Owasson Alisa Schroeder and her two young children showed up to Tulsa International Airport this week with patriotic signs raised high that read, Thank You and Welcome Home. Their written sentiments accompanied dozens of other spirited messages flaunted by a large crowd that greeted military members returning home from this years Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight on Tuesday. We came to support the veterans, Schroeder said. Its very near and dear to us just to give them this experience and so just to be able to give them that is really important to us, and really fulfilling too. The Schroeder family gathered near baggage claim to welcome back several Vietnam-era veterans who embarked on an all-expense-paid day trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials created in honor of their service. Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight hosts the event every year, which turns up an energetic presence from the veterans friends and families, along with airport ambassadors, Tulsa police and fire crews, Welcome Waggin therapy dogs and other passersby. It was the welcoming home that we never got when we came back from Vietnam, said Mickey Landers, who de-boarded the plane to a spectacle of loud cheers and waving flags. This whole trip today was one of the most meaningful trips that Ive ever been on in my life; it was great. Fellow passenger Lonnie Trecek added, It was an experience that I did not expect. They did an exciting opportunity for veterans. They take care of you. We got to see all the memorials (in D.C.), and theres new ones there that Ive never seen before. The Owasso High School Band also performed the Armed Forces Medley, which echoed throughout the concourse as the veterans filed in from their flight. Charlie Wendel and Emily Powers were among about 50 Owasso band members who showed up to express their appreciation through the art of music. Its just nice because it gives us a chance to show our gratitude to the veterans that have given so much to us, said Wendel, on bass drum. Its just a small thing we can do. Powers, on clarinet, added, It feels really good because Im doing something for other people who a while ago have done things for us. These people fought for this country and now (were) giving back and honoring that. This months program served as the second of two annual flights for 2022, with the last conducted in April after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Owasson Ron Moe Moseley, who serves on the board of directors for Oklahoma Warriors Honor Flight, was excited to see his fellow veterans return from this months flight, especially after taking the trip himself four years ago. Its just special just a great feeling, said Moseley with an American flag in hand, the welcome home that they never got. More information can be found at oklahomawarriors.org. Gov. Kevin Stitt moved his chief troubleshooter from the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to the Department of Tourism and Recreation and added a Tulsan to his cabinet as the new secretary of commerce. Shelley Zumwalts move to Tourism is the latest posting in a varied 10-year state government career that most recently included guiding the OESC through perhaps the most difficult two years of its existence. With Tourism, Zumwalt takes over an agency in turmoil over accusations of mismanagement and perhaps criminal actions involving the renovation of state park restaurants. Zumwalt succeeds Jerry Winchester, who resigned last summer. Shelley is smart, hardworking and boasts a proven and impressive track record of strong leadership during her time at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, Stitt in a news release. I look forward to her taking on this new role and am confident in her ability to promote our great state. Zumwalt was put in the OESC directors position after it became apparent that the commissions antiquated systems and limited personnel could not handle the unprecedented crush of unemployment claims many of them fraudulent at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also on Tuesday, Stitt appointed Tulsa business executive Chad Mariska as secretary of commerce. He succeeds Scott Mueller, who resigned. Mariska previously led Oklahoma-based APS FireCo, a manufacturer of fire extinguishers and other fire protection equipment, and is currently president of a family investment company. He is a member of the Governors Council for Workforce and Economic Development. Chad is a smart businessman with a strong work ethic, and I am confident that he will continue to build on our momentum to recruit and expand Oklahomas growing economy, Stitt said in the release. Staff Photographer I have worked for the Tulsa World from 1995-2000 and from 2005-present. I graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Photographic Arts/Journalism. I live in Owasso with my wife, Brandi, and daughters, Sonnie and Sarah. Tulsa firefighters are mourning after they located the body of a retired assistant fire marshal who had been missing since the 66-year-old attempted to rescue his grandchild in Skiatook Lake on Sunday. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol had been unsuccessful in searching for Terry McGee after he jumped from his boat about 3:50 p.m. Sunday and never resurfaced. Tulsa Fire Department staff members felt strongly about helping provide closure to McGees family, and on Tuesday they found his body using sonar technology, spokesman Andy Little said. I cant imagine how his family is feeling right now, Little said Wednesday. We are at least glad that we were able to locate him for them. The grandchild made it out of the water and is OK, authorities said Tuesday. McGee served with the Tulsa Fire Department for more than 25 years and started his own company focused on building homes in north Tulsa. Terry served this community for a long time, and his family deserves to know that we appreciate them, Little said. His memory will certainly live on. McGee was a member of the NAACP, the North Tulsa Community Coalition, the North Tulsa Economic Development Committee and Tulsa Metro Chamber Mosaic, he said in a 2017 interview with the Tulsa World. Anybody that you talk with that worked with him talks about how upbeat he was, how positive he always was, that he was always willing to help out, Little said. A townhome project called Black Wall Street Square that is in development at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Reading Street is a collaboration with McGee Enterprises and Boomtown Development Co., an affiliate of Green Country Habitat for Humanity. In 2017, McGee told the Tulsa World he wanted to leave a legacy that his parents, family and community can be proud of ... and be able to reflect a sense of hope, love and joy even in the most trying of times. Vicki Jordan, the president of Boomtown Development Co., spent countless hours working on the Black Wall Street Square project with McGee and said she didnt foresee his death stopping the project. She said McGee should be an inspiration for anyone who wants to make a difference in Tulsa. Selfless, she said. I think thats the perfect word to describe him. He didnt back down from a challenge and thought anything was possible. He just loved the community and wanted to do the best for it. Anyone you talk to about him is going to tell you about how much of an advocate he was for the community. Lessons Jordan said lessons people can learn from McGee are: Dont be afraid to reach out and lend a hand, and, as the Black Wall Street Square project was his brainchild, dream. Whenever McGee saw a need in the community, he always believed there was a way to help fix that need. But it wasnt just his passion for the community Jordan remembers fondly about McGee. Something Ill always remember about (McGee): He was always full of hope and optimism, and he was always smiling, she said. There was nothing he couldnt do and not a challenge he wouldnt take on. Former President Bill Clinton, appearing on Fareed Zakarias program on CNN, summed up the migrant relocation by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis this way: Look, hes sending Venezuelans who were coming here, fleeing the successor to Hugo Chavezs disaster because the guy doesnt want to go, and he has no economic answers. Right? So he (DeSantis) sends them to Marthas Vineyard. Why? Because Marthas Vineyard symbolizes where the elite goes on vacation. It was also the first place that welcomed Black professionals and business people from the South to come and live on equal terms in a community that was largely created for religious reflection and study. So thats whats going on. And I dont know what Massachusetts is going to do, but I bet that they will make those people feel at home. Black folk have felt at home at Marthas Vineyard since the late 1700s. The 20th-annual Marthas Vineyard African-American Film Festival was held there. Dollhouse-like cottages dot the landscape. The late Vernon Jordan, then senior adviser to Clinton, once said, I dont like Long Island, and I dont like Nantucket. I like Marthas Vineyard. Film director Spike Lee owns a home in Oak Bluffs. Former President Barack Obama has an $11.75-million seacoast villa in the Vineyards Edgartown, with seven bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms and a phalanx of fireplaces, set majestically on 30 acres. Massachusetts, you say? Well, Massachusetts was among the first five states to abolish slavery in 1783, the same year the Revolutionary War ended. (The other four were Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island.) Simply put, if youre shipped somewhere even temporarily why not the Vineyard? And despite the lawsuits claiming the migrants were used as state government pawns and DeSantis labeled as being a political stuntman, Marthas Vineyard is better than other destinations. DeSantis and Republicans have been accused of trying to stoke their constituency with fears of immigration/open borders before the elections. Well, as Arthur Cyr, professor of political economy and world business at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, said, Republicans have no monopoly on scare politics. That means Democrats partake, too. The Vineyard certainly was better for former Black slaves 200-plus years ago. Marthas Vineyard was part of the underground railroad, so it was known as a safe and welcoming community for African-Americans, Nancy Gardella, executive director of Marthas Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, told Vox Media. They didnt feel entirely welcome in other beach enclaves. Postal worker Victor H. Green, in 1936, published The Negro Motorist Green Book to guide Black travelers to safe, hospitable places during racial segregation. The book was the focus of a 2018 movie starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. Among the safe spaces listed in the book was Shearer Cottage, a Black-owned inn in Oak Bluffs. Migrants Pedro Torrealba and Luis, who declined to give his last name, are two transplants in Marthas Vineyard. I didnt expect it to be like this, but I feel comfortable here, Luis, who traveled two months from Caracas, Venezuela, to Texas before going to the Vineyard, told The New York Times. I want to be here. The locals brought food, money, supplies, clothes, toys and games to assist in the relief effort for the migrants. Several migrants with emergency dental problems were treated by area health-care specialists. High school faculty and students assisted as translators for a mostly Spanish-speaking population of newcomers. Vineyard locals mobilized. OK, so how about a new federal immigration bill? Torrealba, a trucker in Venezuela barely able to feed his family, said he was pleased to have almost made it to a big American city where he hopes to work. I feel really good, he told The Times. Before we got here, I felt a little lost, because I didnt know if I was going to get here. But now that Im here, honestly, I dont want to leave. All this raises an interesting question: What happens if a migrant becomes so enamored with their new environment at Marthas Vineyard when the dust settles? I dont have to catch my breath here, said Skip Finley, a Black author writing in his Vineyard newspaper column and whose family had vacationed on the Vineyard for five generations before he lived there. Its the freest place Ive ever been. With that, remember the poignant thoughts of Pedro and Luis. Gregory Clay is a Washington columnist and former assistant sports editor for McClatchy-Tribune News Service. He wrote this for InsideSources.com. <&rule> Ho Chi Minh Citys second metro line project is getting into a rut left by the citys first metro line project as loan contracts for it expire while construction has yet to start. The Ministry of Planning and Investment recently asked the authorities in Ho Chi Minh City to clarify cost overruns, if any, when deadlines to pay loans for the project are extended, and the responsibility of the relevant agencies for the slow progress of the project. Bottlenecks in consultancy contract In 2010, the second metro line project, linking Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Tham Luong Depot in District 12, was approved and expected to be put into commercial operation in 2016. Together with the first urban railway project, running from Ben Thanh Market in District 1 to Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, the second metro line project is expected to ease traffic congestion in the northeastern gateway of the city. The project was designed to pass through six districts, including District 1, District 3, District 10, District 12, Tan Binh District, and Tan Phu District, requiring a total space of more than 251,100 square meters and affecting 603 households. Thanks to the experience from the first metro line project, site clearance for the second metro line project is being conducted rapidly. However, the deadline for the job was already delayed from 2020 to 2021. The city earlier required completing the job in the third quarter of 2022. However, the Management Authority for Urban Railways of Ho Chi Minh City several days ago reported that districts had issued decisions to take back land and 85.2 percent of the needed land has been handed over for the project. In District 3, only 41 percent of the affected households have handed over their land as many of them have not accepted the compensation. Besides obstacles in site clearance, the long-lasting adjustment of the project caused a suspension of the consultancy contract for the project from October 2018. The Investor and Implementation Consultant (IC), the consulting firm of the project, entered into many negotiations but failed to reach a consensus. In late March this year, IC announced the termination of its consultancy contract with the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee. The investor must later choose another consultant to complete ICs half-done work and supervise the construction of the project. The new consultant will update the front-end engineering design (FEED) and hold tenders for packages from CP2 to CP7 of the project. As planned, tenders for these packages will be completed by the third quarter of 2024 and work on the project will begin in early 2025. Between 2025 and 2030, the metro line will be constructed and equipment will be installed, so that it will be put into operation in late 2030. In the next two years, shortcomings of the project, if any, will be eliminated. Negotiations of loan contracts a must According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the slow progress of the Ben Thanh-Tham Luong metro line project has caused the expiration of five loan agreements, causing cost overruns. Of the five, there are two contracts with the Asian Development Bank, two with Germany's KfW Development Bank, and one with the European Investment Bank. In a proposal on the adjustment of the projects progress sent to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee said that it would propose new loans after the new consultant completes updating the FEED. Agreements on these new loans are expected to be signed in 2024 to pave the way for the execution of the main packages from CP2 to CP7. The Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee announced that it worked with KfW, which supports developing countries and emerging economies, in April and the bank agreed to allocate a loan to the consultancy package. A leader of the Ministry of Planning and Investment told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the two sides will negotiate the resigning of expired official development assistance loan contracts based on articles in the initial deals. In its comments on the proposal to delay the planned completion of the second metro line project to 2030 sent to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance stated that from 2010 to 2020, only US$20.13 million worth of loans and 18.52 million euros ($18.16 million) of the official development assistance capital was disbursed for the project. The execution of the project was slow and failed to meet the plan, causing huge waste. The Ministry of Finance asked the authorities of Ho Chi Minh City to bear responsibility for the slow execution of the project, clarify the necessity and possibility to continue the project, work out solutions to accelerate the progress, and build a capital disbursement plan matching the projects progress. As for loans borrowed from KfW, the national government annually pays a guarantee fee which is 0.25 percent of the undisbursed capital for the bank. The Ministry of Finance also requested the Ho Chi Minh City authorities to report the possibility of extending the loan disbursement deadline and KfWs opinions about this issue. The city must also be committed to paying the loans. A chronic disease Explaining the slow progress of big-ticket public investment projects, economist Vu Dinh Anh said in reality, the Ben Thanh - Tham Luong metro line is not the only project that lags behind schedule. Falling behind schedule has become a chronic disease.' Just a few public investment projects have been completed as planned, Anh added. He said there are many causes for the issue, such as poor preparations and lack of experience due to the application of new technologies to projects. A section of Cach Mang Thang Tam Street in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City is yet to be cleared to make room for the second metro line project. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre However, the main cause is the poor execution of projects. The proof is that the transport sector used to complete projects as planned because the head of the projects at the time issued bold directions. He also attributed the slow progress of public investment projects to the shortage of those urging the implementation of the projects and sanctions for those leading to the slow execution. Those failing to fulfill their duties should be replaced so that projects can be completed as planned, Anh added. Those responsible [for projects], even the system managing the projects are behind with their work," he said. To ensure the progress of projects, those getting involved should do their utmost." Waiting for construction of project Many households on Cach Mang Thang Tam and Truong Chinh Streets have handed over their land for the project. Those whose entire land was reclaimed moved to resettlement areas, while others with part of their land taken back are repairing their houses. They are waiting for the construction of the citys second metro line project. Vo Huu Thang, residing in Ward 11, Tan Binh District, said, the expectation for the project is not only for the convenience of myself and our next generations but this is the expectation of the whole city. Everyone expects the city to be modern in which metro lines are indispensable. Site clearance is nearly complete, so I wish work on the metro line project will start soon to facilitate local residents travel." Ho Chi Minh Citys metro route No. 2 stretches 11.2 kilometers, including a 9.2-kilometer underground section and two-kilometer elevated section, with 10 stations. The project requires an estimated cost of over VND47.8 trillion ($2 billion). An office building and ancillary works at the Tham Luong depot in District 12 have been finished. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Kaspersky blocked more than 18.9 million brute-force attacks targeting remote workers in Vietnam in the first six month of 2022, the highest number among Southeast Asian countries, the Russian multinational cybersecurity and anti-virus provider said in a report on Tuesday. The firm said as hybrid and remote work continue to be the norm in Southeast Asian, it foiled over 47 million Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) attacks from January to June. On average, Kaspersky solutions blocked 265,567 RDP attacks in the region daily. During this period, Kaspersky said it secured the most users in Vietnam, with over 18.9 million remote workers protected from this type of threat. Indonesia followed in second with more than 11.7 million users saved and Thailand came in third with over 8.6 million. These statistics are based on detection verdicts of Kaspersky products received from users who consented to provide statistical data. RDP is Microsofts proprietary protocol, providing a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer through a network. RDP is widely used by both system administrators and less-technical users to control servers and other personal computers remotely. Kaspersky general manager for Southeast Asia Yeo Siang Tiong said working from home or anywhere out of the office requires employees to log in to corporate resources remotely from their personal devices. One of the most common tools used for this purpose is RDP. Microsoft 365 is still the preferred software used by enterprises and Southeast Asia boasts more than 680 million people, half of whom are under 30 and are highly tech-savvy, said Yeo. So, we see the use of this protocol to continue as remote working remains the norm and expect that malicious actors will continue their chase to compromise companies and organizations here through brute-force attacks. Kaspersky said with 60 percent of companies allowing employees to use their own devices for work, businesses must train their staff in cybersecurity best practices, so that they are aware of the risks and understand how to work securely with corporate resources. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Looking for the reasons behind the crisis among English language centers in Vietnam recently, some independent education experts said that the issue could be due to the centers being slow to adapt to the current trends in learning methods of today's learners. While contemporary trends in foreign language learning are emerging both in Vietnam and the world, many Vietnamese English language centers seem to have fallen behind because they cannot adapt to the new waves of changes, independent experts told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. The burden of office rent One of the most recent scandals related to an English language center is that of Apax Leaders - an extremely well-known center about five years ago. At that time, Apax Leaders impressed everyone with its rapid growth and expansion of branches across Vietnam. However, the center's ongoing crisis reveals several obstacles that many other English centers are suffering from in the post-pandemic era. In a conversation with Tuoi Tre, a deputy general director of a large educational group in Vietnam that offers English courses said that the huge office rent has put a heavy burden on the centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It costs each center thousands to hundreds of millions of dong (VND100 million = US$4,188) per month, depending on the total office space. While center operators may cut their teachers' salaries because of the difficult financial situation, not all landlords are willing to cut rent out of sympathy for the centers. With revenues near zero during the pandemic, the cost of office rent increased over the months. By the time the English centers were allowed to reopen, many of them had owed billions of dong. The deputy general manager said his group reduced the number of English centers by 40-60 percent, depending on the city and province, in the hope of lightening the burden of office rent. "We are keeping only the centers with the highest number of students in each city or province. We closed the centers that made losses without continuing to wait for us to get more students, while the enrollment numbers have not changed at all," the person said. The head of an office under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training in charge of regulating English centers said one of the centers' most popular violations is changing locations. Many enterprises stopped renting high-priced offices and moved to cheaper ones. They also used smaller spaces instead of large properties to save money without reporting it, the official said. In another case, some companies share their offices with partners. They keep only some parts for teaching and sublet the rest for purposes other than teaching, although this is not allowed by law. There are some centers that did not inform their learners about their relocation, which made customers feel insecure. This includes the story of Apax Leaders. Some centers of this company have disappeared from Buon Ma Thuot City, located in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, Thu Duc City, and Phan Van Hon Street in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City. A representative of Apax Leaders told Tuoi Tre that the centers have not vanished. They are just trying to reorganize their teaching centers and find offices with cheaper rents to save money, the representative claimed. According to the representative, Apax Leaders' centers plan to return to normal operations from mid-October. In the meantime, he said, the company will provide appropriate methods to ensure student learning. The end of an English class in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Nhat Huy / Tuoi Tre A severe shortage of English teachers As someone who constantly monitors foreign teacher recruitment activities in Vietnam, Rafael -- a teacher at the Vietnam-USA Society English Centers (VUS) -- said that in the last five years he has been living in Vietnam, he has never seen as many job postings for foreign English teachers as he has now. Some online communities in Ho Chi Minh City have as many as 30,000 members, more than 10 of whom post a job posting per day seeking over 20 teachers for various levels of education. "What worries me is that some English centers have agreed to lower their quality standards because of the shortage. In some centers, teachers are hired with expired or inappropriate degrees or certificates," Rafael said. "Even worse, some small centers hire foreigners without degrees as teachers just because they can speak English, especially as teachers for kindergartens or elementary schools." Nguyen Quoc Toan, general director of EQuest Education Group, also acknowledged that finding foreign teachers is a challenge for his company. According to him, many foreign teachers have returned to their home countries during the last two years. In the post-pandemic period, the demand for foreign teachers has increased according to the growing number of students, but Toan said there are some obstacles in the administrative procedures. He said that it is currently extremely difficult for foreigners to apply for a work permit. For this reason, many foreign language centers cannot afford to hire enough foreign teachers. "Authorities should take flexible measures and streamline procedures regarding this situation. In this way, the problem of teacher shortage could be solved soon," suggested Toan. P., who used to be an operations manager at ILA, one of the largest language service providers in Vietnam, and now works as an employee at a private school in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, said the dearth of English teachers is a problem of systematic management. The centers that opened before the COVID-19 pandemic still face many problems, both in recruitment and training. Therefore, according to P., they are confronted by more problems employing more new teachers. In contrast, centers that have existed for many years and have a more stable capacity for human resource management stand a better chance of survival despite the shared challenges posed by the pandemic. According to Truong Kieu Trinh, who studied education at the UK's Sheffield Hallam College, many language providers in Vietnam tend to focus on commercial aspects rather than education. To this end, they simply want to hike the number of centers as quickly as possible. They spend money on marketing and increasing sales to attract as many learners as they can. They also use the lion's share of their revenue to open new venues. It is thus not sure that they have quality teachers and the capacity for service delivery and fiscal management. "If the products they offer exceed their capabilities, they can no longer guarantee their quality and risk collapse," Trinh said. "It is extremely important that new products should be first tested on a limited scale before being sold on a larger scale. "The business of education has its own special characteristics that require sustainability and stability rather than instant wealth." The need to adapt to new trends According to independent education expert Bui Khanh Nguyen, learning trends in Vietnam and worldwide have changed greatly after the COVID-19 pandemic, but many Vietnamese English centers do not seem to be adapting to these changes. Nguyen believes that the models of traditional classes such as huge buildings with ample space are no longer appropriate nowadays. After the pandemic, it has been shown that such traditional models cost too much while the benefits are not commensurate. This has led to a huge discrepancy between the investment and the number of students enrolled in the post-pandemic period, Nguyen said. For Nguyen, there are many students who can learn online. Many of them gained the ability to learn over the Internet during the coronavirus crisis and abandoned conventional classes. Instead of going to class for an hour and returning home, they can use that one hour to take an online course. In Vietnam, many major English course providers such as the British Council, Apollo English, and IvyPrep Education have introduced online courses for learners of all ages. A representative of one of these providers even told Tuoi Tre that about 70 percent of its revenue comes from online courses. According to an executive in charge of recruitment at VUS, today's English centers face stiff competition not only from other centers in the same industry but also from language learning apps that have gained prominence in recent years. It is necessary to combine online and offline courses for English centers, the manager said. Depending on the time when classes are offered, centers can decide on the proportion of online and offline units, but they must not offer only offline courses, as they do now, he added. Some English centers disappeared along with tuition In October 2021, many clients who were parents of learners reported to newspapers that the Pixar Center in Ho Chi Minh City was collecting their tuition irregularly. Some of them paid tuition to the center without receiving a refund, despite talking to it several times. In March 2022, clients filed complaints against the Pixar Center with the District 12 People's Court, and the court accepted some of their complaints. In late 2021, many Saigon American English centers in some cities and provinces closed unexpectedly. In Ho Chi Minh City, thousands of students who had paid tens of millions of dong were disappointed to learn that the center had been closed. Not only the parents of the students but also the teachers who worked for the center had to complain to the local police about the problem. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A trio of physicists on Tuesday won the Nobel Prize for discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics that have paved the way for quantum computers, networks and secure encrypted communication. Alain Aspect of France, John Clauser of the United States and Austria's Anton Zeilinger were honoured for "groundbreaking experiments using entangled quantum states, where two particles behave like a single unit even when they are separated", the committee said. Their results "have cleared the way for new technology based upon quantum information". "It has become increasingly clear that a new kind of quantum technology is emerging," Anders Irback, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in a statement. Aspect, a professor at the Paris-Saclay University, said the international makeup of the group was an important signal in the face of rising nationalism around the world, which he urged the scientific community to stand against. "It's important that scientists keep their international community at a time when ... nationalism is taking over in many countries," Aspect said in a phone interview with the Nobel Foundation published on YouTube. Albert Einstein and two other physicists first brought up the idea of quantum entanglement in 1935, in a thought experiment that became known as the EPR paradox. It involved two or more particles that existed in an "entangled" state, which means that what happens to one determines what happens to the other. This occurs even if they are far apart, something Einstein dismissed as "spooky action at a distance". While quantum mechanics have proved the iconic physicist wrong, Aspect said Einstein still played an important role in identifying the issue. "We must give the credit to Einstein to have raised the equation," Aspect said in his Nobel Foundation interview. Aspect and Clauser, a research physicist based in California, were singled out for their developments on the work of John Stewart Bell, who in the 1960s "developed the mathematical inequality that is named after him". First, Clauser "built an apparatus that emitted two entangled photons at a time", through a filter to test their polarisation. "The result was a clear violation of a Bell inequality and agreed with the predictions of quantum mechanics," the jury said. Aspect then closed one loophole that meant the measurement setting did not affect the results after the entangled pair had left its source. Zeilinger, a professor of physics at the University of Vienna, was highlighted for his work on "quantum teleportation, which makes it possible to move a quantum state from one particle to one at a distance", the jury said. "It is not like in the 'Star Trek' films or whatever, transporting something -- certainly not the person -- over some distance," Zeilinger said. "But the point is, using entanglement you can transfer all the information which is carried by an object over to some other place where the object is reconstituted." The physicists have been credited with paving the way towards what has been called the "second quantum revolution". "The first quantum revolution allowed us to have transistors, semi contactors, computers and lasers," Mohamed Bourennane, a professor in quantum information at Stockholm University, told AFP. "But the second revolution, which is based on superposition and entanglement, will allow us in the future to have new devices like quantum computers," he added. Clauser, Aspect and Zeilinger were also honoured together when they received the prestigious Wolf Prize in 2010. The three, who will share the Nobel award sum of 10 million Swedish kronor ($901,500), will receive the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the death in 1896 of scientist Alfred Nobel, who created the prizes in his last will and testament. Last year, the academy honoured Syukuro Manabe, of Japan and the United States, and Klaus Hasselmann of Germany for their research on climate models. Italian Giorgio Parisi also won for his work on the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems. The physics prize will be followed by the Nobels for chemistry on Wednesday, the highly watched literature and peace prizes on Thursday and Friday respectively, and the economics prize on Monday. A former officer at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Japan has been arrested on suspicion of accepting bribes related to the organization of repatriation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Ministry of Public Security. Lieutenant General To An Xo, chief of office and spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, on Tuesday announced the detention of 58-year-old Nguyen Hong Ha, a former officer of the Vietnamese Consulate General in Japans Osaka, for his alleged bribe taking. Along with Ha, police also arrested Nguyen Le Ngoc Anh, 34, an ex-official of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia for her alleged abuse of positions and powers while on duty, and Hoang Anh Kiem, 44, a man working as a freelancer, who was accused of giving bribes, Xo said. This is the latest development in the ministrys investigation into the case of offering and accepting bribes and fraudulently appropriating property that occurred at the Consular Department under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Most recently, police officers captured Nguyen Quang Linh, an assistant to Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, for allegedly taking bribes. The ministry started its probe into this case at the end of January, investigating 48-year-old Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, director of the foreign ministrys Consular Department and her three subordinates, on suspicion of accepting bribes related to the organization of repatriation flights during the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, 22 people have been prosecuted and detained, including officials and ex-officials from the foreign affairs, health, transport, and public security ministries. The highest-ranking official among the detainees is To Anh Dung, 58, deputy foreign minister, who was accused of taking bribes. Initial investigation results have proved that the defendants had received hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars and tens of billions of dong (VND1 billion equals $41,900), the public security ministry said at a press conference at the end of June. During the pandemic that has hit the country since early 2020, agencies concerned organized nearly 2,000 flights to bring home hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese citizens from abroad when air travels were still restricted, and each of the flights brought in a net profit of billions of dong, Lieutenant General Xo said. Any negative acts of profiteering and changing the humanitarian nature of the repatriation flights should be condemned and strictly punished by law, spokesperson of the foreign ministry Le Thi Thu Hang said at a press briefing early this year. Investigators are expanding their probe into this scandal. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Many large potholes appeared on a section of National Highway No. 1 in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam after floodwater receded in the locality this week. Along the section of National Highway No. 1 running from Thach Ha District to Can Loc District, the road surface was damaged and filled with big potholes, posing a high risk of traffic accidents. On the part of Viet Tien Commune, Thach Ha District, the damage was so serious that local authorities had to set up barriers and a warning sign to alert commuters. Large potholes appear on National Highway No. 1 in Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam, October 4, 2022. Photo: Le Minh / Tuoi Tre Workers were tasked with patching up the road surface as a temporary measure on Tuesday morning. Ha Tinh as well as several other north-central provinces have been struck by serious and prolonged flooding in the past few days. The inundation was a result of torrential rains brought about by the circulation of Storm Noru, which hit the country last week. The road surface is temporarily fixed on National Highway No. 1 in Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam, October 4, 2022. Photo: Le Minh / Tuoi Tre Along National Highway No. 1 in Ha Tinh, the most serious flooding was recorded in Xuan Lam Commune, Nghi Xuan District, with floodwater reaching about 40 centimeters high. The flooding on the part of the highway began last Friday and the water did not recede until Tuesday morning. During this period, local authorities banned vehicles from traveling on this section and guided commuters to take the bypass in Hong Linh Town. Serious flooding occurs on a section of National Highway No. 1 in Nghi Xuan District, Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam. Photo: Le Minh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! In October documentary streamer iwonder screens Scattering CJ described as a heart-breaking yet life-affirming story of a young mans tragic suicide, and the mission taken up by strangers all over the world to scatter his ashes in places he would have longed to visit. Scattering CJ When seemingly happy, travel-infatuated CJ Twomey ended his own life at age 20, his family was plunged into unrelenting grief and guilt. In a moment of desperate inspiration, his mother, Hallie, put out an open call on Facebook, looking for a handful of travellers who might help fulfil her sons wish to see the world by scattering some of his ashes in a place of beauty or special meaning. Twenty-one thousand strangers liked the Facebook page, and one thousand volunteers have since taken CJ to over one hundred countries. While crisscrossing the globe, his ashes and his familys story have given rise to a social media phenomenon a worldwide community that has congregated in solidarity and empathy in dealing with a still heavily stigmatized and misunderstood form of mental illness. Aggregating hundreds of clips chronicling personal ash-scattering pilgrimages worldwide, including Kelly from Sydney, Hallies story shows us that social media can act as a connector and a vehicle for empathy, as opposed to the more toxic aspects of social media interaction were currently witnessing. Her story further illustrates how there can be positive action grown from suicide, and that even if it isnt reliably predictable, in some cases it may still be preventable. Thursday October 27 on iwonder. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 After a recent story by Dateline, now Foreign Correspondent turns its attention to Thailands recent decriminalisation of cannabis. Its the country which gave us the words bong and ganja. In Thailand, cannabis has been used for centuries in traditional medicine. But when the US launched its war on drugs in the 1970s, Thailand became a key partner, placing cannabis on the narcotics list and toughening penalties against it. This June, the country took it off that list, meaning cannabis sellers and recreational users no longer risked jail for selling or possessing cannabis. In tourist hotspots, a ganja-culture is fast taking hold. In Bangkoks Khao San Road nightspot, it seems easier to buy a joint than a Pad Thai. Now its legal God gave a gift for us, says Choco Gonzalez, a cannabis seller in Bangkok. And its party time for tourists at the famous full moon party at Koh Phangnan in the countrys south. Wherever you go now, its Amsterdam again in Asia, says an Italian tourist at the party. As Australia reignites on its own debate about legalising cannabis, Southeast Asia correspondent Mazoe Ford travels around Thailand to meet the new crop of ganja-preneurs cashing in on the green rush. In Bangkok, Kitty Chopaka, a shop owner selling cannabis products and a leading advocate of decriminalisation, is still pinching herself. I never thought in my lifetime that this would actually happenBut at the same time I knew it had to be done. In the southern island of Samui, resort owner Craig Lamb reckons the liberalisation of the laws is attracting overseas tourists. You can really feel its reinvigorated the market. Theres a new energy here. Ford also hitches a ride on the private jet of the politician behind the policy Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. He takes us to Thailands east to spruik the medicinal cannabis industry which the government hopes will become a billion-dollar industry. It turned out that majority of my voters chose to vote for my party some people even called my party (the) Cannabis Party, he tells Ford. But not everyone welcomes the change. More than a thousand doctors have warned that the drug was delisted before proper safeguards and regulations were in place. We dont want to be the cannabis haven of the world, say Doctor Chanchai Sittinpunt from Chulalongkorn Universitys Faculty of Medicine. But Kitty Chopaka says going back isnt possible the genie is out of the bottle. That brokethat bottle is broken. Its gone! 8pm Thursday on ABC. A sequel series for Frasier, starring Kelsey Grammer, has been given the green light in the USA. Paramount+ has given the thumbs up for a new series with Frasiers next chapter living in a new city. In a recent interview, Grammer said the character, who moved from Boston to Seattle for the original series, will end up in another new place. He thinks hes gonna go off and do one thing, and sure enough, his life takes him in another direction, he shared. And he ends up rich beyond his dreams. Deadline reports he will be surrounded by new characters, with original cast members potentially as guest appearances, but not as regulars. It suggests a 10 episode season is likely. Frasier ran for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004, setting a record for the most Emmy Awards won by a scripted series at the time, 37, including five as Outstanding Comedy Series. While Paramount would own the rights for Australia it isnt clear yet whether it might screen on 10 or Paramount+. 5 copies of a new novel, Halifax: Transgression are up for grabs in Fridays newsletter thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia. The writer and creator of Halifax f.p. (1994-2002), Roger Simpson, is behind a series of three new novels with criminal profiler Dr Jane Halifax back to solve an all new case. After twenty years, I really didnt expect Channel Nine to bring back Halifax f.p. but they did and with great success. Halifax: Retribution was a rating success here in Australia and has been sold to PBS in the States, with more international sales in the wings. But if that was surprising the approach from Cass Di Bello was even more unexpected and flattering, said Simpson. Her enthusiasm to produce Jane Halifax novels has been irresistible, and as someone new to publishing, I couldnt be in safer hands. We clicked immediately and I hope Halifax: Transgression will give another dimension to what has been a wonderful journey with Jane. If you havent yet subscribed to the Friday newsletter you can do so here. Halifax f.p was one of the most prestigious franchises on Australian television, starring Aussie legends like Rebecca Gibney as forensic psychiatrist Jane Halifax, Hugh Jackman, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn and many more. This new book series will take us even deeper into Janes world, delving into her past and answering questions the show never did. Halifax: Transgression is out today, 5th October. The sunken wreck of Finnish-owned sailing ship Glenbank, missing more than 100 years ago, has been discovered in the spectacular Dampier Marine Park, off the coast of Western Australia. The Scottish-built cargo ship sank with more than 20 crew on board in 1911. The historic discovery is explored in the first episode of the new Disney+ local series, Shipwreck Hunters Australia. A lot of our team are deep sea divers and a huge passion of ours is filmmaking, shipwrecks, wildlife, and we all sort of came together some time ago and now we specialise in underwater cinematography, diver and historical researcher Johnny Debnam tells TV Tonight. Collectively, weve probably spent a couple of years of our lives underwater. Its a really special spot. Were in the middle of the ocean Debnam sent down a remote camera off shore when they saw marine life congregating on the surface. Its a really special spot. Were in the middle of the ocean, theres no land in sight but weve seen congregations of humpback whales, bullsharks, hammerhead sharks, every sort of tropical Northwest species you can imagine. Theyre all meeting in this area. So thats what really got us curious to lowering a camera and ultimately making a discovery. In November 1910, the steel barque Glenbank arrived at Balla Balla, Western Australia and had been chartered by Whim Well Copper Mines Ltd to transport copper ore from Balla Balla to the United Kingdom. The ships crew was made up of 20 plus members (mostly Russian, Norwegian, and Finnish) and was under the command of Finn, Captain Fredrik Moberg. Theres around 1500 wrecks in Western Australia Debnam says WAs massive coastline is dotted with wrecks that all tell tragic stories. A lot of the stories behind these wrecks in Western Australia are like a Hollywood script. So we knew we were onto something, he explains. We have a lot of exposed reefs, there are cyclones. Before modern technology of GPS they were sort of navigating from nature basically, using the stars but celestial navigation wasnt very accurate. So thats sort of what caused a lot of these old ships to crash into the reefs. Theres around 1500 wrecks in Western Australia and only a quarter of those have been found. So theres still a lot of discoveries to be made. The evidence gathered by the team and extensive research determined that Glenbank came to its demise due to unsecured cargo of copper ore loaded at Balla Balla where, during a ferocious storm, the precious cargo shifted and caused the ship to capsize, splitting the hull and deck structure apart. Theyre a resting ground for sailors who have passed away For Debnam, the hunt is not merely about claiming lost treasures or gold but the history and the success stories. All historic shipwrecks are protected by the Australian government. But thats a good thing, so they dont get all looted. Back in the 70s, when people were finding Dutch treasure ships, they were going out there with dynamite and blowing up these wrecks to get the treasure. So its a good thing that that doesnt happen anymore. Theyre a really special place, these wrecks. Theyre a resting ground for sailors who have passed away and theyve also become marine sanctuaries now as well. Yet there was one unfinished story from the Glenbank its one and only survivor Antti Ketola, was a 22-year-old Finnish seaman, who managed to get to safety on Legendre Island before being rescued by the pearling lugger, Pearl. Remarkably, the Shipwreck Hunters Australia team was able to track down Antti Ketolas descendants in Finland who had no idea about their fore-fathers incredible shipwreck story. It was really special to be able to share that story with Anttis relative. He didnt even know about that. Maritime Archaeologist, Dr Deb Shefi from Western Australian Museum said: The discovery of Glenbank is very significant in helping tell the tale of global trade at the turn of the century and giving a voice to those who tragically lost their lives on that fateful day in 1911. It is not often we find a silhouette of a ship, with the masts aligned, resting on the seafloor like this. The unseasonably good weather meant Glenbank was ready to shed its secrets and we were able to record measurements and details that will assist further research into this tragic shipwreck. The series uncovers a number of other incredible shipwreck stories throughout each episode, including the discovery of a Dutch Dornier Do-24K flying boat operated by the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (Marineluchtvaartdienst), one of fifteen flying boats destroyed in an air raid from World War 2. This discovery was one of the most significant finds in Broome in over twenty years, and the culmination of decades of research. Our fascination for everything that we find underwater overrides that fear of what could happen?' And then there are the inherent dangers. The obvious ones are sharks, but we were diving in crocodile infested waters in Broome with zero-visibility while were diving. Were basically diving blind with crocs in the area. The ocean itself is always the biggest danger, because were diving at really deep depths, pushing the limits. Its usually the ocean itself that causes most of the accidents, Debnam continues. But I think our fascination for everything that we find underwater overrides that fear of what could happen? Weve all done a lot of training, were very respectful of the dangers. But I think our fascination just overtakes that. Every every episode has a different story. Its just an adventure. Weve got ships from back in the 1600s. Weve got pirate captains stealing treasure and leaving their crew for dead. Weve got Australias Titanic that we investigate the Koombana, which disappeared without a trace, tragically with 157 men, women and children on board. You couldnt dream up some of these stories. Shipwreck Hunters Australia screens Wednesdays on Disney+ Updated. SINGAPORE, October 05, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a+" (Excellent) of MS First Capital Insurance Limited (MSFC) (Singapore). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect MSFCs balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The ratings also factor rating enhancement from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company Ltd (MSI), for which the ultimate parent is MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc. (MS&AD). MSFCs balance sheet strength assessment is underpinned by risk-adjusted capitalisation that is expected to remain at the strongest level over the medium term, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). AM Best views the companys investment portfolio as conservative, and it comprises mainly cash, term deposits and high-quality bonds. In addition, capital adequacy remains supportive of MSFCs planned business growth, supported by consistent internal capital generation over the years. An offsetting balance sheet strength factor is the companys high reliance on reinsurance to support the underwriting of large limit risks and to manage accumulation of catastrophe exposure; although the reinsurance counterparty credit risk is partially mitigated by the good credit quality of the MSFCs reinsurance panel and its long-standing relationship with the reinsurers. The company has a track record of strong operating performance, with a five-year average combined ratio and return-on-equity ratio of 62.9% and 11.2%, respectively (2017-2021). Underwriting results are favourable, supported by the companys strong underwriting discipline and in-depth expertise in core lines of business and markets. The companys net underwriting margins have consistently benefitted from low management expenses and high reinsurance commission income relative to net earned premium. Story continues MSFCs business profile is assessed as neutral. The company is a dominant non-life insurer in Singapore, supported by its strong brand and technical expertise. MSFCs underwriting portfolio is well-diversified by geography, with the company also underwriting a large volume of overseas business from a number of targeted markets in Asia. The company maintains long-standing relationships with brokers and reinsurers, which has supported its access to quality business in targeted markets. Additionally, MSFC also benefits from a growing level of business referrals from its parent groups affiliates. AM Best views the companys ERM as appropriate, which is supported by its developed risk management framework and strong risk management capability. MSFC also continues to benefit from a level of risk management oversight, integration and support from its parent group. Rating enhancement has been applied to MSFCs ratings in recognition of its ownership, integration and the support received from MSI, a member of the MS&AD group. MSFC benefits from common branding with the MS&AD group and continues to receive implicit parental support in terms of corporate governance, business synergies and technological developments. Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005508/en/ Contacts Vivian Yan Financial Analyst +65 6303 5022 vivian.yan@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Chris Lim Senior Financial Analyst +65 6303 5018 chris.lim@ambest.com Al Slavin Communications Specialist +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098 al.slavin@ambest.com Azerbaijan freed 17 Armenian prisoners of war Tuesday following US mediation, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, days after the arch-foe neighbours re-launched Western-facilitated peace talks. The move highlights the growing Western engagement in the volatile Caucasus region, where Russia -- distracted by its war in Ukraine -- is visibly losing influence after decades of domination. Last month, at least 286 people were killed on both sides before a US-brokered truce ended the worst clashes since the neighbours' 2020 war. Baku and Yerevan fought two wars -- in 2020 and in the 1990s -- over the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan. "I highly appreciate the efforts of the United States (in) assisting to return our 17 POW," Pashinyan said Tuesday on Twitter. He expressed hope for more "progress in resolving both humanitarian issues and establishing peace in the region" -- with international mediation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is travelling in Latin America, initiated a three-way telephone conversation Tuesday with Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. Blinken hailed the release of the prisoners and "reiterated our commitment to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve issues peacefully," State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Blinken also "expressed our appreciation for the positive steps Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking towards reaching a sustainable peace agreement." The Azerbaijani and Armenian ministers met jointly with Blinken on September 20 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, and the two held talks again together on Sunday in Geneva. The Geneva talks followed an EU-mediated meeting on August 31 in Brussels between Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. With Moscow increasingly isolated on the world stage following its February invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the European Union have taken a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalisation process. Story continues The six-week war in 2020 claimed the lives of more than 6,500 troops from both sides and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Under the deal, Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades, and Moscow deployed about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives. mkh-im-sct/to UK Government COP26 president Alok Sharma UK ministers have been accused of failing to make COP26 a turning point on environmental action as they come under pressure from the hosts of the next climate summit. The Egyptian government, which will host COP27 next month, has reportedly warned Tory ministers against backtracking from the global climate agenda amid concerns Liz Truss is set to scale back the push towards net zero. The UK Government hosted Cop26 in Glasgow under the presidency of Alok Sharma with Mr Sharma putting pressure on developing nations to scale back burning coal. Mr Sharma was left visibly upset in Glasgow when countries including India watered down commitments on fossil fuels from phasing out to phasing down. According to the Guardian, the Egyptian government, which will host COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, has criticised the UK Government in a highly unusual diplomatic move - with the hosts of the summits responsible for a smooth handover of the crunch talks. The move is reportedly been triggered by reports that King Charles has effectively been banned by the Prime Minister from attending COP27. It is believed that some Commonwealth countries, which are on the frontline of the climate emergency, are privately concerned over Ms Truss blocking King Charless appearance at COP27, as he acts as their head of state. Boris Johnson proudly spoke out about the need for the UK Government to keep its climate targets on track. The UK Government has pledged to become net zero by 2050, five years after the target for Scotland. But Ms Truss has caused anger from climate activists for allowing up to 100 new oil and gas licences to be awarded in the North Sea. The Scottish Government has also accused her administration of an attack on nature over environmental regulations in the Chancellors mini-budget. A COP27 spokesperson told the Guardian: The Cop president designate is disappointed by these reports (of Charless non-attendance at Cop27). The Egyptian presidency of the climate conference acknowledges the longstanding and strong commitment of His Majesty to the climate cause, and believes that his presence would have been of great added value to the visibility of climate action at this critical moment. Story continues We hope that this doesnt indicate that the UK is backtracking from the global climate agenda after presiding over Cop26. The Scottish Greens, who agreed a power-sharing co-operation agreement with the SNP at Holyrood last year, have warned that the UK Government must back up warm words on the climate crisis with action. Mark Ruskell, Greens environment spokesperson, said: "It is less than a year since COP left Glasgow, and so many of the limited promises that were made are looking like hot air. "The path that Liz Truss and her Cabinet are taking is bad for people and for our planet. They have doubled down on fossil fuels and nuclear and are even trying to bring back fracking in England. "We can't go on like this. We don't have time to waste. What we need is a major investment in renewables and a fundamental restructuring of our energy sector. He added: "COP 26 was meant to be our last best chance to address the climate emergency. It should have been a turning point when the governments of the world came together to take the action that is so badly needed. This year's event must be different. It has to go much further. The world was looking to the UK Government to show leadership at COP26, but they have betrayed that trust with their climate wrecking policies since Glasgow. The Egyptian COP presidency will have an even harder job now to rebuild that trust in the process. A UK Government spokesperson said: We have a proud record when it comes to COP, [and] we are forging ahead with our plans for net zero. Forty per cent of our power now comes from clean energy sources and we will continue to deliver on those promises. By Maya Gebeily (Reuters) - Lebanese lawmaker Cynthia Zarazir ended a protest at a bank on Wednesday after obtaining the funds she needed from her frozen savings to pay for surgery, her lawyer said, in the latest in a series of stand-offs between individuals and lenders. Zarazir, who was elected in May to represent Beirut, entered the Antelias branch of Byblos Bank unarmed on Wednesday morning with two lawyers, and staged a sit-in for four hours as a 'last resort' to access her money her lawyer said. Fouad Debs, one of the lawyers, confirmed to Reuters that Zarazir got access to the $8,500 she needed. Cases of bank hold-ups and protests have snowballed across Lebanon recently as depositors have grown exasperated over informal capital controls that banks have imposed since an economic downturn began in 2019. Depositors can only withdraw limited amounts in U.S. dollars or the Lebanese pound, which has lost more than 95% of its value since the crisis began. Most withdrawals of foreign currency are carried out at an exchange rate unfavourable to depositors, amounting to a roughly 80% haircut on their value. "We've spent a few days going back and forth to the bank and bringing my (medical) reports and they don't answer us. I can't delay this any more. I came to take my money," Zarazir said. "I came as a regular citizen, not as an MP," she added. A spokesperson for Byblos Bank was not immediately available for comment. Zarazir's sit-in coincided with a separate hold-up in a suburb of Beirut, where a man identified as Hussein Shukr demanded $48,000 from his account. "I'll stay here forever - a day, two days, three days... I want my right," said Shukr in a video published by the Depositors' Outcry Association, an advocacy group. Depositors' Outcry also organised a protest outside Lebanon's Central Bank, where dozens of protesters briefly lit tyres and tossed bottles over metal barricades at the building. Story continues Further north in the town of Jbeil, an unidentified assailant fired shots at a Beirut Bank branch on Wednesday and then fled, a security source said. There were no injuries. The tensions on Wednesday came after four hold-ups across the country the previous day, two of them involving armed men demanding their deposits. Another incident took place on Monday. Lebanon's banking association has expressed outrage over the hold-ups. A similar spree last month prompted banks to close for about a week. The Depositors' Outcry Association on Wednesday threatened more hold-ups. "Either find a solution to the issue of depositors and start paying a portion of the deposits without a haircut, or we continue our open war against you, thieves," it said in a statement. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Gerry Doyle, Alexandra Hudson) Sydney, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Proactive, provider of real-time news and video interviews on growth companies listed in Australia, has covered the following companies: Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) is set to grow the lithium resource at the BP33 deposit of the Finniss Project after confirming high-grade spodumene-bearing pegmatite in diamond holes up to 830 metres below surface. Click here American Rare Earths Ltd (ASX:ARR) is set to kick off 5,400 metres of drilling to define a maiden JORC resource at the 100%-owned Halleck Creek Rare Earths Project in Albany County, Wyoming. Click here Latin Resources Ltd (ASX:LRS) has made a new lithium discovery at Colina West, just 500 metres from the Salinas Projects cornerstone Colina prospect in Brazil. Click here White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM, OTCQX:WRMCF) has closed the books on its first mining campaign, joining a league of high-grade gold producers at its Morning Star Underground Gold Mine in Victoria. Click here St George Mining Ltd (ASX:SGQ) has identified several compelling nickel targets from a fixed loop electromagnetic (FLEM) survey at its flagship Mt Alexander Project in Western Australia. Click here Horizon Minerals Ltd (ASX:HRZ) has fully divested the Kangaroo Hill and Phoenix gold projects near Coolgardie. Click here Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd and Japanese-focused partner Coincheck Inc are set to strengthen their collaboration. Click here Blue Star Helium Ltd (ASX:BNL, OTC:BSNLF) has confirmed the presence of a 233.5-foot gas column through analysis of the JXSN#4 helium discovery well logs at Galactica/Pegasus prospect in Las Animas County, Colorado. Click here PolarX Ltd (ASX:PXX) has fielded extensive gold and silver assay results from a recent channel traverse sample program at the Golden Staircase prospect near Star Canyon prospect in the Humboldt Ranges of Nevada, USA. Click here Brookside Energy Ltd (ASX:BRK) continues to grow its extensive landholding in oil and gas-rich Oklahoma with the tripling of its acreage position in this new Bradbury Area of Interest (AOI) within the Ardmore Uplift-Ardmore Basin. Click here Aruma Resources Ltd (ASX:AAJ) has kicked off a new phase of drilling at the Mt Dean Lithium-Rubidium Project in Western Australia, intending to drill up to 1,800 metres over 12 holes in the search for a mineralised lithium-rubidium body. Click here Anson Resources Ltd (ASX:ASN) has been given the green light for its western resource expansion drilling program at the Paradox Lithium Brine Project in Utah. Click here Meteoric Resources NL (ASX:MEI) has wrapped up the sale of the Juruena Gold Project in Brazil after some delays completing the restructuring pre-conditions. Click here Australian Vanadium Ltd (ASX:AVL) has had its listing on the United States of America Pink Market upgraded to the OTCQB market. Click here MGC Pharmaceuticals Ltd (LSE:MXC, OTC:MGCLF, ASX:MXC) has moved to maximise enterprise value for shareholders with the appointment of UK capital markets advisory company Hannam & Partners as financial and corporate advisors. Click here Apollo Minerals Ltd (ASX:AON) has added 24 new potential target prospects to the Kroussou Zinc-Lead Project in Gabon with the addition of the Keri exploration permit which has increased the project area by 140%. Click here Twenty Seven Co Ltd (ASX:TSC) is buoyed by promising early lithium exploration results from the North Rover tenement in WAs central Yilgarn that have prompted global mining group Rio Tinto to exercise its option to farm-in to the non-gold rights. Click here White previously served as President & COO, will continue to serve on Board of Directors LEHI, Utah, October 04, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Weave (NYSE: WEAV), the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small business, today announced the appointment of Brett White as Chief Executive Officer. White joined Weaves executive team as President and Chief Operating Officer in April after serving on the Board of Directors since June 2020. White was appointed Interim CEO in August when Roy Banks resigned due to health and family reasons. "Brett has over 30 years of experience leading tech companies, and his vision and knowledge of the business make him a natural selection to lead Weave," said Chairman of the Board Stuart C. Harvey, Jr. "His track record scaling and operationalizing verticalized SaaS and payments companies is exactly the profile the Board desired when selecting Weaves next CEO. Were thrilled to continue leveraging Bretts leadership and strategic view of the business." Prior to his work with Weave, White served as COO and CFO at wellness software provider Mindbody and has extensive background as a public company executive with a focus in SaaS and Payments. White will continue to serve as a Director on Weaves Board. "I could not be more honored to lead the 800+ team members here at Weave," White says. "At its core, Weave is helping healthcare providers deliver more modern and meaningful patient experiences that deeply impact their local communities. Weaves opportunity to grow small businesses through our transformational platform is exciting and Im proud to continue our executive teams focus on bringing Weave to many more practices, patients and communities." White will helm an executive team with deep background in growing revenues and scaling operations at SaaS and payments companies like Qualtrics, Twilio, Global Payments and Progressive Leasing. Story continues About Weave Weave is the all-in-one customer communication and engagement platform for small business. From the first phone call to the final invoice and every touchpoint in between, Weave connects the entire customer journey. Weaves software solutions transform how local businesses attract, communicate with and engage customers to grow their business. Weave has set the bar for Utah startup achievement & work culture. In the past year, Weave has been named a member of the Forbes Cloud 100, a Certified Great Place to Work, and a G2 leader in Patient Engagement, Optometry, Dental Practice Management and Patient Relationship Management software. To learn more, visit www.getweave.com/newsroom/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221004005457/en/ Contacts Kali Geldis Sr. Director of Communications & Content, Weave pr@getweave.com Vietnamese fisherman Nguyen Van Loc has been attacked by Chinese coast guard vessels so many times, he has lost count. One summer day in 2020, while sailing through the Paracel Islands -- resource-rich waters in the South China Sea claimed by both Hanoi and Beijing -- his boat was rammed by a Chinese ship repeatedly until it capsized. Thirteen of his crewmen were left clinging to a fishing basket in the water, desperately awaiting help. Loc, 43, was beaten over and over, while his boat was stripped of their catch, tools and fishing gear. Some years before that, two Chinese vessels with large machine guns -- and crew armed with axes -- slammed into Loc's boat and followed them closely as they tried to make their way home. Now swathes of the disputed sea where he began fishing as a boy aged 15 -- are no-go zones, while other parts are so overfished that he spends just an hour where he used to pass the whole day. "We used to get scared," Loc told AFP. "But now this is just our normal life." Vietnam's ministry of foreign affairs asked Beijing to investigate the incident -- widely reported in Vietnamese media -- at the time, and other fishermen from Ly Son island told AFP of similar experiences of harassment at sea. Since 2014, 98 Vietnamese boats have been destroyed by Chinese vessels, according to figures from the local fishing association on Ly Son, home to hundreds of fishermen and their families whose livelihoods depend on trips out to sea. Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, a waterway of immense strategic importance through which trillions of dollars worth of trade transits every year. There are rival claims to part of the sea from neighbours including Vietnam, but China has become increasingly aggressive in asserting itself in the area under President Xi Jinping, who is expected to secure a record third consecutive term this month. - Flags shot down - Close to the water's edge, where a line of women wearing traditional conical hats sorts the day's catch, lies Ly Son's ship repair yard. But it is ill-equipped to handle the hefty damage inflicted on the boats. Story continues Many are forced to sail to the mainland, putting them out of action for days. Beijing gained control of the Paracel Islands in 1974 after clashes with the South Vietnamese Navy that left 75 Vietnamese troops dead. Today, Chinese coast guard vessels shoot down the Vietnamese flags that flutter over the cabin of each fishing boat, according to Ly Son's fishing association, and mostly the crew have no choice but to sail away, fearful of the consequences if they stand their ground. Over the last three decades, 120 fishermen from Ly Son have died due to attacks by Chinese vessels or because boats from China refused to come to their aid during poor weather, the local fishing association said. "Our vessels are small," said Loc. "If we are chased, then we run." But Loc, like many of his fellow fishermen, remains committed to the waters, where his grandfather and father fished before him. "This fishing ground belonged to our ancestors, we will never give it up." tmh-aph/pdw/qan Filipino fisherman Mariel Villamonte had spent years plying the turquoise waters of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea for snapper and grouper -- until a Chinese coast guard vessel water cannoned his boat. That was in 2012, around the time China snatched control of the small ring of reefs from the Philippines, and he has not dared go back. "Their ships are made of steel, ours are made of wood," said Villamonte, now 31, recalling how two Chinese vessels chased his outrigger before blasting it with high-pressure water. The fishing ground, tapped by generations of Filipinos, is one of many potential flashpoints for military conflict over the South China Sea. China and Taiwan both claim sovereignty over almost the entire sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims to parts of it. Trillions of dollars worth of ship-borne trade passes through the waterway annually and naval vessels from the United States and Western allies sail through it regularly. Of all the claimants, China has in recent years forced its stance most aggressively. Hundreds of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels prowl the waters, swarming reefs, harassing and attacking fishing and other boats, and interfering in oil and gas exploration, and scientific research. Analysts say Beijing's aim is regional supremacy and control over all activity in the waters -- and it is using its might to bully smaller rivals into submission. "They really envision themselves to be the centre of this region, economically, politically and militarily," said Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines's Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. "What they want is that eventually the weaker nations simply give up and leave them there just to avoid a problem." - 'Chinese Dream' - China often invokes the so-called nine-dash line, a vague delineation based on maps from the 1940s, to justify its claims over the South China Sea. Story continues The Philippines brought a case before an international court disputing China's stance. The tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claims have no legal basis. China has since ignored the ruling, and tensions with the Philippines eased after former president Rodrigo Duterte set aside his country's legal victory and courted Chinese businesses instead. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who took over from Duterte in June this year, has pledged to uphold the court decision and insisted he would not let China trample on Manila's maritime rights. But in the decade under President Xi Jinping, who is expected to secure a record third consecutive term in office this month, China has dramatically expanded its presence in the sea. Xi's desire for control of the waters is not about fish or fossil fuels, said Greg Poling, director of the US-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). His main objectives are realising the "Chinese Dream" of national rejuvenation -- Xi's vision of restoring the country to perceived past glory -- and securing his political legitimacy. Poling said generations of Chinese leaders had made increasingly "absurd" claims to the sea, leaving Xi with no choice but to "assert claims to everything". Satellite images published by AMTI show China's land-reclamation efforts in the waters have vastly outstripped those of all other claimants combined. Since 2013, it has ripped up roughly 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) of reef to create about 1,300 hectares of new land for artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago, said Poling. The militarised islands -- complete with runways, ports, and radar systems -- enable Chinese vessels to patrol as far south as Indonesia and Malaysia. Apart from destroying fish breeding grounds and smothering marine life with sediment, experts say Beijing's actions contravene international law. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China helped negotiate, countries have exclusive rights to natural resources within about 200 nautical miles of their shore. China's claims extend as far as a thousand nautical miles, which Poling said was "wildly inconsistent" with the law. "The rules that protected China as a developing coastal state now seem like an unfair constraint on a China that believes that it should be able to impose its will on its neighbours," he said. - 'Thief in your backyard' - China's seizure of Scarborough Shoal has robbed Villamonte and other fishermen in Cato village, in the northern province of Pangasinan, of a key source of income. Their families began fishing there in the 1980s when bigger boats enabled them to make the 500-kilometre round trip. It was full of fish and offered life-saving shelter during storms. Now, the fishermen say they mainly rely on "payaos", floating devices that attract yellowfin tuna, anchored away from the shoal and left alone by Chinese boats. After decades of overfishing by countries surrounding the waters, the men have to spend longer at sea and resort to catching smaller fish. Even then, they sometimes struggle to break even. Despite the risks, Filipino fishermen still try to enter the shoal to top up their catch. Christopher de Vera, 53, said members of his crew have gone inside under the cover of darkness, leaving them feeling like "a thief in your own backyard". But he said the shallow waters no longer teem with fish after the coral was "decimated" by Chinese giant clam harvesters. - 'Worst nightmare' - China's growing assertiveness has not been seriously challenged by Southeast Asian countries due to deep divisions over how to respond and fear of retaliation if they do, according to analysts. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is split between those with close ties to China, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and others that are warier of Beijing. Their differences have hampered negotiations between China and ASEAN for a "code of conduct" that would govern behaviour in the sea. Talks have dragged on for 20 years as Beijing, which prefers to deal directly with its smaller neighbours, went on an island-building spree. The United States is widely seen as the only nation powerful enough to push back, but there are concerns about its reliability. President Joe Biden hosted ASEAN leaders in May to signal Washington's long-term commitment to the region in the face of China's growing clout. But decades of inconsistent policies and perceived neglect of the region have damaged Washington's image. "Southeast Asian countries are simply not willing to place their bets on the United States," said Shahriman Lockman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. China has previously used deadly force to back its claims and its recent war games around Taiwan, which it considers part of its own territory, rang alarm bells across the region. Chinese and Vietnamese forces engaged in clashes in 1974 and 1988 in which dozens of troops died. For now, Beijing appears keen to avoid war while pursuing its expansionist drive. "They are masterful at avoiding crossing that threshold by being shrill about their protestations, this wolf warrior diplomacy, that is designed to intimidate and get you to give in without fighting," said John Blaxland, an international security and intelligence expert at the Australian National University. And its tactics are working. Poling said the sea could become a "Chinese lake" as the growing risk and cost of operating there forces out Southeast Asian fishermen, oil and gas companies and coast guard. Villamonte used to regularly make 6,000 pesos ($105) per trip when he could fish at Scarborough Shoal. Now it can be as little as 2,000 pesos, or nothing at all. Fishing is all he knows -- his father and grandfather were fishermen -- and his "worst nightmare" is losing access to the rest of Philippine waters. "My family will go hungry," he said. burs-amj/ser/qan Jurys Inn will soon be known as Leonardo Hotels. A SWINDON hotel hosted an event to celebrate a major shakeup. Jurys Inn looms large over the junction of Fleming Way and Princes Street in the town centre. Soon, the four-star accommodation will be known as Leonardo Hotels. A double-decker bus is making its way around the country to visit some of the 51 hotels in the chain. The upper deck of the bus has been turned into a hotel room, kitted out with a DREAM bed as well as a desk, TV screen, and a small seating area. The downstairs level features a meeting room with a table and chairs, coffee machines, and plants. A spokesman said: "Already well-established in the UK with 16 hotels under the Leonardo, Leonardo Royal, and NYX brands, all 35 Jurys Inn hotels in the UK and Ireland will transition to Leonardo Hotels by the end of 2022 as part of the brands ambitious investment programme and growth strategy. "The rebrand will combine the key elements of the Jurys Inn operating platform with the existing Leonardo brand design and expanding reputation. "Beyond the rebranding programme, Leonardo Hotels plans to continue growing its footprint in the UK and Ireland through new acquisitions and developments, alongside enhancements across its range of products and services." Leonardo Hotel staff Iranian flag flies in front of the UN office building in Vienna DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran's foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador in Tehran in reaction to "interventionist comments" from the British foreign ministry, the semi-official news agency Tasnim reported on Wednesday. "The British side, by issuing unilateral statements, shows that it has a role in the belligerent scenarios of terrorists active against the Islamic Republic," the director general of Western Europe at Iran's foreign ministry added, after saying that London's remarks on Iran's internal affairs were "based on fake and provocative interpretations." Britain's foreign ministry said on Monday it had summoned the Iranian charge daffaires, Irans most senior diplomat in Britain, over the crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. The British envoy in Tehran was summoned on Tuesday. The Iranian official added Tehran will consider possible options in response to any unusual actions from Britain. A 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, Amini was arrested on Sept. 13 by the morality police in Tehran for wearing "unsuitable attire". (Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman) Pep Guardiola dismissed reports of a release clause in Erling Haalands contract after watching his star striker add another two goals to his season tally in the first half of Manchester Citys 5-0 rout of FC Copenhagen. Following on from Sundays hat-trick against Manchester United, Haaland scored Citys first two of the night before an own goal from David Khocholava and second-half strikes from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez. Such was Citys dominance that Guardiola could withdraw Haaland at half-time after seeing him score his 18th and 19th goals of the season for City. The day had started with reports in Spain that a clause in the 22-year-olds contract would give Real Madrid a free run at signing him as soon as 2024, but Guardiola said there was no truth to the report. Its not true, the City boss said. He has not got a release clause for Real Madrid or any other team. The rumours and people talking, we cannot control it. I always worry about what we can control. Haaland scored twice again (Nick Potts/PA) Whats important is he has adapted really well, we have the feeling he is happy here. We will try with him and all of them who want to stay to make them happy. In the future, nobody knows, but he is happy, he has settled perfectly, he is incredibly loved and this is the most important thing. Guardiola said the decision to replace Haaland with Cole Palmer at the break was not pre-planned, but with City already in cruise control with a 3-0 lead five minutes before the break, he took the opportunity to give him a breather ahead of Saturdays Premier League match against Southampton. Back in the starting XI, a clean sheet, the 3 points and the first spot of the group, what more could I ask ? (less cold & less rain please ) pic.twitter.com/XIegHjjYUp Aymeric Laporte (@Laporte) October 5, 2022 He has played a lot of minutes, Guardiola said. Of course Cole Palmer is an excellent player, Im looking forward to him playing. Story continues If the game was tight Erling will continue to play but after that it is better to rest and think about Southampton, a team we were not able to beat last season. There were suggestions the decision might have signalled an injury for Haaland, but after returning to the bench late in the second half, the Norwegian ran on to the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates after the final whistle before jogging around applauding supporters. Haaland might have been disappointed not to be allowed the opportunity to seek yet another hat-trick, but if he was, it did not show. Erling wants the same as all of us to win the game, Guardiola said. He made the hat-tricks to win those games. Of course if he had played another 45 minutes he would have had more opportunities but we need everybody involved. Confidence growing with every game Superb UCL team victory @mancity pic.twitter.com/TB0Y13RfPx Ilkay Gundogan (@IlkayGuendogan) October 5, 2022 Guardiola had made five changes from Sundays derby victory. Aymeric Laporte made his first start of the season after injury, linking up with the returning Ruben Dias in defence while Alvarez, Mahrez and Sergio Gomez also came in. It is not about resting players, Guardiola said. Its about a squad of 20 players, not just 11. This was the best selection to win the game because we need the players everywhere in this tight, tight schedule. It was an excellent result and a better performance. People say, Its Copenhagen but they defended really well, but we play the movements with the ball and without the ball. Today we see the reason for success for this club. After Man United, 6-3, there were a lot of compliments but we are humble enough to respect the opponent Copenhagen. This is the secret of this team. The work ethic in training, everybody is focused, everybody pays attention. This is why this season and in previous seasons, with important players, we are there every three days. This is the biggest title we can get. Beyond the Premier League, Champions League, everything. This is the best. Senegals new "combat" government will prioritise purchasing power and employment, President Macky Sall said at the weekend after he appointed a new Prime Minister. Former foreign minister Amadou Ba was named head of government by decree a position that Sall had abolished in 2019. The new appointment as well as a government reshuffle comes as Senegal remains deeply divided in the wake of tense legislative elections in July. Salls ruling coalition Benno Bokk Yaakaar narrowly won the vote and was only able to keep its absolute majority with the support of an opposition MP. Soaring costs In a speech to the nation broadcast on Friday, Sall said Ba, who has also served as finance minister, would be responsible for addressing the rising cost of living. "Measures to reduce the cost of living and support employment and entrepreneurship for young people, the fight against floods and costly rents will remain the highest of priorities for me," Sall said. Benno Bokk Yaakaar said it welcomed Bas appointment, while president of the majority parliamentary group Oumar Youm said it showed that Sall was prepared to "tackle emergencies head on". However opposition figures described the government reshuffle which came five days after the return of parliament as "a non-event" and dark comedy. Concerns persist over Salls decision to remove the role of premier, with critics accusing him of wanting to seize greater power. (with wires) TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan will use the new U.S.-led "Chip 4" group to safeguard the interests of Taiwanese companies and to ensure supply chain resilience, a deputy minister said on Wednesday, though he added that the group had no agenda yet. A preliminary meeting of the group took place last week with representatives from Taiwan, the United States, South Korea and Japan attending. A global semiconductor shortage has thrust chip powerhouse Taiwan into the spotlight and made supply chain management a bigger priority for governments around the world. Taiwan Deputy Economy Minister Chen Chern-chyi told reporters in Taipei that chipmaking required collaboration to ensure a "very resilient supply chain". "We will use that platform to strive to safeguard our companies' interest," he said, but added that the group not started formal meetings. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has said that the island is committed to ensuring its partners have reliable supplies of semiconductors and has urged allies to boost collaboration amid intensified threats from China. Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory. Taiwan's government rejects China's sovereignty claims. The "Chip 4" group's Asian members are home to the world's largest contract chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd, South Korean memory chip giants Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix, and key Japanese suppliers of semiconductor materials and equipment. The establishment of the group also comes on the heels of a new U.S. law passed in August that includes $52 billion in subsidies for companies that make chips or conduct chip research in the United States, as Washington looks to lessen U.S. reliance on Asia for semiconductors. Asked about the United States wanting to reduce its reliance on manufacturing in Taiwan, Chen said Taiwan's chip industry has a well integrated supply chain and a very good workforce. Story continues "From the government's perspective we think Taiwan's advantage and Taiwan's edge in developing the most advanced manufacturing technology will always be here in Taiwan." But the government is happy to see Taiwanese chip firms investing in like-minded countries, he added. "We think that will only deepen and strengthen our relations." (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) FILE PHOTO: Trafigura logo is pictured in the company entrance in Geneva By Julia Payne GENEVA (Reuters) - Commodities trading firm Trafigura said on Tuesday it has appointed Richard Holtum as its global head of a newly combined gas and power division. Holtum has also become the 11th member of the Geneva-based company's management committee. He was previously Trafigura's global head of gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading after joining the LNG desk in 2014. Prior to joining Trafigura, Holtum was on the crude desk at Glencore and served in the British Army. Igor Marin has been appointed global head of power trading, the company added. Julien Rolland, who was head of power and renewables, will lead Renewables and Strategic Investments. Rolland's role includes leading the Lobito Atlantic Corridor Railway project that will increase the flow of commodities from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a major copper and cobalt producer. The rail project links Angola's seaport of Lobito with Luau in eastern Angola, near the border with Congo. (Reporting by Julia Payne; editing by Jason Neely and Edwina Gibbs) Iran-made "kamikaze drones" have bombarded a city near Ukraine's capital of Kyiv, leaving one person injured, according to a regional governor. Russian forces attacked Bila Tserkva -- around 90 kilometres from Kyiv -- with six drone strikes on Tuesday night, the Ukrainian politician wrote on Telegram. The Kyiv region had largely been removed from fighting in recent weeks as Ukraine's army stepped up its counteroffensive in the east and south. Bila Tserkva, a city of around 200,000 people, was struck by Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones, according to regional governor Oleksiy Kuleba. The weapons have been dubbed "kamikaze" drones as they are designed to be flown directly into enemy targets. Iran is reported to have sold hundreds of drones to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. "At night, the enemy attacked Bila Tserkva with kamikaze drones of the Shahed-136 type. A total of 6 hits and explosions," Kuleba wrote on Telegram. "One person was injured. The infrastructure was also damaged. "Currently, the liquidation of the consequences of shelling is ongoing. All the necessary services, 57 rescuers and 15 units of emergency services are working on the spot, the fire is still being extinguished. "I ask the residents not to ignore air warning signals and safety rules." Russia has increasingly been using suicide drones in recent weeks, posing a new challenge to Ukrainian defences. Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least five civilians have been killed and eight others have been wounded by the latest Russian shelling, according to the presidential office. In the Donetsk region, the Russian forces shelled eight towns and villages. In Sviatohirsk, which was reclaimed by Ukrainian forces, a burial ground for civilians was found and the bodies of four civilians were discovered, according to governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. Story continues 'Fast and powerful advance' in southeastern Ukraine In his nightly address on Tuesday, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported a "fast and powerful" advance of troops in the south of the country. He spoke after Russia annexed four regions of Ukraine -- around 15% of its territory -- following so-called referendums that have been dismissed as shams by most of the international community. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed laws formally absorbing Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia into Russia on Wednesday. The United Nations has said that the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia will only exacerbate Moscow's human rights violations and add to the "untold suffering and devastation" inflicted on Ukrainians. "The Ukrainian army is carrying out a pretty fast and powerful advance in the south of our country as part of the current defence operation," Zelenskyy said. "Dozens of settlements have already been liberated from the Russian sham referendum this week alone." Kyivs military said on Wednesday they have recaptured more villages in the southern Kherson region as a part of their massive counteroffensive effort. Operational Command South said that the Ukrainian flag has been raised above Liubymivka, Khreschenivka, Zolota Balka, Biliaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka and Mala Oleksandrivka villages. Military maps shown on Tuesday by the Russian defence ministry indicate a major retreat by forces from Dudchany, on the western bank of the Dnipro river. Moscow's troops also appear to have left almost the entire eastern bank of the Oskil River, the last area of the Kharkiv region they still control. A Russian-installed official in Kherson insisted on Wednesday that Ukrainian advances in the region have been halted and that it is "impossible" for Kyiv to enter the city. Ukrainian servicemen sit on a destroyed bridge across Oskil river in the recently liberated town Kupiansk. - AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka Zelenskyy added in his address that he had signed a presidential decree "designating null and void all decrees of the President of the Russian Federation and all acts adopted to implement these decrees for attempted annexation of our territory from 2014 until today." The Ukrainian president spoke after a phone call with US counterpart Joe Biden where he thanked Washington D.C. for its "continued military support". The United States has announced a new $625 million (629 million) security assistance package for Ukraine, which includes artillery systems with ammunition and armoured vehicles, according to the White House. Future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Moscow has warned that the US's decision to send more military aid to Ukraine "increases the danger of a direct military clash" between Russia and the West. The borders of the territories Russia is claiming still remain unclear, but the Kremlin has vowed to defend Russias territory including the newly absorbed regions with any means, including nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, the Kremlin promised to retake territories in the annexed regions, assuring that they will be "forever with Russia". Russian media also report that the Kremlin plans to supervise operations of Europe's largest nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia after formally annexing the region. Russia captured the plant in early March shortly after invading Ukraine, while Ukrainian staff continued to operate it. Both Moscow and Kyiv have since accused each other of shelling the facility, risking a nuclear disaster. The plant's last operational reactor was shut down last month. "The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is now on the territory of the Russian Federation and, accordingly, should be operated under the supervision of our relevant agencies," Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin said on Wednesday, according to the state RIA news agency. Meanwhile, the head of Ukraines nuclear power company Energoatom has claimed that he will take over managing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant after its director was first kidnapped and then released by Russian forces who occupy the facility. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is reportedly set to visit Moscow in the coming days to discuss the situation at the plant. By Nicolas Misculin BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentina's fintech unicorn Uala will invest $150 million over the next 18 months to boost its digital banking business, mainly in Mexico and Colombia, its Chief Executive Pierpaolo Barbieri said in an interview with Reuters. The fast-growing firm, which has a valuation of some $2.5 billion, is aiming to expand its user base at least fivefold to 25-30 million people in the next five years, from five million users currently around in Latin America. "In the next 18 months alone we are going to invest $150 million more in growth," Barbieri, 35, said at the companies offices in Buenos Aires. "Most of those funds are going to be destined to push growth in Mexico and Colombia. Uala bought Argentine digital banking company Wilobank this year and invested $80 million to operate in Colombia, after closing an investment round for $350 million in 2021 and acquiring Mexican bank ABC Capital. "In a market context where others are cutting investment, we are expanding because we already have the capital," said Barbieri, adding the firm wanted to expand its financial offerings into debit cards, loans, investments, and insurance. Major investors in Uala include China's tech giant Tencent and Japan's SoftBank. Uala, which faces regional competition from the likes of Brazil's Nubank, Mexico's Stori and MercadoLibre payment arm Mercado Pago is aiming to tap Latin America's largely unbanked population. "Latin America is 20% digitized against 50% in Europe and 70% in China. I know that digitization will continue," said Barbieri. "It seems to me a great shortfall of Latin America's democracies that we have so many people outside the system. In 10 years there will be no people outside the financial system." (Reporting by Nicholas Misculin; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Marguerita Choy) Can you help the police? Police are appealing for help in finding a man after an indecent exposure incident in Lewisham. It happened in Lewisham High Street near an Iceland store just before 11pm on July 30. The incident was witnessed by two women who are now being supported by police. Officers believe the suspect left the scene by boarding a P4 bus. READ MORE: Inquest into police shooting of Chris Kaba due to open and adjourn He is described by police as black, around 5ft 9 tall, bald, and aged in his 50s. He was wearing a black or dark blue suit with a white shirt and a red tie. Officers have released a CCTV image of a man they wish to identify and speak to. Anyone who has any information that could assist police is urged to call 101 and quote reference CAD 3268/19SEP22. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police said: Detectives from the Mets Roads and Transport Policing Command have released an image of a man they want to trace following an incident of indecent exposure in Lewisham. "The incident happened in Lewisham High Street close to the Iceland shop shortly before 11pm on Saturday, 30 July 2022 and was witnessed by two woman. Both women are being supported by police. The suspect is believed to have left the scene by boarding a route P4 bus. He is described as black, around 5ft 9 tall and aged in his 50s. He is bald and was wearing a black/dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie. Anyone who recognises this man or has any information that could assist police is urged to call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting CAD 3268/19SEP22. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news. Sign up to our newsletters to get updates sent straight to your inbox. Belarus: Mobilise children to harvest potatoes and apples, says Lukashenko Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has called for schoolchildren to be mobilised to harvest apples and potatoes. Lukashenko said it was "savagery" that children could not be used to help with the country's agricultural industry. "What kind of example are we going to set for our schoolchildren, our children?" he told a government meeting on Monday. "They say it's exploitation, but what kind of exploitation is it if a person goes to work for five or six hours?" "It will be happiness for the parents and good physical training for the children." Schoolchildren and students were previously mobilised to help farmers harvest crops in the former Soviet Union (USSR). The Belarusian president -- a former Soviet manager at a collective farm -- is known for his verbal outbursts and radical proposals. In 2020, Lukashenko recommended that a daily glass of vodka and fieldwork on a tractor would help cure COVID-19. The Belarusian President has also accused Ukraine of "provocations" by sending 15,000 troops to the border area to build defences and conduct reconnaissance. Belarus allowed its ally Moscow to station troops in the country for its invasion in February but Lukashenko has said he was not planning a mobilisation of military forces to support Moscow. The 68-year-old has ruled with an iron fist since 1994 and has faced unprecedented opposition protests since his disputed re-election in 2020. Alok Sharma (Getty) Liz Truss has been urged by a cabinet minister with responsibility for climate change to attend next months vital COP27 summit in Egypt and to allow King Charles III to do so too. Alok Sharmas intervention is the latest sign of divisions at the top of Ms Trusss administration. It emerged this week that Downing Street has advised the King against travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh for the follow-up to the COP26 gathering in Glasgow last year, which was addressed by the Queen. No 10 has yet to confirm whether the prime minister will attend the summit, where progress will be sought on agreements to stem the climate crisis achieved at Glasgow. Now COP26 president Mr Sharma has said both PM and King should be in Egypt, amid fears of a poor turnout by world leaders reflecting a shift in attention away from global warming as a result of the Ukraine crisis. Mr Sharma told The Times: I would like the prime minister to go to COP27. It would cement the leadership position that the UK has on this incredibly important world issue. I would certainly welcome the kings attendance at COP27. I know that many people around the world see him as a leader in this area. He rejected any suggestion that attendance at the summit would drag the King into politics, saying: This is absolutely an issue that transcends politics. I mean, this is ultimately about ensuring that we protect our planet for future generations. Fomer UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa told the paper it was vital that the world shows unity of purpose in Egypt. She said that progress is very clearly not good, particularly when it came to a commitment of greater ambition to curb emissions. COP26 was attended by world leaders from US President Joe Biden to Indias Narendra Modi. Nearly 200 countries committed to upgrading their emissions plan in 2022, to put the world back on track for the 1.5C climate goal it set under the Paris Agreement. But Mr Sharma said: The report card since COP26 is that we made some progress, but not enough. We need to go further and faster. Into the Deep follows the story of Peter Madsen's horrific crimes. (Netflix) Netflix's true crime documentary Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case follows the disturbing story of Peter Madsen - but who was he and what did he do? Unusually, the documentary began filming nearly a year before he committed murder, but continued throughout Kim Wall's disappearance unfolding and Madsen's court case. Find out more about the inventor, his horrific crimes and the strange tale of his actions afterwards. How can I watch Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case? The documentary is a film that is currently streaming on Netflix. It has been available since 30 September. Who is Peter Madsen? Peter Madsen fooled many of those around him into thinking he was harmless. (Netflix) Peter Madsen is a Danish inventor who is convicted of killing Swedish journalist Kim Wall. He became famous for building a home-made, crowd-funded submarine and was attempting to become the world's first amateur astronaut by constructing his own space rocket when he was contacted by Australian filmmaker Emma Sullivan. Read more: Everything new streaming on Netflix in October She began filming a documentary about his life and work, which included working alongside a number of science and engineering students who saw him as an inspirational figure, but 11 months into filming Wall, who had interviewed him on his submarine, disappeared and Madsen was implicated. Into the Deep features a number of disturbing interviews with Madsen in which he jokes about violence and murder, discusses whether he is a psychopath, and voices his frustrations with others, all of which played a part in his murder conviction. What happened to Kim Wall? Kim Wall was an award-winning Swedish journalist. (Getty Images) Journalist Kim Wall had been due to move to Beijing, but missed her own leaving party when she was given the opportunity to interview Madsen aboard his submarine and spend the night on it in August 2017. A chilling picture used in the documentary shows Wall and Madsen on board the submarine before it went underwater, and in her final text to her boyfriend, Wall wrote: "I'm still alive btw. But going down now. I love you!" Story continues Read more: First look at Netflix's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story Sullivan was filming the day after the interview and captured on film the reactions of Madsen's Copenhagen lab staff as they heard reports that the man they had thought to be their friend and mentor had gone missing along with the submarine. Emma Sullivan had been filming Peter Madsen for a year before he committed the murder. (Netflix) He was quickly found to be alive and well, but the submarine was disastrously damaged and he claimed to have dropped Wall off on shore before the problems started. But with Wall's boyfriend confirming she had never returned, the lab staff's reactions turned from disbelief to horror as they learned that Madsen had been accused of her murder. Parts of Wall's dismembered body were discovered sunk in the water nearby and Madsen originally claimed to have disposed of her after a submarine hatch accidentally hit her on the head, killing her. When her head was discovered with no injuries, he changed his story to accidental poisoning, but he was convicted of murder in part because of testimony from his staff and footage from Sullivan that showed it had been premeditated - in one scene, a saw that he used can be seen in the background but is missing on the day he is preparing to meet Wall. Madsen was found to have large amounts of disturbing porn and torture footage on his computer and appeared to have planned to murder the next woman to board the submarine, with Wall being the unlucky person to have joined him. Is Peter Madsen in jail? Peter Madsen at his lab in May 2017. (Getty Images) Into the Deep shows Sullivan and former members of Madsen's lab staff outside court as his life imprisonment sentence is read out in April 2018. He is currently in prison in Denmark but in October 2020, managed to escape and was found in a nearby residential area. Madsen appeared to have a pistol and a belt full of explosives, but they turned out to be decoys and he was taken back to prison. In 2020, Madsen married a Russian activist who has political asylum in Finland, but they divorced in January 2022. What does identity digitally disguised mean? One of Madsen's former staff and friends, "Sara", is labelled during the documentary as having her identity digitally disguised in her interview scenes. Sara talks about her trauma at realising someone she was close to committed such horrific crimes and gave key evidence against Madsen at his trial. During her scenes, she shows messages arranging to spend time on the submarine with Madsen the night after Wall's murder, sent before Wall's visit happened, and says she believes it is possible Madsen had been planning to kill her before another woman joined him on the boat first. A work-in-progress version of Into The Deep premiered at Sundance film festival in 2020, but afterwards two participants were removed from the film and Sara asked to be digitally disguised. The filmmakers used cutting edge technology which provides a lifelike disguise but offers a more authentic viewing experience to the audience than a blur. Watch: Submarine killer recaptured after prison escape New Home Secretary Suella Braverman will set out a new policy on migrants in her first major speech in the role (PA) Migrants who cross the Channel to reach the UK could end up facing a ban from claiming asulym under plans set to be announced by the new Home Secretary. As reported by The Times, Suella Braverman will use her first major speech at the Conservative Party conference to set out such a plan. This would incorporate a blanket ban on those deemed to be entering the UK illegally from seeking refuge. It will mark the latest attempt by the Government to reduce the number of people attempting to cross the Channel, as so far this year 33,500 people have arrived in the UK after coming over the France. Over 33,000 migrants have crossed the Channel from France to the UK in 2022 (PA) This potential plan has drawn criticism from campaigners, who have described it as "criminalisation" of blatant "victims". Clare Mosley, founder of refugee charity Care4Calais, said: This proposal by the new Home Secretary is barbaric, untruthful and unnecessary. The Governments rhetoric around people crossing the Channel is simply false. There is a mountain of evidence that the vast majority are genuine refugees; this criminalisation of them is blatant victim blaming of incredibly vulnerable people, simply for the purpose of grabbing headlines. Those who have escaped from the worst horrors in this world should not be risking their lives once again simply to claim asylum in the UK. The obvious answer is to give them safe passage. This would break the model of people smugglers and save lives. If this Government truly wanted to stop small boat crossings it would offer safe passage to those who have a viable claim for asylum. According to The Times Ms Braverman will set out that she will try to encourage the sort of immigration that grows the economy of the UK. Additionally, she is expected to call for the French to stop more boats crossing the Channel and confirm she is considering other new legislation to make it easier to deport people from the UK. The mother of a 12-year-old girl who died after becoming trapped under a pontoon on a school trip said she expected the teachers accused of causing her death to have respect and integrity. Brenda Lawson told a French court her family had been through torturous suffering since her daughter Jessicas death near Limoges in 2015. She also criticised the response from the UK and Wolfreton School to Jessicas death, saying they did not provide us with any answers or help in any way. (Antony Lawson/Facebook) Asked to describe the schoolgirl on Tuesday, Mrs Lawson told the court: To describe Jessica is easy really. We use the word sunshine and the brightness still remains in my life. She was full of fun, laughter and care. She was just on the cusp of becoming a delightful young lady. Mrs Lawson continued: For me, she should be 20 on November 7 this year, so it has been seven years for me and my family of what can only be described as torturous suffering of not understanding what happened to her or why. For that reason I would personally like to thank the French justice system for taking it seriously. From second one, they treated it with the severity it deserved and they investigated it straight away. Sadly for my family, in the UK we did not get that response whatsoever. The UK did not provide us with any answers or help in any way. The scene near Meymac in the Massif Central region of France (Louis Roussel/France 3 Limousin) Addressing how Jessicas death had affected her and her family, Mrs Lawson said: Most of our familys holidays, most of our familys free time was to do with swimming and water. So as a parent and as a family, for Jessica to drown is the most awful thing that could have possibly happened to her. We cant look back on memories because theres water everywhere we have struggled for many, many years to face the present that we were left with. Mrs Lawson added: I handed over my parental responsibility to other people. She had only been in the camp for 48 hours when I was called on my mobile phone from the school to tell me that Jessica had been involved in a serious accident and that she had been under water for a considerably amount of time. Story continues They then gave me the telephone number of the hospital in Limoges for me to ring and speak to the resuscitation ward. So for me thats been the worst thing for a mum to accept that I wasnt there to protect her and take care of her and say goodbye to her. Mrs Lawson went on to speak about a meeting she and Jessicas father Tony had had with the school a month before the trip adding that they had provided families with a booklet which said children would be supervised at all times. Speaking about the meeting, Mrs Lawson said: We just went to the front and said she will wear a life jacket when shes doing any of these activities? and they said yes. The head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, asked Jessicas mother: Do you have any idea what happened to your daughter? Mrs Lawson replied: Not really because from the beginning it was never made clear to us what happened and why there was a pontoon. We never fully understood or it was not explained to us why she was in the water. It is only today that I have understood that she had done hiking and kayaking and then this swimming. I didnt know the series of events because after that initial meeting in France with the lead teacher, the UK school and teachers refused to discuss anything else with us. If Im truthful, listening to people trying to explain here what they did for Jessica, it is not really any clearer because I was expecting those who had a duty of care for her to be open and transparent and to have respect and integrity for her mum in the way they have handled themselves here. It is a phrase I didnt understand before this happened and it is a phrase called moral compass to do the right thing. Really, no matter what the outcome is for my family, we have lost. Mrs Lawson said she wanted to finish her opening remarks with words from her daughters secret diary, which read: My future ambition is to become a nurse. The thought of others in need devotes me to do well and succeed in my career path. Facebook and TikTok posts with hundreds of thousands of views claim mainstream media ignored the launch of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's flagship housing programme. The posts accuse broadcasters of bias against the leader, the son of a controversial dictator. However, the outlets mentioned in the posts did report on the launch, with major news channel ABS-CBN running it as a top story. "GMA, ABS, CNN? What now? Do something and report this. Don't be biased," reads Tagalog text overlay on a video shared on Facebook. The video shows an extract of a news report from Net25, a TV station owned by conservative Christian group Iglesia ni Christo, which backed Marcos Jr in the May 2022 election in which he swept to victory. The report, which aired on September 22, covers the launch of Marcos Jr's landmark housing scheme, which pledges to build six million homes by 2028. Text overlay on the video, which attracted more than 37,000 views, praises Marcos Jr and says that mainstream news outlets would "never" report on the project. The video attracted more than 900,000 views in similar posts on TikTok here and here, along with a flurry of comments criticising media outlets for purportedly failing to cover the event. "I only saw this here. Why aren't there any other reports about it? Where are the journalists?" one person commented. "It's good we still have a TV station that reports the truth," another wrote. Marcos Jr, the son of a late dictator accused of bloody repression and corruption, is one of the most polarising politicians in the Philippines. His supporters regularly accuse mainstream media outlets of deliberately ignoring him. AFP has previously debunked false claims that news channels did not cover his attendance at a memorial for slain police officers or a visit to shelters erected after a powerful typhoon. The claim that media outlets failed to report on the launch of Marcos Jr's housing programme is also false. All the news outlets mentioned in the posts -- GMA, ABS-CBN and CNN -- covered the launch. Story continues GMA aired a report on the "Home for every Juan" project in its evening news programme 24 Oras on September 22. The broadcaster posted the report on YouTube, where it attracted more than 20,000 views. Meanwhile, ABS-CBN's news channel ANC broadcast a segment on September 14 called: "Top Story: The Marcos Administration eyes providing up to six million housing units for qualified beneficiaries within six years." ABS-CBN also published a written report on a briefing on the scheme by the housing department. CNN Philippines covered the same briefing and published a report headlined: "Gov't to build 6M homes to solve housing gap". CNN's report on the housing project The story was covered by various other news outlets, including Inquirer and the PhilStar. Tonight I imagine God in judicial robes. I cant quite imagine Gods face the image flickers between every face of every human being who has ever been or ever will be but I imagine an expression at once serious and kind. Both gentle and solemn. Ready to give us the benefit of the doubt, and also able to see right through us to the things we dont want to admit. This is not usually my go-to image of God. I like to imagine Shechinah, the immanent, reachable, intimate aspect of God, sitting in my car in bluejeans and listening to me pour out my heart as I drive. I like to connect with God as Creator, as Beloved, as Source of Life. But Kol Nidre invites me into a different kind of dialogue with the sacred. It invites me to open myself to the metaphor of God as source of Justice. In that legal filing, we ask to be released from all the vows, promises, and oaths we make with God, the things we say only to regret them, the things we promise and forget, the resolutions we fail to keep. We make this request in front of a beit din, a rabbinic court symbolized by the rabbi or cantor flanked with two Torah scrolls. But really were making this request in front of the ultimate Judge. The Kadosh Baruch Hu the Holy Blessed One. God on high. In the melody of Kol Nidre , I hear aching. I hear yearning. I hear the heartbroken cry of a soul who knows theyve missed the mark. How the melody descends and descends again and then rises in hope! Its such a powerful piece of music, I suspect most of us dont think much about the fact that its a setting of a legal filing. As some of yall may know, earlier this year I got a summons for jury duty. The jury being selected was for the trial of two men accused of involvement in a fairly high-profile local shooting. When many in the jury pool had been disqualified, the judge called each of us who remained up to the bench for a private conference. Almost all of us in the room were white, as are 87% of Berkshire county residents. The judge asked me questions like: the defendants in this case are people of color. Would that make it hard for you to be fair and keep an open mind? One of the defendants speaks Spanish and needs an interpreter. Are you inclined to think negatively about him for that reason? Jurors must operate on the presumption of innocence unless proven otherwise. Are you able to do that? And I thought: I could opt out of jury service by claiming to have bias in one of these ways. But I dont want to be the kind of person who would do that. So I answered truthfully, and the next three weeks were a rollercoaster. Witness testimony was sometimes searing in its intensity. Some days I came home and cried. Each day I thought about Pirkei Avots injunction to "Give others the benefit of the doubt, which is a lot like what the judge told us to do. It isnt easy to balance the presumption of innocence and the possibility of guilt. Justice is hard work. It asks us to listen attentively, to root out preconceptions or prejudice, and to approach everything with an open mind. It also asks us to be willing to call things what they are, and to accept that choices have consequences. That set of instructions makes for pretty good spiritual practice: listening without bias, giving the benefit of the doubt, cultivating empathy and upholding accountability. Our mystics would say, this balances hesed / boundless love, and gevurah / boundaries. God holds these qualities in perfect balance, and we strive to do the same. And what happens when hesed and gevurah are in harmonious balance? We get this years high holiday theme, Tiferet. Balance that lifts us up. Or as we learned on erev Rosh Hashanah, the sacred "and." Were supposed to give each other the benefit of the doubt, and uphold accountability. But what about ourselves? I may never know someone elses heart, but I know my own, if Im willing to look at it. Tonight we stand before the Judge and ask for our vows to be annulled. For errors bein adam lMakom, between us and our Source where we miss the mark in our spiritual practice or our intentions or our hearts God forgives us with hesed, overflowing love. I believe this with all my heart. But for errors bein adam lchavero, where we miss the mark in relationship with each other, Yom Kippur does not atone until we do our work. As Talmud teaches, Yom Kippur does not forgive transgressions between people unless they seek forgiveness. (Yoma 8:9) Or in the words of Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, The holy atonement reset button doesnt work until weve cleaned up our own mess. According to Maimonides, a person doesnt just get to mess up, mumble, Sorry, and get on with it. Theyre not entitled to forgiveness if they havent done the work of repair. (And theyre not necessarily entitled to forgiveness even if they have.) Another human beings suffering is not magically erased because the person who caused it says that they didnt mean to do it. This is true in our personal lives, and its also true of politicians caught saying racist things, celebrities named as sexual abusers, human resources departments that cover up employee complaints, and governments perpetrating harm against individuals or groups. Fixing damage involves taking specific steps; theres a process. We cant ever undo what happened, but we can transform the situation and ourselves. Thats from her new book On Repentance and Repair. It draws on Judaisms most enduring text about repentance, Hilchot Teshuvah by Moses Maimonides. Another human beings suffering is not magically erased because the person who caused it says that they didnt mean to do it. I wish we could teach that to everyone. Kindergarteners. Adults. Celebrities. Politicians. Honestly the kindergarteners might have the easiest time internalizing it. The rest of us might get defensive, or deflect, or refuse to recognize that the other person is suffering at all, much less that our own actions caused the suffering. This book applies Rambams principles of teshuvah on both a national and a personal scale. There are chapters about harm in the public square, about what national repentance can look like, about what our institutions can and should do. And tonight I am focusing closer to home. Kol Nidre is a night for taking an accounting of our own souls. So I want to share R. Ruttenbergs distillation of teshuvah into five simple steps. Simple, but not easy. Step one is naming and owning harm. Rambam calls this public confession, and its evoked in our communal Yom Kippur prayers. Those prayers are in the plural weve abused, weve betrayed... But often naming and owning harm needs to be in the first person singular. I recognize that I did this specific thing that caused harm. And it needs to be specific. If youre thinking: I didnt hurt anyone this year. Or: every harsh word I spoke was necessary, they deserved it. Or: its not my fault if they felt attacked. stop and notice and ask yourself why you cant bear to see yourself as the bad guy. What parts of your self-image would crack if you had to admit that you had hurt someone? Remember, Another human beings suffering is not magically erased because the person who caused it says that they didnt mean to do it. Or the person who caused it says, I dont know why youre so sensitive about this. Sometimes we're more comfortable being the victim of harm than owning the fact that we've also caused harm. Because if I'm a victim, then I don't have to do all this work. But if I caused harm to someone, I have a responsibility to name it and own it and try to bring repair. Addressing harm, R. Ruttenberg writes, is possible only when we bravely face the gap between the story we tell about ourselvesthe one in which were the hero, fighting the good fight, doing our best, behaving responsibly and appropriately in every contextand the reality of our actions. Harm happens to all of us, and all of us cause harm sometimes. This doesnt mean were bad people. It means were people, full stop. And the reason to do this work is that we want to be people who care about each other, and that includes admitting when we screw up. Step two is starting to change. She acknowledges that this one can take a long time, and can coexist with the steps that follow. Changing ourselves is not one-and-done, its continuing work. And if we dont deal with our underlying issues, well bring ourselves repeatedly to the same conflicts and flashpoints. So we need to deal with our stuff. Our habits, our unconscious patterns, our blind spots. Maybe something in childhood shaped us. Maybe were carrying old trauma we havent wanted to examine. Like jury duty, this step of teshuvah asks us to notice and root out preconceptions and prejudice that get in the way of seeing clearly. It asks us to look inward and discern why we do the things we do. This step asks balance between judging ourselves too harshly, and not judging ourselves seriously enough. If we are too harsh with ourselves, we'll be too demoralized to change. And if we're too lenient with ourselves, we'll never have the impetus to become better than we have been. Step three is restitution and accepting consequences. If I broke your favorite coffee mug, I have to buy you a new one at least as nice as the old one. If I took money from you, I need to repay it and then some. When it comes to harms like stealing or property damages, this is pretty straightforward. But its also true for other kinds of harm emotional harm, reputational harm, psychological harm. Many harms can never be undone. We still have to make restitution. I think of the Hebrew verb / lshalem, which means to pay someone, to make restitution, to make them whole, to bring them peace. That's what we're after here: making restitution so significantly that the injured party can feel some peace. The other piece of this step is accepting consequences. Maybe the person who was harmed draws a boundary and says I dont want to speak to you anymore. Or you admit to stealing money out of your parents wallet, and they say Thank you for coming clean, and also, youre grounded. Accepting consequences is part of teshuvah. This is true on the interpersonal scale of a parent reprimanding a child. It is also true on the much larger scale of celebrities, public figures, and government. Step four is apology. Notice how far down the list weve gone before getting to Im sorry. This might seem counterintuitive: if I realize Ive harmed someone, shouldnt I apologize right away? But Rambam and Rabbi Ruttenberg say nope. Ive got to own up to my mistake, start doing my inner work to become a better person, make restitution and accept whatever consequences come my way, and then I can apologize. I love this because it cuts off the avenue of I said I was sorry, what else do you want me to do? (Real teshuvah, that's what!) We dont get to say were sorry until were well and truly doing the work of trying to change. And, she notes, the apology needs to be genuine: spoken from a place of vulnerability, reflecting real regret and sorrow. Im sorry if you were hurt by this perfectly reasonable thing that I did is not an apology. Step five is making different choices. Thats the biggest one, and the most difficult one. Its also how we know weve actually changed. When were met with a similar opportunity to cause harm, and we choose otherwise, repeatedly. The goal here isnt merely making amends, Rabbi Ruttenberg writes. Its transformation. The goal is becoming a person who wouldnt do the harmful thing again. Thats real teshuvah: growing into the self we know we could be if we lived up to our highest ideals. Rabbi Ruttenberg writes: The work of repentance, all the way through, is the work of transformation. Its the work of facing down false stories and engaging with painful reality. Its the work of being open to seeing ourselves as we really are. Its about figuring out how to be the kind of person who sees others suffering and takes responsibility for any role we might have in causing it. The work of teshuvah asks us to look inward and to make outward changes. (There's that sacred and again.) We need to engage in self-reflection and in taking action to make things right. This balance of introspection and outward action -- there's Tiferet again. In the criminal trial where I served as a juror, one man was acquitted and the other was found guilty. I wonder whether the one who was acquitted feels like he got a second chance. I wish the man who was convicted could have an opportunity to learn about owning harms, making restitution, offering real apology, starting anew. In his prison sentence I see consequences, but not restitution or repair: not for the family of the boy who was shot, nor for the one who fired the gun. I do believe that repentance is always possible. I dont think our criminal justice system is designed for transformation. For mis-steps that harm ourselves and our Source, God is ready to forgive. When our actions or inaction harm others, forgiveness isnt Gods to grant. The holy atonement reset button wont work until we do what we can make it right. Whether or not forgiveness happens, this is the work. It might be the work of a lifetime, and thats okay. Its better to be doing it than ignoring it. Now is always a good time to start. Ill close with one more anecdote from R. Ruttenbergs book. This comes from Danielle Sered, talking about a young man going through a restorative justice process. She says to him, Now that the threat of prison is no longer hanging over your head, are you just going to go back and do the same stuff you used to do? And he says, Nah. She asks why, and he points to his heart and says, the judge is in here now. May the Judge be in here now, in our hearts, opening us to the work of repentance. May this Yom Kippur strengthen our resolve to clean up our own mess. To practice these steps not just today, but every day. To make teshuvah with humility. To balance inner work and outer transformation. And in that merit, may we be sealed for a good and sweet year. This is the sermon I offered at Kol Nidre at Congregation Beth Israel of the Berkshires (cross-posted to the From the Rabbi blog.) Shared with deepest gratitude to R. Danya Ruttenberg for her work, and to all of my advance readers. Ask a Vietnamese man or woman, who is Vietnam's most famous literary detective, and it will be hard to get an immediate answer. A detective's work always needs a serious crime. Many unsolved crimes in history remain mythical, making the crime more mysterious. Readers have always seemed happy with this. LOOKING FOR CLUES: Trai Hoa o has been made into an 8-part series by K+, a paid TV channel, directed by Victor Vu. Photo courtesy of the company But the scene has gradually been changing as young writers have added new books to the otherwise rather limited genre in the Vietnamese language. At a recent conference on local detective works, Nguyen Quang Thieu, chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association, announced that he believed a literary prize for detective novels would encourage writers to pen new works. Writers in this style include Kim Tam Long with the 'white' series: Mat na trang (The White Mask, 2018), An uc trang (The White Disturbance, 2020) and Tham kich trang (White Tragedy, 2022). The White Mask sold out and has been reprinted with a new eye-catching cover. The writer usually married life in modern Vietnamese families with a suspended tense atmosphere and a touch of horror. HERALDED: Duc Anh's Island of Severe Illness won a literary prize. VNS Photo Doan Tung Duc Anh won a prize with his novel ao bao benh (Island of Severe Illness). A well-read writer, Duc Anh has written many sharp essays on detective subjects. He has analysed psychological developments and touched upon novel subjects and innovative ideas. His works, including Tuong lua (Firewall) and Thien than mu suong (Foggy Angel), plumb the depths of psychological analysis. PRIZE WINNER: Writer Duc Anh. VNS Photo Doan Tung The most recent work by Gian Tu Hai, an architect by training, titled Double Pandemic, took on COVID-19 crimes. Well-read and well-travelled, Hai also won a prize for O buon nguoi (Human Trafficking Station). He has said the detective genre is his mysterious and appealing passion. His other works included Am muu that nao (Brain Altering Conspiracy), Mat ma Champa (The Champa Code) and Minh Mang mat chi (The Emperor Secret Decree). A young reader ponders the pages of Double Pandemic by Gian Tu Hai. VNS Photo Doan Tung Nguyen Duong Quynh takes on the detective genre with a well-developed plot, with tight and well-knitted layers and interesting details. Her first novel, Tham tham mua he (Into the Depth of Summer) appealed to those who like slow-paced rhythm and graceful prose. SUNNY DISPOSITION: Writer Nguyen Duong Quynh. Photo courtesy of the hanoimoi.com Detective writer Di Li (a pen name) has a more aggressive style. Her book Trai hoa o (The Red Flower Camp) has been made into a movie by director Victor Vu. Di Li's other works, including Cau lac bo so 7 (The Club No 7), also won literary prizes. Di Li has been credited as the frontrunner in combining detective and horror writing styles. Despite having a handful of young writers in the first quarter of the 21st century, detective fans say that the new writers have not been able to surpass the first writer in this genre who had his first novel published as a series printed in a newspaper. The roar of the Tiger These detective columns appeared in the Catholic Newspaper in 1917, titled A Secret Agent's Tales. They ran as excerpts of a translated novel by Bien Ngu Nhy, a doctor turned detective writer. The column ran for three years and influenced a boom of detective writers from 1930-1945. Many writers joined the detective genre, which deeply influenced the Chinese royal crime-solving court and detective action novels. Most popular was detective Arsene Lupin, a flamboyant Robin Hood-style hero who takes from the rich and gives to the poor. MODERN CLASSIC: Gian Tu Hai's title The Human Trafficking Station. Photo courtesy of Di Li Sai Gon's literary circle was vibrant, with literary works and domestic new fiction flourishing. A few years later, a new author, The Lu, published his first detective works titled: Mot em trang (A Full Moon Night) and Vang va mau (Gold and Blood), published by Tan Dan Publishers in 1934. He studied Chinese Han script, then Vietnamese, and like many people of his time, studied French at public school and even passed the exam to study fine arts at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de L'Indochine. But he quit after one year, changed his interest to writing poetry and detective novels, and became one of the cornerstones of Vietnamese theatre. The novels of The Lu became an instant phenomenon, both appealing and arresting, with interesting descriptions that touched hearts due to their amazing details, clear voice and natural wording. The Lu also created his own detective named Le Phong in a series of books, including Le Phong phong vien (Le Phong the Reporter, 1937), which sold widely. The writer incorporated love and jealousy, a clear plot, and specific themes and intricate plots into his work. The Lu went on with these detective novels until 1940. After that, the revolution movement of the people steered his work in other directions. During the revolutionary years from 1954 until Vietnam was unified in 1975, the detective genre hibernated until it had a small revival in the 1980s. Three-penny novels In the early 20th century, when the ruling French strengthened their political power with various cultural approaches, the translation of French literature into Vietnamese left a remarkable imprint. Among great works of French poetry and literature, detective novels also captured young readers' hearts, marking a brand new style that was not previously known. BEST SELLERS: Detective novels of writer Pham Cao Cung still sell well after nearly a century. VNS Photo Doan Tung Pham Cao Cung (1913-2013) wrote 20 detective novels, which were printed in Tieu thuyet thu bay (The Saturday Novel). He is considered the "King of Vietnamese detective stories". Vet tay tren tran (Hand Print on the Ceiling), Gia tai ho ang (The ang Family's Fortune), Mau o long son (Red Blood Scarlet Heart) were his first trio of novels, published in 1937. Cung's works can be categorised into two streams: analytical detective and adventurous detective. He created Detective Ky Phat, the Vietnamese answer to Sherlock Holmes; and Tam Huynh Ky, head of a looter gang, inspired by French writer Maurice Leblanc, who created Arsene Lupin. Trained with a traditional education by his father, a scholar in teaching, he learned the Chinese Han script but wrote in romanised Vietnamese and created an imaginative crime series, which was anxiously waited for by the common people. His works were credited as "three-penny novels", which were dirt cheap and unimportant but very popular. But he didn't mind being a writer for the most ordinary readers, as they looked forward to reading his next chapter while reading his latest. Writing came to him naturally. As a high school student, he was asked to take care of his aunt's shop at midday in the summer when it was quiet. Having to keep an eye on the shop he started writing to keep himself from falling asleep. In his adult life, he had to write to make ends meet for his family of 11 children. He would do any jobs: writing for a newspaper, working as a photographer, cameraman, theatre managing director, artist, hypnotiser and fortune-teller, on top of regularly publishing the so-called three-penny novels that were 16 pages long. He wrapped his life up in a few lines: "In the end, honestly speaking, I was simply just a wordsmith, no more, no less. I wrote for the life of myself and my family as I ploughed to make ends meet. I haven't contributed anything to the national culture like my fellow writers then and now!" He was truly a writer for the common people. Revival of the literary detective According to Chairman Thieu, average Vietnamese readers love to read detective stories. But the number of titles is limited. Writing detective novels can be more challenging than other genres as it requires imagination, a good command of other fields, and specific techniques. Detectives are closely associated with crime and the crime-solving process. Modern-day detective writing also can convey a humanitarian message. Though detectives are fiction, they must follow real-life rules and realities. From 1954 until the reforms in the 1980s, during the hibernation period, there were a few notable works such as X30 pha luoi (X30 Scores Goals) by Dang Thanh, Van bai lat ngua, (Open up Game of Cards) by Nguyen Truong Thien Ly, and Ong co van (The Advisor) by Huu Mai. They were successful but solitary singular attempts and didn't create a new flow in the genre. After reforms vastly changed society, the literary world experienced an important revival of popular novels. Author Dang Thanh set many impressive publishing records, with o suc (Competing) publishing more than 30,000 copies, a record to this day in Vietnam. In the rich literary tradition of Vietnam, the detective genre is a relative newcomer, closely associated with the westernisation of Vietnamese society in the early 20th century, which came with rational argument, evidence gathering, and developments in science and technology. Detective writers need to understand people and crimes as if they are experts in the field. After the revival in the 1980s, the comeback of detective novels in the first quarter of this century gives us hope for a much stronger, more diverse literary genre in the future. Source: Vietnam News HA NOI The market ended lower on Tuesday as some large-cap stocks lost further in the late session, causing the VN-Index to lose ground. Meanwhile, foreign investment kept fleeing the market. The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) fell 0.76 per cent to end at 1,078.14 points. The index had plunged 4.03 per cent, to close Monday at 1,086.44 points. The market's breadth remained negative with 144 gainers and 312 losers. More than 582.8 million shares traded on the southern market, worth over VN12 trillion (US$502.5 million). The index was weighed by losses in some large-cap stocks, with the VN30-Index posting a decrease of 0.39 per cent, to 1,097.72 points. Fourteen of the 30 biggest stocks in the VN30 basket slid, while 15 stocks climbed and one stayed flat. Pillar stocks continued to lead the market's downtrend. Losers in the group included Viet Nam Rubber Group (GVR), down 6.2 per cent, Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), falling 3.2 per cent, PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS) declining 0.9 per cent, Hoa Phat Group (HPG) losing 4.6 per cent and SSI Securities (SSI) dropping 3.5 per cent. Bank stocks also contributed to the benchmark's losses with Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) down by 2.8 per cent, Sacombank (STB) down by 2.3 per cent, Tien Phong Bank (TPB) down 0.2 per cent and BIDV (BID) down 1.7 per cent. The index pared losses on the back of some stocks like Phat at Real Estate Development JSC (PDR), Vinhomes (VHM), Sabeco (SAB), Mobile World Group (MWG), Khang ien House (KDH), FPT Corporation (FPT) and Vietjet (VJC). On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index lost 1.07 per cent, to 235.61 points. During the session, 56 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth over VN937 billion. On the other hand, foreign investors still were net sellers on both main exchanges, with a total value of VN500 billion. The current support level of VN-Index is 1,070-1,080 points. However, the market sentiment is currently negative, the index might break this support in the next few sessions, said BIDV Securities Co. VNS TIEN GIANG Tien Giang Province is encouraging farmers to grow off-season Thai jackfruit to avoid a glut during the main harvest season and resultant price decline. The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province, the countrys largest fruit producer, has more than 14,000ha under Thai jackfruit and an annual output of 200,000 tonnes, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Jackfruit accounts for the second largest fruit growing area in the province after durian, and is grown mostly in the western districts of Cai Lay, Cai Be, Chau Thanh and Tan Phuoc, and Cai Lay Town. More and more farmers are switching to the fruit because it is easy to grow, grows well in the local soil and dovetails with the provinces agricultural restructure plan. Thai jackfruit trees normally begin to fruit after two years and a mature orchard can yield 15 20 tonnes per hectare per year. In Tien Giang, the cultivation of Thai jackfruit has helped many farmers escape poverty for good. Nguyen Van Nha in Cai Lay Districts My Thanh Nam Commune turned his unproductive 2ha rice paddy into an orchard. The cost of switching to jackfruit was more than VN100 million (US$4,200) per hectare for buying seedlings and installing an automatic irrigation system, he said. But he now earns VN300 million ($12,600) a year from the orchard. Authorities in My Thanh Nam Commune are focused on restructuring to adapt to climate change. The commune farmers association has set up a Thai jackfruit group to share experiences among members. To sustainably develop jackfruit farming, the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is teaching farmers intensive techniques and encouraging them to apply advanced technologies. It wants them to adopt Vietnamese and global good agricultural practices (VietGAP and GlobalGAP) standards to have origin traceability. It encourages them to grow off-season jackfruit to have harvests around the year and avoid price declines during the main season. The provinces jackfruit is sold domestically and exported, mostly to China. VNS Speaking at the webinar Banking Industry as a Pioneer in Digital Transformation: for the Public to Participate and Benefit by the Government Portal, Le Anh Dung, deputy director of the Payment Department under the State Bank of Vietnam said that Vietnam is one of the leading nations in banking digital transformation. The country has achieved some remarkable achievements in a short time. The rate of technological adoption in banking operations has increased by 40 per cent. Mobile payments post a strong year-on-year increase of 90 per cent in volume and 150 per cent in value. Digital service and payment ecosystems have been established by integrating digital banking services with several other services in the economy. Many banking processes have been fully digitalised. In the first eight months of 2022, the volume and value of mobile payments surged by 107 per cent and 92 per cent, respectively. To acquire these achievements, banks have made heavy investments in their technology systems. The banking industry has invested over $628 million in automation with many new technologies. Many banks have long considered technology as a key focus area for their development strategies. Tran Nhat Minh, deputy CEO cum head of Banking Technology Services at VIB said that the bank has opted for a pioneering digitisation strategy and channelled its resources into technology development very early. VIB pays special attention to its My VIB app, data and AI, and new technologies like cloud and open APIs. VIB is among the first few banks in Vietnam to implement multi-cloud technology. Since 2020, VIB has successfully applied AI and big data to fully automate its credit card approval process. As a result, consumers may now register accounts and instantly acquire a credit card in just 30 minutes, all online. In addition, the bank has employed AI to introduce Vietnam's first virtual financial advisor named Vie. Most notably, VIB has integrated AR into the My VIB app, which allows customers to virtualise various life aspects from daily activities to education and healthcare. Currently, 93 per cent of VIB customers conduct transactions via digital channels. Nearly 50 per cent of VIB's newly issued cards come via digital channels without sellers. Many banks also focus on similar technologies. Techcombank has launched iDO, a new digital platform for its banking branches, and PayLink, a payment hub system connecting interbank payment networks. ACB has stepped up investment in AI and is applying this technology to face recognition. Meanwhile, MB has successfully connected the MBBank digital banking app with the MB SmartBank system so that customers can synchronise transactions in a quick and convenient manner. According to Vietnam Report's survey on the banking industry in 2021 and its outlook in 2022, the increase in customer expectations and the competitive environment are two key factors driving banking digital transformation. In addition, young clients (aged 24 to 44) have a high demand for experience and do not expect a single bank to provide all services to meet their needs. Instead, this age group expects a more integrated experience when combining multiple service providers. Consumer expectations are rising quickly. Thus, banks must create innovative business models that can respond to rising demand and evolving market conditions in order to maintain their competitive edge. They will need to be more agile and creative to accelerate their digital transformation process, says the report. According to the analysis, the cost-to-income ratio of the majority of banks has dramatically declined in recent years as a result of the digitisation of operations. The pandemic has also significantly accelerated user engagement with internet banking services. In the end, this lowers the bank's fixed expenses. VIB joins hands to build cashless society in Vietnam As a pioneer of digital transformation, Vietnam International Bank (VIB) has made efforts to launch several initiatives to contribute to speeding up Vietnams transformation into a cashless society. VIB steady on the journey to become leading retail bank At its annual general meeting (AGM) held on March 16, VIB approved the plan to distribute bonus shares at 35 per cent to existing shareholders, increase its charter capital to more than $913 million, and have a profit target of $456.5 million for 2022. According to Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marreno Cruz, Cuba is prepared to enter a period of economic recovery and can advance to an elevated level of progress if it adopts numerous socioeconomic initiatives. With the modification of numerous policies, creating favourable conditions for all sectors to participate in economic development, the establishment of non-state enterprises has increased. "Cuba seeks international investment in 678 projects in 2022, an increase of 175 projects compared to the previous year, with a total capital of around $12.5 billion," said Cruz, at the Vietnam-Cuba Business Promotion Forum, a conference hosted as part of the official goodwill visit to Vietnam from September 28 to October 2. Despite several difficulties, Vietnam's willingness to collaborate economically with Cuba has been clear for many years. Statistics from the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment demonstrate that Vietnamese companies operating in Cuba provide several constitutional, trade, labour, and monetary advantages. First, Vietnamese enterprises are interested in assisting the authorities of the two nations in terms of processes and speedy licencing, particularly with the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM), which is always eager to assist investors with licensing requirements. Second, the Cuban government puts business first when instructing manufacturing companies to prioritise purchases at the ZEDM if items are priced competitively compared to imported goods. Since 2020, Cuba has introduced a one-price policy for the currency, which facilitates the operation of FDI companies. Additionally, ZEDM employees have a better pay policy than employees outside, allowing them to recruit additional personnel. The Cuban workforce is highly qualified, eager, and characterised by a culture of politeness, making training straightforward. Vietnam and Cuba's trade volume reached $261.7 million in 2021, an increase of 156.6 per cent compared to 2020. Photo: Chinhphu.vn The aforementioned benefits are crucial for Vietnamese enterprises to pursue Cuban investment prospects. However, according to the FIA, there are several challenges of this new market that must also be examined to develop the most complete strategy. The US embargo on Cuba makes it difficult to trade, import, and export raw materials and equipment, resulting in a lack of raw materials, commodities, technology, and equipment, which drives up costs and prevents businesses from taking the initiative on projects. Machines, equipment, commodities, and materials required for building and manufacturing are mostly unavailable and must be imported, resulting in expenses two to three times higher than in Vietnam. Businesses also encounter capital and financial issues. Despite Cuba's new constitution permitting the mortgage of land-based assets as collateral for credit institution loans, this practice is not widespread. Because of a lack of governing papers, the Cuban side has not validated project assets, resulting in difficulty in obtaining financing. Therefore, investors continue to mostly invest via equity. Labour costs are also going up. Companies do not actively recruit qualified workers but go through the labour supply unit to authorise and utilise the licence, while enterprises must also organise transport for workers from home to the factory, which takes about 90 minutes and adds to costs. The administrative procedures for granting sub-licences and investment licences are frequently lengthy (up to four times longer than in Vietnam), and the coordination of Cuban affiliates is still limited as they must adhere to strict plans that can hinder a project's development. Currently, Vietnamese companies are engaged in five projects in Cuba, comprising four in the ZEDM and one in the manufacture of building materials in Santa Cruz. Under the ZEDM, the Cuban government is authorised to "licence exploitation" of an economic zone solely in Vietnam. The Thai Binh green power solar project is anticipated to be operational at the ZEDM by December 2022, adding to the rise in Cuba's power output. A diaper factory, the ViMariel Industrial Park Infrastructure Development Project and the Sanvig Building Materials Manufacturing Joint Venture have also been implemented. ASEAN Committee in Cuba extends condolences over oil facility explosion The ASEAN Committee in Cuba (AHC) has offered condolences to the Cuban government and people over the human and assess losses caused by a massive blaze at an oil storage facility which started in Matanzas province on August 5. Vietnam, Cuba to enhance trade, investment ties Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi held a working session with Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz in Hanoi on September 27. The MoU was signed at the World Cargo Symposium IATA event in London by Nabil Sultan, divisional senior vice president of Emirates SkyCargo, and Jan Krems, president of United Cargo. Under the terms of the MoU, Emirates SkyCargo and United Cargo will work closely on expanding cargo interline options and blocked space agreements, pending regulatory approvals. This will build on existing cargo interline arrangements between both air cargo operators and offer freight customers access to more capacity on a larger combined global network. "Emirates SkyCargo is committed to being the leading player in the global air cargo industry providing our customers with the highest standards of products and services. Cooperating with United, who is a leading airline in its own right with strengths and a network that is complementary to our own, will allow us to add value for our customers and help them reach new markets more speedily," said Sultan, divisional senior vice president of Emirates SkyCargo. Jan Krems, president of United Cargo said, "United is pleased to work with Emirates SkyCargo on this MoU. As one of the leading carriers worldwide, Emirates SkyCargo is an important player in the industry, and our supplementary capabilities allow us to provide new service offerings to our customers worldwide. We share a common commitment to providing industry-leading solutions for our customers and we look forward to working together in the future." United Cargo will have access to Emirates SkyCargos high-frequency distribution network through the belly-hold of passenger flights to over 100 global destinations and 11 freighters, whilst Emirates SkyCargo will have access to over 200 cities in the US and 300 cities across five continents through United Cargo. Emirates and United sign new agreement to expand market presence Emirates and United signed a historic commercial agreement on September 19 that will enhance each airlines network and give their customers easier access to hundreds of new destinations within the United States and around the world. Emirates marks its 10-year presence in Vietnam This year marks the 10-year milestone for the United Arab Emirates carrier in Vietnam. Country manager of Emirates in Vietnam and Myanmar - Mohammed Alwahedi talked with VIRs Bich Ngoc about the airlines business and the development strategy in the future. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on September 12 submitted to the government a report on amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No.126/2020/ND-CP, including regulations that e-commerce platforms are responsible for declaring and paying tax on behalf of their business and individual clients. With this adjustment, administrative procedures for tax authorities and taxpayers would be reduced, since tax authorities would receive tax declarations and payments from e-commerce platforms only, instead of tens of thousands of individuals. In addition, these platforms are responsible for providing tax authorities with information on organisations and individuals that conduct part of or the whole process of buying and selling goods and services. This information includes the sellers names, tax identification numbers, personal identification numbers, addresses; phone numbers and sales revenues. According to Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, director of Tax Administration for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Household Businesses, at the General Department of Taxation (GDT), this is the optimal solution to improve tax management efficiency and avoid tax evasion and tax fraud. This adjustment is not contrary to current regulations in tax laws. As all buying and selling activities are done through e-commerce platforms, it can be understood that they play a decisive role in each transaction, Anh explained. Decree 126 already specified that companies can declare and pay taxes on behalf of an individual participating in a business cooperation contract. In addition, the responsibilities of e-commerce platforms are also strengthened through Decree No.85/2020/ND-CP, including providing accurate and complete information about goods and services sold on the platform in cases of violation, representing foreign sellers in complaints settling and tax obligations, she continued. At a conference on data provision of e-commerce platforms held by the GDT on September 22, the department said it is in the process of consulting the Vietnam E-Commerce Association and various related platforms about collecting information on organisations and individuals trading goods and services through e-commerce. Thereby, by November, an e-commerce tax portal will be put into operation, with the testing phase taking place during October 11-21. The GDT is upgrading the electronic tax system, including the addition of an e-commerce portal to meet the requirements of data provision, a GDT representative said. Specifically, e-commerce platforms would use the e-tax account granted on the GDTs website to provide information. If a platform declares and pays taxes on behalf of businesses or individuals, the declaration and payment shall be made according to the instructions. Once the e-commerce group has provided information electronically to the GDT, they would not have to provide information to each local tax authority. In addition, the portal would also collect information about organisations and individuals in cases where the e-commerce platforms have not yet carried out tax declarations on behalf of the individual. The provision of this information is done quarterly or at the request of the tax office. The MoF also noted that while e-commerce websites may or may not have an online ordering function, only e-commerce platforms with the function of online ordering, including Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo and the likes, are subject to this new adjustment. Exchanges such as Chotot and Batdongsan.com do not have to fulfil the above tax obligation, as they do not directly participate in trading transactions but only offer a display of goods and services. The general consensus amongst experts is that tax administration for e-commerce activities has seen many positive changes in recent years. The legal corridor for tax administration for e-commerce has been basically completed, creating a solid foundation, assessed Dr. Le Xuan Truong, head of Taxation and Customs at the Academy of Finance (AoF). However, with the fast-moving pace of technology, there have been legal gaps that need to be adjusted and supplemented. The promulgated decree is expected to create favourable conditions in line with global practices. Dr. Pham Ngoc Dung, former head of Public Finance at the AoF, added that tax administration for business activities on a cross-border basis needs further regulations. Some foreign-invested enterprises that do not have a representative legal entity in Vietnam do not conduct business registration, so it is difficult for state agencies to track, manage, and identify their tax obligations, Dung noted. Moreover, some of these models are not yet on the list of existing business lines, operating on a cross-border platform, leading to difficulties in determining the nature of the business lines and tax rates. Filip Dosedel, head of Cards and Revolving Products at Home Credit Vietnam (middle), with Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh (left), president of the Vietnam Bank Card Association, and Nguyen Quoc Hung, general secretary of the VNBA, at the admission ceremony The VBCA membership is a recognition that Home Credit is an important card issuer in Vietnams rapidly growing card payment market. As a member, Home Credit will quickly receive the latest updates from the State Bank of Vietnam and contribute to the companys opinion on draft bills and decrees related to the banking and financial industry. VBCA membership provides an opportunity for Home Credit to connect with leading organisations in the industry, and learn and exchange experiences on payment processes as well as the latest technological trends. It is also a major recognition of Home Credits continuous efforts and achievements, said Filip Dosedel, head of Cards and Revolving Products at Home Credit Vietnam. Dosedel and Home Credit Vietnams cards team at the ceremony To join the card association, Home Credit had to acquire more than 400,000 customers with credit cards. For two consecutive years, Home Credit Vietnam received the Visa Awards 2020 and 2021 in two categories: Leadership in Payment Volume Growth and Leadership in Credit Payment Volume Growth. As a digital transformation and tech-forward company, Home Credit continuously improves its services and launches new products to meet the trends and demands of online shopping and cashless payments, bringing many offers to different types of customers. Home Credit's credit cards are one of the main products which the company encourages customers to register for, with many outstanding incentives and uses. Customers can download the app, register for the card and get approved within three minutes, all from the comfort of home. They can also enjoy various benefits such as cashback up to 10 per cent on all transactions, 45 days interest-free, zero annual fees, and many other attractive promotions. The entire process is secure, and the app offers customers absolute control over their spending. The pandemic has created an opportunity for the card market to grow. The number of cards in circulation has increased by 1.5 times. Moreover, the number of points of sale has nearly doubled over the last year. In the first six months of 2022, the total volume of Vietnams card payments reached $79.59 million, 4 per cent higher than the same period in 2021. Online shopping has fueled the magnificent development of Vietnams card payments. According to a survey by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on eCommerce in 2020-2021, the number of users switching to card or e-wallet payment methods has increased remarkably. The proportion of the population making payments by credit and debit cards increased from 20 per cent to 24 per cent while those using e-wallets also went up from 23 per cent to 37 per cent. Meanwhile, the percentage of users choosing to pay cash on delivery declined from 78 per cent to 73 per cent in 2021. According to the Vietnam Banks Association and the State Bank of Vietnam, by the end of July, the number of cards in circulation reached 139.1 million, a 15.3 per cent increase compared to the end of 2021. Entering Vietnam's consumer finance market in 2008, Home Credit is now a pioneer in implementing environmental, social, and governance standards. At the end of 2021, Home Credit publicised its first sustainability report with related targets for sustainable and inclusive finance. Home Credit, a global consumer financier, entered Vietnam in 2008 as the market pioneer and is now one of the countrys top consumer finance companies, with nearly 6,000 employees serving more than 14 million customers nationwide. Home Credit Vietnam provides leading consumer financial products in three main categories: POS loans (motorbikes, home appliances, electronics, and furniture), cash loans, and revolving loans. Powered by an advanced technology platform with a robust Home Credit mobile app, the company offers fast, relevant, and safe financial products and services which are seamlessly accessible 24/7, allowing customers to easily choose what works best with their needs or lifestyle. Assessing the potential of buy now, pay later services Home Credit is betting on the prospects of buy now, pay later services in Vietnam. Michal Skalicky, chief customer officer of Home Credit Vietnam, shared with VIRs Thanh Van his insight into the growth potential in Vietnams e-commerce market. Home Credit: Thinking differently about financial literacy Home Credit has been conducting financial literacy education programmes for more than two decades an uncommon and pioneering practice in the consumer finance industry. The company also measures the impacts of financial education programmes on its customers, which sets it apart from other industry players. "We are currently reviewing our strategic options with respect to our wholly owned subsidiary in Canada," the London-based lender said in a statement. HSBC mulls sale of Canada unit, Source: HSBC "Amongst the options being explored is a potential sale of HSBC Group's 100-percent equity stake in HSBC Bank Canada." The division is worth around $9.0 billion, according to the Financial Times. "HSBC Bank Canada is a very strong business and Canada's leading international bank," the company added. The news comes as the HSBC faces calls from its largest shareholder, China's Ping An Insurance, to separate Asian and Western operations. Ping An, which has a 9.2-percent stake, reportedly wants it to spin off Asian activities to unlock shareholder value amid tensions between China and the West. However, HSBC has hinted that it wants to retain its current structure, while continuing a pivot to Asia. HSBC in August posted rising first-half net profit and appeared to rebuff Ping An's calls. Profit after tax rose 14 percent to US$8.3 billion in the reporting period. It also outlined plans to return to quarterly dividends next year. The lender was among a number of major banks to cancel dividends early in the pandemic after a de facto order from the Bank of England -- a move that upset some Hong Kong investors. HSBC H1 pre-tax profit falls, dismisses calls for split HSBC bank on Monday said pre-tax profit fell in the first half, and appeared to rebuff calls to spin off its Asian activities on the eve of a key shareholder meeting. The festival will be held by the Korean-Vietnamese Cultural Exchange Centre on November 5 at the stadium of the Vietnam National University, Hanoi. The event will see the participation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp; Embassy of the Republic of Korea, SBS Broadcasting Centre; KKF Foundation; Hanyang University Korean Language Programme; LOTTE Mart, and Shinhan Bank, among others. In Vietnam, the festival combines many interesting activities, such as the Kimchi-making show, the Kimchi Cooking Contest of the Culinary Department's students, and K-pop performances. The Korea Kimchi Festival is a global project to promote kimchi from Korea to the world and put the superfood on the tables of the world. In Vietnam, the festival combines many interesting activities, such as the Kimchi-making show, the Kimchi Cooking Contest of the Culinary Department's students, and K-pop performances. The festival, which also celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, will also be held in New Malden, a popular residence of South Koreans in the UK. Thanks to the active cooperation of Kingston City, a South Korean group and a North Korean defector's group worked together to hold the event. Kimchi from Hamgyeong-do and Pyongyang from North Korea, as well as Kimchi from Jeolla-do and Jeju-do in South Korea, will be on display. Vietnam-Korea Culture-Culinary Festival 2019 to be held in Hanoi The Vietnam-Korea Culture and Culinary Festival 2019 will take place in Ly Thai To Square near Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi from November 8-10, the Republic of Korea (RoK) Embassy in Vietnam announced at a press briefing in Hanoi on October 31. RoK supports Vietnam in developing Taekwondo The Vietnam Taekwondo Federation and the Korean Culture Centre on October 8 inked a three-year agreement to comprehensively develop Taekwondo, the traditional martial arts of the Republic of Korea (RoK), in Vietnam. Korean Culture Days kick off in central Quang Nam province The Korean Culture Days officially kicked off in Hoi An ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam on April 10 night. The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) fell 0.76 per cent to end at 1,078.14 points. A worker collecting latex on a rubber plantation. Vietnam Rubber Group (GVR) shares lost 6.2 per cent yesterday.- VNA/VNS photo The index had plunged 4.03 per cent, to close Monday at 1,086.44 points. The market's breadth remained negative with 144 gainers and 312 losers. More than 582.8 million shares traded on the southern market, worth over VND12 trillion (US$502.5 million). The index was weighed by losses in some large-cap stocks, with the VN30-Index posting a decrease of 0.39 per cent, to 1,097.72 points. Fourteen of the 30 biggest stocks in the VN30 basket slid, while 15 stocks climbed and one stayed flat. Pillar stocks continued to lead the market's downtrend. Losers in the group included Viet Nam Rubber Group (GVR), down 6.2 per cent, Bao Viet Holdings (BVH), falling 3.2 per cent, PetroVietnam Gas JSC (GAS) declining 0.9 per cent, Hoa Phat Group (HPG) losing 4.6 per cent and SSI Securities (SSI) dropping 3.5 per cent. Bank stocks also contributed to the benchmark's losses with Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) down by 2.8 per cent, Sacombank (STB) down by 2.3 per cent, Tien Phong Bank (TPB) down 0.2 per cent and BIDV (BID) down 1.7 per cent. The index pared losses on the back of some stocks like Phat Dat Real Estate Development JSC (PDR), Vinhomes (VHM), Sabeco (SAB), Mobile World Group (MWG), Khang Dien House (KDH), FPT Corporation (FPT) and Vietjet (VJC). On the Ha Noi Stock Exchange (HNX), the HNX-Index lost 1.07 per cent, to 235.61 points. During the session, 56 million shares were traded on the northern market, worth over VND937 billion. On the other hand, foreign investors still were net sellers on both main exchanges, with a total value of VND500 billion. The current support level of VN-Index is 1,070-1,080 points. However, the market sentiment is currently negative, the index might break this support in the next few sessions, said BIDV Securities Co. Market likely to continue to correct this week Investors went through a turbulent week as the VN-Index reported the biggest weekly fall since May. Analysts said that in the current environment, financial markets are very likely to continue revaluing. Over the past two years, Vietnam's stock market has attracted many new investors, bringing the total number of securities accounts to more than 6.3 million. This is considered the driving force for the stock market to boom in the next three to five years as foreign investment continues to flow into Vietnam. Therefore, securities companies are making great efforts to catch this opportunity. With the technology boom and digital customer experience a global trend, securities companies are investing in advanced technology solutions to bring the best experiences for customers. In anticipation of this, from 2021, Rong Viet Securities has devised the strategy "Building the foundation - Taking the future," with a focus on building a financial and investment ecosystem for Vietnamese businesses and investors by creating and providing effective solutions, financial tools, and investment products that yield the best results. To expedite this strategy, on September 19, 2022, Rong Viet Securities cooperated with KPMG Vietnam to digitally transform CRM technology. This project is executed on Microsoft Dynamics 365 technology to optimise the existing operating system, increase the optimal customer experience, and build a new platform and business model for Rong Viet Securities. Nguyen Mien Tuan, chairman of Rong Viet Securities Corporation said, "In the development strategy of Rong Viet Securities until 2030, the Board of Directors will focus on the comprehensive digital transformation of the company. Through consultancy with partners Rong Viet Securities, we have identified more than 26 strategic initiatives related to digital transformation. While CRM is important in the finance and banking industries, it is not widely applied to many securities companies. He added that Rong Viet is expected to be one of the pioneers in implementing CRM systems. This is also a key project in building a solid foundation for a powerful digital transformation that can help the company capture and create a future that serves its customers well. Rong Viet Securities's Board of Directors expects that the CRM system will help multi-dimensionally synthesise customer data to enhance customer experience and improve services to achieve business efficiency, increase work performance, quickly adapt to market fluctuations and improve management capacity. Nguyen Mien Tuan, chairman of Rong Viet Securities Corporation Currently, the demand for customer service is increasing with higher expectations for speed, convenience and synchronous service, especially with the rapid pace of change in the securities sector. This requires securities businesses to have an intelligent technology system to help operate, manage, exploit and improve the customer experience. The Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM - Customer Relationship Management platform application project will enable Rong Viet Securities with a centralised customer database, and 360-degree customer portraits from which information and services to be tailored to customer needs to increase satisfaction, interactions, and transaction volume. Moreover, the CRM system will help standardise the process chain throughout the customer experience journey of attracting, reaching, converting, caring for, and nurturing customers. Then, the customer experience across all touchpoints can be optimised, bringing a competitive advantage to Rong Viet Securities. With in-depth experience in consulting projects, building management systems and developing CRM technology at many securities companies in Vietnam, KPMG Vietnam is trusted and selected as a reliable and professional partner to assist with operational goals and building the foundation for the effective digital transformation of the securities industry. Ross Macallister, managing partner at KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia On behalf of the Board of Directors of KPMG Vietnam, Ross Macallister, managing partner at KPMG in Vietnam and Cambodia, is committed to bringing the best and most suitable solution for Rong Viet Securities, as well as using all available resources to implement the project successfully. In 2021, KPMG was honoured with the leading role in the assessment survey of Microsoft Dynamics 365 deployers in the Asia Pacific region - ASPAC conducted by IDC MarketSCape. For two consecutive years, 2020 2021, KPMG Vietnam was also recognised by Microsoft as the D365 partner of the year in Vietnam. KPMG in Vietnam is an organisation with a lot of experience in assisting clients in the financial industry and many other fields. With a team of experienced experts and constantly improving service quality and technology solutions, it is committed to bringing the most valuable and suitable solutions for businesses. Maybank Securities predicts robust growth for H2 2022 The earnings growth of listed companies is predicted to pick up in the second half of the year in light of some favourable indicators, according to Maybank Securities' latest report on Vietnam Strategy. KPMG discusses latest report Emerging Giants in Asia Pacific KPMG and HSBC released the Emerging Giants in Asia-Pacific report, which examines over 6,470 technology-focused startups across 12 markets with the potential to impact the global business landscape over the next decade. Nguyen Trung Kien, director of KPMG Private Enterprise, talked with VIRs Linh Le about the trends for startups. Holiday spending reflects upturn in China's consumer market Xinhua) 09:22, October 05, 2022 People visit Jiaxiu Pavilion in Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, Oct. 1, 2022.(Xinhua/Tao Liang) BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- During the National Day holiday in China, both online and offline shopping have gained momentum in the country, thanks to heightened consumer enthusiasm and the implementation of pro-consumption policies. During the seven-day Golden Week holiday, various pro-consumption activities have been launched nationwide to boost spending and sustain the recovery of China's consumer market, said Shu Jueting, a spokesperson with the country's Ministry of Commerce. Local governments have come up with diversified measures, including handing out consumption vouchers, enriching traveling activities and organizing consumption festivals to boost culture and tourism consumption. For instance, Fuzhou City in southeast China's Fujian Province plans to issue consumption vouchers worth 3 million yuan (about 423,000 U.S. dollars) during the holiday season to encourage spending, and southwest China's Sichuan Province will organize over 70 activities such as cultural and night tours to attract travelers. "Local governments have adopted vigorous measures this year, and these are accessible to a wider range of consumers," said Chen Lifen, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council, adding that such moves will further unleash consumption potential. Travel fervor runs high during the Golden Week holiday season. According to Lvmama, a domestic online travel agency, bookings for trips during the seven-day holiday through their platform increased by over 87 percent from Sept. 11 to 20, compared with the previous 10 days. Travel goods have become increasingly popular on online delivery platforms, mirroring the holiday boom. Data from Meituan, one of China's online delivery platforms, showed that a week before the holiday, online searches for travel toothbrushes, travel sub bottles and travel shampoo packs soared by 1,037 percent, 368 percent and 272 percent, respectively, compared with a week ago. With a growing interest in outdoor recreation among the Chinese people, sales of outdoor equipment have also increased sharply. Two weeks ahead of the holiday, sales of outdoor photographic equipment, in particular, increased by over 300 percent compared with the previous two weeks, data from e-commerce giant JD.com showed. Along with the recovery of the tourism sector, the country's catering industry is also warming up, as restaurant businesses have boomed during the holiday. Restaurant reservations during the National Day holiday via online platforms increased by 87.6 percent compared with the same period last year, according to data from Meituan. The data also revealed that besides big meals, consumers are showing greater interest in snacks, beverages, pastries and other food items in small eateries during the holiday. Sales of home appliances have also soared during the week-long holiday, fueled by subsidies from local governments and generous discounts offered by e-commerce platforms. According to data from the online retailer Suning, on the first day of the National Day holiday, customer flow in its physical stores surged by over 200 percent from the day before, and the number of orders placed at its newly opened stores rose 120 percent compared with the previous day. On the first day of the holiday, online sales of air purifiers, robot vacuum cleaners, dishwashers and other advanced home appliances jumped more than 100 percent from the previous day, data showed. China has rolled out a raft of measures to promote consumption recovery, including boosting consumption in key fields such as automobiles, green and intelligent home appliances as well as catering and accommodation, among others. "The country's consumer market will consolidate the recovery trend and continue to play a fundamental role in bolstering the country's economic growth, as pro-consumption measures take effect," said Guan Lixin, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) As one of the luckiest travellers flying to the Con Dao archipelago this summer, I joined with hundreds of runners in the Save Turtles Run around the island hosted by The Secret Con Dao and AKYN Hospitality Group. This is the first time such a meaningful activity was organised on the island, expected to be an annual one to raise public awareness of Con Dao sea turtle conservation. Save the turtles: Shaping experience for modern travellers in Con Dao After the run, the hotels staff, guests, and runners contributed almost $4,200 to support Con Dao National Park for sea turtle conservation. We want our guests to enjoy not just a revitalising, inspirational holiday, but return home feeling that they have had a genuine insight into the destination they visited, said Eugene Hendriks, general manager of The Secret Con Dao Hotel. Con Dao today is a nod to the islands rich heritage showcasing French colonial-era villas, thoughtfully renovated with modern elements and Indochinese inspirations and sensory experiences, creating a stimulating environment and a hotspot for modern travellers from all continents. Besides exploring the main island with typical journeys to explore the war heritage sites of Con Dao prisons, cemetery, and museum, pamper yourselves at stunning beautiful beaches around the island, as well as get inspired by local food and the unforgettable experience of releasing baby sea turtles at Hon Cau Island. After around 45 minutes of canoeing from the main islands tourism wharf, I ventured out to uncover the colourful Hon Cau island. Hon Cau bears similarities with Robinson island without any modern hotel facilities it is a special island in the Con Dao archipelago with underground fresh water. Camping overnight on the beachside is the best choice to wait for the night and watch the sea turtles nesting and laying their eggs. Along with camping by the beach, snorkel diving in the vibrant underwater world with fancy coral reefs and brilliant fish and oysters, learning how sea turtles live and are protected, and helping with releasing baby turtles into the ocean are all truly intriguing experiences and activities we cannot find anywhere else in the world in this combination. The islands feature only simple and nature-friendly services with basic facilities but still present themselves as a perfect rendezvous with the blue ocean, white beach, and Phong Ba trees. The islands are also a paradise for swimming, kayaking, and snorkelling around the coral reef. Con Dao island home to one of 25 most beautiful beaches worldwide The Bai Dam Trau beach in Con Dao island in Vietnams southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, has been listed among the 25 most beautiful beaches in the world, according to a recent article published by Travel + Leisure magazine. Con Dao Airport upgrade going ahead to handle two million passengers yearly The Ministry of Transport has approved plans to upgrade Con Dao Airport plan to increase passenger capacity from 400,000 to two million a year by 2030. Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan said Central Asia has potential as a new market for inbound tourism because of short flight times of no more than seven and a half hours. Tourists pose for a photo in Lamphun province of Thailand. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) The ministry's market analysis showed that travellers from this region have high demand to travel internationally after the pandemic. In particular, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have higher potential for economic growth than other nations in the region. To people from this region, visa applications and flights were found to be the main factors in determining holiday destinations. According to Thailands new regulations, tourists from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are eligible to apply for visas on arrival from October this year to March next year for 30 days, up from 15 days previously. Meanwhile, Air Astana is operating direct flights from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Phuket three times per week. For the upcoming high season, direct services to Phuket will be increase, totalling 1,162 seats on direct flights, starting from October 30. A new route to Bangkok is scheduled to start on the same date. SCAT Airlines based in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, also announced chartered services from Almaty, Astana, Kostanay, Shymkent and Uralsk to both Phuket and U-tapao airports of Thailand. Minister Phiphat said Kazakhstan ranked first among the Commonwealth of Independent States countries in terms of foreign visitors to Thailand, with 56,529 travellers in 2019, followed by Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, which had 19,891 and 4,608 travellers, respectively. Thailand approves longer stays for tourists during peak tourist season The Thai Cabinet has approved a 45-day stay for tourists entitled to visa exemptions and 30 days for those eligible for the Visa on Arrival programme in order to help boost the tourism sector during the travel season. Thailand readies payment system for 300-baht entry fee The Thai government previously visioned collecting a 300-baht entry fee from each foreign traveler who visits Thailand early this year. The S&P Global Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) registered 52.5 in September, a fraction lower than the reading of 52.7 in August but still pointing to a solid improvement in business conditions across the sector. Operating conditions have now strengthened in each of the past 12 months. Likewise, the current sequence of new order growth also extended to a year as new business expanded solidly in September amid reports of improving customer demand. That said, the rate of increase softened from August. This was also the case with regards to new export orders, where some respondents mentioned signs of demand weakness in export markets. The rise in new business from abroad was the slowest in ten months. With total new orders continuing to increase, manufacturers expanded their production solidly. The rate of growth was broadly in line with that seen in the previous month. The Vietnamese manufacturing sector maintained its growing momentum in Semtember as new manufacturing orders continued to rise, fuelling growth of output, employment and purchasing activity. Vietnam's manufacturing sector maintained its growing momentum in September as new manufacturing orders continued to rise, fuelling growth of output, employment and purchasing activity. Similarly, employment and purchasing activity each rose solidly again at the end of the third quarter. As well as responding to higher production requirements, firms also increased staffing levels to support new production lines. Capacity expansions enabled firms to keep on top of workloads despite ongoing new order growth, as evidenced by a second successive reduction in backlogs of work. Renewed inventory building was signalled across the manufacturing sector in September. Stocks of purchases increased for the first time in six months, linked to rising new orders and fuelled by higher purchasing activity. Similarly, stocks of finished goods increased for the first time since February, and to the greatest extent in close to a year-and-a-half. Some respondents indicated that finished goods inventories had risen due to sales volumes coming in below expectations during the month. Andrew Harker, director of Economics at S&P Global Market Intelligence said, The Vietnamese manufacturing sector continued to tick along nicely at the end of the third quarter, with the PMI now having signalled overall expansion throughout the past year. A much more benign price and supply environment is providing support, while demand also improved again in September." Harker added, "There were some tentative signs of new order growth slowing, however, particularly with regards to exports. This was a factor in a renewed expansion in stocks of finished goods as some firms sold fewer items than expected. This may lead manufacturers to limit production growth in October, but business confidence remained strong and so the prospects for the final three months of the year appear positive overall." Vietnam ready to embrace semiconductor manufacturing Global chip shortages are set to bring Vietnam a chance to develop, acquire and invest in cutting-edge technological expertise and semiconductors, according to a group of academic experts at RMIT University. Manufacturing output continues to rise amidst signs of slowing growth The Vietnamese manufacturing sector remained in growth territory at the start of the third quarter of the year, but there were some signs of demand softening. Hanoi - Vietnam will invest in 10 energy technologies in the 2021-2030 period with a view to ensuring energy security for the countrys socio-economic development, as part of the Research, Application and Development of Energy Technologies programme. Illustrative image. (Photo: tapchitaichinh.vn) They include advanced technologies in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, photovoltaic solar energy, smart electrical grids, radiation and radioisotope techniques in agriculture, industry, natural resources, and the environment, among others. Those technologies are selected based on Vietnam's national energy development strategy, realising its commitment to achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. These orientations will be implemented in five main contents, thus shaping the tasks of science and technology on a large scale with the participation of corporations, companies and pioneering companies in each field of energy. Solar self-users seeking parity A chasm between mechanisms and inconstant guidelines in localities is making it difficult for developers to install rooftop solar power for self-use. The Data Science Lab Binary Classification Using PyTorch, Part 1: New Best Practices Because machine learning with deep neural techniques has advanced quickly, our resident data scientist updates binary classification techniques and best practices based on experience over the past two years. A binary classification problem is one where the goal is to predict a discrete value where there are just two possibilities. For example, you might want to predict the gender (male or female) of a person based on their age, state where they live, annual income and political leaning (conservative, moderate, liberal). Previous articles in Visual Studio Magazine have explained binary classification using PyTorch. But machine learning with deep neural techniques has advanced quickly. This article updates binary classification techniques and best practices based on experience over the past two years. A good way to see where this article is headed is to take a look at the screenshot of a demo program in Figure 1. The demo begins by loading a 200-item file of training data and a 40-item set of test data. Each tab-delimited line represents a person. The fields are gender (male = 0, female = 1), age, state of residence, annual income and politics type. The goal is to predict gender from age, state, income and political leaning. [Click on image for larger view.] Figure 1: Binary Classification Using PyTorch Demo Run After the training data is loaded into memory, the demo creates an 8-(10-10)-1 neural network. This means there are eight input nodes, two hidden neural layers with 10 nodes each and one output node. The demo prepares to train the network by setting a batch size of 10, stochastic gradient descent (SGD) optimization with a learning rate of 0.01, and maximum training epochs of 500 passes through the training data. The meaning of these values and how they are determined will be explained shortly. The demo program monitors training by computing and displaying loss values. The loss values slowly decrease, which indicates that training is probably succeeding. The magnitude of the loss values isn't directly interpretable; the important thing is that the loss decreases. After 500 training epochs, the demo program computes the accuracy of the trained model on the training data as 82.50 percent (165 out of 200 correct). The model accuracy on the test data is 85.00 percent (34 out of 40 correct). For binary classification models, in addition to accuracy, it's standard practice to compute additional metrics: precision, recall and F1 score. After evaluating the trained network, the demo saves the trained model to file so that it can be used without having to retrain the network from scratch. There are two main ways to save a PyTorch model. The demo uses the save-state approach. After saving the model, the demo predicts the gender for a person who is 30 years old, from Oklahoma, who makes $40,000 annually and is politically moderate. The raw prediction is 0.3193. This value is a pseudo-probability where values less than 0.5 indicate class 0 (male) and values greater than 0.5 indicate class 1 (female). Therefore the prediction is male. This article assumes you have a basic familiarity with Python and intermediate or better experience with a C-family language but does not assume you know much about PyTorch or neural networks. The complete demo program source code and data can be found here. Installing PyTorch The demo program was developed on a Windows 10/11 machine using the Anaconda 2020.02 64-bit distribution (which contains Python 3.7.6) and PyTorch version 1.12.1 for CPU. Installing PyTorch is like driving a car -- relatively easy once you know how but difficult if you haven't done it before. I work at a large tech company, and one of my job responsibilities is to deliver training classes to software engineers and data scientists. By far the biggest hurdle for people who are new to PyTorch is installation. There are dozens of different ways to install PyTorch on Windows. The configuration I strongly recommend for beginners is to use the Anaconda distribution of Python and install PyTorch using the pip package manager. The Anaconda distribution of Python contains a base Python engine plus over 500 add-in packages that have been tested to be compatible with one another. After you have a Python distribution installed, you can install PyTorch in several different ways. I recommend using the pip utility, which is installed as part of Anaconda. Briefly, you download a .whl ("wheel") file to your local machine, open a command shell and issue the command "pip install (whl-file-name)." I have published detailed step-by-step instructions for installing Anaconda Python for Windows 10/11 and detailed instructions for downloading and installing PyTorch 1.12.1 for Python 3.7.6 on a Windows CPU machine. Preparing the Data The raw demo data looks like: F 24 michigan 29500.00 liberal M 39 oklahoma 51200.00 moderate F 63 nebraska 75800.00 conservative M 36 michigan 44500.00 moderate . . . There are 240 lines of data. Each line represents a person. The five fields are sex (M, F), age, state of residence (Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma), annual income and politics type (conservative, moderate, liberal). The data is artificial. The raw data was split into a 200-item set for training and a 40-item set for testing. The raw data must be encoded and normalized. The result is: 1 0.24 1 0 0 0.2950 0 0 1 0 0.39 0 0 1 0.5120 0 1 0 1 0.63 0 1 0 0.7580 1 0 0 0 0.36 1 0 0 0.4450 0 1 0 . . . The variable to predict (often called the class or the label) is gender, which has possible values of male or female. For PyTorch binary classification, you should encode the variable to predict using 0-1 encoding. The demo sets male = 0, female = 1. The order of the encoding is arbitrary. Because neural networks only understand numbers, the state and political leaning predictor values (often called features in neural network terminology) must be encoded. The state values are one-hot encoded as Michigan = (1 0 0), Nebraska = (0 1 0) and Oklahoma = (0 0 1). The order of the encoding is arbitrary. If the state variable had four possible values, then the encodings would be (1 0 0 0), (0 1 0 0) and so on. The political leaning values are one-hot encoded as conservative = (1 0 0), moderate = (0 1 0) and liberal = (0 0 1). The demo data normalizes the numeric age and annual income values. The age values are divided by 100; for example, age = 24 is normalized to age = 0.24. The income values are divided by 100,000; for example, income = $55,000.00 is normalized to 0.5500. The resulting normalized age and income values are all between 0.0 and 1.0. The technique of normalizing numeric data by dividing by a constant does not have a standard name. Two other normalization techniques are called min-max normalization and z-score normalization. I recommend using the divide-by-constant technique whenever possible. There is convincing (but currently unpublished) research that indicates divide-by-constant normalization usually gives better results than min-max normalization or z-score normalization. The topic is quite complex. For details, see "Why I Don't Use Min-Max or Z-Score Normalization For Neural Networks." The demo data does not have any binary predictor variables such as "employed" with possible values yes or no. For binary predictor variables I recommend using minus-one-plus-one encoding rather than 0-1 encoding. In theory both encoding schemes work for binary predictor variables, but in practice minus-one-plus-one encoding often produces a better model. For an explanation, see "Should You Encode Neural Network Binary Predictors as 0 and 1, or as -1 and +1?" The demo preprocesses the raw data by normalizing numeric values and encoding categorical values. It is possible to normalize and encode training and test data on the fly, but preprocessing is usually a simpler approach. Overall Program Structure The overall structure of the demo program is presented in Listing 1. The demo program is named people_gender.py. The program imports the NumPy (numerical Python) library and assigns it an alias of np. The program imports PyTorch and assigns it an alias of T. Most PyTorch programs do not use the T alias but my work colleagues and I often do so to save space. The demo program indents using two spaces rather than the more common four spaces, again to save space. Listing 1: Overall Program Structure # people_gender.py # binary classification # PyTorch 1.12.1-CPU Anaconda3-2020.02 Python 3.7.6 # Windows 10/11 import numpy as np import torch as T device = T.device('cpu') class PeopleDataset(T.utils.data.Dataset): . . . class Net(T.nn.Module): . . . def metrics(model, ds, thresh=0.5): . . . def main(): # 0. get started print("People gender using PyTorch ") T.manual_seed(1) np.random.seed(1) # 1. create Dataset objects # 2. create network # 3. train model # 4. evaluate model accuracy # 5. save model (state_dict approach) # 6. make a prediction print("End People binary classification demo ") if __name__ == "__main__": main() The global device is set to "cpu." If you are working with a machine that has a GPU processor, the device string is "cuda." Most of my colleagues and I develop neural networks on a local CPU machine, then if necessary (huge amount of training data or huge neural network), push the program to a GPU machine and train it there. The demo has a program-defined PeopleDataset class that stores training and test data. The data in a Dataset object can be served up in batches for training by using the built-in DataLoader object. It is possible to use training and test data directly instead of using a Dataset, but such problem scenarios are rare and you should use a Dataset for most problems. The binary neural network classifier is implemented in a program-defined Net class. The Net class inherits from the built-in torch.nn.Module class, which supplies most of the neural network functionality. Instead of using a class to define a PyTorch neural network, it is possible to create a neural network directly using the torch.nn.Sequential class. Using Sequential is simpler but less flexible than using a program-defined class. The fact that there are two completely different ways to define a PyTorch neural network can be confusing for beginners. In a neural network binary classification problem, you must implement a program-defined function to compute classification accuracy of the trained model. The demo program defines a metrics() function that accepts a network and a Dataset object. All of the demo program control logic is contained in a program-defined main() function. The demo program begins by setting the seed values for the NumPy random number generator and the PyTorch generator. Setting seed values is helpful so that demo runs are mostly reproducible. However, when working with complex neural networks such as Transformer networks, exact reproducibility cannot always be guaranteed because of separate threads of execution. The Dataset Definition The demo Dataset definition is presented in Listing 2. A Dataset inherits from the torch.utils.data.Dataset class, and you must implement three methods: __init__(), which loads the data from file into memory as PyTorch tensors __len__(), which tells the DataLoader object that uses the Dataset how many items there so that the DataLoader knows when all items have been processed during training __getitem__(), which returns a single data item, rather than a batch of items as you might have expected Listing 2: Dataset Definition class PeopleDataset(T.utils.data.Dataset): # like 0 0.27 0 1 0 0.7610 1 0 0 def __init__(self, src_file): all_data = np.loadtxt(src_file, usecols=range(0,9), delimiter="\t", comments="#", dtype=np.float32) self.x_data = T.tensor(all_data[:,1:9], dtype=T.float32).to(device) self.y_data = T.tensor(all_data[:,0], dtype=T.float32).to(device) # float32 required self.y_data = self.y_data.reshape(-1,1) # 2-D required def __len__(self): return len(self.x_data) def __getitem__(self, idx): feats = self.x_data[idx,:] # idx row, all 8 cols sex = self.y_data[idx,:] # idx row, the only col return feats, sex # as a Tuple Defining a PyTorch Dataset is not trivial. You must define a custom Dataset for each problem/data scenario. The __init__() method accepts a src_file parameter that tells the Dataset where the file of training data is located. The entire file is read into memory as a NumPy two-dimensional array using the NumPy loadtxt() function. Commonly used alternatives include the NumPy genfromtxt() function and the Pandas read_csv() function. The call to loadtxt() specifies argument comments="#" to indicate that lines beginning with "#" are comments and should be ignored. The "#" character is the default for comments and so the argument could have been omitted. The syntax all_xy[:,1:9] means all rows in matrix all_xy, columns [1] to [8] inclusive. The syntax all_xy[:,0] means all rows, just column [0]. The data is read in as type float32, which is the default data type for PyTorch predictor values. The suspect in last weeks shooting that killed five in McGregor will remain in the hospital at least another two weeks, while people close to the slain shed light on pieces of what unfolded during the shooting. Nicolas Jaimes-Hernandez, 35, of McGregor, who is accused of killing three from his own household and two neighbors, was shot in a confrontation with McGregor police after the killings last Thursday. He will remain in McLennan County custody at an area hospital for at least a couple more weeks, McLennan County Sheriffs Office Chief Deputy David Kilcrease said. After receiving medical clearance, Jaimes-Hernandez can be transferred to McLennan County Jail and booked, authorities said. The chief deputy indicated that the hospital, the Texas Rangers and the sheriffs office, which runs the jail, determined it was in the best interests of all parties for Jaimes-Hernandez to remain hospitalized for the additional time. A source close to the case, who did not agree to be quoted by name, said Jaimes-Hernandez has been observed while in custody to sometimes have some difficulty moving or sometimes be unable to move some parts of his body, but those observing are not medically qualified to say what that difficulty moving means. McGregor Mayor Jimmy Hering confirmed in a statement last week that one of his officers shot Jaimes-Hernandez, while returning fire, in the course of the first police response. Neither the McGregor Police Department nor the Texas Rangers have released any part of a police report from the shootings or Jaimes-Hernandezs arrest affidavit. Neighbors and relatives, however, have provided a few details of what they know of the deadly incident that unfolded about 7:30 a.m. Thursday in the vicinity of 903 S. Monroe St. A neighbor who lives across the street from the scene told the Tribune-Herald on Tuesday that they saw the man who lived in 903 S. Monroe, outside the home, extend his arm and point a gun early Thursday morning. Then the neighbor looked away in fear, but heard several gunshots. The neighbor could not say whether they saw someone else at the time Jaimes-Hernandez, who lived in 903 S. Monroe, pointed a gun. After the sound of the gunshots, the neighbor saw a woman lying in or near the street. Francisco Olvera, who lives on another street near the shooting scene and is related to some of the people who were shot, also spoke to the Tribune-Herald on Tuesday. Olvera is an uncle to Lorena Lori Aviles, and a great-uncle to her daughter, Natalie Aviles, neighbors of Jaimes-Hernandez who were both killed in the shooting spree. Olvera said Ezra and Zion Aviles, Lori Aviles teenage sons, had left for school in a car they frequently drove, before the shootings. Ezra and Zion did not find out their mother and sister died until later in the day, Olvera said. Olveras brother lives in a two story home in the 800 block of South Monroe. Olvera also said the shooter shot up at his brother on the second-floor balcony of his brothers house and missed. The wife of Olveras brother said the shooter looked up from the drivers side window of a pickup truck, at the second-floor balcony of the two story home, pointed a gun and fired twice at Olveras brother. She said her husband told her this the day of the shooting. A bullet hole could be clearly seen in an upstairs window and another bullet hole could be seen in the window frame. Olvera also said his brothers son told him the shooter shot at him in his car and wounded his hand. Olvera said his nephew told him that he then went toward an ambulance where Lori Aviles lay in the street, and turned around to hear the shooter fire at Olveras brother. In addition to Lori Aviles and Natalie Aviles, neighbors of Jaimes-Hernandez, police have said Jaimes-Hernandez also shot and killed Monica Delgado, 38, and two of her children, Miguel Avila, 15, and Natallie Avila, 14, at the home at 903 S. Monroe, which county tax records list as owned by Jaimes-Hernandez. A brother of Delgado told the Tribune-Herald last week that Jaimes-Hernandez and Delgado had been together for 11 years and had three other children together. Arsenic remains a health problem for several local water suppliers, and McLennan County commissioners want to help. But their discussion Tuesday showed how complicated finding a solution could get. The court has allocated $10 million the county received through the federal American Rescue Plan Act to water infrastructure projects, with $4.4 million going to help suppliers in eastern McLennan County dilute groundwater that has naturally occurring arsenic levels above federal health and safety limits. Commissioners targeted these efforts and even hired a consultant to analyze their eligibility for money through the coronavirus-related relief package. But concerns surfaced over county liability if an entity getting money fails to meet deadlines, or abandons a project midstream. County Judge Scott Felton suggested the county enter into subrecipient agreements with the Prairie Hill, Birome, Leroy Tours Gerald and FHLM water supply companies, and the city of Riesel. FHLM is based in Penelope and serves water customers in Falls, Hill, Limestone and McLennan counties. The five small water suppliers that serve customers mostly in rural areas have upgrades on the drawing board valued at more than $36 million combined, with several lined up to buy surface water from the city of Waco to dilute their arsenic levels. Smaller communities such as Axtell, Prairie Hill, Leroy Tours Gerald and Riesel have struggled with high arsenic levels in drinking water for decades. Commissioners in May made the commitment to spend $4.4 million. The 2021 Brazos G Water Plan for McLennan County shows Axtell planning to buy 83 acre-feet a year of treated Waco water through FHLM at an annual cost of $271,659. Leroy Tours Gerald would spend $229,110 a year for 70 acre-feet of Waco water, also delivered by FHLM. Felton said the approach to reducing arsenic levels locally will be to take treated surface water, without significant arsenic levels, and mix that with the suppliers high-arsenic groundwater to reduce arsenic to levels the Environmental Protection Agency would find acceptable. He said some water supply companies are poised to install tanks for blending groundwater and surface water. Should an entity fail to meet obligations, or the county determines they are likely to, the county would withdraw American Rescue Plan money and reallocate it to another worthwhile and qualifying endeavor, perhaps a nonprofit that applied for but did not receive American Rescue Plan commitments during the countys culling process. Felton said other water-related needs abound countywide, and commissioners may prefer to target those, but no consensus was reached Tuesday. I recommend the county closely monitor this work. If not, there could be a poor outcome, said Tom Ray, with the Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. consulting firm advising the county on water issues. He said his analysis suggested all entities involved qualify for the money the county plans to provide. Ray said the water supply companies and city of Riesel provide water to 3,245 meters in McLennan County. FHLM is the largest, serving 1,396 meters. It would receive $1.8 million in federal aid through the county. Riesel is next at $1.05 million, followed by Leroy Tours Gerald at $789,152, Prairie Hill at $372,881, and Birome at $294,237, according to Rays information sheet. Commissioner Jim Smith said McLennan County could find itself vulnerable if money allocated to water projects goes unspent in a timely fashion. He wants the American Rescue Plan Acts drop-dead date clarified. Ray said in his report he believes each entity could complete its projects by 2026. County Administrator Dustin Chapman said by email that federal money must be allocated by 2024 and spent by the end of 2026. I dont want contracts to fall through, and we have to pay back the feds, Smith said. Felton said he believes bonded contractors involved in carrying out these water system improvements would have some liability in the matter. He said he envisioned an approach in which contractors would make draws on the federal money in the countys care as work progressed. He said the Texas Water Development Board likely will finance improvements beyond the money McLennan County makes available. He said the agency has rigorous guidelines applicants must follow. Texas agriculture students arrived at the Heart O' Texas Fair and Rodeo grounds Tuesday after pouring thousands of hours of cutting, welding, cleaning and sweating into farm machinery. The occasion was the Agricultural Mechanics Project Show, which organizers call the states longest-running competition of its kind, offering scholarships of up to $1,000 for the overall grand champion. Ag Mechanics Show superintendent Charles Prause said entries in the show, part of the HOT Livestock Show, have doubled in the last few years, this year drawing in 93 contestants. Among them was Midway High School senior Delaney Moszkowicz, 17, who presented a 72-year-old McCormick Farmall Cub tractor. She said seeing the 300-hour project come to life made all the work worth it. Once it finally started and I was able to drive it for the first time it was just like pure relief, she said. There was a smile on my face that you could not wipe off. Mechanic projects could fall into eight divisions, from livestock trailers, furniture, grills and smokers to log splitters and deer stands. Prause said each project has a customer that funds it, and the students work for weeks to create a polished product. Prause said the final product is important, but the judges also want to know what the student has learned throughout the project. The contestants are also judged on showmanship during a presentation on how long their project took, the materials they used, and the process and details of the work. What I always taught my students was, and these guys do the same thing is, basically, know that project better than you know the back of your hand, Prause said. Delaney said she and her partner set out on their four-month project by taking the tractor apart and leaving nothing but its core intact. The pair used almost all of the tractors original parts, but had to install a new radiator, wiring harness and steering wheel. We started taking everything apart. We had the engine on a stand. We fully rebuilt that, fully went through all the brakes, checked the transmission, Delaney said. After taking the tractor apart they had to clean the pieces. It was hours on hours from about 7 to 11 at night just sitting out in the freezing cold sandblasting. Thats what we did for about a month straight, just constant, constant cleaning, because you want everything to be all nice and smooth, Delaney said. After cleaning all the parts came painting, which she said was her favorite part. After seven coats of red paint, she said it was hard to believe all the pieces, laid out side by side on the ground, would come back together. On top of ag projects and school coursework, the students often also hold jobs. Delaney said when her group that was supposed to involve four students dwindled to two, she knew it would take a lot of commitment to get the job done. Its a lot of time commitment because in the mornings I would have FFA practices for other teams and then Id go to school, and then after school Id go to work, she said. Then its finally my time to go back to the shop and work on the tractor. Big ol gate Cousins Trevor Cogburn, 17, and Braylen Cogburn, 16, are no strangers to the balance between work, school and ag mechanics, Braylen working two and Trevor working three jobs throughout their project. This marks Trevors third and Braylens first year competing in ag mechanics. The two, representing Robinson High School, built a gate for the schools ag barn entrance over the span of about a month, Trevor said. We call it just a big ol gate, Trevor said. In all, Trevor and Braylen spent about 45 hours each on the project, taking ten hours a week two hours a day Monday through Friday to work on the $700 gate. The boys said they welded the gate from many types of metal fittings, and it is complete with black Rust-Oleum paint. Twisted square steel tops the gate as a decorative feature, which Trevor said they heated up with a torch and twisted themselves. The gate also incorporates wood recycled from a former Robinson students old barn, Trevor said. He said the wood adds a rustic feel to the gate, but in case it is damaged the boys welded the metal in such a way that the wood is easily replaceable. To top off the gates aesthetics, it features metal lamb, cow, goat and pig decals cut by a computer numerical control (CNC) machine, which Trevor said represent the four animals FFA shows. Metal work Case Koehler, 17, of Cranfills Gap, built a truck-mounted corn spreader. He said he got the idea from his stepdad who shares his love for hunting. He was telling me how he hated getting in and out of this pickup to shake these to get the corn out of it, Case said. I made it round and I have it all funnel into this one hole, that way theres no corn left and you never have to get out of your truck. The rounded metal is a hallmark of the project, which Case managed in a shop without a sheet metal roller or a CNC machine. He did all the work by hand, cutting out the shapes, heating up the sheet metal, rolling it and pounding it out with a hammer. When he was making the design for his machine, he tested a corn spreader he already had at his house to see what he could make better, Case said. You always have to get out and open a valve on the one at my house and it dumps corn out. Youre spilling half your corn going to where youre going, Case said. I put a drop plate on it. That way it drops out and when youre driving no corn is being spilled. He also said he wanted to make his design wireless, with no cords running into the cab or over the hood of the truck. His version is controlled by a small key fob. The final product weighs 112 pounds, 212 counting the 100 pounds of corn it can hold, and Case said it took him 112 hours to make, a pound an hour. Case said he has taken the project to shows before and has been encouraged to manufacture it. However, there are a couple things he wants to do differently, including longer-range Bluetooth control and using a lighter metal. Prause said events like the ag show are valuable because they give students a sense of pride and self-confidence, and also teach them responsibility and customer service in coming up with a quality product that serves another person. Youre not going to get that, so to speak, in your English, or math, your core academic classes, Prause said. Here are seven easy ways, all of which are DIY (or have DIY elements), to increase storage that can be used in any outdoor space, big or small. WATERLOO Republicans need to support its party's candidates no matter what. Black people to remember the roots of the political party. And, locally in Black Hawk County, more candidates need to come to forefront to run for office in the future. Those were some of the feelings expressed at the Black Hawk County Republican Partys largest annual fundraiser, the Lincoln, Reagan, Trump Dinner, Sunday night at the Elks Lodge. It brought together 135 attendees for a meal and silent auction, raising about $6000 to help local candidates run campaigns. Several speakers came to the podium, ranging from local candidates for county and state offices, to U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley and other high ranking Republicans running for re-election. But the four-hour evening event was capped with emotional, passionate messages from Leon Mosely, a former longtime Black Hawk County supervisor and Republican Party of Iowa co-chair, during trying times in his personal life, as well Jeff Kaufmann, the current Republican Party of Iowa chair, in advance of what he believes is a crucial election for his party. Mosely, 76, has battled health challenges, a Leukemia cancer diagnosis the latest. He expressed love for his party and former President Abraham Lincoln, the partys founder who's credited with freeing African Americans from slavery in 1863. Carbon pipelines, water quality progress divide Iowa ag secretary candidates JOHNSTON The two candidates for Iowa secretary of agriculture Friday differed on ways to m With that in mind, he urged his fellow Black men and women to wake up. One thing I want to tell you is the Republican Party is the party that freed the Blacks. It is not the Democratic Party, he said. Mosely said he doesnt understand Blacks who back Black Lives Matter and Planned Parenthood, which are largely Democrat-backed organizations. Theyre killing each other. Shooting each other. But Black lives matter, he quipped, adding Planned Parenthood was put in place in the Black community to stop the birth of Black babies. Mosely has become a renowned public speaker, and expressed gratitude for people canceling their plans to hear him speak. He also reflected on his upbringing his mother and father, and more emotionally his time at Columbus Catholic High School with Monsignor Walter Brunkan, the late principal who died last month -- while noting any Republican losses in the upcoming election can only be blamed on themselves. If Im lying in a hospital bed, I want to pick up the newspaper or watch the TV, I want to see that all the Republicans won, and you will make my day, he said. Country over party as Franken eyes middle-of-the-road voters Senate candidate held a campaign rally Saturday as part of his attempt to upset longtime U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley Kaufmann started by leaning on a recent conversation with Wesley Hunt, a Black Texan running as a Republican for Congress, about the proposition of the woke left tearing down the Robert E. Lee Barracks at the West Point Military Academy. According to Kaufmann, Hunt basically said: Why would I ever want that? Every single solitary time I entered that door or exited that door, I remember hearing stories of my great great grandfather who was born a slave. And every single time I went in and out of the Robert E. Lee Barracks, I got to re-experience the American Dream. But the Republican Party of Iowa chairman also drove home his belief that the Democratic Party doesnt allow a person to have their own views, rather, proven by the election of Donald Trump in 2016, the Republican Party is the party of down and up. Grassroots and up. The bottom line is we are the ones that listen to the people, he said. Kaufmann welcomed the party's internal debates leading up to primary, but urged members to come together for the general election to vote for Republicans for office even if not in agreement with all their opinions. At the end of the day, theyll still be pro second amendment, pro-life, and pro-fiscal responsibility, and support house speakers who believe in those core principles, he said. This is the time when we need to come together, he said. The stakes are too high. Craig Lohmann took the reins as the Black Hawk County Republican Partys chair in June. Upon taking over, he told The Courier after the event he sought to address differences and bring together the party in support of its candidates. Were making great progress, he said. I know theres people who have some disagreements with maybe some of my political views, but thats ok, I respect them and they respect me. And that was the big thing. Asked about the upcoming election, he noted Black Hawk County Republicans only are contesting 50% of the state races with districts touching the county one of two in senate districts and three of six in house districts. He also touched on messaging from Dennis Halverson whos running for county supervisor, and was one candidate to speak Sunday night. There are Republicans in Waterloo. There are a lot of Republicans in Black Hawk County. We just got to get them from out of the shadows and to not let them be afraid of who we are, said Lohmann. WATERLOO A judge has rejected probation recommendations from prosecutors and the defense for a former Waterloo woman accused of luring her cousin to his death in 2018. The decision, handed down Wednesday in Black Hawk County District Court, sent 26-year-old Danaesha Lynne Martin to prison for up to 10 years. I could have died that night. You dont understand how much trauma I went through. You dont understand this pain, Danaesha Martin said upon hearing the sentence. I struggle with this every day. I did not want this to happen. I got to struggle with the backlash of everybody, all the time, for something that I wasnt in control of, she said. Danaesha Martin had been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Shavondes Martin, 22, who was gunned down in an alley behind her South Street apartment. As part of a deal with the state, Danaesha Martin was allowed to plead to a lesser charge of conspiracy and testified at trial against Raymond Birden Jr. Prosecutors said Birden was one of two men who shot Shavondes Martin in retaliation for a fatal 2016 drive-by shooting on Logan Avenue that claimed the life of Birdens brother. Months after Shavondes Martin was acquitted of killing Birdens brother, Birden had Danaesha Martin offer her cousin a ride, bringing Shavondes Martin to Birden moments before the slaying. Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams said Danaesha Martins testimony was critical in the case against Birden. But for Danaesha Martin, there is no trial of Raymond Birden. Nobody can say that there is no distinction between what Raymond Birden did to Shavondes Martin and what Danaesha Martins involvement was, Williams said. The family of Shavondes Martin does now have the opportunity to watch Raymond Birden go to prison for the death of their family member. Birden was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder. Defense attorney Dustin Lies said his clients decision to help Birden find Shavondes and later to testify against Birden meant she made enemies on both sides of the case. There are both sides that are angry with her. She has had death threats and threats to her safety from multiple different sources, and coming in to testify was a very difficult thing, Lies said. He said Danaesha Martins life has changed dramatically since the incident. She now lives in another state and has a child (out-of-state charges against her in the December 2021 matter were dropped by prosecutors). In the end, Judge Linda Fangman ruled that Danaesha Martins ability to plead to a lesser charge one that didnt carry a life sentence was a sufficient concession. But she said her involvement in the crime demanded more than probation. You lured him to your house. You took advantage of the fact that it was somebody that you cared for, and he knew you cared for him, to set him up. We can not let the public think that if they lure somebody to their death, as long as theyre not the person who pulled the trigger, that they are not as culpable, Fangman said. The other person who shot Shavondes Martin hasnt been identified or charged. Shavondes Martins mother, 48-year-old Diane Martin, was killed in September 2018 when someone shot at her Ricker Street home. Her death remains unsolved. CEDAR FALLS A second person has been arrested for allegedly using fake and bad checks to buy cars from dealerships. Jamarkes Jamell Ketton Sr., 34, of Waterloo, was arrested Monday for three counts of first-degree theft and one count of second-degree theft and forgery. Bond was set at $80,000. Authorities allege Ketton bought a 2013 Buick Regal from John Deery on University Avenue for $10,847 on Dec. 6 using a check from a SoFi Money account. The check was later returned because the account had insufficient funds. The vehicle was later located and returned to the dealership. Ketton also is accused of using fake checks from Varo Bank to buy a 2009 Chevrolet Suburban for $10,943 and a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu for $12,000 from Community Motors on University Avenue on Jan. 28 and Feb. 11. Then on July 28, he allegedly returned to Community Motors and bought a 2007 Honda Accord for $9,435 using a Sutton Bank check that was later found to be invalid. Ketton is the second person to be arrested as part of the scheme. In September, police arrested Devonta Cortez Parker Johnson, 20, of Waterloo, for theft in connection with two checks written to John Deery for vehicle purchases in December. WATERLOO One person has been arrested in connection with an attack on a woman outside an apartment in September. On Tuesday, Waterloo police arrested Tyeisha Maresh Henderson, 24, of Waterloo, on one count of second-degree robbery. She was released pending trial. Authorities allege Henderson and others pulled up to an apartment building at 1008 Leavitt St. around 9 p.m. Sept. 20. The group began punching Imauee Cody, who was standing outside, until Codys sisters came outside and intervened. Codys phone and keys were stolen during the assault, according to court records. WATERLOO A mile does not seem that far until youre out there running the full distance. That was a common sentiment expressed by fourth graders who participated Tuesday in the 23rd annual Mayors Fun Run. Lots of anticipation was brewing before the 1,000 students from 14 Waterloo public and parochial schools were released in small groups to sprint the runs opening leg. The first students from Lou Henry, Orange and Lincoln elementary schools took off shortly after 10:15 a.m. at the corner of Fourth and Commercial streets. The run, founded by former Waterloo Mayor John Rooff, is meant to spark a drive for healthy living and physical activity. Im just going to go for it, said Taylor Squire, 8, from Lou Henry, before taking off. Tori Hodges, 9, from Lincoln Elementary School, touted her long legs, and her starting stance as reasons shed have a successful day at the races. Waterloo marching bands continue to make strides in performances West and East High Schools took their instruments and color guards Saturday to the Bands Across the Prairie and the Five Seasons marching invitationals in Cedar Rapids. Mayor Quentin Hart participated in his eighth run, his sixth as mayor, or what he called his favorite time of the year. He joked with the kids, who he called the pride of Waterloo, that hes never lost a race. But later he admitted he starts in the back and has never taken home a victory, finishing last every year. Like many kids, Aspen Winstead, 9, from Kittrell, was a bit nervous heading into the run. On the other side of the aisle, her classmate Aiden Magnuson was overflowing with confidence. Im going to go out slow and save all of my energy for Mr. Hart, he said. Cedar Valley organizations more prepared to interact with clients with dementia thanks to training 30 local organizations have taken advantage of the special training from Dementia Friendly Iowa since right before the onset of the pandemic. By the time the children had looped across the river, down Lafayette Street, onto Fifth Street, and made the last turn onto Jefferson Street toward the finish line at the RiverLoop Expo Plaza, most were walking and enjoying the fresh air. Some threw in a last jolt of effort when encouragement came from the sidelines. Youre almost there and Cmon you got this, onlookers cheered. Toy hand clappers were handed out before the event and could be heard along the final stretch. Its excellent seeing kids exercising and not behind some type of Xbox or some type of video game. Its really incredible to see all the happy and excited fourth-graders, said Hart. We want to make sure the kids get a chance to enjoy themselves, and we motivate them along the way. Im really proud of them. They did an excellent job, even though some were a bit tired at the end. A lot of children had the opportunity to meet and take photos with Mr. Mayor, who many viewed as a local celebrity. Additionally, the kids gathered before and after the run at the RiverLoop Expo Plaza, where they were greeted by upbeat music, the West High School dance team, and even Waterloo Black Hawks mascot Tommy Hawk. They received sandwiches and water to replenish the energy exerted during the run. Its great to bring all the fourth-graders together to rally around a positive cause in support health and wellness, said Brian Guetzlaff, a physical education teacher at Lowell Elementary School. We have great weather, and we hope they keep this up as they get older and head out into the community and experience physical activity at places like the Cedar Valley SportsPlex and YMCA. By the end of the run, Lamarion Miller, 9, from Lincoln, said, it felt good and bad at the same time. He was feeling the effort in his legs and chest. Kali Clos, 9, from Lincoln, was thinking about how sweaty she was, and how if she was going to exercise in the future it would be through some other means than running. It was great exercise, declared Asher Craig, 9, from Orange. A boy and girl from each school also were recognized for being Kids of Character after Ron Steele, longtime anchor with KWWL, took the mike as the master of ceremonies. He touted the gorgeous day and got the kids excited about the fun activity ahead. The event was put on by Hart, Waterloos Leisure Services, Main Street Waterloo, Waterloo Schools, Waterloo Kiwanis Club, and other sponsors. WATERLOO The Waterloo Schools Foundation is holding a Nov. 10 celebration after gifting its two millionth dollar to the Waterloo Community Schools. The event takes place from 5-6 pm at the Waterloo Career Center. It will include a 5:30 p.m. social and a brief program. For 12 years, the foundation has been dedicated to supporting and setting a standard of excellence for all Waterloo Schools students to ensure they have the resources to thrive, grow and feel confident in their academic journey. The $1 million milestone was reached in 2017. Multiple district initiatives, programs, and learning opportunities have been funded in the five years since for students and faculty to reach a total donations of $2,006,637.68. The Waterloo Schools Foundation funds numerous academic programs and projects that would otherwise be unavailable to the district. These initiatives push the schools, students, and faculty for academic excellence. The foundations latest donation was to Central Middle School to bring in Bruce Henry for the Evolution of African American Music. This donation supports understanding the historical influences the African and African-American communities have made in developing various music genres. Waterloo Schools enrollment is 60% minority students. CEDAR FALLS The City Council has confirmed higher maximum thresholds for the rental subsidies that Section 8 participants receive in Cedar Falls. An increased payment standard for families and individuals who benefit from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Housing Choice Voucher Program was unanimously approved Monday by the council without discussion. About 200 people or families currently receive vouchers in Cedar Falls, Community Development Director Stephanie Sheetz said after the meeting. She noted they might be able to get a little higher subsidy through the federal program if their income qualifies. Cedar Valley organizations more prepared to interact with clients with dementia thanks to training 30 local organizations have taken advantage of the special training from Dementia Friendly Iowa since right before the onset of the pandemic. For one- or two-bedroom housing, the maximum amount of monthly assistance would go from $737 to $814 and $922 to $1,027, respectively. Those with three, four or zero bedrooms would see respective increases from $1,222 to $1,365; from $1,554 to $1,750; and from $651 to $691. Under the program, the tenant pays a minimum of 30% of their income toward housing costs. It pays the difference between the rent amount and household income, up to the maximum payment standard. People can apply online to be placed on the waiting list for Cedar Falls at www.cedarfalls.com/1063/Section-8-Housing-Assistance. Average time on the wait list is one to five years, according to the citys website. It's time to say goodbye to Ashley HInson Its time to say goodbye to Ashley Hinson. She does not represent Iowans and specifically wo The councils vote only increases the maximum amount, not the number of vouchers available to the city. Two weeks ago, HUD announced more than 19,000 new vouchers were awarded to almost 2,000 Public Housing Agencies across the country. Housing authorities, including in nearby Waterloo and Evansdale, received three and seven more, respectively. However, Cedar Falls was not among the benefactors of what the Biden administration calls the most expansive allocation of flexible new rental assistance in 20 years. Sheetz said the city was contacted about the opportunity and "given a very short window to respond." "After looking into the additional requirements that would be imposed, local market constraints, and the short timeframe, we determined that we do not have the staff capacity at this time to administer this," she said in an email. "We let HUD know that we look forward to future opportunities." The Iowa Northland Regional Housing Authority received four more for Section 8 participants in Bremer, Butler, Chickasaw, Grundy, Buchanan and Black Hawk counties. That excludes anyone in the cities of Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evansdale. According to Robyn Cusmano, the citys housing program specialist, the payment standard is based on the areas annual fair market rents. HUD defines those as an estimate of the money that would cover rent and utility expenses for 40% of the areas rental housing units. In 2021, the FMR determined by HUD seemed to be on the low side for rents in Cedar Falls, said Cusmano in her memo to the council. The increase in the 2022 FMR is more aligned with the current housing market in Cedar Falls and will allow current and future participants a better chance of finding suitable housing. HUD requires the payment standards be within 90-110% of the FMR, she said. Historically, the city has opted to utilize a 110% standard for one to four bedroom units, given the citys relatively higher cost rental market within the metro area. Thats the percentage the council ultimately approved Monday night. This story was updated with comments from Sheetz on HUD's recent awarding of new vouchers. The previous three times Hansens done the concert in Omaha, Milwaukee and St. Louis were with Waverly-Shell Rock, with one school to coordinate with. Managing it for Cedar Falls, however, brings with it new challenges. BOISE, Idaho (AP) More imperiled Snake River sockeye salmon returned to central Idaho this year than in nearly a decade, but biologists are disappointed that few of them came from fish that spawned naturally in the wild. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said Wednesday that 736 adult sockeye salmon completed the 900-mile (1,450-kilometer) trip from the Pacific Ocean to the high-elevation Stanley Basin at about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters). But only 46 came from adult fish that spawned naturally in Redfish Lake. The population is bolstered with a complex hatchery program that tracks the genetics of individual fish with the goal of one day getting a naturally reproducing, self-sustaining sockeye salmon population in Idaho. That would take multiple years of more than 1,000 naturally spawned fish returning. There werent very many juveniles that went out (in 2020), and they went into a fairly poor ocean, said Dave Venditti, a research biologist who oversees Fish and Game's Snake River Captive Brood Stock Program. Hopefully, the ocean is turning around, and smolts (young fish) that went out this year and the next couple of years will see better ocean conditions. Thats the real driver of these natural returns. Young sockeye salmon, both hatchery and naturally reproduced fish, leave the Stanley basin in spring. Most fish spend two years in the ocean, though some stay only one year and others three, before starting the return trip to Idaho past eight dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Most Snake River sockeye salmon weigh about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilograms). An estimated 150,000 sockeye at one time returned annually to the lakes near the town of Stanley. Redfish Lake was named for the abundant red-colored salmon that spawned there. Federal officials say the run declined starting in the early 1900s because of overfishing, irrigation diversions, dams and poisoning, Snake River sockeye salmon were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1991 when they teetered on the brink of extinction. An elaborate hatchery program was started that decade to save the species. From 1993 to 1999, less than 10 fish made it back to Idaho each year. Returns peaked in 2014 with 1,513 fish but collapsed the following year when a heat wave raised river temperature to lethal levels, killing most sockeye salmon. Fish and Game collected only 91 fish. Returns have mostly been below 200 since then, with a low of 17 in 2019, making 736 a comparatively good number. A few more stragglers could show up in the Stanley basin in the coming weeks, Venditti said. Of the 736 returning fish, some were sent to hatcheries to be spawned, and 467 were released into Redfish Lake to spawn naturally along with about 750 hatchery-raised adult fish put into the lake. Those fish were raised at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's Eagle Fish Hatchery in southwestern Idaho and NOAA Fisheries Manchester Research Station in Port Orchard, Washington. Another 102 adult hatchery fish raised at the Manchester facility were released into Pettit Lake, not far from Redfish Lake. In all, that's more than 1,300 adult fish released into the two lakes to spawn, the most since 2014 when Fish and Game released 2,073 adult sockeye salmon. The 1,300 ranks fifth highest in adult releases into the lakes going back to 1993. The adults typically spawn in October and November, putting eggs on the lakebed that hatch in February and March. The young fish live in the lakes for one or two years before heading for the ocean. Snake River sockeye salmon live at the edge of the species' range. It's the most southern population of sockeye salmon, travels the farthest inland of any sockeye salmon population, and spawns at the highest altitude of any population. The fish don't eat once they enter freshwater, where they spend months traveling before spawning. I think it's an astounding achievement of biology, Venditti said, like many impressed that a fish weighing about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kilograms) can make the journey from the ocean to a mountain-ringed central Idaho valley. The simple answer is they've evolved to do it. It's kind of a mystery. To me, it's just fantastic. About 1,900 sockeye salmon made it last summer past the last of the eight dams to Idaho, but only 736 survived the rest of the way as of Wednesday. Venditti said those that didn't make it likely ran out of reserves as water warmed as summer progressed, speeding up the cold-blooded fish's metabolism and using up their store of energy. Igor Murashov, the general director of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, admitted that he had passed information to Kyiv about what was happening at the plant. He stressed that he was aware that the shelling comes from the Ukrainian troops. Murashov also admitted that he forbade the team from publishing an appeal to the UN and the IAEA demanding that they stop the shelling. He did this because such appeals could hurt the state interests of Ukraine. So he with his friends in the west wanted a nuclear disaster! Yes they did and yes they do not care about the rest of us humans Now he escaped and ran deep into Western Ukraine WtR Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (October 5, 2022) Part 1 (read Part 2) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. Missile attacks launched at the forward echelon and reserve forces of 92nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) deployed near Shipovatoye, Shevchenkovo and Petrovka (Kharkov region) at Kupyansk direction have resulted in the elimination of up to 100 servicemen and 13 units of military equipment. Operations near Pershotravnevoye and Orlyanskoye (Kharkov region) have resulted in causing casualties of 15 servicemen killed and up to 40 wounded. 7 armoured combat vehicles and 5 pickups with large-calibre machine guns from 14th Mechanised Brigade of the AFU have been destroyed. Massive fire attack has been launched at the manpower and equipment of 93rd Mechanised Brigade of the AFU near Druzhelyubovka (Kharkov region) and Redkodub (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The attacks have resulted in the elimination of over 90 Ukrainian servicemen and 7 armoured vehicles. Moreover, artillery fire attack has resulted in the elimination of 2 Ukrainian sabotage groups formed by a total of 21 militants near Yampolovka and Torskoye. Fire attack launched at the positions of 54th Mechanised, 80th Airborne Assault and 10th Mountain Assault brigades of the AFU near Belogorovka, Spornoye and Yakovlevka has resulted in the elimination of up to 70 militants, 1 tank, 3 armoured combat vehicles and 6 pickups with large-calibre machine guns at Lisichansk direction. Missile attack launched at the units from 102nd Territorial Defence Brigade near Rovnopolye (Zaporozhye region) has resulted in the elimination of up to 30 militants and 7 motor vehicles. Units of Russian forces maintain their positions at Andreyevka-Krivoy Rog direction repelling superior enemy forces attacks. Operations near Novaya Kamenka (Kherson region) have resulted in the elimination of up to 30 nationalists, 2 tanks and 4 infantry combat vehicles of the AFU. Massive fire attacks launched by Russian Aerospace Forces at the units from 35th Marine Brigade of the AFU near Davydov Brod and 128th Mountain Assault Brigade of the AFU near Dudchany (Kherson region) has resulted in the elimination of over 120 servicemen, 2 tanks and 8 armoured combat vehicles. The enemy has lost a total of over 230 personnel, 4 tanks, 18 armoured combat vehicles, 2 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers, 2 mortars and 20 motor vehicles at Nikolayev-Krivoy Rog direction. Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile troops and artillery have neutralised 10 AFU command posts near Kupyansk (Kharkov region), Blagodatovka and Belogorka (Kherson region), Kalinovka and Murakhovka (Nikolayev region), Novy Komar, Krasnogorovka and Druzhkovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), the provisional bases of 57th Mechanised Infantry Brigade of the AFU near Kalinindorf (Kherson region), as well as the units of foreign mercenaries and nationalist groups near Konstantinovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Kharkov. 6 missile, artillery armament and munitions depots have been destroyed near Andreyevka and Vishnyovoye (Zaporozhye region), Belokuzminovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Novoaleksandrovka (Nikolayev region). #MoD #Russia #Ukraine #report @mod_russia_en Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine (October 5, 2022) Part 2 (read Part 1) Launch of Iskander high-precision operational-tactical missile at Voznesensk military airfield has resulted in the elimination of a hangar with Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned aerial vehicles in Nikolayev region. 1 U.S.-manufactured (AN/TPQ-36) counter-battery warfare radar has been destroyed near Murakhovka (Nikolayev region). Fighter aviation of Russian Aerospace Forces has shot down 1 MiG-29 of Ukrainian Air Force near Novovladimirovka (Nikolayev region). Air defence facilities have destroyed 6 unmanned aerial vehicles near Grakovo (Kharkov region), Novochervonoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Statomayorskoye, Urozhaynoye and Dokuchayevsk (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Moreover, 15 projectiles launched by U.S.-manufactured HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) have been destroyed in air near Korobki, Vesyoloye, Antonovka, Novaya Kakhovka, Tokarevka and Rakovka (Kherson region), 1 projectile launched by Olkha MLRS near Novaya Kakhovka and 2 HARM anti-radar missiles near Antonovka (Kherson region). In total, 313 airplanes and 157 helicopters, 2,151 unmanned aerial vehicles, 379 air defence missile systems, 5,376 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 861 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,449 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 6,277 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. Kiev regime continued launching attacks at Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. Over the past 24 hours, AFU artillery has launched over 43 projectiles at the northern suburb of Energodar and the territory adjacent to the nuclear power plant. The attacks were launched from AFU-controlled Marganets (Dnepropetrovsk region). Enemy firepower has been neutralised by Russian artillerys counter-attack. The radiation environment at the nuclear power plant remains normal. #MoD #Russia #Ukraine #report @mod_russia_en Mobilised personnel attends training in Ulyanovsk region The mobilised personnel is currently at preparatory stage, then the servicemen are to learn operating within platoons, companies and battalions. WtR A month ago I said: The USAs outstanding public debt, and you must realize how much debt they hide, that debt we are only allowed see, is on the verge of waltzing by $31 trillion for the first time ever. And the runnaway train does not even slow down Now today: The USA total public debt, at least the admitted to debt, admitted outstanding debt. Closed at $31.1 trillion (buckaroos) on Monday, according to Treasury Department data published Tuesday Oct. 4th, 2022 https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov What else can we do? Lets dance as the train crashes Just dance, because what else you gonna do? WtR We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form 1. Call your health care provider ASAP Not everyone who gets the flu needs to see their doctor, but people over 65 do. Thats because age itself along with many other conditions that often come along in later years, such as diabetes and heart disease puts you at risk for serious complications from the flu, namely pneumonia. As we age, our immune system responds less vigorously than it does when were younger, explains Stuart Ray, M.D., professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Both antibodies and T cells play important roles in protecting against infection and severe disease from influenza. And those tend to decrease during late adulthood. Your doctor will likely prescribe an antiviral medication that helps your body fight off the influenza virus. Research shows that taking an antiviral, like Tamiflu, at the first sign of the flu can reduce symptoms and shorten your bout of the flu by one day. Dont postpone treatment With antivirals, time is of the essence. You should take them within 48 hours after symptoms kick in. What we adults tend to do is say, Id rather not go to the doctor. Lets see if I feel better tomorrow, Schaffner says. When we get what we think is influenza, its important to contact our health care provider, because the sooner we get the treatment, the better the success of the treatment. Keep in mind: You dont have to make an in-person appointment. Your doctor should be able to assess your symptoms virtually. Miss your 48-hour window? Theres still some benefit to taking an antiviral beyond the 48 hours, but it diminishes day by day, Schaffner says. 2. Stay home The flu is highly contagious, spreading through droplets in the air when you cough, sneeze or talk. And thats true even before you feel fluish. According to the National Institute on Aging, people with the flu can spread it a day before and up to a week after feeling sick. Dont leave home until your fever is gone The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying home until youre fever free without the help of fever-reducing meds for 24 hours. 3. Wash your hands Disease-causing germs are easily spread by dirty hands. You know the drill: Throughout the day, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with regular soap and water antibacterial soaps have no added benefit, according to the CDC for at least 20 seconds. Dont expect alcohol-based hand sanitizer to get the job done Sure, in a pinch its better than nothing. But research shows that soap and water are far more effective than hand sanitizers in removing certain kinds of germs. That said, if youre nowhere near a bar of soap and running water, reach for the hand sanitizer. Just make sure it contains at least 60 percent alcohol. 4. Drink plenty of fluids Its important to stay well-hydrated when you have a fever, Ray says. Hydration will also help alleviate general malaise. To that end, keep a big glass of water on the nightstand juice, broth, decaffeinated herbal tea all work, too. Dont reach for that morning mug of coffee Same goes for any caffeinated beverage and also alcohol. All of these are dehydrating, which will slow your recovery. Dehydration means you cant get your secretions up, Schaffner says. Its more difficult to mobilize [the secretions] out of your chest and cough them up, and that can predispose you to the development of pneumonia. 5. Rinse and moisten your sinuses A neti pot is one way to clear out built-up mucus in your sinuses. But if youre not comfortable using the little teapot-looking container, heres another way to relieve congestion and keep your nasal passages moist. A warm not hot shower will immerse you in warm moisture, and that will lubricate your mucous membranes, particularly if you can cup some warm water into your hands, snuffle that up into your nose, and then very gently blow your nose, Schaffner suggests. Dont use a humidifier If your humidifier is just-out-of-the-box brand new, thats one thing. But if youve had yours for a while, its probably best to skip it, Schaffner says. Theyre usually not cleaned very well, so bacteria grows and suddenly youre aerosolizing contaminated water. 6. Consider over-the-counter pain relievers Acetaminophen and ibuprofen arent cures, but they can help reduce fever and alleviate aches and pains. Just be sure to read the label carefully because these medications are not without risk they can injure the liver, kidneys, intestines and cause other side effects and these risks rise with age and complex health history, Ray says. Moreover, they dont reduce the risk of hospitalization or death. Dont take decongestants Or at least not without consulting your health care provider. Heres why: Decongestants contain a combination of ingredients, some of which can increase your heart rate, even raise your blood pressure, and possibly interfere with sleep, Schaffner says. 7. Stay physically active Forget what your mother said about staying in bed 24/7. You have to listen to your body. But the more time you spend horizontal, the worse it is physically and psychologically, Schaffner says. Dont overdo it That said, now is not the time to try for your personal best for example, turning that daily power walk into a run or trying that hot yoga class youve been curious about. Although gentle exercise, even just walking around, will make you feel better, Schaffner says. 8. Pay attention to symptoms If your symptoms are getting progressively worse youve got chest pain, your temperature is going up, youre coughing up yellow phlegm call your doctor, particularly if you have any underlying illnesses and youre worse today than you were yesterday, Schaffner says. Dont try to tough it out on your own You may be in the early stages of pneumonia, the most common complication of the flu. It can cause severe illness in people of every age, but older adults are among the most vulnerable. Research published in 2018 found that more than 1 in 6 adults 65 and older who are hospitalized with pneumonia die from the infection. Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nations top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Womens Health, Mens Health and Reader's Digest. The Justice Department (DOJ) announced today that it would be accelerating its efforts to fight criminals who target older Americans for financial fraud. The new push will include adding 14 U.S. Attorneys Offices to the DOJs Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force more than tripling the current number of offices, from six to 20. Other existing Strike Force members include the Departments Consumer Protection Branch, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations, which collaborate to fight elder fraud schemes. All of the DOJs U.S. Attorneys Offices across the country are focused on the effort, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Departments Civil Division, but these are taking an extra step, dedicating additional resources. The financial exploitation of older adults has ballooned since COVID-19 began its rapid spread in March 2020. A new report from AARP found that the rate of such exploitation between then and now has more than doubled. Tech scams are particularly rampant; cybercrime reported to the FBI cost Americans 50 and older nearly $3 billion last year, a 62 percent increase from 2020, according to data from the bureau. This kind of behavior is just despicable, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in an interview with AARP about the new Elder Fraud effort. The [DOJs] Civil Division is doing everything to fight against it. Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention programs with AARP, called this welcome news, and said, We need to do more to take down these relentless crime rings and lean on tools that can return money to victims who are otherwise left financially devastated. More arrests and convictions Along with announcing its expanded Strike Force, DOJ officials highlighted the agencys recent successes in bringing fraud perpetrators to justice. Among them is an investment adviser who stole more than $9.3 million from his customers in a Ponzi scheme. He was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison in March after being convicted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Ohio. And members of a criminal ring were arrested earlier this year for orchestrating a large-scale grandparent scam, in which they called older adults and posed as a grandchild or another family member in crisis with an urgent need for money. Often theyll tell the victim, You cant tell anyone about this, said Boynton, adding that many older people lost tens of thousands of dollars to this gang of thieves. The San Diego Elder Justice Task Force a collaboration between the U.S. Attorneys Office, the FBI, the District Attorneys Office and all San Diego County law enforcement agencies prosecuted the case, which so far has led to prison terms for most of the perpetrators arrested (a few are awaiting sentencing). It marked the first time that criminals behind such scams have been prosecuted and convicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). It was a big deal, said Boynton. Its a powerful statute. It allows you to go after all of the participants in a conspiracy, and there are some pretty significant penalties. One was sentenced to nine years in prison. Kangaroo Hill and Phoenix Divestment Completed Perth, Oct 5, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Horizon Minerals Limited ( ASX:HRZ ) is pleased to advise that the divestment of the Kangaroo Hill and Phoenix gold projects near Coolgardie has been completed. As announced to the ASX on 11 August 2022, the Company agreed to divest 100% interest in the projects to Greenstone Resources Ltd ( ASX:GSR ) on the following terms: - $150,000 in cash on completion - $150,000 in GSR shares at an issue price equivalent to the VWAP calculated over the 15 trading days prior to the Completion Date and subject to a voluntary escrow period of 6 months All conditions precedent including provision of signed transfers, all mining information and statutory and third-party consents have now been completed, the $150,000 cash payment and shares in GSR received. Several expressions of interest have been received regarding the potential divestment of further noncore assets in the northern Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie regions. These expressions of interest are currently being considered by the Company and further details will be provided to the market in line with our continuous disclosure obligations. Commenting on the divestment, Managing Director Jon Price said: "The sale of the projects is in-line with our strategy of divesting non-core assets to fund the future growth of the company through exploration and mine development. The rationalisation of the Company's assets also reduces holding costs and distraction, as we focus on the core greater Boorara, Yarmany, Lakewood, Binduli project areas and underground development plans." About Horizon Minerals Limited Horizon Minerals Limited (ASX:HRZ) is a gold exploration and mining company focussed on the Kalgoorlie and Menzies areas of Western Australia which are host to some of Australia's richest gold deposits. The Company is developing a mining pipeline of projects to generate cash and self-fund aggressive exploration, mine developments and further acquisitions. The Teal gold mine has been recently completed. Horizon is aiming to significantly grow its JORC-Compliant Mineral Resources, complete definitive feasibility studies on core high grade open cut and underground projects and build a sustainable development pipeline. Horizon has a number of joint ventures in place across multiple commodities and regions of Australia providing exposure to Vanadium, Copper, PGE's, Gold and Nickel/Cobalt. Our quality joint venture partners are earning in to our project areas by spending over $20 million over 5 years enabling focus on the gold business while maintaining upside leverage. Moblan PFS Targets Quebec Lithium Expansion Brisbane, Oct 5, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium producer Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( DML:FRA ) ( SYAXF:OTCMKTS ) is targeting the further expansion of its Quebec lithium resource base, with the launch of a pre-feasibility study for the Company's emerging Moblan Lithium Project (Sayona 60%; SOQUEM 40%) in northern Quebec. Continuing Sayona's focus on maximising economic benefits for local stakeholders, Quebec company, InnovExplo will conduct the PFS, targeting completion by May 2023. This is expected to be followed by a definitive feasibility study, with a target completion date of September 2023. The studies will examine the development of a mine and concentrator north of Chibougamau, near Mistissini, with the Moblan project serving as the centre of Sayona's northern lithium hub, including the emerging Lac Albert Project. Based in Val d'Or, InnovExplo is a leader in mineral resource and reserve estimation, mining engineering, economic studies and mining optimisation. The company will be assisted in its work by the firms SNC-Lavalin, Primero and Journeaux Assoc. InnovExplo will work closely with Sayona's Quebec team, with work expected to begin in the next few days. Sayona's Managing Director, Brett Lynch, said the PFS would spur the development of a new northern hub for the Company. "Since acquiring the Moblan project in October 2021, Sayona has worked to rapidly develop this project with an extensive drilling program, targeting a major expansion of our lithium resource in an area already hosting world-scale mines," Mr Lynch said. "This study should further enhance our confidence in the quality of the Moblan project and its potential for development as a new northern base of production, adding to our North American Lithium (NAL) operation and the Abitibi hub in the south." The Moblan project covers around 433 ha for a total of 20 claims and is held in a joint venture with SOQUEM Inc, a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec. Moblan is located in the Eeyou-Istchee James Bay region of northern Quebec, a proven lithium mining province which hosts established, world-class lithium resources including Nemaska Lithium's Whabouchi mine. It is well serviced by key infrastructure and transport and has access to low-cost, environmentally friendly hydropower. Sayona's drilling at Moblan has shown positive results, including the discovery of a significant new southern lithium pegmatite zone, together with multiple new mineralised lithium pegmatites at Moblan South, the South East Extension, Moleon and extensions to the Main Moblan lithium deposit (refer ASX release 27 June 2022). A Mineral Resource Foreign Estimate of 12.03Mt @ 1.4% Li2O* has been identified at Moblan and there is potential to expand this resource based on recent drilling. * The Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves stated are foreign estimates and are not reported in accordance with the JORC Code. A competent person has not done sufficient work to classify the foreign estimates as Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. It is uncertain that following evaluation and/or further exploration work that the foreign estimates will be able to be reported as Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves in accordance with the JORC Code. Sayona's move to advance its northern lithium hub follows recent developments at its Abitibi hub, including the launch of a PFS for the potential production of lithium carbonate at NAL (refer ASX release 4 October 2022). About Sayona Mining Limited Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia. Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au First there was Johanna Melendez from Honduras; then the two sisters, Delmys Supaya Molina and her sister, Dulce, also from Honduras; and then in July three Mexican women, Lidiana from the state of Jalisco, Diana Fernanda from Michoacan and Janet from Guerrero. As each of them passes their credible fear tests and heads north into the United States to stay with family members or sponsors while awaiting their final judicial hearings, they are replaced by someone else who shares their deep commitment to preparing young migrant children for new lives in America, most importantly to teach them some English. The Respettrans shelter near the international bridge in Juarez is a tall, battered-looking building that usually houses 180 to 240 migrants. Its a shelter that largely governs itself. The director, Grecia Herrera, is a nurse and has a day job in a hospital, so the migrants select their own leadership and manage everything cooking, cleaning as well as these intense and enthusiastic educational programs. Preparing for new lives in America means learning English. Even though these women have only had a smattering of English studies in their home countries, they are committed to providing the basics. During a recent visit, a girl named Fernanda proudly showed me her workbook. There were some 40 pages of lessons and homework she had completed. So this is clearly a serious effort. But homework and English studies arent everything. On my last visit I brought a large map of the United States so these families could get a sense of where they were headed, be it Chicago, Boston or San Francisco. Keep in mind that a country like Honduras has 47,278 square miles. Compare this to the United States, with 3,797,000 square miles. That means the United States is about 90 times larger and very confusing to a newcomer. This is not just a migrant issue. Jane Fuller, director of the El Paso-based nonprofit Siguiendo los Pasos de Jesus (SPJ Following the Footsteps of Jesus), is an advocate for hundreds of families on the west edge of Juarez. Although SPJ is best known for the 500 some homes it has built over the last 20 years, she is also focused on the children there and recently sent out an appeal for back-to-school materials as well as for funds for student fees. Education is purportedly free in Mexico, but students have to pay $25 for kindergarten per year and up to $88 per semester for high school, a lot of money in an impoverished colonia. In Palomas, La Casa de Amor para Ninos leaders Jim and Pat Noble, and Eunice Herrera from New Mexico, have gathered scholarship funds for over 100 Palomas students for books, fees and uniforms. Morgan Smith has been writing about border issues for the last decade and can be reached at Morgan-smith@comcast.net Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal An autopsy report has ruled as a homicide the death of a 15-year-old boy killed in a fire sparked by the Albuquerque Police Departments SWAT team during an hourslong standoff this summer. The state Office of the Medical Investigator determined Brett Rosenau was alive when the house he was in caught fire on July 7, according to a recently released autopsy report that revealed soot in his lungs, burns across 95% of his body and high levels of carbon monoxide in his system. The autopsy states the cause of death as smoke inhalation and severe burns, and the manner as homicide. The autopsy said a contributing factor was toxic effects of cocaine, but the level was lower than those seen in intoxicated drivers and three times lower than that seen in cocaine-related emergency room visits. Given the circumstances, cocaine could have both impaired decision-making and increased the bodys need for oxygen, contributing to the cause of death, according to the autopsy. An APD spokesman declined to comment on the case. Months ago, Albuquerque Fire Rescue investigators determined authorities sparked the fire, which AFR ruled accidental, during a standoff as APD tried to take Qiaunt Kelley, 27, into custody on a parole violation warrant in Southeast Albuquerque. Hours into the standoff, according to police, a Bernalillo County Sheriffs deputy working with APDs SWAT team threw a pepper-spray canister into a home with Rosenau and Kelley inside. The canister, one of several devices thrown or fired by SWAT into the home, landed on a mattress and the home caught fire within a few hours. Kelley surrendered as flames consumed the home and firefighters found Rosenau dead inside one of the rooms after the blaze was put out. Kelley has since been charged in a homicide and unrelated shooting. Since his death, APD has said Rosenau was the suspect in a nonfatal shooting days earlier and the teen would have been charged had he survived. The Multi-Agency Task Force is investigating the actions of law enforcement in the incident and if any policies or procedures were violated. The Attorney Generals Office is conducting an independent investigation into the incident at the request of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, Rosenaus family and APD Chief Harold Medina. Taylor Smith, an attorney for the Rosenau family, told the Journal he will be filing a wrongful death suit against the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. Smith called the autopsy report a terribly sad and grim portrait thats painted of how our client died. He agreed with Rosenaus death being deemed a homicide. Thats our theory of what happened and I think a lot of other people in the city of Albuquerque believe thats what happened, too, Smith said. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Sandoval County Sheriffs deputies and Bernalillo Police officers say the man they shot in Bernalillo on Monday afternoon had pointed a rifle at them. Gary Lee DeSanctis, a 51-year-old from Rio Rancho, was killed. The New Mexico State Police investigations bureau is investigating. Officer Ray Wilson, a State Police spokesman, said around 3:30 p.m. deputies and officers were called to Bosque Loop, near the Rio Grande, by a woman who said a man was on her property and was armed with a rifle. Wilson did not say if the women knew the man DeSanctis. When officers arrived, DeSanctis got into a truck and began to drive, Wilson said. The officers told him to get out. DeSanctis got out of the truck holding the rifle, and additional commands were given to drop the rifle, he said. He refused commands and pointed the rifle toward the officers. BPD officers and SCSO deputies discharged their duty weapons, fatally striking him. Wilson said investigators later learned that DeSanctis made statements to the homeowner indicating that he wanted a fatal confrontation with law enforcement. Two days before he was killed, DeSanctis had another interaction with police that could have turned deadly. That encounter started when he was reported missing by his wife. According to a criminal complaint filed in Sandoval County Magistrate Court, DeSanctis attacked a Rio Rancho police officer and tried to grab his gun. He was charged with battery on a peace officer, resisting an officer and disarming a peace officer. A little before 3 p.m. on that Saturday, DeSanctis wife had called police to report him missing saying he had not returned from a walk and didnt have his wallet or cellphone. She said he was on heart medication and antidepressants and had been acting strangely lately. The Journal could not reach DeSanctiss wife Tuesday. She said her brother-in-law had called her and said DeSanctis had borrowed a cellphone and asked to be picked up from a house in Bernalillo. But when the brother arrived, DeSanctis was no longer there. A Rio Rancho police officer went to that neighborhood and saw DeSanctis walk up behind his car. The officer spoke with him, then called his wife and offered to let him sit in the back seat of the car while they waited for her to arrive. After patting Gary down thinking he was going to get into the back of my patrol unit, Gary attacked me attempting to get my duty-issued handgun and taken me to the ground, the officer wrote in the complaint. I was able to push Gary away from me and take his hands off of my handgun and create distance. He said he told DeSanctis to get on the ground but instead he came toward him so he used a stun gun on him. Bernalillo Police officers arrived to help and DeSanctis tried to get up and rush at the officer again so he was stunned again. The officers put him in handcuffs and called for assistance from medical. He was released pending trial. Whats almost as depressing as Albuquerque hitting 100 homicides in September? The mayors and police chiefs que sera, sera responses. In the front-page Journal story Sept. 26, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina acknowledged the city is on pace to break another deadly record (the current high mark is 119 in 2021): I dont think its anything any of us wanted to be talking about. But I think its important that we admit where were at. Weve had a lot of violence this past year. I think we should be prepared. Last year we had a record-setting year, and I dont see this slowing down. Sure, you could give him credit for an honest, matter-of-fact approach. And for recognizing the societal issues that make this a long-term problem to solve. In the same conversation Medina advocated for more resources for the states criminal justice system, better pay for prosecutors, conflict resolution courses for children and more options for mental health and substance abuse treatment. Except none of that helps anyone in Albuquerque feel safe today or prevents the city from hitting 120-plus killings this year. Meanwhile, Mayor Tim Keller said we are facing an epidemic of gun violence in America that has left Albuquerque families with wounds deeper than we can imagine. Today, APD is apprehending more of these perpetrators than ever before. We must, at every level, work to fix our broken criminal justice system to break these cycles of violence and to keep offenders off our streets. Yes, we have heard ad nauseam that things are bad everywhere. But we dont live everywhere. We live in Albuquerque. While we recognize the long-term and systemic issues behind much of this crime, we are not hearing what APD is doing right now to try to curb this. More than 16,000 calls were handled by the new Public Community Safety Department the past year calls that previously would have been handled by police. The mayor says they are freeing up officers for higher priority calls. Is that getting more officers on the streets? Is APD deploying them where data says the most crime occurs? We cannot accept daily homicides as business as usual. Since the 100th killing Sept. 25, these have been the headlines: Sept. 29, 1 dead in reported shooting in Southwest Albuquerque Sept. 29, Man found dead in NE ABQ Sept. 30, Teen, 14, charged in fatal shooting on the West Side Sept. 30 APD investigating homicide on East Central Sept. 30, Homicide on West Side leaves 1 dead Oct. 2, APD investigates suspicious death on West Side Yes, long-term systemic changes are essential to breaking the cycle of violence, as the mayor said. But Albuquerqueans need to know what the city is doing short-term to attack violent crime. 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. SEOUL, South Korea A malfunctioning South Korean ballistic missile blew up as it plowed into the ground Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States that was a reprisal for North Koreas successful launch a day earlier of a weapon that flew over Japan and has the range to strike the U.S. territory of Guam. The explosion and subsequent fire panicked and confused residents of the coastal city of Gangneung, who were already uneasy over the increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea. Their concern that it could be a North Korean attack only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries were reported from the explosion, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 missile that crashed inside an air force base on the outskirts of the city. A Joint Chiefs of Staff official, who spoke on condition of anonymity during a background briefing, said the missiles warhead didnt explode during the crash and that the fire was caused by burning rocket propellant. The official said the missile fell soon after liftoff and that no civilian facilities were affected. Kwon Seong-dong, a governing party lawmaker representing Gangneung, wrote on Facebook that a weapons system operated by our blood-like taxpayer money ended up threatening our own people and called for the military to thoroughly investigate the missile failure. He also criticized the military for not issuing a notice about the failure while maintaining a media embargo on the joint drills. It was an irresponsible response, Kwon wrote. They dont even have an official press release yet. South Koreas military acknowledged the malfunction hours after internet users raised alarm about the blast and posted social media videos showing an orange ball of flames emerging from an area they described as near the air force base. It said it was investigating what caused the abnormal flight of the missile. Officials at Gangneungs fire department and city hall said emergency workers were dispatched to the air force base and a nearby army base in response to calls about a possible explosion but were sent back by military officials. The U.S. and South Korean militaries are conducting the joint exercises to show their ability to deter a North Korean attack on the South. During Tuesdays drills, they conducted bombing runs by F-15 strike jets using precision munitions and launched two missiles each that are part of the Army Tactical Missile System. Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was scheduled to return to waters east of South Korea on Wednesday to demonstrate the allies firm will to counter Norths continued provocations and threats. The carrier was part of drills last week with South Korea and Japan. The homegrown Hyumoo-2 is key to South Koreas preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North. Some versions of the missile are similar to Russian-designed Iskander missiles, which also inspired a localized variant in North Korea as it expands its arsenal of nuclear-capable short-range weapons designed to evade South Koreas missile defenses. North Koreas successful launch of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile hours before the drills was the countrys most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017 and was its fifth round of weapons tests in 10 days. That missile has a range capable of striking Guam, which is home to one of the largest military facilities maintained by the U.S. in Asia. North Korea in 2017 also tested missiles capable of hitting the continental United States. Japans lower house, the more powerful of the two-chamber parliament, adopted a resolution on Wednesday condemning North Koreas launch, saying that the flight over Japan posed a grave and imminent threat to the countrys security. South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the countrys deputy nuclear envoy, Lee Tae-woo, met with U.S. counterpart Jung Park in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss the recent North Korean launches and vowed to strengthen three-way cooperation with Tokyo to counter the threat and bring Pyongyang back to the negotiation table. North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launch events this year, exploiting Russias war on Ukraine and the resulting deep divide in the U.N. Security Council to accelerate its arms development without risking further sanctions. Its aim is to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies while gaining recognition as a nuclear state and wresting concessions from those countries. The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the latest North Korean launch. The open meeting was scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday. Washingtons nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang has stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against the North and the Norths disarmament steps. __ AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to the report from Tokyo. See more AP Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific NEW YORK Leading Republicans are entering the final month of the midterm campaign increasingly optimistic that a Senate majority is within reach even as a dramatic family fight in Georgia clouds one of the partys biggest pickup opportunities. And as some Democrats crow on social media about apparent Republican setbacks, party strategists privately concede that their own shortcomings may not be outweighed by the GOPs mounting challenges. The evolving outlook is tied to a blunt reality: Democrats have virtually no margin for error as they confront the weight of history, widespread economic concerns and President Joe Bidens weak standing. There is broad agreement among both parties that the Democrats summertime momentum across states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin has eroded just five weeks before Election Day. Theres reason to be apprehensive, not reason to be gloomy, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said. It looked like at the end of August we had a little momentum. I dont know if weve regressed any, but were not progressing in many places. That tepid outlook comes even as Republicans confront a series of self-imposed setbacks in the states that matter most in the 2022 midterms, which will decide the balance of power in Congress and statehouses across the nation. None has been more glaring than Herschel Walkers struggles in Georgia, where the Republican Senate candidates own son accused him of lying about his personal challenges including a report from The Daily Beast alleging that the anti-abortion Walker paid for a girlfriends abortion in 2009. Walker called the accusation a flat-out lie and said he would sue. Walker had not taken legal action as of late Tuesday, but he repeated his denials Wednesday morning during a Fox News interview, even as he talked generally of a difficult past as a husband and father. Shown an image of the get well card the Daily Beast reported that he sent to the girlfriend which was signed with an H, not his full signature Walker said, he doesnt sign cards with just an initial. The Republican establishment, including the Sen. Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, and former President Donald Trump himself remained staunchly behind Walker on Tuesday in his bid to oust first-term Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. A Walker campaign adviser said the candidate has raised at least $500,000 since he first responded publicly to The Daily Beast report. If youre in a fight, people will come to your aid, said Steven Law, head of the Senate Leadership Fund and a close ally of McConnell, R-Ky. Law said the Georgia race had grown increasingly competitive despite the Democrats focus on Walkers personal life. And looking beyond Georgia, Law said the political climate was predictably shifting against the party that controls the White House, as is typically the case in midterm elections. It certainly seems that voters are returning to a more traditional midterm frame of mind, Law said. Should Republicans gain even one Senate seat in November, they would take control of Congress upper chamber and with it, the power to control judicial nominations and policy debates for the last two years of Bidens term. Leaders in both parties believe Republicans are likely to take over the House. Even facing such odds, its far too soon to predict a Republican-controlled Congress. Democrats remain decidedly on offense and are spending heavily to try to flip Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Voter opposition to the Supreme Courts decision this summer to strip women of their constitutional right to an abortion has energized the Democratic base and led to a surge in female voter registrations. Republicans are most focused on Democratic incumbents in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Nevada, although Republican officials believe that underwhelming Trump-backed nominees in Arizona and New Hampshire have dampened the partys pickup opportunities. The Republican candidates theyre running are too extreme, said J.B. Poersch, who leads the pro-Democrat Senate Majority PAC. I think this is still advantage Democrats. Meanwhile, conditions in the top battleground states are rapidly evolving. In Pennsylvania, Republican Senate nominee Mehmet Oz faced difficult new questions this week raised by a Washington Post article about the medical products he endorsed as a daytime television star. Another news report by the news site Jezebel detailing how his research caused hundreds of dogs to be killed rippled across social media. Still, Democratic officials acknowledge the race tightened considerably as the calendar shifted to October. And while there is disagreement within the White House, some officials there are concerned about Democratic nominee John Fettermans stamina as he recovers from a May stroke. Senate Republicans had a very bad start to October, but we know each of our races will be tight and were going to keep taking nothing for granted, said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who leads the Senate Democrats campaign arm. The GOP Senate candidates latest challenges in Georgia and Pennsylvania dominated social media Monday and Tuesday, according to data compiled by GQR, a public opinion research firm that works with Democratic organizations. News stories about Walkers abortion accuser and Ozs animal research had the first- and second-highest reach of any news stories on Facebook and Twitter since they surfaced Monday, topping content related to the television show Sons of Anarchy, another report about Planned Parenthood mobile abortion clinics and news about Kanye West. GQR used the social listening tool NewsWhip, which tracks over 500,000 websites in more than 100 languages roughly in real time. In swing-state Nevada, the rhetoric from Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has become increasingly urgent in recent days as she fends off a fierce challenge from former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Within the White House, there is real fear that she could lose her reelection bid, giving Republicans the only seat they may need to claim the Senate majority. We have a big problem, friend, Cortez Masto wrote in a fundraising appeal Tuesday. Experts say that our race in Nevada could decide Senate control and right now, polling shows me 1 point behind my Trump-endorsed opponent. Democrats and their allies continue to hope that backlash against the Supreme Courts abortion decision will help them overcome historical trends in which the party controlling the White House almost always loses seats in Congress. Democrats, who control Washington, are also facing deep voter pessimism about the direction of the country and Bidens relatively weak approval ratings. The traditional rules of politics have often been broken in the Trump era. In past years, Republicans may have abandoned Walker. But on Tuesday, they linked arms behind him. Law, of the Senate Leadership Fund, said he takes Walker at his word that he did not pay for a former girlfriends abortion, despite apparent evidence of a Get Well card with Walkers signature and a check receipt. He said voters believe that Walker may have made mistakes in his personal life that affected him and his family, but Warnock has made mistakes in public life in Washington that affected them and their families. There were some signs of Republican concern on the ground in Georgia, however. Martha Zoller, a popular Republican radio host in north Georgia and one-time congressional candidate, told her audience Tuesday that the latest allegations require Walker to reset his campaign with a straightforward admission about his personal demons and what hes done to overcome them. He needs to fall on the sword. I was a dog. And I have asked forgiveness for it,' she said, detailing the kind of message she believes Walker must give voters. It would be so refreshing to have somebody just tell the truth. Walker attempted his version of that strategy Wednesday on Fox News. Its like theyre trying to bring up my past to hurt me, he said, before quoting Christian New Testament text. Im a sinner. We all sin before the glory of God. Yet Walker insisted his past transgressions dont include encouraging and paying for an abortion. Everyone is anonymous, and everyone is leaking, and they want you to confess to something you have no clue about, he said. Veteran Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin warned his party against writing off the Georgia Republican. I wouldnt say Walker is done. Over the last couple of cycles weve certainly seen Republican candidates survive things that are not supposed to be survivable, Schwerin said. There are a lot of close races, and the dynamics of this election are difficult to predict. Everybody is expecting multiple shifts in momentum between now and Election Day. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. STOCKHOLM Three scientists were jointly awarded this years Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were cited for their work on click chemistry that works sort of like molecular Lego. Its all about snapping molecules together, said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Sharpless, 81, who previously won a Nobel in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the prize twice, first proposed the idea of connecting molecules using chemical buckles around the turn of the millennium, Aqvist said. The problem was to find good chemical buckles, he said. They have to react with each other easily and specifically. Meldal, 68, based at the University of Copenhagen, and Sharpless, who is affiliated with Scripps Research in California, independently found the first such candidates that would easily snap together with each other but not with other molecules, leading to applications in the manufacture of medicines and polymers. Bertozzi, 55, who is based at Stanford University took click chemistry to a new level, the Nobel panel said, by finding a way to make the process work inside living organisms without disrupting them. The goal is doing chemistry inside human patients to make sure that drugs go to the right place and stay away from the wrong place, she said at a news conference following the announcement. The award was a shock, she said. Im still not entirely positive that its real, but its getting realer by the minute. Later, speaking to The Associated Press by Zoom, Bertozzi said one of the first people she called after being awakened by the call around 2 a.m. was her father, William Bertozzi, a retired physicist and night owl, who was still awake watching TV. Dad, turn down the TV, I have something to tell you, she said she told him. After she assured him nothing was wrong, he guessed the news. You won it, didnt you? One of three daughters, Bertozzi said she was fortunate because I grew up with parents that were very supportive, evangelical almost, about having their girls participate in the sciences. Bertozzi, who is paid by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, which also supports The Associated Press Health and Science Department, said she was grateful for the energy and enthusiasm that a Nobel Prize win will inject into the field. Meldal said he received the call from the Nobel panel about half an hour before the public announcement. They told me not to tell anyone, he told the AP, adding that he just sat in his office, shaking a bit. Meldal started out as an engineer, but I wanted to understand the world so I thought chemistry would give me the solutions. Jon Lorsch, director of the U.S. National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which supports the work of Bertozzi and Sharpless, described click chemistry as sort of like molecular Lego you have a group on one molecule that specifically attaches to a group on another molecule, like Lego clicking together. That makes it possible to attach molecules in very specific pre-defined ways, he said, and gives scientists a very precise tool to build complex new molecules for use in drugs, synthetic materials and other uses. However, the first iteration of click chemistry could not be used with living cells. The original click chemistry used copper as a catalyst to join molecules, Lorsch said. But the trouble is that copper is toxic to most living systems at higher concentrations. Bertozzi then devised a way to jumpstart the reactions without copper or other toxic solvents broadening the applications to human and animal tissues. Being able to work without dangerous solvents, opened many new doors it enabled scientists to work on new types of reactions that actually take place within the human body, said Angela Wilson, president of the American Chemical Society. That has allowed scientists to attach dyes to cancer cells to track their movements and analyze how they differ from healthy tissue. Wilson believes the advances of this years Nobel laureates will allow more individualized medicine in the future because we can really track things much better within the human body. Sharpless credited his passion for looking for the impossible and not accepting limits for helping him stumble upon his discoveries. Im just really lucky to have a photographic memory and love the periodic table, he told a virtual news conference from his home in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla. Prizes arent what Im doing science for. I have to do it. Its kind of a compulsion, M.G. Finn, a chemist now at Georgia Tech who collaborated with Sharpless on his Nobel-winning work, said click chemistrys use in biology and drug development was still at its infancy, with more exciting discoveries to come. Meldal agreed. Its very much an opportunity when you get this kind of award to argue for our young people to take chemistry as a discipline, he said at a news conference in Copenhagen. Chemistry is the solution to many of our challenges. Last years prize was awarded to scientists Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan for finding an environmentally cleaner way to build molecules that the Nobel panel said is already benefiting humankind greatly. A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system. Three scientists won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger showed that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information. The awards continue with literature on Thursday. The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced Friday and the economics award on Monday. The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10. The money comes from a bequest left by the prizes creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895. ___ Larson reported from Washington, DC. Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Julie Watson in San Diego, California, and Maddie Burakoff in New York contributed to this report. ___ Follow all AP stories about the Nobel Prizes at https://apnews.com/hub/nobel-prizes ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Even if they never make it to Taiwan, a group of home-schooled children from Albuquerque will soon be represented there. The kids, ages 4 to 14, painted and personalized paper lanterns while visiting the Taipei City Government tent at Balloon Fiesta Park on Wednesday, during the 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The lanterns will be sent to Taiwan and displayed in February as part of the city of Taipeis annual Lantern Festival. They will also be among the lanterns that Taiwan takes to another lantern festival in Japan, said Yung-Hua-Shen, a senior specialist from the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism. The Taipei Lantern Festival, which features hundreds of thousands of lanterns, marks the first full moon of the new lunar year, in addition to bringing luck, health and happiness to individuals and families, he said, speaking through a colleague who was translating. While pilots from Taiwan have flown in previous Balloon Fiestas, this is the first time the government of Taipei has been represented with their own balloon, which made its U.S. debut at this years fiesta. Seeing the Flight of the Nations mass ascension was, of course, the best reason for the students to be out at Balloon Fiesta Park early Wednesday, but even as bad weather canceled the event, most in the group said they were happy to learn about Taiwan and decorate lanterns. Oh, this is fun. Its a good experience, said 10-year-old Selah Sleuth. Im painting a cherry blossom tree. It just popped into my mind. And in an acknowledgement of her surroundings, she added the image of a hot air balloon. Her 12-year-old brother, Nicholas Sleuth, was also busy decorating a lantern. I dont really have a theme, he said. Im just painting shapes and designs. With five children ages 4 to 13 being home-schooled, mother Kristin Overman said, We love books, but its fun to have the experience and learn from people directly. Not only did the representatives from Taiwan talk about the lantern festival, they also provided general information about the countrys culture. Another mom, Michelle Hernandez, had two children busy with paint brushes. Many of the students are learning about countries in Asia, she said, so this fits in perfectly with their curriculum, and if they were not studying Taiwan, they are now. Home-schooled children have a great opportunity to experience education, as opposed to just learning about it in a book, she said. They will always remember this versus reading an article or two. One of her kids, Matias Hernandez, 14, was painting a fallen leaf pattern on his lantern, but said he was also contemplating the physical qualities of the lantern itself to see how they work, what they can do and how the weather affects them. Aaliyah Hobbs, 11, opted for painting flowers on her lantern. I like learning about everything that happens in Taiwan, she said. We watched videos about Taiwan before we came here and one of them showed how they make spoons out of bamboo. Bamboo can be used for a lot of things and its very strong, she said. Elianah Kelly, 11, covered her lanterns surface with large swaths of red and yellow because those are the colors of the New Mexico flag, she said. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal A former Albuquerque beauty salon owner targeted by a state investigation after two clients were diagnosed with HIV in 2018 and 2019 was sentenced Wednesday to 3 years in prison. Maria de Lordes Ramos de Ruiz, 61, pleaded guilty in June to five felony counts of practicing medicine without a license. She was indicted in April 2021 for performing vampire facials and other unlicensed medical procedures on clients, including the two people who later contracted HIV. Second Judicial District Judge Lucy Solimon also sentenced Ramos de Ruiz to four years probation and 800 hours of community service. The procedure called vampire facials is known in medical practice as platelet-rich plasma injections. It involves injecting a concentrated form of the clients own blood into the skin. In addition to vampire facials, Ramos de Ruiz performed illegal plasma and Botox injections, according to a statement from the New Mexico Attorney Generals Office, which prosecuted the case. We will remain committed to the victims in this tragedy and will continue to fight for the necessary reforms and regulations that are crucial to protect New Mexican citizens, Attorney General Hector Balderas said in the statement. The New Mexico Department of Health learned in August 2018 that a person with no apparent risk factors for HIV had contracted the blood-borne illness after getting a vampire facial at the VIP Beauty Salon and Spa in the 800 block of Tijeras NW in Downtown Albuquerque. In February 2019, the agency identified a second client of the spa infected with the same strain of HIV. State Department of Health officials who inspected the now-shuttered VIP Beauty Salon and Spa in 2018 said they found unwrapped needles and unlabeled tubes of blood in the business. They also found fake certificates for Botox and vampire facial training hanging on the walls. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the company, her union and a former colleague who pleaded guilty last year to dead-bolting the cockpit door during a flight and stripping naked in front of her. Christine Janning alleges that Southwest retaliated by grounding her after she reported Michael Haak to the company and the FBI, that it kept him employed despite an alleged history of sexual misconduct and that managers disparaged her in memos. She also alleges that the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association conspired with the airline and refused to support her. She is suing Haak for sexual assault. He pleaded guilty last year to a federal misdemeanor charge of committing a lewd, indecent or obscene act and was sentenced to probation. Haaks attorney, Michael Salnick, said Wednesday that his client disrobed only after Janning encouraged him to, never did anything else and that there were no previous incidents. Southwest said it supported Janning and that it would vigorously defend itself against the lawsuit. The union did not respond to a phone call seeking comment. The Associated Press doesnt normally identify people who say they are victims of sex crimes, but Janning through her attorney agreed to the use of her name. According to the lawsuit filed last week in Orange County, Florida, Janning had never met Haak before August 2020, when she was his co-pilot on a flight from Philadelphia to Orlando. She says Haak, a 27-year veteran of the airline, had used his seniority rights the previous day to bump another pilot who had been scheduled to command the flight. Janning believes thats because he saw a woman was the scheduled co-pilot. Janning said that when they reached cruising altitude, Haak told her this was his final flight and there was something he wanted to do before retirement. She said he bolted the door so no flight attendant could enter. He then put the plane on autopilot, stripped off his clothes, began watching pornography on his laptop and committed a lewd act for 30 minutes while taking photos and videos of himself. Salnick said it was Janning who asked Haak if there was anything he wanted to do before retiring. When he replied he wanted to fly naked, she told him to go ahead and then made sexual advances after he disrobed, Salnick said. He said Haak rejected those and adamantly denied a lewd act occurred. At his sentencing hearing last year, Haak called the incident a consensual prank that got out of hand. Jannings attorney, Frank Podesta, denied she encouraged Haak or made any advances. Janning said in the lawsuit that she was horrified, but she kept flying the plane while taking photos to create a record. The plane landed safely. And that wasnt Haaks final flight he flew for three more weeks. Meanwhile, Janning didnt report the incident to a Southwest employee relations investigator until three months later. She said she waited because her boss had disparaged her to a male colleague previously. She said she asked the investigator not to inform her boss, but she did. Janning says she was soon told that because Haak had retired, the airlines investigation was closed. Janning then went to the FBI, which charged Haak. She alleges Southwest had sent Haak to a Montreal sexual harassment counseling center after a 2008 incident involving a flight attendant. Salnick says this incident never happened and Haak was never sent to a counseling center. This person will do and say whatever is necessary to obtain a financial windfall. I feel sorry for her, Salnick said. Janning said as retaliation for the FBI report, she was grounded for more than three months, costing her part of her salary. She was then required to take unnecessary flight simulator training before she could work again. She also said that on the day she was grounded, the airline stranded her in Denver and the FBI had to book her a United Airlines flight so she could return home to Florida. She said a Southwest manager sent a memo to more than 25 employees that made baseless allegations about her flying competency. Southwest denied Jannings allegations, saying we immediately supported (Janning) by cooperating with the appropriate outside agencies as they investigated. Our corporate Culture is built upon treating others with mutual respect and dignity, and the events alleged in this situation are inconsistent with the behavior that we require of our Employees, the statement read. Janning said that when she contacted the union, its leaders did nothing to help her but did write a letter to Haaks judge during his misdemeanor case saying he had a spotless record. No hearings have been scheduled. The CEO of American Airlines said Monday that his airline needed a partnership with JetBlue because Delta Air Lines had bulked up through a merger sooner than American, had more takeoff and landing rights at New York airports, and fewer unionized workers. Robert Isom also conceded that Delta has run a nice, reliable airline and enjoys some cost advantages over American. The Justice Department and six states are suing American and JetBlue in federal court over their regional partnership in the Northeast, which government lawyers call a de facto merger. Isom defended the arrangement, which has been in effect for well over a year, as JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes did last week during a trial in federal court in Boston. Hayes, however, once had misgivings about the deal called the Northeast alliance, or NEA because of Americans size advantage over JetBlue. Laurence who later jumped to American after a one-month gig at Delta testified that Hayes worried American had nearly unlimited resources to tilt the alliance to its favor. Despite Hayes concerns, American and JetBlue announced their deal six months after Laurences text message. The Justice Department is trying to convince U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin to kill the partnership, under which American and JetBlue work together to set schedules and share revenue, although they are not allowed to collaborate on prices. Government lawyers argue that the deal limits competition and will push fares higher. American and JetBlue say the government has no evidence that the deal is hurting consumers. To the contrary, they say it will help travelers by creating a stronger competitor to Delta and United in New York and Boston. American and JetBlue say they were unable to grow in New York on their own because they couldnt get enough new takeoff and landing times called slots at congested airports. JetBlue resorted to unusual tactics including red-eye flights, and it tried to get slots from other airlines. How did that go? JetBlue lawyer Richard Schwed asked Laurence. It went poorly, the executive replied. I dont think our competitors were interested in seeing us gain more access. The trial is expected to last about another week, but it could be weeks or months later until Sorokin issues his ruling there is no jury. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Wednesday that she asked twice in the last four months for additional FBI agents to help address a shortage of law enforcement officers in New Mexico. Her most-recent letter issued Sept. 15 was addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, appealing directly for his help after the FBI turned down her request in June for an additional 50 agents. New Mexico, the governor said, is devoting enormous resources to growing its police force but needs federal help to alleviate the strain on local officers. The release of the letters Wednesday came as Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, faces relentless criticism on the campaign trail from her Republican opponent, Mark Ronchetti, who has highlighted New Mexico's high violent crime rate No. 2 in the nation in 2020. His campaign on Wednesday called Lujan Grisham's letters a desperate attempt by the governor to distract attention away from her failed record on crime. In the two letters, Lujan Grisham outlined a host of steps New Mexico has taken to boost the number of officers, including 16% raises for State Police this year and a $50 million officer recruitment fund that's intended to support the hiring of 300 more officers throughout the state. The number of law enforcement officers has increased in recent years, she said, but remains below the national average. The shortage of law enforcement officers presents a particular problem for New Mexico, Lujan Grisham wrote to Garland. Geographically, our state is the fifth largest state and has one of the higher poverty rates in the country. Therefore, our resources to combat the national surge in violent crime are very limited. An expanded FBI presence in Buffalo, New York, she said, had succeeded in reducing homicides there. In the letter to Garland, she noted that the FBI had responded to her June request by saying the agency didn't have the resources to send additional agents to New Mexico. She had requested at least 50. Garland has not yet responded to the more recent request. A recent Legislative Finance Committee analysis found that the number of law enforcement officers working for city, county and state governments in New Mexico grew just 1.8% in the 10-year period ending in June 2021. New Mexico would need to add roughly 400 more officers to reach the national average per capita, according to the LFC. In a written statement, state House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, said the governor's letters show she is all but admitting that she is incapable of managing one of her core duties as Governor keeping New Mexicans safe. Ronchetti campaign spokesman Ryan Sabel said Wednesday that Lujan Grisham deserves blame for the level of crime. She has appointed judges who aren't tough on crime, Sabel said, and authorized the early release of prisoners who later committed new offenses. The system is broken in New Mexico because she is a catch-and-release governor, Sabel said. Some of the criticism centers on a 2020 executive order that over the following two years authorized more than 700 inmates to be released early from prison due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The releases were contingent on the inmate meeting specific criteria, including that they were already scheduled for release within the next 30 days. Of the 708 individuals released, nine of them violated conditions of release between their release and original projected release date, according to the Corrections Department. The governor rescinded the release order last week. Oct. 3The Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority board officially socked away a nearly $672.4 million agreement in a special meeting on Thursday that guarantees 75% of the funds needed for completion of the Ute Reservoir Water Project. Its a milestone day, Mike Morris, the mayor of Clovis and chair of the ENMWUAs board said as he called for the vote on the agreement between the water utility and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that finalizes funding arrangements for the remainder of the Ute Reservoir project. The agreement locks in the federal share of funding at nearly $504.3 million, noting that the 25% non-federal share, which includes state and local funding, stands at nearly $168.1 million, Orlando Ortega, the water authoritys administrator, told the board. The local portion, shared by the cities of Clovis, Portales, Elida and Texico, totals 10%, or about $67.2 million. Ortega told the board that the agreement is subject to change if needed. Kameron Barnett, ENMWUAs attorney, told the board that the agreement includes some Buy American, Build American provisions that require the project to use U.S.-built materials wherever possible, with a few exceptions allowed when no domestic supplier is available for necessary components. Jacquelynn Bowen, ENMWUAs procurement and grants director, explained that all contractors and subcontractors must also agree to pay prevailing wages to all workers on the project. At the end of Thursdays special meeting, Tod Phinney, a senior vice president of Souder Miller and Associates, who has been following the Ute Reservoir Water Project, said he was surprised at the low turnout for Thursdays meeting. There should be a band and cymbals and everything, he said. The UteReservoir Water Project will eventually result in a system that will take water from Ute Reservoir near Logan, send it up the Caprock to a treatment plant, then distribute it to Curry and Roosevelt county communities participating in the project. At Thursdays meeting the board also approved: An agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and ENMWUA for Finished Water 1 (FW1) pipeline phase that will connect to the south end of the completed FW2 pipeline and will travel north 15.5 miles to the proposed Water Treatment site and changes from $61.9 million to $77.1 million. The 75% federal share totals $57.8 million, and the 25% state and local share is $19.2 million, Ortega said. An agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation and ENMWUA that raises the amount reserved for a treated water pipeline from Cannon Air Force Base to Portales from $37.1 milion to $44.1 million. Of that amount, the 75% federal share is nearly $33.2 million and the 25% state and local share is $13.4 million. Budget adjustments that accommodate the inflow of federal revenue for the Ute Lake Water Project and divides it among individual components of the project. ___ (c)2022 Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. Visit Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. at www.easternnewmexiconews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday it has updated the Mexican wolf recovery plan to reduce human-caused wolf deaths, including from being hit by vehicles and illegal killings. There are 196 of the endangered wolves in the wild 112 in New Mexico and 84 in Arizona according to the agencys latest data. Brady McGee, the FWS Mexican wolf recovery coordinator, said the updated plan is about collaboration, flexibility and communication. These revisions will improve protections for Mexican wolves in the wild and increase their chances at survival, McGee said. The changes call for more law enforcement in wolf mortality hot spots. That could have a chilling effect on intentional killing, the agencys new plan says. In 2021, the agency recorded 10 wolf deaths in New Mexico. Fish and Wildlife will also educate people more about the differences between endangered Mexican wolves and coyotes to prevent accidental killings. The federal government will fund more work to reduce wolves preying on livestock a major sore spot for ranchers. Fish and Wildlife confirmed nearly 80 livestock kills by wolves in 2021 in New Mexico. Techniques to prevent kills include grazing rotations, repairing fences, moving carcasses, and paying range riders to patrol herds and calving areas. Ranchers can also install bright fabric strips, called fladry, along fences that flap in the wind and scare off wolves. U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell introduced a bill this summer with Arizona Democrat Rep. Tom OHalleran that would increase payments for ranchers who lose livestock to Mexican wolves. The wolves have a devastating impact on farms and ranches in New Mexico, and the federal government has a duty to compensate them, the New Mexico Republican said. The recovery plan changes were met with lukewarm reactions by environmental groups. Michael Robinson, a wolf advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the agency needs to do more to reduce wolf deaths. For example, retrieving telemetry receivers loaned to livestock owners would restore the wolves natural ability to stay hidden from potential poachers, Robinson said. Several environmental groups filed a lawsuit against FWS this week. They argue the agency isnt doing enough to expand wolf habitat and boost populations. Oct. 4SANTA FE Livestock theft is to be prosecuted for each occurrence of theft rather than a separate charge for each animal allegedly stolen, the state Supreme Court ruled in an opinion released Monday. According to a news release from the Administrative Office of the Courts, in a unanimous opinion, the states highest court provided the legal reasoning for a decision it announced from the bench earlier this year in a consolidated appeal involving cases awaiting trial for allegedly stealing cattle in Otero County. The Court heard oral arguments in the case in Las Cruces as part of a civics education program for students. In an opinion written by Justice David K. Thomson, the Court concluded that the state law prohibiting livestock larceny Section 30-16-1(G) does not express an intent to prosecute defendants for each animal they have allegedly stolen; instead, the statute expresses an intent to prosecute defendants for each episode of theft. Livestock larceny is a third-degree felony, punishable by three years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. To reach its decision, the Court analyzed the wording of the statute, the legislative purpose of the law, the severity and length of punishments provided for under the current statute and reviewed the legislative history of laws against livestock theft since New Mexicos territorial days. The justices rejected arguments by the state that defendants should face one charge for each head of livestock stolen. Prosecutors initially charged each of the defendants based on the number of cattle they allegedly stole but a district court in Otero County granted pretrial motions by the defendants to merge the charges. The Court of Appeals upheld the district courts decision and the state appealed to the Supreme Court. As a result of the district courts rulings, Gerardo Torres, faces two counts of livestock larceny one count for each episode of theft on different days from the same location and same owner in 2017. He originally was charged with 18 counts for allegedly stealing 18 cattle. The Supreme Court ordered the matter back to the district court and stated in the opinion that it would be up to a jury to determine based on factual issues whether the two offenses against Torres were distinct. ___ (c)2022 Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. Visit Eastern New Mexico News, Clovis, N.M. at www.easternnewmexiconews.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The Joy Formidable aims to remind people music can always inspire and thrive no matter the times. The alternative rock band provides listeners with a unique kind of energy, one conscious of current societal emotions, which is exemplified on their latest album, Into The Blue. Were faced with circumstances outside of our control when things kind of melt between the personal and much bigger social, universal kind of experiences, said lead vocalist and guitarist Ritzy Bryan about how the pandemic and subsequent conditions shaped the album. The Joy Formidable will be opening for The Front Bottoms at The Historic El Rey Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Though it has been a long time since the bands last stop in Albuquerque, Bryan says she has great admiration for the state. I love New Mexico, she said. I like the wildlife and the outdoors. Bryan spends part of her year residing in Utah, so shes close even if the band isnt playing in the state. The Joy Formidable originally formed in Mold, Flintshire located in north Wales. She said landing in Utah was very spontaneous after a road trip with her mother through the Southwest. Its been one of the happiest decisions of my life, Bryan said about settling in the high desert. I think Im a little bit more of a country girl at heart. Her musical roots remain in alternative rock, however. The bands sound is unique, which is consistent with the music that derives from cycles of Welsh acts contributing to the indie scene. Theres a lot of really interesting, original music that comes out of Wales, she said. Definitely a lot of talent. The Joy Formidable has expertly blended the alternative sound and attitude of the 90s with the genre elements of the modern scene. Throughout their five studio albums, the bands sound has remained consistent, but their balance and structure has evolved, and that is a testament to their involvement in the whole process from raw to final cut. You want to be free with your writing and tell the stories you want to tell. Weve always been very much at the helm of the production side of things as well, Bryan said. Storytelling is an important aspect of The Joy Formidables style, and Bryan said she wanted to expose a more vulnerable side of herself on Into The Blue. I think some of the other records I probably enjoyed playing with words, which sometimes can make things feel a little bit more cryptic, she said. With this latest record, I consciously wanted the vocals to be a bit clearer. Into The Blue, is a complete album, and its powered by the bands own evolution, whether that be through Bryans lyrics or compositional experimentation. Bryan said about the creative process, What makes us feel kind of quite alive with it is youre, in some way, even unconsciously, kind of challenging yourself to evolve and look at the world differently. The album also offers an encouraging message that can hopefully inspire listeners and audiences to also progress. The Joy Formidable is ready to share their words and notes with Albuquerque. I love live music, Bryan said about performing for audiences. Its an opportunity to have a really unique connection together. SANTA FE, N.M. New Mexico health officials are renewing a public order aimed at protecting newborn babies from syphilis. The state Health Department on Wednesday announced requirements that medical providers follow best practices by testing all pregnant women for syphilis multiple times. The agency says that New Mexico had the highest rate of congenital syphilis cases among states in 2020, when there were 42 local cases of newborn babies contracting the disease from their mothers. That is the most recent year for finalized federal statistics. Syphilis is a bacterial disease that surfaces as genital sores but can ultimately lead to severe symptoms and death if left untreated. When a mother passes the infection on to her baby, it can lead to serious birth defects, miscarriage and infant death. State Health Secretary David Scrase says congenital syphilis is preventable through testing and treatment with penicillin to prevent transmission. Sharply rising cases of some sexually transmitted diseases including a 26% rise in new syphilis infections reported last year are prompting U.S. health officials to call for new prevention and treatment efforts. Scrase said the Health Department will seek new legislation that aligns local syphilis testing for pregnant women with guidelines of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal The results are in. Well, kind of. The FBI on Wednesday released its 2021 crime statistics but the data in New Mexico, like many other states, is vastly underreported due to a lack of participation from law enforcement agencies. The numbers are derived from the National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, a voluntary system that many agencies are still adjusting to. The system is new and replaced the FBIs Uniform Crime Report, or UCR. In New Mexico, only 42 out of 128 law enforcement agencies handed over 2021 data to the FBI. The data reported represents 61% of the states population. According to the incomplete data, the violent crime rate in New Mexico was 553 per 100,000 people in 2021, and the number of offenses rose 10% from 2020. The same data shows a 2% drop in property crime since 2020. It is important to note that these estimated trends are not considered statistically significant, the FBI said in a release sent out Wednesday. Jillian Snider, adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, echoed that sentiment, saying the report should be taken with a grain of salt. She said NIBRS is a valuable tool but its just not at its full potential until more agencies submit data. When it comes to agencies reporting data, Snider pointed out that New Mexico is on par with the nation, where data from 60% of agencies was included. Some states barely reported at all in 2021. In Florida just two of 757 law enforcement agencies provided data to the FBI, and in California data from only 7% of the population was submitted. On the flip side, states like Colorado, Connecticut and Delaware provided statistics for more than 98% of the population. Due to the inconsistencies, Snider said the current data set is not representative of whats really going on and shouldnt be used for historical trend analysis, localized studies or making policy decisions. Its not really going to help you assess what to do in your individual state, and definitely not going to help law enforcement agencies in their own individual jurisdiction, she said. Snider said it takes a lot of time for agencies to adjust their reporting methods to the NIBRS system, which breaks crime up into specific offenses and considers things like time of day, type of weapon and other factors. She said for now those looking to analyze data should rely on reporting released by local agencies, like the Albuquerque Police Department. APD released 2021 crime statistics in March, showing that overall crime went up by 0.85% the citys first increase since recording yearly decreases of 7% and 6% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The statistics have shown that, in 2021, violent crime continued to rise, going up 3%, and property crime had its first increase of under 1% after double digits decreases since 2018. Snider said such data is more valuable than NIBRS, for now. I think that its going to take probably another two to three years for this (FBI) report, to really be the valuable tool that the federal government wants it to be, she said, adding that there needs to be at least 80% compliance from agencies nationwide. Snider said she hopes this data set isnt misused as midterm elections approach. I worry that people will use this to come out with really quick and hasty policy recommendations that might not apply or be beneficial, she said. One of the things that Im just a big fan of is not having lawmakers, having law enforcement, have a hasty knee jerk reaction. While crime may be up in the past several years, Snider said its important to remember that historically crime is way, way, down. FBI data shows that the national violent crime rate at its peak in the early 90s was nearly double what it is now. New Mexico, however, is much closer to its 90s peak of violent crime than it ever has been. Snider, who grew up in New York City when crime was rampant, said technology like Twitter, digital news and smartphones makes things seem worse than ever crime-wise. Things that are happening in real time are more in your face now than they ever were in the past It wasnt a constant reminder by turning on the TV or looking at your cellphone, she said. So I think thats really whats changed substantially is its just constant. The news never sleeps now, ever, for real, because we have all the technology we didnt have in the 80s. WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 On behalf of the American Chemical Society (ACS), President Angela K. Wilson, Ph.D., congratulates todays winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Ph.D., Stanford University; Morten Meldal, Ph.D., University of Copenhagen (Denmark); and K. Barry Sharpless, Ph.D., Scripps Research. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry. We are absolutely delighted with these awards, which recognize the enormous impact of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry, says Wilson. This type of chemistry links together chemical building blocks in a predictable way, almost like Lego. Putting these building blocks together opens up a range of possibilities from drug development to materials to diagnostics. Bertozzi is also director of Sarafan ChEM-H at Stanford University and is affiliated with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She has been an ACS member for 32 years and is an ACS Fellow. She is the inaugural editor in chief of ACS Central Science, established in 2015 as the first completely open access journal published by ACS. Bertozzi is an outspoken advocate for open science, and during her tenure, ACS Central Science has established itself as a premier journal for all areas of chemistry and related sciences. She has published over 150 articles in ACS journals and has won many ACS awards, including the Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry for 2023, sponsored by Organic Reactions Inc. and Organic Syntheses Inc.; the Arthur C. Cope Award in 2017, sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund; the ACS Award in Pure Chemistry in 2001, sponsored by the Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity and the Alpha Chi Sigma Educational Foundation; and an Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award in 1999, sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund. In addition, Bertozzi was named a Trailblazer in both 2020 and 2022 by Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), an independent news outlet of ACS. As a leader within ACS, Bertozzi has made herself available as a mentor and resource for the community, participating in the organizations diversity initiatives, answering questions directly from researchers and sharing her own story with young scientists. We celebrate Dr. Bertozzis leadership in advocating for diversity and inclusion in chemistry, says Wilson. Meldal has been a member of ACS for 14 years. He is the winner of the Ralph F. Hirschmann Award in Peptide Chemistry, sponsored by Merck Research Laboratories, in 2009. He has published over 40 articles in ACS journals. Sharpless won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001 for his work on chirally catalyzed oxidation reactions. He has been a member of ACS for 59 years, is an ACS Fellow and has published nearly 150 articles in ACS journals. He won the Priestley Medal, sponsored by ACS, in 2019; the Roger Adams Award in Organic Chemistry, sponsored by Organic Reactions Inc. and Organic Syntheses Inc., in 1997; the Arthur C. Cope Award, sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund, in 1992; an Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, sponsored by the Arthur C. Cope Fund, in 1986; and the ACS Award for Creative Work in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, sponsored by MilliporeSigma (a business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), in 1983. All three winners have made outstanding contributions to chemistry. To win the Nobel Prize once is rare enough. To win twice, as Barry Sharpless has just done, is phenomenal, Wilson says. The American Chemical Society is especially pleased to have an active editor in chief, Carolyn Bertozzi of ACS Central Science, honored with this prestigious award. All of the winners have published articles in some of ACS more than 70 peer-reviewed journals. In addition, news articles on the work have appeared in C&EN. Articles are available upon request. News media can arrange interviews with Wilson or other experts in the field by contacting ACS using the information provided. In addition, C&ENs podcast Stereo Chemistry will publish a bonus episode about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Have you used Cannabis products for your loved one with autism, or yourself? From Safeminds: Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products Reported to Improve General Health-Related Quality of Life for Adults with ASD October 03, 2022 Treatment Found Beneficial for Managing Anxiety Levels and Aiding Sleep Disturbances For years, cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) have been considered promising treatments for managing symptoms and comorbidities related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there has been very little evidence to back up this claim. For the first time, a team of British scientists assessed changes to health-related quality of life indicators and recorded the incidence of adverse events in adult patients with ASD treated with CBMPs. The studys design included identifying participants treated with CBMPs from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry (UKMCR). The participants primary outcomes were then measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Single-Item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), 5-level version of the EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L). The research team took outcome measurements at 1, 3, and 6 months and compared them with the participants baseline. Adverse events were also recorded and analyzed. In total, 74 adult patients with ASD were included in this research. The mean age of participants was 32.7 years. Overall, the current study linked CBMPs use with statistically significant improvements in managing anxiety levels and aiding in sleep quality. Interestingly, the patients saw generalized anxiety benefits at the 1 and 3-month measurements, but the same beneficial findings were not present at the 6-month marker. The authors believe this result could be due to a limitation in the study design, since there was a reduction in the number of participants that were followed up at 6 months. Therefore, they view this finding as insignificant. The study also discovered an associated improvement in self-reported sleep quality among participants during each of the three measurement markers. Of particular significance, a reduction in concomitant medication use during the treatment was identified. In total, 33.3% of patients stopped taking benzodiazepines during the study, and there was a 25% reduction in neuroleptic prescribing. Adverse events were reported by 18.9% of patients. No life-threatening or disabling adverse events were recognized, and most adverse events were considered mild or moderate. The authors believe their findings are not conclusive but provide scientific justification for further evaluation. Read more at Safeminds HERE. Over the course of 2021 and 2022, Edward amassed evidence from the insurance industry, funeral home industry, and government databases that excessive deaths among working-age Americans have increased in 2021 versus 2020... As of 2021, SIDS has a parent, Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. Seemingly healthy adults dying, and DonorBox Donation Link. Thank you. obituaries that spout platitudes like, "died peacefully in his sleep." At 42. We invite you to pre-order Cause Unknown, debuting in December from Skyhorse Publishing and Children's Health Defense. The book cover is a live link. Xi encourages geological workers to play greater role in mineral exploration Xinhua) 09:25, October 05, 2022 BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged a team of geological workers in east China's Shandong Province to carry forward fine traditions and play a greater role in mineral resource exploration. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Sunday in a letter replying to a team of geological workers in the Shandong Provincial Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. In the letter, Xi said that since the sixth geological work team of the bureau was founded, generations of team members have made arduous efforts and surmounted difficulties, yielding rich fruits in mineral resource exploration. Noting the important role of mineral resources in the country's economic and social development, Xi said that the exploration of mineral resources has a significant bearing on the national economy, people's livelihood and national security. Xi urged endeavors to act on the vision of green development, ramp up efforts in mineral resource exploration and make scientific breakthroughs, so as to make new contributions to safeguarding the country's energy and resource security and building a modern socialist country in all respects. Established in 1958, the geological work team has explored and located over 2,810 tonnes of gold. Recently, the whole team wrote a letter to Xi, briefing him on the results of their work and the resolve to dedicate themselves to geological work and contribute their strength to ensuring the country's energy and resource security. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) Here in the heart of Biden country, the average Democrat nervously ponders the Trump Republican, checking the room to see if he what he has to say is safe to say, almost whispering I dont get it. These MAGA types. They behave as if Trump is acting for their benefit? No one knows if he has someone specific in mind. What exactly is a MAGA type? Hes probably had an image instilled by Democrat propagandists who obsessively grouse about how un-American making America great again would be. Hitler liked Germany, so anyone who likes America is a Nazi, apparently. You have to criticize the country to prove you are sensible. Better yet, hate living here. Theres a prize for the most vitriol spewed. Its the again in Make America Great Again that chafes. Wasnt America great before Trump ran for office? He must have been referring to the Obama administration, inferring that Obama made the country less great while in office. Only a racist would look at the mess and assume that the first Black president was responsible. It was those intractable Republicans who wouldnt sign off on to full-blown communism, dammit! In contrast to Trumps self-interest is Bidens desire to train adults who graduated college to avoid responsibility for their debts by having college loans paid off to the tune of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. Clearly there is no self-interest attached to creating even more helpless people dependent on taxpayer largesse. If ideology is the unreachable perfection of human governance, then politics is the direction we happen to be facing while considering our next move to that end. Consider the information received from political operatives pretending to be objective. A Democrat will tell you that Fox News is right-wing propaganda while ingesting strawman arguments such as MAGA Republicans are terrorists from left-wing propagandists. Since the invention of television, there was only left-wing propaganda, unless you listened to AM talk radio, which was the media preferred by grizzled retirees in the last half of the twentieth century, at least in this tiny corner of the world. You had to be interested in politics and a lot of us were too busy avoiding responsibility to care about such things. Socialism seemed like a great idea back then because you didnt have to do anything to make it happen. To break from the socialist fantasy, all you had to do was start paying taxes unless you were being paid six figures or more to tell everyone about how you get a free iPhone in your authoritarian paradise. The internet and Fox News brought right-wing propaganda from the sidelines to the center of public attention. This made Democrats really nervous because they no longer held a monopoly on ideological reality. Democrats may even have been shocked to discover that decades of left-wing programming didnt result in a majority embracing the Democrats' dream of a socialist America. It is so much easier to vilify anyone watching Fox News or perusing right-wing blogs than it is to provide a winning argument for giving total control of the economy to the spendthrifts in government. Democrats never really embraced the idea of inalienable rights. The right to defend yourself, the right to say what you please, the right to pursue whatever looks like happiness. If you own a gun, you might as well have gunned down students in a school like the lunatics who would have been just as happy to use a van to run over students outside the school. The use of hyperbole is strictly forbidden in Bidens America, unless you are a Democrat. The scariest people in the United States of America right now are MAGA Republicans according to the ramblings of an old man best suited for a rocking chair on a porch filled with children who wont stay off his lawn. Here is a list of the ten most dangerous gangs in the world, just like you would find in Billboard magazine, only its about gangs. The number one gang is MS-13, really scary and particularly violent murderers of women and children. They operate in Los Angeles, which while resembling a third-world latrine is still considered part of the country. The list is likely not considered authoritative because it doesnt include MAGA Republicans, for some reason. Its heartening to know that the FBI will be focusing its attention on people who say things instead of people who actually commit violence. In case you were wondering, there are MS-13 groups on Facebook. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have nightmares about January 6th 2021. Those terrifying MAGA Republicans stormed the Capitol building intending to overthrow the government with no weaponry or plan. Hypnotized to participate in a revolution on the spur of the moment by the oratorical skills of Donald Trump, who incited insurrection by telling people to protest peacefully. It was clever to use the Democrat propogandists definition of mostly peaceful when riling up the base. All of Congress was efficiently removed without coming into contact with the insurrectionists who were busy making videos with their phones for social media. Breaking into the speakers office must have been proof positive the overthrow of the United States government was imminent. Who knows what rifling through Nancy Pelosis papers would have led to if the perpetrators hadnt been arrested and consigned to the endless hell of facing their accusers without an advocate. It must be awful to be so sacrificial and lamblike, staked as they are on the pyre of American freedom. Theyre still out there. The average Democrat continues its great to live in a country where you can have differing political viewpoints. It is easier to agree than argue. You cant shake him awake with discourse. Talking points only lead to an exchange of talking points, each treating the other like a heretic with no resolution -- only positional entrenchment. A Civil War seems like a great idea until the bullets start flying and the house you live in -- along with your neighbors house -- are burned to the ground. You chip away at politics, remembering that the American Republic is greater than the land mass that is the United States. The Republic is about the sovereignty of individuals rather than the power of any government. Anyone attracted to power finds such thinking dangerous. Jeffrey Thomas is a guy who likes the sound of his own voice and thinks his opinions matter. Image: Dan Keck The Common Sense Institute (CSI), a think-tank local to Colorado, reported at the beginning of October 2022 that the state's cities have some of the highest crime rates in the nation. "Crime in Colorado in 2022: The Data on Colorado's Increasing Crime Problem" was authored by George Brauchler, Mitch Morrissey, and Steven Byers, Ph.D. "It is very difficult to comprehend Colorado, the Colorado I grew up in ... hosting four cities in the top ten for all these crime rates," said Brauchler at a related news conference, according to The Denver Gazette. Brauchler is the former district attorney for Colorado's 18th Judicial District. As a fourth-generation Coloradoan, I am also shocked by the findings and by how far our cities have fallen under Democrat governance. The first paragraph of the first section of the report, "Introduction and Key Findings," gives a reason for the rise in crime. "Advocates for criminal justice reform have made significant inroads in the past few years. Measures have been enacted to decriminalize a range of crimes, reduce the punishments for committing crimes, and pursue decarceration through various means. The results of these actions have had a serious and lasting impact on Colorado communities, resulting in increased crime and a decrease in public safety." The last paragraph of that section expands the point: Concurrent with Colorado's rising crime rates, since the start of the pandemic, incarceration in Department of Corrections facilities dropped by 15.5%, the number of offenders on parole by 14.1%, and the number of offenders on probation by 14.4%. A rise in crime should catalyze a corresponding rise in arrests, convictions, and incarceration for the sake of public safety and justice for victims. A summary of the key statistics reads, Crime rates in Colorado continue to top pre-pandemic levels. This year, Colorado's average monthly crime rate has been 530 crimes per 100,000 residents, with no relief in sight. While slightly lower than last year's peak, it remains 7.3% higher than in 2019, and 20% higher than in 2008. Incidents of robbery, arson, car theft, vandalism, prostitution, and the purchase of stolen property have continued to increase in 2022. Several violent crimes such as murder, rape, and sexual assault are on pace to be lower than 2021 levels. The most significant decline occurred in fraud due, in large part, to the phasing out of COVID-19 related payments, which had elevated levels of fraud, particularly through unemployment insurance payments. i Compared to other states, Colorado ranks first in motor vehicle theft and second in property crimes. This year, Denver, Aurora, Pueblo, and Westminster ranked among the top ten of 167 American cities surveyed in several crime categories. Pueblo made the top ten in each of 10 categories. Denver's homicide rate rose even as other major cities' rates declined. ii The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) is on track to seize 300% more illicit fentanyl this year than last. According to the CSP, the state is experiencing a 10-year drug trafficking record. Although there has been a decrease in cocaine and methamphetamine trafficking, the amounts of fentanyl and illegal marijuana seized have been significantly higher. The increase in fentanyl is alarming, given its potency. As a lethal dose of fentanyl is a mere two milligrams, the 412 pounds seized so far this year is enough to kill 93 million people. iii The total number of drug overdose deaths has gone up in each of the past three years and opioids, fentanyl in particular, claimed the most lives. At a recent debate with Democrat Governor Jared Polis, University of Colorado regent Heidi Ganahl, who is running for governor as a Republican, recognized a member of the audience who had only recently lost a child to fentanyl. "Ganahl, who describes herself as 'a mom on a mission,' argued that rising crime and drug-related overdoses have harmed children and lambasted Polis for signing a 2019 law that weakened penalties for certain types of fentanyl possession," reported CBS News Colorado. Polis seemed to have no answer for the charges, nor any plan; rather, he tried to say that Ganahl's gas tax and income tax policies would effectively defund the police, which Ganahl denied. Voters must elect leaders and public servants who will take crime seriously and tackle it directly. Fortunately, some good candidates are running. Republican attorney general candidate John Kellner was a Marine and is in the Reserves. He was named prosecutor of the year in 2016 in Boulder County and serves now as the elected district attorney for Colorado's 18th Judicial District. The Republican candidate for sheriff in Jefferson County is Ed Brady. He describes himself as a law enforcement professional and a dedicated volunteer. Hopefully, Colorado voters will elect a new governor and new blood in law enforcement to change the bleak crime statistics that CSI has reported. C.S. Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press. Image: Zenhaus via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). Chivalry might be dead, but irony certainly isn't. Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronovirus Crisis recently released a report alleging that the Trump administration pressured health officials to approve unproven COVID-19 treatments and rush authorization of vaccines. The report alleges that former president Donald Trump and his top advisers pushed former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Stephen Hahn to grant emergency use authorization (EUA) to unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine and convalescent plasma. Hahn also alleged that top Trump officials pushed the FDA to rush authorization of the first vaccine so it would be available before the 2020 presidential election. (But liberal elites pressured Pfizer to delay approval of its COVID-19 vaccine until after the election.) "The Select Subcommittee's findings that Trump White House officials deliberately and repeatedly sought to bend FDA's scientific work on coronavirus treatments and vaccines to the White House's political will are yet another example of how the prior Administration prioritized politics over public health," chairman James Clyburn said in a statement about the report. "As today's report makes clear, senior Trump Administration officials undermined public health experts because they believed doing so would benefit the former president politically plotting covertly with known conspiracy theorists to dangerously push a disproven coronavirus treatment, bullying FDA to change its vaccine guidance, and advocating for federal investigations into those who stood in their way." The truth is, as soon as Joe Biden took over as president, a rush was made to declare the vaccine safe and effective...and a result of the Biden administration's tireless efforts at protecting American citizens. Biden lauded his administration's "war footing" in fighting the virus in his first State of the Union speech last year and promised that every American would have the opportunity to get vaccinated beginning on May 1. In fact, it was soon made mandatory for many, and ensuing booster shots were recommended or mandated as well. The Biden White House even went so far as to claim there was no vaccine available when Biden took office which is odd, since Biden himself was vaccinated the month before he occupied the White House. Though former president Donald Trump did openly defend COVID-19 vaccinations and their efficacy, he has repeatedly denounced mandates for both vaccines and masks. For Clyburn and House Democrats to assert that the Trump administration "prioritized politics over public health" while defending the Biden administration is beyond the pale, worse than the pot calling the kettle black. It is like the Clinton's labeling someone a liar, or the ladies on The View calling someone ignorant or stupid. Image: qimono via Pixabay, Pixabay License. Most readers already know that Tony Bobulinski was the business partner of Hunter Biden and his uncle, Jim Biden, the president's brother, as they attempted to put together deals with foreign actors. That partnership broke up, and Bobulinski has become a whistleblower. But his efforts to interest the FBI in multiple Biden family felonies, including against him, have come to naught. Last night, in a second sit-down interview with Tucker Carlson, Bobulinski laid out stunning details on how the FBI deep-sixed any public revelations, much less indictments, based on what Bobulinski says are thousands of pages of proof, including emails, text messages, recorded phone calls, and actual business documents. Despite having possession of abundant evidence, the FBI sat on the investigation through the 2020 election, thereby depriving the public of information that almost certainly would have swayed enough votes to change the outcome and re-elect Donald Trump. One key figure is Timothy Thibault, who was made the FBI's point man on the information brought by Bobulinski, who never followed up. Miranda Devine of the New York Post broke this story a month ago: Timothy Thibault, the FBI agent alleged to have interfered with an investigation into Hunter Biden, was assigned by the Washington Field Office as "point man" to manage whistleblower Tony Bobulinski, the first son's former business partner, before the 2020 election but he suppressed his damning revelations, sources say. Bobulinski spent over five hours secretly being interviewed by the FBI on Oct. 23, 2020, about his inside knowledge of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden's involvement in his son's business deals with China. The previous day, he had revealed in a press conference that Joe Biden was the "Big Guy" due to get a 10% cut of a lucrative joint venture with Chinese energy firm CEFC, according to an email found on Hunter's abandoned laptop. Bobulinski gave the FBI the contents of three cellphones containing encrypted messages between Hunter and his business partners, along with emails and financial documents detailing the Biden family's corrupt influence-peddling operation in foreign countries during Joe's vice presidency. But his evidence appears to have fallen into the same black hole at the FBI as Hunter's laptop, never to be seen again. Watching Bobulinski explain how he was "ghosted" (ignored) by Thibault is enraging: One other key revelation is that the Bidens defrauded Tony Bobulinski, and he had written evidence of it. Summarized by National Review: The former Navy officer's accusations involve a contract initiated between a Delaware firm he started, owned by him, Jim and Hunter Biden, and partners Rob Walker and James Gilliar, to create a joint venture with CEFC, the Chinese firm that pledged to give them $10 million of working capital. Bobulinski alleged that the Bidens embezzled at least $5 million from CEFC. "Hunter Biden and Jim Biden defrauded [us] and took the money for themselves ... stole it from me and my other partners, Rob Walker and James Gilliar," he said during an exclusive interview with Tucker Carlson Tuesday night. He claimed that Hunter Biden replicated the contract and had over $5 million of Chinese money funneled to his personal enterprise. Watch as Bobulinski explains: BREAKING: Hunter Biden's former business partner Tony Bobulinski explains how Hunter Biden committed fraud by diverting money from a Chinese company he owned 20% of to an American LLC he owned 100% of. #BidenCrimeFamily pic.twitter.com/6wqsztiMgK Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 5, 2022 As the Daily Caller notes, Biden lied about money changing hands: President Joe Biden claimed in a 2020 presidential debate that Hunter Biden "has not made money" from China and that "nothing was unethical" about his business dealings with China or Ukraine. A third major revelation is that Jim Biden phoned Bobulinski during the five-hour interview that he gave the FBI on Oct. 23, 2020. How on Earth could he have known that Bobulinski was talking with the feds? Or was this a highly unlikely coincidence? It was the last time Bobulinski ever heard from any member of the Biden family. Miranda Devine explains: Tony Bobulinski was interrupted while he was being interviewed by the FBI, 11 days before the 2020 presidential election, by a mysterious phone call from the president's brother, Jim Biden, who may have suspected that his business partner was threatening Joe Biden's candidacy by dishing the dirt on his family's China deals. The missed phone call at 1:37 p.m. October 23, 2020, came as Bobulinski was telling two FBI agents that Joe Biden stood to earn a 10% cut of his son Hunter and brother Jim's lucrative joint venture with Chinese energy firm CEFC. (snip) In his first television appearance in two years, Bobulinski recalls his surprise when he saw that Jim Biden was calling him, and says he showed his ringing phone to the FBI field agents interviewing him at the FBI Washington Field Office. "On my BlackBerry, Jim Biden called me via WhatsApp, and my phone starts ringing in the middle of this interview. So, I looked down and I'm like, 'Is he really calling me right now?' "So, I show the phone to my lawyer and then I showed it to the agent. The agents got up out of the chair and left the room. They were like, 'You can take that call if you want.' And so, I answered it and there was nobody on the other side. So, I don't know if it was a mistake or that he tried to send me a message, or what it was. But that's the last interaction or communication I've had with the Biden family." Here is a screen grab of the missed call from Bobulinski's WhatsApp account: The rest of the non-conservative mainstream is completely ignoring this story, and with the FBI refusing to move ahead, so far, it will go nowhere until Republicans gain control of at least one house of Congress. Photo credit: Rumble video screen grab. Former secretary of state and CIA director Mike Pompeo has written an op-ed piece in the Washington Times advocating what amounts to belligerent status for NATO and the U.S. in Russia's war with Ukraine and economic warfare against China. He contends that unless the Biden administration and NATO confront Russia more directly and use America's economic leverage over China to force Chinese leaders to "constrain" Vladimir Putin, Putin will likely use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, China will invade Taiwan, and Iran will strike Israel. America's goal, Pompeo writes, must be a "rapid, comprehensive victory by Ukraine," and America must use economic leverage to "mandate that China agree to meaningful nuclear arms reduction talks" and refrain from invading Taiwan. And Pompeo writes that China "must be put on notice [that] if ... Putin uses a nuclear weapon, America will devastate the Chinese economy through our cessation of trade and capital investments." This, to say the least, is a tall order for any U.S. administration, let alone the Biden national security team. And it ignores the growing strategic partnership between Russia and China, who appear to be committed to working together to reduce U.S. global influence. It is doubtful that Xi can or will "constrain" Russia's leader from his efforts to achieve victory in Ukraine, whatever threats the United States makes. The unipolar moment is over. Pompeo advocates that the U.S. provide Ukraine with "conventional weapons of decisive lethality" and mentions tanks and fighter aircraft. He also writes that we and our allies should declare that "actions to liberate parts of Ukraine, held by Russia under the charade of false referendums, do not constitute an attack on Russia," as if that declaration will somehow prevent Russia's leaders from viewing them that way. Pompeo, in other words, wants to put the ball in Putin's and Xi's court. Putin's use of a nuclear weapon against Ukraine, under Pompeo's scenario, will risk the outbreak of World War III, with the United States fighting a two-front war in Europe and the Pacific just as we did in World War II. Except this war will be a war among several nuclear powers and involve military operations across the vast Eurasian landmass, at sea, in the air, and in outer space. China's leaders will not sit back as we "devastate" their economy. Novelists have written about it. Our military services have repeatedly "gamed" it with results unfavorable to the United States. And all this over Ukraine? Before what author Barbara Tuchman called the "Guns of August" led to World War I, which George Kennan accurately described as the "seminal catastrophe" of the 20th century, the wise old German chancellor Otto von Bismarck ruminated that the next great war would be caused by "some damned foolish thing in the Balkans." He was right. The world went to war after Austria-Hungary attacked Serbia in the wake of a Serbian terrorist's assassination of the Austrian archduke and his wife. The other great European powers, reluctant to show weakness and split up into opposing alliances, marched their way to a horrific cataclysm the consequences of which still bedevil the world. If we follow Pompeo's advice, historians (if there are any still around) may one day remark that it was some damned foolish thing in Ukraine that started the greatest global war in history. Image: Gage Skidmore. Last month, Disney+ released a live-action version of its 1940s classic film Pinocchio. This version, starring actor Tom Hanks, retells the story of an Italian woodworker, Gepetto, who, longing for a child of his own, builds a wooden puppet named Pinocchio. A fairy godmother gives Pinocchio life, and for the duration of the story, he is Gepetto's disobedient child, who ignores his conscience in the pursuit of personal pleasure. At one point, Pinocchio is lured by nefarious adults to Pleasure Island, a distant place where young boys partake in every adult vice, from smoking and drinking to gambling and cursing. By morning, all of the boys have been turned into squawking donkeys. A story in which children are led around on strings and turn into squawking donkeys sounds familiar. Is there a metaphor in here somewhere? Recently, Boise, Idaho elected its first high school student to its school board. Senior student, eighteen-year-old Shiva Rhajbhandari, ran on a platform of having school start later in the day, addressing mental health issues, and climate change. Rhajbandari is a known student activist who regularly campaigns for gun control, voting rights, and pro-LGBT policy. The only campaign issue that he ran on related to education is a pushback on start times so we can further enable kids not to get out of bed on time. Take a victory lap, Boise. It would be easy to write an article knocking an eighteen-year-old kid for his pie-in-the-sky ideals, but the real problem here is the voters of Boise. Set on breaking glass ceilings, adults on the left consistently abdicate their responsibilities to the next generation to virtue-signal their record-breaking firsts. In the history of schools, school boards have been reserved for seasoned parents and educators to shape the curriculum and thus the minds of the children of their communities. For student participation, there is the Student Government Association. The left is keenly aware that impressionable student minds are malleable and subject to manipulation especially those of a generation that has been taught regurgitation and not critical thinking. The truth is that the left employs this tactic under the guise of glass ceilings. Leftists are not trying to accomplish first-time records, but rather promoting those exempt from criticism based on their minority status. Whether those they promote are minors; women; or ethnic, racial, or religious minorities, leftists promote those of their spectrum that they can use to deflect criticism as a character flaw of the accuser. This is how they avoid actually defending the terrible ideas that they promote. In the case of a student, it is perhaps the most insidious because they can push left-wing ideology, and the student is likely to parrot what they are told without pushback. This tactic of parading around the young and impressionable is not novel to the left. In recent years, we've been treated to the lectures of young leftists like climate activist Greta Thunberg, a teenage Swedish girl who famously exclaimed "how dare you" to the world's adults on their failure to adopt the left's climate activism. Or perhaps you'll remember gun control activist David Hogg, who, after experiencing a school shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, became the face of the national gun control movement. For his reward, Hogg was accepted into Harvard after being rejected from a slew of state colleges in California. When leftists fail to convince people of the merits of their arguments, they resort to promoting sacred cows that cannot be challenged. The youth are full of energy and natural activists, just looking to leave their mark on the world. Thus, it is incumbent on the adults in the room to challenge these sacred cows and not shirk their responsibilities in promoting sensible, seasoned, and well reasoned arguments and candidates. Voting for children to assume the responsibilities that you as a parent couldn't be bothered to is neither groundbreaking nor inspirational. Should you adopt this approach, don't be surprised to wake up and find that your beloved child has been turned into a squawking donkey. Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash. On October 3, 2022, the Supreme Court rejected the cases Aphosian v. Garland and Gun Owners of America v. Garland. This action upheld the ban on "bump stocks" imposed by President Trump after the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, defining "bump stocks" as "machine guns." Is a bump stock a machine gun? What is a bump stock? What is a machine gun? Here is the definition of a machine gun: Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The frame or receiver of any such weapon. Any part designed and intended solely and exclusively or combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun, or Any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person. The operative phrase is found in the first paragraph: "by a single function of the trigger." (For the sake of credibility, this author was a machine-gunner in the 25th Infantry Division in the 1980s.) When you cock a machine gun, the mechanism that locks the bolt or hammer back is a latch called the "sear." When you pull the trigger, the sear drops, allowing the bolt or hammer to fly forward, firing a cartridge. The recoil from the discharge (or, in a gas-operated system, the expanding gases) forces the bolt rearward. As long as you hold the trigger back, the bolt will reciprocate, causing the weapon to fire repeatedly until you release the trigger, raising the sear, re-engaging the bolt, stopping its travel. That's referred to as "fully automatic fire." It's a single function of the trigger. With a semi-automatic weapon, when the recoil or expanding gases cause the bolt to travel rearward, the action causes the bolt to trip a mechanism typically called a "disconnector." This mechanism disengages the trigger from the sear, causing the sear to catch the bolt after every shot fired. That function of the action is called a "reset." It resets the trigger for the next shot. When you use a weapon fitted with a bump stock, you hold it with both hands: a firing hand and a non-firing hand. You maintain forward pressure with the non-firing hand. When the weapon discharges, the recoil impulse jogs the weapon rearward, momentarily releasing the rearward pressure from the trigger-finger on the trigger, allowing the action to reset. The forward pressure from the non-firing hand pushes the trigger back against the trigger finger, causing it to fire again, replicating fully-automatic fire. But is it fully automatic fire? Not according to the NFA: "by a single function of the trigger." Bump stocks (and every other full-auto-simulation device currently under scrutiny) utilize the "reset" function of the action. That makes the cycle a "two-function" operation. By definition, a "machine gun" is a single-function mechanism. That's why, when these products originally hit the market, they were accompanied by letters from the ATF declaring them legal. Those letters prompted tens of thousands of law-abiding citizens to purchase the products. It was the ATF's own endorsement. Now the ATF has changed its mind. Should we accept that hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of law-abiding gun-owners are now suddenly criminals because of the ATF's mood swings? Mike VanOuse is a Bible-thumper and Factoryjack from Lafayette, Indiana. More of his work can be found at http://www.vanouse.com. Image via Max Pixel. In our overheated political atmosphere, short memories are everywhere. Democrats forget what they said weeks ago, even to the point of denying that they said certain things at all. And we forget that politics has always been a blood sport. We dont need to be Julius Caesar to understand it. A brief visit to the Founding Fathers should do the trick. Hurricane Ian knocked out my internet, so I found myself reading the Federalist Papers because my favorite political sites were out of reach. Digging into the remote recesses of those long-derided, centuries-old essays, I found myself staring at...today. Publius, in Federalist 1yes, the very first essay in the seriessays the following. Among the most formidable of the obstacles which the new Constitution will have to encounter, may readily be distinguished the obvious interest of a certain class of men in every State to resist all changes which may hazard a diminution of the power, emolument and consequence of the offices they hold under the State-establishmentsand the perverted ambition of another class of men, who will either hope to aggrandize themselves by the confusions of their country, or will flatter themselves with fairer prospects of elevation from the subdivision of the empire into several partial confederacies, than from its union under one Government. Once we wade through the long and erudite language, we stumble across a key problem. The Constitution might not be adopted because it would run crosswise to the perverted ambition of a certain class of men [who will] resist all changes which may hazard a diminution of the power, emolument, and consequence of the offices they hold. I think thats spelled S-W-A-M-P. If we establish a Constitution, guess whose ox will get gored? Image: The Federalist Essays (public domain) and Pelosi and Schumer (YouTube screen grab). But of course, isnt that the situation right now? If we re-establish constitutional supremacy, wont that certain class find their sinecures and authorities threatened? Bad guys in office arent alone. Ambition, avarice, personal animosity, party opposition, and many other motives, not more laudable than these, are apt to operate as well upon those who support, as upon those who oppose, the right side of a question. Were there not even these inducements to moderation, nothing could be more ill-judged than that intolerant spirit, which has, at all times, characterized political parties. For, in politics as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution. Both sides suffer from the same faults. But thats the human condition, and the drafters of the Constitution understood it too well. They may, in fact, have been the rarest of humansrational observers with truly critical minds, positioned by history to be able to constrain mans worst impulses in government. Our current crop of politicians can only rarely be seen as standing properly on that dais. But where the Right is often of the just leave me alone persuasion, the Left is rarely anything other than the intolerant spirit Publius decried. Now we must not think that the modern Leftist is a unique animal. Not at all. To judge from the conduct of the opposite parties, we shall be led to conclude, that they will mutually hope to evince the justness of their opinions, and to increase the number of their converts by the loudness of their declamations, and the bitterness of their invectives. The ads in the current political cycle mostly declaim how bad the opponent is. Democrat Val Demings insists that Republican Marco Rubio is a no show Senator while she was a hard-working police chief. Rubio counters her smiling uniform with clips of her calling burning cities beautiful. Neither side is fully truthful, but since Demings has vigorously approved every Leftist position, it seems Rubio has the better of the argument. And she is of the one party that is fully engulfed in the flames of vitriolic name-calling. That is of a part with something Publius decried in Federalist 2. [The] Congress of 1774recommended certain measures to their Constituents, and the event proved their wisdom; yet it is fresh in our memories how soon the Press began to teem with Pamphlets and weekly Papers against those very measures. Not only many of the Officers of Government, who obeyed the dictates of personal interest, but others, from a mistaken estimate of consequences, or the undue influence of former attachments, or whose ambition aimed at objects which did not correspond with the public good, were indefatigable in their endeavors to persuade the people to reject the advice of that Patriotic Congress. The pursuit of private gain through public office is not new. It was rampant before the Revolutionary War. Published articles and electioneering with no connection to reality or the good of the public were also rampant. Isnt it good that the passage of two centuries has elevated our political discourse to such a civil and cerebral level? Ted Noel MD is a retired Anesthesiologist/Intensivist who podcasts and posts on social media as DoctorTed and @vidzette. His DoctorTed podcasts are available on many podcast channels. In case you were wondering, Google sold less than 30 million Pixel phones to date. This data is provided by IDC, and it has been pulled by Vlad Savov, who shared it via Twitter. Google sold less than 30 million Pixel phones to date, since the first one in 2016 To be more accurate, according to the provided data, Google sold 27.6 million units. That may not seem like a huge number considering that the first Pixel phones arrived 6 years ago, in 2016. It is not surprising, though. Google never went all in with its smartphone sales, and the availability of Pixel phones throughout the years wasnt great. The companys devices were officially available only in select markets. The availability did expand a bit over the years, but not by much. Advertisement As Mishaal Rahman said: the Pixel is Androids testbed, so even if its not a smashing success itll have its place. That is very true. The Pixel phones are more consumer-oriented than Nexus devices were, but theyre still kind of test units for Android at least partially. He also added that if these were the sales numbers of any other OEM after all those years, the brand probably wouldnt exist anymore. That is also probably true. Still, the Pixel 6 smartphones are the fastest-selling Pixel phones to date. Back in April, Sundar Pichai, Googles CEO, said that himself. He did not share the exact numbers, though, which is a shame, but he did add that the Pixel 6 is a huge step forward for the Pixel portfolio. Advertisement Comparing Googles sales to Samsungs makes no sense If you compare Pixels sales numbers to Samsungs, its not even a competition, and nobody really expects it to be. If Google pushed its phones in as many markets as Samsung does, and did that for years, things may shift. That would probably upset Samsung, though, quite a bit, and Samsung is basically the flagship brand for Android. Just to compare, as Vlad Savov pointed out, Googles overall sales since 2016 make up 1/10 of Samsungs 2021 sales. So, as you can see, thats a huge difference. It is an unsurprising difference, though. (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 4 - The Italian justice ministry has sent a request to Brazil to extradite former AC Milan and Brazil forward Robinho in relation to a definitive conviction to nine years in jail for gang rape. The conviction over the gang rape of a 23-year-old Albanian woman in a Milan night club on January 22, 2013, became definitive when the supreme Court of Cassation upheld it in January this year. The ministry also requested the extradition of one of Robinho's friends, Ricardo Falco, another Brazilian, in relation to the case. Robinho, 38, played for Milan between 2010 and 2014, scoring 25 goals in 108 appearances. He has 100 Brazil caps and 28 goals for his country. The Brazilian Constitution does not allow Brazilians to be extradited from their homeland. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 5 - Eni said Wednesday that supplies of gas to Italy from Russia have resumed after four days. Gazprom shut off gas supplies to Italy via the Trans Austria Gas Pipeline to Tarvisio on Saturday, citing a problem linked to regulatory changes in Austria. "Eni informs that gas flows supplied by Gazprom through Austria have resumed today," the Italian energy giant said in a statement. "The resumption of supplies was made possible by the resolution, by Eni and the parties involved, of the constraints deriving from the new legislation introduced by the Austrian regulatory authorities". The Italian government has been working hard to diversify Italy's gas supplies following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but it is still some way from being freed of its long-standing reliance on Russian gas. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 5 - Summer weather has returned to Italy with temperatures as high as 31 degrees in Sicily and Sardinia, 27 in the Dolomite foothills, warm seas in the south with water at 24-26 degrees, prevalent sunshine everywhere and days still relatively long, forecasters said Wednesday. Lorenzo Tedici, a meteorologist at the www.iLMeteo.it website, confirms a decidedly warm picture for the period, and one that has become more frequent in recent years. He said we will have summer-like temperatures in the coming days too, around five degrees above seasonal averages. But there will be frequent low cloud and fog in the north. In the south, on the other hand, temperatures will rise further, especially on the Adriatic coast, and fine weather is forecast at least as far as Saturday, Tedici said. Over the weekend, however, a weather front that is currently lurking among the dunes of the Erg desert in Algeria will rise northwards and may cause a worsening of the weather in Sardinia, Sicily, and some parts of the north west. Next week the weather may change again, with scattered showers and a drop in temperatures, although fine weather may also continue, said Tedici, He said it was too early to tell. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 5 - Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy (FdI) on Wednesday held the first meeting of the party executive since it spearheaded the rightwing coalition to victory in last month's general election. Meloni, who is set to become Italy's first woman premier, chaired the meeting, which lasted two and a half hours. She is currently holding a series of meetings at the Lower House as she seeks to put together the new government team, striking a balance that satisfies her party and its alliance partners, possibly with the inclusion of non-political technocrats to head some ministries. League leader Matteo Salvini is reportedly keen to return to his previous post as interior minister, but his position has been weakened by the League's relatively poor performance in the elections. The League got around 9% of the vote compared to 26% for FdI, and 8% for the other main party in the bloc, three-time former premier and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI). After Wednesday's meeting Meloni smiled and nodded when asked if a message from Salvini was among those she was reading on her cell phone. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 5 - Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio had a telephone conversation Wednesday with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iramian state news agency IRNA said. IRNA did not cite the case of Alessia Piperno, the Italian citizen recently arrested in Tehran. Piperno, the 30-year-old Roman woman detained in Iran last week, is being held at Tehran's Evin prison, sources said on Tuesday. The woman is thought to have been detained on September 28, which was her birthday. Iran has launched a massive wave of arrests following the outbreak of street protests related to the death in custody of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini after she was held by 'morality police' for allegedly breaching the Islamic republic's dress code. "We are very worried. Unfortunately, the situation is not good," Alberto Piperno, the woman's father, told ANSA on Monday. "We are in contact with the foreign ministry's crisis unit, which has activated all the relevant procedures". Piperno said that he had had a telephone call from his daughter from a Tehran prison on Sunday. (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 5 - Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni had a telephone conversation on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and confirmed that the incoming Italian government will continue to support Kyiv following the Russian invasion, her party said in a statement. Meloni is set to become Italy's first woman premier after FdI spearheaded the right coalition to victory in last month's general election. In the call, Meloni recalled that FdI has supported Kyiv since the start of the war and confirmed "full support to the cause of liberty of the Ukraine people", the statement said. She also reiterated her stance that Russia's declaration of the annexation of four Ukrainian regions has no political or legal value, according to the statement. Meloni stressed she was committed to make "any diplomatic effort that contributes to the end of the conflict". (ANSA). (ANSA) - ROME, OCT 5 - A teacher was allegedly attacked in his classroom in Bari after issuing a note reprimanding a girl student for her bad behaviour, the Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper reported Wednesday. Two people ran into the classroom at the Majorana scientific high school and slapped the man on September 23, it said. The teacher had scolded the girl for arriving late and disturbing lessons. When he wrote a disciplinary note she vowed revenge, which came at the third hour of lessons. The teacher told the Corriere del Mezzogiorno that the two men who allegedly attacked him walked up the stars to the first floor undisturbed and slapped him in the face, threatening him with further reprisals if her dared to sanction the girl again. Carabinieri are investigating. There have been similar events in the past in Italy. (ANSA). Ukraine: Cei, new emergency, pandemic was testing ground Apuzzo, Covid was useful for crises response development (ANSA) - TRIESTE, 04 OTT - "The Covid emergency has determined a turning point for the Central European Initiative (Cei), it was a testing ground to develop an emergency response to crises that divide geopolitical interests of the member states of Cei". This is what Gian Matteo Apuzzo, focal point for Health Strategy and Emergency Response for Cei told ANSA. His role was formed after the Covid pandemic in an organizaiton that gathers together 17 countries from Eastern and South-Western Europe, including Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, which are involved in the emergency Cei is handling at the moment: the Ukraine crisis. "We have managed to respond to this emergency in a rather swift and flexible way, building solidarity. Cei responded to this crisis similarly to how it handled the Covid pandemic. It transferred part of its multi-lateral funds towards Ukraine, and it made targeted donations. For instance, we supported the creation of a field hospital", Apuzzo explained. "The mission of Cei is to bridge Eu and non-Eu countries. This mission is again put at the forefront, with Ukraine now considered for accession. The accession of the Western Balkans is now at the forefront too, which gives new vigour and cohesion to the organization", he added. Apuzzo talked to ANSA during an event which was co-organized by Who and Cei, a partnership born at the beginning of the pandemic. "Making use of the political platform Cei represents, a formal endorsement to the Who Roadmap for Health and Wellbeing in the Balkans was made by the prime ministers of the Western Balkans at the 2021 Cei summit in Budva, in Montenegro. Ince was also chosen as an implementation platform for the Roadmap. One of the priorities of this Roadmap is primary health care, with a specific focus on mental health and digitalization. The objective of the meeting in Trieste was to create a network that could connect the Balkan states with European and Italian best practices. The various countries come out of it with future work agendas that are created in groups of countries. The Who then supports them in putting these agendas into practice", Apuzzo concluded. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved Archaeology: at Barcolana Aquileia visits are on a SUP SUP Trip among artifacts along canals. Deal with site foundation (ANSA) - TRIESTE, 05 OTT - Visiting the archaeological sites of Aquileia on a SUP is one of the initiatives launched as part of Barcolana 54, taking place in Trieste, which this year "is also archaeology." Through an agreement with the Aquileia Foundation, the sailing event promotes in this edition "one of the few archaeological sites in Italy that can be reached by sea through the canals of the lagoon, perhaps on a SUP." The initiative was presented today at the opening of the Barcolana Village. These days the Sailing Society of Barcola and Grignano has organized a SUP "raid" from Grado to Aquileia, along the canals, to explore the remains of one of the oldest ports in the Mediterranean Sea. The guided tour, the promoters explained, was all nautical-themed and included the famous mosaics in the Basilica to the remains of the river port to the amphorae and navigation techniques of Roman times, recounted in the artifacts found in Aquileia. This alternative proposal - organizers explained - is dedicated to cruise passengers and sea enthusiasts, who will be able to find one more reason to moor In Grado on their return from the Barcolana. (ANSA). Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved ROME - The president of the French Confederation of Small and Medium enterprises (Confederation des petites et moyennes entreprises, CPME), Francois Asselin, calls for a cap on energy prices "at European level" for small and medium enterprises (SME). Those in charge of France's big energy companies will be received this morning by the French Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, who last week has accused them of "not doing enough for their clients, in particular for SMEs", referring directly to TotalEnergies, Engie (global player in the utilities market) and Edf (energy company). During the meeting, Le Maire will ask the energy giants to guarantee "reasonable prices", in particular, for SMEs. BEIRUT - A number of people were wounded this morning, this is the temporary count, in a fire that destroyed a Syrian refugee informal tented settlement (ITS) in Lebanon, in the eastern part of the Beqaa Valley at the border with Syria, a country ravaged by a conflict which has been on-going for 11 years. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) a few people were confirmed wounded. The tents and makeshift accommodations of one of the Syrian refugee families caught fire in the border are of Arsal. The causes of the fire remain unknown for the moment. LAMPEDUSA - Today, just before dawn, nineteen migrants arrived at Cala Spugne, on the island of Lampedusa. They are of different nationalities: from Bangladesh, Gambia, Egypt, Senegal and Sudan. The migrants explained that they reached the island on a 5 meter dinghy that set sail from Sabratha in Libya. Yesterday, in three different landings, a total of 121 new migrants arrived on the island. The hotspot, at present, hosts a total of 308 migrants, among them 47 unaccompanied minors. This morning, the prefecture of Agrigento, following orders of the Ministry of Interior, is planning to transfer 40 people, 36 of them unaccompanied minors. Three British teachers have been found not guilty of the equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence after a 12-year-old girl drowned on a school trip in France. Jessica Lawson died after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges in July 2015. At the Palais de Justice in the French town of Tulle on Wednesday, Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers were all cleared of any wrongdoing. Chantelle Lewis was found not guilty on Wednesday alongisde her two colleagues (Josh Payne/PA) The lifeguard on duty at the time, Leo Lemaire and the local authority in the town of Liginiac were also found not guilty. Jessicas father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom when the verdicts were announced, with both Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers breaking down into tears. Giving her verdicts through a translator to the Palais de Justice in Tulle on Wednesday, the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, said of the incident: With regard to the teachers, Mr Layne, Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers, you have been accused of not having correctly conformed with risk-evaluation regulations. However, the court believed you were not under obligation to carry out any specific checks. Mr Layne was also cleared of any wrongdoing (Josh Payne/PA) The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green. Ms Waguette continued: It is not reflected either in the exchanges today or in the information provided that the teachers at any moment failed to comply with their requirement to monitor the activity. There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over. Ms Waguette said the court knew a time period of between five and 10 minutes had elapsed between the platform overturning and the lifeguard recovering Jessica from the water. We dont know why her drowning took place at the time when the platform turned over. Daisy Stathers broke down in tears after the verdicts were announced (Josh Payne/PA) There is therefore no evidence to show that they were negligent, therefore you are found not guilty. On Tuesday, their trial heard how Ms Lewis started to panic during the incident and asked wheres Jess? Her colleague, Ms Stathers, said she also became increasingly panicked after realising Jessica was missing, adding: But there were 23 other students we were trying to get out (of the water) so I was trying to stay calm. The teacher who was in charge of the trip, Mr Layne, told the court he thought the pontoon was a safety feature. Mr Layne was quizzed about Jessicas death and said there was not any sort of distress from students or the lifeguard during the incident. The schoolgirls mother, Brenda Lawson, said her family had been through torturous suffering since her daughters death, describing her as full of fun, laughter and care. Dominique Tricaud, the lawyer for Mr Layne, said: Afterwards the question was if a criminal mistake has been committed and the answer of the court is that nobody has committed any criminal mistake. Nobody is able to say how Jessica drowned, first, and secondly all that has been done by the professors and the lifeguard was exact regarding the rules to try to save her. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks during the opening ceremony of the One Young World summit, in Manchester. The Duchess of Sussex has been praised for her eloquent discussion of the negative depiction of women of Asian descent in Hollywood films. Meghan explored the Dragon Lady stereotype with journalist Lisa Ling and comedian Margaret Cho in episode four of her Archetypes series. She also called out films such as Austin Powers and Kill Bill for presenting caricatures of women of Asian descent as over-sexualised or aggressive. Asian American theatre organisation East West Players said such depiction poses very real and harmful consequences and often exoticised or othered the Asian community. Meghan explored the Dragon Lady stereotype with journalist Lisa Ling and comedian Margaret Cho in episode four of her Archetypes series (Archewell Audio/Spotify/PA) In a statement shared with the PA news agency, Snehal Desai, producing artistic director at East West Players, said: The stereotyping of Asians, particularly women of Asian descent, is not new. These portrayals have had an outsized impact on our community because, for a long time, there werent opportunities for our community to be genuinely portrayed. Through these stereotypes, the Asian community was and is often exoticised or othered. Organisations like East West Players have fought these negative portrayals by elevating Asian representation onstage with the hope that audiences will learn to see our communitys talent and ability before defining us by just our heritage or the colour of our skin. We aspire to combat the othering that Margaret Cho and Lisa Ling so eloquently discussed with the Duchess, as it poses very real and harmful consequences, especially to our community. East West Players was the first professional Asian American theatre organisation set up in the US to help provide opportunities and education about Asian culture. Veteran actor James Hong, 93, was one of its founding members. In the Archetypes episode, Meghan said: The Dragon Lady, the East Asian temptress whose mysterious foreign allure is scripted as both tantalising and deadly, this has seeped into a lot of our entertainment. But this toxic stereotyping of women of Asian descent, it doesnt just end once the credits roll. Meghans Spotify series resumed on Tuesday, after a four-week break following the death of the Queen. Liz Truss said she is the first prime minister to have attended comprehensive school in her Conservative Party conference speech. During her speech at the party conference in Birmingham, Ms Truss also shared her memories of low growth while growing up in Leeds and Paisley, and continued to push her tax-cutting agenda. To applause, Ms Truss told Conservative Party members: I stand here today as the first prime minister of our country to have gone to a comprehensive school. Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers her keynote speech at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham (Jacob King/PA) Other prime ministers have attended state schools however. Labour former prime minister Mr Brown attended Kirkcaldy High School, now a comprehensive in Fife. Mr Brown was reportedly taught in a special fast stream while at the school. And Conservative former prime minister Mrs May attended a girls grammar school in Oxfordshire, which was reorganised into a comprehensive school during her education. Questioned about the other leaders who went to state schools, Ms Trusss press secretary said: My understanding is this is quite complicated and it changed halfway through and comps werent actually called comps until the 60s or something like that. Im not going to do a pop quiz on former PMs schooling. Ms Truss had added: That taught me two things: one is that we have huge talent across our country and two that were not making enough of it. This is a great country. Im so proud of who we are and what we stand for, but I know that we can do better and I know that we must do better and thats why I entered politics. I want to live in a country where hard works rewarded, where women can walk home safely at night and where our children have a better future. She also told the party conference that she knew what its like to live somewhere that isnt feeling the benefits of economic growth. Liz Truss with her husband Hugh OLeary after delivering her keynote speech (Jacob King/PA) Ms Truss said: I grew up in Paisley and in Leeds in the Eighties and Nineties. Ive seen the boarded-up shops. Ive seen people left with no hope turning to drugs. I have seen families struggling to put food on the table. Low growth isnt just numbers on a spreadsheet. Low growth means lower wages, fewer opportunities and less money to spend on the things that make life better. The Prime Minister claimed the Government must level up the country in a Conservative way, ensuring everywhere and everyone can get on. Ms Truss also shared her experience of having her potential dismissed by those who think they know better. She told the audience of Tory members: I have fought to get where I am today. I have fought to get jobs, to get pay rises and to get on the housing ladder. I have juggled my career with raising two wonderful daughters. Prime Minister Liz Truss delivering her keynote speech (Jacob King/PA) Ms Truss added: I remember as a young girl being presented on a plane with a junior air hostess badge. Meanwhile, my brothers were given junior pilot badges. It wasnt the only time in my life that I have been treated differently for being female or for not fitting in. It made me angry and it made me determined. Determined to change things so it did not happen to others. Liz Trusss first conference speech as Tory leader was interrupted by heckling as she battled to unite her party. She promised to steer the country through the tempest and get Britain moving. Protesters holding a flag which read who voted for this? were ejected from the hall after disrupting the speech. The Prime Minister has endured a bruising conference after just a month in the job, with a U-turn over a totemic tax policy and dissent within her Cabinet, and heckling during her speech illustrated the level of discontent. She sought to rally Conservative activists behind her vision of a Government wholly committed to boosting economic growth. She told the audience in Birmingham the country was in a new era under the King, following the death of the Queen. Ms Truss said: These are stormy days. Together, we have mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the rock on which modern Britain was built. A demonstration during Prime Minister Liz Trusss speech during the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham (Aaron Chown/PA) Were now in a new era under King Charles III. Were dealing with the global economic crisis caused by Covid and by (Russian President Vladimir) Putins appalling war in Ukraine. In these tough times, we need to step up. Im determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation. Shortly ahead of her speech, YouGov released polling suggesting Ms Truss is already more unpopular than Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn ever were. (PA Graphics) Just 14% of the public now say they have a favourable impression of the Prime Minister, compared with 26% who said so between September 21-22 . Nearly three-quarters (73%) now see the Prime Minister in an unfavourable light, including more than half (55%) who see her very unfavourably. That gives her a net favourability rating of minus 59, depths not plumbed by Mr Johnson, who hit minus 53 in July, or Mr Corbyn, who fell to minus 55 in June 2019. YouGov surveyed 1,751 British adults on October 1-2. Some luxury hotels are now offering a new perk: the ability to pay in cryptocurrencies. From Dubai to the Swiss Alps, several high-end hotels enable guests to swap their credit cards for their digital assets. The Future of Finances: Gen Z & How They Relate to Money Looking To Diversify in a Bear Market? Consider These 6 Alternative Investments The Chedi Andermatt, a 5-star hotel in Andermatt, Switzerland, is one of them. General Manager Jean-Yves Blatt said the hotel, which started offering such payments in August 2021, is currently accepting Bitcoin and ETH, an option that is a continuation of the personalized services it offers its guests. Gatt said, We are making a clear statement to our hotel guests that we are open to new technologies and that we offer a new payment experience as an additional service. Take a look at some of the luxury hotels that accept crypto. The Chedi Andermatt Gatt said the Chedi Andermatt, which strives to revolutionize the world of luxury hospitality, had been looking into the process four years ago, but at that time it was not possible, as the volatility of these currencies was too high. He added that now digital payments company Worldline Switzerland is enabling payments with cryptocurrencies through Bitcoin Suisse without being exposed to the risk of volatility, as the crypto transactions are converted into Swiss Francs immediately after confirmation. This, he said, offers the best of both worlds payment options for customers while at the same time ensuring that the hotels own revenues and business are not subject to cryptos volatility. Take Our Poll: Do You Have an Emergency Fund Established? The Pavilions Hotels & Resorts The group has been accepting Bitcoin, ETH and 40 other currencies since July 2021. The group has 14 locations across the globe, including properties in Phuket, Bali, Himalayas, Mongolia and Niseko in Asia, and Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon and Rome in Europe, according to a press release. The Kessler Collection The Kessler Collection says its the first U.S. luxury hotel group to accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment, which it started offering in March 2021, according to a press release. Hotels in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina will accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin and several others, including four stablecoins as payment to cater to the growing demand. S Hotels & Resorts The group partnered with platform FTX in October 2021 to enable its customers to pay with crypto at two of its properties in the Maldives: SAii Lagoon Maldives and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. Guests can pay in USD Coins (USDC) and Tether tokens (USDT), with more cryptocurrencies expected to be added, according to a press release. More Hotels Take Crypto Now From Dubai to Hong Kong, the number of luxury hotels accepting various forms of crypto payments is growing rapidly, which makes sense from a variety of perspectives, said Daryl Kelly, manager of Chestertons Barbados and CEO of NFT platform LTD.INC. First, crypto adoption has been increasing exponentially and globally. In addition, wealthy individuals in particular have allocated more of their net worth toward Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. So, in short, there are more people willing to spend their crypto for a variety of purposes, including when it comes to travel and stays at higher-end hotels, Kelly said, adding that there are advantages for hotels, too, largely because payments in crypto are generally instant and final. According to him, in the near future, there will be an evolution of crypto at luxury hotels and destinations that will involve more complex and interesting use cases, such as the utilization of NFTs as a form of exclusive club membership. So, for example, this could involve a five-star resort in the Maldives issuing exclusive NFTs to its most loyal customers, who can in turn use those NFTs as you would imagine an airline using points system for frequent flyer miles, Kelly said. This would mean that holders of that NFT could check into the hotel, scan the digital asset in their wallet and immediately receive discounted uses for spas or night activities. In fact, the use cases of NFTs as a digital signifier of exclusive membership to whatever hotel or resort could be as big as, if not bigger than, general payments using crypto. Benefits of Paying With Crypto Armin Schmid, head of BTCS Pay, the crypto payment solutions team of Bitcoin Suisse, also notes that there are several advantages for guests. It is as easy as paying via credit card, it avoids the need for currency conversion and represents equal opportunities for everybody. Luxury hotels often have a majority of international guests, Schmid said. An upside for paying with crypto is that they do not need to convert their local fiat into domestic fiat currency of the hotel location. Schmid added that while the setup of the process for accepting crypto involves minor up-front costs, once everything is in place, the costs of processing crypto payments are lower than the costs associated with credit card payments. Downloading a mobile crypto wallet and storing ones crypto there to use them for everyday payments is quite straightforward, he said, adding that Bitcoin Suisse is enabling crypto payments together with Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. The younger generation, especially, prefers quick and easy crypto payments to more traditional means. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Luxury Hotels That Accept Cryptocurrency The White House on Wednesday expressed disappointment following the announcement from OPEC+ that it would cut two million barrels per day from its production quotas beginning in November. The decision by the OPEC+ alliance, which includes Russia, is likely a response to oil prices dropping amid less demand stemming from a global economic slowdown. Oil prices currently hover around approximately $80 per barrel, down from the $100-plus cost it hit during late spring and early summer. Reducing supply will likely boost the cost of oil, which could raise the price Americans pay at the gas pump around the November midterm election and it comes just a few months after Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in July to lobby Middle Eastern allies to increase production. PHOTO: Representatives of OPEC member countries attend a press conference after the 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 5, 2022. (Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images) "The president is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin's invasion of Ukraine," the White House said in a statement from national security adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. The White House also said President Biden has directed the Department of Energy to release another 10 million oil barrels from the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve next month, signaling the administration's effort to keep gas prices low with a month until the crucial midterms. The release was previously planned, according to an Energy Department press release. Biden offered little response when asked about the OPEC+ alliance's decision as he left the White House to head to Florida Wednesday morning. "I need to see what the detail is," Biden said in response to a reporter's shouted question about the decision. "I am concerned, it is unnecessary." Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the administration would continue to ensure energy prices are "kept low" in light of the OPEC+ announcement. The national average cost of a gallon of gas is currently $3.83, up about 62 cents from last year, according to AAA. After the president struggled to rein in record-high gas prices that peaked at over $5 per gallon this summer, he and his administration have touted falling prices repeatedly over the past few weeks. MORE: Why gas prices are continuing to hit record highs "And thanks to this president's efforts, we and his historic actions that he has taken, energy prices have declined sharply from their highs and American consumers are paying far less at the pump than they were several months ago," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. "And again, it's because of the historic steps that this president has taken," she added. Jean-Pierre did not directly comment on the OPEC+ alliance's expected move from the podium. But the White House's move to take credit for relief at the pump is much different from the administration's messaging earlier in the year. The largely unsuccessful White House effort to counter damaging daily headlines about skyrocketing prices at the pump saw it blame Russia's invasion of Ukraine for high energy issues before floating federal action that never happened. And in July when gas prices eased some over their June high Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he held a controversial meeting with met with Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salam. The Middle Eastern nation accounts for roughly 17% of the world's petroleum reserves, according to OPEC+. PHOTO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, welcomes U.S. President Joe Biden to Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP, FILE) MORE: Biden 'hoping' inflation cools as gas prices fall daily for more than a month "We had a good discussion on ensuring global energy security and adequate oil supplies to support global economic growth," Biden said during his visit to Saudi. "I'm doing all I can to increase the supply for the United States of America, which I expect to happen," he added. "The Saudis share that urgency, and based on our discussions today, I expect we will see further steps in the coming weeks," Biden said. Some saw the move as desperate, while others criticized Biden for his infamous fist-bump with a man accused of human rights abuses, including the 2018 death of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi. Wednesday's announcement from OPEC+ comes about a month after the alliance a 100,000 barrel per-day reduction to take effect in October. A similar cut in oil production also took effect in September. White House 'disappointed' with OPEC+ decision to cut oil production, will release more from US reserves originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A police raid on the home of a key suspect in a violent kidnapping inquiry made a possible contribution to his death from a heart attack, an inquest jury has ruled. Cyril McGuinness died after collapsing at a property where he was staying in Buxton, Derbyshire, on November 8 2019, during a series of raids in response to the brutal kidnapping of businessman Kevin Lunney in Northern Ireland. A three-day inquest at Chesterfield Coroners Court ended with an inquest jury returning a finding that McGuinness, also known as Dublin Jimmy, died of natural causes. The jury of eight women and three men was told that the property in Rockfield Road, Buxton, was raided as part of inquiries into violence thought to involve criminal gang activity but was not informed that McGuinness was believed to have organised the attack on Mr Lunney. Cyril McGuinness (left, head covered) being led away from a court in Northern Ireland in 2005 (Paul Faith/PA) The jurys narrative findings, reached on Wednesday, stated: After hearing all of the evidence the jury finds that the entry, search and detention made a possible contribution to Mr McGuinnesss death. The reason for this decision is that the jury cannot completely rule out that the entry search and detention did not cause physiological stress reactions. However the jury wish it to be noted also from the evidence shown there is very strong indication that Mr McGuinness could have passed away at any given time due to the severity of historical cardiac conditions. There could have been many other contributing factors to the death of Mr McGuinness, or indeed due to the severity of his heart disease, it is a possibility that his heart failed naturally. The jury also wish to note that there were no outward signs of stress from Mr McGuinness throughout the entry, search and detention. The inquest, during which area coroner Peter Nieto said the raid involved a search warrant in response to allegations of criminal gang activity, was told McGuinness had previously been treated for heart disease. Although the 54-year-old was not arrested during the search for electronic devices, he was detained in handcuffs under police powers permitting reasonable restraint during the operation. Forensic pathologist Guy Rutty told the hearing that McGuinness died from heart disease and had no marks on his body to suggest he had been restrained excessively. The convicted criminal, from Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, was taken ill towards the end of the search, after being allowed to smoke, drink tea and watch the television news. The inquest, attended by McGuinnesss widow Mary, was told that he asked to go outside for some fresh air before collapsing. Prof Rutty said McGuinness had been given a nicotine patch by police after requesting one, telling the inquest: After about 45 minutes to 60 minutes I understand that he started to become unwell. He asked for his inhaler and he self-administered this. However, his condition deteriorated, an ambulance was called, the officers at the scene gave him first aid and he must have arrested as CPR was started. An ambulance got to the scene at 8.28am and arrived at Stockports Stepping Hill Hospital at 9.40am, but McGuinness was pronounced life extinct around 15 minutes later. Asked to comment on whether the stress of the situation may have played a role in McGuinness going into cardiac arrest, Prof Rutty told the jury: He could have just had a heart attack at any moment whatsoever. The other possibility is that the stress and the situation that he was in, ie the police entering where he was, the handcuffs caused him to have a heart attack. Anything that increases your blood pressure or pulse rate could tip the balance. It isnt possible as a pathologist to go either way. All I can say is that both are entirely possible and both relate to his heart. The inquest was told there was no suggestion McGuinness was fighting against the police or arguing with officers, with him instead being calm and compliant. In a statement issued after the inquest, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said its investigation had found the force used by officers was reasonable in the circumstances. IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: Our sympathies are with the family of Mr McGuinness at this extremely sad time for them. We found no performance issues for any police officers involved. Evidence we gathered supported officers accounts that after Mr McGuinness was handcuffed he was comfortable with the process. He was provided with a cup of tea and taken outside so that he could smoke a cigarette. Prior to Mr McGuinness becoming ill, there was no evidence that the police were aware of his pre-existing heart condition. Three men were found guilty in November last year in connection with the kidnap and assault of Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Mr Lunney, while a fourth man was acquitted. A non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin heard how Mr Lunney was kidnapped close to his home in Co Fermanagh on the evening of September 17 2019. The businessman had his leg broken, was doused in bleach and the letters QIH were carved into his chest before he was dumped on a roadside in Co Cavan. In its judgment, the court found that the attack was organised and supervised by McGuinness, who was born in Dublin. During a trial which ran for 40 days, the court heard Mr Lunney was bundled into the boot of a car and driven across the border. A Renault Kangoo van used in the attack was bought in England by McGuinness and brought to Ireland, the court said. Those convicted in connection with the kidnapping were later jailed for between 18 and 30 years. Trader Joe's storefront Melissa Renwick/Toronto Star via Getty Images A pre-pandemic staple is coming back to Trader Joe's, but it's not a product. Instead, it's something that makes shopping at the store a little sweeter (or saltier): free samples. In the just-released episode of Inside Trader Joe's, co-hosts Tara Miller, marketing director, and Matt Sloan, vice president of marketing, share secrets spilled at the Trader Joe's annual captains' meeting, which is a meeting where Trader Joe's store managers across the country can network and discuss new products and announcements. Related: 11 of the Best Fall Products Coming to Trader Joe's, According to Employees A standout announcement from the most recent meeting is the return of free samplesor "demo" in TJ termsfor the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020. And according to the podcast, this is more than just a win for the customers who get some tasty freebies mid-grocery shop. Sloan asked select store managers and crew about their thoughts on the news, and store manager Ken from the grocery giant's Somerville, Massachusetts, location immediately answered. "I think [it's] the conversations with customers," he said. "I think one of the hardest things is we have all these new products that we can talk about with our customers, but we want our customers to try it. I just can't wait to go back. It's gonna be like high fives all around because we have been waiting for this moment for a long time." Related: 6 "Polite" Things You Do at Trader Joe's That Are Actually Rude, According to a Former Employee Store manager Marie Duncan from Alameda, California, said that it's important to promote products, both new and old, especially to the store's new customers. "Some of those things that we've always kind of enjoyed, they're just experiencing for the first time. And they're gonna put it all over their social media," Duncan said, with Sloan responding that free samples are therefore "the Holy Grail of advertising." As for products to look out for, the store managers did not hesitate to rave on their favorites. They were in unanimous agreement about their vegan bulgogi. "My wife is vegan and when I took it home, she decided to make tacos. I was just blown away by the flavor," store manager Armando from Yorba Linda, California, said. "You would never think it's a meatless item." "I'm interested in seeing people who don't normally eat vegan food, try it and realize that, 'Hey, this is actually, this is pretty good,'" Ernie, the store manager of the Westchester location in Los Angeles, California, agreed. "The Maple Oat Milk is a staple in my house," Mary Susskind from the Trader Joe's Berkeley, California, location adds. Check out the Trader Joe's page for more on this nondairy flavored beverage. There was also discussion about the products coming to shelves soon, including turkey tips, Toscano cheese spread and cannoli dip. Truffle dip, Cinnamon Roll Joe-Joe's, Grand Reserve pinot noir our mouths are watering anticipating the products on their way to stores this holiday season. And now, we won't always have to buy them to try them! Up next: 6 Trader Joe's Pumpkin Products to Add to Your Cart This Fall WASHINGTON A large swath of law enforcement agencies have yet to submit complete data to the FBI's national crime tracking system, raising questions about the utility of a new report in assessing crime trends across the country. The FBI reported a 4.3% estimated increase in murders in 2021 and a negligible 1% decrease in overall violent crime Wednesday, relying on an alternate reporting system. At the same time, officials acknowledged about 48% of the country's eligible police agencies, or 9,700, had not submitted 12 months of data to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by the March 14 deadline. Some of the largest agencies in the country, including the New York Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Phoenix Police Department, had yet to submit any data to the system, the officials said. Federal authorities said all of the jurisdictions have committed to providing the information, yet some agencies are operating on timelines slowed by a lack of funding, personnel shortages or delays in acquiring technology. Report has 'blind spots' But analysts immediately urged caution in ascribing meaning to the new report. "With so many agencies failing to report a full year of data for 2021, this years annual crime data release will have significant blind spots," the Brennan Center for Justice said in an analysis of the report. "It will probably be impossible to speak of a precise 'national' murder rate or 'national' violent crime rate for 2021... Policymakers will have to exercise great care when using this limited data," the Brennan analysis concluded. More: FBI: Record surge in 2020 murders; nearly 30% increase drives spike in violent crime Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, raised similar concerns. "When only 62% of agencies have provided one-year of data and you have to estimate for the others, that's a problem," Rosenfeld said. "Clearly, there is uncertainty surrounding the data released today. Let's hope this is a one-year blip." Incident-based reporting The FBI's incident-based system is designed to provide a deeper examination of crime in the United States that has been long dependent on a summary form of tracking in the agency's Uniform Crime Report. In addition to reporting major violent crimes and property offenses, the NIBRS system is expected to capture demographics of victims and offenders, while attempting to measure other offenses such as human trafficking, simple assault, bullying or intimidation. Historically, policy analysts and lawmakers have relied on the data to develop new crime fighting strategies or allocate additional resources, including more police officers, to jurisdictions in need of assistance even as some communities have feared that reports of rising crime could draw unwelcome national attention. Despite the limited data submissions from police agencies in Wednesday's report, federal authorities expressed confidence in the methodology. But authorities also offered their own clear caution, saying that the significance of the year-to-year changes were unclear given the limited participation of reporting agencies. "In most instances, differences in the comparison of 2021 data to 2020 do not meet the criteria for statistical significance," the report said. "However, it should be noted that the main contributor to that finding is the large amount of variation...that is measured in the 2020 data due to low coverage of participating agencies. As coverage increases, the FBI will be able to improve its ability to measure these critical metrics for the nation." The slight overall decrease in violent crime recorded in 2021 was driven in part by a nearly 9% decline in robbery, according to the report. Though the 4.3% murder increase follows a 29.4% surge in 2020. More: Homicides down but violent crime increased in major US cities, midyear survey says The new report comes in the midst of a super-charged election cycle in which communities across the country have been struggling to contain troubling outbreaks of violence and as local officials are seeking clarity in addressing the root causes of crime. The Major Cities Chiefs Association, a consortium of police officials representing the nation's largest law enforcement agencies, reported in August that overall violent crime was up 4.4% in its 2022 midyear survey of 70 cities. While the association reported a dip in homicide from the midyear totals in 2021, this year's report showed a 50% jump compared to 2019. These shocking numbers demonstrate how the sustained increase in violent crime has disproportionately impacted major urban areas," the association said in its August report. With the approaching election and crime surging, Adam Gelb, president and chief executive officer of the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice, said there is hunger for a meaningful accounting but he described the new report as "disappointing." "It's as clear as a glass of milk," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021 FBI crime data lacks information from major police agencies U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken visits the Migration Integration Center in Bogota, Colombia, on Oct. 4, 2022. (Luisa Gonzalez / Pool Photo) A new program designed to help settle Venezuelans who fled to Colombia could serve as a model for the world in dealing with todays unprecedented wave of immigration and forced displacement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Tuesday. But the program, paid in part by U.S. and European aid, may never get off the ground if Colombias new leftist President Gustavo Petro uses a just-announced rapprochement with Venezuela as reason to send immigrants and refugees home. Blinken spent part of the second day of a weeklong trip through South America to focus on immigration with a stop at a state-run center that connects displaced Venezuelans with government services and offers access to loans, schooling, training and ways to obtain legal residential status. Of the estimated 6 million Venezuelans who have fled their country as it plunged into economic, political and social crises under autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, about 2.5 million are believed to be living in Colombia as of August. Last year, Colombia formally offered temporary protected status to many Venezuelans, allowing them to remain in the country and work legally for 10 years. To do that, Colombia has set up the new "integration" program in nine cities. This allows Venezuelans to be productive, contributing members of the community, of society, Blinken said during a tour of the Migration Integration Center in Bogota. And we're not going to have a lost generation of Venezuelans. It is a remarkable model," he added. The Biden administration has provided $3 billion in aid to Colombia and neighboring countries to support displaced Venezuelans among other efforts. At last month's United Nations General Assembly, President Biden pledged an additional $350 million. Blinken spoke Tuesday against the backdrop of little children romping among brightly colored toys and squishy balls. He was introduced to a young couple, Christian Hernandez, 24, and Annelis Gomez, 23, whose 9-month-old son crawled at their feet. They fled a Venezuelan coastal town seven months ago and are living with his parents, who made the same escape five years earlier. Hernandezs mother, Diyana Mendoza, 46, said that when she arrived we were totally alone, but that with the new policies, circumstances have improved 100%. Her son was given a loan to learn how to sew jeans, his wife has been able to set up a small pastry business in her home and the child is attending preschool. Not everyone was quite as enthusiastic. Ivan Duran, a press officer in the opposition-controlled City Hall in Maracaibo, Venezuela, said he had to leave his home country 11 years ago when loyalists to the president began harassing and threatening him. While Colombians were initially welcoming, he said, over time they cooled to the arrival of so many people and it became impossible to gain legal work. Programs to integrate Venezuelans into society and give them legal rights are a positive beginning, he said. But they remain in their infancy, with only limited effect, he noted. Outside the story is very different, he said. There are barriers everywhere. Duran said many in the Venezuelan expatriate community are now worried about a potential new threat. All of the pro-immigrant policies, including temporary protected status, were adopted before Petro came to office in August. Like Maduro, Petro is a longtime leftist, and his decision to reopen Colombias long closed border with Venezuela and renew diplomatic and other ties has raised questions about how far he intends to go. We live in fear, Duran said. What drove us from Venezuela in the first place was precisely this form of government. At first it seems good with big plans, but then it shows its dark face. In a news conference with Blinken on Monday, Petro would not answer a journalists question about whether rapprochement with Caracas was a first step in forcing the Venezuelans to return home. He said he believed that data already show fewer Venezuelans arriving in Colombia, although he offered no proof to substantiate his assertion. If that is a result of the normalization of relations, then the free decision of the Venezuelan families in Colombia is what is to be respected, he said. At the same news conference, Blinken said his administrations strong hope was for the Maduro government to pursue dialogue with the Venezuelan opposition that leads to elections and restoration of democracy. The goal, he said, is to create a much better environment, and for all Venezuelans. That is fundamentally what is necessary for Venezuelans to not feel the obligation to leave the country that is theirs, as well as for Venezuelans who have left to return. U.S. officials doubt Petro would push to deport Venezuelans anytime soon, if at all. It would be an unpopular move, and he is still consolidating his power with many other pressing issues demanding his time. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, seen at a news conference at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, on Oct. 4, is running for re-election. (Reuters/Adriano Machado) Jair Bolsonaro, Brazils incumbent president, outperformed polling averages by as much as 8% in the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, setting up an Oct. 30 runoff with former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. All their predictions were wrong, and they are already the biggest losers of this election. We beat that lie, and now were going to win the election, Bolsonaro, who has spent months discrediting the integrity of Brazils elections, said Monday. Polling numbers leading up to last weekends voting had consistently shown a strong advantage for Lula, and Bolsonaro, much like one of his main foreign backers, former President Donald Trump, had routinely criticized those surveys, while also appearing to lay the groundwork for contesting his possible defeat. The population wants our government to continue. These polls are worthless, he told reporters in mid-September. Aggregate polling averages suggested he would only receive around 35% of the vote and that Lula might even win in the first round by receiving more than 50%. Instead, Bolsonaro received 43.2% and Lula secured 48.4%. Skepticism about polling is part of a larger effort by Bolsonaro to call into question Brazils electoral system. His comments have even hinted at violent confrontation and coincided with an increase in political violence in Brazil. In late August, he asserted that he would not leave office unless he were arrested or killed, adding, And let me tell the scum out there: I will never be arrested. Like Trump ahead of the 2020 U.S. election, Bolsonaro began casting doubt on electoral processes in Brazil long before Election Day, stating that he would only support the outcome if he felt the election was clean and transparent. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former president of Brazil, who will face Bolsonaro in a runoff vote in the current presidential election, at a meeting with campaign associates, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday. (Reuters/Carla Carniel) In July, Bolsonaro convened a meeting with foreign diplomats in Brazil to document his concerns about electoral fraud, although, like Trump, he failed to present any credible evidence of widespread voting irregularities. In a presentation to diplomats, he chose to focus on an incident that took place in 2018, in which a single hacker breached the countrys electronic voting system, but failed to access any voting machines or critical source code. Police ruled that the breach had no effect on the outcome of the election. In both countries, a lack of proof has not stopped claims of electoral fraud from spreading, and as in the U.S., a sizable percentage of the population in Brazil has doubts about the integrity of elections. An Axios-Momentive poll in January 2022 found that more than 40% of Americans did not believe President Biden had been legitimately elected. Likewise, just before Sundays race, a Gallup poll found that two-thirds of Brazilians reported they did not believe Brazils elections would be fair. Brazils electronic voting system, which has been in place since 1996, has robust security protocols and is subject to randomized testing, to ensure compliance with election norms. After criticisms from Bolsonaro in 2018, Brazils national electoral authority invited a record number of foreign observers to oversee this years voting, including from the Carter Center and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Bolsonaro and Lulas policies stand in stark contrast to one another. Bolsonaro has built a reputation as a nationalist espousing many conservative positions, including opposition to same-sex marriage, LGBTQ rights, abortion and environmental regulations, as well as support for gun ownership and for the military. Lula is running a campaign that strongly appeals to the working class, with promises to raise the minimum wage, expand the social safety net and, critically, crack down on deforestation in the Amazon. Both candidates have made promises to increase cash transfers to the countrys poorest populations. Trouble ahead? A man in Brasilia, the capital, walks past presidential campaign materials depicting former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and and President Jair Bolsonaro on Sept. 23. (Reuters/Adriano Machado) On Monday, the White House indicated that the election in Brazil had occurred in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner. According to the Brazilian Report, Brazils Justice Ministry reported 87 cases of vote buying or electoral corruption ... 71 violations of vote secrecy, 379 instances of illegal campaigning, and 62 instances of illegal transportation of voters. The big question is how far Bolsonaro and his supporters will go if he loses on Oct. 30. For months, experts have worried about the ramifications should he reject the election results, fearing an event like the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol or something worse. Before the first round, Bolsonaro told his supporters, If necessary, we will go to war. Of particular concern is Bolsonaros close relationship with the military and law enforcement, potentially his key allies if he tries to contest the election. At times, more than half of his Cabinet has been made up of former military officials. He has further raised alarm by pushing for the military to play a role in certifying the election results, inviting comparisons with the military dictatorship in Brazil that ended in 1985. Yet most analysts generally think that military intervention on behalf of Bolsonaro is unlikely. Brazils Supreme Court has taken steps to reduce political activity among military police and signaled its intention to reject any attempt by Bolsonaro to overturn the results should they go against him. Likewise, the army has made efforts to distance itself from Bolsonaro. This weekends voting passed off without violence, but observers worry that a close second round could be a recipe for trouble if the results do not go his way. Bolsonaros actions between now and when Brazilians return to the ballot box on Oct. 30 will be watched closely. Another Weed resident is suing the owner of the lumber mill linked to last months deadly wildfire, blasting the company for storing hot ash in a warehouse that burned to the ground. Robert Davies, 61, whose home was destroyed when the Mill Fire spread through Weed, sued Roseburg Forest Products Co., claiming the company failed to install a functioning sprinkler system that could have prevented the disaster. Two people were killed when fire leapt from Roseburgs property to the nearby Lincoln Heights neighborhood the afternoon of Sept. 2. Davies lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, is at least the third lawsuit filed against Roseburg. Investigators from Cal Fire are focusing on an old warehouse, known as Shed 17, where the fire appears to have started. Roseburg has acknowledged storing hot ash the residue from the companys nearby wood-burning electricity plant in a concrete bunker inside the building. Roseburg says a faulty sprinkler might have allowed the fire to ignite. The lawsuit called Shed 17 a ticking time bomb and claimed the ash had started fires on a frequent basis with the exact number of these internally-combated near miss catastrophes unknown to the public because no formal reports to administrative agencies were generated by Roseburg managers. State and local officials couldnt provide evidence that fire inspectors had ever gone inside the warehouse, according to a recent Sacramento Bee investigation. Weeds fire chief told The Bee that hes aware of at least two small fires inside the building in recent years. The lawsuit said that Roseburg relied on its own employees to put out the fires rather than fix the buildings fire-suppression system. Roseburg chose to save money, jeopardizing the safety of its employees and the general public instead of designing and maintaining a robust fire suppression system, Davies lawyer, Frank Pitre of the Bay area law firm Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy. Davies fled as flames raced toward his home, according to the lawsuit. When he returned to his property, he found only burned-out vehicles and the metal remnants of furniture, photos attached to the lawsuit show. Also lost in the fire: his late wifes ashes, which were in an urn atop the mantle. Now, the lawsuit says, because of a fire Roseburg should have prevented, he will never be allowed to honor his pledge and scatter his wifes ashes in Greece in accordance with her last wishes. The building is on the outskirts of Weed, in unincorporated Siskiyou County. The Bees investigation found that the county, which contracts with Cal Fire for fire-protection services, could have asked the state agency to inspect Shed 17 but didnt. Local and state government officials werent able to provide any records documenting whether theyd checked if Shed 17 had a functioning sprinkler system. Reporters also found that the lack of oversight at Shed 17 isnt unique. State laws require annual inspections at certain buildings, such as schools, apartment complexes and hotels, to make sure they meet Californias fire codes. But those inspection requirements dont cover certain industrial facilities, including warehouses such as Shed 17. Because of staffing shortages, fire officials in rural Northern California counties said they struggle to inspect all of the buildings for which theyre responsible. And even if fire officials had found the time to inspect Shed 17, no fire agency had been assigned to do so. The Mill Fire might end up being a wake up call to local government, said Robert Rowe, founder of Pyrocop, Inc., a Southern California fire investigation and consulting company. There may be just a huge gap with regard to fire prevention duties in parts of Siskiyou County as well as the city of Weed, Rowe said. There may have been just this huge void of enforcement and nobody picked up on it. Pete Hillan, a Roseburg spokesman, declined comment on the Davies lawsuit. California prosecutors will no longer be able to use musical artists' lyrics in criminal trials against them unless they meet specific parameters. It's a change with huge implications for racial equity. It's important to artists like Todd "Speech" Thomas, a rapper and member of the hip-hop group Arrested Development. "As artists, we have the right creatively and maybe even the duty to color our stories, to make it more appealing and entertaining," he said. "I have a song 'People Everyday' where I express beating up a guy, and it takes three or four cops to pull me off of him. I don't want to be in court one day and someone tried to imply by me having that lyric, that I'm a violent person." The change comes against the backdrop of a case in Atlanta where rapper Young Thug is accused of gang activity and possessing various drugs with intent to distribute them. Prosecutors used some of his lyrics as probable cause to charge him with a crime. "There's something back in the day, something from his life, that he pulls from to make these current hits," said hip-hop podcaster Mouse Jones. "That doesn't mean he's still doing it now." Jones is an influential voice in media and a popular voice in the hip-hop scene. To him, California's move is a good step, but it's not necessarily a hopeful one. "James Baldwin said to be conscious and live in America is to be in a state of anger at all times," Jones said. "As a Black man, that's really how I feel. It's like no matter what happens you're kind of left to think about it from a, 'Eh, so what?' standpoint." SEE MORE: Why Are Rap Lyrics Being Used In Court? To Speech, it's not just about decriminalizing artistic expression. He says this should also be a conversation about deemphasizing lyrics about crime in hip-hop music. "The industries and corporations magnify these artists far more than they do the plethora of other artists that exist within hip-hop that are not talking about these things," Speech said. Researchers have estimated about 500 cases over the last 30 years have used rap lyrics against their artists on trial. Erik Nielson is one of the researchers who published that figure. "It really does reside in a centuries-long tradition of law enforcement, institutions of power in the United States, suppressing and then often punishing Black artistic expression," Nielson said. Nielson wrote a whole book on this called "Rap on Trial." In an interview in June, he told Newsy it's racism that lends to the tendency to assume crimes described in hip-hop are more real than other genres for instance, Johnny Cash describing shooting a man in Reno, Nevada. "People have a difficult time believing well, first, that rap music is music but I think more to the point, that these young men are capable of producing complex and sophisticated art," Nielson said. "It's much easier for people to imagine that they're just chronicling their everyday activities." The new California law requires judges to weigh whether lyrics are directly related to the specific crime on trial a litmus test often not applied to White artists. "What other genre of music has constantly been on trial one way or another since its inception?" Jones said. "Let these human beings' art be just that," Speech said. "Let it be art." A former officer at the Benton County jail who smuggled drugs and cellphones to inmates was sentenced in federal court to three years and 10 months in prison on Tuesday. Eric Christian, 34, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide prohibited objects to an inmate between December 2019 and April 2020. He had worked at the jail since August 2016. He is accused of providing inmates in the jail in Kennewick with heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana and Suboxone, a prescription drug that can be used for pain but that also is a treatment for opioid addiction. He also is suspected of allowing or encouraging fights between inmates, including by sharing confidential information with inmates and purposely leaving cell doors open. Drugs and cellphones Christian gave to inmates were provided to him by three women in the community, one the girlfriend of Alejandro Leon, an inmate who was in the Benton County jail on federal drug charges. Mr. Christian was charged with protecting our community, and he breached that trust by providing dangerous criminals and gang members with access to illegal narcotics and unmonitored cellphones in the Benton County jail, said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. But Christians actions in accepting money to break the law and expose inmates at the jail to drugs and violence is the exception, not the rule, she said. We maintain a high level of expectations of those in law enforcement, said Benton County Sheriff Tom Croskrey. When these standards are compromised and criminal conduct occurs, we will hold these individuals accountable. U.S. Judge Stanley Bastian noted during the sentencing in Yakima that Christian not only allowed phones and drugs into the jail, threatening the safety of inmates, but was directly responsible for allowing other inmates to be targeted and assaulted. This abuse of trust and Christians turning a blind eye when other inmates were assaulted, shook the very core of a system that depends on correctional officers to keep inmates safe, he said. Bastian said he will recommend that Christian serve time in an East Coast federal prison for his protection. Request for lighter sentence The sentence the judge handed down was at the bottom of the standard sentencing range of three years and 10 months to four years and nine months. But Christians attorney, Troy J. Lee of Yakima, had asked the judge for less time. He argued in court documents that Christian had a difficult childhood, including his fathers death by suicide and later abuse, but had gone on to serve in the Navy and had no criminal history. Although it is difficult to make sense of why Christian smuggled contraband into the prison, partial answers lie in Mr. Christians mental health, according to his attorney. Christian has had contact with the Department of Veterans Affairs for mental health issues and has been on medications in the past, said his attorney. It is unlikely that Christian will reoffend, his attorney said in court documents. Eastern Washington U.S. District Court cases are heard at the federal courthouse in Yakima, Wash. Mop closet was cell drop Two inmates served as confidential informants in the case. One said that one morning before breakfast Christian went into a mop closet with a bag of rags containing phones and drugs. He told inmate Lance Horntvedt the phones were in the closet and Horntvedt retrieved them, according to court documents. Horntvedt was a Tri-Cities gang leader who was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison for forcing women through threats and violence to provide sex for money. He is also a defendant in the inmate contraband case, but has not been sentenced yet. Horntvedt is accused of receiving contraband, keeping some for himself and distributing the rest to Leon and two other inmates, Joel Cervantes and Giovanni Kinsey. In another incident, a jail officer saw Leon carry a manila envelope into the jails law library and unplug a computer there, according to a court document. The officer later found a phone charger plugged into the outlet that had been used for the computer and a cellphone was found in the manila envelope. When inmates were scheduled to be moved, Christian alerted them that they should get rid of anything they were not supposed to have, one confidential informant said. Jail inmate assaults One of the confidential informants said Christian also let inmates know which inmates were ordered to be kept separate for their own safety. A former Benton County jail corrections officer is sentenced for a conspiracy to smuggle cell phones and drugs into the jail for inmates. One informant told officials that Christian would open the doors to sex offenders cells and tell other inmates to, Do what you got to do. The other informant said Christian purposely left an inmates cell door open to allow an assault by fellow gang members over a perceived wrongdoing as a gang member. The attackers cell also was left open. Christian deflected knowledge of the assault by grabbing the law library cart and leaving the area, according to the confidential informant. The inmate later was seen to have injuries to his face, including a black eye. When a different inmate said that Christian had allowed the assault, Christian let other inmates go through his belongings and take what they wanted. The informant said Christian was laughing and said, He aint got nothing left up in there. Other sentencings In addition to Horntvedt and Christian, five other defendants in the jail contraband case have been sentenced. Leon received a five-year sentence, which was in connection with another case that also was resolved. Cervantes was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison. Kinsey was sentenced to time served. Two of the three women who provided items to smuggle into the jail, Alyssa Cantu and Marilou Martinez, were sentenced to time served. The third woman, Tiffanie Sanders, has not been sentenced. The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Tri-Cities Task Force and the Benton County Sheriffs Office. Stephanie Van Marter, assistant U.S. attorney, prosecuted the case. It is unacceptable for a public official to violate their responsibility and position of community trust, said U.S. Marshal Craig Thayer. Law enforcement will not tolerate the very few who dishonor their badge, as the vast majority continue to serve with honor and integrity. EL PASO, Texas A Mexican citizen was fatally shot by the U.S. Border Patrol on Tuesday afternoon at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station, officials said. The shooting happened about 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the man was in custody when he was shot. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the FBI, which is leading the investigation. The Mexican Consulate in El Paso confirmed the man was a Mexican citizen and that he was being processed at the station when criminal charges against him were discovered. Officials have not said what led up to the incident, and details about the person killed and how many Border Patrol agents were involved were not disclosed. A statement from Border Patrol said agents at the station were "involved in a shooting incident" and "one person in custody was shot and transported to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment." Border Patrol spokesman Agent Carlos Rivera said he could not confirm information posted on social media that claimed the detainee was shot after a confrontation with officers, citing the ongoing investigation. A shooting was reported at the Ysleta Border Patrol Station in far East El Paso on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. Over 230 people have died as a result of encounters with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol since 2010, according to the Southern Border Communities Coalition. Detention Watch Network, a group advocating to end immigration detention in the U.S., said in a statement to USA TODAY that the immigration enforcement system is "plagued by inhumane conditions" and lacks accountability. Detention Watch Network program director Stacy Suh told USA TODAY that people detained at the border, no matter the reason, often have no recourse or remedy in the situation. Regardless of whether someone has a criminal charge or not, no one deserves to be killed, and so its very disturbing that this incident has happened and we have yet to find out more information, Suh said. Tuesday's shooting was the second deadly shooting along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks. On Sept. 27, two migrants were shot, one fatally, while getting water on the border about 90 miles east of El Paso. In that case, two Texas brothers including one who had been a warden at a detention center that has housed immigrants were arrested and charged with manslaughter. The man who was killed and the woman who was wounded in Hudspeth County were both from Mexico, the consulate said Tuesday. Contributing: Associated Press. The U.S. Border Patrol is part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a component of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: El Paso border patrol shooting kills Mexican citizen; FBI investigates After pushing a congressional redistricting plan through the Legislature this spring, Gov. Ron DeSantis administration is fighting to prevent the release of documents to plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the plan. Attorneys for the plaintiffs this week asked a Leon County circuit judge to reject a DeSantis administration request to shield it from having to release a wide range of documents related to redistricting. The administration in September sought a protective order, contending that the documents are shielded by legislative and executive privilege. The requested documents range from communications related to the anti-gerrymandering Fair Districts constitutional amendments that voters passed in 2010 to communications with U.S. House leaders and the Republican National Committee. The plaintiffs ask to peer behind the legislative record, public statements and public records that serve as sources for the intent and effect behind the (redistricting) bill being challenged, the administrations Sept. 6 motion said. The legislative and executive privileges rooted in the Florida Constitutions express and structural separation of powers, as well as longstanding common law stand in the plaintiffs way. But in a filing Monday, attorneys for the plaintiffs disputed the arguments about legislative and executive privilege and pointed to the intricately involved role the governors office played in creating the redistricting plan, which is expected to add as many as four Republicans to the states congressional delegation. In a case such as this, where movants (DeSantis and J. Alex Kelly, a deputy chief of staff) drew the redistricting maps that are at issue in this case, neither privilege can justify movants refusal to respond to plaintiffs narrow discovery requests seeking information that goes to the very heart of this case, the filing said. The plaintiffs, including groups such as the League of Women Voters and individual voters, filed the lawsuit in April, alleging that the redistricting plan violates a Fair Districts amendment that applies to congressional districts. The Fair Districts amendments set standards for the once-a-decade reapportionment process. The lawsuit names as defendants Secretary of State Cord Byrd, the Senate and the House. It does not name DeSantis and Kelly as defendants. Circuit Judge J. Lee Marsh has scheduled a trial in August 2023. The Republican-dominated Legislature passed the redistricting plan during an April special session after DeSantis vetoed an earlier version. DeSantis office proposed the map that ultimately passed, with GOP lawmakers not offering alternatives during the special session. While the plan is being challenged in state and federal courts, it is being used in the November elections. Based on past voting trends, it could increase the number of Republicans in the congressional delegation from 16 to 20. DeSantis contended the redistricting plan would prevent racial gerrymandering. But opponents argued it would diminish the chances of electing Black candidates by making changes such as overhauling a North Florida district that in recent years elected Al Lawson, a Black Democrat. The plaintiffs request for documents is based, in part, on a Florida Supreme Court ruling after the 2012 redistricting process. Justices required disclosure of documents that showed behind-the-scenes involvement of Republican operatives with lawmakers in drawing maps. Ultimately, legal challenges led to the Legislature needing to redraw the 2012 congressional and state Senate maps. The disputes in 2012 centered on the Legislature, not then-Gov. Rick Scott. In Mondays filing, the plaintiffs lawyers argued that Florida courts have never recognized the concept of executive privilege and that DeSantis is not covered by legislative privilege. No Florida court has ever suggested Floridas governor may invoke a legislative privilege, for good reason, the filing said. As the governor himself has argued, his role in approving and vetoing legislation is an executive power, not a legislative power. The filing also contends that many documents involve communications with third parties and, as a result, could not be covered by legislative privilege. As an example, it seeks communications between the governors office and Andy Foltz, a political consultant who was identified as helping the DeSantis administration on redistricting. Communications between the governors office and Foltz, as well as any other outside consultant, are plainly discoverable, the filing said. They are also highly relevant to plaintiffs claims. In the last (2012) redistricting cycle, for example, the Florida Supreme Court found that discovery revealing the Legislatures discussions with redistricting consultants was highly probative of unlawful partisan intent. But in the Sept. 6 motion, lawyers for the DeSantis administration said the governors reasons for vetoing the initial redistricting plan and approving the special-session plan are already public. As an example, Kelly, who was a point man for DeSantis on the issue, testified before the Legislature. The motion contended that the legislative privilege extends to DeSantis. The legislative privilege is essential to the proper functioning of the legislative and executive branches within their respective roles in the legislative process, the motion said. Both branches depend on participants being able to freely act on legislation, as members of the legislative branch propose, consider and vote on legislation, while the executive branch fulfills its responsibilities incident to the power to approve or veto legislation. In the brief, the administrations lawyers acknowledged that executive privilege is not yet specifically recognized in Florida but said it is rooted in the Florida Constitutions text and structure and should shield the documents. Though both the governors basic rationale (race neutrality) and Mr. Kellys testimony (his district-by-district presentation before the Florida Legislature) are already public, any further inquiry through the subpoenas at issue would have a chilling effect on the Executive Office of the Governor and the processes undertaken when promoting and supporting legislation, the motion said. FILE - A relative wearing a T-Shirt with an image of a disappeared boy, inspects an area where the group suspects there are interred bodies of missing persons, just outside of Cuautla, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021. Activists said Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, that Esmeralda Gallardo, who led efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter, was killed in Mexico, the fourth murder of a volunteer search activist in Mexico since the start of 2021. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) MEXICO CITY (AP) Yet another mother searching for her disappeared child has been killed in Mexico, the fourth murder of a volunteer search activist in Mexico since the start of 2021. Activists said Tuesday the victim was Esmeralda Gallardo, who led efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter. The activist group Voice of the Disappeared in Puebla said Gallardo was killed in the city of Puebla, east of Mexico City. Prosecutors in Puebla confirmed the killing, and pledged to solve the case as quickly as possible. But the group called on authorities in a statement to leave aside the superficial speeches and guarantee the safety of the victims, and the rights and safety of the families of the disappeared. The U.N. human rights office in Mexico said Gallardo had been shot to death. The U.N. office condemned the killing and said in a statement that Gallardo had provided relevant information about her daughter's disappearance which was not effectively taken into account during the search or the investigation of the crime. Gallardo's daughter, Betzabe Alvarado Gallardo, disappeared in the low-income neighborhood of Villa Frontera in January 2021. In August, search activist Rosario Rodriguez Barraza was killed in the northern state of Sinaloa, home to the drug cartel of the same name. In 2021, in the northern state of Sonora, searcher Aranza Ramos was found dead a day after her search group found a still-smoking body disposal pit. Earlier that year, volunteer search activist Javier Barajas Pina was gunned down in the state of Guanajuato, Mexicos most violent. The motive in those killings remained unclear; in the past, many searchers have said publicly they arent looking for evidence to convict killers. Most volunteer search teams are made up of mothers of Mexicos over 100,000 missing people. Faced with official inaction or incompetence, many mothers are forced to do their own investigations or join search teams which, often acting on tips, cross gullies and fields, sinking iron rods into the ground to detect the tell-tale stench of decomposing bodies. The searchers, and the police who sometimes accompany them, usually focus on finding graves and identifying remains. Search groups sometimes even get anonymous tips about where bodies are buried, knowledge probably available only to the killers or their accomplices. But the mainly female volunteers often recount getting threats and being watched presumably by the same people who murdered their children, brothers and husbands. After the killing in August, a group of search groups known as collectives issued a statement demanding protection for searching mothers. No mother should be killed for searching for her children, the coalition wrote. On the contrary, the government is obligated to ensure their safety in continuing their searches, as long as thousands of cases of disappeared people continue to pile up. The community of Desert Shores on the northwest side of the Salton Sea. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) For as long as the Salton Sea has faced the threat of ecological collapse, some local residents and environmentalists have advocated a radical cure for the deteriorating lake: a large infusion of ocean water. By moving desalinated seawater across the desert, they say, California could stop its largest lake from shrinking and growing saltier and could restore its once-thriving ecosystem. Without more water, they argue, the lake will continue to decline, and its retreating shorelines will expose growing stretches of dry lake bed that spew hazardous dust and greenhouse gases. "The Salton Sea is drying up, along with water for our people and the environment," the Salton City nonprofit the EcoMedia Compass says on its website. "Let's ensure water resource sustainability for future generations, and import water from the ocean." But advocates of tapping ocean water were dealt a significant blow when a state-appointed panel of experts rejected the idea after a yearlong review. The seven-member panel analyzed proposals that would involve desalinating seawater in Mexico, at the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, and sending it north across the border. The panel concluded that California shouldnt pursue such a plan, citing costs estimated in the tens of billions of dollars, harm to the coastal environment and a construction timeline that would take many years before any water would reach the lake. Its not feasible, said Brent Haddad, an environmental studies professor at UC Santa Cruz who led the panel's research team. "The panel feels that the state should no longer consider water importation from the Sea of Cortez to restore the Salton Sea." The panel presented its conclusions in two reports and discussed the findings in a virtual meeting last week. The analysis has drawn condemnation from advocates of importing seawater, who argued that it was deeply flawed and seemed geared toward ruling out the concept. Researchers from UC Riverside use a corer to collect sediment samples from the lake bottom to study the effects of runoff from farms. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) It's a travesty," said Tom Sephton, board president of the EcoMedia Compass. "What they did is essentially find a way to eliminate ocean water import from consideration for the indefinite future. Sephton, who runs a small demonstration desalination project at the Salton Sea, submitted one of the proposals that the panel considered. He strongly disagreed with the panels approach and cost estimates, calling the conclusions completely bogus. The debate reflects a long-standing and entrenched rift over how California should deal with the Salton Sea's worsening condition as the state adapts to recurrent droughts compounded by the effects of climate change. While rejecting the idea of piping in ocean water, the panel instead recommended that the state negotiate a deal with the Imperial Irrigation District to pay farmers who would voluntarily leave farmland dry and contribute water to the lake. Such an approach, which state officials have yet to endorse, would face major hurdles. Farmers in the Imperial Valley are already under pressure to reduce water use as part of efforts to prevent the Colorado Rivers reservoirs from dropping to dangerously low levels. The historic shortage on the river, amid a 23-year megadrought amplified by climate change, has left water agencies scrambling to secure water cutbacks to shore up Lake Mead, which stores a dwindling supply for California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. An egret takes off from marshland at the Salton Sea. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) The Salton Sea covers more than 300 square miles in Imperial and Riverside counties. It is nearly 240 feet below sea level in the Salton Trough, which over thousands of years has cycled between filling with Colorado River water and drying out. The flooding river filled the Salton Sea from 1905 to 1907; it has since been sustained by water draining off farms in the Imperial Valley. The lake has been shrinking since the early 2000s, when the Imperial Irrigation District began selling a portion of its water to growing urban areas under an agreement with agencies in San Diego County and the Coachella Valley. The lakes level has declined about 11 feet since 2003. Its water is now about twice as salty as the ocean and continues to get saltier with evaporation, a shift that has caused drastic declines in fish and bird populations. Along the dry shorelines, windblown dust contributes to harmful air pollution in low-income, predominantly Latino communities, where people suffer from asthma at high rates. Californias 10-year plan for the Salton Sea, which came out in 2017, called for building nearly 30,000 acres of dust-control projects and wetland habitat around the lake by 2028. After years of delays, workers with heavy machinery have been moving soil at the southern end of the lake as part of a 4,110-acre project aimed at suppressing dust and creating habitat for fish and birds. In October 2021, state officials appointed the panel of experts, including water researchers and engineers, to study water importation concepts. The panel considered 18 ideas and found that all but three had fatal flaws. Shorebirds take flight near the Sonny Bono National Wildlife Refuge at the south end of the Salton Sea. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) In its summary report, the panel said that because the three proposals had similarities, they were combined into a single concept. This included building a large desalination plant at the Gulf of California, discharging the brine byproduct offshore and sending fresh water flowing 190 miles north through two steel pipelines. The concept also called for building a desalination plant at the Salton Sea to gradually reduce the salt content. The panel estimated the initial cost at $65.7 billion or $78.4 billion, depending on the scenario, and rejected the concept based on its high cost, environmental damage, minimal benefits to Mexico and other issues. The panel rejected an alternative that would have involved desalinating water in Mexico and exchanging the resulting fresh water for Colorado River water. It instead recommended that the state work with the Imperial Irrigation District to develop a voluntary, compensated fallowing program, in which farmers would be paid to reduce water use. The goal would be to secure 145,000 acre-feet of water per year for the lake more than 5% of the 2.6 million acre-feet that the IID diverts annually. This approach would also include building a desalination plant that would take in water from the Salton Sea and put fresh water back. The brine would flow into evaporation ponds, and the dried salt would be loaded onto trains and shipped to landfills. The panel estimated the initial cost at $17 billion. Robert Glennon, a panel member and University of Arizona law professor, said the idea of importing water from the Gulf of California or the Pacific Ocean didnt make sense when there were alternatives for a fraction of the money, without the environmental harms, and that could be implemented much sooner. Glennon said speed is crucial to prevent the lake's salinity from reaching frightening levels. He said the groups recommendations would achieve salinity levels that enable fish to survive and birds to return and would include an aggressive campaign of dust suppression. State officials said they will consider the panels findings as they prepare a long-range plan for the Salton Sea. During the virtual meeting, Haddad said the panel recommends stabilizing the sea at a smaller but still large volume and focusing on rapidly lowering its salinity. As he spoke, the Zoom chat filled with angry criticism. One listener wrote: It is the worst possible solution. Some argued that the idea of asking farmers to fallow their fields is unrealistic given the Colorado River shortage. Haddad replied that doing this would be a trade-off. He said it would be up to the state to decide and to pursue negotiations with the Imperial Irrigation District. Kerry Morrison, founder of the EcoMedia Compass and a longtime supporter of importing ocean water, said the original proposals were far cheaper than the one the panel analyzed. You didn't take into account the economic feasibility of this, Morrison told the panel. We know it's doable. Sephton, whose proposal was rejected, asked why the team decided on expensive pipelines instead of a canal, which would be far more economical. Sephton accused the panel of trying to make water importation appear impractical and expensive, saying it created a concept that was "designed to fail." They vastly overinflated the cost of everything, Sephton said. Jenny E. Ross, a research affiliate of the Stout Research Center, said the panel recommended a seriously misguided plan that wasnt previously disclosed and would rely on unsustainable use of Colorado River water. Ross said the plan would result in shriveling the Salton Sea to a fraction of its size, worsening hazardous dust, and would cause large emissions of greenhouse gases. In her research, Ross has said that the collapse of the ecosystem and exposure of vast areas of lake bed including sediment loaded with organic matter from decomposed aquatic life would likely lead to a major increase in emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. She said restoring the Salton Sea and reviving its ecosystem would have a positive effect by capturing and storing carbon. Ocean water importation is the only approach that can actually achieve true long-term restoration of the Salton Sea, Ross said in an email. She said its also the only plan that would use a guaranteed water supply independent of the Colorado River, thereby enabling the restored lake to be immune to the future vagaries of climate change and to increasing aridification. Proposals to pump ocean water between the Gulf of California and the Salton Sea have been discussed since the 1990s, initially to address rising salinity. In the 1950s and 60s, when the Salton Sea was much less salty, it attracted tourists who fished and went boating and waterskiing. But by the 1990s, the lakes eutrophic conditions were leading to mass die-offs of fish and birds. In recent years, rising salinity has further limited food sources for birds. Some remnants of the lakes heyday, including old buildings and docks, stand abandoned near the retreating shores. Michael Cohen, a senior researcher with the Pacific Institute, has long criticized water import proposals, which he says are a distraction from the real work that faces us, which is getting projects on the ground now. Cohen said that after years of delays, the states efforts are starting to move in the right direction, with funding and projects that will create thousands of acres of habitat and suppress dust. He expects that the proposal to fallow farmland for the Salton Sea wont happen at a time when California is already discussing the need for large cutbacks in Colorado River water. But the panels conclusions, he said, help focus on the importance of near-term, feasible efforts that can rely on available water supplies. We need to come to grips with the aridification of the West, in which there's simply less water available, Cohen said. We need to live within our means. We cant rely on pumping in large amounts of water from somewhere else. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea launched two ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Thursday, as the United States redeployed one of its aircraft carriers near the Korean Peninsula in response to the Norths recent launch of a powerful missile over Japan. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the launches were made 22 minutes apart from the Norths capital region on Thursday morning. It said South Korea has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the United States. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also confirmed the North Korean missile launches, saying the weapons firings are absolutely intolerable. The launches Thursday were North Koreas sixth round of weapons firings in less than two weeks, which has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries. North Korea on Tuesday fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains. It was North Koreas most provocative weapons demonstration in years. Experts said the weapon was likely a Hwasong-12 missile capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond. Thursday's launches came as the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan returned to waters east of South Korea in what South Korea's military called an attempt to demonstrate the allies firm will to counter Norths continued provocations and threats. The carrier was in the area last week as part of drills between South Korea and the United States and the allies other training involving Japan. North Korea considers such U.S.-led drills near the peninsula as an invasion rehearsal. The United States and South Korea have also been responding to North Korean tests with their own live-fire drills that have so far involved land-to-land ballistic missiles and precision-guided bombs dropped from fighter jets. But one of the tit-for-tat launches nearly caused catastrophe early Wednesday when a malfunctioning South Korean Hyumoo-2 missile flipped shortly after liftoff and crashed into an air force base in the eastern coastal city of Gangneung. South Koreas military said no one was hurt from the crash and civilian facilities werent affected. After Tuesdays launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. North Koreas Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that it strongly condemns the Korean Peoples Army on South Korea-U.S. joint drills escalating the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea carried out a record number of missile tests this year amid long-stalled diplomacy with the United States. Observers say North Korea aims to expand its nuclear arsenal to boost its leverage in future negotiations with the United States. ___ Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this story. HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) A Texas death row inmate whose case redefined the role of spiritual advisers in death chambers nationwide was executed Wednesday, despite the efforts of a district attorney to stop his lethal injection. John Henry Ramirez, 38, was executed at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was convicted of killing 46-year-old Pablo Castro in 2004, as he took out the trash while working at a convenience store in Corpus Christi. I have regret and remorse, Ramirez told five relatives of Castro including four of his children as they watched through a window a few feet from him. "This is such a heinous act. I hope this finds you comfort. If this helps you, then I am glad. I hope in some shape or form this helps you find closure. He expressed love to his wife, son and friends, concluding with: Just know that I fought a good fight, and I am ready to go." As the lethal dose of pentobarbital took effect, he took several short breaths then began snoring. Within a minute, all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead 14 minutes later, at 6:41 p.m. CDT. This undated photo shows John Henry Ramirez. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP) Prosecutors said Ramirez robbed Castro of $1.25 then stabbed him 29 times. Castros killing took place during a series of robberies conducted by Ramirez and two women following a three-day drug binge. Ramirez fled to Mexico but was arrested 3 years later. Ramirez challenged state prison rules that prevented his pastor from touching him and praying aloud during his execution, saying his religious freedom was being violated. That challenge led to his execution being delayed as well as the executions of others. In March, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with Ramirez, saying states must accommodate the wishes of death row inmates who want to have their faith leaders pray and touch them during their executions. Before Ramirez made his final comments, his spiritual adviser, Dana Moore, placed his right hand on the inmates chest, and held it there for the duration of the execution. With his back to witnesses, Moore offered a brief prayer. Look upon John with your grace, he prayed. Grant him peace. Grant all of us peace. He spoke of the Lord is my shepherd. As Moores prayer ended, Ramirez responded: Amen. On Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously declined to commute Ramirezs death sentence to a lesser penalty. According to his attorney, Ramirez had exhausted all possible appeals and no final request to halt the execution was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. The lead prosecutor at Ramirezs trial in 2008, Mark Skurka, said it was unfair that Ramirez had someone praying over him as he died when Castro didnt have the same opportunity. It has been a long time coming, but Pablo Castro will probably finally get the justice that his family has sought for so long, despite the legal delays, said Skurka, who later served as Nueces County district attorney before retiring. Ramirezs attorney, Seth Kretzer, said while he feels empathy for Castros family, his clients challenge was about protecting religious freedoms for all. Ramirez was not asking for something new but something that has been part of jurisprudence throughout history, Kretzer said. He said even Nazi war criminals were provided ministers before their executions after World War II. That was not a reflection on some favor we were doing for the Nazis, Kretzer said. Providing religious administration at the time of death is a reflection of the relative moral strength of the captors. Kretzer said Ramirezs spiritual adviser, was also allowed to hold a Bible in the death chamber, which hadnt been permitted before, but it was unclear to witnesses whether Moore was carrying the book. Ramirezs case took another turn in April when current Nueces County District Attorney Mark Gonzalez asked a judge to withdraw the death warrant and delay the execution, saying it had been requested by mistake. Gonzalez said he considers the death penalty unethical. During a nearly 20-minute Facebook live video, Gonzalez said he believes the death penalty is one of the many things wrong with our justice system. Gonzalez said he would not seek the death penalty while he remains in office. He did not return a phone call or email seeking comment. Also in April, four of Castros children filed a motion asking that Ramirezs execution order be left in place. I want my father to finally have his justice as well as the peace to finally move on with my life and let this nightmare be over, Fernando Castro, one of his sons, said in the motion. In June, a judge declined Gonzalez request to withdraw Wednesdays execution date. Last month, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals declined to even consider the request. Ramirez was the third inmate put to death this year in Texas and the 11th in the U.S. Two more executions are scheduled this year in Texas, both in November. ___ Lozano reported from Houston. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 Immigrants gather with their belongings outside St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Wednesday Sept. 14, 2022, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha's Vineyard. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flew two planes of immigrants to Martha's Vineyard, escalating a tactic by Republican governors to draw attention to what they consider to be the Biden administration's failed border policies. (Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) SAN ANTONIO (AP) The mysterious woman who allegedly lured dozens of migrants on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flights to Martha's Vineyard from San Antonio has been identified by several media outlets as Perla H. Huerta, a former combat medic and U.S. Army counterintelligence agent living in Tampa. The New York Times reported late Sunday that a Venezuelan migrant who was working with Huerta to recruit migrants confirmed her identity, and a migrant in San Antonio whom Huerta had unsuccessfully sought to sign up identified a photo of her. CNN reported that a friend of Huerta confirmed her identity in a photo provided by a migrant. Pictures have been circulating of the woman until now known simply as Perla after she allegedly recruited many of the 48 Venezuelan migrants outside a city-operated shelter in downtown San Antonio and moved them at a La Quinta Inn, before they were flown to the upscale Massachusetts island at the expense of Florida taxpayers. The San Antonio Express-News, citing unnamed sources, reported Monday that the Bexar County Sheriffs Office, which includes San Antonio, considers Huerta, 43, a person of interest in its criminal investigation into the incident. Sheriffs office spokesman Johnny Garcia said in a statement Monday the office had not confirmed or identified any persons of interest in the ongoing investigation. Asked about Huerta, Garcia had told the Express-News, We are not publicly identifying anybody. The Associated Press tried numerous phone numbers and emails for potential matches for Perla H. Huerta or possible relatives, and got no answer or the lines were disconnected. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar has said hes looking into whether the migrants were lied to or if the two flights last month broke any laws. Some migrants have said they were enticed with McDonald's gift cards and promises of jobs and housing that never materialized. U.S. Army spokesperson Madison Bonzo confirmed to the AP that a Perla H. Huerta left the military in August and served as a combat medic and worked in counterintelligence. She held the rank of master sergeant when she left the service and had deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Djibouti. DeSantis said he used contractors for the operation, but he has refused to release details or the contracts. A post-Brexit UK-Morocco trade agreement is being challenged in the High Court by campaigners who argue it was concluded without obtaining the consent of people from the disputed Western Sahara territory. The Western Sahara Campaign UK (WSCUK), which supports self-determination for the Saharawi people of the north-west African territory, has brought legal action against the Department for International Trade and the Treasury over the UK-Morocco Association Agreement (UKMAA). The group alleges Morocco is unlawfully occupying Western Sahara, and that controlling and trading in the territorys resources without consent lacks any legal basis and is akin to expropriation. The UKMAA, concluded in October 2019, mirrors and succeeded an European Union (EU) agreement with Morocco when it ceased to apply to the UK after Brexit. Brought into effect via secondary legislation, it provides a preferential rate of import duty to goods originating in Western Sahara subject to controls by customs authorities of Morocco, the High Court was told. WSCUK lawyers have previously claimed that extending the agreement to goods and resources from Western Sahara a non-self governing territory over which Morocco claims sovereignty would put the UK Government in breach of its obligations under international law. The Government, which is opposing the WSCUK challenge at an expected three-day hearing in London, says the groups arguments are without merit and should be dismissed. Victoria Wakefield KC, representing WSCUK, told a hearing on Wednesday that there was a need to obtain the consent of the people of Western Sahara, adding: I say that consent was not obtained. In written submissions, she said the UK Government was misinterpreting and misapplying regulations and fell into error when making them. She said that the proper interpretation of the UKMAA is that it applies only to goods lawfully in the control of Morocco and that it does not apply to goods originating from Western Sahara, until consent is obtained. Non-self governing territories have rights, under both the UN Charter and customary international law, to determine for themselves how their resources are used and traded with third countries, Ms Wakefield said, adding that the UKMAA precludes Western Sahara from establishing its own, different, trading arrangements in respect of those products with the UK. She claimed that the UK did not seek to obtain consent in respect of the UKMAA, with the Government referring to a previous manifestly inadequate EU Commission consultation exercise. None of the huge number of Saharawi refugee population, which fled to refugee camps in Algeria and elsewhere following Moroccos invasion were consulted, Ms Wakefield said, adding that the commission asked the wrong people the wrong questions. She said that EU courts had repeatedly held that the application of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement (EUMAA) to goods originating from Western Sahara is unlawful. Ms Wakefield added that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had established that Morocco has no right to sovereignty over Western Sahara and that the latter has the right to self-determination. There is no basis under international law by which Morocco can control, and trade in, Western Sahara resources, Ms Wakefield said. Doing so without consent, lacks any legal basis and is akin to expropriation. Sir James Eadie KC, representing the UK Government, said in written submissions that its decision to conclude a treaty in the terms of the UKMAA cannot be challenged, directly or indirectly. This is because decisions to enter into treaties are the exclusive prerogative of the Government, he said, adding that the decisions in relation to the UKMAA had already been scrutinised through parliamentary procedures. Sir James argued there was no proper domestic law footing for WSCUKs international law arguments and that the group had not established the condition of consent was applicable in relation to the trade deal. He said it was tenable for the UK to rely on and be satisfied with the EU Commissions conclusion that having consulted elected officials and representatives of civil society in Western Sahara, a large majority is in favour of extending tariff preferences to products originating in Western Sahara. The barrister also said that a decision of the Government to enter into a treaty is not reviewable by the courts and was non-justiciable. The hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice before Mrs Justice Cockerill continues, with a ruling expected at a later date. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The Global Innovation Forum (GIF) has again gathered famous figures, leaders of the field in Yerevan who are here to support Armenia to advance technology and science, Andre Andonian, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) said during the opening ceremony of the Forum. Everybody is here to support Armenia, to support us to advance technology and skill up innovation. We have participants from Armenia and around the world. We are all engaged here in an open dialogue, and hopefully, strengthen Armenia but also advance technology and build mutual respect and trust with local science and tech community, he said. Andre Andonian said that the Forum is being held since 2017, and each year outstanding science and tech professionals gather here in Yerevan to share their ideas, vision. We are back with new ideas, with fresh energy, to support the advancement of the ecosystem to science technology and innovation. I believe that science and innovation have become even more powerful. And artificial intelligence is growing rapidly and is important for the society and the industry, he stated. Mr. Andonian presented also statistics of artificial intelligence, stating that according to the forecasts until 2025, 85 million jobs will be eliminated, but at the same time 97 million jobs will be created. He also touched upon FAST, stating that the Foundation, that was created to ensure scientific and technological development in Armenia, has registered significant achievements. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The term of the parliamentary commission probing the circumstances of the 44-Day War was extended by another 6 months. The decision was adopted with 65 votes in favor. Only the Civil Contract caucus is participating in the parliament session as the opposition parties continue boycotting it. Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Andranik Kocharyan had proposed lawmakers to extend the term of the parliamentary inquiry into the 2020 war. He had said that there is a need to obtain numerous other documents and data from the defense ministry and other agencies after the examination of thousands of pages of classified information. The commission is now studying new documents and combining data. Kocharyan described it as a rather difficult, extensive, lengthy and responsible work, based on which it is possible to identify the persons who are subject to investigation by the commission. The commission has already summoned two people, one of whom is former foreign minister Vartan Oskanian, who refused to make an appearance. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The German Foreign Ministry said the reports on executions of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani troops are extremely concerning and must be clarified. Auf Haypress-Anfrage heit es aus dem @AuswaertigesAmt: Jungste Berichte uber die Hinrichtung von armenischen Kriegsgefangenen durch aserbaidschanische Soldaten sind extrem verstorend und mussen aufgeklart werden. Deutschland verurteile Verstoe gegen humanitares Volkerrecht. pic.twitter.com/yqVMw4IZPu HAYPRESS (@HAYPRESS_news) October 4, 2022 The reports on executions of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijanis are extremely concerning and must be clarified. Germany condemns the violations of international humanitarian law, the German Foreign Ministry said in response to a query from Haypress media outlet. The footage of the gruesome killings of Armenian PoWs by Azeri troops was posted online in Azeri social media. The authenticity of the video has been validated by the Human Rights Defender and the Defense Ministry using video data base material, comparative analyses of terrain, weather conditions, conversations and uniforms of the troops. Analysis of the video showed that it was filmed on September 13, during the large-scale Azeri attack on Armenia. Armenia officially applied to the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice on October 3 over the executions. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) condemn the cases of targeting of medics and ambulances during war situations, Flavio Salio, WHO EMT Network Leader told reporters during the 5th Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Global Meeting in Yerevan. He said that the medical workers should never be under target during military operations. Unfortunately, the attacks on medics and their targeting have become much more in the past five years. It is definitely a crime and should be condemned, he said. Gerald Rockenschaub, WHO Regional Emergency Director for Europe, stated that every time they hear about such incidents happening in Armenia, they are conducting documentation. We have registered 150 similar cases in Ukraines case, he said. Armenian Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan also condemned such actions and emphasized that all attacks on ambulances as a result of both the 44-Day Artsakh War and the latest aggression of the Azerbaijani armed forces have been documented. All evidences are presented both though monitoring challenges and to the WHO. Such acts must always be strongly condemned and never be repeated, she said. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. 61 of the troops who were wounded in action during the latest Azerbaijani attack completed treatment and were discharged from hospitals as of October 5, while 40 others completed treatment but are undergoing rehabilitation, the defense ministry said. The ministry added that at this moment there are no critically wounded soldiers in hospitals. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The process of Armenias joining the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has started in the beginning of 2022, the final registration will take place in about a year, depending on the ongoing processes in the WHO, First Deputy Minister of Healthcare Lena Nanushyan said, adding that Armenia had such informal teams both during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 War. She said that each year the WHO is implementing global forums for Emergency Medical Teams, which this year is being held in Armenia. Based on the developments of the past years we saw that the healthcare system is fully ready to resist all those problems, but only when we create these separate groups, meet the WHO criteria. Nevertheless, being assessed by them, we can be registered as an international and certified group. The group will later serve not only for resisting different disasters within our country, but also reaching other countries for help in emergency situations. This is a sign of solidarity where Armenia also wants to have its contribution at a global level, the deputy minister said. She said that during the pandemic several such groups visited Armenia to help and share their knowledge and experience with their Armenian colleagues. And after seeing their work, we decided that we should also have a similar team which has been formed on the basis of the St. Gregory the Illuminator medical center, she said. STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Davit Babayan commented on the possibility of direct negotiations between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. Speaking to ARMENPRESS, he said that there is a clear format for the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict which has been approved during the OSCE summit in Budapest in 1994. The problem is that this format should be maintained, by which Artsakh is recognized as a party to both the negotiations and the conflict. Of course, we are ready for direct talks with Azerbaijan, but a comprehensive settlement of the conflict is necessary with the involvement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Azerbaijan, Artsakh and Armenia in that process. We can perceive direct negotiations differently, but when we talk about a political issue, then Azerbaijan must accept our subjectivity and Artsakh as a full party to the conflict, and only then we can negotiate as equal to equal, the FM said. He said that its understandable that Azerbaijan will do everything to avoid and not to meet the representatives of Artsakh, not to discuss the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, therefore, Babayan said, it is necessary to seek the restoration of the full format. There are contacts which are necessary. For instance, if a shepherd crossed into their area, then some contacts, of course, together with Russian peacekeepers, are needed for his return, for the search of the relics of our fallen soldiers. In other words, contacts couldnt be avoided, which, however, calling as negotiations around external political issues, is, of course, not right, he said. Babayan also commented on the question what are the priority steps in the context of the latest Azerbaijani attack on Armenia and what issues are on the agenda in the diplomatic front, given the security challenges. According to him, a very proper and wise foreign policy should be run, with a perception that its impossible to ensure the security of Artsakh, the reliable and dignified future of its people without it. It is necessary to avoid adventurism. We have natural allies, brotherly countries. In general Armenian people, like Jews, are one of those unique nations who are capable to have normal relations with many countries, even with those countries which have bad relations with one another. We have a Diaspora and are obliged to have good relations with all countries which have an Armenian community. This is in our interests, which doesnt mean, however, that one should be done at the expense of another. I consider it impermissible. If 3 million Armenians live in Russia, so why we should be anti-Russian? Especially when the future depends on it. If there are no Russian peacekeepers, there will be no Artsakh. But it doesnt mean that we should become enemies with the West, because there are 2 million Armenians living in the United States, he said adding that they are obliged to have good relations with their natural ally. In general, we should study and respect every civilization, we should think of what we could take from there as an example that could be useful to us. I think this is a right approach, he said. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Human Rights Defender Kristinne Grigoryan and French Ambassador to Armenia H.E. Anne Louyot visited the Syunik province on October 5, where they met with Syuniks governor Robert Ghukasyan, and talked about the damage caused to the settlements of the region as a result of the aggression of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces between September 13 and 15, the Office of the Ombudswoman said. The governor presented the current situation, noted the primary issues. Then, accompanied by Syuniks governor Robert Ghukasyan and Arush Arushanyan, head of Goris community, the Defender and the Ambassador visited the families affected by the targeting. In the Verishen community, they met the residents of houses damaged by shelling and artillery bombardments as well as an injured civilian. The latter received a shrapnel injury while doing agricultural work. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he will have a quadrilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Council Charles Michel during the informal summit of the European Union in Prague. Speaking in parliament, PM Pashinyan also said that a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected in Prague. I am traveling to Prague to participate in the European Political Community summit. A quadrilateral meeting is planned there between myself, the Azerbaijani President, the French President and the President of the European Council. A meeting with the Turkish President is also planned. We had announced about a possibility of this meeting. If nothing changes, these will be the main meetings that essentially fit into the general discussion of the peace agenda, PM Pashinyan said. Pashinyan added that afterwards he will depart for St. Petersburg, Russia to participate in the informal summit of the CIS. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The Government has a number of programs to support communities and provinces affected by Azerbaijan's aggression, in the given case Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik and Syunik Provinces, ARMENPRESS informs, Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan said during parliament-Government Q&A session in the National Assembly, answering the question of Armen Khachatryan, MP of the "Civil Contract" faction. "We also discussed the issues on the agenda in the previous Cabinet meetings and allocated money to regional governorates to solve social problems. In addition to this, we have other ongoing works carried out by the Urban Development Committee, the works must be carried out in those communities where both citizens' property and, of course, state property have been damaged. I am talking about schools and kindergartens, in this case we will definitely support if it turns out that citizens have suffered as a result of aggression," Hambardzum Matevosyan said. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat feliciatates mountaineer Santosh Yadav during a Vijayadashmi function, in Nagpur, on Wednesday. Yadav is the first woman to successfully climb Mount Everest. (Image: PTI) NAGPUR: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said India should have a population policy prepared after comprehensive thought and be applicable to all communities equally. Speaking at the RSS Dussehra rally at the Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur, Bhagwat said community-based population imbalance is an important subject and should not be ignored. Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries, he said. The new population policy should be applicable to all communities equally to strike a balance, he said. There has to be a balance among the communities in this country, he added. Alongside the differences in birth rate, conversions by force, lure or greed and infiltration are also big reasons. All these factors have to be mulled over, he said. Bhagwat also emphasised on the use of mother tongue and said English language is not important for building a career. When expecting the government to institute the promotion of mother tongue, we should also consider whether we sign our names in our mother tongue or not? Whether the nameplates affixed on our residences are rendered in mother tongue or not? Whether household invitations bear the texts in the mother tongue or not? Bhagwat said. The RSS invited acclaimed mountaineer Santosh Yadav as the chief guest for the event. She is the first woman in the world to climb the Mount Everest twice. Pointing out at China's one family one child policy, Bhagwat said, "While we are trying to control the population, we should see what happened in China. That country went for the one child policy and now it is getting older. "With 57 crore youth population in India, we will remain a young nation for next 30 years," Bhagwat said. "However, what will happen to India after 50 years? Will we have enough food to feed the population?" he added. Bhagwat also stressed on people starting their own businesses and not relying solely on government jobs. "All government jobs put together, only 30 per cent population will be covered. Rest of the population will have to start their own businesses to create more employment," he said. Bhagwat raised concerns over India's huge population and said emphasis on society's participation in every sphere of our national life is not to relieve government of its responsibilities of governance, rather it is to emphasise societal partnership for national upliftment and pivot policy making in that direction. Our country has a huge population. This is a reality. Nowadays there are two kinds of evaluation done on population. Populations require resources, if it keeps growing it becomes a big burden, perhaps an unbearable burden, he said. Therefore, with the perspective of population control, plans are made. There is another dimension in which population is considered an asset. Focus is on appropriate training and maximum usage, Bhagwat said. When we look at the world population one fact emerges. Only when we look at our country, thoughts may change, he said. Bhagwat said China has reversed its population control policy to population growth. Our national interest influences our thoughts on population matters. Today, we are the youngest country. After 50 years, today's youth will be the future years' senior citizens, to look after them what size should be our young population, this math we also have to do, he said. With efforts, the people make a country grand, they also carry on their family line and that of society, he said. To beget, preserve and protect a populace apart from being relevant for national identity and security is a subject that touches some other facets also, Bhagwat said. He said the number of children is linked with maternal health, education, financial status and individual's wish. It is also dependent on what each family needs. Population impacts the environment also. In summation, the population policy has to be formulated considering all these factors mindfully. It should be applicable for all; public awareness campaigns will be required for creating a mindset of total observance of this policy. Only then rules pertaining to population control will yield results, he said. In 2000, the Government of India after multi-stakeholder consultations framed a population policy. One key goal was to obtain a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1. Recently, the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) report has been published. Due to social awareness and constructive co-operative efforts by the central and state governments, the TFR has come down below the targeted 2.1 to 2.0, the RSS chief said. Social scientists and mental health experts opine that ultra-nuclear families are posing challenges for the all-around development of young girls and boys, families are feeling a sense of insecurity, social tensions, loneliness, etc, are presenting testing times and a question mark hangs over the central edifice of our society the 'family system', he said. Caritas Oceania released a report on the feast day of Saint Francis (4 October), highlighting the impact of climate change and public debt on the regions island nations. The latter call for high-income countries to help build the resilience needed to protect local communities. The current cost is at least a billion dollars a year, but less than half of that is provided. Port Moresby (AsiaNews) The Pacific region could experience unprecedented economic instability as a result of natural disasters induced by climate change combined with the debt crisis. In view of the situation, Caritas Oceania and the Jubilee Australia Research Centre launched an appeal at a press conference during which they presented a report, their first, centred on the impact of the climate and financial crises on Pacific countries. The region's islands are exposed to rising sea levels, increasingly strong and frequent cyclones, and tides that have a devastating environmental impact. Extreme weather events are forcing the small Pacific island nations to borrow to repair the damage, increasing their debt load. The report, presented on 4 October, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, is titled Twin clouds on the horizon: averting a combined climate and debt crisis in the Pacific through locally-delivered climate finance. In it, the international community is urged to settle the climate debt. According to the document, the money must reach those who need it most; debt restructuring is also needed, improving climate finance, as well as subsidising resilience practices against environmental damage. We are at a very critical time in our fight for climate resilience, especially in the Pacific which is facing existential threats from climate change, said Card Soane Patita Paini Mafi, Caritas Oceania regional president. The worlds challenge, he added, is to listen and see with attentive ears and eyes the struggle of those on the frontlines of climate change, and to have the courage to take action in solidarity. For Mavis Tito, director of Caritas Papua New Guinea, Seven Pacific nations including PNG are already at risk of high debt distress. Look at what happened to Vanuatu, where public debt more than doubled after Cyclone Pam in 2015 due to the cost of repair and reconstruction. Overall, We need sufficient climate finance to allow us to protect our communities from climate change without worsening our debt burden, Tito explained. Luke Fletcher agrees. As executive director at Jubilee Australia, he noted that Climate finance is, at its heart, the repayment of a debt owed by countries that caused climate change to those that experience its worst effects. High-income countries have been shirking that debt for years. The report, whose recommendations will be included in the statement Pacific nations will present at the upcoming COP27, calls, among other things, for US$ 1 billion annual funding to cover the costs of climate adaptation. At present, the regions islands receive les than half that amount through the Pacific Resilience Facility. by Shafique Khokhar 15-year-old Saba was abducted, raped and forced to marry. After a few days, she managed to escape and, together with her family, started a tough and arduous battle in search of justice. Often the perpetrators, Muslims, benefit from the climate of impunity. For activists Saba is "an example of the attempt to resist in the face of injustice". Lahore (AsiaNews) - A new case of forced conversion against a Christian girl who was still a minor raises the issue of justice and rights in Pakistan, especially of minorities who are too often victims of abuse in a climate of constant impunity. Violence and abuse are perpetrated in the name of the [Islamic] religion, with the police and judges who in the vast majority of cases do not intervene because of a deliberate choice or for fear of also ending up the object of reprisals, thus making themselves accomplices to the crimes. The latest case to emerge concerns Saba Nadeem, 15 years old, daughter of Nadeem Masih and belonging to a poor Christian family of eight in Faisalabad, Punjab. The young girl was abducted by a Muslim neighbour Yasir Hussain on 20 May, raped and forced to embrace the Islamic faith, and then married to her captor. However, after a few days Saba managed to escape and return to her family of origin, while her tormentor was apprehended by the police. On 6 June, Saba appeared before the city magistrate to file a complaint under Article 164 of the Criminal Code, explaining that she had been taken "from Faisalabad to Gujrat" and "raped for several days". On 30 September, the judges signed the arrest warrant for Yasir Hussain, pointing out that the girl was a minor and the marriage was null and void because she had been 'forced through the use of force and threats'. However, in spite of complaints and appeals, the girl is still waiting for justice. Interviewed by AsiaNews, activist Lala Robin Daniel explains that Saba's case is an example of the attempt to resist in the face of injustice, with a minor fighting to see the person who abducted and abused her prosecuted, regardless of threats to her family. In this case, the role of the police who collaborated in her release is noteworthy. Joseph Jansen, president of Voice of Justice, shifts the focus to the Council for Islamic Ideology (Cii) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs who "deny" the problem and are among those who "oppose the law against forced conversions". "These two bodies," he adds, "are deliberately trying to expand their influence and control the political development of minority norms and resist the introduction of laws to protect minority rights". Father Pascal Paloos recalls how perpetrators often try to manipulate or cover up investigations and prosecutions in order to go unpunished, also exploiting connivance or the non-application of norms. In addition, judges hand down sentences that in the vast majority of cases are favourable to the perpetrators, leaving unpunished cases of kidnapping, violence and forced marriages in which the victims are often girls under the age of 18 and members of religious minorities. In conclusion, they reiterate activist Nadia Stephen's call for more thorough investigations in cases of kidnappings and forced conversions, especially if the victims are under the age of 14 and are also sexually assaulted. The death toll since the start of protests over the killing of a young Kurdish woman has reached 154. The repression is centred on the north-west (Kurdistan) and the south-east (Balochistan). Other young women killed by the police have become a symbol of the uprising for rights and freedoms. Meanwhile, the regime is ready to strike at the resistance across the border in Iraq. Tehran (AsiaNews) The clampdown against protests, especially by young women, following the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini by the morality police has provided Irans regime with an opportunity to crack down on all forms of dissent. Mahsa Amini, who was taken into custody as she left a Tehran Metro station, was not wearing a hijab correctly. As a result, the Islamic head-covering has become a symbol of the oppression by Irans theocratic state. However, the repression has also targeted the countrys ethnic minorities, like the Kurds in north-western Iran, on the border of Iraq and Turkey, and predominantly Sunni Balochis in the south-east, on the border with Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to Iran Human Rights (IHR), an NGO based on Oslo (Norway), at least 154 people have been killed since protests broke out. However, the real number may be far higher and bound to rise further, given the threats by Iranian leaders and the iron fist against the protesters endorsed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In Zahedan, 63 people were killed on 30 September in what has been dubbed Bloody Friday. Protests broke at the end of Friday prayers after a police officer raped a 15-year-old Balochi girl. The dead include nine minors, their age still undetermined. For the Amiry-Moghaddam, The killing of protesters in Iran, especially in Zahedan, amounts to crimes against humanity. Since the start of the protests, people have been reportedly killed in 17 provinces, in particular in Sistan-Baluchistan (63), in the south-eastern region on the border with Pakistan, and in the Kurdish north-west. Mahsa Amini herself was Kurdish, a community of some 8.1 million people out of a total of 83 million, mostly living in Saqez, Urmia, Diwandara, Kermashan, Dehgolan, Ilam, and Piranshahr. The protest movement started in her home town of Saqez, the day after she was buried on 16 September, soon spreading to the whole country. Quickly university campuses were affected. The other hot spots of protest, and death, are the southern provinces with their large Sunni population, subject to repression in the past by the Shia-dominated Islamic Republic. The authorities in Tehran fear that pro-Mahsa rallies could turn into a broader uprising in Balochistan, where local nationalists have clashed with Iranian security forces and carried out guerrilla attacks for almost 20 years. Yet, despite the governments crackdown, pictures of young female university students removing their veil in protest and mocking the pictures of President Ebrahim Raisi and Supreme Leader Khamenei hanging on classrooms walls continue to be posted on social media. Women, young and old, are increasing taking the lead in the protest movement, and dying from the regimes bullets, confirmation of how much the death of the 22-year-old Kurdish woman is the galvanising factor, driving people against an oppressive society symbolised by the hijab. In addition to Mahsa, the list of women who have died in the struggle for freedom and rights is getting long. One of them is Minoo Majidi, 62, shot by security forces on 20 September in the Kurdish town of Kermanshah. Another one is Ghazaleh Chelavi, 32, a keen mountain climber killed on the same day in Amol, on the Caspian Sea; then there is Hannaneh Kia, 23, deliberately killed in Nowshahr on her way home after a medical examination. Like Mahsa, Hadis Najafi was 22. Famous for her last video on social media in which she enthusiastically joins the protest, she too was killed by police. Nika Shakarami, 16, had a passion for music and was killed in Khorramabad, in western Iran, after taking part in protests. The authorities buried her body in a secret location to prevent her family from seeing it with obvious signs of torture. As a priest in Iraqi Kurdistan recently told AsiaNews, Iran is also intensifying its attacks across the border, in Iraq, killing scores. Sources cited by the Voice of America (VOA) say that Iran recently boosted its military presence along the Iraqi border . The regime appears ready to launch operations in Iraqi territory against bases of the Iranian resistance and camps with Kurdish refugees from Iran. Kurdish-Iranian pro-democracy groups have been targeted for elimination. According to Atta Saqzi, a spokesperson for Revolutionary Association of Workers of Iranian Kurdistan, There have been threats against Kurdish party officials for a long time. What is more, after the demonstrations and uprisings of the Kurds in the east [Iranian Kurdistan], Iran has openly threatened to take revenge on the Kurdish parties." by Stefano Vecchia Percival Mabasa had just finished hosting his in-depth radio programme 'Lapid Fire'. His family: 'His bold and insightful comments emerged from the barrage of false information, both on the airwaves and in social media. In his programmes he was not afraid to criticise the historical distortions of the Martial Law period propagated by Duterte and Marcos Jr. Manila (AsiaNews) - Another journalist, the second in the first hundred days of Ferdinand Marcos Jr's presidency, was assassinated on Monday evening in Las Pinas one of the municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the Philippine capital. Percival Mabasa, better known by the name he gave himself as Percy Lapid, was shot dead by two as yet unidentified individuals. Mabasa had recently finished hosting his in-depth programme 'Lapid Fire', broadcast on the radio station DWBL 1242. As the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines recalled, the radio presenter was the 197th media worker to suffer a violent death since the 'flowers and rosaries' revolution that decreed the end of the Marcos dictatorship in February 1986. A confirmation of statistics, including that of the Committee to Protect Journalists, which in 2021 ranked the Philippines seventh in the list of countries for killings of journalists that went unpunished. The police launched investigations, pledging to provide extensive and timely information about the crime. For its part, the family of the slain expressed condolences, but also pledged not to let the death of their spouse go unpunished. 'We strongly condemn this deplorable crime; it was committed not only against Percy, his family, and his professional, but against our country, his beloved Philippines, and the truth,' said his brother Roy Mabasa, also a long-time journalist. Roy also recalled his brother as an individual 'was beloved by many and highly respected by peers, fans, and foes alike', adding that 'his bold and sharp commentaries cut through the barrage of fake news over the air waves and on social media'. Reactions from the political world, in particular the opposition, were also immediate. While the head of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media, Robin Padilla, called for the immediate arrest of the culprits, Leni Robredo - former vice-president under the previous administration of Rodrigo Duterte and a leading figure in the parliamentary opposition - urged the authorities not to fail in their duty of justice. Senator Risa Hontiveros took a stronger stance, speaking of a "brazen attack on press freedom. But this also demonstrates the inherent power of speech and truth telling'. Human rights activist Neri Colmenares finally described Lapid as a dissident who 'spoke against fake news, he was brave enough to discuss the perils of red-tagging, and he was not afraid to speak against the historical distortions of Martial Law'. A reference, this, to the revision of the Marcos era and the figure of the former dictator who died in exile in 1989 initiated by Duterte and still ongoing during the presidency of his son Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Founded in 2006, the Civic Party is looking for a leader. Four of its former members are indicted for threats to national security. Since the national security law was adopted, 58 independent organisations have closed their doors. What used to be an open society has now become a place stifled by fear. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) Hong Kongs pro-democracy Civic Party risks dissolution because of the national security law, this according to Alan Leong, its current chairperson. Yesterday Leong told the Hong Kong Free Press that he did not want to continue with the task, and that none of the other six members of the executive committee is willing to succeed him. A final decision will be made by January, he explained. Founded in 2006, the Civic Party did not take part in last December's elections to the Legislative Council, the first since mainland China imposed an electoral reform to counter the pro-democracy movement. It should be noted that the authorities have singled out four of its former members as threats to national security, namely Alvin Yeung, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam, and Lee Yue-shun. According to a report published on Sunday by the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), since its entry into force in summer 2020, the security law has been directly and indirectly responsible for the closure or dissolution of 58 independent organisations. As of last June, 203 people were arrested in Hong Kong under the draconian measure imposed by Beijing to silence the pro-democracy camp. The police have also detained people under a British-era anti-sedition law, targeting them for minor crimes, such as clapping hands in favour of a (pro-democracy) defendant during a trial. On the basis of interviews with 42 individuals, the CECC found that thanks to the security law the authorities have not only suppressed the pro-democracy movement, but also Hong Kongs vibrant civil society. Newspapers, TV, radio, books, professional organisations, boards of directors and universities have all been caught up in censorship and repression designed to stifle public debate, a legacy of the British colonial period. The crackdown, notes the CECC, also concerns the religious sphere, with Beijing trying to instil patriotism in Hong Kongs Churches . What used to be an open society has now become a place gripped by fear, where people are silent because they could end up in prison just for wearing black (a colour associated with the protests of recent years). Those who are too afraid, choose to leave and go abroad. The hope for the future, say some of the CECC interviewees, is that while democratic organisations are banned, connections and ties between their members will remain. Kunze was shot while trying to make an arrest, and returned fire, killing the suspect and saving two lives. Now a Wichita, KS, car club is honoring his memory. The GR-RRR'8 Wichita GTO Club has come together to restore a 1968 Pontiac GTO owned by Kunze, which he was working on with his daughter before he died. The group worked on it for two years to give the Kunze family the car. "It's fun because of who we're doing it for and we, you know, have visions of the end result and that's the exciting part," said Tom Nance, GR-RRR'8 Wichita GTO Club president. Donations have come in from the community and from across the country to restore the car. "There's been so much involvement, donation, money, time, items," said Sam Nance, GR-RRR'8 Wichita GTO Club founder. The car isnt completely done. The goal is to have the car finished by the spring of 2023. It is currently in the shop getting painted. Progress was seen at a recent Memorial Day car show to fundraise, and when it is done, itll be kept a surprise for the family. Donations can be made on Venmo @WichitaGTO or through PayPal @jbhnance@hotmail.com. Checks can be made out to "Deputy Robert Kunze Memorial Fund" and mailed to 1406 W. 2nd St., Wichita, KS 67203. Share This: Ten deserving veterans and military members and their families were honored at the regional USAA headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO, and presented with National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides vehicles, all donated by USAA. The vehicles were refurbished by collision repair partners Crash Champions, Service King Southmoor, Carriage Shoppe, CARSTAR Jordan Road, CARSTAR Kraftsmen and Rickenbaugh Collision, a Certified Collision Group member. The presentation was part of USAAs 100th anniversary celebration, through which it will gift 100 NABC Recycled Rides vehicles to military families across the country, including Nashville, Seattle, Chesapeake, Savannah, Charlotte, Colorado Springs, Denver, Phoenix, Tampa, San Diego and finally San Antonio later this year. USAA was proud to visit Colorado Springs, home of the U.S. Air Force Academy, to present vehicles to 10 deserving military families to provide them the gift of reliable transportation in commemoration of USAAs 100th anniversary, said Patrick Burnett Sr., experience owner, AVP Auto Claims, USAA. Our commitment is to serve our military members, and we are proud to help these service men and women with the gift of reliable transportation to help them along their journey. Thank you to our many partners, including the NABC Recycled Rides program, for making this possible. For 100 years, USAAs mission has served active duty service members, veterans and their families. Recipients have been nominated by nonprofit organizations to receive a NABC Recycled Ride. With the partnership of the NABC, a nonprofit committed to serving its communities, and many in the collision repair industry, vehicles are repaired and donated to those identified as in need of reliable transportation. The recipients were selected by... HYDERABAD: JDS leader and Karnataka's former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy will be in the city on Wednesday to extend support to the new national party BRS (Bharatiya/Bharat Rashtra Samithi), which will be launched by TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao at Telangana Bhavan. Arrangements are in place at Telangana Bhavan for the TRS general body meeting, which will commence at 11 am. to pass a resolution renaming TRS as BRS on the auspicious day of Dasara. Enthusiastic TRS leaders and cadre have already erected banners and flexies around the venue and at various junctions in the city hailing the Chief Minister and his new national party. Party sources said that Rao had extended invitations to leaders of regional parties like Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Tejashwi Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal), among others, but only Kumaraswamy has confirmed his participation so far. Rao has called 283 members for the general body meeting, including party MLAs, MLCs, MPs, zilla parishad chairpersons, mayors, and municipal chairpersons. Party sources said Rao will move a resolution seeking to rename TRS as BRS to enable its entry into national politics. He will list out the reasons for renaming TRS and initiate a full-fledged discussion. Select members will be asked for their views on the resolution. After the resolution is passed unanimously, it will be sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for approval. Rao will formally announce the renaming at 1.19 pm sharp on Wednesday. Kumaraswamy will accompany Rao during the formal announcement and extend JDS support to BRS apart from expressing his party's willingness to work with BRS in Karnataka for the Assembly elections scheduled around April-May. Later, the party leaders and cadre will kick-start grand celebrations across the state to celebrate the birth of BRS. It all started with the Ram Trucks upgrades for the 2023 model year and the compelling changes that tried to make the heavy-duty family the greatest choice in the segment. Then, mere hours ahead of the big 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty unveiling, General Motors tried to steal the thunder and lightning away, complete with its 2024 Chevy Silverado HD featuring a more powerful Duramax V8 turbo diesel.Now, there is just one final Detroit automaker ready to join the HD party and GMC has already announced the official curtain rise for the refreshed 2024 Sierra HD truck line on October 6th. Until that happens, and although it is not equally torquey as Stellantis' Ram HD Cummins or Ford's Super Duty Power Stroke, the Duramax V8 Chevy Silverado HD has yet another chance to shine bright like a black and yellow CGI star.Speaking of lifting things, the automotive digital creator behind Innov8 Design Lab (aka innov8designlab on social media) is back to his old, ultra-lifted digital habits after breaking the norm with a JDM muscle car take on the all-new 2024 Ford Mustang. Now, this 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD may look like an extreme off-road pickup truck to the untrained eye. But we all know that it is just a show event ruse, and this better qualifies as a mall crawler.Nothing wrong with that, frankly, as everyone has a place under the Sun, especially when dealing with a bright yellow and dark as-night black Chevy like this Silverado 2500 HD. By the way, the pixel master has CGI-utilized nothing but the best , including an outrageous FTS (Full Throttle Suspension) lift kit, aftermarket Bodyguard bumpers, and Interco Tire Corporations rubber. Previewed by a concept car earlier this year, it will be a while until it starts shaping up in the design department, as the only thing about it that somewhat screams Cupra is the face, albeit under wraps. Everything else is basically the four-ring brands rival to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1, and other premium subcompact crossovers.Contrary to what some might think while looking at the scooped mule, the Cupra Terramar wont share any body panels with its German cousin whatsoever. Thus, you should expect exclusive styling, in the same vein as the brands upcoming facelifted family, with an evolution of the current design language highlighted by the sharper looks, and new LED lighting.One thing that it will share with the Audi Q3 will be the architecture. It is expected to launch with electrified powertrains only, with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid units. In all likelihood, the Terramar will be Cupras last model to feature internal combustion engines, as SEATs car brand is going all-electric. Details surrounding the actual powertrain family are obviously unknown at this point, yet it promises an all-electric range of around 62 miles (100 km) in the most frugal offering.But when will it actually premiere? Sometime in 2024, and it will hit the same assembly line in Hungary as the Audi Q3 and Q3 Sportback shortly after. As a result, the first prototypes of the Cupra Terramar should start hitting the road in the coming months, probably early next year. On a final note, we will remind you that Cupra is reportedly planning to expand to the United States , so, who knows, maybe the Terramar will apply for a U.S. visa eventually. SUV The Rufford Ford is slowly turning into an internet sensation. Hundreds of cars cross it every single day. Some do it properly, but others manage to shorten their trip very fast. It could be due to some trusting their cars river fording capability too much or because drivers may forget what they learned while preparing for the license test.Driving instructors usually tell their students that its a good idea to not accelerate when theres a body of water ahead. Some may argue that its common sense to not treat your car like a catamaran, but inexplicable things are happening every day, so something like this isnt surprising any longer.One things for sure if this type of driver behavior continues to be shared online, then the UK might soon gain another tourist hotspot. People are already gathering at the Rufford Ford (or Rufford Mill Ford) often to film all types of vehicles that attempt to put on a show and end up needing roadside assistance.Thats how we get to see a Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible owner attempting to cross the flooded Rufford Ford in Nottinghamshire. Fortunately, they make it out of the river but stop immediately after. The video isnt very focused on the Evoque, but it shows us enough to understand that themight have lost its undertray. The noise of something scratching the pavement is guaranteed to increase your anxiety if youre a driver that loves his car.The Evoque owner pulls over to the side of the road to assess the damage, but the good news is there was no white smoke seen, meaning that the engine was fine.White smoke coming out of the back of the car isnt necessarily a worrying thing. Water cools the hot exhaust system quickly, and it evaporates, making it look like the engine could be in trouble. In most cases, it is not. On the other hand, if water gets into the air-intake and into the engine, it can lead to big problems. Water cannot be compressed, and the result is that either pistons or the engine block can break. Moreover, accelerating will only worsen the damage.However, the recording shows many other drivers not slowing down and having to deal with the consequences of their own actions. Other interesting crosses are performed by an R/C car, a Red Cross van, and a Toyota 4Runner (marketed as Hilux Surf in Japan) owner. Now watch the video and allow yourself to become wiser by learning from other peoples mishaps. An e-scooter rider was caught not moving but actually standing in lane 4 of the M23 highway during the weekend. The Surrey Police explained the man ran out of battery power while traveling in the fast line of the high-speed road, so he was no longer able to move the vehicle due to the oncoming traffic.Given the scooter has a private owner, its not even allowed on public roads in the United Kingdom, let alone a highway. So you can imagine how dangerous it was for the rider to be in the fast lane of a high-speed road, especially given the vehicle was no longer moving.And thats not even the end of the story.It all happened at 5.30 in the morning at a time when, you know, the visibility on a highway isnt necessarily the best, given it was still dark. And when asked what he was doing there, the e-scooter owner came up with the worst excuse ever: he blamed the navigation app , claiming that some piece of software like Google Maps sent him to the highway.Truth be told, the excuse makes sense if he was using Google Maps in the car mode or Waze, as both these apps would provide navigation instructions for passenger cars and could indeed direct a user to a highway. And this is why you need to properly configure a navigation app, especially when youre using it with a vehicle other than a car.The e-scooter was sized, the Surrey Police says, and the owner has been reported for several offenses. SUV America has high hopes for the future electric vehicles built under the Scout name. In May, when it announced the revival of the vintage brand , Volkswagen made it clear that the future Scout EVs would be capable off-roaders true to the brands heritage. For that, Volkswagen announced that the new brand would operate independently inside the Volkswagen Group, with very little interference from the Volkswagen brand.One way or another, Volkswagen acknowledged its failure with other off-road vehicles, including Amarok. The first Volkswagen pickup was such a flop that the German company had to outsource the development of its second generation to Ford. Moreover, Volkswagen was never successful in the U.S. Thats why the company named an American as Scouts CEO and is willing to give him a blank check.And it turns out the newly appointed management will put Scout on a different course than Volkswagen. According to Scout enthusiast Jeff Bade , who attended a meeting with the Scout Motors team, the future electric off-roaders will not have many things in common with Volkswagen EVs. This means no MEB skateboard platform but a dedicated off-road platform that would make its International Harvester Scout ancestors proud.According to Bade, the Scout team takes the Scout community very seriously and intends to offer vehicles that are both capable and very customizable. This means Scout will work with aftermarket companies and enthusiasts to make that happen. Theand pickup truck wearing the Scout badge would also be affordable. However, this is debatable, especially considering were talking about electric vehicles.To make them affordable, Volkswagen would need to share the development costs, and Ford is in pole position. The Blue Oval has the know-how to develop capable off-roaders, and it knows how to make a compelling electric vehicle. More than that, it has just announced that its working on a new electric pickup on a dedicated platform. This sure sounds like something the future Scout vehicles could use, allowing both Ford and Volkswagen to slash development costs. David Patterson of ThatDudeInBlue YouTube channel recently got behind the wheel of the 2023 C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 to determine if it really is the American version of a Ferrari.Now, if you are going to be anything like a Ferrari, you need to have the three building blocks of the prancing horse. Looks, shriek, and power.The new C8 Z06 is definitely a looker. With its bespoke 5.5-liter flat-plane naturally aspirated V8, the shriek and power out of this baby are enough to get you from zero to bye-bye before you can blink.That said, the 2023 C8 Z06 is good for 670 hp (679 ps) and 470 lb-ft of torque. It can bolt from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in 2.6 seconds and takes 10.5 seconds to complete a quarter mile. You have instantaneous response usually with flat plane crank or even high revving vehicles in general, like even with Hondas and stuff. You have no torque but can rev to nine grand, right? With this, it doesnt matter. Like at any point in time, you can just get on it, and its ready to rock, Patterson explained.It goes without saying the 2023 C8 Z06 is unlike any other Corvette produced. There are two trim levels to choose from, the Z06 and the Z07 package (more aero, optional carbon fiber wheels, and meatier tires).According to Patterson, the difference between the two is like night and day. Driving in the Z07 was like god-mode to him. It was so effective on the Pittsburg track that he got nauseous pushing the car to its limits.Us having a naturally aspirated Z06 in 2022 is an absolute miracle when it comes to logistics and everything else. The 458 really set the bar, and they were like weve got to make a better 458, and I think they did, Patterson confessed, relating the new Corvette to the Ferrari 458 The 2023 C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pricing starts at $105,300 for the base model. DOHC The tour started at Abbey Road Studios, which served as the creative base for The Beatles, and ended on Saville Row, near The Beatles last concert venue, passing many iconic landmarks along the way.London was where McCartney drew his inspiration from, London the city that informed his writing, his creative processes and his boundless curiosity, journalist Dylan Jones, who interviewed Sit Paul McCartney on multiple occasions, explains in the latest Lamborghini video, which you can watch at the end of this article.The choice of car for this special journey was not coincidental either, as the Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 plays a pivotal role in Beatles history - one example of this particular car was parked out front of their last live show, an impromptu concert on the roof of Saville Apple Records in London on January 30, 1969. It was a Rosso Alfa 400 GT 2+2 with Nero interior that fans of the English band can also spot in director Peter Jacksons recent award-winning Beatles documentary, Get Back.Supercar professionals at Lamborghini decided to pay homage to The Beatles on this special anniversary not only because all members of the iconic band were car enthusiasts but also because Sir Paul McCartney is said to have been Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2.There are sources sustaining that McCartney even owned an example of the car during the late 1960s, beginning of the 1970s, when the band were recording White Album and Let It Be, but there is no official documentation to confirm the info.Lamborghini launched the 400 GT 2+2 in 1966, in the early years after the automaker s founding. Despite being a new marque on the market, the 400 GT 2+2 proved to be one of the best grand tourers available at the time. Designed by Carrozzeria Touring, the vehicle was powered by a 3.9-literV12 engine, a trademark of Automobili Lamborghini to this day. Textron claims that its Beechcraft Air King family of business turboprops is the best-selling one in the world. Figures seem to back that up, with 7,700 of these aircraft delivered since 1964. The King Air 360 continues this legacy, with deliveries having started back in 2020. One of the latest customers that chose it is the Queensland Police Service in Australia.A fleet consisting of five King Air 360 will be based in Brisbane, and all aircraft will feature a cargo door, a protection kit for gravel landing, and a high-density seat configuration, in addition to boasting a longer range and a greater cargo capacity.The King Air 360 was designed as the latest version of the iconic Beechcraft. King Air. The 11-seat turboprop flaunts a newly-designed cabin thats said to be more comfortable and luxurious, ensuring a lower cabin altitude, thanks to an advanced digital pressurization system. According to Textron, the new design was inspired by luxury SUVs, reflected in features such as re-sculpted sidewalls, comfortable seats with illuminated cup holders, plus air and light-adjustment functions.The 50-year legacy is also continued in terms of performance. The King Air 360 can hit up to 312 knots (359 mph/578 kph), with a maximum range of 1,806 nautical miles (2,078 miles/3,344 km). These are two of the reasons why its being chosen for various special-mission roles around the globe.This summer, the turboprop made its first appearance at the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE), in Brazil. Graceful was delivered to her closely-collaborating owner in 2014. The Lurssen-owned Blohm + Voss built it as a custom project, and while its never been linked directly to Putin, international authorities believe he is the sole direct beneficiary. Putin is on sanctions lists since the start of the war in Ukraine, so Graceful could have been seized if itd been caught.But it never was. Days before Russian troops marched into Ukraine, Graceful fled the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, even though work on it was still underway. The vessel had been there for months, undergoing refits. It then stayed put for months in Russian-owned Kaliningrad, according to reports, but its actual position could no longer be seen on marine traffic sites, since it had turned off its AIS (automatic identification systems). Forbes reports that whatever work was still being done on Graceful mustve been completed, because its on the move again and has been spotted off the coast of Estonia. And it has a new name, too: Kosatka, which translates to Killer Whale in Russian.Photos obtained by the media outlet and compared against existing photos of Graceful confirm that this is the same 270 footer (82 meters). An armed Russian Coast Guard vessel is traveling with Kosatka now, as it makes its way to St. Petersburg.Graceful is the second largest vessel in Putins rumored fleet of luxury watercraft , which is estimated at over $680 million. Only Scheherazade is bigger and more expensive, and its also the only one to have been arrested by Italian authorities under current sanctions against Russian oligarchs (including Putin) whose billions are believed to be financing the war.Since Graceful was a custom project for a very confident person who knows what he likes and [is] not a slave to trends, specifics on the vessel were never made public.Among the few details released is that the superyacht offers accommodation for 12 guests and 14 crew, has a one-of-a-kind pool that becomes a dancefloor or a private movie theater, depending on the occasion, a helipad, a wellness area, and pool towel cabinets that double as vodka bars. According to the same media outlet, Graceful (now Kosatka) has a wine cave with a 400-bottle capacity inside the owner suite. Thats what you call the perfect place for a nightcap! The industry of RVs spurted in the late 50s and flourished throughout the 1960s, and one of the pioneers in this revolution on the North American market was Jayco . Today, Jayco is one of the worlds largest RV manufacturers, with a strong presence in its home country, Canada, and Australia, but also in Japan and Europe. Just to give you an idea of how successful Jayco is, in 2020, Jay Flight was awarded the number one selling travel trailer in North America for 15 consecutive years.It all started with an idea and a unique invention derived from it.In the mid-60s, Lloyd J. Bontrager was working for an Indiana-based RV manufacturer. The RV market was booming, but Bontrager was not exactly happy with his position in the company, even though it afforded him some room for his many ideas, which led to the creation of a sewing department and improvements on existing campers. In 1967, he left the company with plans to start his own, and make RVs that would place the focus on functionality, ease of use, affordability and quality. These are still essential traits of the Jaycos of today , despite the fact that Bontrager is no longer around.In 1968, Bontrager created the first prototype for the future Jayco camper, using his own invention, which would, in time, become a Jayco staple: a pop-up mechanism activated by crank and protected against dirt by a cover. The idea was that you could have something better than a tent for a family holiday but which, at the same time, wasnt a trailer that would put too much stress on the towing vehicle.Sure enough, pop-up campers werent new, but what made Bontragers product instantly appealing was his stress on quality materials and affordability, and the patented pop-up mechanism, which he called ease-up lifter system and that was unique for the time. The prototype was scaled up and three prototypes developed under the Convertible Camper or the Jaybird series: the Jayhawk, the Jayeagle, and the Jayrobin.At first, Jayco operated out of two chicken houses and a barn, with Bontrager and two partners, a handful of employees, Mrs. Bontrager doing the bookkeeping, and his sons helping out with the designs. The following year, Al Yoder was brought on as partner, and the business grew out of its humble production line , moving into a proper factory and selling 132 campers in that first year. It was the start of a multi-million business that would survive many financial downturns that took out competitors, personal tragedy, and shifting trends, to become an icon in the RV sector.Pictured in the gallery is one of the first Jayco Jayhawks produced, currently on display at the Recreational Vehicle / Motor Home (RV/MH) Hall of Fame Museum in Elkhart, Indiana. It is a 1968 Convertible Camper donated to the Museum by Bertha Bontrager Rhodes, Bontragers widow, and restored by Jayco itself. The description says it was the 40th unit of those 132 produced in that first year.The Jaybird series, which included this Jayhawk, offered sleeping for six to eight people, depending on model, with two double beds on the pop-out sides. All three models were single-axle trailers, with standard features including 4-ply tires, the patented pop-up system, an icebox, a 3-burner stove, formica cabinet and table tops, vinyl-coated paneling, 12-gauge steel frame, sandwich roof construction with styrofoam insulation, city water hookup, cushions and mattresses, and curtains and drapes. It wasnt much by todays standards, when RVs can feel like luxury apartments on wheels or even actual mansions , but it was a lot by those days, especially for that price.Proof of that is found in the popularity of the Jayco campers. By the 70s, the company had already expanded nationally and into Canada, developing a wider range of products for all needs and budgets, and a network of dealers considered part of the Jacyo family. It wasnt until the 80s that Jayco got into the budget sector properly, but still maintaining the focus on quality work, with the J (later Jay) series. They also continued to develop the pop-up system, even creating a half-tent half-camper hybrid in 1982: the Jay Tiki Tent Camper, which folds out and slides down on to the ground.Today, Jayco produces pop-up campers, fifth-wheels, toy haulers, Class A and C motorhomes, and conventional travel trailers, and even does conversions through its Australian brand. It is now a subsidiary of Thor Industries, but it still values the same Christian, family and quality values as it did when it first got started and the unique ease-up lifter system is still around. South Africa: Deputy President to pay courtesy call on King Misuzulu Deputy President David Mabuza will on Thursday pay a courtesy call on Isilo Samabandla, His Majesty King Misuzulu Ka Zwelithini. According to the Deputy President's office, Mabuza will engage the Zulu King in his capacity as Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Task Team established to respond to matters raised by traditional and Khoi-San leaders. The visit will take place at KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace, KwaNongoma, on Thursday, 6 October. The courtesy call on His Majesty will precede an engagement the Deputy President will have with traditional leaders in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, 7 October 2022, at Mayville Conference Centre in Durban. The engagement with traditional leaders is in line with governments commitment to ensure support to traditional leaders so that they can fulfil their roles in the development of rural communities and the preservation of our heritage, among others, the statement read. The aim is to facilitate a social compact between government and the institution of traditional and Khoi-San leadership in addressing all matters of concern faced by traditional communities. The Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and KwaZulu-Natal Premier, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, will accompany the Deputy President. The courtesy call on King Misuzulu by the Deputy President takes place a few weeks before the Kings coronation ceremony, which will take place at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 29 October 2022. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-10-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Huawei, Austrian drone maker Dronetech deepen partnership in smart farming Xinhua) 09:51, October 05, 2022 LINZ, AUSTRIA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Tuesday that it will deepen its partnership with leading Austrian drone maker Dronetech in 5G-powered smart farming. The two companies, which began their cooperation in the field in 2021, said their collaboration is entering a second phase called "Digital Sky." In this phase, Huawei will provide cloud computing services on top of 5G to support real-time artificial intelligence (AI) analysis. Meanwhile, Dronetech's drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, will survey the land and objects to capture images and data that will be processed by AI and provide instant findings to the users, according to a press release by Huawei. The Chinese tech company said the technology will help farmers detect small insects, monitor crop status, predict harvests and optimize the use of water, chemicals and pesticides. Erich Manzer, deputy CEO of Huawei Austria, said "using drones in combination with AI and 5G can solve many resource-intensive operations such as maintenance or area monitoring." David Hopf, CEO of Dronetech, said that the partnership with Huawei will help enhance farming efficiency, cut labor costs and make food supply chains more sustainable, according to the release. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) As some of you may be aware, Renault 's performance division, called Renault Sport, had been its competition arm for decades, ever since the late 1970s.In the early 1990s, the French company started making sporty cars with the R.S. name on them, with the Clio and the Megane being the most popular of the range. They quickly gathered a cult following in Europe, but they were popular on other markets as well.Since the Clio R.S. had already been discontinued after the debut of the fifth-generation Clio, the Megane was the last of the Renault Sport cars that was offered in the range. With the debut of the Megane E-Tech, the company's electric compact hatchback, the French marque has noticed a decline in the popularity of gasoline-engined vehicles.The Megane RS was already a niche model, since it was a hot hatchback, but the demand for the model is waning in Europe, as Glen Sealy, the general manager of Renault Australia, told Drive . According to the Renault official, the Megane E-Tech will arrive at the end of next year, and the production of the RS will not continue beyond that point.Only a few Megane RS models are in stock in Australia at the moment, but the Aussies will get more in early 2023. According to the same publication, a customer must wait between three and four months to get the one they ordered. After that point, though, no more units will be manufactured.According to Renault Australia's general manager, the French make will offer a limited-production final run of the Megane RS, but there is no official information regarding that variant. It should be announced soon, but do not expect too many changes. Green hydrogen has been previously described as a fascinating technology with great market potential, which may be why Rolls-Royce and Sowitec are now getting serious about electrolysis the process that uses direct current (DC) to generate a chemical separation. Heres what you need to know. 8 photos Erroneously listed as being headquartered in Australia in the attached report, ZKW promptly conducted a review of documentation and a review of regulatory compliance together with Rolls-Royce. Test results indicated that a possible noncompliance might exist. Further reviews were conducted, and test results indicated a noncompliance with FMVSS number 108.After going through the production records, Rolls-Royce determined that a couple of vehicles need to be recalled in the United States of America. So far, Rolls-Royce isnt aware of any field reports related to this issue.The headlights may not have received a metal coating application, which affects the performance of the low beams in relation to upper road sign illumination. More specifically, suspect headlights dont conform with the aforestated standards minimum photometric intensity requirement.The suspect headlights carry part numbers 63 11 5 A1D 8C3 and 63 11 5 A1D 8C4, and the remedy components are similar in design. Of course, the replacement headlights feature the proper metal coating application.As for the recalled vehicles, the Phantoms in question were manufactured on July 12th and July 14th at the Goodwood plant in England. Owner notification isnt necessary because both vehicles are in dealer stock.Officially baptized Series II, the mid-cycle refresh of the Rolls-Royce Phantom arrived in May 2022 for the 2023 model year with many small updates. The subtle changes we have made for the new Phantom Series II have all been minutely considered and meticulously executed, said big kahuna Torsten Muller-Otvos. As Sir Henry Royce himself said, small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing," concluded the CEO. As a result, the South Korean company is now announcing several changes to its foundry unit specifically to help boost production and tackle the chip shortage at a time when uncertainty still looms over the entire world.First and foremost, the firm says it wants to launch a 2nm design in 2025, which should allow for more energy-efficient chips with a substantial boost in performance. The strategy also includes upgrading to 1.4nm chips two years later, so in about 5 years, we should be seeing a complete chip revolution in many industries, including computers and smart devices.Samsung wants to start producing 14nm non-volatile memory, also known as eNVM, at some point in 2024. The eNVM memory is most often used in cars and helps compute operations faster, and you can imagine how important this is in a self-driving vehicle, for instance. The company also believes that it should be able to upgrade its production lines to 8nm by the end of the decade.And unsurprisingly, the company is also planning to take full advantage of the CHIPS Act in the United States, so it wants to finish the construction of the new factory in Taylor, Texas, as soon as possible. This should allow Samsung to boost its production in the United States by no less than three times, according to its estimates, with the new target to be reached by 2027.At the end of the day, its pretty clear that Samsung is trying to overhaul its foundry business in a way that would turn it into one of its most profitable operations. The competition in this market, however, is getting fiercer, especially as most companies are currently investing in capacity, given the constrained global inventory and the strong demand. On the Harley front, the beautiful 2003 V-Rod before our eyes is the only one the shop offers we left undiscussed so far, the last of its breed, if you like, with most of the others already getting their 15 minutes of fame here on autoevolution.The conversion is one of the cleanest and impressive Jaateds has to offer. It has no official name, but because it rides on chrome wheels called Wicked, we chose that nickname for it.The wheels are sized 19 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, and are fully chromed. They may appear brownish in some of the pics in the gallery, but thats owed to the bronze used on the motorcycles frame reflecting off of them.The wheels are backed up front by a fork lowering kit, while the rear sits up thanks to an Ohlins suspension. They spin courtesy of the stock engine, painted black and offset by the large, chrome Vance & Hines exhaust pipes. While the wheels are in motion, the rider and a passenger can sit their bottoms on a touring-style seat in black.The Wicked V-Rod was first shown a few years back, and its current whereabouts, but also the price of the build, are not known.As said, this is the last custom Harley signed by Jaates well be discussing, at least until some new one appears. The customizers name will not disappear from our website anytime soon, though, as he also brags with 13 custom Buells, and an equal number of custom cars in his portfolio.And, as youll see in coming weeks, some of them are just to impressive not to talk about. This aerial Aug. 30, 2022 photo shows the area from Caughdenoy Road and NY State Route 31 and Burnet Road to the left, not seen, that White Pines Commerce Park intends to develop with a proposed semiconductor plant, in Syracuse's northern suburbs of New York. Micron, one of the worlds largest microchip manufacturers, announced Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, it will open a semiconductor plant in New York, promising an investment of up to $100 billion and a plant that could bring 50,000 jobs to the state. (N. Scott Trimble/The Post-Standard via AP) 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. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Stephen Moore is a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an economist with FreedomWorks. His latest book is "Govzilla: How the Relentless Growth of Government is Devouring our Economy." Ferdy Sambo (center, wearing white shirt and red vest) arrives at the Indonesian Attorney Generals Office in Jakarta, Oct. 5, 2022. Investigators in Indonesia formally charged a former police inspector general and his wife Wednesday with the murder of a subordinate at his home, in a scandal that has shone a spotlight on excesses by members of the national force. The case against Ferdy Sambo, who was sacked as chief of the national polices internal affairs division over the scandal, has transfixed Indonesians. It has prompted public calls for an overhaul of the force, considered one of the most corrupt institutions in the Southeast Asian nation. On Wednesday, the investigators presented case files for Sambo and four alleged accomplices his wife Putri Candrawathi, two police officers and his familys driver to the prosecutors office. This paves the way for trials on charges of premeditated murder in the killing of Brigadier Yosua Hutabarat. If convicted, the suspects could face the death penalty, according to Fadil Zumhana, deputy attorney general for general crimes. No later than Monday I will hand over [the cases] to the court, Fadil said, adding the court would then decide on a timeline for trials. Sambo and his wife appeared at the Attorney Generals Office on Wednesday. I am ready for the legal process, but my wife is innocent. She did nothing and is a victim, Sambo told reporters. Investigators did not immediately make clear why Sambos wife was charged with murder as well. On July 8, Yosua was killed at Sambos official residence . Police have said that Second Patrolman Richard Eliezer shot Yosua, who was assigned as chauffeur for Putri, after he caught Yosua allegedly sexually assaulting her. Eliezer admitted to investigators that he killed Yosua on Sambos order and agreed to cooperate with investigators in return for possible leniency, according to lawyer Muhammad Burhanuddin, who has since been replaced. Eliezer also said Sambo had fired Yosuas gun at the wall to make it appear as if they had a gunfight. Meanwhile, Yosuas relatives and advocates for the family challenged the assault allegation by claiming the killing was premeditated. Amid a public outcry, national police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo set up a special team to investigate the case. The team exhumed Yosuas body and worked with an independent team of forensic doctors in conducting an autopsy. Sambo was arrested in August and a police ethics tribunal dishonorably dismissed him from the force last month. He and six other high-ranking police officers who have all been dismissed have been charged with obstruction of justice for alleged attempts to destroy evidence, including removing security cameras from Sambos house. Sambos trial will test the integrity of judicial and law enforcement institutions in Indonesia, according to Gayus Lumbuun, a former Supreme Court judge. This is a test for investigators, prosecutors and judges. There is no good verdict without a good investigation and a good indictment, Gayus told BenarNews. Greed, arrogance and hedonism Last month, Mohammad Mahfud MD, coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, said there needed to be a change of culture within the police and warned the ranks against greed, arrogance and hedonism. Sambos perceived wealth has put a spotlight on the luxurious lifestyles of high-ranking cops, with people questioning their sources of income considering senior officers relatively modest salaries. Cultural reform within the police is a must. There is no point in legal reform without the reform of the culture, Mahfud MD said. The police force has become too powerful following its separation from the Indonesian Armed Forces after the fall of autocratic president Suharto in 1998, analysts said. Some active and retired police generals enjoy senior positions in President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration, including Tito Karnavian, a former national police chief and anti-terrorism tsar who serves as home affairs minister. The national police has wide-ranging powers including budgeting, planning, operation and supervision. There is hardly any supervision because it has its own internal supervisory body, said Bambang Rukminto, a security analyst at the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies. Warships from Japan, the United States and Canada conduct a combined exercise in the South China Sea which ran from Sept. 23 to Oct. 1. A combined naval exercise led by Japan wrapped up in the South China Sea in a display of allied solidarity amid increased regional tensions. The week-long exercise involving maritime forces from Canada, Japan, and the United States ended Sunday. It was held off the back of another trilateral exercise, Noble Raven 22, which concluded in the Western Pacific a month earlier. The drills, dubbed Noble Raven 22-2, saw the rare appearance of a Japanese submarine that may signal a future deployment of Japans subs in the region. This is only the second time a Japanese submarine took part in joint drills in the South China Sea. The first was in November 2021, in a bilateral exercise with the U.S. Navy. Chinas growing assertiveness against other claimant states in the South China Sea, and Japan in the East China Sea presents a grave concern for Japan, according to a report by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. We will continue to strengthen cooperation with allied and partner navies, contribute to peace and stability in the region and maintain maritime order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, said the Japanese Navy, known officially as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) since Japans post-war constitution prohibits its military from fighting abroad. Besides the submarine, Japan sent one of its two destroyers, the JS Izumo, and the JS Takanami. The U.S. sent the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins and fleet replenishment-oiler USNS Rappahannock. For its part, the Royal Canadian Navy sent two frigates, HMCS Winnipeg and HMCS Vancouver. The two Canadian frigates have been deployed to Operation NEON to monitor United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Koreas weapons of mass destruction programs. The Vancouver took part in the original Noble Raven 22 from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7 in the waters running from Guam to the South China Sea. It also conducted a transit through the Taiwan Strait on Sept. 20 alongside the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Higgins. A Japanese warship and submarine take part in Noble Raven 22-2. [Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force] Japans Indo-Pacific Deployment The Izumo and Takanami are part of the JMSDFs Indo-Pacific Deployment 2022 (IPD22), a four-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region from June 13 to Oct. 28. During Noble Raven 22-2, the three participating navies conducted maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, live-fire missile events, and advanced maneuvering scenarios, according to a press release from the U.S. Navys 7th Fleet. Cmdr. Joseph McGettigan, commanding officer of the USS Higgins, was quoted as saying that the seamless interoperability between all ships demonstrates the strength of our alliances. It has been a busy time for the Japanese military. The JMSDF, together with the U.S. Navy and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy, conducted a trilateral anti-submarine warfare exercise in the waters near Korea and Japan on Sept. 30. The U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, and its strike group joined Japanese and Korean destroyers in high intensity exercises to enhance our combined capabilities against enemy submarine threats, according to another statement from the 7th Fleet. In late August, maritime forces from the U.S., Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia and Canada sailed together in the week-long Exercise Pacific Vanguard 2022 in the seas off Guam. In the latest development, following North Koreas ballistic missile launch over Japan on Oct. 4, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), or the Japanese Air Force, held a bilateral exercise with U.S. Marine Corps fighters over the Sea of Japan on the same day. China has yet to say anything about the trilateral exercise in the South China Sea or the large-scale annual military drills, Kamandag, between the U.S. and the Philippines that began on Monday. Experts say the South China Sea is playing an important part in Japans maritime strategy where Tokyo is taking a multilateral approach to pushing back on Chinese territorial claims. Reported by Radio Free Asia, an online news affiliate of BenarNews. Family and supporters hold pictures of some of the 44 Filipino police commandos killed during a recent operation against Southeast Asias top terrorist suspect Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir (also known as Marwan), as they join a Sympathy Walk in Quezon city, north of Manila, March 8, 2015. An aide to one of the Philippines most wanted bomb-makers, the late militant Abdul Basit Usman, has surrendered to authorities in the volatile southern region of Mindanao, officials said Wednesday. The suspect, identified as Manap Mamaluba, is a member of the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) militant group and was on the run from authorities for years, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Mamaluba surrendered two weeks ago, but this was only made public after he was subjected to verification and questioning this week, said Nicanor Suarez, spokesman for the investigation bureau. BIFF is a splinter of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a former separatist guerrilla group whose leaders now control an autonomous region in the southern Philippines. The surrender occurred in the area formally known as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BAARM), according to a statement from the bureau. The surrender of Mamaluba was made possible through his uncle, a certain Commander Tiger of the MILF, Suarez said. Currently, the subject is under the custody of the Municipality of Datu Abdullah Sangki. The exact identity of Commander Tiger was not revealed, although he is believed to be one of the field commanders of the MILF in the southern province of Maguindanao, intelligence officials said. Officials did not release more details about Mamaluba. His boss, Usman, was a top militant who had made it onto the U.S. State Departments list of wanted terrorists. Security experts say Usman had trained many militants in bomb making, including those affiliated with Jemaah Islamiyah. JI, an Indonesia-based militant group and the Southeast Asian affiliate of al-Qaeda, was blamed for the October 2002 Bali bombings - that countrys deadliest terror attack to date. In January 2015, Usman escaped a raid by the police Special Action Force (SAF) in the town of Mamasapano in Mindanao that resulted in the death of Zulkifli bin Hir (alias Marwan), a Malaysian terror suspect who was hiding in the southern Philippines. Forty-four SAF commandos were killed during the botched operation. They became caught in a deadly firefight with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who thought they had come under attack. The Philippine military killed Usman three months later. The BIFF, the splinter faction, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group, and many of its members are separately wanted for other crimes, including kidnapping for ransom and extortion. Col. Abdulrasad Sirajan, the militarys regional spokesman, told BenarNews that their crackdown against Mamalubas colleagues was continuing but government forces remained open to those who were willing to surrender. Our operation is going on without rest, but on the other hand, we welcome those who want to live a normal life, he said, adding that about 360 BIFF fighters had surrendered since last year in Maguindanao. In January 2021, BIFF militants carried out two roadside bombings that killed three people and injured dozens more in the south. In 2017, hundreds of pro-IS fighters from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and elsewhere took over the southern Philippine city of Marawi for five months. Some 1,200 people were killed in a battle that ensued between the militants and government forces. While BIFF did not send guerrillas to join that battle, it launched diversionary attacks at the time, according to officials. Jeoffrey Maitem contributed to this report from Davao City, Philippines. US media reports the USS Nimitz had a contaminated water leak which officers kept under wraps. A whistleblower reported this, who claimed the crew members were denied medical help. USS Nimitz Officials Attempt To Conceal Fuel Leak On the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, a US Navy whistleblower alleges his superior officers accused him of trying to mislead crew members about the severity of a fuel leak in their drinkable water and of rescinding medical attention once they got sick as a consequence of the poisoned liquid, reported the Business Insider. An unidentified sailor spoke to the outlet, saying the denial resulted in the compounding of their health due to the intake of JP-5. Which is a jet fuel that is based on kerosene, noted RT. The new report published last Saturday omitted the sailor's name due to concern over retaliation. The incident occurred in the middle of September when the nearly 3,000-person crew started noticing that the water they were using for drinking and taking showers had changed color and began to smell bad. Accordingly, the ship's commanding officer and executive officer first recommended the crew only consume bottled water but later declared that the Nimitz's usual tap water seemed unsafe to use, citing Azerbaycan 24. Attempts To Conceal Water Contamination Exposed A whistleblower claimed crew members were bathing in the contaminated water and did not question the COs. They learned the rumors were confirmed the next day and were exposed to the contaminated ship water supply. Read Also: Vladimir Putin Net Worth 2022: Does Anyone Know Russian President's Hidden Wealth? Ironically, those affected by nausea and bad skin rashes were not given medical help. A whistleblower asserted that sailors had been directed to taste and smell the water for a minimum of the next ten days. Following Business Insider, the sailor's photograph shows a glass container filled with water with a deep green layer on top and a murky white layer at the bottom. Commander Sean Robertson, a spokesman for the Navy, told the media in a statement that the health and safety of the sailors come first. Ten crew members had divulged health issues connected to taking JP-5, he affirmed. Based on the Navy, its tests hardly discovered minuscule amounts of aviation fuel in the water. As of September 17, the USS Nimitz has been moored in San Diego, straying from its timetabled return to the sea the other week. Steadily for the past November, the same carrier had to return to the docks because of an issue with the nuclear propulsion system. Four families living close to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, sued the fleet in August because jet fuel had also been getting into their water supply. A plaintiff contended that even after previously rejecting their worries, the fleet denied them access to appropriate medical care even though fuel tainted the water supply of around 93,000 people. US media revealed that the USS Nimitz had a contaminated water leak that affected the crew but was ignored medical attention, said a whistleblower. Related Article: Oil Industry Official Claims Biden Administration Taps US Oil Reserves To Lessen Backlash for Democrats in Midterm Elections @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Teachers and counselors greet young students at Manchester-Elementary Middle School on their first day of the 2017-18 school year. It was the last year for the town school district, as it joined the Taconic & Green Regional School District. Now, the district is considering building a new 21st-century middle school. Talk to your sons and daughters about the dangers of substance use, especially for the developing brain, and the specific danger of fentanyl, which can kill in a single 2-milligram dose. Talking with our kids is one way to stay connected to them and their friends, and probably the best way to know when something is "off" with our youth. If you need help in talking with your kids about substance use, visit vthelplink.org or call 802-565-LINK. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the final papers to annex four regions of Ukraine while his military struggled to control the new territory The man charged with killing Dennis Bernardi, William Gingerich Jr., has been deemed incompetent to stand trial by an official with the Bridgewater State Hospital. He told police arresting him in late February that he believed his own life was in danger, according to newly released court papers. Generally, a mysterious animal called the narwhal, also known as 'Sea Unicorn,' whose behavior is usually unknown as they live in the icy arctic sea. To help explain its behavior, scientists used the chaos theory to study further how they act in their environment. Narwhals' Mysterious Behavior as Sea Mammals Not much is known about these sea unicorns, and there is a need to preserve what is left of these endangered whales, reported Science Alert. The horned whales can dive to a depth of about 2 km, and the sea ice affects how they live. It was challenging to find them in the icy waste. Scientists have a better understanding of the irregular behavior of East Greenland's coast thanks to the chaos theory. The study's first author, Evgeny A. Podolskiy, a geoscientist at Japan's Hokkaido University, added that sensors placed on the whale gather more data but do not explain its strange behavior, as stated in a research press release from Hokkaido University. Podolskiy and Mads Peter Heide-Jrgensen, marine biologists, try to find a new way to develop a logic for the unknown habits of narwhals. By definition, the Chaos theory is a way to predict what can happen but is ruled by a set of inviolable laws. According to Fractal Foundation, the theory is based on physics and other ways to track animals without factual data. New Observations Could Explain Irregular Behavior An adult male narwhal and its activities were recorded for 83 days by a satellite-linked time-depth recording device attached to the animal's back, providing new insight into narwhal habits in its icy arctic sea habitat. Read Also: Mark Zuckerberg Net Worth 2022: How Did Facebook Founder Lose $30 Billion in 1 Day? In the study, Podolskiy and Heide-Jrgensen, used their expertise in math calculations based on chaos theory. Based on the researchers, such methods could uncover new states recognized as "attractors" to which chaotic systems tend to evolve. Chaos theory tools aided in uncovering a concealed daily pattern for this mammal, such as novel details about how factors like changing seasons could impact these habits. About midday, the target narwhal may rest near the surface. However, when it did plunge, it went down pretty deep. Diving at twilight is also done at night when the water is shallower but more intense; the study found that this is when the animal looks for squid. One of the noticeable factors in the behavior of the horned whale is caused by sea ice. When there is lots of ice, the animal will surface less. These rare whales need to be protected as man's activities have lessened their numbers. Chaos Theory and Mammal Habits Sea ice and these sea unicorns are specialized in the arctic sea, which is melting due to climate change, affecting their survival. According to the study's authors, connecting chaos theory and habits has a relationship to their environment, but it is still a relatively new science. Nevertheless, it encompasses "an uncommonly prolonged stretch" of almost three months, based on the researchers, who point out that equivalent records commonly cover only a few days. The authors added the approach is made simply by recording everything about the sea mammal and how the environment impacts them, per PLOS. A narwhal is not as studied as other whales because they live in the icy arctic sea, but chaos theory may predict changes. Related Article: Rippling Energies Throbbing in the Milky Way Galaxy Is Suspected by Astronomers Happening Like Clock Work @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. GREAT BARRINGTON Town officials agreed Monday to change the name of a road that previously bore a term offensive to Native Americans. The former Squaw Peak Road is now Woodland Hill Road, after the Select Board voted unanimously to the change initiated by a resident earlier this year. Most homeowners agreed. Households then met and arrived at the new name using three rounds of ranked choice voting, said Jeffrey Rothenberg, who had asked his 17 neighboring homeowners in May to meet over a possible name change. All but one of the 18 homeowners voted on the new name, Rothenberg told the board. The question arose for Rothenberg and other residents last winter as state organizations and federal officials were in the midst of eyeing place names that include the slur including in Great Barrington. Also, someone severed one of the former street signs from its post in January, prompting speculation that it was to protest the word. While the meaning of the word itself is not a slur, its manner of use gave it offensive sexist and ethnic connotations, officials from the Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians previously told The Eagle. They had worked with Trustees of Reservations to rename the a peak on Monument Mountain that bore the same word. Its now called Peeskawso Peak, which in Mohican means virtuous woman. That change was announced in April. Sign-up for The Berkshire Eagle's free newsletters Sign up The Department of the Interior last month announced that it had stripped the word from nearly 650 locations. Five locations in Massachusetts were renamed. The full list and a map of sites can be viewed at the U.S. Geological Survey website. Residents will now need to make a slew of address changes, and for this reason a few residents were against the name change. Ive talked to a couple of neighbors who are not in favor of this and I understand their dilemma, said Select Board Chair Stephen Bannon. Its a lot of work maybe money also. But Bannon said the slur was not just a local problem, and he hoped residents would understand why its important to remove it. Both Board Vice Chair Leigh Davis and member Ed Abrahams reinforced this. Abrahams said in a letter to the board, Stockbridge Munsee officials did not write the slur. Its clear that something has to happen, he said. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Notes & Footnotes D.R. Bahlman: How much worse would disasters like Hurricane Ian be without federal help? Mississippi found out the hard way during the Great Flood of 1927 Richard V. Reeves new book, Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It, has the right diagnosis, but its solutions are too small, writes the New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg. A woman looks at her water-damaged belongings after flooding caused by Hurricane Fiona tore through her home in Puerto Rico last month. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory not a state, not independent, but a secret third thing. And that doesn't help when it comes to getting things like hurricane aid. Funds for the development of the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate provided by the UAE for its development were dropped as the Arab state wanted to acquire the US F-35 Lightning II. After the loss of this funding, the 5th generation Checkmate might be built as Maya Carlin, an analyst for Washington, considers this the case. The Su-57, which the Checkmate will supplement for naval services later, is a serious loss for Moscow. Russian Aerospace Development Affected by Checkmate Program Carlin reported that the United Arab Emirates has seemed to have at least stopped its participation in the project, slashing off a crucial source of money and research and development. Russia's conflicting claims are among the major reasons for all of this, reported the Bulgarian Military. First, they expected the very first flight of the Checkmate in 2023, after which they extended the date to 2024. Currently, at present, against the surroundings of the military conflict in Kyiv, there is no potential for this to happen in two years. For example, the Arab state does not fund the 5th generation Russian jet before its expected first flight between 2023 and 2024. He added that Moscow is financing it by prioritizing its war with Kyiv to support special operations troops. It will suspend the Checkmate program from many components needed to complete the project in time. If the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate flies, the F-35 Lightning II will be a dead duck. Another reason, as seen by Carlin, for Abu Dhabi's judgment to stop the "economic funnel" to St. Petersburg would be this. Read Also: Priscilla Chan: Who is Mark Zuckerberg's Wife, How Did She Build Her Fortune? Economic conditions in reaction to Ukraine's intrusion have constrained the Russian defense industry's access to Western technology, especially in programming and electronics. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is the most appropriate pretext for the UAE to show solidarity with the United States. On the other hand, it likely sees another reason for the bad news for St. Petersburg or Abu Dhabi to appease America and receive the prestigious 50 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. The former White House host, Donald Trump, struck an agreement basically minutes before having to hand over power to the prevailing President of the United States, Joe Biden. However, Biden has "decided to freeze" the contract. Currently, the UAE's non-participation in the Su-75 venture, combined with Israel's now-clear support, suggests that the Emirates may be able to obtain the jets. Checkmate Funding Collaboration Media indicate as soon as 2021 that the UAE is the "hidden" economic shareholder inside the Russian Checkmate venture, per 19FortyFive. During the 2017 IDEX international defense and security exhibition in Abu Dhabi, the Russian Federation and the United Arab Emirates announced their collaboration in a new fifth-generation stealth fighter venture. Next but not least, Carlin implies that the Su-75 may still have two international clients, India and Vietnam. However, specialists mentioned a year ago that Argentina is the third country that might benefit from this fighter, particularly since the United Kingdom persists in exerting influence over selling sophisticated weapons and advanced technologies to the gauchos. Dropping the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate for the US F-35 Lightning II as a move to get the 5th generation stealth that might not be as capable as the Checkmate is a consideration. Related Article: Russian Manufacturer UAC Builds Four Prototypes of Su-75 Checkmate, an Unmanned Version @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. IDAHO - A record number of Idaho mayors are participating in this year's Mayor's Walking Challenge. According to the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, 98 of Idaho's 200 mayors are signed up to participate. The Mayor's Walking Challenge is a statewide program that gives Idaho mayors the opportunity to get active and earn funds for their community. The challenge, which takes place each October, is open to every Idaho mayor. Local participating mayors this year include: Mayor Keith Holcomb (Cottonwood); Mayor Roger Riggers (Craigmont); Mayor Jase Johnson (Deary); Mayor Richard Groseclose (Juliaetta); Mayor Betty Heater (Kamiah); Mayor Rose Norris (Kendrick); Mayor Antonio Smith (Lapwai); Mayor Dan Johnson (Lewiston); Mayor Art Bettge (Moscow); Mayor Steve Bateman (Nezperce); Mayor Sean Simmons (Orofino); Mayor Nancy Greene (Peck); Mayor David Brown (Potlatch); and Mayor Miriam Youngren (Winchester). Moscow Mayor Art Bettge said, "For me, walking is a great way to de-stress and stay healthy. I intend to get to 10,000 steps in per day, or 310,000 for the month, time permitting. I urge everyone to do what they can to be physically active regularly for all the health benefits they would receive. How it Works Idaho mayors can earn up to $1,000 for their efforts and have two chances to earn funds for their communities. Mayors can: Walk an average of 5,000 steps a day during October to earn $500 for their community Walk an average of 10,000 steps a day during October to earn $1,000 for their community All funds raised are used for programs and projects that encourage physical activity and well-being. Since the Mayors Walking Challenge became a statewide event in 2018, Idaho mayors have earned $271,000 for their communities. In 2021, 83 Idaho mayors participated, Those funds have contributed to a variety of projects and programs that promote a healthy lifestyle across Idaho, including playgrounds, physical education equipment for schools, walking clubs, amenities at parks, scholarships for youth programs, and more. LEWISTON - The Idaho Fish & Game is reminding hunters and anglers to brush up on Idaho's trespass laws and be aware of potential penalties before heading out. Trespassing laws in Idaho changed in 2018, but it remains the responsibility of the hunter or angler to know when they are on public or private property. Trespass laws changed in 2018, but the core philosophies have not, said Idaho Fish and Games Enforcement Bureau Chief Greg Wooten. Its still the sportsmans responsibility to know when theyre on private property and obtain permission to be there. People can use a variety of tools to determine whether theyre on public or private lands, including maps, GPS, software (some of which also shows private land ownership), smart phone apps, and more. Hunters and anglers seeking permission to be on private lands should get written permission from the landowner. Other methods of permission are still legal, but written is the most solid permission you can have, Wooten said. Sportsmen and women should also beware of penalties for trespassing. Hunters and anglers have long faced a mandatory one-year revocation of hunting and fishing privileges if they are convicted of trespassing while engaging those activities. There are also steep fines for repeat offenders, and for a person convicted of trespassing three times within a 10-year period, theres a minimum $5,000 fine, one to five year license suspension and they could be charged with a felony. Here are a few basic things to remember: You need permission to be on private land. Its the responsibility of the hunter/angler to know if theyre on private land. The laws affecting how landowners must post their property changed in recent years. Fines have been stiffened for trespass violations. Hunters, anglers, and trappers are not allowed without permission if: The Vodacom now! blog, for which New Media produces articles and videos, has won gold for Blogging Excellence at the 10th annual New Generation Social and Digital Media Awards. New Media's Vodacom team also took silver for Best Online Newsletter. The Vodacom now! blog ecosystem supports Vodacom's vision and strategy of being a leading technology company. It has also become the port of call for customers looking to fulfil their own service requests, which has driven savings into the business as a result of a reduction in calls to Vodacom call centres. Jeanine Boshoff, head of New Media's Story Station division, was at the ceremony to accept the trophies on behalf of the team. She says: "The New Generation Awards celebrate ingenuity and are primarily about the results achieved in a specific campaign or execution. We are proud to say that, beyond excellent reach and engagement, the work we do for Vodacom has actually resulted in their call centre saving money - a return on investment in real terms. The blog does this by providing practical, 'how-to' information, for which customers would have previously contacted Vodacom's customer care line." Pabi Rampa, senior specialist: content marketing at Vodacom, says: "It's wonderful to see the impactful work that Vodacom and New Media do being recognised across the industry. I am very proud of the team for this achievement as we drive meaningful engagement and ROI." These awards arrive on the back of five gold awards for New Media in New York, where the agency took top honours in four hotly contested categories at the 2022 Eddie & Ozzie Awards as well as Best Use of Technology as Part of a Content Marketing Program at the 2022 Content Marketing Awards. Boshoff concludes: "New Media's purpose is to tell the stories that matter most - on platforms people love to use. Our insight into our clients' audiences and focus on providing them with real value is how we help build lasting, profitable relationships between brands and their customers. These wins, with a wonderful client in Vodacom, are a real affirmation of our results-driven approach." The fifth Lego Certified Store has opened its doors in Mall of Africa, introducing a new Lego store design to the African continent. Source: Supplied The Great Yellow Brick Company, the South African licence-holder of the Lego Certified Store concept, opened the first four stores in 2018 and 2019 and now looks to extend the reach of the Lego brand through physical retail expansion. Retailtainment This new 100m2 store with its bright colours, digital displays and unique Lego sets, is designed to offer an elevated and interactive retail experience. Integrated platforms will provide customers with the opportunity to get hands-on engagement and become part of immersive experiences with exclusive products and offerings from the Lego Group. Visitors will experience the new, 'retailtainment concept with multiple experiences that allow shoppers to immerse themselves in the world of the famous Lego System in Play, as well as create personalised brick products. The Lego Minifigure factory allows visitors to design and create a unique Lego Minifigure, while hands-on play opportunities, including free build challenges and events, will be hosted each month. Robert Greenstein, director at Great Yellow Brick, said, The innovative design of the new store is perfectly matched to all the exciting developments in Waterfall City and Mall of Africa. This will be the fifth Lego Certified Store in South Africa and were excited to broaden the reach of this amazing brand to more South African customers. The Mall of Africa Lego store will offer the full new range of products only available direct from Lego Certified Stores, including the likes of Lego Titanic, Lego Technic BMW M 1000 RR and Lego Technic Ferrari Daytona. According to the company, there will be plenty of benefits offered for Lego Brick Rewards members including exclusive gifts with purchase and double-point events. Miroslav Riha, country manager of Lego RSA, said, The new Lego Store in Mall of Africa will allow builders of all ages to be inspired by endless play possibilities and an exciting journey of discovery into the Lego universe. We are also excited to be revealing the new Lego retail platform with innovative retail-first experiences and a destination for product launches, events and a hub for our Lego fan community. The new store can be found on the lower level in Mall of Africa. Citizens can now access a spelling and hyphenation checker tool for South Africa's 10 official languages, excluding English. Image source: berna namoglu 123RF.com This tool, known as the Spelling Checkers for South African Languages, is now available for free to download from the South African Centre for Digital Language Resources (SADiLaR). Developed by the Centre for Text Technology (CTexT), based at North West University, the spell checker has been made freely available to the public by SADiLaR, funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), as part of the South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap (SARIR). SARIR is a systemic intervention by the DSI to provide research infrastructure across the entire public research system, building on existing capabilities and strengths, and drawing on future needs. The speller and hyphenation tool, which works with Microsoft Office Suite, allows the user to choose their South African language in the relevant Microsoft software. It then recognises and corrects spelling, hyphenation and typing errors, and offers suggested alternatives for words that are not recognised. The tool offers an extensive wordlist for Afrikaans, IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, SiSwati, Sesotho, Sesotho sa Leboa, Setswana, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. In recognition that our South African languages are underresourced, in terms of available data required for tools such as this, and that language is constantly changing and evolving, the tool also provides for a custom dictionary to which users can add words they regularly use and are not in the tools existing wordlists, SADiLaR said. The custom dictionaries can, if the user so chooses, be shared with the developer to be verified and included in updates. SADiLaR said it welcomes contributors and collaborators to help with expanding the tools wordlists. Executive director of SADiLaR, Professor Langa Khumalo, described SADiLaR as a national research infrastructure mandated to support research and development in the domains of language technologies and language-related studies. It is thus a great triumph for us to be able to make available such a valuable tool to support multilingualism in South Africa and build up the necessary technological resources to ensure our languages remain relevant in the fourth industrial revolution, he said. Head of CTexT, Dr Martin Puttkamer, said by working close with linguists in South African universities and the national language bodies, the team has developed spell checkers that evaluate words according to the official orthography of each language. We hope that making the spelling checkers freely available will help strengthen the digital presence of all our indigenous languages, facilitate the production of more digital texts in these languages, and provide access to information technology to all our citizens, he said. To download the tool and for more information, visit the SADiLaR website. Europe is in a pinch as the energy crunch driven by the Russian-Ukraine war has led to the implosion of the bloc's energy security. The euro-sphere is instructed to set thermostats and boilers at low because of less Russian gas, said a report. Energy Cut Threatens the EU Europe is mandated that all measures lessen the impact of less gas available; to manage a meager supply before getting no gas at all, reported Euronews. Based on the International Energy Agency (IEA), the EU confronts "unparalleled dangers" of supply disruptions this winter after Moscow trimmed most pipeline deliveries due to its dispute in Ukraine, noted AP News. The Paris-based group said property owners must turn down heating systems in emergency power measures to help decrease Europe's gas consumption by 13% to prepare for a total gas break. Based on the IEA's input in its quarterly gas report published on Monday, a total shutdown of Russian pipeline gas to the European Union cannot be ruled out before the 2022/23 heating season, when the European gas market would be most vulnerable. IEA said that Europe should concentrate on getting underground reserve levels to 90% of volume, in particular in the instance of such a complete Russian stockpile shut-off to a really bad energy crunch. This same EU's storage capacity is presently at around 88%, far exceeding its objective of 80%, citing Global News Daily. It also alerted the EU that it must guarantee that its reserves do not decline below 33% in winter to have sufficient power in the event of an unexpected cold spell brought on by the Russian-Ukraine war. Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency? Europeans Prepare for Total Energy Cut As stated by the IEA, domestic energy-saving initiatives like turning down heating systems by 1C and reducing boiler temps might significantly bolster Europe's gas storage thresholds. The group said these initiatives must be aligned with efforts to cut gas consumption in the EU's power industry and building structures. Moreover, the agency added, the working storage capability at a minimal level would be extremely important for a safe and secure winter at 33%. Furthermore, storage levels just below that threshold may not be sufficient to deal with a cold spell, typically at the end of the heating season, similar to the one Europe faced in March 2018. Interruptions in the supply from Russian pipelines Only a small amount of Russian gas is being transported across the Black Sea from Turkey to Bulgaria and from Ukraine to Slovakia via pipelines. Two other routes have been blocked, one through Belarus and Poland and the other underneath the Baltic Sea to Germany. European leaders conclude the reduction in Russian gas is extortion, aiming at coercing authorities over their endorsement of Kyiv and punitive measures against St. Petersburg. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which carries gas from Russia to Europe, was shut down indefinitely when several leaks were discovered in the Baltic Sea. According to the EU leadership, the Kremlin is to blame for the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2. Moscow claims the US was acting in desperation due to failed sanctions. Moscow has threatened to cut off the last of its natural gas supplies to Europe. Europe is in a lurch as the worst energy crunch caused by the Russian-Ukraine war, which was allowed to downgrade the fully independent bloc to scrounging for energy supplies, is denigrating. Related Article: Energy Crisis Causes Shortage of Fertilizer Production Affecting Food Security of the Bloc @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This year the New Generation Awards celebrated their 10th anniversary of evaluating South Africa's best social and digital media campaigns. Awards were given to campaigns that showed excellence and ROI for, social and digital reach, online experiences, app development, mobile marketing, influencer and blogging, as well the most Innovative use of social media. Ogilvy led the event by winning an unprecedented 31 awards, including the New Generation Agency of the Year 2022 title, for overall performance at the event. We are immensely proud and humbled by the staggering number of awards we received, says Pete Case, Ogilvy CEO and creative chairman. Its wonderful to see so many of our clients work represented in the wins we achieved. Thank you to the judges who recognised the value of our work and huge congratulations to the teams at Carling Black Label, Castle Lite, Volkswagen, Cadbury, Kimberly Clark, DStv and KFC who shone so brightly on the night and up against such stiff industry competition. Steve Paxton, founder of the New Generation Awards, commented on the high standards of entries this year. Teams have become more technically minded, smarter strategies can be seen across multiple platforms, resulting in clever content with exciting conversations driving high engagement among the communities. The results achieved across a number of campaigns have been phenomenal. Case concludes, Our aim at Ogilvy is to inspire brands and people to impact the world. In South Africa, social and digital media platforms are the tools and means for so many people to help shape the culture of their world. Powered by data, insights, content, and experiences; social and digital media enables brands to realise consumer and societal impact like never before. With communication and content that flows into, and resonates with, consumers digital timelines all at the speed of culture. Earlier this year, Ogilvy also won Agency of the Year at the IAB Bookmark Awards, the countrys largest digital creative and effectiveness awards show. These two back-to-back prestigious awards underline Ogilvys purposeful and continued investments in digital transformation alongside its proven ability to help a breadth of brands meaningfully connect with todays digitally enabled consumer. Since its inception in 1989, Patron has consistently perfected the craft of creating the world's leading ultra-premium tequila. Pride is taken in everything about the refreshing drink, especially in the people involved in making the finest tequila. Because of Patron's unwavering commitment to authenticity and integrity, 60 hands meticulously work on the tequila, from the beginning to the end. Hacienda Patron the historic building in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, where only Patron is made houses 2,100 employees, because the spirit is made the authentic way, never taking shortcuts and using only high-quality raw ingredients. Master distiller David Rodriguez has been in the Patron family for close to 20 years, ensuring that every signature bottle of Patron maintains the brands high standards. Using just three ingredients: 100% Weber Blue agave, water, and yeast, he strictly follows a time-honoured process that adds nothing else to the taste, smell, or colour of the tequila. Patron believes in zero additives and 100% tequila. Agave ripens slowly every eight years so skilled Jimadors take great care to find and uproot only those agaves with optimal sugar content. Using a sharp tool called a coa, they strip away the leaves to reveal the heart of the plant, the pina. After being hand-chopped, the pinas are baked in small, brick ovens to ensure theyre cooked evenly. Then, theyre crushed by a two-ton volcanic stone Tahona wheel and a roller mill. The resulting mixture is fermented for three days, distilled in small-batch copper pot stills designed by original master distiller Francisco Alcaraz. The mixture, also known as mosto, is aged in handmade barrels, ranging from a minimum of two months for Patron Reposado and all the way up to 10 years for Extra Anejo 10 Anos, the oldest Patron tequila. Inspired by tradition From the timeless and refined design of the Patron bottles, which are one-of-a-kind and handcrafted, to the signature green ribbon, it is clear that Patrons design principles are inspired by the ancient Aztec. The bottles created by experienced glass artisans using traditional and age-old glass blowing techniques guide even the packaging of the spirit. The tequila makers attention to detail extends to sustainably harvested fine Portuguese cork, an eco-friendly irrigation system and to the agave by-product that is recycled. Patron has created a certification for the farmers, supporting them to make the right decisions for the ecosystem. The tequila brand constantly monitors the health of the plants they buy and how they have been treated. Get ready for a chilling month filled with overwhelming terror, bloody horror, profound true stories, historical drama, and a singing crocodile. 7 October After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she cant explain in Smile. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality. I wanted to make a movie that felt like a sustained panic attack from start to finish, says writer-director Parker Finn. Medieval is a historical drama film directed by Petr Jakl. It is about the life of Jan Zizka, a Bohemian military commander who never lost a battle. The film is set prior to the Hussite Wars (14191434), when Zizka was young. It tells the story of how Zizka became a famous military commander. The brave hero is young Jan Zizka (Ben Foster), a knight and mercenary, future leader of the Hussite army. Rosenberg had almost all his family killed and Zizka wants revenge. and has to choose between two alternatives: give up the fight for justice and receive a higher rank at the royal court, or keep fighting, though alone and abandoned. It also stars Michael Caine, Til Schweiger, William Moseley, Matthew Goode, Sophie Lowe. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a historical comedy-drama film directed and produced by Anthony Fabian. In 1957 London, Mrs. Ada Harris, a widowed cleaning lady, becomes obsessed with one client's haute couture Dior dress; it inspires her to buy her own Dior dress. After suddenly receiving a war widow's pension, she travels to Paris to do so. She stumbles into a showing of Dior's 10th-anniversary collection and is befriended by Andre, the Dior accountant, and Natasha, a Dior model. However, the Dior director, Claudine, resents Ada's intrusion into the exclusive world of haute couture. The film stars Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson. 14 October Four years after the events of last year's Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn't been seen since his last brutal rampage. Laurie, after allowing the spectre of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham, is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can't control, once and for all. Halloween Ends stars Jamie Lee Curtis, James Jude Courtney, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, and Kyle Richards Barbarian is a horror written and directed by Zach Cregger, starring Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgard, and Justin Long. Arnon Milchan, Roy Lee, Raphael Margules, and J.D. Lifshitz produced the film, which follows a young woman who finds out that the house she rented is accidentally double-booked with a man and learns a dark secret within the home. 21 October The superhero actioner Black Adam is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. After nearly five thousand years of imprisonment, Black Adam, an antihero from the ancient city of Kahndaq, is unleashed into modern times. His brute tactics and way of justice attract the attention of the Justice Society of America, who tries to stop his rampage, teach him how to be a hero more than a villain, and must team up to stop a force more powerful than Adam himself. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film stars Dwayne Johnson as the title character alongside Aldis Hodge, Noah Centineo, Sarah Shahi, Marwan Kenzari, Quintessa Swindell, Bodhi Sabongui, and Pierce Brosnan. In Detective Knight: Rogue, Bruce Willis stars as veteran Detective James Knight, dedicated to navigating the demanding streets of Los Angeles, in this thrilling first of a trilogy of films. As the city prepares for Halloween, mask-wearing armed robbers critically wound Knights partner in a shootout following a heist. With Knight in hot pursuit, the bandits flee L.A. for New York, where the detectives dark past collides with his present case and threatens to tear his world apartunless redemption can claim Knight first. It is directed by Edward Drake and stars Trevor Gretzky and Beau Mirchoff. 28 October Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile is a live-action/animated musical comedy film directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon. It is an adaptation of the children's story of the same name by Bernard Waber. When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle - a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home. Inspired by true events, Call Jane (28 Oct) captures the essence of late-Sixties social change via one womans quest to get a safe and legal abortion. Joys (Elizabeth Banks) journey for a solution leads her to Virginia (Sigourney Weaver), an independent visionary fiercely committed to womens health, and Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku), an activist who dreams of a day when all women will have access to abortion, regardless of their ability to pay. Joy is so inspired by their work, she decides to join forces with them, putting every aspect of her life on the line. Directed by Phyllis Nagy. The Devils Light is a supernatural horror about demonic possession. The exorcist at the heart of the film is a young nun, Sister Ann, who believes that performing exorcisms is her calling. The church attempts to shut down this desire, as only priests are allowed to perform exorcisms, but Sister Ann is unswayed. She continues her pursuit, observing exorcisms and eventually trying to prove herself once she encounters a disturbed patient who she believes she can save. Directed by Daniel Stamm, it stars Jacqueline Byers and Virginia Madsen. In Ruben Ostlund's wickedly funny Palme d'Or winner Triangle of Sadness (28 Oct) , social hierarchy is turned upside down, revealing the tawdry relationship between power and beauty. Celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged boat captain (Woody Harrelson). What first appeared Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island and fighting for survival. Jack Absolute Flies Again is a rollicking new comedy by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors) and Oliver Chris (Twelfth Night). Set in 1940s pastoral Britain, the show is a hilarious wartime farce, with plenty of heart. After an aerial dog fight, Pilot Officer Jack Absolute flies home to win the heart of his old flame, Lydia Languish. Back on British soil, Jacks advances soon turn to anarchy when the young heiress demands to be loved on her own, very particular, terms. Emily Burns directs this spectacularly entertaining National Theatre production, featuring a cast including Caroline Quentin, Laurie Davidson, Natalie Simpson and Kelvin Fletcher. Read more about the latest and upcoming films here. The provincial education departments have kick started their spring camps for all Grade 12 learners as they gear up to sit for their final National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. Image source: Cathy Yeulet 123RF.com The camps serve as a revision platform and bridge content gaps in all subjects before learners start their exams on 31 October. According to the North West Education Department, 30,224 Grade 12s are set to benefit from the extra classes, which started on Friday, 30 September. They will conclude on Sunday, 9 October. The department said the camps will be spread across 102 venues, 70 of which are residential and 32 walk-ins. The North West MEC for Education, Mmaphefo Matsemela, has assured the parents that learner safety will be prioritised throughout the camps. On behalf of the department, I would like to thank teachers and learners for availing themselves. I would like to encourage parents to allow learners to come for the camps and study with their peers for them to fully understand their content, revise and learn with others, she said. Matsemela said meals will be provided for learners. The provincial department said it has also made provision for generators that will be run as backup power in case of load shedding. The matriculants' last exam will be written on 7 December. Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal is also hosting its own boot camps. This programme is organised by the department to assist Grade 12 learners with revision and preparing matric candidates for their final school examination after 12 years of schooling, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education said. The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education, Mbali Frazer, has encouraged learners to be focused and to strictly follow a study timetable. She has expressed her gratitude to the teachers for making the sacrifice to give up their spring holidays to continue tutoring matriculants. According to TimesLive, the Gauteng Education Department planned 30 residential camps for 15,000 pupils as part of its secondary school improvement programme. Last week, Limpopo launched its 2022 matric countdown at Mbilwi High School in Sibasa Circuit in Vhembe. The Limpopo Education Department said the aim is to mobilise parents, guardians and stakeholders to rally behind the Class of 2022. The South African Reserve Bank's Prudential Authority (PA) has welcomed a High Court ruling confirming the curatorship of life insurer, 3Sixty Life. Image source: Andriy Popov 123RF.com In a statement, the Reserve Bank said the PA remains of the view that the curatorship of 3Sixty Life is in the best interests of its policyholders. The insurer was in November last year placed under provisional curatorship. This after the PA became aware that 3Sixty Life had failed to maintain its business in a financially sound condition by not holding eligible own funds that are at least equal to the minimum capital requirement or solvency capital requirement, as prescribed, whichever is the greater. 3Sixty Life informed the PA that the failure was attributed to higher-than-usual claims experienced, as well as a shortfall in its budgeted premium income, both as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdown restrictions, the central bank said in a statement. The PA said during 2021, it had numerous engagements with 3Sixty Life in an effort to gradually implement measures to return the insurer to financial soundness in order to meet legislative requirements and address the challenges the insurer had been faced with. This included a plan by the shareholder to recapitalise the insurer, said the PA. On 9 November 2021, the PA informed 3Sixty Life that if its recapitalisation plan had not materialised and its business had not returned to financial soundness by 1 December 2021, 3Sixty Life would be prohibited from taking on any new insurance business. In addition, 3Sixty Life was informed of further regulatory steps that could be taken by the PA, should the recapitalisation fail. 3Sixty Life, however, failed to restore the business to financial soundness by the deadline of 1 December 2021, as prescribed by the PA. On 21 December, the High Court in Johannesburg granted an ex parte application to place 3Sixty Life under provisional curatorship. Yashoda Ram, who at the time was from BDO Advisory Services, was provisionally appointed as the curator of the business, with the High Court issuing specific directives to the curator to take immediate control of the business. On 30 September 2022, the High Court of South Africa delivered its judgment and granted the order confirming the curatorship of 3Sixty Life. "The High Court of South Africa cancelled the appointment of Ms Yashoda Ram, with effect from 30 September 2022 and appointed Mr Tinashe Mashoko, of BDO Advisory Services, as the final curator of 3Sixty Life, with effect from 30 September 2022, the Reserve Bank said. It said the PA would work together with the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), which is responsible for the regulation of market conduct and the curator, to ensure 3Sixty Lifes policyholders continue to be properly protected during this process. The curatorship, in the PAs view, presents the most suitable and most effective mechanism to facilitate the orderly management of 3Sixty Life back to a position of financial soundness. "With the appointment of the curator, the board of directors and management of 3Sixty Life were relieved of their powers and those vested in the curator. At this stage, the business of 3Sixty Life will continue under the control of the curator, the central bank said. 3Sixty Life policyholders, who have any concerns, claims-related queries and complaints, may contact the curator at email address az.oc.efilytxiS3@ofni. 3Sixty Life has delivered an application for leave to appeal against the 30 September 2022 judgment and the PA intends to oppose the application for leave to appeal. The PA would like to assure the public that the South African insurance sector remains safe, sound and adequately capitalised, the central bank said. The 2022 Loeries Creative Week has officially kicked off! As the week unfolds, visitors and attendees will have the opportunity to experience the industrys very best in creativity with premiere masterclasses, seminars, expos, and award ceremonies. On 4 October, Preetesh Sewraj, the CEO of the Loeries, Sbu Sitole, the current chairperson of the Loeries, along with Alderman JP Smith from the City of Cape Town and this years esteemed panel of judges met to reflect on the last several days of judging ahead of the various awards ceremonies that will be held later this week. This year we saw phenomenal work entered from around the region. The judges have come together for deliberation and its our collective aim to highlight outstanding work that is making a difference in our industry and shaping the creative landscape in Africa, the Middle East and beyond. Were also so grateful to the City of Cape Town, that has extended us the warmest of welcomes, said Sewraj. Were flying a flag for creativity, and how its able to move society forward. Its an honour to be a part of this institution that has such an impact in the region. Were looking forward to celebrating creative excellence, said Sitole. We are so proud to welcome the Loeries to Cape Town once again, and impressed to see the impact its making not only in the creative industry, but also the local communities that it reaches through its upliftment initiatives, said Smith. While this may be an international event, it feels intimate, because theres a real showcase of different backgrounds, disciplines, and voices. This really creates a sense of authentic community, said Natalie Lam, the Loeries 2022 jury president. Weve seen such amazing work that has come through from different countries across the region, and really showcases how resilient and creative the human spirit is, said Karin Onsager-Birch, jury president for Live, PR and Out of Home. The creative industry is evolving and moving so rapidly, that its wonderful to take a moment to celebrate the work that has been done across the region. But what is also exciting is the opportunity to help contribute to a new way of thinking when it comes to education, said Brian Mtongana, co-jury president of the 2022 Loeries Student Awards. For more than 40 years, Loeries has been awarding creative excellence in the advertising and brand communication industry. Loeries not only celebrates deserving work across Africa and the Middle East region, but also promotes and supports creativity by helping marketers, agencies, and consumers appreciate the value of ideas and fresh thinking. ZZ2 subsidiary Cape Almonds has launched 50 tonnes of locally grown almonds through South Africa's national fresh produce markets under the Al Monde brand name. Source: Supplied Cape Almonds has formed licence agreements with more than 50 Western Cape farmers to grow and produce the almonds, helping to create employment and upskill the farmers in making a locally-grown crop commercially viable. The Al Monde almonds are raw (not roasted, salted or treated in any way) and are available in packs at the National Fresh Produce Markets in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. Independence Almonds Almonds need a Mediterranean-type climate to flourish, and the Western Cape is therefore a suitable growing environment. The Al Monde growers are mostly farming the Independence almond varietal, which is self-pollinating. Most commercial almond cultivars rely upon natural pollinators, by bees, to ensure successful cross-pollination and fertilization. The Independence cultivar, however, is the first self-compatible and self-fertile almond cultivar developed by the Californian breeder, Zaigers Inc. Genetics. Source: Supplied In 2016, ZZ2 subsidiary Cape Almonds was granted the exclusive master-licence to cultivate Independence Almonds in Southern Africa from Zaigers Inc. Genetics and Zaiger SA. Since then, Cape Almonds, in partnership with around 50 sub-licensee growers, has planted approximately 700ha of Independence almond trees throughout the Western Cape Province. New South African Almond Association Dan Coetzee, CEO of Cape Almonds, says that people are becoming increasingly aware of the need to support local farmers and they also want to know where their food comes from. So, knowing they are buying a product that is fresh and not six to 12 months old as it is when it arrives from California will be a major factor in their purchasing decision. Until now, very few almonds sold in South Africa are grown locally. The local product will therefore be fresher with a much lower carbon footprint and will be supporting local. Coetzee is also head of marketing of the newly formed South African Almond Association. Farmers and consumers alike in this country need to know that the industry is committed to long-term sustainability. The Almond Association will not only be a hub of information but also a body of mutually interested people who will collectively ensure that the local industry thrives over time. Together with ZZ2, we began researching and creating the Al Monde product around four years ago because we believe the future is in unlocking the natural goodness available right here in South Africa and to delivering an excellent natural product to local people. Source: Supplied Coetzee says the launch of local almonds in South Africa comes at a critical time. Due to the oversupply of almonds in the US, South Africa is getting flooded with cheap poor-quality stock. As an association, our main aim is to protect producers and the almond market as a whole and to ensure South Africans consumers get better quality local almonds at competitive prices. According to Cape Almonds, there is good news in the offing for SMEs and the SA economy too. "As the local almond industry matures, it will help support and create new industries from the bi-products of raw almonds which are not fit for packaging - those that are chipped or broken in half will be sold to third parties. In time, this will develop into a burgeoning bi-product industry producing almond flour and almond milk," the company said. Complex crop Coetzee says that almond farming is more complex than might be appreciated. Soil preparation is critical and the ZZ2 and Cape Almond agronomists are working hard to give the growers the intelligence and help they need to produce the most abundant and healthy harvest. Our production guide is a fully comprehensive manual giving the producers everything they need to know - from the arduous soil preparation process, which includes analyses and consultation from soil scientists, through to soil mapping and modification, irrigation and draining, timing, grafting, harvesting, and post-harvest handling. It is an exceptionally technical and involved process and budding almond producers need to perfect the initial planting and soil preparation to ensure a healthy yield every year. Fresher and more affordable than their imported counterparts, Al Monde almonds are packed in unique boxes (sizes 250g, 500g, and 1kg packs) as well as in recycled plastic bags (100g and 250g). While SA business has been doing what it believes it can to avoid economic breaking point, it must be asked whether that is truly enough to set our beautiful country on a new trajectory. Should a collective corporate strategy be tethered to a massive transformative purpose? This would require an acknowledgment of a painful home truth: in South Africa, it's mostly profit before people. Wallis Watt, chairperson, The Unlimited Proof of this came to light relatively recently, bringing to the fore a ruthless trade-off in business as shown in one of the measurable realms of corporate purpose, corporate social investment (CSI). Findings published in the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook indicated that in 2021, for the first time, more than half (51%) of the researchs participating companies reported a decrease in CSI expenditure. Only 36% of respondents reported increased CSI expenditure - significantly down from 62% in 2018 - suggesting an overall negative trend in CSI spending. This local drop is in stark contrast to the US where the report notes total community investments had unprecedented growth because of companies efforts to alleviate the negative effects of the pandemic. The take-out being that if South Africa is to unlock growth in any shape or form, business should do better by dramatically shifting its priorities through its corporate purpose. Purpose as a cause The Trialogue research further found that in terms of overall expenditure, 54% of international companies spent less than 2% of their profit on social investment, 20% spent more than 2%, and the balance were unsure. It stated, In line with this, more than half of South African companies surveyed (57%) spent less than 2% of their net profit after tax (NPAT) on social investment, while 12% spent more than 2% of NPAT. Its clear that we stack up pretty poorly against international standards, and even more so given how radically far SA has fallen behind the socioeconomic curve. We must ask ourselves if these levels of social spend make even the smallest dent in addressing the dire inequalities in SA society? In his book, Exponential Organisations, Salim Ismail shares that the fastest growing organisations and the ones making the most incredible breakthroughs in solving global problems, had one thing in common: a unifying purpose that everyone could get behind. According to the State of Corporate Purpose 2022 report, more than ever there is a collective need for connection to something bigger than ourselves. It noted, With more awareness of the impact that can come from a corporate culture that empowers social action, companies are wisely moving toward broader, more consistent support for the causes that matter most to their employees, their customers and their communities. Local dynamics and nuances That said, the local context has different dynamics and nuances which require companies to move beyond compliance, to live a corporate purpose that renders a deeply social contribution to their people and the communities in which they operate. Words such as upliftment, transformation and sustainability and even ESG have become the lexicon in business, but lip service alone has no place in true service to the communities without whom the operations of a company would not exist. Essentially, we need to bring our hearts to the table and think way beyond just making profits. Not only is that good for business, it also makes a massive difference in shifting our planet. Voices within international markets also talk of how corporate purpose must align with individual purpose, but the South African context requires business to consider things differently. Consider that 42% of children live with their mother as their only parent and another 42% of economically active adults support both older and younger generations. For the first quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate was 63.9% for those aged 15-24 and 42.1% for those aged 25-34 years, while the current official national rate stands at 34.5%. As such, corporate purpose in the country is a social contract a social and environmental license to operate where paying corporate tax is simply not enough. Therefore, for any business that operates in the South African market, it is now time to pay it forward. Consumers, whether living or working in an urban, peri-urban or rural community, no longer tolerate talk of shared value and weak promises of community support. They deserve support from the companies who build their corporate value through operations in and around these communities and corporate purpose is the crucial starting point for responsible business. For many in both the academic and commercial world, corporate purpose is inaccurately attributed as being a soft behavioural element of corporate culture, but far from being fluffy, it is a societal imperative. When aligned to societys needs and areas of growth, purpose at this macro level is the key to meaningful and positive business impact. Particularly as it rallies people behind a common goal, and this makes it a potential societal strength in the hands of business. Business should do better Purpose at an organisational level is a strong motivator. From work in early childhood development (ECD) to primary, secondary or tertiary education, to care for the elderly who have no family, environmental and animal welfare, or fulfilling nutritional and food security needs - if each business in a region took a tight focus on one community-aligned purpose, a significant wave of positive change would be ignited. It is in trying to solve too many challenges all at once and within one company that impact is diluted. But when done right, it is a change-maker. When a business acts with a clear corporate purpose, people know what that company does, or does not, stand for. This creates an ethos that teams can subscribe to: a like-minded rallying call that keeps a company together and sustainable long into the future. At this stage in SA, it is plausible to put people before profit by mobilising shared purpose. It is ubuntu in its most powerful form. There is no time like the present for business to do better and actively get involved in uplifting our nation. Subscribe to daily business and company news across 19 industries SUBSCRIBE The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) is allegedly funded by a shadowy organization, as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) probe remarked that this happened in 2021. The EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit from New York, was the link to how the Wuhan lab got financed for bat coronavirus research. This research is where the many origins of Sars-CoV-2 and later Covid-19 got created but escaped as an accident or intentional weaponization. National Institutes of Health Probe Millions of dollars in federal funds have continued to be funneled into EcoHealth Alliance as the shadowy organization, a New York-based non-profit organization under investigation for its involvement in diverting public funds to the key research lab in China for bat coronavirus research that many assume made a significant contribution to the COVID-19 disease outbreak, reported the Epoch Times. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued three grants to EcoHealth on September 21 in 2021. This research body in Asia studies how viruses can infect and spawn an outbreak, not the government, mentioned an NHI probe. As much as $2.76 million, the funding signifies an exponential rise of $700,000 from the sum granted in 2021 and is also the biggest tally the institution has garnered from the National institutes of health inside a solitary year, noted Intercept. These grants are based on the source. The grants, two of which received NIH financing for three years in a row, arose as Congress increased its examination of EcoHealth's years-long cooperation with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has been at the core of a lab-leak theory. Read Also: Indications That Vladimir Putin's Threat of Nuclear War is True; Here Are Places To Be Affected Most! The president of the project's entity, Peter Dazak, who manages the grants, is the person who rejected the lab-leak theory as bogus. Some critics argue that since EcoHealth has bankrolled risky investigations by the WIV, US officials must stop supporting the institution completely. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) responded in a statement that giving tax money to the organization to study pandemic prevention is similar to paying a suspicious arsonist to perform fire safety checks. Mentioning it should not happen at all. The Wuhan Institute of Virology The NIH postponed a multi-year grant valued at $3.7 million to EcoHealth in July 2020 to research bat coronaviruses in China in cooperation with WIV, raising fears that the awardees weren't complying with the award contexts. Experts previously told The Epoch Times that the experiments conducted under the grant met the definition of gain-of-function research that increases the transmissibility or pathogenicity of a virus. The NIH unearthed that organization had not reported a WIV test that created the bat coronavirus during one review of the issues. This agency demanded duplicates of research lab netbook submissions and original electronic documents from the Wuhan facility in November 2021 and in January 2022. However, without victory, the NIH revoked the WIV sub-award on August 19, according to the letter sent to the Committee on Oversight and Reform on that date. As stated in the first letter, a revised grant would be examined to verify adherence with a 2017 framework guiding the evaluation of suggested gain-of-function research. If the revised funding is accepted, it will be subject to further supervision, like onsite checks of sub-recipient labs every other six months to verify compliance. As revealed by the NHI probe, the Wuhan Institute of Virology was funded by the shadowy organization. Related Article: National Institute of Health Awards 103 Grants Worth $285 Million To Support Transformative Biomedical Research @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. It is amazing to me that we seem to have complete idiots driving these events and they think that they can just intimidate whoever. All my sources state clearly that China and North Korea will join Russia against this climate change and authoritarian vision of a one-world government. Biden is incompetent and he just said he intends to run for a second term in 2024. Zelensky, who says whatever the Biden Administration writes on his teleprompter, that he will now only negotiate with Russia after they overthrow Putin. The theory that overthrowing dictators in the Middle East and the people will cheer us and celebrate with some ticker-tape parade has been the delusion of warmongers. They are once again doing the same thing in Russia, This time, the hardlines are not going to be as timid as Putin. My sources have NEVER been wrong! North Korea has fired an unidentified ballistic missile over Japan demonstrating it could destroy Japan without repercussions. An escalation not seen in years prompted Tokyo to evacuate some residents as sirens blare for an airraid in the northern prefectures of Hokkaido and Aomori on Tuesday morning. Our models are showing January is a serious target in so many markets. This US attack on the Nord Stream is trying to completely undermine the economy of Russia to defeat it once and for all and the Zelensky change in demand for the overthrow of Russia is all counting on the US destroying its economy to force the people to do their work for them. Many people have written in from around the world asking why none of this ever took place under Trump. The difference was that Trump was a businessman and he understood that only a vibrant economy will produce world peace as was the case under Rome. Onve all the provinces enjoyed free trade and the people prospered by being part of the Roman Empire which was a common marketplace, that produced the Pax Romana. The idiots we now have in power think that world peace is only accomplished by force of arms. This is a policy that is doomed and in the process, in every war, the civilian death toll is typically 10 times that of the soldiers on the battle field. Just one nuke hitting Philadelphia takes out New York City and Washington, DC. Police are routinely breaking the law to enforce the law, which is patently absurd. Smart meter data is on electricity usage is sent via WiFi to the utility company, recording detailed activities within the home or business. Thus, there is no longer expectation of sanctuary within your own home. Detailed surveillance has been a key plank of Technocracy since its original creation in 1932. As a reminder, I have warned about Smart Meters since their massive kickoff was started in 2009 by President Obama. Those who decided to fight based on health concerns of radiation came up mostly empty-handed. The fight should have been over exactly what is happening in this story: institutionalized violation of all privacy. TN Editor The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) searches entire zip codes worth of peoples private data and discloses it to police without a warrant or any suspicion of wrongdoing, according to a privacy lawsuit filed Wednesday in Sacramento County Superior Court. SMUDs bulk disclosure of customer utility data turns its entire customer base into potential leads for police to chase and has particularly targeted Asian homeowners, says the lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and law firm Vallejo, Antolin, Agarwal, and Kanter LLP on behalf of plaintiffs the Asian American Liberation Network, a Sacramento-based nonprofit, and Khurshid Khoja, an Asian American Sacramento resident, SMUD customer, cannabis industry attorney, and cannabis rights advocate. SMUDs policies claim that privacy is fundamental and that it strictly enforces privacy safeguards, but in reality, its standard practice has been to hand over its extensive trove of customer data whenever police request it, said EFF Staff Attorney Saira Hussain. Doing so violates utility customers privacy rights under state law and the California Constitution while disproportionately subjecting Asian and Asian American communities to police scrutiny. Utility data has historically provided a detailed picture of what occurs within a home. The advent of smart utility meters has only enhanced that image. Smart meters provide usage information in increments of 15 minutes or less; this granular information is beamed wirelessly to the utility several times each day and can be stored in the utilitys databases for years. As that data accumulates over time, it can provide inferences about private daily routines such as what devices are being used, when they are in use, and how this changes over time. The California Public Utilities Code says public utilities generally shall not share, disclose, or otherwise make accessible to any third party a customers electrical consumption data . except as required under federal or state law. The California Public Records Act prohibits public utilities from disclosing consumer data, except [u]pon court order or the request of a law enforcement agency relative to an ongoing investigation. Privacy, not discrimination, was what SMUD promised when it rolled out smart meters, said Monty Agarwal, EFFs co-counsel at Vallejo, Antolin, Agarwal, and Kanter LLP. Yet SMUD in recent years has given protected customer data to the Sacramento Police Department, who asked for it on an ongoing basiswithout a warrant or any other court order, nor any suspicion of a particular residentto find possible illicit cannabis grows. The program has been highly lucrative for the city: Sacramento Police in 2017 began issuing large penalties to owners of properties where cannabis is found under a new city ordinance, and levied nearly $100 million in fines in just two years. About 86 percent of those penalties were levied upon people of Asian descent. The lawsuit alleges that officials intentionally designed their mass surveillance to have this disparate impact on Asian communities. The complaint details how a SMUD analyst who provided data to police excluded homes in a predominantly white neighborhood, as well as how one police architect of Sacramentos program removed non-Asian names on a SMUD list and sent only Asian-sounding names onward for further investigation. SMUD and the Sacramento Police Departments mass surveillance program is unlawful, advances harmful stereotypes, and overwhelmingly impacts Asian communities, said Megan Sapigao, co-executive director of the Asian American Liberation Network. Its unacceptable that two public agencies would carelessly flout state law and utility customers privacy rights, and even more unacceptable that they targeted a specific community in doing so. California voters rejected discriminatory enforcement of cannabis laws in 2016, while the Sacramento Police Department and SMUD conduct illegal dragnets through utility customer data to continue these abuses to this day, Khoja said. This must stop. The American Medical Association (AMA) sent Attorney General Merrick Garland a letter Monday calling on him to investigate the organizations, individuals, and entities coordinating, provoking, and carrying out bomb threats and threats of personal violence against childrens hospitals and physicians across the U.S. The attacks are rooted in an intentional campaign of disinformation, where a few high-profile users on social media share false and misleading information targeting individual physicians and hospitals, resulting in a rapid escalation of threats, harassment, and disruption of care across multiple jurisdictions, the AMA, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Childrens Hospital Association (CHA) said in the letter. Our organizations have called on technology companies to do more to prevent this practice on digital platforms, and we now urge your office to take swift action to investigate and prosecute all organizations, individuals, and entities responsible. Patients should be able to access care without fear for their safety. We join @AmerAcadPeds & @hospitals4kids in urging @thejusticedept to investigate threats of violence against health pros providing & patients seeking evidence-based gender-affirming care https://t.co/NnXfokKexH AMA (@AmerMedicalAssn) October 3, 2022 The AMA, AAP and CHA also called on TikTok, Twitter and Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) to use safety and hateful conduct policies to prevent coordinated campaigns of disinformation. Multiple media outlets reported hospitals across the country promoted gender transitions to minors, including ones at Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin. Hospitals responded by taking down videos and websites discussing transitions for children. The AMA has lost all credibility, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw posted on Twitter. Absolute insanity. The AMA has lost all credibility. https://t.co/f5GvjlZh6i Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) October 3, 2022 Republican Rep. Dan Bishop of Georgia vowed to look into the letter, which he compared to one sent by the National School Board Association (NSBA) to Garland in 2021. I look forward to investigating if AMA is a cutout for a political op by the White House, as the NASB was, Bishop tweeted. Any threat tags to be set up by FBI? Another request for politicized criminal prosecution in derogation of 1A. I look forward to investigating if AMA is a cutout for a political op by the White House, as the NASB was. Any threat tags to be set up by FBI? https://t.co/fyRPoACe2D Rep. Dan Bishop (@RepDanBishop) October 3, 2022 The letter from the NSBA resulted in a backlash, prompting multiple state school board associations withdrawing from the national group. The AMA, AAP and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. One warm weekend in October of 2020, three impeccably credentialed epidemiologistsJayanta Bhattacharya, Sunetra Gupta, and Martin Kulldorff, of Stanford, Oxford, and Harvard Universities respectivelygathered with a few journalists, writers, and economists at an estate in the Berkshires where the American Institute for Economic Research had brought together critics of lockdowns and other COVID-related government restrictions. On Sunday morning shortly before the guests departed, the scientists encapsulated their viewsthat lockdowns do more harm than good, and that resources should be devoted to protecting the vulnerable rather than shutting society downin a joint communique dubbed the Great Barrington Declaration, after the town in which it was written. The declaration began circulating on social media and rapidly garnered signatures, including from other highly credentialed scientists. Most mainstream news outlets and the scientists they chose to quote denounced the declaration in no uncertain terms. When contacted by reporters, Drs. Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins of the NIH publicly and vociferously repudiated the dangerous declaration, smearing the scientistsall generally considered to be at the top of their fieldsas fringe epidemiologists. Over the next several months, the three scientists faced a barrage of condemnation: They were called eugenicists and anti-vaxxers; it was falsely asserted that they were Koch-funded and that they had written the declaration for financial gain. Attacks on the Great Barrington signatories proliferated throughout social media and in the pages of The New York Times and Guardian. Yet emails obtained pursuant to a FOIA request later revealed that these attacks were not the products of an independent objective news-gathering process of the type that publications like the Times and the Guardian still like to advertise. Rather, they were the fruits of an aggressive attempt to shape the news by the same government officials whose policies the epidemiologists had criticized. Emails between Fauci and Collins revealed that the two officials had worked together and with media outlets as various as Wired and The Nation to orchestrate a takedown of the declaration. Nor did the targeting of the scientists stop with the bureaucrats they had implicitly criticized. Bhattacharya, Gupta, and Kulldorff soon learned that their declaration was being heavily censored on social media to prevent their scientific opinions from reaching the public. Kulldorffthen the most active of the three onlinesoon began to experience censorship of his own social media posts. For example, Twitter censored one of Kulldorffs tweets asserting that: Thinking that everyone must be vaccinated is as scientifically flawed as thinking that nobody should. COVID vaccines are important for older, higher-risk people and their caretakers. Those with prior natural infection do not need it. Not children. Posts on Kulldorffs Twitter and LinkedIn criticizing mask and vaccine mandates were labeled misleading or removed entirely. In March of 2021, YouTube took down a video depicting a roundtable discussion that Bhattacharya, Gupta, Kulldorff, and Dr. Scott Atlas had with Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, in which the participants critiqued mask and vaccine mandates. Because of this censorship, Bhattacharya and Kulldorff are now plaintiffs in Missouri v. Biden, a case brought by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, as well as the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA), which is representing them and two other individuals, Dr. Aaron Kheriaty and Jill Hines. The plaintiffs allege that the Biden administration and a number of federal agencies coerced social media platforms into censoring them and others for criticizing the governments COVID policies. In doing so, the Biden administration and relevant agencies had turned any ostensible private action by the social media companies into state action, in violation of the First Amendment. As the Supreme Court has long recognized and Justice Thomas explained in a concurring opinion just last year, [t]he government cannot accomplish through threats of adverse government action what the Constitution prohibits it from doing directly. Federal district courts have recently dismissed similar cases on the grounds that the plaintiffs could not prove state action. According to those judges, public admissions by then-White House press secretary Jennifer Psaki that the Biden administration was ordering social media companies to censor certain posts, as well as statements from Psaki, President Biden, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas threatening them with regulatory or other legal action if they declined to do so, still did not suffice to establish that the plaintiffs were censored on social media due to government action. Put another way, the judges declined to take the government at its word. But the Missouri judge reached a different conclusion, determining there was enough evidence in the record to infer that the government was involved in social media censorship, granting the plaintiffs request for discovery at the preliminary injunction stage. The Missouri documents, along with some obtained through discovery in Berenson v. Twitter and a FOIA request by America First Legal, expose the extent of the administrations appropriation of big tech to effect a vast and unprecedented regime of viewpoint-based censorship on the information that most Americans see, hear and otherwise consume. At least 11 federal agencies, and around 80 government officials, have been explicitly directing social media companies to take down posts and remove certain accounts that violate the governments own preferences and guidelines for coverage on topics ranging from COVID restrictions, to the 2020 election, to the Hunter Biden laptop scandal. United States President Joe Biden will disclose new regulations and funding to uphold reproductive rights on Tuesday, 100 days after the Supreme Court's momentous reversal of Roe v. Wade. The gathering of the reproductive rights task group will also be attended by Vice President Kamala Harris. It will also highlight how abortion rights have been restricted since the high court struck down the right to discontinue pregnancies, according to a Reuters report. Protection Against Discrimination For Students A White House official and a letter released by the administration suggest that the discussion would center on the fact that millions of women lack access to abortion services and that medical professionals risk criminal prosecution if they perform abortions. President Joe Biden will discuss the latest guidelines from the Department of Education for universities on protecting students from discrimination based on pregnancy. Moreover, there will be a total of $6 million in new grants to protect access to reproductive healthcare services from the Department of Health and Human Services. According to Klein's letter, since the Supreme Court overruled the Roe v. Wade verdict in 1973 on June 24th, abortion prohibitions have taken effect in more than a dozen states. It is estimated that almost 30 million women of childbearing age currently reside in a state with abortion ban and that roughly 22 million of them do not have access to abortion care services beyond the sixth-week mark. The letter also mentions Republican efforts to pass a nationwide abortion ban, led by Senator Lindsay Graham. According to Klein, the Department of Education will be issuing new regulations for colleges and universities that reiterate the Title IX mandate that educational institutions shield students from discrimination based on pregnancy. Additionally, over $6 million in Title X grants are being announced by the Department of Health and Human Services to "protect and expand access to reproductive health care" and enhance service delivery, encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors, and minimize current health inequities. Earlier this year, President @JoeBiden signed two executive orders to protect access to abortion care, the right to contraception, and the safety of providers and clinics. We are protecting access to reproductive health care for women across the country. Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 2, 2022 Read Also: Russian Courts Fine TikTok For Promoting Western Values of LGBT, Feminism,; Twitch For Interview with Ukrainian Official Anti-Abortion Measures Backlash The administration's actions are the most recent response from President Biden to the court's decision. Biden issued an executive order in August to enable women to move out of state for abortions, guarantee health care providers comply with federal law, and boost studies and data collection, according to CNN. He also issued another executive order in July, which he said would protect patients' privacy, provide access to contraceptive services, and create a task group on reproductive health care access with representatives from several government ministries. Moreover, the White House continued its public pressure drive in response to state moves to limit access to abortion. State legislatures that have started implementing abortion bans have thus far been unable to pass regulations preferred by anti-abortion activists that do not include exceptions for rape and incest, and several Republican candidates who had previously been outspoken against abortion have openly retracted their arguments or downplayed the issue. Forbes reported that the reversal of Roe v. Wade has also impacted healthcare outside of reproductive healthcare, preventing some Americans from getting treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and even cancer since the drugs can cause miscarriage. Related Article: Supreme Court Declines To Hear Biden Administration's COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Health Workers @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Iraq should not become arena for geopolitical competition, says Chinese envoy Xinhua) 09:53, October 05, 2022 UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy warned Tuesday against making Iraq a geopolitical battleground. "With its strategic location, as well as ethnic and religious diversity, Iraq should become a propeller of regional cooperation, not an arena for geopolitical competition," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Dai said that China commends Iraq for developing good neighborly and friendly relations with countries in the region and promoting regional integration. "We support Iraq, in its joint efforts with Kuwait in achieving progress in the search for missing Kuwaiti nationals and property. China has always stood for the full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, Iraq included, and has always stood for common security through cooperation," he said. "At present, Iraq is at a crucial political phase, facing such major tasks as forming the new government. We sincerely hope that the parties in Iraq will strengthen unity, properly settle their differences, and within the constitutional and legal framework conduct dialogue and consultations to seek consensus on next steps of political arrangements, with a view to laying a solid political foundation for lasting peace, development and prosperity," said the ambassador. Noting that Iraq has made huge sacrifices in combating Da'esh and recovering the territories originally occupied by terrorists and extremist organizations, Dai said that the international community must continue its support to Iraq in eradicating the remnants of terrorism and consolidating the hard-won counter-terrorism results. Turning to UNAMI, Dai said the mission and other UN agencies must channel more resources and attention to supporting Iraq's national development priorities. "UNAMI's human rights-related and humanitarian work must strictly follow the mandate, closely communicate and coordinate with the Iraqi Government, and improve screening and verification of information," said the envoy. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) A Russian diplomat said on Tuesday that the United States' continuous military aid to Ukraine amid the war is accelerating the possibility of a "direct military clash" between Russia and NATO. The head of the Russian delegation to the United Nations Disarmament Commission, Konstantin Vorontsov, said that the US government continues to supply weapons to Ukraine. He argued that this action facilitates the direct participation of its fighters and advisers in the conflict. Direct Military Clash The Russian diplomat's remarks were made during the United Nations General Assembly's First Committee. He added that not only does the supply of weapons to Ukraine prolong the war, but it also brings the situation closer to a dangerous line of a clash between Moscow and the NATO military alliance. Vorontsov's comments come as the United States recently announced a further $625 million in military assistance for Ukraine. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that Ukrainian forces were using American support to push ahead with the "successful counter-offensive to take back their lands seized illegally by Russia," as per CNN. The situation comes as Ukraine plans to liberate all its territory, including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, said key advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Podolyak. The Ukrainian official said that all of the threats made by the Russian Federation will not be able to stop Kyiv from liberating its territories. Podolyak revealed that Ukraine is working to liberate cities and towns in all directions, including in the south where Kharkiv is located. According to the Telegraph, the Russian diplomat's remarks came as a convoy transporting equipment for Moscow's nuclear weapons program sparked fears worldwide. Many are concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be preparing a test to send a "signal to the West." Read Also: China Says European Countries, US Will Tremble Under Possible Nuclear War If Nations Allow Ukraine To Join NATO Russia's Nuclear Capability Over the weekend, a train operated by the secretive nuclear division and linked to the 12th main directorate of the Russia ministry of defense was seen in central Russia. The train was reportedly heading towards the front line in Ukraine. Rybar, a pro-Russian Telegram channel, shared the footage of the train that showed the large freight convoy carrying upgraded armored personnel carriers and other equipment. The situation comes as a defense analyst, Konrad Muzyka, who specializes in Ukraine, said that the 12th directorate operated a dozen central storage facilities for nuclear weapons. He noted that the kit belonged to the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, adding that the directorate is responsible for nuclear munitions, storage, maintenance, transport, and issuance to units. Muzyka added that the move could be a signal to the West that Moscow is escalating its war on Ukraine following Putin's nuclear threat last week. However, he noted that the footage in no way proved "preparations for a nuclear release." This comes as NATO has already warned its members that Putin may have deployed Poseidon, a nuclear weapon that is also known as the "weapon of the Apocalypse." The military alliance issued the warning note over the weekend which was leaked to the media, WION News reported. Related Article: Russian Courts Fine TikTok For Promoting Western Values of LGBT, Feminism,; Twitch For Interview with Ukrainian Official @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Of course, many other Australian painters have worn the mantle of Sydney chanteurs. For most of them, Sydney Harbour was just one of many motifs that stirred their interest, as they turned to rivers, coastlines, or the inland terrains that eventually saw them move collectively towards the iconography of an entire continent. But Kingston, once he took up painting seriously in the early 1990s, fixed his gaze more exclusively on what he could see through his windows facing the Bay, or captured via sketches made within walking distance of his house, or within a ferrys ride. Nearing 50, it seemed as if a classical veil of light and space across the water beckoned him to capture it through the difficult language of paint. This singular obsession, he decided, was all he really needed to tell us everything about the world. Close friend Brett Whiteley warned him that he may have left his run too late. The question was asked: what was it that led to that epiphany of around 1991-92? The truth was, his very precocity in the youthful bohemian heat of Sydney had led him to a state of indecision. He grew up in Parsley Bay, where the principal attractions of the Harbour comprised fishing, swimming and catching the ferry to Luna Park. His father Percy, the sweetest of men, had studied at Julian Ashtons Art School in The Rocks and his position as Sydney agent for 20th Century Fox opened the door to cinematic culture as well as the world of comic strips. Like many talented children of his generation, Kingstons idea of drawing was about caricature and he, with a naturally effervescent wit, was very good at it. At Cranbrook School, Sharp, a year ahead, reinforced this propensity for satire, but it was their teacher Justin OBrien who encouraged them to believe in themselves whatever creative paths they chose. Worried about their sons prospects for employment after leaving school, short of sending him somewhere like Lintas working on advertising layouts, his parents encouraged him to enrol in commerce, followed by arts and architecture courses, at the University of New South Wales. Lunch with artist Peter Kingston at the Erwin Gallery Cafe, 2020. Credit:Nick Moir He met Richard Neville at University in 1963-64, entering the orbit of Tharunka and Oz magazines, and to further complicate his options, began to make experimental films. All things seemed possible, with a summer break in Italy to keep in touch with the old masters, before becoming involved with Martin Sharps creation of the short-lived Yellow House cooperative in 1972. Van Gogh and Hokusai were two gods of the Yellow House, inspiring another trip abroad. This time to South-East Asia for two years in 1973-74, including an extended stay in Japan, where Kingston hunted for Hokusai whose manga sketches signified for him a supreme artist of the comic strip. It was upon Kingstons return to Sydney that the die was cast for a refreshed response to the Harbour, concomitant with a decision to push back humorous thoughts and concentrate on painting. The biggest breakthrough in this regard followed the death of his father in 1974, and an inheritance enabling the purchase of a house in Walker Street next door to Brett Whiteley and his family, with spectacular views of Lavender Bay and the classic dome of Coney Island at Kingstons beloved Luna Park, not to mention the Harbour Bridge, and Jorn Utzons Opera House glimpsed on a good day. Lady Herron II, oil on canvas, 2014. Credit:Peter Kingston He continued with cut-out toys, joke boxes, chess sets and so forth, based on an enduring attraction to comic characters, for another decade. But by the late 1980s, he took more notice of the drawings of his neighbour Brett who deployed lines in space with seductive swiftness. There is no doubt at this point Kingston wanted to accommodate something of his friends pictorial eloquence, and it became a key beacon of the way forward. But certain art critics suspicious of Whiteleys turbo-charged reputation later tended to see such accommodation as a compromise: a protege merely following in the wake of a restless exemplar conquering all before him with almost too much confidence. This reading deeply underestimated Kingstons different sensibility, for when Whiteley depicted the Harbour with his spectacular arabesques and curves bouncing and rippling at the edges, he was like a rogue gymnast seducing the eye with a disturbingly profound aversion to stasis. Kingston was the opposite. He had no fear of stasis, which he felt was a basic strength of good painting. And so, after a long fragmented period, he simply wanted to hold steady to a repeated motif, conveying with subtle variation an illusion of deep space without betraying Maurice Deniss declaration that all painting in the end is a harmonious arrangement on a flat surface. His instinct served him well to resolve such contradictions between virtual depth and flat design, motion and stillness often on a massive scale, creating a certain state of calm with balanced moments of meditation on the picture plane in spite of brisk painterly dynamics and churned up wakes of vessels coming or going. Few artists have been able to do this so well, maintaining a disciplined patience for when to slow down and walk rather than run. However, Kingston was well aware of how all this might in the end be perceived as the outcome of a splintered personality: I wonder if my creative talent has been justified wearing so many hats over the last 60 years, dancing this way and that like, as they say in Rome, una libellula. I live in a ramshackle house at Lavender Bay perplexed by the question of how I, often my own worst enemy, prefer to be remembered among this apparently manic chaos. Surprisingly, he is not extensively represented in public collections, apart from a magnificent holding of his artist books in the State Library of NSW, recording frequent travels and richly inventive linocuts. Most of his greatest paintings remain in private hands. Oprah Winfrey was discussing her profound affection for trailblazing actor Sidney Poitier a longtime friend and mentor to her when she was overcome by emotion during an interview on the documentary Sidney, a life-spanning portrait. She plunged her head into her hands and cried, I just love him so much. Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman, George Nelson, Robert Redford and Halle Berry were all interviewed in Sidney, and their reflections on the iconic performer and civil-rights activist are often illuminating. But Sidney means something intensely personal for Winfrey, a producer on the film. Oprah Winfrey, a producer of Sidney, poses in front of a picture of the films subject Sidney Poitier at the premiere of the documentary. Credit:AP Photo/Chris Pizzello I was trying not to lose it, actually, because my love for him is as deep and as strong as for any human being I know, Winfrey said in an interview at the Toronto International Film Festival, where Sidney premiered. He was my adviser, my counsellor, my friend, my comfort, my balm, my joy. Sidney arrives eight months after the death of Poitier, the groundbreaking actor who paved the way for countless black actors in Hollywood and single-handedly revolutionised how they were portrayed on screen. Directed by Reginald Hudlin, Sidney was made with the co-operation of Poitiers family. Much of it had been completed before he died in January at the age of 94, including his interview with Winfrey. While actors Sarah Michelle Gellar and her husband, Freddie Prinze jnr have been in the public eye for decades, their children Charlotte, 13, and Rocky, 10, are shielded from the limelight, including on the couples social media accounts. This is a conscious and deliberate decision by their famous parents, with Gellar recently likening the permanence of posting on social media to getting a tattoo on your face. Actor Sarah Michelle Gellar does not post her children on social media; Britney Spears has faced criticism for some of the images she posts on her Instagram. Credit:Getty Images/@britneyspears (Instagram) Because at that age, theres nothing better than Paw Patrol. And now youre 10 and [13], and you still have these tattoos on your face and its not even who you are anymore, explained Gellar. Thats a very hard concept for young kids to grasp, she told Yahoo Life. The AMA said longer contracts, as allowed for under a recently ratified industrial agreement with WA Health, would provide more job certainty for junior doctors and better leave planning as opposed to the 12-month rolling contracts many were on. Loading Only 15 per cent of surveyed doctors at King Edward Memorial Hospital reported receiving their rosters 21 or more days in advance, 19 per cent reported the same at PCH, and 22 per cent at Royal Perth Hospital. Receiving rosters in ample time has a huge impact on the ability of [doctors in training] to manage their family and personal lives, and support their wellbeing, the AMA wrote. There is no reason why rosters cannot be published 21 days prior to their commencement. King Edward Memorial Hospital was taken to task by surveyed doctors, scoring an F in every section and reporting a burnout rate of more than 50 per cent. Under the surveys wellbeing questions, 53 per cent of respondents reported experiencing bullying at the maternity hospital, while 89 per cent reported witnessing bullying or sexual harassment. However, despite just 11 per cent of junior doctors at King Edward reporting having their leave applications processed within two weeks, all respondents reported they were able to access exam leave when required. North Metropolitan Health Service chief executive Dr Shirley Bowen said teaching and support of the junior medical team was of the highest priority, but acknowledged the impact of COVID on staffing had been significant. We are incredibly proud of our excellent culture of teaching across NMHS, but the unprecedented demands of COVID and our commitment to patient care has meant the opportunities for teaching have been limited, she said. Recent recruitment over the past few months will allow more time for those activities curtailed during the pandemic. Whilst we are saddened by the survey results, we always encourage our staff to speak up and with staff wellbeing and culture being a key focus of the NMHS board and executive we will be actively addressing the matters raised in the survey. Opposition health spokeswoman Libby Mettam lamented another damning report which pointed to overworked health workers operating under dangerous conditions. To see doctors in training report F grades across all areas from wellbeing, education and morale at KEMH also highlights the crisis we are seeing in maternity under the McGowan government, she said. This report points to a workforce that has not been properly supported by the McGowan government and is consistently being asked to do more with less. A WA Health spokeswoman said the department was committed to providing work environments where staff were safe, valued and supported, and did not tolerate bullying or harassment. Loading Doctors in training are in a vital, formative stage of their careers, and we want to see them stay with the WA health system for the long term, she said. If a staff member has experienced or witnessed behaviour that raises concerns they are encouraged to access advice and support through existing reporting pathways. In addition, any WA health system employee who needs support for any work-related or personal issue, can access the free confidential Employee Assistance Program for professional support and assistance and we would encourage them to do so. The spokeswoman said the new industrial agreement, registered earlier this month, strengthened provisions on notice and rostering specifically relating to doctors in training. It also made further enhancements to leave relevant to doctors in training and ensured requests for leave were responded to in a timely manner, and reasons for refusal provided in writing, she said. The survey comes after the AMA warned in August of an exodus of junior doctors on the back of a raft of bed state blacks, where hospitals could not accept more intensive care patients. At the time, AMA WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said young doctors were struggling with burnout and looking for options elsewhere. The state government has announced $5.7 billion in new health and mental health investment since the last budget, and will also spend $1.8 billion on a new womens and babies hospital to replace King Edward Memorial Hospital. Karen Coningham knows she should not have put off her breast cancer screening for as long as she did, but like so many people, life got in the way. I got really busy at work, just really stressed with life overall, and Im a natural procrastinator, she said. Karen Coningham was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer after putting off getting a mammogram for five years. I think, like with a lot of things, the more you put it off, time goes by and you dont realise how much time has gone by. The 61-year-old had felt a lump in her breast but assumed it was a benign cyst. When she finally went and got a scan in early 2020, five years after her last scan, she got the life-changing news that she had stage 4 breast cancer. A senior constable at Queensland police said his female boss was a c--- and told colleagues if she did not give him the job he wanted, he threatened to punch her in the c--- , an inquiry has heard. The damning evidence was aired during an independent inquiry into police responses to domestic violence, where Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has been recalled to give evidence. Both sides of politics have backed Commissioner Katarina Carroll to change police culture in Queensland. Credit:Matt Dennien Carroll was questioned over the 2020 incident, where a senior constable made the comment after not being given a job he had applied for. The inquiry heard the officer was refused the job by his female officer in charge, given his previous conduct in the workplace. The independent agency that monitors school funding says public, Catholic and independent systems should be required to disclose how they distribute government funding to allow more meaningful research into the relationship between funding and outcomes. The National School Resourcing Board said its capacity to evaluate funding had been limited by a lack of data on how the school systems allocated funds to individual schools and how schools then spent that money. It recommended future funding deals be tied to disclosure requirements. The National School Resourcing Board wants more information on how government funding is distributed and spent. Credit:Justin McManus The problem in Australia is that data that can link funding, classroom practices and school outcomes are not made publicly available, although they do exist, the board said in a submission to the Productivity Commission. There is no consistent transparent information currently provided by Australian governments or by the non-government sector that can be used to assess how school funding is being spent, or even how much funding each school actually receives. A 58-year-old former West Australian One Nation senator failed to turn up to court to face allegations he lied in his application to run in the 2022 federal election, and there is now a warrant out for his arrest. Rod Culleton, who ran as a candidate for the Great Australia Party, allegedly lied about his financial circumstances as part of his nomination as a senate candidate. Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The Australian Electoral Commission raised concerns he might have signed false declarations, and Culleton was charged after investigation Operation Wilmot Taskforce was launched by the Australian Federal Police. He was expected to face Perth Magistrates Court on September 30 over the charge of giving information to the Commission, knowing the information was false. Former United States President Donald Trump has requested for the Supreme Court to intervene in the dispute over materials seized from his Mar-a-Lago estate. The Republican businessman allegedly asked the high court to include the 100 classified documents in the special master's review. The emergency request is the latest effort by the former president in trying to involve the Supreme Court's justices in investigations that entangle him. Trump's Request to Supreme Court If granted, the request could bolster Trump's attempt to challenge the seizure of the classified documents in court. He has repeatedly argued that he may have had a right, as a former president of the United States, to possess certain government documents, including ones that potentially contain the country's most sensitive secrets. However, Trump is not asking the Supreme Court to block the Justice Department from using the documents in its criminal probe into how the records were mishandled. Justice Clarence Thomas was the recipient of Trump's application and gave the Justice Department a deadline of 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to respond, as per CNN. It is still unclear whether allowing the special master, who is a third-party attorney responsible for reviewing evidence and filtering out privileged documents, to gain access to classified documents poses a real threat to the probe. Also, it remains to be seen how sympathetic the high court will be to the former president's claims, which rest largely on technical arguments about whether or not an appeals court had the authority to remove the 100 classified documents from the review. According to the New York Times, Trump's application said that the 11th Circuit lacked jurisdiction to review the special master order. Even in the chance that the former president wins the case, the victory would be distinctly modest. Read Also: Roe v. Wade: Biden To Announce New Reproductive Rights Measures 100 Days After Supreme Court Overturned Landmark Ruling Classified Documents The achievement would simply allow the special master to review those documents even as the Justice Department continues its investigation. While the Supreme Court is dominated by six conservative justices, three of whom were appointed by Trump, it has previously rejected prior efforts to block the disclosure of information about the former president. A law professor at the University of Texas, Stephen I. Vladeck, said that Trump was pursuing a limited and curious litigation strategy in trying to reinstate part of a ruling from Judge Aileen M. Cannon of the Southern District of Florida. Vladeck said that Trump's recent application presented "technical procedural questions on which the justices may be even less likely to be sympathetic to the former president." The situation comes as the special master was chosen to be Judge Raymond J. Dearie of Federal District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The former president's lawyers argued in the filing that the appeals court decision ignored "the District Court's broad discretion without justification." They added that the unwarranted stay should be removed because it impairs substantially the ongoing, time-sensitive work of the chosen special master. The legal battle began after a search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate where agents discovered roughly 11,000 documents. The search also led the FBI to find 103 documents with a variety of classification markings, the Washington Post reported. Related Article: National Archives Still Has Not Obtained All Trump Presidential Records, Admits Challenges in Determining 'Absolute Accountability' @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. McDonalds has launched a massive recruitment drive to hire 2150 West Australians as labour shortages continue to plague the hospitality sector. The fast food giant is advertising 14,150 jobs across its 1025 restaurants - 4800 positions in NSW, 3700 in Victoria, 2200 in Queensland, 800 in South Australia, 350 in the Northern Territory, 100 in Tasmania and 50 in the ACT. McDonalds is hoping to recruit more than 2000 West Australians. Credit:McDonald's McDonalds Australias chief people officer Emma Napoli said positions were available for crew, baristas, delivery drivers and managers. Whether youre looking for your first job to see you through your studies, a casual role to tide you over in retirement, or a rewarding career in retail and hospitality, we would love to hear from you, she said. Many of our people have started their careers with Maccas on the restaurant floor and gone on to become restaurant managers, franchisees and senior leaders at our head offices across the country. Loading Were proud to be one of the largest employers in Australia. In fact, weve given more than 1 million Aussies their first job. The new recruitment drive comes five months after the fast food chain announced it would attempt to interview 5000 prospective employees across Victoria in one day, with people able to walk into a store for a five-minute on-the-spot interview. A McDonalds franchise owner in New South Wales in July offered a $1000 sign-up bonus in an attempt to attract new workers. At the time McDonalds was 8000 workers short nationwide. About six hours and more than 10 drinks later, she alleges, Lehrmann went on to rape her in the Parliament House office of their boss, Minister Linda Reynolds. Loading But in the footage, there was no hint of anything except what it appeared a cheery night out with a group of Parliament House colleagues in their 20s. Lehrmann was wearing a blue button-up shirt, open at the collar. The accused and the complainant chatted easily over the hours, often standing beside each other, with Lehrmann buying Higgins at least two drinks. She drank 11 overall. Higgins stayed mostly composed in courtroom SC3 of the ACT Supreme Court as she guided the Crown Prosecutor through the footage while it was played, helping with names of members of the group and tallying the drinks she consumed. The video compressed a four-and-a-half hour drinking session into about an hour of footage. Right at the end, where the timestamp read 11.49pm, Higgins was passed her final drink by one of the men in the group. The party made to leave the bar, and she skolled the drink, before exiting with her colleagues, including Lehrmann. There, the video ended and the courtroom was silent. Loading You appeared to skol a drink, Crown Prosecutor Shane Drumgold, SC, said, addressing Higgins as she sat in the witness box. Have you done that before? In my life? Yes, she replied. Have you ever done that as an adult? Drumgold asked. No I havent, Higgins said. Have you consumed that amount of alcohol as an adult over that period? No, the complainant said, and she lost her composure. She appeared to cry silently as the jury was dismissed for the day and filed out past her. Earlier, the court had heard that the Monday after Higgins alleged rape in the early hours of Saturday morning, she was back at work. So was Lehrmann. They had cordial, professional interactions that day, according to evidence. She did not go to a GP. She did not take the morning after pill (although a few weeks later she purchased a pregnancy test). She said she hadnt yet processed what had happened to her. I was really cognisant of all the party implications all the way through, because of pressure I was feeling, she told two Australian Federal Police officers in May 2021, in a recorded interview played in court during the morning session. I made it hard for myself I would have conversations in person, I spoke on Whatsapp I was so scared coming forward. The police video showed that Higgins appeared to falter. I think I made it harder for myself. In hindsight I made it harder for myself to verify She began to cry. It was so stupid, she said to the police. Police investigator Trent Madders replied to her. Its not stupid, Brittany. Higgins told police that when she woke the morning after the alleged incident, in a state of undress, alone and disoriented in the ministers office, she went to a small, windowless room in the ministerial suite. She cried for an hour, ate a box of Roses chocolates and threw up, before attempting to compose herself and leave the building. In the context of the ministers office where she worked, Higgins was, she said, very disposable. The disparity between him and me was huge, she said, in reference to Lehrmann. The accused did not look at the television screen when the recorded interviews of Higgins were played. He did not look at Higgins when she appeared live in the courtroom in the afternoon. He kept his head down and took notes in a Moleskine notebook held in his lap. The trial continues. At first glance, City on a Hill religious services could be mistaken for those of a Hillsong-style, modern Pentecostal church. The preachers and worshippers wear jeans and T-shirts; the bands play contemporary-style music. Inside Melbournes City on a Hill church. Credit:Facebook Churchgoers sway, arms raised, in response to songs and sermons, and slogans on the website include Discover the beauty, truth, and relevance of Jesus and Become part of something bigger. But the youthful, self-described movement is actually part of the Anglican Church. The European Parliament has voted to force Apple into adopting the USB-C port for its iPhones by 2024, in a move that would also likely result in standardised charging and connection cables in Australia and across the world. The new rules would mean portable electronic devices including smartphones, tablets, cameras and eventually laptops would be required to include the port, although in almost every case they already do. The iPhone, and its proprietary Lightning port, is the main holdout. USB-C is standard across almost all portable devices, but there is one notable holdout. Though the legislation was provisionally agreed upon in June, on Tuesday a total of 602 lawmakers voted for the plan, with 13 against and eight abstaining. The deal still needs to get the final sign-off from the EU member states, and is likely to be written into law at the beginning of 2023 to take effect in 2024. The European Union has been campaigning for a common charging connector for more than a decade, in a move designed to reduce e-waste and ensure households could power any device with a single standard charger. The European Commission estimates it would save consumers 250 million ($384 million) a year. Former Australian Rugby player Nick Cummins has been accused of endorsing human rights abuses in Hong Kong by pro-democracy leaders as the reality TV star becomes the face of the Hong Kong governments new tourism campaign. Cummins, also known as the Honey Badger, played 15 Tests for Australia and has since carved out a career on reality TV shows including The Bachelor, Sylvester Stallones Ultimate Beastmaster series and travel show - Off the Grid with the Badger. Former Australian Rugby player Nick Cummins in the Hong Kong tourism ad. Credit:Hong Kong Tourism Board Now he is at the centre of the Hong Kong governments campaign to remake its international image after its COVID-19 isolation and a sweeping crackdown on pro-democracy leaders, students, and media organisations crippled the citys global reputation, saw dozens of political figures jailed and sent thousands of people into exile. What he is doing is endorsing a government that is violating human rights, said Jane Poon, a former magazine editor who now lives in Melbourne and runs the Australia-Hong Kong Link. Manila: A news radio host who had been a prominent critic of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines was fatally shot in his car during an ambush near his home, authorities said Tuesday. The journalist, Percival Mabasa, was killed on Monday night outside the capital, Manila, by two men on motorcycles who later escaped, said Brigadier General Roderick Augustus Alba, a spokesman for Philippine National Police. The shooting occurred in the suburb of Las Pinas, outside the gated community where Mabasa lived. Activists hold slogans as they condemn the killing of Filipino journalist Percival Mabasa during a rally in Quezon city, Philippines. Credit:AP A manhunt was underway as authorities investigated the killing, Alba said. Officials did not give a possible motive. Mabasa was the second journalist to be killed in the country since Marcos, the son of the dictator Ferdinand E Marcos, took office in late June after a polarising election, according to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. Last month, the radio broadcaster Renato Rey Blanco was stabbed to death in the central Philippines, hundreds of miles south of the capital. A suspect in that case later surrendered to the police, but no charges have been filed. Kramatorsk: President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraines military had made major, rapid advances against Russian forces in the past week, taking back dozens of towns in regions in the south and east that Russia has declared annexed. This week alone, since the Russian pseudo-referendum, dozens of population centres have been liberated. These are in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions altogether, he said in a Tuesday night (local time) address. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed laws absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, a move that finalises the annexation carried out in defiance of international law. The area makes up more than 15 per cent of Ukraine and it is the biggest expansion of Russian territory in at least half a century. Putin had proclaimed their annexation last Friday following what it called referendums over several days that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. Washington: US intelligence agencies believe parts of the Ukrainian government authorised the car bomb attack near Moscow in August that killed Daria Dugina, daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, an element of a covert campaign that US officials fear could widen the conflict. The United States took no part in the attack, either by providing intelligence or other assistance, officials said. US officials also said they were not aware of the operation ahead of time and would have opposed the killing had they been consulted. Afterward, US officials admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination, they said. Alexander Dugin with his daughter Darya Dugina. The closely held assessment of Ukrainian complicity, which has not been previously reported, was shared within the US government last week. Ukraine denied involvement in the killing immediately after the attack, and senior officials repeated those denials when asked about the US intelligence assessment. While Russia has not retaliated in a specific way for the assassination, the United States is concerned that such attacks while high in symbolic value have little direct effect on the battlefield and could provoke Moscow to carry out its own strikes against senior Ukrainian officials. US officials have been frustrated with Ukraines lack of transparency about its military and covert plans, especially on Russian soil. Washington: Former US president Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to intervene in his fight with the Justice Department over classified documents seized from his Florida home as part of a criminal investigation into his handling of government records. Trump filed an emergency request on Tuesday asking the justices to block part of a lower courts ruling that prevented a special master from vetting more than 100 documents marked as classified that were among 11,000 records seized by FBI agents at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach on August 8. Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida was raided by the FBI. Credit:AP/Supplied A special master is an independent arbiter, which was requested by Trump. The Atlanta-based 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals on September 21 repudiated a decision by US District Judge Aileen Cannon, who had temporarily barred the department from examining the seized classified documents until the special master had weeded out any that could be deemed privileged and withheld from investigators. New allegations of abuse have been made as more information regarding the purported mid-flight altercation between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2016 comes to light. In response to Pitt's lawsuit against her over the sale of her interest in the Chateau Miraval Winery, a French estate and vineyard the couple held together, Jolie has filed a countersuit. Brad Pitt is accused of choking one of their children by Angelina Jolie. To put Pitt's relationship with Quimicum, the estate's primary owner, in jeopardy, the Maleficent actress sold her portion of their winery to a Russian oligarch named Yuri Shefler, according to Brad Pitt and his legal counsel. Angelina Jolie and her attorneys have included additional charges against Brad Pitt in the latest court documents. During the argument on the private flight, Brad Pitt choked one of the children, punched another in the face, and grabbed Angelina Jolie by the head and shook her. Brad Pitt was reportedly furious with Angelina Jolie for acting too deferential to their children, which allegedly led to the altercation. According to reports, the argument began in the restroom of the aircraft before spreading to the interior. Brad Pitt allegedly grabbed Jolie by the head and began shaking her, then he allegedly grabbed her shoulders and continued shaking her before throwing her against the bathroom wall. Angeline Jolie was forced to leave the lavatory when Brad Pitt repeatedly pounded the plane's ceiling, according to the countersuit. The docs then state that after one of the kids defended Jolie, Pitt attempted to physically assault him. The legal briefs claim that when one of the kids supported Jolie verbally, Pitt lunged at his kid and Jolie pulled him from behind to stop him. Before being provided to the FBI, pictures of Jolie's claimed wounds were released by Page Six, showing what seemed to be bruising on her hand and knee. According to NBC News, a Jane Doe plaintiff sued the Federal Bureau of Investigation under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain access to the investigation's records. Read Also: Prince Harry Ghosted Prince William After His Peace Offering, Book Reveals Brad Pitt Denies Allegations According to the lawsuit, the complainant was traveling on a private plane with her then-husband and their children, who were all minors at the time. The complainant and the children suffered permanent physical and mental damage as a result of the assault, which claims that the husband supposedly physically and verbally assaulted the complainant and the children at some point. The petition claims that during the altercation, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he splashed beer and red wine on the children. A few of the kids begged Pitt to stop. All of them were terrified, there were many sobs. Jolie's accusations were vehemently refuted by a Pitt spokesman who was not authorized to speak in public and labeled it another rehash that only damages the family. Jolie allegedly told FBI agents that Pitt yelled at her, grabbed her by her head, shook her, pushed her into the restroom wall, and repeatedly struck the plane's ceiling, according to other records. Records obtained by Rolling Stone and other media sources indicate that the outburst took place 90 minutes into the journey on September 14, 2016, from France to Los Angeles. The Lara Croft star added that Pitt poured beer on Jolie and the blanket she was under in addition to consuming many alcoholic beverages throughout the flight. She said that when the plane touched down, red wine spills had caused $25,000 worth of damage. After an investigation into the event, due to many considerations, no charges were brought. In 2016, Pitt refuted claims that he was aggressive toward one of his children on the private flight. A source close to Pitt appeared to imply that Jolie's group was responsible for the FBI document leak in a separate statement, claiming that it serves no purpose other than to inflict agony, Independent reported. Related Article: Nick Cannon Welcomes Baby No.10 Two Weeks After 9th Child Was Born, 11th Infant on the Way! @Youtube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Indian IT services company HCLTech will scale up its operations in by opening a new technology center in Campinas city and hiring 1,000 employees in that country in two years as it faces high back home. The IT talent it hires in will work on solutions and services for its digital, engineering, and cloud domains. The multinational company added that it will embrace an agile workplace in line with its hybrid operating model. HCLTech set up its first office in Brazils Sao Paulo in 2009 and now has 1,100 employees across delivery centers and offices in that city, Sao Leopoldo, and Curitiba. The company serves more than 200 customers in Brazil, as part of multi-year agreements with them. The company considers a key market due to the rapid digitalization of the countrys public and private sectors, research and development (R&D) investments, and workforce development. We are committed to delivering technology-driven differentiated solutions to our clients increasing demands for digital transformation. Our commitment to Brazil is part of our long-term strategic plan in the country, said Anil Ganjoo, chief growth officer, Americas, and Executive Sponsor, Brazil, HCLTech. HCLTech is among the top Indian battling high rates in the past few quarters. The profit margins of HCLTechs service business came under pressure in Q1 FY23 when the rate grew to 23.8 per cent from 21.9 per cent in the preceding quarter. The companys management, while reporting results for Q1 FY23, had said the attrition rate was expected to remain high in coming months. The management indicated that the company was accelerating hiring in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Romania, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil. We are excited to continue expanding our presence and bringing new economic opportunities to Brazil, said Fabiano Funari, country head, Brazil, HCLTech. Were committed to becoming the preferred digital partner for clients in Brazil by delivering the best technology solutions to help our local and global clients on their technology journeys. We are also committed to developing the new generation of technology talent, he said. Pure play electric car maker BYD India Private Ltd targeting a sales of 15,000 units next year is launching a new model, increasing its distribution network and expanding production capacity if needed, said a senior official. Currently, the company rolls out e6 model a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and in a couple of days BYD India will be launching a new model Atto3 a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The company's plant near here has a capacity to roll out 10,000 units per year. BYD India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway funded Chinese company BYD Auto. "If need be we will expand the capacity," Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of Electric Passenger Vehicle Business told IANS. As per the government's vehicle registration data available on the Vahan portal, a total of 305 vehicles have been registered in 2022 and last month it was 63 units. Citing some of the vehicle registration offices in the country are not connected to the Vahan portal Gopalakrishnan said: "We have delivered about 530 units to our dealers. About 83 of them are with the dealers and the remaining has been sold to the buyers by them." Gopalakrishnan said BYD India will be launching its new model Atto3 soon. He said sales of the new model will start happening from January 2023. Gopalakrishnan declined to comment further on the company's proposed launch. The Atto3 is expected to take on Tata Nexon EV. "On the distribution side we will be having about 23 showrooms by the end of this year and 50 next year," he added. Presently, the company has seven showrooms in the country. BYD Auto recently reported better-than-expected results for the first half of the year, registering $21.7 billion in revenue that was nearly 66 per cent up from the same period last year. The company is slowly penetrating the European market. It has already begun operations in Norway and is looking to start business in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. China remained the market leader in EV sales, followed by Europe and the US. China's EV sales increased by almost 92 per cent YoY to reach 1.24 million units from just 0.64 million units in Q2 2021. As it has happened in the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle industry, the Asian automobile makers are expanding their offering and enjoy certain advantages over Tesla, said S&P Global Ratings in a research report. As a matter of fact, BYD has overtaken Tesla in the first half of 2022. According to S&P Global Ratings, BYD also benefits from a more vertically integrated business model compared with peers amid supply-chain disruption. In India BYD has two plants - one for car making and the other for electronic items- involving a cumulative investment of about $150 million. The company assembles its cars by importing the parts from China. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) --IANS vj/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.) The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on businesses, especially in travel and hospitality. Among the victims was 16-year-old online travel company, . It witnessed a few years of grounded flights and shuttered borders due to the pandemic and had to deal with the chaotic task of handling cancellations and refunds for customers. Strong sales growth in the Mumbai realty market, receipt of the occupancy certificate for a key project and new launches are key triggers for . The stock recently hit a 52-week high and is poised to make additional gains, given the positive outlook by brokerages. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's has told a government-appointed panel reviewing gas pricing that any 'retrograde' move to artificially cap rates will add to instability, delays investment and dent India's attempt to become Atmanirbhar in fuel production. In a submission to the committee headed by Kirit Parikh, which has been asked by the Oil Ministry to look at setting a 'fair price to consumers', the firm detailed how the economics of its about-to-start field in the KG-D6 block, where billions of dollars have been spent to recover reserves lying several kilometres below the seabed, will be impacted under different prices. The mid-course changes through price caps not just go against pricing and marketing freedom contracts and government policy promises to but also add to uncertainty to a fiscal regime which would impact investments, according to sources briefed on the matter and the presentation. The government biannually fixes based on rates prevalent in surplus nations. Rates according to this formula stayed below the breakeven price of USD 3-3.5 per million British thermal units for six years starting October 2015 but have jumped 5x in the last one year to USD 8.57 for old fields and USD 12.46 for difficult fields. This rise has prompted user industries to complain, following which the ministry set up a panel to suggest an affordable rate for the users. The sources said Reliance told the panel that doubling India's production from current levels to cut rising imports and meet the target of raising the share of natural gas in the primary energy basket to 15 per cent by 2030 from the current 6.7 per cent, would require at least Rs 2 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore investment, which can be viable only if a stable fiscal and contractual regime with market-based pricing is provided. Only such a regime can attract investors to commit long-term funds for the exploration and development of such areas. There has not been any large hydrocarbon discovery in the country in the last more than a decade, resulting in a sustained decline in domestic oil and gas production and the consequent rise in imports for meeting the vast energy demands of the world's fifth largest economy. Natural gas is used to generate electricity, produce fertilisers for crops, turn into CNG to run automobiles and piped into household kitchens for cooking. In absence of adequate domestic production, India has raised imports for the fuel by paying four times to overseas suppliers than the price that domestic producers get. In the last two years, gas production from Krishna Godavari deep-sea has augmented domestic production because of pricing and marketing freedom granted in 2016, which made it economical to produce from fields, Reliance said, adding India requires sustained reserves accretion to ensure future oil and gas production. Stating that assurance of marketing and pricing freedom is necessary for continuing long-term investments leading to growth in domestic production, Reliance said the committee should recommend pricing that can assure global investors to make India their preferred investment destination. And this is the only way of ensuring that investments continue to flow to enhance domestic gas production by 2.8 times by 2030. It is not that marketing freedom will ensure that domestic gas will start collecting the highest international price. Since gas produced in India cannot be exported, in India will settle at the correct level that reflects the demand-supply scenario for domestic gas in India, it added. The government should therefore allow complete marketing and pricing freedom to producers through a transparent e-auction process for the sale of gas. The mandate of the committee is to promote and develop the gas-based economy in India and this cannot be achieved unless domestic gas production grows, it said. Domestic gas production in India is at an inflection point. Buoyed by policy reforms, domestic gas production is set to grow over the next few years as new investments bear fruit. Any policy change which takes away pricing and marketing freedom would put India back on increased import dependency. It went on to state that short-term market developments, like the surge in global energy prices following Russia's war in Ukraine, cannot be the trigger for introducing measures that vitiate the atmosphere for long-term investments. While the committee deliberates alternate market-based solutions, the current policy dispensation should not be tinkered with until a proper market-based regime is implemented. Policy and contract instability result in delays in investment decisions, project related economic challenges -- all of which have already adversely impacted potential gas production. To attract investments and desired outcomes, it is imperative to ensure goalposts are not changed once large-scale investments have been committed. According to the sources, Reliance told the panel that most of the potential hydrocarbon resources are estimated to be in frontier basins/areas requiring huge risk capital and state of art technologies to bring them to production. This is possible only when market-based prices and a stable regime is assured by the government. It said all existing contracts such as the one for the KG-D6 block, provide for a sacrosanct fiscal stability provision. But in the past, the basic tenet of marketing and pricing freedom enshrined in the contracts and government policy has been "severely compromised" between 2008 to 2014 by the government that decided to fix users in 2008 and then through the "irrational decision" to link domestic in a gas deficit country to prices prevailing in surplus gas exporting countries, such as the US, Canada and Russia. The consequence was a drying up of upstream investments in India as both measures sent extremely negative signals about the government's intention to maintain the sanctity of contracts. As a result, India's import dependency on gas increased from 36 per cent in 2014 to 54 per cent in 2019. In March 2016, the government restored marketing freedom and put a higher cap price for gas from deepsea, ultra-deepwater and other difficult areas. Though this cap price was still below market price and lower than the rate India pays for long-term LNG imports from Qatar, it helped reinvigorated investments for enhancing gas production (investments of Rs 90-1,00,000 crore over the last 5 years in the deep/ultra-deepwater of the KG basin heled gas production from the private sector double). And more production is lined up to come on stream in the next two years. "Therefore, the need of the hour is to allow market-based gas prices as has been done for crude oil in the country." More importantly, each contract for exploration and production of oil and gas has a sacrosanct fiscal stability provisions enshrined as the first principle. India aims to transit to an increasingly gas-based economy by raising the share of natural gas to 15 per cent of the overall energy mix by 2030 from its current level of 6.7 per cent. But the share of gas in India's energy mix had been falling instead of rising, the firm said, adding gas would make up for just 10 per cent of the energy consumed even if the current natural gas production of 90 million standard cubic meters per day was doubled. To limit imports to the current level of 50 per cent of all needs, gas domestic production needs to rise by 3 times to about 290 mmscmd. India cannot be 'AtmaNirbhar' with such a high degree of import dependence on its basic fuel needs, it said. Starting at similar domestic production levels in the year 2000, over the last 20 years, China's domestic gas production has increased seven times driven by a significant increase in upstream investments, whereas India's domestic gas production has remained stagnant at about 24 billion cubic meters per day. To achieve similar growth in domestic gas production India would require significant investments in the upstream sector. (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.) Advertisers are treading cautiously on social messaging this festive season, scarred by last years boycott campaigns. From Dabur Fems Karwa Chauth campaign, to Fabindias Jashn-e-Riwaaz campaign, some were forced to apologise and take down ads last year after a backlash from social media users. Those memories have remained fresh in the minds of ad executives, say industry insiders and experts. As a result, brands have become more cautious, says Harish Bijoor, business and brand-strategy expert. Frequent attacks have made them sensitive and sensible. Brands are toeing the cautious line avoiding anything that can ruffle social and societal feathers. For instance, this Diwali, you will have fewer brands sticking their neck out to say no to crackers, Bijoor adds. Samir Datar, chief strategy officer, Crayons Advertising, says talking about social issues is often problematic. When we want to be socially powerful, we want to talk about the diversity of religion, culture, economic status, and gender diversity. The moment we start talking about issues, we are leaving ourselves open to a war that this trigger-happy social media population is only too keen to enter, says Datar. Senior ad film director Prahlad Kakkar says it is difficult for brands to completely control the audience reaction. There is a high possibility that the boycott trend is targeted and users share similar interests. Brands cannot control such types of trollers and their intention is to boost sales and not find the source of tweets, adds Kakkar. Brands need to also ask themselves if they are the right people to speak on social issues, says Rahul Mathew, chief creative officer, DDB Mudra Group. If your social messaging is only being done to catch eyeballs, youre often the first to blink when you feel the glare of detractors. So its important to ask yourself if your brand has the right to speak on the issue and do the actions of the company make it strong enough to carry its burden. Else, youre not just opening your brand to a lot of undesirable PR but also cost it business in terms of festive sales, says Mathew. Fabindia refused to comment, while Dabur did not respond to the queries sent by Business Standard. A spokesperson for Tanishq remained unavailable. Festival season and boycotts Such socially conscious campaigns are not new. Many advertising campaigns including #ShareTheLoad by Ariel, #TeachThemYoung by Unacademy, #NotJustCadburyAd by Cadbury, #StopTheBeautyTest Dove, #PureAsLove by Bhima Jewellery, #KadakInsaniyat by Tata Tea Premium are a few recent examples that sought to deliver a message to society and yet were accepted and appreciated by the public. (Festival season advertisements) bring challenges simply because brands want to focus on traditions and rituals to be socially powerful. (During) Festival season people just want to buy products that they have saved money for. It is all about the best deal, added Datar. While society expects you to be responsible as brands, it should reflect in your actions and not just campaigns during festival season, says Rahul Mathew. Some have questioned if advertisements are the correct platform to impart social messages. Brands like Tanishq, Fabindia, Dabur etc., received almost equal amounts of hate and love for their campaigns. There is a high possibility that the purpose of brands was fulfilled because, positively or negatively, the brands were in the for weeks. End goal of any campaign is to leave a mark and remain fresh in the memory and it is only good in promoting a cause via brand advertising, observes Kakkar. Twenty-seven remained missing on Wednesday after rescue workers brought 14 injured members of their team to safety, a day after an claimed 10 lives in Uttarkashi. The Police said on Facebook that 10 bodies have been retrieved so far as a multi-agency search and rescue operation aided by IAF helicopters continued through the day to find those missing. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami did an aerial inspection of the area, which is at a height of 17,000 feet, that was hit by the on Tuesday and told reporters that 27 climbers are still missing. He said he prayed for their safety even as personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and from the Nehru Institute Of Mountaineering (NIM) are trying to find the missing climbers. "Out of 34, 27 are still missing, Dhami told reporters after the aerial survey along with Haridwar MP and former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'. Meanwhile, 14 injured were airlifted to the ITBP camp at Matli out of which five were admitted to district hospital Uttarkashi and nine who had sustained minor injuries were sent back to the NIM, the Police said on the social media. However, it is still not clear whether the 14 injured mountaineers rescued on Wednesday were part of the 41-member team that had gone to summit the Draupadi ka Danda-II peak or waiting at the NIM basecamp. According to the NIM, the team which was caught in the consisted of 34 trainee mountaineers and seven instructors only. Earlier in the day, the Police released a list of 28 trainee mountaineers who were missing in the avalanche at the height of 17,000 feet. Sub Divisional Magistrate, Bhatwari, Chattar Singh Chauhan said 14 members of the team out of which six had sustained minor injuries in the avalanche were airlifted to Matli in two sorties. Eight more rescued in another sortie are alright, he said, adding they are being sent back to the NIM. Out of the 14 rescued so far, 10 are trainees and four instructors, he said, adding the NDRF, SDRF, ITBP and NIM are jointly conducting the search and rescue operations. A search is on to find the rest of the 41-member team of mountaineers who have been missing since the avalanche occurred at 8.45 am on Tuesday. The missing are said to be stuck in the crevasse in Dokriani Bamak glacier where the avalanche struck. The trainees hail from West Bengal, Delhi, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. The bodies recovered include that of mountaineer Savita Kanswal who had climbed the Everest in May this year. She was from Lonthru village in Uttarkashi district. Search and rescue operations resumed on Wednesday morning with four ITBP jawans dispatched in Cheetah and ALH helicopters to Dokriani Glacier. The rescue operations had to be halted due to darkness and inclement weather on Tuesday. (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.) Seoul claims that in retaliation for North Korea launching a missile over Japan, South Korea and the US military have launched a barrage of missiles into the sea. The East Sea, commonly known as the Sea of Japan, is located between the Korean peninsula and Japan. For the first time since 2017, Pyongyang test-fired a ballistic missile on Tuesday, propelling it over Japan. US, South Korea Respond to North Korea With Huge Missile Test In retaliation, military exercises have been carried out by the US, Japan, and South Korea as a show of might. According to a statement, on Wednesday, the US and South Korea both fired two Army Tactical Missile System missiles built in the US. John Kirby, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, said that the launch was intended to demonstrate to the North that the US and its allies have the military capabilities at the ready to respond to US and our allies' provocations. A South Korean missile that failed shortly after launch and crashed with no injuries was reported separately by the country's military. Pyongyang's choice to launch a missile over Japan on Tuesday has been interpreted as a planned escalation to draw Tokyo and Washington's attention. The launch was characterized as violent behavior by Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's ironclad commitment to Japan's defense during a phone call with Kishida. White House spokesperson John Kirby later on Tuesday said it was clearly destabilizing. People in the north, including those on Hokkaido island and in the city of Aomori, woke up to the sound of sirens and SMS warnings that said: North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate into buildings or underground on Tuesday as the missile passed over Japan. The UN states that North Korea is not permitted to test its nuclear or ballistic missile capabilities. Additionally, it is against international rules to launch missiles without prior notice or consultation toward or over other nations, as per BBC. According to some observers, the North Korean missile launch was its most provocative weapon display this year as it works to build a fully functional nuclear arsenal capable of posing a danger to the US mainland and its allies in an effort to extract concessions from those nations. This year, North Korea has conducted around 40 missile tests spread across roughly 20 launch occasions because its leader, Kim Jong Un, is unwilling to resume nuclear diplomacy with the United States. The United States strongly condemned North Korea for its dangerous and reckless choice to launch what it dubbed a long-range ballistic missile over Japan. Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Diplomat Warns USA's Military Aid Is Worsening Conflict North Korea's Recent Nuclear Test to Japan The missile's range was formerly claimed to be intermediate or greater by South Korea and Japan. According to some experts, if the launch involved a long-range missile, it may have been a test of a weapon that might have been used to target the US heartland. North Korea has conducted five rounds of weapons tests in the previous ten days, including the launch. The testing frenzy appears to be in response to two rounds of military exercises that took place off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula last week, one between Washington and Seoul and the other between Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo, Daily Mail reported. The missile may have been the Hwasong-12, which North Korea unveiled in 2017 as part of a plan to attack US military assets in Guam, claims Kim Dong-yup, a retired South Korean Navy officer. As the three countries demonstrate their combined military might, fighter jets from the United States and Japan also engaged in joint exercises over the Sea of Japan. On September 23, a US aircraft carrier arrived at a port in South Korea for the first time since 2018. During this time, the US, South Korea, and Japan have also conducted joint drills, and US Vice President Kamala Harris visited the heavily guarded border between the Koreas. Despite years of US-led sanctions, North Korea continues to develop its missile and nuclear weapons programs. Kim Jong Un has demonstrated no desire to resume the unsuccessful diplomatic course he took with Trump. The offer from South Korea to stimulate the economy in exchange for the North giving up nuclear weapons was rejected by his influential sister, as per The Scottish Sun. Related Article: China Says European Countries, US Will Tremble Under Possible Nuclear War If Nations Allow Ukraine To Join NATO @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. To ensure seamless movement of personal across India, 24 states and UTs have rolled out the new Bharat Series (BH-series) for vehicle registration, according to the minutes of the annual meeting of the Transport Development Council. The 41st Transport Development Council (TDC) meeting was held last month in Bengaluru. "Since policy inception, more than 20,000 have been registered in 24 different States and UTs," the minutes of the meeting said. Last year in August, the government notified a new vehicle registration regime that will free vehicle owners from the re-registration process when they shift from one state or Union territory to another. According to the minutes, to demonstrate the need for seamless movement of tourists across the country without stoppage at various checkpoints and payment of taxes as per local/state regulations, the initiatives taken by the road ministry have been a success with more than 30,000 permits and 2,75,000 authorisations already granted till date. The state governments are encouraged to revisit the speed limit restrictions in urban and semi-urban stretches to provide seamless traffic movement, it added. Recently, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari earlier said that he is in favour of increasing the maximum speed limit on expressways to 140 km per hour. Gadkari added that while the speed limits for Highways should be at least 100 km per hour on four-lane roads, the respective speed limits for two-lane roads and city roads should be 80 km per hour and 75 km per hour. (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.) Mobile subscribers will get up to 600 megabit per second speed in during the launch phase and handsets are expected to work at par with professional computers for accessing apps and data processing, according to industry players. Reliance Jio has started providing 5G services to select customers in parts of four cities -- Delhi Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi -- and Bharti Airtel in parts of eight cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Siliguri -- to all customers with 5G handsets. Subscribers of both the companies will not require to replace existing sim for availing 5G services. Jio has said that its customers will continue to avail 5G services under "Beta trial" until the network coverage of a city is substantially complete. The company has promised access to unlimited 5G data with speed of up to 1 gigabit per second (GBPS). Industry players are of the opinion that this level of speed will be available very close to mobile stations. "5G is expected to deliver up to 600 mbps (megabit per second) during the launch phase because traffic on the network will be low. However, it will continue to remain in the range of 200-300 mbps after full roll out," Ericsson head of network solutions, strategic network evolution, South east Asia, Oceania and India, ThiawSeng Ng told PTI. This means a two-hour high definition movie which is generally around 6 GB file size can be downloaded in 1 minute 25 seconds and a 4K movie in about 3 minutes at a top speed of 600 mbps. Customers buying 5G handsets or having a 5G-enabled handsets will see 5G option in their network setting and they will need to select it for availing the service. The mobile network display on their device will start showing 5G instead of 4G when 5G will be available in their locality. Former BSNL chairman and managing director Anupam Shrivastava said that telecom operators are expected to provide free 5G service till the time of roll out and give them a taste of the new service. "Once the roll out is over in a circle, telecom operators may announce their tariff plan and charge a premium for 5G over 4G," Shrivastava said. Nokia senior vice president and head of India market Sanjay Malik said that the high speed in 5G will double average data consumption per subscriber in India in one and half years. He said that the tariff for 5G services varies from country to country. "There are some countries who are not charging separately for 5G and there are some who are charging a premium. The model for India will evolve based on the business case here," Malik said. The roll out of 5G is expected to drive down the cost of smartphones in India as well as make them work at par with workstations (professional computers). Qualcomm president and CEO Cristiano Amon said the launch of 5G technology in India will also help bring 5G devices across all different price points. "When we look at the opportunities with 5G development in India, I see multiple and very important opportunities. They can all happen at the same time. The first one is India scale will bring in 5G technology into every single device at all different price points," he said. "5G will democratise computing power. If you have a 5G device, whether it's a phone or a computer, you want to run an application that requires a lot of computing power. 5G will provide that connection to the cloud (computers) that allows you to tap on demand the computation of the cloud as if both were the same computer," Amon said. Indian mobile phone company Lava has already announced the launch of a 5G smartphone, LavaBlaze 5G, in the price range of Rs 10,000 apiece around Diwali which will be the cheapest phone to support 5G services across all spectrum bands that telecom operators will use to transmit signals in India. "5G will accelerate the digital empowerment in India, and affordable devices will be a key enabler in that. New low-latency based use cases are expected to emerge, apart from making the existing ones faster," Lava International President and Business head Sunil Raina said. The high-speed data consumption on mobile phones is expected to drain the battery quickly. Keeping this in mind, several mobile phone companies have started coming up with 5,000 mAH batteries and above along with fast charging features. "Mobile devices power consumption will go up with 5G usage as more cloud based applications like gaming will start. Fortunately we have a high capacity battery along with fast charging already available. Personally, I feel consumers will appreciate smartphones offering 50 watt and above charging as that will help them quickly replenish the battery," market research and analysis firm TechArc Chief Analyst Faisal Kawoosa said. He said that there is all chances of finally seeing 'light' or 'thin' smartphones just like thin client laptops as computers will be primarily in the cloud. "This could mean an affordable range of smartphones. However, to support other specifications like 4K video, ultra rich graphics, etc, the chipsets enabling such features will still be in demand," Kawoosa said. The June 2022 Ericsson Mobility Report also verifies that 5G is scaling faster than all previous mobile technology generations. The report said that 5G is expected to account for nearly 40 per cent of all subscriptions by 2027 in India. The 5G services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years -- Jio promises to do that by December 2023 and Bharti Airtel by March 2024. (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 Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday at 11 am (Norway local time) will announce the winner of the . The is awarded to people who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. This year, among many world leaders and politicians, two Indian have also made the cut to be the favorites to win the prestigious award. According to a Reuters survey, co-founders of India's fact-checking website AltNews, Pratik Sinha, and Mohammed Zubair have been nominated by Norwegian lawmakers for the Nobel peace award. Sinha and Zubair have been nominated for "battling misinformation", methodologically debunking rumors and fake news circulating on social media, and calling out hate speech through their fact-checking website. The nomination of AltNews co-founders comes on the sidelines of the recent arrest of Zubair by the Delhi Police in June over a four-year-old tweet. His arrest was condemned by around the world, as the Editors Guild of India in a statement on June 28 stated, It is apparent that AltNews alert vigilance was resented by those who use disinformation as a tool to polarize the society and rake nationalist sentiments. Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists, while calling for Zubair's release, said his arrest was another low for press freedom in India, where the government has created a hostile and unsafe environment for members of the press reporting on sectarian issues. Zubair was granted bail nearly a month later, on July 20 by the Supreme Court. Among others who have been nominated for the are Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, British nature broadcaster David Attenborough, the World Health Organization, environmental activist Greta Thunberg, Pope Francis, Tuvalus foreign minister Simon Kofe, and Myanmars Unity government. As Delhi-National Capital Region prepares for winter, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has asked for greater inspection of air polluters. According to CAQM data, as of September 30, a total of 8,270 sites had been inspected since August 2021 for enforcement and compliance of statutory directions issued by the Commission. The frequency of inspections will increase in the coming days, a CAQM official said. Out of the sites inspected by the Commissions flying squads, 484 units or establishments (including industries, construction and demolition (C&D) sites, and diesel generator (DG) sets were issued closure notices by the Enforcement Task Force (ETF). Out of 484 units or establishments, which were issued closure notices, 344 were industries, 99 C&D sites and 41 DG sets. Around 50 per cent inspections and closure notices, issued by the department, were issued between November to February. About half of all the cases come during the 4 winter months, said a CAQM official. These are also the months when there is an increase in instances of in the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, which worsens the air quality in . These flying squads have been inspecting all parts of the to track down violators and take stringent actions against them, the official said. Since December, 2021, CAQM has constituted 40 flying squads12 each for the NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and National Capital Territory of Delhi, and 4 for the NCR districts of Rajasthan. The highest number of inspection and closure notices were issued in Uttar Pradesh (208). A total of 109 sites in Delhi, 116 sites in NCR of Haryana, and 51 sites in NCR region of Rajasthan received closure notices. Out of 484 sites, 364 units or establishments have been allowed to resume their operations after levying suitable Environmental Compensation (EC) charges, the CAQM data shows. According to the CAQM, major non-compliant units attract immediate closure. Minor violations are referred to State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee for appropriate action under relevant laws. CAQM has also advised the respective implementing agencies including the state government authorities, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and SPCBs to continue to ensure compliance and strict implementation of the directions issued by the Commission. To keep a check on pollution, CAQM has also implemented the revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from October 1. The environment department will be using the new real-time source apportionment system which will help identify the sources of air pollution in real-time and the data will be available from October 20. Under GRAP, measures such as enforcing a ban on garbage burning and increasing mechanised sweeping, ban on diesel generator sets, halt on construction activities, school closures, prohibition of entry of diesel trucks, etc are done depending on the level of pollution. Earlier, measures under the very poor and severe category of the GRAP kicked in only when the air quality deteriorates and stays in prescribed levels for 48 hours, but this year it would be done three days ahead of such events. The head priest of in on Wednesday demanded an immediate ban on Bollywood movie 'Adipurush', alleging that it has wrongly portrayed Lord Ram, Hanuman and Ravana. A 1.46-minute teaser of the movie was launched on Sunday in Ayodhya, and has been receiving blowback since then. The way in which Ravana has been depicted is absolutely wrong and condemnable. Through the media, we demand an immediate ban on the film, priest Satyendra Das, who was here on the occasion of the annual Vijay Rath Yatra, told the media. He said 'Adipurush', a big budget adaptation of the and directed by Om Raut of 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior' fame, doesn't show Lord Rama and Hanuman as mentioned in the epic either and hence goes against their dignity. BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, who was here to attend a separate 'Shastra Puja', said it appears that such controversies are being created deliberately. Making a film is not a crime. They should be made but creating deliberate controversies to hog limelight is inappropriate, he said. Fronted by 'Baahubali' star Prabhas, who features as Lord Ram, the multilingual period saga sees Saif Ali Khan play the role of a 10-headed demon king called Lankesh. With a beard, fierce eyes and a buzz cut, he seems barbarism personified and many called out the filmmakers for the apparent Islamisation of Ravana. (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 UU Lalit-led collegium may not be able to recommend any name for filling four vacant posts for judges. Two members of the five-member collegium have rejected Lalit's proposal for approval of names, a report IN the Times of India (TOI) stated. During the tenure of his predecessor NV Ramana, Lalit had opposed his recommendations for vacant posts citing the argument that Ramana was left with a tenure of less than one month. The same objection has been raised against Lalit. CJI Lalit will not be able to hold any collegium meetings after October 8 as he will retire on November 8. The court will reopen on October 10, kicking in the "less than a month" rule. Apart from the two vacant posts, CJI's attempt to get the names of four people approved for the post of judges from the Collegium through circulation has also met strong resistance from two members of the Collegium. The members have rejected the bid by saying, "appointment to the high constitutional office and as judges of the highest court should never be done through circulation". Among the four people proposed to be judges at the SC, one is a senior lawyer. The opposing members said that elevating a senior advocate at this juncture when as many as 11 HCs are unrepresented in the SC, may not be appropriate. They further said that the elevation of a lawyer would reduce the chances of many HC judges making it to the post of the (CJI). The senior advocate, according to TOI, could have become the CJI in 2030. As of now, CJI Lalit-led collegium has recommended only one name, Dipankar Dutta, to the central government for the post of a SC judge. Chief Minister on Wednesday attended festivities at the historical ground here. Speaking at the Lav Kush Ramlila Committee's 'Ravan Dahan' programme, Kejriwal wished for India to become the "best and strongest nation in the world". He said Ramlila is very important for the people as it connects them to the culture of the country and spreads the message of Lord Rama's life. Ramlila is the enactment of the victory of good over evil in the Hindu epic of Ramayana. The chief minister also witnessed the burning of the effigies of demon king Ravana, his brother Kumbhkaran and son, Meghnad. Actor Prabhas of 'Baahubali' fame also attended the event. 'Ravan Dahan' programmes were organised by different Ramlila committees at the area that drew huge crowds after a two-year lull due to the Covid 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.) Union Home Minister chaired a high-level security meeting on Wednesday in Jammu and Kashmir. Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha was also at the meeting, which was attended by senior police, paramilitary and intelligence officers of the union territory and the Centre. Shah took a review of anti-militancy operations in the UT and directed the security agencies to show zero tolerance towards terrorism while ensuring that innocent people are protected. 'Begonah ko Chedna Nahi aur Gunehgar ko chodna Nahi' (Don't touch the innocent and don't let the guilty go away). He also advised the security agencies to ensure that J&K becomes completely terrorism free so that people live in peace and get benefitted from the various developmental and welfare programmes of the government. Additional Chief secretary (Home) R.K. Goyal, J&K DGP, Dilbag Singh, R.R. Swain, DG (CID), senior officers of CRPF, BSF, SSB, intelligence agencies attended the meeting. --IANS sq/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.) Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday extended greetings on Dussehra, saying the festival reinforces faith in righteousness. "Symbolising the victory of good over evil, reinforces our faith in 'Dharma' or righteousness," the Secretariat tweeted, quoting Dhankhar. He hoped the festival brings peace, prosperity and happiness in the lives of people. (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.) External Affairs Minister will kickstart his official visit to and from Wednesday. He will be in and from October 05. It is to be noted that the visit will be Jaishankar's first visit to . According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the EAM will participate in an event on October 6 in Auckland along with Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern to felicitate members of the Indian community for their exceptional achievements and contributions. Both leaders will release India@75 postage stamps to commemorate and showcase Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsavin New Zealand. Jaishankar will also launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'. Also, a book showcasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' will be released. He will have a bilateral meeting with Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand in Auckland to discuss and review the entire gamut of our relations, added the release. Jaishankar will also interact with several Ministers, including Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for the Community & Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Youth, who is the first person of Indian origin to become a Minister in New Zealand, Parliamentarians, members of the business community as well as Indian diaspora, including Indian students. In Wellington, he will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India. The leadership of both countries have shown significant interest in raising all aspects of the relationship to the next level. This is reflected in a series of high-level bilateral visits and meetings. Ardern and PM Modi had a bilateral meeting in New York on the sidelines of UNGA on September 25, 2019, during which they discussed steps to intensify political, economic, defence, security and people-to-people relations. Recently, the 4th Foreign Ministry Consultations between India and NZ were held in New Delhi on June 23 2022. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) led the Indian delegation while the New Zealand side was led by Mark Sinclair, Deputy Secretary, Americas and Asia Group, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Reviewing the existing warm and friendly bilateral relations, including trade and investment, defence and security, people-to-people ties, counter-terrorism, cyber security, and disarmament, both sides expressed keenness to further enhance engagement and deepen ties in various areas. In Australia, Jaishankar will be visiting Canberra and Sydney. It will be EAM's second visit to this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne, said the release. EAM will be holding the 13th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD) along with his counterpart Penny Wong. He will also be meeting Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, said the release. He will also have interactions with the Australian Navy, the media and think tanks, including the Lowy Institute in Sydney. Recently, India signed a historic trade agreement with Australia, the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind- Aus ECTA). It is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that India has signed with a major developed country in over a decade. The Agreement encompasses cooperation across the entire range of bilateral economic and commercial relations between the two countries. Strong Australia-India economic ties will also pave the way for a stronger Indo-Pacific economic architecture, that's not just based on flows of physical goods, money and people, but on the basis of building capacity-led connections, complementarities, sustainable commitments and mutual dependence across countries and sub-regions. (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 earliest date that student loan forgiveness will start under a new effort has been disclosed by the Biden administration. But the growing number of legal issues may jeopardize those efforts. 40 million borrowers of federal student loans will be eligible for up to $20,000 in federal student loan forgiveness under President Biden's new one-time loan forgiveness program. As long as they earned less than $125,000 (or less than $250,000 if they are married) in either 2020 or 2021, borrowers who previously received Pell Grants would be qualified for up to $20,000 in student debt forgiveness, while borrowers who did not would be eligible for up to $10,000. Student Loan Forgiveness Application Relief may be available for all federal student debts owned by the government, including parent PLUS loans, graduate loans, and undergraduate loans. Included in this are FFELP loans that are already being managed by the Education Department or are in default under the Direct Federal Student Loan Program. Currently, private student loans and the majority of commercially held FFELP loans do not eligible due to a sudden change in policy last week. The Education Department may begin granting student loan forgiveness as soon as October 17, 2022, but not before, according to a recent court filing by the Biden administration. In a court filing for a case involving a legal challenge to the scheme, the Biden administration disclosed the October 17 probable start date for student loan forgiveness. Six states with Republican governors have sued the government, claiming that President Biden exceeded the authority assigned to him by Congress to carry out the new project and that this could cause these states financial harm, as per Forbes. The Biden administration has stated that the application will be made available at some point in October even though it has not yet been launched. The Department of Education said the online application will be brief. Borrowers won't be required to provide any supporting files or submit the application using their Federal Student Aid ID. There will be more than a year for applicants. December 2023 will serve as the due date. Visit the Department of Education's subscription page to sign up to get an email when the application process is officially open. The Biden administration reduced program eligibility last week in response to growing legal challenges to the strategy. Borrowers whose federal student loans are guaranteed by the government but held by private lenders will no longer be eligible for the program. According to the administration, the adjustment may have an impact on 700,000 people. As long as the borrower consolidated their debt into the federal Direct Loan program, the Department of Education initially stated that this loans-many of which were made under the former Federal Family Education Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program would be eligible for the one-time forgiveness action. The Biden administration was sued by six Republican-led states who claimed that forgiving the privately owned loans would financially harm the states and student loan servicers. As a result, the department has changed its position. Now, in order to qualify for the debt relief, privately held federal student loans had to be merged by September 29, WLWT reported. Read Also: $400 Stimulus Check To Automatically Hit Your Account Within 4 Days; Here's Who Can Claim The Direct Payments! Can I Opt-Out in Student Loan Forgiveness Program? According to the Department of Education's website, borrowers will have the option to reject student loan debt relief if they so choose for any reason. At this time, it's unclear exactly how choosing not to participate in student loan debt relief will operate. Additionally, the Biden administration has declared that most borrowers will have to petition to receive student loan forgiveness. This is crucial because it signifies that an application is an affirmative step that the borrower must take in the process. As a result, you should keep an eye out for more detailed information from the Department of Education on how to opt-out if you don't want student loan debt relief. Alternatively, you can ask your loan servicer for advice. The Department of Education will likely provide additional information on how to opt-out soon. Information on how to apply for the 2022 student loan forgiveness, including applications and instructions for student debt relief, is anticipated soon, as per Kiplinger. Related Article: US Debt Tracker: Here's Why National Debt Ballooned to $31 Trillion @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Enforcement Directorate's decision to extend the term of deputation for Sudesh Kumar Sheoran as the joint director of the agency's Kolkata Zonal Office-II at Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata is being perceived by the circles concerned as a step to maintain the pace of probe in various in the state. ED sources said that Sheoran had been acting as the supervising officer in the three major financial embezzlement scams in West Bengal, namely School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam, cattle and coal smuggling. In fact, source said, ED's first major crackdown in the WBSSC scam by conducting simultaneous raids at the residence of former state education minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide, Arpita Mukherjee, and the recovery of huge cash and gold from the two residences of the latter in July was totally planned and supervised by Sheoran. He also acted as the supervising officer in ED's recovery of cash worth Rs 17.32 crore from the residence of Amir Khan, the principal accused in the mobile gaming app, E-Nuggets scam on September 10. ED sources said that equally significant are the extension of terms of deputations for two additional directors, namely Sonia Narang and Yogesh Sharma, as both these officers had been supervising the progress of investigation for a level above Sheoran. Besides being the joint director for ED's Kolkata Zonal OfficeII office, Sheoran is also in-charge of the three other offices of the agency, namely Bhubaneswar Zonal Office, Guwahati Zonal Office-I and Guwahati Zonal Office-II. It is learnt that these three officers also played key roles in drafting the ED's first charge sheet in the WBSSC scam that was filed by the agency at a court in Kolkata on September 19 this year. In the charge sheet, the ED had identified Partha Chatterjee as the mastermind in orchestrating the multi-crore scam. All the three major financial embezzlement scams in that the ED is probing on are currently at crucial stages and, hence it is important that these cases are handled by the same officials who had been overseeing the matter since the beginning, confirmed an ED official. Besides the WBSSC scam, the ED sleuths are also at a crucial juncture of the coal smuggling scam where Trinamool Congress' national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, his wife Rujira Narula Banerjee, sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir and several top Indian Police Service (IPS) officers have been questioned by the central agency sleuths. Sources said that with the major festival in West Bengal, Durga Puja being over, some renewed actions by the central agency sleuths are expected to start again. --IANS src/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.) Rejecting any dialogue with on Kashmir, Union Home Minister on Wednesday said that his government was more interested in talking to the people of and assured them that assembly polls will be held with "full transparency". At his first public rally in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Shah, in his 27-minute speech at Showkat Ali stadium in Baramulla district, trained his guns at leaders from opposition parties NC, PDP and Congress with frequent references to the "three families", "Mufti and company" and "Abdullah and sons". The Home Minister blamed Abdullahs ( Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the "lack of development" in as they ruled the erstwhile state for most of the years since the country's independence. "Those people who ruled here for 70 years advise me to talk to . I have a clear intention that I don't want to talk to Pakistan, but I want to talk to my Gujjar, Pahari and Bakerwal brothers of Baramulla. "I will talk to the youth of Kashmir. Think, what did Kashmir achieve because of militancy? Today, every state of the country is moving forward, and Kashmir will also have to keep pace. We don't have to tread the path shown by terrorists. "The youth of Kashmir will tread the path of country's development, will join corporate sector after securing education and jobs. Modi is taking the country forward. I appeal to you to support him," Shah told the jam-packed stadium. The Home Minister also used the occasion to announce that the political process has been initiated in the union territory. "I want to assure you that once the Election Commission completes the electoral rolls exercise, elections will be conducted in Kashmir with full transparency so that your elected representatives govern here." He said that before delimitation, only the "three families" used to come to power, "but the delimitation by the Election Commission will result in your own representatives winning in the elections and then governing". Ahead of his visit to the Baramulla, security arrangements were tightened by the police and paramilitary forces to ward off any threat by terrorists. Shah was greeted with cheers from the audience when he paused during his speech briefly as 'Azaan' or Muslim call to prayer started from a nearby mosque. Five minutes into his speech, Shah paused and asked those on the stage "if something was going on at a mosque". When someone on the dais told him that it was an 'Azaan', Shah stopped his speech briefly and the people chanted slogans hailing him. Shah said that it was the government's endeavour to make the most peaceful place in the country. "Has terror benefited anyone ever in the world? About 42,000 people of J-K have lost their lives from 1990 till now because of terrorism. Tell me, who is responsible for this? These three families who have ruled J-K are responsible," he said. The Home Minister asserted that terrorism is slowly and steadily coming to an end and cited the development work undertaken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins in Delhi. "God forbid, if anyone in your family falls ill, Modi ji will provide free of cost treatment up to Rs five lakh. About 77 lakh people have been given (Ayushman Bharat gold) cards and they will not have to spend even a single rupee for their treatment. "There were one lakh people who had no shelter in bone-chilling cold. For 70 years, Mufti and company, and Abdullah and sons, ruled J-K, but one lakh people didn't get houses. "However, from 2014 till 2022, Modi ji gave houses to one lakh people in J-K," he said, adding about 12 lakh families were provided with gas cylinders and the prime minister got rid of "chulhas". Shah said that there were two models available for the people - one of Prime Minister Modi which talks about development, peace and unity, and increases employment avenues, and the other one is the Gupkar model which let the Pulwama attack happen. The Gupkar model brings Pakistani terrorists, while the Modi model brings Rs 56,000 crore worth of investment on the ground which will provide five lakh jobs, he said "In the Gupkar model, youth get stones, machine guns, but in Modi model, youth get IIT, AIIMS, NIFT, NEET. "The youth need education Abdullah sahab, don't put stones in their hands. Modi ji has made it possible for youth to shed stones and get on with their studies," he said adding that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the ecosystem of terror has almost ended. "If anyone supports terrorists in your locality, please make him understand that Kashmir will not benefit from terrorism. Bring him back to the mainstream. Kashmir will benefit from democracy, from industries being set up here and other developmental steps," he said. Due to the improved security situation, 22 lakhs tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir this year so far whereas the figure earlier stood at an average of six to seven lakh, Shah said. "Earlier it was a terrorist hotspot but today it is a tourist hotspot. Imagine how many people have benefited from this," he said. Shah on Wednesday visited the house of policeman Mudasir Sheikh, who was killed in an encounter in Baramulla district, at Uri, 100 km from Srinagar, and met his family members. He also presided over a review meeting on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior officials of the Centre, officers of the Army, CAPF, J-K Police and Jammu and Kashmir Government were present. Shah came down heavily on the three political families, alleging that their rule was full of misgovernance, corruption and lack of development. Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he alleged at the rally. The home minister repeated what he had said at his rally in Rajouri on Tuesday that earlier, power in Jammu and Kashmir was with three families, 87 MLAs and six MPs. Now 30,000 people, who were elected representatives of panchayat and districts councils, are part of the governance process, he said. He said the first work done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that democracy has reached the grass root level. Shah said due to Article 370, there was no reservation for the SCs and STs but after its abrogation, quota benefits could be given to Gujjars, Bakarwal and Pahadis. Everyone will get their due share under the reservation. There will be no loss of share for anyone, he said. On Tuesday, Shah announced that ST reservation benefits will be given to the Pahadi community along with Gujjar and Bakarwal communities following a recommendation of the Sharma Commission. At the rally here, Shah said that Rs 56,000 crore investment has come to Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years which will give employment opportunities to five lakh people, while just Rs 17,000 crore investment had come since independence. "Today I have come to ask Farooq Sahab and Mehooba Mufti ji to give an account of how much investment has come into Jammu and Kashmir during their rule of 70 years. How many industries had come up? How many factories were set up and how many youths benefited from employment," Shah said. He alleged that rampant corruption led to underdevelopment in Jammu and Kashmir and said the Modi government has ensured that every rupee being spent goes to those most deserving. He said it was the third day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir and he was happy to see that development has taken place in the Union territory. "Some days back, I read a tweet from Mehbooba Mufti in which she had asked me to give an 'account' of our work. "Mehbooba Ji, keep your eyes and ears open. You along with Farooq (Abdullah) sahab should see what we have given and compare it with the rule of three families over the last 75 years,'' he said. Shah said all states have an Anti-Corruption Bureau except Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the "three families" were responsible for stalling it. "I wonder why they did not allow it," 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.) In a bid to achieve India's net zero emissions by 2070, the central government is leasing out the ocean floor around to offshore wind farms. The base rate has been fixed at Rs 1,00,000 per square km, according to a report in Mint. India does not have any offshore energy projects, despite having a 7,600 km-long coastline. These energy plants reduce the burden of energy generation on thermal plants. The plan involves inviting bids for two wind power projects in and Gujarat, with a capacity of 2GW each. In Tamil Nadu, the ocean floor along its 1,076-km coastline may be bid out, while in Gujarat, the wind farm projects will be floated on the viability gap funding (VGF) route, where the government gives capital support for financially unviable projects. "There are two bids we have decided. One bid is in offshore Gujarat. We have carried out all surveys, and we have got all the clearances. That bid will be a plain and simple bid on VGF. We will fix a tariff at, lets say Rs 4 per unit...Now you bid on the VGF. There are two states which are willing to take it at Rs 4, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu," Union minister for new and Raj Kumar Singh was quoted as saying by Mint. The Centre will also most likely set up a carbon market after the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022. It was cleared in Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session. Singh added that the power would be transmitted for free to the national grid under renewable power projects. The developers are also allowed to sell it to any company in India. The ministry of new and has set a target of 30 GW of offshore wind installations by 2030. As many as 40 new COVID-19 cases have been detected in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking its infection count to 7,45,189, a health official said on Wednesday. With the addition of the latest cases on Tuesday, there are currently 302 active COVID-19 cases in Thane, which comes under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, he said. The death toll in Thane remained unchanged at 11,962, he said, adding that the recovery count has reached 7,33,653. (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.) Five persons were killed and eight injured when a car crashed into an accident site and hit three stationary cars and an ambulance on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link here on Wednesday early morning, police said. The deceased worked for the private firm which managed the toll booth on the bridge, said an official of the firm. The fatal accident took place around 3 am between pole numbers 76 and 78 on the south-bound carriageway of the bridge which connects Bandra in the western suburbs to Worli in south . Footage of the crash was recorded by CCTV cameras. A little while before, a car had hit another car on the bridge and an ambulance and a towing van had been sent to the spot for assistance, said a senior police official. Passengers in another car saw this and stopped at the spot to help, he said. At this point, another car coming at high speed from behind rammed into these three stationary cars and the ambulance, the official said. Six of the injured were undergoing treatment at different hospitals. Two others were allowed to go after being treated for minor injuries, police said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences to the families of the deceased and wished speedy recovery to those injured. "Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in . Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that those who have been injured have a speedy recovery," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. Sanjeev Jha, general manager, operations and maintenance of Roadways Solution India Infra Ltd which manages the toll booth on the bridge, said the deceased were working for his company. They had rushed to the spot when the first accident took place, he said. He identified the deceased -- all male -- as Satyendra Faujdar who hailed from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, Gajaraj Singh from Madhya Pradesh, Rajendra Rajput, Chetan Kadam and ambulance driver Somnath Salve (32). Another employee, Hemant Toraskar, was seriously injured and was undergoing treatment at Lilavati Hospital in the city, he said. "All of them were working here for the last many years," said Pradeep Mishra, another employee. (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.) India may have wasted a little over 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of September, as the doses were past their shelf lives. Assuming a price of Rs 225 per dose (for Covishield and Covaxin), the value of the wasted stock is around Rs 2,250 crore. The health department has made it mandatory for all in the district to put up photos and phone numbers of doctors working there. These details should be put up at a place where patients and their attendants can see them easily. Besides, hospitals also have to put up information about the specialty of emergency medical officers along with their phone numbers on the display board. Additional chief medical officer Dr A.P. Singh said, "By putting details of doctors, patients will be able to know that qualified doctors are treating them. Besides, they would know whom to contact in an emergency. It will also help health officials during hospital inspections." He stated that as of now, hospitals must keep a licence issued by the chief medical officer (CMO) which has to be displayed during the inspection. The move came after the health department, during raids, found several unqualified doctors, paramedical staff and nurses working in hospitals. Officials said there are around 350 hospitals and nursing homes in the city with licence. During the health department's raids on 18 hospitals, anomalies were found in 10 hospitals and notices were served on them. The most common anomaly was the absence of emergency medical officers from hospital. In three private hospitals, paramedical and nursing staff were untrained. Apart from that, a visit to two hospitals on Hardoi Road revealed that the doctors were not qualified for practising modern medicine. They had BHMS and BAMS degrees. Dr A.P. Singh said, "We are running a special drive against hospitals run by unqualified staff. Strict action will be taken against those who indulge in it. FIRs will also be filed against them." --IANS amita/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.) (RSS) chief on Wednesday stressed that not only government but society too needs to pitch in and generate employment. His comments at the annual rally in Nagpur came days after RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale created a flutter when he flagged the issues of poverty, unemployment, and rising inequality in the country. In the widely watched address, Bhagwat also sought a comprehensive new policy, which should apply to everyone equally. He further said India must empower women to unleash their creative energy, giving them freedom and equality, should shun dogma, and discard blind faith. Bhagwat, who recently met with a group of Muslim intellectuals and visited a Delhi mosque, stressed that there was no intention among Indians to create fear in anyone and that dialogue with minority communities, such as the Muslims, would continue. He also lauded the Narendra Modi-led BJP government for its handling of the livelihood crisis following the Covid pandemic but added that job creation was not the responsibility of the government alone. The government has responded to the employment crisis. I am not arguing that the government should retreat. But simultaneously, society has to respond by providing employment we (the RSS) have. We have created jobs in 275 districts by helping create small businesses and employment opportunities. More will follow. But all parts of society have to support such endeavours." Mountaineer Santosh Yadav was the chief guest at the RSS event. Bhagwat said contrary to belief, this was not the first time a woman had been asked to grace the occasion: Rajmata Maharani Amrit Kaur and a host of others had been distinguished guests hosted by the Sangh. He said unless the strength of women in society was harnessed, India would not reach its place in the world. He simultaneously underlined other factors that were holding India back: Untouchability, superstition, and dogmatism. In order to embrace an Indian India, Bhagwat said untouchability must be rooted out. Also Read: Mohan Bhagwat's Dussehra address: Highlights from his last five speeches He further said: requires resources. If it grows without building resources, it becomes a burden. There is another view in which is considered an asset. We need to work on a population policy for all keeping both aspects in mind. He, however, added: "Religion-based population imbalance is an important subject not to be ignored. Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries. Alongside the differences in birth rate, conversions by force, allure or greed and infiltration are also big reasons." Population imbalance can lead to countries breaking apart, he said, as he cited East Timor, Kosovo, and South Sudan as examples of "new countries that emerged because of imbalance among religions in a population". Addressing concerns among minorities in the country, the RSS chief said, "Scare-mongering by some is being done that there is a danger to minorities because of us. This is neither the belief of the Sangh nor of the Hindus. Sangh resolves to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity, and peace." At the same time, he said events like the beheading of Hindus in Amaravati and Udaipur (which happened after a BJP functionarys remarks about the Prophets family) should be condemned by all. Right-minded leaders of the Muslim community have also condemned it, he said. He exhorted Hindus to never forget the limits laid on all Indians by the constitution and rule of law. Bhagwat flagged two important developments that put the seal of approval on the central governments policies -- he lauded Indias outreach to Sri Lanka in its time of distress and upheld its Russia-Ukraine policy of equidistance and appeal for peace. He said it was a matter of great satisfaction that the world was sitting up and listening to India. The RSS chief spoke at length about the importance of the mother tongue. He did not specifically name Hindi but spoke approvingly about the New Education Policy (NEP) that celebrated the mother tongue. We tend to believe English is crucial to career development. We send our children to get an English education. But how many of us value our mother tongue? he asked. The RSS chief asked Indians to be vigilant against forces that wanted to hold India back. There are elements who will come to you, posing as supporters of our cause. Be vigilant. Some of them want to spread anarchy, and disaffection against rule of law. We must be on the side of the administration and the state in regard to such people, he said. chief on Wednesday said India should have a population policy prepared after comprehensive thought and be applicable to all communities equally. Speaking at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Dussehra rally in Nagpur, Bhagwat said community-based population imbalance is an important subject and should not be ignored. Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries, he said. The new population policy should be applicable to all communities equally to strike a balance, he said. There has to be a balance among the communities in this country, he added. Pointing out at China's One family one child policy, Bhagwat said, While we are trying to control the population, we should see what happened in China. That country went for the one child policy and now it is getting older. With 57 crore youth population in India, we will remain a young nation for next 30 years, Bhagwat said. However, what will happen to India after 50 years? Will we have enough food to feed the population, he added. Bhagwat also stressed on people starting their own businesses and not relying solely on government jobs. All government jobs put together, only 30 per cent population will be covered. Rest of the population will have to start their own businesses to create more employment, he said. The invited mountaineer Santosh Yadav as the chief guest for the event. She is the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest twice. (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 Home Minister on Wednesday said the terror ecosystem comprising elements that aid, abet and sustain the terrorist-separatist campaign in needs to be completely dismantled. He was speaking at a review meeting on the security situation in the Union territory. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, senior officials of the Centre, and officers of the Army, CAPF, J-K Police and the government attended it. The minister asked the security forces and the police to pro-actively conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations in order to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a prosperous and peaceful . "The terror eco-system comprising elements that aid, abet and sustain the terrorist-separatist campaign to the detriment of the well-being of the common man requires to be completely dismantled," Shah said. He appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and the UT administration for keeping the streets free from violence and significantly restoring the rule of law. The 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign during the Independence Day celebrations saw unprecedented enthusiasm, the minister said. The Union home minister called for the security grid to be further strengthened. He also reviewed the working of the security grid and the progress made on various items on the agenda in the previous meetings to reduce incidents of terrorism and the stranglehold of the separatist networks. Cases registered under the UAPA were also reviewed, and it was stressed that investigation should be timely and effective. Agencies concerned should work on improving capacities to ensure quality investigation, the home minister 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.) Meghan Markle has filed a lawsuit to prevent Thomas Markle from being deposed in connection with allegations made in the shocking Oprah interview from last year. Samantha Markle filed the defamation lawsuit. Samantha Markle is suing Meghan for defamation due to her interview with Oprah Winfrey and information that appeared in the biography Finding Freedom. Thomas Markle will reportedly be deposed by Samantha's attorneys between October 5 and October 21 to testify under oath or by affidavit. Meghan Markle Urges to Use First Amendment Rights Samantha's legal team is attempting to delay deposing her father until after a decision on whether the case will be dismissed by the Duchess of Sussex, as per Mirror. In the now-famous Oprah interview, Meghan made comments about her connection with Samantha, which the statement said, were non-actionable views that are also substantially true. The court decided that Samantha Markle shouldn't be able to force Meghan and maybe many non-parties to spend a lot of money on pointless discovery while a valid move to dismiss the case is still pending. The Duchess was merely exercising core First Amendment rights to free speech, according to Meghan's legal counsel. It is uncertain if Samantha will be successful in all of her requests for depositions, according to Newsweek. The list of potential witnesses is much broader than it was in Virginia Giuffre's accusation of Prince Andrew of sexual assault. The claims made against the Duke of York by his American accuser have been fiercely and strenuously refuted. The newspaper cited other filings made by Meghan's legal team regarding the extensive list of people Samantha's legal team is allegedly planning to depose, Express reported. The magazine reported that a deposition of Mr. Markle at this time, together with additional discoveries, would be an unneeded spectacle and waste of the parties time, money, and resources. Read Also: Angelina Jolie Unveils Details of Brad Pitt's Further Horrific Violence Against Actress, Children in Countersuit Meghan Markle's Sister Seeks Settlement in Defamation Case The filing argues that discovery, in this case, should be put on hold until the Motion to Dismiss is decided for the following reasons: (1) the Motion is unquestionably meritorious and will put an end to the matter; (2) a brief stay of discovery will not be harmful or prejudicial to [Samantha Markle]; and (3) discovery will be detrimental to Meghan, other third parties, the Court, and First Amendment rights. According to the statement, in addition to the parties, Samantha identified a whopping 19 non-party witnesses, including Prince Harry, Meghan's mother, Oprah Winfrey, and different British journalists and media leaders, including Scobie and Durand, the writers of Finding Freedom, as per Hello Magazine. Samantha tried to recover her case, according to Meghan's attorney Michael Kump, by alleging the former Suits actress is to blame for Finding Freedom's remarks. It truly couldn't be any easier than that, he added to state the obvious, because Meghan did not author Finding Freedom, she cannot be accountable for allegations in the book. Samantha requested that the matter be heard in a speed-chess trial, therefore the judge set the trial date to begin on October 2, 2023, in the United States. Samantha is asking for a $108,000 settlement, according to Now To Love. Related Article: Prince Harry Ghosted Prince William After His Peace Offering, Book Reveals @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is also Gorakshpeethadhishwer', led the traditional Vijayadashami Shobha Yatra' here on Tuesday with a grand turnout and series of welcomes by local people. The procession saw participation of members of different communities. The CM rode a chariot decorated with flowers and was welcomed by members of Muslim and Sindhi communities as he distributed prasad' to them. The yatra started at 4.30 pm from Gorakhnath temple after Adityanath performed a puja of Guru Gorakhnath. It moved stately with a musical backdrop composed with such traditional instruments as Nagfani, Turhi, Nagada, Damru, and brass band. A huge number of devotees lined up on both the sides of the road to have a glimpse of the Yatra. As soon as the Yatra came out of the main gate, people from the Muslim community showered flowers at the procession. Urdu academy chairman Chowdhary Kaifulwara welcomed the Cm with a garland. Women and children of the Muslim community were seen taking pictures of the CM. Later talking to the media, Kaifulwara said that his family has been welcoming the Gorakshpeethadhishwer Shobha yatra for many generations. Goraksha Peeth never discriminates against people on the basis of religion and caste and sees all of us as human beings, he said. Moving forward, the procession reached the under-construction Jhulelal temple, where a huge number of people of Sindhi community welcomed Adityanath with garlands. Such welcomes by members of different communities continued till he reached Ramlila Mansarover temple, where Adityanath performed a puja of Devadhidev Mahadev and other Dev Vigrah in backdrop of vedik chants. After the puja, he reached the Ramlila maidan where he did a Raj Tilak' of Lord Shri Ram and also performed aarti of Mata Janki, Laxman and Lord Hanuman. (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.) Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced financial assistance to the kin of the deceased in the Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal tragedies which occurred on Tuesday. "An amount of Rs 2 lakh for deaths, Rs one lakh for serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for normal injuries will be given to all those affected by these two tragedies," the official informed. Twenty-five people were found dead and more than 20 people sustained injuries after a bus carrying over 40 people of a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night, Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar told ANI. Police and state disaster response force (SDRF) rescued 21 people following an overnight operation and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added. He reached Simdi village in Birokhal of the Dhumakot area of Pauri. Condoling the kin of the deceased, Dhami said that the state government stands with the families. "Heartbreaking news has been received of many casualties in the tragic bus accident near Simdi village of Pauri district. In the overnight relief and rescue operation, 21 passengers have been safely evacuated by SDRF and the local administration and sent to the hospital for treatment," Dhami said, adding that in this hour of grief, the government stands with the bereaved family members. In another tragic accident on Tuesday, four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche at Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi on Tuesday while rescue operations were on for others, confirmed the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). 14 have been rescued so far. The Chief Minister has cancelled all his Dussehra engagements and has travelled to the accident site in Pauri and the NIM Control Room in Uttarkashi to personally interact with the injured in both the incidents and to be updated by field officials on the progress of rescue and relief efforts in both the tragedies "The state Government and all its agencies are working round the clock with all the agencies of the Government of India to provide rescue and relief to all those directly affected by these incidents. The Chief Minister and senior officials are directly supervising these efforts," the official said. The mountaineers, who were rescued reached Matli in Uttarkashi today where they are being provided with first aid treatment. These people were evacuated via chopper to the 12th Battalion ITBP in Matli, Uttarkashi."Deep Singh (Gujarat), Rohit Bhatt (Tehri Garhwal), Suraj Singh (Uttarkashi), Sunil Lalwani (Mumbai), Anil Kumar (Rajasthan), Manish Agarwal (Delhi), Kanchan Singh (Chamoli) and Ankit Singh (Dehradun) were amongst who have been rescued," the Police 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.) There is some relief for the auto component industry with the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) clarifying the classification of goods on the basis of Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes. The Ministry of Finance has continued to oppose the key provisions of the Development Of Enterprise And Services Hub (DESH) bill which will be replacing the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act, reported the Financial Express. This includes the benign corporate tax rate of 15 per cent until 2032 for units in these planned hubs. Official sources claim that the ministry has, in its formal comments on the Bill, emphasised its reluctance to integrate the hubs with the domestic market in contrast to SEZs, which have explicit export obligations. Although the is making every effort to finish the draft and introduce the DESH Bill in the Parliament during the winter session, which is typically held in November or December, the finance ministry's position may delay it. In the past, the has voiced similar reservations about providing tax benefits to during internal discussions, in line with its efforts to stop fiscal eroding and its goal of ushering in an exemption-free and straightforward tax system. Additionally, it has opposed the idea of allowing SEZ businesses to sell items on the domestic market for no or little tax, as opposed to the customs duty that is usually charged. However, given that it had already reduced such a tax to 15 per cent for new manufacturing units that start operations by March 2024, it was anticipated that its opposition, particularly on the issue of freezing the concessional tax for greenfield and some brownfield DESH units in the manufacturing and services sectors for a decade, would soften. To encourage investors to establish businesses in these specifically designated zones, the added these measures to the draft Bill. have been rapidly losing their attraction as a result of the removal of numerous incentives. However, the will probably speak with the and others who have questions about the draft Bill or concerns about certain elements in a week or two to try to find a solution. The government established a sunset date for SEZ units to begin operations (June 30, 2020) in order to be eligible for a 15-year phased income-tax holiday, which made the need for the new Bill to woo investors necessary. Furthermore, India lost a case at the World Trade Organization filed by the US in which it alleged that New Delhi was providing illegal export subsidies through these . The basic criteria for a SEZ unit to have positive net foreign exchange (NFE) for five years has thus been suggested to be eliminated by the draft Bill; instead, the unit's success will be assessed on the basis of "net positive growth" (NPG) under the proposed Bill. A unit's NPG will be determined by a number of factors, including economic activity and employment creation. According to a source, the finance ministry's recent reservations about the units' lack of an export focus arise from a worry that it would lead to demands for similar incentives for businesses outside of these zones. has bagged the highest amount of investment, to the tune of Rs 3,513 crore under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the textile sector, data from a recent parliamentary panel report shows. The standing committee on labour, and skill development in its report on the man-made fibres (MMF) was informed by the textile ministry earlier this year that out of 67 applicants, 64 projects with a proposed investment of Rs 19,798 crore were approved by a selection committee under the . While Gujarat saw the highest number of proposed projects (13), cornered the highest amount of proposed investment (Rs 3,513 crore). The government approved the for textile products in September last year with an aim to promote MMF apparel, MMF fabrics, products of technical and to enhance manufacturing capabilities and exports from the country of select MMF products with an approved outlay of Rs 10,683 crore. Selected companies would be eligible to get incentives on achieving threshold investment to promote size and scale, competitiveness and generate employment by overcoming constraints like lack of economies of scale, defective fabrics and non-compliance to International standards, the committee noted. The scheme has two parts. Under Part-1, the minimum investment required is Rs 300 crore and 15 per cent incentive will be provided on attaining required turnover in the first year. Under Part-2, the minimum investment is Rs 100 crore and 11 per cent incentive will be provided on attaining required turnover in the first year. Additionally, the incentive will be reduced by one percentage point every year from second year onwards till the fifth year under both parts of the Scheme. Under the scheme, 14 projects with a minimum investment of Rs 300 crore were approved, with a proposed investment of Rs 10,518 crore and with a potential to generate 98,088 jobs, the textile ministry informed the committee. Also, 50 projects with a minimum investment of Rs 100 crore were approved, with a proposed investment of 9,280 crore and with a potential to generate 147,274 jobs. Noting that technical is a high technology sunrise sector, the committee called upon the ministry to intensify the efforts for the development and expansion of Technical textiles. The Committee would also like the Ministry to explore the feasibility of exploring PPP models and strategic market partnerships with Global players for acquiring technical know-how so as to strengthen the development of an indigenous industry towards transforming India into a global manufacturing hub for technical textiles, noted the ministry. The Reserve Bank is planning to extensively use advanced analytics, and to analyse its huge database and improve regulatory supervision on banks and NBFCs. For this purpose, the central bank is also looking to hire external experts. While the RBI is already using AI and ML in supervisory processes, it now intends to upscale it to ensure that the benefits of advanced analytics can accrue to the Department of Supervision in the central bank. The department has been developing and using linear and a few machine-learnt models for supervisory examinations. The supervisory jurisdiction of the RBI extends over banks, urban cooperative banks (UCB), NBFCs, payment banks, small finance banks, local area banks, credit information companies and select all India financial institutions. It undertakes continuous supervision of such entities with the help of on-site inspections and off-site monitoring. The central bank has floated an expression of interest (EoI) for engaging consultants in the use of Advanced Analytics, and for generating supervisory inputs. "Taking note of the global supervisory applications of AI & ML applications, this Project has been conceived for use of Advance Analytics and AI/ML to expand analysis of huge data repository with RBI and externally, through the engagement of external experts, which is expected to greatly enhance the effectiveness and sharpness of supervision," it said. Among other things, the selected consultant will be required to explore and profile data with a supervisory focus. The objective is to enhance the data-driven surveillance capabilities of the Reserve Bank, the EoI said. Across the world, regulatory and supervisory authorities are using techniques (commonly referred to as 'Supertech' and 'regtech') for assisting supervisory and regulatory activities, it added. Most of these techniques are still exploratory, however, they are rapidly gaining popularity and scale. On the data collection side, AI and ML technologies are used for real-time data reporting, effective data management and dissemination. For data analytics, these are being used for monitoring supervised firm-specific risks, including liquidity risks, market risks, credit exposures and concentration risks; misconduct analysis; and mis-selling of products. (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 the latest attacks on UN peacekeepers, three Bangladeshis have died from a bomb attack in the Central African Republic (CAR), barely a week after a Pakistani was killed in Congo, according to a UN spokesperson. The Bangladeshi peacekeepers in the CAR were killed when their vehicle hit an explosive ordnance device on Monday evening, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday. Another Bangladeshi peacekeeper was injured and is in hospital, he added. On Friday, a Pakistani peacekeeper was killed in when a base in Minembwe, South Kivu, was attacked "by suspected Twirwaneho combatants," he said. Dujarric added that attacks on peacekeepers are "war crimes". The Bangladeshis were killed when they were on patrol, nearly five kilometre from the CAR peacekeeping mission's temporary base in the Ouham-Pende Prefecture, he said. According to the peacekeeping mission, the Bangladeshi battalion patrol was to protect civilians. The CAR peacekeeping operation known as MINUSCA, from the French initials for Mulitdimensional Integrated Mission in CAR, was created in 2014, taking over an earlier operation set up in 2009. It has 14,400 personnel with 1,333 Bangladeshi troops. The operation has claimed the lives of 169 peacekeepers, 10 of them Bangladeshis. In January three Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed in the CAR when their vehicle hit a landmine. The peacekeeping operation known as MONUSCO, an acronym derived from French for Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Congo, was created in 2010 to succeed an earlier mission set up in 1999. It is the second largest peacekeeping operation with 14,671 personnel, which include 1,929 troops from . More than 431 peacekeepers have died in the operations in Congo, of them, 31 were Pakistanis. In March, six Pakistani peacekeepers were killed when their helicopter was brought down in . A MONUSCO statement said that the Twirwaneho fighters had come to the UN base, saying they wanted to surrender but instead attacked it. According to AfricaNews media, The Twirwaneho militia claims to defend the interests of the Banymulenge community, a Congolese Tutsi minority. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) --IANS arul/khz/ (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.) Britain's defence secretary said Tuesday that Russia's war on Ukraine has been a wake-up call for members, making them realize that their militaries need to be better and invest more in defense. British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said many nations in Europe had become complacent after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin has become in a sense, a gift to . He spoke during a panel discussion at the Warsaw Security Forum, a two-day gathering of trans-Atlantic leaders, security and defence experts. Conference attendees included Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, who thanked Poland and other allies for their support of her country. Wallace described Putin as a pantomime villain who reminded us that there really is somebody out there who really, really wants to not only challenge us, but wants to inflict violence. He said there is agreement among his colleagues that they have not invested enough in their militaries. On the surface our militaries can boast numbers, he said at the forum. But below that bonnet, we have not enough infrastructure, not enough spare parts, not enough personnel, not enough modern weaponry, not enough weapon stocks. That's all coming home to roost, and we're going to have to deal with that. And that is going to cost money. The British government has said that it plans to increase its military spending in the next years to 3% of GDP. Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was asked about the criticism Germany has faced in Central and Eastern Europe, where many feel Berlin made itself too dependent on Russian gas in the past and did not move forcefully enough to send weapons to Ukraine. She said: I can totally understand that there are so many questions especially in the Eastern countries: so do you mean it this time?' And I can only say: please trust us, yes, we mean it. This time we will defend every corner of our territory. We will support Ukraine as long as they need us but we will do it with our partners, Baerbock 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.) Group AGs deputy wealth management head for is leaving after about two decades with the bank, joining a wave of departures from the embattled firm. Young Jin Yee, based in Singapore, tendered her resignation last week and may be heading to another firm, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. We are in a healthy capital and liquidity position, the bank said in a statement in response to queries from Bloomberg. Here in APAC, we are focused on ensuring that our clients get the advice they need to navigate challenging times in the markets. The Swiss lender, contending with a near-record low share price, is facing an erosion of talent in . Five private bankers are leaving its Hong Kong operations, adding to two others who left last month, Bloomberg News reported. Young is the highest-ranking wealth departure in so far. Shes the deputy to Benjamin Cavalli, the regional head of private banking, as well as chief executive officer of the SymAsia Foundation Ltd., a non-profit group handling philanthropic activities of the banks wealthy clients. Shares in the banking giant plummeted 12% to an all-time low Monday after a weekend of speculation about its financial health, before regaining almost all of the losses later in the day. That was accompanied by a spike in the cost to insure the banks debt against default, which jumped to its highest ever before recovering. The bank is due to unveil a strategic review on Oct. 27, which is expected to include a large-scale investment-banking retreat. While it has outlined plans to expand its wealth unit by focusing on markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore, the bank risks becoming a poaching ground for rivals amid the turmoil. Prime Minister Liz Truss asked her Conservative Party on Wednesday to trust her, pledging to steer Britain through stormy days and transform a stagnant economy in a pitch to restore her authority over a party in revolt. Addressing Conservative lawmakers and members at an annual conference beset by internal bickering and policy confusion, Truss sought to reassure her party, the public and investors that her plan was the right way to reignite growth. An early interruption from protesters holding a banner asking who voted for this? seemed to fire up the audience and the prime minister, whose criticism of what she called the anti-growth coalition received loud cheers and applause. For many in the audience, Truss, who has admitted that she is not the slickest communicator, had done a decent job at a time when she is under pressure from what one Conservative member called some snakes in the party undermining her plans. She said, will bring in new powers that will allow the government to overrule human rights rulings by the European court. "Our brilliant new Home Secretary will be bringing forward legislation to make sure that no European judge can overrule us, Truss told delegates. I am ready to make hard choices. You can trust me to do what it takes. The status quo is not an option, she told the party faithful in the central English city of Birmingham. Cutting taxes is the right thing to do, morally and economically, Truss said, adding that the scale of the challenge ahead was immense. The conference, once expected to be Trusss crowning glory after she became prime minister on Sept. 6, had turned into a personal nightmare after she announced a new economic policy that sparked a crisis of confidence among investors. Laying the ground Truss promises to make hard choices for economic growth No European judge can overrule us Says will bring in new powers that will allow the government to overrule human rights rulings by European court Unions & green groups part of anti-growth coalition Accuses her opponents of being obsessed with more taxes, more regulation, and more meddling, calling them enemies of enterprise and says: Wrong, wrong, wrong Hard choices Says will take difficult but necessary choices to get economic growth. This mission will be difficult but necessary, and we have no alternatives, she added Food taxes are over Appears to ditch predecessor Boris Johnsons approach to the obesity strategy by signalling a drop in plan to ban 2-for-1 junk food offers. Says not going to tell you how to live your life (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The leader of the largest nuclear power in the world, President Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly warned the West that any attack on Russia may result in a nuclear reaction. Will Vladimir Putin deploy nuclear weapons, how many of them does he control, and what kind of reaction might the US and the NATO military alliance make? Will Russia Start Nuclear War? How Vladimir Putin views the danger to the Russian state and his reign will have a big impact. Putin portrays the conflict in Ukraine as an existential conflict between his country and the West, which he claims is out to destroy Russia and seize control of its enormous natural resources. When President Vladimir Putin indicated he would be willing to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia, the West was forewarned that he was not playing a bluff. Despite the claims of some observers that Putin is bluffing, Washington takes him seriously. With Vladimir Putin arguing that 18% of Ukraine is a part of Russia, there is more room for nuclear threats because any attack on these territories could be justified as an attack on Russia as a whole. According to Russian nuclear doctrine, a nuclear strike is permitted following conventional weapon aggression against the Russian Federation when the basic existence of the state is threatened. Breaking the post-World War Two nuclear taboo would not necessarily change the tactical situation on the ground because many Russians reside in the Ukrainian area that Vladimir Putin has claimed as Russian, as per Reuters. A strategic nuclear attack utilizing weapons intended to destroy cities in the US, Europe, and Asia has not been asked for by a Russian official. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has suggested that Moscow think about launching a low-yield tactical nuclear weapon on Ukraine. Nuclear weapons that are employed on the battlefield for tactical purposes are known as tactical nuclear weapons. They are significantly less potent than the huge bombs required to destroy major cities like Moscow, Washington, or London. Such weapons can be attached to missiles and fired from the surface of the earth, boats, or submarines. Additionally, they can be dropped from aircraft or set off by ground forces. Russia is equipped with long-range nuclear weapons that it could deploy in a direct fight with the US. However, researchers argued that its stockpiles of so-called tactical weapons, which have shorter ranges, are not. Putin might instruct the covert preparation and tee up of a smaller tactical nuclear bomb for unexpected use. But the Russian president could also use a covert removal of weapons from storage to increase pressure without actually utilizing them. Some analysts predicted that Vladimir Putin would seek to terrify Western nations into reducing their backing for Ukraine by flashing his nuclear teeth and expecting US satellites to observe the activity, according to Al Jazeera via MSN. Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Diplomat Warns USA's Military Aid Is Worsening Conflict Where Putin Might Start to Use Nuclear Weapons? Belgorod, Putin's largest submarine that is capable of carrying 'apocalypse' nuclear torpedoes, is currently underway, and there are rumors that a convoy carrying a nuclear unit is traveling through Russia. And now, as his army keeps suffering humiliating losses, everyone around the world waits impatiently to see if Vladimir Putin would follow through on his warnings. Putin allegedly has the option of using a nuclear weapon on the border as a tremendous show of force, according to defense insiders. Putin would need to locate a space large enough to set off the bomb without endangering his citizens, particularly those who have recently been welcomed as citizens of Russia. However, the daring move might make it crystal obvious to Ukraine and the West that he isn't scared to deploy nuclear weapons in the battle for the first time since the conclusion of World War II. It is widely known the recent nuclear threats are referring primarily to smaller, tactical weapons geared for war use rather than big city-killing bombs, The Sun reported. However, according to defense insiders, Putin using a nuclear weapon in the Black Sea is a more realistic scenario. Putin could launch a weapon over the sea, which is surrounded by NATO members Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey in addition to Russia and Ukraine. Other options include a direct nuclear weapon attack on Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. Other, less likely scenarios include a full-scale attack by Putin on Kyiv or possibly an attempt to target Western weaponry entering Ukraine from Poland. And the West would probably react to all of these possibilities. It could be anything from a surprise attempt to terminate the war and broker peace between Kyiv and Moscow to a US nuclear assault on Russians. With the threat of a third World War looming, the nuclear threat puts humanity on the verge of one of the most perilous periods since the Cold War, News reported. Related Article: US, South Korea Launch Ground-to-Ground Missiles in Response to North Korea's Nuke Rocket Against Japan @YouTube @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. dropped his bid to walk away from a $44 billion buyout of Inc. after losing a series of pre-trial rulings that may have foreshadowed difficulties in making his case in court. Musk, the worlds richest person, on Tuesday proposed carrying out his original plan to buy for $54.20 per share just days before he was scheduled to argue to a judge that executives of the social-media platform misled him about the number of spam and robot accounts embedded in the companys more than 230-million user base. That decision may have been influenced by almost a half-dozen rulings by Delaware Chancery Judge Kathaleen St. J. McCormick over the last three months that went Twitters way and frustrated Musks efforts to show he had legitimate grounds to cancel the deal. It was pretty clear from her rulings the judge was laser-focused on the agreement and not the stuff Musk wanted to talk about, said Brian Quinn, a Boston College law professor who focuses on merger-and-acquisition disputes. His grand theory involving the bots didnt seem to be gaining any traction with her. To be sure, the judge ruled for Musk on some issues, including letting him try to bolster his case for abandoning the buyout with allegations by whistle-blower Peiter Zatko about lax computer security and a lack of interest by the company in the bots issue. But McCormick also came down hard on the Musk teams mishandling of pre-trial information exchanges common in corporate litigation. In a September ruling, she slammed the billionaire for not turning over copies of text messages for himself and top aide Jared Birchall. The judge said there were glaring deficiencies in how the Tesla CEO and his lawyers responded to Twitters demands for relevant text messages and sloppiness in adhering to deadlines. Here are some other rulings Musk lost: A week after Twitter sued Musk in July, McCormick rebuffed the billionaires request for a February trial and set the case to be tried before her Oct. 17. She also lined up behind Twitters insistence on scheduling five court days to present testimony. In August, McCormick ordered Musk to hand over files about potential investors in a $7 billion equity raise as part of the deal. Musk complained Twitter was overreaching, arguing theyd gotten sufficient data on actual investors. McCormick also granted Twitters request to make Musk identify people with knowledge of or involvement in key issues and events in the deal, over his lawyers protests. In late September, the judge denied Musks demand for additional documents about Twitters internal measure of robot and spam accounts after concluding the company already disclosed enough of the information. Just before the public learned about the billionaires decision to give up his legal fight to nix the buyout, McCormick allowed Twitter to expand its hunt for evidence that Musk and his lawyers were in contact with whistle-blower Zatko before his allegations became public. She ordered the Musk side to widen its searches of internal files to include texts, instant messages and encrypted emails. countries agreed on Wednesday to impose new sanctions on Russia after it illegally annexed four regions in Ukraine, according to an EU official, including an expected price cap on Russian oil. EU member-state diplomats struck the deal in Brussels, said the official representing the Czech Republic, which holds the 27-nation bloc's rotating presidency. No details of the sanctions were immediately released. They will be published as soon as Thursday. They are expected to include a price cap on Russian oil, curbs on EU exports of aircraft components to the country and limits on steel imports from it. The moves build on already-unprecedented European sanctions against Russia as a result of its war against Ukraine since February. EU measures to date include restrictions on energy from Russia, bans on financial transactions with Russian entities including the central bank and asset freezes against more than 1,000 people and 100 organisations. The EU is already planning to ban most Russian oil products, which will force Russia to lower prices to find new customers. OPEC oil-producing countries meet on Wednesday to discuss cutting output to boost oil prices, which would help Russia. (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.) News that has agreed after all to proceed with his USD 44 billion deal to buy may have felt like a stunning surprise from the brash billionaire who loves to shock. It sent shares of the social media platform soaring and stoked alarm among some media watchdogs and civil rights groups worried about what kind of free speech would flourish on under Musk's vision. But it wasn't surprising to observers of the months long rollercoaster of the vs Musk legal battle, as Twitter tried to compel the world's richest man to consummate the buyout he had tried to back out of. In the months since his initial offer to buy Twitter in April, Musk faced a huge legal challenge. A combination of gambles or missteps by Musk and potential advantages that didn't pan out made his hand appear weak in the trial looming in less than two weeks in Chancery Court in Delaware. He is setting as a condition for completing the deal that the trial being put on hold. More immediately, Musk faced a deposition in the case by Twitter's attorneys starting on Thursday. What gambits, challenges and missed advantages came along the way? WHAT WAS MUSK'S MAIN ARGUMENT FOR BACKING OUT OF BUYING TWITTER? Musk grounded his argument largely on the allegation that Twitter vastly misrepresented how it measures the magnitude of spam bot accounts that are useless to advertisers. But Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the court's head judge, apparently wasn't buying it. As the two sides presented evidence prior to the trial, the judge appeared to focus narrowly in line with the court's mandate: on the merger agreement between Musk and Twitter, and whether anything had changed since it was signed in April that would justify terminating the deal. A former Twitter head of security, fired early this year and turned whistleblower, appeared to bolster Musk's argument. Peiter Mudge Zatko, a respected cybersecurity expert, filed complaints in July with federal regulators and the Justice Department alleging that Twitter misled regulators about its efforts to control millions of spam accounts as well as its cyber defences. But help to Musk from Zatko's disclosures was a longshot, said Brian Quinn, a professor at Boston College Law School, and in the end, it didn't really change the (legal) landscape in any significant way. DID MUSK'S APPROACH TO BUYING TWITTER HURT OR HELP HIS CASE? He was fairly cavalier, Quinn said. Recently released text messages between Musk and show jubilation over Musk taking a large stake in Twitter and joining its board. It wasn't until after he signed the merger agreement in late April that he undertook what's called due diligence, close inspection, regarding the company and starting lodging complaints about bots, Quinn noted. That may not have impressed the judge as the right approach for someone buying a major company. WHY DID MUSK CHANGE HIS MIND NOW? In addition to the trial looming and his deposition scheduled for Thursday, Musk faced a ticking metre of potential rising interest costs. If he lost the trial, the judge could not only force him to close the deal but also could impose interest payments that would have increased its cost. Experts say the interest likely started piling up mid-September. But of course the deal isn't done yet, and there are legal hoops yet to be jumped through. Given Musk's track record and volatility, it would be a mistake to assume that it's tied up in a bow. (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.) New Delhi, Oct 5: The US is going about systematically restoring ties with war-on-terror ally Pakistan, that had once sent Washington and its fearsome military on a wild-goose chase for a decade looking for Osama bin Laden in the wilds of Afghanistan. Laden was finally found sheltering under the nose of the Pakistani army. The US ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Monday to plant a sapling at the 'University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK)' and lay a wreath to the victims of the 2005 earthquake. He also visited other landmarks in Muzaffarabad and did not forget to refer to PoK as 'Azad Jammu & Kashmir'. By visiting the disputed region, that was forcibly annexed by Pakistan in 1947 through a joint military raid by tribals, Pakistani Army and non-State actors, the US has sent another signal to that the US will play its cat and mouse games in the region to keep uncomfortable. Attaching considerable significance to the POK visit, the US embassy in Islamabad has issued a series of tweets over the last three days, detailing minutely the US envoy's itinerary in the disputed region. The embassy said: 'The Quaid-e-Azam Memorial Dak Bungalow symbolizes the cultural and historical richness of Pakistan and was famously visited by Jinnah in 1944. I'm honored to visit during my first trip to AJK'. The US made it a point to highlight how it has been helping Pakistan in a holistic mannerirestoring Pakistani heritages and cultural sites to providing significant humanitarian relief supplies during the 2005 earthquake to lately providing 'over $66 million in cash, food, and health assistance' as devastating floods ravage Pakistan. While reiterating an important highlight about humanitarian aid in the US-Pakistan bilateral relations, Blome was also posting a repartee to China over the latter chiding Washington to do more to help Pakistan in its hour of crisisithe floods. Early last week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had chided the US by saying: 'Instead of passing unwarranted criticism against China-Pakistan cooperation, the US side might as well do something real and beneficial for the people of Pakistan'. The seething Chinese response was delivered by spokesperson Weng Wenbin in the daily foreign ministry's briefing as the US and China fight to gain Islamabad's affections. Early last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken after a meeting with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Washington had said: 'I also urged our colleagues to engage China on some of the important issues of debt relief and restructuring so that Pakistan can more quickly recover from the floods'. The US ambassador's PoK visit is also about balancing India, which has been carving out its own path in regional conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and the China-Taiwan crisis. During the UN General Assembly week in New York, and later in deliberations and engagements in Washington, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was forthright in his observations about the US announcing maintenance and military equipment support of $450 million to Pakistan's F-16, for counter-terrorism. Pakistan had reportedly used the fighters to attack in 2019 soon after its terror groups killed 40 Indian para-military personnel in Pulwama, J&K. The Pakistani army has been using its helicopter gunships to mount attacks in rural Balochistan, often against halpess Baloch populations. Two of its helicopters have been reportedly shot down by Baloch insurgents in the last two months. Jaishankar had said that the relationship between the US and Islamabad will neither serve the interests of America nor of Pakistan. He said: 'It's really for the United States today to reflect on the merits of this relationship and what they get by it. For someone to say I am doing this because it is all counter-terrorism content and so when you are talking of an aircraft like a capability of an F-16 where everybody knows, you know where they are deployed and their use,' obliquely referring to the use of the F-16 against Indian territory. Pakistan which sits at a geo-strategic location is important for Washington to keep India under check while keeping an eye on the developments in Taliban-run Afghanistan. For China, Pakistan serves as the gateway to the strategic Indian Ocean Region through the Gwadar port in Balochistan, helping secure trade and energy supplies. This geographical importance has allowed Islamabad to play both sides for decades, but the situation is changing as the US and China spar with each other over trade, global influence, Taiwan and critical technology. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative (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.) Kyiv has dismissed as worthless the laws that Russian President signed on Wednesday formalising the annexation of four Ukrainian regions into Russia. The worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on," the head of the Ukraine President's Office, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram messaging application. A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said in his nightly address that he has signed a decree rendering void any of Putin's acts designed to annex Ukrainian territories since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Any Russian decisions, any treaties with which they try to seize our land all this is worthless, Zelenskyy said at the end of his video address. Russian energy company Gazprom says it is resuming gas supplies to Italy after reaching an agreement for transit through Austria. The Russian government-controlled company had suspended delivery to Italy through Austria last week citing regulatory changes that came into effect in the Alpine nation last month. In a statement on Wednesday, Gazprom said the operator of an Austrian pipeline has indicated its willingness to handle the transit of gas to Italy making it possible to resume the supplies of Russian gas across Austria. (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.) Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for the election of a new President for within the constitutional time frame before President Michel Aoun's tenure ends on October 31, a statement by the Council of Ministers reported. "I hope that the parliament succeeds in electing a new President for the country within the constitutional time frame because the challenges facing require a strong cooperation among constitutional institutions," Mikati said on Tuesday at a Beirut forum to discuss difficulties facing Lebanon's youth. As President Aoun's six-year tenure is about to end, Lebanese politicians have voiced their concerns about no successor being found, warning of greater institutional deadlock in the absence of a new President, Xinhua news agency reported. has previously witnessed several periods of presidential vacancy due to political differences among the different parties governing the country. The current situation raises concerns in the country about the possibility of the post being left vacant again while the country grapples with a steep financial crisis. --IANS int/khz/ (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.) Elon Musk's intention to buy for $54.20 a share (or $44 billion) again to avoid a messy trial has hit the morale of employees at Parag Agrawal-led platform, as they aren't feeling great about what is actually coming at them after months of drama. Reports on Wednesday mentioned that workers' morale is at an all-time low as they have little idea what will become of a company that internally protested against the takeover. CEO Agrawal sent an internal email to employees after Musk intended to buy it again. "We received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC. Our intention is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share," according to the email seen by Platformer's Zoe Schiffer. "I will continue to keep you posted on significant updates, but in the meantime, thank you for your patience as we work through this on the legal side," the email read. As usual, the latest twist in the Musk saga landed hardest on Twitter's employees. Many of them were 45 minutes into a three-hour 2023 planning session, I'm told, when news of Musk's latest antics hit the timeline. Meeting adjourned, I guess! In the company's internal Slack channel, employees were suspicious of Musk's letter. "I don't understand why Elon would need to propose the deal again. The original one still stands. Just write the check, bro," they said, according to Platformer. Another employee wrote that they "generally have a low opinion of Musk". "Now time to exit the theme park and let the new owner raze it to the ground", wrote another. Twitter has seen more than 700 employees quitting in recent months. Musk and his legal team have realised that the October 17 trial is going to get dirtier, with embarrassing text messages and internal emails being leaked in the public domain as the case progresses. There is still a long way to go for Musk to finally close the deal. Twitter had filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery "to hold Musk accountable to his contractual obligations". A new treasure trove of texts exchanged between Musk and Agrawal was recently leaked in the public domain. In an early April conversation with the Twitter CEO, Musk admitted he does not want to be a boss. "Treat me like an engineer instead of a CEO," Agrawal replied. Agrawal told Musk that he is free to tweet "is Twitter dying?" or anything else about Twitter "but it's my responsibility to tell you that it's not helping me make Twitter better in the current context". --IANS na/svn/ (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.) and have pledged to boost trade and economic cooperation at a bilateral economic forum held in Casablanca, the commercial hub city of . aims to increase its trade with to $5 billion in the next five years from the current amount of $1.7 billion, said Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour on Tuesday at Morocco- Economic Forum, also attended by Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi. There are various investment opportunities in both countries, Mezzour added, urging businessmen to give new impetus to bilateral trade through various projects, Xinhua news agency reported. Al-Qasabi, for his part, said the current trade volumes are not up to the ambitions of the two countries, adding Saudi Arabia will inaugurate a new trade representation office of Saudi Arabia in Casablanca to help the private sector overcome difficulties and attract new investments. --IANS int/khz/ (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.) When news first broke Tuesday morning that was again interested in acquiring Inc. for $44 billion, most employees of the social network were sitting through an hourslong 2023 strategy presentation. Presenters from internal groups like the product and revenue teams didnt officially discuss the development, or even acknowledge that Musk was back on board. They didnt need to employees were following along with the news on their feeds, closely watching the latest twist in the saga that has cast a shadow over their professional lives since April, when the billionaire Tesla Inc. chief executive officer first agreed to purchase the social network for $54.20 a share. Many current and former employees, known as tweeps, were quick to jump in and share their reactions Tuesday morning. A meme account run by one employee repeatedly joked about people simply trying to get through the day without crying. Somebodys tired of getting embarrassed in court, wrote a former worker. The cafeteria sound system in Twitters New York office even chimed in. It was playing the song Should I Stay or Should I Go by the Clash, one worker said. That question is on the minds of a lot of Twitter staffers now that its more likely that Musk will buy the company. For the past three months, Musk has been trying to walk away from his agreement, disparaging Twitter and its executives and creating confusion and instability at the San Francisco-based company as the two sides fought an expensive legal battle. While Twitter's board understandably supports a sale at $54.20 a share, many workers have dreaded the prospect. They have taken issue with everything from his politics (he voted in Texas for a far-right Republican for Congress this year) to his personal life (he was accused of sexual harassment in May) to his views on remote work (not a fan). Some employees in the past have mocked him ruthlessly on internal Slack channels, and even made subtle jabs at their would-be-boss via public tweets. One employee posted on Slack in May that Musk puts the douche in fiduciary. If the newest development holds and Musk does actually take over, it remains to be seen how workers will react, though there have been hints as to how things might change under his leadership. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has publicly criticized some of Twitters executives, and text messages unveiled last week as part of the ongoing lawsuit show that Musk is unlikely to keep Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal in charge. The two had a tense text exchange early on in the deal process after Agrawal told Musk his critical tweets about the company were not helping me make Twitter better in the current context. Musk quickly snapped back. What did you get done this week? he challenged, before adding, Im not joining the board. This is a waste of time. He then vowed to take Twitter private. After Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey brokered a meeting between the two the day after the deal was announced, it became apparent that Musk and Agrawal were not a fit. At least it became clear that you cant work together, Dorsey messaged Musk after the meeting. That was clarifying. Theres also the question of whether other senior employees will want to work for Musk. The billionaire has criticized Twitters policy decisions and its top policy and legal exec, Vijaya Gadde, a move that generated a lot of anger internally given that Gadde is broadly well-liked. Its also likely that Musk will cut costs at the company, a move that was part of his pitch to bankers early in the process when he was working to line up financing for the deal. At an all-hands meeting with Twitter employees in June, Musk acknowledged the company needs to get healthy and alluded to layoffs if and when he takes over. He also criticized remote work, a perk that many Twitter employees have enjoyed since the company went fully remote shortly after the pandemic started. Musks promise that exceptional employees neednt worry about being laid off or called back into the office did not sit well with some. If workers choose to quit or are forced to leave Twitter, their options for other jobs at large technology may be limited, as several other major employers have announced hiring freezes and cost cuts of their own. Though many Twitter employees have bemoaned a lack of communication from management during the ups and downs of the legal battle over the deal, the company did reach out to workers on Tuesday to acknowledge Musks new stance. In an internal memo to Twitter staff, viewed by Bloomberg News, General Counsel Sean Edgett thanked staffers for their patience, while pledging, I will continue to keep you posted on significant updates. A Nigerian advertising regulator has sued Meta, accusing the owner of and of publishing unauthorized ads and seeking a 30 billion naira ($70 million) fine. The lawsuit filed in a local court by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, or ARCON, is the regulator's latest action that analysts say could hurt businesses highly dependent on digital ads for their growth. Nigerian advertising laws require the regulator to approve ads based on certain criteria with the involvement of an advertising practitioner in Africa's largest economy. Before you put out anything, it should be vetted and approved by ARCON first before exposure," the agency said Tuesday. Anything that has not been vetted and approved by ARCON is a violation of our law. A Meta spokesperson said the company doesn't comment on ongoing legal claims. The regulator published some details from the court filings, including a request for a declaration that the continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated without ensuring same is vetted and approved before exposure is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in . The Nigerian government said Meta displaying unvetted ads has cost the country a loss of revenue, without providing details. The agency warned against unethical and irresponsible advertising on Nigeria's advertising space, raising questions over what constitutes such advertising. The court case against Meta comes about a year after the Nigerian government began moves to get social media networks to run local offices in the country. That followed a seven-month ban on Twitter, which the government had accused of allowing persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence. (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 United States Navy's most sophisticated aircraft carrier left Norfolk, Virginia, on Tuesday for its first deployment to participate in a military drill with partners in North America and Europe, according to a CNN report. According to the US Navy, more than 40 years have passed since a new aircraft carrier was developed, making the USS Gerald Ford a historic ship. The construction of the US Navy Aircraft carrier began in November 2009 and concluded in 2017. Business Insider reported that the USS Gerald Ford has departed for its maiden deployment after years of delays and expensive setbacks that totaled a $13 billion price tag, joining the competition of warships from superpowers like Russia and China. A Pioneer in Its Class The US Navy's latest aircraft carrier is the pioneer of the Ford class. The Navy has started building the USS Kennedy and USS Enterprise, two more carriers in the Ford class. The Navy claims the US Navy Aircraft carrier is equipped with cutting-edge technology such as "almost three times as much electrical power" compared to Nimitz-class carriers and the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). Instead of using a steam-powered catapult to launch planes from the ship, the EMALS system employs electricity. One US Navy officer claims that the technique will shorten the intervals between launches and reduce the strain on the aircraft during takeoff from the carrier. The ship is equipped with dual-band radar, a more modern radar system. According to the official, it will be the only carrier in the forward class equipped with this type of radar. Read Also: Russia-Ukraine War: Diplomat Warns USA's Military Aid Is Worsening Conflict According to a US Navy official, the carrier strike group, which includes the USS Gerald Ford, would engage with friends and partners in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The source also said that this operation would last shorter than the usual six months. USS Gerald Ford Exhibits a Part of US Military Power In a statement, Carrier Strike Group 12 Commander Rear Adm. Gregory Huffman said that the deployment of the US Navy Aircraft carrier is "an opportunity to push the ball down the field" and to showcase the innovations that "Ford and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 bring to the future of naval aviation." The US Navy mentioned in its statement that an estimated "9,000 people from nine nations, 20 ships, and 60 aircraft" would be involved in the deployment. Moreover, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden will participate in the military drill. Other ships in the carrier strike group will join the USS Gerald Ford on Wednesday, a second Navy official said. The drills will highlight American military capability and commitment to NATO, said Bradley Martin, a senior policy analyst at think tank RAND. The drills will occur seven months after Russia invaded Ukraine and amid rising hostilities between Moscow and the West. Martin noted that the USS Gerald Ford could function "with a few hundred fewer sailors and support a larger range of aircraft" due to its advanced structure, as per a report published by Yahoo! News. He also mentioned that several difficulties troubled the new US Aircraft carrier, including malfunctioning aircraft launch systems and elevators transporting missiles and explosives to the flight deck. He explained that the first ship of a new class often has some quirks to enhance. Nevertheless, the USS Gerald Ford showcases how powerful the US Navy is. Related News: US, South Korea Launch Ground-to-Ground Missiles in Response to North Korea's Nuke Rocket Against Japan @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Three scientists from the United States and Denmark were jointly awarded this year's in chemistry for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to design better medicines. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless were cited for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions, which are used to make cancer drugs, map DNA and create materials that are tailored to a specific purpose. It's all about snapping molecules together, said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners Wednesday at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Sharpless, who previously won a in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the award twice, first proposed the idea for connecting molecules using chemical buckles around the turn of the millennium, said Aqvist. The problem was to find good chemical buckles, he said. They have to react with each other easily and specifically. Meldal, based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Sharpless, who is affiliated with Scripps Research, California, independently found the first such candidates that would easily snap together with each other but not with other molecules, leading to applications in the manufacture of medicines and polymers. Bertozzi, who is based at Stanford University in California, took click chemistry to a new level, the Nobel panel said. She found a way to make click chemistry work inside living organisms without disrupting them, establishing a new method known as bioorthogonal reactions. Such reactions are now used to explore cells, track biological processes and design experimental cancer drugs that work in a more targeted fashion. Bertozzi said she was absolutely stunned to receive the prize. I'm still not entirely positive that it's real, but it's getting realer by the minute, she said. Last year the prize was awarded to scientists Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan for finding an ingenious and environmentally cleaner way to build molecules that the Nobel panel said is "already benefiting humankind greatly. A week of announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system. Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger had shown that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information. The awards continue with literature on Thursday. The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Monday. The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10. The money comes from a bequest left by the prize's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895. (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.) Scientists Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and Barry Sharpless won the 2022 in Chemistry on Wednesday for discovering reactions that let molecules snap together to create new compounds and that offer insight into cell biology. The field of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry has been harnessed to improve the targeting of cancer pharmaceuticals now being tested in clinical trials, along with a host of health, agricultural and industrial applications. "Combining simple chemical building blocks makes it possible to create an almost endless variety of molecules," the award-giving body said in a statement, adding that "sometimes simple answers are the best". Danish winner Medal described click chemistry as a way to build complex structures and link them as if they were pieces of Lego, the plastic construction toy. The technology is employed globally to learn more about cells and track biological processes. It also allows assembly in the lab of stable molecules without creating undesirable by-products that had hobbled older methods. Sharpless joins an elite band of scientists who have won two Nobel prizes. The other individuals are John Bardeen who won the Physics prize twice, Marie Curie, who won Physics and Chemistry, Linus Pauling who won Chemistry and Peace and Frederick Sanger who won the Chemistry prize twice. "I'm absolutely stunned, I'm sitting here and I can hardly breathe," Bertozzi said from California after the academy reached her by telephone with the news she had won. ALSO READ: What is 'click chemistry' that won chemist trio 2022 Nobel Prize? She added that as part of her work, she and her team managed to visualize and understand cell surface structures known as glycans, leading to a new idea in cancer immune therapy. The academy said the laureates' discoveries had been used far beyond oncology, enabling products such as antimicrobials, herbicides, diagnostic tests, corrosion retardants and brightening agents. Bertozzi works at Stanford University, Sharpless works at the Scripps Research institute, both in California, while Meldal is at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Meldal told Reuters his legs and body started shaking with excitement when the Nobel committee called. "It is not every day to have a Dane get the Nobel Prize," he said, adding he had been recording a teaching video when he received the news and that he was very proud on behalf of his colleagues and team. The third of the prizes unveiled over six consecutive weekdays, the chemistry Nobel follows those for medicine and physics announced earlier this week. The 2021 chemistry award was won by German Benjamin List and Scottish-born David MacMillan for their work in creating new tools to build molecules, aiding in the development of new drugs as well as in areas such as plastics. The prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace were established in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, himself a chemist, and have been awarded since 1901. Economics was added later. The prizes have been awarded every year with a few interruptions, primarily for the world wars, and made no break for the Covid-19 pandemic though much of the pageantry and events were put on hold or temporarily moved online. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Power outage has hit several areas of Bangladesh, including capital Dhaka, port city of Chattogram and Sylhet, due to a collapse of the South Asian country's national grid. Power Development Board (BPDB) Director of Public Relation, Shameem Hasan informed that the national failed and caused the power outage in many areas except some parts of the north, a state news media reported on Tuesday. "Due to the national grid failure, people of many areas of Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet and Cumilla area are not getting electricity since 2:05 p.m. today," Hasan said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. Engineers of both BPDB and Company of (PGCB) have been working to restore electricity transmission across the country, according to the state news media report. --IANS int/khz/ (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.) Global criticism of China's indifference to human rights finally seems to have forced President to pay serious attention but in his own way. He tells his people has its individual approach to human rights that needs to be publicised and respected. Xi, in principle, formats human rights in the mould of Chinese characteristics as he decides to counter the criticism over the treatment of Uyghur Muslims, refusing to be apologetic about it. The change in the communist leadership's human rights approach on the eve of Xi's third term of power at the 20th party congress later in October is recognised in Xi's address to the 37th group study session of the Chinese Communist Party's central committee, held earlier this year. He takes credit for having taken the protection of human rights to a higher level after he came to power in 2012. Significantly, he talks of social, political and economic goals for ensuring human rights, but ignores to mention how his government pursues a merciless form of sinicization of Islam to destroy the cultural and religious roots of minority communities of China, especially Uyghur Muslims. In his long address, he mentions religious beliefs only in passing. That gives him away. The goals of this session were to review our country's human rights achievements, both theoretical and practical, in the new era, assess the struggle in the sphere of human rights, and "maintain a steadfast commitment to the Chinese path to promote further progress in human rights". Xi went back centuries to claim, "Our forebears also put forward other similar axioms 'Of all things in the world, people are most precious'." Giving the West a rare credit for its early forays into the field of human rights, Xi said, "During the Western bourgeois revolution, the thinkers of the Enlightenment put forward the concept of "natural rights," which holds that all men are created equal and possess inalienable rights, a concept that helped propel forward revolutions in Britain, America, France and other countries." Referring to socialist ideals of human rights, Xi quoted Karl Marx as arguing that "Right can never be higher than the economic structure of society and its cultural development conditioned thereby." However, Xi stopped short of saying that under his watch this maxim was followed in toto. Xi then changed gears to talk of how China's Communists always ensured "respect and protection for human rights" as their "relentless pursuit", "Throughout the periods of the new-democratic revolution, socialist revolution and construction, and reform, opening up and socialist modernization, the CPC pursued its founding mission of seeking happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation with steadfast commitment, and led the people to great victories in revolution, construction, and reform." The communist general secretary gives the impression that he has consistently respected and pursued the protection of human rights during his tenure. Referring to the strict Covid lockdowns that put millions into difficulties facing hunger and depression, Xi said, "We have promoted fuller and higher-quality employment, established the world's largest education, social security and health care systems, and remarkably improved the living environment of our people. With a commitment to putting people and human life above all else, we have responded effectively to Covid-19 and protected the health and safety of the people to the greatest extent possible." Finally responding to criticism of violating the religious rights of minorities, Xi, in a rare admission, at least managed to refer to the topic. "We have fully implemented the Party's policies on ethnic and religious affairs, ensuring that all ethnic groups in are equal, respecting people's religious beliefs, and safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups. We continued reform of the judicial system, launched the Peaceful Initiative, strengthened the rule of law, carried out education and rectification campaigns among judicial, prosecuting and public security agencies in a bid to improve their conduct, and took resolute action against criminal gangs and organized crime, and illegal and criminal activities, to ensure lasting social stability and protect lives and property." At the same time, the Chinese President insisted that he ascribes only to the Chinese communist interpretation of human rights and not what are touted as western rights. He obliquely defends his government's response to the minority communities in the Xinjiang province, "Human rights are not special privileges bestowed on some people or a small minority but universal rights to be enjoyed by all the people. We have safeguarded the people's democratic rights, given full play to their enthusiasm, initiative and creativity, and ensured that in advancing human rights, the people are the main contributors, promoters, and beneficiaries." He said human rights are subject and must conform, to "national conditions and the popular will". Grounding the "universality of human rights within the Chinese context, we have promoted human rights based on our country's conditions and the needs of our people" and this has "guaranteed that as stipulated by law, people enjoy a full range of human rights that are genuine, specific, effective, and functional". He considered elevating "China's human rights cause" as part of the country's new journey toward the "Second Centenary Goal of building a modern socialist country". What exactly is a Chinese human right cause? "We must continue to follow the Chinese approach to advancing human rights, adapt to the people's new expectations for a better and higher-quality life, and continue to meet their growing demands for rights in all respects. We should promote the coordinated development of the economy, democracy, the rule of law, thought and culture, fairness and justice, social governance, and environmental protection; comprehensively advance initiatives in areas including employment, income distribution, education, social security, health care, housing, elderly care, and support for minors. We will strengthen human rights protection in the process of advancing material, political, cultural, ethical, social and eco-environmental progress." The rights of religious minorities are missing from this narrative. (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.) Russian President has signed laws formally absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, even as its military struggles to control the territory that was illegally annexed. The documents finalizing the annexation, carried out in defiance of laws, were published on a Russian government website on Wednesday morning. Both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia. That followed Kremlin-orchestrated referendums in the four regions that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham. On the ground, Moscow's war in Ukraine has entered a new, more dangerous phase. Russia faces mounting setbacks, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the east and in the south the very regions has pushed to annex. Moscows hold on annexed territories (Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk) looks increasingly tenuous, with none of the regions fully occupied by Russian forces, and as Ukraines counteroffensives in the east and south maintain their momentum. Ukrainian troops reportedly advanced into the eastern Luhansk region, which illegally annexed last week. The province was previously completely under Russian control, but its Ukrainian governor Serhiy Haidai said: "Several settlements have already been liberated from the Russian army" Kyiv says it has captured another key city in the southern Kherson region, where its forces have been steadily advancing this week More than seven months into a war that has killed tens of thousands and triggered the biggest confrontation with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis, Russia's most basic aims are still not achieved. In recent days, Russian forces have withdrawn from areas of eastern and southern Ukraine where they have been under severe pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive which has prompted criticism from senior Putin allies of the war machine. Together with Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, Putin's total claim amounts to more than 22 per cent of Ukrainian territory, though the exact borders of the four regions he is annexing are still yet to be finally clarified. and the United States fired four ground-to-ground missiles into the East Sea on Wednesday in joint drills, a day after North Korea's intermediate-range (IRBM) launch, according to the South's military. The two sides each launched two Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, which precisely hit mock targets and demonstrated the allies' capability to deter further provocations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. On Tuesday, the North fired an IRBM from Mupyong-ri in its northern province of Jagang in its first launch of an IRBM in eight months. It flew around 4,600 kilometers over Japan and landed in the Pacific, Yonhap news agency reported. The allies are maintaining a full readiness amid the possibility of additional provocations by the North, the JCS said in a press release without specifying the exact location and time of the drills. Residents in and around the eastern coastal city of Gangneung said they saw a bright flash and heard a strong roar apparently from the training at around 1:00 a.m. The South's military, meanwhile, fired one Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile, but it fell within the base after an abnormal flight. It said there have been no casualties reported as it is looking into the exact cause of the incident. and the US held a joint air training Tuesday, in which a South Korean F-15K fighter fired two Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision bombs at a firing range on a Yellow Sea island. --IANS int/svn/ (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 toll of nearly three years of Covid-19 includes millions of nurses broken by punishing hours and low pay, many of whom quit the profession and left hospitals dangerously short of critical staff. Now with pandemic-related travel restrictions easing, countries from to the United Arab Emirates and Singapore are stepping up efforts to lure foreign nurses and other medical professionals with promises of expedited visas and better pay. Second-year student Elaine Nicole Torres, from the Philippines, wants to help fill that gap -- forecast by the Council of Nurses to widen to 13 million in the coming years. Shell graduate at an opportune time, with the global health care staffing sector expected to grow 6.9% a year to $63 billion by 2030, according to Grand View Research. Youve got this mismatch between the supply of nurses and demand for health care, said Howard Catton, chief executive officer at the Geneva-based ICN. It has become much more competitive. Health professionals have been migrating for decades. The US and UK have the largest number of foreign-trained nurses among OECD countries, but they are more heavily concentrated in other nations. Before the pandemic hit, roughly one-in-four nurses in New Zealand and Switzerland had studied abroad, the highest ratio among the OECDs 38 member states. No nation is better prepared to help the world staff up its hospitals and clinics than the Philippines, the single biggest exporter of nurses. Germanys government said it wants to recruit 600 Filipino nurses for hospitals and elderly care centers, offering qualified applicants free travel expenses, language training, a bonus for passing exams on the first try and help finding accommodation, its embassy in Manila posted on Facebook Sept. 5. Singapore and the Philippines also opened talks last month on hiring more Filipino nurses and other health care workers. The Philippines isnt the only option, though. The signed an accord with India in February, which include expedited approval for skilled workers, including nurses. In April, the said it would offer golden visas -- which allow workers to live in the Gulf nation for 10 years without a sponsor -- to frontline heroes in the pandemic fight and with critical skills. That followed separate deals by the UK with Kenya, Malaysia and Nepal over the past year to hire unemployed health workers, with the potential to have some travel and training costs covered. The World Health Organization has warned of the potential risks from increased recruiting, particularly to developing nations. Historically, there have also been concerns about the human rights and working conditions of employees recruited overseas. At its annual assembly in May, the WHO asked countries and institutions to ensure they are using ethical recruiting standards so they dont drain nations of critical personnel. Without such efforts, market-led and/or pandemic-driven economic demand for health personnel may have direct or inadvertent consequences on access to health in other countries, according to the WHO. Indeed, the Philippines faces a shortfall of staff, and theres longstanding political debate over whether so many local nurses should be allowed to leave. Maria Rosario Vergerie, officer-in-charge of the Philippines Health Department, said that the countrys hospitals and clinics have a shortage of about 106,000 nurses, according to the Manila Bulletin. Vergerie wants to retain a cap on the number of health care workers allowed to go abroad at 7,500 a year. But new President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he plans to ease that limit. Filipino nurses who migrate typically earn far more than those who stay back to work in the domestic market and, with about 9% of gross domestic product coming from remittances, higher earning health care workers overseas can provide a local economic boost. Most of the new students, like Torres, have set their sights on foreign shores, with the overseas bidding war for staff seen as a major factor boosting nursing school enrollment. Phinma Corp., which operates several schools in the Philippines, says the number of freshmen for its four-year nursing program has jumped nearly 400% since 2019 to about 6,000 students, exceeding its projected target for 2025. Another school, Our Lady of Fatima University, also says nursing enrollment is up. Torres says her degree will open up opportunities for a higher quality of life, adding that she wants to work in a country with better health care systems, hospital equipment and pay. It will be very difficult to stay behind in the Philippines after graduation, said the 19-year-old, who juggles a six-hour round-trip to attend in-person courses at a university in Manila with online coursework at home. Some experts are warning countries against trying to fix their health care staffing shortages with immigration policies alone. Theres a large population of nurses in the Philippines, but they will not be able to supply nurses for the rest of the world, said Gaetan Lafortune, a senior economist at the Paris-based OECD. Governments must also spend more to increase wages and educate and train new nurses domestically, he said. Australia is one nation pursuing both options. Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses government is increasing its skilled migrant cap by 35,000 to 195,000. Domestically, the Victoria state government wants to boost the domestic supply of medical professionals, announcing a A$270 million ($175 million) package to support the recruitment and training of 17,000 nurses and midwives to the health system starting in 2023. With so much demand, Torres and her classmates expect to have far more options in terms of countries they can work in after graduation, according to Christopher Tan, the head of nursing school operator Phinmas education unit. Previously students were more focused on working in the US and Canada, but their horizons are broader now, Tan said in an interview. Our market has a very astute sense of the demand for work, he added, referring to the students. Theyre usually two, three steps ahead of us. US President has plans to celebrate at the this year, his spokesperson said. Details and nature of preparations have not been revealed yet. Yes, he has plans to celebrate just like he did last year, Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference here. We don't have a date to share with you at this time but it is an event that he thinks is very important as he sees a partnership with India as well as Indian Americans here in this country, Jean-Pierre said in response to a question. Meanwhile, Maryland Governor Lawrence Hogan has declared October as Hindu Heritage Month. Beginning with the Bush Administration, is being celebrated at the every year. (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.) Airways Ltd. is pulling out of Hong Kong for good, canceling flights and closing its offices in the Asian financial hub, ending a 30-year history in the city. The UK airline said in a statement Wednesday that several factors contributed to its decision, including, on the basis of Russian airspace remaining closed, that Heathrow-Hong Kong-Heathrow flight times would be at least one hour longer, and that in 2019, Virgin Australia ended Hong Kong-Melbourne and Hong Kong-Sydney services, reducing the number of connecting customers to and from Australia. hasnt operated any passenger flights to Hong Kong since December, after the city banned all flights from the UK during the depths of Covid. However the carrier is the first major airline to actually pull out since American Airlines Group Inc. quit the hub late last year. Around 46 jobs will be impacted, consisting of a mix of office staff and cabin crew. Were very sorry for the disappointment caused to our loyal customers on this route and anyone booked to travel from March 2023 will be offered a refund, voucher or the option to rebook on an alternative Virgin Atlantic route, Virgin said in its statement. It explained that significant operational complexities due to the ongoing Russian airspace closure have contributed to the commercial decision not to resume flights in March 2023 as planned. Virgin told trade members in a separate message that the Hong Kong route was on a trend of declining profitability even before the pandemic. Were constantly reviewing the performance of our network and as part of our long term strategy of being sustainably profitable, the airline said in a memo to corporate customers seen by Bloomberg. Were committed to only flying profitable routes. Virgin said it still intended to resume flights to Shanghai. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), which rules out holding any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky's press service reported. The document, published on Zelensky's website, on Tuesday said that Ukraine's NSDC deemed holding talks with Putin "impossible". With his decree, the Ukrainian President also instructed the government to prepare proposals for the creation of a multi-level security guarantee system designed to boost Ukraine's defence potential, Xinhua news agency reported. On Sept. 30, the NSDC adopted a decision aimed at guaranteeing Ukraine's security and restoring its territorial integrity following Moscow's formal recognition of four Ukrainian regions, which are partially controlled by Russia, as Russian territory. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29. --IANS int/khz/ (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 Chris Hedges October 05, 2022: Information Clearing House -- I flew to Kansas City to see Tomas Young. Tomas was paralyzed in Iraq in 2004. He was receiving hospice care at his home. I knew him by reputation and the movie documentary Body of War. He was one of the first veterans to publicly oppose the war in Iraq. He fought as long and as hard as he could against the war that crippled him, until his physical deterioration caught up with him. I had been toying with the idea of suicide for a long time because I had become helpless, he told me in his small house on the Kansas City outskirts where he intended to die. I couldnt dress myself. People have to help me with the most rudimentary of things. I decided I did not want to go through life like that anymore. The pain, the frustration. He stopped abruptly and called his wife. Claudia, can I get some water? She opened a bottle of water, took a swig so it would not spill when he sipped, and handed it to him. I felt at the end of my rope, the 33-year-old Army veteran went on. I made the decision to go on hospice care, to stop feeding and fade away. This way, instead of committing the conventional suicide and I am out of the picture, people have a way to stop by or call and say their goodbyes. I felt this was a fairer way to treat people than to just go out with a note. After the anoxic brain injury in 2008 I lost a lot of dexterity and strength in my upper body. So, I wouldnt be able to shoot myself or even open the pill bottle to give myself an overdose. The only way I could think of doing it was to have Claudia open the pill bottle for me, but I didnt want her implicated. After you made that decision, how did you feel? I asked. I felt relieved, he answered. I finally saw an end to this four-and-a-half-year fight. If I were in the same condition I was in during the filming of Body of War, in a manual chair, able to feed and dress myself and transfer from my bed to the wheelchair, you and I would not be having this discussion. I cant even watch the movie anymore because it makes me sad to see how I was, compared to how I am.Viewing the deterioration, I decided it was best to go out now rather than regress more. Tomas was crippled for a war that should never have been fought. He was crippled for the lies of politicians. He was crippled for war profiteers. He was crippled for the careers of generals. He bore all this upon his body. And there are hundreds of thousands of other broken bodies like his in Baghdad, Kandahar, Peshawar, the Walter Reed medical center, and hospitals in Russia and Ukraine. Mangled bodies and corpses, broken dreams, unending grief, betrayal, corporate profit, these are the true products of war. Tomas Young was the face of war they do not want you to see. On April 4, 2004, Tomas was crammed into the back of a two-and-a-half-ton Army truck with 20 other soldiers in Sadr City, Iraq. Insurgents opened fire on the truck from above. It was like shooting ducks in a barrel, he said. A bullet from an AK-47 severed his spinal column. A second bullet shattered his knee. At first, he did not know he had been shot. He felt woozy. He tried to pick up his M16. He couldnt lift his rifle from the truck bed. That was when he knew something was terribly wrong. I tried to say, Im going to be paralyzed, someone shoot me right now, but there was only a hoarse whisper that came out because my lungs had collapsed, he said. I knew the damage. I wanted to be taken out of my misery. His squad leader, Staff Sgt. Robert Miltenberger, bent over and told him he would be all right. A few years later Young would see a clip of Miltenberger weeping as he recounted the story of how he had lied to Young. I tried to contact him, said Tomas, whose long red hair and flowing beard make him look like a biblical prophet. I cant find him. I want to tell him it is OK. Tomas had been in Iraq five days. It was his first deployment. After being wounded, he was sent to an Army hospital in Kuwait, and although his legs, now useless, lay straight in front of him he felt as if he was still sitting cross-legged on the floor of the truck. That sensation lasted for about three weeks. It was an odd and painful initiation into his life as a paraplegic. His body, from then on, would play tricks on him. He was transferred from Kuwait to the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl, Germany, and then to Walter Reed in Washington, D.C. He asked if he could meet Ralph Nader. Nader visited him in the hospital with Phil Donahue. Donahue, who had been fired by MSNBC a year earlier for speaking out against the war, would go on, with Ellen Spiro, to make the 2007 film Body of War, an account of Tomass daily struggle with his physical and emotional scars. In the documentary, he suffers dizzy spells that force him to lower his head into his hands. He wears frozen gel inserts in a cooling jacket because he cannot control his body temperature. He struggles to find a solution to his erectile dysfunction. He downs fistfuls of medicationscarbamazepine, for nerve pain; coumadin, a blood thinner; tizanidine, an anti-spasm medication; gabapentin, another nerve pain medication; bupropion, an antidepressant; omeprazole, for morning nausea; and morphine. His mother must insert a catheter into his penis. He joins Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, at Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas, to protest with Iraq Veterans Against the War. His first wife leaves him. You know, you see a guy whos paralyzed, and in a wheelchair, and you think hes just in a wheelchair, he says in Body of War. You dont think about the, you know, the stuff inside thats paralyzed. I cant cough because my stomach muscles are paralyzed, so I cant work up the full coughing energy. Im more susceptible to urinary tract infections, and theres a great big erection sidebar to this whole story. In early March 2008 a blood clot in his right armthe arm that bears a color tattoo of a character from Maurice Sendaks Where the Wild Things Arecaused his arm to swell. He was taken to the Kansas City Veterans Affairs hospital, where he was given the blood thinner coumadin before being released. One month later, the VA took him off coumadin, and soon afterward the clot migrated to one of his lungs. He suffered a massive pulmonary embolism and fell into a coma. When he awoke from the coma in the hospital he could barely speak. He had lost most of his upper-body mobility and short-term memory, and his speech was slurred. It was then that he began to experience debilitating pain in his abdomen. The hospital would not give him narcotics because the drugs would slow digestion, making it harder for the bowels to function. Tomas could digest only soup and Jell-O. In November, in a desperate bid to halt the pain, he had his colon removed. He was fitted with a colostomy bag. The pain disappeared for a few days and then came roaring back. He could not hold down food, even pureed food, because his stomach opening had shrunk. The doctors dilated his stomach. He could eat only soup and oatmeal. Three weeks earlier his stomach stretched. That was enough. I will go off the feeding tube, he said, after me and my wifes anniversary, April 20, the date on which he married Claudia in 2012. I was married once before. It didnt end well. It was a non-amicable divorce. At first, I thought I would wait for my brother and his wife, my niece, and my grandparents to visit me, but the one thing I will miss most in my life is my wife. I want to spend a little more time with her. I want to spend a full year with someone without the problems that plagued my previous marriage. I dont know how long it will take when I stop eating. If it takes too long, I may take steps to quicken my departure. I have saved a bottle of liquid morphine. I can down that at one time with all my sleeping medication. Tomass room was painted a midnight blue and had a large cutout of Batman on one wall. He loved the superhero as a child, because he was a regular person who had a horrible thing happen to him and wanted to save society. Tomas joined the Army immediately after 9/11 to go to Afghanistan and hunt down the people behind the attacks. He did not oppose the Afghanistan war. In fact, if I had been injured in Afghanistan, there would be no Body of War movie to begin with, he said. But he never understood the call to invade Iraq. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, we didnt invade China just because they looked the same, he said. He became increasingly depressed about his impending deployment to Iraq when he was in basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He asked the battalion doctor for antidepressants. The doctor said he had to meet first with the units chaplain, who told him, I think you will be happier when you get over to Iraq and start killing Iraqis. I was dumbstruck by his response, Tomas said. He had not decided what would be done with his ashes. He flirted with the idea of having them plowed into ground where marijuana would be planted but then wondered if anyone would want to smoke the crop. He knows there will be no clergy at the memorial service held after his death. It will just be people reminiscing over my life, he said. I spend a lot of time sitting here in my bedroom, watching TV or sleeping, he said. I have foundI dont know if it is the result of my decision or notit is equally hard to be alone or to be around people. This includes my wife. I am rarely happy. Maybe it is because when I am alone all I have with me are my thoughts, and my mind is a very hazardous place to go. When I am around people I feel as if I have to put on a facade of being the happy little soldier. He listened, when he was well enough, to audiobooks with Claudia. Among them have been Al Frankens satirical book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them and Michael Moores The Official Fahrenheit 9/11 Reader. He was a voracious reader but can no longer turn the pages of a book. He found some solace in the French film The Untouchables, about a paraplegic and his caregiver, and The Sessions, a film based on an essay by the paralyzed poet Mark OBrien. Tomas, when he was in a wheelchair, found that many people behaved as if he was mentally disabled, or not even there. When he was being fitted for a tuxedo for a friends wedding the salesman turned to his mother and asked her in front of him whether he could wear the companys shoes. I look at the TV through the lens of his eyes and can see he is invisible, said Claudia, standing in the living room as her husband rested in the bedroom. An array of books on death, the afterlife, and dying is spread out around her. No one is sick on television. No one is disabled. No one faces death. Dying in America is a very lonely business. If I had known then what I know now, Tomas said, I would not have gone into the military. But I was twenty-two, working various menial jobs, waiting tables, working in the copy department of an OfficeMax. My life was going nowhere. September 11 happened. I saw us being attacked. I wanted to respond. I signed up two days later. I wanted to be a combat journalist. I thought the military would help me out of my financial rut. I thought I could use the GI Bill to go to school. Tomas was not the first young man to be lured into war and then callously discarded. His story has been told many times. It is the story of Hector in The Iliad. It is the story of Joe Bonham, the protagonist in Dalton Trumbos 1939 novel Johnny Got His Gun, whose arms, legs, and face are blown away by an artillery shell, leaving him trapped in the inert remains of his body. Bonham ruminates in the novel: He was the future he was a perfect picture of the future and they were afraid to let anyone see what the future was like. Already they were looking ahead they were figuring the future and somewhere in the future they saw war. To fight that war they would need men and if men saw the future they wouldnt fight. So they were masking the future they were keeping the future a soft quiet deadly secret. They knew that if all the little people all the little guys saw the future they would begin to ask questions. They would ask questions and they would find answers and they would say to the guys who wanted them to fight they would say you lying thieving sons-of-bitches we wont fight we wont be dead we will live we are the world we are the future and we will not let you butcher us no matter what you say no matter what speeches you make no matter what slogans you write. For Tomas, the war, the wound, the paralysis, the wheelchair, the anti-war demonstrations, the wife who left him and the one who didnt, the embolism, the loss of motor control, the slurred speech, the colostomy, the IV line for narcotics implanted in his chest, the open bedsores that expose his bones, the despairthe crushing despairthe decision to die, came down to a girl. Aleksus, his only niece. She would not remember her uncle. But he lay in his dimly lit room, painkillers flowing into his broken body, and thought of her. He did not know exactly when he would die. But it had to be before her second birthday, in June. He did not want to mar that day with his death. He asked me to help him write a last letter to George W. Bush and the politicians and generals who sent him to war. It was March 2013, on the 10th anniversary of the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. He could not hold a pen. I took dictation. He planned to kill himself by cutting off his feeding tube. After issuing the letter, which was widely circulated and translated into several languages, Tomas changed his mind about committing suicide. He decided he wanted more time with his wife, Claudia. But he and Claudia knew he did not have long. The couple moved from Kansas City to Portland, Oregon, and then to Seattle, where Tomas died on November 10, 2014, at the age of thirty-four. Over the last eight months of Tomass life, Veterans Affairs reduced his pain medication, charging he had become an addict. It was a decision that thrust him into a wilderness of agony. Tomass existence became a constant battle with the VA. He suffered excruciating breakthrough pain. The VA was indifferent. It cut his thirty-day supply of pain medication to seven days. Tomas, when the pills did not arrive on time, might as well have been nailed to a cross. Claudia, in an exchange of several emails with me since Thomass death, remembered hearing her husband on the phone one day pleading with a VA doctor and finally saying: So you mean to tell me it is better for me to live in pain than die on pain medicine in this disabled state? At night, she said, he would moan and cry out. It was a battle of wills, Claudia told me in an email. We were losing. Our whole time in Portland was spent dealing with trying to get what we needed to be at home and comfortable and pain free. THATS ALL WE WANTED, TO BE HOME AND PAIN FREE, to enjoy whatever time we had left. They left Portland for Seattle to be closer to a good spinal cord injury unit. Also, Washington was one of the states that had legalized marijuana, which Tomas used extensively. Last week I called because his breakthrough pain started happening throughout the day, Claudia wrote in an email. I was using more and more of the morphine and Lorazepam. I was running out of pills. He had a high tolerance for pain, but it was getting bad. I called to report to the doctor that it was getting bad fast. I would not have enough pills to bridge him to the appointment on the 24th. The doctor was unsympathetic. He gave me a condescending lecture about strict narcotics regulations. I said, but my husband is in pain what do I do? Tomas tried to take enough sleeping pills to sleep away the pain. But he was able to rest for a prolonged period only every few days. The pain and exhaustion began to tear apart his frail body. He was dispirited. He was visibly weaker. He felt humiliated. Maybe he got so exhausted by the enduring of it all that he took a last sleep and never came back, Claudia wrote. My conclusion is that he died in pain from the exhaustion of having to endure it. Early morning Monday, when I thought he was sleeping, I heard a silence I had never heard before. I couldnt hear him breathing. I was scared, but I knew. The first thing I did was liberate him from all the tubes and bags on his body. I cut off the feeding tube. I took off the Ostomy Bags. I removed the Foley Catheter. I cleaned his body. I played music. We smoked a last joint together. I smoked for him. I started making calls. The funeral home instructed me to call the police, she wrote. They arrived and concluded that there were no issues, but because of his young age they had to refer this to the Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner came. He made the determination that due to his age that they would have to perform an autopsy. I said, Hey look at his body dont you think he has been mutilated enough? Are you going to desecrate his body even further? So, he was cut open some more. The VA called her to ask for the autopsy report. Tomass final days, Claudia said, were often hopeless and humiliating. This is his Last Letter to Bush and Cheney: I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care. I write this letter on behalf of husbands and wives who have lost spouses, on behalf of children who have lost a parent, on behalf of the fathers and mothers who have lost sons and daughters and behalf of those who care for the many thousands of my fellow veterans who have brain injuries. I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured, and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us allthe human detritus your war has left behind those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans-my fellow veteranswhose future you stole. I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americansmy fellow veteranswhose future you stole. Your positions of authority, your millions of dollars of personal wealth, your public relations consultants, your privilege, and your power cannot mask the hollowness of your character. You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation, but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage. I joined the Army two days after the 9/11 attacks. I joined the Army because our country had been attacked. I wanted to strike back at those who had killed some 3,000 of my fellow citizens. I did not join the Army to go to Iraq, a country that had no part in the September 2001 attacks and did not pose a threat to its neighbors, much less to the United States. I did not join the Army to liberate Iraqis or to shut down mythical weapons-of- mass-destruction facilities or to implant what you cynically called democracy in Baghdad and the Middle East. I did not join the Army to rebuild Iraq, which at the time you told us could be paid for by Iraqs oil revenues. Instead, this war has cost the United States over $3 trillion. I especially did not join the Army to carry out pre-emptive war. Pre-emptive war is illegal under international law. And as a soldier in Iraq, I was, I now know, abetting your idiocy and your crimes. The Iraq War is the largest strategic blunder in U.S. history. It obliterated the balance of power in the Middle East. It installed a corrupt and brutal pro-Iranian government in Baghdad, one cemented in power through the use of torture, death squads, and terror. And it has left Iran as the dominant force in the region. On every levelmoral, strategic, military, and economicIraq was a failure. And it was you, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Cheney, who started this war. It is you who should pay the consequences. I would not be writing this letter if I had been wounded fighting in Afghanistan against those forces that carried out the attacks of 9/11. Had I been wounded there I would still be miserable because of my physical deterioration and imminent death, but I would at least have the comfort of knowing that my injuries were a consequence of my own decision to defend the country I love. I would not have to lie in my bed, my body filled with painkillers, my life ebbing away, and deal with the fact that hundreds of thousands of human beings, including children, including myself, were sacrificed by you for little more than the greed of oil companies, for your alliance with the oil sheiks in Saudi Arabia, and your insane visions of empire. I have, like many other disabled veterans, suffered from the inadequate and often inept care provided by the Veterans Administration. I have, like many other disabled veterans, come to realize that our mental and physical wounds are of no interest to you, perhaps of no interest to any politician. We were used. We were betrayed. And we have been abandoned. You, Mr. Bush, make much pretense of being a Christian. But isnt lying a sin? Isnt murder a sin? Arent theft and selfish ambition sins? I am not a Christian. But I believe in the Christian ideal. I believe that what you do to the least of your brothers you finally do to yourself, to your own soul. My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who deserved to live. I hope that before your time on earth ends, as mine is now ending, you will find the strength of character to stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness. You can order The Greatest Evil is War here. Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prizewinning author and journalist who was a foreign correspondent for fifteen years for The New York Times. https://chrishedges.substack.com The Bharat Jodo Yatra, being conducted by Rahul Gandhi, is now in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, and after a Dussehra stop in the city of Mysuru is due to resume its journey north through the state on Thursday. It is then scheduled to cross over into the state of Andhra Pradesh in about 10 days. The yatra has already been on for almost a month, and has produced numerous social media-ready photographs, including one of Mr Gandhi addressing a crowd of supporters in pouring rain. While the reception so far has clearly been positive and even enthusiastic in some parts of Kerala, the fact is that in both Kerala and Karnataka the party has a presence and is a real political player. Soon, however, the yatra will start moving through areas where the party has disappeared as a coherent entity. It is not easy to predict what sort of reception it will receive there. An explanatory note on the draft Indian Telecommunication Bill touches on how spectrum is similar to atma, the soul. If this idea is pursued through a unitary approach to regulation, emphasising functionality and avoiding fragmentation, services would proliferate because of lower costs and easier installation. The truth, however, is that the regulatory environment in the last decade has not been coherent and integrated. Economists are supposed to be good at understanding risk. Decision-making in the face of uncertainty, after all, is the disciplines bread and butter. Yet at a time when real-world risks geopolitical, macroeconomic, financial, public-health, and environmental are piling up, many economists seem to be at a loss. Although businesses and investors stand to make a lot of money if they can properly assess and navigate the current risk environment, no one seems to have a good explanation for why we are where we are. This is especially true in the case of climate change: It is now clear that the risks have been systematically underestimated, and thus mispriced, all along. One explanation for this is that market participants have failed to understand the size and the probability of the risk, because they have been thinking about the issue in the wrong way. The climate system is not like a casino with well-defined outcomes and probabilities. As a 1987 comment in Nature put it, changes within our planets systems may bring all kinds of unpleasant surprises. It is as if we were playing with decks of cards that include some unknown number of jokers. Moreover, one also must account for the inherent conservatism of the science. Climate researchers, especially, tend to err on the side of caution. A classic case is the quantification of sea-level rise. Broadly speaking, sea levels rise for three reasons: Melting polar ice caps, melting inland glaciers, and the fact that warmer water takes up more space. But in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes reports in the early 2000s, the headline figures fully accounted only for melting glaciers and thermal expansion. Scientists of course knew that global warming would melt polar ice, and that this effect might be the most consequential of the three. But because the estimates for how much faster the poles would melt differed by so much at the time, they were excluded from the headline figures. That omission has long since been corrected. But it is now economists who are lagging behind in quantifying the economic damages associated with rising seas and the many other interlinked risks accompanying . Quantifying climate-related damage is painstaking work; and in an academic that prizes new ideas over what might seem like a mere accounting exercise, it is not the kind of work that brings much reward or recognition. Nonetheless, economists going back to Simon Kuznets, the father of the gross domestic product (GDP), have been some of the leading critics of economic metrics that purport to represent overall well-being. GDP is central to macroeconomic analysis, but it leaves out many other important indicators, such as those measuring human and planetary health. Standing forests and clean air and water have no value in national-income accounting unless they enter the economy directly as factors of production. Fortunately, an initiative by US President Joe Bidens administration aims to correct this shortcoming by developing a new set of statistics for environmental-economic decisions. While this effort is not the first of its kind in the world, it is among the most ambitious. The goal is to supplement GDP with a far more comprehensive set of accounts, and then to use this new metric to guide policy decisions. Such a change is long overdue. might not have grown into the problem that it has become if its damages had been incorporated into national accounts all along. This points to a second, equally important reason why climate and other risks have been mispriced. It is one thing for scientists, economists, and informed members of the public to recognise that many risks and uncertainties are not priced; it is quite another to adopt policies that discourage businesses from pushing those risks onto society. For business leaders, the top climate risk, according to a recent Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco survey, is that will influence rules and regulations related to our business. Executives correctly anticipate that policymakers will want them to pay for greenhouse-gas emissions and other negative externalities instead of being permitted to socialise those costs. Such measures inevitably will fall into the realm of politics, but economists must not confuse their political preferences with sound policy. Those who are ideologically inclined to look to the free market as a guiding principle for organising society must recognise that a market can function well only when no externality is left unaccounted and unpaid for. Another accounting initiative could help here. The US Securities and Exchange Commissions (SECs) proposed rules for climate-related disclosures would compel companies to standardise and report both the impact of their operations on the climate and the risks that climate change poses to those operations. The SECs effort stops short of asking all polluters to pay for their own pollution; instead, it leaves it up to investors to decide what to do with the new information. Economists must defend the pivotal role their advice plays in policymaking. The political forces and special interests that bear on this issue will skew their advice and skewer the advisers. But that must not become an excuse for inaction. Intellectual honesty demands that economists and policymakers grapple with how new risks and uncertainties can and will affect outcomes. Tallying whats known is hard enough. Accounting for hard-to-price risks and uncertainties like climatic tipping points is harder still. But recognising those risks and uncertainties makes clear that political action must come sooner rather than later. Wagner is a climate economist at Columbia Business School and Brookes is executive director of strategic communications at the European Climate Foundation. Project Syndicate The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday burnt effigies of Ravana at about 3,500 locations here in a symbolic protest against the BJP's "failure" in maintaining cleanliness in the capital. However, the effigies burnt by party leaders and workers were not made of garbage as announced by AAP's MCD poll incharge Dugesh Pathak on Monday. 'Ravana made of BJP's garbage' was written on all the effigies burnt during the protest, the party said. The party changed its plan to burn Ravana's effigies made of garbage in view of the ban on their open burning in the capital, according to party sources. All three erstwhile municipal corporations were ruled by the till they were unified and renamed as the Municipal Corporation of (MCD) in May. "We got the feedback yesterday itself. That's why smaller effigies were used for a symbolic protest with a writing on them ' Ke Koode Ka Ravan' so that they do not cause air pollution," a source in the party said. In a statement, the said party leaders and workers held protest against the maladministration of the and burnt the "symbolic effigies" of 'BJP Ke Koode Ka Ravan' at 3,500 places on the eve of Dussehra. An immediate reaction from the MCD or the BJP to AAP's charge was not available. Effigies of demon king Ravana are burnt on Dussehra festival, which falls on October 5 this year, to mark the victory of good over evil. "People across came together to burn Ravana's symbolic effigy. This was a symbolic protest against the issue of garbage mismanagement in by BJP-ruled MCD," Pathak said. MLA Sanjeev Jha said the protest was a wake up call for the BJP. "BJP-ruled MCD has turned Delhi into a city of garbage during its 15 year reign," he charged. MLA Atishi said participation of the people in the party's protest indicated they want Delhi to be free from "the garbage and the BJP rule in the MCD". Elections to reconstitute a new civic body are yet to be announced by the BJP-led Central government. With an eye on the MCD polls, the AAP launched a month-long campaign recently to corner the BJP on various civic issues, primarily cleanliness. (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 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), formerly the (TRS), will make a beginning from Maharashtra to expand its activities nationwide, party President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said on Wednesday. He said the party would pick up Maharashtra as the first field of activity by launching the farmers' wing of the party from there. Rao stated this during his speech at the general body meeting of the TRS, which unanimously passed a resolution to change the party's name to the BRS. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also made it clear that while continuing as the Chief Minister, he would visit all parts of the country. "We will not leave the ground. No one should have any doubts about this," he told party leaders. KCR's remarks came amid speculations in political circles that his son K.T. Rama Rao will take over as the Chief Minister while he will focus on . The TRS founder called for developing a bright India. "If resources of our country are used within the country, we can develop better than America. We still have time. We will expand across the country," said KCR, who has his eyes set on 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Chief Minister also stated that if good happens to the country because of Telangana, this would go down well in the country's history. also revealed that Dalit, farmers', and tribal movements would be carried forward as the main agenda. He vowed to remove social and political disorders across the country. "Telangana has already shown this to the country. We will take stock of the evolving situation from time to time and move forward," he said He called for taking the country forward just as the Telangana movement was carried to victory. He claimed that Telangana ensured development of every community. He said both the rural and urban areas in the state have developed and the awards announced by the Centre were a proof of this. He recalled that the TRS made a beginning 21 years ago. " Within a short time after achieving Telangana state, we moved forward rapidly by implementing development programmes in all sectors including agriculture, electricity, irrigation and drinking water. The neighbouring states are wonderstruck by seeing programmes in Telangana state. All this was possible because every action is being executed with utmost commitment." said that in the 75 years of Independent India, parties that ruled the country have done nothing for the country except coming to power or leaving power. He claimed that is a task for the TRS, while for other parties it is only a game. "We worked with commitment as activists for the development of Telangana. Due to hard work, great achievements have been made. The per capita income of Telangana was only Rs one lakhA when the state came into existence but today it has increased to Rs 2.78 lakh. Telangana's GSDP was Rs 5. 6 lakh crore in 2014 and today it has reached to Rs 11.50 lakh crore," he said. called for working hard and collectively for the country's development on the lines the TRS strove for the development of Telangana state. "It is not a hasty decision to float a party. India is a union of states. Comprehensive development is possible only if the states and the country develop together. Telangana's GSDP is originally supposed to be Rs 14.5 lakh crore. But Telangana is not able to achieve the development it deserves due to the short-sighted and irrelevant policies adopted by the Union Government. Many of the sacrifices made for the independence of this country remain unfulfilled." The Chief Minister attributed the rapid development achieved by Telangana to out-of-box thinking and innovative programmes implemented in the state. He spoke about one such programme Dalit Bandhu aimed at upliftment of the Dalits. Stating that agriculture is one of the neglected sectors, KCR said BRS would highlight the problems of farmers as the main agenda and try to influence the of the country to address them. He claimed that leaders of many parties across the country were coming forward to join hands with him. He said former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav have assured him that they will attend the historic programme of launching of the BRS. He recalled that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda strongly supported the Telangana movement, and his JD-S announced its support to the party. The TRS meeting was attended by Deve Gowda's son and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Tamil Nadu's VCK party founder-leader Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan. KCR revealed that he already had discussions with many economists and experts in various fields and took their advice for the formation of the national party. --IANS ms/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.) In his annual Vijayadashami address at Nagpur, (RSS) chief focused primarily on population control, "Atmanirbhar Bharat", and the ideology of Sanatana Dharma. Even as the RSS chief touched upon several current and emerging issues, he also returned to familiar recurring themes from his earlier speeches. Here's a look at the highlights from Bhagwat's past five annual Vijayadashami speeches, which give us a peek into issues the RSS considers important. 2021 Last year, the Nagpur-based event was held in the open after a year's hiatus caused by Covid-19 related restrictions. Bhagwat had focused on India's pending talks with the Taliban, cautioning against Russia, Turkey, China, and Pakistan's support for the Taliban government. He pushed for a population policy for the next five decades, highlighting concerns about the population imbalance in the nation. He also cautioned against a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic while extolling Ayurveda as an effective method of fighting the virus. Most importantly, he urged schools and colleges to opt for online classes and boost the use of cellular technologies. He, however, proposed greater regulatory controls on OTT platforms. Also Read: Religion-based population imbalance cannot to be ignored: RSS chief 2020 In the middle of a raging pandemic, Bhagwat's 2020 speech was addressed to a much smaller congregation of RSS members and primarily directed against China. He encouraged strengthening ties with other neighbours to present a more powerful counter to the Chinese, strongly decrying the border incursions in Ladakh. He also urged for fearlessness, but caution in the face of the pandemic promoted "ancient agricultural practices" and lauded the New Education Policy introduced by the Narendra Modi government. Finally, he reiterated the RSS ideology that Hindutva is not a religious stance but a cultural "way of life". 2019 A year before the pandemic hit, and only a few months after the BJP had secured yet another victory in the 2019 elections, Bhagwat praised the Modi government's move to modify Article 370 and claimed that the election victory was a sign of India's trust in the Modi-government's efforts. He also commended ISRO for the Chandrayan-2 mission. Bhagwat's speech was most notable for his emphatic reification of the idea that India is a Hindu Nation and only the descendants of "Bharatiya ancestors" are welcome to live in the country. Keeping to this argument, he propagated an education system that focuses on swa bhasha (our language), swa bhoosha (our attire), swa sanskriti (our culture), and swa purvaj (our ancestors). 2018 In his 2018 speech, the RSS chief pushed for toughness in foreign policy. In a pointed attack on Pakistan and China, Bhagwat had urged India not to give in to diplomatic arm-twisting and instead brace itself for continuing border attacks. He also referred to the Rafale deal controversy. He lashed out against those who "sow and grow the seeds of doubt, detachment, imprudence, rebellion, hatred, and violence in the weaker sections of the society that are severely affected due to the deprivation, injustice, and negligence" to use them as "cannon fodder for anti- activities". Finally, Bhagwat pushed for speedy enactment of laws to begin construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and reiterated that the Supreme Court verdict on the Sabarimala case was misguided. 2017 In 2017, Bhagwat claimed that many Muslims were Gau Rakshaks (cow vigilantes) too and argued that protecting cows is essential to protecting the rural agrarian economy. He also argued that Rohingyas would put pressure on jobs and emerge as a threat to security. He claimed that there were emerging links between Rohingyas and "jihadis". Among other issues, Bhagwat urged that constitutional amendments were urgently needed for Kashmir and that India's economists especially those working in NITI Aayog must come up with "nation-specific unique models of development." The news that controversially chose over Maharashtra to set up its $20-billion semiconductor manufacturing unit along with Taiwans has drawn fresh attention to why the state remains popular with investors, beyond the obvious political connections. Japanese tech giant is likely working on a new smartphone as a report says that "out of nowhere, a mysterious handset has been spotted on Geekbench". According to GizmoChina, the device's RAM capacity, the chipset information and with the software is also included in the listing. "An unknown Sony-branded smartphone with model number XQ-DS99 has made its appearance on Geekbench. As per the listing, the phone will be powered by a Dimensity 8000 SoC," the report said. The report mentioned that the device will include 12GB RAM and will run Android 12. A recent report said that the tech giant is working on its first 100MP camera sensor. The sensor will be aimed at premium mid-range . Notably, also makes camera sensors for tech giants Apple and Google which are popular brands among smartphone photography enthusiasts. --IANS vc/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.) Barring a few names such as Apollo Hospitals and Fortis Healthcare, most have firmly outperformed the market in the last six months. Aster DM Healthcare, Shalby, Max Healthcare, and Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences have gained up to 23% during this period versus a 3% slide each in the BSE Sensex and BSE healthcare indices. Analysts, too, remain firmly upbeat on the sector, which is undergoing a healthy expansion cycle, and is seeing a recovery in its non-Covid business. Param Desai, Research Analyst, Prabhudas Lilladher says, the sector is reaping benefits of previous capex. Most companies are yet to reach optimum utilisation. Average revenue per operating bed remains healthy. Pricing, international patient inflow to drive near-term growth. Analysts see strong growth visibility over the next 4-5 years as hospitals would add twice the current capacities by this time. Apollo Hospitals, for instance, recently, marked its entry into Haryana as it acquired a hospital asset in Gurugram for Rs 450 crore. Fortis Healthcare, too, has lined up a capex of Rs 400 crore for the current fiscal, while is said to be in the race to acquire Care Hospitals. The companies are generating strong cash flows, and the debt leverage for major players has significantly improved vs pre-Covid year of FY20. According to Jefferies, in FY22, Max and Fortis' net debt to EBITDA came below 1x, while it was 1.2x for Apollo. This has slipped from over 3.5x levels over the last five years Besides, the sectors shift towards taking land-on-lease, instead of owning it, has allowed companies to use fewer funds to set up hospitals. Aditya Khemka - Fund Manager, InCred PMS says, hospitals have shifted to asset-light model. This allows higher return on equity, faster expansion. Expect FY23 sales to rise in the range of low-high teens. Turnaround in high margin non-Covid business to lift profits. Khemka prefers companies that undertake mostly brownfield expansion as these players break-even quicker than the larger chains. He remains bullish on Aster DM Healthcare, and Healthcare Global Enterprises. Equity will be closed today on account of the Dussehra holiday. By Jeffrey Sachs October 05, 2022: Information Clearing House -- Former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski famously described Ukraine as a geopolitical pivot of Eurasia, central to both US and Russian power. Since Russia views its vital security interests to be at stake in the current conflict, the war in Ukraine is rapidly escalating to a nuclear showdown. Its urgent for both the US and Russia to exercise restraint before disaster hits. Since the middle of the 19th Century, the West has competed with Russia over Crimea and more specifically, naval power in the Black Sea. In the Crimean War (1853-6), Britain and France captured Sevastopol and temporarily banished Russias navy from the Black Sea. The current conflict is, in essence, the Second Crimean War. This time, a US-led military alliance seeks to expand NATO to Ukraine and Georgia, so that five NATO members would encircle the Black Sea. The US has long regarded any encroachment by great powers in the Western Hemisphere as a direct threat to US security, dating back to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which states: We owe it, therefore, to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those [European] powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. In 1961, the US invaded Cuba when Cubas revolutionary leader Fidel Castro looked to the Soviet Union for support. The US was not much interested in Cubas right to align with whichever country it wanted the claim the US asserts regarding Ukraines supposed right to join NATO. The failed US invasion in 1961 led to the Soviet Unions decision to place offensive nuclear weapons in Cuba in 1962, which in turn led to the Cuban Missile Crisis exactly 60 years ago this month. That crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Yet Americas regard for its own security interests in the Americas has not stopped it from encroaching on Russias core security interests in Russias neighbourhood. As the Soviet Union weakened, US policy leaders came to believe that the US military could operate as it pleases. In 1991, Undersecretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz explained to General Wesley Clark that the US can deploy its military force in the Middle East and the Soviet Union wont stop us. Americas national security officials decided to overthrow Middle East regimes allied to the Soviet Union, and to encroach on Russias security interests. In 1990, Germany and the US gave assurances to Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that the Soviet Union could disband its own military alliance, the Warsaw Pact, without fear that NATO would enlarge eastward to replace the Soviet Union. It won Gorbachevs assent to German reunification in 1990 on this basis. Yet with the Soviet Unions demise, President Bill Clinton reneged by supporting the eastward expansion of NATO. Russian President Boris Yeltsin protested vociferously but could do nothing to stop it. Americas dean of statecraft with Russia, George Kennan, declared that NATO expansion is the beginning of a new cold war. Under Clintons watch, NATO expanded to Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in 1999. Five years later, under President George W. Bush, Jr. NATO expanded to seven more countries: the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), the Black Sea (Bulgaria and Romania), the Balkans (Slovenia), and Slovakia. Under President Barack Obama, NATO expanded to Albania and Croatia in 2009, and under President Donald Trump, to Montenegro in 2019. Russias opposition to NATO enlargement intensified sharply in 1999 when NATO countries disregarded the UN and attacked Russias ally Serbia, and stiffened further in the 2000s with the US wars of choice in Iraq, Syria, and Libya. At the Munich Security conference in 2007, President Putin declared that NATO enlargement represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust. Putin continued: And we have the right to ask: against whom is this expansion intended? And what happened to the assurances [of no NATO enlargement] our western partners made after the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact? Where are those declarations today? No one even remembers them. But I will allow myself to remind this audience what was said. I would like to quote the speech of NATO General Secretary Mr. Woerner in Brussels on 17 May 1990. He said at the time that: the fact that we are ready not to place a NATO army outside of German territory gives the Soviet Union a firm security guarantee. Where are these guarantees? Also in 2007, with the NATO admission of two Black Sea countries, Bulgaria and Romania, the US established the Black Sea Area Task Group (originally the Task Force East). Then in 2008, the US raised the US-Russia tensions still further by declaring that NATO would expand to the very heart of the Black Sea, by incorporating Ukraine and Georgia, threatening Russias naval access to the Black Sea, Mediterranean, and Middle East. With Ukraines and Georgias entry, Russia would be surrounded by five NATO countries in the Black Sea: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. Russia was initially protected from NATO enlargement to Ukraine by Ukraines pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, who led the Ukrainian parliament to declare Ukraines neutrality in 2010. Yet in 2014, the US helped to overthrow Yanukovych and bring to power a staunchly anti-Russian government. The Ukraine War broke out at that point, with Russia quickly reclaiming Crimea and supporting pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas, the region of Eastern Ukraine with a relatively high proportion of Russian population. Ukraines parliament formally abandoned neutrality later in 2014. Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas have been fighting a brutal war for 8 years. Attempts to end the war in the Donbas through the Minsk Agreements failed when Ukraines leaders decided not to honour the agreements, which called for autonomy for the Donbas. After 2014, the US poured in massive armaments to Ukraine and helped to restructure Ukraines military to be interoperable with NATO, as evidenced in this years fighting. The Russian invasion in 2022 would likely have been averted had Biden agreed with Putins demand at the end of 2021 to end NATOs eastward enlargement. The war would likely have been ended in March 2022, when the governments of Ukraine and Russia exchanged a draft peace agreement based on Ukrainian neutrality. Behind the scenes, the US and UK pushed Zelensky to reject any agreement with Putin and to fight on. At that point, Ukraine walked away from the negotiations. Russia will escalate as necessary, possibly to nuclear weapons, to avoid military defeat and NATOs further eastward enlargement. The nuclear threat is not empty, but a measure of the Russian leaderships perception of its security interests at stake. Terrifyingly, the US was also prepared to use nuclear weapons in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a senior Ukrainian official recently urged the US to launch nuclear strikes as soon as Russia even thinks of carrying out nuclear strikes, surely a recipe for World War III. We are again on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. President John F. Kennedy learned about nuclear confrontation during the Cuban missile crisis. He defused that crisis not by force of will or US military might, but by diplomacy and compromise, removing US nuclear missiles in Turkey in exchange for the Soviet Union removing its nuclear missiles in Cuba. The following year, he pursued peace with the Soviet Union, signing the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. In June 1963, Kennedy uttered the essential truth that can keep us alive today: Above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policyor of a collective death-wish for the world. It is urgent to return to the draft peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine of late March, based on the non-enlargement of NATO. Todays fraught situation can easily spin out of control, as the world has done on so many past occasions yet this time with the possibility of nuclear catastrophe. The worlds very survival depends on prudence, diplomacy, and compromise by all sides. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University, is Director of Columbias Center for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He has served as Special Adviser to three UN Secretaries-General. His books include The End of Poverty, Common Wealth, The Age of Sustainable Development, Building the New American Economy, and most recently, A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism. Climate activists tossed two cans of tomato soup over Vincent Van Goghs iconic artwork Sunflowers in London on Saturday, to protest oil and gas projects. The pair was part of the group Just Stop Oil, which has been staging climate protests across the country. The painting, worth around $82 million, was protected by a glass layer and undamaged. Over the decades, famous paintings have been subject to vandalism, including the famed Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and Guernica by Pablo Picasso Oct 18, 2022 07:54 PM Ancient Grand Canal boosts modern business Xinhua) 10:21, October 05, 2022 BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- As a whistle sounded, the cruise ship left the canal harbor. Liu Shizhao, a photographer from Beijing, pressed the shutter skillfully, just like 41 years ago. In June, a Grand Canal stretch linking Beijing with neighboring Hebei Province resumed navigation. In 1981, Liu, who worked for a Chinese magazine then, rode a bicycle from Beijing with three Leica cameras and it took him more than 400 days to arrive in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, some 1,600 km away from the Chinese capital. With nearly 200 rolls of film and 5,000 photos, he recorded the scene and social life along the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal connects Beijing and Hangzhou with a history of over 2,500 years. It served as a significant transportation artery in ancient China. The world's longest artificial waterway was declared a world heritage site in 2014. Along the canal section in Beijing, all seems to have changed. High-rise buildings watch the canal as ancient bridges have been renovated. Through Liu's lens, people see vibrant Beijing. Beijing's Tongzhou District, located in the northernmost area of the canal, has welcomed its new role as Beijing municipal administrative center in line with the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Such development manifests in various aspects, including the improved environment. "In the past, factories were set up, and pigs were raised in the village. There was a bad smell in the air, and the sewage was discharged directly," said Zhang Shuming, a local of Tongzhou's Lyujiawan Village. But in the past 10 years, the canal's water quality has improved, and wild waterfowl such as egrets are often spotted. The river banks have become an ideal destination for urbanites to relax, and some stay in the homestays in the village. Chen Wei, a homestay owner, has been busy during the National Day holiday. "No one wanted to come before, and now everyone is rushing to live in the homestays," said Chen, adding that the clear water along the canal allows her to pursue the dream of starting a business in her hometown. The area where the Tongzhou canal business district sits used to be a significant business town in ancient times. Now, it has become the business center in Tongzhou District. With the implementation of a series of policies, the canal is flourishing. "Up to now, the business district has attracted more than 17,000 enterprises. Compared with 2019, the total number of enterprises has increased by 75 percent," said Lin Zhenghang, director of the business district's management committee. Before the National Day holiday, a repaired ancient tower reopened to the public, and a bazaar featuring traditional Chinese culture was held here. Young people dressed in traditional clothing Hanfu added glamor to the site. An outline issued by the central authorities in 2019, required efforts to advance the protection, inheritance and utilization of the Grand Canal and coordinate the economic and social development of areas along the waterway to explore a new path of high-quality development. Liu has donated thousands of films he shot to the Capital Museum, hoping to introduce more people to the development and changes of the Grand Canal. He said he hopes to continue to record China's development through his lens. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Ukraine - What Explains The Recent Russian Retreats? By Moon Of Alabama October 05, 2022: Information Clearing House -- " Moon Of Alabama " Over the last months Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive against Russian positions in the Kharkov region. The attack against thin Russian forces was quite successful but has cost the Ukrainian army several thousand men and irreplaceable hardware. That does not seem to matter for Kiev. Several reasons for the success were given. The Russian forces in the area were even smaller than people had thought and the Ukraine was willing to push every reserve it had through the Russian defense lines. The Russian artillery was equally thin and could not use enough area weapons like multiple rocket launcher systems to stop the storming Ukrainian forces. In consequence the Ukraine took a quite large share of land. Most st of these was thinly inhabited rural areas. Even the city of Lyman which the Russian gave up on had less than 30,000 pre-war inhabitants. Kharkov region October 4 bigger Kharkov region September 1 bigger But another Ukrainian counteroffensive lets me doubt the explanations given for the area losses near Kharkov. In the Kherson-Nikopol region the Ukrainians made several attempts to push the Russian forces from the land north of the Dnieper river. All had failed with large losses for the Ukrainian side. But over the last week the Ukrainians tried a new attack along the river and breached through the Russian frontline. The Russian troops retreated in good order and the Ukrainians pushed further. Kherson-Nikopol region October 4 bigger Kherson-Nikopol region September 1 bigger Neither the explanation of too few men, nor the explanation of too few MLRS systems or ammunition which may explain the Kharkov success hold up for the Kherson region. During the summer Russian troops were pulled from the Kharkov region and send to the south to defend the Kherson regions. There are lots of Russian units in the area including many artillery systems. And while the Ukrainians have damaged some bridges that cross the Dnieper the Russian forces have enough ferry equipment to keep up the supplies. Most of the previous Ukrainian attacks were defeated rather easily. I thus find it hard to explain the current situation. My current 'feel' is that the Russian forces have orders from high above to conserve forces and to let go of land and retreat when the pressure becomes big enough and severe Russian casualty numbers are likely. Why were such orders given? What are the plans behind them? I don't really know. But I am sure will find out when Russia opens the new phase of the war. The weather has become quite bad in Ukraine with rain making the passing over fields with tanks etc nearly impossible. That is why the attack in the south was pushed along a road. In two month the ground in Ukraine will likely be frozen. The Russian military leadership seems to believe that the Ukrainian operations will cease soon and that the mobilized reinforcements that are starting to come online will be able to decisively change the picture as soon as the winter comes. Another potential reason behind the order to conserve forces and to not hold onto territory at any price may be political. The Russian public was starting to get a bit tired of the war but after the losses in the Kharkov region the TV pundits pushed for winning the war. That allowed Russia's president to launch the mobilization of reservists. The further losses since may be designed to allow for more political measures. The law that will allow for the four regions to return to Russia after a hundred years of being part of Ukraine today passed the upper house of Russia's parliament: According to the documents, the DPR and the LPR will retain their status as republics after joining Russia and Russian will be their official language. The Kherson and Zaporozhye regions will also join Russia as constituent entities and will continue to be called "regions." The borders of the republics and regions will be the same as those that "existed on the day of their creation and accession into Russia." International accords specify that their borders with other countries will be regarded as Russias state borders. At the same time, under the constitutional laws, the DPR and the LPR are joining Russia under the 2014 borders enshrined in their constitutions. President Putin will now have to sign the new law to enact it. The heads of the DPR and LPR have already signed laws ratifying treaties on joining Russia. With the laws enacted the Special Military Operation will become a war to prevent attacks on Russian grounds and to retake the parts of Russia that are currently under Ukrainian occupation. I expect that the gloves which Russia was still wearing during recent operations will come off. Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Reader financed- No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Get Our Free Newsletter Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also Workers at the Amazon warehouse in New York staged an impromptu walkout on Monday night due to the "unsafe working conditions" at the facility after a fire broke out. Staten Island Live reports that night shift workers, led by Amazon Labor Union President Christian Smalls, were demanding to get paid as they were asked to go home because of unforeseen circumstances. Accident Ignites An Even Bigger Fire Within Amazon's Employees Amazon workers from the Staten Island warehouse went on strike at the company's fulfillment center through a sit-in at the HR Office after the management refused to let them leave last Monday. Paul Flannigan, Amazon's spokesperson, told Gothamist that the fire that broke out in one of the warehouses started in a cardboard compactor. He says that day shift employees were safely evacuated and sent with home pay, while other employees continued to work uninterrupted. However, this is where the labor union found unjust treatment as Newsweek reports that unlike employees in the morning shift, night shift workers were still asked to go back to their stations once the fire was out in the evening. The night shift workers were reportedly not let out from work with pay and were threatened with deductions and warnings for refusing to go back on deck to work. Read More: Amazon CEO Says Company Will Not Require Workers to Return to Office Workers of Amazon Unite To Call Upon Action Hundreds of unionized employees joined the walkout, refusing to return and citing dangerous conditions at the warehouse in their protest, Vice writes. According to Newsweek, Union Leader Smalls took Twitter to announce the march off, also sharing a video of the fire at the facility where a worker can be heard telling people to evacuate. Smalls also wrote in his tweet that hundreds of workers wanted to go home due to the smoke at the warehouse and the smell of burnt chemicals lingering on the docks. Smalls said that Amazon withheld the workers in the facility despite the risks, refusing to let night shift employees be sent home with pay. Newsweek says that the labor leader is adamant that Amazon will be held accountable for still making at least a thousand employees work despite what happened. Seth Goldstein, Amazon Union Leader's lawyer, told Vice that the incident was a case of neglect as the compactor that was on fire had been a problem for weeks now. Read More: Amazon Increases Wage of Warehouse and Delivery Workers Unionization Efforts Are In Place In the middle of the controversies that Amazon is facing, the Staten Island fulfillment center became the first Amazon location to organize its workers into a union earlier this year, according to Vice. "There's been lots of agitation and conversations talking about being exploited by the bosses and this is typical Amazon, typical corporate failure to take care of their employees," a night shift worker named Jordan Chariton told Newsweek. Amazon, in response to this action, had sought to overturn the vote to unionize and refused to negotiate with the union about their needs and wants as a collective, Gothamist reports. "We strongly disagree with the conclusion and intend to appeal," said Flaningan, firm on the company's belief that the vote was invalid and unauthorized. However, according to Newsweek, the National Labor Relations Board found that Amazon had no grounds to contest the vote, ruling the victory of the labor union, much to Amazon's dismay. Engadget writes that the workers at a warehouse in Albany are following suit and are slated to vote on whether unionization should take effect at their warehouse and fulfillment center as well. Related Article: Amazon Plans to Use Police Stations as Pickup Points for Your Packages Uber called on all non-remote employees to be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting on November 1. Uber Technologies Inc. employees will have to show up on the worksite twice a week in an attempt to adapt hybrid working models in their companies worldwide, Reuters says. Employees Are Leaving The Luxury Of Purely Working From Home CNet reports that employees of Uber, the popular rideshare and delivery service provider, said in a statement that they are expecting employees to return to the office next month. Chief Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy informed Uber's employees that the company would be adopting a hybrid model of work in-office, which is a mix of work-from-home and working at the office. Additionally, employees will be allowed the freedom to work anywhere they want to for up to four weeks, with special consideration for those who need to fully remain working from home. As per the CNet report, corporates from Uber are hoping that this move will "help maximize the benefits of in-person collaboration," saying that employee feedback urged them to take this step. Employee feedback indicated that when in the office, people tend to engage more in work and with others, have a stronger sense of belongingness, and are more likely to report a higher satisfaction rating at work, CNet says. Read More: Uber Is Investigating a Recent Cybersecurity Incident After Employees Received a Suspicious Message It Will Remain Flexible For Employees Uber is calling back its employees to work on the site, but not for a five-day work week, and only on anchor days Tuesdays and Thursdays. According to the San Francisco Examiner, Uber's chief people officer Krishnamurthy notes that remote work is beneficial to employees as it teaches them how to balance flexibility, productivity, and collaboration. Tech giants in the business have already taken this step prior, opting for a more flexible policy for employees, even early on during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. News writes. Twitter Inc., Meta Platforms Inc., Microsoft Corp, and Lyft are among the companies that give their employees flexible working policies, allowing workers to have a choice in the place they want to work in. Read More: Uber Assures That No Sensitive Data Has Been Stolen During Hack Anchor day for Uber will begin on November 1, where changes are expected to mitigate challenges that may include showing up to work in the office and coordinating schedules with coworkers. Uber emphasized that not only will adopting a hybrid working model be beneficial to already existing employees, but it will also be beneficial to those employees they can hire outside of their office hub locations. "It's important we stay connected to the places we serve with work practices that help us benefit from flexibility while facilitating and maximizing, '' Krishnamurthy added to the statement, according to the San Francisco Examiner. The ride-hailing service is looking to implement this adaptable hybrid work model globally, following its move to let staff work anywhere half the time since July. Related Article: Uber Not Required to Provide Wheelchair Accessibility in US Cities, California Judge Rules Blanche Bailly B. Bailly "Blanch reportedly bought the fridge from someone who is not the owner at a very cheap rate inside Buea" This is the refrigerator that is at the center of Blanch Bailly's arrest. Blanche Bailly - Stolen Fridge (c) B. Bailly Blanch reportedly bought the fridge from someone who is not the owner at a very cheap rate inside Buea The owner, a celebrity too in Cameroon reported the missing fridge along with other goods to the police and the person who sold the fridge was arrested after investigations When the owner discovered Blanche was one of the buyers, he contacted her through on multiple occasions and through the police, out of respect for her status to refund the stolen good but Blanche ignored. Police officers who were already investigating the issue got a tip-off that Blanche was planning to move the fridge to Douala and an order was given for her arrest. When the police arrived at her home, Blanche had a lorry parked outside ready to go but was on live session on Facebook interacting with her fans. The police respectfully knocked her door and introduced themseves and Blanche started shouting and telling her fans about the police presence-its as if she knew they were coming and wanted to spotlight Finally she opened the door and started attacking the police, dramatising her arrest all while filming. I'm not a fan of law enforcement officers in Cameroon but have never seen Cameroonian police act so professionally. The officers (2) politely talked to her and she started shouting, and attacking them all while telling her fans the contrary. They (officers) had to call back to their station and were told to bring her. She was held respectfully by the hand and taken away in a police van. Cryptocurrency is taking the world by storm, especially since many innovations now allow people to pay without having physical money on their person. It is still undeniable that cryptocurrency still has a lot of risks, especially since it runs on blockchains that are basically untraceable and not reliant on the government. It could be good news for people who hold digital assets now that Mastercard wants to make cryptocurrency transactions more secure. Introducing the Crypto Secure Service, which uses an AI from CipherTrace. CipherTrace is a blockchain security firm that Mastercard acquired back in 2021. The service will be in charge of looking into digital asset providers by creating risk profiles, according to Engadget. This helps users determine whether the transaction is secure or not and might even block purchases automatically if the merchant is deemed fraudulent. Four Key Items that Mastercard is Looking For The financial services company will be implementing strict consumer protection. This will include the safeguarding of the consumer's privacy and the security of their information. It has been stated on Mastercard's official website that consumers will receive excellent security as they expect from their cards. + Mastercard will also execute strict compliance protocols, including Know Your Customer. This requirement is meant to detect illegal activity and deception in payment networks. It is what the financial services industry uses to verify the customer's identity and legitimacy. Even if the blockchain in which cryptocurrency operates is technically not under government regulations, Mastercard is. This means that the users must abide by the local laws and regulations in their region. The fourth key item is that digital assets must be accepted as a form of payment and not an investment, which has been big in the cryptocurrency world. Although investment opportunities with the additional security from a financial service company could be used to attract more consumers, Mastercard is set on using its services for fixed exchanges or goods, services, and payments. Read Also: Ethereum, Bitcoin Price Prediction: Billionaire Issues Warning About Future of Crypto Why Is Mastercard Considering Cryptocurrency Services In its Network? With Mastercard's services, consumers and merchants will now have an additional payment method to explore. This can be especially enticing for people who already have digital assets to use for purchasing. Not to mention, with its blockchain security feature, digital asset holders may prefer using Mastercard as a way to spot fraudulent parties in a way that an antivirus spots and blocks malware. It is important to know that Mastercard does not support all types of cryptocurrencies in its network. The company has certain requirements and compliance measures that the currencies need to meet in order to be included in the service. Which Cryptocurrencies are Supported in Mastercard's Services? Upon the launch of the company's cryptocurrency card, it will be supporting 14 cryptocurrencies. This will include the US dollar-pegged stablecoin tether, Ethereum, bitcoin, BNB, Cardano, Solana, XRP, and others, which follows Mastercard's deal with Binance. Related: A General Information on Cryptocurrency with Most Asked Question It looks like there is no letting up to the MG-Geely rivalry here in the Philippines. Its shaping up to be a true battle royale as MG Phili... There may be an incredible dearth of animated features in theaters this fall, but that doesnt mean that there arent new animated films for those who are looking for them. In fact, Irish writer/director Graham Jones and animator Kasia Wisniewska have just released their latest feature Silicon Docks on Youtube. The films satirical story unspools during the final days of Trumps presidency and follows a Dublin pub crawl attended by a group of figureheads from the global tech industry, forced to meet outside their offices by the Covid-19 pandemic. Between rounds, the group debates whether to sign a new EU agreement and engages in petty interpersonal bickering including several gratifying one-on-ones between well-publicized rivals. During the pandemic, partly to stop us all from going crazy, we decided to go ahead and make this movie that had been knocking around in my crazy head for a long time about a bunch of American tech rockstars getting pissed on a rainy Dublin afternoon, Jones explained in a self-published essay about the feature earlier this month. Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Thirteen people, who got duped in Thailand on the pretext of jobs and were taken illegally into Myanmar arrived in Chennai on Wednesday morning, said State Minister Gingee KS Masthan. "Thirteen people, who got duped in Thailand on the pretext of jobs and were taken illegally into Myanmar, arrived in Chennai People were trafficked to Myanmar from various parts of the state via agents. CM (MK Stalin) took efforts to save them," State Minister Gingee KS Masthan told the media persons. "Around 50 Tamils are still in Myanmar and the government will put efforts to bring them back," Tamil Nadu Minister Gingee KS Masthan added, after receiving the 13 people who arrived in Chennai. "We applied for a job in Dubai. The Dubai agent said that the job is in Thailand but there was no job when we reached there. They took us around 450 km away to some place in a car. From there, a group of Chinese people made us cross a river illegally," a victim from Coimbatore told ANI. "They took our company phones and later we got to know that we were in Myanmar. We didn't have VISA and were illegally there. We had to chat via fake IDs with VIPs. The local military rescued us. We were mentally tortured and worked for 15-16 hours a day. A lot of people came via different agents," added the victim. (ANI) Flying Cement to install 21MW power plant for Line 2 05 October 2022 Company Secretary of Flying Cement Co Ltd, Shahid Ahmad Awan has informed Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) that the Board of Directors of the company, in their meeting on 3 October discussed the installation of 21MW captive power plants to meet the power requirement of Line 2 at Lilla, in Punjab province of Pakistan. The company has already obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) for its installation from the Government of Punjab Environmental Protection Agency. According to the company's 3Q22 report (Jan-March 2022), Flying Cement Co is fully committed to completing its Line 2 expansion project, after which a significant rise in profitability and financial ratios is expected to maximise shareholder return. It is estimated that the company shall achieve its commercial operation date (COD) later this year, after which the cement production capacity will rise from 1.197Mta to 3.51Mta. Flying Cement's profit increased during FY21-22 Meanwhile, Flying Cement has reported that its profit after taxation for FY22 comes to PKR924m (US$4m) from a profit of PKR143.6m earned in the corresponding period last year. The major increase in yield can be attributed to higher net sales of PKR53.36bn from PKR32.05bn in the same period the previous year. The company incurred higher administrative expenses of PKR75.9m against PKR53.8m and higher distribution expenses of PKR14.5m as opposed to PKR10.7m in the same period last year. The financial cost has ballooned to PKR115m from PKR71m during the comparative accounting period. Published under The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found that Activision Blizzard, known for being the publisher of Overwatch and Call of Duty, withheld pay raises from quality assurance (QA) testers of Raven Software due to their unionization, as per Engadget. However, Activision Blizzard argues with the said reason, saying that it wasn't possible to offer raises due to legal obligations. Raven Software QA Employees Successfully Form a Union Currently, Activision Blizzard is engaged in union bargaining negotiations with Raven Software quality assurance testers who voted to unionize earlier this year. In January this year, the quality assurance department Raven Software made an announcement that they would unionize. Reasoning that the union only included 28 employees out of the 230 employees of Raven Software, Activision Blizzard attempted to block the efforts. Despite the move of Activision Blizzard, QA testers still push through with their unionizing efforts. They operate under the name Game Workers Alliance (GWA). In May, GWA became an officially recognized union after passing a vote of 19-3. Eventually, Activision Blizzard converted 1,100 QA contractors to full-time staff during GWA's process of unionizing, as per Engadget. The company increased the minimum wage of workers to $20 per hour. However, reasoning out that the "company wasn't allowed to change the pay rate of its employees in the midst of a union effort," the QA workers at Raven Software were not granted the wage increase by Activision Blizzard, as per TechCrunch. Now that GWA is officially recognized as a union, negotiations around a collective bargaining agreement between Activision Blizzard and GWA are ongoing, as per Washington Post. According to NLRB, in case the QA workers and the company will not meet on certain terms, the board could issue a complaint. Likewise, if the company refuses to settle, the board could make a move as far as prosecuting the case before a federal judge. Read Also: Activision Blizzard Talks About Free-to-Play 'Warcraft' Mobile Games 'in Development' NLRB's Findings will Likely Favor Raven Software QA Workers The NLRB's findings will likely favor Raven Software QA employees in their ongoing negotiations with Activision Blizzard, as per Washington Post. "It's a very preliminary win for the union at this point. It gives them a little bit of leverage," said Wilma Liebman, former chairman of the NLRB. Meanwhile, according to Activision Blizzard, they could not institute a new pay initiative for Raven Software QA employees while a union election was pending since it would be brand new kinds of compensation changes. However, NLRB has officially recognized the union's complaint. The board's finding said that it was illegal for Activision Blizzard to withhold wages. According to TechCrunch, the findings of the board could have an effect on the ongoing negotiation around the collective bargaining agreement between the GWA and Activision Blizzard. "We're glad the NLRB recognized that Activision acted illegally when they unequally enforced policies by withholding company-wide benefits and wage increases from Raven workers for organizing," the GWA said. According to current Raven Software employees, more than the pay increase, the bigger victory that they can get from the current situation would be having Activision admit that what they did was unlawful. Related Article: Activision Blizzard Converts 1,100 US-Based QA Employees Full-Time Employment, Raises Base Wages Votorantim adopts new logo and rebrands 05 October 2022 Votorantim Cimentos is introducing its new corporate brand that aims to be more contemporary and representative of the diversity of its people, products and businesses, combining tradition, innovation and a vision of the future. The new visual identity seeks to connect the company's strategic objectives and sustainability commitments with the process of transformation and growth in different segments and activities. Votorantim Cimentos is a global company, currently present in 11 countries where it offers products and services in the construction, agribusiness, waste management, circular economy and logistics markets. "Votorantim Cimentos is on a journey of evolution and transformation. We redefined our strategy, revised our culture, grew, expanded. This long-term vision opens new paths and new areas of activity through the development of products and services to meet the needs of society. We want to create changes while remembering our history - hence the need to translate all this into a new brand, which communicates everything we do, from ground level to the highest point in a city," said Geraldo Magella, global head of corporate communications and branding at Votorantim Cimentos. The Votorantim Cimentos rebranding project was led by FutureBrand Sao Paulo, Brazil. The new shape of the brands 'V' honours the companys legacy and introduces a new perspective that simulates a movement toward the future. By combining new colours with new graphics and fonts, the new visual identity reflects the companys solidity and flexibility. Andre Matias, partner and director of FutureBrand Sao Paulo, said, "This rebranding process puts the company in a position to meet the complexity and challenges that lie ahead. It reflects the tradition and strength of Votorantim Cimentos with a focus on innovation and the future," he added. Published under APO Cement suspends Davao terminal ICR Newsroom By 05 October 2022 APO Cement Corporation, part of Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc, has temporarily suspended operations at its Davao terminal in the Philippines due to the constant influx of cement imports, reports Manila Bulletin. The continued arrival of imports, particularly from Vietnam, has led to rising costs and falling volumes, according to APO. Our operational costs in maintaining the Davao terminal have increased and continue to increase, while our volumes are decreasing due to the unabated entry of cement imports from Vietnam. Given these, we are constrained to suspend terminal operations in Davao," explained Edwin Hufemia, vice president supply chain, APO Cement Corp. This suspension of our operations in the Davao terminal will allow us to continue focussing on efficiently running our plant and other terminals and warehouses in order to cope with these current challenges. The terminal had an estimated dispatching capacity of 25,000 bags per day. A number of local cement producers have filed a petition against imported cement from Vietnam with the Tariff Commission, which is currently pending. In 2021 provisional anti-dumping duties were introduced by the Department of Trade Industry (DTI) targeting specific cement brands from Vietnam. Mr Hufemia assured customers that the decision regarding the Davao terminal would not affect supply or delivery of cement from the companys plant in Naga City, Cebu, Philippines. Published under A caller told police that a pedestrian had been struck by a vehicle in the 800 block of Cherry St. Police arrived and met with the driver of the car who struck the pedestrian. She said she and the victim worked out a deal where she gave him $30 to go fix his bike and police would not be called. The victim left before police arrived. Police were unable to locate the victim. The damage to the vehicle did not appear to be $1,200 or more in damage. The driver of the vehicle at this time did not want a crash report. She will call police at a later time if she wishes to change her mind. * * * A woman parked at Stone Cup at 208 Frazier Ave. When she returned to her car, she discovered the drivers side mirror had been knocked somehow and was hanging off. * * * A man believes another man he knows stole his prescription pills. He said he left his pills at Olivet Church at 740 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., behind a counter in a book bag. The man said he has video showing the other man go behind the counter where his bag was. He didnt have the footage to show police. * * * A man called police asking questions about open carrying at his job. An officer told the man it is up to his company if he is allowed to have a gun on the grounds of the business. The officer also informed the man to open carry in the state of Tennessee you need an enhanced carry permit. The officer told the man to conceal carry in Tennessee without a license is legal. * * * * Police responded to a shoplifting at 2220 Hamilton Place Blvd. to back up an off-duty officer who had a suspect detained for shoplifting. The suspect was identified and was said to have stolen $446.71 worth of merchandise from Old Navy. Witnesses on scene called for an officer nearby to stop the suspect. A woman was also involved with the man. After speaking with the Old Navy manager, the merchandise was recovered and returned to Old Navy. The manager said they wanted to have the man trespassed, but they will hold off on charges for now. The man was also trespassed from all CBL properties. * * * A woman on N. Highland Park Avenue told police she couldnt park in her driveway because it was blocked by a car belonging to her neighbor. Police spoke with the neighbor and was told to park the car correctly or have it towed. The neighbor complied and moved her car. * * * Police received a call that there was a white female wearing a brown sweater and red shoes arguing with people at the Greyhound Station at 740 E. 12th St. The caller said he wanted the female off the property. Police arrived and spoke with the woman. She refused to identify herself and left. The officer made contact with the caller and told him the female had left. * * * Police responded to a broken-down vehicle near the 179.6 mile marker of I-24 eastbound. Police found a Hyundai Tucson on the inside shoulder with a man underneath the car attempting to repair it. He said he felt someone might have messed with his catalytic converter and this caused his vehicle to die. Police assisted the man with calling a tow truck and also assisted him to his residence. * * * Police responded to a suspicious person in the parking lot of Five Guys at 2100 Northpoint Blvd. The caller said the man with no shirt was walking around and throwing his arms in the air. Upon arrival, police noticed a man with no shirt standing on the corner of the Five Guys parking lot. The officer spoke with the man and identified him. He said he was talking to himself. He had no warrants and left the area. * * * A man at Patten Towers at 1 E. 11th St. told police his upstairs neighbor was trying to cut through the floor and into his closet. Police didnt see any damage to his closet. Police spoke with the resident above him and didnt see any damage to his closet. * * * A man on Meadow Stream Loop told police he was out walking his dog and saw what he thought was a toy gun. Then, when he looked closer, he realized it was real. He placed it in a bag and called dispatch. Police ran the Ruger LCP 9mm through NCIC and it didnt come back stolen or to an owner. The pistol was turned into Property. * * * A man on Shallowford Road told police his money is being taken by his ex-wife. He said she has taken his checks and places him in motels and he doesn't have enough to eat and doesn't even know if his room will be paid for. The man has made the same claim to police many times to no avail. The man cant provide proof of his claims. The officer was unable to speak with his ex-wife as the phone number given doesnt appear to work. However, from reading previous reports she denies any wrong doing. Another officer reported the situation to Adult Protective Services. This officer called them to see if they could provide any information from their investigation but they said it was confidential and would not share any information unless the officer was the officer that originally made the complaint. The officer asked the man if APS came out to talk to him and he said they had not. Due to the amount of money he is claiming is being taken, $57,000 for multiple years, the officer sent an email to a fraud investigator with a request he follow up. No other action was taken based on the lack of proof the man was able to supply. His room is paid for and he does look well fed and is in no obvious immediate danger. * * * A man at Patten Towers at 1 E. 11th St. told police his upstairs neighbor was trying to cut through the floor and into his closet. Police didnt see any damage to his closet. Police spoke with the resident above him and didnt see any damage to his closet. Eon Scents presents Take Control of Your Wellness, a wellness event for adults of the Chattanooga community. The event will offer free massages, free health screenings, yoga, mental health lectures and free wellness giveaways. "The event seeks to empower the community by providing tools and techniques on how to be intentional with their thoughts, how to manage finances and stress, and reach a rewarding level of wellness," organizers said. This free event will take place at the Chattanooga Convention Center on Nov. 12 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Featured speakers include Lexi DAmbrosio of Come as you are Art Therapy, Kevin Wren of Words with Wren, and Deborah Crutcher of Dynasty Financial Solutions. Robert Sharp will lead the yoga practice. Several local businesses will join the event to display their health and wellness products and services: wHydrate, Still Life Fitness, Vibrant Meals, the Chattery, Faster Way, Whipd by GG, the National Alliance of Mental Illness, Taupe Soap and Livin Well with Danielle. For more information and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-control-of-your-wellness-tickets-358847712167. Philip Lamar Byrd, 43, and Tamera Marie McAnnally, 32, both from Tunnel Hill, Ga., were convicted by a Catoosa County jury for the charges of possession of a firearm by convicted felon. Additionally, Byrd was convicted of DUI, disregarding a traffic control device (2 counts), and Improper driving on a divided highway, and McAnnally was convicted of obstruction. The evidence, presented over a single day trial and presided over by Superior Court Judge Brian House, showed that in the early morning hours of Jan. 30, Byrd was driving a truck on Highway 151 while towing a large boat without the proper equipment to tow a boat of its size. Byrd ran two red lights. Officer Mathias Green with the Ringgold Police Department was on routine patrol and conducted a traffic stop on Byrd as he was entering Interstate 75 via the on-ramp at exit 348. Byrd was clearly under the influence of drugs and alcohol, manifested by his dangerous driving, as well as his loud, boisterous, and bizarre behavior, District Attorney Chris Arnt said. Byrd failed standardized field sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI and traffic offenses. Byrd was initially cooperative with both Officer Green and Greens supervisor, Sergeant Joshua Van Dyke, who arrived at the traffic stop to assist. However, when Byrd was asked to exit his vehicle, he became argumentative with the officers. Byrd began yelling and arguing with officers when they advised the truck would need to be towed from the interstate entrance ramp, it was stated. Tamera McAnnally was seated in the passenger seat of Byrds truck. She, too, was initially cooperative, but refused to hand over the keys to the vehicle to officers. When Sgt. Van Dyke attempted to inform Ms. McAnnally that Byrd was arrested and the truck would be towed, she locked the doors and rolled up the windows to the truck. Sgt. Van Dyke asked her to unlock the doors to the truck multiple times and she refused. Sgt. Van Dyke was forced to make entry into the vehicle by breaking the window. Upon searching the truck, Sgt. Van Dyke located a .22 revolver that was accessible to both Byrd and Ms. McAnnally in the front seat area of the vehicle. Both were convicted felons who were legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Byrd has previous convictions for burglary, multiple cases of forgery, multiple cases of theft, and violent obstruction of law enforcement. Ms. McAnnally has a previous conviction for theft. After the verdict was returned, Judge House sentenced Ms. McAnnally to 10 years with one year to be served in the Department of Corrections. Byrd was sentenced to 10 years with four years to be served in the Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole. The state of Georgia was represented by Assistant District Attorney Deanna Reisman. DA Arnt praised the efforts of ADA Reisman in prosecuting this case and said, We have seen a significant rise across the country in illegal firearm possession and usage. While some woke politicians and prosecutors have decided the solution is passing more gun laws that impact only law abiding citizens, we have taken a different approach in the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. "We believe in actually prosecuting the laws already on the books and holding those who illegally use or possess guns accountable. If you are a convicted felon and possess a gun in our circuit you should expect to go to prison. The solution to the growing crime problem in America is to actually hold criminals accountable. Apple has finally accepted TSMC chip price increase, a report from Apple Insider (via Economic Daily News) claimed. Last week, it was reported that giant chipmaker TSMC informed Apple that it would implement a price hike for the company's chip production in 2023. According to reports, Apple refused to accept the new prices. However, in a new development, it seems that Apple has finally agreed with new price on chip production set by TSMC. Apple is Likely the First Company to Use 3-nanometer Processor for iPhone 15 According to Tech Times, the chip would potentially power the rumored iPhone 15 model lineup as well as the M3 chip of the next generation of Mac mini and MacBook. According to Apple Insider, TSMC is a major source of chips that Apple uses for its devices, particularly the iPhone. It is highly likely that Apple could be the first company to utilize the new 3-nanometer processors of TSMC. It is expected that the iPhone 15 Pro will be powered by the much-anticipated A17, equipped with the 3-nanometer chip. As of writing, it is unknown which chip will have a price increase whether it's the 3nm, or the next batch of chip production. Rumors on TSMC's plan to implement an increase first surfaced in August 2022. Eventually, the semiconductor company informed Apple that the price hike would indeed happen in 2023. Initially, it was reported that Apple refused to accept TSMC's proposal to increase its chip production prices, which is up by 6%. But now it seems that Apple changed its decision and instead decided to accept TSMC's plan to implement a price hike. Apple has agreed to the price increase that the giant chipmaker decided to impose. Read Also: TSMC Claims 'Excessive Chip Inventory' Amidst Escalating Global Chip Scarcity TSMC is Now Working on A17, Report Says According to 9to5Mac, Apple and Nvidia were already informed by TSMC of the possible price increase. The 8-inch chip wafers are expected to increase by 6 percent, while the 12-inch chip wafers will be up by 5 percent. Initially, Apple rejected the plan of the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer to increase the chip's price. But recent reports suggest that Apple is now willing to pay the additional cost. TSMC supplies chips for major Apple devices including iPhone, iPad and MacBook. The Cupertino-based tech giant is also TSMC's biggest client. Given the situation, it is actually possible for Apple to negotiate the prices of the chips with the Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer. However, due to economic downturn, it seems that the price increase is something that cannot avoided. TSMC is the maker of the 4-nanometer chip that is behind the A16 Bionic chip, which powers the more expensive iPhone 14 Pro models. According to reports, the giant chipmaker is now working on A17 Bionic chip that will be equipped by the 3-nanometer. Rumors say that the A17 will power the upcoming iPhone 15, which is expected to arrive in 2023. In addition, it is said TSMC is also working on the M3, which will power next batch of MacBooks and iPads. Related Article: Apple Analyst Says TSMC Will Start "M2 Pro" Chip Mass Production Later This Year The Gathering of the GreatsFerrari Edition returns to the Third Annual Chattanooga Motorcar Festival on Oct. 14-16. It will feature an exclusive display of rare and valuable Ferrari automobiles during Sundays Concours dElegance. This year the Gathering has been expanded, with a selection of elusive Ferrari Supercars added to the classic Ferrari display. The cars will be shown on a purpose-built display field from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16, located at the back of the Westin Chattanooga Hotel entry area. It will feature Ferraris from as early as 1952 to as late as 2003. Half of the field will consist of models that were produced in editions of 100 or fewer. Two of the Ferraris are the only examples of their kind. It is estimated that 14 of the 18 Ferraris entered in the Gathering are worth over a million dollars each. At least two of them are valued at over $10 million each. Four of the Ferraris were raced. Three were displayed at international automobile shows when they were new. A majority have participated in various prestigious Concours dElegances. The Ferrari Supercar display features four of Ferraris most exclusive modern models. They are the manufacturers halo examples, showcasing state-of-the-art technology and world-class performance. The Supercars are produced in small quantities and are allocated to Ferraris best clients. Many consider it a thrill to see a single example. Seeing the display of several could make a lifelong memory, said Steve Ahlgrim, the Ferrari curator for the Festival. Each car has a story, and on Sunday a docent tour will provide stories on several of the cars. Additionally, most owners will be around the show area and often generously share stories about their cars. You wont want to miss hearing about the mysterious construction magnate who entered his new Ferrari in a 1,000-km race on a whim and took a third in his class. The owners later disappearance after a government investigation into the source of his income is a staple of Ferrari folklore, added Mr. Ahlgrim. Not all the Ferrari activity will be on Sundays Concours field. Mid-day on Saturday, Oct. 15, a number of the Ferraris will drive from the Westin Chattanooga Hotel to the Pace Grand Prix at The Bend for a parade session. Nothing sounds like a Ferrari, and youll want to be at the track for that event, said Mr. Ahlgrim. Some of the Ferraris featured in this years Festival include: Kevin Cogan's 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Kevin Cogan's 2003 Ferrari Enzo. Bob Bodin's 1960 Ferrari 250GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta Jud Dayton's 1960 Ferrari 250GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta Competition Here is a full list of the Ferraris expected this year for the Gathering of the GreatsFerrari Edition: 1952 212 Inter Pinin Farina Cabriolet (one produced) 1953 375 America (12 produced) 1958 250 GT Drogo Coupe (one produced) 1958 250 Long-Wheelbase Tour de France (77 produced) 1959 250 GT Long-Wheelbase California Spider (41 produced) 1959 410 Superamerica (34 produced) 1960 250 GT Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta (90 produced) 1960 250 GT Short-Wheelbase Competition Berlinetta (75 produced) 1966 365 P Tre Posti (two produced) 1966 275 GTB (205 produced) 1967 330 GTC (598 produced) 1967 330 GTS (100 produced) 1971 365 GTB/4 (1284 produced) 1972 246 GT (2487 produced) 1985 288 GTO (272 produced) 1992 F40 (1311 produced) 1995 F50 (349 produced) 2003 Enzo (399 produced) Registration is open for the featured events scheduled for the 2022 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. The Canossa Fall Rally Chattanooga will be conducted on Thursday, Oct. 13, and Friday, Oct. 14, and will start both days at 8:30 a.m. from the Westin Hotel Chattanooga. Registration is open at https://canossa.com/rally/canossa-fall-rally-chattanooga/. The Concours d'Elegance is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16. Concours cars will be available for viewing on the streets of the West Village from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday. Applications to enter cars are available at https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/concours-delegance/. Applications to enter the racing events at the Pace Grand Prix at the Bend, which begin on Thursday, Oct. 13, for practice sessions, and continue on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15, for qualifying and racing events, are available at https://svra.com/events/chattanooga-motorcar-festival/. VIP tickets are now available at https://www.showclix.com/event/chattanooga-motorcar-festival. Two brand-new and dynamic videos about Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival may be viewed at: Chattanooga Focus: https://app.frame.io/presentations/06743868-1d23-4de9-b7cb-6b0c5cf84f82, and Festival Focus: https://app.frame.io/presentations/80c24eb1-6357-4c10-aa8b-46a66257e021. Information on Mecum Chattanooga 2022 may be found at https://www.mecum.com/auctions/chattanooga-2022/. Details on each event may be found at www.chattanoogamotorcar.com. Volunteers are always welcome at the Chattanooga Motorcar Festival. Volunteers may sign up at https://chattanoogamotorcar.com/volunteer/. Dayton City School, along with Athens and Meigs County Schools, were designated top schools for the 2021-22 school year, which includes the highest performing schools and districts for academic achievement and student growth. Across the state, 427 schools spanning 92 districts received designation as a Reward school, and 16 districts received designation as an Exemplary district. An Exemplary District is based on factors like achievement, growth, and attendance. Dayton City School students and staff came together to celebrate by hosting an academic pep rally to recognize the hard work and success over the last couple of years. Director Trish Newsom expressed how proud she is of the teachers, staff, students, and families. The hard work and perseverance of our school community have paid off. The last two years have been difficult, but everyone pressed forward knowing that if we worked hard, we would overcome. We did that. It is a great time to be a DCS Sweatbee. Dayton City School is proud to be recognized at the highest level as a provider of Exemplary education to our community." We did that. It is a great time to be a DCS Sweatbee. Dayton City School is proud to be recognized at the highest level as a provider of Exemplary education to our community." Each year, schools are eligible for four types of designations based on their overall performance across indicators that are essential to student success, including how the school prepared students to be proficient (Achievement), accelerated student learning (Growth), encouraged students to attend school regularly (Chronically out of School), prepared students for postsecondary success (Graduation Rate and Ready Graduate), and supported English learners acquiring language skills. Schools are recognized as a Reward school when they show high levels of performance and/or improvement in performance by meeting their annual measurable objectives across performance indicators and student groups, and the Reward school distinction places significant emphasis on improvement from the prior school year. From the 2020-21 TCAP administration, a significant number of schools saw improvement and increased participation in this years assessments to qualify for the distinction. Tennessee students, families, educators, and school communities have worked hard to overcome a variety of challenges stemming from the pandemic and I congratulate them on their efforts," said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. Our teachers and school and district leaders focus on helping students improve every day and we will continue to focus on student achievement, as well as growth, so that all students are set on a path to success. The complete list of district and school designations, including Reward schools and schools exiting Priority or Focus status, is posted on the department's Accountability webpage. In addition to recognizing Reward schools, the department also named Priority schools and Focus schools. Priority schools, also federally designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools, were the bottom five percent of the schools across state due to multiple years of low academic performance. Focus schools, which are federally designated as either Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI), are also identified based on school performance among student groups. Additional support and fundings will be provided to the identified Priority and Focus schools next school year for school improvement purposes. Fifty years after its first flight, variations and progeny of the venerable A-10 Thunderbolt are still flying. And the mechanical beast known as the Warthog will return Oct. 15-16 to the 2022 Wings Over North Georgia Air Show (WONG), where it has quickly become a crowd favorite. WONG 2022 is a homecoming of sorts as the U.S. Air Force ACC A-10 Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team includes a pilot and several crew members of the 10-person team who were born and raised near the event site in Rome, Ga.: Maj. Haden Gator Fullam of Rising Fawn, Ga., is the pilot and team commander; Staff Sgt. Robby Benson of Lawrenceville, Ga., is an EnE (electrical and environmental systems) specialist; Staff Sgt. Jacob Stephens of Buford, Ga., is the team public affairs specialist; and Senior Airman Anwar Allen of Fort Benning, Ga., is the crew chief. Maj. Fullam is responsible for operational oversight and leadership of the traveling team, including logistics, maintenance and public relations efforts. He joined the Air Force to honor his grandfathers, who were both fighter pilots during the Vietnam Conflict. Maj. Fullams brother, Jay, and sister-in-law, Erin, also serve as A-10 pilots in the U.S. Air Force. The A-10 Demonstration Team is part of the 355th Wing based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, Az. and will perform at more than 20 air shows during the 2022 season. The First A-10 took off in 1972 from what was then the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base in South Carolina. The first production aircraft were later delivered to Davis-Monthan in 1975. And full production by Fairchild Republic Co. began in 1976 at Hagerstown, Md. The A-10 is best known for the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm gatling gun mounted on the nose and the titanium armor that protects the pilot as well as weapons and flight control systems. In addition to the 30mm cannon, capable of firing 3,900 rounds per minute, the Thunderbolt II also accommodates an assortment of weapons, including general purpose bombs, cluster bomb units, laser guided bombs, joint direct attack munitions, wind corrected munitions, AGM-65 Maverick and AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, rockets and illumination flares. WONG 2022 also will feature additional military and civilian air show acts at the Russell Regional Airport in Rome. A special element is the inaugural AirShow Racing Series. The ARS offers a unique approach utilizing two racing lanes with inflatable pylons spaced approximately 600 feet apart to define the three-dimensional track for multiple heats of match-racing competition. With a pace plane in the lead, a pair of competing aircraft will approach the 4,000-foot-long course, descending below 75 feet to navigate the slalom layout. At the end of the first run, the aircraft will quickly execute a half-Cuban aerobatic maneuver turning 180 degrees to re-center over the race line for a second slalom pass. The planes will then reverse course one more time for the final sprint to the finish line located at the center of the crowd line. For a full list of performers, activities, and ticket options, airshow fans, exhibitors, vendors, and sponsors can visit the official Wings Over North Georgia air show website. A variety of ticket options will be offered for the 10th anniversary of WONG. Aviation enthusiasts can purchase advance-only premium patio club, box seating, and general admission tickets for traditional seating options. There also will be vehicle access to a drive-in, tailgate-style parking section with prime air show viewing opportunities. A four-pack of tickets for $79 is a new option for the 2022 show offering great value for the family or group of friends. Tickets for the Air Show are now available at https://www.wingsovernorthgeorgia.com/guest-information/ticket-options. Tickets must be purchased online and in advance as no tickets will be sold on the day of the air show performances. For additional show information, follow the air shows Facebook page or visit the Wings Over North Georgia website at https://www.WingsOverNorthGeorgia.com. No one likes to pay old bills, but most of us have learned thats the responsible thing to do and that the consequences for failing to do so can be severe. Similarly, stormwater investments are a generational debt Chattanooga incurred for decades of deferred maintenance to our antiquated infrastructure neglect that led to raw sewage overflowing into the Tennessee River ... (click for more) The only three things missing from the epic battle of the century was a Woa Nelly from Keith Jackson, a Touchdown Alabama by Eli Gold and the infamous Give Him Six from John Ward. I hope all three in their respective places got to see this classic for the ages. This is what makes sports, especially college football, and our country great. And let me say this I hope Roy is ... (click for more) tnAchieves has announced its inaugural class of tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame inductees to celebrate and honor mentors who consistently go above and beyond to support tnAchieves efforts in their communities. tnAchieves is recognizing 32 outstanding volunteers across Tennessee in its inaugural class.tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame inductees include educators, business professionals and community leaders from across the state. All tnAchieves mentors make an invaluable contribution to the program and local students, whether they have served for one year or 15.The individuals being inducted into the tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame have consistently answered the call to ensure students are successful and their communities are aligned in support of tnAchieves efforts."Our inaugural class supports the bold idea that all students, regardless of background or zip code, deserve the opportunity to earn a high-quality credential after high school," officials said.tnAchieves would not be where it is today without the support of these 32 difference-makers who believe in the power of education, said tnAchieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. Our inaugural tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame class could not be more deserving. Since our inception 15 years ago, these individuals have remained dedicated to students and the economic vitality of our state. On behalf of countless students, I am forever grateful for their continued support.Rebecca Ashford, a tnAchieves mentor from Hamilton County had this to say about mentoring, Continuing to serve as a mentor for tnAchieves is important to me because I remember what is was like to be a first-generation college student and to be intimidated by the idea of enrolling in college. If I can help just one student feel more confident throughout the enrollment process, then being a mentor is worth it.tnAchieves has introduced the following mentors into the Hall of Fame: Debbie Adams - Sequatchie County - 9 Years Mentored Rebecca Ashford - Hamilton County - 14 Years Mentored Janice Bettis - Sevier County - 12 Years Mentored Veenita Bisaria - Loudon County - 12 Years Mentored Randy Boyd - Knox County - 15 Years Mentored Ricky Boyd - Obion County - 9 Years Mentored Karen Bowyer - Shelby County - 11 Years Mentored John Cagle - Jefferson County - 12 Years Mentored Dan Caldwell - Rutherford County - 8 Years Mentored Owen Driskill - Knox County - 15 Years Mentored Beth Duffield - Rutherford County - 9 Years Mentored Lindsay Frilling - Obion County - 9 Years Mentored Janice Goldthreate - Shelby County - 8 Years Mentored Matthew Hunter - Hawkins County - 11 Years Mentored Shanna Jackson - Davidson County - 9 Years Mentored Tish Jones - Hamblen County - 11 Years Mentored Youlanda Jones - Lauderdale County - 5 Years Mentored Michael Laman - Anderson County - 15 Years Mentored Kelly Lancaster - Rutherford County - 8 Years Mentored Mark Luttrell - Shelby County - 8 Years Mentored Allen Lutz - Roane County - 12 Years Mentored Greg Martz - Humphreys County - 11 Years Mentored Christy Newman - Blount County - 12 Years Mentored Don Polley - Gibson County - 9 Years Mentored Mike Ragsdale - Jefferson County - 14 Years Mentored Richard Ray - Knox County - 10 Years Mentored Mischelle Simcox - Sullivan County - 8 Years Mentored Michael Torrence - Putnam County - 10 Years Mentored Kasey Vatter - Sumner County - 13 Years Mentored Cliff Wightman - Cumberland County - 9 Years Mentored Tim Williams - Knox County - 15 Years Mentored Anthony Wise - Knox County - 13 Years MentoredtnAchieves will induct mentors into the tnAchieves Mentor Hall of Fame on an annual basis. Those wishing to join tnAchieves as a mentor can visit https://www.tnAchieves.org/mentors. More than 3,500 volunteer mentors are needed with less than one month until the Oct. 21 deadline. Mentors commit just one hour per month to ensure that students have access to local support, encouragement and guidance as they navigate the college-going process. All mentors are provided training, handbook and ongoing support.tnAchieves is a privately funded scholarship and mentoring program that seeks to provide an opportunity for every Tennessee student to earn a post-secondary degree. If you have questions about the tnAchieves mentoring program, contact Tyler Ford at 309-945-3446 or tyler@tnAchieves.org. The Advocates for Bradley County team has released their State Election 2022 No Party Affiliation Required Voter's Guide for the Nov. 8 election. The voter guide will go live at noon Wednesday. The 2022 State Edition Voter's Guide will cover all elected seats that affect Bradley County. Information was sent to candidates running for election in the 2022 State Election on how to participate either by email or online survey. Each candidate has been contacted through several contact mediums to ensure that every candidate had an opportunity to present themselves to voters in the 2022 State Edition Voter's Guide. The 2022 State Edition Voter's Guide will be distributed through several different county-wide outlets and went live Wednesday. The 2022 State Edition Voter's Guide can be accessed online at https://bradleyvoterguide.com/. For more information, contact advocatesforbradley@gmail.com. The Tennessee State Veterinarian is lifting statewide poultry restrictions following the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza last month in a backyard flock in Obion County, Tn.HPAI was confirmed in a backyard flock of poultry in Obion County on Sept. 15. The disease is known to be deadly for domesticated fowl. Although the affected site remains under quarantine, movement permits are no longer required for poultry moving into or out of the control zone of 10 km (6.2 miles) surrounding the site.Poultry shows, exhibitions, and sales can now also resume statewide. However, poultry owners are reminded to maintain strong biosecurity procedures, remain vigilant and report signs of illness in their birds.The coordinated response to stop the spread of HPAI in this area worked, but we cant let our guard down, Tennessee State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha Beaty said. We are grateful to our animal health technicians, the poultry industry, backyard flock owners and our partners for working together to protect our states birds. Still, HPAI is highly transmissible and we strongly encourage poultry owners to continue doing all they can to ensure good health in their flocks.Although HPAI does not pose a food safety risk, no infected poultry are ever allowed to enter the food supply. Poultry and eggs are safe to eat when handled and cooked properly. The risk of human infection with avian influenza during poultry outbreaks is very low. In fact, no transmission to humans was reported during the outbreak that affected commercial poultry farms in Tennessee in 2017.Owners of backyard and commercial poultry flocks are encouraged to:Closely observe domesticated birds.Report a sudden increase in the number of sick birds or bird deaths to the Tennessee State Veterinarians office at 615- 837-5120 and/or USDA at 1-866-536-7593.Prevent contact with wild birds.Practice good biosecurity with your poultry. More information can be found online at healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov/.Enroll in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (www.poultryimprovement.org), the Secure Broiler Supply Plan (www.securebroilersupply.com), and the Secure Egg Supply Plan (www.secureeggsupply.com) as appropriate for your operation.Information about Tennessees response to avian influenza and resources can be found online at www.tn.gov/agriculture/businesses/animals/animal-health/avian-influenza.html. Scientists from the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute and 30 students (ninth-12 graders) from Ivy Academy will release more than 600 juvenile Lake Sturgeon into the Tennessee River by Coolidge Park on Friday beginning at 11 a.m.The Lake Sturgeon has existed since the Cretaceous Period and has remained largely unchanged, earning it the distinction as a living fossil, officials said.By the 1970s, this river giant which can reach lengths of nine feet and weigh in excess of 300 pounds had all but disappeared from the Tennessee River due to poor water quality, damming and over-fishing.Since the formation of the Lake Sturgeon Working Group in 1998, the Tennessee Aquarium, U.S.Fish and Wildlife and Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency have released more than 330,000 Lake Sturgeon into the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Many of these releases, like Fridays, are made open to the community. The students who participate in the upcoming release may be long outlived by these fish, which can live for 150 years.The Lake Sturgeon is listed as an endangered species in Tennessee. Ronald Andrew Henry, 38, formerly of 3331 Pinewood Avenue Apt B, Chattanooga, was convicted on Wednesday on two counts of child molestation and one count of public indecency. Henry was sentenced to serve a total of 38 years in prison without the possibility of parole, the maximum allowable for those offenses. Superior Court Judge Jim Wilbanks presided over the trial and sentenced Henry after the verdict was received. Jury selection had occurred on Monday and the case had been tried by the jury over the past two days. Assistant District Attorney Ben Kenemer presented the states case with assistance from the lead investigator, Sergeant Jacob Burger of the Dalton Police Department. Local attorney Jerry Moncus represented the defendant. Sergeant Burger sought arrest warrants for Henry for two separate incidents of exposing his penis to members of the public. Henry first was seen by four teenage girls on July 14, 2021 at the Dalton Mall near the Chick-Fil-A entrance. The four teenagers were able to take photographs and two short videos of their interaction with Henry. Two of the girls were underage (13 and 14). The girls called the police and Officer Richard Cook with the Dalton Police Department responded to assist. Sergeant Burger was given the case later as a member of the criminal investigations division. Burger picked up a second case on Henry after he was seen exposing himself at the Hobby Lobby two days later, on July 16. A concerned citizen followed him to a local business nearby and secured evidence from the establishment to identify the car Henry was driving. Burger made the connection to both cases through the two vehicles that Henry was driving during these two incidents. At trial, Asst. DA Kenemer called a total of nine witnesses. Henry testified on his own behalf, but did not call any other witnesses or present any evidence. During the trial, while Sergeant Burger was testifying, the defendant stood and called Burger a liar. The jury had to be sent out to the jury room while order was restored. Judge Wilbanks revoked Henrys bond and had him taken into custody but the trial was able to resume shortly thereafter. Judge Wilbanks sentenced Henry as a habitual felon under Georgia law given that he has three prior felony convictions out of the state of Tennessee. Henrys first felony conviction was for burglary of a business in 2006 followed by additional convictions for burglary and theft in 2007. Georgia law requires that upon a fourth felony conviction the Court sentence the defendant to the maximum term provided by law and that any portion of that sentenced ordered to be served in confinement must be served without the possibility of parole. Child molestation carries a maximum of 19 years in confinement followed by a mandatory one year on probation to facilitate the transition back into the community, registration as a sex offender, and so on. Judge Wilbanks could have legally probated more than one year and reduced the prison time accordingly but declined to do so. Public indecency is a misdemeanor carrying up to 12 months to serve. That time was run concurrently with the child molestation charges. The jury was composed of ten women and two men and they deliberated for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Four of the jurors remained in the courtroom once excused and were present when Judge Wilbanks handed down the sentence. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 12 is out-of-control both on-screen and off. As the drama-filled cast trip to Aspen has played out over multiple episodes on Bravo, the stars of the show most notably Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, and Kathy Hilton have been in an all-out war on social media. The latest accusation from Kyle was pointed at Lisa, claiming the former soap star has been creating and inventing things about her sister Kathy that werent true. RHOBH stars Kyle Richards and Lisa Rinna | Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Kyle Richards accuses her RHOBH co-star of creating and inventing things about her sister Rumors about season 12 started swirling at the beginning of the year when the cast was filming their Aspen trip. Thats when online chatter started to emerge claiming that Kathy called Sutton Strackes assistant a homophobic slur. According to Lisa, Kathy complained that she had to do everything around here and declared that RHOBH was my show. The Days of Our Lives alum also claimed that Kathy was telling everyone she has big deals over at NBC and everyone is protecting me. I will f***ing ruin Kyle, Kathy allegedly said, per Lisa. In a confessional, Lisa continued dragging Kathy by accusing her of being a snotty elitist who doesnt want to mess with peons like Suttons assistant. It was a barrage of, I f***ing cant believe that I have to be around you f***ing peons. I dont like them, why do I have to be with them? They need to go away. Theyre idiots, Lisa claimed Kathy said. Kyle Richards makes it clear that Lisa Rinna was lying about Kathy Hilton Fast forward more than eight months later, and Kyle took the opportunity to defend her sister on the RHOBH: After Show and clarify that the rumors Lisa had been spreading werent true. While recounting Kathys meltdown in the luxurious Colorado ski town, Kyle referenced Lisas lie. I started reading lies in the tabloids. The things online that said what my sister said were not said. It was directed towards me. Some people were saying she said something about Suttons assistant. It said something about when he was moving Suttons luggage he wasnt even in Aspen, Kyle said. She went on to note that its one thing to say what really happened. But quite another when people are creating and inventing things that her sister said, that could also be very damaging and arent actually true. Sutton Stracke confirms her assistant was never in Aspen during the RHOBH cast trip After Kyle clarified that Suttons assistant Josh wasnt on the Aspen trip clearly indicating that the homophobic slur rumor was a complete lie Sutton confirmed it. She also told a fan that the allegations of Kathy using a slur towards Josh were ridiculous. Josh, my assistanthe actually has a bigger job than that but I do like to keep him around Josh was not in Aspen. He was never there. So that can be squashed, Sutton wrote. Kathy has apologized for the nasty comments she made about her sister. But she continues to throw shade at Lisa via her Instagram Stories. Recently, she posted a clip of the infamous Amsterdam fight between Lisa and Kim Richards from RHOBH Season 5. Lisa Rinna is talking? I think she forgot about all the stuff SHE HAS DONE, read the post, complete with a teacup emoji. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills airs Wednesdays on Bravo. RELATED: Why Kathy Hilton Lived at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel For Almost a Decade The American journal Science news awards ten young scientists each year as scientists to watch. Josep Cornella, group leader at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung, is now one of them. For about one century the American magazine "Science News" has been reporting on current developments in science and technology. The magazine, published by the Society for Science, aims to inform its readers about what is going on in the world of research. Each year, the editors introduce ten young up-and-coming scientists to keep an eye on: the Scientists to Watch. This year, Josep Cornella, a junior research group leader at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung, is member of this "Top Ten" list. To find out which scientist could set the tone for the future, you need a bit of imagination, but not really a crystal ball. The editors of "Science News" collaborate with Nobel Laureates and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to compile their "Top Ten". Josep Cornella is 37 years old and comes from Spain. He has been working as a group leader at the Max-Planck-Institut fur Kohlenforschung in Mulheim since 2017. He and his team are working on sustainable synthesis, which means the targeted development of strategies to provide efficient and sustainable pathways for organic synthesis. To achieve this goal, the group is primarily looking into non-toxic materials that are common on Earth and easily accessible. Josep Cornella is very pleased about the Science News award. "However, prizes are always a recognition of scientific work done by a whole group of people, not just one person," he emphasizes. Being awarded a prize is always an honor, he says. Butfor a researchers career it is important that science should speak for itself. Cornella considers the work of Science News and other science magazines as crucial. "These journals aim to bring science to the general public," he says. Especially when it comes to chemistry, it is important to explain well and get as many people as possible interested in this fundamental science. A journal like Science News, he says, allows chemists to gain visibility among all the other disciplines that people may initially be more interested in. In his young career, Cornella has already received many awards, including funding from an ERC Starting Grant and the Bayer Early Excellence in Science Award. Most recently, he received Organometallics' 2022 Distinguished Author Award. The city of Mulheim an der Ruhr honored the chemist with the Ruhr Prize for Art and Science in 2020. Shelley Davis-Limore accepts the Friend of NAFIS Award for her late husband Jeff Limore. NAFIS Board Member Voyd St. Pierre, left, Shelley Davis-Limore, NAFIS School Board Liason Bryan Gallup, NAFIS Board Member and Briggs Superintendent Stephen Haynes took part in the award ceremony. Historically speaking, theological debates over the Trinity have been a major factor in the denominational breakdown of the church. Moreover, the extent to which these debates have influencedand continue to influenceour individual conceptions of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit cannot be overstated. Take, for instance, the Filioquethe notion that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, as the Nicene Creed has it. The Filioque has been debated for over 1,400 years, heavily contributing to the churchs 1054 split into the Latin West (Catholicism) and the Greek-Byzantine East (Orthodoxy). As those who reject the Filioque often argue, if the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, then the Fathers unique role in the Trinity is undermined and the Spirit is made subordinate. Those in favor may retort: If the Spirit proceeds from only the Father, the Sons divinity and salvific work are threatened. In short, acceptance or rejection of the Filioque affects how we define and distinguish the divine personsand how we worship them, too. This is true of the many other Trinitarian issues as well. And so, wrestling with how and why we think what we think about the Father, Son, and Spirithow they relate, work, and reveal themselves to usis an essential task. This task requires serious biblical, historical, and theological investigation. Theologian D. Glenn Butners Trinitarian Dogmatics, an introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity, is a roadmap for just that. His approach to the Filioque is like that of the many other Trinitarian topics he tacklesecumenical, fair, and nuanced. He distinguishes between hills to die on and hills to build bridges to, demonstrating why all of these subjects are ripe for critical conversation and reflection. Interior to exterior Unlike many introductions to the Trinity, which are organized according to historical or biblical topics, Butners approach is systematic. In other words, he moves from one conceptor dogmatic locusto another, each building on the previous. In so doing, the reader is encouraged to study the book from start to finish. The interdependence of its form befits the truths it seeks to illuminate because, ultimately, no aspect of the Trinity can be grasped in isolation. For instance, skipping to chapter 7, which covers Inseparable Operations, or how the divine persons act in concert, will make no sense without a firm grasp of perichoresis (how each person dwells fully within the others), dealt with in chapter 5. To productively wrestle with the divine persons mode of operating, one must first attend to the nature of their interrelation. This kind of reasoning informs the structure of Butners book. Beginning with the doctrine of consubstantiality (which affirms that Father, Son, and Spirit share the same substance), and working through chapters on such themes as divine processions, relations, and operations, Butners topical progression culminates with a discussion on how we commune with the Trinity. While the first five chapters deal with Gods inner life, the last three pertain to how he works and reveals himself in the world. The book flows from interior to exterior, blooming out of the folds of Gods inner life and tracing their intersection with the Christian life. The first five chapters allude to the connections between Trinitarian dogmas and specific matters of worship and spirituality. For example, at the end of the first chapter, Consubstantiality, Butner challenges the prevailing method of Sunday worship, which often directs prayers, hymns, liturgy, and rites to only one person of the Trinity, a practice he deems a tacit rejection of the consubstantiality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When we worship the Father, we ought to acknowledge that we are simultaneously worshiping the Son and Spirit too. Article continues below Also, when discussing perichoresis, Butner argues that it reveals the fundamentally trinitarian shape of salvation. Because we are not equals with Christ, our union with him is not the same as the Trinitys inner relation. But the latter still gives shape to the former. In being unified with Christ, Butner writes, Christians in some sense share in the life of the Trinity, a fact that underscores the importance of wrestling with the inner life of God. Dialogue across history Organizing concepts systematically allows Butner to create dialogue across history. He does not discriminate based on his own affiliations or leanings but converses with theologians spanning eras and traditions, drawing on the best of each to construct comprehensive analyses. For example, Butner develops a robust understanding of the Trinitys inseparable operations by dialoguing with church fathers (Tertullian, Gregory of Nyssa), Medieval thinkers (Aquinas, Bonaventure), and contemporary theologians (Catherine LaCugna, Adonis Vidu), to cite just a few examples. By doing so, he substantiates his claim that the work is intended to be in service of the important goal of Christian unity. To this end, Butner strategically incorporates voices from cultural locations different than his own. However, he does not engage in tokenism (as is all too common in academic settings). Rather, he acknowledges that there is no universal, singular voice of Hispanic women, of African Christians, or of the poor. And so, he brings in theologians to speak on their varying cultures when relevant and helpful. This is seen in his treatment of the divine missions of the Son and Spirit. Butner explains the situation Kenyan theologian James Henry Owino Kombo identified in African contexts, where many who first hear of the Trinity assume the Son and Spirit are somehow lesser deities. Kombos proposed solution is elevating the language of Son and Spirit in ways that overtly express their singularity with God the Father. Doing so, Butner acknowledges, would provoke a kind of cultural shock befitting the magnitude of this mystery. According to Butner, this kind of cultural shock is needed in wrestling with the divine missions. The missions of the Son and Spirit are not fundamentally lesser than the work of the Father. Instead, writes Butner, the divine missions are the fullness of the infinite and simple God made manifest in the persons of the Son and Spirit within the finite world. This paradox is supposed to be shocking and strange to our time-bound minds. Butners work is richly sourced not only by a plethora and diversity of theologians, but also in its interaction with the Scriptures. He identifies two principles basic to his theological method: the inspiration principlethat Scripture participates in Gods knowledge by inspiration; and the canonical principlethat it alone is fully normative in theology. Because of the high premium he places on Scripture, Butner draws on the entire canon throughout. Butner agrees with Karl Barth that God is the revealer of his own revelation, but he argues that this self-revelation didnt begin with the life of Christ. Rather, it has been happening since the dawn of time, and comprehending its culmination in Christ requires the context of the Old Testament. Because of this presupposition, Butner consistently finds support for Trinitarian doctrine in Old Testament history, poetry, and prophecy. Article continues below Sanctifying and strenuous Butners approach is dialectical in two senses: He is constantly dialoguing with opposing views, and he alternates between discussing Gods threeness and his oneness throughout. Regarding the first sense, Butner is always working through wrong answers to arrive at orthodox ones. This approach is important because, as Carl Trueman notes, Heresy is usually quite sophisticated, actually has a meaning, and is to be taken very seriously. To take heresy seriously is to take orthodoxy seriously. The two are in constant conversation, and to comprehend either requires engaging both. Butner does this well. Regarding the second sense, while other introductions to the Trinity treat the Father, Son, and Spirit in separate chapters, Butner always deals with them together, highlighting either their plurality or unity (or both). He moves, for instance, from discussing consubstantiality (oneness) to processions (threeness), from simplicity (oneness) to persons and relations (threeness)and so on. Perhaps the greatest challenge in discussing the Trinity is emphasizing Gods threeness and oneness simultaneously. By alternating between the two, Butner addresses this challenge effectively. One of the most impressive things about this introduction may also prove an obstacleits relative brevity. This book is compact. While this makes reading it far less intimidating, the sheer density of its contents may overwhelm or befuddle. Butner moves along at a very brisk pace. Giving the contents some breathing room, so to speak, would create space for more robust illustrations of how the Trinity intersects with practical liturgical and spiritual matters. Butner certainly points to these intersections throughout the book, notably in the final chapter, but more sustained attention would be welcome. Trinitarian Dogmatics is instructive not only for theology but for worship too. Reading it is a sanctifying and strenuous exercise, providing space to wrestle with the deep Trinitarian mysteries and our limitations in comprehending them. Though it is written with the nonspecialist in mind, specialists will find it a useful resource too, as it is by no means nontechnical. This work will prove a gift to the academy and the church, promoting stronger ecumenical dialogue and more reverent worship of our God who ismysteriously, magnificentlythree in one. Noah R. Karger is an MDiv student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and research assistant at the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Planned Parenthood's RV abortion clinic at Illinois border raises safety concerns, pro-lifers say Pro-life activists say Planned Parenthood's plans to deploy a mobile abortion clinic at the Illinois border to serve women from neighboring states where abortion is banned or restricted raises safety and ethics concerns. As The Associated Press reported Monday, the nation's largest abortion provider announced its intention to establish a mobile abortion clinic that will operate in Illinois and travel near the state's borders with Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. All three states have implemented near-total bans on abortion following the U.S. Supreme Court's June 24 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which found that the U.S. Constitution doesn't contain a right to abortion. The Dobbs decision gave states the authority to regulate abortion, reversing the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Illinois, unlike many of its neighboring states, is one of the 16 states that has codified the right to abortion into state law. The RV that will serve as the mobile clinic is 37 feet long and will include two exam rooms, a lab and a waiting room. The mobile clinic plans to offer chemical abortions up to 11 weeks gestation and begin conducting surgical abortions after the first few months. Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, told the AP that the RV is expected to arrive by the end of the month and be operational by the end of the year. According to Rodriguez, wait times at her abortion facility along the Missouri-Illinois border have gone from an average of four days to two and a half weeks since the court's ruling. The clinic, located in Fairview Heights, Illinois, has reportedly seen a 30% increase in abortion patients, with the number of women from outside Missouri and Illinois increasing by more than 340%. Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood's St. Louis office, described the mobile abortion clinic as "a way to reduce travel times and distances in order to meet patients at the Illinois border." Planned Parenthood did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. In their interview with AP, McNicholas and Rodriguez declined to discuss safety and security measures for the mobile clinics, which some pro-lifers find revealing. "If they don't feel confident in expressing the safety and reliability of this option, then why should women feel comfortable going to them for such intimate medical help?" asked Emma Waters, a research associate in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. In an interview with CP, Waters questioned what these mobile clinics will do if a woman experiences complications after taking the abortion pill, but the RV has moved to another location by the time the woman realizes something is wrong. "So you're giving something to women in a state where it's legal, technically, but then you're sending them back to a place where they're not going to know the adequate resources they need should something go wrong, and there's a high likelihood that something can go wrong," Waters said. The research associate voiced concerns about whether the mobile abortion clinics can screen women for ectopic pregnancies or other pregnancy complications before administering the abortion pill. "Chemical abortions are four times more dangerous than surgical abortions," she asserted, likely referring to a 2015 study titled "Incidence of Emergency Room Department Visits and Complications After Abortion." The study used data from 2009 and 2010 to assess the abortion complication rate for California women who had abortions through Medicaid and those treated at the emergency room instead of the clinic. Researchers found that the complication rate was 5.2% for women who took the abortion pill compared to 1.3% for women who had a first-trimester surgical abortion. The major complication rate for the abortion pill was .31% in contrast to .16% for first-trimester surgical abortions. "So not only are these chop shops on wheels traveling close to state lines and trying to intercept vulnerable and scared women, but they're also administering a form of abortion that is far more dangerous than the traditional form," Waters said. She contends that Planned Parenthood is "taking abortion on demand to a whole new level." "This is dehumanizing for women and for the preborn children whose lives they're taking," she stated. "It's a complete disrespect for the laws and the convictions of other states who have voted to protect life in the womb." Waters says there seems to be a double standard when it comes to abortion, suggesting that no parent would condone their daughter undergoing a dental procedure or an ovarian cyst removal in an RV. "It doesn't seem like a legitimate medical option to practice something so intimate and so vulnerable as an abortion in an RV," Waters said. "There's something unsettling about such a transient, largely low-tech option that just feels very sleazy and wrong." Andrea Trudden, vice president of communications and marketing for Heartbeat International, one of the largest networks of pregnancy resource centers worldwide, expressed similar concerns. In a Tuesday statement to CP, she accused the abortion organization of putting profit over women's safety. "In essence, Planned Parenthood's mobile unit can now enter a community, provide chemical and surgical abortions, and simply drive away, leaving patients alone to deal with the recovery and any complications that may arise," she wrote. "How is that 'care'?" "Every woman deserves compassion when facing an unexpected pregnancy," Trudden proclaimed. "Women do not need abortion to lead a fulfilling life." Trudden stressed that crisis pregnancy organizations like hers "provide real care and support as women navigate a very difficult time." Earlier this month, Planned Parenthood released its 2020-2021 annual report, showing that the organization's affiliates conducted 383,460 abortions in the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2021. The figure is an 8% increase from the 354,871 abortions documented in its 2019-2020 report. In addition, Planned Parenthood reported receiving over $633 million in "Government Health Services Reimbursements & Grants" that same year. This figure constitutes more than a third of Planned Parenthood's total revenue. News anchor fired after gathering petition signatures for pro-life initiative A Nebraska news station says it fired a news director who collected signatures for a pro-life ballot initiative because her actions violated the company's policy of journalistic impartiality and raised questions about her ability to cover the abortion issue without bias. Melanie Standiford, the former news director and co-anchor at KNOP-TV in North Platte, worked for the company for five years before her termination last week. She gathered signatures for an initiative seeking to outlaw abortion in her hometown. The news station terminated Standiford on the same day The Flatwater Free Press reported on her efforts to gather signatures in Curtis. The petition calls for a vote in November to determine if the city will become a sanctuary for the unborn. KNOP confirmed in a statement to The Christian Post that Standiford's employment concluded on Friday, remarking that the company wishes her well in her future endeavors. "Separately, KNOP can confirm that our long-standing company policy encourages civic involvement among our employees, so long as such activities do not give the appearance of interfering with journalistic impartiality," the statement reads. "In furtherance of that qualification, KNOP's news personnel are not permitted, at any time and regardless of beliefs, to actively engage in any political activity for any candidate, party, or ballot initiative." As The North Platte Bulletin reported on Monday, a news director for the company, speaking on behalf of the general manager, informed Standiford that her involvement with the petition makes it difficult for her to operate as a neutral source on the issue. Standiford said in a Wednesday statement to CP that the news station was not clear that the company's policy extended to gathering signatures from "like-minded Christians." She also claimed that she did not do any reporting on her attempt to gather signatures for the ballot initiative. "This was my church and with the people in my community that I know personally and on my own time," Standiford wrote. The former news director shared the petition with her church in early August, collecting a total of 47 combined signatures from the congregation and another church based in Curtis, according to Bulletin. Before The Free Press report, Standiford says the company never found fault with her reporting on the abortion issue. She is consulting with an attorney, arguing that she has the right to uphold her values outside the workplace. On Monday, a group of people protested across the street from KNOP's office, holding signs bearing slogans such as "#I Stand with Standiford." Curtis is among six other towns expected to vote this year on whether to outlaw abortion within city limits: Arnold, Brady, Curtis, Hershey, Paxon and Wallace. The sanctuary city ordinance defines abortion as "the act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means with the intent to cause the death of an unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant." The penalty for violating the ordinance is a $500 fine. However, the ordinance clarifies that it would not forbid medical treatment to preserve the mother's life or remove a dead fetus, as these actions are not considered abortions. With the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June again giving states the authority to determine abortion laws, the ability to enforce the ordinance will likely be a matter of state law, according to The Free Press. Anthony Schutz, a law professor at the University of Nebraska College of Law, believes there could be a conflict with the state's abortion law even if local governments have some authority to enforce the ordinances. Planned Parenthood's former research arm, the Guttmacher Institute, reports that Nebraska allows abortions up to 20 weeks gestation, allowing for later abortions in life-of-the-mother cases. "The one thing I think is relatively clear is that cities have no authority to regulate this sort of thing under Nebraska law," Schutz said in a statement to The Free Press. The Nebraska legislature will have to authorize cities to enforce the ordinance before they have the power to regulate abortion. Last year, Lubbock, Texas, became the most populous sanctuary city for the unborn in the U.S. after residents voted to outlaw abortion within the city limits. Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the city in May 2021, two weeks after 62.5% of the city's 250,000 residents voted in favor of the referendum. Earlier this year, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Surgical Health Services filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the city. The motion to dismiss came several months after a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division, upheld the ban. Texas megachurch repents for not involving women in decision-making after abuse of 14 girls by ex-pastor The 15-member, all-male elder board of Denton Bible Church in Denton, Texas, has admitted that they failed to prevent the sexual abuse of at least 14 girls by a former youth pastor, didn't involve women leaders when evaluating abuse allegations and failed to provide adequate care for the victims. "Our church culture lacked involvement of women in decision-making processes related to the abuse of these girls. Further, in almost all meetings with the victims, no women were present, which was inappropriate," said board chair Curtis Elder and Senior Pastor Tommy Nelson in a May letter to the congregation first published by Fox 4 on Tuesday. Robert Shiflet, 51, the former Denton Bible youth pastor, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison in June 2021 for child sex trafficking charges, The Denton Record-Chronicle reported. He is set to be released in 2023 but is expected to remain under federal supervision for the rest of his life. The May letter included the findings of an independent investigation conducted by Scott Fredericks, a third-party investigator and lawyer with the law firm Cantey Hanger LLP. Fredericks was hired by the church in 2019 after it became aware of a federal investigation into Shiflet. Shiflet was arrested and indicted in June 2020. The investigation revealed how the church failed to act appropriately even when Shiflet was reported to be acting inappropriately with young girls supposed to be under his pastoral care. "In total, the investigators found credible accounts that at least 14 girls were victims of Shiflet's abuse: 11 at Denton Bible and 3 at Fellowship Bible. The misconduct described in these accounts was characterized by everything from grooming behavior and sexual harassment to criminal sexual abuse, abuse of power, and spiritual abuse," the elders said. "Equally troubling, was the consistent accounts that Denton Bible did not shepherd and care for the victims after they showed great courage coming forward." The investigation concluded that Denton Bible Church leaders failed to protect the victims from Shiflet and failed to provide a victim-centered response to his abuse. Additionally, the church leaders' failures were exacerbated by not involving women in decision-making. Shiflet began volunteering in youth ministry at the megachurch in 1993 and was hired to work with middle school students from 1996 to 2001. During that time, the church paid for Shiflet to attend seminary school. According to the investigation, the married youth pastor was observed "regularly spending time alone with girls in his ministry, including before and after school, in his office, in his vehicle, in his home, and in a hotel room." "On at least one known occasion two youth workers confronted Shiflet about his being alone with girls, which he dismissed. They also raised concern with church leadership, including Pastor Nelson, about Shiflet's being one-on-one with girls. Shiflet's supervisor was told by Pastor Nelson that Shiflet should not be meeting alone with girls," reads the letter. However, "there was no evidence that any other corrective or disciplinary action was taken." Shiflet was also witnessed "wrestling with a girl, counseling a girl sitting on his lap, pulling girls over his body while caving in a small tunnel, and otherwise interacting with middle school girls in ways that made the observers feel uncomfortable." Still, according to the investigator, Shiflet was able to cultivate such a high degree of trust with parents, church leaders and other gatekeepers that he got permission from parents to "spend time alone with their daughters." In 1999, a college intern also reported Shiflet's inappropriate behavior, and church leadership told him to write the intern a letter of apology, which was reportedly never delivered. No further disciplinary action was reportedly taken against him. When Shiflet sought a promotion at the church in 2001 to become the high school pastor, the church said he was not given the position "because of his pattern of being alone with girls and not focusing enough on ministering to the boys in his youth group." In the summer of that year, Shiflet left Denton Bible Church to become the youth pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. He quickly got himself in trouble. "On at least three occasions in Arkansas, Shiflet was seen alone with girls, reportedly touched one girl's thigh, and kissed another. When the last incident was reported to the church in 2003, Shiflet was fired," the elders wrote. "However, it was in Little Rock that the second crime for which Shiflet pled guilty occurred. Specifically, Shiflet admitted that he sexually assaulted, by sexual touch and intercourse, a 16-year-old girl in his youth group on multiple occasions over several years, including during a church trip to Florida." After he was fired in Arkansas, Shiflet went back to Denton and was invited to speak at the church. Once the church leaders learned that Shiflet was fired from Fellowship Bible Church "for violating policies pertaining to being alone with girls, Denton Bible no longer allowed Shiflet to volunteer or teach in any capacity at the church." The investigation showed credible accounts that Shiflet continued the sexual abuse of at least one girl from Arkansas while he was in Denton. By 2005, the church reported that a 19-year-old girl who had been in Shiflet's youth group at Denton Bible Church disclosed to a church counselor that Shiflet started grooming her when she was 13 to 14 years old. "The girl connected the counselor with another girl who had been in Shiflet's youth group in Arkansas. That girl disclosed the sexual abuse Shiflet had committed against her over the course of years. The friend to whom the counselor was introduced was afraid and embarrassed and expressed her desire that the information she shared in that meeting not be discussed with anyone," the elders reported. Since Texas law did not yet mandate the reporting of abuse by clergy, the elders stated that no official report was made to authorities at that time. However, church leaders confronted Shiflet, who admitted his sexual abuse of the girls. The Denton elders responded by revoking his ordination in September 2005. "In the months and years following, Denton Bible leaders alerted several other organizations of Shiflet's known actions including the area church his family was attending and the school where Shiflet had begun working. However, Denton Bible made no effort to shepherd or care for the girls after they came forward," the elders admitted. In 2015, another of Shiflet's former middle school students at Denton Bible reported to the church and police that he sexually abused her. The church responded by confronting Shiflet but offered no care to the victim. It wasn't until the parents of the first victim who came forward in 2005 approached Denton Bible leadership in 2019 and asked for help caring for their daughter, who was then in her 30s, that the church decided to reach out to the police. "Recognizing the change in the law and finding no record that a report to authorities had been made, church leaders reported what they knew to authorities and hired the independent investigators. However, Denton Bible did not consistently follow-up with the family or offer care to the victim. As a result the family left Denton Bible," the elder report states. Denton Bible Church leaders reported they later discovered that several of Shiflet's victims reported him to federal authorities in Arkansas earlier in 2019. They claimed that when they learned about Shiflet's abuse, they were not prepared to recognize abuse and were "ill-equipped" to investigate. "Twenty years ago, we were not prepared to recognize the warning signs of grooming behavior. Even though reports were made of inappropriate behavior by Shiflet, we did not understand the way predators groom their victims and gatekeepers," the elders wrote. "While Shiflet created his own ministry policies for his team and department, including a prohibition against being alone with children, he did not personally follow those protocols himself, nor was he held accountable for violating them. Furthermore, we did not have a system in place to appropriately investigate allegations into Shiflet's misconduct when victims came forward," they explained. "While we attempted to internally examine what happened years later, our Elder Board and counseling department were ill-equipped to lead an investigation into any sexual misconduct allegations during Shiflet's time at Denton Bible." The elders also admitted to prioritizing "grace and forgiveness toward Shiflet over care for his victims and failed to call out his crimes of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of power and spiritual abuse." Investigators also found that even among church members, there was a culture that seemed to protect the institution from criticism. "The investigators talked to many who described an 'us vs. them' mentality toward those outside of our active church membership. This mindset caused us not to really see or provide care for victims and families that were no longer part of our church community," the elders noted. "The investigators also found that people within our church were afraid to raise concerns or even participate in the investigation, because of a feeling that it would be seen and treated as disloyalty." Elders contend they were left broken by the report and are doing everything possible to change the culture that allowed the abuse. "We were and continue to be overwhelmed with grief for the harm our church allowed to happen to young women entrusted to our care. We were taken aback by our failures to not only prevent the harm but to also assist victims in the healing process," the letter reads. "While no amount of words can bring true healing to the victims, we feel a responsibility before the Lord to say to them and their families, 'We are exceedingly sorry.' These things should not have happened. And even after we were made aware of the abuse, we did not respond in the victim-centered manner befitting a church led by Jesus. For that, we lament." Police referred Don Spike, a well-known K-pop composer and TV celebrity, to the prosecution on Wednesday on charges of purchasing and using methamphetamine on multiple occasions this year, officials said. The 45-year-old, whose real name is Kim Min-su, was apprehended at a hotel in southern Seoul last week on charges that he had purchased methamphetamine with an accomplice on a total of eight occasions since December and used them at hotels in Seoul with two women on three occasions since April. Police confiscated 30 grams of methamphetamine, an amount equal to about 1,000 doses, at the time of his apprehension and he subsequently tested positive for meth, according to police officials. Don Spike was also accused of repeatedly using the drug alone at hotels and vehicles and purchasing methamphetamine via the Telegram messenger. The Seoul Nowon Police Station on Wednesday referred Don Spike to the prosecution for further investigation and potential indictment and transferred the man, who has been in police custody, to the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors Office. Don Spike debuted as a keyboard player for the group Position in 1996 and is famous for participating in the production of EXO's "Miracles in December" (2013) and Super Junior's "Islands" (2014). (Yonhap) Christian converts in Uganda beaten, flogged by Muslims in separate attacks; woman left unable to walk NAIROBI, Kenya Muslims in Uganda upset with a father of four for converting to Christianity beat him and destroyed his home, and a week later a 52-year-old convert in a neighboring district also suffered injuries that left her unable to walk, sources said. In Bulumba Sub-County, Kaliro District, 38-year-old Musa Wabwire was praying in his home on Sept. 9 when relatives and other Muslims arrived, he said. Noting his absence at Friday prayers, the mosque leader had sent an assistant who had secretly recorded video of Wabwire listening to a Christian radio program, Wabwire said. After hearing it, they all got annoyed and flooded into my home and asked me many questions, which I failed to answer, said Wabwire, who had secretly put his faith in Christ while serving as treasurer for the mosque. I only told them to take their money box, and that I be left with Christ, who was enough for me. They became so angry and started beating me up while shouting, Kafir, Kafir [infidel]! When he declined to renounce Christ, they flogged him 40 lashes with sticks, he said. Wabwires older brother, an imam in a nearby village, ordered the destruction of his crops and his living quarters on the homestead, he said. My belongings were thrown out in the rain and got all wet, Wabwire said. My brothers said that I should not be killed but instead leave the homestead. With his wife out of town visiting her ill mother, Wabwire left with some of his children, who had returned home by then, he said. He, his wife and children, ages 12, 10, 8 and 5, have taken refuge at a location undisclosed for security reasons. Mother attacked In neighboring Kibuku District, Muslims in Bwikomba village attacked Shadia Namuzungu on Sept. 16, two days after she put her faith in Christ. The 52-year-old mother had attended an evangelistic event on Sept. 14 in Kituti village, she said. I had been suffering from acute stomach pains for more than three years, Namuzungu told Morning Star News. I was prayed for, and the pain disappeared. After the meeting, I decided to see the pastor. He led her to faith in Christ, and she left with great joy and peace, Namuzungu said from her hospital bed. The imam from her mosque, Kaire Jamada, had seen her go forward for prayer at the evangelistic event, and he and other Muslims went to her home on Sept. 15, she said. When the mosque leader questioned her about receiving prayer from the pastor, she told him she had received miraculous healing from Christ after a long illness and so had decided to follow Him. The imam was left in disbelief and left without uttering a word, Namuzungu told Morning Star News. But the following day, he returned with six other Muslims. Four of them started to destroy my crops, killed my sheep and began to pull down my house. Two of the Muslims beat her with sticks and kicked and slapped her, she said. They left when neighbors who heard her cries arrived. Shadia started to faint, said a Christian neighbor who arrived and took her to a medical clinic. She had deep injuries on her back, both hands, stomach, legs and had swollen eyes. He added that after several days in the hospital, she was still unable to walk. The attacks were the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented. Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12% of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country. Why the Left can't successfully reproduce over the generations Any ideology that cannot successfully reproduce over the course of several generations is doomed to fail. Put another way, any ideology that must rely on indoctrination more than (biological) reproduction cannot succeed in the long term. What does this imply for the future of leftwing secularism? My thesis here is simple. On average, religious people have more children than non-religious people, and since religious people tend to lean right and non-religious people tend to lean left, there will be a long-term decline in the left-leaning base. Thus, according to, The Future of Secularism: a Biologically Informed Theory Supplemented with Cross-Cultural Evidence, published in the journal of Evolutionary Psychological Science in 2017, Overall, religious people out-reproduce secularists. Consequently, the proportion of secularists in most if not all countries will decline noticeably. More specifically, the report suggested that, Atheism may be doomed because adherents use contraception more, while religious people tend to have higher rates of reproduction, a new study suggests. Not surprisingly, as noted by Prof. Ryan P. Burge, In 2018, 77.3% [of American atheist voters] identified as Democrats, 11.7% were independents, and 10.9% were Republicans. Whatever the reason may be, atheists have less children, on average, than religious believers, and atheists lean left in their ideologies and voting patterns. In fact, already in 2014, Kurt Schlichter wrote that, Democrats are waging war on the faithful and are even comfortable booing God on national TV. Give it three more presidential election cycles and the Democrat Partys platform will be expressly antireligious. Just two years later, Michelle Boorstein penned an article for the Washington Post titled, Meet the Nones, the Democratic Partys biggest faith constituency. (The nones refers to people who identify with no formal religious affiliation.) So, the Democratic Partys biggest faith constituency is actually the group that claims no specific religious faith. But of course! And I would expect that, over time, the nones will have less kids, on average, than people of deep religious faith. Even more obviously, it is self-evident that abortion supporters will have less children, on average, than pro-lifers. The former also lean left; the latter lean right. Are you seeing a pattern here? Its the same with homosexual couples. They might be deeply devoted to each other. They might love each other as much as heterosexual couples do. They might love children, too. But since they cannot reproduce through sexual intimacy, it is much more difficult for them to become parents, having to rely on adoption or some artificial means of reproduction, also requiring the involvement of outside parties. In stark contrast, children are the natural product of the most intimate act of love between two human beings, provided they are heterosexual. So, love directly begets children in a marriage as created by God. But same-sex marriages violate Gods order and therefore, no matter now loving, cannot reproduce biologically by love. And which way do LGBTQ+ voters lean? According to a 2020 UCLA study, Nearly nine million LGBT adults are registered and eligible to vote in the 2020 general election. Half of registered LGBT voters (50%) are Democrats, 15% are Republicans, 22% are Independents, and 13% said they identify with another party or did not know with which party they most identify. Consider also this very interesting situation in Europe, where birth rates continue to decline at perilous rates. As argued on the Gatestone Institute website in 2017 by Giuolo Meotti, As Europe's leaders have no children, they seem have no reason to worry about the future of their continent. Or, to quote Douglas Murray, Europe today has little desire to reproduce itself, fight for itself or even take its own side in an argument. To quote Meotti at length, There have never been so many childless politicians leading Europe as today. They are modern, open minded and multicultural and they know that everything finishes with them. In the short term, being childless is a relief since it means no spending for families, no sacrifices and that no one complains about the future consequences. As in a research report financed by the European Union: No kids, no problem!. Being a mother or a father, however, means that you have a very real stake in the future of the country you lead. Europe's most important leaders leave no children behind. Europe's most important leaders are all childless: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the French presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron. The list continues with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. (For similar observations, see here and here and here.) Seeking to rebut this, the EU vs Disinfo website rejected the idea that, THE EUROPEAN LEADERS DON'T HAVE CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT WORLD'S FUTURE. But that is to turn things upside down. Rather, the argument is that leaders without children will not be thinking about future generations in the same way that leaders with children will. This makes perfect sense. And it takes an overtly anti-religious mindset, like that of Communist China, to devise the one-child per family policy ostensibly out of concern for future generations. Talk about an incredibly misguided calculation. Yet there is a bright side to all this. Not only are people of faith reproducing, but many countries are waking up to the weakness of leftist ideologies, most recently in Italy, where the election of Giorgia Meloni has stirred up a firestorm of leftist criticism. As noted by Ed Morrissey on HotAir, Voters in yet another EU nation turned away from the leftward tilt of Brussels and more toward self-determination. Italy has elected its first right-wing coalition government in decades and will almost certainly have its first female prime minister. Giorgia Meloni led her Brothers of Italy into a dominant role in the coalition, as both CNN and Reuters describe this as the most right-wing government since World War II ... As for Meloni, she proudly identifies as an Italian. And as a Christian. And as a woman. And as a mother. Regarding the whole point of this article, she summed things up perfectly in a speech at the World Congress of Families in 2019: Why is the family an enemy? Why is the family so frightening? There is a single answer to all these questions. Because it defines us. Because it is our identity. Because everything that defines us is now an enemy for those who would like us to no longer have an identity and to simply be perfect consumer slaves. Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Price Henderson Gwynn, former PCUSA general assembly moderator and WWII veteran, dies at 99 Price Henderson Gwynn, a World War II veteran and former moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly, has died at age 99. Gwynn, a layman who held multiple leadership positions in PCUSA, died a couple months before his 100th birthday at Sharon Towers in Charlotte, North Carolina, last Wednesday. A memorial service is scheduled to be held at the congregation he belonged to, Steele Creek Presbyterian Church of Charlotte, on Saturday afternoon. Born in Reidsville, North Carolina, on Dec. 16, 1922, Gwynn was a student at the Mount Herman School of Massachusetts and the North Carolina-based Davidson College. World War II interrupted his college years, explained Davidson on their In Memoriam site. Price served his country in the Pacific Theater of Operations with both the U.S. Army Infantry and Corps of Engineers and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. Gwynn became a businessman, having served as president of the Package Products Company, the president of Engraph, Inc. and the vice president of Lance, Inc. He also served as a trustee of Presbyterian Hospital and Presbyterian Health Services Corporation, which included six years as chairman, as well as a trustee of Davidson College. Additionally, Gwynn was chairman of the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, a trustee of St. Andrews Presbyterian College and a trustee of Union Theological Seminary of Richmond, Virginia. In 1990, Gwynn served as moderator for the 202nd PCUSA General Assembly in Salt Lake City, Utah, having been elected to the position with 53% of the vote, according to a piece published by The Washington Post at the time. In those days, PCUSA was dealing with increasing debate over whether to allow the ordination of openly gay individuals, which Gwynn himself had expressed opposition to. During his nomination speech, Gwynn sought to bring common ground among PCUSA delegates, emphasizing the need for competent and active Church leadership. The question I'm asked is, do we have our act together up here, stated Gwynn, as quoted by The Washington Post. Can we put aside our differences to get our act together in the world? Although his father was a preacher, Gwynn was not a clergyman and had to convince Church leadership to cut down on his schedule so he could have more time to prepare for his role. I just cant go out of here like a shot out of the cannon and start right now. Because it hadnt been my bag, Gwynn explained in a 1998 interview reposted by the Office of the General Assembly. Never done that before. So, they reluctantly agreed and we pared the schedule down so I could spend some time studying. One of the problems with a layperson out of the business realm is that youre immediately inundated with a schedule that is horrendous to look at. A layperson simply doesnt have a barrel of award-winning sermons back in the closet that you can dip into. Theyre all original. Gwynn leaves behind three sons, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Katherine, his wife of 68 years, who died in 2012. Megachurch pastor urges Christians to avoid a Judas-type syndrome A Texas megachurch pastor urged his congregation to avoid the "modern-day betrayal" of Jesus and warned against falling into what he called the trap of "different degrees" of "Judas-type syndrome" the act of denying or betraying Christ in today's society. The Rev. Terry K. Anderson, the senior pastor of Houston's Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church, preached a Sept. 25 message stressing the importance of Christians evaluating their relationships with Jesus daily and remaining humble through sincere repentance before God. The 63-year-old explained that genuine repentance to God is vital to avoid betraying Jesus just like Judas Iscariot, who famously betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. "There are two or three names in Scripture that are so infamous. No one has named their daughter 'Jezebel.' No one has named a good dog 'Judas,'" began Anderson. "Those two names, among others, live in infamy. We cannot help wondering about Judas. He wanted to reap position and prestige and prosperity and power because he thought Jesus' kingdom was an earthly kingdom. But, disappointment over Christ's failure to materialize the earthly kingdom on which he set his sights probably played a large part in Judas' decision to sell Jesus out." Anderson, who has pastored the Baptist house of worship since December 1990, emphasized that "any of us ... can be a Judas" within the modern-day Church. "We [often] pride ourselves that we are not like Judas. But are we?" Anderson inquired. "Judas represents all who reject the Messiah out of greed and selfish ambition. Judas was neither a hero nor a demon but a deeply flawed human being who did, in fact, betray his Lord." "All of us are flawed human beings," he added. "There are, brothers and sisters, degrees by which we fall into a Judas-type syndrome." Anderson listed examples of "how you can betray Jesus and not be named Judas," the first being that "you can betray by being a closet-Christian." He defined 'closet-Christian" as someone "who never tells anybody about your faith." "You can deny Jesus in a moment of intense pressure, wanting to fit in," Anderson stated. "That's betrayal." Another way is to be a "passive apostate," referencing James 5:19-20. Those verses highlight the importance of turning "a sinner from the error of their ways," which in turn "cover[s] over a multitude of sins." Anderson said that Judas' life showed that God allows all Christians the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to display sincere repentance for their sins. "Jesus chose him. Jesus knew who Judas was, and He still chose him. Jesus knows who I am, and He still chose me. Jesus knows who you are. Jesus knows what you are capable of. Jesus knows your sinful proclivity. Jesus knows that you will go left when you're supposed to go right. Jesus knows that you will fall. But, it's not the falling that sends you to Hell. It's the refusal to get back up," Anderson said. "I can't testify for you. I can only be a witness for myself. I did enough last week that God should have blotted my name out of the Book of Life. But, He says: 'whoever comes to me, I [will not] cast them out.' Jesus said: 'if you're in the Father, you're in Me. And I hold you in the palm of my hand, and the devil in Hell can't even pluck you out.'" Anderson warned against the idea that "Judas was born to be condemned" while acknowledging that he was known as the "son of perdition." "But Jesus chose him. And Jesus' choosing of him did not make Judas do what Judas did. Judas betrayed God, the Son of God because he made a human decision. And God saves us, but He does not take from us free will," Anderson said. "Because if God took our [free] will from us, that would make us puppets on a string. God does not make us love Him. God chooses us if we choose Him." Anderson cited Deuteronomy 30:19, in which Moses told the Hebrews, "that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live." "You don't have to choose [life], but the consequences of not making a choice is the same as the consequence of making a choice. Because not to choose is to choose," Anderson preached. Anderson compared and contrasted Judas with Peter, the disciple who denied knowing Jesus three times but later repented of his wrongdoing. "Both of them sinned. What Peter did was no worse than what Judas did. And what Judas did was no worse than what Peter did. Because there are no degrees of sin. All unrighteousness is sin," Anderson said. "Peter and Judas were both chosen by Jesus. Both of them were Jesus' disciples. Both sinned in the most crucial of ways and in the most crucial of moments. Peter is guilty of denial, while Judas is guilty of betrayal. And denial is not worse than betrayal. Denial and betrayal are two sides of the same coin. No one sin is greater than the other, but what happens after the sin is what makes us still talk about Peter." Anderson argued that "if Judas had come to Jesus like Peter did, Judas would have gotten saved, because God does not allow us to be born to condemn us." "Nobody is born so that God will send you to Hell just because you were born. You go to Hell because you refuse His invitation," Anderson stated. "Judas went out and hanged himself by his own choice. I've decided to follow Jesus. Some other folk have decided to follow Satan. The choice is yours. 'Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.'" Beth and Alex Malarkey of the 'Boy Who Came Back From Heaven' book evicted from their home by ex-husband An Ohio mother is asking the public to pray for her family after she and her quadriplegic son who's best known for fabricating a story about going to Heaven were evicted from their home by her ex-husband. Beth Malarkey and her 24-year-old son, Alex, were ordered to leave their home in Huntsville, Ohio, located roughly 40 miles northwest of Columbus, following a hearing on Oct. 1. Alex was left a quadriplegic following a 2004 car accident, which was made famous in the 2010 bestseller The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven. In 2015, Malarkey admitted the tale was a total fabrication made up by his father, Kevin Malarkey, who has since divorced Beth and continues to receive 100% of the royalties from the book. He also maintains that Alex's story was true. Following the scandal, Alex sent a letter to LifeWay Christian Stores and other faith-based booksellers, explaining why he initially went along with his father's fabrications. "I said I went to Heaven because I thought it would get me attention, Malarkey wrote. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible." Now, after Kevin Malarkey filed an eviction notice against his ex-wife and son, Beth and Alex have moved into a home in nearby Bellefontaine with some help from the Logan County Board of Developmental Disabilities. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Kristina Bright to help Beth and Alex move into a more functional home for Alex has raised over $108,000 as of Tuesday. Bright said while the Malarkeys' new home isnt permanent, it will do for now. This new home is showing them what will and will not work when they get their permanent home, Bright wrote. We do not know how long this part of the journey will be, we need to see what the father decides to do and when. Beth told the Bellefontaine Examiner her local attorney, Thomas Novack, was set to appeal their eviction earlier last month before he died unexpectedly. Now, Beth is asking for prayers as she and her son face an uncertain future. If you could please continue to pray for wisdom for all involved as well as peaceful resolutions and willingness to work toward those, she told the Examiner. This life is but a mist as the Bible says. We continue to seek to honor God in navigating this world while we are here. It can be very painful and challenging. Nothing happens without a purpose behind it. Trusting God, thankful for the sacrifice of His Son, and as I continue to say But God. While its not clear what the Malarkeys timeline is going forward, Bright asked their supporters to please continue to pray that the father sells the home, release Beth from the mortgage, and then leaves them alone. He has hurt them enough, she added. Evangelicals and Trump: Did Christians trade reputation for a seat at the political table? To say the last few years of American politics have been volatile and chaotic would be quite an understatement. With midterm elections just around the corner, and the presidential election cycle looming just beyond that, it seems voters are determined to move beyond the machinations and maneuverings of the last few years. But before that can happen, we must find answers to some tough questions. For example: Was the relationship between Evangelical Christians and Donald Trump a match made in Heaven or a marriage made in Hell? Did Christian conservatives trade their reputation for a seat at the political table? And how did Donald Trump go from unlikely presidential candidate to superhero and political savior in the eyes of his supporters? Apologist and radio host Michael Brown believes that in the last election, millions of sincere Christians seemed to wrap the Gospel in the American flag so tightly that politics became a rallying point of their faith. In his latest book, The Political Seduction of the Church, he rejects the idea that the Church is called to take over society and lays out a strategy for healthy political and cultural engagement. Listen to Brown explain: Brown joins us on the "Crossmap Podcast" to share his thoughts on whether Christians should even be involved in politics and why, as a body of believers, we must do better. Listen as he shares why he thinks false prophecies were given during President Trump's re-election campaign in 2020 and how to recognize some surefire ways that you have been politically seduced. Members of Chinas Early Rain house church threatened with eviction Several Christians belonging to Chinas Early Rain Covenant Church, which has faced substantial persecution over the last few years, have received eviction notices with no stated reason from their landlords who appear to be under pressure from the communist government. Shu Qiong and her husband are among the families from the Chengdu-based ERCC who received eviction notices, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. When the Christian couple received a phone call from the landlord about their eviction, they asked if he was being threatened by the government to force them out but he denied it, offering to refund their breach penalty and rent. Shu told the landlord that she understood that he was also under pressure. I only ask God to remember your grievances. I can understand the pressure you are under, she was quoted as telling the landlord, in part. She added, But I am a Christian, and although I am poor, so poor that I need to rent a house and be driven around, I still know that it is not pleasing to God to covet unjust money in this way. Shu and her husband refused to move out until the lease was up, as they had not broken any laws. She added that she and her husband are prepared to face the legal consequences of their decision if they must. Chinas ongoing crackdown against ERCC is the prime example of how Beijing continues to disregard religious freedom for its people even if the Constitution guarantees this right, Gina Goh, ICCs regional manager for Southeast Asia, previously said. Since the incarceration of ERCC Pastor Wang Yi and elder Qing Derfu in 2018, the government has not ceased its harassment and persecution of the house church. The governments goal is to see all house churches go extinct so they can fully control Christianity in China. Meanwhile, Cardinal Joseph Zen, the 90-year-old longtime critic of Chinas communist regime who was arrested in Hong Kong in May for his role in a now-defunct humanitarian relief organization that helped people who participated in the large-scale 2019 pro-democracy protests, stood trial last month. During the trial, Hong Kong police testified against Zen and the judge ruled that his case could move forward, ICC said, adding that his next court appearance has been scheduled for Oct. 26. If convicted, he faces a fine. However, Zen is also under investigation for colluding with foreign forces, for which he could face a life sentence. Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, fled Shanghai for Hong Kong about seven decades ago after the communists took over China. The Vatican, as well as many international organizations, had condemned his arrest in May. In 1997, China had agreed to a one country, two systems arrangement to allow certain freedoms for Hong Kong when it received the city back from British control. Critics contend the security law imposed by China recently undercuts the promised autonomy. Open Doors USA, which monitors the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries, estimates that China has more than 97 million Christians, many of whom worship in unregistered or illegal underground churches. The five state-sanctioned religious groups in China are the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Islamic Association of China, the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. Even the organizations affiliated with the five authorized religions can be subject to surveillance and limitations. ICC documented more than 100 incidents of Christian persecution in China between July 2020 and June 2021 as the countrys communist regime sought to forcefully convert independent religious groups into mechanisms of the Chinese Communist Party. NJ megachurch opens cafe staffed by individuals with special needs to support clean water charity A New Jersey megachurch has officially opened a coffee shop that will be staffed by individuals with special needs, and the proceeds from sales will go to charitable efforts to provide clean water to overseas communities. Liquid Church held a grand opening ceremony for its Clean Water Cafe at their Parsippany campus on Monday, with around 100 people, including Mayor James R. Barberio, in attendance. The cafe will provide employment for adults with special needs such as Autism or Down syndrome, while also giving its proceeds to programs providing clean water to communities in Africa and Central America. Brooke Stempert, communications manager for Liquid Church, described the cafe as the marriage of two causes that are near and dear to us at Liquid Church. Locally, the Clean Water Cafe will provide inclusive, supportive employment for all adults, including those with special needs such as Autism, Down syndrome and many others, Stempert said. Then, as a nonprofit, all proceeds from the cafe will help provide clean water to those in need in Africa and Central America. Clean water is our global cause at Liquid Church, and through the cafe, we hope to increase our impact to provide clean water to those who need it most. Stempert described the ceremony as amazing, noting that the ribbon cutting included free coffee and breakfast, as well as a custom photo booth for visitors. At the Clean Water Cafe, we believe that people with Special Needs can change the world for good, Stempert added. We hope that our customers and supporters realize that as they enjoy their favorite coffee, they are changing the world with every sip. The opening of the cafe to the surrounding community was originally announced in early 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the church to delay the grand opening. In an interview with The Christian Post in 2020, Liquid Church Lead Pastor Tim Lucas explained that the coffeehouse was part of their overall ministry to people with special needs. This includes support groups for parents of children with special needs, as well as hosting an annual Night to Shine prom and having a Buddy Program that involves assigning every child with special needs a buddy who is with them from fifth grade through high school, ensuring that they can participate in church events. In general, the church is 30 years behind culture when it comes to special needs. They dont have the manpower and muscle even if theyre passionate about it, Lucas told CP at the time. What happened at Liquid was, millennials stepped up and said, We understand inclusion, so most of our buddy volunteers are in their 20s and 30s. NJ church opening cafe staffed by individuals with special needs: 'The Kingdom of God in 3D Technicolor' A New Jersey megachurch is opening a cafe staffed by adults with special needs to better reflect the Kingdom of God in 3D Technicolor, pastor Tim Lucas has revealed. This year, Liquid Church in Parsippany, New Jersey, will transform the Clean Water Cafe at its Broadcast Campus into a full-service coffeehouse operating Monday-Friday that will serve delicious breakfast, lunch, and specialty coffee creations in a warm, work-friendly environment. The coffee shop will provide over 30 jobs for those with Asperger's, autism and Down syndrome who have aged out of the education system. I think special needs ministry is singular in its ability to show the Kingdom of God in 3D Technicolor, Lucas told The Christian Post. When Jesus says, The last shall be first, He means that the way we love and care for the weakest members of His family will contribute to the strength of the community. Its lavishing the love of the King on His most vulnerable children. According to statistics, about 80% of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are unemployed. Through the Clean Water Cafe, Liquid hopes to create a path for our special friends to be accepted, included, and valued in the workplace. In addition to supporting the local community, the cafe will have a global impact: Any profits from the shop will be added to the donations that Liquid is already giving to support the Clean Water Cause in Africa and Central America. According to Lucas, the 5,000-member church seeks to saturate our state with the Gospel of Jesus Christ without watering down the Gospel. And the rate of autism among children in New Jersey, he revealed, is the highest ever documented for a state. Starting a special needs ministry wasnt initially part of our vision, but its something we felt God called us to do, he shared. We said, What a beautiful opportunity to serve an underserved population. We looked at, How do we create space at the table for children and adults with autism, Asperger's and Down syndrome? In addition to employing individuals through the Clean Water Cafe, Liquid Church provides support to parents of children with special needs through support groups and parents night out events. Additionally, the church hosts an annual Night to Shine prom for those with special needs. But the churchs largest and most unique special needs ministry, according to Lucas, is its Buddy Program. At Liquid, every child with special needs is assigned a buddy who walks with them from fifth grade to high school, ensuring they can participate in all of Liquid Kids environments. Each buddy is trained to meet the unique communication and language needs specific to the child they are assigned. In general, the church is 30 years behind culture when it comes to special needs. They dont have the manpower and muscle even if theyre passionate about it, Lucas told CP. What happened at Liquid was, millennials stepped up and said, We understand inclusion, so most of our buddy volunteers are in their 20s and 30s. About 400 families participate in Liquids Buddy Program, Lucas estimated, adding that many families travel from all over the state to attend worship while their children participate in the program. There was one 10-year-old young man named Grady with Down syndrome, ADHD, and verbal apraxia, meaning the speech messages in his brain didnt transfer to his mouth, the pastor recalled. When his family came to us, they said, Weve been kicked out of our last three churches. It wasnt the churchs fault, but they didnt know what to do with Grady. All three churches treated him as a behavior problem because he was disrupting classes. People, Lucas continued, have no idea the toll special needs take on a family. Most people dont even attend church because their children are seen as a disruption. Grady was paired with Katy, a 20-something-year-old who met his energy, the pastor said. And at Liquid, we were OK with him being disruptive because we view it as the joy of the Lord that was uniquely put in Grady, Lucas said. For Gradys family, the 90-minute drive to church was more than worth it. Gradys mother told me, This isnt just for Grady. Its saving our marriage, he recounted. We only have one hour a week where we can go worship God and have a moment of respite and be spiritually renewed before we go back to being mom and dad to our son, Grady, as well as our other children. After attending Liquid Church for a time, Grady spoke his first sentence: I want to go to church. It was incredible. His mother said, Weve found a home, and Grady has found healing, Lucas said. Praise God. Isnt that what the church is supposed to be? Through our special needs programs, people have caught the Fathers heart. Texas UMC megachurch opens pie and coffee shop run by special needs ministry A megachurch in Texas has opened a pie and coffee shop staffed by individuals with special needs to help train them for future employment. Chances Pie and Coffee Shop is overseen by the Belong disABILITY Ministry at Highland Park United Methodist Church, a Dallas, Texas-based congregation with about 6,000 regular worship attendees. Tood Bruning, the manager of Belong, told The Christian Post on Wednesday that the shop was designed as a vocational preparation program for adults with disabilities who are interested in a future in the work world. The shop opened in September and is named in memory of Chance Urschel, a former member of Belong who was born with a neurological disorder called holoprosencephaly and died at age 20 in 2016. Chance Urschel and his family were involved in our Belong Ministries for many years and they loved to bring smiles to the faces of others by baking and giving away pies, Bruning said. Chance's was opened in the hope that our cafe can inspire others to share their gifts and find joy in serving others, just like Chance did. Bruning described business for the shop as being vibrant so far, as they have grossed around $15,000 in sales since they opened and have sold around 1,500 pies. Chance's has now started reaching out to invite our Highland Park neighbors, especially the Southern Methodist University students across the street, he said. With a continued healthy flow of customers, our plan is to competitively compensate as many of our trained crew members as possible. Proceeds from Chances profits will cover the costs associated with the training and operations work done at the shop. Chance's provides a wonderful opportunity for our crew members to develop and grow important vocational and social skills, Bruning said. But the greatest blessing might be the interaction that grows between customers and crew members. The confidence, pride and joy with which our crew members perform their jobs is an inspiration to us all. The poster for the London Symphony Orchestra and pianist Cho Seong-jin's upcoming performance at the LG Arts Center Seoul / Courtesy of Vincero By Dong Sun-hwa As the most recent COVID-19 resurgence in Korea is slowing down, a number of internationally acclaimed orchestras are planning to visit the country and catch the ears of music lovers here. The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), one of the top 10 orchestras in the world, will perform in Seoul on Oct. 13 in celebration of the relocation of the LG Arts Center Seoul from Gangnam District to Gangseo District. The LSO, which is currently helmed by British conductor Simon Rattle, will take the stage with Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde Prelude & Liebestod" and Sibelius' "Symphony No. 7 in C major, Op. 105," among others. For Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43," the orchestra will collaborate with award-winning Korean pianist Cho Seong-jin. The LSO is also set to perform at the Lotte Concert Hall (Oct. 14) and the Seoul Arts Center (Oct. 15) while the members are in Korea. These will be Rattle and LSO's last concerts in Korea, as the conductor will leave the orchestra at the end of this year to join Germany's Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. "The tickets for the Oct. 13 show were sold out only 40 seconds after they went on sale," LG Arts Center said in a statement. The poster for the upcoming performance of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and violinist Clara-Jumi Kang at the Seoul Arts Center / Courtesy of Vincero The rubble world and the Church They called it the rubble world. Allied forces that walked down the once-elegant boulevards of European cities demolished by hurricanes of bombs during the Second World War were stunned at the devastation. All that was left of once-stately sections of London, vast swaths of Dresden, almost the whole of Berlin, were mountains of brick, twisted steel, broken girders, choking dust and ragged empty-eyed people. Rubble rubble everywhere. And so now: when we look at the spiritual, moral, institutional, and intellectual rubble of our once-favored civilization after decades of culture carpet-bombing by forces intent on destroying a society built on the Judeo-Christian worldview, we see rubble everywhere in households, churches, schools, media, court rooms, legislative chambers, and even in the very agencies that should be guided by high principles for the protection and well-being of society. And thats only part of the institutional and personal devastation. The wreckage includes our young people who have been targeted by the bombers sweeping over their culture. There are the mountains of grief and hopelessness for those who have been so wounded in the culture shaped by Apollyon the destroyer and those who have rejected the Christ and become the representatives of the powers of darkness in this present world. In the midst of all this there are those who rightly warn the Church about the minefields in this rubble world. Some now are stressing that the Church must not be politicized, but in an age when issues are so starkly centered on spiritual, ethical, moral, and worldview issues, and when one set of candidates stands against anti-biblical policies while another set promotes them and the churches are silent or risk being judged as too-political how can that be enough? I agree with those who urge us not to be suckered institutionally into godless political worldviews on the right as well as the left, but to simply urge us not to be political leaves us hiding in bomb shelters that once were churches daring to take stands on issues that are destroying us. Yet I also concur that we should not be retriever dogs for candidates who want to run as Christians but whose public speech and actions are often unchristian. If, for example, Donald Trump wants the vote of Christians he should clean up his public speech and behaviors that are not conformed to the character of the Kingdom of God. In this hour, the rubble world desperately needs the real, living, dynamic, sound and steady church. We must know who we are amid all this or the warnings of those who are concerned we will be a religious form of a particular party will be realized. The real Church is the bride of Christ, living in intimacy with Him midst an adulterous culture. The authentic church is the body of Christ, the organic entity through Whom He walks and ministers in the world today. The New Testament Church that is Jesus-centered-Spirit energized, Word anchored, Kingdom-envisioning, and servant-hearted is the remnant community. She should not go to bed with candidates and parties. She must not forget how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who preach good news and keep her feet clean (Isaiah 52:7). In this hour when the rubble world needs the authentic Church so much, and we are seeking to understand what role we should play in this hellish landscape, it is good to review St. Pauls statement in 2 Corinthians 5:14 that we are ambassadors for Christ. That is, the authentic Church today is the outpost of the Kingdom the embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven in the rubble world. An incident on September 22, 1939, shows what that looks like. Polands ambassador was summoned to meet with Soviet envoy Andre Vishinski to receive an order regarding the future of Poland. Vishinski handed the Polish ambassador a note. First, the Polish leader wanted to know what was in it. It is a proclamation of the Soviet government that, in view of recent events that the Republic of Poland has ceased to exist. Three weeks earlier Hitlers armies, then allied with the Soviet Union, had blitzed into Poland. Russia had stood by like a vulture, ready to pick clean the Polish corpse. But the Polish ambassador knew his country, and fired back. Poland will never cease to exist! the ambassador said, as he refused to take the note. In the political blitzes of our chaos-heaving age, the real Church must know who she is as the remnant people of Christ. The Polish ambassador knew whom he represented the leaders and people of free Poland. So, the Church now must know Whom she represents Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. As the remnant community the Church is a nation within nations. Her citizenship is in Heaven (Philippians 3:20). That should make her a better citizen of her earthly abode, but not an institutional lapdog to hop at every command of the candidates and officials. Like the Polish ambassador she must have the conviction to say No when candidates and parties want to tell her what to do or make her a formal partisan of their causes and campaigns. Further, since we are ambassadors for Christ the New Testament Church is the embassy of Christs Kingdom in the fallen world. Among other things, an ambassador speaks as the voice of the kingdom of which he or she is the representative. The greatest mission of the remnant Church is to speak into this world, not some rhetorical masterpiece we have contrived, but what the Master has given us in the Bible. So, yes, let us not be a mere extension of a particular political party and its candidates, but neither should we withdraw from the political process. The rubble world needs the beautiful feet on its hills of trash and devastation. So dont sell out and dont pull out. US megachurches increasingly diverse, focused on special needs ministries: report Megachurches are becoming increasingly multiracial and emphasizing special needs ministries, which are positive trends smaller churches will likely begin to follow, a new study has found. Megachurch 2020, a survey conducted by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability in partnership with the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, looked at significant patterns and trends from 582 churches across the United States. Its the nations largest study of megachurches, defined as churches with an attendance of 2,000 or greater. More than half of churches surveyed (58%) report being multiracial, defined as having 20% or more minority presence in their congregation. Two decades ago, only 21% of megachurches were multiracial. In conducting research for the survey, Warren Bird, vice president of research and equipping at ECFA and co-author of the report, told The Christian Post he discovered that intentionality is essential for becoming multiracial. It's not enough to state it as a core value. It's not enough to agree that it's important. Churches have to take intentional steps to become multiracial, such as the people that are platformed on Sunday mornings: Do they represent the diversity of the neighborhood they're seeking to reach? The staff that is hired in the church and on the board in the church: Are they likewise appropriately diverse? When you have intentionality like that, the non-majority races tend to grow into becoming a multiethnic church, he added. The report also found that megachurches that draw people with special needs are very intentional about doing so. When asked what emphasis they put on a special needs ministry, a third of megachurches indicated a lot of program emphasis, with 53% having some emphasis and only 17% having none. Nearly 100% of megachurch respondents included wheelchair access throughout the building; nearly half (48%) had hearing assistance devices; some 44% offered sign language interpretation, and 15% provided large print worship materials. Once again, the statistics show an intentionality on the part of megachurches, Bird said. What often happens in churches of all sizes is when one family that's being served grows to two families, they invite their friends, which goes to three, four, or five families, which now begins to gain momentum, he explained. Quickly, it becomes an outreach to the community. He pointed to the example of Liquid Church in Parsippany, New Jersey, which provides support to parents of children with special needs through support groups and parents night out events. That kind of thing has become a magnet, he said. While any size church can have that heart level, larger churches have had an advantage in having a little more options with specialized training and the kinds of things that make special needs ministry on a larger scale possible. According to researchers, a megachurchs greatest growth occurs between years five and 19 for the lead pastor and a megachurchs spiritual vitality peaks between 10 and 14 years under the same senior pastor. Just as in a smaller church, the key is the pastoral leadership. So likewise in larger churches, the pastor is the key instrument that God seems to use for the growth and health of the church or the lack thereof, Bird said. Megachurches are increasingly involved in community service. Some 89% agree or strongly agree with the statement, Our congregation is actively involved in our local community. On a different question, 60% of megachurches said they put a lot of emphasis on community service programs or activities. Large churches are learning that community service in Jesus' name is often a way to win the hearts of a skeptical unbelieving public, Bird said. That emphasis on taking ministry beyond the walls of the church is something that churches of all sizes will benefit from going forward, especially as we emerge from the pandemic. The prolific author acknowledged that megachurches certainly have their faults, but said common criticisms of large churches could be equally made to churches of all sizes. Large churches tend to be more in the headlines, which make them both easier to pick on and also easier to learn from, he said. It's very easy to see problems in large churches and to assume that that's unique to the large church. But in the vast majority of measures, including Bible literacy and engagement and small group participation, large churches look a lot better than other churches, Bird stressed. The research found that 74% of megachurches are growing, often at fast rates, and whether we like it or not, larger churches tend to be influential in terms of the priorities, the programs, the strategies that all churches follow, Bird added. Megachurches have found some keys for how to impact the greater community while making disciples of those who are already part of the church, he said. The report is available to download for free at ECFA.church/surveys. Cities Use Tax Dollars To Fund Abortion, Exodus-Era Burial Cave Discovered, CA Becomes Sanctuary For Gender Transition link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 06:47 06:47 After the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade,some cities have pledged to increase support for the abortion industry through their taxpayers. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law that critics say would effectively make California a sanctuary state for trans-identified minors seeking life-altering surgeries and hormone drugs. Israeli archaeologists said they have discovered an extremely rare 3,300 years old intact burial cave from the time of Pharaoh Ramses II, who is thought to be the pharaoh from the biblical story of the Exodus from Egypt. Actress Marlyne Barrett, known for her character on the NBC series "Chicago Med," revealed that she's battling cancer but is holding on to hope because of her Christian faith. California law creating 'sanctuary' for child gender surgeries raises parental rights concerns California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law that critics say would effectively make California a sanctuary state for trans-identified minors seeking life-altering surgeries and hormones. A prominent legal group contends the new law creates serious parental rights concerns. Newsom signed into law SB 107 Thursday, which contains several provisions related to "gender-affirming healthcare." The measure passed the California State Assembly in a 60-19 vote on Aug. 29, followed by a 30-9 vote in the California Senate on Aug. 31. In both cases, the vote fell along party lines, with all support coming from Democrats and all opposition coming from Republicans. The legislation amends the Sunshine State's family code to grant a state court "temporary emergency jurisdiction" if a child "is subjected to, or threatened with, mistreatment or abuse, or because the child has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care." Opponents of the law, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, believe the language opens the door for a state court to take a child away from a parent or guardian who refuses to allow their trans-identified children to undergo puberty suppression, cross-sex hormone regimens or body-mutilating gender transition surgeries. The law's proponents contend that the new law doesn't give the state courts any additional authority than they already have. The bill also bars healthcare providers, insurers and contractors from "releasing medical information related to a person or entity allowing a child to receive gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care" when requested by other state law enforcement agencies bringing criminal action against "a person or entity that allows a child to receive gender-affirming health care." Additionally, the measure prohibits healthcare providers from releasing medical information if "the information is being requested pursuant to another state's law that authorizes a person to bring a civil action against a person or entity who allows a child to receive gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care." The Alliance Defending Freedom, a national legal nonprofit that has won cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, is one of several organizations that have expressed concerns about the implications of the new law. In an Aug. 2 letter to the California Assembly Committee on Appropriations, ADF Senior Counsel Matt Sharp warned that "SB 107 violates parental rights protected by the U.S. Constitution by giving California courts the ability to strip parents who reside in another state of their parental rights if their child travels to California to obtain gender transition procedures." "This bill would lead to significant harm to families throughout the country," Sharp predicted. Sharp outlined several scenarios that, he believes, could result following the legislation's passage, such as "an unfit parent about to lose custody could travel to California with the child, give the child puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, and in doing so win custody under SB 107, even if the home-state court has already entered judgment on the case." In addition, Sharp claims that "parents whose child visits a relative in California could lose custody of their child forever if the relative persuades the child to identify as a different gender during the visit." Another potential consequence of the bill, Sharp claims, involves the deprivation of jurisdiction from courts in other states if "the case involved gender identity and the child travels to California, even if all of the evidence and parties involved in the case are located in the home state." "Parents of children who never travel to California could be denied medical information about their child if the child obtains puberty blockers from a doctor in California via telemedicine," Sharp added, calling the bill California's attempt to "undermine parental rights [and] pit children against their parents." A spokesperson for Sen. Scott Wiener, who sponsored the bill, told Reuters that the legislation "doesn't give courts (new) authority to take custody from parents of minors seeking gender-affirming care." "All the bill does is provide guidance to courts about hearing cases where they already are allowed to do so under California law," the spokesperson said. However, the bill does give jurisdiction to state courts for children who travel to California for "gender-affirming healthcare" they can't receive elsewhere under a category of "emergencies" because the child has been "unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care." "State courts around the country have the authority to consider whether to retain jurisdiction over a custody matter involving a child who recently came into the state," Asaf Orr, an attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights, told Reuters. "This typically occurs in instances of domestic violence or other crisis situations. This law simply clarifies that courts should retain jurisdiction in situations where a parent brings their child to California so that they can obtain medical treatment for gender dysphoria from a state that has banned or restricted access to that care." Emilie Kao, the senior counsel and vice president of advocacy strategy at Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement that the new law is an "astonishing disregard for the Constitution and the laws of other states." "California will now be able to take away custody of children from their own parents no matter what state they're from and deny families the right to access their child's medical information," she said. "Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and care of their children, which includes making the best decisions regarding their children's mental, emotional, and physical health." Kao warned the new law is the "latest in an onslaught of attacks against parental rights and a demonstration of just how far some governments are willing to go to replace parents as the ultimate decision makers of what's best for children." Other states have passed laws prohibiting children from receiving gender transition surgeries, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Alabama, Arizona and Arkansas have implemented laws banning children from obtaining such procedures. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and the state's Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton have classified them as a form of child abuse. The American College of Pediatricians has maintained that "there is not a single long-term study to demonstrate the safety or efficacy of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for transgender-believing youth." The group, which describes itself as a "national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children," lists "osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility" as possible side effects of puberty blockers. ACP reports that the use of cross-sex hormones is accompanied by "an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers." Parental rights have developed into a major hot-button issue in American politics. Some school districts in the U.S., including Leon County Public Schools in Florida and Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, have been sued for policies requiring teachers to affirm trans-identified children's preferred gender identities without their parental consent. A bill signed into law by Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year instructs school districts not to enact policies that keep parents in the dark about any changes to their children's mental health. Florida forbids the adoption of "procedures or student support forms that prohibit school district personnel from notifying a parent about his or her student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being" that "encourage or have the effect of encouraging a student to withhold from a parent such information." 4 cities using tax dollars to fund abortions after Roe's reversal After the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization resulted in the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some cities have pledged to increase support for the abortion industry through their taxpayers. The June 24 Dobbsruling stated that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, overruling the 1973 Roe decision that legalized abortion nationwide, returning the issue to the states to decide. Following the Dobbs decision, several states have passed laws limiting abortion. Meanwhile, some major cities have used tax dollars to promote or expand access to abortion and even assist women in states with abortion restrictions in paying for their abortions. The following pages highlight four cities that have used tax dollars to fund abortion after the Supreme Court's June ruling. 1 2 3 4 5 Next Man charged with shooting elderly pro-life volunteer; attorney refutes claim shooting was accidental The 74-year-old Michigan resident accused of shooting an elderly pro-life canvasser during a dispute with his wife was charged on Friday. The women's attorney is pushing back against claims the shooting was an accident. The 84-year-old volunteer, Joan Jacobson, was shot on Sept. 20 while going door-to-door in Lake Odessa on behalf of the pro-life group Right to Life Michigan. She was asking people to oppose Proposal 3, which would make abortion a state constitutional right. The organization warns that the proposal will allow abortions anytime in the state. In a statement Friday, Michigan State Police disclosed that an Ionia County prosecutor charged Richard Harvey with assault with a dangerous weapon, careless discharge causing injury and reckless use of a firearm. Harvey turned himself in Friday, according to mlive.com. He was arraigned in Ionia County District Court, appearing via a video link from the county jail. The man has no previous criminal record, and Magistrate Mandy Sanderson ordered him held on a $10,000 bond. If released, Harvey is forbidden from contacting Jacobson or her family. The magistrate also said he could not possess a firearm if he posts bond. Harvey told Wood-TV8 Tuesday that he was in the barn when he heard Jacobson and his wife arguing after she came to the couple's door, urging them to vote no on Proposal 3. Sharon Harvey, the defendant's wife, claims that Jacobson refused to accept that she plans to vote for the measure, stating that the volunteer refused several requests to leave the property before she eventually made her way off the porch. Eventually, Richard Harvey emerged from the barn with a .22-caliber rifle and said he fired a warning shot into a pine tree. The defendant claims that Jacobson continued yelling and was waving her clipboard around. He reportedly feared that the volunteer would hit his wife with it, and, when trying to knock the clipboard out of Jacobson's hands with his rifle, he accidentally shot her. Harvey alleges that his finger was still on the trigger guard when he attempted to swat the clipboard away, and the gun went off, hitting Jacobson in the shoulder. In a Monday interview with The Christian Post, Jacobson's attorney, David Kallman, said that Harvey's wife became aggressive after the volunteer stated why she was there and that Jacobson never raised her voice. According to Kallman, Sharon Harvey revealed during the confrontation that she had a tubal pregnancy in 1971 that required her to undergo surgery. She accused people like Jacobson of trying to kill women in similar circumstances, claiming that she would be dead if pro-life people were in charge. "And Joanne just simply said, 'Well, you know, that is an exception. You do understand that?'" Kallman explained. "'Ectopic pregnancies, you know, they can't be brought to term. By definition, it's endangering the life of the mother. You would have been protected under the current law.'" Shannon Harvey reportedly would not listen, and after three to four minutes, she eventually ordered Jacobson to leave her property. Kallman said that his client agreed to go and began walking toward her car when Harvey came out of the barn with a gun. The attorney described his client as a "sweet, soft-spoken lady" who has been going door-to-door for over 20 years. Kallman said that Jacobson did not engage with the man and that Harvey's claim that he fired a warning shot made "no sense at all." "Why are you firing a warning shot at an 84-year-old, five-foot, 100-pound grandmother-kind-of person who's just walking away and leaving your property?" he asked. Kallman said Jacobson was walking away when Harvey approached her, with his wife still following and yelling. When Jacobson turned around, she saw that the husband was holding a gun, according to Kallman. "And she said just the second that it registered in her mind, 'He's got a gun,' the shot goes off," the attorney said. "And she was holding a clipboard, and it went through the clipboard, through the top of her shoulder at an angle." The pro-life volunteer drove herself to the Lake Odessa police station, which helped get her to the emergency room. The couple reportedly called 911 and provided a statement, according to mlive.com. "At the hospital, doctors told her that she was shot more from the side than the front," Kallman said. "And the bullet went through the top of her shoulder at an angle and exited at the base of her neck, and it just missed the spine." The attorney questioned why Harvey's finger was on the trigger if he only tried to use the rifle to knock Jacobson's clipboard out of her hands. He noted that anyone with training on how to use a firearm would know not to do that. "And it surely doesn't justify lethal force," he said. "Why would he have the gun to begin with and keep pointing it at her and use it to knock away a clipboard which, again, my client says that never happened." Jacobson said she had been holding the clipboard close to her chest, which the attorney believes is consistent with the bullet going through Jacobson's clipboard and through her shoulder. The attorney says that with Harvey being charged and the investigation complete, police reports and the prosecution's discoveries will be available to the attorney next week. Jacobson and her attorney are looking into whether there are grounds for a civil suit. In a statement Tuesday, Right to Life Michigan condemned the violence against Jacobson and highlighted the derogatory comments Harvey's wife made about pro-lifers on social media. "What could have stayed a heated political discussion that ended peacefully and was totally forgotten years down the road by these ladies instead culminated with pulling a gun on a small, elderly woman and shooting her," the group wrote. "This recklessly irresponsible rhetoric must end, and it must end now before more people are harmed." North Dakota man charged with murder in death of teen he called a 'Republican extremist' A North Dakota man accused of running over a teen who he described as a member of a Republican extremist group has been charged with murder after he was initially freed on bond. Shannon Brandt faces charges of homicide and "duty in an accident involving death" following the hit-and-run that killed 18-year-old Cayler Ellingson on Sept. 18, according to Fox News. Brandt, 41, was arrested and then released after he hit Ellingson with his SUV following a local event in the town of McHenry, about 100 miles northeast of Bismarck. According to newly released court documents, Brandt called 911 immediately after the crash and asked the 911 operator, "I just wanna ask you a question, am I going to prison?" Brandt told the 911 dispatcher who answered his call that Ellingson was somehow impeding his ability to leave the area. "I just tried to take off ... he wouldn't let me go. I hit him. I didn't mean to and he's subdued. I was scared to death but he's subdued. He can't do anything to me now, so this is why I'm calling you. I almost ... just runaway, but I thought jeez obviously if it was a total accident I wouldn't be scared, but I know it was more than that." Prosecutors say Brandt initially fled the scene after plowing over Ellingson and told 911 that he believed at the time that the teenager was trying to get a group of other people together to come get him. According to a probable cause affidavit, Ellingson was in fact calling his mother for help before Brandt hit Ellingson with his SUV. Ellingson was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died a short time later. Brandt posted a $50,000 bond and was released from jail on Sept. 20. Following an announcement from Foster County state prosecutors about the new charges, Brandt surrendered to police Friday at the Stutsman County Correction Center, according to Fox News. Prosecutor Kara Brinster also announced that the previous charge of criminal vehicular homicide against Brandt was dismissed because of the new murder charge. An affidavit from Foster County indicated that an autopsy revealed there were no skid marks or acceleration marks where Ellington was found, and that the nature and manner of his injures indicated Ellington was on the ground when he received those injuries and were caused by being ran over. The affidavit also stated Brandt made comments during that 911 call about the incident being intentional and not an accident. North Dakota Highway Patrol Capt.Bryan Niewind, meanwhile, said investigators have found no evidence to support Brandts claim that Ellingson was a Republican extremist. Brandt is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 11. Funeral services were held Monday for Ellingson at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Carrington, North Dakota. Governmental overreach in Hasidic Jewish education must stop The Regents of the State of New York have voted to impose specific curricular demands upon religious and private schools. The move is redolent with paternalistic hubris, and a dangerous usurpation of both religious and parental rights. Even worse, it is precisely the wrong way to go about assuring the quality of education that the State desires, especially since a better way is readily available. Governments ought to use carrots in place of sticks. Even where sticks might seem necessary, the best sticks are withholding carrots. The Regents are concerned or frustrated with the reluctance of some (but hardly all or even most) Jewish Hasidic groups to provide secular education comparable in hours and scope with that offered in public schools. These groups see their cultural isolation as an important part of their religious ethos. No one doubts their sincerity; whether we find that desirable or not, it should definitely be their religious prerogative to exercise. As the United States Supreme Court told us in Wisconsin v. Yoder Courts must move with great circumspection in performing the sensitive and delicate task of weighing a States legitimate social concern when faced with religious claims for exemption from generally applicable educational requirements. Whenever a state undertakes to regulate religious schools, it will encounter constitutional litigation. In Blackwelder v. Safnauer, a district court put it well; states need to regulate in a way that provides sufficient leeway to accommodate the special requirements of diverse religious groups without sacrificing the vital state interests at issue. Why have the Regents embarked on such a legally fraught journey? Largely because the Hasidim do not conform to the Regents orthodoxies. The Hasidic schools that are being discussed do educate their children, just not in the subjects that New York State wants taught. These schools are counter-cultural par excellence they teach girls more secular subjects than boys; sex-ed does not make it to first base (and if it did, it would be decidedly heteronormative). On top of that, they do it all in Yiddish, to make sure that their students never really feel comfortable in American society. If this were a Native American school, we would admire their cultural gumption. This is not tolerable, somehow, for Jews. And make no mistake these students learn how to critically think which helps them do extraordinarily well in entrepreneurship. They also learn to be law abiding citizens in a poor community with miniscule crime rates. The Regents desire to regulate these school because they do not teach what the state thinks the students should learn in school, and not because the students are learning nothing. This is part of a general desire to impose greater cultural conformity. Several of those attempts have been successfully resisted at the Supreme Court level, and this one will be as well. Were the Regents truly concerned with problems in the Hasidic schools (and this is hardly a settled matter; the recent New York Times expose was countered by a NY State legislator, who happens to be Hasidic), they have an alternative for all to see with no strong-arming curriculum and without placing themselves above parental rights. States can and should connect financial assistance to teaching its curriculum. This would, of course, be completely constitutional and hard to challenge, other than politically. Even as the State cannot force children into schools if they religiously do not want to go, no State is under any obligation to financially support religious education or secular education in a religious setting. States can decline to provide lunch for hungry children at religious schools that have no secular education, decline to provide heating aid to ensure that Talmud is studied only in cold classrooms in the winter. If that seems a bit morally off, States could provide more aid to those Hasidic schools that do provide a secular education to incentivize them. Just because the states cannot close these schools, does not mean the state has to provide buses to take the children to them, or pandemic aid to help them with health emergencies. Carrots are the constitutional method states have to achieve the policy goal here. The constitutional objections to closing religious schools are overwhelming, and somehow reek of grandstanding makes a lot of noise, sells papers and gets politicians reelected but does not improve the lot of any Hasidic children. It is an intrusion that does not bode well for Christian and private schools, or for home schooling. If New York is serious about its curricular regulations in Hasidic school, it will address them with two-sided financial incentives giving carrots and withholding carrots and nothing else. 3 ways to jumpstart your Christian discipleship Ligonier Ministries, founded by the late, great R.C. Sproul, just released its bi-annual survey, their effort to explore what Americans believe about God, salvation, ethics, and the Bible. Known as The State of Theology, the survey takes the theological temperature of the United States to help Christians better understand todays culture and to equip the Church with better insights for discipleship. And thats exactly what I want to talk about in this article: discipleship. Before we explore discipleship, we must first define disciple. To be a disciple simply means to be a follower or a student of a teacher. Christians are disciples of Christ because we follow Jesus and in the way of Jesus. In Acts, the first Christians often referred to themselves as belonging to the Way (Acts 9:2). So all Christians are disciples but what is discipleship? Mark Dever defines discipleship as helping others follow Jesus or simply doing intentional spiritual good to others. As disciples, we both disciple and are discipled; we help others follow Jesus and we let others help us follow Jesus as well. You can think of it as living out all of the one another passages from the New Testament, such as loving, encouraging, comforting, confronting, and helping one another. Because we live in a hyper-individualistic day and age, these ancient Christian commands may sound foreign to our ears. After all, you need to have some others around so you can one another and be one anothered. The Bible knows nothing about Lone Ranger Christians. But maybe youre reading this as a Christian and you have been going at it alone, and you want that to change. Maybe youre a member of a church, but dont attend regularly. Maybe youre a young Christian looking to grow or a lifelong disciple of Christ looking to help others grow. Whomever you are, and whatever stage of life youre in, I want to offer three simple steps for helping jumpstart your discipleship. 1. Join a Gospel-preaching church Lets go back to the Ligonier survey for a moment. Many Christian leaders expressed concern over the 2022 results, which show a lack of proper theological knowledge among many Christians. But in my opinion, the most concerning response might have been the results from Statement No. 24, which asked respondents if they agreed with this claim: Every Christian has an obligation to join a local church. For the general U.S. Adult Finding the responses were 36% agree vs. 56% disagree. For the U.S. Evangelical Finding 68% agreed vs. 26% who disagreed. These results reveal some serious confusion about the role of church membership in the life of a Christian. Again, a Christian is a disciple of Christ, one who follows in His footsteps. Disciples are meant to value what their teacher values or they arent very faithful disciples. Jesus valued the Church. Not only did He establish the Church as the New Covenant community of His followers (Matt. 16 and 18), but through the Spirit inspiring the author of Hebrews, He made it clear that church membership is a matter of obedience. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching. Consider the phrase, not giving up meeting together. To put it positively, it means, Keep going to church! If you want to be a faithful disciple of Christ, you need to be in a good church. If you went to a physical trainer and asked how to get in shape, he would tell you to go to the gym. Its the same with church for the Christian. We cant expect to be in good spiritual shape if we ignore the primary, God-given means for growth in our faith the local church. 2. Get in Gods Word Gods Word is the fuel for our spiritual gas tanks. Or, as Peter puts it, Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord (1 Peter 2:2-3). When it comes to being discipled, or discipling someone else, if you dont know where to start, start with the Bible. In fact, the Bible should be a major component of all of our discipleship, both personal, interpersonal, and corporate (that is, in church). If you feel sluggish in your own walk along the Way, then the best thing you can do is start reading the Bible regularly. If you are in an intentional discipling relationship, or just starting one (say with a fellow church member or your housemate), try going through a New Testament epistle, like Galatians or Ephesians, using the OIA method. Take a passage, read through it, and 1. Observe what it says, 2. Interpret what it means, and then 3. Apply it to your life. Gods Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), and we know that God promises that it will not return to Him empty (Isaiah 55:11). If you want to jumpstart your discipleship, get in Gods Word. 3. Take time where you can make time Finally, take time where you can make time to be discipled and to disciple others. What do I mean? I fear that too many Christians, if they are focused on joining arms with other believers to grow together, often think it has to be a solid 60-minute session every time, with a fixed program of prayer, Bible reading, accountability, and updates. Of course, I recommend having that sort of relationship with at least one other believer, specifically a member of your local church. But discipleship can happen in any number of different settings. If you are a mother, you can invite women over to your home to help you with kids and household tasks and talk about life while youre at it. If you are a single man, ask an elder at your church if you can meet him for lunch or coffee. If youre an older, wiser father in the faith, invite a few younger men in your church to run errands with you on Saturday and make sure to have an intentional conversation as you go. Discipleship isnt about being buttoned-up or Insta-worthy. Its about spurring one another on to love and good deeds, confessing sin, and growing in our faith as we run towards Heaven together (Hebrews 12:1-3). Look at Titus 2:1-8 for more Spirit-inspired examples of this. Conclusion There are certainly more than three ways to help build consistent patterns of discipleship in your own life, but I would suggest the three I am providing here are critical building blocks. First, make sure to join a local, faithful, Gospel-preaching church. Second, get in Gods Word, both on your own and with others. Third, take time where you can make time to spend with other Christians and members of your church. Taking these steps will help ensure that you stay on the narrow road that leads to life (Mark 7:14) and you will help others stay on it as well. The Lord genuinely knows that we need this help. Pray that He would provide this in your life, even as you seek to provide it to others. Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center. Revealing brilliance: a history of artists who transformed light and atmosphere with paint Seeking to illuminate their canvases, these visionary artists featured in the collection of Paul G. Allen captured light, and its elusive relationship to life From the sun glistening on the surface of a creek, to the golden-hour light revealing the web of veins in an old tree, we can see how light illuminates our world with colour, provides contrast with its shadows, and gives us life. Painters throughout history have taken up the challenge of capturing light on a canvas. It is a master painter who can use texture to reveal brilliance, who can make the ultramarine of the sky as luminous as its reflection in the sea. The incomparable artists included in Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection, at Christies this November, are some of the finest painters who have captured light in all its complexity. An impression of colour In 1900, Claude Monet took a trip to London with his wife and step daughter to visit his son, Michel, who had taken up residence in the capital. Monet spent nearly all his time painting the city. He would return the next three springs, focusing on three motifs: the Houses of Parliament, Charing Cross Bridge, and Waterloo Bridge. His numerous iterations of the two bridges seen from his balcony track how the sun reflected off the water throughout the day. In Waterloo Bridge, soleil voile (1899-1903), his depiction of this scene reached its apex. It portrays the hard surroundings of the cityscape the bridge, the factories in the background as a symphony of colour, emphasizing the phantasmal way in which Londons characteristic fog shrouds its mechanistic perpetual motion in a veil of stillness and silence. Open a larger version of this image Claude Monet (1840-1926), Waterloo Bridge, soleil voile, 1899-1903. Oil on canvas. 25 x 39 in (65.4 x 100 cm). Estimate on request. Offered in Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection on 9 November 2022 at Christie's in New York Balancing this was the ultimate challenge for the artist, who for years had been studying how to capture the ephemeral atmosphere of ever-changing landscapes. The weather, the time of day and the flow of water under the bridge all shaped the industrial landscape he sought to depict. But it was the fog that proved most difficult to tame and that contributed to the unique effet of London. Without the fog, London would not be a beautiful city, he said to the dealer Rene Gimpel in 1920. Its the fog that gives it its magnificent breadth. Those massive, regular blocks became grandiose within that mysterious cloak. The haze of lilac, blue and violet tones in Waterloo Bridge, soleil voile capture how this fog affected the Thames in the afternoon, as the westerly moving sun penetrated the dense cloud to gently light up the wide arches of the bridge. Reflections, and the delicate mystery of London's unique atmosphere interested Monet endlessly during his time in the city. This appreciation of colour and its kindred relationship to light recurs throughout Mr. Allens collection, most notably in a watercolour of Lake Lungern in Switzerland by Joseph Mallord William Turner. Reflections on a landscape J.M.W. Turners lifelong habit of quickly setting down pencil and watercolour impressions would shape his practice as he grew older and less able to travel. The Lungernsee by Moonlight, Switzerland, circa 1848 part of his final series of Swiss subjects was painted from memory, with the assistance of one of these sketches. Open a larger version of this image Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851), The Lungernsee by Moonlight, Switzerland, c. 1848. Pencil and watercolour with some pen dipped in colour, on wove paper. 15 x 22 in (38.4 x 56.2cm). Estimate: $2,500,500-3,500,000. Offered in Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection on 9 November 2022 at Christie's in New York When it first appeared at Christie's in 1865 the work was untitled, as it had not been exhibited during the artists lifetime. At the time, it was mistakenly considered to be an image of Lake Nemi, the volcanic crater south-east of Rome. Only in 2001 was its subject discovered to be Lungernsee, one of the chain of small lakes travellers encounter when ascending from Lucerne to the Brunig Pass. As in other works from Turner's Swiss series, he deals heavily in contrast, using mustard yellows and earthy greens against mauve and ultramarine shadows to trace the path of reflected light from the waxing crescent moon. All of this is soothed by the sea-green reflections in the lakes luminous waters. His technique of building up colour over layers of translucent washes and flecks of paint help refine this subtle evocation of twilight, making it feel at once tranquil and energetic. Monet and Turner, drawn to these specific locales and their changing environments, represent a central tenet of this collection: the unique perspective of the artist. As Mr. Allen described: You become sensitive to the fact that places with special light attract painters, and you want to experience that through their eyes. Shadows and the unknown Often the emotional effect of light comes from its relationship to shadow. In a picture of a sunny day, our eyes travel to the rare spot of shade to see what is hiding. In the evening, by contrast, we cant look away from the warm glow of light from a house or a streetlamp. In Rene Magrittes La voix du sang, nine small lights emanate from within a grand inside the tree, pulling us into its mystery. Open a larger version of this image Rene Magritte (1898-1967), La voix du sang, 1948. Oil on canvas. 31 x 23 in (79.1 x 58.6 cm). Estimate: $12,000,000-18,000,000. Offered in Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection on 9 November 2022 at Christie's in New York Translated as Blood will tell or, literally, the voice of blood, Magrittes surreal landscape borrows in equal parts from Lewis Carrols Alice in Wonderland where Alice enters a doorway in a tree and the artists own interest in the fantastic. The words dictated by our blood sometimes seem mysterious to us, he said about this title in a collection of writings. Here it seems we are ordered to open up magic niches in trees. Positioned on the edge of a hill against a boundless landscape, the cabinet-like tree contains a small house and, in the notch above, a sphere. Notably, the top cabinet door is slightly ajar, with no hint as to what may be lurking behind. Avoiding clear symbolism a house means x, or a sphere means y Magritte repurposes readymade objects to evoke a sensation. The warm glow from the house suggests that perhaps we can only truly be at home in the world where some mystery remains. To understand everything would be to have nothing left to uncover. The door left ajar, thus, speaks to this tension between concealment, the unknown, and the feeling of home. Here, the light shining through darkness opens the world to the viewer by presenting only a sliver of information, leaving the rest to interpretation. Using shadow as a foil to light in order to reveal, on the other hand, can have an equally profound effect. A golden-hour paradise Maxfield Parrishs Hilltop is a masterful depiction of this relationship between light and shadow. Parrish wanted his work to speak for itself: to my mind, if the picture does not tell its own story, its better to have the story without the picture, he said. The picture tells all there is, there is nothing more. Open a larger version of this image Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), Hilltop, 1926. Oil on panel. 35 x 22 1/4 in (91 x 56.5 cm). Estimate: $2,000,000-3,000,000. Offered in Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection on 9 November 2022 at Christie's in New York Hilltop, painted in 1926, depicts an idyllic environment inspired by the picturesque area surrounding Parrishs home near the Connecticut River between Vermont and New Hampshire. Known for its old oak trees, rolling blue hills and great sense of space, the property was purchased by Parrish with images such as Hilltop in mind. His models recline in classical poses, rays of light puncturing the verdant leaves of the oak before landing across them. They are luminous in the golden light. Paired with the artist's meticulously layered, Old Master-inspired glazing technique that enhances the colours, the scene jumps from the picture plane transforming the American landscape into an idealised paradise. The ethereal light, radiant colour and classical proportions of this Eden hold our attention as our eyes travel to the background and notice the detailed magnificence of the distant mountains. Nothing is left hidden, yet everything appears as if in a dream. Parrish chooses a perspective that does not shroud our gaze, nor filter our vision. A light from behind the canvas Another artist who deals with the complexities of light, Andrew Wyeth uses a different technique to present an oneiric vision. Framed by a mesh curtain that catches the light of two open windows, the subject of Wyeths Day Dream appears in a liminal space, bringing themes of intimacy and distance into the frame. Open a larger version of this image Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), Day Dream, 1980. Tempera on panel. 19 x 27 in (48.3 x 69.2 cm). Estimate: $2,000,000-3,000,000. Offered in Visionary: The Paul G. Allen Collection on 9 November 2022 at Christie's in New York The opening ceremony of the 27th Busan International Film Festival is held at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. Yonhap Festival opens in full scale with Iranian film on human kindness By Kwak Yeon-soo BUSAN The 27th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) kicked off Wednesday for a 10-day run, with thousands of actors, directors, other film industry members and fans packing the Busan Cinema Center for the opening ceremony. After two years of scaled-down events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this edition promises to be fully normalized for the first time in three years. A raft of stars have been confirmed to attend the festival, including actors Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Daniel Dae Kim and producer Jon Landau. A total of 242 films from 71 countries, including 89 world premieres, will be screened at this year's BIFF, slightly more than 223 films showcased last year. "Tickets for the opening ceremony have been sold out. We hope the total attendance fully recovers to pre-pandemic levels, but certain audiences are still hesitant about coming to theaters. We expect seat occupancy rates to reach nearly 80 to 90 percent of levels seen in 2019," festival director Huh Moon-yung told reporters, Wednesday. At the opening ceremony, the festival organizer screened a memorial video about late actress Kang Soo-youn's presence in Korea's film history. The veteran actor, who died in May, was a co-director of BIFF from 2015 to 2017. Actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai poses at the red carpet of the 27th Busan International Film Festival at the Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. Yonhap Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon greeted guests via video due to his overseas trip to promote the southern port city's bid to host World Expo 2030. "Since the beginning in 1996 at several theaters in Haeundae and Nampo-dong, BIFF has grown into a valuable cultural asset of Asia, attracting attention from all over the world. I hope the success of the 27th BIFF will let the world learn more about the cultural capabilities and charm of Busan," Park said. Leung, who received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award, said in his acceptance speech: "It is my great honor to receive the recognition of BIFF. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to come to Busan again and meet Korean fans in person. I wish this edition will be another successful one," he said. The opening film was "Scent of Wind," an Iranian movie that highlights goodness in humanity. It tells the story of a father and a son both with disabilities living in a remote village. One day, the power goes out and an electrician goes from town to town to replace broken components. Director Hadi Mohaghegh, who is visiting Busan for the second time after his 2015 drama "Immortal" made its world premiere at BIFF where it won the New Currents Award, plays the protagonist in his fourth feature film. "We have a tendency to respect people who are in our memories. When I came to Busan, it felt like coming home. Koreans remain as beautiful people in my heart, and the festival is like a spiritual feast for me," he said during a press conference for the film held in Busan Cinema Center, Wednesday. The Iranian filmmaker explained that the original Persian version of the title means "dried land," where even one drop of water cannot be absorbed into the soil. "What's important for humans is to keep going and not be exhausted. Otherwise, they hit the barrier. I have faith in humanity. Based on my experience, people who give without expecting anything back end up receiving more and more," he said. Iranian director Hadi Mohaghegh of opening film "Scent of Wind" talks during a press conference at Busan Cinema Center in Busan, Wednesday. Yonhap The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. Diversified elderly care paves way for happy old age Xinhua) 10:22, October 05, 2022 SHENYANG, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Putting on a bright blue knitted jacket and floral trousers, with a carefully combed silver hairdo, Li Suyun celebrated the Double Ninth Festival, China's Seniors' Day, in her finest attire. "Not a hair out of place," said the 87-year-old in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. "It's a festival for our elderly people, and I should definitely primp and preen." The Double Ninth Festival, also known as the Chongyang Festival, celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, falls on Tuesday this year. It is an occasion to care for and send blessings to older people in China, a country with a fast-growing aging population. By the end of 2021, China had 267 million people aged 60 and above, or 18.9 percent of the total population. Over the past decade, the country has seen remarkable progress in elderly care, offering an increasingly diverse range of services for the elderly. DIVERSE ELDERLY CARE SERVICES "I believe I deserve a quality life, even in a wheelchair," said Li. Three years ago, due to difficulty in walking, Li moved into a local elderly care home in Hunnan District of Shenyang. Along the way, the tidy and fashion-loving lady found that she rejoiced in her new life at the community elderly care home. "I hit it off with other people. I always join them in chatting and other daytime activities organized by nursing workers," Li said, adding that the care home boasts 24-hour nursing care, elaborately arranged meals and laundry service. According to the National Health Commission, as of the first quarter of this year, around 360,000 elderly care institutions and facilities had been established across the country, with around 8.13 million beds. China's elderly care system has also reached those who choose home-based care. According to Wang Haidong, head of the elderly health department of the commission, about 90 percent of the country's elderly are cared for at home. The Mudan Community in Huanggu District of Shenyang introduced free door-to-door services for elderly residents, including health checks, food delivery, house cleaning and massages. "We regularly hold activities to enrich the lives of the elderly, for their physical and emotional well-being," said Wang Hui, Party secretary of the community. INNOVATION AND FUTURE PLANS Cutting-edge intelligent health care has also made progress in China's elderly health-care and rehabilitation system. In north China's Tianjin Municipality, local authorities have embarked on a smart care system for the elderly, which is integrated with technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data and intelligent hardware. Equipped with real-time health monitors, elderly people gain access to telemedicine and an SOS system that will contact the hospital when the monitor logs abnormal physical data. In Shenyang, wearable exoskeleton robots developed by Siasun Robot and Automation Co., Ltd. help disabled seniors regain mobility. Li Guohui, 66, has undergone some exhausting rehabilitation training in a hospital after being hit by a condition called cerebral apoplexy hemiplegia. During this process, he tried out the exoskeleton robot to assist his movements. "The exoskeleton significantly improves the rehabilitation, which allows me to walk around and do housework on my own," Li said. "The elderly care service is a comprehensive and long-term project, which requires the joint efforts of the government, the community, healthcare enterprises and volunteers," said Zhao Hailin, president of the elderly care industry federation in Liaoning Province. Earlier this year, China's State Council released a plan for the development of the country's elderly care service system during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). China will step up institutional innovation, and boost policy support and financial input to enable older people to share in China's development achievements, according to the plan. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) logo By Anna J. Park Korea Investment Corporation (KIC), the country's sovereign fund, plans to join the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), aiming to strengthen its ESG-focused investment activities. Launched in 2006 by UN-led initiatives, the PRI is the world's largest network for the cause of sustainable investment, with over 5,100 institutions from across the world being its signatories. According to the KIC, the sovereign fund's CEO, Jin Seung-ho, met with David Atkin, PRI CEO, at the headquarters of the KIC in central Seoul on Wednesday afternoon. The two chiefs pledged to cooperate, as the KIC is slated to submit its application to join the PRI in the near future. KIC CEO Jin Seung-ho, left, holds hand with David Atkin, PRI CEO, at the headquarters of the KIC in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of KIC Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho speaks during a parliamentary audit of his ministry at the National Assembly on Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho defended the government's plan to reduce the maximum corporate tax rate to 22 percent from 25 percent during a parliamentary audit, Tuesday, arguing it is designed to benefit small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more than larger businesses. Choo's remark came as the corporate tax cut plan has been disputed for favoring chaebols. It accordingly is anticipated to face a bumpy road in winning approval from the National Assembly, which is dominated by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). The right-leaning Yoon Suk-yeol administration seeks to win approval for its maximum corporate tax rate plan by December after introducing it in mid-2022. "The scope of tax deduction will be larger for SMEs, not conglomerates, under the government's plan to cut the income tax rate for businesses," the finance minister said. He referred to the revised tax brackets, 22 percent for firms with taxable earnings of more than 20 billion won ($14 million) and 20 percent for firms with 20 billion won or less taxable earnings. He called the tax cut for businesses "an essential policy tool" and asked for parliamentary support to implement the plan. "The government needs help (from the National Assembly) to cope with the economy which possibly can get worse next year," Choo said. The planned corporate tax overhaul will result in a decrease in tax revenue for the government, considering that conglomerates accounted for a major part of such revenue. Nevertheless, Choo said the corporate tax cut plan will allow conglomerates to have more money for investments rather than for taxes, and such investment will result in a cycle of improved business productivity and an increase in the government's tax revenue. When asked to compare Korea with the United Kingdom's drastic tax cut plan for the wealthy, Choo assessed it was a question of financial soundness, not the tax cut itself, that became problematic in the U.K. The new British government announced a plan last month to slash tax for the highest income earners to 40 percent from 45 percent but scrapped the plan amid growing concerns over the possibility of a further economic crisis. "The cases of the two countries are completely different and the tax overhaul plan should not be a worry in Korea," he said. Other tax-policy issues brought up at the audit, Wednesday, included reshoring of Korean businesses operating abroad and postponement in taxation on gains from all financial investment for the next two years. Choo said that the number of companies returning home is smaller than expected as Korea lags behind in terms of tax benefits and other incentives. "Reshoring is helpful for job creation and economic growth, and thus, the government will find ways to bolster relevant support," he said. He said a postponement of financial investment gains is necessary considering the volatility in financial markets. Canada set to announce the latest Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 The Canadian government is expected to announce the latest Immigration Levels Plan by November 1, 2022. Canada set to announce the latest Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 The Canadian government is expected to announce the latest Immigration Levels Plan by November 1, 2022. Canada set to announce the latest Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 The Canadian government is expected to announce the latest Immigration Levels Plan by November 1, 2022. Edana Robitaille Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Each year Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) releases an Immigration Levels Plan that acts as the guideline for how many immigrants will be allowed to come to Canada each year. It includes the breakdown of immigrants from economic class, family class and humanitarian class programs over the next three years. This year it will show projections for 2023, 2024 and 2025. The government must make this announcement by November 1 of each year, as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), which is Canadas main immigration law. It is the second Immigration Levels Plan announced in 2022, the first occurred in February after the most recent federal election on September 20, 2021. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration Why are there two announcements this year? The 2022-2024 plan was not announced until February 2022 instead of the normally scheduled one due by November 1, 2021. After the election, Parliament did not resume until November 22, 2021, after which it only sat for 19 days until the holiday break began. In these situations, according to IRPA, the plan must be announced within 30 days of Parliament reconvening. In this case, Parliament resumed in mid-January 2022. Now that Parliament is in full swing, the government will proceed with releasing the newest Immigration Levels Plan on its regular schedule. The current Immigration Levels Plan Under the Immigration Levels Plan for 2022-2024, Canada has been targeting to bring 431,645 new permanent residents total through all immigration classes in 2022. This target steadily increases into 2024 for a total of 451,000 new permanent residents. So far in 2022 Canada has already welcomed over 300,000 new permanent residents. Most of them are from economic class programs. The target for economic class immigrants in 2022 is 241,850, or approximately 60% of the total number of immigrants. The 2022 plan also targets 105,000 family class immigrants and 8,250 from the refugee and humanitarian class. Once the new Immigration levels Plan for 2023-2025 is announced, these targets may all change and are no longer used as the reference point for IRCC immigration targets. What to expect? Typically, the Immigration Levels Plan contains new increases, and are currently at their highest levels ever. For example, less than 10 years ago the total target for 2016 was 250,000 immigrants. In 2021, IRCC broke the record for the largest number of permanent residents ever, totaling over 405,000 even during uncertainty brought by the pandemic. The current overall target for 2023 stands at 447,055 before a very modest increase to 451,000 in 2024. IRCC works with various other governmental departments and stakeholders to create an Immigration Levels Plan that is balanced in how permanent resident spots are allocated in each class and subsequent program. In June, in an interview with CIC News, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said he would consult with the provinces to better understand their labour market needs as some provincial immigration ministers have criticized the current plan for not allocating enough spots to Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs), which they believe are better suited to target the skilled immigrants required to bolster the workforce and make up for shortfalls in Canadas labour force. The minister also said that he can foresee targets going as high as 500,000 new permanent residents a year in the coming years. However, he did not specify when. Look, I wouldnt put it on the clock, he said. I think we will get there. Were growing in excess of 1% of our population through the existing track. That trajectory is going to continue. I dont know the exact year were going to cross that threshold [500,000 immigrants per year]. Its going to be based on the needs of communities. Based on data from IRCC, as of August 31, there are 513, 923 applications for permanent residency waiting to be processed. IRCC recently announced that it was working to improve client services and speed up processing time by hiring over 1,000 new employees, moving to a 100% digital application process, and overall making investments to modernize the aging technology that the department relies on. Why is Canada welcoming more immigrants? The Immigration Levels Plan is created by IRCC, in consultation with several governmental departments, to support the IRCC mandate to welcome and support immigrants in order to grow the economy, reunite families and provide humanitarian assistance. New immigrants are especially vital to Canadas economy because they contribute through their labour and by paying income tax. For instance, these taxes are meant to support infrastructure, healthcare, education, pensions and more. Canadas population is aging and baby boomers, those born between 1946 and the early 1960s, are reaching the retirement age of 65. An increased number of immigrants will help Canada maintain its high living standards. Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. Page Content Windsor to Welcome Poets Laureate From Across Canada And Launch New Poetry Anthology City of Windsor Poet Laureate Emeritus Marty Gervais and past Poet Laureate Mary Ann Mulhern are hosting four poets laureate from across Canada for the next edition of the popular annual Poetry at the Manor on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. Poetry at the Manor Vol. 10 will celebrate the milestone tenth anniversary of the beloved event, which returns to an in-person format at Willistead Manor in Walkerville. This years line-up includes Anna Yin (inaugural Poet Laureate for Mississauga), Richard-Yves Sitoski (Poet Laureate for Owen Sound), Micheline Maylor (Poet Laureate Emeritus for Calgary), and Sarah Lewis (past Poet Laureate for Peterborough). Anna Yin was Mississaugas inaugural Poet Laureate with five poetry collections and a book of translations: Mirrors and Windows. Her poetry won awards and appeared at ARC Poetry, New York Times, Queens Quarterly, China Daily, and CBC Radio. She teaches Poetry Alive. The Hollow Tree won 2022 Broadsheet Contest by the League of Canadian Poets. Richard-Yves Sitoski is a songwriter, performance poet, and the 2019-2023 Poet Laureate of Owen Sound, Ontario. He is also the Artistic Director of the Words Aloud festival. With Penn Kemp he co-edited Poems in Response to Peril, an Anthology in Support of Ukraine. His latest book, No Sleep til Eden is an augmented reality multimedia collection of poems on the environment. His poems have appeared, or are forthcoming, in many journals, including The Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire, The Maynard, Barren Magazine, Bywords.ca, in the League of Canadian Poets Poetry Pause, and as part of Brick Books Brickyard spoken word video series. He has given performances in industrial ruins, has read poems to earth worms, and has written verse on snow with biodegradable dye. Dr. Micheline Maylor was Calgarys Poet Laureate 2016-18. Her latest poetry collection is The Bad Wife (2021). She recently won the Lois Hole Award for Editorial Excellence in Alberta. She teaches creative writing at Mount Royal University and has been recently translated into Farsi. Sarah Lewis is an Anishnaabe Kwe (Ojibwe/Cree) spoken word artist from Curve Lake First Nation and is Nogojiwanongs (Peterboroughs) first Poet Laureate. Her poetry uncovers how Indigenous communities are reclaiming their identities, culture, strength and sovereignty. She was a national semi-finalist of the 2019 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, and has performed her works at many slam poetry competitions and community events. Her work has been published in the Edmonton Indigenous Artists Anthology and featured on CBCs Arts YouTube channel. This years event will also serve as the official book launch for A Manor of Words: Poetry at the Manor 10th Anniversary Anthology, which is the fourth entry in the Citys South Shore Collections. This unique book includes works by the more than thirty poets and poets laureate who have visited the city of Windsor and participated in Poetry at the Manor over the last ten years. The book will go on sale at the event this year, and will be available afterwards at www.BlackMossPress.com, at the Chimczuk Museum gift shop, and at Biblioasis Bookshop in Walkerville. A portion of proceeds from book sales will be donated to the United Ways On Track to Success Program. The free event is typically standing-room only, so guests are asked to kindly pre-register at Eventbrite.ca and bring a copy of their ticket with them. Space permitting, walk-ups will also be accepted at the door on the night of the reading. Quotes: Windsor is proud to once again play host to poets laureate from across Canada. On behalf of the City of Windsor, we welcome our guests from Mississauga, Owen Sound, Calgary and Peterborough, and offer sincere congratulations to all of the poets featured in the new poetry collection launching at this event. - Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens This remains, by far, the most popular poetry event in Windsor. We were the first to do this, and it is fantastic to be celebrating our tenth year of this wonderful and intimate reading, once again welcoming poets laureate who have such diverse bodies of work to share with us. We are so excited to be launching our anniversary anthology also a first of its kind as part of this special evening. - Marty Gervais, Poet Laureate Emeritus, City of Windsor Literacy is critical for a young persons academic achievement and future success. United Ways On Track to Success program unlocks potential in local youth by providing academic and other vital supports that help them graduate high school and go on to college, university or a trade. The program continues to expand and is currently offered to students in three priority neighbourhoods including Downtown Windsor, West Windsor, and Leamington. - Lorraine Goddard, CEO, United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County Poetry at the Manor Vol. 10 is presented by the City of Windsor, through the Culture and Events Department, and in partnership with Black Moss Press, the League of Canadian Poets, Biblioasis, and Thyme To-Go. Find more information on the City of Windsors Poet Laureate and Storytellers program. Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate. Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is seen answering questions during a press briefing at the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, Oct. 5. AP-Newsis The United States strongly condemned North Korea's launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile Tuesday, calling it a reckless decision that poses an unacceptable threat to regional and international security. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also discussed appropriate responses the international community should take in phone talks with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts. "The United States strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) dangerous and reckless decision to launch a long-range ballistic missile over Japan," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a released statement, referring to North Korea by its official name. "This action is destabilizing and shows the DPRK's blatant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions and international safety norms," she added. North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday (Seoul time) that flew some 4,500 kilometers over Japan, marking its fifth missile test in just over a week. Since the start of the year, the country has staged more than 20 rounds of missile tests, firing nearly 50 ballistic missiles, the largest number of ballistic missiles launched in a year. Sullivan held separate telephone conversations with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Sung-han, and Japanese counterpart, Takeo Akiba, soon after the North staged its latest missile launch, according to Watson. "In both calls, the national security advisors consulted on appropriate and robust joint and international responses and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reinforced the United States' ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK," she said. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name. People watch a TV report at Seoul Station on North Korea's firing of an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) into the Pacific past Japan earlier in the day, Oct. 4. Yonhap Well, well our new minister for civil society, Lord Kamall, is a past research director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). This is a humble example of the reach of that contentious charity into the new government. For, as George Monbiot described in a recent Guardian column , Liz Truss was a founder member of the Free Enterprise Group of Conservative MPs, whose webpage was registered by Ruth Porter, communications director of the IEA, and for whom the IEA organised events and supplied media briefings. 12 members of the Free Enterprise Group are now in the Cabinet, and Ruth Porter is Truss's new deputy chief of staff at No 10. Moreover, two out of three of Truss's chief economic advisers during her campaign were from the IEA stable: Patrick Minford, a long serving board member, and Julian Jessop, former IEA chief economist and economics fellow. The director of the IEA Mark Littlewood has given interviews about his friend Liz Truss and her incorruptible free market credentials, and Truss has held more meetings with the IEA over the past 12 years than any other politician. Is this a triumph for charity sector influence on government policy, you may ask? No, because the IEA should not be a charity at all, for two reasons. Firstly, the IEA's project is inherently political, in the sense of the Charity Commission's definition in CC9 (this is not the same as party political, though the IEA sails very close to the wind on that criterion also). Secondly, although it claims the advancement of education as its purpose, it constantly infringes the Commission's own definition of what charitable education must be. It is a regulatory failure of the Commission over years to have repeatedly rapped the IEA's knuckles for individual breaches of its guidance without being courageous enough to recognise that these are but symptoms of the fundamentally political and evangelical, proselytising nature of the IEA, which exists to promote free market ideology and shrink the state. Political activity Here is the Charity Commission's definition of political activity, which by law must not be part of a charity's purpose: aimed at securing, or opposing, any change in the law or in the policy or decisions of central government, local authorities or other public bodies, whether in this country or abroad. (CC9 says you can engage in political activity in support of an exclusively charitable purpose, such as the relief of poverty, protection of the environment etc, but political activity must not be the purpose.) And here is the IEA's own description of its purpose: It is more vital than ever that we promote the intellectual case for a free economy, low taxes, freedom in education, health and welfare, and lower levels of regulation. [All those involved in the IEA] believe that society's problems and challenges are best dealt with by individuals, companies and voluntary associations inter-acting with each other freely without interference from politicians and the state. This means that government action, whether through taxes, regulation or the legal system, should be kept to a minimum. Our authors and speakers are therefore always on the look-out for ways of reducing the government's role in our lives. It is obvious that such a purpose necessarily involves changes in the law, policy or decisions of government and other public bodies. So how can the Commission possibly accept that the purpose of the IEA is exclusively charitable and not political? Moreover, the supposed charitable purpose of the IEA is the advancement of education. Here are some salient quotations from the Commission's guidance on what charitable education must mean: Promoting a specific point of view may be a way of furthering another charitable aim, but it would not be education. [Charitable education involves] researching and presenting information in a neutral and balanced way that encourages awareness of different points of view where appropriate. Advancement of education by a charity must not be promoting a predetermined and controversial position. Playing by the rules The entire output of the IEA is designed to promote the specific, predetermined and controversial point of view already summarised from their website. Neutral and balanced is a different universe. Thus, part of the very purpose of the IEA shrinking the state is political, and their version of education is promoting a predetermined and controversial point of view and cannot be charitable education. There are plenty of charitable think tanks for the advancement of education that play by the rules. There are plenty of non-charitable think tanks that promote a controversial, predetermined point of view without pretending to be charitable. It is unjust to both of these that the IEA should not play by the rules, and yet enjoy the status and financial benefits of being a charity. There is a lazy argument doing the rounds that people only criticise the think tanks with which they disagree and if you deprive one of charity status the rest would all go down like ninepins too. That is nonsense. Each case must be looked at on its merits in the light of the Commission's own, clear guidance. Charity Commission board members: please look at yourselves in the mirror and see if you can truthfully say: The IEA's purpose is in no way political as defined in CC9. Its education and research is balanced and neutral and does not promote a predetermined and controversial point of view. If you can't, it is surely time to act. Andrew Purkis is a charity trustee and has been chair or vice chair of eight UK charities, chief executive of others and was a board member of the Charity Commission from 2006 to 2010 IEA response Andy Mayer, chief operating officer and company secretary of the IEA, said: Andrew Purkiss latest attack on the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), would be more compelling had he not already tested the points he raises with the regulator, repetitively, over the course of a decade long lobbying campaign. He honourably maps out this record of failure on his own blog, but persists in pretending this is a live issue, rather than one long settled by regulatory review. Charities can be political in line with their mission, provided that is not their sole purpose, and self-evidently isnt at the IEA which runs summer schools, publishes books, and other educational content. Education charities must in addition be sufficiently balanced and neutral, but within the school of thought and in the round while allowing readers or listeners to reach their own conclusions. Meaning we offer a range of free market content, balance should be considered in the wider context of that output, and we offer options not campaigns. Whether education charities can be controversial remains controversial. We believe such a stipulation does not exist in charity law, and clearly conflicts both with freedom of expression and academic freedom as defined in the education acts. Whether the regulator now agrees is unclear. It is, though, self-evidently relevant to their reversal of the regulatory sanction misapplied to the IEA in 2019 when they banned and then unbanned a book about Brexit. Funding transparency or protection of donor privacy is a matter of general charity law, not specific to think tanks. Were any think tanks selling access to ministers for lobbying purposes this would be strictly illegal in both charity and lobbying law. Claims in this area usually amount to conspiratorial and abusive online campaigns, that do not encourage transparency. A specific allegation made against the IEA in 2019 was tested and found without merit by two regulators. We have conversely published on improving transparency by requiring all politicians to publish their meetings. But in simple terms, while Purkis is a knowledgeable and experienced charity law campaigner, on the matter of the IEAs charitable status he is simply and repetitively wrong, and has been told so repeatedly by the regulator. Charity Commission response A Charity Commission spokesperson said: All charities, which include think tanks registered with the Commission, must operate in line with their duties. If complaints or concerns are raised with us we will assess those against our published regulatory framework and if needed take regulatory action as appropriate. Civil Society Voices is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say. Find out more about contributing and how to get in touch. is the place for informed opinion, and debate about the big issues affecting charities today. Were always keen to hear from anyone, working or volunteering at a charity, who has something to say. Last week, as millions of Florida residents prepared for the landfall of Hurricane Ian, Eric Holthaus, a Minnesota-based meteorologist and journalist, prepared his staff of meteorologists and journalists at Currentlya weather service for the climate emergencyto cover the Category 4 storm. Currently is rooted in a memo, written by Holthaus and climate activist Sydney Ghazarian and published in 2019, in which the two proposed a news company that would not shy away from showing climate changes role in weather. The site launched in 2021. When Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, on September 18, Currently flooded its Twitter account with satellite images and minute-by-minute updates in English and Spanish, and consistently situated the storm in a climate-change contextan approach it sustained through Hurricane Ians landfall in Florida last week. In addition to traditional weather reporting, Currently runs a 24/7 text-a-meteorologist hotline, which pushes out storm alerts and enables users to get answers to specific weather questions. In the middle of Hurricane Ian, the hotline went down. CJR spoke with Holthaus about the irony of a hurricane taking out Currentlys hotline and the effort to bring it back, as well as the benefits of on-staff meteorologists. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. CJR: Whats the status of the text-a-meteorologist hotline? Is it up and running again? Holthaus: The server for the text message service was based in Miami, and it went down for a few hours. We had a few breaking-news text message campaigns that didnt get sent during the middle of the night. Everythings back up now. Sign up for CJR 's daily email We have about a thousand people that pay for that service right now, but during major events we open it up for free to anyone. During Hurricane Ian, maybe a few dozen people used it every day. Theyre asking things like, I live in Orlando in this zip codewhats it going to look like for the next thirty-six hours here? That was a typical question during the hurricane. But we also have someone in New Hampshire who is just really fascinated with the mountain next to their house, and theyre like, Whats the fog gonna be like tomorrow morning? So it can be pretty much anything. Did it strike you as ironic, that a hurricane had affected your ability to report on the weather? In the moment, it was like, Oh, man, this is so annoying, because what are the chances of our server being right in the place were trying to cover? Then it was making sure that we could get information out to folks as quickly as possible. Later on, it seemed an example of how things break in unpredictable ways but everything is connected, whether we like it or not. In 2019, you coauthored a sort of climate-journalism manifesto that envisioned a climate-focused weather-news site. How does Currently enact that vision? We call Currently a weather service for the climate emergency. Weather is the most immediate impact of climate change. And thats where media organizations have kind of failed in the past in terms of coverage. So thats where were trying to start. I think that there needs to be more openness about how climate science is communicated in real time. For too long, it has been strictly a science issue; now, very clearlyto me, at leastit is a cultural and social issue, not just a science issue. So were trying to come at it from the realm of affected people and putting a service together that puts those people front and center as much as possibletheir voices, their stories, and the kinds of information they need to make informed decisions. Im mostly interested in how people are adapting to changing weather, rather than how the weather itself is changing. Our most highly read stories, by far, are about the ongoing California drought, the Colorado River levels, and all that stuff. Thats an ongoing emergencysuper dire every single dayand its just in the back of peoples minds. When you are explicit about it and bring it to the front, people get activated. People get interested. The more and more we can talk about these things, the more we can get conversations going around them. How are your reporters working to bring in the voices of vulnerable and marginalized people? We have broadened our definition of what an expert is when were trying to source stories. An expert is someone who has lived experience in the city were covering. Theyre an expert on that city. And so, in addition to the meteorology and government sources that are typical in weather stories, were also trying to include voices from front-line folks as well. When we see folks posting on social media about a storm, we try to approach them and tell the story with them, as long as it doesnt feel exploitative. Were also trying to pay them for their timefifty dollars an hour, if its a longer interview. All of these things are probably crossing all sorts of traditional journalistic-ethics guidelines. We have evolving journalistic-ethics guidelines. Paying someone for their time seems like a justice move. At the same time, you want to make sure that thats disclosed on our site. Were still working on getting that disclaimer up. When approaching major weather events like Hurricane Ian, how do you decide where to focus your reporters and resources? We have three full-time meteorologists, including me, and we moved to six-hour shift work when we saw that the storm was going to be a big deal. We pass off the weather information to the editorial team, and then the editorial team makes their own decisions about how to allocate their resources and which parts of the storm to cover. We also have the weather-service part of our organization, which provides updates to the editorial team as well as updates and customized forecasts to our front-line partners, like the Miami Climate Alliance. We just have two full-time journalists right now, and some freelancers that we work with, so we dont have a huge amount of capacity to cover multiple angles. There are so many stories in Puerto Rico and in Florida that need to be told right now. What I told our team was, We dont need to be the four hundredth person to retweet or repost the thing that is going viral. I would rather us talk about stories that arent being covered as much. Were trying to do the basics of the storm. Whats it doing? What is it going to do next? And then whats the human side of the weather forecast? What can we anticipate will happen based on the expected path of the storm? Its been an asset for the editorial team to just have our meteorologists on call and on demand to help them think through questions like What is storm surge? and Why has the forecast changed?, and to just get someone on the phone in ten minutes and talk about it. How do you approach the challenge of delivering urgent pre-storm reporting while also providing scientific, human, and historical context? For Hurricane Ian, we knew that the storm surge was going to be really badbecause of the geography of the coasts, the very shallow continental shelf, and all kinds of scenarios that the weather service has prepared over decades, saying they would result in one of the worst storm-surge hurricanes in US history. And thats exactly what happened, basically. This is the advantage of having meteorologists on staff. We can tell those stories before they become national stories. Treating weather as a news story is an approach that I think not many people take in journalism. So being a meteorologist as well as a journalist, Ive been able to say, I know that this is very likely to happen, and heres what it will look like if it does. Traditional journalism does not treat that as a story because it hasnt happened yet. But weather-forecasting abilities have advanced rapidly in the last twenty years. The moment a hurricane makes landfall, thats when it becomes a front-page story, because it has officially happened. But six hours before landfall, its obviously gonna happen. If its gonna happen, why not elevate the story when people can take action? Our readers are most interested in wanting to help change the outcome of the story. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Emily Russell is a CJR fellow. A public adjuster who is accused of pocketing insurance payouts intended for policyholders took a total of $7.9 million from 14 customers, including four churches, according to an amended complaint filed by the Texas Department of Insurance. The Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings has scheduled an Oct. 12 hearing on the Insurance Departments petition to revoke the public adjuster license issued to Andrew Joseph Mitchell and shut down several unlicensed businesses that he operated, including Mitchell Adjusting International. The department on Sept. 23 filed an amended petition that names new victims and increases the total alleged losses. A spokesman told the Claims Journal that the department cannot comment on whether it has referred the Mitchell case to criminal prosecutors. Mitchells attorney, David W. Alexander of League City, Texas, said in an email that his client denies that he intentionally misappropriated policyholders money. For that reason, he is answering all of the Texas Department of Insurances allegations of misconduct, Alexander said. Insurance defense attorney Steve Badger, a partner with the Zelle law firm in Dallas, said criminal charges should be filed. This public adjuster is confirmed to have stolen millions of dollars from his clients. I do not understand why he has not been arrested, Badger said in an email. As a result of this matter and other similar situations, we are advising our insurance company clients to be more careful before putting a public adjusters name on a claim payment. In most states, there is no obligation to name a public adjuster on the claim payment. The Louisiana Department of Insurance in July revoked a license issued to Mitchell Adjusting International and to Andrew Mitchells son, Kade Austen Mitchell, for allegedly cashing two insurance company checks, totaling $267,000, that were intended for policyholders. The amended petition filed with the Texas SOAH says that the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Houston was a major victim of the alleged scam. The church hired the senior Mitchell, who was doing business as Texas Claim Consultants, in November 2018 to file a roof damage claim, according to a petition filed by Insurance Department attorney Cassie Tigue. The petition says that from July 2019 to January 2021, Mitchell cashed four checks from Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. totaling $6,866.608.80 that were intended for the church. He allegedly forged the signature of the insured without remitting any of the funds to the church. Mitchell also pocketed insurance company checks that were intended for the Debre Hail St. Raguel Ethiopian Orthodox Church, St. Pauls Lutheran Church, and St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, according to the petition. The petition says Debre Hail lost $47,707.24 paid by Church Insurance in 2021 for a hail damage claim. Representatives for the church said they never hired Mitchell or his company and dont know how he became involved with their claim. The St. Nicholas and St. Paul churches did hire Mitchell to represent them. The petition says he pocketed checks intended for them as well, costing St. Paul $179,746.47 and St. Nicholas $179,766.79. The Insurance Department says Mitchell repaid St. Paul $142,784.50, but he took more for his services than the amount allowed by state law, which is 10% of the loss and a $10,000 appraiser fee. The petition says Mitchell also pocketed checks intended for the owners of an Econo Lodge and a Travelodge, a Mexican restaurant and several other property owners who are identified only by their initials. The Insurance Department says Mitchell also did business under the names Texas Wind Consultants, International Consulting Group, Loss Consultants of Texas. The companies are registered with the Texas Secretary of State, but none are licensed to conduct the business of insurance, the department says. The Insurance Departments petition asks SOAH to order Mitchell to pay restitution and an administrative penalty in addition to revoking his license and ordering him to cease and desist from the business of insurance. BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) Nearly a week after Hurricane Ian smashed into Florida and carved a path of destruction into the Carolinas, hundreds of thousands of people faced another warm day without electricity Tuesday as rescuers pressed on with their search for anyone trapped inside flooded and damaged homes. At least 79 people have been confirmed dead from the storm: 71 in Florida, five in North Carolina and three in Cuba since Ian made landfall on the Caribbean island on Sept. 27, a day before it reached Florida. The number of storm-related deaths has risen in recent days because of the dangers posed by cleaning up and as search and rescue crews comb through some of in the hardest-hit areas of Florida. Officials said that as of Monday, more than 2,350 people had been rescued throughout the state. There have been deaths in vehicle wrecks, drownings and accidents. A man drowned after becoming trapped under a vehicle. Another got trapped trying to climb through a window. And a woman died when a gust of wind knocked her off her porch as she was smoking a cigarette as the storm was approaching, authorities said. In hardest hit Lee County, all 45 people killed by the hurricane were over age 50. As floodwaters begin to recede, power restoration has become job one. In Naples, Kelly Sedgwick was just seeing news footage Monday of the devastation Ian had caused, thanks to power that was restored four days after the hurricane slammed into her Gulf Coast community of roughly 22,000 people. She said she was relieved to have her power back and praised the crews for their hard work: Theyve done a remarkable job. A few miles north along the coast in Bonita Springs, Catalina Mejillas family wasnt as lucky. She was still using a borrowed generator to try to keep her kids and their grandfather cool amid the temperatures in the typically humid area that reached the upper 80s (about 30 degrees Celsius). The heat is unbearable, Mejilla said. When theres no power we cant make food, we dont have gas. Her mother has trouble breathing and had to go to a friends house that had electricity. I think they should give power to the people who are most in need. Ian knocked out power to 2.6 million customers across Florida after it roared ashore with 150 mph (241 kph) winds and a powerful storm surge. Since then, crews have been feverishly working to restore electricity infrastructure. State officials said they expect power to be restored by Sunday to customers whose power lines and other electric infrastructure is still intact. About 430,000 homes and businesses in Florida were still without power early Tuesday. Eric Silagy, chairman and CEO of Florida Power & Light the largest power provider in the state said he understands the frustration and that 21,000 utility workers from 30 states are working as hard as they can to restore power as quickly as possible. The utility expects to have power restored to 95% of its service areas by the end of the day Friday, he said. The remaining 5% are mostly special situations where its difficult to restore electricity, such as the home being so damaged it cant receive power or the area still being flooded. Those outages dont include customers whose homes or businesses were destroyed. Another major electricity provider in the hard-hit coastal region, Lee County Electric Cooperative, said Monday that it expects to hit the 95% mark by the end of Saturday. That figure doesnt include barrier islands such as Sanibel that are in its service area. Power restoration is always a key challenge after major hurricanes, when high winds and flying debris can topple power lines or major parts of the electricity infrastructure. Silagy said the utility has invested $4 billion over the last 10 years to harden its infrastructure by doing things such as burying more power lines, noting that 40% of its distribution system is now underground. The utility is also using more technology such as drones that can stay aloft for hours to get a better picture of damage to the system, and sensors at substations that can alert them to flooding so they can shut off parts of the system before the water arrives. Silagy said he saw during Ian where those investments paid off. Concrete utility poles remained standing at Fort Myers Beach, where many homes and businesses were wiped away. The company also didnt lose a single transmission structure in the 8,000 miles (12,875 kilometers) it covers in Florida. Elsewhere, the hurricanes remnants, now a noreaster, werent done with the U.S. Heavy rain fell Tuesday from Philadelphia to Boston, though not enough to cause flooding. The storms onshore winds are causing some minor ocean flooding at high tide from the North Carolina Outer Banks to Long Island, New York. If people had not heeded warnings, I think it could have been a lot worse, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday as he reviewed how his state dealt with the storm. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit Florida on Wednesday. The president was in Puerto Rico on Monday, promising to rebuild it all after Hurricane Fiona knocked out all power to the island two weeks ago. Meanwhile, in Florida neighborhoods still without power, many residents have been sharing generators to keep things such as refrigerators cool and using outdoor grills to cook. In Bonita Springs, Paula Arbuckle was sitting outside her one-story home while the sound of the generator under her carport roared. She bought a generator after Hurricane Irma slammed into this area in 2018 and left her neighborhood without power. She hasnt used it since then, but after Ian knocked out the lights, shes been sharing it with her next-door neighbor. Arbuckle said its hard being without power. But Im not the only one, she said. Gesturing to her neighbors house she said: I have a generator. They have a little baby over there. So were sharing the generator between the two homes. Associated Press reporters Bobby Caina Calvan in Fort Myers; Frieda Frisaro and David Fischer in Miami; Mike Schneider in Orlando; Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report. About the photo: Workers for Florida Power and Electric repair a power line damaged by Hurricane Ian in Naples, Fla., on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022. The utility said Monday that it expects to have nearly all power restored to its customers with habitable homes by the end of the week. (AP Photo/Robert Bumsted) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. WILLIAMS, Ariz. (AP) Up to 10 homes were damaged after a tornado touched down in northern Arizona Monday while around Phoenix, dust storms caused downed power lines, fires and cut power to thousands, authorities said. The National Weather Service said a strong line of thunderstorms hit northwestern Coconino County around 1:30 p.m. County officials said 8 to 10 homes were damaged in the Junipine Estates community located 8 miles (12 kilometers) north of Williams, which is 33 miles (53 kilometers) west of Flagstaff. Numerous other structures and trees were damaged in the EF-1 twister because of winds up to 100 mph (161 kilometers), according to the weather agency. Search and rescue units from the county sheriffs office were conducting life and property assessments in the affected community with some downed power lines reported and some homes sustaining roof damage. Dust storms, rain and wind moved through the Phoenix area Monday afternoon, downing power lines that sparked fires and cut power to thousands. The Phoenix Fire Department at about 5:30 p.m. reported on Twitter that firefighters were responding to more than a half-dozen fires in homes, businesses and in a salvage yard. One adult was treated for smoke inhalation in one of those fires, and some people were displaced from their apartments, officials said. More than 82,000 customers around Phoenix were without power because of the storms, ABC15 reported. As of about 6:10 p.m., power remained out for about 46,000 customers. Storm activity was continuing to move south and east Monday evening with much calmer weather expected by 8 p.m., the National Weather Service said. AZCentral.com reported that a dusting of snow in the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff was part of the wild weather in Northern Arizona. The newspaper said tornadoes are relatively rare in Arizona and relatively weak when they do form. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, accompanied by Jang Chang-ha, left, chief of the North's Academy of National Defense, and Kim Jong-sik, the deputy director of the Munitions Industry Department, visits Pyongyang International Airport to inspect the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), March 24. Yonhap North Korea will likely continue with its ongoing provocations and conduct a nuclear test and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test to improve its capabilities, U.S. experts said Tuesday. Harry Kazianis, president of the Rogue States Project think tank, also argued the North currently faces little or no repercussions from its provocative actions and thus will continue to seize the opportunity to advance its weapons. "I guarantee that Pyongyang will test an ICBM in the coming weeks," he told Yonhap News Agency. "While North Korea has been working for decades to develop reliable missiles that can deliver nuclear weapons, one has to assume that the Kim family knows Washington is distracted due to the war in Ukraine and has no real ability to sanction them further or stop them," he added, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. North Korea on Tuesday (Seoul time) fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan, marking its fifth missile launch in just over a week. Pyongyang now has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles this year, the largest number of ballistic missile launched in a single year. Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, agreed the North's latest missile provocations may actually be aimed at improving its weapons capabilities. "Missile launches can serve several concurrent objectives development of new weapons systems, routine military training, exercising the war plan Kim implemented after assuming power a decade ago, a message of strength and resolve to the North Korean populace, and sending a signal to Washington and Seoul," said Klingner. "Pyongyang's actions, coupled with statements by its leadership, affirm enduring regime themes of resistance to outside pressure, rejection of denuclearization, dismissal of offers of economic benefits, and affirmation that its nuclear weapons are for both deterrence and offensive purposes, including a decade of threat of preemptive nuclear attack," he added. South Korea and the United States hold joint missile firing drills at an unspecified location. The firing of four ground-to-ground missiles into the East Sea was made in the wee hours of Oct. 5. Yonhap A man watches a TV at a train station in Seoul showing a news program reporting about a North Korean missile launch with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, May 25. AP-Yonhap North Korea's state media outlets remained silent Wednesday about its latest launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), as its leader Kim Jong-un has stayed out of public view for nearly a month. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the Korean Central Television and the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the country's ruling Workers' Party, carried no reports on the missile test conducted the previous day. The missile traveled some 4,500 kilometers at a top altitude of around 970 km over Japan, marking the North's first flight test of an IRBM in eight months, according to South Korea's military. The secretive North had often boasted about its major weapon system tests through its state-controlled media with photos of Kim "guiding" them in person. The United States asked the U.N. Security Council to meet on North Korea on Wednesday after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan, but diplomats said China and Russia are opposed to a public discussion by the 15-member body. Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years and prompting a warning for residents there to take cover. "We must limit the DPRK's ability to advance its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, posted on Twitter, after calling for a public Security Council meeting. Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland joined the United States in making the request. North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). However, China and Russia told council counterparts they are opposed to a public meeting, arguing that the reaction of the council should be conducive to easing the situation on the Korean Peninsula, diplomats said. It was not immediately clear whether the council would meet publicly or behind closed doors on Wednesday. Any meaningful council action is unlikely, diplomats say. North Korea has for years been banned from conducting nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the Security Council, which has strengthened sanctions on Pyongyang over the years to try and cut off funding for those programs. In recent years, veto powers China and Russia have suggested U.N. sanctions on North Korea be eased for humanitarian purposes and to entice Pyongyang back to stalled international talks aimed at persuading leader Kim Jong-un to denuclearize. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned North Korea's missile launch over Japan as a "reckless act" and a violation of Security Council resolutions, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "It is also of serious concern that the DPRK has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety," said Dujarric, adding that Guterres urged Pyongyang to resume talks with key parties. (Reuters) Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations has strongly condemned North Korea's continued nuclear and missile activities, addressing a U.N. session. In a keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly's first committee meeting in New York on Tuesday, Hwang Joon-kook urged Pyongyang to respond to Seoul's "audacious initiative" designed to help the North develop its economy in exchange for denuclearization steps. South Korea "condemns in the strongest terms the DPRK's continued nuclear and missile activities in flagrant violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions," he said, using the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Hwang's comments came as North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday that flew some 4,500 kilometers over Japan. Since the start of this year, the country has staged more than 20 rounds of missile tests, firing nearly 50 ballistic missiles, the most ballistic missiles it has ever launched in a single year. South Korea and the U.S. say the North is apparently ready to carry out a nuclear test as well. Hwang, formerly Seoul's top nuclear envoy, called on the North to "immediately return to dialogue and respond positively to the South's audacious initiative." (Yonhap) Are you a current print subscriber to Columbia Gorge News? If so, you qualify for free access to all content on columbiagorgenews.com. Simply verify with your subscriber id to receive free access. Your subscriber id may be found on your bill or mailing label. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form A TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile launch with file footage, is seen at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Oct. 4. AP-Yonhap North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Thursday, South Korea's military said, after a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was redeployed to the waters the previous day. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Samsok area in Pyongyang between 6:01 a.m. and 6:23 a.m. It did not provide other details. The launches came just two days after the North's intermediate-range ballistic missile launch over Japan. An online resume-validating network has garnered support from than a dozen board members from companies whose ranks include Aon, Oracle, SAP, UKG, and ZipRecruiter with the aim of reducing the time and cost of vetting job candidates. The network is part of a trend by governments, schools, and businesses to create verifiable digital IDs self-sovereign digital identities that can be used to verify everything from credit worthiness and college diplomas to licenses and business-to-business credentials. The Velocity Network mainnet, now being piloted internally by corporate members, would enable employers to verify a job candidates diplomas, certifications, and work experience almost instantaneously. Employers using HR software can also issue verified credentials to employees, who can then access and share that information through a blockchain-based, online ledger. A job candidate using the network would essentially be given a digital wallet secured through cryptography via the ledger. They could then choose to offer prospective employers whatever verified information they choose via a public key. The network was created and is run by the Velocity Network Foundation, a Delaware-based nonprofit whose mission is to allow workers to store and share verifiable educational, licensing, and experience credentials online with job prospects. Verifying applicant career records can take days, weeks, if not months, to complete," said Dror Gurevich, founder and CEO of the Velocity Network Foundation. "Hiring methods are severely outdated to the point that one in three Americans have admitted to lying on their resumes, which slows the hiring process immensely. Theres literally no easy way of verifying records today other than making phone calls and procuring information from various sources," he said. "And that drives a $17 billion screening services market made up by professional third-party providers. Organizations spend millions of dollars on this. But its not the cost thats the issue. Its the time it takes; its a ball of friction that is the blocker for most of the innovation we need in the job market. How credentials are stored and shared Essentially, workers approach issuers to claim their credentials, whether from a past employer, government agency, or school. The issuers take the records they have, then sign them with their private keys to create a tamper-proof record that's issued to an individuals digital wallet. That digital wallet application can be installed on whatever device a user chooses to connect to their work, school, or license issuers to claim digitally-signed proofs of their employment history, educational background, skills, and qualifications. For each credential, the issuer writes a cryptographic key to Velocity Networks blockchain, making it verifiable and trusted. The personal data is stored privately on the individuals device, and the verification keys themselves hold no personally identifiable information. This allows individuals to stack proofs of their employment history, educational background, skills, and qualifications; store them privately; and share them [with employers] when needed, Gurevich said. Once the validated data is uploaded to the Velocity Network, workers would own it and can choose to share some or all of it by offering a public cryptographic key to prospective employers. Job seekers could control exactly which records an employer can access depending on job requirements. We currently support 25 different credentials, from basic identities to work permits, education credentials, courses, badges, assessment results, drivers licenses, and professional certifications, Gurevich said. Via the blockchain ledger, the Velocity Network would also run a token-based, cryptocurrency payment and rewards system. Organizations that issue credentials and other career information contributors are rewarded with Velocity Credits. Conversely, companies can then buy credits on the Velocity Credit Marketplace to pay for access to the blockchain ledger to verify credentials. Gurevich pointed to the Great Resignation as one reason a resume-vetting network is needed now more than ever as employees are quitting and changing jobs at unprecedented rates. Were currently relying on self-reported, unverified resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and the like as the source for candidate and employee records, Gurevich said. If you want to hire a developer in Serbia, you cant do that because you have no idea who they are and you dont have that trust factor to comply with regulations. For most employers, that requires the vetting of the individuals credentials or risk being responsible for negligent hiring. Velocity Network Foundation The Velocity Networks failure or success will largely depend on how many organizations choose to jump on board and share data with it. For example, colleges and tech bootcamp services will need to connect to the network and share their verified data. And corporate HR systems will have to agree to connect to the service to share employee work experience. That said, interest is growing in the portability of worker skills and compensation information among enterprises, according to Matthew Merker, a research manager for IDCs Talent Acquisition & Strategy practice. IDC, Merker said, is constantly seeing talent-acquisition vendors pop up with ways to address a job market hurting from historically low unemployment numbers, particularly for knowledge-based and technology-centric jobs. The trouble is convincing employers to accept these third-party companies at face value, Merker said. The other challenge is how effective it will be in terms of portability because its dependent on employer adoption. They have to say, 'I trust Velocity,' and for a lot of these companies theyre likely to say, 'Ive never heard of these companies before, so why should I buy into this?' Other vendors whove jointed Velocity Networks board include: Cisive, Cornerstone, HireRight, Korn Ferry, Nation, Randstad, SHL, and SumTotal Systems. SAP now testing the system internally Alex Chudnovsky, vice president of product strategy at SAP, is a founding member of Velocity Foundations board of directors, which was created in 2019. He said SAP is currently testing the blockchain-based credentialling network internally and with a few partners to educate employees and HR staff on how it works. Verifying just one of the hundreds of thousands of job applicants SAP fields in a year can take from five to 14 days and costs from $75 to $200 per candidate, Chudnovsky said. Velocitys network is also focused on connecting to existing HR systems through an API credentialing agent, with plans to make it a seamless part of the hiring process. Most HR systems today typically struggle quite a bit with interoperability with various other systems, Chudnovsky said. So, unlike lots of cool technologies out there, this is really designed for career credentialing of an individual through self-sovereignty. Thats very important from a data privacy standpoint that you have their PII [personally identifiable information] property secured. The network is based on the concept of Web3, a new iteration of the World Wide Web that includes data decentralization, blockchain, and token-based economics. Web3, Chudnovsky admitted, is still very much in its early days, and most systems are connecting to blockchain networks in a somewhat custom, ad hoc fashion. Velocity Network Foundation I think there are a number of reasons things will come together. First, if you look at our [board] membership, youve got a number of HR-focused vendors involved. Were all agreeing on a set of rules to transfer ownership of the data to the individual, Chudnovsky said. If were all doing it in a similar format, and this can be just one of many future formats, this will allow the issuer and inspector to connect instantaneously. For example, a recent graduate who applies to 10 different companies and wants to share a certified diploma with prospective employers either has to hand each one a certified copy or ask the institution for access to the electronic certificate 10 times. Using the Velocity Network, an issuer could simply share a tamper-proof electronic diploma or other certificate as a verified credential with the student, who could then grant access to that single copy to the 10 companies. SAP participates in lots of different consortiums, but this was a learning and a research and contribution effort. I think one of the reasons we like Velocity is theres an execution plan on how to get from A to B to C, Chudnovsky said. Knowing youre standing up a network and people agreeing on specific rules is no small feat. There are three ways Velocity Network users can connect to credential issuers: Use their wallet to scan a QR code provided by the issuer via email or presented on their website or application. Click a link provided by the issuer via email, or presented on their website or application. Use their wallet to search the issuers catalog. IDCs Merker said the Velocity Foundation network is not a bad idea, and using blockchain to secure sensitive personal information is smart both from a privacy standpoint and marketing perspective. Velocity Network Foundation But its just a matter of understanding that when it comes to background screening, credentialing and employment verification, organizations all have their existing vendors that they use and a lot of them are very well established, Merker said. SAP, for example, already uses various employee verification networks. And other companies commonly use verification services from ADP, Endera, Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion when hiring employees. Equifax and Experian have been around a long time and have a very good reputation for the most part, Merker said. "Theyre also massive, which helps. They have the resources to back up their services." What makes Velocity different, Chudnovsky said, is that it will be built on a layer of trusted credentials on a decentralized network versus a single company and single point of administration. And it can offer more information versus a simple criminal background check, credit check or employment verification on a job candidate that can be accessed instantaneously. Velocity Network Foundation The Velocity Network Foundation was established by Velocity Career Labs, a developer of blockchain technology for sharing career credentials. The Velocity Foundation exists to govern the use of the Velocity Network by all involved parties, to continuously build the rulebook (or the common framework that ensures operational consistency) and to promote adoption. The Foundation also guides the development of the decentralized protocols and supports research and development of applications and associated services. Past surveys of corporate executives found enterprises are on the path to deploying blockchain ledgers for business automation and transaction efficiency. So there is a level of trust for the electronic ledger to immutably secure sensitive information. Blockchain is a decentralized public electronic ledger similar to a relational database that can be openly shared among disparate users to create an unchangeable record of their transactions. Each entry is time-stamped and linked to the previous one. Each digital record or transaction in the thread is called a block (hence the name); it allows either an open or controlled set of users to participate in the electronic ledger. Each block is linked to a specific participant. The blockchain contains a true and verifiable record of each and every transaction ever made in the system. That means if a user uploads a digital representation of their university degree from an institution, it cannot be changed without leaving evidence behind. In other words, the record is tamper-proof. If a company uploads an employee's work experience and salary, that too is only accessible if the worker offers a public key to a perspective employers. Any career fact that can be converted by the issuing authority can now be exchanged through this network, Gurevich said. This puts people back in control of their data. The top diplomats of South Korea and El Salvador held talks in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations and cooperation, the foreign ministry said. The meeting between Foreign Minister Park Jin and his El Salvadoran counterpart, Alexandra Hill Tinoco, came as the two nations seek to deepen cooperation on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. In his opening remarks, Park stressed the importance of joint efforts to enhance "sustained, mutually beneficial and future-oriented" cooperation between the two countries, casting El Salvador as a key partner in trade, development cooperation, infrastructure and other areas. Tinoco's visit marks the first trip by an El Salvadoran foreign minister to Seoul since 2011. (Yonhap) ABUJA, Nigeria, October 5, 2022 (Morning Star News) A Christian woman in northeast Nigeria is on trial after being held incommunicado for more than four months on blasphemy charges for forwarding a WhatsApp message, sources said. Rhoda Yau Jatau, 45, was arrested in Bauchi state in May after receiving a WhatsApp message from Ghana condemning the gruesome killing of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a university student in Sokoto state also falsely accused of blaspheming Islam. Jatau shared the message condemning Yakubus May 12 death with colleagues in Warji County, and Muslims who saw it accused her of blasphemy and sought to kill her. Security agents from the Department of State Services, Nigerias secret police, arrested her on May 20, and she was incarcerated when Muslim mobs stormed her house seeking to kill her, sources said. Ever since her arrest, Mrs. Jatau has been detained in prison over false accusations of blasphemy, charged with inciting public disturbance, exciting contempt of religious creed and cyber-stalking, said her attorney, Joshua Nasara, in a press statement. Efforts to secure bail for Jatau, a health worker with the Warji Local Government Area, have been frustrated and denied by government authorities and leaders of Islamic groups in the state, Nasara said. The charges accuse Jatau, of Tudun Alheri, of posting a video that disparages Allah, Muhammad (the prophet of Islam), his parents and the entire Muslim community to a WhatsApp group of the Primary Healthcare Authority of Warji Local Government Area, allegedly with the intent to cause religious crisis, he said. The charges allege that she thus violated Sections 114, 210 of the Penal Code Law and Section 24 subsection 1b(i) of Cybercrime Prohibition Prevention Act 2015. Jatau was held for two weeks before she was charged, and since then, she has been held incommunicado in prison as authorities and Muslim leaders in the state delayed her trial, Nasara said. An application for bail was filed on July 20, after she was held the legal maximum of two months without trial, but it was not assigned to a judge until July 26, and by then, judges had gone on vacation, Nasara said. It was in August that the application was reassigned to a vacation judge who heard it for the first time on Aug. 11, he said. The Rev. Ishaku Dano of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Warji County said the blasphemy charges are false. Jatau shared the WhatsApp message only as a word of caution against further violence in northern Nigeria, where Muslim mobs were wreaking havoc, he said. Information we obtained from Mrs. Jatau shows that the WhatsApp message she received and shared in her group was for caution against violence and against the use of derogatory language in addressing other peoples faith, but that was not the interpretation by the Muslims, Pastor Dano said. And since the occurrence of the incident in May 2022, there have been campaigns by Muslims for Mrs. Jatau to be killed for blasphemy against Muhammad. Pastor Attacked In the Birshi area of the city of Bauchi, gunmen on Sept. 16 broke into the home of Pastor Zakka Luka Magaji and shot a relative staying with him, sources said. Seven terrorists invaded my house and attacked me and my family, Pastor Magaji said. I was their target even though I dont know their motives. The injured relation staying with me who was shot during the attack is getting better now. The chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bauchi State Chapter, said the attack on Pastor Magaji typifies the challenges facing Christians in northern Nigeria. The government must do everything possible to protect Nigerians from such attacks by terrorists, as life is sacred and must be protected at all costs, said the Rev. Abraham Damina Dimeus. Ahmed Wakil, a spokesman for the Bauchi State Police Command, confirmed that seven armed terrorists attacked the pastors home, that he was unhurt and that the relative was wounded. A 32-year-old man who is a member of Christian Life Church living with Pastor Zakka was injured in the process, Wakil said. The police personnel who were there on a rescue mission immediately took the injured victim and rushed him to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, for treatment of gunshot wounds. Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith last year (Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021) at 4,650, up from 3,530 the previous year, according to Open Doors 2022 World Watch List report. The number of kidnapped Christians was also highest in Nigeria, at more than 2,500, up from 990 the previous year, according to the WWL report. Nigeria trailed only China in the number of churches attacked, with 470 cases, according to the report. In the 2022 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to seventh place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 9 the previous year. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Stockbyte An F-15K fires two joint direct attack munition (JDAM) bombs against a virtual target at the Jikdo shooting field in the West Sea, Tuesday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff Growing threat from North Korea, Ukraine war makes some South Koreans rethink nuclear-free policy By Kang Seung-woo South Korea is facing growing calls to acquire nuclear weapons irrespective of ideological dogma. Such calls are being fueled by North Korea's growing nuclear menace and misgivings about the U.S.' extended deterrence if Pyongyang decides to attack its southern neighbor. "There has been a nuclear taboo a normative inhibition against the first use of nuclear weapons but Russia is about to break it in its war against Ukraine, thereby stoking concerns among countries, (including South Korea) that do not have their own nuclear weapons," said Go Myong-hyun, a senior fellow of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. Go added that, despite Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the United States and NATO were poised to respond to it with conventional weapons, with many South Koreans fearful of Washington's possible half-hearted response to North Korea's potential nuclear attack against the South. Cheong Seong-chang, the director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, also said that the growing interest in the development of a domestic nuclear weapons program comes as the U.S.' steadfast nuclear retaliation, in the case of North Korea using nuclear weapons against South Korea, appears uncertain. "Even though the allies held an Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) meeting in September, for the first time in nearly five years, they failed to reach an agreement on the U.S.' immediate and automatic retaliation in response to a North Korean nuclear attack against the South," Cheong said. The EDSCG, a high-level consultative mechanism to achieve North Korean denuclearization through steadfast deterrence, was held in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 16, but its joint statement merely stipulated that North Korea would face an "overwhelming and decisive" response in the event of a nuclear attack. "North Korea has made significant progress in the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, so it seems that our trust in the U.S. nuclear umbrella, aimed at ensuring deterrence against nuclear threats, has been eroded," Cheong said. According to a recent poll by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University, more than half of South Koreans, or 55.5 percent, supported the development of a domestic nuclear weapons program, with 92.5 percent of 1,200 respondents believing that North Korea will not abandon its nuclear program. In that respect, calls for an independent nuclear arsenal have been reignited amid an accelerated buildup of North Korea's nuclear weapons. "Ukraine was the world's third-largest nuclear power, but it disarmed its nuclear weapons following security assurances from the U.S., Britain and Russia and as a result, Ukraine is now facing Russia's nuclear attack," Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said on Facebook, Wednesday, An Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile is fired during a joint military drill between South Korea and the United States at an undisclosed location in South Korea, Wednesday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff Iran denies sending drones to Russia for use in Ukraine Xinhua) 10:23, October 05, 2022 TEHRAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has denied that Iran has delivered drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict, the Foreign Ministry website reported on Tuesday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran considers news published on the delivery of (Iran's) drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine conflict as baseless and does not confirm it," Kanaani was quoted as saying. "Since the beginning of the (Ukraine) conflict, we have always announced our principled and clear policy on active impartiality and opposition to war, underlining the necessity of a political resolution to disputes between the two sides, and away from violence," he said. Besides, Iran has always reiterated the need for resolving the differences in a peaceful manner through dialogue, he stressed. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) U.S. President Joe Biden attends a meeting in Washington, Tuesday. Jennifer Lind, an associate professor of government at Dartmouth College, says South Koreans should not expect "a rational U.S. leader to take action that would risk a nuclear retaliation that destroys American cities and kills millions of people." AFP-Yonhap US would not risk North Korea's nuclear attack to protect South Korea, professor says By Jung Min-ho Jennifer Lind, an associate professor of government at Dartmouth College Even when North Korea is ramping up the development of its weapons at an unprecedented pace and escalating the threat of a nuclear war against South Korea, Washington has so far issued vague warnings such as to "take all necessary measures" without mentioning whether a nuclear attack by the regime would be met with a nuclear response. To Jennifer Lind, an associate professor of government focused on East Asia at Dartmouth College, the reason for the ambiguity is plain and simple: the U.S. government will not make a concrete statement that it cannot back up with action. "North Korea is developing the ability to hit the U.S. with nuclear weapons, which seriously calls into question the credibility of its nuclear umbrella. As a result, South Koreans need to update their thinking on whether or not they can continue their current policy, which was formed at a time when the U.S. homeland was not at risk," Lind told The Korea Times. Although polls show most Americans highly value U.S. allies, including South Korea, the North's potential ability to strike anywhere in the U.S. with nuclear-tipped missiles poses a threat U.S. politicians cannot ignore when making important decisions in their best interest, she noted. "The South should not expect a rational U.S. leader to take action that would risk a nuclear retaliation that destroys American cities and kills millions of people," Lind said. "This policy may have made sense during the Cold War, but the stakes on the Korean Peninsula today from a U.S. national perspective are very different." South Korea is among the U.S. allies that have made a commitment not to produce nuclear weapons amid the U.S. guarantee to defend them under its nuclear umbrella. But in recent years, some in South Korea have been saying that the promise is no longer be trusted and that the South also needs to arm itself with nuclear weapons, given that its conventional weapons arsenal cannot match the destructive power of nuclear weapons held by the North. This March 24 file photo, distributed by the North Korean government, shows what it says is the test firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), at an undisclosed location in North Korea. AP-Yonhap Kim Dong-gill, a professor emeritus of history at Yonsei University in Seoul / Korea Times file Kim Dong-gill, a renowned scholar, writer and conservative commentator, has died of illness. He was 94. The professor emeritus of history at Yonsei University, who had been hospitalized for chronic disease at Severance Hospital in Seoul, died Tuesday night, his family said. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 in February and recovered, but his health began to deteriorate rapidly in March, they said. Born in South Pyongan Province, now in North Korea, in 1928, he crossed the border to South Korea after Kim Il-sung took power in 1946. He studied English literature at Yonsei University and history at Evansville University in the United States, and earned a Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston University. Kim Dong-gill, left, a professor emeritus of history at Yonsei University, receives a New Year's greeting from Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, the then presidential candidate of the minor opposition People's Party, at his residence in Seoul, Jan. 20. Korea Times file Advertisement US Dollar Outlook: The structure of the DXY Indexs bullish breakout remains ahead of the September US jobs report. USD/JPY rates may be forming a bull flag after the rally in August and early-September. The IG Client Sentiment Index suggests that USD/JPY has a mixed bias in the near-term. Recommended by Christopher Vecchio, CFA Get Your Free USD Forecast Get My Guide US NFP Around the Corner Mixed US economic data in recent days a surprising drop in August US JOLTs and a surprising beat in the September US ISM services PMI leaves the US Dollar (via the DXY Index) on tenuous footing ahead of the September US jobs report on Friday. Good news is good news for the US Dollar, insofar as anything that points to a resilient US economy gives the Fed the evidence it needs to continue raising rates, which in turn translates into higher US Treasury yields. While EUR/USD and GBP/USD rates have rallied at the start of October, if US Dollar strength emerges, no pair may be better suited for a continuation effort than USD/JPY rates. DXY PRICE INDEX TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DailyTimeframe (October 2021 to October 2022) (CHART 1) No asset has been trending stronger in recent weeks than the mighty US Dollar. Having broken out of an ascending triangle in September, the DXY Index reached a fresh yearly and multi-decade high by the end of the third quarter. Momentum has waned in recent days, even though the bullish breakout remains valid. The DXY Index is back above its daily 21-EMA (one-month moving average), though remains below the rest of its daily EMA envelope. Daily MACD is contracting, but is still above its signal line. Daily Slow Stochastics have fallen below their median line for the first time since mid-August. With other central banks already stepping back from future rate hikes, the Federal Reserve retains the mantle as the most aggressive major central bank at present time. Buy the dip is the modus operandi for the greenback until the Fed pivots; a drop below 109.14 would offer a technical reason to think a top has formed otherwise. Recommended by Christopher Vecchio, CFA How to Trade USD/JPY Get My Guide USD/JPY RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY TIMEFRAME (October 2021 to October 2022) (CHART 2) Even though the DXY Index has sold off and the Japanese Ministry of Finance has intervened to support the Japanese Yen, the fact of the matter is that USD/JPY rates have clung to their recent highs. As long as the policy gap between the Bank of Japan and Fed remains, it will be difficult for USD/JPY rates to pullback meaningful. Momentum has cooled without a corresponding pullback in price action. USD/JPY rates are above their daily EMA envelope, which remains in bullish sequential order. Daily MACD is declining, but still above its signal line. Daily Slow Stochastics are lingering below overbought territory. Accordingly, it may be the case that USD/JPY rates are carving out a bull flag after the rally in August and early-September. IG Client Sentiment Index: USD/JPY RATE Forecast (October 5, 2022) (Chart 3) USD/JPY: Retail trader data shows 21.79% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 3.59 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 2.28% higher than yesterday and 4.60% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 3.78% lower than yesterday and 0.97% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests USD/JPY prices may continue to rise. Positioning is less net-short than yesterday but more net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed USD/JPY trading bias. Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter --- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Strategist Kim Dong-gill, left, a professor emeritus of history at Yonsei University, speaks with Ahn Cheol-soo at Kim's residence in January this year when Kim was a supporter of then-presidential candidate Ahn. Kim passed away at the age of 94, Tuesday. Yonhap By Kwon Mee-yoo Late history professor Kim Dong-gill / Yonhap Kim Dong-gill, a professor emeritus of history at Yonsei University, passed away at the age of 94, Tuesday night. Kim is known for his political commentary during the 1980s with his signature mustache and bow tie. According to his family, Kim died at Severance Hospital in central Seoul. Kim had been infected with COVID-19 in February, but was hospitalized due to complications and was never able to recover. His family added that Kim donated his body to the medical school of Yonsei University. Born in Maengsan, South Pyongan Province, now in North Korea, in 1928, Kim moved to the South upon the establishment of the Kim Il-sung regime in 1946 and studied English literature at Yonsei University in Seoul. He went to the United States and studied history at University of Evansville and earned a doctoral degree in philosophy at Boston University. Upon returning to Korea, he taught history at his alma mater. Professor Emeritus Kim Dong-gill lectures on the theme of the April 19, 1960 Revolution and democracy in this 1985 file photo. Yonhap Its a modern tragicomedy that the Duke and Duchess of Woke thought they could demand a deal worth, at minimum, tens of millions of dollars from a Hollywood streaming giant without having to deliver the goods. Perhaps at the moment they signed, when Netflix profits and subscriptions were continuing to skyrocket thanks to lockdowns forcing folk indoors around the world, it was a slim possibility. Maybe they thought its boss Ted Sarandos would be satisfied with the promise of Harrys twee documentary about the Invictus Games and Meghans uber woke (and now cancelled) animated TV series about a 12-year-old girl who met the types of feminist icons with whom she swaps stories of victimhood in her dire podcast. But now, with the company under increasing financial pressure to deliver non-woke content that will drive new sign-ups, commercial reality bites. Netflix is demanding its pound of flesh and the Sussexes are clearly floundering. Harry and Meghan reportedly want to make edits to their hotly anticipated Netflix show Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is said to have personally secured the couple's multi-million dollar deal with the streaming giant The New York Post revealed last night that the couple want to make more edits to the hotly anticipated show. A Hollywood insider revealed: A lot of conversations are happening. I hear that Harry and Meghan want the series to be held until next year, they want to stall. I wonder if the show could even be dead in the water at this point, do Harry and Meghan just want to shelve this thing? And whats the reason for their sudden decision to seem to want to hold off on another round of slagging off their family? Most likely the knowledge that the new King Charles III appears to be strategically delaying the decision whether to make the couples children Archie and Lilibet become prince and princess until he sees the damage the Sussexes unleash with their US media projects, including the Netflix docuseries. As a result, according to the Post, the Sussexes now want to re-edit the show to take out or downplay much of what they have said about King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William and his wife, Kate, the new Princess of Wales. Of course, thats not going to please Netflix and Sarandos, who has already been patiently waiting for the best part of two years for any content whatsoever. Such a scenario was achingly predictable and Harry and Meghan were either naive or wilfully blind to press ahead with this type of deal with the Hollywood devil because they were so desperate to secure the mega moolah required to live their A-list Californian lifestyle. 'While The Crown is the highest profile example of how Netflix profits off the personal lives of the British Royal Family, its hardly a one off' After all, part of the success of Netflix has been built on the back of exploiting Harrys own family. The fact the company wanted to launch the couples Keeping Up With The Kardashians-style peep show after the latest series of The Crown in December is an indication of just how commercially ruthless this organisation engaged in a deathmatch with rival streaming services Disney Plus, Amazon Prime and HBO Max really is. Remember the next series of The Crown is going to be almost entirely centred on the painful marriage breakdown of Harrys own mother and father. Dianas close friend Jemima Khan asked to have her credit for advising the producers removed when she realised that the storyline around the late princess would, in her words, not necessarily be told as respectfully or compassionately as I had hoped. The contrasting approaches between William and Harry over their mothers memory is now striking. While Wills has waged war with the BBC to consign the corruptly procured Martin Bashir interview with Panorama to TV history, Harry is now an employee of a show that will make an hour of drama around that particular exploitation of Diana. And while The Crown is the highest profile example of how Netflix profits off the personal lives of the British Royal Family, its hardly a one off. Their recent Diana: The Musical was a degrading portrayal of Harrys mother, which inaccurately claimed she used HIV patients for publicity and attacked Margaret Thatcher for her politics. Dan Wootton If a tabloid newspaper had made such a suggestion, Harry would most likely have rushed out a harshly worded statement and engaged his very busy lawyers. But when it was his paymasters at Netflix behind the project all we got was a conspicuous silence. Series available on the UK version of the service today include the brutal comedy lampooning the Royal Family The Windsors, documentary Princess Dianas Wicked Stepmother and the series Royal Wives of Windsor. Its a far cry from the holier than thou content promised by the couple when they announced they were Netflix employees in late 2020. At the time, Harry and Meghan, parroting their usual mix of woke mumbo jumbo and meaningless corporate speak, said: 'As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action.' And Sarandos, who is believed to have personally secured the deal for Netflix, added: 'Harry and Meghan have inspired millions of people all around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership. We're incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere.' Well, a lot has changed since then. Harry and Meghan have come to the painful realisation that much of the interest in them from the American media and public was because of their proximity to the Royal Family. But maintaining that proximity to the monarchy, now run by Charles, while waging a public media campaign against both him and his beloved wife Camilla is going to be impossible. Personally, I feel theres something karmic about this moral dilemma now facing the Sussexes. They continued with their highly damaging and largely fanciful Oprah interview knowing Prince Philip was on his deathbed. And then they caused further stress for senior members of the Royal Family with Meghans thinly veiled threat to reveal all about her time living in the UK during an interview with The Cut magazine in the weeks before the late Queen passed away. Charles should realise, even if they tone down or push back this trashy Netflix reality show, that the damage is done by formally cutting ties with the Sussexes, who the public have long figured out are no longer an asset to the Royal Family. Well, wouldnt you know it? The Prime Ministers conference speech was a triumph, a pugnacious pinger which was delivered with aplomb. Even an interruption by a pair of screeching eco-protesters failed to knock her off her stride. Au contraire, the bellowing from the covert crusties seemed to fire up the Prime Ministers circuits like a jolt from a Tesla battery. Oh sure, Trusss jokes can be clunky and her timing as off as a month-old carton of whipping cream. Shes never going to challenge Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the comedy stakes, but by her own standards she yanked a rabbit out of the hat even if it looked a bit mangy. Expectations had not been high. A rare tension gripped the hall as we waited for the PM to arrive. Pot-bellied photographers jostled at the front of the stage and nerve-frazzled aides gnawed furiously on their Biros. 'The Prime Ministers conference speech was a triumph, a pugnacious pinger which was delivered with aplomb' (Pictured: Truss with her husband) Anticipation mounted. Some of the more loyal Tory members had come to give their leader their support. Others, like rubber-neckers at a motorway pile-up, were preparing to gawp in morbid fascination at the tangled debris of her career. Yet, as Truss click-clacked on stage to M Peoples Moving on Up, there was an unexpected springiness in her step. This is a woman who does not give up. Gone was that unsteady gait we got used to during the leadership hustings, the one where she resembled a Bolshoi ballerina balancing on champagne flutes. Activists began cooing as she laid out her brand of stiff Conservatism. She wasnt interested in telling people what to think or how to spend their free time, she said. Heavens, no. Nor was she interested in how many two-for-one offers you buy: a reference to a now-defunct government plan to ban so called BOGOF items from supermarkets. (The architect of that hare-brained idea by the way? That unquenchable bossy boots Matt Hancock, RIP.) 'Activists began cooing as she laid out her brand of stiff Conservatism. She wasnt interested in telling people what to think or how to spend their free time, she said. Heavens, no' The speech contained gritty stuff about how Truss had fought to get jobs, to get pay rises and get on the housing ladder while also raising two daughters. We were reminded shes the first Prime Minister who went to a comprehensive. Shocking, but true. From the way Truss was moving, it was clear that performance engineers had gone to work on her. That robotic left arm had been practising a greater range of gestures: up, down, left, right. A frantic bookmaker signalling to his runner. She had also learnt occasionally to avert her gaze from the autocue and concentrate on her audience. She referred to them all as my friends. I presume that Michael Gove left the conference early. Then suddenly, a volley of boos erupted. Two protesters stood up in one of the middle rows holding a Greenpeace banner. The PM remained cool. Rarely do protesters leave without a tussle, and these two excitable ladies had surprising strength for their size. Presumably, they hoped their disturbance might knock the wind out of the leader. In fact the protest only rallied the crowd further behind her. Thats how it always goes. And the timing of their intrusion couldnt have been better: it animated the Prime Minister, just as she was about to get to the meat of her speech. 'In fact the protest only rallied the crowd further behind her. Thats how it always goes' High taxes made her angry and so cutting them, she said, was the right thing to do, both morally and economically. At this, an enthusiastic man in front of me karate-chopped his arm-rest and squealed: Eggzackly! But achieving economic growth will not be easy, Truss warned. The past few days had proved it. An evil anti-growth coalition was determined to thwart her. She got particularly huffy when referring to the talking heads and Brexit deniers who taxi from North London townhouses to the BBC studio. Was that a swipe at Tony Blairs old sidekick Alastair Campbell? I can think of quite a few candidates, to be fair. As she concluded her speech, Truss shot the hall an Olympic skaters grin and exited to a volley of hurrahs the sort of relieved applause that goes up when a low-cost airline screeches on to the tarmac after a bumpy flight. Nadhim Zahawi won the coveted race to be the first minister out of his seat to applaud her. The speakers pumped out throbbing dance music and the PM and her husband Hugh bounded up the hall steps. There may be far steeper climbs to come but for now, this chaotic conference had been saved from total oblivion. It has become trendy for restaurants and foodie pubs to serve up meals on roof slates or other bizarre objects rather than traditional porcelain plates. And now the Instagram account We Want Plates has collated the funniest objects used to serve food around the world into a hilarious online account - as well as a book - of a few of the best pictures. They left social media users baffled, including chips served in a miniature trolley , and chicken noodles and Shepard's pie served in pint glasses. Another of the most bizarre includes one experimental Japanese restaurant, whose team thought it would be a good idea to serve red jelly on a sanitary towel. Meanwhile another restaurant served reindeer meat on top of an antler for the full effect. Here FEMAIL takes a look at the most outrageous objects used to serve food... The Instagram account We Want Plates collated the funniest objects used to serve food around the world into a hilarious online account - including one experimental Japanese restaurant who thought it would be a good idea to serve red jelly on a sanitary towel YUK! This sweet and sour chicken dish was served in a very unconventional pint glass in a pub in an unknown location Tiny! Ellie Bain shared a snap of some crisps she had ordered from a pub that arrived in a miniature trolly Vile! Another person shared a tragic snap of an unappetising Shepard's pie served out of a beer glass Random: Royston Yeates, from Brighton, was served a solitary yorkshire pudding inexplicably on a miniature milking stool Drying: Carl Kelemen, from the US, was served a washing line full of bacon while out for dinner with friends One pound for the trolly! Paul Belcher, from London, was served his cocktail in a miniature troll and it was embellished in fruit and leafs Lots of washing up: This man, from Sheffield, was given his meal is three separate dishes which were all placed on a slate Little building site: Clem Murphy, from London, was served his asparagus tempura in a tiny trolly which was placed on a little palette of wood Appetising! This person, from the UK, was served their bangers and mash in a pint glass from a pub No thanks! Liam Davis, from Hull, was served his chicken, rice and salad dinner on a school dinner tray Princess Charlene of Monaco flaunted her timelessly elegant sense of fashion as she donned a Louis Vuitton blazer for her second Paris Fashion Week show appearance - as her niece Charlotte Casiraghi stunned in Chanel while posing up a storm with Kristen Stewart. The wife of Prince Albert, 44, looked incredible as she posted a chic photo of her ensemble on Instagram yesterday. The royal teamed a plaid-print jacket, featuring grey and purple tones, with a classic white button-up blouse and ornate silver jewellery. Princess Charlene sported her signature platinum blonde tresses in a neat, styled pixie cut and accessorised the look with theatrical sunglasses. The wife of Prince Albert, 44, looked incredible as she posted a chic photo of her ensemble on Instagram yesterday Charlotte Casighari stunned in a tweed black and white ensemble as she posed with actress Kristen Stewart, sitting front row at a Paris Fashion Week Chanel show yesterday On Saturday, she wowed fans with her solo appearance at Paris fashion week at the Palais de Tokyo to watch the runway show for Swiss fashion house Akris from the front row The former South African swimming champion appeared to opt for a subtly glam make-up look with a coat of baby-pink lipstick. Posing in a car for the snap, she captioned the photo: 'Good to be back in Paris again!' Sitting in the same row as Jennifer Connelly, Cynthia Erivo, Janet Jackson and Bernard Arnault, Charlene smiled for photos, showing off her chic black cigarette trousers and heeled ankle boots. Fans on Instagram gushed over the post, as one wrote: 'Paris is happy to see you back shine princess!' Another penned: 'You look good HSH Princess Chrarlene. I hope you are feeling well?' Sitting in the same row as Jennifer Connelly, Cynthia Erivo, Janet Jackson and Bernard Arnault, Charlene smiled for photos, showing off her chic black cigarette trousers and heeled ankle boots The South African swimming champion appeared to opt for a subtly glam make-up look with a coat of baby pink lipstick A third commented: 'You are the epitome of elegance and good taste..so beautiful and graceful.' The princess had earlier showcased her signature understated style as she donned a navy ensemble while sitting front row at the Akris Womenswear show on Saturday. The mother-of-two recently joined her husband Prince Albert at the Queen's funeral and has stepped up her public appearances in recent months, following a long illness and stint in South Africa. On Saturday, she wowed fans with her solo appearance at Paris fashion week at the Palais de Tokyo to watch the runway show for Swiss fashion house Akris from the front row. The daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, cut a sophisticated figure in a square-print mini-skirt and blazer She was seen wearing a navy suit of the same brand which was featured on the runway in nude. The royal Twitter account confirmed that the suit was purchased prior to the collection was unveiled to the public, by saying: 'This piece from the collection before it was even presented, the suit is actually a recreation of a look originally designed in 1991.' Elsewhere her niece Charlotte, 36, stunned in a tweed black and white ensemble as she posed with actress Kristen Stewart, sitting front row at a Paris Fashion Week Chanel show yesterday. Fans on Instagram gushed over the post, as one wrote: 'Paris is happy to see you back shine princess!' The daughter of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, cut a sophisticated figure in a square-print mini-skirt and blazer. The Monaco socialite teamed her look with a chic white purse and two-toned heels as she smiled for photos with the Twilight star, 32. Charlotte wore her chestnut tresses down in a tousled style, and sported a soft make-up look with dewy skin and coral lipstick. Prince Albert of Monaco and Prince Charlene of Monaco attend the State Funeral of The Queen at Westminster Abbey on September 19 Going for a more grungy look, Kristen rocked a sporty, striped Chanel jersey paired with a chic mini-skirt and combat boots. Princess Charlene returned to public duties in May, making the occasional public appearance with her husband Prince Albert and her children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella by her side. She posed with Albert for a portrait marking their 11th wedding anniversary, and joined him in taking her children back to school in September. Charlene made her most high profile engagement last month when she joined her husband at the Queen's historic funeral in London, joining 2,000 other mourners at Westminster Abbey. One of the four women travelling to Antarctica to help with conservation said there wasn't any specific intent for the power quartet heading over to be an all-female team. Mairi Hilton told Lorraine Kelly that teamwork was vital to the recruiters when putting them all together. She is part of the group set to take over the running of Port Lockroy - based on the small 1.7acre Goudier Island near the South Pole. Mairi said that while 6,000 people expressed an interest in the job and some 4,000 applied, 'they picked us sort of not based on any one individual but how they think we would get along as a team'. Mairi Hilton told Lorraine Kelly that teamwork was vital to the recruiters when putting them all together She is one of a five-strong all-female team set to take over the running of Port Lockroy (pictured) - based on the small 1.7acre Goudier Island near the South Pole She added: 'It's four women. All the other women are great, we all get along really well.' The conservation biologist set to make her way to Port Lockroy is currently in New Zealand, and told the morning talk show how excited she was to spend time with the 'charismatic' penguins. Mairi confirmed she'll spend 'hours' with the creatures, being in charge of wildlife monitoring, and will also be part of the team running the post office, gift shop and museum. Asked why she wanted to become part of the team, she expressed that she had always 'wanted to go to Antarctica', hailing it a 'beautiful place' and felt it was an 'important cause to get behind'. Natalie Corbett, 31, from Hampshire, only married her beloved, George, in June this year. But now she will swap a white wedding for the white snow sheets of Antarctica as she jets off to run the world's most remote gift shop Mairi (pictured left) will be joined by Clare Ballantyne (pictured right), Natalie Corbett and Lucy Bruzzone on the five month trip. Port Lockroy veteran Vicky Inglis will also travel with them to help them settle in Despite its remote nature, Port Lockroy's lack of running water and the fact it has no flushing toilet, the base is one of the most popular tourist destinations for cruise-ship passengers in Antarctica. It welcomes around 15,000 visitors each year - many of whom come to visit the area's Gentoo penguin colony. And its post office, which proudly boasts to be the most southerly operating post office in the world, processes an astonishing 80,000 polar postcards each year. One member of the team, Natalie Corbett, was planning her wedding before finding out that she would be spending her 'honeymoon' more than 8,700 miles apart from her new husband in one of the world's most remote locations. Lucy Bruzzone (pictured left) will be the Base Leader on Port Lockroy. Port Lockroy veteran Vicky Inglis (right) will be the General Assistant and Wildlife Monitor and will help the group settle in The 31-year-old, from Hampshire, only married her beloved, George, in June this year. But now she will swap a white wedding for the white snow sheets of Antarctica as she jets off to run the world's most remote gift shop. Newly wed Natalie, who spent several years working in retail, will leave behind her husband - who she says is 'very supportive' of the move - to take over the running of the island's gift shop for five months. But the businesswoman, who beat a record 6,000 applicants to get the job, has revealed she never actually expected to get the job. The women will share the island with a colony of gentoo penguins, which Ms Hilton will be in charge of monitoring She told the Daily Telegraph: 'My husband was very supportive when I told him I was applying. But, like me, he was thinking you can apply but you're not going to get the job. I think now he's panicking a bit.' She added: 'Who wouldn't want to spend five months working on an island filled with penguins in one of the most remote places on the planet? 'I'm treating this like my solo honeymoon.' Natalie will be joined by Mairi, Clare Ballantyne and Lucy Bruzzone on the five month trip. Port Lockroy veteran Vicky Inglis will also travel with them to help them settle in. Alongside a lack of running water and a flushing toilet, the women will be dealing with sub-zero temperatures and almost constant daylight. But they will share the island with a colony of gentoo penguins, which Mairi will be in charge of monitoring. UK Antarctic Heritage Trust advertises yearly for postmasters who work at the site seasonally. Pictured: A map showing where the post office is located Situated on the 1.7 acre Goudier Island, Port Lockroy is an Antarctic base run by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) 'This will be my first time in Antarctica and I'm very excited to set eyes on the white continent. I have no idea what to expect when we get there - how cold it will be, will we have to dig our way through the snow to the post office?' Mairi, from Scotland, said. 'I'm a conservation biologist, so personally I can't wait to see the penguins and other wildlife like seabirds and whales.' The four women were among 6,000 people who expressed an interest in the roles, which were advertised by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) charity. They will be based on the island for five months, spending Christmas together and taking care of the charity's flagship site. Training for the trip, which will see the team travel 9,000 miles to reopen the bay for the first time since the pandemic, includes learning remote first-aid and a talk from a 'penguinologist'. Alongside a lack of running water and a flushing toilet, the women will be dealing with sub-zero temperatures and almost constant daylight. Pictured: Inside Port Lockroy Newly appointed postmaster Clare, who has just completed a masters in earth science at Oxford University, will deal by hand with approximately 80,000 cards which are mailed each year from the site to more than 100 countries. 'I'm most looking forward to stepping on to Goudier Island and taking in the cacophony and pungent smell of the penguins, the backdrop of the glaciers and Fief mountains - and being able to call it home for the next few months,' the 23-year-old from Lincolnshire said. Lucy will be base leader, managing the team and co-ordinating all ship visits to the island. The scientist, who has already spent three months in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard on an Arctic expedition, described the opportunity as a 'lifelong dream'. The team will be joined by Vicky, a general assistant in the 2019/20 season, who will help settle them in for the first 10 weeks. Vicky, a 42-year-old from Aberdeenshire who started working for UKAHT full-time in summer, said: 'Port Lockroy holds a very special place in my heart. 'Having spent five months out there before the Covid-19 pandemic, I'm excited to be travelling with the new team to introduce them to the magic of the Antarctic.' Molly, from Harrow in north west London, died 'by an act of self-harm' in 2017 after viewing thousands of horrific social media posts The lawyer representing Molly Russell's family at the inquest into the 14-year-old's death by 'an act of self-harm' said she had to seek professional help after trawling through thousands of 'hopeless' posts while working on the case. Merry Varney, who represented Molly's father Ian Russell, told Woman's Hour that she had to seek guidance on how to protect her own mental health because the content she was being exposed to during the case was so harmful, and said a consultant psychiatrist who gave evidence to the court 'couldn't sleep for weeks afterwards' because of the content. The inquest into Molly's death in 2017, held last week, heard how the teenager was exposed to content that 'glamourised' self-harm and would binge on suicide-related content online. She saved and 'liked' 16,300 images on her Instagram account, 2,100 of which related to depression, self-harm and suicide in the last six months of her life. The coroner ruled that the 14-year-old died 'from an act of self-harm' while suffering from depression and 'the negative effects of online content'. Scroll down for video A coroner concluded at the September inquest into schoolgirl Molly Russell's death that the teenager died by 'an act of self-harm' after suffering from 'negative effects of online content' Speaking to Emma Barnett on Woman's Hour, Merry Varney, who represented the Russell family at the inquest says she trawled through thousands of posts for the case - and had to seek 'professional assistance' to help her deal with the 'daily drip feed of hopelessness' that Molly was exposed to In an interview that listeners described as 'powerful and painful', Varney told the BBC Radio 4 programme that she was a 'resilient adult and experienced inquest lawyer' but said she had been haunted by the music which accompanied many of the 'hopeless' posts. Emotional, she said the Russell family had 'shone a very bright light in a very dark space and we all owe them a gratitude for that'. Varney told the programme's host Emma Barnett: 'It's the first time that I've taken professional assistance. I'm an experienced inquest lawyer. I work a lot with bereaved families with some very difficult material but this was something else.' Ian Russell thanked Varney is his statement at the inquest's end, saying without the work of the legal team 'we would not know how harmful our unregulated online world is' She said clicking on links from 'a vast spreadsheet' provided by Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp, saw her exposed to social media posts and memes that would be 'telling the reader that they're worthless that you're ugly, that you have to put on a smile to tell the world you're fine when you're not.' Molly's father, Ian Russell, described the content his daughter was exposed to was a 'daily drip feed of hopelessness'. Varney said she had guidance on how to get through the case, saying: 'I took advice about how to protect myself. I'm a very resilient person, but the music from the videos on Instagram, they invade your thoughts. 'A consultant psychiatrist who gave evidence to the court in his role as an expert, described how he couldn't sleep for weeks afterwards. 'It keeps sucking you deeper, I could feel it happening to myself and I'm a resilient adult. The idea of a 14-year-old at that and children still having access to this material is at time overwhelmingly sad.' Varney told the radio programme the Russell family had 'shone a very bright light in a very dark space and we all owe them a gratitude for that' Molly's father Ian, left, is pictured alongside Merry Varney, far right. After the inquest, he slammed Facebook owner Meta for its 'toxic corporate culture at the heart' of the company The inquest's landmark ruling could have major implications for Big Tech, Meta and Pinterest were slammed for allowing 'unsafe' content 'romanticising' self-harm that fuelled the 14-year-old's depression. It painted a grim portrait of the lonely and toxic 'ghetto of the online world', including the heartbreaking revelation that Molly turned to celebrities including JK Rowling, US actress Lili Reinhart and YouTuber Salice Rose for help not realising there was little chance they would ever see her messages. Speaking at the press conference held after the ruling, Molly's brave father, Ian, urged those responsible to make the online world 'a place that prioritises safety and wellbeing of young people over the money that can be made from them'. He added: 'This landmark conclusion has only been possible thanks to the extraordinary work of a team of people. 'Firstly, I'd like to thank Senior Coroner Andrew Walker for his determination to learn what we can from Molly's tragedy. 'The Russell family's legal team have spent too many long hours examining thousands of pages of disturbing evidence. Without Merry Varney, our solicitor from Leigh Day, and paralegal Caleb Bawdon, Jessica Elliott, our barrister, and Oliver Sanders, our KC, and a host of others working hard to build this case, we would not know how harmful our unregulated online world is. 'I hope the data gathered may prove useful beyond this courtroom and continue to help create a safer web. 'The support we have received from family, friends and supporters has been vital to us. Thank you to the press who have so sensitively covered this story so that the lessons we've learned have been reported responsibly and hopefully they will travel far. 'For Molly's sake... let's make the online world a place that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of young people over the money that can be made from them. And for anyone struggling I will say again, please reach out to real people who can help. Please don't forget, there's always hope.' Mollys father added: I've heard stories that some tech company platforms don't even allow their children on their own platforms. I don't know how true they are. But that may be the case. But whether it's their children or anyone else's child, if you allow a young person on the platform, that platform has to be safe for children to use. With tears welling up and his voice breaking, Molly's father Ian Russell said as he concluded a press conference after the inquest: 'Thank you Molly, for being my daughter. Thank you.' He previously thanked the coroner, the press, and Molly's friends and family for enabling her story to be told. 'We shouldn't be sitting here this is a story about one person, but that person has affected one family and their friends and maybe the wider world in some way. 'We should not be sitting here. This should not happen because it does not need to happen. The family's lawyer described Molly's social media as a 'ghetto' due to the disturbing nature of many of the posts she had liked 'We told this story in the hope that change would come about.' Mr Russell said a 'monster' has been created whereby social media products are not safe for users. He added his message to Mark Zuckerberg would be a 'simple' one, saying: 'A simple message to Mark would be just to listen. Listen to the people that use his platform, listen to the conclusions the coroner gave at this inquest, and then do something about it.' How is social media regulated and how could laws now change? Currently, most social media and search engine platforms that operate in the UK are not subject to any large-scale regulations specifically concerning user safety beyond a handful of laws that refer to the sending of threatening or indecent electronic communications. Instead, these platforms are relied upon to self-regulate, using a mixture of human moderators and artificial intelligence to find and take down illegal or harmful material proactively or when users report it to them. Platforms lay out what types of content are and are not allowed on their sites in their terms of service and community guidelines, which are regularly updated to reflect on the evolving themes and trends that appear in the rapidly moving digital world. However, critics say this system is flawed for a number of reasons, including that what is and is not regarded as safe or acceptable online can vary widely from site to site, and many moderation systems struggle to keep up with the vast amounts of content being posted. Concerns have also been raised about the workings of algorithms used to serve users with content a platform thinks might interest them - often this is based on a user's habits on the site and can mean that someone who searches for material linked to depression or self-harm could be shown more of it in the future. In addition, some platforms argue that certain types of content which are not illegal - but could be considered offensive or potentially harmful by some - should be allowed to remain online to protect free speech and expression. As a result, large amounts of harmful content can be found on social media today as platforms struggle with moderating the sheer scale of content being posted and the balancing act of allowing users to express themselves while trying to keep their online spaces safe. During the inquest, evidence given by executives from both Meta and Pinterest highlighted these issues. Pinterest executive Judson Hoffman admitted the platform was 'not safe' when Molly accessed it in 2017 because it did not have in place the technology it has now. And Meta executive Elizabeth Lagone's evidence highlighted the issue of understanding the context of certain posts when she said some of the content seen by Molly was 'safe' or 'nuanced and complicated', arguing that in some instances it was 'important' to give people a voice if they were expressing suicidal thoughts. During the inquest, coroner Andrew Walker said the opportunity to make social media safe must not 'slip away', as he voiced concerns about the platforms. He outlined a range of concerns including a lack of separation of children and adults on social media; age verification and the type of content available and recommended by algorithms to children; and insufficient parental oversight for under-18s. The UK's plan to change this landscape is the Online Safety Bill, which would for the first time compel platforms to protect users from online harm, particularly children, by requiring them to take down illegal and other harmful content, and is due to be reintroduced to Parliament soon. Companies in scope will be required to spell out clearly in their terms of service what content they consider to be acceptable and how they plan to prevent harmful material from being seen by their users. It is also expected to require firms to be more transparent about how their algorithms work and to set out clearly how younger users will be protected from harm. The new regulations will be overseen by Ofcom and those found to breach the rules could face large fines or be blocked in the UK. The conclusion of the inquest into Molly's death is expected to see renewed calls for the new rules to be swiftly introduced. Advertisement Following the inquest conclusion, NSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless condemned Meta and Pinterest's 'abject failure' to protect Molly and said the ruling should 'send shockwaves through Silicon Valley'. Meanwhile, Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza called for social media giants to face tougher regulation, and demanded they 'get a moral compass and step up'. Concluding it would not be 'safe' to rule Molly's cause of death was suicide, senior coroner Andrew Walker said the teenager 'died from an act of self-harm while suffering depression and the negative effects of online content'. In a conclusion at North London Coroner's Court, Mr Walker said: 'At the time that these sites were viewed by Molly, some of these sites were not safe as they allowed access to adult content that should not have been available for a 14-year-old child to see. 'The way that the platforms operated meant that Molly had access to images, video clips and text concerning or concerned with self-harm, suicide or that were otherwise negative or depressing in nature. For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Wednesday expressed concerns over the government's plan to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and establish a lower-level agency handling related policies under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The plan, recently drawn up by the government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP), was one of President Yoon Suk-yeol's most controversial campaign pledges, with high support from young male voters and fierce objections from the opposition bloc and feminist groups. Degrading the status of gender minister to the head of an agency equivalent to a vice minister means an exclusion from Cabinet meetings, which could lead to a weakening of negotiating power in discussions on policies related to sex crimes, DPK spokesperson Oh Yeong-hwan said after the interior ministry briefed the DPK of the plan. "Crimes against women, such as the recent stalking murder incident at Sindang Station, and other major social issues are repeatedly happening, and the United Nations also advises having an independent ministry in charge of improving gender equality," Oh said. On Sept. 14, Jeon Joo-hwan, a 31-year-old employee of the Seoul Metro, was apprehended at Sindang Station in central Seoul after stabbing a female colleague in her 20s to death in the subway station's ladies' room. Jeon was found to have been stalking the victim. The DPK, meanwhile, said it agrees with the other parts of the government reorganization plan, including launching a government agency for Korean nationals abroad and elevating the status of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. According to sources, the PPP seeks to table and pass a bill for the reorganization plan next month. (Yonhap) A woman who moved 9,000 miles away to marry a Maasai tribesman 30 years younger than her has said she 'couldn't be happier' - despite strangers saying he's 'just with her for a green card'. Deborah Babu, 60, from Sacramento, California, wasn't expecting to fall in love when she met her now-husband, Saitoty Babu, 30, while travelling in Tanzania with her daughter, Royce, 30, in October 2017. The couple stayed in touch, with Deborah flying back to Tanzania in December and accepting a marriage proposal from Saitoty. After having a Maasai wedding in June 2018 - a traditional ceremony - the couple had a legal wedding in July 2022 and still hope to have a bigger Maasai celebration - which will have more family and tribesman coming together. Deborah - who now uses her Maasai name Nashipai - and lives with Saitoty and his family in Ubena, Tanzania, couldn't be happier. But despite their happiness, Deborah said she has been asked by strangers if she has 'adopted' him, adding: 'Saitoty has been accused of only being with me for a green card which hurts because I know how little his desire is to live in America.' Deborah Babu, 60, from Sacramento, California, who moved 9,000 miles away to marry a Maasai tribesman 30 years younger than her has insisted she 'couldn't be happier' - despite strangers saying he's 'just with her for a green card' She met her now-husband when she and her daughter Royce were walking on a beach in Zanzibar, Tanazania, when they bumped into two Maasai, one of which was Saitoty, who offered them souvenirs. Deborah declined but asked if she could have a photo with them as she had never met a Maasai and the pair struck up a conversation with Saitoty. 'We didn't have any money with us but I asked if we could take a photo as I had never met a Maasai,' she said. 'Now looking back at that photo it looks like we were already in love.' She wasn't expecting to fall in love when she met her now-husband, Saitoty Babu, 30, (left) while travelling in Tanzania with her daughter, Royce, 30, in October 2017 Deborah she 'couldn't be happier' and now believes 'the best things come from' doing things which are 'outside of your comfort zone' Saitoty asked Deborah to send him the photo and then kept in touch with her after he had her number. She added: 'Saitoty asked for me to send the photo to him and we kept in touch after he had my number and the next night he came for a walk with my daughter and I. 'We talked for hours and found out we had so much in common like our sense of humour.' The two bonded over a beach walk the next evening, but Deborah didn't see it going any further because of the age gap. After having a Maasai wedding in June 2018 - a traditional ceremony - the couple had a legal wedding in July 2022 On their final night in Zanzibar, Saitoty invited Deborah and Royce to a dance but at the last minute she declined as she was tired. 'My daughter suddenly came in and told me Saitoty had come to our hotel,' she said. 'He was upset I wasn't coming and that I was leaving the next day. I told him he could keep in touch with me if he liked.' Saitoty was there the next morning to wave Deborah off. Despite this, Saitoty followed her to her next destination in Tanzania and was upset when she had to leave to go back home, two weeks later. They still hope to have a bigger Maasai celebration - which will have more family and tribesman coming together (pictured with Maasai tribesmen) The pair struck up a close bond but Deborah didn't see a romantic future due to their age difference. 'I was a happy, single woman and I didn't seem right to me to date someone 30 years younger,' she said. But after Deborah left to go back to America at the end of her trip, the pair kept in touch with daily calls. The friends kept in touch, and Saitoty called Deborah every day to check in and talked about wanting to marry her. Now the pair live together in their own mud house in Tanzania in a boma - a family compound - and had a Maasai wedding in June 2018, followed by a legal ceremony in July of this year 'Once I was back in California it was a 12 hour difference between us but Saitoty made sure to call me every day - even if there was a power outage he'd find a way,' she said. 'My eldest daughter, Tiffany, 32, and son, Sherrick, 27, met him on FaceTime and loved him. 'They didn't have an issue with the age difference and told me that if I was happy then I should go for it.' After Deborah's children encouraged her to 'go for it' if he made her happy, she flew out to meet Saitoty in late December 2017 and said 'yes' when he got down on one knee after they reunited. 'I went to go and meet his family and they gave me the name Nashipai,' she said. Deborah, a retired police officer, said she never expected to find a husband and 'marry someone so much younger' Now the pair live together in their own mud house in Tanzania in a boma - a family compound - and had a Maasai wedding in June 2018, followed by a legal ceremony in July of this year. 'We cook on fire and have no running water,' she said. 'We're building a lodge at the moment and we even have to construct our own ladders. 'Saitoty had never had ice cream or fish before he met me.' Deborah, a retired police officer, said: 'I never expected to find a husband and marry someone so much younger than me but he is the kindest and most caring man. Deborah - who now uses her Maasai name Nashipai - and lives with Saitoty and his family in Ubena, Tanzania, couldn't be happier 'When he first brought up marrying me I thought he was crazy. 'But my children and family said I shouldn't care about the age gap as I'd been alone long enough and deserved to be happy. 'It's a very different life here in Tanzania but I'm happy. 'People ask if I adopted him or that I'm his grandma which can make Saitoty upset. We just like to focus on us and our happiness.' Saitoty, a cattle farmer, said: 'First time I saw her I felt like I'd seen an angel. 'We laughed together and took a photo and she just melted my heart. She's beautiful and kind and she supports me. The two bonded over a beach walk the next evening, but Deborah didn't see it going any further because of the age gap 'Having a wife is a big step for me. I'm proud of our marriage. 'It really hurts me seeing mean comments but now I see other people with age gaps and it helps us to just ignore what people say. 'Age is just a number and it doesn't stop the love and care I have for my wife.' Despite both their families being supportive of the relationship the couple have struggled with comments from strangers. Originally the pair struck up a close bond but Deborah didn't see a romantic future due to their age difference 'People say some horrible things like saying Saitoty is with me for a green card and that I'm like his grandma,' she said. 'It is hurtful but I know how happy with are and how untrue that is. 'He is so funny and romantic and we're exactly the same on the inside. 'As Saitoty said to me when he was convincing me to marry him - age is just a number. 'He'd do anything to just get me chocolate. He's the kindest and most caring man I have ever met.' Advertisement The Princess of Wales looked stunning in yellow today as she visited an award-winning maternity unit at a hospital in Surrey in her first solo royal public engagement since assuming her new title. Mother-of-three Kate, 40, looked radiant in the mustard 220 Karen Millen dress as she cradled a newborn baby at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, where she has learnt more about the support it provides to pregnant women and new mothers. The Princess's maternal instincts were on display as she sat holding the newborn baby girl, Bianca, while supporting her head, and wore a facemask to prevent any risk of spreading Covid to the infant. She also spoke with Bianca's mother, Sylvia Novak, about the care she had received from staff at the maternity unit. Her Royal Highness accessorised the bright yellow dress, which had echoes of summer, with contrasting navy suede court stilettos and a navy clutch bag. Her brunette locks, worn in curls and tucked behind one ear, bounced in the breeze as she strolled up to the entrance of the hospital. She was also spotted wearing a face mask inside the hospital corridors, in line with covid regulations. The Princess wore simple and understated silver hoops with a teardrop and opted for just a touch of make-up with a neutral lip shade and minimal eyeshadow. The Princess of Wales looked lovingly at a newborn baby girl, Bianca, at the Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit in Guildford Her Royal Highness supported the baby's head as she spoke to her mother, Sylvia Novak, who had recently given birth to her baby daughter in the unit Masked up! The Princess of Wales stuck to Covid regulations at the maternity unit of the Royal Surrey County Hospital this afternoon on her official visit The Princess of Wales, 40, looked radiant in a mustard 220 Karen Millen dress an as she arrived at the maternity unit in Surrey this afternoon The maternity unit, which cares for around 3,000 babies every year, received a UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award in May for its outstanding work supporting infant-feeding and parent-infant relationships. The unit's ethos is that high-quality maternity and early years care can improve long-term health of the population - a belief the Princess of Wales champions in her work with the Centre for Early Childhood. This is a solo trip for Her Royal Highness as her husband Prince William carries out his own duties today - meeting young footballers at a training session at St George's Park. Kate and Prince William were made Prince and Princess of Wales by King Charles III on September 9, a title reserved for the heir apparent of the monarch. Kate looked relaxed and at ease as she laughed on her departure from the hospital at the end of the public engagement, which was her first since becoming Princess of Wales Once it was safe to whip off her face mask, The Princess beamed for the cameras upon her departure from the maternity unit, where she had visited staff and mothers The Princess carried a posy of flowers which included eucalyptus and roses, and had been tied together with a rustic straw fastening The Princess displayed her subtle 795 Emily Mortimer Hera White Gold and Diamond Pear Detachable Drops as she tucked her hair behind her ear The Princess of Wales clutched her face mask in her hand as she also held a posy of flowers given to herby a well-wisher at the hospital The Princess put her arm around a well-wisher who has lined up to meet her during the visit outside the Royal Surrey County Hospital The young girl coyly smiled at the Princess as she reached out to put her hand on the well-wisher's arm, while still wearing her covid face mask and carrying flowers Her Royal Highness looked peaceful and utterly at ease as she cradled tiny newborn baby girl Bianca in her arms and supported her head Kate wore a Covid-19 facemask as she chatted to Bianca's mother, who has recently given birth in the maternity unit at the Surrey hospital Staff lined up along the corridor of the hospital eager to catch a glimpse of the Princess of Wales as she walked through to meet with people running the Jasmine Team The Princess of Wales walked along the corridor of the hospital's award-winning maternity unit while wearing a mask in line with Covid regulations, which are still in place in some hospital trusts The royal mother-of-three could be seen reaching up to adjust her mask as she walked through the corridors of the hospital earlier today Harking back to the days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Princess of Wales donned her face mask to prevent the spread of the virus Her Royal Highness looked professional and regal as ever as she chatted with a member of staff at the hospital in Guildford, which has won an award for its maternity care Mother-of-three Kate looked deep in conversation early on in her visit to the award-winning maternity unit as she greeted a staff member on arrival The Princess met staff from the unit's Jasmine Team, which helps women affected by mental illness during pre and post-natal periods - something that one in five women in the UK are affected by. The Princess, who has recently become patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, is said to be passionate about the mental wellbeing of mothers. After taking on the role with the charity, the Princess released a video stressing the importance of ensuring good mental health among mothers. She said: 'We all know that pregnancy, childbirth and the first months and years of ta child's live can be hugely demanding. 'Parents often feel lonely and overwhelmed by these early years.' She added: 'No one is immune to experiencing anxiety and depression during this time.' As she announced her patronage with the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, she said she was 'extremely proud' to be working with the charity. A warm welcome! The Princess of Wales appeared thrilled as crowds assembled to greet her at the maternity unit of the Royal Surrey County Hospital Her Royal Highness flashed a smile for the camera as she walked into the unit while carrying her navy blue clutch bag, which contrasted with her bright yellow dress The mother-of-three wore her brunette locks down in a curled style and brushed behind one ear as she attended the maternity unit Kate's dress, belted at the middle, was a bright, summery flash of colour on a dreary autumn day as she arrived at the unit in the Royal Surrey County Hospital The Princess gave a warm smile to crowds who were ready to greet her at the hospital as she takes on the solo royal visit while her husband William carries out his own duties The Princess, who has spoken about the importance of preserving the mental wellbeing of mothers in the past, will meet with teams who cater for new mothers As patron of the Maternal Mental Health Alliance, the Princess will learn how teams at the hospital are supporting new and expectant mothers The Princess accessorised her bright yellow dress with navy suede court stilettos and a navy clutch bag to contrast her outfit The Princess made the most of the milder weather as she wore the short-sleeved dress which harked back to the summer on her arrival Her Royal Highness brought an instant flash of colour as she stepped out of her car in the bright yellow dress from Karen Millen An official helped the Princess of Wales out of the car as she arrived at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford where she is visiting the maternity unit The Princess concluded: 'It is down to each and every one of us to support parents and carers and all those who are raising children today.' While speaking with the Jasmine Team, Her Royal Highness learnt about how they team up with local services to support each woman's individual needs. She will also meet with a mother who has been supported by the team in the past. The Princess also visited the unit's Postnatal Bay, which aims to support as many mothers as possible to receive consistent care throughout both pregnancy and childbirth with the same team of midwives. One of the more sensitive parts of the Princess's visit was to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), which cares for premature babies and supports their families. She also met with a family whose child was cared for in the unit. A hospital spokesman said: 'The SCBU is one of only a few units nationally which has the ability for mothers to remain close to their babies at all times through the provision of around-the-clock cot side sleeping facilities. 'Staff also encourage parents to take part in the care of their child as much as possible, including bathing, feeding and nappy changing. Evidence demonstrates that the ability for families to develop close and loving relationships at this early stage in their journey is essential for maternal well-being and the long-term physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of their baby.' At the units postnatal bay, the Princess heard how staff had implemented a pioneering model of care at the hospital by working to ensure that as many mothers as possible received continuity of care during pregnancy and childbirth. The spokesman added: 'Being supported by the same team of midwives throughout their journey allows mothers to build positive and trusting relationships with their caregivers, which is particularly important for women from vulnerable backgrounds or with mental health needs.' Following the visit, the Princess of Wales used her joint Instagram account with her husband to praise the unit. Posting a photo of herself cradling baby Bianca, she wrote: 'With a focus on maternal mental health, alongside pioneering overnight facilities, Royal Surrey County Hospital ensures women and their families feel safe, supported and have the best chance of developing those all-important early attachments which are so crucial to ensuring their babies grow and thrive. 'It was lovely to meet some of the new mothers and their babies who are supported by such a brilliant team at the hospital.' Last week, Kate made her first appearance since the Queen's funeral alongside her husband Prince William as they visited Anglesey for a whirlwind visit of the nation. King Charles has welcomed the Governor of Victoria, Australia, to Aberdeenshire as he hosted an audience with her at Balmoral Castle. The monarch, who is just under a month into his reign, welcomed Linda Dessau to Balmoral, the royal residence where his mother, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, passed away last month. Charles III, who is also King of Australia, wore a grey suit with a burgundy patterned tie and pocket handkerchief. The King beamed in a grey suit as he stood with the governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau, during an audience at Balmoral Castle today He smiled, standing with his hands behind his back, as he posed for photographs with Ms Dessau in the library at Balmoral on Wednesday morning. Ms Dessau, who was a family court judge, has been in the role since 2015 when she became the first female governor of the state in south-eastern Australia. She acts as the monarchs representative in Victoria, which includes the city of Melbourne. The King's meeting with Ms Dessau comes just a few days after he hosted prime minister of The Grenadines, a chain of Caribbean Islands, on Saturday, amid fears the paradise may ditch him as their head of state. Ralph Gonsalves proposed a referendum asking if the monarch should be replaced with an appointed 'executive president' following protests during the visit from the Earl and Countess of Wessex in April. In July, Mr Gonsalves told his country's parliament that the vote would be an opportunity to 'complete the national democratic task' - after they gained their independence from the UK in 1979. King Charles made his first public appearance with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, in Dunfermline on Monday, during which he paid tribute to his late mother. King Charles III invited the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to Balmoral for an audience as the Caribbean island nation considers dumping him as head of state The monarch was pictured smiling and shaking hands with Ralph Gonsalves and his wife Eloise at the Highlands castle His Majesty and the Queen Consort formally conferred city status on Dunfermline as part of Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee celebrations - and the monarch said the event would 'gladden my dear mother's heart, as it certainly gladdens mine'. Charles and Camilla were welcomed to Fife by community groups including a local pipe band and schoolchildren - with the King and his wife stopping to speak to crowds and shake their hands. One of those who waited to meet Charles was 91-year-old Catherine Gillian-Adams, who said she was 'thrilled to bits' her home town was now a city. Thousands gathered in Dunfermline to see the royal couple and other VIPs including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - who was greeted by cheers and boos. But there was clapping and cries of 'God Save the King' when Charles, wearing a blue tartan kilt, arrived. His Majesty and his wife attended an official council meeting at the City Chambers where the King formally marked the conferral of city status on Dunfermline and made a short speech. It is their first joint public engagements since royal mourning ended last Tuesday. King Charles III arrives at an official council meeting at the City Chambers in Dunfermline, Fife, to formally mark the conferral of city status on the former town In the ceremony the King said he was 'delighted' when it was announced the town would become a city. He said he hoped people would feel a 'real sense of pride in this new chapter'. He said: 'That would, I know, gladden my dear mother's heart, as it certainly gladdens mine. As you celebrate your well-deserved status as Scotland's new City, I can only offer my warmest congratulations, and my heartfelt wishes for the years to come'. He added: 'I was delighted when, in May this year, it was announced that Dunfermline was one of the eight communities being granted City Status to mark The late Queen's Platinum Jubilee. There could be no more fitting way to mark my beloved mother's extraordinary life of service than by granting this honour to a place made famous by its own long and distinguished history, and by the indispensable role it has played in the life of our country. 'Now, of course, we gather to celebrate this great occasion but also to commemorate the life of Her late Majesty, whose deep love for Scotland was one of the foundations of her life'. A journalist has launched a massive debate on the web, after he claimed that adults should not high-five children because it teaches them a lack of respect for their elders. John Rosemond, a weekly columnist who often writes pieces on parenting, claimed in a new op-ed for the Omaha World-Herald that a high-five is a 'gesture of familiarity, to be exchanged between equals' - as he warned against slapping palms with a child. He explained that 'respect for adults' is 'important to a child's character development,' and that the 'high-five is not compatible with respect.' Someone named Erin took a picture of his opinion piece and shared it on Twitter where it quickly went viral - gaining thousands of replies, retweets, and likes, and leaving many people on the app stunned. A journalist has launched a massive debate on the web, after he claimed that adults should not high-five children because it teaches them a lack of respect for their elders Columnist John Rosemond claimed in a new op-ed for the Omaha World-Herald that a high-five is a 'gesture of familiarity, to be exchanged between equals' He explained that 'respect for adults' is 'important to a child's character development,' and that the 'high-five is not compatible with respect' (stock image) 'I will not slap the upraised palm of a person who is not my peer, and a peer is someone over age 21, emancipated, employed, and paying their own way,' John wrote. 'It is to be reserved for individuals of equal, or fairly equal, status. It is good for children to view responsible adults as people who exist in a higher plane. Poll Do YOU think it's OK to high-five children? Yes No Do YOU think it's OK to high-five children? Yes 250 votes No 60 votes Now share your opinion 'That looking up causes children to aspire to become adults, which seems to be in short supply these days. 'The child who is allowed to high-five an adult has tacit permission to talk to said adult as if they are peers. 'Do not wonder why, if you high-five your child, he often talks to you as if you are his equal.' The journalist, who has a masters in psychology but left his private practice in North Carolina to tour the country as a parenting expert, added that 'boundaries' are 'essential' to kids' 'proper functioning.' He also claimed that children should never call adults by their first names, sleep with their parents, or have 'free access' to money. 'Children should know their place. Adults should know their place,' he concluded. 'The more adults and children commingle as if they are equals, the more problematic become their relationships. 'And make no mistake, the happiest kids are also the most obedient. The research says so, as does ones common sense.' Someone named Erin took a picture of his opinion piece and shared it on Twitter where it quickly went viral - gaining thousands of replies, retweets, and likes John's stance on high-fiving led to an argument between online users, doctors, medical professionals, educators, and psychiatrists around the globe Erin, who shared the article on Twitter, said it was 'one of the weirdest things' he has ever read, and called it 'hilarious but depressing.' 'My personal goal today was to respond to emails but now it's high-fiving every kid I see,' he joked. Should you high-five kids? What the professionals are saying Dr. Lisa Lindquist, 35, a psychiatrist from Alaska, told Today that high-fiving a child is a good way to encouraging their effort. 'This provides a child with a sense of competent achievement and allows them to understand where to direct their efforts during future tasks,' she explained. 'So please, utilize the occasional congratulatory high-five as you tell your first grader they worked hard to solve the math problems in their workbook this evening." A school psychologist from Washington, Nicole Kern, 41, also warned against 'denying kids access to contact with adults.' 'One thing that helps is not denying them access to contact with adults, be that physical or emotional, when the child seeks such a connection,' she said. 'I would never deny a child something as basic as a high-five.' Advertisement John's stance on high-fiving led to an argument between online users, doctors, medical professionals, educators, and psychiatrists around the globe. 'He's wrong,' wrote one doctor on Twitter. 'This doctor high-fives patients. I still command respect. Maybe he's doing something incorrectly.' Someone else said: '30 years in public education as a teacher and administrator. I have easily high-fived more than a thousand children over the years, encouraging them with affirmations of "good morning," "have a great day," "well done," and "that's awesome," in the process. What a fool I've been.' A different person called it a 'bizarre and damaging position,' and slammed the Omaha World-Herald for publishing it in the first place. 'The editors at @OWHnews read this and thought, "You know, he has a point, let's pay for this and put this in our paper?"' they asked. Another user said they 'never' high-five adults because the gesture is 'specifically a thing you do with a child.' 'It's like patting someone on the head or ruffling their hair, not a "thing between equals,"' they added. 'It's just a fun, non-verbal way that they can acknowledge a compliment or show agreement with something,' read another tweet. 'I'm not getting how this is disrespectful or demeaning to an adult.' 'Here I was, clearly not realizing that the high-five was not a casual gesture, but in fact, a weighty, solemn practice reserved for mature adults who have proven their salt,' joked a different person. Someone else tweeted: 'Gonna high-five my kid excessively today. Mostly because it's fun, but also because I actually do respect them as an equal in personhood, even if they still have a lot to learn.' 'One time, I told my son, "Good job," when it was actually a terrible job. Now society is collapsing,' joked a different person. 'He's wrong,' wrote one doctor on Twitter. 'This doctor high-fives patients. I still command respect. Maybe he's doing something incorrectly' 'My one-and-a-half year old high fives us and I think it's adorable,' added another Twitter user. 'But I guess John has enlightened me that I've actually broken her. Dang it!' Someone else said that John 'could have used a few more hugs as a child.' Dr. Lisa Lindquist, 35, a psychiatrist from Alaska, told Today that high-fiving a child is a good way to encouraging their effort. 'This provides a child with a sense of competent achievement and allows them to understand where to direct their efforts during future tasks,' she explained. 'So please, utilize the occasional congratulatory high-five as you tell your first grader they worked hard to solve the math problems in their workbook this evening." A school psychologist from Washington, Nicole Kern, 41, also warned against 'denying kids access to contact with adults.' 'One thing that helps is not denying them access to contact with adults, be that physical or emotional, when the child seeks such a connection,' she said. 'I would never deny a child something as basic as a high-five.' In a statement to Today, John responded to the backlash, explaining, 'The majority of respondents failed miserably at countering my opinion with intelligent opinion of their own. 'Rather, they engaged in ad hominem, which is the refuge of the inarticulate. Im perfectly willing to engage in intelligent discourse on the subject. Unfortunately, I have yet to find any.' Advertisement From the golden antique clock on the mantlepiece to the Queen's upcycled sofa cushions, a newly released snap of King Charles at Balmoral shows little has changed at the castle since his mother's death last month. The monarch, who is just under a month into his reign, welcomed Linda Dessau to Balmoral, the royal residence where his mother, Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, passed away last month. Charles III, who is also King of Australia, wore a grey suit with a burgundy patterned tie and pocket handkerchief, beaming as he stood with his hands behind his back for the photograph in the castle's library. He was surrounded by the treasures his mother once adored, including a ship in a bottle. A photograph of the Queen meeting Canadian Governor General Designate Julie Payette in the room in September 2017 shows how little the room has changed since then. Meanwhile another image of the Queen and Prince Philip in the library from 1977 reveals how much of the furniture has remained in the exact same place for the last 45 years. From the golden antique clock on the mantlepiece to the Queen's upcycled sofa cushions, a newly released snap of King Charles at Balmoral shows little has changed at the castle since his mother's death last month (pictured: 1. New red leather chairs 2. Volumes of books 3. Antique table 4. Ship in a bottle 5. Updated cushions 6.Running figurines 7.Gold clock 8.Open fireplace 9. Cushions in a crown motif fabric that was once used to cover the library sofa, 10. Thermostat ) In the new snap, Charles smiled, standing with his hands behind his back, as he posed for photographs with Ms Dessau in the library at Balmoral on Wednesday morning. Ms Dessau, who was a family court judge, has been in the role since 2015 when she became the first female governor of the state in south-eastern Australia. She acts as the monarchs representative in Victoria, which includes the city of Melbourne. The King's meeting with Ms Dessau comes just a few days after he hosted prime minister of The Grenadines, a chain of Caribbean Islands, on Saturday, amid fears the paradise may ditch him as their head of state. A photograph of the Queen meeting Canadian Governor General Designate Julie Payette in the room in September 2017 shows how little the room has changed since then Interior designer Benji Lewis noted: 'Theres a good lot of ambient light going on here, and an understanding of how to make the most of this space.' 'Whilst theres a pendant light fitting in the room, using it has been deliberately overlooked in order to make the room feel more welcoming.' 'Theres an unfussiness to things, whilst the soft furnishings harmonise the lampshades have all been finished in matched cream parchment or fabric shades and the brown furniture is all in the same polished mahogany.' He added: 'Comfort is king (ha ha) the footstool tucked in at the far end of the sofa would imply that during downtime, its good to literally put your feet up 'The velvet pile carpet suggests a kind of no nonsense approach was adopted to the decor of the room; Id imagine it was installed a long time ago, chosen not only for its practical colour but also for its reliably tough wear. Frozen in time: A photo of the Queen and Prince Philip inside the same library in 1977. While the layout of the room has changed, much of the furniture appears to have remained the same 'Id imagine that whilst once the room had floorboards, laying a fitted carpet in here will have helped not only to soften sound but also minimise breezy draughts 'Positioning a small rug in front of the hearth is a wise move, excellent for catching embers that bounce out of the fire beyond the hearth itself to prevent the carpet from getting burnt.' Here FEMAIL reveals an inside glimpse into the King's cosy library... 1. New red leather chairs While much of the room has remained the same following the Queen's death last month, the most significant change has come in the form of the chairs King Charles has in the room While much of the room has remained the same following the Queen's death last month, the most significant change has come in the form of the chairs King Charles has in the room. In a photograph released in 2017, the Queen had two armchairs, believed to have been re-covered and finished in the Queen's preferred skirted style. However the King appears to have replaced the green chairs with a nice pair of distinctive red leather armchairs. The new chairs have been placed in almost the exact same location as the Queen's original pieces. It appears to offer a place in the room to relax and recline when not working at the desk, or perhaps a space to take meetings. 2. Volumes of books Lining the walls are custom-made fitted bookshelves in solid wood, housing hundreds of different volumes - these appear to be unchanged since the Queen's death Lining the walls are custom-made fitted bookshelves in solid wood, housing hundreds of different volumes. Although the entire wall cannot be seen, it appears as though Charles is standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. Similar designs are seen in other royal residences. This one will have been designed and built to fit the space specifically. While the furniture in the library has been rearranged, some of the books on the custom-made shelves have seemingly remained in the same place over the last 40 years. A photograph of the Queen and Prince Philip in the library from 1977 reveals how some of the books have remained in the exact same place for the last 40 years. Among these are Sir William Fraser's tomes on the history of the chiefs of the Grant clan, which could be seen on the left-hand side of the bookshelf in 1977 and in the same position in 2017 and today. Benji explained: 'Books are the dominant feature of the room, they seemingly line every wall from floor to ceiling, but its good to see theyre not all stacked in a uniform fashion; on the contrary the fact of some being stacked on their sides indicate that this is a library that gets used for what it is meant, i.e. reading. 'Clearly when the bookshelves were built, great thought was given to the manner in which the books were showcased; I love the way the shelving has been designed around the height of the books, it makes such good sense rather than huge gaps being designed for books that are far too small.' 3. Antique table While the Queen's desk and armchairs appear to have been removed from the room, other pieces of furniture have stayed in almost the exact same location. Among the pieces which have remained in the same place is a small antique table, placed between the two armchairs in the room. It appears to be the perfect place to rest a paper, or cup of tea, while chatting with guests. 4. Ship in a bottle Among the most distinctive pieces in the room is a ship in a bottle, believed to be of the Royal Yacht Britannia. The piece is in the exact same location is was in the 2017 image of the Queen in the room, and is believed to have been among her most prized possessions Among the most distinctive pieces in the room is a ship in a bottle, believed to be of the Royal Yacht Britannia. The piece is in the exact same location is was in the 2017 image of the Queen in the room, and is believed to have been among her most prized possessions. Designed to be the Queens floating residence as she travelled the world, Britannia was launched in 1953. It covered more than a million miles on 968 state visits. Four years ago, Charles reportedly said that the Royal Yacht Britannia had been an important part of representing Britain abroad. 5. Updated cushions A pair of colourful patterned cushions had been placed on King Charles' new red chairs in the room and featured a quilting style design While the room appears to have been designed for the purpose of working, there are still a number of pieces which have made it feel like a homey space. Among those is a set of comfortable cushions which have been placed on King Charles' new red chairs in the room. The pieces feature a multi-coloured patterned design, and appear to be similar in terms of colour and pattern to the pillows on the sofa. Benji said the area appeared homely, adding: 'The patchwork cushion is good to suggest that someone might enjoy some downtime fireside home made crafting.' 6. Running figurines The mantlepiece in the library is one of the areas of the room which has changed very little since the Queen's death and features a pair of running figure lamps and a gold antique clock The mantlepiece in the library is one of the areas of the room which has changed very little since the Queen's death. It appears to be identical to photographs taken in 2017, when the then-monarch posed for a snap in the room. The most distinctive pieces on the mantle include a pair of lamps, which show figures standing in different positions. A pair of them have been placed on either side of the large ornate mirror that hangs above the fireplace. Benji said: 'The bronze figure lamps look as if theyve been finished with 5 amp plugs, with power sockets cleverly positioned either side of the fire surround; a 5 amp circuit is the perfect way to create instant ambient light when you go into a room, because the light fittings will be operable on switches beside the door. 'Cable management generally has seemingly been well addressed; the lamps in front of the fire have power sockets beside the tables on which they sit to eliminate the trip risk presented by trailing wires 'Using pairs of things creates a sense of harmony and this has been achieved both with the lamps in front of the fire and the bronze figures on the mantelpiece, as well as the pair of red leather library chairs.' He added: 'This is a sturdily traditional space with strong hints to an enjoyment of classicism; the bronze figures holding torches look like theyre based on the Greek god Hermes.' 7. Gold clock In the centre of the mantelpiece is an ornate gold clock. While it is not clear if it was in the room in the 1977 photograph of the Queen and Prince Philip in the room, the ornament has certainly been there since 2017. The mantlepiece appeared identical in the image taken of the Queen at the time. Compared to other mantelpieces in Balmoral, this is relatively uncluttered. 8. Open fireplace In the photograph taken of the Queen in the library in 2017, an electric heater could be seen in the open fireplace behind her (left). Meanwhile it appears King Charles has removed the electric heater - the fireplace appeared to be completely open behind him (right) In the photograph taken of the Queen in the library in 2017, an electric heater could be seen in the open fireplace behind her. In the place of a roaring log fire the hearth at Balmoral was graced with an electric convection heater, of a type available for less than 20 from high street retailers. Similar heaters have been seen in other rooms inside the castle as far back 1992, which some saw as an indication of how the Queen was keen to keep her housekeeping costs to a minimum. However it appears King Charles has removed the electric heater - the fireplace appeared to be completely open behind him. Benji said the room appeared to have been designed with the idea of keeping visitors warm against cooler temperatures. He explained: 'The practical question of keeping warm has clearly been given thought, with the upholstered goods all gathered near to the fireplace.' 9. Cushions in a crown motif fabric that was once used to cover the library sofa Nearby sits a two-seater sofa, covered in a subdued green fabric and finished with traditional skirting. Their white, red and blue cushions appear to feature some sort of crown motif. The fabric was also used to cover a sofa that was previously placed in the same library (left, the sofa, and right, the reworked cushions) Nearby sits a two-seater sofa, covered in a subdued green fabric and finished with traditional skirting. Their white, red and blue cushions appear to feature some sort of crown motif. The fabric was also used to cover a sofa that was previously placed in the same library. It is possible the Queen chose to recover the sofa but keep the cushions, or use the fabric to cover this set. 10. Thermostat One distinctively modern addition to the room on the mantlepiece appeared to be a small, thin thermostat (pictured) One distinctively modern addition to the room on the mantlepiece appeared to be a small, thin thermostat. It had been placed on the mantlepiece alongside the running figurine lamps and gold antique clock which the Queen so loved. It is a rare modern sight in the room, which did feature a Samsung TV in 2017 but appears to have now been removed. Benji said: 'On the mantel it looks as if theres a small read out screen for a weather station; as the King is a keen farmer itd stand to reason that he might wish to know what the local weather forecast is holding.' Sophie, Countess of Wessex has today kicked off a trip to Rwanda with a poignant visit to the nation's Kigali Genocide Memorial. The wife of Prince Edward, 57, laid a wreath down at the site - which remembers victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi people - and signed the book of condolence. The royal appeared emotional as she looked at photographs and human remains of the victims. Her touching message in the book of condolence read: 'A very moving and fitting tribute to those who were lost, but with hope for the future.' Sophie, Countess of Wessex has today kicked off a trip to Rwanda with a poignant visit to the nation's Kigali Genocide Memorial The royal appeared emotional as she looked at photographs and human remains of the victims today The Countess also met with Jeannette Bayisenge, the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion (pictured) Sophie donned a colourful floral printed dress as she made an appearance, opting for minimal accessories with a pair of elegant earrings and a white bracelet. She sported a fresh faced make-up look and wore her blonde tresses down, teaming the ensemble with a woven handbag. King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort had visited the impactful memorial in June - then as Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall - and met survivors and perpetrators of the mass genocide. The pair had also paid homage to the victims by laying a wreath of white roses that included a card signed by the pair, and silver ribbons embossed with the words 'Never again'. The wife of Prince Edward, 57, laid a wreath down at the site - which remembers victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi people - and signed the book of condolence Sophie and Lord Ahmad pictured laying down wreaths at the memorial. Sophie donned a colourful floral printed dress as she made an appearance The Countess had also written in a book of condolence as she visited the genocide memorial today Her touching message in the book of condolence read: 'A very moving and fitting tribute to those who were lost, but with hope for the future' The Countess of Wessex and Lord Ahmad (centre) pictured today during their visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial The Countess following a roundtable meeting at the British High Commissioner's Residence in Kigali In 1994 hundreds of thousands of members of the Tutsi community were slaughtered in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists. Sophie today also attended a round table discussion with NGOs working to address gender based violence in the nation. The Countess also met with Prof Nshuti Manasseh, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Jeannette Bayisenge, the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion - amid other leading figures. She sported a deep navy blazer on top of her dress as she shook hands with influential figures in Rwandan politics, looking deeply engrossed in discussion. The Countess of Wessex during a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sophie and Lord Ahmad pictured with the Minister for Gender and Family Promotion Jeannette Bayisenge (right) The Countess and Lord Ahmad pictured with Ms Bayisenge and the British High Commissioner to Rwanda Sophie was also pictured with Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Ministers Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Omar Daai. It comes as the Countess met survivors of sexual abuse as she visited a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday. Sophie spent time speaking to victims and staff as she spent time on a post-op ward at Panzi Hospital, Bukavu, South Kivu Province, and learned more about the critical medical treatment provided to those who have endured brutal, conflict-related sexual violence. Arriving at the hospital, Sophie warmly greeted the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Denis Mukwege as she arrived to witness first hand critical care procedures given to sexual abuse survivors in the country. The Countess during a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Kigali The Countess pictured today with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Prof Nshuti Manasseh Sophie donned a floral maxi dress from British brand Soler for her second public engagement in the southern African country this week, paired with white shoes and summery bead bracelets, leaving her hair loose to complete the look. The floaty dress seems to be a favourite with the Countess as she was seen wearing it during a Caribbean Jubilee tour with her husband Prince Edward in April of this year. The Countess was greeted by staff members as she was photographed giving Dr Mukwege a warm hug before being given a tour the Hospital, including its newly-opened operating room. Sophie and Lord Ahmad also took time to meet survivors being cared for at the Panzi hospital, where 3,500 babies born of sexual violence are delivered each year at the site. The Countess learned about the holistic support given to over 70,000 survivors of conflict related sexual violence since 1999. Looking back at her own school experience she said 'misogyny was insidious' She says most shocking thing was the parents who refused to believe victims The world teenage girls navigate today is vastly different to the one their mothers experienced. And that is a problem. I often think some women in their 40s and 50s, who were teens in the 1980s and 1990s, dont appreciate the magnitude of that difference, or dont want to. We like to think of society as progressing and becoming more equal, so its hard to acknowledge the reality of a modern world that can hurt our daughters as a matter of routine casually, and on a daily basis. The truth is quite brutal. I grew up in a world where boys at school shared libraries of nudes of underage girls on Google drives; a world of sex without dating, where the demand that we engage in unwanted sex acts felt like a pre-established fact. It is a world in which young girls are put under enormous pressure to perform hotness online for likes from boys; where sexual assault is not rare, even at school, and where pornography is the backdrop of much of what they do. Many parents grew up before the digital revolution and the mainstreaming of hardcore porn, and dont understand the digital lives of their children which are their real lives, since theres no distinction to them between offline and online worlds. Parents exist in a state of naivety, a kind of comfortable bubble in which they think their teens remain untouched by it all. When I launched the website Everyones Invited in 2020, I wanted to provide a safe space for all survivors of all backgrounds, ages and genders, to tell their stories. What I couldnt have anticipated when I pressed the button on the first story I shared my own was the explosion of interest and attention it caused, followed by backlash and pushback. Sara Soma (pictured): 'I grew up in a world where boys at school shared libraries of nudes of underage girls on Google drives; a world of sex without dating, where the demand that we engage in unwanted sex acts felt like a pre-established fact' Back then, I was 21, just out of university and beginning to reassess my teenage years with a more mature eye. I went to all-girls schools but socialised with teens from all over London, where I grew up. Looking back, the misogyny was insidious: endless sexual comments, slut shaming, boys bragging about conquests; too many moments when something felt weird or wrong or uncomfortable. As I got older, my friends and I identified dozens of incidents that now horrify me, but back then were simply part of life, normalised and expected. We remembered rape jokes, sexual bullying, unsolicited dick pics, being groped at parties, being ostracised and shamed and humiliated online. Everyones Invited was about providing an anonymous space for those affected to gain catharsis, relief and community. It didnt take long for the project to go viral: young women, girls, and some boys, began to add their stories. To date, I have received more than 50,000 submissions from young people across the UK. Research shows more than half of 11 to 13-year-olds, and almost all 16-year-olds, have been exposed to pornography on smartphones probably given to them by parents Newspaper headlines about the website multiplied and went global, prompting Ofsted to undertake a groundbreaking review of safeguarding policies related to sexual abuse in schools and the NSPCC to launch a helpline for abuse in education. I expected a backlash; but I found its source surprising. The fiercest critics, those leading the charge to discredit the validity of the testimonies, were not boys or young men whose behaviour we put under the spotlight, but their mothers. Almost daily, mothers of boys those middle-aged women who grew up in such a different world to mine rang the office to question our intentions and dismiss our work as reckless. My colleagues talked to dozens of such callers. The testimony was false, the callers said, exaggerated or too sexualised to appear and a bad influence on younger children. The irony wasnt lost on us research shows more than half of 11-13-year-olds, and almost all 16-year-olds, have been exposed to online pornography on smartphones probably given to them by their parents. Yet sharing first-hand evidence of its harm was apparently a step too far. The fact that submissions to the website were anonymous especially riled these women, even though it was only by staying anonymous that victims could speak freely often for the first time. What would happen to innocent boys who were falsely accused because of us, they asked. We would be personally responsible for any repercussions. Its a mothers instinct to protect her child, of course, but it seems to me that some of these women were also reflecting the wider societal instinct always to protect the promise and future of boys over the promise and future of girls simple sexism, internalised by women just as much as men. In my new book, I write about Everyones Inviteds first weeks and months, and the unexpected first reaction to it. Any account has to include the pushback we also got from certain schools. At first, we published the name of the school (or university) alongside submissions. It was often where the incident took place being slapped in corridors; sexual name-calling in the playground; a hand up a skirt in the classroom. Though, in general, we were impressed with how seriously schools took these stories, a minority were not so constructive. At times, it felt as though some schools were focused, not on the rights of their students, but on their own reputation. When safeguarding is sacrificed for the sake of a schools name, and income, it is hard to believe. They dont believe us, in part because they dont believe the world out there really is that shockingly different What all these reactions have in common, from mothers of boys to teachers at schools to commentators who have accused the site of slandering the entire male sex, is disbelief. They dont believe us, in part because they dont believe the world out there really is that shockingly different. When I tell parents of teens that children can barely go online without being bombarded by chat from sexbots spam programs that often send explicit pictures or messages from 40-year-old men, they are appalled. Some parents, and those from older generations, blame and punish girls who send nude photos of themselves to boys, failing to understand that digital sex is teenage sex nowadays and sending a nude is as real a form of it as an experimental fumble in the back row of the cinema was to them. The world has changed, and for many older generations, it up-ends their view of how boys and girls behave. Children need sex education that truly reflects the world they live in, with age-appropriate lessons on pornography, female sexual pleasure, sexual bullying and what consent really means. It must be taken as seriously by schools as maths and English (File image) But our work has never been about demonising boys and men. I have never subscribed to the cancel culture that, in some quarters, my generation embraces. On the contrary, both the website and the new book stand for empathy, compassion and forgiveness, though I recognise thats a lot to ask of those who have suffered. I truly believe if were to change a sexist, misogynist culture that dehumanises girls and women, we wont go about it by dehumanising boys and men instead. This has never been a gender war. Its my firm opinion many of the boys responsible for the horrible damage to girls reported on Everyones Invited did not understand what they were doing, or how harmful it was. There is no one solution to so vast a problem, but better education can help. I wrote my book partly to empower parents with the understanding, knowledge and tools to support their child as they navigate the modern sexual landscape. Children need sex education that truly reflects the world they live in, with age-appropriate lessons on pornography, female sexual pleasure, sexual bullying and what consent really means. It must be taken as seriously by schools as maths and English. Its crucial that mothers, fathers, teachers, boys, girls, old and young challenge this culture daily. Only then can we hope to create meaningful change. Everyones Invited by Soma Sara (14.99, Gallery Books) is out now. A woman with multiple sclerosis said she was misdiagnosed for 13 years, and was told by doctors that she should 'exercise' or make herself a 'mixed drink' to help her severe pain. Lindsay Cohen Karp, 39, a children's book author from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said she was plagued with 'debilitating fatigue, mobility issues, and pain' for more than a decade. She eventually became 'incapable of walking' since her stamina was so low - but medical professionals could not figure out what was wrong with her. After spending 13 years searching for an answer, she was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 - a disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves, which disrupts communication between the brain and the body. A woman with multiple sclerosis said she was misdiagnosed for 13 years, and was told by doctors that she should 'exercise' or make herself a 'mixed drink' to help her severe pain Lindsay Cohen Karp, 39, a children's book author from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said she was plagued with 'debilitating fatigue, mobility issues, and pain' for more than a decade And while she was scared of what the disease might do to her body, Lindsay recalled feeling an 'overwhelming relief' after being left in the dark about what was wrong with her for so many years. What is multiple sclerosis? In MS, the immune system attacks the protective covering of your nerves This causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body Eventually, the disease can cause permanent damage or deterioration of the nerves Symptoms include: Numbness or weakness in your limbs, electric-shock sensations that occur with certain neck movements, tremors, lack of coordination, vision problems, slurred speech, fatigue, dizziness, and problems with sexual, bowel, or bladder function Some people with MS may lose the ability to walk independently, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms Source: MayoClinic Advertisement 'I thought I'd dangle from the edge of the undiagnosed mountain for the remainder of my existence,' she wrote in a recent essay for Insider. The mother-of-two said she visited numerous doctors in an attempt to find out what was wrong with her - and she even traveled to other states. 'I endured an unnecessary breast exam because the doctor demanded it,' she recalled. '[Another] physician told me there was no answer to be had as my body continued to decline until merely existing was a struggle. 'The futile suggestions had ranged from exercise to psychotherapy to a mixed drink, as if Smirnoff with a splash of cranberry juice could stop my body from declining.' On her blog, she explained that while 'walking and standing were difficult,' she eventually 'learned to live with her new body.' 'I had to walk a short distance, sit and rest, and then do a little more,' she explained. 'My legs ached and felt as though they were running out of energy, like a car with a near empty gas tank. 'I was poked, prodded and poked some more. Getting lab work done constantly was my new normal. 'Somewhere deep in my overwhelmed brain, a voice told me to keep living my life. A particle of hope assured me that my continued medical search would eventually result in a diagnosis.' Then, after 13 years, everything changed when one doctor performed an MRI and noticed 'white spots' on the image of her brain. 'These are areas of demyelination,' she remembered him telling her in her Insider essay. 'Your spinal fluid showed evidence of inflammation. What we're dealing with here is multiple sclerosis.' After spending 13 years searching for an answer, she was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2018 Lindsay began taking medication for the condition, which helped her body go back to 'what it once was.' And while she still has flare ups, she said she 'finally recognizes herself again' She said 'his words filling her brain' felt like 'carbonation from a soda, fizzing through her mind and stifling her thoughts.' 'It was a good day. An answer meant a treatment, and I deserved that more than anything,' she explained. Now, the writer (seen as a baby with her mom) said she thinks about the doctor who finally gave her a diagnosis 'every day,' explaining that he's the only reason her 'life still exists' and that her two sons 'have a mother' 'He spoke definitively, as if 13 years of no diagnosis for symptoms like debilitating fatigue, mobility issues, and pain, was just a big misunderstanding. 'The idea that one simple test provided the answer I'd lacked for 13 years seemed like a dream.' Lindsay began taking medication for the condition, which helped her body go back to 'what it once was.' And while she still has flare ups, she said she 'finally recognizes herself again.' Now, the writer said she thinks about the doctor who finally gave her a diagnosis 'every day,' explaining that he's the only reason her 'life still exists' and that her two sons 'have a mother.' 'I think of him every day. I recall his kind nature and his ability to think outside the box,' she concluded. 'I acknowledge my appreciation that the universe connected me to him and allowed him to guide me through the start of my MS journey. 'Without him, I'd surely still be undiagnosed, incapable of walking, and with no stamina to go on. Without him, my boys wouldn't have a mother. 'Not many people can say their lives exist because of one good human. I can. And I will never forget it.' She is now working a memoir detailing her experience, and often opens up about living with MS on her blog. In one post, she spoke out about not being able to participate in certain physical activities with her children. 'I cant participate in every family activity,' she said. 'The truth is, my children will remember events without me, and while Im relieved they can have these experiences with my husband, part of me is mourning the memories Ill never be a part of.' While there's some things she can't do - like hiking - she said she has 'found activities that fit her ability level,' like going for bike rides. 'When Im on my bike, I feel as though my body is disease free,' she continued. 'The weakness I feel when walking vanishes as I pedal forward. With the wind in my face and my children beside me, we now form family memories theyll never forget. And, thankfully, I am a part of these memories. 'There will always be days I spend on the sidelines. My children will remember that I couldnt be present for important milestones or adventures from time to time. 'But my hope is that the times I am present will stand happily and strongly in the forefront of their minds. 'Living with MS sometimes means missing wonderful days in my childrens lives, but it also means the times when I am present are that much more meaningful. And that makes it all worth it.' Unrealistic images on social media of womens bodies shortly after they have had a baby could be contributing to post-natal blues, a study suggests. Celebrities such as fitness guru Chloe Madeley have been praised for sharing their body image insecurities after giving birth. But researchers said that many photos on Instagram tagged #postpartumbody do not reflect the reality for most new mothers. Dr Megan Gow of the University of Sydney, who led the study, said: These images are presenting an idealised version of the postpartum body which may contribute to body dissatisfaction in postpartum women who may already be struggling with feelings of inadequacy. Slide me Before and after: Celebrities such as fitness guru Chloe Madeley have been praised for sharing their body image insecurities after giving birth Before and After: Tammy Hembrow shows off her pregnancy bump and toned stomach after giving birth Miss Madeley, 35, showed pictures of her toned stomach just three weeks after having her first child in August Study authors assessed 600 images tagged with #postpartumbody for body fat and muscularity. They found 37 per cent had low levels of fatness, and 54 per cent were average. Around half had visible or high muscle definition, according to the findings published in the journal Healthcare. Miss Madeley, 35, showed pictures of her toned stomach just three weeks after having her first child in August. The study to be presented at the International Congress on Obesity in Melbourne said women may benefit from targeted health messages on Instagram to interrupt the potentially harmful content. Aldi's Sprinters came out on top - while Pringles and Vege Chips ranked poorly A chip lover has ranked 11 salt and vinegar chips from strongest to weakest A salt and vinegar chip fan has sparked a rift within the online 'chippy' community by ranking each brand's attempt at the iconic flavour from 'strongest' to weakest'. Posting on Reddit the self-titled 'chippoisseur' claimed Sprinters have the strongest salt and vinegar flavour, followed by Red Rock Deli. Vege Chips were slammed into last place in the brutal rankings while Pringles were relegated to tenth place on the table. In an attempt to dispel bias, the poster said the chips were tested by himself and two others; they were looking for the chips with the strongest initial taste and after taste. A Redditor has divided salt and vinegar chip lovers by ranking popular brands from strongest to weakest in flavour - as people say he missed one important 'hero' brand 'French Fries being so little were judged on a handful instead of a singular chip.' The chips were then ranked high, medium and low for flavour - with the bags moved up and down the chart as needed throughout the day. His explanation appeared to satisfy his fans with many asking how his tongue was holding up following the thorough experiment. 'My tongue is literally splitting thinking about this,' one fan said, earning 699 likes. However many people were left unconvinced - some even saying they would have to try each variety to confirm the results. Poll What's your favourite? Sprinters Red Rock Deli Blackstone Smiths Kettle Natural Chip co French Fries Thins Tyrells Pringles Vege Chips Samboys Other What's your favourite? Sprinters 12 votes Red Rock Deli 38 votes Blackstone 2 votes Smiths 58 votes Kettle 19 votes Natural Chip co 5 votes French Fries 8 votes Thins 11 votes Tyrells 12 votes Pringles 4 votes Vege Chips 2 votes Samboys 11 votes Other 6 votes Now share your opinion 'I question your conclusions. Red Rock Deli chips are too sweet - the balancing of flavours is (n my opinion, in this instance) a massive drawback. I want my mouth to burn from a salt and vinegar chip - RRD do not achieve this,' one man said. 'Thins are clearly the best I can't believe you have them so low,' added another. While a third asked if the testers 'even bothered' with palate cleansers. Dozens of people called the experiment 'incomplete' as some of their favourite brands had been left off the table altogether. 'Samboys is the king in exile of this list,' one man said. 'They used to have the extra 'flavour burst' sachets inside? They were amazing,' another recalled. The taste tester said he wanted to try the iconic brand but couldn't find any in store, 'Put them at the top of the list in your heart if you wish,' he added. While people tried to pull apart the list, some calling it the 'greatest salt and vinegar debate of a lifetime' one expert confirmed the placement of two of the bags on trial. 'I worked for Smith's which make the Aldi brand too and I can confirm Aldi version have a higher flavour specification on all their chips. His words appeared to satisfy some chip fans who were unsure of the table, and whether to try the number one brand. 'Higher flavour specification? Oh my lord, what a beautiful sequence of words. I will be going to my nearest Aldi asap to try out their sprinter chips. I havent actually given them a go before,' one man said. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lashed out at the military Wednesday over a failed missile launch conducted in response to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile firing, saying the failure illustrates what it calls a "security vacuum" in the Yoon Suk-yeol government. In tit-for-tat saber-rattling, South Korea's military fired a Hyunmoo-2C short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Tuesday night, but the missile flew erratically right after takeoff and ended up crashing on its own base in the east coast city of Gangneung. The crash sparked a fire to the missile's fuel, but its warhead did not explode and no one was hurt. Still, residents in the area spent the night concerned due to the bright flashes and strong roar from the crash. The DPK denounced the incident as a "security vacuum" and warned the military against attempting to cover it up. "It's a complete operation failure and there is a report that the military blocked fire officers dispatched to the scene from extinguishing the fire," DPK Rep. Kim Byung-joo, who represents the party at the parliamentary defense committee, told a news conference. "A thorough investigation into the incident is imperative, including who designed the operation plan, what decisions the Yoon Suk-yeol government's security line-up made and which details were reported to President Yoon." (Yonhap) An Australian event expert has revealed her biggest wedding styling dos and don'ts - and the one popular flower she would never use. Kimberley Burrell caused a stir for criticising common wedding styling trends like baby's breath flowers, ceremony arches and hessian table runners in a series of viral TikTok videos. The Sydney stylist, who has been planning weddings for more than 15 years, also suggested some alternate decor ideas that won't break the bank. Scroll down for video Sydney event expert Kimberley Burrell (pictured) has revealed her biggest wedding don'ts in a series of viral videos and her decorating tips she suggests couples do instead Kimberley said brides to be should not opt for hessian table runners or decor as it looks 'trashy' but instead use linen or linen look individual napkins (pictured right is baby's breath - a 'no-go' flower choice because of the unpleasant smell) Kimberley, who heads The Marmalade Sky, said brides to be should not opt for hessian table runners or decor as it looks 'trashy'. Instead, she suggested individual linen or linen look napkins to achieve the 'same sort of style and effect'. While linen napkins may sound like an expensive alternative, Kimberley said a linen blend is much cheaper, and can be found for as little as 'two bucks a pop'. 'Don't have gum and baby's breathe as your table styling. It's kind of just the lazy way to do the green and white colour palette and baby's breathe smells like cat p***,' Kimberley said. The stylist said baby's breath is the 'worst wedding trend ever' not because of how it looks but because it smells 'horrific' and shouldn't be used in large amounts on tables Event expert's wedding styling do's and don'ts Don't have hessian table runners Do use individual linen-look napkins Don't use gum leaves and baby's breath as your table styling Do use classic flowers spaced around the table in elegant glass vessels Don't cover an amazing view at your ceremony with an arch Do have a low ceremony floral design Don't have tent fold place cards Do incorporate the guests' names into the menu to avoid clutter Don't have hanging floral installs or tall centre pieces at a venue with a standard or low roof Do install floral arrangements from the ground up Don't book a venue with an established aesthetic and chose contrasting decor Do book a venue that suits the design and style you've already got in mind Source: The Marmalade Sky Advertisement In a video, the stylist ranted about how baby's breath flowers have caused an 'unpleasant experience' for guests at her events if used 'en-masse' calling it the 'worst wedding trend ever'. 'It's not because it looks bad, it's actually looks phenomenal, I personally love this trend...the problem is this smells horrific,' she explained. 'No one wants to have the smell of athletes foot wafting over the table while they're trying to eat their steak or fish.' Kimberley added her sentimental applies to when the popular flower is made into huge bouquets and instalments but small amounts of the popular flower in larger arrangements won't cause a noticeable odour. Alternatively, she suggested using 'clean classic flowers in elegant glass vessels' to achieve a green and white colour palette saying a few bouquets spread over tables will be much cheaper than a big baby's breath and gum leaf garland. 'Don't pick an amazing ceremony spot with an amazing view and then put an arch in front of it - you're going to lose the goddamn view,' Kimberley said. 'Do have a low ceremony floral design so that you can have both the flowers and the view.' She said while a bigger low floral arrangement may cost a little more, it can be repurposed, split into smaller bunches and used as decor at the reception. 'Why use it for 30 minutes during a ceremony and then never see it again?' she asked. Another thing Kimberley warned against was 'tent-fold' place settings for each guest and said to instead incorporate each person's name on the menu. 'It's just one less piece of clutter that you're going to put on your table, or don't have menus at all, just have a cocktail style wedding,' she recommended. Kimberley discouraged couples from paying for big floral arrangements hanging from the roof or tall centre pieces if their venue has a low or standard ceiling but to rather style from the 'ground up'. Kimberley said not to use a ceremony arch in a place with an 'amazing view' as it will block the scenery and suggested a low floral arrangement instead Another thing Kimberley warned against was 'tent-fold' place settings for each guest and said instead incorporate each person's name on the menu to avoid table clutter 'Get a nice lounge, maybe a neon sign, something that provides a photobooth opportunity and build a wow factor from the ground up. Less claustrophobic, less boxy, less closed in,' she said. Her final tip is not to book a wedding venue with a set look or aesthetic and style it with decor that doesn't match it's theme like, for example, putting rustic decorations in an art deco building. 'If you start mucking around with the existing aesthetic of a venue it's just going to end up looking silly, it's going to look messy, it's not going to make sense, there's not going to be any cohesive flow to the design,' she said. Kimberley said if a venue has low or standard height ceilings not to opt for hanging floral arrangements or tall centre pieces but rather style from the 'ground up' 'You're probably going to waste a s***load of money because you're going to have to a lot to try and cover up the existing aesthetic.' Collectively Kimberley videos racked up more than 560,000 views and many of her followers were thankful for the advice. However, not all were convinced and criticised Kimberley's takes saying people should be able to style their wedding however they want. 'I think I've planned and styled...a buttload of weddings during my career so I've learnt a few things and these are my tips and tricks. If you don't like them that is totally fine,' she replied. 'Remember the only thing that matters at the end of the day is you get to marry the person that you love everything else is a damn bonus.' Princess Mary and her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe have showed off their close bond while opening the Danish parliament for the working year as the Danish royals squabble over their titles. The 50-year-old mother-of-four and the last surviving European Queen attended the opening of the Folketing (Parliament of Denmark) in the Folketing Hall at Christiansborg Palace on October 4. The opening of the Danish Parliament takes place on the first Tuesday in October and is a beginning for the new legislative year, but all eyes were on Prince Frederik, his wife - dressed in a pale blue coat by Claes Iversen - and mother as they appeared closer than ever amid an ongoing family battle. The 50-year-old mother-of-four and the last surviving European Queen attended the opening of the Folketing (Parliament of Denmark) in the Folketing Hall at Christiansborg Palace on October 4 The opening of the Danish Parliament takes place on the first Tuesday in October and is a beginning for the new legislative year, but all eyes were on Prince Frederik, his wife - dressed in a pale blue coat by Claes Iversen - and mother (pictured) Their appearance comes after Queen Margrethe decided to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles. The monarch, 82, removed prince and princess as well as 'His/Her Highness' titles from Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, ten. A statement on Wednesday last week said Queen Margrethe hopes the move will allow the siblings to 'shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties' that a formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family involves. The children of Prince Joachim, her second son, will be known instead by His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat starting on January 1, 2023. Queen Margrethe of Denmark has stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, the Danish royal household has announced. Pictured, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie with Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena of Denmark in September The monarch (pictured in September 2022) has removed prince and princess as well as 'His/Her Highness' titles from Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10 The siblings, who are currently seventh through tenth in line to the throne, will maintain their places in the order of succession. Nikolai and Felix, who are both models, are the sons of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. Prince Joachim remarried Princess Marie in 2008, and the pair share Henrik and Athena. Queen Margrethe's decision does not impact the four children of Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik, who is heir to the throne. Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will all continue to hold royal titles and be part of the royal household. Prince Nikolai, from left, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim and Prince Felix arrive for the command performance at the Danish Royal Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of Danish Queen Margrethe II's accession to the throne in Copenhagen, Saturday, September 10, 2022 Prince Nikolai of Denmark celebrated his 23rd birthday in August at home with his parents and siblings in Copenhagen. Pictured left with Prince Felxi, 20, Prince Henrick, 13 and Princess Athena, ten The statement said: 'In April 2008, Her Majesty the Queen conferred the titles of Count, Countess and Comtesse of Monpezat on her sons, their spouses and their descendants. 'In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of the Queen's grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult. 'As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that with effect from 1 January 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim can only use their titles as Count and Countess of Monpezat, as their previous titles as Prince and Princess of Denmark will lapse. Nikolai with his stepmother Princess Marie, siblings, and father Prince Joachim, on the balcony of Amalienborg palace during the Danish Queen's 78th Birthday in April 2018 Princess Marie with Prince Joachim, Prince Felix, Prince Nikolai, Princess Athena and Prince Henrick with Joachim's first wife's Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg in 2020 'Prince Joachim's descendants will henceforth have to be addressed as Excellencies. The Queen's decision is in line with similar adaptations that other royal houses have implemented in different ways in recent years. 'With her decision, Her Majesty the Queen wants to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves. 'All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession,' concluded the statement. Their daughter is preparing to turn one in October. Chumpy died two years ago Alex Pullin's widow has spoken about how similar Minnie is to her late father Australian snowboard champion Alex 'Chumpy' Pullin's widow Ellidy has spoken about how similar her baby girl Minnie is to her late father and how she had hoped they would share physical characteristics. The doting mum, 29, lost Chumpy in a spearfishing accident on July 8, 2020, and harvested his sperm so she could live out their shared dream of having a child together. In speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday Ms Pullin said she secretly hoped their daughter would look just like her dad and was overwhelmed when she had 'his eyes'. 'It's weird I literally said I can't wait to look into my baby's eyes and see him and she literally has his eyes,' Ms Pullin said. 'It's like they fell into her.' The doting mum, 29, lost Chumpy in a spearfishing accident on July 8, 2020, and harvested his sperm so she could live out their shared dream of having a child together In speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday Ms Pullin said she secretly hoped their daughter would look just like her dad and was overwhelmed when she had 'his eyes' While her decision to have their baby alone was controversial at the time, Ms Pullin has no regrets about her pregnancy with Minnie. 'We take each day as it comes, but honestly she is the best thing ever,' Ms Pullin 'She brings me so much joy and I don't know what I do without her. She is the best.' The young mum was coming home from walking the couple's dog, Rummi, in the park on that fateful day in July when she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. Her husband was spearfishing at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast at the time when Ms Pullin said she experienced the sudden chest pain. Her husband was spearfishing at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast at the time when Ms Pullin said she experienced the sudden chest pain 'The sharpness stopped me in my tracks, knocking the wind out of me and almost forcing me to my knees,' she wrote in her forthcoming memoir Heartstrong. 'I clenched my heart and Rummi looked up at me as if to say, "What the hell, Mum! Are you okay?" 'After 30 seconds, I was. I brushed the pain off as anxiety - maybe I needed more sleep, or some vitamins or a massage - and kept walking. 'Looking back I think that was the moment Chumpy left this earth the moment my heart shattered.' Chumpy, 32, drowned that day. It's believed he was spearfishing by himself at an artificial reef at the beach when he was spotted on the ocean floor by a snorkeler. He was a two-time boardercross world champion and had represented Australia at three Winter Olympics. In October last year - 15 months after Chumpy's passing - Ms Pullin gave birth to their first child, Minnie Alex, conceived with sperm posthumously taken from the former Olympian The excerpt was published in the Courier-Mail's Q Weekend magazine. Ms Pullin recalls arriving at the beach and telling a policeman that her partner was out diving. She then confirmed to police Mr Pullin had a large axe inked on his ribs when they asked if her partner had a distinctive tattoo. Ellidy said she will 'never forget' the look on the police officer's face in response. 'The feeling was my heart shattering before my brain even knew. He obviously held his breath for a second too long and blacked out He lost consciousness peacefully.' In October last year - 15 months after Chumpy's passing - Ms Pullin gave birth to their first child, Minnie Alex, conceived with sperm posthumously taken from the former Olympian. Ms Pullin said she had to 'hustle' to collect sperm from Pullin's body following his death. 'We'd wanted a baby, and I couldn't think of anything I wanted more right then than a person I could love and cherish,' she said 'I didn't want Chump to just die and be gone. I felt this was bringing a part of him back,' she told AWW previously. 'We'd wanted a baby, and I couldn't think of anything I wanted more right then than a person I could love and cherish. 'Now that she's here, I just know that was so meant to be. I see and feel so much of Chump in her. I know I've done the right thing so wholeheartedly.' In the memoir she recalls meeting Pullin at a 21st birthday party on Sydney's northern beaches where the future Olympic star arrived wearing a denim jumpsuit that made him look 'like a full-on mechanic, but hot'. The spark between the pair was instant. In 2017, they moved to the Gold Coast and bought a house at Palm Beach The spark between the pair was instant. In 2017, they moved to the Gold Coast and bought a house at Palm Beach. On the day he died, Ms Pullin reveals, Chumpy had planned to go surfing but instead decided to pursue his new obsession, spearfishing. She said she would warn him to watch out for sharks but that the snowboarding champion told her the real danger was shallow water blackouts, when a diver blacks out at the end of a breath-hold dive. Ms Pullin writes she did not fear for her partner because he was a professional athlete who she knew could hold his breath for a long time. They shared a final hug as he backed out of the garage to head to the beach that morning. Scanning the inside of someone's eye could predict their risk of an early death, a study suggests. Scientists have developed an AI programme that can spot early warning signs of a heart problem. It works by measuring the thickness of tiny arteries and veins at the back of the eye, which are thought to hold key information about heart health. Problems with blood circulation can cause blood vessels in the retina to thicken eventually leading to vision loss without treatment. In a study of 88,000 Britons, it was able to predict 54 per cent of cases of heart attacks and strokes and 58 per cent of heart disease deaths. Doctors said the test offered an alternative that was 'non-invasive' and could be used to check heart health during regular eye check ups. Pictured above is a retina (in the black box) and a cut out showing how the AI measures the thickness of an artery running across its surface. A new method has been developed using these to suggest how likely someone is to die from heart disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America claiming about one life every 34 seconds, or 690,000 people annually. There are no guidelines on how often someone should be screened for heart disease. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all over-20s are screened for high cholesterol a predictor of heart disease at least every five years. They also recommend regular tests for blood pressure, and checks for blood glucose levels every three years. How is your risk of heart disease measured? Doctors currently measure your risk of heart disease using a range of factors. These include taking into account your age, sex and underlying conditions such as smoking. But they will also take a measurement of your blood pressure and a blood test to check cholesterol levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Americans over 20 years old should get their cholesterol checked every five years. For those with an underlying risk factor such as diabetes they should get checked more regularly. Advertisement The tests are typically done by taking into account age, sex, smoking status and blood pressure to determine risk from heart disease. Doctors also look at cholesterol levels so they require a blood test. The new method used retinal vasculature imaging, which photographs the back of the eye to show blood vessels along with the optic nerve. It is used by doctors during eye tests to check for health issues, such as degeneration of the retina and glaucoma where the optic nerve is damaged. They developed a computer program that can read the scans to take thousands of measurements of the width of blood vessels across the retina. It then analyzes these to see if they have thickened. The results are then used alongside someone's age, smoking status and medical history, to estimate their risk of death from heart disease. Results showed that in the British sample the algorithm predicted 191 deaths from heart disease, but 327 were recorded (58 per cent accurate). It also estimated there would be 454 cases of strokes or heart attacks in the group, and 839 were recorded (54 per cent). Follow-up for the British sample was about seven years after the initial eye exam on average. The algorithm was also tested on a separate group of 7,400 patients in Europe aged between 48 and 92 years. It found 50 per cent of the 201 deaths from heart disease recorded, and 48 per cent of the strokes and heart attacks recorded over a period of about nine years. Dr Alicja Rudnicka, an epidemiologist who led the paper, and others said it gave a 'better prediction' for risk from heart disease than current methods. They added: 'In the general population it can be used as a non-contact form of systemic vascular health check, to [move] those at medium-high risk... for further clinical risk assessment.' In a linked editorial, Dr Ify Mordi and Dr Emanuele Trucco, clinicians at Dundee University in Scotland, said the new method was 'attractice' to use. 'Using retinal screening in this way would presumably require a significant increase in the number of ophthalmologists or otherwise trained assessors,' they suggest. 'What is now needed is for ophthalmologists [and others] to work together to design studies to determine whether using this information improves clinical outcomes.' The method named QUantitative Analysis of Retinal vessels Topology and SiZe (QUARTZ) was revealed in a study in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. Almost 1,000 baby deaths could be prevented in the US every year if new mothers were offered paid maternity leave, a study has suggested. Researchers said the measure would allow parents to spend more time with their newborns, reducing stress and making it more likely that any issues or infections were spotted quickly. American mothers are entitled to up to 12 weeks off to bond with their newborns but this is unpaid in all but 12 states. The study looked at 550,000 new mothers in California who received half pay for six weeks after giving birth. There were 339 fewer infant deaths, on average, within the first year of life compared to other US states without the measure. Researchers estimated this could save 972 babies every year if all 50 states brought in paid parental leave for three months. Previous research has linked the scheme to a reduction in low birthweight and preterm births, a top risk factor for infant death. It has also been linked to a reduction in head trauma among children less than two years old due to fighting among children. Campaigners today told DailyMail.com that the study was yet more 'compelling' evidence that paid leave was needed nationwide for all new mothers. President Joe Biden dropped his proposal for national paid leave late last year, crushing the hopes of many pressure groups. The above graph shows the infant mortality rate (Given on the Y axis as PNMR, or post-neonatal mortality rate) in California (blue line) and the average for the other 49 US states (red line). The dotted line on 2004 shows when paid parental leave for six weeks came in in California. It reveals that the rate fell in the Sunshine State compared to others The above shows the states that are now offering paid maternal leave, and the amount of time. The US is the only developed nation not to offer this in the world The above shows infant mortality rates by state, with dark colors representing higher rates. It reveals that states with no provision for paid parental leave have higher rates America is one of the only countries in the world that does not mandate paid maternity leave for parents. The United States also has the fourth highest infant mortality rate among the world's 38 most developed countries, at a rate of 5.8 deaths per 100,000 births. Only Mexico (12.1), Turkey (9.2) and Chile (7) have worse rates. How does paid parental leave reduce infant death rates? The United States is the only country in the world that does not mandate paid parental leave for parents. A wealth of studies from other countries particularly Europe already point to the health costs of this for infants. Before birth, studies suggest that a lack of the support leads to a higher rate of preterm and low-weight births major risks for infant deaths. After birth, the lack of provision leaves parents with little option but to return to work within weeks. This can lead to worse attention on infants, raising the risk their needs are not met. It also raises the need for non-parental care, putting them at higher risk of infections that can cause diarrhea and respiratory problems. And left parents with less time to ensure their children were up to date with all their immunizations. Advertisement Proposals to bring in mandatory maternity leave have been struck down repeatedly, or never ratified by congress. In the latest push, Biden sought to mandate 12 weeks paid maternity leave at 66 to 80 per cent of pay up to $4,000 nationally. But he abandoned the measure last year amid opposition from sections of his own party. To estimate the impact of paid sick leave on infants, scientists at Liaoning University looked at 551,866 new mothers in California from 2004 to 2008. At this time the Sunshine State was the only one to offer paid maternity leave at six weeks for adults. It extended this to eight weeks paid leave in 2019, and also allows new mothers to access disability benefits. The infant mortality rate for California was compared to the average for the other 49 states which did not offer paid maternity leave at the time. Scientists then used these figures to suggest the national impact on the infant mortality rate if the paid leave was extended to 12 weeks across the country. According to Dr. Feng Chen, a health statistician who led the research, and others noted in the paper: 'The prolonged time off allows for increased maternal-child interactions and better monitoring of children's health status, prolongs breastfeeding, and thereby benefits early childhood outcomes.' Scientists say breastfeeding reduces the risk of infant death because it delivers antibodies which fight viruses to babies slashing their risk of infection. It also improves their overall health. Dr Chen also said parents being at home reduced the risk of infections as there was less need for non-parental care, which puts infants at risk of diarrhoea and respiratory problems. It also allowed parents more time to ensure their children got their standard immunizations, the researchers said. And if taken before birth reduced the risk of a preterm or low-weight birth the leading causes of death among newborns. Vasu Reddy, the senior policy counsel for economic justice at the National Partnership for Women and Families which calls for paid parental leave, told DailyMail.com the results were 'compelling' and 'consistent' with the very large body of evidence showing paid leave benefitted infants. 'I think it just adds to the benefits that paid parental programs have,' she said. 'It's really telling that in the states that have brought in the programs they have been so successful that there is no real movement to frustrate or to undermine them.' The National Partnership is calling for paid leave for new parents and those with a serious health condition or who are caring for an ill family member. Ms Reddy said that 12 weeks would be a 'great starting point'. It comes after Glamour an online women's magazine launched a campaign backed by politicians and celebs this week calling for paid maternity leave across the US. The above shows the fertility rate, or number of births per 100,000 people, in the United States broken down by state. The Dakotas, Alaska and Utah have the highest rates Newborns are being put at risk by a lack of paid parental leave, a study has suggested (stock) Of the 12 American states currently offering paid maternity leave, only eight have provisions for the full 12 weeks. They are Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington. Two have the provision in place for eight weeks California and Maryland while New Hampshire has it for around six to eight weeks and Rhode Island for five weeks. Washington D.C. also offers maternity benefits for up to eight weeks. Biden was forced to abandon his proposals for paid maternity leave amid opposition from senator Joe Manchin, for West Virginia. The senator had argued he did not want to create a new 'entitlement' program, and that the Administration should 'sort out' social security and Medicare first. The Democrats need the support of all members because of the tight split in the Senate between the two parties. Statistics show the infant mortality rate is highest in Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas which all record at least 7.4 infant deaths per 100,00 births. At the other end of the scale California (3.9), Massachusetts (3.9) and Rhode Island (4) all have the lowest rates. Each has paid parental leave. The study will be published in the journal Contemporary Economic Policy. Advertisement London, Lincolnshire and Liverpool are England's chlamydia hotspots, according to official data. Rates of the STI have plunged to a record low. Fewer than 160,000 cases were logged in 2021 down by a third on pre-pandemic levels. Cases had been gradually creeping up before Covid hit but lockdowns saw rates naturally decline, given people were less able to meet up for casual sex and flings. But chlamydia rates vary drastically across the country, MailOnline analysis has revealed. The equivalent of 3 per cent of people aged 15 to 24 living in Lambeth, a south London borough home to Clapham and Brixton, tested positive for chlamydia last year. Similar rates were seen in Lewisham, Hackney and North East Lincolnshire. But at the other end of the scale, confirmed chlamydia cases were 14 times lower in the market town of Horsham, West Sussex. A dozen boroughs also recorded more cases last year than they did before the pandemic, proving the trend is not universally happening across England. Official data showed chlamydia rates in young people were nearly 14 times higher in the country's worst affected area as its least. The illness was detected in 3,063 people aged 15 to 24 per 100,000 in Lambeth, London, in the year up to April 2021. For comparison, only 222 per 100,000 in the age group were infected in the market town of Horsham, West Sussex Chlamydia remains the most commonly diagnosed STI, making up 51 per cent of all confirmed cases. However, around 2,000 fewer cases were detected in 2021 compared to 2020 WHERE ARE CLAMYDIA RATES INCREASING QUICKEST? Area Percentage increase 2019 to 2021 Middlesbrough Chorley Dartford Swale Ashfield Redcar and Cleveland South Ribble Hartlepool Stockton-on-Tees Lincoln 31 24 21 16 13 8 8 4 2 2 Advertisement Regional figures for chlamydia, compiled by the UK Health Security Agency, only looks at under-25s, who make up the vast majority of all cases. The figures are broken down by detection rates, which are the proportion of a population who tested positive within the 12-month period. Similar figures were used to track the spread of Covid throughout the pandemic. For example, Lambeth's detection rate stood at 3,063 cases per 100,000 people. This is effectively the equivalent of 3 per cent of people aged between 15-24 living in the borough having been diagnosed with the bacterial infection within the space of a year. Yet, people can test positive twice or more, meaning it is not always a like-for-like figure. And, in the exact same fashion as Covid, the stats are entirely based on people who have tested positive. It means thousands of cases will have went undiagnosed and not incorporated in the data. Testing rates are still lagging behind pre-Covid levels, charities say. After Lambeth, the area with the highest chlamydia detection rate in young people was Lewisham also in the capital where 2,873 per 100,000 had infections confirmed in 2021. It was followed by Hackney in London (2,857), North East Lincolnshire (2,631) home to port town Grimsby and Southwark (2,564) in the capital. Meanwhile, only 222 per 100,000 in the age group were infected in Horsham. The next lowest rates were in Mid Sussex (297), Chichester (378) and Adur (380), both in West Sussex. Cases are growing quickest in Middlesbrough, where 2,262 per 100,000 tested positive last year. It was up 31 per cent on 2019, when the rate was 1,722, the same data suggested. The other biggest jumps were seen in Chorley (24 per cent), Dartford (21 per cent) and Swale (16 per cent). Despite the overall downturn in chlamydia cases with 2,000 fewer infections confirmed in 2021 it remains the most commonly diagnosed STI in England, accounting for 51 per cent of all cases. Its symptoms include pain when passing urine and unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus. Women may also suffer tummy pain, bleeding after sex and in between periods. Men may have painful and swollen testicles. If left untreated, it can cause infertility in women. Some 51,074 gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed, up by 841 from 2020, according to the UKHSA statistics released yesterday. Again, rates were still below pre-pandemic, with a peak of 70,908 annual cases logged in 2019. Some 51,074 gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed in 2021, up by 841 from 2020. However, rates are still below pre-pandemic, with a peak of 70,908 annual cases logged in 2019 The data revealed that MG rates have soared by a fifth in a year in the space of one year, from 4,230 in 2020 to 5,109 in 2021. However, they are still slightly lower than pre-pandemic rates, with medics logging a sharp decline in STIs as lockdowns and social distancing reduced sexual activity. MG rates had been rising by up to five-fold year-on-year before the pandemic struck, with 431 cases in 2017, 1,981 in 2018 and 5,331 in 2019 HOW PREVALENT ARE STIS IN ENGLAND? There were 311,604 STIs diagnosed in 2021, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency. The figure is 0.5 per cent higher than 2020 but a third lower than pre-Covid levels, when 440,000 were diagnosed, on average, each year. However, testing rates are lower than they were before the pandemic, which may mean some cases are slipping under the radar. Chlamydia: 159,448 Gonorrhoea: 51,074 Genital Herpes: 21,649 Mycoplasma genitalium: 5,109 Non-specific genital infection: 14,471 Pelvic inflammatory disease and epididymitis: 10,437 Chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease and epididymitis: 853 Syphilis: 7,506 Genital warts: 28,280 Other new STI diagnoses: 13,630 Advertisement Mycoplasma genitalium infections also increased in 2021, although cases are far lower than with the other two diseases. The drug-resistant 'super STI', similar to chlamydia, can cause infertility in women and cases soared 60-fold over the last decade in England. More than 5,000 cases of the bacterial infection were logged in England in 2021. By comparison, just 79 cases of MG were recorded when experts first proved it was a sexually transmitted infection seven years ago. Despite being discovered in the 1980s, very few people, even doctors, knew about it until very recently because it is commonly misdiagnosed as chlamydia, allowing it to quietly grow stronger and spread under the radar. And because it has been treated with the wrong drugs, it is growing resistant to antibiotics. Some strains are already able to evade potent medicines, meaning patients have to take different drugs to clear the infection. Most people who carry MG have no symptoms but can still pass it onto others. Bad cases can cause painful inflammation and watery discharge for men. But the STI can be more serious for women, potentially causing womb scarring that leaves them infertile. Ian Green, chief executive of sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, told MailOnline: 'The UKs STI data continues to be a story of inequity, with young people and ethnic minority groups continuing to be disproportionately affected by STIs. 'Terrence Higgins Trust work with universities across the UK to provide health promotion and testing opportunities to young people.' He added: 'Equity must be the cornerstone of work to improve the nations sexual health. 'Were calling on the Government to ensure that its action plan on sexual health is ambitious, matched with long-term funding and includes targeted interventions for those who need it most to root out inequities felt by young people and ethnic minority groups. 'The 2021 STI data also shows that chlamydia diagnoses in young people are highest in in the most deprived areas of England. 'Its clear that that the inequalities that are deeply engrained throughout health and social systems must be addressed in the upcoming sexual and reproductive action plan.' Some 51,074 gonorrhoea cases were diagnosed in 2021, up by 841 from 2020. However, rates are still below pre-pandemic, with a peak of 70,908 annual cases logged in 2019 Mycoplasma genitalium, also known as M. genitalium or M. gen, causes serious symptoms including infertility, but is resistant to four different types of antibiotics. It is estimated that up to one in five sexually active US citizens could have it Overall, there was 311,604 new diagnoses of STIs in England in 2021, up by 0.5 per cent from 309,921 in 2020 but still a third lower than pre-Covid. For comparison, an average of 440,000 new infections were logged in the five years before the virus first sparked chaos. But with students returning to universities last week, experts fear infections could return to pre-pandemic levels. Many areas saw an increase in 2021, when there were fewer Covid restrictions to live by. The data also revealed that there was a 'marked' eight per cent rise in syphilis cases last year, with 7,506 new diagnoses compared to 6,923 in 2020. The UKHSA reported that cases had nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels in England and 'exceeded them' in some parts of the country. Syphilis symptoms include small, usually painless, sores on the genitals and anus that sometimes spread to the mouth, lips and hands. It can also trigger flu-like symptoms, swollen glands and patchy hair loss. If not treated, it can lead to fatal heart and brain problems. Mr Green said: 'Levels of syphilis and gonorrhoea remain high while testing levels aren't back to where they were before Covid. 'That's why we need the Government to set out its vision for sexual and reproductive health in its long over-due sexual and reproductive health action plan. 'These latest numbers show why the Government must urgently set out what good looks like with the funding attached to achieve that vision. 'Currently we have no national goal around sexually transmitted infections despite rates of STIs being unacceptably high for years and certain groups including young people, gay and bisexual men, people living with HIV and some ethnic minority groups being disproportionately affected year after year.' Advertisement At least five NHS trusts in England have brought back mask requirements due to Covid's resurgence, MailOnline can reveal. Sites in Suffolk, Essex and Gloucestershire now require all visitors to wear face coverings when in their hospitals. Some are also asking patients to wear masks and reimposing social distancing guidelines, in scenes reminiscent of the earliest days of the pandemic. Although coverings have been sentenced to history in daily life, trust bosses have argued that hospitals are 'not the same as a supermarket or a restaurant'. Patients on wards already tend to be very unwell, meaning they are particularly vulnerable to the brutal effects of Covid and other respiratory infections. Stricter rules including visitor bans could be brought in over the coming weeks if virus rates and admissions continue to trend upwards, health chiefs have hinted. Some academics have already called for a widespread return of face masks in public settings, in order to thwart the spread of the virus this winter. But the Government has made no hint that a return of pandemic curbs are on the horizon, even in the face of spiralling cases. The Princess of Wales was pictured wearing a covering today while surrounded by masked NHS medics during a visit to the Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit in Guildford. Sites in East Suffolk, Essex and Gloucestershire now require all visitors to wear coverings when in their hospitals. Some are also telling patients to wear masks and reimposing social distancing guidelines, in scenes reminiscent of the earliest days of the pandemic It comes as Kate Middleton was pictured wearing a mask today while on a visit to Royal Surrey County Hospital's maternity unit in Guildford to hear about the holistic support it provides to pregnant women and new mothers Latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows Covid infections in England jumped by more than a tenth to 857,400 in the week to September 20 WHAT ARE MASK RULES FOR HOSPITALS IN ENGLAND? For NHS staff: Wear masks when working with confirmed and suspected Covid cases, such as in emergency departments or primary care Masks should be worn when there is a known or suspected cluster of Covid transmission, such as during an outbreak or if a variant of concern emerges Masks should be considered when treating patients at high risk from Covid, such as the immunosuppressed Face coverings are not required in non-clinical areas, such as offices and social settings For inpatients: Patients with suspected Covid should be provided with a face mask when admitted to hospital. It should be worn in wards and communal areas All other patients do not need to wear a mask unless it is their personal preference. However, it may be encouraged following a local risk assessment For outpatients: Patients with respiratory symptoms admitted for emergency treatment should wear a face mask All other patients do not have to unless it is their personal preference For visitors: Visitors might be asked to wear a mask following a local risk assessment Those accompanying patients to an appointment are not routinely required to wear a face mask but may be encouraged to do so after a local risk assessment Source: UKHSA Advertisement Hospitals were told to move back to pre-pandemic practices in June, ushering in one of the final stages of No10's 'living with Covid' plan. Guidance set out that masks could be brought back in healthcare settings to reduce the spread of the virus, if local infection rates increased. Decisions were left in the hands of local health chiefs, as opposed to blanket rules. The UK Health Security Agency guidance still sets out that all NHS medics should keep wearing masks when working with Covid patients and those vulnerable to the virus. All confirmed cases should also be masked when in hospital. Latest surveillance data suggests Covid is on the rise in England, fuelled by what experts say is the combination of a 'back-to-school' effect and waning immunity against infection. Around 860,000 people in England were thought to be infected on September 17, according to the Office for National Statistics' most recent estimate. This was up 12 per cent on the figure given just three days earlier. Pressure is also piling up on hospitals, which are already overwhelmed before seasonal winter issues have even kicked in. The number of infected Britons hospitalised each day jumped 28 per cent in the week to September 26. East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT), which runs eight hospitals including in Colchester, Ipswich and Clacton, announced last week that all visitors have to wear surgical face masks on its premises 'not a fabric face covering from home'. The trust's policy was written as a guideline but says mask wearing is a 'must'. The hospital is dishing out masks at its entrances and those unable to wear one are being given a visor. The trust said the move, which came into force last week, aims to 'protect patients and keep them safe after an increase in cases of Covid'. Staff in the hospital were already required to wear a mask in clinical areas, such as wards, and encouraged to wear them in non-clinical and public areas too, such as hallways and waiting rooms. Giles Thorpe, the trust's chief nurse and director of infection prevention and control, said Covid's rise meant it had no choice but to toughen-up rules to halt the spread. NHS figures show the trust's daily Covid admissions soared nearly five-fold in the week to September 26, from five to 23. And the number of virus inpatients jumped from 28 to 72. None of the infected patients are in ICU. Daily virus hospitalisations jumped 28 per cent in the week to September 26, from 781 to 998 per day, NHS England data shows The graph shows the total number of Covid patients in England's hospitals per day between April and October 2022, divided into those who were admitted because they were unwell from Covid (blue line) and those given a bed for another ailment and just happened to test positive (pink line). For comparison, the red lines show the peak number in hospital in the first Covid wave in spring 2020 and during the second surge in January 2021 WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH COVID RATES IN THE UK? Is Covid going up? Covid rates are rising across the UK, a swathe of figures suggest. Surveillance data from the Office for National Statistics suggest infections in England jumped by more than a tenth to 857,400 in the space of just three days to September 17. The figures, based on swabs taken from thousands of Britons, show that Covid rates in Wales jumped 58 per cent in a week. Some 62,900 people thought to be infected, equating to one in 50 people. Meanwhile, 98,800 people in Scotland are carrying the virus, the equivalent of one in 55, jumping 19 per cent in a week. Northern Ireland, where ONS figures show 22,900 are positive for Covid, saw cases rise by less than one per cent, with just one in 80 infected. Meanwhile, testing data from the Department of Health shows cases jumped 62 per cent in the week to September 24, when 5,144 people tested positive compared to 3,177 seven days earlier. And separate data from the Zoe Health Study, which is based on symptoms reported by volunteers across the UK, suggests of one in 32 people had symptomatic Covid at the start of last week, with rates rising in all age groups. Will we end up in lockdown? Boris Johnson's Government lifted all remaining Covid curbs in spring. He said the success of vaccine rollouts and high immunity in the population meant the UK could 'learn to live with Covid and end Government regulation'. The former Prime Minister noted that the Government may reimpose measures if a new variant emerges that places 'unsustainable pressure' on the NHS. However, the UK has remained restriction-free since then, despite two more Covid peaks, and new PM Liz Truss has said she would not bring in a lockdown. She labelled the restrictions brought in under Mr Johnson including three shutdowns, school closures and work from home measures as 'draconian' and said the Government 'did too much'. In previous lockdowns, the threat of unsustainable pressure on the NHS was the key metric used to decide whether the restriction was required. But Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University, said it is 'not easy to make the case' that Covid presents an 'exceptional challenge' for the NHS over and above typical winter pressures. While health chiefs remained concerned a double-whammy of Covid cases and flu will overwhelm the health service especially if both peak at the same time most expect a resurgence of influenza to cause bigger problems than the virus. The spikes in illness would come as the NHS battles to bring down its nearly 7million-strong waiting list for routine hospital care, record A&E waits and deadly ambulance delays. Will the wave fizzle out naturally? Experts believe the latest wave will peak and fizzle out within weeks. Professor Robert Dingwall, a sociologist at Nottingham Trent University who advised the Government on the pandemic when it kicked off, told MailOnline: 'Any wave this autumn will be encountering a population with a high degree of immunity from immunization and previous infections. 'It is in the nature of infectious diseases that they come in waves they circulate at a low level while population immunity wanes to a level where there are enough people who can be infected or re-infected,' he said. There is then a surge in cases until there are too many people with immunity for the virus to spread easily triggering a downturn in cases, Professor Dingwall explained. This pattern has been seen in the last two waves in the UK, which peaked in March and July before rapidly falling without any restriction to limit the spread of the virus. Advertisement Mr Thorpe said: 'That is why we are asking visitors to do their bit again now and help stop the spread of Covid in our hospitals by wearing a surgical face mask when they visit. 'We appreciate face masks are no longer required in many areas of our day to day lives, but our hospitals are not the same as a supermarket or a restaurant. 'Many of our patients are already extremely unwell and could be at higher risk of serious illness if they pick up Covid. 'As healthcare professionals, it is our responsibility to keep them safe, and visitors can play their part in that too.' Meanwhile, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust announced on September 23 that all patients and visitors must wear masks in its hospital. The move was set out in an update to its mask guidelines webpage. However, it states that masks are a 'must' across the hospital including waiting rooms and wards. The trust, which manages Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital, said the approach was in response to 'quick rise' in the number of Covid patients. Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees Barnsley Hospital, reimposed its patient and visitor mask rules on September 26 following a similar uptick. In guidance, the trust said it had reintroduced the 'requirement' for all staff to wear masks when working in the hospital and 'asks that anyone else coming into the hospital does the same, whether a patient or visitor'. It added: 'Surgical masks should be worn covering the nose and mouth at all times, and of course it remains vital that everyone in the hospital maintain good hand hygiene.' The trust will keep the change under 'regular review' and will adapt the scale of its response in line with virus rates in the coming weeks, it said. Meanwhile, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust asked hospital visitors in a Facebook post on Sunday to wear a face mask and socially distance. The Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, revealed on September 22 that it had brought back mask rules in the clinical areas of its hospital and GP surgeries. However, patients and visitors don't have to wear masks in corridors and non-clinical spaces. A spokesperson for the trust told MailOnline: 'We have reintroduced the wearing of masks in clinical areas across the Great Western Hospital and the Trust's GP practices due to recent increases in the number of patients needing treatment for Covid. 'The position is closely monitored, however we expect that the number of admissions will continue to increase as we head into winter. Currently, there are no visiting restrictions in place.' Staff will be dishing face coverings out at entrances for those who turn up without one. In recent weeks, academics including Professor Kit Yates, Professor Christina Pagel and Professor Steve Reicher have tweeted their support of masks being worn in public spaces. Others have dismissed fear-mongering over the recent spike in cases. They say the current wave was inevitable due to waning immunity among the population, increased indoor mixing in the colder months and a surge in cases among pupils after they returned to classrooms last month. And despite the rise in hospital admissions, just four in 10 of Covid patients were primarily admitted because they were unwell with the virus. The majority are those who tested positive for the virus but are receiving NHS care for another ailment, such as a broken leg. Boris Johnson's Government lifted all remaining pandemic curbs in spring, as the success of vaccine rollouts and high immunity in the population meant the UK could 'learn to live with Covid and end Government regulation'. The former Prime Minister noted that the Government may reimpose measures if a new variant emerged that placed 'unsustainable pressure' on the NHS. However, the UK has remained restriction-free since then, despite two more Covid peaks, and new PM Liz Truss has said she would not bring in a lockdown. She labelled the restrictions brought in under Mr Johnson including three shutdowns, school closures and work from home measures as 'draconian' and said the Government 'did too much'. In previous lockdowns, the threat of unsustainable pressure on the NHS was the key metric used to decide whether the restriction was required. Health chiefs hope the autumn Covid booster campaign targeting 26million over-50s, at-risk groups and health and care staff will blunt the impact of the wave on the already crippled health service. Unborn babies have air pollution particles in their developing lungs and other vital organs as early as the first trimester, a landmark study has found. Pollutants from traffic fumes can pass through the mother's bloodstream, into the placenta through to the baby's developing organs within the first 12 weeks. Experts believe it could mean pregnant women living in the most polluted parts of the country are at greater risk of stillbirth and babies born with health problems. Scientists at the University of Aberdeen, UK, and Hasselt University, Belgium, studied air pollution nanoparticles, called black carbon or soot particles to determine if they could reach the foetus. For the first time, they discovered evidence the pollutants crossed into the developing organs including the liver, lungs, and brain. They found dangerous nanoparticles from exhaust fumes and fossil fuels crossed the placenta into the foetus in the womb as early as three months into pregnancy. The more air pollution the mothers were exposed to, the greater the level of black carbon nanoparticles found in the baby, according to the findings published in Lancet Planetary Health. Pollutants from traffic fumes can pass through the mother's bloodstream, into the placenta through to the baby's developing organs within the first 12 weeks Can pollution reach your baby in the womb? Research shows that particles of pollution can reach the baby in the womb through the placenta. The highest levels of particles were found in mothers who lived closest to busy roads during pregnancy. Some small studies have shown an association between air pollution and pregnancy complications such as miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. However, there are many things that increase the risk of these complications and these studies did not prove that air pollution was a direct cause. More research is needed to better understand the impact of pollution on pregnancy. All women are exposed to particles of pollution and it is impossible to avoid them completely. Pregnant women are advised to try not to worry too much and focus on living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Source: Tommy's Advertisement Professor Tim Nawrot, of the University of Aberdeen said: 'We know that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and infancy has been linked with stillbirth, preterm birth, low weight babies and disturbed brain development, with consequences persisting throughout life. 'We show in this study that the number of black carbon particles that get into the mother are passed on proportionally to the placenta and into the baby. 'This means that air quality regulation should recognise this transfer during gestation and act to protect the most susceptible stages of human development.' Black carbon is a sooty black material released into the air from internal combustion engines, coal-fired power plants, and other sources that burn fossil fuel. It is a major component of particulate matter, an air pollutant linked to serious health problems including heart disease, respiratory infections and lung cancer. Previous research into babies found exposure in the womb increased risk of low birth weight and preterm birth. Black carbon nanoparticles had been found to get into the placenta, but there was no solid evidence that these particles then entered the foetus until now. The findings also suggest that public health measures are urgently required to minimise pregnant mothers' exposure to air pollution. Co-author, Professor Paul Fowler, said: 'We all worried that if nanoparticles were getting into the foetus, then they might be directly affecting its development in the womb. 'What we have shown for the first time is that black carbon air pollution nanoparticles not only get into the first and second trimester placenta, but then also find their way into the organs of the developing foetus, including the liver and lungs. 'What is even more worrying is that these black carbon particles also get into the developing human brain. This means that it is possible for these nanoparticles to directly interact with control systems within human foetal organs and cells.' Advertisement The number of children with gender dysphoria has exploded in recent years, giving rise to the use of powerful puberty-blocking drugs. About 300,000 children aged between 13 and 17 (1.4 per cent) in the US identify as transgender, according to most recent estimates from 2020. That is double the number estimated to be transgender in 2017 in a previous report by the same researchers, though they used different estimates. Connecticut and New York saw the numbers of children identifying as transgender in their states nearly quadruple over the last three years alone. The population only fell in West Virginia, Tennessee and New Jersey. Children aged 13 to 17 are over four times more likely to identify as transgender (1.4 per cent) than adults over 65 (0.3 per cent). Some say the rise is born out of increased awareness of gender dysphoria that is, emotional distress due to a disconnect between gender identity and biological sex and a rise in acceptance in society. However, many believe that the impressionable minds of children are easily swayed by trends and phases among peers and that children are not ready to make irreversible decisions about their gender. While no official, national estimates exist, many more children receiving gender-affirming care at an increasingly younger age. Treatment often involves powerful and life-altering drugs that block puberty and the release of key developmental hormones. So far, four states Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, and Arizona have brought in bans to restrict access to gender-affirming care including hormonal treatment and surgery. Oklahoma signaled its intent to follow suit Tuesday after threatening to cut a hospital's funding if it prescribes puberty blockers or hormone therapy. The above map shows the population of transgender adults and children across America in 2020, according to the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Its estimate for children aged 13 to 17 has doubled since 2017. It shows the highest population is in southern states, followed by those along the east coast This map shows the proportion of the population identifying as transgender by state. Those with the darkest color have almost one per cent of their population in this category This map shows the proportion of children aged between 13 and 17 years old that identified as transgender by state. The darker colors indicate a higher proportion of youngesters. In New York and New Mexico, it is as high as three per cent This shows the number of people in each age category estimated to identify as transgender, and the number of adults (1.3million) compared to children (300,000) The above shows which ethnicity transgender people under 18 years old identify as. Those who are Latinx or American Indian/ Alaskan Native (AIAN) were most likely to say they were transgender Shown above are the states with a ban on puberty blockers (red), a partial ban (dark orange), a suspended ban due to legal proceedings (orange) and a ban on surgery only (yellow). Puberty blockers are sold as a pause button on puberty, offering a child the breathing space to reach a considered decision over whether to transition using hormone therapy or surgery. They work by halting the production of sex hormones like testosterone or estrogen which trigger the physical changes that occur during puberty, such as a deeper voice in men and starting the menstraul cycle in women. They are approved for use in pre-pubescent teens, and can be given on prescription to children as young as eight or nine years old. Girls start puberty around the age of 11, while for boys it begins about a year later. The medication is given as an injection every one, three or six months. It can also be administered via an implant under the skin which lasts for up to a year. Puberty will start if a patient is taken off the pills. Now Oklahoma 'bans' puberty blockers for trans children Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed a bill that effectively bans gender- reassignment drugs from being prescribed to minors at the state's main children's hospital. The Republican is withholding Covid relief funds from Oklahoma Children's Hospital at OU Health until it stops providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to under-18s. The state allocated $108 million to the University of Oklahoma-linked health system as part of the federal American Rescue Plan Act passed in 2021 to help struggling businesses and hospitals. Gov. Stitt said Tuesday: 'By signing this bill today we are taking the first step to protect children from permanent gender transition surgeries and therapies. 'It is wildly inappropriate for taxpayer dollars to be used for condoning, promoting, or performing these types of controversial procedures on healthy children.' Oklahoma Children's Hospital currently offers life-altering drugs to teenagers under 18 with parental approval. It is thought that around 100 minors are currently receiving treatment. Stitt also called for the Republican-controlled state Legislature to ban some of those gender-affirming treatments statewide when it returns in February. He said in a statement that he wanted a prohibition on 'all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies' on minors. Advertisement Hormone therapy on the other hand is used to trigger secondary sexual characteristics in a patient to make their body better match their gender identity. They work by boosting levels either testosterone or estrogen while suppressing the other to bring about the physical changes. If started before puberty, doctors say they can help patients avoid secondary sexual characteristics that do not match their gender. The treatment is normally started at about 16 years old, the Mayo Clinic says, but other hospitals may offer it at an earlier age. It can also be given via injections, pills or using a cream that is rubbed onto the skin. Gender-affirming surgeries available to older adolescents and adults are non-reversible, and can include top surgery to create male or female chests, bottom surgery on genitals, and even facial feminization surgeries. Estimates for the US transgender population were calculated by the Williams Institute based at the University of California, Los Angeles, which researches sexual orientation and gender identity law. They used figures from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) the country's top surveillance system that interviews more than 400,000 people a year to come up with the figures for adults. To get estimates for minors, they used the similar Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). Overall they estimated there were 1.6million transgender people in the United States in 2020. This was up about three per cent from the estimate of 1.55million in 2017. Among youngsters the numbers had doubled from 149,750 three years earlier. Connecticut saw the sharpest rise in the number of children between 13 and 17 years old saying they were transgender, with the population surging 289 per cent from 950 to 3,700 over the three years to 2020. New York saw the second sharpest rise by 257 per cent to 34,800 under-17s, and Maryland saw the third biggest jump by 247 per cent to 8,000 teens. At the other end of the scale West Virginia saw its population fall by 39 per cent to 700 individuals, while in Tennessee and New Jersey it decline by about one per cent. In 19 American states and Washington DC the number of children aged 13 to 17 years old identifying as transgender at least doubled. Only one state Tennessee has an a ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy currently in force applying to all pre-pubescent children. Oklahoma is among states looking to join it next year. Bans on transgender treatments in Arkansas and Alabama were suspended earlier this year, after they were over-ruled by a judge. The states are appealing the decision. Arizona has a ban in place blocking the use of surgery for transgender people. It was not clear how often puberty blockers and other treatments are used, but since 2005 the number of youth refered to transgender clinics has surged ten fold in the US according to the British Psych Bulletin. A study from Yale University examined the use of puberty blockers implants in people going through precocious or early puberty, when puberty begins before age eight in girls and age nine in boys. It found that in 2016, blockers were used in 512 cases for early puberty at an average of 8.9 years old. In trans adolescents, they were only used in 62 cases at an average of 14 years old. The researchers said this suggests that the age-based argument that trans adolescents are too young to access puberty blockers does not appear to apply to those experiencing puberty early. The same study found that between 2004 and 2016, the annual number of puberty-blocking implants given out to transgender patients increased from 0 to 63. The average age of the recipient was 14 years old. In February, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to begin investigating parents who allow their children to receive gender-affirming care, classifying that as a form of child abuse. Abbott wrote a letter to the state's Department of Family and Protective Services in which he said that state law imposes reporting requirements 'upon all licensed professionals who have direct contact with children who may be subject to such abuse'. Doctors, nurses, and teachers could be subject to criminal penalties if they fail to report on such incidents. A bill in Missouri would attempt classify gender-affirming care as child abuse, not dissimilar to the order recently issued in Texas. Chase Bank has left its customers in limbo after its app crashed leaving up to 1million users without access to accounts. The app-only banking provider has experienced a major outage since lunchtime yesterday, which is preventing customers from logging in. Chase, which currently serves more than one million UK banking customers, says it is 'working around the clock to resolve the issue.' It is backed by US giant JP Morgan and has been on an aggressive drive for UK customers - within a year of launch, it has pulled in 10billion deposits. Numberless and useless: Some twitter users are complaining that since the the Chase debit card doesn't have a number and is only visible via the app, they are now unable to even make online payments. It is currently in a heavy advertising blitz in a bid to continue to grow its UK arm, part of which it boasts about its 56million US customers. The app outage has persisted for around 24 hours and left customers unable to make payments or access funds. Many angry customers have taken to Twitter to vent their frustration. One Chase customer on Twitter said: 'Something is happening with Chase Bank. Online account access is down. App is non-functional. And ATMs are down, no access to pull cash.' Another feared that they would be unable to make payments that are due today and would bring their credit score down. Some customers are also complaining that they are unable to even use their card to pay for things. A Twitter user said: 'I have been left embarrassed both at the petrol station and the supermarket because your app is currently down as is using my card it seems! Can I have an ETA of when this will be fixed?' Another added: 'My app is still down & cant use card for online payments. I also cant transfer money out to a card that actually works. Now need an estimated time for recovery as I need access to my cash today. I called customer support & was told to wait 2 hours which I did.' What's gone wrong? While many banks often face IT gremlins and meltdowns, it is not often a newer challenger goes down. Many of the older banks have legacy IT systems, which is where problems often stem from. The problem began yesterday around midday, with Chase UK announcing on its website that it was having a problem with one of its systems stating that users might have issues logging in, completing online card payments and card payment security checks. It also said its Support Team may also not be able to answer specific questions about users accounts. By the end of the day, it said that it was still investigating the issue. It warned that the app may tell users to use or reset their passcode. It's 8am update stated: 'Please do not do this if you see this message. Please just try to log in later.' For those that do manage to log in it says they might see some unhelpful looking errors full of numbers and random letters. As of 11am - almost 24 hours after the first reported issue, the problem remains ongoing. On its website Chase stated: 'The issues affecting our services are still ongoing. We know this is not what you expect from your bank and we're sorry for the inconvenience. 'We're really sorry about the ongoing problem with our service and our teams are working hard to identify and fix it. If you are experiencing errors, please try again in an hour. 'Direct Debits, standing orders and future dated payments remain unaffected by this issue.' When approached by This is Money, a Chase spokesperson said: 'We are aware that some of our customers are having issues logging into and using the Chase app. 'We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause and would like to reassure them we are working hard to restore all services. 'We are updating our website regularly to keep customers informed. Services, such as in-store card use, scheduled payments and Direct Debits, are operating normally.' The new presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul / Korea Times file By Nam Hyun-woo The opposition bloc's fact-finding team has alleged that the presidential office has underreported the costs of its relocation in May after President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration. Lawmakers of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have stated that the total cost of the relocation surpassed 1 trillion won ($703.9 billion) and that the office has underreported costs by dividing up the total expenses into budgets allocated to related ministries and municipalities. The presidential office and the government denied the allegation, saying that the office is sticking to its initial budget of 49.6 billion won pledged in March 20. According to Seoul Metropolitan Government data submitted to DPK Rep. Han Byung-do, Wednesday, the Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters was allocated 1.15 billion won as a reserve budget, which it used on June 17 to relocate a firefighting department from Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office and residence in central Seoul's Jongno District, to the new presidential office in the defense ministry compound in Yongsan District, Seoul. The data showed that an office, waiting room, firefighting vehicle garage, as well as a ladder vehicle, chemical vehicle and small pump vehicle, had to be set up anew at the new presidential office in Yongsan, as Cheong Wa Dae consists of low-rise buildings while the new presidential office is in a 10-story building. The costs also added up because 15 more firefighters than had previously been employed were deployed to staff the department in order to cover both the new presidential office in Yongsan with 15 firefighters and the new presidential residence in the nearby neighborhood of Hannam-dong with 12 firefighters. Rep. Han said that these costs were not included in President Yoon's initial budget. "(The Yoon administration) has used not only the state budget but also the Seoul Metropolitan Government's budget for the relocation of the presidential office," Han said. "The presidential office should admit that it came up with 49.6 billion won without calculating the essentials and that the promise was nothing more than a lie." DPK Rep. Jo Seoung-lae also raised the fact that the Ministry of Science and ICT decided to shoulder 70 percent of the total cost for developing a new X-ray system for entrance security checks at the presidential office, which is a job of the Presidential Security Service (PSS). According to the ministry's data submitted to Jo, the ministry plans to spend 10 billion won to develop the new system over the next three years under the name of the "R&D project to solve social problems." The ministry will provide 7 billion won for the project, while the PSS will finance the remainder, the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, reported. "It is inappropriate to promote the new X-ray system for the security of the Yongsan presidential office as the science ministry's 'R&D project to solve social problems,'" Jo said. "It is suspicious that the project is aimed at concealing costs for the presidential office's relocation." The PSS said that the project has nothing to do with the relocation, and had been selected as a national R&D project in April, a month before the presidential office was to move to Yongsan, as a follow-up technology development project to a patent that the ministry registered in 2021. In addition, the DPK said that the relocation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters should likewise be included in the total cost of moving the presidential office and residence, because the headquarters had to move in order for the presidential office to move into its former space in the defense ministry compound. The DPK's fact-finding team released its calculations showing that the total costs stemming from the presidential office's relocation add up to 1.08 trillion won, including expenses allocated to the budgets of related ministries and municipalities totaling 36.85 billion won and expenses that will be included in next year's budget totaling 153.9 billion won. The presidential office flatly denied the allegations. "We deeply regret that the DPK is making untrue allegations under the pretext of fact-finding," the presidential office said in a statement. "It is a false accusation that the cost for moving the JCS should be included in the cost for presidential office relocation. The necessity for the JCS' relocation has long been raised in the military during past administrations in order to combine peace and wartime operational systems to improve their efficiency." A distressing photo has highlighted the grim reality of Australia's rental crisis - with a homeless six-year-old boy forced to sleep in a ute for months, with his favourite toys piled up in his lap. Mother-of-one Mackay, 38, from Perth, couch-surfed with family members for two years after escaping a bad relationship. She and her little boy Charlie were eventually left with no other option but to sleep in her car after she found it impossible to get a rental home due to intense competition, as well as her lack of credit and tenancy history. Perth mum Mackay and her six-year-old son Charlie (pictured) were forced to live in their car for six months after they struggled to find a home to rent The situation got so desperate Mackay made a plea on a Mandurah community Facebook page asking for help. Claire Orange, a therapist and co-founder of cyber safety program Digii Social, spotted the post and opened up her home to the pair. 'I instantly recognised Charlie's school uniform in a picture Mackay posted and contacted the school to understand their situation,' Ms Orange said. 'I found out a rental would become available for them within a month and offered they stay with me while they waited.' Mackay has been described as a 'remarkable mother' who consistently put her son Charlie's (left and right) needs first and made sure he was happy and healthy despite being homeless Ms Orange, herself a mother of four, described Mackay as a 'remarkable' mum who consistently put her boy first. 'I admire her terrifically for her fortitude and resilience,' Ms Orange said. 'I cannot give this woman any more credit. She looked after her son exceptionally and made sure she did everything to keep him stable, healthy and clean. 'Taking him to school every day, cooking for him, putting up her small summer tent when the weather allowed so that they were able to sleep lying stretched out instead of bundled up. 'She's a remarkable, ferocious mumma who's put her child's needs first consistently.' Ms Orange has since started a GoFundMe page to help Mackay and Charlie get back on their feet - with the struggling family 'on the cusp' of moving into social housing. Therapist and co-founder of cybersafety program Digii Social Claire Orange (right) opened her home to Mackay (left) and Charlie (bottom left) until they were offered housing. Ms Orange has since started a GoFundMe page to help the pair get back on their feet The funds will be used to help Mackay and Charlie buy furniture and whitegoods for their home. 'Mackay and Charlie have been part of our family for the last month - and what a delightful gift they've been,' Ms Orange wrote on the GoFundMe page. 'And now that a home is available - I'd love to give Mackay and Charlie enough money to start their new life together.' Australia is facing a major housing crisis with rental prices skyrocketing to keep up with soaring mortgage costs, with vacancy rates plummeting. SQM Research revealed rental vacancy rates fell to the nation's lowest rate since 2006 - at 0.9 per cent in August. The total number of rental vacancies Australia-wide stood at 32,948 residential properties, which was sharply down from 36,741 in July. The national vacancy rate for rental properties across the country fell to 0.9 per cent in August causing a spike in homelessness in Australia (pictured, homeless and displaced people sheltering in tents) Ms Orange said vulnerable women face 'insurmountable risks' when looking for shelter and opening her home was nothing more than 'being a good human'. She has urged anyone with a spare room or space in their house to give people like Mackay and Charlie a chance at a normal life and the protection afforded by having a roof overhead. 'Making space in our home for this little family has been a no-brainer - whatever we have, we have more than this little family and sharing our home while they waited for theirs made sense. 'There is nothing wonderous or grand about what I have done. To make someone feel safe and to help them solve problems in differing aspects of her life is enough. 'I was able to help Mackay sort through paperwork and secure housing - something she did not have cognitive space to deal with when she was thinking of survival.' The fund has received 35 donations totalling $2,565 and hopes to raise $10,000. Advertisement 'This war began with Crimea and must end with Crimea - with its liberation,' President Volodymyr Zelesnky declared back in August. And, according to military experts, that is exactly what his generals are aiming to do. Ben Hodges, former commander of American forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be the Ukrainian route to victory - going via the cities of Kherson and Mariupol and ending 'when the last Russian soldier crosses the [Kerch] bridge out of Crimea.' General Hodges, now at the Center for European Policy Analysis, believes Ukraine's main effort will remain capturing Kherson in the south - where a major assault has been underway since early August - with a secondary attack hooking down through the Donbas and towards the city of Mariupol. When Mariupol falls, he told a CEPA conference last week, those troops would also converge on Crimea - hammering the peninsula with HIMARS rockets and forcing the Russians back beyond the border. Dr Mike Martin, a visiting fellow of war studies at King's College, also raised the prospect of a third assault with Ukraine using its reserves to split the Russian frontline in two and making it difficult for Putin to move reinforcements around as he gave his own thoughts on Twitter. Nothing is guaranteed in war, and Putin will certainly do everything in his power to stop Kyiv - from piling conscripts on to the frontlines to possibly using a nuclear weapon. But, as Ukraine's path to victory becomes clearer, MailOnline examines how it could play out... General Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be Ukraine's path to victory against Russia - saying that 'Crimea is the prize' and the war will end 'when the last Russian soldier walks along the [Kerch bridge, connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia]' Kherson Ukraine began its much-vaunted counter-attack on the Kherson region in early August and has been making gradual progress ever since - though reports have started emerging of a breakthrough this week. The goal, touted by Kyiv, is to re-take the city of Kherson from Russian control. It is the only regional capital seized by Putin so-far during the war, and occupies a strategic position - spanning the Dnipro River where it flows into the Dniprovska Gulf and on to the Black Sea. Taking it would deprive Russia of its only toe-hold on the west bank of the Dnipro, all-but rule out any assault on Odessa, give proof to the lie of Putin's sham referendums and claims to annexation, and open the door to an assault on Crimea - the jewel in the Ukrainian crown. Ukraine has been steadily fighting its way towards the city of Kherson for the last two months, and may have scored a breakthrough this week amid reports of Russian forces withdrawing more than 10 miles Ukrainian special forces troops are pictured advancing across the south of Ukraine amid reports of a breakthrough in Russian lines that may have pushed Putin's men back more than 10 miles Ukrainian tanks open fire on Russian positions in Kherson, amid a major offensive in the region that aims to recapture the city from Russia - which would be a major blow to Putin's invasion General Hodges estimated that breaking the pocket in Kherson may take 'weeks'. Ukraine itself has given no such timeline. But victory here, if it can be achieved, would be a watershed moment. Russia has stationed most of its remaining forces in Ukraine, and almost all of its best fighting units, in the city - perhaps up to 30,000 troops in total - and their loss would be a blow the Kremlin would struggle to recover from. And, should Kherson fall, Kyiv has left observers in little doubt about what would come next. In the build-up to the assault on Kherson, several large explosions rocked the Crimea - destroying ammo dumps, airfields, and resupply routes. Kyiv was slow to claim responsibility, perhaps trying to disguise what weapon it used for the attacks - which seemed to go beyond its known capabilities - or perhaps fearing escalation by Putin. The despot, after all, annexed Crimea in 2014 making it - in the Kremlin's eyes at least - part of Russia. But, in a speech on August 10, Zelensky vowed: 'Crimea is Ukrainian and we will never give it up. This Russian war...began with Crimea and must end with Crimea - with its liberation.' Kharkiv/Donbas Until a few weeks ago, this frontline looked radically different: Ukraine holding out against Russian long-range attacks in the north in Kharkiv, while Russia made grinding advances in the south around Bakhmut. But a surprise Ukrainian counter-attack, launched after Russia had relocated some of its best units to the south to help defend Kherson, changed everything. A breakthrough in Russian lines turned into a rapid advance and then total rout of Putin's armies in the Kharkiv region, returning an estimated 3,000 square miles to Ukrainian control in just a few days of fighting. So hasty was the retreat, that Ukrainians reported finding food still sitting on stoves when they arrived in abandoned Russian encampments. Dozens of vehicles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized. A stunning Ukrainian counter-attack east out of Kharkiv has slowed but has not stopped, with the city of Lyman now under Kyiv's control and its troops pushing towards the cities of Svatove and Kreminna Ukrainian troops are filmed ambushing Russian armoured vehicles using anti-tank launchers in Donetsk, leaving at least one of them destroyed And the offensive is still going. Russia has regrouped and Ukraine's advance has slowed, but it has not stopped. Lyman, a major transport node in northern Donetsk, was captured at the weekend. Troops are now advancing from there towards Kreminna, in neighbouring Luhansk, and from Borova to Svatove in the same region. Should those two fall, it would open the way for an attack on the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk - which Russia expended blood, sweat, and ammunition capturing over the course of weeks and which is key to its claim of having 'liberated' the Luhansk region. From there, Ukraine could choose to attack either of the regional capitals - the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk - or to bypass them and push south towards the sea and the city of Mariupol. That is certainly the conclusion that General Hodges has come to. 'My sense is that the operations that are underway now - the northern arm that is coming down from Kharkiv towards Donetsk, [and' that's heading straight towards Mariupol,' he told the CEPA conference. Aside from Kherson, Mariupol has been the other prize captured by Putin in a little over seven months of war, having worn down the heroic Ukrainian defenders to the point of surrender - which came back in May. Should Ukraine re-capture Mariupol, it would be a hammer blow. Russia painted the Azov Battalion - who defended the city - as war criminals and neo-Nazis. Putin's claim to be 'de-Nazifying' Ukraine is, at least in part, based on destroying this unit and taking the city. Should Mariupol fall, General Hodges believes the Ukrainian forces will head in one direction: 'Towards Crimea.' Reserves? 'When and where to commit your reserve is literally THE question for the theatre commander,' Dr Mike Martin of King's College wrote on Twitter around a month ago, after the extent of Ukraine's counter-attack around Kharkiv became clear. Much remains unknown about Ukraine's reserves. Kyiv has kept the size of its armed forces and its casualties a closely-guarded secret, meaning it is impossible to guess at how many men it might have ready and able to deploy and what kind of equipment they could be armed with. However, Kyiv has carried out a general mobilisation of the population - unlike Russia, which has belatedly gone for 'partial' mobilisation - meaning every man aged up to 65 is eligible to be called up, which would amount to millions of troops if they could all be armed and trained. So, the question is: Where, how and when does Ukraine use these forces? Ukraine has an unknown number of troops in reserve, but has fully mobilised its population - giving it a pool of millions to draw on, and they could be used for an attack Dr Martin, posting on Twitter today, believes he has found the answer. 'Ukraine [would use] its strategic reserve to sever the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine into two pieces that cannot mutually reinforce.' Alongside the tweet he posted a hastily-drawn map showing the presumed direction of the advance, from the cetnral cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia towards Mariupol and nearby Berdyansk. Aside from skirmishes around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Ukrainian partisan activity, this front has been relatively calm since Russia advanced across it early in the war - but Dr Martin suggests it could soon find itself at the centre of the action. The trust - assuming Ukraine can do it - makes sense. It would free up the forces near Kharkiv to focus on attacking Luhansk and Donetsk, liberating the Donbas from Russian control. And it would prevent Putin from pulling any units out of Kherson to help defend the region - unless they were willing to punch through Ukrainian lines. Crimea 'Crimea is the prize. That's what it is going to be. Victory will be when the last Russian solider walks across that long bridge,' predicts General Hodges - speaking about the bridge Putin ordered built across the Kerch Strait, connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland. Mark Hertling, another former US general speaking at the same CEPA event, agreed that the peninsula is where Ukraine is aiming to get. But, he cautioned, taking it is going to be 'a tough fight'. Unlike the rest of Ukraine, which is primarily flat and open, the Crimean peninsula is largely separated from the mainland by what General Hertling describes as 'marshland' - a series of small islands with only two main roads that Ukrainian forces can use to attack it. Even assuming that Russian forces are in bad shape by the time any assault comes, that still makes them extremely vulnerable and limits Kyiv's options for how to go about the operation. Several large explosions have rocked a military airbase in Russian-held Crimea this afternoon as an ominous mushroom cloud sent bathers fleeing from nearby beaches A large mushroom cloud is seen rising from the scene of explosions at a Russian held airbase in Novofedorivka, Crimea Smoke rises after explosions at a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, in occupied Crimea, August 9 'When Russia invaded in 2014 they used mostly naval infantry and special operators to go into Crimea,' General Hertling said. 'Ukraine don't have ships right now, they don't have naval operations - so it is going to take some long-range [artillery] to go in there. 'But you can't take ground with just artillery, you have to have some people go in there on the ground to do that. It is going to be a tough fight.' And Putin, General Hertling is certain, will put up a fight to keep Crimea - provided he is still the one at the helm. 'If Mr Putin is still in power he will view [an attack on Crimea] as even more contentious than attacks in the other oblasts of Ukraine,' he added. 'We have not yet seen Russia use their strategic bomber fleet, we have not yet seen them use their naval forces to the extreme that they potentially could. 'What you might ask is: Should we be as concerned about their air and their navy forces given how we've seen the disfunction in their ground forces? I would say probably. But they still have those available.' General Hodges agreed, but believes that once Ukrainian artillery - particularly the devastating HIMARS systems - get within range of Russian bases in Crimea they will become 'untenable' and Putin will have 'a choice'. 'I think the Ukrainians will leave that big bridge up as an invitation to leave,' General Hodges added. A man suspected of kidnapping a Sikh family, including an 8-month-old baby, in central California, tried to kill himself Tuesday and is hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. The family is still missing. The Merced County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that investigators identified Jesus Salgado, 48, after he used a victim's ATM card. The family was kidnapped Monday at gunpoint from a business in Merced, the office said, without providing further details. Detectives obtained a surveillance photo from the ATM in Atwater, a city about 9 miles north of Merced, and 'the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene,' the office said in a statement. The sheriff's office had released two still images of a possible suspect seen in surveillance footage and asked for the public's help in identifying him. A man suspected of kidnapping a Sikh family, including an 8-month-old baby, in central California tried to kill himself Tuesday and is hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said. Police had previously released photos of this man, believed to be a suspect Jasleen Kaur (pictured left), 27, her husband Jasdeep Singh (pictured center) and their eight-month-old daughter Aroohi Dheri (pictured right) are all still missing The baby's 39-year-old uncle, Amandeep Singh, was also taken against his will, according to police Detectives received information that identified Salgado as a person of interest and that he attempted to take his own life before police arrived, the statement said, without specifying where he was taken into custody. The sheriff's office will hold a news conference Wednesday to give more details. The kidnapper took the baby, Aroohi Dheri; the child's mother, Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke in a video published Monday on Facebook. Warnke said the kidnapper made no ransom demands or contact of any kind. Family members told KXTV-TV that the family, which has a trucking company, was taken from an office that they had only opened about a week earlier. This video image released by the Merced County Sheriff's Office shows a person of interest in a surveillance photo of a subject making a bank transaction at an ATM located at a bank Police have released surveillance footage of one light-skinned suspect in a ski mask, who they say has now attempted to 'cover his tracks' 'My husband is very peaceful and calm person. We don't have any clue why they kidnapped them,' said Jaspreet Caur, wife of the kidnapped uncle. The sheriff said detectives believe the kidnapper destroyed unspecified evidence in an attempt to cover his tracks. The sheriff's office said in a statement Tuesday that firefighters on Monday found a pickup truck belonging to Amandeep Singh that was on fire. Merced Police Department officers went to Amandeep Singh's home where a family member tried to reach him and the couple. When they were not able to reach their family members, they called the Merced County Sheriffs Office to report them missing, the office said. The sheriff's office said the FBI, the California Department of Justice, and other local law enforcement agencies are helping with the investigation. Merced is a city of 86,000 people about 125 miles southeast of San Francisco in the San Joaquin Valley. Anyone with information is urged to contact the authorities at 209-385-7445. Australia's east coast is set to be lashed by a month's worth of rain in just a few days as wild weather sparks fears of widespread flooding. South-western Queensland, inland NSW and northern Victoria will cop the brunt of the miserable conditions on Wednesday, as the rain moves east towards the coast. Isolated falls of between 60mm to 80mm, and 150mm of rain are possible over the next few days, totalling about a month's worth of rain. Sydney is also set to suffer its wettest year since 1858 thanks to the rainfall this week, Weatherzone has forecasted. The current record for the wettest year was in 1950, when 2194mm of rain was recorded, with 1960.5mm having already fallen by this time in the year. 'Sydney needs another 82 mm to equal the old record, and it just so happens that forecast models predict around 70-110mm up until 9 am next Monday,' Weatherzone said. Isolated falls of between 60mm to 80mm, and 150mm of rain are possible over the next few days across NSW, Victoria and Queensland, totaling about a month's worth of rain The Bureau of Meteorology's Dean Narramore has warned that widespread flooding is likely across inland NSW this week. 'Our dams are full, our soils are saturated, and we can't take anymore rainfall, but unfortunately a lot more is on the way,' he said. Over Wednesday and Thursday, widespread falls of between 20mm and 50mm of rain is forecast to fall in central and western NSW. The rain will only get worse over the weekend, with the BoM forecasting falls of between 50mm and 150mm in inland NSW on Friday and Saturday, including in Dubbo and Orange. Minor, moderate and major flood warnings have been issued across NSW. Sydney is also set to suffer its wettest year since 1858 thanks to the rainfall this week, Weatherzone has forecast Central NSW could see isolated rainfalls of up to 150mm The miserable weather is a result of three rainfall systems moving east across Australia. 'This rainfall is likely to lead to widespread flooding across many of our rivers across NSW,' Mr Narramore said. Communities that experienced flooding in recent weeks were at a heightened risk, he said. The warning comes as NSW enters its third consecutive La Nina season. Heavy falls and thunderstorms with a risk of flash flooding are expected in the western parts of the Riverina and Central West Slopes and Plains on Wednesday, as a trough drags moisture across inland NSW. The miserable weather is a result of three rainfall systems moving east across Australia (pictured woman caught in the rain in Melbourne) Minor to major flood warnings have been issued around NSW A severe warning for heavy rainfall covers a large part of the state's west, from Nyngan in the central north, to Deniliquin near the Victorian border, through to Broken Hill in the central west. Inland towns on flood watch include Deniliquin, Griffith, Hay, Tibooburra, Cobar, Bourke, Broken Hill, Wentworth and Brewarrina. Hazardous surf and swell are expected on the Macquarie, Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coasts on Wednesday. A second trough will bring storms, rain and bursts of heavy falls from Queensland to southern Victoria from Thursday night and into Friday, Mr Narramore said. Finally, a third rainfall system will sweep across southern Queensland, NSW and eastern Victoria on Saturday and Sunday. Flood warnings are current across numerous inland catchments, including the Namoi, Macquarie, Bogan, Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Murray, Edward, Culgoa, Birrie, Bokhara, Warrego, Paroo, Barwon, Darling and Snowy rivers. Heavy rain will lash down on inland NSW, northern Victoria and southeastern Queensland on Wednesday A flood watch has also been issued for minor to moderate flooding for rivers closer to the coast, including the Hunter, Hawkesbury and Colo rivers and the Wollombi Brook, with rises expected over the weekend. Looking at the capital cities, Sydney is set to cop up to 20mm of rain on Wednesday, with a top of 20C. Similar weather has been forecast for the Harbour City on Thursday. Melbourne will also see a wet Wednesday with tops of 17C, while Canberra could be drenched with up to 25mm of rain. Brisbane will see a relatively sunny day today, with just a 30 per cent chance of rain and tops of 23C. Adelaide may see some showers but the majority of the rain will lash the South Australian capital from Thursday onwards. Hobart will be cloudy over Wednesday, with the rain to start hammering down from Thursday into the weekend. On the other side of the country Perth will also cop some bad weather, with between 5mm and 10mm forecast for Wednesday. Storms are highly likely across Darwin over the next few days. Security firm G4S is the latest company to be hit by hackers in Australia following the massive Optus hack. Current and former Australian employees of the firm have been told that their tax file numbers, bank account information and medical checks were stolen and posted online in a ransomware attack. It is believed the breach relates to an attack by hackers on Port Phillip prison in Victoria in early July. However, the firm only learned the data was posted online in mid-September and only informed staff about compromised data on Tuesday. Although the attack occurred at Port Phillip Prison, the hackers were able to access the company's entire network in Australia. It is unknown how many staff were affected by the breach. Current and former Australian employees of G4S have been told that their tax file numbers, bank account information and medical checks were stolen and posted online in a ransomware attack It is believed the breach relates to an attack by hackers on Port Phillip prison in Victoria in early July The data obtained included employee names, addresses, dates of birth, contact details, police and medical checks, tax file numbers, bank account details, superannuation information, Medicare numbers and licence details. In some cases, payslips, health information shared with the company, and details about Workcover claims or incident reports were also stolen. The company said the data was not easily accessible and told employees it had taken action to prevent the third party continuing to access G4S systems and was working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC). G4S has been approached for comment by Daily Mail Australia. It previously told the Guardian it was continuing 'to work with impacted individuals to offer them full support'. G4S advised those affected on how to replace their identity documents but did not offer to pay for the replacements or provide credit monitoring. Meanwhile, an employment agency has also been hit by another data breach similar to the Optus hack. Personal documents such as photos of passport pages and Covid-19 vaccination certificates were accessed in the hack. Photos of identity documents including driver's licences of hundreds of thousands of the company's clients were also made publicly available through Google image search results because users had uploaded their licences as their profile photo. Millions of angry Optus customers received this concerning text message on Sunday night Optus has confirmed the identification details of 2.1 million current and former customers were exposed in the recent cyberattack (pictured an Optus store in Sydney last week) The name of the employment agency has not been released. It comes after the massive Optus data hack, with the embattled telco giant on Monday shedding more details on the impact of the breach. Optus confirmed that the identification details of 2.1 million current and former customers have been exposed in the hack. Around 1.2 million customers have had at least one number from a current and valid form of identification, and personal information compromised, including 150,000 from passports and 50,000 from Medicare cards. Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin stated in a new video message that those 1.2 million customers should take action and have already been contacted. The remaining 900,000 who had expired IDs compromised, in addition to personal information may also need to action, pending updates from licensing authorities. Around 7.7million customers haven't had their personal details stolen and don't need to take action but are urged to remain vigilant. The names and email addresses of Telstra staff members were posted on the same forum the Optus breach data was posted on last week On Tuesday, it was also revealed that Telstra had suffered a massive data breach with hackers gaining access to the personal information of 30,000 current and former staff. The names and email addresses of the staff members were posted on the same forum the Optus breach data was posted on last week. Data unveiled included first names, last names and work email addresses of 30,000 Telstra employees who worked for the company prior to 2017. It also included the information of 12,800 of employees still employed by the telco. Telstras group executive for transformation, communications and people Alex Badenoch wrote a note to staff on Saturday. She said the breach related to a third party programme that had previously provided Telstras Worklife NAB rewards program for staff. Tributes have poured for the 'quirky, loveable' champion pilot who died when his helicopter crashed on Sunday. Adrian Thomas and another man, believed to be his son-in-law, died when their two-seater Robinson R22 helicopter crashed at Cowcowing Lakes 200 kilometres north-east of Perth on Sunday. Initial reports of the devastating crash said the two men were in their 50s and 70s. Tributes have flowed for the 'quirky, loveable' champion pilot, Adrian Thomas who died when his helicopter crashed on Sunday (Pictured, Mr Thomas at right) WA police inspector Kareen Santoro described the accident site as 'a traumatic scene' with 'horrific injuries' causing the two men's deaths The pair participated in a Royal Aero Club of WA event between Koorda and Jandakot on Saturday. Fears were raised when they failed to return to Jandakot Airport by their scheduled time of 2.30pm on Sunday. Their bodies were recovered beside the wreckage of their small helicopter at Cowcoing Lakes on Sunday afternoon. Mr Thomas was remembered as a generous and respected man who was 'humble' and 'quirky' WA police inspector Kareen Santoro described the accident site as 'a traumatic scene' with 'horrific injuries' causing the men's deaths. Mr Thomas was remembered as a respected, 'humble man' by Ray Challen, Royal Aero Club of WA president. Mr Challen said his friend was 'able to achieve great things involving control over machinery' and enjoyed the finer things in life. '[He was] A quirky, loveable man, he was revered by all, not just because of his flying ability, but his calming social skills that always found neutral ground as well as an ability to talk on most subjects.' Mr Thomas was also a club champion 'several times', served on its committee and helped maintain a 'cohesive bond' in its events. Mr Thomas was also remembered as generous with his time in helping new and experienced members on flying and also personal matters. Another member of the club said 'Adrian will always be sadly missed and [is] forever on our hearts.' The club released an official statement on Sunday. 'It is with great sadness that we can confirm that the two fatalities in the helicopter crash in the vicinity of Cowcowing Lakes yesterday were club members participating in their private aircraft supporting the local Koorda Fly-in event,' the statement said. Pictured: The wreckage of the two-seat Robinson R22 helicopter crash near Cowcowing lakes near Booralaming in regional WA Pictured is a two-seater Robinson R22 helicopter The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating and is due to publish a report into the circumstances around the crash in November. 'Over the coming days, ATSB investigators will survey and map the accident site and collect any relevant components for further examination and analysis at the ATSB's technical facilities in Canberra,' Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said. 'They will also obtain and review any recorded data, weather information, witness reports and aircraft operator procedures and maintenance records. 'Should any critical safety issues be identified at any stage during the course of the investigation, the ATSB will immediately notify relevant parties so appropriate safety action can be taken.' WA Police will also prepare a report for the coroner. Advertisement Angelina Jolie filed explosive court documents on Tuesday as part of her long-running separation battle with actor Brad Pitt, accusing her ex-husband of having 'choked' one of their six children during a violent dispute on a private jet, hitting another in the face, and slamming the actress against a wall while grabbing her hair. Jolie said Pitt's behavior on the September 2016 flight from France to California left the children crying and traumatized, and left her with injuries to her back and elbow. Five days after the flight she filed for divorce, and in September 2021 she sold her stake in the French winery she co-owned with Pitt. He sued her over the sale, and on Tuesday she counter-sued, blaming him for sparking the highly-public mud slinging. 'She has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day,' Jolie's lawyers write. 'But when Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reassert control over Jolie's financial life and compel her to rejoin her ex-husband as a frozen-out business partner, Pitt forced Jolie to publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time.' Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are pictured in November 2008 with their six children. The couple separated in 2016, following an explosive row on a private jet. On Tuesday, Jolie detailed in court documents the circumstances of the violent altercation Pitt (seen on July 18) has sued Jolie over her decision to sell half of their French winery. Jolie (right, in October 2021), counter sued on Tuesday The former couple are pictured at Brie-Champniers airport in France as they board a private jet in 2007, the year before they bought the Miraval property Jolie spelled out in detail the violent altercation in September 2016, which she said led to their divorce and the current dispute over the winery. The couple, first linked up in 2005, bought the winery, Chateau Miraval, in 2008. Jolie said that, when they bought the property, their respective representatives discussed signing an agreement, setting out the terms of how the property would be split if the couple separated. But she said Pitt did not want any such agreement. Jolie's lawyers say that Pitt's financial manager wrote in an email: 'Early in the process I raised the issue of a buy / sell agreement between A & B but was told by Brad it wasn't necessary for two reasonable people to have such an agreement.' The idea was dropped, and the pair were married at the chateau in August 2014. In the court documents, she said she considered it an investment for their family, plus a home. Jolie accused Pitt of failing to consult her on the development of the estate and installing a fifth swimming pool at a cost of one million euros. But she said she did not object at the time. 'Jolie had always taken an active role in design for any home she had lived in (and those she has since lived in), and when she and Pitt purchased the chateau, initially expected to do the same for their new home,' her lawyers write. 'But Pitt pushed for creative control consistent with his own taste and vision. 'While Jolie would have preferred a more collaborative approach, she acquiesced to Pitt's desire to take control over the project, although she sometimes questioned why, for example, the chateau needed a fifth pool at the cost of one million euros, or why the same staircase needed to be rebuilt four times. 'If Jolie ever questioned such expenditures, Pitt defended them as critical to his vision for the chateau.' This is the Miraval Chateau and the 1,000-acre estate - now valued at $164M - where the couple tied the knot in 2008 Jolie and Pitt married in 2014, and are pictured together in November 2015 Pitt and Jolie with their children at Los Angeles airport in February 2014 Jolie said that the marriage 'came to an end' on the September 14, 2016, flight. 'Throughout the long, overnight flight, Pitt was physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were then between the ages of 8 and 15,' the court documents claim. 'After that flight, for her family's well-being, Jolie decided to file for divorce.' She said that Pitt 'had a confrontation' with one of the children before arriving at the airport, and when Jolie asked him on the plane what was wrong, he 'accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her.' Jolie alleges that Pitt, 90 minutes later, sought Jolie out and reprimanded her for her actions. 'He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her,' the court documents state. 'Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall. 'Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom. 'As she exited, one of their children asked, 'Are you ok, mommy?' 'Pitt yelled back, "No, mommy's not ok" and started deriding Jolie with insults.' Jolie claims that when one of the children spoke up in her defense, Pitt 'lunged' at the child, and Jolie grabbed him to stop him. 'To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow. 'The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. 'Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. 'Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying.' Jolie and Pitt are pictured with their son Maddox in November 2013 For the rest of the flight, 'to avoid Pitt's wrath', Jolie and the children 'sat still and silent under blankets.' The lawyers write: 'Nobody dared to go to the bathroom. Pitt periodically emerged from the back of the plane to yell and swear at them. 'At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children. 'After many tense hours, Pitt finally fell asleep.' On landing, Jolie woke him up and told him she and the children were going to a hotel instead of to their home. 'He shouted that nobody was getting off the plane and prevented the family from deplaning for about 20 minutes,' the court documents state. 'After a child intervened and demanded to leave, Pitt finally relented. 'But once outside the plane door, Pitt again physically abused one of their children. 'He also grabbed and shook Jolie by the head and shoulders, causing one of the children to beg, 'Don't hurt her.' 'He let Jolie go, but then called her a 'b****,' before adding, 'F*** you, f*** you all.'' An investigation was launched, but no charges were ever filed. Seven months later, in April 2022, Jolie under the alias 'Jane Doe' sued the FBI, seeking to know why the inquiry was dropped. Her actions were only revealed in August this year when Rolling Stone magazine obtained a copy of the FBI report. Jolie's anonymous suit alleged that she'd filed countless requests for a copy of the department's investigative file to gain a 'better understanding the FBI's investigation and obtaining information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling.' Jolie, in her court documents, states that their joint ownership of the winery became increasingly contentious. 'With Chateau Miraval now her most important asset, Jolie began to seek a more active role both in understanding the chateau and winery's various projects and in understanding and overseeing its finances,' the court documents state. 'As disputes and complications arose in the related divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt's conduct hardened as he attempted to cement his control over the winery.' She accuses Pitt of attempting to freeze her out of the business and using the revenue from the business to fund his own projects. 'Pitt's refusal to distribute profits alone gave him substantial leverage and control over Jolie in their ongoing disputes,' she said. 'By 2019, Jolie was growing increasingly uncomfortable with continuing to participate in an alcohol-related business, given the impact of Pitt's acknowledged problem of alcohol abuse on their family. 'Resigned that Pitt would not share control of the winery or distribute any profits, concerned about participating in a business that was associated with such painful and traumatic memories for her and their children, and seeking financial independence, Jolie concluded that she needed to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval.' Pitt has argued that Jolie unilaterally sold her stake to multinational drinks giant Stoli, but Jolie on Tuesday argued she offered Pitt the chance to buy her out. She said a $54.5 million deal was reached to sell her share to Pitt, but he backed out when she filed allegations of violence. 'In the couple's child custody case, Jolie submitted under seal (meaning no member of the public could see any portion of it except the document title) an 'Offer of Proof and Authority re Testimony Regarding Domestic Violence.' 'This filing apparently enraged Pitt, and in response to that submission, on March 26, 2021, Pitt's team notified Jolie's team that Pitt was 'stepping back' from the Miraval deal.' Jolie is seen with her daughter Shiloh in Rome on July 9 She sold her stake to Stoli in September 2021 and is now seeking a judge's final approval for the sale. 'After failing to bully Jolie into agreeing to a non-disparagement clause in exchange for her economic freedom and security, Pitt now claims that Jolie was not authorized to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval and is asking the Court to unwind the sale,' Jolie's lawyers write. 'Again, Pitt's entire case against Jolie is premised largely on his supposed unwritten, unspoken agreement to always give the other a consent or veto right over any sale of the other's interest in the chateau and winery no matter the circumstances and no matter whether they even remained a couple. 'But the first time Jolie ever heard of this supposed consent right was when she was alerted to press reports that Pitt had sued her and later read Pitt's complaint.' The court documents conclude: 'Jolie requests that the Court declare that no such agreement exists and that Jolie's sale of Nouvel to Stoli's subsidiary is final. 'With these declarations, Jolie can finally have what she thought she had when she sold Nouvel to Stoli in 2021: To move on from the winery and chateau, to have financial independence from her ex-husband, and to finally have some form of peace and closure to this deeply painful and traumatic chapter of her and their children's lives.' A source close to Pitt told DailyMail.com: 'She continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants. Her story is constantly evolving.' The source added: 'She had the chance to share this during the lengthy custody trial, which resulted in the judge granting 50-50 custody to Pitt following in-depth observations and analysis by doctors, therapists, and other experts. 'Her and her team go back to the same thing month after month with new and false information.' Amazon has put a hiring freeze on its corporate roles in its retail sector to rein in costs as online retailers begin to see a decline in customers post-pandemic. According to a report published by the New York Times, Amazon had instructed recruiters to close all open job postings for those roles and has recommended putting a hold on recruiting activities such as phone calls to screen new candidates. Company spokesman, Brad Glasser said in a statement that there are however a significant number of open roles across the company's other sectors. 'We have many different businesses at various stages of evolution, and we expect to keep adjusting our hiring strategies in each of these businesses at various junctures,' said Glasser. It comes amid concerns of an economic downturn that has seen companies including Google, Apple, and Meta slowing down and in some cases temporarily pausing hiring altogether. Under Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who took over the position a little over a year ago, the company has been pulling back on spending in a bid to trim costs during its weakest growth in more than two decades. According to The New York Times Jassy, recently told investors that the company had focused on controlling the cost and efficiency in its warehouse and logistics operations. Amazon saw a sharp rise in demand during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic but, as with other companies that flourished during the crisis it has seen decreased sales as shopping patterns return to pre-pandemic levels. During the pandemic, Amazon pushed its workforce to more than 1.2 million people globally, up 50 percent from 2019. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy (pictured) said the company has been pulling back on spending in a bid to trim costs during its weakest growth in more than two decades Amazon has put a hiring freeze on its corporate roles in its retails sector to rein in costs as online retailers begin to see a decline in customers post pandemic Amazon saw a sharp rise in demand during the early days of the pandemic but, as with other companies, it has seen decreased sales as shopping patterns return to pre-pandemic levels However, this dampened post-pandemic with the company seeing almost 100,000 fewer people employed since the end of March. In recent months, Amazon has closed or canceled the launch of new facilities, and it's delaying the opening of some new buildings after its pandemic-driven expansion left it with too much warehouse space. The corporate hiring freeze is the latest sign that cost-controlling measures are hitting Amazon's core retail and technology teams. In recent years, Amazon hosted a Career Day in September, where it recruited for tens of thousands of salaried positions. Last year, it received more than a million job applications. But it did not host the event this year. But they aren't the only company looking for ways to cut costs. Mark Zuckerberg announced a freeze to hiring and warned of plans to 'steadily reduce headcount growth' for the first time in the history of the company. The Facebook CEO said during a Q&A with employees last week that the company would extend a hiring freeze that has been in place since May. During that meeting, he said that steps would be taken to reduce costs. Zuckerberg has suffered significant losses to his personal fortune which has dropped by almost a third in a year. Meta will also be closing one of its New York offices as part of a plan to reduce growth and cut costs by at least 10 percent in the coming months. Amazon has closed/canceled the launch of new facilities, and delayed the opening of some new buildings after its pandemic-driven expansion left it with too much warehouse space Hiring and investments will also slow at Google, just a week after the company canceled its next-generation laptop and reorganized 50 employees Meta will also be closing one of its New York offices as part of a plan to reduce growth and cut costs by at least 10 percent in the coming months The company will end its lease of the 200,000 square foot office space at 225 Park Avenue South in the Flatiron district of Manhattan. 'Two twenty-five Park Avenue South has served as a great bridge space to get us to our new offices at Hudson Yards and Farley,' said Meta Spokesperson Jamila Reeves in an email statement, confirming the company's plans to give up the space. Hiring and investments will also slow at Google, just a week after the company canceled its next-generation laptop and reorganized 50 employees following major cuts to its incubator program. And in August, the Economic Times reported Apple laid off many of its contract-based recruiters in the past week, part of a push to rein in the tech giant's hiring and spending. According to data compiled by Crunchbase, more than 42,000 workers in the US tech sector across Big Tech firms such as Microsoft and Meta have been laid off in mass job cuts. The layoff includes ride-sharing platform Uber, Netflix, and several cryptocurrency exchanges and lending platforms. It's possibly the first time since the 2008 financial crisis that Apple and Google have trimmed their headcount and gone on a hiring freeze, with big tech firms appearing to brace for severe headwinds. A surfer who had a near-death experience when a giant shark loomed up beneath his board has thanked the 'guardian angels' who risked their lives to warn him of the danger, crashing their light aircraft into the sea as a result. Bill Ballard was surfing at Wallagoot Beach on NSW's South Coast on September 25 when he spotted a gyroplane circling back above him and flying unusually low. The pilot and his female passenger had seen Mr Ballard had paddled above a large school of salmon where the big shark - estimated at six metres long - was looking for a meal, along with 'about 30 to 40 dolphins'. They were flying low to frighten the shark away and to tell the surfer of the threat. 'I'd called mum to get her to get some footage of me surfing with the dolphins but after I caught a wave I looked back at the beach and she was just staring up at something in the sky,' Mr Ballard told Daily Mail Australia. 'I looked up to see two people in an aircraft and they were almost hanging over the side screaming at me, "shark, shark!" and pointing at a big shadow in the water fairly close to me.' Bill Ballard is an experienced surfer and was mistakenly under the belief that where there are dolphins in the water, there are no sharks (pictured with his partner) A couple in a light plane warned Ballard (pictured) of a '20ft shark' lurking near him - with the pair 'hanging off the side creaming and pointing' He heeded the warning and immediately began paddling for the shore. But the couple's brave warning had left the gyroplane too low and was unable to catch enough air to regain altitude. The pilot tried to make it to the sand but the aircraft crashed into the shallow water near the shoreline. Mr Ballard repaid the favour and rushed to their aid. Amazingly the pair were able to walk away from the crash and, to the surfer's surprise, were more concerned about his narrow escape from the shark. 'She kept saying, "that shark was so close to you, so close, and it was the biggest one I've ever seen. It must have been around 20 feet long",' Mr Ballard said. The tiny aircraft (pictured) smashed into the surf after warning Mr Ballard Mr Ballard moments after the light aircraft hit the water near shore and he swam in (pictured) The pilot and the female passenger have spent years doing recreational flights along the south coast and always kept an eye out for dolphins and whales, they told Mr Ballard. They spotted the pod of dolphins, then the shark, and when they noticed Mr Ballard paddling into the predator's path, they made the split-second decision to warn him. The pilot said he was very familiar with what different sea animals look like from the air and definitely had not mistaken something else for a shark. 'There were so many dolphins around and all the shadows in the water were just more I assumed... there's an old tale sharks aren't around if dolphins are,' Mr Ballard said. 'The pilot and passenger were so courageous to put themselves in harm's way to save me from a potential shark attack. 'I am so thankful. They were like guardian angels coming to save me.' He said the dolphins were acting 'strangely' by swimming back and forth as if trying to herd him towards the shore Mr Ballard's mother Janine watched from the shore as the aircraft circled around three times, going lower each time to try and spook the shark so it would leave the area. She said on the third lap, when the plane tried to lift back into the air, the aircraft struggled, changed course for the beach, and then just hit the water. On a gyroplane, the rotor is not powered by an engine but requires an upward airflow onto the rotor blades to gain and maintain altitude. Emergency services were called but once they confirmed no-one was injured, they decided not to send anyone to the location. Janine and some other beachgoers assisted the couple with towels and food and drove them back into town. Mr Ballard added that the dolphins began acting strangely when he was in the water and he believed they could have been trying to herd him towards the shore. 'I've surfed with dolphins a bit and never seen them act this way,' he said. 'They kept poking the heads out of the water right next to me and swimming back and forth like kelpies do when pushing sheep. I almost kicked one it came so close.' Mr Ballard said he was surfing in a pod of 30-40 dolphins and hadn't noticed the huge shark Such situations, and even dolphins attacking sharks to protect their young, have been documented in the past. In 2014, long distance swimmer Adam Walker was surrounded by a pod of 10 dolphins as he swam New Zealand's Cook Strait. Mr Walker claimed they were protecting him from a great white shark he had spotted nearby. And in 2004, New Zealand lifeguard Rob Howes and his 15-year-old daughter Niccy were circled by a pod of dolphins keeping a great white shark at bay until they were able to be picked up by a boat. Richard Darren Emery, of St. Charles, sobbed in court on Tuesday when he was preliminarily sentenced to death for the murder of four people A quadruple murderer sniveled and sobbed as he was sentenced to death for murdering his girlfriend, her two young children, and her mother. Richard Darren Emery, 50, appeared full of contrition Tuesday as Judge Michael Fagras convicted him of the December 2018 murders of Kate Kasten, 39, her two children Zoe, eight, Jonathan, 10, and Kasten's 61 year-old mother Jane Moeckel. Speaking through tears, Emery, of St Charles in Missouri, moaned: 'I'm the one that apparently is sick. 'I don't know. They didn't deserve me. I most definitely didn't deserve them. They were the best thing that ever happened to me and as usual, I screwed it up.' Emery's lawyer had unsuccessfully pleaded for him to be spared execution - and even asked the Judge Fargas to 'choose life' when sentencing the brute. He gunned-down Kasten after she told him to leave his house during an argument about the killer not praising Jonathan sufficiently for building a Lego set, and claims he was also annoyed they hadn't had sex much in the run-up to the killings. The cold blooded killer then slaughtered her mother and children at point-blank range to exterminate witnesses. They'd heard Kasten being shot and barricaded themselves in a hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to escape his bloodlust. After murdering his four victims, Emery - who is bisexual - shot at a police officer and stabbed a woman seven times after carjacking her. He also claimed to have been 'frustrated' at the time of the killing, after Kasten repeatedly refused him sex because her menstrual cycle had left her moody. Emery also moaned that he was jealous of Kasten's previous husband - the father of her children - who'd died of cancer before their relationship began. Richard Darren Emery, of St. Charles, sobbed in court while answering questions about the quadruple-murder he carried out in 2018. That December, he killed his girlfriend Kate Kasten, 39, her mother Jane Moeckel, 61, and her two children Zoe, eight, and Jonathan, 10 Emery had just come home from the bar, where he had spent hours drinking and player poker, KDSK reported. Kasten then reportedly slapped him and told him to leave, which he said triggered him to punch her in the face and the shooting began shortly after. He also claimed she had told him earlier in the day to take a shower when he got home and to wake her up, which he claimed means 'she wanted to have sex.' Emery said he had been 'frustrated' around that time because they had not had sex in a while and she had moods during her menstrual cycle, KDSK reported. He then kicked in a door to a bedroom where Kasten's mother had barricaded herself with her grandchildren, Zoe and Jonathan, and shot each of them at point-blank range, police said. He claimed Kasten was 'hostile' and had slapped him during an argument about him reportedly not praising her son, who had built a Lego set he had gotten for Christmas. He said he felt triggered to punch her after the encounter and the shooting began shortly after Her children were barricaded in the room with their grandmother before they were shot He also shot Moeckel, who called 911. The phone call was played in court and jurors could reportedly hear Zoe screaming: 'Why? Why?' The victims' friends and family hugged, shook hands, and smiled in the courtroom after hearing the sentence. Emery's death sentence is provisional, but he's expected to be hit with the same punishment when he is formally sentenced on November 3, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Also during questioning, Emery expressed that he felt 'envy' toward the children's biological father. He said: 'He was like everything. Hes tall. Im not. Accomplished.' He met Kasten at a concert not long after her previous husband Kory had died from cancer, her father Rick Moeckel told NBC News in 2018. Rick also said at the time that he didn't recognize Emery in his mugshot, saying the killer looked like he had 'no soul' in it. 'He was maybe a little high-strung, but he never raised his voice. I never saw him get mad,' Rick said in 2018. However, Emery admitted in court that he felt like he 'finally belonged' and had a good relationship with the two children. Emery previously had two failed marriages and noted he had several bisexual encounters throughout his life, according to KSDK. Emery's attorneys also argued he had a mental illness that caused him to go into a 'dream-like state.' 'I don't want to remember anything. I don't want to know what I did to my family. You're going to make me sound like I planned this out, like I had an itinerary. I have so many regrets that night. The first four is obvious and the fifth is me not killing myself,' he said in court. Emery said he felt like he 'finally belonged' and had a good relationship with the children The couple (pictured) had met at a concert shortly after Kasten's husband had died of cancer Emery and Kasten reportedly bonded over guns and kept one in the house. He shot and killed the entire family in less than a minute Kasten's father Rick said he didn't recognize Emery in his mugshot (pictured, 2018) and said it looked like he had 'no soul' in it Jurors were shown bodycam footage of the scene, as well as, listened to the 911 call, where Zoe can be heard screeching: 'Why? Why?' as Emery's gunshot continued. All of them would be killed in less than a minute, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. His defense team argued, however, that the Missouri man should be given life in prison, rather than the death penalty. 'There has been so much pain, so much grief and so much loss and we are asking you now to choose mercy,' said Emery's attorney, Stephanie Zipfel. 'We are asking you to choose life.' His attorneys asked jurors to imagine Emery's son Tyler having to watch his father die by lethal injection. Missouri, on average, only kills about one person per year on death row. However, Assistant Prosecutor Phil Groenweghe said Emery killed Moeckel, Zoe and Jonathan to eliminate witnesses, then shot at police and carjacked a woman, stabbing her seven times, all in the name of self-preservation. The victim's family hugged each other while his preliminary death sentence was read out. He will be formally sentenced on November 3 He also admitted in court that he was 'so close to pulling the trigger' when police pulled him over at a QuikTrip and had put a 'gun to my head.' 'All he cares about is his life - that's where his treasure is found,' Groenweghe said. 'Send him the message that in St. Charles County, we will not tolerate this in any way.' Outside the courthouse, St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar was grateful. 'You don't take any pleasure out of being here,' said St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar after the verdict. 'On the flip side, we are satisfied. We feel that justice has been served.' By Kim Ae-ran In memory of the martyrs who were willing to choose death, Catholics are used to making a pilgrimage in autumn. Recently in the lofty season when chestnuts fall like stars, I had a gracious renewal meeting for 17 days at the Queen of the Apostles' Retreat House in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. In celebration of the silver anniversary, our group, which consists of nine fellow sisters, visited several martyrdom holy places in the Naepo area in South Chungcheong Province. One of them is the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground in Seosan. This holy place is the site where about 1,000 Catholics were buried alive at the time of the Byeongin persecution from 1866 to 1873. During the Byeongin persecution, Catholics were executed outside the West Gate of Haemieupseong Fortress. The martyrs were buried alive in a huge pit all at once. Proclaimed as an official international pilgrimage site by the Vatican on March 1, 2021, the Haemi Martyrdom Holy Ground has become the second official international pilgrimage site in Korea after the Seoul Catholic Pilgrimage Routes. Other official international pilgrimage sites include Jerusalem of Israel, Rome of Italy, Santiago of Spain and 20 sites of Marian apparitions. A 16-meter-high memorial tower was set up near Haemi Stream to pay tribute to the nameless martyrs who were buried alive. Built in the 15th century to defend against Japanese invasion, Haemieupseong Fortress became a representative fortress in the Joseon period. During the persecution, many Catholics from South Chungcheong Province were forced to come to Haemieupseong Fortress, where the administration office was located. They were chained up, tortured to death while hanging from the pagoda tree (Hoehwanamu), tortured with cold water or thrashed on a large flat stone. Saint Paul the Apostle once described the suffering that he had to endure: "I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received 40 lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fasting, through cold and exposure." (2 Corinthians 11:23-27) In the footsteps of Saint Paul, faithful people put faith into practice and endured all the painful tortures only to be united with Jesus dying on the cross. While walking around the fortress, the recent pitiful situation came into my mind. Several months ago, one priest whom I know has become braindead due to overwork and exhaustion. He was once a beloved young priest with a promising future. How can we explain the cause of such a miserable accident? Nobody would expect such a painful accident to happen to a person who is so handsome, pure, generous and faithful. We really don't know anything about the future; we just live this moment here and now. Around the world, such inexplicable suffering often happens without notice, and it joins the painful procession of numerous martyrs. Nevertheless, time flies like an arrow. Time just passes away. And our lives go on without end. "The sun rises and the sun sets; then it presses on to the place where it rises." (Ecclesiastes 1:5). The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr.) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication. Advertisement Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out peace talks with Russia and vowed to 'oust the occupier from all of our land' as he boasted of Ukrainian troops hammering Vladimir Putin's soldiers and recapturing 'dozens' of towns. The Ukrainian President said negotiations with his counterpart are now impossible following his decision to rubber-stamp the annexation of four regions of the country. Putin last week told thousands of flag-waving Russians that people in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions had chosen to rejoin their 'historic motherland'. But Mr Zelensky yesterday issued a decree following the 'referendums', described by the West as illegal and fraudulent. He also said Ukrainian forces were making 'rapid and powerful' gains and had retaken 'dozens' of villages to the east and south of the country. The president said eight settlements in the southern Kherson region, where Moscow's forces have retreated, have been retaken. Latest battlefield maps from the Kremlin also showed that Russian troops had left many areas in the region, including along the west bank of the Dnipro River. In the eastern Kharkiv region, meanwhile, Russian forces had almost entirely abandoned the east bank of the Oskil River, potentially giving the Ukrainians space to shell key Russian troop transportation and supply corridors. Mr Zelensky said: 'Our soldiers do not stop. And it's only a matter of time before we expel the occupier from all of our land.' Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out peace talks with Russia and has vowed to 'expel the occupier from all of our land' Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Ivanovo Region Governor Stanislav Voskresensky at Moscow's Kremlin in Moscow on Tuesday Ukrainian soldiers adjust a national flag atop a personnel armoured carrier on a road near Lyman, Donetsk, yesterday Ukrainian soldiers are pictured fighting in the south of their country yesterday amid successful counter-offensives Meanwhile, the Kremlin has responded to Mr Zelensky's abandoning of peace talks by saying it will wait for Ukraine to agree to sit down for talks on ending the conflict, noting that it may not happen until a new Ukrainian president takes office. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'We will wait for the incumbent president to change his position or wait for a future Ukrainian president who would revise his stand in the interests of the Ukrainian people.' But despite the Kremlin's apparent political bravado, the picture on the ground is underscoring the disarray Putin faces in his response to Ukrainian advances and attempts to establish new Russian borders. Kyiv said its troops are 'confidently advancing to the sea' as videos showed the city of Davydiv Brid under their control along with a clutch of smaller settlements in the surrounding countryside. Pro-Russian military bloggers said their forces had retreated around 10 miles down the Dnipro River as the entire northern end of their territory west of the river fell into Ukrainian hands. Illia Ponomarenko, a respected journalist for the Kyiv Independent, tweeted: 'Good lord, Russian front is apparently collapsing in the south. 'I just can't keep up with reports on newly-liberated towns coming every other hour.' A BM-21 'Grad' multiple rocket launcher fires at Russian positions in Kharkiv region on Tuesday Ukrainian soldiers prepare to fire a BM-21 'Grad' multiple rocket launcher towards Russian positions in Kharkiv region Over the weekend, Russian troops pulled back from Lyman, a strategic eastern city that the Russians had used as a key logistics and transport hub, to avoid being encircled by Ukrainian forces. The city's liberation gave Ukraine a key vantage point for pressing its offensive deeper into Russian-held territories. One Ukrainian soldier said: 'We fight for our land, for our children, so that our people can live better, but all this comes at a very high price.' Speaking yesterday during his nightly video address, Mr Zelensky said dozens of settlements had been retaken "from the Russian pseudo-referendum this week alone" in the four annexed regions. In the Kherson region, he listed eight villages that Ukrainian forces reclaimed, adding that 'this is far from a complete list, our soldiers do not stop'. Russian forces launched more missile strikes at Ukrainian cities yesterday as Ukrainian soldiers pressed their counteroffensives in the east and the south. Several missiles hit Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, damaging its infrastructure and causing power cuts. Kharkiv's governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person had been killed and at least two others, including a nine-year-old girl, were wounded. Kyiv said its troops are 'confidently advancing to the sea' as videos showed the city of Davydiv Brid under their control Recruits carry ammunition during a military training at a firing range in the Rostov-on-Don region of Russia on Tuesday In the south, four civilians were wounded when Russian missiles struck the city of Nikopol. Despite the latest military gains, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister Yevhen Perebyinis has called for the deployment of more weapons to Ukraine following the partial mobilisation announcement by Russia last month. In a video address to a conference in the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday, Mr Perebyinis said the additional weapons would not lead to an escalation but instead would help to end the war sooner. He added: 'We need additional long-range artillery and ammunition, combat aircraft and armed vehicles to continue the liberation of the occupied territories. 'We need anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence systems to secure our civilians and critical infrastructure from the terrorist attacks on the Russian forces.' Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said yesterday that its military had recruited more than 200,000 reservists as part of Putin's partial mobilisation launched two weeks ago. He said the recruits were now undergoing training at 80 firing ranges before being deployed to the front lines in Ukraine. Meanwhile, in Washington, the US government has announced that it will give Ukraine an additional $625million in military aid - including more of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems - that are credited with helping Kyiv's recent military momentum. The package also includes artillery systems ammunition and armoured vehicles. The Pentagon is also sending 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds, which can pinpoint targets at a medium- to long-range. It comes as the UN General Assembly has called for an urgent meeting on Monday to discuss Russia's declared annexation of the four regions in Ukraine that it partially occupies. At the meeting, the 193 UN member states will weigh a resolution currently under preparation after Russia vetoed a condemnation of its annexation claim in the Security Council last week. Diplomatic sources said a resolution was being drafted by the European Union together with Ukraine and other countries. Putin deposed, Russia broken up, and NATO in a face-off with China: As Ukraine sees a path toward victory and a desperate Vladimir hits the panic button, expert argues THIS is how the war could end By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline Land grabs, hundreds of thousand of conscripts thrown on to the front lines, and a nuke for anyone who dares stand in his way: Vladimir Putin has spent the past week doubling down on his war in Ukraine. But his bluster belies a simple fact: Russia is losing the war, and he knows it. The despot is desperate. His army is in tatters, his battleplans shot, he's burning through his cash reserves at an unsustainable rate, and winter is looming. Meanwhile Ukraine's army continues to advance across the country, giving Kyiv a viable path to victory. Which begs the question: What happens if Russia is beaten? According to Alp Sevimlisoy - millennium fellow at think-tank Atlantic Council, who spoke to MailOnline - that would mean Putin being deposed, Russia itself breaking apart, and NATO in a face-off with China over the spoils. The West must begin preparing for that eventuality now, he adds, otherwise it will open the door for Beijing to muscle into regions such as Siberia, central Asia, Africa and South America where it already has toe-holds but will see opportunities as Russian power fades. 'We have to move into vacuums, seek to exert influence, and then we have to face up to the People's Republic of China. China is a globally-connected superpower, and we have to combat them effectively,' he said. Ukrainian troops, having routed Russian troops to the east of Kharkiv last month, are continuing to push east - taking the city of Lyman at the weekend and pushing into Luhansk oblast in the last 24 hours Ukraine is also making gains in the south, breaking through Russian defensive lines on the Dnipro River and pushing towards the city itself from the west, threatening Putin's forces with a major retreat Putin has tried to stem the rot by annexing regions, conscripting hundreds of thousands of soldiers and threatening nuclear war - but an expert has told MailOnline he faces being deposed with NATO ended up in a face-off with China Back in February, when Putin first launched his 'special military operation', such as scenario was barely thinkable. The West may have been rooting hard for Ukraine, but few thought victory was possible - they were outnumbered, outgunned, and hemmed in from three sides by the full force of the Russian military, then estimated to be second only to the US. It may take days, or weeks, perhaps months, but few doubted Kyiv would eventually fall. But then followed a series of spectacular miscalculations by Putin and his generals. Poor preparation and planning, corruption that had rotted Russia's military stockpiles from the inside out, and poor morale among the troops combined to hand Ukraine the initiative - which its commanders exploited ruthlessly. Alp Sevimlisoy, a fellow with the Atlantic Council think tank, believes Putin would not survive defeat - and that Russia itself may begin to crumble The lightning advance on Kyiv that Putin had banked on to topple the regime and hand him control of the country within a matter of days slowed, then stopped, and finally culminated in a 'goodwill gesture' - aka a full-scale retreat - as the Kremlin instead set its sights on 'liberating' the Donbas. Despite the wide open lands of Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland being infinitely more-suited to Russian tactics - devastating artillery bombardments followed by slow troop and tank advances - problems persisted. Again, the advance slowed, and then largely stopped. Ukraine then delivered a devastating one-two punch: An assault on Kherson in the south which sucked in Russian troops, before a hook east out of Kharkiv broke Russian lines, precipitated a full-scale rout, and handed thousands of square miles back to Kyiv's control in a matter of days. Russia has been left reeling. Its military may not be flat on the canvas yet, but a heavy blow has been landed and its knees have begun to buckle. A few more, and a knockout is on the cards. Speaking just after Ukraine launched its Kharkiv counter-attack, Mr Sevimlisoy told MailOnline: 'The Ukrainians have the momentum - they are winning. But this conflict won't just end with both sides going away and saying 'that's that', it will reverberate throughout Russia and the region.' That would mean Russian power fading not just from the likes of South America and Africa - where it has previously sent mercenaries, handed out loans and built infrastructure - but also from ex-Soviet satellite states such as Kazakhstan, Georgia, and Armenia, he believes. And Russia itself could succumb to in-fighting, with rebellious regions seeking to break away from Moscow's control as power-brokers within the Kremlin turn on one-another and vie for Putin's throne. Though the prospect of a Putin-free Russia may once have seemed the stuff of fantasy, Mr Sevimlisoy believes there is almost no way for him to survive defeat in Ukraine. 'I can't see a future for Putin [if he loses the war],' Mr Sevimlisoy said. 'How do you go back to your people after this? After you've weaponized food and energy, how do you go back to the world stage after that?' A Russian rocket slams into a Ukrainian special forces Humvee somewhere in Ukraine as Kyiv's offensive in the south continues. According to reports on Telegram, all troops survived the encounter Ukrainian special forces troops are pictured advancing across the south of Ukraine amid reports of a breakthrough in Russian lines that may have pushed Putin's men back more than 10 miles Ukrainian tanks open fire on Russian positions in Kherson, amid a major offensive in the region that aims to recapture the city from Russia - which would be a major blow to Putin's invasion Ukrainian troops are filmed ambushing Russian armoured vehicles using anti-tank launchers in Donetsk, leaving at least one of them destroyed The wreck of a Russian Tigr armoured vehicle is abandoned on a forest road (bottom centre) in Donetsk as others fleet (top) following a Ukrainian ambush He's not alone in thinking so. In the weeks since Ukraine's counter-attack, experts have openly questioned whether Putin is facing the end - Professor Grigory Yudin predicted so to Canada's CBC, ex-British army officer Richard Kemp mulled the idea in The Telegraph, and it was also debated by Foreign Affairs magazine. Mr Sevimlisoy believes Putin's ouster would fire the starting pistol on all manner of in-fighting within Russia: Different branches of the military turning on one-another, regions bidding to break away from the country, and ex-Soviet satellite states looking for allies many miles away from Moscow. 'Russia's failure in Ukraine is failure of statecraft,' he said. 'There will be groups saying "this isn't how we should be governed". The military will say the campaign has been a failure. 'I think collapse will come from infighting in the intelligence services and military, and forces within Russia will see to use this as opportunity to say: "We can govern ourselves better and we have enough international support to push for independence." We should definitely support that.' But there is no guarantee that whoever replaces Putin will be any less extreme. Many believe the heir-apparent to be Sergey Naryshkin, head of the foreign intelligence service, who is considerably more-hawkish than Putin when it comes to the West. That means NATO's mission will be to 'contain Russia and the Russian armed forces', Mr Sevimlisoy argues, but also 'we'd be working to contain China.' Russian power would wane over ex-Soviet satellite states such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan - and even further abroad, in Africa and South America where Putin has been propping up dictatorial regimes with mercenaries, cheap loans and trade deals. NATO must be ready to compete in all those arenas, or else risk losing them to Beijing's sway. There are already signs that the rot is setting in. Kazakhstan, long an ally of Moscow, has been taking an increasingly defiant tone against Moscow - welcoming in more than 100,000 Russian men who had fled Putin's draft while also insisting that territorial integrity must be respected, though without directly mentioning Ukraine. Azerbaijan and Armenia - another ally of Moscow - resumed fighting a few weeks ago as Moscow tried to shore up its western flank against the Ukrainians, with Armenia forced to acknowledge that Putin was not going to help defend its territory, despite the two being in a security pact. And other nations that until now have given tacit support to Russia are beginning to voice concerns. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, speaking at the UN a few days ago, urged Moscow not to let the Ukraine war 'spill over' and to 'protect the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.' India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having initially tried to tread a careful middle ground on Ukraine, delivered an even bolder rebuke - telling the Kremlin: 'Today's era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you about this.' Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also spoke out to say that he had talked with Putin at a recent summit in Uzbekistan, and believes 'he wants to end this as soon as possible' because 'the way things are going right now are quite problematic'. Destroyed Russian tanks in a vehicle graveyard in Izium, which was recently recaptured by Ukrainian forces in a lightning offensive that routed Putin's troops and placed Ukraine firmly on the front foot Russian reservists that have been conscripted into the army to fight in Ukraine fire a machine-gun on a training range somewhere in the Rostov region before being sent to the frontlines A Russian reservist, called up as part of Putin's mobilisation order, practices firing a heavy machine-gun at a range in the Rostov region before being deployed into combat Destroyed Russian armored vehicles left behind by Putin's army after they fled the city of Izium, in Kharkiv oblast And Erdogan's position could be key to ending the war, Mr Sevimlisoy believes, because it would be Turkey together with Ukraine that would be key to containing the Kremlin after defeat. 'Russia will have to come to terms with the fact that it is no longer a world power, but a state - a Black Sea state whose system nobody seeks to imitate,' he said. 'And what we're going to see and are seeing now is that the domination of this region will be up to Turkey.' Equipped with the latest-generation US fighter jets and hypersonic missiles, Mr Sevimlisoy believes that Turkey - alongside a Ukrainian military adept at fighting Russia - will be the key to Western influence in the region and further beyond into central Asia. This is necessary, he says, because it will put NATO and the West in a strong position to compete with Beijing. 'In any region where Russian influence wanes, we have to make sure we have to create regional partnerships, to have permanent presences,' he said. 'We have to move into vacuums, seek to exert influence, and then we have to face up to the People's Republic of China. China is globally connected superpower, and we have to combat them effectively. 'We have far more military experience within NATO than the Chinese do, and that is to our advantage, but we have to put boots on ground in these places, to ensure that when the time comes to stand up to them - and that time will come - we're not playing catch-up.' An online debate revealed how Australians really feel about men wearing dresses, but are they really an accurate picture of how the country feels about men daring to break down gender barriers in fashion? The question 'If you saw a bloke in a dress, what's your first thought?' was asked in a Reddit post that went viral this week. 'I'm interested to see how Australians feel about men wearing dresses,' the poster asked. 'Not in a "taking the piss" way, just in a normal, everyday wear kinda way.' Mostly the responses were either positive or neutral and very few were negative. How Australians really feel about men wearing dresses has been revealed in surprising and hilarious online debate (Pictured, Christian Wilkins on the Logies' red carpet) The question 'If you saw a bloke in a dress whats your first thought?' was asked in a Reddit post that went viral this week (Pictured, Christian Wilkins at an the Aussie Christmas in Los Angeles event benefitting Australian Wildlife Conservancy at Grandmaster Recorders) Some were hilarious. Poll If you're a man would you ever wear a dress? Yes No If you're a man would you ever wear a dress? Yes 89 votes No 761 votes Now share your opinion 'I'm 100 per cent certain that if all men started wearing dresses, all dresses would suddenly start having pockets.' One of the most popular responses was: '"Oh, a man in a dress. Don't see that every day" and then I'd go about my business.' It was echoed by several people including one who said: 'Move on with the day. It's 2022. So whatever goes.' 'My thoughts would be that it's a bloke who wants to be in a dress and it's none of my or anyone's effing business!' 'Bucks night possibly, that'd be my first thought,' another said. One man posted an anecdote about driving down the main street of Mayfield in Newcastle with his dad who was 'not the most open-minded of blokes' when they saw two trans people wearing dresses. One was a yellow sundress and the other a 'fire engine red evening dress' with matching lipstick, heels and a 'sparkly' handbag. 'My Dad's comment was "fancy wearing red this early in the morning. Nice shoes". 'That's when I knew I could come out to my Dad.' Mostly the responses on reddit were either positive or neutral and very few were negative One woman responded that in the 'small rural town' where she grew up a man who went to he local shops regularly in a dress was the subject of gossip 'but not for the reasons you think'. She said people didn't care about the dress. What they found shocking was that he didn't shave his legs, smeared his lipstick and didn't iron his clothes. 'The consensus was that if you're going to go out of your way to make a fashion statement then at least put some bloody effort in!' 'Those are the exact same complaints they'd have had about a woman wearing the same thing - they may have been right-wing heartland but in their own way they actually demonstrated real equality,' she said. One person suggested if more men wore dresses, then dresses would be designed with pockets (Pictured Christian Wilkins) The reddit debate's conclusion could be misleading however, if the reaction to Australia's highest profile man-in-a-dress, Christian Wilkins. He was trolled after wearing a dress on the Logies' red carpet (Pictured Wilkins at the Thor: Love And Thunder premiere) However despite many on Reddit reacting positively to men who wear dresses, Christian Wilkins says he has been endlessly trolled for his daring outfits. Wilkins told the SBS trolls targeted after he dared to defy gender stereotypes by sporting a white backless gown on the 2022 Logies red carpet. 'People [were] telling me to OD, people telling me that I'm a disgrace. I mean, I was very surprised to find out that the patriarchy was so flimsy that it could be taken down by a piece of white silk,' Wilkins said. The model and actor said he was genuinely shocked at the volume of backlash surrounding his outfit choice, and hopes he inspires others to express their true identities. 'To be completely honest, I was actually really shocked at what my alleged crime was compared to what the response was,' he said. 'I'm not leading the Stonewall riots [protests by members of the LGBTIQ+ community in New York in 1969], I wore a white dress to the Logies. Like, come on'. Wilkins heard critics say his parents would be ashamed of him for the way he dresses. 'I think the reason that I'm able to go out there and do what I do and wear what I wear is because I know that that's not true and I know for a fact that I actually make my parents very proud,' he said. 'As a kid, I always, kind of, loved anything that was pink and sparklyI was never necessarily encouraged to wear dresses. But my parents said, if I wanted to, they would absolutely allow me to.' South Korea and the U.S. military fired a volley of missiles into the sea in response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan - after Pyongyang's longest-range test to date drew international condemnation this week. Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years prompting a warning for residents there to take cover. South Korean and American troops staged a missile drill of their own in response, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday. Each side fired a pair of U.S.-made ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles, according to a statement. The military separately confirmed that a South Korean Hyunmoo-2 missile failed shortly after launch and crashed, but caused no casualties. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned North Korea's test in the 'strongest terms,' the European Union called it a 'reckless and deliberately provocative action.' The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the launch and said it was a violation of Security Council resolutions. The United States has asked the U.N. Security Council to have a meeting on North Korea, but diplomats said China and Russia are opposed to a public discussion by the 15-member body. South Korea and the U.S. military fired four surface-to-surface missiles into the sea off of the east coast in response to a recent test missile launched by North Korea South Korean (pictured) and American troops staged a missile drill of their own in response North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) farther than ever before on Tuesday - prior to that was the Hwasong-12 (pictured) launched in 2017 North Korea conducted its longest-ever weapons test Tuesday, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan and could reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains. The North Korean missile launch was its most provocative weapons demonstration this year, as it pushes to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies with the goal of wresting concessions from those countries, some experts say. North Korea has test-fired about 40 missiles over about 20 different launch events this year as its leader, Kim Jong Un, refuses to return to nuclear diplomacy with the United States. The United States strongly condemned North Korea's 'dangerous and reckless decision' to launch what it described as a 'long-range ballistic missile' over Japan. 'The United States will continue its efforts to limit (North Korea's) ability to advance its prohibited ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including with allies and U.N. partners,' National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. South Korea and Japan earlier said the missile had an intermediate or longer range. If the launch involved a long-range missile, it could be a test of a weapon capable of targeting the U.S. homeland, some experts say. The launch is the fifth round of weapons tests by North Korea in the past 10 days. The testing spree is an apparent response to two sets of military drills -- one between Washington and Seoul and the other involving Washington, Seoul and Tokyo -- off the Korean Peninsula's east coast last week. Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) on Tuesday - sending it soaring over Japan for the first time in five years The North Korean missile launch watched by onlookers (pictured) on Tuesday was its most provocative weapons demonstration this year Japanese authorities had to alert residents in its northeastern regions to evacuate to shelters, after North Korea's missile launch (pictured) Japanese authorities alerted residents in its northeastern regions to evacuate to shelters, in the first 'J-alert' since 2017 when North Korea fired an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile twice over Japan in a span of weeks during a previous run of weapons tests. Trains were suspended in the Hokkaido and Aomori regions until the government issued a notice that the North Korean missile appeared to have landed in the Pacific. In Sapporo city, the prefectural capital of Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, subways were also temporarily halted, with stations packed with morning commuters. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters the launch 'is a reckless act and I strongly condemn it.' South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Korea's 'reckless nuclear provocations' would meet a stern response from the South and the broader international community. His military separately warned that North Korea's repeated missile launches would deepen its international isolation and prompt Seoul and Washington to bolster their deterrence capacities. According to South Korean and Japanese estimates, the North Korean missile fired from its northern province bordering China traveled 2,800-2,860 miles at a maximum altitude of 600-620 miles. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said that it landed in the Pacific about 1,990 miles off the northern Japanese coast and that there were no reports of damage to Japanese aircraft or ships. South Korea's Defense Ministry said the missile flew farther than any other weapon fired by North Korea. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (pictured) presided over a National Security Council meeting at Seoul's presidential office to discuss countermeasures against North Korea United States President Joe Biden (pictured) strongly condemned North Korea's 'dangerous and reckless decision' to launch what it described as a 'long-range ballistic missile' over Japan Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida echoed the US calling North Korea's launch 'a reckless act' that he 'strongly condemned' Before Tuesday's launch, the 2,300-mile flight of a Hwasong-12 in 2017 was North Korea's longest. It has previously tested intercontinental ballistic missiles at steep angles so they flew shorter distances to avoid neighboring countries. The missile's flight distance shows it has enough range to hit Guam, home to U.S. military bases that have sent advanced warplanes to the Korean Peninsula in shows of force during past periods of tension with North Korea. In 2017, North Korea threatened to make 'an enveloping fire' near Guam with Hwasong-12 missiles amid rising animosities with the then-Trump administration. North Korea last test-fired a Hwasong-12 missile in January. At the time, it said the launch was meant to verify the overall accuracy of the weapon. Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute, said Tuesday's launch of a suspected Hwasong-12 missile would demonstrate a capacity that 'truly places Guam within striking distance.' He said North Korea likely wanted to confirm the missile's operational capabilities as it is being mass-produced. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea could have tested the Hwasong-12 again, or even an intercontinental ballistic missile, closer to what would be a normal ballistic trajectory but shorter than its full range. If it was an ICBM, the purpose of the launch would be to test whether the warhead could survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry, Dong-yub said. The South Korean and U.S. militaries responded to North Korea's early Tuesday missile test, by launching fighter jets which fired weapons at a target off South Korea's west coast The test was a show of strength against a series of nuclear provocation from North Korea Some experts say North Korean leader Kim will eventually will return to diplomatic talks and use his enlarged arsenal to pressure Washington to accept his country as a nuclear state This recognition is necessary to win the lifting of international sanctions and other concessions The missiles fired during the past four rounds of launches were short range and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Those missiles are capable of hitting targets in South Korea. Heo Tae-keun, South Korea's deputy minister of national defense policy, told lawmakers Tuesday that North Korea is preparing to test a new liquid-fueled ICBM and a submarine-launched ballistic missile, as well. He said North Korea also maintains a readiness to conduct a nuclear test in what would be its first such bomb detonation in five years and its seventh in total. Last month, North Korea adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in some cases, a move that showed its increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine. Saturday, Yoon warned of a 'resolute, overwhelming response' from South Korean and U.S. militaries if North Korea uses nuclear weapons. Some foreign experts say North Korea needs to master a few remaining technologies to acquire functioning nuclear-armed missiles. Each new test pushes it closer to being able to reach the U.S. mainland and its allies with a host of missiles of varying range. Some experts say North Korean leader Kim will eventually will return to diplomatic talks and use his enlarged arsenal to pressure Washington to accept his country as a nuclear state, a recognition he thinks is necessary to win the lifting of international sanctions and other concessions. A real estate agent boss has been caught on camera unleashing a torrent of hate at a cafe waiter in a furious rant after he was allegedly accidentally sprayed on the hand. Mahin Abedin, managing director of Innerwest Property in Sydney's Homebush, branded the waiter a 'f***ing f***ot' and a 'd***head' in the homophobic outburst. The waiter at the family-run Bar Cortona cafe can be heard calling police for help in the aggressive confrontation - but that just spurs the estate agent on even more. 'Absolute f***ot. Look at his eyes. You're messing with the wrong person,' the agent rages at the waiter. The barista can be heard telling police: 'I have a very abusive person in my dad's cafe calling me a f***ot... he's just screaming obscenities.' Real estate agent boss Mahin Abedin (circled) has been caught on camera unleashing a torrent of hate at a cafe waiter in a furious rant after he was allegedly sprayed on the hand The agent tells the waiter to tell police he's 'also calling you a d***head'. The ugly clash was filmed by a customer who posted the footage on social media. The waiter has been so traumatised by the incident last Wednesday he has been unable to work a full shift since the confrontation. 'It just gets me so rattled,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'I'm terrified he will come in again and it will all blow up once more. It's just gotten out of hand. 'I feel nauseous every day. I'm just isolating myself and [not] wanting to leave the apartment.' The waiter is understood to have been so traumatised by the incident he has been unable to return to work since the confrontation Mahin Abedin, managing director of Innerwest Property in Sydney's Homebush, branded the waiter a 'f***ing f***ot' and a 'd***head' in the homophobic outburst The row is said to have erupted after the waiter was cleaning up the cafe's outside tables and accidentally sprayed the hand of Mr Abedin. The estate agent claims the waiter, 33, then touched his hand which the waiter denies. 'He and his mates were at a table outside the cafe eating food from somewhere else and I was just cleaning up and sprayed the table,' the waiter - who asked not to be named - told Daily Mail Australia. 'No-one was touched, I didn't grab anyone - and when that was done I just came inside. 'The next thing I know he's inside saying, "Why the f*** did you spray my hand' and putting his fist in my face, saying he was going to smash my face. 'Then he went on a 15 minute rant calling me a f***ing f***ot and calling my family white trash.' He said the abuse continued even as he called the police for help. 'And he just wouldn't leave,' said the barista. 'I kept telling him to get out but he and his mates just stayed there while he abused me.' The row is said to have erupted after the waiter was cleaning up the cafe's outside tables and accidentally sprayed the hand of Mahin Abedin The waiter's older brother later confronted the estate agent at his office over the incident, which sparked another angry blow-up. The waiter added: 'I was just really shaken and my brother comes in and I blurted out what happened. He was just trying to do the right thing.' The waiter's brother Ryan Bell, 38, has now been served with a restraining order after his clash with the estate agent. 'My brother has been putting up with this shit his whole life and he never did any wrong to anyone,' Mr Bell wrote on Reddit. 'He deserves to feel safe. 'My bro doesn't want to go to work any more because of this. I came a bit later and the police still didn't arrive, my bro was still shaking and told me what happened. 'I went to the guy's office around the corner and told him to not ever come back and probably some other s*** I shouldn't have said... 'The next day [police] took statements from both parties and I got served my [apprehended violence order] and common assault papers for court.' He added: 'The other guy hasn't been served an AVO, can go back there whenever he wants and works super close by. 'My bro is waking up feeling sick with anxiety and not wanting to go to work 'I can't go and sit down there at the cafe any more because of the AVO so my brother is just there waiting for this idiot to come back.' An AVO hearing involving Mr Abedin against the brother of the waiter is scheduled to be heard at Burwood Local Court on Thursday. The waiter's older brother later confronted estate agent Mahin Abedin at his office over the incident, which sparked another angry confrontation Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Abedin for comment, but in a statement he insisted his comments had been provoked. 'I can't comment on this matter as it is part of legal proceedings,' Mr Abedin told news.com.au. 'I apologise for my comments but I was distressed after being touched inappropriately and having cleaning chemicals sprayed on me by him.' NSW Police confirmed the waiter's brother had been charged with assault and served with an ADVO following the second incident, but add that the investigation was still underway. 'On Wednesday 28 September 2022 officers from the Auburn Police Area Command commenced an investigation into an alleged incident at a restaurant on Rochester Street at Homebush,' said a police spokesman. 'Police have been told a patron and an employee became engaged in a verbal altercation and the incident was reported to police. 'Later the same day police will allege a 38-year-old man attended a business on Burlington Road at Homebush where he allegedly assaulted another man. 'Following investigations police served a 38-year-old man with an apprehended domestic violence order and a field court attendance notice for assault. He is expected to appear at Burwood Local Court on October 6. 'Inquiries are continuing.' Three quarters of Britons believe that police should visit burglary victims, according to a Daily Mail poll. It also found that 96 per cent of over-55s think crime is not taken seriously enough by forces. The research, which was carried out by Churchill home insurance, shows how home break-ins can shatter lives. As many as 97 per cent of victims say a raid has an affect on their everyday activities, with 37 per cent saying it has a huge impact. More than a third of those targeted said they felt violated by the experience. 'Home break-ins can shatter lives' A quarter were left feeling scared or reported having trouble sleeping. More than one in six felt depressed and 16 per cent suffered anxiety or panic attacks. In the worst cases 6 per cent of the total the victims needed to see a doctor, counsellor, or therapist. The poll found 63 per cent feared the cost of living crisis would make burglaries more likely. Sarah Khan, head of Churchill home insurance, said: The psychological scars of the victims of burglary are often overlooked. Burglars who violate peoples homes can leave people with significant emotional trauma for many years. PM Liz Truss is considering dramatically increasing the age for claiming the state pension to 68 by the mid 2030s - more than a decade sooner than the current policy. Currently both men and women can claim their state pension once they reach the age of 66. It is due to rise to 67 in 2028 and was not supposed to increase further until 2048. Liz Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng are considering rapidly increasing the age at which people can claim their state pension Under current plans, the pension age is due to increase to 68 in 2048, but senior Tories want to make that happen within the next decade Now, in a bid to slash government spending, the government is considering making people wait until 68 for their pension from 2035 - meaning those in their 50s could have to work an additional year before retiring. According to The Sun, some cabinet ministers have urged the PM to speed up the rise in the pension age to save up to 6bn a year. The PM refused to answer yesterday whether the change had been agreed. She told Sky News: 'Youre asking me to speculate about all kinds of decisions that haven't yet been made. 'We are facing a very difficult international situation, a slowing global economy, so yes I will do what it takes to fix those issues.' A Domino's worker has won praise for making a young girl a special 'dessert pizza' after his peers did not turn up to his birthday party. Shift supervisor Miles received a call at the Coolum store, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, last week from a mother hoping to cancel her large order or pizzas because there were a number of no-shows for the party. But when she arrived to collect the single pizza, Miles surprised her with a custom dessert, featuring pastry topped with churros, brownies and chocolate sauce - products all available instore. The kind deed has gone viral after Domino's Australia shared the story in a Facebook post on Tuesday, which has racked up more than 20,000 reactions. Miles pictured holding the special dessert pizza and a 'Happy Birthday' message scrawled on a pizza box using chocolate sauce 'Thank you Miles for going the extra 'mile' to help turn this customer's day around,' the company wrote. Many social media users praised the employee for going above and beyond for the mother and daughter. 'Miles was raised right! Well done mate!' one woman commented. 'Such a small act of kindness that they'll remember for the rest of their lives,' another said. 'Miles you absolute legend! Give this kid a raise. What seems like a small thing is actually a massive act of kindness,' a third wrote. Other parents showed sympathy for the girl and his mother, having suffered similar devastation after invitees failed to show up at their child's party, with some offering to send the girl gifts. The kind deed took place at the Domino's store in Coolum (pictured) on Queensland's Sunshine Coast Other parents said no-shows at children's birthday parties were 'heartbreaking' (stock image) 'I've been through this with my own son and it's absolutely heartbreaking for mother and child,' another woman said. 'Sending love and strength to that poor family. It really does effect our children when these things happen. Always contact the family to let them know either way if you're coming or not.' Someone else added: 'Can Domino's get in touch with this customer so we can throw her the best birthday ever? No kid (or their parents) should ever feel that kind of heartbreak!' 'How great would it be if we could all send this kid gifts from all over Australia?' A Domino's Australia spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they would be sharing the well wishes and offers of support directly with the family. 'We have been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of local businesses and community members on our recent Facebook post about Miles surprise birthday pizza creation,' they said. 'One of Dominos core values is to be generous and provide joyful experiences, and we are proud of Miles for living our values and going above and beyond to make this customers birthday special!' A city council is urging residents to 'dob in' properties they suspect are being rented as Airbnb-style accommodation in an attempt to counter an unprecedented housing crisis. Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on Tuesday called for the city's residents to report neighbours they believe are renting their homes via platforms such as Airbnb, Bookings.com, and Stayz. The move comes three months after Brisbane City Council rolled-out a rate hike of 50 per cent on short-term rental properties - costing hosts an additional $985 in rates per year. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner (pictured) urged Brisbane residents to report properties they believe are being rented out as short-term stays in an attempt to make more housing available Schrinner claims the 'dob-in' call is not a revenue raising measure, but is an attempt to make more houses available after the state's vacancy rate dropped to a record low of 0.7 per cent. 'I'd be happy if this new rating category didn't raise a single dollar,' Cr Schrinner said. 'Brisbane currently has a severe housing shortage because not enough homes are being built to meet demand. 'We want this new rating category to convince owners to return properties to the long-term rental market so they can be permanent homes.' Homeowners will be sent a letter with their next rates bill asking them to flag any property they believe are short-term stays in their neighbourhood. Schrinner asked for help from residents in a post shared on Twitter on Tuesday. 'We're asking you to help us get more homes back on the long term rental market by letting us know about houses listed on sites like AirBNB and Stayz,' Cr Schrinner wrote. The Major went on to explain the rate hike as a means of motivation for short-stay homeowners to return their properties to the long-term rental market. 'Queensland is in the grips of a housing crisis with Greater Brisbanes vacancy rate at a record low of 0.7%,' Cr Schrinner wrote. 'Thats why were asking people to return their homes to the long term rental market or pay higher rates that reflect the homes commercial use.' Brisbane Civic Cabinet Chair for Finance Fiona Cunningham said council hopes owners of short-term stays would 'self-nominate' rather than be exposed by fellow residents. In a post shared on Twitter, Schrinner asked residents for their help in reporting properties (pictured) The Lord Major explained the rate hike of 50 per cent for short-term stays was made to motivate homeowners to return their properties to the long-term rental market (pictured) Ms Cunningham revealed council will use online technology tools to identify properties that fall into the Transitory Accommodation category. 'We would prefer if people self-nominate, which occurs already when properties shift from being owner-occupied to rented,' Cr Cunningham said. 'However, through technology that's available, Council can identify properties that have been listed on short-term accommodation websites for 60 days. 'This is about trying to push properties back into the private rental market while ensuring those that continue to be used on a short-term basis pay their fair share.' Airbnb country manager for Australia and New Zealand Susan Wheeldon criticised the rate rise as it would hurt everyday Queenslanders trying to make ends meet. 'Differential rates will place further financial pressure on everyday people who share their homes to help make ends meet,' Ms Wheeldon said in a statement. 'Proposals like these, if implemented, hurt guests and the broader community who rely on short-stay accommodation to travel affordably in Australia, including for purposes such as to provide care and support for family members.' It comes as Brisbane's vacancy rate dropped to a record low of 0.7 per cent (pictured, houses and apartments in Brisbane) Last month, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk called an emergency summit to tackle Queensland's housing crisis after a mass interstate migration saw 50,000 people move to the state in just one year. An initial roundtable of government and non-government stakeholders took place on September 16 and will be followed by the summit in October. The premier said the Queensland Housing Summit would address housing challenges caused by recent flooding, interstate migration, population growth and delays in construction. 'Nothing is more important than having a roof over your head - it's a basic need - and the stories of people without secure housing are heartbreaking,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'In a modern economy where we have one of the fastest growths of the economy in the nation, you know, it is a shock to see people living out of their cars or not being housed. 'I want Queenslanders to understand I recognise that this is an issue.' Ms Palaszczuk promised the summit would not just be a talk-fest and would result in 'key actions' - including land supplies and social housing - to fix the crisis. Government received backlash over the controversial devices from residents The camera was captured at Forresters Beach on NSW's Central Coast Beau Jackson shared the sneaky spot a hidden speed camera was set up An Australian anti-speed camera vigilante has captured a sneaky tactic operators are using to catch unsuspecting drivers. Beau Jackson, 17, shared a video on Tuesday showing a speed camera parked amongst trees and almost completely hidden by a road sign from one direction. The camera was sitting on a stretch of road at Forresters Beach, on NSW's Central Coast. 'This shouldn't be allowed. You shouldn't be allowed to park right up against that sign,' Beau said in the video. 'When you're coming the other way you can't even see it. Look how hidden that is. Look how disgusting that is. 'That isn't allowed. They get both sides of the road which is even worse.' Australia's favourite road vigilante has captured a devious tactic a speed camera operator was using to catch unsuspecting drivers in both directions Beau Jackson, 17, shared a video showing a speed camera almost completely hidden by a road sign from one direction. The camera was set up at Forresters Beach on NSW's Central Coast Rain, hail or shine, the teen spends most days before and after work parked in locations where he feels cameras are 'unfairly' trying to catch people out - such as at the bottom of hills, or in places where the speed limit suddenly drops. Dubbed a national hero and a 'living legend' for helping drivers avoid fines, Beau's fan base continues to grow. He now boasts almost 80,000 loyal followers on TikTok. Beau posts numerous videos on TikTok and goes out of his way to warn motorists of upcoming speed cameras. The 17-year-old used to work mowing lawns and for Domino's, but he hopes to sell bumper stickers full-time to make a living. 'I've got vinyl bumper stickers with different designs and slogans - they're high-quality and weather-proof,' Beau recently told Daily Mail Australia. One sticker says: 'Too many Karens! Not enough Beaus!' Another reads: 'Speed cameras don't slow people down!! Beau does!!' Teenage speed camera vigilante Beau Jackson has no plans to give up his crusade anytime soon Beau, who insists he's never been fined for a speeding offence, agrees motorists who are 'dramatically' over the speed limit should be punished. 'I'm doing it for those who are done four or six kilometres over because they also park at the bottom of a hill,' he explained. 'If it was in a school zone or on a stretch of road where people are speeding, I wouldn't warn anyone. 'But they are often set up to ping people going a few kilometres over the speed limit at the bottom of a hill and that's unfair. 'If they want to save lives, then have signs here warning people, along with signs on the front and back of the car.' He has checked with the police to ensure what he was doing wasn't illegal. 'They think I'm doing the community a service as I'm actually making people slow down,' Beau added. Police officers have been banned from 'hiding' mobile speed cameras after massive backlash from residents Recent legislation passed in NSW banned police from 'hiding' mobile speed cameras between parked cars and bushes after an angry backlash from drivers. Speed camera operators must take a photograph of their location and send it back to headquarters to ensure appropriate signage is visible. New conditions for the use of the mobile speed cameras were unveiled during a Budget Estimates hearing last month, which demanded the vehicles be parked '10 to 15 metres' from the nearest car. The Transport for NSW office announced the change in response to complaints after a huge spike in fines for low-range speeding offences picked up by hidden cameras. The government warned people fines wouldn't be automatically waived if signs were not visible - but encouraged people to ask for a review if thought think the signs were not properly displayed. The move comes as a result of 'community concerns' over the 'sneaky' tactics of operators, according to Transport for NSW deputy secretary Tara McCarthy. 'If a person commits an offence, then they have committed an offence,' she said. 'They always have the ability to ask for that offence to be reviewed and individual cases will be considered.' Revenue data from low-range speeding fines (under 10km/h over the limit) increased by a mammoth 855 per cent from 2021 - a $47million cash injection for the government. Such low-level speeding offences make up more than half of the total revenue of all speeding fines, which was $75million for the previous financial year. January was the most profitable month for the Treasury, with an astonishing $7.8million in low-range fines and $12.5million total. Labor promised to get rid of the mobile cameras if it wins the next state election in March, accusing the government of being disingenuous over their motives behind the cars. 'The government has now spent millions of dollars on pop-up signs and introduced new rules to stop covert cameras, but why not just bring back these warning signs?' state opposition roads spokesman John Graham said. 'The opposition supports the return of warning signs before and after mobile speed camera vehicles. 'That was the previous arrangement. 'That will help maintain community support for mobile speed camera enforcement.' Paramedics have rescued a Kelpie pup after the working dog plunged 30 metres down a cliff on the NSW south coast. A team of paramedics responded to the disaster by abseiling down the precipice to reach the helpless pooch on Tuesday afternoon. NSW Ambulance inspector Faye Stockman said nine-month-old Max was rounding up sheep at Yerriyong when 'he got a little too excited and slid off the edge of the cliff'. A team of paramedics responded to the disaster by abseiling down the precipice to reach the helpless pooch on Tuesday afternoon 'Our special operations paramedics who are trained in vertical rescue, abseiled down to Max before he was carefully loaded into a bag and hauled to safety,' she said on Wednesday. Much to everyone's amazement, the carefree canine survived the fall without a scratch. 'He's a loved family pet so his owner was very relieved to see he wasn't injured,' Ms Stockman said. 'We were thrilled to be able to reunite Max with his family.' By Bill Emmott LONDON When a "shock" or "extremist" election result comes with record-low voter turnout and a big yawn from financial markets, it is time to find new descriptors. The decisive victory in Italy's general election by the coalition led by Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, putting her in line to be the country's first female prime minister and the first to claim an unambiguous line back to Benito Mussolini, is certainly striking. But there is little reason to believe it will change Italy's course in ways that matter either to markets or to the country's international partners. This election was that rare modern case in which opinion polls got the outcome largely right. It has been clear for at least two years that if the three main right-wing parties held together, they would win an absolute majority. The only thing that has changed materially is the balance within the coalition: during the technocratic, national unity government led by Mario Draghi from February 2021 until July this year, votes shifted away from the right-wing party that joined Draghi's government, Lega, and to the party that stayed out, the Brothers of Italy. This shift continued right up to the election, with the Brothers ending up with three times the vote share of either Lega, led by Matteo Salvini, or Meloni's other coalition partner, Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia. This will greatly strengthen her position when forming her government, making it likelier than not that her government will last several years, or even the full five-year parliamentary term. The last time a coalition won a clear majority in an Italian general election was in 2008, when Berlusconi led the right to victory. Since 2011, there have been seven governments under six different prime ministers, two of which (Mario Monti and Draghi) were technocrats, while the other five relied upon creative and complex coalition negotiations. Compared with those, the Meloni victory promises simplicity and, at least in the medium term, stability. In fact, Meloni's victory largely reflects the instability of the last decade. Moreover, with Italy having been led mainly by leaders from the center and left since 2011, it was arguably time for Italy to swing back to the right. And one of Meloni's big attractions was that she is young (just 45 years old) and untainted by any recent governmental decisions, popular or otherwise. The voter apathy that pushed turnout down to just 64% had a lot to do with disillusion with the old political guard. Meloni's most eye-catching characteristic has been fairly unimportant in her success. She leads a party that is unashamed of its origins among postwar supporters of Mussolini, the Fascist dictator. The Brothers even keep as their party symbol a flame symbolizing loyalty to the late Duce. Some members wear black shirts and even use the Roman salute most commonly associated with German Nazis, though it was Mussolini who popularized it. For the time being, these neo-fascist associations are unimportant, because there is no sign of any upswell of support for violent methods or for subverting democracy. Meloni's signature issues, which include a Trump-like "Italy First" attitude toward illegal immigration and hostility to progressive social policies regarding LGBTQ communities or abortion, are essentially consistent with the programs of previous Berlusconi-led right-wing governments in 2001-06 and 2008-11, and of Lega in a left-right coalition 2018-19. Her opposition to foreign ownership of flagship national companies such as the former Alitalia is also conventional. So, despite many Italians' disappointment that progressive social policies may now be reversed, there is little that is genuinely new in the program promised by Meloni. She will enter office not on a groundswell of enthusiasm but on a wave of disillusionment. Moreover, unlike Salvini and Berlusconi, she has taken a resolutely anti-Russia and pro-Ukraine stance over the war, just like the outgoing Draghi. With Ukraine now making gains in that war, this is unlikely to change. Meloni may in the past have admired Russian President Vladimir Putin's social conservatism, but she is not going to back a loser. The big questions about the new government, at least for non-Italians, concern its economic policy. In his 18 months in office, Draghi put Italy's economy in what might be described as a benign straitjacket: he wrote a public investment plan for Italy to receive 190 billion euros ($183 billion) from the European Union's NextGenerationEU scheme over five years, four of which still lie ahead. This entailed establishing a rigorous system for auditing and monitoring that expenditure, and agreeing to meet stringent conditions set by the European Commission before each tranche of payments is released. As a self-declared "sovereigntist," Meloni is no fan of stringent conditions from Brussels. Nor, with the whole right-wing coalition backed by an array of vested interests among small and medium-size businesses, will she be a fan of pro-competition reforms or even rigorous auditing. But the large flows of cash involved will be crucial for Italy's medium-term economic growth, implying that her sovereigntist instincts are set for a contest with pragmatic realism. The new government will not be sworn in until late October, and yet will immediately have to prepare a budget for 2023. Meloni's choice of finance minister will be the most keenly watched appointment of all. It is hard to imagine she will want to start her term by picking fights with the European Commission, especially with a tough winter of high energy prices and scarce gas ahead. But she is new and untested, so no one can be entirely sure. Bill Emmott, a former editor-in-chief of The Economist, is co-director of the Global Commission for Post-Pandemic Policy. This article was produced for Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org). Republicans are demanding an ethics investigation into Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney after DailyMail.com reported he paid his and his husband's personal trainer with campaign and taxpayer funds for allegedly working as a part-time driver. 'Using taxpayer funds to hire a personal trainer is outrageous. Sean Patrick Maloney should face an ethics investigation,' National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Samantha Bullock said in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'Sean Patrick Maloney is one of the most ethically challenged Democrats in Congress. He deserves to lose and Im confident Hudson Valley voters agree,' Rep. Tom Emmer, who chairs the NRCC, told DailyMail.com in a statement. Maloney is running against Republican state lawmaker Mike Lawler in November in a competitive district that Cook Political Report rates as 'leans Democratic.' Erick Ramos was paid $2,608.66 by the New York Democrat and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) chair's office from April-May 2021 and listed as a 'part time employee.' Between March 2021 and October 2021, Ramos was paid $4,396 from Maloney's campaign funds. At the same time, Maloney's husband Randy Florke posted several videos to Instagram and tagged Ramos and referred to him as Florke and Maloney's 'personal trainer.' Ramos, in his Instagram bio, described himself as a 'personal trainer' and 'natural athlete.' Maloney's office said that Ramos was paid as a driver. Maloney is pictured above with his husband and two of his children His Facebook page says that he has been employed as a chief security officer at John Hardy since 2018. The office said the congressman's regular driver, who is also listed as a 'part-time employee,' went on paternity leave and Ramos was brought to fill in for him. In a call set up by Maloney's office, DailyMail.com made inquiries with the congressman's usual driver, who said he did take paternity leave between March and May 2021 and took time off again in September-October 2021. On May 13, 2021, Florke posted a workout video and tagged Ramos, whose handle is 3rick_ramos1993. Responding to a comment on his post, Florke responded to a comment saying he was at his home gym and telling the follower they 'should hire my trainer. He's amazing. @3rick_ramos.' Maloney's husband Randy Florke posts a workout video and tags trainer Erick Ramos At the same time Ramos is working as the couple's personal trainer he was employed as a driver for the congressional office and campaign Florke tags Ramos in a July 2021 post On March 24, 2021 Florke posted a workout video of himself and Maloney, and again tagged Ramos. On June 24, 2021 Florke posted a photo of shirtless photo of himself and captioned it: 'Hiked Mt. Beacon with my trainer @3rick_ramos1993 this morning instead of our normal workout.' On three other occasions throughout June and July, Florke posted workout content to social media and tagged Ramos. Maloney's office claimed Ramos was paid taxpayer money 'exclusively' for driving duties and to question the payments was 'blatant homophobia.' 'Congratulations to the Daily Mail for their shocking discovery that Rep. Maloney and his husband work out! Beyond that, there is nothing to this piece besides blatant homophobia and yet another baseless attack on a person of color who worked for Rep. Maloney,' Maloney's communications director Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement. The driver who went on paternity leave is black. Another of Florke's posts where Ramos is tagged 'Rep. Maloney's driver had a baby and needed to take leave. During that period, Mr. Ramos briefly filled in as driver and was paid exclusively for that role.' The Maloney campaign had a similar story. 'Mr. Ramos filled in as driver from late March 2021 to May 2021 when the current driver was on leave. He also filled in as driver on a few occasions in fall of 2021 as-needed,' a spokesperson said. Florke and Maloney have been together since 1992 and have three adopted children. Florke works as an interior decorator in Cold Spring, New York. Maloney has served in Congress since 2013. Maloney and Florke work out together in March 2021 Ramos was there training them through the sweat session Florke tags his trainer in a Mt. Beacon, NY hike in June 2021 Lawler's campaign criticized the 'unusual financial arrangement' in a statement to DailyMail.com. 'The Erick Ramos controversy stinks to high heaven, but Sean Maloney seems to think that ethics rules don't apply to him,' campaign spokesperson Bill O'Reilly said. 'That's what happens when you've been a Washington-insider for too long. The more Mr. Maloney tries to run from this, the more questions arise.' The DCCC could not be reached for comment. Maloney made waves in the Democratic Party earlier this year when after a new redistricting map was released he announced he would run in the new district he lives in despite it heavily overlapping with Rep. Mondaire Jones' district, prompting Jones to run in New York City. Complaints arose across the nation about Maloney over the DCCC's choice to elevate far-right candidates in Republican primaries who they believed they would have an easier time beating in general elections. This is not the first time Maloney's staffing choices have prompted questions as to whether he used campaign funds for personal use. In July the New York Post reported on Harold Leath, Maloney's former 'body man' or as Maloney's office calls it, 'executive assistant.' 'I was pretty much with the congressman everywhere he went within the district if he went to a meeting, if he went out running. I would drive him everywhere he needed to go,' he told The Post. 'When I first started, my main responsibility was to make sure the congressman and his family never needed anything,' Leath recalled. 'I was to be there.''Everything I got paid for was either for his campaign, in the beginning, or doing something for him.' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed Tuesday that three of the four looting suspects arrested in Lee County were in the United States illegally. The Republican executive made the revelation during a news conference in Fort Myers on Tuesday as he gave an update about the response to Hurricane Ian. DeSantis focused on 'law and order' in southwest Florida and drew a connection between that at his opposition to President Joe Biden's immigration policies. 'These are people that are foreigners, they're illegally in our country, but not only that, they try to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster,' DeSantis explained. Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis revealed how three of the looters were illegal immigrants 'who should not be in the US at all' 'These are people that are foreigners, they're illegally in our country, but not only that, they try to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster,' he said A no trespassing sign warning looters is seen outside a shop after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction in Fort Myers Beach, Florida Lucas Gordon spray paints a sign that reads,' You loot we shoot', in front of his home. Gordon said they were afraid looters might try to take advantage of them A warning to looters is spray painted on the side of a car on Pine Island, Florida 'They should be prosecuted, but they need to be sent back to their home country. They should not be here at all.' The four men were arrested on charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency, according to online jail records. The individuals, aged between 20 and 33, were booked for ransacking devastated homes and businesses on Fort Myers Beach while they suffered in the wake of the raging torrent. All four looters were arrested on September 29 - but documents reveal that they were released after posting $35,000 bonds each. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno held a press conference Tuesday in which he addressed the spike in looting and illegal scavenging in the aftermath of the historic hurricane 'As far as looting we have law and order in Lee County. We have law and order in our great state of Florida, and we always will,' said Marceno. 'Right now, we have four cases of looting.' Brandon Mauricio Araya and Steve Eduardo Sanchez Araya, both 20, were arrested for looting and grand theft during a state of emergency. They are both registered as living in Cape Coral Omar Mejia Ortiz and Valerie Celeste Salcedo Mena were both booked in Lee County The looters were found with several bottles on liquor on them Officers take down the details of the suspected looters who were later out on $35,000 bond The oldest looting suspect is Omar Mejia Ortiz, 33. He lives in Immokalee - meaning he traveled at least 50 miles to Fort Myers beach to ransack the ruinous shops and homes after Hurricane Ian's wrath, reports Florida Jolt. Valerie Celeste Salcedo Mena, 26, made her way from her home in Cape Coral, which is at least a 40-minute drive to the Florida coastline. The youngest two suspects who were arrested for looting seem to be related - Brandon Mauricio Araya and Steve Eduardo Sanchez Araya. The young men, both aged 20, traveled from the same address in Cape Coral before finding themselves booked in Lee County. All four suspects were booked for the same crime: Burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency and all will face a hearing on October 31 at Lee County's Circuit Court. Lee County currently has a curfew and a 'zero-tolerance' policy against looting. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis waves following a press conference to update information about the on ongoing efforts to help people after hurricane Ian passed through the area DeSantis has taken a hard line against looters since Ian struck the Sunshine State and told of a sign he saw in the city of Punta Gorda. 'They boarded up all the businesses, and there are people that wrote on their plywood, 'you loot, we shoot,' DeSantis said. 'At the end of the day, we are not going to allow lawlessness to take advantage of this situation. We are a law-and-order state, and this is a law-and-order community, so do not think that you're going to go take advantage of people who've suffered misfortune.' DeSantis has taken a similarly hard line when it comes to immigration and last month was instrumental in sending 48 Venezuelan migrants on flights from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on Tuesday in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida suffered severe damage during the Category 4 hurricane which caused extensive damage to communities along the state's coast Members of the Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue team comb through the wreckage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims of Hurricane Ian A search dog helps members of Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue comb through the wreckage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims of Hurricane Ian on Tuesday A search team can be seen in the distance as they comb through the wreckage at Fort Myers Beach Destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on Tuesday in Fort Myers Beach A member of the search and rescue team stands atop the wreckage The search team can be seen walking over the wreckage Hubert and Betty Toney stand outside their home, which roof was torn off by Hurricane Ian Later in St. Augustine, DeSantis said he told Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie that the state could provide support in the event of people bringing boats to try to 'ransack' homes on islands that have been isolated from the mainland. 'I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody's home,' DeSantis said. 'I would not want to chance that if I were you, given that we're a Second Amendment state.' Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno backed up DeSantis position on looting in the wake of the destructive storm. 'As far as looting we have law and order in Lee County. We have law and order in our great state of Florida, and we always will. Right now, we have four cases of looting, and I'm proud to say they're behind bars where they belong. Our residents are going to be safe,' said Marceno. 'All three of these subjects are here illegally in this country Robert Mena, Brandon Araya, Stephen Araya all arrested for stealing bottles on Fort Myers Beach during the hurricane. They were located and arrested. And I'm going to tell you, I'm not tolerating it again.' Marceno warned that those who loot risk being shot by police. 'I'm not playing. We're not playing. We have law and order and great residents will be safe and secure. We've had arrests on these incidents,' Marceno continued. 'You might walk in. You'll be carried out.' The mounting death toll from Ian's wrath currently stands at 85, and 'ground zero' Fort Myers is currently one of Florida's most decimated neighborhoods as rescue teams desperately try and find survivors amid the rubble. Last week, NBC2 reporter Gage Goulding captured the moment five looters were handcuffed on video - as the opportunistic rebels kept their eyes on the ground during the embarrassing arrest Lee County Sheriff's Office were unable to confirm if they were the same set of looters Last week, NBC2 reporter Gage Goulding captured the moment five looters were handcuffed on video - as the opportunistic rebels kept their eyes on the ground during the embarrassing arrest. In a menacing warning to looters, Ron DeSantis said that Floridians would not be scared to evoke their second amendment if they caught an opportunist looter in their midst. The Florida Gov told a press conference in St. Augustine, he said: 'Don't even think about looting, don't even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation. 'I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody's home. 'I would not want to chance that if I were you, given that we're a Second Amendment state. 'At the end of the day, we are not going to allow lawlessness to take advantage of this situation.' DeSantis warned that robbers may try to arrive on boats in a bid to ransack people's homes. The state's Attorney General Ashley Moody also said: 'Floridians displaced by Hurricane Ian have enough to worry about without having to fear theft or burglary at the hands of offenders previously arrested for crimes during the state of emergency. 'These unscrupulous offenders must remain locked up where they can no longer prey on vulnerable Floridians. 'I strongly urge state attorneys to seek pretrial detention to the fullest extent possible for any criminal heartless enough to victimize Floridians during this extremely challenging time.' And after seeing the video of the looters on the ground, Moody added: 'I have asked state attorneys to seek the longest pretrial detention possible to keep them locked up so they cannot commit new crimes.' Florida Gov DeSantis said: 'Don't even think about looting, don't even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation' Attorney General Ashley Moody also made a warning to looters: 'These unscrupulous offenders must remain locked up where they can no longer prey on vulnerable Floridians' Looting will not be tolerated in Floridaespecially during this State of Emergency. pic.twitter.com/oJLgIrHOYH AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) October 1, 2022 The torrent brought ashore by Hurricane Ian caused an estimated $60 billion in damage. Insurers assessing the damage to properties ransacked by the flooding and winds are bracing for a multi-billion dollar hit after Florida's streets were turned into rivers and houses were engulfed by the raging Category 4 storm. Decimated coastal towns and submerged homes are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the catastrophic loss caused by the violent weather front last week. So far, more than 1,600 locals have been rescued. The current number of fatalities is only expected to grow as rescue teams dive in and assess the shattered towns submerged by Ian's fury - while 600,000 people are still in darkness after the hurricane obliterated power lines. Depleted survivors on 'ground zero' Fort Myers, which was obliterated by the 15-foot storm surge, were forced to escape the aftermath on foot, while clear-up teams rummaged street by street through the shocking debris. The eye-watering projection includes estimated wind, storm surge, and inland flood losses resulting from Ian's landfalls in both Florida and South Carolina, risk modeling firm Verisk said. A wind blown camper-trailer rests on a passenger car along a highway in Punta Gorda, Florida Decimated coastal towns and submerged homes are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the catastrophic loss caused by the violent weather front last week Foreign-trained nurses and midwives will be able to practise in the NHS even if they fail English language tests under controversial new rules. Campaigners warn patients may be at increased risk of harm after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) watered down its requirements. The regulator will currently only register staff trained abroad if they achieve a certain score in independently assessed reading, writing, listening and speaking exams. But they have agreed to admit those who marginally fail to make the grade if they obtain a letter from an employer vouching for their English skills. The NMC announced on social media that its committee approved the change last week, with the new rules coming into effect from January. Campaigners warn patients may be at increased risk of harm after the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) watered down its requirements (stock image) This graph shows the country of training of all newly registered nurses and midwives in the UK over the past five years. Unsurprisingly, British trained nurses make the majority with about 120,000 joiners. India (about 21,000), Philippines (nearly 18,000) and Nigeria (nearly 5,000) are the biggest providers of overseas trained nurses and midwives registered to work in the UK These charts, based on NHS workforce data, show the proportion of doctors and nurses joining the NHS in England based on where they originally trained. In both professions the number of UK trained joiners has decreased over time (red lines) whereas the number of non-EU trained professionals has increased (yellow lines) Revealed: How the NHS is reliant on foreign-trained nurses Some 23,444 foreign-trained nurses and midwives joined the NMC register last year, with two-thirds coming from India and the Philippines. Foreign-trained staff accounted for almost half of all new joiners, with the number rising by 135 per cent compared with the previous 12 months. Of the top 20 countries recruited by the UK, four Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal and Pakistan were on the World Health Organisation's 'red list', signalling major shortages of their own. This means trusts could not 'actively' recruit from these countries in line with the Department of Health's code of practice. However, the code does not stop individual professionals from seeking employment independently. Advertisement It comes as the NHS is critically short of more than 50,000 nurses and midwives, with one in ten nursing posts vacant. Health bosses are becoming more reliant on overseas recruitment to plug dangerous rota gaps. Peter Walsh, chief executive of Action Against Medical Accidents, said: 'Good communication between health professionals is absolutely vital for patient safety.' He added: 'There is a risk that employers who are desperate for staff may be tempted to vouch for someone's English in a less-than-honest way, so that has to be taken into account.' The NMC is changing its policy following an eight-week consultation, which received more than 34,000 responses. It says the new approach provides a 'fair and reliable' system ensuring staff can communicate 'safely and effectively'. The regulator will now accept 'supporting evidence' when candidates have 'narrowly missed passing the English language test'. They must have been working in a non-regulated health or care role, such as a healthcare assistant, in the UK for at least one year within the past two years. And their employer must provide evidence that they have the necessary level of English language competence. A spokesman for the NMC said: 'This proposal will allow employers to provide objective information... about someone's use of English in a health and social care setting in the UK, including evidence from interactions with people who use services. This proposal will provide greater flexibility for people who are already contributing to health and social care in the UK without affecting the high standard of English language skills needed to deliver safe, kind and effective care.' The regulator will currently only register staff trained abroad if they achieve a certain score in independently assessed reading, writing, listening and speaking exams. But they have agreed to admit those who marginally fail to make the grade if they obtain a letter from an employer vouching for their English skills (stock image) Some 23,444 foreign-trained nurses and midwives joined the NMC register last year, with two-thirds coming from India and the Philippines. Foreign-trained staff accounted for almost half of all new joiners, with the number rising by 135 per cent compared with the previous 12 months. Of the top 20 countries recruited by the UK, four Nigeria, Ghana, Nepal and Pakistan were on the World Health Organisation's 'red list', signalling major shortages of their own. This means trusts could not 'actively' recruit from these countries in line with the Department of Health's code of practice. However, the code does not stop individual professionals from seeking employment independently. Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, which campaigns for elderly Britons, said he would not be 'completely comfortable' being treated by a nurse that had failed to pass the language exams. He added: 'We would like to see all our nurses with perfect English but when there is such a shortage some patients may prefer to see a nurse with poor English than no nurse at all. 'Some nursing duties may not require such a command of English... it may be safer if they are only allowed to carry out those with lower risks.' Matthew McClelland of the NMC said: 'Internationally trained professionals make a vital contribution to safe, effective and kind nursing and midwifery across the UK. 'It is essential for public safety that nursing and midwifery professionals have effective English language skills and can communicate safely.' The Royal College of Nursing said it backed the change. The Royal College of Midwives did not respond to a request for comment. A nurse who sparked fury by saying live on national television: 'If you voted Conservative you don't deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS' reveals she is going to be sacked. Former NHS nurse Miranda Hughes made the incendiary comments during a live TV debate on Channel 5 on Monday. Following her comments, Twitter users expressed outrage with many suggesting that she should be sacked and investigated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Speaking yesterday to The Telegraph, Ms Hughes, who works in the private sector said: 'They can do that to me because of their media policy. I am not allowed to say anything. I have brought the company into disrepute so yes I am being sacked. Former NHS nurse Miranda Hughes made the incendiary comments during a live TV debate on Channel 5 on Monday which she now claims could have cost her her job with a private medical company based in South London 'The reason I went on the programme was that you cannot care for your patients, its impossible. Because I care too much and even Jeremy Vine said to me working in the NHS broke you. 'Well yes it has and its broken me again. I cant do whats right and it frustrates the hell out of me because Ive been sick myself, Ive had to watch people die and there are no resources to help.' Ms Hughes said she got angry and said 'something inappropriate' and claims her only problem is that she 'cares too much'. The outburst comes after Ms Hughes also slammed Brexit as 'absurd' and 'embarrassing' during a previous appearance on BBC Question Time. The outburst comes after self-proclaimed 'Anti-Tory' Ms Hughes also slammed Brexit as 'absurd' and 'embarrassing' during a previous rant on BBC Question Time (pictured) Her remarks about the NHS were made last night on a live debate named 'Britain on the Brink', hosted by Jeremy Vine. After being challenged on the claims, Ms Hughes who now works in the private sector, backtracked on her incendiary remarks, insisting: 'No, of course I would, of course I would.' But her original comments have sparked fury online, with some describing them as 'disgusting' and 'bigotry'. Others pointed out that more than 14million people voted Conservative in the 2019 General Election. And today the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the independent regulator for nurses, and nursing associates, today said it had been made aware of the comments. A spokesperson said: 'We've seen a lot of tweets about a comment made yesterday on television. 'Our Code is clear that professionals on our register must promote professionalism and trust at all times. 'Where concerns are raised with us we'll always look into it and consider taking action if needed.' Ms Hughes made the comments as she explained to host, Vine, about her decision to quit the NHS for the private sector. She said: 'I could not handle the emotional stress of not being able to deliver for my patients. 'When you sign up to be a nurse, you sign up to put the patient at the forefront of everything you do. 'You are squeezed to the point where you cannot treat people, the way you need to treat them. 'And it eats you up, because you are there to do a job as a compassionate person, but there are no resources. Growing in anger as she spoke, she then said: 'And you are told consistently on the news that care homes are being ring fenced, but it's a lie.' 'And I am sorry but if you have voted Conservative you do not deserve to be resuscitated by the NHS. 'I know that is hard, I know that is hard, but I'm looking at these gentlemen and it has made me so angry. Asked if she meant what she said by host Jeremy Vine, she replied: 'No, of course I would, of course I would. 'But it is appalling the way we have been treated. All nurses have been slapped in the face.' Her comments have today sparked a backlash online, with people describing her views as 'bigotry'. One person to comment was former Sky and GB News presenter Colin Brazier. He said on Twitter: 'It doesn't do to trot out the 'all it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing' too regularly. 'But really. Saying that Tory voters shouldn't be resuscitated if they need to, in hospital, crosses several lines.' Do you know Miranda Hughes? Contact me: james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk Advertisement David Atherton, who describes himself as a Libertarian, and a former contributor the right-wing site Breibert, tweeted: 'Lefty nurse Miranda Hughes said on Channel 5's 'Britain on the Brink' last night that Tories 'don't deserve to be resuscitated.' 'I thought 'never kissed a Tory' was bad enough for bigotry.' Another to respond to the video, Scottish Conservative councillor Iain Gall, tweeted: '13,966,454 people voted conservative in the 2019 general election including myself. 'No doubt this cretin has #bekind in her bio.' It comes following a spate of criticism towards Labour politicians and activists following anti-Tory remarks. Labour frontbencher Lucy Powell was earlier this year accused of stirring up division after posing in a T-shirt that claimed she had 'never kissed a Tory'. The party's culture spokesman was told to 'grow up' after she was pictured wearing the T-shirt at the Manchester Pride parade. But Labour allies suggested the row over the T-shirt, which has become popular in some Left-wing circles, was an attempt to distract people from the cost of living crisis. Ms Powell, the partys culture spokesman, was told to grow up after she was pictured wearing the T-shirt at the Manchester Pride parade this weekend Chris Clarkson, the Tory MP for Heywood and Middleton, said of the shirt: 'Puerile, divisive and completely against the spirit of inclusion that Pride is supposed to embody. Grow up.' Sara Britcliffe, for Hyndburn and Haslingden, added: 'This is the problem. Creating an us v them. Quite disgusting from a shadow minister. 'A difference of political belief should not result in hate.' Tory MP Dehenna Davison, who came out as bisexual last year, also labelled the stunt 'juvenile'. A source close to Mrs Powell said last night: 'Whilst the Conservatives are fixating over a T-shirt worn to a Pride event in Manchester this weekend a T-shirt worn by Labour at all Prides for over a decade to much cheer from the crowds millions of families and pensioners are worried sick about how they will pay their energy bills this winter.' Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner also faced criticism last year after referring to Conservatives as 'scum' during a fringe meeting at Labour's party conference in Brighton. She said:'We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile, banana republic, vile, nasty, Etonian piece of scum.' She later 'unreservedly' apologised for the remarks and said she had 'reflected' on the tone of political debate in the wake of the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess in October last year and would no longer use such language. A Texas mayor apologized after he was accused of falling asleep during a memorial service for a police officer who died in a tragic motorcycle crash last month. In a photo posted to social media, Austin Mayor Steve Adler's eyes are closed and his head is down, chin tucked to his chest while other city officials around him are focused on the service that was held on Monday. Justin Berry, a senior officer with the Austin Police Department and a member of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, posted the photo and claimed the mayor was sleeping. Adler later apologized, but neither confirmed or denied he had fallen asleep. Steve Adler, the mayor of Austin, Texas, apologized after he was accused of falling asleep during a memorial service for a police officer who died in a tragic motorcycle crash last month Justin Berry, a senior officer with the Austin Police Department and a member of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, posted the photo and claimed the mayor was sleeping Berry, who is also a former GOP Texas state representative candidate, said he thought he saw the mayor nodding off during the service. He later received the photo that he shared online 'I want to express my deepest apologies to the family of Officer Martin,' Adler said in a written statement to the American-Statesman. Officer Anthony 'Tony' Martin, who has been with the Austin Police Department since 2006, was killed in a motorcycle crash on September 23 on his way home from working a night shift. 'Officer Martin died 10 days ago and will forever be honored as a hero. This moment should be about him and his family, including his two daughters whose words today pierced my heart as a father. I hold Officer Martin in the highest regard. May his memory be a blessing to his family, and to the city he served.' Adler issued his apology after backlash surrounding the photo that was shared online by Justin Berry. Berry is one of 19 officers who were indicted earlier this year for their role in a 2020 protest spurred by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. 'If you're going to defund and destroy a police department as their mayor then attend a highly respected officer's funeral, perhaps do not continue to disrespect that officer's family, friends, and other officers by falling asleep,' Berry tweeted. Berry, who is also a former GOP Texas state representative candidate, told Fox News Digital that he thought he saw the mayor nodding off during the service. He later received the photo that he shared online. 'It's very disheartening to have the Mayor of the City of Austin who was one of the ones that spearheaded all the defunding of the Austin Police Department by a third of our budget, who voted to take away officers' pay stipends back in 2017, which had a huge financial impact on our families to continue to go down a pathway that just shows nothing but the utmost disrespect and contempt,' Berry told Fox News Digital. There is already a rift between Adler and the Austin Police Department after Adler authorized a decision in 2020 that cut $21 million from the department's budget - which happened at the height of the movement to defund the police. The funding was later restored but has been blamed for low morale at the understaffed department with more than 200 officer vacancies and cadet training classes being canceled. 'We just had a massive survey done that showed how highly displeased officers are towards the city and then, less than a week later, he does this stuff,' Berry said. There is already a rift between Adler and the Austin Police Department after Adler authorized a decision in 2020 that cut $21 million from the department's budget - which happened at the height of the movement to defund the police Adler issued his apology after backlash surrounding the photo that was shared online by Justin Berry. Berry is one of 19 officers who were indicted earlier this year for their role in a 2020 protest spurred by the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer Last Thursday, Adler ordered a moment of silence at a City Council meeting. He said he had spoken with the officer's wife, Amberlee Martin, and offered her the city's support. 'To the officer's family, we grieve with you and to the entire force with the loss of their colleague,' Adler said. Thomas Villarreal, the police association president, told the Statesman that he reached out to Adler. Last Thursday, Adler ordered a moment of silence at a City Council meeting. He said he had spoken with the officer's wife, Amberlee Martin, and offered her the city's support Adler offered his support to the family: 'To the officer's family, we grieve with you and to the entire force with the loss of their colleague' 'Today's memorial was a time to honor and pay respect to Officer Tony Martin and his family,' he said. 'Unfortunately, the mayor's actions distract from those underlying reasons for the memorial service. I have expressed my frustration directly to Steve and will deal with that issue at a later time. For now, I ask everyone to please keep Tony's family in your prayers.' The Statesman reported that this is not the first uncomfortable moment involving Adler and a police officer's family. Adler was asked by the family to not to come to the funeral of Officer Andy Traylor, who died in a car crash in July 2021. She was a professional artist who painted portraits of stars such as Absolutely Fabulous' Joanna Lumley Charlotte Johnson Wahl passed away at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in September 2021, aged 79 Advertisement Boris Johnson's artist mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl reportedly left the ex-PM 400,000 in her will after her 'sudden and peaceful' death following her battle with Parkinson's. Ms Johnson Wahl passed away at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in September last year, aged 79. Boris is said to have called his mother, a professional artist who painted stars such as Joanna Lumley, the 'supreme authority' in his family. He also previously credited her with instilling in him 'the equal value of every human life'. The former Prime Minister has been left 400,000 by his mother in her will after her 1.67million estate was split between her four children Boris, Rachel, Leo and Jo, reported The Sun. But, despite raising two sons who became Conservative politicians, along with journalist Rachel and entrepreneur Leo, Ms Johnson Wahl said she herself had grown up around 'rich socialists'. And in a candid 2015 interview with the Radio Times, she admitted that she had 'never voted Tory'. Boris Johnson's artist mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl (pictured in 2014) 'left the ex-PM 400,000 in her will' after her 'sudden and peaceful' death following her battle with Parkinson's Ms Johnson Wahl had an unhappy marriage to Boris' father Stanley, who was accused of breaking her nose in the 1970s. Born Charlotte Fawcett in Oxford in 1942, Mrs Johnson-Wahl was the daughter of the barrister Sir James Fawcett - who was president of the European Commission for Human Rights in the 1970s. One of five children, she studied English at Oxford University. But she interrupted her education to travel to America with Stanley Johnson, whom she met at Oxford and married in 1963. Speaking about meeting Stanley, she told Tatler magazine in 2015: 'I was engaged to somebody called Wynford Hicks, who was extraordinarily beautiful to look at but actually quite boring. 'Anyway, [after the dinner] Stanley sent me a note asking if he could come to tea and go for a walk. 'So a few days later we went for a walk and he suddenly said, 'Love is sweet. Revenge is sweeter far. To the Piazza. Ah ha ha har!', which made me laugh so much I fell in love with him.' Ms Johnson Wahl passed away at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington in September last year, aged 79 She returned to complete her degree as the first married female undergraduate at her college, Lady Margaret Hall. Mrs Johnson Wahl turned to art and painted a variety of subjects, primarily portraits. She is said to have completed more than 2,000 pieces in her career and was the subject of an exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in 2015. Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley, former Evening Standard editor Simon Jenkins and author Jilly Cooper were among those whose portraits she painted. Along with Boris Johnson, 58, she was also the mother of journalist Rachel Johnson, 57, entrepreneur Leo Johnson, 54 and former Conservative MP Jo Johnson. The ex-Prime Minister's son Wilfred was her 13th grandchild. The former Prime Minister has been left 400,000 by his mother in her will after her 1.67million estate was split between her four children Boris, Rachel, Leo and Jo Talking about bringing up four children, who she taught at home for a year, Mrs Johnson Wahl said: 'They were quite a handful but I loved them tremendously. 'I taught them very odd things that I wanted to know, like how to draw a squirrel. It was such fun, so cosy.' She and husband Stanley Johnson divorced in 1979, after she suffered a mental breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where she remained for nine months. She said: 'My husband and I were not making each other happy, to put it mildly. It was ghastly, terrible.' Mrs Johnson Wahl painted a variety of subjects, primarily portraits. She was the subject of an exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in 2015 Mrs Johnson-Wahl turned to art and painted a variety of subjects, primarily portraits. She is said to have completed more than 2,000 pieces in her career and was the subject of an exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London in 2015. Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley, former Evening Standard editor Simon Jenkins and author Jilly Cooper were among those whose portraits she painted A biography of Boris claimed her marriage became 'irredeemably fractured' due to her husband's 'neglect and philandering'. The Gambler, by Tom Bower, alleged that doctors spoke to Stanley 'about his abuse' while the couple's children were told a car door had hit their mother's face. The most shocking claim was that in the 1970s Stanley hurt her in a domestic violence incident that broke her nose and left her requiring hospital treatment. Mr Bower describes Stanley's first marriage, to Mr Johnson's mother Charlotte, as violent and unhappy, quoting her as saying: 'He broke my nose. He made me feel like I deserved it.' It was claimed that the incident took place in the 1970s when Mrs Johnson Wahl was suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder and had 'flailed' at Stanley, who broke her nose when 'flailing back'. Stanley, now 81, is said to have deeply regretted the incident and denied he had been violent on any other occasion. After moving to a flat following her divorce, she refused to accept money from her ex-husband and made a living selling paintings. She later recalled she was 'very hard up'. Mrs Johnson Wahl went on to marry the American professor Nicholas Wahl in 1988. She was widowed in 1996 when her second husband died of cancer. She had moved to New York, where she worked as an artists painting mostly city skyline landscapes, following the wedding. But she returned to the UK following her husband's death. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1982, aged 40. Mrs Johnson-Wahl (pictured left with Boris Johnson, his sister Rachel and brother Leo in 2015) also once explained how she settled on Boris Johnson's full name - Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson But she continued to paint despite condition - a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement and can cause shaking and stiffness. Speaking to the Telegraph in 2008, she said: 'I try to paint every day if I possibly can, though I have to go to the hospital a lot. 'I still manage to paint, though my arm will suddenly do a movement which is completely unintentional and that almost brings me to tears.' One of five children, she studied English at Oxford University. But she interrupted her education to travel to America with Stanley Johnson (pictured left with Boris Johnson's wife Carrie), whom she met at Oxford and married in 1963 Mr Johnson has previously spoken about his mother, and said at the 2019 Conservative Party conference she had taught him to believe in 'the equal importance, the equal dignity, the equal worth of every human being on the planet'. She was described in a 2015 article in the Evening Standard as 'left-wing'. Boris Johnson's sister, Rachel, said in the article, about two-party families, 'We are a very mixed-race family politically and my father tends to marry socialists. She later described her mother as 'the only red in the village when we lived on Exmoor'. And she herself once admitted that she had never voted Conservative, despite two of her sons being Tory MPs. She told the Radio Times in 2015: 'I find it extraordinary that I should have married a Tory and have four Tory children. Mrs Johnson Wahl's death was announced in the births, deaths and marriages section of the Times 'I've never voted Tory in my life. My parents were very socialist rich socialists with three cars and two houses, but they were socialists in the days when that happened.' Mrs Johnson Wahl also once explained how she settled on Boris Johnson's full name - Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. According to the Telegraph, she said: 'When I was three months pregnant, we travelled to Mexico City by Greyhound bus,' she said. 'It was very uncomfortable, I was desperately sick. We stayed with a man called Boris Litwin, who drew me aside and said, 'You can't travel back like this, here are two first-class air tickets'. 'I was so grateful, I said, 'Whatever the baby is, I shall call it Boris'.' But she later changed her mind and called him Alexander Boris de Pfeffel. The incident follows a string of injuries at dangerous slides across NSW The playground has only been open days but families say the slide isn't safe A young girl has snapped her leg on the slide at new Reddall Reserve playground A young girl has broken her leg going down a kid's slide just days after the brand new playground opened. Two-year-old Tailah Smith was going down the slide at Shellharbour's brand new Reddall Reserve Playground, in Wollongong, south of Sydney, on Sunday when her stunned family heard a 'crack'. Tailah, who was going down the playground's second biggest slide when she broke her leg, then screamed the rest of the way before her family were able to rush to her aid. Her dad Jason Smith told the Illawarra Mercury she had been on the slides all day. 'We don't know how it happened, but I think maybe her shoes got stuck and sort of gripped on the plastic, because her leg was up behind her bum,' he said. 'I could actually hear a crack inside the slide, and then she just started screaming. When she got to the bottom where her mum and brother were waiting, I started flying down behind her. We tried to stand her up and she couldn't weight bear on anything.' Two-year-old Tailah Smith snapped her leg on a slide at Shellharbour's brand new Reddall Reserve Playground (pictured) Her dad Jason Smith said he heard his daughter's leg crack inside the slide before she started screaming (stock image) The family rushed her to Shellharbour Hospital, where scans showed she had snapped her tibia. Mr Smith warned others to be careful of the slide, admitting he was hitting his head on the sides when he went down it himself. He said if he didn't speak up about the danger he wouldn't forgive himself if another child was to be seriously injured at the park. The slide's controversial speed divided people on Facebook. Some shrugged off accidents happening at the playground while others said the new park looked 'awesome' while one labelled the slide 'viciously steep' and dangerous. 'Let kids be kids! This park looks awesome! Unfortunately accidents can happen anywhere,' one user commented. 'Yea nah that slide is viciously steep,' another wrote. One woman posted a photo of her bruised legs to Facebook after going down the slide. 'This slide is wild, I can say with certainty it won't be the last injury from it. I have been on it and it was completely unexpected. Both of my legs got destroyed by the turns,' she wrote. 'Definitely wouldn't recommend little ones going on or doubling up.' A spokesperson for Shellharbour council told the Illawarra Mercury they would review the incident and inspect the slide A spokesperson for Shellharbour Council told the Illawarra Mercury they would review the incident and inspect the slide. Since opening, there has been no other reports of serious incidents at the playground. The council describes Reddall Reserve as a space to 'challenge' kids and is designed to cater to children of different ages and abilities with a flying fox, nature play and numerous slides and tunnels. Others compared the park to the notorious Boongaree Nature Play Park in Berry which has gained a reputation for having Australia's most dangerous slide since opening in January. That playground has been the topic of hot debate for months after more than 40 young children seriously injured themselves on the slide alone since it opened. Accounts have emerged of several children suffering severe injuries while playing at Boongaree Nature Play Park in Berry, a playground located on Sydney's south coast A petition was started by furious dad Mitch Liddicoat after his three-year-old daughter Harlow broke her leg on the playground's infamous slide. Mr Liddicoat told Daily Mail Australia he and his wife Tayla were excited to take their children to the park for some fresh air and fun before the day took a dramatic turn when Harlow asked to go on 'the big slide'. 'When we got up to the top she was waving down to mum and asked me to go down the slide with her,' he said. 'What we didn't know is there's a large kink in the slide that you can't really see from the outside. Mr Liddicoat said the force of the slide was enough to scare him and that he can't imagine how the slide is deemed safe for toddlers. 'It was very, very fast as we went down and we were being catapulted into all sides of the slide. It was like being in a tumble dryer,' he said. 'Harlow smacked her leg on the side of the slide and by the time we got down to the bottom she was screaming blue murder, just blood-curdling screams. 'I'm still struggling to get the sound out of my head, I'll never forget it.' He said the family later saw a man go down the slide and were amazed as he was sent flying and landed 'flat on his back'. 'He got up and said 'wow, that's really dangerous',' Mr Liddicoat said. 'If it's not safe for a grown man then how is it safe for a three-year-old child?' Little Harlow was rushed to hospital from the playground where specialists confirmed she had an 'extensive break' in her tibia. Mitch Liddicoat started a petition against the Berry slide after his three-year-old daughter Harlow broke her leg on the playground's infamous slide (pictured) Currently 124 people have signed the petition with many sharing their horror stories from the slide. 'This slide is unnecessarily dangerous for a child's playground. So many children have been seriously injured , it's only a matter of time before someone receives a fatal concussion from it. Replace it with something safer,' one person wrote. 'My granddaughter broke both her legs on the same slide,' another said. 'I have footage of my 6 year old child going down this very slide and his foot got stuck on the bend causing his whole leg / knee to bend the opposite way! He was very lucky to not have broken his leg also,' a third person wrote. Advertisement Britain has sent warships to the North Sea to protect underwater gas and oil pipelines and internet cables from Russian sabotage after the Nordstream was blown up in a suspected Kremlin attack. Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and survey ship HMS Enterprise have been deployed amid fears that pipelines, rigs and undersea cables that countries including Britain rely upon for energy are at risk of further attacks. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has acted to 'reassure' those working near the pipelines after Western intelligence agencies were blindsided by the pipeline blasts. A naval source told The Times: 'There are a number of uncertainties associated with that area and the infrastructure. 'The likelihood of anything happening is remote but people are concerned and what better system to have than a ship that has good radar and good sonar?' HMS Enterprise uses a sonar and miniature drones to carry out 'oceanographic and hydrographic surveys examining and mapping the seafloor'. HMS Somerset, meanwhile, is a 'fast, adaptable, versatile frigate' that has previously been deployed to shadow Russian naval destroyers through UK waters. It comes as Europe's critical infrastructure is now at risk after the Nord Stream gas pipes were blown up in an attack widely thought to have been orchestrated by Russia, senior politicians, defence chiefs and experts have warned. Norway is also understood to be increasing its security presence around the pipelines following threats to its offshore gas platforms. That suggests the UK - connected to Norway via two major pipelines which carry a third of this country's gas - is also at risk. Britain's largest oil and gas fields, which are dotted with dozens of rigs and criss-crossed by pipes, also sit close to Norwegian waters. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace pictured speaking during a panel discussion at the Warsaw Security Forum in Warsaw, Poland, yesterday Frigate HMS Somerset pictured at the Frigate Support Centre in HMNB Devonport. It is a 'fast, adaptable, versatile frigate' that has previously been deployed to shadow Russian naval destroyers through UK waters The release of gas emanating from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, in the Swedish economic zone in the Baltic Sea last week Explosions were heard near the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipes last week where gas is leaking into the Baltic from three holes. Western leaders including European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have accused Russia of sabotage. But Mr Wallace has refused to outright blame Russia for the explosions. He said: 'We often see suspicious activity by Russian spy ships in the region of our cables and pipelines. 'All of us are deeply vulnerable, because were so dependent on our internet cables and pipelines in the North Sea oil fields. That is why Ive made the decision to deploy HMS Enterprise and a frigate to support Norway.' Mr Wallace admitted that the UK 'didn't have any direct warning' of the attack, but said he will push through the purchase of a new ship that can launch drones and monitor the seabed for threats to underwater cables. The ship will be modified to counter the increasing threat from Russia, while work on a second vessel is expected to begin next year. The West has been scrambling to shore up defences following the pipeline blasts, with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Denmark last week for talks which he said 'addressed the protection of critical infrastructure'. Jonas Gahr Stoere, Norway's prime minister, said the country's military would also be visibly deployed around oil and gas rigs to protect them. Britain's largest oil and gas fields, which are dotted with dozens of rigs and criss-crossed by pipes, also sit close to Norwegian waters. A huge swathe of Baltic sea is pictured from this helicopter flyover showing bubbles breaking the surface amid a gas leak The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the explosions, dismissing the suggestion as 'stupid '. But Russia does have the capacity to carry out such an attack. Putin commands the world's largest fleet of spy submarines including one - the Belgorod - that was specifically designed to attack undersea cables, and has easy access to the Baltic via Kaliningrad and St Petersberg, where its newly-developed fleet of underwater drones is also based. The Russian strongman has accused the West of sabotaging the Russian-made Nord Stream pipelines, but Western sources insist Moscow was behind the stunt which led to huge gas leaks in the Baltic.' Sanctions are not enough for the West, they have switched to sabotage... by organising explosions on the Nord Stream international gas pipelines that run along the bottom of the Baltic Sea,' Putin said during a televised speech at a Kremlin ceremony last week. Living near nuclear power stations should mean free electricity, the Business Secretary suggested yesterday. Jacob Rees-Mogg gave his full backing to nuclear power as part of plans to make Britain energy self-sufficient. He said he would like to see a French-style system in which those living nearby who support new sites 'in the national interest' are rewarded. Hinkley Point C nuclear power station has been 'hugely popular' in Somerset because it brought 'jobs and skills', including 1,000 apprenticeships, he told the Tory conference. Jacob Rees-Mogg gave his full backing to nuclear power as part of plans to make Britain energy self-sufficient. Pictured: At the Tory conference yesterday Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, has been 'hugely popular' in Somerset because it brought 'jobs and skills', including 1,000 apprenticeships, he told the Tory conference. Pictured: The power station undergoing construction work on May 5 Speaking at a Policy Exchange think-tank event, Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'We should copy the French. If you live near a nuclear power station in France you get free electricity. 'If you do something in the national interest, then it should benefit those who make the sacrifice for the national interest.' He added: 'Nuclear power is just fundamental.' The Prime Minister has vowed to make Britain a net energy exporter by 2040, with pledges for new developments in wind, nuclear and shale gas. Donald Trump has fired off another attack on the National Archives and Records Administration, which handles presidential records, after the FBI seized thousands of documents from the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate that were allegedly government property. 'There is no security at NARA. I want my documents back!' Trump complained in a lengthy statement on Tuesday, accusing the federal agency of bungling the handling of government documents. The Justice Department says it seized roughly 11,000 documents, including about 100 with classification markings, during an August 8 search of Mar-a-Lago, part of a probe into potential violations of laws governing the handling of government records. Investigators say that many of those documents belong in the National Archives, but Trump lashed out at the agency in his statement, citing an embarrassing 2009 incident in which NARA lost a hard drive of records from the Clinton administration. Donald Trump slammed the National Archives and Records Administration, which handles presidential records, after the FBI seized thousands of documents from Mar-a-Lago Trump lashed out at the National Archives in a statement on Tuesday, citing a 2009 scandal in which the agency lost a hard drive with records from the Clinton administration Trump shared a CNN report that detailed how NARA lost the external hard drive containing confidential personal information, including the names, phone numbers and Social Security numbers of White House staff members and visitors. 'NARA lost a whole hard drive full of HIGHLY SENSITIVE information from the Clinton White House,' wrote Trump. 'What else have they "lost"? How can Americans trust a system like this?' The hard drive in question was found to be missing from a processing room at NARAs College Park, Maryland, facility in March 2009. The missing drive contained names and social security numbers for some 15,750 individuals, according to a statement from the agency. NARA said at the time that the hard drive did not contain any original records, only backups. But it does not appear the missing drive was ever located. The National Archives press office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from DailyMail.com after business hours on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Trump has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the Mar-a-Lago case, after an Appeals Court ruling that put a stop to allowing a 'special master' to review classified documents seized from the president's Florida club. The FBI raided Mar-a-Lago August 8, retrieving about 100 classified documents Trump wants to revert back to a process where a senior judge acting as a special master pores over material seized in the raid of his Florida club to adjudicate Trump's claims over material the former president considers privileged. That could allow Trump to use that review to bounce certain material marked as 'classified' or even 'top secret' and keep it out of the hands of government investigators as part of their probe related to the removal and retention of government national security documents. Trump's lawyers asked Justice Clarence Thomas to issue an order that would undo the appeals court's move on an emergency basis. Thomas, who has emerged to lead the court's 6-3 conservative majority, oversees the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals as Circuit Justice, although he could send the matter to the full court. It is just the latest turn in a fight that has whipped its way through the courts and put Trump's legal woes back in the spotlight in the run-up to the November elections. After Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon named a 'special master' to review the material seized during the FBI search, the Justice Department went to the 11th Circuit seeking to overturn part of her ruling. They sought to put an end parts of the order requiring the special master to go through classified documents with about 100 documents marked classified seized in an August 8 search and where Trump was asserting privilege claims. DOJ argued those documents were the property of the government, and that Trump shouldn't be allowed claims of executive privilege against them, while also claiming to keep attorney-client documents out of the government's hands. The appeal comes as a special master has begun setting up a process to review material seized from Mar-a-Lago The government prevailed, even as the special master kept his overriding role. District Judge Raymond Dearie, who was recommended by Trump's team, remains in the role. A three-judge Appeals Court panel ruled in DOJ's favor. Trump's team argued that any interference in the review of material which comes amid Trump's own claim of privilege 'erodes public confidence in our system of justice.' Legal experts pointed out Tuesday that Trump's team did not seek to toss another part of the appeals court's ruling: that the DOJ could continue to use classified materials in its investigation. Lawyers for Trump filed the 296-page filing seeking to overturn part of the appeals court's latest order. They argue that it compromises 'the integrity of the well-established policy against piecemeal appellate review and ignoring the District Courts broad discretion without justification.' Just as DOJ has argued that Trump's ploy could interfere with a government investigation under the Espionage Act, Trump's team argues it could harm the special master's role. Donald Trump's lawyers are seeking to bring the Supreme Court into the case The former president has repeatedly attacked the raid, and has even suggested FBI agents may have planted material 'This unwarranted stay should be vacated as it impairs substantially the ongoing, time-sensitive work of the Special Master,' they wrote. 'Moreover, any limit on the comprehensive and transparent review of materials seized in the extraordinary raid of a Presidents home erodes public confidence in our system of justice.' The 11th Circuit 'lacked jurisdiction' to review the Special Master Order,' they wrote. In one footnote, Trump's lawyers cite Justice Ketanji-Brown Jackson, who first sat on the high court Monday. 'As Justice Jackson long ago recognized, the wheels of justice grind to an ignominious halt when a personnot just the political rival of the sitting administration is targeted for being attached to the wrong political views or being unpopular with the predominant or governing group,"' they write. Trump's filing to the Supreme Court was signed by four of his lawyers: Lindsey Halligan, Chris Kise, Evan Corcoran, and James Trusty. Kise is reportedly working on a $3 million advance. Trump's lawyers defended the original appointment of a special master by Judge Cannon, who was confirmed just weeks before Trump left office, in a move some legal experts doubted would happen. 'The unprecedented circumstances presented by this casean investigation of the Forty-Fifth President of the United States by the administration of his political rival and successorcompelled the District Court to acknowledge the significant need for enhanced vigilance and to order the appointment of a Special Master to ensure fairness, transparency, and maintenance of the public trust,' they write. Stern action needed to keep North Korea in check North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Tuesday that soared over Japan before landing in the Pacific Ocean. The missile flew 4,500 kilometers, farther than ever before, prompting Japan to issue evacuation warnings for some residents and suspend partial train services. It marked the first time in five years that Pyongyang fired a missile above the Japanese archipelago, heightening military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia. The North's move triggered fierce reactions from the international community. For starters, U.S. President Joe Biden had a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, strongly condemning the North for posing a threat to the Japanese people. President Yoon Suk-yeol also said the North's "reckless provocation" will end up facing determined responses. The U.S. called on the U.N. Security Council to meet to discuss the issue. Yet China and Russia are against the move. South Korea and the U.S. countered in unison, firing ground-to-ground ballistic missiles into the East Sea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that the drills "showed the ability and readiness to neutralize the origin of the provocation." On Tuesday, fighter jets of the two allies also conducted combined bombing drills in West Sea. The JCS said the IRBM, presumably the same as the "Hwasong-12" type which the North already tested Jan. 30, flew at a terminal speed of Mach 17 to an altitude of 970 kilometers. With the longest flight range, the North's launch can pose a threat to U.S. bases in Japan and Guam. The North apparently flexed its military muscle in defiance of the recent ROK-U.S.-Japan joint anti-submarine exercises. It also revealed its determination to continue to build up its missile and nuclear capabilities. North Korea conducted 23 missile launches this year, including nine since the May 10 inauguration of President Yoon Suk-yeol. The recent launch is an apparent prelude to further provocations by Pyongyang, such as the test-firing of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and another nuclear test. The National Intelligence Service forecast earlier that the North may conduct its seventh nuclear test sometime between the Chinese Communist Party's Congress in mid-October and the U.S. midterm elections in early November. The Ministry of National Defense warned against North Korea's possible provocations in the heavily-fortified border area after some South Korean activists recently flew anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North. Seoul and Washington should take more proactive steps to prevent the tense security situation on the peninsula from aggravating. On the other hand, they should double down on inducing the recalcitrant North to hold talks. North Korea, for its part, should refrain from making further provocations. It should adopt more prudent and discreet approaches to cope with the rapidly changing international circumstances. It needs to recognize its launches of missiles over Japan will only stimulate Tokyo to become more desperate to strengthen its military prowess. Having your home burgled, especially if you and your family are asleep in bed at the time, is a deeply traumatic experience. It is not merely as the police jargon has it a property crime. It's a violation, destroying any sense of security. Yet in recent years police have taken an appallingly casual attitude to such a grievous offence. Indeed, it's almost a miracle if a police officer attends a break-in and takes a statement, let alone dusts for fingerprints. No wonder then, as the Daily Mail has revealed, a staggering 774 burglaries go unsolved every day. Raiders must feel they have carte blanche to invade homes. In an unprecedented pledge, every chief constable has vowed to send an officer to every single burglary So the Mail welcomes the unprecedented pledge by every chief constable to send an officer to every single burglary. Evidence shows that visits not only increase the chance of catching an intruder, they also reduce burglaries in that area and, of course, give victims peace of mind. And cracking down on traditional crime, rather than devoting valuable resources to scouring the internet for offensive comments and woke virtue-signalling, restores public trust in the police. The only question is: Why on earth has it taken so long for the police to do something so eminently sensible? First speech, new start It is a sign of the delirium gripping the Tories that Liz Truss's first conference speech as Prime Minister could be her last. Barely a month since she became leader promising to unite the Party, it is engulfed in chaos, indiscipline and rancour. Weakened by the botched handling of her ambitious mini-Budget, which cut everyone's taxes and pumped billions in energy subsidies to every household, she faces open revolt over her economic plans. The Tories are so far behind Labour in the polls, rebellious MPs are already plotting to topple her. This must stop. A paralysed Government benefits only Labour. Miss Truss understands perfectly that Britain's prosperity depends on urgently jump-starting our lethargic economy. We wish her well today. We'd like nothing more than to hear a rousing, visionary speech that reimposes her authority, silences dissenters, and starts a new chapter for her premiership and the country. Sinister secret justice This paper has every sympathy for Sir Cliff Richard and other innocent people whose lives have been damaged after being wrongly accused of crimes. But Home Secretary Suella Braverman's support for granting all suspects anonymity until charged is sinister, dangerous and a devastating affront to Press freedom. Naming suspects can make it easier to secure convictions of criminals as it emboldens other victims, or witnesses, to contact police with incriminating evidence. And banning the media from identifying suspects allows police to arrest without scrutiny. That brings the terrifying prospect of secret justice a step nearer. Our justice system is already unhealthily clandestine. Mrs Braverman must reverse this scandal. Nuclear nightmare As a train transporting equipment for Russia's nuclear arsenal rolls towards Ukraine, a former British defence chief has warned that Vladimir Putin's chilling threat to launch a strike is genuine. Humiliated by his army's rout, the dictator is again trying to terrify President Zelensky into surrendering and the West into ending its military aid for his fighters. It is like a grotesque Cold War nightmare. Of course, Nato's allies cannot cave in to his deranged ultimatums. But we pray wise heads prevail to avoid an inexorable slide towards atomic annihilation. Kanye West on Tuesday insisted he had no issue with Vogue's contributing fashion editor, despite ridiculing her the day before when she expressed concern over his 'White Lives Matter' fashion show. West, 45, caused an uproar with Monday's show in Paris, which saw models striding down the catwalk in WLM shirts - seen as a repudiation of the Black Lives Matter movement. His spokesman Jason Lee quit in protest at the provocative show, writing on Instagram that West was 'gaslighting black people and empowering white supremacy.' 'Very humble and thankful to Ye for the opportunity to work with him but that part of our relationship has come to an end,' he later wrote on his Instagram Story. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson said the t-shirts were 'deeply offensive, violent and dangerous'. West reacted with scorn, ridiculing her outfits online and saying she had no understanding of fashion. Yet a day later, he insisted Karefa-Johnson was his 'sister' and said they had had a two-hour discussion about the issues raised. Kanye West on Monday caused widespread anger with Monday's show in Paris, which saw models striding down the catwalk in WLM shirts - seen as a repudiation of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kanye was snapped walking through Paris yesterday in a black hoodie during Paris Fashion Week, where caused an uproar with his White Lives Matter fashion show West is pictured in February with Jason Lee, his spokesman. Lee on Tuesday said he would no longer work with West following the WLM show Gabriella Karefa-Johnson criticized West's WLM show, and was then attacked by the rapper 'GABBY IS MY SISTER,' the rapper wrote. 'IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDN'T MEET WITH GABRIELLE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR 2 HOURS THEN WE WENT TO DINNER AT FERDIE.' West said that Vogue editor Anna Wintour asked Australian film director Baz Luhrmann to film their encounter. 'IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS BEING USED LIKE TREVOR NOAH AND OTHER BLACK PEOPLE TO SPEAK ON MY EXPRESSION,' said West, who in March was criticized by Noah. Noah took issue with West's harassment of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson. West in response called Noah a racial slur, and was banned from Instagram. West on Tuesday said Karefa-Johnson told him she was not being used by Vogue to speak on their behalf, and condemn the WLM t-shirts. 'WE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER FOR THE WAY WE MADE EACH OTHER FEEL WE ACTUALLY GOT ALONG AND HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THE FIGHT FOR ACCEPTANCE IN A WORLD THAT'S NOT OUR OWN,' he wrote. 'SHE DISAGREED I DISAGREED WE DISAGREED.' West was angered on Monday when the influential stylist said she was deeply troubled by his show. 'I'm fuming ... collecting my thoughts,' she wrote, labeling West's actions 'indefensible behavior.' She wrote that she was among those who 'suffered in that room' and was working through the 'trauma' of the experience. West hits out at Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson who called his season 9 collection of YZY 'offensive' and 'violent' In a mocking tone, West specifically targets Karefa-Johnson's Timberland boots, which he says Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour 'HAAAATES' Karefa-Johnson shared some of her musings of disgust at the YZY season 9 show She says she understands what West 'tried to do' with his most recent collection, but adds that it failed spectacularly and was instead a 'deeply offensive, violent, and dangerous' display The Vogue contributing editor later explained that claiming to understand what West 'tried to do' with the collection did not mean she was excusing his behavior Karefa-Johnson posted a snap of Selah Marley, 23, the daughter of Lauryn Hill and granddaughter of Bob Marley who modeled a shirt with a picture of Pope John Paul II on it that read, 'Juan Pablo II' Ye's final message following a series of targeted attacks at Karefa-Johnson West in response posted a picture of Karefa-Johnson wearing an ensemble, and commented: 'This is not a fashion person You speak on Ye Ima speak on you Ask Trevor Noah.' The jab was apparently making reference to Noah speaking out about West's public behavior, calling it 'terrifying to watch.' West then zoomed in on Karefa-Johnson's boots, which appear to be a limited edition Timberland boot, Black Veneda Carter Edition. West said Anna Wintour would disapprove, writing: 'I KNOOOOOOW ANNA HAAAATES THESE BOOTS.' He shared a screenshot of Karefa-Johnson's Instagram profile that he captioned: 'Broke the processor When the computer can't read the code This is a droid.' He concluded his posts by sharing the text 'This means war' across a black post. Since the YZY Season 9 show in Paris on Monday, West has posted and deleted a number of messages to his Instagram, including one that read in all capital letters, 'EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW ITS OVER YOU'RE WELCOME' [sic]. Among those also in attendance at the controversial YZY season 9 show was right-wing personality Candace Owens. West's appearance with Owens is somewhat surprising, as she recently called his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, a 'prostitute' on her Daily Wire show. Provocation: Kanye West sparked outrage on Tuesday after dismissing Black Lives Matter, the social movement created to protest social and racial injustices aimed at his own community Also posing with West was the right-wing commentator Candace Owens, who beamed while wearing a complementary version of the 'White Lives Matter' shirt Karefa-Johnson and Gigi Hadid have worked together a number of times. Karefa-Johnson earlier this year told ELLE that they share a 'true friendship' Jason Lee on Monday condemned West for his provocative slogan t-shirts Supermodel Gigi Hadid was quick to defend Karefa-Johnson against West's online attacks, writing, 'You wish u had a percentage of her intellect [sic].' 'You have no idea haha.... If there's actually a point to any of your sh*t she might be the only person that could save u. As if the 'honot' of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You're a bully and a joke,' she added. Hadid and Karefa-Johnson have worked together in the past, with the stylist telling ELLE earlier this year that she shares a 'true friendship' with the model and there is 'deep respect and trust' between them. Actress Jodie Turner-Smith also hit out at Kanye's latest tirade, sharing on her Instagram Story: 'I thought he said he was trying to bring people together??? Fake and disgusting and embarrassing please go touch some grass and stop sharing your toxic thoughts.' Vogue on Tuesday defended Karefa-Johnson. 'Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable,' the magazine wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post. 'Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.' Lee, who only begun working for West this spring, said he could no longer support his former boss. 'I love Ye as a person, and I support free speech. But this is gaslighting black people and empowering white supremacy. Not sure if he has any friends left to tell him but this is utterly disappointing,' Lee wrote. 'I'm going to exercise free speech and say, nobody black has ever said that white lives don't matter. But when black people do this it just screams the need for white validation.' He also condemned West's invitation to Owens. 'Not to mention, adding Candace Owens to this photo is beyond reprehensible. 'I understand he believes in her right to free speech but her speech is typically embedded in self hate, a determination to promote white supremacy, and she lacks integrity. 'This is sad.' The woman who was horrifically injured when a rollercoaster smashed into her had made an emotional online tribute to her father just days before her shocking accident that has left her dad in a vigil at her hospital bedside. Shylah Rodden, 26, is still in a serious condition after the devastating incident on the Rebel Coaster ride in Melbourne 11 days ago after she allegedly stepped on the tracks to retrieve her phone and was hit by the ride. Eyewitnesses said she was carried nine metres into the air before plunging to the ground with appalling injuries. Since then, her family has been by her side as she fights for life in Royal Melbourne Hospital, with her father Alan Rodden barely leaving her bedside. Just three weeks before the life-changing accident, Ms Rodden hailed her dad's devotion in a touching Father's Day post on Facebook. Shylah Rodden, horrifically injured when she was smashed by a rollercoaster, paid an emotional online tribute to her father just days before the shocking crash Just three weeks before the life-changing accident, Shylah Rodden hailed her dad's devotion in a touching Father's Day post on Facebook 'Happy Fathers Day to the most important person in the world!' she posted on September 4 alongside a picture of her family enjoying a meal out together. 'Thank you for putting up with my s*** 24/7 and always standing by my side even when life gets hard! 'Love you forever and a day Dad.' Friends and family adored Ms Rodden's loving post, responding with love hearts and messages of support. 'Oh Shy, that was absolutely beautiful words...love you, your dad and your sisters,' posted one. Ms Rodden was involved in three other accidents, including a serious car crash in February, 2019, and another where she flipped her car after hitting a truck in January, 2021 Horrifying footage shows Shylah Rodden (pictured in black) moments from being hit by the Rebel Coaster at the Melbourne Royal show on Sunday Her father has been Ms Rodden's rock in the wake of the crash, supporting her in hospital, expertly handling media inquiries and dealing with her legal issues. Ms Rodden was involved in a series of car crashes in 2018, 2019 and 2021, prior to last month's tragedy. Ms Rodden's family has now launched legal action at the County Court of Victoria for injuries she sustained from one of the accidents in January, 2018. And her family are also now considering legal action against the rollercoaster operators over the latest accident. Shylah Rodden's condition is now listed as serious rather than critical Shylah Rodden (left) and Anthony Bright in 2015. Mr Bright has been listed as the defendant in civil action Daily Mail Australia can reveal Lalor man Anthony Bright has been listed as the defendant in the civil action over the 2018 accident. Ms Rodden's family filed a writ to protect her rights from the 2018 incident, claiming damages for injuries suffered by her in a transport accident as a result of the 'negligence of Mr Bright, on or about January 29 that year'. Mr Bright is seen pictured on social media with Ms Rodden in 2015, where the pair appeared comfortable together. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Bright has done anything wrong, only that he is listed as a defendant in the civil proceedings. Shylah Rodden is fighting for life after being thrown nine metres into the air when she was struck by a rollercoaster last Sunday at the Royal Melbourne Show The rollercoaster that struck Ms Rodden reopened just days after the sickening incident On Friday, Arnold Thomas and Becker practice manager Aki Munir said Ms Rodden suffered serious injuries due to the 'negligence of the defendant'. 'It (the action) involves a transport accident and she sustained some significant injuries in that accident,' Ms Munir told the Herald Sun. 'The purpose of filing the writ is to preserve her entitlements, should anything happen to her.' Ms Munir also said Ms Rodden's family may pursue legal action against the Melbourne Royal Show and the operators of the Rebel Coaster ride for negligence. On the day she was struck by the rollercoaster, Ms Rodden had been working at a friend's stall at the show. They had been on a break when the pair decided to go on a few rides to kill time. It is understood she dropped her phone while on the rollercoaster and police believe Ms Rodden walked onto the tracks of the high-speed ride to retrieve the device. Her father told Daily Mail Australia at the time his daughter had suffered life-changing injuries. 'I can't talk to my daughter. She's going to be in a coma for quite a while,' he said. 'The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She's brain damaged. It's pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck - there's hardly a thing that's not broken. 'I just can't work out how the hell so much damage has been done. Even the doctors have said they haven't seen anything as bad as this for a long time.' Police revealed last week the rollercoaster was travelling at 70km/h when she was hit. Ms Rodden had to re-learn how to walk after she was involved in a horror crash in January 2021 when she flipped a car on the Western Ring Road in Melbourne after ploughing into a truck and a car. She was not wearing a seatbelt and was flung from the car onto the road. The young woman survived the crash but needed significant rehabilitation to get back on her feet and backed by her supportive parents, she managed to walk again. Her gruelling path to recovery came after yet another serious car crash in 2019. A Melbourne Royal Show spokeswoman claimed 'the safety and well-being of our visitors to the show continues to be our number one priority'. The safety watchdog WorkSafe is in the process of determining if that statement is true. The rollercoaster that struck her reopened just days after the sickening incident. Show management declined to comment on whether new safety procedures had been adopted in the wake of it. A jury has heard a police interview where Brittany Higgins tells detectives her version of events after she was allegedly raped in a parliamentary office by fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann. In an excerpt of the interview, aired in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, Ms Higgins claimed she had a 'strange moment of eye contact' with Lehrmann after he allegedly raped her one Friday evening in March 2019. 'At that point, I didn't say anything to him anymore,' Ms Higgins said in the police interview. Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent - with Ms Higgins, 26, the first witness to give evidence on Wednesday, watching on as the clip was aired. In the interview, Ms Higgins claimed she was woken the next morning by a female security guard, who asked if everything was OK. The young woman said she was 'fine', despite her dress being bunched around her waist, the court heard. The court heard Ms Higgins then threw up in the former minister's bathroom, before she made her way into a small room near Ms Reynolds' former office, which had no windows, found a box of Roses chocolates and ate it while crying. 'I pulled myself together - I was quite dishevelled. I borrowed one of the minister's jackets to cover my cocktail dress,' she said in the police interview. Brittany Higgins arrives at court for the second day of Bruce Lehrmann's trial on Wednesday - with the former staffer expected to give evidence Higgins arrives at court on Wednesday in a crepe lace midi dress. She is accompanied by friend Emma Webster The following Monday, Ms Higgins told officers that she went to work and saw Mr Lehrmann. But she said they did not talk about the night of the alleged incident - instead, he bought her coffee, the court heard. 'I was trying to overcompensate to make it feel normal. We didn't discuss it. We didn't talk about it. He didn't seem ashamed or upset. 'It didn't feel like something he wanted to address.' In a second police interview, recorded in May 2021 and played to the court on Wednesday, Ms Higgins elaborated on the encounter and said she thanked him for the coffee. 'I was still in a state of shock,' she told detectives. 'I perceived at the time that [Mr Lehrmann] was in a position of power over me - I didn't want to tap the ice - I was really scared. 'But it was this weird day ... I hadn't really processed what happened not was ready to deal with it, so I let it play out.' She told police she didn't think anyone would believe her story and figured Lehrmann's words carried more weight than hers because of his more senior role. Weeks later, Ms Higgins said she bought a pregnancy test 'because I was late and stressed'. The court heard she wasn't physically examined by a doctor after the alleged assault, nor did she have a valid Medicare card at the time. 'I was given anxiety medication to help me cope, but it wasn't being examined about my physical health,' she told police in May 2021. She broke down in tears while telling the detective 'in hindsight, I made it hard for myself.' 'I feel so stupid.' 'Patchy' recollection of that night An earlier section of the police interview was played in court where the jury was told her recollection of the night was 'really patchy'. In the interview, recorded in February 2021, Ms Higgins said she remembered dancing alone in the crowd at the Canberra night spot 88mph on that Friday evening in March 2019. She told police she took shots after already drinking for some time. 'I was really intoxicated and it was really weird,' she said. 'I drink socially but I don't usually get obliterated, but I was at 100. I hit 100. 'As drunk as I've ever been in my life.' Higgins watched the police interview via video link from another room in the court, after arriving at court flanked by friend Emma Webster and wearing a crepe-lace designer midi dress. Her accused attacker, Bruce Lehrmann, was in the courtroom, having pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual intercourse without consent. While Ms Higgins' interview was replayed for the jury, Lehrmann did not look at the screen. On Tuesday, Brittany Higgins was flanked by her legal team and supporters as she arrived at court for the first day in the trial of her accused rapist Higgins then went into detail about the moment she was allegedly raped in a parliamentary office of then defence minister Linda Reynolds, following a night out with their colleagues. She claimed Lehrmann 'seemed sweaty', was 'grunting' and she was 'jammed in the corner' of the couch. 'I told him no, I told him to stop,' she told police in the interview, the court heard. 'It felt like it had been going on for awhile .... I was an afterthought.' 'It felt quite rough... It was quite forceful. Everything about it was forceful. [I felt] trapped, not human. It didn't feel like it was about me at all.' The court heard Higgins wasn't screaming, but she did start crying and saying 'no' from the moment she woke up. After the alleged attack concluded, Higgins said: 'I remember he got up and looked at me and it was a strange moment of eye contact. 'At that point, I didn't say anything to him anymore'. Higgins said she was woken the following morning by a female security guard who asked if everything was OK - to which the young woman said she was 'fine', despite her dress being bunched around her waist. The court heard she threw up in the former minister's bathroom, before she made her way into a small room near Ms Reynolds' former office, which had no windows, found a box of Roses chocolates and ate it while crying. 'I pulled myself together - I was quite dishevelled. I borrowed one of the minister's jackets to cover my cocktail dress,' she said in the police interview. Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann (right, outside court on Tuesday) showed little emotion as he left the ACT Supreme Court after the first day of his trial The following Monday, Ms Higgins told officers that she went to work and saw Mr Lehrmann but they did not talk about the night of the alleged incident - instead, he bought her coffee. 'I was trying to overcompensate to make it feel normal - we didn't discuss it,' she said. Ms Higgins said the first time she opened up about the alleged incident was during a meeting with then-chief-of-staff, Fiona Brown, on the following Tuesday. She assumed the meeting was called to address the situation that unfolded on March 19 - where she and Mr Lehrmann allegedly made their way into Parliament House late at night while intoxicated. 'I felt stressed that I was going to be fired,' she said. She was asked to resign the code of conduct, but wound up telling Ms Brown her version of events. 'I was full and frank, the same way I'm discussing now. That was the first time I'd vocalise it,' she told police. 'At the end of that, as soon as I identified it as a rape and I didn't consent, I started to cry and that's when the gears shifted and it became less about me and more political.' 'I knew what happened to me was wrong, I knew I hadn't consented, but I still had this self-blame - guilt, like I'd doe something wrong.' The case continues. Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann arrives at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Wednesday The first half of the police interview Higgins earlier told police in the interview that she did not immediately report the alleged rape because of a culture of silence among political staffers, a court has heard. During part of the police interview played earlier in the week, Ms Higgins said she did not immediately report the alleged rape because of the culture of silence among political staffers. Ms Higgins said she felt stressed, scared and embarrassed. 'I was shell shocked by what had happened,' she told police. 'I didn't know who to tell, how to action it or what to do.' Ms Higgins described herself as being 'really drunk' the night of the alleged incident. She told police the pair had been at a bar and then nightclub with colleagues before she and Lehrmann got into a taxi. While she initially thought she was on her way home, Lehrmann told her he needed to collect some work from Parliament House. 'It felt like it was safe space for me and I didn't say no to going to parliament,' she told police. The trial is expected to last up to six weeks with dozens of witnesses being called to give evidence (pictured Ms Higgins leaves court on Tuesday with friend Emma Webster and boyfriend David Sharaz) 'I didnt have all my devices about me ... but at the time it didn't seem unsafe ... it didnt feel dangerous.' Ms Higgins alleges after the two of them entered Senator Reynolds' office she fell asleep on a couch and woke up to Lehrmann having sex with her. She will be questioned by prosecutor Shane Drumgold SC and Lehrmann's defence lawyer Steven Whybrow on Wednesday. Mr Drumgold flagged more than 50 witnesses could be called to give evidence during the trial, which is expected to last between four and six weeks. Among the witnesses are Liberal senators Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash, former Liberal MP Steven Ciobo as well as other political and parliamentary staff. Mr Whybrow told the jury Ms Higgins' allegations had not been tested or proven and Lehrmann denied having sex with her. 'This is going to be a long case. Ms Higgins has said a lot of things about a lot of people,' Mr Whybrow said on Tuesday. The family of a 12-year-old who died from horrific injuries in mysterious circumstances say even they do not know what killed their 'little soulja', as friends rally together against vile trolls posting racist comments online. Wayne Russell, who died on Tuesday after being found at a friend's house 30 minutes after a mystery car crash just a few streets away, has been remembered as a 'polite' schoolboy with 'a cheeky smile'. But friends of the boy's family posting tributes to him also slammed the racist remarks about his indigenous heritage. 'Beyond disgusting comments!!' posted one woman. 'A lot of these ppl need serious help from a psych. Sick in the head. 'Racist pieces of s**t some of them always gotta bring up the fact (he's) Koori.' Another angry Facebook user wrote that the 'comments on this is absolutely heartbreaking, people are so friken nasty!' The mother of two boys who were schoolfriends of Wayne's at Woonona East Public School posted a photo of him in class with one of her boys holding up a school project, saying that Wayne was 'a polite' boy Wayne's (right) smile 'lit up a room', but even his family are bewildered about what happened to the 12-year-old to cause the horrific injuries which resulted in his death early on Tuesday Police rushed to the Towradgi Road crash (above) after the sound 'like a bomb going off' reverberated through the streets, but found the car empty, its doors open and the occupants had fled 'Absolutely broken, so many emotions and questions and... can't even explain. Poor baby he will be missed.' Wayne , 12, was found in the Wollongong suburb of Balgownie south of Sydney about 2am after emergency services responded to the report of a boy suffering 'significant injuries'. NSW Ambulance paramedics treated Wayne, who was rushed to Wollongong Hospital where he was pronounced dead. At the same time, police were investigating a major traffic accident after a black Holden Barina crashed into a traffic light at about 1.35am at Towradgi, a three minute drive from Balgownie. When police attended the crash scene they found the Barina wrapped around a telephone pole with the driver's and passengers' doors all open, and no one inside the wrecked car. Friends of the boy's family posting tributes to him also denounced the racist trolling of the schoolboy's indigenous heritage. 'Beyond disgusting comments!!,' posted one woman, 'A lot of these ppl need serious help from a psych' The young boy who died at a friend's home in mysterious circumstances on Tuesday morning has been identified as 12-year-old Wayne Russell (above) but what caused his fatal injuries is yet to be determined Facebook users decried the comments by vile trolls relating to Wayne's indigenous background, saying 'just because he's Koori' Officers at nearby Corrimal Police Station had heard the crash and responded immediately, but by the time they reached the scene, the occupants had fled. Police are investigating whether Wayne's death was related to a dangerous TikTok trend called 'creeping while you sleeping' - where young Australians film themselves committing serious crimes including stealing cars and driving at high speeds. Meanwhile, the boy's family and friends are posting heartfelt tributes and begging for answers. Wayne's cousin, Jamain Russell, posted on Facebook: 'Love you my brah ... we will see you soon, love you soo much rest easy my soulja my cuzz, rest in paradise. 'We just need the closure right for what happen too you my little cuzz.' Another cousin, Quiarnii Russell, posted 'My heart is hurting, R.I.P little cuzzy taken way to soon. Our hearts are shattered,' while Wayne's aunt, Morgs Quirk wrote, 'Rest easy in the dream time nephew. #forever12. RIP lil Wayne.' Wayne's cousin Jamain Russell paid tribute to the 'little soulja' but also puzzled about what caused his death, posting 'we just need the closure right for what happen too you my little cuzz' Another cousin Quiarnii Russell said 'our hearts are shattered' by Wayne's death The mother of two boys who were schoolfriends of Wayne at Woonona East Public School posted a photo of him in class with one of her boys holding up a school project, and the two boys clapping together with painted faces in what appeared to be an indigenous celebration. 'Gone way before your time little buddy!!,' the mother posted, 'You will be missed by all who met you. 'A smile that lit a room and the best personality a boy could have. You were always so polite to me and a good mate to my boys. Rest in paradise Lil Wayne!!' Jason Hogan, NSW Police Detective Acting Inspector, confirmed they are investigating whether the crash was linked to the TikTok craze. 'We'd appeal for anyone that might have social media content that would cover the incidents that's happened this morning to come forward,' he said. 'We're investigating all lines of inquiry and the social media line will be investigated too.' Police are urging anyone with information or dashcam footage related to the crash, or how Wayne came to be injured to contact police. A photo of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton's latest press conference shows the room was almost empty in a stark indication of the mountain he has to climb to get the attention of Australians. The odd photo shows Mr Dutton fidgeting in front of several empty chairs at his Brisbane conference on Wednesday, called in response to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to try and return women and children who formerly supported ISIS to Australia. It is understood only one journalist, from the ABC, attended the event. The photo shows the difficulty of attracting media attention when in opposition and could also be a sign Mr Dutton will struggle to change his image from former police and government hardman to statesmanlike leader ahead of the next election. Only one journalist attended opposition leader Peter Dutton's press conference on Wednesday (above) Mr Dutton appeared for the press conference after news Australian security agencies created a top-secret mission to rescue 16 Australian women and 42 children who supported ISIS from Syria's northeastern al-Roj detention camp near the Iraqi border. They have been imprisoned since the fall of ISIS in 2019 but will soon be brought back to Australia and kept under tight surveillance. Mr Dutton attended a briefing about the secret mission with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) director-general Mike Burgess ahead of the conference on Wednesday. 'I'm not going to go into the detail of what he's provided to me,' Mr Dutton told the reporter. Mr Dutton emphasised the risks of bringing young people 'potentially of fighting age' back into Australia after several years of indoctrination at his conference on Wednesday (above) 'I must say that I am more strongly of the view now that there is a very significant risk in bringing some of these people to our country that can't be mitigated, frankly, not to the level that we would require to keep Australians safe. 'And I think the government really needs to explain properly what it is they're proposing here.' Mr Dutton added the thought of young children from Australian parents being born in the war-torn region 'pained' him greatly. 'But where we've got young males, potentially of fighting age, who have been indoctrinated over the course of the last decade or so in some instances, where they've been living for years now in a camp socialising with people who have either committed terrorist attacks or who have been planning terrorist attacks, we need to take it very seriously,' he said. The Australian Government announced it will rescue 16 women and 42 children who were part of ISIS from Syria's northeastern al-Roj detention camp near the Iraqi border (pictured, ISIS fighters) 'I accept the advice from the director-general of ASIO in terms of mitigations, and the advice, no doubt, that they're providing to government. 'But based on my own experience and knowledge of these matters, and understanding now what it is that the government is proposing, I have grave concerns about national security.' The Australian Government formerly had a hardline policy that forbade ISIS supporters from re-entering the country under anti-terror laws. However, intelligence agencies have advised that the harsh conditions Australians stuck in Syrian detention camps face could be used as material to recruit others. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Peter Dutton's office for comment. Two 'tropical disturbances' have formed in the Atlantic Ocean as forecasters monitor the severity of the systems just days after Hurricane Ian reduced parts of Florida to rubble with its death toll on the rise. Tropical Depression 12, located 440 miles west of Cabo Verde, was packing sustained winds of 35 mph and moving northwest at 12 mph at 5pm on Tuesday according to the National Hurricane Center. Increasing upper-level winds are likely to stunt any potential growth from there with forecasters saying the depression is likely to be 'short-lived' and will dissipate late Thursday. A second disturbance closer to Florida located east of the Windward Islands at 8pm on Tuesday evening could grow over the next few days, forecasters predict. 'Regardless of development, heavy rainfall with localized flooding, as well as gusty winds, are expected over portions of the Windward Islands, northern portions of South America, and the ABC Islands during the next couple of days,' read the NHC's most recent Tropical Weather Outlook. 'Interests in those locations, in addition to those in Central America, should continue to monitor the progress of this system.' The National Hurricane Center said the system has a 60 percent chance of strengthening into a tropical depression by Thursday evening and an 80 percent chance of doing so by Sunday evening. Two 'tropical disturbances' have formed in the Atlantic Ocean (pictured) as forecasters monitor the severity of the systems just days after Hurricane Ian Tropical Depression 12 (pictured), located 440 miles west of Cabo Verde, was packing sustained winds of 35 mph and moving northwest at 12 mph but is likely to be 'short lived' A second disturbance closer to Florida located east of the Windward Islands at 8pm on Tuesday evening could grow over the next few days, forecasters predict It comes as the death toll rises after Hurricane Ian reduced Florida communities to rubble (pictured) 'A tropical depression is likely to form over the next several days if the system remains over open waters while moving westward at about 15 mph through the Windward Islands and into the Caribbean Sea. 'Another Air Force Reconnaissance mission is scheduled to investigate this system tomorrow morning, if necessary.' It comes as the death toll from Hurricane Ian continued a grim and steady climb after obliterating communities in Florida. Rescue crews continue their search for survivors, as residents come to grips with their losses and many grapple with the long and daunting path to recovery. As of Tuesday, at least 109 people have been recorded killed by the Hurricane, 105 in Florida and 55 in Lee County. The Florida Medical Examiners Commission reported a death in Martin County, an additional death in Manatee County and an additional death in Sarasota County attributed to Hurricane Ian, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Thus far, four people in North Carolina have also died. Ian descended on Florida as a devastating Category 4 hurricane last Wednesday, with residents cut off from the mainland and hundreds-of-thousands of people left without power. More than 400,000 residents went without power according to PowerOutage.us. with Lee and Charlotte county hit the hardest seeing 208,263 and 75,721 customers affected respectively. The storm also saw residents left homeless and many government officials dealing with the recovery efforts, reported CNN. Rescue crews continue their search for survivors, as residents come to grips with their losses and many grapple with the long and daunting path to recovery As of Tuesday, at least 109 people have been recorded killed by the Hurricane, 105 in Florida and 55 in Lee County Ian descended on Florida as a devastating Category 4 hurricane last Wednesday, with residents cut off from the mainland and hundreds-of-thousands of people left without power Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis said 79,000 structures have been searched and announced the opening of the first Disaster Recovery Center in Fort Myers It is still unclear how many people remain unaccounted for after the storm, with the Florida Division of Emergency Management working to consolidate a list of mission people Fort Myers Beach City Councilman Bill Veach told the broadcaster his 90-year-old cottage is in ruins. 'When you are walking around the ruins, it's an apocalyptic scene,' said Veach. He said despite the destruction there are moments to be thankful for. 'You see a friend that you weren't sure was alive or dead and that brings you joy. A joy that is so much more than the loss of property,' he said. Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis said 79,000 structures have been searched and announced the opening of the first Disaster Recovery Center in Fort Myers for residents and businesses that have been affected by Hurricane Ian. Stacy Verdream told CNN she and her brother found out Monday their uncle, Mike Verdream, died in the storm. 'It was a very brief call because he said he was very scared and she'd never heard him like that because he wasn't that type of person,' she said. 'He's always put on a brave face. But she said he sounded absolutely terrified.' Elizabeth McGuire died while clutching her cell phone in bed according to the 49-year-old's family. McGuire's mother, Susan McGuire, told CNN the destruction of the storm had been 'massive.' 'One hundred blizzards will not cost you what one hurricane will cost you,' she said. 'My husband's business whipped out, my daughter is dead I never had a blizzard take anything away from me.' United States President Joe Biden is expected to meet with DeSantis and tour the southwest of the state to see the damage firsthand Biden has signed major disaster declarations for more than a dozen Florida counties last week Pictures which emerged following the devastating weather system ripped through Florida show homes destroyed Many images also show the flattened remains of homes with people's belongings scattered across the ground The devastation is estimated to cost around $55 billion, but could be higher than initial predictions More than 1,900 people had been rescued throughout the state by Monday night, authorities said It is still unclear how many people remain unaccounted for after the storm, with the Florida Division of Emergency Management working to consolidate a list of mission people. In Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and Fort Meyers Beach, more than half the schools had at least some damage from Ian and 14 percent had major damage, the school district posted on Facebook. Officials said they expect that toll to rise with the sheriff of Lee County, Carmine Marceno, telling reporters he is concerned for rescue workers. 'We worry about burnout. We work 12-hour shifts, and they don't get to go home to their family members,' he said. The sheriff said he was grateful to the National Guard and federal personnel, as well as volunteer rescue workers, for easing the burden on his department. 'We took such a catastrophic hit but everybody wants to help,' said Marceno. 'It's very heartwarming during these tragic events because in minutes and hours, a lot of people had their lives washed away.' More than 1,900 people had been rescued throughout the state by Monday night, authorities said. United States President Joe Biden is expected to meet with DeSantis and tour the southwest of the state to see the damage firsthand. Biden signed major disaster declarations for more than a dozen Florida counties last week, and promised in an address on Friday that his administration would be with those affected 'every step of the way.' The devastation is estimated to cost around $55 billion, but could be higher than initial predictions. Investigators have arrested a New Jersey woman after she allegedly transported around 15,000 rainbow fentanyl pills into New York City with many of them hidden under blocks of LEGO. 'These pills are hidden in pretty much anything imaginable. Traffickers are very innovative,' DEA agent Frank A. Tarantino III said. 'This newly packaged poison is the cartel's way of attracting new customers. This is calculated, it is deliberate, it is treacherous deception to make Rainbow fentanyl look like candy. This is every parent's worst nightmare.' Federal law enforcement officers say the pills were made in various rainbow colors and looked just like candy. So far, there have been few, if any, reported instances of any child receiving fentanyl under the guise that it is candy either by mistake or on purpose. Fentanyl packaged like candy and placed into LEGO boxes was found in the back back of a car being driven in Manhattan The pills were imprinted with '30 M' to resemble 30mg oxycodone pills, usually prescribed to treat severe pain after an operation or a serious injury 'This newly packaged poison is the cartel's way of attracting new customers. This is calculated, it is deliberate, it is treacherous deception to make Rainbow fentanyl look like candy. This is every parent's worst nightmare,' DEA agent Frank A. Tarantino III said Latesha Bush, 48, from Trenton, New Jersey, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. She was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday with bail set at $25,000. Prosecutors say Bush was carrying what appeared to be a black tote bag wrapped around a large object as she entered a vehicle in front of 475 10th Avenue in Manhattan. Upon stopping the vehicle, agents and officers allegedly found Bush in the rear seat, with two black tote bags and a yellow LEGO container also in the rear seat. Inside the LEGO container were several brick-shaped packages covered in black tape lying next to LEGO blocks. The multicolored pills were packaged in LEGO boxes in an attempted to disguise the contents The black tape covering one of the packages had been partially opened, exposing multi-colored pills inside. A subsequent examination of the packages revealed they contained approximately 15,000 pills. During the investigation, agents and officers learned that just prior to her arrest, Bush had travelled from New Jersey in a rental car. Agents and officers also learned that the multi-colored fentanyl pills allegedly originated in Mexico. New York City's narcotics prosecutor said the seizure comes as an estimated one person dies from an overdose every three hours. 'Overdose deaths are at a record high and 80% of them are related to fentanyl,' special narcotics prosecutor Bridget Brennan said. 'It is critically important to educate the public on this new form that fentanyl is taking across the country and yes, we know it is here in New York,' she added. The drugs were found concealed inside a children's yellow LEGO box in the back of a car Some of the drugs were wrapped in black plastic as they were confiscated by Drug Enforcement Agents 'Using happy colors to make a deadly drug seem fun and harmless is a new low, even for the Mexican cartels. If you take any drug sold on the street or through the internet, regardless of its medicinal markings or festive appearance, you risk your life.' 'Disguising fentanyl as candy and concealing it in children's toys will never hide the fact that fentanyl is a deadly poison that harms our communities, our families, and our city,' said Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell. Prosecutors say Mexican drug cartels manufactured the pills stamped to look like oxycodone. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel are mass-producing fentanyl pills in rainbow colors to not only brand their products but use colors and dyes to mimic candy or other legitimate prescription drugs. Parents are being urged to get educated on fentanyl as thousands of pills were found in skittles and nerds candy packets, as children gear up to go trick or treating this Halloween Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that could fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered potentially lethal The seizure is the largest to date in New York City and signals a more widespread distribution of these dangerous colorful pills. These substances are extremely powerful and it only takes a small amount to kill someone. 'The lethality of fentanyl, we are talking two milligrams. That is the amount of fentanyl that can fit on the tip of a pencil. It's approximately 10 to 20 grains of salt,' Tarantino said. Investigators say 40% of the pills analyzed contain a lethal dose and in a recent 15-week operation, the state seized 500,000 lethal pills in several busts across New York. Prosecutors are urging parents to speak to their children about the dangers of these colorful, deadly pills. During the period from May 23 to September 8 this year, 10.2 million fentanyl pills and about 980 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of the One Pill Can Kill initiative. Of the 390 cases investigated during this period, 51 cases have been linked to overdose poisonings and 35 cases link directly to one or both of the primary Mexican cartels responsible for the majority of fentanyl in the United States the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Of the 107,622 Americans who have died from drug poisoning or overdose in 2021, 66 percent (approximately 71,030) are attributed to fentanyl. Rainbow fentanyl was first reported to DEA in February 2022, and it has now been seized in 21 states across the country. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, or the amount that could fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose. An Ohio man and his two grown sons who are accused of killing eight members of a rival family in 2016 over a custody dispute attended their victims' funerals, recent testimony revealed. George Wagner IV, 30, is the first of his family to stand trial for the Pike County massacre of the Rhoden family that he allegedly carried out with his father, George 'Billy' Wagner III, his brother, Edward 'Jake' Wagner and his mother, Angela Wagner. Testimony on Friday revealed that at least three members of the Wagner family attended the funerals of the Rhoden family less than a week after they were slaughtered while they slept. Eight members of the Rhoden family were found shot to death on April 22, 2016, at different residences in Pike, County, Ohio, but the Wagner family was not implicated in the murders until 2018. George Wagner, pictured front in check shirt, and his sons George IV and Jake are pictured attending the funeral of Gary Rhoden, 38, who they're accused of murdering, in Greenup, Kentucky, on Monday Wagner and his sons were freed to attend the commemoration, despite being accused of the massacre of eight people as they slept A woman was filmed hugging a shaken-looking man sat on a hanging seat, close to the three alleged murderers The remains of Gary Dwayne Rhoden are pictured being taken out of a hearse and ahead of his burial George Wagner IV, 30, is the first of his family to stand trial for the Pike County massacre of the Rhoden family that he allegedly carried out with his father, his brother and his mother James 'Cody' Manley, the cousin of one of the victims, testified Friday that he saw the Wagners at the funerals for the Rhoden family back in 2016 less than a week after allegedly killing them James 'Cody' Manley, a family member of the Rhoden's, took the stand on Friday, and testified that he discovered his Rhoden and fiance Hannah 'Hazel' Gilley, both 20, shot to death in their room. Their six-month-old baby, found covered in blood on Gilley's chest, had been nursing when her mother was shot in the head and face. 'I just froze,' he said on the stand on Friday. 'I saw things I didn't want to see.' Less than a week after the horrific mass murder, Manley attended the funeral of 38-year-old Gary Rhoden, another cousin who had been killed in the shootings, and said he remembers seeing the Wagner family. Archived photos recently published by the Cincinnati Enquirer show George Wagner, his brother Jake and his father Billy walking into the Greenup, Kentucky, funeral home on April 27, 2016. Gary Rhoden's funeral was the first of eight funerals held for the family. Manley testified that he saw the Wagners at the other victims' funerals as well. Manley is the son of James and April Manley, the brother and sister-in-law of Dana Manley-Rhoden, who was killed in the shootings. He was best friends with his cousin Frankie Rhoden who was also shot dead. When the trial began last month, special prosecutor Angela Canepa relayed the bloody saga and argued that the Wagners spent months planning the killings and targeted some of the victims, but 'some sadly were killed because they happened to be there.' Prosecutors have alleged the murders were committed by four members of the Wagner family, and while George Wagner IV is not believed to have killed anyone, he allegedly participated by voting in favor of the murders. His brother, Edward 'Jake' Wagner and their mother, have both pleaded guilty to the murders, a plot that was allegedly planned so they could have full custody of Jake's daughter, who is shared with Hanna Rhoden. Hanna, 19, was shot multiple times as she slept next to her newborn baby, after Jake Wagner tried to convince her to agree to share custody of their child. 'I won't sign papers ever,' Rhoden wrote in a private Facebook message in 2015, months before the killings. 'They will have to kill me first.' George Wagner IV arrived at the courthouse on Monday for opening statements Hanna Rhoden, 19, was killed as she slept after Jake Wagner tried to convince her to agree to share custody. Jake's brother George Wagner IV is the first person on trial All of the victims were shot in the head multiple times while they slept with Jake saying he was 'personally responsible' for five of the deaths. Hanna's father Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40, mother Dana Rhoden, 37, and brothers Clarence, 20, and Christopher Jr, 16, were also killed in the massacre. Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden's fiancee, Hannah Gilley, 20, Christopher Sr.'s brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44, and cousin Gary Rhoden, 38, were also shot dead across four different homes across rural Ohio. Three children that were at the scene of the slaying were spared, Clarence's sons Brentley, 4, and Ruger Lee, six months, and Hanna's daughter Kyle who was five days old at the time. The brutal executions shook the rural Ohio county and launched one of the state's most extensive criminal investigations, which led to the Wagners' arrest more than two years later. Four people in the Wagner family have been accused of taking part in the brutal murders. Defense attorneys for George IV insist that he had nothing to do with the murders, saying he did not shoot or kill anyone on that night in 2016. His mother, Angela Jo Wagner, and his younger brother, Edward 'Jake' Wagner, pleaded guilty last year to their roles in the killings. Jake Wagner was convicted of eight counts of murder and 15 other charges including gun specifications, conspiracy, burglary, possession of dangerous ordnance and tampering with evidence. The father, George 'Billy' Wagner III, is expected to stand trial at a later date. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Wagner IV has also pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers argued the confessions of his brother and mother last year prove he didn't shoot and kill anyone. Edward 'Jake' Wagner, (right) previously pleaded guilty to the murder of Hanna Rhoden, with whom he had a daughter with, and seven of her family members. He has been sentenced to eight life terms. His brother, George Wagner IV, is on trial. He has pleaded not guilty Special Prosecutor Angela Canepa agreed with the defense in a December 2021 hearing that Wagner IV did not kill anyone. But in the state of Ohio, a person can be sentenced to death for an aggravated murder conviction if they help plan it or cover it up. Jake himself was handed eight full life sentences without the option of parole in 2021 after agreeing to a plea deal with no possibility of the death penalty for himself and his family members. He pleaded guilty to 23 felony charges, including eight of murder, while his mother pleaded guilty to several counts of aggravated burglary, tampering with evidence and other charges. Both Jake and his mother agreed to testify against the other defendants and are expected to be involved in the upcoming trial. All of the victims were shot in the head multiple times while they slept with Jake saying he was 'personally responsible' for five of the deaths. Hanna's father Christopher Rhoden Sr, 40, mother Dana Rhoden, 37, and brothers Clarence, 20, and Christopher Jr, 16, were also killed in the massacre. Clarence 'Frankie' Rhoden, 20, and his fiancee, Hannah Gilley, 20, were shot dead while sleeping with their child The Wagner family fled to Alaska after the murders. From left to right: Edward 'Jake' Wagner, Angela Wagner and George Wagner IV are pictured outside a supermarket in 2017 It took investigators six years to get to the bottom of the cold-blooded plot, which was organized to execute anyone who might stand in the way of Jake getting custody of his daughter. He dated Hanna when she was 13, and got her pregnant at 15, but the relationship ended, and she had a second child with another man. Jake then began to pressure her about the custody of their daughter, and he had been taking care of Sophia at the time of the murders. Investigators claim the family bought ammunition, a magazine clip, brass catchers and a bug detector to prepare for the crimes. It is claimed that they constructed a homemade silencer that was used in the shootings and used 'counter-surveillance devices' on the properties as well as tampering with phones, cameras and parts of a home security system. Forged documents were found on the computer purporting that Hanna Rhoden had agreed to share custody. The Wagners took phones from six of the victims, as well as a recording device and trail cameras. The Wagner family lived near the scenes of the killings at the time, but moved 4,000 miles away in June 2021 to a home (pictured above) in Kenai, Alaska Christopher Sr is the only victim who was believed to have been awake when they were shot, suffering nine gunshot wounds in his forearm, torso and cheek. His brother Gary was shot twice in the head and a third time in the face, with an autopsy report saying a 'muzzle stain' was left on his head, suggesting at one point a shot was fired while the gun was pressed against him. Dana Rhoden was carefully shot four times around her head and a fifth time from under her chin. She was sharing a trailer with Christopher Jr and Hanna who were both shot in the head multiple times. Frankie Rhoden and Hannah Gilley were also shot in the head, but their six-month-old child, who was sleeping between the couple, was spared. Hannah was shot five times in total, with one shot hitting her left eye and Kenneth Rhoden was shot only once, with the bullet entering his right eye. In a 911 call following the shootings, a woman sounded out of breath as she frantically told a dispatcher: 'I think my brother-in-law's dead ... There's blood all over the house.' 'There's blood all over the house. My brother-in-law is in the bedroom and it looks like someone has beat the hell out of him.' Crime scene investigators were first called to Union Hill Road at 8.21am, when seven of the victims were found shot to death in the head 'execution style'. The first three homes where bodies were found are located within a couple of miles of one another on a sparsely populated stretch of road, while the eighth body - a man - was found in a house within 30 miles just before 2pm. The Wagner family moved to Kenai, Alaska, after the killings, with Jake Wagner taking his daughter with them, but returned to Ohio in 2018 when they ran out of money. They were arrested in November of that year. At the time, the family said they were moving to escape what they claimed was unfair speculation that they were responsible for the murders. Advertisement A dairy farm in Florida is coping with the loss of hundreds of cattle in Hurricane Ian, and racing to protect the surviving members of the herd. Dakin Dairy Farm in Manatee County lost at least 250 cows out of a milk-producing herd of about 2,400, with most of the fatalities resulting from drowning or injuries from flying objects. The family-owned farm, a fixture in the community since the 1970s, was hard-hit by the monster hurricane last week, which shredded barns and uprooted trees on the property. 'The devastation caused by Hurricane Ian is unimaginable. Our Dairy took a major hit and it rocked us to our core,' the owners wrote in a Facebook post. 'We are reaching out to the community not only for help but to provide help as well,' the farm added, offering community members in need the use of the farm's electricity and running water, as well as 'plenty of milk'. Dakin Dairy Farm in Manatee County lost at least 250 cows out of a milk-producing herd of about 2,400 in Hurricane Ian, with most of the fatalities resulting from drowning or injuries from flying objects The family-owned farm, a fixture in the community since the 1970s, was hard-hit by the monster hurricane last week, which shredded barns and uprooted trees on the property 'The devastation caused by Hurricane Ian is unimaginable. Our Dairy took a major hit and it rocked us to our core,' the owners wrote in a Facebook post A rabbit hutch is seen overturned on Dakin Dairy Farm, which is reeling after Ian killed hundreds of cattle Jerry Dakin said it was the worst disaster he had witnessed in his decades of farming, saying: 'There's always a time when you step away and there's a cry moment. This is my livelihood. I've built every bit of this' 'The most cattle we've ever lost is eight. We're up to about 250 right now and that number is still rising,' Courtney Dakin, one of the family members who owns the farm, told WTVT. Jerry Dakin told the outlet it was the worst disaster he had witnessed in his decades of farming, saying: 'There's always a time when you step away and there's a cry moment. This is my livelihood. I've built every bit of this.' However, he said that no employees of the farm were injured in the storm, and that the hurricane spared the milking parlor, where all the cows are milked three times a day. The Dakin family farms, owned by Cameron, Farren and Jerry Dakin, are the only remaining dairy farms in Manatee County. They have become a community fixture, offering educational tours and hosting a cafe with farm-fresh ice cream that is a popular gathering spot. The farm in Myakka City is about 70 miles north of Fort Myers, which was the epicenter of destruction when Ian made landfall last Wednesday. The number of storm-related human deaths has risen to at least 84 in recent days, as rescue crews comb through the hardest-hit areas. At least 75 people were killed in Florida, five in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia. The Dakin family farms, owned by Cameron, Farren and Jerry Dakin, are the only remaining dairy farms in Manatee County Fortunately, no employees of the farm were injured in the storm, and the hurricane spared the milking parlor, where all the cows are milked three times a day Damage is seen to one of the barns on the Dakin farm, which was hard-hit when Ian barreled through last week Officials said that as of Monday, more than 2,350 people had been rescued throughout Florida. Animals across the state have also been affected by the devastating storm. On Pine Island, near Fort Myers, a rescue mission dubbed 'Operation Noah's Ark' was launched Tuesday to ferry to safety a flock of 275 parrots, including some of the world's rarest. The birds' owners, Will Peratino and his partner Lauren Stepp, refused to leave their Pine Island compound during the storm because they could not abandon their two lemurs and the flock of birds. So the rescue mission was launched to persuade Peratino and Stepp to leave the island, which is now cut off from the mainland. 'We would not abandon them. I would never leave them. Never,' said Stepp, as volunteers worked on collecting the flock from dozens of coops at the Malama Manu Sanctuary. 'If they cannot be fed or watered, they will die. And I can't live with that.' 'Malama' is the Hawaiian word for protect, 'manu' means bird. The birds have been relying on food donated by wildlife officials since Hurricane Ian hit, but the supply of fruit, peanuts and other edibles would soon be hard to come by because of the downed bridge and the scarcity of gasoline on the island. On Pine Island, near Fort Myers, a rescue mission dubbed 'Operation Noah's Ark' was launched Tuesday to ferry to safety a flock of 275 parrots, including some of the world's rarest Parrots sit in cages waiting to be transported to the mainland in Pine Island on Tuesday. Volunteers helped evacuate hundreds of birds from the Malama Manu Sanctuary to escape damage from Hurricane Ian 'We would not abandon them. I would never leave them. Never,' said Stepp, as volunteers worked on collecting the flock from dozens of coops at the Malama Manu Sanctuary Crates of exotic and rare birds are transported by boat to the mainland off the coast of Pine Island, which was cut off from the mainland after Ian destroyed the only bridge Hurricane Ian battered Southwest Florida a week ago with 150 mph gusts, making some roads impassable and islands inaccessible. Wind-driven rains and ocean surges brought dangerous flooding. In the hours before the storm, the sanctuary owners herded their flock of birds and packed them into their home to shield them from the ferocity of the elements. 'You don't know what we've been through here. We had four feet of water in the house, damned-near drowned,' Peratino said, before succumbing to tears. 'To have every bird safe is a huge undertaking,' Peratino said. 'I mean, it's almost impossible to do. So the kind of help we've gotten has been invaluable.' Many of the birds were rescued from homes that could no longer care for them. Some are used for breeding rare species. While the focus of many search and rescue missions has been on human life, there have also been pet rescues. Bryan Stern, the founder and leader of Project Dynamo, which assembled four boats for the mission, said his team has rescued at least six dogs, three cats and, before Tuesday's massive rescue, three birds. An aerial picture taken on Monday shows a dump truck dumping its load during emergency repairs to restore road access in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Matlacha, Florida Family members stack items from a flooded home on the curb in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in New Smyrna Beach A man stands in front of his destroyed house in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Matlacha, Florida 'Our animal numbers are about to be blown out of the water by 100 cages of parrots,' Stern said, before embarking on the rescue mission. 'It's been nuts,' said James Judge, who owns the boat 'Slice of Life,' which led the small flotilla of rescue boats. 'Will and Laura, who own the sanctuary, their hearts and souls are in the birds. So they're going through their own suffering from the hurricane,' Stern said, 'and having to rebuild their lives. They lost all kinds of stuff. Is the answer to that to lose more?' The crew of volunteers was not about to let that happen. For several hours Tuesday, the volunteers stuck nets and their bare hands into cages to pen the birds in cages. The birds - from macaws to cockatoos and rare specimens of king parrots (only two dozen pairs are kept in the United States) - squawked and flapped their wings and their handlers put them in cages. A National Guard vehicle drives through floodwaters from the Peace River on Tuesday in Arcadia, Florida. Fifty miles inland, and nearly a week after Hurricane Ian made landfall on the gulf coast of Florida, the record breaking floodwaters in the area are receding to reveal the full effects of the storm A man operates an air boat in floodwaters at the Peace River Campground on Tuesday in Arcadia, Florida A barge carries an excavator to help with the emergency repairs to restore road access in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Matlacha, Florida on Monday Some whistled and spoke, including several with mischievous vocabularies. Ghassan Abboud, a Chicago dentist who owns a bird farm in West Palm Beach, is an acquaintance of the sanctuary owners. When he heard of their plight, he mustered his resources to help. He had imagined commissioning a small boat to ferry cages from Pine Island to a dock on the mainland, where an air-conditioned trailer would transport the birds to his property across the Florida peninsula. But by chance he came across the Project Dynamo team, who have been volunteering to help rescue people stranded by floodwaters and damaged roads. 'I could never write a script like this. It was perfect. I thought Id be back all day long in a small boat,' Abboud said. 'What these guys have done has been unimaginable. They dedicated their resources. They saved so many birds.' Lee Ju-seok, vice president of Intel Korea, poses with the company's new central processing unit (CPU) chips during a press conference in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Intel Korea By Baek Byung-yeul Intel introduced a new central processing unit (CPU) chip offering improved performance to meet the needs of gamers and content creators requiring fast data processing, its Korean unit said Wednesday. The 13th generation Intel Core i9-13900K "is the fastest CPU in the world," Lee Ju-seok, vice president of Intel Korea, said during a press conference in Yeouido, Seoul. "The Intel Core i9-13900K will once again improve CPU standard for PCs, which Intel has led so far. With the new product, we believe that we will continue to lead the industry," he added. Intel Korea said the new product will be shipped in three weeks and consumers will be able to meet various models in latest CPU lineup from November. The latest CPU for use in servers, laptops and desktop PCs, has 24 cores with up to 5.8-gigahertz of speed, which is 600-megahertz faster than the 12th generation CPU. William Choi, CCG sales specialist at Intel Korea, said, "People using PCs equipped with our new CPU will be able to have the best gaming experience in the world." He added, "The new CPU has faster core performance and users can play games, enjoy streaming and video recording much faster at the same time. The new product also helps users create their content faster and can deliver unrivaled overclocking so that users ranging from beginners to professionals can have the best PC experience," Choi elaborated. The new CPU also has better flexibility as it supports both DDR4 and DDR5 DRAM memory chips. "DDR5, a newer DRAM memory chip, was released only a few years ago. The price difference between DDR4 and DDR5 is still large and it will take about two more years for the prices between the two products to become similar. To give consumers more choice, the 13th generation CPU supports both DRAMs," Choi added. WARNING: GRAPHIC LANGUAGE A senior Australian police officer told colleagues he would 'punch [his female boss] in the c***' if he wasn't given the job he wanted, an enquiry has heard. The inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence heard that 1,676 complaints of sexist, racist, misogynistic and homophobic behaviour were made against officers from 2020 to 2022. One of the worst allegations was that a male senior constable being managed by a woman boss lashed out verbally in front of other officers after being denied a relieving role. Queensland's inquiry into police responses to domestic violence heard that 1,676 complaints of sexist, racist, misogynistic and homophobic behaviour were made against officers in two years (Pictured Counsel assisting the inquiry Ruth O'Gorman) Commissioner Katarina Carroll was grilled at a Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Service Responses to Domestic and Family Violence 'She is nothing but a c**t and if she doesnt give me a relieving role Im going to punch her in the c**t,' the Courier Mail reported. In August, Deputy Queensland Police Commissioner Paul Taylor quit after the inquiry heard he and Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder made lewd comments at police leadership conferences. The inquiry heard Mr Taylor used the phrase 'vagina whisperer' in an official speech to staff in April to describe a friend of his who is a respected gynaecologist. The senior male officer at the centre of allegations aired on Wednesday was already being managed for poor workplace behaviour before his outburst. A colleague who heard the threat worried that the female manager might be at risk. Commissioner Carroll was questioned over whether the Queensland police force has a sexist, racist and misogynistic culture amongst officers He informed the boss, who complained to the Ethical Standards Command. 'Local managerial guidance' handled the matter and eventually the man was told to make a written apology to the senior officer, two years after the threat. Ruth O'Gorman, a lawyer assisting the enquiry told Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll it was 'deeply unsatisfactory' that the process took two years to produce a forced apology. Ms Carroll said 'every aspect' of the matter was handled 'inappropriately'. Local management also handled another senior officer who allegedly bullied 15 officers over 13 years - and was allowed to fill in doing more senior jobs while under investigation. Deputy commissioner Paul Taylor (pictured) resigned in August after a Commission of Inquiry found he and chief superintendent Ray Rohweder made lewd comments at police leadership conferences His behaviour allegedly included shouting and swearing, issuing threats, offensive name-calling and sharing pornographic images with colleagues. He referred to female colleagues as 'knickers' and to another male colleague as 'a towel head' and 'Osama'. At one point when just one woman was in his office he allowed a photo of a woman in a bikini to be placed on the fridge next to the words 'tap and go'. Investigations into the senior officer only began when a female formally constable complained. Ms O'Goman described his being disciplined by local management as 'inappropriate'. Ms Carroll agreed. The commissioner had earlier stated that local managerial guidance was appropriate for minor and single indiscretions. 'What we found in respect of that matter (was) throughout the investigation, the officer-in-charge remained in his role and was provided opportunities to relieve in higher roles elsewhere,' Ms O'Gorman told the inquiry. Chief supt. Ray Rohweder yelled an inappropriate comment at a Master of Ceremonies who had a cut on his face asking 'did she shut her legs on you?'. Members of the audience walked out The latest hearing took place at Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 5. In August the inquiry heard Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder was understood to have then yelled out from the audience 'did she shut her legs on you?' at an officer who had stitches in a facial wound. He also underwent local managerial resolution and was promoted. Advertisement A somber-looking Brad Pitt was spotted in Los Angeles on Tuesday - just hours after his ex-wife Angelina Jolie filed explosive court documents accusing him of having 'choked' one of their six children during a drunken fight on a private jet, hit another in the face, and slammed the actress against a wall while grabbing her hair. Jolie, 48, claimed that their marriage broke down on the September 2016 flight during which Pitt, 58, was allegedly 'physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were then between the ages of eight and 15,' court documents read. She says that Pitt attacked her verbally after accusing her of being 'too deferential to the children' and 90 minutes later began yelling at her, pushing her against a bathroom wall and striking the ceiling of the plane. Pitt is accused of pouring beer and wine on his family during the fracas, and previous reports claim Jolie told her then-husband to 'sober-up' as the mid-air drama unfolded. When one of the children came to Jolie's defense amid further verbal insults, Pitt allegedly turned on them, injuring Jolie as she tried to intervene. Jolie's claim suggested that Pitt choked one of the children and hit another. Pitt admitted to yelling at the children in 2016, but denied hitting them. A source close to Pitt meanwhile accused Jolie of manipulating the narrative to 'get what she wants', telling DailyMail.com that 'her story is constantly evolving' and that she is 'adding completely untrue information'. The latest accusations made by Jolie come as the pair continue to fight a legal battle over the September 2021 sale of her share of the French winery they jointly owned. Pitt says she had no right to sell out. Jolie argues that she offered it to him and a $54.5 million deal was reached - but he pulled out when she mentioned the grim private jet episode during their custody battle. On Tuesday the Oscar-winning actor, dressed in head-to-toe denim and white sneakers, was seen rapidly exiting a business compound in Los Angeles. Jolie meanwhile, was on the other side of the country in New York City with their daughter Zahara, 17. Brad Pitt was spotted leaving an office building in Los Angeles on Tuesday, shortly after his ex-wife Angelina Jolie counter-sued him in their acrimonious battle over their French winery The 58-year-old actor has not commented publicly on Jolie's suit, but a source close to the actor accused Jolie of providing a constantly 'evolving' story Pitt is accused by Jolie of making the children cry on a private jet in September 2016, grabbing one in a choke hold and hitting another Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are pictured in November 2008 with their six children. The couple separated in 2016, following an explosive row on a private jet. On Tuesday, Jolie detailed in court documents the circumstances of the violent altercation Jolie on Tuesday was in New York City with their 17-year-old daughter Zahara A source close to Pitt told DailyMail.com: '[Jolie] continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants. Her story is constantly evolving. 'She had the chance to share this during the lengthy custody trial, which resulted in the judge granting 50-50 custody to Pitt following in-depth observations and analysis by doctors, therapists, and other experts. 'Her and her team go back to the same thing month after month with new and false information.' In her court documents, filed on Tuesday, Jolie said Pitt's behavior on the September 2016 flight from France to California left the children crying and traumatized, and left her with injuries to her back and elbow. Five days after the flight she filed for divorce, and in September 2021 she sold her stake in the French winery she co-owned with Pitt. He sued her over the sale, and on Tuesday she counter-sued, blaming him for sparking the highly-public mud slinging. 'She has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day,' Jolie's lawyers write. 'But when Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reassert control over Jolie's financial life and compel her to rejoin her ex-husband as a frozen-out business partner, Pitt forced Jolie to publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time.' Pitt (seen on July 18) has sued Jolie over her decision to sell half of their French winery. Jolie (right, in October 2021), counter sued on Tuesday The former couple are pictured at Brie-Champniers airport in France as they board a private jet in 2007, the year before they bought the Miraval property The couple, who first linked up in 2005, bought the Chateau Miraval winery in 2008. Jolie said that when they bought the property, their respective representatives discussed signing an agreement, setting out the terms of how the property would be split if the couple separated. But she said Pitt did not want any such agreement. Jolie's lawyers say that Pitt's financial manager wrote in an email: 'Early in the process I raised the issue of a buy / sell agreement between A & B but was told by Brad it wasn't necessary for two reasonable people to have such an agreement.' The idea was dropped, and the pair were married at the chateau in August 2014. In the court documents, she said she considered it an investment for their family, plus a home. Jolie accused Pitt of failing to consult her on the development of the estate and installing a fifth swimming pool at a cost of one million euros. But she said she did not object at the time. 'Jolie had always taken an active role in design for any home she had lived in (and those she has since lived in), and when she and Pitt purchased the chateau, initially expected to do the same for their new home,' her lawyers write. 'But Pitt pushed for creative control consistent with his own taste and vision. 'While Jolie would have preferred a more collaborative approach, she acquiesced to Pitt's desire to take control over the project, although she sometimes questioned why, for example, the chateau needed a fifth pool at the cost of one million euros, or why the same staircase needed to be rebuilt four times. 'If Jolie ever questioned such expenditures, Pitt defended them as critical to his vision for the chateau.' This is the Miraval Chateau and the 1,000-acre estate - now valued at $164M - where the couple tied the knot in 2008 Jolie and Pitt married in 2014, and are pictured together in November 2015 Pitt and Jolie with their children at Los Angeles airport in February 2014 Jolie said in court documents that her marriage to Pitt 'came to an end' on the September 14, 2016. 'Throughout the long, overnight flight, Pitt was physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were then between the ages of 8 and 15,' the court documents claim. 'After that flight, for her family's well-being, Jolie decided to file for divorce.' She said that Pitt 'had a confrontation' with one of the children before arriving at the airport, and when Jolie asked him on the plane what was wrong, he 'accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her.' Jolie alleges that Pitt, 90 minutes later, sought Jolie out and reprimanded her for her actions. 'He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her,' the court documents state. 'Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall. 'Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom. 'As she exited, one of their children asked, 'Are you ok, mommy?' 'Pitt yelled back, 'No, mommy's not ok' and started deriding Jolie with insults.' Jolie claims that when one of the children spoke up in her defence, Pitt 'lunged' at the child, and Jolie grabbed him to stop him. 'To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow. 'The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. 'Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. 'Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying.' Jolie and Pitt are pictured with their son Maddox in November 2013 For the rest of the flight, 'to avoid Pitt's wrath', Jolie and the children 'sat still and silent under blankets.' The lawyers write: 'Nobody dared to go to the bathroom. Pitt periodically emerged from the back of the plane to yell and swear at them. 'At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children. 'After many tense hours, Pitt finally fell asleep.' On landing, Jolie woke him up and told him she and the children were going to a hotel instead of to their home. 'He shouted that nobody was getting off the plane and prevented the family from deplaning for about 20 minutes,' the court documents state. 'After a child intervened and demanded to leave, Pitt finally relented. 'But once outside the plane door, Pitt again physically abused one of their children. 'He also grabbed and shook Jolie by the head and shoulders, causing one of the children to beg, ''Don't hurt her.'' 'He let Jolie go, but then called her a 'b****,' before adding, 'F*** you, f*** you all.'' An investigation was launched, but no charges were ever filed. Seven months later, in April 2022, Jolie under the alias 'Jane Doe' sued the FBI, seeking to know why the inquiry was dropped. Her actions were only revealed in August this year when Rolling Stone magazine obtained a copy of the FBI report. Jolie's anonymous suit alleged that she'd filed countless requests for a copy of the department's investigative file to gain a 'better understanding the FBI's investigation and obtaining information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling.' Jolie, in her court documents, states that their joint ownership of the winery became increasingly contentious. 'With Chateau Miraval now her most important asset, Jolie began to seek a more active role both in understanding the chateau and winery's various projects and in understanding and overseeing its finances,' the court documents state. 'As disputes and complications arose in the related divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt's conduct hardened as he attempted to cement his control over the winery.' She accuses Pitt of attempting to freeze her out of the business and using the revenue from the business to fund his own projects. 'Pitt's refusal to distribute profits alone gave him substantial leverage and control over Jolie in their ongoing disputes,' she said. 'By 2019, Jolie was growing increasingly uncomfortable with continuing to participate in an alcohol-related business, given the impact of Pitt's acknowledged problem of alcohol abuse on their family. 'Resigned that Pitt would not share control of the winery or distribute any profits, concerned about participating in a business that was associated with such painful and traumatic memories for her and their children, and seeking financial independence, Jolie concluded that she needed to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval.' Pitt has argued that Jolie unilaterally sold her stake to multinational drinks giant Stoli, but Jolie on Tuesday argued she offered Pitt the chance to buy her out. She said a $54.5 million deal was reached to sell her share to Pitt, but he backed out when she filed allegations of violence. 'In the couple's child custody case, Jolie submitted under seal (meaning no member of the public could see any portion of it except the document title) an 'Offer of Proof and Authority re Testimony Regarding Domestic Violence.' 'This filing apparently enraged Pitt, and in response to that submission, on March 26, 2021, Pitt's team notified Jolie's team that Pitt was 'stepping back' from the Miraval deal.' Jolie is seen with her daughter Shiloh in Rome on July 9 She sold her stake to Stoli in September 2021 and is now seeking a judge's final approval for the sale. 'After failing to bully Jolie into agreeing to a non-disparagement clause in exchange for her economic freedom and security, Pitt now claims that Jolie was not authorized to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval and is asking the Court to unwind the sale,' Jolie's lawyers write. 'Again, Pitt's entire case against Jolie is premised largely on his supposed unwritten, unspoken agreement to always give the other a consent or veto right over any sale of the other's interest in the chateau and winery no matter the circumstances and no matter whether they even remained a couple. 'But the first time Jolie ever heard of this supposed consent right was when she was alerted to press reports that Pitt had sued her and later read Pitt's complaint.' The court documents conclude: 'Jolie requests that the Court declare that no such agreement exists and that Jolie's sale of Nouvel to Stoli's subsidiary is final. 'With these declarations, Jolie can finally have what she thought she had when she sold Nouvel to Stoli in 2021: To move on from the winery and chateau, to have financial independence from her ex-husband, and to finally have some form of peace and closure to this deeply painful and traumatic chapter of her and their children's lives.' Australia could 'adopt' a region of Ukraine and pledge to rebuild its infrastructure after it was ravaged by Russia. Ukrainian ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko put the motion forward to Anthony Albanese's government before a more substantial proposal was submitted last month. Under the plan, Australia could team up with Denmark to adopt the Mykolaiv region in the south. Mykolaiv has undergone near-constant shelling by Russian forces, although it remains controlled by Ukraine. Another option could see Australia and the Netherlands to rebuild Kherson, which is currently occupied by Kremlin forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shaking hands prior to their meeting in Kyiv An elderly man looks at a damaged residential building after shelling in the city of Mykolaiv, on October 1 An administrative building in Lyubotyn in Kharkiv region is reduced to rubble after it was exploded by a Russian rocket Both regions border the Black Sea. The adoption proposal was first discussed by foreign and Ukrainian ambassadors at a meeting in July in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. So far, 10 nations have pledged to partner with regions. Turkey will take on Kharkiv, The Netherlands will help rebuild Kherson, and Italy will tackle three regions: Odesa, Kyiv with the UK and Zhytomyr with Estonia. Chernihiv will be rebuilt by Lativa, France and Sweden. Myroshnychenko told Crikey: 'The logic was because it's a maritime area and it's on the Black Sea, lots of help will be needed with rebuilding ports and shipbuilding, which is an area of expertise for Australia. 'There's heavy fighting going on, but the ambition is to expand reconstruction to Kherson once we retake it.' A man walks by a damaged residential building after shelling in the city of Mykolaiv Women react in front of a damaged residential building after shelling in the city of Mykolaiv Myroshnychenko also suggested that Australia and New Zealand could join forces as an Anzac endeavour. The ambassador also hopes Ukrainian municipalities can partner with foreign municipalities, local and state governments, private businesses and individual donors to fundraise to rebuild specific infrastructure. He said so far the response from the Albanese government had been 'positive,' although no official commitments have been made. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the government would work with partners to support Ukraine and consider all formal requests for further assistance: 'The Australian government continues to engage with our Ukrainian counterparts and acknowledges the significant challenges associated with rebuilding Ukraine.' The corporate regulator claim customers were lured into the GO Mastercard The legal action relates to 'no deposit' and 'interest free' terms advertised Harvey Norman is being sued in the Federal Court for misleading its customers in relation to its 'no deposit' and '60 months interest-free' payment methods. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) launched the legal action on Wednesday against Harvey Norman and credit provider Latitude accusing both of misleading and deceptive conduct. The watchdog alleges the retailer failed to disclose that customers could only use the interest free payment method if they applied for and used a Latitude GO Mastercard. Documents filed to the court from the corporate regulator say the ads containing the offer, which appeared on TV, radio and in newspapers between January 1, 2020, and August 11 2021 misled consumers. Harvey Norman is being sued in the Federal Court for misleading its customers in relation to its 'no deposit' and '60 months interest-free' payment methods ASIC launched the legal action on Tuesday against Harvey Norman and credit provider Latitude accusing both of misleading and deceptive conduct ASIC said in a statement that Latitude and Harvey Norman 'distributed and earned significant revenues from the GO Mastercard, which is available exclusively through Harvey Norman franchisees' stores and Harvey Norman and Latitude websites.' It also alleges the advertisements 'misrepresented the true cost of using the payment method because they failed to adequately disclose establishment fees and monthly account service fees'. The corporate regulator claimed Harvey Norman and Latitude lured consumers into taking on a GO Mastercard 'without having made an informed choice to do so, and thereby exposed them to the risks of incurring further debts and charges and experiencing related ramifications for their credit ratings, and misrepresented to consumers the true cost of using the payment method'. The corporate regulator allege the retailer failed to disclose in order to take up the interest-free offer consumers first had to sign up for a Latitude GO Mastercard (pictured) ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said some customers were left with hefty fees because of the card. 'ASIC is concerned the advertising did not provide consumers with the full picture, that they could only use the interest free payment method by applying for and using certain Latitude credit cards,' she said. 'These credit cards, ASIC alleges, attracted substantial fees over the course of the 60 month payment term, and exposed consumers to the risks of incurring further debts and charges, as well as potentially affecting their credit rating.' Customers who signed up to the GO Mastercard on or after March 16, 2021, and before August 11, 2021, and made a purchase at Harvey Norman using the 60-month interest free payment method, would be out of pocket at least $537 on top of the purchase price in fees even if they paid off their purchase over the 60-month period. 'Consumers have a right to make informed choices. Credit providers and retail partners such as Latitude and Harvey Norman should ensure that their advertising clearly discloses all important information about payment methods and any fees,' Ms Court said. ASIC is seeking monetary penalties, injunctions and a declaration against Latitude and Harvey Norman from the court ASIC is seeking monetary penalties, injunctions and a declaration against Latitude and Harvey Norman from the court. The regulator has also asked the court for an order forcing the companies to prominently disclose terms, conditions and fees in any future ads. Latitude said in a statement: 'Latitude takes these allegations very seriously and has worked cooperatively with ASIC during its investigation.' 'Latitude is now reviewing ASIC's claim and will not be commenting further at this stage given the matter is before the courts.' Harvey Norman have been contacted for comment. After she was allegedly raped in a Parliament House office, Brittany Higgins texted her ex to say her Friday night had not gone as expected - and that 'I really don't think it was consensual at all'. Ms Higgins took the witness stand at ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Wednesday to testify at the trial of one-time fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann, who denies raping her in March 2019. A security guard found Ms Higgins, now 27, alone, dishevelled and semi-naked in the parliamentary office of her boss, then-defence minister Linda Reynolds. The court was shown video of her being questioned by police over a series of texts she sent to former lover Ben Dillaway in the aftermath of the alleged attack. Brittany Higgins leaves ACT Supreme Court in Canberra after taking to the witness stand in the trial of her alleged rapist Brittany Higgins sent a series of texts to old flame Ben Dillaway after she was allegedly raped in a parliamentary office by a colleague. The texts were shown to a jury According to messages, shown to the jury, Ms Higgins's old flame Mr Dillaway asked her: 'Was it just you and Bruce who went back there or a group of people? 'Did you hook up in there or did someone take advantage of you?' She replied: 'Yes, it was just Bruce and I from what I recall. I was barely lucid. 'I really don't feel like it was consensual at all. If he thought it was OK why would he just leave me there like that?' Ms Higgins told police in the interview she had already had to fend off Lehrmann when he made an attempt to kiss her in her first week in the job at a team dinner. 'Bruce made a pass at me and tried to kiss me,' she said. 'I didn't think about it all that much because I rebuffed it. 'I didn't think it would be a bit deal at the time. It was fine - he took it and left.' She added: 'I had just broken up with Ben ... We never talked about it again.' Brittany Higgins sent her ex a series of texts in 2019 to say her Friday night had not gone as expected after she was allegedly raped in a Parliament House office. CoS stands for chief of staff, a key position in a parliamentary office 'It was just the two of us. He leaned forward to my face, but at the same time I'd had other people in politics make passes at me before. 'I didn't want to embarrass him. Mixed signal type thing.' Just a few weeks later, Ms Higgins alleges Lehrmann raped her after a boozy night out. The court was played footage of two interviews Ms Higgins had with police - including a moment where she described a series of texts she sent Mr Dillaway in the aftermath of the alleged attack. In one text, she told her ex: 'I think I may not continue to be employed with Linda.' Ms Higgins explained: 'I was scared I was going to lose my job. I'm still deciding what course of action I'll take - going to the police and going with the process. 'I thought at some point I wasn't going to be employed.' Another text added: 'On Friday night I ended up in the ministerial office - didn't end up how I made it out.' Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann leaves the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday after his former colleague and alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins gave evidence She admitted to detectives that she had already spoken to Mr Dillaway about the previous night in a phone call on her Uber ride home from Parliament, but hadn't accused Lehrmann of rape. 'I tried to play it down like it wasn't a big deal,' she told the court. 'I didn't disclose it or that any intercourse had happened. That's all he knew prior to this conversation.' She then made the rape allegation in their later text messages. Of the messages, Ms Higgins told police: 'It was me starting to go through the process - he was the first person I spoke to about it - the fact that I was raped. 'It was hard because he was the only person I trusted but we had a previous relationship. I was softer in my language.' Brittany Higgins told detectives that she had spoken to Ben Dillaway (pictured) about the alleged incident On the night of the attack, CCTV footage revealed she had 11 drinks between 7.24pm and 11.51pm at The Dock venue in Kingston on the night of the alleged assault. Ms Higgins could be seen on her phone, and the court was told she had organised a Bumble date for the evening. She moved away from the main group at 8.20pm to meet her date outside the bar before bringing him inside to introduce him to everyone at the table. He sat with the group of mainly parliamentary staff, but seemed to disappear before 8.52pm, when Ms Higgins joined another table with Mr Lehrmann and two others. She skolled her final drink at 11.51pm before she left the pub with the group. Ms Higgins continually told police that her recollection of the evening was 'patchy' and initially told them she believed she had 'three or four' drinks at The Dock. She was visibly shaken after the CCTV was played to the court on Wednesday. Footage of the interview also revealed the moment Ms Higgins visibly reacted as police showed her CCTV footage of how she came to be in Parliament House that night. Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) denies raping Brittany Higgins in a parliamentary office in March 2019 Pictured: Messages between Ms Higgins and her ex-boyfriend, Mr Dillaway, after the alleged assault She struggled to maintain her composure when she was also played the footage from another camera facing a different angle. Her bottom lip quivered as detectives then showed her a third clip, taken just outside Ms Reynolds' office. She told detectives the footage was 'very clarifying - it makes sense. 'I didn't know how we got through that first gate, and [now I see] that the security guard walked in with us,' she said. 'So he had to walk us through that first gate to get us to the second gate. Bruce clearly didn't have his pass, then we were signed in. It makes sense.' Earlier, police interview footage had revealed how Ms Higgins claimed she had a 'strange moment of eye contact' with Lehrmann after the alleged rape. 'At that point, I didn't say anything to him anymore,' Ms Higgins said in the police interview. In the interview, Ms Higgins claimed she was woken the next morning by a female security guard, who asked if everything was OK. The young woman said she was 'fine', despite her dress being bunched around her waist, the court heard. The court heard Ms Higgins then threw up in the former minister's bathroom, before she made her way into a small room near Ms Reynolds' former office, which had no windows, found a box of Roses chocolates and ate it while crying. 'I pulled myself together - I was quite dishevelled. I borrowed one of the minister's jackets to cover my cocktail dress,' she said in the police interview. Brittany Higgins arrives at court for the second day of Bruce Lehrmann's trial on Wednesday Higgins arrives at court on Wednesday in a crepe lace midi dress. She is accompanied by friend Emma Webster The following Monday, Ms Higgins told officers that she went to work and saw Mr Lehrmann. But she said they did not talk about the night of the alleged incident - instead, he bought her coffee, the court heard. 'I was trying to overcompensate to make it feel normal. We didn't discuss it. We didn't talk about it. He didn't seem ashamed or upset. 'It didn't feel like something he wanted to address.' In a second police interview, recorded in May 2021 and played to the court on Wednesday, Ms Higgins elaborated on the encounter and said she thanked him for the coffee. 'I was still in a state of shock,' she told detectives. 'I perceived at the time that [Mr Lehrmann] was in a position of power over me - I didn't want to tap the ice - I was really scared. 'But it was this weird day ... I hadn't really processed what happened not was ready to deal with it, so I let it play out.' She told police she didn't think anyone would believe her story and figured Lehrmann's words carried more weight than hers because of his more senior role. Weeks later, Ms Higgins said she bought a pregnancy test 'because I was late and stressed'. The court heard she wasn't physically examined by a doctor after the alleged assault, nor did she have a valid Medicare card at the time. 'I was given anxiety medication to help me cope, but it wasn't being examined about my physical health,' she told police in May 2021. She broke down in tears while telling the detective 'in hindsight, I made it hard for myself.' 'I feel so stupid.' The case continues. Police in Stockton, California, have released chilling surveillance footage of the man they believe is the serial killer responsible for the execution-style, shooting deaths of six men over the last year 18 months. The video shows a suspect in a hoodie, beanie, jeans and COVID-mask, walking quickly past a surveillance camera. Cops say it shows a man 'on a mission' who has an 'uneven stride'. Police have not indicated why they think he may be connected to the killings, but are asking him to come forward for questioning. The first shooting was in April 2021 in Oakland, California. A 46-year-old black woman was then shot in Stockton weeks later but survived the attack. The killer is then believed to have stayed dormant until July 2022, when he started murdering again. In the weeks that followed, he murdered Paul Alexander Yaw, 35, Salvador William Dubedy Jr., 43, Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, Juan Cruz, 52, and Lorenzo Lopez, 54. The shootings took place within a few square miles. Four of the men were Hispanic, and some were homeless but police have so far not been able to determine any other common factor among them. Stockton Police released this surveillance footage yesterday which shows a man they believe may be the serial killer. It's unclear where and when it was taken, or why they think the man is connected to the six murders The footage shows a man with an 'uneven stride' but who seems to be 'on a mission'. A reward for any information has now reached $1250,000 'We don't know what the motive is. What we do believe is that it's mission-oriented. This person is on a mission,' Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said yesterday at a press conference. 'I have absolutely no answer as to why that pistol went dormant for over 400 days,' he said of the gap in the killings. Salvador William Dubedy Jr., 43, was a Stockton native and father. He died at the scene he was shot, five minutes from Yaw's shooting, after police attempted to save him McFadden said detectives did not have evidence tying the man seen in the video to the shootings but wanted to speak to him as part of their investigation. He asked members of the public watching the footage to pay attention to the man's 'uneven stride' and unusually upright posture. The men were found dead alone and in the early hours of the morning and all killings took place in dimly lit environments. Homeless man Paul Alexander Yaw was the first to of the second set of victims. He was taken to hospital after being shot in the early hours of the morning but died there from his injuries. Yaw was the only one of the five victims who was not Hispanic. His mother Greta Bogrow said in a statement: 'He was my son, a father, a grandson, nephew, cousin and brother and was loved by many. He has left a huge hole in our hearts and I hope they catch the person(s) responsible before this happens again.' Lorenzo Lopez, 54, was one of the older victims. He was found at 4400 Manchester Ave. Paul Alexander Yaw was the first to be killed on July 8, his family have confirmed. He was taken to hospital after being shot in the early hours of the morning but died there from his injuries Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was found dead inside a car on East Hammer Lane on August 11, according to San Joaquin County Coroner's Office. It's unclear if he had been sleeping in the vehicle. Lorenzo Lopez, 54, was one of the older victims. His brother Jerry Lopez said: 'It's hard to process that this has happened. I mean, me and my brother have been like twins. We were a year a part so we were pretty close.' Salvador William Dubedy Jr., 43, was a Stockton native and father. He died at the scene he was shot, five minutes from Yaw's shooting, after police attempted to save him. His wife only found out about the supposed connection between the five murders after through social media and was disappointed she wasn't reached out to directly. Stockton mayor Kevin Lincoln explained that his office is working closely with the police department to bring the killer to justice. 'What makes these cases so challenging is that there are no witnesses due to the location, the timing, the lack of light,' said Chief McFadden. He told reporters that detectives have reviewed several hundred hours of video footage. 'We feel they are interconnected somehow. To what extent we just don't know at this time,' he added. 'By definition you could very well call this a serial killer,' he said. 'It doesn't fit with what we are accustomed to seeing with gang homicides. 'One of out victims was a white male so we have no indication that these are hate crimes. 'Some of them did have homes. Some even lived in the area, but not all were unhoused.' Police have advised citizens of Stockton not to walk alone at night and not to be in dimly lit areas. A tip line has been opened to for people with information to come forward. The number is 209-937-8167. Information can also be sent to policetips@stocktonca.gov. Twitter staff on Tuesday were posting exasperated and worried memes after it emerged Elon Musk was renewing his bid to buy their company. Musk pulled out of his planned purchase of the company in July, and was facing legal action over backing out. On Tuesday, he shocked Silicon Valley by offering to complete the buyout at his original offer price of $44 billion. Employees were taken aback. 'Living the plot of Succession is f***ing exhausting,' said Rumman Chowdhury, the director of the META (ML Ethics, Transparency and Accountability) team on Twitter. Elon Musk on Tuesday shocked Twitter employees by reviving his $44 billion bid for the company, meaning he could take over within weeks She added: 'I am sitting on 2023 company-wide strategy readouts and I guess we are going to collectively ignore what's going on.' Parker Lyons, a senior financial analyst at Twitter, tweeted a series of memes, including a young girl crying captioned: 'writing my little emails today'. He also tweeted a cartoon of someone attempting '2023 planning' and being told: 'This is worthless.' One image featured a mock-up of Mark Zuckerberg as a priest welcoming newcomers to his flock, captioned: 'Meta recruiters for the next 48 hours'. Another staffer, EJ Samson, tweeted a clip of a Balenciaga model angrily marching through a catwalk covered in mud. 'I encourage every Twitter employee to go outside and take a walk,' he wrote. Some workers were venting their frustrations on the chat forum Blind, CNN reported. 'Cue the layoffs,' one anonymous staffer reportedly wrote. Musk on Tuesday confirmed the deal, tweeting: 'Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app.' Musk had been battling for months to back out of the deal, and legal and financial analysts widely believe that he acquiesced due to fears that he could be forced to complete the transaction after a highly public, potentially embarrassing trial. Twitter had sued Musk in order to force him to complete the agreed-on merger, and the case was due to go to trial in Delaware court on October 17, until Musk backed down and agreed to carry out the deal. 'Musk saw the writing on the wall and knew his chances of a victory in Delaware were slim to none with the best path accepting the current deal and move forward,' wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a note obtained by DailyMail.com. 'Being forced to do the deal after a long and ugly court battle in Delaware was not an ideal scenario and instead accepting this path and moving forward with the deal will save a massive legal headache,' he wrote. The billionaire did not elaborate on his plans for an 'everything app' or explain what such a product would offer. However, he has previously indicated that he could build an alternate social media platform called X.com if his Twitter buyout failed. PayPal, which Musk co-founded, was originally known as X.com, and SpaceX is one of his major ventures. The private Musk-controlled company that will acquire Twitter in the buyout is officially known as X Holdings. Elon Musk has acknowledged his abrupt reversal and agreement to buy Twitter in a tweet suggesting that he is now eager to complete the transaction Musk had been battling for months to back out of the deal, and legal and financial analysts widely believe that he acquiesced due to fears he would lose a court battle Earlier in the day, Twitter accepted Musk's proposal to buy the company for $44billion, with a deal expected to close within weeks. A spokesman for the company told DailyMail.com on Tuesday afternoon: 'We received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC. 'The intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share.' Regulatory filings on Tuesday revealed that Musk's attorneys sent Twitter a letter confirming that he planned to buy the company at the original price he proposed - $44billion. It was a surprising U-turn from the bombastic billionaire, but was prompted by his fear that he'd end up being ordered to buy the company anyway in court. Musk had been trying to back out of the Twitter deal, claiming the company was hiding how many spam accounts were active on the site. Twitter took him to court to try to force the takeover through. The judge, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick, recently rejected Musk's request to delay proceedings. Sources cited by Bloomberg on Tuesday said he feared she would end up siding with Twitter in the matter and force him to buy the company after a highly public, potentially embarrassing trial. Musk's new offer to complete the deal is contingent on Twitter halting its lawsuit to force the transaction. Now, with a deal nearing a close, Twitter's share price is soaring. Trading was halted at 12.10pm on Tuesday after the shares jumped 13 percent to $47.93, and the stock closed at $52, an increase of 22 percent on the day. Trading was halted at 12.10pm on Tuesday after the shares jumped 13 percent to $47.93, and the stock closed at $52, an increase of 22 percent on the day Texts between Musk and his famous friends about the deal were already made public in the court docket. Musk had been scheduled to be deposed by Twitter's attorneys starting on Thursday, which would have forced him to answer potentially embarrassing questions under oath. TIMELINE OF ELON MUSK'S CHAOTIC ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER TWITTER April 2: Musk announces that he owns 9.2 percent of the company, making him its largest single shareholder April 14: Musk offers to take Twitter private at $54.20 a share, valuing the company at $44billion April 25: Twitter accepts Musk's offer April 29: Musk sells $8billion in Tesla shares to finance deal May 13: Musk says Twitter deal is on hold pending a review of bot accounts May 26: Musk is sued by Twitter for stock manipulation during takeover July 8: Musk says he's backing out of the deal. Twitter sues, trying to force him into seeing it through. October 4: Musk proposes again to go ahead with the deal at the original price October 17: Proposed trial date in Delaware Advertisement Now, Musk is expected to own the company within a matter of weeks, if not days. He has not commented publicly about the new offer. Once in charge of Twitter, Musk plans to make changes to enhance freedom of speech. Among them is adding an 'edit' button to tweets. He also wants to stamp out fake accounts and bots which he says dilutes the experience and he wants to abolish permanently banning users. Former CEO Jack Dorsey - who banned Trump in January 2021 during the Capitol riot - agrees with the latter. He also wants an open-source algorithm, which would expose how the website decides what appears on users' feeds. It is given the name 'Open Source Algorithm' and would work to restore faith in the town-square mentality that inspired the site in the first place. Musk has also indicated that he'll add the option for long-form tweets that exceed the current limit of 280 characters. Trading of Twitter shares was halted on Tuesday as news of his offer emerged and drove the company's share price up by 13 percent. Musk's original offer in April was to buy the company for $44billion - 38 percent more than what the market said it was worth at the time. But after months of back and forth, he tried to back out of the deal in July, citing Twitter's apparent refusal to hand over enough information about how many spam and bot accounts were active on the site. Twitter sued him for attempting to back out and the two sides were due to fight it out at a civil trial in just a few weeks. Tuesday's new proposal signals an end to that dispute, though it's unclear what prompted Musk to change his mind. However, Twitter may push to keep the October 17 trial date on the court's calendar until the buyout actually closes. 'I dont think Twitter will give up its trial date on just Musks word - its going to need more certainty about closing,' Andrew Jennings, professor at Brooklyn Law School, told the AP. Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick recently rejected Musk's request to delay the trial Jennings noted that the company may be worried about Musk's proposal being a delay tactic, after the billionaire already twice tried unsuccessfully to postpone the trial. He now is likely to own the company within days, sources cited by CNBC said. It comes within days of super agent Ari Emanuel, one of Musk's friends, urging Twitter to come to a settlement with him ahead of the court date. Hollywood titan Emanuel recently contacted Egon Durban, a member of Twitter's board, urging him to end the dispute. Emanuel is friends with both Musk and Durban, who sits on the board of his company, Endeavor. Musk's retreat from the court battle signals a surprising end to the months-long saga. In April, Musk announced that he was Twitter's largest shareholder, owning 9.2 percent of the company. He then proposed buying the company, speaking publicly about how tired he'd become of its bias and its squashing of free speech. Months of toeing and froing ensued and Twitter employees were driven into a meltdown at the thought of unpredictable Musk becoming their new boss. AN EDIT BUTTON, OPEN-SOURCE ALGORITHM AND BANNING LIFELONG BANS: EVERYTHING ELON MUSK WANTS TO CHANGE AT TWITTER EDIT BUTTON One of the most memorable features that Musk has promised is an edit button that would allow users to change their tweets without having to permanently delete them. In its current model, Twitter has no such tool. Many have long demanded a function to edit their past tweets and get rid of the permanency of the site, that Musk says encourages cancel culture. In a poll on his own Twitter page - where he has more than 100million followers - 75 percent agreed with him that an edit button would improve the site. NO MORE LIFELONG BANS The most notable subject of a lifelong ban is Donald Trump. Musk doesn't believe in permanent bans on accounts that the company disagrees with. He says it contradicts the notion of Twitter being a virtual town square where all opinions are welcomed, and that it enhances bias. The most notable subject of a lifelong ban is Donald Trump. After being banished by Twitter, he set up his own social media website, Truth Social. Musk says it was 'stupid' for Twitter to send him directly towards creating a competitor. OPEN SOURCED ALGORITHM The algorithm to decide what appears on each user's Twitter feed is currently held secret by Twitter, but Musk thinks that should change. He wants to expose how the company decides what people see. LONG FORM TWEETS In an effort to get rid of 'threads' - where users number tweets in a series of numbers to indicate the order of them - Musk said long-form tweets should be available to users. Currently, users are limited by 280 characters per tweet. Advertisement Leaked texts revealed how Jack Dorsey, Twitter's former CEO, backed Musk's idea. He said: 'A new platform is needed. It can't be a company. This is why I left.' Texts from April 9 (above) reveal a fallout between Musk and Agrawal. Musk had offered suggestions on how to improve the website and seemed eager to join the board. When he was ignored, he said he was going to offer to take the company private and that trying to improve it was a 'waste of time' Twitter founder Jack Dorsey (left) had tried to get Musk on the board for at least a year and said he quit after facing opposition from the board. He also offered to smooth things over between Musk and current Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal (right) In July, the Tesla billionaire however announced that he wanted to back out of the deal. He said he'd demanded to be shown how many bot accounts were active on the site, and that Twitter had refused. Twitter then sued him, claiming he couldn't back out of the deal so suddenly and accusing him of general, reckless mischief. 'From the outset, defendants' information requests were designed to try to tank the deal. 'Musk's increasingly outlandish requests reflect not a genuine examination of Twitter's processes but a litigation-driven campaign to try to create a record of noncooperation on Twitter's part,' the company's attorneys said in a filing in July. He has not commented publicly about the new offer. Instead, he tweeted about his internet satellites not making money on Tuesday and asked his followers for 'support' Both sides were due to go to trial in Delaware on October 17. Musk's chaotic takeover attempt happened six months after Twitter's long-serving CEO Jack Dorsey announced he was stepping down. He was replaced by Parag Agrawal. At first, Musk was invited onto the board of the current, publicly-listed Twitter. He exchanged friendly text messages with Agrawal and seemed eager to improve the site. But when his suggestions were ignored, he went nuclear - threatening to buy Twitter and take it private to enact the changes he believes the site needs. 'This is a waste of time,' he fumed at Agrawal in a text in April before he tweeted about the site. The texts were revealed in court filings last week, along with others by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who was enthusiastic about Musk joining the board. 'I'm not joining the board, this is a waste of time,' Musk told Agrawal on April 9th. The court heard Ms Easey's alleged killers had asked her mother for money Both faced a NSW Supreme Court jury and accused each other of the crime As her plastic-wrapped body lay in a creek, Danielle Easey appeared to ask her mother over Facebook for $50, a jury has heard. That request followed a string of messages purportedly claiming Ms Easey was in Sydney and 'everything was fine'. But a NSW Supreme Court jury was told on Wednesday the author was Carol McHenry, who along with Justin Kent Dilosa is accused of murdering the 29-year-old Central Coast woman in McHenry's Narara home on August 17, 2019. Ms Easey's decomposing body was found two weeks later in a creek near the M1 motorway at Killingworth. Central Coast woman Danielle Easey (pictured right) was found dead in a creek near the M1 motorway at Killingworth, NSW, in August 2019 McHenry and Dilosa point the finger at each other, claiming the other attacked and fatally wounded Ms Easey. The Crown says the pair worked in concert to at least cause really serious injury. The NSW Supreme Court trial is expected to hear that after the victim's mother last spoke to her daughter on August 16, Jennifer Collier sent various messages to Ms Easey on Facebook Messenger. 'There was some concern ... because she could tell someone was reading the messages but she wasn't getting a reply,' crown prosecutor John Stanhope said in his opening address. He said replies started coming in on August 21 stating Ms Easey 'was in Sydney, everything was fine, she was with a friend, her friend was helping her'. McHenry does not dispute the Crown's assertion that she posed as the murder victim, her lawyer said. But rather than covering up her own crime, the Narara woman was acting out of fear Dilosa would kill her next, barrister Tony Evers said. Justin Kent Dilosa (pictured) and Carol McHenry have been accused of murdering the 29-year-old in McHenry's Narara home on August 17, 2019 McHenry (pictured left) allegedly wrote a message to Ms Easey's mother over Facebook asking for $50 after her death 'What she told police is she was asked to do this by Mr Dilosa, she was asked to maintain a fiction that Ms Easey was still alive,' he told the jury. 'You'll notice that (at the time of the first messages) Mr Dilosa had still not disposed of Ms Easey's body.' By throwing away Ms Easey's phone somewhere it would obviously be found and having the victim's mother transfer $50 into her own account, McHenry was 'laying bedcrumbs' for police to find her and ask her for the full story. 'She was too scared to go to police herself,' Mr Evers said. Meanwhile, Dilosa's barrister Angus Webb said his client's ultimate case was 'he did not attack Ms Easey'. The Cardiff man admits dumping Ms Easey's body in Cockle Creek, west of Lake Macquarie. It was found days later on August 31 inside a protective suit, wrapped in a doona, wrapped in plastic and finally wrapped in duct tape. The pair faced a NSW Supreme Court jury and have accused each other of murdering Ms Easey. The Crown says the pair worked in concert to at least cause really serious injury Ms Easey (pictured) had scalp lacerations, skull depressions and stab wounds to her back, consistent the Crown says with being attacked with a hammer and a knife, when her body was discovered Ms Easey had extensive scalp lacerations, skull depressions and stab wounds to her back, consistent the Crown says with being attacked with a hammer and a knife. One witness, who has been sentenced as an accessory after the fact, is expected to tell the trial each accused claimed responsibility for Ms Easey's murder when he asked 'who killed her?' 'At one stage, Ms McHenry said 'I did' and then Dilosa said 'No, she didn't - I did',' the crown prosecutor told the jury. However, witnesses in the trial included alcoholics, ice users and criminals whose reliability and credibility issues would need to be assessed by jurors, McHenry's lawyer said. The trial is expected to run into November. Sydney could even smash past having its wettest year on record this weekend 'Vast swathes of NSW' will cop the brunt of the heavy rainfall, 150mm for Sydney A massive band of cloud and rain is pummeling Australia's east coast and the wild weather is set to continue up until Sunday in most parts bringing gusty winds and chilly temperatures. Weatherzone forecasters told Daily Mail Australia the torrential downpours are part of an 'enormous' system extending 'from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north to Bass Strait and beyond in the south'. The relentless rainfall is likely to see Sydney smash the 2194mm record for the wettest year in its history this weekend. Weatherzone forecasters said the system is 'enormous' extending from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Bass Strait and beyond (pictured, an image taken just before midday on Wednesday (AEDT), illustrates the scale of the system) Brisbane is looking good in comparison with the other major cities with 5mm expected for the River City on Thursday (pictured, not all of the cloud in that system is currently generating rain, although a lot of it is - the green areas represent rain) 'We will be seeing widespread heavy rains over vast swathes of NSW, parts of Tasmania, Victoria, south and western parts of Queensland,' Weatherzone Meteorologist Tom Hough said. NSW will bare the brunt of the system with Sydney copping 20mm of rain on Thursday and up to 150mm through to Sunday as strong winds remain offshore. High totals of 50-100mm are expected in inland parts of the state, heightening the risk across already saturated catchments. 'We'll start to see more of a flash flood risk as well as riverine flood risk over the coming days,' Gabrielle Woodhouse from the Bureau of Meteorology said. 'There is a lot of rain and it's falling on very, very wet catchments.' A second weather system will bring storms, rain, and bursts of heavy falls to parts of southern Queensland and NSW, to southern Victoria, from Thursday night and into Friday. Finally, a third rainfall system will sweep across southern Queensland, NSW and eastern Victoria on Saturday and Sunday. NSW will bare the brunt of the system with Sydney copping 20mm of rain on Thursday, as strong winds remain offshore (pictured, wet weather in Sydney) There is potential for damaging winds gusts of 70-90 km/hr in the Sydney area, the Illawarra and potentially into the Hunter from Sunday morning (pictured, people shelter from a heavy rain and wind as they visit the Sydney Harbour waterfront in Sydney) There is a high chance of floods as the three weather systems dump water on catchments already dealing with flooding. 'This rainfall is likely to lead to widespread flooding across many of our rivers across NSW,' Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology said Tuesday. Flood warnings are already active in multiple inland catchments including the Namoi, Darling, Culgoa, Lachlan, Birrie, Bokhara, Bogan, Macquarie, Murray, Edward and Barwon rivers. As the rain falls, it's expected further severe warnings will be issued in northern Victoria and southern Queensland. The SES is concentrating on key communities as it expects flooding in western and central NSW towns including Gunnedah, Wee Waa and Warren this week. Weatherzone said already saturated catchments of waterways in NSW, Victoria and Queensland should get more flooding as the system tracks its way slowly eastwards (pictured, floodwaters in Dungog, NSW) The town of Warren, on the Macquarie River and downstream of Burrendong Dam, is expected to experience major flooding, with river levels reaching 9m by Wednesday. Nyngan, about one hour from Warren, is also being monitored closely, SES Commissioner Carlene York said. Multiple inland dams are full or above capacity, including Burrendong at 118 per cent, Carcoar, west of Bathurst, just over 100 per cent, and Glennies Creek Dam in the Hunter region, also just over capacity. A stranded driver had to be rescued by SES volunteers on Monday after trying to drive across a flooded roadway, Ms York said. As the school holidays come to an end this weekend, she urged people to drive with care, and not to drive across flooded roadways. Brisbane should see some patchy sun through the weekend but mostly those showers clearing by Tuesday (pictured, the rain covers are seen during the WNCL match between Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory this week in Brisbane) Grandmother punched in face and dragged down road by meth addict A grandmother was punched in the face and dragged down the road by a car during a brazen daylight attack by a man on a nine-day meth bender. Selwyn Benjamin Warren, 20, had been up for more than a week abusing drugs prior to committing the 'terrifying' assault on the 'elderly and vulnerable' woman - who had been with her three-year-old granddaughter at an Adelaide playground in May last year. The father-of-two from Campbelltown, approached the pair and took the grandmother's handbag and little girl's backpack before fleeing to a stolen red Toyota Yaris. The elderly woman followed him to the car and attempted to retrieve her belongings, before he took off with her arm still inside the vehicle, causing her to fall to the road where he hand is run over. Warren pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison for the horror incident that occurred on May 11, 2021, at a playground in Paradise in the city's northern suburbs. A grandmother was punched in the face and dragged down the road by a car during a brazen daylight attack from a man on a nine-day meth bender The court heard Warren, nine days without sleep, walked past the grandmother and child playing and swiped their bags from the pram. After noticing what he'd done, the grandmother followed him to the stolen Yaris and confronted him. '(The victim) reached into the driver's side window, at which time you punched her in the face,' Judge Joana Fuller said during sentencing, according to The Advertiser. Warren started to drive away as she reached in for their items, with the elderly woman clinging to the window. '(The victim) was dragged by the car briefly before she fell to the ground,' Judge Fuller said. 'As you drove off, you drove over her hand causing her great pain. It was a matter of sheer luck that no other part of her body, especially her head, was struck by the car.' Selwyn Benjamin Warren had been up for more than a week abusing drugs prior to committing the 'terrifying' assault on the 'elderly and vulnerable' woman Judge Fuller said Warren had a 'complete and callous disregard' for the welfare of the woman given he drove off while she was still holding onto his vehicle. She was taken to Modbury Hospital and treated for a dislocated finger and a cut to her head which required stitches. 'You said you had been awake for nine days because you had been using methamphetamine,' Judge Fuller said. 'You needed money to buy more cannabis and methamphetamine and when you were near the Paradise interchange, you spotted the pram and the bag and backpack and you decided then to steal them.' Warren pleaded guilty to assault, theft and an act likely to cause harm. The court accepted he was remorseful for his actions and had written a letter of apology to the victim. Judge Fuller said Warren had a 'complete and callous disregard' for the welfare of the woman given he drove off while she was still holding onto his vehicle 'You hope she could forgive you. You said you '100 per cent deserve' what you get because you could have killed her,' she said. 'You said being in prison had shown you that drugs and crime was not the life you wanted.' Warren was sentenced to three years and one month in jail with a non-parole period of 19 months. He is also banned from driving for six years. His three-year sentence was backdated to May 11, 2021. China-aided riverside project handed over to Ethiopia Xinhua) 10:32, October 05, 2022 ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The China-aided Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development Project Phase II, which consists of facilities including a well-designed science museum and a children's playground, has been officially handed over to the Ethiopian government. Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Zhao Zhiyuan said during the handover ceremony held Monday that the project will promote the development of science and technology, and be a preferred choice for conferences, gatherings, weddings and children's activities. During the project's construction, the Chinese side, guided by the Global Development Initiative and the "Nine Programs" on China-Africa cooperation, has carried forward the spirit of workmanship in pursuit of excellence, overcome difficulties and challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and completed all tasks successfully. "The completion and handover of the project is another vivid manifestation of the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership between our two countries, and demonstrates the profound friendship between China and Ethiopia," the Chinese ambassador said. Noting that the current China-Ethiopia relations are at a high level, Zhao stressed the two countries' cooperation across various fields "is a pace-setter for China-Africa cooperation." "We will take this opportunity and motivation to make great efforts to deliver other China-aided projects on the ground," he said. The construction of this China-aided project started in May 2020 with a total investment of about 60 million U.S. dollars. The completion of the project is said to fully demonstrate the high level of Chinese design and construction and the great potential for cooperation between the two countries. The Ethiopian government expects the project to advance and lead the development of science and technology. As an integral part of the Ethiopian government's city beautification agenda, the project is also expected to greatly improve the surrounding living environment of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, with important social, tourism and commercial value. Addis Ababa Deputy Mayor Jantirar Abay emphasized that the successful completion of the project was another milestone achieved with the help of the ever-expanding China-Ethiopia ties. "This is a special project to be constructed at the center and at the downtown of Addis Ababa. For this project, a lot of experts, professionals, engineers, and planners were involved to complete it timely," Abay said. "We thank the Chinese government for giving a chance to Addis Ababa, especially for this grand project." He also commended the Chinese government and companies for effectively undertaking similar development projects in the East African country. "We also signed different agreements between different companies of China. So we appreciate the Chinese government for doing that and the companies of China for their effort and their commitment to timely complete these all projects," Abay said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) LG Energy Solution's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul / Korea Times file By Kim Jae-heun LG Energy Solution has launched new in-house companies named KooRoo and AVEL to expand its battery business ecosystem, the company said Wednesday, as part of its plan to keep pace with industry developments. KooRoo and AVEL will begin operations later this month related to Battery as a Service (BaaS) and Energy as a Service (EaaS), respectively, starting this month. BaaS is a business model that provides various services based on the data generated throughout a battery's life cycle. EaaS refers to a business model that uses distributed renewable energy resources and energy storage systems (ESS) to help streamline the power grid. KooRoo is a battery swap service (BSS), offering customers a convenient electric motorcycle battery pack-swapping service. The company plans to push for the development of BSS-only battery packs and stations first and then expand the ecosystem of electric motorcycles by utilizing the collected data in the future. LG Energy Solution CEO Kwon Young-soo / Courtesy of LG Energy Solution A Russian torture chamber where victims had their teeth yanked out with some buried alive has been uncovered in Ukraine, officials have said. The grim discovery was made in the town of Pisky-Rad'kivs'ki in the north of Ukraine, around 15 miles to the east of the city of Izyum. Images show a plastic bucket filled with dozens of gold teeth, caps and dentures that Ukrainian officials say were pulled from victims of the site. Another shows a gas mask that was stuffed with a burning rag to force the wearer to inhale acrid smoke, while locals told how some victims were buried alive. A bucket of gold fillings, caps and dentures that Ukrainian officials say were pulled from the victims of a Russian torture chamber is uncovered in Kharkiv oblast A gas mask and burned rag was used to force people to inhale acrid smoke, Ukrainian officials say, while other victims were buried alive It is just the latest example of Russian soldiers summarily torturing and executing civilians in occupied areas of the country, after the discovery of mass graves in Bucha, Irpin and Izyum. Dozens of torture chambers - often set up in the basements of abandoned government buildings - have also been discovered. In some, bodies were found with their hands tied ands bullet wounds in their knees or the back of the heads. Survivors of such places describe being held for weeks on end and regularly tortured during interrogation sessions - electrocuted while being ordered to give up the names of locals affiliated with the military or government. The newest torture site was revealed by Serhii Bolvinov, chief investigator in the Kharkiv region, where the town is located. He wrote: 'Neighbors constantly heard screams from here. Investigators found a terrible torture chamber in the village. 'Police have been made aware of the torture of being buried alive and the use of a gas mask with a smoldering rag. It is just the latest evidence of Russian troops detaining, torturing and killing civilians in occupied areas after this house of horrors was found in Izyum Electric cables are pictured inside an evidence bag after forensic investigators suspected they were used to torture Ukrainian prisoners A Ukrainian police officer examines a cell as the words of the Lord's Prayer are written on the wall at the District Police Department used by Russian occupiers for torture in Balaklya, a town in the northeast of the Kharkiv region 'A dildo and a box with torn dentures were also found in the torture chamber.' The grim discovery was made as Ukraine liberates dozens of towns and villages in both the north and south from Russian forces. Following a lightning offensive in Kharkiv last month that returned virtually the entire province to Ukrainian control, troops have been pushing the Russians out of the last areas they occupy - most of them east of the Oskil River. On Tuesday, at least two towns were liberated as Ukrainian troops look to push further east, into neighbouring Luhansk oblast. Pisky-Rad'kivs'ki is located in the same area, east of the Oskil. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away to the south, the Russian frontline suffered a partial collapse on Tuesday as Kyiv's men raced forward 10 miles in a matter of hours. President Zelensky said overnight that 'dozens' of towns and villages were liberated as social media was flooded with footage of flag-waving soldiers being greeted by grateful locals after Russian troops fled their positions. Members of Ukrainian Emergency Service, police and experts lift a coffin from a grave at a mass burial site in Izium The fresh atrocities echo those committed in Bucha and Irpin earlier in the war, when at least 458 civilians died under Russian occupation (pictured, a mass grave) Gains in Kherson are significant because it was one of the four regions that Putin annexed last week - saying they would be part of Russia 'forever'. It is also where the bulk of his best fighting units are located - up to 30,000 men at one point, according to analysts - so defeat here would call into question the Russian army's ability to hold any of the territory it now occupies. Ukraine has been attacking the region since early August and, until this week, had made only small gains. Their goal is to recapture the city of Kherson itself - the only regional capital to fall to Putin's troops during the invasion - which would be a hammer-blow to his war effort. Ukraine spent weeks before the battle severing bridges across the Dnipro River - which divides the city - to stop Russia being able to reinforce and resupply its soldiers on the west bank. However, there are still thought to be some 5,000 men guarding it amid reports that Putin has given strict instructions that the city cannot be surrendered. It beat out Broome in WA, Hay in NSW and Kimberley in the NT to host the icon A country town will become the home of Australia's first tourist attraction that champions LGBTIQA+ pride and inclusion - the Big Rainbow. Daylesford, in western Victoria, secured the most votes to host the newest 'big' icon, beating out Broome in Western Australia, Hay in New South Wales and Katherine in the Northern Territory. The competition was part of The Big Rainbow Project, an initiative to celebrate the regional LGBTQIA+ community by introducing the first LGBTQIA+ landmark. Daylesford, in western Victoria, will become the home of the Big Rainbow (pictured), which is Australia's first landmark celebrating LGBTIQA+ pride and inclusion What is Australia's Big Seven? 1. The Big Prawn - Ballina, NSW 2. The Big Pineapple - Woombye, QLD 3. The Big Banana - Coffs Harbour, NSW 4. The Big Potato - Robertson, NSW 5. The Big Lobster - Kingston SE, SA 6. The Giant Koala - Dadswells Bridge, Vic 7. The Big Merino - Goulburn, NSW Advertisement Mayor of Hepburn Shire Council Tim Drylie hopes the new attraction will rival Australia's Big Seven - including the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, NSW, and the Big Pineapple in Woombye, QLD. 'The rainbow icon is a beacon for inclusion,' he told the ABC. 'It's a joyous symbol we all associate with hope.' He added that Daylesford would continue to celebrate diversity and inclusion. The town has a long history with the LGBTQIA+ community, being dubbed the 'gay capital' of regional Victoria. It has been the host of Chillout Festival, Australia's largest rural queer pride festival, since 1997. The local council also appointed its first LGBTIQA+ committee in March of this year. Cr Drylie called on other rural towns to consider putting a LGBTIQA+ committee on their council. 'Everyone benefits. It lifts people up, they feel more involved in their communities and are more likely to get involved,' he added. The country town, dubbed the 'gay capital' of regional Victoria, won over Broome in Western Australia, Hay in New South Wales and Katherine in the Northern Territory The new landmark is part of The Big Rainbow Project, an initiative funded by Tinder Australia to celebrate regional LGBTIQA+ pride and inclusion A community survey has now been launched in Daylesford so locals can vote where to put the landmark. The Big Rainbow was revealed in Sydney earlier this year as an initiative funded by Tinder Australia to celebrate pride, diversity, inclusion and self-expression in regional Australia. The landmark measures 12 metres wide and 6 metres tall. It was designed by members of the LGBTQIA+ and First Nations communities. Tinder Australia also donated $100,000 towards community organisations that work for 'regional LGBTQIA+ representation, diversity and inclusion' as part of the initiative. Advertisement A malfunctioning South Korean ballistic missile blew up as it slammed into the ground Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States in an embarrassing failure amid tensions with North Korea. Intended as demonstration to deter the North after the pariah state fired a missile over Japan on Tuesday, South Korea early this morning fired a series of Hyunmoo-2C short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) when one failed shortly after launch and tumbled back towards earth, exploding in a blaze of rocket fuel at a military base in Gangneung. The explosion and subsequent fire panicked and confused residents of the coastal city, and concerns that it could be a targeted attack from the North only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours. 'All of a sudden I heard a roar and it made me think something has gone wrong,' said Kim Hee-soo, a nearby resident. 'I looked at the area where they've fired Hyunmoo missiles before and there was flame and smoke and it was a total mess. 'I've never experienced such an accident in my years having been born and raised here. It makes me very nervous and I hope that they can let us know whenever they conduct a training.' A video that Kim shared on social media went viral overnight, and other residents chimed in with concerns and fears amid silence from military authorities. Hours later, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that no-one was killed in the explosion and that no civilian infrastructure was affected. But Kwon Seong-dong, a ruling party lawmaker representing Gangneung, wrote on Facebook that a 'weapons system operated by our blood-like taxpayer money ended up threatening our own people' and called for the military to thoroughly investigate the missile failure. He also criticised the military for not issuing a notice about the failure while maintaining a media embargo on the joint drills. The explosion and fire which followed the failed missile launch panicked and confused residents of the coastal city Gangneung, and concerns that it could be a targeted attack only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours A surface-to-surface missile is fired into the sea off the east coast in this handout picture provided by the Defense Ministry, South Korea, October 5, 2022, in response to a recent test missile launched by North Korea South Korean Air Force's F15K fighter jets and U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter jets, fly in formation during a joint drill in an undisclosed location in South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 A South Korean F-15K fighter (pictured) fired two JADAM precision bombs at a firing range on a Yellow Sea island on Tuesday, in response to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier in the day North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) farther than ever before on Tuesday - the longest missile test prior to that was the Hwasong-12 (pictured) launched in 2017 South Korean (pictured) and American troops staged a missile drill of their own in response. A South Korean Air Force F-15K fighter jet takes part in a joint bombing drill with U.S. in this handout picture provided by the Defense Ministry, South Korea, October 4, 2022 In a provocative move that ramps up simmering tensions in the eastern Pacific, North Korea fired an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan earlier on Tuesday for the first time since 2017 - prompting evacuation warnings in Japan. The missile was launched around 7.20am from its Mupyong-ri test site, near the border with China, and passed over Japan's Tohoku region around five minutes later. Warning sirens sounded and civilians were told to take cover. The rocket soared over the mainland and continued 1,800 miles off Japan's eastern coast before splashing down in the Pacific around 7.45am - making it the longest North Korea missile test ever in terms of range. What is the Hyunmoo-2? The Hyunmoo-2 is a South-Korean developed short range ballistic missile (SRBM) which is key to South Korea's pre-emptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North. The name Hyunmoo refers to a mythical creature known as the 'Guardian of the Northern Sky', prompting speculation the missile was developed specifically for defense against North Korea. The Hyunmoo-2A, the first of the series, was launched in 2008 and was based on a Russian Iskander-E ballistic missile first deployed in the late 80s. A year later, South Korea deployed an improved model of the missile named the Hyunmoo-2B, whose propulsion system had been developed to grant the missile extended range. The latest version of the missile, the Hyunmoo-2C, has emerged in 2017 and has an even longer range. It can cover all North Korean territory, reach China's and Russia's border areas that are close to South Korea, and covers significant amounts of Japanese territory. It is also capable of deploying a range of warheads, making it a highly versatile weapon. Source: Military Today Advertisement Early this morning, the U.S. and South Korea in ramped up their own military drills in kind. The U.S. military launched four of its own missiles that are part of the Army Tactical Missile System and South Korea successfully fired another two Hyumoo-2 missiles before the third crashed back to earth. In addition to missile launches, joint live-fire drills conducted in recent days by U.S.-South Korean forces involved bombing runs by F-15 strike jets using precision munitions. And South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was scheduled to return to waters east of South Korea on Wednesday to demonstrate the allies' 'firm will' to counter North's continued provocations and threats. The carrier was part of drills last week with South Korea and Japan. U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meanwhile condemned North Korea's Tuesday missile test in the 'strongest terms,' and the European Union called it a 'reckless and deliberately provocative action'. The White House called the move 'dangerous and reckless' as Japanese residents were forced to hide in their homes. 'This action is destabilizing and shows the DPRK's blatant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions and international safety norms,' said National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson in a statement Monday night. U.N secretary general Antonio Guterres also condemned the North's missile launch over Japan. The United States has asked the U.N. Security Council to have a meeting on North Korea, but diplomats said China and Russia are opposed to a public discussion by the 15-member body. In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, South Korean Air Force F-15Ks and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier in the day, on October 4, 2022 President Joe Biden (left) called Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) Tuesday after the North Korean missile test, and the pair jointly condemned the launch A U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is fired during a joint training between the United States and South Korea, on October 05, 2022 The missile fired by North Korea on Tuesday caused particular alarm among U.S. officials as it had the capability of striking the Pacific territory of Guam, which is home to one of the largest military facilities maintained by the U.S. in Asia. In 2017, North Korea threatened to make 'an enveloping fire' near Guam with Hwasong-12 missiles amid rising animosities with the then-Trump administration. But Tuesday's missile test was the latest in a long line of launches this year, as Kim Jong-un pushes to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies with the goal of wresting concessions from those countries, some experts say. North Korea has test-fired about 40 missiles over about 20 different launch events this year as leader Kim refuses to return to nuclear diplomacy with the United States. The launch also signified the fifth round of weapons tests by North Korea in the past 10 days. The testing spree is an apparent response to two sets of military drills - one between Washington and Seoul and the other involving Washington, Seoul and Tokyo - off the Korean Peninsula's east coast last week. Meanwhile in densely populated South Korea, military training is often conducted near communities, sparking some protests. The 24-hour disaster management office in Gangneung said it had received several calls from worried residents when the Hyunmoo missile failed early this morning. An official with the agency said the military had confirmed it was conducting a drill, but did not explain the fire, and no city firefighters were called to the base. Advertisement At least 25 wedding guests have been killed in a horror bus tragedy after the driver veered into a deep gorge in northern India. The vehicle was travelling along a treacherous mountain highway in Uttarakhand state when it careened over an edge and plunged at least 1,640ft with around 45 people onboard. Remarkably, 20 people were rescued, the state's top police official Ashok Kumar told AFP. At least 25 wedding guests have been killed in a horror bus tragedy after the driver veered into a deep gorge in northern India The vehicle was travelling along a treacherous mountain highway in Uttarakhand state when it careened over an edge Rescuers untie the body of passenger after it was pulled out from a bus that fell into a gorge in Pauri district Rescuers look through the trees for any sign of survivors after the tragedy saw 25 wedding guests killed Authorities worked through the night trying to find the 45 passengers from the bus which plunged into the gorge Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 'all possible assistance' would be given to the survivors. 'In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families,' he tweeted on Wednesday. Vijay Kumar Jogdande, a senior government officer, said they would be carrying out an investigation into the incident and will conduct postmortem examinations after retrieving the bodies from the site. Officials were seen clearing the area of bushes and trees to help with the rescue operation as they pulled up an injured person. Rescuers also retrieved a dead body using ropes before they were taken away on a stretcher. Fatal road accidents are common in Uttarakhand, which encompasses part of the Indian Himalayas and is home to numerous religious pilgrimage sites. Officials were seen clearing the area of bushes and trees to help with the rescue operation as they pulled up an injured person Rescuers also retrieved a dead body using ropes before they were taken away on a stretcher Nearly two dozen people were killed in June when their bus plunged into a gorge while en route to a shrine to the Hindu deity Yamuna, north of the state capital Dehradun. India accounts for 11 percent of the global road death toll despite only having one percent of the world's vehicles, according to a World Bank report released last year. The same report estimated 150,000 car crash fatalities in India annually, or one person every four minutes. It added that road crashes cost the Indian economy around $75 billion each year, with medical expenses and loss of income driving many accident survivors into poverty. She said two police officers 'forced' their way in to accuse her of ' The journalist and mother was arrested on Monday by Surrey Police over the web content in Guildford home Advertisement This is the moment a gender-critical Catholic mother was arrested in her home in front of her children and body searched after police swooped on her house over series of 'malicious' online posts. Caroline Farrow, a vicar's wife and mother-of-five, shared a lengthy thread on Twitter detailing her experience with Surrey Police after two police officers reportedly 'forced' their way into her home to arrest her on Monday night. While in the middle of preparing a roast dinner for her priest husband Robin and five children on Sunday, two police officers are said to have demanded she join them for an interview under caution. She said when she asked 'do you have a warrant', Ms Farrow claimed they replied 'We don't need one'. Photographs show one officer appearing to put his hand on the front door to stop her from closing it, and another shows her being searched outside. The row stems from a series of anonymous posts shared on forums on website Kiwi Farms in June. Mrs Farrow is accused of posting 'malicious' content and 'harassing' other users on the online platform. A spokesperson for Surrey Police said officers attended the address in Guildford as part of a probe into 'allegations of malicious communications and harassment' , adding that officers 'seized a number of electronic devices'. Temporary Detective Chief Inspector David Bentley said the devices had been seized as police continue to 'gather further evidence and carry out an investigation to prove or disprove the allegation'. Mrs Farrow has strenuously denied the accusations, explaining instead that she was playing the organ during Mass at the Holy Angels Church, Aldershot during the times the posts were made. She was previously the subject of a five-month police investigation in 2019 - after she was accused of calling a transgender woman a 'he' on Twitter. Speaking to GB news last night, Mrs Farrow said: 'I have been arrested for what was a twitter spat about gender issues.' She explained how the officers confiscated electronic devices, including some at her husband's parish office next door that her autistic son uses for home schooling. Ms Farrow also shared pictures of the moment Surrey Police officers arrived at her home to arrest her over her Twitter feed Caroline Farrow, a journalist and mother-of-five, shared a lengthy thread online detailing her experience with Surrey Police The row allegedly stems from a series of anonymous posts shared on forums on Kiwi Farms in June Mrs Farrow told of how she was also taken outside and searched before she was taken to a police station, where she was kept for several hours. She said: 'One minute I was making dinner for my kids and then next I was having my socks checked for drugs. This took up an entire shift. What an absolute waste of police's time. 'I was then shown other material that police were accusing me of sending. None of them were my doing.' Mrs Farrow was released under investigation in the early hours of Monday morning. Mrs Farrow later shared images purportedly showing her being frisked by officers in her driveway, claimed her electronic devices were seized and said she had to surrender her jewellery before being interviewed at a police station in Guildford. She tweeted: 'When read my rights and told that what I said could be used in evidence against me, I replied that women don't have an [aubergine emoji - often used online to refer to a penis].' Farrow, who works at the UK and Ireland director of Catholic campaigning website CitizenGo, said the whole ordeal had left her feeling 'harassed and anxious'. She tweeted: 'I know it's procedure, but one minute I am cooking some roast chicken for dinner, the next I am having my socks searched for drugs, because of 'insulting posts on the internet.' 'It's scary that the police can take someone's word for something and just come and arrest you. All they could say is 'we've had an allegation which needs to be investigated''. Sentences for those found guilty under the Malicious Communications Act can be as long as two years. Mrs Farrow, who once complained of her life being 'invaded and dominated by insane trans rights activists', has previously been publicly supported by Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Mrs Farrow is accused of posting 'malicious' content and 'harassing' other users on the online platform She has strenuously denied the allegations, explaining instead that she was playing the organ during Mass at the Holy Angels Church, Aldershot Mrs Farrow was investigated by the same police force in 2019 over allegations she had used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman. The Catholic campaigner, known for her deeply held religious views, and Susie Green, the head of transgender children's charity Mermaids, clashed on ITV's Good Morning Britain about Girl Guides allowing children who have changed gender to join the organisation. Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green's daughter Jackie 'him' instead of 'her' on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse. Five weeks later, Ms Green complained to police. One of Mrs Farrow's tweets read: 'What she did to her own son [the youngest person in the world to undergo transgender surgery] is illegal. She mutilated him by having him castrated and rendered sterile while still a child.' The four-month Surrey Police investigation into Mrs Farrow, which prompted much controversy when made public, was hastily dropped as it hurtled towards full-blown fiasco. A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: 'On Monday, October 3, officers attended an address in the Guildford area as part of an investigation into allegations of malicious communications (sending of indecent, grossly offensive messages, threats, or information) and harassment. 'A 48-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of both offences. 'A number of electronic devices were seized as potential evidence from this address under section 19 of PACE. Where an offence is alleged to have been committed on an electronic device, for example, it may hold a key piece of evidence and may routinely be seized during an investigation. 'The woman was taken to Guildford Police Station where she was interviewed. She has now been released under investigation and inquiries remain ongoing'. Temporary Detective Chief Inspector David Bentley said: 'There is significant commentary on social media around the perceived circumstances behind this investigation. 'We do not have the freedom of detailing every stage of our inquiries or the specifics of an allegation on social media as it is critical we do not pre-empt or prejudice any future proceedings at any stage. 'When we receive an allegation of a crime, in this instance one where a grossly offensive message is said to have been communicated, it is our job to assess it alongside any available evidence to identify if an offence has been committed. 'If it has, we gather further evidence and carry out an investigation to prove or disprove the allegation. That is exactly the process that is being followed in this case. 'The investigation into these allegations is very much ongoing and the relevant inquiries are being carried out. 'We have a duty to protect the integrity of an investigation, so we will not be providing a running commentary on this case.' Hounded by the thought police: How hate crime officers came knocking at the door of a devout Catholic who had misgendered a trans woman, but when she told them vile trolls had then threatened her family they did next to nothing As a schoolgirl, Caroline Farrow relished discussing politics and current affairs around the kitchen table with her family. Her parents, both teachers, encouraged robust debate and Caroline and her elder sister were precociously well informed. 'Freedom of speech and expression was drummed into us from an early age,' she says. She was ten in 1984, a landmark year when George Orwell's vision of a totalitarian future was revisited and reappraised. Catholic journalist Caroline Farrow, 44, was told by Surrey Police that she had to attend an interview under caution or face arrest after she used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman Her father explained the novel's concepts of Big Brother, Newspeak and the Thought Police, and Caroline was fascinated. 'But I remember thinking at the time that none of it could ever come true,' she says. Now 44, and a trenchant Catholic journalist, priest's wife and occasional TV commentator, Mrs Farrow was reminded of Orwellian themes last Monday when, in the middle of preparing dinner for her husband Robin and five children, a policewoman rang her at home with a startling demand. Mrs Farrow was told she must attend an interview under caution or face arrest because she had used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman. Suddenly the dystopia described in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four began to feel all too real. Scarcely able to absorb what she was hearing, she felt, in sharp succession, disbelief, fear and anger. Anger because Mrs Farrow herself had been the victim of a cyber stalking campaign which, at its vile worst, made her fear for her family's safety but which, she says, police failed to take seriously. 'It's double standards. When the complaint involves the word transgender, police leap into action,' she says. 'Something has gone terribly wrong in this country.' In the event, the four-month Surrey Police investigation into Mrs Farrow, which prompted much controversy last week when made public, was hastily dropped as it hurtled towards full-blown fiasco. Following a TV debate with Susie Green, the head of trans rights charity Mermaids, Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green's daughter Jackie (pictured) 'him' instead of 'her' on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse Critics called the probe a waste of time and money at a time when officers are struggling with high levels of knife crime. The roots of the sorry affair appear to lie in a TV debate. Mrs Farrow, known for her deeply held religious views, and Susie Green, the head of trans rights charity Mermaids, clashed on ITV's Good Morning Britain about Girl Guides allowing children who have changed gender to join the organisation. Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green's daughter Jackie 'him' instead of 'her' on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse. Five weeks later, Ms Green complained to police. One of Mrs Farrow's tweets read: 'What she did to her own son [the youngest person in the world to undergo transgender surgery] is illegal. She mutilated him by having him castrated and rendered sterile while still a child.' Many might consider Mrs Farrow's choice of words unpleasant but she is unapologetic. She says: 'I deliberately used the words castration and mutilation to shock because what happens is shocking. I was trying to bring home the harsh reality of what she [Ms Green] did.' Jackie Green, who was born male and was once known as Jack, began taking puberty-blockers at 12, and went to Thailand aged 16 for reassignment surgery, which is now illegal for under-18s. Whatever one feels about the tweet's tone, Mrs Farrow is convinced most right-minded people would agree it wasn't criminal. As anger surfaced, Mrs Farrow was left facing a tirade of abuse on social media which made her fear for her family's safety 'Yes, it was strong language but I wanted to make people sit up. I wanted to get the country talking about this. So much is changing in our society. 'The notion of what it is to be a woman or a mother is being erased and rewritten by zealots. People are too scared to question what is going on. The tweets might possibly be spiteful but they were not intended to cause alarm or distress.' Which is why Mrs Farrow was stunned to receive the phone call from the police officer on Monday as she juggled preparing a meal of gammon, roast potatoes and vegetables for her children aged between four and 14 with overseeing homework and music practice. The message left on her voicemail said: 'Hello there, I'm calling from Guildford police station I need to have a chat with you about some tweets that have been sent.' Mrs Farrow says: 'My husband said, 'You know it's bound to be the trans stuff, you have been talking about this a lot lately and you know the lobbyists are looking to get you.' ' She spoke to the officer later that night. 'I pointed out that 'misgendering' wasn't a crime and that as a Catholic I believed that sex could not be changed. I explained that the country is in the middle of an ongoing national conversation about sex and gender, what it means to be male and female, and I was contributing to that in a professional capacity.' The officer reiterated that the CPS had 'authorised us to bring you in for a taped interview'. That night, managing only an hour's sleep, Mrs Farrow tried to make sense of what was happening. Naturally she feared the worst. Who would look after the children if she went to jail? She would be destroyed. Her husband would lose his job. The following morning, Mrs Farrow instructed a solicitor. She says: 'My lawyer said it seemed politically motivated but thought the case would be thrown out. 'He warned that I was likely to face a tough interview. What was happening felt so unjust, especially as over the past few months I have endured an unimaginable campaign of harassment, targeting not only me, but my entire family.' A very PC force's links to trans charity Flying the flag: Inspector David Harland calls himself a 'trans ally' Susie Greens powerful transgender lobby group has forged close links with a police force behind a series of hate crime investigations. West Yorkshire Police launched probes into an award-winning TV writer, a mother of four and a transsexual man following complaints from Mermaids. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the force received training sessions from Mermaids, which supports medical intervention for transgender children. West Yorkshire Police has promoted Mermaids work, tweeting one of its leaflets. Mermaids has also advised Merseyside Police, NHS staff, social workers, the Scouts and student nurses. One West Yorkshire officer, Inspector David Harland, declared himself on social media to be a trans ally, adding that he was dedicated to doing all I can for the trans community. In February last year, West Yorkshire sent officers to Wiltshire to investigate a mother of four following a complaint by Ms Green. Echoing the Caroline Farrow case, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull was questioned on suspicion of a malicious communications offence after Ms Green reported her for tweeting that Ms Green had illegally castrated her son by allowing him to have sex change surgery in Thailand at 16. In April 2018, the force received another complaint, this time from Mermaid volunteer Helen Islan. She claimed that transsexual Miranda Yardley, who has had gender reassignment surgery, had outed Ms Islans transgender son by tweeting a picture of Ms Islan with her family, which included the child. West Yorkshire referred this incident to police in Essex, where Ms Yardley lives. In a third case, West Yorkshire officers gave Graham Linehan, co-creator of the hit TV comedy Father Ted, a verbal harassment warning when transgender activist Stephanie Hayden reported him for referring to her as he on Twitter. A force spokeswoman said it was committed to ensuring that anyone who feels targeted due to race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or gender identity is listened to. Advertisement It should be noted that her stalkers were motivated not by her views on transgender issues but in part by the tragic case of Alfie Evans, the baby at the centre of a legal battle last year over turning off his life support. It was a morally fraught case that aroused fierce debate, and Mrs Farrow joined the global campaign to keep him alive. Mrs Farrow often comments on social issues and her deeply held conservative religious views have made her many enemies on social media. Incensed by her intervention, opponents set up a blog solely for the purpose of attacking the journalist and her family. On May 3 last year, five days after Alfie's death, a Twitter account posted a link to her home address with the sinister message: 'If anyone fancies having a chat with the illustrious Mrs Farrow' Even more distressing, someone posted a link to her children's school. Many of the abusive messages were sexually degrading, referencing her Catholic faith. At one stage, trolls warned that their 'agents' were on their way to her village. Some of the most upsetting attacks involved her children and comments made about their appearance. Mrs Farrow says there were even attempts at extortion. 'I was ordered to delete all my social-media accounts and pay the LGBT lobby group Stonewall 1,000 if I wanted the blog to cease operation. 'They also got hold of our email addresses and set up accounts with pornographic websites in our name, and pictures. I had to cancel an order for 772 of sex toys.' On January 8 more than two months after Mrs Farrow made a formal complaint to police one of the suspected trolls was questioned. But Mrs Farrow was later told no action would be taken. 'I felt really let down. I have suffered so much with this, my mental health has deteriorated and I told the officer that this is the sort of thing that drives people to suicide. I was being hyperbolic, but then things turned nasty. 'The policeman said he needed to report me to social services because I said I was suicidal. Social services called a few weeks later and after chatting to me said I was fine and they would not take it further. 'Yet Susie Green makes a spurious complaint and, bingo, the police are straight on to me.' Surrey Police said Mrs Farrow's claims of harassment were fully investigated but 'we were unable to find evidence that meets the threshold for criminal proceedings'. Last Tuesday, the Farrows' 14-year-old daughter had a starring role in a school recital. Mrs Farrow says: 'I knew I was going to have to tell her [about the police interview] but I waited until after her concert. 'She burst into tears at the idea that I could face jail, but regained composure when I said that it was highly unlikely. 'I felt so guilty having to burden her with it and taint such a wonderful evening for her but I also knew that it wouldn't be fair for her to find out from friends.' The next day, Ms Green withdrew her complaint because she said she did not want to give Mrs Farrow a public 'platform'. Instead of contacting police, she announced her decision on a television show. Mrs Farrow believes police are only too willing to appease Ms Green and Mermaids, which she thinks is looking for a test case to codify misgendering into law. Hers is not the first transgender 'hate crime' police have pursued. So far none of them have ended with a successful prosecution. 'Orwell's novel was a cautionary tale and an example of why we always need to be thankful for and guard our freedoms,' says Mrs Farrow. 'I never once envisaged I would face jail for refusing to state that man cannot be woman.' Surrey Police said: 'We requested Caroline Farrow attend a voluntary interview to understand her intent in relation to the tweets. Details of this invitation were publicly shared and there has been criticism of our decision to investigate. 'We have been in contact with both parties as we have a duty of care towards both, and there was concern for their welfare as a result of publicity. The victim will withdraw her allegation and has explained her reasoning. Without the support of the victim, it's unlikely a criminal case could be brought.' A Good Samaritan who came to the aid of a woman who was crushed by a wardrobe does not regret offering assistance - despite later spending a horror 10 hours in custody on suspicion of her murder. Chloe Haynes, 21, was found dead in her room at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool city centre by her friend in the early hours of September 10. Fellow hotel guest Wayne Kenny was one of three men arrested by Merseyside Police during the initial investigation - but was later released without charge. Police are treating the death as 'accidental' and said 'there were no suspicious circumstances'. Good Samaritan Wayne Kenny does not regret trying to help Chloe Haynes after she was crushed by a wardrobe - despite later being arrested on suspicion of her murder Chloe Haynes, 21, was found dead in her room at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool city centre by her friend in the early hours of September 10 But Mr Kenny was considered a suspect in the early stages of the investigation due to his proximity to Ms Haynes. He told Echo he stepped in to assist after he 'heard a commotion outside his door and some guy say ''she's not breathing''.' The 46-year-old was about to leave the hotel for a day out with his two sons, but rushed to assist the boys instead asking to take over in giving CPR. 'I have had some experience, but not fully medically trained obviously. 'I went in and I tried to give Chloe CPR. I think what I am struggling with is the fact I have done that now knowing she had been dead for hours. I had no idea.' Mr Kenny revealed how after emergency services arrived, he returned to his room, knowing there was no more he could do. Within minutes, the police arrived. Ms Haynes is believed to have opened the door of the wardrobe, possibly mistaking it for the toilet door or the exit, at which point the heavy piece of furniture collapsed onto her Ms Haynes' mum, Nicola Williams, previously said she was horrified when she learned Mr Kenny and the other two men who tried to help her daughter had been arrested They asked if he was the same person in the room assisting Ms Haynes and when he said yes, he was placed under arrest. 'I said for what... and he said ''for murder'',' he recalled. He was taken to custody where he had his clothes taken off him, was put in a paper suit in a 'freezing' cell and 'interrogated'. 'I feel bad talking about what I went through because I haven't lost my life. But yeah, they took nail clippings, I had hardly any nails as I was just biting away at them but they were adamant in getting them. 'They took a bit of my hair and swabs, fingerprints.' The dad claims a custody attendant told him he could 'get life'. 'He said to me ''you committed the murder didn't you?'' and I said ''I have come in accused of it''. Pictured: Police outside The Adelphi Hotel while investigating Ms Haynes' death Ms Williams said her daughter had travelled from Pwllheli, Wales, for a night out with a work colleague and returned, drunk, to the hotel about midnight to 'sleep it off' before heading back out 'I was thinking could I get accused for something I haven't done, could they make a mistake? To be thinking that for 10 hours was hard work.' Mr Kenny recalled other inmates hurling abuse and threats at him from their own cells after they overheard his conversation with the officer. 'They were shouting ''wait till you get to prison'',' he said. While Mr Kenny was eventually released, he has since been let go from his agency work. Despite the ordeal, the father is adamant he does not regret trying to help Ms Haynes. Ms Haynes' mum, Nicola Williams, previously said she was horrified when she learned Mr Kenny and the other two men who tried to help her daughter had been arrested. 'When the police came [the men] had to be taken away for questioning. It did sting when we read they had been arrested, they had tried to help her.' The Adelphi Hotel has been frequented by a host of famous celebrities including former Prime Minister Winston Churchill Ms Williams said her daughter had travelled from Pwllheli, Wales, for a night out with a work colleague and returned, drunk, to the hotel about midnight to 'sleep it off' before heading back out. At some point during the early hours, Ms Haynes is believed to have opened the door of the wardrobe, possibly mistaking it for the toilet door or the exit, at which point the heavy piece of furniture collapsed onto her. The friend returned and found her body under the wardrobe, and rushed out of the room to scream for help. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: 'In the first 24 hours of an investigation it is essential all evidence is gathered. In this investigation the circumstances were not clear so we had to be guided by golden hour principles which includes the immediate collection of evidence to ascertain what has taken place. 'As soon as it became apparent that there were no suspicious circumstances the three men were all released without further action taken. At this moment in time we have not received a complaint and as such it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.' A British paraglider has been killed after smashing into rocks after taking off from a 6,300ft mountain in Turkey. Frank Lally, 62, leaped off from the Babadag paragliding centre in Fethiye on the popular Aegean hotspot in the Turkish riviera. The tourist was on holiday from England when he decided to do a jump from the Babadag, meaning Father Mountain. The Briton, 62, leaped off from the Babadag paragliding centre in Fethiye on the popular Aegean hotspot in the Turkish riviera A British paraglider has been killed after smashing into rocks after taking off from a 6,300ft mountain in Turkey The holidaymaker prepared the jump but after take-off, smashed into rocks soon after. Witnesses immediately called the emergency services and Search and Rescue were deployed to the area. He was carried away on a stretcher and taken in an ambulance to Fethiye State hospital. But despite their best efforts, he was not able to be revived. Turkish authorities have opened an investigation into his death. Babadag is considered one of the best paragliding spots in Europe due to its stunning views near the coast. The Foreign Office told MailOnline: 'We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Turkey and are in contact with the local authorities.' An international banker who got locked in a neighbours' feud after buying a home on a remote Scottish island has lost out in a 600,000 court fight with the owners of a local shop. Former banker-turned-investment chief executive Kenneth Murray was looking for the quiet life when he bought a historic listed house with extensive grounds on the tiny island of Sanday in the Orkneys, with a population of only 550, in 2013. He embarked on an 800,000 renovation but found himself drawn into an 'ongoing feud' with Jackie and Malcolm Sinclair, the couple who ran a haulage firm on Sanday, as well as a local convenience store, one of only two on the island. The neighbours' rift, sparked by a row over payment of a bill, was exacerbated when Mr Murray banned two locals from mooring boats off a stretch of coastline opposite his house, and the Sinclairs banned Mr Murray's workers from using their shop. But the clash quickly spiralled downwards from there after another row, this time over parking and boat mooring rights off their land, which the Sinclairs insisted had been enjoyed by locals 'for generations' before the Murrays moved in. In a scathing critique read in court, Mr Murray claimed the Sinclairs 'had a vice-like grip on the island' and would 'encourage...others to harass and intimidate the people they have decided to victimise and force off the island'. Claiming just under 600,000 in court, Mr Murray said the Sinclairs' 'abuse' of their alleged monopoly had scuppered his chances of completing work on his house and effectively forced his family to leave the island. But a judge has now thrown out the financier's claim that his neighbours cost him a fortune by breaching competition laws. Setting out the Sinclairs' stance, judge Lord Ericht said there were 'two sides to every story', with the couple claiming to have suffered 'ongoing vexatious bullying and harassment' from Mr Murray, to the point they had decided to sell their haulage business and leave the island. Spending nearly 1m on an 'old manse which was never going to be worth more than a third of that was not a very smart thing to do', claimed the Sinclairs, and they should not be held liable for Mr Murray's losses. Loggerheads: Investment chief executive Kenneth Murray, left, was embroiled in a feud with his neigbour Malcolm and Jackie Sinclair, who is pictured right The Murrays arrived Sanday in the Orkneys in 2013 with the view of renovating this historic listed house on the tiny island, which has a population of only 550 The tiny island of Sanday in the Orkneys, pictured, has a population of only 550 with just two shops covering it Kenneth Murray is the director and chief executive of finance company Blue Planet Investment Management Ltd. He also founded The Bank of Edinburgh Group plc and the Bank of Edinburgh plc and was managing director of both companies until their sale in 1994, and was director of Fulton Prebon International Limited, one of the world's largest money brokers with operations in markets including London, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Bahrain, Luxembourg. He and his wife bought six-bedroom Marygarth Manse on tiny Sanday - which covers less than 20 square miles - for 122,000 in 2013 through his Malta-based company and subsequently spent around 800,000 doing it up over the following eight years. For several years, the incomers had a good relationship with the Sinclairs, using their haulage service to bring in vital materials for their renovation project and relying on the goods from their shop until the families clashed over payment of an international banking fee. Things spiralled downwards from there after another row, this time over parking and boat mooring rights off their land, which the Sinclairs insisted had been enjoyed by locals 'for generations' before the Murrays moved in. The Sinclairs told the Murrays they were barred from using their haulage services unless they relented in the boat mooring row after the incomers enlisted lawyers over the issue. They also later banned workmen the Murrays had shipped in from off the island to work on their house renovation from using their shop, citing Covid rules. Mr Murray, through his company Blue Planet Holdings Ltd, eventually sued Sinclair Haulage Limited, along with Orkney Islands Council and council-owned Orkney Ferries Limited, in the Competition Appeal Tribunal. In appointing Sinclair Haulage as the only haulier allowed to deliver goods from a freight depot to the island, the council and its ferry company had created a 'monopoly' and handed it to the Sinclairs' company, he claimed. In his ruling, Lord Ericht explained that Mr Murray claimed he spent a total of 944,729 to buy and do up the house, and is now having to sell it for only 375,000 because the Sinclairs have turned other islanders against them. Describing Mr Murray's position, the judge said the banker claimed the Sinclairs 'deliberately defame and malign people' in a bid to set 'other locals against them' before encouraging others to 'harass and intimidate the people they have decided to victimise and force off the island'. As the feud between the neighbours escalated, the Sinclairs banned staff working on renovating the Murrays' home from their local shop, pictured Mr Murray claimed the Sinclairs had a 'monopoly' of the island with their company, Sinclair Haulage, being the only haulier allowed to deliver goods from a freight depot to the island. Pictured is the base of Sinclair Haulage 'Mr Murray says that having endured years of appalling behaviour by the Sinclairs, the situation became so intolerable that we - by which we understand he means he and his wife - could stand it no more and were forced to abandon our plans of living on the island and decided to put our home up for sale,' Lord Ericht said. 'His wife would not take their children up there because the family had been subjected to terrible things, e.g. people parking at the end of the driveway watching them. 'Instead of ringing the bell and delivering a parcel, people had broken into their car and hidden things under the seat like an IRA bomber. There were no police on the island. A lot of people had been doing things that left her feeling so uncomfortable that she and he did not want to live there.' The judge described how Mr Murrary claimed the Sinclairs had a 'vice-like grip' on the island and had people who 'did their bidding for them'. Turning to the household refuse dispute, Lord Ericht said it had been sparked on June 24, 2019, when Mr Murray had complained to the council that his refuse had not been collected 'and that it was not the first time it had happened'. 'Mr Murray categorised this as an abuse of the Sinclairs' monopoly on collecting refuse on the island in order to punish and harass the Murrays.' the judge said. 'His position was that not collecting the refuse was part of the process of the Sinclairs' defaming, harassing and persecuting the Murrays until such time as the Murrays could stand it no more and left the island, and was a vindictive and wholly improper use of a public service that had been entrusted to them.' But setting out the Sinclairs' stance, the judge said the couple claiming to have suffered 'ongoing vexatious bullying and harassment' from Mr Murray, to the point they had decided to sell their haulage business and leave the island. 'The Sinclairs' position was that Mr Murray was putting building rubble in the refuse, which Sinclair Haulage was not allowed to collect, and had been abusive to the driver,' he said. 'Sinclair Haulage carried out haulage services for several years for Mr Murray without complaint by him. There was a dispute as to the payment of an international banking fee and Sinclair Haulage stopped providing services until a large debt was cleared or sorted out. 'In view of increasing harassment by Mr Murray of Sinclair Haulage's staff and friends and neighbours, Sinclair Haulage informed him that they did not want to do business with him.' Spending nearly 1m on an 'old manse which was never going to be worth more than a third of that was not a very smart thing to do,' claimed the Sinclairs, and they should not be held liable for Mr Murray's losses. Their haulage business had not been profitable and they had run it as a service to the island, they claimed, but had decided to sell it after clashing with Mr Murray. It was also denied that their business had been the only one allowed to provide haulage services to the island, since there was one other firm which provided similar services. The judge continued: 'The jurisdiction of this tribunal is in competition law matters. It is not here to grant remedies for the breakdown of the personal relationship between the Murrays and the Sinclairs or for their conduct towards each other. 'It is Blue Planet Holdings Limited, and not Mr Murray personally, which is a party to the proceedings in this tribunal. It is Sinclair Haulage, and not the Sinclairs personally, which is a party, and the Sinclairs are no longer directors or shareholders in Sinclair Haulage. 'These proceedings are a claim for damages. If the pursuer has not made out a relevant case on damages, its claim must fail. The loss must be caused by the breach. 'Mr and Mrs Murray's reasons for the sale of the house are personal to the Murrays, rather than being reasons for a limited company to sell at a substantial loss. 'On Mr Murray's own submissions, the pursuer's loss is caused by the breakdown of the personal relationship between the Sinclairs and the Murrays, rather than breach of competition law. 'In our opinion, the pursuer has not set out any reasonable grounds on which it could be said that the...loss was caused by breach of competition law by the defenders,' he concluded, dismissing the claim. The mogul owns at least 20 other properties and has a reputed $1billion fortune Although he did express sympathy for those who had 'lost everything' in storm Billionaire founder of Papa John's slammed for saying he 'lost a home' in Florida The billionaire founder of Papa John's pizza empire has been slammed for saying he 'lost a home' in Florida during Hurricane Ian, a monster storm which killed over a hundred. John Schnatter, 60, also a property mogul whose net worth is estimated to be at a billion dollars, admitted the loss he had suffered while speaking from another one of his properties in Utah during an interview with OAN. His $6million condominium in Naples, Florida, was flooded and damaged during the hurricane but Schnatter did empathize with those who had 'lost everything'. The pizza and property tycoon has courted controversy before. He was forced to step down as the chairman of his own company for using the N-word during a call in 2018. 'Of course, you're currently in Utah, but we're seeing the images of your home in Naples,' anchor Stella Inger Escobedo said to the Indiana native, describing the scene as 'heartbreaking.' 'It appears it is completely under water.' The images of the destruction in the aftermath of the hurricane 'gives you a little bit of perspective [as to] how devastating this storm is,' the pizza mogul says. John Schnatter, founder of Papa John's and a property mogul who's net worth is estimated to be between half a billion and a billion dollars, admitted that he had 'lost a home' in Florida during Hurricane Ian OAN news anchor Stella Inger Escobedo asked Schnatter about the damage to his $6million condominium and he said his 'heart goes out' to those who have lost everything 'I'm not worried about myself because I have the resources and the team and institutional knowledge, but you can't imagine how bad this is.' 'My heart goes out to the folks in Florida - yeah I lost a home, but they've lost everything.' As well as the $6million condominium in Naples battered by Hurricane Ian, Schnatter is thought to own over 20 other properties - three in the Lousville, KY, area, his home in Utah and nearly 20 through his real estate company. One of his Kentucky mansions, where he lives, is valued at $11million. He has dubbed it the 'Papa Castle'. The billionaire's admission that he had lost one of his homes drew mockery from social media users, who also tore into OAN, a famously right-wing news network. 'Waaaaaa he lost a house So in the end he will buy up the neighbors houses and build another tacky mansion,' wrote one unsympathetic user. 'I'm not worried because I have 600 million and can afford proper insurance. OAN is ridiculous,' disclaimed another. 'Institutional knowledge? To not suffer from a hurricane?' wrote a third skeptical user. John Schnatter accompanied by footage of his flooded home - the word 'hurricane' was spelt incorrectly on OAN's strapline throughout the interview Schnatter is thought to own over 20 other properties - three in the Lousville, KY, area, his home in Utah and nearly 20 through his real estate company (Pictured: His Utah home) One of Schnetter's Kentucky properties - an $11million mansion which sits on the edge of a lake The death toll for the storm, which struck Florida and South Carolina last week, was 109 as of yesterday, but is expected to rise. The father-of-three has courted controversy before. Schnatter resigned as CEO the pizza chain in 2018 after he blamed NFL players kneeling for the national anthem on dwindling sales figures. He also stepped down as board chairman six months later after he was recorded using the N-word during a media training call about avoiding PR blunders. During the call with media agency Laundry Service, Schnatter tried to downplay his NFL remarks, saying 'Colonel Sanders called blacks n*****s' as he complained that the KFC founder never faced public backlash. He resigned as board chairman soon after those reports came out. The pizza chain began removing Schnatter's image from its logos, pizza boxes and restaurants after the incident made headlines. Schnatter issued an apology at the time, saying: 'News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true. 'Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society,' he said. Schnatter had previously accused other members of Papa John's board of conspiring to force him out of the CEO role, and he reiterated those allegations in another interview - also with OAN, saying his colleagues unfairly 'painted' him as a racist. 'State of shock. Unbelievable - I just couldn't understand it,' he said. 'You have a public board who paints its chairman paints the founder as a racist, they know he's not a racist it's just unbelievable.' He also said he was trying to 'get rid of this N-word' from his vocabulary, and blamed a plot to unfairly paint him as a racist by his Papa John's colleagues and an ad agency. He bizarrely added: 'We've had three goals for the last twenty months: Get rid of this N-word in my vocabulary and dictionary, and everything else because it's just not true; figure out how they did this; and get on with my life.' Schnatter has not been shy to associate his face publicly with the Papa John's brand, appearing on the restaurant's pizza boxes smiling and wearing an apron Now Schnatter owns less than a four percent stake in Papa John's, having began heavily offloading his 9.9 million shares beginning in May 2019 after he was forced out of the company Immediately after the OANN interview, Schnatter insisted he has 'no history of racism.' He then appealed for Papa John's to apologize to him, urging them to admit they failed to due their 'proper due diligence and process with Delaware law' before booting him from the company three years ago. He later said in an email to DailyMail that his meaning on OANN was misconstrued and that he had meant 'get rid of this N-word' from the vocabulary of the news media, and not his own vocabulary. Then in December 2020, an investigation commissioned by Schnatter's lawyers into the original call found he was not racist and the incident was 'widely misreported', the results stated. The investigation, carried out by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, was described as a 'background' investigation into Schnatter's past relationships with coworkers, friends and prominent African Americans. The investigative report found that Schnatter's standing and reputation with prominent Africans Americans further validated their assessment that he 'had no prejudicial intent or racial animus when he made the public comments at issue.' During the call with media agency Laundry Service, Schnatter tried to downplay his NFL remarks, saying 'Colonel Sanders called blacks n*****s' as he complained that the KFC founder never faced public backlash Despite all these issues, Schnatter still enjoys a net wealth thought to be around $1billion, largely through his property company, having sold off most of his Papa John's shares. In 2020 he took to TikTok to show off some of the wealth and opulence he enjoys. In one video, Schnatter is seen showing off his massive, $11million Kentucky mansion. One shot shows the plush mansion's entrance hall, where he shows off a huge statue of two eagles mating. Schnatter says the bizarre sculpture also functions as a clock. The property, which sits on the edge of a lake, also features ornate carved wooden doors and mosaic floors. In one of his first videos, Schnatter, who has a net worth of $1billion, is seen driving his 1971 Camaro Z28. Another clip shows him walking toward a chopper with the caption: 'Did you know I have my own helicopter?' One clip shows him walking toward a chopper with the caption: 'Did you know I have my own helicopter?' In one of his most recent videos, Schnatter is seen showing off his massive, $11million Kentucky mansion (right) Schnatter, who has a net worth of $1billion, showed off his Louisville mansion in one of the TikTok videos. He also showed off some of his bizarre art (right) of two eagles mating that also serves as a clock In 2017, when he owned 31 per cent of Papa John's stock, Forbes estimated Schnatter's net worth to be $1billion. But Schnatter has reportedly sold off half of his shares since then, and Celebritynetworth.com puts his net worth at $500million. Schnatter founded Papa John's in 1984 out of a broom closet in his father's tavern, Mick's Lounge, in Jeffersonville, Indiana. By 1993, when he took the company public, there were 254 restaurants and as of 2020 there were 5,400 worldwide Papa Johns locations, including 3,134 in the US. He now owns less than a four percent stake in the company, having began heavily offloading his 9.9 million shares beginning in May 2019. Schnatter has not been shy to associate his face publicly with the Papa John's brand, appearing on the restaurant's pizza boxes smiling and wearing an apron. These were removed after his ejection from the company. Pubs are turning to desperate measures to keep soaring energy bills down, with one in Cornwall even turning off all its lights and replacing them with candles. Venues say they are struggling to survive with increased gas and electricity costs making running a boozer difficult - but some have come up with creative - and cosy - ways to stay afloat this winter. The Masons Arms in Camelford, Cornwall, has gone as far as to just use candlelight on Mondays, to draw in more punters while lowering its energy costs. Landlady Kate Chawner-Woods has been pushed to the limit by skyrocketing energy bills, after her August statement increased from an average of 700 in 2018 to over 3,000 this year. A customer enjoys a pint by candlelight at The Masons Arms. The pub has taken the creative measure to turn off all lights and replacing them with candles in a bid to cope with soaring energy bills The Masons Arms in Camelford, Cornwall, has gone as far as to solely use candlelight on Monday nights, to draw more punters in while keeping energy costs low Customers enjoy the cosy candlelit atmosphere at the Masons Arms in Camelford, Cornwall Venues say they are struggling to survive with the increased costs making running a boozer difficult. And some have come up with creative ways to stay afloat She said: 'When I opened the electricity bill I thought "how are we going to cope". 'It was really scary and we were so worried about how this winter was going to pan out - it's a massive increase, our electricity bill isn't much less than our rent now.' An off-the-cuff comment from one of the local punters gave Ms Chawner-Woods the idea of candlelight Mondays. She said: 'I was moaning and cursing when I got the bill through when one of the locals turned around and told me to just turn the lights out, go back to the way it used to be. 'So that got me thinking and now we've gone back to using only candles on a Monday, like how it would have been when the pub opened in 1753. 'At 6pm we cut out all the lights - people really like it, we had 65 covers last Monday which is far more than we'd usually get on a Monday in October. 'The atmosphere is great, everybody seems to like it - it's romantic and people seem to talk to each other a lot more, it's really lovely.' It is too soon to say how much money their new scheme will save them, but Ms Chawner-Woods predicts that their next bill will be 4 per cent less - despite heading into winter. Other measures they have taken include changing all their lightbulbs to LED, cutting down on fridge and freezers and not using electric heaters in the winter months. 'The warmth of the candles actually means we don't need the heating as much,' Ms Chawner-Woods said. 'It was toasty in here last month, so if demand continues we want to do it on another weekday as well. 'It's important that we do this because coming to the pub is a really important part of some of our locals lives. 'It's hard for everybody right now, not just businesses - everyone is suffering. 'We want people to be able to come to the pub and spend some time in the warmth because it might actually be cheaper than heating their own homes.' An off-the-cuff comment from one of the local punters gave Ms Chawner-Woods the idea of candlelight Mondays Landlady, Kate Chawner-Woods has been pushed to the limit by skyrocketing energy bills, after her August statement increased from an average of 700 in 2018 to over 3,000 this year The Cornish pub is not alone in its battle to remain open in the face of the soaring cost-of-living It is too soon to say how much money their new scheme will save them, but Ms Chawner-Woods predicts that the pub's next bill will be 4 per cent less - despite heading into winter The Cornish pub is not alone in its battle to remain open amid the soaring cost-of-living. The Angel and Crown in Richmond, South West London, said it is facing its biggest financial challenge in its 400 year history. The pub has decided to use candlelight in the evening, turning lights down during the day, and keeping the fireplace alight instead of turning the heating on. Owner and manager Hannah Lawson said: 'We've seen a 25 per cent increase on our bills, so we've had to put all of our prices up unfortunately. 'In some ways the candles have created a nice atmosphere, but customers have noticed that we haven't been able to put the lights on. 'People can't necessarily afford to go out right now, and hospitality is on the backburner - it's seen as a luxury to be able to go out. 'It's a shame because people should be able to enjoy going out and doing nice things without worrying if they can eat - people work so hard and it's been a terrible few years.' Ms Lawson said they had been forced to add at least 30p to their pints, and raise food prices in order to stay open. They have also been forced to close early on quiet nights and are looking at changing their opening hours. Ms Lawson said: 'It's going to get to the point where we have to keep putting up our prices until it's unaffordable. 'We've already had some of our regulars stop coming in because they just can't afford it anymore. 'I hope for everybody that pubs survive, because for some people it's the only conversation they have that day. It's not just going out for a pint, it's so much more than that. 'I hope it blows over a lot quicker than we anticipate and we get back to normal.' Other pubs said they were shutting on some week nights to keep costs down. The White Hart Inn in Ludgvan, near Penzance, Cornwall, announced last week it was closing on Mondays and Tuesdays 'until further notice' because of 'spiralling costs... during the current energy crisis'. The St John Inn, near Torpoint, was only opening four days a week to save on electricity and wages, landlords Gill and Rob Berry said. Doug Polman, of the Campaign for Real Ale Kernow, said he was 'very worried'. He said: 'This last mini-budget has been a help, but we don't know how far [yet]. 'We need to support our pubs, otherwise we will lose them.' Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering CEO Ka Sam-hyun, right, shakes hands with Maersk Chief Technical Officer Palle Laursen at the Danish company's headquarters in Copenhagen, Tuesday (local time), after signing a contract for six methanol-powered container ships. Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group By Park Jae-hyuk Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) signed a 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) contract with Maersk of Denmark for six 17,000-TEU methanol-powered container ships and another deal worth 476 billion won with U.S.-based Excelerate Energy for a 170,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas floating storage and regasification unit (LNG-FSRU), the shipbuilder said Wednesday. The Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Group subsidiary said the container ships will be built at the conglomerate's shipyard in Ulsan and delivered to Maersk individually by 2025. The LNG-FSRU will be built at the same shipyard and delivered to Excelerate Energy by 2026. A 170,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas floating storage and regasification unit (LNG-FSRU) built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) / Courtesy of HHI Group A British climber rescued after trying to climb Mt Blanc in a tracksuit on his birthday has insisted to MailOnline he was 'well prepared' but admitted 'maybe it wasn't a good idea' as he revealed he thought he had 'died' on the peak. Aerospace engineer Feda Hussein, 26, was discovered at 10,170ft by alpine rescue teams with his body temperature at 25c the normal reading is 37c. He had spent the night in freezing temperatures on the Italian side of the peak which straddles the French border and is the highest in Western Europe. Officials have revealed he was wearing a tracksuit, hiking boots and his tent was a simple tarpaulin which had become useless in the bone numbing stormy conditions with him just 'five minutes' from dying. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from his hospital bed in Aosta, Feda denied he had been under prepared and said: 'I got lost and the weather turned which made things worse for me. Aerospace engineer Feda Hussein, 26, was discovered at 3,100m (10,170ft) by alpine rescue teams with his body temperature at 25c the normal reading is 37c. Pictured: A worker from Aosta Valley Mountain Rescue attends to Hussein who was unconscious and on death's door Feda Hussein (pictured), 26, was found by Italy's Aosta Valley Mountain Rescue on Sunday morning on the Bionnassay glacier after calling for help the previous evening. He has insisted to MailOnline he was 'well prepared' but admitted 'maybe it wasn't a good idea' 'I did have the right gear, I had crampons, a harness and rope with me, it's just when they found me all my gear was covered with snow. It's all still up there, I'd taken my crampons off so I could get in my sleeping bag. 'I will admit it was pretty scary up there at one point I thought I had died. I remember I called the rescue teams around 5pm to say I was in trouble and they said I had to stay put as the weather was too bad for them to pick me up. 'We stayed in touch for a few hours and then I remember calling and saying "Don't worry, I'm going to die in a minute" and then I blacked out. The next thing I remember is waking up in hospital. 'They told me my body temperature had dropped to 25c and that I was five minutes from dying when they found me. 'I couldn't feel my fingers and hypothermia had set in when I was up there but somehow I managed to survive and I know I have been very lucky.' Feda, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, described how he had set off last weekend to climb Mt Blanc as part of his 26th birthday on Saturday but had been caught out as he made his way across the Bionnassay glacier with the route described as a 'splendid and serious snow and ice climb'. He said: 'I wanted to give myself a birthday present and I thought climbing to Mt Blanc was perfect and I almost made it to the summit I could see it in front of me but I was caught out by the weather, although maybe with hindsight I should have prepared things better.' When asked what mountaineering experience he had, Feda told MailOnline: 'I've climbed Snowdon a few times and I've done a bit of indoor climbing but this was the first time I have done something like this on my own maybe it wasn't such a good idea.' The route Feda was attempting from Italy into France - is only recommended between June and August as the weather is good and mountain huts en-route are open. He added: 'I'm just glad the rescuers found me when they did and I'm grateful to them I really thought I was going to die as my body felt really weird but they brought me back from the brink. I was definitely on my way out when they found me.' The woefully underprepared climber is seen lying unconscious on the bottom left side of this image of the Bionnassay glacier The British man was found more than 10,000ft up on a glacier as he tried to reach the summit of Mont Blanc Doctors have been amazed at how he managed to survive as when the body cools to 25c death is virtually guaranteed as the heart begins to slow down and respiratory arrest follows shortly afterwards. Mountain rescue officials told MailOnline that Hussein was 'dressed as if out for a Sunday stroll' with no warm gear or weatherproof tent despite bone numbing temperatures and high winds. Rescuers were blown away when they discovered Hussein had attempted the huge climb without so much as proper mountaineering clothing, much less ice picks, crampons and other essential bits of climbing kit. They suspected he was a desperate migrant who had opted to take a mountain route to bypass border controls, and were amazed to find that he was in fact a woefully underprepared British hiker. A mountain rescue official said: 'His body temperature when he was found was 25c and the normal is 37c, he was about five minutes from dying and was lucky to have been found. 'He was suffering from severe hypothermia and flown immediately to hospital where the doctors started working on getting his body temperature back to normal. 'The man said he was trying to climb to Mt Blanc but the forecast was bad and he wasn't dressed at all correctly for such an expedition we advise against climbing at this time of year because of the weather. After spending Friday night in a tent on the nearby Miage glacier, Hussein (pictured) continued his journey on Saturday but became lost when the wind whipped up a snowstorm 'When he called to say he was lost he said he would be OK as he had a weatherproof tent but it was more of a tarpaulin and all he had was hiking sticks. 'Climbing to an altitude of 4,800m is serious business and it should only be attempted by experienced climbers who are well prepared and well equipped. 'Because of the weather conditions we couldn't send out a team until the following morning so we had to tell him to stay put and try and find some shelter. 'At one point we couldn't raise him on the telephone and there was a real fear he had died but he was fortunate that we found him, five more minutes and he would have been dead.' He added: 'It is costly to send a crew up to rescue someone from the mountain in a helicopter, especially someone who has attempted a climb ill equipped and we are considering sending him a 1,500 Euro bill for the rescue.' In August a furious mayor on the French side of the Alpine range introduced a policy requiring 'pseudo-mountaineers' to front up a 13,000 deposit to cover their funeral and rescue costs before being allowed to climb. Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, from where climbers can make it to the top along the Gouter Route, introduced the measure after dozens of people continued to defy warnings. Rescuers were blown away when they discovered Hussein had attempted the huge climb without so much as proper mountaineering clothing, much less ice picks, crampons and other essential bits of climbing kit (stock picture shows mountaineer on Bionnassay glacier with extensive equipment) A French mayor in August introduced a policy whereby inexperienced climbers are forced to pay a near 13,000 deposit to cover rescue and funeral costs if they want to climb The considerable deposit is split up in two sections - 10,000 covers the cost of a mountain rescue and 5,000 covers the cost of a funeral. The route is accessible to anyone of any skill level and officials have said the number of inexperienced climbers in increasing. In a statement posted on Twitter, Peillex said the idea for the deposit came after five Romanian visitors attempted the ascent 'wearing shorts, trainers and straw hats' and had to be turned back by mountain police. 'Sometimes silly people only respond to silly ideas,' the mayor told The Telegraph. 'They have the same approach of someone who wants to commit suicide. So I say, let's do things properly and ask them to pay us the costs that this will entail. 'People want to climb with death in their backpacks,' he added. 'So let's anticipate the cost of having to rescue them, and for their burial, because it's unacceptable that French taxpayers should foot the bill.' However, the mayor of Courmayeur which sits at the foot of Mont Blanc on the Italian side of the border, called the decision 'surreal' and stated the Italian side 'will not limit the ascent of hikers.' 'The mountain is not a property,' Roberto Rota said. 'As administrators, we limit ourselves to indicating when the paths are not in the best condition, but asking for a deposit to climb to the top is really surreal. You can decide to close a path or a passage if there is an actual risk,' the mayor told Corriere. According the latest figures available around 25,000 people a year reach the summit of Mt Blanc and five years ago France introduced legislation clamping down on climbers who set off poorly equipped and who had to be rescued. A van driver who faced jail over a road accident in Rochdale which killed a speeding motorcyclist has walked free, after the dead man's family issued a courtroom plea urging the judge to spare him jail time. Joseph Moffat, 21, tried to slowly turn his vehicle round at a junction close to Hopwood Hall College on Rochdale Road in September 2020, not realising the biker was attempting to illegally overtake him. Father-of-one Christopher Gage, 31, tried to overtake the van by jumping a red traffic light at a high speed on a 'right-turn-only' lane and then travelling straight ahead. Mr Gage, who had been driving at almost double the speed limit - 57mph in a 30mph zone - careered through the junction and ploughed into the side of Moffat's van. Van driver Joseph Moffat (pictured) was spared jail after pleading guilty to causing death by careless driving after a horror crash in Rochdale Mr Gage was thrown from his Honda machine and left with multiple fatal injuries, dying in hospital four days later. Inquiries revealed gas fitter Moffat, who was at the wheel of his father's company Peugeot Expert van, had been driving 'slowly and cautiously' but he then made a 'rash decision' to turn in the road. In the moments before the collision, he had gone through a set of traffic lights on green before turning right. He was charged with causing death by careless driving as investigators concluded that as he was travelling along an 'ahead-only' lane of the carriageway, he should not have turned right. They argued that if he had carried on going straight ahead as required, Mr Gage would likely have sped back onto the main carriageway and ridden away. However, Mr Gage's family said they bear 'no ill-will' towards Moffat, who was 19 at the time of the crash and previously had an impeccable driving record. In a statement, they said: 'We bear no ill will towards the driver of the van, we don't believe that it would be of benefit to anyone if he was sent to prison. 'He has to live with what happened for the rest of his life and we feel this is more than enough punishment for him.' Christopher Gage (pictured) ran a red light and was driving at nearly twice the speed limit before he careered into the side of Moffat's van The tragedy occurred at 4.15pm on September 23, 2020, as Moffat was returning home after fitting a gas pipe at a factory. He was driving along the A664 Rochdale Road in Middleton when he realised he was going the wrong way and suddenly decided to go right at the entrance of Hopwood Hall College so he could go back on himself. Moffat, from Littleborough, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, told police he had checked his mirrors and indicated to turn right but he did not see Mr Gage coming up behind him. He admitted not checking whether the traffic light on the 'right-turn-only' lane was on red. Police found CCTV and dashcam footage which showed Mr Gage, from Wythenshawe, Manchester, illegally overtaking over vehicles near a zebra crossing and riding at speed in the minutes before the fatal crash. At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Moffat - who pleaded guilty - faced up to five years in jail. Instead, Judge Mark Saville sentenced him to 100 hours unpaid work in the community and a 12 month ban from driving. The young man wept as this was read out. The Judge said that the 'stark reality' was that Mr Gage 'lost his life and did so as a result of the offences to which you have pleaded guilty.' However, he described the circumstances as 'very unusual' and, having watched footage of Mr Gage's driving before and during the collision, concluded that his actions 'contributed significantly' to the crash and, ultimately, to his death. He told Moffat: 'On the day in question you were going about your business - a young man with an impeccable driving record. 'You had taken a wrong turn and decided you had to change your course and you did so. The victim's family begged the judge not to send Moffat (pictured) to prison, saying they bear him "no ill-will" 'In essence you were driving along the carriageway in two lanes - one side adhering to the keeping left and lane two having a right hand turn lane, also governed by traffic lights. 'You were well within the speed limit and lane one lights were showing green. 'You decided to make a right turn, illegally, having indicated and checked mirrors you then turned right across the gateway of the right turn lights and they were showing red.' Moffat, who had been driving for 18 months at the time of the crash, originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of death by careless driving, but later changed his plea to guilty. The Judge noted that Moffat had been 'brave' to plead guilty, adding: 'Mr Gage was travelling at a grossly excessive speed through a red light. 'He had no intention of turning right and was illegally overtaking to go straight on.' He praised the statement from Mr Gage's brother, saying: 'The statement from the deceased's family is breathtaking, astonishing and remarkable. 'The element of forgiveness in it, is not often encountered in these courts are usually the view I'm afraid is that 'someone has to pay'. Christopher Gage (pictured) was a 'loving and caring father' to his daughter Imogen 'In my view, this statement shows a commendable degree of compassion and understanding.' He told Moffat, who wiped away tears: 'You are a very impressive young man. Your character and work references show your behaviour towards others is impeccable.' Mr Gage's family released a picture of him after his death and paid tribute to a 'loving and caring father of his daughter Imogen.' In mitigation for Moffat, defence counsel Tom Gent had told the court his client was 'extremely remorseful' adding 'This is a tragic case and his heart goes out to Mr Gage's family. He had taken a wrong turn and was confused as to where he was. 'He recognised the college entrance on the right and made the rash decision to turn, having only noticed the green light on his lane. 'It is an understandable error and he has been racked with guilt at causing another man's death. 'Ordinarily he is a polite, well mannered, kind young man and it will take him an awful long time to get over this - if he ever does.' An Irishman has been killed while fighting in Ukraine, his family have confirmed, saying he was a soldier who 'could never turn away in the face of injustice'. Rory Mason, 23, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion against Vladimir Putin's invaders near the Russian border. The Mason family learnt of his death from the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is providing consular assistance. The family said they are in contact with representatives of the International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, for which he enlisted last March. Mr Mason's family said that information on his death is limited and their priority at this point is to repatriate his remains. His father Rob said: 'Rory was a private young man of drive, purpose and conviction. Rory Mason (pictured wearing military gear with a Ukrainian insignia), 23, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, died while fighting for Ukraine's International Legion near the Russian border 'Though we are deeply saddened at his death, we are enormously proud of his courage and determination and his selflessness in immediately enlisting to support Ukraine. Rory was never political but he had a deep sense of right and wrong and an inability to turn the other way in the face of injustice. 'He had a long-standing interest in eastern Europe, in travel, and in learning new languages, including Russian. Those who fought alongside Rory speak of 'a truly brave and courageous man who could have left at any time but chose not to'. 'In the words of a colleague who served with him, 'Rory was a man who from a glance could seem shy, however when it came to actions and character he proved again and again he was a man of fortitude, principle and honour'. 'Rory was our son and we will miss him enormously. As our family is still trying to come to terms with Rory's death, we would appeal for privacy at this difficult time.' Before joining the International Legion, his family said he had been working in Germany to help fund his travel ambitions. A native of Dunboyne, he attended Dunboyne National School and St Peter's College, Dunboyne. In a statement, the International Legion said: 'Our brother in arms, Rory Mason, has taken part in the Kharkiv counter-offensive with his unit and was killed in action. While conducting operations, the unit came under attack. 'We are in contact with the family and in co-ordination with them, following their wishes and instructions, the International Legion and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are handling the repatriation process. 'At this time, to protect operational security and the family's privacy we cannot release more information. 'Rory's memory will live on in his unit, in the Legion and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 'We would ask for the family's privacy to be respected at this difficult time.' Ukrainian servicemen attend the ceremony of raising the National flag in the recently recaptured city of Lyman, Donetsk area, Ukraine, October 4 A BM-21 'Grad' multiple rocket launcher fires at Russian positions in Kharkiv region on Tuesday The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying: 'The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware of a case and is providing consular assistance. 'As with all consular cases, the department does not comment on the details of any individual case.' Mr Mason is survived by parents Rob and Elizabeth and a 22-year-old brother and 21-year-old sister. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the family's grief has been heightened by the circumstances of his death. 'I'm very conscious of the fact that there's a family grieving at the moment, that have lost a loved member of their family in circumstances that we can hardly imagine,' Mr Donohoe said. 'I'm sure that grief is just heightened by the circumstances in which it happened, and by their lives being touched by a vast, vicious war. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing all support that we can to the family in this dreadful, dreadful loss of life. 'My condolences go out to them, and we will give them and their family any support that we can give in this terrible moment of loss.' Thousands of Russian soldiers have already called a Ukrainian hotline to surrender in a fresh humiliation for Putin's bedraggled army, officials have said. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence, said that in just a few weeks some 2,000 people have called the 'I Want To Live' hotline in order to give themselves up. Calls have come from soldiers in Ukraine, those still in Russia who have been conscripted, and some who have not even received draft orders yet who wanted to check the procedure, Yusov claimed. It comes after Putin ordered 300,000 conscripted men to be sent to the frontlines in Ukraine in order to prop up his failing invasion. 2,000 Russian soldiers have called a Ukrainian hotline that allows them to surrender within just a few weeks, Kyiv's military intelligence branch has claimed The despot is trying to cling on to the territory his army has occupied in more than seven months of war, but his exhausted troops are struggling to hold the frontline. In early September, Ukrainian units broke through the Russian frontline in northern Kharkiv - sparking a rout that allowed them to re-take thousands of square miles of territory in just a few days. That prompted Putin to issue the mobilisation order which saw thousands of men sent to training camps before deployment, but in the meantime his army has suffered further defeats. Over the last 48 hours, Ukraine has recaptured dozens of towns and villages in northern Kherson oblast - in the south - with Putin's troops retreating more than 10 miles in the space of a few hours. Yusov said calls to the hotline picked up considerably since the Kharkiv offensive, and have continued to grow since. Russia is suffering heavy losses trying to hold territory it has gained in seven months of war, as Ukraine re-takes territory in the north and south (pictured, a destroyed tank in the north) The remains of a Russian column that attempted to escape from the city of Lyman despite being surrounded by Ukrainian troops, and was destroyed Speaking to Ukraine's Freedom TV, he said: 'Back then, we started to receive calls not just from soldiers who are on the territory of Ukraine as a part of the invading forces 'Also those who either just got mobilized and are still on the territory of Russia, or their relatives, or even people who suspect that they can be mobilized, and are clarifying this information. 'In a few weeks, we have already received more than 2,000 such requests.' Some 370,000 Russian civilians have also fled their home country rather than face the possibility of being drafted, according to neighbouring nations. Most have headed to Kazakhstan, with the interior ministry there saying that some 200,000 had arrived in just two weeks. Another 93,000 have gone to Georgia, Russian news outlet Fontanka reported, while the EU said 66,000 headed to its territory - with most thought to have arrived into Finland after the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania closed their borders. Putin has ordered 300,000 men to be conscripted into the military to prop up his invasion, amid reports that 370,000 have fled the country Mongolia, which borders Russia in the far east, said 16,000 had arrived there. Putin has also declared that occupied regions of Ukraine are now part of Russia after staging sham referendums with people asked to vote at gunpoint. Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia will be part of Russia 'forever', Putin declared last week in a major speech in which he also lashed out at the West. But his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has since been unable to say exactly where the 'new' Russian border will be drawn and Russia has lost territory in three out of those four areas in the days since Putin's address. French prosecutors have said they should all be jailed for three years The trio of teachers are accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter A court has heard how a trio of British teachers 'panicked' when they realised they could not see a school girl who had drowned in a French lake during a school trip, as they face three years in prison for negligent manslaughter. Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers are accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of 12-year-old Jessica Lawson in July 2015. The schoolgirl, who was the youngest child on the trip from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, became trapped after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges. A trial at the Palais de Justice in the French town of Tulle heard how Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers began to 'panic' after noticing Jessica was missing, with both becoming emotional on the witness stand during Tuesday's proceedings. Mr Layne said he thought the pontoon was a safety feature and saw no signs of distress when he looked at the lifeguard after it capsized. Jessica Lawson (pictured), 12, drowned in 2015 while on a school trip to France. Three British teachers, accused of negligent manslaughter over her death, arrived in court today, with prosecutors saying the trio - along with a French lifeguard - should be jailed for three years Pictured: Teacher Daisy Stathers arrives at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France, on Wednesday - where she is accused of of the French equivalent of manslaughter - along with three other teachers French prosecutors have said the trio should be jailed for three years over the death of Jessica Lawson in July 2015. Pictured: Steven Layne arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle on Wednesday Pictured: Chantelle Lewis arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France, where she is accused of of the French equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of Jessica Lawson. The schoolgirl, who was the youngest child on the trip, became trapped after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges The youngster's mother, Brenda Lawson, told the court she expected the teachers to have 'respect and integrity' during the trial, while saying she received little support from the school, teachers or the UK. She said that only during the trial's proceedings did she learn the sequence of events that led up to her daughter's death, and that neither the school nor teachers had provided her with an explanation in the seven years since. Jessica, who was 12 when she died, would turn 20 on November 7 this year if she was still alive today, Ms Lawson noted. During her closing speech, prosecutor Myriam Soria told the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, she recommend three years' jail time for the three teachers, as well as lifeguard Leo Lemaire. Ms Soria also advised Ms Waguette that the local authority in the town of Liginiac should be fined 45,000 euro for its alleged part in Jessica's death. In her speech, the prosecutor said: 'Jessica Lawson was a good swimmer. She was a little girl. Her swimming should have been monitored with vigilance.' Ms Soria said none of the teachers could see where Jessica was during the swim due to a lack of surveillance. Addressing the pontoon itself, the prosecutor said the local authority 'knew about instability and knew about its age.' Jessica's parents, who have followed proceedings through an interpreter, are set to find out whether their daughter's teachers are guilty on Wednesday. Jessica Lawson, then 12, was a pupil at Wolfreton School in Hull when she drowned in a lake during a five-day school trip to France on July 21, 2015. Pictured: The Lawson family (from left: Brenda, Jessica and Tony) pose for a photograph during a trip to Legoland before Jessica tragically died in France in 2015 Prosecutor Myriam Soria told the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, that none of the teachers could see where Jessica (pictured in this image released by her family on Wednesday) was during the swim due to a lack of surveillance 24 pupils and three teachers from the Hull school were on the six day adventure holiday when the fatal incident occurred. The children had been given the go-ahead by teachers for a swim in Maury park in Liginiac, which featured a floating orange pontoon which they were jumping off. More than 20 children had climbed on to the plastic platform, which was designed for less than half that number when it collapsed, flipping over as it did so. While most of the students were quickly plucked out the water by a lifeguard, Jessica is understood to have been in the water for up to 20 minutes before rescuers re-entered the lake to drag her out. Jessica was airlifted to a hospital in Limoges but died the next day before her distraught parents, Tony and Brenda, were able to arrive after flying out on the first available plane. Speaking on Tuesday, Brenda Lawson told the court her family had been through 'torturous suffering' since her daughter's death. Pictured: A post made by Antony Lawson, Jessica Lawson's father, on Facebook after her death in France in 2015 Pictured: Leo Lemaire, who was a lifeguard at the scene, is also facing three years over Jessica's Death. He is seen here arriving to court on Wednesday She also criticised the response from the UK and Wolfreton School to Jessica's death, saying they 'did not provide us with any answers or help in any way'. Asked to describe the schoolgirl, Mrs Lawson told the court: 'To describe Jessica is easy really. We use the word sunshine and the brightness still remains in my life. She was full of fun, laughter and care. 'She was just on the cusp of becoming a delightful young lady.' Mrs Lawson continued: 'For me, she should be 20 on November 7 this year, so it has been seven years for me and my family of what can only be described as torturous suffering of not understanding what happened to her or why. 'For that reason I would personally like to thank the French justice system for taking it seriously. From second one, they treated it with the severity it deserved and they investigated it straight away. 'Sadly for my family, in the UK we did not get that response whatsoever. The UK did not provide us with any answers or help in any way.' Addressing how Jessica's death had affected her and her family, Mrs Lawson said: 'Most of our family's holidays, most of our family's free time was to do with swimming and water. So as a parent and as a family, for Jessica to drown is the most awful thing that could have possibly happened to her. 'We can't look back on memories because there's water everywhere we have struggled for many, many years to face the present that we were left with.' Mrs Lawson added: 'I handed over my parental responsibility to other people. 'She had only been in the camp for 48 hours when I was called on my mobile phone from the school to tell me that Jessica had been involved in a serious accident and that she had been under water for a considerably amount of time. 'They then gave me the telephone number of the hospital in Limoges for me to ring and speak to the resuscitation ward. 'So for me that's been the worst thing for a mum to accept that I wasn't there to protect her and take care of her and say goodbye to her.' Mrs Lawson went on to speak about a meeting she and Jessica's father Tony had had with the school a month before the trip adding that they had provided families with a booklet which said children would be supervised at all times. Speaking about the meeting, Mrs Lawson said: 'We just went to the front and said 'she will wear a life jacket when she's doing any of these activities?' and they said yes.' More than 20 children had climbed on to the orange plastic platform (pictured), which was designed for less than half that number when it collapsed, flipping over as it did so and hitting Jessica on the head Pictured: The scene near Meymac in the Massif Central region of France where Jessica died Well wishers leave tributes behind at Wolfreton School, Hull after hearing the news that former pupil Jessica Lawson had drowned in 2015 The head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, asked Jessica's mother: 'Do you have any idea what happened to your daughter?' Mrs Lawson replied: 'Not really because from the beginning it was never made clear to us what happened and why there was a pontoon. We never fully understood or it was not explained to us why she was in the water. 'It is only today that I have understood that she had done hiking and kayaking and then this swimming. 'I didn't know the series of events because after that initial meeting in France with the lead teacher, the UK school and teachers refused to discuss anything else with us. 'If I'm truthful, listening to people trying to explain here what they did for Jessica, it is not really any clearer because I was expecting those who had a duty of care for her to be open and transparent and to have respect and integrity for her mum in the way they have handled themselves here. 'It is a phrase I didn't understand before this happened and it is a phrase called 'moral compass' to do the right thing. 'Really, no matter what the outcome is for my family, we have lost.' Mrs Lawson said she wanted to finish her opening remarks with words from her daughter's secret diary, which read: 'My future ambition is to become a nurse. The thought of others in need devotes me to do well and succeed in my career path.' Divers have made the incredible discovery of a 111-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Western Australia that went missing during a massive cyclone. The Finnish-owned Glenbank disappeared in 1911 after hitting a ferocious storm in the Dampier Marine Park, northeast of Cape Lambert. Only one seaman survived, a 22-year-old Fin who was rescued after swimming to a nearby island. Shipwreck Hunters Australia recently discovered the site of the Glenbank more than a century after it sunk and claimed the lives of more than 20 crew members. 'We were incredibly excited when we first discovered the ship,' Johnny Debnam from the Shipwreck Hunters team said. 'After undertaking a full survey, diving, and filming the huge wreck-site, abundant with sharks, turtles, dolphins and other marine life, the team was able to interpret pivotal evidence from the seabed, along with a deep dive into the archives, to help piece together the ship's incredible story,' The Finnish-owned Glenbank (pictured) disappeared in 1911 after hitting a ferocious cyclone in the Dampier Marine Park off Western Australia Shipwreck Hunters Australia recently discovered the site of the Glenbank more than a century after it sunk and claimed the lives of more than 20 crew members. Pictured: The doomed ship's anchor In November of 1910, the steel barque (ship with three masts) arrived in Balla Balla in WA's northwest. It had been commissioned by Whim Well Copper Mines Ltd to transport copper ore from the area to the UK. It's crew, made up of 20 Russians, Norwegians and Fins, was led by Captain Fredrik Moberg. After setting sail for England in 1911, the Glenbank hit a large cyclone that had formed off the coast and it ultimately sunk. Extensive research has determined unsecured cargo of copper ore shifted during the storm and destroyed the hull and deck - causing it to capsize. The ship capsized after its copper ore cargo that was unsecured slid around during the cyclone - tearing through the hull and deck and causing it to capsize The Glenbank's crew, made up of 20 Russians, Norwegians and Fins, was led by Captain Fredrik Moberg (pictured) A group of local fisherman - Kevin Deacon, Luke Leech, Justin Leech, Tom Radley and Johnny Debnam - first found the remote, deep water site of the Glenbank. Debnam is part of the Shipwreck Hunters Australia team - which is streaming on Disney+ and has a new series about the discovery. They relayed the find to the Western Australian Museum, who sent maritime archaeologists to confirm it was the missing Glenbank. 'The discovery of Glenbank is very significant in helping tell the tale of global trade at the turn of the century and giving a voice to those who tragically lost their lives on that fateful day in 1911,' Dr Deb Shefi from the Western Australian Museum said. 'It is not often we find a silhouette of a ship, with the masts aligned, resting on the seafloor like this. 'The unseasonably good weather meant Glenbank was ready to shed its secrets and we were able to record measurements and details that will assist further research into this tragic shipwreck.' There was only one survivor of the Glenbank shipwreck - 22-year-old Finnish seamen Antii Ketola - who swam to a nearby island before being rescued three days later There was a sole survivor of the Glenbank's crew, Antii Ketola, who managed to swim to Legendre Island after the vessel sunk. The 22-year-old Fin was stranded for three days, surviving only on raw shellfish before he was rescued by a pearling lugger vessel named Pearl and taken to the coastal town Cossack. Shipwreck Hunters Australia managed to track down Ketola's descendants in Finland - who admitted they had no idea about his incredible story. A group of local fisherman - Kevin Deacon, Luke Leech, Justin Leech, Tom Radley and Johnny Debnam - first found the remote, deep water site of the Glenbank 'Whenever he (Antti Ketola) lived here in Finland there were no stories about it, and he never talked about it, so it has been totally hidden what has happened to Antti,' Matti Latva-Panula, grandson of the lone Glenbank survivor, said. 'From now on the story is going to live in the family. All the children and grandchildren will know about it.' The discovery of the Glenbank shipwreck is documented in episode one of the series, Shipwreck Hunters Australia, which premiered on Wednesday on the Disney+ streaming platform. Vladimir Putin has claimed to be 'surprised' by referendum results he rigged to show overwhelming majorities of Ukrainians want to become part of Russia. The Russian despot said results in four Ukrainian regions he now claims as his own - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia - were 'more than convincing' and 'not subject to any doubt' in a video call broadcast on Russian state TV today. In fact, North Korea is so-far the only state other than Russia to recognise the referendum results which were branded a 'sham' by Ukraine and its Western allies after votes took place at gunpoint. Putin spoke after signing paperwork officially annexing the Ukrainian regions to Russia, despite his troops losing territory in three out of the four in recent days. Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, vowed that all lost territory would be re-taken and that they 'will be Russian forever and will not be returned.' Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured today) has signed bills formally absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, even as its fleeing troops lose control of the regions it illegally annexed to Kyiv's counterattacks The four Ukrainian regions Putin seeks to steal are Luhansk and Donetsk, in the east, and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, in the south, but his armed forces are not in full control and fighting is continuing across all of them - with Ukrainian forces pushing into the territories Speaking on a video call with Russian teachers, Putin added: 'We are working on the assumption that the situation in the new territories will stabilise. 'In all honesty, the results of the referendum not only pleased me, but also surprised me," Putin said. 'They are not subject to any doubt.' Analysts fear the annexation represents an escalation in Putin's invasion, giving Moscow grounds to defend the territories again the Ukrainian counterattacks with more drastic measures, such as the use of nuclear weapons. The borders of the territories Russia is claiming still remain unclear, but the Kremlin has vowed to defend Russia's territory - the newly absorbed regions, too - with any means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the annexation by announcing a fast-track application to join NATO and formally ruling out talks with Russia over a peace deal. Zelensky's decree, released Tuesday, declares that holding negotiations with Putin has become impossible after his decision to take over the four regions of Ukraine. The head of Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on his Telegram channel shortly after Putin signed the annexation that 'the worthless decisions of the terrorist country (Russia) are not worth the paper they are signed on. 'A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world,' he added. Kyiv's military said Wednesday they have recaptured more villages in the southern Kherson region as a part of their massive counteroffensive effort. Operational Command South said that the Ukrainian flag has been raised above Liubymivka, Khreschenivka, Zolota Balka, Biliaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka and Mala Oleksandrivka villages. Despite Putin's annexation of much of Ukraine's eastern territory, a stunning Ukrainian counter-attack east out of Kharkiv has slowed but has not stopped, with the city of Lyman now under Kyiv's control and its troops pushing towards the cities of Svatove and Kreminna In the south-east, Ukraine has also been steadily fighting its way towards the city of Kherson for the last two months, and may have scored a breakthrough this week amid reports of Russian forces withdrawing more than 10 miles General Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be Ukraine's path to victory against Russia - saying that 'Crimea is the prize' and the war will end 'when the last Russian soldier walks along the [Kerch bridge, connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia]' Pictured: A map demonstrating Hodges' Ukrainian 'path to victory'. Much of the regions shown in red were annexed by Putin, but his forces are losing ground On the battlefield on Wednesday morning, multiple explosions rocked Bila Tserkva, setting off fires at what were described as infrastructure facilities in the city to the south of the capital Kyiv, regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram. Early indications are that the city was attacked by so-called 'kamikaze' or suicide drones, he said. Bila Tserkva is about 50 miles south of Kyiv. Russia has increasingly been using suicide drones in recent weeks, posing a new challenge to Ukrainian defenses. The unmanned vehicles can stay aloft for long periods of time before diving into their targets and detonating their payload at the last moment. Many of the earlier attacks by the Iranian-made drones happened in the south of the country and not near the capital, which hasn't been targeted for weeks. In a later post, Kuleba said that a total of six Shahed-136 drones struck the city, one of the largest in the region after Kyiv itself. One person was injured in the attacks. Dozens of rescue workers were on the scene and still working to extinguish the fires hours after the attacks were reported, he said. Ukrainian servicemen attend the ceremony of raising the National flag in the recently recaptured city of Lyman, Donetsk area, Ukraine, October 4, 2022 A BM-21 'Grad' multiple rocket launcher fires at Russian positions in Kharkiv region, October 4 Meanwhile, officials in Ukraine said thousands of Russian soldiers have already called a hotline set to surrender in a fresh humiliation for Putin's bedraggled army. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence, said that in just a few weeks some 2,000 people have called the 'I Want To Live' hotline in order to give themselves up. Calls have come from soldiers in Ukraine, those still in Russia who have been conscripted, and some who have not even received draft orders yet who wanted to check the procedure, Yusov claimed. It comes after Putin ordered 300,000 conscripted men to be sent to the frontlines in Ukraine in order to prop up his failing invasion. Elsewhere, European Union member countries agreed on another round of sanctions against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine, the Czech EU presidency said on Wednesday. 'Ambassadors reached a political agreement on new sanctions against Russia - a strong EU response to Putin's illegal annexation of Ukraine territories,' the presidency said on Twitter. The latest package - the eighth since Russia's invasion in February - is now going through a final approval procedure which, if no objections emerge, will be published and come into effect on Thursday. Russia is suffering heavy losses trying to hold territory it has gained in seven months of war, as Ukraine re-takes territory in the north and south (pictured, a destroyed tank in the north) The remains of a Russian column that attempted to escape from the city of Lyman despite being surrounded by Ukrainian troops, and was destroyed And in another blow to the Kremlin, Kazakh authorities on Wednesday rejected a demand from Russia that they expel Ukraine's ambassador over comments about killing Russians, chiding Moscow for what they called an inappropriate tone between 'equal strategic partners'. Russia's ties with Kazakhstan and some others of its ex-Soviet allies have become strained during the war in Ukraine, notably over attempts by Putin to renege on post-USSR border agreements in the country's east. Tensions escalated after Ukraine's ambassador in Astana, Petro Vrublevskiy, said in August in an interview with a local blogger, referring to the war in Ukraine, that 'the more Russians we kill now, the fewer of them our children will have to kill'. Russia demanded that Kazakhstan expel the diplomat in response, but Astana instead asked Kyiv to replace him, telling him his comments were unacceptable for a country with a large ethnic Russian minority. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday said Moscow was 'outraged' by the fact that Vrublevskiy was still in Astana, and had summoned the Kazakh ambassador. Kazakh foreign ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov on Wednesday called Zakharova's tone 'discordant with the nature of the allied relations between Kazakhstan and Russia as equal strategic partners', adding that the Russian ambassador would in turn be summoned to the Kazakh ministry. Smadiyarov said Vrublevskiy would leave Kazakhstan once a new Ukrainian ambassador was in place. Kazakhstan has traditionally maintained close economic and security ties with Russia, but distanced itself from Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in February. Astana has called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict - which Moscow terms a 'special military operation' - and refused to recognise referendums through which Russia annexed parts of Ukraine. Convicted killer Russel Causley, 79, has had his parole hearing delayed amid fears for the prisoner's safety after his 'release address was leaked' - and it was revealed he had been planning to live with a samurai sword-wielding thug who he lived next to in jail. Causley, 79, killed his wife, Carole Packman, almost 40 years ago before faking his death to evade justice, and has always refused to reveal where he hid her body. He was set to face a panel of experts tomorrow who would decide if he should be freed from prison. In a historic move, parole bosses ruled the hearing could take place in front of members of the public, media and even the victim's family for the first time ever in Britain. But it has since been adjourned as it was ruled too risky. MailOnline understands that Causley's planned release address was 'leaked' to someone outside of HMP Lewes, where he is currently housed, sparking concerns for his safety should he be released. It appears that Causley may have willingly shared the address with someone outside the prison, and it was then leaked further. But MailOnline can reveal that the killer was also planning to move in with a former inmate who lived next to Causley - Graham Greensmith, who was caught on video threatening a removals driver with a samurai sword and an air rifle. The Parole Board declined to comment on the revelations. Russell Causley, pictured, was handed a life sentence for killing Carole Packman who disappeared in 1985 Causley with Ms Packman and daughter Samantha. The murderer evaded justice for a decade after faking his own death Carole Packman disappeared in 1985, a year after Causley moved his lover into their home in Bournemouth, Dorset Graham Greensmith, 43, was caught on video by his victim Oscar Wheatland He chased Mr Wheatland down the road while wielding an air rifle and smashed his windows with a samurai sword Graham Greensmith, 44, was filmed by removals driver Oscar Wheatland, who was 22 at the time of the incident, in Bishop's Waltham. Footage of the incident, widely shared on social media, shows Greensmith shouting at his victim before slashing his tyres and smashing his windows with the samurai sword and chasing him while wielding an air rifle. Mr Wheatland, from Portsmouth, told MailOnline that he had been booked to move the belongings of the thug's son. He said the man had 'clearly been arguing' with his son and didn't want him to move out of his home during the pandemic before he rounded on Mr Wheatland and accused him of 'breaking Covid rules'. The thug was seen calling Mr Wheatland a 'c***' and telling him to 'f*** off', before warning: 'Carry on filming me, cause you'll be dead in a minute.' He was jailed for 18 months at Portsmouth Crown Court after admitting possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, having an offensive weapon and damaging property. Greensmith allegedly told his victim 'you will be dead in a minute' and threatened to shoot him during the incident. MailOnline understands that Greensmith lived next to Causley in prison and the two were 'best mates'. Causley was handed a life sentence in 1996 for killing Carole Packman, who disappeared in 1985, a year after he moved his lover into their home in Bournemouth, Dorset. He initially evaded justice for the best part of a decade following her disappearance by faking his own death as part of an insurance scam. After finally being caught, he served 23 years for the murder before being freed from prison in 2020, but was returned to jail in November last year after breaching his licence conditions. He has previously claimed he may not give evidence at a public hearing as he believes it would breach his human rights. A spokesperson for the Parole Board confirmed the hearing had been cancelled but did not comment further: 'The parole hearing in the case of Russell Causley, which was scheduled for Thursday, October 6, has had to be adjourned. Greensmith was filmed slashing the delivery driver's tyres by a neighbour What happened to Carole Packman? Carole Packman disappeared from her family home in Bournemouth in 1985. Her daughter Sam Gillingham, then 16, came home from school to find a note, supposedly from her mother, along with her wedding ring. The letter said that she was leaving their family. The year before, Causley moved his lover Patricia Causley into the house and later changed his surname to hers. It was not until 10 years later, when Causley was jailed for two years for trying to fake his death in a boating accident that he was found guilty of her murder. He allegedly made a jail cell confession, telling of the 'perfect' murder of his 'b**** wife'. Police reopened their investigation into his wife's disappearance. Causley was convicted of murder in 1996, but it was quashed in 2003. In 2004, he was found guilty at a retrial after his sister said she had heard him admit the killing. Now aged 79, he was the first killer in British legal history to be found guilty without his victim's body ever being found. Advertisement 'The Panel has very recently received compelling evidence that a long campaign has been undertaken not only to undermine Mr Causley's risk management plan but also his personal safety. 'In the circumstances the Panel has had to adjourn the Public Hearing so as to ensure it can be properly managed consistent with a fair hearing for all parties and the victims. 'The Parole Board had ruled that this hearing would be held in public and would be the first case to allow the media and public to witness a parole review. 'This ruling still stands and, once a new date for the hearing is confirmed, those who registered to attend will be contacted with the details.' Carole's daughter and grandson, Sam and Neil Gillingham have been campaigning for Causley to remain behind bars as he continues to refuse to reveal the whereabouts of his wife's body. The family had also been instrumental in pressuring officials to grant an open hearing for Causley, winning the backing of former Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab over the summer. Sam told MailOnline her father is 'throwing his toys out of his cot'. She said: 'He did not want the public hearing - he has no choice in that matter. 'There is no significant threat. 'Hes well known if you know but obsolete to most. Its just a ploy to defer. 'And once again the authorities have shivered. Control control. 'So we shall have to wait for a new date, sit in limbo further and then once on notice build up the resilience again and stand tall.' At the time of the bid for a public hearing, the killer's grandson, Neil, 32, warned 'callous and evil' Causley is a menace to society, and should never have been released - as he is hopeful that his grandfather's latest hearing will end in failure. Neil said: 'He is still as callous, still as evil, and still as wicked as he was 40 years ago. 'This whole process has been so difficult and such a rollercoaster, he cannot be trusted and he is not fit for release.' Daughter Sam reportedly said she has been left 'speechless' by the decision to adjourn the hearing. The victim's daughter and grandson, Sam and Neil Gillingham have been campaigning for Causley to remain behind bars as he continues to refuse to reveal the whereabouts of his wife's body Neil Gillingham (pictured) has previously described his killer grandfather of having 'no shame' She said after a public hearing was granted: 'It has been a long long battle to get to this point. Without Neil, I wouldn't have been able to achieve this on my own. 'I have felt for many years that the parole board has not been listening to me as a victim of an ongoing crime. 'The judiciary has just not taken reality into account and I felt like they were not giving me enough. 'Other people have the remains of their loved ones and know what happened. We don't have that. 'I don't know what to expect from the parole hearing - but I am very pleased they have made the right decision. 'It is important that they are transparent. I don't understand how they could come to the conclusion that my father is safe to release - but if they do then I want the public to see it'. The ban on open hearings was scrapped in 2021, with then Minister of State for Justice, Lucy Frazer QC MP saying: 'We are mindful of the fact that parole hearings involve discussion of sensitive personal matters about prisoners and victims. Causley had beat out fellow crook Charles Bronson to nab the first public hearing. The 70-year-old, who goes by the name Charles Arthur Salvador, is one of the UK's longest-serving criminals - currently banged up in HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Bucks. He has been officially vying for a public hearing since July. A date for a new hearing for Causley has not yet been set. The Parole Board declined to comment. Liz Truss is planning new legal curbs on strikes by teachers, doctors, nurses and firefighters to ensure minimum service levels are maintained during industrial disputes, it has emerged. The Prime Minister is ready to extend draft legislation, aimed at preventing widespread strikes chaos on transport networks, to across the public sector. The proposal comes amid fears of a 'winter of discontent' with teaching and nursing unions currently considering strike action as part of disputes over their pay during the cost-of-living crisis. Rail workers, barristers and Royal Mail staff have also recently staged walkouts. The Government hopes the new legislation will prevent unions from 'holding the country to ransom'. They also hope it will push Labour into having to choose between backing their union donors or those using public services. Furious union leaders vowed to fight any new legal limits on strike action. The Prime Minister is ready to extend draft legislation, aimed at preventing widespread strikes chaos on transport networks, to across the public sector The Government hopes the new legislation will prevent unions from 'holding the country to ransom' In France there is a legal requirement for all pupils to be allowed to attend schools during teachers' strikes Ministers have repeatedly promised new laws - to fulfil a 2019 Tory manifesto commitment - aimed at ensuring there is a minimum level of service on transport networks during strikes. According to The Times, the PM is considering an extension of that legislation and told ministers to find ways to apply the principle across the public sector. Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has been tasked with drawing up a list of 'important public services' on which legal limits on strike action can be imposed. The newspaper reported the Government is initially looking at applying new strike laws to schools, the NHS and the fire service, while Post Office workers and binmen are less likely to be included and no decision has been made on border control. Police, prison officers and the Armed Forces are banned from taking strike action. A senior Government source said: 'We support the right to strike but ultimately we have to stop unions holding the country to ransom and that applies to other public services as well as transport. 'Labour would have to decide whose side they are on and I hope in the end they would back us.' In France there is a legal requirement for all pupils to be allowed to attend schools during teachers' strikes. Local authorities must guarantee that children will be cared for, with council officials or even parents deployed to classrooms if necessary. Some Cabinet ministers are said to fear that bringing in similar laws in Britain will scupper ongoing negotiations with unions and lead to more strikes before the new legislation can be passed. Trade union leaders have already reacted with fury to the suggestion Ms Truss could bring in fresh legal curbs on strike action. Paul Nowak, deputy general secretary of the TUC, said: 'Wouldnt it be nice if this mess of a Conservative Government put as much effort into boosting pay, ending insecure employment and tackling staff shortages as they do bashing unions & workers? 'The TUC and our unions will fight 100 per cent to defend the fundamental right to strike.' A 14-year-old boy who died after he was attacked in a park 'had his whole life ahead of him' and his death has 'left his family utterly devastated', police have said. Talented footballer Tomasz Oleszak, who lived Gateshead, had moved to the UK from Poland 'for a better life' as a 'shy' six-year-old. But the popular schoolboy died in the early hours of yesterday morning after being knifed in the Aycliffe Crescent area of the Springwell Estate just after 8pm on Monday. Northumbria Police said the teenager's injuries were 'consistent with having been caused by a bladed article'. Tomasz Oleszak, 14, died in hospital after being found with a stab wound in the Aycliffe Crescent area of the Springwell Estate of Gateshead on Monday evening Floral tributes have been left throughout the day as the community comes to terms with the 14-year-old's murder Police are continuing with their investigations, with search teams today scouring the Whitehills Nature Park in Gateshead He was taken to hospital where, despite the best efforts of medical staff, he later died. His devastated family are being supported by specially-trained officers. A murder investigation has since been launched and a 14-year-old boy has been detained by detectives. The teenager, arrested on suspicion of murder, remained in custody on Wednesday morning, along with a 13-year-old girl, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. Tomasz, who lived with his mum Kamila Wisniewska and his young brother, lived on the Springwell estate for most of his life and was described as a 'friend to so many' by those who knew him. His family moved from Wroclaw in southwestern Poland and his mum found work at a local biscuit factory as the family became a well-liked part of the Springwell community. Tomasz was a keen footballer and played for the local Cleveland Hall junior football team as a midfielder in the under-15s squad. Bob Boustead, chairman of club, said the youngster's death has 'shattered the whole community'. Mr Boustead said: 'Tomasz came to us as a very young boy soon after his family arrived in Gateshead from Poland. 'He was only six and a shy young lad who didn't speak any English at that time. 'It must have been so difficult for him to integrate in the community and within his team but he was such a determined boy and over time he started to feel at home. 'As his English improved he got to know the lads better and made friends. He stuck at his football and played right the way through the teams until Covid struck. 'There was obviously a break at that point and we believed he went back to Poland but returned when it was over. 'He came back more confident and assured, he'd developed into a fine young man and was an important part of his team and this grassroots footballing community. 'We are devastated by what's happened to him, he came to this country with his parents and family for a better life and he lost it like this to a quite hideous crime.' Mounted police patrol the scene on Aycliffe Crescent, Gateshead, where 14-year-old Tomasz Oleszak was fatally attacked on Monday evening The scene at Aycliffe Crescent, Gateshead, on Tuesday following the fatal attack the night before The teen's coach, Paul Howson, set up a Gofundme page to help the family, raising almost 18,000 in 24 hours. Paul paid tribute to Tomasz, saying: 'On behalf of myself and Tomasz' coaches we are all very saddened to hear of the tragic events that unfolded on 3rd October 2022 resulting in Tomasz sadly passing away in the early hours of the 4th October 2022. 'Tomasz was a very kind, caring young man, he was brought to the UK by his parents for a better life and didn't deserve what has happened to him. 'He was liked and loved by many; he was a very passionate footballer who we all had the pleasure of coaching. 'He was a much-loved member of his local community and will be sadly missed by all who loved him. 'This is every parent's worst nightmare come true and we can't imagine what they are going through.' A fundraising night, which had meant to drum up cash for a new 3G artificial turf pitch for the club, will now instead be raising money for Tomasz's family, Mr Boustead said. He added: 'I've been in football for 50 years and I've never known a tragedy like this, it's so hard to accept. 'When someone within our community is in need we rally round and that's why the fundraising for the family began.' Tomasz attended Cardinal Hume Catholic School, in Gateshead. In a statement, headteacher Brendan Robson, said: 'We are devastated to hear of this tragic incident involving one of our students. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this very sad time. 'As a school we are doing all we can to support our students and everyone in our community who is affected; we are also supporting the police with their ongoing enquiries.' Police are remained at the scene of Monday's incident throughout Wednesday. Chief Superintendent Helena Barron said: 'Tomasz had his whole life ahead of him and this tragic incident has cut that life short and left his family utterly devastated. Neighbours spoke of their heartache, with some leaving floral tributes at the scene on Aycliffe Crescent, Gateshead, on Tuesday A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of the murder and remains in custody. Pictured are police scouring for clues near the site of the killing on Tuesday A 13-year-old girl, who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, also remains in custody 'Their grief is unimaginable and they are in the thoughts of everyone at Northumbria Police as we continue to support them in every way we can. 'The investigation is very much ongoing and I want to thank the Springwell Estate community and everyone who has come forward with information for their support. 'While incidents of this nature are rare in our region, we do recognise the impact they have on the lives of those involved and the wider community. 'When they do occur we are committed to bringing those responsible to justice.' The senior officer also urged people 'not to speculate' about details of the investigation and added: 'What might seem like an innocent comment or post on social media to you, could in reality disrupt an on-going investigation and cause further upset to the family of the victim. 'We would ask that if you did see something or have information in relation to what has happened, please come forward directly to officers.' News of the teenager's death rocked the local community, with horrified residents coming out in their droves to lay floral tributes at Whitehills Nature Par in Tomasz's memory. Schoolfriends and members of the public left bouquets of flowers on the outside gates of the park on the Springwell Estate in a moving display of grief as the Gateshead community comes to terms with its tragic loss. One person also paid tribute by saying that the teenager had 'gone too soon'. They said: 'You were so loved. Rest in Peace.' Another expressed their sorrow at the violent nature of the teenager's death, saying that they will 'miss them'. They said: 'I am so sorry you had to pass away in the way you did. I'm just glad you are no longer suffering. You're in a better place now and I am going to miss you a lot. Emergency crews were called to the Aycliffe Crescent area of the Springwell Estate just after 8pm on Monday, where they found the teenage boy suffering from a stab injury. The boy was taken to hospital where, despite the best efforts of medics, he later died in the early hours of Tuesday morning An investigation is underway at Whitehills Nature park in Gateshead following the incident on Monday 'And remember, we will always love you. Sending you good luck in heaven.' And in another moving tribute, one message said: 'Fly high brother. Can't believe you are gone. Gone too soon.' Neighbours living close to the scene of the incident have also told of their shock. Administrator Glenisa Milasiute, 37, who has lived in the area for four years with her partner and two children, aged one and three, said: 'It's not the best area but you expect people to steal not kill. It's just sad. 'It makes me worried about going out in the area. The council should look into putting CCTV here to make us feel safer. I didn't see anything but my partner went to the shops and saw something was going on. 'He asked the neighbours and they said someone had been stabbed. He said he heard youngsters screaming but just like kids do when they're hanging around. 'Our children don't play in the street usually but it's a worry. We were already thinking of moving but this has made us consider that more.' One elderly resident said: 'I heard the ambulance last night and the blue lights shone through my window. 'It's a huge shock. It's such a shame, the lad was only a bairn. It's two lives lost.' Another resident said: 'It doesn't surprise me around here, the most shocking part is that they're children. 'He was a bairn, he didn't deserve to lose his life. It's kids these days, it's all the things they watch on the internet.' Another neighbour on the street, who asked not to be named, said: 'We saw the lads running around screaming and shouting at about 8pm - it was about four lads that ran past. 'My partner was out having a cigarette and she rang an ambulance for the victim and waited with him until they came.' Another neighbour, Ella, who only wished to give her first name, said: 'I heard someone screaming when I was putting my daughter to bed, then when I was putting something in the bin about 10 minutes later I saw all the police cars. 'I spoke to my neighbour across the road to ask if everything was OK and she told me her son's friend had been stabbed and police were trying to revive him. She was crying, she was absolutely devastated. 'She said they went to school together and he was a good kid. 'It's been really sombre today. My son plays outside in the street, and it's sad. You don't expect it to happen where you live. It's the fear for our kids. 'It's always been really good round here but we have had a couple of incidents in the six-week holidays with teenagers acting out, but it's not usually like this.' Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness said: 'It's devastating that our region has lost another young person to serious violence and my thoughts are with the victim's family who will be experiencing unimaginable pain. 'This should never have happened and it now sits with our police to carry out extensive enquiries to establish the full circumstances that have led to the senseless loss of a young life. 'I recognise the shock and concern that will no doubt be felt across local communities and I know officers will be on hand to offer reassurance.' Anyone with information is asked to contact police via the 'Tell Us Something' page of our website or by calling 101 quoting log NP-20221003-0995. Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Chung Hwang-keun addresses the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, Tuesday. Korea Times file An illustration of fried chicken sold by BBQ. Korea Times file By Lee Kyung-min Yoon Hong-geun, head of Genesis BBQ, one of the country's three major fried chicken franchises, is facing mounting pressure to lower fried chicken prices, a result of his earlier miscalculation seeking to justify the prices backfiring, market watchers said Wednesday. Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Chung Hwang-keun said during a parliamentary audit, Tuesday, that a bucket of fried chicken costing 30,000 won ($21) is too expensive, criticizing Yoon, who claimed the price hike was needed to "offset the soaring costs of labor and key input materials." The short-sighted comment is set to trigger a review of the key policy incentives granted to the lucrative franchise businesses, including about 10 billion won in tax deductions for each franchise, low tariffs on imported palm oil and flour, among a host of government assistance programs to stabilize the price of one of the most popular menu items in the country. The self-inflicted tighter scrutiny could expand to include its two other peers: Kyochon and BHC. The combined sales and net profit generated by the three first exceeded 1 trillion won and 200 billion won in 2020, respectively, and has since climbed. BHC registered an operating profit of 153.8 billion won and sales of 477.1 billion won last year. Kyochon's sales and operating profit in the same period came to 493.5 billion won and 28 billion won, respectively. Genesis BBQ registered 362.4 billion won in sales and an operating profit of 60.8 billion won. Genesis BBQ head Yoon Hong-geun. Korea Times file A Mrs Crimea beauty queen winner has been convicted of 'discrediting' Vladimir Putin's army by singing a pro-Ukrainian song. Olga Valeyeva, 34, posted a video of her and a friend singing Chervona Kalyna, an anthem of Ukrainian resistance, to her Instagram account. Valeyeva won the Mrs Crimea crown this year, but the clip landed the mother-of-two in trouble in the Ukrainian peninsular that was annexed by Russia in 2014. Under Russia's draconian laws introduced to crackdown on criticism of Putin's army following the despot's February invasion of mainland Ukraine, Valeyeva was fined, while her friend was jailed for ten days. Scroll down for video Olga Valeyeva (right), 34, posted a video of her and a friend singing Chervona Kalyna, an anthem of Ukrainian resistance, to her Instagram account. Both women were charged under draconian Russian laws outlawing criticism of the Russian army The mother-of-two (pictured) won this year's Mrs Crimea beauty pageant, but the clip of her singing the pro-Ukraine landed her in trouble in the Russian annexed territory of Crimea Both women were charged with 'discrediting' the Russian armed forces and 'promoting extremist symbols' by singing the song in Ukrainian - as Moscow's forces continue to be pushed back by Kyiv's forces on the mainland. Russian prosecutors claimed they had 'displayed Nazi symbols in public', although Putin's officials now chose to view any Ukrainian symbols as Nazi. They were forced to record a video to issue grovelling apologies for their act. Putin's repressive police see the song as 'an anthem of Ukrainian nationalist formations, including groups banned in Russia.' According to international law, Crimea is Ukraine. It was seized by Putin's armed forces in 2014. Valeyeva was fined 600, seen as a lighter sentence because she has young children. Her friend Viktoria Amargalieva, 33, was thrown behind bars for ten days. In her humbling apology Olga said: 'I sincerely apologise for singing Chervona Kalina, the meaning of which I had no idea. Valeyeva (pictured) was fined 600, seen as a lighter sentence because she has young children. Her friend Viktoria Amargalieva, 33, was thrown behind bars for ten days. Valeyeva's friend Viktoria Amargalieva (pictured) was thrown in jail for ten days for singing the pro-Ukrainian song. Valeyeva recieved the fine - seen as a lighter sentence - on account of her being a mother to two young children 'I did not know or imagine that it was nationalistic and I in no way meant any propaganda message by singing it. I also want to apologise for unknowingly offending or insulting citizens by singing this song.' Before being put in jail, Amargalieva said: 'I want to apologise that we performed a song with a meaning we did not know. 'I apologise to everyone who may have been offended.' Instagram is in theory banned as extremist in Russia, although many people - including Putin's own officials - continue to use and access it using VPNs. Putin's law enforcement are using draconian new catch-all laws on 'discrediting' his invading army to surpass even mild criticism of his war which has cost hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives. Chervona Kalyna was a patriotic march first published in 1875. It was modernised in 1914 by the composer Stepan Charnetsky in 1914, in honour and memory of the Sich Riflemen of the First World War. The two women were forced to record a video to issue grovelling apologies for their act It was later adopted by both the Ukrainian People's Army of the Ukrainian War of Independence and the Second World War-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and has since gone on to take many forms and have many covers done of it. Singing the song was banned while Ukraine was under the Soviet Union (from 1919 to 1991), but was sung nevertheless. Those who were caught singing the song were often jailed, beaten or exiled. The song took on a new lease of life with the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and now after Putin's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It gained international attention in March when an a cappella rendition by Andriy Khlyvnyuk of the Ukrainian band BoomBox went viral, and was remixed by various artists around the world - including Pink Floyd. Khlyvnyuk was touring the United States when Russia invaded on February 24. He returned home to fight for his home country, and released the video of him singing the song - while wearing army fatigues - standing in a square in Kyiv. The song reached the top of Ukraine's music charts in 2022, with Russian officials specifically citing it as an example of a song that would result in punishment. It includes lyrics such as 'Marching forward, our fellow volunteers, into a bloody fray, for to free our brother Ukrainians from the Moscovite shackles,' and 'Oh in the field of early spring wheat, there's a golden furrow, then began the Ukrainian riflemen to engage the enemy.' A man accused of turning up at Windsor Castle armed with a loaded crossbow and threatening to kill the Queen will stand trial in March next year. Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, was charged with intending to injure or alarm the Queen under the Treason Act after he was arrested in the grounds of the castle on Christmas Day last year. The Queen had been celebrating Christmas at the royal residence before her tribute to late husband Philip was broadcast to the nation. She was due to be joined for lunch by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex. Chail appeared at the Old Bailey today charged with intending to injure or alarm the Queen under the Treason Act of 1842, making a threat to kill and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, namely a crossbow. Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, was charged with intending to injure or alarm the Queen under the Treason Act after he was arrested in the grounds of the castle on Christmas Day last year Wearing a black jacket over a black hoodie he appeared via video-link and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. He was due to enter pleas today but the hearing has been adjourned to a date in December not yet fixed. Chail, from Southampton, Hampshire, was detained in custody. Mr Justice Sweeney fixed the two-to-three week trial for March 20 next year. The first charge, under Section Two of the Act, alleges Chail set out to discharge, point, aim or present firearm at the Sovereign with intent to injure or alarm or to break public peace. The Queen had been celebrating Christmas at the royal residence (pictured) before her tribute to late husband Philip was broadcast to the nation She was due to be joined for lunch by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as the Earl and Countess of Wessex The charge alleges that on Christmas Day 2021 at Windsor Castle he wilfully presented at or near to the person of Queen Elizabeth the Second, arms, namely a crossbow, with intent to injure the person of the Queen, or to break the public peace, or whereby the public peace may be endangered, or with intent to alarm her Majesty. The second charge alleges Chail had in his possession an offensive weapon, namely a loaded crossbow, at Windsor Castle. The third count alleges that Chahil made without lawful excuse made to Kashmir Chail and other persons a threat to kill another person, namely Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, intending that Kashmir Chail and other persons would fear that the said threat would be carried out. Chail faces intending to injure or alarm the Queen under the Treason Act 1842, making threats to kill and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place. A former childcare worker turned drug dealer is back behind bars after relapsing. Teneil Lee Hassan, 25, appeared in Brisbane Supreme Court on Wednesday for breaching a four-year suspended sentence after she was charged with a string of offences, including dangerous driving, fraud and drug supply. Justice Martin Burns described Hassan as a 'one-woman crime wave' and a danger to the community, less than three years after he granted her freedom on the belief she would turn her life around. In January 2020, Hassan faced the same judge on 44 fraud, drug and dangerous driving charges, as well as being caught with a firearm. Justice Burns released her on a suspended sentence, noting she had already served 455 days in custody. The court heard on Wednesday it was Hassan's third court appearance in the last four months. Teneil Lee Hassan, 25, is back behind bars after being charged with a string of offences, including dangerous driving, firearms, fraud and drug supply In June, she was convicted of supplying dangerous drugs, predominantly GHB 29 times in a six week period in early 2021, The Courier Mail reported. She was sentenced to two years jail with immediate parole. A week later, she was back before a magistrate to plead guilty to further driving offences including dangerous operation of a car in addition to drug offences and fraud, the court heard. Justice Burns expressed his disappointment in seeing Hassan before the court again, noting the charges were the same sort of offences for which he dealt with her almost three years earlier. A letter written by Hassan had convinced him at the time she was serious about making a fresh start and turning her life around. 'It revealed someone who was truly remorseful who had dedicated herself for now over 12 months to rehabilitation,' Justice Burns said at her 2021 sentencing. Teneil Lee Hassan (pictured) faced court for the third time in four months on Wednesday The court heard on Wednesday that after getting a second chance, Hassan moved to Bribie Island to live with her grandparents before returning to Brisbane eight months later, where she soon reconnected with old friends from the drug scene. 'She relapsed into drug use and has committed a lot of offences, and also her driving record is very concerning,' Justice Burns said. 'I thought she had demonstrated a commitment to change...so it's very disappointing to see. 'The courts have done enough to try to help her, she needs to help herself.' Justice Burns activated the remaining time of Hassan's suspended sentence from 2020. Teneil Lee Hassan (pictured) was described by the judge as a one-woman crime wave and a danger to community Hassan is eligible to apply for parole but could spend another two-and-a-half years behind bars. Her lawyer Penny White told the court Hassan is currently in women's correctional facility Numinbah Prison, where she's striving towards getting her life back on track. Hassan has spent her time in jail completing courses in staying-drug free, renting a house, retail and avoiding drug relapse. The court also heard Hassan plans to move to the Sunshine Coast to live with her mother when she's released from jail. Police called to St Brigid's Crescent in Vauxhall, Liverpool, at 4.25pm on Monday The body of a woman who was mauled to death in a dog attack by five American bulldogs was found after she did not arrive to collect her grandson from school, neighbours say. Grandmother Ann Dunn, 65, who friends said was a 'lovely, happy woman', was killed on Monday at her home in St Brigid's Crescent in Vauxhall, Liverpool. One resident said that Ms Dunn was getting ready to pick up her grandson from school and the alarm was raised with her family when she failed to pick him up. The neighbour, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the Mirror: 'She was meant to be picking up her grandson from school and it was only when the school got in touch with his mum to say [he] was still there and no one had come for him that they realised something was wrong.' 'She had gone in to put her bags down and the dogs attacked her, she tried to shut the door but she fell.' Ann Dunn, 65, has been named locally as the woman who died in a dog attack in Liverpool The grandmother, 65 , died at her home in Vauxhall, Liverpool on Monday afternoon Five American bulldogs were found in the home where Ms Dunn was killed. They were removed from the property and 'humanely destroyed'. Today Merseyside Police said a 31-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control has been released on conditional bail. Yesterday it was found that a dog breeder ran a business selling American Bullys from the house where Ms Dunn died. Pictures on the business' website Leo's Bullys, which is registered to the address where Ms Dunn was found, show numerous dogs being advertised for sale, with quotes available on request. Ann Dunn's neighbours have paid tribute to the 'lovely, happy lady who was always very friendly' following her death It comes as her neighbours paid tribute to the lovely, happy lady who was always very friendly. Resident Kathleen Ladd, 72, said: 'I've known her family for many years because her husband's mother knew my mother's friend. 'She was a lovely, happy lady who was always very friendly. She enjoyed her life. 'This has come as terrible shock because she was a good friend. 'But I didn't even know she had any dogs.' A cordon was set up from Vauxhall Road to as far as Alderney Road on Monday following the dog attack Police have been at the scene since around 4.25pm on Monday when they were called to reports of a dog attack Another resident said Ms Dunn had lived on the crescent for more than 30 years. 'As far as I know she lived there with her husband and two children. 'She was a friendly lady and would always stop and chat.' One woman, who didn't wish to be named, said: 'I've seen all breeds of dog being exercised on the grass over the road. 'And I've also heard dogs barking now and again. 'But I don't know if any of them were kept at the house.' At around 4.25pm on Monday, police were called to a property on St Brigid's Crescent in Vauxhall, Liverpool, where Ann Dunn, 65, was attacked A police cordon remains in place at the red brick mews property, with two PCSOs standing guard, and a green tarpaulin covering the front door. Ms Wainwight, 65, a friend of Ann Dunn, lives a few doors up from where the dog attack happened. She said her late neighbour worked as a cleaner at John Moores University, in Liverpool. Ms Wainwright, who has a one-year-old Bichon Frise called Smudge, said: 'Ann was such an inoffensive person. 'Hard working, she would leave for work at the university at 6am every morning. 'I'm in total shock. I could not sleep last night, think about poor Ann. Officers appear to be grouped around a side street of houses. Forensic officers are also at the scene 'Ann was such a nice person, it is such an awful thing to happen. 'I heard the dogs howling and barking yesterday afternoon. It must have been the time they were attacking Ann.' A Merseyside Police spokesman said: 'Five American bulldogs, which were inside the property, were handed over and have since been humanely destroyed.' Police were called to the house on St Brigid's Crescent by the North West Ambulance Service at 4.25pm. A post-mortem will be carried out to establish the cause of death, the force said. Detective Inspector Katie Coote said: 'This is clearly a very distressing incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the lady who died. 'Our enquiries remain ongoing as we seek to establish what has happened and I would urge anyone who could assist our enquiries to get in touch.' Anyone with information is asked to DM @MerPolCC or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000731247. Advertisement The mother of an eco-warrior who interrupted Liz Truss's Conservative Party Conference speech today - her first as Prime Minister - has said she is 'very proud' of her daughter who did an 'incredible job.' Julie Aitcheson, 64, described daughter Ami McCarthy as 'very outspoken' but said she was only standing up for what she and many others believe in. Ms McCarthy, a policy officer for Greenpeace, heckled the PM as she addressed Tory members at the party's annual conference in Birmingham this afternoon. She challenged Ms Truss over her U-turn on the ban on fracking, a controversial technique of recovering gas and oil from shale rock, which the previous PM Boris Johnson had outlawed. Joined by Greenpeace's head of public affairs, Rebecca Newsom, Ms McCarthy unfurled a banner midway through the speech as Ms McCarthy shouted: 'Who voted for fracking?' The former University of London graduate, who also worked as a Parliamentary assistant for an MP for a more than a year, was forcibly ejected by security as they snatched her lanyard from her neck. Ms Newsom was also thrown out as braying Tory members cheered on. But speaking at her cottage in a little village ten miles from Lancaster, Ms Aitcheson said what her daughter did was 'amazing'. She told MailOnline: 'She's very outspoken but I think she's doing an incredible job and did exactly what she set out to do today in standing up for what she believes in and for what loads of people believe in. 'I think she's very brave for doing it at the conference in front of the Prime Minister and all those people. 'The Tories surrounding her in the audience were horrible to her, shouting at her, booing and grabbing her lanyard and she was then forcibly ejected from the conference by security. Ani McCarthy is based in London and works a full-time political campaigner for Greenpeace The campaign group's head of public affairs Rebecca Newsom (left) and policy officer Ami McCarthy unveiled the banner midway through the Prime Minister's speech in Birmingham One of the security staff was seen grabbing Ms McCarthy's lanyard (circled in red) 'I was very worried about her when I saw that but she sent me a text saying "All ok" so that was a relief. She interrupted a speech, she did nothing wrong in the eyes of the law and so won't be prosecuted for any crime.' Ms Aitcheson said her daughter had arrived at the Tory party conference, at the International Convention Centre in the centre of Birmingham, on Sunday but waited four days until Ms Truss' maiden speech as Prime Minister. She said: 'I'm very proud of Ami. I didn't know what she was going to do, the first I knew that she had heckled Liz Truss was when it was reported in the news. 'But I knew she was up to something because I knew she was at the Tory party conference and why else would she be there? She and her colleague Rebecca obviously had questions they wanted answers to. 'Ami had in fact been at the conference since the weekend and had listened through it all waiting for that big moment when the Prime Minister started speaking to make her protest. 'Fracking is a serious issue, everybody is worried about it and it was part of the Conservative Party manifesto under Boris Johnson to stop it but Liz Truss has gone back on that and that's what they were protesting against - nobody voted for it, they voted for the ban that Boris Johnson brought in.' Ms McCarthy is no stranger to controversy. Two years ago she mounted an attack on British foreign policy and suggested the British Army had 'ruin[ed] most of the world'. Posting on Facebook in August 2020 she wrote: 'Always find it fascinating that it's often the same people who support the British Army going overseas to ruin most of the world, that have the biggest problem with asylum seekers and immigration. 'We ruined everything and killed civilians all over the place- men, women and children. We support illegal wars and repressive regimes, we sell weapons to dictators to kill their own people. Of course people are going to look for somewhere else to be safe.' In another Facebook post, two months earlier, she discussed a Black Lives Matter protest in London in which a mounted policewoman suffered a broken collar bone, broken ribs and a collapsed lung on being flung violently into traffic lights outside Downing Street after a protester hurled a bike and other missiles at her horse. Commenting on the incident, Ms McCarthy wrote: 'That policewoman who fell off her horse yesterday rode straight into a traffic light when they started charging at protestors totally out of the blue. Her pain from knocking herself off her horse, does not eclipse the pain of the people protesting.' According to Ms McCarthy's LinkedIn profile, she was a parliamentary assistant between September 2017 and July 2018 before then becoming a policy adviser in July 2018 - a position she remained in for four months. Her Facebook features long statuses in which she comments on the events of the day. In one post on August 11, 2020, she mounted an attack on British foreign policy and suggested the British Army had 'ruin[ed] most of the world'. 'Always find it fascinating that it's often the same people who support the British Army going overseas to ruin most of the world, that have the biggest problem with asylum seekers and immigration,' she wrote. 'We ruined everything and killed civilians all over the place- men, women and children. We support illegal wars and repressive regimes, we sell weapons to dictators to kill their own people. Of course people are going to look for somewhere else to be safe.' In another post in June 2020, she complained about how Black Lives Matter protests in London had been perceived. The day before, a mounted policewoman had suffered a broken collar bone, broken ribs and a collapsed lung after she was flung violently into traffic lights outside Downing Street after a protester hurled a bike and other missiles at her horse. Commenting on the incident, Ms McCarthy wrote: 'That policewoman who fell off her horse yesterday rode straight into a traffic light when they started charging at protestors totally out of the blue. Her pain from knocking herself off her horse, does not eclipse the pain of the people protesting.' Greenpeace gloated about their protest in a tweet shared this afternoon. 'Well done team,' it began Following today's disruption, Ms Truss could be heard telling security: 'Let's get them removed', as boos erupted from the audience. After around 30 seconds, security guards bundled the pair out of the conference hall, with one seen grabbing Ms McCarthy's lanyard. Ms Truss tried to make a joke of the protest as she continued with her speech, telling party members at the conference: 'Now, later on in my speech, my friends, I am going to talk about the anti-growth coalition but I think they arrived in the hall a bit too early.' According to her LinkedIn account, Ms McCarthy quit her job in the Commons to join homeless charity Shelter in October 2018, working as a public affairs officer before being promoted to the role senior public affairs officer in September 2019. She joined Greenpeace in March of this year. As well as speaking out about environmental issues, Ms McCarthy has also been vocal about Brexit and gay rights, condemning attacks on people from the LGBTQ community. Ms McCarthy's latest protest in Birmingham came after the new PM infuriated green activists by lifting a moratorium on fracking in place under Boris Johnson, along with backing new North Sea oil and gas extraction. Her fellow protester, Rebecca Newsom, is a Durham University graduate who worked in public relations before completing a Master's in Environment, Politics and Development at SOAS. In an online profile on the SOAS website, Ms Newsom said she 'hadn't quite found my passion' in her PR work and 'knew I wanted to work in the field of environmental politics'. She said her work at Greenpeace involved 'devising and leading on strategies to influence politicians across different UK political parties to promote action in the areas of energy, ocean protection and air pollution'. She also also sits on the board of the UK Energy Research Centre, an independent body that carries out research into low-carbon energy production. The University of London graduate previously worked in the Commons as a parliamentary assistant In a press release today, Greenpeace accused Ms Truss of 'shredding' her party's 2019 manifesto promises' around nature and the environment. The group cited a recent YouGov survey which found that 81 per cent of UK adults believe nature is under threat. Rebecca Newsom, Greenpeace UK's head of public affairs, said: 'Who voted for this? In a healthy democracy, people should get the government programme they voted for, but Liz Truss is putting most of it through the shredder. 'People voted for strong action on climate, a fracking moratorium, world-leading environmental protections, and tackling poverty and inequality. 'What they're getting instead is fracking, a potential bonfire of rules on wildlife and nature protection, and now the prospect of benefit cuts.' Ms Newsom, speaking to reporters after being thrown out of the speech, said: 'This year we really felt we needed to make an intervention because nobody actually voted for a lot of what Liz Truss and her Government are trying to do at the moment. 'Nobody voted for fracking, nobody voted to cut benefits, nobody voted to trash nature, nobody voted to scrap workers' rights. 'There's a whole host of things that the Conservative Government were elected to do in 2019 that they are simply not doing and we needed to take that message and represent the public and actually push for Liz Truss to remain true to what the public has actually asked her and her Government to do.' Both protesters said they were 'hopeful' that the Government would remain committed to net zero, but that its policy was currently heading in the wrong direction. Ms McCarthy said: 'With policies like the ones she's suggesting, a focus on fracking, a focus on North Sea oil and gas, it's absolutely not the right direction.' Ms McCarthy shouted 'who voted for fracking' as a security guard tried to pull away her banner From the stage, Ms Truss could be heard telling security 'Let's get them removed' as boos erupted from the audience Today Ms Truss' allies praised the way she had handled the protests. Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told the BBC's World At One: 'The thing hecklers never realise is they actually help a speaker, rather than harm because the speaker commands the floor. I thought the Prime Minister dealt with it with humour and charm.' Tory MP Anna Firth told GB News: 'She dealt with the protestors very well and showed that she can think on her feet. 'The Prime Minister dealt with it brilliantly and it energised everybody - everyone in that hall was 100 per cent behind the Prime Minister. Everybody has a right to protest but there's a time and a place.' Earlier this week, Jacob Rees-Mogg dismissed the idea of local referendums to gauge support to allow fracking to go ahead, as the Energy Secretary backed drilling in his garden. The Cabinet minister said he would be 'delighted' for shale gas extraction to start in his Somerset country estate despite critics raising concerns about earthquakes. Ms Truss has angered some Conservative MPs and broken a Tory manifesto promise by removing the moratorium put in place in England to prevent tremors. The Prime Minister has vowed to only approve fracking in areas where it is backed by surrounding communities but has so far not set out any details. Mr Rees-Mogg, who is also Business Secretary, dismissed the idea of referendums to approve drilling and onshore windfarms, another controversial topic among Conservatives. After around 30 seconds, security guards bundled the pair out of the conference hall Ms Truss has lifted a moratorium on fracking in place under Boris Johnson and backed new North Sea oil and gas extraction - infuriating green activists In a press release today, Greenpeace accused Ms Truss of 'shredding' her party's 2019 manifesto promises' around nature and the environment Giving his thoughts at the Tory conference, he said companies could 'go around door to door, as politicians do in elections' to gauge support. 'Then they have to go around to an identifiable community and if they get 50% plus one in favour then they should be able to go ahead,' he told a Telegraph event. 'It's early days, early discussions as to how it could be done. I don't think local referendums are necessarily the right idea, turnout in local referendums could be very low so how much real validity would that give you as to consent.' To curry favour among residents, he said compensation should be paid to those disrupted by building works and then royalties for the community. 'I think people who are disturbed by the building works ought to get some compensation for that and that should be a payment to them,' he said. 'And then you should have a royalty for people where the shale gas comes from.' Mr Rees-Mogg, whose residence is the 17th-century Gournay Court in the parish of West Harptree, was enthusiastic about welcoming fracking on his land. 'Yes, of course I would. I would be delighted, particularly if I get these royalties,' he said. Mr Rees-Mogg said it is 'the socialists' and Green MP Caroline Lucas who oppose fracking, adding: 'Well that makes my heart bleed.' Today, Ms Truss shrugged off the protests and vowed to create a 'new era' for Britain. After a gathering in Birmingham blighted by splits over tax rates and benefits, the PM said she is determined to take the country through the 'tempest' of the global economic crisis after Covid and the war in Ukraine. Pointing to her energy bills bailout and tax cuts since entering No10, Ms Truss insisted: 'I refused to consign our great country to decline.' Rebecca Newsom, Greenpeace UK's head of public affairs, said: 'Who voted for this? In a healthy democracy, people should get the government programme they voted for, but Liz Truss is putting most of it through the shredder' She said she had three priorities for the economy - 'growth growth and growth'. 'Growth means more money in people's pockets,' she said. In a highly personal appeal, she said she had 'fought' to be where she is - relating how she went to a comprehensive school and was once given a junior hostess badge while her brothers received a junior pilot badge. Having walked on to stage to Moving on Up by M People and watched by husband Hugh, Ms Truss was only a few minutes into her speech when protests erupted in the hall. Delivering a true-blue Tory message, Ms Truss said she 'loved' business and enterprise. 'I'm not going to tell you what to do, or what to think or how to live your life,' she said. 'I'm not interested in how many two-for-one offers you buy at the supermarket, how you spend your spare time or in virtue signalling. 'I'm not interested in just talking about things, but in actually doing things.' She added: 'What I'm interested in is the hopes and fears that you feel every day. Can you get a good job locally? Is it safe to walk down the high street late at night? Can you get a doctor's appointment? 'I know how you feel because I have the same hopes and fears. I want what you want.' She went on: 'I believe that you know best how to spend your own money... that is what Conservatism is about.' Ms Truss received a standing ovation after the protesters were removed from the hall Emergency services rushed to Heathrow this morning as a female passenger died after suffering a mid-air cardiac arrest. The London Ambulance Service were called to Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 and boarded the United Airlines flight UA880 from the US at 7.07am. Two cycle paramedics and an incident response officer recovered the body of a 51-year-old woman from the flight which departed from Houston. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: 'We were called at 6:33am today (5 October) to reports of a passenger having suffered a cardiac arrest onboard a flight due to arrive at Heathrow Airport Terminal 2. 'We sent two cycle paramedics and an incident response officer. Sadly, a woman was pronounced dead at the scene.' Police were called to the Greater London airport and boarded the United Airlines flight UA880 from the US to UK on arrival at Terminal 2 at 7.07am (stock image) The Metropolitan Police said: 'Police were called at 06:42hrs on Wednesday, 5 October following reports that a 51-year-old woman had died on a flight arriving into Terminal 2 at Heathrow from the United States. 'Officers attended. The womans death was unexpected, it has been investigated and is not suspicious. Her next of kin are aware and a file will be prepared for the coroner.' A United Airlines spokesperson said: 'A customer onboard United flight 880 today, from Houston to London Heathrow, experienced a medical emergency onboard. 'Medical personnel met the aircraft on arrival at London Heathrow. We extend our deepest condolences to the customers family and loved ones.' A Royal Navy engineer has denied sexually assaulting a male colleague and told a court martial they could not have done it because they are 'demisexual'. Able Seaman Triss Smythe is accused of 'grinding' against the bottom of the alleged victim and kissing his neck, making him feel 'violated and humiliated'. However, AB Smythe told the hearing they were innocent, as being demisexual means they need to form a strong emotional bond with anyone before they could even begin to think about sexual contact. AB Smythe, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, claimed they struggled to even kiss their female fiancee passionately at first, 'let alone a colleague'. The 23-year-old insisted the way they wrapped their arms around the fellow sailor and kissed him in an aircraft hanger was purely 'platonic'. Able Seaman Triss Smythe (pictured) has denied sexually assaulting a fellow sailor, claiming he could not have done because he is demisexual. Demisexual is a term used to describe someone who does not feel sexual attraction until a deep emotional bond is formed They also claimed at Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire that the colleague kissed them in a similar way just a week before the incident. AB Smythe, who was known to use the phrase 'I'm here and I'm queer' around the workplace, denies one count of sexual assault of non-consensual touching and claims the kiss was simply a 'peck'. The court previously heard AB Smythe left the alleged victim feeling 'violated and humiliated' by putting their arms over his shoulders and 'grinding' up against him, before kissing him. Both sailors had been wearing 'paper thin' summer overalls at the time and the claimant told the trial the kiss went on for 'what felt like a lifetime'. The military court heard AB Smythe, an Air Engineering Technician, 'circled' around the back of colleagues in a helicopter hanger at Royal Navy Air Station Yeovilton, Somerset. However, giving evidence, AB Smythe said being demisexual meant the kiss could not have been of a sexual nature. Demisexual is a term used to describe a person who feels no sexual attraction until they have formed a deep emotional connection with someone. On their sexuality, AB Smythe told the court: 'It's not something I scream from the rooftops. 'I've always understood how difficult [coming out] is to do. It is hard, I've had to do that myself. 'I am demisexual - with emotional requirements. It is on the asexual spectrum.' When challenged on the possibility that they was using their sexuality as a cover, the sailor replied: 'I don't use it as a cover. 'The fact is I'm demisexual - sexual urge isn't something that comes easily with my own fiancee, let alone a colleague.' The court heard that AB Smythe had been 'out' as demisexual for 'roughly two years'. The trial is taking place at Bulford Military Court (pictured) in Wiltshire, where AB Smythe is standing accused of sexual assault by non-consensual touching The defendant said that it took three months before they started feeling sexual towards their now-fiancee, adding: 'I have nothing other than professional and platonic feeling for [the alleged victim].' The seaman told the court that the claimant had spoken to him in a 'very personal' conversation the week before. They said: 'After the conversation, he came and threw his arms around me in a meaningful hug with a lot of emotion involved and very important that this hug happened. 'He then went on to place a kiss on my cheek - how you would kiss a family member you care about. 'Intense, emotional, platonic kiss.' AB Smythe told the court he had not considered that kiss sexual either. They said: 'I very much viewed it as a friend expressing what they couldn't quite do in words. I had no impression of a sexual subtext.' However, the claimant said this event never took place. On the alleged sexual assault, AB Smythe said: 'I walked alongside the aircraft. AB Smythe (pictured), 23, claimed the kiss he gave his colleague was 'platonic' and simply a 'peck' 'At this point, [the claimant] had clearly stopped working, I thought it's a good time to quickly go over and say hi. 'Because of the events of [the week before] I wanted him to know that that display of platonic affection was nothing for him to be worried about and hadn't changed our relationship. 'I came up behind him and threw my arms over his shoulders and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.' AB Smythe denied taking his colleague in a tight grip, adding: 'I gave him a quick peck on the cheek.' When asked if it was slobbery, the engineer replied: 'No, it was meant to be a very quick split second type of thing. I have no reason to lick him. I don't find him sexually attractive.' On the allegation that they pressed their penis up against the complainant's bottom, AB Smythe said: 'The closest thing to his centre line would have been my right hip.' The 23-year-old added: 'It wouldn't have been able to be my penis, through overalls, personal clothing system (PCS) and my boxers, and the same on him - it's a bit of a stretch in my opinion.' The able seaman said the contact was 'not in the slightest' bit sexual and that he had 'no reason to thrust into him', insisting the kiss was 'purely platonic, a between friends type of kiss'. When told they had no right to kiss a colleague in the workplace like that, AB Smythe said: 'I had the right to kiss him platonically in the same way he did to me.' The trial continues. He said FBI suppression of the laptop story made the difference in 2020 election Hunter Biden's former business partner has claimed the FBI ignored his damning evidence about the Biden family's potential crimes and 'altered history' by suppressing the laptop just weeks before the 2020 election. Tony Bobulinski told Fox News the FBI was 'well aware' that Hunter's laptop and phones contained 'hundreds of thousands of emails and text messages' exposing shady business dealings between Biden family members and a Chinese energy conglomerate known to Joe Biden. The Navy veteran says FBI agent Timothy Thibault was tasked with 'running point' in looking into his allegations - but he never followed up - and claims Joe Biden's brother Jim called him in the middle of an interview. He also called a 2018 voicemail, obtained by DailyMail.com, proving Joe was aware of one of Hunter's business deals 'staggering' and slammed the FBI for pushing Facebook to quash reports before millions of Americans went to the ballot box. 'Joe Biden was adamant to the American people that he had no knowledge of his family's business deals,' Bobulinski told Tucker Carlson. 'How, if he had zero knowledge of that, could he be telling his son that he's in the clear on an article?' 'There are hundreds of data points that Joe Biden was acting in in a capitalistic term, I would say the chairman,' he added. Biden had been playing the role of 'chairman' in the deals for 'decades, Bobulinski added. Navy veteran Tony Bobulinski alleged the FBI change the course of the election by supressing the Hunter Biden laptop story in conjunction with social media giants President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden leave Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, S.C., after attending a Mass, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022 Tony Bobulinski, who describes himself as Hunter Biden's former business partner, said the FBI warned Facebook to look out for a 'dump' of information pertaining to the laptop story. Facebook execs later limited the story's reach Bobulinski said at the end of a five-hour interview with the FBI, his lawyers were told that agent Timothy Thibault would be 'taking point' on the investigation and promised a follow-up meeting. But Bobulinski and his lawyers never heard from Thibault again. Thibault has since resigned from the bureau amid allegations of bias and claims bureau staffers were told not to look into the laptop. Republicans also criticized Thibault for his anti-Trump social media posts. His lawyers have insisted he did not supervise the Hunter investigation. In the middle of his interview with the FBI on October 23, Bobulinski claims Biden's brother Jim called him and the agents in the room got out of their chairs and left. Bobulinski said the suppression of the story caused Donald Trump to lose the election, given that he narrowly lost out on Wisconsin, Georgia, and Arizona by mere tens of thousands of votes. 'The difference between President Trump and Joe Biden was 43,000 votes. If half of those people, 21,500 had voted for President Trump instead of Biden, President Trump would still be in the White House,' he told Carlson. 'You can call it rigged. You can call it stolen. You could call it suppressed. The American people can call it whatever they want. But the fact pattern is the FBI alone altered history in that election,' he said. Bobulinski's claims come months after DailyMail.com obtained a voicemail proving that President Biden spoke with Hunter about his business dealings with a Chinese criminal his son dubbed the 'spy chief of China'. Hunter Biden had the potential to make a seismic impact on the 2020 election when the New York Post first reported on the contents of laptop hard drive that appear to have belonged to the 52-year-old. Aside from lewd images depicting sex acts and drug use, the laptop also revealed a treasure trove of emails that appear to show Hunter Biden attempting to coordinate meetings with his father and his various foreign business associates. Earlier this year, a senior FBI agent suddenly resigned his post and is now at the center of an escalating scandal after whistleblowers accused him of improper conduct during the investigation into the laptop's contents. FBI agent Timothy Thibault resigned from the bureau in August amid claims he allowed his political bias to influence the Hunter Biden laptop investigation As one of 13 special agents tasked with investigating the computer contents, Timothy Thibault is alleged to have miscategorized damaging evidence as 'disinformation' and attempted to 'close a stream' of derogatory information in the lead up to the 2020 elections. The agent was also singled out by Senate Judiciary ranking member Chuck Grassley, who on July 18 penned a letter to Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland imploring the pair to act on allegations of political bias influencing agency operations. Meanwhile, Meta and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg last month made reference to the 'dump' of information concerning the Hunter Biden laptop to which Bobulinski alluded in his FOX interview on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. 'The FBI came to us, some folks on our team and was like, ''hey, just so you know you should be on high alert... we have it on notice that there's about to be some kind of dump that similar to [alleged Russian propaganda] in the 2016 election', so just be vigilant.' Aside from lewd images depicting sex acts and drug use, Hunter Biden's laptop also revealed a treasure trove of emails that appear to show Hunter Biden (R) attempting to coordinate meetings with his father Joe Biden (L) and his various foreign business associates Joe Biden called Hunter in December 2018 saying he wanted to talk to him about a New York Times story on Hunter's dealings with the Chinese oil giant CEFC The president has repeatedly denied personally and through his press secretary that he ever talked about Hunter's foreign business with his Hunter despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But a voicemail left on Hunter's iPhone revealed in July by DailyMail.com proves the president was aware of his son's shady dealings. Joe called Hunter on December 12, 2018 saying that he wanted to talk to him after reading a New York Times story about Hunter's dealings with the Chinese oil giant CEFC. Files on Hunter's abandoned laptop previously disclosed by DailyMail.com showed he struck a deal with the Chinese company worth millions of dollars after touting his family connections. The Times' 2018 story pointed out CEFC's chairman Ye Jianming had been arrested in China and his top lieutenant Patrick Ho had been convicted in the US for bribing African officials to help Iran evade oil sanctions. It revealed that Ye had met with Hunter at a Miami hotel in 2017 to discuss 'a partnership to invest in American infrastructure and energy deals.' After seeing the story online, Joe called Hunter and left a voicemail: 'Hey pal, it's Dad. It's 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance just give me a call. Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk to you,' he said. 'I thought the article released online, it's going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you're clear. And anyway if you get a chance give me a call, I love you.' The message - obtained via a backup of the phone on Hunter Biden's laptop - in the face of the president's repeated denials that he ever discussed Hunter's overseas business dealings with his son. This is the incredible moment an Italian helicopter pilot came inches from death after veering towards a rocky mountain - before regaining control at the last second. The astonishing footage was captured in Merano during a training exercise for the Alpini, Italy's specialist Alpine army. The AB-205 chopper, from the 4th Army Aviation Regiment 'Altair', was taking part in a joint international exercise in South Tyrol when it came into trouble. An Italian helicopter pilot came inches from death after veering towards a rocky mountain before regaining control at the last second The AB-205 chopper, from the 4th Army Aviation Regiment 'Altair', was taking part in a joint international exercise The wind direction at the high altitude started to cause the helicopter to start rotating to the right when it was attempting to make a landing on Monday. But when the pilot tried to correct it by turning left, the helicopter continued to spin out of control in the skies as it hurtled towards the rocks. David Cenciotti, an aviation expert, said: 'If this happens as the chopper is still in the air, then you just need to let it go until it stops. 'The difference is that in this case the helicopter had already touched down and the risk of crashing is pretty evident.' The wind direction at the high altitude started to cause the helicopter to start rotating to the right when it was attempting to make a landing on Monday At one point, the helicopter was up on its end with the nose pointing towards the rocky edge. But at the final second, the pilot regained control and lifted the helicopter out of danger. The craft was returned to Bolzano airport with some damage to one of its blades. Cenciotti said a fellow pilot considered the video 'the proof of a miracle'. Moments after speaking to police, Peter Koenig was fuming over questions about Bruce Saunders' woodchipper death, a court has heard. 'I'm not f***ing happy with someone. Someone's a liar,' Koenig allegedly texted Sharon Graham. Gregory Lee Roser, 63, is on trial for murder after Mr Saunders died while working on a property north of Brisbane in November 2017. Sharon Graham can be heard discussing a text Koenig sent her with Gregory Lee Roser who had spoken earlier with police The Crown alleges Sharon Graham (pictured) asked her lovers Roser and Koenig to kill her ex-partner Mr Saunders and make it look like an accident in a bid to claim his $750,000 life insurance The Crown alleges Graham asked her lovers Roser and Koenig to kill her ex-partner Mr Saunders and make it look like an accident in a bid to claim his $750,000 life insurance. Footage has been shown to a Brisbane Supreme Court jury of Mr Saunders' legs protruding from the chipper at the Goomboorian property near Gympie after clearing trees with Roser and Koenig. The moment Graham received the text from Koenig after he spoke with police in February 2018 was captured among hours of police audio played in court on Wednesday. Koenig sent the message from Gympie police station before the hour drive to Nambour to meet Roser and Graham, the court heard. Peter Koenig (pictured) sent the text message from Gympie police station before the hour drive to Nambour to meet Roser and Graham, the court heard While Koenig was behind the wheel, Graham can be heard discussing his text with Roser who had spoken earlier with police. 'He's absolutely shaken up,' Graham said in police audio recorded from listening devices in her Nambour residence. 'They (police) have got him angry. 'They have tried to get him to spit out some truth ... they have revved him up - I bet you any f***ing money.' She then wonders if police have 'twisted around' Roser's words about Mr Saunders' death in a bid to break Koenig. 'You could have have had a slip of the tongue on something that may not have meant anything to you but they have used it,' she said to Roser. 'They know that they can't break you but they know that they can break Peter ... because he is the quiet one.' Roser assures Graham (pictured, together) in the tapped audio that he didn't 'dob' in Koenig during his police interview Roser assures Graham that he didn't 'dob' in Koenig during his police interview. 'They are trying to turn Peter and I against each other. I never said a thing wrong,' he said. Graham claims that their phones are tapped before telling Roser to speak to Koenig in a car outside when he arrives at the Nambour residence and write down what he told police 'word for word'. Graham later tells Roser: 'Thank God you've got a lawyer, that's all I can say.' Audio of Roser discussing his January 2018 police interview with Graham just hours after speaking to officers was earlier played to the jury. Roser told police Mr Saunders' death was a terrible accident and that he tried to save him, claiming his friend had been reckless around the machine but did not heed warnings. Graham (pictured, next to her ex-partner Bruce Saunders, who was allegedly murdered on a Brisbane property in 2017) has pleaded not guilty to murder 'I didn't panic,' Roser told Graham. 'How dare they insinuate that I killed the guy, that's terrible. It made me feel really bad.' Roser's barrister has already told the jury that everything his client told police were lies. Lars Falcongreen said Roser didn't dispute that Mr Saunders was murdered or that his client 'shamelessly' helped dispose of the body. However, Mr Falcongreen said it was Koenig who was procured by Graham and was responsible for the murder. Koenig pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder this year. Roser and Graham have pleaded not guilty to murder. Graham has successfully applied for a separate trial. Roser's trial before Justice Martin Burns continues. President Yoon Suk-yeol, left, listens to a young farmer in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. Yonhap Joe Biden will fly to Florida to meet with Ron DeSantis as Florida continues to recover from the damage left behind by Hurricane Ian, including at least 100 dead but no one is expecting the face-to-face to be a warm affair. Joining Biden in Florida on Wednesday are two of his most prominent Republican critics: Republican Governor DeSantis and Senator Rick Scott. DeSantis will give Biden a briefing with state and local officials on the storm response after the president surveys the hurricane's destruction in Fort Myers via helicopter on Wednesday. Biden plans to focus on the victims of Hurricane Ian and not politics, despite all eyes turning to the Sunshine State for a potential clash between the Democratic president and GOP governor. 'There will be plenty of time, plenty of time, to discuss differences between the president and the governor - but now is not the time,' White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during her Tuesday briefing. She told reporters: 'When it comes to delivering and making sure that the people of Florida have what they need, especially after Hurricane Ian, we are one. We are working as one.' As of Tuesday, 109 people were reported dead from the hurricane. Around 318,000 homes and businesses are still without power as of Wednesday morning almost a full week after Hurricane Ian had landfall in Florida. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave to guests as they depart the White House to travel to Florida to survey the damage from Hurricane Ian and meet with local and state officials Biden will meet with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis face-to-face on Wednesday as he sees the carnage from the storm that left at least 100 dead The meeting will likely be apolitical, and is the first time the rivals are meeting in-person after several phone calls related to the category 4 hurricane ravaging the state last week. Pictured: Governor DeSantis and his wife Casey (left) provide an update on the ongoing efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Tuesday, October 4 It's neither in Biden or DeSantis' interest to make the meeting anything other than apolitical at this point. Biden has already spoken with DeSantis over the phone several times, but this will be the first in-person meeting between the opposing duo. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell will join Biden for the trip. The president announced Wednesday that the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs incurred by 'debris removal and emergency protective measures' in Florida for 60 days after the day of the initial incident. This is an extension of the previous 30-day assistance period announced last month when the hurricane hit. DeSantis has emerged as a potential alternative GOP presidential candidate in 2024 as more and more moderate Republican voters turn away from the ultra-MAGA ideals. While President Biden hasn't made any official announcement, he has repeated that he has every intention of running for reelection. The first couple departs the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews, where they will fly to Fort Myers, Florida where they president will survey the damage from the hurricane by helicopter Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power nearly a week after the hurricane made landfall in Florida. A search a rescue team member looks through the carnage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims Restaurants, shops and other businesses were destroyed in the hurricane on Fort Myers Beach, Florida During Biden's trip to Florida, he will pledge more support to help the state recover from the category four hurricane. The storm caused an estimated $60 billion in damage and thousands were left homeless. The storm knocked out power to more than 4 million homes and businesses in Florida and over 1.1 million in North and South Carolina. Partisanship when it comes to federal aid for states has broken down in recent years between the White House and governors of the opposing party. Barack Obama gave handshake-hugs to Republican Governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Charlie Crist of Florida, who also had their states ravaged by natural disasters at the time. The hug damaged Christie's career in Republican politics and killed Crist's, who is now a Democrat running against DeSantis in 2022. Bipartisanship has broken down in recent years between the White House and governors of opposing parties. Barack Obama hugged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during a visit to his state to survey storm damage (left), which damaged his career. And a hug with then Florida Governor Charlie Crist (right), which ruined his future in GOP politics and he is now running against DeSantis as a Democrat DeSantis, whose style of politics focuses on attacking far-left policies, doesn't have to worry about Biden's visit ruining his GOP clout and popularity. While he will embrace federal aid for Florida, it's unlikely there will be any literal embraces. The president and the governor, during their phone conversations, have complimented each other in a rare moment of bipartisanship in a highly divided time in U.S. politics especially with less than five weeks until the midterm elections. Mrs Braverman may grant anonymity to suspects before they are charged Victims' charities have condemned the Home Secretary's announcement that she is considering granting legal anonymity to suspects before they are charged with a crime. Suella Braverman believes that naming people who are suspected of a crime but have not been charged can lead to a 'media circus' and potentially jeopardise a fair trial. But charities like Victim Support said restricting the names of those being investigated by the police discourages other victims from coming forward with potentially new evidence - meaning 'more crimes could get missed'. Others are concerned over the potential rule change could impact the principal of open justice and be abused by the rich and powerful to hide behind the anonymity laws. Currently, there are no formalised laws banning the publication of identity of a person who has been arrested as part of a police investigation. Though a legal precedent was set in a High Court ruling in 2018 following Cliff Richard's privacy case win against the BBC - which meant those who publish the names of police suspects could one day be open to potential lawsuits. Diana Fawcett, chief executive of the charity Victim Support, told The Times: 'Naming suspected criminals can encourage more victims to come forward. Giving suspects anonymity would stop this from happening meaning more crimes could get missed.' Farah Nazeer, chief executive of Women's Aid, also told the paper that women fear they 'won't be taken seriously when coming forward' and that this change would 'make this process harder' and 'risk deterring more survivors from getting justice'. However the chief executive of the victim charity Safeline, Neil Henderson, was in favour of the proposed change and said that the measures would ensure suspects receive a 'fair trial'. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she believes naming suspects after they have been arrested can lead to a 'media circus' and potentially jeopardise a fair trial Diana Fawcett, chief executive of the charity Victim Support, (pictured) said she believes giving suspects anonymity would mean more crimes could get missed Mrs Braverman was asked about the case of former Conservative MP Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused of child abuse and has campaigned for suspects to be granted anonymity until charge. The Home Secretary said: 'We have had some high-profile cases where the media circus around the suspects has been devastating. 'I think coverage of people prior to charge can be very damaging, particularly if the charges are dropped. We do have to look at this issue. 'The police have to be able to carry out their investigation and the Crown Prosecution Service have to be able to make their decisions without pressure from the media. 'Individuals and suspects have a right to fair trial and trial by media will only undermine our justice system.' Jess Phillips, shadow home office minister, said: 'There are already measures in place to prevent irresponsible reporting. 'Victims' charities are strongly against blanket restrictions as it can make it harder to get other victims to come forward in cases where there are serial offenders and harder to get justice as a result.' Sir Cliff Richard (pictured), 81, and DJ Paul Gambaccini, 73, who were both falsely accused of historical sex offences but never charged, have campaigned for protection for individuals until formally charged by police Critics say that naming a suspect can lead to other victims, or witnesses, contacting police - allowing police and prosecutors to build a stronger case against the alleged offender. In the case of black cab rapist John Worboys, a large number of women came forward to make allegations against him after news emerged of his arrest. He was eventually convicted in 2009 for attacks on 12 women. Rolf Harris, 92, who was jailed for five years and nine months in 2014 after being convicted of 12 indecent assaults involving four victims, would have been protected from being identified under the proposal until he was charged. Anonymity would have also applied for Stuart Hall, 92, was jailed for 15 months in 2013 for indecently assaulting 13 girls. This sentence was later doubled. Although Sir Cliff Richard, 81, and DJ Paul Gambaccini, 73, who were both falsely accused of historical sex offences but never charged, have campaigned for protection for individuals until formally charged by police. The CofE published a new report which found 383 'new' cases of alleged abuse Leading Archbishops have apologised and spoken of their 'profound shame' after a review found hundreds of 'new' cases of alleged abuse by Church of England (CofE) officials, mostly against children and vulnerable adults. The CofE said independent reviewers assessed 75,000 files, some dating back to the 1940s, as it published the national Past Cases Review 2 (PCR2) on Wednesday. The report identified 383 'new' cases of alleged abuse, which included cases which had been dealt with previously but in a way which did not meet modern safeguarding standards. Of these cases, 168 related to children, 149 to vulnerable adults, and 27 cases were recorded as fitting both these categories. Data on the alleged perpetrators showed 242 cases related to clergy, with 53 regarding church officers and 41 volunteers whose roles included engaging with children. Archbishop of York Stephen Geoffrey Cottrell and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby have apologised for abuse by senior clergy exposed in a report published on Wednesday (Richard Heathcote/PA). The most common type of alleged abuse recorded was 'sexual', accounting for 181 cases, followed by 39 'emotional' abuse cases, 33 'physical', and 21 allegations of 'financial' abuse. Nine cases of 'domestic' abuse were also filed, and 81 cases were classed as 'other'. In a joint statement, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York apologised and said the findings illustrated the failings of the church's leadership. The Archbishops, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, said: 'It is always with great sadness and profound shame that we, again and again, come face-to-face with the brokenness and failings of our church in its day-to-day interactions and in its processes and leadership. 'There are no possible excuses, no rationalisations for our church's failure to share the love of God and value each and every person. 'PCR2 was our next step in extending our search for the truth and being satisfied that past abuses and the misery suffered by survivors, victims and their families was uncovered.' They added: 'We sincerely apologise for our failures and want to reach out to those who are still suffering from the pain and misery they endured.' The Archbishops extended their apology to relatives of survivors, admitting that 'we should have been better at listening and responding to survivors' and victims' concerns'. An anonymised survivor whose testimony formed a case in the report said they hoped PCR2 would not mark an end to the issue of safeguarding. They said: 'My hope and prayer is that any concluding report is not seen to bring a close to this issue. 'The scars on all victims will always remain and our lives have been permanently redirected. (Stock image pictured) One anonymised survivor of abuse by a CofE official whose testimony formed a case in the report said the `scars on all victims will always remain' 'Our church must, therefore, remain permanently open to respond to new revelations and new phases within older revelations. 'Unlike the work on some other focus groups, the agenda is never closed or concluded.' The report also cited cases as late as 2018 where clergy who had lost their jobs after being convicted of serious sexual offences were later re-elected due to a lack of formal procedure or DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks to prevent this. Commissioned by the Archbishops' Council, PCR2 has been described by the authors as the 'most extensive review of records ever conducted by the Church of England'. It was conducted by 65 reviewers from July 2019 to April 2022 as a follow-up to PCR1, which took place between 2007 and 2009 in response to several clergy being charged with sexual offences against children. The latest report lists 26 national recommendations, including establishing a charter to ensure the voices of children are heard. It also advises that a minimum standard of services and timescales for referrals is outlined by the National Safeguarding Team, which is an advisory department of the Archbishops' Council. For confidential support call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details. For confidential support for adults who suffered any type of abuse in childhood call NAPAC on 0808 801 0331, free from landlines and mobiles, or click here for details. Liz Truss's speech to the Tory faithful appeared to go down well with party members in the hall, who vented their fury at warring MPs afterwards. Trying to draw a line under days of damaging splits over tax rates and benefits, the PM told activists in Birmingham she is determined to take the country through the 'tempest' of the global economic crisis after Covid and the war in Ukraine. And she spelt out a starkly different vision from that espoused by Labour, promising her government will let people keep more of their earnings and stay out of their lives as much as possible. Liz Truss said in her keynote Tory conference speech: 'I know that we can do better and we must do better.' In a true-blue Tory message, Ms Truss said she 'loved' business and enterprise. 'I'm not going to tell you what to do, or what to think or how to live your life,' she said. 'I'm not interested in how many two-for-one offers you buy at the supermarket, how you spend your spare time or in virtue signalling. 'I'm not interested in just talking about things, but in actually doing things.' Ms Truss said that the abolition of the 45p rate had to be abandoned because it had become a 'distraction' from the government's wider agenda. In an apparent attempt to cool nerves on markets over borrowing to fund tax cuts, she said she believed in 'sound money'. 'I get it. And I have listened,' she said. But Ms Truss stressed that did not mean she was ditching her commitment to lower taxes. 'I believe in getting value for the taxpayer. I believe in sound money and a lean state. I remember my shock opening my first paycheck to see how much money the tax man had taken out,' she said. 'I know this feeling is replicated across the country.' Pointing to her energy bills bailout and tax cuts since entering No10, Ms Truss insisted that she was ready to help struggling families: 'I refused to consign our great country to decline.' She said she had three priorities for the economy - 'growth growth and growth'. 'Growth means more money in people's pockets,' she said. In a highly personal appeal, she said she had 'fought' to be where she is - relating how she went to a comprehensive school and was once given a junior hostess badge while her brothers received a junior pilot badge. Making what seemed to be an oblique jibe at critics on her own benches, Ms Truss said: 'I know how it feels to have your potential diminished by those who think they know better.' With many of her opponents either not coming to Birmingham in the first place or leaving early before her speech to avoid rail strikes, those who stayed to watch the speech were always likely to be mainly her supporters. Here are the views of some of those who watched the speech live in Birmingham: 'Dinosaurs MPs need to shut up or ship out' Councillor Onnalee Cubbitt and business Jonathan Kane Basingstoke Tory councillor Onnalee Cubbitt said the speech has been 'outstanding' and blasted MPs opposed to Ms Truss's plans. She told MailOnline that 'the dinosaurs need to shut up or ship out' as she left the hall with businessman Jonathan Kane, from London. Ms Cubitt blasted Michael Gove to his face on Sunday over his opposition to the PM's tax cutting plans. 'The speech was outstanding,' she said today. 'She was pitch-perfect and she spoke to the country. Her delivery was perfect. 'MPs need to understand the members chose her, she understands democracy. They should get behind her, the dinosaurs need to shut up or ship out.' Mr Kane, who runs his own business, added that he was 'delighted' by the speech. 'I'm pleased with what she wants to do. We need the economy to grow and employ more people and get rid of regulations. This allows our businesses to look ahead with great excitement.' 'She said all the right things, let's see if she does the right things' George, a party member from Lincolnshire, who is a student in Birmingham, enjoyed the speech but was slightly more circumspect. George, a party member from Lincolnshire, who is a student in Birmingham, enjoyed the speech but was slightly more circumspect. He told MailOnline: 'She said all the right things, let's see if she does the right things. 'The response in there was great.' 'It was great. I think when she ad libs she does it well' Patrice Marriott from Kensington in London also praised the speech and Ms Truss's delivery. Greenpeace activists staged a protest during the Prime Minister's conference speech on Wednesday, brandishing a flag reading 'who voted for this?'. Patrice Marriott from Kensington in London also praised the speech and Ms Truss's delivery. 'I liked the way that she put forward a number of her messages and what her expectations were. 'It was great. I think when she ad libs she does it well. I know she has a set piece and has a message to get across but all the adlibs were really on the nose.' Greenpeace activists staged a protest during the Prime Minister's conference speech on Wednesday, brandishing a flag reading 'who voted for this?'. The protesters, ejected from the hall shortly afterwards, interrupted Liz Truss's televised leader's speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham to protest plans that Greenpeace said nobody voted for. Ms Truss could be heard saying 'let's get them removed', before being roundly cheered and applauded by party members as the protesters were lead away. 'Everyone needs to give Liz Truss a chance' Mother and son councillors Mary and Michael Green came to conference from Lancashire. Mother and son councillors Mary and Michael Green came to conference from Lancashire. Mrs Green, who sits on South Ribble Council, told MailOnline: 'It was very good, very inspiring. I think everyone needs to give Liz Truss a chance.' Mr Green, who sits on South Ribble and Ribble Valley councils, added that the party needed to unite around Ms Truss. 'We have a prime minister in place who has set out a vision for the country: cutting taxes and regulations and standing up for the country, cutting immigration and protecting the NHS. 'This is not a visit you would have got at a Labour conference.' A New Zealand couple have woken up to the shock discovery of their car being broken into along with a heartbreaking note from the thief. The East Auckland residents insist they're not angry about finding another way to get to work due to a stolen car battery but wished the person responsible had knocked on the door and asked for help instead. The thief left a handwritten note inside the engine apologising for their actions and vowed to pay them back before stealing the car battery on Tuesday night. 'I'm so sorry I had to do this. When I am in a fortunate position I will put $200 in your wipers,' the note read. The couple posted a photo of the 'nice' note on social media, sparking a surprising community response. A thief in Auckland left this note on the engine of a couple's car before stealing the battery 'The thief actually left a nice note. Don't feel half as angry as I should but still have no way to get to work,' the woman wrote. She told the New Zealand Herald she would have given the thief some money had they knocked on the door. 'I personally felt a bit sorry that he was in such strife that he turned to crime. So I should have been angry - and probably would have been if he hadn't left the note,' she said. Her husband was just as sympathetic. 'It was an inconvenience but I thought this is there is someone who is absolutely desperate. The element of anger was taken away. Rather than it just being stolen they put the effort to leave a message,' he said. 'I feel for people at the moment who have to resort to petty crime.' He plans to leave the invoice for battery on the car window in case the thief was serious about intending to pay them back. The couple say they're not angry at the car thief who stole their car battery (stock photo) The couple have been inundated with online praise for their compassionate response. 'You're a nicer person than me. I don't care what your situation is, making life hard for another to improve yours is wrong! There are ALWAYS alternatives to stealing,' one person wrote. Another added: 'Lots of people have a sad story. Not all of them resort to stealing from others though. And there are so many jobs going at the moment, both skilled and unskilled, for people who actually want to work to earn a living.' A third wrote: 'I feel sorry for the victims hope they get some sorts of support from other families and friends, sometimes the unknown turns into a positive outcome.' The man said he would leave the invoice on his car window in the hope the thief will pay him back for the stolen battery (stock image) Some locals revealed they too had have their cars had been broken into and batteries stolen in recent months. Others weren't so sympathetic as the victims. 'It's hardly 'heartbreaking'. Its 'lawbreaking'. Not sucked into the poor wee criminal illusion,' one women commented online. Another added: 'So as of now all criminals will start writing excuse notes and no one will ever go to jail.' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday accused the 'national regime media' of wanting Hurricane Ian to wreak havoc Tampa, claiming it would have been used to advance a 'political agenda.' The Republican leader was speaking with small conservative outlet Florida's Voice, who caught up with him in hard-hit Lee County. Facing questions over the area's delayed evacuation order earlier this week, DeSantis accused media outlets of focusing their coverage solely on the Tampa area, thereby giving residents of Cape Coral, Sanibel Island and Fort Myers a false sense of safety. Multiple media outlets have pushed back on the accusation. He repeated the defense again to Florida's Voice on Tuesday, before being asked whether there would be any 'accountability in the media' for the forecasts predicting destruction in Tampa. 'I think part of it, quite frankly, you have national regime media, that they wanted to see Tampa [hit], because they thought that would be worse for Florida. That's how these people think,' DeSantis said. 'They don't care about the people of this state. They don't care about the people of this community. They want to use storms, and destruction from storms, as a way to advance their agenda.' He continued, 'They don't care what destruction's in their wake, they don't care about the lives here. If they can use to pursue their political agenda, they will do it.' 'We were obviously concerned about Tampa too, but I think there was so much emphasis on it that I do think people said...well I'm 125 miles away from here, maybe I'm better off hunkering down,' DeSantis said of the media coverage in the days before the storm. 'I absolutely think that impacted decision making.' Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told conservative outlet Florida's Voice on Tuesday that the media wanted Hurricane Ian to batter Tampa 'because they thought that would be worse for Florida' Earlier, he dismissed the media scrutiny over Lee County's day-long evacuation window before the storm hit as a 'pissing contest' and said it was 'inappropriate' to be searching for blame while the recovery was ongoing. DeSantis said he warned 'the whole time' that the storm's path would be 'unpredictable.' 'To go back and like, say, Lee County did this bad or that bad, you know, first of all, it's not even appropriate to be doing that now,' the governor said. 'If you wanna do that when the dust settles, you know, we can talk about that. And obviously you need to bring facts to the table and you need to explain, you know, the track and why everyone was focused on Tampa - but that's fine.' Out of dozens of deaths across the state, the majority so far have been in Lee County. The area, which includes parts that were only accessible by a bridge that has since been destroyed by the storm, was given orders to evacuate just a day before the storm made landfall as a Category 4 Hurricane. Despite officials claims that they couldn't have seen it coming, a New York Times report shows that Lee County's own storm evacuation guidelines would have mandated residents to find safety at least a day earlier than they were told to. Florida officials are facing scrutiny over the delayed evacuation for Lee County compared to areas like Tampa Bay (pictured), which was not as hard-hit as initially feared it would be Sanibel Island, Fort Myers and Cape Coral among other places in Lee County suffered catastrophic damage and more deaths than any other county in the state from the hurricane DeSantis also revealed Tuesday that three of the four looting suspects arrested in Lee County were undocumented residents of the United States. He made the revelation during a news conference in Fort Myers as he gave an update about the response to Hurricane Ian. DeSantis focused on 'law and order' in southwest Florida and drew a connection between that and his opposition to President Joe Biden's immigration policies. 'These are people that are foreigners, they're illegally in our country, but not only that, they try to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster,' DeSantis explained. 'They should be prosecuted, but they need to be sent back to their home country. They should not be here at all.' The four men were arrested on charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency, according to online jail records. The individuals, aged between 20 and 33, were booked for ransacking devastated homes and businesses on Fort Myers Beach while they suffered in the wake of the storm. All four looters were arrested on September 29 - but documents reveal that they were released after posting $35,000 bonds each. A no trespassing sign warning looters is seen outside a shop after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction in Fort Myers Beach, Florida Lucas Gordon spray paints a sign that reads,' You loot we shoot', in front of his home. Gordon said they were afraid looters might try to take advantage of them A warning to looters is spray painted on the side of a car on Pine Island, Florida Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno held a press conference Tuesday in which he addressed the spike in looting and illegal scavenging in the aftermath of the historic hurricane The looters were found with several bottles on liquor on them Officers take down the details of the suspected looters who were later out on $35,000 bond The oldest looting suspect is Omar Mejia Ortiz, 33. He lives in Immokalee - meaning he traveled at least 50 miles to Fort Myers beach to ransack the ruinous shops and homes after Hurricane Ian's wrath, reports Florida Jolt. Valerie Celeste Salcedo Mena, 26, made her way from her home in Cape Coral, which is at least a 40-minute drive to the Florida coastline. The youngest two suspects who were arrested for looting seem to be related - Brandon Mauricio Araya and Steve Eduardo Sanchez Araya. The young men, both aged 20, traveled from the same address in Cape Coral before finding themselves booked in Lee County. All four suspects were booked for the same crime: Burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency and all will face a hearing on October 31 at Lee County's Circuit Court. Lee County currently has a curfew and a 'zero-tolerance' policy against looting. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis waves following a press conference to update information about the on ongoing efforts to help people after hurricane Ian passed through the area DeSantis has taken a hard line against looters since Ian struck the Sunshine State and told of a sign he saw in the city of Punta Gorda. 'They boarded up all the businesses, and there are people that wrote on their plywood, 'you loot, we shoot,' DeSantis said. 'At the end of the day, we are not going to allow lawlessness to take advantage of this situation. We are a law-and-order state, and this is a law-and-order community, so do not think that you're going to go take advantage of people who've suffered misfortune.' DeSantis has taken a similarly hard line when it comes to immigration and last month stirred outrage by sending 48 Venezuelan migrants on flights from Texas to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on Tuesday in Fort Myers Beach Southwest Florida suffered severe damage during the Category 4 hurricane which caused extensive damage to communities along the state's coast Members of the Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue team comb through the wreckage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims of Hurricane Ian A search dog helps members of Virginia Task Force 2 Urban Search and Rescue comb through the wreckage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims of Hurricane Ian on Tuesday A search team can be seen in the distance as they comb through the wreckage at Fort Myers Beach Destruction left behind in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on Tuesday in Fort Myers Beach A member of the search and rescue team stands atop the wreckage The search team can be seen walking over the wreckage Hubert and Betty Toney stand outside their home, which roof was torn off by Hurricane Ian Later in St. Augustine, DeSantis said he told Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie that the state could provide support in the event of people bringing boats to try to 'ransack' homes on islands that have been isolated from the mainland. 'I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody's home,' DeSantis said. 'I would not want to chance that if I were you, given that we're a Second Amendment state.' Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno backed up DeSantis position on looting in the wake of the destructive storm. 'As far as looting we have law and order in Lee County. We have law and order in our great state of Florida, and we always will. Right now, we have four cases of looting, and I'm proud to say they're behind bars where they belong. Our residents are going to be safe,' said Marceno. 'All three of these subjects are here illegally in this country Robert Mena, Brandon Araya, Stephen Araya all arrested for stealing bottles on Fort Myers Beach during the hurricane. They were located and arrested. And I'm going to tell you, I'm not tolerating it again.' Marceno warned that those who loot risk being shot by police. 'I'm not playing. We're not playing. We have law and order and great residents will be safe and secure. We've had arrests on these incidents,' Marceno continued. 'You might walk in. You'll be carried out.' The mounting death toll from Ian's wrath currently stands at 85, and 'ground zero' Fort Myers is currently one of Florida's most decimated neighborhoods as rescue teams desperately try and find survivors amid the rubble. Last week, NBC2 reporter Gage Goulding captured the moment five looters were handcuffed on video - as the opportunistic rebels kept their eyes on the ground during the embarrassing arrest Attorney General Ashley Moody also made a warning to looters: 'These unscrupulous offenders must remain locked up where they can no longer prey on vulnerable Floridians' Looting will not be tolerated in Floridaespecially during this State of Emergency. pic.twitter.com/oJLgIrHOYH AG Ashley Moody (@AGAshleyMoody) October 1, 2022 The torrent brought ashore by Hurricane Ian caused an estimated $60 billion in damage. Insurers assessing the damage to properties ransacked by the flooding and winds are bracing for a multi-billion dollar hit after Florida's streets were turned into rivers and houses were engulfed by the raging Category 4 storm. Decimated coastal towns and submerged homes are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the catastrophic loss caused by the violent weather front last week. So far, more than 1,600 locals have been rescued. The current number of fatalities is only expected to grow as rescue teams dive in and assess the shattered towns submerged by Ian's fury - while 600,000 people are still in darkness after the hurricane obliterated power lines. Depleted survivors on 'ground zero' Fort Myers, which was obliterated by the 15-foot storm surge, were forced to escape the aftermath on foot, while clear-up teams rummaged street by street through the shocking debris. The eye-watering projection includes estimated wind, storm surge, and inland flood losses resulting from Ian's landfalls in both Florida and South Carolina, risk modeling firm Verisk said. A wind blown camper-trailer rests on a passenger car along a highway in Punta Gorda, Florida Portland, one of America's most woke cities and hub of the Black Lives Matter movement, is also the whitest among cities with a population of more than 200,000, new census data has revealed. The data says that 66.4 percent of the city's residents identify as non-Hispanic white. That's more than four percent more than the second place city, Omaha, where 62.2 percent identify as white. In 2000, more than 75 percent of Portland's residents were white, meaning that the number of white residents is shrinking, but it's still comfortably the whitest city in America. Detroit is the city with the fewest white residents, among America's most populous cities. The city's black population is close to 80 percent. Portland's most populous non-white residents are the city's Latino, 11.1 percent, and Asian, 8.0 percent, communities. The city's black community accounts for just 5.7 percent of the population. The black population of Portland has barely changed since 2010. The largest black community is located in the north and northeast of the city but still only represents 11 percent of those neighborhood's demographics. In addition, the city boasts high levels of incarceration, homicides, poverty and high school drop outs among its black community. The data says that 66.4 percent of the city's residents identify as non-Hispanic white. That's more than four percent more than the second place city, Omaha, where 62.2 percent identify as white In the summer of 2020, when Black Lives Matter protests engulfed the United States, both the New York Times and Los Angeles Times ran features on the irony of America's whitest city becoming an epicenter of the movement. The LA Times article includes the line: 'Portland no longer has a distinctive black neighborhood.' In terms of overall diversity, the city ranks 369th out of 501 cities in the United States. By 2030, Portland will no longer be predominantly white after being over taken by the Asian and Latino populations, according to the Oregonian. It's likely to be replaced by Omaha, Nebraska, a city with a 62.2 percent of residents identify as white. The city is experiencing an increase of violent crime in the city, which recorded a record 90 homicides in 2021, shattering the previous record of 66 set three decades ago. So far this year, Portland is roughly on pace to match last year's murder record. As of this week, the city has recorded 68 murders in 2022, nearly matching the 69 homicides recorded at the same point last year, according to police data. So far this year, Portland is roughly on pace to match last year's murder record Like many Democratic led cities in the United States, Portland is experiencing a homeless crisis Demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland Black Lives Matter protesters in Detroit in May 2022, the city has the fewest white residents of any metropolitan area in the United States The Oregonian report goes into how the state's segregationist history has contributed to Portland's modern day high white population. Melanie Billings-Yun of Portland State University told the newspaper: 'Oregon was built on a racist policy and it was a very unfriendly city toward minority populations.' She continued: 'As the city grew more people started moving in, many of those racist laws are gone, but the legacy of those old laws can still be seen. And part of that legacy is this form of government that we have.' When Oregon became a state in 1859 it was a 'whites-only' state. It wasn't until well into the 20th century when the state accepted black people as residents. The data reveals that the most diverse communities in the United States are in the suburbs of Washington DC and Las Vegas, while New York City is the most diverse large city, followed by San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco and Boston. The town with the highest percentage of black residents is Greenville, Mississippi, a city of under 30,000. Over 83 percent citizens in the town identify as black. The whitest state in America is Maine. The cities of Portland and South Portland in the state are both more than 85 percent white. Neither are considered among America's most populous cities. In addition to being the city with the fewest white residents, Detroit is also America's most segregated city, WXYZ reported in 2021. The vast majority of Detroit's black community lives in the city while the city's suburbs are 68 percent white. There are around 7,800 homeless people living on the streets of Detroit. On the positive side, Detroit has seen a decline in homicides in 2022. Portland has one of the most deserted downtowns in the United States as soaring crime rates and homelessness are scaring away both locals and tourists. But now the crisis has spread beyond the downtown area and into the quiet suburbs, forcing many to leave. These homeless camps are now becoming a permanent fixture in the suburbs, with the city being forced to conduct sweeps on a regular basis. The latest sweep took place a week ago as Portland's Rapid Response Bio-Clean team cleared out a large homeless camp at Southeast 80th Avenue and Rhine Street The site - located at the corner of the South Tabor and the Foster-Powell neighborhoods - had been reported by residents countless times this summer, but nothing was ever done. Until now. But it's a little too late for lifelong residents Bruce and Rebecca 'Becky' Philip who told DailyMail.com that they're 'done with Portland' due to the increasing number of homeless camps that have trickled into the suburbs from downtown. 'I've been here 65 years but I'm done,' Bruce Philip said. 'I'm done with Portland.' 'What's there to say, they move in, take over the neighborhood, do their drugs, play their loud music, and make a mess,' he said, adding that the homeless crisis has ruined not just a few neighborhoods, but all of Portland. The couple also pointed out that the sweeps of the homeless camps - like the one held in August - are not the final solution and have not changed their minds about moving. 'The city comes in and cleans it up and then two weeks later, they come back,' Bruce Philip said. 'It's a vicious cycle, and I'm done.' Local realtor George Patterson told DailyMail.com that the homeless encampments encroaching on residents' front lawns is a topic that comes up with his clients 'every day', and that deals are falling through homes for sale in the area. In one case, an early offer for a three-bedroom home asking close to $700,000 near a sanctioned homeless encampment, called Multnomah Village. 'We had early offer on a home, but it fell through and there was some concern there with the Multnomah village site,' Patterson said. 'I can say [homeless encampments] are definitely affecting the property values.' Advertisement India Wood poses with the bones of Alice, the Allosaurus she discovered at 12-years-old A Colorado ranch where a 12-year-old girl once dug up a dinosaur skeleton has hit the market for the first time in fifty years for a $15.5million asking price. The Three Springs Ranch, located in Northwest Colorado borders Dinosaur National Monument, covers about 108,277 acres, and contains a main house, two ranch-staff houses, and two hunting cabins on the property. But the rustic home and its rolling desert hills are just a part of the property's allure, as in the spring of 1979 the barely teenage India Wood came across the remains of a massive Allosaurus - a dinosaur resembling a tyrannosaurus - while killing time on a trip to the ranch. Wood excavated what she could of the dinosaur - which she named Alice - learned to identify her findings from science books, displayed them at her middle school history fair, and stored 18 of the beast's bones in her bedroom until her mother told her to clear them out to make space. She donated the bones she had collected to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and was later hired on by the museum at the age of 16 to unearth the rest of the skeleton, which is displayed in full at the museum today. The property remains rife with fossils and Native American petroglyphs, Hall and Hall listing agent Brian Smith told The Wall Street Journal, and offers the unique opportunity to both hunt game like deer and elk, while adequately supporting large herds of livestock. India Wood at the age of 12 in 1979 during one of her early digs for the Allosaurus at the Three Springs Ranch Alice the Allosaurus (left) on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science today Wood began visiting the Three Springs Ranch at the age of eight when her mother's friend worked as one of its property managers. In her memoir, The Dinosaur's Daughter, Wood wrote that her the family friend, Judy Beard, 'a ranch woman in red lipstick who hated children and loved rocks,' taught her and her sister how to hunt for fossils as a polite way to get them out of her way. India Wood, the amateur paleontologist, all grown up 'When Mom first took us to Sage Springs Judy tried to make my visits as miserable as possible so I wouldn't come back,' Wood wrote, and on one of her lonely excursions into the desert hills she came across a piece of bone sticking out of the ground. 'I saw a little piece of bone sticking out of the hillside,' she told The Wall Street Journal, and after hacking through the dirt with some rudimentary tools she came across a hip bone 'the size of a turkey platter.' Wood had come across bone fossils before in her wanderings at Three Springs Ranch before, but never anything as sprawling as the skeleton she was now turning up out of the dirt. 'Each piece of bone I exposed led to another piece of the puzzle, deeper and deeper into the hill,' Wood wrote in her memoir, recalling the first moments she found bone after bone. Wood continued her amateur excavation on further trips over the next few years, consulting science books at local libraries to help identify her findings as an Allosaurus, and marveling at her discoveries. 'I said, 'I'm just a kid, I'm a girl, I couldn't have found anything important,'' she told The Wall Street Journal, so I kept digging it up by myself.' A teenage India Wood during one of her Allosaurus digs at Three Springs Ranch Wood and one of her paleontology crewmembers dig at the Three Springs Ranch site in 1983 In 1982 at 16-years-old, Wood was forced to find a new home for the bones when her mother needed space in their house for renters, so she left them at the front desk at the Denver Museum of Science. After dropping the bones off, Wood said she got a call from the museum's curator of paleontology, Don Lindsey, confirming her belief that they belonged to an Allosaurus and saying the museum wanted to take the bones. Wood said they could have them, but only if the museum gave her a job. So over the next two summers on the museum's dime, Wood and a team of paleontologists uncovered about half of the Allosaurus, before the dig was shuttered amidst museum staffing changes, and she went off to school across the country at Dartmouth College. Placed on academic probation soon after, Wood wrote that she returned to Colorado to break into the museum though ventilation ducts, where she dug her bones out of a storage closet, photographed them, then used the pictures to secure a grant to continue her dig. At 19 Wood returned to Three Springs Ranch, where she directed an entire dig searching for the rest of the Allosaurus. 'But I am majoring in English literature and writing hundreds of pages of philosophical and racy letters to my boyfriend,' she wrote, explaining why she eventually abandoned paleontology, 'Growing up alone and with no money, I cannot face becoming a paleontologist, either, a lonely cliffside career with few job prospects.' Despite leaving Three Springs Behind to join the Peace Corps in Africa, Wood's work was not for naught, as Alice the Allosaurus was later fully assembled for display at the Denver Museum of Science, where she can be seen today doing battle with the bones of a stegosaurus alongside a plaque explaining Wood's story. After the accidental death of her father, a Melbourne woman's mother started a small family company to safeguard the financial futures of her children and grandchildren. But the daughter was forced to fight to save the company when it was targeted by an international syndicate of fraudsters who stole millions from Australian superannuation and share accounts. She was left feeling like a fraudster herself while trying to convince companies that she was the real shareholder. Jasmine Vella-Arpaci, 24, is the only conspirator to have been charged over the fraud, which led to the group obtaining more than $3 million from superannuation accounts and $238,000 from share trading. Jasmine Vella-Arpaci, 24, (pictured) was a part of an international fraud syndicate who stole millions from Australian superannuation and share accounts They also attempted to obtain $1.8 million from super funds and $5.7 million in shares. More than $2.5 million was then laundered through Hong Kong, with Vella-Arpaci receiving a cut in cryptocurrency. The woman trying to save her family company told a pre-sentence hearing for Vella-Arpaci on Wednesday that she endured a nightmare of anxiety and sleepless nights after being alerted to an attempt to sell all the company's shares. She's forever grateful to the sharebroker for checking the legitimacy of the sale. Vella-Arpaci (pictured, during a break outside the County Court of Victoria) pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud over separate superannuation and share trading frauds, and to conspiring to deal in proceeds of crime The woman, who cannot be identified, believes her identity documents were obtained through her accountants. They charged her $750 when she made an appointment to warn them of a data breach. 'It felt like every step I took led to more punishment for me and nothing to stop the large expressway the fraudsters were speeding along,' she said. Vella-Arpaci pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to defraud over separate superannuation and share trading frauds, and to conspiring to deal in proceeds of crime. She was involved in a phishing scam to access account login details and bought others on the dark web. She targeted businesses with admin, HR or bookkeeper usernames, in the hope they would give her access to superannuation account details and identification documents. Vella-Arpaci described accounts for those at the age of eligibility for access as the 'ultimate jackpot'. Police found 1400 documents on her seized computer, including passports, drivers licences, debit cards and Medicare cards. She admitted manipulating identification documents to change names or dates of birth then stamping them with a false certification stamp. Those details were used to withdraw funds from accounts and arrange shares to be sold, with proceeds deposited in newly opened bank accounts. Vella-Arpaci, 24, (pictured on Wednesday outside the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne) is the only conspirator to have been charged over the fraud Debit cards were sent to false addresses and were used by people in Hong Kong to launder proceeds. Vella-Arpaci was arrested in April 2019. Her role in the conspiracy was significant, Victorian County Court Judge Fiona Todd was told. While on a trip to Turkey Vella-Arpaci recruited someone to fill her role and offered advice on taking precautions with posting documents. 'Always take your time to do it right - a day in the post is less than a life sentence,' she said. The pre-sentence hearing is due to continue on November 30. Vella-Arpaci is on bail. A mother has been charged with the manslaughter of her autistic son after the teenager allegedly starved to death. Joshua Djuric, 18, was found dead inside a Yagoona home in Sydney's southwest last week in an emaciated state. His mother, Keti Jovanovska, is accused of failing to provide food, medical care or medicine to her son when his health was declining. Joshua Djuric, 18, was found dead inside a Yagoona home last week in an emaciated state - with mother Keti Jovanovska charged with his manslaughter (stock image) Police will allege the 52-year-old woman only fed her son bread and soft drink, despite his deteriorating condition, the Daily Telegraph reported. She told a reporter outside her home on Wednesday her son was autistic but 'of course I loved him'. It's understood the teen did not attend school. Ms Jovanovska sought help from neighbours after finding her son at around 10:30pm on Monday, September 26. Neighbours called emergency services but Joshua was pronounced dead at the scene. Police allege he died between 6pm and 10:40pm that night, as long as four hours before triple-0 was called, according to court documents tendered in her bail application. The mother was charged with her son's manslaughter the next morning and faced Bankstown Local Court NSW Police say the Ms Jovanovska was questioned at Bankstown Police Station before being taken to hospital for assessment. She was charged with his manslaughter the next morning and faced Bankstown Local Court. The house has several boarded up windows and an old mattress left out the front. It was owned by Ms Jovanovska's parents but had been left to the mother and Joshua. Neighbours said they never saw Joshua in the street, while detectives are investigating whether he had any physical or mental conditions that stopped him from being able to care for himself. Ms Jovanovska is due to face court again on November 30 and remains on strict bail conditions. Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, left, and Masayoshi Son, right, chairman of SoftBank, arrive at the Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul, in this July 4, 2019 photo, to attend a dinner with the top executives of large conglomerates in Korea. Yonhap By Baek Byung-yeul Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, met with Masayoshi Son, founder and chairman of Japan's SoftBank, in Seoul on Tuesday, according to industry sources, Wednesday, amid rising expectations of a looming acquisition of chip architecture design company Arm by the Korean electronics giant. SoftBank purchased Arm for $32 billion in 2016. However, no specific discussion apparently took place this time about an acquisition. The Samsung Group leader and SoftBank founder met at Samsung's office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, to discuss various pending issues, according to the sources. Son entered Korea through Gimpo International Airport on Oct. 1 for a week-long business trip. Rather than talking about Samsung's acquisition of Arm, the two chiefs are said to have discussed possible areas of cooperation. Also present at the meeting were Kyung Kye-hyun, president and head of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, Roh Tae-moon, president and head of Samsung Electronics' smartphone division, and Rene Haas, CEO of Arm. When asked about the meeting, a Samsung Electronics spokesman said, "We cannot confirm this matter." Industry watchers believe there could be progress in Samsung's acquisition of Arm after the two leaders met, because Lee made the rare move of commenting on the issue to reporters last month. "SoftBank Chairman Son Jeong-ui (known as Masayoshi Son in Japan) will come to Seoul next month. I think he probably will make a proposal at that time," the Samsung chief told reporters who asked him about the visit after Lee returned from a two-week business trip to Europe and Latin America on Sept. 21. Established in 1990, Arm generates profits by licensing its intellectual property related to mobile chip architecture design to other companies such as Apple, Qualcomm and Samsung. Arm holds a 90-percent share of the chip architecture design market for mobile devices. In 2020, SoftBank agreed to sell a 100-percent stake in Arm to U.S. graphic chip giant Nvidia for $40 billion. But the deal fell through after Nvidia failed to gain approval from the fair trade bodies of countries deeply involved in the chip industry. Since then, SoftBank has been looking for another company to buy Arm and Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory chip maker, has been consistently mentioned as a candidate. Samsung could significantly improve its chip design competitiveness by acquiring Arm, according to analysts. But industry watchers view that chances are slim for Samsung to purchase Arm alone. The Korean electronics giant is expected to form a consortium to acquire the U.K-based company. Top executives at Samsung also seem to be reticent about the company's acquisition of Arm. On Wednesday, Han Jong-hee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, said, "It is difficult to say due to security matters," when asked by reporters about the possibility of Samsung's acquisition of Arm on the sidelines of the Korea Electronics Show at the Coex convention center in Seoul. Construction company CEO Joe O'Dea is a moderate Republican who has given the GOP establishment hope that they could flip Colorado's Democratic Senate seat Former President George W. Bush is hitting the midterm campaign trail once again to stump for a Republican Senate candidate who's opposed to Donald Trump running for the White House in 2024. Bush will be in Colorado later this month to campaign for Joe O'Dea, the CEO of a construction company who is now challenging Democrat Senator Michael Bennet. O'Dea has separated himself from the majority of GOP Congressional hopefuls with his moderate stances - giving hope to the Republican establishment that he could flip a state that President Joe Biden won by 14 points. For instance, he's disputed Trump's claims that the 2020 election was rigged and shown support for Biden's $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal. He also ventured out on his own to criticize the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade and has maintained support for legal abortion up to five months, with exceptions for rape and incest afterwards - a far cry from South Carolina GOP Senator Lindsey Graham's proposed ban after 15 weeks. While Trump has been silent on O'Dea's candidacy, he's clinched endorsements from an array of national GOP figures, including allies of the former president like ex-UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Bush's upcoming fundraiser appearance for O'Dea was first reported by NBC News on Tuesday. The former commander-in-chief has himself not shied away from breaking from fellow GOP leader Trump. It's a trait also shared by the Republicans who Bush has endorsed this campaign cycle. He's getting campaign help from George W. Bush, who is attending a fundraiser for O'Dea later this month He previously campaigned alongside Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney in their primary races. Kemp, who has disputed Trump's allegations of widespread voter fraud in the Peach State, soundly defeated a primary challenger backed by the ex-president in former Senator David Perdue. Cheney, on the other hand, did not fare as well. Her opposition to Trump in the state he won by the widest margin in 2020 saw her rejected by Wyoming voters. She lost to Harriet Hageman, a Trump-backed attorney who will likely win the Cowboy State's lone at-large House seat in November. Bush has also donated to Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who Trump is fighting to unseat after she voted to impeach him over the Capitol riot. Attending the October fundraiser for O'Dea with Bush will be his fellow Texan, GOP Sen. John Cornyn. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is reportedly campaigning for O'Dea on Friday, and he got a boost from Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Trump ally, last month. O'Dea previously said of Trump, 'I hope he doesnt run. I dont want to see him as president again' The Colorado Republican has reportedly raised $3 million between July and September, including $1 million from his own money. He said of Trump during a talk radio appearance in August, 'I hope he doesnt run. I dont want to see him as president again.' 'I think that seeing a Biden-Trump rematch again in 2024 would rip the country apart. I think a lot of people are ready to move our country forward. So, I wouldnt support him running again,' O'Dea added. Most polls show him trailing Bennet in the increasingly blue state, though O'Dea is not far behind as the midterms loom just over a month away. A left-leaning pollster called Public Policy Polling found O'Dea trailing Bennet by 11 points. Meanwhile the Trafalgar Group's late September survey saw Bennet just 6 points ahead. The Republican Attorneys General Association's poll with the Tarrance Group put the Democrat just a point over O'Dea. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today blasted Liz Truss for 'ranting about an imaginary anti-growth coalition' in her Tory conference speech. The SNP leader claimed the Prime Minister's attack on the 'enemies of enterprise' in her address was 'an attempt to obscure' the impact of Brexit as a 'brake' on economic growth. Ms Truss called out Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, trade unions, think tanks and environmental campaigners during her 40-minute speech to Tory members in Birmingham. The PM vowed to not let 'the anti-growth coalition to hold us back' as she pushes ahead with her agenda to boost the UK's sluggish economy. Ms Truss also branded Greenpeace campaigners - who at one point interrupted her speech by unfurling a protest flag - as among those she sees as a block on economic growth. LiZ Truss called out Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, trade unions, think tanks and environmental campaigners during her 40-minute speech to Tory members in Birmingham The PM also branded Greenpeace campaigners - who at one point interrupted her speech by unfurling a protest flag - as among those she sees as a block on economic growth Ms Truss, pictured with her husband Hugh O'Leary, vowed to not let 'the anti-growth coalition to hold us back' as she pushes ahead with her agenda to boost the UK's sluggish economy. Nicola Sturgeon claimed the PM's attack on the 'enemies of enterprise' in her address was 'an attempt to obscure' the impact of Brexit After two activists were removed from the conference hall, the PM said: 'Now later on in my speech my friends I am going to talk about the anti-growth coalition. 'But I think they arrived in the hall a bit too early, they were meant to come later on. We will get onto them in a few minutes.' Returning to her theme later during her address, the PM vowed she would be 'challenging those who try to stop growth'. 'Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP, the militant unions, the vested interests dressed up as think-tanks, the talking heads, the Brexit deniers and Extinction Rebellion and some of the people we had in the hall earlier,' she told Tory members. 'The fact is they prefer protesting to doing. They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions. 'They taxi from north London townhouses to the BBC studio to dismiss anyone challenging the status quo. 'From broadcast to podcast, they peddle the same old answers. Its always more taxes, more regulation and more meddling. 'Wrong, wrong, wrong.' The SNP leader blasted Ms Truss for 'ranting about an imaginary anti-growth coalition' in her conference speech The PM claimed an 'anti-growth coalition' was 'at work across the country'. She attacked Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over his call for an extension to the windfall tax on oil and gas companies' profits. Ms Truss also hit out Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford for 'cancelling road-building projects' and 'refusing to build the M4 relief road'. Turning her aim at Ms Sturgeon, the PM added: 'Nicola Sturgeon wont build new nuclear power stations in Scotland to solve the energy crisis in Scotland. 'Have these people ever seen a tax rise they dont like? Or an industry they dont want to control? 'They dont understand the British people. They dont understand aspiration. They are prepared to leave our towns and cities facing decline.' Ms Truss claimed the 'anti-growth coalition just doesnt get it' because 'they dont face the same challenges as normal working people'. 'These enemies of enterprise dont know the frustration you feel to see your road blocked by protesters, or the trains off due to a strike,' she continued. 'In fact, their friends on the hard Left tend to be the ones behind the disruption. 'The anti-growth coalition think the people who stick themselves to trains, roads and buildings are heroes.' The PM also took a further swipe at Ms Sturgeon and the SNP when she vowed to 'face down the separatists who threaten to pull apart our precious Union, our family'. She stressed the UK was ' at its best, working together and getting our economy growing'. Following the PM's speech, Ms Sturgeon accused the PM of delivering a 'rant' during her conference address. 'Ranting about an imaginary "anti growth coalition" is just an attempt to obscure the hard reality that the biggest brake on UK growth is Brexit - and thats on the Tories,' she posted on Twitter. Advertisement Wet weather will continue to hit the country this evening, after thunderstorms struck northern and eastern parts of the UK this morning when a band of rain moved in from the west, with more rain returning this weekend. Tonight, Scotland, Northern Ireland and far north of England will see wet and windy conditions continue, with some risk of thunder later into the week. The rain today triggered flash flooding in Swansea, with cars pushing their way through the floodwater in the coastal city. Flood alerts were issued for south Wales focusing around rivers and tributaries, including some of those close to the city. There were further alerts issued around England in Lancashire and the Lake District, in north west Wales and in parts of Scotland. This evening will see the north stay windy, following a day of scattered blustery showers and coastal gales, with cool temperatures into the night, dropping to 8C in the north. Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: 'Much of the country had a wet and windy start to Wednesday, but many places brightening up for the rest of the day with some afternoon sunshine, but also a fair few showers.' Vehicles drive through a flash flood in Swansea on Wednesday morning following a bout of heavy rain in the Welsh city A van drives through floodwater in Swansea after heavy rain hit the area, triggering a flash flood on Wednesday morning He said that satellite radars showed lots of cloud over the UK, forming heavy rain in parts. This then began 'slowly slipping southwards' due to the cold weather front moving across the country, he explained, bringing rain to parts of East Anglia before easing off. It meant that Wednesday afternoon felt cooler the front brought fresher air, following a warmer and more 'humid' morning in parts of England and Wales. Tomorrow, other parts of the country will be clearer, with conditions staying mostly dry in south and east with bright spells of sunshine in some places, bringing temperatures up to a peak of 18C in the south east, above average for this year, which falls at around 16C. Met office forecaster Greg Dewhurst told MailOnline that Thursday will remain 'fairly windy', although winds will not be as strong as 'the last few days'. A woman walks along a wet street strewn with leaves as rain hit parts of the country on Wednesday Temperatures will range from 15C to 17C in the midlands, and 12C to 13C in the north of England and Scotland. Tomorrow will see more cloud for the west of the UK, with it thickening throughout the day, bringing wind and rain. As the end of the week approaches, Brits will see a combination of sunshine and blustery showers, focusing mainly in the northwest of the country on Friday. Mr Dewhurst said that a second band of rain moves in on Friday, with the country seeing 'sunshine and showers again' due to the 'changeable' autumnal weather. Saturday should see a break in the rain, with most of the UK remaining mainly dry, he explained. The day is expected to see highs of 19C, above average for this time of year, due to the high pressure. 'Wet and windy' conditions will return on Sunday, as growing winds spread across the country from the west. He hid the weapon in his waistband and struck during a prisoner church service on Sunday July 3, 1994, but the blade broke before it could do any damage After months of planning, he made a four-inch shank using the blades from his prison razor and attached them to an old toothbrush handle Durruthy, who was jailed for drugs and firearm offenses, revealed he even feigned mental illness in order to be transferred to the same facility as Dahmer The Cuban-born convict, who was sentenced to 31 years behind bars in 1992, was unsuccessful but was hit with an additional five years for the 1994 attack The inmate who tried to kill serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in prison in a botched attack, is standing by his actions almost 30 years later - even admitting he would do it again if he had the chance. Months before the notorious Milwaukee Monster was murdered by fellow prisoner Christopher Scarver in 1994, Osvaldo Durruthy had attempted to take Dahmer out himself by slashing his throat with a razor blade. The failed attack resulted in another conviction for the Cuban-born refugee, ultimately prolonging his time behind bars by five years. But in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com three decades later, Durruthy, 65, said he doesn't regret what he did and explained he was always intent on killing the notorious murderer and cannibal. The ex-con, who had never met Dahmer, revealed how he even found a way to get himself transferred to the same prison where he was incarcerated so he could get his chance. Scroll down for video Ex-con Osvaldo Durruthy, 65 (pictured left in an undated mugshot) was serving a 31-year sentence in Wisconsin when he tried to kill fellow inmate Jeffrey Dahmer in 1994. Three decades later, Durruthy tells DailyMail.com he doesn't have an 'ounce of regret' for his actions as he speaks of the attack for first time Durruthy revealed how he plotted to murder Dahmer (pictured during a 1991 hearing) for years and even pretended to be mentally ill in order to get transferred to the same prison where he was incarcerated Dahmer is considered one of America's most notorious and terrifying serial killers, known for his necrophilia and cannibalism. He was murdered in jail by another prisoner in November 1994 about five months after Durruthy's failed attack Speaking from his home outside Madison, Wisconsin this week, Durruthy said: 'I don't have an ounce of regret on what I did to Jeffrey Dahmer. I tried to kill him, and I failed. 'I don't even regret having to spend an extra five years in prison because I tried to kill him. And I'm glad someone else got him.' Dahmer is considered one of America's most terrifying serial killers, having killed 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. His victims ranged from age 14 to 33. Many of his murders involved necrophilia and cannibalism. Interest in the infamous case has recently spiked again thanks to the success of new Netflix series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which has drawn an audience of nearly 200 million. Durruthy, who has spent more than half of his life in prison in his native Cuba and in the United States, came to the US during the Mariel boatlift the mass emigration of Cubans in 1980. Many of these Mariel refugees were prisoners and mental health patients. Durruthy was one of them, having served five years of a 10-year sentence for pickpocketing in a Cuban prison. When he arrived in the United States in 1980 he was sent to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin for a short time to be processed. He didn't speak any English nor did he have any family in the United States. Durruthy said he did what he had to do to survive and within a few years ended up in a US prison for his first time. In 1984 he was convicted of selling and manufacturing cocaine, for which he was given a seven-year sentence. He was released in 1991 but within seven months was arrested again. This time he was convicted and sentenced to 31 years in prison for possession with intent to deliver of more than 2kg of cocaine and a firearms possession. In 1992 Durruthy had heard about Dahmer and his horrific crimes and eventually became fixated on killing him Dahmer, who died at 34, killed and dismembered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991 After learning Dahmer was serving his sentence at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin, Durruthy revealed he found a way to get transferred there from his facility in Waupun He was sent to prison in Waupun, Wisconsin. At the same time in 1992, Dahmer was starting his sentence 40 miles away at Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. Durruthy had heard of Dahmer and his horrific crimes at the time and would eventually become fixated on killing him. 'I've done a lot of bad things in my life that wouldn't make my family too proud. I thought that if I killed him, I could make up for some of the bad things I had done,' Durruthy said. 'At the time I thought I had nothing to lose, I was facing years in prison that seemed like a life sentence. 'I wanted to kill him for my family and for the black community,' he said, as most of Dahmer's victims were poor black, Latino or of Asian descent. Durruthy, who came to the US in 1980, has spent more than half of his life in prison in Cuba and in the United States As soon as Durruthy heard that Dahmer was in Columbia he hatched a plan to get transferred there. Knowing that he couldn't just request a transfer, he had come up with an excuse to get to Columbia, which has an extensive mental health unit for prisoners. So Durruthy started to act crazy, taking pills and doing whatever he needed to do to get to the mental health unit in Columbia. It took him more than two years, but he was finally diagnosed with schizophrenia by a prison doctor and transferred mid-June 1994. When he arrived, he couldn't believe he was housed in a single cell right next door to Dahmer. He said he didn't know how he was going to kill him, but he was ready to do it when he got the chance. The first time he saw Dahmer was in the dining hall where all the prisoners in the unit ate together. 'Dahmer ate alone at a table in the dining hall,' Durruthy said. 'But prisoners would go up to him and ask him for his food, a cookie or whatever they were serving that day for dessert and Dahmer would gladly give it to them.' Durruthy said he wanted to kill Dahmer 'for my family and for the black community' and thought it could make up for his own checkered past Many of Dahmer's victims were members of the LGBT+ and racial minority communities Despite never having spoken 'a word' to Dahmer, Durruthy wanted him dead, he said 'I've never said a word to Jeffrey Dahmer in my life. I would sit a few tables away at the dining hall observing him while he ate, with a smile on my face thinking to myself, I'm going to kill you one day.' A few days later, he finally got his opportunity in the prison yard. Dahmer was sitting alone near the weight area. Durruthy was going to grab a weight or a metal weight bar and smash his head in. He figured he could get several shots in on Dahmer before prison guard could stop him. While waiting for the right time, Durruthy said he recognized another inmate who he had known from a different prison in the yard. Durruthy had only been at the facility for a week so seeing someone he knew was a comforting. He struck up a conversation with his inmate pal and told him of his plan. But he didn't expect the inmate to want in on it as well. Dahmer's case has sparked interest decades later thanks to New Netflix series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, with audiences of nearly 200 million Durruthy was intent on killing Dahmer himself, so he scrapped those plans. Later that night, by coincidence, Durruthy was transferred to another unit, away from Dahmer. At that point he believed he was never going to see him again and had lost his opportunity. But then he remembered that on Sundays all inmates were allowed to attend services and he was hoping Dahmer would be there. In preparation, he took his prison razor and pulled out the blades, attached them to an old toothbrush handle and made a shank about four inches in length. On Sunday July 3, 1994, he hid the shank in between his shirt and waistband. When prison guards searched him as he entered the hall, they failed to find it. When he took his seat, he saw Dahmer sitting three rows ahead of him. He knew that he couldn't remove the shank from his waistband and make it to Dahmer to slash his throat in time before guards would get to him, so he had to get closer without attracting too much attention. Durruthy's attack is also recreated in the Netflix series, but he says he has not watched it the show and does not subscribe to the streaming service. He is portrayed by actor Leroy Edwards III (right) The notorious serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer as portrayed by Evan Peters in the new Netflix series 'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' Dahmer would eventually be killed in prison five months later but by Christopher Scarver, who was serving a life sentence for murder. He attacked Dahmer with a 20-inch metal bar on November 28, 1994. He is portrayed by actor Furly Mac (right) in the Netflix series He told a guard that he had an upset stomach and needed to use the bathroom. He left for the toilet, removed the shank from his waistband and put it in his sock and returned to the services. Knowing the guards wouldn't remember exactly which row Durruthy was sitting he was able to take a seat in a row directly behind Dahmer. 'As soon as I sat down, I removed the shank from my sock, put it in my right hand,' he recalled. 'I stood up, with my left arm I put Dahmer in a head lock and with my right hand I began to slash his throat with the razor shank. I was slashing him back and forth as fast as I could. 'After a few slashes the shank broke. It wasn't strong enough, it fell out of my hand on to the floor. 'He was still in a headlock with my left arm so with my right hand I started to punch him in the face and many times as I could before prison guards jumped in and pulled me off him.' Dahmer was pulled away screaming, 'I didn't do anything.' Durruthy was thrown into solitary confinement and Dahmer was taken to the prison hospital ward and treated for superficial lacerations. Durruthy was charged and pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate adding another five years to his sentence. He was paroled in 2016 after serving 25 years in prison. 'I wanted to kill Dahmer; he ate people. But I guess God was watching over me and didn't want me to kill him,' Durruthy said. 'I don't regret what I did, if I had the chance to do it again I would. 'I really tried to kill him. I'm glad Dahmer is dead. Maybe when word got out that I tried to kill him, it gave other inmates ideas.' Durruthy, who was paroled in 2016, now lives in an apartment in a city outside of Madison, Wisconsin, where he often spends time with his 38-year-old son and two grandchildren (pictured) Dahmer would eventually be killed in prison five months later but by another inmate. Fellow prisoner Christopher Scarver, who was serving a life sentence for murder, attacked Dahmer with a 20-inch metal bar on November 28, 1994. Now a free man, Durruthy lives in an apartment in a city outside of Madison, Wisconsin. He spends time with his 38-year-old son and two grandchildren. 'I was incarcerated for a majority of my son's life I'm trying to make it up to him now and I don't want to miss spending any time with my grandchildren.' Durruthy's attack is recreated in the Netflix series, but he says he has not watched it as he doesn't subscribe to the streaming service. Actor Leroy Edwards III plays him in the docuseries. He said he was disappointed the production company didn't reach out to him. He is now finishing up a book about his life as a Cuban immigrant and spending time in prison, called 'America Mis-interpreted a Cuban's Perspective.' 'My prison days are over. I want to live the rest of my life on the outside now.' But he added: 'I'm glad Dahmer is dead.' Police have arrested 28 people after eco zealots blocked and glued themselves to roads in Westminster before being hauled away by officers as part of a fifth day of protests. Just Stop Oil protestors blocked the road to Lambeth Bridge and another close to Parliament during the demonstration on Wednesday afternoon. Twenty eight people were arrested for the willful obstruction of the highway during the protest, the Metropolitan Police said. Just Stop Oil activists began to block a road in Westminster just minutes after Liz Truss' keynote speech to delegates at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham The eco-activists blocked roads in central London as they called on the Government to halt the exploration, development and production of oil and gas in the UK Police pictured trying to unglue a protestor from a road in Westminster during a fifth day of demonstrations Minutes before the protest took place, Liz Truss' speech was interrupted by Greenpeace activists at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, calling out her support for fracking. Just Stop Oil, which demands the Government immediately halts exploration, development and production of oil and gas in the UK, has said our reliance on fossil fuels is pushing households into fuel poverty. They criticised Liz Truss as having 'no plan' to deal with the current fuel crisis 'that does not involve further suffering for the most vulnerable and tax giveaways for the rich'. During her keynote speech, she also attacked an 'anti-growth coalition' of left wing parties, Scottish nationalists, 'militant' trade unions, Brexit deniers and environmental protestors in her speech. Speaking in her address to her party, Liz Truss said she would 'not allow the anti-growth coalition to hold us back.' Just Stop Oil activists began to block a road in Westminster just minutes after Liz Truss' keynote speech to delegates at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham A protestor, part of the Just Stop Oil demonstration in Westminster, being hauled away by police The Metropolitan Police said 28 people had been arrested during today's demonstration in Westminster Police pictured trying to unglue a protestor from a road in Westminster during a fifth day of demonstrations 'Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP, the militant unions, the vested interests dressed up as think tanks, the talking heads, the Brexit deniers, Extinction Rebellion and some of the people we had in the hall earlier,' she told delegates. 'The fact is they prefer protesting to doing. They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions. 'They taxi from north London townhouses to the BBC studio to dismiss anyone challenging the status quo. 'From broadcast to podcast, they peddle the same old answers. 'It's always more taxes, more regulation and more meddling; wrong, wrong, wrong.' A spokesperson for Just Stop Oil claimed its protestors could not 'stand by' as 'everyday life becomes unaffordable for millions.' Police attend to a Just Stop OIl protestor who had glued themselves to a road in Westminster Protestors have blocked roads in central London as they protest against the exploration, development and production of oil and gas in the UK Police pictured trying to unglue a protestor from a road in Westminster during a fifth day of demonstrations They added: 'Those causing disruption on the bridges and in the streets around Westminster have made a choice to no longer standby when faced with a harmful government. 'Everyday life has become unaffordable for millions, desperate workers are striking and the reality of living through a mass extinction event is being ignored. 'We have no choice and it seems the courts are recognising that these actions are proportionate, magistrates are acquitting defendants, judges are handing out petty fines and juries are finding those acting in non-violent civil disobedience not guilty. 'When will the government do the right thing? We don't need a tired, stale, pro-growth government we need a pro-life one.' One woman who joined today's protest, Jessica Upton, 53, from Oxford, said: 'I wouldn't be doing my job properly as a foster carer, vet and mother if I wasn't doing my utmost to ensure an inhabitable planet for everyone. 'Fighting climate change is the ultimate preventative medicine. Just Stop OIl protestors have blocked roads in central London as they call for the Government to immediately halt the exploration, development and production of oil and gas in the UK Police pictured trying to unglue a protestor from a road in Westminster during a fifth day of demonstrations Just Stop Oil protestors sit on a zebra crossing in Westminster as they block and glue themselves to roads 'Our government is failing to take the steps necessary to address the cost of living and climate crisis, so if sitting in a road being yelled at by motorists is what it takes to get their attention, I'll keep doing it. 'Stopping new fossil fuel projects is the simple first step our government needs to take to start protecting its people.' Another protestor near Lambeth Bridge, Mya Bain, 35, an animator and science communicator from Derbyshire, added: 'Ordinary people are going to suffer and die from the cost of living crisis and climate breakdown. 'Yet instead of supporting the transition to cheap clean renewables, our criminal Government is doing everything they can to protect the interests of the fossil fuel industry. 'I can not stand by and do nothing while these greedy liars in power let millions suffer just to let the rich get richer. 'Government is actively contributing to climate breakdown which means millions of people dying due to extreme weather, thirst, starvation and conflict. 'They are slashing public services, handing out tax cuts to the rich, licensing more fossil fuel developments and ripping up environmental regulations because of their delusional ideas about economic growth and trickle-down economics. 'Everyone needs to be in resistance to halt this government's murderous plan.' Layne and Lewis were seen weeping after the verdict But today, the court found them to be not guilty of the charges French prosecutors have said they should all be jailed for three years The trio of teachers were accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter British teachers dragged through court over the death of a 12-year-old girl who drowned in a French lake during a school trip wept as they were acquitted of manslaughter. Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers were accused of the crime in relation to the death of 12-year-old Jessica Lawson, who drowned in a lake on a school trip near Limoges in 2015. A photograph shows Steven Layne and Chantelle Lewis overcome with emotion after the ruling at the Palais du Justice today. The girl, who was the youngest child on the trip from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, became trapped after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges and drowned after teachers and a lifeguard failed to spot her. Prosecutors had called for all three teachers to be handed a three-year jail sentence. But at the Palais de Justice in the French town of Tulle on Wednesday, Layne, Lewis and Stathers were all cleared of any wrongdoing. The lifeguard on duty at the time, Leo Lemaire and the local authority in the town of Liginiac were also found not guilty. Jessica's father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom when the verdicts were announced, with both Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers breaking down into tears. Giving her verdicts through a translator to the Palais de Justice in Tulle on Wednesday, the head of jurisdiction, Marie-Sophie Waguette, said: 'The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green. 'There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over. We don't know why her drowning took place at the time when the platform turned over. 'There is therefore no evidence to show that they were negligent - therefore you are found not guilty,' she declared. An image shows Steven Layne and Chantelle Lewis, pictured, overcome with emotion after the ruling at the Palais du Justice today Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers were accused of the crime in relation to the death of 12-year-old Jessica Lawson, pictured, who drowned in a lake on a school trip near Limoges in 2015 Pictured: Teacher Daisy Stathers arrives at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France, on Wednesday - where she was accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter - along with three other teachers. She and the two other teachers were found not guilty Pictured: The Lawson family (from left: Brenda, Jessica and Tony) pose for a photograph during a trip to Legoland before Jessica tragically died in France in 2015 Ms Waguette said in her verdict that 'It is not reflected either in the exchanges today or in the information provided that the teachers at any moment failed to comply with their requirement to monitor the activity. 'There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over.' She said the court knew a time period of between five and ten minutes had passed between the platform overturning and the lifeguard recovering Jessica from the lake. Ms Lewis' legal representative, Florian Godest Le Gall, said the teachers' reaction times were the shortest possible, adding that dynamically monitoring children does not mean looking at one student 'every microsecond'. Mr Godest Le Gall said the PE teacher 'suffers under the weight of responsibility'. One of the lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Layne, Anis Harabi, said Jessica's death was an accident with no 'culprits' - adding that his client should not be expected to be a 'clairvoyant'. Mr Layne's other lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, said the teachers acted 'simultaneously' when they realised Jessica was missing and that the trio were surveying 'tirelessly'. Stephane Babonneau, a lawyer representing Ms Stathers, told the courtroom at the Palais de Justice in the French town of Tulle today that his client and her colleagues felt similar grief to that of the Lawson family following Jessica's death. The statement prompted heartbroken father Tony Lawson to stand up and leave the courtroom, and was quickly qualified by Ms Lewis who said the pain is 'different to what the family experiences.' The head of the jurisdiction in Tulle adjourned the proceedings soon after Mr Lawson exited the courtroom. Pictured: Steven Layne arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle on Wednesday. Mr Layne's lawyer, Dominique Tricaud, said the teachers acted 'simultaneously' when they realised Jessica was missing and that the trio were surveying 'tirelessly' Pictured: Chantelle Lewis arriving at Palais de Justice, Tulle, central France today. Ms Lewis' legal representative, Florian Godest Le Gall, said the teachers' reaction times were the shortest possible, adding that dynamically monitoring children does not mean looking at one student 'every microsecond' On Tuesday, their trial heard how Ms Lewis 'started to panic' during the incident and 'asked 'where's Jess'?' Her colleague, Ms Stathers, said she also became 'increasingly panicked' after realising Jessica was missing, adding: 'But there were 23 other students we were trying to get out (of the water) so I was trying to stay calm.' Mr Layne - who was in charge of the trip - said he thought the pontoon was a safety feature and saw no signs of distress when he looked at the lifeguard after it capsized. The youngster's mother, Brenda Lawson, told the court she expected the teachers to show 'respect and integrity' during the trial, and said she received little support from the school, teachers or British authorities in the aftermath of the incident. She said that only during the trial's proceedings did she learn the sequence of events that led up to her daughter's death, and that neither the school nor teachers had provided her with an explanation in the seven years since. Jessica, who was 12 when she died, would turn 20 on November 7 this year if she was still alive today, Ms Lawson noted. During her closing speech, prosecutor Myriam Soria told Waguette she recommend three years' jail time for the three teachers, as well as lifeguard Leo Lemaire. Ms Soria also advised Ms Waguette that the local authority in the town of Liginiac should be fined 45,000 euro for its alleged part in Jessica's death. In her speech, the prosecutor said: 'Jessica Lawson was a good swimmer. She was a little girl. Her swimming should have been monitored with vigilance.' Ms Soria said none of the teachers could see where Jessica was during the swim due to a lack of surveillance. Addressing the pontoon itself, the prosecutor said the local authority 'knew about instability and knew about its age.' Reacting to the not guilty verdict, lifeguard Leo Lemaire said: 'It's been seven years since this happened, during that time I have of course thought of her parents and what happened. And today I think it was the moment for everyone to move on and try to move forward with their lives.' More than 20 children had climbed on to the orange plastic platform (pictured), which was designed for less than half that number when it collapsed, flipping over as it did so. While all other children left the water unharmed, Jessica remained in the water for 20 minutes Prosecutor Myriam Soria told the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, that none of the teachers could see where Jessica (pictured in this image released by her family on Wednesday) was during the swim due to a lack of surveillance Jessica drowned during a five-day school trip to France on July 21, 2015. Two dozen pupils and three teachers from the Hull school were on the six day adventure holiday when the fatal incident occurred. The children had been given the go-ahead by teachers for a swim in Maury park in Liginiac, which featured a floating orange pontoon which they were jumping off. More than 20 children had climbed on to the plastic platform, which was designed for less than half that number when it collapsed, flipping over as it did so. While most of the students were quickly plucked out the water by a lifeguard, Jessica is understood to have been in the water for up to 20 minutes before rescuers re-entered the lake to drag her out. Jessica was airlifted to a hospital in Limoges but died the next day before her distraught parents were able to arrive after flying out on the first available plane. Speaking on Tuesday, Brenda Lawson told the court her family had been through 'torturous suffering' since her daughter's death. Pictured: A post made by Antony Lawson, Jessica Lawson's father, on Facebook after her death in France in 2015 Pictured: Leo Lemaire, who was a lifeguard at the scene, was also found not guilty, after facing three years over Jessica's Death. He is seen here arriving to court on Wednesday She also criticised the response from British authorities and Wolfreton School to Jessica's death, saying they 'did not provide us with any answers or help in any way'. Asked to describe the schoolgirl, Mrs Lawson told the court: 'To describe Jessica is easy really. We use the word sunshine and the brightness still remains in my life. She was full of fun, laughter and care. 'She was just on the cusp of becoming a delightful young lady.' Mrs Lawson continued: 'For me, she should be 20 on November 7 this year, so it has been seven years for me and my family of what can only be described as torturous suffering of not understanding what happened to her or why. 'For that reason I would personally like to thank the French justice system for taking it seriously. From second one, they treated it with the severity it deserved and they investigated it straight away. 'Sadly for my family, in the UK we did not get that response whatsoever. The UK did not provide us with any answers or help in any way.' Addressing how Jessica's death had affected her and her family, Mrs Lawson said: 'Most of our family's holidays, most of our family's free time was to do with swimming and water. So as a parent and as a family, for Jessica to drown is the most awful thing that could have possibly happened to her. 'We can't look back on memories because there's water everywhere we have struggled for many, many years to face the present that we were left with.' Mrs Lawson added: 'I handed over my parental responsibility to other people. 'She had only been in the camp for 48 hours when I was called on my mobile phone from the school to tell me that Jessica had been involved in a serious accident and that she had been under water for a considerably amount of time. 'They then gave me the telephone number of the hospital in Limoges for me to ring and speak to the resuscitation ward. 'So for me that's been the worst thing for a mum to accept that I wasn't there to protect her and take care of her and say goodbye to her.' Mrs Lawson went on to speak about a meeting she and Jessica's father Tony had had with the school a month before the trip adding that they had provided families with a booklet which said children would be supervised at all times. Speaking about the meeting, Mrs Lawson said: 'We just went to the front and said 'she will wear a life jacket when she's doing any of these activities?' and they said yes.' Pictured: The scene near Meymac in the Massif Central region of France where Jessica died Well wishers leave tributes behind at Wolfreton School, Hull after hearing the news that former pupil Jessica Lawson had drowned in 2015 The head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, asked Jessica's mother: 'Do you have any idea what happened to your daughter?' Mrs Lawson replied: 'Not really because from the beginning it was never made clear to us what happened and why there was a pontoon. We never fully understood or it was not explained to us why she was in the water. 'It is only today that I have understood that she had done hiking and kayaking and then this swimming. 'I didn't know the series of events because after that initial meeting in France with the lead teacher, the UK school and teachers refused to discuss anything else with us. 'If I'm truthful, listening to people trying to explain here what they did for Jessica, it is not really any clearer because I was expecting those who had a duty of care for her to be open and transparent and to have respect and integrity for her mum in the way they have handled themselves here. 'It is a phrase I didn't understand before this happened and it is a phrase called 'moral compass' to do the right thing. 'Really, no matter what the outcome is for my family, we have lost.' Mrs Lawson said she wanted to finish her opening remarks with words from her daughter's secret diary, which read: 'My future ambition is to become a nurse. The thought of others in need devotes me to do well and succeed in my career path.' A couple have appeared at the Old Bailey accused of tying up and killing an elderly woman and then taking more than 14,000 of her money. Chelsea Grant, 27, and Xyaire Howard, 22, were charged with the murder of Susan Hawkey, 71, after she was found 'heavily decomposed' under a duvet in her flat in Neasden, northwest London, on September 26. Detectives found brown parcel tape on her face and around her wrists, with her hands together behind her back, the Old Bailey heard. Chelsea Grant, 27, and Xyaire Howard (pictured), 22, were charged with the murder of Susan Hawkey, 71, after she was found 'heavily decomposed' under a duvet in her flat in Neasden, northwest London, on September 26 Detectives found brown parcel tape on Ms Hawkey's (pictured) face and around her wrists, with her hands together behind her back, the Old Bailey heard The couple are further charged with two counts of fraud by false representation for using Ms Hawkey's bank cards. It is claimed the couple were responsible for 143 transactions between 7 and 27 September, totalling 14,000. The defendants appeared in the dock at the Old Bailey before Judge Angela Rafferty today. The couple are further charged with two counts of fraud by false representation for using Ms Hawkey's (pictured) bank cards Police were called at 11.27am on Monday, September 26, after concerns were raised about the welfare of a woman at a house in Aylesbury Street (pictured) Prosecutor Ben Holt said: 'The allegation in this case involves the assault of a vulnerable victim that culminated in the victim being tied up in her own home.' The judge set a plea hearing for December 21 and a provisional trial from September 4 next year. The defendants, both of Neasden, were remanded in custody. The White House said on Wednesday that 'it's clear' the OPEC+ oil alliance 'is aligning with Russia' after it announced a massive production cut of two million barrels. It stands to be a big boost for Moscow, despite the West's efforts to choke off oil and gas revenues as a source of cashflow to fund Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile American drivers could face another increase in gas prices in what could end up being a massive setback for the Biden administration. Energy ministers from the OPEC cartel, whose leading member is Saudi Arabia, and allied non-members including Russia met in person at the group's Vienna headquarters for the first time since early 2020. Their announced production cutback on Tuesday is the largest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes after oil barrel prices dropped roughly a quarter in just three months, now around $90, amid fears of a looming global recession. However, some parts of the US have seen prices jump back up again by up to 60 cents per gallon, according to the Washington Post, underscoring the already-precarious environment. President Joe Biden was asked about OPEC+'s decision as he boarded Marine One ahead of a visit to hurricane-ravaged Florida but told reporters he 'needs to see the details.' He said he was 'concerned' and that it was an 'unnecessary' step, according to reports. A joint statement from White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said Biden 'is disappointed by the shortsighted decision.' 'At a time when maintaining a global supply of energy is of paramount importance, this decision will have the most negative impact on lower- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from elevated energy prices,' the statement read. The White House is 'having a spasm and panicking' over OPEC's expected decision to cut oil production, an unnamed official told CNN Republicans have hammered Democrats on the relative silence with gas prices steadily rising after the White House celebrated them going down over the summer OPEC+'s decision could potentially be a financial boost for Moscow's illegal invasion of Ukraine They also suggested that a new legislative effort could be on the table, adding: 'In light of todays action, the Biden Administration will also consult with Congress on additional tools and authorities to reduce OPEC's control over energy prices.' The announcement's effect on the pumps is not yet certain, but the decision as left the Biden administration scrambling to avoid a 'total disaster' according to a CNN report. MEMBERS OF OPEC: NATIONS WHO AGREED TO CUT PRODUCTION Permanent members of OPEC Algeria Angola Congo Ecuador Equatorial Guinea Iran Iraq Kuwait Libya Nigeria Qatar Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Venezuela Non-OPEC members involved in deal to cut production Russia Azerbaijan Bahrain Brunei Equatorial Guinea Kazakhstan Malaysia Mexico Oman Sudan South Sudan Brazil Bolivia Advertisement During a press conference on Tuesday, OPEC+ was asked how much Biden's release of the strategic petroleum reserves 'distorted true price discovery.' 'I wouldn't call it a distortion. It was done at the right time. If it didnt happen, Im sure things might be different than they are today,' they said. OPEC's decision after their Wednesday meeting could force prices at the pump back up after the White House celebrated them falling at a record pace this summer. They have already begun to inch back up in recent weeks. But a sudden spike would be an especially concerning setback with the November midterm elections just over a month away. One official told CNN that the White House is 'having a spasm and panicking' over the potential outcome. High level officials across economic and foreign policy have reportedly been lobbying allies in the Middle East to vote against cutting production. DailyMail.com has reached out to the White House National Security Council for comment. John Kirby, the National Security Council's Coordinator for Strategic Communications, downplayed the cut's effect during an interview on Fox News Wednesday morning. '[T]hey are adjusting back their numbers down a little bit here. OPEC plus has been saying and telling the word they're producing 3.5 million more barrels than they actually are,' Kirby said. 'So, in some ways this announced decrease really just kind of gets them back into more aligned with actual production.' He added that there were no 'dramatic shifts in the price of oil,' noting that Wednesday's prices remain in the low 90s. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was pressed on Tuesday about the White House's earlier victory laps over falling gas prices, which has translated into comparative silence as they creep up again. 'You said the president was responsible for gas prices coming down. Is the president responsible for gas prices going up?' Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked at Jean-Pierre's regular press briefing. She answered, 'So, it's a lot more nuanced than that.' Jean-Pierre pointed out that gas prices have risen across the globe and chalked the spikes up to 'the [COVID-19] pandemic and Putin's war' in Ukraine. 'We understand there is more work to do, we've never said we are done here,' the Biden official said. 'But we have seen, the reality is, we have seen the fastest decline in gasoline prices in over a decade. That's because of what this president has done.' A production cut could benefit Russia by establishing higher prices ahead of a European Union ban on most Russian oil imports, a sanction over the invasion of Ukraine that takes effect at the end of the year, analysts at Commerzbank say. Some areas have seen gas prices rise by nearly 60 cents in recent weeks Oil prices surged this summer as markets worried about the loss of Russian supplies from sanctions over the war in Ukraine, but they slipped as fears about recessions in major economies and China's COVID-19 restrictions weighed on demand for crude. President Joe Biden flew to Jeddah earlier this year for a meeting with Saudi officials as oil prices were surging, but it appears that visit has done little to stop OPEC+'s production cut. His meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman drew ire from Republicans back at home. GOP lawmakers accused Biden of 'begging' for oil from a known human rights abuser while hammering him for not doing more to expand domestic production. Kirby pushed back on Fox News Wednesday, asserting that Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia was 'not about oil.' He did concede to calls mostly coming from the right that the US needs 'to be less dependent on OPEC+ and foreign producers of resources like oil.' 'That's why the president did increase the draws from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to try to help stabilize this,' Kirby said. 'And it is also why the president has issued more leases now, thousands more leases, for drilling here in the continental United States, that oil producing companies haven't taken advantage of fully.' Republican lawmakers have nevertheless begun to hammer the Biden administration after OPEC+'s production cut was announced. 'We need to unleash American energy production. It's ridiculous that we are relying on foreign powers for oil when less than 2 years ago we were a net exporter of energy,' GOP Rep. Billy Long wrote on Twitter. Republican Study Committee Chairman Jim Banks tweeted: 'US oil production is down 1.2 million barrels per day since it peaked under President Trump. Biden must stop his war on American energy!' GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia said OPEC+'s decision 'risks even higher prices at the pump for hardworking Americans.' 'Total failure. OPEC is laughing at him,' mocked House Minority Whip Steve Scalise. Besides a token trim in oil production last month, the major cut is an abrupt turnaround from months of restoring deep cuts made during the depths of the pandemic and could help alliance member Russia weather a looming European ban on oil imports. In a statement, OPEC+ said the decision was based on the 'uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks.' The impact of the production cut on oil prices - and thus the price of gasoline made from crude - will be limited somewhat because OPEC+ members are already unable to meet the quotas set by the group. The alliance also said it was renewing its cooperation between members of the OPEC cartel and non-members, the most significant of which is Russia. The deal was to expire at year's end. Social media is today awash with speculation over the identity of a mystery BBC star accused of secretly having a love-child with a stripper. Britons are today trying to guess the name of the famous presenter, who is said to have fathered a child with the stripper during a six-month fling. The 'mega rich' prime-time presenter, who is now married, is reported to have signed his famous catchphrase across the woman's chest when the pair first met in a nightclub. The pair reportedly met for trysts at fancy hotels on 'five or six' different occasions. But after learning that the woman had fallen pregnant, the mystery man is said to have 'blocked' all of her numbers and 'vanished' . The TV personality, who has not been identified, denied paternity of the woman's daughter and has not paid any child maintenance, the woman reportedly told The Sun. She claims a DNA test revealed the prime-timer was a familial match to her daughter, but 'stopped short of a paternal match.' She suspects he had another relative help him 'cheat the result.' The stripper, having signed the gag order, is not allowed to talk about her relationship with the star. However, she alleges her daughter - who knows her father's identity - is not covered under the NDA and that once she turns 16 can contact him if she pleases. Britons are today trying to guess the name of the famous BBC (pictured: Library image of the BBC headquarters) presenter, who is said to have fathered a child with the stripper during a six-month fling The pair reportedly had a six-month fling after having met a nightclub. 'He was working on a show in the area when I met him at a nightclub. I went in and asked him to sign my shirt,' the dancer told The Sun. The specific date and location of their initial meeting was not revealed. 'He smiled, grabbed the pen and signed his famous catchphrase across my boobs. 'He then asked for my number and rang me a few days after that.' She claims the pair met up 'about five or six times' over the course of the six months, frequenting 'penthouse suites of all the nice hotels.' However, she said everything changed after 'I fell pregnant.' The stripper recalled: 'As soon as I told him he said he couldn't have kids, and denied she was his. 'He then blocked all of my numbers, changed his and vanished.' The dancer reportedly contacted his lawyer and the broadcaster was ordered to take a paternity test. 'Everything matched. They were able to say without any doubt that the father was a familial match,' she explained. 'But it stopped short of a paternal match. 'It was a ridiculous situation the suggestion being that instead of getting pregnant by him it might have been his brother, dad, uncle or grandad.' A married BBC star allegedly fathered a love child with a stripper before dumping her by text and making her sign a non-disclosure agreement She claims the BBC presenter attended the DNA screening alongside a male relative, despite 'strict rules' against doing so. 'We've never been able to prove otherwise but we think the male relative who was with him when he took the test helped him cheat the result,' she claimed. Due to the inconclusive paternity test result, the 'mega-rich' star was not obligated to pay child maintenance. He also ordered his ex-lover to sign an NDA. 'He insisted I sign a non-disclosure agreement that prevented me from talking about it. I wasn't paid any money,' she recalled. 'I was left to it, all on my own with not a penny from him. I was young and dumb, pregnant and scared with my first child. 'I just did what I was told, smiled and signed what I needed to sign and then went on my merry way. Luckily, the NDA only applies to me, and doesn't cover my daughter. 'Under the terms of the NDA she is not allowed to try and contact him or talk about him until she turns 16. But when the time is right, she will be able to do what the hell she wants.' The woman also suspects that she is not the only woman to have been allegedly silenced by the star. 'There's quite a few he's kept quiet, because I know I wasn't the only one he was meeting up with. It is what it is,' she argued. 'There's a lot of them out there. He was desperate to keep me quiet because he knew it wouldn't have looked good that he'd got some stripper pregnant. The dancer added: 'I don't have any regrets in life and I've got my beautiful daughter from it.' An Irish woman who has been on the run for eight years for the double murder of two best friends has been arrested in South Africa. Ruth Lawrence, 42, from Clontarf in North Dublin was at the centre of a global manhunt after the brutal killings of Eoin O'Connor and Anthony Keegan in 2014. The Hawks an elite South African police unit said they were acting on an international warrant when they carried out the dawn raid in Pellissier, Bloemfontein, yesterday. Ruth Lawrence, who has been on the run for eight years for the double murder of her two best friends has been arrested in South Africa She appeared in court today and has been remanded in custody until October 10. She disappeared from Ireland in 2014 shortly after the killings with then boyfriend Neville Van Westhuizen, 39, and headed for his native South Africa. Her boyfriend is also wanted in connection with the double murder but is already serving a life sentence in South Africa for a horrific killing. He is serving 15 years in Durban for the murder of a teenager in 2017, but will be quizzed by the Hawks following Lawrence's arrest. Lawrence split with him that year. The Gardai confirmed the two Irish victims were not criminals or part of a drugs gang but have not revealed a motive for the double killing. Lawrence, 42, from Clontarf in North Dublin was at the centre of a global manhunt after the brutal killings of Eoin O'Connor (left) and Anthony Keegan (right) in 2014 The pair were found wrapped in plastic sheeting and buried in a shallow grave on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin in Co Meath eight years ago. Hawks spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo said vital information about Lawrence and her whereabouts was received on September 28. Captain Singo said: 'Her arrest comes on an Interpol warrant regarding the murder of Eoin O'Connor, 32, and Anthony Keegan, 33, in Ireland. 'They were both found murdered in 2014 and after the murder of the deceased persons the suspect then fled the country to South Africa'. Lawrence had never come to the attention of the Gardai before the double killing in 2014. In this photo illustration, a phone screen displays a photo of Elon Musk with the Twitter logo shown in the background, on Oct. 4, in Washington, DC. AFP-Yonhap The tumultuous saga of Elon Musk's on-again off-again purchase of Twitter took a turn toward a conclusion Tuesday after the mercurial Tesla CEO proposed to buy the company at the originally agreed-on price of $44 billion. Musk made the surprising turnaround not on Twitter, as has been his custom, but in a letter to Twitter that the company disclosed in a filing Tuesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It came less than two weeks before a trial between the two parties is scheduled to start in Delaware. In response, Twitter said it intends to close the transaction at $54.20 per share after receiving the letter from Musk. But the company stopped short of saying it's dropping its lawsuit against the billionaire Tesla CEO. Experts said that makes sense given the contentious relationship and lack of trust between the two parties. ''I don't think Twitter will give up its trial date on just Musk's word it's going to need more certainty about closing,'' said Andrew Jennings, professor at Brooklyn Law School, noting that the company may also be worried about Musk's proposal being a delay tactic. After all, he's already tried to unsuccessfully postpone the trial twice. Trading in Twitter's stock, which had been halted for much of the day pending release of the news, resumed trading late Tuesday and soared 22 percent to close at $52. Musk's proposal is the latest twist in a high-profile saga involving the world's richest man and one of the most influential social media platforms. Much of the drama has played out on Twitter itself, with Musk who has more than 100 million followers lamenting that the company was failing to live up to its potential as a platform for free speech and had too many bots. While some logistical and legal hurdles remain, Musk could be in charge of Twitter in a matter of days however long it takes him and his co-investors to line up the cash, said Ann Lipton, an associate law professor at Tulane University. A letter from Musk's lawyer dated Monday and disclosed by Twitter in a securities filing said Musk would close the merger signed in April, provided that the Delaware Chancery Court ''enter an immediate stay'' of Twitter's lawsuit against him and adjourn the trial scheduled to start Oct. 17. Eric Talley, a law professor at Columbia University, said he's not surprised by Musk's turnaround, especially ahead of a scheduled deposition of Musk by Twitter attorneys starting Thursday that was ''not going to be pleasant.'' The symbol for Twitter appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Oct. 4. AP-Yonhap Number 10 has not ruled out celebrity chef Jamie Oliver or independent think tanks being part of an 'anti-growth coalition' criticised by Liz Truss during her Tory conference speech. The Prime Minister this morning used her keynote address at the Birmingham conference to attack those who 'hold us back'. She called out Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the SNP, trade unions, 'vested interests dressed up as think-tanks' and environmental campaigners during her 40-minute speech to Tory members. The PM vowed to not let 'the anti-growth coalition to hold us back' as she pushes ahead with her agenda to boost the UK's sluggish economy. Ms Truss also insisted she would not use her premiership to tell the British public 'what to do, or what to think, or how to live your life'. She said this included 'how many two-for-one offers you buy at the supermarket'. Number 10 has not ruled out celebrity chef Jamie Oliver being part of an 'anti-growth coalition' criticised by Liz Truss The Prime Minister used her keynote address at the Tory conference to attack those who 'hold us back' After the PM's speech, her press secretary suggested there could be a scrapping of a planned ban of buy one, get one free offers. 'Youll have to wait for announcements on that,' he said. With Jamie Oliver supporting that ban, the press secretary was asked if the TV chef was part of the 'anti-growth coalition' outlined by Ms Truss. 'Im not going to name individuals,' he said. 'Obviously people are free to voice their opinion but the economy has not been growing as it should be for a very long time. 'Why is that? There are obviously some people who influence certain policy decisions which isnt conducive to growth.' The press secretary also did not rule out independent think tanks being part of the 'anti-growth coalition'. Asked which think tanks Ms Truss likes, he said: 'She obviously likes ones which are more on the centre-right of things.' During her conference speech, the PM vowed she would be 'challenging those who try to stop growth'. 'Labour, the Lib Dems and the SNP, the militant unions, the vested interests dressed up as think-tanks, the talking heads, the Brexit deniers and Extinction Rebellion and some of the people we had in the hall earlier,' she told Tory members. 'The fact is they prefer protesting to doing. They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions. 'They taxi from north London townhouses to the BBC studio to dismiss anyone challenging the status quo. 'From broadcast to podcast, they peddle the same old answers. Its always more taxes, more regulation and more meddling. 'Wrong, wrong, wrong.' A two-year-old child has been rushed to hospital after being found with head injuries outside a block of flats, with police surrounding the building. A police cordon has been put in place after the toddler was found by a man outside Whimbrel House, in Bootle, this morning. He put the child into the recovery position, staying with them while paramedics rushed to the scene in Liverpool. The child has now been taken to hospital, with a spokesperson for Merseyside Police stating that the injuries are 'not believed to be life threatening', the Liverpool Echo reported. A police cordon has been put in place after the toddler was found by a man outside Whimbrel House, in Bootle, this morning Emergency services were called out to the high-rise building at around 11.30pm today, after the child was found outside Emergency services were called out to the high-rise building at around 11.30pm today, after the child was found outside. 'We were called at 11:38 to an incident involving a young child aged two,' spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service told The Mirror. 'Two resources were sent, including an emergency ambulance. We took the child to hospital with a head injury.' Merseyside Police confirmed that an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances around the toddler's injury. A police cordon is in place, with officers and vehicles including a mobile police station at the scene. She said two police officers 'forced' their way in to accuse her of ' The journalist and mother was arrested on Monday by Surrey Police over the web content in Guildford home Advertisement Freedom of speech campaigners have branded the arrest of a gender-critical Catholic mother over a series of 'malicious' online posts 'a waste of time on trivial nonsense'. Caroline Farrow, a vicar's wife and mother-of-five, shared how two Surrey Police officers reportedly 'forced' their way into her home to detain her on Monday night. The row stems from a series of anonymous posts shared on forums on website Kiwi Farms in June. Mrs Farrow is accused of posting 'malicious' content and 'harassing' other users on the online platform. This afternoon Toby Young, General Secretary of the Free Speech Union told MailOnline: 'Police forces in England and Wales have been told by the Home Secretary and the head of the College of Policing to stop investigating Twitter spats and focus on crime. 'Unfortunately, it seems like Surrey Police didnt get the memo. If I was a Surrey resident whod been burgled and couldnt persuade the local police to do anything about it, Id be extremely angry that theyre wasting time on this trivial nonsense. 'Something has gone very, very wrong at Surrey Police. They need to get their priorities straight.' Earlier Maya Forstater, who famously won a test case ruling gender-critical views were a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act, called the arrest 'shocking'. Ms Farrow said it happened in the middle of preparing a roast dinner for her priest husband Robin and five children on Sunday, Ms Farrow also shared pictures of the moment Surrey Police officers arrived at her home to arrest her over her Twitter feed Caroline Farrow, a journalist and mother-of-five, shared a lengthy thread online detailing her experience with Surrey Police Women's Rights Campaigner Maya Forstater and Freedom of Speech Union General Secretary Tony Young both condemned it The row allegedly stems from a series of anonymous posts shared on forums on Kiwi Farms in June Two police officers are said to have demanded she join them for an interview under caution. She told how when she asked 'do you have a warrant', Ms Farrow claimed they replied 'We don't need one'. Photographs show one officer appearing to put his hand on the front door to stop her from closing it, and another shows her being searched outside. A spokesperson for Surrey Police said officers attended the address in Guildford as part of a probe into 'allegations of malicious communications and harassment' , adding that officers 'seized a number of electronic devices'. Temporary Detective Chief Inspector David Bentley said the devices had been seized as police continue to 'gather further evidence and carry out an investigation to prove or disprove the allegation'. Mrs Farrow has strenuously denied the accusations, explaining instead that she was playing the organ during Mass at the Holy Angels Church, Aldershot during the times the posts were made. She was previously the subject of a five-month police investigation in 2019 - after she was accused of calling a transgender woman a 'he' on Twitter. Speaking to GB news last night, Mrs Farrow said: 'I have been arrested for what was a twitter spat about gender issues.' She explained how the officers confiscated electronic devices, including some at her husband's parish office next door that her autistic daughter uses for home schooling. Mrs Farrow told of how she was also taken outside and searched before she was taken to a police station, where she was kept for several hours. She said: 'One minute I was making dinner for my kids and then next I was having my socks checked for drugs. This took up an entire shift. What an absolute waste of police's time. 'I was then shown other material that police were accusing me of sending. None of them were my doing.' Mrs Farrow was released under investigation in the early hours of Monday morning. Mrs Farrow later shared images purportedly showing her being frisked by officers in her driveway, claimed her electronic devices were seized and said she had to surrender her jewellery before being interviewed at a police station in Guildford. She tweeted: 'When read my rights and told that what I said could be used in evidence against me, I replied that women don't have an [aubergine emoji - often used online to refer to a penis].' Farrow, who works at the UK and Ireland director of Catholic campaigning website CitizenGo, said the whole ordeal had left her feeling 'harassed and anxious'. She tweeted: 'I know it's procedure, but one minute I am cooking some roast chicken for dinner, the next I am having my socks searched for drugs, because of 'insulting posts on the internet.' 'It's scary that the police can take someone's word for something and just come and arrest you. All they could say is 'we've had an allegation which needs to be investigated''. Sentences for those found guilty under the Malicious Communications Act can be as long as two years. Mrs Farrow, who once complained of her life being 'invaded and dominated by insane trans rights activists', has previously been publicly supported by Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Mrs Farrow is accused of posting 'malicious' content and 'harassing' other users on the online platform She has strenuously denied the allegations, explaining instead that she was playing the organ during Mass at the Holy Angels Church, Aldershot Mrs Farrow was investigated by the same police force in 2019 over allegations she had used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman. The Catholic campaigner, known for her deeply held religious views, and Susie Green, the head of transgender children's charity Mermaids, clashed on ITV's Good Morning Britain about Girl Guides allowing children who have changed gender to join the organisation. Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green's daughter Jackie 'him' instead of 'her' on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse. Five weeks later, Ms Green complained to police. One of Mrs Farrow's tweets read: 'What she did to her own son [the youngest person in the world to undergo transgender surgery] is illegal. She mutilated him by having him castrated and rendered sterile while still a child.' The four-month Surrey Police investigation into Mrs Farrow, which prompted much controversy when made public, was hastily dropped as it hurtled towards full-blown fiasco. A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: 'On Monday, October 3, officers attended an address in the Guildford area as part of an investigation into allegations of malicious communications (sending of indecent, grossly offensive messages, threats, or information) and harassment. 'A 48-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of both offences. 'A number of electronic devices were seized as potential evidence from this address under section 19 of PACE. Where an offence is alleged to have been committed on an electronic device, for example, it may hold a key piece of evidence and may routinely be seized during an investigation. 'The woman was taken to Guildford Police Station where she was interviewed. She has now been released under investigation and inquiries remain ongoing'. Temporary Detective Chief Inspector David Bentley said: 'There is significant commentary on social media around the perceived circumstances behind this investigation. 'We do not have the freedom of detailing every stage of our inquiries or the specifics of an allegation on social media as it is critical we do not pre-empt or prejudice any future proceedings at any stage. 'When we receive an allegation of a crime, in this instance one where a grossly offensive message is said to have been communicated, it is our job to assess it alongside any available evidence to identify if an offence has been committed. 'If it has, we gather further evidence and carry out an investigation to prove or disprove the allegation. That is exactly the process that is being followed in this case. 'The investigation into these allegations is very much ongoing and the relevant inquiries are being carried out. 'We have a duty to protect the integrity of an investigation, so we will not be providing a running commentary on this case.' Hounded by the thought police: How hate crime officers came knocking at the door of a devout Catholic who had misgendered a trans woman, but when she told them vile trolls had then threatened her family they did next to nothing As a schoolgirl, Caroline Farrow relished discussing politics and current affairs around the kitchen table with her family. Her parents, both teachers, encouraged robust debate and Caroline and her elder sister were precociously well informed. 'Freedom of speech and expression was drummed into us from an early age,' she says. She was ten in 1984, a landmark year when George Orwell's vision of a totalitarian future was revisited and reappraised. Catholic journalist Caroline Farrow, 44, was told by Surrey Police that she had to attend an interview under caution or face arrest after she used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman Her father explained the novel's concepts of Big Brother, Newspeak and the Thought Police, and Caroline was fascinated. 'But I remember thinking at the time that none of it could ever come true,' she says. Now 44, and a trenchant Catholic journalist, priest's wife and occasional TV commentator, Mrs Farrow was reminded of Orwellian themes last Monday when, in the middle of preparing dinner for her husband Robin and five children, a policewoman rang her at home with a startling demand. Mrs Farrow was told she must attend an interview under caution or face arrest because she had used the wrong pronoun to describe a transgender woman. Suddenly the dystopia described in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four began to feel all too real. Scarcely able to absorb what she was hearing, she felt, in sharp succession, disbelief, fear and anger. Anger because Mrs Farrow herself had been the victim of a cyber stalking campaign which, at its vile worst, made her fear for her family's safety but which, she says, police failed to take seriously. 'It's double standards. When the complaint involves the word transgender, police leap into action,' she says. 'Something has gone terribly wrong in this country.' In the event, the four-month Surrey Police investigation into Mrs Farrow, which prompted much controversy last week when made public, was hastily dropped as it hurtled towards full-blown fiasco. Following a TV debate with Susie Green, the head of trans rights charity Mermaids, Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green's daughter Jackie (pictured) 'him' instead of 'her' on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse Critics called the probe a waste of time and money at a time when officers are struggling with high levels of knife crime. The roots of the sorry affair appear to lie in a TV debate. Mrs Farrow, known for her deeply held religious views, and Susie Green, the head of trans rights charity Mermaids, clashed on ITV's Good Morning Britain about Girl Guides allowing children who have changed gender to join the organisation. Mrs Farrow later called Ms Green's daughter Jackie 'him' instead of 'her' on Twitter and said Mermaids promoted child abuse. Five weeks later, Ms Green complained to police. One of Mrs Farrow's tweets read: 'What she did to her own son [the youngest person in the world to undergo transgender surgery] is illegal. She mutilated him by having him castrated and rendered sterile while still a child.' Many might consider Mrs Farrow's choice of words unpleasant but she is unapologetic. She says: 'I deliberately used the words castration and mutilation to shock because what happens is shocking. I was trying to bring home the harsh reality of what she [Ms Green] did.' Jackie Green, who was born male and was once known as Jack, began taking puberty-blockers at 12, and went to Thailand aged 16 for reassignment surgery, which is now illegal for under-18s. Whatever one feels about the tweet's tone, Mrs Farrow is convinced most right-minded people would agree it wasn't criminal. As anger surfaced, Mrs Farrow was left facing a tirade of abuse on social media which made her fear for her family's safety 'Yes, it was strong language but I wanted to make people sit up. I wanted to get the country talking about this. So much is changing in our society. 'The notion of what it is to be a woman or a mother is being erased and rewritten by zealots. People are too scared to question what is going on. The tweets might possibly be spiteful but they were not intended to cause alarm or distress.' Which is why Mrs Farrow was stunned to receive the phone call from the police officer on Monday as she juggled preparing a meal of gammon, roast potatoes and vegetables for her children aged between four and 14 with overseeing homework and music practice. The message left on her voicemail said: 'Hello there, I'm calling from Guildford police station I need to have a chat with you about some tweets that have been sent.' Mrs Farrow says: 'My husband said, 'You know it's bound to be the trans stuff, you have been talking about this a lot lately and you know the lobbyists are looking to get you.' ' She spoke to the officer later that night. 'I pointed out that 'misgendering' wasn't a crime and that as a Catholic I believed that sex could not be changed. I explained that the country is in the middle of an ongoing national conversation about sex and gender, what it means to be male and female, and I was contributing to that in a professional capacity.' The officer reiterated that the CPS had 'authorised us to bring you in for a taped interview'. That night, managing only an hour's sleep, Mrs Farrow tried to make sense of what was happening. Naturally she feared the worst. Who would look after the children if she went to jail? She would be destroyed. Her husband would lose his job. The following morning, Mrs Farrow instructed a solicitor. She says: 'My lawyer said it seemed politically motivated but thought the case would be thrown out. 'He warned that I was likely to face a tough interview. What was happening felt so unjust, especially as over the past few months I have endured an unimaginable campaign of harassment, targeting not only me, but my entire family.' A very PC force's links to trans charity Flying the flag: Inspector David Harland calls himself a 'trans ally' Susie Greens powerful transgender lobby group has forged close links with a police force behind a series of hate crime investigations. West Yorkshire Police launched probes into an award-winning TV writer, a mother of four and a transsexual man following complaints from Mermaids. But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the force received training sessions from Mermaids, which supports medical intervention for transgender children. West Yorkshire Police has promoted Mermaids work, tweeting one of its leaflets. Mermaids has also advised Merseyside Police, NHS staff, social workers, the Scouts and student nurses. One West Yorkshire officer, Inspector David Harland, declared himself on social media to be a trans ally, adding that he was dedicated to doing all I can for the trans community. In February last year, West Yorkshire sent officers to Wiltshire to investigate a mother of four following a complaint by Ms Green. Echoing the Caroline Farrow case, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull was questioned on suspicion of a malicious communications offence after Ms Green reported her for tweeting that Ms Green had illegally castrated her son by allowing him to have sex change surgery in Thailand at 16. In April 2018, the force received another complaint, this time from Mermaid volunteer Helen Islan. She claimed that transsexual Miranda Yardley, who has had gender reassignment surgery, had outed Ms Islans transgender son by tweeting a picture of Ms Islan with her family, which included the child. West Yorkshire referred this incident to police in Essex, where Ms Yardley lives. In a third case, West Yorkshire officers gave Graham Linehan, co-creator of the hit TV comedy Father Ted, a verbal harassment warning when transgender activist Stephanie Hayden reported him for referring to her as he on Twitter. A force spokeswoman said it was committed to ensuring that anyone who feels targeted due to race, sexual orientation, religion, disability or gender identity is listened to. Advertisement It should be noted that her stalkers were motivated not by her views on transgender issues but in part by the tragic case of Alfie Evans, the baby at the centre of a legal battle last year over turning off his life support. It was a morally fraught case that aroused fierce debate, and Mrs Farrow joined the global campaign to keep him alive. Mrs Farrow often comments on social issues and her deeply held conservative religious views have made her many enemies on social media. Incensed by her intervention, opponents set up a blog solely for the purpose of attacking the journalist and her family. On May 3 last year, five days after Alfie's death, a Twitter account posted a link to her home address with the sinister message: 'If anyone fancies having a chat with the illustrious Mrs Farrow' Even more distressing, someone posted a link to her children's school. Many of the abusive messages were sexually degrading, referencing her Catholic faith. At one stage, trolls warned that their 'agents' were on their way to her village. Some of the most upsetting attacks involved her children and comments made about their appearance. Mrs Farrow says there were even attempts at extortion. 'I was ordered to delete all my social-media accounts and pay the LGBT lobby group Stonewall 1,000 if I wanted the blog to cease operation. 'They also got hold of our email addresses and set up accounts with pornographic websites in our name, and pictures. I had to cancel an order for 772 of sex toys.' On January 8 more than two months after Mrs Farrow made a formal complaint to police one of the suspected trolls was questioned. But Mrs Farrow was later told no action would be taken. 'I felt really let down. I have suffered so much with this, my mental health has deteriorated and I told the officer that this is the sort of thing that drives people to suicide. I was being hyperbolic, but then things turned nasty. 'The policeman said he needed to report me to social services because I said I was suicidal. Social services called a few weeks later and after chatting to me said I was fine and they would not take it further. 'Yet Susie Green makes a spurious complaint and, bingo, the police are straight on to me.' Surrey Police said Mrs Farrow's claims of harassment were fully investigated but 'we were unable to find evidence that meets the threshold for criminal proceedings'. Last Tuesday, the Farrows' 14-year-old daughter had a starring role in a school recital. Mrs Farrow says: 'I knew I was going to have to tell her [about the police interview] but I waited until after her concert. 'She burst into tears at the idea that I could face jail, but regained composure when I said that it was highly unlikely. 'I felt so guilty having to burden her with it and taint such a wonderful evening for her but I also knew that it wouldn't be fair for her to find out from friends.' The next day, Ms Green withdrew her complaint because she said she did not want to give Mrs Farrow a public 'platform'. Instead of contacting police, she announced her decision on a television show. Mrs Farrow believes police are only too willing to appease Ms Green and Mermaids, which she thinks is looking for a test case to codify misgendering into law. Hers is not the first transgender 'hate crime' police have pursued. So far none of them have ended with a successful prosecution. 'Orwell's novel was a cautionary tale and an example of why we always need to be thankful for and guard our freedoms,' says Mrs Farrow. 'I never once envisaged I would face jail for refusing to state that man cannot be woman.' Surrey Police said: 'We requested Caroline Farrow attend a voluntary interview to understand her intent in relation to the tweets. Details of this invitation were publicly shared and there has been criticism of our decision to investigate. 'We have been in contact with both parties as we have a duty of care towards both, and there was concern for their welfare as a result of publicity. The victim will withdraw her allegation and has explained her reasoning. Without the support of the victim, it's unlikely a criminal case could be brought.' He has been charged with murder and another DWI and his bond has been raised from $600,000 to $950,000 At the time of the alleged crime, Hernandez was still on probation for a 2020 DWI in Fort Bend County Hernandez then allegedly smirked and laughed before rolling back over the boy several times, stopping the car on his head An autistic six-year-old was murdered by a drunk driver on parole who reversed over the boy's head - then laughed at his grief-stricken grandpa, police said. Darien Lewis, six, of Houston, Texas, was allegedly killed by Pedro Alberto Hernandez, 52, also of Houston, on Saturday. Hernandez allegedly downed four beers before beginning the deadly car journey, and was on probation for a 2020 DWI charge at the time of the killing, KTRK reported. Lewis and his grandfather Dana Hubbard were walking down Leawood Boulevard to get a snack from a convenience store nearby when Hernandez struck the young boy in a parking lot near a laundromat. 'He came in on my left side and hit my grandson. That's how close he was to me,' Hubbard said. 'I was able to hit his car to let him know what happened. I ran around and I said: "You just hit my grandson." He stopped, he backed up, drove over my grandson again, and stopped his truck on his head.' Hubbard claimed the alleged murderer smirked and laughed while he did it because he 'thought it was funny.' The anguished grandpa was so upset he swung for Lewis. Darien Lewis, six, of Houston, Texas, (pictured with his grandfather) was allegedly killed by Pedro Alberto Hernandez, 52, also of Houston, on Saturday. Lewis, who was autistic, was walking to a nearby convenience store with his grandfather Dana Hubbard for an after dinner snack when he was struck several times Hernandez (pictured) reportedly laughed and smirked at the grandfather, who told him he had run over Lewis. The alleged murderer also reportedly admitted to police he had drunk four beers prior to the incident He reportedly rolled over Lewis' body several times before stopping the car on his head 'I swung out on him [when he exited the car],' Hubbard admitted. 'They let him get away,' the grandfather said of Hernandez, who admitted to police he had drunk four beers prior to the incident. 'The buck has to stop somewhere. Someone has to be held accountable for their actions. No more slap on the wrist.' The grandfather said it was hard to sit with the fact that the little boy, who was just learning to say more words, will never 'live out his full potential.' 'Knowing what he could have been, even though he was disabled,' he told ABC 13. Hernandez has been detained and charged with murder and a DWI of a third offense or more. On Tuesday, his bond was raised from $600,000 to $950,000. Hubbard wants his grandson to be remembered for having a kind heart. Lewis used to always wear a fedora and carry around a pink teddy bear, which now sits untouched on his grandfather's kitchen table. Lewis' grandfather wants his grandson to be remembered as being kindhearted and a good kid The little boy's cousin (left) is now wearing the fedora to honor Lewis, who always wore the hat The boy's pink bear that he carried around is now sitting untouched on the grandfather's table 'He was a loving and respectable child,' Hubbard said. 'He is a sweet little boy. He always gave everyone hugs.' Hernandez's wife has since spoken out and apologized to the family, but claimed he was not drinking prior to the accident. She told ABC 13 his car would not turn on without taking a breathalyzer. The family has set up a GoFundMe for Lewis' funeral costs. It has so far raised $3,150 of its $5,000 goal. Cannabis looks set to become legally available to millions more Americans within months, with broad support for changing federal law and ballot measures in five states in next months midterm elections. Voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota will in November decide whether to legalize weed for residents age 21 or older, changing the rules in states with a combined population of nearly 16 million. While efforts in Washington, D.C., to end the federal prohibition on marijuana have fizzled, polling released on Wednesday shows that three in five voters support a bill and want weed legalized nationwide. Still, experts warn against Americas speedy switch to legalizing cannabis, particularly for young people, and DailyMail.com has spoken with many parents who watched their children lose their minds and even their lives due to pot. A survey by Morning Consult/Politico released on Wednesday found that 60 percent of voters supported federal legalization, compared to 27 percent against. The results were similar to other surveys. Democrats were more in favor of legalization than Republicans; black voters were more in favor of a change than whites, and younger voters were more supportive than their elders. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, in July launched his long-awaited bill to decriminalize weed at the federal level and let states set their own rules but it made no progress in the chamber. The action has since turned to the states in which voters will next month choose whether to join the 19 that have already permitted recreational pot. A total of 38 states permit marijuana for medical use. If voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota backed adult-use, about half of the U.S. population would live in areas where the possession and use of pot are legal for adults. Support for legalization in Maryland is even stronger than the national average, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released on Wednesday 73 percent are in favor of letting over-21s get high. A demonstrator waves a flag with marijuana leaves on it during a protest calling for the legalization of pot, outside the White House in Washington, D.C. Legalizing pot and its psychoactive component THC is especially popular among younger Maryland voters, with 87 percent aged under 40 supporting the change. Michael Hanmer, the director of the University of Marylands Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement, which co-sponsored the poll, said it showed the high level of support and the diversity of support for legalization. Thats been the trend across the country, Hanmer told The Washington Post. People have really shifted their views across time on this issue, all pointing in the direction of being more supportive. A Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College poll of 835 likely Arkansas voters last month found that 58.5 percent supported legalization, with 29 percent against a 2-to-1 margin ahead of the states own ballot measure. Marijuana dispensary manager LeRoy Roybal of Santa Fe, New Mexico, preparing for the opening of the state's regulated pot market in April Pollster Roby Brock described support for the measure across a variety of demographics suggesting that opponents will have a tough time peeling off votes to defeat the proposal and that its passage was seemingly inevitable. Reports of polls in Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota suggest the votes will be closer in those three states. Dr Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, told DailyMail.com that young people using cannabis was a 'concern' In the coming years, voters in Oklahoma, Wyoming, Florida, Nebraska, and Ohio will also hold ballot measures on legalizing pot. Research firm BDSA projects legal cannabis sales to hit $30 billion this year, and $47.6 billion by 2026, surpassing the craft beer industry and sending windfall tax revenues into the coffers of permissive states. Experts say legalizing pot has led to it gaining acceptance in recent years, leading more people to try it. Stress from the Covid-19 pandemic has also driven up the number of users. The National Institute on Drug Abuse's (NIDA) annual survey in August found the number of under-30s using marijuana hit record levels last year which the agencys boss Dr Nora Volkow called a 'concern'. Experts describe a 'potential explosion' of underage cannabis use and raised the alarm over the weak oversight of the pot industry. The Weed World Candies truck in New York City, which has legalized recreational cannabis but not yet licensed dispensaries. Critics worry about products that appeal to teens, who could get hold of them via intermediaries Teens are more prone to addiction and dependency than adults, and greater availability and use means more cases of anxiety, depression, psychosis and even suicide. Pictured: child-friendly cannabis gummy packaging Kevin Sabet, a former White House drug advisor, noted how early legalizers of cannabis like Washington and Colorado had seen first hand the dangers of super-strength pot and a backlash has begun to restrict sales. I am not so pessimistic regardless of how North Dakota, Arkansas, and some other small states vote in November, Sabet, president of the campaign group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told DailyMail.com. In some ways, expediting legalization greatly expedites the backlash. The average cannabis joint is 4-5 times stronger than it was 50 years ago, with 20-25 percent THC potency, said Sabet. Concentrates and edibles are engineered to be more addicting by profit-seeking pot firms and are 100 percent potent, he added. Legalization implies that there is no risk with marijuana use, and we know that there is, said Sabet. The $30billion cannabis industry argues that taking the drug either smoking it, vaping it or as an edible can help relieve feelings of anxiety or depression, chronic pain, and even help fight addictions. The U.S. Cannabis Council, a major lobbying group, said legalization was widely supported, that pot was safe and could help addicts beat opioid and alcohol dependency. A man opens the door of the Weed World Store in New York City. The state in 2021 reached a deal to legalize recreational marijuana use for over 21s and opened a way for an almost $4.2bn industry that could create thousands of jobs Teenagers are lured by colorfully-packaged candy-like products that leave them vulnerable to higher rates of dependency, psychosis and school dropouts, researchers warn. Pictured: child-friendly cannabis gummy packaging But in states where pot has been legalized, many parents say their children have been sucked into an addiction spiral. They also raised concerns over a free-for-all market in which super-strength cannabis products are sold in cartoon-covered packaging. Mary Maas, 57, from Washington, which legalized weed in 2012, told DailyMail.com how her son Adam, 26, spiraled into a devastating addiction to super-strength pot products worlds apart from the 'Woodstock weed' she recalls from the 1960s. Now, she looks at the potent oils, vapes, dabs, drinks and gummies sold at a growing number of dispensaries, as well as the down-and-outs living in tents under Seattle's I-5 highway, and urges other states to heed Washington's lessons. 'They'd better watch out,' she said. Adam Maas, 26, with his family in Washington. Mom Mary, 57, describes her 'straight-A student' getting hooked on super-strength cannabis products and ending up delusional, jobless and sleeping rough in Seattle An 81-year-old man jailed for life for murdering his lover and their young son more than 45 years ago intends to appeal against his conviction. William MacDowell was sentenced to life in prison last week with a recommendation that he serves a minimum of 30 years for killing Renee and Andrew MacRae in November 1976. Following a trial at the High Court in Inverness, he was also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of their bodies and personal effects. Police have never found the bodies of the 36-year-old mother or her three-year-old son. A notice to appeal against MacDowells conviction and sentence has now been lodged at the appeal court in Edinburgh, a court official confirmed. William MacDowell with his wife Rosemary at Inverness court before he was sentenced to serve at least 30 years in jail MacDowell, 80, was found guilty of murdering 36-year-old Renee MacRae (left) and their son Andrew (right) at a layby south of Inverness on November 12, 1976 During the trial, the court heard MacDowell, of Penrith, Cumbria, killed or abducted Mrs MacRae and their son in a layby on the A9 near Dalmagarry, south of Inverness, on November 12, 1976. Their disappearance was one of the longest unsolved murder cases in Scottish criminal history. MacDowell had lodged two special defences - one of alibi and the other of incrimination. It comes after Mrs MacRae's sister, Morag Govans, appealed directly to MacDowell to break his silence. 'The passage of time has not eased the anguish we feel, we have never been able to lay Renee and Andrew to rest or properly mourn their loss. Not knowing where their remains lie only compounds the pain. 'Thinking of the terror they both must have felt before they died continues to haunt us. A Northern Police appeal poster from late 1976. For decades the case was Scotland's most baffling unsolved murder mystery 'We will never comprehend why their lives had to be taken in such a calculated and callous manner by William MacDowell. If he has a shred of decency in his body, he will now reveal where they both lie.' MacDowell was arrested in September 2019 after an extensive review and re-investigation carried out by detectives from Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team and local officers, building on decades of work carried out since 1976. The enquiry also involved a major operation in 2019 to drain and forensically search Leanach Quarry near Inverness for evidence. This involved removing more than 100,000 tonnes of material, with more than 5,000 tonnes subject to a thorough search by specialist officers over a five month period. However, no evidence was found at the site. The former chief curator for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was forced to step down after a Black-art expert that she brought in turned on her and branded her experience with the museum as 'the most racist professional experience of' her life. A new retelling of the events published by The Atlantic shares the story of how Nancy Spector, a well respected curator who worked for the New York institution for decades, was scapegoated and deemed a 'racist' in the public eye. Spector, however, had been cleared of wrongdoing, especially pertaining to racist acts or words against her peers, by an independent investigation. In 2016, after curating an art exhibit featuring Jean-Michel Basqiat's painting, 'Defacement,' Chaedria LaBouvier was reached out to by Spector, who wanted to curate a new exhibit which would include the painting. Spector (left) and LaBouvier's allegedly contentious relationship first began in 2016 Jean-Michel Basquiat's 'Defacement,' also called 'The Death of Michael Stewart,' is the artwork that started the years long saga between Spector and LaBouvier 'Defacement' became famous for its depiction of the death of Michael Stewart, a Black man who died in police custody after being arrested by New York City Police officers over alleged graffiti. Spector helped LaBouvier, opening the door to the highly exclusive art world. The former chief curator for the Guggenheim took LaBouvier under her wing, mentoring her on the ins and outs of the work. The relationship helped LaBouvier to create a definitive name for herself in the art world. Spector, a 34 year veteran with the Guggenheim, resigned in 2020 despite an investigation revealed that she had not acted out of turn with LaBouvier Less than five years later, however, Spector was out at the Guggenheim and LaBouvier was referring to her as Amy Cooper, the white woman dubbed 'Central Park Karen' for calling the police on a Black man who was bird watching. The real issues began when LaBouvier submitted an essay proposal for the exhibit, which Spector and members of her staff said was not up to par. Spector told her that major chunks of the essay would need to be revised for various reasons. The group said her work was 'poorly written.' LaBouvier was insulted and even attempted to persuade those involved in the projects to back out. The Black-art curator said that Spector suggested that she help to rewrite it and co-author it. 'I said f**k no & fought back,' LaBouvier later said in a tweet. The Guggenheim is one of the most famous museums in the world, bringing in millions of visitors each year The woman, insulted, then allegedly attempted to persuade artists in the catalogue to withdraw from the project. Her actions caused Guggenheim officials to renegotiate her fee. The museum also ended up giving her sole credit. LaBouvier said that her time with the institution was toxic for other reasons as well, however. In an interview with The New York Times in 2019, LaBouvier said that while she herself experienced so-called troubles with the museum, she hopes it will be better for those that come after her. I think it will be better for the black curators coming after me,' LaBouvier said. 'For instance, if I didnt review something, that meant that no person of color looked at that document or process. And certainly it felt at times that there was an expectation that I would just be grateful to be in the room. LaBouvier at one point allegedly brought guests to a private after-hours tour of the Guggenheim exhibit and did not warn Spector or security about the guests In 2020, when the Guggenheim posted a black square square on social media on 'Blackout Tuesday' following George Floyd's death, LaBouvier called out the museum. 'Get the entire f**k out of here. I am Chaedria LaBouvier, the first Black curator in your 80 year history & you refused to acknowledge that while also allowing Nancy Spector to host a panel about my work w/o inviting me. Erase this shit,' she tweeted in 2020. LaBouvier claimed in a Twitter thread following her initial post that Spector tried to 'co-opt' her work with the Guggenheim. The Black art curator's thread sparked major outrage and turned a major crowd against the longtime Guggenheim employee. Less than one month after the woman's accusatory Twitter thread, the museum brought in an outside group to conduct an investigation into Spector. The veteran art curator went on a three-month 'sabbatical' while the investigation was being done. A Better Guggenheim, an organization dedicated to holding those within the museum accountable, looked into allegations of racial biases from Spector Along with the allegations from LaBouvier, a Better Guggenheim, a group organized to hold Guggenheim officials accountable, officials looked into other potential instances of racial biases. One anonymous person accused Spector of praising a security guard for their 'wonderful Caribbean lilt,' pertaining to their singing voice. Additionally, investigators looked into a situation in which Spector allegedly confused two East Asian female staff members. In October 2020, the results of an independent investigation into the accusations put forth LaBouvier found 'no evidence that Ms. LaBouvier was subject to adverse treatment on the basis of her race.' Other instances of potential racial biases were brought up during the investigation but found to be essentially baseless. Spector was a staple inside the New York City art museum, devoting the better part of her life to the Guggeinheim Kramer Levin, the law firm in charge of the investigation, reportedly examined thousands of pieces of evidence. Investigators also spoke with staff members at the museum. LaBouvier, however, did not speak with Kramer Levin. The art curator said at the time that it was 'not safe to do so.' Just hours later, the board for the Guggenheim revealed that Spector was resigning after 34 years with the New York City staple. The embarrassment for Spector didn't end there, though. Highly publicized coverage of LaBouvier's accusations cost Spector friends and her reputation. DailyMail.com reached out to Spector for comment but did not receive a reply by the time of publication. Vladimir Putin has promoted his feared crony Ramzan Kadyrov to Colonel-General amid rumours of a senior new war role for the brutal Chechen leader. The Kremlin loyalist boasted in video that he had been 'personally congratulated' by the Russian despot, amid fears the warlord could be poised for even greater responsibility in Ukraine. Kadyrov, who has been one of the biggest cheerleaders of Putin's invasion, has claimed he is the West's top bogeyman, with more sanctions than even North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. In recent days his security agents have been exposed as ordering the husbands of anti-war women protesters to beat them as punishment. Male relatives were sent to the conflict in Ukraine in vengeance. Previously Kadyrov was a Lt-General in the Russian national guard, one of the military forces engaged in Putin's Ukrainian invasion Vladimir Putin has promoted his feared crony Ramzan Kadyrov to Colonel-General amid rumours of a senior new war role for the brutal Chechen leader The Kremlin loyalist boasted in video that he had been 'personally congratulated' by the Russian despot He also claimed he was sending three of his underage sons - Akhmat, Eli, and Adam, aged 16, 15, and 14 respectively - to fight on the frontline in Ukraine. Rumours say he wants to oust defence minister Sergei Shoigu and take on the job or play some other commander's role. 'Putin's foot-soldier became a Colonel-General today - order number 709,' he said. 'The president personally congratulated me. 'I give my word I will honour this trust. 'This is an advance for me.' Previously Kadyrov was a Lt-General in the Russian national guard, one of the military forces engaged in Putin's Ukrainian invasion. In recent days his security agents have been exposed as ordering the husbands of anti-war women protesters to beat them as punishment Rumours say he wants to oust defence minister Sergei Shoigu and take on the job or play some other commander's role Kadyrov has been ultra-critical of the defence ministry's war strategy and evidently believes Putin is now listening. He has also personally recruited tens of thousands of 'volunteers' to fight in Putin's war. 'We will do everything to quickly finish the special operation,' he said. 'There is no war without casualties. This is war. 'What are men born for.?' He posted: 'Your Ramzan is now a Colonel-General -for the evil of his enemies, and the joy of his friends. 'We will destroy terrorism, satanism and the like.' After protests in Chechnya last month, one man, Adam Muradov, who was 'forced to beat his wife', and whose son Valid, 18, was subsequently sent to the war, is reported to have died of a heart attack. Up to 130 men were told that if they did not bear their wives, Kadyrov's police would do so. Kadyrov has been ultra-critical of the defence ministry's war strategy and evidently believes Putin is now listening He boasts about Western sanctions, claiming he has more than President Alexander Lukashenko and Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad, he said neither had been sanctioned so much by the West. 'I have even left the North Korean leader behind, while they have made movies about him in Hollywood,' said Kadyrov. He is suspected in the West of ordering a string of extra-judicial killings outside Russia, accusations he strongly denies. He is also accused of human rights abuses and torture against his political opponents and gay activists. Brushing aside Russian and international law, he said his three sons Akhmat, Eli, and Adam were 'ready to use their skills in the [war] zone. 'And I'm not kidding. 'It's time to show themselves in a real fight, and I only welcome their desire. 'Soon they will go to the front line and will be on the most difficult sections of the contact line.' Kadyrov, 45, has 14 children - including two adopted - and is in polygamous relationships with three wives. Four Russian fighter jets were intercepted and forced to return to base after they infringed on Polish air space, according to Italy's air force. Aeronautica Militare announced that the squadron took off from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, and flew an aggressive path which took them through Polish skies - though the post did not specify when the infringement occurred. The offending jets then continued over the Baltic Sea before heading towards Sweden. Italy quickly scrambled four Eurofighter Typhoon jets in response which took off from Poland's Malbork air base and intercepted the Russian aircraft, 'forcing' them to return back to Kaliningrad. The air force said the Russian jets also infringed on Swedish air space, but this claim was denied by the Swedish Armed Forces' press service which said Putin's aircraft were merely over international waters. Rome's planes were stationed in Poland as part of NATO air policing mission this summer. Poland is a long-time member of NATO having joined in 1999, while Sweden earlier this year applied for membership to the security bloc alongside Nordic neighbour Finland. The unsettling sortie by Russia's fighter jets comes as fighting continues to rage in eastern and southern Ukraine, with Russian president Vladimir Putin having made a series of nuclear threats to the West as his troops retreat in the face of Ukrainian counteroffensives. Eurofighter Typhoon jets are pictured preparing for take-off to intercept Russian jets that had infringed on Polish airspace according to Italy's air force Italy's air force announced that the squadron took off from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and said Eurofighters were dispatched to intercept them Kaliningrad is a Russian province which lies between Poland and Lithuania Italian jet fighters are currently stationed in Poland as part of the Baltic Air Policing operation, which is an expression of the solidarity of NATO countries with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, i.e. those countries of the Alliance that do not have their own military aviation. Permanent air policing is a mandatory procedure, so in this case the task of guarding the sky is shared by NATO allies who take turns running operations on three-month rotations. Kaliningrad is a Russian province which lies between Poland and Lithuania. It was founded in 1255 as Koenigsberg, capital of East Prussia and remained a German city for centuries until it was captured by Stalin's Red Army during WWII. The Soviet Union renamed the city Kaliningrad in 1946 and later evicted its German population, claiming the territory as its own. The exclave is now home to almost a million Russians and is a heavily militarised region. Putin earlier this year threatened to send nuclear weapons to Kaliningrad while Russian officials warned of 'consequences with a serious negative impact' to the population of Lithuania after the EU and NATO member state decided to block Moscow from sending EU-sanctioned goods to the isolated Russian territory. Italian jet fighters are currently stationed in Poland as part of the Baltic Air Policing operation Russia in August deployed several MiG-31-K fighter jets armed with Kinzhal hypersonic missiles - which can be equipped with nuclear warheads - to its European exclave of Kaliningrad It is unclear which kind of Russian planes prompted the Eurofighters to intervene earlier today, but Moscow's defence ministry announced in August that several MiG-31 fighter jets were dispatched to Kaliningrad. The specially modified MiG-31K variants can carry Kinzhal or 'Dagger' hypersonic missiles, which can be armed with nuclear warheads and fly at 12 times the speed of sound. Kaliningrad's location has put it in the forefront of Moscow's efforts to counter what it described as NATO's hostile policies. The Kremlin has methodically bolstered its military forces there, arming them with state-of-the-art weapons, including precision-guided Iskander missiles and an array of air defence systems. Meanwhile in Ukraine, Russia's frontline continues to collapse, particularly in the southern region of Kherson with dozens of towns liberated in a matter of hours, according to sources on both sides of the conflict. Kyiv said its troops are 'confidently advancing to the sea' as videos showed the city of Davydiv Brid under their control along with a clutch of smaller settlements in the surrounding countryside. Pro-Russian military bloggers said their forces had retreated around 10 miles down the Dnipro River as the entire northern end of their territory west of the river fell into Ukrainian hands. It comes just days after President Vladimir Putin declared the Kherson region - along with three others - to be part of Russia, vowing they would belong to Moscow 'forever'. A Texas inmate at the center of a legal battle over religious rights of those facing execution in the United States was put to death on Wednesday for the murder of a convenience store clerk. John Henry Ramirez was pronounced dead at 6.41pm local time in the state's death chamber in Huntsville, where he planned to have his Christian pastor lay hands on him and audibly pray as he died by lethal injection. Ramirez, 38, was sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of Pablo Castro in Corpus Christi in 2004. Ramirez in his final words told the Castro family that he hoped his execution would help them find closure. 'I have regret and remorse, this is such a heinous act,' Ramirez said, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 'I hope this finds you comfort, if this helps you then I am glad. I hope in some shape or form this helps you find closure. 'To my wife, my friends, my son, grasshopper, Dana and homies, I love y'all. Just know that I fought a good fight, and I am ready to go. I am ready, Warden.' No other details about Wednesday's execution were released. John Henry Ramirez was pronounced dead at 641pm in the state's death chamber in Huntsville, where he planned to have his Christian pastor lay hands on him and audibly pray as he died by lethal injection Ramirez, 38, was sentenced to death for the fatal stabbing of Pablo Castro in Corpus Christi in 2004. The store clerk would have turned 62-years-old, had he been still alive. Prior to his death in 2004, Castro had nine kids (pictured with one of them) Castro was brutally murdered in 2004 while taking out the trash and getting in an altercation with one of the two women that Ramirez was with The execution took place seven months after the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Ramirez's favor in his case against the state of Texas, which rejected his request for pastoral touch and prayer while he dies. The decision bolsters the religious rights of condemned inmates. The Ramirez case centered on religious protections under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and a 2000 federal law that requires officials to show a compelling interest to deny a prisoner's religious-based request and to do so using the least restrictive means. Texas defended its position by emphasizing its need to maintain security during the execution. Outsiders touching inmates in the execution chamber could inadvertently disrupt intravenous lines, and audible prayer could interfere with officials' ability to monitor for signs of distress, the state said. The Supreme Court (pictured) ruled in a 8-1 vote that Ramirez can have his pastor 'pray over' and touch him during his execution even though the state of Texas refused to consider the convict's request Ramirez was sentenced to death in 2008 for the murder of Castro, a father of nine who worked nights at a convenience store in the southern Texas city of Corpus Christi. Seeking money to buy drugs, Ramirez stabbed Castro 29 times and made off with $1.25 on July 19, 2004, prosecutors said. Ramirez has been a member of the Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. Pastor Dana Moore has regularly driven about 300 miles (480 km) north to Livingston to pray with Ramirez in prison. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Bill Berkrot) An image of Elon Musk is seen on a smartphone placed on printed Twitter logos. Reuters-Yonhap Elon Musk has gotten into a Twitter tussle with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the tech billionaire floated a divisive proposal to end Russia's invasion. The Tesla CEO, who on Tuesday revived a $44 billion deal to take control of Twitter, argued in a tweet that to reach peace Russia should be allowed to keep the Crimea Peninsula that it seized in 2014. He also said Ukraine should adopt a neutral status, dropping a bid to join NATO following Russia's partial mobilization of reservists. Musk also crossed red lines for Ukraine and its supporters by suggesting Monday that four regions Russia is moving to annex following Kremlin-orchestrated ''referendums'' denounced by the West as a sham should hold repeat votes organized by the United Nations. Musk noted Crimea was part of Russia until it was given to Ukraine under the Soviet Union in 1950s and said that a drawn-out war will likely not end in a resounding Ukrainian victory. These positions are anathema for Zelenskyy, who considers them pro-Kremlin. The Ukrainian leader has pledged to recover all the terrain conquered in the war and considers Crimea as Ukraine's to reclaim as well. Musk also launched a Twitter poll asking whether ''the will of the people'' should decide if seized regions remain part of Ukraine or become part of Russia. In a sarcastic response, Zelenskyy posted a Twitter poll of his own asking ''which Elon Musk do you like more?": ''One who supports Ukraine'' or ''One who supports Russia.'' Musk replied to Zelenskyy that ''I still very much support Ukraine, but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.'' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, alongside Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, right, and the head of Verkhovna Rada (Supreme Council of Ukraine) Ruslan Stefanchuk, holds an application for ''accelerated accession to NATO'' in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sept. 30. AP Two Just Stop Oil activists who glued their hands to the frame of the copy of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper denied causing 180 worth of criminal damage today. The words 'No New Oil' were spray-painted in white letters onto the red plinth under the vast painting at the Royal Academy (RA) in central London on July 5. Extinction Rebellion co-founder Simon Bramwell, 50, and Caspar Hughes, 51, appeared at Westminster Magistrates court while art student Jessica Agar, 22, ex-teacher Lucy Porter, 47, and community organiser Tristan Strange, 40, were unable to attend due to the rail strike. Bramwell and Hughes denied criminal damage while the plea hearing for the other three was put back until November 2. Prosecutor Sudara Weerasena said the damage relates to some markings left by the glue they used to attach themselves to the frame. Simon Bramwell at Westminster Magistrates Court. Mr Bramwell is accused of being part of the Stop Oil protest Caspar Hughes at Westminster Magistrates Court. Mr Hughes is accused of being part of the Stop Oil protest who glued their hands to the copy of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper Protesters from Just Stop Oil glue their hands to the frame of a copy of The Last Supper at the Royal Academy Extinction Rebellion co-founder Simon Bramwell (left) was among those involved today, along with fellow XR activist Caspar Hughes (centre). Just Stop Oil also named a further protester as Jessica Agar (right), 21, an art student from Hereford Bramwell told the court today: 'I'm going to be a bit of a headache for you representing myself and I was also going to ask this court if the case could be dismissed in itself as its not in the public interest 'My defence is that our protest is due to the fact that at the present time our current laws are inadequate to deal with the crisis as the scale of crisis is currently engulfing humanity.' Bramwell, of Wokingham, Berks, Hughes, of Exeter, Agar, of Hereford, Porter, of Leeds, and Strange of Swindon, will stand trial at City of London Magistrates Court on 6 December. The charge alleges that without lawful excuse they 'damaged the frame to a copy of "The Last Supper" to the value of 180 belonging to The Royal Academy of Art intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged.' Protesters from Just Stop Oil glue their hands to the frame of a copy of The Last Supper at the Royal Academy in London today Leonardo da Vinci created The Last Supper between 1492 and 1497-48, and the RA's full-size copy of it was painted by one or more of his pupils. The RA copy - which is attributed to Giampietrino and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio - is believed to be the most accurate record of the original and was painted in around 1515-20. The oil on canvas painting is about 3020mm x 7850mm, which makes it slightly smaller than the original. During the summer JSO activists attached themselves to a 19th-century landscape by Horatio McCulloch called My Heart's In The Highlands which hangs in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. They also glued themselves to Vincent Van Gogh's 1889 work Peach Trees in Blossom at The Courtauld gallery in London. Arrests were also made after two activists glued themselves onto the frame of John Constable's the Hay Wain at the National Gallery on Monday and covered it with a reimagined scene of the destruction that climate change could cause to the landscape. The campaigners are calling for the Government to halt new oil and gas licences in the UK and for the directors, employees, and members of art institutions to join the JSO protests. The Ukrainian refugee dumped by her British lover after he left his partner and two children for her has arrived back in the war-torn country. Sofiia Karkadym, 22, still tearful after her break-up with security guard Tony Garnett, has been reduced to tears again after she witnessed the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier killed by Russian troops as she travelled home by bus. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from her home in Kolomyia, south of Lviv, she said: My country needs peace and so do I.' The 22-year-old who began an affair with British father-of-two Tony 10 days after moving into his home with his two children and partner, was greeted by her elderly grandmother in Western Ukraine after a 24-hour journey by car, plane, bus and train which began in Bradford on Monday. Strolling through the streets of her hometown, close to the Prut River, she added: I am happy to be home. I miss Tony a lot, but I dont want to cry over Tony anymore. I feel as comfortable as I can be while the Russians are in my country. . . I felt better when I got to Ukraine and able to speak my own language. Sofiia Karkadym, 22, is back in Ukraine after her romance with Tony faltered and she went back Sofiia Karkadym, 22, stands alone on the corner of a road after returning to Ukraine today Goodbye: Sofiia Karkadym, 22, (left) still tearful after her break-up with security guard Tony Garnett (right), boarded a plane home from Manchester Airport on Monday In the early stages of their fling, the pair were blissfully happy and even talked about marriage and spending the rest of their lives together. But the romance turned cold after a series of arguments which he said were caused by her drinking strong beer and throwing temper tantrums. Mr Garnett is pictured at the airport on Monday But I was scared when I arrived in Lviv because an alarm went off at the train station. And people thought there maybe some sort of attack by the Russians. I can feel that my country is in depression because of the war and everything that is going on globally. When I was on the bus I saw the funeral of a soldier. I began to cry again when I saw that. It really brought it back to me of what is going on here. Ukrainians are being murdered and our soldiers are being as brave as any. My grandmother, who is an artist, cooked for me my favourite buckwheat and meat chops and has given me so much love. She said she would be spending a week with her grandmother before travelling to Kyiv to meet her mother and sister. But she added : People are saying here that Russia is soon going to attack government buildings in Kyiv and my grandmother is scared about my trip to Kyiv and saying that I should call my mother here instead. The now ex-lovers struck up an affair 10 days after she arrived at the home of Mr Garnett (left) and his partner Lorna Garnett (right). Ms Karkadym had fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine Ms Karkadym admitted that she found the fact difficult that Mr Garnett could not have more children (he has had a vasectomy) and that he already had two kids with his ex-partner, who he regularly talked fondly about. The former couple are pictured together The situation here is not positive. People who say that half of Ukraine is safe, have no real idea about that and cannot be sure. It is dangerous and uncertainty is everywhere. Sofiia and Tony went through an acrimonious break-up after a four-month relationship. Sofiia was arrested twice at the rented house they shared in Bradford, West Yorkshire. On the first occasion she was detained after Mr Garnett alleged she had rammed a knife into a kitchen wall while drunk. She was held a second time after turning up at his address again despite police warnings to keep away. But after Tony, 30, told police he did not want to see her charged, she was released. She said she and her ex-boyfriend are on better terms and she hoped they could renew their relationship when she returns to the UK. I love him and I am happy that everything has calmed down and we are talking again He is a very nice man. If he didnt care for me, then he would not have taken me to the airport and made sure that I got on the plane safely. Relationships are very hard work. Its not just about showing your friends how handsome your boyfriend is. There was a lot going on behind what people saw. We were going through public judgements and pressures, some manipulation from his ex partner and he wasnt allowed to see or call his children for three months. Sofiia, who said she had her jaw broken by a previous boyfriend in Ukraine, claimed that memory combined with the horror of seeing her country invaded together badly affected her. I had some symptoms of PTSD after everything what happened in my past. It was also hard for me to get used to a different country and language. Sofiia, who has a BSC degree in computer science, added : All of this caused arguments between us over the last month. I think now that Tony and I have the time and space to think about everything maybe we can understand how important we were for each other just when we lost it. Tony told MailOnline today at his home in Bradford: I dont really want to say anything more about Sofiia. I can tell you Im glad that Sophia is safe back in Ukraine. We are still mates. And it will be good to see her again if and when she comes back. A former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder who was found hanging three months after he lost support from a specialist veteran's charity was 'upset' when the service ended, an inquest has heard. Alan Forcer, 40, had been treated by the Combat Stress (CS) charity but was told the service was being redesigned and that he would be transferred to an NHS group for veterans. The father-of-three, from Hartlepool, joined the Army at 16 and served in Northern Ireland, but, after a distressing tour of Kosovo, he was eventually discharged around the age of 18. He went missing from his current partner's home in Hartlepool in May 2020 and his body was eventually found by police in woodland near Stockton-on-Tees. Alan Forcer, 40, was found hanging in woodland three months after he lost support from a specialist veteran's charity Stewart McKay, CS deputy head of operations in Scotland, told the inquest at Teesside Magistrates' Court that Mr Forcer had been supported by the charity from 2017. The former Household Cavalryman had been treated at the charity's Scottish hub, Hollybush House, going on a residential course after seeing an occupational therapist. Mr McKay nursed Mr Forcer himself and said the ex-soldier had been due to start an anger management course, but in 2020 he was told the service was being redesigned. The Scottish Government continued to fund treatment for Scottish veterans, but English former soldiers like Mr Forcer were assigned treatment with the Veterans' Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service (Tils) service run by the NHS. The 40-year-old joined the Army aged 16, serving in Northern Ireland with the Scots Guards and in Kosovo with the Irish Guards in 1998 Mr McKay, via a video-link, told the hearing: 'There was no dispute. Alan understood the service was removed; he was obviously upset about it, which was understandable.' Asked how Mr Forcer felt about transferring to Tils, Mr McKay said: 'I think Alan was reluctant to open up again and have to start his story again with a different service.' He also recalled working with Mr Forcer, saying: 'He had a wicked sense of humour, he loved his fishing and he talked about his family very fondly.' The inquest was adjourned to November 18 when a final witness will be available. For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org. JK Rowling has challenged transgender television presenter India Willoughby to sue her in a Twitter spat after she blasted celebrities for backing the trans children's charity Mermaids. The Harry Potter author yesterday took a thinly veiled swipe at Emma Watson and other celebrities who backed the charity after a trustee quit over revelations he spoke at an 'academic' conference hosted by an organisation that promotes services to paedophiles. Mermaids trustee Dr Jacob Breslow presented research at an event in Baltimore in 2011, which appeared to criticise societal understanding of paedophiles, while the charity also recently came under fire amid accusations of giving chest-flattening devices to young girls against their parents' wishes. Ms Rowling said the charity had achieved unprecedented influence in the UK with the help of 'certain corporations and celebrities' who boosted them despite 'red flags'. But Ms Willougby slammed the author, tweeting: 'Someone really needs to take legal action against JK Rowling. 'This is off the scale. The GC tactic seems to be to drown the trans charity Mermaids in a tsunami of innuendo and lies - throw a stack of mud, some of it will stick.' But Ms Rowling responded that she would be the first to sign any petition against her. She responded: 'India, I swear to God, if you want to start a petition for Mermaids to take me on in court, the first signature will be mine.' Celebrities who have publicly backed Mermaids include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry Potter star Emma Watson and Jameela Jamil. JK Rowling has hit out at celebrities who backed Mermaids for a second time this week, after previous criticism last month Dr Jacob Breslow sensationally quit as a trustee of transgender children's charity Mermaids after it emerged he had spoken at an 'academic' conference hosted by an organisation that promotes services to paedophiles India Willoughby (pictured) slammed the author, tweeting: 'Someone really needs to take legal action against JK Rowling' Transgender charity Mermaids has been mired in controversy in recent months and has been criticised by JK Rowling The Twitter spat comes after a series of tweets on Tuesday evening in which Ms Rowling wrote: 'We've now learned that Mermaids appointed a paedophilia apologist as Trustee and that their online moderator encouraged kids to move onto a platform notorious for sexual exploitation. This is a charity that's achieved unprecedented influence in the UK. 'They couldn't have achieved it without the money and public support of certain corporations and celebrities, who eagerly boosted them even though the red flags have been there for years. Mermaids' fingers were all over the Tavistock Gender Identity Clinic debacle. 'They've been allowed into classrooms, trained police and had unprecedented influence over health policy, even though by their own admission they aren't a medical charity. We've also found out they're sending devices to flatten breasts to underage girls w/o parental consent. 4/5 'So I don't doubt that there are some panicky phone calls being placed to PR people by certain corporations and celebrities right now, but as they remain completely insulated from the severe harm they've enabled, my sympathy can be measured in gnats' thimbles. 5/X' Her comments came after Dr Jacob Breslow sensationally quit on Monday night. Dr Jacob Breslow, who at the time was a PhD student in gender research at the London School of Economics, presented his research at an event in Baltimore for the American-based B4U-ACT in 2011. B4U-ACT lists its aims as supporting and promoting 'a science-informed understanding about people in our communities with an attraction to children or adolescents' on its own website. Emma Watson tweeted in 2020 that she had donated to Mermaids and encouraged others to do the same JK Rowling hit out at celebrities who 'eagerly boosted' the charity which has been hit by controversy Dr Breslow's presentation, titled Sexual Alignment: Critiquing Sexual Orientation, The Pedophile, and the DSM V, appears to criticise societal understanding of paedophiles. The research promises 'major revisions on how paedophilia is defined, diagnosed and understood' and says it will approach the topic through 'queer and feminist lenses'. His presentation, in parts, also adopts the controversial phrase 'minor attracted persons', which is used by some people instead of paedophile. B4U-ACT describes itself as a group with a 'unique collaborative effort between minor-attracted people and mental health professionals to promote communication and understanding between the two groups'. Breslow's research paper promises 'major revisions on how paedophilia is defined, diagnosed and understood' and says it will approach the topic through 'queer and feminist lenses' JK Rowling previously called out celebrities who had supported the charity without doing 'due diligence' It hosted a 'scientific symposium' in Maryland in August 2011, with concern raised over how paedophilia was addressed by American academic journals at the time. The Times yesterday reported Dr Breslow, who works for LSE's Department of Gender Studies, was made a trustee of Mermaids in July 2022. The transgender charity, which has been mired in controversy in recent months and has been criticised by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, told the newspaper it was unaware of his appearance at the 2011 conference. Mermaids was last week facing scrutiny from regulators after they were accused of giving chest-flattening devices to young girls against their parents' wishes. The Charity Commission has confirmed they are 'assessing' safeguarding concerns raised about Mermaids after an investigation also led to claims they were giving out medical advice on puberty blockers without the relevant training. Mermaids staff allegedly offered to send a breast binder to a girl they believed was only 14 after being told she was banned from using one by her mother. According to the investigation by the Daily Telegraph, the charity has been offering binders to children as young as 13 despite their parents saying they oppose the practice. JK Rowling previously slammed celebrities and organisations who had publicly backed the charity without doing their 'due diligence' as other critics called for an official probe into their practices. An investigation is ongoing and Sha has yet to be booked into jail An autopsy has yet to be performed on Chheda, who was 10 days removed from his 21st birthday, while police have not confirmed what if any weapon was used in his death Police have not identified a motive for the murder, adding that they believe the act was 'unprovoked and senseless' Gji Min Sha, 22, was identified as a suspect in the death of his roommate, Varun Manish Chheda, 20, on Purdue University's campus A Purdue University student has been identified as the suspect in the murder of his roommate. Gji Min Sha, 22, faces preliminary murder charges in the death of roommate Varun Manish Chheda, 20, who was found dead inside their McCutcheon Hall dorm room just after midnight on Wednesday morning. Residents at the hall say they were woken up in the middle of the night by a 'scream or some loud noises.' Purdue University Police Department Chief Lesley Wiete said she believes the murder was 'unprovoked and senseless.' Sha was identified as a junior studying cybersecurity who attended the school as an international student from South Korea. An autopsy has yet to be performed on Chheda, and Wiete says police have not confirmed cause of death or whether a weapon was used. Sha has not been booked into Tippecanoe County Jail, though Capt. Song Kang expects this to be done later Wednesday. Purdue University police responded to a call at the McCutcheon Hall residential building to find Varun Manish Chheda, 20, dead inside his dorm room Police chief Lesley Wiete said Chheda's roommate, Gji Min Sha, 22, was taken into custody as the main suspect in Chheda's murder. He faces preliminary charges of murder Pictured: Purdue University's campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. Chheda's death is the first murder at the school since 2014, when Cody Cousins shot and stabbed Andrew Boldt A call was made to campus police by Sha at 12:44 am, Tim Doty, Purdue's director of media and public relations, told the Indianapolis Star. Sha, who went by 'Jimmy,' was subsequently taken into custody minutes after police arrived at the first-floor residence. Wiete said there was no threat to campus once Sha was apprehended. Chheda, who graduated from Indianapolis' private Park Tudor School, was 10 days removed from his 21st birthday. 'The entire Park Tudor community is incredibly saddened by the tragic loss of Varun Chheda, Park Tudor class of 2020,' said Dennis Bisgaard, Interim Head of Park Tudor School in a statement. 'Our prayers are with his family at this difficult time.' According to a Facebook post, Chheda was a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program in 2020. He was a senior in data science at Purdue, Wiete said. Chheda graduated from Indianapolis' Park Tudor School and was recognized in 2020 for his academic excellence Other residents on the first floor of McCutcheon Hall have been relocated elsewhere, police said. The last homicide on the school's campus was in January 2014, when Cody Cousins, a teaching assistant in computer engineering, was sentenced in the murder of Andrew Boldt, a student in electrical engineering. Cousins, then 24, entered the school's Electrical Engineering Building with a gun and knife before shooting and stabbing then-21-year-old Boldt. Cousins told police he had no motive in the crime. Police said an investigation into Chheda's murder is ongoing, as a cause of death has not been determined 'Our hearts go out to the victim and his family and friends and anybody who knew him and anybody he may have touched in his life,' Wiete said. 'This is extremely sad and unfortunate for us today and I can't even imagine what his family is going through at this time.' In an email sent to students, university president Mitchell Daniels said school staff is prioritizing student safety. 'This is as tragic an event as we can imagine happening on our campus and our hearts and thoughts go out to all of those affected by this terrible event,' he wrote. Advertisement Prince Andrew is bracing for a new PR nightmare as a string of royal experts have branded him 'an idiot', a 'spoiled brat' and a 'narcissist' as part of a new documentary exploring his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke of York, 62, is also branded 'the runt of a litter' who 'couldn't keep his trousers closed in bombshell documentary 'Prince Andrew: Banished' that will air on US channel Peacock this evening. It will explore how Andrew's 'antics' as a royal 'brought scandal and disgrace' on his family and the 'privilege, jealousy, desire, and greed' that pushed him into friendships with paedophile financier Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The documentary hears from a number of former royal employees and journalists, including ex-press secretary Dickie Arbiter. He tells the documentary: 'The problem is, the mans an idiot. Theres always one runt of the litter, and Andrew was it.' Royal author Phil Dampier adds: 'Hes never smoked or taken drugs or drunk alcohol but his one big thing is sex.' And journalist Helen Kirwan-Taylor says: 'The talk of the dinner parties was he couldnt keep his trousers closed.' Andrew's royal career ended in disgrace after he was forced to pay millions of pounds in an out-of-court settlement to sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre earlier this year. Prince Andrew pictured waving along with other royals following a service at Crathie Kirk church near Balmoral last month Andrew's royal career ended in disgrace after he was forced to pay millions of pounds in an out-of-court settlement to his sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre Prince Andrew riding his horse in Windsor last week following a number of public outings after his mother's death Sex abuse victims of Jeffrey Epstein are reportedly 'frustrated' that his long-term friend Prince Andrew has been 'rehabilitated' in his public appearances following the Queen's death She claimed he sexually abused her three times in 2001 when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein, though Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The settlement was not an admission of liability, but the Queen's supposedly favourite son was stripped of his royal patronages and honorary military titles. Describing the ordeal, reporter Annette Witheridge told the documentary that the 'entire saga boils down to sex and greed', adding that it was 'a lifetime in the making'. The documentary's synopsis says: 'Prince Andrew: Banished unpacks the tumultuous story of how Prince Andrew, Duke of York - formerly regarded as the attractive, beloved son of Queen Elizabeth II and decorated naval officer - whose behavior antics throughout his career as a Royal brought scandal and disgrace to the 1200-year legacy of the British Royal Family. 'Through new interviews with palace insiders, journalists, members of Andrews social circle, and the legal team that brought the allegations to light, the documentary takes a deep dive into the world of privilege, jealousy, desire, and greed that pushed Andrew; first, into the orbit of notorious sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and then into a sordid sex trafficking scandal that threatens to bring down the House of Windsor.' Meanwhile, a disgraced former royal protection officer tells the documentary that Andrew is 'a horrible bully' who had a 'revolving door of women' coming into his Buckingham Palace apartments. Paul Page, who worked in the security role from 1998 to 2004 before being jailed for a property scam, recalled how protection officers were shocked by the number of women who would visit Andrew's private rooms at the palace, adding that he's 'just a horrible person', Page Six reports. Prince Andrew pictured attending the Committal Service for the Queen at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Former royal protection officer Paul Page (pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court in 2009 shortly before he was jailed for a multi-million pound property scam) has spoken of his dealings with Prince Andrew as part of a new documentary Mr Page tells the documentary: 'We used to have a joke that he should have a revolving door in his bedroom. 'The amount of women going in and out of there, it was just literally every other day someone would be coming in to see him - a different one every time.' Mr Page also claims the now disgraced Andrew once called a colleague a 'fat, lardy-a**e c**t' after officers refused a woman entry into the palace to see him. The woman then offered to call the duke as proof she was there to meet him. He said: 'We could hear the conversation. Anyway, he said: "Put one of the officers on". One of my colleagues took the phone. 'He shouted at the top of his voice: You listen to me, you fat, lardy-a**e c**t. If you dont let my guest in, Im going to come down there."' 'You would think a member of the royal family would have some kind of decorum and respect for the staff that are there and paid to protect them and look after them. '[With Andrew,] theres just none, none at all. Hes just a horrible person. Hes a bully.' Mr Page also tells the documentary of how he discovered between 50 and 60 teddy bears laid upon Andrew's bed, accompanied by a laminated pictured in a nearby drawer so palace staff knew how he liked them to be arranged. The former royal protection officer was jailed for six years in 2009 after he callously conned a string of innocent investors in a multi-million pound property scam. A court heard he used 'lies and manipulation' to dupe a string of friends and colleagues out of their life savings in a 'breathtakingly dishonest' 3million fraud. Then, when called to account, he set out to tarnish the reputations of fellow officers with a string of extraordinary claims about life within the royalty protection squad. The Queen's for children King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward pictured in the procession during her state funeral Despite being stripped of his royal honours and being forced away from royal duties, Andrew returned to public life during the period of mourning after his mother's death. A representative of Epstein's victims said Andrew's appearances in honour of the Queen were 'disrespectful' and 'insulting' to those involved, the Independent reported. He has been accused of trying 'rehabilitate' his public image following the Queen's death. In the days following her passing, the prince wore his military uniform during a vigil at Westminster Hall for the Queen as she lies in state, after King Charles allowed him to wear it. The King, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward stood guard over their mother's coffin in silence for ten minutes while members of the public filed past. He also took part in the Vigil of the Princes at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh when he joined other senior royals to look at tributes and took part in the procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall alongside his siblings. Prince Andrew's representatives have been contacted for comment. New satellite images show Russia's huge nuclear submarine, allegedly carrying apocalypse and doomsday weapons, lurking around the Barents Sea as fears grow that Vladimir Putin is planning to carry out a nuclear test. The nearly 600ft Belgorod submarine has disappeared from its home base in the Arctic Circle and may be on its way to the Kara Sea to test the Poseidon nuke, a NATO warning note leaked over the weekend has suggested. Satellite images publihsed by Naval News show the submarine is currently operating on the surface in the Arctic. The vessel was seen in the White Sea leaving Severodvinsk, a city in north Russia, a few weeks back. It was later spotted in the Barents Sea on September 22 and 27. The Belogord, which is in the region of 30,000 tons, is the largest built submarine in the world since and armed with the Poseidon nuke. Poseidon is a drone that is said to be capable of travelling huge distances underwater before detonating with enough force to trigger a 1,600ft nuclear tsunami designed to drown and irradiate coastal cities. The US Navy has described the weapon as an Intercontinental Nuclear-Powered Nuclear-Armed Autonomous Torpedo with 'incredible range' and 'hard-to-kill performance.' Russia's huge nuclear submarine, allegedly carrying apocalypse and doomsday weapons, was spotted lurking around the Barents Sea as fears grow that Vladimir Putin is planning to carry out a nuclear test Satellite images revealed the nearly 600ft Belgorod submarine is currently operating on the surface in the Arctic The vessel was seen in the White Sea leaving Severodvinsk, a city in north Russia, a few weeks back. It was then spotted resurfacing in the Barents Sea on September 22 and 27 The Belogord has left its base in the White Sea and was recently seen in the Barents Sea Analysts say a test launch of Poseidon is 'nout of of the question.' It is possible the launch could be routine, to test a new weapon system or a political demonstration. If the test does go ahead, it would be Putin's latest attempt to intimidate the West over his failing war in Ukraine after he was suspected of ordering stealth attacks on the Nord Stream pipes last week. The Belgorod was put forward as a candidate for the sabotage mission because it also carries mini-subs designed to carry out attacks on undersea infrastructure. However, doubt was cast on its involvement because - at 600ft long - the submarine is one of the world's largest and getting into the Baltic undetected would have been extremely difficult. It is also unclear whether the Belgorod would have had time to get from its home base in the White Sea to the Baltic - a distance of just under 3,000 miles - without its absence being noted. NATO has since sent a warning to allies that the sub has gone missing, but said it is still thought to be operating in the Arctic. It is unclear exactly when the warning was sent, but it was first reported by Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday. The Belgorod submarine has been in operation since July. The Belgorod - a nearly 600ft Russian nuclear submarine capable of carrying the Poseidon doomsday weapon - has left its base in the White Sea, a NATO warning note has said Poseidon is an underwater drone that Russia claims is capable of triggering 1,600ft nuclear tsunamis designed to drown and irradiate coastal cities A clip emerged in 2019 showing the Poseidon - seen by military officials as a giant nuclear-capable torpedo - during a launch test Poseidon was one of four next-generation weapons announced by Putin back in 2018, and is thought to be operational. According to Russian media, it is capable of travelling for up to 6,000 miles underwater before exploding a nuclear warhead in its nose with a force of two megatons - more than 130 times times the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. That would create an irradiated tsunami up to 1,600ft high designed to drown coastal cities and leave them a nuclear waste-ground, state media claims. The warhead has never been tested due to international prohibitions on the testing of nuclear weapons. Breaking with those treaties by testing Poseidon - even in the remote waters of the Arctic - would be a hugely provocative move by Russia. News of a potential test comes comes amid Russian sabre-rattling over the use of nuclear weapons linked to the Ukraine war, where Putin has been stymied by Western arms supplies. The Belgorod can go up to 120 days without having to return to the surface. TASS has previously reported that the Poseidon drone has an unlimited range and a maximum speed of more than 125 mph. 'Unique characteristics of the Poseidon system will help the Navy to successfully combat aircraft carriers and strike groups of a potential adversary in any oceanic theatre of war and destroy shore infrastructure facilities,' stated chief analyst of the General Staff, Admiral Igor Katasonov. 'It is a completely new type of weapon that will force Western navies to change their planning and develop new countermeasures,' said expert H I Sutton, as reported by La Reppubblica. Vladimir Putin has threatened the West with nuclear weapons over Ukraine, after annexing four partially-occupied regions to Russia last week A video shows how the state-of-the-art Belgorod submarine carries the lethal Poseidon drone torpedo. Kiselyov - avidly watched by Putin and a top executive in Moscow's powerful state media propaganda machine - said Russia could use its big beast Sarmat hypersonic missile, also known as Satan-2, against Britain. But he told viewers in May: 'Another option to plunge Britain into the depths of the sea is the Russian underwater robotic drone Poseidon. 'It approaches the target at a one kilometre depth with the speed of 200 kilometres per hour [125mph]. 'There is NO way to stop this underwater drone. 'It has a warhead with a capacity of up to 100 megatons. 'The explosion of this thermonuclear torpedo close to Britain's shores will raise a giant wave, a tsunami, up to 500 metres [1,640ft] high. 'This tidal wave is also a carrier of extremely high doses of radiation. 'Surging over Britain, it will turn what is probably left of them into radioactive desert. 'Permanently unusable for anything. 'How do you like this prospect? And Putin warned about this, back on February 24 [if anyone interfered with his special military operation].' Putin accused the West of sabotaging the Russian-made Nord Stream pipelines, but Western sources insist Moscow was behind the stunt which led to huge gas leaks in the Baltic. DailyMail.com obtained the legal filings that reveal how Laffoon and Tupper, 57, are battling over control of the actress's estate The battle to gain control of Anne Heche's estate has reached a boiling point as her older son Homer Laffoon officially objected to her ex-lover James Tupper's petition to be appointed guardian of her other boy. In papers filed in Los Angeles Tuesday, Homer claimed Tupper has 'potential and actual conflicts of interest' with the younger boy his own son he shares with Heche, Atlas Heche Tupper, 13. And Homer, 20, slammed Tupper for claiming he wanted to 'preserve family harmony and a healthy, brotherly relationship' between Heche's two sons. 'Mr. Tupper gives no support or context for these claims,' wrote Homer's lawyers. 'Mr. Laffoon can confirm for the court that there is no disharmony' between them. Tupper, 57, filed this week to be appointed 'guardian ad litem' over his 13-year-old son. That would make him responsible for protecting Atlas's interests in court hearings. Homer Laffoon, pictured shortly after his mother's crash, says James Tupper has 'potential and actual conflicts of interest' with his own son, Atlas Heche Tupper, 13 DailyMail.com obtained court documents filed by Tupper seeking to become the legal guardian for his son Atlas Heche Tupper (left) after Heche's eldest son Homer Laffoon, 20, (right) filed a petition to be in charge of his mother's estate Heche died from injuries sustained in a fireball car crash in Los Angeles on August 5 A hearing is set for next Tuesday on the issues. Homer is the son of Heche's former husband, cameraman Coleman Laffoon. The pair married in 2001 and divorced in 2009, by which time she had moved on to Tupper. In his petition to be appointed guardian, Tupper said he 'loves both Homer and Atlas as a father and wants the best for them both.' But Homer said that statement only undermines his application. 'Instead of advocating solely for the interests of the minor (Atlas), Mr. Tupper's professed affection and wishes for both the minor and Mr. Laffoon creates a potential conflict of interest in the event the guardian ad litem is ever forced to side with one child against the other.' Homer said that he is more likely to act in Atlas's interests as both of the sons 'share the common goal of administering the estate as efficiently as possible, maximizing the distributable value of the estate and then distributing the estate to the intestate heirs (the minor and Mr. Laffoon) as soon as reasonably practical.' The battle comes just two months after Heche died from her injuries sustained in a fiery car crash. The actress, best known for roles in Donnie Brasco, Volcano and Wag the Dog and her three-year-relationship with Ellen DeGeneres, slammed her Mini Cooper into a house in Los Angeles, causing an explosion on August 5. Blood tests showed that the actress had cocaine and fentanyl in her system when the high-speed crash occurred, but officials confirmed that she had not been drinking alcohol despite being pictured shortly before with a vodka bottle in her cupholder. She was left badly burned and in a coma. Heche's life support machine was turned off on August 14, and she was cremated on August 18. A coroner ruled on August 17 that Heche died from inhalation injury and burns, and the death was ruled an accident. The mother-of-two also had a fractured sternum caused by 'blunt trauma,' according to information on the website of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. Homer Laffoon objected to James Tupper's appointment as court guardian in papers filed in court in Los Angeles Tuesday 'James Tupper is Atlas' father and only living parent. James loves both Homer and Atlas as a father wants the best for them both,' the filing states. The blended family-of-four are pictured in 2012 Tupper revealed in his September 15 filing that he will object to Laffoon's petition to take charge of Heche's estate, and instead would select his own independent administrator. Homer was appointed as a 'temporary administrator' in September to manage the publication of Heche's upcoming book Call Me Anne. Tupper claims that Laffoon 'is not suitable' to run the estate because he is too young, unemployed and was estranged from his mother at the time of her death. The actor goes on to accuse Homer of changing the locks on the apartment Heche shared with Atlas, allegedly preventing the younger brother from retrieving his belongings. Tupper has said that the two half-brothers have not had any contact since the day Heche died. Laffoon called Tupper's claims 'unfounded personal attacks' and 'frivolous legal claims.' He went on to say Tupper is manipulating him and his half-brother to seize control of their mother's estate. Laffoon also claimed Tupper is keeping him away from Atlas by controlling the 13-year-old's phone. Laffoon's attorneys told TMZ that they are confident the older son will be the winner in court after it appointed him temporarily in charge of the estate. Tupper has said that the two half-brothers have not had any contact since the day Heche died. Tupper, Heche and their son Atlas are pictured in 2015 Tupper claims the 2011 email proves that he should be in charge of the estate. 'FYI in case I die tomorrow and anyone asks,' Heche's email begins. 'My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children' Last month, DailyMail.com revealed an email Heche sent to Tupper in 2011 naming him executor of her estate. The email was included in Tupper's legal filing as he battles Homer, 20, for control of her estate. But Homer fought back in a filing last week, claiming that the email is not a legally recognized will because Heche did not sign the document. 'Mr. Tupper repeatedly refers to the email as a ''will'' however as a matter of law the email does not qualify as either a holographic will or formal witnessed will,' Laffoon's filing states. 'The email was not signed by [Heche] and does not have two witnesses who signed the document during [her] lifetime.' Laffoon says his mother failed to leave behind a will when she tragically died. 'Without a will, there can be no nomination of an executor,' Laffoon stated, adding that he is 'legally entitled to appointment as administrator.' However, Tupper claims that Heche's email from January 25, 2011 makes it clear that she wanted all assets to be controlled by him. The email from Heche has the subject line 'WILL' and is addressed to Tupper and copied to attorneys Kevin Yorn and Melodie Moore. 'My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children,' the email reads. It says that her assets will be divided equally among her two sons and that their portions should be given to them when they turn 25 years old. A photo before the August 5 crash shows Heche at the wheel with a liquor bottle in the cup holder In the event that her two sons and Tupper all pass, Heche turned her assets over to her nephew Eliot Bergman, to be divided equally among her nieces and nephews. 'May this go into my records as my word until further papers are drawn up,' Heche ends the email. It appears no further paperwork was ever filed. In his original petition to the court, Laffoon says that it is unclear how much money or property Heche, 53, had to her name before she died. Laffoon lists his mother's personal property and her annual income as 'unknown.' The court will have to dig into Heche's finances to determine the value of her estate and what properties she owned. In 2021, it was reported that she was selling her cottage in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles for around $2million with co-star and ex-partner Thomas Jane. It was also previously reported that she owned another home in the Hancock Park-Wilshire area of Los Angeles a mansion priced at around $4million. Advertisement The president was caught on hot mic proclaiming that 'no one f***s with a Biden' during his trip to Florida Wednesday where he put on a united front with Ron DeSantis, who he called 'guv.' After surveying damage from Hurricane Ian in Florida, President Joe Biden delivered remarks alongside the state's Republican governor where the two put aside their rivalry for the day as they stood face-to-face for the first time and shook hands. Following the remarks in Fort Myers, Florida, a microphone picked up Biden telling the town's Mayor Ray Murphy that 'you can't argue with your brothers outside the house.' The context of the conversation was not immediately clear, other than Murphy thanking the president for visiting his devastated town and telling Biden he was 'God d***n right' to say 'no one f***s' with him. 'We're both Irish Catholics. We're both devout Catholics. But every once and a while a little salty language comes out,' Murphy later told NBC News, not spilling exactly what was being discussed. The nation's first lady Jill Biden and Florida's first lady Casey DeSantis joined their husbands for the public display of solidarity on Wednesday. The Florida couple greeted the Bidens as they stepped out of their motorcade to receive a briefing from state and local officials on what is needed to successfully recover from the damage from the category 4 storm, which left more than 100 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. After speaking several times on the phone, including a call before the storm made landfall, Biden and DeSantis put their partnership in hurricane recovery to the test with their first in-person meeting. President Joe Biden was caught on hot mic telling Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy 'no one f***s with a Biden' after remarks in his town related to recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian Biden met face-to-face with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the first time on Wednesday as he visited the Sunshine State to survey the carnage from Hurricane Ian. From L-R: Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, Governor DeSantis, first lady Jill Biden, President Biden The quartet stood speaking on Wednesday as Joe and Jill arrived for a your of the devastation left behind in Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian Biden and DeSantis got through their remarks Wednesday without any obvious insults at the opposing sides, but with a few veiled swipes, including on the issue of climate change. The president got almost chummy with DeSantis at one point, referring to him as 'guv' when he took to the microphone for remarks touting how well they worked together to respond to the storm's devastation despite hurling insults at one another every other day. He also praised the Florida governor for his moves towards recognizing and grappling with climate change, saying the 'biggest thing he's done' is 'recognized this thing called global warming' Biden even said at one point, in reference to DeSantis: 'I think he's done a good job' 'We have a very different political philosophy,' he added, 'but we've worked hand-in-glove.' Both the president and Florida governor donned navy blue suits, while the first lady wore a beige pantsuit and Casey DeSantis sported a dark green skirt outfit. During Biden's remarks, he made parallels to Hurricane Ian completely obliterating communities and a lightning stroke that hit his home in 2004. He claimed that he 'lost an awful lot' despite the fire lasting for only 20 minutes and being contained to the kitchen. 'I know from experience how much anxiety and fear and concern there are in the people,' Biden said. 'We didn't lose our whole home, but lightning struck and we lost an awful lot of it,' he said. When Biden was still a U.S. senator for Delaware, his home in Wilmington was struck by lightning, causing a small fire to spark that did not spread outside the kitchen. No one was injured by the fire in New Castle Country. Firefighters arrived to heavy smoke but were able to keep the flames contained to the kitchen. 'Luckily, we got it pretty early,'' Cranston Heights Fire Company Chief George Lamborn said at the time. 'The fire was under control in 20 minutes.' The White House and DeSantis' administration have publicly shot down suggestions that they aren't working together in their response to the storm's carnage and have even sent veiled compliments towards each other. DeSantis thanked the Biden administration during remarks in front of the president for covering 100 percent of the cost of 'debris removal and emergency protective measures' in the 60 days following the first day the storm hit the state. 'Mr. President, welcome to Florida. We appreciate working together across various levels of government,' DeSantis said in introducing Biden. 'Well, Guv and the first lady, thank you very much for the hospitality,' Biden said in a friendly tone when taking the microphone and going into the devastation he saw during his helicopter tour of the wreckage. Biden said that affected individuals could be eligible to receive nearly $80,000 for home repairs and auto replacements and repairs. He also urged Floridians to register twitch the government to find out if they are eligible for the aid. Biden was greeted by Florida's first couple as he meets with state and local leaders to work together in recovery from the massive storm that left at leas 109 dead The Bidens heard from community leaders and local residents who were impacted by the storm with a stop at Fishermans Pass in Fort Myers, Florida on Wednesday, October 5. They were shown images and maps depicting the path and damage incurred from the storm He used his time at the microphone to promote environmentalist views that the level of climate disasters in recent years are exacerbated by climate change a hit at Republicans, including Florida Senator Rick Scott, who have shot down this proposed correlation. But Biden did praise the Florida governor for his moves towards recognizing and grappling with climate change, saying the 'biggest thing he's done' is 'recognized this thing called global warming' DeSantis, however, got a shout out from the president after he piloted a new Republican approach to the issue, spending money on adapting to the changing climate rather than towards mitigation of the root causes. This is similar to the GOP approach versus Democratic approach to illegal immigration while Republicans want to focus on what can be done to deal with the issue on the home front, Democrats want to go to Latin American countries to address the root causes of what causes people to leave their homes and migrate north. During an update earlier on Wednesday morning, DeSantis said that Florida was 'fortunate' the White House signed off on the emergency declaration before Hurricane Ian became a tropical storm and said that he 'appreciated that quick action.' As of Tuesday, 109 people were reported dead from the hurricane the deadliest since 1935. Around 318,000 homes and businesses are still without power as of Wednesday morning, which is a week after Hurricane Ian hit landfall in Florida. Biden toured the storm's devastation on Fort Myers Beach, Florida by helicopter on Wednesday While the helicopters whirled above, a group of anti-Biden Floridians gathered outside to record the scene and hold their middle fingers up at the president's transport Biden appeared to get a little chummy with DeSantis, calling him 'guv' at the start of his remarks on Wednesday thanking the Republican governor for welcoming him to Florida Biden's first trip to the Sunshine State this year turned into a show of unity between the Democratic administration and the Republican Florida leadership as they continue a front of working hand-in-hand in hurricane recovery. Pictured: Gov. DeSantis speaks to the president and first lady as they walk to meet with local residents impacted by the storm on Wednesday A boat is seen flipped on its side behind President Biden as he speaks from Fort Myers Beach on Wednesday alongside Ron and Casey DeSantis Biden left the White House Wednesday morning to fly to DeSantis' jurisdiction, where he will take an aerial survey of the storm's damage in Fort Myers, Florida and speak with local and state officials, including the governor and Senator Rick Scott, another staunch critic. Before the storm hit, Biden was scheduled to visit Orlando and Fort Lauderdale last week to promote the strengthening of Social Security and Medicaid. He previously accused Scott of wanting to end both programs by proposing that federal laws should expire every five years, although the Florida senator has said he wants to preserve the programs. Biden and DeSantis have also had a multitude of differences in recent years over a myriad of issues, including how to fight COVID-19 as well as education and immigration policy. In recent weeks, the two have publicly tussled over DeSantis' decision to put migrants on planes or buses to Democratic cities. Hurricane Ian, however, changed the purpose and tone of Biden's first trip to Florida this year becoming a moment for bipartisan cooperation. Biden and DeSantis stand side-by-side as they listen to local leaders during a tour of a neighborhood impacted by Hurricane Ian on Wednesday DeSantis has emerged as a potential alternative GOP presidential candidate in 2024 as more and more moderate Republican voters turn away from the ultra-MAGA ideals. While President Biden hasn't made any official announcement, he has repeated that he has every intention of running for reelection. All eyes turned to the Sunshine State Wednesday for a potential clash between the Democratic president and GOP governor, who may go head-to-head in 2024. 'There will be plenty of time, plenty of time, to discuss differences between the president and the governor - but now is not the time,' White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during her Tuesday briefing. She told reporters: 'When it comes to delivering and making sure that the people of Florida have what they need, especially after Hurricane Ian, we are one. We are working as one.' Joe and Jill Biden wave to guests as they depart the White House to travel to Florida earlier on Wednesday, October 5 Biden's first in-person meeting with DeSantis came after a massive storm hit the peninsula state The duo held several phone calls related to the category 4 hurricane ravaging the state last week. Pictured: Governor DeSantis and his wife Casey (left) provide an update on the ongoing efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Tuesday, October 4 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell joined Biden for the trip south. While speaking to reporters on Air Force One en route to Florida on Wednesday, Criswell said 'there are communities that have to be completely rebuilt.' 'We're going to have to bring in the full federal family,' she added. The president announced Wednesday that the federal government will cover 100 percent of the costs incurred by 'debris removal and emergency protective measures' in Florida for 60 days after the day of the initial incident. This is an extension of the previous 30-day assistance period announced last month when the hurricane hit. 'I think he's going to have to come back and ask for more than those 60 days,' Biden said of DeSantis' cooperation in the matter, claiming that after they spoke, they decided the clean-up might take longer than two months. The storm caused an estimated $60 billion in damage and thousands were left homeless. It also knocked out power to more than 4 million homes and businesses in Florida and over 1.1 million in North and South Carolina. The first couple departs the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews, where they will fly to Fort Myers, Florida where they president will survey the damage from the hurricane by helicopter Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power nearly a week after the hurricane made landfall in Florida. A search a rescue team member looks through the carnage on Fort Myers Beach looking for victims Restaurants, shops and other businesses were destroyed in the hurricane on Fort Myers Beach, Florida Partisanship when it comes to federal aid for states has broken down in recent years between the White House and governors of the opposing party.Santis in 2022. DeSantis, whose style of politics focuses on attacking far-left policies, doesn't have to worry about Biden's visit ruining his GOP clout and popularity. While he will embrace federal aid for Florida, it's unlikely there will be any literal embraces. The president and the governor, during their phone conversations, have complimented each other in a rare moment of bipartisanship in a highly divided time in U.S. politics especially with less than five weeks until the midterm elections. DeSantis revealed during a storm response update on Tuesday that three of the four looting suspects arrested in Lee County are in the U.S. illegally. The Florida governor focused on 'law and order' and drew a connection between the looting and Biden's immigration policies. 'These are people that are foreigners, they're illegally in our country, but not only that, they try to loot and ransack in the aftermath of a natural disaster,' DeSantis explained. 'They should be prosecuted, but they need to be sent back to their home country. They should not be here at all,' he continued. A no trespassing sign warns looters that they will be shot outside a shop in Fort Myers Beach, Florida after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction The looting ensued in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The four men were arrested on charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency, according to online jail records. The individuals, aged between 20 and 33, were booked for ransacking devastated homes and businesses on Fort Myers Beach while they suffered in the wake of the raging torrent. All four looters were arrested on September 29 - but documents reveal that they were released after posting $35,000 bonds each. Advertisement Hundreds of first responders have formed an emotional guard of honor for a hero paramedic who was stabbed to death by a maniac as she grabbed lunch. Firefighters, cops and medics straddled the streets of Brookville in New York as Alison Russo-Elling's coffin was driven past in the back of an ambulance. Bagpipers and drummers led the procession past the Tiles Center to her burial site as New York City Mayor Eric Adams was among those watching on with the 61-year-old's family. Her casket, draped in the stars and stripes flag, was hoisted out of the FDNY ambulance before the rows of emergency service personnel saluted the fallen medic. Russo-Elling was a 9/11 first responder and attended to more than 25,000 calls in the 24 years since she joined the FDNY in March 1998. Last week she was stabbed out of the blue by a crazed man as she walked through a street in Queens during her lunch break. Peter Zisopoulos, 34, was charged with the 'barbaric and completely unprovoked' stabbing on Thursday afternoon in Astoria, Queens. Russo-Elling's devastated family confronted Adams at her wake on Monday over his failure to crack down on spiraling crime in the Big Apple. The victim's mother is presented with her helmet during the emotional ceremony that drew hundreds on Wednesday afternoon Firefighters, cops and medics straddled the streets of Brookville in New York as Alison Russo-Elling's coffin was driven past in the back of an ambulance Bagpipers and drummers led the procession past the Tiles Center to her burial site as New York City Mayor Eric Adams was among those watching on with the 61-year-old's family Her casket, draped in the stars and stripes flag, was hoisted out of the FDNY ambulance before the rows of emergency service personnel saluted the fallen medic Russo-Elling was a 9/11 first responder and attended to more than 25,000 calls in the 24 years since she joined the FDNY in March 1998 Eric Adams is among those pictured at the service on Wednesday afternoon as he stood alongside her family and other EMT workers Russo-Elling was a 9/11 first responder and attended to more than 25,000 calls in the 24 years since she joined the FDNY in March 1998 Peter Zisopoulus, 34, is perp walked Friday after killing an on-duty EMT on Thursday. He is pictured wearing a white jumpsuit and in handcuffs Heartbreaking pictures showed the hundreds who turned out for Russo-Elling on Wednesday afternoon as they laid her to rest. An FDNY ambulance served as a hearse and was led by a police escort and to the tune of bagpipes and drummers to her burial site. Along its route hundreds of other first responders lined up in a show of respect. The funeral was held in the Tiles Center in Brookville and attended by members of the FDNY and city officials including Adams. Her father said during the service: 'That man murdered my daughter and she would be the first one to come to his aid if he ever needed her help. He left her lying in the street like a ragdoll that was just discarded.' During the service Russo-Elling was posthumously to the rank of captain. 'I couldn't hear her cry out, 'Mom, Dad, help,' he said during the funeral. 'That man murdered my daughter. He killed her and tore a hole in our hearts and all of her colleagues. The mayor addressed Russo-Elling's family members in the front row of the service directly. He said: 'You've given us your daughter. You've given us your mother. There are no words that can define parents losing their children. There's nothing more unnatural than that. 'This is a dark moment for us. We want people to know what a brave hero your mom and your daughter was. My heart goes out to you, not as a mayor, not as an elected official, but as a son of the city and a person, a human being. I am so sorry.' At their daughter's wake on Monday the direction of the exchange was reversed. Russo-Elling's parents confronted Mayor Adams urging him to take action in response to the city's escalating crime rate. Heartbreaking pictures showed the hundreds who turned out including Eric Adams (pictured) for Russo-Elling on Wednesday afternoon as they laid her to rest An FDNY ambulance served as a hearse and was led by a police escort and to the tune of bagpipes and drummers to her burial site Along its route hundreds of other first responders lined up in a show of respect. The funeral was held in the Tiles Center in Brookville and attended by members of the FDNY and city officials including Adams Her father said during the service: 'That man murdered my daughter and she would be the first one to come to his aid if he ever needed her help. He left her lying in the street like a ragdoll that was just discarded' During the service Russo-Elling was posthumously to the rank of captain. 'I couldn't hear her cry out, 'Mom, Dad, help,' he said during the funeral Peter Zisopoulos, 34, was charged with the 'barbaric and completely unprovoked,' stabbing death of Russo-Elling, a nearly 25-year veteran of the New York Fire Department last week. Adams attended the wake for Russo-Elling, along with hundreds of other mourners, including fellow FDNY members, NYPD, EMTs and Suffolk County Police, which took place at Commack on Long Island. Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy says she saw the parents speak to Adams and that they 'just took the mayor on,' with anger and jokes and 'let him have it', according to the New York Post. Catherine Fuocco, Russo-Elling's mother, asked Adams, 'Weren't you a police officer for 30 years?' He said: 'You've given us your daughter. You've given us your mother. There are no words that can define parents losing their children. There's nothing more unnatural than that' Peter Zisopoulos, 34, was charged with the 'barbaric and completely unprovoked,' stabbing death of Russo-Elling, a nearly 25-year veteran of the New York Fire Department last week After Adams confirmed it, she responded: 'You know what to do,' begging Adams, 'Please, give me back my city.' Kennedy, who represents Suffolk County which is just outside of New York City, said that Fuocco and her husband Frank were 'saying what we're saying: 'Make my city better, make my city better.' Adams apparently responded with 'some brief statements that were comforting and accepting of what was said to him.' A spokesman for Adams said Monday night, 'Our hearts are with Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling's family, her fellow FDNY EMS members, and with all New Yorkers who lost a truly amazing public servant woman to a senseless act of violence. Both his hands and feet were handcuffed as he was led by two law enforcement agents after being charged ZIsopoulos reportedly locked himself in his apartment for an hour Thursday before surrendering to officers in the hours after he mercilessly stabbed Alison Russo-Elling to death GRAPHIC WARNING: Zisopoulos is seen on surveillance camera stabbing Russo-Elling on Thursday afternoon in Queens Emergency Medical Service Lieutenant and World Trade Center first responder, Alison Russo-Elling (pictured), 61, died after being stabbed while on duty in Queens 'We will never forget Lt. Russo-Elling's bravery and commitment to service as we mourn her loss along with the FDNY.' Zisopoulos was charged with murder and possession of a weapon for the attack that took place Thursday afternoon in broad daylight on a street in Astoria, Queens. This is reportedly his first arrest. He had an interaction with the police in 2018, when he was accused of issuing threats to Asians. The incident resulted in his hospitalization, but an arrest was never made. He was arrested Thursday outside an apartment on 20th Ave. and 41st St. in Queens. The three-story apartment building is known to also house New York's only swingers club. Zisopoulos initially locked himself in his apartment, but surrendered to law enforcement about an hour later. Russo-Elling was on her way to get food when Zisopoulous allegedly approached her and stabbed her in what authorities said was a random and completely unprovoked attack. 'At this point in the investigation there doesn't appear to have been any prior contact between them,' said a member of the FDNY. 'He just walked toward her, sped up and then stabbed her to death.' Dailymail.com understands when a witness to the brutal and senseless attack attempted to intervene, the lunatic allegedly yelled back, 'F--k you, f--k you!!' before attempting to charge the witness, who rode his scooter to safety. Adams attended the wake for Russo-Elling, along with hundreds of other mourners, including fellow FDNY members, NYPD, EMTs and Suffolk County Police, which took place at Commack on Long Island Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy says she saw the parents speak to Adams and that they 'just took the mayor on,' with anger and jokes and 'let him have it' EMT's and FDNY gather at the station house to watch the Purple and Black Bunting for Lt. Alison Russo-Elling According to the witness, the weapon may have been a steak knife. The victim was left splayed on the corner with a deep, lethal stab wound to her chest, as well as approximately 18 smaller stab wounds to the chest. Emergency doctors at Mount Sinai Astoria unsuccessfully attempted to treat the victim with a breathing tube, bi-lateral chest tubes and medication to restart her heart. Russo-Elling was a mother, grandmother and also worked with the volunteer ambulance corps in Huntington, Long Island, where she lived. She joined the FDNY as an EMT in 1998 and became a lieutenant in 2016. She worked out of Station 49 in Astoria, Queens at the time of her passing and was just months away from retirement. She was a first responder to the September 11, 2001 attacks and was credited multiple times for her 'bravery and her life-saving work,' said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh. 'She was absolutely beloved on this job,' she added. The New York City Fire Department said Russo-Elling's death has been used as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by emergency services workers. 'The death of Alison Russo is a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by each and every member of the FDNY and uniformed services,' the statement read. 'Her senseless killing brings sorrow to every member of the FDNY. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Department with bowed heads, and we will forever be here to support our FDNY family in this unspeakably difficult time. 'We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Alison's family, loved ones, and colleagues.' Though the NYPD has reported a nearly 12 percent drop in homicides in 2022, cops reported an eight percent jump in 911 calls related to emotionally or mentally disturbed people, according to the New York Daily News. In total the NYPD received 131,199 such calls through the end of September - about 500 per day - an increase from 128,488 over the same period last year. Robberies also spiked 37 percent, and grand larceny is up 43 percent. Jonas Aqvist, Chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, far left, Hans Ellegren, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and Olof Ramstrom, member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, speak during a press conference at The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, Wednesday. The winners of the 2022 Nobel Prize in chemistry are Caroline R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless. EPA-Yonhap Three scientists from the United States and Denmark were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing a way of "snapping molecules together" that can be used to design better medicines. Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless were cited for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogonal reactions, which are used to make cancer drugs, map DNA and create materials that are tailored to a specific purpose. "It's all about snapping molecules together," said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners Wednesday at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Sharpless, who previously won a Nobel Prize in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the award twice, first proposed the idea for connecting molecules using chemical "buckles" around the turn of the millennium, said Aqvist. "The problem was to find good chemical buckles," he said. "They have to react with each other easily and specifically." Meldal, based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Sharpless, who is affiliated with Scripps Research, California, independently found the first such candidates that would easily snap together with each other but not with other molecules, leading to applications in the manufacture of medicines and polymers. Bertozzi, who is based at Stanford University in California, "took click chemistry to a new level," the Nobel panel said. She found a way to make click chemistry work inside living organisms without disrupting them, establishing a new method known as bioorthogonal reactions. Such reactions are now used to explore cells, track biological processes and design experimental cancer drugs that work in a more targeted fashion. Bertozzi said she was "absolutely stunned" to receive the prize. "I'm still not entirely positive that it's real, but it's getting realer by the minute," she said. Last year the prize was awarded to scientists Benjamin List and David W.C. MacMillan for finding an ingenious and environmentally cleaner way to build molecules that the Nobel panel said is "already benefiting humankind greatly." A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system. Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser and Austrian Anton Zeilinger had shown that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, that can be used for specialized computing and to encrypt information. The awards continue with literature on Thursday. The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Monday. The prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10. The money comes from a bequest left by the prize's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, in 1895. (AP) A Wisconsin conservative group is challenging Joe Biden's loan forgiveness program on the grounds that it violates the Constitution by intentionally favoring black borrowers. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit on Tuesday for the Brown County Taxpayers Association. It treads similar ground to other challenges by accusing the Biden administration of executive overreach. But it also points out that officials have promoted the plan as a way to narrow the racial wealth gap and help borrowers of color. 'By creating and implementing a federal program with an improper racial motive, Defendants violated the Constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws, which among other things, prohibits federal spending based on race,' reads the complaint. Biden announced his plan to cancel federal student debt in August. It includes forgiving up to $10,000 for borrowers earning less than $125,000, or up to $20,000 for those who have Pell Grant loans, which are typically given to people in financial need. The Department of Education estimates it will cost $305 billion over the next decade, because of reduced cash paid to the government. President Joe Biden's student loan forgiveness plan faces legal challenges across the country. The latest is spearheaded by Rick Esenberg (right), president and general counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which filed papers on Tuesday 'By creating and implementing a federal program with an improper racial motive, Defendants violated the Constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws, which among other things, prohibits federal spending based on race,' reads the complaint The administration faced criticism that it was effectively giving cash to a section of society that needed it least people with college degrees. But the White House said that the impact of debt forgiveness would narrow the race wealth gap. 'By targeting relief to borrowers with the highest economic need, the Administrations actions are likely to help narrow the racial wealth gap,' it said in a fact sheet promoting the policy. 'Black students are more likely to have to borrow for school and more likely to take out larger loans.' That has been seized on by Rick Esenberg, president and general counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, who said it violated the Constitution's guarantee of equal protection. 'The White House has indicated that one reason to do this is that they believe it would disproportionately benefit certain racial groups,' he told the Washington Post. 'The racial motivation supports these taxpayers standing to challenge [the policy] and informs yet another constitutional difficulty with the program.' The plan allows tens of millions of borrowers to wipe away $10,000 in student loan debt. Pell grant recipients can get $20,000 in relief The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says Biden's plan will cost America $400 billion over the next decade and the latest moratorium will increase loan debt by $20 billion At least seven states have launched legal action, mostly questioning whether Biden has the authority to act without Congress on the issue. The Biden administration has cited a 9/11-era law, the HEROES ACT, for the basis of debt forgiveness, saying it allows loans to be written off during national emergencies. Last week, Arizona's Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich said that did not stand up to legal scrutiny. 'The president attempts to stretch the HEROES Act to assert authority over all borrowers in the country, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as a national emergency and the entire United States as a disaster area,' he said. 'The HEROES Act additionally requires that any action by the Department of Education to "modify or waive" loan requirements must ensure that borrowers are not placed in a worse position financially if not for the "national emergency." 'However, several federal loan borrowers have not suffered in relation to their loans.' The LAPD officer who died in a mysterious routine training accident in May, had a history of whistleblowing. In one incident, Houston Tipping got a sergeant fired for lying about an internal affairs investigating involving a chocolate penis. Tipping, 32, was five-year veteran with the LAPD and worked with the department's bicycle unit. He suffered a fatal spinal cord injury after he fell down while holding another officer in a 'bear hug' grappling exercise on May 26 at the Police Academy in what a coroner ruled was an accident. According to an LAPD report, Tipping's last words were: 'I can't breathe.' In a previous incident, Tipping had been involved in an internal affairs investigation that involved a fellow officer bringing a chocolate penis into work as a joke. During that investigation, Tipping revealed that a sergeant had lied to internal affairs about the joke. As a result, that sergeant was fired. Gage said following that: '[The sergeant's] friends were not happy.' Gage says that friends of that sergeant were also present at the fatal training exercise, according to attorney Brad Gage. Officer Houston Tipping, 32, was five-year veteran with the LAPD and worked with the department's bicycle unit Brad Gage, the attorney for Tipping's mother Shirley Huffman, made the bombshell claims in a press conference yesterday Gage told DailyMail.com exclusively that the rape that Tipping was investigating occurred in a house in Northridge, California, in June 2021. At the time, Tipping wrote a report on the rape. During the incident, the woman said that she had a massage tool 'placed in her vagina,' Gage said. He added that during the alleged rape, the officers were all in uniform and that the victim was able to name three of the four after seeing their names on their badges. One of those cops was present during the training accident. He said that the initial report on the incident did not mention a rape nor did it mention that some of those involved were police officers. Gage was that it was two lines long and referred to the incident merely as an 'attack.' It wasn't until Tipping began investigating the incident, that the allegations of rape became apparent. In Tipping's report, the victim said that she was raped by four police officers. DailyMail.com has reached out to the LAPD for more information on that investigation. Gage, who was hired by Tipping's mother, Shirley Huffman, said: 'I don't think he talked to anybody about the case. He did seem to have a change of attitude.' 'I think he knew one of the officers accused. Apparently, they used to be much closer friends and they weren't anymore.' Gage continued: 'He decided to look elsewhere for a job, which seems logically connected to this incident.' His search for new employment was not related to worries of his safety but rather because he was 'so disgusted' by the case, Gage said. Gage also told DailyMail.com that he has been in touch with the district attorney's office in regards to the case. The training involved the simulation of being attacked by a mob, the LAPD's official report said. Tipping was playing the role of a suspect attacking an officer mounted on a bicycle. The report said that Tipping was struck with a foam baton and dropped to one knee, to simulate a strike with a real baton. From there: 'Officer Tipping then lifted the officer, the student officer, from the ground and (a) student officers arm went around Officer Tippings neck, wrapping towards the front of Officer Tippings neck and throat.' The report continued: 'As the two fell to the floor, Officer Tippings neck remained in that grasp.' According to the report, when his fellow officers realized that Tipping was struggling to speak, paramedics were called and first-aid efforts began. The official cause of death was the consequences of a 'cervical spinal cord injury' and ruled an 'accident.' He died on May 29, three days after the exercise took place. His mother alleges he was 'repeatedly struck in the head severely enough that he bled' during the training activity, according to the new documents. In the documents, the move that Tipping found himself in was akin to a 'pile driver type of action.' In addition to the spinal injuries, Gage says that Tipping suffered from broken ribs, a liver laceration, multiple head injuries including a hemorrhage at the back of his head. The LAPD has denied that Tipping suffered a head injuries. Officer Tipping (center) was allegedly a whistleblower on an LAPD gang rape, Shirley Huffman (right), alleges in her lawsuit (pictured alongside his sister Katherine) An autopsy found Tipping suffered broken ribs that suggested the use of a LUCAS device, an automatic CPR machine, suggesting there were attempts to revive him. Speaking at press conference on October 4, Gage said: 'The problem with that is other medical reports show the LUCAS device was never used.' He has also raised questions as to why no security footage was available. He said: 'LAPD claims there was no video taken of the training this day. We don't believe that's accurate.' In the press conference, Gage explicitly stated that he believed that there was a cover-up involving Tipping's death. The 32-year-old suffered a fatal spinal cord injury after he fell down while holding another officer in a 'bear hug' grappling exercise During his funeral LAPD Chief Michel Moore knelt before Tipping's parents and presented them with an American flag 'A report was taken by Officer Tipping and I have seen that report, that reported the case that there was a sexual attack and it indicates that an object was placed into the sexual organ of the female victim.' 'The female victim claims that she was raped by four different people, all LAPD officers. 'She knew the names of some of those officers because they were in uniform and they had their name tags on. 'The name of one of those officers, the name tag seems to correlate with one of the officers that was at the training.' He added: 'I think the officers were very brazen and thought they were above the law but no one is above the law.' 'I'm sure these actions are being covered up. The thought of a code of silence or a cover-up by a police department should not be shocking or surprising to anyone.' Tipping, right, patrolled the Devonshire neighborhood of the City of Angels and was a bike instructor who reportedly 'loved serving as a police officer' Tipping is survived by his girlfriend, Britney (pictured) as well as his parents Richard and Shirley; his stepfather Bob; and siblings Kat and Tyler LAPD officials claim Tipping fell to the ground during the training at the department's Elysian Park Academy on May 26 LAPD officials claim officers immediately began CPR after the fall, contacted Los Angeles Fire Department crews and Tipping was transported to the USC Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries three days later. During his funeral LAPD Chief Michel Moore knelt before Tipping's parents and presented them with an American flag. The chief called Tipping impressive to his peers and said he had a 'willingness to go the extra mile to make the world a better place.' Tipping patrolled around the Devonshire neighborhood and 'loved serving as a police officer,' according to the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which said he will be remembered 'for how he loved and made people laugh.' He was also an organ donor and his 'selflessness' was used to help 'save other lives.' Tipping is survived by his parents, Richard and Shirley; his stepfather Bob; siblings Kat and Tyler; and his girlfriend, Britney. The father of one of the 19 children killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 testified Tuesday against conspiracy theorist and InfoWars host Alex Jones, claiming that one of the host's followers peed on his son's grave. Mark Barden, the father of seven-year-old Daniel Barden, told a courtroom that Jones and his podcast are responsible for an onslaught of hatred at vitriol aimed at his family following the deadly mass shooting. According to a reporter from The Huffington Post inside the trial, Barden said that Jones' comments prompted one of his followers to allegedly urinate on Daniel's grave, according to a letter sent to the Connecticut family. Other letters received by the Bardens promised similar actions, while one person even threatened to dig up Daniel's grave in order to prove that there was no body. Mark Barden wiped away tears in court Tuesday during testimony recounting the horrors his family faced after Daniel Barden was killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School Daniel Barden was just seven years old when a gunman entered the Newton, Connecticut elementary school and killed 26 people Daniel was a 'compassionate' boy who loved showing affection to the people he loved, according to his dad, Mark Barden 'This is so sacrosanct and hallowed a place for my family and to hear that people were desecrating it and urinating on it and threatening to dig it up, I dont know how to articulate to you what that feels like,' Barden told the jury. 'But that's where we are.' Jones, currently on trial for defamation relating to comments about the shooting, which claimed the lives of 26 people. The InfoWars host has repeatedly stated that he believes the shooting was staged, no children were killed, and that the parents are all hired actors. Jones has already lost three lawsuits connected to his comments. Video played in court showed moments in which Alex Jones spouted baseless lies about the Sandy Hook school shooting being a hoax Alex Jones left Connecticut before the end of the trial, saying he was 'done' saying sorry Families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have faced vitriol from conspiracy theorists in the 10 years since the shooting, partly thanks to lies claiming it was a hoax Mark and his wife Jackie, Daniel's mother, are just two of the more than 15 family members who have testified against Jones during the hearings. Jackie said Tuesday that hoax believers started harassing her family just weeks after their son died. The harassment hasn't stopped in the 10 years since the massacre. The mom said that on top of leaving one of their children dead, the shooting and the threats that came after have left their other children eternally riddled with anxiety. 'It's terrible to think that your 20-year-old daughter is afraid,' Jackie said. Jacqueline Barden testifies during the Alex Jones Sandy Hook defamation damages trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. The Barden family lost their sone Daniel in the school shooting Jacqueline Barden pauses as she testifies during the Alex Jones Sandy Hook defamation damages trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022. The Barden family lost their son Daniel in the school shooting Jackie and Mark say that their older daughter is riddled with anxiety after losing her brother in a shooting and facing years of harassment from conspiracy theorists Throughout this trial and other legal proceedings related to Jones' words and actions, families have stated that they have received threats and malevolence. Some parents and siblings claimed that they have gotten rape and death threats and have had in-person confrontations with theorists claiming that they are all 'crisis actors.' At least one family member said on the record that they received photos of dead children from conspiracy theorists looking to scare and startle them. The mother of another boy killed in the shooting, Ben Wheeler, said in court that she had a scary interaction a conference on gun violence. Francine Wheeler pauses to wipe away tears as she testifies during the Alex Jones Sandy Hook defamation damages trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 Francine Wheeler told the jury that a woman approached her and called her a liar, claiming the whole situation was a hoax. 'It's quite another thing when people take everything about your boy, who is gone, and your surviving child and your husband and everything you ever did in your life that is on the Internet and harass you and make fun of you,' she said. In 2021, a judge found Jones liable for spreading the dangerous falsehoods among his rather large fanbase. The judge said at the time that Jones' actions caused harm against the parents and siblings who initiated the lawsuit. Current legal proceedings pertain to just how much Jones will have to pay. The jury is hearing testimony from parents and family members of those killed to assess how much Free Speech Systems, InfoWars' parent company, will pay in damages. This trial is similar to the Texas case filed by parents of 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis. In August, a jury awarded more than $45 million in damages to Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis over the comments he made on his Austin-based show. In that trial, parents echoed the sentiments of parents in the ongoing court proceedings. A father said in court over that the summer that Jones made his life 'living hell' with his comments regarding the shooting that claimed his child's life. The conspiracy theorist has acknowledged that the shooting in Newton, Connecticut happened, but maintains to this day that parents and families involved are pushing an agenda against free-speech and gun rights. It's a far cry from an apology, though. Earlier in the current trial, Jones called an attorney for one of the family's 'an ambulance chaser' and told the judge that he's 'done saying I'm sorry.' Attorney Norm Pattis, representing Alex Jones, speaks to Judge Barbara Bellis during the Alex Jones Sandy Hook defamation damages trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn., Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 On Tuesday, Jones' lawyer said that the InfoWars host was leaving the state and had no further plans to testify again. Jones told reporters outside the Connecticut courthouse earlier in the day that he may be found in contempt of court by the judge 'not because I'm guilty, but because she said that if I tell the truth, she'll put me in the Waterbury jail for six months.' The judge in this case has sought to limit Jones' testimony because he has already been found liable. Jones was found liable for his repeated court violations, including the fact that he ignore a court order by sharing financial documents with the plaintiffs. The attorneys for the plaintiffs are expected to wrap up their final arguments Wednesday. The cartoonist's latest exhibition will remain on display until Saturday He suffered 'chest pains' and was taken to hospital for surgery but didn't survive The South Korean cartoonist who holds the Guinness World Record for 'longest drawing by an individual' has died of a heart attack. Kim Jung Gi, 47, passed away 'suddenly' on Monday while in Paris, collaborator Hyun Jin Kim announced today. Mr Jung Gi, having finished his last schedule in Europe, was heading for New York when he experienced 'chest pains' at the airport. He was taken to hospital for surgery but 'sadly passed away.' Mr Jung Gi leaves behind a wife and two children. The cartoonist's latest exhibition, housed at The Daniel Maghen Gallery, will remain on display until Saturday at the request of his family. The South Korean cartoonist Kim Jung Gi, 47, (pictured in 2016) passed away 'suddenly' from a heart attack on Monday while in Paris Mr Jung Gi holds the Guinness World Record for 'longest drawing by an individual.' He is pictured drawing at the 35th Comic Fair in Barcelona on March 30, 2017 'It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of Kim Jung Gi,' Mr Jin Kim told The Independent, detailing how the artist suffered a heart attack at the airport. 'Jung Gi went to the airport to fly to New York, where he experienced chest pains and was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, but sadly passed away.' He concluded: 'After having done so much for us, you can now put down your brushes. Thank you Jung Gi.' The Daniel Maghen Gallery also paid tribute to the late artist in a heartfelt Instagram post reading: 'It is with a great sadness that we inform you of the death of Kim Jung Gi on Monday evening in Paris. 'His sudden disappearance contrasts with the immense happiness he brought us. We are speechless. 'Daniel Maghen, the entire gallery team, and particularly Olivier Souille, who had accompanied him for ten years, are terribly affected by his loss.' The gallery issued its condolences to Mr Jung Gi's wife, children and loved ones, as well as his collaborators and fans for 'whom his disappearance will leave a great void.' Mr Jung Gi, (pictured in 2019) having finished his last schedule in Europe, was heading for New York City when he experienced 'chest pains' at the airport. He was taken to hospital for surgery but 'sadly passed away.' He leaves behind a wife and two children The Daniel Maghen Gallery paid tribute to the late artist in a heartfelt Instagram post The cartoonist's latest exhibition, housed at The Daniel Maghen Gallery, will remain on display until Saturday at the request of his family. Mr Jung Gi is pictured at the Paris-based gallery in February 2016 Mr Jung Gi, born in Goyang-Si, South Korea, expressed interest in the arts at a young age and enrolled in a fine arts school at the age of 19. He later earned a Master of Art and Design degree at Dong-Eui University of Busan, according to his online biography. The artist also served two years in the South Korean army as a part of the Special Forces Unit where he was able to memorise the array of different weapons and vehicles. Mr Jung Gi has previously said his most notable career asset is his memory, which he developed over a number of years. 'His ability to render extremely complicated scenes near-perfectly from memory, without the aid of references, has stretched the boundaries of what many artists believed was possible,' his artist biography states. His first published piece of work was a Korean comic book called Funny Funny, which he taught to various private schools and universities. He collaborated with several other comic book artists throughout his career, created art for political residences and illustrated novels and album artwork. He released six sketchbooks during his lifetime and also holds the record for 'Longest drawing by an individual' in the Guinness World Records book. The US State Department said in May that Brittney was 'wrongfully detained,' with the White House declaring her trial 'another sham judicial proceeding' in August Cherelle: 'Do I ever get to see my wife again?' Brittney was arrested by Russian officials on February 17 on suspicion of drug possession before being convicted on August 4 Cherelle Griner said she feels her wife, Brittney, is a 'hostage' while she faces a nine-year drug charge in Russia The wife of WNBA all-star Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for drug possession, says she believes Griner is 'a hostage' and fears she will never see her again. Cherelle Griner said she was 'terrified' in her first interview since Brittney was convicted of drug possession charges on August 4. 'In no world did I ever thought, you know, our president and a foreign nation president would be sitting down having to discuss the freedom of my wife,' Cherelle told CBS News. 'It feels to me as if she's a hostage. 'It terrifies me because, I mean, when you watch movies, like, sometimes those situations don't end well. Sometimes they never get the person back.' Brittney is set to appear in a Russian court on October 25 to appeal her nine-year prison sentence. Cherelle Griner (pictured) spoke to CBS News on Wednesday. This is the first time she has addressed the media since her wife, Brittney, was convicted of drug possession charges in Russia Griner said of Brittney's nine-year sentence: 'And so to me, as much as everybody's telling me a different definition of what BG is, it feels to me as if she's a hostage' Brittney Griner (pictured) was arrested on suspicion of drug possession at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport on February 17 Brittney, an eight-time all-star center with the WNBAs Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was arrested on February 17 after police found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. She admitted to having the canisters in her luggage, but added she had inadvertently packed them while in a rush. Her legal team presented statements indicating Brittney was prescribed cannabis to treat pain. In the months leading up to her conviction, the US State Department said she was 'wrongfully detained' by the Russian government. The US government previously offered Russia a prisoner exchange involving Griner and Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage, for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year sentence in the US. Subsequent reports say the White House has not received a response to this offer. Cherelle previously spoke to President Joe Biden about Brittney's return to the US, saying she believes the administration is doing everything in its power to return her wife 'I'm terrified I might be here forever,' she wrote. 'I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American detainees' 'I'm going to give credit where it's due, and I feel as if this administration is putting a lot of manpower into ways to get BG home through negotiations,' Cherelle said in July Cherelle last spoke to the media and President Joe Biden shortly before the August 4 conviction. In her meeting with Biden, Cherelle told the New York Times that the acting president ensured to her and the Griner family that the US government will pursue 'every avenue to bring Brittney home.' Biden, who also met with Elizabeth Whelan, sister of Paul, conducted separate meetings to assure the families that the detainees 'are at front of mind,' said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 'We're going to continue to do everything that we can, working tirelessly every day, to make sure that we get them home,' she told reporters. Brittney had sent a handwritten letter to Biden asking for help. 'I'm terrified I might be here forever,' she wrote. 'I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.' Former US Marine Trevor Reed was released by Russia in an April prisoner swap after being convicted of assault in July 2020. He was meant to serve a nine-year sentence. 'I'm going to give credit where it's due, and I feel as if this administration is putting a lot of manpower into ways to get BG home through negotiations,' Cherelle said in July. 'Because it's not as simple as one may think of looking at the list of people we have and asking Russia to choose. 'It's more complex than that and they are exhausting a lot of effort.' The US Government has reportedly offered convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, who faces a 25-year sentence, for Griner and Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage in Russia Two months into Brittney's conviction, Cherelle said she has started to question whether she will see her wife again. "I mean, this is my life and so I'm sitting there like, 'Do we get her back? Do I ever get to see my wife again?'' she said. 'Like, what happens here? The fact that everything's so unprecedented and everything's, like, changeable I think is a really good word. Like, I feel like every day I'm hearing something new, and so it's just kind of like, it's terrifying.' She told CBS' Gayle King that she is pursuing a law degree while trying to maintain a normal lifestyle despite the unprecedented situation she's in. Griner's arrest came just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, ushering in heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington. Putin signed a decree earlier this week to illegally annex parts of Ukraine. Days later, however, Russia was forced to withdraw troops from the strategically important Lyman located in one of the four Ukrainian regions that Russia annexed. While signing the decree, Putin also condemned the 'Satanic' West and vowed to use all of the Kremlin's might to protect Russia's new territory. The remark was widely seen as a nuclear threat. Meta axed its highly sought after London internship program, the latest sign that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is clamping down on costs as the social media giant's stock prices plummet. The would-be interns were due to start the coveted positions in January 2023, but were instead notified of the cut in a simple email, sources told The New York Post. The news left those with internship offers in the lurch, with some complaining they had passed up other opportunities to join Meta. 'I changed plans and discarded another offers for 2023 due to this offer,' wrote Yure Pablo, a student studying computer science in Brazil. 'So if anyone can help me with another opportunities for the next year, I would be glad to apply.' A spokesperson person for Meta also confirmed that the London internship programs had been eliminated. News of the terminated internship program comes days after Zuckerberg announced he was freezing all hiring at Meta and that the company would be smaller in 2023 than it was in 2022 - the first downsizing in the company's 18 year history. Meta shares have dropped just over 60 percent in 2022, after a tumultuous two years which saw the company face probes from lawmakers and regulators over user privacy, harsh scrutiny over the negative mental health effects of Instagram, and increasing competition for younger users from rivals Snapchat and TikTok. Meta axed its highly sought after London internship program, the latest sign that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is clamping down on costs as the social media giant's stock prices plummet The would-be interns were due to start the coveted positions in January 2023, but were instead notified of the cut in a simple email Meta spokesperson Andrea Beasley said the London internships were cut in direct response to company's new staff goals. 'Meta interns are crucial in shaping our future,' Beasley told The Post. 'This difficult decision was not made lightly and was made as a last resort. This companywide hiring shift is to ensure that our hiring targets are aligned with our highest-priority efforts and business needs.' The status of the Meta's 2023 US based internships remains unclear, but in August Bloomberg reported the company had postponed doling out fulltime offers to its 2022 interns. During a Q&A session last week, Zuckerberg blamed the hiring freeze on the stagnating economy. 'I had hoped the economy would have more clearly stabilized by now, but from what we're seeing it doesn't yet seem like it has, so we want to plan somewhat conservatively,' Zuckerberg said. 'For the first 18 years of the company, we basically grew quickly basically every year, and then more recently our revenue has been flat to slightly down for the first time.' Meta spokesperson Andrea Beasley said the London internships were cut in direct response to company's new reduced staffing goals Fourteen-year-old Molly Russell died by suicide, a death which social media was officially ruled as having been partly responsible for Some of Meta's cost-cutting measures have come at the expense of its teenage Instagram users, as one platform moderator claimed the company has skimped on providing resources for the team intended to flag posts about self harm and suicide. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the moderator said the company could do 'much, much better' in protecting children on the platform. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said: 'However, I think they still could do much, much better and I don't think they are prioritizing it money-wise. I feel like they are cutting costs sometimes.' The moderator joined Meta in 2018, a year after the 14-year-old Molly Russell died by suicide, a death which social media was officially ruled as having been partly responsible for 'Molly Rose Russell died from an act of self-harm while suffering from depression and the negative effects of online content,' a London coroner ruled last week after a long judicial inquiry. After the cause of death ruling, Meta banned any content concerning self-harm - content reportedly coming largely from teenage girls - which moderators are tasked with identifying, then either removing or flagging to law enforcement. But speaking to DailyMail.com, the unnamed moderator said the multibillion-dollar company was skimping on the program. I don't think I felt qualified. I just did what had to be done, she said. But it was up to us to make that call. Sometimes it could be hard to tell. I was always trying to err on the side of caution. The closing arguments have wrapped up in the trial of Ruben Flores - who is accused of helping his alleged murderer son bury missing teen Kristin Smart's body underneath his deck. Flores, 81, was arrested in April 2021 and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. Jurors will soon come to a conclusion at Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas, California. The 81-year-old allegedly helped bury the slain student, 19, behind his home in the nearby community of Arroyo Grande and later dug up the remains and moved them. Both him and his son Paul Flores, who is accused of murdering Smart, have pleaded not guilty. Deputy DA Christopher Peuvrelle told the court on Wednesday: 'Justice delayed does not have to be justice denied. Yes, 26 years have passed. 'In the years since, Ruben Flores continued to hide Kristins body under his deck, and Paul Flores continued to rape women. 'We dont have an intact body but we do have human blood.' Ruben Flores, now 81, is charged with accessory after the fact. His son is on trial for murder The freshman was last seen after a party in May 1996. Investigators have been searching for her killer ever since. Paul Flores, who was also a 19-year-old freshman at the time of her death, was charged with her murder in 2021 Behind lattice work beneath the deck of his large house on a dead end street off Tally Ho Road, archaeologists working for police in March 2021 found a soil disturbance about the size of a casket and the presence of human blood, prosecutors said He told the jury: 'Your role here is simple. Did. This. Happen? Thats all you need to decide. What happens after this is up to Judge OKeefe.' Neither verdict will be read until both juries have finished deliberating. Their verdicts are independent of one another - meaning that one can be found guilty even if the other is not. Once both decisions are in, they will be read separately back-to-back. In March 2021, detectives served a search warrant for the father's home. Behind lattice work beneath the deck of his large house on a dead end street off Tally Ho Road, archaeologists working for police in March found a soil disturbance about the size of a casket and the presence of human blood, prosecutors said. The blood was too degraded to extract a DNA sample. While a blood expert said it was human blood, the test used did not rule out the possibility it was from a ferret or primate, though court records said no remains of either such animal were found there. A lawsuit filed against Ruben Flores alleged that 'under cover of darkness,' the father and unnamed accomplices moved the body four days after investigators searched his house. Closing arguments for Rubens' son Paul, 45, concluded on Tuesday after the court heard that Smart was 'discarded worse than a pet.' Prosecutor Peuvrelle asked the jury to find Paul Flores guilty of first-degree murder and summarized the evidence that had been presented during the trial that started on July 18. 'Sometimes we tell our kids monsters do not exist, but they do. We've seen one in this trial. I ask you to render a truthful verdict that Paul Flores is guilty of first-degree murder,' he told the jury. Paul Flores, now 45, is charged with the murder of Smart in 1996 Search warrants for issued for the Arroyo Grande home of Paul Flores' father, Ruben Flores, 81 Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle made his closing arguments on Wednesday for the trial of Ruben Flores Judge Jennifer O'Keefe will sentence the pair, if they are found to be guilty by the jury The prosecution told jurors the 'truth is, Kristin Smart is dead and the evidence is clear that she was killed by Paul Flores.' Robert Sanger, the attorney defending Paul Flores, argued that the case is straightforward: 'There is no evidence of a murder, so that is really the end of it.' Paul Flores, now 45, is accused of killing 19-year-old student Kristin Smart during an attempted rape and hiding her body with the help of his father - and prosecutors on Monday said he was 'guilty as sin.' Smart and Paul Flores were both students at California Polytechnic when she disappeared in May 1996 after an off-campus party. On Monday, the long-awaited trial that began in July was inching closer to a verdict - after countless delays and two months of testimony. Both juries are currently out for deliberation. A verdict is expected in the coming days. American intelligence officials believe that Ukraine was behind a car bomb that killed the daughter of a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, it emerged on Wednesday. Darya Dugina, 29, died in an explosion on a motorway near Moscow in August. Russian authorities quickly blamed Ukraine and said the real target may have been her father Alexander Dugin, an ultranationalist ideologue whose vision for an imperialist Russia has been mirrored by Kremlin policy. American intelligence agencies now believe that parts of the Ukrainian government authorized the attack, according to the New York Times. Officials said the U.S. was not given warning ahead of the attack, nor did it provide intelligence or assistance. Journalist Darya Dugina died in August when her car exploded near Moscow. On Wednesday, it emerged that the U.S. believes Ukraine was behind the attack The real target may have been her father Alexander Dugin, a leading Russian ultranationalist ideologue, whose thinking has influenced Vladmir Putin's inner circle Dugina's car was engulfed by flame on a motorway outside Moscow in August. Russia quickly blamed a female Ukrainian spy who, officials claimed, had fled the country WHO IS ALEXANDER DUGIN? Russian ultra-right ideologue Alexander Dugin is responsible for shaping the world view of Putin's inner circle. He has called for Ukrainians to be killed and strongly pushed Russia to invade for decades. In his youth, Dugin emerged as a leader of the notorious anti-Semitic Russian nationalist organisation, Pamyat. He founded his own publishing house after the fall of the USSR, going on to win university positions for his writings. Dugin believes that the Russian Orthodox Church was destined to rule as an empire over all of Europe and Asia uniting all the Russian-speaking peoples into a single state. He laid out his plan for achieving this aim in his 1997 book Foundations of Geopolitics, a text which still has significant influence within Russian elites and has even been used as a textbook by the Russian military. The Russian professor formed the 'Eurasia Party' in 2001, named after the hypothetical state, which also appears in George Orwell's novel 1984. His novel calls for a Russian empire stretching from Dublin to Vladivostok, even calling for parts of China to be conquered. Dugin was dismissed from his position as head of the Department of Sociology of International Relations at Moscow University after arguing for 'people's republics' on the territory of Ukraine. Seven years later, his position would become a reality after the Kremlin annexed the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic out of Ukraine's occupied eastern territories. Dugin called for the annexation of Crimea as far back as 2008, during Russia's war with Georgia. He travelled to the disputed region of South Ossetia, where he was photographed with a rocket launcher. He was also involved with coordinating separatist movements in Ukraine during the 2014 occupation, for which the US sanctioned him. The political scientist claims he also played a key role in reconciling the relationship between Russia and Turkey in 2015 after a Russian warplane was shot down on the Syrian border. Dugin also developed links with far-right and far-left political parties in the European Union, attempting to influence EU policy on Ukraine and Russia. Advertisement They said they would have opposed the operation if they had known about it in advance. And they said they had rebuked Ukrainian officials after finding out about their role. The assessment was reportedly shared within the U.S. government last week. Officials fear that such attacks have little impact on the course of the war in Ukraine, but could provoke reciprocal attacks on Ukrainian figures. During the course of the war, Ukraine has shown it can conduct sabotage operations inside Russia. But the killing of Dugina respresents its boldest action to date, if the U.S. assessment is correct. Her father may have avoided death only by chance. He reportedly was due to travel with his daughter but opted to ride in a different car. Moscow investigators said an explosive device was planted under the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Dugina was driving. Reports say the bomb may have been detonated by remote control. It contained 400 to 800g of TNT, with some experts saying it was the equivalent to 'a simultaneous explosion of six grenades'. The government of Ukraine continues to deny any involvement in the killing. 'Again, Ill underline that any murder during wartime in some country or another must carry with it some kind of practical significance,' Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraines president, told the New York Times. 'It should fulfill some specific purpose, tactical or strategic. Someone like Dugina is not a tactical or a strategic target for Ukraine.' Russia and Dugin himself were quick to blame Ukraine, however. 'She died for Russia, on the front line... She lived for victory, and died in the name of victory,' said her father at her funeral. Putin sent a message. 'A vile, cruel crime ended the life of Darya Dugina, a bright, talented person with a true Russian heart - kind, loving, open and sympathetic,' he said. 'A journalist, a scientist, a philosopher, a military correspondent, she honestly served the people, the Fatherland, and proved with her life what it means to be a patriot of Russia.' Russian authorities pinned the assassination on alleged Ukrainian spy Natalia Shaban-Vovk, who they say sneaked into Russia bringing her 12-year-old daughter with her and tracked Dugina for weeks before activating the deadly car bomb and fleeing into Estonia, all without being caught. Russian security services also released what it claimed was the Ukrainian mother's military documents, including a passport-style photo of her. But commentators questioned why Shaban-Vovk, if she is indeed a Ukrainian spy responsible for the killing, would leave her military identification behind and accused Russian authorities of producing a fake to pin the assassination on Ukraine. There was also speculation that Russia's own GRU military intelligence agency was behind the assassination. Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin has managed to convince a judge to let her out of prison while she fights deportation. The convicted fraudster has been in an upstate New York prison for the 18 months. However her attorneys successfully appealed to a judge to grant her release on Wednesday. US Immigration Judge Charles Conroy agreed to it, putting her on house arrest, because 'she has demonstrated interest in pursuing legitimate employment in the Untied States, pursuits that will face heavy public scrutiny.' Fake German heiress Anna Sorokin is due to be released from jail - again - after convincing a judge to grant her bail while she fights deportation Judge Conroy said that because she was infamous, it would be hard for her to fly under the radar and avoid detection. 'She will be required to abide by conditions of release imposed both by the New York State Parole Board and immigration authorities, which, combined with her status as a public figure, will make it particularly difficult for her to avoid detection. 'For all of these reasons, the Court finds that [Sorokin's] risk of flight sufficiently mitigated,' he said in his ruling. Sorokin's immigration attorney John Sandweg said in a statement: 'Immigration detention must be reserved for those who pose a danger to society or an unmanageable flight risk. 'We are gratified that, after 17 months of immigration detention, and years after she finished her prison sentence, the court recognized that such detention was no longer appropriate for Ana. 'Make no mistake, she does not get a free pass,' added Sandweg. 'She will continue to face deportation proceedings and her release will be closely monitored by the government. Sorokin was convicted of fraud in 2019 'Nevertheless, as the court found, continued detention was unnecessary.' Guards at the jail where she was being held confirmed to DailyMail.com that she remains there for now. Sorokin wants to stay in the US, despite not having a visa. She is originally from Russia but also has ties to Germany. She sprang to notoriety in 2018 after being arrested for fleecing luxury hotels and restaurants in Manhattan out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her crimes later became the subject of the popular Netflix series Inventing Anna. Sorokin has been keeping busy behind bars with multiple media and podcast interviews. She has been auctioning off her prison sketches, and has also written poetry. The FBI said murder rates in the US rose by 4.3 percent and rapes by 3.9 percent last year, but the numbers don't include the crime-ridden cities of New York or Los Angeles. In its annual analysis of crime in America, the FBI said their were about 22,900 murders in 2021, up from the 22,000 in 2020, which saw homicides soar by nearly 30 percent. The FBI also saw 107,500 rape reports, nearly a 4 percent increase, but overall crime was reportedly down 1 percent since robberies fell by 8.2 percent and aggravated assaults remained at about the same level as the previous year. Crime for New York City and Los Angeles, however, were absent in the FBI's data as police in the city failed to submit their records to the bureau's new collection systems, leaving the agency to fill in the blanks with estimates. It comes as both cities contend with more than 300 murders so far this year, with overall violent crime running rampant. The FBI's annual crime report showed murders were up by 4.3 percent and rapes up by 3.9 percent last year in the US, but overall crime was reportedly down due to decreases in robberies and assaults. The data, however, is missing figures from NYC and LA In 2020, the FBI announced a complete overhaul of its crime data collection system in order to improve the statistics about crime in the US. However, about 9,700 police agencies had initially failed to submit their crime reports to the correct system by the March 14 deadline, with New York and Los Angeles failing to submit any data all together. Analysts from the Brennan Center for Justice said the missing data has left the current image of crime in America muddied. 'With so many agencies failing to report a full year of data for 2021, this year's annual crime data release will have significant blind spots,' the center said in a statement. Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, told USA Today that the missing data and estimates would raise uncertainty on where the nation needs to focus crime-fighting legislation and funds. 'Clearly, there is uncertainty surrounding the data released today,' he said. 'Let's hope this is a one-year blip.' Overall violent crime in the Big Apple is up 33.6 percent from last year In the Big Apple, police reported 378 murders, down 13.5 percent from last year, but overall crime has spiked by 32.68 percent. New York City has also seen rapes jump from 1.137 cases last year to 1,249 so far this year, a nearly 10 percent rise. Robberies are also up 36.5 percent, and assaults and burglaries are up 15.9 and 31.5 percent respectively. While homicides are down so far this year, murders in New York City remain at the top of the headlines, with the city seeing its latest killing last Thursday. In the case, Peter Zisopoulos, 34, was charged with the 'barbaric and completely unprovoked,' stabbing death of Allison Russo-Elling, 61, a nearly 25-year veteran of the New York Fire Department who was among the 9/11 first responders. Peter Zisopoulus, 34, is perp walked Friday after killing an on-duty EMT on Thursday GRAPHIC WARNING: Zisopoulos is seen on surveillance camera stabbing Russo-Elling on Thursday afternoon in Queens Allison Russo-Elling's picture was released by colleagues on Thursday evening by the New York City Fire Department detailing her long career as a front line worker Russo-Elling was on her way to get food when Zisopoulous, who has history of schizophrenia, allegedly approached her and stabbed her in what authorities said was a random and completely unprovoked attack. The victim was left splayed on the corner with a deep, lethal stab wound to her chest, as well as approximately 18 smaller stab wounds to the upper and lower chest. Russo-Elling was a mother, grandmother and also worked with the volunteer ambulance corps in Huntington, Long Island, where she lived. She joined the FDNY as an EMT in 1998 and became a lieutenant in 2016. She worked out of Station 49 in Astoria, Queens at the time of her passing. She was a first responder to the September 11, 2001 attacks and was credited multiple times for her 'bravery and her life-saving work,' said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh. Although murderers are less frequent this year, the city contends with daily reports of assaults, with this year seeing a high number of bizarre attacks in the subway. On Sunday, two teenage girls were beaten up and robbed by a gang of women wearing neon green skin suits on a Manhattan subway, according to police. The pair of 19-year-olds were waiting for the N train in Times Square at around 2.00am, when a group of at least six women in bright green costumes charged down the station stairs. The teens backed away and chose to enter a separate train car than the group that was 'loud and obnoxious,' according to one of the girls' mothers. But the green-clad group poured into the train from every entrance and ultimately 'jumped' the two young women. Both teenage girls were swung around, stomped and punched by the green-clad group on a New York City N train at Sunday around 2.00am Onlookers did not attempt to intervene as the innocent girls were beaten and robbed, rather they recorded the incident Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, murder has stayed stubbornly high, with the city's police reporting 304 cases so far this year, the same as the previous year. Most recently, Freddie Lee Trone, 40, was arrested for the fatal shooting of Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock at Los Angeles restaurant Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles on September 13. He was charged with one count of murder, two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. His unnamed teenage son, who was arrested Tuesday, was charged with the same counts. Before his death, the robber approached PnB Rock's table and demanded items from the rapper, according to investigators. The robber took items from the victim and fled in a car that was waiting in the parking lot, police said. Rock was pronounced dead at a hospital. Philadelphia rapper PnB Rock performs at the 2018 Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Del., on June 16, 2018. The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Allen, was fatally shot during a robbery in South Los Angeles on September 12, 2022 This image released by the Los Angeles Police Department shows Freddie Lee Trone The city also saw a notable case in August when ICU nurse Nicole Linton, 37, was charged with six counts of murder after she crashed her car into five vehicles at 100 mph. The collusion left a pregnant mother, her unborn child, one-year-old son and four others dead, as well as eight people injured. While rape has fallen by more than 13 percent in LA, robberies have risen by 16.3 percent, with aggravated assaults also up 1 percent. Overall crime in the city is up 4.3 percent from last year. Just last week, the surveillance cameras in the city caught the moment a woman was struck in the head with a fire extinguisher in an unprovoked attack. The unidentified woman was going out for morning coffee in West Los Angeles along Pico Boulevard when she was assaulted, according to her boyfriend. Dan Steinberg, the boyfriend, said she saw the attacker shouting as he rode past her on an e-scooter before scurrying away. A California man was caught on camera hitting a woman in the head with a fire extinguisher unprovoked in Los Angeles Saturday Surveillance video shows the suspect returning, coming up from behind, and hurling the extinguisher at her head. The victim fell to the ground, clutching the back of her head in obvious pain from the senseless blow. The attacker got back on his scooter and moved on into traffic before getting away from the scene. The video then shows the victim struggling to try and make it back up to her feet. She lost consciousness and was eventually diagnosed with a concussion, according to Fox11. Police investigate the scene of an early morning fatal shooting along in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, the state with the highest rate of violent crime in the U.S. Police investigate the scene of an early morning fatal shooting in downtown Anchorage, Alaska. High crime rates in the state are an effect of men significantly outnumbering women, excessive alcohol consumption, and because lawmen are spread thin across the vast territory The FBI's report comes as a list by Texas-based firm Vela Law released its own report on violent crime in America. Alaska, New Mexico and Tennessee have the highest rates of murder, rape and other violent crimes in the United States, while Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have the lowest, according to the study released this week. Alaska topped the list with 837.8 violent crimes committed per 100,000 people, according to a breakdown of FBI data from 2020 on rates for murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and assault across the U.S. It was followed by New Mexico, with 778.2 violent crimes per 100,000 people, then Tennessee, with 672.7 violent crimes per 100,000 people all well above the national average of 398.5 crimes for every 100,000 people. At the other end of the spectrum were three northern states Maine, with just 108.6 violent crimes per 100,000 people, followed by New Hampshire (146.4 violent crimes per 100,000 people) and Vermont (173.4 violent crimes per 100,000 people). A spokesman for the Vela Law firm said in a statement there were considerable difference between the rates of recorded violent crime between the states that feature at the top and bottom of this list. Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Ivanovo Region Governor Stanislav Voskresensky at the Moscow Kremlin, Tuesday. TASS-Yonhap Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws formally absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, even as its military struggles to control the territory that was illegally annexed. The documents finalizing the annexation, carried out in defiance of international laws, were published on a Russian government website on Wednesday morning. Earlier this week, both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia. That followed Kremlin-orchestrated "referendums" in the four regions that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham. On the ground, Moscow's war in Ukraine has entered a new, more dangerous phase. Russia faces mounting setbacks, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the east and in the south the very regions Moscow has pushed to annex. The borders of the territories Russia is claiming still remain unclear, but the Kremlin has vowed to defend Russia's territory the newly absorbed regions too with any means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the annexation by announcing a fast-track application to join NATO and formally ruling out talks with Russia. Zelenskyy's decree, released Tuesday, declares that holding negotiations with Putin has become impossible after his decision to take over the four regions of Ukraine. The head of Zelenskyy's office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on his Telegram channel shortly after Putin signed the annexation that "the worthless decisions of the terrorist country (Russia) are not worth the paper they are signed on. "A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world," he added. Russia and Ukraine gave conflicting assessments Wednesday of a Ukrainian offensive in the strategic southern Kherson region one of the four areas that Russia is annexing. A Russian-installed official in the Kherson region insisted that Ukrainian advances in the region have been halted. Kirill Stremousov, in comments to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, said that "as of this morning ... there are no movements" by Kyiv's forces. He vowed that "they won't enter (the city of) Kherson, it is impossible." However, Kyiv's military said Wednesday they have recaptured more villages in the Kherson region as a part of their massive counteroffensive effort. Operational Command South said that the Ukrainian flag has been raised above seven villages previously occupied by the Russians. Military hospitals are full of wounded Russian soldiers, and Russian military medics lack medicaments, wrote Deputy Head of Kherson regional administration Yurii Sobolevskyi on Telegram. After the condition of Russian soldiers stabilizes, they are sent for further treatment in Crimea. "Not everyone arrives," he wrote. Ukrainian soldiers wave a national flag on top an armored personnel carrier on a road near Lyman, Donetsk region in Ukraine, Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap A prominent NAACP leader and activist from Virginia was shot and killed while on vacation in Turks and Caicos over the weekend. According to police, Kent Carter of Arlington, Virginia was one of two people shot when a shuttle vehicle headed back from the beach was ambushed by a group of men in a seemingly random act near Long Bay. Carter, who was on vacation with his girlfriend for his birthday, was just 40-years-old. One NAACP official told a local news station in Washington, D.C. that he has been in contact with Carter's girlfriend who said that Carter 'immediately used his body to shield her,' from gunfire, and that he saved her life. Kent Carter, 40, was shot and killed in a car ambush while on a vacation to Turks and Caicos with his girlfriend Carter, a realtor and veteran, was one of two people shot in the ambush. Carter's girlfriend told an Arlington NAACP official that her boyfriend shielded her from the gunshots According to FOX 5 DC who spoke with officials from the Arlington County NAACP, the chapter Carter was heavily involved in, the vehicle was shot at multiple times by men with automatic weapons. Another man was hurt in the incident. 'These criminals began to indiscriminately shoot into the vehicle,' Turks and Caicos Police Commissioner Trevor Botting said in a statement Monday. Suspects in the case were identified and tracked down following the incident. A photo shared of damage to the vehicle that Carter was riding in shows at least 21 places where bullets entered the vehicle Carter, his girlfriend, and another person were riding in this car when they were ambushed by a group of men with automatic weapons At least one suspect is believed to have been shot and killed by officers during a shootout. Other suspects are believed to have gotten away. An officer involved in the shootout was seriously injured, officials said. 'I believe the original attack was targeted and carried out by armed gang members who act without conscience, who have no regard for life,' Botting said. Shortly after the incident, Turks and Caicos Governor Nigel John Dakin blamed Jamaican gangs. Dakin said the gangs are responsible for not only this senseless shooting, but other crimes in the area in recent weeks and months. 'It remains ongoing and it will not stop, unless we stop it,' Dakin said Monday. The Turks and Caicos government responded to the violent incident, issuing an apology for the families impacted. Carter was active in his community and beloved my many, according to tributes posted by friends and family members following his death 'The incident which occurred on the date mentioned above is one that is rare and does not reflect who we are as a people,' a statement from government officials said. 'On behalf of the government and people of these islands, we extend our sympathies to the family and friends of the victim.' The Virginia man was a realtor and broker, as well as a veteran, according to his girlfriend. Carter also held a major position with the oldest chapter of the African American Masonic lodge in Virginia, according to friends. Tributes poured in following the news of the activist and realtor's death over the weekend. 'Mr. Carter was not only a friend but a true champion of civil rights and social justice,' said Julius D. 'JD' Spain, Sr., President of the NAACP Arlington Branch, in an interview with FOX 5 DC. One of Carter's neighbors told NBC 4 in Washington, D.C. that his death is heartbreaking and unjust. 'Probably one of the best neighbors I've ever had, so this is really heartbreaking,' the neighbor said. One person who knew the Virginia man said that he leaves behind a young daughter. Advertisement Vladimir Putin faces mutiny or death if he attempts to launch a nuclear strike in a desperate bid to secure victory in Ukraine, an expert has claimed. The 'desperate' tyrant - who turns 70 this week while allegedly battling serious health issues - would spark a Kremlin coup if he unleashed the devastating weapons, a British source who advises governments on Russia said. It comes as the unpredictable Russian leader annexed four regions in the east of Ukraine this week following a spate of 'referendums', which were branded a 'sham' by the wider international community. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces lead by comedian-turned-president Volodymyr Zelensky, and bolstered by the West, continue to force the Russians to retreat in the likes of Kharkiv and Luhansk, setting up a potentially humiliating defeat for Putin - one many experts believe he could not survive. Moscow's military elite believe the despot's threats to employ nuclear weapons are currently working as leverage against the West, but one source suggested they would block any attempt by the warmonger to launch the catastrophic missiles. They told the Mirror: 'Faced with Putin's recklessness and the need to prevent use of nuclear weapons, the military are most likely to stage a coup to depose him. 'The second most likely group are Putin's Presidential Administration of acolytes, ex-KGB spies and ex-military led by Evgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin. So far they think his nuke statements are serving their purpose.' Vladimir Putin faces mutiny or death if he attempts to launch a nuclear strike in a desperate bid to secure victory in Ukraine, an expert has claimed Putin, who analysts fear is becoming increasingly impatient as he approaches 70 while allegedly battling serious health woes, would 'spark a Kremlin coup if he unleashed the devastating weapons', an expert has said (Pictured: Handout photo released by Roscosmos Space Agency Press Service on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, shows the nuclear-capable Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile being launched from Plesetsk in Russia's northwest) Ukraine earlier claimed victories over Russian troops in the eastern region of Luhansk as the Kremlin vowed to recapture territory lost in a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive. In recent weeks, Ukraine's forces, bolstered by Western weapons, have wrested Russian troops out of a string of towns and villages in the southern Kherson region and the eastern separatist strongholds of Luhansk and Donetsk A view of destroyed armored vehicles and tanks belonging to Russian forces on Wednesday after Putin's forces withdrew from the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region The source added that the most likely replacement would be Putin's confidante Mr Prigozhin, 61, dubbed his Cook, because his high-end catering firm worked for him. He also has close links to Moscow GRU and allegedly founded Putin's notorious shadow mercenary army the Wagner Group. It comes after Putin said Wednesday that he expected the situation to 'stabilise' in Ukrainian regions annexed by the Kremlin after Moscow suffered military setbacks and lost several key towns to Kyiv. He also ordered his government to seize control over Europe's largest nuclear power plant in the Russian-controlled region of Zaporizhzhia with IAEA head Rafael Grossi en route to Kyiv for consultations on the facility. Ukraine earlier claimed victories over Russian troops in the eastern region of Luhansk as the Kremlin vowed to recapture territory lost in a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive. In recent weeks, Ukraine's forces, bolstered by Western weapons, have wrested Russian troops out of a string of towns and villages in the southern Kherson region and the eastern separatist strongholds of Luhansk and Donetsk. 'We are working on the assumption that the situation in the new territories will stabilise,' Putin told Russian teachers during a televised video call. Just hours earlier, the Ukrainian-appointed head of Luhansk Sergiy Gaiday announced that the 'de-occupation of the Luhansk region has already officially started'. A senior Russian lawmaker called on military officials to tell the truth about developments on the ground in Ukraine following the string of bruising defeats. 'We need to stop lying,' the chairman of the lower house of parliament's defence committee, Andrei Kartapolov, told a journalist from state-run media. 'The reports of the defence ministry do not change. The people know. Our people are not stupid. This can lead to loss of credibility.' Meanwhile, Putin on Wednesday signed into legislation his annexation of four Ukrainian territories - including Luhansk - as the European Union agreed a new round of sanctions against Moscow in response. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would take back land it lost to Kyiv within the annexed regions, vowing they would be 'Russian forever and will not be returned'. Putin initially inked agreements with the Moscow-installed leaders of the four regions to become subjects of the Russian Federation, despite condemnation from Kyiv and the West. The four territories - Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia - create a land corridor between Russia and the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014. Together, the five regions make up around 20 per cent of Ukraine. The Kremlin annexed the territories after hastily conducting referendums, denounced as void by Kyiv and its Western allies, but has yet to confirm what areas exactly of those regions are being annexed. Russian forces do not have full control over Kherson or Zaporizhzhia and recently lost control of several settlements in Donetsk. The latest battlefield maps from Moscow showed that Russian troops had left many areas in Kherson, including along the west bank of the Dnipro River. In Kharkiv, the maps indicated that Moscow's forces had almost entirely abandoned the east bank of the Oskil River, potentially giving the Ukrainians space to shell key Russian troop transportation and supply corridors. While Russian authorities remain largely silent about the extent of the setbacks, war correspondents of pro-Kremlin media admitted that troops were in trouble. 'There won't be any good news in the near future. Not from the Kherson front nor from Luhansk,' newspaper journalist Alexander Kots wrote on his Telegram channel with more than 640,000 followers. In the town of Lyman, Ukrainian police officers were moving back in to the station used until last week by the Russian occupation force. 'They lived like rats,' said the town's police chief, Igor Ugnivenko, returning to his pre-invasion office and surveying the debris. In front of the central administration building queues of mainly elderly residents built up for two ambulances distributing meagre humanitarian aid. 'I don't know if the situation is better or worse,' said 62-year- old Tatiana Slavuta of the town's recapture by Ukrainian forces. 'All the shops are closed, we don't have money, we don't have light. Nothing. 'We don't see any change,' she added before correcting herself and brightening. 'At least now there's silence - no shelling.' Putin's decision to wrest control of the Zaporizhzhia plant comes after months of tensions around the facility with both sides blaming each other for strikes that had raised fears of a radiation disaster. 'On our way to Kyiv for important meetings,' International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi wrote on Twitter, saying the need for a protection zone around the site was 'more urgent than ever'. On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden told Zelensky that another $625 million in military assistance was on the way. The new batch includes more HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, which have allowed Ukraine to strike Russian command depots and arms stockpiles far behind the frontline. From the EU, there were no details about the nature of fresh sanctions agreed against Russia. The latest package - the eighth since Russia's invasion in February - is now going through a final approval procedure which, if no objections emerge, will be published and come into effect on Thursday, the Czech Republic's EU ambassador said on Twitter. How Ukraine could achieve victory against Russia: As Kyiv's forces advance in the south and east, expert lays out the path to victory - with all roads leading to Crimea By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline 'This war began with Crimea and must end with Crimea - with its liberation,' President Volodymyr Zelesnky declared back in August. And, according to military experts, that is exactly what his generals are aiming to do. Ben Hodges, former commander of American forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be the Ukrainian route to victory - going via the cities of Kherson and Mariupol and ending 'when the last Russian soldier crosses the [Kerch] bridge out of Crimea.' General Hodges, now at the Center for European Policy Analysis, believes Ukraine's main effort will remain capturing Kherson in the south - where a major assault has been underway since early August - with a secondary attack hooking down through the Donbas and towards the city of Mariupol. When Mariupol falls, he told a CEPA conference last week, those troops would also converge on Crimea - hammering the peninsula with HIMARS rockets and forcing the Russians back beyond the border. Dr Mike Martin, a visiting fellow of war studies at King's College, also raised the prospect of a third assault with Ukraine using its reserves to split the Russian frontline in two and making it difficult for Putin to move reinforcements around as he gave his own thoughts on Twitter. Nothing is guaranteed in war, and Putin will certainly do everything in his power to stop Kyiv - from piling conscripts on to the frontlines to possibly using a nuclear weapon. But, as Ukraine's path to victory becomes clearer, MailOnline examines how it could play out... General Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be Ukraine's path to victory against Russia - saying that 'Crimea is the prize' and the war will end 'when the last Russian soldier walks along the [Kerch bridge, connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia]' Kherson Ukraine began its much-vaunted counter-attack on the Kherson region in early August and has been making gradual progress ever since - though reports have started emerging of a breakthrough this week. The goal, touted by Kyiv, is to re-take the city of Kherson from Russian control. It is the only regional capital seized by Putin so-far during the war, and occupies a strategic position - spanning the Dnipro River where it flows into the Dniprovska Gulf and on to the Black Sea. Taking it would deprive Russia of its only toe-hold on the west bank of the Dnipro, all-but rule out any assault on Odessa, give proof to the lie of Putin's sham referendums and claims to annexation, and open the door to an assault on Crimea - the jewel in the Ukrainian crown. Ukraine has been steadily fighting its way towards the city of Kherson for the last two months, and may have scored a breakthrough this week amid reports of Russian forces withdrawing more than 10 miles Ukrainian special forces troops are pictured advancing across the south of Ukraine amid reports of a breakthrough in Russian lines that may have pushed Putin's men back more than 10 miles Ukrainian tanks open fire on Russian positions in Kherson, amid a major offensive in the region that aims to recapture the city from Russia - which would be a major blow to Putin's invasion General Hodges estimated that breaking the pocket in Kherson may take 'weeks'. Ukraine itself has given no such timeline. But victory here, if it can be achieved, would be a watershed moment. Russia has stationed most of its remaining forces in Ukraine, and almost all of its best fighting units, in the city - perhaps up to 30,000 troops in total - and their loss would be a blow the Kremlin would struggle to recover from. And, should Kherson fall, Kyiv has left observers in little doubt about what would come next. In the build-up to the assault on Kherson, several large explosions rocked the Crimea - destroying ammo dumps, airfields, and resupply routes. Kyiv was slow to claim responsibility, perhaps trying to disguise what weapon it used for the attacks - which seemed to go beyond its known capabilities - or perhaps fearing escalation by Putin. The despot, after all, annexed Crimea in 2014 making it - in the Kremlin's eyes at least - part of Russia. But, in a speech on August 10, Zelensky vowed: 'Crimea is Ukrainian and we will never give it up. This Russian war...began with Crimea and must end with Crimea - with its liberation.' Kharkiv/Donbas Until a few weeks ago, this frontline looked radically different: Ukraine holding out against Russian long-range attacks in the north in Kharkiv, while Russia made grinding advances in the south around Bakhmut. But a surprise Ukrainian counter-attack, launched after Russia had relocated some of its best units to the south to help defend Kherson, changed everything. A breakthrough in Russian lines turned into a rapid advance and then total rout of Putin's armies in the Kharkiv region, returning an estimated 3,000 square miles to Ukrainian control in just a few days of fighting. So hasty was the retreat, that Ukrainians reported finding food still sitting on stoves when they arrived in abandoned Russian encampments. Dozens of vehicles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized. A stunning Ukrainian counter-attack east out of Kharkiv has slowed but has not stopped, with the city of Lyman now under Kyiv's control and its troops pushing towards the cities of Svatove and Kreminna Ukrainian troops are filmed ambushing Russian armoured vehicles using anti-tank launchers in Donetsk, leaving at least one of them destroyed And the offensive is still going. Russia has regrouped and Ukraine's advance has slowed, but it has not stopped. Lyman, a major transport node in northern Donetsk, was captured at the weekend. Troops are now advancing from there towards Kreminna, in neighbouring Luhansk, and from Borova to Svatove in the same region. Should those two fall, it would open the way for an attack on the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk - which Russia expended blood, sweat, and ammunition capturing over the course of weeks and which is key to its claim of having 'liberated' the Luhansk region. From there, Ukraine could choose to attack either of the regional capitals - the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk - or to bypass them and push south towards the sea and the city of Mariupol. That is certainly the conclusion that General Hodges has come to. 'My sense is that the operations that are underway now - the northern arm that is coming down from Kharkiv towards Donetsk, [and' that's heading straight towards Mariupol,' he told the CEPA conference. Aside from Kherson, Mariupol has been the other prize captured by Putin in a little over seven months of war, having worn down the heroic Ukrainian defenders to the point of surrender - which came back in May. Should Ukraine re-capture Mariupol, it would be a hammer blow. Russia painted the Azov Battalion - who defended the city - as war criminals and neo-Nazis. Putin's claim to be 'de-Nazifying' Ukraine is, at least in part, based on destroying this unit and taking the city. Should Mariupol fall, General Hodges believes the Ukrainian forces will head in one direction: 'Towards Crimea.' Reserves? 'When and where to commit your reserve is literally THE question for the theatre commander,' Dr Mike Martin of King's College wrote on Twitter around a month ago, after the extent of Ukraine's counter-attack around Kharkiv became clear. Much remains unknown about Ukraine's reserves. Kyiv has kept the size of its armed forces and its casualties a closely-guarded secret, meaning it is impossible to guess at how many men it might have ready and able to deploy and what kind of equipment they could be armed with. However, Kyiv has carried out a general mobilisation of the population - unlike Russia, which has belatedly gone for 'partial' mobilisation - meaning every man aged up to 65 is eligible to be called up, which would amount to millions of troops if they could all be armed and trained. So, the question is: Where, how and when does Ukraine use these forces? Ukraine has an unknown number of troops in reserve, but has fully mobilised its population - giving it a pool of millions to draw on, and they could be used for an attack Dr Martin, posting on Twitter today, believes he has found the answer. 'Ukraine [would use] its strategic reserve to sever the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine into two pieces that cannot mutually reinforce.' Alongside the tweet he posted a hastily-drawn map showing the presumed direction of the advance, from the cetnral cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia towards Mariupol and nearby Berdyansk. Aside from skirmishes around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Ukrainian partisan activity, this front has been relatively calm since Russia advanced across it early in the war - but Dr Martin suggests it could soon find itself at the centre of the action. The trust - assuming Ukraine can do it - makes sense. It would free up the forces near Kharkiv to focus on attacking Luhansk and Donetsk, liberating the Donbas from Russian control. And it would prevent Putin from pulling any units out of Kherson to help defend the region - unless they were willing to punch through Ukrainian lines. Crimea 'Crimea is the prize. That's what it is going to be. Victory will be when the last Russian solider walks across that long bridge,' predicts General Hodges - speaking about the bridge Putin ordered built across the Kerch Strait, connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland. Mark Hertling, another former US general speaking at the same CEPA event, agreed that the peninsula is where Ukraine is aiming to get. But, he cautioned, taking it is going to be 'a tough fight'. Unlike the rest of Ukraine, which is primarily flat and open, the Crimean peninsula is largely separated from the mainland by what General Hertling describes as 'marshland' - a series of small islands with only two main roads that Ukrainian forces can use to attack it. Even assuming that Russian forces are in bad shape by the time any assault comes, that still makes them extremely vulnerable and limits Kyiv's options for how to go about the operation. Several large explosions have rocked a military airbase in Russian-held Crimea this afternoon as an ominous mushroom cloud sent bathers fleeing from nearby beaches A large mushroom cloud is seen rising from the scene of explosions at a Russian held airbase in Novofedorivka, Crimea Smoke rises after explosions at a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, in occupied Crimea, August 9 'When Russia invaded in 2014 they used mostly naval infantry and special operators to go into Crimea,' General Hertling said. 'Ukraine don't have ships right now, they don't have naval operations - so it is going to take some long-range [artillery] to go in there. 'But you can't take ground with just artillery, you have to have some people go in there on the ground to do that. It is going to be a tough fight.' And Putin, General Hertling is certain, will put up a fight to keep Crimea - provided he is still the one at the helm. 'If Mr Putin is still in power he will view [an attack on Crimea] as even more contentious than attacks in the other oblasts of Ukraine,' he added. 'We have not yet seen Russia use their strategic bomber fleet, we have not yet seen them use their naval forces to the extreme that they potentially could. 'What you might ask is: Should we be as concerned about their air and their navy forces given how we've seen the disfunction in their ground forces? I would say probably. But they still have those available.' General Hodges agreed, but believes that once Ukrainian artillery - particularly the devastating HIMARS systems - get within range of Russian bases in Crimea they will become 'untenable' and Putin will have 'a choice'. 'I think the Ukrainians will leave that big bridge up as an invitation to leave,' General Hodges added. A northern Mexico family has identified the migrant who was shot dead by a warden and his twin brother after the group had stopped to drink water along a farm road in west Texas last week. Jesus Sepulveda, 22, was fatally shot in the head after Mark and Michael Sheppard, both 60, opened fire on the migrants on Farm-to-Market Road 1111, four miles south of the town of Sierra Blanca on September 26. Brenda Casias, 21, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. She was rushed to a hospital in El Paso and is recovering. The suspects were arrested on manslaughter charges last Thursday and were released after each posted a $250,000 bond Monday. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the migrants were drinking water from a reservoir when the Sheppard brothers pulled their truck over. The group of 13 migrants sought cover when the truck passed by out of fear that they would be detected. However, the driver placed the vehicle in reverse before he stopped and got out to shoot the migrants who were hiding in the brush. Mark Sheppard said that his brother fired at what he thought was a javelina, according to court records. The pig-like hoofed animal can be found in Central and South America as well as in southwestern parts of the United States. The animal has an average measure of about 3 feet in length and weighs between 40 to 80 pounds. Jesus Sepulveda, a 22-year-old migrant from Mexico, was shot dead along a farm road in western Texas on September 27. He and 12 other migrants were getting water from a reservoir when they were spotted by 60-year-old twin brothers, Michael and Mark Sheppard. A witness told authorities that one of the Sheppard brothers shouted in Spanish for them to come out from the brush before Sepulveda, a father-of-one, was shot. A second migrant, Brenda Casias, 21, was shot in the stomach and is recovering in an El Paso hospital Michael Sheppard (pictured) and his twin brother Mark Sheppard are each facing a manslaughter charge for the death of Mexican migrant, Jesus Sepulveda, on September 27 near Sierra Blanca, Texas. Mark Sheppard told authorities that his brother shot at the migrants, confusing them with a javelina The migrants told the federal agents that one of the brothers shouted at them in Spanish to come out before Sepulveda Martinez and Casias Carrillo were shot, according to the New York Times. Mark Sheppard said he never addressed the group. Napoleon Sepulveda told Border Report on Monday that his son had left their home in Ciudad Juarez to seek employment in the United States and save up money to build a home for his wife and his child. His desire was to go to the other side to progress a little bit. We live in a little ranching community where there is hardly any work, Napoleon Sepulveda said. He had just gotten together with his wife. He did not have a house; he was living with me. His dream was to go and save for his house because here in Mexico jobs are poorly paid. He pleaded to authorities on both sides of the border to assist him in obtaining a humanitarian visa so that he could travel to Texas to recover Jesus Sepulvedas body and bring it back to Mexico for burial. Napoleon Sepulveda (right) and Luz Maria Martinez (left) are calling on the U.S. government to punish Mark and Michael Sheppard for the murder of their son, Jesus Sepulveda. The 60-year-old brothers shot the 22-year-old after he and 12 other migrants had stopped to search for drinking water near a farm road near Sierra Blanca, Texas, on September 27 Jesus Sepulveda was living with his parents in Ciudad Juarez and migrated to the United States in search of a job that would allow him to save up enough money to one day eventually build a house for him wife and daughter Napoleon Sepulveda called on the United States government to punish the Sheppard brothers. When people go to the U.S., sometimes things go wrong, he said. I would like for the authorities to give those men the maximum punishment, that they do not let them go free. Court records revealed that Michael Sheppard was warden at the West Texas Detention Facility, a privately owned center that has housed migrant detainees. A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement told The Associated Press that no ICE detainees had been held at that detention facility since October 2019, following the opening of a larger detention facility nearby. Scott Sutterfield, a spokesman for facility operator Lasalle Corrections, responded to an AP email asking whether Sheppard had been fired as warden. Sutterfield said the warden had been fired "due to an off-duty incident unrelated to his employment." Sutterfield declined further comment, citing the "ongoing criminal investigation." A 2018 report by The University of Texas and Texas A&M immigration law clinics and immigration advocacy group Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) cited multiple allegations of physical and verbal abuse against African migrants at the facility. According to the report, the warden "was involved in three of the detainees reports of verbal threats, as well as in incidents of physical assault." The warden cited in the report was not named. U.S. Representative Veronica Escobar expressed concern that the shooting is hate- driven crime. I hope the Department of Justice investigates this as a hate crime, the Democratic Congresswoman from Texas told reporters last Friday. This is something that many of us feared would happen because we have so many Republican politicians who are always talking about migrants in hateful terms to scare people, to scare the country, to portray migrants as criminals. Joaquin Castro, a Democratic Congressman, went further by pinning the blame on anti-immigration remarks frequently made by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. This was a hate crime against brown-skinned immigrants that was inspired by the invasion rhetoric of @GovAbbott, @DanPatrick and others, Castro tweeted. The division and fear that Greg Abbott and his fellow bigots have created has made Texas a more dangerous place for all Hispanics. There was no way for the killers to know who their victims were or what their legal status was, he added. National leaders on both sides of the aisle need to condemn the rhetoric that inspired this attack, and Texas authorities must swiftly prosecute this crime as murder. A 'lovely and funny' grandmother who was mauled to death by five American bulldogs had been treated in hospital for dog bites a year before she was killed in the horrific attack, it has emerged. Ann Dunn, 65, died at a dog breeding property in Liverpool on Monday evening after being mauled by 'multiple' dogs described by Merseyside Police as American Bulldog breed. Five canines were later taken from the property by police and 'humanely destroyed'. The tragedy comes after Ms Dunn required hospital treatment in August last year after suffering a number of bites from a large dog, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries, The Liverpool Echo reported. It is unclear if the dog that attacked her last summer was involved in her death. Ann Dunn, 65, (pictured) died at a dog breeding property in Liverpool on Monday evening after being mauled by 'multiple' American bulldogs Ms Dunn was attacked inside her home on St Brigid's Crescent in Vauxhall around 4.25pm on Monday. People were called to the home after her family realised something was wrong when she did not turn up to collect her grandson from school. The property where Ms Dunn died had been listed online for dog breeding. Pictures on the business' website show numerous dogs being advertised for sale, with quotes available on request. American bulldogs, which were the breed of dog found in the home, are not one of the four breeds currently banned in the UK. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control and has since been conditionally bailed, pending further investigation. Merseyside Police said a post-mortem exam will take place to determine Ms Dunn's cause of death. Detective Inspector Katie Coote said: 'This is clearly a very distressing incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the lady who died. 'Our enquiries remain ongoing as we seek to establish what has happened and I would urge anyone who could assist our enquiries to get in touch.' A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police said the investigation team could not comment on whether the August 2021 attack is part of their enquiries. Five canines were later taken from the property by police and 'humanely destroyed'. Investigators are pictured at the home on Monday A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of owning a dog dangerously out of control and has since been conditionally bailed, pending further investigation. Merseyside Police said a post-mortem exam will take place to determine Ms Dunn's cause of death Meanwhile, tributes have flooded in for Ms Dunn, who worked as a cleaner at Liverpool John Moores University. In a touching statement, a spokesperson for the university said: 'The university community is absolutely shocked and devastated by this tragic loss and to lose Ann in this way is just heart-breaking. 'Ann was hard-working and dedicated and had so many friends across the organisation. It's just awful and she will be terribly missed. Our thoughts at this time are with her family and loved-ones.' One neighbour, who asked not to be named, told the Mirror that Ann was 'lovely, funny and a happy girl' who had 'not long ago been on holiday with her daughter'. She said: 'She was meant to be picking up her grandson from school and it was only when the school got in touch with his mum to say (he) was still there and no one had come for him that they realised something was wrong. 'She had gone in to put her bags down and the dogs attacked her, she tried to shut the door but she fell.' The neighbour added: 'When I found out I was so upset. I couldn't sleep that night. It's awful and so sad. I used to see her walking to work, no matter the weather, come rain or shine she'd always walk down and never missed a day.' Anyone with information about the case is asked to DM @MerPolCC or @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111 quoting reference 22000731247. A 13-year-old boy has gone missing from a regional town on the Sunshine Coast, with police launching a search and appealing for help. The boy was last seen at about 1pm on Wednesday on Carroll Street in Nambour, about 100km north of Brisbane. He is described as Caucasian in appearance with a slim build, brown hair and brown eyes. Police are searching for a 13-year-old boy (above) who went missing in Nambour, Queensland, on Wednesday The boy was last seen on Carroll Street in Nambour (above) wearing a white shirt and dark blue pants He was last seen wearing a white shirt and dark blue pants. Family said his disappearance is out of character with police holding concerns for his welfare due to his young age. Anyone with information on the boy's location is urged to contact police. Advertisement Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says his forces have liberated more villages from Putin's retreating troops - as the US claims it is a 'very real possibility' that Crimea could be recaptured if the counter-offensive continues at its current rate. Mr Zelensky this evening said a further three villages in the country's southern Kherson region have been recaptured from Russian troops. Speaking in his nightly video address, the president said the Novovoskresenske, Novogrygorivka and Petropavlivka had been liberated 'in the last 24 hours', adding that the counter-offensive 'continues', The progress of Ukrainian forces comes a day after Mr Zelensky ruled out peace talks with Putin and vowed to 'oust the occupier from all of our land' as he boasted of his troops hammering Russian soldiers. He said negotiations with his counterpart are now impossible following his decision to rubber-stamp the annexation of four regions of the country. He also said his forces were making 'rapid and powerful' gains and had retaken 'dozens' of villages to the east and south of the country. It comes after Putin last week told thousands of flag-waving Russians that people in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia had chosen to rejoin their 'historic motherland' following 'referendums' described by the West as 'sham' and 'illegal'. Meanwhile, senior US officials believe Ukraine could recapture Crimea if its counter-offensive continues at its current rate. Mr Zelensky this evening said a further three villages in the country's southern Kherson region have been recaptured from Russian troops Ukrainian soldier Viktor, 35, checks his heavy machine gun at a position along the front line in the Mykolaiv region earlier today A Ukrainian army's press officer stands next to the debris of Russian air strike aircraft Su-34 at a collection point of destroyed Russian armoured vehicles in Lyman, Donetsk Putin annexed the peninsula in March 2014 and Western officials have previously thought recapturing it to be nigh on impossible due to Russia's likely significant efforts to defend it. But a senior US officer told The Telegraph that Russia's faltering war effort could mean 'the recapture of Crimea by Ukraine is now a distinct possibility and can no longer be discounted'. The official added: 'It is clear that Russia no longer has the ability or willpower to defend key positions, and if the Ukrainians succeed in their goal of recapturing Kherson, then there is a very real possibility that it will ultimately be able to recapture Crimea.' It comes after US deputy assistant secretary of defence Laura Cooper insisted that 'Crimea is Ukraine'. Mr Zelensky also yesterday issued a decree following the 'referendums' of a further four regions of the country. The Kremlin has responded to his abandonment of peace talks by saying it will wait for Ukraine to agree to sit down for talks on ending the conflict, noting that it may not happen until a new Ukrainian president takes office. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'We will wait for the incumbent president to change his position or wait for a future Ukrainian president who would revise his stand in the interests of the Ukrainian people.' Russia is currently lobbying for a secret ballot instead of a public vote when the 193 member U.N. General Assembly next week considers whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex the four regions. A Western-drafted UN General Assembly resolution would condemn Russia's 'illegal so-called referenda' and the 'attempted illegal annexation' of the areas where voting occurred. A Ukrainian soldier patrols at a position along the front line in the Mykolaiv region as they continue to push Russian troops back Ukrainian servicemen fire a mortar from their position on the front line with Russian troops in the Donetsk region earlier today 'This is a clearly politicized and provocative development aimed at deepening the divide in the General Assembly and bring its membership further apart', Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia wrote in a letter to UN states. He argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that 'it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly'. Diplomats said the General Assembly would likely have to vote publicly on whether to hold a secret ballot. Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last week. Putin signed the final papers to annex the four regions yesterday, while his military continue to struggle controlling the new territories. Meanwhile, Ukrainian law enforcement officials have reported discovering more evidence of torture and killings in areas retaken from Russian forces. In Lyman, an eastern town liberated after more than four months of Russian occupation, residents emerged from their destroyed homes to receive packages of food and medicine. But in a defiant move, the Kremlin held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine. Mr Peskov said that 'certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia'. He did not specify which additional Ukrainian territories Moscow is eyeing, and he would not say if the Kremlin planned to organize more such 'referendums'. But despite the Kremlin's apparent political bravado, the picture on the ground is underscoring the disarray Putin faces in his response to Ukrainian advances and attempts to establish new Russian borders. Latest battlefield maps from Moscow showed that Russian troops had left many areas in the region, including along the west bank of the Dnipro River. In the eastern Kharkiv region, meanwhile, Russian forces had almost entirely abandoned the east bank of the Oskil River, potentially giving the Ukrainians space to shell key Russian troop transportation and supply corridors. Kyiv said its troops are 'confidently advancing to the sea' as videos showed the city of Davydiv Brid under their control along with a clutch of smaller settlements in the surrounding countryside. Won by conquest, given away as a 'gift', now occupied by force: Russia's history in Crimea and the Black Sea Prince Grigory Potemkin, who established the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea in 1783 The Black Sea - and the Crimean peninsula which juts into it - are a strategic crossroads between Europe, the Middle East and Asia which has been contested by Empires and nations for centuries. The sea itself contains vital trading routes, is bordered by five of Russia's near-neighbours, and today hosts vital energy pipelines and fibre optic cables. For Russia to assert power in the waters, control of Crimea - which contains its main Black Sea port at Sevastopol and controls the Kerch Strait leading to the nearby Sea of Azov - is essential. Crimea has, at one time or another, come under the control of the Greeks, Persians, Romans, Mongols, Ottomans. It was not until 1783 that it fell fully under the control of the Russian Empire when Russian generals Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kamensky led a force of 8,000 men to victory against an Ottoman army of 40,000 at the the Battle of Kozludzha. Russia's Prince Grigory Potemkin quickly established the Russian Black Sea Fleet at the port of Sevastopol, from where he asserted naval power over the Black Sea, it neighbours including Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey, and projected power further into the Mediterranean. Crimea also turned into a key trading post. On the eve of World War 1 in 1914 - some 50 per cent of all Russia's exports and a full 90 per cent of its agricultural exports passed through Bosphorus Strait which leads out of the Black Sea. In 1954 Crimea was given as a 'gift' by Nikita Khrushchev to Ukraine, ostensibly to mark the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's merger with Tsarist Russia, but more likely to secure Ukraine's support for Khrushchev's leadership and to cement Ukraine as part of the Soviet Union. Because Ukraine was then part of the Union, Moscow maintained control over Crimea and its vital ports - at least until 1991 when the union collapsed and Ukraine became and independent county. Following Ukraine's independence, access to the peninsula became a bargaining chip between the two nations, with Ukraine recognising Russia's right to the port at Sevastopol in return for concessions such as writing off debts and taking control of part of the Black Sea fleet. But in 2014, the pro-Moscow government of Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in a popular uprising that wanted to draw the country closer to Europe. Fearing the loss of the port at Sevastopol, Putin marched troops into Crimea and seized control of it - later holding a 'referendum' which showed majority support for the region to become part of Russia, though the result is viewed as far from credible. Today, Moscow is in control of the peninsula and refers to it as part of its territory, though most world bodies refer to the region as 'occupied Crimea'. The Black Sea Fleet remains one of Russia's largest, believed to be comprised of close to 50 ships, seven submarines and 25,000 troops, mostly marines. Advertisement How Ukraine could achieve victory against Russia: As Kyiv's forces advance in the south and east, expert lays out the path to victory - with all roads leading to Crimea By Chris Pleasance for MailOnline 'This war began with Crimea and must end with Crimea - with its liberation,' President Volodymyr Zelesnky declared back in August. And, according to military experts, that is exactly what his generals are aiming to do. Ben Hodges, former commander of American forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be the Ukrainian route to victory - going via the cities of Kherson and Mariupol and ending 'when the last Russian soldier crosses the [Kerch] bridge out of Crimea.' General Hodges, now at the Center for European Policy Analysis, believes Ukraine's main effort will remain capturing Kherson in the south - where a major assault has been underway since early August - with a secondary attack hooking down through the Donbas and towards the city of Mariupol. When Mariupol falls, he told a CEPA conference last week, those troops would also converge on Crimea - hammering the peninsula with HIMARS rockets and forcing the Russians back beyond the border. Dr Mike Martin, a visiting fellow of war studies at King's College, also raised the prospect of a third assault with Ukraine using its reserves to split the Russian frontline in two and making it difficult for Putin to move reinforcements around as he gave his own thoughts on Twitter. Nothing is guaranteed in war, and Putin will certainly do everything in his power to stop Kyiv - from piling conscripts on to the frontlines to possibly using a nuclear weapon. But, as Ukraine's path to victory becomes clearer, MailOnline examines how it could play out... General Ben Hodges, former commander of US forces in Europe, has outlined what he believes to be Ukraine's path to victory against Russia - saying that 'Crimea is the prize' and the war will end 'when the last Russian soldier walks along the [Kerch bridge, connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia]' Kherson Ukraine began its much-vaunted counter-attack on the Kherson region in early August and has been making gradual progress ever since - though reports have started emerging of a breakthrough this week. The goal, touted by Kyiv, is to re-take the city of Kherson from Russian control. It is the only regional capital seized by Putin so-far during the war, and occupies a strategic position - spanning the Dnipro River where it flows into the Dniprovska Gulf and on to the Black Sea. Taking it would deprive Russia of its only toe-hold on the west bank of the Dnipro, all-but rule out any assault on Odessa, give proof to the lie of Putin's sham referendums and claims to annexation, and open the door to an assault on Crimea - the jewel in the Ukrainian crown. Ukraine has been steadily fighting its way towards the city of Kherson for the last two months, and may have scored a breakthrough this week amid reports of Russian forces withdrawing more than 10 miles Ukrainian special forces troops are pictured advancing across the south of Ukraine amid reports of a breakthrough in Russian lines that may have pushed Putin's men back more than 10 miles Ukrainian tanks open fire on Russian positions in Kherson, amid a major offensive in the region that aims to recapture the city from Russia - which would be a major blow to Putin's invasion General Hodges estimated that breaking the pocket in Kherson may take 'weeks'. Ukraine itself has given no such timeline. But victory here, if it can be achieved, would be a watershed moment. Russia has stationed most of its remaining forces in Ukraine, and almost all of its best fighting units, in the city - perhaps up to 30,000 troops in total - and their loss would be a blow the Kremlin would struggle to recover from. And, should Kherson fall, Kyiv has left observers in little doubt about what would come next. In the build-up to the assault on Kherson, several large explosions rocked the Crimea - destroying ammo dumps, airfields, and resupply routes. Kyiv was slow to claim responsibility, perhaps trying to disguise what weapon it used for the attacks - which seemed to go beyond its known capabilities - or perhaps fearing escalation by Putin. The despot, after all, annexed Crimea in 2014 making it - in the Kremlin's eyes at least - part of Russia. But, in a speech on August 10, Zelensky vowed: 'Crimea is Ukrainian and we will never give it up. This Russian war...began with Crimea and must end with Crimea - with its liberation.' Kharkiv/Donbas Until a few weeks ago, this frontline looked radically different: Ukraine holding out against Russian long-range attacks in the north in Kharkiv, while Russia made grinding advances in the south around Bakhmut. But a surprise Ukrainian counter-attack, launched after Russia had relocated some of its best units to the south to help defend Kherson, changed everything. A breakthrough in Russian lines turned into a rapid advance and then total rout of Putin's armies in the Kharkiv region, returning an estimated 3,000 square miles to Ukrainian control in just a few days of fighting. So hasty was the retreat, that Ukrainians reported finding food still sitting on stoves when they arrived in abandoned Russian encampments. Dozens of vehicles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized. A stunning Ukrainian counter-attack east out of Kharkiv has slowed but has not stopped, with the city of Lyman now under Kyiv's control and its troops pushing towards the cities of Svatove and Kreminna Ukrainian troops are filmed ambushing Russian armoured vehicles using anti-tank launchers in Donetsk, leaving at least one of them destroyed And the offensive is still going. Russia has regrouped and Ukraine's advance has slowed, but it has not stopped. Lyman, a major transport node in northern Donetsk, was captured at the weekend. Troops are now advancing from there towards Kreminna, in neighbouring Luhansk, and from Borova to Svatove in the same region. Should those two fall, it would open the way for an attack on the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk - which Russia expended blood, sweat, and ammunition capturing over the course of weeks and which is key to its claim of having 'liberated' the Luhansk region. From there, Ukraine could choose to attack either of the regional capitals - the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk - or to bypass them and push south towards the sea and the city of Mariupol. That is certainly the conclusion that General Hodges has come to. 'My sense is that the operations that are underway now - the northern arm that is coming down from Kharkiv towards Donetsk, [and' that's heading straight towards Mariupol,' he told the CEPA conference. Aside from Kherson, Mariupol has been the other prize captured by Putin in a little over seven months of war, having worn down the heroic Ukrainian defenders to the point of surrender - which came back in May. Should Ukraine re-capture Mariupol, it would be a hammer blow. Russia painted the Azov Battalion - who defended the city - as war criminals and neo-Nazis. Putin's claim to be 'de-Nazifying' Ukraine is, at least in part, based on destroying this unit and taking the city. Should Mariupol fall, General Hodges believes the Ukrainian forces will head in one direction: 'Towards Crimea.' Reserves? 'When and where to commit your reserve is literally THE question for the theatre commander,' Dr Mike Martin of King's College wrote on Twitter around a month ago, after the extent of Ukraine's counter-attack around Kharkiv became clear. Much remains unknown about Ukraine's reserves. Kyiv has kept the size of its armed forces and its casualties a closely-guarded secret, meaning it is impossible to guess at how many men it might have ready and able to deploy and what kind of equipment they could be armed with. However, Kyiv has carried out a general mobilisation of the population - unlike Russia, which has belatedly gone for 'partial' mobilisation - meaning every man aged up to 65 is eligible to be called up, which would amount to millions of troops if they could all be armed and trained. So, the question is: Where, how and when does Ukraine use these forces? Ukraine has an unknown number of troops in reserve, but has fully mobilised its population - giving it a pool of millions to draw on, and they could be used for an attack Dr Martin, posting on Twitter today, believes he has found the answer. 'Ukraine [would use] its strategic reserve to sever the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine into two pieces that cannot mutually reinforce.' Alongside the tweet he posted a hastily-drawn map showing the presumed direction of the advance, from the cetnral cities of Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia towards Mariupol and nearby Berdyansk. Aside from skirmishes around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Ukrainian partisan activity, this front has been relatively calm since Russia advanced across it early in the war - but Dr Martin suggests it could soon find itself at the centre of the action. The trust - assuming Ukraine can do it - makes sense. It would free up the forces near Kharkiv to focus on attacking Luhansk and Donetsk, liberating the Donbas from Russian control. And it would prevent Putin from pulling any units out of Kherson to help defend the region - unless they were willing to punch through Ukrainian lines. Crimea 'Crimea is the prize. That's what it is going to be. Victory will be when the last Russian solider walks across that long bridge,' predicts General Hodges - speaking about the bridge Putin ordered built across the Kerch Strait, connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland. Mark Hertling, another former US general speaking at the same CEPA event, agreed that the peninsula is where Ukraine is aiming to get. But, he cautioned, taking it is going to be 'a tough fight'. Unlike the rest of Ukraine, which is primarily flat and open, the Crimean peninsula is largely separated from the mainland by what General Hertling describes as 'marshland' - a series of small islands with only two main roads that Ukrainian forces can use to attack it. Even assuming that Russian forces are in bad shape by the time any assault comes, that still makes them extremely vulnerable and limits Kyiv's options for how to go about the operation. Several large explosions have rocked a military airbase in Russian-held Crimea this afternoon as an ominous mushroom cloud sent bathers fleeing from nearby beaches A large mushroom cloud is seen rising from the scene of explosions at a Russian held airbase in Novofedorivka, Crimea Smoke rises after explosions at a Russian military airbase near Novofedorivka, in occupied Crimea, August 9 'When Russia invaded in 2014 they used mostly naval infantry and special operators to go into Crimea,' General Hertling said. 'Ukraine don't have ships right now, they don't have naval operations - so it is going to take some long-range [artillery] to go in there. 'But you can't take ground with just artillery, you have to have some people go in there on the ground to do that. It is going to be a tough fight.' And Putin, General Hertling is certain, will put up a fight to keep Crimea - provided he is still the one at the helm. 'If Mr Putin is still in power he will view [an attack on Crimea] as even more contentious than attacks in the other oblasts of Ukraine,' he added. 'We have not yet seen Russia use their strategic bomber fleet, we have not yet seen them use their naval forces to the extreme that they potentially could. 'What you might ask is: Should we be as concerned about their air and their navy forces given how we've seen the disfunction in their ground forces? I would say probably. But they still have those available.' General Hodges agreed, but believes that once Ukrainian artillery - particularly the devastating HIMARS systems - get within range of Russian bases in Crimea they will become 'untenable' and Putin will have 'a choice'. 'I think the Ukrainians will leave that big bridge up as an invitation to leave,' General Hodges added. Long time CNN news anchor Jim Sciutto has been absent from the air after it was revealed network told him to address 'personal situation' CNN mainstay Jim Sciutto has been off air after network bosses ordered him to address a 'personal situation' stemming from a 'serious fall' he suffered while in Amsterdam earlier this year. Sciutto, 52, presented the Newsroom on the struggling network alongside Poppy Harlow on Monday. He did not appear on the show on Tuesday or Wednesday. The Daily Beast's Confider reported earlier this week that Sciutto underwent an internal investigation at CNN earlier in 2022. The website says that the investigation was prompted when Sciutto suffered a 'serious fall' while in Amsterdam. A media source has told DailyMail.com that Sciutto is now on 'personal leave'. CNN has not responded to requests for comment. CNN anchor Jim Sciutto pictured in Ukraine during one of this trips reporting from the war-torn nation earlier in 2022 Jim Sciutto and his wife Gloria Riviera attend the 2018 White House Correspondents' Dinner at Washington Hilton on April 28, 2018 in Washington Sciutto, who worked in the Obama administration as chief of staff and senior advisor to US Ambassador to China Gary Locke, was in the Dutch capital with a so far unidentified producer. Sciutto was returning from a spell reporting in Ukraine when the incident occurred. The Confider report notes that CNN has been flying their people directly out of the embattled nation via Poland, so it's not clear why Sciutto decided to stop off in the Netherlands. The article goes on to says: 'We hear Sciutto has since recovered from the incident.' The report links his current absence to the Amsterdam trip. Sciutto typically anchors CNN Newsroom Monday through Friday alongside Harlow. He regularly writes articles for the network's website and weighs in on other show's with regard to national security issues. On October 3, Sciutto published an article on CNN.com titled: 'US considering responses to possible Russian escalation in Ukraine, including its potential use of tactical nuclear weapons.' The Emmy Award winning Sciutto has been married to his wife, former ABC News correspondent Gloria Riviera since 2006. The couple has three children together. Sciutto has made three trips to Ukraine in 20220 in his role as CNN's chief national security reporter. The first was in February, the second in March and the third and most recent was in at the end of April. On May 1, Sciutto posted a photo in Poland on Twitter, where CNN has been flying their people out of Ukraine from. The following day, he was back in CNN studios presenting his show. According to a March 10 tweet, Sciutto's celebrated his birthday while reporting in Ukraine. This latest blow to CNN's scheduled programming comes weeks after CNN announced a 'reimagined' morning show featuring famously progressive anchor Don Lemon - despite new CEO Chris Licht's repeated pledges to move the network away from left-leaning commentary. Sciutto, 52, presented the Newsroom on the struggling network alongside Poppy Harlow on Monday Sciutto did not appear on the show on Tuesday or Wednesday Sciutto typically anchors CNN Newsroom Monday through Friday alongside Poppy Harlow Licht, who replaced ousted boss Jeff Zucker last February, added that other changes include anchor Alisyn Camerota and legal analyst Laura Coates sharing the 10pm through 12am time slot - a post that will be left abandoned by Lemon. 'By adding the insights, experience and strong voices of Alisyn and Laura, we will advance and expand on that coverage, creating something complimentary and compelling in primetime,' Licht said of Camerota and Coates. Since taking the helm, Licht, has demonstrated a desire to move away from opinionated reporting that became especially prevalent during Donald Trump's election campaign and subsequent presidency. Insiders have since said that the longtime televisions exec - headed Stephen Colbert's Late Show for six years until it was announced he was replacing Zucker - wants to return to the station's roots as a hard-hitting news source. So far, Licht's tenure has seen a marked decrease in partisan panels featuring outspoken anchors such as former Trump aide Alyssa Farah. However, the recent shakeup with Lemon - who has long criticized conservatives such as Donald Trump and has touted woke ideals on the air - seems to contradict this effort. CNN announced the change last week, revealing that Lemon will officially sign off from his 10 p.m.-midnight block on October 7. At that point, the network will launch its new morning program, which will be headed by Lemon, as well as co-anchors Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. So far, Jim Sciutto appears to have been unaffected by the shake-ups at CNN. Advertisement When Russians took over the city of Balakliya, eastern Ukraine, they turned the central police station into a base for brutality. During the six months it spent under enemy occupation, scores of local residents were locked in overcrowded cells in the basement. Survivors told of being dragged to a torture chamber where they were beaten, electrocuted and forced to endure mock executions. The interrogations were carried out by officials from Russias Federal Security Service, according to documents retrieved after the towns recapture last month during Ukraines stunning counter-offensive. Yet the interrogators were helped by local stooges such as Oleg Kalaida, the jobless former head of security at a chicken farm who found himself elevated to chief of police after agreeing to serve as a Kremlin henchman. The horror stories emerging in liberated towns such as Balakliya, a railway hub of 30,000 people, have become hideously familiar in recent months: of Russian atrocities, mass graves, torture and war crimes. Yet the uncomfortable truth is that some Ukrainians have been assisting Vladimir Putins war crimes and theft of their land. Videos from social media showed Russian troops lying face down in front of Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv The Russian interrogators were helped by local stooges such as Oleg Kalaida, the jobless former head of security at a chicken farm who found himself elevated to chief of police after agreeing to serve as a Kremlin henchman Recent fatalities include Ivan Sushko, a wedding toastmaster appointed mayor of a town in the Zaporizhzhia region, who died in August after his car was blown up Kyiv has already opened investigations into 1,309 suspected traitors and launched 450 prosecutions of collaborators accused of betraying their own nation and neighbours. Others are being tracked down and slaughtered by resistance fighters. A list passed to this newspaper by a Kyiv government source identifies 29 such retribution killings, with 13 more assassination attempts that left some targets wounded. A hunt has been declared on collaborators and their life is not protected by law, said Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the interior ministry. Our intelligence services are eliminating them, shooting them like pigs. These loathed losers the term used by one Ukrainian government minister saw Russias occupation as a chance to grab power, money and status. Among those handed key posts are a paedophile, a wedding toastmaster and a street cleaner fond of talking to stones. In Vasylivka, a town in southern Ukraine, Natalia Romanychenko, a former actress who sells dumplings and sausages online, became Putins patsy mayor. A single mother, she posts pictures on social media of her two young sons in Soviet military uniform. In another town, a crime boss used as a Kremlin propagandist on state television was being lined up as mayor. In Vasylivka, a town in southern Ukraine, Natalia Romanychenko, a former actress who sells dumplings and sausages online, became Putins patsy mayor. A single mother, she posts pictures on social media of her two young sons in Soviet military uniform Collaborators in the Kharkiv region abandoned their posts when Ukrainian forces advanced last month. They tried to flee to Russia but the Russians did not let them in, said one prosecutor involved in hunting them down. Typical of their sort was Kalaida, who strutted around Balakliya as police chief during Moscows occupation before he was caught by Ukrainian security forces attempting to escape back into Russian-held terrain. The 48-year-old was a former police officer, yet he seems to have struggled to find work since his previous job heading security at a poultry farm ended three years ago, according to documents found after his capture. Local officials told Ukrainian journalists he collaborated on his own will and was rewarded by the Russians with the rank of general. Now he faces up to 15 years in prison for treason. Kalaidas wife, who worked on a fire service hotline, was also reportedly a collaborator, although she evaded capture. Others told of torment endured during Kalaidas reign as police chief, which included a mans ear being sliced off and another dying after a vicious beating. Volodymyr Saldo, a former mayor of the key city of Kherson, who was among a handful of Moscow sympathizers plucked from the political margins, handed Russian passports and placed into positions of power. He later survived a poisoning attempt The tortures were all different, said Sergey Bolvinov, lead investigator for police in the Kharkiv region. I wont describe them all... but the lightest was being tortured with electricity. One man held in Balakliyas police station told how guards switched off the noisy ventilation system so everyone could hear the screams of pain from people given electric shocks. Little wonder there is deep anger and bitterness towards collaborators. Such atrocities have shattered any residual sympathy for Russia in the border regions of Ukraine. Another alleged collaborator is Dmitry Chigrinov, 45, a gangster facing charges of kidnapping and beating up hostages in eastern Ukraine. He was released on bail after paying 120,000 just six days before the invasion. He is accused of putting up the Russian flag when Putins troops arrived, then providing food for enemy forces, secretly passing on names of law enforcement officials and trying to oust the detained mayor so that he could replace him. One man held in Balakliyas police station told how guards switched off the noisy ventilation system so everyone could hear the screams of pain from people given electric shocks A view of an abandoned military position not far from city of Balakliya, Kharkiv region on September 18, 2022, recently recaptured by the Ukrainian army following the retreat of Russian troops The crime boss even appeared on Russian television labelled as a community activist praising the occupiers. Now he is back behind bars, facing a long prison term for betrayal of his country as well as the earlier kidnap and violence charges. Others are even sleazier. The stooge mayor of Berdyansk, a major port, had been convicted of child sex offences, according to one presidential adviser. He was reportedly fired and rumoured to have been replaced by a Russian. It is not clear if his deputy a 29-year-old street cleaner who admitted talking to stones and plants in an interview retained his job. Collaboration, of course, features in all conflicts. During the Second World War, the complicity of some leaders and citizens was crucial to ensuring German dominance over much of Europe and assisting the Holocaust. Fuelled by fear, opportunism and human weakness, it was seen in every Nazi-occupied nation. Yet as history shows, the legacy of such actions can leave divisions that last decades. One woman I met near the city of Chernihiv, close to Belarus, wept after telling me about the murder of her two brothers, who were identified to Russian troops by a neighbour in her village. Someone pointed out our house I dont know who, said Iryna Kulichenko. How do you live after this? Another woman, detained in Balakliyas basement cells, was left shocked by the behaviour of some neighbours. I have known many people for more than 40 years and in many cases, as it turned out, I was wrong about them, she said. A member of the Ukrainian National Guard fires a D-30 howitzer towards Russian troops on Wednesday, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region Ukrainian servicemen and a dog stand at a position on Wednesday, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, outside the town of Bakhmut, in Donetsk Region, Ukraine Ukrainian soldiers look at the debris of damaged Russian military machinery in the recently recaptured city of Lyman, Donetsk area, Ukraine, October 5, 2022 She has now left the newly liberated town with no desire to return. It is difficult to live with people if you know that they are involved in denunciations, she said. Last week, alarmed by Ukrainian advances, Putin annexed four occupied regions following hastily held sham referendums. The signing ceremony in the Kremlin featured a bizarre rant from the Russian dictator against the West, touching on topics ranging from 17th century history to gender-reassignment surgery. Those representing the four stolen regions included Volodymyr Saldo, a former mayor of the key city of Kherson, who was among a handful of Moscow sympathisers plucked from the political margins, handed Russian passports and placed into positions of power. Three weeks after the full-scale invasion started in February, Saldo posted on social media that Kherson is my soul, and Kherson is Ukraine yet a few months later stood in the Kremlin to sign over his war-torn home region into Putins bloodstained hands. Saldo survived a poisoning attempt two months ago after being rushed into hospital for treatment in Crimea. Russian sources said his mind began to cloud and his fingers went numb after reportedly eating food made by a new chef. Other collaborators have been less fortunate. There have been at least 29 suspicious deaths, starting in March with the mayor of a town in Luhansk who suffered a gunshot wound to the heart after being abducted from his home, according to his wife. One former Ukrainian MP, previously accused of child abuse, died in a targeted missile strike. He had fled to Russia in 2014 after Putins initial incursions, before returning to Kherson and proclaiming joy at being back in his motherland. Private buildings damaged in shelling in Tsyrkuny village of Kharkiv area, as pictured on Wednesday Ukrainian officials have been investigating reports of mass graves in areas formerly held by Russian forces Such killings are presumed to be the work of the resistance movement. Orchestrated by Ukraines special forces, it has become increasingly well organised. Recent fatalities include Ivan Sushko, a wedding toastmaster appointed mayor of a town in the Zaporizhzhia region, who died in August after his car was blown up. The partisans seek to spread fear through such killings while destroying arms dumps, devastating infrastructure for supply lines and threatening residents working with the enemy. In one town, activists posted pictures online of a local graveyard with names of collaborators pasted on headstones. Their birth dates are correct, but dates of deaths have been left blank. The message from Ukraines leaders as their troops continue advancing along the battlefront is similarly stark. As deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said this week: I have personal advice for collaborators: run away. Additional reporting by Kate Baklitskaya Zelensky says Ukraine forces have liberated MORE villages from retreating Russian troops By Jamie Phillips for MailOnline Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says his forces have liberated more villages from Putin's retreating troops - as the US claims it is a 'very real possibility' that Crimea could be recaptured if the counter-offensive continues at its current rate. Mr Zelensky this evening said a further three villages in the country's southern Kherson region have been recaptured from Russian troops. Speaking in his nightly video address, the president said the Novovoskresenske, Novogrygorivka and Petropavlivka had been liberated 'in the last 24 hours', adding that the counter-offensive 'continues', The progress of Ukrainian forces comes a day after Mr Zelensky ruled out peace talks with Putin and vowed to 'oust the occupier from all of our land' as he boasted of his troops hammering Russian soldiers. He said negotiations with his counterpart are now impossible following his decision to rubber-stamp the annexation of four regions of the country. He also said his forces were making 'rapid and powerful' gains and had retaken 'dozens' of villages to the east and south of the country. It comes after Putin last week told thousands of flag-waving Russians that people in the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia had chosen to rejoin their 'historic motherland' following 'referendums' described by the West as 'sham' and 'illegal'. Meanwhile, senior US officials believe Ukraine could recapture Crimea if its counter-offensive continues at its current rate. Mr Zelensky this evening said a further three villages in the country's southern Kherson region have been recaptured from Russian troops Ukrainian soldier Viktor, 35, checks his heavy machine gun at a position along the front line in the Mykolaiv region earlier today A Ukrainian army's press officer stands next to the debris of Russian air strike aircraft Su-34 at a collection point of destroyed Russian armoured vehicles in Lyman, Donetsk Putin annexed the peninsula in March 2014 and Western officials have previously thought recapturing it to be nigh on impossible due to Russia's likely significant efforts to defend it. But a senior US officer told The Telegraph that Russia's faltering war effort could mean 'the recapture of Crimea by Ukraine is now a distinct possibility and can no longer be discounted'. The official added: 'It is clear that Russia no longer has the ability or willpower to defend key positions, and if the Ukrainians succeed in their goal of recapturing Kherson, then there is a very real possibility that it will ultimately be able to recapture Crimea.' It comes after US deputy assistant secretary of defence Laura Cooper insisted that 'Crimea is Ukraine'. Mr Zelensky also yesterday issued a decree following the 'referendums' of a further four regions of the country. The Kremlin has responded to his abandonment of peace talks by saying it will wait for Ukraine to agree to sit down for talks on ending the conflict, noting that it may not happen until a new Ukrainian president takes office. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'We will wait for the incumbent president to change his position or wait for a future Ukrainian president who would revise his stand in the interests of the Ukrainian people.' Russia is currently lobbying for a secret ballot instead of a public vote when the 193 member U.N. General Assembly next week considers whether to condemn Moscow's move to annex the four regions. A Western-drafted UN General Assembly resolution would condemn Russia's 'illegal so-called referenda' and the 'attempted illegal annexation' of the areas where voting occurred. A Ukrainian soldier patrols at a position along the front line in the Mykolaiv region as they continue to push Russian troops back Ukrainian servicemen fire a mortar from their position on the front line with Russian troops in the Donetsk region earlier today 'This is a clearly politicized and provocative development aimed at deepening the divide in the General Assembly and bring its membership further apart', Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia wrote in a letter to UN states. He argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that 'it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly'. Diplomats said the General Assembly would likely have to vote publicly on whether to hold a secret ballot. Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last week. But despite the Kremlin's apparent political bravado, the picture on the ground is underscoring the disarray Putin faces in his response to Ukrainian advances and attempts to establish new Russian borders. Latest battlefield maps from Moscow showed that Russian troops had left many areas in the region, including along the west bank of the Dnipro River. In the eastern Kharkiv region, meanwhile, Russian forces had almost entirely abandoned the east bank of the Oskil River, potentially giving the Ukrainians space to shell key Russian troop transportation and supply corridors. Kyiv said its troops are 'confidently advancing to the sea' as videos showed the city of Davydiv Brid under their control along with a clutch of smaller settlements in the surrounding countryside. Won by conquest, given away as a 'gift', now occupied by force: Russia's history in Crimea and the Black Sea Prince Grigory Potemkin, who established the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea in 1783 The Black Sea - and the Crimean peninsula which juts into it - are a strategic crossroads between Europe, the Middle East and Asia which has been contested by Empires and nations for centuries. The sea itself contains vital trading routes, is bordered by five of Russia's near-neighbours, and today hosts vital energy pipelines and fibre optic cables. For Russia to assert power in the waters, control of Crimea - which contains its main Black Sea port at Sevastopol and controls the Kerch Strait leading to the nearby Sea of Azov - is essential. Crimea has, at one time or another, come under the control of the Greeks, Persians, Romans, Mongols, Ottomans. It was not until 1783 that it fell fully under the control of the Russian Empire when Russian generals Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kamensky led a force of 8,000 men to victory against an Ottoman army of 40,000 at the the Battle of Kozludzha. Russia's Prince Grigory Potemkin quickly established the Russian Black Sea Fleet at the port of Sevastopol, from where he asserted naval power over the Black Sea, it neighbours including Georgia, Ukraine and Turkey, and projected power further into the Mediterranean. Crimea also turned into a key trading post. On the eve of World War 1 in 1914 - some 50 per cent of all Russia's exports and a full 90 per cent of its agricultural exports passed through Bosphorus Strait which leads out of the Black Sea. In 1954 Crimea was given as a 'gift' by Nikita Khrushchev to Ukraine, ostensibly to mark the 300th anniversary of Ukraine's merger with Tsarist Russia, but more likely to secure Ukraine's support for Khrushchev's leadership and to cement Ukraine as part of the Soviet Union. Because Ukraine was then part of the Union, Moscow maintained control over Crimea and its vital ports - at least until 1991 when the union collapsed and Ukraine became and independent county. Following Ukraine's independence, access to the peninsula became a bargaining chip between the two nations, with Ukraine recognising Russia's right to the port at Sevastopol in return for concessions such as writing off debts and taking control of part of the Black Sea fleet. But in 2014, the pro-Moscow government of Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in a popular uprising that wanted to draw the country closer to Europe. Fearing the loss of the port at Sevastopol, Putin marched troops into Crimea and seized control of it - later holding a 'referendum' which showed majority support for the region to become part of Russia, though the result is viewed as far from credible. Today, Moscow is in control of the peninsula and refers to it as part of its territory, though most world bodies refer to the region as 'occupied Crimea'. The Black Sea Fleet remains one of Russia's largest, believed to be comprised of close to 50 ships, seven submarines and 25,000 troops, mostly marines. Advertisement Vladimir Putin stooge calls for failing Russian generals to be executed over Ukraine humiliation By Mark Nichol for The Daily Mail One of Russias chief propagandists has suggested that the countrys generals should be executed for their humiliating run of defeats in Ukraine. Margarita Simonyan reminded Russia Today viewers how Second World War leaders faced firing squads after their troops were defeated. She was speaking as Russian forces remained on the back foot in Ukraine after conceding territory in the southern province of Kherson. Yesterday Vladimir Putin signed into law his illegal annexation of four provinces of Ukraine where he pledged to stabilise security even though Kremlin troops have lost ground in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaphorizhzhia. Margarita Simonyan reminded Russia Today viewers how Second World War leaders faced firing squads after their troops were defeated Ukrainian forces, pictured, have successfully recaptured large swathes of territory previously occupied by Russia Ukraine has been showing off the large number of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles that have been destroyed during Kyiv's counter offensive Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured yesterday, signed into law his illegal annexation of four provinces of Ukraine where he pledged to stabilise security even though Kremlin troops have lost ground in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaphorizhzhia In the last province, Putin also claimed ownership of Europes largest nuclear plant. Miss Simonyan remarks in a television debate were the latest indication of the shock felt in Moscow at the state of the conflict. She cited the example of General Dmitry Pavlov, a Russian commander who faced a firing squad after his numerically superior forces were routed by the Germans at the start of Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of Russia in 1941. However, she failed to mention how, decades later, General Pavlov was pardoned after an investigation found he could not realistically have achieved the military objectives expected by Kremlin officials. She cited the example of General Dmitry Pavlov, a Russian commander who faced a firing squad after his numerically superior forces were routed by the Germans at the start of Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of Russia in 1941 Miss Simonyan implied recent retreats were similar to the collapse of Russias western front eight decades ago. She said that Russian commanders in Ukraine had demonstrated cowardice in their unauthorised withdrawal from strategic positions and their collapse. She said: I am quoting formulations under which the Western Front commander [Pavlov] was executed by firing squad in July 1941. Miss Simonyan added that recent failures by Russian forces had made her physically unwell. She said: Mourning and panicking is playing into enemy hands and working indirectly but still working for the success of the collective CIA. Vladimir Putin is yet to execute any generals but senior officers have been relieved of command since the invasion began in February. Another Putin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov claimed that Russia was experiencing the most difficult moment of our history due to its defeats in Ukraine. Anthony Albanese's government has been slammed by a western Sydney community over plans to repatriate the family members of ISIS fighters. Under the plans, stranded Islamic State brides and their children will be allowed to return to Australia - reversing a years-long ban by the Australian government. The women left Australia to join their husbands fighting for the Islamist terrorist movement before it collapsed in March 2019. However, members of western Sydney's largest Assyrian community in Fairfield, many whom fled Syria and Iraq to escape ISIS, have hit out at the government's change of policy. 'ISIS raped our women and burned down our churches and homes,' said Fairfield Deputy Mayor Reni Barkho, an Assyrian who migrated to Australia in 1994 and has several family members who escaped ISIS. 'We can never forgive or forget or welcome those that travelled to help persecute us in our own homes in Iraq and Syria. Under the plans, stranded Islamic State brides and their children will be allowed to return to Australia - reversing a years-long ban by the Australian government (pictured, ISIS brides in Syria) Fairfield Deputy Mayor and Assyrian immigrant Reni Barkho (right) has slammed the plan to bring Aussie ISIS brides back 'We are grateful that Australia provided us refuge, but Prime Minister Albanese should not be bringing back anyone who chose to support ISIS back to our community.' Assyrians are a mostly Christian ethnic minority who have faced persecution by Islamic State. In 2015, ISIS attacked the Assyrian village of Tel Tamr in northeastern Syria, killing 64 defenders and kidnapping 231 men, women, and children while also destroying 11 churches. Tony Abbott's government then issued 12,000 visas to religious minorities fleeing ISIS, with the majority going to Assyrians, many of them settling in the Fairfield area. Fairfield sits in the heart of Energy Minister Chris Bowen's electorate of McMahon. Assyrians are a mostly Christian ethnic minority who have faced persecution by Islamic State (pictured, ISIS fighters) Assyrian community activist Jacqueline Georges, secretary of the Coalition of Assyrian Parties in Australia, has criticised the government's plans. 'We are not happy and we hope the government reverses its decision and says no because everyone in our community and around the world knows what ISIS has done to our people,' she said, according to the Daily Telegraph. Discussing the plight of Australian ISIS brides, she added that it isn't 'wise for them to come and live again in this peaceful country'. Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone added 'they will never be welcomed in our city where so many have fled to seek refuge after being persecuted by ISIS'. 'Anthony Albanese should never forget that many here have had their families killed and homes burned to the ground.' In 2015, ISIS attacked the Assyrian village of Tel Tamr in northeastern Syria, killing 64 defenders and kidnapping 231 men, women, and children while also destroying 11 churches 'We won't be safe if they will be here these people wanted our heritage to go.' 'If Albo loves ISIS sympathisers so much, he can put them up in his own neighbourhood, or maybe send them to Scotland Island,' he said. Aussie intelligence agencies believe that leaving Australians in squalid camps may present more of a threat to national security than bringing them back, as their plight could be used to recruit more Australian Muslims to join terror organisations. As a result, 16 woman and 42 children being held in northeastern Syria's al-Roj detention camp near the Iraqi border will be repatriated in the coming days and weeks following 'risk assessments' in August and September. It is understood all of those brought home will be subject to intensive monitoring by security agencies and some will face terror charges as it was illegal for many at the time to travel to Syria and Iraq. 'The Australian government's overriding priority is the protection of Australians and Australia's national security advice,' a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said on the subject. 'Given the sensitive nature of the matters involved, it would not be appropriate to comment further.' Sydney could even smash the record for its wettest-ever year by this weekend 'Vast swathes of NSW' will cop the brunt of the heavy rainfall, 150mm for Sydney A storm system battering Australia's east coast is set to topple records with Sydney set to smash the mark for its wettest-ever year by this weekend. Sydney copped a bucketing on Thursday morning with 27.6mm of rain already reported as of 8am AEDT. Meanwhile, showers will increase in Melbourne throughout the day and Brisbane will also cop some light rain. The downpour is expected to continue in Sydney through to Monday, while falls will ease into occasional showers in Victoria with rain coming and going in southern Queensland. Sydney's Observatory Hill weather station has already recorded enough rainfall so far this year to topple the city's second-highest annual rainfall total - which was set at 2,110mm in 1860. This week's rain is expected to break the all-time record of 2,194mm set in 1950. The Bureau of Meteorology has warned heavy rainfall and the threat of flooding in NSW will remain until the end of 2022. 'Unfortunately, this is the pattern until the end of the year potentially until early 2023,' meteorologist Jonathan How said. A wild wet weather system battering Australia's east coast will push Sydney's rainfall to the most ever recorded in a year (pictured, forecast rainfall for the next seven days) Weatherzone forecasters said the wet weather system is 'enormous' extending from the Gulf of Carpentaria to Bass Strait and beyond (pictured, an image taken just before midday on Wednesday (AEDT), illustrates the scale of the system) Meanwhile, the records are falling elsewhere in the country, with the outback NSW town of Bourke copping its average monthly rainfall in just one day on Wednesday, with a 39.2mm dumping. Weatherzone forecasters told Daily Mail Australia the torrential downpours are part of an 'enormous' system that extends 'from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the north to Bass Strait and beyond in the south'. 'We will be seeing widespread heavy rains over vast swathes of NSW, parts of Tasmania, Victoria, south and western parts of Queensland,' meteorologist Tom Hough said. NSW will bear the brunt of the system with Sydney expected to cop heavy rain into next week as strong winds remain offshore. Brisbane is looking good in comparison with the other major cities with 5mm expected for the River City on Thursday (pictured, not all of the cloud in that system is currently generating rain, although a lot of it is - the green areas represent rain) High totals of 50-100mm are expected in inland parts of the state, heightening the risk of flood across already saturated catchments. 'We'll start to see more of a flash flood risk as well as riverine flood risk over the coming days,' Gabrielle Woodhouse from the Bureau of Meteorology said. 'There is a lot of rain and it's falling on very, very wet catchments.' A second weather system will bring storms, rain, and bursts of heavy falls to parts of southern Queensland and NSW, to southern Victoria, from Thursday night and into Friday. Finally, a third rainfall system will sweep across southern Queensland, NSW and eastern Victoria on Saturday and Sunday. Rain is expected to ease for most major cities by mid next week. There is a high chance of outback flooding as the three weather systems dump water on catchments already dealing with flooding. 'This rainfall is likely to lead to widespread flooding across many of our rivers across NSW,' Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology said Tuesday. NSW will bare the brunt of the system with Sydney copping 20mm of rain on Thursday, as strong winds remain offshore (pictured, wet weather in Sydney) There is potential for damaging winds gusts of 70-90 km/hr in the Sydney area, the Illawarra and potentially into the Hunter from Sunday morning (pictured, people shelter from a heavy rain and wind as they visit the Sydney Harbour waterfront in Sydney) Flood warnings are already active in multiple inland catchments including the Namoi, Darling, Culgoa, Lachlan, Birrie, Bokhara, Bogan, Macquarie, Murray, Edward and Barwon rivers. As the rain falls, it's expected further severe warnings will be issued in northern Victoria and southern Queensland. The SES is concentrating on key communities as it expects flooding in western and central NSW towns including Gunnedah, Wee Waa and Warren this week. The town of Warren, on the Macquarie River and downstream of Burrendong Dam, is expected to experience major flooding, with river levels reaching 9m by Wednesday. Weatherzone said already saturated catchments of waterways in NSW, Victoria and Queensland should get more flooding as the system tracks its way slowly eastwards (pictured, floodwaters in Dungog, NSW) Nyngan, about one hour from Warren, is also being monitored closely, SES Commissioner Carlene York said. Multiple inland dams are full or above capacity, including Burrendong at 118 per cent, Carcoar, west of Bathurst, just over 100 per cent, and Glennies Creek Dam in the Hunter region, also just over capacity. A stranded driver had to be rescued by SES volunteers on Monday after trying to drive across a flooded roadway, Ms York said. As the school holidays come to an end this weekend, she urged people to drive with care, and not to drive across flooded roadways. Brisbane should see some patchy sun through the weekend but mostly those showers clearing by Tuesday (pictured, the rain covers are seen during the WNCL match between Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory this week in Brisbane) One of Russias chief propagandists has suggested that the countrys generals should be executed for their humiliating run of defeats in Ukraine. Margarita Simonyan reminded Russia Today viewers how Second World War leaders faced firing squads after their troops were defeated. She was speaking as Russian forces remained on the back foot in Ukraine after conceding territory in the southern province of Kherson. Yesterday Vladimir Putin signed into law his illegal annexation of four provinces of Ukraine where he pledged to stabilise security even though Kremlin troops have lost ground in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaphorizhzhia. Margarita Simonyan reminded Russia Today viewers how Second World War leaders faced firing squads after their troops were defeated Ukrainian forces, pictured, have successfully recaptured large swathes of territory previously occupied by Russia Ukraine has been showing off the large number of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles that have been destroyed during Kyiv's counter offensive Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured yesterday, signed into law his illegal annexation of four provinces of Ukraine where he pledged to stabilise security even though Kremlin troops have lost ground in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaphorizhzhia In the last province, Putin also claimed ownership of Europes largest nuclear plant. Miss Simonyan remarks in a television debate were the latest indication of the shock felt in Moscow at the state of the conflict. She cited the example of General Dmitry Pavlov, a Russian commander who faced a firing squad after his numerically superior forces were routed by the Germans at the start of Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of Russia in 1941. However, she failed to mention how, decades later, General Pavlov was pardoned after an investigation found he could not realistically have achieved the military objectives expected by Kremlin officials. She cited the example of General Dmitry Pavlov, a Russian commander who faced a firing squad after his numerically superior forces were routed by the Germans at the start of Operation Barbarossa the German invasion of Russia in 1941 Miss Simonyan implied recent retreats were similar to the collapse of Russias western front eight decades ago. She said that Russian commanders in Ukraine had demonstrated cowardice in their unauthorised withdrawal from strategic positions and their collapse. She said: I am quoting formulations under which the Western Front commander [Pavlov] was executed by firing squad in July 1941. Miss Simonyan added that recent failures by Russian forces had made her physically unwell. She said: Mourning and panicking is playing into enemy hands and working indirectly but still working for the success of the collective CIA. Vladimir Putin is yet to execute any generals but senior officers have been relieved of command since the invasion began in February. Another Putin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov claimed that Russia was experiencing the most difficult moment of our history due to its defeats in Ukraine. It comes after Kim Jong Un fired first missile over Japan in five years on Tuesday North Korean despot Kim Jong Un has fired two more ballistic missiles towards Japan as tensions with the US continue to mount. Thursday's missile launch, announced by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, was the sixth in 12 days and the first since the reclusive regime fired an intermediate-range missile over its easterly neighbour on Tuesday. That launch, the first of its kind in five years, sparked joint missile drills by South Korea and the United States and a return of aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to the sea between Korea and Japan. The latest missile launches suggest Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. Many experts believe Kim's goal is to eventually win US recognition as a legitimate nuclear state and the lifting of said sanctions, though the international community to date has shown no sign of allowing that to happen. Thursday's missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from the North's capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles). The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didn't reach Japan's exclusive economic zone. North Korea has fired another ballistic missile towards Japan , South Korea 's Joint Chiefs of Staff have said (Pictured: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un) He added that the second missile was possibly launched on an 'irregular' trajectory. It is a term that has been previously used to describe the flight characteristics of a North Korean weapon modeled after Russia's Iskander missile, which travels at low altitudes and is designed to be maneuverable in flight to improve its chances of evading missile defenses. South Korea's military said it has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains readiness in close coordination with the United States. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said North Korea's continued launches were 'absolutely intolerable.' Separately on Thursday, North Korea condemned the US for repositioning its aircraft carrier in the waters off the Korean peninsula. The move posed a 'serious threat' to the stability in the region, it said in a statement released by the reclusive nation's foreign ministry. It comes a day after the US accused China and Russia of enabling North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. They accused the countries of protecting Pyongyang from attempts to strengthen UN Security Council sanctions, which were imposed over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. A surface-to-surface missile is fired into the sea off the east coast of South Korea in a handout picture provided by the country's Defence Ministry 'The DPRK (North Korea) has enjoyed blanket protection from two members of this council,' US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said. 'In short, two permanent members of the Security Council have enabled Kim Jong Un.' The 15-member council met on Wednesday after North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile on Tuesday that soared over Japan for the first time in five years and prompted a warning for residents there to take cover. China and Russia did not want a public council meeting, arguing that it would not be conducive to easing the situation. After the meeting on Wednesday, nine Security Council members - the US, Britain, France, Albania, Brazil, India, Ireland, Norway and United Arab Emirates - condemned North Korea's missile launch in a joint statement. But China's deputy UN ambassador, Geng Shuang, said the Security Council needed to play a constructive role 'instead of relying solely on strong rhetoric or pressure.' 'Discussions and deliberations should contribute to a detente, rather than fueling escalation. They should promote the resumption of dialogue instead of widening differences and forge unity instead of creating divisions,' he said. In May, China and Russia vetoed a US-led push to impose more UN sanctions on North Korea over its renewed ballistic missile launches, publicly splitting the Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006. A TV screen in Seoul, South Korea, showing a news programme reporting North Korea's missile launch Thursday's missile launch was the sixth in 12 days and the first since it fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan on Tuesday (Pictured: South Korean Air Force F-15Ks and U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch earlier this week) Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, told the Security Council that 'introducing new sanctions against DPRK is a dead end' and brings 'zero results.' 'We are convinced that the UN and Security Council mechanisms need to be used to support the inter-Korean dialogue and multilateral negotiations rather than becoming an impediment to them,' she said. North Korea has for years been banned from conducting nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the Security Council, which has strengthened sanctions on Pyongyang over the years to try and cut off funding for those programs. In recent years, veto powers China and Russia have suggested U.N. sanctions on North Korea be eased for humanitarian purposes and to entice Pyongyang back to stalled international talks aimed at persuading Kim to denuclearize. 'This is a clear effort by China and Russia to reward DPRK for their bad actions and cannot be taken seriously by this council,' said Thomas-Greenfield, referring to North Korea's formal name - the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. China and Russia blamed joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea for provoking North Korea. Thomas-Greenfield rejected the remarks, saying there is 'no equivalency between these two activities.' Plastic bag pollution may finally have met its match in the face of the moth larvae that infest beehives, known as wax worms. Scientists have discovered that enzymes in the worms' saliva rapidly break down polyethylene the world's most widely used plastic and a major contributor to pollution. They found that two substances in the saliva break down the plastic within hours at room temperature. Experts hope the breakthrough will lead to new natural and cost-effective ways to deal with plastic pollution. The discovery came after one scientist, an amateur beekeeper, cleaned out an infested hive and found the larvae had started eating holes in a plastic bag. The study builds on the researchers' 2017 findings that wax worms which eat wax made by bees to build honeycombs were capable of degrading polyethylene, though at that time it was unclear how these small insects did it. The answer was enzymes substances produced by living organisms that trigger biochemical reactions. Discovery: Enzymes that rapidly break down plastic bags have been found in the saliva of wax worms (pictured), scientists say WHAT ARE WAX WORMS? Wax moths lay their eggs inside beehives. The worms hatch and grow on beeswax, which is composed of a highly diverse mixture of lipid compounds. Although wax worms wouldn't normally eat plastic, the researchers suspect that their ability is a byproduct of their natural habits. It's likely that digesting beeswax and polyethylene involves breaking down similar types of chemical bonds. Advertisement Researchers said their study showed that the insect saliva may be 'a depository of degrading enzymes which could revolutionise [the cleanup of polluting waste]'. For plastic to degrade, oxygen must penetrate the polymer or plastic molecule in an important initial step called oxidation. The researchers found that the enzymes performed this step within hours without the need for pre-treatment such as applying heat or radiation. This is 'changing the paradigm of plastic biodegradation,' said molecular biologist Federica Bertocchini of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), who led the study. Plastic is made of polymers designed to be hard to break down and contains additives that increase durability, meaning it can remain intact for years, decades or centuries. 'The very same features that make plastic the unique and useful material it is are creating one of the most critical problems of this century,' Bertocchini said. 'Plastics stay in the environment for a long time. It eventually breaks down into small particles, therefore becoming the source of micro and nano plastic particles. 'These plastic particles have been found everywhere, from Antarctica to rain and tap water, which do not only cause obvious environmental issues but are a growing problem for human health.' Polyethylene, first created in 1933, is inexpensive, durable and does not interact with food, making it useful for food packaging and grocery store bags, among other applications. Wax worms are the larvae of wax moths, a species called Galleria mellonella. Considered pests by beekeepers, the caterpillars feed on beeswax, pollen and honey, occasionally also eating bee larvae. The idea would be to produce the worms' saliva enzymes synthetically, which the researchers succeeded in doing, to break down plastic waste. Bertocchini said the use of billions of wax worms to do the job has drawbacks including generating carbon dioxide as they metabolize the polyethylene. Humble: Wax worms are the larvae of wax moths, a species called Galleria mellonella 'In our case, the enzymes oxidize plastics, breaking it into small molecules,' said study co-author Clemente Fernandez Arias, an ecologist and mathematician at CSIC. 'This suggests alternative scenarios to deal with plastic waste in which plastics can be degraded in controlled conditions, limiting or eventually eliminating altogether the release of microplastics.' A foundation related to German plastics engineering company Rochling helped fund the research. Bertocchini is one of two leaders of a Madrid-based company called Plasticentropy that is working to commercialize the use of the enzymes to break down plastic waste. The pursuit of plastic degradation by biological means, or biodegradation, previously focused mainly on microorganisms. A handful of microorganisms were found to break down plastic but only slowing and requiring pre-treatment, complicating the practicality of harnessing it. Plastic consumption has soared worldwide over the past three decades, with hundreds of millions of tons annually ending up as waste and less than 10 per cent of that being recycled. The United Nations in March approved a landmark agreement to create the world's first global plastic pollution treaty after talks in Nairobi, with the goal of having a legally binding deal finalized by 2024. The research has been published in the journal Nature Communications. If you're thinking of putting a bet on a horse this weekend, you might want to check how old its parents are. That's because a new study by the University of Exeter has shown that the speed of thoroughbred horses can be affected by the age of their parents at the point of conception. The older the parents, the slower the racehorse - with the age of both the mother and father playing a significant role in the overall speed, according to researchers. That means thoroughbreds sired by old stallions are less likely to win races than those from young studs. 'The fact that parental age affects racehorse speed should be of interest to the horseracing industry,' said Dr Patrick Sharman from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall. The older the parents, the slower the racehorse - with the age of both the mother and father playing a significant role in the overall speed Predicted horse (offspring) speed by (a) maternal and (b) paternal age in years. The researchers analysed data from almost 25 years of racing results across Great Britain - from 1996 to 2019 Horses with high levels of inbreeding are less likely to race Horses have been bred for hundreds of years in order to produce champion racers, but a new study finds those with higher levels of inbreeding may never step foot on a track. A team of scientists, led by the University College Dublin, identified a single genetic marker that drops a horse's probability of racing by nearly a third. The genetic marker negatively impacts how the animal's bones develop and repair and inheriting the marker from both parents, drops the probability of racing to 32 percent. Approximately one in six stallions are carriers, along with more than 10 percent of all thoroughbreds. Read more Advertisement The researchers were inspired by a previous small-scale study, which reported on the breeding success of the great stallion Sadler's Wells, who sired 2,259 foals, including 73 Group or Grade 1 winners. That study found that most of his most successful offspring - including Monjeu, Galileo and High Chaparral - appeared in the first half of his stud career, while only 10 of the 73 were born in the latter 40 per cent. The University of Exeter researchers built on this by analysing data from almost 25 years of racing results across Great Britain - from 1996 to 2019 - comprising over 900,000 performances from more than 100,000 horses. The data included the offspring of 41,107 mothers and 2,887 fathers. They found that maternal age had a 'significant effect' on speed, with each additional year of age at conception decreasing the offspring speed by 0.017 yards per second. While this may sound modest, it actually converts into a predicted difference of approximately one second over a race of one mile between a horse with a five-year-old and one with a 15-year-old mother. In a sport where the finest of margins can determine the winner, the study suggests that parental age can be a determining factor in which horse is first past the post. Intriguingly, the paternal age also showed a decrease of 0.011 yards per second for every increasing year in stallion age. This is a particularly noteworthy finding, as thoroughbred stallions play no active involvement in parental care. Intriguingly, the paternal age also showed a decrease of 0.011 yards per second for every increasing year in stallion age 'It is perhaps not surprising that offspring speed declines with increasing maternal age,' said Dr Sharman. 'It is the dams, after all, who care for the foal, first in utero, and then through to around 6 months of age. 'What I find fascinating, though, is that increasing paternal age also causes a significant decline in racehorse speed. 'Thoroughbred stallions play no part whatsoever is raising a foal, so what is behind this decline in speed?' The study adds to a growing body of evidence that parental 'state' at the time of conception can affect offspring characteristics. For example, previous studies have suggested that first-born foals tend to be lighter and perform less well than subsequent offspring from the same mother. The researchers believe their study could play a pivotal part not only in optimising racehorse breeding, but also better understanding the impact of parental age on offspring phenotype. 'This would have implications well beyond racehorses and the horseracing industry,' said Dr Sharman. The study has been published in Royal Society Open Science. This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to three scientists for their development of 'click' chemistry, which involves snapping together small molecules to form larger and more complex ones. Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless worked together to utilise the technique inside living organisms, in what they deem 'bioorthogonal chemistry'. The prize was awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is worth 10 million Swedish crowns (804,465, $915,072 USD). Bertozzi and Sharpless are both from the US, and are affiliated with the California institutions Stanford University and Scripps Research respectively, while Danish scientist Meldal works at the University of Copenhagen. Hans Ellegren, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the winners this morning at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Johan Aqvist, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said: 'This year's Prize in Chemistry deals with not overcomplicating matters, instead working with what is easy and simple. 'Functional molecules can be built even by taking a straightforward route.' Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless worked together to utilise the technique inside living organisms, in what they deem 'bioorthogonal chemistry' Sharpless and Meldal conducted copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions - an example of 'click' reactions - that resulted in the formation of triazole molecules NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY: PREVIOUS WINNERS The 10 most recent winners of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry are: 2021: Benjamin List (Germany) and David WC MacMillan (USA) for their work on research into the creation of new molecules. 2020: Emmanuelle Charpentier (France) and Jennifer Doudna (USA) for the development of a method for genome editing. 2019: John B. Goodenough (USA), M. Stanley Whittingham (USA) and Akira Yoshino (Japan) for the development of lithium-ion battery. 2018: Frances Arnold (USA), George P. Smith (USA), Greg Winter (England) for enzyme development. 2017: Jacques Dubochet (Switzerland), Joachim Frank (USA) and Richard Henderson (Scotland) for microscope technology. 2016: Jean-Pierre Sauvage (France), Fraser Stoddart (Scotland) and Ben Feringa (Netherlands) for supramolecular chemistry. 2015: Tomas Lindahl (Sweden), Paul Modrich (USA) and Aziz Sancar (Turkey) for mechanistic studies of DNA repair. 2014: Eric Betzig (USA), Stefan Hell (Germany) and William E. Moerner (USA) for the development in fluorescence microscopy. 2013: Michael Levitt (South Africa), Martin Karplus (USA) and Arieh Warshel (USA) for the development of multi scale models for complex chemical systems. 2012: Robert Lefkowitz (USA) and Brian Kobilka (USA) for studies of G-protein-coupled receptors. Advertisement Bertozzi said: It's an opportunity for me to recognise that all the work that so many trainees from my lab have done over the past 25 years and to reflect on how fortunate I have been and share in the celebration with them. The scientists were honoured specifically 'for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry,' the jury said. Sharpless started the ball rolling towards the 'ingenious tool for building molecules' around the year 2000. The 81-year-old coined the concept of click chemistry, where reactions occur quickly and do not produce unwanted by-products. Shortly after, Sharpless and Meldal conducted click reactions that are known as 'copper-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions' - totally independently of each other. These have since had widespread use in the development of pharmaceuticals, mapping DNA and creating useful materials. Next, Bertozzi started developing click reactions that work inside living organisms, in order to map the formation of special biomolecules - known as glycans - on the surface of cells. She first inserted an azide molecule inside a cell, which reacted with sugars to form long chain glycans on its surface. She then used Sharpless and Meldal's click reaction to attach a fluorescent green alkyne molecule to the end of the glycan, which allowed her to visualise their presence on the cell surface. These bioorthogonal reactions can take place without disrupting the normal chemistry of the cell, and are now used globally to explore cells and track biological processes. Using bioorthogonal reactions, researchers have improved the targeting of cancer pharmaceuticals, which are now being tested in clinical trials. Sharpless also won the chemistry Nobel in 2001 for his method of steering reactions towards one of two possible symmetrical products. He is the fifth double Nobel Prize laureate in history, following in the footsteps of John Bardeen, Linus Pauling, Frederick Sanger and Marie Skodowska Curie. Previous Nobel Prize in Chemistry winners include Marie Curie, who also shared the physics prize with her husband. Her eldest daughter, Irene Joliot-Curie, won the chemistry award just over two decades after her mother. The 2021 chemistry award was won by German Benjamin List and Scottish-born David MacMillan for their work in creating new tools to build molecules in an environmentally cleaner way. Their research aids the development of new drugs as well as in other materials such as plastics, and the Nobel panel said it is 'already benefiting humankind greatly'. Sharpless also won the chemistry Nobel in 2001 for his method of steering reactions towards one of two possible symmetrical products Chemistry is the third Nobel to be awarded this week, after three scientists from France, America and Austria were awarded the prize for Physics yesterday. They showed that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated. Swedish geneticist Svante Paabo won the prize for Physiology or Medicine on Monday, who unlocked the secrets of Neanderthal DNA. The prestigious prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace were created in the will of Alfred Nobel, who made a fortune from his invention of dynamite and was himself a chemist. They have been awarded since 1901 with a some interruptions, primarily the two world wars, but made no break for the COVID-19 pandemic. The next Nobel Prize to be announced will be for Literature on Thursday, while the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on October 10. Bertozzi developed Sharpless and Meldal's click reactions to work inside living organisms, so she could map special biomolecules - known as glycans - on the surface of cells. She first inserted an azide molecule inside a cell, which reacted with sugars to form long chain glycans on its surface. She then used the click reaction to attach a fluorescent green alkyne molecule to the end of the glycan, which allowed her to visualise their presence on the cell surface The scientists were honoured specifically 'for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry,' the jury said Elon Musk has made a dramatic U-turn on his vow to walk away from buying Twitter and will now continue with his proposed $44 billion (38 billion) acquisition as planned. Explaining the move, the billionaire entrepreneur said the social media giant was part of his plans to create a mysterious 'everything app', known simply as 'X'. The Tesla boss has spoken broadly in the past about his support for the idea of an 'everything app' a single place where users can access most, if not all, of their favourite online services and utilities. 'Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,' Musk tweeted on Tuesday night, hours after he offered to complete the buyout at his original offer price of $44 billion. He added that buying the platform has brought forward his X project by three to five years, 'but I could be wrong'. At Tesla's annual shareholder meeting in August, Musk compared his ambitions for Twitter with the vision he had for X, a financial services company he co-founded in 1999. 'I do sort of have a grander vision for what I thought X.com or X corporation could have been back in the day,' he added. 'It's a pretty grand vision, and obviously that could be started from scratch, but I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three to five years.' The SpaceX founder went on to say, 'it's something that will be very useful for the world', but has given precious few other details. So what exactly could the proposed platform look like? Experts say he may be eyeing something along the lines of a 'super app' which incorporates a lot of different services including messaging, social media, payments and food orders. U-turn: Elon Musk says he will now continue with buying Twitter for $44 billion (38 billion) as planned. 'Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app,' he tweeted TIMELINE OF ELON MUSK'S CHAOTIC ATTEMPT TO TAKEOVER TWITTER April 2: Musk announces that he owns 9.2 percent of the company, making him its largest single shareholder April 14: Musk offers to take Twitter private at $54.20 a share, valuing the company at $44billion April 25: Twitter accepts Musk's offer April 29: Musk sells $8billion in Tesla shares to finance deal May 13: Musk says Twitter deal is on hold pending a review of bot accounts May 26: Musk is sued by Twitter for stock manipulation during takeover July 8: Musk says he's backing out of the deal. Twitter sues, trying to force him into seeing it through. October 4: Musk proposes again to go ahead with the deal at the original price October 17: Proposed trial date in Delaware Advertisement One example of this is the hugely successful Chinese platform WeChat, but as yet there is no such thing in the West. WeChat began life as a messaging platform similar to WhatsApp but has since become a mini-internet within a single app allowing users to do everything from sharing social media-style posts with friends, to getting news, making mobile payments, booking restaurants and ordering taxis. Despite the success of WeChat in Asia, social media expert and industry commentator Matt Navarra said he was unconvinced that Musk could make it work in the West. 'I'll believe it when I see it,' he said. 'Super apps, as they are known in the industry, are not a new thing. They've been hugely successful in Asia, but have not really caught on elsewhere. 'Could Twitter form part of a super app that lets you buy goods, chat to friends, get news updates, book a taxi etc? Sure. Can Elon Musk make it work? Possibly. 'Will Elon actually do it? Who knows. He seems to have commitment issues.' The billionaire entrepreneur has so far not elaborated on his plans for the 'everything app'. However, he has previously indicated that he could build an alternative social media platform called X.com if his Twitter buyout failed. PayPal, which Musk co-founded, was originally known as X.com, and SpaceX is one of his major ventures. The private Musk-controlled company that will acquire Twitter in the buyout is officially known as X Holdings. Laura Petrone, principal analyst at GlobalData, told MailOnline: 'Musk has rightly understood that super-apps are the future of social media, but challenges lie ahead. 'He probably has the WeChat model in mind, which provides a gateway to access various internet services, from social networking and ecommerce to financial services. 'With over 2.9 billion monthly active users, Facebook was viewed as the best candidate to become the West's first super-app, but its plans to set up a cryptocurrency struggled to get off the ground and its parent company, Meta, is haunted by regulatory issues. 'Twitter is a smaller platform and doesn't benefit from network effects to the same extent as Facebook and WeChat. Therefore, it could be more difficult for Twitter to use its troves of data and scale to expand into new markets and provide a broader range of services.' She added: 'Musk has also mentioned that he wants to open the platform to less regulated speech and reduce moderation. However, pursuing the super-app model will open Twitter up to more regulatory scrutiny, not just for online speech and moderation but also antitrust. 'Social media companies are increasingly accused of acting as gatekeepers around access to personal data to the detriment of competition in the market.' Paolo Pescatore, a tech analyst at PP Foresight, told MailOnline that, with Musk, it is best to 'expect the unexpected'. 'There will be more twists and turns in this saga,' he added. 'Sure the notion of a super app is not new, very much needed in the video world. 'Typically, users today have a few apps per category (video, news, social media, games, banking) to name a few; there are of course many more. 'People are now getting increasingly frustrated with a slew of apps leading to a disastrous experience. Musk has been battling for months to back out of the Twitter deal, with legal and financial analysts widely believing that he acquiesced due to fears that he could be forced to complete the transaction after a highly public, potentially embarrassing trial 'Driving usage all towards one destination will increase engagement. By having a better sense of users' habits, expect to see more hyper-personalised services, features and offers. 'This opens up scope for plentiful business models including subscription, a la carte and of course ads. 'Timing will be key and the merits will need to be clear for users to get on board.' Matthew Hodgson, CEO and co-founder of the decentralised messaging app Element, said a similar decentralised format was important for Twitter because 'no one person should control the town square'. 'Musk's takeover of Twitter is back on, which could be the first step forward towards a decentralised Twitter giving power back to its users,' he said. 'By building on an open protocol, users could subscribe to reputation feeds for the content they desire, rather than be at the mercy of any algorithm (transparent or otherwise).' Musk has been battling for months to back out of the Twitter deal. However, legal and financial analysts widely believe that he acquiesced due to fears that he could be forced to complete the transaction after a highly public, potentially embarrassing trial. Twitter had sued Musk in order to force him to complete the agreed-on merger, and the case was due to go to trial in Delaware court on October 17, until Musk backed down and agreed to carry out the deal. 'Musk saw the writing on the wall and knew his chances of a victory in Delaware were slim to none with the best path accepting the current deal and move forward,' wrote Wedbush analyst Dan Ives in a note obtained by DailyMail.com. Musk, who also owns SpaceX, has been battling for months to back out of the Twitter deal 'Being forced to do the deal after a long and ugly court battle in Delaware was not an ideal scenario and instead accepting this path and moving forward with the deal will save a massive legal headache,' he wrote. Musk is now expected to own the company within a matter of weeks, if not days. Once in charge of Twitter, Musk plans to make changes to enhance freedom of speech. Among them is adding an 'edit' button to tweets. He also wants to stamp out fake accounts and bots which he says dilutes the experience. Musk intends to abolish permanently banning users, while also saying he wants an open-source algorithm which would expose how the website decides what appears on users' feeds. It is given the name 'Open Source Algorithm' and would work to restore faith in the town-square mentality that inspired the site in the first place. Musk has also indicated that he'll add the option for long-form tweets that exceed the current limit of 280 characters. Often accompanied by chips and peas, many of us grew up looking forward to hearing we were having fish fingers for dinner. And the latest Good Fish Guide will come as music to the ears of fish finger fans, with the Marine Conservation Society urging shoppers to opt for the frozen favourite. The guide recommends shoppers should choose Alaskan pollock and Icelandic cod both popular frozen varieties as well as tinned seafood such as Albacore tuna and Atlantic salmon. These options not only keep for longer than fresh varieties, but are often better for the environment, according to the Marine Conservation Society. Often accompanied by chips and peas, many of us grew up looking forward to hearing we were having fish fingers for dinner The Good Fish Guide recommends shoppers should choose Alaska pollock and Icelandic cod both popular frozen varieties as well as tinned seafood such as Albacore tuna and Atlantic salmon 'Red list' fish to avoid Angel shark Blonde ray Blue marlin Blue shark Blue skate Conger eel Crawfish European eel Flapper skate Grouper Longnosed skate Nursehound Pacific bluefin tuna Porbeagle Sandy ray Shagreen ray Smalleyed ray Smoothhound Southern bluefin tuna Starry ray Tope White skate Yellow gurnard Advertisement Speaking to the Telegraph, Charlotte Coombes, Good Fish Guide Manager, said: 'There are plenty of tinned and frozen options that can be a sustainable choice. 'It's something that people should be more aware of, because obviously it's really important at the moment to be budget-friendly when shopping, but that doesn't need to come at the cost of the environment.' The Marine Conservation Society releases new Good Fish Guide ratings twice a year, which rank seafood based on their impact on the environment. 'Our Good Fish Guide is rigorously reviewed and updated with the latest scientific advice twice a year,' Ms Coombes said. 'We focus on a different set of ratings each time, based on when there is new scientific data available. In our October 2022 update we reviewed several fisheries in the UK,' Ms Coombes said. Several fish are listed as 'Best Choice' options, including Arctic char, blue mussel, European hake, Keta salmon, Kingfish, Manila clam and Pink salmon. At the other end of the spectrum, the Good Fish Guide lists several 'Fish to Avoid'. These include Southern bluefin tuna, Starry ray, Tope, White skate, yellow gurnard and Blue marlin. While you might think that freezable or tinned products would be ones to avoid, the Marine Conservation Society says that this is often not the case. Jack Clarke, sustainable seafood advocate at the MCS, told the Telegraph: 'Most major retailers offer green rated options for breaded fish, from fingers to fillets. The Marine Conservation Society releases new Good Fish Guide ratings twice a year, which rank seafood based on their impact on the environment While you might think that freezable or tinned products would be ones to avoid, the Marine Conservation Society says that this is often not the case 'Freezing fish extends its shelf life and makes it easy to knock up a delicious, sustainable seafood dinner.' Meanwhile, farmed options are often more sustainable than wild-caught varieties, with the guide recommending Atlantic halibut farmed in Scotland or Norway over wild-caught varieties. Dawn Purchase, Aquaculture Programme Manager, said: 'It's a common misconception that farmed seafood is not as responsible a choice as its wild-caught counterpart. 'However, this season's update to the Good Fish Guide has shown that for some species it is often a more ocean-friendly option.' The Marine Conservation Society is currently campaigning for better data to be collected on boats at sea, which they say would allow scientists and governments to make informed decisions. Ms Coombes concluded: 'Many of the ratings on the Good Fish Guide are negatively affected by a lack of data. 'If we knew more about what's going on at sea, measures could be put in place to protect wildlife, and ensure we have a healthy ocean and a sustainable UK fishing industry.' The new study shows that pollutants like phosphorous and nitrogen from fertilizers, as well as animal feed, is threatening over 40 states in America A huge amount of nutrient pollution is being unleashed into lakes, rivers and streams, putting water quality at risk in over 40 U.S. states, because of warmer winters brought on by climate change. Frozen nutrient pollution, which includes things like phosphorous and nitrogen in fertilizers, manure and animal feed, has impacted water quality for decades, and colder winter temperatures have typically kept the nutrients in place until the spring, when plants can absorb them. However, research published today shows that climate change is upsetting this balance. Winters are the fastest-warming season in America and the country's seasonal snowpack has become less stable as increased rain-on-snow, snowmelt and rainfall events now carry the nutrients into soil and waterways when vegetation isn't available to soak them up. Nutrient pollution is being unleashed into lakes, rivers and streams, putting water quality at risk in over 40 U.S. states, because of warmer winters brought on by climate change Frozen nutrient pollution, which includes things like phosphorous and nitrogen in fertilizers, manure and animal feed, has impacted water quality for decades The findings of the study, published in Environmental Research Letters, used several maps to show projected winter pollution across the U.S. - including huge parts of the Northeast, northern Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, and the Sierra and Rocky Mountain ranges. A team of researchers used geospatial datasets to examine the impacts of the rain-on-snow events in areas of the country with large pools of phosphorous and nitrogen. For example, in analyzing the Mississippi River floods of 2019, researchers found rain-on-snow events sent a large amount of nutrients into the river and Gulf of Mexico - which contributed to the Gulf of Mexico's eight largest dead zone on record. Dead zones are what take place when bacteria that thrive on the excess nutrients remove too much oxygen from the water and cause massive fish and aquatic animal die-offs. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone was over 6,300 square miles in size as of last year. A team of researchers used geospatial datasets to examine the impacts of the rain-on-snow events in areas of the country with large pools of phosphorous and nitrogen 'We hope this study is a wake-up call for government agencies and researchers, because it reveals that 40% of the U.S. is producing winter pollutionbut no one is tracking exactly how much, where its going, or the impacts on water quality and ecosystems,' Carol Adair said 'We hope this study is a wake-up call for government agencies and researchers, because it reveals that 40% of the U.S. is producing winter pollutionbut no one is tracking exactly how much, where its going, or the impacts on water quality and ecosystems,' Carol Adair, a researcher at the University of Vermont's Gund Institute for Environment, said in a statement. 'Thats a big problem that urgently needs addressing.' The research is the first large-scale study of the impact of rain-on-snow on runoff and water quality. 'We are clearly seeing much larger amounts of cloudy water and sediment traveling through U.S. watersheds in winter,' Adair added. Beyond winters being the fastest warming season in the U.S., the country's longest cold snaps are becoming shorter, and the number of days with temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit is expected to continue to decline across the country, researchers say. Rain is also becoming more frequent than snow, a trend predicted to continue across the United States. It's already known that 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) the belief that people are having fun without us can cause mental health issues. But a new study suggests the psychological phenomenon can also make youngsters more prone to breaking the law. Researchers in Connecticut surveyed college students about their levels of FOMO and whether they engaged in illicit behaviours. Higher levels of FOMO were linked with drugs and alcohol consumption, stealing and 'incivility' in the classroom, the academics found. In the new study, fear of missing out (FOMO) is linked with drugs and alcohol consumption, stealing and classroom incivility (file photo) FEAR OF MISSING OUT (FOMO) Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a unique term introduced in 2004 to describe a phenomenon observed on social networking sites. FOMO includes two processes - firstly, a perception of missing out on a positive experience, followed up with a compulsive behaviour to maintain these social connections. FOMO is linked with negative life experiences and feelings, as well as a problematic attachment to social media. Source: Gupta et al. (2021) Advertisement The new study has been led by researchers at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and published today in PLOS One. The experts say in their paper: 'Stuck finishing work with approaching deadlines you decline your colleagues' invitation to a local restaurant, but you feel uneasy that you are missing out on the fun? 'This uneasiness is the fear of missing out (FOMO)... chronic apprehension that one is missing rewarding/fun experiences peers are experiencing. 'This study examined the relationship of trait level FOMO in college students and engagement in maladaptive behaviours through the lens of traditional statistical modeling and supervised machine learning. 'Overall, the results indicate that higher levels of FOMO does predict greater engagement in academic misconduct, alcohol drinking, illegal drug use, and other illegal behaviours.' The experts can't be sure that FOMO causes illicit behaviours, although it is possible there's a common trigger for both factors in certain personality types. FOMO is a term introduced in 2004 to describe a phenomenon observed on social networking sites. It includes two processes firstly, a perception of missing out on a positive experience, followed up with a compulsive behaviour to maintain these social connections (such as using our smartphone). In prior studies, FOMO has been linked with poor sleep, increased depression and anxiety and negative effects on academic performance. But the researchers wanted to see if it could facilitate 'maladaptive behaviours and psychological problems' for students at college, which is an 'intimidating' novel environment. For the study, 472 college students from an unnamed 'Northeastern university' completed a questionnaire assessing FOMO levels, unethical and illegal behaviour while in college and demographic variables, such as socioeconomic status. FoMO is a term introduced in 2004 to describe a phenomenon observed on social networking sites. It includes two processes firstly, a perception of missing out on a positive experience, followed up with a compulsive behaviour to maintain these social connections ,such as using our smartphone (file photo) The researchers analysed this data both by using standard statistical approaches and by applying a machine learning algorithm. With the first analysis approach, the team discovered associations between FOMO and nearly all the behaviours they examined. Higher FOMO was correlated with stealing, higher rates of classroom incivility, plagiarism, greater weekly alcohol consumption, lower age when beginning drinking alcohol and illegal activities including giving away drugs. High FOMO levels were also linked with an increased use of cannabis, stimulants, depressants and hallucinogens. Student explains FOMO in TED Talk The machine learning algorithm found similar associations and highlighted the modifying effect of living situation, socioeconomic status and gender on several of the relationships. The authors suggest that a brief FOMO assessment, including just 10 questions, may be valuable for counselors who assist students in the transition to college or university. 'These results suggest that FOMO exists not just as an aversive phenomenon, but it also leads to concrete consequences for individuals and society,' the team conclude. FOMO has also been linked with how we use our smartphones a study published earlier this year found people with FOMO checked their phones more when notifications were muted. Overall, whether or not people suffered FOMO, muting notifications can be 'psychologically distressing' and makes people check their phone more not less. Tesla is removing sensors from its cars as it shifts toward a system based solely on eight cameras that feed information into its self-driving artificial intelligence. Ultrasonic sensors (USS), which emit high-frequency sounds that bounce off of potential obstacles, will in the coming months be phased out of new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles sold in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Taiwan, and then globally. They will be phased out of Model 4 and Model X cars next year. The announcement from the company led by CEO Elon Musk comes as Tesla is facing intense regulatory and legal scrutiny over a series of crashes involving its self-driving system. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identified 392 reported accidents as of May 2022 involving cars with assisted-driver features - out of those, 273 involved Teslas. Tesla is removing sensors from its cars as it shifts toward a system based solely on eight cameras that feed information into its self-driving artificial intelligence. ABOVE: A Tesla Model Y is seen in Culver City, California The announcement from the company led by CEO Elon Musk comes as Tesla is facing intense regulatory and legal scrutiny over a series of crashes involving its self-driving system Elon Musk's company has also been accused of false advertising over its Autopilot and Full Self Driving beta system by the California Department of Motor Vehicles Last year, Musk reportedly told members of the Autopilot team that 'humans could drive with only two eyes and that this meant cars should be able to drive with cameras alone.' Cameras and artificial intelligence will be the primary ways Teslas recognize the environment. Tesla has always said its Full Self Driving beta software, currently available to 160,000 owners, requires a human to keep their hands on the wheel and pay attention to the road. The company said the sensors' removal won't affect its crash safety ratings and maintains that safety is at the core of its design and engineering decisions. The 12 ultrasonic sensors were mostly used for short-range object detection in features such as autopark. The automaker confirmed in a post that moving to the camera-only system will temporarily limit some of the vehicles' features, including park assist, summon and smart summon. 'In the near future, once these features achieve performance parity to todays vehicles, they will be restored via a series of over-the-air software updates. All other available Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capability features will be active at delivery,' Tesla explains. 'With todays software, this approach gives Autopilot high-definition spatial positioning, longer range visibility and ability to identify and differentiate between objects. As with many Tesla features, our occupancy network will continue to improve rapidly over time.' But it remains to be seen how smoothly this change will go. Last year, the company announced it would no longer ship cars equipped with forward-facing radar, which came at the same time as reports about 'phantom braking' - when the self-driving system applies the brakes because it mistakenly thinks the car is about to collide with something. The NHTSA is probing whether the Autopilot system increases the risk of crashes and it could issue a recall if it finds that the technology is to blame. Musk's company has also been accused of false advertising over its Autopilot and Full Self Driving beta system by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. However, it's unclear exactly what changes they want since Tesla famously does not advertise at all. Following Tesla AI Day, the company released a video depicting how its neural networks - which operate with 1 billion different parameters (or values) and can complete an astounding 144 trillion operations per second. Feature: China-donated tents used for education, health facilities in flood-affected Pakistan 10:34, October 05, 2022 By Ali Jaswal ( Xinhua Flood-affected people are seen outside their tents donated by China in Matli town of Badin District in southern Pakistan's Sindh province on Sept. 29, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) BADIN, Pakistan, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Syed Ali Haider Shah Bukhari, chairman of Hussain Shah Bukhari Welfare Trust, a Pakistani charity organization, was distributing school bags, shoes and candies to the kids studying in a tent school. The kids were the flood-affected internally displaced people (IDPs) living in a newly established tent camp using China-donated tents, in Matli town of Badin district in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. Bukhari appreciated China's support for Pakistan in the fight against the ongoing disaster and humanitarian assistance in relief work which is facilitating the country in providing basic education and health services to the affected people. "China's tents are playing a good role in our society because still sometimes there is rainfall over here and sunshine is also very intense," Bukhari added. Talking to Xinhua, Noor Ahmed Khahro, Assistant Commissioner of Matli town, said that the China-donated tents are waterproof and heat resistant, and are designed in a way that cross ventilation easily takes place inside them. Sindh has been the worst-hit province of the country where at least 759 people died and 8,422 were injured due to the floods since mid-June and over 366,000 people are currently living in camps, according to the figures released by Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Khahro said that Matli is one of the most low-lying areas in the Badin district so most of the schools in the area were also flooded and consequently damaged. To save the academic year of these children, they have been provided with the education facility utilizing the spacious and well-ventilated Chinese tents and assigned a couple of teachers to the tent school, he added. Mangan, a young teacher who lives in a nearby village, volunteered himself and asked officials to provide him with some facilities to teach the students of the tent camp for free. The local authorities hired him for the tent school on a reasonable monthly salary. "All these students here are poverty-stricken and are very good learners. They are good at reading, writing, and learning. Because of these spacious tents, we are going to teach these kids here," Mangan told Xinhua. Around 95 tents were installed in the area where 581 people are currently living, including 379 children. One of the biggest challenges the flood-affected people, including the tent camp IDPs, are facing is the rapid spread of water-borne, vector-borne and viral diseases. According to a health official, almost all IDPs are malnourished and presently suffering from dengue, skin infections, headache, body aches etc. As their overall health conditions are not good, even a mild fever can become a serious issue for them. In the wake of the health crisis, a clinic has also been established in the Matli's tent camp using two China-donated tents. One of the tents is being used for patient examination while the other is a pharmacy where all medicines are provided free of charge to the IDPs. Khahro said that these tents are very productive for providing health facilities since they have all necessary features and protections, as they can be completely closed using attached zips, preventing mosquitoes from entering. "These China-donated tents are the best quality tents, among all the tents I have seen up till yet being currently utilized for the relief work," he said. Thanking China for its support, Khahro said that it was one of the few countries that came to help Pakistan soon after the floods hit the South Asian country. "Chine extended their help in terms of goods, and as you can see this tent city has also been established with their cooperation and assistance," he said. "I would like to express my gratitude to the people of China, to the government of China because China has always been Pakistan's long-lasting friend, has always helped Pakistan in terms of crisis, particularly whenever a disaster has struck Pakistan. I also wish and hope that this cooperation between the two counties will continue in the future," Khahro said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) When you have a good story to tell, sometimes it just doesn't have the same effect when you type it out. This may be one of the reasons people are increasingly choosing to record themselves relaying their tale, and sharing it as a voice note. According to new research, this communication method is most popular with Generation Z, with a third of 18 to 24-year-olds sending them to friends and family. This is up 10 per cent from three years ago, representing the biggest increase in uptake of all forms of smartphone messaging. Voice note popularity has increased most in Birmingham, with 24 per cent of Brummies now claiming to regularly record voice messages. However, the trend has not taken off among Baby Boomers, as there has only been a 3 per cent increase in voice note usage with 58 to 76-year-olds over the past three years. According to new research, voice notes are most popular with Generation Z, with a third of 18 to 24 year olds sending them to friends and family (stock image) TOP CITIES WHERE VOICE NOTES HAVE GROWN MOST IN POPULARITY Birmingham - 24 per cent London - 21 per cent Leeds - 19 per cent Sheffield - 17 per cent Manchester - 17 per cent Bristol - 15 per cent Belfast - 15 per cent Southampton - 14 per cent Edinburgh - 12 per cent Liverpool - 9 per cent Advertisement Online smartphone retailer, Mobiles.co.uk, surveyed 1,000 Brits to find out how they like to communicate using their phones, and found voice notes to be a growing trend in recent years. This is backed up by how Twitter and Instagram have set up their own features that allow users to Tweet or reply to stories vocally. Meanwhile, WhatsApp has optimised its voice reply capabilities by allowing users to pause their note mid-way through if they lose their train of thought, and preview it before it is sent. Each generation has increased their use of voice notes over the past three years, but they are used decreasingly often by each older age group. While Generation Z claims to use them 33 per cent of the time, the same goes for only 5 per cent of Boomers. When asked why they are choosing to record their messages, over half of participants said it is easier than other communication forms. These included texting, Snapchats, phone calls and FaceTime calls. Generation Z also said that they like how quickly a voice note can get their message across, with 6 per cent saying they would use them in an emergency. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Dr Silke Paulmann, a psychology professor at the University of Essex, said: 'I think that voice notes can create intimacy in the way that simple texts can't. 'Tone of voice can be used to convey attitudes and emotions of the sender - much better than emoticons can. 'So the voice function could provide a useful tool to engage in relationships potentially without the need to meet up and at your convenience. 'Having said that, it might also be something far more simple, namely the ability to send off a voice note while you're walking or doing something else in a way that is more difficult for text writing.' Voice notes are also 10 per cent more popular with males of the youngest generation than females, going against the common stereotype that women talk more than men. While the short, recorded messages are increasing in popularity in all demographics, residents of certain cities have taken to them more than others. Almost a quarter of people in Birmingham now use them frequently, as well as 21 per cent of Londoners and 19 per cent of those from Leeds. People in Leeds are also hopping on the trend, with users of voice notes having increased by 8 per cent over the past three years, according to the survey. Generation Z also said that they also like how quickly a voice note can get their message across, with 6 per cent saying they would use them in an emergency (stock image) When it comes to who you are sending a voice message to, there is another generational difference. The study revealed that 65 per cent of Generation Z and Millennials are most likely to send voice notes to their friends. However, the Boomers tend to reserve them for their spouse or partner, with half of those surveyed claiming they are the most likely recipient. Again, it is men who prefer to communicate with their significant other with voice notes, as only 36 per cent of women do this next to 62 per cent of men. Advertisement Every year, millions of tourists flock to Northern Ireland to visit Giant's Causeway - an unusual formation of around 40,000 hexagonal stone columns descending gently into the sea. Theories on the stones' formation range from them being built by a mythical giant Finn McCool to more scientific explanations. Now, Dr Mike Simms, curator of natural sciences at National Museums NI, has put forward the first new theory since 1940. Dr Simms considered why the extraordinary geological features are found at sea level only. To mark Unesco's International Geodiversity Day today, he has explained why he believes they were caused by an event which took just days - and not thousands of years as previously thought. Every year, millions of tourists flock to Northern Ireland to visit Giant's Causeway - an unusual formation of 40,000 stone columns descending gently into the sea The scientific explanation for its formation, widely accepted for decades, is that a river valley was filled with lava that ponded to a greater depth than normal. Pictured: Geological map of the area under investigation What is Giant's Causeway? Giant's Causeway takes up about four miles of the coast of Northern Ireland. About 40,000 stone pillars make up the tourist attraction, and these pillars typically include five to seven sides. According to Britannica, the site was formed 50 to 60 million years ago. It was formed during the Paleogene Period and was the result of lava creeping toward the coast but cooling after making contact with the sea. Giant's Causeway was first recorded in 1693, and it has been a point of intrigue for geologists. It is managed by the National Trust, which is a British organization in charge of preserving natural wonders. In 1986 it became a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the protected area is home to about 50 species of birds and upwards of 200 plant species. Advertisement Giant's Causeway takes up about four miles of the coast of Northern Ireland. About 40,000 stone pillars make up the tourist attraction, and these pillars typically include five to seven sides. The site was formed 50 to 60 million years ago during the Paleogene Period, and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. The scientific explanation for its formation, widely accepted for decades, is that a river valley was filled with lava that ponded to a greater depth than normal. As the thick layer of lava cooled and solidified it formed these regular columns. However, Dr Simms has put forward the idea that if this lava-filled hollow was a valley it would have cut through old layers of lava beneath. He has identified layers of old lava on the shore either side of the Giant's Causeway sloping inward where older layers have not eroded away. Dr Simms said: 'An analogy I find helpful when explaining this involves cake. 'Eroding a river valley is rather like cutting through a layer of cake to reveal layers beneath the surface. 'In my interpretation, what we actually see are layers of older rock sloping towards the Causeway more like a badly baked cake that has sunk in the middle. 'I believe the ground subsided as lava moved up and erupted at the surface. 'The lava filled the depression creating the conditions for the columns to form. Dr Mike Simms, curator of natural sciences at National Museums NI, has put forward the first new theory since 1940 Dr Simms has put forward the idea that if this lava-filled hollow was a valley it would have cut through old layers of lava beneath. He has identified layers of old lava on the shore either side of the Giant's Causeway sloping inward where older layers have not eroded away 'This event likely took just a few days rather than the many thousands of years that would be needed for erosion to create a river valley.' Dr Simms explained he first started thinking about the theory while leading a field trip to the World Heritage Site in 2012. 'I owe a particular debt of gratitude to another geologist, a young Brazilian man who was on a field trip I was leading in 2012,' he said. 'He questioned how long it would take to erode the supposed river valley, and it was this that opened my eyes to the evidence before me. 'I had visited the Giant's Causeway many times before, and until that moment I had just accepted the previous theory. Dr Simms explained he first started thinking about the theory while leading a field trip to the World Heritage Site in 2012 The Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's only Unesco World Heritage Site and is operated by the National Trust, which has acknowledged Dr Simms's theory 'It goes to show that even at world famous landmarks such as this, new discoveries can be made from a simple observation.' The Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's only Unesco World Heritage Site and is operated by the National Trust, which has acknowledged Dr Simms's theory. Max Bryant, general manager at Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede, said there can always be new possibilities and perspectives waiting to be discovered. 'It highlights just how marvellous, magnificent and mysterious a geological formation we have here in Northern Ireland to share with the world,' he said. Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said she is proud to support Dr Simms's findings. 'I think it's wonderful he has showcased the expertise of our team and how important museums are,' she said. 'Yes, we provide spaces for people to explore and learn, but our teams also make meaningful contributions elsewhere. 'As a knowledge-based organisation, our staff are uniquely placed to present research and ideas. 'By using our vast natural science collections, for instance, we can support new discoveries and promote responsible and ethical action when it comes to our natural world.' Tony Bellew believes Tyson Fury never planned to fight Anthony Joshua on December 3, instead using their public negotiations to soften the blow of a disappointing match-up against Derek Chisora or Mahmoud Charr. Both parties are now finally on the same page - in that they are saying the proposed all-British clash is off - with Fury's chief negotiator, George Warren, and Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealing communications have now broken down. The heavyweight protagonists have now seen two proposed match-ups axed, with their agreed 2021 two-fight deal also scrapped after Deontay Wilder successfully won an arbitration case to stage a trilogy bout against the Gypsy King. The proposed all-British clash between Tyson Fury (left) and Anthony Joshua (right) is now off Tony Bellew insists Fury never intended to fight Joshua but used the negotiations for hype Fury last took to the ring in April when he demolished Dillian Whyte, since going in and out of retirement on multiple occasions, and Bellew believes the recent talks with Joshua were simply a smokescreen. 'In my opinion, what's been done is that they've [Fury's camp] known they want to make a fight, so let's throw AJ's name into the hat, create massive hype and hysteria, then say we sent him a contract but we couldn't agree it so we'll fight him [Charr or Chisora] instead. 'Once again, Anthony Joshua just looks to fight the best opponent. He's not fighting Charr; he's not fighting Tom Schwarz. 'All you need to do is look back at the list of names on Anthony Joshua's resume, and you realise this kid just fights anyone and everyone. That's what he does.' Who Joshua will now make his comeback fight against is unclear, having lost his collection of heavyweight belts in back-to-back humbling defeats to pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk. Fury's roadmap is more clear, however, with a bout against either Charr or Chisora - both of whom have reportedly received fight contracts - likely to come in December in Cardiff before an undisputed showdown against the Ukrainian mastermind next year. Mahmoud Charr (left) and Derek Chisora (right) could both be Tyson Fury's next opponent Bellew has spoken to Chisora and can confirm 'Del Boy' has received a fight offer from Fury Bellew, who insists Fury's antics don't detract from his ability as a fighter, says the Gypsy King can no longer be trusted, having made a series of contradictory statements since his last outing. 'I think Tyson Fury's an amazing fighter,' Bellew said. 'I don't detract from his achievements whatsoever, he's amazing. He's a one in a lifetime fighter, but don't be so naive. How can you take a man seriously who retires every five minutes? 'This guy dines out on being the lineal heavyweight champion, but he's retired more times than Lennox Lewis in the last 20 years!' Bellew continued: 'I can't take a man seriously who at one minute says he wants to fight Anthony Joshua for free, and then in the next stance says he wants 500million to fight. 'Then in the next stance he says he wants to fight two people in one night, and sends a contract for 2m to Derek Chisora, which he did do, because I've spoken to Derek. And he also sent a contract to Charr. 'How can you send contracts to two fighters when you can only fight one man in a night? He's sent three contracts to three different people all to fight on December 3. 'They're playing games here! They're the most unprofessional outfit I've ever seen.' Fury is looking to return to the ring for the first time since stopping Dillian Whyte in April Joshua suffered a second-straight defeat to Ukrainian mastermind Oleksandr Usyk in August While the anticipation ahead of perhaps Britain's biggest-ever fight grew, Bellew insists he was always sure the bout wouldn't happen. Referencing his second fight with David Haye, the former cruiserweight champion revealed the negotiations took months to finalise, despite his great rival agreeing to all clauses such was his desperation to get the rematch. Bellew insists a fight of this magnitude was never possible to make in the given timeframe - a sentiment echoed by Matchroom promoter Hearn - as he reached a final conclusion. 'Tyson Fury wants to fight Anthony Joshua, and Anthony Joshua wants to fight Tyson Fury, but these things take time, and both sides know that,' he said. 'This was thrown out there to create mass confusion and detract from what was always going to happen, which was that Fury was going to fight Charr or Chisora. 'This has created a load of hysteria to mask what was really going to happen in the end. So, now, it's going to be Charr or Chisora, and that's what it's always been.' Tyson Fury's chief negotiator for the proposed Battle of Britain bout with Anthony Joshua has said he 'can't see a way the fight will take place on December 3'. George Warren's comments come shortly after AJ's promoter Eddie Hearn stated the highly-anticipated bout was officially off the cards. Warren has said he is not 'looking to point the finger at any particular individual' but insisted his team were pushing to get the deal finalised for the blockbuster fight. George Warren (above) has said he 'can't see a way the fight will take place on December 3' Hearn and Warren both appeared on TalkSPORT radio on Tuesday morning to discuss the collapse of the deal and share their perspective on what went wrong. Hearn was the first to appear on the TalkSPORT Breakfast show. He said: 'I mean the fact is, huge fights like this don't get made in two weeks. 'That's the reality, when two guys have huge commercial deals with different broadcasters, it takes time. 'And we worked away with George Warren and it was actually going very, very well. Tyson Fury put us on the clock on a 48-hour clock where the contract was nowhere near ready. 'He told us the fight was off, two days later Queensberry popped over and said, "Oh no it's not, we've convinced him". Then he gives us another day. Fury was looking to return to the ring for the first time since stopping Dillian Whyte in April Joshua is seeking to make a comeback after losing to Oleksandr Usyk for the second time 'You know these things take time. And you should look at AJ's resume to know that he's never ducked one fight, and I work for Anthony Joshua. 'So when he instructs me to make a fight, and when he agrees terms, I don't pull out of those terms or try and go the other way. 'Bob Arum said I think two or three weeks ago, "There's no chance in the world this fight gets made", and then yesterday came out and said, "No everything's agreed, it's just Eddie Hearn's fault". 'So I'm the easy one to blame. And even when there's a bad fight I get the blame. And I've got used to it now, I don't mind. 'But I work for Anthony Joshua, he accepted the terms that were put to him. In the meantime, don't forget Anthony Joshua represents Derek Chisora. 'Derek Chisora received a contract last week for the Tyson fury fight. Obviously AJ sees that and thinks, 'What's going on?' 'We've apparently missed two deadlines now that are the final deadlines, so I don't know. I've not spoken to Queensberry since Thursday of last week. The WBC champion called out Joshua after his loss to the Ukrainian boxer earlier this year Joshua and Hearn accepted the deal immediately and began contract negotiations 'As far as AJ is concerned, Fury's told AJ the fight is off and Derek Chisora has the contract. Happy to keep on talking, but I just don't see the solution because I think Tyson Fury wants to fight Mahmoud Charr or Derek Chisora.' George Warren - who was Fury's chief negotiator for the proposed Battle of Britain bout - spoke to TalkSPORT immediately after and laid out exactly what happened. He said: 'I think the first thing to say is there's always gonna be a difference in opinion in the extent of what needed to be done to get that deal over the line last week. 'My personal opinion is that everyone was working hard. There seemed to be intent from the AJ side to try and do this, there certainly was from our perspective to try and do this. 'We made quite extensive requests over to their side both verbally, in emails, text messages, chasing them down to try and engage with us in a quicker fashion last week. However, that's when it all started to go wrong and Hearn was blamed for the slow progression 'And it fell down because quite frankly we got to a point with them where communication coming back from them and the substance of that communication was lacking. 'I would say there was no ambition on their side to help me try and keep the thing going, that's what it felt like by the end of it. 'I heard Eddie say the last time we spoke was on Thursday. The truth of the matter is we were waiting for a turnaround on a contract to come back on Wednesday evening. 'We didn't get that, we instead got an email, a request from Frank Smith who obviously works for Matchroom, to ask us if we were still up for having discussions. 'Quite quickly after that, Eddie and I spoke in the night. It was left that he was gonna email me something over to the extent of dealing with what they declared as their final issue related to the way that we drafted the contracts, which was related to our position of having final say. 'On that call I suggested we suggested that we insert some type of language to deal with having a mediator in place to settle disputes. 'We followed that up on Thursday inviting them to engage with us on that last real outstanding point on the top line. And that email didn't get responded to. 'I tried to call Eddie a couple of times on Thursday, he didn't answer my calls, didn't get back to me. I briefly spoke to Freddie Cunningham [of 258 MGT] on Thursday. It was left that he was gonna come back to me and let me know their position on how quickly they wanted to move on this thing. 'I chased them up with a phone call, didn't get a return, didn't hear back from them on the text that I sent them. And the last bit of communication was myself and Frank Smith, we spoke on Friday relating to a different fight that we're looking to try and finalise with Matchroom. 'On that call we briefly touched on it. He said that he'd been out of the loop, he'd been away travelling for work, but was gonna catch up with his side and come back to me and let me know if there was anything that they could do in the short term to keep the conversations going. Frank Warren said they would have benefited from a 'independent mediator' to resolve issues 'I didn't hear back, so my assumption is they as a group just decided for whatever reason that they didn't wanna engage last week to try and get this thing over the line, which is disappointing.' When Warren was pressed on whether the fight was officially off, he said: 'I don't think there's any way it can [happen on December 3] because when one side is told to expect a contract back and again... I'm just going off of the conversations that I had. 'They were constructive conversations. I think at the beginning of this thing we tried to keep this away from the press and the public. Eddie spoke on Thursday to the media, I think he confirmed to the media that they were going to send back a revised contract on Thursday. 'It didn't arrive. I didn't get it on Thursday, I didn't get it on Friday. I haven't had anything since. It looks like everyone's got to move on and focus on different things.' Warren went on to add: 'I can only talk from the perspective of us. Where were we last week? On Monday we received a redline [contract], not a final version as Eddie said yesterday to the press, it was not a final version. 'It was still subject to Anthony Joshua's lawyers comments, but they sent over a redline on the contract that we initially drafted. 'We invited them to do a Zoom the following day, that took place. We made suggestions on the way to deal with some of the outstanding issues. 'I think that they were received and accepted. They were proposed then in writing with a turnaround draft on Wednesday. 'It was left at that point, the expectation was that they were gonna turn something round to us, we would get on a call, try and figure this thing out, try and work through whatever issues anyone had. 'It was brought to our attention late in the day on Wednesday night that AJ was not happy with Queensberry having the final say. 'I think we made a very fair and reasonable compromise on that to put some type of mediator in the middle to settle any outstanding dispute. 'That invitation went over in writing as well as over the phone in conversations I had with Eddie and Freddie Cunningham. They didn't reply to that, they just didn't. That's where it got to. 'I don't think it's a blame game here, I'm not looking to point the finger at any particular individual. There was intent from their side to make this fight in the first instance. 'My observation, my perception of it is for whatever reason last week they decided that it wasn't something they wanted to do in a fast and quite responsive manner.' Speaking about the initial contract that was delivered to AJ's team, Warren said: 'The contract that we drafted, it was drafted following a meeting that myself and Top Rank's lawyer attended with Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith in London, very good conversation. Warren confirmed Fury (R) sent Derek Chisora (L) a contract for trilogy fight on December 3 'It was Eddie's suggestion for us to draft a provisions of services agreement a POS agreement. A POS in its context is one entity requesting from the other side to grant rights that they have for us to then utilise and exploit. So that was the contract that we drafted on his suggestion. 'They quickly came back following that contract being sent to them and asked instead for it to be drafted in the form of a co-promotional agreement. 'Now we jumped on that within 48 hours, had very good conversations with Matchroom about redrafting that to fit that form. 'But they took what I would say a little bit more time than we wanted for that draft to get over to us. It took seven or eight days further to get that back.' Manchester United's 85million signing Antony reportedly ignored orders from Erik ten Hag to track back and help the defence during Sunday's 6-3 drubbing by Manchester City. While the Brazilian winger did score at the Etihad Stadium on what was a humiliating afternoon for United, he apparently didn't do enough defensively. The Sun report that Ten Hag expressly told Antony he would have to help out Diogo Dalot when United came under pressure from City. Diogo Dalot (left) remonstrates with Antony after the Brazilian failed to track back to help him United manager Erik ten Hag had expressly told Antony he would need to cover defensively That message was hammered home in training sessions ahead of the derby and again before kick-off. But Antony left both his manager and Dalot infuriated after he seemingly forgot this aspect of his gameplan. Right-back Dalot was seen remonstrating with Antony, who moved to United from Ten Hag's former club Ajax in the summer, as he was repeatedly exposed by Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva. Dalot was booked in only the second minute for a foul on Grealish and was left walking a disciplinary tightrope as City attacked in waves. The Brazilian scored at the Etihad Stadium but it was a mere consolation as United lost 6-3 Ten Hag talks to left-back Tyrell Malacia on a humiliating afternoon for United in the derby Left-back Tyrell Malacia was also booked in the first-half as City used the flanks to excellent effect. Jadon Sancho, on his side, wasn't much better than Antony when it came to tracking back. Both Phil Foden and Erling Haaland scored hat-tricks, with Antony reducing the arrears to 4-1 on 56 minutes before two late Anthony Martial goals made the scoreline slightly more respectable. Paul Scholes made a sly dig at Jadon Sancho and Antony after the debacle at Man City Former United star Paul Scholes made reference to the lack of work rate by Antony and Sancho in an Instagram post. Accompanied by a picture of his former United team-mates Ryan Giggs and David Beckham, Scholes wrote: 'Anyone remember when wingers used to help their full-backs?' Given Antony's experience of Ten Hag's playing style from Ajax, his unwillingness to help out the defence was all the more surprising. United have the opportunity to return to winning ways on Thursday night when they play Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus in their latest UEFA Europa League fixture. They are back in Premier League action with a visit to Everton on Sunday night. Some of the entries are said to highlight the 'critical importance of conservation efforts' around the world Advertisement These pictures capture the extraordinary beauty of Planet Earth - and drive home just how important it is that we fight to protect it. Theyre the winning photographs from the 2022 Photo Contest run by environmental organisation The Nature Conservancy, which works to 'find paths to solve climate change and biodiversity loss'. This year, more than 100,000 entries from 196 countries worldwide were submitted, with 'some entries serving as a stark reminder of the critical importance of conservation efforts that help all living things thrive together'. Trumping the competition, a powerful drone shot of a Tibetan highway by Chinese photographer Li Ping has been named the overall winner. Other pictures that impressed the judges include a poignant shot of a leopard carrying the carcass of a mother monkey in its jaws, a striking image of storm clouds looming over a touristic Cuban beach and a picture of a seal fiercely defending her pup from a bird of prey in the Falkland Islands. Commenting on the awards, Meg Goldthwaite, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for The Nature Conservancy, says: These incredible images from talented photographers all over the world remind us how connected we are to each other and to this beautiful planet, and at the same time of the challenges we face. It energises us as we work to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends, so that future generations can enjoy the same natural wonders depicted in these amazing photos. Below is MailOnline Travels pick of the spectacular winners and finalists - make your way to the very bottom to see the picture that takes the top prize... British photographer Anup Shah took this captivating picture of a pair of lions in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve. The photographer explains that the lion on the right is Morani, an elder lion who is one of 'Four Musketeers' - four lions that 'ruthlessly' ruled the Maasai Mara a 'long time ago'. He adds that on the day the picture was taken, there was 'a hint of a faint breeze' in the air but 'otherwise, a pure stillness' reigned. Impressing the judges, the picture snaps up the gold medal in the Wildlife category This is celebrity judge Coyote Peterson's choice picture. Captured by Norwegian photographer Florian Ledoux, it shows a female polar bear breastfeeding her cubs in the harbour of Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian mining settlement on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. 'Often the bears here roam into the human infrastructure left behind with all sorts of pollutants,' the photographer explains. Praising the picture as 'absolutely beautiful', Peterson - who is a YouTuber and a wildlife educator - says: 'The abandonment of the Russian settlement is a powerful statement that nature can and hopefully will reclaim its rightful place. For an animal like the polar bear, which is physically running out of space for existence due to constantly melting sea ice, the bravery it shows for a mother to find a place of refuge for her cubs is a heartwarming scene amongst the frigid feel this entire vision portrays' LEFT: This shocking photograph is the winning shot as chosen by guest judge Ami Vitale, a renowned conservation photographer. Captured by Zambian photographer Shafeeq Mulla, the picture, taken in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, shows a leopard named Olimba carrying 'the carcass of a female vervet monkey with its baby still hanging on for dear life'. RIGHT: American photographer Torie Hilley captured this picture of a pair of giraffes during a visit to South Africa. 'We came across these two young bull giraffes 'necking' which is their form of sparring or fighting,' she recalls, adding: 'Most people think when they see this photo that it is a sign of affection, but once they read the description, the context becomes very different.' The picture, titled 'A Giant's Ballet', scoops an honourable mention in the Wildlife category Behold the silver medal winner in the Wildlife category. Portraying an African elephant in Namibia, it's the work of Greek photographer Panos Laskarakis, who says that the dust that the 'supergiant' sends into the air is 'one of the best spectacles in wild Namibia' This eye-opening image, snared by Argentinian photographer Fabio Saltarelli, earns an honourable mention in the Wildlife category. It shows an elephant seal defending her pup from the 'stalking' of a caracara austral (a bird of prey) in the Falkland Islands Describing this fascinating picture of an elephant and a vet, which was taken this summer in Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy nature reserve, Kenyan photographer Marvin Mwarangu says: 'As the mother is sedated, a veterinarian works quickly to diagnose and treat an elephant calf's wound.' The image earns an honourable mention in the People and Nature category Keoladeo National Park, formerly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, on the edge of the Indian city of Bharatpur was the setting for this dramatic picture of a trio of Asiatic jackals 'fighting' one another. The image, taken by Indian photographer Baiju Patil, bags an honourable mention in the Wildlife category This atmospheric picture of a pair of deer in the 'blue' light of dawn - the recipient of an honourable mention in the Wildlife category - is the handiwork of Hungarian photographer Tibor Litauszki This dynamic shot of a giraffe drinking at a waterhole whilst 'accompanied by an oxpecker' was captured at Zimanga Private Game Reserve in South Africa. Taken by U.S photographer Jenny Zhao, it receives an honourable mention in the Wildlife category U.S photographer Rick Dowling was behind the lens for this dramatic shot, which portrays a pair of eagles that 'were fighting for a piece of salmon' at the Bald Eagle Festival in Haines, Alaska. Dowling recalls: 'The eagle on top flew on top of the second eagle to try and get the salmon.' The picture gets an honourable mention in the Wildlife category UK photographer Effy Varley captured this breathtaking picture - which scoops an honourable mention in the Landscape category - in Norway. 'When I think of silence, I think of here,' she says, recalling: 'Everything was still except for my breath, which would occasionally rise in front of my face and break my view of this beautiful lake. Perched on a bench with my nose and fingers going numb, I stared into the fog for what felt like hours. The mist slowly thinned giving a glimpse of the trees on the other side' This poignant picture shows where the Mayan Train, an intercity railway that is currently under construction, will run through the jungle of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Native photographer Francesca Franchini, who was behind the lens, says that the railway project 'will affect the best-preserved jungle in the country', which is an area that 'protects a great biodiversity of species'. She adds that 'the most important source of fresh water in Mexico' lies beneath the jungle. The image takes home an honourable mention in the People and Nature category A lightning bolt shoots down from the skies in this astonishing shot of the 'splendour' of Mount Bromo, an active volcano in Indonesia's Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Indonesian photographer Hendy Wicaksono describes the national park as 'one of the 10 priority tourist destinations in Indonesia', adding that its mountainous landscape 'stretches around 50,276 hectares (124,230 acres)'. The photograph has been awarded second place in the Landscape category Stokksnes peninsula in southeastern Iceland was the setting for this brilliant picture, which shows a black sand beach with the 'majestic' Vestrahorn mountain in the background. 'I like the difference in colours between the white mountains and the black dunes with the yellow grass,' Italian photographer Ivan Pedretti reveals. The picture earns an honourable mention in the Landscape category Topping the podium in the landscape category is this beautiful photograph of trees dusted with frost on the mountain of Monte Adi in Navarre, northern Spain. Spanish photographer Francisco Javier Munuera Gonzales was behind the lens An honourable mention in the Water category has been handed to this picture by American photographer Tom Fenske. It shows Thor's Well, also known as the Drainpipe of the Pacific, a 'natural hole in the rock' south of Yachats, along the Oregon Coast. 'When the tide is just right the ocean seems to drain away through the hole,' Fenske reveals An ominous storm cloud looms over the parasols and sun loungers of Cuba's Varadero beach in this shot, taken by Brazilian photographer Giovani Cordioli. 'I captured the exact moment when the lightning strikes the sea,' he notes. The picture receives an honourable mention in the People and Nature category Advertisement London and New York have lost their grip on the coveted Worlds Best Bar trophy. For the first time ever, a bar outside these two cities ranks No.1 in The Worlds 50 Best Bars awards, with Paradiso in Barcelona declared 2022s winner. London, however, regains its position as the cocktail capital of Europe with a total of five bars on the list - now in its 14th year - including Tayer + Elementary, which maintains its place at No.2. The other four London bars in the ranking are last years winner, Connaught Bar - which slips to No.8 - Satans Whiskers (No.23), Swift (No.30) and A Bar with Shapes for a Name at No.37. Paradiso (above) in Barcelona ranks No.1 in The Worlds 50 Best Bars 2022 The Paradiso team celebrating their victory at the Worlds 50 Best Bars awards in Barcelona An imaginative Paradiso concoction New York, meanwhile, dominates the list even more overall, with six bars ranked more than any other city in the world. Two make the top 10 - Double Chicken Please is sixth and Katana Kitten rises one place to ninth. The Big Apple also has Attaboy at No.22, Overstory at No. 34, Dante at No.36 and Employees Only at No.47. Chicago returns to the list for the first time since 2018 with Kumiko at No.25 and Miamis Cafe La Trova has risen seven places to No.21. The Perrier-sponsored awards ceremony took place on Tuesday night in Barcelona, with the list compiled by votes from The Worlds 50 Best Bars Academy, which comprises more than 650 drinks experts, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists. Winner Paradiso - which is located in the back of an unassuming pastrami shop in Barcelonas trendy El Born district - is described by the awards as a truly masterful take on the speakeasy, combining technique, precision and creativity with an unwavering sense of fun. The list is compiled by votes from The Worlds 50 Best Bars Academy, which comprises more than 650 drinks experts, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists London's Tayer + Elementary, which has been named the second-best bar in the world for 2022 Barcelona's Sips, pictured, ranks third in the coveted top 50 ranking Pictured above is fourth-place Licoreria Limantour in Mexico City Little Red Door in Paris (above) has been named this year as the fifth-best bar on the planet New York dominates this year's list, with the city's Double Chicken Please (above) ranking sixth The judges add: In stark contrast to the understated exterior, the majestic front bar welcomes guests into a strikingly playful space, complete with dramatic glass light fittings and a Gaudi-inspired curved-wood ceiling. At the bar, myriad meticulously crafted cocktails served in outlandish vessels take centre stage. Paradiso signatures, such as the Supercool Martini, use supercooled gin to build an iceberg in the glass before tailoring the final product tableside for a uniquely personal guest experience. From creating coasters and bar tools from single-use waste to hosting the first Paradiso Sustainability Summit, owners Giacomo Giannotti and Margarita Sader and their outstanding team showcase their unwavering commitment to ongoing sustainability, both within Paradiso and the wider industry. According to the awards, London is the cocktail capital of Europe with a total of five bars on the list. Pictured above is the city's Satan's Whiskers, which comes 23rd The interior of London's Satan's Whiskers bar Mark Sansom, Content Director of The Worlds 50 Best Bars, says: The fact that this is the first time we have crowned a bar outside New York or London as The Worlds Best Bar is a testament to the huge achievements of Giacomo, Margarita and their team. Since being named One To Watch in 2017, a year after opening, Paradiso has been a firm fixture of the 50 Best list, enhancing its ranking year after year. It is an honour to name it The Worlds Best Bar and the win is credit to Paradisos outlandishly inventive cocktail programme, sustainable ethos, work in the global bar community and brilliant sense of fun. Paradiso is joined on the list by Spanish bars Sips (No.3) and Two Schmucks (No.7) in Barcelona, and Madrids Salmon Guru at No.15. The Best Bar in South America, at No.10, is Cartagenas Alquimico. Buenos Aires has three entries, with Floreria Atlantico at No.18, Tres Monos at No.27 and CoChinChina at No.42. Limas Carnaval has re-entered the list at No.44. The Best Bar in Australasia is Maybe Sammy (above) at No.29, one of two Sydney bars in this years ranking alongside Cantina OK! at No.41 Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong each have two bars in the list, with Singapores Jigger & Pony (above, No.12) named The Best Bar in Asia Dubai has three bars on the list, including Zuma (above) at No.38, named The Best Bar in the Middle East and Africa for the third year in a row Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong each have two bars on the list, with Singapores Jigger & Pony (No.12) named The Best Bar in Asia. Dubai has three bars on the list, including Zuma at No.38, named The Best Bar in the Middle East and Africa for the third year in a row. The Best Bar in Australasia is Maybe Sammy at No.29, one of two Sydney bars in this years ranking alongside Cantina OK! at No.41. Married At First Sight star Dion Giannarelli has announced plans to build a massive $480million luxury hotel on the Gold Coast. The Queensland real-estate mogul, 34, who was famously dumped by his MAFS bride Carolina Santos, has signed a deal with the Ritz-Carlton to develop a 150-room resort at Mariner's Cove at the Spit, reports the Gold Coast Bulletin. The plans for the spectacular development include a 67-berth superyacht marina, a 512sqm ballroom, and an outdoor rooftop pool. Married At First Sight star Dion Giannarelli has announced plans to build a massive $480million luxury hotel on the Gold Coast. (Pictured: an artist's impression of the resort) Other highlights for the proposed resort include a spa and fitness centre, a 275sqm suite, and an all-new shopping precinct. Plans for the ambitious resort were lodged with the Gold Coast Council in August, and Giannarelli said he expects them to be approved by early 2023. If the council gives the green-light, the resort should be finished by 2025. Giannarelli partnered with high-flying Melbourne property developer Ross Pelligra of the Pelligra Group to make the deal for the project. The Queensland real-estate mogul, 34, who was famously dumped by his MAFS bride Carolina Santos (left), has signed a deal with the Ritz-Carlton to develop a 150-room resort at Mariner's Cove at the Spit, reports the Gold Coast Bulletin Giannarelli made the deal in the United States after meeting with stakeholders Marriott International, which controls the Ritz-Carlton. 'The Gold Coast has always been Australian's prestigious playground,' he said. 'Once completed, The Ritz-Carlton Gold Coast anticipates elevating the city's tourism pedigree to an entirely new level of energy and quality.' The Ritz-Carlton luxury brand already has hotels in Perth and Melbourne. Plans for the ambitious resort were lodged with the Gold Coast Council in August, and Giannarelli said he expects them to be approved by early 2023 with a projected completion date of 2025. (Pictured: an artist's impression of the hotel facade) Giannarelli revealed in May he'd found love, several months after his ex-'wife' Carolina betrayed him on Married At First Sight. The property developer told the Gold Coast Bulletin he was in a new relationship with a woman he'd met 'right here on the Gold Coast and I'm very happy'. His mystery girlfriend has not yet been identified. Emily Mackey looked sensational as she posed for a luscious Emily Bronte themed shoot to promote her new movie in which she plays the famous author. The Sex Education actress, 26, declared herself very different from the 'strange' novelist but also admitted she could see similarities between them. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar UK she said: 'Clearly, Emily Bronte and I are very different people, but what we do have in common is being a bit singular, wanting to tell stories and to be in control of them.' Stunning: Emily Mackey, 26, looked sensational as she posed for a luscious Emily Bronte themed shoot to promote her new movie in which she plays the famous author 'Emily Bronte is such a strange, strange person. But I'm protective of her she is a gift of a woman to play.' The period drama sees Emma take on the role of the famed Wuthering Heights novelist before her premature death aged just 30. In the gorgeous shoot the stunner sat in a gorgeous meadow, donning a corseted emerald dress appropriate for the movie's time period. In character: She said: 'Clearly, Emily Bronte and I are very different people, but what we do have in common is being a bit singular, wanting to tell stories and to be in control of them' (Emma pictured in the movie) Portrait: Emily will play the famous author (pictured) who passed away aged 30 in 1848 Accentuating her natural beauty with just a hint she let her brunette tresses cascade to her shoulders. She told the publication: 'I don't want her [Emily] to be seen as the kooky rebel, who goes off on this adventure of self-discovery to smoke pot, have sex and find herself'. 'I don't think she would have thought, 'Oh, I'm being so feminist right now,' It's more complicated and also more pure than that. She exists in her own right.' Love is in the air: The period drama sees Emma take on the role of the famed Wuthering Heights novelist in the imagined story (pictured with co-star Oliver Jackson-Cohen) Sisters: She was also joined for the shoot her co-stars Amelia Gething (right) and Alexandra Dowling (left) who play Anne and Charlotte Bronte respectively Emma continued: 'The whole story is about a woman working out how not to be stuck and I think that's a pretty good place to start. Emily definitely figured out how to write'. 'She writes one novel, it's a masterpiece, and then she pops her clogs. As for figuring herself or her life out, we'll actually never know. Which is quite wonderful.' Filmed on location in Yorkshire she gushed: 'I grew up in France but was raised on period dramas, so it was always my dream to run around the moors in a crinoline'. Gorgeous: Alexandra donned a floral dress and shawl as she posed inside a large glass house Picturesque: Meanwhile Amelia looked sensational as she spun around and enjoyed the amazing views She was also joined for the shoot her co-stars Amelia Gething and Alexandra Dowling, who play Anne and Charlotte Bronte respectively. The beauties, both in period costume, laid back as they soak up the gorgeous sunshine before later posing for individual shots. The official synopsis reads: 'Emily imagines the transformative, exhilarating, and uplifting journey to womanhood of a rebel and a misfit, one of the world's most famous, enigmatic, and provocative writers who died too soon at the age of 30'. Ladies: Amelia (left) Emma (centre) and Alexandra(left) all glammed up for the movie's London premiere on Tuesday evening Directed by Frances O'Connor the movie also stars Line Of Duty's Adrian Dunbar, Gemma Jones and Oliver Jackson-Cohen. The debut director famous for being a leading lady in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park and The Importance of Being Earnest opposite Colin Firth, has said the steamy film is bound to wind up historians. Despite winning critical acclaim for her portrayal of Maeve in Sex Education Emma won't be returning for the fourth series of the Netflix show. Cast: (L to R) Gemma Jones, Amelia Gething, Fionn Whitehead, Emma Mackey, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Alexandra Dowling and Adrian Dunbar at the movie's London premiere Her character has taken up an opportunity to study abroad in the US and Emma has spoken of it being the right time to move on to other projects. 'Sex Education is so momentous as a concept, as a show, and the cast are phenomenal,' she said in an interview with Hunger. 'I genuinely care about them all a lot and I made lifelong friends. But the bittersweet nature of it is that I also can't be 17 my whole life.' Emily is released in cinemas nationwide on October 14 Charli D'Amelio parlayed her TikTok fame into modeling minimalist, high-performance sportswear for the new Prada 'Linea Rossa' campaign unveiled on Tuesday. The 18-year-old dancer flaunted her taut tummy in the Italian luxury fashion house's strapless $1,220 'Tech Rec Nylon Pique' sleeveless top and matching $1,650 leggings. The FW/22 campaign - photographed by Norbert Schoerner - also features models Emanuel Dostine, Aviana McClish, Sherry Shi, and Sebastien White. Ready for the slopes! Charli D'Amelio parlayed her TikTok fame into modeling minimalist, high-performance sportswear for the new Prada 'Linea Rossa' campaign unveiled on Tuesday Bare midriff: The 18-year-old dancer flaunted her taut tummy in the Italian luxury fashion house's strapless $1,220 'Tech Rec Nylon Pique' sleeveless top and matching $1,650 leggings Charli's modeling gig was announced the morning after she and Dancing with the Stars partner Mark Ballas performed a rumba to Billie Eilish's No Time to Die for the James Bond-themed episode. D'Amelio scored 33 out of 40 points - making her an early frontrunner alongside five-time Emmy winner Wayne Brady and The Bachelorette #19 Gabby Windey in the 31st season of the Disney+ dance competition. Cheering the Connecticut-born influencer on from the audience was her big sister Dixie, boyfriend Landon Asher as well as his famous father Travis Barker and famous stepmother Kourtney Kardashian. 'I think it's so nice to have my friends and family here to support me. It definitely means a lot,' Charli told ET on Monday. James Bond-themed episode: Charli's modeling gig was announced the morning after she and Dancing with the Stars partner Mark Ballas performed a rumba to Billie Eilish's No Time to Die Congrats! D'Amelio scored 33 out of 40 points - making her an early frontrunner alongside five-time Emmy winner Wayne Brady and The Bachelorette #19 Gabby Windey in the 31st season of the Disney+ dance competition 'I try not to look at them while I'm performing, because it makes me nervous': Cheering the Connecticut-born influencer on from the audience was (from L-R) her big sister Dixie, boyfriend Landon Asher as well as his famous father Travis Barker and famous stepmother Kourtney Kardashian 'I try not to look at them while I'm performing, because it makes me nervous. But it always feels good to see them after, and just get to talk to them, and have them see me do something I'm having a lot of fun doing. They never get to see me dance! So it's a lot of fun.' D'Amelio and her 36-year-old dance partner are currently cooking up an unlearned dance in honor of Disney Night in week four. The Social Tourist co-founder and her mother Heidi D'Amelio - who scored 32 points on Monday - made history on DWTS as the first family members to compete against each other. Head-to-head: Charli and her mother Heidi D'Amelio - who scored 32 points on Monday - made history on DWTS as the first family members to compete against each other Airing Wednesdays on Hulu! Catch more of the fame-hungry mother-daughter duo in the 10-episode second season of The D'Amelio Show Family affair! Charli, Heidi, Dixie, and patriarch Marc D'Amelio will also appear on this Wednesday's episode of The Drew Barrymore Show to promote their reality series Catch more of the fame-hungry mother-daughter duo in the 10-episode second season of The D'Amelio Show, which airs Wednesdays on Hulu. Charli, Heidi, Dixie, and patriarch Marc D'Amelio will also appear on this Wednesday's episode of The Drew Barrymore Show to promote their family reality series. But D'Amelio is best known for holding three Guinness World Records for her 147.6M TikTok following, but she was surpassed for most followers on the Chinese platform by Khaby Lame in June. One of the few journalists to interview serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer has revealed the 'Milwaukee Monster' ate his victims' bodies because he 'wanted them to be part of him'. Emmy-winning producer Nancy Glass, who interviewed Dahmer in 1993 for CBS show Inside Edition, spoke to Australian radio show Kyle and Jackie O on Wednesday about her time with the murderer, who is the subject of Netflix's smash hit Monster. Ms Glass revealed: 'He said he chose to eat them because he wanted them to be part of him. He was so desperate, so desperately lonely, so ashamed of being gay.' Nancy Glass (pictured), one of the few journalists to interview serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer behind bars, has revealed why the 'Milwaukee Monster' ate his victims' bodies - and how he seemed 'completely normal' despite his sickening crimes and troubled childhood The journalist also revealed that, surprisingly, Dahmer seemed 'completely normal' despite his sickening crimes and troubled childhood. She explained she got to know 'desperately lonely' Dahmer's family before she started corresponding with him, which led to her discovering the reasons why he killed 17 young men and boys - while eating some of their corpses - between 1978 and 1991. Ms Glass said Dahmer had 'bonding issues' stemming from the fact his mother Joyce Flint wouldn't allow anyone to touch him after he was born, 'except to change his diaper'. He became obsessed with the idea of people leaving him - and in his twisted mind, he believed that eating his victims meant they would be with him forever. Ms Glass, who interviewed Dahmer in 1993 for CNN 's Inside Edition, spoke to Australian radio show Kyle and Jackie O on Wednesday about her time with the murderer, who is the subject of Netflix 's smash hit Monster. (Dahmer is pictured in court in August 1991) Ms Glass revealed how she got to know 'desperately lonely' Dahmer's family before she started corresponding with him, which led to her discovering why he killed 17 young men and boys - while eating some of their corpses - between 1978 and 1991. (Pictured: Dahmer's mugshot) When asked by radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson if she ever felt empathy for Dahmer during their correspondence or prison interviews, Ms Glass said 'no'. She always kept a professional distance from Dahmer and withheld judgement, she explained, but this was no different to how she would interview any public figure. 'You guys interview how many people? And basically I'm the same as you. You go at it from a very professional standpoint,' Ms Glass said. 'When you're you're interviewing a politician. You're careful, right? You don't judge. But ask the question so that everybody listening can judge - and that was my job.' 'He said he chose to eat them because he wanted them to be part of him,' explained Ms Glass (left). 'He was so desperate, so desperately lonely, so ashamed of being gay' When asked by radio host Jackie 'O' Henderson if she ever felt empathy for Dahmer during the correspondence or prison interviews, Ms Glass said 'no', (Pictured: actor Evan Peters as Dahmer in the blockbuster Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story) Ms Glass also spoke of how she 'got to know his family' before she eventually met Dahmer in prison. 'I was involved with the family for several years. And the father [Lionel Dahmer] never thought anything was wrong [with Jeffrey]. He never noticed it,' she said. After being granted permission by Dahmer's family to write to him in prison, 'he wrote back to me, and then we started to talk.' Ms Glass explained that after being granted permission by Dahmer's family to write to him in prison, 'he wrote back to me, and then we started to talk'. (Pictured: Evan Peters in Monster) 'The super scary part [was] he seemed perfectly normal. That's terrifying,' she added. 'It was odd. I mean, you can hear the way he's talking to me is very thoughtful. He contemplated, but he's a psychopath. 'He says to me, "I'm sorry for what I did." But he's a psychopath. He doesn't even know what those words mean.' Ms Glass also revealed that Dahmer's mother - who died in the year 2000 - was taking a cocktail of 17 prescription medications when she was pregnant with her son, which may have contributed to his twisted mental state. She said both of Dahmer's parents, who divorced when he was 18, were 'very, very odd' when he was beaten to death in prison in November 1994 at age 34. His father Lionel was particularly upset by his son's early death because he wanted Dahmer 'to convert people to Christianity in prison, and [he] didn't get the chance'. Dahmer, who was sentenced to 16 life imprisonment terms for his crimes, would write to Ms Glass from prison about God. Ms Glass revealed that Dahmer's mother - who died in the year 2000 - was taking a cocktail of 17 prescription medications when she was pregnant with her son, which may have contributed to his twisted mental state. (Pictured left: Evan Peters in Monster; right: Dahmer's mugshot) He apparently contemplated whether he would go to heaven despite his sickening crimes, and prayed for death every day behind bars. 'I did ask him are you gonna go to heaven or hell? And he said, "Well, that's a good question,' Ms Glass told Kyle and Jackie O. 'He wanted to die. He stayed up all night and he slept all day because he couldn't do his passions. 'So he really wanted to die. And he aggravated every other inmate until somebody [fellow inmate Christopher Scarver] finally killed him.' Dahmer, who was sentenced to 16 life imprisonment terms for his crimes, would write to Ms Glass from prison about God and apparently contemplated whether he would go to heaven despite his sickening crimes. (Pictured: a scene from Monster) Ms Glass went on to explain that Dahmer's first murder 'was an accident' but he then wanted to 'make zombies' so killed others in a premeditated fashion. 'He injected drugs into people. He drilled holes in some and poured acid into everything he could, because he wanted to create a zombie,' she said of his modus operandi. Nancy's interview comes as Netflixs Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has broken streaming records. Created by Ryan Murphy, the show has become Netflixs ninth most-popular English-language TV series of all time, in the span of just two weeks. Monster has been viewed for 496.1 million hours thus far, with at least 56 million households who have watched all 10 episodes of the series according to Variety. Who is Jeffrey Dahmer? Dahmer was convicted of 16 murders in 1992, and sentenced to 16 life sentences in prison. He was bludgeoned to death with a metal bar in November of 1994 by Christopher Scarver, another inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. The gruesome story of Dahmer has past been chronicled in the 2002 movie Dahmer, in which Jeremy Renner played the titular role; as well as 2017's My Friend Dahmer, in which Ross Lynch played a teen version of the nascent serial killer. Advertisement The streamer measures the popularity of their shows by counting hours viewed in the first 28 days, meaning the show still has 16 days to gain an even higher spot on the chart. Starring Evan Peters as the serial killer known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, the show has held the number one spot on the English-language TV chart since its release, and is also the second most watched English-language series in a week ever, only beat out by season 4 of Stranger Things. It retells the story of Dahmer from the perspective of his victims, and explores major mistakes Wisconsin police made in handling the probe of the notorious mass murderer, who made national headlines for acts of cannibalism and necrophilia. The show features at least 10 incidents in which authorities nearly took Dahmer into custody, but didn't, extending the twisted crime spree. However, Ms Glass said a degree of poetic licence has been afforded its writers in order to bring his gruesome story to the screen. While Monster depicts Dahmer's father Lionel as a concerned dad who believed his son was an alcoholic loser, Glass said this simply wasn't true. 'The father never thought anything was wrong,' said Glass, adding that Lionel was an 'odd' man who perhaps wouldn't have noticed red flags in Jeffrey's behaviour. 'So I do want to say that while the Netflix show is fantastic, it's a scripted show. It's not meant to be a documentary,' she added. Glass revealed the show's storyline about Dahmer's neighbour Glenda Cleveland was also fictional. In the series, Cleveland is portrayed as Dahmer's next-door neighbour in the Oxford apartments and has several troubling encounters with him. Ms Glass went on to explain that Dahmer's first murder 'was an accident' but he then wanted to 'make zombies' so killed others in a premeditated fashion. (Pictured: a scene from Monster) Cleveland makes multiple complaints to the police about a foul smell emanating from Dahmer's apartment, but her calls go ignored because she is black. In reality, Cleveland lived in a different building and never met Dahmer. 'That didn't happen,' Glass said of Cleveland's portrayal, adding: 'There was a neighbour who noticed a smell, but didn't complain.' Cleveland did, however, make several attempts to alert local police and the FBI about Dahmer's behaviour after her niece ran into one of his victims, Konerak Sinthasomphone, trying to escape his apartment building. Ms Glass revealed the show's storyline about Dahmer's neighbour Glenda Cleveland (played by Niecy Nash in Monster) was also fictiona Glass also said the detail about Dahmer's father Lionel teaching him how to dissect animals as a child was unlikely to have happened. 'I'm not sure that's true,' said Ms Glass, who developed a friendship with Dahmer's parents in the '90s. In the series, Lionel and his son are seen driving around looking for roadkill to dissect in their garage. Lionel, who worked as a research chemist, is seen teaching his son how to slice up the dead animals as a demented form of fatherly bonding. In reality, Lionel never taught his son about dissecting, discarding and preserving animal parts, and only found out his son performed these grotesque acts on humans after he was arrested. Olympia Valance was no bridezilla when it came to her June wedding to AFL star Thomas Bellchambers. In fact, the Neighbours star let her bridesmaids choose their own dresses. Speaking on The Morning Show on Wednesday, the actress, 29, explained while all of her girls wore white she let them decide which frocks 'made them feel most comfortable'. Olympia Valance has revealed she let her bridesmaids choose whatever style of dress they liked for her June wedding to AFL star Thomas Bellchambers 'We're all in white but what shape makes you feel the best. One of my friends did pants and a top. My little sister did kind of like a ballerina dress,' she said. 'My taller sister did a sexy long dress to the ground. So everyone felt beautiful in a dress that made them feel comfortable.' Olympia said she loved the simplicity of the monochrome shades. Speaking on The Morning Show on Wednesday, the actress, 29, explained while all of her girls wore white she let them decide which frocks 'made them feel most comfortable' 'I just loved how it was all chic. The boys were in black and white. The girls were in white. The roses were red,' she added. For her wedding dress, the brunette beauty opted for a very unique long-sleeved J'Aton creation with a pearl-studded cape-like veil. The floor-length gown featured long sleeves with lace at the cuffs and a high neckline with stunning embroidery throughout. For her wedding dress, the brunette beauty opted for a very unique long-sleeved J'Aton creation with a pearl-studded cape-like veil She paired the dress with a long dramatic veil, which floated behind her as she walked and was dotted with glistening pearls. The star walked down the aisle with Thomas, 32, at a picturesque ceremony attended by 250 family and friends in Daylesford, Victoria. The couple later enjoyed their honeymoon in Greece where they were joined by sister, Holly Candy. Olympia, who rose to fame when she joined Neighbours as Paige Smith in 2014, and her footy player beau Tom got engaged in October last year Olympia, who rose to fame when she joined Neighbours as Paige Smith in 2014, and Tom got engaged in October last year. He proposed during a trip to Queensland's Orpheus Island and they celebrated with a beachside picnic. 'Today is a special day. The man of my dreams proposed to me,' Olympia wrote. Olympia and Thomas began dating in June 2019 after meeting him on the ultra-exclusive celebrity dating app, Raya. The journalist responsible for interviewing depraved serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in prison claims a new show depicting his life and crimes is not factually accurate. Dahmer, who was beaten to death by a fellow inmate at Portland's Columbia Correctional Institution in 1994, is portrayed with chilling accuracy by Evan Peters in eight-part Netflix series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. But Emmy winning producer Nancy Glass, who was given a rare opportunity to interview the killer for CNN show Inside Edition in 1993, says a degree of poetic licence has been afforded its writers in order to bring his gruesome story to the screen. Speaking to Australian radio show Kyle and Jackie O on Wednesday, she detailed each of its perceived inaccuracies - with many focusing on Dahmer's strained relationship with his father, Lionel. However she maintains the grim aspects of his killing spree, during which he murdered, dismembered and in some cases attempted to cannibalise 17 young men between 1978 and 1991, are largely accurate. Netflix's hit series Monster follows the depraved life and crimes of infamous American serial killer and cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer - but how much of it is accurate? (Pictured left: Dahmer in court in August 1991, and right: actor Evan Peters as Dahmer in the Netflix show Monster) Jeffrey's father never noticed his son was troubled Glass, who spoke to Dahmer's family 'for years' before meeting the killer behind bars, said the series' portrayal of the murderer's childhood isn't entirely accurate. While Monster depicts Dahmer's father Lionel as a concerned dad who believed his son was an alcoholic loser, Glass said this simply wasn't true. 'The father never thought anything was wrong,' said Glass, adding that Lionel was an 'odd' man who perhaps wouldn't have noticed red flags in Jeffrey's behaviour. 'So I do want to say that while the Netflix show is fantastic, it's a scripted show. It's not meant to be a documentary,' she added. Emmy-winning producer Nancy Glass (pictured), who interviewed the 'Milwaukee Monster' in 1993 for CNN's Inside Edition, spoke to radio show Kyle and Jackie O on Wednesday about her time with the murderer, and how his fictionalised portrayal stands up against the facts Dahmer (pictured) was convicted of 16 murders in 1992, and sentenced to 16 life sentences in prison. He was bludgeoned to death with a metal bar in November 1994 by Christopher Scarver, another inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin While the details of Dahmer's sickening crimes between 1978 and 1991 and subsequent arrest are portrayed accurately, Ms Glass (pictured in 2014) says aspects of his formative years were completely fabricated Glenda Cleveland wasn't Jeffrey's neighbour Glass revealed the show's storyline about Dahmer's neighbour Glenda Cleveland was also fictional. In the series, Cleveland is portrayed as Dahmer's next-door neighbour in the Oxford apartments and has several troubling encounters with him. Cleveland makes multiple complaints to the police about a foul smell emanating from Dahmer's apartment, but her calls go ignored because she is black. In reality, Cleveland lived in a different building and never met Dahmer. 'That didn't happen,' Glass said of Cleveland's portrayal, adding: 'There was a neighbour who noticed a smell, but didn't complain.' Cleveland did, however, make several attempts to alert local police and the FBI about Dahmer's behaviour after her niece ran into one of his victims, Konerak Sinthasomphone, trying to escape his apartment building. Ms Glass revealed the show's storyline about Dahmer's neighbour Glenda Cleveland (played by Niecy Nash in Monster) was also fictiona 'That didn't happen,' Ms Glass said of Cleveland's portrayal, adding: 'There was a neighbour who noticed a smell, but didn't complain.' (Pictured: Evan Peters in Monster) Jeffrey's father never taught him to dissect animals Glass also said the detail about Dahmer's father Lionel teaching him how to dissect animals as a child was unlikely to have happened. 'I'm not sure that's true,' said Ms Glass, who developed a friendship with Dahmer's parents in the '90s. In the series, Lionel and his son are seen driving around looking for roadkill to dissect in their garage. Lionel, who worked as a research chemist, is seen teaching his son how to slice up the dead animals as a demented form of fatherly bonding. In reality, Lionel never taught his son about dissecting, discarding and preserving animal parts, and only found out his son performed these grotesque acts on humans after he was arrested. Ms Glass also said the detail about Dahmer's father Lionel teaching him how to dissect animals as a child was unlikely to have happened. (Pictured: actor Dallas Roberts as Lionel Dahmer and Molly Ringwald as Shari Dahmer, the killer's stepmother, in the Netflix show Monster) Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has become Netflixs ninth most-popular English-language TV series of all time in the span of just two weeks. (Pictured: Evan Peters as Dahmer) Dahmer, who was sentenced to 16 life imprisonment terms for his crimes, would write to Ms Glass from prison about God and apparently contemplated whether he would go to heaven despite his sickening crimes. (Pictured: a scene from Monster) Who is Jeffrey Dahmer? Dahmer was convicted of 17 murders in 1992, and sentenced to 17 life sentences in prison. He was bludgeoned to death with a metal bar in November of 1994 by Christopher Scarver, another inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. The gruesome story of Dahmer has past been chronicled in the 2002 movie Dahmer, in which Jeremy Renner played the titular role; as well as 2017's My Friend Dahmer, in which Ross Lynch played a teen version of the nascent serial killer. Advertisement Glass' interview comes as Netflixs Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has broken streaming records. Created by Ryan Murphy, the show has become Netflixs ninth most-popular English-language TV series of all time, in the span of just two weeks. Monster has been viewed for 496.1 million hours thus far, with at least 56 million households who have watched all 10 episodes of the series, reports Variety. The streamer measures the popularity of their shows by counting hours viewed in the first 28 days, meaning the show still has 16 days to gain an even higher spot on the chart. Starring Evan Peters as the serial killer known as the Milwaukee Cannibal, the show has held the number one spot on the English-language TV chart since its release, and is also the second most watched English-language series in a week ever, only beat out by season 4 of Stranger Things. It retells the story of Dahmer from the perspective of his victims, and explores major mistakes Wisconsin police made in handling the probe of the notorious mass murderer, who made national headlines for acts of cannibalism and necrophilia. The show features at least 10 incidents in which authorities nearly took Dahmer into custody, but didn't, extending the twisted crime spree. Kate Garraway was left stunned after discovering she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond. The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, discovered her surprising family connection when she appeared on ITV series DNA Journey. On the show, Kate was introduced to Karen Jankel, the daughter of the late author, as it was revealed the pair share the same three times great-grandparent. Surprising news: Kate Garraway was left stunned after discovering she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond They shared an emotional embrace after aptly meeting near the London train station that bears Paddington's name. The children's book character famously arrived in London from the deepest, darkest jungles of Peru and first appeared in print in 1958 in the book A Bear Called Paddington. Karen told Kate she wanted to introduce her to her 'famous brother', before revealing a stuffed toy of Paddington Bear - complete with a travel tag reading 'Darkest Peru'. 'Paddington and I grew up together,' she told her. Wow! The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, discovered her surprising family connection when she appeared on ITV series DNA Journey Family: On ITV's DNA Journey, Kate was introduced to Karen Jankel, the daughter of the late author (both pictured), as it was revealed they share the same three times great-grandparent 'The reason is that my father was Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington, which means that of course you are also related to Michael Bond.' She said of the marmalade-loving bear: 'He was always part of my family. He is so real to our family, and now to your family too, because he is a member of the family. 'He used to sit on the table at meal times and my father used to talk to him and talk through him to us. Of course, I never knew anything else because he was always around.' Karen also showed Kate her first edition copy of A Bear Called Paddington, signed by her father in September 1959. Sweet: Karen told Kate she wanted to introduce her to her 'famous brother', before revealing a stuffed toy of Paddington Bear - complete with a travel tag reading 'Darkest Peru' 'It was always my absolute favourite growing up,' Kate admitted. 'It has been said to me over the years that I do have a touch of Paddington Bear about me and that is because without meaning to, he does cause an extraordinary amount of chaos.' The TV star also joked she used to regularly eat marmalade sandwiches during her time at university. British author Michael Bond published more than 20 books featuring Paddington Bear before his death in June 2017 aged 91. Appearance: The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, discovered her surprising family connection when she appeared on ITV series DNA Journey alongside Alison Hammond His creation - known for his battered hat, suitcase and duffle coat - remains a classic of children's writing and featured in a sketch with the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year. The Queen had delighted millions of viewers after appearing in the comic sketch with the bear to kick-start the Party in The Palace Jubilee Concert on June 4. The pair had tapped out the beat of Queen's We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way. The sketch, which the Queen spent half a day filming, was hailed by Britons as better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond. Interesting: The episode of DNA Journey also saw Kate visit Britsol with Alison to hear about her distant relative Frederick Lambert, her first cousin three generations removed After Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, people also left Paddington Bear toys outside Buckingham Palace in memory of Her Majesty. Emotional social media users also shared poignant tributes showing the Queen walking into the sunset with Paddington after the sad news of her death. The Paddington books have sold more than 30million copies worldwide and been translated into approximately 30 languages. The episode of DNA Journey also saw Kate visit Bristol with Alison Hammond to hear about her distant relative Frederick Lambert, her first cousin three generations removed. Frederick lived and worked as a photographer in the city during the 1840s while still a teenager. In a preview clip, shared to Instagram by Alison, Kate and the This Morning host joked that they could find out they were cousins on the show. 'Would it change how you was with me?' Alison asked Kate. 'Do you think you'd come around to my house more often?' To which Kate humorously replied: 'Well look... do you think you'd invite me?' DNA Journey airs on Thursday on ITV at 9pm. The Great British Bake Off saw a devastated Rebs and James sent home in a rare double elimination as Maxy was crowned star baker for the second time in Tuesday's episode. Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith decided to send home two bakers on Mexican Week after there were no eliminations in last week's episode. But Rebs became emotional and broke down in floods of tears after it was revealed she was leaving the tent, with her fellow bakers flocking around to comfort her. Farewell: The Great British Bake Off saw a devastated Rebs and James sent home in a rare double elimination in Tuesday's episode The Northern Irish student, 23, was consoled by Sandro, Maxy and James - who was also eliminated - as she was seen sobbing following the news. 'I'm honestly devastated,' she said. 'This means the world to me. Bake Off has been a fabulous experience, it's just I didn't want it to be cut this short.' Paul told Rebs: 'Sorry Rebs, it's hard in this tent.' Prue was then seen giving a tearful Rebs a huge hug, saying: 'It's only cake.' Upset: Rebs became emotional and broke down in floods of tears after it was revealed she was leaving the tent, with her fellow bakers flocking around to comfort her Going home: James was also sent home in the rare double elimination, after he struggled with the challenges of Mexican week James was also sent home in the rare double elimination, after he struggled with the challenges of Mexican week. 'I'm always sad to see any bakers go but particularly James,' Prue admitted. 'James had a rotten week, and his showstopper was a real disappointment.' Speaking about leaving the tent, James said: 'If I was to use a fun metaphor, I think I was a plant that roots were outgrowing its pot.' The double elimination came after all contestants remained safe last week because two bakers missed bread week due to illness. Double exit: Judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith decided to send home two bakers on Mexican Week after there were no eliminations in last week's episode 'Honestly devastated': Speaking about leaving the tent, Rebs said: 'This means the world to me. Bake Off has been a fabulous experience, it's just I didn't want it to be cut this short' Rebs, 23, and Abdul Rehman Sharif, 29, were absent from the infamous tent - but judge Prue had warned that this meant a double elimination was ahead. As two more contestants left the tent, Maxy, 29, was crowned as star baker for a second time, after first getting the accolade during biscuit week. Speaking about her success, Paul said: 'I think Maxy winning star baker for the second time was well deserved, she was the most consistent over the three challenges.' While a thrilled Maxy gushed: 'I'm dancing right now! This has really given me confidence, I never thought I'd come to the tent and get two star bakers, it's crazy!' Amazing: As two more bakers left the tent, Maxy, 29, was crowned as star baker for a second time, after first getting the accolade during biscuit week Elsewhere in the episode, Syabira broke down in tears during the showstopper challenge, which saw them make a tres leches cake. However, Syabira, 32, came into difficulty when her cake didn't soak properly and the baker became concerned that it would be too dry. The cardiovascular research associate had already raised eyebrows with Paul and Prue for her unique sweetcorn flavoured tres leches cake. As the clock was ticking, Syabira started to cry as her bake didn't go to plan, with Abdul rushing over to comfort her. Abdul assured her that her bake was going to 'taste amazing' as the normally smiling baker fought back the tears and tried to regain her composure. Despite her fears, her sweetcorn and cinnamon cake proved enough to take her through to the next round. The bakers were also set the task of making a pan dulce for the signature before producing tacos in the technical challenge during Mexican week. She is known for her impeccable taste in fashion. And Julie Bishop did not disappoint when she stepped onto the red carpet at The Australian Women's Weekly Women of the Future Awards luncheon in Sydney on Wednesday. The former foreign minister, 66, looked incredibly stylish in a pair of black trousers and a white blazer with a $715 silk Hermes scarf draped across her jacket. Julie Bishop attended The Australian Women's Weekly Women of the Future Awards Luncheon in Sydney on Wednesday The former foreign minister, 66, looked incredibly stylish in a pair of black trousers and a white blazer, with a $715 silk Hermes scarf draped across her jacket She added a pop of colour with red pointed stilettos and opted for a glamorous makeup look - heavy black eyeliner and lashings of red lipstick. She toted a red designer handbag and her ears were adorned with dazzling Louis Vuitton diamond and gold earrings, worth a cool $38,000. Also at the event was Phoebe Burgess, who turned heads in silky co-ords with a quirky Borden's Malted Milk print. The former WAG, 33, wore printed pyjama-style trousers with a longline shirt jacket, cinched in with a black belt. She toted a red designer handbag and her ears were adorned with dazzling Louis Vuitton diamond and gold earrings, worth a cool $38,000 The former politician cemented her status in the sartorial sakes at the event on Wednesday Also at the event was Phoebe Burgess, who turned heads in silky co-ords with a quirky Borden's Malted Milk print The former WAG, 33, wore printed pyjama-style trousers with a longline shirt jacket, cinched in with a black belt The mother-of-two added Balenciaga sandals to the look - priced at a costly $1065 The mother-of-two added Balenciaga sandals to the look - priced at a costly $1065. She styled her blonde hair down and loose and paired a neutral makeup look with a statement muted red lip. Meanwhile, despite an early wakeup call Sunrise host Natalie Barr was glowing as she attended the event. Meanwhile, despite an early wakeup call Sunrise host Natalie Barr was glowing as she attended the event The 54-year-old showed off her slim figure in a pink kimono-style suit The pink theme continued on in Natalie's makeup, with the breakfast show host glowing with pastel pink rouge applied to her cheeks and a pink gloss painted on her pout The 54-year-old showed off her slim figure in a pink kimono-style suit. She accessorised with candy pink enamel and gold earrings and a pair of white designer stilettos. The pink theme continued on in Natalie's makeup, with the breakfast show host glowing with pastel pink rouge applied to her cheeks and a pink gloss painted on her pout. Elsewhere, former Sunrise host Melissa Doyle opted for an elegant burgundy frock with a mid-length sleeve teamed with a matching clutch and studded black stilettos She arrived with her lookalike teenage daughter Talia Dunlop, 19, who was pretty in a pink dress and white heels Elsewhere, former Sunrise host Melissa Doyle opted for an elegant burgundy frock with a mid-length sleeve teamed with a matching clutch and studded black stilettos. The journalist added a matching clutch bag and a natural makeup look with towering heels. She arrived with her lookalike teenage daughter Talia Dunlop, 19, who was pretty in a pink dress and white heels. Studio 10 host Sarah Harris completed the line-up of TV stars in attendance, looking gorgeous in a powder blue suit. The broadcaster opted for a waistcoat with wide leg trousers which she matched with a pair of white heels. The journalist added a matching clutch bag and a natural make-up look with towering heels Natalie's co-host David Koch also attended the event after sparking rumours he may soon retire after he celebrated 20 years at the helm of Channel Seven's breakfast show. The 66-year-old became visibly emotional on Tuesday as he watched a montage of highlights from his tenure on the program, as well as several video messages from celebrity guests like Delta Goodrem and Human Nature. He later spoke of his 'incredible' time on Sunrise while his co-hosts Natalie Barr, Mark Beretta and Edwina Bartholomew offered their congratulations. Studio 10 host Sarah Harris completed the line-up of TV stars in attendance, looking gorgeous in a powder blue suit The broadcaster opted for a waistcoat with wide leg trousers 'It has been one of the great joys of my life. It has been incredible,' he began, fighting back tears. 'You can't get up winter, summer, the whole lot without doing it with people that you love dearly. 'Beretts, Nat, Eddy and [producer] Dave Walters, who has been in our ear for 20 years as part of the team, I'm so very grateful.' 'Thank you for having me for 20 years,' Kochie concluded. Presenter Narelda Jacobs (left) looked pretty in a pink suit while Disability Affairs Reporter Nas Campanella (right) continued the pink theme Weekend host Belinda Russell opted for a burned orange look at the event In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the finance journalist thanked the Sunrise team. 'Thanks for having me @sunriseon7 for the last 20 years,' he wrote, before listing his '20 most memorable moments (in no particular order)'. 'Anzac Day service on the Kokoda Track, climbing Kilimanjaro (twice) and getting lost on the ascent,' he gave as a few examples. Sally Obermeder and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young both wore bright green in a fun spring time look Founder of Girl Geek Academy Sarah Moran opted for a sea blue dress and funky glasses for the day Other highlights included when he co-hosted Sunrise with pop star Katy Perry and performed with rock band INXS. While he did not indicate plans to retire, some viewers thought it was a farewell post. 'Is he leaving?' one concerned follower commented. 'Good luck, Kochie enjoy your next adventures,' added another, while a third wrote: 'Time for a sea change.' Natassia Nicolao, Founder and Director of Australias first waterless beauty brand, Conserving Beauty, took out the top honour at the 9th Annual Australian Womens Weekly Women of the Future Awards. The other 2022 finalists were Sophie Li from SignHow, Gemma Lloyd founder of WORK180, Stephanie Trethewey from Motherland, Brigette McDowell of Cheeditha Energy and Nikita Fernandes of Ally Assist. Author Aminata Conteh-Biger looked stunning in her ensemble, which she accessorised with a statement blue ring An Australian OnlyFans model has revealed she won't be filming any adult content while on holiday in Dubai because of obscenity laws in the United Arab Emirates. Mikaela Testa, 22, confirmed on Wednesday she would only be posting throwback content from her previous trip to Ibiza while staying in the Muslim country. 'Isn't it illegal to film OnlyFans content in the country you're in?' one fan asked her during an Instagram Q&A. Australian OnlyFans model Mikaela Testa (pictured) has revealed she won't be filming any adult content while on holiday in Dubai because of obscenity laws in the United Arab Emirates 'Yes, it is,' Testa responded. 'Which is why I am posting all of the Ibiza stuff.' The Gold Coast influencer answered further questions about how she behaves while visiting Islamic countries. After being asked if she felt safe as a woman travelling solo, Testa replied: 'There's nothing to be scared of. They're beautiful countries excluding everything going on in Iran and Syria right now.' Ms Testa confirmed during an Instagram Q&A on Wednesday she would only be posting throwback content from her previous trip to Ibiza while staying in the Muslim country Testa has been travelling around the world since her split from fellow influencer Atis Paul in June. Before jetting to the UAE, she was most recently in America and The Bahamas. In May, Testa came clean about her various cosmetic surgeries. The Gold Coast influencer answered further questions about how she behaves while visiting Islamic countries, saying 'there's nothing to be scared of' as a woman travelling solo She posted a link to a video of Gold Coast surgeon Dr Mitchell Kim explaining the procedures he had performed on her. 'Mikaela showing off her body contouring perfection,' Dr Kim explained. 'Vaser lipo to her midsection and arms, and a fat transfer to her hip dips to create this jaw-dropping silhouette,' he said. Testa has been travelling around the world since her split from fellow influencer Atis Paul (left) in June Vaser liposuction uses ultrasound technology to break apart fat cells and loosens them from deeper tissues. It is considered more targeted than traditional forms of liposuction. Testa reportedly earns more than $162,000 per month selling X-rated images and videos on OnlyFans. Pierce Brosnan has asked a Los Angeles court to issue a restraining order against a woman he says is stalking him and his family at their Southern California residence. Brosnan, 69, said in legal docs reviewed by The Blast that the woman, 55, has been staying outside of his Malibu, California home in a vehicle. 'She has been stalking me and my family,' said the James Bond actor, who told the court that on two occasions, he had to contact authorities with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to remove the woman from his property. The latest: Pierce Brosnan, 69, has asked a Los Angeles court to issue a restraining order against a woman he says is stalking him and his family at their Southern California residence. The actor was snapped in London in 2019 Brosnan said that officials were not able to take the woman into custody for being outside his property, and advised for him to seek a civil restraining order, which would make her actions chargeable if approved. The GoldenEye star also named his wife Keely Shaye Smith, 59, and their sons Dylan, 25, and Paris, 21, in his bid for an emergency temporary restraining order against the woman. The Remington Steele alumnus told the court about the bizarre behavior from the woman in question. 'She originally said she was looking for Dick Van Dyke (she has a tattoo of him on her arm) but when she found me and my family, she stayed in front of our house,' Brosnan said. 'She gave me two odd notes, said she needed $1,500 for new tires, and gave me a drawing she did of me.' Family: The GoldenEye star also named his wife Keely Shaye Smith, 59, and their sons Dylan, 25, and Paris, 21, in his bid for an emergency temporary restraining order against the woman. They were seen at a 2020 event in Beverly Hills Protection: The actor has named his sons Dylan and Paris in the restraining order request; pictured in 2019 in West Hollywood The court granted Brosnan an emergency restraining order and informed the accused stalker she is not to contact the actor or his family 'directly or indirectly' or 'harass' them. She must stay at least 400 yards away from Brosnan's home as well as any school or workplaces his kids might be at. A hearing on the matter is slated for October 25, where it will be determined if the woman is given an extended order that could last up to five years. Brosnan, who exchanged vows with Smith in his native Ireland in August of 2001, took to Instagram to his his wife a happy birthday late last month. The Mrs. Doubtfire actor wrote, 'Happy Birthday my darling Keely Shaye Brosnan. I love you dearly. So many years of love, life, work, and play. Onwards we go.' Studio 10's Sarah Harris says looking at daily TV ratings drives her 'insane' - as her own network struggles to reel in an audience. The 41-year-old has hosted the Channel Ten morning talk show since 2013, but the future of the program remains uncertain as the network continues to suffers abysmal ratings. The station's 10 News First: Breakfast program, which launched in late June, recently set a new record for the worst rating program in Australian TV history - failing to secure a single viewer from Perth during one viewing in August. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at The Australian Women's Weekly Women of the Future Luncheon in on Wednesday, Harris said she prefers to focus on 'making TV' rather than poring over minute-by-minute ratings reports. Studio 10's Sarah Harris has revealed looking at television ratings can drive a person 'insane', while her network Channel 10 struggles to reel in an audience She said she was 'always aware' about TV ratings because 'working in television you have to be. 'But I can only do the best I can do,' she added. 'If you're getting to the point where you're looking at the daily ratings, the minute by minute, it can send you insane. 'That's not my job, my job is to make TV and that's what I do, and that's how you get through it.' Channel Ten replaced the first 30 minutes of Studio 10 with the breakfast news program when it launched on June 27. During its first five days on air, the 8am news broadcast drew an average of 17,000 viewers across the five major cities, but this dropped to just 15,000 a day in week two. 10 News First: Breakfast managed to deliver the lowest ever ratings in Australian TV history on its second day, after just 44 viewers tuned in from Sydney. The 41-year-old has hosted the Channel Ten morning talk show since 2013, but the future of the program remains uncertain as the network continues to suffers abysmal ratings But Ten remained optimistic, telling The Australian: '10 News First: Breakfast edition is maintaining its audience and increasing engagement as viewers become more familiar with the timeslot.' The network earlier denied rumours Studio 10 was on the chopping block, with the morning show struggling in the ratings for years. A spokesperson rubbished the speculation, telling Daily Mail Australia the program remains profitable and isn't going anywhere. Meanwhile, Harris said she had no intention of getting remarried after the breakdown of her relationship with her husband of seven years Tom Ward. 'God no!' when asked if she was dating anyone since the split. 'My focus is my boys (aged four and six) and my job, they keep me plenty busy, so no I've got my hands full.' Channel 10 earlier denied rumours Studio 10 was on the chopping block, with the morning show struggling in the ratings for years. Pictured with co-host Narelda Jacobs Harris, who underwent a body transformation in late 2020, losing six kilograms, also had her own tips for those wanting to change their lifestyle. 'Try to move in any way you can everyday,' she said. 'There's no quick fix, just move and try to do some weight resistance exercises.' Harris said she had no intention of getting remarried after the breakdown of her relationship with her husband of seven years Tom Ward (pictured) She said her own anxiety prompted her to start running. 'I'm an anxious person, the way I deal with stress is to run, so that's an added benefit,' she said. The mother-of-two said while exercise for her may have once been about fitting into a pair of jeans, it was now to keep her functional and to help strengthen her back. Cate Blanchett turned heads as she stepped out in New York City on Tuesday to promote her latest movie. The two-time Oscar winner, 53, was headed to the set of the Late Show With Stephen Colbert to chat about her new film Tar. The Aussie actress wore a unique get-up for her TV appearance, comprising of a form-fitting black dress with sequin detail and black ankle boots that had heels adorned with diamantes. Cate Blanchett turned heads as she stepped out in New York City on Tuesday to promote her latest movie Her blonde hair was freshly blown out and parted down the middle and she wore minimal makeup. The Lord of the Rings star waved to excited fans as she energetically headed to set. The two-time Oscar winner, 53, was headed to the set of the Late Show With Stephen Colbert to chat about her new film Tar The Melbourne-born star recently said the themes of her new drama Tar galvanised its cast and crew, making the film shoot 'the most stimulating' she had ever been on. She plays Lydia Tar, a world-renowned gay conductor of a Berlin orchestra whose high-flying career comes tumbling down with an abuse scandal. Cate credited the film's writer and director Todd Field for drawing the best out of his cast with often unscripted, spur-of-the-moment ideas. The Aussie actress wore a unique get-up for her TV appearance, comprising of a form-fitting black dress with sequin detail and black ankle boots that had heels adorned with diamantes 'I felt like we were standing on the edge of a cliff every day saying, "This may not work, let's give this a try", which was really exciting to make,' she told Reuters. Variety predicted Cate's performance 'will likely be one of the most toasted performances of Oscar season,' and 'all but guarantee Blanchett will land her eighth Oscar nomination for acting.' The Don't Look Up star and her husband, Andrew Upton, live in England and have four children together; Dashiell, 20, Roman, 18, Ignatius, 14 and Edith, seven. Cate recently said the themes of her new drama TAR galvanised its cast and crew, making the film shoot 'the most stimulating' she had ever been on. Blanchett plays Lydia Tar, a world-renowned gay conductor of a Berlin orchestra whose high-flying career comes tumbling down with an abuse scandal She started her career playing Kirsten Mulroney on Out of the Blue before scoring a starring role on Home and Away. But Samara Weaving was a long way from her Summer Bay days as she attended the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The 30-year-old stole the spotlight as she arrived dressed head-to-toe in a stunning outfit by designer Nicolas Ghesquiere. A long way from Summer Bay! Former Home and Away star Samara Weaving smouldered in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton and sexy knee-high boots as she attended the French Fashion house's show at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday The Babysitter star flaunted her tiny midsection in a black mini skirt and a molten gold cropped top. She drew attention to her slender stomach by cinching her waist with a long leather eyelet belt and acessorised with a $8250 Petite Malle Louis Vuitton box clutch. Samara, who is set to star in the sixth Scream film, accentuated her long slender legs with a pair of black leather knee-high boots and followed in the footsteps of Kim Kardashian and styled her hair in a Bridgette Bardot-inspired French twist. The Babysitter star flaunted her tiny midsection in a black mini skirt and a molten gold cropped top She smouldered with a classic wing-tipped lined eye and a nude lip for makeup. Samara starred on Home and Away for four years as Indi Walker from 2009-2013. These days she enjoys a successful Hollywood career, appearing in films such as Mayhem, The Babysitter and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. She recently starred in Nine Perfect Strangers alongside Nicole Kidman, and has scored the role of American socialite Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte in Adam Leon's biopic Liz. She drew attention to her slender stomach by cinching her waist with a long leather eyelet belt and acessorised with a $8250 Petite Malle Louis Vuitton box clutch She will also play former Playboy Bunny Holly Madison in a limited television series based on Madison's memoir Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny. Back in May, Samara confirmed she secretly married movie producer Jimmy Warden. She referred to Jimmy as her 'husband' during an interview with the Herald Sun. Samara, who is set to star in the sixth Scream film, accentuated her long slender legs with a pair of black leather knee-high boots and wore a coat lined with Louis Vuitton's signature monogram print The notoriously private star said their nuptials 'flew under the radar'. Samara also revealed she was about to start work on a new film with Jimmy, whom she met on the set of Netflix comedy-horror The Babysitter in 2015. 'I am actually about to go and work with my husband,' she told the newspaper. 'He has written and is directing a film so I am going to go and do that, which will be really fun.' Samara starred on Home and Away for four years as Indi Walker from 2009-2013 Rumours of a secret marriage had been doing the rounds for about a year. The speculation went into overdrive last year when Jimmy shared a cryptic post on Instagram that included a photo of the couple wearing fake moustaches and a reference to being 'married' in the caption. 'It's been two years since I married my favorite actor in the world, Steve Zahn. Happy anniversary, Steve. I love you,' the screenwriter wrote. Jimmy did not add any further details, but many fans assumed 'Steve Zahn' was an in-joke referring to Samara. Back in May, Samara confirmed she secretly married movie producer Jimmy Warden Jimmy confirmed they were an item in 2016 when he began sharing photos of the pair together on Instagram. Samara didn't post any photos with him until 2017. The duo announced their engagement in March 2019 when Samara shared a photo of herself with a diamond ring on her left hand. Samara is the niece of Lord of the Rings star Hugo Weaving. Samantha Armytage strutted her stuff in a pair of flashy snakeskin boots as she braved the rain in Sydney on Wednesday. The Farmer Wants A Wife star, who lives in the Southern Highlands with her husband Richard Lavender, looked every inch the fashionista as she attended at Justin Hemmes' restaurant Mimi's in Coogee. Despite the downpour, the former Sunrise host looked to be in good spirits and smiled while trying to keep dry under an umbrella. Samantha Armytage strutted her stuff in a pair of flashy snakeskin boots as she braved the rain in Sydney on Wednesday Sam paired her footwear with a longline black skirt, a matching black top and a black jacket draped over her shoulders. She finished her look with a designer bag and a trendy bucket hat. Sam has every reason to smile after a successful first season stint as a guest host on Farmer Wants A Wife. The Farmer Wants A Wife star, who lives in the Southern Highlands, looked every inch the fashionista as she attended an event in the big smoke Despite the downpour, the former Sunrise host looked to be in good spirits and smiled while trying to keep dry under an umbrella She confirmed this week she would be on the next season as she encouraged new application for the show on Instagram. 'WANT TO FIND LOVE WITH A FARMER?! (I did) WANT TO BE ON FARMER NEXT SEASON?!? (I will be..),' she wrote. She went on to say she loved every minute of starring on the last season. Sam paired her footwear with a longline black skirt, a matching black top and a black jacket draped over her shoulders 'So incredibly brave and gorgeous and genuine and so happy many of you found your happily-ever-after,' she added. Notoriously-private Sam recently revealed she is 'always busy' on the farm at her and husband Richard's Southern Highlands property. 'We have horses and there's always something going on,' the 46-year-old told TV Week last month. She finished her look with a designer bag and a trendy bucket hat 'I'm happy to use the chainsaw and I drive the bobcat and the tractor. But not the bulldozer it's too big and scary.' Sam said that she and Richard, 60, fell in love at first sight - but he had never seen her on Sunrise, which she hosted at the time. 'I instantly knew Rich was grounded and an earthy type. I liked that he had no idea who I was, and I liked his blue eyes,' she said. Sam has every reason to smile after a successful first season stint as a guest host on Farmer Wants A Wife She added that her role as a matchmaker on Farmer Wants a Wife is perfect as it mirrors her own experience. 'The show is basically my life, moving to the country for love,' she said. 'I was thrilled to be asked'. The television host went on to reveal some surprising goals - including writing a sitcom and training a champion racing horse. She confirmed this week she would be on the next season as she encouraged new application for the show on Instagram 'All in all, I want a productive, peaceful life which I've cultivated. Lucky me,' she told the magazine. After signing off on Sunrise in March last year, Sam was replaced by newsreader Natalie Barr, and has been enjoying a quieter life in the countryside. In July 2020, Samantha sold her North Bondi home in Sydney for $2.8million, which suggested she was planning to move to the country full time. Richard owns a 40-hectare property in Bowral, while Samantha sold her Southern Highlands cottage for $3.1million in September 2020. After signing off on Sunrise in March last year, Sam was replaced by newsreader Natalie Barr, and has been enjoying a quieter life in the countryside In July 2020, she sold her North Bondi home in Sydney for $2.8million, which suggested she was planning to move to the country full time Two Australian TV presenters have parodied Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new 'power portraits' which were released to the media this week. The images, taken before the Queen's death last month, show the Duke and Duchess of Sussex backstage at the One Young World summit in England. Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur, co-hosts of Channel Seven's The Morning Show, mimicked the couple's unique pose, which saw Meghan standing in front of her husband as she held his index finger. They decided to take the photo because Gillies had shown up to work wearing a red blouse with a long scarf similar to the one Meghan had worn in her portrait. Gilles, 55, branded the royal pair 'the Duke and Duchess of BS' in her brutal caption. 'The Duke and Duchess of BS. That's my caption,' she wrote. 'Larrys caption is: "At least two men in this photo have played naked billiards in Vegas. And at least two women in this photo would do anything to get the keys to a Castle." I think @larryemdurs caption wins.' The original picture shows Meghan in a red blouse and matching trousers with a chunky gold ring and earrings. The former Suits actress stands front on, looking into the camera and holding one of Harry's fingers. The duke stands behind her at an angle, smiling in a smart black suit and tie. Australian TV presenters Kylie Gillies (left) and Larry Emdur (right) have parodied Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's new 'power portraits' which were released to the media this week Gilles, 55, branded the royal pair 'the Duke and Duchess of BS' in her brutal caption The stance is reminiscent of the couple's 2021 Time magazine photo shoot, in which Meghan stood in the centre and Harry stood at an angle behind her with a hand resting on her shoulder. The pictures of the Sussexes were taken by celebrity photographer Misan Harriman, director of the Southbank Centre and a friend of the couple who has taken photos of celebrities including Rihanna, Stormzy, Tom Cruise and Giorgio Armani. He shared them days after the release of an official portrait of the so-called 'New Fab Four': King Charles, the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales. The phrase 'Fab Four' was once used to refer to William, Harry, Kate and Meghan. The pictures of the Sussexes were shared days after the release of an official portrait of the so-called 'New Fab Four': King Charles, the Queen Consort and the Prince and Princess of Wales (pictured). The phrase 'Fab Four' was once used to refer to William, Harry, Kate and Meghan Following the Sussexes' departure from Britain and the Queen's death last month, the picture stressed that Charles, William and their wives will be the new core of the Royal Family moving forward. The pictures of Harry and Meghan overshadowed images of the King and the Queen Consort's successful first public visit since the end of the royal mourning period. There is no suggestion the Sussexes deliberately timed the release of their images in an attempt to eclipse the King's visit. But is illustrative of the fact that since they moved to the U.S., they have not coordinated their activities with those of other members of the Royal Family, resulting in several clashes. The Walking Dead action star Norman Reedus took part in a filmed prank with Jackass co-creator Johnny Knoxville in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Florida-born 53-year-old warmly embraced the Tennessee-born 51-year-old on the set of the skit, which was likely a hidden-camera situation. It was a reunion of sorts for Johnny and Norman as they co-starred in Scott Kalvert's dismally-reviewed gangster drama Deuces Wild way back in 2002. Mystery project: The Walking Dead action star Norman Reedus (R) took part in a filmed prank with Jackass co-creator Johnny Knoxville (M) in Los Angeles on Tuesday Reedus was filming himself on an iPhone while chatting up a bearded gentleman when a row of motorcycles fell like dominos. The Ride with Norman Reedus producer-host - who was just cast in Jeff Nichols' motorcycle drama The Bikeriders - appeared to be distressed at the 'accident.' A large musclebound bald man appeared to be threatening Norman and his pal as they both attempted to yank the fallen motorcycles upright. Two other men arrived at the scene as Reedus exchanged words with the intimidating, bicep-bulging biker. Bear hug: The Florida-born 53-year-old (R) warmly embraced the Tennessee-born 51-year-old (L) on the set of the skit, which was likely a hidden-camera situation 20 years ago! It was a reunion of sorts for Johnny and Norman as they co-starred in Scott Kalvert's dismally-reviewed gangster drama Deuces Wild way back in 2002 Selfie gone wrong? Reedus was filming himself on an iPhone while chatting up a bearded gentleman when a row of motorcycles fell like dominos Oops! The Ride with Norman Reedus producer-host - who was just cast in Jeff Nichols' motorcycle drama The Bikeriders - appeared to be distressed at the 'accident' Tough guy: A large musclebound bald man appeared to be threatening Norman and his pal as they both attempted to yank the fallen motorcycles upright The Ravaged author then looked relieved and his friend laughed when the prank was seemingly uncovered. Knoxville (born Philip John Clapp) giggled with delight as he stood next to a bushy-bearded biker following the prank. The Reboot actor was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the 1976 TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman beneath a red plaid shirt, black slacks, and red Converse high-tops. Norman - sporting a Powerplant Motorcycles 'P16' trucker cap - was wearing the same black top and grey jeans while hauling a suit bag into the Hollywood studio of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Misunderstanding: Two other men arrived at the scene as Reedus exchanged words with the intimidating, bicep-bulging biker Just kidding! The Ravaged author then looked relieved and his friend laughed when the prank was seemingly uncovered Thrill-seeker: Knoxville (born Philip John Clapp) giggled with delight as he stood next to a bushy-bearded biker following the prank Retired daredevil: The Reboot actor was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the 1976 TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman beneath a red plaid shirt, black slacks, and red Converse high-tops It was Reedus' sixth appearance on the late-night ABC talk show. The State of Survival actor concludes his role as crossbow-wielding tracker Daryl Dixon in the 11th and final season of the post-apocalyptic zombie drama, which airs Sundays on AMC. 'I've stolen so much stuff from set,' Norman told ET last week, including 10 crossbows. 'I'm [filming] a spinoff [Daryl Dixon] right now in Paris so I'm a little jet-lagged because I just flew in. But I'm in Paris for at least the next year shooting it. Busy day! Norman - sporting a Powerplant Motorcycles 'P16' trucker cap - was wearing the same black top and grey jeans while hauling a suit bag into the Hollywood studio of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Revealed the story behind his engagement to Diane Kruger! It was Reedus' sixth appearance on the late-night ABC talk show 'I've stolen so much stuff from set': The State of Survival actor concludes his role as crossbow-wielding tracker Daryl Dixon in the 11th and final season of the post-apocalyptic zombie drama, which airs Sundays on AMC 'But I will miss all the people I worked with the most I think. I miss Georgia [where The Walking Dead filmed], I really like Georgia. I ride motorcycles to work in the country every day. Like, I love that.' Reedus' fiancee of 14 months - Cannes best actress winner Diane Kruger - was in France on Tuesday attending the Chanel ready-to-wear SS/23 presentation during Paris Fashion Week. On October 25, mineditionUS will publish the 46-year-old actress' 48-page children's book A Name from the Sky, which was inspired by her German upbringing. 'The coolest frocks for the coolest @chanelofficial show!' Norman's fiancee of 14 months - Cannes best actress winner Diane Kruger - was in France on Tuesday attending the Chanel ready-to-wear SS/23 presentation during Paris Fashion Week 'Nova didn't like the red shoes in the end': On October 25, mineditionUS will publish the 46-year-old actress' 48-page children's book A Name from the Sky, which was inspired by her German upbringing (pictured September 17) Birthday girl! The former models will soon celebrate the fourth birthday of their daughter Nova Tennessee (pictured last Wednesday), who arrived in either late October or early November 2018 The former models will soon celebrate the fourth birthday of their daughter Nova Tennessee, who arrived in either late October or early November 2018. And October 13 marks the 23rd birthday of Norman's son Mingus Lucien, who pled guilty to disorderly conduct on March 16 after 'accidentally' punching an 'intoxicated' woman in the face last year. Reedus fathered Mingus during his five-year romance with Danish model Helena Christensen, which amicably ended in 2003. Brush with the law: And October 13 marks the 23rd birthday of Norman's son Mingus Lucien (R, pictured September 27), who pled guilty to disorderly conduct on March 16 after 'accidentally' punching an 'intoxicated' woman in the face last year Kourtney Kardashian reflected on no longer feeling as close to her younger sister Khloe during an appearance on Amanda Hirsch's Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast. While reflecting on previously being inseparable from her sibling, 38, the reality star, explained they began to grow apart as Khloe, 38, 'really bonded' with Kim Kardashian during her pregnancy with True Thompson, back in 2018. 'I think that when Khloe was pregnant with True and Kim had a surrogate at that time, I felt like they really bonded,' the mom-of-three speculated. Once-inseparable: Kourtney Kardashian reflected on no longer feeling as close to her younger sister Khloe during an appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast; seen in 2016 'They were going through the same things,' she added. At the time, Kourtney admitted to feeling 'unhappy with the show' because she felt her sisters were 'ganging up' on her. 'I felt like it was almost everything that Khloe and I had done to Kim, and then they were like kind of flipping it on me,' she recalled. Honest: While reflecting on previously being inseparable from her sibling, 38, the reality star, explained they began to grow apart as Khloe, 38, 'really bonded' with Kim Kardashian during her pregnancy with True Thompson, four (pictured in September 2022) Through therapy, the wife of drummer Travis Barker says she 'became more self aware' despite initially struggling with going to counseling. 'I love it now, but it's hard and I felt just really sensitive. I was used to being such a b**ch for so many years without any care. No one could shake me. No one could rattle me, nobody could say something mean to me 'cause I would say something 20 times meaner back,' she said. Kourtney then reflected on her physical altercation with Kim during an 'intense time' that aired on the Season 18 premiere of Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2020. 'I think that when Khloe was pregnant with True and Kim had a surrogate at that time, I felt like they really bonded,' the mom-of-three speculated; seen in 2019 'To be pushed to the point of not that anyone pushed me but it was the daily stuff to where I had the rage inside to scratch my sister or whatever happened in the fight,' she said. Despite drifting from each other over the years, Kourtney made it clear that she and Khloe still have a great relationship and work hard to stay in touch amid their hectic schedules. 'I feel like Khloe and I are good. I spoke to her the whole time she was in Milan; we were FaceTiming. We FaceTimed on the way to school this morning, I saw her this morning at school. You know, we're good,' she said. 'I think just life isn't the same. I think I'm in a different place.' Co-parenting: Kourtney shares her three kids Mason, 12, Penelope, ten, and seven-year-old Reign with her ex-boyfriend Scott Disick Kourtney has been vocal over the past few years about prioritizing motherhood over filming her family's reality show and work. She shares her three kids Mason, 12, Penelope, ten, and seven-year-old Reign with her ex-boyfriend Scott Disick. On Tuesday, the Flip It Like Disick, 39, shared a sweet snap of him giving his little girl a kiss on the forehead as they cuddled on the couch. Nicola Peltz put on a sizzling display in a plunging leather co-ord as she posed for a sultry snap in Paris on Tuesday. The 27-year-old actress looked sensational in the garment that she paired with a racy matching pencil skirt and eye-catching gold necklace. Her husband Brooklyn, 23, also shared a picture of Nicola in the garment while she cuddled up to his shirtless self. Dressed to impress: Nicola Peltz put on a sizzling display in a plunging leather co-ord as she posed for a sultry snap on Tuesday He captioned the cute image: 'The woman of my dreams xx', to which Nicola responded: 'Youre my dream.' The photos come after Nicola squashed feud rumours with her beau's family after attending her mother-in-laws Paris Fashion Week runway show last week. The couple had finally put to bed speculation that they had fallen out with the Spice Girl as they put on a united front. Nicola and Brooklyn accepted Victoria's fashion week invite to attend her show on Friday - the invite was seen as an 'olive branch.' Cute couple: Her husband Brooklyn, 23, also shared a picture of Nicola in the garment while she cuddled up to his shirtless self Stunning: The 27-year-old actress looked sensational in the garment that she paired with a racy matching pencil skirt and eye-catching gold necklace They arrived half an hour early to show their support, with 'lots of hugs' going on when they were all reunited for the first time since this summer, said a source in the room. And video footage taken outside the event showed Victoria laughing with her son Brooklyn, while Nicola socialised with Cruz's girlfriend Tana Holding and Harper Seven. Nicola and Brooklyn accepted Victoria's fashion week invite to attend her show on Friday - the invite was seen as an 'olive branch.' Wow: The photos come after Nicola squashed feud rumours with her beau's family after attending her mother-in-laws Paris Fashion Week runway show last week They arrived half an hour early to show their support, with 'lots of hugs' going on when they were all reunited for the first time since this summer, said a source in the room. And video footage taken outside the event showed Victoria laughing with her son Brooklyn, while Nicola socialised with Cruz's girlfriend Tana Holding and Harper Seven. In the 30-second clip, Victoria looked glamorous in a figure-hugging black dress as she chats with Brooklyn, who is seen flashing a huge smile as he enjoyed a drink. Together: The couple had finally put to bed speculation that they had fallen out with the Spice Girl as they put on a united front by joining the rest of the Beckham clan, including David Beckham, at the event in the French capital During their avid chat, a woman approached Victoria but she pointed at her son and instead continues their conversation, with the woman then walking away. The mother and son then edge towards Nicola, who is facing the other way as she chats to Brooklyn's sister Harper, 11, and Cruz's model girlfriend Tana. Brooklyn was seen placing his hand on his wife's back and holding the waistband of her jeans as he continues speaking to his mother, while Nicola carried on her chat with Tana. Reports of a feud between Victoria and Nicola have been rife for weeks, after the pair noticeably stopped 'liking' each other's Instagram content. The feud is said to have stemmed over the circumstances surrounding Nicola's wedding dress. She had planned to wear a Victoria Beckham design but ended up in Valentino - the circumstances surrounding this decision have ended up stemming in fierce debate. Out and about: Meanwhile Romeo Beckham was out partying with Holly Ramsay A remote Sussex town was given a period makeover on Monday as Olivia Colman prepared to shoot her latest scenes on the set of forthcoming film Wicked Little Letters. The Oscar-winning actress takes a starring role as Edith Swan in director Thea Sharrock's latest project, based on the real-life story of neighbours who come together after receiving a series of hateful poison pen letters from an unknown source. Joining cast members in peaceful Arundel - which doubles for Littlehampton, where the bizarre incident occurred almost a century ago - Olivia, 48, was dressed in character as filming got underway. New role: A remote Sussex town was given a period makeover on Monday as Olivia Colman prepared to shoot her latest scenes on the set of forthcoming film Wicked Little Letters Clutching a battered step ladder and wearing an apron over her blouse and skirt, unassuming Olivia looked alarmed while gossiping with a small group of neighbours, all dressed in similar outfits. It appeared to be her latest scene in the Sussex town after principal photography began in the area a week ago. Colman will star alongside Jessie Buckley in the forthcoming film, with the Irish actress expected to play Rose Gooding - the fiery younger woman wrongly accused of drafting a spate of hateful letters to various members of the community. In further scenes the pair were seen facing one another as Colman, dressed as Swan, posted a mysterious letter at a local post-box. Those familiar with the notorious case will know that Swan, a respected member of the community, was eventually exposed as the poison pen author, charged with criminal libel and ultimately tried at Lewes magistrates court in 2021. Leading lady: The Oscar-winning actress takes a starring role as Edith Swan in director Thea Sharrock's latest project, based on the real life story of a community terrorised by a series of bizarre poison open letters Here we go: Joining cast members in Arundel - which doubles for Littlehampton, where the incident occurred almost a century ago - Olivia was dressed in character as filming continued The new film is understood to be a lighthearted take on the case, with neighbours joining forces to solve the mystery after the finger of blame is incorrectly pointed at the Gooding. On two occasions she would be sent to prison for crimes of which she was totally innocent, and the case would involve four trials in all each reported unsparingly by the national press and enthralling the nation. Swan was eventually deemed to be responsible for drafting the obscene letters, but the judge who presided over her case simply refused to accept the evidence, convinced that Eshe was the kind of Englishwoman incapable of swearing, and found her innocent of the crimes. In the years since there has been speculation that she was suffering from some kind of mental illness. Plenty to talk about: Clutching a battered step ladder and wearing an apron over her blouse and skirt, unassuming Olivia gossiped with a small group of neighbours, Hard at work: It appeared to be her latest scene in the Sussex town after principal photography began in the area a week ago Centre stage: Further scenes saw Coleman's character posting an ominous letter at a local post box in the town of Arundel Face to face: Colman was joined by co-star Jessie Buckley, who plays Rose Gooding - the fiery younger woman wrongly accused of drafting a spate of hateful letters to neighbours Coming soon: Wicked Little Letters is expected to go on general release in 2023 As many as 80 crew members are thought to be working on location in West Sussex, with Blueprint Pictures - the production company responsible for developing the film - having made a donation to the local council after roads were forced to close while they filmed scenes. Timothy Spall, Hugh Skinner and Joanna Scanlan have also been case in unconfirmed roles. Wicked Little Letters is expected to go on general release in 2023. Old times: Those familiar with the notorious case will know that Swan was eventually exposed as the poison pen author, charged with criminal libel and ultimately tried at Lewes magistrates court in 2021 (pictured) Sharon Osbourne has given a moving account of how her life has changed since her husband Ozzy, 73, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years ago. Sharon, 69, was asked about the effect her husband's diagnosis had had on her during a candid conversation with broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, who was diagnosed 18 months ago, in his ITV documentary Paxman: Putting Up With Parkinson's. The documentary, which aired on Tuesday night, saw Jeremy meet with Sharon to find out what it is like for the partner of someone who has been diagnosed. Hard times: Sharon Osbourne gave a moving account of how her life has changed since her husband Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in Jeremy Paxman's ITV documentary The University Challenge presenter asked Sharon whether it is harder for those looking after someone with Parkinson's, than actually having the disease - something she disagreed with. Speaking about Ozzy, she emotionally said: 'I just think of my husband, and like you, who was very energetic, loved to go out for walks, did a two-hour show on stage every night, running around like a crazy man. 'Suddenly, your life just stops - life as you knew it.' Health woes: 73-year-old Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2019 (the couple pictured in 2020) 'When I look at my husband, my heart breaks for him, I'm sad for myself to see him that way, but what he goes through is worse. When I look at him and he doesn't know, I'm like crying.' Jeremy also asked Sharon the positives about the disease, to which she responded: 'The positive thing is we spend much more time together as a family and I love my husband more than I do three years ago.' She discussed how the Black Sabbath star uses cannabidiol, known as CBD, because, like Jeremy, he experiences unsettling dreams as a result of Parkinson's, before joking that she will sneak the substance through customs from the U.S. Documentary: Sharon, 69, was asked about the affect her husband's diagnosis during a candid conversation with broadcaster Jeremy Paxman, who was diagnosed 18 months ago Chatting: The presenter wondered whether it is harder for the partner of someone with Parkinson's disease than the suffer, something Sharon disagreed with She told Jeremy: '[Ozzy] was always on something, he always loved to dabble with the old drugs. 'But now he takes this stuff at night. What's this stuff that everybody smokes? Marijuana. It is something from that Cannabidiol. 'I'll bring some over for you, you'll love it. I'll bring it back for you, Jeremy. I'll probably get arrested coming through customs but that's nothing new.' The former Newsnight presenter jumped at the opportunity, declaring that he's 'on for it', with Sharon insisting he must try physiotherapy to get his 'a**e in gear'. Emotional: 'Suddenly, your life just stops - life as you knew it. When I look at my husband, my heart breaks for him,' Sharon admitted Viewers were moved to tears after watching Jeremy Paxman speak about feeling 'depressed' and 'frustrated' in his ITV documentary. The broadcaster, 72, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 18 months ago and discussed it for the first time on film in the documentary. The 60-minute programme follows Jeremy's story of living with the degenerative disease, which affects one in 500 people and causes the brain to become damaged over the years. In the programme, Jeremy admitted he is on mood enhancers after suffering with depression and feeling 'frustrated' since his Parkinson's diagnosis. Emotional: Viewers were moved to tears after watching Jeremy speak about feeling 'depressed' and 'frustrated' in his ITV documentary Paxman: Putting Up With Parkinson's He candidly spoke about his struggles with coming to terms with the disease, saying he feels 'beaten and dejected' by Parkinson's, but insisted he doesn't want sympathy from people. Taking to Twitter, viewers admitted they were 'moved to tears' by his 'courage' in speaking about living with Parkinson's disease in the 'powerful' documentary. One viewer wrote: 'Pretty much moved to tears watching #jeremypaxman and other brave souls deal with the life changing effects of #parkinsons #puttingupwithparkinsons.' Another said, 'so moving and insightful', while a third added: 'I have to admit I shed a tear, very informative & thought provoking.' Disease: The broadcaster, 72, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 18 months ago and discussed it for the first time on film in the documentary A fourth wrote: 'Just watched #PuttingUpWithParkinsons with Jeremy Paxman on @itv 'Also on the show, my #RoundBritainQuiz chum @paulsinha It was tremendously moving and congratulations to all involved in its making. Unmissable. #amazingbravery.' A fifth penned: 'Brave and enlightening documentary from @JeremyPaxman Uplifting, supportive and delivered in true Paxman style. This will have helped raise awareness and understanding.' Elizabeth Hurley looked nothing short of sensational as she stepped out in New York for Breast Cancer Awareness month. The actress and model, 57, flaunted her trim physique in a figure-hugging fuchsia dress as she visited the New York Stock Exchange on Monday. Liz visited the NYSE as Estee Lauder rang the closing bell in honour of the brand's breast cancer awareness campaign. Liz has been working with the brand for 27 years for breast cancer awareness. Elizabeth Hurley stunned as she showed off her figure in a fuchsia dress at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, while promoting breast cancer awareness Liz looked incredible in her frock, which featured a high-neck, long sleeves and a button-like design over the chest and arms. The Austin Powers star teamed the look with pink platform heels and wore her dark locks out and over her shoulders. Liz appeared in high spirits as she posed with the likes of William Lauder, the executive chairman of The Estee Lauder Companies, and the company's President and Chief Executive Officer Fabrizio Freda. In good company: Liz appeared in high spirits as she posed with the likes of William Lauder (left), the executive chairman of The Estee Lauder Companies, and the company's President and Chief Executive Officer Fabrizio Freda (right) A good cause: Liz visited the NYSE as Estee Lauder rang the closing bell in honour of the brand's breast cancer awareness campaign. Liz has been working with the brand for 27 years for breast cancer awareness She also visited the Empire State Building earlier this week after hosting a lighting ceremony in honour of the Estee Lauder Company's Breast Cancer Campaign amid the cause's awareness month. The actress, 57, put on a dazzling display in a neon pink blazer suit featuring sparkling sequins, which she teamed up with a pair of white trainers. The Bedazzled star is encouraging women to check themselves regularly for signs of breast cancer as new research released by The Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) UK & Ireland has revealed that eight in 10 women do not. Stepping out: She also visited the Empire State Building earlier this week after hosting a lighting ceremony in honour of the Estee Lauder Company's Breast Cancer Campaign amid the cause's awareness month A longstanding global ambassador for ELC's Breast Cancer Campaign, she believes more needs to be done to encourage everybody to check for signs of the disease. She exclusively told MailOnline: 'Evelyn H. Lauder co-created the Pink Ribbon and founded The Estee Lauder Companies' Breast Cancer Campaign as she recognised that women around the world were dying from breast cancer, and no one was talking about it. 'Ironically, it was around this same time that I had just lost my beloved grandmother to breast cancer she put off going to the doctor for a year and never spoke about it. Helping others: A longstanding global ambassador for ELC's Breast Cancer Campaign, she believes more needs to be done to encourage everybody to check for signs of the disease Bigwigs: She was joined by Executive Chairman of Estee Lauder William P. Lauder at the event 'Now, three decades later, it's encouraging to see that breast cancer is not the taboo it once was. 'More people are talking about it and awareness levels and access to information about breast cancer have significantly increased. 'But we still need to do more to improve self-checking rates as we know that early detection saves lives.' Elizabeth previously revealed how her grandmother kept her diagnosis secret from the rest of the family, saying her relative showed her scars from a double mastectomy once she finally told her family about her diagnosis, but would often change the subject. Estee Lauder has done quite a bit to fight breast cancer in the past 30 years including funding more than $108 million globally for lifesaving research, education and medical services and more than $86 million towards funding medical research grants through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an international effort to fight the disease which 2.3 million people are diagnosed with every year. Jodie Comer was back on set for her latest movie The End We Start From on Tuesday. After shooting scenes in central London on Sunday, the production moved to the Oxfordshire countryside where Jodie and her co-star Katherine Waterston were seen shooting in a woodland. Lead star Jodie was spotted cradling a baby for her scenes, with her young co-star a constant presence on set in recent weeks. Working hard: Jodie Comer was back on set for her latest movie The End We Start From on Tuesday, shooting scenes in rural Oxfordshire The actress, 29, plays a new mother caught up in the midst of devastating floods that swallow up the city of London, tearing her young family apart. For Tuesday's shoot Jodie was back in her character's disheveled costume of turned up jeans, brown boots and a grey cardigan and grubby white shirt. She kept the baby close to her, carrying the tot in a sling as she joked around with crew members and her co-stars between takes. Moving from the city: After shooting scenes in central London on Sunday, the production moved to the Oxfordshire countryside where Jodie was seen shooting in a woodland Jodie was seen sharing a hug and practicing scenes with Katherine, who was dressed in bright yellow adidas trousers. Katherine also took her turn holding the baby, while military vehicles were also spotted parked up on set. The official synopsis for the film reads: 'When an environmental crisis sees London submerged by flood waters, a young family is torn apart in the chaos.' Playing a mum: Lead star Jodie was spotted cradling a baby for her scenes, with her young co-star a constant presence on set in recent weeks Doting: The actress, 29, who plays a new mother caught up in the midst of devastating floods that swallow up the city of London, tearing her young family apart Getting into her role: Jodie was seen adjusting her baby sling in between takes Helping hand: The star was aided by a member pf wardrobe as she got to grips with the sling 'As a woman and her new-born try to find their way home, the profound novelty of motherhood is brought into sharp focus in this dystopian portrayal of family survival and hope.' Speaking of her new role, Jodie said: 'My character is ordinary and extraordinary, both her very personal life and the world around her have been turned upside down and she is dealing with the unknown at every turn. 'Her story is about the quiet heroics of determination, devotion, bravery and love.' Co-star: Jodie was joined for the day's shoot by her co-star Katherine Waterston, who was dressed in bright yellow trousers Moves: The actors were seen practicing what looked like a fight move in between takes Still pals: The two shared an embrace at one point. Not much is known about Katherine's character in the movie, other than her name is O Fun: Jodie shared a laugh with Katherine as they joked around while the scene was set Huge production: A member of hair and makeup made sure Jodie was looking in character Low key: For Tuesday's shoot Jodie was back in her character's disheveled costume of turned up jeans, brown boots and a grey cardigan and grubby white shirt Director Mahalia Belo added: 'The End We Start From is a unique and original take on a survival film. One that feels in tune with the climate crisis we are experiencing now. 'It delivers an honest look at the nature of a hero, someone forced to be brave who sometimes can't be. 'It is incredible to be working with such an extraordinary cast, bringing this human, primal, and ultimately hopeful story to life.' Dystopian: Various military vehicles were parked up around set on Tuesday Bleak premise: The official synopsis for the film reads: 'When an environmental crisis sees London submerged by flood waters, a young family is torn apart in the chaos' Floods: 'As a woman and her new-born try to find their way home, the profound novelty of motherhood is brought into sharp focus in this dystopian portrayal of family survival' Danger ahead: Speaking of her role, Jodie said: 'My character is ordinary and extraordinary, both her very personal life and the world around her have been turned upside down' Hero: Jodie added: 'Her story is about the quiet heroics of determination, devotion, bravery and love' Message: 'Director Mahalia Belo added: 'The End We Start From is a unique and original take on a survival film. One that feels in tune with the climate crisis we are experiencing now' Joining Jodie and Katherine in the film are Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong and Gina McKee. The film, which started principal photography recently, is based on the novel of the same name by Megan Hunter. The End We Start From is being developed by Benedict Cumberbatchs SunnyMarch, Hera Pictures, Anton and BBC Film. Cumberbatch and Comer are also teaming up to executive produce the project. All star cast: Joining Jodie and Katherine in the film are Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong and Gina McKee Helping out: Katherine was also seen holding the baby during some scenes Acclaimed book: The film, which started principal photography recently, is based on the novel of the same name by Megan Hunter The cast and crew were left concerned recently after they learned someone on set had tested positive for Covid-19. A source told MailOnline: 'Everything had been going well and they were setting up for the second scene, but then we suddenly saw Jodie being driven off in a car. 'The director gathered all the crew and told them someone on the cast or crew had tested positive for Covid and that filming would have to stop. 'Everyone is obviously worried about the baby who was on set.' Back on track: The cast and crew were left concerned recently after they learned someone on set had tested positive for Covid-19 Brief pause: A source told MailOnline: 'Everything had been going well and they were setting up for the second scene, but then we suddenly saw Jodie being driven off in a car' Talent: The End We Start From is being developed by Benedict Cumberbatchs SunnyMarch, Hera Pictures, Anton and BBC Film Working hard: Cumberbatch and Comer are also teaming up to executive produce the project Jodie meanwhile recently denied claims she is in the frame to star in a TV drama about the Wagatha Christie trial. It had been reported that Jodie was seen as the perfect star to play Coleen Rooney while The Crown star Emerald Fennell, 36, would appear as Rebekah Vardy. Coleen, 36, reigned victorious as the long-awaited verdict in the sensational 3million Wagatha trial was announced on Friday, with the WAG winning her libel battle against Rebekah, 40. The creators of court drama A Very British Scandal have been named as the possible production company while script writer Sarah Phelps, who has written The Witness for the Prosecution, could be on board. Rumours: Jodie meanwhile recently denied claims she is in the frame to star in a TV drama about the Wagatha Christie trial Sought after star: It had been reported that Jodie was seen as the perfect star to play Coleen Rooney while The Crown star Emerald Fennell, 36, would appear as Rebekah Vardy Sweet: Jodie kept a watchful eye over her young co-star during Tuesday's filming Good spirits: The star looked on great form despite her no doubt exhausting shoot schedule Discussion: The actress was seen deep in conversation with Katherine in the wooded area Advertisement It has been an emotionally difficult time as she revealed she's been 'crying five times a day' during her early pregnancy. And Molly-Mae Hague, who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Tommy Fury, suffered more upset as water poured through the ceiling of her 4million mansion. The influencer, 23, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the soaked kitchen in their Cheshire home and admitted that she 'might cry.' Disaster: Molly-Mae Hague, 23, who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Tommy Fury, suffered upset as water poured through the ceiling of her 4million mansion on Tuesday Molly-Mae posted a clip to her Story as water came through a light fixture, saturating her lavish dining booth. In another photo, she tried to brush off the drama and relax with a herbal tea and lit candles as she penned: 'Have to laugh or you might cry x.' The PrettyLittleThing creative director and the boxer, got the keys to their home earlier this year and have been documenting the renovations on social media. Nightmare: Molly-Mae posted a clip to her Story as water came through a light fixture, saturating her lavish dining booth Upset: In another photo, she tried to brush off the drama and relax with a herbal tea and lit candles as she penned: 'Have to laugh or you might cry x' The house has six spacious bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, the main boasting his and hers sinks, and a large living space, where Molly and Tommy will no doubt relax of an evening while watching their favourite Harry Potter films. It comes after she admitted she has 'cried five times a day' during her early pregnancy she updated her fans on Monday. The influencer said she has found the experience 'emotionally hard' so far, after revealing she is now six months pregnant in her most recent YouTube video. Tough: It comes after she admitted she has 'cried five times a day' during her early pregnancy she updated her fans on Monday Speaking in her Vlog, she recalled the 'shock' of the news and admitted it has not been a 'magical experience' as she and boyfriend Tommy, overcame obstacles. Molly explained: 'We were going through a really tricky time with Tommy and his work and fights happening, then not happening, and situations being completely out of our control. 'I was in the most emotionally hardest period of my life, whilst trying to also support Tommy, and it was just a very crazy few months.' Going quickly: Speaking in her Vlog, she recalled the 'shock' of the news and admitted it has not been a 'magical experience' as she and boyfriend Tommy Fury, overcame obstacles Tommy was forced to cancel a fight with Jake Paul in August after her was banned from travelling to America for their press conference. Molly continued: 'I literally just cant explain how the shock literally overtook my body for the first month, 100%. I just felt like every single day I was living an outer body experience, my emotions were something Id never experienced before.' 'I cried maybe five times a day for no reason. Just in tears over everything. 'Every time we talk about it, it feels like were talking about a situation thats not our own because it was a complete shock, I cant lie.' What happens when two actors encounter a giant testicle in a sleepy English town? The answer appeared to be evident as work commenced on a new BBC series this week. Accompanied by a small camera crew, Greg Davies returned to his popular role as Paul "Wicky" Wickstead for the second series of sitcom The Cleaner in leafy Buckinghamshire. The Welsh comedian, 54, was joined by veteran actress Zoe Wanamaker - the latest established star to take a cameo in the hit series about the exploits of a crime scene cleaner - as filming continued on Tuesday. Unusual: What happens when two actors encounter a giant testicle in a sleepy English town? The answer appeared to be evident as work commenced on a new BBC series this week In a bizarre twist, the pair were seen exchanging their lines in front of an enormous testicle sculpture, precariously set on a small plinth. Wanamaker, 73, appeared to be oblivious to the decorative backdrop as she filmed with Davies, who wore central character Wickstead's cap and cargo trousers while observing an apparent crime scene. Based on German show Der Tatortreiniger, The Cleaner has been commissioned for a second series by the BBC following a tentative six episode run last October. Having a ball: Greg Davies returned to his popular role as Paul "Wicky" Wickstead while shooting the second series of sitcom The Cleaner in leafy Buckinghamshire on Tuesday Face to face: The Welsh comedian was joined by veteran actress Zoe Wanamaker - the latest established star to take a cameo in the hit series about the exploits of a crime scene cleaner The show, written and co-produced by Davies, sees crime scene cleaner Wickstead encounter a series of unusual characters as he goes about his day to day work. The first series featured cameo appearances from British stars Helena Bonham Carter, David Mitchell and Stephanie Cole, with series two expected to welcome more established actors to the fold. Alongside Wanamaker, Uncle's Raquel Cassidy and Johnny English Strikes Again star Adam James are also expected to feature in yet to be established roles. Sore point: In a bizarre twist, the pair were seen exchanging their lines in front of an enormous veiny testicle sculpture, precariously set on a small plinth Here we go: Davies wore central character Wickstead's cap and cargo trousers while observing an apparent crime scene The show received generally reviews following its initial release in October, with audience viewing figures reaching 5.24 million, including those who watched it on catch up. While some critics praised the writing as 'intriguing' and 'cleverly done', others dismissed it as 'quaint' and slow paced. It went on to win the Best New TV Sitcom in British Comedy Guide's Comedy.co.uk Awards 2021. She launched her own fake tan company called Bare by Vogue in 2019. And Vogue Williams demonstrated how to use her products in a saucy Instagram video on Tuesday. The blonde beauty, 36, slipped into a black bikini for the tutorial, which showed off her ample assets and chiselled abs. Looking good: Vogue Williams demonstrated how to use her fake tan products in a saucy Instagram video on Tuesday She added a trio of simple gold necklaces around her neck and several matching gold earrings. Sweeping her blonde tresses up in a sleek bun, she sported a full face of makeup including lashings of mascara. Vogue sent temperatures soaring as she took her 1 million followers through her tanning and moisturising routine, taking care to cover every inch of her toned body. Earlier this month, Vogue divided opinion after revealing she lost her virginity age 18 to a 27-year old. Toned: The blonde beauty, 36, slipped into a black bikini for the tutorial, which showed off her ample assets and chiselled abs The Irish presenter discussed the nine-year age gap on a new podcast during a chat about her first time having sex. She went on to explained that she is still friends with the man and didn't think the situation was unusual. She made the admission on the Boots podcast Taboo Talk, alongside comedian Russell Kane and Too Hot To Handle narrator Desiree Burch who discussed her revelation with differing views. Each speaking about their first time, Vogue said: 'But did you not go in doing all the other stuff first. Stunning: She added a trio of simple gold necklaces around her neck and several matching gold earrings 'I remember before you'd lose your virginity, boys would go up your top. 'I was like, 'They're literally going to get to my head because I had no boobs. They're just going to keep going'. 'That was literally all the stuff that we were doing first. The guy I was with was 27 and I was 18.' A shocked Desiree then said: 'Were you that girl in high school where it was like, 'Oh she's dating a grown man'. 'I remember there was this girl in my school who was dating a 27-year-old and it's not until you're 30 you're like, 'Well that was f***ing crazy'.' Present: Earlier this month, Vogue divided opinion after revealing she lost her virginity age 18 to a 27-year old - pictured with her husband Spencer Matthews Vogue replied: 'I know, [he was] picking me up in my school uniform. That was good for me because he kind of took the lead because I don't know if I would've...' Russell Kane then jokingly chimed in: 'Of course he did the dirty b*****d.' Vogue then asked: 'Oh my God does that sound really bad?' Desiree replied: 'It's not uncommon. You were the hot girl in your high school, congratulations but also looking back on it, you're like, 'that's bats*** insane'. 'What was that guy doing at 27 being like, 'She's 18 this is totally cool'?'. Rebel Wilson looked fashion forward on Tuesday when she stepped out in a trendy T-shirt and disco tights in Hollywood. The Pitch Perfect star ensured all eyes were on her as she strutted her stuff in a black tee emblazoned with the words 'undercoverism for rebels'. Rebel accessorised her head-turning look with a pair of yellow lens sunglasses and a pricey Hermes handbag that would have set her back several thousand dollars. Rebel Wilson (pictured) looked fashion forward on Tuesday when she stepped out in a trendy 'undercoverism' T-shirt and disco tights in Hollywood The Australian star made sure her feet were well looked after in a pair of trainers as she ran her daily errands in the City of Angels. Rebel's Hollywood outing comes after she showed off her lithe figure in a series of Instagram posts. She recently looked stunning in a retro black dress from Rhea Costa, which chanelled old school Hollywood. The frock sat off her shoulders to show off a modest hint of skin, before flaring out to a full skirt. The Pitch Perfect star accessorised her head-turning look with a pair of yellow lens sunglasses and a pricey Hermes handbag that would have set her back several thousand dollars Rebel added a glamorous makeup look, including flawless eye shadow and a glossy nude lipstick. She wrote in her caption: 'Zurich Film Festival press looks' while thanking her glam squad. Rebel has lost an impressive 35kg (77lbs) over two years after she declared 2020 her 'Year of Health'. Rebel Wilson (pictured) showed off her lithe figure in a series of Instagram posts She looked stunning in a black dress from Rhea Costa, which chanelled old school Hollywood The frock sat off her shoulders to show off a modest hint of skin, before flaring out to a full skirt It comes after Rebel hinted that she may be moving her career in a different direction by writing a tell-all book. Rebel recently hosted a Q&A session with her Instagram fans and asked them, 'If I was writing a book, what stories would you be interested in?' Her 11.2 million followers were quick to offer interesting suggestions with the top one being a motivational book about her incredible weight loss journey. Rebel has been sharing a number of jaw-dropping photos on Instagram since revealing she shed 35kg since her 'Year of Health' in 2020 The Bridesmaid actress agreed it was a great idea and responded enthusiastically 'this sounds good!' Another fan suggested she write a book about how she met and fell in love with her 'princess' Ramona Agruma, 38, earlier this year. The Sydney-born actress loved the suggestion but told her followers, 'I will have to let Ramona read these chapters before anyone else though.' It comes after Rebel hinted that she may be moving her career in a different direction by writing a tell-all book Rebel's newfound interest in writing a tell-all book follows some significant life changes over the past few years. The blonde star declared she had set clear fitness goals for herself in 2020 and through a combination of exercise and healthy living managed to shed 35kg. And earlier this year she admitted she was dating Agruma on June 9. Hollywood pinup Pamela Anderson is coming out with a memoir. On Wednesday the 55-year-old Baywatch actress shared that her story will be 'raw' and 'intimate' as she posted a look at the cover of the book. Love, Pamela will be released by HarperCollins and Dey Street Books on January 31, 2023. A close look: Hollywood pinup Pamela Anderson is coming out with a memoir. And on Wednesday the Baywatch actress shared that her story will be 'raw' and 'intimate' as she posted a look at the cover of the book 'With vivid prose interspersed with bursts of original poetry, Love, Pamela is an empowering, heartrending and intimate memoir,' according to an official release. This comes after the Playboy model shared in March that Netflix is doing a documentary about her life from Canadian girl next door to mega famous Hollywood pinup. She has been in the news after she was portrayed by British actress Lily James in the series Pam & Tommy. The show explored how her career ended after her sex tape with rocker husband Tommy Lee (played by Sebastian Stan) was stolen then sold. Her turn to talk: Pamela Anderson made a big announcement on her Instagram page on Wednesday. The Playboy model and Baywatch actress shared that Netflix is doing a documentary about her life; seen in 2014 She had a big career: The actress was on Baywatch and starred in Barb Wire; seen in 1992 She said in her note that she was 'not a victim but a survivor.' Pamela shared a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead with a red lipstick kiss mark at the bottom. 'My life/ A thousand imperfections/ A million misperceptions/ Wicked, wild and lost/ Nothing to live up to /I can only surprise you /Not a victim, but a survivor /And alive to tell the real story,' the note said. From Pam: Pamela shared a handwritten note on Netflix letterhead with a red lipstick kiss mark at the bottom. 'My life/ A thousand imperfections/ A million misperceptions/ Wicked, wild and lost/ Nothing to live up to /I can only surprise you /Not a victim, but a survivor /And alive to tell the real story,' the note said She was the hottest thing at Playboy for decades: On the July 2001 cover Anderson's son Brandon Thomas Lee is a producer on the docu. He reposted Pam's note to his Instagram story and placed emphasis on emphasizing 'the real story.' Her other son Dylan Jagger Lee did the same. According to the streaming service, the activist 'is ready to tell her story in a new documentary.' They continued: 'The film, which has been in the making for several years, will feature the pop culture icon setting the record straight as she looks back on her professional path and her personal journey.' The director is Ryan White. A closer look: It has been called 'an intimate portrait embedded in the life of Pamela Anderson as she looks back at her professional and personal path and prepares for the next steps on her journey.' Seen in 2019 There will be interviews with Pam and new images from her collection as well as notes from her journals. There has been an intense focus on Pamela ever since the series Pam & Tommy debuted. Anderson has been portrayed as a victim whose career was ruined when Tommy's disgruntled carpenter sold their home video that saw the two having sex. The miniseries has eight episodes and it ends next week on March 9. The past is back: Anderson has been portrayed as a victim whose career was ruined when Tommy's disgruntled carpenter sold their home video that saw the two having sex. The miniseries has eight episodes and it ends next week on March 9 Gwyneth Paltrow, 50, and Brad Falchuk, 51, thrived living separately for the first year of their marriage while Victoria, 48, and David, 47, Beckham are reportedly enjoying their own space later on in their marriage Advertisement There is no rulebook for the perfect marriage - and even if there was, some celebrity couples are proving that they are more than happy to throw it right out of the window, along with a lot of other wedded traditions, including sharing the same marital home. One such couple is Kourtney Kardashian and her new husband Travis Barker, with the reality star revealing in a recent interview that the pair still don't live in the same house - and that she often co-sleeps with her 10-year-old daughter Penelope, instead of with her partner. But as it turns out, Kourtney, 43, and her rocker beau, 46, are one of many A-list pairings who have chosen to live separately, with several other celebrity couples coming out to share their own similarly unique living situations over the years. Gwyneth Paltrow - who defied convention when she announced that she was 'consciously uncoupling' from her first husband Chris Martin - once again bucked tradition when she revealed in June 2019 that she had her second husband, Brad Falchuk, retained their separate residences and lived apart for the first year of their marriage to 'preserve mystery'. It appears the quirky convention proved successful because the couple are still going strong several years later - and have since 'merged' their lives and their homes. Keeping things separate: Even though Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have been married since May 2022, the two live in separate homes and Kourtney still co-sleeps with her 10-year-old daughter, Penelope 'We want our kids to also feel really comfortable and they have both lived in their homes their whole lives for the most part,' Kourtney says of their decision to live in separate homes However, choosing to maintain separate living spaces hasn't worked for everyone. Kaley Cuoco and her ex-husband Karl Cook followed a similar pattern to Gwyneth and Brad, spending more than a year after their 2018 marriage in separate homes, before eventually moving in together in 2020. Ultimately, that may well have been an error because the pair split one year later. However Kourtney insisted during a recent interview that her and Travis' set-up has been working like a charm - particularly for their respective children, whom they wanted to be able to keep living in their own homes. Kourtney has daughter Penelope, 10, and sons Mason, 12, and Reign, seven, with her former partner Scott Disick, while Travis welcomed a son named Landon, 18, and a daughter named Alabama, 16, with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. 'We want our kids to also feel really comfortable and they have both lived in their homes their whole lives for the most part,' she told Dear Media's Not Skinny, Not Fat podcast, also noting that they aren't living particularly far apart - because their homes are located just across the street from each other. While they each have their own reasons, DailyMail.com reveals the other famous couples who opted to live separately - and their reasons why, from work obligations to issues over loud snoring. Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk lived separately for one year after getting married and joke their 'sex life is over' since moving in together Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Falchuk lived separately for one year after marriage and are still together in 2022 Gwyneth Paltrow, 50, and Brad Falchuk, 51, spent the first year of their marriage living in separate homes - even though they had been together for some time before they had tied the knot. The two met in 2010 and began dating in 2014 when Gwyneth appeared in a guest spot on Glee, which Brad was working on as a producer. Their romance came just months after the actress had split from her ex-husband, Coldplay singer Chris Martin, after 10 years together; as for Brad, he had ended his 20-year marriage with producer Suzanne Bulnik a year before he met Gwyneth. Brad popped the question in 2017, and they tied the knot a year later in 2018 - something the movie star admitted she'd never do again. 'For a while, I thought, I dont know if Id ever do it again. I have my kids whats the point?' said Gwyneth, who is mom to daughter Apple and son Moses from her marriage to Chris. 'And then I met this incredible man, who made me think, no, this person is worth making this commitment to. Im very much the marrying kind.' They would spend the next year living separately - a decision Gwyneth doesn't seem to regret. 'One of my best friends was like, "That is my dream. Dont ever move in,"' she joked to Harper's Bazaar, while reflecting on their once-unconventional living situation in 2020. 'I think it certainly helps with preserving mystery and also preserving the idea that this person has their own life.' 'I think it certainly helps with preserving mystery and also preserving the idea that this person has their own life,' Gwyneth said of living separately from Brad They ended up moving in together in 2019 and she joked, 'so our sex life is over' a year later She also told InStyle, 'Married life has been really good. We took a year to let everybody [in the family] take it in and let the dust settle. And now were moving in together.' The couple ended up officially moving in together in 2019, and Gwyneth later joked that it ruined their sex life. 'So, our sex life is over,' she told Harper's Bazaar. Despite the challenges of living together with their kids - Brad also has two from his past marriage, a daughter named Isabella and a son named Brody - they still seem to be going strong. In September 2021, he shared a gushing post for the GOOP founder to Instagram in honor of her 49th birthday, writing, 'When you live with this woman, a few things become clear. 'There are the obvious things that shes beautiful, that shes funny, that she likes things the way she likes them, when she likes them. That she is always busy but also always has time for you. 'But the two things that really stand out are that she notices. And she acts. A lot of people notice without acting. They notice. Then they complain or they gossip, or they shrug. 'And a lot of people act without noticing. Sometimes its helpful, but that is a dangerous way to act. Because youre usually just acting for yourself. 'She may notice you need a hug and give you an outstanding one. She may notice that youre hungry and make you a delicious egg sandwich. She may notice you love the Red Sox, and she will live and die with them even if she doesnt understand what the Hell is going on in the game. 'She may notice that youre tired all the time and she will get you the right doctor to balance your hormones or create a little chewy square to help you sleep or wake up or teach you to meditate.' Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook lived separately for over a year after getting married, as they waited for their dream house to be built Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook lived separately for over a year in 2019 after they tied the knot and even though they ended up moving in, they ultimately split in 2021 Kaley Cuoco, 36, and Karl Cook, 31, also spent a big chunk of their newlywed phase living apart. The equestrian duo two met at a horse meet back in 2016, and tied the knot two years later in June 2018. 'I couldnt be happier. I feel very, very lucky that I found someone like him,' the actress told Us Weekly in 2017. 'I like to torture him and he doesnt get mad at me. He just lets me do it. Im just constantly trying to rib him. Hes got such a great sense of humor. 'I like it when Im bugging him, bugging him and then I finally get that laugh which just kills me. Hes just I dont know. Hes a real person.' In August 2019, over a year after they became husband and wife, Kaley confessed that the two still weren't living together. 'We have a very unconventional marriage,' she told E News! at the time. 'We have different locations that we're at a lot. We're not together every single day, and I think personally it's important, it works well for us.' The equestrian duo two had met at a horse meet in 2016 and tied the knot two years later in June 2018 Kaley explained that the reason why they weren't living together is because they were waiting for their dream home to be built Even though living separately was working out for the pair, she explained that they did intend to take that next step of moving in together. 'We're building our dream house,' she explained. 'We're eventually gonna be under the same roof forever.' They eventually met that goal and moved in together in March 2020, with Kaley boasting that it was 'great for their relationship' during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! a month later. 'We like each other, weve realized, which is even better,' she joked at the time. However, by September 2021, the two announced that they would be divorcing. They said in a joint statement, 'Despite a deep love and respect for one another, we have realized that our current paths have taken us in opposite directions. 'We have both shared so much of our journey publicly so while we would prefer to keep this aspect of our personal life private, we wanted to be forthcoming in our truth together. There is no anger or animosity, quite the contrary.' Victoria and David Beckham reportedly live in 'his and her wings' of their UK mansion Victoria and David Beckham reportedly moved into separate his and hers wings of their mansion in 2018, 19 years into their marriage Victoria, 48, and David, 47, Beckham's relationship has stood the test of time - and that could be due to the fact that they partially live apart. The Beckhams, who have been married for 23 years and share four kids together, have lived all over the world due to both of their mega careers. However, when they moved back to the UK following David's retirement in 2018, they decided to get a house with separate 'his and hers wings,' a source told Us Weekly at the time. Divorce rumors were swirling around the couple at the time, but the source explained that separating their lives seemed to be helping their marriage. 'I think they quite like having somewhat separate lives. When you've been married that long, some regular distance does you both good,' the insider told the publication. Their $5.6 million farmhouse reportedly has two distinct living quarters - of equal size - each with their own kitchen, bedrooms, and a courtyard; the living quarters are separated by a gallery. It actually works out well for David, Victoria and the kids,' said another source. 'If they are all driving each other mad, they can retreat into these wings like they are living in separate houses.' The two are still happily married to this day. Just days ago, Victoria shared a sweet tribute for her husband marking 30 years since his Manchester United debut. '30 years since this stud came on the scene,' she wrote on her Instagram Stories, alongside a video that showed David shooting his first goal for Manchester United in the early days of his football career. Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton lived in conjoined homes due to Tim's snoring problems During their 13-year relationship, the pair lived in two separate homes that were joined together because Helena struggled with falling asleep due to Tim's snoring Helena Bonham Carter, 56, and Tim Burton, 64, had opted with a somewhat similar layout to the Beckhams. Even though the two never officially tied the knot, they dated for 13 years after they met on the set of Planet of the Apes in 2001 and had two kids together. The reason Helena wanted to sleep in a separate accommodation is an issue many can relate to. The actress struggled with insomnia because of Tim's snoring. The two ultimately decided to buy two separate homes and join them together. 'We see as much of each other as any couple, but our relationship is enhanced by knowing we have our personal space to retreat to,' she allegedly told Radio Times in 2010. 'It's not enforced intimacy. It's chosen, which is quite flatteringif you can afford it.' The two also used it as an opportunity to express their creativity and decorated each of their places to their own unique taste. Helena and Tim dated for 13 years after they met on the set of Planet of the Apes in 2001 and had two kids together. Helena shared that living separately had an added bonus of intimacy that wasn't 'enforced' by sharing a bed Unfortunately, the two ended their 13-year relationship in 2014, and Helena revealed that she actually ended up keeping both of the homes that the pair shares during their romance. And while the star praised her 'generous' ex-partner for allowing her to keep the two properties, she admitted it makes her feel like an 'alien person' as she sleeps in one and their kids - Billy and Nell - stay in another. 'It's very sensible - and luckily I've kept both houses now,' she told the Sunday Times of the living arrangement in 2019, while praising her 'generous' ex-partner for allowing her to keep both properties. 'He was very generous. The double house is not really two houses, it's two small houses that have been put together. I did not have room to house children, put it that way. I lived in a cottage. She added: 'And I did always think, "God, wouldn't it be ideal if Mister Right lived next door because then I'd have room to put the bedrooms in?" So what was Tim's house is basically the family house and I kept my bedroom and my kitchen. 'But even then it feels like I'm an alien person because I live next door to my children, which is really none of anyone's ...The more mystique the better. It's a really magical place, everyone gets lost.' Before they split, Helena and Tim, who kept the couple's Grade II listed estate in Oxfordshire, have stayed on good terms and equally split custody of their children when their schedules allow it. Ashley Graham and Justin Ervin lived in different cities during one point of their marriage Ashley Graham insisted that living in separate city from her husband Justin Ervin was 'pretty sexy' The two started dating in 2009 and decided that they'd abstain from sex until they got married and started their relationship off without staying over each others' place Ashley Graham and Justin Ervin always done things their own way from the very start of their relationship. The two started dating in 2009 and decided that they'd abstain from sex until they got married, even starting their relationship off without staying over each others' place. 'Because we werent sleeping together for Justin, abstinence was a firm commitment to his faith we never tempted ourselves by going over to each others apartments late at night,' she detailed in her memoir, A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like. They got married a year after dating in 2010 but it seems that didn't stop them from living separately. Ashley revealed in 2016 that the two were living in separate cities with Ashley residing in NYC while Justin lived in LA. 'We have a rule. We don't go longer than two weeks without seeing each other,' she told ET at the time. 'It's absolutely fabulous. I love it. We just meet in L.A. or New York. We meet in Paris, Miami. It's pretty sexy.' While it's unclear whether the two live together now, it's unlikely that they're still maintaining a long-distance marriage given that they share three boys under three years old. Ashley has an apartment in Brooklyn, New York, where she regularly posts selfies from - including snaps with her beau, suggesting that the pair are co-habiting, at least part of the time. Love Island's Paige Thorne has failed to like Adam collard's recent Instagram snaps amid rumours the couple are 'taking a break' after cheating allegations. The pair have been plagued by rumours as of late after a video emerged of the personal trainer, 26, with his arm around another girl in McDonald's. Fans have now noticed that since Adam jetted off to Bali on a fitness retreat, the paramedic, 24, hasn't been supporting her partner on social media. Tension: Love Island 's Paige Thorne has failed to like Adam collard 's recent Instagram snaps amid rumours the couple are 'taking a break' after cheating allegations Fans are concerned for Adam and Paige's relationship status as the pair appeared to be enjoying some time apart. They also picked him up on his cryptic captions: 'Movin' like Pirlo..' and 'Life's short, stunt it' While Paige appeared to address the relationship drama in her recent Instagram caption: 'Im good x' One of Adams' followers asked: 'Update on you and Paige?' with another questioning 'what happened with you and Paige?' Another cheekily penned: 'But where is Paige?' Paige's representatives have been contacted by MailOnline for comment. Trouble: Fans have noticed that since Adam jetted off to Bali on a fitness retreat, the paramedic, 24, hasn't been supporting her partner on social media Confused: Fans are concerned for Adam and Paige's relationship status as the pair appear to be enjoying some time apart The couple, who appeared on both season four and eight of Love Island, became official back in August after leaving the famous villa. In a recent video that emerged on social media, personal trainer Adam was spotted with his arm around another girl after ending up in McDonald's after a boozy night out. Adam's rep told The Sun: 'Adam headed to McDonald's after a night out with friends. 'His friends were alongside him when a group of girls asked for photos and Adam being his friendly self was open to posing and chatting to the girls, alongside other fans who wanted to chat in the same video. 'Adam understands how this video looks but wants to state that he left the restaurant with his friends and a box of 60 nuggets (with nothing or no one else) with the intention of getting home safely. 'Adam and Paige are currently dating and Adam only has eyes for her.' A source claimed to The Sun on Wednesday that Paige 'is really upset by everything that has gone on and feels like she is being humiliated. 'She believes Adam didn't do anything and knows women throw themselves at him. But it doesn't mean she doesn't find it difficult when people start gossiping about their relationship and share it on social media. 'Paige had told Adam she needs a break and to spend some time away from him.' Hitting back: Last week Adam, 26, hit out at rumours he'd been unfaithful - insisting he left the fast food outlet with '60 nuggets and nothing else' Adam was a controversial figure during his first stint in the villa, with some of his scenes even sparking concerns with bosses at domestic abuse charity Women's Aid. Adam locked horns with his then partner Rosie Williams in an explosive confrontation, during which he was widely-criticised by viewers for smirking throughout the argument and later leaving her in hysterical tears. Voicing concern over Adam's actions, which saw him move on to Zara, Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Women's Aid, said: 'On the latest series of Love Island, there are clear warning signs in Adam's behaviour.' Adam was a late arrival into the villa and was initially paired with Kendall Rae-Knight before Rosie was his next partnership. Adam's rep said: 'Adam understands how this video looks but wants to state that he left the restaurant with his friends and a box of 60 nuggets (with nothing or no one else)' The business owner maintained a 'player' reputation after his stint on the show but Paige recently revealed that the ITV producers pushed her to give him a chance. Speaking on FUBAR radio with Bobby Norris and Stephen Leng, the former contestant confessed that she 'didn't even know' who the bombshell was - despite being warned he was a 'massive player' by the other girls in the villa. She explained: 'All the girls were like Paige this is Adam, I was like, 'Why are you saying his name like that? I don't know who he is.' On-screen: Paige and Adam, who appeared on both season four and eight of Love Island, became official back in August after leaving the famous villa 'They gave me the lowdown and they were rinsing him, proper giving me the insights on what he used to be like,' she continued. 'Then I was like, 'Well, if he was like that then what is he doing in here? He's just going to be a little s**t stirrer. I was going off.'' But the paramedic, who was paired with Jacques O'Neill prior to his exit, then revealed that producers had pulled her aside to try and persuade her to give Adam a chance. 'I got pulled aside and they [producers] were like, 'Paige why are you already writing him off before you've had a chance?'' she added. 'I was like, 'Because of what the girls have been saying. I don't need to have a chat with him to know there's not going to be a difference.' 'And they were like, 'No, be open-minded and just talk to him and give him a chance.' I was just like, 'What is the point, he's just going to be a massive player I'm not in here for a player, I'm here for something serious.' Speaking of their relationship, Paige added: 'It's been so good. This boy, I promise you, he's simping and it's great, I love it. We see each other when we've got time off. 'Obviously, I'm living in Swansea and he's in Newcastle and when we are away, we just keep in touch and text and whatever. But then what we tend to do when we come together, is have proper quality time. So, it works really well in our favour.' 'Me and Adam know where we stand with each other, we know where we are at, we know what we're feeling, and we're just not really bothered about anyone else's opinions.' Advertisement Kanye West has accused the Kardashian family of 'basically kidnapping' his daughter Chicago on her birthday, as he continues to make claims that ex-wife Kim Kardashian has prevented him from seeing their children. The accusation came as Khloe Kardashian made a public plea for the rapper to stop 'tearing down' her sister, after Kanye dredged up his family dispute amid the ongoing controversy surrounding his 'White Lives Matter' T-shirt at Paris Fashion Week. Kim, 41, - who co-parents to North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three with the rapper - previously denied his claim that she threw a secret birthday party for their daughter Chicago in January this year, after he alleged that the reality star had refused to tell him where it was. 'AND FOR ALL AUDIENCE SO OUTRAGED ABOUT MY T SHIRT,' Kanye, 43, wrote in his latest Instagram rant, adding: 'WHERE WAS YOU WHEN I COULDN'T SEE MY KIDS.' In response Khloe, 38, begged him to 'STOP tearing Kimberly down and using our family when you want to deflect,' and insisted that he 'Leave her and the family out of it so that the kids can be raised peacefully.' Kanye fired back on his Instagram page, calling the Kardashians 'LIARS' and accusing them of having 'BASICALLY KIDNAPPED CHICAGO ON HER BIRTHDAY SO SHE COULD REMEMBER HER FATHER NOT BEING THERE.' Fury: Khloe Kardashian and Kanye West got into a public fight on social media Wednesday, as tensions erupted over his continued claims about his ex-wife Kim Kardashian The controversy began at Kanye's Paris Fashion Week show, where he unveiled a set of shirts with the slogan: 'White Lives Matter.' Kanye and right-wing political pundit Candace Owens were pictured together wearing 'White Lives Matter' shirts at the runway extravaganza. In short order Kanye found himself faced with a deluge of criticism, including from Vogue fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who called the shirts 'pure violence.' Kanye doubled down, saying: 'EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM' and roasting Gabriella's fashion sense on Instagram. Fighting back: In response Khloe, 38, begged him to 'STOP tearing Kimberly down and using our family when you want to deflect' Going at it: Kanye fired back on his Instagram page, calling the Kardashians 'LIARS' and accusing them of having 'BASICALLY KIDNAPPED CHICAGO ON HER BIRTHDAY' Family matters: Kanye and Kim, who married in Florence in 2014, share four children - North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three However he ultimately deleted the jokes about Gabriella and replaced them with a serious post referring to 'Gabby' as his 'sister.' The Power rapper claimed he and 'Gabby' held a two-hour meeting, followed by a restaurant dinner filmed by Baz Luhrmann at Anna Wintour's request. Kanye has faced mounting blowback from public figures including Gigi Hadid, who called him 'a bully and a joke,' and his publicist Jason Lee has quit. In a new Instagram post this Wednesday, Kanye attempted to defend himself by redirecting criticism towards his ex-wife and her family. The way they were: Kim filed for divorce in February 2021 after months of rumors that their marriage was on the brink of collapse; pictured in 2020 His past tirades about his former in-laws memorably included denouncing Kim's mother Kris Jenner as 'Kris Jong Un.' 'I WONDER WHAT GIGI AND VENUSS PERSPECTIVES WERE WHEN I DIDNT KNOW WHERE MY CHILD WAS ON HER BIRTHDAY,' he wrote in his latest diatribe. 'GABBY TOLD ME THAT SHE DISAGREED WITH THAT (AND THATS ME PUTTING IT IN A NICE WAY) SHE SAID IT WAS ON HER GROUP CHATS,' Kanye claimed. 'SO WHY DID EVERYONE FEEL SO FREE TO ATTACK ME ABOUT MY T SHIRT,' he asked: 'BUT CANDACE OWENS WAS THE ONLY PUBLIC FIGURE TO SAY THAT IT WAS WRONG FOR THE KARDAHIANS TO KEEP ME FROM SEEING MY DAUGHTER.' Kanye, who previously attracted controversy for such political stances as supporting Donald Trump and saying four centuries of slavery 'sounds like a choice,' wrote: 'OR WE JUST CHIME IN WHEN WE WANT TO TEAR A BLACK MAN DOWN FOR ACTUALLY HAVING A DIFFERENT POLITICAL OPINION.' He added: 'AND FOR ALL AUDIENCE SO OUTRAGED ABOUT MY T SHIRT WHERE WAS YOU WHEN I COULDNT SEE MY KIDS,' insisting that 'I WENT PUBLIC IN OPE OF PUBLIC SUPPORT AT THAT TIME.' Source: The controversy began at Kanye's Paris Fashion Week show, where he unveiled a set of shirts with the slogan: 'White Lives Matter' In the year and a half since Kim filed for divorce, Kanye has fired up his social media multiple times to publicly feud with her, often over the children. This January Kanye claimed Kim threw Chicago a birthday party without informing him, and then refused to give him the address when he found out about it. Meanwhile sources in the Kardashian camp told TMZ that Kim and Kanye initially talked about holding two separate parties for Chicago - but that Kanye eventually decided he wanted to go to Kim's event. Kanye eventually did arrive at Chicago's birthday party, where he was pictured conducted what appeared to be a civil conversation with Kris. Polarizing: Kanye was supported by right-wing pundit Candace Owens (left), who posed with him in the shirts at the show, but denounced by Vogue fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson (right), who called the clothing 'pure violence' When Kanye revived the issue on his Instagram page this week, Khloe wrote: 'Ye, I love you. I dont want to do this on social media but YOU keep bringing it here. You are the father of my nieces and nephews and Im trying to be respectful but please STOP tearing Kimberly down and using our family when you want to deflect.' She went on: 'Again with the birthday narrative. Enough already. We all know the truth and in my opinion, everyones tired of it. You know exactly where your children are at all times and YOU wanted separate birthdays. I have seen all of the texts to prove it. And when you changed your mind and wanted to attend, you came.' Khloe added pointedly: 'Like you have pointed out yourself, she is the one taking care of your kids 80% of the time. Please Leave her and the family out of it so that the kids can be raised peacefully.' The Revenge Body star concluded: 'I come from a place of love and I am happy to continue this conversation privately if you wish.' Power of suggestion: Meanwhile Kim and Khloe's supermodel sister Kendall Jenner has been hinting on social media about where her personal sympathies lie as regards the 'White Lives Matter' controversy Rather than having the discussion behind closed doors, however, Kanye posted a screenshot of Khloe's comment to Instagram and issued a fiery response. 'YOU ARE LYING AND ARE LIARS YALL BASICALLY KIDNAPPED CHICAGO ON HER BIRTHDAY SO SHE COULD REMEMBER HER FATHER NOT BEING THERE,' he raged. He alleged that his fellow rapper Travis Scott, who shares two children with Kim's little sister Kylie Jenner, 'GAVE ME THE ADDRESS OF MY CHILDS PARTY THATS HOW YALL PLAY WITH BLACK FATHERS.' Adding to his previous allegations, Kanye wrote: 'YALL ALSO THREW A PARTY BEFORE PSALMS BIRTHDAY WHEN I WAS FLYING BACK FROM JAPAN TO BE THERE FOR HIS BIRTHDAY AND THE FIRST I HEARD ABOUT IT WAS SEEING PICS OF THE PARTY ON LINE.' Letting it out: Kanye has faced mounting blowback from public figures including Gigi Hadid (left), who called him 'a bully and a joke,' and his publicist Jason Lee (right) has quit Kanye fumed: 'ALSO I SHOULD SEE MY CHILDREN 100 % OF THE TIME BUT SINCE THERES A SEPARATION IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 50% OF THE TIME.' In a reference to his late mother, whom he named his latest album after, he wrote: 'YALL WOULDNT HAVE PLAYED WITH DONDA LIKE THAT IN JESUS NAME.' As the morning went on, Kanye revealed that his 'pick' to 'PLAY ME IN A YE MOVIE' is 'Jamie Foxx One of the greatest geniuses,' who won an Oscar for a biopic of musical legend Ray Charles. Meanwhile Kim and Khloe's supermodel sister Kendall Jenner has been hinting on social media about where her personal sympathies lie as regards the 'White Lives Matter' controversy. Making a splash: In tweets liked by Kendall, Jaden announced that he had walked out of Kanye's show because 'I Dont Care Whos It Is If I Dont Feel The Message Im Out' She liked a series of tweets in which Will Smith's son Jaden revealed he walked out of Kanye's fashion show because 'I Dont Care Whos It Is If I Dont Feel The Message Im Out.' Jaden previously drew attention for his eye-catching tweets after his father slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars over a joke, in a wild outburst that went viral all over the world. Will went on to win the best actor Oscar and deliver a freewheeling speech in which he sobbed that he wanted to be a 'vessel of love' and a 'river to my people.' Kim is keeping schtum: In a new Instagram post this Wednesday, Kanye attempted to defend himself by redirecting criticism towards his ex-wife and her family After the zany monologue, Jaden wrote on Twitter: 'And Thats How We Do It.' Meanwhile Kendall has landed in multiple race rows herself, including a seething cultural appropriation furor after she launched a tequila line called 818 after the Los Angeles area code where she grew up. A few years ago she was also raked over the coals for alleged racial insensitivity after she starred in an infamous Pepsi ad in which she establishes peace between police officers and protestors by offering them soda. Angelina Jolie has been pictured out with her children Zahara and Maddox just one day before filing explosive court documents accusing her ex-husband Brad Pitt of violence. The Tomb Raider actress, 47, and her two children braved the rain for a spot of shopping in New York City on Monday. Angelina linked arms with her daughter Zahara, 17, as the teen carried an umbrella while her son Maddox, 21, followed close behind. Stepping out: Angelina Jolie has been pictured out with her children Zahara and Maddox in New York on Monday, just a day before filing explosive court documents accusing her ex Brad Pitt of violence Angelina smiled in the rain with a pair of tinted glasses propped over her eyes and a black trench coat shielding her from the rain. She wore a glossy white dress, black ankle boots, and a leather purse over her shoulder. Zahara wore a black long-sleeve top, jeans, and white sneakers as she shared an umbrella with her mom. Maddox was looking stylish in a black jacket, graphic print T-shirt, and beanie. Braving the rain: At one point, Angelina assumed control of the umbrella as she stepped out with a shopping bag in hand At one point, Angelina assumed control of the umbrella as she stepped out with a shopping bag in hand. The outing came several days before a new TMZ report alleged Angelina had been embarking on a smear campaign against Pitt which has taken an extreme toll on the children and has poisoned them against their father. Their six children, according to sources close to Brad, are now all but estranged from Pitt. The actor has a 'limited and strained relationship, because of her campaign of alienation,' a source told the site. Family time: Angelina smiled in the rain with a pair of tinted glasses propped over her eyes and a black trench coat shielding her from the rain Meanwhile: Pitt was spotted leaving an office building in Los Angeles on Tuesday, shortly after his ex-wife counter-sued him in their acrimonious battle over their French winery Insiders pointed out that Angelina has been alleging for six years that her ex got physical with at least one of their children during a 2016 altercation on board a private jet. She also claimed Pitt poured beer on her during this altercation. Pitt denied the accusations yet Jolie has continued to pursue the issue with authorities, urging them to prosecute him, according to TMZ. An FBI investigation was conducted but did not move forward after they deemed the accusations insufficient. TMZ sources also claim an investigation was conducted by the Department Of Children & Family Services, but that too was closed due to a lack of evidence. In addition, Angelina attempted to persuade a judge that Pitt was an unfit parent who should not be granted any custody of their children. Ultimately, after hearing evidence, the judge essentially shot down Jolie's abuse claims by granting the exes 50/50 custody. Jolie and Brad Pitt are pictured in November 2008 with their six children. The couple separated in 2016, following an explosive row on a private jet. On Tuesday, Jolie detailed in court documents the circumstances of the violent altercation She then attempted to make her private jet allegations public by filing what she believed was an anonymous freedom of information lawsuit against the FBI. On Tuesday, Angelina went into great detail about the private jet incident when she filed legal documents over the winery she and Pitt own, Chateau Miraval. According to insiders, Angelina's behavior indicates that all she wants is revenge against her ex. Insiders claim Angelina has 'won' as she has allegedly poisoned their children against Pitt with the actor having zero, if any, relationship with the kids. According to sources, the entire family is the victim. Sources also noted that Pitt has never said anything bad publicly about his ex out of respect for their children, however he is incredibly hurt by what he perceives to be a horrible attack on him. Pitt (seen on July 18) has sued Jolie over her decision to sell half of their French winery. Jolie (right, in October 2021), counter sued on Tuesday On Tuesday, Jolie filed explosive court documents as part of her long-running separation battle with Pitt, accusing her ex-husband of having 'choked' one of their six children during a violent dispute on a private jet, hitting another in the face, and slamming the actress against a wall while grabbing her hair. Jolie said Pitt's behavior on the September 2016 flight from France to California left the children crying and traumatized, and left her with injuries to her back and elbow. Five days after the flight she filed for divorce, and in September 2021 she sold her stake in the French winery she co-owned with Pitt. He sued her over the sale, and on Tuesday she counter-sued, blaming him for sparking the highly-public mud slinging. 'She has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day,' Jolie's lawyers write. 'But when Pitt filed this lawsuit seeking to reassert control over Jolie's financial life and compel her to rejoin her ex-husband as a frozen-out business partner, Pitt forced Jolie to publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time.' The former couple are pictured at Brie-Champniers airport in France as they board a private jet in 2007, the year before they bought the Miraval property Jolie spelled out in detail the violent altercation in September 2016, which she said led to their divorce and the current dispute over the winery. The couple, first linked up in 2005, bought the winery, Chateau Miraval, in 2008. Jolie said that, when they bought the property, their respective representatives discussed signing an agreement, setting out the terms of how the property would be split if the couple separated. But she said Pitt did not want any such agreement. Jolie's lawyers say that Pitt's financial manager wrote in an email: 'Early in the process I raised the issue of a buy / sell agreement between A & B but was told by Brad it wasn't necessary for two reasonable people to have such an agreement.' The idea was dropped, and the pair were married at the chateau in August 2014. In the court documents, she said she considered it an investment for their family, plus a home. Jolie accused Pitt of failing to consult her on the development of the estate and installing a fifth swimming pool at a cost of one million euros. But she said she did not object at the time. 'Jolie had always taken an active role in design for any home she had lived in (and those she has since lived in), and when she and Pitt purchased the chateau, initially expected to do the same for their new home,' her lawyers write. 'But Pitt pushed for creative control consistent with his own taste and vision. 'While Jolie would have preferred a more collaborative approach, she acquiesced to Pitt's desire to take control over the project, although she sometimes questioned why, for example, the chateau needed a fifth pool at the cost of one million euros, or why the same staircase needed to be rebuilt four times. 'If Jolie ever questioned such expenditures, Pitt defended them as critical to his vision for the chateau.' This is the Miraval Chateau and the 1,000-acre estate - now valued at $164M - where the couple tied the knot in 2008 Jolie and Pitt married in 2014, and are pictured together in November 2015 Pitt and Jolie with their children at Los Angeles airport in February 2014 Jolie said that the marriage 'came to an end' on the September 14, 2016, flight. 'Throughout the long, overnight flight, Pitt was physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children, who were then between the ages of 8 and 15,' the court documents claim. 'After that flight, for her family's well-being, Jolie decided to file for divorce.' She said that Pitt 'had a confrontation' with one of the children before arriving at the airport, and when Jolie asked him on the plane what was wrong, he 'accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her.' Jolie alleges that Pitt, 90 minutes later, sought Jolie out and reprimanded her for her actions. 'He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her,' the court documents state. 'Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall. 'Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom. 'As she exited, one of their children asked, 'Are you ok, mommy?' 'Pitt yelled back, "No, mommy's not ok" and started deriding Jolie with insults.' Jolie claims that when one of the children spoke up in her defense, Pitt 'lunged' at the child, and Jolie grabbed him to stop him. 'To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow. 'The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. 'Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. 'Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying.' Jolie and Pitt are pictured with their son Maddox in November 2013 For the rest of the flight, 'to avoid Pitt's wrath', Jolie and the children 'sat still and silent under blankets.' The lawyers write: 'Nobody dared to go to the bathroom. Pitt periodically emerged from the back of the plane to yell and swear at them. 'At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children. 'After many tense hours, Pitt finally fell asleep.' On landing, Jolie woke him up and told him she and the children were going to a hotel instead of to their home. 'He shouted that nobody was getting off the plane and prevented the family from deplaning for about 20 minutes,' the court documents state. 'After a child intervened and demanded to leave, Pitt finally relented. 'But once outside the plane door, Pitt again physically abused one of their children. 'He also grabbed and shook Jolie by the head and shoulders, causing one of the children to beg, 'Don't hurt her.' 'He let Jolie go, but then called her a 'b****,' before adding, 'F*** you, f*** you all.'' An investigation was launched, but no charges were ever filed. Seven months later, in April 2022, Jolie under the alias 'Jane Doe' sued the FBI, seeking to know why the inquiry was dropped. Her actions were only revealed in August this year when Rolling Stone magazine obtained a copy of the FBI report. Jolie's anonymous suit alleged that she'd filed countless requests for a copy of the department's investigative file to gain a 'better understanding the FBI's investigation and obtaining information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling.' Jolie, in her court documents, states that their joint ownership of the winery became increasingly contentious. 'With Chateau Miraval now her most important asset, Jolie began to seek a more active role both in understanding the chateau and winery's various projects and in understanding and overseeing its finances,' the court documents state. 'As disputes and complications arose in the related divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt's conduct hardened as he attempted to cement his control over the winery.' She accuses Pitt of attempting to freeze her out of the business and using the revenue from the business to fund his own projects. 'Pitt's refusal to distribute profits alone gave him substantial leverage and control over Jolie in their ongoing disputes,' she said. 'By 2019, Jolie was growing increasingly uncomfortable with continuing to participate in an alcohol-related business, given the impact of Pitt's acknowledged problem of alcohol abuse on their family. 'Resigned that Pitt would not share control of the winery or distribute any profits, concerned about participating in a business that was associated with such painful and traumatic memories for her and their children, and seeking financial independence, Jolie concluded that she needed to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval.' Pitt has argued that Jolie unilaterally sold her stake to multinational drinks giant Stoli, but Jolie on Tuesday argued she offered Pitt the chance to buy her out. She said a $54.5 million deal was reached to sell her share to Pitt, but he backed out when she filed allegations of violence. 'In the couple's child custody case, Jolie submitted under seal (meaning no member of the public could see any portion of it except the document title) an 'Offer of Proof and Authority re Testimony Regarding Domestic Violence.' 'This filing apparently enraged Pitt, and in response to that submission, on March 26, 2021, Pitt's team notified Jolie's team that Pitt was 'stepping back' from the Miraval deal.' Jolie is seen with her daughter Shiloh in Rome on July 9 She sold her stake to Stoli in September 2021 and is now seeking a judge's final approval for the sale. 'After failing to bully Jolie into agreeing to a non-disparagement clause in exchange for her economic freedom and security, Pitt now claims that Jolie was not authorized to sell her interest in Chateau Miraval and is asking the Court to unwind the sale,' Jolie's lawyers write. 'Again, Pitt's entire case against Jolie is premised largely on his supposed unwritten, unspoken agreement to always give the other a consent or veto right over any sale of the other's interest in the chateau and winery no matter the circumstances and no matter whether they even remained a couple. 'But the first time Jolie ever heard of this supposed consent right was when she was alerted to press reports that Pitt had sued her and later read Pitt's complaint.' The court documents conclude: 'Jolie requests that the Court declare that no such agreement exists and that Jolie's sale of Nouvel to Stoli's subsidiary is final. 'With these declarations, Jolie can finally have what she thought she had when she sold Nouvel to Stoli in 2021: To move on from the winery and chateau, to have financial independence from her ex-husband, and to finally have some form of peace and closure to this deeply painful and traumatic chapter of her and their children's lives.' A source close to Pitt told DailyMail.com: 'She continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants. Her story is constantly evolving.' The source added: 'She had the chance to share this during the lengthy custody trial, which resulted in the judge granting 50-50 custody to Pitt following in-depth observations and analysis by doctors, therapists, and other experts. 'Her and her team go back to the same thing month after month with new and false information.' Kourtney Kardashian has revealed that she first said no to Travis Barker's many requests for vegan sushi dates and trips to movie theaters to watch romantic comedies. And it was not until the Keeping Up With The Kardashian star's therapist stepped in and encouraged her to go out with the drummer that she decided to give Barker a try. Now the 43-year-old reality TV star and the 46-year-old Blink 182 musician are happily married and enjoying their blended family; together they parent six children. She was hesitant at first: Kourtney Kardashian has revealed that she first said no to Travis Barker's many requests for vegan sushi dates and trips to movie theaters to watch romantic comedies. And it was not until the Keeping Up With The Kardashian star's therapist stepped in and encouraged her to go out with the drummer that she decided to give Barker a try So fresh: Now the 43-year-old reality TV star and the 46-year-old Blink 182 musician are happily married and enjoying their blended family; together they parent six children The two were longtime pals living in the same Calabasas, California neighborhood. Their kids often hung out together and that drew them closer. But when Barker started asking out the pinup on dates, she pulled back. The brunette beauty - who has Mason, 12, Penelope, ten, and Reign, seven, with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick - told the Not Skinny But Not Fat's Apple podcast: 'He would ask me to go for sushi or vegan sushi, of course... he would ask me to go to the movies. 'I could never go. I could never,' she noted. 'And [the therapist] was like, "Why? You know, he sounds like a good dad."' Barker has kids Alabama and Landon with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. And he also parents Atianna De La Hoya, whose folks are Shanna and Oscar De La Hoya. Visiting the past: The two were longtime pals living in the same Calabasas, California neighborhood. Their kids often hung out together and that drew them closer. But when Barker started asking out the pinup on dates, she pulled back A slow burn: The brunette beauty - who has Mason, 12, Penelope, ten, and Reign, seven, with ex-boyfriend Scott Disick - told the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast: 'He would ask me to go for sushi or vegan sushi, of course. But he would ask me to go to the movies'; seen in May But Kourtney was not ready to get frisky with the rocker: I just was like, "But what if he tried to kiss me or what if he held my hand or what if?"' said Kourtney on the podcast. Eventually Kourtney listened to her therapist and saw a movie with Travis, which led to their romance. Travis previously admitted that he was 'fine' before he started dating Kourtney. The music star - who has previously been married to Melissa Kennedy and Moakler - admitted he wasn't particularly looking for love at the time. Raunchy red carpet royals: 'I could never go. I could never,' she noted He said: '[I was] fine with just being single the rest of my life and being a studio rat.' Despite this, Travis acknowledges that he's now 'living again' after falling in love with Kourtney. The musician - who married the reality star earlier this year - said: 'I love my career. I found the love of my life. She's cured me. It feels like I'm living again.' The loved-up couple have shared their romance on The Kardashians - but they're still trying to keep some things 'sacred'. She had advice: 'And [the therapist] was like, "Why? You know, he sounds like a good dad."' Barker has kids Alabama and Landon with ex-wife Shanna Moakler. And he also parents Atianna De La Hoya, whose folks are Shanna and Oscar De La Hoya Travis explained: 'I told her, "I never want to jeopardize what we have because it is sacred."' Also on the podcast, Kardashian said she felt 'pushed' into having IVF treatment. The star is keen to have a baby with husband Travis Barker - but she's now feeling much more philosophical about the situation than she once was. Kourtney shared: 'I got to a place where I just felt, like, exactly how timing was everything with me and Travis. I feel - truly - like if it's meant to be, It'll happen.' They are very close now: Seen at the Boohoo X Kourtney Kardashian Barker Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week (NYFW) in September The way she was: With Scott Disick as well as Khloe and Kim Kardashian in 2007 The brunette beauty and Travis, 46, are 'done with IVF' for the time being. Kourtney also suggested that she was previously pressured into trying the treatment, which helps people dealing with fertility issues. She said: 'I felt like we kind of got pushed into doing IVF.' Kourtney and Travis tied the knot earlier this year. But the reality star was disappointed by how their romance was overshadowed by Scott's reaction to their engagement on 'The Kardashians'. The show must go on: Kourtney, far, right, with, from left, Khloe, Kim, Kendall, Kris and Kylie Kourtney- who split from Scott in 2015 - told the 'Not Skinny But Not Fat' podcast 'I was upset that they chose to take my fairy tale and like include that part of it. It just bothered me, like, these people that, you know, [are on the] production [team] are, like, making the choice of what my story is.' Kourtney understands why TV bosses might choose to focus on Scott's reaction. But she was still 'bothered' by how it was portrayed on screen. She said: 'I think it just bothered me because I felt like this is my fairy tale. Yeah. And I was like, 'Why can't we show the happy, the happy ending? Why do we have to focus on this?' And I get it's TV and blah, blah, blah. To me, I was not having it. I was like, 'You wouldn't do this to anyone else.'' The first round of the Brazilian elections are over. Our priority and central struggle now is to help the working class defeat Bolsonaro at the polls on 30 October. For this, first of all, it is necessary to understand the real proportion of votes in the first round. The 57.2 million votes for Lula and the 51 million votes for Bolsonaro correspond to 48.4 percent and 43.2 percent of the so-called valid votes. However, when we consider the total of 156.4 million voters eligible to vote in Brazil, it is clear that Lula received a vote of 36.6 percent of them and Bolsonaro only 32.6 percent, that is, less than a third. Read the original in Portuguese | Although Lula won 6.2 million more votes than Bolsonaro in the first round (and therefore he is much more likely to win in the second round), the fact is that the political line of Lula's campaign is a recipe for defeat, as we warned months ago. And even this significant advantage can be lost. The reason why the Bolsonaro government, so hated by the majority of the population, was not decisively defeated in the first round, is none other than Lulas political line of national unity with the bourgeoisie. The Marxist Left [IMT in Brazil] launched the slogan Fora Bolsonaro! (Bolsonaro Out!) in March 2019, in opposition to virtually all parties, tendencies and left-wing leaders, from the PT to the PSOL, including Lula. Everyone remembers that Lula came out of prison openly opposing the Fora Bolsonaro movement and defending the idea that Bolsonaros four-year term should be respected. The truth is that the Bolsonaro government could have been overthrown before 2022, on the streets. However, the leaderships of the labour and youth movement (PT, CUT, PSOL, PCdoB, UNE, the large unions) blocked the development of mass mobilisations against the government in particular those that took place between May and July of last year and worked to channel popular discontent into the electoral arena, that is, into the territory of the bourgeoisie. Bolsonaro, at the head of the state machine, used all the weapons available to him to contain his drop in popularity. He used a series of electoral measures, such as raising Auxilio Brasil (formerly Bolsa Familia, a social welfare programme) to R$600.00 and increasing the number of beneficiaries; tax reductions to reduce the price of gasoline; benefits for truck drivers and taxi drivers etc. Improvements in general economic indices (even if timid and fleeting) and the pandemic finally starting to be brought under control (which, of course, occurs despite Bolsonaro) may also have benefited the government at this time. Bolsonarismo: an enduring minority In any case, the result of the first round demonstrates that Bolsonarismo was able to maintain a loyal base of voters, electing a series of deputies, senators and governors in the states. But this observation cannot lead us to impressionistic evaluations that inflate the real strength of Bolsonaro and his followers. The numbers also show that they continue to have minority support in society as a whole and that, most likely, Bolsonaro is the first president who will fail to be reelected in Brazil since the reelection rule was passed. Bolsonaro only won in 2,192 municipalities, while Lula won in 3,378. Bolsonaro was defeated in 660 cities that he had won in 2018, including Sao Paulo, the largest city and the main political and economic centre in the country. The first round demonstrates that Bolsonarismo was able to maintain a loyal base of voters / Image: Palacio do Planalto However, it is essential here to analyse the results of Lula and the PT, and their inability to win a majority of votes to defeat Bolsonaro in the first round. It is necessary to understand why, for example, the Lula-Alckmin candidacy was not able to mobilise the more than 38 million who did not vote for anyone (including blank votes, spoiled ballots, and abstentions) in these elections. It is true that polarisation has reduced the number of non-votes, in particular blank and spoiled ballots, but even so there was a huge number of voters who did not vote for any candidate. This can only be explained by the persistence of a general discrediting of elections, parties and candidates, that is, of bourgeois democracy. The meltdown of the more traditional bourgeois political parties is another demonstration of this. The PSDB, the preferred party of the bourgeoisie, the one which is most aligned with international finance capital, is in crisis and has not managed to stand a candidate for president. In Sao Paulo, where they have ruled since 1994, their candidate for government and current governor (Rodrigo Garcia) did not even make it into the second round. The so-called third way, as in 2018, produced poor results. At this juncture, the line developed by the PT is one of defence of bourgeois democracy, the bourgeois order and its institutions: it is a line of class conciliation. Lula has put his signature to a statement in defence of the rotten bourgeois institutions and forms alliances with bourgeois parties and candidates (represented by his running mate, Geraldo Alckmin). On the eve of the first round, he met with businessmen and bankers. This is the line of defeat, which led the PT to shipwreck and prepared the ground for the removal of former president Dilma Rouseff from the presidency and propitiated the growth of Bolsonarismo. It is worth remembering that the popularity of the Dilma government was around 10 percent on the eve of impeachment, and the PT suffered numerous electoral defeats in recent years, particularly in the country's main political and economic centres. Today, after the experience of 13 years of governments of class collaboration with the bourgeoisie and countless betrayals in that period, added to attacks by the same bourgeois institutions it defends, including the public ridicule of Lula and his imprisonment, the PT has not even a shadow of the political authority it once had. In this first round, we saw the Brazilian left mostly carrying out the most right-wing campaign since the end of the country's dictatorship. Candidates from the PT, PCdoB and PSOL expressed, for the most part, policies of a liberal left, crying out in defence of bourgeois democracy, and postmodernism, expressing a polyclass and identity-based perspective for public debate. It is necessary to note the absence of any debate based on the struggle between exploiters and exploited, which would unify the brutal experience of all layers of the proletariat under the Bolsonaro government. In view of this, numerous layers of the proletariat were led to interpret the situation through superficial lenses, reflecting religious and moral prejudices, which are disseminated by the direct and indirect agents of the ruling classes. Critical support for Lula Yet despite all this, the vast majority of the working class and conscious youth are using the visible tool at hand Lulas candidacy to defeat the Bolsonaro government. Despite Alckmin, despite the defence of bourgeois order, despite a political line that does not encourage a militant campaign, and which only in recent weeks made an effort to increase mobilisation in street rallies. The vast majority of the working class and conscious youth are using Lulas candidacy to defeat the Bolsonaro government, despite his partnership with Alckmin / Image: PSB Nacional 40Lula Alckmin Image PSB Nacional 40 The Marxist Left has already defended a critical vote for Lula in the first round and reaffirms this position for the second round. Vote for Lula to defeat Bolsonaro and continue the fight for the immediate and historic demands of the working class. We also reaffirm that in this second round, in Sao Paulo, Bahia, Sergipe and Santa Catarina, we defend a critical vote for PT candidates for governor against the candidates of the bourgeois parties. Whatever the final result of this election, it is necessary to strengthen the independent organisation of youth and workers. Bolsonaro may be defeated, but Bolsonarismo survives and has achieved a significant base in parliament. Social polarisation and the emergence of populist and far-right political expressions are not unique to Brazil. The recent Italian elections gave the victory to a party with a direct historical connection to Musollini; in England, Boris Johnson's successor, Liz Truss, bases herself on Margaret Thatcher (albeit with little success); in the US, Trumpism is still going strong. On the other hand, the working class seeks to express its resistance and fight by all means at its disposal. Thus we have seen the recent election of Boric in Chile, Petro in Colombia, the massive vote for [PSOL leader] Boulos in Sao Paulo, as well as the possible election of Lula as president. We are also seeing the wave of strikes in the US and UK and the uprising of Iranian women in recent weeks. The deep international crisis of the capitalist system can only result in more attempts by the ruling class to attack the proletariat and this will lead to more and more class struggle. There is no solution under capitalism, neither in Brazil nor in any country in the world. It is necessary to explain, act, fight, win more and more young people and workers to a line of class independence and struggle for socialism. Most of the young people who took to the streets since the demonstrations against education cuts in 2019, who surprised the frightened left by defying the government in mass mobilizations already in May of that year, this youth who turned the 2020 Carnival into a festival Fora Bolsonaro, and who later beat pots and pans and organised to overthrow Bolsonaro in the midst of the pandemic and took to the streets last year, this youth supported Lulas candidacy in this 1st round to get rid of Bolsonaro. This youth represents a perspective of the future for the working class and to it, mainly, we address ourselves. In this 2nd turn, we will continue the struggle that we carried out in the first. We will fight for a critical vote for Lula, explaining, at the same time, the rottenness of the capitalist regime and the need for a socialist revolution to stop the path towards barbarism. The Marxist Left participated in these elections, running candidates that had no illusions in the bourgeois institutions, shaped by and for the enemy class to maintain their domination. We explained the need for struggle and organisation to build a new society. The resolution of the National MS Conference, held on 2-3 July, defined our objectives in electoral intervention: The success of our electoral intervention will not be measured, in any case, by the number of votes in the candidacies presented, but rather, and fundamentally, by the number of new comrades won, of new cells constituted and, also, by the collection made to guarantee the financial independence that guarantees political independence and that provides the means for building the revolutionary organisation. Our campaigns explained the truth, presenting a revolutionary platform, explaining our analysis and the need to fight for the construction of a new world, placing as a central task, in each activity, the strengthening of the revolutionary organisation. We handed out leaflets in schools, universities and workplaces; organised meetings and debates; gathered new contacts and have already begun to integrate new militants into our ranks. A great effort amidst the sea of adapted and opportunistic campaigns, including among the left. We are proud to fight this fight by refusing funds from the party and electoral fund, defending the militant self-financing of parties and candidates that represent the working class. We also salute the re-election of comrade Glauber Braga [PSOL] to the position of Federal Deputy in Rio de Janeiro, supported by the Marxist Left. This means the continuation of a mandate on which we fought important joint struggles, such as the fight against the PSOL forming a federation with the [bourgeois party] Rede and for the party to have its own presidential candidate. The results of the PSOL, such as the increase from 10 to 12 federal deputies, could have been even more impressive were it not for the policy developed by the party leadership, of adaptation to the PT and class conciliation. May the mandate of comrade Glauber continue to be a point of support for the organisation and struggle of young people and workers. Until 30 October, we defend the maximum possible unity and mobilisation to defeat the Bolsonaro government. We invite everyone to join us in this fight, and to join the ranks of the Marxist Left. Fora Bolsonaro! Down with capitalism! For a workers' government, without bosses nor generals! Long live international socialism! Alison Hammond has praised Kate Garraway for juggling caring for her Covid-stricken husband Derek Draper with her work commitments. The presenter, 47, appeared on This Morning on Wednesday to speak about filming DNA Journey with the Good Morning Britain host, 55. The pair went on a road trip together and travelled from Bristol to Jamaica to find out about their family histories through DNA and genealogy for the ITV programme. Kind words: Alison Hammond has praised Kate Garraway for juggling caring for her Covid-stricken husband Derek Draper with her work commitments Speaking about the time they spent together, Alison admitted Kate was 'constantly' talking to her husband Derek, 55, and 'juggling' other commitments during the trip. Derek is one of the UK's longest-suffering patients of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020, only returning home in April 2021, where he receives round-the-clock care. Touching on Derek's illness, Alison said it was an 'eye opener' to see how much Kate 'goes through' as she described her friend as a 'doer'. 'I think we both needed a break and going off to Jamaica was just incredible. It was so nice to see Kate in her environment,' she explained. Health: Derek is one of the UK's longest-suffering patients of Covid after being admitted to hospital with the virus in March 2020, only returning home in April 2021 'Even though she was working, she was constantly doing stuff. She's a doer this woman. 'She was talking to Derek and just juggling. The amount of juggling and things that I saw you doing was just an eye opener for me of how much this woman goes through.' Kate shares her two children - William, 13, and Darcey, 16 - with her husband and juggles raising her kids with looking after Derek and hosting Good Morning Britain. The broadcaster revealed in July that Derek was back in hospital, however he has since returned home. Caring: Touching on Derek's illness, Alison said it was an 'eye opener' to see how much Kate 'goes through' as she described her friend as a 'doer' He was released from hospital last year but still requires round the clock care and daily medication amid his ongoing battle with long Covid. Kate previously admitted that if left unaided for over three days, Derek could die. He is bed-stricken, with Kate doing much of the caring herself. Previously speaking to Good Housekeeping about Derek, Kate said: 'When you nearly lose someone, it certainly brings everything into sharp focus. 'In many ways, we're still learning how we are as man and wife, as so much has changed. Support: Speaking about filming DNA Journey together, Alison said Kate was 'constantly' talking to her husband Derek, 55, and 'juggling' other commitments during the trip 'It's the same for the children they're having to relearn the experience of being with their dad. And, of course, the biggest learning is for poor Derek.' Alison's comments come after she filmed DNA Journey with Kate, which saw the latter discover she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond. On the show, Kate was introduced to Karen Jankel, the daughter of the late author, as it was revealed the pair share the same three times great-grandparent. They shared an emotional embrace after aptly meeting near the London train station that bears Paddington's name. Surprising news: Alison's comments come after she filmed DNA Journey with Kate, which saw the latter discover she is related to the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond The children's book character famously arrived in London from the deepest, darkest jungles of Peru and first appeared in print in 1958 in the book A Bear Called Paddington. Karen told Kate she wanted to introduce her to her 'famous brother', before revealing a stuffed toy of Paddington Bear - complete with a travel tag reading 'Darkest Peru'. 'Paddington and I grew up together,' she told her. 'The reason is that my father was Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington, which means that of course you are also related to Michael Bond.' Wow! On the show, Kate was introduced to Karen Jankel, the daughter of the late author, as it was revealed the pair share the same three times great-grandparent She said of the marmalade-loving bear: 'He was always part of my family. He is so real to our family, and now to your family too, because he is a member of the family. 'He used to sit on the table at meal times and my father used to talk to him and talk through him to us. Of course, I never knew anything else because he was always around.' Karen also showed Kate her first edition copy of A Bear Called Paddington, signed by her father in September 1959. 'It was always my absolute favourite growing up,' Kate admitted. 'It has been said to me over the years that I do have a touch of Paddington Bear about me and that is because without meaning to, he does cause an extraordinary amount of chaos.' Family: British author Michael Bond (pictured with his daughter Karen) published more than 20 books featuring Paddington Bear before his death in June 2017 aged 91 The TV star also joked she used to regularly eat marmalade sandwiches during her time at university. British author Michael Bond published more than 20 books featuring Paddington Bear before his death in June 2017 aged 91. His creation - known for his battered hat, suitcase and duffle coat - remains a classic of children's writing and featured in a sketch with the Queen during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations this year. The Queen had delighted millions of viewers after appearing in the comic sketch with the bear to kick-start the Party in The Palace Jubilee Concert on June 4. The pair had tapped out the beat of Queen's We Will Rock You anthem together on china teacups using silver spoons as a unique way of getting the celebrations under way. Sweet: Karen told Kate she wanted to introduce her to her 'famous brother', before revealing a stuffed toy of Paddington Bear - complete with a travel tag reading 'Darkest Peru' The sketch, which the Queen spent half a day filming, was hailed by Britons as better than her Olympic opening show cameo with James Bond. After Queen Elizabeth II's death on September 8, people also left Paddington Bear toys outside Buckingham Palace in memory of Her Majesty. Emotional social media users also shared poignant tributes showing the Queen walking into the sunset with Paddington after the sad news of her death. The Paddington books have sold more than 30million copies worldwide and been translated into approximately 30 languages. The episode of DNA Journey also saw Kate visit Bristol with Alison Hammond to hear about her distant relative Frederick Lambert, her first cousin three generations removed. Interesting: The episode of DNA Journey also saw Kate visit Britsol with Alison to hear about her distant relative Frederick Lambert, her first cousin three generations removed Frederick lived and worked as a photographer in the city during the 1840s while still a teenager. In a preview clip, shared to Instagram by Alison, Kate and the This Morning host joked that they could find out they were cousins on the show. 'Would it change how you was with me?' Alison asked Kate. 'Do you think you'd come around to my house more often?' To which Kate humorously replied: 'Well look... do you think you'd invite me?' DNA Journey airs on Thursday on ITV at 9pm. She keeps her legions of followers entertained with a regular supply of scintillating snaps. And Lottie Moss was at it again on Wednesday as she showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a racy lingerie suit. The model, 24, set pulses racing as she donned a baby pink two-piece with a frilled detail and a lace knot as she posed on a bed. Stunning: Lottie Moss was at it again on Wednesday as she showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a racy lingerie suit Also sporting a white woolly ushanka hat, Lottie let her platinum blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders. Accentuating her beauty with a light pallette of makeup, the star completed her look with a pair of silk gloves. Alongside the post, the OnlyFans model wrote: 'We named her svetlana'. It comes after Lottie revealed that she's moved into her parents' Cotswolds home to concentrate on her mental health. Racy: The model, 24, set pulses racing as she donned a baby pink two-piece with a frilled detail and a lace knot as she posed on a bed She moved back in with her parents earlier this month while treating an undisclosed mental health issue - shortly after entering a rehab facility in the United States. Lottie had been living in Los Angeles, but returned to the United Kingdom in August after her visa expired. She has since taken residence with parents Inger Solnordal and Peter Moss, Kate's father through his first marriage to Linda Shepherd, at their Cotswolds home while she focuses on her mental wellbeing. Taking to Twitter earlier this month she wrote: 'I have been staying at my parents house having a time out from life - it turns out I really needed it! Beauty: Also sporting a white woolly ushanka hat, Lottie let her platinum blonde locks fall loose down her shoulders 'I started modelling when I was around 16 and it had really negative effects on my mental health and the amount of parties with free drinks I was attending also did not help!' The model, who earns an income through subscription only site OnlyFans, also claimed she's already started to benefit from being closer to her loved ones. She added: '[But] I really do think I am on the path to a much happier more fulfilled life as I am now doing things for myself and having been told being me was not good enough for years its honestly so refreshing to see how many people really do support me.' In February, Lottie sought treatment for mental health and substance abuse issues at an undisclosed facility in the United States - but was still able to share content on social media. Referencing HBO's new series Euphoria - which focuses on a group of drug addicted high school students - Lottie told fans: 'I think I took euphoria too literally u guys.' The flippant post was one of several shared by the model during her time in rehab, prompting a mixed response from followers. Concern: Lottie is currently staying with parents Inger Solnordal and Peter Moss, Kate's father through his first marriage to Linda Shepherd Lottie recently claimed she was given alcohol and drugs to get through modelling shoots. She said she was led to believe that taking drugs was 'normal' in the industry and claimed to have been given substances to use whenever she was 'exhausted' at events. Speaking about drug use in the industry, Lottie told the Call Her Daddy podcast: 'I think I just thought it was normal and I was going to these events and parties and I was exhausted, that was the only way I was getting through it. 'A lot of the time I would be showing up to set and I would not be happy and I didn't want to do it, I'd be crying my eyes out and they said, "we'll just get you some drugs, you can have a drink and then you'll be fine" 'It was very much like that, ''oh you'll do this shoot, whether you're sober or not. It's going to happen'.' Jerry O'Connell was put in an awkward position on a recent episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Cohen, 54, seemed to be criticizing Jerry's The Talk co-hosts Amanda Kloots and Sheryl Underwood when he unexpectedly said that the 48-year-old personality is 'carrying' the show. 'CBS should quadruple your salary because there's one person who is carrying the show and I'm sorry but he is sitting right here,' the Bravo star said. Uncomfortable: Jerry O'Connell was put in an awkward position as Andy Cohen shaded his The Talk co-hosts when he unexpectedly said that the 48-year-old personality is 'carrying' the show The criticism started with Andy saying, 'I have to say, I have been noticing all day, Jerry - because I saw you this morning too - you have been hunched over all day and I know it's because you are carrying The Talk on your back.' In response, longtime entertainer Jerry took a light-hearted approach as he said, 'We love everyone at The Talk.' He then emphasized, 'They're all my friends, I have to see them in six hours,' making note that he's 'currently employed there.' The New York City native then made his stance clear as he added, 'Andy's words, not mine. I love everyone. I love the world.' Strong statement: 'CBS should quadruple your salary because there's one person who is carrying the show and I'm sorry but he is sitting right here,' the Bravo star said; seen with wife Rebecca Romijn Since July 2021 Jerry has sat alongside Amanda Kloots, Sheryl Underwood as co-host on the daytime talk show, which airs on CBS. He replaced Sharon Osbourne after she was booted out following an internal investigation into racial remarks she made in a heated exchange with Sheryl. O'Connell was the first and only permanent male host at the time of his hiring, though Akbar Gbaja-Biamila joined the cast in September of that year as the second male host. Natalie Morales rounded out the group that October. 'Without Jerry there ain't no show. There ain't no show without Jerry,' Andy added to his critique. Group photo: Akbar Gbaja-Biamila, Amanda Kloots, Howie Mandel, Sheryl Underwood, Jerry, and Natalie Morales kicked off season 13 of The Talk last month Joining Jerry on Watch What Happens Live was his longtime partner, actress and model Rebecca Romijn. The two appeared on the popular show to promote their new dating series The Real Love Boat. The show premieres on Wednesday, October 5, on CBS and the two will host as contestants search for love aboard a Mediterranean cruise ship. The show is a nod to the 70s scripted series The Love Boat, which aired from 1976-1990. Lovebirds: The handsome couple married in 2007 and share two daughters, twins Dolly and Charlie, 13 'This is not a muscle that Jerry and I had ever really flexed before because we're used to watching these shows from the comfort of our own sofa,' Rebecca told E! News of her and her husband's new gig. 'So to be there in the middle of the drama was a great learning curve for us. It was new for us,' she added. The handsome couple married in 2007 and share two daughters, twins Dolly and Charlie, 13. Romijn was previously married to Full House star John Stamos from 1998-2005. Reese Witherspoon looked like a ray of sunshine as she arrived for an interview Wednesday in a rain soaked New York City. The actor, 46, brought a splash of color to the gray streets, wearing a belted lavender sheath with silver sling-back heels. She was also seen with a camel coat on. The star has been promoting her new children's book Busy Betty. Stunner: Reese Witherspoon looked like a ray of sunshine as she arrived for an interview Wednesday in a rain soaked New York City Cute look: The star pulled back her hair to show off her pink earrings Reese's long blonde locks were styled in loose waves and she wore daytime friendly makeup with a pink lip. The Oscar winner was invited to chat about her new book, Busy Betty, on The View. The busy actress, producer and mother has written a children's book about 'about a creative, curious, and exuberant young girl who has big plans and an even bigger heart.' Southern charm: The actor, 46, brought a splash of color to the gray streets, wearing a belted lavender sheath with silver sling-back heels Sunshine in her outer wear: She was also seen with her camel coat on as she carried a beige purse Wave: The Oscar winner waved to fans showing a glimpse of a zippered sleeve beneath the camel coat's rolled up cuff The Reese's Book Club founder has participated in two previous tomes. Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits is an homage to her grandmother, Dorothea Darby, and her southern heritage. She also contributed to the photography book, Homegrown. Inspired: The author says Busy Betty was inspired by her younger self and that readers will love the character because she is 'an adventurous little girl' who 'turns a mess into success' and encourages kids to 'tap into their own creativity' This is the author's first time writing for kids and she collaborated with Xindi Yan on the illustrations for the picture book. Introducing the story on social media, the excited author explained, 'I put my heart and soul into creating this spirited little character based on my younger self, and I cant wait to hear what you and the kids in your life think!' She explained that readers will love the character because she is 'an adventurous little girl' who 'turns a mess into success' and encourages kids to 'tap into their own creativity.' The busy star and Hello Sunshine president, Lauren Neustadter, 42, were recently named The Hollywood Reporter's TV Producers of the Year for their work on The Morning Show and other projects. Can't wait: Introducing the story on social media, the excited author explained, 'I put my heart and soul into creating this spirited little character based on my younger self, and I cant wait to hear what you and the kids in your life think!' The pair have made their mark focusing on female stories from female storytellers. The company's next production will stay in the kid-friendly area, creating an reimagined version of the classic Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The Hollywood Reporter described the animated film as 'a modern take on the classic tale that leans into the title character as a powerful female protagonist.' Hello Sunshine is partnering with the popular Build-a-Bear company for the project. Stephen Graham looked smitten as he was joined by his wife Hannah Walters on the red carpet of his latest film, a screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical on Wednesday. The actor, 49, leaned in for a kiss from his stunning wife of 14 years while posing for photographers at the Mayfair Hotel during this year's 66th BFI Film Festival. The BAFTA winner who takes on the prominent role as Matilda's father Mr. Wormwood, looked completely at ease alongside his leading lady. PDA: Stephen Graham kissed his wife Hannah Walters on the red carpet of his latest film, a screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical at the Mayfair Hotel on Wednesday The Liverpudlian looked dapper in a navy suit which he teamed with a black shirt and a pair of brogues. Meanwhile Hannah, complemented her screen star husband donning a navy ensemble and layered the look with a satin duster coat. Her blonde locks were styled into voluminous waves, while her features were highlighted with a glam palette of make-up. Hannah looked every inch the proud wife as she beamed proudly during her husband's big night. Beauty: Her blonde locks were styled into voluminous waves, while her features were highlighted with a glam palette of make-up Suave: The Liverpudlian looked dapper in a navy suit which he teamed with a black shirt and a pair of brogues Supportive: Hannah looked every inch the proud wife as she beamed proudly during her husband's big night Giggles: The power couple enjoyed a giggle as they posed for photos on the red carpet The director of the London Film Festival has said she opted to open and close with "joyous bits of cinema" that will leave the audience feeling "uplifted" in response to troubling recent world events. The 66th festival, run by the British Film Institute (BFI), takes place in London between October 5 and 16 and extends to cultural venues in another 10 cities across the UK, including Manchester, Sheffield, Cardiff and Belfast. This year, LFF will open with Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical and closes with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery with James Bond actor Daniel Craig. All smiles: Stephen looked in great spirits as he bumped into Lashana Lynch on the red carpet Exciting: This year, London Film Festival will open with Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical and closes with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery with James Bond actor Daniel Craig New role: Graham plays Mr. Wormwood, Matilda's father, in the forthcoming Roald Dahl adaptation Festival director Tricia Tuttle told the PA news agency: 'What they share in common is they're both very joyous bits of cinema and that felt really great this year, to have celebratory opening and closing moments. 'Matilda for us was really important. It's a great British story, but it's also a really joyous story about underdogs getting their own back and it's a great female-centred story as well, that felt very special. 'Biggest of all for us, we haven't actually opened or closed the festival in more than a decade with a family film. We do screen family films at the festival but it was so great to be able to say in a very bold and high-profile way that the festival is for everyone. 'We're closing the festival with Knives Out, which is great, it's a real crowd-pleaser, it's going to be a really fun way to end the festival.' Tuttle said that film-makers this year are "not making a lot of light stories". She told PA: 'There are some incredible films across the whole programme which are darker, more complex in terms of themes and stories, and take you to much darker places ... they're responding to the world that we live in, which is a pretty troubling place, and you see that in the cinema this year. 'We don't want to deny that that's out there, we're really excited about the works that they've made. But we did also love the idea of going out in an equally brilliant piece of film-making like Glass Onion, but it's going to leave people feeling very uplifted.' Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is released by Sony Pictures on 25th November. Coming soon: Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical is released by Sony Pictures on 25th November Advertisement Aaron Paul cut a dapper figure as he held hands with his daughter while joining Julianne Hough and Sophia Bush at their friends' star-studded wedding in Venice on Wednesday. The actor, 43, was seen walking hand-in-hand with his daughter Story, four, and looking as smitten as ever with his wife Lauren Parsekian, 35, as the family led the arrivals at the lavish wedding ceremony. They were joined by American dancer Julianne, 34, and actress Sophia, 40, as the group celebrated the marriage of their friends - photographer Samantha Marquart and producer Thomas Dutton - in the Italian city. Sweet: Aaron Paul was seen walking hand-in-hand with his daughter Story as they were joined by Sophia Bush at their friends' wedding ceremony in Venice on Wednesday Glitzy: They were joined by American dancer Julianne, 34, as the group celebrated the marriage of their friends - photographer Samantha Marquart and producer Thomas Dutton - in the Italian city Family: The actor, 43, was seen cuddling his daughter Story, four, and looking as smitten as ever with his wife Lauren Parsekian, 45, as the family led the arrivals at the lavish wedding ceremony Sweet: Aaron Paul cut a dapper figure as he held hands with his daughter while joining the likes of Julianne Hough at the wedding Aaron looked suave in a black tuxedo - made up of smart trousers, a crisp white shirt, a bowtie and a black jacket - as he arrived at the event with a group of friends. The Breaking Bad star styled his brunette locks in a slicked-back style and shielded his eyes with a pair of round sunglasses. His daughter Story appeared to be a flower girl as she wore a white dress for the wedding. He was seen walking alongside his daughter Story, four, and sweetly holding her hand, before they both travelled on a water taxi with his wife Lauren. The couple also share son Ryden, five months. Director Lauren looked effortlessly glamorous in a strapped cream satin gown as she appeared to be one of the bridesmaids at the lavish wedding ceremony. Dapper: Aaron looked suave in a black tuxedo - made up of smart trousers, a crisp white shirt, a bowtie and a black jacket - as he held his daughter Story while they sat on a water taxi Adorable: He was seen walking alongside his daughter Story, four, and sweetly holding her hand, before they both travelled on a water taxi with his wife Lauren. The couple also share son Ryden, five months Elegant: Director Lauren looked effortlessly glamorous in a strapped cream satin gown as she appeared to be one of the bridesmaids at the lavish wedding ceremony Jovial spirits: Aaron was seen blowing kisses and waving as the group all gathered to wave goodbye to the bride and groom in Venice Couple: Elsewhere, One Tree Hill star Sophia was seen attending the wedding with her husband Grant Hughes, who she tied the knot with back in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma Newlyweds: Photographer Samantha looked every inch the bride in an off-the-shoulder lace gown with a billowing train as she celebrated her special day She styled her brunette locks loosely in a straight fashion and accessorised with a simple pair of droplet earrings as she walked alongside Aaron. Also at the wedding was dancer Julianne, who captured attention in a stunning silver metallic gown featuring puffed sleeves and a layered ruffled skirt. She gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of silver strapped heels and carried her essentials in a vibrant red clutch bag. Julianne, who is a professional on Dancing with the Stars, styled her fringed golden tresses in a straight fashion and accentuated her features with a touch of bronzer and a bold slick of red lipstick. Group: Aaron, Lauren and Sophia were all seen walking behind the bride as they made up the wedding party, while Aaron's daughter Story walked alongside the bride Glamour: Sophia appeared to be a bridesmaid as she sported a figure-hugging cream strapped gown, which she styled with a pair of gold strapped heels Stunners: Sophia looked effortlessly glamorous as she struck a pose alongside the group of bridesmaids Celebrations: Chicago P.D actress Sophia was seen chatting with Aaron and his daughter Story as the friends all walked together as they posed for outdoor photographs Eye-catching: Also at the wedding was dancer Julianne, who captured attention in a stunning silver metallic gown featuring puffed sleeves and a layered ruffled skirt Having fun: Julianne was seen posing for selfies with the bride and groom as she celebrated their big day with them Celebrating: Julianne appeared to have the time of her life as she was seen spraying champagne while they all sat on a water taxi Embraces: Julianne was seen embracing groom Thomas as she celebrated their huge milestone with them Hugs: Julianne looked stunning in her silver gown as she hugged her friend Samantha, who looked elegant in her bridal gown Father and daughter: Aaron was seen fixing his bowtie as he walked through Venice with his daughter Story, four Special day: Julianne appeared to be having the time of her life as she cheered on a water taxi while Aaron was seen carrying a confetti box as he walked with his daughter Story Waving: Aaron and his wife Lauren were joined by Sophia (far left) as they cheered and waved goodbye to the newlyweds Mother and daughter: Lauren was seen holding hands with her daughter Story while Aaron took photographs nearby Special occasion: The bridesmaids were seen helping Samantha keep her stunning gown protected while Aaron chatted with his friends at the wedding As close as ever: Aaron and his wife Lauren appeared to be as smitten as ever as they flashed huge grins while relaxing on a water taxi together Exploring: Aaron, his wife Lauren and his daughter Story joined the newlyweds on a water taxi as they headed off to explore Venice She was seen carrying a bottle of wine and a glass as she appeared to be having the time of her life as the wedding party congregated at the Madonna dell'Orto Church. Elsewhere, One Tree Hill star Sophia was seen attending the wedding with her husband Grant Hughes, who she tied the knot with back in June in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sophia appeared to be a bridesmaid as she sported a figure-hugging cream strapped gown, which she styled with a pair of gold strapped heels. Friends: Aaron was seen chatting with bride Samantha as they all gathered on a water taxi for the special occasion Heading off: Groups of water taxis were seen heading down a canal in Venice for the lavish wedding celebrations Amusing: Aaron was seen pulling faces as he chatted with bride Samantha, while his daughter Story was also seen there Cheering: Aaron was seen waving as as he joined the bridesmaids to gather in Venice for the wedding Sweet: Aaron was seen having a great time and cuddling up to his daughter Story as they took photographs with the bridesmaids Bride: Samantha was seen walking hand-in-hand and cuddling up to her new husband Thomas, who looked smart in a black suit for their nuptials Cosy: Aaron was seen holding his daughter Story and chatting to his wife Lauren as the family enjoyed a sweet moment on a water taxi Family moment: Lauren was seen cuddling up to her daughter Story and husband Aaron as they all enjoyed the sights in Venice Huge grins: Aaron was seen carrying what appeared to be a basket of confetti as the bride and groom had their pictures taken Family: Lauren styled her brunette locks loosely in a straight fashion and accessorised with a simple pair of droplet earrings as she stood alongside Aaron Cuddles: Aaron was seen cuddling his daughter Story as they joined the bride and groom on a water taxi Chatting: Lauren was seen chatting to bride Samantha while Story shared a sweet embrace with her father Aaron Famous friends: Aaron and Lauren were seen helping to protect the bride's wedding dress while Sophia flashed a huge grin while talking photographs on a water taxi Happy moment: The guests were all seen looking at the stunning bride and taking photographs as they travelled down the canal in style All in white: The bridesmaids all dressed in cream as they all looked incredible while walking behind the blushing bride Photographs: The guests congregated at the Madonna dell'Orto Church after walking together through Venice Say cheese! Sophia was among the group of bridesmaids as they all clutched white bouquets of flowers and posed for photographs She styled her chocolate tresses loosely in glamorous waves and bolstered her natural good looks with a light dusting of make-up for the occasion. Sophia clutched a bouquet of white flowers and held hands with Grant, who looked dapper in a dark green suit and a black shirt for the wedding. The Chicago P.D actress was seen chatting with Aaron and his daughter Story as the friends all walked together as they posed for outdoor photographs. Funny moment: Sophia (far right) was seen chatting to another water taxi of guests as they all headed off down the canal Picture ready: Aaron appeared to be pointing to show his daughter Story where to look at for the photographs as the group posed for sweet photographs Wedding: Story appeared to be the flower girl as she walked alongside the bride while Aaron joined the group of bridesmaids as they gathered at the Madonna dell'Orto Church Picture perfect: Aaron was seen standing with his daughter Story, who clutched a grey basket, as they posed for wedding pictures Posing up a storm: Sophia was seen posing with the other bridesmaids for stunning shots taken next to a canal Capturing the moment: Bride Samantha was seen walking with an entourage of bridesmaids, including Lauren and Sophia, as they walked through Venice All in white: The bridesmaids all wore dresses in a stunning cream satin while Samantha looked every inch the bride in a stunning lace gown The group were all seen gathering outside in Venice to pose for photographs before they all jetted off on water taxis, with Sophia and Aaron and his family joining the bride and groom in a taxi. Photographer Samantha looked every inch the bride in an off-the-shoulder lace gown with a billowing train as she celebrated her special day. She was seen walking hand-in-hand and cuddling up to her new husband Thomas, who looked smart in a black suit for their nuptials. Big smiles: Lauren accentuated her natural good looks with a light dusting of make-up and a slick of pink lipstick as she attended the wedding Smooch! Bride and groom Samantha and Thomas were seen stopping to take a sweet selfie as they gathered with their wedding guests outdoors Congregating: Sophia was seen flashing a huge grin at the camera as she chatted with the other bridesmaids as they gathered at a canal in Venice Picturesque: Samantha and Thomas looked happier than ever as they celebrated their special day with their loved ones in Venice Group moment: The wedding party looked sensational as they walked the streets of Venice and had candid photographs taken Snaps: Sophia was seen smiling as they all took photographs while piling on to water taxis Guests: Groups headed off in water taxis as they celebrated with the happy couple in Venice Dancing: The newlyweds appeared very loved up as they shared a sweet kiss while posing for photographs outdoors Bridesmaids: The wedding party were all seen walking together across Venice before congregating at the Madonna dell'Orto Church Say cheese! Samantha and Thomas were seen stopping to take selfies as they celebrated their wedding with their friends Christian Bale says he acted as a 'mediator' between Amy Adams and David O. Russell on the contentious set of the 2013 crime comedy American Hustle. Years ago a leaked email from the Sony hacks alleged that David 'abused' Amy to the point where Christian had to step in. She herself has since described feeling 'devastated' on the set of the film 'most' days. Now in a new interview with GQ, Christian confirmed previous claims that he got involved when tensions broke out between Amy and her director. Doing his bit: Christian Bale says he acted as a 'mediator' between Amy Adams and David O Russell on the contentious set of the 2013 crime comedy American Hustle; seen in 2019 'If I can have some sense of understanding of where it's coming from, then I do tend to attempt to be a mediator,' Christian claimed. 'That's just in my nature, to try to say: "Hey, come on, let's go and sit down and figure that out. There's gotta be a way of making this all work."' The stories about Christian's conciliatory role on the set of American Hustle first went public in 2015 after WikiLeaks published a raft of hacked Sony emails. Liberal political pundit Jonathan Alter sent a particularly juicy message to his brother-in-law Michael Lynton, who was then CEO of Sony. Flashback: Years ago a leaked email from the Sony hacks claimed David (left) 'abused' Amy (center) to the point Christian (left) had to step in; the trio on set His email claimed that the director 'grabbed one guy by the collar, cursed out people repeatedly in front of others and so abused Amy Adams that Christian Bale got in his face and told him to stop acting like an a**hole.' Amy then confirmed to British GQ that David made her cry, recalling: 'He was hard on me, that's for sure. It was a lot.' She remembered being 'really just devastated on set' and going home in the same dismal emotional state 'not every day, but most.' Amy declared she had no desire to work with the director 'in the near future' unless there were 'a way to mitigate the insanity' of the experience. Seen onscreen: Now in a new interview with GQ, Christian confirmed previous claims that he had to get involved when tensions broke out between Amy and her director David O. Russell has over the course of his career become known for his fractious relationships with some of his actors. He infamously carried on a seething feud with Lily Tomlin on the set of their 2004 movie I Heart Huckabees, as seen in leaked behind-the-scenes footage. 'I worked on this f***ing thing for three f***ing years, not to have some f***ing c*** yell at me in front of the f***ing crew when I'm trying to f***ing help you, b****!' he shrieked at her during one row. 'Figure it out yourself!' Another video showed Lily shouting at David between takes while trying to film a car scene with Dustin Hoffman, Naomi Watts and French screen queen Isabelle Huppert. 'It was a lot': Amy then confirmed to British GQ that David made her cry, recalling: 'He was hard on me, that's for sure'; she is pictured in 2019 While Dustin unsuccessfully tried to cool down tensions and Naomi giggled nervously, Isabelle became visibly bored and started checking her hair in the mirror. Christian himself went viral in 2009 for a leaked audio recording of him berating the cinematographer of Terminator: Salvation on the set. Furious that the director of photography was distracting him while he tried to do a scene, Christian tore into him in an expletive-filled tirade. 'What the f*** is it with you?': Christian himself went viral in 2009 for a leaked audio recording of him berating the cinematographer of Terminator: Salvation; he is pictured in the film 'Am I gonna walk around and rip your f***in' lights down? In the middle of a scene?' he roared. 'Then why the f*** are you walkin' right through? "Oh, dah-dah, dah-dah," like this in the background. What the f*** is it with you?' During a four-minute rant, he bellowed: 'You are trashin' my scene! You do it one more f***in' time, and I ain't walkin' on this set if you're still hired. I'm f***in' serious.' After the recording went viral, Christian issued a public apology for acting 'like a punk' and said he and the cinematographer had made up. Tamera Mowry-Housley has twin sister Tia Mowry's 'back' amid her divorce from Cory Hardrict. Mowry-Housley, 44, was promoting her new memoir, You Should Sit Down For This, on Today with Hoda & Jenna when she addressed her sister's recent divorce filing from Hardrict after 14 years of marriage. 'I support her. So whatever she wants, the Mowry's have her back,' Tamera, who stunned in a fuchsia suit, told the hosts Wednesday. 'The Mowry's have her back': Tamera Mowry-Housley has twin sister Tia Mowry's 'back' amid her divorce from Cory Hardrict 'I love her dearly. She is strong but I know right now she just kind of just wants to, you know, just kind of process it all, take it all in and be a little private about that. As a sister, you know, I'm just going to respect that.' Tamera turned heads outside the studio in a colorful Kate Spade New York coat thrown over her glossy suit and her feet slipped into a pair of baby pink heels - also by Kate Spade - that featured a puff ball. The former Nickelodeon star - whose new book was released on Tuesday - added a touch of bling with a pair of Astrid & Miyu earrings. Tia filed for divorce in Los Angeles on Monday, and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind their separation, according to divorce documents obtained by DailyMail.com. The Sister, Sister actress has asked for joint physical and legal custody of their two children, son Cree, 11, and four-year-old daughter Cairo and did not provide a date of separation. 'She is strong': Mowry-Housley addressed her sister's split from her husband of 14 years Spilling the tea: She brought a pot of tea and plate of cookies for everyone to enjoy She means business! Tamera turned heads in a colorful Kate Spade New York coat thrown over her glossy suit which she wore with Kate Spade heels and Astrid & Miyu earrings It's over: After 14 years of marriage and two children together, Tia filed for divorce from her husband Cory Hardrict; pictured February 2020 She has requested the judge terminate the court's ability to award spousal support to both parties and indicated she and Cory had a prenuptial agreement. 'Pursuant to the parties' Premarital Agreement, all assets and obligations of each party are her/his separate property,' the document stated. Tia is being represented by celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser. Tia spoke about the separation in a heartfelt message posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday, where she said she would continue maintaining a friendship with her ex 'as we co-parent our beautiful children.' The Sister, Sister actress has asked for joint physical and legal custody of their two children, son Cree, 11, and four-year-old daughter Cairo; pictured 2019 She posted a statement addressing the split along with a black-and-white photo of her and Cory. 'I have always been honest with my fans, and today is no different. I wanted to share that Cory and I have decided to go our separate ways. These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness. 'We will maintain a friendship as we co-parent our beautiful children. I am grateful for all the happy times we had together and want to thank my friends, family and fans for your love and support as we start this new chapter moving forward in our lives.' She also posted a cryptic message to her Instagram Stories seemingly hinting at the split earlier that day. Tia posted a cryptic message to her Instagram Stories seemingly hinting at her divorce on Tuesday It was a quote she had re-posted which read 'Letting go can be painful. But, it won't hurt as much as holding on to an illusion.' Mowry met Cory, also an actor, on the set of the 2005 film Hollywood Horror. They dated for six years before saying 'I do' on April 20, 2008. Speaking about their marriage back in 2015, Tia told HuffPost Live that she and Cory 'don't put gender roles' on their marriage. Family matters: Speaking about their marriage back in 2015, Tia told HuffPost Live that she and Cory 'don't put gender roles' on their marriage 'We don't put gender roles on our marriage and our relationship. If I'm working a lot and Cory's home, he will put Cree to bed, and if dishes need to be washed, he will wash them,' she said. 'So it's not like, 'Oh, I'm going to wait until my wife gets home and she's going to be doing all that.'' She also described the benefits a partnership has on her own dreams. 'I have goals and aspirations, and I believe that you can go after your dreams and it can work if you have someone there that's supporting you,' she said. In 2020 Tia revealed she and Cory had to schedule sex amid their parenting and work duties. 'You have to make sure that it's not neglected in any kind of way,' she said on iHeartRadio's What to Expect podcast. Paramore have released a statement saying they do not condone violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind as they respond to an alleged assault at their concert in the Salt Lake City, Utah area on Tuesday. The Franklin, Tennessee based band fronted by Hayley Williams took to Twitter to address the apparent assault which took place at the Great Saltair in Magna. It read: 'After last nights show in SLC, we were made aware of an incident that happened in the crowd while we were on stage. Misery Business: Paramore have released a statement saying they do not condone violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind as they respond to an alleged assault at their concert in the Salt Lake City, Utah area on Tuesday, as the band are seen in Boston back in May 2018 'A man physically and verbally assaulted multiple women, including an engaged couple at our show. Our security team and venue staff were made aware and were able to restrain and remove him.' The band wanted to make clear that they were unaware of the incidents as they were on stage. It continued: 'We did not realize this was happening, as the incident took place out of view from stage. Had we seen any of this happening, we would have stopped the show until the situation was under control. 'PARAMORE DOES NOT CONDONE violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind. It is supremely unwelcome in our community and has no place at our shows': The Franklin, Tennessee based band fronted by Hayley Williams took to Twitter to address the apparent assault which took place at the Great Saltair in Magna 'PARAMORE DOES NOT CONDONE violence, homophobia, or bigotry of any kind. It is supremely unwelcome in our community and has no place at our shows.' They concluded by apologizing to fans who witnessed the alleged horrific attacks along with a message to future attendees of their concerts. The statement read: 'To the fans who were hurt by or who witnessed what happened last night, we are so sorry. We hope that you know we will always do anything we can to protect you and make you feel celebrated. 'To make things clear as possible: Paramore shows are meant to be safe spaces for people. If you can't respect that, do not come': They (seen in 2017) concluded by apologizing to fans who witnessed the alleged attacks along with a message to future attendees of their concerts 'To make things clear as possible: Paramore shows are meant to be safe spaces for people. If you can't respect that, do not come.' Paramore returned after a three-year hiatus earlier this year as they are working on their sixth studio album. They began their tour on Sunday in Bakersfield, California and will continue into next month concluding in Mexico City on November 19. Born for this: They began their tour on Sunday in Bakersfield, California and will continue into next month concluding in Mexico City on November 19, they are pictured in June 2018 Meanwhile two of the members have found love with each other as it was confirmed last month that frontwoman Hayley Williams and guitarist Taylor York are dating. Hayley confirmed the news in an interview with The Guardian and while she did not provide details of their relationship, the confirmation was no surprise as rumors about the duo being linked romantically have circled for years. York, 32, joined the band in 2007 and has witnessed many of Williams' relationships, including her sour split from ex-bandmate Josh Faro and brief marriage to New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert. Kim Jung Gi, the celebrated South Korean cartoonist, died of a 'sudden' heart attack on Monday at the age of 47 while in Paris for an exhibition of his work. The influential comic book artist was preparing to leave the French capital and fly to New York City for an appearance at Comic Con when he experienced chest pains at the airport. Jung Gi was rushed to the hospital where he later passed away, according to an official statement shared on his verified social media accounts. Gone too soon: Kim Jung Gi, the celebrated South Korean cartoonist, died of a 'sudden' heart on Monday at the age of 47 while in Paris for an exhibition of his work 'It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we inform you of the sudden passing of Kim Jung Gi,' the statement began. 'After finishing his last schedule in Europe, Jung Gi went to the airport to fly to New York, where he experienced chest pains and was taken to a nearby hospital for surgery, but sadly passed away.' Born in 1975 in the province of Kyongki-Do South Korea, the lifelong artist officially began his career at the age of nineteen by attending Dong-Eui University in Busan before serving two years in the South Korean Army's Special Forces Unit. Kim eventually got his start drawing for South Korean comic books before he created his own publication called Tiger the Long Tail. He would go on to become 'one of the absolute greats,' according to a series of tweets by Jim Lee, the publisher and chief creative officer of DC Comics. Lee went on to call Jung Gi a 'truly phenomenal talent whose pen and brush wizardry captivated and inspired millions of fans around the world.' Impossible detail: The legendary artist was known for his long drawing sessions, attracting large crowds as he created incredibly detailed scenes on blank canvases, often without any images for reference 'There was no one quite like him,' tweeted C.B. Cebulski, the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. Jung Gi occasionally collaborated with Marvel Comics and designed covers for DC Comics as well. Famous for his live drawing sessions, the master artist attracted large crowds by drawing incredibly detailed scenes on blank canvases, often without any images for reference. According to his website, memory was Kim's 'most notable creative asset' and he used it to create the impossibly intricate drawings that 'stretched the boundaries of what many artists believed was possible.' Jung Gi holds the Guinness World Record for longest drawing by an individual and he leaves behind a vast body of work. He published six original sketchbooks and contributed to a wide variety of popular graphic novels and comic books. The legendary artist also frequently documented his lengthy drawing sessions, leaving behind a library of viral videos. Military man: Kim spent two formative years in the South Korean Army's Special Forces Unit and he developed his prodigious memory by memorizing every detail of the many weapons and vehicles he came in contact with on a daily basis 'I give free rein to my brushstrokes to bring to life any object, human, environment or feeling, however raw or undesirable," the artist told The Korea Times last year. "I would love to draw with my hand until the moment I die,' Kim shared in the interview. 'From the tingling sensation I get when my skin brushes past the paper's surface and is smeared with ink, to the rush of pleasure I feel when I watch my brushstroke taking an unexpected turn, I love everything about it.' Kim's frequent collaborator Hyun Jin Kim, CEO of Superani Studio, included a touching message with the official statement. 'After having done so much for us,' Jin Kim wrote to Jung Gi, 'you can now put down your brushes.' In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. 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Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, the contributing Vogue editor who recently faced the wrath of Kanye West after calling out his shocking 'White Lives Matter' apparel, opened up about the 'fat phobia' she has been suffering from in recent days. Karefa-Johnson revealed the issue 'jumped out' after she started getting trolled over her appearance and body type following a volatile few days which saw her land in the spotlight after coming under virtual attack by Kanye. 'I've fielded some serious volatility over the last couple days but nothing has been quite as bad as what people have said about my body and the way I look. The fat phobia JUMPED out,' she began in the post on Wednesday. 'The fat phobia JUMPED out': Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, the influential Vogue editor who recently faced the wrath of Kanye West after calling out his shocking 'White Lives Matter' apparel, opened up about the 'fat phobia' she has been suffering from in recent days 'Yes, I am fat. No, I am not humiliated to show up as my authentic self in the world,' she continued. She then referenced the photo accompanying her caption - a snap of her joyfully attending the Balenciaga show in a Chopova Lowena dress. 'I love this photo from the @balenciaga show because it captures something I've worked hard to achieve (and sometimes still fail at doing) loving and feeling myself, and supporting designers that don't make bigger bodies bend to them.' She ended her message on an optimistic note and described how incredible she felt in the outfit. Controversy: Karefa-Johnson landed at the center of headlines these last few days after comments she made expressing concern about Kanye's White Lives Matter fashion show got his attention; West pictured last month during New York Fashion Week 'Thank you @chopovalowena for making fashion that serves so many different body types-- I looked and felt amazing in this dress. Thank you @mrstreetpeeper for capturing the vibes! To my fellow fat sisters and brothers, put that lil dress on, grab your miniskirts: We ride at dawn!' Karefa-Johnson landed at the center of headlines these last few days after comments she made expressing concern about Kanye's White Lives Matter fashion show garnered his attention. West, 45, caused an uproar with Monday's show in Paris, which saw models striding down the catwalk in WLM shirts - seen as a repudiation of the Black Lives Matter movement. Kanye West on Monday caused widespread anger with Monday's show in Paris, which saw models striding down the catwalk in WLM shirts - seen as a repudiation of the Black Lives Matter movement. His spokesman Jason Lee quit in protest at the provocative show, writing on Instagram that West was 'gaslighting black people and empowering white supremacy.' 'Very humble and thankful to Ye for the opportunity to work with him but that part of our relationship has come to an end,' he later wrote on his Instagram Story. Gabriella Karefa-Johnson said the t-shirts were 'deeply offensive, violent and dangerous'. West reacted with scorn, ridiculing her outfits online and saying she had no understanding of fashion. Yet a day later, he insisted Karefa-Johnson was his 'sister' and said they had had a two-hour discussion about the issues raised. Kanye was snapped walking through Paris yesterday in a black hoodie during Paris Fashion Week, where caused an uproar with his White Lives Matter fashion show West is pictured in February with Jason Lee, his spokesman. Lee on Tuesday said he would no longer work with West following the WLM show Gabriella Karefa-Johnson criticized West's WLM show, and was then attacked by the rapper 'GABBY IS MY SISTER,' the rapper wrote. 'IM NOT LETTING PEOPLE GO TO BED THINKING I DIDN'T MEET WITH GABRIELLE AT 5 PM TODAY FOR 2 HOURS THEN WE WENT TO DINNER AT FERDIE.' West said that Vogue editor Anna Wintour asked Australian film director Baz Luhrmann to film their encounter. 'IT FELT LIKE SHE WAS BEING USED LIKE TREVOR NOAH AND OTHER BLACK PEOPLE TO SPEAK ON MY EXPRESSION,' said West, who in March was criticized by Noah. Noah took issue with West's harassment of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson. West in response called Noah a racial slur, and was banned from Instagram. West on Tuesday said Karefa-Johnson told him she was not being used by Vogue to speak on their behalf, and condemn the WLM t-shirts. 'WE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER FOR THE WAY WE MADE EACH OTHER FEEL WE ACTUALLY GOT ALONG AND HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THE FIGHT FOR ACCEPTANCE IN A WORLD THAT'S NOT OUR OWN,' he wrote. 'SHE DISAGREED I DISAGREED WE DISAGREED.' West was angered on Monday when the influential stylist said she was deeply troubled by his show. 'I'm fuming ... collecting my thoughts,' she wrote, labeling West's actions 'indefensible behavior.' She wrote that she was among those who 'suffered in that room' and was working through the 'trauma' of the experience. West hits out at Vogue contributing editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson who called his season 9 collection of YZY 'offensive' and 'violent' In a mocking tone, West specifically targets Karefa-Johnson's Timberland boots, which he says Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour 'HAAAATES' Karefa-Johnson shared some of her musings of disgust at the YZY season 9 show She says she understands what West 'tried to do' with his most recent collection, but adds that it failed spectacularly and was instead a 'deeply offensive, violent, and dangerous' display The Vogue contributing editor later explained that claiming to understand what West 'tried to do' with the collection did not mean she was excusing his behavior Karefa-Johnson posted a snap of Selah Marley, 23, the daughter of Lauryn Hill and granddaughter of Bob Marley who modeled a shirt with a picture of Pope John Paul II on it that read, 'Juan Pablo II' Ye's final message following a series of targeted attacks at Karefa-Johnson West in response posted a picture of Karefa-Johnson wearing an ensemble, and commented: 'This is not a fashion person You speak on Ye Ima speak on you Ask Trevor Noah.' The jab was apparently making reference to Noah speaking out about West's public behavior, calling it 'terrifying to watch.' West then zoomed in on Karefa-Johnson's boots, which appear to be a limited edition Timberland boot, Black Veneda Carter Edition. West said Anna Wintour would disapprove, writing: 'I KNOOOOOOW ANNA HAAAATES THESE BOOTS.' He shared a screenshot of Karefa-Johnson's Instagram profile that he captioned: 'Broke the processor When the computer can't read the code This is a droid.' He concluded his posts by sharing the text 'This means war' across a black post. Since the YZY Season 9 show in Paris on Monday, West has posted and deleted a number of messages to his Instagram, including one that read in all capital letters, 'EVERYONE KNOWS THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER WAS A SCAM NOW ITS OVER YOU'RE WELCOME' [sic]. Among those also in attendance at the controversial YZY season 9 show was right-wing personality Candace Owens. West's appearance with Owens is somewhat surprising, as she recently called his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, a 'prostitute' on her Daily Wire show. Provocation: Kanye West sparked outrage on Tuesday after dismissing Black Lives Matter, the social movement created to protest social and racial injustices aimed at his own community Also posing with West was the right-wing commentator Candace Owens, who beamed while wearing a complementary version of the 'White Lives Matter' shirt Karefa-Johnson and Gigi Hadid have worked together a number of times. Karefa-Johnson earlier this year told ELLE that they share a 'true friendship' Jason Lee on Monday condemned West for his provocative slogan t-shirts Supermodel Gigi Hadid was quick to defend Karefa-Johnson against West's online attacks, writing, 'You wish u had a percentage of her intellect [sic].' 'You have no idea haha.... If there's actually a point to any of your sh*t she might be the only person that could save u. As if the 'honot' of being invited to your show should keep someone from giving their opinion ..? Lol. You're a bully and a joke,' she added. Hadid and Karefa-Johnson have worked together in the past, with the stylist telling ELLE earlier this year that she shares a 'true friendship' with the model and there is 'deep respect and trust' between them. Actress Jodie Turner-Smith also hit out at Kanye's latest tirade, sharing on her Instagram Story: 'I thought he said he was trying to bring people together??? Fake and disgusting and embarrassing please go touch some grass and stop sharing your toxic thoughts.' Vogue on Tuesday defended Karefa-Johnson. 'Vogue stands with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, our global fashion editor at large and longtime contributor. She was personally targeted and bullied. It is unacceptable,' the magazine wrote in a Tuesday Instagram post. 'Now more than ever, voices like hers are needed and in a private meeting with Ye today she once again spoke her truth in a way she felt best, on her terms.' Lee, who only begun working for West this spring, said he could no longer support his former boss. 'I love Ye as a person, and I support free speech. But this is gaslighting black people and empowering white supremacy. Not sure if he has any friends left to tell him but this is utterly disappointing,' Lee wrote. 'I'm going to exercise free speech and say, nobody black has ever said that white lives don't matter. But when black people do this it just screams the need for white validation.' He also condemned West's invitation to Owens. 'Not to mention, adding Candace Owens to this photo is beyond reprehensible. 'I understand he believes in her right to free speech but her speech is typically embedded in self hate, a determination to promote white supremacy, and she lacks integrity. 'This is sad.' The first official trailer for the upcoming movie Violent Night, starring David Harbour, was released on Wednesday. In it the 47-year-old Stranger Things actor embodies a version of Santa Claus never seen before as he goes head-to-head with a group of mercenaries. Universal's action-comedy also features seasoned actor John Leguizamo as the main antagonist. Coming soon: The first official trailer for the upcoming movie Violent Night, starring David Harbour, was released on Wednesday The two-minute-long teaser opens with a white-gloved, red-leather-jacketed Harbour as Santa slamming an empty glass down on a bar. He lets out a satisfied belch as a concerned female bartender asks him, 'You ain't driving, are you?' 'I steer a little but the reindeer do most of the work,' he replies charmingly before another costumed Santa Claus nearby chimes in, 'This is my fourth year as Santa. How about you?' Peering over delicate oval-shaped eyeglasses the movie's main character quips back, 'I started the whole damn thing.' Opener: The two-minute-long teaser opens with a white-gloved, red-leather-jacketed Harbour slamming an empty glass down on a bar The screen changes to a scene of reindeer pulling Santa in a carriage through a moonlit skyline as Santa cheers, 'Ho, ho, ho!' Then the film's unassuming family is introduced to viewers as they excitedly arrive at a snow-covered mansion. The mom and dad gift their young daughter, Trudy Lightstone, an early Christmas gift - a 'direct line to Santa Claus himself' in the form of a walkie talkie device. Next comes Leguizamo and his cronies as he recites the line, 'Welcome to your worst Christmas ever,' indicating their bad intentions. Present: A mom and dad gift their young daughter, Trudy Lightstone, an early Christmas gift - a 'direct line to Santa Claus himself' in the form of a walkie talkie device Conflict: Antagonists bring guns and violence to the previously peaceful abode, demanding $300 million 'for Christmas' They bring guns and violence to the previously peaceful abode, demanding $300 million 'for Christmas'. Fortunately for the father, mother, and their little girl, Santa emerges to combat the home invaders, but not before indulging in a Christmas cookie. As the holly jolly head of the North Pole, Harbour proves he's not 'your typical mall Santa' as he baffles the bad guys with his fighting skills. Throughout the weapon-wielding and fast-acting scenes of combat, the tot uses her handheld transceiver to ask him, 'Are you gonna help us, Santa?' 'Yeah, Trudy. You're on my Nice list,' an exhausted Harbour answers while lying on a floor with his face bruised and battered. Treat: Fortunately for the father, mother, and their little girl, Santa emerges to combat the home invaders, but not before indulging in a Christmas cookie One-of-a-kind: As the holly jolly head of the North Pole, Harbour proves he's not 'your typical mall Santa' as he baffles the bad guys with his fighting skills The teaser is soundtracked by the classic holiday tune Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), with the track slowly building through the commotion. Menacingly, Santa Claus says, 'Time for some season's beatings,' as he prepares to take down Leguizamo and his ill-intending group of followers. 'These bad men, they're all on my naughty list,' he tells Trudy as they continue their exchange. Bad guy: Universal's action-comedy also features seasoned actor John Leguizamo as the main antagonist 'And what do you do to the naughty ones?' she inquires innocently. 'I give them a lump of coal,' Santa answers back before Trudy encourages him, 'I believe in you, Santa.' The music then peaks as the two share a warm embrace. Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola's Violent Night comes out in theaters December 2. Santa and his team: 'I steer a little but the reindeer do most of the work' Harbour says in one scene Christian Bale claimed that Leonardo DiCaprio gets first dibs on every major male movie role in Hollywood in a new interview. The Batman actor, 48, said that 'to this day, any role that anybody gets, its only because he's passed on it beforehand' while speaking with GQ. Bale added that he and other actors in the 47-year-old Titanic star's age range owe their careers to him: 'I would suspect that almost everybody of similar age to him in Hollywood owes their careers to him passing on whatever project it is.' Hollywood insight: Christian Bale claimed that Leonardo DiCaprio gets first dibs on every major male movie role in Hollywood in a new interview with GQ 'It doesnt matter what anyone tells you. It doesnt matter how friendly you are with the directors. All those people that Ive worked with multiple times, they all offered every one of those roles to him first,' the English actor added. 'I had one of those people actually tell me that. So, thank you, Leo, because literally, he gets to choose everything he does. And good for him, hes phenomenal.' The conversation came about when interviewer Zach Baron brought up the fact that DiCaprio - who started out in the movie business as a child just like Bale, and is only 10 months younger than him - was first cast in the 2000 film American Psycho ahead of Bale. First dibs: The Batman actor, 48, said that 'to this day, any role that anybody gets, its only because he's passed on it beforehand'; (L) Bale pictured 2022, (R) DiCaprio pictured 2021 Thanks, Leo! The actor added: 'I would suspect that almost everybody of similar age to him in Hollywood owes their careers to him passing on whatever project it is' Though Bale eventually ended up starring as Patrick Bateman - a New York City investment banker by day, and a serial killer by night - after DiCaprio dropped out, he had apparently lost five other movie roles to him in the 90's, including Titanic. Bale stressed 'it's not just me' and that every male lead is first offered to the Gatsby actor. Asked whether he took it personally, Bale replied: 'No. Do you know how grateful I am to get any damn thing? I mean, I cant do what he does. I wouldnt want the exposure that he has either.' He offered further words of praise to the Los Angeles native, adding: 'He does it magnificently.' Leo first: 'It doesnt matter how friendly you are with the directors. All those people that Ive worked with multiple times, they all offered every one of those roles to him first'; Pictured 2019 Phenomenal: The actor, who apparently lost five movie roles to Leo in the 90's, including Titanic, added: 'He gets to choose everything he does. And good for him, hes phenomenal'; DiCaprio pictured with Kate Winslet in a still from Titanic There are conflicting stories on why DiCaprio exited American Psycho, with one theory being that he had creative differences with Oliver Stone, who was set to direct the movie at the time. Another theory by the films co-writer Guinevere Turner revealed that it might have been a meeting with Gloria Steinem, who didn't approve of the violence against women in the film, that made DiCaprio drop out. 'My friend, who had just spoken to Gloria Steinem, said that Gloria Steinem took Leonardo DiCaprio to a Yankees game. I believe, she said, "Please dont do this movie. Coming off of Titanic, there is an entire planet full of 13-year-old girls waiting to see what you do next, and this is going to be a movie that has horrible violence toward women,"' she recalled in an interview with Vice in 2020. Among other roles Bale reportedly lost to DiCaprio are This Boys Life (1993) and Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Kept that one: Bale also almost lost out on playing Patrick Bateman - a New York City investment banker by day, and a serial killer by night - in American Psycho to DiCaprio, who was first cast in the film but later dropped out A silent rivalry: Among other roles Bale reportedly lost to DiCaprio are This Boys Life (1993) and Whats Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Dicaprio pictured with Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis in What's Eating Gilbert Grape Elsewhere in the GQ interview Bale revealed that he acted as a 'mediator' between Amy Adams and David O. Russell on the contentious set of the 2013 crime comedy American Hustle. Years ago a leaked email from the Sony hacks alleged that David 'abused' Amy to the point where Christian had to step in. She herself has since described feeling 'devastated' on the set of the film 'most' days. Now Christian confirmed previous claims that he got involved when tensions broke out between Amy and her director: 'If I can have some sense of understanding of where it's coming from, then I do tend to attempt to be a mediator,' Christian claimed. 'That's just in my nature, to try to say: "Hey, come on, let's go and sit down and figure that out. There's gotta be a way of making this all work."' Norman Reedus set Twitter ablaze on Wednesday when he announced the title of his upcoming The Walking Dead spin-off. The 53-year-old revealed the show will be called Daryl Dixon, after the name of his character from the original zombie series. He included an eerie promotional image of the Eiffel Tower seen from below and filtered through an ominous green and black color scheme. Big reveal: Norman Reedus set Twitter ablaze on Wednesday when he announced the title of his upcoming The Walking Dead spin-off; pictured in Los Angeles this Tuesday Bound for France: The 53-year-old revealed the show will be called Daryl Dixon, after the name of his character from the original zombie series Norman achieved worldwide fame on The Walking Dead, which followed Americans trying desperately to survive the zombie apocalypse. Scott M Gimple, who was the showrunner for five of the middle seasons of the original show, revealed in August that the upcoming spin-off will be set in France. 'Daryl is a fish out of water to start with,' said Scott, who also serves as the chief content officer of the Walking Dead franchise. Rollout: The 11th and final season of The Walking Dead has been split into three instalments, the last of which premiered this past Sunday; Norman is pictured on the latest episode 'If Daryl finds himself with new people, he's a fish out of water. In France, in a country that's going through the apocalypse, [it's] an entirely different thing.' During a Talking Dead special quoted by Total Film, Scott said Daryl 'finds himself having to reinvent himself again, having to find himself again, and also, not being with - probably - the only people in the world he's comfortable with.' The 11th and final season of The Walking Dead has been split into three instalments, the last of which premiered this past Sunday. Hair-raising: Norman achieved worldwide fame on The Walking Dead, which followed Americans trying desperately to survive the zombie apocalypse On November 20, the show will air its finale Rest In Peace on AMC, bringing an end to a series that has been running since 2010. Daryl is a tough-nosed type whose practical skills - including hunting, knife-fighting and tracking - enable him to eke out an existence amid the zombie takeover. By the final stretch of the show Daryl, a loyal adjutant of Andrew Lincoln's lead character Rick Grimes, has lost his entire family. Tammy Hembrow looked effortlessly chic alongside her stylish sisters at a fashion event hosted by Bianca and Bridgett Roccisano on the Gold Coast on Wednesday. The fitness influencer, 28, stepped out at the lunch held at Rick Shores with her sister Emilee Hembrow, 30, and half-sister Starlette Thynne, 22, to celebrate the Roccisano sisters' launch of their new Spring/Summer range. Tammy wore a vibrant orange $260 strapless dress from the brand that perfectly matched her fiery new red hair. Tammy Hembrow (centre) looked chic alongside her sisters Emilee (left) and Starlette (right) at a fashion event hosted by Bianca and Bridgett Roccisano on the Gold Coast on Wednesday The figure-hugging dress showed off her ample assets as she posed for photos on the sand outside the venue. Tammy accessorised with a pair of matching orange Dior shoes and carried a small green Jacquemus handbag. Meanwhile, her sisters matched in pale pink dresses and both had their dark brunette locks styled in neat updos. The fitness influencer, 28, stepped out at the lunch held at Rick Shores with her sister Emilee Hembrow, 30, and half-sister Starlette Thynne, 22, to celebrate the Roccisano sisters' launch of their new Spring/Summer range The trio held hands as they walked into the exclusive event at Rick Shores on the Gold Coast The sisters held hands as they walked into the exclusive event, where Bianca and Bridgett hosted 40 Australian influencers to celebrate their new collection. It comes after her rumoured break-up with fiance Matt Poole, who has been notably absent from Tammy's recent outings and Instagram feed. The couple, who recently welcomed their first child together, have been facing split rumours for weeks. Tellingly, Tammy was not wearing her engagement ring at the fashion launch. Tammy's figure-hugging dress showed off her ample assets as she posed for photos on the sand outside the venue Tammy carried a small green Jacquemus handbag On Sunday, Matt celebrated the NRL Grand Final in Sydney - and his fiancee was nowhere in sight. The former Ironman, 34, raised eyebrows after fans noticed he chose to attend a harbour cruise party, rather than join his wife-to-be in Queensland at an event to promote her fitness app. In addition to Matt not attending Tammy's event, he did not promote it on his Instagram page either. Tammy's sisters matched in pale pink dresses and both had their dark locks styled in updos Matt was first rumoured to have split with Tammy last month, just three months after welcoming their daughter Posy in June. Rumours of a break-up were sparked after an Instagram account noticed Tammy had been wearing her engagement ring intermittently and hadn't shared a photo with the Ironman since August. 'Tammy hasn't been wearing her engagement ring since 31/7/22,' the account @influencer.updates.au shared via their Story. Matt and Tammy, who recently welcomed their first child together, have been facing split rumours for weeks 'She and Matt still aren't living together and didn't post any content together [during their holiday] in Bali. I think they tried to work things out when Posy arrived, but looks like they haven't,' the account's admin said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tammy and Matt for comment. The couple began dating in 2020 and became engaged in November 2021. Just two weeks after revealing they were engaged, they announced they were also expecting their first child together. Tammy also shares son Wolf, six, and daughter Saskia, five, with her former fiance Reece Hawkins. Matt was first rumoured to have split with Tammy last month, just three months after welcoming their daughter Posy in June Jennifer Aniston was seen at the same dinner party with her ex-husband Justin Theroux on Friday. The beauty and her ex were spotted in an image taken by a fan as they were joined by a select group of pals including Howard Stern, his wife Beth, Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm and Jimmy Kimmel, among others, for an Israeli meal at Laser Wolf in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Aniston and Theroux have stayed close over the years, even sending each other birthday wishes on social media. Close exes: Jennifer Aniston was seen at the same dinner party in Brooklyn with her ex-husband Justin Theroux on Friday The group: The beauty and her ex were spotted in an image taken by a fan as they were joined by a select group of pals including Howard Stern , his wife Beth, Jason Bateman, Jon Hamm and Jimmy Kimmel, among others, for an Israeli meal at Laser Wolf in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Aniston is good pals with Jason and Jimmy, and she is currently filming Morning Show with Hamm. A diner snapped the photo and sent to popular celebrity account DeuxMoi. Justin was sitting next to a woman with long hair; it is not known if she was his date. Aniston was next to Justin's pal and another woman. This comes after Aniston said in September 2021 that she ready to date again. The crew was spotted out at upscale Williamsburg, Brooklyn, restaurant Laser Wolf (pictured) The Israeli restaurant features a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline The 53-year-old actress enjoyed being single after splitting from Theroux in 2018 but she is keen to find a new partner, she said. But she noted it has been difficult because of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking on SiriusXM's Lunch With Bruce podcast, she said: 'No one of importance has hit my radar yet. But I think it's time. I think I'm ready to share myself with another. I didn't want to for a long time, and I loved really, being my own woman. 'Without, um, being a part of a couple where I've been a part of a couple since I was 20. So, there was something really nice about taking the time.' But the former Friends star isn't interested in using dating apps to find a partner. She said: 'No gingers and no Raya please. I'm an old school girl. A romantic life: They met on the set of the movie Wanderlust; seen in 2016 They were a Hollywood power couple for years: Seen at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in 2017 'There it is, chemistry, and you see each other from across the room. People don't come up to people anymore, people don't do that. It's weird.' As well as thinking a first kiss is 'pretty important', Jennifer - who was also previously married to Brad Pitt and has dated Vince Vaughn and John Mayer - has a list of 'necessities' in who she's looking for. She said: 'The ease at which the conversation flows the first time. That's kind of a good indicator, confidence, but not a cockiness. 'Humour, please I beg of you, beg of you. Generous, um, kind to people, you know, it's just very few necessities. From him to her: Aniston and Theroux have stayed close over the years, even sending each other birthday wishes on social media He shared a funny photo of her: She was seen with a cigarette in her mouth 'Fitness is important and not just about, like, how you look ... I want to be around here for a long time and not be in a wheelchair when I am 80.' The Brooklyn meal was notable as it has been years since Stern has left his home for a meal in public as he is afraid to get COVID. But oddly in the photo of him at the table, he does not have a mask on. At work: Aniston has been in NYC filming The Morning Show with John Hamm; seen in late September 'Howard was there without even a mask. They all sat at a large table... 'Stern told restaurant staff this was his first night out since the start of the pandemic,' the diner said, according to Page Six. 'Howard was seated next to Jimmy and also at one point seemed to be in deep conversation with Jon Hamm.' The former AGT host has been hiding out in his $20million Southampton mansion (pictured) Stern (pictured with his parents in 1993) revealed earlier this year that his father Ben (left) had died from COVID-19 The former AGT host's fear might not being entirely unfounded as his father Ben Stern had passed away earlier this year due to COVID-19 at the age of 99. He did not say much about his father's passing, but did say he was working on new paintings with his father in mind. DailyMail.com has reached out to Stern's representatives for comment. The journey started with an argument on the way to the airport and ended 6,000 miles away with a family torn apart. Or, as lawyers for one of the world's most famous actresses now bluntly put it: 'On September 14, 2016, [Angelina] Jolie's marriage came to an end.' That was the day when Jolie and her then-husband Brad Pitt boarded a private jet with their six young children in the South of France, planning to return to Los Angeles after a two-week holiday at their vineyard in Provence. Exactly what took place on that overnight flight has long been contested. What no one disputes is that the glittering 'Brangelina' roadshow which had kept the world awed and entertained since 2005 had ground to a halt by the time the plane touched down. Upon arrival in LA, Jolie shepherded the children to a hotel, later telling authorities that Pitt, now 58, had behaved 'like a monster'. The resulting divorce has proved acrimonious even by Tinseltown standards. The latest court filing provides startling new allegations, in particular Jolie's accusation that her ex-husband, pictured with her in 2013, who had reportedly been drinking heavily, punched and choked their children as well as assaulting her The latest court filing provides startling new allegations, in particular Jolie's accusation that her ex-husband who had reportedly been drinking heavily punched and choked their children as well as assaulting her. Left unchallenged, in the post-MeToo landscape, such claims could torpedo the career of Pitt, Oscar-winning star of Ocean's Eleven, Fight Club and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Despite an FBI investigation into the incident, Pitt has never faced any charges over his behaviour that night. However, Jolie's lawyers now claim that the FBI agent who investigated the allegations had 'probable cause to charge Pitt with a federal crime for his conduct that day'. Pitt has always denied wrongdoing and his representatives have rejected Jolie's latest claims as 'completely untrue'. When the plane took off, the whole family including the couple's three biological offspring, Shiloh, Knox and Vivienne, and their older adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara were on it. The children were then aged between eight and 15. According to court documents: 'Throughout the long, overnight flight, Pitt was physically and emotionally abusive to Jolie and their children after that flight, for her family's wellbeing, Jolie decided to file for divorce.' She says that Pitt's 'aggressive behaviour' started even before the family got to the airport, when he had a 'confrontation' with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie says she went up to her husband and asked him what was wrong. He 'accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her', it's claimed. An hour-and-a-half later, Pitt is said to have 'abruptly' walked over to Jolie, demanding, 'Come here,' and directing her to the back of the plane. The court filing continues: 'He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall.' He then punched the ceiling of the plane 'numerous times', prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom, it's alleged. As she left, one of their children asked, 'Are you OK, Mommy?' to which Pitt reportedly shouted back, 'No, Mommy's not OK' and started raining insults on Jolie. When one of the children spoke out to defend her, Pitt allegedly lunged at the child, whereupon Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get his wife off him, her lawyers claim, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats, injuring her back and elbow. Flying high: Couple in 2011 with their family at an airport in Japan They continue: 'The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face.' The court filing doesn't identify which children were allegedly targeted, although sources long ago indicated it was 15-year-old Maddox, whom Jolie had adopted as a baby from Cambodia before she began her relationship with Pitt. While some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop, they were all frightened and many were crying, it's claimed. 'With nowhere to go to avoid Pitt's wrath, Jolie and the children sat still and silent under blankets. Nobody dared to go to the bathroom. Pitt periodically emerged from the back of the plane to yell and swear at them,' claim Jolie's lawyers. At one point, it's claimed, he poured beer on his wife, while he also poured beer and red wine on the children. 'After many tense hours, Pitt finally fell asleep,' the court filing alleges. Jolie then arranged for separate cars to pick them up in LA. After they landed, Jolie says she warned the children that no matter what their father did, they should not get involved. New allegations: Pitt has always denied wrongdoing Her lawyers say she then went to wake Pitt and told him that she and the children were going to a hotel. 'Pitt once again screamed at her, and pushed her down yet again,' it's claimed. 'He shouted that nobody was getting off the plane and prevented the family from deplaning for about 20 minutes.' He finally relented, it's claimed, when one of the children demanded to get off the plane. 'Once outside the plane door, Pitt again physically abused one of their children.' He also 'grabbed and shook Jolie by the head and shoulders', prompting one of the children to beg him: 'Don't hurt her.' He let go of the actress but then called her a 'b****', adding: 'F*** you, f*** you all.' Jolie and the children then left and 'made it' to a hotel, say her legal team. Five days later, Jolie filed for divorce just after the second anniversary of their wedding requesting sole physical custody of the six children. A lawyer for Pitt said he had accepted responsibility for some things in his past but that he would not accept responsibility for things he did not do. Another source close to the actor dismissed Jolie's account as 'bulls***' and claimed her story was 'constantly evolving'. The source added: 'She continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants.' Pitt has accused Jolie, pictured with him in 2015, of violating his contractual rights by selling her half of their business to a subsidiary of the drinks company Stoli Group The fateful flight has been revisited in court as part of the couple's protracted legal battle over their French winery, Chateau Miraval. Pitt has accused Jolie of violating his contractual rights by selling her half of their business to a subsidiary of the drinks company Stoli Group. Jolie's lawyers claim that negotiations to sell her share of the winery to Pitt broke down over his demand that she sign a nondisclosure agreement. This, they say, 'would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt's physical and emotional abuse of her and their children'. Jolie's lawyers claim she 'has gone to great lengths to try to shield their children from reliving the pain Pitt inflicted on the family that day' but had been 'compelled' to 'publicly defend herself on these issues for the first time' after he tried to 'reassert control over her financial life'. It is in this context that Jolie's lawyers have released the devastating new claims of domestic abuse. In doing so, they have added substantially to what was already known about the flight from an FBI investigators' report that was released in heavily redacted form to the media. After being alerted to the incident by a 'third-party witness', the FBI launched their investigation soon after it took place. Two months later, they concluded that Pitt should not be charged. The report revealed that Jolie had given an account of the flight to two FBI investigators, including a photo of a bruise to her elbow and a 'rug-burn type injury' on her hand. She said that she had seen Pitt have two or three drinks, but claimed he appeared articulate and not intoxicated. The FBI report described Jolie, 47, as 'conflicted on whether or not to be supportive of charges' being brought against her ex-husband. Pitt said in 2017 that he had stopped drinking after 'boozing' too much in the past. Pitt's friends have claimed that Jolie, pictured with him in 2015, has been attempting to drag out their court battles to stop him obtaining equal custody of their younger children In 2020, Jolie told a magazine she divorced Pitt 'for the wellbeing of my family it was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing.' The Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services also looked into the events following an anonymous tip-off, but took the matter no further. As for Brad Pitt's version of events on that flight, this has largely been confined to rebutting the claims of his ex-wife. Shortly after the episode, a source close to the star said he was taking the matter 'very seriously and says he did not commit any abuse of his children', adding: 'It's unfortunate that people involved are continuing to present him in the worst possible light.' However, the same source conceded to People magazine that Pitt 'was drunk, and there was a row between him and Angelina'. The insider went on: 'There was a parent-child argument which was not handled in the right way and escalated more than it should have.' Pitt insisted that he did not hit son Maddox in the face but only made contact around his shoulder. 'He is emphatic that it did not reach the level of physical abuse, that no one was physically harmed,' said the source. 'He put his hands on him, yes, because the confrontation was spiralling out of control.' Pitt's friends have claimed that Jolie has been attempting to drag out their court battles to stop him obtaining equal custody of their younger children. In their latest court skirmish, Jolie says Pitt told her that they didn't need a legal agreement over ownership of their French winery as such things weren't necessary between 'two reasonable people'. After six years of vicious courtroom warfare, 'reasonable' isn't the word that springs to mind. Brooke Blurton has declared she is single and ready to mingle. It comes after she was recently romantically linked to Melbourne radio producer Sam McGinn. The 27-year-old spoke about her single status as she revealed to The Daily Telegraph there were no decent romantic prospects on the set of her new reality series The Challenge. The Bachelorette star Brooke Blurton (pictured) has declared she is single and ready to mingle 'I bloody wish there was some potential talent but there was nothing,' she said. Brooke was spotted kissing Sam in Melbourne last month, but now seems to be saying they are just friends and not dating. The pair packed on the PDA as they went for a stroll through a suburban neighbourhood. Brooke's newly declared single status comes after she was recently romantically linked to Melbourne radio producer Sam McGinn (left) Brooke admitted last month she had been fudging the truth with her fans. The brunette confessed on her Not So PG podcast she had been 'faking' being in Australia to keep her exciting new project under wraps. She told her co-host Matty Mills she had actually been in Argentina participating as a contestant on Channel 10's new competitive reality show The Challenge. The 27-year-old spoke about her single status as she revealed to The Daily Telegraph there were no decent romantic prospects on the set of her new reality series The Challenge. (Pictured: the cast of The Challenge; Brooke is pictured second row, right) 'I've had someone taking care of my socials and making out like I'm in Australia, but Brooke's a fraud!' she joked. The youth worker apologised to her 288,000 Instagram followers for 'deceiving' them. Brooke rose to fame on The Bachelor in 2018 and went on to star in Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelorette. Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay is preparing for her biggest role to date - as a real-life mother. And the pregnant actress, 33, known for playing Lady Sybil Crawley in ITV's hit period drama, was seen heading to a cafe in East London with her husband, Harlots actor Ziggy Heath, on Wednesday. The couple, who married in a private ceremony in September 2020, co-ordinated their outfits, both opting to wear matching open-toe sandals. Expecting: Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay was seen heading to a cafe in East London with her husband, Harlots actor Ziggy Heath Jessica flaunted her blossoming baby bump in a denim collared mini dress with puffed sleeves, which she styled with a black and white patterned vest. She styled her brunette locks loosely in natural waves and shielded her eyes with a pair of oval sunglasses for the outing. Her husband Ziggy kept it casual in black Adidas tracksuit bottoms and a grey T-shirt, worn underneath a burnt orange shirt. He framed his face with a pair of square glasses and styled his dark locks in a slicked-back style. Stylish: Jessica flaunted her blossoming baby bump in a denim collared mini dress with puffed sleeves, which she styled with a black and white patterned vest Jessica kept her pregnancy under wraps until she unveiled her bump at the closing ceremony of Venice Film Festival in September. Earlier this year, on International Women's Day, she revealed she had undergone four rounds of IVF treatment in the hopes of having her first child. In the post, Jessica shared a sped-up video of her injecting the hormones into her stomach, which typically increases the number of eggs produced by the ovaries. The star shared an impassioned caption reminding her followers that 'their bodies are not the enemy,' while also revealing she's on her fourth round of IVF treatment. Congratulations! Jessica kept her pregnancy under wraps until she unveiled her bump at the closing ceremony of Venice Film Festival in September Stunning: The actress, who played Lady Sybil in the period drama, cradled her blossoming baby bump as she attended the closing ceremony of Venice International Film Festival She wrote: 'Happy International Womens day! We do hard things and then go dancing x 'IVF has made me even more aware of just how much women are capable of and what we can achieve whilst going through pain and heart break. 'Your body is not the enemy. Love it. No matter what. Sending love and support to every woman I have ever met and all the ones I havent but know what this is. 'I thoroughly recommend doing it all in Vintage Clothing. Love. Love. Love.' Open: The actress married Ziggy in September 2020, after they met while filming the Hulu series Harlots in 2017 (pictured in January 2020) In-vitro fertilisation, known as IVF, is a medical procedure in which a woman has an already-fertilised egg inserted into her womb to become pregnant, and is typically used when a couple is unable to conceive naturally. Typically women are asked to inject themselves with a follicle stimulating hormone to increase the number of eggs available to boost the chances of success. The sperm and egg are then removed from the bodies of a man and woman, before seing combined in a laboratory, and the embryo is then inserted back into the woman. Jessica tied the knot with husband Ziggy in a low-key wedding in 2020 with just 30 guests in attendance due to Covid restrictions, three years after meeting on the Hulu drama Harlots. Matthew Perry will speak about his battle with addiction on a tour in support of his new memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. The 53-year-old Friends actor will speak in a number of cities about his new book, which details his experiences on the NBC hit as well as his battle with addiction. 'During this intimate conversation, Perry will share raw honesty about his addiction, behind-the-scenes stories from the hit sitcom and his experience becoming one of the worlds most recognizable characters,' reads an ad for the tour, titled A Conversation With Matthew Perry. The latest: Matthew Perry, 53, will speak about his battle with addiction on a tour in support of his new memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing. He was snapped in NYC last month The ad continued: 'Told with the same acerbic wit and familiar voice youve come to love from his character, Perrys captivating memoir delves into the most personal details of the love he lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends. Come join him on tour to hear from the man behind the laughs.' Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC smash hit, took to Instagram September 23 posing in front of a large screen picturing the cover of his new memoir. 'Join me on my book tour this November!' he said. Tickets on sale now ... looking forward to seeing you and sharing stories from FRIENDS, LOVERS, AND THE BIG TERRIBLE THING.' The Williamstown, Massachusetts native has events scheduled for November 2 at The Town Hall in New York City; November 4 at the Penn Medicine Princeton Health at Hyatt Regency Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey; November 6 at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.; and November 10 at the Hot Docs Theatre in Toronto. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC smash hit, took to Instagram September 23 posing in front of a large screen picturing the cover of his new memoir In June, the actor took to social media to reveal he finished penning the book, with an image of a title page on top of a stack of papers atop a laptop In June, the actor took to social media to reveal he finished penning the book, with an image of a title page on top of a stack of papers atop a laptop. 'My ego doesn't like that I have to stop writing about myself,' Perry said. 'But the book is now done. So that's that.' In February, Perry tweeted a cover of the book, writing, 'So much has been written about me in the past. I thought it was time people heard from me. The highs were high, the lows were low. But I have lived to tell the tale, even though at times it looked like I wouldnt. And its all in here. I apologize its not a pop up book.' Perry appeared on the Friends: The Reunion special in 2021 with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc The book is slated to be released November 1 Perry, who appeared on the Friends: The Reunion special in 2021 with costars Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and Jennifer Aniston, has past been open about his personal travails of substance abuse amid his high-pressure career. On the HBO Max special, Perry opened up about the pressure he put himself under while performing on the hit series. 'To me, I felt like I was going to die if they didn't laugh,' he said. 'If I didn't get the laugh I was supposed to get, I would freak out.' The book is slated to be released November 1. Dane Cook delved into how his engagement to his much younger fiancee Kelsi Taylor has affected his stand-up comedy in an interview from Tuesday. The 50-year-old comedian, who is engaged to 23-year-old Kelsi Taylor, said that their impending marriage had added a new marital dimension to his popular shows during an interview with E! News at the premiere of his new special Dane Cook: Above It All. The actor and comic revealed that Kelsi has been the first person to hear and respond to some of his newest jokes. Changes: Dane Cook, 50, delved into his 27-year age gap with his fiancee Kelsi Taylor, 23, while chatting about how his new stand-up special Above It All has evolved with E! News on Tuesday; seen together in 2019 'She saw everything that I was working on for the show,' he explained. 'And she was like, "Keep that in. I think that part will be great." There's even some fun at our own expense.' He was referring to the 27-year age gap between the two lovebirds, which comes up in the course of his latest set. 'We have a bit of an age difference, so it's in the show, it's in the show,' he admitted. 'If we can't laugh at it, then nobody else is allowed.' Kelsi is only 23 now, but the two had already been together for five years when he popped the question. Biggest fan: Dane said Kelsi sees and gives feedback before the audience will ever hear his jokes. 'She saw everything that I was working on for the show. And she was like, "Keep that in. I think that part will be great." There's even some fun at our own expense'; seen in May 2021 Big day: Dane and Kelsi were making a return trip in July of this year to Maine's York Beach, the location of their first trip together as a couple in 2017, when he popped the question Dane and Kelsi were making a return trip in July of this year to Maine's York Beach, which had been the location of their first trip together as a couple in 2017, when he took the opportunity to pop the question. Although the Mr. Brooks actor made his name with a particularly raunchy style of humor, he said he thought married life would transform his stand-up shows. 'I was just trying some material out on her the other day where I was like, "Hey, I think I have maybe my first what-it's-like-to-be-married joke,"' he shared. 'So, she got the exclusive. We tried it out and she said, "I approve of that. That's a good one."' He added he expected the new material would suit the new generations of fans showing up at his concerts. 'I think it'll change it in the way that I would always hope growing up with a generation of comedy fans. I was a college kid talking to, you know, college-age students. And to grow up with a generation of comedy fans, their kids are now coming to my show. I'm family oriented and to be looking at that with Kelsey and our future and family, it's like, all feels like the right timing.' Dane said married life would change his material. 'I was just trying some material out on her the other day where I was like, "Hey, I think I have maybe my first what-it's-like-to-be-married joke,"' he shared; seen in 2019 Dane previously told People that he 'was so ready to ask' Kelsi to marry him. 'I was completely zen about it,' he said. 'The evening of the proposal was incredibly beautiful, the weather was perfect, sunset was spectacular, and I was just quite simply very happy.' The stand-up star was previously linked to high-profile women who were closer in age to him, including Jessica Simpson, 42, and Nicole Scherzinger, 44. Dane's latest special, Above It All, which was filmed from on his home's porch in Los Angeles, will begin streaming on October 5 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, with a replay available to watch for 14 days. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America 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 Africa Trade Desk is the latest member to join the Canada Africa Chamber of Business. Africa Trade Desk is a one-stop boutique consulting firm for Canadian and international companies, investors, and entrepreneurs that want to do business in Africa and vice versa. They believe that diversified trade is the key to a sustained post-pandemic economic recovery. In February 2023, Africa Trade Desk is hosting its inaugural East African Trade Mission to Nairobi, Kenya. East Africa has been the continents fastest-growing region in recent years and the only one in Africa (https://bit.ly/3dZzJSI) to have avoided a recession during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, projected GDP growth was above 5% , with several countries consistently ranking as the fastest-growing economies. Kenyas GDP accounts for more than 50% of the regions total and had a 7.5% growth rate in 2021. This growth has been fueled by an emerging middle class coupled with an increased demand for high-value goods and services. In the first quarter of 2022, the growth rate was 6.8% , with the region being predicted to have bullish growth rates into the future. The significance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) also cannot be overstated. It is the worlds largest new free trade area since the establishment of the WTO and encompasses 1.3 billion people, with a combined GDP valued at $3.4 trillion USD . Kenya is one of the largest economies in the AfCFTA and your gateway to the newest emerging economies. Now is the time to grow your business and Kenya is your entry point to the region. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Apple Inc.s iPhone exports from India crossed $1 billion in the five months since April, according to people familiar with the matter, signaling the country is making progress with its bid to become a force in electronics manufacturing. At the current rate, outbound shipments of India-made iPhones, mainly to Europe and the Middle East, are set to reach $2.5 billion in the 12 months through March 2023, the people said. Thats almost double the $1.3 billion worth of iPhones India exported in the year through March 2022, the people said, asking not to be named as the data isnt public. Also Read: Apple plans to build team for its electric car soon While India makes up just a small fraction of iPhone output, rising exports bode well for Prime Minister Narendra Modis plan to make the country an alternative to China as factory to the world. Apple, which long made most of its iPhones in China, is seeking alternatives as Xi Jinpings administration clashes with the US government and imposes lockdowns across the country that have disrupted economic activity. The healthy growth in Apples manufacturing scale and export shows India is gradually assuming an important position in the companys China plus one strategy, said Navkendar Singh, an analyst at tech researcher IDC. And for India, this a big sign of the success of its financial incentives scheme. Apple representatives didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The Cupertino, California-based company flirted with the idea of making its prized iPhones in India for years before Modis $6 billion incentive push in 2020 drove the US tech giant to get its suppliers to ramp up production. Apples key Taiwanese contract manufacturers Foxconn Technology Group, Wistron Corp. and Pegatron Corp. currently make iPhones at plants in Southern India. All three won manufacturing incentives under a federal government plan. Also Read: EU lawmakers impose single charger for all smartphones To be sure, India is still far behind China. About 3 million iPhones were made in India last year, compared with 230 million in China, according to Bloomberg Intelligence estimates. The devices exported from India from April to August this year comprise iPhone 11, 12 and 13 models, and exports of the new 14 line will begin soon, the people said. Apple began making the iPhone 14 in India last month -- sooner than anticipated -- after a surprisingly smooth production rollout that slashed the lag between Chinese and Indian output from months to mere weeks. Beyond smartphones, India is drawing up plans to boost the financial incentives for tablet and laptop makers, hoping to woo Apple to make MacBooks and iPads locally as well as attract other brands. But moving out of China, where Apple has built a deep supply chain for close to two decades, isnt easy. A Bloomberg Intelligence analysis estimated it would take about eight years to move just 10 per cent of Apples production capacity out of China, where roughly 98 per cent of the companys iPhones are being made. Google earlier in the year during the I/O 2022 in May had given a sneak peek at Pixel 7, 7 Pro series, and Pixel Watch along with Pixel tablet. Except for the latter, the other three will be finally showcased during the fall event slated to kick off on October 6 at 10: 30 pm IST. Google Pixel hardware programme: Here's what to expect Google has confirmed that Pixel 7, 7 Pro, and the company's first-ever Pixel Watch will be unveiled at the upcoming event. It has even shown how they look, but to keep the buzz around the devices, it has kept the features device under wraps for the big reveal on D-Day. However, the Google product vault seems to breached, as specifications of the devices and even the product ads have made their way to social media platforms. The Pixel 7 Pro is said to feature a big 6.7-inch LPTO LED QHD+ display panel with support for 120Hz refresh rate. It will support a fingerprint sensor, face unlock security system and come with IP68 rating, meaning the device can sustain water pressure for up to 1.5 metres (approx. five feet) for close to 30 minutes. Inside, it will house a Google Tensor G2 silicon with Titan M2 security chip, 12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, and 5,000mAh battery, promising to offer a full day battery life and support both wired and wireless charging. The Pixel 7 Pro will sport a triple-camera module-- 50MP wide-angle lens + 12MP ultra-wide-angle with auto-focus + 48MP telephoto lens with 5X optical zoom and LDAF with LED flash. It will support macro focus photo mode, support high-resolution 30X digital zoom, realtone, and movie motion blur features. On the front, it is expected to feature a 10.8MP selfie camera. Both cameras will support 4K video recording. Google Pixel 7, 7 Pro series. Credit: Google On the other hand, the regular Pixel 7 is expected to feature a smaller 6.3-inch full HD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. It will also come with It will support a fingerprint sensor, face unlock security system, and come with IP68 rating. Inside, it will come packed with Google Tensor G2, Titan M2 security chip, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, and 4,700mAh battery, promising to offer a full day battery life and support both wired and wireless charging. It will sport a dual-camera module on the back-- main 50MP wide-angle lens with 12MP ultra-wide-angle sensor with LDAF and LED flash, support high-resolution 8X digital zoom, realtone, and movie motion blur features. On the front, it is expected to feature a 10.8MP selfie camera. Both cameras will support 4K video recording. Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro series prices are expected to start at $599 (around Rs 48,784) and $899 (roughly Rs 73,217), respectively. Must read | Google Pixel 6a review: It's all about user experience Google Pixel Watch. Credit: Google The Pixel Watch features a circular dial with Corning Gorilla Glass protection, 5ATM water pressure-resistant rating (up to 50 meters in depth). It will run Wear OS software with some key features of Fitbit for fitness tracking and also support sensors to monitor sleep, heart rate, and ECG (Electrocardiogram) for AFib (Atrial Fibrillation). It is expected to offer a full day of battery life. Also, it may come with a complimentary six-month Fitbit subscription for free. In Europe, it may cost around 357 (approx. Rs 28, 893). Must read | Google Pixel Buds Pro review: Fantastic TWS earbuds Google's new products' teaser video: Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech. An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 5.4 struck northwestern Iran on Wednesday, and Iranian state media reported that some 580 people were injured. "This earthquake has so far left about 580 injured and fortunately no one lost their life in this incident," Mohammad Hassan Nami, head of the state crisis management agency, was quoted as saying by the official news agency IRNA. The quake's epicentre was close to the town of Khoy in the province of West Azerbaijan. The quake was about 11.6 km (7.2 miles) from Khoy and at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), the United States Geological Survey said, reporting its magnitude at 5.7. The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) earlier said that the quake was magnitude 5.5 and close to the Armenia-Azerbaijan-Iran border region. Iranian media said it was a magnitude 5.4 earthquake. Major geological faultlines crisscross Iran, which has suffered several devastating earthquakes in recent years. Even as the government on Wednesday facilitated repatriation of 13 more Indians from the captivity of cybercrime syndicates in Myanmar, it has also come to know about similar fake job rackets luring the citizens of the country to other South-East Asian nations, including Cambodia and Laos. The 13 Indians rescued from the clutches of cybercrime syndicates in Myanmar reached Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Earlier, 32 other Indians, who were forced to commit cybercrimes, were rescued from Myawaddy and nearby areas close to Myanmars border with Thailand. A few other Indians, who fell prey to such criminal syndicates, but were rescued later, are still in the custody of authorities in Myanmar as they will have to go through legal proceedings for illegal entry into the South East Asian nation. Legal formalities have been initiated to get them repatriated at the earliest, Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi, tweeted on Wednesday. The Centre has already shared the details of the agents allegedly involved in the job racket with the relevant authorities in the respective state governments for appropriate actions. Also Read | S Jaishankar to visit New Zealand, Australia from October 5 Over the past few months, New Delhis diplomatic missions in Bangkok and Yangon have come to know about dubious IT firms luring youths from India with offers of jobs in Thailand, only to send the new recruits to remote border areas in Myanmar and force them to commit cybercrimes like call-centre scams and crypto-currency frauds. The IT professionals recruited from India by the dubious companies to the posts of 'Digital Sales and Marketing Executives' in Thailand were, in fact, made to walk through forests and cross rivers to illegally enter Myanmar. They were made to work at facilities set up in Myawaddy in Kayin State in southeastern Myanmar, according to the reports received by New Delhi. The MEA, on September 24, issued an advisory urging citizens not to get entrapped in such fake job offers being floated through social media platforms or other sources. New Delhi also came to know about similar fake job rackets in Cambodia and Lao PDR luring youths from India. Our embassies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been helping in repatriating people from there, the MEA spokesperson in New Delhi tweeted. The raids by law enforcement authorities in Phnom Penh between September 18 and 22 led to the rescue of 1,480 foreign nationals who had fallen prey to human trafficking rackets and were forced to commit cybercrimes, like online gambling and illegal currency trading. The embassies of India in the capitals of Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia issued advisories, asking youths of the country to exercise caution while accepting job offers and not to seek or accept employment while on tourist visas. Kazakhstans ambassador, on Tuesday, announced 14 days visa-free travel to his country for Indians. The Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Zhalgasbayev expressed his hope that more Indian tourists and filmmakers will visit the country in the coming months. He said his country was also considering opening a full-fledged consulate in Mumbai. The central Asian countrys ambassador was speaking to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan Mumbai on Tuesday, while celebrating the 30th anniversary of its diplomatic relations with India. Zhalgasbayev also announced at the meeting that President of Kazakhstan Kassym Jomart Tokayev will be visiting India next year. He said he was persuading President Tokayev to visit Mumbai and address business forums during his visit. The ambassador talked about the similarities between Kazakhstan and Indiathe two countries have comparable geographical areas as India is the seventh largest country in the world and Kazakhstan is the ninth largestand wanted more tourists from India to his landlocked country. Listing the advantages of a vacation in Kazakhstan, Zhalgasbayev said the air travel time between India and his country was less than four hours, and was full of beautiful steppes and lakes which vacationers and filmmakers would find as attractive destinations. Wanting to have air connectivity between India and its capital city Astana, and largest city Almaty, he said direct air connectivity among these cities will enable more frequent visits by citizens of both countries. Welcoming the Ambassador to Maharashtra, Governor Koshyari said even though it had only been 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and India, the cultural and trade relations between the two countries dated back to several centuries. Koshyari said he will be only happy to host the Kazakhstan President if the latter decides to visit Mumbai. The Governor assured his support and cooperation to all efforts to promote business and cultural relations between India and Kazakhstan. The Honorary Consul of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Mumbai Mahendra Kumar Sanghi and officer Asif Navroj were also present during the meeting. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was asked by some party leaders to seek withdrawal of Shashi Tharoor's candidature, the Thiruvananthapuram MP, who has made an aggressive bid to its top post, claimed here on Tuesday. Tharoor, who is in Kerala as part of the poll campaign, told reporters here that Gandhi said he will not ask the former to withdraw as a contest would benefit the grand old party. Also Read: Tharoor's thrum: Time Congress played a new game "He reminded me that he has been saying so for the past 10 years that there should be a contest for the party chief's post. He also told me that some persons have asked him to request me to withdraw my candidature. He told me he will not do so. He said I should not withdraw and that I should contest in the election," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said. Earlier in the day, he said that he never expected big leaders to support him and does not expect it even now, but at the same time he needs everyone's backing. The statement came in the wake of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran publicly declaring his support for veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge for the party chief's post. Tharoor also said he was not going to betray those who supported him till now in this endeavour of his by backing off from the election. "I was not expecting any support from the big leaders of the party and I am not expecting that now either. In fact, I met party workers at Nagpur, Wardha and then Hyderabad. They are the ones asking me to contest and not back away from it. "I assured them I will not back away. I will not betray those who have supported me till now. Their confidence in me is what gives me the strength to move forward," he said. He also said that while the "majority of his supporters are young party leaders and party workers", he needs support from everyone and was not going to discount anyone. On being asked whether Sudhakaran's public support for Kharge was meant to discourage others from supporting him, Tharoor said, "Maybe. But I am not saying that. I do not need to decipher what is going on in people's minds. I will say one thing, whatever one says secretly or publicly, the ballot is secret. "No one is going to know who voted for whom. People can vote according to their wishes and beliefs. They can decide whom they want to strengthen the party and prepare it to counter the challenges it would face in the future." Also Read: Never expected big leaders' support, but need everyone's backing: Tharoor on Cong prez election Regarding Sudhakaran's statement, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said the KPCC chief probably expressed his personal decision and preference and "there is nothing wrong with that." "He cannot give a direction which is clear from the circular issued by the party debarring party office-bearers from campaigning for candidates. But please don't ask me about it. If the election authority wants to do something about it, it is up to them," he said. The election circular issued by the party on Monday said that AICC general secretaries/ in-charges, secretaries, joint secretaries, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) presidents, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders, heads of frontal organisations, chiefs of departments, cells and all official spokespersons "shall not campaign for or against contesting candidates." "If they wish to support any candidate, they must first resign from their organisational post, after that they participate in the campaign process," it said. The polling for the Congress presidential election will be held on October 17. The counting of votes will be taken up on October 19 and the results will be declared the same day. More than 9,000 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates will vote in the poll. A 24-year-old County Tyrone man who admitted causing around 1,400 of damage after a night out in Magherafelt has had his sentencing hearing adjourned after applying to join the Irish army. Thomas Mullin, of Hillbank Fold, James Street, Omagh, entered a guilty plea at Magherafelt Magistrates Court in August to three charges of criminal damage relating to an incident on December 26 2019. A previous hearing had heard the defendant had collapsed a fence in the Piney Hill area, before removing a flagstone from a nearby property and throwing it at a car following a night out. Following the completion of a pre-sentence report, the defendant appeared before the same court for sentencing on Wednesday. However, Mullins' defence counsel explained that in the intervening period, the defendant had applied to join the Irish army, a claim for which Judge Mullan requested proof. The defendant told the judge he had completed medical and physical tests and was awaiting an official offer of employment. His defence further explained this left the defendant unsure how much time he could commit to any potential probation order the judge was minded to impose. They requested the judge defer sentencing for a number of weeks, at which point counsel may have more information available. Judge Mullan queried whether the defendant had disclosed the details of this case during his application, and pointed out the 'quite extensive damage' caused by the offence. Defence suggested the Irish army may take into account the seriousness of the offence and the attitude taken by the court during any recruitment process. The judge indicated she had been minded to impose a suspended sentence on the defendant, and was 'not convinced' by the pre-sentence report that probation would be suitable. She questioned how Mullins would be able to find time to complete probation if he was successful in his application. I need more definite information, she added, before adjourning the case until November 2 for review and to allow the defendant's 'position on employment' to become more clear. An emergency department consultant has appealed to the public for help to ease hospital pressures after admitting his staff are facing dire straits." The Western Health and Social Care Trust posted a Twitter video featuring Dr Sandy Nelson at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry on Tuesday afternoon (October 4). It came as health trusts across Northern Ireland warned that hospitals were facing extreme pressure due to the number of patients. The WHSCT has tweeted that their emergency department was "extremely busy" with 110 people in the emergency department and 45 were awaiting admission. In the video posted to Twitter, Dr Nelson said there were patients everywhere and staff were struggling." He said: My name is Sandy Nelson. Im one of the emergency medicine consultants here in Altnagelvin Hospital. Im in the emergency department at the moment, its October 4, its midday, we have 110 patients in the department. Ive got 45 people waiting for a bed in the hospital. Ive got four ambulances awaiting off-load, which means they cant get out into the community to come and see the emergencies. #AltnagelvinED is extremely busy right now 110 people in ED | 45 awaiting admission We are urging the public to Phone First if your condition is not an emergency. Please call 0300 020 6000 where medical personnel will direct you to the best route of treatment. pic.twitter.com/7nzVvUr5Zl Western Trust (@WesternHSCTrust) October 4, 2022 There are just patients everywhere and we are struggling. If you can do anything to help us it would be greatly appreciated, be that coming to pick up your relatives that are due for discharge as early as possible, or saving the emergency department for absolute emergencies. We are really in dire straits and I am asking for your help at this time. Dr Nelson has reached out to the public on a number of occasions regarding the Emergency Department and the pressures it continues to face including April of this year where one patient had been waiting four days for a bed. The new video comes as emergency departments across the country also explained they are under extreme pressure with patients waiting at all major hospitals. The Northern Trust tweeted: EDs at Antrim Area & Causeway Hospitals continue to be under extreme pressure" and their Emergency Departments "are exceptionally busy." They added: Again we are asking for your help in not attending unless your condition is urgent or life threatening. Thank you for your consideration and patience. The Belfast Trust said: Our Emergency Departments are exceptionally busy. Anyone attending an Emergency Department with a non-urgent condition may have a very long wait to be seen. Please only attend an Emergency Department if your condition is urgent and needs immediate attention. The South Eastern Trust tweeted that 135 patients were waiting in Ulster Hospital. The trust said: The Ulster Hospital Emergency Department is under extreme pressure. There are 135 patients in our department, 50 awaiting admission. Seriously ill patients will be seen first. The health authority is appealing to the public to work with it as it attempts to deliver essential care to those most in need by only attending ED if it is necessary to do so. If your situation is life-threatening, a medical or mental health emergency, call 999 immediately or proceed straight to the Emergency Department. If you have an urgent, non-emergency medical situation, please use the Phone First service on 0300 020 6000 where medical personnel will direct you to the best route of treatment. For more information about using Emergency and Urgent Care services, visit bit.ly/WTEmergencyAndUrgentServices A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today for an assault on a care worker at a local homeless hostel. Denis Blanking (25) of no fixed abode admitted a charge of assault on the worker on October 3. The court was told that police were called to the hostel and were told by the reporting person that Blanking who was 'heavily intoxicated' had become aggressive to staff. He pushed a member of staff and made threats and at one stage prepared to spit but fell to the ground drunk before he could do that. The court was told that Blanking is no longer welcome at the hostel. Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said his client was now homeless and would have to present himself at the Housing Executive. He said that given his background he 'never stood much of a chance'. The solicitor said Blanking accepted his wrongdoing and apologised especially as the care worker he had assaulted had been 'good to him'. Deputy District Judge Greg McCourt said he was not prepared to release Blanking on bail and remanded him in custody to appear again on October 12. 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. Derry folk musician Marty Coyle will play one of the largest folk festivals in the world this weekend when he takes to the stage at the Jodhpur RIFF (Rajasthani International Folk Festival) in India. Set in the spectacular Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, the festival welcomes thousands of music goers over five days (October 6-10) for the best of Rajasthani, Indian, and global roots music. Marty is there with the support of the British Council and will take to the main stage on Sunday October 9 to perform a set inspired by the festivals iconic setting, blending the folk music of Ireland with that of India. Since 2019, the multi-instrumentalist has been working on a touring show entitled Citadels of the Sun which features 60 minutes of music based around the narratives of two forts - the festivals famous Mehrangarh Fort and the An Grianan of Aileach fort in Donegal. He will be joined on stage by multi-instrumentalist Denise Boyle (Donegal fiddle, keys, vocals) and Paul Cutliffe (uilleann pipes, whistles), alongside Rajasthani musicians Asin Khan (sarangi player and vocalist of the Langa community) and Sawai Khan (percussionist and vocalist from the Manganiyar community), who together will unite to showcase the best of both Rajasthani and Irish music. This is Martys second time at Jodhpur RIFF, having played the festival in 2019, before it had to take a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Speaking ahead of the show, he said: Im really looking forward to being back at Jodhpur RIFF. Last time it felt like our performance had tapped into the beginnings of something and there was more to be explored. "This time, were lucky enough to be playing on the mainstage in the courtyard of the Palace, which is really special and makes Citadels of the Sun feel like its come full circle. The project has meant figuring out how to mix two styles of music and make them work Irish music can be quite regimented, but the Rajasthani musicians taught us how to be more free and let go. "Weve spent the last year and a half adding to the show and cant wait to play it in its entirety for the first time. Its an original suite of continuous music, with no stopping once we start a challenge for me, but nothing new for the Indian musicians who are used to playing in long form. The show ends with a celebration piece based around an old traditional Rajasthan folk song that the audience might recognise, but weve developed this piece in an Irish style incorporating a new reel from our piper Paul. Marty also cant wait to meet the two Rajasthani musicians again, who have been instrumental in the project since the start. He continued: Along with myself, Asin has been the lead collaborator from Rajasthan and has played a vital part in bringing traditional Rajasthani folk music to the project, with his main instrument the sarangi, a traditional folk instrument. "Whereas Sawai provides the authentic rhythms of Rajasthan on Dholak (a two-headed drum) and Khartal (hand percussion) as well as vocal accompaniment. Because of Covid-19, we havent been able to see each other since 2019 and the project has had to develop online. For music, its always better getting people in a room together, but weve got used to working online and it has given us more time to be methodical and get things right. "The pandemic showed us that we have got the technology to connect with people regardless of the destination and its a great way of making things happen if you cant be there in person. "I am however excited to get back on stage together as thats where the magic really happens. Its about the human connection more than anything else. We hope this show is the first of many for Citadels of the Sun - the next step would be to tour this work and of course to present it at home. Divya Bhatia (Festival director RIFF) and myself both hope to be present at this years WOMEX in Lisbon to pitch the work internationally. Martys project is funded through the British Councils India-Northern Ireland Connections Through Culture grant scheme, which over three years, supports artistic collaboration and exchange between creative professionals and arts organisations in Northern Ireland and India, with the project building on previous work between Earagail Arts Festival and the Jodphur RIFF festival in 2019. Speaking about the project, Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland said: Were delighted to support Marty with Citadels of the Sun and see the project back in Rajasthan. "Our aim with Connections through Culture grants is to help strengthen the creative sector between India and Northern Ireland and we hope this show at one of the worlds biggest folk festivals, will put the spotlight on Martys work internationally. We wish him every success during his time in India. India-Northern Ireland Connection Through Culture Grants continue the British Councils work, building connection, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching. To find out more about their work in Northern Ireland visit nireland.britishcouncil.org or follow on Twitter: @BCouncil_NI, Facebook or Instagram. Final preparations are under way ahead of an inquest into the death of a nine-year-old Derry girl whose case was examined in the Hyponatraemia Inquiry. An inquest into the death of Raychel Ferguson is due to start on October 17 at Belfast Coroners Court. However, Coroner Joe McCrisken is to examine new material to the inquest from Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) proceedings to assess whether the start date will need to be delayed. A pre-inquest review hearing on Tuesday was told the NMC alerted the inquest to the material which has been viewed and identified as relevant. Mark Robinson KC, acting for the Western Trust, expressed concern that the NMC material may be voluminous, would have to be examined and witnesses may need to be consulted. We do have a concern about the timeframe and starting date of the inquest in that context, he said. Mr McCrisken responded by saying he will know more when he sees the material himself. If I consider it is unduly voluminous to the degree that you couldnt examine it within two weeks, that is 14 days, then I will make a decision, he said. Mr McCrisken said he will consider the NMC material on Wednesday morning, adding: Other than that, if it turns out that the NMC disclosure is a hurdle that we can get over, then this inquest is starting on October 17. Ill make everyone aware by Friday of this week my view based upon an examination of the NMC materials as to whether it is reasonable and sensible for this inquest to proceed on the 17th. But, as I said at present, my view is that were ready to start. Raychel, nine, from Coshquin, was one of five children whose hospital treatment was examined in the long-running investigation. She died on June 10 2001 at the Royal Childrens Hospital in Belfast, shortly after transfer from Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry following an appendectomy. Her death resulted from hyponatraemia brought on by fluid therapy which had not properly replaced her sodium levels. Inquiry chair Mr Justice OHara found in 2018 that Raychels death, and the deaths of Adam Strain and Claire Roberts, were the result of negligent care. The deaths of Lucy Crawford and Conor Mitchell were also examined during the inquiry. His damning report found four of the five deaths could have been avoided. The Attorney General for Northern Ireland has directed that a new inquest be held into Raychels death. The Ministry of Defence has been accused of deliberately delaying a fresh inquest into the death of a man in Derry in 1978 ahead of new legislation which would stop court cases around Northern Irelands past. However, a barrister for the MoD told Belfast Coroners Court that they are currently stretched with finite resources serving a number of legacy inquests. Fresh inquests into killing of three IRA men in Coagh, Co Tyrone in 1991, Francis Bradley in Co Derry in 1986 and the shooting of five civilians in Springhill in west Belfast in 1972 are among inquests to be heard in 2023. Patrick Duffy, 50, was shot dead in November 1978 at a house in the Brandywell area of Derry by British soldiers. The Duffy family have campaigned for a fresh inquest to examine the circumstances of the incident. In 2019, Attorney General John Larkin directed that a fresh inquest should take place. A preliminary hearing at Belfast Coroners Court on Wednesday heard that soldiers involved have not yet been identified and work is ongoing by the MoD, PSNI and Northern Ireland Office to identify and supply any relevant material. Barrister Stephen Toal, acting for the Duffy family, contended that with government legislation going through Parliament which would see court cases to do with the Troubles stopped, the MoD is attempting to delay this inquest so it may never be heard. The Ministry of Defence has displayed a questionable attitude towards the administration of justice and other inquests and civil claims, he said. But they seem to have taken it to another level in this particular inquest. Not only have they not bothered to try and ascertain the identity of these soldiers, but theyre also saying that they have limited resources so nothing will be done urgently or at all in certain circumstances and this is all in the context of the legislation which is impending, and it seems to us, from our perspective, that this is a deliberate tactic of delay, in order to frustrate the holding of this inquest at any point. Responding, Martin Wolfe KC, acting for the MoD, said they are servicing a significant number of inquests. He referred to a five-year plan announced in 2019 to deal with outstanding legacy inquests being to a large extent set aside. He said a compression of cases in recent times doesnt make life particularly easy for state parties to these proceedings, adding particularly when they have finite resources. The MoD are doing all they can to respond but really its not appropriate my learned friend would make the remarks he has without appreciating the demands on the MoD to meet a large number of other inquests, four or five of which have been listed for early next year, he said. It is not a case of the state participants doing nothing, they are continually working through these inquests with finite resources, therefore we have to look carefully at where this inquest, if it is listed, would sit alongside other inquests which have been listed. Coroner Fiona Bagnall said she understands the frustration of the Duffy family, but added: I have to work within the world that Im in. If we do have dates which the MoD have signed up to, I would be inclined to work with those dates at this point in time because its more important that we do get the progress made than setting time frames that are not met, she said. She said she fully expects the dates set by the MoD to be met. Meanwhile the court heard the Duffy family had previously requested that the inquest be heard in Derry. Mr Toal urged the coroner to adopt an approach used in some other inquests that sections of evidence are heard in modules to allow the inquest be open sooner, even if it has to adjourn for periods before the next module. That would be a huge milestone for this particular family who have waited decades to have the truth of this matter investigated, he said. In terms of venue, he said the family would like the conclusions to be delivered in Derry even if rest is heard elsewhere. Its an important matter for them, it not only affects them but it affects the local community in which they grew up in, he said. Its their preference that it all be heard in Derry but if that is not possible their primary submission is that the inquest is opened as soon as possible in order to receive the civilian witnesses. Ms Bagnall said she would park looking at the dates and models for the inquest until she has had a feel for the papers in the case. We will revisit this issues probably in the next preliminary hearing, she said. Another preliminary hearing is to take place on December 14. The formation event behind Northern Irelands world-famous Giants Causeway may have taken just a few days rather than thousands of years, according to a new theory. The origin of the striking stones, which have attracted visitors from across the world, including the late Queen, include theories ranging from them being built by the mythical giant Finn McCool to more scientific explanations. Now Dr Mike Simms, curator of natural sciences at National Museums NI, has put forward the first new interpretation since 1940. Dr Simms considered why the extraordinary geological features are found at sea level only. To mark Unescos International Geodiversity Day on October 6, he has explained why he believes they were caused by an event which took just days. The scientific explanation, widely accepted for decades, is that a river valley was filled with lava that ponded to a greater depth than normal. As the thick layer of lava cooled and solidified it formed these regular columns. However, Dr Simms has put forward the idea that if this lava-filled hollow was a valley it would have cut through old layers of lava beneath. He has identified layers of old lava on the shore either side of the Giants Causeway sloping inward where older layers have not eroded away. Dr Simms said: An analogy I find helpful when explaining this involves cake. Eroding a river valley is rather like cutting through a layer of cake to reveal layers beneath the surface. In my interpretation, what we actually see are layers of older rock sloping towards the Causeway more like a badly baked cake that has sunk in the middle. I believe the ground subsided as lava moved up and erupted at the surface. The lava filled the depression creating the conditions for the columns to form. This event likely took just a few days rather than the many thousands of years that would be needed for erosion to create a river valley. Dr Simms explained he first started thinking about the theory while leading a field trip to the World Heritage Site in 2012. I owe a particular debt of gratitude to another geologist, a young Brazilian man who was on a field trip I was leading in 2012, he said. He questioned how long it would take to erode the supposed river valley, and it was this that opened my eyes to the evidence before me. I had visited the Giants Causeway many times before, and until that moment I had just accepted the previous theory. It goes to show that even at world famous landmarks such as this, new discoveries can be made from a simple observation. The Giants Causeway is Northern Irelands only Unesco World Heritage Site and is operated by the National Trust, which has acknowledged Dr Simmss theory. Max Bryant, general manager at Giants Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede, said there can always be new possibilities and perspectives waiting to be discovered. It highlights just how marvellous, magnificent and mysterious a geological formation we have here in Northern Ireland to share with the world, he said. Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said she is proud to support Dr Simmss findings. I think its wonderful he has showcased the expertise of our team and how important museums are, she said. Yes, we provide spaces for people to explore and learn, but our teams also make meaningful contributions elsewhere. As a knowledge-based organisation, our staff are uniquely placed to present research and ideas. By using our vast natural science collections, for instance, we can support new discoveries and promote responsible and ethical action when it comes to our natural world. Dr Simms paper can be read here https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354072108_Subsidence_not_erosion_Revisiting_the_emplacement_environment_of_the_Giants_Causeway_Northern_Ireland Irish Presidency Welcomes Publication of Report on the Future of the Council of Europe Press release Irelands Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, and Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne TD, have joined Council of Europe leaders today in welcoming the publication of a report on the future of the Council of Europe by a High-Level Reflection Group chaired by Irelands former President Mary Robinson. (Link here) Ireland currently holds the six-month Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The report presents thirty recommendations to enable the Council of Europe to respond effectively to the challenges presented by the war in Ukraine by redoubling investment in the organisations core competencies the promotion of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law and enhancing pan-European cooperation, above all with the European Union and the United Nations. Chair of the Committee of Ministers, Minister Coveney said: Ireland is proud to have advanced the High-Level Reflection Group during our Presidency of the Committee of Ministers. While our Presidency lasts only six months, this work will help shape the future of this organisation for years to come. We fully support the reports key message that now is the time for the Council of Europe to recommit to delivering on its core remit, notably, the implementation of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights. I urge all 46 member states to act on the groups recommendations to respond effectively to the challenges presented by war on our continent. In particular, I echo the groups call for a Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Councils member states to be convened at the earliest possible opportunity in order to put political impetus behind this vital work. Presenting the report to the Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg earlier, Mary Robinson said: We need political decisions at the highest level to navigate the dark times we are living in. Europe and the world are not in a good shape right now. We hoped that realities like those we have seen in Ukraine belonged to our past. We were wrong. This is a wake-up call for Europe. The ongoing war in Ukraine is not the only challenge facing Europe and the world. Democratic backsliding, undermining the rule of law, and challenges to our human rights protection system are on the rise. The good news is that we have, with this report, the tools to tackle the multiple and complex crises we are facing. What we need is the political will to do so. Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric stated: This report reflects its authors vision for the future of the Council of Europe and of our Continent. We now need political commitment at the highest level to translate its recommendations into reality. President of the Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, remarked: I am confident that the report will provoke a meaningful discussion about the 4th Council of Europe Summit, its aims and outcomes, and will lead to important decisions that will both underline the continuing relevance of our organisation and reinforce its capacity to respond to the current challenges in Europe. I welcome this report and look forward to a decision to formally convene a Summit, to which the Assembly will contribute to the best of its abilities, including on the basis of its own reflection process currently led by our Bureau and our Political Affairs Committee. Ahead of a forthcoming visit to Strasbourg, Minister Byrne added: The report of the High-Level Reflection Group represents an opportunity for the Council of Europes 46 member states which we should embrace. Next week I will travel to Strasbourg to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, where I will make a strong case for agreement on a Summit and delivery of this reports key recommendations. As President Robinson and her fellow Group members have made clear, we have the tools it is now up to each of us to ensure that they are used to build a better Europe. ENDS Press Office 5 October 2022 Notes to Editors On 8 June, two weeks after Ireland assumed the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the organisations Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric appointed a seven member High-Level Reflection Group (HLRG) on the future of the Council of Europe. Including six former Heads of State or Government and/or Foreign Ministers, the group comprised: Ms Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland Mr Bernard Cazeneuve, former Prime Minister of France Ms Iveta Radicova, former Prime Minister of Slovakia Mr Evangelos Venizelos, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Greece Ms Federica Mogherini, former High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission and former Foreign Minister of Italy Ms Ine Marie Eriksen Sreide, former Foreign Minister of Norway Mr Josep Dalleres Codin, former General Syndic (Speaker) of Andorra The report, published today, presents thirty recommendations to enable the Council of Europe to respond effectively to the challenges presented by the war in Ukraine. The report calls for a summit of Council of Europe Heads of State and Government to take place at the earliest possible opportunity and for these meetings to become regular, held at least every four years. To address democratic backsliding across the continent, the HLRG recommends development of a new legal instrument on education for democracy; greater investment in monitoring of electoral report observations; the creation of a new Council of Europe Democracy index; new structures to ensure a youth perspective in Council of Europe policy formation; and measures to strengthen the protection of civil society across the continent. The HLRG sets out a range of recommendations to improve the Council of Europes human rights protection systems effectiveness and coherence. These include completing the negotiation of the EUs accession to the European Convention on Human Rights as soon as possible, with political support at the proposed Fourth Summit; pursuing EU accession to the European Social Charter; and a series of recommendations designed to strengthen monitoring and ensure full execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments. Important recommendations are also made to enable the Council of Europe to highlight ongoing human rights violations in Russia and to establish a new office within the Council of Europe to monitor human rights issues in areas of protracted conflict or contested jurisdiction. In responding to the current crisis, and related spillover effects, the HLRG stress the need to further refine and enhance the Council of Europes already fruitful cooperation with the EU, the UN and other partners. The 2007 MoU on EU-Council of Europe cooperation should be updated, with a renewed commitment to political dialogue between the institutions, and to clarify the respective roles of the Council of Europe and any future European Political Community. The Council of Europes key role in EU enlargement process, in supporting states in developing stronger rule of law and democratic institutions, should be further codified and enhanced. Building on the Committee of Ministers recent decision to establish a Contact Group with Belarussian democratic leaders, the HLRG recommend the Council of Europe develop, under the responsibility of Secretary General Buric, a new framework for cooperation with Russian and Belarussian civil society. Finally, recognising violence against women and domestic violence as a particularly persistent and egregious violation of human rights, exacerbated by the conflict, the HLRG urges the Committee of Ministers to give renewed priority to the ratification and implementation of the Istanbul Convention and to fight against disinformation that undermines the convention, building on the Dublin Declaration signed by 38 CoE Member States last week. Ireland assumed the rotating Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 20 May 2022, a position it holds until November 2022. In that role, Ireland has prioritised supporting the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Convention and protected by the Court. Details of the Presidencys programme and latest news are available at www.ireland.ie/coe and www.coe.int/en/web/presidency. Previous Item | Next Item Back in March of this year, the Indian government banned the very popular VLC Media Player without specifying any reason. The ban that has been imposed isnt a proper ban, but rather a soft ban, meaning that while the VLC player itself works fine for Indian users without any issues, the main website of VLC has been banned in India. Currently, if any Indian internet users try to access the VideoLAN website, they get the following message: "Your requested URL has been blocked as per the directions received from the Department of Telecommunications Government of India. VideoLAN, VLCs parent company says that they werent even given an opportunity to say anything against the ban. Now, they have also sent a legal notice to the Indian Government. Furthermore, they are also asking the government to provide them with a reason for the block so that they can have an opportunity to defend themselves. Why was VLC Media Player banned in India? As of now, the Government of India has not yet released any official statement regarding the ban of VLC Media Player in India. VideoLan claims that the platform was banned 6 months ago in the month of February 2022. They claim to have even approached the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to know the reasons behind the ban, however, they did not receive any response. This is very surprising as earlier, whenever such decisions were taken, an official statement was released from the government. Something that is even more surprising is that the VLC Media Player app is still available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It has to be noted that the any other apps that have been banned by the government in India were removed from both these stores almost instantly. For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in. DLR Group Vander Ploeg DLR Group has promoted Michael Vander Ploeg to regional workplace leader, focusing on the Northwest region. In his new role, Vander Ploeg will advance the growth of DLR Group's workplace market sector across Oregon and Washington, guiding a team of integrated design and engineering professionals. He will continue innovating the future of the workplace with existing client partners while sparking new partnerships in DLR Group's focus areas, including science+technology, mass timber, and sustainable design and development. Vander Ploeg is currently researching new ways to collect sensor data from built environments to make them more sustainable, enjoyable, and healthier. In addition to this research, he is working on methods for fabricating new prototype spaces and interactive design installations that engage technology clients with the communities in which they live and work. Subscriber content preview WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) Flight attendants are about to get an extra hour of required rest between shifts. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that it will require the workers get at least 10 hours off between shifts, fulfilling a requirement that Congress approved in 2018. . . . Subscriber content preview Photo by Benjamin Minnick [enlarge] Workers from Transcon are installing bus shelters along Alaskan Way in Seattle. The construction industry had 407,000 job openings in August, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. ABC issued its analysis on Tuesday in a news release. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A development site at 701 S. Jackson St. has sold for $5 million, according to King County records. The buyer was an LLC associated with OZ Navigator, which is planning a 202-unit apartment project on the corner of Seventh Avenue South. . . . Interview: Payload specialist selection significant to Macao's science development Xinhua) 10:59, October 05, 2022 Joseph Hun-wei Lee, president of the Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST), reacts during an interview with Xinhua in Macao, south China, Oct. 4, 2022. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka) MACAO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The payload specialist selection in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) for the country's manned space program is of great significance to the development of science and related education in the SAR, said an education expert. Joseph Hun-wei Lee, president of the Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST), told Xinhua Tuesday that the selection, held in Macao for the first time, is expected to inspire research in fundamental physics and education in related disciplines in the Macao SAR, thus laying solid foundation for nurturing the next generation of scientists. "The move will also inspire young people in Macao to make greater efforts in the pursuit of knowledge and exploration of science," Lee said. "The effect is limitless." On Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Macao SAR announced the selection program. The target candidates are required to be healthy Chinese nationals aged between 30 and 45 who are permanent residents of the Macao SAR with a doctoral degree and have engaged themselves for at least three years in the research fields of medicine, biology, psychology, physics or chemistry, mechanical or electrical engineering, astronomy or other disciplines. Hailing the selection as a historic opportunity for Macao, Lee said Macao should increase investments on science and research, further enhance cooperation with the Chinese mainland in this regard and better tap Macao's advantages as an international platform to train more scientists and engineers. "The development of space science and technology will bring about numerous exciting frontier scientific research," Lee said, adding that the MUST hopes to engage in cross-disciplinary space research such as stem cell experiments, biological research of microgravity and research on materials. As early as in 2005, the MUST started to participate in data analysis and research of China's lunar exploration program, later carried out wide cooperation with top-notch national-level science and research institutes. In 2018, the Ministry of Science and Technology approved the establishment of the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences in the MUST. It represented the first state key laboratory specializing in the field of astronomy and planetary sciences in China. In recent years, the MUST has taken part in several major national deep space exploration projects, fostering a competitive team of young researchers. Lee encouraged Macao's young science workers to actively apply for the selection program. "Macao should seize this opportunity to take its science and technology development to a higher level." (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) The Taoiseach has been accused of spin over his commitment that no pre-pay electricity customers will be cut off this winter. People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy told the Dail that there is no mechanism in place to guarantee pre-pay energy customers across the country do not get cut off, despite the Taoiseachs assurances to the contrary. Micheal Martin rejected the accusation, saying it was not spin. The Fianna Fail leader said on Sunday that the Government will not allow people on pay-as-you-go energy meters to be disconnected over the winter. Mr Martin said the Government was engaging with suppliers on the issue. He insisted people who found themselves in such situations would be helped by the social welfare system. Mr Murphy said his words would have caused people to have a sigh of relief to say if I dont have money this winter, to put money in the machine to top up the meter, my lights wont go off or my heat wont go out. The only problem, Taoiseach, is theyre not accurate. Are they? They are spin. Spin like you tried to give earlier to Deputy McDonald. Youre just playing with words. He added: As things currently stand these people will be cut off electricity or gas when their meters run out of money and they run through the 20 euro overdraft. No-one has emergency credit. These are amongst the lowest income people in the country. They include 90,000 households who have previously experienced electricity debt, and they are not being protected from disconnection this winter. In response, the Taoiseach rejected the accusation, saying the Government has intervened. We have intervened. I would reject your presentation of this, Mr Martin said. The measures we have taken, putting cash into peoples accounts in reducing the bills is unprecedented. Those measures we have taken have impact. And the impact they should demonstrably have is that people shouldnt be cut off by definition, given the scale of it. He added that social protection is there to protect people from being disconnected. People should not be cut off in the middle of winter in terms of heating or in terms of electricity and government will work with providers. And obviously the CRU as the statutory body regulating for this. But I think youre too dismissive of the extraordinary measures that we have included in the Budget. The Taoiseach told the Dail the Government has introduced a series of measures announced in the Budget to mitigate the impact of soaring costs, including a 600 euro electricity credit for households. Earlier Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said households struggling to pay their bills remain in danger of disconnection, despite the Taoiseachs assurances . Its a very real and present fear, Mrs McDonald said. We know that 712 households were disconnected in the first half of this year. And that of course is before the impact of the huge increases in bills this winter. So workers and families, Taoiseach, need more than words, they need a real plan from Government that gives them the certainty that they will not be disconnected. There are some 340,000 electricity customers on pay-as-you-go meters and about 120,000 gas customers on these meters. The Dublin Central TD called for an immediate ban on energy disconnections in a bid to assist people under severe financial pressure amid rising energy costs. She said the ban should remain in place until at least the end of March next year. Mrs McDonald told the Dail the Governments energy credits have already been gobbled up before they have even been issued. Asked later at a press conference at Government Buildings to clarify the matter, the Taoiseach said: Unless theres some extenuating circumstances, people will not be cut off Ive gone through all the various pillars weve provided that avoids people having to be cut off. Thats the bottom line there. Aer Lingus has received 6,500 compensation applications from customers affected by last months IT problem that led to the cancellation of 51 flights. More than 30,000 Aer Lingus passengers were impacted by the disruption, that was sparked by an exceptional set of circumstances. The airline was forced to cancel dozens of flights between Dublin airport and other European destinations after its check-in and boarding services were severely disrupted. Senior representatives from Aer Lingus appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. Lynne Embleton, chief executive of Aer Lingus said that for almost ten hours, they had no access to their operational and customer system. This meant we couldnt check-in, we couldnt board customers, we couldnt get access to flight information or customer bookings data or customer data information, Ms Embleton said. We had limited ability to communicate with our customers and ability to provide information. Donal Moriarty, chief corporate affairs officer, said that its cloud-based system is located in the UK. The outage was truly an exceptional set of circumstances, Mr Moriarty told the committee. The first line, the fibre optic line, was broken due to construction work at a site in the UK and that took down the primary line. The secondary line, which is the backup, also failed due to an entirely unrelated issue of a failure of backup card. That was a truly extraordinary event for that to happen. In addressing the issue, that backup card has been replaced and there is a new monitoring system in place to ensure what happened cant happen again. Its extremely unlikely that the sequences of events that happened on September 10 will happen again. We are looking at bringing in additional redundancy to protect systems by having a second fail over to provide additional security. The incident, which left hundreds of passengers stranded outside Dublin Airport, was described as a PR disaster by independent TD Michael Lowry. He said the failure of the backup system was not acceptable. I would have thought that a company of your size with such reliance on technology, you would be insisting on a multi-layered backup to ensure it does not happen, Mr Lowry added. He said he was gobsmacked by the amount of people outside the airport, and described the handling of the incident as a shambles. Ms Embleton said it should not have happened. Mr Moriarty said the airline is in discussions with the supplier over the outage, but said there are constraints on what he can publicly say. Susanne Carberry, chief customer officer, said about 700 people are awaiting to be refunded. To date we have received about 6,500 compensation applications from customers and have successfully (processed) over 91% of them today, Ms Carberry said. Some of these passengers may still be coming so we may have to add to that list. But the ones currently waiting, we have communicated with them to say we will have all these applications processed by the end of this month. Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley said he doesnt buy that main server and its backup failed. I would have thought there would have been testing of the backup service to ensure it was fit for purpose so if the other system went down, it was there, he added. Mr Moriarty said the issues have been fully dealt with and should not happen again. Around 30,000 passengers were affected by the delays. Of those 20,000 people were on delayed flights, with some 10,000 people booked on to cancelled flights. It was a quality night of racing at Dundalk Stadium last Friday night with two Listed Races, both worth 47,500, both for two-year-olds, forming the highlights. Firstly, it was the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Legacy Stakes, run over a trip of five furlongs. Funny Money Honey is finding plenty for pressure, said course commentator Jerry Hannon as the Jessica Harrington-trained filly (11/2) gamely held off one of the two English raiders, Malrescia, on the run to the line under Shane Foley to secure the winners purse of 28,025. The runner-up is trained in Newmarket by 30-year-old George Boughey, a rising star in the British training ranks. Jessica and Shane completed a double on the card when Slick Chick (11/1) won the William Hill-sponsored nursery. Shane completed a treble when Instrumental (14/1) won the first division of the mile handicap for James McAuley, who was registering a seventh Dundalk win of the year. James, who also owns the winner, acquired him from Aidan OBriens stable for 8,000 guineas in July. Once again, he has proven adept at winning races with such buys. The second of the Listed races, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Star Appeal Stakes, is named after a horse that won a maiden on turf at Dundalk for John Oxx senior before being sold to race in Germany for trainer Theo Grieper and owner Waldemar Zeitelhack. Star Appeals career hit a huge peak when he won the 1975 Prix de lArc de Triomphe, one of the worlds greatest races, after which he was confirmed as the European Horse Of The Year. Tonights winner was the Willie Browne-trained Spirit Gal (4/1), who followed up her Naas maiden win on September 15th with an emphatic success here under Seamie Heffernan from the Aidan OBrien-trained strong favourite Cairo. The daughter of Invincible Spirit looks very progressive. Her owner (and breeder), Charles E Fipke, who also owns three-time Dundalk winner Dances With Stars, has enjoyed a good few days, having won Grade 3 races with Lady Speightspeare and Ready For The Lady at Woodbine in Canada on September 17th and 18th, respectively. The winning trainer said: Im very grateful to the owner hes a very decent man. At 76 years of age, its my first win in a Listed race! Its a great thrill. The card had begun with three horses rated 106 or higher dominating the betting for the William Hill Racing Radio Race. In a thrilling finish, The Highway Rat (rated 106) edged out Logo Hunter (108) by the minimum margin of a nose, with Harrys Bar (114) a neck away in third. Winning trainer Andy Oliver also had a winner on last weeks Dundalk card and his horses remain in good form. The Highway Rat has now won five times from eight runs at the Stadium and has quickly become a course specialist. He also landed quite a gamble tonight as he was backed from 15/8 in the morning to an SP of 10/11. Billy Lee, who is chasing the Irish Champion jockey title, was the man on board. Owned and trained by Donal Kinsella, who operates from just along the coast at Dunleer, Zabeir (11/1), gained a first career success with an emphatic win in the William Hill-sponsored seven-furlong maiden. Ridden by Kevin Manning, it was the geldings first run at Dundalk. He was formerly trained in England by Andrew Balding and was acquired by Donal in July for 30,000 guineas. His dam was bred by the Aga Khan and his pedigree is laced with winners. The second division of the mile handicap went to the Michael Halford-trained Miss Abby Jools (4/1), who was ridden by Ronan Whelan, and the finale, the William Hill Play Responsibly Handicap, saw 50/1-shot No Say Ever edge out hot favourite Amortentia (11/8) by a head to win in the hands of Nathan Crosse. The runner-up was ridden by Nathans brother, Shane. The winning trainer was Amanda Rooney, who operates from Dunboyne in County Meath. Dundalk will race again on Friday 7th October. The provisional start time is 5:30pm, but this will become 5pm if a race divides, which is highly likely given the popularity of racing at the Stadium. Two 25,000 maiden races for two-year-old -one for fillies, one for colts and geldings - will start a card which, once again, will carry over 130,000 in prize money. Creative Spark in Dundalk hosted a mini-conference on Culture Night showcasing the Culture United project in which it has been participating with Gaelscoil Dhun Dealgan for the last three years. Culture United is an Erasmus+ project with partners in Scotland, Ireland, Finland, and The Netherlands, who are working together to use cultural events and heritage festivals as a way to incorporate multidisciplinary ways of teaching in primary schools. This helps students to become more engaged with what they are learning and contributes to students cultural and social development, as well as their creativity, a spokesperson for Creative Spark said. The event kicked off with a beautiful performance by the harp players from Rang a Se in the Gaelscoil. Sarah Daly, Executive Director of Creative Spark, gave an overview of the project and its aims, followed by Aine Ui Choinne, Head Teacher at Gaelscoil Dhun Dealgan, who spoke about the learning and impact the project has had on the teachers, staff and students. Teachers, Sionann Ui Bhraonain and Eadaoin Nic Aodha, introduced a video made by the Gaelscoil pupils in which they explained how they had made friends with other pupils from the partner schools in Edinburgh and how they had exchanged letters and had video calls with the schools there. The event launched the Culture United Teacher Training programme which is available free of charge on Thinkific to anyone interested in learning how to imbed more culture and creativity in their teaching. They also launched the Cultural Organisers Toolkit, which aims to help events organisations to work better with teachers, schools and their pupils. This toolkit is available to download on the Culture United website. Creative Spark and Gaelscoil Dhun Dealgan are the Irish partners in this project and have learned and shared a lot with colleagues from the Netherlands, Scotland and Finland. A report into Irish Waters handling of water quality incidents at the Cavanhill Water Treatment Plant in Dundalk in 2020 and 2021 has found that the company failed to report high levels of manganese in the water in 2021 despite 337 complaints from the public. The report was carried out as part of an investigation by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities after an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) audit in June 2021 discovered a large number of complaints and a failure to report exceedances of manganese in the water to the public. In answer to the 2020 incident the report states that Irish Water has acknowledged that due to a breakdown in internal communications, these parametric failures were not identified to and therefore not actioned by Irish Waters drinking water compliance team. In respect of a separate 2021 incident of excessive manganese found in the supply, the CRU report found that Irish Water failed to ensure information was made available to customers on its website in a timely manner. The report states that: Irish Water became aware of the issue at Cavanhill on 8th June 2021 and a press release was issued. However, while customers are directed to Irish Waters website to obtain information, news of this incident was only uploaded on 17th June 2021. Irish Water acknowledged that an administrative error led to information not being published on its website until 17th June 2021, despite updates being available on 11th and 15th June 2021. The report made two further findings in respect of Irish Waters handling of the incidents including that the company did not accurately categorise several contacts as complaints despite the customer expressing dissatisfaction and an expectation of a response or resolution. It further found that Irish Water did not follow up with some customers who contacted it in relation to discoloured water and were not informed of an explanation for the issue they were reporting. In respect of the categorisation of complaints the report states that the CRU has not been reassured that remedial actions put in place by Irish Water to date fully address this issue. The report does however note that: The CRU welcomes that during this investigation, Irish Water confirmed that it has now changed its guidance to the contact centre staff to instruct that all reports of personal or household illness suspected to be from drinking water will be logged as red complaints. Previously, Irish Water was not logging all such contacts as complaints. The CRU believes this is an important change in approach but that further improvements are required in Irish Waters contact categorisation and resolution processes. The CRU has further instructed Irish Water to conduct a review of its contact handling and categorisation processes, from receipt to resolution, against comparable water utilities to identify best practice and potential improvements in Irish Waters processes With regards to the failure to inform customers of the 2020 incident the CRU says that remedial actions completed by Irish Water following the findings of a separate investigation with similar findings in Bailieborough, Cavan were not yet in place when this incident took place and that they expect improvements to assist Irish Water to quickly detect issues and provide the required communications to customers in a timely manner. In relation to the delay in publishing information on its website, Irish Water has confirmed that training for members of its media team took place following this incident and the CRU says it is satisfied that these remedial actions address this finding. Reacting to the report the CRU Commissioner for Water, Dr. Paul McGowan said: These investigations have highlighted the need for Irish Water to review its contact handling and categorisation processes. The CRU requires Irish Water to implement satisfactory improvements to ensure customer complaints are categorised and handled appropriately. Irish Water is obliged to provide a clear and easy process for customers who wish to make a complaint and provide customers with timely and accurate information. Breaches to these obligations pose a risk to customer protection, particularly when a water quality incident takes place. In a statement released to the Democrat Irish Water said: "Irish Water acknowledges the Commission For Regulation of Utilities report on incidents in Gorey and Cavanhill in 2021 and apologies to customers for the incidents that occurred. The protection of public health is a priority for Irish Water and 99.7% of the water we produce meets or exceeds the required standards and is safe to drink. We rely on sampling and alarms to maintain high quality standards, so that when something goes wrong, we can take corrective actions or, where necessary, put on a Boil Water Notice or Do Not Consume Notice until we can rectify the situation. "In the past year since these incidents occurred, we have made significant progress in developing enhanced systems to monitor drinking water treatment plant performance and improve incident management. These measures have proven to be essential in detecting and preventing potential water quality issues, thereby protecting public health and ensuring more secure water supplies. "These measures included a full briefing and retraining of the operational team in the Irish Water contact centre to better support and capture complaints from customers who have contacted us to discuss any concerns they may have. We also continue to review our communications channels to ensure that timely and accurate information is provided to the public in relation to water supply issues. "Operationally we implemented the following additional measures: We prioritised a knowledge audit of the largest water treatment plants in the country. This included site visits and meeting with relevant staff to ensure that proper processes are in place to deal with and escalate any future incidents. We have proactively communicated with all Local Authority Chief Executives and Directors of Service nationally on the critical need to report incidents in a timely manner at all plants they operate, to allow for risk assessments to protect public health. Refresher training of all relevant water services staff nationally was accelerated and we audited all water treatment plants over time to ensure knowledge of all protocols is in place. Where appropriate, Irish Water also put staff on site in water treatment plants to ensure the continued safety of water production. To date 51 of Irelands largest drinking water plants which cater for a population of 2.73 million people have now been connected to the new National Operations Management Centre which enables them to be monitored 24/7 and action to be taken immediately when issues arise. "The incidents outlined in the report further highlight the critical importance of building on the progress already made towards a single national body with responsibility for overseeing all public water services. Only through the implementation of rigorous national standards and procedures across all of Irelands 750 water treatment plants can the risk of these issues occurring in the future be reduced. "We will continue to work closely with the CRU, EPA, HSE and other stakeholders including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ensure that the highest drinking water standards are maintained and that public health is protected at all times." A report has warned of the grievous risk to women and children seeking refuge and of deteriorating accommodation standards in the past six months. The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has made recommendations to tackle reported risks to women, minors and children and to address increasingly poor standards of accommodation. In recent months and weeks, the IRC said that it has been alerted to grievous risks and is extremely concerned about the welfare of vulnerable groups who are accommodated in areas unfit for purpose. These highly alarming reports include child protection issues and serious allegations targeting vulnerable residents, it said. The report warned that in the past six months there has been a steady, downward trajectory in the quality of accommodation from Direct Provision, to emergency accommodation, to transit centres including people sleeping on floors and chairs, to tents, to no accommodation. If temporary, emergency type of accommodation is going to be used, we insist that it is for the shortest time possible and that health and safety standards are maintained and prioritised and that, as our law requires, basic needs are met, it said. The IRC said it does not believe tents or sleeping on floors meet a protection applicants basic needs. While acknowledging that Russias invasion of Ukraine has put pressure on Irelands capacity to house asylum seekers and refugees, the report said the international protection system in Ireland has never functioned well for applicants. It said that successive governments failure to prioritise and adequately resource the international protection system has contributed to the enormous strain we are currently experiencing. Current expenditure on emergency and hotel accommodation is very high with no long-term return or investment. Figures released on Monday by the Central Statistics Office show that there are over 54,000 Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. CEO of the Irish Refugee Council Nick Henderson said that there was concern about plummeting standards in accommodation. He said: Recent months have seen a steady deterioration from Direct Provision, to emergency accommodation, to transit centres with people sleeping on floors and chairs, then the use of tents and ultimately no accommodation provided at all in September. We are receiving increasing numbers of grievous reports of risks to minors and the most vulnerable. We believe that the recommendations made in this report will enable this situation to be managed more effectively. We urge the Government to take a proactive and cooperative approach by upgrading and fully resourcing relevant public services, governmental departments and supporting agencies to ensure that we can meet the increased need. We cannot focus all attention and resources on the immediate and most pressing crisis of new arrivals, without recognising that there is a dual, parallel need to plan for the medium-long term. By implementing the actions recommended here, Government can begin to move forward on their commitment to end Direct Provision, while increasing the States capacity to address emergency responses as they arise. Crucially, these recommendations also address the need for a plan to manage objectives and facilitate positive engagement, greater public awareness and understanding, and more effective support from civil society organisations working in this area. Opinions on gun ownership and the war in Ukraine are among the latest complaints rejected by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI). The BAI today (October 5) published its decisions covering the period from May to August 2022, with the Executive Complaints Forum rejecting seven complaints and the Compliance Committee rejecting one. Several complaints during that time were made in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine, with one viewer of Prime Time submitting a complaint due to what they believed was biased reporting. The complainant maintained the presenter of the show (which aired on March 6 2022) made little effort to allow the audience to understand how the conflict could easily have been avoided, why it finally began or how it might easily end. They also claimed the presenter "positively nudged one of the 'biased' guests towards implying NATO should become involved in the conflict". The broadcaster responded by stating the complainant was "vague and very general" in his submission, and that the studio guests included a columnist from the Moscow Times and a Professor of Politics in DCU. It also maintains that the presenter made no mention of NATO. According to the Forum, several questions were put to the interviewees, including how the war is viewed in Russia and requests for a no-fly zone. It was noted that the only reference to NATO was in the academics response to this question. The Forum found there was no evidence of the presenter attempting to nudge guests into stating that NATO should become involved in the conflict. It was concluded the broadcast did not infringe the relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 or the Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs. Accordingly, the Forum rejected the complaint. Another complaint regarding the war was made about an episode of The Brendan OConnor Show which aired on March 13 2022. The complainant, who believed there was bias and misinformation in the broadcast, challenged statements made during a discussion of the war among panelists on the programme, and questioned the methodology in the selection and composition of the panel. According to the broadcaster, the episode featured a wide range of views on the subject and was fully compliant with all the statutory and regulatory provisions. The Forum was of the view that the discussion in general was managed appropriately by the presenter who put forward suggestions and counter arguments to elicit responses from the panel, and that the audience was not misled on the subject under discussion. It decided the programme, when taken in whole and in context, did not infringe the relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 or the Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs. The complaint was subsequently rejected. A third complaint regarding the war in Ukraine was submitted in relation to a broadcast of the Pat Kenny Show on March 16 2022. The complainant claimed the presenter referred "with contempt several times" to 'The Russians', 'Russians', and 'The Russian War', and believed the broadcast was not impartial. The complainant also believed that the presenter's line of questioning was "indicative of racism towards Russian people possibly feeling uncomfortable if they knew what was going on in Ukraine", and that the broadcast did not feature the views or perspective of Russians. In response, the broadcaster believed the episode - which featured an American journalist providing an update on the war in Ukraine from Odessa - was fair, balanced and objective, and that the contributor was selected because of his location, "which would be the norm when seeking an update from the scene of a major international event". The broadcaster stated the presenters questions were neutral and fair and that the questioning and language used in the broadcast were appropriate and impartial, and that there was no contempt displayed. A second guest interviewed was noted to have "expertise and personal knowledge of Russia and was an appropriate person to discuss the approach by the Russian government and army". The broadcaster also rejected any claim of racism and stated all coverage of the war has been fair, and all language used to describe Russia and its population has been appropriate and accurate. In considering the complainants view that the presenter referred with contempt several times to 'The Russians', 'Russians' and 'The Russian War', the Forum found that the use of these words are the "normal collective terms used when referring to the war in Ukraine". The Forum also noted that contributors to the programme also referred to 'The Russians' in the normal course of reporting. They stated there was "no evidence" of any contempt in the presenters voice and the broadcast content did not support the complainants view that the broadcast could be described as racist. The Forum decided the programme did not infringe the relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 or the Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs, and the complaint was rejected. A complaint regarding a discussion on gun control on the Hard Shoulder programme was also considered by the BAI. According to the complainant, the presenter of the episode (broadcast in May 2022) declared he "was not going to be impartial and was going to abandon all pretense of impartiality" during an interview with a representative from Republicans Overseas UK. The complainant also believed the presenter was "discourteous and unfair" to the interviewee, and expressed his own "partisan views" on the subject. He also claimed the presenter further stated "this was not the week for pretending to be unbiased in an interview". The broadcaster does not believe the broadcast breached the BAI Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs, and they are of the view the presenter treated the interviewee "in a fair, impartial and objective manner". However, the broadcast accepted the presenter stated that it was time to abandon all pretenses of impartiality and that it was not the week for pretending to be unbiased in an interview like that. The broadcaster contended that the statements were not made in the literal sense suggested by the complainant, but in light of the deaths of innocent children, which neither the presenter nor the interviewee were impartial on. The Forum noted the complainants view that the presenters statement that he will "abandon all pretense of impartiality" led the broadcast to lack fairness, objectivity and impartiality in its treatment of the topic. They also noted that this interview arose because of the human reaction to the recent mass shooting in Texas and were cognisent of emotions running high after such an incident. According to the Forum, the presenter dismissing impartiality addressed his emotional side of the debate i.e. he could not be impartial regarding the deaths of children. The Forum noted the interviewees views that gun control does not prevent such mass shootings and was afforded ample time to express her views during this robust interview. However, they also noted that the broadcaster should in future consider the wording used when approaching the coverage of current affairs items more carefully as the use of the wording abandon all pretense of impartiality during the programme may have led listeners to believe the broadcast was not fair, objective or impartial. Having listened to the footage, the Forum believeed the interview was fair and impartial, and concluded the broadcast did not infringe the relevant provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 or the Code of Fairness, Objectivity and Impartiality in News and Current Affairs. Other complaints considered and rejected by the BAI involved topics including legal handgun ownership in Ireland, a discussion on the Official Languages Act, and a report on proposed amnesty in relation to unsolved killings during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The full report is available to view here. EBRD lends 50 million to support Romanias micro, small and medium businesses Loan to Unicredit Leasing Corporation will finance leasing by local firms in Romania Part of the financing will be aligned with EBRDs green goals The EBRD is lending 50 million to UniCredit Leasing Corporation to support lessees from Romanias micro, small and medium businesses (MSMEs). The loan will ensure these firms maintain uninterrupted access to finance, while diversifying the clients funding base and helping it become more competitive and resilient. The credit line will help expand lease financing to private businesses in Romania, encouraging them to invest in high performance standards, technologies and services, enabling them to become more competitive and energy efficient. Part of the use of proceeds will be aligned with the EBRDs green goals. Under the EBRDs Green Economic Transition approach, the Bank aims to align all its business with the goal of the Paris Agreement on limiting climate change to 1.5C by 1 January 2023, and it will make at least half its investments green by 2025. This loan lies within the EBRDs Financial Intermediary Framework. Through bank loans, SME lending programmes, equity investments and support for other financial services such as insurance and leasing, the EBRD engages with various providers of financial services, known as financial intermediaries, to develop the financial sectors in its regions and to foster entrepreneurship. UniCredit Leasing Corporation IFN S.A., owned by UniCredit Bank Romania S.A. and UniCredit Consumer Financing IFN S.A is the largest leasing company operating in Romania. With its wide regional outreach, UniCredit Leasing is well positioned to provide finance to MSMEs and attract new clients. The EBRDs focus in Romania is on financing infrastructure, especially in the regions, boosting private sector productivity and further developing the financial sector and capital markets. To date, the EBRD has financed 497 projects in Romania for a total of more than 10 billion. CHEMICALS used in the preparation of drinking water were responsible for sediment coming loose in water mains, causing recent incidents of discoloured drinking water across Cork city, Irish Water has admitted to The Echo. Irish Water did not respond to a question asking precisely what chemicals had been used, but the company said the health of customers was the companys first priority. For several months, residents in multiple locations across the city have reported discoloured water coming from their taps. Incidents of brown or orange drinking water date to at least early June of this year, when Churchfield residents complained of discoloured water coming from their drinking supply. Since then, there have been reports of discoloured water from mains supplies in Sundays Well, Ballyvolane, the South Douglas Road, Barrack Street, Glanmire, Fair Hill, Blackpool, Wilton, and Shandon. Responding to a series of questions from The Echo, Irish Water has now admitted that the discolouration of drinking supplies across the city was caused by chemicals used in the preparation of drinking water. Irish Water said it and Cork City Council had become aware last month of an increase in reports of discoloured water in some areas of Cork city. Investigations were carried out at the time in the affected areas to identify the source of these water issues and remedial actions were carried out, a spokesperson said. The investigations found that following a recent upgrade of infrastructure in Cork city, where a number of new treatment systems are being brought online, that water being produced was impacting on some of the older pipes in the network, thus causing sediment to come loose and cause a discolouration of the water being supplied to customers. When asked why water being produced would cause sediment to come loose, Irish Water said: The new infrastructure brought online required an alteration of the chemistry involved in water treatment. The company said investigations carried out by Irish Water and Cork City Council showed that the water had a tendency to cause sediment to come loose and cause discolouration in the network. As part of our remedial works, we have altered the chemistry involved and are monitoring the results carefully and we have already noticed an improvement. WATER 'NOT CONTAMINATED' When The Echo asked whether the citys drinking supply had been contaminated, Irish Water said: The water supply in Cork city is not contaminated and describing it as such would be misleading and cause undue concern to the public. Irish Water said people should not drink discoloured water and apologised for any inconvenience. The companys spokesperson said: Discoloured water is always going to be a possibility with older pipes and there may [be] other cases not related to this. Irish Water said anyone experiencing discoloured water should contact their customer care team on 1800 278 278. When asked why it had not issued a boil notice, the company said it had provided water samples to the Environmental Protection Agency and the HSE, adding the decision to issue, and lift, a boil water notice (BWN) is made in consultation and agreement with the HSE and the results in this case did not warrant a BWN. Workers Party Cork city councillor Ted Tynan said Irish Waters statement did not address precisely what chemicals had caused sediment to enter the water supply. Socialist TD for Cork North-Central, Mick Barry, said it was unacceptable that Irish Water was only now admitting they were responsible for an event which had caused such widespread discolouration of drinking water in Cork city. Cork City Council was contacted for comment. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. A Coca-Cola branded cooler box on a field littered with plastic bottles after a school's sports event in Nakuru, Kenya on Sept. 13, 2022. James Wakibia / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images In a deal that has been called baffling by Greenpeace USA Oceans Campaign Director John Hocevar, the Egyptian government has signed an agreement with Coca-Cola to sponsor the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27), which will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh from November 6 to 18, a press release from Greenpeace said. The deal between the climate conference and the Coca-Cola company, which global coalition movement Break Free From Plastic has deemed the worlds top polluter, was labeled greenwash by environmental activists, reported the Guardian. Environmental activists told the BBC that, because most plastics are made from fossil fuels, the deal undermines the climate talks. Coca-Cola sponsoring the Cop27 is pure greenwash. Coca-Cola is one of the worlds biggest users of plastic, said Emma Priestland, a coordinator for Break Free From Plastic, as The Guardian reported. Over four years, weve found Cola-Cola to be the worlds top plastic polluter in our annual brand audits. Its astounding that a company so tied to the fossil fuel industry is allowed to sponsor such a vital climate meeting. The UN climate change conference is the worlds top forum for governments, environmental organizations and businesses to come together with the purpose of confronting the climate crisis. The sponsorship by Coca-Cola was widely criticized on social media as yet another instance of corporate greenwashing, including by Canadian author and social activist Naomi Klein, who tweeted: Super fun to have a climate summit in a police state sponsored by @CocaCola while most civil society delegates save their indignation for jacked up hotel prices instead of locked up political prisoners. A delegate at last years climate conference in Glasgow has started a petition demanding the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change stop accepting corporate sponsorship, beginning with the removal of Coca-Cola as a COP27 sponsor. Coca-Cola produces 120 billion throwaway plastic bottles a year and 99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, worsening both the plastic and climate crisis. They have yet to even acknowledge that this is a problem or explain how they will meet their climate goals without ending their plastic addiction. This partnership undermines the very objective of the event it seeks to sponsor, said Hocevar in the press release. COP26 sponsorship was said to have made about $281 million, with Unilever as the main sponsorship partner, reported The Guardian. Other companies sponsoring last years climate talks in Glasgow included ScottishPower, National Grid, Microsoft, Hitachi, Sky and Sainsburys. Cutting plastic production and ending single-use plastic is in line with the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees. If Coca-Cola really wants to solve the plastic and climate crisis, it needs to turn off its plastics tap, Hocevar said in the press release. Ending Coca-Colas addiction to single-use plastic is an important part of moving away from fossil fuels, protecting communities, and combating climate change. Louis Dreyfus Company, Longriver Farms enter into a sale and purchase agreement for Emerald Grain Louis Dreyfus Company Asia Pte. Ltd. (LDC) and Longriver Farms announced last month that the companies have entered into an agreement for the acquisition of Emerald Grain Pty. Ltd. by LDC. "This development is aligned with LDC's commitment to the Australian market, where LDC has been active for over a century, originating, processing and exporting grains, oilseeds and cotton, and with our strategic plans to further reinforce our leading position in core agri-commodities merchandising activities," said Michael Gelchie, LDC's chief executive officer. "I want to thank Emerald Grain's management team and staff for their significant contribution to the successful growth partnership to date with Longriver Farms," said Longriver Farms director Brad Mytton. "We are pleased to announce this agreement with LDC, under which Emerald Grain's grower and customer network will benefit from LDC's scale and expertise in agri-commodities for a continued growth journey going forward." Emerald Grain is a leading grain handling business in Australia, with a network of seven grain storage and receival sites across the states of New South Wales and Victoria, with a combined storage capacity of approximately one million tonnes, as well as a grain export terminal at the Port of Melbourne and marketing offices in Geraldton, Western Australia and Moama, New South Wales. Thanks to its ties with some 10,000 Australian farming families, an integrated supply chain and an experienced and dedicated team, Emerald Grain offers customers a broad range of grains products, including wheat, barley and canola, for export across Australia. "This agreement is an opportunity for all Australian growers in our network to access LDC's extensive global reach," said Emerald Grain CEO David Johnson. "LDC's leadership position in the global agriculture industry reflects its commitment to growers and customers alike, and we look forward to continuing our journey as part of the LDC family." "As the oldest continually operating grain trading company in the country, LDC has a proud heritage of unparalleled commitment to Australian agriculture," said James Zhou, LDC's chief commercial officer and head of Asia Region. "With Emerald Grain onboard, we look forward to continuing to support Australia's farming community and grain industry, while reinforcing our origination network for key grains and oilseeds staples to meet growing customer needs worldwide." The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. - LDC Spotify has bought a company it says will help it detect and address harmful content on the platform. Kinzen uses machine learning and human expertise to analyze possibly harmful content and hate speech across multiple languages, Spotify said in a statement . It added that Kinzen will "help us more effectively deliver a safe, enjoyable experience on our platform around the world" and that the company's tech is especially suited to podcasts and other audio formats. Looking for signs of harmful audio content across hundreds of languages is a difficult task, particularly since there may be nuances that certain systems and non-native speakers may not pick up on. As such, Spotify says Kinzen will help it to "better understand the abuse landscape and identify emerging threats on the platform." The two companies have actually been working together since 2020, with the aim of preventing misinformation in election-related content. They forged their partnership before Joe Rogan started spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation on his Spotify-exclusive show , which is said to be the most-listened-to podcast on the planet. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on There was a significant backlash against Rogan and Spotify earlier this year. Hundreds of doctors and scientists urged Spotify to enact a policy to stem the spread of misinformation. Weeks later, Spotify started adding a content advisory to podcast episodes that included discussions about COVID-19 and made its content guidelines public. Several prominent artists pulled their music from Spotify in protest against Rogan, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell . The host and editor of Spotify-owned podcast Science VS also pledged to stop making episodes (except ones in which it fact-checked Rogan and countered misinformation on the platform) unless the company did more to stem the flow of harmful falsehoods. Tesla has announced that it's phasing out ultrasonic sensors (USS) used in its EVs to detect short-range obstacles, Electrek has reported. While other automakers use LiDAR, radar and other sensors on top of cameras, Elon Musk's company is determined to use only cameras in its Tesla Vision driver assistance system. It will remove the ultrasonic sensors from Model 3 and Model Y vehicles over the next few months, then eliminate them in Model S and Model X models by 2023. They're mainly used for parking and short-range collision warnings, Tesla said. With the changes, new vehicles not equipped with USS will have some features limited or disabled, including Park Assist that warns of surrounding objects when traveling under 5 MPH, along with Autopark, Summon and Smart Summon. The features will be restored via over-the-air updates "in the near future," once the features perform just as well with the camera-only system, the company said. It believes the changes will not affect the crash safety ratings of these vehicles. Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on Last year, Tesla started phasing out radar sensors in favor of vision-only Autopilot, tweeting at the time that "vision has much more precision [than radar]." And Musk has previously told employees that if humans can drive cars with binocular vision only, machines should be able to as well, The New York Times reported last year. However, Tesla's radar was able to detect potential accidents "two vehicles ahead" that drivers couldn't even see, so that appears to be a safety benefit lost. And when radar was discontinued, the company had a spate of "phantom braking" accidents where the system mistakenly calculated a car was about to collide with something triggering an NHTSA probe. European Union agrees to require one charger for all devices In a world first, the European Parliament approved new rules that will introduce in the European Union a single charging port for mobile phones, tablets and cameras by 2024. Croatia Airlines has announced it will order six Airbus A220 aircraft after reaching an agreement with the European plane manufacturer. Deliveries will be made over the next four years through to 2026, with the carrier to operate a single-type fleet. Although the airline has not specified which variant of the two A220s it will order, EX-YU Aviation News learns it may involve three each of the A220-100 and -300 with options for an additional six jets. The two will be configured to seat up to 127 and 148 passengers respectively. Croatia Airlines current fleet consists of five A319s, two A320s and six Dash 8 turboprops, which are all to be replaced. Croatia Airlines has announced it will order six Airbus A220 aircraft after reaching an agreement with the European plane manufacturer. Deliveries will be made over the next four years through to 2026, with the carrier to operate a single-type fleet. Although the airline has not specified which variant of the two A220s it will order, EX-YU Aviation News learns it may involve three each of the A220-100 and -300 with options for an additional six jets. The two will be configured to seat up to 127 and 148 passengers respectively. Croatia Airlines current fleet consists of five A319s, two A320s and six Dash 8 turboprops, which are all to be replaced. Details over the value of the deal or how it will be financed have not been released, however, the carrier said a historical order for A319s, which was later converted into an order for the A320neos, that were due for delivery this year and in 2023, have been substituted for the A220s. Croatia Airlines is believed to have deposited over eight million euros for the previous order. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the flag carrier said its post-Covid-19 strategy, which was approved in August last year with the aim of increasing the companys efficiency, business operations and improving its competitiveness on the market, obligated it to replace and renew its fleet in the next few years, resulting in the agreement with Airbus. Airbus was a clear front-runner in securing an order from Croatia Airlines since it pitched the A220s capabilities in Zagreb in September last year. At the time, the carriers Chief Commercial Officer, Slaven Zabo, said, This is an aircraft that has been designed today for the next thirty years, which is something we need. These are narrow-body jets that delight with their comfort, and I think they would perfectly fit within Croatia Airlines fleet. Airbus Head of Single-Aisle Market Development, Claude Debaquenne, noted that the A220 would allow Croatia Airlines to launch a number of new routes, with its range enabling the carrier to cover all of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The A220 family is considered to be the most efficient small single-aisle aircraft. It has a range of up to 6.390 kilometres, as well as the widest seats, largest windows and 20% more overhead stowage space per passenger than other narrow-body aircraft. Its windows are bigger than that on the Boeing 777. Currently there are fourteen operators committed to the type, including airBaltic, Swiss, Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air Tanzania, Egypt Air, Air Canada, jetBlue, Iraqi Airways and Air Austral. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1500G latest generation engines (geared turbofans), belonging to the same engine family as those powering the A320neo family. The following is a press release from Montana Tech that was sent to Montana Right Now: BUTTE - Highlands College of Montana Tech will unveil a new sign on its campus on Thursday, October 6, 2022, in conjunction with Trades and Technology Day. The sign, housed in the pre-apprenticeship line pole yard, showcases a partnership between the university and NorthWestern Energy. The sign will promote the line program to prospective students. "Highlands College is partnering with NorthWestern Energy to build skills and competencies that are essential to an organizations life and maintain industry competitiveness. Faculty, current students, and industry partners work together to bridge the gap between education and industry," said Highlands College Dean Karen VanDaveer. "Highlands College is home to all Montana Tech career-ready and transfer programs that help build the workforce we need to better lives in Butte and across Montana. Skills are for life and can be built upon to achieve industry-recognized credentials leading to good paying jobs." The event will kick-off at 9:30 am with VanDaveer, and Dean Bentley, Human Resources Generalist with NorthWestern Energy and Vice Chair of the Montana Workforce Innovation Board, providing a few remarks. Representatives from NorthWestern Energy will be on hand as the sign is revealed to faculty, staff, students, community members, and high school students attending Trades & Technology Day. Trades & Technology Day allows students to explore career and technical education career opportunities. 275 high school students from 15 schools and 20 industry partners are expected to be at the 2022 Trades & Technology Day. NorthWestern Energy and our energy industry partners have been working diligently with Highlands College for several years to help address the industry workforce shortages," said NorthWestern Energy Community Relations Manager Paul Babb. "Highlands College has been a model of what a community and industry partner should be. Highlands faculty and staff have been agile and responsive to adjusting training to meet the rapid industry changes we face. Highlands College students have leveraged the long-standing reputation of Montana Techs dedication and hard work ethic to hit the job market a step ahead of others. Graduates are entering good-paying, sustainable careers in our industry and our communities. Its a winning relationship from my perspective, and we are excited to have the Trades and Technical Day again this year to spark the next generation of employees' interest in these career paths." After the event, prospective students will enjoy a day learning all about the program offerings at Highlands and will have the opportunity to meet with industry representatives in attendance. Students will also have the chance to take a bucket truck ride and participate in hands-on career exploration activities. The pre-apprentice line program at Highlands College is one of the universitys more popular majors. Students interested in learning more or applying for the spring or fall semester 2023, should email admissions@mtech.edu. The old proposal for the new design for the Montana State Library, left, next to the new proposal that the library commission will consider next week. The Montana State Library Commission will consider a new logo design after rejecting a similar design in August. The new designs color scheme incorporates colors from the Montana state flag, according to a memo from the rebranding subcommittee to the commission on the new design, and keeps the original open hexagon shape and prism concept that reflects transforming information into knowledge. During a June meeting, Commissioner Tamara Hall expressed opposition to the original design when it was first unveiled, saying it looked similar to an LGBTQ+ rainbow. She said the design would set off a firestorm and called the rainbow a political, explosive weapon. Hall was one of four commissioners to vote against the originally proposed design in July. However, she said then that her opposition to the design had nothing to do with the colors or the prism, but was in part due to the lack of books included in the logo. It has nothing to do with colors. It has nothing to do with the prism. Id like to make that clear. Im sorry that that became such a big issue, Hall said. The new logo was submitted by a rebranding subcommittee, which formed after the commissions July meeting at the suggestion of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Commission member Elsie Arntzen. State Librarian Jennie Stapp, a member of the subcommittee, said they took care to factor in feedback from staff and members of the public with the new design, adding it was important they had something they felt was representative of Montana. The idea of having colors that were drawn from the Montana State Flag was something that resonated with the full subcommittee, Stapp said to the Daily Montanan. The rebranding subcommittee included commission members included Commission Chair Dalton Johnson, Co-Chair Peggy Taylor and Kristin Kerr, as well as State Library staff, according to Stapp on Tuesday. Addie Palin of the advertising agency of Hoffman York presented the original design to commissioners in June and consulted with the rebranding subcommittee as well, Stapp said. The Commission will be voting on the new logo at their upcoming meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 9:30 a.m. at the Montana State Capitol, Room 303 or join through Zoom, Meeting ID: 567 883 688. The post Montana State Library Commission to vote on new logo design appeared first on Daily Montanan. Rural support for the Conservative Party has plummeted with Labour now taking the lead, according to new YouGov polling. The rural communitys voting intention has shifted dramatically within the last few months, fresh data shows. During the summer, it was predicted that 43% of people living in the countryside would vote Conservative, with 24% voting Labour. Now those predictions are showing a complete reverse. Patrick English, associate director of YouGov, has unveiled that the Tories now hold 28% of the rural vote against Labours 41%. He announced the voter intention data at the Conservative Party Conference during the NFU's fringe event, led by the union's president Minette Batters. The session also brought together speakers including Farming Minister Mark Spencer MP and EFRA Committee Chair Sir Robert Goodwill MP. When looking at issues around food security, Mr English observed that fair treatment of British farmers polled very positively with the public. The public want to see British farmers treated fairly," he said, "When looking at polls on peoples priorities for trade deals, anything that is perceived as putting British farmers at a disadvantage polls very badly. He suggested two core reasons for this, centred on ideas of environmentalism and community. To buy locally is seen as part of measures to combat climate change, and people would much rather see that, than see farmers being undercut and undersold with foreign markets. The second reason can be viewed from a fairness point, that supporting British farmers is a societal good, and that we should be prioritising those in our own communities. "Ensuring British farmers are treated fairly is perceived as part of a wider movement towards sustainability. Any compromise on the food safety standards as part of international trade deals also proved unpopular. People dont want to see food standards cut, he said at the fringe event. There is a worry around wanting food and animal welfare standards to be kept up. Any lowering of these also doesnt poll well. NFU President Minette Batters emphasised the need for a new approach to immigration as well as calls for farmers to receive fair returns in the marketplace. She ended the session by calling on government to produce a plan for UK food production, as well as repeated calls for clarity and detail on future schemes for the industry, and mechanisms in place to support and deal with market failure. There needs to be an end to the adversarial nature of conversations with government. We have to come together, and work together to form a plan we can build in partnership." The search for the dairy sector's rising stars is on as the annual Dairy Student of the Year Award launches for 2023. The competition is run by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers (RABDF) and sets out to identify some of the dairy industry's rising stars and new entrants. It is designed to reflect real life challenges seen on dairy farms and wider policy issues facing the sector. The prestigious award is open to entrants studying at universities and colleges across the UK. As well as a 750 cash prize, the winner also secures a six-month paid placement with award sponsor Mole Valley Farmers. RABDF chairman Di Wastenage and vice chair Robert Craig join the judging panel this year, along with Mole Valley Farmers' James Hague and Chloe Cross from Kite Consulting. Di Wastenage said the competition had become distinguished across the dairy industry due to the high calibre of students entering each year. "The optimism and enthusiasm towards the industry is clear to see from the applicants and is encouraging for the sector's future success. "We look forward to receiving this year's entries to see the applicant's suggestions as they respond to a practical case study scenario." Jack Cordery, CEO of Mole Valley Farmers, added: "It is crucial that we encourage, develop and promote high calibre people entering the industry. "We need young people who understand and can work to develop innovative and practical solutions to the technical and management challenges of modern dairy farming. "This is more important than ever, as we need to not only help our farmers in terms of productivity and profitability, but now increasingly with the challenge of sustainability at the forefront of our thinking. " To enter, university and college course leaders must nominate applicants for the award by emailing rosiebradbury@rabdf.co.uk with the nominee's details. Students entering the award must then prepare an essay response to a case study, which has been put together by Kite Consulting and reflects real-life farming challenges. Essays must be submitted by 4 November, after which a panel of judges will choose six finalists to join them for a formal interview and presentation at The Farmers Club in London on 9 December. Presentations must outline how the dairy industry might need to change to meet the challenges of the future. The new CEO at Fauquier Health is ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work improving the Warrenton hospital, which has received two D letter grades in a row from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization that releases hospital-safety grades twice a year for more than 3,000 hospitals nationwide. Fauquier Hospital has had a long history of being a shining star and can get there again, said Rebecca Segal, who took over as CEO in early September, a year after Chad Melton resigned to take a position at a nonprofit hospital in Seattle, Washington. Segal is a Virginia native with family including siblings who live in the region. Fauquier Health received the low Leapfrog scores in spring 2022 and fall 2021. New ratings will be available to the public in mid-November. Fauquier Hospital was the only facility among 19 in the region to receive a D in the most recent grading period, according to the Leapfrog website. None earned an F. Nearby hospitals, including UVA Haymarket Medical Center, UVA Prince William Medical Center, Novant Health UVA Health System Culpeper Medical Center and Warren Memorial Hospital in Front Royal all received A grades on the most recent hospital safety report. There is a lot of opportunity for growth here, Segal said of her decision to accept the CEO job. I dont know what was going on two years ago when the data was collected, she said. I mean you see the two bad scores in a row, and you go, Well wait a minute, it used to be an A or B so whats going on? she said. I have no idea, but what I can say is my goal is to make an A. Fauquier Hospital has not had an A rating since the spring of 2020. The hospital has a lot going for it, Segal said. Weve got a really good team here that Ive met so far, she said. I think weve got what we need to really take it to the next level, and weve been doing a lot around quality already. Dangerous bedsores One factor in Fauquier Hospitals low score in spring 2022 was what Leapfrog characterized as a poor record of preventing bedsores, also known as pressure injuries. Bedsores develop when patients lie in one position for too long without being turned. Bedsores can become large and deep, causing pain and infections that can prolong hospital stays and can even lead to death. Fauquier Hospital has implemented new protocols to address pressure injuries, which was a contributing factor to our declining grade, hospital spokeswoman Sarah Cubbage said in an email. In fact, we have seen a nearly 40% reduction in 2021 YTD versus 2019 in pressure injuries, she said. However, due to the lag in reporting, it may take a couple years before our Leapfrog grade reflects that data, Cubbage said. Part of that effort includes stepping in early enough to prevent high-risk patients from developing pressure injuries in the first place. That includes lab work, wound consults and nutrition consulting, Cubbage said. Digitally monitoring patient mobility in the ICU, where all but one of the hospitals cases of serious pressure sores originated, is also proving very helpful, Cubbage said. Hospital staff place sensors directly on patients chests. Those sensors automatically measure patients position, orientation and activity and wirelessly transmit the data to clinical staff. The system alerts staff when patients need to be turned and confirms when adequate pressure reduction is achieved with each turn. The sensor also registers when patients move on their own and automatically adjusts their turning schedules. Harmful events The hospital scored better than average for six common surgical complications: dangerous object left in a patients body, surgical wounds splitting open, blood leakage, kidney injury, serious breathing problems and accidental cuts and tears. However, the hospital scored below hospitals nationwide for harmful events following patients surgeries or procedures. These potentially avoidable safety events represent opportunities for improving patient care, Leapfrog says. Staff should document when errors happen, discuss how the error occurred and develop a plan to prevent future errors. After only a few weeks on the job, Segal has not yet had time to delve into all the ways Fauquier Hospital can improve. However, she said, many of the problems are low-hanging fruit that can be fixed relatively easily with better communication and documentation, she said. The hospital ranked below average in three of the six areas related to Doctors, Nurses & Hospital Staff. Those three areas were communication with doctors, communication with nurses and the time staff takes to respond when patients who are in pain or cant get to the bathroom call for help. Reducing infections Another piece of low-hanging fruit is the hospitals history of urinary tract infections among patients who require a Foley catheter, a flexible tube inserted into the urethra to empty the bladder and collect urine in a drainage bag. Patients with internal catheters are at risk of developing urinary tract infections that can lead to other complications, increase recovery time and even lead to death, Leapfrog says. If you dont have a catheter, you cant get an infection, Segal said. So, one of the things that were starting is to go over every morning is how many Foley catheters do we have in (patients)? The idea is to get the catheters out of patients as quickly as possible to reduce the chances of infection, she said. Sometimes, other types of catheters can be used, which could also reduce the risk of infection, she said. I think were on the right track, Segal said. I think that theres obviously a lot more that we want to do because I want this to be the best hospital, but I feel like the teams want to make things better and, hopefully, I can help them get there, she said. Some of the data the Leapfrog grades are based on is a year old, some are as old as four years. But Segal acknowledged that two poor grades in a row do not inspire confidence in the Warrenton hospital. Communication is key to recovery Fauquier Hospital scored below its counterparts nationwide in three of six measures for preventing errors in hospitals. The below-average scores were: Doctors order medicine through a computer. Hospitals can use Computerized Physician Order Entry systems to order medications for patients instead of writing out prescriptions by hand. Computerized systems let doctors know if they try to order a medicine that could cause harm, such as an adult dose of medicine for a child. Safer hospitals use CPOE systems and test them to ensure they work right, Leapfrog says. Hospitals can use Computerized Physician Order Entry systems to order medications for patients instead of writing out prescriptions by hand. Computerized systems let doctors know if they try to order a medicine that could cause harm, such as an adult dose of medicine for a child. Safer hospitals use CPOE systems and test them to ensure they work right, Leapfrog says. Communication about discharge. This is a measure of how well patients believe hospital staff communicate with them about steps they need to take to recover when they leave the hospital. Safer hospitals that score well on this measure take time with every patient to clarify the responsibilities of everyone involved in patients recovery, Leapfrog says. This is a measure of how well patients believe hospital staff communicate with them about steps they need to take to recover when they leave the hospital. Safer hospitals that score well on this measure take time with every patient to clarify the responsibilities of everyone involved in patients recovery, Leapfrog says. Communication about medicines. This measures how well patients believe hospital staff explain the purpose and side effects of new medicines. Misunderstandings can lead to serious problems, according to Leapfrog. Hospitals that score well on this measure take time to speak with every patient to ensure they understand the purpose of new medicines, as well as side effects. Fauquier Hospital scored above average on ensuring that healthcare workers washed their hands before touching patients, an important way to prevent the spread of infections. Competition with urban hospitals Sometimes, small rural hospitals have a tough time competing with the reputations and specialty care of their urban counterparts. That is true in Warrenton, Segal said. People tend to think bigger is better, she said. While the Fauquier hospital has no plans to offer open-heart procedures or neurosurgery, it nevertheless has a lot to offer, she said. We do want to compete with those other hospitals in the things that we do well, Segal said. That includes obstetrics services, as well as general and orthopedic surgery, said Segal, who hopes to attract more general surgeons to the hospital, as well as expand its obstetrics services. Staffing Staffing issues make providing quality care more challenging, and Fauquier Hospital is in the same boat as other hospitals nationwide. All are short of nurses and other health-care staff and are doing what they can to lure more. Fauquier Hospital recently held a graduation ceremony for 10 new nurses who completed their training at Fauquier Hospital. All of them will work at Fauquier Hospital. Segal hopes that all nurses who train at the Fauquier hospital will stay there. During Segals time at Rutherford Regional Health System, the hospital made strides in physician recruitment, expanding access to primary and specialty care in the region and in employee engagement and patient safety, according to a hospital news release about Segal. The release also said the hospital saw improvements in quality outcomes and reductions in preventable harm to patients. Segal enjoys a challenge. It makes everybody feel empowered and like were making a difference, and quite frankly, the reason Im in health care is because I wanted to make a difference, she said. It just makes you feel good to know were delivering high-quality care to people. Emergency room wait times Leapfrogs safety grades did not specifically address emergency room wait times, but they are a common source of grumbling at many hospitals. Some post wait times on their websites so patients have an idea of how long they must wait to see a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant after they get to the ER. Prince William Medical Center and Haymarket Medical Center both provide estimated wait times on their websites. Fauquier Hospital does not currently post ER wait times on its website. I havent cracked that nut yet, but we already talked to our ER provider group, Segal said. Were going to figure that out if theres triggers we can pull to reduce the wait times. Wait times are a big deal for people, and it feels like it reflects quality, Segal said. If youre waiting for three hours in the ER, are you likely to come back? No. So, weve got to fix that because I want you to want to come back, she said. Overall, Segal expects remarkable things from Fauquier Hospital. I think its important that we feel really proud of where we work, that our physicians feel proud of where theyre sending their patients, and that our community wants to use the facility, and we can get there. Reach Colleen LaMay at clamay@fauquier.com China registered impressive growth in 2021 in terms of exports of leather apparel and accessories after the COVID-19 disruption. While Italywhich was among the countries badly hit by the pandemic,Russia and Brazil also managed to increase their leather apparel and accessories exports last year, Indias exports could not reach the pre-COVID level. Chinas exports of leather apparel and accessories dipped to $22.768 billion in 2020 from $29.587 billion of 2019, but it bounced back to $30.884 billion in 2021, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro. The export grew over 35 per cent and breached the level of 2019. The exports were $29.800 billion in 2018 and $29.337 billion in 2017. Chinas exports were valued at $25.032 billion in the first eight months of this year. Leather goods exports from Italy decreased to $9.642 billion in 2020 from $12.413 billion in 2019. It recovered to $12.091 billion in 2021. Its exports were valued at $10.451 billion in 2018 and $9.153 billion in 2017. The country had exported leather goods worth $6.364 billion in January-June 2022. China registered impressive growth in 2021 in terms of exports of leather apparel and accessories after the COVID-19 disruption. While Italywhich was among the countries badly hit by the pandemic,Russia and Brazil also managed to increase their leather apparel and accessories exports last year, India's exports could not reach the pre-COVID level. Russias exports of leather products fell to $65.535 million in 2020 from $68.525 million in 2019. It increased to $71.718 million in 2021. The country had exported leather apparel and accessories worth $54.217 million in 2018, and $46.625 million in 2017, as per TexPro. However, Russias war with Ukraine disrupted its exports again this year. Leather apparel and accessories exports from Brazil decreased to $29.493 million in 2020, compared to $36.980 million of 2019. The exports recovered to $37.764 million in 2021, which was higher than that of 2019. Its exports were recorded at $29.922 million during January-August 2022. However, Indias exports could not recover in 2021 to the pandemic level. Indias exports dipped to $1.861 billion in 2020 from $2.526 in 2019. Its exports bounced back to $2.364 billion in 2021. But the exports could not touch the level of 2019. The countrys exports were $2.488 billion in 2018 and $2.420 billion in 2017. India had exported leather products worth $1.642 billion in the first seven months of 2022. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - The services sector in Japan climbed into expansion territory in September, the latest survey from Jibun Bank revealed on Wednesday with a services PMI score of 52.2. That's up from 49.5 in August, and it moves above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. Looser COVID-19 policies helped lift activity levels across Japan. The level of incoming new business rose at a relatively solid pace in September amid reports of recovering demand conditions. This was also partly aided by new business inflows from abroad, which rose for the first time since April during the latest survey period. The survey also showed that the composite index improved to 51.0 from 49.4 in August. The increase in business activity was driven by the service sector as goods production declined for a third straight month. Overall, the pace of growth was modest despite being the quickest in three months. September survey data also signaled renewed growth in new business. Again, this was a reflection of stronger demand for services as goods producers recorded another decrease in their order books. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. SINGAPORE, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Company ("AG&P"), a leading downstream LNG and infrastructure development company, today announced the appointment of Sandeep Mahawar as the Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group. Mr. Mahawar comes with over 25 years' experience in the LNG and natural gas industry and will be focused on developing and optimizing AG&P's LNG and downstream projects and driving market development strategies. Mr. Joseph Sigelman, Chairman and CEO of AG&P Group, said, "As AG&P continues to develop downstream LNG terminals and associated city gas networks in key markets across South, Southeast Asia and beyond, we are privileged to welcome Sandeep Mahawar as our Chief Commercial Officer for our LNG business. Sandeep has earned great respect from his years of experience building great businesses and AG&P is excited to see his leadership in action in the years ahead during this most exciting and revolutionary time in our industry." Mr. Sandeep Mahawar, Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group, said, "I am truly impressed by the talent and dedicated team at AG&P that has demonstrated a proven operational track record in India and the Philippines. I am honored to join the team as it continues its momentum of completing the first LNG terminal in the Philippines and assist with all AG&P's initiatives to support the energy transition goals of the region and the new and emerging markets." Mr. Mahawar previously served as Senior Vice President and a member of the Senior Management team at Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd ("SLNG"), primarily responsible for leading the transformation of Singapore into an LNG Hub and ensuring energy security. Since joining SLNG in 2013, Mr. Mahawar took on managerial responsibilities within commercial, operations, finance and strategy divisions, and worked closely with the SLNG Board to align company strategy with business execution. Through Mr. Mahawar's 9-year tenure, under his leadership, SLNG expanded its portfolio of infrastructure services and recorded significant growth in both revenue and operating profit since the start of commercial operations. Prior, Mr. Mahawar was with BG Group, a UK headquartered multinational oil and gas company acquired by Shell in 2014. He was responsible for driving cross-functional projects, including M&A and global commercial and business expansions and worked across Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa for over 15 years. Mr. Mahawar also served as Chairman of the ASEAN Gas Consultative Committee in 2016 by the ASEAN Council of Petroleum ("ASCOPE") to represent Singapore and as the Vice Chairman of one of its subcommittees on Gas Advocacy from 2017 to 2020. He was a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and the Chairman of its Singapore Chapter. In 2021, for his long-term, exceptional contributions to Singapore's LNG sector, Mr. Mahawar received the 'Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Standards Council Commendation Award'. About AG&P Group Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) develops LNG import and regasification facilities as well as downstream city gas networks. AG&P also provides engineering and project management services for LNG and other infrastructure. AG&P is part-owned by Osaka Gas, JBIC (the Japan Bank of International Cooperation) and Asiya, a publicly-traded Kuwait fund, as well as its management. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914386/Sandeep_Mahawar_Chief_Commercial_Officer_AG_P_Group.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/agp-group-appoints-sandeep-mahawar-as-chief-commercial-officer-of-lng-terminals-and-logistics-301641042.html Gonorrhea is on the WHO high-priority list of antimicrobial resistant bacteria World's first intranasal prophylactic gonorrhea vaccine candidate Mucosal vaccine platforms provides a broad opportunity for viral and bacterial vaccines BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Intravacc, a world leader in translational research and development of preventive and therapeutic vaccines, today announced that it has been awarded a contract with base and options that may total US$14.6 million from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development of a prophylactic intranasal vaccine against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG). Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the NG bacteria. Intravacc will develop a prophylactic vaccine based on its proprietary outer membrane vesicles (OMV) platform technology. The NG vaccine, called NGoXIM, is based on gonococcal OMVs combined with sustained-release microspheres containing recombinant human IL-12, and will be administered intranasally. Proof-of-concept studies with NGoXIM have already shown the vaccine to be effective in animal models, inducing a potent, lasting, and cross-protective immune response. Intravacc will develop a complete production process for NGoXIM to generate vaccine batches under Good Manufacturing Practices. The company will work towards a non-clinical toxicity (TOX) and Clinical Trial Material batch to execute a Phase I study in healthy adults, investigating the safety of the vaccine and generating efficacy data. The IL-12 containing microspheres called GneX12 will be developed and produced by Therapyx Inc. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial infectious disease in the US, with a reported incidence of more than 300,000 cases per year. Due to under-reporting and asymptomatic disease course, the true incidence is believed to be more than double the reported incidence. NG, a gram-negative aerobic 0.6-1.0 m bacteria, is the cause of this sexually transmitted disease. Currently there is no effective gonorrhea vaccine available, and the disease is known to be contracted repeatedly without apparently developing protective immunity. In addition, antibiotic resistance is increasingly common for this bacterium. Gonorrhea is on the WHO high-priority list of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The project is funded by Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N93022C00058. Dr. Jan Groen, Intravacc's CEO, says: "Together with our sub-contractor Therapyx, we are honored that NIH and NIAID have awarded us this contract, allowing both of us to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of our intranasal gonorrhea vaccine candidate, NGoXIM (Avacc 11)." About Intravacc's OMV platform technology For the development of vaccines, Intravacc has designed and developed a platform based on outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) - spherical particles with intrinsic immune-stimulating properties. The OMVs can be designed with immunogenic peptides and/or proteins that stimulate effective adaptive immunity. The OMV carrier has been optimized to induce a more effective immune response against these newly introduced antigens. Intravacc has also developed genetic tools to increase the yield of the OMVs, reduce the toxicity and achieve the desired antigenic composition. Intravacc's OMV platform is scalable and allows rapid and efficient modification of the antigen composition, either through genetic modification of the bacterial host or by associating antigens with stored OMVs. About Intravacc Intravacc, located at Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven in the Netherlands, is a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization for infectious diseases and therapeutic vaccines. As an established independent CDMO with many years of experience in the development and optimization of vaccines and vaccine technologies, Intravacc has transferred its technology world-wide for many vaccines including polio, measles, DPT, Hib and influenza. Around 40% of childhood disease vaccines are based on Intravacc's know-how and proprietary technology. Intravacc offers a wide range of expertise for independent vaccine development, from concept to Phase I/II clinical studies for partners around the world, including universities, public health organizations (WHO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), biotech and pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.intravacc.nl. About Therapyx Therapyx is a privately held Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Buffalo New York. The Company is developing a proprietary drug delivery system based on the encapsulation of highly potent protein therapeutics into micro-particles that engineer slow, controlled, local release of drug substances while preserving bioactivity, reduced toxicity and long-term shelf-stability. For more information see the company's website www.Therapyxinc.com. Contact info Intravacc Dr. Jan Groen, CEO P: +31 30 7920 454 Mirjam Hartman, Media relations P: +31 6 115 969 94 E: press.office@intravacc.nl LifeSpring Life Sciences Communication, Amsterdam Leon Melens P: +31 6 538 16427 E: lmelens@lifespring.nl Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1334670/Intravacc_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/intravacc-awarded-us14-6-million-nihniaid-contract-to-develop-intranasal-gonorrhea-vaccine-301640990.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Marvel Discovery Corp. (TSX-V:MARV)(Frankfurt:O4T)(OTCQB:MARVF); ("Marvel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a joint venture ("JV") agreement with Carmanah Minerals Corp., ("Carmanah") (CSE: CARM) to earn a 50% interest in the Walker Claims (the "Property") located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan (Figure 1). By completion of the earn-in by Carmanah, Marvel and Carmanah would each own 50% of the project with Carmanah funding $1.5 million in exploration expenditures, paying $ 400,000 in cash payments and the issuance of 3.5 million shares and 3.5 million warrants. " We are very pleased to have reached a Joint Venture agreement with Carmanah Minerals, after careful consideration this transaction made the most sense long-term for Marvel shareholders. This affords us the ability to work both the north and south claim blocks simultaneously, while further protecting our share capitalization. Marvel still holds a considerable area of influence and controls 100% of the KLR and Highway North Claims along the Key Lake Shear Zone which is home to some of the worlds highest grade uranium. This corridor represents tremendous opportunity in mimicking the success of basement-hosted uranium deposits found on the western side of the Basin like NexGen Energy's Arrow Deposit. We look forward to working with the team at Carmanah with the common goal of a Tier 1 Discovery." stated Chief Executive Officer Karim Rayani The Walker and KLR Properties lie within the Wollaston-Mudjactic transition zone (WMTZ) of the eastern Athabasca basin, which is host to the highest-grade uranium mines in the world, including: The WMTZ hosts the highest-grade uranium mines in the world including (Figure 1): Cigar Lake 1 , 50% owned by Cameco, which hosts reserves of 221.6 million pounds (lbs.) of U3O8 at 16.7% U3O8 , 50% owned by Cameco, which hosts reserves of 221.6 million pounds (lbs.) of U3O8 at 16.7% U3O8 McArthur River 2 , 70% owned by Cameco which hosts reserves of 392 million lbs. of U3O8 at 6.91% U3O8 , 70% owned by Cameco which hosts reserves of 392 million lbs. of U3O8 at 6.91% U3O8 Wheeler Project3, 90% owned by Denison Mines which hosts reserves of 109 million lbs. of U3O8 in two deposits averaging 11.23% U3O8. Figure 1. Location of the Walker- KLR Uranium Project in the WMTZ Zone host to the highest-grade uranium deposits in the world. Regional Geology and Mineralization In Saskatchewan, uranium deposits have been discovered at, above and up to 300 metres below the Athabasca group unconformity within basement rocks. Mineralization can occur hundreds of metres into the basement or can be up to 100 metres above in Athabasca group sandstone. Typically, uranium is present as uraninite/pitchblende that occurs as veins and semi-massive to massive replacement bodies. Mineralization is also spatially associated with steeply dipping, graphitic basement structures and may have been remobilized during successive structural reactivation events. Such structures can be important fluid pathways as well as structural or chemical traps for mineralization as reactivation events have likely introduced further uranium into mineralized zones and provided a means for remobilization (Jefferson, et al. 2007) (Figure 2). Figure 2. Classic uranium deposits of the Athabasca Basin at the unconformity between the Athabasca sandstone and crystalline basement within the WMTZ. The Triple R, Eagle Point, Cluff Lake and Arrow deposits are found within basement rocks of the Crystalline Granulite Domain in the western Athabasca Basin. The KLR and Walker properties lie within the basement rocks just south of the former Key Lake Mine within the WMTZ. Source Searchlight Resources. Marvel still controls 100% of the Highway North and KLR claims (Figure 3). These claim groups straddle the Key Lake fault zone, an important corridor for structurally controlled Athabasca-basin-type uranium deposits. The Arrow deposit4, owned by NexGen Energy, lies along a similar structural corridor as the Marvel properties. The Arrow deposit, which has undergone a positive feasibility study with robust economics contains probable reserves of 239.6 million pounds of U3O8 at an average of 2.37% U3O8 and measured and indicated resources of 256.7 million pounds at an average grade of 3.1% U3O8. The Arrow deposit is the largest undeveloped uranium deposit in Canada. Figure 3. Location of Walker JV and the Highway North and KLR claim groups along the Key Lake Fault with prominent VTEM conductor trends. Qualified Person Mike Kilbourne, P. Geo, an independent qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed, and approved the technical contents of this news release on behalf of the Company. References Jefferson, C.W., Thomas, D.J., Gandhi, S.S., Ramaekers, P., Delaney, G., Brisbin, D., Cutts, C., Portella, P., and Olson, R.A. 2007. Unconformity-associated uranium deposits of the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and Alberta. In EXTECH IV: Geology and Uranium Exploration Technology of the Proterozoic Athabasca Basin. Edited by C.W. Jefferson and G. Delaney. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 588, pp. 23-68. Cigar Lake1 : Cigar Lake Operation, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, Report date March 29, 2016, Prepared by C. Scott Bishop, P.Eng., Alain G. Mainville, P.Geo. and Leslie D. Yesnik, P.Eng. McArthur River2: McArthur River Operation, Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, Report date March 29, 2019, Prepared by Linda Bray, P.Eng., Gregory M. Murdoch, P.Eng. and Alain D. Renault, P.Eng. Wheeler Project3 : Prefeasibility Study Report for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada, Effective date September 24, 2018, prepared by SRK Consulting. Arrow Deposit4 : Arrow Deposit, Rook I Project, Saskatchewan, NI 43-101 Technical Report on Feasibility Study, Effective date February 22, 2021, prepared by Stantec, Wood and RPA. About Marvel Discovery Corp. Marvel, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange for over 25 years, is a Canadian based emerging resource company. The Company is systematically exploring its extensive property positions in: Newfoundland (Slip, Gander North, Gander South, Victoria Lake, Baie Verte, and Hope Brook - Au Prospects ) ) Atikokan, Ontario (BlackFly - Au Prospect ) ) Elliot Lake, Ontario (East Bull - Ni-Cu-PGE Prospect) Quebec (Duhamel - Ni-Cu-Co prospect & Titanium, Vanadium, and Chromium Prospect) Prince George, British Columbia (Wicheeda North - Rare Earth Elements Prospect) The Company's website is: https://marveldiscovery.ca/ ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Marvel Discovery Corp. "Karim Rayani" Karim Rayani President/Chief Executive Officer, Director Tel: 604 716 0551 email: k@r7.capital Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: completion of the proposed Arrangement. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. There is no assurance any of the conditions for closing will be met. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Marvel Discovery Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718964/Marvel-Signs-Joint-Venture-Agreement-With-Carmanah-Minerals-on-Its-Walker-Uranium-Claims-in-the-Athabasca-Basin BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's exports and imports rebounded in August with the increase in imports exceeding that of exports, data from Destatis showed on Wednesday. Exports grew 1.6 percent on a monthly basis in August, offsetting a 1.6 percent fall in July. Economists had forecast shipments to climb 1.1 percent. At the same time, growth in imports accelerated to 3.4 percent from 0.1 percent in the previous month. This was much faster than the expected 1.1 percent gain. Consequently, the trade surplus fell unexpectedly to a seasonally adjusted EUR 1.2 billion from EUR 3.4 billion in the previous month. The surplus was forecast to improve to EUR 4.0 billion. On a yearly basis, exports growth surged to 21.2 percent from 10.8 percent in July. Likewise, imports were up 35.7 percent, bigger than July's 26.2 percent increase. Germany's exports to the U.S. advanced 12.0 percent and that to China moved up 2.9 percent. Most imports came from China in August, which gained 2.2 percent. At the same time, the increase in imports from the U.S. was 5.3 percent. Exports to the EU countries fell 0.8 percent on month, while imports from these countries rose by 2.5 percent. Similarly, shipments to eurozone countries slid 0.6 percent and 2.9 percent more goods were imported from these countries. Data showed that exports to Russia grew 11.9 percent, while imports from Russia declined 6.7 percent. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Rise in disposable income, increase in consumer spending on home renovation, surge in urbanization, increase in the number of restaurants, and surge in awareness for interior designing drive the growth of the global vinyl wallpaper market. PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Vinyl Wallpaper Market by Product Type (solid vinyl, vinyl coated wallpaper, fabric backed vinyl wallpaper), by Application (Household, Commercial), by Distribution Channel (Supermarket and Hypermarket, Specialty store, E Commerce): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031". According to the report, the global vinyl wallpaper industry generated $943.3 million in 2021, and is anticipated to generate $1.3 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 3.3% from 2022 to 2031. Prime determinants of growth Rise in disposable income, surge in consumer spending on home renovation, rise in urbanization, surge in the number of restaurants, and increase in awareness for interior designing drive the growth of the global vinyl wallpaper market. However, high cost of installation restricts the market growth. Moreover, rise in investment for R&D of wall coverings products to meet the consumer expectation present new opportunities in the coming years. Download Free Sample Report (365 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/16970 Covid-19 Scenario During the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, poor logistics and restrictions on public movement in the affected countries across the globe led to supply chain disruptions. Later, the lockdown was gradually lifted in various regions, creating a favorable environment for the hospitality sector. This, in turn, broadened the application of vinyl wallpapers in the commercial segment, boosting the growth of the Vinyl Wallpaper Industry. The solid vinyl segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on product type, the solid vinyl segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global vinyl wallpaper market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is owing to rise in the number of hotels, restaurants, hospitals, and others residential and nonresidential building. However, the vinyl coated segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 3.7% from 2022 to 2031. Vinyl coated wallpapers have a significantly longer life than their other alternatives. It is durable, washable, and resistant to scratching & tearing. All such factors are likely to drive the segment. The household segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on application, the household segment held the highest market share in 2021, accounting for nearly than two-thirds of the global vinyl wallpaper market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is attributed to increase in urbanization across the globe. Moreover, rapidly growing real estate is expected to fuel the demand for vinyl wallpaper in the household segment However, the commercial segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 3.6% from 2022 to 2031,due to rise in investments in commercial spaces such as airports, hospitals, hotels, and construction projects. The specialty store segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on distribution channel, the specialty store segment accounted for the largest share in 2021, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global vinyl wallpaper market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is attributed to the fact that consumers are preferring products from various specialty stores. Moreover, specific product offerings in the specialty stores and better customer services & higher quality products compared to other stores are the other key factors that attract customer in the specialty stores. However, the supermarket and hypermarket segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 4.1% from 2022 to 2031. Most crucial feature that draws customers to the supermarket or hypermarket is the price. In general, pricing at these stores is always fixed, discounts are offered on top of that fixed price, and product prices are kept low at super and hypermarkets. Purchase Inquiry:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/16970 North America to maintain its dominance by 2031 Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2021, accounting for around two-fifths of the global vinyl wallpaper market, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. increase in population & disposable income in developed countries contribute to the market growth. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 4.5% from 2022 to 2031. People in this region are experiencing a change in their lifestyles and embracing modern culture. This is responsible for increasing the utility of wall coverings in conjunction with other home decor products. Furthermore, residential construction is increasing, providing lucrative opportunities for the vinyl wallpaper market growth. Leading Market Players: - A.S creation Tapetan AG York wallcoverings brewster home fashions Sanderson design group F Schumacher & co Asian Paints Ltd osborne & little Lentex corporation Guilin wellmax wallcovering co. ltd Grandeco wallfashion group About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/consumer-goods Follow Us on Blog: https://www.dailyreportsworld.com Trending Reports in Consumer Goods Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): Wallpaper Market is projected to reach $3.2 billion by 2031 Interior Design Market Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 2021-2030 Carpet Market is expected to reach $73.9 billion by 2026 Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Improvement Retailing Market is projected to reach $1,278.00 billion by 2030 U.S. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Improvement Retailing Market is estimated to reach $1,278.00 billion by 2030 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vinyl-wallpaper-market-to-reach-1-3-billion-globally-by-2031-at-3-3-cagr-allied-market-research-301641278.html 5 October 2022 KR1 PLC ("KR1" or the "Company") Notice of Annual General Meeting KR1 plc (KR1:AQSE), a leading digital asset investment company, is pleased to announce that Notice convening the Company's Annual General Meeting for 10.00 a.m. on 1 November 2022, at First Names House, Victoria Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM2 4DF, has been posted to shareholders in the Company. The document will also be available on the Company's website at www.KR1.io. The Directors of KR1 plc accept responsibility for this announcement. --ENDS-- For further information please contact: KR1 PLC George McDonaugh Keld van Schreven +44 (0)1624 630 630 Peterhouse Capital Limited (AQSE Corporate Adviser) Mark Anwyl +44 (0)20 7469 0930 FTI Consulting LLP (PR Adviser) Laura Ewart Gina Magnin +44 (0)7711 387 085 KR1@fticonsulting.com About KR1 plc KR1 plc is a leading digital asset investment company supporting early-stage decentralised and open source blockchain projects. Founded in 2016 and publicly traded in London on the AQSE Growth Market (KR1:AQSE), KR1 has one of the longest and most successful track records of investment in the digital assets space by investing in decentralised platforms and protocols that are emerging to form new financial and internet infrastructures. www.KR1.io PARIS and LUXEMBOURG and ZURICH, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Synechron, Inc., a leading digital transformation consulting firm, has been recognized as one of the best places to work in three key global business locations - France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Synechron has achieved the prestigious Great Place to Work 2022 certification based upon direct feedback and input from its regional employees within these three office locations. Great Place to Work is a consulting institute, which conducts employee surveys to support companies in their development to become an excellent employer. Its Great Place to Work certification is one of the world's most respected marks of workplace excellence. In France, 99% of Synechron employees surveyed said they feel that they can take days off when necessary, and over 90% think Synechron demonstrates an environment of respect, friendliness, and a place where employees feel welcomed and can build strong relationships with their colleagues. In Luxembourg, 100% of employeessurveyed responded that they are encouraged to maintain a work-life balance, and that management is equipped with the necessary skills to run the business. Finally, in Switzerland, 100% of respondents believe that Synechron is a safe place to work and that employees are treated fairly, regardless of their sexuality, race, age, and/or gender. Of significant mention, across Synechron France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, is thatbetween 88% and 96% of employees regard Synechron as a great place to work based upon all aspects surveyed. These three new Great Place to Work certifications follow several others over the past year, demonstrating the company's commitment to being a fantastic place to work for all of its 13,800+ team members across the globe. Also in 2022, Synechron was named one of the Global Best Places to Work, as well as a Great Place To Work in Singapore. In December 2021, it was named a Great Place To Work in Amsterdam. Mihir Shah, Managing Director, Head of Europe, Middle East & APAC at Synechron commented, "We are incredibly proud of our company culture which embraces deep collaboration, and demonstrates the utmost respect Synechron has for our incredibly talented employees. We are grateful for again being recognized as our dedicated employees acknowledge their appreciation for Synechron's commitment to our work environment." He continued, "Adding these three new regional Great Place to Work certifications to our previous best employer awards is testament to our wonderful teams. Their tenacity and passion positively shine through as they work to meet our clients' objectives in their jobs every day." Francois-Bernard Mizrahi, Managing Director, and Head of Synechron France, Luxembourg and Switzerland said, "We are honored that our dedicated team members have provided such positive feedback about their experience working at Synechron. It is gratifying to know that as we continue to focus on building a workplace that is respectful and inclusive to all, our hard work and the efforts of everyone at Synechron to build our culture are being recognized." Synechron continues to seek ways to recognize, support, and provide its 13,800+ global team members with the tools to build and enhance their skills and careers. Of note, Synechron has provided no-cost access to the Udemy 24/7 online learning and development platform, as well as on-site and virtual training that provides opportunities to individually reskill/upskill. Synechron also champions its "Same Difference" Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program, which includes a variety of collaborative team building and team supporting projects, events and initiatives. It also supports an array of Corporate Social Responsibility programs for charitable work being done by local/regional organizations and individuals they serve, as well as partnering with multiple DEI organizations and networks. In addition, its widely recognized COVID support programs have helped employees maintain their physical and mental well-being and navigate the pandemic. About Synechron At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Enterprise Advisory & Technology Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, Payments, Systems Integration, and Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. With top clients to boast about, Synechron has a global workforce of 13,000+, and has 38 offices in 17 countries within key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is a consulting institute, which has supported companies in around 50 countries. We conduct employee surveys and cultural analysis, and support companies in their development to become an excellent employer. The competition of the Best Workplaces of Great Place to Work is the world's largest and most respected study of workplace excellence. For more information please contact: Rashmi Joshi, Associate Director - Global Marketing and Communications Synechron Media@synechron.com or SEC Newgate UK Andrew Adie / Sophie Morello / Matthew Redley Synechron@secnewgate.co.uk Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1510767/Synechron_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/synechron-named-great-place-to-work-2022-in-france-301641156.html CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- lowRISC C.I.C., the open source system on a chip (SoC) organization, today announced the appointment of Prof. Dr. Claudia Eckert to its board of directors. Eckert holds the chair for IT Security in the Department of Computer Science at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and is director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) in Munich, overseeing more than 220 researchers. She has over 30 years of research and development experience in the field of IT security, with a focus on new methods and technology to increase embedded system and application security, as well as research aimed at increasing the resilience of systems against attacks. "We are very pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Eckert - a premier expert in the field - to our board of directors," said Gavin Ferris, CEO of lowRISC. "She shares our vision for the future of open-source hardware and silicon development and her R&D experience in IT security will be of great value in moving our mission forward. With her breadth of knowledge and her technical insight, Prof. Eckert will help us deliver an industry first: high-quality, secure open-source system-on-chip designs." Eckert joins Andy Hopper, professor of Computer Technology and former head of the Department of Computer Science Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and independent chair, treasurer, and vice president of The Royal Society; Luca Benini, professor of Electronics at University of Bologna, chair of Digital Circuits and Systems at ETH Zurich; Gavin Ferris, CEO, lowRISC; Ron Munich, senior staff software engineer at Google; Robert Mullins, professor of Computer Architecture at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge; and Dominic Rizzo, OpenTitan Project Lead, Google. "As someone who is very active in the cybersecurity field and open-source software space, I am proud to lend my expertise in open-source and related security issues to advance lowRISC's mission of bringing secure open-source innovation to the silicon design ecosystem," said Eckert. "lowRISC's forward-looking approach addresses some of the most significant technology challenges we're facing - from global chip supply shortages to security implementation. lowRISC's innovation in open-source hardware is unparalleled and I am proud to be a part of this important and exciting endeavor." Eckert earned her degree in Computer Science at the University of Bonn and finished her Ph.D. at TUM. She worked at several universities including the University of Oldenburg, Kiel University, LMU Munich, and the University of Bremen. She founded the Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt, of which she was deputy director until 2010, and later went on to found the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security in Munich with a specially created professorship alongside it at TUM. As a member of various national and international industrial advisory boards and scientific committees, Eckert advises companies, business associations and the public sector on all IT security issues. In specialist committees, she is involved in the design of the technical and scientific framework in Germany and in the design of scientific funding programs at the EU level. Eckert has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Society for Information Technology's Digital Minds award, which honors those who advance digital development in Germany. In 2011, the trade journal Computerwoche ranked Eckert among the top 100 most important personalities in the German ICT landscape. About lowRISC lowRISC C.I.C. is a not-for-profit company whose founding mission is to demonstrate, promote and support the use of open-source silicon - bringing the benefits of open-source design to the hardware world. We are producing high-quality, security-focused, open, and flexible IP. Our expertise includes RISC-V processor core design, contributing to the LLVM Compiler, and - in collaboration with our growing family of industry and academic partners - developing and hosting the Silicon Commons in support of our ecosystem of open-source silicon implementations. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lowrisc-appoints-cybersecurity-expert-prof-dr-claudia-eckert-to-board-of-directors-301641120.html DZ Bank AG: Post-Stabilisation Notice Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. DZ BANK AG (contact: Ralph Ockert; telephone: +49 69 7447 7051) hereby gives notice that no stabilisation (within the meaning of Article 3.2 (d) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014) was undertaken by the Stabilising Managers named below in relation to the offer of the following securities. The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) Guarantor (if any): Federal Republic of Germany ISIN: DE000A3MP7K3 Aggregate nominal amount:EUR 4bn Description: Fixed rate, due 31th of March 2037 Offer price: 86.391 Other offer terms: Payment 30 August 2022, Listing Frankfurt Stock Exchange Exchange, denominations:1k Maturity 31th of March 2037 Stabilisation: DZ BANK AG Stabilising Manager(s): DZ BANK AG JP Morgan Barclays Bank Plc Stabilisation period commences 05th of October 2022 Stabilisation period expected to No later than 30 days after the proposed end on: issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and The Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot conditions of use of over-allotment the securities to the extent permitted in facility. Accordance with applicable law. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. EQS-News: PlusPlus Capital Financial S.a.r.l. / Key word(s): Personnel PlusPlus Capital Strengthens Management Board for future growth - Experienced banking manager Kroot Kilvet appointed new CEO 05.10.2022 / 11:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. PlusPlus Capital Strengthens Management Board for future growth Experienced banking manager Kroot Kilvet appointed new CEO Tallinn, Estonia, 5 October 2022. PlusPlus Capital ("PPC"), a leading Pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivable management group, is strengthening its Management Board for future growth through the appointment of a new board member and more differentiated responsibilities. Mrs. Kroot Kilvet, CEO of the subsidiary Fresh Finance Group OU, was appointed CEO of PlusPlus Capital by the Supervisory Board of the Company. Mr. Kaarel Raik, and Mrs. Linda Visocka will continue as Management Board members and increasingly focus on the strategic development of ESG, portfolio management, and country offices' activities respectively. Mrs. Kroot Kilvet as one of the most distinguished managers in banking in the Baltics has a strong track record including top managerial positions in retail lending, factoring, and corporate banking, among others from Hansabank, Swedbank, DNB Bank, and Luminor Group. Mrs. Kilvet has also outstanding public sector experience at the Estonian Central Bank, the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (formerly KredEx and Enterprise Estonia), and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Estonia. "We are looking forward to the new impulses that Kroot will contribute based on her many years of experience as a manager in the banking sector and our subsidiary Fresh Finance. Strengthening the Board of Managers with sophisticated skills is essential for the continuous success of PlusPlus Capital," said Peeter Piho, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PlusPlus Capital. Contact: PlusPlus Capital Peeter Piho, Chairman of the Supervisory Board Email: peeter.piho@plusplus.ee Phone: +372 622 4020 Aalto Capital (Investor Relations) Sven Pauly, Consultant Email: sven.pauly@aaltocapital.com Phone: +49 89 898 67 77 0 About PlusPlus Capital: PlusPlus is a pan-Baltic and Finnish technology-driven receivables management company with offices in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Helsinki. The Company acquires overdue loans and other non-performing exposures from financial institutions and non-financial sector merchants. With its core competence in handling claims against private individuals, PlusPlus prefers diversified portfolios balanced by geography, portfolio type, and other metrics. Since its inception in 2010, PlusPlus has bought over 100 thousand claims with nominal value of approximately EUR 274 million as at 30 June 2022. The Company offers its clients affordable recovery solutions and aims to avoid litigious scenarios. In doing so, PlusPlus pursues win-win solutions that allow sellers to focus on their core business, provide affordable solutions for borrowers, and ensure adequate returns for investors. PlusPlus is a transparent and socially responsible company set to assist people in resolving problems connected with their insufficient solvency. The ambition of PlusPlus is to increase its market share and further strengthen its position as a leading player in its regional market. pluspluscapital.eu 05.10.2022 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Production of China's Daqing Oilfield tops 2.4 billion tonnes Xinhua) 11:02, October 05, 2022 HARBIN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Daqing Oilfield, China's largest onshore oilfield, has produced over 2.4 billion tonnes of crude oil since it was discovered in 1959, according to Daqing Oilfield, a subsidiary of the China National Petroleum Corporation. The oilfield accounts for about 40 percent of China's total domestic onshore crude oil production during the same period. Over the past six decades, Daqing Oilfield has maintained stable oil production, and once produced more than 50 million tonnes of crude oil annually for 27 consecutive years. In recent years, its annual oil and gas production has stood above 40 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Daqing Oilfield is one of China's largest oil production bases. Located in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, the oilfield has made a significant contribution to China's modern petroleum industry. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) 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. Massive use of gasketed plate heat exchanger in pharmaceutical, oil & gas, and food & beverages industries drive the growth of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market. PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Gasketed Plate Heat Exchanger Market by Type (Industrial GPHE, Wide Gap GPHE, Semi Welded GPHE), by Material (Stainless Steel, Titanium, Tungsten), by End User (Food and Beverage, Oil and Gas, HVAC and Refrigeration, Chemical, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031." As per the report, the global Gasketed Plate Heat Exchanger industry was estimated at $3.1 billion in 2021, and is set to reach $5.1 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chains, regional landscapes, and competitive scenarios. Download Free Sample Report (380 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/31475 Drivers, restraints, and opportunities Massive use of gasketed plate heat exchanger in pharmaceutical, oil & gas, and food & beverages industries drive the growth of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market. In addition, a prominent demand for medicines, gasoline, and other food products globally is predicted to boost market trends. Moreover, the increase in the need for water treatment and purification plants will create new growth opportunities for the global market in the years ahead. However, the possibility of leakages in gasketed plate heat exchanger due to higher pressure drops can obstruct the growth of the global market. Covid-19 scenario: The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the growth of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market owing to supply chain disruptions, economic uncertainty, and weakened economic activities. Economic uncertainty and volatility in financial and commodity markets along with the reduction in demand for oil and gas due to disagreements with the organization of the petroleum exporting countries (OPEC) during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the growth of the global market. Post lockdown, chemical, petrochemical, and food & beverages industries have commenced their functions at a rapid pace and are trying to recover their losses. The industrial GPHE segment to dominate the global market in terms of revenue by 2031 Based on the type, the industrial GPHE segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market share. Reportedly, this segment is predicted to contribute majorly toward overall market share by 2031. The growth of the segment over the forecast period can be attributed to the use of gasketed plate heat exchanger in chemicals, biotechnology, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, solvents, and water & sewage. Furthermore, this same segment is predicted to register the fastest CAGR of nearly 5.6% from 2022 to 2031. The report also analysis other segments such as Wide Gap GPHE and Semi Welded GPHE. The stainless steel segment to hold the major market share from 2022-2031 On basis of the material, the stainless steel segment is set to contribute more than four-fifths of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market in 2031. Furthermore, the same segment also accounted majorly for the global market share in 2021. In addition, the stainless steel segment is anticipated to record the fastest CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. The growth of the segment over the forecast timeline can be attributed to rise in demand for petrochemicals and products such as binders, resins, dyes, pigments, latex, acids, alkalis, petroleum products, and solvents leading to a rise in demand for stainless-steel gasketed plate heat exchanger. The report also includes other segments such as Titanium and Tungsten. The food and beverage segment to dominate the global market by 2031 In terms of the end user, the food and beverage segment contributed to the highest market share in 2021, accounting for half of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market share. Reportedly, this segment is predicted to contribute majorly toward an overall market share in 2031. The expansion of this segment over the forecast timeline is due to rising demand for packed products such as juice, glucose, cold drinks, sauces, and others leading to enhanced demand for gasketed plate heat exchanger. Furthermore, the food and beverage segment is predicted to register the fastest CAGR of nearly 5.6% from 2022 to 2031. The report also analyzes segments such as Oil and Gas, HVAC and Refrigeration, Chemical, and Others. Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire Here @: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/31475 Asia Pacific to retain global market domination over 2022-2031 By Region, Asia-Pacific contributed notably in 2021, and is projected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The region accounted for more than two-fifths of the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market in 2021. The growth of the market in the region over the forecast timespan can be attributed to the rise in population and urbanization in the region leading to an increase in water purification engineering in the Asia-Pacific and may act as the major driving factor for the regional market. In addition, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to record the fastest CAGR of 5.6% from 2022 to 2031. The report analyzes other segments such as Europe, LAMEA, and North America. Major market players Danfoss Heatex Industries Ltd. HRS Process Systems Ltd. HYDAC International GmbH Alfa Laval Kelvion Holding GmbH Majestic Marine & Engineering Services Process Engineers and Associates Xylem Ved Engineering Transcon Engineers Pvt. Ltd. Delta Cooling Towers P . Ltd. . Ltd. Techtrans Engineers Tranter The report analyzes these key players in the global gasketed plate heat exchanger market. These players have implemented key business strategies such as strategic expansion, new product launches, alliances, and joint ventures for enhancing market penetration and reinforcing their position in the industry. The report helps the target audience in determining the market performance, performance of each segment, product portfolio development in the market, and contributions made by each player to the market expansion. Trending Reports in Gasketed Plate Heat Exchanger Industry (Book Now with 10% Discount): India Heat Exchangers Market: India Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2019-2026 Heat Exchanger Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast 2021-2030 Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 Energy Recovery Ventilator Market: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2030 Plate Heat Exchanger Market: Global Report opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2030 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact us: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/energy-and-power Follow Us on Blog: https://www.marketinshort.com/ Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gasketed-plate-heat-exchanger-market-to-accrue-5-1-bn-globally-by-2031-at-5-2-cagr-allied-market-research-301641130.html Strasbourg, France, Oct. 05, 2022campaign, the World Vapers' Alliance" to show how vaping needs to be treated to fulfil its full potential for public health. Additionally, the WVA unveiled a protest art installation in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The campaign launches as the EU-wide tobacco legislation, Tobacco Products Directiveto speak out against flavour bans and excessive regulation. Now, the WVA amplifies voices of the European vaping community in Strasbourg and across Europe to help acknowledge vaping as an effective harm reduction tool with a potential to save the lives of 19 million smokers in Europe. Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers' Alliance said: "By backing vaping we can beat smoking and save 19 million lives with sensible regulation. The EU call for evidence has seen a record number of 24,000 responses, showing that consumers want to embrace tobacco harm reduction, and it happens that vaping has been proven one of the most successful so far. The EU needs to put an end to current discussions about flavour bans and vaping must be kept affordable and accessible. It is time for the EU to fully endorse tobacco harm reduction and to make vaping a centre piece of it." The campaignlaunched today in Strasbourg, France with a Don't Let 19 Million Lives Fall protest art installation and will spread to ten cities in six countries during October - November 2022. "We will host community events and protests in France, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal and Belgium to draw attention to one of the most crucial pieces of legislation for the future of vaping. It is time for politicians to listen to consumers and science," said WVA's director, Michael Landl. WVA has also launched a petitionagainst harmful vaping regulation such as flavour bans, or high taxation on vaping products. The signatures will be delivered to Members of the European Parliament at the end of the tour in November. Attachments Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Mundoro Capital Inc. (TSXV: MUN) (OTCQB: MUNMF) (www.mundoro.com) ("Mundoro" or the "Company") is pleased to announce commencement of a drill program at the Mundoro-Vale optioned projects located in the south central Timok Magmatic Complex("Timok") in Serbia. The drill program is planned for 4,000 meters to test 3 target areas with 5 drill holes. Regional Setting The porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold targets selected for drill testing are located in the southern portion of Timok and south-west of the Bor mining complex. Timok is one of the most prolific metallogenic domains in the western portion of the Tethyan Belt and is host to the Cukaru-Peki mine, which is a high sulphidation epithermal copper-gold and porphyry copper deposit, the Bor underground mine which is a copper-gold porphyry, and the Veliki Krivelj and Majdanpek open-pit mines which are both copper-gold porphyries (see Figure 1). Figure 1 - Location Map of Vale-Mundoro JV Project area in Timok with drill hole locations of current drill program. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2408/139509_9828e08894801a07_001full.jpg Highlights of the Targets The three main areas for drill testing during this program are: (i) Tilva Rosh, (ii) Markov Kamen, and (iii) Bacevica North. These three areas have been selected out of several target areas ranked as prospective for porphyry copper-molybdenum-gold deposits within the Vale-Mundoro Option Projects ( see Mundoro press release July 6, 2021 ). ). The targets are within zoned hydrothermal alteration which can be traced at surface for 10 km along strike and contains gold epithermal and copper-gold porphyry style mineralization. The north-south striking alteration corridor correlates with a strong magnetic anomaly interpreted as a magnetite destructive zone of advanced argillic alteration that comprises a broad litho-cap. In the Tilva Rosh and Markov Kamen target areas, the current drilling program is a follow up drilling campaign utilizing the vectors to a potential porphyry system identified from interpretation of previous drill results and geophysical surveys. While at the Bacevica North target, a strong and near surface IP anomaly will be tested for the first time as a result of encouraging geochemical sampling results and surface mapping completed. Discussion of Target Areas Tilva Rosh - exploration mapping and drilling to date confirmed advanced argillic alteration within a broad litho-cap with epithermal gold mineralization and copper-gold-molybdenum geochemical anomalies at surface extending over an area of 3.6 km x 1.2 km in size. Signs of down dip alteration to the west was identified in the drill core from the prior drilling campaign in Q4-2019. High-temperature advanced argillic alteration identified at the bottom of one of the nearest drill holes is suggestive for potential hydrothermal fluid up-flow zone. Two drill holes will test the northern portion of Tilva Rosh, targeting the base of the litho-cap as supported by both recent geophysics interpretation of IP, CSAMT and magnetics data as well as potassic alteration identified in a prior drill hole. Markov Kamen - located directly south of Tilva Rosh, Markov Kamen is a large area of silicification covering 3.2 km x 500 m, hosts a significant hydrothermal breccia with anomalous gold grade, and is open to the west and at depth. High-grade copper and gold grades received from sampling old workings contain hypogene chalcocite at the southern edge of the target area. Based on geophysics, the target to be drill tested is interpreted as a root of an advanced argillic alteration zone. The presence of zunyite and topaz in some of the previously completed drill holes is an indicator of proximity to a porphyry with the potential hydrothermal fluid up-flow zone. Two drill holes will test the central and southern portions of Markov Kamen, targeting (i) a deeper root of a CSAMT anomaly and (ii) a shallower IP anomaly as follow up drilling from previously drilled diamond drill holes. Bacevica North - located south-southwest of the Markov Kamen target area, this target was recently identified comprising of a strong IP anomaly and intense quartz-sericite-pyrite altered andesite at surface. One reconnaissance drillhole is planned to test the IP anomaly which is supported by the encouraging geochemical sampling results and surface mapping completed during the current field season. Qualified Person The European exploration work programs described herein were supervised by Y. Khrischev, EurGeol, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, and the Company's Exploration Manager in Serbia and Bulgaria. Y. Khrischev has prepared the technical information in this press release in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in National Instrument 43-101. About Mundoro Capital Inc. Mundoro is a publicly listed company on the TSX-V in Canada and OTCQB in the USA with a portfolio of mineral properties focused primarily on base and precious metals. To drive value for shareholders, Mundoro's asset portfolio generates near-term cash payments to Mundoro from partners and creates royalties attached to each mineral property. The portfolio of mineral properties is currently focused on predominantly copper in two mineral districts: Western Tethyan Belt in Eastern Europe and the Laramide Belt in the southwest USA. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This News Release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe" or "continue" or similar words or the negative thereof, and include the following: completion of earn-in expenditures, options and completion of a definitive agreement by the parties. The material assumptions that were applied in making the forward looking statements in this News Release include expectations as to the mineral potential of the Company's projects, the Company's future strategy and business plan and execution of the Company's existing plans. We caution readers of this News Release not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements contained in this News Release, as there can be no assurance that they will occur and they are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include general economic and market conditions, exploration results, commodity prices, changes in law, regulatory processes, the status of Mundoro's assets and financial condition, actions of competitors and the ability to implement business strategies and pursue business opportunities. The forward-looking statements contained in this News Release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this News Release are made as of the date of this News Release and the Board undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Shareholders are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and for a more detailed discussion of such risks and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, refer to the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators available on www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please visit Mundoro Capital website www.mundoro.com Teo Dechev, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director +1-604-669-8055 info@mundoro.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139509 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Oil prices were subdued on Wednesday after Russia resumed gas supplies to Italy via Austria, bringing some temporary relief to gas prices in Europe. The downside remained capped ahead of a key meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies later today, with OPEC+ expected to deliver a substantial slash in crude output to support prices after a drastic fall since the middle of the year. Benchmark Brent crude futures slipped 0.1 percent to $91.72 a barrel, while WTI crude futures were down 0.3 percent at $86.24. Russia will resume gas deliveries to Italy following the resolution of a dispute over transit flows with Austrian regulators, Russian energy giant Gazprom said in a statement today. 'Transportation of Russian gas through the territory of Austria is resuming,' Gazprom said, adding that a 'solution' was found with Italian buyers following regulatory changes in Austria. The oil group, known as OPEC+, meets later today amid expectations of a large cut in crude output. Media reports suggest that oil output may be slashed by more than 1 million barrels a day, the biggest since the start of the pandemic. Meanwhile, after industry body American Petroleum Institute (API) reported a surprise draw this week for crude oil of 1.770 million barrels, traders now await data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) for further direction. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. TOKYO, Oct 5, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that its Spanish subsidiary, Fujitsu Spain, was awarded the 9th award of the Fundacion Consejo Espana-Japon (Spain-Japan Foundation, hereinafter FCEJ)(1) in recognition of its energetic business development and strong commitment to Spanish society and its continuous efforts in promoting the country's digitalization.Fujitsu Spain, which was established in 1973, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its foundation in 2023.As a DX company, Fujitsu Spain will continue to strengthen its cooperation with the country to promote businesses focused on solving societal issues.Josep Pique, President of the FCEJ comments:"Fujitsu Spain will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023, and has become one of the Japanese companies that has contributed the most to Spain over the years. Fujitsu is a global leader in providing the necessary know-how in digital transformation to advanced economies. I would like to express my sincere congratulations on Fujitsu's energetic business development and contribution to society."About the FCEJ AwardSince 2011, the FCEJ presents annual awards to individuals and organizations in Spain and Japan who have contributed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and relations between the two countries in various fields.The award ceremony will be held at the 22nd Foro Espana-Japon (Spain-Japan Forum) at the Keihanna Science City (2) on October 5, 2022.Fujitsu, 50 years of history and experience in Spain- 1973: First office established in Madrid; started to provide solutions for public and financial institutions- 1984: Established a factory in Malaga to manufacture ATMs for the global market- 1996: Started production of automotive components- 2016: Established European big data analytics center in Madrid- 2022: Provided environment for the use of Fujitsu's quantum-inspired Digital Annealer to the Madrid University of Technology(1) Fundacion Consejo Espana-Japon (Spain Japan Foundation) :Head Office: Spain Madrid; President: Josep Pique(2) Keihanna Science City :Located in the Keihanna hills stretching over the three prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara; constructed and maintained under the Kansai Science City Construction Act. Along with 'Tsukuba Science City' in East Japan, Keihanna Science city is positioned as a national project, having a total area of approximately 15,000 hectares, within which 12 cultural and academic research zones (approximately 3,600 hectares) are distributed.About FujitsuFujitsu's purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$32 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2022 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Invesco Select Trust plc LEI: 549300JZQ39WJPD7U596 Result of AGM Result of the Annual General Meeting of Invesco Select Trust plc held on 4 October 2022: All of the Annual General Meeting resolutions were decided by poll and were passed. The poll results were as follows: Resolutions applicable to all share classes, with voting rights based on the net asset values of the respective share classes at close of business on 30 September 2022: Resolution Votes For (including votes at the discretion of the Chairman) % Votes Against % Votes Withheld Ordinary Resolutions 1. 22,387,733 99.9 23,436 0.1 7,048 2. 22,119,577 99.2 183,530 0.8 115,110 3. 22,123,731 99.2 169,331 0.8 125,155 4. 21,657,762 97.1 673,213 2.9 87,242 5. 21,656,000 97.1 671,906 2.9 90,311 6. 21,633,713 97.0 694,795 3.0 89,709 7. 21,656,680 97.1 674,295 2.9 87,242 8. 21,650,517 97.4 631,855 2.6 98,538 9. 22,275,083 99.3 134,565 0.7 8,569 10. 22,322,020 99.6 88,547 0.4 7,650 13. 16,714,256 73.5 5,686,541 26.5 17,420 Special Resolutions 14. 22,077,956 98.6 313,709 1.4 26,552 15. 22,295,493 99.6 98,629 0.4 24,095 16. 22,164,421 98.9 240,319 1.1 13,477 17. 22,321,489 99.8 61,985 0.2 34,743 Total Voting Rights applicable to the above resolutions were 184,705,257. Resolution 11, an Ordinary Resolution, was applicable only to the UK Equity Share class, with voting rights being one vote per share: Resolution Votes For (including votes at the discretion of the Chairman) % Votes Against % Votes Withheld Resolution 11 17,518,065 100 0 0 10,819 Total Voting Rights applicable for this resolution were 71,478,782. Resolution 12, an Ordinary Resolution, was applicable only to the Global Equity Income Share class, with voting rights being one vote per share: Resolution Votes For (including votes at the discretion of the Chairman) % Votes Against % Votes Withheld Resolution 12 4,631,496 99.9 6,516 0.1 0 Total Voting Rights applicable for this resolution were 24,851,044. The Board notes the significant vote against resolution 13, the authority to allot shares, and will consult with the relevant shareholders as appropriate to understand their concerns. The Board will provide a further update within six months of the AGM. The full text of the resolutions passed is as follows: The following Ordinary Resolutions were passed at the Annual General Meeting held on 4 October 2022: Ordinary Resolutions applicable to all share classes: 1. To receive the Annual Financial Report for the year ended 31 May 2022. 2. To approve the Directors' Remuneration Policy. 3. To approve the Annual Statement and Report on Remuneration. 4. To re-elect Craig Cleland as a Director of the Company. 5. To re-elect Davina Curling as a Director of the Company. 6. To re-elect Mark Dampier as a Director of the Company. 7. To re-elect Victoria Muir as a Director of the Company. 8. To re-elect Tim Woodhead as a Director of the Company. 9. To re-appoint Grant Thornton UK LLP as Auditor to the Company 10. To authorise the Audit Committee to determine the Auditor's remuneration. Ordinary Resolution applicable only to the UK Equity Share Class: 11. To approve the UK Equity Share Class Portfolio dividend payment policy as set out on page 41 of the 2022 Annual Financial Report. Ordinary Resolution applicable only to the Global Equity Income Share Class: 12. To approve the Global Equity Income Share Class Portfolio dividend payment policy as set out on page 41 of the 2022 Annual Financial Report. Ordinary Resolution applicable to all share classes: 13. That: the Directors be and they are hereby generally and unconditionally authorised, for the purpose of section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time prior to the date of passing this resolution ('2006 Act') to exercise all the powers of the Company to allot relevant securities (as defined in sections 551(3) and (6) of the 2006 Act) up to an aggregate nominal amount equal to 1,000,000 of UK Equity Shares, 1,000,000 of Global Equity Income Shares, 1,000,000 of Balanced Risk Allocation Shares and 1,000,000 of Managed Liquidity Shares, provided that this authority shall expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or the date falling 15 months after the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, but so that such authority shall allow the Company to make offers or agreements before the expiry of this authority which would or might require relevant securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot relevant securities in pursuance of such offers or agreements as if the power conferred hereby had not expired. Special Resolutions: The following Special Resolutions were passed at the Annual General Meeting held on 4 October 2022: 14. That: the Directors be and they are hereby empowered, in accordance with sections 570 and 573 of the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time prior to the date of the passing of this resolution ('2006 Act') to allot Shares in each class (UK Equity, Global Equity Income, Balanced Risk Allocation and Managed Liquidity) for cash, either pursuant to the authority given by resolution 13 or (if such allotment constitutes the sale of relevant Shares which, immediately before the sale, were held by the Company as treasury shares) otherwise, as if section 561 of the 2006 Act did not apply to any such allotment, provided that this power shall be limited: (a) to the allotment of Shares in connection with a rights issue in favour of all holders of a class of Share where the Shares attributable respectively to the interests of all holders of Shares of such class are either proportionate (as nearly as may be) to the respective numbers of relevant Shares held by them or are otherwise allotted in accordance with the rights attaching to such Shares (subject in either case to such exclusions or other arrangements as the Directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to fractional entitlements or legal or practical problems under the laws of, or the requirements of, any regulatory body or any stock exchange in any territory or otherwise); (b) to the allotment (otherwise than pursuant to a rights issue) of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal amount of 72,923 of UK Equity Shares, 24,946 of Global Equity Income Shares, 4,215 of Balanced Risk Allocation Shares and 1,257 of Managed Liquidity Shares; and (c) to the allotment of equity securities at a price of not less than the net asset value per Share as close as practicable to the allotment or sale and this power shall expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or the date 15 months after the passing of this resolution, whichever is the earlier, but so that this power shall allow the Company to make offers or agreements before the expiry of this power which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry as if the power conferred by this resolution had not expired; and so that words and expressions defined in or for the purposes of Part 17 of the 2006 Act shall bear the same meanings in this resolution. 15. That: the Company be generally and subject as hereinafter appears unconditionally authorised in accordance with section 701 of the Companies Act 2006 as amended from time to time prior to the date of passing this resolution ('2006 Act') to make market purchases (within the meaning of section 693(4) of the 2006 Act) of its issued Shares in each Share class (UK Equity, Global Equity Income, Balanced Risk Allocation and Managed Liquidity). PROVIDED ALWAYS THAT: (i) the maximum number of Shares hereby authorised to be purchased shall be 14.99% of each class of the Company's share capital as at the date of the AGM; (ii) the minimum price which may be paid for a Share shall be 1p; (iii) the maximum price which may be paid for a Share in each Share class must not be more than the higher of: (a) 5% above the average of the mid-market values of the Shares for the five business days before the purchase is made; and (b) the higher of the price of the last independent trade in the Shares and the highest then current independent bid for the Shares on the London Stock Exchange; (iv) any purchase of Shares will be made in the market for cash at prices below the prevailing net asset value per Share (as determined by the Directors); (v) the authority hereby conferred shall expire at the conclusion of the next AGM of the Company or, if earlier, on the expiry of 15 months from the passing of this resolution unless the authority is renewed at any other general meeting prior to such time; and (vi) the Company may make a contract to purchase Shares under the authority hereby conferred prior to the expiry of such authority which will be executed wholly or partly after the expiration of such authority and may make a purchase of Shares pursuant to any such contract. 16. That: the period of notice required for general meetings of the Company (other than Annual General Meetings) shall be not less than 14 days. 17. That: the share premium accounts of each of: (i) the class of UK Equity shares of 1 penny each in the capital of the Company; and (ii) the class of Balanced Risk Allocation shares of 1 penny each in the capital of the Company, be cancelled and the amount of the share premium of each share class so cancelled be credited to a reserve in respect of each the respective share classes. Invesco Asset Management Limited Corporate Company Secretary Contact: James Poole 0207 543 3559 5 October 2022 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - UGE International Ltd. (TSXV: UGE) (OTCQB: UGEIF) (the "Company" or "UGE"), a leader in the commercial and community solar sector, announces that it has acquired a 3.5MW ground-mounted community solar project in Marion County, Oregon, the Company's first project in the state. Limited construction will begin on the project before the end of the year, with commercial operation expected in the first quarter of 2024. Oregon's legislature established a community solar program in 2019, making the state an early adopter of shared solar. This year the Oregon Community Solar Program opened its second tier, adding more than 98MW of capacity. In addition to pursuing further acquisition opportunities, UGE plans to add additional backlog in the Oregon market via organic origination activities. The Oregon acquisition is among several recent initiatives that UGE has made in expanding its acquisition of solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects across the United States. Earlier in the year, the Company announced it was acquiring two rooftop solar projects in Arizona which total over 1MW. The Company is also under exclusivity for projects in other strategic states, which it hopes to finalize in the coming months. In September UGE also closed a USD$15 million credit line to be used for acquisitions and development expenses. The first draw against the credit line was used to fund the Oregon acquisition. The credit line allows for draws and repayments without associated fees. The Company intends to use the credit line for shorter term acquisition- and development-related expenses. UGE's acquisition efforts strengthen the Company's asset growth and diversification strategy as it scales its operating portfolio. By securing projects at various development stages, across different state and utility territories, and while leveraging both solar PV and BESS technologies, UGE is able to scale more quickly while mitigating risk from political or regulatory changes . About UGE UGE develops, owns, and operates commercial and community solar projects in the US and strategic markets abroad. Our distributed energy solutions deliver cheaper, cleaner energy to businesses and consumers with no upfront cost. With over 500MW of global experience, we work daily to power a more sustainable world. For more information, contact UGE at: +1 917 720 5685 investors@ugei.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated use of proceeds, and the listing of the Green Debentures on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139527 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - ALX Resources Corp. (TSXV: AL) (FSE: 6LLN) (OTC: ALXEF) ("ALX" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on 2022 exploration activities at the Flying Vee Nickel Project ("Flying Vee", or the "Project"), located in the Athabasca region of northern Saskatchewan. Highlights of 2022 Flying Vee Exploration In April and May 2022, Geotech Ltd. carried out a leading-edge, helicopter-borne versatile time domain electromagnetic ("VTEM TM Max") and a horizontal magnetic gradiometer geophysical survey over the northern and western part of Flying Vee, totaling 1,197 line kilometres; Max") and a horizontal magnetic gradiometer geophysical survey over the northern and western part of Flying Vee, totaling 1,197 line kilometres; The airborne survey confirmed electromagnetic ("EM") conductive trends along and around the known historical nickel sulphide showings (e.g., the Reeve Lake Nickel Showing, and Nickel Lake Showing areas) and identified several new EM conductive trends in areas of the Project where there are no records of EM conductors or nickel sulphide mineralization; A follow-up helicopter-assisted prospecting program was carried out by ALX in late September 2022. The main objective of the program was to ground-truth EM conductors from the 2022 airborne survey, numbered from 1 to 7, some of which consist of multiple segments, i.e., 1-A; Along the 1-D conductor trend, the ALX team located a previously unreported gossanous outcrop (approximately 10 by 15 metres in area) and an associated gossanous boulder field with significant sulphide mineralization. Sulphide mineralization is comprised of disseminated to semi-massive pyrrhotite, up to 25%, accompanied by local occurrences of up to 2% disseminated chalcopyrite (see photos below); New claims were staked in May 2022 near the outer claim boundaries of Flying Vee to better cover the extent of the airborne EM conductors located in 2022. Gossan and Boulder Field Discovered at the "1-D" Conductor (left) & Close-up of "1-D" Sulphide Mineralization (Right) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3046/139547_alxfigure1.jpg 2022 Flying Vee VTEM Max Anomalies and Mineral Showings To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3046/139547_bde4e9aea41539d4_003full.jpg A total of 32 rock grab samples were collected from Flying Vee for assay and whole rock analyses of prospective mafic rock units and were submitted on a rush basis to the Saskatchewan Research Council's Geoanalytical Laboratories. Results will be released upon their receipt and interpretation. To view maps and photos of Flying Vee, visit our website at: Flying Vee Nickel Project - ALX Resources Preliminary Observations of the 2022 Flying Vee Prospecting Program Conductor Area 1 A significant area of gossanous outcrop (approximately 10 by 15 metres in area) and an associated gossanous boulder field with significant sulphide mineralization marks the 1-D conductor trend. Conductor 1-D represents a high priority area for further work. Conductor Area 2 The discovery of pyrrhotite mineralization in subcrop and boulders as well as favourable mafic host rocks along the Conductor 2 trend upgrades the potential of this conductor and indicates further investigation is warranted. Conductor Area 3 Favourable mafic host rocks were noted along the land portions of Conductor 3 but no direct explanation for the conductor was observed. It was noted that a significant portion of middle part of Conductor 3 trends under a lake. Mafic rock units, potentially noritic, were observed and indicate potential for nickel sulphide mineralization at depth. Further investigation of Conductor 3 trend is warranted. Conductor Area 6 (Nickel Lake Showing trend) Samples were collected from historical trenches on the 6-B and 6-D VTEM conductor trends (matching the historical Nickel Lake conductor trend) to provide a modern context for the nature of the mineralization found by previous explorers that occurs along this long conductive trend. Conductor Area 7 Favourable mafic host rocks and minor gossanous sulphide mineralization were located along the Conductor 7 trend, which indicates that this trend holds potential to host nickel sulphide mineralization at depth. Further investigation of the Conductor 7 trend is warranted. In order to efficiently focus future surface exploration, further investigation of the EM-associated and magnetic anomalies detected by the 2022 VTEM survey is recommended, consisting of the following: Computer modelling such as Maxwell modelling on all significant anomalies to better define their depth, size and character; Ground geophysical surveys such as magnetics and/or induced polarization to follow-up geophysical anomalies that might require additional survey work to optimize their location, depth and morphology; Ground prospecting and geochemical sampling/mapping on target anomalous areas interpreted from airborne and/or ground geophysical surveys; Helicopter-assisted diamond drilling to test the best targets developed from the above exploration techniques. About the Flying Vee Project Flying Vee is comprised of 25 claims totaling 34,588 hectares (85,467 acres) located approximately 25 kilometres (15 miles) north of Stony Rapids. The Project lies within the Tantato Domain, otherwise known as the East Athabasca Mylonite Triangle, which forms a segment of the Snowbird Tectonic Zone. Numerous mineral showings are found within and near Flying Vee, including the on-property Reeve Lake Nickel and Nickel Lake showings, and the off-property Axis Lake nickel-copper deposit ("Axis Lake") located approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles) to the south within ALX's 100%-owned Firebird Nickel Project, now under option to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. Two main periods of historical exploration by several exploration companies occurred at Flying Vee from 1956 to 1988 and from 2007 to 2009, consisting of prospecting and mapping, trenching, airborne and ground geophysical surveys, and diamond drilling. Several trenches were completed between 1957 and 1962 in the eastern part of the Reeve Lake Showing area south of Nickel Lake that outlined norite-hosted nickel-copper mineralization at surface. Thirteen shallow diamond drillholes were completed in 1964 with the best result in Drillhole #3, which returned up to 0.89% nickel and 0.32% copper over 3.66 metres from 10.67 to 14.33 metres. In 1968, a gossan zone was discovered at Day Lake within the current Project area, which hosted disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite mineralization that returned 0.14 oz/ton (4.80 grams/tonne) gold over 1.5 metres, including a selected grab sample assaying 0.81 ounces/ton (27.77 grams/tonne) gold. Diamond drilling was carried out in the Day Lake area in 1986, intersecting anomalous gold and silver mineralization. Airborne geophysical surveys completed by Strongbow Exploration Inc. ("Strongbow") in 2007 detected a favorable conductive zone with a coincident magnetic anomaly at Nickel Lake. In 2008, Strongbow tested the Nickel Lake anomaly with drillhole NL08-001, intersecting semi-massive pyrrhotite along with chalcopyrite and rare pentlandite that returned 1.89% nickel, 0.96% copper, and 0.11% cobalt over a 0.8 metre interval from 80.15 to 80.95 metres. National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Robert Campbell, P.Geo., a consultant to ALX, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101. Management cautions that some of the technical information described in this news release is historical in nature and is taken directly from assessment work filings published by the Government of Saskatchewan. However, this historical information is deemed credible and was produced by professional geologists in the years discussed. Management further cautions that historical results or discoveries on adjacent or nearby mineral properties are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved on ALX's mineral properties. About ALX ALX is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada and its common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "AL", on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "6LLN" and in the United States OTC market under the symbol "ALXEF". ALX's mandate is to provide shareholders with multiple opportunities for discovery by exploring a portfolio of prospective mineral properties, which include uranium, lithium, nickel-copper-cobalt and gold projects. The Company uses the latest exploration technologies and holds interests in over 220,000 hectares of prospective lands in Saskatchewan, a stable Canadian jurisdiction that hosts the highest-grade uranium mines in the world, a producing gold mine, and production from base metals mines, both current and historical. ALX's uranium holdings in northern Saskatchewan include 100% interests in the Gibbons Creek Uranium Project, the Sabre Uranium Project and the Javelin and McKenzie Lake Uranium Projects, a 40% interest in the Black Lake Uranium Project (a joint venture with Uranium Energy Corporation and Orano Canada Inc.), and a 20% interest in the Hook-Carter Uranium Project, located within the uranium-rich Patterson Lake Corridor with Denison Mines Corp. (80% interest) as operator of exploration since 2016. ALX owns 100% interests in four lithium exploration properties staked in September 2022 collectively known as the Hydra Lithium Project, located in the James Bay region of northern Quebec, Canada, and a 100% interest in two exploration lithium exploration properties known as the Anchor Lithium Project in Nova Scotia, Canada. ALX also owns 100% interests in the Firebird Nickel Project (now under option to Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., who can earn up to an 80% interest), the Flying Vee Nickel/Gold and Sceptre Gold projects, and can earn up to an 80% interest in the Alligator Lake Gold Project, all located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. ALX owns, or can earn, up to 100% interests in the Electra Nickel Project and the Cannon Copper Project located in historic mining districts of Ontario, Canada, the Vixen Gold Project (now under option to First Mining Gold Corp., who can earn up to a 100% interest in two stages), and in the Draco VMS Project in Norway. For more information about the Company, please visit the ALX corporate website at www.alxresources.com or contact Roger Leschuk, Manager, Corporate Communications at: PH: 604.629.0293 or Toll-Free: 866.629.8368, or by email: rleschuk@alxresources.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors of ALX Resources Corp. "Warren Stanyer" Warren Stanyer, CEO and Chairman FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding ALX's initial observations from 2022 geophysical and geological exploration programs at the Flying Vee Nickel Project, and ALX's ability to continue to expend funds at that project. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that ALX may not be able to fully finance exploration on our exploration projects, including drilling; our initial findings at our exploration projects may prove to be unworthy of further expenditures; commodity prices may not support further exploration expenditures; exploration programs may be delayed or changed due to any delays experienced in consultation and engagement activities with First Nations, Metis communities and other stakeholders in the region; and economic, competitive, governmental, societal, public health, weather-related, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and share price. Even if we explore and develop our projects, and even if uranium, lithium, nickel, copper, gold or other metals or minerals are discovered in quantity, ALX's projects may not be commercially viable. Additional risk factors are discussed in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022, which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, we will not update these forward-looking statement risk factors. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139547 - Mercury-free UVC disinfection - Klaran WR experimental UVC LED water treatment reactor demonstrated over 75% higher performance than a traditional mercury lamp system in a bacterial performance test. The Klaran WR reactor provides a lighter weight, smaller size, longer lasting and safer alternative to mercury lamps. Asahi Kasei and Crystal IS advancements in UVC LED technology contribute to sustainability in society and are an important step towards actualizing a mercury-free world. Asahi Kasei, a diversified Japanese multinational company, and subsidiary Crystal IS have concluded in a bacterial performance test that an experimental Klaran WR water treatment reactor demonstrated over 75% higher performance than a traditional low pressure mercury lamp system using an equivalent power consumption level. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005004/en/ Klaran WR is an inline Point of Use (PoU) water treatment reactor (Figure 1, left) which combines Crystal IS' UVC LEDs based on aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates (Figure 1, right), with Asahi Kasei's R&D capability in the design and application of optics and fluid-dynamics. Figure 2 shows the disinfection performance of the mercury lamp system (left) and the experimental Klaran WR (right). Klaran WR is an inline Point of Use (PoU) water treatment reactor (Figure 1, left) which combines Crystal IS' UVC LEDs based on aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates (Figure 1, right), with Asahi Kasei's R&D capability in the design and application of optics and fluid-dynamics. While conventional UV water treatment systems have used mercury lamps as a light source, nations around the world adopted stricter regulations after the Minamata Convention on Mercury became effective in 2017, due to the hazards that mercury poses to health and the environment. UVC LEDs have been developed as a mercury-free light source featuring small size, light weight and flexibility in design. A key milestone speeding the transition to this modern light source is demonstrating that the disinfection performance, power efficiency and value of the new LED technology can fully meet or exceed the incumbent mercury lamp. While it is widely understood and accepted that UVC LED's instant on-off capability offers a significant advantage and better alignment with actual consumer use than an "always on" mercury lamp system, a question remained whether an equivalent powered LED system could demonstrate equivalent disinfection performance as a low-pressure mercury lamp system. The experimental Klaran WR reactor was developed to demonstrate that UVC LEDs can achieve just this. A standard Klaran WR was enhanced and modified to operate with the same power consumption level (6 W) as a comparable mercury lamp system. Both systems were tested using water at a flow rate of 8 liters per minute (2.1 gallons per minute), with a UV transmittance of 97% at 265 nm and dosed with the addition of approximately 106 CFU/mL of E. coli, a common gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria, for testing. As there is no established testing method for this type of comparison, Asahi Kasei devised the testing method and contracted an independent laboratory to perform the evaluation. Water quality samples recorded after 2 minutes steady operation with both systems were compared (Figure 2), demonstrating how the Klaran WR had over 2 LRV (logarithmic reduction value) better performance than the mercury lamp system. Put another way, the Klaran WR system reduced E. Coli in the water to 1/100 of the level of the water disinfected by the mercury lamp system. The experimental Klaran water treatment reactor and the mercury lamp system Product Power consumption Weight Dimensions Experimental Klaran WR 6 W 125 g ?51 mm 115 mm Conventional mercury lamp system 6 W 400 g ?52 mm 265 mm It is Asahi Kasei's belief that by replacing mercury lamps in water treatment systems with Crystal IS UVC LEDs, it will contribute to the realization of a mercury-free world and meet the global need for energy efficiency and safer water. In addition to water treatment system, Crystal IS will apply the various advantages of UVC LEDs to expand the application of UVC LEDs in surface and air disinfection. About Crystal IS Crystal IS, an Asahi Kasei company, and ISO 9001:2015 certified, is a pioneer in the development and commercialization of Aluminum Nitride substrates and UVC LEDS. Aluminum Nitride's wide bandgap capability means that devices grown on Aluminum Nitride can more effectively (technically and economically) emit at the deeper ultraviolet (UVC) wavelengths than devices grown on sapphire. Crystal IS products are used to produce high performance UVC LEDs for environmental monitoring and disinfection in a variety of applications that enhance and sustain life and living around the world. For more information, visit www.cisuvc.com. About Asahi Kasei The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber businesses, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 46,000 employees around the world, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world's challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its Materials sector, comprised of Environmental Solutions, Mobility Industrial, and Life Innovation, includes a wide array of products from battery separators and biodegradable textiles to engineering plastics and sound solutions. For more information, visit www.asahi-kasei.com. Asahi Kasei is also dedicated to sustainability initiatives and is contributing to reaching a carbon neutral society by 2050. To learn more, visit https://www.asahi-kasei.com/sustainability/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005004/en/ Contacts: Company Contact North America: Asahi Kasei America, Inc. Jon Todd 39475 W. Thirteen Mile Road, Suite 201, Novi, MI 48377 E-mail: AKA-info@ak-america.com Crystal IS, Inc. Britt Hafner 70 Cohoes Avenue, Green Island, NY 12183 E-mail: marketing@cisuvc.com Company Contact Europe: Asahi Kasei Europe GmbH Sebastian Schmidt Fringsstrasse 17, 40221 Dusseldorf Tel: +49 (0) 211-3399-2058 E-mail: sebastian.schmidt@asahi-kasei.eu CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. dollar climbed against its major counterparts in the European session on Wednesday, as optimism over a slowdown in the pace of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy tightening receded. U.S. treasury yields rose, with the benchmark yield on 10-year note touching 3.71 percent. Yields move inversely to bond prices. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand delivered a 50 basis point hike, dampening expectations for a softening of an aggressive stance by central banks. ADP will release private sector jobs report for September at 8:15 am ET. Economists expect private sector employment to increase by 200,000 jobs in September, after a gain of 132,000 jobs in August. Friday's U.S. non-farm payrolls report could offer more clues on the Fed's rate hike trajectory in the future. The greenback advanced to 144.56 against the yen and 1.1360 against the pound, after declining to a 9-day low of 143.53 and near a 3-week low of 1.1495, respectively in early deals. The greenback is seen finding resistance around 146.00 against the yen and 1.10 against the pound. The greenback appreciated to 0.9911 against the euro and 0.9849 against the franc, off its early lows of 0.9995 and 0.9785, respectively. The greenback is likely to find resistance around 0.96 against the euro and 1.02 against the franc. The greenback edged up to 1.3599 against the loonie and 0.6460 against the aussie, from its prior lows of 1.3503 and 0.6526, respectively. The greenback may face resistance around 1.38 against the loonie and 0.62 against the aussie. The greenback rose to 0.5706 against the kiwi, from near a 2-week low of 0.5805 seen in the previous session. If the currency rises further, 0.55 is likely seen as its next resistance level. Looking ahead, ADP private sector employment data for September is scheduled for release at 8:15 am ET. U.S. and Canadian trade data for August and ISM non-manufacturing composite index for September are set for release in the New York session. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OverIT, leading Field Service Management software provider, today announced the appointment of Aurora Grieco as its new Chief Legal Officer. Grieco will report to OverIT's CEO and Chairman, Paolo Bergamo. With a background of legal studies and a Master in Intellectual Property Law, Grieco has rich advisory expertise and employment experience on legal functions relating to innovation, technology, software, privacy and compliance. Prior to joining OverIT, Grieco worked in the IP, TMT, and Privacy department at Chiomenti, one of the most prestigious law firms in Italy, supporting M&A transactions, litigations, and contractual matters. Then she held a Corporate Legal Manager role at Cerved Group S.p.A., with responsibilities for legal feasibility, negotiations with strategic clients and privacy compliance. During her tenure at previous companies, Grieco has built a strong experience with complex and fast-growing organizations. In her role at OverIT, Aurora Grieco will oversee the Legal and Corporate Social Responsibility departments, and will provide leadership to the teams, handling corporate and contractual issues, quality certifications, and compliance. "Aurora joins OverIT in a pivotal moment in the company's history. With her expertise, she will serve as a strategic business partner helping us accelerate our international growth and evolution, ensuring the highest level of quality and compliance. Moreover, CSR and quality are not only paramount topics from an ethical point of view, but also play a crucial role in the FSM industry considering the impact our solution has on customers." Paolo Bergamo, CEO and Chairman Aurora Grieco, Chief Legal Officer shared, "I am honored to be joining OverIT. I look forward to leveraging my experience and supporting the company's vision of becoming a global leader FSM SaaS company, according to sustainability and reliability principles." OverIT, backed by Bain Capital and NB Renaissance, is a multinational company with more than 20 years of international and cross-industry experience in Field Service Management software. The company is recognized by premier global advisory and consulting organizations as a leading FSM and AR industries vendor, according to its product offering and deep industry expertise. OverIT has over 300 customers in 30+ countries. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1740678/OverIT_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/overit-appoints-aurora-grieco-as-chief-legal-officer-301639913.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSXV:YGT); (Frankfurt:TX0); (OTCQX:YGTFF) ("Gold Terra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce new trenching results from their 2022 summer surface sampling program on the Mulligan property, located in Restigouche County, New Brunswick, 100 kilometres West of Bathurst. Summer Work consisted of trenching and sampling on two areas with previously reported gold and silver mineralization referred to as Trench 1 and Trench 2. Channel sampling returned very positive results including up to 32.9 g/t gold (Au) and 579 g/t silver (Ag) in Trench 1, indicating a potential hydrothermal system that extends at least 700 metres long by possibly 20 metres between the trenches, and is open in all directions. Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, commented, "The Mulligan Project was acquired in 2019 as part of the acquisition of Gold Matter Corporation. While our primary focus is on the Con Mine Option in Yellowknife NWT, we have completed a modest exploration program as part of the New Brunswick Junior Mining Assistance Program (NBJMAP), with a net cost of $ 30,000. We are confirming that the excellent potential of the Mulligan project will add value and optionality to our property portfolio with such very positive results. As part of our project criteria strategy, the property is located very close to existing infrastructure and more importantly, the project is of a very high-grade nature, typical of an epithermal system." Highlights of Results Summary results on the 2022 Trench #1 and Trench #2 work are as follows: Trench No. 1: Two stockwork systems were exposed in Trench #1 at Mulligan Gulch Felsic porphyry as shown in Figure 1: Stockwork/sericite alteration trending 296/78 NW-SE orientation Channel sampling (32 samples of 0.5 meters) averaged 3.48 g/t over 16 m. Highest channel sampling gold value of 32.9 g/t Au and silver value of 579 g/t Ag. Stockwork/sericite alteration zone trending 225/80 SW-NE orientation Grabs samples averaged 5.44 g/t over 24.8 metres along the strike of the stockwork trend Highest gold value of 24.7 g/t Figure 1 - Two stockwork systems and gold values in Trench 1 Trench No. 2: Outcrop was stripped over an area approximately 20 x 40 meters and 48 grab samples were collected over this broad area for analysis. The average gold grade for the 48 samples is 0.98 g/t Au with highest value of 7.1 g/t Au. The Company received a grant of $15,000 from the New Brunswick Junior mining Assistance program and the Company contributed an additional $30,000 for a work program of $45,000. The 2022 trenching and stripping program was conducted to follow-up on the anomaly and gold/silver mineralization discovered and sampled in 2017-2018. Based on our 2022 positive results, future exploration activity will be proposed for the project area to create cost effective value and optionality to the Company and its shareholders. The Mulligan project is situated close to the western edge of the Bathurst Mining Camp, 10 kilometres north-east of the Puma William Brook Gold discovery ( See Puma news release - high-grade intersections such as 14.90 g/t Au over 3.60 m in hole WB22-96 and 10.96 g/t Au over 3.75 m in hole WB22-91) and 12 kilometres from the Trevali Caribou VMS Mine. The location of the project and geology are shown in Figure 2: Figure 2 - Location and geology of the Mulligan Project The Mulligan project appears to be a Low Sulphidation (LS) epithermal system as indicated by the presence of extensive silicification and alteration near stockwork and veins and a strong brecciation and silicification of the rhyolite. Extensive sericite alteration is associated with the gold and silver mineralization. Mineralization consists of Au, Ag, As, Zn, Pb. The 2022 sampling program confirms high-grade gold-silver hydrothermal mineralization within the Mulligan felsic breccia. The hydrothermal system could be very large extending at least 700 metres between Trench 1 and 2. Geophysical signatures from lower chargeability and higher resistivity IP survey data could indicate a NE trending silicified alteration and mineralization system developed over a minimum distance of 1.7 kilometers. The Company intends to continue its work on the Mulligan property as the project is a very attractive high-grade Au-Ag new discovery in an area poorly explored in the past. Our recent program in 2022 has outlined multiple areas of high-grade mineralization at surface covering an area of 50 metres by 700 metres, which is open in all directions. The Mulligan felsic breccia and its hydrothermal system could be very large extending more than what has been defined. As geophysical signatures from lower chargeability and higher resistivity IP survey data indicate NE trending silicified alteration and a much larger mineralization system, the Company intends to continue its work in 2023 to better outline the overall system with additional geophysical surveys. In 2017-18 gold was discovered on the property with initial sampling yielding up to 8.9 g/t Au and 1500 g/t Ag. The average gold grade was 5.7 g/t over 16 meters. In September of 2020, a drilling program was conducted totaling 1,650 meters in 11 holes to test high chargeability IP anomalies from a survey conducted in 2019. A total of 1,100 samples were fire assayed for gold and silver values. Gold values varying between 0.1 to 1 g/t were encountered, but the source of the higher-grade gold and silver was not replicated. As such, the 2022 summer program to strip overburden, trench and sample was conducted to better understand the geology and the structural model before doing another drill program. The 2022 summer program for a direct cost of C$ 30,000 illustrates the systematic approach that Gold Terra's team uses to evaluate its assets from early discovery to advanced exploration and adding high-grade ounces such as at the Con Mine Property, the Company's flagship project in the NWT. Full sampling results: Trench #1 Channel Au and Ag Results - Stockwork trending NW-SE 296/78: Only several high-grade Au samples were assayed for Ag, when over 10 g/t Au. These high-grade samples indicate the potential for substantial added value to the Mulligan prospect. Agat Tag Distance Easting Northing Au ppm Ag ppm *NA = not analyzed E5944901 0.5 677981.00 5275170.00 0.2 NA* E5944902 1 677980.60 5275170.20 0.7 NA* E5944903 1.5 677980.10 5275170.40 0.2 NA* E5944904 2 677979.70 5275170.60 1.2 NA* E5944905 2.5 677979.10 5275170.90 0.5 NA* E5944906 3 677978.80 5275171.00 6.1 NA* E5944907 3.5 677978.30 5275171.30 8.2 NA* E5944908 4 677977.90 5275171.60 13.4 NA* E5944909 4.5 677977.40 5275171.80 5.7 NA* E5944910 5 677977.00 5275172.00 3.4 NA* E5944911 5.5 677976.50 5275172.20 0.2 NA* E5944912 6 677976.10 5275172.50 3.3 NA* E5944913 6.5 677975.60 5275172.70 21.5 579 E5944914 7 677975.20 5275172.90 32.9 295 E5944915 7.5 677974.80 5275173.00 0.8 NA* E5944916 8.0 677974.30 5275173.30 0.6 NA* E5944917 8.5 677973.90 5275173.50 0.1 NA* E5944918 9 677973.40 5275173.80 0.7 NA* E5944919 9.5 677973.00 5275174.00 0 NA* E5944920 10 677972.50 5275174.20 0 NA* E5944921 10.5 677972.00 5275174.50 0 NA* E5944922 11 677971.60 5275174.70 0 NA* E5944923 11.5 677971.20 5275174.90 2.7 NA* E5944924 12 677970.70 5275175.10 3.8 NA* E5944925 12.5 677970.30 5275175.40 1.1 NA* E5944926 13 677969.80 5275175.60 0.4 NA* E5944927 13.5 677969.40 5275175.80 0.9 NA* E5944928 14 677968.90 5275176.00 0 NA* E5944929 14.5 677968.50 5275176.30 0.5 NA* E5944930 15m 677968.10 5275176.50 0.6 NA* E5944931 15.5m 677967.60 5275176.70 0.5 NA* E5944932 16m 677967.20 5275176.90 1.2 NA* Trench #1 Grab samples Au and Ag Results - Stockwork trending SW-NE 225/80: AGAT Tag Sample # Easting Northing Au (ppm) Ag (ppm) *NA = Not analyzed E5944969 8 677953.00 5275159.00 7.13 NA* E5944961 9 677952.00 5275157.00 7.64 NA* E5944952 10 677953.00 5275161.00 5.34 NA* E5944971 11 677954.00 5275163.00 5.5 NA* E5944951 12 677957.00 5275165.00 0.48 NA* E5944953 13 677959.00 5275166.00 6.43 NA* E5944963 14 677959.00 5275167.00 2.22 NA* E5944959 15 677964.00 5275165.00 0.93 NA* E5944958 16 677960.00 5275168.00 0.52 NA* E5944960 17 677963.00 5275170.00 1.61 NA* E5944966 18 677964.00 5275171.00 7.14 NA* E5944968 19 677966.00 5275173.00 4.36 NA* E5944965 20 677968.00 5275175.00 5.27 NA* E5944972 21 677967.00 5275175.00 1.65 NA* E5944962 22 677983.00 5275177.00 6.1 NA* E5944964 23 677983.00 5275177.50 24.7 133 Trench No.2 - Grab Sample Au Results: Agat Tag Sample Easting Northing Au ppm E5944651 32 677529 5274641 1.77 E5944652 33 677526 5274641 1.05 E5944653 34 677528 5274644 0.08 E5944654 35 677526 5274644 0.12 E5944655 36 677526 5274645 1.65 E5944656 37 677527 5274646 0.53 E5944657 38 677528 5274646 0.66 E5944658 39 677524 5274646 0.05 E5944659 40 677521 5274652 0.67 E5944660 41 677526 5274650 1.15 E5944661 42 677523 5274647 0.52 E5944662 43 677522 5274648 0.67 E5944663 44 677522 5274651 0.28 E5944664 45 677523 5274650 0.3 E5944665 46 677523 5274652 0.7 E5944666 47 677525 5274652 0.89 E5944667 48 677519 5274653 1.57 E5944668 49 677520 5274652 0.45 E5944669 50 677522 5274653 7.13 E5944670 51 677524 5274655 2.81 E5944671 52 677524 5274658 1.11 E5944672 53 677523 5274656 1.4 E5944673 54 677524 5274656 0.5 E5944674 55 677524 5274656 0.8 E5944675 56 677526 5274654 0.48 E5944676 57 677525 5274654 1.95 E5944677 58 677524 5274656 0.72 E5944678 59 677524 5274655 1.01 E5944679 60 677521 5274653 0.13 E5944680 61 677520 5274651 0.24 E5944681 62 677520 5274650 4.83 E5944682 63 677521 5274649 0.3 E5944683 64 677517 5274661 0.29 E5944684 65 677519 5274660 0.33 E5944685 66 677522 5274659 0.52 E5944686 67 677521 5274660 1.32 E5944687 68 677520 5274660 5.15 E5944688 69 677519 5274659 0.58 E5944689 70 677517 5274659 1.44 E5944690 71 677520 5274653 0.53 E5944691 72 677527 5274654 0.01 E5944692 73 677527 5274652 0.01 E5944693 74 677527 5274652 0.01 E5944694 75 677526 5274655 0.03 E5944695 76 677528 5274656 0.02 E5944696 77 677530 5274656 0.01 E5944697 78 677521 5274647 0.01 E5944698 79 677521 5274648 0.16 Qualified Persons Joe Campbell, P. Geo., Chief Operating Officer for Gold Terra, a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101, have reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. About Gold Terra The Mulligan Gulch project is a secondary, but important, exploration property for Gold Terra. Gold Terra's primary exploration focus is the Yellowknife City Gold (YCG) project encompassing 800 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometers of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power, and skilled tradespeople. Gold Terra is currently focusing its drilling on the prolific Campbell shear, where 14 Moz of gold has been produced, and most recently on the Con Mine Option claims immediately south of the past producing Con Mine (1938-2003). The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometers of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that host the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company's exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada. Visit our website at www.goldterracorp.com. For more information, please contact: Gerald Panneton, Chairman & CEO gpanneton@goldterracorp.com Mara Strazdins, Manager of Investor Relations Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 604-689-1749 ext 102 strazdins@goldterracorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear on the Newmont Con Mine Option potentially adding high grade ounces to the Company's current YCG mineral resource, future planned drilling on the Con Mine Option area and the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information. SOURCE: Gold Terra Resource Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718957/Gold-Terra-Announces-High-Grade-Sampling-Results-Along-a-700-Metre-Long-Epithermal-Gold-Silver-Corridor-With-up-to-329-gt-Gold-and-579-gt-Silver-Mulligan-Project-New-Brunswick NewAmsterdam Pharma, a clinical-stage company focused on the research and development of transformative oral therapies for metabolic diseases, today announced that it has initiated a Phase 2 dose-finding study of obicetrapib as an adjunct to stable statin therapy in Japanese patients with dyslipidemia. Obicetrapib is NewAmsterdam Pharma's next-generation oral, low-dose and once-daily cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, initially in development for patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease as an adjunct to maximally tolerated statin therapy, both as a monotherapy and in a fixed-dose combination with ezetimibe. The placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, Phase 2 dose-finding study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of obicetrapib as an adjunct to stable statin therapy in Japanese patients. The trial is expected to enroll 108 adult participants and is being conducted at hospitals and clinics across Japan. Topline results are expected in the second half of 2023. "We are excited to commence our Phase 2 dose-finding study of obicetrapib in Japan, where we hope to replicate prior clinical experience in which we observed that adding obicetrapib to statin therapy significantly reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). We believe there is a substantial market opportunity for obicetrapib in Japan, where millions of people are currently living with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) or heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), and where patients are looking for a safe and effective oral therapy," said Michael Davidson, M.D., chief executive officer at NewAmsterdam Pharma. "Following our partnership with Menarini for Europe, initiating this study in Japan continues to evidence our global commitment to alter the ASCVD and HeFH treatment paradigms in all major geographies." In addition to the Phase 2 study in Japan, NewAmsterdam Pharma is currently evaluating the efficacy and safety of obicetrapib in three Phase 3 trials: BROADWAY (in patients with ASCVD and or HeFH with LDL-C 70 mg/dL), BROOKLYN (in HeFH patients with LDL-C 70 mg/dL), and PREVAIL (CVOT in patients with ASCVD and LDL-C 70 mg/dL), and in a secondary Phase 2 trial, ROSE2, which is evaluating obicetrapib as a combination therapy with ezetimibe in patients on high-intensity statin therapy. About NewAmsterdam Pharma NewAmsterdam Pharma is a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to improve patient care in populations with metabolic diseases where currently approved therapies have not been sufficiently successful or well tolerated. NewAmsterdam Pharma is investigating obicetrapib, a next-generation oral, low-dose and once-daily CETP inhibitor, as the preferred LDL-C lowering therapy to be used as an adjunct to maximally tolerated statin therapy for high-risk cardiovascular disease ("CVD") patients. Results from NewAmsterdam Pharma's ROSE Phase 2b trial (presented at AHA Scientific Sessions in 2021) included observations that patients receiving obicetrapib 10 mg experienced a median reduction in LDL-C of 51% versus baseline in patients on high-intensity statin therapy (vs. a 7% reduction in the placebo arm). Based in the Netherlands, NewAmsterdam Pharma was founded in 2019 by the venture capital firm Forbion and John Kastelein, Chief Scientific Officer of the NewAmsterdam Pharma, and closed a $196 million (160 million) Series A financing in January 2021 led by Forbion, Morningside Ventures and Ascendant BioCapital. In June 2022, NewAmsterdam Pharma entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the Menarini Group for the commercialization of obicetrapib in Europe, while retaining all rights to commercialize obicetrapib, if approved, in the rest of the world, as well as rights to develop certain forms of obicetrapib for other diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. For more information, please visit: www.newamsterdampharma.com. About Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation ("FLAC") is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company in October 2020 for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. FLAC was formed to leverage the extensive experience and track record of its management team with the goal of financing a company that can both develop transformative therapies for patients in need and deliver significant returns to its investors. For more information, please visit: www.frazierlifesciencesacquisition.com. About Frazier Healthcare Partners Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of private equity capital to healthcare companies. With more than $8.1 billion total capital raised, Frazier has invested in more than 200 companies with transaction types ranging from buyouts of profitable healthcare companies to venture capital and company creation. Frazier has a philosophy of partnering with strong management teams while leveraging its internal operating resources and network to build exceptional companies. Frazier has offices in Seattle, Washington, and Menlo Park, California, and invests broadly across the U.S., Canada and Europe. For more information, please visit: www.frazierhealthcare.com. Important Information About the Merger and Where to Find It In connection with the previously announced business combination between NewAmsterdam Pharma and FLAC, NewAmsterdam Pharma Holding B.V. (the "Company") has filed a registration statement on Form F-4 with the SEC that includes a prospectus with respect to the Company securities to be issued in connection with the business combination and a proxy statement with respect to the shareholder meeting of FLAC to vote on the business combination. FLAC, the Company and NewAmsterdam Pharma urge its investors, shareholders and other interested persons to read the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other documents filed with the SEC, because these documents will contain important information about FLAC, the Company, NewAmsterdam Pharma and the transaction. After the registration statement is declared effective, the definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement will be mailed to shareholders of FLAC as of a record date to be established for voting on the proposed business combination. Once available, shareholders of FLAC will also be able to obtain a copy of the Form F-4, including the proxy statement/prospectus, and other documents filed with the SEC without charge, by directing a request to: Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation, Two Union Square, 601 Union St., Suite 3200, Seattle, WA 98101, Attn: Secretary. The preliminary and definitive proxy statement/prospectus to be included in the registration statement, once available, can also be obtained, without charge, at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Participants in the Solicitation FLAC, the Company and NewAmsterdam Pharma and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from FLAC's shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of FLAC is set forth in FLAC's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 25, 2022 and is available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation, Two Union Square, 601 Union St., Suite 3200, Seattle, WA 98101, Attn: Secretary. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of FLAC's shareholders in connection with the potential transaction are set forth in the registration statement containing the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Non-Solicitation This press release is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the proposed business combination and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "predict," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "outlook" and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity; expectations and timing related to the success, cost and timing of product development activities, including timing of initiation, completion and data readouts for clinical trials and the potential approval of NewAmsterdam Pharma's product candidate; the size and growth potential of the markets for NewAmsterdam Pharma's product candidate; the therapeutic and curative potential of NewAmsterdam Pharma's product candidate; financing and other business milestones; potential benefits of the proposed transactions; and expectations relating to the proposed transactions, including the proceeds of the business combination and NewAmsterdam Pharma's expected cash runway. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this document, and on the current expectations of NewAmsterdam Pharma's, the Company's and FLAC's management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as and must not be relied on as a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction, or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and may differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of NewAmsterdam Pharma, the Company and FLAC. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political, and legal conditions; the inability of the parties to successfully or timely enter into definitive agreements with respect to the proposed transactions or consummate the proposed transactions, including the risk that any regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions (such as any SEC statements or enforcements or other actions relating to special purpose acquisition companies) that could adversely affect NewAmsterdam Pharma or the expected benefits of the proposed transactions, or the risk that the approval of the shareholders of FLAC, the Company or NewAmsterdam Pharma is not obtained; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transactions; matters discovered by FLAC, the Company or NewAmsterdam Pharma as they complete their respective due diligence investigations of each other; risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to NewAmsterdam Pharma and the Company; risks related to the approval of NewAmsterdam Pharma's product candidate and the timing of expected regulatory and business milestones; ability to negotiate definitive contractual arrangements with potential customers; the impact of competitive product candidates; ability to obtain sufficient supply of materials; the impact of COVID 19; global economic and political conditions, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict; the effects of competition on NewAmsterdam Pharma's future business; the amount of redemption requests made by FLAC's public shareholders; and those factors discussed in documents FLAC has filed or will file with the SEC, including the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of FLAC's registration statement on Form S-1, as amended (File No. 333-250858), the registration statement filed on Form F-4 in connection with the proposed transactions and other documents filed from time to time. Additional risks related to NewAmsterdam Pharma's business include, but are not limited to: uncertainty regarding outcomes of NewAmsterdam Pharma's ongoing clinical trials, particularly as they relate to regulatory review and potential approval for its product candidate; risks associated with NewAmsterdam Pharma's efforts to commercialize a product candidate; NewAmsterdam Pharma's ability to negotiate and enter into definitive agreements on favorable terms, if at all; the impact of competing product candidates on NewAmsterdam Pharma's business; intellectual property related claims; NewAmsterdam Pharma's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; ability to continue to source the raw materials for its product candidate. If any of these risks materialize or FLAC's, the Company's or NewAmsterdam Pharma's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither FLAC, the Company nor NewAmsterdam Pharma presently know or that FLAC, the Company and NewAmsterdam Pharma currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect FLAC's, the Company's and NewAmsterdam Pharma's expectations, plans, or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this document and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the cautionary statements herein. FLAC, the Company and NewAmsterdam Pharma anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause FLAC's, the Company's and NewAmsterdam Pharma's assessments to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing FLAC's, the Company's and NewAmsterdam Pharma's assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Neither FLAC, the Company, NewAmsterdam Pharma nor any of their respective affiliates undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005252/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Spectrum Science on behalf of NewAmsterdam Pharma Carmen Lopez P: 1 773-306-6285 clopez@spectrumscience.com Investor Contact Stern Investor Relations on behalf of NewAmsterdam Pharma Hannah Deresiewicz P: 1 212-362-1200 hannah.deresiewicz@sternir.com Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - WesCan Energy Corp. (TSXV: WCE) ("WesCan" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update to its previously announced news release with respect to the Company's drilling program at Provost, Alberta. On September 15, 2022, the Company announced that drilling had commenced and the new well spudded on September 13, 2022. The vertical section was completed to a depth of approximately 490 meters and the build section of the well was drilled, cased and completed. The rig was formally released on September 30, 2022. The Company is pleased with the results of its multi-leg horizontal well that has provided positive characterizations with good oil staining that was prevalent in the core samples that were taken during the entire drilling operation. As a result, the Company is now proceeding with the process of completing, equipping and tie-in of the well to WesCan's wholly own infrastructure and production facility. It is expected the well will be completed over the next 7 to 10 days subject to the available scheduling of the required services. Production results from the completion of the well will be announced in a future news release. The overall results of the drilling program were so encouraging that the Company is now in the preliminary planning stages of drilling a second multi-leg horizontal well in the same core area at Provost, Alberta. Further updates will be available over the course of the drilling program as the Company advances towards the completion and production stages of the new well. All updates and press releases will also be available on the Company's website at www.wescanenergycorp.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Greg T. Busby, President & CEO WESCAN ENERGY CORP. Tel: (403) 265-9464 John H. Cassels, CFO WESCAN ENERGY CORP. Tel: (403) 265-9464 TSX Venture: WCE www.wescanenergycorp.com This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" occur. Forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding expectations of management regarding the drilling of the well and the timing of obtaining results therefrom. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including, without limitation, the risks that the drilling program discussed herein may not have the anticipated results. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as otherwise required by law. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139544 MiniChamp BV specializes in home cultivation packages for mushrooms for close to 30 years Acquisition of MiniChamp BV home grow mushroom farm will immediately expand Red Light Holland's strategy of selling mushroom home grow kits via retail and on-line across Europe Red Light Holland plans to utilize MiniChamp's production farm and mass distribution relationships to over 20 EU countries and over 100 retail shops to help with the launch of Mistercap LLC Mushroom Home Grow Kits, who will be receiving marketing advisory services from the multi-platinum-selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa for the new MISTERCAP brand and who will leverage his social media presence to promote these legal mushroom products in Q1 2023 Red Light Holland aims to produce and launch a brand-new product: Home Grow Magic Truffles' kits to sell to the adult, responsible use market in The Netherlands with the production to occur at the MiniChamp production facility, in The Netherlands Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTC Pink: TRUFF) ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company"), an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth and sale of functional mushroom home grow kits in North America, and a premium brand of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within The Netherlands, is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, RLH Netherlands B.V. (the "RLH Netherlands"), has acquired MiniChamp B.V. ("MiniChamp"), a home grow mushroom farm, one of The Netherlands' premiere mushroom home grow kits businesses, offering a wide variety of quality and exotic mushrooms. MiniChamps is currently a profitable business servicing consumers across 20+ European countries. The idea behind MiniChamp, much like Red Light Holland's Happy Caps home grow mushroom farm in Halifax, Nova Scotia is that everyone can grow their own mushrooms at home. Please visit www.MiniChamp.nl for more information. The transaction is immediately revenue accretive, and the Company will aggressively pursue additional revenue growth opportunities, including introducing MiniChamp's products to hundreds of more retail shops via SR Wholesale, RLH Netherlands' wholly-owned wholesale company, which has established a distribution network to over hundreds of retail shops that sell products across Europe. MiniChamp's founder, CEO, Jan Koot (the "Vendor") brings a wealth of growing expertise as he has operated one of The Netherlands' biggest mushroom farms called FreshChamp and his 'know how' will be invaluable for Red Light Holland's broader and future operations, including immediately developing Magic Truffles Home grow kits for the legal Netherlands market. Additionally, this expertise can be relied upon as the Company considers introducing functional mushroom products in the future. Mr. Koot has agreed to an initial services agreement until Jan 1, 2025. Finally, the MiniChamp's product suite will serve as a strong platform to launch grow-at-home products across Europe of varying species and strains, including psilocybin mushrooms in the future, if and when regulations permit. "This is a great day for Red Light Holland shareholders! One main goal with this strategic acquisition of MiniChamp is the future production of Mistercap's home grow mushroom kits, who will be receiving marketing advisory services from Wiz Khalifa, as he plans on leveraging his social media presence to promote these legal mushroom products. We now own an operating and experienced producer, distributor and an online store for mushroom home grow kits in Europe, from which Red Light can easily roll out Mistercap LLC products. As many know, we own a majority stake in Happy Caps grow-at-home mushroom farm in Halifax, where we continue to learn about the popularity of these unique consumer items, which have increased sales year over year. Through this experience, we have learned that people truly love to grow their own variety of mushrooms. They are healthy, they are affordable, they are a wonderfully unique experience; and most importantly in the Netherlands - we can immediately work on producing 'grow at home Magic Truffles kits!' I know I can't wait to try one," said Todd Shapiro, CEO and Director of Red Light Holland. "As I've made clear in the past, we are planning for and believe in an entire world where one day adults may legally have affordable and equitable access to naturally-occurring psilocybin, and much like Cannabis here in Canada, which permits adults to cultivate up to 4 cannabis plants per household, we hope one day adults will be able to grow magic mushrooms at home for responsible, personal use and potentially approved natural-occurring medicinal use. In the meantime, we will collect and build on adding customer and retailer lists, so we can instantly reach out for future distribution of psilocybin home grow products, if and when that day happens, while we focus on brand growth and immediate revenues via legal mushroom grow-at-home kits across North America and now Europe; as well as, magic truffles home grow kits in The Netherlands. We are proud of our creative and focused strategy," added Mr. Shapiro. Acquisition Terms: The Acquisition was completed pursuant to the terms of the definitive agreement (the "Acquisition Agreement") dated October 4th, 2022, pursuant to which Red Light Holland acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of MiniChamp for 625,000. The consideration was comprised of 550,000 cash and 981,466 common shares of the Company (the "Red Light Shares"), with a deemed price of $0.1009 per Red Light Share, being the 10-day volume weighted average price of the Red Light Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange immediately prior to the closing of the Acquisition. The Acquisition Agreement provides for up to 100,000 of earn out payments to be made to the Vendor subject to reaching certain sales milestones. The Red Light Shares issued as consideration will be subject to a contractual hold period of two years from the date of closing, with 25% released every six months. Red Light Holland and The MISTERCAP brand is committed to creating educational and responsible use messaging in relation to the use of any products made available by the brand. Red Light Holland and Mistercap LLC will share further details on the MISTERCAP products in both North America and in Europe, team, and vision in the weeks to come. MISTERCAP products will be intended to help promote a healthy lifestyle. No MISTERCAP and/or Red Light Holland products are intended to treat or cure any medical conditions and are in no event a substitute for professional medical care. No statements made by Red Light Holland, Mistercap LLC or Wiz Khalifa have been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration or any other similar body of another jurisdiction, and are in no event a substitute for professional medical care. Red Light Holland, Mistercap LLC and Wiz Khalifa encourage all consumers to speak with their doctors and professional medical advisors for any solutions that may be appropriate for each person individually. About MiniChamp B.V.: MiniChamp BV, located in Horst, The Netherlands has been around for about 30 years and has grown into the specialist in the field of home cultivation packages for mushrooms. The idea behind MiniChamp is that everyone can grow their own mushrooms at home. It can't get any fresher and everyone can do it. With relationships to over 100 retail shops in 20+ countries across Europe, customers are also introduced to the cultivation method in an instructive way. Mushrooms are a healthy food and various types can even serve as a meat substitute, such as shiitake and oyster mushrooms. MiniChamp also includes various tasty preparation methods under the heading recipes. All MiniChamp's products are available as organic. MiniChamp BV is Skal certified. Website: www.MiniChamp.nl About MISTERCAP: MISTERCAP is a mushroom wellness brand founded in 2022 to create innovative functional mushroom wellness products and is affiliated with multi-platinum-selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe Award-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa, who provides marketing advisory services to the company. More information will be made available in the coming weeks on MISTERCAP.COM and INSTAGRAM.COM/MISTERCAP. About Red Light Holland: The company is an Ontario-based corporation that specializes in the mushroom industry, and specifically home grow kits for functional natural mushrooms, while being engaged in the production, growth and sale (through existing Smart Shops operators and an advanced e-commerce platform) of premium brands of magic truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, in accordance with the highest standards, in compliance with all applicable laws. For additional information: Todd Shapiro Chief Executive Officer and Director Tel: 647-643-TRIP (8747) Email: todd@redlight.co Website: www.RedLight.co Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking statements. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Company completing the acquisitions upon the terms and timelines disclosed herein; the Company updating and producing the Mistercap's Mushroom home grow kits across Europe and future magic truffle home grow kits in The Netherlands upon the terms and timelines disclosed herein; the Company's plans to utilize MiniChamp's production farms and distribution relationships to help launch MisterCap's Mushroom home grow kits; MisterCap's Mushroom home grow kits receiving marketing advisory and social media promotional services from Wiz Khalifa; the Company's plans to produce and launch its home grow magic truffle kits and its production to occur at the MiniChamp facility; the Company gaining and utilizing synergies from the acquisitions; the plans and goals of the Company; future product offerings of the Company; the timelines and markets associated with launching products; the future educational, marketing and advertising campaigns of the Company; and future changes in legislation and the regulations surrounding, among other things, the ability to sell the Company's products in new markets. Forward-looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company completing the acquisitions upon the terms and timelines disclosed herein; the Company gaining and utilizing synergies from the acquisitions; the Company meeting its future business plan targets; continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued growth of the Company; the Company meeting their anticipated timeline and process for growth, sales, production and commercialization; the Company's products being safe and providing their anticipated benefits; the Company fulfilling its future plans and goals; future product offerings of the Company succeeding; the Company, launching future educational, marketing and advertising campaigns; the Company's revenues will continue to grow; additional jurisdictions permitting sales of the brand's products in the future; future changes in legislation and the regulations not impacting the Company's ability to fulfill its plans and goals, including the ability to sell the Company's products in new markets; the Company will update and produce the Mistercap's Mushroom home grow kits for sale across Europe and future magic truffle home grow kits in The Netherlands upon the terms and timelines disclosed herein; the Company will utilize MiniChamp's production farms and distribution relationships to help launch MisterCap's Mushroom home grow kits; MisterCap's Mushroom home grow kits will receive marketing advisory and social media promotional services from Wiz Khalifa; the Company will produce and launch its home grow magic truffle kits and its production will occur at the MiniChamp facility; the Company gaining and utilizing synergies from the acquisitions; the plans and goals of the Company; future product offerings of the Company; the timelines and markets associated with launching products; the future educational, marketing and advertising campaigns of the Company; and future changes in legislation and the regulations surrounding, among other things, the ability to sell the Company's products in new markets. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company will not complete the acquisitions upon the terms and timelines disclosed herein or at all; the Company will be unable to update and/or produce Mistercaps LLC home grow kits and/or be unable to create the MiniChamp BV brand upon the terms and timelines disclosed herein or at all; the Company being unable to gain or utilize synergies from the acquisitions; expectations regarding future growth, expansion, production, sales and commercialization of the operations of the business; regulatory and licensing risks; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial and stock markets; risks related to infectious diseases, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; legal and regulatory risks inherent in the industry, including the global regulatory landscape and enforcement related to the brand's products; political risks and risks relating to regulatory change; risks relating to anti-money laundering laws; compliance with extensive government regulation and the interpretation of various laws regulations and policies; public opinion and perception of the industry; risk that the Company's products will be unsafe for personal consumption and/or not provide their anticipated benefits; risk that there may not be continued demand for the Company's products and/or demand will plateau; risk that the Company may be unable to fulfill its future plans and goals; risk that the MiniChamp BV brand and/or the product offered under the brand will be unsuccessful and will not sell; risk that the Company will be unable to offer product under the MiniChamp BV brand; risk that the Company will be unable to utilize MiniChamp's production farms and distribution relationships to help launch MisterCap's Mushroom home grow kits; risk that MisterCap's Mushroom home grow kits will not receive marketing advisory and social media promotional services from Wiz Khalifa; risk that the Company will not produce and launch its home grow magic truffle kits and its production will occur at the MiniChamp facility; risks surrounding future educational, marketing and advertising campaigns of the Company; risk that the Company will be unable to increase revenues; risks surrounding additional jurisdictions not permitting sales of the brand's products in the future; risk of future changes to regulations surrounding the brand's products and/or to the Company's business which may hinder the ability of the Company to attain its goals and/or pursue its plans and/or sell its products in additional markets; and such other risks contained in the public filings of the Company filed with Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions, or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events, or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139558 LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / OneMeta AI (www.onemeta.ai) (OTC PINK:ONEI). OneMeta AI through its cutting edge AI technology product: Verbum, www.verbum.ai , will be providing live language interpretation to all participants and worldwide accessibility in 82 languages during the October 5-7, 2022, 1st International Academic Conference on the Sustainable Development of Goals organized by Utah Valley University, in partnership with the Civil Society Unit and the Academic Impact Initiative of the United Nations Department of Global Communications. It is estimated that over 400 people will be present for this three-day event at Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah. Saul Leal, CEO of OneMeta AI, stated "We are so honored to provide our Verbum software product to provide real time interpretation for the speakers and all attendees. As this is a worldwide event, we will make the event available to all attendees in their native language. Utah Valley University in partnership with the United Nations Department of Global Communications desires that the speakers' presentations be broadcasted to all in attendance. Our Verbum product can do just that by providing the message of each speaker to each attendee in their native language in real time. Verbum can be used for groups as large as 25,000 persons and for 82 different languages in real time. Clear, concise, and precise multilanguage communication is now available for all events." About OneMeta AI ONEMETA AI is a stack of cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies that solve everyday communication problems with an innovative and pragmatic approach. From Natural Language Processing to Sentiment Analytics and from Behavioral Prediction to Metaverse enhancement, OneMeta AI is solving problems that elevate our human potential and disrupt our economies. For more information, please contact: OneMeta AI. Email: info@Onemeta.ai SOURCE: OneMeta AI View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718800/OneMeta-AI-to-Provide-Full-Real-Time-Translation-for-the-1st-International-Academic-Conference-on-Sustainable-Development-Goals-organized-by-Utah-Valley-University-in-Partnership-with-the-United-Nations-Department-of-Global-Communications Summary: HFCIC is a Helping Families of Chronically Ill Children center. It has developed its services for special needs children & their families in the community to provide required medical equipment & necessary therapy. San Jose, California--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - HFCIC has established itself as an organization that assists families bearing chronically ill children. HFCIC is an abbreviation for Helping Families of Chronically Ill Children. In the recent expansion, it has launched new services to offer the required necessary facilities. The team of HFCIC has devised the following new services that cater to the problems of such families. Donation: The center accumulates donations from different organizations by inviting hospitals, medical practices, nursing homes, businesses, individuals, and other healthcare groups to make one-time or ongoing donations of medical supplies to HFCIC. Candidates can complete the donation form on the organization's website to donate medical supplies and arrange for a pickup. Reception: Families and organizations can sign up to become members and request access to the "Gallery." "Requests can only be made by members who have been authenticated. They must upload the required papers to the authentication page to be authenticated. Therapy: Interested families can receive affordable therapy from volunteer therapists. HFCIC has also included ABA (Adaptive Behavior Analysis) therapy that is now available in after-school programs, libraries, and other public spaces. Events: HFCIC sponsors charitable events in the neighborhood and educational institutions by hosting regular gatherings in the standard room of the library and with Bay Area families with special needs. The gathering promotes families' use of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in programs for children with special needs. The organization also assists with the In-Home Support Services (IHSS) program in terms of application and starting the services. Additionally, this facility coordinates the special needs families' service activities at camp, assists families in finding and connecting with the resources they require. Through recently launched services, HFCIC strives to advocate, educate & help special needs families with chronically ill children concerning their needs for medical supplies, therapy, and resources. About HFCIC In the San Francisco Bay region, Cynthia Lourde established the IRS 501(c)3 public charity Helping Families of Chronically Ill Children in 2014. HFCIC accomplishes its goals by donating medical equipment and supplies based on the requirements of families with no insurance or minimal insurance coverage. HFCIC informs the parents about the various services available for their kids, establishes contact with the nursing agencies, and helps them with the paperwork involved in enrolling their kids in respite care, nursing care, and protective supervision. It works as a representative of the families in meetings for Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in special education. In addition, HFCIC distributes medical supplies to needy households. It removes valuable equipment by diverting usable medical goods to families and other healthcare professionals. HFCIC is developed as a health care delivery system, and it cuts overhead expenses for hospitals. To learn more about the organization, visit https://hfcic.org/. Media Details: First name: Cynthia Lourde Email: info@hfcic.org To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139567 BURLINGTON, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Murchison Minerals Ltd. ("Murchison" or the "Company") (TSXV:MUR)(OTCQB:MURMF) is pleased to announce the preliminary results of the prospecting Phase of the 2022 summer exploration program on the 100% - owned HPM (Haut-Plateau de la Manicouagan) Project, located in Quebec. The prospecting program successfully completed its two main objectives: Locating and expanding areas of surface mineralization at previously identified zones and showings at HPM, de-risking areas for future exploration. Discovering new regional showings of sulphide mineralization throughout the HPM project area. For the regional prospecting program, due to the high number of identified EM anomalies (over 75), the Company focused prospecting mainly on those anomalies identified during the 2021 VTEM survey. This scope covered only a localized portion of the total 648 km2 area that makes up the HPM project. Highlights: Regional prospecting discovered numerous new showings of sulphide mineralization, outcropping and subcropping at surface including the newly titled target areas: Taureau, Loup, and Orignal. Intersected semi-massive sulphide mineralization at the Taureau showing (Figure 1). At Barre de Fer (BDF Zone), the strike length of the prospective airborne electromagnetic (EM) anomaly was expanded to approximately 600 m. Located disseminated sulphide mineralization, coincident with an adjacent Beep Mat anomaly, outcropping 120 m along strike to the southwest of the BDF Zone. Expanded surface sulphide mineralization at Syrah contiguously from 375 m to approximately 780 m through "beep mat" surveying and backpack drill sampling. Murchison Minerals President and CEO Troy Boisjoli comments: "The 2022 summer prospecting program at the HPM project did exactly what it set out to do: discover and de-risk new areas of sulphide mineralization for future exploration. The program has further demonstrated the district-scale nickel-bearing sulphide potential of HPM. As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, the discovery of Class I nickel, needed to produce batteries, becomes ever more critical. The 2022 program has just scratched the surface at HPM, and what we are finding has us very excited about exploring in an emerging nickel district in Canada." Murchison Minerals Vice-President of Exploration John Shmyr comments: "The sheer number of Ni-Cu-Co bearing sulphide showings discovered on surface at HPM property to date is simply remarkable. We are seeing a distribution of various mafic and ultramafic rock types associated with sulphide mineralization - typical of many producing nickel jurisdictions - which speaks to the scope and scale of the magmatic mineralizing systems present within the intrusive complex that makes up HPM. Based on the newly discovered showings as well as the additional high-priority EM targets recently identified by the 2022 VTEM survey, the team is extremely encouraged for future exploration programs at HPM." Figure 1: Semi-massive sulphide mineralization observed in backpack drill core at Taureau showing. New Showings Numerous new showings of sulphide mineralization were discovered throughout the course of the summer 2022 prospecting program. The most notable of the new discoveries are: Taureau, Loup and Elan showings (Figure 3). The Taureau showing consists of a beep mat anomaly correlated with a strong airborne EM anomaly, approximately 3.4 km East of the BDF Zone. High beep mat readings in multiple locations were mapped over a 210 m area and was tested with 3 backpack drill holes. The mineralization consists of semi-massive to stringer-type sulphide mineralization (Figure 1). XRF readings confirm the presence of Ni mineralization, assays are pending. Figure 2: Closeup of mineralization in backpack core from the Taureau showing with semi-massive sulphide (pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite) mineralization. The Loup showing consists of blebs of sulphide mineralization hosted within actinolite-magnetite breccia located adjacent to strong prospective airborne EM anomalies. XRF readings confirms the presence of anomalously high values of copper and cobalt discovered within the backpack drill holes, assays are pending. The correlation of mineralization adjacent to prospective EM anomalies significantly elevates the prospectivity of the correlating geophysical anomalies as future exploration targets. The Orignal target is an area with multiple, complex, and strong airborne EM anomalies. The area hosts multiple mafic intrusive rock types (similar to those rock types hosting mineralization within the HPM project area) and pyrrhotite mineralization has been discovered in multiple locations. The mineralization discovered does not explain the most prospective EM conductors in the area. However, it is encouraging as the correlation with sulphide mineralization indicates the area has the potential to host more significant sulphide mineralization at depth. The most prospective anomalies at Orignal remain unexplored. Figure 3: 2022 Prospecting Locations with 2021 and 2022 Airborne Geophysical Data. BDF, Syrah, and Malbec The prospecting teams were successful in further defining surface mineralization at BDF in multiple locations (Figure 7). The mineralization on surface consists of massive, semi-massive and stringer-type sulphide mineralization (Figure 4 and 5), assays are pending. Disseminated mineralization was also identified in an outcrop approximately 120 m along strike to the southwest of the BDF Zone, assay from a grab sample is pending. Additionally, a strong beep mat anomaly was identified 40 m northeast from the disseminated sulphide sample. Furthermore, the prospective EM anomaly at BDF has expanded to a strike length of 600 m based on the preliminary 2022 VTEM survey. The BDF Zone was re-flown in 2022 in an east-west survey orientation from the previous north-south orientation. The mineralized footprint at Syrah has now been traced over 780 m, with areas of sulphide mineralization having been located to the northeast and southwest. Additionally, at Malbec sulphide mineralization was identified in grab samples (Figure 6), backpack drillholes, and beep mat anomaly that been traced over approximately 775 m. Figure 4: Massive sulphide intersected at surface by backpack drill hole within the BDF zone. Figure 5: Closeup of mineralization intersected by backpack drill hole within the BDF zone. Figure 6: Sulphide mineralization identified in grab sample at Malbec showing. Figure 7: 2022 prospecting and "beep mat" surface conductivity mapping at Barre de Fer & Syrah showings. About the HPM Project The HPM Project is located within the Haut-Plateau de la Manicouagan area, east of the Manicouagan structure, the site of a major 215 Ma impact event. The extensive reservoir at Manicouagan supports five hydro-power plants. The existing Quebec Cartier rail line, located eight kilometres west of the PYC target area, links Labrador City to Port Cartier and Sept Iles, two major iron ore port facilities. Figure 8: HPM Location Map The claims host prospective gabbroic, ultramafic and anorthositic bodies within the Manicouagan metamorphic complex and are associated with significant nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization first identified by Falconbridge in 1999, where they discovered extensive nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization at BDF during drilling in 2001 - 2002. Murchison Minerals Ltd.'s predecessor - Manicouagan Minerals - drilled in the area in 2008 and 2009. The majority of the past drilling at the HPM Project targeted the BDF geophysical conductor and confirmed the presence of nickel-copper-cobalt sulphide mineralization over approximately 300 m strike length to a depth of 295 m. The mineralization remains open at depth and partially along strike. In March of 2022, the Company completed a comprehensive data compilation, verification and modelling program, comprising all previous drill hole data from the BDF Zone. The modelling program consisted of developing a preliminary 3D interpretation of nickel mineralization at BDF. Based on the modelling, the BDF Zone outcrops on surface, extends to a vertical depth of 295 m, has a strike length of 315 m, and is composed of multiple stacked lenses over a maximum footprint width of 150 m. Individual lenses have a maximum thickness of 28 m. During the 2022 Summer exploration program, diamond drilling focused on the expansion and delineation of mineralization at BDF. Those results are currently being evaluated and the preliminary model will be updated as results become available. No resource estimates have been completed on the BDF Zone to date. After Murchison acquired 100% ownership of the property in 2019, the Company focused exploration work on the camp-scale potential of the region. Aerial EM surveys completed in the spring of 2021 identified more than 50 anomalous conductors. Prospecting crews were able to traverse three (3) of the more than 50 anomalies and discovered new outcrops of nickel-bearing sulphide mineralization in the process. The prospecting program was followed by an inaugural drill program at the PYC Target area - an EM anomaly with a 1.95-km strike length. Subsequent to the completion of the drill program at PYC, the Company increased its dominant land position in the Haut-Plateau region from 139 km2 to 576 km2. Finally, as a result of the spring 2022 VTEM survey, completed over the remaining 85% of the HPM property area, the Company further increase its land holdings at HPM to 648 km2. Qualifying Statement The foregoing scientific and technical disclosures on the HPM Project have been reviewed by John Shmyr, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a registered member of the Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan and current holder of a special authorization with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec. Mr. Shmyr is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The Qualified Person has verified the data disclosed in this release, including sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information contained in this release. Mr. Shmyr consents to the inclusion in the announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Some data disclosed in this News Release relating to sampling and drilling results is historical in nature. Neither the Company nor a qualified person has yet verified this data and therefore investors should not place undue reliance on such data. In some cases, the data may be unverifiable due to lack of drill core. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby and/or geologically similar properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's properties. About Murchison Minerals Ltd. (TSXV:MUR, OTCQB:MURMF) Murchison is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on nickel-copper-cobalt exploration at the 100% - owned HPM Project in Quebec and the exploration and development of the 100% - owned Brabant Lake zinc-copper-silver project in north-central Saskatchewan. The Company also holds an option to earn 100% interest in the Barraute VMS exploration project also located in Quebec, north of Val d'Or. Additional information about Murchison and its exploration projects can be found on the Company's website at www.murchisonminerals.ca . For further information, please contact: Troy Boisjoli, President and CEO, Erik H Martin, CFO, or Justin LaFosse, Director Corporate Development Tel: (416) 350-3776 info@murchisonminerals.com CHF Capital Markets Thomas Do, IR Manager Tel: (416) 868-1079 x?232 thomas@chfir.com Forward-Looking Information The content and grades of any mineral deposits at the Company's properties are conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource on the property and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in any target being delineated as a mineral resource. Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. This forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, and dependence upon regulatory approvals. FLI herein includes, but is not limited to: future drill results; stakeholder engagement and relationships; parameters and methods used with respect to the assay results; the prospects, if any, of the deposits; future prospects at the deposits; and the significance of exploration activities and results. FLI is designed to help you understand management's current views of its near- and longer-term prospects, and it may not be appropriate for other purposes. FLI by their nature are based on assumptions and 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 FLI. Although the FLI contained in this press release is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders and prospective purchasers of securities of the Company that actual results will be consistent with such FLI, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such FLI. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such FLI contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. Unless otherwise noted, this press release has been prepared based on information available as of the date of this press release. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the FLI or information contained herein. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in FLI. Assumptions upon which FLI is based, without limitation, include: the ability of exploration activities to accurately predict mineralization; the accuracy of geological modelling; the ability of the Company to complete further exploration activities; the legitimacy of title and property interests in the deposits; the accuracy of key assumptions, parameters or methods used to obtain the assay results; the ability of the Company to obtain required approvals; the results of exploration activities; the evolution of the global economic climate; metal prices; environmental expectations; community and nongovernmental actions; and any impacts of COVID-19 on the deposits, the Company's financial position, the Company's ability to secure required funding, or operations. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, which are available at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Murchison Minerals Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718967/Murchison-Discovers-Multiple-New-Mineralized-Showings-at-HPM-and-Identifies-Beep-Mat-Anomaly-120-m-Along-Strike-to-the-Southwest-of-the-BDF-Zone MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - The United States has pledged a new $625 million security assistance package to support Ukraine in its continued fight against Russia's invasion. This was announced by President Joe Biden when he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy Tuesday. He informed his Ukrainian counterpart that the United States will never recognize Russia's purported annexation of Ukrainian territory and will continue to support Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression. Together with its allies and partners, the United States has been delivering an unprecedented amount of weapons and equipment that Ukraine's forces are utilizing very efficiently, including to retake their territory that has been seized illegally by Russia. The package includes 4 HIMARS, 32 Howitzers, 200 mine-resistant vehicles, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery and mortar ammunition. According to the Pentagon, capabilities in this package include four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and associated ammunition; 16 155mm Howitzers; 75,000 155mm artillery rounds; 500 precision-guided 155mm artillery rounds; 1,000 155mm rounds of Remote Anti-Armor Mine (RAAM) Systems; 16 105mm Howitzers; 30,000 120mm mortar rounds; 200 MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles; 200,000 rounds of small arms ammunition; Obstacle emplacement equipment; and Claymore anti-personnel munitions. The latest tranche of security assistance package is the 22nd utilization of Presidential Drawdown Authorities for Ukraine by the Biden administration. This will bring the total U.S. military assistance for Ukraine to more than $16.8 billion since the beginning of Russia's invasion on February 24. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. ELECTORAL stakeholders, including the opposition, have raised concern over the secrecy surrounding the Electoral Amendment Bill 2022 announced by government on Tuesday saying they were not consulted. Government announced on Tuesday that Cabinet had approved the principles of the Electoral Amendment Bill 2022. Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the amendments included the timeframe within which Parliament and local authority candidates could withdraw from contesting in an election and incorporation of the 30% womens and the youth quotas and amendments of the definition of proof of identity, among others. The proposed electoral reforms are at variance with proposals made by the opposition and civic groups. In terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, one has to be a citizen to qualify as a voter. Accordingly, only valid passports or national identity cards will be required as proof of identity, she said during a post-Cabinet briefing. Independent election watchdogs raised concern that Mutsvangwa was silent on electoral reform demands by the opposition parties and civil society organisations. Election Resource Centre programmes manager Takunda Tsunga said it was also disturbing that the proposed Bill had not been made public. Its unfortunate that the Minister of Justice has not made the proposed Amendment Bill public before tabling it before Cabinet. In terms of inclusivity of electoral stakeholders, the document must have been made public for comments. While we wait for the full document, we hope the proposed amendments address electoral stakeholders concerns that have been negatively impacting free, fair and credible elections, Tsunga said. Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) deputy secretary for elections Ellen Shiriyedenga said the Bill was not a product of stakeholder consultation, hence it could not be endorsed. It will be premature to comment on a document whose contents are unknown. The Bill is not a product of stakeholder inclusion, hence the generality of Zimbabweans cannot validate its contents at this stage, Shiriyedenga said. Peoples Unity Party leader Herbert Chamuka said the Electoral Bill 2022 should pave way for the demilitarisation of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec). We want real reforms and among them, no soldier should be employed by the electoral body. There should also be a remedy when Zec declares a wrong winner. We dont want a situation like what happened when the body declared Dexter Nduna (Chegutu West MP) a parliamentary winner, when in fact he had lost, said Chamuka. Efforts to get a comment from Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana were in vain as his mobile number was not reachable. Last week, CCC leader Nelson Chamisa launched a blueprint titled Pre-election Pact on Electoral Reforms or PREPARE The document demands universal suffrage allowing the right to vote, credibility of the voters roll, real-time and credible results and transmission system. It also calls for integrity of election processes, political freedoms, media access, security of the vote and the voter. The European Union observer mission made 23 recommendations after the hotly contested 2018 elections, including the alignment of the Electoral Act to the Constitution and ensuring Zecs independence. In May this year, the EU noted that there has been very little progress in its follow-up assessment on the implementation of the recommendations. In July this year, the Political Actors Dialogue (Polad), a grouping of 16 political parties which took part in the 2018 elections, released a declaration recommending electoral reforms ahead of the 2023 polls. Among some of the recommendations was the need for Zec to announce election results within three to five days. Polad also wanted all election-related legislation to be consolidated in the Electoral Act including stopping police from disrupting or interfering with door-to-door campaigns and gatherings of 50 or fewer people. Newsday Educators worldwide invited to banish their post-pandemic burnout, bolster their well-being, and manage their daily stress through a series of free workshops PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Osmo from BYJU'S, the award-winning, leading edtech company, celebrates World Teachers' Day by inviting the global educator community to join a series of free mindfulness workshops designed just for them and hosted by The Teaching Well, a non-profit wellness organization. Educators across the globe are facing extreme burnout and stress related to the pandemic and its aftermath. Teachers have served their school communities continuously since the beginning of the pandemic. The stress has taken an immeasurable toll on educators' mental health, with nearly 600,000 public education teachers in the U.S. quitting the profession between January 2020 and February 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The theme of this year's World Teachers' Day is "the transformation of education begins with teachers." To truly transform education, teachers need access to resources that empower them mentally, physically, and emotionally, and enable them to find balance in and out of the classroom. Osmo from BYJU'S is proud to partner with The Teaching Well, a group of teachers, school and district leaders, and healers, to offer three free, virtual seminars focused on stress resilience and emotional wellness. The sessions will be hosted by experts who will provide tangible mindfulness skills, diversity, equity, inclusion and justice considerations, and exercises to identify body, behavior and communication cues. There will be breakout room options for Spanish-language speakers. "Educators have dealt with an immense amount of stress and fatigue over the last two years. Our mission at The Teaching Well is to create healthy people and healthy systems, giving educators the tools they need to reconnect with their minds, bodies and relationships," said Lindsey Fuller, Executive Director of The Teaching Well. "We are thrilled to partner with Osmo from BYJU'S and offer these interactive workshops to educators across the globe." "Educators are essential partners to Osmo from BYJU'S global community and are a constant source of inspiration for us," said Cherian Thomas, senior vice president of international business, BYJU'S. "We understand that the last few years have been especially challenging for teachers, but they have met the obstacles head-on and continue to show up to guide and teach our children every day. Through our partnership with The Teaching Well, we hope to meet teachers where they are and offer resources that provide relief and energize them for tomorrow." To register to attend, visit bit.ly/OsmoWTD . The no-cost sessions will be hosted on: Wednesday, October 26 , from 4:00-5:00 pm PDT , from Saturday, October 29 , from 9:00-10:00 am PDT , from Wednesday, November 2 , from 12:30-1:30 pm PDT Sessions are open to any global educator. For any educators unable to attend the live sessions, they should register as well, to receive resources via email after the live sessions are completed. To learn more about the Osmo All-Star Ambassador program, please visit https://schools.playosmo.com/ambassadors . About Osmo from BYJU'S Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand, which is part of BYJU'S, the leading global edtech company. Osmo and Osmo Education products are used in more than 2.5 million homes and 50,000 classrooms. Osmo builds a universe of hands-on gamified learning experiences validated by education experts that nourish the minds of children. Leveraging its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence, Osmo unleashes the power of physical tools combined with the digital world through augmented reality to deliver dynamic phygital education games, programs and platforms. Learn more at PlayOsmo.com and Osmo Education. About The Teaching Well The Teaching Well is a non-profit wellness organization founded on Ohlone land in Oakland, CA that now serves clients around the world. As a majority BIPOC, identity-forward team, we believe we can no longer bypass the educator to get to the student. TTW team is composed of teachers, school/district leaders, and healers building the supports for educators so they can stay healthy, connected, and, ultimately, in roles that bring about liberatory change for their communities. Media Contacts: Shawn Smith Osmo from BYJU'S shawn@playosmo.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914547/OsmoByjuslogo_Primarylogo_Red_RGB__1_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/osmo-from-byjus-partners-with-the-teaching-well-to-celebrate-world-teachers-day-and-offer-free-wellness-resources-301641523.html Winners to Be Celebrated During Event in London on 15 October DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Scope Technologies was named the winner of a Bronze Stevie Award in the Company of the Year, Materials & Construction - Medium-Size category in The 19th Annual International Business Awards. The International Business Awards are the world's premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide - public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small - are eligible to submit nominations. The 2022 IBAs received entries from organizations in 67 nations and territories. Winners will be celebrated during a gala banquet at the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel, in London, England, on Saturday, 15 October - the first live IBA awards ceremony since 2019. More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Company of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Startup of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others. This year's competition also featured a number of new categories to recognize organizations' and individuals' achievements in social media and thought leadership. Scope Technologies won in the Company of the Year category for Materials & Construction - Medium-Size category. Scope Technologies is a leading provider of fast and precise aerial measurement reports for any component of an exterior building envelope. In addition to streamlining the measuring and estimating process for a wide range of industries, Scope Technologies' advanced technology can also generate digitized blueprints, automated estimates, and work orders on the go and from any device. These report results can then be funneled into the ProDocs software that allows construction professionals to generate professional estimates, material purchase orders, and invoices. Over the previous two years, Scope Technologies has enjoyed exponential growth, including 20% in 2022 alone. To meet the increasing demand for its quality aerial takeoff reports, the team has grown its workforce by more than 200% in 2022. The company's growth in human capital has helped Scope Technologies successfully onboard its fast-growing client base, which throughout 2022 has averaged hundreds of new clients per month. "The Scope Technologies leadership team couldn't be prouder of every employee and client that we serve. Their trust in us is the driving force behind our success, giving us the opportunity to win such a prestigious award and make additional strides toward executing our international growth strategy," said Jerod Raisch, CEO of Scope Technologies. Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 300 executives worldwide who participated in the judging process in June and July. "We're thrilled that we're able to return to celebrating Stevie winners in person this year," said Stevie Awards president Maggie Miller. "This year's class of honorees are as innovative, adventuresome, persistent, and successful as we've ever had. We look forward to celebrating their achievements with them during our 15 October awards banquet in London." Details about The International Business Awards and the lists of Stevie Award winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/IBA . About Scope Technologies Scope Technologies has provided outstanding aerial and blueprint measurement reports since 2014. Founded by a construction industry veteran, Scope Technologies has been a leading provider of building envelope measurement reports and estimating software to help contractors save time, land more jobs, and increase annual revenues. The company's large data sets allow for rapid advancements in AI and machine learning, giving the company the ability to continue to drive advancements in its current products and develop new disruptive products for its clients in the construction and insurance industries. Learn more at www.myscopetech.com and follow Scope Technologies on social media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com . Press Contact: Scope Technologies, Inc. Rebecca Hawron rhawron@myscopetech.com 877.984.2822 SOURCE: Scope Technologies, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718441/Scope-Technologies-Wins-Bronze-StevieR-Award-in-2022-International-Business-AwardsR Company recognized for extending exceptional support to Ukrainian employees, community engagement, and volunteer efforts BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / airSlate, a leading provider of no-code business process automation and document management solutions, today announced that TrustRadius, the most trusted research and review platform, has recognized airSlate with a 2022 Tech Cares Award. This third-annual award celebrates companies that have gone above and beyond to provide impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs for their employees and surrounding communities. airSlate was recognized for the outstanding work the company did to support employees and the larger community in war-torn Ukraine. airSlate executives and HR team members worked tirelessly to evacuate hundreds of employees and their families by extending extensive logistical and on-the-ground support, including working 24/7 to provide lodging, provisions, and safe passage. Through its airSlate DoGood program, before the war, employees provided regular assistance to the most vulnerable people in Kyiv. They distributed food to elderly people, helped deliver their medication, and gave them a hand with small tasks around the house. After the war began and despite the danger, airSlate volunteers have continued to help more than 50 elderly people who remain in Kyiv and are in need of support. Many of these individuals cannot leave the city and are unable to see their families. airSlate continues to offer support to its employees and the larger community in Ukraine through contribution of time, energy, and resources. "airSlate has a thriving and supportive culture and giving back to the communities we live and work in is an integral part of our vision and mission," said airSlate CEO and co-founder, Borya Shakhnovich. "We are honored to receive the TrustCare award because it recognizes the selfless work of hundreds of airSlate employees to support and help those in need." To be accepted for the TrustRadius Tech Cares Award, each nominated organization had to be a B2B technology company that demonstrated impactful CSR initiatives in one of the following categories; volunteerism, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, charitable donations and fundraising, support for in-office and remote employees, or environmental sustainability initiatives. Everyone was welcome to nominate an organization for this award, including those who work for or with the company. All nominations were thoroughly vetted by the TrustRadius research team, and supporting proof was provided by the nominated. "We work tirelessly to foster a positive workplace culture that supports a diverse group of remote and in-office employees at TrustRadius. Tech leaders throughout the industry are embracing similar corporate social responsibility initiatives, and we're excited to give them the recognition they deserve with a Tech Cares Award," said TrustRadius founder and CEO, Vinay Bhagat. "We believe corporate social responsibility will continue to become more important each year for employees, customers, and stakeholders." About airSlate airSlate is a global SaaS technology company that serves over a hundred million users worldwide with its no-code business process automation and document management solutions. The company's PDF editing, e-signature, and business process automation solutions empower users to digitally transform their businesses to run faster and easier. airSlate, pdfFiller,DocHub, signNow, and US Legal Forms make up the company's portfolio of award-winning products. About TrustRadius TrustRadius is the most trusted research and review platform for business leaders to find and select the right software for their needs. Decision-makers across industries rely on verified, peer-based guidance and research from TrustRadius. Vendors engage and convert high-intent buyers by telling their unique story through rich reviews. Over 12 million visitors a year create and engage with high-quality review content and data on Trustradius.com. Headquartered in Austin, TX, TrustRadius was founded by successful entrepreneurs and is backed by Mayfield Fund, LiveOak Venture Partners, and Next Coast Ventures. Press Contact for airSlate Priti Khare Sr. Director of Content and Communications PR@airslate.com SOURCE: airSlate View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718277/airSlate-Earns-a-2022-Tech-Cares-Award-From-TrustRadius VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / Musk Metals Corp. ("Musk Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:MUSK)(OTC PINK:EMSKF)(FSE:1I30) is pleased to announce it will start its fifth exploration program for Phase 1, on its 100% owned "Elon" lithium project in Quebec. Intervention permit has been recently received for the drill program. The Company proceeded to trenching in 2022 but the overburden thickness was too significant to obtain samples beneath the overburden. The Company then requested the additional permitting to support a diamond drill campaign. The drilling work will start after the hunting season, around the end of October, and will be targeting magnetic anomalies and possible source of soil anomalies from the previously completed soil surveys. Dynamic Discoveries Geosciences was previously mandated to identify targets using high resolution heliborne magnetic survey (2021) and DEM. Possible dyke swarms cross-cutting the interpreted intrusions, concordant with till anomalies which show a context alike the Quebec Lithium Mine located 600m south-west of the Elon Lithium Property (the "Property"). The Program The Company is expected to drill 8 holes approximately 150m deep each, for a total 1200 meters. Six holes (001 to 005 and 008) are located on a previously authorized permit, while the last two (006 and 007) are subject to the authorization of a new permit. The holes targets magnetic low, possible sources of soil anomalies or interpreted contact between units (Table 1). Unexplored targets in the present program will be subject to future exploration work, such as shallow drilling or further trenching. Table 1: Drill Holes Details. DDH Name Easting Northing Azimut Dip Length Target DDH-2022-001 292878 5366840 210 -45 150 Hole 1 is located on the T4 Trench, it aims at the NNW-SSE low magnetic corridor emanating from the interpreted intrusion DDH-2022-002 292917 5367450 30 -45 150 Hole 2is located on the T10 Trench, it aims at a low magnetic corridor emanating from the interpreted intrusion that has been interpreted as a possible dyke swarm DDH-2022-003 292993 5367160 280 -45 150 Hole 3 aims at a low magnetic corridor emanating from the interpreted intrusion that has been interpreted as a possible dyke swarm DDH-2022-004 292920 5367010 30 -45 150 Hole 4 aims at the same low magnetic corridor than Hole 3, emanating from the interpreted intrusion that has been interpreted as a possible dyke swarm DDH-2022-005 293521 5366510 30 -45 150 Hole 5 aims at the E-W low magnetic corridor emanating from the interpreted intrusion DDH-2022-006 293537 5366390 125 -45 150 Hole 6 aims at the E-W low magnetic corridor emanating from the interpreted intrusion DDH-2022-007 293438 5366840 210 -45 150 Hole 7 is located in the intrusion. It aim at the possible source of a soil anomaly in the area DDH-2022-008 292875 5367400 210 -45 150 Hole 8 is located on the trail to the T10 Trench, it aims at a low magnetic corridor emanating from the interpreted intrusion that has been interpreted as a possible dyke swarm Mountain Bike trails, Cross-Country Ski trails and other trails are present on the southern part of the Property. To prevent damage to these trails, the Company will be using existing roads outside of the trail system to access their drill pads (Figure 1). Figure 1. Planned Holes, Existing Trails and Access. The Property and Adjacent Properties The Elon Property is strategically located in Abitibi, Qc at approximately 600 meters northeast of North American Lithium Project (recently acquired by Sayona Quebec) and formerly known as Mine Quebec Lithium. North American Lithium produced over 907,000 tons of material at 1.40% Li2O between 1955 and 1965 (Boily et al, 1989). In a June 28th, 2022 news release, Sayona Quebec formally approved the restart of North American Lithium operation for lithium extraction and spodumene concentrate production. In September 2022 Sayona announced a 200 million dollars contract for the mining infrastructure development (September 27th, 2022 press release). Jourdan Resources is investigating a pegmatite field approximately 1000m SE of the Elon Property, and has reported lithium content of up to 2.38% Li2O over 0.90m and 1.33% Li2O over 5.25m in pegmatites (June 9th, 2022 and July 7th, 2022 news release) and plans to conduct a second drilling campaign (September 15th, 2022 press release) This indicates to the Company that the general area is fertile in lithium and that the regional environment is favorable for lithium discoveries. Debt Settlement Also, the Company settled $65,375 in related party accounts payable owing to three directors and one former director through the issuance of 1,307,500 common shares at a price of $0.05 per share. The securities issued pursuant to the debt settlement are subject to a statutory four-month-and-one-day hold period. References: Boily, M., Pilote, P., Raillon, H., 1989: La metallogenie des metaux de haute technologie en Abitibi-Temiscamingue. Ministere des Ressources Naturelles, MB 89-29. Jourdan Resources inc., June 9th, 2022 news release. Jourdan Announces First of Eighteen Drillholes Assay Results With Li20 Grades. https://jourdaninc.com/jourdan-announces-first-of-eighteen-drillhole-assay-results-with-li2o-grades/ Jourdan Resources inc., July 7th, 2022 news release. Jourdan Announces More Elevated Li20 Grades From Its Drill Campaign. https://jourdaninc.com/jourdan-announces-more-elevated-li2o-grades-from-its-drill-campaign/ Jourdan Resources Inc., September 15th, 2022 news release. Jourdan Announces Soil Sampling Program Expansion And Arrival Of Second Drill To Accelerate Completion Of Its Phase 3 Summer Drill Campaign. https://jourdaninc.com/jourdan-announces-soil-sampling-program-expansion-and-arrival-of-second-drill-to-accelerate-completion-of-its-phase-3-summer-drill-campaign/ Sayona Quebec inc. June 28th, 2022 news release. Sayona & Piedmont Formally Approve NAL Restart. https://sayonamining.com.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/SYA_NAL-restart_28-Jun-22.pdf Sayona Quebec inc. September 27th, 2022 news release. Sayona et L. Fournier & Fils signent un contrat historique pour les operations minieres. https://www.sayona.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Communique-Entente-Fournier-2.pdf Qualified Person This press release was prepared by Pierre-Alexandre Pelletier, P.Geo OGQ, and Steven Lauzier, P.Geo OGQ whom are qualified persons as defined under National Instrument 43-101, and who reviewed and approved the geological information provided in this news release. Make sure to follow the company on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as subscribe for company updates at www.muskmetals.ca About Musk Metals Corp. Musk Metals is a publicly traded exploration company focused on the development of highly prospective, discovery-stage mineral properties located in some of Canada's top mining jurisdictions. The growing portfolio of mineral properties exhibit favorable geological characteristics in underexplored areas within the prolific "Electric Avenue" pegmatite field of northwestern Ontario, the "Abitibi Lithium Camp" of southwestern Quebec, the "Golden Triangle" district of British Columbia, the Mineral Rich "Red Lake" mining camp of Northwestern Ontario and the "Chapais-Chibougamau" mining camp, the second largest mining camp in Quebec, Canada. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Nader Vatanchi CEO & Director For more information on Musk Metals, please contact: Phone: 604-717-6605 Corporate e-mail: info@muskmetals.ca Website: www.muskmetals.ca Corporate Address: 303 - 570 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, V6C 2P1 Neither Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) 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. SOURCE: Musk Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718973/Musk-Metals-Announces-It-Will-Begin-Drilling-on-Its-100-Owned-Elon-Lithium-Project-in-Quebec-Canada SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world's only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world's leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES's video network carries over 8,200 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 367 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com. 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. FORT LAUDERDALE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / MediXall Group Inc. (OTCQB:MDXL) ("MediXall"), an innovative healthcare solutions provider, announced today that VetCV has selected MediXall's wholly-owned subsidiary, Health Karma, Inc. ("Health Karma"), to drive greater access to care for US Veterans. VetCV will leverage Health Karma's unique membership model to provide its members with convenient and affordable access to best-in-class care, whenever and wherever, while driving down overall healthcare costs. Through this partnership, VetCV members can purchase a Health Karma membership at a discounted price to manage their health through access to a $0-copay virtual primary, urgent and behavioral care, and even pet care. Included in the membership, VetCV members have access to significant discounts to prescriptions, dental care, eye care, hearing and Vitamins and Supplements. Serving thousands of members nationwide, VetCV's mission is to support veterans across America in every aspect of civilian life. From finding the best career path to building their post-military support network, VetCV offers an online one-stop-shop created by Veterans, for Veterans. The VetCV App puts Veterans and their families in control again with The Vault: an encrypted web-based data storage system that allows users to securely store and share their important legal, medical, and military documents and credentials. There they can also access resources, ideas, and tips they need for the next steps in their education, career, finances, along with their physical and mental wellness, and much more-all at no cost to them. "With VetCV, we have an opportunity to help Veterans start planning earlier and further ahead to be better prepared for their future. Everything we do is to help them navigate each chapter of their lives," said VetCV Founder and CEO Niels Andersen. "Whether they're working on their degree, starting their career, buying their first home, hoping to retire soon, or at any point in between, we're right there with them. Since Veterans, like all Americans, need access to convenient and affordable healthcare, we believe that our partnership with Health Karma will be an invaluable resource to the community we've helped build." "Health Karma's mission is to make it easy for Americans to access high quality healthcare, while reducing what they pay for it, and no one deserves that access to quality care more than Veterans. That is why we are proud to partner with VetCV to drive greater access to care for our Veterans." said Travis Jackson, CEO of Health Karma. "Through this partnership, we will help even more Veterans access medical and behavioral care quickly outside of VA medical centers." For more information on Health Karma, visit their official website: www.healthkarmagroup.com and follow @HealthKarmaApp on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For more information on VetCV, visit www.vetcv.com. About MediXall MediXall Group, Inc. (OTCQB:MDXL) is a technology and innovation-driven organization purposefully designed and structured around delivering products and services to make it easier for consumers to learn, decide and pay for healthcare. The mission of MediXall is to revolutionize the healthcare industry by improving communication; providing better technology and support services; and enabling more efficient, cost-effective healthcare for the consumer. By approaching the entire healthcare ecosystem, MediXall creates, invests, and incubates companies that embody its mission statement. About Health Karma Health Karma, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MediXall, is a data-driven healthcare technology company that is on a mission to continually raise the bar of the healthcare experience by empowering people to understand and manage their entire health care journey anywhere, anytime, whether they have insurance or not. For more information, please visit www. healthkarma.org. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are based on current plans and expectations of management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect the company's current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition. Specifically, the company's ability to raise additional capital, execute its business plan and strategy, sustain, or increase gross margins, achieve profitability, and build shareholder value are forward-looking statements. A more extensive listing of risks and factors that may affect the company's business prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investor Relations Contact: (954) 653-8216 SOURCE: MediXall Group Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/718998/Health-KarmaR-Partners-with-VetCV-to-Expand-Access-to-Care-For-Veterans Whilst fifteen of the leading beauty brands are sourcing products from the same three manufacturers [1] , post-manufacturing markups are leading to wildly varying retail pricing As the economic downturn puts continued pressure on household spending, consumers are turning to brands that provide fairness around efficacy, pricing and create communities Beauty Pie lay bare what products really cost to make versus what customers eventually paid for them A generation of hyper-knowledgeable consumers are demanding more openness around supply chain ethics, carbon footprint and financial inclusivity in the growing cost of living and climate crises We are experiencing the rise of 'Beautility', where product efficacy and meaningful engagement are favoured by consumers seeking to derive value and personal transformation from every touchpoint The beauty industry is embracing radical fairness across everything from price points to product efficacy LONDON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The beauty industry will undergo a fundamental shift throughout the cost-of-living crisis as consumers demand fairer pricing, greater product efficacy and more open and honest business models than ever before, reveals a new report by beauty buyers club Beauty Pie. The Beauty Futures 2025: Beauty, Beautility and the Rise of the 'Question Everything' Economy report, released today in partnership with The Future Laboratory, argues that a period of financial uncertainty, increased free time during the pandemic and greater access to information has created a generation of hyper-knowledgeable consumers expecting brands to provide more honesty about their products - from efficacy to supply chain. The cost-of-living crisis is driving a demand for radical fairness and financial inclusion in the beauty industry Whilst fifteen of the leading beauty brands source products from the same three manufacturers, hyper inflated markups are causing many to pay higher prices for products with the same base ingredients. As people continue to re-evaluate their spending habits and become more knowledgeable about these varying cost structures, there will be new demand for radical fairness in the industry across everything from price point to product efficacy as people become more aware of these markups. This shift will fundamentally change associations of higher price being linked to quality, placing more pressure on brands to prioritise shared values and demonstrate fairness and functionality. Marcia Kilgore, founder, Beauty Pie, says "Why is it still an industry that does things the 'traditional' way? Why perpetuate the myth that people want to buy into the mystique of beauty; the smoke and mirrors, rather than the glorious revelations of the ingredients, technology and artistry? Why is it okay still to be paying crazy retailer markups, and not even know that the stuff you're actually paying for - might only cost a tenth of the price to make and manufacture?" A new generation of hyper-knowledgeable consumers expect greater clarity on ingredients and product efficacy Now armed with a wealth of information, consumers are no longer looking to be 'sold' a product, but are instead demanding the facts - namely ingredients and proof of product effectiveness - speak for themselves. As consumers become better educated, they are approaching products with the same eye that they bring to their nutritional choices by focusing on base ingredients, their scientific benefits and where they are sourced. As a result, searches for ingredients climbed by around 229%[2] in 2021. Customers are more likely to listen to their community than a CEO The combined impact of influencer saturation and the growth of digital communities through the pandemic has led to an increased focus on community-led beauty, seeing people turn to their peers for recommendations on products. Whilst just 49% of people currently report a high level of trust in CEOs, more than 62% look to people in their community[3], forcing brands to consider how they can build more meaningful connections with their customers and provide more value. Where direct to consumer (DTC) models are already building longer term connections with customers, many will be turning to memberships to build highly interactive digital communities and create valuable interactions. As a result, it is expected that 75% of DTC brands will have a membership-based offering by 2023[4]. "We commissioned this report to explore the evolving attitudes to luxury and fairness, and the growing consumer instinct to be part of something bigger - and to see if our instinct that overpaying is officially over is correct" says Marcia Kilgore, founder of Beauty Pie. "The Beauty Futures 2025: Beauty, Beautility and the Rise of the 'Question Everything' Economy report shows how this will create new challenges for future facing brands, but also exciting opportunities to create a more honest, open and fair industry. The Future Laboratory's co-founder Chris Sanderson says: "Across generations and across the world, people are now looking for experiences, services and products that help them become better versions of themselves. This mission to be healthier, wealthier and happier is leading to the rise of the transformation economy, putting new demands on brands to deliver more meaning to their customers." You can view the full report, here: https://www.beautypie.com/blog/posts/beauty-futures-2025 ABOUT BEAUTY PIE Beauty Pie is a game-changing premium beauty and wellness company that works directly with the world's best beauty labs to create exceptional, award-winning skincare, makeup, hair and body care, fragrance, candles, supplements and more. It's also a club you can join, so that you can buy each deluxe, high-performance product at up to 70% what you'd expect to pay at typical beauty retail. Founder, beauty expert and serial entrepreneur, Marcia Kilgore, launched Beauty Pie in 2016 with the twin purpose of both making exceptional beauty products, and also opening up a wider conversation around whether the beauty industry - one that professes to want to empower (especially) women - was really taking advantage of them. Which is why at Beauty Pie we have a saying: the old beauty industry cuts you out. We cut you in." @BEAUTYPIE [1] Jungle Scout and Fashion Edits [2] The Hut Group [3] Edelman Trust Barometer [4] PipeCandy and Rodeo Infographic - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914613/Beauty_Pie_Infographic.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cost-of-living-crisis-driving-an-era-of-financially-inclusive-beauty-new-report-by-beauty-pie-shows-301641560.html Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Dynasty Gold Corp. (TSXV: DYG) (FSE: D5G1) (OTC PINK: DGDCF) ("Dynasty" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the current field program for the Thundercloud gold project in northwest Ontario has been completed. George Downing Estate Drilling Ltd. has been hired to do the drilling and expected to start in the early part of October. This drilling should further improve the understanding of the resource in the Pelham Zone and increase the tonnage of 182,000 oz gold resource that is documented in a NI 43-101 report. In the West Contact Zone, drilling will test several trenched areas where gold values up to 8.02 g/t over 39 meters including 89.4 g/t over 3 meters has been obtained earlier by Teck Resources Limited ("Teck"). Furthermore, this work will evaluate numerous chargeability anomalies identified by Teck especially between the West Contact and Pelham zone areas. The objective for the field program was to examine a number of gold-bearing intersections from the historical drilling by Teck and Laurentian Goldfields at Pelham, and examine surface exposures and locate historic drillhole collars from the earlier work. Generally, the historic drill core was in reasonable condition but it would require some restoring. The examination of the mineralization in the historic zones provided structural and mineralogical information to help to locate the new drill targets. The data clearly improved the interpretation of rock type distribution and structures and helped define the geometry of the structural units associated with mineralization at Pelham. The first phase of drilling at the Pelham Zone should expand the NI 43-101 resource estimate by testing the known mineralization occurring in altered volcanics, clastic sediments and locally gabbro. Approximately 9 holes totaling about 3000 meters have been designed for possible drilling. Initially, a minimum of 1000 meters is expected to be completed prior to the end of October 2022 with follow up drilling planned later in the year. New drill data generated from this drilling will allow the Company to evaluate the existing resource model and design additional drill holes to test mineralization at depth and down plunge. The reconnaissance work has been completed to establish road access to the Pelham area. The field crew has organized appropriate core logging and sampling facilities. The technical information in this release has been reviewed by A. Lee Barker, MASc., P.Eng, a technical advisor to the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Dynasty Gold Corp. Dynasty Gold Corp. is a Canadian exploration company currently focused on gold exploration in North America with projects located in the Manitou-Stormy Lake greenstone belt in Ontario and in the Midas gold camp in Nevada. The Company is currently advancing its Thundercloud gold deposit which contains 182,000 oz gold. The 43-101 Mineral Resource report and related press release with details on the resource are available on the Company's website and were filed on www.sedar.com. The 100% owned Golden Repeat gold project in the Midas gold camp in Elko County, Nevada, is surrounded by a number of large-scale operating mines. In addition, Dynasty owns a 70% interest in the Hatu Qi2 gold mine in the Tien Shan Gold belt, Xinjiang, China, with which it is in legal dispute with Xinjiang Non-Ferrous Industrial Metals Group and its subsidiary Western Region Gold Co. Ltd. For more information, please visit the Company's website www.dynastygoldcorp.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DYNASTY GOLD CORP. "Ivy Chong" _________________________________ Ivy Chong, President & CEO For additional information please contact: Vancouver Office: Ivy Chong Phone: 604.633.2100. Email: ichong@dynastygoldcorp.com This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" that involve a number of 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. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139559 Brampton, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. (CSE: SNA) (CSE: SNA.CN) ("Star" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on various corporate developments and initiatives. The Company has successfully passed its triennial Transport Canada ("TC") renewal audit, in accordance with Canadian Aviation Regulation 561 ("CAR 561") and has closed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement (see below). In accordance with the CAR 561 audit, TC has re-confirmed both Star's status as an Approved Organization pursuant to CAR 561 and its in-house capabilities to design and build avionics equipment for civil and commercial aircraft. Amir Bhatti, Star's CEO said: "At a time when many small cap Companies are struggling with their operations, the Star team has once again demonstrated their competency and processes with this successful TC audit. The importance of this audit cannot be overstated as it allows the Company to move forward on the continued manufacturing and delivery of Star ISMS boxes necessary to satisfy both existing and anticipated future sales. Finally, this TC audit serves to further instill confidence in our customers and partners as they look to Star to provide them with enhanced safety and efficiency for their aviation needs." Star is in the planning stages of organizing its next Flight Safety Conferences for accident and incident prevention. One will be held in East Africa and two others in West Africa, as well as participation in various AFRAA Conventions. These conferences will be held in November and December 2022 and January of 2023. On September 12th-13th, Star participated in the sixth edition of the Aviation Africa Summit & Exhibition, the biggest event yet, with over 1200 attendees from 84 countries converging at the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda. The audience included government ministers, air chiefs of staff and directors general of civil aviation authorities from 35 African nations. The African Aviation market has a large potential for aviation growth. Star continues to provide a market ready solution to Airline Operators wishing to implement the latest technological and flight data scientific analytics for optimized Airline Performance and Safety. This is in addition to the mandatory International Civil Aviation Organization's ("ICAO") Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System program ("GADSS") requirements, which need to be addressed before the January 2023 deadline. Star is also pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of a non-brokered private placement of 34,042,857 units in the capital of the Company ("Units") at a purchase price of $0.021 per Unit for gross proceeds of $714,900. Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company and one share purchase warrant. Each of the warrants acquired entitles the holder to purchase one (1) additional common share of the Company at five ($0.05) cents per warrant exercised. The warrants are exercisable during the one (1) year period from the date of issue. All securities issued in the Offering and any shares issued upon exercise of warrants are subject to a four-month statutory hold period from the date of issuance. The net proceeds of the private placement will be used for working capital for further development of the operations, sales and marketing efforts surrounding the Star-A.D.S. system. The Company has agreed to pay finder's fees in the amount of Ten (10%) percent of the gross proceeds in cash. The price was reserved with the CSE. The Company is also planning to send its technical team for aircraft inspections with regards to its sale to Astral Aviation and the purchase order it received earlier this year from Swiss Aviation. About Star Navigation: Star Navigation Systems Group Ltd. manufactures the In-flight Safety Monitoring System, STAR-ISMS, the heart of the STAR-A.D.S. System. The STAR-A.D.S. System has real-time capability of tracking, performance trends and predicting incident-occurrences which enhances aviation safety and improves fleet management while reducing costs for the operator. Star's MMI Division designs and manufactures high performance, mission critical, flight deck flat panel displays for defence and commercial aviation industries worldwide. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that address or discuss activities, events or developments that Star expects or anticipates may occur in the future. When used in this news release, words such as "estimates", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "projects", "will", "believes", "intends" "should", "could", "may" and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations and beliefs of Star's management. Because forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, actual results, performance or achievements of Star or the industry may be materially different from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Examples of such forward-looking information that may be contained in this news release include statements regarding; growth and future prospects of our business; our perceptions of the industry and markets in which we operate and anticipated trends in such markets; expectations regarding the operation of our app; and our future revenues. Material factors or assumptions that were applied in drawing a conclusion or making an estimate set out in the forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, our ability to execute on our business plan, increase visibility amongst consumers and convert users to revenue producing subscribers and the success of the business of our partners. Forward-looking statements involve significant uncertainties, should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. The risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the airline industry are real and substantial but cannot be defined or measured in any meaningful way at this time. Should one or more of these factors or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking statements and Star undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. NEITHER 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. Please visit www.star-navigation.com or contact Mr. Amir Bhatti, CEO at 1-416-252-2889 #230 or amir.bhatti@star-navigation.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139584 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Flying Nickel Mining Corp. (TSXV: FLYN) (OTCQB: FLYNF) ("Flying Nickel") and Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. (formerly 1324825 B.C. Ltd.) ("Nevada Vanadium") announce that further to their joint press release dated August 23, 2022, Flying Nickel and Nevada Vanadium continue to work diligently with their respective advisors towards execution of a definitive transaction agreement in respect of the proposed acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Nevada Vanadium by Flying Nickel by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement (the "Transaction"). Flying Nickel and Nevada Vanadium currently expect that a definitive transaction agreement will be executed by the parties within the next two weeks. In addition, Nevada Vanadium is pleased to provide the following update: The Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement ("DEIS") for Nevada Vanadium's Gibellini Project located in Eureka County, Nevada, was published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2022, for a 45-day public review and comment period. A virtual public meeting was held on August 10, 2022, and open house public meetings were held on August 16-17 in Eureka and Ely, Nevada, and at the Duckwater Reservation on August 31. The meetings had participation from the BLM, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Duckwater tribal leaders and community members, Eureka County officials, and members of the public. The public review and comment period ended on September 6, 2022, and the BLM received total of 12 individual comment letters on the DEIS for the Project. The Draft EIS is under revision to incorporate the comments into the Draft Final EIS for BLM and the cooperating agencies review in October 2022. Upon completion of these reviews, the Final EIS (FEIS) will be developed, and the Notice of Availability (NOA) will be submitted to BLM and the Department of Interior (DOI) Headquarters for final review prior to publication in the Federal Register to start the 30-day public comment period for the FEIS. Upon completion of the response to public comments, the EIS Record of Decision ("ROD") will be developed completing the EIS in early 2023. Operating permits from the State of Nevada are on track to be received on the same timeline as the ROD. A renewable energy alternative was added to the EIS in response to EPA and DOI review. This alternative includes 6 MW of solar panels and a 10 MW vanadium flow battery to provide 100% of the Gibellini project's net electrical power demand. If selected by the BLM, the Gibellini project would be the first mine in the US completely powered by renewable energy. The Gibellini project would also be the first primary vanadium mine in the U.S. "We have reached an important permitting milestone for the Gibellini project" Ron Espell, CEO of Nevada Vanadium noted. "The fact that we received only 12 public comment letters during the draft EIS public review and comment period is a testament to close and ongoing collaboration between Nevada Vanadium, project stakeholders, the local community and the environmental NGO's. Development of the Draft Final EIS by the BLM and ICF based on stakeholder and public participation for the Gibellini Project is critical for the EIS process to work. We are looking forward to the Record of Decision, completing the State permitting, and moving towards project financing and the start of construction." Further, Flying Nickel announces that it has submitted additional technical information and an executive summary regarding the Minago Nickel Project in June 2022 as part of the Notice of Alteration ("NOA") filed in late 2021 involving a minor change to the plant layout to an approved 2011 Environmental Act License. Flying Nickel now anticipates the NOA review to complete by year end. A rectified Environmental Act License will permit a 10,000 tonne-per-day open-pit mining operation at Flying Nickel's 100% owned Minago nickel project at the Thompson nickel belt in Manitoba. About Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. is a Canadian reporting issuer, holding a 100% interest in the Gibellini Vanadium project in Nevada, United States. About Flying Nickel Mining Corp. Flying Nickel Mining Corp. is a premier nickel sulphide mining and exploration company. Flying Nickel is advancing its 100% owned Minago Nickel project in the Thompson nickel belt in Manitoba, Canada. For further information, please contact: Flying Nickel Mining Corp. John Lee Chief Executive Officer and Director Flying Nickel Mining Corp. www.flynickel.com info@flynickel.com 1.877.664.2535 / 1.877.6NICKEL Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. Ron Espell Chief Executive Officer Nevada Vanadium Mining Corp. www.nevadavanadium.com info@nevadavanadium.com Forward-looking Statements and Cautionary Disclaimers References to $ herein refer to the lawful currency of Canada and references to US$ herein refer to the lawful currency of the United States. This news release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable, disinterested shareholder and court approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder and court approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Flying Nickel and Nevada Vanadium should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. This news release is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of each of Flying Nickel and Nevada Vanadium (collectively, the "Corporations"). Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to estimated production and mine life of the Corporations' projects; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of battery metals such as Nickel and Vanadium; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; strategic plans; future operations; future work programs and objectives; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Corporations, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur, including, without limitation, that all conditions precedent to the transaction will be met and the realization of the anticipated benefits derived therefrom for shareholders of the Corporations and the view on (i) the quality and the potential of the Corporations' assets, (ii) the consideration offered to Nevada Vanadium's shareholders, and (iii) the potential of the resulting issuer from the Transaction. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management of each of the Corporations at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Corporations, there is no assurance they will prove to be correct and are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward -looking statements include variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, battery metals such as Nickel and Vanadium; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. These factors are discussed in greater detail in Flying Nickel's most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements, and in Nevada Vanadium's most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. The Corporations' caution that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements contained herein should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. The Corporations believe that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Although the Corporations have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Corporations undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed. Further, the Corporations may make changes to their respective business plans that could affect results. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139583 PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said his government would never abandon its citizens residing outside the country, saying they were welcome back home. Addressing the Zanu PF politburo at the party headquarters in Harare, Mnangagwa said: Let us continue to welcome the Zimbabwe diaspora into the party and reassure them that they are welcome home. The Zanu PF government will never abandon any of our citizens, no matter where they may live. In addition, I commend our party structures in the diaspora, particularly in the United States of America and Canada for organising very vibrant meetings for me to address party structures on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. His statement came in the wake of rising anti-Zimbabwean immigrant sentiments in South Africa. Zimbabweans have been targets of xenophobic attacks in the neighbouring country. Millions of Zimbabweans have fled to South Africa, UK and other countries seeking economic opportunities and a better life away from poverty. On Tuesday, government said 900 000 nationals had crossed the borders between 2020 and 2021. Mnangagwa denounced the imposition of candidates and violence ahead of the partys weekend central committee elections. The central committee election processes must be approached with great diligence, purpose and spirit of camaraderie. This is more so as the central committee is the highest organ of the party in-between congresses, he said. He also hailed the formation of groups such as MenBelievED, Women for ED among others in support of his re-election bid. Meanwhile, the mobilisation work of all leagues of the party alongside other affiliate organisations is applauded. Government programmes and the overall visibility of our party, through the robust efforts of affiliates such as Young Women for Economic Development, MenBelievED, TeachersforED and MahwindiforED, among others should continue to be encouraged, he said. Newsday Leadec acquires process automation specialist Elmleigh in UK STUTTGART, Germany and LEICESTER, England, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leadec, the leading global service specialist for factories, has acquired Elmleigh Electrical Systems Limited as of 09/30/2022. Elmleigh is a process automation specialist and systems integrator for blue chip customers, including some of the largest operators in the food and beverage and parcel distribution sectors throughout the UK and Europe. "Elmleigh offers complete end-to-end services for the integration of electrical and mechanical automation systems and has long-standing customer relationships," says Markus Glaser-Gallion, CEO of Leadec. "With our subsidiary Diversified Automation, we already have a strong footprint in the parcel distribution sector in the USA. Elmleigh will complement it in Europe and also bring its expertise for the food and beverage industry - two growth markets in which we want to expand strategically." Established in 1984, Elmleigh is today one of the leading full-service system integrators for automation systems in food processing and parcel sortation. Services include electrical and mechanical installations, ATEX installations, control panel assembly, project management, design, software, and control cabinet fabrication. The team at Elmleigh have successfully completed over 7000 projects. It is currently more than 50 members strong and is supported by over 120 trusted contractors across a wide range of disciplines. "In Leadec, we have found a strong partner to help us achieve our further expansion plans for Elmleigh. In particular, the strong international footprint offers new opportunities to expand our business outside of the UK. The Elmleigh team have always had the ability to rise to the challenge and this exciting development will offer new challenges and opportunities for the ever-expanding team. We are all looking forward to working closely alongside the Leadec team," says Managing Director Simon Sliwinski. He will lead the business integration and continue to manage the business unit. Service specialist for factories For 60 years, Leadec has been supporting its customers along the entire production supply chain. The service provider employs about 20,000 people worldwide and is based at more than 300 sites, often directly at the customers' plants and facilities. In 2021 Leadec, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, earned sales of around EUR 940 million. Leadec UK employs around 2,000 people and has been providing professionally managed solutions to maximize productivity and increase first-time quality since 1999. About Leadec Leadec is the leading global service specialist for factories across their entire life cycle and related infrastructure. The company, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, employs about 20,000 people worldwide. In 2021 Leadec earned sales of around EUR 940 million. For 60 years, Leadec has been supporting its customers along the entire production supply chain. The service provider is based at more than 300 sites, often directly at the customers' plants and facilities. Leadec's global services comprise: Engineer (Production Planning & Optimization, Automation and Production IT), Install (Electrical Installation, Mechanical Installation and Relocation), Maintain (Production Equipment Maintenance and Technical Cleaning), Support (Technical Facility Management, Infrastructural Facility Management and Logistics) as well as other local services. The Leadec.os digital business platform is used to record all processes end-to-end and integrate further digital services. For more information about Leadec go to: www.leadec-services.com Contact for press and media Dr. Marion Hebach Head of Global Communications Leadec Holding BV & Co. KG Tel +49 711 78 41-174 media@leadec-services.com www.leadec-services.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914623/Leadec_and_Elmleigh_Team.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914076/Leadec_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/expanding-the-footprint-in-the-parcel-distribution-and-fb-industry-301641602.html Infinix announces new ZERO Series devices for premium experiences, including the first-ever 180W Thunder Charge capabilities and Industry-first 60MP OIS front camera technology. SHANGHAI, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinix today launched the ZERO Series portfolio consisting of the flagship ZERO ULTRA and ZERO 20 smartphones, alongside the brand new laptop lineup, the ZERO BOOK Series. Its newest smartphone portfolio brings premium, flagship experiences, advanced camera upgrades and the world's first smartphone employing cutting edge 180W Thunder Charge innovation. This device roadmap gives consumers a peek into the future with energy efficient powerhouses that carry unique design, an all-new XOS 12 user interface and an industry-first 60MP OIS front camera. "Infinix has taken the market by storm with a number of industry firsts, from the ZERO ULTRA's fast-charging 180W Thunder Charge debut, to the ZERO 20's industry-first 60MP OIS front camera that is perfect for vlogging and selfie capturing," said Manfred Hong, Senior Product Director of Infinix. "The ZERO Series pushes the boundaries of innovation and delivers efficient performance and premium experiences through its charging efficiency, powerful chipsets, impressive display, upgraded user interface and advanced photography and cinematography capabilities." Power Up with the First-Ever Thunder Charge The ZERO ULTRA boasts the title as the world's first smartphone to employ 180W Thunder Charge technology, setting a new standard of power efficiency in the fast charging industry. With the ability to charge 4500mAh battery up to 100 percent capacity in only twelve minutes while in Furious Mode, the ZERO ULTRA's divine speed is attributed to its two 8C cell batteries which operate each battery at 90W during moments of charging, as well as three parallel charge pumps which support the highest-powered conversion on an Infinix device to date. This powerhouse is built to reduce heat while charging and increase longevity of the device, even in environments with high temperatures - up to 40 degrees Celsius. Combining 20 temperature sensors and 111 hardware and software security mechanisms, the ZERO ULTRA offers a safer way to charge, ultimately accrediting the ZERO ULTRA with an impressive TUV Safe Fast Charging Certification. Meanwhile, the ZERO 20 brings new value to the price segment, integrating TUV Rheinland certified 4500mAh+45W super charge technology so users can spend less time charging and more time on the move. Capture High Quality Moments with Camera Upgrades Infinix is committed to bringing the ultimate camera experiences to consumers, whether through capturing moments of themselves through the front camera of the ZERO 20 or of their environment with the rear camera on ZERO ULTRA. Infinix and The Discovery Channel are soon to launch a social collaboration designed to both inspire and showcase the best of content creation from mobile photography and videography. The global DiscoverYourOwnStory campaign will champion Infinix device users' creativity and passion through photography and vlogging, celebrating the exploration of different aesthetics and human-led content capture. Designed for storytellers and photography lovers, the ZERO 20 offers an industry-first 60MP OIS and EIS premium front-facing camera experience, improvements in vlogging features, and self-capture photography capabilities. Whether in motion, day or night, the ZERO 20 front camera guarantees a stable for a more realistic capturing experience utilizing OIS for ultra-clear shots. Additionally, the 108MP rear camera captures has detailed zooming to encapsulate both large scenes and hyper-macros to bring versatility to the fingertips of its users. Meanwhile, the ZERO ULTRA boasts the world's highest pixel imaging system at 200MP+OIS and gives users the convenience of dual view video, autofocus and HD video stabilization. Boost with All-Around Processing Capabilities The MediaTek Dimensity 920 6nm 5G processor powers the ZERO ULTRA with next generation connectivity, Wi-Fi 6 enablement, dual 5G SIM and the latest Erdal Engine 3.0 for a reliable and powerful experience across networks. Intelligent switching of dual cards and optimal networks keeps the ULTRA online and running constantly and smoothly, which results in less downtime and more reliability. The combination of excellent hardware configuration and a bulk of Infinix self-developed algorithms also helped ensure successful TUV SUD 36-Month Fluency testing. A boost in processing power is also found in the ZERO 20, employing MediaTek's G99 6nm 4G powerhouse chipset that delivers high performance with low power consumption. Immersive Display and High-End Design: The ZERO ULTRA packs a 3D curved 120Hz AMOLED display with naked eye 3D effects, 360Hz touch sample rate and a reliable in-display fingerprint scanner with TUV Rheinland low blue light certification. Employing a 71 degree Waterfall display, the high-end design delivers an immersive curved display and impressive grip. The ZERO 20 adapts 6.7" FHD+ AMOLED Cinematic Display and showcases an eye-catching, sleek design with leather back cover and MDA process integrated metal frame. The ZERO ULTRA's design options include several colors to choose from, including Genesis Noir, a geometric design with leather and glass integration, and Coslight Silver, an embossed 3D textured glass depicting dreamy star trails. Additional Key Features: Up to 13GB RAM, 8+5GB Extended RAM : ZERO ULTRA provides Extended RAM Technology of 8GB+5GB (equivalent to 13GB) for a far better experience under heavy usage. ZERO 20 will reach up to 13GB RAM via next over-the-air upgrades. ZERO ULTRA provides Extended RAM Technology of 8GB+5GB (equivalent to 13GB) for a far better experience under heavy usage. ZERO 20 will reach up to 13GB RAM via next over-the-air upgrades. VC Liquid-cooled Cooling System: Improve heat dissipation resulting in better performance. Improve heat dissipation resulting in better performance. Brand New User Interface: Upgraded experience to XOS 12 intelligent operational system based on Android 12, boasting a sharper display, AI enabled intelligence and advanced image capturing. Upgraded experience to XOS 12 intelligent operational system based on Android 12, boasting a sharper display, AI enabled intelligence and advanced image capturing. Erdal Engine 3.0 : Intelligent switching of dual cards and optimal networks to keep users reliably and strongly connected to the networks they use. Intelligent switching of dual cards and optimal networks to keep users reliably and strongly connected to the networks they use. XArena 3.0 4D Vibration: Premium gaming feature enhancing the realism of every game, with vibrations to deeply immerse users into the virtual world and graphic enhancement. Premium gaming feature enhancing the realism of every game, with vibrations to deeply immerse users into the virtual world and graphic enhancement. Health Management: Embrace mindfulness with the newest health management and movement tracking program to empower yourself even more. Embrace mindfulness with the newest health management and movement tracking program to empower yourself even more. AI Gallery: Keep photo journals organized with the AI gallery capability, framing faces and grouping individuals in photo albums based on facial recognition software. Keep photo journals organized with the AI gallery capability, framing faces and grouping individuals in photo albums based on facial recognition software. Folax Voice Assistant Capability: The ZERO Ultra includes industry-leading Folax voice assistant technology for use without internet or data. Independent low-power wake-up chip supports wake-up with screen off. Next Generation ZERO BOOK In tandem with the ZERO Series smartphone debut, Infinix is launching its next generation laptop to take the computing experience to new flagship heights - ZERO BOOK Series, including the ZERO BOOK ULTRA and the ZERO BOOK. The ZERO BOOK ULTRA is equipped with the 12th Gen Intel Core i9 processor to deliver industry-leading efficiency. Combined with uniquely built-in OVERBOOST switch, which is designed at its core to take full advantage of the processor, the performance capabilities are unleashed to a maximum thermal design power of 54W in a toggle. With groundbreaking features such as a sophisticated FHD AI BeautyCam, self-developed Infinix PC Connection for a seamless workflow between PC and smartphone, and Android on Windows that allow Android apps to run on PCs, the user experience is unrivaled. The ZERO BOOK series forms the strongest laptop lineup delivered by Infinix yet. Designed to handle the most demanding computing needs while encouraging creativity and imagination, this series provides a seamless, powerful computing experience on the go. Pricing and Availability The ZERO ULTRA will cost around $520 and the ZERO 20 around $270. The cost of ZERO BOOK Series starts at $799. Prices and availability for the ZERO Series products will vary based on region. While supplies last, buyers will have a chance to win a limited edition space-themed NFT with a purchase of the ZERO ULTRA by scanning a QR code inside the package. About Infinix: In?nix Mobility is a rapidly emerging technology brand that designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of smart devices worldwide under the In?nix brand, which was founded in 2013. Targeting today's youth with ?rst in class technology, In?nix creates trendy, powerful and attainably priced smart devices that bring the latest technology on the market to users around the world at a time when they need it at a price that they want it. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1911694/Infinix_ZERO_ULTRA.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1911695/Infinix_ZERO_20.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1912013/ZEROBOOK_Still_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/infinix-launches-180w-thunder-charge-and-cutting-edge-mobile-experiences-with-zero-series-301638362.html Sinequa, the enterprise search cloud company, announced today that Saint Gobain Distribution Batiment France (SGDB France), a retail subsidiary of the Saint-Gobain Group, has expanded its commitment to Sinequa's Search Cloud platform. This puts Sinequa at the heart of its Intelligent Search Assistant. As a key component of the Atlas digitalization transformation initiative at SGDB France, Sinequa's solution now reaches and indexes tens of millions of documents and multiple enterprise data sources. This helps more than 15,000 sales agents across 2,000 branch outlets to speed up customer response times and enable accurate quoting, within a highly complex environment with more than 350,000 suppliers. Saint Gobain Distribution Batiment France, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Group Saint-Gobain, is the largest French building materials merchant, with a network of more than 2,000 sales outlets and 24,000 employees throughout France. It supplies the new construction, renovation, and home improvement markets, with its main brands including Point.P and CEDEO. A few years ago, SGDB France implemented the Sinequa Platform in the new ERP Atlas to provide a unique customer experience, enabling advanced search capabilities for products, customers, enterprise documents and operative procedures. Claudio Borlo, CIO at Saint Gobain Distribution Batiment France said, "As a long-time technology partner, we can testify that Sinequa was not only the right choice to manage the huge amount of data we handle, but also to improve our customer service experience to the next level. Since the deployment, we have empowered our 15,000 salespeople with answers they couldn't get before, dealing with billions of combinations for 2 million products over 2,000 branches and more than 100 million documents. The result in substantial terms is an increase in productivity and additional incremental sales, with complementary or substitute products using advanced artificial intelligence algorithms. Whatever is not searchable is not sellable." Alexandre Bilger, President and CEO at Sinequa said, "We are proud of SGDB France's renewed confidence in our solution. This implementation of the Sinequa platform shows that we go beyond traditional search by building value-added insight apps that aid decision-making, improve productivity, and increase the bottom line. Here, we deliver a complete end-to-end solution to help Saint Gobain Distribution Batiment France to optimize sales operations and deliver optimal business outcomes." To learn how Sinequa Search Cloud benefits leading manufacturing organizations, please visit: https://www.sinequa.com/ About Sinequa Sinequa's Search Cloud brings organizations of all sizes the most complete enterprise search ever. Customers employ Search Cloud to connect all content (both text and data), derive meaning, learn from user interactions, and present information in context. They get the knowledge, expertise, and insights needed to make informed decisions and do more, faster. Sinequa helps these organizations accelerate innovation, reduce rework, foster collaboration, ensure compliance, and increase productivity. For more information visit www.sinequa.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005463/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Heather Racicot Sinequa@resonancecrowd.com +1 360 632 5616 BizClik Media Group opens office in Dubai, UAE to better serve the MENA and APAC regions LONDON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BizClik Media Group (BizClik), one of the UK's fastest growing media companies, has opened an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The move comes as BizClik also opens offices in central London to add to its Norwich HQ. This international expansion follows three years of rapid growth for the media company which has seen it launch new brands and a series of successful live events. "Having a team based in Dubai means we can better serve our global audience and partners," says Glen White, founder and CEO , BizClik. "The UAE has a vibrant business community and is rightly seen as a global hub. This allows us to better serve our existing partners in MENA and APAC, secure new partners, and create engaging, international content that reflects the global nature of our audiences." BizClik has a growing portfolio of media brands which currently includes: AI Magazine Business Chief Construction Digital Cyber Magazine Data Centre Magazine EV Magazine (new for October 2022) Energy Digital Fintech Magazine Food Digital Healthcare Digital Insurtech Magazine Manufacturing Digital March8 Mining Digital Mobile Magazine Procurement Supply Chain Digital Sustainability Magazine Technology Magazine "It's an exciting time for BizClik and an exciting time in the UAE's impressive development," says Scott Birch , Managing Director - Dubai, BizClik. "In July, the NextGenFDI initiative was launched to attract 300 digital companies to the Emirates, and I'm proud to say that BizClik was one of the first to answer that call. We have been digital-first since our formation in 2007, and the UAE is the perfect place for us to take our company to the next level." According to BizClik Chief Operating Officer Stacy Norman , the investment in London and Dubai is part of the company's five-year business plan, and built on solid revenue growth. "While many media companies stood still during the pandemic or downsized, BizClik's business model allowed us to thrive and more than double our headcount," says Norman. "We launched five new brands and a series of live business events. Opening an office in Dubai is all part of that plan and we identified the UAE early on as our preferred destination for doing business." Birch is joined in Dubai by Stuart Irving , who has relocated from the UK, plus a team of content creatives and business development executives hired in the UAE. "The reaction from our partners has been overwhelming," says Irving. "I have previously worked with many incredible companies based in the UAE, the MENA and APAC to help them tell their corporate stories and being able to conduct business face to face is invaluable." Dinah Subuh, Director of Technology Capability, Ooredoo Kuwait , says BizClik moving to the region is "a great move". Amir Abdelazim, CTO, Detecon International adds: "Hearing that BizClik is coming to the region is wonderful news, although it felt they have been here for a long while. In all my encounters with the team, I have only seen amazing work being done - if that was done without yet being in the region, I can't wait to see what can they do being here." Visit www.bizclikmedia.com to discover more about BizClik's media portfolio, or contact Scott Birch on scott.birch@bizclikmedia.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/uk-media-company-bizclik-expands-operations-to-uae-301641675.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Mink Ventures Corporation (TSXV: MINK.P) ("Mink" or the "Company"), further to its news release dated August 11, 2022, is pleased to provide an update on its previously announced qualifying transaction (the "Qualifying Transaction") with Voltage Metals Corp. (CSE: VOLT) ("Voltage") on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") and to announce that it is commencing a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") in connection with the Qualifying Transaction. The Offering: Hard Dollar and Flow-Through Subscription Receipts The Offering will consist of both hard dollar subscription receipts (each, a "HD Subscription Receipt") at a price of $0.14 per HD Subscription Receipt and flow-through subscription receipts (each, an "FT Subscription Receipt") at a price of $0.17 per FT Subscription Receipt. Mink will offer a minimum of 2,821,428 HD Subscription Receipts and a maximum of 4,285,714 HD Subscription Receipts for gross proceeds of $395,000, in the case of the minimum offering, and up to $600,000 in the case of the maximum offering. Each HD Subscription Receipt shall entitle the holder thereof to receive, upon the satisfaction or waiver of certain escrow release conditions (the "Escrow Release Conditions") prior to the date that is 120 days from the closing of the Offering (the "Escrow Release Deadline"), including all conditions precedent to the Qualifying Transaction being satisfied, and without payment of additional consideration therefor, one (1) unit of the Company (each, a "Unit"). Each Unit will consist of one (1) common share and one (1) common share purchase warrant of the Company (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to acquire one (1) common share of the Company for a period of thirty-six (36) months from the date of issuance at an exercise price of $0.20 for the first eighteen (18) months and an exercise price of $0.25 for the remaining eighteen (18) months. Mink will also offer a minimum of 2,823,529 FT Subscription Receipts and a maximum of 3,529,411 FT Subscription Receipts for gross proceeds of $480,000, in the case of the minimum offering, and up to $600,000 in the case of the maximum offering. Each FT Subscription Receipt shall entitle the holder thereof to receive, upon the satisfaction or waiver of the Escrow Release Conditions prior to the Escrow Release Deadline, and without additional consideration therefor, one (1) common share of the Company issued on a flow-through basis. The HD Subscription Receipts and FT Subscription Receipts will be offered pursuant to the terms of a subscription receipt agreement to be entered into between Mink and Odyssey Trust Company as subscription receipt agent. In connection with the Offering, finders may be paid a cash commission of 8% and a number of finder's warrants equal to 8% of the subscription receipts sold to investors introduced by the finder, each such finder's warrant entitling the holder to purchase one (1) common share of the Company for a period of thirty-six (36) months from the date of issuance at an exercise price of $0.20 for the first eighteen (18) months and an exercise price of $0.25 for the remaining eighteen (18) months. The Offering will be marketed (i) to investors in each of the provinces of Canada on a private placement basis; (ii) to investors in the United States pursuant to available exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended; and (iii) to investors resident in jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States, in each case, in accordance with all applicable laws, provided that no prospectus, registration statement or similar document is required to be filed in such foreign jurisdiction. The Offering is expected to close on or about November 10, 2022, or such other date as the Company may determine. The Company does not anticipate the participation of any non-arm's length parties at this time. Closing of the Offering is subject to the approval of the TSXV. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Subscription Receipts in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any offer or sale of the Subscription Receipts in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Subscription Receipts have not and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws and, therefore, may not be offered or sold to, or for the benefit or account of, persons within the United States or "U.S. persons" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) except pursuant to exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Upon completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the net proceeds of the Offering are anticipated to be used to fund the phase one work program on the Montcalm Ni-Cu-Co project and for general and administrative operating expenses. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period running from the date of issue of the Subscription Receipts. Officers and Directors The Company does not plan to make any changes to its officers or board of directors. Following the completion of the Qualifying Transaction, the officers and directors of the Company are expected to remain as follows: Natasha Dixon - President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director Paul Rokeby - Chief Financial Officer Kevin Filo - Corporate Secretary and Director Ingrid Hibbard - Vice President Matthew Lilko - Director Jean Claude St. Amour - Director The Montcalm Property Overview The Montcalm Property is located approximately 60 km west of Timmins Ontario and covers 39.6 square km of the prospective Montcalm gabbro complex. The property is contiguous with the former Montcalm Mine previously operated by Glencore. The Montcalm Mine had historical production of 3.9 million tonnes with historic grades of 1.25% nickel, 0.67% copper and 0.051% cobalt (Ontario Geological, Atkinson, 2010). Mink's current land holdings host a number of drill ready targets and the project is fully permitted. History The exploration history of the Montcalm Property prior to 1959 is unknown. Following the discovery of the Kidd Creek deposit in 1963, the general area was explored mainly for massive sulphide copper-zinc mineralization. The focus of exploration changed in 1976 with the discovery of the Montcalm Ni-Cu deposit by Geophysical Engineering Limited on behalf of a consortium comprised of Teck Corporation Limited (Teck), Metallgesellschaft of Canada Limited, and Domik Exploration Limited. From 1995 to 1997, KRL Resources Corporation (KRL) and Teck were active on portions of the Property. KRL completed ground geophysical surveys and drilled two holes. Teck also drilled two holes. From 2003 to 2009, Aurora Platinum Corp. (Aurora), Pacific Northwest Capital Corporation (PNC), and International Nickel Ventures Corporation (INV) were active on portions of the Property. Aurora and PNC completed airborne EM surveys and INV completed ground geophysical surveys. These companies drilled a total of 17 holes to test geophysical anomalies. From 2018 to 2019, Pancontinental Resources Corporation (PRC) completed airborne EM and gravity surveys over portions of the Property and drilled ten holes, mainly to test EM conductors. Since 2019, exploration activity on the Property has remained dormant. Recommended Exploration Program The Technical Report author considers that the Montcalm Project is an attractive early stage exploration project and merits additional exploration because untested geophysical anomalies exist within highly prospective lithologies for Ni-Cu-Co mineralization. The Technical Report author has reviewed and concurs with Mink's proposed exploration programs, which consist of two phases. A Phase I exploration program, comprising primarily airborne (EM) and ground (IP and borehole EM) geophysical surveying estimated to cost C$479,600, is envisioned to be initiated in the fall of 2022 and take three to four months to complete. The airborne geophysical surveying will extend the coverage of deep penetrating EM and the ground geophysical surveys could define drill targets, particularly in the Hook Zone, where some of the previous drilling has not identified anomaly sources. A proposed Phase II program, contingent on the results of Phase I, would include primarily diamond drilling and is estimated to cost C$603,900. The Phase II program is envisioned to be initiated early in 2023 and to take three to four months to complete and is meant to test anomalies defined by Phase I. Technical Report The Company has filed a technical report on the Montcalm Project entitled "Technical Report on the Montcalm Project, Cochrane District, Northeastern, Ontario, Canada Report for NI 41-101", dated September 7, 2022 (effective August 11, 2022) prepared by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. (the "Technical Report"). For further information on the Montcalm Property and the proposed exploration program, please refer to the Technical Report available under the Corporation's profile on the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com) Qualified Person: Mr. Kevin Filo, P.Geo. (Ontario), is a qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Filo approved the technical data disclosed in this release. About Mink Ventures Corporation: Mink Ventures Corporation is a Capital Pool Company that has acquired an option to earn an 80% interest in the Montcalm Ni-Cu-Co project as its Qualifying Transaction property (see press releases June 27 and August 11, 2022). The Company currently has 8,367,500 shares outstanding. About Voltage Metals Corp: Voltage is a mineral exploration company with a highly experienced team focused on nickel and other battery metals exploration in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Newfoundland. The Company looks to create shareholder value by aggregating and exploring projects that possess sound geology and brand-new discovery potential. Voltage has a deep roster of management and key stakeholders, who are expert in the essential resource trifecta of exploration, operations and finance. For further information about Mink Ventures Corporation please visit www.minkventures.com or contact Natasha Dixon, President & CEO, T: 250-882-5620 E ndixon@minkventures.com or Kevin Filo, Director, T: 705-266-6818. Forward Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the future business and operations of Mink. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; and the delay or failure to receive applicable Board or regulatory approvals. 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. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Mink disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139589 Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Southwestern Scale Company Inc. (SWSCALE), a servicer, manufacturer, and provider of industrial and commercial-grade weighing scales, has been recognized as Arizona's newest SHARP-certified business. Southwestern Scale Company Inc. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8723/139590_ed9fa7a2a4913ae2_001full.jpg The Phoenix-headquartered operation is just one of twelve small businesses across the Grand Canyon State to be recognized with this prestigious certification, and only the seventh within the state's largest metropolitan area. SHARP (Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program) was developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to highlight businesses that operate under exemplary safety protocols and standards. OSHA, a regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor, launched the consultation-funded program nationally in 1996, and targeted it toward businesses with less than 250 on-site employees, and fewer than 500 corporate-wide employees. The company recently held a ceremony at their corporate offices, where employees and invited guests basked in the glory of the historic moment. In attendance were representatives from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH), who formally presented the certification to Christopher Jannise, the company's Safety & Quality Compliance Manager. Jannise, who joined the organization in 2020, spearheaded efforts to accomplish this feat, while seemingly transforming SWSCALE's safety program overnight (the company saw a 50% drop in safety-related incidents between 2020 and 2021, even as personnel headcount increased, and additional vehicles were brought in). On the achievement, he remarked "This provides protection for our team members from all safety and health hazards and will allow us to continue building upon our reputation as an industry leader. It was no small effort to achieve this goal." CEO Roger Dumont made it clear that he believes leaders of all businesses should uphold a commitment to employee safety: "All of the members of the team, and their families and people that depend on them, are the most important aspects of any small or large company. It's the duty of the leadership of these companies to create a work environment that is safe." He believes that this moment is indicative of the efforts set forth by his own leadership: "Becoming SHARP-certified is a significant step for SWSCALE to fulfill this promise to everyone on our team." With the business rapidly approaching its 75th year in operation, it has certainly seen its share of defining moments. This one, however, puts employee wellness center stage, which is something Jannise set out to accomplish when he kicked-off the certification process more than a year ago: "My goal has always been to make sure that all of our employees go home the same way they came to work. Our employees are our greatest asset. Without them, there is no SWSCALE." More information on SHARP can be found at www.osha.gov/sharp. About Southwestern Scale Company Inc. Established in 1948, Southwestern Scale Company Inc. is the only full-service weighing scale company in the Southwestern United States. The locally owned and operated business, led by the second generation of ownership since inception, services, manufactures, and delivers a wealth of industrial and commercial-grade scales for any industry or operation. For more information about the company, visit swscale.com/about. Southwestern Scale Company Inc Christopher Jannise info@swscale.com 602-243-3951 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139590 5 October 2022 Rightmove plc Share buy-back programme Rightmove plc - Transaction in own shares Rightmove plc ('Rightmove') announces that today it purchased 148,000 of its 0.1p ordinary shares at a volume weighted average price paid per share of 482.158p. The highest price paid per share was 488.300p and the lowest price paid per share was 477.000p. Rightmove purchased these shares through Numis Securities Limited. The number of shares purchased represented 0.0178% of the voting rights attributable to the total ordinary shares in issue prior to such purchase. The purchased shares will be cancelled. Since announcing a share buy-back programme on 28 December 2007, Rightmove has purchased in aggregate 476,170,471 ordinary shares. The total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) following this announcement is 830,508,557. Rightmove holds 12,375,052 shares in treasury. In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (the Market Abuse Regulation) as amended by The Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (the "UK MAR"), the schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Numis Securities Limited on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme. Contact: Michelle Palmer, Deputy Secretary CompanySecretary@rightmove.co.uk Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares For immediate release 5 October 2022 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 148,569 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 814.91 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 9 February 2022. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 9,485,932; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 215,505,371. The figure of 215,505,371 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 New CEO appoints two new executives and promotes senior scientist to new Chief Medical Officer position to focus company and help drive delivery of long-term growth strategy Terry Burke joins Clario as Executive Vice President of Clario's eCOA business and David Fusco as Executive Vice President of Human Capital joins Clario as Executive Vice President of Clario's eCOA business and as Executive Vice President of Human Capital Dr. Todd Rudo , M.D. is promoted to the role of Chief Medical Officer M.D. is promoted to the role of Chief Medical Officer The appointments announced today fill a mix of new and existing roles, drawing on Clario's internal talent and external expertise. PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clario, a technology company that delivers the leading endpoint solutions for decentralized (DCT), hybrid and site-based clinical trials, today announced three significant strategic changes to its executive leadership team to help focus the company and help drive delivery of long term growth strategy. The appointments fill a mix of new and existing roles, drawing on Clario's internal talent and external expertise. Terry Burke joins Clario from Quest Diagnostics as Executive Vice President of Clario's eCOA business, David Fusco joins Clario from Staple Street Capital as Executive Vice President of Human Capital, and Dr. Todd Rudo is promoted to the new role of Clario's Chief Medical Officer. Chris Fikry, Chief Executive of Clario, said: "As we focus on the changing and complex post-pandemic clinical trials environment, Clario continues to bring in the new skills and develop the existing talent we need to deliver for our clients and their patients. My colleagues and I are delighted to announce the latest additions to our leadership team, who will each bring deep expertise and broad experience to the business." For biographies of the new appointees, visit https://clario.com/about/leadership/. To schedule interviews with the new members of Clario's executive leadership team, please contact media@clario.com. About Clario Clario is a leading technology company that generates the richest clinical evidence in the industry for our pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device partners. Across decentralized and site-based trials, our deep scientific expertise, global scale and the broadest endpoint technology platform in the industry allows our partners to transform lives. Clario's Trial Anywhere solutions have been powering hybrid and decentralized clinical trials (DCT) for over 20 years, enabling sponsors to collect high-quality endpoint data from any modality or location, all while improving the patient experience and diversity. Clario has the only technology platform that combines eCOA, cardiac safety, medical imaging, precision motion, and respiratory endpoints. With facilities in nine countries, Clario's global team of science, technology and operational experts has helped deliver over 19,000 trials and 870 regulatory for over 5m patients in 120 countries. Our innovation has been transforming clinical trials for 50 years. For more information, go to Clario.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Clario Media Contact Duncan Cantor Sr. Director, Corporate Communications media@clario.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914669/Clario_David_Fusco_Executive_Vice_President_of_Human_Capital.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914670/Clario_Terry_Burke_Executive_Vice_President.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914672/Clario_Todd_Rudo_MD_Chief_Medical_Officer.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/clario-bolsters-executive-leadership-team-to-deliver-on-its-long-term-growth-strategy-301641770.html Austin, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - New Age Fashion E-commerce Brand, Regalia, Launches New Features for Mobile Shoppers in 2022. Regalia is a women's fashion digital platform proficiently connecting users based on key body measurements and style preferences. Hence, as they shop, they can see how clothes fit another REAL person with their exact body type. Regalia Founders To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9031/139472_958187c5c46c4b30_001full.jpg "Our shopping experience is a truly tailored and personalized way to shop; imagine walking into your favorite department store and knowing that every brand you love is there, and that every single item of clothing in sight will fit you. We've created a platform that prioritizes "Fashion for everyBODY," said Co-founder/CEO, Robert Mull. With a combined 10+ years of experience in both the fashion industry and advertising space, Robert Mull and Co-founder Zack Lamb saw a need for a better way to connect consumers and retailers. In the Regalia app, customers can filter by their favorite brands to seamlessly shop for the styles they desire. This feature allows you to spend less time browsing and more time showing off your new look. Regalia To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9031/139472_958187c5c46c4b30_002full.jpg Traditionally the fashion industry has been horrible for the environment, can strangle retailers' bottom lines and ultimately leads to a decrease in trust with consumers. Free returns come with an environmental cost. For instance, fashion is the third largest polluting industry in the world. It emits 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, releasing 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. "E-commerce has led to extremely high rates of returns" Says Co-founder Zack Lamb, "It is horrible for the environment and strangles retailers' bottom lines." Regalia combats these major issues with a unique "true to size" scale, that provides customers the knowledge and precision they need to order the perfect size. With their industry experiences, Regalia founders built a platform to alleviate these ever-growing concerns for both consumers and retailers. Regalia is headquartered between Austin, TX and San Francisco, CA and is the first app to give customers a truly tailored shopping experience for everyBODY. No more guessing sizing; no more hoping that there is a review on the website by someone identical in body type; and significantly reduced returns. Regalia To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9031/139472_958187c5c46c4b30_003full.jpg Regalia's astounding solution is ideal for consumers, brands, and retailers who will experience tremendous benefits from the brand's digital platform. "Our mission is to reduce the amount of returns and waste associated with online shopping by creating a safe space for people to share and educate one another on sizing and fit for everyBODY," said Robert. Regalia gained thousands of users without spending any money on traditional ads. They have built a loyal and engaged community, and Regalia only gets more and more powerful with each new user that joins. Regalia revealed there are some fascinating, innovative features and functions coming that could change the way mobile shopping is done. Media Contact: Company Name: All Regalia (known as "Regalia") Founders: Robert Mull - CEO | Zack Lamb - President Email: robert@allregalia.com - zack@allregalia.com Website: www.allregalia.com Instagram: @allregalia - instagram To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139472 Hole #2 Started Testing Conductive and Magnetic and Anomalies From 2022 Airborne Survey Greenwood BC VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / CanXGold Mining Corp., (TSXV:CXG | FRANKFURT:3G8C | OTC PINK:GDMRD), ("CanXGold" or the "Company"), announces that the second drill hole has now been started at its Phoenix Property, part of the Greenwood Precious Metals project in southeastern BC. Photo of drill at site of second holes for 2022 program. CanXGold's second hole of the program has now been collared and is drilling at 59 meters depth. This hole is targeted at a 1.3 km by 0.5 km conductive anomaly detected by the 2022 airborne geophysical survey, which is located 2 kilometers east of the historic Phoenix open pit mine. Depth to the top of the anomalous conductivity is approximately 150 meters, based on resistivity-depth sections. There is also a magnetic high anomaly that partly coincides with the conductive anomaly that could be indicative of a buried intrusion at depth. Bedrock includes Mesozoic Bonanza Group sedimentary strata overlying Paleozoic Knob Hill Complex metasedimentary and metavolcanic strata. Copper mineralization is present in the core retrieved so far. The target is a Phoenix-type copper gold skarn deposit. Map of VTEM Conductivity (TauSF) showing target areas of high conductivity in purple. Hole 2 is now underway at site B. Photo of core from PHX22-02 showing chalcopyrite mineralization. Map of Total Magnetic Intensity showing hole locations. Readers are cautioned that historical records referred to in this News Release have been examined but not verified by a Qualified Person. Further work is required to verify that historical records referred to in this News Release are accurate. Technical disclosure in this news release has been approved by Dr. Mathew Ball, P.Geo., President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. For more details, please see the most recent National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Company's website at www.CanXGold.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors: CANXGOLD MINING CORP. Per: "Christopher R. Anderson" Christopher R. Anderson CEO For further information, please contact: CanXGold Mining Corp. - Corporate Communications: Tel: 604-288-2610 Email: Office@CanXGold.com Forward-Looking Statement Cautions: This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to, among other things, preliminary plans for a consolidation of the Company's Shares. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the possibility that the TSX Venture Exchange will not approve the proposed share consolidation, and that the Company may not be able to raise sufficient additional capital to continue its business. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of securities of the Company in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The Company's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL, OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY SALE OF SECURITIES OF THE COMPANY IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SOLICITATION OR SALE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL PRIOR TO REGISTRATION OR QUALIFICATION UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY SUCH JURISDICTION. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: CanXGold Mining Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/719094/CanXGold-Mining-Corp-Targeting-BCs-Next-Major-Copper-Deposit Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - McLaren Resources Inc. (CSE: MCL) (FSE: 3ML) ("McLaren" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, after a successful equity financing (see news release dated September 29, 2022), it has commenced a phase two exploration diamond drilling program on its 100%-owned McCool gold property which is located in the prolific Timmins Gold Region of Northeastern Ontario, Canada where well over 70 million ounces of gold have been produced to date. It is anticipated that the second phase exploration diamond drill program will consist of approximately 2,000 metres ("m") of core drilling in 5 holes. This program follows on the heels of a recently completed first phase diamond drill program that consisted of 2,392 m of core drilling in 6 holes (see news release dated September 14, 2022). The primary purpose of both of these drill programs is to further evaluate and trace the significant gold mineralization known to exist on the property along the Centre Hill Fault from the work of previous owners undertaken during the period 1982-1987 (see August 31, 2022 news release, Table 1, containing selected historical drill results from the McCool property - Placer Development Limited). These drill programs are also investigating induced polarization ("IP") and ground magnetic ("GM") geophysical anomalies that were outlined from ground geophysical surveys completed on a portion of the property in February 2022 (see news release dated February 23, 2022). The types of ground geophysical signatures discovered on the property are known to be closely associated with gold occurrences elsewhere in the general area. Several of the holes drilled in the first program intersected wide intervals of intensely altered rocks along the Center Hill Fault that contained variable amounts of sulfide mineralization, fuchsite and sericite, all associated with gold mineralization elsewhere in the area. Core samples from the first drill program have been sent for assay and results will be released when results are received and interpreted. The favorable exploration target area occurs on the eastern portion of the 1,650 hectares ("ha") McCool gold property (see Map 1 below showing the favorable target area for gold in relation to the Centre Hill Fault, the sub-parallel Camrose Fault and the McCool Anticline). The first phase exploration drill program will focus on a select portion of the Centre Hill Fault, a northwest-trending fault structure which runs along the south side of the McCool Anticline and which is known to host significant gold mineralization on the McCool property. The Centre Hill Fault is interpreted to be a splay off of the major Destor- Porcupine Deformation Zone which is host to many gold deposits in the general area (see Map 2 below showing the location of the major gold-bearing faults, gold deposits and the property ownership of the various companies actively working in the area). Map 1 - The favorable target area for gold in relation to the Centre Hill Fault, the sub-parallel Camrose Fault and the McCool Anticline. To view an enhanced version of Map 1, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/932/139673_e92c6cdc74512bb3_002full.jpg Map 2 - The location of the major gold-bearing faults, gold deposits and the property ownership of the various companies actively working in the area. To view an enhanced version of Map 2, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/932/139673_e92c6cdc74512bb3_003full.jpg Mr. Radovan Danilovsky, President of McLaren Resources Inc., stated, "We are excited to be able to continue with our diamond drill programs on the prospective McCool gold property where significant gold mineralization is known to exist along the Center Hill Fault. Our diamond drill program will be designed to re-evaluate the gold mineralization intersected in the area approximately 35 years ago and to trace this mineralization to depth and along strike." As announced on October 4, 2021, McLaren acquired an additional 50 full mineral claims and 10 partial mineral claims, together comprising approximately 1,375 ha, from two independent prospectors from the Timmins area. The new claims are contiguous with the original McCool gold property and bring the total size of the property to approximately 1,650 ha. The majority of the new claims cover the northwest strike extension of the Centre Hill Fault. The expanded McCool gold property now covers an approximate five kilometer strike length of the gold-bearing Centre Hill Fault. McLaren's expanded McCool gold property is ideally located immediately north of Highway 101 and abuts the Golden Highway Gold Project of Moneta Gold Inc. ("Moneta") to the south. Moneta continues to intersect good grade gold mineralization on their property and continues to expand their gold resource in several areas of the property. The expanded McCool gold property also lies immediately east of the Fenn-Gib gold deposit where operator Mayfair Gold Corp. ("Mayfair") has announced significant gold intersections from recent infill and step-out drilling on their property. HighGold Mining Inc. ("HighGold") continues to aggressively explore significant gold mineralization on their CroesusMonroe Project located west of the McCool property and McEwen Mining Inc. continues to mine gold from its Black Fox Mine and further explore for gold on its significant landholdings along the Destor-Porcupine fault west of McLaren's McCool gold property and southeast of McLaren's Blue Quartz gold property. The original 275 ha McCool gold property, along with McLaren's 775 ha Kerrs gold property, were acquired from Newmont Corporation ("Newmont") in mid-2020 in exchange for a four-year option on McLaren's Augdome gold property which lies immediately east of Newmont's past-producing Dome Gold Mine in Timmins (see news release dated May 14, 2020). Qualified Person The information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Kenneth Guy, P.Geo, a consultant to McLaren and the Qualified Person for McLaren, as defined by National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects". About McLaren McLaren has been focused on exploration work on its gold properties in the Timmins Gold Region of Northeastern Ontario. McLaren now owns a 100% interest in the past-producing, 640 ha, Blue Quartz Gold Mine property as well as the 1,650 ha McCool and 775 ha Kerrs gold properties, all located within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt along the Destor-Porcupine Deformation Zone, which is host to many of the gold deposits in the area, approximately 85 km east of Timmins city centre. McLaren also owns a 100% interest in the 408 ha Augdome gold property which is located in Tisdale and Whitney Townships immediately east of the Dome Mine owned by Newmont. The Augdome property is currently under a four-year option to Newmont. For more information, please contact: Radovan Danilovsky, President Phone: 416-203-6784 McLAREN RESOURCES INC. 44 Victoria Street, Suite 1616 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1Y2 www.McLarenResources.com This news release is not for distribution in the United States. The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of the press release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking statements". When used in this document, the words "anticipated", "expect", "estimated", "forecast", "planned", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements or information. These statements are based on current expectations of management; however, they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this news release. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. McLaren Resources Inc. does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof, except as required by securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139673 SAN DIEGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading full-stack edge AI company Kneron today announces new series B funding of $48 million led by Horizons Ventures. New investors joining the round include LITEON, a world-leading provider of opto-electronics and power solutions; ADATA, a leading memory compute provider; as well as the family office of a major Taiwanese financial institution which, as a business group, operates subsidiaries that range from real estate development to telecommunications. Through the current round, Kneron's previous series A2 investor Foxconn also increased their investment amount. Albert Liu, founder and CEO of Kneron, says: "We are excited to work our new strategic investors in the advancement of core smart city infrastructures. Edge AI is key to enabling a whole array of devices, from edge servers to smart cameras, which will truly accelerate a proliferation of AI applications that require cross-vertical efforts. With new funding, we are prepared to tape out a next generation of innovative chips." Over the past year, Kneron saw significant new customer wins spanning multiple verticals including smart vehicles, smart homes and smart cities. With Hanwha, the global leader in IP cameras, Kneron partnered up to accelerate smart city and smart building management. Kneron's KL720 enables the Hanwha Techwin X series AI cameras for functions such as virtual fences and human detection. As of March, Kneron also presented its solutions at the Foxconn-led Mobility in Harmony (MIH) Consortium for electric vehicles. Kneron displayed its OT8600+KL520 developer board for vehicle camera sensors to deploy people, vehicle and object detection. Other new partners teaming up with Kneron to push out products in vehicle, security and broader AIoT use cases include: Spark, Sens-cam: AI sens-cam for mask detection. SMAX, VS8 for Chunghwa Telecom: A box (edge server) with two KL720 for smart traffic crossroads regulation. TDV, iEdge4: Industrial grade raspberry pi box for parking lot license plate management system. Zhongxin Bus: Blind spot detection. Across previous years, Kneron has also established collaborations with customers including the likes of Garmin, Dessmann, Gree, OFILM, AAEON, Advantech, and Quanta. Kneron's newly raised funds brings the company's total funding to date to over $140 million, following initial Series A funding from financial investors including the likes of Qualcomm, Alibaba, Circle Investment, Sequoia as well as strategic investors such as Foxconn and Delta Electronics. About Kneron Founded in 2015 and based in San Diego, Kneron develops full-stack hardware and software products for AI applications. Kneron's lightweight reconfigurable solutions resolves three major problems faced by edge devices running AI-latency, security, and cost--thereby enabling AI everywhere. To date, Kneron has raised over $140 million, backed by Horizons Ventures , Alibaba , Qualcomm , Sequoia , Foxconn , Circle Investment, and more. For further information about Kneron, please visit: http://www.kneron.com/about. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/kneron-closes-b-round-at-48-million-301641997.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company"), a leading agriculture data company in North America, is pleased to announce that further to its press releases of September 20, 2022 and October 4, 2022, the Company has closed a non-brokered private placement through the issuance of 5,400,000 common shares (the "Common Shares") in the capital of the Company at a price of $0.50 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $2,700,000 (the "Offering"). In connection with the Offering, the Company paid certain eligible persons (the "Finders") a cash commission in total of $77,000, equal to 7% of the gross proceeds of the Offering delivered by Finders and issued a total of 154,000 non-transferable broker warrants ("Broker Warrants"), equal to 7% of the Common Shares delivered by Finders pursuant to the Offering. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share for a period of two years from the closing of the Offering at a price of $0.50 per Common Share. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. Gross proceeds raised from the Offering will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Deveron Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. Our team of agronomists and data scientists build products that recommend ways to better manage fertilizer, seed, fungicide, and other farm inputs. Additionally, we have a national network of data technicians that are deployed to collect various types of farm data, from soil to drone, that build a basis of our best-in-class data layers. Our focus is the US and Canada where 1 billion acres of farmland are actively farmed annually. For more information and to join our community, please visit www.deveron.com. David MacMillan President & CEO, Deveron Corp. dmacmillan@deveron.com Tel: 416-367-4571 "Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release." This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements: changes in the worldwide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139669 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Buffalo Coal Corp (TSXV: BUF) ("Buffalo Coal Corp." or "the Group" or "the Company" or "the Issuer") advises its shareholders that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Buffalo Coal Dundee Proprietary Limited ("BCD") concluded a tri-partite agreement with Investec Bank Limited ("Investec") and Belvedere Resources DMCC ("Belvedere"), pursuant to which: BCD would continue to pay Investec the scheduled monthly capital repayments under the Credit Facility Agreement (the " Agreement "), as agreed to with Investec on March 30, 2022; "), as agreed to with Investec on March 30, 2022; BCD undertakes to pay Investec the remaining amounts outstanding under the Agreement between BCD and Investec, in full on November 30, 2022 (or such later date as may be agreed by Investec in writing); and Belvedere undertakes to directly or indirectly advance funds to BCD, if the latter cannot fully meet the monthly capital repayment obligations to Investec, as outlined in the Agreement. About Buffalo Coal Buffalo is a coal producer in South Africa. It holds a majority interest in two operating mines through its 100% interest in BCD, a South African company which has a 70% interest in Zinoju Coal Proprietary Limited ("Zinoju"). Zinoju holds a 100% interest in the Magdalena bituminous mine, the Aviemore East anthracite mine and the Balgray and North Adit anthracite projects in South Africa. Buffalo Coal has an experienced coal-focused Board and Management team. The Company has its primary listing on the TSX Venture Exchange and has a secondary listing on the Alternative Exchange, operated by the JSE Limited. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward looking information is based on a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, which could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Ms Emma Oosthuizen Chief Executive Officer Email: emma.oosthuizen@buffalocoal.co.za Registered office: Greytown Road Industrial Area, Dundee KwaZulu-Natal, 3000 October 5, 2022 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139615 QUEENSLAND, Australia, Oct. 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the growing demand for skilled and experienced cybersecurity professionals, TAFE Queensland (TAFE QLD), the leading provider of vocational education and training in Australia, plans to update its cybersecurity training program in January 2023 to include a new state-of-the-art cybersecurity training facility. The new facility will enable TAFE QLD to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals who possess hands-on experience responding to cyber-attacks. After conducting extensive research of numerous other well-known cyber range vendors, TAFE QLD decided to use the cyber range developed by Cyberbit, a market-leading cyber skills development platform. Cyberbit provides hands-on cyber labs and live-fire exercises that provide students with long-lasting skills and actual experience responding to cyber-attacks. The range is capable of simulating cyber-attacks ranging from Trojans to full-scale ransomware attacks. As the state's largest and most experienced training provider, TAFE Queensland is committed to providing students with the quality, hands-on training they need to succeed in their chosen career while fulfilling the skills demands of the community. "With more skilled cyber security workers needed to protect businesses in an increasingly digitized economy, working with the Cyberbit cyber range will give students a deeper understanding of the realities of cyber warfare", said Jackie French, TAFE Queensland Faculty Director for Creative and Digital. "Cyber security specialists have become a crucial investment for larger businesses and organizations in recent years, and they are only going to become more vital as technology develops and cyber criminals get more creative in their approaches. By partnering with Cyberbit, we're upskilling students further, giving them insights and experience through live-fire simulations that are as close to real life as you can get". With the Cyberbit platform, students participate in live-fire exercises in a hyper-realistic environment that includes reverse-engineered attacks, enterprise-grade networks, and commercial security tools - everything they will experience on the job as cybersecurity professionals. "Cyberbit's unique simulation training will tangibly show the impacts that a cyber-attack can have when disrupting or crashing critical infrastructure in Australia and what's necessary to prevent an attack, ensuring that students leave us with the job-ready skills they need to be cyber security specialists when the graduate," concluded Ms. French. "We're excited to provide the platform that will support TAFE QLD's pioneering effort in delivering cybersecurity education," said Viki Gaziel, Regional Sales Director at Cyberbit. "Hands-on skills development dramatically enriches the student's academic experience and prepares them with the skills they need for entry into the workforce, ready to make an impact from day one on the job." About TAFE TAFE Queensland is Queensland's largest, most experienced training provider. TAFE Queensland (TAFE QLD) delivers the highest quality practical, industry-relevant training across a range of industries from entry-level certificates to bachelor's degrees, at more than 50 locations in Queensland. Practical, job-focused training is at the heart of everything TAFE does. Students train in purpose-built training facilities and all students are supervised by trained and fully qualified staff. About Cyberbit Cyberbit provides hands-on cybersecurity education and training and addresses the global cybersecurity skill gap through its world-leading cyber range platform. Colleges and universities use Cyberbit Range to increase student enrollment and retention, train industry organizations, and position their institutions as regional cybersecurity hubs by providing simulation-based learning and training. The Cyberbit Range platform delivers a hyper-realistic experience that immerses learners in a virtual security operations center (SOC), where they use real-world security tools to respond to real-world, simulated cyberattacks. As a result, it prepares students for their careers in cybersecurity from day-one after graduation and reduces the need to learn on the job. Cyberbit delivers over 100,000 training sessions annually across 5 continents. Customers include Fortune 500 companies, MSSPs, system integrators, higher education institutions and governments. Cyberbit is headquartered in Israel with offices in the US, Europe, and Asia. If you would like more information about Cyberbit, please contact Viki Gaziel at Viki.Gaziel@cybergit.com . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tafe-queensland-and-cyberbit-partner-to-create-elite-workforce-ready-cybersecurity-graduates-301639914.html Starlight Cardiovascular is developing a medical device portfolio for an underserved pediatric population. Starlight Cardiovascular, a San Diego, CA-based preclinical stage medical technology company, raised $9.48M in Series A funding. The round, which included conversion of previously-issued notes, was led by Bird B. The company intends to use the funds to progress development of its portfolio of pediatric interventional cardiology devices. Led by CEO Beverly Tang and Co-founder Dr. Pedro del Nido, Chairman of Cardiac Surgery at Boston Childrens Hospital, Starlight Cardiovascular is a preclinical stage medical technology company developing a portfolio of devices to address pediatric Congenital Heart Disease. Its first product, a Ductus Arteriosus Stent, replaces a life-saving open chest surgery with a microcatheter-based procedure performed through a small incision in the skin. FinSMEs 05/10/2022 Tidal Cyber, a Washington, DC-based threat-informed defense technology company, raised $4M in funding. The round was led by Ultratech Capital Partners with participation from Access Venture Partners, TFX Capital, VIPC Virginia Venture Partners, Dreamit, and Adam Vincent and existing investors First In, BlueWing Ventures, SaaS Ventures, Riverbend Capital, Blu Venture Investors, and StoneMill Ventures. The company intends to use the funds to expand its SaaS-based threat-informed defense platform and ramp up customer acquisition. Led by CEO Rick Gordon, Tidal Cyber enables businesses to implement a threat-informed defense via a platform that helps them map the security capabilities of their unique environment against the industrys most complete knowledge base of adversary tactics and techniques, including the MITRE ATT&CK knowledge base, additional threat intelligence sources, and a registry of security product capabilities mapped to adversary techniques. The result is actionable insight to track and improve their defensive coverage, gaps, and overlaps. The platform is purpose-built to make implementing threat-informed defense simple and streamlined. The Tidal Community Edition, the free-to-use base offering of the platform, was made generally available at Black Hat USA in early August. It features enriched technique data from MITRE ATT&CK and other open-source sources, as well as the Tidal Product Registry, a curated repository of vendor-supplied data mapped to specific adversary behaviors. Future plans for the platform include an enterprise edition with enhanced features including reporting using the Tidal Confidence Score, which will help enterprises effectively evaluate and communicate their cyber risk reduction. FinSMEs 05/10/2022 Tines, a Dublin, Ireland-based provider of a no-code automation platform for security teams, raised $55M in Series B Extension funding. The round was led by Felicis. Aydin Senkut of Felicis will be joining the board, along with Tom Killalea, former Vice President of Technology at Amazon.com. The company, which has raised $96.2M to date, intends to use the funds to accelerate adoption by enterprises globally. Co-founded by CEO Eoin Hinchy and COO Thomas Kinsella, Tines provides a no-code automation platform for security teams, which delivers automation straight to front-line analysts and operators. The company is working to help its customers navigate the current economic slowdown, including: Simplifying the steps involved in automating and maintaining mission-critical workflows at speed and scale. Removing barriers by enabling flexible, and secure connections across any technology stack. Drastically reducing the time to detect suspicious activities and respond to alerts that matter most. Increasing scaling capacity for businesses to process hundreds of thousands of workflows per year, streamline their operations, and run leaner teams. Customers include Coinbase, Box, Kayak, Databricks, McKesson, and Canva. FinSMEs 05/10/2022 Flagler Staff Spotlight: Donn Garby Donn Garby, assistant director of housing operations, joined the Student Affairs department in the fall of 2021. Garby is a Class of 2016 Flagler alumnus who served as SGA President during his time here. He was also the Assistant Program Director for the Campus Activities Board, Founder of the U.S. Military Veterans Club on campus, and an ambassador in the Office of Admissions among numerous other extracurricular positions held. Following his time at Flagler, Garby earned his master's degree in higher education/ higher education administration at Old Dominion University. Garby then earned his Doctor of Philosophy in higher education/ higher education administration from Rowan University. How long have you been at Flagler, what is your position and what does it entail? I have been at Flagler for one year as the Assistant Director of Housing Operations. I oversee the operational aspect of Residence Life including, but not limited to; housing assignments, working with our Facilities Department on room conditions, overseeing Facilities Coordinators, and working with campus partners to improve policies and procedures in Residence Life. What do you enjoy most about working at Flagler? I love giving back to the school that made me the person I am today. To be on the "other side" and help build a support system for our students is extremely rewarding and something I never would have dreamed about doing when I was a student here. What is a stand-out memory you have from interacting with students? A stand-out memory that I have is seeing a light "click" with my students in my FYS course as they thought about the ways in which society impacts them. It was a moment where I believe they finally saw that the world outside of them impacts them, their identities, and the ways in which they express those identities. It was extremely rewarding to see. What is your proudest moment, personally or professionally? My proudest moment was seeing my research published for the first time. To see that the work that I have been working on for three years get published and be in writing is a feeling like one that I have never felt before. If you could meet anyone dead or alive, who would it be any why? I would love to meet my great-grandfather who helped bring our family to this country and started our roots here in the United States. If you could choose anywhere in the world to travel, where would you go and why? I would go to Italy as that is where my family is from and I would love to see the town that we originate from. Tagged As Forum speaker Alexander Heffner to discuss Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age: The Quest for Post-Partisan Citizenship Flagler College Forum on Government and Public Policy will present a lecture by host of The Open Mind PBS podcast, Alexander Heffner, on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Virginia Room on the second floor of the Student Center. His presentation will dive into what Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age looks like in the divisive realm of modern politics and public affairs. More than 60 years after his grandfather, Richard D. Heffner, founded The Open Mind as a TV talk show in 1956, Heffner continues the broadcasts goal to elicit insights into the challenges Americans face in contemporary areas of national concern. As the longest-running public broadcast in the history of American television, The Open Mind is a thoughtful excursion into the world of ideas across politics, media, technology, the arts and all realms of civic life. On the podcast, Heffner talks with everyone from political leaders, journalists, scholars, and authors to internet innovators, scientists, media executives, and musicians. Heffner has also lectured on American culture, politics, and civic life at numerous museums, learning institutes, and universities. He is co-author of the book A Documentary History of the United States and recipient of the University of Denvers Anvil of Freedom Award, Franklin Pierce Universitys Fitzwater Medallion for Leadership in Public Communication, and Yale Universitys Poynter Fellowship in Journalism. Heffners written work has appeared in publications like USA TODAY, WIRED, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, NYT's Room for Debate, Boston Globe, and Philadelphia Inquirer. Flagler College Forum on Government and Public Policy has invited nationally recognized journalists and commentators to St. Augustine since 1998 to discuss issues of importance in regional, state, and federal government. Forums are free and open to the public. If you are a person with a disability and need reasonable accommodations, please contact Jamie Saul at 904-826-8716. Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request with a minimum of three days' notice. Call 904-826-8677 or visit www.flagler.edu/forum for more information. Tagged As On September 19, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Moncada on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The two sides agreed to take the first anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Nicaragua as an opportunity to elevate bilateral relations to a new level. Wang Yi said, President Xi Jinping and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have drawn a blueprint for bilateral relations since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations in December last year. Bilateral relations have seen rapid development and yielded fruitful "early harvests". Facts have proved that restoring diplomatic relations between China and Nicaragua fully conforms to the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples. China is firmly committed to developing its relationship with Nicaragua and supporting Nicaragua's efforts to safeguard its sovereignty, independence and national dignity and Nicaragua's independent choice of development path, and will continue to uphold justice on issues related to Nicaragua. China appreciates Nicaragua for its unwavering support for the one-China principle, and believes that Nicaragua will continue its support for China's just stance on issues related to China's core interests. The Chinese side is willing to strengthen cooperation with Nicaragua under the Belt and Road Initiative and the synergy of respective development strategies, so as to translate the political mutual trust into momentum for comprehensive cooperation. Noting that the arrangement for "early harvests" under a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) has been signed by the two sides, Wang Yi expressed the hope to reach an agreement as soon as possible on a comprehensive FTA, of which the negotiation process has already been initiated. China will continue to support Nicaragua in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic until the virus is completely defeated. Wang Yi said, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will convene its 20th National Congress next month. It will fully review China's major achievements made and valuable experience gained in China's reform and development endeavors, and formulate the next programs of action to meet China's new development goals and the new expectations of the people. The CPC and Nicaragua's ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front have similar governing ideas. We look forward to enhancing exchanges of experience in state governance between the two parties. Moncada said that the Nicaraguan side treasures its brotherly friendship with China, and will stick to the one-China principle and firmly support China defending independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Nicaragua wishes the 20th CPC National Congress a full success. Nicaragua is pleased to see the signing of the arrangement for "early harvests" under the bilateral FTA, and is looking forward to further strengthening the exchanges of governance experience between the two parties and two countries. Nicaragua is willing to deepen cooperation in various fields and develop a sound bilateral relationship. Moncada stressed that the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping are of utmost importance. The Nicaraguan side fully supports and is willing to take an active part in the initiatives, practice multilateralism and contribute to world peace, security and development. 02 Oct 2022 at 09:12hrs | 2174 Views ZIMBABWE'S diplomatic relations with Rwanda face a new test as it emerged a prominent Zanu-PF and anti-sanctions activist has launched a tirade against President Paul Kagame. Apart from denouncing the Rwandan leader on his digital platforms, Rutendo Matinyarare, the chairperson of Zimbabwe Anti-Sanctions Movement and founder of Zimbabweans Unite Against US War Sanctions, is accused of downplaying the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. The Zimbabwean activist is being accused of fomenting tensions among Rwandans whose country was torn apart during the genocide against the Tutsi in which the hardline Hutu government ruthlessly exterminated Rwandans on ethnic lines. One million people died in cold blood over a period of 100 days. This has disturbed officials at Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs ministry who are keen to strengthen relations with Rwanda, a key and strategic country that is lobbying for the removal of Western sanctions on Harare. Rwanda, the current chair of the Commonwealth, is also working to have Zimbabwe readmitted into the Anglophone grouping. What has further concerned those in the corridors of Munhumutapa Building is that Matinyarare is known to work with the ruling Zanu-PF and the government in lobbying against sanctions. His shadowy Zanu-PF-linked outfit has filed a High Court application in Johannesburg, South Africa, seeking the declaration of United States sanctions on Zimbabwe "unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid". "It's important for this guy to be restrained because the agenda he is promoting is dangerous," said one official based at Munhumutapa Building. "We all know that he works with the party and government so we can't allow him to foment tensions among the people of Rwanda. Rwanda is very sensitive to what he is doing." This is the second time that the warm relations between Harare and Kigali have been put under the spotlight after it was discovered early this year that the most wanted Rwandan genocidaire, Protais Mpiranya, had been harboured by Zimbabwe until his death. Mpiranya's remains were embarrassingly discovered by the United Nations at a grave in Harare's outskirts. Matinyarare, based in South Africa, is accusing Kagame of stoking the genocide against the Tutsi in which a million people were killed. In addition, Matinyarare is also portraying Kagame as a threat to peace and unity on the African continent. Surprisingly, on the same platforms, he praises and defends the Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ruling Zanu-PF and its senior officials. On his blog post, Matinyarare accuses Kagame of shooting down the plane carrying the then Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana so that "he could justify taking power by force". However, expert reports have concluded that the plane was hit by missiles fired from a camp occupied by Habyarimana's own presidential guard. This completely absolves Kagame and his Rwanda Patriotic Front soldiers from the plane attack. But writing on his anti-Rwanda platform, Matinyarare wrote: "Most Rwandans (300 000 Tutsis and 600 000 Hutus) murdered in the Rwandan genocide, were massacred by Kagame's RPF forces, to sell the story that he took up arms against a democratically elected government to stop a genocide." He repeated the claims this week on a broadcast interview he posted on his Twitter account. However, the sentiments incensed a multitude of people who questioned his knowledge of the genocide against the Tutsi and denounced him for being a genocide denier whose agenda is to stoke tension among Rwandans. Ironically, Matinyarare also disputes the number of people killed during the Gukurahundi genocide in the Matabeland and Midlands regions, arguing that there were 1 437 total deaths, 1 134 killed by the 5 Brigade, 116 by the regular army, 24 by the Central Intelligence Organisation, 29 by Zanu-PF youths and 110 killed by dissidents, apartheid terrorists and criminals. "Where do we get 20 000 dead?" Matinyarare queried on his Twitter handle on 23 September. On Rwanda, he castigates Kagame, saying "he is no Pan-Africanist, he is a dangerous tool of the west, no different to CIA agent Mobutu Sese Seko" Zimbabwe and Rwanda have so far signed an array of bilateral agreements aimed at enhancing trade and investment ties. Several companies from Zimbabwe are setting base in Rwanda whose economy is fast growing. Rwanda is also recruiting professionals from Zimbabwe to fill skill gaps in its economy. Create an adaptive, productive and resilient workforce The way we work and live is fast changing. Digital technology continues to accelerate and help organizations reimagine the way they operate. It is now time to shift and build a better workplace for our people, organizations and society. With FUJITSU Work Life Shift, you can empower creativity through smarter solutions, enabling collaboration and ultimately building a truly adaptive and trusted organization. Read More China RMB settlements with Belt and Road countries up in 2021 Xinhua) 15:22, October 05, 2022 BEIJING, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's RMB settlements with Belt and Road countries stood at 5.42 trillion yuan (763.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, up 19.6 percent year on year, according to the central bank. It accounted for 14.8 percent of China's total cross-border use of RMB in 2021, said a report released by the People's Bank of China. The RMB settlements climbed 14.7 percent in trade of goods and 43.4 percent in direct investment. By the end of 2021, China had signed bilateral currency swap agreements with 22 countries along the Belt and Road and established RMB clearing arrangements in eight countries along the Belt and Road. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) BRISBANE, Australia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allkem Limited (ASX|TSX: AKE, the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the resource extension drilling program currently underway at its Mt Cattlin spodumene operation in Western Australia. The drilling program consists of three phases as described below: Phase 1 drilling within the US$900 2NW pit shell converting resource to reserve (planned 49 holes, 11,120 metres). Underway ~77% complete. Phase 2 drilling to the north and down dip of the US$900 2NW pit shell to test resource extensions outside of the US$900 2NW pit (planned 80 holes, 19,125 metres) and within the US$1,100 pit shell. Underway ~55% complete. Phase 3 drilling in the SW of the mine tenements to test additional targets and prospects (18 holes, 2,440 metres). To be undertaken in late 2022/early 2023. HIGHLIGHTS Phase 1 drilling is targeting to convert 3.2Mt of Resource to Reserves. Intercepts within this pit include high grade zones with large thicknesses such as 12m at 2.46% Li 2 O and 15m at 1.91% Li 2 O Phase 2 drilling and assay results demonstrate resource extension potential to the north of the current pit with high grade intercepts in the lower pegmatite, including 9m at 2.98% Li 2 O and 7m at 1.86% Li 2 O and Phase 1 and 2 drilling at 2NW pit is on target for completion by end of October and a consultant has been engaged to immediately commence a study to convert mineral resources to Ore Reserves for scheduling, mine planning and detailed pit design Mt Cattlins Mineral Resource tonnage recently increased 21% to 13.3Mt @ 1.2% Li 2 O and 131 ppm Ta 2 O 5 INTERIM DRILLING RESULTS Allkem commenced a three-phase resource extension program in mid-April that targets 147 holes for approximately 32,685 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling. As of 14 September, 81 holes drilled for a total of 19,177 metres were complete and assay results for 47 drillholes were available. Highlights from the assays of the upper pegmatite include: Drillhole From(m) To(m) Thickness(m) Li 2 O% Ta 2 O 5 ppm NWRC186 81 89 8 1.41 105 NWRC204 87 95 8 1.59 128 NWRC211 79 91 12 2.46 53 NWRC212 86 101 15 1.91 72 NWRC238 89 105 16 1.73 92 NWRC241 99 112 13 1.51 115 All significant assays are tabulated in the appendix. Figure 1: Intercepts to the north of the US$1,100 whittle shell show potential for mineral resource expansion. Highlights from the lower pegmatite include: Drillhole From(m) To(m) Thickness(m) Li 2 0% Ta 2 O 5 ppm NWRC128 215 227 12 1.91 218 NWRC129 213 222 9 1.43 177 NWRC131 237 245 8 1.85 176 NWRC137 203 212 9 1.59 286 NWRC138A 239 249 10 1.69 247 NWRC147 191 201 10 1.16 128 NWRC154 189 199 10 1.01 124 NWRC156 202 211 9 1.39 434 NWRC158 220 229 9 0.98 73 NWRC164 192 201 9 0.76 36 NWRC175 228 239 11 2.15 126 NWRC176 232 243 11 0.97 175 NWRC179 179 191 12 1.66 608 NWRC186 181 193 12 1.35 93 NWRC188 209 221 12 1.34 99 NWRC190 216 228 12 1.66 261 NWRC191 216 226 10 1.94 171 NWRC192 229 239 10 2.08 378 NWRC197 204 216 12 1.32 79 NWRC200 232 241 9 2.98 414 NWRC202 246 257 11 1.01 483 NWRC203 166 177 11 1.92 164 NWRC242 221 231 10 1.76 281 Pegmatite mineralisation to this point generally aligns with the existing geological model and of those assays returned to date and lithia (Li 2 O) content is consistent with historic (pre-2022) assays in the North West pit area of Mt Cattlin. Given the tendency for pinch and swell in pegmatite mineralisation, definitive conclusions are not possible at this stage, however geological logging and assay results to date are highly encouraging. A typical cross section at northing 224160E (MGA 94) in Figure 1 shows ongoing thick pegmatite development down dip from the US$650 (Ore Reserve) pit shell and the USD 1,100 Whittle shell. All drill hole collars for assay results are presented in Figure 2 and Appendix: Table 1. Given the executed orientation of the drilling, assay intercepts reported are broadly true width. Figure 2: Drilling progress as of 14 September 2022 and location relative to USD 1,100 pit shell and current NW pit design and cut-back. Next steps The Phase 1 resource infill program at 2NW pit is on target for completion by the end of October and Perth based consultants Entech have been appointed to project manage an open pit, cut-back feasibility level study and execution. Planning is underway for follow-up reverse circulation and diamond drilling, for the purposes of extension, geotechnical and metallurgical studies. The study is anticipated to commence in October and aims to convert in-situ mineral resources (as announced on 25 August 2022) to Ore Reserves for scheduling, mine planning and detailed pit design in a NW pit. Additionally, a scoping study continues to evaluate the potential for either opencut or underground development of further resource extensions from Phase 2 drilling. On completion of the drilling at the NW pit, the focus will shift to Phase 3 and further definition in the SW part of the reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction (RPEEE) footprint and lead to programs that test pegmatite continuity in areas previously not included in resource and mineral resource modelling. These programs will continue towards the end of the year and extend onto exploration leases as conditions and permitting allows. This release was authorised by Mr Martin Perez de Solay, CEO and Managing Director of Allkem Limited. Allkem Limited ABN 31 112 589 910 Level 35, 71 Eagle St Brisbane, QLD 4000 Investor Relations & Media Enquiries Andrew Barber M: +61 418 783 701 E: Andrew.Barber@allkem.co Phoebe Lee P: +61 7 3064 3600 E: Phoebe.Lee@allkem.co Connect info@allkem.co +61 7 3064 3600 www.allkem.co IMPORTANT NOTICES This investor ASX/TSX release (Release) has been prepared by Allkem Limited (ACN 112 589 910) (the Company or Allkem). It contains general information about the Company as at the date of this Release. The information in this Release should not be considered to be comprehensive or to comprise all of the material which a shareholder or potential investor in the Company may require in order to determine whether to deal in Shares of Allkem. The information in this Release is of a general nature only and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with the Companys periodic and continuous disclosure announcements which are available at allkem.co and with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) announcements, which are available at www.asx.com.au. This Release does not take into account the financial situation, investment objectives, tax situation or particular needs of any person and nothing contained in this Release constitutes investment, legal, tax, accounting or other advice, nor does it contain all the information which would be required in a disclosure document or prospectus prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act). Readers or recipients of this Release should, before making any decisions in relation to their investment or potential investment in the Company, consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own individual investment objectives and financial situation and seek their own professional investment, legal, taxation and accounting advice appropriate to their particular circumstances. This Release does not constitute or form part of any offer, invitation, solicitation or recommendation to acquire, purchase, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, or issue, any Shares or any other financial product. Further, this Release does not constitute financial product, investment advice (nor tax, accounting or legal advice) or recommendation, nor shall it or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or investment decision. The distribution of this Release in other jurisdictions outside Australia may also be restricted by law and any restrictions should be observed. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. Past performance information given in this Release is given for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as (and is not) an indication of future performance. Forward Looking Statements Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation; the risks associated with the continued implementation of the merger between the Company and Galaxy Resources Ltd, risks that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of the Companys projects; fluctuations or decreases in commodity prices; uncertainty in the estimation, economic viability, recoverability and processing of mineral resources; risks associated with development of the Company Projects; unexpected capital or operating cost increases; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones at the Companys Projects; risks associated with investment in publicly listed companies, such as the Company; and risks associated with general economic conditions. Subject to any continuing obligation under applicable law or relevant listing rules of the ASX, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this Release to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Nothing in this Release shall under any circumstances (including by reason of this Release remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other Release or publication with respect to the subject matter of this Release), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date of this Release. Competent Person Statement The information in this announcement that relates to Exploration Results and Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Albert Thamm, B.Sc. (Hons)., M.Sc. F.Aus.IMM, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Albert Thamm is a full-time employee of Galaxy Resources Pty. Limited. Albert Thamm has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Albert Thamm consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Any information in this announcement that relates to Mt Cattlins Mineral Resources and Reserves is extracted from the report entitled Mt Cattlin Resource, Reserve and Operations Update released on 25 August 2022 which is available to view on www.allkem.co and www.asx.com.au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcements and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the Mineral Resources estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. Not for release or distribution in the United States This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to U.S. wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this announcement or anything attached to this announcement shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or exempt from, or not subject to, the registration of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and applicable U.S. state securities laws. APPENDIX 1 DRILL HOLE INFORMATION AND ASSAY RESULTS Table 1: Drill hole collar and orientation as surveyed Hole ID TYPE MGA94 Z51 East MGA94 Z51 North RL Depth Dip MGA94 Z51 Azimuth NWRC116 RC 223758 6282275 269 255 -70 180 NWRC117 RC 223761 6282420 270 300 -56 180 NWRC118 RC 223759 6282450 270 285 -69 181 NWRC120 RC 223796 6282216 269 209 -70 180 NWRC121 RC 223799 6282279 269 250 -71 180 NWRC122 RC 223800 6282430 270 270 -63 180 NWRC123 RC 223796 6282471 270 270 -73 180 NWRC125 RC 223832 6282239 268 236 -70 180 NWRC126 RC 223835 6282278 268 235 -70 180 NWRC128 RC 223850 6282375 271 250 -70 180 NWRC129 RC 223839 6282415 270 260 -67 180 NWRC130 RC 223840 6282440 270 260 -70 180 NWRC131 RC 223840 6282471 270 260 -72 180 NWRC132 RC 223841 6282520 270 260 -88 182 NWRC134 RC 223828 6282657 269 290 -76 175 NWRC137 RC 223881 6282375 270 252 -87 180 NWRC138A RC 223884 6282478 270 260 -71 184 NWRC142 RC 223878 6282650 267 285 -76 181 NWRC147 RC 223920 6282378 269 228 -77 180 NWRC148 RC 223919 6282441 270 180 -80 180 NWRC149 RC 223915 6282485 270 218 -70 180 NWRC151 RC 223916 6282639 268 270 -71 180 NWRC153 RC 223979 6282241 266 205 -70 180 NWRC154 RC 223972 6282320 268 205 -70 191 NWRC155 RC 223969 6282360 269 215 -70 188 NWRC156 RC 223968 6282400 269 225 -70 188 NWRC157 RC 223964 6282440 270 240 -69 184 NWRC158 RC 223964 6282480 270 240 -70 184 NWRC162 RC 223956 6282676 266 265 -70 180 NWRC164 RC 224006 6282400 270 350 -70 183 NWRC165 RC 224005 6282440 270 234 -70 184 NWRC166 RC 224005 6282480 270 168 -70 184 NWRC167 RC 224018 6282548 270 228 -72 195 NWRC168 RC 224022 6282587 269 255 -73 197 NWRC170 RC 223997 6282678 267 228 -70 180 NWRC171 RC 223998 6282718 264 275 -70 180 NWRC172 RC 224060 6282362 255 195 -80 218 NWRC174 RC 224040 6282561 269 246 -71 180 NWRC175 RC 224038 6282602 269 250 -70 180 NWRC176 RC 224035 6282638 268 255 -69 180 NWRC179 RC 224080 6282435 255 210 -71 180 NWRC181 RC 224076 6282559 269 235 -70 180 NWRC182 RC 224078 6282603 268 210 -70 180 NWRC186 RC 224120 6282436 255 210 -70 180 NWRC188 RC 224119 6282520 269 225 -71 180 NWRC189 RC 224114 6282599 268 234 -71 174 NWRC190 RC 224111 6282633 268 240 -72 171 NWRC191 RC 224137 6282669 265 250 -70 180 NWRC192 RC 224121 6282719 264 255 -70 180 NWRC195 RC 224142 6282517 262 230 -71 168 NWRC196 RC 224159 6282562 262 235 -70 180 NWRC197 RC 224160 6282602 267 234 -70 180 NWRC198 RC 224160 6282640 265 246 -82 180 NWRC199 RC 224160 6282662 265 71 -70 180 NWRC200 RC 224159 6282758 264 270 -70 180 NWRC201 RC 224159 6282798 264 275 -70 180 NWRC202 RC 224167 6282838 264 285 -70 187 NWRC203 RC 224201 6282395 255 186 -70 180 NWRC204 RC 224200 6282434 255 192 -70 180 NWRC205 RC 224195 6282477 262 215 -70 180 NWRC207 RC 224196 6282650 266 246 -63 181 NWRC208 RC 224200 6282717 262 245 -70 180 NWRC209 RC 224193 6282773 264 264 -67 176 NWRC210 RC 224198 6282798 264 264 -70 180 NWRC211 RC 224240 6282394 255 186 -70 180 NWRC212 RC 224241 6282435 255 186 -70 180 NWRC213 RC 224234 6282477 262 220 -71 180 NWRC214 RC 224237 6282519 262 153 -70 180 NWRC215 RC 224241 6282557 262 230 -69 180 NWRC216 RC 224240 6282599 264 224 -70 180 NWRC219 RC 224231 6282743 260 260 -70 180 NWRC220 RC 224239 6282757 259 250 -70 180 NWRC224 RC 224304 6282656 246 225 -61 194 NWRC225 RC 224305 6282672 247 235 -70 204 NWRC227 RC 224282 6282794 255 260 -61 180 NWRC233 RC 224313 6282674 247 225 -68 173 NWRC234 RC 224321 6282714 249 220 -83 180 NWRC238 RC 224360 6282547 235 300 -73 180 NWRC240 RC 224360 6282753 249 220 -62 180 NWRC241 RC 224400 6282628 235 144 -86 180 NWRC242 RC 224159 6282702 264 250 -75 180 All significant intercepts with a minimum cut-off 0.4% Li 2 O%; minimum 4m interval; maximum 2m of internal waste are presented separately in Tables 2 and 3 below. Table 2: Significant intercepts - upper pegmatite body (61) Drillhole From (m) To (m) Metres Li 2 O% Ta 2 O 5 ppm Pegmatite Body NWRC128 157 161 4 1.27 78 61 NWRC131 183 188 5 0.96 100 61 NWRC147 130 136 6 0.82 85 61 NWRC154 115 120 5 1.28 146 61 NWRC155 121 125 4 1.59 57 61 NWRC156 138 142 4 1.14 107 61 NWRC157 146 150 4 0.9 158 61 NWRC164 118 122 4 1.3 83 61 NWRC172 75 82 7 1.54 93 61 NWRC174 150 155 5 0.93 38 61 NWRC175 162 166 4 0.86 77 61 NWRC179 83 88 5 1.74 182 61 NWRC186 81 89 8 1.41 105 61 NWRC188 122 126 4 1.5 73 61 NWRC190 138 142 4 0.97 110 61 NWRC200 185 192 7 1.12 31 61 NWRC201 194 200 6 1.39 352 61 NWRC203 77 82 5 1.11 94 61 NWRC204 87 95 8 1.59 128 61 NWRC211 79 91 12 2.46 53 61 NWRC212 86 101 15 1.91 72 61 NWRC216 129 133 4 0.47 113 61 NWRC238 89 105 16 1.73 92 61 NWRC241 99 112 13 1.51 115 61 Table 3: Significant intercepts - lower pegmatite body (62). Minimum cut-off 0.4% Li 2 O%; minimum 4m interval; maximum 2m of internal waste Drillhole From (m) To (m) Metres Li 2 O% Ta 2 O 5 ppm Pegmatite Body NWRC122 236 240 4 0.95 77 62 NWRC123 249 253 4 1.33 77 62 NWRC128 215 227 12 1.91 218 62 NWRC129 213 222 9 1.43 177 62 NWRC131 237 245 8 1.85 176 62 NWRC137 203 212 9 1.59 286 62 NWRC138A 239 249 10 1.69 247 62 NWRC147 191 201 10 1.16 128 62 NWRC153 161 166 5 0.81 148 62 NWRC154 189 199 10 1.01 124 62 NWRC155 191 197 6 0.45 126 62 NWRC156 202 211 9 1.39 434 62 NWRC158 220 229 9 0.98 73 62 NWRC164 192 201 9 0.76 36 62 NWRC172 168 174 6 0.88 143 62 NWRC175 228 239 11 2.15 126 62 NWRC176 232 243 11 0.97 175 62 NWRC179 179 191 12 1.66 608 62 NWRC186 181 193 12 1.35 93 62 NWRC188 209 221 12 1.34 99 62 NWRC189 214 218 4 1.55 80 62 NWRC190 216 228 12 1.66 261 62 NWRC191 216 226 10 1.94 171 62 NWRC192 229 239 10 2.08 378 62 NWRC197 204 216 12 1.32 79 62 NWRC200 232 241 9 2.98 414 62 NWRC201 243 250 7 1.86 457 62 NWRC202 246 257 11 1.01 483 62 NWRC203 166 177 11 1.92 164 62 NWRC209 241 245 4 0.93 133 62 NWRC211 173 177 4 0.61 103 62 NWRC216 214 218 4 0.47 85 62 NWRC242 221 231 10 1.76 281 62 APPENDIX 2 RESOURCE AND RESERVE TABLES Mt Cattlin Mineral Resource at 30 June 2022 Category Tonnage Grade Grade Contained metal Contained metal Net Variance to 2021 Statement Mt % Li2O ppm Ta2O5 (000) t Li2O lbs Ta2O5 % Measured In-situ - - - - - -100 % Indicated In-situ 4.5 1.3 135 59 1,339,000 -6 % Stockpiles 2.4 0.8 122 19 646,000 -20 % Inferred In-situ 6.4 1.3 131 83 1,850,000 121 % Total 13.3 1.2 131 161 3,835,000 21 % Notes: Reported at cut-off grade of 0.4% Li 2 O contained within a pit shell generated at a spodumene price of USD1,100 at 6% Li 2 0. The preceding statements of Mineral Resources conforms to the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2012 edition. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes. Excludes mineralisation classified as oxide and transitional. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures. RPEEE is defined as reasonable prospects for eventual economic evaluation. Mt Cattlin Ore Reserve at 30 June 2022 Category Tonnage Mt Grade % Li2O Grade ppm Ta2O5 Contained metal (000) t Li2O Contained metal lbs Ta2O5 Variance to 2021 % Proven - - - - - % -100 % Probable 2NW only 3.3 1.12 105 37.0 764,000 -30 % Stockpiles 2.4 0.80 122 19.0 646,000 -20 % Total 5.8 0.98 113 56.0 1,410,000 -28 % Notes: Reported at cut-off grade of 0.4% Li 2 O within current mine design. The preceding statements of Ore Reserves conforms to the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2012 edition. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes. Reported with 17% dilution and 93% mining recovery. Revenue factor US$650/tonne applied. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures. APPENDIX 3 JORC 2012 TABLE 1 DISCLOSURE Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data MT CATTLIN LITHIUM PROJECT SAMPLING AND DATA Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels, random chips, or specific specialized industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc.). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralization that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g. reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverized to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralization types (e.g. submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Pre-2017 Mt Catlin mineralization was sampled using a mixture of Diamond (DD) Reverse Circulation drill holes (RC), rotary Air Blast (RAB) and Open Hole (OH). In the north zone drilling is a 40mE x 40mN spacing and infilled to 20mE to 25mE x 20mN to 20mN in the central zone. In the south the drilling is on a 40mE x 80mN pattern. Drill holes were drilled vertical to intersect true thickness of the spodumene mineralization. A total of 39 DD holes for 1,528.56m, 986 RC holes for 48,763m, 59 OH holes for 1,999m and 23 RAB for 402m had been completed before 2017. The drill-hole collars were surveyed by professional survey contractors. A total of 71 drill holes were surveyed by Surtron Technologies Australia of Welshpool in 2010. Sampling was carried out under Galaxy Resources QAQC protocols and as per industry best practice. RC sample returns were closely monitored, managed and recorded. Drill samples were logged for lithology and SG measurements. Diamond HQ and PQ core was quarter-cored to sample lengths relating to the geological boundaries, but not exceeding 1m on average. RC samples were composited from 1m drill samples split using a two-stage riffle splitter 25/75 to obtain 2kg to 4kg of sample for sample preparation. All samples were dried, crushed, pulverized and split to produce a 3.5kg and then 200g sub-sample for analysis For Li (method AAS40Q), for Ta, Nb and Sn (method XRF78O) and in some cases for SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Cr2O3, Fe2O3, K2O3, MgO, MnO, P2O5, SO3, TiO2 and V2O5 were analysed by XRF78O. Entire drill-hole lengths were submitted for assay. Drilling 2017-8 From 1m of drilling and sampling, two 12.5% splits are taken by a static cone splitter in calico drawstring bags. This obtains two 2kg to 4kg samples with one being retained as an archive sample and the other submitted for assay, where required an archive bag is used as the duplicate sample. A 4.5-inch diameter rod string is used and the cyclone is cleaned at the end of every 6m rod as caking occurs from the mandatory use of dust suppression equipment. Drilling November 2018 2021 Subsequent to 2018 update, 5,912m (41 holes)m of new reverse circulation (RC) and 273.65 of diamond tails (2 holes) has been completed (excluding metallurgical and geotechnical) has taken place. From 1m of drilling and sampling, two 12.5% splits are taken by a static cone splitter in calico drawstring bags. This obtains two 2kg to 4kg samples with one being retained as an archive sample and the other submitted for assay, where required an archive bag is used as the duplicate sample. A 4.5-inch diameter rod string is used and the cyclone is cleaned at the end of every 6m rod as caking occurs from the mandatory use of dust suppression equipment. Drilling April 2022 onwards A total of 81 holes drilled for a total of 19,177 metres and 47 holes remaining planned for a total remaining of 11,155 metres as of 14 September, 2022. Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details (e.g. core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc.). RC drilling hammer diameter was generally 4 & 5/8 inches in early exploration, from 2009 and 2010 the bit diameter was 5 inches. RC 2017 - 2020 5.25-inch face sampling hammer, reverse circulation, truck mounted or tracked drilling rigs, Three Rivers Drilling, Castle Drilling. Diamond core is generally RC from surface, and either PQ size tails in weathered rock and narrowed to HQ in fresh rock (standard tubing). Core was not oriented as the disseminated and weathered nature of the mineralization does not warrant or allow it. Diamond core is typically for metallurgical test-work. Precollars drilled short of mineralisation. RC 2021 A 5.25-inch face sampling hammer, used in reverse circulation. ASX (Australian Surface Exploration) drillers used for RC (including pre-collars). Diamond 2021: Wizard Drilling utilised for diamond drilling from surface. HQ size Metallurgical and geotechnical diamond drilling (standard tubing). Two Metallurgical holes were diamond tails from approximately 70m to 80m. Four Geotechnical holes were diamond from surface and two tails from 50-60m depth. RC 2022 PXD, RC drilling, 5 1/3 inch, face sampling hammer. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc.) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. All DD, RC and OH (PC) and RAB intervals were geologically logged (where applicable); RQD (DD only), interval weights, recovery, lithology, mineralogy and weathering were recorded in the database. The DD core was oriented using the Ezy-Mark tool and after 2019 using the Reflex ACT electronic orientation tool. Geological logging was qualitative. Recording of interval weights, recovery and RQD was quantitative. All DD core was photographed and representative 1m samples of RC and OH (PC) chips were collected in chip trays for future reference and photographed. All drill holes were logged in full. 2017-2022 logging All drill holes are logged and validated via LogChief/DataShed systems. Stored in MS SQL server database. Assays, standards and control limits are monitored after loading of each batch and reports supplied on demand. All drill holes are logged in full. Different Lithium bearing mineral species and crystal sizes are logged in detail. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Pre-2016 sampling All fresh rock DD core was quarter-cored using a stand mounted brick saw. Soft, weathered DD core was also sampled quarter-core, using a knife and scoop where applicable and practical. RC samples were collected using a two stage riffle splitter. All samples were dry or dried prior to riffle-splitting. All 2kg 1m drill samples were sent to SGS, dried, crushed, pulverized and split to approximately -75 to produce a sample less than 3.5kg sub-sample for analysis. Sampling was carried out under Galaxy Resources QAQC protocols and as per industry best practice. Duplicate, blank and standard reference samples were inserted into the sample stream at random, but averaging no less than 1 blank and standard in every 25 samples. Samples were selected periodically and screened to ensure pulps are pulverized to the required specifications. Duplicate quarter-core samples were taken from DD core at random for testing averaging one in every 25 samples. Duplicate riffle-split RC samples were taken at random, but averaging one every approximately 25 samples. The sample sizes are appropriate to the style, thickness and consistency of the mineralization at Mt Catlin. Drilling 2016 (SGS) Core was halved by saw and sample lengths typically 0.5m in length. Sample preparation involved crushing followed by splitting of sample if sample greater than 3 kg using a riffle splitter (SPL26), Dry sample, crush to 6mm, pulverise to 75m (PRP88) in a LM5 Mill. Drilling 2017-2021 Diamond drilling was typically sawn half core with whole core used for metallurgical test work. Intertek (2017-8) Samples are sorted and weighed. Samples >3kg are riffle split and milled in LM5 to obtain 85% passing 75 Microns. A 400g pulp is taken and a nominal 0.25g sub-sample is fused with sodium peroxide. Nagrom: 2018-2021 RC chips are dried to 105C, crushed to nominal top-size of 2 mm in a Terminator Jaw crusher using method CRU01. Pulverised up to 3 kg in a LM5 pulveriser mill at 80% or better passing 75m, using method PUL01. If the sample is greater than 3 kg, the sample is dried, and split with rotary splitter before analysis, Diamond core is dried, crushed in a Terminator Jaw crusher to top size 6.3 mm, and pulverised in a LM5 mill up to 2.5 kg using method CRU01. If the sample is greater than 2.5 kg, the sample is riffle split after drying to reduce the sample size. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc., the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established. Pre-2016 QAQC All samples were dried, crushed, pulverized and split to produce a 3.5kg and then 200g sub-sample for analysis For Li (method AAS40Q), for Ta, Nb and Sn (method XRF78O) and in some cases for SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Cr2O3, Fe2O3, K2O3, MgO, MnO, P2O5, SO3, TiO2 and V2O5 were analysed by XRF78O. This process involves fusing the sample in a platinum crucible using lithium metaborate/tetraborate flux. For Cs, Rb, Ga, Be and Nb from time to time analysis was by IMS40Q DIG40Q to ICPMS end. Duplicate, blank and certified reference samples were inserted into the sample stream at random, but averaging one every ~25 samples.Galaxy Resources utilized certified Lithium standards produced in China and one from SGS in Australia, STD-TAN1. Inter-laboratory checking of analytical outcomes was routinely undertaken to ensure continued accuracy and precision by the preferred laboratory. Samples were selected periodically and screened by the laboratory to ensure pulps are pulverized to the required specifications. All QAQC data is stored in the Mt Catlin database and regular studies were undertaken to ensure sample analysis was kept within acceptable levels of accuracy; the studies confirmed that accuracy and precision are within industry standard accepted limits. Umpire analysis performed on pulps at Genalysis and Ultratrace Perth. 2016-QAQC In 2016 Perth SGS were used for a small 6 hole diamond program by General Mining. Samples were digested using a sodium peroxide fusion digest, method DIG90Q and the resultant solution from the digest was then presented to an ICP-MS for the quantification of Li2O, using method IMS40Q. The majority of standards submitted performed within expected ranges with a positive bias observed for two standards. 2017 - 2021 QAQC Samples (including QA/QC samples) were processed by Intertek PLC, Perth laboratory in 2017 and 2018, by utilised method FP1 digest (Peroxide Fusion complete), MS analytical finish, 22 elements, Li2O detection limit 0.03% Ta2O5 detection limit, 0.2 ppm. Monthly review of QA/QC, which includes blanks, field duplicates, high grade standards and CRM (certified reference materials) and SRM (standard reference materials). FS_ICPMS is a Laboratory Method FP1/MS (mass spectrometry) used to analyze for Cs, Nb, Rb, Ta,Th, and U . FS/ICPES (inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy) is Laboratory method FP1/OE used to analyze Al, Fe, K, Li, and Si. Reports include calculated values of oxides for all elements. RC samples and diamond (including QA/QC samples) have been processed by Nagrom Perth, Perth Western Australia. Methods utilised from Lithium and Tantalum are ICP004 and ICP005 (Peroxide Fusion complete). ICP005 utilises tungsten carbide bowl to reduce iron contamination at exploration and resource development stages (detection limit of 10ppm and 1ppm for Li2O and Ta respectively) Monthly review of QA/QC, which includes blanks, field duplicates, high grade standards and CRM (certified reference materials) ) and SRM (standard reference materials).. All sampling has rigorous QAQC in terms of reference sampling as well as blank and standards introduced into the sample steam. Duplicate field samples show some evidence of high nugget effect. Typically, duplicate pairs plot within acceptable limits. Field duplicates have been submitted at a rate of 1 per 20.5 samples. Standards ASM0343, ASM0340 AMIS0339, OREAS147, OREAS148 and OREAS149. Standards reported only one result outside three standard deviations from 533 assays for Lithium. The vast majority of Tantalum standards reported within three standard deviations. Corse blanks have shown no evidence of systematic contamination from 2016-2021 with results consistently low. 2022 Drilling: Lithium by Peroxide Fusion in Ni crucible with OES at both Intertek and Nagrom. Tantalum by Peroxide Fusion in Ni crucible with MS at Nagrom and Intertek or by XRF at Nagrom. Review of QA/QC, which includes blanks, field duplicates, high grade standards and CRM (certified reference materials) ) and SRM (standard reference materials) are conducted as assays are returned. All sampling has rigorous QAQC in terms of reference sampling as well as blank and standards introduced into the sample steam. Duplicate field samples show some evidence of high nugget effect. Typically, duplicate pairs plot within acceptable limits. Field duplicates have been submitted at a rate of 1 per 20.1 samples. Standards AMIS0339, AMIS0340, OREAS147, OREAS148, OREAS750 and OREAS751. Standards are submitted at a rate of 1 per 25 samples and Blanks after/within high grade zones at a target rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Pre-2018 Verification An external geological consultant and GXY staff have visually assessed and verified significant intersections of core and RC and PC chips. Several core holes were compared to neighboring RC and PC drill holes. The geological logging of the DD holes supports the interpreted geological and mineralization domains. Studies on assays results from twinned holes showed a close correlation of geology and assays. Primary data is recorded by hand in the field and entered Excel spread sheets with in-built validation settings and look-up codes. Scans of field data sheets and digital data entry spread sheets are handled on site at Galaxy. Data collection and entry procedures are documented and training given to all staff. QAQC checks of assays by Galaxy identified several standards out of control, these were subsequently reviewed and results rectified. No clear and consistent biases were defined by Galaxy during the further investigations into QAQC performances although deviations were noted by Galaxy. 2017-8 Verification CP independently verified drilling, sampling, assay and results from validated, externally maintained and stored database. No adjustments to assay data other than conversion from Li to Li20 and Ta to Ta2O5. 2018 - 2021 Verification The CP independently verified drilling, sampling, assay and results from validated, externally maintained and stored database. No adjustments to assay data other than conversion from Li to Li20 and Ta to Ta2O5. Primary data capture by Maxwell LogChief and management by Maxwell DataShed. Assay data loaded directly from Laboratory supplied .csv files as are downhole and collar surveys. An independent data verification was completed as part of a 2021 Ni-43-101 filing by then then competent person. The CP has verified the drill collar, assay and assay QAQC data. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a license to operate in the area. Mining Lease M74/244 was amalgamated and awarded on 04/08/2009 and is valid until 23/12/2030 and covers 1830 Ha. The project is subject to normal projects approvals processes as regulated by the WA Department of Mines, Industry and Regulation. The tenement is subject to the Standard Noongar Heritage agreement as executed 7 February 2018. The underlying land is a mixture of freehold property owned by Galaxy and vacant Crown land. The property Freehold title is held by Galaxy Resources or its child subsidiaries. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. During the 1960s WMC carried out an extensive drilling program to define the extent of t local spodumene bearing pegmatite. The WMC work led onto a further investigation into project feasibility. In 1989 Pancontinental Mining, Limited drilled 101 RC drill holes. In 1990 Pancontinental drilled a further 21 RC drill holes. In 1997 Greenstone Resources drilled 3 diamond holes and 38 RC holes, undertook soil sampling and metallurgical test work on bulk samples from the mine area. Haddington Resources Ltd in 2001 drilled 9 diamond holes for metallurgical test work and undertook further sterilization drilling. Galaxy acquired the M72/12 mining tenement from Sons of Gwalia administrators in 2006. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralization. The Mount Catlin Project lies within the Ravensthorpe Suite, with host rocks comprising both the Annabelle Volcanics to the west, and the Manyutup Tonalite to the east. The contact between these rock types extends through the Project area. The Annabelle Volcanics at Mt Cattlin consist of intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks, comprising both pyroclastic material and lavas. The pegmatites which comprise the orebodies occurs as a series of sub-horizontal sills, hosted by both volcanic and intrusive rocks, interpreted as a series of westward verging thrusts. Typical coarse grained spodumene (grey-green colour) from the NW pegmatite shown below. The NW pit pegmatites extend from near surface sub-crop to vertical depths of 250-300m and further down dip extensions are interpolated form 2D seismic data generated by previous owners. The pegmatites remain open down dip. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level elevation above sea level in meters) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. Pre-2017 drilling reported 4 August 2015 by subsidiary GMM (ASX:GMM). Last prior resource and update was August 2022. 2019-2021 drill collars New resource development collar information is presented in Table 1 above. Holes are generally steeply inclined between -80 to -70 degrees to determine true width or due to infrastructure. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (e.g. cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Pre-2017 Data Where higher grade zones internal to broader intervals of lower grade mineralization were reported, these were noted as included intervals and italicized. 2019-2021 Drilling New results are reported to a 0.4% cut-of grade (below), minimum 4m width, maximum 1m internal dilution. Only drillholes incorporated into the resource model are reported. 2022 Drilling Minimum cut-off 0.4% Li 2 O; minimum 4m interval; maximum 2m of internal waste. No metal equivalent values are used. Relationship between mineralization widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralization with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). All intersection grades have been reported previously as length weighted average grades using a 0.4% Li 2 O lower grade cut-off except where stated. Intersections were calculated allowing a maximum of 2m of internal dilution with no top-cut applied. Cutting of high grades is not required due to nature of the mineralization and grade distribution/estimation. The Mt Cattlin lithium and tantalum mineralization occurs as a thick horizontal to gently dipping pegmatite and generally lies 30 to 200m below the current topographic surface resulting in drill intercepts nearing true widths. 2022 reported intersections are true widths. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Diagrams, both plan and section, are included in the text above. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. 2022 - All significant intersections above 0.4% Li 2 O have are reported. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk sample size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Fe2O3 is modelled with Li and Ta to determine the effect of deleterious chemistry and mineralogy at or near pegmatite contacts and rafts of surrounding country rock with pegmatite. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Development and extraction of the NW Pit Mineral Resource and Reserve. Ongoing resource development drilling. New geotechnical and metallurgical test work drilling. Resource extension drilling to the SW. Resource update is expected in Q1, 2023 with study work to start Q4, 2022. Graphics accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e6a4b0dc-668b-4a68-ab2a-16f1900fec8c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b561eb58-bb52-46cc-8e33-be7ad6f9e1ea BATESVILLE, Ind., Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trinity Guardion, Inc. has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its innovative Soteria Bed Barrier that re-engineers the way healthcare facilities protect patient mattresses from soiling. The Soteria Bed Barrier is the first-of-its-kind launderable and reusable healthcare bed barrier that provides a protective physical barrier to protect the bed and mattress from patient soiling, helping to reduce contamination during use. Designed for acute and long-term care beds and stretchers, it fits securely over the mattress and bed deck and attaches to the bed frame without disrupting bed and mattress performance during patient care. More than a mattress cover, the Soteria Bed Barrier defines a new category for surface protection between mattress and patient. Its innovative and patented features, including a proprietary laundry process that allows for reuse after laundering, was cleared with the assignment of a unique FDA product code (QTV). The Soteria Bed Barrier is classified as a Level 3 barrier per AAMI Standard PB70; this is similar to other protective equipment such as protective apparel and drapes intended for use in healthcare facilities. The Soteria proprietary surface formulation allows for laundering that meets AMMI TIR 12 acceptance criteria for high-level disinfection plus spore removal (99.9999%) using a rigorous commercial healthcare laundry method. Soteria meets CDC Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities, specifically Section G. The Soteria Bed Barrier is validated for 150 laundry cycles and is both RFID-chipped and barcoded to enable tracking of laundry cycles and inventory management. "Advances in the cleaning of high-touch surfaces like mattresses have become a fundamental necessity," said infectious disease physician Ardis Hoven, M.D., a Trinity Guardion board member and former president of the American Medical Association. "The Soteria Bed Barrier helps protect the mattress and bed deck from patient soiling and will become an essential contributor in a culture of safety." "Because mattresses are soft, porous surfaces to reduce skin injuries, they are very difficult and time-consuming to clean and disinfect," added Edmond Hooker, M.D., epidemiology DrPH and Trinity Guardion advisor. "The Soteria Bed Barrier and its laundry process are important innovations offering bed protection that is both clinically and economically beneficial." Bruce Rippe, Trinity Guardion CEO, commented on the FDA clearance and Soteria commercialization. "We are so pleased the FDA has recognized that the Soteria innovation defines a new product category, setting a new performance standard. We are honored to become a solution that helps facilities by reducing mattress exposure to patient soiling." The YouTube video link demonstrates the Soteria protection barrier. Addressing Mattress Safety Over the last decade, there has been increasing discussion and evaluation of mattress soiling during patient use. The following links provide some of the official perspective. Soteria is designed to help address these concerns. The CDC addressed hospital surface-area safety, including bedrails in 2020: https://www.cdc.gov/hai/prevent/environment/surfaces.html. CDC provides guidance on routine mattress maintenance and between-patient decontamination procedures to minimize potential risks to patient: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/environmental/background/laundry.html. The ECRI Institute's 2019 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards report lists mattresses as the #2 hazard: https://www.ecri.org/Resources/Whitepapers_and_reports/Haz_19.pdf. report lists mattresses as the #2 hazard: https://www.ecri.org/Resources/Whitepapers_and_reports/Haz_19.pdf. Following its 2013 safety advisory, the FDA issued a poster "Keeping Patients Safe from Contaminated Mattresses" in 2017: https://www.fda.gov/media/109132/download. About Trinity Guardion Trinity Guardion Soteria Bed Barrier is re-engineering clean for patient surfaces. Trinity Guardion is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana. For more information, visit https://trinityguardion.com/. Contact Information: Mary Ellen Rippe Marketing/Communications Manager merippe@trinityguardion.com 513-519-9936 Related Images Image 1: Logo Image 2: Soteria Bed Barrier on Hospital Bed This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment CAMPBELL, Calif., Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RICOH360 Tours, a service of RICOH Company Ltd, the only truly complete and affordable 360 virtual tour solution under one global brand, has announced a string of new professional AI generated content for real estate. The latest allows for multi brand banners at tour level. RICOH360 Tours which has delivered more than 13,000,000 virtual tours to help real estate agents sell and rent $billions in residential and commercial listings is seeking to accelerate the adoption of professional real estate photographers to its virtual tour platform. From the vast amount of visual data accumulated since the launch of the RICOH THETA cameras in 2013, Ricohs Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology creates rich content that buyers and sellers value most highly as property listing content in the home search process. Research by the National Association of REALTORS shows increasingly every year that nearly 60% to 70% of buyers and sellers have come to expect virtual tours and floor plans as part of their online home search journey. Mostly on average only 17% of listing on the top real estate websites incorporate a floor plan and 6% a virtual tour. With professional real estate photographers accessing RICOH360 Tours platform for such offerings as unlimited active tours with unlimited images for one-time fixed pricing, virtual staging, floor plan generation, engaging 360 walkthrough videos and 2D photo cropping delivered through powerful patented AI technology, said Director of Data Services Yasuo Nishiyama. Real estate photographers will complete more jobs in less time and become more profitable doing so. RICOH360 Tours all-in-one marketing solution provides some of the richest contents for property seekers which has proven time after time again the best way to drive sales for both residential and commercial brokerages, and agents. RICOH360 Tours click here: About RICOH360 Tours RICOH360 Tours is the official virtual tour platform of the RICOH THETA camera. A game changing technology that supports the sales and marketing operations of real estate agents, brokerages, photographers & other industries as a cloud-based software that allows anyone from anywhere to virtually view spaces online without having to visit the site. With a RICOH THETA camera and mobile app, anyone can easily create and publish a virtual tour to a real-estate marketplace or MLS in minutes. There is no limit to the number of virtual tours you can publish and the number of images you can insert in a tour. Furthermore, customers can use AI image enhancement, AI Video Maker, AI Virtual staging beta and Floor Plan Generator, which use Ricoh's original AI technology, and are available for all plans, making it easy to create professional content. About Ricoh Data Service Business Ricoh is the leader in the development of high-quality immersive 360 cameras and platforms for prosumers and professionals to easily capture and share 360 views of physical spaces from a mobile app in minutes. Ricoh creates intuitive solutions that require no professional, technical or photography experience to create immersive digitized photo-realistic views of a physical environment. Contact: RICOH360 Tours info@ricoh360.com Ph: +1 650.496.572 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/38699252-fb61-46a1-bec8-6461d253debb KOSICE, SLOVAKIA, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- During the European hydrogen week, the Technical University in Kosice welcomed an initial working meeting aimed at presenting the vision of a regional hub of European importance Hydrogen Aviation Valley Kosice. The organizers of the event and the main partners of the initiative led by the Faculty of Aeronautics of the Technical University in Kosice and the Kosice self-governing region welcomed representatives of the scientific and research community, industry and regional government from more than six European countries to the University Science Park TECHNICOM. The main section was the presentation of the directors of Clean Aviation and Clean Hydrogen joint undertakings, who, in addition to describing the mission of the joint ventures, contributed recommendations for cooperation at the EU and regional level. Hydrogen Aviation Valley Kosice began its journey with a Memorandum of Cooperation, which was signed by the president of the Kosice self-governing region, Rastislav Trnka, and the dean of the Faculty of Aeronautics of the Technical University in Kosice. Among the common areas of further cooperation beyond research and implementation of emission-free technologies in air transportation, there was an agreement to support and seek ways to develop urban air mobility, integration of unmanned aerial systems and virtual reality in transport. In the words of President Trnka: "The climate crisis is raising alarm bells around the world. Here in the Kosice region, up to one-third of the total amount of CO2 in Slovakia is produced. We are aware of this, which is why we were the first region in Slovakia to develop our own hydrogen strategy. We are working on launching of the operation of suburban buses that run on hydrogen within four years. We have also been supporting the development of the Kosice Airport for a long time, as it is in the interests of the inhabitants of eastern Slovakia and beyond. Therefore, reducing the aviation industry's carbon footprint is not a local problem but a global one. That is why we are embarking on inter-regional and international cooperation." Together with an important partner at the regional self-government level, it is necessary to connect with professional capacities. "The Faculty of Aviation builds on a more than 60-year tradition of education and science in the field of aviation and space technology. Our goal is to participate in the European vision of Clean Aviation and offer expertise in, for example, the development of hybrid propulsion systems and control algorithms for turbine engines. At the same time, we want to continue in the field of digitization based on the research center of Air Traffic Management systems to expand research in the field of Unmanned Traffic Management and their mutual integration," said the dean of the Faculty of Aeronautics. Furthermore, the conference has been supported by the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (Centrum vedecko-technickych informacii SR, CVTI). "The Aviation Hydrogen Valley is a successful example of popularization of world class science and technology in Central Europe. Many of the scientific and technological contributions presented here have been invented and developed in Slovakia." Said Daniela Stiel Podmajerska, Director of the Economics and Operations at Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (SCSTI). After the successful launch in Kosice, the partners of the initiative will focus on creating a professional working group and inviting other partners from the scientific and research as well as industrial sectors, the aim of which will be the preparation of a strategy leading to the creation of a unique regional hub. About Faculty of Aeronautics of the Technical University of Kosice (LF TUKE) The Faculty of Aeronautics of the Technical University of Kosice (LF TUKE) was established on 1 February 2005 as the ninth faculty of the Technical University of Kosice. Its establishment ensured the continuation of the world-famous tradition of aviation education in Kosice. Since 2016, in addition to the preparation of aviation specialists for civil aviation, it also provides university education for the needs of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic. The faculty has been providing practical training of professional pilots and flight technicians in cooperation with the Slovak Training Academy at the Kosice Airport since 2017. Apart from the field of aeronautics, Faculty has strong field in cubesat development area as project leader of GRBAlpha cubesat testbed. About Kosice Self-governing Region The Kosice Self-governing Region (Slovak: Kosicky samospravny kraj, KSK) or the Kosice Higher Territorial Unit (Slovak: Kosicky vyssi uzemny celok, KVUC) is one of Slovakia's eight "self-governing regions" whose territory is identical with that of the administrative Kosice Region. The Kosice Region has great potential for development of various industries. It offers opportunities to invest into traditional industry sectors such as metallurgy, machine and electric engineering alongside fast developing and dynamic ICT sector, creative industry, and biomedicine. There are high quality universities, secondary and vocational schools and professional training centres that offer educational programs tailored to suit the needs of investors. About Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information (SCSTI, CVTI) The SCSTI is the national information centre for science, technology, innovation and education and specialized scientific library of the Slovak Republic. It coordinates activities and ensures the operation of interdisciplinary R&D centers and national infrastructures for research, development, innovation and education. Is the host institution of the National Contact Points for HORIZON 2020 and ensures operation of the Slovak Liaison Office for R&D in Brussels. Media Contact M.Eng. Ing. Marek Kosuda, PhD Vice-dean for development National U-space implementation working group member SRG Clean Aviation JU member marek.kosuda@tuke.sk SOURCE: LF TUKE Dublin, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Railroad Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global railroad market size reached US$ 291.6 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 378.87 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.46% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Railroad refers to a set of tracks made of steel that are laid on a roadbed. It is a medium of land-based mass transportation catering to the movement of passengers and commodities over short and long-distance routes. It comprises vehicles with flange wheels guided by parallel tracks that restrict movement and eliminate the need for steering. These vehicles are either self-propelled or use a locomotive for propulsion. The railroad is widely used for traveling and transporting bulk commodities, including coal, petroleum, chemicals, construction materials, agricultural produce, consumer goods, and automobiles. As compared to road transportation, the railroad is faster, safer, and more cost-effective, comfortable, and energy efficient due to the lower frictional resistance offered by tracks. Railroad Market Trends: The global railroad market is primarily driven by rapid industrialization, coupled with significant growth in the tourism industry. Due to the globalization-induced industrial revolution, the rising number of local and cross-border movements of travelers and commodities is facilitating the market growth. Additionally, the introduction of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) in railroads that provide automatic warning, supervision, and control arrangements to enhance operational management and optimize energy usage is providing an impetus to the market growth. Apart from this, the increasing adoption of railroads for transporting bulk commodities to remote areas, owing to their robust connectivity, is acting as another growth-inducing factor. Furthermore, extensive research and development (R&D) activities toward building new high-speed rails, such as maglev trains and metros, are creating a positive outlook for the market. Moreover, the increasing inclination towards public transport systems to minimize pollution, carbon footprint, and traffic congestion is favoring the market growth. Other factors, including increasing investments by several governments for the expansion of the railroad network, exponential population growth, emerging trends of railcar leasing, and advancements in storage facilities for perishable goods, are anticipated to drive the market. Competitive Landscape: The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Bnsf Railway Company (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.), Canadian National Railway Co., Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, CSX Corporation, CTL Logistics Sp. z o.o, DB Cargo Aktiengesellschaft (Deutsche Bahn AG), Japan Freight Railway Company, Norfolk Southern Corporation, PKP Cargo International (PKP Cargo), SBB Cargo (Swiss Federal Railways), SNCF Group and Union Pacific Corporation. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global railroad market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global railroad market? What are the key regional markets? What is the breakup of the market based on the type? What is the breakup of the market based on the distance? What is the breakup of the market based on the end use? What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry? What is the structure of the global railroad market and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Railroad Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Type 6.1 Rail Freight 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Passenger Rail 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Distance 7.1 Long Distance 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Short Distance 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End Use 8.1 Mining 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Construction 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Agriculture 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Others 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Region 10 SWOT Analysis 11 Value Chain Analysis 12 Porters Five Forces Analysis 13 Price Analysis 14 Competitive Landscape 14.1 Market Structure 14.2 Key Players 14.3 Profiles of Key Players 14.3.1 BNSF Railway Company (Berkshire Hathaway Inc.) 14.3.1.1 Company Overview 14.3.1.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2 Canadian National Railway Co. 14.3.2.1 Company Overview 14.3.2.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.2.3 Financials 14.3.2.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.3 Canadian Pacific Railway Limited 14.3.3.1 Company Overview 14.3.3.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.3.3 Financials 14.3.3.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.4 CSX Corporation 14.3.4.1 Company Overview 14.3.4.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.4.3 Financials 14.3.4.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.5 CTL Logistics Sp. z o.o 14.3.5.1 Company Overview 14.3.5.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.6 DB Cargo Aktiengesellschaft (Deutsche Bahn AG) 14.3.6.1 Company Overview 14.3.6.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.7 Japan Freight Railway Company 14.3.7.1 Company Overview 14.3.7.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8 Norfolk Southern Corporation 14.3.8.1 Company Overview 14.3.8.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.8.3 Financials 14.3.8.4 SWOT Analysis 14.3.9 PKP Cargo International (PKP Cargo) 14.3.9.1 Company Overview 14.3.9.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.10 SBB Cargo (Swiss Federal Railways) 14.3.10.1 Company Overview 14.3.10.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.11 SNCF Group 14.3.11.1 Company Overview 14.3.11.2 Product Portfolio 14.3.12 Union Pacific Corporation 14.3.12.1 Company Overview 14.3.12.2 Product Portfolio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a02qkd Attachment Selbyville, Delaware, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The electric vehicle insulation market is expected to record a valuation of USD 1.3 billion by 2030, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights Inc. Batteries used in EVs are susceptible to overheating while charging or on the move. This increases the importance of battery safety as heat management affects the overall performance of the electric vehicle. Government organizations are implementing stringent measures to increase the safety of battery packs. Citing an instance, in November 2021, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) proposed a new legal instrument to ensure the durability of batteries used in plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles. The new measures, developed as a UNGTR (Global Technical Regulation), mandate manufacturers to certify that the batteries fitted in their electric vehicles will lose less than 20% of their initial capacity over five years or 100,000 Kms. The introduction of strict policies such as these for safety will push EV manufacturers to integrate heat management solutions around the batteries and consequently increase the use of EV insulation systems. Request for a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/5361 Electric vehicle insulation market value from the BEV propulsion segment is estimated to register appreciable proceeds, with growing investments in the sector. For instance, in March 2022, Japanese automaker Suzuki announced that it would invest around USD 1.28 billion to develop a new EV battery factory in India. This is intended to enable Maruti Suzuki to sell affordable EVs in India as well as Japan by 2025. Investments such as these will also foster the development of critical insulation systems for EVs, and ultimately assert a positive impact on the industry outlook. In terms of the insulation type, the electric vehicle insulation market from acoustic insulation segment is anticipated to depict a CAGR of over 11% through 2030. There is a rising demand for the integration of acoustic solutions into electric vehicles. EVs can achieve a silent ride by damping the sound from entering the vehicle cabin. Therefore, manufacturers use noise-damping patches and mats made using aluminum foil and butyl rubber to dampen vibrations which reduce overall noise. They are also lightweight, which retains the performance of the vehicle. Interior and under the hood & battery packs are among the key application areas for insulation in a vehicle. The electric vehicle insulation market value from other applications, such as safeguarding power electronics, will be worth around USD 170 million by 2030. Power electronics are crucial for the functioning of electric vehicles. They control important features such as electric power steering, central body control, seat control, braking system, etc. The systems can fail due to overheating incidents such as overvoltage puncturing. Therefore, it has become important to safeguard these components against overheating, to extract optimum performance from electric vehicles. Heat-resistant materials offer protection to semiconductors, MOSFETs, and IGBTs, which will further increases the demand for insulation systems in EV power electronics. Europe electric vehicle insulation market size is projected to exhibit a growth rate of more than 11.5% through 2030, given the proliferating demand for green vehicles in the region. For instance, the European Commission has announced plans to have around 30 million on-road electric vehicles by the end of 2030. To that end, the EU has devised a stimulus package of USD 721.4 billion (750 billion euro) which includes USD 19.23 billion (20 billion euro) for bolstering the sales of clean vehicles. Targeted efforts such as these to amplify the adoption of clean transportation will augment regional industry dynamics. Major players operating in the electric vehicle insulation market include Alder Pelzer Holding GmbH, Elmelin Ltd., Pyrophobic Systems Ltd., Parker Hannifin Corp, BASF SE, Saint-Gobain, Autoneum, Zotefoams plc, DuPont, Unifrax, 3M, and Morgan Advanced Materials. These leaders are planning business expansion strategies by making strategic acquisitions. Request for customization of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/5361 Partial Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 3. Electric Vehicle Insulation Market Insights 3.1 Industry segmentation 3.2 Industry size and forecast, 2018 - 2030 3.3 Industry ecosystem analysis 3.4 Innovation & sustainability 3.4.1 Patent analysis 3.4.2 Technology landscape 3.4.3 Future trends 3.5 Industry impact forces 3.5.1 Growth drivers 3.5.1.1 Increasing demand for high range vehicles and high-density batteries are driving the demand for electric vehicles 3.5.1.2 Need for Better Driving Experience 3.5.2 Industry pitfalls and challenges 3.5.2.1 Lack of charging infrastructure for EVs and higher cost of EVs 3.6 Regulatory landscape 3.7 Growth potential analysis 3.8 Regional pricing trends 3.9 Competitive landscape, 2021 3.10 Porters analysis Browse Our Reports Store GMIPulse @ https://www.gminsights.com/gmipulse 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. This intersection in hole DSB-31, drilled 200m southeast of the Santa Barbara adit, includes a higher-grade portion grading 566.36 g Ag eq/t (246.26 g Ag/t, 3.72% Zn and 3.88% Pb) over 25.51m . drilled 200m southeast of the Santa Barbara adit, includes a higher-grade portion grading . Additional significant intersections in this hole include: 161.54 g Ag eq/t (32.14 g Ag/t, 1.94% Zn and 0.76% Pb) over 82.12m , 123.24 g Ag eq/t (9.23 g Ag/t, 1.44% Zn, 0.26% Pb and 0.07% Sn) over 62.23m, and 126.21 g Ag eq/t (6.05 g Ag/t, 1.58% Zn and 0.52% Pb) over 81.12m Overall, 51% of the overall length of this 987.99m long hole yielded reportable intersections, which collectively average 139.44 g Ag eq/t . of the overall length of this long hole yielded reportable intersections, which collectively average . The high-grade silver zone intersected in hole DSB-31 appears to be in the same structural-mineralized corridor as the silver-rich zone in the Santa Barbara adit. As previously reported channel sampling along the adit returned 441.98 g Ag eq/t (164.96 g Ag/t, 0.23 g Au/t, 3.46% Pb and 0.46% Sn) over 165.89m . Adjusted to prices used in this current release, the overall Ag eq/t value is 493.61 g Ag eq/ t. . Adjusted to prices used in this current release, the overall Ag eq/t value is t. Hole DSB-33 drilled at an azimuth of 2250 with a dip of -600 to test the southwest limit of the high-grade feeder zone in the vicinity of the Central Breccia intersected 18 reportable intersections including a very high tin intersection grading 1.41% Sn over 21.25m which included a 9.04m section that graded 3.08% Sn. A total of 26% of this hole contained reportable intersections which collectively averaged 123.39 g Ag eq/t. TORONTO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eloro Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: ELO; OTCQX: ELRRF; FSE: P2QM) (Eloro, or the Company) is pleased to announce assay results from two (2) additional diamond drill holes from its on-going drilling program at the Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project in the Potosi Department, southern Bolivia. One drill hole, DSB-31, tested the potential south-southeastern extension of the high-grade feeder zone at Santa Barbara while the second hole, DSB-33, tested the southwest limit of the zone in the vicinity of the Central Breccia, as shown in Figure 1. In its September 20, 2022 press release, the Company reported that new downhole geophysical data has significantly extended the strike length of the high-grade feeder zone at Santa Barbara a further 250m along strike to the south-southeast from existing drilling. The 3D inverse magnetic model which correlates very strongly with the conductive zone suggests that the high-grade feeder zone may extend across the entire caldera for as much as a further 1 km along strike for a total potential strike length of at least 2 km. As previously reported, the definition drill program has been modified to sectionally drill this potential extension with the intention of defining a major open-pittable deposit in the valley of the caldera. As a result, the estimated completion date for the maiden National Instrument 43-101 mineral resource has been pushed back to the end of Q1 2023. Overall, the Company has completed 77,182m in 119 drill holes to-date at Iska Iska, including four holes in progress, as shown in Figure 1. Tables 1 and 2 list significant assay results for the drill holes reported. Prices used for calculating Ag equivalent grades are as outlined in Eloros July 21, 2022 press release. Table 3 summarizes drill holes with assays pending. Highlights for the drilling are as follows: Santa Barbara High Grade Feeder Zone Extension Definition Drilling Hole DSB-31 was drilled to test the potential south-southeastern extension of the Santa Barbara High Grade Feeder Zone shown in Figure 1. This hole was collared approximately 200m south-southeast of the underground drill bay in the Santa Barbara adit and was drilled at an azimuth of 2250 with a dip of -600. This hole intersected several extensive high grade silver zones: 198.00 g Ag eq/t (67.79 g Ag/t, 1.44% Zn and 1.04% Pb) over 134.47m from 11.61m to 146.06m, including a higher-grade portion of 566.36 g Ag eq/t (246.26 g Ag/t, 3.72% Zn and 3.88% Pb) over 25.51m from 113.09m to 138.60m, from 11.61m to 146.06m, including a higher-grade portion of from 113.09m to 138.60m, 161.54 g Ag eq/t (32.14 g Ag/t, 1.94% Zn and 0.76% Pb) over 82.12m from 168.46m to 250.58m including a higher-grade portion of 384.21 g Ag eq/t (104.09 g Ag/t, 3.74% Zn and 2.34% Pb) over 19.14m from 210.45m to 229.59m, from 168.46m to 250.58m including a higher-grade portion of from 210.45m to 229.59m, 123.24 g Ag eq/t (9.23 g Ag/t, 1.44% Zn, 0.26% Pb and 0.07% Sn) over 62.23m from 466.48m to 528.65m including higher-grade portions of 202.40 g Ag eq/t ( 13.75 g Ag/t, 2.46% Zn, 0.33% Pb and 0.12 Sn) over 20.63m from 480.00 to 500.63m and 166.76 g Ag eq/t ( 9.76 g Ag/t, 1.83% Zn, 0.50% Pb and 0.11 Sn) over 13.05m from 515.60 to 528.65m. from 466.48m to 528.65m including higher-grade portions of ( from 480.00 to 500.63m and ( from 515.60 to 528.65m. 126.21 g Ag eq/t (6.05 g Ag/t, 1.58% Zn and 0.52% Pb) over 81.12m from 614.21m to 695.33m from 614.21m to 695.33m 120.39 g Ag eq/t (8.32 g Ag/t, 1.78% Zn and 0.06% Pb) over 11.99m from 900.33m to 912.32m from 900.33m to 912.32m Overall, 51% of the overall length of this 987.99m long hole yielded reportable intersections, which collectively average 139.44 g Ag eq/t. The high-grade silver zone intersected in hole DSB-31 appears to be in the same structural-mineralized corridor as the silver-rich zone in the Santa Barbara adit. As previously reported (see press release dated April 13, 2021), channel sampling along the adit returned 441.98 g Ag eq/t (164.96 g Ag/t, 0.23 g Au/t, 3.46% Pb and 0.46% Sn) over 165.89m. Adjusted to prices used in this current release, the overall Ag eq/t value is 493.61 g Ag eq/t. Hole DSB-33 was drilled at an azimuth of 2250 with a dip of -600 to test the southwest limit of the high-grade feeder zone in the vicinity of the Central Breccia (Figure 1). This hole intersected 18 reportable intersections including a very high tin intersection grading 1.41% Sn over 21.25m from 354.98m to 376.23m. This included a 9.04m section from 356.56m to 365.60m that graded 3.08% Sn. A total of 26% of this 825.82m hole contained reportable intersections which collectively averaged 123.39 g Ag eq/t. Tom Larsen, CEO of Eloro said: Hole DSB-31 and Hole DSB-33 continue to confirm high grade values of metals, especially silver to the south-southeast and tin to the southwest of the ever-expanding Santa Barbara feeder system. The geophysical surveys have been remarkable as a tool in determining where these highly conductive areas of potential commercial mineralization are located. On behalf of the Eloro shareholders, I congratulate Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Dr. Chris Hale, P.Geo. and Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo., in systematically defining the Santa Barbara feeder system through geophysics and follow up drilling. The added strike length along the collapsed caldera valley floor will further extend the likely open pit dimensions resulting in potentially stronger economics. These recently released holes at Iska Iska further demonstrate both high grade metal zonation and substantial tonnage potential. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo. Eloros Executive Vice President, Exploration commented: We are continuing our 100m-spaced sectional definition diamond drill program focusing on testing the south-southeastern extension of the high-grade feeder zone across the valley of the Iska Iska Caldera. Figure 1 shows holes in progress and planned. Our aim is to complete this program by November so that assay results can be received by early Q1 2023 to facilitate completion of the inaugural NI 43-101 mineral resource by the end of Q1 2023. We are also continuing to work closely with GeologicAI and our mineralogists in Blue Coast Research and Lisa Can Analytical Solutions to calibrate the AI in the scanning system to track the mineral and metal zoning more accurately. The drilling results reported herein, as well as previous results, along with on-site work by Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo. and his geological team, support the potential for outlining significant zones of high-grade silver and high-grade tin. The high-grade silver is typically shallower whereas the high-grade tin is generally deeper. The remarkable feeder zone at Iska Iska continues to be open along strike and down-dip especially to the south-southeast and it likely extends across a width of least 500m for potentially as much as 2km along strike. Figure 1 Geological Plan Map showing Drilling in Santa Barbara Area with Holes referred to in this release highlighted: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c88f4da-0f6f-4d43-8335-35382ad973fb Table 1: Significant Results, Surface Diamond Drilling, Santa Barbara Resource Definition High Grade Feeder Zone Extension as at October 5, 2022. SANTA +A1:M40BARBARA RESOURCE DEFINITION - HIGH GRADE FEEDER ZONE EXTENSION SURFACE DIAMOND DRILLING Hole No. From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ag Au Zn Pb Cu Sn Bi Cd Ag eq g/t g/t % % % % % % g/t DSB-31 4.95 6.95 2.00 5.00 0.01 0.00 0.08 0.01 0.12 0.002 0.001 57.14 11.61 146.06 134.47 67.79 0.02 1.44 1.04 0.11 0.03 0.002 0.006 198.00 Incl. 63.57 81.01 17.44 30.89 0.01 2.84 0.28 0.50 0.01 0.001 0.013 245.09 Incl. 113.09 138.60 25.51 246.26 0.01 3.72 3.88 0.02 0.03 0.001 0.013 566.36 159.65 161.00 1.35 6.00 0.01 1.34 0.14 0.01 0.01 0.001 0.002 83.05 168.46 250.58 82.12 32.14 0.03 1.94 0.76 0.01 0.01 0.003 0.006 161.54 Incl. 210.45 229.59 19.14 104.09 0.10 3.74 2.34 0.02 0.02 0.010 0.012 384.21 264.11 267.08 2.97 6.51 0.04 1.30 0.20 0.01 0.01 0.001 0.003 85.59 307.67 327.03 19.36 3.54 0.21 0.94 0.14 0.01 0.01 0.001 0.003 78.57 345.24 348.19 2.95 3.00 0.16 0.54 0.09 0.01 0.01 0.001 0.001 52.70 364.59 378.07 13.48 5.79 0.08 0.94 0.41 0.02 0.02 0.001 0.003 82.02 394.48 403.47 8.99 4.47 0.11 1.36 0.22 0.01 0.02 0.001 0.007 97.48 420.12 424.66 4.54 5.69 0.01 0.97 0.58 0.01 0.04 0.001 0.005 90.06 433.72 435.27 1.55 4.00 0.01 0.90 0.16 0.01 0.02 0.001 0.003 62.06 447.40 448.67 1.27 5.00 0.01 1.45 0.16 0.01 0.02 0.001 0.006 89.96 466.48 528.65 62.23 9.23 0.05 1.44 0.26 0.01 0.07 0.001 0.007 123.24 Incl. 480.00 500.63 20.63 13.75 0.10 2.46 0.33 0.02 0.12 0.001 0.012 202.40 Incl. 515.60 528.65 13.05 9.76 0.06 1.83 0.50 0.01 0.11 0.001 0.007 166.76 536.20 537.71 1.51 5.00 0.01 1.11 0.22 0.01 0.11 0.001 0.004 110.12 546.66 551.16 4.50 13.06 0.07 1.33 0.37 0.01 0.09 0.001 0.006 131.42 560.18 561.68 1.50 2.00 0.52 0.57 0.02 0.00 0.01 0.004 0.002 83.36 579.65 584.14 4.49 3.96 0.10 1.08 0.09 0.01 0.07 0.001 0.004 95.98 597.54 603.69 6.15 3.48 0.01 0.95 0.08 0.01 0.06 0.001 0.003 76.70 614.21 695.33 81.12 6.05 0.11 1.58 0.52 0.01 0.03 0.008 0.007 126.66 720.94 722.52 1.58 6.00 0.01 1.88 0.38 0.01 0.01 0.001 0.008 118.30 751.11 752.57 1.46 11.00 0.07 1.49 0.24 0.01 0.01 0.039 0.007 113.89 785.82 787.27 1.45 1.00 0.01 0.91 0.08 0.02 0.03 0.001 0.004 62.35 801.06 802.50 1.44 7.00 0.01 1.36 0.20 0.01 0.04 0.002 0.006 97.34 812.88 841.63 28.75 4.05 0.05 0.60 0.24 0.01 0.06 0.006 0.002 71.20 874.65 876.18 1.53 2.00 0.23 0.44 0.28 0.01 0.02 0.008 0.001 65.06 880.67 883.63 2.96 7.00 1.08 0.17 0.06 0.01 0.07 0.019 0.001 144.91 895.70 897.22 1.52 0.50 0.02 0.43 0.01 0.01 0.15 0.001 0.001 82.37 900.33 912.32 11.99 8.32 0.05 1.78 0.06 0.03 0.04 0.007 0.008 120.39 919.97 921.50 1.53 3.00 0.33 0.22 0.27 0.10 0.04 0.050 0.001 91.51 924.46 929.01 4.55 10.68 0.45 0.13 0.07 0.06 0.07 0.022 0.001 98.80 975.85 981.93 6.08 1.76 0.15 0.54 0.01 0.06 0.01 0.005 0.002 55.16 986.50 987.99 1.49 1.00 0.51 0.04 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.014 0.001 61.61 Note: True width of the mineralization is not known at the present time, but based on the current understanding of the relationship between drill orientation/inclination and the mineralization within the breccia pipes and the host rocks such as sandstones and dacites, it is estimated that true width ranges between 70% and 90% of the down hole interval length but this will be confirmed by further drilling and geological modelling. Chemical symbols: Ag= silver, Au = gold, Zn = zinc, Pb = lead, Cu = copper, Sn = tin, Bi = bismuth, Cd = cadmium and g Ag eq/t = grams silver equivalent per tonne. Quantities are given in percent (%) for Zn, Pb Cu, Sn, Bi and Cd and in grams per tonne (g/t) for Ag, Au and Ag eq. Metal prices and conversion factors used for calculation of g Ag eq/t (grams Ag per grams x metal ratio) are as follows: (Prices updated as of July 21, 2022, to more accurately reflect current metal prices): Element Price $US (per kg) Ratio to Ag Ag $ 607.00 1.0000 Sn $ 23.55 0.0589 Zn $ 2.98 0.0046 Pb $ 1.92 0.0032 Au $ 54,932.80 79.7221 Cu $ 7.00 0.0134 Bi $ 12.76 0.0177 Cd $ 5.50 0.0076 In calculating the intersections reported in this press release a sample cutoff of 30 g Ag eq/t was used with generally a maximum dilution of 3 continuous samples below cutoff included within a mineralized section unless more dilution is justified geologically. The equivalent grade calculations are based on the stated metal prices and are provided for comparative purposes only, due to the polymetallic nature of the deposit. Metallurgical tests are in progress by Blue Coast Ltd. to establish levels of recovery for each element reported but currently the potential recovery for each element has not yet been established. While there is no assurance that all or any of the reported concentrations of metals will be recoverable, Bolivia has a long history of successfully mining and processing similar polymetallic deposits which is well documented in the landmark volume Yacimientos Metaliferos de Bolivia by Dr. Osvaldo R. Arce Burgoa, P.Geo. Table 2: Significant Results, Surface Diamond Drilling, Santa Barbara Resource Definition High Grade Feeder Zone Extension as at October 5, 2022. SANTA BARBARA RESOURCE DEFINITION - HIGH GRADE FEEDER ZONE EXTENSION SURFACE DIAMOND DRILLING Hole No. From (m) To (m) Length (m) Ag Au Zn Pb Cu Sn Bi Cd Ag eq g/t g/t % % % % % % g/t DSB-33 20.83 46.70 25.87 4.08 0.03 0.00 0.07 0.00 0.20 0.004 0.001 87.32 100.80 102.32 1.52 27.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.05 0.003 0.001 50.05 106.83 108.34 1.51 35.00 0.06 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.05 0.005 0.001 61.23 121.94 136.62 14.68 6.73 0.04 0.00 0.02 0.06 0.09 0.002 0.001 51.83 144.28 153.26 8.98 7.28 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.29 0.05 0.002 0.001 60.17 201.04 202.51 1.47 38.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.22 0.19 0.001 0.001 139.68 208.60 216.10 7.50 50.59 0.06 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.03 0.001 0.001 73.61 259.92 282.51 22.59 16.39 0.05 0.00 0.02 0.12 0.11 0.008 0.001 77.88 Incl. 262.93 268.89 5.96 32.45 0.08 0.00 0.06 0.15 0.16 0.012 0.001 124.97 285.57 287.07 1.50 12.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.14 0.006 0.001 76.95 293.00 294.53 1.53 12.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.14 0.08 0.028 0.001 64.42 308.15 344.40 36.25 9.07 0.04 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.11 0.013 0.001 71.97 354.98 376.23 21.25 8.86 0.11 0.00 0.01 0.01 1.41 0.003 0.001 566.51 Incl. 356.56 365.60 9.04 16.16 0.20 0.00 0.02 0.00 3.08 0.004 0.001 1,230.26 385.32 386.83 1.51 0.50 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.13 0.001 0.001 51.09 391.35 392.86 1.51 1.00 0.04 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.19 0.003 0.001 81.11 414.03 418.62 4.59 2.34 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.08 0.11 0.003 0.001 55.48 438.20 442.73 4.53 1.50 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.10 0.20 0.058 0.001 104.47 450.28 459.46 9.18 37.12 0.06 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.04 0.003 0.001 61.31 464.05 465.51 1.46 9.00 0.28 0.00 0.02 0.01 0.05 0.004 0.001 55.65 483.70 485.23 1.53 1.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.56 0.00 0.002 0.001 67.89 491.26 495.82 4.56 1.66 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.79 0.00 0.001 0.001 94.74 503.50 515.53 12.03 8.41 0.14 0.01 0.02 0.14 0.05 0.034 0.001 67.13 543.06 544.51 1.45 0.50 0.02 0.03 0.00 0.00 0.15 0.053 0.001 74.71 576.00 579.08 3.08 1.25 0.02 1.26 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.001 0.002 67.01 589.42 592.47 3.05 2.00 0.02 0.15 0.01 0.14 0.09 0.030 0.001 70.21 596.95 598.45 1.50 0.50 0.02 0.06 0.01 0.00 0.16 0.005 0.001 67.93 613.44 619.40 5.96 3.91 0.27 0.06 0.01 0.01 0.05 0.017 0.001 57.66 664.45 665.95 1.50 10.00 0.09 0.82 0.03 0.02 0.03 0.001 0.001 74.02 673.43 682.44 9.01 15.66 0.26 0.01 0.01 0.10 0.11 0.125 0.001 121.80 706.44 707.96 1.52 5.00 0.03 1.14 0.07 0.01 0.02 0.004 0.003 76.52 800.12 801.63 1.51 1.00 0.08 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.236 0.001 66.65 822.87 825.82 2.95 13.39 0.01 0.21 0.02 0.20 0.14 0.013 0.001 104.16 See Note Table 1. Table 3: Summary of Diamond Drill Holes Completed with Assays Pending and Drill Holes in Progress at Iska Iska from October 5, 2022 press release. SUMMARY DIAMOND DRILLING ISKA ISKA Hole No. Type Collar Easting Collar Northing Elev Azimuth Angle Hole Length (m) Surface Drilling Santa Barbara Resource Definition South-Southeast Extension DSB-34 S 205274.0 7655896.1 4224.5 225 -60 851.4 DSB-35 S 205016.0 7656179.1 4360.0 225 -60 1061.4 DSB-36 S 205729.9 7656034.6 4054.8 225 -60 935.4 DSB-37 S 205588.0 7655893.0 4087.0 225 -60 917.4 DSB-38 S 205823.1 7655981.9 4035.0 225 -60 851.5 DSB-39 S 205684.3 7655839.5 4062.3 225 -60 857.4 DSB-40 S 205540.3 7655695.5 4092.7 225 -60 1052.4 DSB-41 S 205653.0 7656253.0 4125.0 225 -60 842.4 DSB-42 S 205277.0 7656316.0 4156.3 225 -65 845.4 DSB-43 S 205157.0 7656038.0 4301.0 225 -55 833.1 Subtotal 9,047.8 DSB-44 S 205611.0 7655624.7 4075.7 225 -60 In progress DSB-45 S 205263.4 7656426.4 4240.3 225 -60 In progress DSB-46 S 205681.7 7655554.1 4061.4 225 -60 In progress Surface Drilling Santa Barbara Resource Definition Northeast Extension DHK-26 S 205700.3 7656454.4 4180.0 225 -65 929.4 DHK-27 S 205529.4 7656222.5 4153.1 270 -45 860.0 DHK-28 S 205597.3 7656479.6 4151.4 225 -65 968.0 DHK-29 S 205485.7 7656489.5 4158.0 225 -70 827.6 Subtotal 3,585.00 DHK-30 S 205439.9 7656182.8 4192.1 225 -60 In progress Santa Barbara Underground Metallurgical Hole METSBUG-03 UG 205284.5 7656080.0 4167.1 270 -35 707.8 Subtotal 707.8 Mina 2 Target Area - Surface Drill Program Testing Magnetic Inverse Model DM2-01 S 205943.0 7654215.9 3663.6 30 -60 860.3 Subtotal 860.3 TOTAL 14,200.9 S = Surface UG=Underground; collar coordinates in metres; azimuth and dip in degrees. Total drilling completed since the start of the program on September 20, 2020 is 77,182.47m in 119 drill holes (32 underground drill holes and 87 surface drill holes) including 4 holes in progress. Qualified Person Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P. Geo., General Manager of Eloros Bolivian subsidiary, Minera Tupiza S.R.L., and a Qualified Person in the context of NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release. Dr. Bill Pearson, P.Geo., Executive Vice President Exploration Eloro, and who has more than 45 years of worldwide mining exploration experience, including extensive work in South America, manages the overall technical program, working closely with Dr. Osvaldo Arce, P.Geo. Dr. Quinton Hennigh, P.Geo., Senior Technical Advisor to Eloro and Independent Technical Advisor, Mr. Charley Murahwi P. Geo., FAusIMM of Micon are regularly consulted on technical aspects of the project. Eloro is utilizing both ALS and AHK for drill core analysis, both of whom are major international accredited laboratories. Drill samples sent to ALS are prepared in both ALS Bolivia Ltdas preparation facility in Oruro, Bolivia and the preparation facility operated by AHK in Tupiza with pulps sent to the main ALS Global laboratory in Lima for analysis. More recently Eloro has had ALS send pulps to their laboratory at Galway in Ireland. Eloro employs an industry standard QA/QC program with standards, blanks and duplicates inserted into each batch of samples analyzed with selected check samples sent to a separate accredited laboratory. Drill core samples sent to AHK Laboratories are prepared in a preparation facility installed and managed by AHK in Tupiza with pulps sent to the AHK laboratory in Lima, Peru. Au and Sn analysis on these samples is done by ALS Bolivia Ltda in Lima. Check samples between ALS and AHK are regularly done as a QA/QC check. AHK is following the same analytical protocols used as with ALS and with the same QA/QC protocols. Turnaround time continues to improve, as laboratories return to more normal staffing levels. About Iska Iska Iska Iska silver-tin polymetallic project is a road accessible, royalty-free property, wholly controlled by the Title Holder, Empresa Minera Villegas S.R.L. and is located 48 km north of Tupiza city, in the Sud Chichas Province of the Department of Potosi in southern Bolivia. Eloro has an option to earn a 99% interest in Iska Iska. Iska Iska is a major silver-tin polymetallic porphyry-epithermal complex associated with a Miocene possibly collapsed/resurgent caldera, emplaced on Ordovician age rocks with major breccia pipes, dacitic domes and hydrothermal breccias. The caldera is 1.6km by 1.8km in dimension with a vertical extent of at least 1km. Mineralization age is similar to Cerro Rico de Potosi and other major deposits such as San Vicente, Chorolque, Tasna and Tatasi located in the same geological trend. Eloro began underground diamond drilling from the Huayra Kasa underground workings at Iska Iska on September 13, 2020. On November 18, 2020, Eloro announced the discovery of a significant breccia pipe with extensive silver polymetallic mineralization just east of the Huayra Kasa underground workings and a high-grade gold-bismuth zone in the underground workings. On November 24, 2020, Eloro announced the discovery of the SBBP approximately 150m southwest of the Huayra Kasa underground workings. Subsequently, on January 26, 2021, Eloro announced significant results from the first drilling at the SBBP including the discovery hole DHK-15 which returned 129.60 g Ag eq/t over 257.5m (29.53g Ag/t, 0.078g Au/t, 1.45%Zn, 0.59%Pb, 0.080%Cu, 0.056%Sn, 0.0022%In and 0.0064% Bi from 0.0m to 257.5m. Subsequent drilling has confirmed significant values of Ag-Sn polymetallic mineralization in the SBBP and the adjacent CBP. A substantive mineralized envelope which is open along strike and down-dip extends around both major breccia pipes. Continuous channel sampling of the Santa Barbara Adit located to the east of SBBP returned 442 g Ag eq/t (164.96 g Ag/t, 0.46%Sn, 3.46% Pb and 0.14% Cu) over 166m including 1,092 g Ag eq/t (446 g Ag/t, 9.03% Pb and 1.16% Sn) over 56.19m. The west end of the adit intersects the end of the SBBP. Since the initial discovery hole, Eloro has released a number of significant drill results in the SBBP and the surrounding mineralized envelope which along with geophysical data has defined an extensive target zone. In its September 20, 2022 press release, the Company reported that new downhole geophysical data has significantly extended the strike length of the high-grade feeder zone at Santa Barbara a further 250m along strike to the south-southeast from existing drilling. The 3D inverse magnetic model which correlates very strongly with the conductive zone suggests that the high-grade feeder zone may extend across the entire caldera for as much as a further 1 km along strike for a total potential strike length of at least 2 km. As reported, the definition drill program has been modified to sectionally drill this potential extension with the intention of defining a major open-pittable deposit in the valley of the caldera. As a result, the estimated completion date for the maiden National Instrument 43-101 mineral resource has been pushed back to the end of Q1 2023. About Eloro Resources Ltd. Eloro is an exploration and mine development company with a portfolio of gold and base-metal properties in Bolivia, Peru and Quebec. Eloro has an option to acquire a 99% interest in the highly prospective Iska Iska Property, which can be classified as a polymetallic epithermal-porphyry complex, a significant mineral deposit type in the Potosi Department, in southern Bolivia. A recent NI 43-101 Technical Report on Iska Iska, which was completed by Micon International Limited, is available on Eloros website and under its filings on SEDAR. Iska Iska is a road-accessible, royalty-free property. Eloro also owns an 82% interest in the La Victoria Gold/Silver Project, located in the North-Central Mineral Belt of Peru some 50 km south of Barricks Lagunas Norte Gold Mine and Pan American Silvers La Arena Gold Mine. For further information please contact either Thomas G. Larsen, Chairman and CEO or Jorge Estepa, Vice-President at (416) 868-9168. Information in this news release may contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Companys plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Dublin, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global ADAS Market By Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Commercial Vehicle), By Sensor Type (Radar, Ultrasonic, Camera, and Lidar), By Level Of Autonomy (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 5), By Function, By Region Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global ADAS market was valued at USD49.50 billion in 2021 and is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12.37% to reach USD97.49 billion in the year 2027. ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) is designed for the safety/protection of road users. Stringent Government Policies In the world, there are various organizations that are involved in ensuring vehicle safety. These organizations have been steadily incorporating more and more ADAS-related protocols and standards. In Europe, North America, and other parts of the world these organizations are mandating automotive safety measures, and defining, and refining regulations. One such organization is the "Society of Automotive Engineers" (SAE), which is the international authority that releases the standards which are used by 120,000 members all around the world, in the automotive and aerospace domains. According to this organization, there are some standards related to automated driving and ADAS which are J3016 Taxonomy which is related to On-Road Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems, J3134 ADAS Equipped Vehicle Signal and Marking Lights which is at nascent stage. Increasing Safety Concerns Among the Customers The advanced driver assistance System (ADAS) is very helpful to improve roadway safety. The EU road accidents database in Europe on average, registered 44 road deaths per million inhabitants in 2021, which represent a 5% increase compared to 2020. On average, around 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the reason behind the several hundreds of deaths is human error caused due to drowsiness, driving under influence of intoxicants, talking on mobile, etc, while driving the cars. All these and more factors cause 90% of the road accidents. Seeing these all-factors, car manufacturers are trying to make and develop systems & technologies that will help to make road trips safer, smoother, and more comfortable. The "Advanced Driver Assistance System" (ADAS) is coming up as the main reason, which is reducing the risk of road accident sand increasing the safety of the passengers as it includes the safety systems and advanced technologies to accompany and assist the driver while driving. The currently available ADAS technologies could prevent or mitigate the effects of 1.8 million crashes each year worldwide, thereby protecting up to 10,000 lives per year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Competitive Developments with Manufacturer's Attention On ADAS Seeing the demand for vehicles having advanced features can help the driver to reduce the chance of an accident. Due to an increase in adaptation of the ADAS in vehicles, many investors are investing in this technology. Companies such as ZF Friedrichshafen AG ("ZF") which is a German-based automotive technology supplier, have recently invested in StradVision company, by taking 6% stake in the company, StradVision is developing AI-powered computer vision technology for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assist system (ADAS). Report Scope:In this report, global ADAS market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below: Global ADAS Market, By Vehicle Type: Passenger Car Commercial Vehicle Global ADAS Market, By Sensor Type Radar Ultrasonic Camera LiDAR Global ADAS Market, By Level of Autonomy: Level1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Global ADAS Market, By Function: Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control Lane Departure Warning System Rear cross Traffic Assistance Emergency Braking Intersection Assistance Automatic Speed Limit Park Assistance Others Global ADAS Market, By Region: Europe Germany Spain Russia France United Kingdom Slovakia Italy Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Indonesia Thailand Malaysia Vietnam North America United States Mexico Canada South America Brazil Argentina Colombia Middle East & Africa Iran Turkey South Africa Egypt Key Topics Covered: 1. Product Overview 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Impact of COVID-19 on Global ADAS Market 5. Voice of Customer 6. Global ADAS Market Outlook 7. Europe ADAS Market Outlook 8. Asia-Pacific ADAS Market Outlook 9. North America ADAS Market Outlook 10. South America ADAS Market Outlook 11. Middle East & Africa ADAS Market Outlook 12. Market Dynamics 13. Market Trends and Developments 14. Competitive Landscape 15. Strategic Recommendations Companies Mentioned Continental AG Robert Bosch GmbH Autoliv Inc ZF Friedrichshafen Aptiv PLC AISIN Corporation HELLA Gmbh & Co. KGaA ARM Limited Denso corporation Ambarella International LP For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/noswcf Attachment Grant of US patent strengthens the PharmaThers intellectual property portfolio covering novel uses and delivery forms of ketamine Announced positive efficacy and safety data from Phase 1/2 clinical study of ketamine in the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinsons disease patients, with 100% of patients treated with ketamine demonstrating a reduction in dyskinesias as measured by the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale showing a 51% reduction from baseline during Infusion 2 (p=0.003), 49% at 3-week (p=0.006) and 41% at 3-month (p=0.011) post-ketamine Planning a Phase 3 clinical study to allow for FDA approval of KETARX (ketamine) for Parkinsons disease under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway TORONTO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the Company or PharmaTher) (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel uses and delivery forms of ketamine to treat mental health, neurological and pain disorders, is pleased to announce that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted US Patent No: 11,426,366, titled Compositions and Methods for Treating Motor Disorders, which includes claims intended to cover ketamine in the potential treatment of Parkinsons Disease and motor disorders that cause involuntary or uncontrollable movement or actions of the body (the Patent). Fabio Chianelli, CEO of PharmaTher, commented: We are pleased with the USPTO grant of the patent covering ketamine in the treatment of Parkinsons disease and motor disorders. The US patent strengthens our intellectual property portfolio covering novel uses and delivery forms of ketamine. We are advancing the clinical development of ketamine in the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia in patients with Parkinsons disease, and we are seeking FDA agreement on pursuing approval under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway with a potential Phase 3 clinical study. On September 16, 2022, the Company announced positive efficacy and safety data from a Phase 1/2 clinical study of ketamine in the treatment of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in Parkinsons disease via a late-breaking abstract presentation, titled Subanesthetic infusion of ketamine produces long-term reduction in levodopa-induced dyskinesia at the MDS International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. The Phase 1/2 study was an open-label, dose-finding trial to test the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of low-dose ketamine infusion to treat levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinsons disease and to find an effective dose-range suitable for outpatient use. Two 5-hour low-dose ketamine infusions were given within a one-week period. The clinical study outcomes measured reduction of dyskinesia, captured with the Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS"), and effects on parkinsonian symptoms, captured with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The study enrolled 10 subjects with moderate to advanced Parkinsons disease with a target infusion rate being 0.30 mg/kg/hr. These data highlight that ketamine was safe, well-tolerated, and demonstrated that 100% of subjects treated with ketamine had a reduction in dyskinesias as measured by UDysRS indicating possible efficacy with a large effect size that warrants further investigation in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study. UDysRS showed a clinically meaningful reduction from baseline through 3 months. Infusion 2 3-weeks post Infusion 3-months post Infusion UDysRS Percent Reduction 51% (p=0.003) 49% (p=0.006) 41% (p=0.011) UPDRS Percent Reduction 27% (p=0.057) 28% (p=0.026) 5% (p=0.258) The maximum tolerated infusion rate ranged from 0.20-0.30 mg/kg/hr which was dependent on either discomfort due to dissociation or hypertension. There were no adverse events post-infusion. Analyses of the patient diaries and the pharmacokinetic data are ongoing. Based on these data, the Company is preparing to engage the FDA to establish the next steps for a planned Phase 3 clinical study to allow for the Companys proprietary ketamine intravenous product, KETARX, approval for Parkinsons disease under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. In August 2020, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with the University of Arizona to develop and commercialize the Patent. Ketamines Potential In Parkinsons Disease Parkinsons disease is a debilitating disorder that affects an estimated 1 million people in the U.S. and 10 million people worldwide. The global Parkinsons disease market is expected to grow from USD $5 billion in 2019 to USD $7.5 billion by the end of 2025 [360iResearch 2020] and it is estimated that the potential market opportunity for LID Parkinsons disease to be over USD $3 billion in the U.S. alone. Ketamine is an FDA-approved N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-modulating (NDMA) drug that is widely used as an anesthetic agent either alone or in combination with other anesthetic agents [Smith et al, 1987; Pacheco et al, 2014]. The possible therapeutic effect of low-dose ketamine on levodopa-induced dyskinesia was noted in a retrospective analysis of Parkinsons disease patients who received ketamine for pain relief. During this analysis, it was observed that the patients experienced an improvement in LID lasting several weeks beyond treatment [Sherman et al, 2016]. These results were corroborated in a test of low-dose ketamine in a rodent LID model, and this possible effect has also been examined in a controlled study [Bartlett et al, 2016]. Ketamine may also have additional benefits in the treatment of pain [Niesters et al, 2014] and depression [Diamond et al, 2014; Murrough et al, 2013], which are frequent comorbidities of Parkinsons disease. About Parkinsons Disease There is currently no cure for Parkinsons disease, although some drug combinations are used to treat the disease symptoms. Although the etiology of Parkinsons disease is not fully understood, it is thought to result from loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia nigra and their striatal projections, leading to dopamine deficiency in the striatum [Schapira and Jenner, 2011]. This ultimately affects the cortico-striatal system that controls movement. As a progressive neurogenerative disorder of the central nervous system that primarily affects the motor nerve system, symptoms of Parkinsons disease may emerge slowly and include tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability [Paulson and Stern, 2004]. Also, patients may experience non-motor symptoms such as autonomic dysfunction (orthostatic hypotension, constipation, bladder dysfunction), psychiatric (depression), cognitive and sensory symptoms (pain) [Olanow, et al, 2009]. These non-motor symptoms become more common as the disease progresses. Treatments, including levodopa and dopamine agonists, which restore the dopamine deficits in the brain, have been employed for almost 50 years. However, with continued treatment using levodopa, dose-limiting motor side-effects often emerge. This includes the emergence of abnormal involuntary movements termed Levodopa Induced Dyskinesias, which can be identified in about 50% of patients within five years after initiation of levodopa treatment and in almost all patients within ten years post-treatment initiation. These side effects often limit further dose increases in dopaminergic therapy. There can be no assurance that the FDA will support any potential request for an expedited path to approval or further development for ketamine in the treatment of Parkinsons disease. About PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (OTCQB: PHRRF) (CSE: PHRM) is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel uses and delivery forms of ketamine to treat mental health, neurological and pain disorders. PharmaThers product portfolio consists of KETARX (ketamine) delivered by intravenous injection, intradermal microneedle patch, and subcutaneous pump administration. Learn more at PharmaTher.com . For more information about PharmaTher, please contact: Fabio Chianelli Chief Executive Officer PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. Tel: 1-888-846-3171 Email: info@pharmather.com Website: www.pharmather.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider have reviewed or accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "potential", "aim", may and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on PharmaTher Holdings Ltd. (the "Company") current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company at the date of the information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof, and Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements are described under the caption "Risk Factors" in Company's management's discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2022 ("MD&A"), dated September 28, 2022, which is available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state, province, territory or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state, province, territory or jurisdiction. Dublin, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Automotive Filter Market By Vehicle Type, By Filter Type, By Applications, By Filter Media, By Demand Category, By Region, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global automotive filter market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 3.82% during the forecast period to reach USD60,148.69 million by 2027. Anticipated growth in the market can be attributed to increasing initiatives to control pollutants emitting from vehicle engine, which is harmful for human health. Furthermore, increase in demand from OEM and aftermarket is also expected to drive the growth of the global automotive filter market in the upcoming five years. The automotive filter is divided into three segments which consist of air filter, fuel filter and oil filter. As we are moving toward the sustainable energy, at the same time we are also focusing on the quality of air we are breathing. The purpose of these filters is to trap all the impurities which could directly affect the wear and tear condition of engine in all types of vehicles. These impurities can either be dust or any contaminants in the air. Oil filter application is to filter back the impurities from oil to various engine components, which helps engine to run smoothly and give it a longer life. The fuel and gas injected during internal combustion should be free from any kind of impurities for better mileage and power. A tiny dust particle can impact the performance of engine. Air filter is divided into two sub-segments based on their application i.e. cabin filter and engine filter. Cabin filters out the pollen, dust, and airborne particles which enters the cabin through ventilation, air conditioning, or heating system. From recent research it was stated that engine emits hazardous gases which enters the cabin. This hazardous gas is harmful to the human health. As a result, filters have been in high demand among the automotive manufacturers. To fulfill the expanding need of installing filter in automobiles, original equipment manufacturers of internal combustion engine (ICE) across the world have ramped up the pace of manufacturing automotive filters. Significant number of filter manufacturers are investing heavily in the research and development sector to develop nanofiber filter that can trap the microbials up to the size of 10 nm, driving the global automotive filter market in the forthcoming years. Moreover, factors such as travel convenience, healthy breathing, comfort, efficiency, etc. have increased the demand for filters among the people, which has further intensified the demand for automotive filter across the globe. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic created economic and public health crisis across the world. Consequently, many industries faced a consequential decrease in the production of automotive filters due to full or partial lockdown restrictions across various countries to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The automotive filter manufacturers, workshop, and showrooms had to shut down their production line amid lockdowns. Nevertheless, with the easing of lockdown restrictions and growing focus on research and development, the market is showing positive signs of recovery and is anticipated to recover in around two years. Growing Concerns for Environment Sustainability Drives the Market Growth Increase in pollution is one of the major opportunities for the filter market. The exhaust emission released from the vehicle contains hazardous pollutants which are harmful to the health. Government & agencies are focusing to minimize this issue as much as possible. Companies such as MANN+HUMMEL are working on the Nanofiber technology for the automobile filters. As the market players are moving toward sustainable energy, at same time they are also focusing on the quality of air we are breathing. This nanofiber technology can trap the microbials size up to 10 nm and could be used in both cabin filters & engine filters. Increasing Vehicles on Road Drives the Market Growth Existing vehicles on road and production of new vehicles is expected to drive the filter market growth. Automakers have been constantly working on technologies that can help the automotive manufacturers to reduce the carbon emission in vehicles to increase the overall performance of the vehicle. As people are getting more environment-conscious & prefer to use electric vehicle which only uses cabin filters. Battery filters is the new segment by filters application. They are being used in the electric vehicle for ventilation & thermal control for battery. The increase in demand for electric vehicle is expected to increase the air filter overall share. Government Regulation and Emission Standards Drives the Market Growth Emission standards and regulations imposed by government are expected drive the global automotive filter market. As global warming has forced governments around the world to take serious measures regarding the carbon emission at early stage. The French government has introduced 'Crit'Air vignette' clean air sticker in some of the cities which cost around USD 4.74 per vehicle. These Crit Air stickers have been offered by the French government as a way to lower toxic vehicle emissions in areas where air condition is poorest, such as large cities and towns. Vehicles that have these stickers are eligible to park and drive in restricted traffic zones and due to this government initiative, the use of air filters in the cars is expected to increase. This standard and regulation will change continuously at regular intervals. This will drive filter manufacturing companies to work on their filter media technology for better efficiency and less maintenance, influencing the automotive filter sales across the world. Market Segmentation Global automotive filter market is segmented based on filter type, which is further divided into air filter, oil filter and fuel filter, by vehicle type market is divided into passenger car, two wheeler, medium & heavy commercial vehicles, light commercial vehicle and OTR, by application type it is divided into engine filter & cabin filter, by filter media it is divided into Cellulose Media, synthetic media, particulate, active carbon media and others, by demand category it is segmented into replacement and original equipment manufacturer. By region it is further divided into Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa. The global automotive filter market based on filter type, is majorly dominated by air filter, with a market share of 44.28% in 2021. The filter type air filter units are majorly installed in passenger vehicle, light commercial vehicle, medium to heavy duty commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, and off-the-road vehicles. In terms of country, the United States automotive filter market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 2.96% and is expected to reach around USD 9,923 million during the forecast period 2027. Company Profiles Mann+Hummel Filter Pvt Ltd, Mahle Gmbh Group, Donaldson Company, Inc., Toyota Boshoku Corporation, Freudenberg Group, K&N Engineering, Inc., Robert Bosch GmbH, Elofic Industries Ltd., Hengst SE, Denso Corporation, etc. are among the major market players in the global platform that lead the market growth of the global automotive filter market. Key Topics Covered: 1. Product Overview 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Impact of COVID-19 on Global Automotive Filter Market 5. Voice of Customers 5.1. Factors Influencing Purchase Decision 5.2. Brand Recall 5.3. Brand Satisfaction Level 6. Global Automotive Filter Market Outlook 6.1. Market Size & Forecast 6.1.1. By Value 6.1.2. By Volume 6.2. Market Share & Forecast 6.2.1. By Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Two Wheeler, Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV), Medium & Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV), and Off-the-Road Vehicle (OTR)) 6.2.2. By Filter Type (Air Filter, Oil Filter, Fuel Filter) 6.2.3. By Application (Engine Filter and Cabin filter) 6.2.4. By Filter Media (Cellulose, Synthetic, Particulate, Activated Carbon Media) 6.2.5. By Demand Category (Replacement, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM)) 6.2.6. By Region 6.2.7. By Company (2021) 6.3. Market Map (By Vehicle Type, By Region) 7. Asia-Pacific Automotive Filter Market Outlook 8. North America Automotive Filter Market Outlook 9. Europe Automotive Filter Market Outlook 10. South America Automotive Filter Market Outlook 11. Middle East and Africa Automotive Filter Market Outlook 12. Market Dynamics 12.1. Drivers 12.2. Challenges 13. Market Trends and Developments 14. Competitive Landscape 14.1. MANN+HUMMEL International GmbH & Co. KG 14.2. MAHLE International GmbH 14.3. Donaldson Company Inc. 14.4. Toyota Boshoku Corporation 14.5. Freudenberg SE 14.6. K&N Engineering, Inc 14.7. Denso Corporation 14.8. Elofic Industries Ltd. 14.9. Hengst SE 14.10. Robert Bosch GmbH 15. Strategic Recommendations 16. About the Publisher & Disclaimer For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a9nei1 Attachment NEW YORK, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LEXEO Therapeutics, Inc. (LEXEO), a clinical-stage biotech company advancing a pipeline of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy candidates for cardiovascular and central nervous system (CNS) diseases, today announced new clinical data from its ongoing study of LX1001 for APOE4-associated Alzheimers disease will be presented at the 29th European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy Annual Meeting (ESGCT), which is being held live in Edinburgh, Scotland and virtually from October 11-14, 2022. In an oral presentation, LEXEO will present clinical data from the ongoing study of LX1001 for APOE4-associated Alzheimers disease. LX1001 is an AAV-based investigational gene therapy designed to deliver the apolipoprotein E2 (APOE2) gene into the CNS of APOE4 homozygous Alzheimers disease patients to halt or slow disease progression. This marks the first clinical data from a gene therapy program targeting APOE4-associated Alzheimers disease presented at a scientific meeting. Details of the oral presentation are: Title: Gene Therapy in APOE4 Homozygote Alzheimers Disease interim data Presenter: Michael Kaplitt, M.D., Ph.D., Weill Cornell Medicine Date/Time: Wednesday, October 12th, session start - 9:00 AM ET (15:00 CEST) Session Title: CNS and sensory disease I (Parallel 3a) To view full event programming, please visit the ESGCT website. About LEXEO Therapeutics LEXEO Therapeutics is a New York City-based, clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on addressing some of the most devastating genetically defined cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases affecting both larger-rare and prevalent patient populations. LEXEOs foundational science stems from partnerships and exclusive licenses with leading academic institutions at Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of California, San Diego. LEXEO is advancing a deep and diverse pipeline of AAV-based gene therapy candidates in rare cardiovascular diseases, APOE4-associated Alzheimers disease, and CLN2 Batten disease, and is led by pioneers and experts with decades of collective experience in genetic medicines, rare disease drug development, manufacturing, and commercialization. For more information, please visit www.lexeotx.com or LinkedIn. Media Contact: Evan Feeley Evoke Canale for LEXEO (619) 849-5392 evan.feeley@evokegroup.com New York,, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Renewable Energy Market Size was valued at USD 881.70 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 1930.60 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.50 % during 2021-2030. as per the latest research report by Spherical Insights & Consulting. Get a Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/request-sample/1072 The potential for rising renewable energy consumption, combined with the electrification of transportation and expanded participation in the electrical value chain by industrials and oil and gas businesses, is hastening industry convergence. Renewable growth could pick up in 2021 as the new administration begins to implement a platform that includes rejoining the Paris Climate Accord, investing $2 trillion in clean energy, and fully decarbonizing the power sector by 2035 in order to achieve a larger goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. A new administration is anticipated to use its executive power to speed up the implementation of renewable energy. Powers over emissions, public lands, and procurement, foreign affairs, commerce, and agency nominations may be included. Supportive federal policies might assist expedite timeframes for further development into other technologies, such as better batteries and other types of storage, offshore wind, and green hydrogen technology, for an industry that has relied mainly on solar and wind. As these new technologies, particularly green hydrogen generation and storage, reach commercialization, it may see an increase in power-to-x projects to store, convert, and reconvert excess solar and wind energy into carbon-neutral fuels and chemicals. Mexico is a country defined by its usage of hydrocarbon energy. The economy, government finances, politics, traditions, and substantial portions of the population all regard oil as a vital base, and the oil and gas industry's influence is visible in many spheres. Mexico as a country has amassed enormous wealth from oil, but this money has been ineffectively utilized due to corruption and bad planning, two curses that afflict the Mexican economy. Although oil output is now dropping, it is likely that oil and gas will continue to dominate the hydrocarbon industry in the coming decades, either through the state-owned monopoly or through competition. Buy Now Full Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/checkout/1072 However, Mexico must also be viewed as a country with significant potential in renewable energy sources. While regional and worldwide attention has properly centered on Brazil as an emerging renewable energy superpower in recent years, Mexico has been viewed (again correctly) as a country that has not done enough to support the development of the renewable energy sector. The energy debate in Mexico has been driven by the economic and political challenges in the hydrocarbon sector, while the media, policymakers, and many academics have mostly disregarded the sector. The potential for increased renewable energy consumption, as well as electrification of the transportation and industrial sectors, as well as intentions by oil and gas corporations to boost participation in the electrical value chain, are hastening energy industry convergence. These tendencies may encourage collaboration, which may lead to the development of new business models and the advancement of the energy transition. Despite the advent of a global pandemic and an economic slump in 2020, states, cities, utilities, and corporations continued to announce or pursue decarbonization initiatives. Even in the absence of a formal incentive for green infrastructure construction in the economic stimulus measures enacted in response to COVID-19, clean energy demand in the United States remained resilient, as renewables and storage saw dropping costs while capacity and consumption factors increased. Furthermore, when electricity consumption fell this year, renewables pushed out traditional electricity producing options. As of early December, renewables had outperformed coal in generation for 153 days, compared to 39 days in 2019. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), power usage would likely decrease by 3.9 percent in 2020 and increase by 1.3 percent in 2021. Inquire Before Buying This Research Report: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/1072 In contrast to other energy sources, which are concentrated in a small number of nations, renewable energy resources and major prospects for energy efficiency exist throughout large geographical areas. Rapid deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as technical diversification of energy sources, would result in considerable economic and energy security benefits. It would also reduce environmental pollutants, such as air pollution generated by the combustion of fossil fuels, enhance public health, reduce early mortality due to pollution, and save associated health expenditures of hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the United States alone. Several assessments of decarbonization initiatives in the United States have revealed that quantifiable health benefits can greatly balance the costs of implementing these strategies. Renewable energy sources that derive their energy from the sun, either directly or indirectly, such as hydro and wind, are expected to be able to supply humanity with energy for nearly another billion years, after which the predicted increase in heat from the Sun is expected to make the Earth's surface too hot for liquid water to exist. Asia Pacific is expected to have a high CAGR in the global market in the future. Power consumption in countries such as China and India has increased significantly as a result of increased investment in renewable energy projects. According to the International Business Environment Forum, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India's non-conventional power sector totaled US$ 10.28 billion between April 2000 and June 2021. (DPIIT). Over US$ 42 billion has been invested in India's renewable energy sector since 2014. Key Companies & Recent Developments The companies operating in this industry are focusing more on efficient growth, improvement of operational efficiency and productivity, achieving high safety standards, and focus on maintaining sustainable development. The market-leading players are focusing on securing a leading position in this industry. These players are heavily focusing on the opportunity to strengthen their competitive advantage. RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET: KEY PLAYERS Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA Acciona SA Enel S.p.A Electricite de France SA Canadian Solar Inc. SunEdison (Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy) JinkoSolar Holding Co. Iberdrola SA Vestas Wind Systems First Solar Inc. GE Energy NextEra Energy, Inc. Others Browse Related Reports Global Nuclear Power Plant Market Size, Share, By Equipment Type (Island Equipment & Auxiliary Equipment); By Reactor Type (Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), Boiling Water Reactors (BWR), Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) & Others); By Region Global Insights, Growth, Size, Comparative Analysis, Trends and Forecast, 2021-2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/nuclear-power-plant-equipment-market Global High Voltage Switchgear Market Size, Share & Trends, COVID-19 Impact Analysis Report, By Type (Gas Insulated, Oil Insulated, Air Insulated), By Application (Power Generation, Industrial, Oil and Gas, Others); By Region Global Insights, Growth, Size, Comparative Analysis, Trends and Forecast, 2021-2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/high-voltage-switchgear-market Global CNG Dispenser Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report Market by Type (Fast Fill and Time Fill), Flow Rate (Up to 15, Up to 50, and Up to 100 Kg/Min), Distribution (Company Owned & Company Run, Company Owned & Dealer Run, and Dealer Owned & Dealer Run), By Region (APAC, North America), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/cng-dispenser-market- Global Axial Flow Pump Market Size, Share & Trends, COVID-19 Impact Analysis Report, By Product Type (Horizontal and Vertical), Application (Water Treatment, Irrigation, Evaporators, and Others) and End-Use (Chemical, Municipal, Pulp & Paper, Food & Beverage, Agriculture, and Others): By Region Global Insights, Growth, Size, Comparative Analysis, Trends and Forecast, 2021-2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/axial-flow-pump-market Global Residential Battery Market Size, Share, By Type (Lithium-ion battery, Lead-Acid battery, Others), By Power Rating (3-6 kW, 6-10 kW), By Operation (Standalone, Solar); By Region Global Insights, Growth, Size, Comparative Analysis, Trends and Forecast, 2021-2030 https://www.sphericalinsights.com/reports/residential-battery-market For More Information on Your Target Market, Please Contact Us Below: Phone: +1 303 800 4326 (the U.S.) Phone: +91 90289 24100 (APAC) Email: inquiry@sphericalinsights.com , sales@sphericalinsights.com Contact Us: https://www.sphericalinsights.com/contact-us Dublin, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Cloud Security Software Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global cloud security software market size reached US$ 27.9 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 37.6 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.1% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic on different end use industries. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. Cloud security software, also known as cloud computing security software, is employed for executing specific tasks to protect the cloud-based system, data and infrastructure. Companies nowadays transfer most of their data, applications and networks on cloud servers, which are highly distributed, dynamic and more susceptible to unauthorized access, data exposure, cyberattacks and other threats. Cloud security software provides multiple levels of control in network infrastructure to protect the privacy of the users, support regulatory compliance and establish authentication rules for individual users and devices. As a result, both government and private organizations utilize cloud storage and security software as they eliminate the need to invest in dedicated hardware and reduce administrative overheads. Frequent cyberattacks and breaches have led to an increase in concerns regarding the security of information and data. Additionally, due to the dependence of organizations on cloud-based services for operations and data management, there has been a rise in the adoption of cloud security software to safeguard the integrity and continuity of resources at different levels. Apart from this, with the continuous development of innovative technology solutions using artificial intelligence and machine learning, the functionality of safety software has improved significantly. Different services such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and private cloud have been introduced by market players for managing the security of applications and networks of an organization. For instance, IBM Cloud provides a core set of network segmentation and network security services to protect workloads from network threats. Moreover, various researchers are focusing on software testing as 'Testing as a Service' (TaaS) in cloud computing paradigm using a variety of new technologies and innovative service models with multiple features that are different from traditional software testing. The publisher's latest report provides a deep insight into the global cloud security software market covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, recent trends, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc. This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the cloud security software market in any manner. Competitive Landscape: The report has also analysed the competitive landscape of the market with some of the key players being Broadcom, Inc., Trend Micro Incorporated, IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., RSA Security LLC, McAfee, LLC, Microsoft Corporation, Dell Technologies, Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, BMC Software, Inc., Bitium, CipherCloud, Inc., CloudPassage Inc., Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, Fortinet, Inc., VMware, Inc., Sophos Limited, Gemalto NV, and Imperva, Inc., etc. Key Questions Answered in This Report: How has the global cloud security software market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? What are the key regional markets in the global cloud security software industry? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global cloud security software industry? What is the breakup of the market based on the type? What is the breakup of the market based on the deployment? What is the breakup of the market based on the end-user? What is the breakup of the market based on the vertical? What are the various stages in the value chain of the global cloud security software industry? What are the key driving factors and challenges in the global cloud security software industry? What is the structure of the global cloud security software industry and who are the key players? What is the degree of competition in the global cloud security software industry? Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 4.1 Overview 4.2 Key Industry Trends 5 Global Cloud Security Software Market 5.1 Market Overview 5.2 Market Performance 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 5.4 Market Breakup by Type 5.5 Market Breakup by Deployment 5.6 Market Breakup by End-User 5.7 Market Breakup by Vertical 5.8 Market Breakup by Region 5.9 Market Forecast 6 Market Breakup by Type 6.1 Cloud Identity and Access Management 6.1.1 Market Trends 6.1.2 Market Forecast 6.2 Data Loss Prevention 6.2.1 Market Trends 6.2.2 Market Forecast 6.3 Email and Web Security 6.3.1 Market Trends 6.3.2 Market Forecast 6.4 Cloud Database Security 6.4.1 Market Trends 6.4.2 Market Forecast 6.5 Network Security 6.5.1 Market Trends 6.5.2 Market Forecast 6.6 Cloud Encryption 6.6.1 Market Trends 6.6.2 Market Forecast 7 Market Breakup by Deployment 7.1 Public 7.1.1 Market Trends 7.1.2 Market Forecast 7.2 Private 7.2.1 Market Trends 7.2.2 Market Forecast 7.3 Hybrid 7.3.1 Market Trends 7.3.2 Market Forecast 8 Market Breakup by End-User 8.1 Small and Midsize Business (SMBs) 8.1.1 Market Trends 8.1.2 Market Forecast 8.2 Large Enterprises 8.2.1 Market Trends 8.2.2 Market Forecast 8.3 Cloud Service Providers 8.3.1 Market Trends 8.3.2 Market Forecast 8.4 Government Agencies 8.4.1 Market Trends 8.4.2 Market Forecast 8.5 Others/Third Party Vendors 8.5.1 Market Trends 8.5.2 Market Forecast 9 Market Breakup by Vertical 9.1 Healthcare 9.1.1 Market Trends 9.1.2 Market Forecast 9.2 Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) 9.2.1 Market Trends 9.2.2 Market Forecast 9.3 Information Technology (IT) & Telecom 9.3.1 Market Trends 9.3.2 Market Forecast 9.4 Government Agencies 9.4.1 Market Trends 9.4.2 Market Forecast 9.5 Retail 9.5.1 Market Trends 9.5.2 Market Forecast 9.6 Others 9.6.1 Market Trends 9.6.2 Market Forecast 10 Market Breakup by Region 11 SWOT Analysis 12 Value Chain Analysis 13 Porters Five Forces Analysis 14 Price Analysis 15 Competitive Landscape 15.1 Market Structure 15.2 Key Players 15.3 Profiles of Key Players 15.3.1 Broadcom, Inc. 15.3.2 Trend Micro Incorporated 15.3.3 IBM Corporation 15.3.4 Cisco Systems, Inc. 15.3.5 RSA Security LLC 15.3.6 McAfee, LLC 15.3.7 Microsoft Corporation 15.3.8 Dell Technologies, Inc. 15.3.9 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company 15.3.10 BMC Software, Inc. 15.3.11 Bitium 15.3.12 CipherCloud, Inc. 15.3.13 CloudPassage Inc. 15.3.14 Check Point Software Technologies Ltd, 15.3.15 Fortinet, Inc. 15.3.16 VMware, Inc. 15.3.17 Sophos Limited 15.3.18 Gemalto NV 15.3.19 Imperva, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gzshzp Attachment CHICAGO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), the only organization in the world devoted exclusively to the medical assisting profession, will host its 66th AAMA Annual Conference Oct. 21-24 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The nation's leading medical assisting conference will provide attendees with educational sessions on patient care and the teaching profession, along with career development opportunities. In honor of the AAMA's long-term commitment to providing medical assistants with education, networking opportunities and advocacy for the profession, the AAMA Annual Conference will take place during Medical Assistants Recognition Week (MARWeek). To foster medical assistants' brighter futures in health care, attendees can attend a niche expo, join industry thought leaders in informative sessions and celebrate the profession with fellow medical assistants throughout the weekend. "I am excited to welcome attendees to the AAMA Annual Conference during [MARWeek]," says Patty Licurs, CMA (AAMA), CPC, 2021-2022 president of the AAMA. "The conference was designed for medical assistants interested in gaining industry knowledge, connecting with [other] professionals and earning continuing education units. Sessions like the CMA (AAMA) Knowledge Bowl offer an interactive way for attendees to showcase their knowledge about the profession." The AAMA Annual Conference will feature numerous continuing education (CE) sessions, such as the following: CMA (AAMA) Knowledge Bowl Health Equity: We All Have a Role to Play Strategies to Create Engaging Online Courses Speaking Terms: Communication Strategies to Promote Alcohol-Free Pregnancies Methods to Boost Quality Improvement in Health Care For a complete list of speakers and CE sessions, see the 2022 Conference Registration Brochure: http://www.aama-ntl.org/docs/default-source/conference/conference-registration-brochure.pdf. The theme of this year's conference, "Brighter Futures in Health Care," exemplifies positivity, teamwork and resilience. The Excel Awards, which recognize the most excellent publications, promotions, people and more, will be presented by the AAMA and its sponsors McGraw Hill and PSI Services LLC. Medical assisting is one of the nation's careers that is growing much faster than average for all occupations, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) or CMA (AAMA) credential represents a medical assistant who has been credentialed through the Certifying Board of the AAMA. For more information, please visit www.aama-ntl.org or call the AAMA directly at 800/228-2262. ABOUT THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL ASSISTANTS The American Association of Medical Assistants, the only organization in the world devoted exclusively to the medical assisting profession, was established in 1956 and serves the interests of more than 92,000 medical assisting professionals. The American Association of Medical Assistants provides quality resources and educational opportunities for medical assistants by offering certification, advocacy for quality patient-centered health care, credential acknowledgment and scope-of-practice protection. For more information, visit www.aama-ntl.org. Contact Information: Francesca Llanos Public Relations and Marketing Manager fllanos@aama-ntl.org 7735905524 Related Images Image 1: AAMA Annual Conference Logo This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (Ameriwest or the Company) (CSE: AWLI) (OTC: AWLIF) (FSE: 5HV0), a North American lithium exploration and development company, is pleased to announce that results from a magnetotelluric (MT) geophysical survey (the MT Survey) at its Edwards Creek Valley Property, Nevada (Edwards Creek or the Property) shows potential for the Property, located about 120 miles east of Reno, to host a much larger shallow brine target than previously thought. David Watkinson, President, and CEO of Ameriwest stated, We are extremely excited by the results of the MT Survey, especially the delineation of a large near surface brine target that appears to be almost 20 square kilometers in size. The Company plans to move forward with permitting to test this shallow target with drilling and will ultimately follow up with testing of the deeper targets in the future. Edwards Creek consist of 1,243 contiguous claims totaling 22,200 acres. The Company completed six MT lines as part of the MT Survey to cover the claim area shown in Figure 1. An MT Survey measures electrical resistivity of the subsurface. Low electrical resistivity, which is the same as high electrical conductivity, is known to be caused by the presence of highly saline water within the pores of a host reservoir. The saline water, or brine, may host lithium. For example, brine deposits with lithium are found in Clayton Valley, Nevada, including Albemarles operating Silver Peak Mine. Figure 1 - Edwards Creek Valley MT Survey Figure 2 is a representative cross section showing MT measurements (resistivity) along MT Line 2 (Line 2s location is shown in Figure 1). The cross section shows a large shallow near surface zone of high conductivity in the dark colors. Ameriwest is looking for areas with a resistivities of less than 1.5 ohm-m. Low resistivities of less than 1.5 ohm-m indicate the potential location of brine targets which may host lithium. Figure 2 also shows several deeper subsurface zones of low resistivity (high conductivity) that represent multiple deeper brine targets. Figure 2 - Edwards Creek Valley MT Survey Line 2 Figure 1 also shows an interpretation made from the six MT lines and estimates the extent of the shallow and deep high conductivity areas. The shallow conductivity zone occurs at surface, shown in red, and is estimated to have an area on the order of 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) and is approximately 100 to 200 m (300 to 600 feet) thick. The shallow conductivity zone appears to be fully located within the Ameriwest claim block and is more or less parallel with the basin axis. Several deeper conductivity zones, shown in red, are also apparent from the MT 2D inversions, and these seem to be zones of conductivity with trends similar in orientation (northwest to southeast) to the shallow zone. Depths of the deeper zones range from 500 to 900 m (1,600 to 3,000 ft) deep and in some instances as deep as 1,400 m (4,600 ft). It is not yet known whether the shallow or deep low-resistivities are related to the presence of geothermal resources (hot springs) in the area as shown on the map. Note that the presence of low resistivity zones, meaning high conductivity intervals, is likely an indication of highly saline aquifers. However, there is no assurance that there are significant lithium concentrations within the brine or that a commercial resource has been discovered. Only drilling and sampling of the water can prove the existence of a lithium resource. Any similarity to projects such as Albemarles Silver Peak Mine does not guarantee exploration success at Edwards Creek as mineral resources or reserves have yet to be delineated on the Property. Greg Bell, P.E. (Arizona), a qualified person under the NI 43-101 instrument, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release. Ameriwest invites interested stakeholders and shareholders alike to contact our investor relations team or visit our website and sign-up for regular news alerts which will help provide timely updates of ongoing activities. Company management believes strongly in regular communications, updates, and reports from the field, as an important aspect of developing informative and useful engagement as the Company continues to help explore and develop the exciting and rapidly evolving lithium sector. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, David Watkinson President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Invictus Investor Relations Tel: +1 (604) 343-8661 info@ameriwestlithium.com https://ameriwestlithium.com/ About Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (CSE: AWLI) (OTC: AWLIF) (FSE: 5HV0) Ameriwest Lithium Inc. is a Canadian-based exploration company focused on identifying and developing strategic lithium clay and brine mineral resources in Nevada and Arizona. The Company is currently exploring its 6,900-acre Thompson Valley lithium clay property in Arizona. In Nevada, it is exploring its 15,300-acre Railroad Valley lithium brine property, its 22,210-acre Edwards Creek Valley lithium brine property, its 5,760-acre Little Smoky Valley lithium clay property, and its 7,380-acre Deer Musk East lithium brine property. For more information visit: https://ameriwestlithium.com/. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forwardlooking information. Forwardlooking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, plan, estimate, expect, may, will, intend, should, and similar expressions. Forwardlooking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forwardlooking information. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forwardlooking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Companys strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forwardlooking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forwardlooking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forwardlooking information contained in this news release represents the Companys expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d5fd4e6-d8e1-45d6-97db-240063b4ccb1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d1816497-4853-43a0-ac25-4f5b0814c6be Dallas, Texas, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The economic growth of global party balloons market is expected to rebound post-covid recording revenue growth of US$ 2.5 Bn 2030. The percent growth rate is anticipated to be 5% during the forecast period of 2022-2030. Rising disposable income, growing trend of official and home parties, birthday parties are getting a makeover, trending fairytale-themed parties, thematic virtual video call parties becoming increasingly popular is driving the global party balloons market. However, the implications and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been far-reaching and wide, creating not just a myriad of challenges for governments at every level, but a challenge for the well-being of party balloon businesses and communities across the globe. Global party balloons market Scope: Metrics Details Study Period 2019-2030 Market Size in 2029 USD 2.5 Billion Segment Covered by Type, Application, By Region, by Type Covered Printed and Nonprinted; Size: Less than 15", between 15" and 30", and more than 30" Application Covered Commercial, Residential, and Others; and Distribution Channel: Online and Offline Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa and South America Key Players Profiled Amscan Inc., Balonevi, Belbal, Galaxy Balloon Inc., Gemar Srl, HI-FLOAT, Lufi Expressz, Buttericks Leco AB, CTI Industries, Folat B.V., Maple City Rubber, Pioneer Worldwide, Progressive Balloons Inc, Rubek Balloons. Request a pdf brochure @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/466 The restrictions and lockdowns disrupted supply chains and markets, impacted the operations, drastically reduced employment scope, contributed to fluctuating incomes for households, as well as decreased tax revenue, governments overall revenue. This hampered the global party balloons market. Nevertheless, despite the global negative impacts of COVID-19, the party balloon enterprises were able to take advantage of the crisis to adapt and innovate. Most importantly, during the pandemic small scale and other business reeling under the economic impact innovated and implemented unique strategies thus helping them cope with the impacts of the pandemic. In addition to this, government support and initiatives also supported the market survive the economic impact. The market players endeavored to cope, adapt, overcome and even survive the pandemic. These groups survived by adopting innovations in various country contexts and social settings and how the production, supply and market continued operation. Moreover, responsive the government policies and interventions supported the businesses, adaptation policies, investment and action plans were taken for sustainabillity and resilience of businesses in the future. Retailing products online, building a business group for better networking and building trust in product quality and safety to gain clients gave a remarkable boost to global party balloons market. Purchase a single user copy @ https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/466 Regionally, the APAC is the largest shareholder of global party balloons market due to rising disposable income, growing trend of official and home parties, birthday parties are getting a makeover, trending fairytale-themed parties, thematic virtual video call parties becoming increasingly popular in the region. Also, market dominants are investing heavily on new product developments, environment friendly balloons, collaborations with start-up and medium sized companies, and more. Hence, according to market enthusiasts and researchers APAC may play a significant role for improving the overall market revenue. Important Points from Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Market Outlook 4. Party Balloon Market by Product type overview, 2022-2029(USD Billion) Artistic balloons Cost-effective charges Extensive range 5. Party Balloon Market by End User overview, 2022-2029 (USD Billion) Household Commercial Residential Others 6. By Filling Type Overview, 2022-2029 (USD Billion) Oval Cylindrical Heart 7. Party Balloon Market by region 2022-2029 (USD Billion) o North America US Canada o Europe UK Germany France Rest of Europe o Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific o South America Brazil Mexico Rest of South America o Middle East & Africa 8. Competitive Landscape 10. Company Profiles. 11. Appendix Looking for DISCOUNT? If yes, then request for discount at https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount/466 Access research repository of Upcoming Reports @ https://adroitmarketresearch.com/upcoming.html About Us: Adroit Market Research is a global business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps. English French HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Irving Shipbuilding announced a $4.4 million investment in COVE (Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship) over the next five years. Irving Shipbuilding, a founding investor (2017) in the development of the former Coast Guard property in Dartmouth to build a world-class ocean technology cluster that would become COVE. Under the National Shipbuilding Strategy Value Proposition obligation, Irving Shipbuilding is committed to investing 0.5% of contract value in research and initiatives to support a vibrant and sustainable marine industry in Canada. COVEs mission is focused on the commercialization of high-tech innovation for the sustainable use of the ocean. Today, COVE remains one of the only purpose-built commercialization facilities in the world that is industry led and ocean industry focused. Its vision is to be where ocean technology leaders develop solutions for a better and sustainable world, a key driver for enabling a strong Blue Economy in the following areas: Developing Canadas future workforce Enabling development of new products and services through on and off water shared infrastructure Scaling businesses and new ventures Partnering with other global hubs to advance commercialization The reinvestment from Irving Shipbuilding into COVE highlights the value of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and its continued impact on strengthening Canadas ocean economy. We will continue our work in building an innovative and driven workforce here and across Canada and to be the leading centre of excellence for enhancing technology and innovation for all sectors of the ocean economy. Melanie Nadeau, CEO, COVE. I am pleased to announce that Irving Shipbuilding is renewing its funding for COVE for another 5 years. Along with our support to their Workforce initiatives that brings our total commitment of over $10M all for the benefit of the broader marine sector. The Halifax Shipyard is building far more than just ships. Were committed to the Blue Economy, Ocean Technology and Skills Development. COVE is a unique catalyst that has grown to over 70 emerging enterprises that are focused on innovative solutions to problems like climate change and the health of our oceans. We believe COVE will continue to pay dividends here at home in Nova Scotia and Canada. Aaron Plamondon, Director Industrial Participation, Irving Shipbuilding. About COVE: The Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) is a global innovation hub for marine technology located in Dartmouth, Canada. COVE brings together people, ideas, industry, and research to enable our community and members to work in new ways. As part of its programming, COVE fosters the development of an engaged workforce for ocean industries to meet todays and future needs and takes advantage of both on and offshore shared infrastructure to enable new ocean products and services. COVE is a catalyst in creating the world's next practical, commercial, and revolutionary ocean tech advances. COVE's founding partner is Irving Shipbuilding Inc. (ISI) under the National Shipbuilding Strategy Value Proposition. To learn more about COVE, visit www.coveocean.com. About Irving Shipbuilding: Irving Shipbuilding is Canadas National Shipbuilder, selected in 2011 to build the new fleet of combat vessels to the Royal Canadian Navy. To date, three Arctic and Offshore Patrol ships (AOPS) have been delivered and a further three are underway. The company will also build two custom AOPS for the Canadian Coast Guard before commencing the larger Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) Fleet. To date over $4.9 billion in investments have been made across Canada as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. A team of 2100 shipbuilders proudly based in Halifax, NS include the largest team of apprentices in Atlantic Canada. www.shipsforcanada.ca. CONTACTS: COVE Leslie Munro Communications Manager Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship (COVE) (902) 266-2685 leslie.munro@coveocean.com Irving Shipbuilding: Mary Keith Vice President Communications (506) 650-8209 keith.mary@irvingshipbuilding.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/66d4f531-33dc-481a-8ed5-ca86822cd592 SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- River City Bank, Sacramento's premier business bank, showed its support for ending homelessness and strengthening communities by presenting a $10,000 donation check to Sacramento Steps Forward. The donation supports implementing a new regional coordinated access system to ensure that homelessness is either preventable, brief, or one-time. "As one of Sacramento's long-standing community-based businesses, River City Bank is dedicated to seeing our region grow and prosper, and that includes supporting organizations that provide solutions for ending homelessness," said Steve Fleming, President and CEO of River City Bank. "As the lead agency for Sacramento Continuum of Care, Sacramento Steps Forward is responsible for providing homeless families and individuals with needed housing and support services." "Thank you to River City Bank for this generous contribution and for recognizing Sacramento Steps Forward's work on a comprehensive approach to end homelessness. Homelessness is truly a humanitarian crisis. It touches all of us - from the unimaginable hardships for our unhoused community to the impacts suffered by nearby neighborhoods, businesses, and the community," said Lisa Bates, CEO of Sacramento Steps Forward. "We are grateful for this investment and the direct impact it will have on systemic solutions in Sacramento." River City Bank presented the donation check to Lisa and the SSF executive team members during its client appreciation reception, which was held on Sept. 21, 2022. As part of the event tradition, River City Bank recognizes and makes a charitable contribution to one of our non-profit clients. River City Bank employees had the challenging, yet rewarding, job of choosing the donation recipient from many charitable organizations with compelling missions. About River City Bank Named one of Sacramento Business Journal's "50 Fastest Growing Companies" for each of the past six years, River City Bank is the Sacramento region's premier business bank with assets of over $3.8 billion. River City Bank offers a comprehensive suite of banking services, including loans, deposits and cash management tools to the business, consumer and commercial real estate sectors. With tailored, executive-level service and a long-term investment grade credit rating from Standard & Poor's, River City Bank redefines the banking experience and every touch point that surrounds it. River City Bank is the largest, independent, locally-owned and managed bank in the Sacramento region with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area and a presence in Southern California. For additional information, please visit www.rivercitybank.com or call (916) 567-2600. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. About Sacramento Steps Forward Sacramento Steps Forward is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving the Sacramento region leading multi-sector, system-level change to compassionately end homelessness where our vision is an equitable community where everyone has a safe place to call home. Sacramento Steps Forward is also the lead agency for the Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care. For more information about Sacramento Steps Forward, visit SacramentoStepsForward.com. # # # Contact Information: Amber Holwell VP - Director of Marketing amber.holwell@rivercitybank.com 916-567-2600 Related Images Image 1: River City Bank Check Presentation to Sacramento Steps Forward River City Bank President and CEO Steve Fleming, along with Premier Banking Relationship Manager Donna Sutherland, presents a donation check in the amount of $10,000 to Sacramento Steps Forward Executive Director Lisa Bates, Deputy CEO, Rachel Berez This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment San Diego, CA, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wrapify, drivers of innovation in out-of-home advertising, today launches the Driver Marketplace to connect brands with one of their key demographics - rideshare and delivery drivers. The Driver Marketplace, now available in the Wrapify mobile app, is a nationally scalable channel that will provide brands with additional ways to drive value to 400,000+ gig workers by connecting them with more ways to save and earn money. "Wrapify has created a solid driver network over the last seven years, allowing us to build and scale this product nationwide," said James Heller, Co-founder, and CEO of Wrapify, We feel confident that this product will help the right brands reach their target audience, while also accomplishing our mission to support the gig economy." Driver Marketplace Launch Partners As part of the Driver Marketplace launch, Wrapify has also announced that it will partner with companies like Solo, Remitly, and GoShare. These companies will use Wrapifys Driver Marketplace to offer drivers a discount on their memberships and subscriptions. "We're excited to be one of the first partners to leverage this gig work marketplace. Our aligned missions and Wrapify's expansive network of drivers is an opportunity for Solo to rapidly bring our unique pay guarantee to more workers." Bryce Bennett, CEO & Founder at Solo shares. "We look forward to this opportunity to work with the Wrapify team to launch their this Marketplace and create new money-making opportunities for delivery professionals, adds Shaun Savage, Co-founder & CEO, GoShare. Wrapifys Win/Win Opportunity Wrapify aims to connect brands to a countrywide network of gig workers who want to earn, save, and spend money wisely. The Driver Marketplace is open to any brands that wish to provide ways gig drivers can earn additional income or save money, with offers exclusive to Wrapifys network. Brands can use the platform to provide potential new customers with discount codes, free trials, or even new job opportunities. With the Driver Marketplace, marketers will create customized promotions for their target audience, displayed directly in the Wrapify mobile app, and commit to marketplace offers that enable gig drivers to earn extra cash or obtain exclusive offers. Wrapify offers three listing opportunities for both national and regional campaigns. For more details, visit https://wrapify.com/driver-marketplace. About Wrapify Wrapify helps brands create great advertising that also does good, by placing ad spend back into the gig economy. Founded in 2015, Wrapify has deployed over 500,000+ Uber, Lyft, and other delivery drivers for nationwide brand campaigns. They connect offline and online advertising channels that drive measurable results while putting cash back into drivers' pockets. Learn more at www.wrapify.com. Attachment Live 6ix Summit Today, Wednesday October 5 @ 11:00am ET / 8:00am PT HIGHLIGHTS Phase 1 Prefeasibility Study results reported, envisaging low capex, high-margin restart with average annual FCF of >$25 million, EBITDA of >$40 million, and zinc-equivalent production of >90 million pounds. Value accretive opportunities include unlocking value from 6.9Mt Inferred Mineral Resource Ball mill capable of increasing production throughput to 2,100 tpd (vs. 1,800 tpd in PFS) secured Procurement and Construction Management (PCM) contractor selected and on-site Underground decline advances; purchased haul truck and jumbo drill placed in service Demolition at Pend Oreille site continuing safely and on schedule; expected completion in November CEO Sam Ash and CFO David Wiens to host interactive 6ix investor event today, Wednesday October 5 at 11:00am ET / 8:00am PT. Investors are invited to register at: [LINK] TORONTO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Please note that the release issued earlier today by Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (CSE: BNKR, OTCQB: BHLL), has been corrected as follows: Bunker Hill Mining Corp. (the Company) (CSE: BNKR, OTCQB: BHLL) is pleased to provide an update on restart project activities during the month of September 2022. Sam Ash, CEO stated: September was an important and exciting month at Bunker Hill, including the reporting of our Phase 1 PFS results, the securing of an additional ball mill capable of meeting and potentially increasing PFS throughput levels, and the selection of a PCM contractor. On the ground, it is also pleasing to see key underground and surface activities continuing to advance in support of a planned mine restart at the end of next year. PROCUREMENT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT (PCM) CONTRACTOR SELECTION After an extensive evaluation process, the Company has appointed Strike Group (Strike) as its PCM partner for the mine restart activities. Strike is 100% owned by American Industrial Partners, an operationally-oriented private equity firm that has an extensive track record in new capital construction and infrastructure solutions. The Strike team has established a permanent on-site presence in mid-September and is in the process of refining the master schedule for the project and driving various engineering and other studies to facilitate project advancement. UNDERGROUND ACTIVITY AND MOBILE EQUIPMENT The underground decline ramp from the 5-Level to the 6-level of the mine continued to advance with a total of 1,325 feet of the planned 2,125 feet completed as of September 30. All muck bays and sumps have now been completed, and ventilation planning has optimized the location of the vent drift fan which will be driven coincident with the ramp. Completion of ramp will facilitate access to the existing Newgard 3,300-foot internal ramp system and subsequent sub-level development within the Newgard portion of mineralization. The previously announced 16-ton haul truck and electric jumbo drill have now been serviced and are currently in operation underground. The electric jumbo drill has the capability to drill 12-foot advancement rounds, as compared to the previous jumbo drills 10-foot rounds. With this extra footage capacity, advancement rates are expected to increase for the remainder of the decline drive. DEMOLITION ACTIVITIES AT PEND OREILLE SITE With the process plant having been fully demobilized (see the Companys news release of August 31, 2022 for further detail), demolition activities at Tecks Pend Oreille site commenced in mid-September. By the end of September, the former crusher building had been reduced to its foundations, a key milestone. Progress also included the dropping of a conveyor that had fed the fine ore bins from the surface crushers, and the reduction of the former mill building to a single level. Work is on schedule for full completion in early November. Photo 1: Arrival of additional DUX underground haul truck https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9d3472d7-1ddd-4af3-a01f-dac4f8e939e9 Photo 2: Crusher building reduce to its foundations https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/23a182ec-dfdd-49b0-8a70-d12919f21bb8 Photo 3: Mill building reduced to one level https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cfd43bd7-b101-4d66-8e95-8cd353b768f6 PREFEASIBILITY STUDY RESULTS AND BALL MILL PURCHASE On September 6th, the Company reported the results of a Prefeasibility Study (PFS) for the first phase of the restart of the Bunker Hill Mine. The PFS plan significantly de-risks the project and describes a $55 million (including contingency) initial capital cost to restart the mine by the end of 2023, generating over $25 million of annual average free cash flow from an initial 5-year mine plan based on Probable Mineral Reserves to produce over 315 million pounds of zinc, 145 million pounds of lead, and 3 million ounces of silver at an estimated All-in Sustaining Cost of $0.77 per payable pound of zinc (net of by-products). The Company is finalizing the associated Prefeasibility Study report, which will be filed on SEDAR by October 21, 2022. Numerous value accretive opportunities were identified as part of the PFS study including unlocking value from the 6.9 million ton Inferred Mineral Resource which is not included in the 5-year mine plan. On September 20th, the Company reported that it had secured a ball mill and ancillary equipment capable of meeting the 1,800 ton per day production throughput rate envisaged in the PFS, while also supporting a 17% throughput increase to 2,100 tons per day, subject to future engineering and mine planning. SHARE ISSUANCE AND NEW PAYMENT BOND Consistent with the payment of interest for the first and second quarters of 2022, the Company has elected to issue common shares for the payment of interest for the third quarter of 2022 to the holders of the Royalty Convertible Debenture, Series 1 Convertible Debenture, and Series 2 Convertible Debenture. A total of 8,252,940 common shares of the Company will be issued on October 5, 2022. QUALIFIED PERSON Mr. Scott E. Wilson, CPG, President of RDA and a consultant to the Company, is an independent qualified person as defined by NI 43-101 and is acting as the qualified person for the Company. He has reviewed and approved the technical information summarized in this news release. The Qualified Person has verified the information disclosed herein, including the sampling, preparation, security and analytical procedures underlying such information, and is not aware of any significant risks and uncertainties that could be expected to affect the reliability or confidence in the information discussed herein. ABOUT BUNKER HILL MINING CORP. Under new Idaho-based leadership the Bunker Hill Mining Corp, intends to sustainably restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine as the first step in consolidating a portfolio of North American mining assets with a focus on silver. Information about the Company is available on its website, www.bunkerhillmining.com, or within the SEDAR and EDGAR databases. For additional information contact: David Wiens, CFA CFO & Corporate Secretary +1 208 370 3665 ir@bunkerhillmining.com Cautionary Statements Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are within the meaning of that term in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as well as within the meaning of the phrase forward-looking information in the Canadian Securities Administrators National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations. Forward-looking statements are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the Companys intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans and statements, the envisaged outcomes from the PFS, the capabilities of the ball mill, estimated completion time for the demolition of the Pend Orielle site, the timing of the planned restart of the Bunker Hill Mine, Strikes ability to refine the master schedule for the project and drive engineering and other studies, the decline of the ramp at the Bunker Hill Mines facilitation of access to existing internal ramp systems, the accretive opportunities identified in the PFS and the timing of filing a technical report with respect to the PFS. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the ability to predict and counteract the effects of COVID-19 on the business of the Company, including but not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on the price of commodities, capital market conditions, restriction on labour and international travel and supply chains; failure to identify mineral resources; failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves; the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results; the Companys ability to restart and develop the Bunker Hill Mine and the risks of not basing a production decision on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability, resulting in increased uncertainty due to multiple technical and economic risks of failure which are associated with this production decision including, among others, areas that are analyzed in more detail in a feasibility study, such as applying economic analysis to resources and reserves, more detailed metallurgy and a number of specialized studies in areas such as mining and recovery methods, market analysis, and environmental and community impacts and, as a result, there may be an increased uncertainty of achieving any particular level of recovery of minerals or the cost of such recovery, including increased risks associated with developing a commercially mineable deposit with no guarantee that production will begin as anticipated or at all or that anticipated production costs will be achieved; failure to commence production would have a material adverse impact on the Company's ability to generate revenue and cash flow to fund operations; failure to achieve the anticipated production costs would have a material adverse impact on the Company's cash flow and future profitability; delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals; political risks; changes in equity markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inability of the Company to budget and manage its liquidity in light of the failure to obtain additional financing, including the ability of the Company to complete the payments pursuant to the terms of the agreement to acquire the Bunker Hill Mine Complex; inflation; changes in exchange rates; fluctuations in commodity prices; delays in the development of projects; capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry; and those risks set out in the Companys public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources This press release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this press release have been disclosed in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian disclosure standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and resource and reserve information contained in this press release may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term resource does not equate to the term reserves. Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a reserve unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SECs disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources or inferred mineral resources or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute reserves by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that inferred mineral resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of contained ounces in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute reserves by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for disclosure of reserves are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves disclosed by the Company in accordance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as reserves under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits contained in our website may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards. English French LILE-DES-SURS, Quebec, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) has just released its residential real estate market statistics for the month of September. The most recent market statistics for the Montreal Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) are based on the real estate brokers Centris provincial database. The start of the school year is usually characterized by an uptick in activity, which is not the case this year. Instead, there is a strong downward trend in activity, which is reflected in the swift build-up of homes for sale that have no buyers in the Montreal area. This dynamic, which is the opposite of what it was during the same period last year, is stronger for condominiums and plexes than it is for single-family homes within the Montreal CMA, particularly on the Island of Montreal. However, even though the decrease in activity is less pronounced for single-family homes, the increase in active listings is almost twice as high as that of condominiums and plexes, notes Charles Brant, Director of the QPAREBs Market Analysis Department. In fact, for the first time since the beginning of the year, the time required to sell a single-family home in the CMA has increased. That being said, median prices for single-family homes remained relatively stable in September, following the significant decline registered over the past four months, including on the Island of Montreal. Even though the overheated market is rapidly subsiding, it should be noted that market conditions remain in favour of sellers, limiting the drop in prices, particularly for high-end homes. Generally, this type of property experiences a faster drop in sales and prices in a bear market. This does not appear to be the case this cycle, which is contributing to a less precipitous decline in median prices for the time being. September Highlights The Montreal CMA recorded 2,537 residential sales in September 2022, a 30 per cent decrease compared to the 3,648 sales of the same month last year. It was the first time since September 2013 that such a low level of sales was recorded. On a consecutive month basis, the market slowdown is particularly pronounced as we find fewer sales than in August 2022 (2681). The usual back-to-school rebound did not happen in the residential real estate sector. Similar results are seen in all major sectors. We are seeing a sharp annual decline in residential sales ranging from 23 per cent to 39 per cent. However, it is the major sectors of the Island of Montreal (866 sales), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu (56 sales) and Vaudreuil-Soulanges (114 sales) that show the largest decreases, respectively by 39 per cent, 38 per cent and 36 per cent. The decreases in the number of residential sales in the other major sectors remained significant. We are talking about -24 per cent in transactions for Laval and the North Shore of Montreal with 272 and 615 sales respectively, and -23 per cent for the South Shore of Montreal with 614 sales. As was the case for the last few months, condominiums and plexes suffered the largest drops compared to the same period last year, with decreases of 39 per cent and 38 per cent, reaching 950 and 247 sales, respectively. Nevertheless, the 21 per cent decrease in single-family homes will not go unnoticed, with a total of 1,339 transactions for the month of September. With this sharp decline in sales, it is not surprising that we recorded a surge in the number of active listings. In the Montreal CMA, the number of active listings increased by 44 per cent to 15,550. This is also a significant increase month over month (+13 per cent). The number of listings is thus approaching 2019 levels, implying a clear trend towards market rebalancing. Median prices continue to decline month over month, but at a much more moderate pace, particularly for single-family homes, which are close to stable. Compared to September 2021, the price level remains 4 per cent higher for condominiums, with a median price of $380,000, and 6 per cent higher for single-family homes, with a median price of $535,000. The median price for small income properties is 1 per cent lower at $685,000, the first decrease in price for this category of property in September since 2015. Additional information: Detailed and cumulative statistics for the province and regions If you would like additional information from the Market Analysis Department, such as specific data or regional details on the real estate market, please write to us . About the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) is a non-profit association that brings together more than 14,000 real estate brokers and agencies. It is responsible for promoting and defending their interests while taking into account the issues facing the profession and the various professional and regional realities of its members. The QPAREB is also an important player in many real estate dossiers, including the implementation of measures that promote homeownership. The Association reports on Quebecs residential real estate market statistics, provides training, tools and services relating to real estate, and facilitates the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information. The QPAREB has its head office in Quebec City, administrative offices in Montreal and a regional office in Saguenay. It has two subsidiaries: Societe Centris inc. and the College de limmobilier du Quebec. Follow its activities at qpareb.ca or via its social media pages: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. About Centris Centris is a dynamic and innovative technology company in the real estate sector. It collects data and offers solutions that are highly adapted to the needs of professionals. Among these solutions is Centris.ca, the most visited real estate website in Quebec. For more information: Marie-Rose Desautels Morin Relations Publiques media@qpareb.ca Image bank (credit QPAREB) available free of charge. A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c4fe796a-1515-42a0-8ef8-71dac4c7bafa EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After two years, YEG Youth Connect is back in person at the Boyle Street Plaza YMCA on Thursday, October 6, 2022. This important event helps address the needs of youth experiencing houselessness in the Edmonton area. Nearly 18 per cent of those experiencing houselessness in Edmonton identify as youth. An even greater percentage of youth are at-risk of experiencing houselessness, identifying that they simply dont know where to go to be connected to the resources and support they need. YEG Youth Connect is an annual one-day event that helps fill that need. Bringing housing and service organizations together under one roof, YEG Youth Connect allows young people ages 13-29 who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing houselessness are connected with key resources to obtain permanent, safe and healthy housing. The event also helps address other needs in their lives, such as employment, education, self-care and mental health supports. Each young person who attends receives support through on-site agencies, housing options, a healthy meal, a haircut, access to clothing, a care kit filled with essential items, and most importantly, connections to their culture and community. Creating what could be their first connection to a better future, in a safe and welcoming place, this event aims to see the youth who attend succeed. If Youth Connect wasnt here, I honestly dont know where I would be, shares a YEG Youth Connect guest. Youth can make connections here with somebody, so when they go to that agency looking for support, they know, Ive met John at this event. I now know who John is and when I go to that agency, I feel like I have a connection with John already, explains Michael Peters, General Manager at YMCA of Northern Alberta and current chair of the YEG Youth Connect steering committee. Now in its ninth year, YEG Youth Connect maintains its successful grass roots approach. The steering committee of Edmonton-area youth-serving agencies collaborates with community partners in bringing the most needed and relevant services and resources to each event. The committee is excited to present an in-person event again this year, welcoming youth and service providers to the Boyle Street Plaza YMCA at 9538 103A Avenue in Edmonton. For more information, visit http://www.yegyouthconnect.com/ BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stratom, a leading developer of autonomous ground vehicles and robotic systems for logistics and operational applications, today announced the successful field demonstration of its patent-pending ATLAS vehicle, Stratoms advanced autonomous pallet loader (APL). A video of the ATLAS demonstration can be found here. Whether operated via tethered remote control or preprogrammed with repeatable operations, Stratoms ATLAS platform reduces crew needs while loading, unloading and transporting cargo in military and commercial applications, ultimately increasing speed, flexibility, efficiency, dependability and safety. Last June, Stratom announced that the U.S. Marine Corps awarded the company a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 contract to develop a prototype autonomous pallet loader. Because loading and unloading cargo from aircraft can be difficult and potentially dangerous, the ATLAS platform was selected to exponentially increase the efficiency and safety of aircraft cargo loading tasks. With its advanced maneuverability, groundbreaking lift ratios and cross-deck load shift capabilities, ATLAS simplifies and increases the safety of transporting goods in rugged environments. Utilizing Stratoms Summit software, ATLAS has been designed to autonomously pick up and transport bulky 10,000-pound 463L pallets between aircraft, transport vehicles and warehouses across a wide variety of indoor and off-road terrain. Significantly lighter and more compact than traditional forklifts, ATLAS efficient design can transfer oversized cargo rapidly and operate within confined locations. While transferring pallets across docks is cumbersome with a conventional forklift, ATLAS leverages Stratom's proprietary powered rollers to streamline cargo transfer from the forks to racks, vehicles and aircraft. For more information about ATLAS and Stratoms autonomous system capabilities visit: https://www.stratom.com/autonomous-systems/. About Stratom: Stratom is a global leader in the development of autonomous ground vehicles and robotic systems that solve the most pressing real-world logistics and operational challenges for commercial and defense applications. Specializing in autonomous cargo movement, robotic refueling, robotic hazardous liquid transfer and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), the companys military-proven tools, methods, technologies and strategic services solve the most difficult logistics and operational challenges. Whether in safe, controlled settings or dynamic and challenging terrain, Stratom provides unique solutions to meet each customers specific needs. With its extensive expertise in R&D, engineering and system integration of autonomous technologies and solutions, Stratom, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, is the go-to expert for global corporations, local businesses and government institutions. To learn more, visit www.stratom.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. ### Belleville, Illinois, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allsup, the nations premier disability representation company, is pleased to support National Case Management Week in saluting case managers for their significant contributions to quality healthcare for patients, healthcare providers and payers. Case managers are well represented in professional associations that include American Case Management Association and Case Management Society of America. Allsup wholeheartedly recognizes and salutes the work case managers do every day to provide guidance to both patients and plan members who are experiencing major issues with their health or disabilities, said Karen Hercules-Doerr, Director of Strategic Partnerships and former case manager. Case managers, regardless of inpatient or ambulatory settings, deliver a critical service within the nations healthcare system, including care coordination, patient education, disease management and access to expert resources to support patients and their families or caregivers. This is especially true when guiding a patient through life-changing events like a catastrophic injury or progressive chronic disease, Hercules-Doerr added. National Case Management Week will be held Oct. 9 15, 2022, and celebrated with events and commemorations in association chapters throughout the country. As an organization that works with tens of thousands of Americans with disabilities each year, Allsup sees the value case managers provide to individuals across the healthcare continuum. When they are faced with debilitating illnesses or conditions, patients and families often turn to case managers for guidance on resources that extend beyond the hospital or doctors office, including information on disability income benefits, health insurance and community-based support, Hercules-Doerr said. For more than 38 years, Allsup has helped 375,000 individuals with disabilities receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, including monthly income, access to Medicare coverage and return to work services. Learn more about how Allsup supports healthcare professionals. Visit here to learn how to refer your patients to apply for disability benefits. ABOUT ALLSUP Allsup and its subsidiaries provide nationwide Social Security disability, veterans disability appeal, return to work, and healthcare benefits services for individuals, their employers and insurance carriers. Allsup professionals deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. Founded in 1984, the company is based in Belleville, Illinois, near St. Louis. Learn more at Allsup.com and @Allsup or download a free PDF of Applying for Social Security Disability Insurance: Getting It Right The First Time. Attachment Wilmington, Delaware, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagley Museum Reinvents Itself With New Exhibition, Nation of Inventors For Immediate Release Wilmington, Del. Hagley Museum and Librarys highly anticipated Nation of Inventors exhibition opens on Saturday, Oct. 8. The exhibition shares stories of a diverse group of men and women, all with unique circumstances and life experiences, who embodied the entrepreneurial spirit of the United States. Much like the inventors featured in the exhibition, Hagley had to persevere through setbacks including the flooding of the Brandywine River from Hurricane Ida in September 2021 to make this opening a reality. Throughout our history, the vast majority of American inventors have been ordinary people who have gone unrecognized. They followed a series of steps to develop, document, design and test their inventions, with countless iterations and alterations along the way. Many sought to protect their ideas with a patent from the U.S. government. From 1790-1880, early inventors also had to include a small-scale model of their invention along with their application. These three-dimensional patent models are rare artifacts that visually represent 19th-century innovation, often in response to the nations rapid urbanization and industrialization. They demonstrated the key components, usefulness and novelty of inventions. Hagleys collection of nearly 5,000 patent models and Nation of Inventors exhibition follows Hagleys mission to inspire people to be innovative in their own lives. For example, Catherine R. Motts 1878 Improvement in Fire-Escapes (Patent No. 202,115) was designed with women and children in mind. One hazard of living in New York City was the high concentration of multistory apartment buildings without means of safe evacuation. Motts invention consisted of a cage-ladder against the wall of a building, and in connecting the same with balconies or platforms so its inhabitants could safely descend a burning building inside the ladder while firefighters could simultaneously ascend the outside of the ladder to extinguish the fire. Innovation rarely happens on the first try. A feature patent model in Nation of Inventors is an 1881 Carbonizer (Patent No. 248,423) from Thomas A. Edison. Edison tested 6,000 different fibers before he found that his incandescent bulb required a filament of carbonized cotton thread to make it long-lasting. Just as innovation follows hard work and perseverance, Hagley had to be resilient in finding new ways to move forward. Flooding from Hurricane Ida in the Visitor Center, where the exhibition is located, resulted in Hagleys collection team moving 120 one-of-a-kind patent models to safety. During the year-long reconstruction of the Visitor Center, parts were delayed by supply chain issues, and contractors faced the same labor market challenges as other employers. The opening of the exhibition was delayed several times as challenges beyond Hagleys control slowed recovery efforts. Despite these setbacks, Hagley found new ways to share the stories of the patent models across the U.S. In November 2021, a selection of Hagleys models headed west to the new Design and Innovation building at the University of California, San Diego, to inspire the inventors of tomorrow. Then in May 2022, food- and travel-related patent models from Hagleys collection were added to the Philadelphia International Airports Exhibitions Program. Now, the patent models will finally be on display at their home base at Hagley Museum beginning Oct. 8. Visitors are invited to learn the stories of everyday people and their extraordinary ideas. Nation of Inventors is included with regular Hagley Museum admission. Admission is free for Hagley members, children 5 and younger and active military members. More information can be found at www.hagley.org/inventors. ### Images Available at www.hagley.org/media About Hagley Hagley Museum and Library seeks to inspire all people to be innovative in their own lives through investigation and exploration of our historical collections, original DuPont powder yards and online resources. Learn more at www.hagley.org Acknowledgement Nation of Inventors was made possible by the following: Brookeville Fund Anne Carter & Walter R. Robbins Jr. Foundation CSC E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation Elmon B. Duff Charitable Lead Annuity Trust IDG Capital Partners InterDigital Inc. Longwood Foundation National Christian Foundation Peachtree House Foundation Welfare Foundation Attachments NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spectral Medical Inc. (TSX: EDT) (Spectral or the Company) is pleased to announce the launch of a proposed prospectus offering of units (the Unit Offering) of the Company (the Units) and private placement (the Note Offering and collectively with the Unit Offering, the Offering) of convertible senior notes (the Notes) of at least C$8.5 million. The Offering will be conducted by Paradigm Capital Inc. (Paradigm or the Agent) on a best efforts agency basis. Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one-half () of one Common Share purchase warrant of the Company (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a Warrant), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share for a period of 36 months following the closing of the Offering. The Notes will have a face value of US$1,000 per Note, bear interest of 7% and are due in 2026 (Maturity Date). Holders of the Notes may convert all or any portion of the Notes in integral multiples of US$1,000 principal amount at any time prior to the Maturity Date. The Notes shall be convertible into Common Shares of the company at a conversion price equal to a 30% premium to the price allocated to the Common Shares underlying the Units, subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments. The Company intends to complete a portion of the Note Offering with an existing strategic commercial partner of the Company and potentially Pinnacle Island L.P., pursuant to which the strategic commercial partner has agreed to purchase US$2.5 million in Notes. Closing of the Note Offering is conditional on closing of the Unit Offering, finalizing a securities purchase agreement and other customary conditions of closing for a transaction of this nature. The Company has also agreed to grant the Agent an over-allotment option (the Over-Allotment Option) to offer for sale up to an additional number of Units equal to 15% of the Offering, to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. The Over-Allotment Option will be exercisable in whole or in part, at the sole discretion of the Agent, at any time, and from time to time, for a period of 30 days from and including the closing date of the Offering and shall be exercisable for additional Units, Warrants, Notes and/or Common Shares (or any combination thereof). The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering for its Phase III registration trial (Tigris) for its PMX (as defined below) treatment for endotoxemic septic shock and for general corporate and working capital purposes. The Unit Offering will be conducted by way of preliminary short-form prospectus (the Prospectus) in each of the provinces of Canada, other than Quebec (collectively, the Jurisdictions). It is expected that the Company and the Agent will enter into a definitive agency agreement with respect to the Offering. The Units may also be offered (i) in the United States on a private placement basis pursuant to applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) and applicable U.S. state securities laws and (ii) outside Canada and the United States on a basis which does not require the qualification or registration of any of the Company's securities under domestic or foreign securities laws. The Notes will be offered on a best efforts private placement basis: (i) to accredited investors pursuant to available exemptions under National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions in all provinces and territories of Canada; (ii) to accredited investors in the United States pursuant to applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws; and (iii) in other jurisdictions outside of Canada and the United States as may be mutually agreed upon by the Agent and the Company. The closing of the Offering will be subject to certain customary conditions, including but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange (the TSX) applicable securities regulatory authorities. The Prospectus contains important information relating to the Unit Offering, is still subject to completion or amendment and there will not be any sale or any acceptance of an offer to buy the Units until a receipt for the final short form prospectus relating to the Unit Offering has been issued. A copy of the Prospectus will be available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the Units and/or the Notes in any jurisdiction, nor will there be any offer or sale of the Units and/or the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Units and the Notes have not and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any U.S. state securities laws, and therefore will not be offered or sold within the United States except pursuant to applicable exemptions from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Dialco Update The Company is also providing an update on the operations of its wholly-owned subsidiary Dialco Medical Inc. (Dialco). Dialco has extended its DIMI license agreement with Infomed SA until November 30, 2022 as the parties evaluate strategic options for advancing DIMI through its trial and to commercialization. About Spectral Spectral is a Phase 3 company seeking U.S. FDA approval for its unique product for the treatment of patients with septic shock, Toraymyxin (PMX). PMX is a therapeutic hemoperfusion device that removes endotoxin, which can cause sepsis, from the bloodstream and is guided by the Companys Endotoxin Activity Assay (EAA), the only FDA cleared diagnostic for the risk of developing sepsis. PMX is approved for therapeutic use in Japan and Europe, and has been used safely and effectively on more than 340,000 patients to date. In March 2009, Spectral obtained the exclusive development and commercial rights in the U.S. for PMX, and in November 2010, signed an exclusive distribution agreement for this product in Canada. In July 2022, the U.S. FDA granted Breakthrough Device Designation for PMX for the treatment of endotoxemic septic shock. Approximately 330,000 patients are diagnosed with septic shock in North America each year. Spectral, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Dialco Medical Inc., is also commercializing a new set of proprietary platforms addressing renal replacement therapy (RRT) across the dialysis spectrum. SAMI is targeting the acute RRT market, while DIMI is targeting the chronic RRT market. Dialco is currently pursuing regulatory approval for U.S. in-home use of DIMI, which is based on the same RRT platform as SAMI, but will be intended for home hemodialysis use. DIMI recently received its FDA 510k clearance for use in hospital and clinical settings, and obtained its Health Canada license for use within Canadian hospitals, clinics and in home. Spectral is listed on the TSX under the symbol EDT. For more information please visit www.spectraldx.com. Forward-Looking Statement Information in this news release that is not current or historical factual information may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Implicit in this information, particularly in respect of the future outlook of Spectral and anticipated events or results, are assumptions based on beliefs of Spectrals senior management as well as information currently available to it. While these assumptions were considered reasonable by Spectral at the time of preparation, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned that actual results are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the ability of Spectral to take advantage of business opportunities in the biomedical industry, the granting of necessary approvals by regulatory authorities as well as general economic, market and business conditions, and could differ materially from what is currently expected. Risks and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations with respect to the Offering include, but are not limited to, the risk of unforeseen delays in the completion of the Offering whether as a result of market conditions or otherwise, the failure of the Company to obtain the requisite regulatory approvals for the Offering and the inability of the Company to satisfy all conditions to the completion of the Offering (if at all). There can be no assurance that the Offering will be completed. Actual results could differ materially from what is currently expected, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Reference is also made to the other risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company which are more fully described in Spectrals Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2022, the Prospectus and other filings of Spectral with the securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this statement For further information, please contact: SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) investors who suffered significant losses to submit your losses now. Class Period: Feb. 19, 2021 June 8, 2022 Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Oct. 31, 2022 Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/ABT Contact An Attorney Now: ABT@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) Securities Fraud Class Action: The action challenges Defendants statement and omissions concerning what the FDA called "egregiously unsanitary" conditions at Abbotts infant formula manufacturing facility, Sturgis. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Defendants: (1) touted the strength and safety of Abbotts infant formula brands, despite knowing Sturgis was in flagrant violation of FDA and other health, safety, and manufacturing regulations; (2) concealed those violations from investors; and, (3) as a result, put Abbotts infant formula business in dire jeopardy and left the company exposed to a risk of severe regulatory consequences, including the recall of its products and closure of Sturgis. The truth began to emerge on Feb. 17, 2022, when the FDA announced that, after reports of babies becoming seriously ill, it commenced inspections of Sturgis and to date found contamination results from environmental samples for a bacteria linked to infant illness and death. The same day, Abbott issued a sweeping recall of Sturgis-manufactured infant formulas. In the following days, Abbott was forced to close Sturgis due to severe safety problems. Then, on Mar. 22, 2022, the FDA released Sturgis inspection reports concluding that controls to ensure against adulteration and contamination were lacking. Further, on Apr. 28, 2022, a whistleblower complaint sent to the FDA in Oct. 2021 became public, revealing that Abbott management (i) knew Sturgis FDA violations far earlier, (ii) had falsified testing records at Sturgis, and (iii) attempted to mislead the FDA during an earlier inspection audit. Finally, on June 8, 2022, investors learned that Abbott was aware of the whistleblowers allegations in early 2021. Each of these events sent the price of Abbott shares significantly lower, wiping out billions of dollars in shareholder value. Were focused on investors losses and proving Abbott put profits ahead of infant safety, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you invested in Abbott and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firms investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman. Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Abbott should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email ABT@hbsslaw.com. About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ero Copper Corp. (TSX: ERO, NYSE: ERO) (the Company) will publish its third quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 after market close. The Company will host a conference call to discuss the results on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 11:30am Eastern time (8:30am Pacific time). CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS Date: Wednesday, November 2, 2022 Time: 11:30am Eastern Time (8:30am Pacific Time) Dial in: North America: 1-800-319-4610, International: +1-604-638-5340 please dial in 5-10 minutes prior and ask to join the call Replay: North America: 1-800-319-6413, International: +1-604-638-9010 Replay Passcode: 9507 ABOUT ERO COPPER CORP Ero Copper Corp is a high-margin, high-growth, clean copper producer with operations in Brazil and corporate headquarters in Vancouver, B.C. The Company's primary asset is a 99.6% interest in the Brazilian copper mining company, MCSA, 100% owner of the Company's Caraiba Operations (formerly known as the MCSA Mining Complex), which are located in the Curaca Valley, Bahia State, Brazil and include the Pilar and Vermelhos underground mines and the Surubim open pit mine, and the Tucuma Project (formerly known as Boa Esperanca), an IOCG-type copper project located in Para, Brazil. The Company also owns 97.6% of NX Gold S.A. which owns the Xavantina Operations (formerly known as the NX Gold Mine), namely comprised of an operating gold and silver mine located in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Additional information on the Company and its operations, including technical reports on the Caraiba Operations, Xavantina Operations and Tucuma Project, can be found on the Company's website (www.erocopper.com), on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), and on EDGAR (www.sec.gov). The Companys shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ERO. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Courtney Lynn, VP, Corporate Development & Investor Relations (604) 335-7504 info@erocopper.com HOUSTON, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEACOR Marine Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SMHI) (the Company or SEACOR Marine), a leading provider of marine and support transportation services to offshore oil and natural gas and wind farm facilities worldwide, today announced the sale of its minority equity interests in joint ventures in Mexico and two refinancing transactions that significantly extended more than $175 million of the Companys near term maturities by three years to 2026: On September 29 th , the Company entered into an agreement with affiliates of Proyectos Globales de Energia CME, S.A. de C.V. (CME) for the sale of the Companys minority equity interests in its unconsolidated joint ventures in Mexico and a series of related asset swaps for aggregate consideration of $66 million cash. , the Company entered into an agreement with affiliates of Proyectos Globales de Energia CME, S.A. de C.V. (CME) for the sale of the Companys minority equity interests in its unconsolidated joint ventures in Mexico and a series of related asset swaps for aggregate consideration of $66 million cash. On September 29 th , the Company acquired 100% of Mantenimiento Express Maritimo SAPI de CVs (MEXMAR) outstanding secured loan from MEXMARs existing lenders for $28.8 million. MEXMAR immediately paid down $8.8 million of the loan and the remaining $20 million will be fully repaid in four equal quarterly installments of $5.0 million over the next year. , the Company acquired 100% of Mantenimiento Express Maritimo SAPI de CVs (MEXMAR) outstanding secured loan from MEXMARs existing lenders for $28.8 million. MEXMAR immediately paid down $8.8 million of the loan and the remaining $20 million will be fully repaid in four equal quarterly installments of $5.0 million over the next year. On September 29 th , the Company entered into an amendment of its senior secured term loan facility (the Credit Facility). In connection with the amendment, the Credit Facility will have an extended tranche of $54.9 million, maturing in March 2026. The extended tranche will bear interest at a rate of 4.75% plus SOFR. The remaining $19.8 million of the loan will maintain its existing terms and mature in September 2023. In connection with this transaction, the Company made a pre-payment of $5.3 million, reducing the total amount outstanding under the Credit Facility to $74.7 million. , the Company entered into an amendment of its senior secured term loan facility (the Credit Facility). In connection with the amendment, the Credit Facility will have an extended tranche of $54.9 million, maturing in March 2026. The extended tranche will bear interest at a rate of 4.75% plus SOFR. The remaining $19.8 million of the loan will maintain its existing terms and mature in September 2023. In connection with this transaction, the Company made a pre-payment of $5.3 million, reducing the total amount outstanding under the Credit Facility to $74.7 million. On October 5th, the Company entered into an exchange transaction with certain funds affiliated with The Carlyle Group Inc. (Carlyle) pursuant to which the entire $125.0 million of the Companys 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 were exchanged for (i) $90.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Companys new 8.0% / 9.5% Senior PIK Toggle Notes due 2026 and (ii) $35.0 million in aggregate principal amount of the Companys new 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026. John Gellert, SEACOR Marines Chief Executive Officer, commented: I am very pleased to announce this series of transactions that bolster the Companys liquidity and extend our debt maturities. This positions SEACOR Marine with a clear path to capture the full opportunity set presented by the upcycle in our industry. The sale of our unconsolidated joint ventures in Mexico is the capstone of our successful investment in MEXMAR and its related companies for the past two decades. Together with our partners at CME, we developed the leading Mexican offshore operator. The opportunity to unlock capital for the Company and provide a constructive exit from unconsolidated joint ventures was compelling. Going forward, we will retain a strategic link with CME and full access to the important Mexican market by chartering equipment to MEXMAR. On the refinancing transactions, I am thankful to our core group of bank lenders led by DNB Bank ASA and to Carlyle for their continued support and confidence in SEACOR Marine. The refinancing transactions we announced today address our main 2023 maturities, demonstrate our ability to finance the Company at reasonable terms and provide the Company with the capital structure it needs to navigate an improving cycle for its business. SEACOR Marine provides global marine and support transportation services to offshore energy facilities worldwide. SEACOR Marine operates a diverse fleet of offshore support and specialty vessels that deliver cargo and personnel to offshore installations; handle anchors and mooring equipment required to tether rigs to the seabed; tow rigs and assist in placing them on location and moving them between regions; provide construction, well workover and decommissioning support; and carry and launch equipment used underwater in drilling and well installation, maintenance and repair. Additionally, SEACOR Marines vessels provide accommodations for technicians and specialists, safety support and emergency response services. Certain statements discussed in this release as well as in other reports, materials and oral statements that the Company releases from time to time to the public constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, words such as anticipate, estimate, expect, project, intend, believe, plan, target, forecast and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements concern managements expectations, strategic objectives, business prospects, anticipated economic performance and financial condition and other similar matters. Forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected by the management of the Company. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual events or results may differ significantly from these statements. Actual events or results are subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control. It should be understood that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors. Consequently, the preceding should not be considered to be a complete discussion of all potential risks or uncertainties. Given these risk factors, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are made. The Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to provide any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in the Companys expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. It is advisable, however, to consult any further disclosures the Company makes on related subjects in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K (if any). These statements constitute the Companys cautionary statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Please visit SEACOR Marines website at www.seacormarine.com for additional information. For all other requests, contact InvestorRelations@seacormarine.com Alexander Albon failed to cross the finish line at the Singapore Grand Prix. Because of the rain, the car was difficult to drive, but the Thai admits the collision with the wall was his own fault. Article continues under ad Albon had to end his race early due to damage to his Williams resulting from a crash against the barrier. The Thai returned to Singapore after having to miss the Italian Grand Prix due to appendicitis. Nyck de Vries filled in for Albon and took home two points for Williams. However, Albon was declared fit by doctors to compete again in Singapore, but the car was not as strong on the Marina Bay street circuit as it was in Monza. After starting the race from P18, the Williams driver finished in the wall on lap seven. Albon leaves Singapore frustrated The former Red Bull Racing driver was still able to get away with his car, but once back in the pit lane the damage to the FW44 proved too severe. Although the Williams driver did not have the pace to score points in Singapore anyway, Albon was very disappointed with the result. "[Its] frustrating. I need to have a look at it, obviously. Nothing strange, I didnt brake later or anything, just got caught out. Its quite tricky in the wet with getting the brakes in the correct window. In the end it's my mistake, but it was a tricky one out there. We didnt really have the pace this weekend but nevertheless we will fight back in Japan", the Williams driver is quoted by Formula1.com. Data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligences Cathode Forecast shows that China is set to extend its dominance of cathode production by 2030, increasing its share of production from 78% in 2022 to 87% in 2030. Chinas output of cathode active materials increased more than four times between 2018 and 2022. The data highlight how Chinas total output is set to increase by a further 5.3 times from now until 2030, despite efforts to develop cathode capacity in the rest of the worldforecast to increase only 2.8 times in the same period. China has a stronghold grip on the market. China will produce far more [cathode active material] than it needs domestically. Robert Burrell, an analyst at Benchmark The country is set to extend its lead due in part to a surge in large-scale cathode projects. The top four Chinese cathode producers in 2022 combined have more than 1.4 million tonnes of cathode capacity in planning or under construction. Many of the cathode facilities in planning or under construction are from Tier three producers, who currently do not supply the EV market. This tier currently makes up just under a quarter of Chinas cathode production in 2022, but will grow to nearly half by 2030, Benchmark said. Tier One producers, those which can supply ex-China automotive markets, will see the lowest growth in the country of all the tiers, and will shrink from 66% of production in 2022 to just 43% in 2030. Which cathode chemistry a facility makes strongly influences in which tier it is likely to be. In 2030, 56% of LFP production in China is forecast to be from Tier three producers. This contrasts to NCM 811 which only has 16% from Tier three, as there is a high demand outside of China for the material. Central to Chinas growth is its LFP cathode industry, which Benchmark forecasts will account for 69% of the countrys cathode output in 2030, up from 44% in 2022. Despite some planned LFP facilities outside of China, Benchmark forecasts that in 2030 China will produce 98% of the worlds LFP. LFPs safety means it is attractive for energy storage applications. Burrell said that much of the Tier Three LFP produced in the country will go to telecommunication companies who are ramping up grid storage in China. Between 2022 and 2030, Chinas share of NCM production will drop from 39% to 22%. Chinas EV demand is less driven by range anxiety as in North America and Europe, leading to a lower demand for high-energy cathodes such as NCM. The surging LFP demand in China has recently caught the eye of the titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) industry which generates waste sulphuric acid and iron sulphate which can be used in the production of LFP, Benchmark noted. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) announced Port Freeport as the new major Gulf Coast hub for its future vehicle logistics port operations, in collaboration with Port Freeport and developer PRP and KDC. With a 20-year lease agreement, Volkswagen Group of America aims to improve vehicle logistics efficiency further and to increase importation capacities to serve nearly 300 dealers in the United States. The new port facilities are set to be operational in early 2024. Global carriers offering roll on roll off cargo services at Port Freeport are Hoegh Autoliners, Glovis, Liberty Global Logistics, Sallaum and Grimaldi Lines. Port Freeports resident OEM Terminal Operator and partner Amports is a private automotive marine terminal, processor and logistics management company that provides customers a variety of professional and value-added services. Volkswagen Group of America, Port Freeport and developer KDC aim to break ground on the new location in late 2022 and expect for the facility to be operational in early 2024. Current VWGoA port operations in Houston and Midlothian (TX) will be consolidated into the new hub at Port Freeport. Developing Port Freeport will enable Volkswagen Group of America to import approximately 140,000 vehicles per year, primarily from its production hubs in Mexico, as well as imports from Europe. Port Freeport will allow utilization of low-emission LNG vessels, supporting Volkswagen Groups goal to improve the environmental footprint of its global logistics. Moving Volkswagen Group of Americas major Gulf Coast hub to Port Freeport is part of our network and growth strategy for the United States. Were continuously working to optimize the business and environmental impact of our logistics operations. Our new hub at Port Freeport will allow us to serve nearly one-third of our US dealer network more efficiently and more sustainably. Anu Goel, Executive Vice President, Group After Sales & Services, Volkswagen Group of America Currently, Volkswagen Group of America relies on eight ports in the US, chosen to optimize distances to its more than 1,000 dealerships and reduce emissions in transportation. Volkswagen Group of Americas future operations at Port Freeport are anticipated to create 113 jobs directly at the terminal facility plus many more indirectly through related fields such as trucking and rail, vessel unloading, vessel pilots, and more. JLL, Volkswagen Group of Americas exclusive real estate partner, assisted VWGoA in the site selection process for a consolidated port facility along the Gulf of Mexico. Port Freeport is located approximately 60 miles south of Houston, Texas and is accessible via state highway 36, and highway 288. Port Freeport is an independent governmental body authorized by an act of the Texas Legislature in 1925. MAN Energy Solutions and the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) have published their analysis of the framework conditions for the future supply of green hydrogen to the Salzgitter steel site near Hannover. Commissioned by Hydrogen Campus Salzgitter, the study investigates, among other questions, the role locally produced green hydrogen could play to support German supply and its potential competitiveness with imports. The studys calculations show thatif used directly without further conversionlocal hydrogen can be economical and even cheaper than imports from 2030 onwards. While production costs of around 4.00 per kilogram are possible in northern Germany, hydrogen imported from Tunisia, for example, would cost at least 4.70 to produceprofit margins in both cases not included. In the case of direct use, local hydrogen has an economic advantage due to the elimination of transport and conversion costs. As such, green hydrogen can be produced in northern Germany at competitive prices and form the basis for a German hydrogen initiativethis is good news for German industry. Marc Grunewald, Head of Business Development, Power and New Energies at MAN Energy Solutions For the study, the authors modeled different supply chains for green hydrogen and compared possible import routes, such as those from Portugal, Canada, Tunisia and Australia. Although green hydrogen can be produced much more cheaply in countries with significant amounts of sunshine, it must then be converted for transport to Germany and subsequently back again for domestic use. This process step, which is fraught with costs and losses, drives the total expense above the cost price of H 2 produced from wind energy in northern Germany, which can be transported by pipeline to its destination for immediate use. Of course, we will still need imported hydrogen, and in large quantities, for two reasons. Firstly, due to the limited wind-energy potential in Germany, we can only cover a fraction of the prospective demand from domestic sources. Secondly, the local cost-advantage disappears the moment the hydrogen is not for direct use but rather as a raw material for synthetic fuels such as ammonia, methanol or methane. This will be the case in many instances, as for example in the shipbuilding or aviation industries. Accordingly, in addition to domestic production, we also need strong, international partners and import routes from the sunny or windy regions of North Africa, Patagonia, Scotland and Canada. Marc Grunewald Due to its low energy-density and high volatility, pure hydrogen cannot yet be transported economically over longer distances, while ports possess neither tanker fleets nor appropriate infrastructure. Experts therefore assume that international transport will initially scale up via conversion to more conveniently transportable media, such as methanol, ammonia, etc. Due to low technological maturity and lack of infrastructure, the study by MAN Energy Solutions and IST did not consider liquefied hydrogen or LOHCs (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers) in its analysis. These technologies may play a role after 2030 but its too early to tell. Marc Grunewald Converting hydrogen into ammonia, methane or methanol, however, would quickly entertain large-scale import scenarios. Back in early September, Google released the first beta build for the upcoming Android 13 Quarterly Platform Release 1, aka QPR1. And today, the company is following it up with the second beta. There should be a third one in November, followed by the stable release in December. Google says that the second beta of Android 13 QPR1 comes with the October 2022 security patches applied. The beta is getting these just a couple of days after the stable trunk did. The new build number is T1B2.220916.004, and it ships with Google Play services version 22.26.15. This release should include bug fixes and improvements to stability and performance, although Google doesn't have a less vague changelog than this. Even if the usual cautions apply about installing non-final software builds, these QPR betas should be more stable than the initial Developer Previews for new versions of Android, since they are betas after all. There's also only three of them, followed by the proper release. Android 13 QPR1 Beta 2 is available for the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a. To get into the Android Beta Program, enroll your eligible device at this website, and you'll then get this build as a software update, as well as the subsequent beta and the final release. Source | Via In recent years, it has been impossible for Google to keep the details of its Pixel flagships under wraps until the official announcement. This year its been different in the sense that Google decided to reveal the Pixel 7 and 7 Pros designs back in May during Google I/O. Rather than try to keep secrets, Google instead opted to reveal some of the features itself. This week, Google will be holding its annual hardware event where it will be unveiling confirming two new Pixel phones, a new Pixel Watch that integrates Wear OS deeper into Google-owned FitBit, and Google has confirmed that it will be announcing additions to the Nest smart home portfolio. Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro Googles first teaser of the Pixel 7 duo was during I/O back in May and it featured images of the new Pixels. In terms of design, they are similar to the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, but feature slightly different camera bar, which will now be formed out of metal rather than the Pixel 6s glass visor approach. Fast forward to last week, Google released new teasers that highlighted the designs of each of the Pixels 7 and 7 Pro. It features close up shots of the hardware that showed the texture of the different materials. Based on these teasers, we know that the Pixel 7 will have an aluminum build with an anodized finish, and the Pixel 7 Pros finish will be shiny and glossy, but its not confirmed whether it will be made from stainless steel or aluminum. For the Pixel 7 Pro, were expecting a less dramatic curve of the displays edges. The Pixel 6 Pros curved edges were pronounced enough to make holding and using the phone a bit unconformable for prolonged periods. Google Pixel 7 in white, mint green and black Pixel 7 Pro in Obsidian, Hazel and Snow As per recent leaks, the Pixel 7 will have an almost identical identical spec sheet to the Pixel 6: a flat 6.3-inch OLED screen with FHD+ resolution and up to 90Hz refresh rate, and even the cameras will be unchanged 50MP (GN1) main and 12MP (IMX381) ultrawide units. The front facing camera may see the update to the 11MP sensor we know from the Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 7 is also expected to have a 4,700 mAh battery (marginally up from the 6s 4,614 mAh) with support for 30W charging. Well get to the new Tensor chip in a sec, but lets glance through the Pixel 7 Pros rumored specs first. The Pixel 7 Pros rumored spec sheet also includes most of the same stuff as the 6 Pro: a 6.7-inch LTPO OLED screen with QHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It is also expected the 7 Pro will get a slightly updated selfie camera the Samsung 3J1 sensor one that would feature autofocus, though it would remain at 11MP resolution. In the camera department, the Pixel 7 Pro will use the same 50MP JN1 main and 12MP ultrawide sensors, but the telephoto camera may be replaced to a Samsung GM1 module compared to the Sony IMX586 on the Pixel 6 Pro. A 5,000 mAh battery is expected to remain on the 7 Pro, now with support for 30W charging. Tensor G2 The most major change on the new Pixels is going to be the Tensor G2 chip. The Pixels 6 and 6 Pro were plagued poor connectivity and battery life was not up to par with comparable flagships. Given theres not too much different with the Pixels 7 and 7 Pro, the key upgrade here will be the Tensor G2 chipset. Rumors of the Tensor G2 say it could be built on the 4nm process (last years Tensor was 5nm), which enabled higher clock speeds as hinted by early benchmarks of the chipset. The same leak from last month revealed that the Tensor G2 could feature the same CPU configuration (2+2+4) as the Google Tensor though the two Cortex-X1 cores may see slight bumps in clock speed to 2.85GHz. Meanwhile, the Cortex-A76 cores could see clock speeds bump up to 2.35GHz. This reportedly translates to about a 10% bump in multi-core performance. Theres evidence that we may see a notable improvement in graphics performance and efficiency thanks to a new Mali-G710 that would replace the Mali-G78 MP20 of the original Tensor chip. The new chipset may come with a new Samsung modem the S5300 5G. This new modem may bring better battery life, performance, stability, and efficiency compared to the previous release. Pixel Watch Googles acquisition of FitBit a few years ago is finally going to be deeply integrated into Wear OS in the form of the Google Pixel Watch. Rumored for years, Google surprised us back in May during I/O when it confirmed that the Googles first-party Wear OS offering was finally coming. Google most recently teased the design of its Pixel Watch in a short trailer, more closely showing the round watch design and the curved display cover glass. The Pixel Watch will have a rotating crown and a multi-function button above it. It will also use a proprietary quick-release fastener to switch out the Watch's bands. More recent renders of the Pixel Watch revealed bezels that may be thicker than initially teased back in May - a result of showing early renders when the hardware hasn't been finalized. Early rumors of the Pixel Watch suggested it may be powered by an Exynos 9110 with a co-processor for efficient standby power draw. It was rumored to have 1.5 GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board storage. This is for the LTE-variant, by the way. Rumors have pointed to a 300 mAh battery - though it isn't certain whether that applies to a Wi-Fi + Bluetooth variant or an LTE variant, though 300 mAh for the latter does not seem like it would be enough. Whatever the case may be, it is expected Google may advertise the Pixel Watch to last "up to a day". With Wear OS 3 smartwatches, the need for the Wear OS app will phase away. It will be up to each OEM to have its own companion app for new Wear OS smart watches and the Pixel Watch is expected to do the same. An unlock prompt back in June revealed that there will be a "Google Pixel Watch app". A more recent Pixel Watch leak showed many elements of the wearable's UI. In addition to native support for Google Maps and Wallet, every Pixel Watch is said to come with a free 6-month Fitbit Premium membership, and renders of the Pixel Watch show deep integration with Fitbit. Pixel Watch will integrate with Google Photos to use as backgrounds for watch faces, it will have smart home controls, and an emergency SOS calling screen. Google Pixel Watch Google Pixel Watch UI One early hardware leak of the Pixel Watch measured a 40mm body that was 14mm thick with a visible display that's 30mm in diameter (about 1.18 inches). It is still not known whether we'll see the Pixel Watch be available in more than one size. A Google Pixel Watch was forgotten at a restaurant (photos by u/tagtech414) Nest Home Google has confirmed that it will be announcing additions to Nest Home at this event. We initially thought a 1080p version of the Chromecast with Google TV was going to be announced at the event, but the very same Google Chromecast HD with Google TV had a quiet launch last month. Then, just two days before the launch event, Google announced the 2nd generation Wired Nest Doorbell and the Nest Wi-Fi Pro. It also outlined new changes that are coming to the Google Home app. Google didn't seem concerned about holding onto any of this news for the launch event. Hello! In this thread, well announce some new products and updates that will make your connected home even more helpful. (1/21) pic.twitter.com/D7ZjqsTFcX Made By Google (@madebygoogle) October 4, 2022 The last time Google released a new smart speaker was during its 2020 event when it launched the Google Nest Audio. Perhaps we can expect to see a refreshed Nest Home mini (currently on 2nd generation) as the last one launched in late 2019. Otherwise, the Nest Hub smart display was just refreshed last year, but the Nest Hub Max hasn't seen a new version since 2019. Are the most recent announcements what Google was referring to, or is there something else that Google is holding out to announce on Thursday? We'll find out soon enough. Pricing and availability Rumors suggested that the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro may carry the same starting prices as their predecessors in the US. The Pixel 7 could start at $599 while the Pixel 7 Pro may start at $899. European customers may see a 649 starting price for the Pixel 7. The Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will go on pre-sale on the same day as the launch event this week (October 6), though the time isnt specified. As for the Pixel Watch, the most recent rumor sees European pricing for the Wi-Fi + Bluetooth model to be set to 339 in the UK and 379 in the EU. Theres word of an LTE-enabled model as well, said to cost 419. Although theres no word on US pricing just yet, previous leaks and recent leaks of the EUs pricing lets us speculate we may see a $299 starting price on the Pixel Watch. This is also considering the leak about a $399 LTE-enabled Pixel Watch. OnePlus is working on new high-end true wireless earbuds. The OnePlus Buds Pro debuted in August of last year, so we'll probably see their successors appear very soon. Today some specs for the upcoming OnePlus Buds Pro 2 have been leaked by a usually reliable source. They are claimed to sport dual audio drivers per bud, one 11mm and one 6mm, in a similar fashion to Oppo's Enco X2. They also support the high-res LHDC 4.0 codec, as well as spatial audio. Original OnePlus Buds Pro The active noise cancellation will apparently go up to 45 dB and will be adaptive based on current noise levels in your surroundings. Each earbud gets three mics for enhanced voice quality during calls. With ANC on, we can allegedly expect the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 to last up to 6 hours on a charge, and 22 hours with the case. If you turn ANC off, those numbers shoot up to 9 hours and 38 hours, respectively. The case will support wireless charging, while a ten-minute top-up of the buds will net you 3 hours of use. Other features include support for Google Fast Pair and Bluetooth 5.2. The buds will be IP55 rated for dust and water resistance. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 will be offered in white, black, and green. Source Editors Note: PDNs Ron Rocky Coloma traveled to Boracay Island in the summer and interviewed locals, tourists and businesses about the island's reopening. Coloma's travel feature on Boracay will appear in Friday's Lifestyle section. Boracay Island, the Philippines world-renowned paradise, has seen a surge in tourism after reopening earlier this year, despite the imposition of COVID-19 travel restrictions. On Feb. 10, the Philippines finally permitted foreigners to travel to Boracay Island under the condition they are fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19 two days before their flight. These requirements are time-consuming and are a hassle for every tourist, said Ron Quiambao of Mahgalang, Pampanga. Tourists are also required to still follow the Philippines COVID-19 protocol by practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Those restrictions, however, aren't preventing travelers from coming to the island that never sleeps. According to the Malay Municipal Tourism Office, there were more than 512,000 travelers to Boracay Island from Feb. 1 to May 16, easily surpassing the 103,834 visitors who traveled during the same period in 2020. Be eco-friendly Now that Boracay is thriving again, some worry about environmental issues that had been problematic before the pandemic. Boracay Island was closed for rehabilitation for six months in 2018 by former President Rodrigo Dutertes administration due to worsening sewage conditions. It was reopened the same year, but with a cap of 19,000 travelers. Quiambao, who spent three days at Boracay Island in March, encourages tourists to be more eco-friendly and heed the saying, take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. The cons of having a lot of tourists are that sometimes they make the place too crowded and others dont seem to practice proper disposal of trash, the 23-year-old said. There is no zero-plastic waste program that may help reduce trash on the island, he added. They can be more cautious by simply just following the principles of proper trash segregation. Herick Bebing, a resident from Iloilo province who travels to the island once a year, observed the overcrowding issue every time he returned. However, during the 25-year-olds last visit in April, he saw that Boracay Island was more aware and stricter when it comes to proper garbage disposal. Responsible businesses Gideon Hermosa, an international floral and event designer known for working with Filipino celebrities such as Coleen Garcia and Marian Rivera, established his business, House of Hermosa, in 2010. He ensures he doesn't contribute to the pollution happening in Boracay Island by suggesting wedding themes with less waste, using more biodegradable and sustainable materials and properly disposing waste. By practicing sustainable tourism, Boracay will be saved from possible damage, Hermosa said. Its beauty will be enhanced. Thus, more tourists will be encouraged to visit the island. This creates employment opportunities for locals and eventually helps the area economically. Hermosa, whose dream was to design weddings in Boracay Island after falling in love with it 13 years ago, had been styling around four to eight weddings in Boracay with local and foreign clients. Because of Boracays restrictions during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, clients changed the dates and destinations of their Boracay weddings. We have to re-plan almost everything, the 34-year-old said. Since Boracay reopened, Hermosa went last April to design a wedding. He started imposing safety guidelines, such as requiring COVID-19 testing, wearing face masks and face shields and bringing a sanitation kit to limit the spread of the virus with his team. Impact on businesses Mother-daughter duo Lee and Nadine Rosaia opened Real Coffee and Tea Cafe after visiting Boracay Island in the 1990s from San Francisco and falling in love with the place. Paradise is the word which comes to mind, Nadine Rosaia, 59, said. It is a pristine tropical island with crystal clear waters and white sand, which felt like powder sugar when you walked along in bare feet. Yearning to prolong her stay, the Rosaias opened their coffee shop in 1996. Real Coffee and Tea Cafe sells American breakfast and sandwiches. Their bestseller is the calamansi muffin. Although they have reopened, they have had to reduce employee hours and workdays because of a decline in revenue due to the pandemic. Lee Rosaia, 80, had to use her personal savings to keep the business afloat and was relieved once Boracay Island reopened. Back to normal Now that everything seems to be back to normal, Quiambao realizes that he likes the idea of tourists visiting Boracay Island because they contribute to making Boracay a well-developed tourist spot. I believe that if they experience the vibe in Boracay, they may make Boracay a more famous tourist spot, Quiambao said. They make the place more famous in the sense that more tourist means more opportunities for the island to be a well-developed place for everyone. Quiambao anticipates returning to the beachfront at Boracay Island, which he treasured since his first visit at the age of 13. He would lay on the pure white sand by the shore while watching the sun slowly set and hearing the relaxing sound of the water. Quiambao hopes travelers and businesses continue to practice sustainable tourism in the future so his special memories at Boracay Island don't vanish under the commercialization and pollution of the tourist destination. An upcoming breast cancer awareness wave, plans for Guams veterans of the year and a gala by Victims Advocates Reaching Out were announced during the Mayors Council of Guam meeting Wednesday. Piti Mayor Jesse Alig, who also is president of the council, said Guam Cancer Care will host its 11th annual breast cancer awareness wave 4-6 p.m. Friday at the ITC intersection in Tamuning. This event is to recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to encourage the community to get tested and screened for breast and other forms of cancer. Participants are encouraged to wear pink to show their support and fill out an online cancer screening survey at guamcancercare.org/getscreened. We do know that many of our constituents are enduring this type of disease and it may not be breast cancer, but its cancer. So, if you are able to join the wave this Friday, please do so, Alig said. Veterans ceremony Plans for the veterans of the year ceremony on Nov. 11 also were discussed during the meeting. If my colleagues can support our veterans by providing canopies and chairs, thats what we are asking for, Asan-Maina Mayor Frankie Salas said, adding that the Piti and Barrigada mayors offices have contributed so far. Alig said applications are due Oct. 17 for nominations for veterans of the year. VARO gala Tamuning Mayor Louise Rivera informed the council that Victims Advocates Reaching Out will host a gala to celebrate the organizations 40th anniversary 6-10 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Nikko Hotel Guam in Tamuning. Tickets are $100 and funds raised will benefit those in need of VAROs services. Its a wonderful organization and we help victims from all over the island and we need all the support we can get, Rivera said. South Africa: SA companies ready to showcase products in France South African companies are preparing themselves to make a good impression at the Sial Paris International Food Products Exhibition which will take place in France from 15-19 October 2022. Twenty six companies producing processed foods, non-alcoholic beverages, preserved foods, spices, soups, deep frozen products, health and organic products, sweets, sea food and gourmet food products will participate in the exhibition. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) has set up a South African National Pavilion in which the companies will be showcasing their products and services. Sial Paris is a popular trade show which is regarded as the worlds leading exhibition network with unrivalled geographic coverage of Europe and the rest of the world. To this end, the South African business people are excited about the prospects of participating in the fair and are looking forward to putting their best feet forward in regards to showcasing the best of the food products that South Africa has to offer the international community. The Managing Director of House of Natural Butter, Debra Ncube, whose company is based in Cape Town, says her groundwork before departing for France is already bearing fruits as she has managed to set up meetings with at least three distributors to market her products, which comprises peanut, macadamia and almond butter. Our main objective for travelling to France is to strike deals during or after the exhibition that will enable us to penetrate the European market. We are confident that our high-value agro-processing products will attract the attention of the distributors, particularly the macadamia butter. South Africa is trending as the hub of highly valued macadamia products and we are hoping to ride on the crest of that wave, Ncube said. The owner of the Stellenbosch-based Spicy Bulldog food company, David Stephens, says all his preparations are going according to plan and he is looking forward to his companys first international exhibition. My products, which consists of wholegrain mustard, chutney and chilli sauce, have been shipped to France already. My mission is to find importers in Paris so that I can export my products to Europe. I am optimistic that I will succeed. I am already making arrangements with the local production facilities that I can make use of to increase my production in order to service the new orders, Stephens said. Sial Paris will be the first international exhibition experience for Thabisile Danisa, who is the Managing Director of Incasa Foods, a Durban-based condiments and sauces producing company. Part of her preparations for Sial has been upgrading her production factory to comply with the required standards for an exporter. We have been working hard installing new equipment in order to get our production facility to be in line with the requirements of an international exporter so that we can obtain the required health and safety certificate. The trip to France could not have come at a more opportune time as we are implementing our strategy of growing our business. We are hoping we will be able to secure clients during or after the exhibition so that we can start exporting our products to Europe, Danisa said. For Wendy Mpendulo, the Chief Executive Officer of Miante Manufacturing, which is a Pretoria-based company producing healthy on the go tasty filling snacks, Sial Paris will provide her with an opportunity to increase her companys export market. We are currently exporting our products to eSwatini, although at a very limited scale. We are travelling to France with the hope of finding a distributor, agent or big companies such as retail or hotel chains that can be interested in importing our products to France and other countries in Europe and beyond. We are optimistic that we will succeed as we are already doing some social media marketing as part of creating awareness about our company and products targeting the buyers that will be attending the exhibition, she said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-10-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Interview: China's well-designed Global Development Initiative offers mechanism for developing countries, says Dominican PM Xinhua) 16:03, October 05, 2022 MEXICO CITY, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the China-proposed Global Development Initiative (GDI) offers support mechanism for developing countries and will bring great opportunities for the Dominican people. In a joint interview with Chinese media in Dominica's capital Roseau, Skerrit said that the GDI, focusing on cooperation and partnerships, addresses such issues as extreme poverty, food security, access to vaccines, and climate change. He spoke highly of the Chinese leadership's commitment to its own country and the rest of the world, and appreciated China's action of upholding multilateralism when the world economy is encountering stiff headwinds. Skerrit regarded the Belt and Road Initiative as "one of the most remarkable initiatives," since China helped build the infrastructure to boost the economy, create jobs, boost resilience in terms of natural disasters, and address poverty in terms of climate change in Latin America and Africa. Recalling his visits to China, Skerrit noted that the Chinese people are "forward-thinking, innovative and dedicated." The Chinese government placed importance on empowering its people through knowledge, cultivating highly-skilled workforce, and actively serving the needs of its people to achieve development, he said, adding that along with scientific advance, the Chinese government attached importance to promoting rapid industrial and technological progress. Speaking of Dominica-China relations, Skerrit said that the relationship is founded on friendship and mutual benefit. In the aftermath of the devastating tropical storm in 2015 and hurricane in 2017, China offered firm support for Dominican infrastructure reconstruction. After the outbreak of COVID-19, China has provided Dominica with tremendous support in rehabilitating infrastructure, access to life-saving vaccines and health equipment as well as prevention experience, he said, referring to China as "a reliable companion." The Dominican prime minister commended China for supporting small island developing states and speaking up for developing states. Given China's influence in the international community, Skerrit voiced hope that the two countries will continue working with each other in multilateral frameworks to push for the growth of bilateral relations. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Bianji) Clergy sex abuse survivor Leo Tudela told the bankruptcy court the settlement deal with the Archdiocese of Agana will have more protection for children, following a dark chapter in the local Catholic Churchs history of child sexual abuse from the 1950s to the 1990s. The settlement is part of the new court-confirmed joint plan for reorganization for the archdiocese. Archdiocese attorney Ford Elsaesser said the settlement is in the range of at least $34 million to $45 million, depending on the actual sum that the sale of archdiocese properties would bring in. Under the court-approved plan, however, other parties can still become settling insurers prior to the effective date, including the Boy Scouts of America insurers, with combined contributions of not less than $55 million. The court-filed joint disclosure statement also indicated that between the various forms of funding for the plan, tort claimants will receive the total sum of between $37 million and $101 million. Protocols For Tudela, the chairman of the creditors committee of mostly abuse claimants, another important part of the settlement is the Child Protection Protocols. No kid should be residing in the rectory, Tudela, 79, said in court as he cited examples of specific, easy-to-understand items in the Child Protection Protocols that abuse survivors and the archdiocese have been drafting as part of the settlement. Several of Guams 270-plus clergy sex abuse claims alleged priests abused minors in the priests residence or the rectory. Many of the children were residing in the rectory as well. Its not right to molest our children, said Tudela, who was 13 when a priest and other clergy sexually abused him. For six years, hes been publicly advocating for justice for survivors, though his personal fight started more than six decades ago. Alone in the car Many of Guams clergy sex abuse claimants said they were abused at the Lonfit River or during scouting events. These involved then-Father Louis Brouillard, who was also a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America. The Boy Scouts, which also filed for bankruptcy, continues to negotiate with the archdiocese and creditors. Tudela said the protocols also include not allowing any child to ride in a vehicle alone with a priest or another clergy member. In several Guam clergy sex abuse claims, priests abused children in vehicles or drove to places where they abused them. Every priest and other church official coming to Guam should also be vetted first, which helps identify those with prior child sexual abuse cases or other crimes, Tudela said. David Sablan, president of Concerned Catholics of Guam, which was instrumental in exposing clergy sex abuses in the Catholic Church, said no amount of money can remove the horrific pain and anguish experienced by the claimants who were abused by members of our clergy and others who were in positions of trust in our Archdiocese of Agana. This court case, the bankruptcy of the archdiocese, the agreed settlement, and this dark history in the life of our Church on Guam is now behind us. It is time for healing and joy, he said. Priest registry At the confirmation hearing, the judge also noted the absence of a registry of offending priests and other clergy not only on Guam but other parts of the world. Tudela also talked about a review panel that includes clergy sex abuse survivors and archdiocese officials. He said the panel will review child abuse allegations against clergy, as well as the reporting of credible allegations to the Guam Police Department. Elsaesser told the court the archdioceses strengthened child protection policies already include many of these items. But Tudela later said the language in the archdioceses protocols isnt straightforward and not easy to understand, whereas the protocols in the bankruptcy exit plan would be simplified. The survivors trust and the archdiocese are required to file the final version within 60 days of the effective date of the reorganization plan. Whats next After the Oct. 4 court confirmation of the reorganization plan, the archdiocese said the first step in the restitution process would be the transfer of the designated money and assets of the archdiocese to the trust fund of the victim survivors. The process would span 45 to 60 days, the archdiocese said. The first round of payments will be a few months after that, attorneys earlier said. The settlement includes nearly $20 million from insurance firms that insured the archdiocese, more than $6.6 million in cash contribution from the archdiocese, Catholic schools and parishes, and about $18 million in real estate properties that are expected to be sold. The total settlement amount could go up based on still ongoing negotiations with other parties. The archdiocese also will be providing to the survivors trust millions of dollars worth of Catholic school vouchers for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as cemetery plots. Corrections & clarifications: This story has been updated to reflect the circumstances under which credit will be offered. The promise of free college credit for those who would work the polls Election Day has dried up. A course and internship on elections administration was meant to help the Guam Election Commission recruit precinct officials for the general election. But the University of Guam, which is hosting the course taught by GEC, has declined to provide students who take the course college credit free of charge, Election Commission Executive Director Maria Pangelinan told commissioners Wednesday night. Registered voters and students still can take the elections course and work Election Day for a $350 stipend, but will only be able to obtain continuing education credits for free. The course is still enticing for teachers professional development academic credit for their recertification, Pangelinan said. GEC will cover the $40 cost per teacher credit. We had 10 teachers that were interested. Unfortunately, our 10 teachers cannot make the 9:30 to 12:30 (class) schedule on Fridays, she said. An additional Saturday class for the teachers will be opened up, if at least 10 of them submit registration forms. Those who signed up to get the two college credits previously promised will have to pay full price, $442. Several of the 38 students enrolled in the course are considering paying the full price, Pangelinan told commissioners. Pangelinan said its too late to renegotiate the deal with UOG, as the course has already begun. Pangelinan on Wednesday morning told the newspaper that a count of how many of the 335 officials needed to work Guams 67 voter precincts wasnt available. Registration is open to the public and you can get a precinct official application from the Election Commission office at the Oka Building in Tamuning or online at bit.ly/3ImKmcJ. Early voting With early voting all set to start Tuesday at the Westin Resort Guam, the count of registered voters is now up to 59,298. The early voting center is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday through Nov.3. Additionally, satellite voting stations will be available 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at: Okkodo High School on Oct. 15. Guam Community College on Oct. 22. Merizo Martyrs Memorial School on Oct. 29. While you can register to vote on the spot at Okkodo and GCC, voters in Merizo will be unable to register; the deadline to register for the general election is Oct. 24. Two missiles launched by North Korea Thursday morning posed no immediate threat to Guam, according to civil defense officials. This was the sixth round of weapons firings conducted by North Korea in the last two weeks. On Tuesday, the country sent a ballistic missile flying over northern Japan. In response, the United States redeployed the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan near the Korean Peninsula. The ship was in the area last week for drills and training with South Korea and Japan. North Koreas Foreign Ministry said the redeployment of the Reagan strike group poses a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean peninsula and in its vicinity. The missile Thursday was shot toward North Koreas eastern waters, according to South Korean military reports. No immediate threat was assessed for the Marianas from the reported launch, said Maj. Gen. Esther Aguigui, Guam acting Homeland Security Advisor. She said the Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense, along with our federal and military partners, will continue to maintain open lines of communication and provide updates to the community as necessary. Condemnation Thursdays launch has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries. North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launches this year, exploiting Russias war on Ukraine and the resulting deep divide in the U.N. Security Council to accelerate its arms development without risking further sanctions. The missiles Thursday flew 217-500 miles before landing in waters outside Japans exclusive economic zone. The launch came two days after North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years. Experts said the missile fired Tuesday involved a weapon capable of reaching Guam and beyond. The Norths flurry of weapons tests in recent days came after the United States staged military drills with South Korea and Japan in the waters off the Korean Peninsulas east coast. The drills on Tuesday were conducted to show a joint ability to deter a North Korean attack on the South. The allies conducted training bombing runs by F-15 strike jets using precision munitions and launched two missiles each that are part of the Army Tactical Missile System. Former Guam Police Department officer Mark Torre Jr.s record was expunged of criminal charges connected to the shooting death of fellow officer Elbert Piolo. Torre was charged in the July 2015 shooting death of Piolo. He was acquitted of murder and manslaughter at trial, and was sentenced to eight years for negligent homicide, aggravated assault and the special allegations. After appealing his convictions, the Supreme Court of Guam sent his case back to the Superior Court of Guam for a new trial, and in November 2020, a jury found him not guilty of all charges. Despite the acquittal, expungement wasnt automatic, according to his attorney, Joaquin Jay Arriola. Arriola said he could not speculate on whether Torre would return to his job as a police officer. This situation is not easy, for people who have been accused, and cleared, in high-profile crimes, Arriola said. Theyve been under house arrest for years, scrutinized and vilified. And so its very hard for people in their situation to get back to a normal life, he said. Itll never be normal for any of them. A person like Mark will may not ever want to hold a gun again, and his whole life was law enforcement and military. Since the acquittal, Arriola said Torre obtained his degree from the University of Guam and plans to continue to pursue advanced degrees. Guam Police Department spokeswoman Officer Berlyn Savella said Chief of Police Stephan Ignacio has not been informed whether Torre wants to return to the department. It is premature and speculative, Savella said. With that said, for any applicant wishing to return there are procedures in place that must be met, a background check, polygraph examination, psych eval, and a drug test to name a few. Two witnesses described encounters they had with retired Guam Police Department Lt. Jojo Templo Garcia during his trial Wednesday before Judge Maria T. Cenzon. Garcia was indicted in February on three counts of terrorizing as a third-degree felony, four counts of reckless conduct and one count of official misconduct as misdemeanors. Charging documents provide little detail of Garcias charges. Neighbor Joseph Andrew Borja testified Wednesday that although hes only had two interactions with Garcia, he recalled complaints from friends and family members who said they were harassed when they left his house. I was never harassed, Borja said. I was never pulled over in a car or vehicle I was in, but they say theyve been pulled over. I wouldnt know they got pulled over until the next time I see them. People who come by the house, play darts, eat barbecue, the windows are open so I dont know what were doing wrong. Nobody goes to my house anymore. Borja said one time, Garcia was arguing with a female neighbor who knocked on Borjas window late one evening. I guess she felt threatened because (Garcia) was starting to walk toward her with a flashlight. It was dark. It was nighttime already. And I guess he was there, yelling, Borja said. Borja said as she knocked, she told him to come outside. Shes apparently so terrified because shes not calling her boyfriend. Shes looking for the first person. So I come out, Borja said. This is a woman, you know, and hes already out of his house, a few houses down. Hes like two houses away from my house with a flashlight. Hes yelling. When Borja called the police, the officer who responded said there wasnt much he could do because his boss is his boss. In December 2021, a video circulated on social media showed Garcia arguing with people outside a residence while carrying what appeared to be a rifle. Borja also was in the video. Another witness took the stand and testified about the day Garcia came to the police armory and wasnt able to get his firearms. Roque Pangelinan, a police officer, was working at the armory and witnessed an argument between Garcia and Maj. Fred Chargualaf. He recalled Garcia yelling obscenities toward Chargualaf and said he filed an incident report. Ron McNinch is a longstanding member of the Guam community and frequently gives his opinion on a wide range of topics. Leo Tudela, left, whose testimony was instrumental in bringing the scope of Guams clergy sex abuse to the public eye, with Edwin Caldie, attorney for the creditors committee, after the Archdiocese of Agana bankruptcy exit plan was approved on Oct. 4, 2022. Haiti - News : Zapping... All diplomatic entities of highly concerned The Embassies in Haiti of Germany, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Spain, the United States, France, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland and Taiwan; the representations of the European Union, the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS) are highly concerned by the blocking of Terminal Varreux as well as its humanitarian impact, in particular the resurgence of cholera, and call for an immediate humanitarian truce to allow the release of fuel for urgent needs. Popular justice : 3 bandits killed On the night of October 2nd to 3rd, Eric Prophet, alleged gang leader of Croix-Saint-Joseph in Port-de-Paix, was lynched. Two other bandits Mackenson and Mme Lemoine thus known were also killed. Les Cayes : More than 90 people arrested Pierre Yves Lesage, Spokesperson for the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in the South Department, informed that more than 90 people were arrested in connection with anti-government protests in the city of Les Cayes. They are accused of theft, looting, attempted arson, disturbing public order and throwing stones at police officers. GrandAnse : Empowering dozens of women The United Nations Development Program (UNDP-Haiti) through financial and technical support to several individual and collective enterprises within the framework of the "Bay Biznis or Jaret" program, has promoted the economic recovery and financial empowerment of several dozens of women in Grand'Anse. More than 600 families will benefit from new houses The United Nations Development Program (UNDP-Haiti,) with funding from the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), will enable more than 600 families, some of whom lived at risk of flooding at the edge of the beach in Lahaie (Dame-Marie. Dept. Grand'Anse) to benefit from new houses where they can live in safety and dignity. Jean DAmerique Winner of the 2022 Jacques-Scherer Literary Prize The young Haitian writer Jean D'Amerique is the winner of the 2022 Jacques-Scherer Literary Prize for theater with his work "Opera Poussiere". In this text Jean D'Amerique pays a vibrant tribute to Sanite Belair heroine of the war of independence. "What great news! A big thank you to the jury and big big up to the Theatrales editions for having welcomed this text in their catalog," Jean DAmerique. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2022/10/04 | Source Actors Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-jun and Lim Se-mi unite with "The Worst of Evil". Advertisement On the 4th, Disney+'s original series "The Worst of Evil" confirmed its release next year and unveiled its casting lineup. "The Worst of Evil" is a criminal action drama that deals with an investigation that begins in Seoul, South Korea, to find out the triangular drug trade between South Korea, China, and Japan. It is the next film by director Han Dong-wook, who debuted with "When A Man Loves A Woman" after directing and assistant director of crime genre films such as "The Unjust", "Nameless Gangster" and "The New World". Ji Chang-wook, who appeared in "If You Wish Upon Me", "The Sound of Magic", "Lovestruck in the City", "Backstreet Rookie" and "The K2"", will play the role of Park Joon-mo, a police officer who infiltrates the organization for drug investigation, showing the most intense transformation in his acting. On top of that, Wi Ha-jun, who starred in "Squid Game", "Bad and Crazy", "Little Women", and the movies "Midnight" and "Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum", takes on the role of Jeong Gi-cheol, the boss of an emerging criminal organization. In addition, Lim Se-mi, who was loved for "The Empire", "Desperate Mr. X" and "I'll Visit You When the Weather Is Nice", plays Yoo Eui-jeong, a police officer participating in drug investigations and Park Joon-mo's wife. "The Worst of Evil" is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2023. Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Published on 2022/10/04 | Source Song Hye-kyo is a hot topic for boasting her innocent beauty. Advertisement On the 3rd, Song Hye-kyo posted a photo on her Instagram story with the caption, "A fun lunch". The released photo shows Song Hye-kyo meeting an acquaintance, eating together, and taking photos. Song Hye-kyo's innocent visuals, which are not humiliated even in close proximity and uncorrected, evoke admiration from the viewers. Meanwhile, Song Hye-kyo appeared in the SBS drama "Now, We Are Breaking Up" in January and is scheduled to return to Netflix's "The Glory". "The Glory" is a Netflix series that tells the story of desperate revenge in which the protagonist who was subjected to school violence in high school takes desperate revenge on the perpetrators and bystanders. The academic progress of students in higher education is assessed on the basis of financial aid data and information about the number of credits they have earned. Students in higher education who do not meet the minimum credit requirement for financial aid have received a request for further information. The deadline for replying to the request is 25 October 2022. Students can use the OmaKela e-service to reply. The assessment can focus on the academic year 2021 2022 or the entire time that a student has pursued higher education studies in Finland. The assessment of academic progress is based on the laws governing the student financial aid system. The number of requests for information increased over the previous year Kela assesses the academic progress of higher education students on a yearly basis. The assessment has now been carried out for around 138,000 higher education students who received financial aid for at least three months in the academic year 2021-2022. A request for information has been sent to 8,400 university students and 7,200 students of universities of applied sciences. Last year, a total of 13,800 students received the request, 7,100 of whom attended a university and 6,700 a university of applied sciences. Definition of satisfactory academic progress Academic progress is assessed on the basis of two factors: Whether the student earned at least 20 credits in the most recent academic year (2021-2022) Whether the student has earned at least 5 credits on average for each month on financial aid either during the most recent academic year or over the entire course of study The 20-credit requirement does not apply to students who began their studies in spring term 2022. If a student graduated or completed a higher education degree during the academic year that the monitoring of academic progress concerns, or in the autumn before the monitoring is carried out, the student has made sufficient progress in their studies. For students who have a higher education degree and who continue their studies in higher education, academic progress is assessed for the period following the month of graduation. The assessment of academic progress takes into account all credits earned at Finnish institutions of higher education and the number of months of financial aid used since 1 August 2011. If a student has credits from more than one institution of higher education, Kela will automatically include such credits in the assessment. Incomplete studies are taken into account as well. Students are advised to reply promptly to the request for information The deadline for replying to the request is 25 October 2022. Students can, for example, use the online form available on the OmaKela e-service. Based on the reply, Kela will consider whether there are acceptable reasons for unsatisfactory academic progress. Financial aid payments to students who do not reply or whose reasons are not accepted will be stopped effective 1 January 2023. HT Source: Kela Marin added during a parliamentary debate on foreign and security policy that she herself is positive about the proposal to build the fence. PRIME MINISTER Sanna Marin (SDP) on Tuesday said she will sit down with the leaders of all parliamentary parties in an attempt to obtain as broad support as possible for building a fence on parts of the border between Finland and Russia. The Finnish Border Guard in September stated that it believes 130260 kilometres of the over 1,300-kilometre border should be fenced, primarily in areas near designated border-crossing points. The project would have an estimated price tag of a few hundred million euros and require three to four years to complete. If the border authority estimates that it needs this kind of a fence to control the border also in future, I think we should take that proposal seriously, Marin was quoted saying by YLE. The prime minister added that the effects of the fence on foreign and security policy have already been discussed by the president and ministerial committee on foreign and security policy. Minister of Finance Annika Saarikko (Centre) said the Ministry of Finance is prepared to arrange funds for the project at a short notice. The parliamentary debate reflected mounting concerns about the actions of Russia. Among recent alarming developments are the partial mobilisation and the annexation of four Ukrainian regions announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Finland and other western countries have condemned the unlawful annexations. Tensions have increased also due to the explosions in Nord Stream, a natural gas pipeline connecting Germany and Russia via the Baltic Sea. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens) set up the debate by estimating that Russia is likely to step up its hybrid warfare efforts against western countries in the coming months. Finnish officials, he added, have prepared for hybrid campaigns and are constantly monitoring hostile activities. Members of the Finnish Parliament also drew attention to the importance of continuing support for Ukraine. Ukraine will win this war if the west maintains its strong support and sufficient resolve. Finland must take initiative in that regard, viewed Antti Hakkanen (NCP), the chairperson of the Parliaments Defence Committee. Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen (Centre) revealed Finland is preparing already its ninth military aid package to Ukraine. The value of its eight previous aid packages stands at around 93 million euros. The decisions will be made soon, he said. I doubt [the package] will be the last one. We have to be ready to support Ukraine for a long time. Finland presently ranks 24th in bilateral aid commitments and 22nd in bilateral aid commitments relative to gross domestic product to Ukraine, according to data collected between 24 January and 3 August by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Its commitments as a share of gross domestic product rise from 0.03 to 0.1 per cent by taking into account commitments made by the EU. The share falls well short of the 0.9 per cent committed by Estonia and Latvia, the 0.6 per cent committed by Poland and the 0.4 per cent committed by Lithuania and Norway. The Financial Times in September reported that White House officials have expressed their frustration with the slow disbursement of aid to Kyiv by the European Union. The 27-country bloc has been urged to set up a regular mechanism for disbursing the aid in order to avoid bickering over logistics in conjunction with every aid package. Brussels had at the time released only one billion of the nine billion it had pledged to Ukraine in May. Another five billion euros was to be released by the end of September. Similar calls have emanated also from Europe. Jeremy Shapiro, a research director at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), on Monday wrote that Ukraine could become a highly divisive issue between the EU and US unless Europeans put their money where their mouth is. Aleksi Teivainen HT The Finnish government on Tuesday revealed that a maximum of 113 million euros of the funding would be channelled to Finland. Member states that rely more heavily on fossil fuel would receive a larger share of the funding, according to STT . FINANCE MINISTERS of the European Union have reached an agreement on a 20-billion-euro programme to support efforts to reduce dependency on fossil fuel imports from Russia. The finance ministers found an agreement on the issue at a meeting of the council on economic and financial affairs in Luxembourg on Tuesday. Different blocs within the union, though, had markedly different ideas about how the funding should be allocated between the member states, the Finnish news agency wrote. Leena Morttinen, the permanent undersecretary for international and financial market affairs at the Ministry of Finance, said Finland called attention to the emphasis on energy poverty in distributing the funding. We then received some clarifications about how the commission has interpreted it. And some peace of mind that it wont become an actual tool for income transfer, she said to STT. The mechanic for distributing the funding is complex, she added: It depends inversely on gross domestic product, changes in capital goods prices and the share fossil fuels account for total production. It also includes a number of floors and ceilings. The 20-billion-euro package is to be funded primarily with proceeds from emission rights auctions (15bn) and by accelerating the sales of national emission rights quotas (5bn). The package is part of Repower EU, a large-scale effort to reduce energy consumption, diversify the energy supply and accelerate the shift to renewable energy in the EU. The European Commission has estimated that the effort will require investments worth around 210 billion euros by 2027. Aleksi Teivainen HT Health Department announces drive-thru flu shots In partnership with Henderson County public schools, the Henderson County Department of Public Health will be providing afterschool drive-through flu vaccine clinics at local high schools throughout October. The flu vaccine will be offered to children, staff and parents in Henderson County Public Schools as well as the general public on the following dates: 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at Innovative High School 3:30-6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at Hendersonville High School 3:30-6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, at West Henderson High School 3:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at East Henderson High School School staff and family members may visit any drive-through clinic regardless of which school in the county they or their children attend. No appointment is needed. Only the flu injection (shot) will be offered. Visit www.HendersonCountyFlu.org to download, print and fill out a consent form required to receive the vaccine. The Health Department will accept insurance, Medicaid or cash/check only. Insurance companies in-network with the Health Department are listed at www.HendersonCountyFlu.org. The out-of-network cost is $43 cash or check only. Those without insurance are eligible to receive the vaccine at no cost. Aerial photo taken on July 19, 2022 shows the Central Business District (CBD) project in Egypt's new administrative capital in east of Cairo, Egypt.(CSCEC Egypt/Handout via Xinhua) Noting that China shares common interests with developing countries and seeks to promote South-South cooperation, the Egyptian expert said that Chinese initiatives like the BRI always take into account the circumstances of developing countries. by Yao Bing, Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The initiatives proposed by China in recent years, especially the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), are very important and beneficial to the global economy and development, said an Egyptian expert in Asian affairs. The BRI is of great significance to the global economy, Tarek el-Sonoty, deputy editor-in-chief of Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, said in a recent interview with Xinhua, adding that via joint infrastructure projects and win-win partnerships, China seeks to achieve common development and boost bilateral and multilateral relations with partners. File photo taken on May 10, 2018 shows the aerial view of the Chinese-built Maputo Bridge in Maputo, Mozambique. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) Noting that China shares common interests with developing countries and seeks to promote South-South cooperation, the Egyptian expert said that Chinese initiatives like the BRI always take into account the circumstances of developing countries. Sonoty pointed out that BRI and other Chinese initiatives benefit people in China and other developing countries. "A lot of infrastructure projects have been carried out in many countries under the framework of the BRI, including Egypt," the Egyptian expert told Xinhua, adding that Chinese corporations are carrying out mega projects in Egypt such as the construction of the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo and the New Alamein City in northwestern Egypt. Sonoty said the Chinese initiatives will effectively promote global development, especially amid ongoing global challenges. "There is a close interrelation between the Chinese economy and the global economy," he said, noting that China plays an important role politically and economically worldwide as the world's second-largest economy. The first freight train of the Nairobi-Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) arrives at the Naivasha Inland Container Depot in Kenya, on Dec. 17, 2019. (Xinhua/Wang Teng) Having visited China many times, Sonoty attributed the rapid development he witnessed in China to the leading role of the Communist Party of China(CPC), which has set out to fulfill the aspirations of the Chinese people. "I visited Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in 2008 and when I went back about 10 years later, I found a surprising change and tremendous development there," the expert recalled. Long-time F&B operations boss Arthur Timlin has moved into hotel operations. Serving as F&B director of Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort since 2020, Timlin is now director of operations at the property. In his new role, he will manage teams, resources and services for all departments of the hotel. During his time as F&B director, Timlin established several branded events to engage with RAK residents and generate business while pandemic travel restrictions were ongoing, and several outlets meanwhile were renovated to welcome international guests. He also launched a pet-friendly room programme at the hotel, being an avid dog lover himself. Before the northern emirate, he was working at Conrad on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road where he was responsible for overseeing the hotel's entire F&B operations, including the launch and opening of Korean casual dining outlet Kimpo, Timlin has more than 16 years of experience in the industry. Timlin has previously worked at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai for five years, starting as GM for British gastropub Dhow and Anchor, before being promoted to oversee the hotel's entire F&B department. He has also worked in McGettigan's in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Nila Suparmi has stepped in as HR director. Before joining Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort, Suparmi served as Director of Human Resources with several prestigious brands in Southeast Asia including Waldorf Astoria Maldives, Hilton Bali and IHG in Indonesia, where she focused on founding organisational cultures. In her new role, Suparmi will continue to use her expertise and leadership skills to enhance the employee life cycle and HR functions including talent acquisition, engagement, development, performance, company policy, and legal compliance. Julia Dzerkach joined the HVS London office as a Consulting & Valuation Analyst in July 2022. She holds a Bachelor degree in International Hospitality Management from EHL Hospitality Business School Lausanne. Prior to joining HVS, Julia gained operational and administrative experience in both hotel and chemical industries in Switzerland. Her primary responsibilities at HVS include valuations of single assets and hotel portfolios, feasibility studies, and market research within the EMEA region. For further information, please contact her at [email protected] Accor has announced that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with the Valesco Group to sell its Paris headquarters, the Sequana Tower, for 465 million euros ($461.2 million). The transaction, which is subject to the usual due diligence, is expected to close by the end of the year. Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar) Pathfinder Hospitality, a hotel development firm and 3rd-party management company based in Austin TX, is excited to announce that they have officially added the Holiday Inn San Antonio N - Stone Oak Area and Holiday Inn & Suites Houston West - Westway Park to their rapidly growing portfolio. Pathfinder is thrilled to extend its Platinum Service to these hotels. Located at 19280 Redland Rd, San Antonio, TX 78259Holiday Inn San Antonio Stone Oak has 111 rooms, a large meeting space that can accommodate corporate or social events, a beautiful indoor pool, and a short drive from all the major attractions San Antonio has to offer. Relax at Kem's Restaurant and Lounge after a long day of work or play and enjoy a cocktail or appetizer before falling into one of our luxurious beds. Located at 4606 Westway Park Blvd., Houston, TX 77041 Holiday Inn & Suites Houston West Westway has 113 rooms, 3,300 square feet of meeting space, an indoor pool you can enjoy year-round, and Legend's Bar & Grill that offers 12 beers on draft and an extensive list of craft beers and amazing bar food! This marks the 14th & 15th hotel additions managed by Pathfinder. The new Aloft Austin Southwest is slated to open in October 2022. Pathfinder Hospitality currently manages the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Austin Arboretum Area, Staybridge Suites Houston Humble Beltway 8, Staybridge Suites Houston Nasa/Clear Lake, Best Western Plus Pflugerville, Wingate by Wyndham Houston, La Quinta by Wyndham Brookshire Houston, Holiday Inn and Suites San Antonio Northwest, Wingate by Wyndham Conference Center Round Rock, Fairfield Inn & Suites Willowbrook Houston, Holiday Inn Mobile Downtown Historic District Mobile, Al, Holiday Inn Express Fairhope-Point Clear Fairhope, Al, and more recently Hyatt Place Lake Travis Four Points - Austin. Stay tuned for more exciting news from Pathfinder Hospitality! About Pathfinder Hospitality Pathfinder Hospitality develops hotels and also manages hotels for third-party investors by leveraging its talented workforce, relationships with major hotel brands, and buying power with major hospitality-focused vendors. "Above and Beyond" captures the sheer essence of what Pathfinder Hospitality is all about. It is reflected in the hotels we develop and manage, in the memorable experiences we create for our guests through our commitment to Platinum Service, and in the extent of investment and support we provide to our properties to continue to stand out from our competitors. Our mission: To provide best in class hospitality by delivering memorable experiences, enriching the lives of others, investing in our teams, and creating high-value growth for all stakeholders. Our vision: To expand the reach of our unrivaled hospitality. Stephanie Dockery Marketing Director Pathfinder Hospitality Wait! Before you go Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. PITTSFIELD, Mass. The School Committee last week approved memoranda of agreement with three of four bargaining units. After an executive session, the committee returned to regular session to unanimously endorse new agreements with the cafeteria, paraprofessionals and educational secretary units. A fourth, with the bus drivers and attendants, was tabled as committee member Sarah Hathaway commented that "we look forward to approving it when the language is tinkered with a just little bit." The committee also approved raises for substitute paraprofessionals and educational secretaries of about $10 a day, depending on category, and raising the food service workers to the state's minimum wage of $14.25 an hour, to become $15 when the minimum wage goes up on Jan. 1, 2023. Kristen Behnke, assistant superintendent for business and finance, said the rates for long-term substitutes and nurses had been raised in 2021 during COVID-19. Those are not being raised this year. "They are definitely the highest in the county and certainly some of the higher in the state," she said. "We found it was helpful in gaining some additional substitutes. We could use more." The shorter-term substitute rates are being hiked in light of changes in the minimum wage and the recent recent contract for paraprofessionals. The custodial rates are covered by contract. City Councilor Karen Kalinowsky urged the committee to increase custodial pay, saying the unit has been without a contract for 18 months. She argued that during the pandemic custodians worked the frontlines keeping the school clean and sanitized in preparation for reopening and keeping them open at the risk of themselves and their families. "I worked 13 years in the school. I know how hard these people work, and I know how underpaid they are. And I'm quite aware that the school departments got quite a few million from the state above and beyond what they used to," the retired school resource officer said in a followup interview. "And they keep giving raises and keep promoting lots of administrators and I believe that we need to pay the lowest paid people with our living wage." The committee also discussed the diversity, equity, and inclusion plan that was put together by a diverse task force. After reviewing the report from Schoolworks, the Equity Task Force identified the following four priorities to focus their work on: All students are provided with ample opportunities to think critically about bias, power, and privilege, consider diverse perspectives, and develop leadership skills. The district has clear and comprehensive systems for employee recruitment, retention, and promotion that value and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Leadership and staff are engaged in multiple learning opportunities focused on culturally responsive pedagogy. All students have access to high-quality learning opportunities in school activities, after-school activities, and extracurricular activities. The hope is to engage the task force three to four times during the school year to have accountability, receive feedback on the perceived progress the district has made, and to make adjustments to year 2 and 3 priorities. "These also would be addressed in our strategic plan that will begin working on this year and should be finished by the end of the school year," Curtis said. There will be another opportunity to discuss the district improvement plan presentation in the future. Committee member Vicky Smith said she shared the plan with a "person of color" at Williams College for input and "the key takeaway was, how do you know that it's working, that you're making progress," she asked. A suggestion at the last meeting when Smith asked what the key takeaways from the experience, was the hope that there would be more people of color employed in our district and that they stay, and that could be a "scorecard baseline" The school district has seen a change in statistics, said Curtis, from 98 percent white staffing five or six years ago to 92 percent when he came on as interim superintendent. It has continued to become more diverse since. The improvement of hiring a diverse staff is one of the outcomes the district hopes to see from this response plan as it evolves over the years and the implementation becomes stronger, he said. "There are a number of, just to speak to that topic, Human Resource goals, you'll see in this plan that have to be implemented over a course of time," Curtis said. "One of them being ensuring that affinity groups are available to all of our employees. So if there is that different treatment that they that can be expressed and then addressed in a way that's supportive." The first year of the plan works on the foundational work such as "bringing a level of understanding and knowledge to our leadership on diversity, equity inclusion, providing them with the support and training," he said. "So you'll see in this plan that the year one is very foundational, and that was deliberate, because without the right foundational supports and structures, as we've seen in so many ways, and over time, this the entire structure crumbles." The district also has the hiring statistics on the district's website so people can see the demographics for applicants who applied and who were hired. In other news: Vice Chair Daniel Elias attended an Egremont Elementary School School Council meeting and updated the committee on what was happening at the school. A number of positions have been filled, including a special education paraprofessional that it did not have last year, he said, and that this year all specialists have a room. They still have one paraprofessional position that needs to be filled. According to Elias, the council has a consideration for a vice principal come budget time. The school council also met with Park, Open Space and Natural Resource Program Manager James McGrath regarding the playground renovation. "We will break ground in mid July. The playground is currently 20 years old. Estimated cost of $81,000," Elias said. The American Rescue Plan Act is going to fund half of the project. Berkshire Bank donated $5,000 and the Parent-Teacher Organization is going to cover $35,000. Haddad Subaru in Pittsfield adopted classrooms at Egremont, providing six teachers $500 each. Superintendent Joseph Curtis announced that the School Building Needs Commission had its first meeting on Sept. 20. During that meeting, it reviewed the restructuring request for quotation that has gone out and then discussed the purpose and possible timeline to submit a statement of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The commission has a lot ahead of them because the findings from the restructuring study could require a policy change, Curtis said. The committee also approved the following policies after a second reading: Sexual Harassment Policy for Sexual Harassment Against Students, Sexual Harassment Policy for Sexual Harassment Against Employees, and Non-Discrimination Policy Including Harassment and Retaliation, On October 8th, at 1PM a human chain will surround the Houses of Parliament in London, UK, to oppose the extradition of Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, and urge the US government to drop all charges against him. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on journalists unions, press freedom organisations and journalists to mobilise and express their solidarity. More than 3.600 people will form a human chain to demand Assanges freedom. Members of the IFJ affiliated union in the UK, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), will join the rally. Criminalising investigative journalism enables every other kind of repression. If enough of us come together to surround Parliament in a few weeks, that process can be stopped in its tracks, reads an NUJ statement published for the occasion. Join us this Saturday 8 October, as #NUJ members and others form a human chain around Parliament, standing up for free speech and opposing the extradition of Julian Assange. #FreeAssangepic.twitter.com/puvuzwMUra NUJ (@NUJofficial) October 3, 2022 The protest around the British Parliament, organised by the Don't Extradite Assange campaign, will create a vast visual symbol of the peoples determination to protect freedom of expression. On the same day, actions of solidarity with the founder of WikiLeaks are planned around the world. In France, a gathering to oppose Assanges extradition and defend press freedom will be organised by the Assange Support Committee and the 37 organisations that signed the Paris Appeal for Julian Assange , including our French affiliates, Syndicat national des journalistes CGT (SNJ-CGT) and Syndicat national des journalistes (SNJ). Journalists, trade unionists and association leaders will meet at the Statue Liberte Ile Aux Cygnes in the 15th arrondissement at 2PM. Comme ailleurs dans le monde, rassemblons-nous a Paris le samedi 8 octobre a 14h pour la liberation de Julian Assange https://t.co/xy7ZXpwp7H#FreeAssangeNOW SNJ-CGT (rejoignez-nous !) (@SnjCgt) October 4, 2022 In the United States, the Assange Defense Committee will hold a rally at the Department of Justice in Washington DC, calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to drop the charges against Assange at 12PM. Other rallies will be organised across the US. In Australia, Assanges home country, several actions are planned, including the formation of a human chain starting at Princes Bridge, Southbank, in Melbourne at 11AM. In addition, more than twenty actions will take place around the globe to demand Assanges release, from a human chain surrounding the Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, to a march that will go from the UK embassy to the US embassy in Mexico DF. The IFJ is gravely concerned about the impact of Assanges continued detention on media freedom and the rights of all journalists globally. It has launched a global campaign calling on the US government to drop all charges against him and asking all media unions and press freedom organisations to urge their governments to secure Assanges release. Irrespective of personal views, his extradition will have a chilling effect, with all journalists and media workers at risk. IFJ President Dominique Pradalie said: "The decision of the UK Home Secretary to allow the extradition of Julian Assange was vindictive and a real blow to media freedom. All journalists must support Julian Assange, who enabled them to reveal US army war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. October 8 is the time to mobilise and express solidarity to defend Assanges freedom as well as everyone's right to know. If you wish to support the call to free Assange: Globe, a leading digital solutions provider in the Philippines, recognizes the need to provide its nearly 92 million customers with more than just phone and data services in order to remain relevant if the company intends to provide Filipinos a digital lifestyle. PH telcos existing positions are now experiencing a surge in ICT demand. The Philippines, from having been known as the texting capital of the world has now taken the global lead in social media usage, with the average Filipino spending 4 hours and 7 minutes per day on social media sites, according to the Digital Report in 2017 by Hootsuite and We Are Social. To ensure that the company is able to address the changing needs of its customers, Globe deployed a steady stream of applications and technologies to support a digital lifestyle. These include an online store for mobile gadgets and telco services, self-service applications for phone, data, and rewards monitoring, a convenient online payment service, and many more. In compliance with their cloud-first strategy, these apps are hosted in Amazon Web Services (AWS), its cloud service provider of choice. Acquiring physical hardware to host an application typically takes months. When Globe put in place a cloud-first strategy, the timeline was significantly reduced into days. Still, the telco giant keeps accelerating when it comes to innovations that will elevate their service levels and increase their market share. On year one of the engagement, the company had 70 projects lined up to be hosted in AWS. Setting up the technical environments of a large volume of projects can be challenging since a mere delay of one day affects the entire project and possibly other projects that need support from the same team. Through Stratpoint, Globes long-time partner for its many technology requirements, it initially deployed over 30 cloud professionals to handle and oversee the implementation, management, and support of the AWS environments for Globes projects in the pipeline. Stratpoint is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and Solutions Provider, with certified AWS professionals skilled in technical architecture, cloud engineering, database management, network administration, infrastructure service operationalization, service operations instrumentation, automations and innovations, and more. The teams mission is to help Globe optimize their AWS investment, hasten provisioning times, and ensure that their applications work excellently in AWS. A few months into the engagement, Stratpoint and Globe already realized significant improvements in the process by shortening the average environment provisioning time by 67%. It also achieved zero percent project defect month-on-month and realized more than US$200,000 in savings in one year due to cloud optimization. RJ Mendiola, Globes Director for Operations and Maintenance Division, Infrastructure Technology and Services, welcomes Stratpoints support. Stratpoint has proven to be a superb business partner to Globe for some years now. Above and beyond the technical capability, they imbibed the 'malasakit' culture, which transformed their services from transactional to relational. Stratpoint being on our backside allows us to focus on creating more values and better experiences for our customers. MR dela Cruz, Stratpoints Chief Executive Officer said: As an IT company, we take delight in helping enable lifestyles and businesses to be successful through tech. As a Filipino firm, continuous partnerships with forward-looking companies like Globe mean that we can contribute more to nation-building with our technological capabilities and by providing career opportunities for Filipinos. For more information about Stratpoints cloud services, visit www.stratpoint.com or email hello@stratpoint.com. Indias policymakers are keen to transform the countrys highly polluting transport industry with electric mobility and clean energy alternatives. The government at the central and state levels have provided enabling frameworks for the swift and seamless adoption of clean energy solutions. Additionally, all industries are embracing technological developments in information technology, big data, digital payments, etc. to create innovative solutions to facilitate the production and use of electric vehicles. Federal initiatives to incentivize electric mobility in India Several fiscal and non-fiscal measures have been put in place to facilitate the adoption of electric mobility. They are stated below. National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 (NEMMP) It was launched in 2013 by the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) as a roadmap for faster manufacture and adoption of EVs in India. FAME Phase I As part of the NEMMP 2020, the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme was notified in April 2015 to promote the manufacture of electric and hybrid vehicle technology. It has mainly focused on four aspects demand creation, technology platform, pilot projects, and charging infrastructure. For demand creation, incentives have mainly been disbursed in the form of reduced purchase prices. FAME Phase II Initially launched in 2019 for a period of three years, this scheme was further extended by 24 months till March 31, 2024. The scheme has an outlay of INR 85.96 billion (US$1.13 billion) to be used for upfront incentives on the purchase of EVs as well as supporting the development of charging infrastructure. This second phase focuses on supporting electrification of public and shared transportation and aims to support, through subsidies, about 7,000 e-buses, 5,00,000 e-three wheelers, 55,000 e-four wheeler passenger cars and one million e-two wheelers. In addition, creation of charging infrastructure is also supported. On June 11, 2021, the Ministry of Heavy Industry announced amendments to the FAME II scheme to give a boost to EV demand among consumers. Under the revised policy, the subsidy per electric two-wheeler (Indian-made), which is linked to the battery size, has been increased to INR 15,000 (US$204.60) per Kilowatt-hour (KWh) from INR 10,000 (US$136.40) KWh. Furthermore, electric two-wheeler manufacturers can now give discounts of up to 40 percent to consumers a significant rise from the previous cap of 20 percent. The eligibility criteria to qualify for FAME II subsidy include a minimum range of 80 km on single charge and a minimum top speed of 40 km per hour. These incentives should lower the purchase price and lift buyer sentiment. Industry stakeholders expect the policy amendments to enable the EV two-wheeler industry to clock sales of over six million units by 2025. Yet, manufacturers must work on meeting the policys eligibility criteria as a CRISIL report states that 95 percent of e-scooters sold in India do not, and are thus not eligible for the FAME II incentive scheme. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry in India Announced with a budgetary outlay of INR 259.38 billion (US$3.50 billion), the primary focus of this scheme is on enhancing clean energy industry capabilities and expanding Indias share in the global automotive trade. The credit ratings agency ICRA expects the PLI to accelerate investments towards developing a local EV ecosystem and potentially make India an export hub in the global auto supply chain. 20 companies have been approved as PLI beneficiaries under the Champion OEM Incentive Scheme, including Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Ashok Leyland, Piaggio, Hero MotoCorp, Suzuki Motor, Tata Motors, and Bajaj. 75 companies have secured PLI approval under the Component Champion Incentive Scheme, including Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Tata Autocomp, Mitsubishi Electric, Toyota Kirloskar, Motherson Sumi, Bosch, and Lucas-TVS. The approved applicants proposed investments worth INR 450.16 billion (US$5.88 billion) under the Champion OEM Incentive Scheme and INR 298.34 billion (US$3.90 billion) under the Component Champion Incentive Scheme. National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage The PLI scheme for ACC battery manufacturing has an outlay of INR 181 billion (US$2.49 billion). The goal is to establish local manufacturing capacity of 50 Giga Watt Hour (GWh) of ACC and five GWh of Niche ACC capacity. The program is designed to be technology agnostic. Beneficiary firms can choose suitable advanced technology and their corresponding plant and machinery, raw material, and other intermediate goods to set up their cell manufacturing facility to cater to any application. The NPACC PLI scheme will thus aid local capacity building in core competent technologies to make India a hub of clean energy and boost local employment. PLI beneficiaries announced under this scheme are Reliance New Energy Solar Limited, Ola Electric Mobility Private Limited, Hyundai Global Motors Company Limited, and Rajesh Exports Limited. Five other applicants have been placed on a waitlist, including Exide Industries Limited and Larsen & Toubro Limited. Ministry of Power It has clarified that charging EVs is considered a service, which means that operating EV charging stations will not require a license. Further, the revised consolidated Guidelines & Standards for Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles was promulgated on January 14, 2022. The guidelines cover land use and access, power tariffs, state and central government roles, timelines for providing connectivity for installation of PCS, among others. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs It is amending building by-laws and has notified that residential and commercial complexes must allot 20 percent parking space for EV charging facilities. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Commercial and private battery-operated vehicles will now be issued green license plates. All battery operated, ethanol-powered, and methanol-powered transport vehicles will be exempted from the commercial permit requirement. Ministry of Finance Customs duty has been rationalized for all categories of vehicles, battery packs, and cells to support localization efforts. GST rates for EV purchases have been reduced from 12 to five percent and an income tax rebate of INR 1,50,000 is available on their purchase. Department of Science and Technology It has launched a grand challenge for developing the Indian Standards for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure. It has also formed a Technology Platform for Electric Mobility in India. Niti Aayog The inter-ministerial steering committee of the National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage is chaired by the CEO of Niti Aayog, the top public policy think tank of the government. The Mission aims to create a Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP) for five years till 2024 to support large-scale, export-competitive integrated batteries and cell-manufacturing giga plants in India and localize production across the entire EV value chain. States/union territories policy Over 27 states and UTs have formulated strategy plans for transforming mobility to provide their citizens with safe, inclusive, economic, and clean transport options. While some states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have had a head start due to pre-planned public policies, targeted investor incentives, as well as support infrastructure, other states too have drafted policies to stimulate market demand and create infrastructure. Regulatory landscape for electric vehicles in India Clean energy pivot Biofuel Policy Framework in India Green hydrogen policy To leapfrog its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions, the central government has announced the Green Hydrogen Policy, 2022. In the policy, the production target was raised five times from one million tons (MT), as announced in October 2021, to five MT by 2030. The Green Hydrogen Policy provides that manufacturers of green hydrogen be allowed to purchase renewable power from the power exchange or set up renewable energy capacity themselves or through any other developer, anywhere. Additionally, through this policy, the government will assist in setting up manufacturing zones for production, connectivity to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) on priority basis, and free transmission for 25 years if the production facility is commissioned before June 2025. This implies that a green hydrogen producer will be able to set up a solar power plant in one state to supply renewable energy to a green hydrogen plant in another state, and would not be required to pay any inter-state transmission charges. With Pakistan as the battleground, China has warned the United States, not to undermine Beijing-Islamabad ties. In a veiled but sharp attack on the US, Chinas Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong has said in a recent video message that instead of finger-pointing against China-Pakistan cooperation, some country better does real and beneficial things for the people of Pakistan. There is a background to Nongs comments. The Chinese have taken exception to the recent statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who had advised his visiting Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the midst of the UN General Assembly session to seek debt relief and restructuring of loans from China. Blinken said that Pakistan could cite the damage caused by the devastating floods as its argument to persuade the Chinese to shift their stance. U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT WASHINGTON D.C. The Foreign Minister of #Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Secretary of State of the #UnitedStates, Antony Blinken held a delegation-level meeting on the entire gamut of bilateral relations and measures to enhance cooperation. pic.twitter.com/GZjanWUgXa The Intel Consortium (@INTELPSF) September 26, 2022 The Chinese riposte follows the Shehbaz Sharif governments pronounced wooing of the United Statesa development that Beijing has not taken kindly. The Chinese have been watching with some alarm when Islamabad permitted a US drone to fly over its airspace in July to kill master terrorist Ayman Al Zawahiri in a safehouse in Kabul. This was a huge favour to the Americans who have been looking for an opportunity to score an equaliser after the Taliban humiliated Washington by forcing its personnel to flee from Kabul on August 15 last year. Zawahiris presence has delayed the mainstreaming of the Taliban for it demonstrated to the world that the current rulers of Kabul have not shed their ties with global terrorism. This has in turn delayed the unlocking of frozen funds worth several billion dollars that the Taliban need badly to support the deflated Afghan economy. Soon after Zawahiris killing, Pakistan Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa called US deputy secretary of State Wendy Sherman, seeking US support for persuading the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to open its purses to bail out Pakistans economy which was on ventilator. IMF has already released the tranche of loans to Pakistan. The Chinese political radar would have also picked that Islamabad had passed the loyalty test when it supported US ally Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. There have been reports that heavy lift aircraft apparently ferrying weapons between Rawalpindi and the Romania, a NATO country on the frontline of Ukraine. In response to the Chinese angst about the security of their nationals expressed in Samarkand and New York, Army Chief Bajwa rushed to Beijing to cool frayed tempers. But his efforts may have fallen short for the Pakistani General has now headed to Washington. Pakistani media reports say that Gen. Bajwas core mission after he landed in New York on Friday is to meet senior officials from the US department of Defence, Intelligence, National Security as well as Central Military Command (CENTCOM) which covers a vast area including Pakistan and Afghanistan. Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa (COAS) called on Gen Birame Diop (Senegal), UN Military Advisor to SG during an official visit to US. MA expressed his grief over the devastation by floods & ack Pakistans contribution in UN PK Missions & extraordinary achievements in ctr terrorism.#ISPR pic.twitter.com/UNakSnOttg GO (@Apkadarvesh) October 2, 2022 Despite its best-efforts Pakistan is unlikely to balance its ties with both China and the US. Unlike the Cold War years when the former Soviet Union was their common enemy, Pakistan is unlikely to balance its ties with the US and Chinese. Bowing to new geopolitical realities when polarisation between Beijing and Washington has sharpened dramatically, Pakistan may have to make a choice of being a camp follower either of the US-led West or China, which continues to face some major obstructions in its growth path, during the post-Covid era. Also Read: After Zawahiris killing, Bajwa leads from the front to dock Pakistan in the western camp Recently Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Pakistans largest private sector bank with international branches, faced allegations of helping global terror organisation Al-Qaeda, leading to deaths and injuries to hundreds of people in Afghanistan. Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported that a US court said terror financing by Habib Bank led to attacks that killed and injured 370 people in Afghanistan during 2021 and 2019. Also, nearly 370 individual complainants are demanding compensation from the bank. The bank is contesting these charges in the US court refuting the allegations as meritless. 1/ HBL clarification HBL is aware of the news item published by Bloomberg. The allegations in the complaints are meritless, and HBL is contesting them fully and vigorously. The public record is clear that HBL is unwavering in its commitment to combating the financing of terrorism Ali khizar (@AliKhizar) September 29, 2022 This is, however, not the first time that Pakistani banks, or even the Habib Bank, are facing allegations and investigations of a serious nature. India Narrative spoke with geopolitical analyst Mark Kinra who says: It is not the first time that HBL has been accused of terror-related activities in the US. In 2007, Habib Bank was sued by the widow of journalist Daniel Pearl for financially helping Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. In 2017, it had to shut down its only US branch and was penalised $225 million for illicit money transfers. Kinra says that not just Habib Bank, but several other Pakistani banks have faced scrutiny over the years. #ALERT Pakistans largest bank @HBLPak involved in financing #AlQaedas terror activities US Court Our latest report: pic.twitter.com/MbYDSodV2W South Asia Press (@SouthAsiaPress) October 1, 2022 Earlier this year the National Bank of Pakistan paid $55 million in fines for non-compliance and money laundering in New York. News agency Reuters reported: The Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced on Thursday that the NBPs New York branch would be fined up to $55.4 million for non-compliance and anti-money laundering violations. Kinra says: In 2020, six Pakistani banks were found to be involved in 29 suspicious transactions amounting to $2.5 million between 2011 and 2012. These banks included Allied Bank, United Bank (UBL), Habib Metropolitan Bank, Bank Alfalah, Standard Chartered Bank Pakistan, and Habib Bank (HBL). The indictment of Habib Bank is important because of the New York district courts remarks. The complaints allege that the defendant took deliberate steps to help customers evade international sanctions regimes, and in doing so incurred business risk that ultimately led to the defendants expulsion from the US. Those allegations are sufficient , the court said. As Pakistans largest bank, HBL is also active in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Interbank Consortium (SCO-IBC) for over a decade. At the recently held SCO Heads of State meet in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, HBL was present as Pakistans only bank with focus on regional trade and investment. HBL being the most active bank in CPEC is engaged with leading Chinese Companies. For #HBL, industrial collaboration is not just attracting investment it is about providing an enabling operating environment. Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO HBL@StateBank_Pak pic.twitter.com/h6CcwYDuTQ HBL (@HBLPak) December 21, 2021 HBL became the first Pakistani bank to open a branch in China, also becoming one of the few foreign banks to operate from the communist country. It has been spearheading the $62 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project by providing banking and financial services. Since the establishment of CPEC in 2013, HBL has formed a dedicated China coverage team comprised of Chinese and Pakistani bankers in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to provide financial services exclusively to Chinese firms. The bank opened a branch in the Gwadar Free Zone in 2016 for Chinese investors and people who were developing factories there, says website Global Village Space. The banks woes came to limelight just a month after a team of the France-based watchdog, Financial Action Task Force (FATF), travelled to Pakistan on a three-day visit to check if Pakistan had made progress in closing down financing of terror activities and curbing international terror groups. Also Read: Key Pak terror group LeT recruits, collects funds during floods In a major boost to women entrepreneurs in the nation, Honble President also launches herSTART Incubator and herSTART Accelerator, established with the support of UNICEF The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, launched 'herSTART' a start-up platform of Gujarat University in Ahmedabad today (October 4, 2022). She also inaugurated/laid the foundation stone virtually from Gujarat University for various projects of the government of Gujarat related to education and tribal developmentSpeaking on the occasion, the President said that it is a matter of pride for Gujarat University that not only Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi but also the father of India's space program, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai; former chairman of ISRO, Dr. K. Kasturirangan; and Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah are alumni of this universityThe President said that it is natural for an institution which has alumni like Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, to be a pioneer in science, research and innovation. She noted that there are more than 450 start-ups working in the campus of Gujarat University. And more than 125 women-led start-ups are being actively supported by this university. Also around 15,000 women entrepreneurs are associated online or offline with this initiative. She said that she was happy to inaugurate a start-up platform dedicated to women entrepreneurs in such a start-up friendly university. She expressed confidence that this platform will not only boost innovation and start-up efforts of women entrepreneurs but also prove to be an effective platform in connecting women entrepreneurs with various government and private enterprisesThe President said that she was also happy to inaugurate projects like Sainik School, Girls Literacy Residential School and Eklavya Model Residential School related to education, especially girls and tribal education in Gujarat. Because the foundation stone for further strengthening India's position in science, research and innovation will be built through school education.The President said that Gujarat has made remarkable progress in the field of education among other sectors. The school drop-out rate in the state has come down from 22 percent to 1.37 percent in the last two decades. The teacher-student ratio has also improved from 40 to 26. Today, through 'Vidya Samiksha Kendra', real-time monitoring of students and teachers is being done in about 55,000 schools, which is resulting in an increase in the learning outcome of the students. She noted that under the Mission School of Excellence, a target has been set to upgrade the infrastructure of about 20,000 schools in the state in the next five years.The President noted that Gujarat has also made significant progress in the field of higher education. While the number of colleges in the state was 775 in 2001-02, in 2020-21 this number increased to more than 3,100. India's first education quality and monitoring cell, 'Garima Cell' has been established in this state for evaluation of higher education. She said that with the effective implementation of 'Van Bandhu-Kalyan Yojana', there has been a significant increase in the literacy rate in the tribal society. This scheme has also improved the school dropout rate among tribal students.The President said that Gujarat has been a leading state in the last two decades on many parameters of development. It has presented many benchmarks in the inclusive development of industry, innovation and infrastructureThe President said that every state has its own model of development which is determined by the resources and needs of the state. But the manner in which Gujarat has made all round progress, has shown the path of inclusive development to other states. She expressed confidence that India will secure its place as a developed country during Amrit-Kaal, if all states move forward by learning from each other and adopting their successful models. The teaser of Adipurush has underwhelmed fans who were waiting with baited breaths to discover what the makers had in store for them. After the teaser for Om Raut's adaptation of the Ramayan, Adipurush, was released, social media was flooded with criticism. Twitter While many called the visual effects 'Kiddish', a few even compared it to other films that did way better telling the narrative. Weighing in her opinion amid the criticism is 'Ramayan' actress Dipika Chikhlia. Dipika has stated that she doesn't think the Ramayan tale should have VFX. Ramayan has been portrayed in various ways in cinema and television. Still, the most popular version remains the one by Ramanand Sagar, which aired on Doordarshan in the 1980s. Dipika, who is still loved for her role of Sita in Ramanand Sagars Ramayana, spoke about the Adipurush teaser. In an interview with IndiaToday.in, she said, Screenshot "Maine Adipurush ka teaser definitely dekha hai. And I think Ramayan is a story, jo sachchai ki kahani hai aur satvikta ki kahani hai. (I have seen the teaser of Adiprush. I think Ramayan is a story of truth and morality.) I dont associate Ramayan with VFX; thats my personal take on this." Although she couldn't make out Hanuman's leather outfit in the teaser, Dipika Chikhlia claimed to have heard that it was being ridiculed by many. "And people were talking about how Hanuman Ji is wearing leather and teaser mein Mujhe itna clearly Kuch Nazar nahi aaya. (I could not see it clearly in the teaser.) Agar aisa hai toh mujhe lagta hai ki Valmiki ji aur Tulsi ji ne jis sacchai se likhi thi kahani granth, mujhe lagta hai usko hume maintain karna chahiye kyunki ye hamare desh ki dharohar hain (If that is the case, then I think that the intention that Valmiki and Tulsidas had while writing the epic, should be maintained because it is an asset of our country.)," she said. Amid the criticism for its 'non-realistic' VFX, the Adipurush film's producers have been threatened with legal action by Madhya Pradesh's home minister Narottam Mishra if certain portions depicting Hindu holy figures are not removed. MT "Hanuman Ji is shown wearing leather, whereas the description (in the scriptures) of the deitys costume is different These are scenes that hurt religious sentiments. I am writing a letter to Om Raut to remove all such scenes from the film. If not removed, we will consider legal action," he told reporters. Om Raut, the film director, said he was "disheartened" by the teaser's response. He told indianexpress.com, "I was disheartened for sure, not surprised because the film is made for a larger mediumthe big screen. You can cut it down to some extent but cant bring it down to a mobile phone." The first teaser and poster of Om Rauts directorial Adipurush, which is the cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana, was unveiled on the bank of Sarayu in the holy land of Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, on Sunday. Starring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan, and Sunny Singh, Adipurush has grabbed the eyeballs since it was announced officially. (To get the latest updates from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment) Videos have emerged on social media showing Gujarat Police publically flogging at least three men who were held against an electric pole, for allegedly pelting stones at a Garba event. The incident reportedly happened on Tuesday afternoon at Undhela village in Gujarat's Kheda district. Screengrab Stone pelting at Garab over location of the event On Monday night seven persons, including a policeman, were injured in an attack on a Garba event by a mob who had objected to holding of the programme near a mosque which is located across the village temple. "The village Sarpanch had organised Garba at a temple. A mob from the Muslim community tried to stop it from taking place," Deputy Superintendent of Police VR Bajpai said. The mob pelted stones and at least seven persons, including a Gram Rakshak Dal (GRD) jawan and a policeman, were injured, he said. "A group of people led by two men identified as Arif and Zahir entered the Navratri Garba venue and started causing trouble. They even threw stones," Kheda Superintendent of Police Rajesh Gadhiya said. 13 accused arrested Following this, an FIR was registered at the Matar police station and a total of 13 people have been arrested so far. The arrested accused were booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to attempt to murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and voluntarily causing hurt, among others. According to the FIR a mob of 150 people, including women, attacked the group performing Garba by pelting stones. 43 of the accused have been identified by their name. Accused flogged by police On Tuesday afternoon some accused were taken to the spot, and in full public view they were held against an electric pole by pulling their hands and flogged by men in civil dress but are said to be cops. Screengab Video posted on social media showed the men being made to apologise to the public who were cheering and chanting Bharat Mata Ki Ji to the police action. Gujarat Police taking action on culprits who have pelted stones on women and girls while they were playing Garba. pic.twitter.com/HN8lnm22Ut Vijay Patel (@vijaygajera) October 4, 2022 Garba vandalised for employing non-Hindus In a related development on Tuesday, men claiming to be Bajrang Dal activists beat up organisers and security guards of a garba pandal in Surat and vandalised the place claiming non-Hindu people were employed at the venue. "A group identifying themselves as Bajrang Dal activists went to Thakor Ji Ni Wadi garba pandal in Surat's Vesu area on Monday night and beat up organisers and security guards. They also damaged part of the place," DCP, Zone III, Sagar Bagmar said. BCCL/ Representational Image He said the intruders claimed that some people employed at the pandal belonged to a different religion and wanted them out. The Thakor Ji Ni Wadi garba pandal refused to lodge a complaint, saying the matter was settled between the two parties. For more on the news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. In an unfortunate accident in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, a teen watching TV at home lost his life after his LED TV exploded. His mother, sister-in-law, and a friend were injured. According to the police, the explosion was so intense that concrete slabs and a section of the wall collapsed, sparking panic among the nearby residents. Twitter According to the police, Omendra, the teen, had severe shrapnel wounds after being struck by tiny projectiles to the face, chest, and neck. The dead teen's neighbor, Vinita, said she heard a loud bang. "I thought a cylinder had exploded. We all came running out. We saw smoke coming out of our neighbor's house," she said. When the LED TV exploded, Omendra, his mother, sister-in-law, and friend Karan were around. Omendra's health was critical when he was rushed to the hospital. There, he passed away. Karan and his mother are undergoing medical treatment. Representative Image/Unsplash A relative of the deceased teen, Monica, claimed to have been in another room when the explosion happened. "The explosion was so powerful, the entire house shook, and parts of the wall collapsed," she said. The occupants of the house said both boys were watching a film while the boy's mother was doing household chores on the house's first floor when the incident occurred. The police said the teen was severely injured due to the impact. I was with my husband and daughter on the ground floor. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion. My husband ran to the first floor and told me that my mother-in-law and brother-in-law were upstairs... The explosion left a huge impact which damaged our house. The walls and the roof have suffered deep cracks as a result, said Monica, sister-in-law of the deceased. "Four people - two women and two boys - were injured. Unfortunately, one of the boys died. Initial investigation shows the LED TV mounted on the wall exploded," Ghaziabad police officer Gyanendra Singh told reporters. Police said they are investigating the event. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Interesting technological advancements have changed the way the food industry works. Food delivery by drones, robot waiters in restaurants, intercity food delivery, and other developments have made ordering in and dining out more accessible and practical. Imagine a guy flying to deliver food to your house. For anyone who finds the idea of drones flying and landing right in front of their house a little unrealistic, it looks like the future is right here. A video of a delivery person in Saudi Arabia flying up a high building to deliver food has surfaced online. In the video, the delivery guy flies between buildings while wearing a jetpack. The meal delivery service remains unidentified, but the video has created a buzz on the internet. As seen in the video, a man is carrying the packaged food that needs to be delivered while flying up the highrise building on a jetpack. He takes off from one tower and flies to another to get there. No waaaay we get humans to fly and the first thing they use it for is food delivery https://t.co/UmC44dQfeY Vinny Nolan (@MPvinny300) September 26, 2022 Thats what I call super-food https://t.co/PCHFyqeJwY Daniel Braimah (@ELBraimah) September 26, 2022 First flying man delivering food in Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/sQuBz0MHQZ Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) September 26, 2022 The future is now https://t.co/Z5KSZkB9Z6 FTB (@fidotriabrahma) September 26, 2022 This man getting $7.25 an hour to fly around like the green goblin https://t.co/HusHAeG3Hk nickpurshock (@nickpurshock) September 26, 2022 Technology is the best to happen to us https://t.co/oUysTmwGkk ikuku ama na onya 1 (@ksAmarachukwu) September 26, 2022 This looks like many disasters waiting to happen, bet they got south Asians doing this shit https://t.co/9NauNQbjPj jessie (@ilikepnd) September 26, 2022 I hope and pray that the immigrants doing this job have effective insurance and healthcare should things go wrong. Because we all know that Saudis arent doing this job https://t.co/JrWMEKc1Tm (@wegoagainnn) September 26, 2022 imagine it malfunctions and turns off and he falls to his death serving someones camel biryani order https://t.co/w07nYKpYeA (@nuevezon) September 26, 2022 Death Stranding in real life. https://t.co/j424lTl1Kk JPR (@JPRphotogamer8) September 26, 2022 However, other people also believe that the video has been manipulated. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. On Wednesday, a nearly burnt-out Ravan effigy fell on spectators at a Dussehra event in Haryana's Yamunanagar, leaving as many as six injured. Parts of the Ravan effigy were still on fire when the incident happened, as evidenced by the footage of it collapsing on spectators. They were transferred to a neighboring hospital. The injured people are currently reported to be stable. An ANI tweet contains the video of the accident. People start scrambling in different directions as soon as they notice the effigy toppling. #WATCH | Haryana: A major accident was averted during Ravan Dahan in Yamunanagar where the effigy of Ravana fell on the people gathered. Some people were injured. Further details awaited pic.twitter.com/ISk8k1YWkH ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 No casualties have been reported so far. Dussehra, or the celebration of good over evil, symbolized by Lord Ram's triumph over Ravan, is being celebrated across the country on Wednesday. Celebrations include Ramlila performances, fairs, and the burning of Ravan effigies, along with those of his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran. B.Tech students in Uttar Pradesh came up with a "smart" technique to burn a Ravana effigy during Dussehra. Students from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh's Institute of Technology and Management (ITM), were caught on camera lighting the effigy on fire with a cell phone. The students followed the professor's instructions and used a smartphone to set the Ravana effigy on fire instantly. The effigy, two to three feet tall, can be seen blazing and catching fire in a video released by the news agency ANI. "Uttar Pradesh: B.Tech students of the Institute of Technology and Management, Gorakhpur, have found a smart way to burn an effigy of 'Ravana' through their mobile phones," read the video. People burn Ravana effigies during the Dussehra celebration, which is observed today (October 5), to symbolize the triumph of good over evil. The festival is thought to celebrate Lord Ram's achievement against Ravana, the king of Lanka who abducted Sita. Representative Image The festival of Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over the demonic Mahishasura in the eastern, northeastern, and northern parts of India. The 10-day Navratri festival concludes with the celebration of Vijayadashami, also known as Dussehra. (With agency inputs) For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. For every ski enthusiast, Andermatt is a true heaven, a small mountain garrison town in the Urseren Valley of the Swiss Alps of Canton Uri. It is known for its modern ski resort, SkiArena, which provides the ultimate snow-filled adventure for ski enthusiasts. In addition, it is situated less than an hour and a half away from three of the most populated cities in Switzerland (Zurich, Lucerne, and Lugano), and it is about two hours away from Milan, Italy. Andermatt sits on the border of Switzerland's east-west and north-south mountain passes, at an elevation of more than 1,400 meters, i.e., 4,593 ft above sea level and adjacent to the Saint Gotthard Massif. Locals enjoy fresh alpine water that they can easily drink from any tap because there are four significant rivers nearby: the Rhine, Rhone, Reuss, and Ticino. Andermatt Ski Trail Map / Source: PowderHounds But the natural allure of Andermatt is revealed during the warm summer months, when the mountain sides take on a vivid shade of green and are dotted with a variety of vibrant flowers, and when the local farm animals emerge from their winter quarters to play in the open fields. Overall, the place itself has its own rustic charm. Sean Connery's 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger was shot here, Queen Victoria once stayed here, and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once referred it as "the dearest and most interesting." Image of Urseran Valley and Andermatt by Walter Rollin from Pixabay Places to visit: Main attractions in the town include the Catholic church of St. Peter and Paul, the Talmuseum Urseren museum, and traditional residences that artfully combine stone and wood. Places to eat: At an altitude of 2,300 meters (7,546 ft) above sea level, just next to the Gutsch Express mountain station, Andermatt is home to two restaurants that have been awarded Michelin stars. These restaurants can only be reached by ski lift. Both restaurants, which started serving customers toward the end of 2019, were awarded their first Michelin stars at the same time in 2021. Places to trek, hike, or bike: Some of the most challenging terrains for alpinists on the Gottard massif's summits, soaring to more than 3,500 meters (11,483 ft) in elevation. Hikers and mountain bikers will find the Urseren Valley to be an ideal destination during the warm summer months and well into the fall. Meanwhile, road cyclists will enjoy the winding and steep asphalt roads along the passes. How to reach: Zurich Airport (ZRH) 125 kilometers (77.6 miles) away from Andermatt and reachable by car in 90 minutes or train in 2.5 hours. Milan Airport (Milano Malpensa Airport MXP) 195 kilometers (121.16 miles) away from Andermatt and reachable by car in 2 hours. About the Author: Bhawna Ahuja is a Lifestyle Editor and Head-Content & Communications at IndraStra Global. She is a "Human Psychology" driven Digital Entrepreneur with more than eight years of experience in Digital Marketing, Social Media, Public Relations & Insights Management. She can be reached on her Youtube Channel, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin. Eurasians Tune into VOA for Value-added Coverage of Anti-War Protests in Russia and at UNGA Millions tuned in to VOAs extensive coverage of President Putins mobilization announcement, featuring anti-war protests in the United States and Russia, where hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition against conscription, skyrocketing searches for how to flee Russia, the flight of thousands of Russian men to neighboring countries, as well as at UNGA, where President Biden decried Putin's brutal war against Ukraine. VOA Russian and Ukrainian provided live, simultaneous translation of Bidens speech, President Zelenskyys address and the three-hour U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine, as well as exclusive interviews with Ukraines permanent representative to the U.N., foreign affairs minister, prime minister and first lady. VOA Russian and Ukrainian content garnered more than 3 million views and tens of thousands of interactions on social media, and was restreamed by at least nine affiliates in Ukraine. Nationwide Protests in Iran Result in Considerable Increases in VOA Persian Audience's Engagement VOA Persians broadcast and digital team has been covering the deadly protests in Iran and the global response. Mahtab Vahidirad hosted a special on Mahsa Aminis death and the anti-government protests. Rozita Irandoost reported that women were burning hijabs and cutting their hair. Shahram Bahraminejad reported that #MahsaAmini is trending on Twitter. As a result, views of VOA Persians YouTube channel jumped 676%; 461% on Facebook, and 304% on the VOA Persian website. Before internet access was cut, VOA Persian gained more than 51,000 new Instagram followers in one week and videos were viewed 49.4 million times. VOA Kurdish Coverage of Iran Protests Generates Two Million Views on Facebook VOA Kurdish services comprehensive reporting on the unrest in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini generated significant audience interest across social media platforms. In addition to live Facebook coverage of protests in Washington, New York and Sulaymaniyah, the coverage featured interviews with political figures, human rights activists, and regional observers. The Islamic Republic is no longer the regime before Mahsa, analyst Soran Palani told VOA. A total of 48 TV packages, TV programs, and video segments on the issue on Facebook generated more than 2,283,900 views and 315,783 reactions, comments, and shares. VOA Interviews with African Leaders During UNGA Week Generate Significant Audience Interest VOA reporters set out to find answers to difficult questions in the context of the international forum from African leaders, including Senegals, Botswanas, Cape Verdes, Gambias, Malawis and Somalias presidents, in addition to an interview with Malis Foreign Affairs Minister, which alone generated more than 100K views in less than 24 hours. Senegalese President Macky Salls interview, during which he talked about his role as mediator in the Mali/Ivory Coast crisis, has received more than 150k video views in French and Bambara. Latin America Division's UNGA Coverage Boosts Digital Engagement VOA Spanish and Creoles extensive UN General Assembly coverage included producing several TV programs like El Mundo al Dia, FORO, Venezuela 360 live from New York and conducting 70+ daily live hits and reports for affiliates. Original content about Cuba, Nicaragua,Venezuela, explainers, Facebook lives, speeches from Presidents Gustavo Petro andPedro Castillo, high-profile interviews with Argentinas foreign relations minister, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols, as well as Colombia and Peru's UN ambassadors, reached more than 300K views across social media. In addition, VOA Creole's Facebook Live about the Haitian delegation got 527K views. Haitian Foreign Minister's UN speech got 409K views. The service also streamed President Bidens speech on the web, YouTube (18.9K views) and Facebook (4.2K views). VOA Khmer Provides In Depth Coverage of Protesters Grievances at UNGA VOA Khmers on-site, live reporting on the UN General Assembly drew significant audience numbers, generating 640,000 views on Facebook alone. Amid vocal protests outside the UN headquarters in New York, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen touted his government's successes in UN peacekeeping missions, controlling COVID-19, prosecuting Khmer Rouge leaders and progress towards democracy. But for many of the Cambodian-American protesters, it was an opportunity to speak with VOA Khmer on camera to denounce the corruption, nepotism and crackdown on dissidents back home. Significant Audience Engagement for VOA's Interview with State Department Counselor on Myanmar VOAs News Center scored a remote interview with a senior State Department official on U.S. policy towards Myanmar, which led to robust audience engagement. State Department counsellor Derek Chollet's phone interview with VOA State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching attracted more than 197,000 interactions on Burmese Facebook and social media pages. Derek Chollet's interview was included in this story on voanews.com. VOA Programming Highlights are compiled based on information available from multiple sources at the time of posting. This information constantly evolves. If you intend to cite to information posted in VOA Highlights, please consult VOA Public Relations at publicrelations@voanews.com to ensure it is accurate and current. Howden Reinsurance Brokers has appointed Doreen Tan as director, ASEAN treaty/retrocession. Tan oversees servicing clients and markets across Asia-Pacific as part of Howden Res growing treaty reinsurance division dedicated to the region. According to Howden Broking Groups reinsurance arm, Tans appointment represents Howdens continued investment in expertise. She is based in Singapore and reports to Stephen Warwick, head of treaty for Asia-Pacific. An attack on a third-party service provider could also cripple banking operations. Many smaller banks use the same content delivery networks (e.g., Akamai, which saw a major outage in 2021), cloud-based service providers (such as AWS), or providers of software as a service for core banking systems (e.g., Temenos or Data Action, which is especially relevant for smaller and regional banks), the report added. Read more: Cyber challenges: how should brokers advise clients? Another factor intensifying concerns about cyberattacks is cyber-skill shortages, with the cyber-skilled workforce gap totalling around 2.7 million people globally due to the rise in cyber incidents and new cyber security and data privacy laws forcing organisations to protect their data more closely. Banks also compete with the information technology sector experiencing an increasing demand for these skills. Despite increased concerns about cyber risks, the report deemed the overall risk for the Australian banking system low. This is because of early steps taken to strengthen cyber risk management, strong industry collaboration, and the strong capitalization of the banking system, the report said. For example, in March 2019, the Australian Council of Financial Regulators composed of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC), and the Federal Treasury established a cyber security working group to design a framework improving cyber resilience in the Australian financial services industry. The Australian Department of Home Affairs also encourages critical infrastructure asset owners, including banks, to voluntarily report cyber security incidents to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) even if the threshold for mandatory reporting is not met. Having spent most of her career in the independent claims adjusting sector, Hirst has a passionate outlook on supporting independent ownership and advocacy in promoting local operations. She will leverage her provincial and national professional experience to strengthen corporate operations, which would increase efficiency and excellence for Excel Insurance Groups member firms. According to a release, Hirsts employment with Excel Insurance Group began in September 2022. She will report directly to Excels board and will serve as a key point of contact for insurers, member firms, and new partners. Sarahs technical background in claims and operations brings a new skill set to our team, said Robyn Young, president and CEO of Excel Insurance Group and Y Insurance Services, and chair of the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC). She is the right leader in bringing focus on growth for Excel Group and a sense of support to our firms in their own individual goals. We are excited that Sarah has joined the team, added Karen Dyberg, CEO of Dyberg Insurance Group and past president of IBAA. As independent brokerages face pressure to join conglomerates to preserve their voice with carriers, we believe she is someone who can show a different path forward for Principals who want to remain a part of the businesses they have spent a lifetime developing, said Lareese Graf, partner & general manager at Excel Lloydminster. Founded in 2014, Excel Insurance Group is a Canadian insurance group representing 13 independently owned and operated broker firms and more than 150 brokers in Western Canada. Were excited to announce the progression of our cyber strategy and product offering as we expand into technology E&O, said Yosha DeLong, global head of cyber at Mosaic. The ability to offer tech E&O and cyber on an excess basis is focused on providing needed solutions to the challenges faced by our clients in an increasingly interconnected world. Read next: Mosaic Insurance installs board chair Tech E&O protects against liability or losses stemming from third-party use of products or services. The rise of cyber exposure increases related risks to software and hardware manufacturers, electronics and service providers, and telecom systems, Mosaic said. Ive been writing tech E&O for nearly 15 years, and while todays headlines are focused on cyber, the underlying need for tech companies to purchase protection has also increased, said James Tuplin, head of international, cyber, at Mosaic. Clients and brokers are asking for more capacity, but have been unable to find it. Were happy to support them with this new excess capability were bringing to the market. Based in Solon, OH, Lawrence Victoria offers fully customizable lender-placed insurance solutions to banks, thrifts, credit unions, mortgage loan servicers and investors. It operates nationally and serves organizations of all sizes all throughout the US. "Lawrence Victoria is our first partner in the lender-placed insurance space," said PCF Insurance founder, chairman, and CEO Peter C. Foy. "Since no two servicers' needs are identical, Lawrence Victoria provides customizable solutions for their clients. Adding their tailored approach and niche product line to PCF's diverse portfolio will generate excellent opportunities to bring value to loan-servicer clients across our Agency Partner network." "I've visualized continued growth while innovating our solutions, so clients view us as their number one vendor, added Lawrence Victoria principal Jamey Lawrence. As a PCF Agency Partner, we now have the resources to make that happen while continuing to service clients from our Solon, Ohio office." "We're so pleased to continue our family's 45-year legacy as a partner with PCF Insurance," commented Lawrence Victoria principal Brett Lawrence. "We have a unified commitment to transparency while providing high-quality specialized programs, cutting-edge technology, and white-glove service." Read more: PCF swoops for Utah agency The acquisition of Lawrence Victoria is the latest in PCFs ever-growing list. Last week, the company acquired 1 Source Business Solutions, a professional employer organization (PEO) specializing in employee benefits, payroll administration, HR compliance and consulting, and workers compensation administration. The week before that, PCF acquired Peak Performance Team, a niche finance & insurance broker based in South Carolina offering bespoke packages to auto dealerships across the US. National Boost appointed Emy Donavan as chief underwriting officer. She will oversee the companys program underwriting, product development, and portfolio management in collaboration with Boosts insurtech and embedded partners along with the development and execution of Boosts reinsurance and risk capital markets strategy. Donavan joins Boost from Fin Capital, where she was a venture partner leading the insurance segment across funds, working on investment thesis development, deal sourcing, and driving portfolio company operating value. Prior to Fin, Donavan was senior underwriting executive over the past 20 years, including serving as global head and CUO of Cyber, Tech, and Media at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) named Darren Tasker as regional head of energy & construction, North America. He joins the AGCS North America executive management team and reports to Bill Scaldaferri, president and CEO, North America. Tasker has been with AGCS since 2010 and for the past nine years has held the position of head of energy and construction, Canada. Tasker, who will remain based in Toronto, now has overall responsibility for the AGCS Energy & Construction line of business across North America. Julia Chu and Thomas Leahy joined Liberty Mutual Insurances Global Risk Solutions (GRS) Office of Underwriting. Chu will become head of underwriting planning, performance, and portfolio management. Leahy will be global product leader, financial lines. Chu will establish a global GRS underwriting strategy, working with leaders across the commercial and specialty (re)insurance unit while providing actionable insights to manage market dynamics and drive results. She brings more than 20 years of strategy and transformation leadership experience, and joins from Markel, where she was chief risk officer. Leahy will be responsible for financial lines globally. He has more than 20 years of leadership experience, including more than 15 with Liberty Mutual. Leahy is currently president, professional liability, for GRS North America Specialty. Zurich North America named two new industry practice leaders to its U.S. Middle Market team. Erin Terpack was appointed head of technology and manufacturing. Terpack joins Zurich from Sompo International, where she served as regional underwriting executive. Previously, she held leadership positions at Chubb, including vice president, commercial insurance manager and assistant vice president, underwriting manager. Katie Daly was appointed head of real estate, retail, hospitality, and wholesale. Daly joins Zurich from The Hanover Group, where she served most recently as product director for general liability and umbrella, responsible for product delivery to eight business units. FM Global appointed Ziad Alex S. Tadmoury as senior vice president, division manager of AFM, which specializes in insuring middle market clients around the world. Tadmoury was previously senior vice president and FM Globals Asia Pacific division manager based in Singapore. He will be based at AFMs corporate offices in Johnston, Rhode Island, and succeeds Gerry L. Alonso, who retired in July 2022 after 37 years of service with FM Global. East Cross Insurance, headquartered in Bangor, Maine, named Jonathan Cross president and CEO of the family-owned and operated insurance agency. Cross succeeds his father, Royce Cross, who will continue to serve as chairman for Cross Insurance. Cross is the third generation of the Cross family to oversee the company and has served as president since 2020. The company now has roughly 1,000 employees, working in more than 50 offices. Risk Strategies, a national specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm based in Boston, expanded its Atlantic region team with the addition of J.C. Fulse as senior vice president, private client services leader. Fulse joins Risk Strategies with more than 23 years of industry experience, including work at Chubb Group of Insurance Companies and AIGs Private Client Group in New York City, as Capital Region marketing manager in Washington, D.C. Risk Strategies additionally named Steve Trimarchi as senior vice president, growth leader, New England region. Trimarchi brings 16 years of commercial insurance sales and service experience with Marshall & Sterling (Jaeger & Flynn Associates), Pioneer Bank, and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Midwest Valley Insurance Agency Alliance, a family of nearly 150 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois, recently hired two new commercial marketers. Amy DelGrosso has worked in the insurance industry for more than 20 years. Prior to joining VIAA, she served as an account executive and account manager at local insurance organizations. DelGrosso currently has both property/casualty and life/health licenses. Dawn Lawson has 22 years of insurance experience and has been a real estate agent for 15 years. She previously served as a certificate specialist, insurance agent, and bond specialist at various local companies. JMB Insurance Agency Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, named Kimberly Goldstein as the firms inaugural president for strategic growth, helping to manage day-to-day operations of the firm. Goldstein brings nearly three decades of experience and leadership in risk management to her new role, and since 2014 has overseen JMBIs commercial property/casualty practice. In 2020, she assumed leadership of JMBIs mortgage banking and surety and claims portfolios. Eric Turek is the new director of Government and Public Affairs for the Kansas Insurance Department. Turek joins the department after serving the past six years as the director of Communications for the Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, Ron Ryckman. Insurance Office of America (IOA) has added to its new Chicago-area team, which will serve the companys central region in its East Coast division. Before moving to IOA, Tony Spina was managing director of the staffing practice at GCG Financial LLC, an Alera Group company. Christine Pikowski was the account manager for the GCG Financial LLC staffing practice. Jason Levin, a 20-year veteran of the commercial insurance industry, most recently served as a senior risk management consultant with GCG Financial. The new team is based in Elgin, Illinois. South Central Summer Jenkins joined One General Agency (OGA) as the executive director of Cannabis Insurance Wholesalers (CIW). CIW is a specialty division of the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, agency. Jenkins has worked for some of the countrys largest cannabis program managers, including CannGen Insurance Services and Cannasure Insurance Services. She authored coverage contract language for the first insurance policy to cover cannabis cargo and cash in the United States. NavSav Insurance named Brent Walters as the new chief executive officer. The firm was established by Candice Walters in 2012. Candice Walters will assume the role of chief compliance officer during the transition. Today, NavSav has more than 50 agencies in multiple states nationwide. Southeast The MEMIC Group, specialists in workforce safety, hired John Coaker as senior production underwriter in the Southeast. Coaker, based in Georgia, has worked in the industry for more than two decades. The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Co., MEMIC Casualty Co., and parent company Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Co. West Orchid Underwriters Agency named Kathy Cody CEO. Cody joined Orchid in 2019 as its COO and became president in 2021. She was previously chief operating officer, personal lines, for Farmers Insurance Group. She was CFO of Farmers Life and head of operational finance for Zurich Global Life NA. Ross Bowie was named president and chief underwriting officer. Bowie joined Orchid as head of personal lines in 2020 and was appointed chief underwriting officer in 2021. Before joining Orchid, Bowie served as senior vice president at Bankers Insurance Group, overseeing personal and commercial lines and new product development. His early career was at American Strategic Insurance. Steven Carlsen will take on a new role as an executive vice president in national programs. Carlsen had been a board member of Orchid since its transition to private equity ownership in 2014, serving as executive chair and chair of the underwriting committee. He assumed the role as CEO in early 2021 and led the company through its sale to Brown & Brown in 2022. Carlsen was a co-founder of Endurance Specialty in 2001, serving as global CUW and Endurance Re North America president. The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers named Keith Binkley executive vice president, and national property/casualty practice leader. Binkley, who has more than 22 years of insurance industry experience, is based in Denver, Colorado. Alliant Insurance Services named Edward Stewart a senior vice president. Stewart is based in Seattle, Washington, and will advise clients on risks associated with renewable energy. Stewart began his career in the British military, serving as a Royal Marines Commando. He subsequently worked in the security and oil and gas industries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Prior to joining Alliant, Stewart was a vice president for a global brokerage. Burns & Wilcox has added California-based Joe Jurkovich and promoted Tom Carvalho and Evan Hudson. Jurkovich joins as associate managing director, where he oversees the Fresno offices day-to-day operations and growth strategy. He has nine years of industry experience and most recently worked at Deans & Homer. Carvalho, senior personal insurance underwriter, is now associate managing director, helping to oversee the San Francisco offices day-to-day operations. Carvalho began his career at Burns & Wilcox as an underwriting administrator more than a decade ago. Hudson, senior commercial underwriter, has been promoted to commercial manager, contract/binding markets, leading contract binding relationships for the San Francisco office. Hudson has more than a decade of commercial insurance experience at Burns & Wilcox. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by the Connecticut State Police Union in its challenge of a police accountability law that allows public disclosure of certain state trooper personnel files and internal investigation reports. At issue were documents in internal probes that end with no finding of wrongdoing. The union argued the 2020 state law violated the 2018-2022 troopers contract by stripping away its exemptions from state freedom of information laws and allowing such documents to be publicly released. Union officials say troopers oppose the law because it allows records involving unfounded allegations to become public, possibly tarnishing a troopers reputation despite no findings of wrongdoing. The Supreme Court did not say anything about the case in rejecting it among a host of others, as is typical. The decision upholds rulings by lower federal courts that upheld the state law. Andrew Matthews, executive director of the state police union, said the decision is going to have a chilling effect. Now youve got troopers that are reactive instead of proactive, for the most part, because they dont want to get involved in things where people are going to make false, malicious allegations against them, and then the press is going to write about it, even if its unfounded or not sustained or theyre exonerated because its completely false, he said. Matthews added that troopers will continue to do their jobs but remain upset that state officials eliminated contract provisions they agreed to during contract negotiations. State Attorney General William Tongs office, which defended the accountability law, released a brief statement Monday saying it was pleased the Supreme Court left lower court rulings intact. A message seeking comment was left for state police. The union argued the law violated the contracts clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says states cannot pass laws impairing contracts. But there are exceptions, including if a law was passed for a good public purpose, which state officials argued. Proponents of the 2020 law, which included many other reforms, said it answered the calls for reform, including accountability and transparency, after the police killings of George Floyd and other Black people. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Connecticut Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said his office has filed criminal charges against 19 individuals and 13 separate businesses for alleged motor vehicle title washing. Prosecutors allege the businesses and individuals coordinated to purchase totaled vehicles, falsify inspection information, and submit fraudulent title applications to the states transportation agency, PennDOT. AG Shapiro contends the fraud was designed to bypass rigid requirements for reconstructed titles in states such as New Jersey and Massachusetts, or to make stolen vehicles look legitimate for resale or export. These defendants used their positions and knowledge of PennDOT requirements to defraud state and federal authorities, hide stolen vehicles, and put unsuspecting drivers at risk, said Shapiro. Vehicles that have been totaled must not only be repaired but also undergo an enhanced safety inspection to make sure they are safe. These defendants instead allowed hundreds of heavily-damaged vehicles onto roadways in Pennsylvania, and around the country without even looking at them. The defendants include car dealers, a towing firm and a title agency. As part of this criminal scheme, prosecutors say the defendants did not complete the vehicle safety inspections that are necessary in order to make a totaled vehicle road worthy again and instead only completed the paperwork required. Many vehicles that were claimed to have been inspected at their shops never actually entered Pennsylvania. When a stolen vehicle goes through this title washing process, the original Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is often replaced and this, along with the new title, allows for the vehicle to appear legitimate in the eyes of law enforcement and prevents the original owner from reclaiming their vehicle, according to prosecutors. As part of its investigation, AGs Office said it found that one individual claimed to have completed over 240 inspections costing $60 each during a 10-day period in December 2020. During this time, however, investigators had conducted surveillance outside and saw that that his own vehicle was the only one to enter the shop. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. According to the AG, the 13 businesses that have been charged include Georges Garage in Scranton; PA Tag & Title in Scranton; Lucis Auto Sales in Old Forge; Newroad Motors in Lebanon; Best Value Auto Outlet/Olis Auto Sales in Scranton; PBJ Motors in Taylor; ALZ Auto Sales in Mount Pocono; Aquino Auto Mall in Lehighton; EOS Auto Sales in Taylor; Alliance Auto/Alliance Auto Sport, Inc. in Exeter; Salazar Auto Sales in York; N & G Towing, Body Shop and Sales in Dover,and Beltin Auto Sales in York. Topics Auto Pennsylvania Howden, the London-based insurance broker, announced it has acquired Seasecure Group, the last remaining independent marine broker in France. Seasecure Group is one of Frances largest marine and cargo insurance brokers, and underlines Howdens continued investment in expertise and desire to expand its product offering for the benefit of clients in the French market. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2008 and headed by Jean Brossollet, Seasecure comprises two operating entities, Seasecure and Guian, having acquired the latter, a Le Havre-based marine broker, in 2018. Together, Guian and Seasecure serve shipowners, charterers, operators, and all actors in the supply chain. Guians expertise is particularly recognized in the fields of merchant and service vessels, inland waterways and French and international fisheries insurance. The Seasecure Group has 43 employees. From their headquarters in Le Havre and offices in Paris, Marseille and Lorient, Seasecure Group serves more than 2,000 customers, from large companies to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and craftsmen. With the acquisition completed, Jean Brossollet will become director of Marine and Cargo for Howden France, reporting to Nicolas Aubert, president and general manager, Howden France. This latest transaction follows Howden Frances recent acquisitions of financial lines specialist C.R.F. Conseils and motor fleet broker Theoreme, reflecting its strategy to materially broaden its product offering and to deliver more choice for French clients. These partnerships also accelerate the delivery of Howdens global specialty expertise into local markets. Seasecure and Guian provide the talent, technical knowledge and skills that will allow us to both expand and enhance our platform in France. Their specialist positioning is perfectly aligned with our strategy for Howden France, commented Aubert. Building on the acquisitions of C.R.F and Theoreme, this latest deal reaffirms our ambition to build a platform based on leading experience and expertise, which will welcome the best talents in the French insurance market. Seasecure and Guian are among the last French brokers whose activity is exclusively dedicated to risk management in the marine and cargo sector. We operate in a fast-moving environment, which requires both to be at the forefront of expertise, and to meet all the insurance needs of the companies that place their trust in us, said Jean Brossollet, general manager, Seasecure Group. Howdens ambition is to be one of the leading brokers in France, with a strong presence in the country and a range of services in the specialties. By combining our expertise and our energy to develop an ambitious and necessary alternative in the French market, we will be able to offer our clients a comprehensive range of services, Brossollet continued. With the acquisition of Seasecure and Guian, Howden is laying the foundations of a marine branch that will be significant in France. This combination opens up tremendous opportunities for our clients and our teams! Luigi Sturani, CEO, Howden Europe, said: Our strategy is simple: to develop a strong territorial presence in Europe and offer a unique range of specialty solutions for our clients. Partnering with strong strategic and culturally aligned businesses is enabling Howden to rapidly grow across the Continent. The acquisition of Seasecure Group, the last remaining independent marine broker in France, brings us a step closer in fulfilling our ambition to position ourselves among the leading brokers in France. Im looking forward to welcoming Seasecure Groups employees and clients to Howden. About Howden Howden France is part of Howden Broking Group, which is a leading independent provider of re/insurance brokerage, risk consulting and employee benefits advice. Howden is headquartered in the UK and operates in 90 countries, comprises 45 owned businesses across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and the Middle East via its network of local partners. Established in 1994, today Howden employs more than 12,000 people worldwide. Source: Howden Broking Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Agencies France Days after the skies cleared and the winds died down in Florida, Hurricane Ians effects persisted Monday, as people faced another week without power and others were being rescued from homes inundated with lingering floodwaters. Ten additional deaths were blamed on the storm in Florida as frustration and desperation mounted in the path the storm cut through state. And the hurricanes remnants, now a noreaster, werent done with the U.S. The mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts were getting flooding rains. The storms onshore winds piled even more water into an already inundated Chesapeake Bay. Norfolk and Virginia Beach declared states of emergency, although a shift in wind direction prevented potentially catastrophic levels Monday, said Cody Poche, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia Coastal flooding temporarily shut down the only highway to part of North Carolinas Outer Banks and flooding was possible all the way to Long Island, the National Weather Service said. At least 78 people have been confirmed dead: 71 in Florida, four in North Carolina and three in Cuba since Ian made landfall on the Caribbean island on Sept. 27 and in Florida a day later. Search and rescue efforts were still ongoing Monday in Florida. More than 1,600 people have been rescued statewide, according to Floridas emergency management agency. Washed-out bridges to barrier islands, flooded roadways, spotty cellphone service and a lack of water, electricity or the internet left hundreds of thousands isolated. The situation in many areas wasnt expected to improve for several days because waterways were overflowing, leaving the rain that fell with nowhere to go. In DeSoto County, northeast of Fort Myers, the Peace River and tributaries reached record high levels and boats were the only way to get supplies to many of the countys 37,000 residents. The county was prepared for strong winds after being hit by Hurricane Charley in 2004, but it was not prepared for so much rainfall, which amounted to a years worth of precipitation in two days, DeSoto County Commissioner J.C. Deriso said. This flood has been pretty catastrophic, said Deriso, adding that officials hope to open one of the areas main highways by Tuesday. Ian washed away bridges and roads to several barrier islands. About 130 Florida Department of Transportation trucks started work on building a temporary bridge to Pine Island and by the end of the week should be finished on a structure drivers can carefully traverse at slow speeds, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a news conference Monday afternoon. The governor said a similar temporary bridge is planned for nearby Sanibel, but it will take a little more time. They were talking about running ferries and stuff, DeSantis said. And honestly, you may be able to do that, but I think this is an easier thing, and I think people need their vehicles anyways. The first two days without power at his Punta Gorda home werent bad because he, his wife and 4-year-old daughter like to camp, Joe Gunn said. But then they ran out of gas, Gunn said as he waited for an hour for $20 worth of premium fuel from a Bonita Springs station, one of the few open in the area. The family then drove to get supplies and a hot meal. Gunn was preparing for another stressful night, worried someone might try to steal his supplies. I am constantly listening to the generator. Its pitch black outside of the house, he said. Across southwest Florida, residents whose homes were overrun by the sea or floods threw waterlogged mattresses, couches and other belongings into the street and tore out floors and cut into walls, hoping to dry the shells of their houses before mold set in. Everything that got water is starting to mold. Were cutting all the drywall out, 2 feet up, trying to get things dried out to save the house and to protect it from more damage, said Jeff Rioux, thankful for several days of nice weather and generators to run fans. Neighbors helped each other where they could. I lost everything, said Alice Pujols, crying as she picked through the heaps of castaway clothes at a strangers home. Im just looking for what I can salvage. About 520,000 homes and businesses in Florida were still without electricity Monday evening, down from a peak of 2.6 million. But that is still nearly the same amount of customers in all of Rhode Island. Eric Silagy, Chairman and CEO of Florida Power & Light, said he understands the frustrations and emphasized that the utilitys crews are working to get power restored as soon as possible. The utility provider the largest in the state expects to have power restored to 95% of the service areas affected by Hurricane Ian by the end of the day Friday, he said. If all goes well, we will be able to have all of our customers the over 2 million that were impacted by this monster storm essentially restored, Silagy said. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden plan to visit Florida on Wednesday. The president was in Puerto Rico on Monday, promising to rebuild it all after Hurricane Fiona knocked out all power to the island two weeks ago. In Virginia, the U.S. Navy postponed the first-ever deployment of the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, the nations most advanced aircraft carrier, according to a statement from the Navys 2nd Fleet. The carrier and other U.S. ships were scheduled to leave Norfolk on Monday for training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean with vessels from other NATO Countries. After moving across Florida, Ian made another landfall in the U.S. in South Carolina as a much weaker hurricane. Officials said Monday that crews were finishing removing sand from coastal roads and nearly all power had been restored. Photo: Strong winds and heavy rain due in part to the remnants of Hurricane Ian cause flooding in the Larchmont neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia on Oct. 3. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Farmers Group Inc. on Oct. 5 said it promoted Raul Vargas to become the companys 13th president and CEO at the start of 2023. Jeff Dailey, current president and CEO is stepping down but will stay as chairman. Vargas will also become a member of the board, said Farmers, a subsidiary of Zurich Insurance Group. Vargas currently oversee sales and distribution efforts as well as Farmers New World Life and Farmers Financial Solutions as president of distribution, life and financial services. Raul in his current role as president of distribution, life and financial services offers a strategic and solutions-oriented path forward for the national insurer group to continue to deliver a high-level of service and quality insurance products to U.S. consumers, said Mario Greco, Zurich Group CEO. His in-depth understanding of the insurance industry and his history as a strategic leader make him a unique nominee for the position. Vargas has more than two decades of international leadership experience across Latin America and Europe. His extensive career with Zurich Financial Services Group includes eight years as CEO of Zurich Santander Insurance America, in addition to several leadership roles including head of distribution and proposition management of Zurich Santander in Madrid, Spain; head of life business Latin America in Miami, Florida; and chief life actuary and head of product development in Milan, Italy. He joined Zurich Insurance Group in 1997 as a life actuary in Zurich Argentina. Dailey joined Farmers Group in 2007 with its acquisition of Bristol West Holding, where he served in several roles including CEO. From 2008 to 2011, Dailey was Farmers Group executive vice president of personal lines, pushing forward new and innovative products for the organization. In 2011, he was promoted to president and CEO and started the position at the start of 2012. Dailey has served as chairman since October 2015. Greco said Dailey successfully led the organization by producing positive business results, driving technological advances, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, as well as leading employees and the organization effectively through a global pandemic and some of the most eventful periods of time in Farmers more than 90-year history. Topics Agribusiness A federal appeals court in New Orleans on Monday became the latest to hear arguments on whether President Joe Biden overstepped his authority with an order that federal contractors require that their employees be vaccinated against COVID-19. The contractor mandate has a complicated legal history. It is being challenged in more than a dozen federal court districts, and the mandate has been blocked or partially blocked in 25 states. At one time, enforcement was blocked nationwide under a ruling by a Georgia-based federal judge. But an appeals court in Atlanta narrowed the scope of that ruling to the seven states that had sued in that case. A government website says the mandate isnt being enforced while legal challenges play out in various jurisdictions around the country. Biden administration lawyers defended the mandate Monday at the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They hope to vacate a ruling by a federal judge in western Louisiana who said the mandate couldnt be enforced in contracts between Indiana, Louisiana or Mississippi and the federal government. Judges repeatedly asked Justice Department attorney David Peters about limitations on presidential power under federal law. They asked whether a president could go so far as to require that contractors only hire people from homes where there are no smokers, or where birth control is used. A rule aimed at contractors family members would be out of bounds, Peters said. But the vaccine requirement for contractors employees was legal under federal law that gives the president the authority to manage contracts economically and efficiently, he said. Presidents have consistently used this authority in a way that addresses meaningful limitations and threats, Peters said. Elizabeth Murrill of the Louisiana Attorney Generals Office argued that the administration went too far in a matter that affects contracts in three states involving more than $100 billion in spending. They have not produced any limiting principle on their theory, she told the panel. Murrill also made much of a Biden interview that aired in mid-September in which he said the pandemic was over, a remark he later clarified after facing heat from health experts, who worry the message might slow prevention efforts. The panel at Mondays hearing consisted of Judge James Graves, a nominee of President Barack Obama, and judges Don Willett and Kurt Engelhardt, both nominated to the court by President Donald Trump. The judges did not indicate when they will rule. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics USA Contractors An investigation by the California Department of Insurance resulted in the arrest last week of Rene Carlos Aguero, 71, and Gustavo Adolfo Lopez, 56, for allegedly submitting fraudulent vocational training vouchers for workers compensation claims and failing to provide the training at the for-profit school they run, Computer Institute of Technology. Many of the injured workers were Spanish speakers who were asked to sign documents in English, which they did not understand, according to investigators. Aguero and Lopez were charged with 18 felony counts, including conspiracy, insurance fraud, grand theft and forgery. The CDI estimates the fraudulent insurance claims to reach $1.7 million. Over three years from 2017 to 2020, Aguero and Lopez reportedly submitted fraudulent documents to nine different insurance carriers and billed for services not rendered to recipients of the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits voucher, valued between $6,000 and $10,000. Injured workers can use the non-transferable vouchers to pay for educational retraining or skill enhancement at state-approved or accredited schools, according to the Department of Industrial Relations. Aguero is listed in California Secretary of State records as chief executive officer of CITs North Hollywood location, and Lopez as chief executive officer of the schools location in the city of Bell. CIT is alleged to have victimized multiple injured workers by enrolling them in vocational rehabilitation courses, using their SJDB voucher and not providing the classes. In addition, CIT reportedly failed to refund the injured workers after redeeming their SJDB voucher and not providing the classes for which they were registered to take. The CDI investigation reportedly determined that CIT forged injured workers signatures on vocational school documents such as CIT enrollment agreements, vouchers, and contracts. In some cases, injured workers were asked to sign blank documents with no explanation. Many injured workers were reportedly made to believe they were enrolled in a legitimate school, but never received or completed training. On Sept 9, the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office filed felony criminal charges and issued an arrest warrant for Aguero and Lopez. Agueros bail was set at $150,000. His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 5. The case is being prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office. Topics California Workers' Compensation Fraud K-12 The Los Angeles public school system, the second-largest in the US, said an extortionist group had accessed a massive database but had not leaked as much sensitive information from it as initially feared. Student and staff data of the Los Angeles Unified School District began appearing on the web on Sunday after it refused to pay a ransom to a group called Vice Society. The school system suffered a cyber attack on Labor day, and had been told that its data would be leaked if it didnt pay to retrieve it. Alberto M. Carvalho, the districts superintendent, denied reports that psychiatric evaluations of students showed up on the web, adding that no health records were available online. Carvalho said the hackers, who he said were possibly operating out of Russia, touched a massive database which included social security numbers, health records and academic scores. Only a very, very small percentage of the data within the schools IT systems was downloaded, he said, when his staff discovered the attack and acted quickly. Most of the data released on the web came from an archived database of student information from 2013-2016, he said. Some personal data of private contractors and temporary workers had also been leaked. Carvalho didnt believe that the group would release any more data and was confident that the experience specific to this bad actor has reached its conclusion, he told a press conference on Monday after reiterating the district would stand by its decision to not pay a ransom. Vice Society, which said it hacked numerous school districts across the US, is a so-called hack-and-leak group that first appeared in the summer of 2021, according to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. On the choice of targets, the group said it hacked schools because we can. While it had previously bought the malicious software to target victims, it now uses its own new software, a Vice Society spokesperson said in an emailed response to questions. CISA recently warned that the group had turned its focus from health care to education, and believed the attacks may accelerate as students return to class. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics California Cyber K-12 Education Up to 10 homes were damaged after a tornado touched down in northern Arizona Monday while around Phoenix, dust storms caused downed power lines, fires and cut power to thousands, authorities said. The National Weather Service said a strong line of thunderstorms hit northwestern Coconino County around 1:30 p.m. County officials said 8 to 10 homes were damaged in the Junipine Estates community located 8 miles north of Williams, which is 33 miles west of Flagstaff. Numerous other structures and trees were damaged in the EF-1 twister because of winds up to 100 mph, according to the weather agency. Search and rescue units from the county sheriffs office were conducting life and property assessments in the affected community with some downed power lines reported and some homes sustaining roof damage. Dust storms, rain and wind moved through the Phoenix area Monday afternoon, downing power lines that sparked fires and cut power to thousands. The Phoenix Fire Department at about 5:30 p.m. reported on Twitter that firefighters were responding to more than a half-dozen fires in homes, businesses and in a salvage yard. One adult was treated for smoke inhalation in one of those fires, and some people were displaced from their apartments, officials said. More than 82,000 customers around Phoenix were left power because of the storms, ABC15 reported. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Arizona Farmers are concerned they are going to be penalised for having the milking parlour going at certain times of the day. The Irish Farmers Association has said that farmers cannot be penalised by any peak electricity charges proposed by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The CRU has proposed that peak pricing will be implemented across a number of small and large-scale consumer segments, resulting in a 10% increase in network charges during the peak period of 5pm-7pm. According to the CRU, this 10% increase during peak periods is offset by a corresponding decrease during off-peak periods. This is designed to act as an incentive to suppliers to promote appropriate off-peak products and services to customers. The IFA has said it is looking for a level of common sense on this. Being penalised for using electricity at a time when cows are traditionally being milked, thats a problem for us, IFA environment and rural affairs chairman Paul OBrien told the Irish Examiner. Agriculture is not an industry that can just turn the tap on and turn the tap off, animals are in a routine. We dont have the ability to tell our cows hold on until 7.30pm or milk them at 2.30pm its not as easy to finetune the system. Cows will need to be milked at a certain time, theyre traditionally milked at that time, they need to be kept milking around that time and I think were going to be penalised as a result, and thats unfair. Farmers can't be penalised for using their electricity at certain times of the day, food still needs to be produced. IFA dairy chairman Stephen Arthur said that these higher electricity costs would drive the cost of food production even higher at a time when farmers are already grappling with cost increases of over 40% in the past year. Farmers are not able to bear any further cost increases, Mr Arthur added. Read More Ireland ranks third worldwide for highest cheese production per capita Mr O'Brien added that this has brought to light the need to increase the focus on micro-generation. We need to make sure that the barriers at farm level are all taken down, Mr O'Brien said. A spokesperson for the CRU said that the peak time of use tariff is not applied to all customers and depends on what distribution or transmission group that a customer falls into. The peak time of use tariffs are primarily being applied to large and extra-large energy users [manufacturing, data centres] and to suppliers who have domestic smart meter customers, the spokesperson said. There are a number of factors that may affect that such as the tariff that they have with their supplier [generally all time of use tariffs are structured/weighted to shifting customer usage away for peak periods], the customer's usage patterns, and if the supplier chooses to pass on the network charge," they added. The British Ministry of Defence has been accused of deliberately delaying a fresh inquest into the death of a man in Derry in 1978 ahead of new legislation which would stop court cases around Northern Irelands past. However, a barrister for the MoD told Belfast Coroners Court that they are currently stretched with finite resources serving a number of legacy inquests. Fresh inquests into killing of three IRA men in Coagh, Co Tyrone in 1991, Francis Bradley in Co Derry in 1986 and the shooting of five civilians in Springhill in west Belfast in 1972 are among inquests to be heard in 2023. Patrick Duffy, 50, was shot dead in November 1978 at a house in the Brandywell area of Derry by British soldiers. The Duffy family have campaigned for a fresh inquest to examine the circumstances of the incident. In 2019, Attorney General John Larkin directed that a fresh inquest should take place. A preliminary hearing at Belfast Coroners Court on Wednesday heard that soldiers involved have not yet been identified and work is ongoing by the MoD, PSNI and Northern Ireland Office to identify and supply any relevant material. Barrister Stephen Toal, acting for the Duffy family, contended that with government legislation going through parliament which would see court cases to do with the Troubles stopped, the MoD is attempting to delay this inquest so it may never be heard. The Ministry of Defence has displayed a questionable attitude towards the administration of justice and other inquests and civil claims, he said. But they seem to have taken it to another level in this particular inquest. Not only have they not bothered to try and ascertain the identity of these soldiers, but theyre also saying that they have limited resources so nothing will be done urgently or at all in certain circumstances and this is all in the context of the legislation which is impending, and it seems to us, from our perspective, that this is a deliberate tactic of delay, in order to frustrate the holding of this inquest at any point. A sign for the Ministry of Defence in London (Tim Ireland/PA) Responding, Martin Wolfe KC, acting for the MoD, said they are servicing a significant number of inquests. He referred to a five-year plan announced in 2019 to deal with outstanding legacy inquests being to a large extent set aside. He said a compression of cases in recent times doesnt make life particularly easy for state parties to these proceedings, adding particularly when they have finite resources. The MoD are doing all they can to respond but really its not appropriate my learned friend would make the remarks he has without appreciating the demands on the MoD to meet a large number of other inquests, four or five of which have been listed for early next year, he said. It is not a case of the state participants doing nothing, they are continually working through these inquests with finite resources, therefore we have to look carefully at where this inquest, if it is listed, would sit alongside other inquests which have been listed. Coroner Fiona Bagnall said she understands the frustration of the Duffy family, but added: I have to work within the world that Im in. If we do have dates which the MoD have signed up to, I would be inclined to work with those dates at this point in time because its more important that we do get the progress made than setting time frames that are not met, she said. She said she fully expects the dates set by the MoD to be met. Meanwhile the court heard the Duffy family had previously requested that the inquest be heard in Derry. Mr Toal urged the coroner to adopt an approach used in some other inquests that sections of evidence are heard in modules to allow the inquest be open sooner, even if it has to adjourn for periods before the next module. That would be a huge milestone for this particular family who have waited decades to have the truth of this matter investigated, he said. In terms of venue, he said the family would like the conclusions to be delivered in Derry even if rest is heard elsewhere. Its an important matter for them, it not only affects them but it affects the local community in which they grew up in, he said. Its their preference that it all be heard in Derry but if that is not possible their primary submission is that the inquest is opened as soon as possible in order to receive the civilian witnesses. Ms Bagnall said she would park looking at the dates and models for the inquest until she has had a feel for the papers in the case. We will revisit this issues probably in the next preliminary hearing, she said. Another preliminary hearing is to take place on December 14. A retired Garda Superintendent caught holding cannabis resin worth nearly 260k has been jailed for six-and-a-half years. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that John Murphy (62) had built up financial debts of 855,000 due to poor business decisions made in the 10 years after he retired from the force. Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, said that Murphy had whatever the opposite of the Midas touch is and that any investments he made went down the drain. Counsel said that Murphy was consuming large amounts of alcohol every day for as long as anyone could remember and was a functioning alcoholic. He said his drinking had clouded his judgement and brought him to this sorry pass. Sentencing him on Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan said that Murphy was holding the drugs for some type of financial reward in order to alleviate his debts but that he should have known better. Murphy came forward to the circuit court on signed guilty pleas entered at Dublin District Court to an offence of possession for sale or supply of cannabis at his home in Clontarf, north Dublin, on September 29, 2021. Drugs seizure Garda Inspector Brian Hanley from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation told Maddie Grant BL, prosecuting, that in September 2021, gardai acting on foot of confidential information obtained a warrant to search Murphy's home. During the search they found eight bags of cannabis herb in a bag in the walk-in wardrobe of an upstairs bedroom. Seven vacuum packed bags of cannabis were found hidden in a coal bunker at the back of the house and another five bags of cannabis were found in Murphy's car. The court heard that CCTV footage was harvested from an industrial estate in Co. Meath showing Murphy collecting the bags of cannabis and putting them into his car. Murphy was remanded in custody with consent to bail on October 4 last year and the sentence imposed today was backdated to that date. The total weight of the drugs was just under 13kg, and total street value was estimated to be 259,120, Insp. Hanley testified. Embarrassment Mr O'Higgins told the court that his client is a married father of five and that Murphy's adult children are all disgusted by his actions, but are supporting him as their father. Counsel handed in testimonials from Murphy's sons, his brother, family friends and from members of community organisations for which Murphy has carried out charitable work and raised funds. Mr O'Higgins said he was instructed by Murphy to offer a public apology to Murphy's family for the hurt and embarrassment his actions have caused. Counsel said his client was inherently a good person who has done many honourable things in his life. He said the character references described an honest, hardworking man. Public service Mr O'Higgins said Murphy had served the State both in the Defence Forces and as a garda. He said his 40 years of public service must stand to him. Judge Nolan said he accepted that as a former garda, Murphy's time in prison so far has been difficult but he said it was up to prison authorities to deal with that situation. He said that Murphy was not an innocent abroad when he chose to commit these offences. He was a man of some substance and some character and should have been able to withstand the temptation of easy money but he didnt, he said. The judge said it was hard to know what position Murphy had in the drug-dealing enterprise, but it seemed he was holding the drugs for third parties and he knew exactly what the criminal behaviour was. The court heard previously that Murphys address was not read out due to security concerns. Update: 5.27pm: The county councillor Jackie Healy-Rae has lost his appeal against convictions for a late night assault in 2017. Both the Section 3 and Section 2 convictions have been affirmed at the Circuit Court in Tralee this evening by Judge Francis Comerford after two days of evidence in the appeal. The court has been adjourned to consider the penalty. Today's proceedings An English visitor who was on a night out in Kenmare has insisted he was assaulted by Kerry county councillor Jackie Healy-Rae and has rejected suggestions the councillor was acting as a peacemaker on the night. In 2019 at Kenmare District Court, Jackie Healy-Rae, of Sandymount, Kilgarvan, son of the TD Michael Healy-Rae, was convicted by Judge David Waters of assaulting Kieran James of London, causing him harm at Main Street Kenmare on December 28, 2017. He was also convicted of common assault. Mr Healy-Rae, who had denied the charges, was given an eight month sentence, suspended for one year. He immediately lodged an appeal. Two other men, including the councillors younger brother Kevin, also of Sandymount Kilgarvan and Malachy Scannell of Inchacoosh, Kilgarvan, who had been convicted of assaulting Mr James, withdrew their appeals on Tuesday. Appeal The appeal by Jackie Healy-Rae is expected to take up to two days, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee was told. Mr James said he was in Kenmare on December 27, 2017, with Lauren Callaghan, also of London, who has since become his wife. Mr James, whose mother is originally from Kilgarvan, had, along with his fiancee, been to dinner with older relatives and afterwards had gone to the Square Pint night club in Kenmare with cousins. At about 3am they were in a queue at a mobile chipper. Kevin Healy-Rae jumped the queue and placed his order and money on the counter. When Ms Gallagher objected, Kevin Healy Rae said this is my chip shop, and this is my town. Three men came back to the queue. Mr James said Kevin Healy-Rae pushed him against the chip van. Mr James pushed him back. Then Jackie Healy-Rae grabbed Mr James with his right arm around his neck and was choking him, Mr James said. The party of cousins were followed up by Main Street by the three involved in the earlier confrontation and Jackie Healy-Rae grabbed Mr James and held his right arm behind his back while he and two others punched him in the face, Mr James said. He suffered a broken nose as well as a chipped tooth and injury to his shoulder. Cross-examined by John Berry, counsel for Mr Healy-Rae, Mr James denied Jackie Healy-Rae was simply acting to restrain and was a peacemaker and was trying to restrain his brother on Main Street. No one is suggesting you were not assaulted, Mr Berry put it to Mr James, suggesting Jackie Healy-Rae ran up Main Street "not to attack but to restrain his brother". Mr Berry said CCTV "clearly" shows Jackie Healy-Rae trying to restrain Kevin Healy-Rae. At any stage did you see Jackie Healy Rae acting as peacemaker? Mr Berry asked at one point. Counsel also asked if Jackie Healy-Rae acted to restrain his brother. Mr James said he did not. He also put it to him that Jackie Healy-Rae was restraining Mr James at the chip shop earlier. But Mr James said he was assaulted not restrained. Acting unusually In her evidence, Lauren James told the court the thin man who jumped the queue [Kevin Healy-Rae] was earlier acting unusually, like a jack in the box," dancing alone on the dance floor at the Square Pint. A broad statured man whom she later saw holding Kieran in a headlock near the chip van came in to remove him. However at no other point did she see this broader man acting in order to restrain someone else, she told the court. Her husband was unable to defend himself after the three men deliberately ran after him on Main Street as his head was being held down, she said. They were punching his body. One of the men was holding Kieran down by his hood putting pressure on him so he couldnt stand up, she said. She went over and shouted and Kierans face was unrecognisable, Ms James said. Jackie Healy-Rae denies assaulting Kieran James, causing him harm on December 28, 2017, on Main Street, Kenmare. He also denies assaulting Mr James at East Park Lane in the town on the same date. The district court orders of the suspended sentences of six months in the case of Mr Scannell and of seven months in the case of Mr Kevin Healy-Rae have been affirmed from Wednesdays date after the court granted leave to withdraw their appeals. A feud over an arranged marriage may have been behind a man being stabbed to death and his wife injured as they attended a funeral in Kerry. Thomas Dooley, a member of the Traveller community from Hazlewood Drive, Ballyspillane in Killarney, suffered fatal stab wounds when he was attacked in Rathass cemetery in Tralee on Wednesday morning. He and his wife, Siobhan had been attending the funeral of mother-of-five, Bridget OBrien, from Killarney, who died suddenly on Sunday. There was a large crowd of mourners in the cemetery when the attack happened shortly after 11am. It is understood that a group of people arrived at the cemetery armed with whats believed to have been slash hooks and a machete. Gardai and emergency services were called to the cemetery following reports of an altercation involving a group of people. They said they found a man in his 40s with serious injuries. Mr Dooley was pronounced dead at the scene by ambulance personnel. His body was taken to University Hospital Kerry, which is located just across the road. Ms Dooley, also in her 40s, was also taken to the same hospital where she was being treated last night for non-life-threatening injuries. The scene was sealed off by members of the Kerry Divisional Scenes of Crime Unit for a full technical examination. Thomas Dooley who was fatally wounded in an incident at Rath Cemetery in Tralee during a funeral service there. Picture: Facebook. The results of a postmortem will determine the course of the garda investigation, but all the resources of a murder probe have been dedicated to the investigation so far. Investigating gardai said they are trying to establish a motive for the attack and they appealed for witnesses to come forward and for any person with camera footage to make it available to them. It is understood that one avenue of enquiry is that the attack was motivated because of a personal grievance centred on a perceived snub or disrespect. It is believed the man may have been involved in talks between two family groups over a proposed marriage, and that the talks ended without agreement. A garda source said: The primary focus is to arrest the person behind this attack, which appears to be linked to an ongoing feud, but there are wider concerns then to stab people at a funeral is a terrible worsening of that feud and there are significant security concerns that this will escalate. Gardai are aware of who is involved in the feud in terms of the families and the individuals but it is a question of whether witnesses to the attack will come forward and speak up. Traveller advocate, Martin Collins, of Pavee Point, described the fatal stabbing as a "senseless act". Its just shocking a young man dying so tragically and in that setting, a cemetery," he said. This was just a senseless act and our deepest condolences go out to the bereaved family, to all those affected by this. He also appealed for calm amid fears of reprisals. I would urge leaders and those with influence in the affected families to use that influence in a positive way to diffuse and de-escalate the situation to prevent any further injury or loss of life, he said. Whatever disputes or disagreements may be there, there are processes to resolve those, for example through the courts or through mediation. A number of men were arrested for questioning several hours later about unrelated matters when the car in which they were travelling was stopped by gardai on the western outskirts of Cork City. The men, who it is believed had attended the funeral earlier, were later released without charge. Ireland is to step up security around its offshore pipeline infrastructure after the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline under the Baltic Sea, the Defence Minister has said. Simon Coveney said there will be an increase in patrols by the Naval Service and Air Corps in the parts of the sea where there is underwater infrastructure. Last week, undersea blasts damaged the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in four locations which led to huge methane leaks in international waters. Appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Coveney said: We are having and have already had meetings with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Weve also had meetings with that department and Gas Networks Ireland and Eirgrid, looking at infrastructure offshore, and we are currently agreeing with the Department of Energy how we might respond to that in terms of increasing the number of patrols in those areas, both from the Naval Service and the Air Corps. The owners of that infrastructure also have responsibility, for example, Eirgrid have a private sector company and global company monitoring cables under the sea. I think its important also to say that most of that infrastructure, particularly the pipelines, are actually encased in concrete and are under the seabed. So theyre already a pretty secure piece of infrastructure. We are, as you would expect, reviewing that at the moment, and I think you will see increased Naval Service and Air Corps presence in the the parts of the sea where infrastructure is under. There is an equipment issue here as well that obviously we need to review and look at whether we need to factor into the capital investment programme that we have as well. Experts told the Irish Examiner on Tuesday that there is a pressing need to build naval capacity to protect underwater energy and communication pipelines and cables vital for Irelands national security. Specialists in maritime security told this publication that oil and gas pipelines, electricity interconnections, and internet cables were critical infrastructure for the States national security. Ukraine Mr Coveney was quizzed by committee members on whether there is provision to scale up resources for the Defence Forces at short notice in response to the war in Ukraine. Independent TD Cathal Berry told the committee: A big concern of mine, obviously, is the situation in Ukraine. I think its shared by all the members of the committee here, how Ireland doesnt really have a big say in how that situation is going to develop. And the trajectory that the trendline we are on is very non-reassuring at the moment. Is there a provision for additional funding available for defence if we need to scale up our Defence Forces at very short notice? Mr Coveney said it was so depressing to receive detailed reports of what is happening in Ukraine. The loss of life there, its extraordinary, but the resilience and the courage and the success of the Ukrainian military really has been quite extraordinary in recent weeks, Mr Coveney added. Theyre on the front foot. Theyre gaining ground, theyre retaking parts of Ukraine that were lost to Russia. Theyre unfortunately uncovering atrocities as they do that, and we will continue to support Ukraines efforts in that regard. How Russia will respond, whether or not they will be willing to use weapons that many of us regard as completely unacceptable and off-limits in terms of weapons that should never be used, I certainly hope Russia does not move into that space in an effort to save face or to try and change momentum on the battlefield. Mr Coveney also told the committee that most of the 130 recommendations made in the Commission on the Defence Forces report will be implemented. The Nord Stream terminal (Alamy/PA) The Government has pledged a cultural transformation in the Defence Forces, saying it will increase its budget to around 1.9bn by 2028. Mr Coveney said the department is seeking to turn Gormanstown Army camp into a specialist training centre for new recruits. In simple terms, weve got to have the capacity to train somewhere between 1,000 to 1,200 people a year, in order to get a net increase of somewhere between 400 and 600 people a year, Mr Coveney added. Were going to be losing people too through retirement and through other exit reasons. That is going to put huge strain on the Defence Forces, and were looking to design an infrastructure that can facilitate that. He said there will also be a post for a full-time senior ranked position of gender adviser. Thats being progressed as we speak. Gender diversity and unconscious bias training is also being designed into the training programmes now, he added. Mr Coveney said there is a tonne of stuff happening after the report. All of this stuff has been progressing at a pace that certainly Ive never seen in the defence sector before, and with a partnership between the Defence Forces and the department, which is really strong, he added. The Government can do more to look after Troubles victims living in the state, a former minister has said. Charlie Flanagan said there were gaps in the system when it came to catering for the needs of those injured or bereaved in the conflict. The former justice and foreign affairs minister was commenting after attending a weekend service for victims in Clones, Co Monaghan. The event was dedicated to what organisers described as hidden victims of the Troubles in the Republic of Ireland. The service of remembrance and thanksgiving at St Tighernachs Church of Ireland in Clones (Niall Carson/PA) Families of murdered gardai attended the service, as did bereaved relatives of civilians killed in terrorist attacks such as the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. At the event, organised by South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), some victims called for more state recognition of their loss, claiming their needs had been overlooked for decades. Mr Flanagan said he was very pleased to have attended the service. I think that there is more work we can do on this side of the border in terms of looking after our victims, he said. I have been in touch with Taoiseach Micheal Martin, I have spoken to senior officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs. And, yes, I do believe that there are gaps in the system. Speaking at an event in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Wednesday, the Fine Gael TD noted that former Tanaiste, the late John Wilson, had examined issues around victims needs through a commission set up by the Irish government in the late 1990s. Much of that work was actually stood down and it seemingly expired during the early years of this century, he said. I believe its important that we review that and we revisit that because there are circumstances of hardship and suffering that we need to be aware of. A memorial to the victims on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings (Niall Carson/PA) He added: There are a relatively small number of survivors of Troubles-related issues here in the Republic. But that shouldnt detract from the level of suffering and the need to ensure that they are fully catered for in terms of health, in terms of welfare. And I have asked that a senior officials group across a range of government departments be convened, involving officials in the Department of Public Expenditure, in the Department of Justice, in the Department of Health, in the Department of Welfare and in the Department of Foreign Affairs to see how best this small number can be dealt with, because I believe they have a justifiable grievance. Mr Flanagan was minister of foreign affairs when the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland parties designed a series of mechanisms for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. The UK Government has since stepped away from that agreement and is putting legislation through Parliament that would establish a very different model, including an offer of immunity from prosecution for some individuals suspected of Troubles crimes. Mr Flanagan reiterated the Irish Governments opposition to the UK proposals. During the course of the Stormont House Agreement in 2014 I said that the Irish government will not be found wanting, he said. We see at the moment unilateral action on the part of the British Government changing the framework of the Stormont House Agreement in a way that I dont believe is satisfactory. I want changes there. The bodies of Russian soldiers were lying in the streets of a key eastern Ukrainian city on Tuesday following their comrades retreat that marked the latest defeat for Moscow even as Russias upper house of parliament rubber-stamped the annexation of Ukrainian regions. Russian troops pulled back from Lyman over the weekend to avoid being encircled by Ukrainian forces. The citys liberation gave Ukraine a key vantage point for pressing its offensive deeper into Russian-held territories. The Ukrainian military collected the bodies of their comrades after fierce battles for control of Lyman, a key logistics and transport hub, but did not immediately remove those of the Russians. President Zelenskyy shared photos of Lyman on his Instagram today, showing the devastation that has been inflicted on the city. "This is what the occupier left behind in the Ukrainian Lyman. Everywhere in the captured territory the aggressor state destroys any basis of life economy, social sphere, culture," he said. Speaking late on Tuesday in his nightly video address, Mr Zelenskyy said dozens of settlements had been retaken from the Russian pseudo-referendum this week alone in the four annexed regions. In the Kherson region, he listed eight villages that Ukrainian forces reclaimed, and this is far from a complete list. Our soldiers do not stop. Ukrainian servicemen find the body of a comrade at a destroyed petrol station in the recently recaptured town of Lyman (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP) We fight for our land, for our children, so that our people can live better, but all this comes at a very high price, said a Ukrainian soldier who goes by the nom de guerre Rud. Lyman residents emerged from basements where they had hidden during the battle for control of the city and built bonfires for cooking. The city has had no water, electricity or gas since May. An 85-year-old, who identified herself as Valentyna Kuzmichna, recalled a recent explosion nearby. I was standing in the hall, about 5m away, when it boomed, she said. God forbid, now I cant hear well. The Russian forces launched more missile strikes at Ukrainian cities on Tuesday as Ukrainian forces pressed their counter-offensives in the east and the south. Several missiles hit Ukraines second-largest city of Kharkiv, damaging its infrastructure and causing power cuts. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said one person was killed and at least two others, including a nine-year-old girl, were wounded. In the south, four civilians were injured when Russian missiles struck the city of Nikopol. After reclaiming control of Lyman in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian forces pushed further east and may have gone as far as the border of the neighbouring Luhansk region as they advance toward Kreminna, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said in its latest analysis of the combat situation. On Monday, Ukrainian forces also scored significant gains in the south, raising flags over the villages of Arkhanhelske, Myroliubivka, Khreshchenivka, Mykhalivka and Novovorontsovka. The Ukrainian successes in the east and the south came even as Russia moved to absorb four Ukrainian regions amid the fighting there. The upper house of Russian parliament, the Federation Council, voted on Tuesday to ratify treaties making the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk and southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia. The lower house had quickly rubber-stamped the accession pacts after last weeks Kremlin-orchestrated annexation referendums that Ukraine and its Western allies have dismissed as illegal and fraudulent. Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to quickly endorse the annexation treaties. Russias moves to incorporate the Ukrainian regions have been done so hastily that even the exact borders of the territories being absorbed were unclear. The upper house of the Russian parliament has ratified treaties to absorb four Ukrainian regions (Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation/AP) Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Donetsk and Luhansk are joining Russia with the same administrative borders that existed before a conflict erupted there in 2014 between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. He said the borders of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are still undecided. But a senior Russian politician offered a different view. Pavel Krasheninnikov said Zaporizhzhia will be absorbed within its administrative borders, meaning Moscow plans to incorporate parts of the region still under Kyivs control. He said similar logic will apply to Kherson, but that Russia will include two districts of the neighbouring Mykolaiv region that are now occupied by Russia. Charles Fuller, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Soldiers Play, has died aged 83. Fuller, whose work often explored and exposed how social institutions can perpetuate racism, died of natural causes on Monday in Toronto, his wife, Claire Prieto-Fuller, said. His plays were filled with complex characters and an undercutting of conventions. He once told Newsday: The best way to dispel stereotypes and massive lies is telling something as close to the truth as you can. In one review of his work, The New York Times said cliches of form, plot and character shatter like skeets at a shooting range. Rest n Peace Charles Fuller author of A Soldiers Play and the Oscar nominated screenplay of A Soldiers Story. Pulitzer Prize recipient and amazing and wonderful artist. It has been my greatest honour to perform his words on both stage and screen, his genius will be missed pic.twitter.com/F3uvYHBhZW David Alan Grier (@davidalangrier) October 4, 2022 Fullers most famous work, A Soldiers Play, used a military setting in its tale of the search for the murderer of a black sergeant on an army base in Louisiana during the Second World War. It dissected entrenched racism as well as internal divisions in the black military community, wrapping it in a murder mystery. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982 and two years later was made into the Oscar-nominated movie A Soldiers Story, for which Fuller wrote the screenplay and earned an Oscar nomination. Id just like to be considered a playwright fortunate enough to have written a hit, and who wants to keep on writing plays that break through the wall, he told The New York Times in 1982. I'm saddened to learn about the death of Pulitzer Prize winning Playwright Charles Fuller. I had the pleasure of interviewing him yrs ago. His work was & remains a major source of inspiration for me & in many ways became my invitation to write plays.https://t.co/QuHXtoFu2Y Lynn Nottage (@Lynnbrooklyn) October 4, 2022 His work has attracted the finest black acting talent. The film version starred a young Denzel Washington, who had appeared in its first stage incarnation in New York alongside Samuel L Jackson. A 2005 revival off-Broadway starred Taye Diggs, Anthony Mackie and Steven Pasquale. It made its Broadway debut in the pandemic-shortened season of 2020-21 with David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood and earned seven Tony nominations, including best play revival. Grier won the Tony for featured actor and the play won best revival. It has been my greatest honour to perform his words on both stage and screen, his genius will be missed, Grier tweeted in mourning. Playwright Lynn Nottage wrote: His work was and remains a major source of inspiration for me and in many ways became my invitation to write plays. Rest In Peace and Power in the Greatness that is Sir Charles Fuller #A Soldiers Play #NnamndiAsougma pic.twitter.com/FfqEFmAxyy Kenny Leon (@iamKENNYLEON) October 4, 2022 Born in Philadelphia, Fuller attended Villanova University and then joined the Army in 1959, serving in Japan and South Korea. He later studied at La Salle University. He was working as a housing inspector in Philadelphia when the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, mounted his drama The Perfect Party, which moved off-Broadway in 1969. The theme was intermarriage, but Fuller joked it was one of the worlds worst interracial plays. Fuller wrote plays for the Negro Ensemble Company, and his works were mounted at New Federal Theatre and Henry Street Settlement. His breakthrough came with The Brownsville Raid, which told the true story of black soldiers who were dishonourably discharged in 1906 after they were wrongly accused of murder. Only decades later did the US army exonerate them. CHARLES FULLER (1939-2022) was a DG member for over 40 years. He won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for "A Soldiers Play", which received its Broadway debut in the 2019/2020 season, winning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. https://t.co/yZHbS68ite #RestInPower pic.twitter.com/YGt9bRGXpA Dramatists Guild (@dramatistsguild) October 4, 2022 Five years after The Brownsville Raid, Fuller used similar themes and settings in A Soldiers Play, for which he was influenced by Herman Melvilles Billy Budd. Both works were set in the military during wartime, but Fuller used the structure to discuss race in modern America. Fuller returned to the topic of the military with the play One Night in 2013, which centred on a former Army truck driver whose life has unravelled since she went public with charges of rape against three fellow servicemen in Iraq. In one scene, she asks the Veterans Affairs Department for disability benefits: Why am I a hero if I die, and a nuisance if I live? In addition to his wife, Fuller is survived by a son, David, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Burma Eleven Members and Supporters of Myanmars Ousted NLD Killed A body abandoned in front of a school with the Thwe Thout logo in Mandalay city in July. / CJ At least 11 Mandalay National League for Democracy (NLD) members and supporters have allegedly been killed within two days by the pro-regime terror group, Thwe Thout. Observers believe junta personnel carried out the killings. The group on April 21 launched Operation Red against the partys members and supporters, their families and supporters of anti-regime resistance groups. More than 20 NLD members and supporters were killed by early October, according to the NLD and news reports. On Monday night, NLD supporters U Kyaw San, 55, U Hla Soe, 56, and U Thein Lwin, 47, were detained by junta forces from their houses in Natogyi town in Mandalay. Supporters Ko Kyaw Min, 44, and Ko Zin Min Tun, 36, were seized from their houses in Htan Gwa village, 8km east of the town, according to residents and Natogyi Peoples Defense Force (PDF). On Tuesday morning the four bodies were found at the Htan Gwa junction east of the town and the body of U Kyaw San was found in Kyauklonegyi west of the town. All victims had been stabbed in the abdomen and throat, the townships PDF and NLD members told The Irrawaddy. Thwe Thout lanyards were left with the bodies. The regime killed the victims as our township has no Thwe Thout members, said a Natogyi PDF member. Thwe Thout is seen as a sham group used by the junta to avoid international criticism, according to the PDF member. He said the killings were designed to deter innocent people from supporting the resistance. They voted NLD but they were living peacefully. It is cold-blooded murder, an NLD member in the township told The Irrawaddy. On Sunday night, U Tun Zaw, the NLDs central executive committee member of neighboring Taungtha Township, was killed after being detained by junta forces and regime-appointed township administrators. The Bagan Nyaung Oo Thwe Thout group claimed responsibility for the killing on pro-regime Telegram channels. U Tun Zaw was a campaign manager for U Win Chit Aung, who was elected in the 2020 general election. The General Strike Committee in Taungtha claimed that the townships general administration department must take responsibility for the killing as it was involved in his arrest. On Sunday night, NLD members U Win Aung Moe, 55, U Nyin Chan Min, 45, and Ma Thaw Mi Mi Win, 32, were killed by junta forces and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members after they were taken from their Sintgu village homes in Nyaung-U Township in Mandalay Region. Residents found their bodies beside a highway opposite the Sintgu Hospital the next morning. The victims had been stabbed in the abdomen and throats, family members told the media. Ma Thaw Mi Mi Win had reportedly been raped, reported residents and her relatives. Bagan Nyaung Oo Thwe Thout claimed responsibility for the killing. The group claimed to have killed another NLD member, U Kyaw Win, 68, from the Sal Ywar village in Nyaung Oo on Sunday night. The victim was reportedly killed outside the village after being arrested by junta troops along with her daughter. NLD member Daw Thein Htay, 50, was reportedly killed by the Thwe Thout group in Kyaukse Township, Mandalay Region. The NLD said in May that 917 party members had been arrested since the February 1 coup last year. Of those detained 701 NLD members, including party leaders and 98 elected lawmakers, are still in custody. Around 20 NLD members, including a lawmaker, have died in regime custody, according to the party. By Tuesday, an estimated 2,336 people had been killed by junta forces and 15,757 are in junta detention, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners that is documenting deaths and arrests. Burma Myanmar Resistance Group Warns Parties Not to Take Part in Juntas 2023 Election A man casts his vote in Yangon during the 2020 general election. / The Irrawaddy Special Task Agency of Burma (STA), a resistance group based in Yangon, has urged political parties in Myanmar not to participate in or support the election the Myanmar military regime plans to hold next year, warning those that do will face consequences. The military regime is under growing pressure at home and abroad, fighting Peoples Defense Force resistance groups and ethnic armed organizations on multiple fronts, as well as struggling to handle a mass civil disobedience movement, diplomatic isolation and international pressure from foreign governments and activists advocating for democracy in Myanmar. The regime seeks to hold an election as a way out of the crisis. It is the political parties that can prevent the regime from implementing its exit strategy. It is important for political parties to act in all seriousness to prevent the 2023 election from taking place, the STA said in a statement issued on Wednesday. The group warned political parties not to register for next years election and not to support the junta-appointed Union Election Commission or the election. Any party that joins hands with the regime to contest the election or support, aid and abet in organizing the election will have to pay one day, the statement reads. The regime has been compiling voter lists and selecting sites for polling stations for the election, which it plans to hold in August. The STA is an urban underground resistance group targeting junta troops, junta-controlled ministries, informants and other junta-linked targets in the commercial capital. Myanmars ousted ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) and parallel civilian National Unity Government (NUG) have condemned the regimes planned election. The UN and US have also warned that the juntas election would be a fraud, as it would be neither free nor fair. Burma New Chair of Myanmar Militarys Proxy Party Urges USDP Cooperation for Regimes Agenda New USDP chair U Khin Yi speaking during the 2020 general election campaign. The new chairman of the Myanmar militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has told party members to cooperate to the upmost in the military regimes agenda including the planned 2023 general election. Former Brigadier General and Myanmar Police chief U Khin Yi said in his first speech as USDP leader: When the state government is leading the way and dealing in the best possible way with the current situation of intervention from powerful countries who want modern colonization to media disinformation, we [the party] need to do our best and work together in every role. U Khin Yi, who is one of coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaings right hand men, was elected as the USDPs new chair on Wednesday during a party conference aimed at reforming the partys leadership ahead of the election the junta is planning for next year. His appointment came a day after former chairman U Than Htay announced that he was stepping down during his opening speech to the conference. In a speech broadcast on the USDPs Facebook page on Wednesday, U Khin Yi vowed that he will reform the party to become one that bridges the gap between the state and the public. The new USDP chair also called on party members to work their best to help the party win the election planned for 2023, which is one of five key objectives the USDP has outlined. Other objectives include eliminating terrorism and those who support terrorists both at home and abroad. Before and after last years coup, U Khin Yi organized a series of rallies during which so-called military sympathizers went on the rampage in Yangon, punching and stabbing those who denounced them, according to U Soe Thane, a former minister in U Thein Seins government. U Khin Yi was vice chair of the USDP before the military takeover. The party suffered a heavy defeat in the 2020 general election, with U Khin Yi losing the parliamentary seat he contested to the National League for Democracys U Tin Tun Naing, who is now the National Unity Governments Minister of Planning, Finance and Investment. Subsequently, the military regime annulled the result of the 2020 poll, falsely claiming that the election was marred. In August 2021, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing picked U Khin Yi as Minister for Immigration and Population. He was removed from that post a year later, with Min Aung Hlaing reportedly wanting him to concentrate on preparing the USDP for next years election, which the coup leader sees as a way out of Myanmars political crisis. Current USDP vice chairmen Myat Hein, the former Myanmar Air Force chief, and Hla Tun, a former finance minister and one of ex-dictator Than Shwes right hand men, will stay in their roles. A third vice chairman is still to be named. Retired Lieutenant General Tin Aung Chit was appointed as the USDPs Joint Secretary General. He was previously the USDPs Secretary. The USDP leadership changes come at a time when the party is divided into two camps those loyal to former chair U Than Htay and those who urged his replacement. The group who wanted U Than Htay out is believed to have been backed by Min Aung Hlaing, according to members of the USDPs Central Executive Committee. War Against the Junta Dozens of Myanmar Junta Troops, Informant Killed in Two Days of PDF Strikes -- At least 35 Myanmar junta forces including pro-regime militia members and a junta informant were killed in the last two days in attacks by Peoples Defense Force (PDF) groups and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in Sagaing and Tanintharyi Regions and Mon and Karen states. Meanwhile, over 7,000 residents have been forced to flee their homes due to junta attacks targeting civilians in Sagaing, and several thousand ethnic Chin residents of Matupi are feared to be suffering food shortages due to a junta siege there. The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks by PDFs and EAOs as well as junta atrocities. 10 junta soldiers killed, injured in PDF drone strikes in Karen The Federal Wings group conducts drone strikes on a junta outpost in Myawaddy Township, Karen State on Tuesday. / Federal Wings Two regime soldiers were killed and eight others including an army officer were seriously injured in drone strikes conducted by a resistance group during a clash in Myawaddy Township, Karen State on Tuesday, according to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)s Cobra Column. A fierce clash broke out on the Myawaddy-Wal Lay highway when the KNLA and allied resistance groups attacked regime forces attempting to occupy an area with 120-mm artillery support from a junta outpost in Phaluu. In the afternoon, the Federal Wings resistance group conducted drone strikes against regime forces of Tactical Battalion 441 stationed on a hilltop in the township. Military casualties are unknown, however. Aerial video shows terrified regime forces fleeing and seeking shelter after being bombed by a PDF drone. 20 junta soldiers killed in PDF ambush in Tanintharyi A total of 20 junta soldiers were reportedly killed in Palaw Township, Tanintharyi Region on Monday when PDF-Myeik District and allied resistance groups ambushed two military vehicles on the Palaw-Myeik highway near Kadae Village, said Palaw-PDF, which was involved in the ambush. The resistance groups also used land mines to ambush a detachment of reinforcements traveling to the conflict zone. During the ambushes, at least 20 junta soldiers and two civilians out of three who had been taken along with the troops were killed, said the PDF groups. Three pro-regime militia members killed in Tanintharyi Launglone-PDF claimed to have killed three pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia members-U Thaung Naing, Ko Min Naing and Daw Tin Sheinnear a village in Launglon Township, Tanintharyi Region on Tuesday afternoon. The victims were accused of committing violence against local residents. A gun, mobile phones, some cash and documents were seized from the militias, the PDF group said. Five junta soldiers killed in PDF ambush on military flotilla in Sagaing Smoke pours from a junta transport vessel during an attack by several PDF groups in Kani Township, Sagaing Region on Monday. / KLG-PDF Five regime forces were gunned down by resistance snipers in Kani Township, Sagaing Region on Monday when several resistance groups from Kani and neighboring Yinmabin Township ambushed a military flotilla of 13 boats on the Chindwin River, said Kyauk Lone Gyi-PDF, which joined the attack. The flotilla was reportedly transporting food and ammunition to the northern part of the country from Monywa. The PDF groups said a vessel caught fire after being attacked. Video shows smoke pouring from a vessel during a firefight. Four junta policemen killed in Sagaing Resistance group Salingyi Generation-Z claimed on Tuesday that four junta policemen from Nyaung Phyu Pin Police Station were killed in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region on Monday when it and two other PDF groups attacked the policemen as they went outside to go shopping. In the attack, four weapons, a grenade and ammunition were seized by the PDF groups. Some 7,500 villagers forced to flee homes in Sagaing Around 7,500 civilians from four villages in Kanbalu Township, Sagaing Region have been forced to flee their homes after a military detachment of 60 junta soldiers raided the villages on Tuesday morning, residents told The Irrawaddy. During the raid, regime forces used heavy explosives to attack the village. Chin residents fear food shortages due to weeks-long junta siege Residents of the mountaintop town of Matupi in Chin State fear food shortages as the military regime has completely blockaded the town for two weeks, local media outlet Zalen reported on Tuesday. The entry of people and goods has been blocked since Sept. 20, a day after a military checkpoint near the town was attacked by the Chin Defense Force-Matupi. People from rural areas have been stranded in Matupi and prices of commodities are rising daily due to a halt in the flow of goods to and from the town, the media outlet quoted residents as saying. Junta informant killed in Mon State Accused junta informant U Aung Myint, 40, was killed by the Mon State Revolutionary Organization (MSRO) at his house in a village in Ye Township, Mon State on Tuesday morning, the resistance group told the media. Based on information supplied by U Aung Myint, military forces attacked MSRO resistance fighters who were repairing vehicles outside a village in the township on March 18. In the raid, a PDF fighter and a 14-year-old boy were killed and two weapons, two motorbikes and another vehicle were seized by junta forces, a member of the MSRO said on his Facebook page on Tuesday. The PDF group said it assassinated the informant in reprisal for the March 18 attack. Analysis On Myanmar's Resistance to the Junta and What the Future Holds Fighters from the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, part of Myanmars resistance movement, parade in June 2022. / KNDF Myanmars parallel National Unity Government (NUG) and its armed wing, the Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs), pose the biggest threats to the military regime in Bamar-majority areas. Currently, PDFs are strongest in Sagaing and Magwe regions in central Myanmar. In 2022, they have been able to form battalions and brigades equipped with automatic rifles. And although central Myanmar has been hit hardest by junta atrocities, the PDFs are not dispirited and are waging effective guerilla warfare against junta forces. It is impossible to estimate the number of PDF fighters in Sagaing and Magwe. But it is fair to say that the teamwork, combativeness and innovation of PDFs in those regions means that they are hitting regime forces hard. Guerilla attacks have also been reported in Bago, Ayeyarwady and Tanintharyi regions. They have declined in Yangon and Mandalay, but there are still guerilla attacks happening daily. PDF groups that are fighting alongside experienced ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) have a more systematic structure, as well as better weapons and combat skills, than their counterparts fighting independently. The NUG says that it has formed more than 300 battalions in over 25 townships. But it is still struggling to establish a network of local PDFs and put them under its direct command. Moreover, there are also other resistance groups like the Peoples Liberation Army, Bamar Peoples Liberation Army and so on that were formed out of different political ideologies. So there are hundreds of thousands of armed fighters who have emerged in Bamar-majority areas, with the NUG/PDFs at the core of the resistance. Some compare the NUG with the National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma (NCGUB), the government in exile which was established by pro-democracy forces following the failed 1988 uprising against the then military regime. However, the NUG is different from the NCGUB. Despite its shortcomings, it has its own armed wing and a financial system that has earned it around US$45 million in a year and enabled the NUG to supply the PDFs. The NUG has also installed parallel administrations complete with courts, schools and health care facilities in some areas controlled by PDFs. The NUG has won support at home and abroad, as well as establishing diplomatic relations with foreign countries. It also has links with the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), a coalition of political groups opposing the junta, and the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CPRH), a body representing lawmakers elected in the 2020 general election, as well as with EAOs. That is something the NCGUB could not achieve. However, the NUG suffers from financial constraints. It needs hundreds of millions of US dollars to properly arm and supply the PDFs. And it is not an easy task to distribute arms to PDFs. Despite the lack of proper supplies, resistance forces, which mainly consist of young people, are determined not to waver from their beliefs and that has shocked the regime. Resistance Forces Shortcomings The resistance continues to hold the view that it took during the early days of anti-coup protests, when it believed it would be able to overturn military rule if the Civil Disobedience Movement could be maintained for two months. In similar fashion, the resistance now holds the view that the armed revolution will succeed in a few years. It takes years to raise an army and it is costly to arm and supply an army. It is wrong to think that victory can be achieved in a short period. Instead, it is important to do long-term planning, set yearly goals and work step by step and have the determination to fight till the end. While the regime is trying to crush the resistance using all kinds of violence and brutality, the revolution must take a pragmatic approach instead of daydreaming about an easy victory. It is important to build the PDFs into a strong army, not just to defeat the regime but to establish a force to guarantee federal democracy in the long term. International support for the NUG depends on the strength of the armed revolution inside Myanmar. Had it not been for the revolt by the people, there would not have been support from the international community. The NUG and its officials must be well aware of this. The CRPH claims a mandate as the body of lawmakers elected in the 2020 general election held under the military-drafted 2008 Constitution. But the NUG has scrapped the 2008 Constitution and EAOs also do not accept it. So there is a need to think about the CPRH and its long-term future. Although the NUCC had a good beginning, it is having difficulties in negotiations. Some members have quit the NUCC. The National League for Democracy (NLD) lacks a clear policy about federalism and is unwilling to relinquish its control as the central/Union government of Myanmar, or so some NUCC stakeholders believe. So for now both the NLD and the NUG lack the leadership to politically unify all the ethnic minorities. Even if it can solidify the NUCC, there are other groups that have opted out of joining the NUCC and it is still difficult to politically unify all the EAOs. While the NUG has been able to cooperate militarily and establish a chain of command with some EAOs, it still hasnt been able to secure military cooperation with all the EAOs. But this is not necessarily because of its performance. Ethnic people have different historical backgrounds and cultures, while the size, finances, weaponry, territorial control and political objectives of the EAOs vary. It is possible that some EAOs might be waiting to see how the institutional strength and capacity of NUG develops, but many still do not trust the NLD, the major stakeholder in the NUG, and its policy on federalism and power-sharing among the ethnic states. What Does the Future Hold? The regime will continue to use violence and target civilians in its military operations. Following the juntas executions of pro-democracy activists in June against the request of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the international community, the regime will face increased isolation on the international stage. The regime is not in a position to crush PDFs and EAOs and it will be depleted over time. It will lose control over territories in the future. What could be the major blow to the regime is the economic crisis that is projected to impact Myanmar around the end of this year. The more the economy slows, the harder the junta will be hit. The unification of EAOs and PDFs will speed up the ousting of the regime. But there is no party, organization or person that can unify those forces and lead the fight against the junta. Given the situation on the ground, it is more likely that groups will control their own territories like the United Wa State Army does at the moment. While it is still impossible to assemble EAOs and PDFs either politically or militarily, the idea of a federal Union and a federal army is detached from reality. What is more likely in the foreseeable future is a set-up that resembles a confederation. About 5000 Australian staff of the local unit of global security firm G4S have been affected by a data leak following a ransomware attack in July on a work site, iTWire understands. The company offers services such as private security, prison management, cash transportation, care and justice, secure solutions and investigative services. In Australia, it operates under the name G4S Australia and has provided security at the Coalition Government's refugee detention centre on Manus Island sometime back. G4S also provides services in a number of prisons in Australia. The company says it employs more than half a million people around the world and claims it "plays a valuable and important role in society". The ransomware group Hive has claimed it was behind the attack and posted some material on its site as proof on 19 September. Guardian Australia, the first to write about the leak, on Wednesday,G4S employees had been notified about the data leak on Tuesday. It said the attack was on Port Phillip prison and had been reported in early July. While the company told the Guardian that the data was not easily accessible, Emsisoft security researcher Brett Callow pointed out to iTWire that a simple search brought up detailed information about the attack, including a link to a site on the dark web where the data could be accessed. According to the Guardian, the data that was stolen "included employee names, addresses, dates of birth, contact details, police and medical checks, tax file numbers, bank account details, superannuation information, Medicare numbers and licence details". "In some cases, payslips, health information shared with the company, and details about Workcover claims or incident reports were also compromised," the report added. Contacted for comment, a G4S spokesperson told iTWire: "As previously notified, G4S Australia was the subject of a cyber incident on 5 July 2022. The confidentiality, privacy and well-being of staff and those with whom we work is of critical importance, and we take this matter very seriously. "The breach was identified and relevant authorities were promptly informed. "G4S Australia has been closely monitoring the situation since the event and can confirm that some data was disclosed by an unauthorised third party. "We apologise to any individual whose data may have been disclosed and we are providing advice and support to those affected. "If an individuals current driver licence or passport have been disclosed, G4S will reimburse the fees to replace these documents. "For any questions relating to this notice, please contact g4sincidents.support @ g4s.com.au." Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. An 85-year-old Iranian-American detained for six years in Iran on what the U.S. says were specious charges left the country and was flown to Oman and then to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for urgent medical treatment A malfunctioning South Korean ballistic missile blew up as it plowed into the ground during a drill with the United States that was a reprisal for North Koreas launch a day earlier of a weapon that flew over Japan and has the range to strike Guam Khartoum Sudan (PANA) - The United Nations has urged the government of Sudan and former rebel groups to speed up full implementation of an agreement signed two years ago on how to bring peace to restive regions of the Sudan ROSEWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS APPOINTS ROLAND DUERR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ROSEWOOD MUNICH (Germany) Rosewoods first hotel in Germany opens in 2023 ROSEWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS APPOINTS ROLAND DUERR MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ROSEWOOD MUNICH (Germany) Rosewoods first hotel in Germany opens in 2023 Germany - Careers - Appointments This is a press release Category: Europe This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2022-10-05 Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has appointed Roland Duerr as the managing director of Rosewood Munich, the ultra-luxury hospitality brands first property in Germany and sixth in Europe, opening in 2023. A German native with 22 years of international hotel experience, Roland brings both hospitality management expertise and cultural insight to his new role, commencing 1 November 2022. Roland has been with Rosewood for over 10 years, beginning as the hotel manager of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York. He is currently managing director of Rosewood Abu Dhabi, where he has been since 2016. Prior to joining Rosewood, Roland had an extensive career in hospitality food and beverage, holding manager positions at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, Four Seasons Hotel Berlin, Burj Al Arab in Dubai and Jumeirah Essex House in New York. We are looking forward to Roland bringing his talent and expertise to his new role as the managing director of Rosewood Munich, said Victor Clavell, senior vice president of operations, EMEAC. The passion, hard work and dedication to the brand he has demonstrated over the past decade will be invaluable as we introduce this exciting new hotel to the German market." We are extremely pleased that with Roland we could win such an outstanding Managing Director for our new flagship in Munich. We are sure that with his skills he will create a completely new hotel experience," said Karl-Heinz Pawlizki, chief executive officer of Arabella Hospitality. Rosewood Munich is already the second partner project between Arabella Hospitality and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. The two companies will jointly open Rosewood Schloss Fuschl as well in late 2023. Housed in two historical buildings comprised of the former headquarters of the State Bank of Bavaria and the adjacent Palais Neuhaus-Preysing, a former grand aristocratic residence, Rosewood Munich will be ideally situated on Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse in the heart of the historic city center. The hotel will be within walking distance of several of the citys most popular sites and destinations, including central Marienplatz square, the Residenz city palace, Bavarian State Opera and the Maximilian and Theatinerstrae shopping districts, as well as world-renowned museums. Rosewood Munich will offer 132 spacious guestrooms and suites designed to complement the propertys historic character, original facade and iconic stairways. The hotel will boast an inviting lobby lounge, restaurant and vibrant bar. Rosewood Munich will also feature a full-service spa, which will house six treatment rooms, as well as an indoor pool and fitness area. Additionally, the hotel will include extensive meeting and event spaces to accommodate a variety of private gatherings, conferences and special events for up to 312 guests. Rosewood Munich will join Rosewoods expanding footprint in Europe including Rosewood London, Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris, Rosewood Villa Magna in Madrid, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany and Rosewood Vienna. [ Rosewood Munich ] [Website of the company which publishes this press release] 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 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. A trio of physicists on Tuesday won the Nobel Prize for discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics that have paved the way for quantum computers, networks and secure encrypted communication. Alain Aspect from France, John Clauser of the United States and Austria's Anton Zeilinger were honoured "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science," the jury said. Each scientist "conducted ground-breaking experiments using entangled quantum states, where two particles behave like a single unit even when they are separated," the committee said, adding that the "results have cleared the way for new technology based upon quantum information." The three, to share the award of 10 million Swedish kronor ($901,500), will receive the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of scientist Alfred Nobel who created the prizes in his last will and testament. Last year, the academy honoured Syukuro Manabe, of Japan and the United States, and German Klaus Hasselmann for their research on climate models, while Italian Giorgio Parisi also won for his work on the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems. The Nobel season continues this week with the announcement of the winners of the Chemistry Prize on Wednesday, followed by the much-anticipated prizes for Literature on Thursday and Peace on Friday. Among those cited as possible Peace Prize laureates are the International Criminal Court, tasked with investigating war crimes in Ukraine, jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The Economics Prize winds things up on Monday, October 10. A trio of physicists on Tuesday won the Nobel Prize for discoveries in the field of quantum mechanics that have paved the way for quantum computers, networks and secure encrypted communication. Alain Aspect of France, John Clauser of the United States and Austria's Anton Zeilinger were honoured "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science," the Physics Prize jury said in a statement. Each scientist "conducted groundbreaking experiments using entangled quantum states, where two particles behave like a single unit even when they are separated," the committee said, adding that the "results have cleared the way for new technology based upon quantum information." "It has become increasingly clear that a new kind of quantum technology is emerging," Anders Irback, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said in a statement. Clauser, a research physicist based in California, and Aspect, professor at the Universite Paris-Saclay, were singled out for their developments on the work of John Stewart Bell, who in the 1960s "developed the mathematical inequality that is named after him." - Teleportation - Zeilinger, a professor of physics at the University of Vienna said he had not expected to be honoured. "I was actually very surprised to get the call," Zeilinger told a Stockholm press conference via telephone. Zeilinger was highlighted for his work on "quantum teleportation, which makes it possible to move a quantum state from one particle to one at a distance," the jury said. "It is not like in the 'Star Trek' films or whatever. Transporting something -- certainly not the person -- over some distance. But the point is, using entanglement you can transfer all the information which is carried by an object over to some other place where the object is reconstituted," Zeilinger said. The three, who will share the award sum of 10 million Swedish kronor ($901,500), will receive the prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of scientist Alfred Nobel who created the prizes in his last will and testament. Last year, the academy honoured Syukuro Manabe, of Japan and the United States, and German Klaus Hasselmann for their research on climate models, while Italian Giorgio Parisi also won for his work on the interplay of disorder and fluctuations in physical systems. - Women absent - Only four women -- Marie Curie (1903), Maria Goeppert Mayer (1963), Donna Strickland (2018) and Andrea Ghez (2020) -- have won the Nobel Physics Prize since the award was instituted in 1901. "It reflects the unfair conditions in society, particularly in years past but still existing," Goran Hansson, secretary general of the Swedish Academy of Sciences, told AFP last year. Quotas however have been ruled out. "We want every laureate (to) be accepted... because they made the most important discovery, and not because of gender or ethnicity," Hansson said. Last year, 12 men and one woman won Nobel Prizes, with all of the science nods going to men. The physics prize is followed by chemistry on Wednesday, with the highly watched literature and peace prizes announced on Thursday and Friday respectively. For the literature prize, critics told AFP they thought the Swedish Academy may go for a more mainstream author this year, after selecting lesser-known writers the past two years. Last year, Tanzanian author Abdulrazak Gurnah won, while US poet Louise Gluck was crowned in 2020. The peace prize is expected to hold a special significance this year given the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The International Criminal Court, tasked with investigating war crimes in Ukraine, has been mentioned as a possible laureate this year, along with jailed Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Here are the key dates in China since the founding of the Communist Party (CCP) which has grown into one of the world's most powerful political organisations: - July 1921: Founded in secret - In the summer of 1921, Mao Zedong and a clutch of Marxist-Leninist thinkers in Shanghai covertly establish the party and start to set up labour unions in China's cities. The CCP in 1924 joins with the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), which three years later comes to power in mainland China. But the KMT turns violently against the communists and ousts them from Shanghai. Mao and many of the CCP members move to the countryside, where they win peasant support. - 1931: Japan invades - In 1931, imperialist Japan invades Manchuria, before a full-scale invasion of mainland China in 1937 ahead of World War II which Japan eventually loses. The CCP is bolstered by fighting the Japanese. - 1945: Civil war - One war ends but another rages. The communists and nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-shek, fight a full-scale civil war following World War II. - 1949: Communist republic - The communists defeat the nationalists in 1949, taking power in Beijing. The KMT flee to Taiwan, form their own government and cut off contacts with mainland China. Party Chairman Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. -1956: '100 flowers' - In the Hundred Flowers campaign of 1956-1957, Mao urges intellectuals to criticise the Communist Party, but later sends 500,000 of those who speak out to labour camps. - 1958: Great Leap Forward - Mao implements the Great Leap Forward to overhaul the agrarian economy through industrialisation and collective farming. It results in a three-year famine, leaving up to 45 million people dead. - 1959: Tibetan revolt Beijing sends soldiers to crush a revolt against Chinese rule in Tibet, whose spiritual leader the Dalai Lama flees to India. - 1964: Nuclear test - China conducts its first nuclear weapons test. - 1966: Cultural Revolution - Mao launches the decade-long Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution ostensibly to purge capitalists and create social equality -- but also to remove his political rivals. Armies of youthful Red Guards target anyone deemed to be part of the bourgeoisie, including intellectuals. Millions of people are persecuted, imprisoned or killed. - 1971: UN recognition - At the United Nations, Beijing takes China's seat which had previously been held by Taipei. It becomes one of five countries to have a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. - 1976: Gang of Four arrested - Mao dies in September 1976 and the next month, the "Gang of Four" -- powerful party members who directed his Cultural Revolution -- are arrested. Among them is his wife. Accused of being "anti-Party and anti-socialist", they are sentenced to long jail terms. - 1978: Reform - The party ratifies a "reform and opening up" policy led by supreme leader Deng Xiaoping. It moves the economy away from state control and lays the foundation for rapid growth. - 1989: Tiananmen Square crackdown - Troops open fire on students peacefully demonstrating for democracy in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The death toll is estimated at between several hundred and more than a thousand. - 1997: Hong Kong returned - Britain returns Hong Kong to China at the end of a 99-year lease, pledging that the global financial hub will maintain a high degree of autonomy for 50 years. - 2001: Conquering space and trade - China joins the World Trade Organization, and two years later sends its first human to space. In 2010, it overtakes Japan as the world's second-biggest economy after the United States. - 2012: Xi takes over - Hu Jintao steps down as CCP leader after a period of record economic growth, and greater openness driven by the internet. He is replaced by Xi Jinping. - 2018: Authoritarian turn - China's parliament abolishes a 10-year limit on presidential terms and Xi's name is added to the constitution, enhancing the authority of the country's most powerful leader since Mao. - 2018: Uyghur camps - A UN committee in 2018 says there are "credible" reports that China may be detaining upwards of one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in camps. Chinese authorities later describe the facilities as "vocational education centres" used to halt separatist sentiments and religious extremism. In August 2022 a UN report cites possible crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang region. - 2019: Covid emerges - The world's first cases of Covid emerge in the central city of Wuhan. China responds with stringent lockdowns that virtually extinguish the coronavirus inside the country, giving rise to its zero-Covid strategy that remains in place to date. - 2020: Hong Kong security law - In 2020, China imposes a draconian national security law on Hong Kong in response to pro-democracy protests that erupted a year earlier. A clampdown is overseen by then-security chief John Lee. In May 2022, he is appointed to govern the city in a selection process where he faced no rivals. burs/cb-jmy/je/it/ser/qan Far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and left-wing challenger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva received important endorsements on Tuesday as they prepared for their Oct. 30 battle for Brazils presidential election. The two rivals are aggressively hunting for confirmation of their polarizing final battle after ending Sundays first round of voting by a narrower-than-expected five-point difference: 48 percent for ex-President Lula to 43 percent for Bolsonaro. Both are struggling to win over the Brazilians who voted for the third and fourth-place finishers, center-right candidate Simone Tebet (four percent) and center-left candidate Ciro Gomes (three percent). They will also campaign hard to woo those who cast blank or invalid ballots (three percent and two percent, respectively) or simply did not vote 21 percent of the South American giants 156 million voters. Bolsonaro garnered several key supports, including influential corruption-buster Sergio Moro, his former justice minister who left his government in protest in 2020. Lula (2003-2010), meanwhile, received an important, if grudging, nod from Gomes. The centre-left agitator served as a minister in Lulas first government but later fell out with him and became one of his harshest critics. Lula not an option Lula is not an option, wrote Moro, the ex-judge who led the massive car wash transplant investigation, on Twitter. His government was tainted by the corruption of democracy, he said, declaring his support for Bolsonaro. Moro is famous as the judge who jailed Lula, the biggest name taken down in Car Wash, an investigation that uncovered a widespread corruption web that stole billions from state oil company Petrobras. He resigned from judgeship to become Bolsonaros justice minister in 2019, but resigned the following year, accusing the president of interfering in a police investigation targeting his inner circle. The resignation was hugely damaging to Bolsonaro, who had been walking on an anti-corruption platform. But the President said it was all water under the bridge now. Its a new relationship from here on out, he said. There are no scores to pay. Brazils Supreme Court overturned Lulas controversial corruption convictions last year, ruling that Moro was biased in the case. Moro attempted to run as a presidential candidate himself this year but failed to garner enough support and opted instead for the Senate, winning a seat for the southern state of Parana. Bolsonaro also received confirmations from the governors of Brazils second and third largest states, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro newly re-elected Romeu Zema and Claudio Castro respectively. He also scored one from outgoing Governor Rodrigo Garcia of Sao Paulo, Brazils most populous and wealthiest state, who lost his own re-election bid. The Only Exit Lulas approval of Gomes Democratic Labor Party (PDT) came despite a long history of animosity between the two men. Gomes reluctantly aligned himself with the party leadership, saying in a video he supports the endorsement as the only way out under the circumstances. Lula also appears to be garnering support from third-place candidate Tebet, a centre-right senator and anti-abortion Catholic who may be key to attracting social conservative voters. She has indicated that she is willing to support Lula. But winning over her party, the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB), which has a strong pro-Bolsonaro wing, will be another matter. A man will stand trial in London next year accused of illegally entering Windsor Castle armed with a loaded crossbow to harm Queen Elizabeth II, a judge said on Wednesday. Jaswant Singh Chail, 20, was arrested in the grounds of the royal residence west of London on Christmas Day last year when the Queen was there. He was arrested and charged with three offenses, including one under the 180-year-old Treason Act of intentto offend the person of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II or to alarm Her Majesty. When he was arrested, he is said to have told a security guard: Im here to kill the queen. In the last such case, Britains Marcus Sarjeant was sentenced to five years in prison in 1981 after pleading guilty to firing blank shots at the monarch during a parade. Chail, who appeared before Central Criminal Court or the Old Bailey via video link, is also charged with making a death threat and possession of an assault weapon. The unemployed former supermarket worker spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. A hearing will be held in December. Judge Nigel Sweeney set a provisional hearing date for March 20, 2023 and remanded Chail from Southampton, southern England. tvN's thriller series "Little Women" starring Kim Go Eun, Nam Ji Hyun, Park Ji Hu and Wi Ha Joon shares a glimpse of what happens behind the camera through a little behind the scenes video. The cast also shows how they immerse themselves with their respective roles, recover from their line delivery mistakes and even their bonds as co-stars and real life friends! 'Little Women' Unveils New Behind the Scenes Video With only two remaining episodes, the production unit of "Little Women" lets everyone in on a secret and takes viewers on a tour where the magic happens-the filming set! "Little Women" tells the story of three destitute sisters whose lives change as they get entangled with the most influential family in South Korea. Prior to the finale, the series unveiled its newest behind the scenes video. It begins with Uhm Ji Won, playing the role of Won Sang Ah, telling the cameraman how cold she is. To create an amazing drama with top notch cinematography, the actors are scheduled to film during the night until dawn. Despite the cold, the actors stay strong and continue to film, showcasing their professionalism. Uhm Ji Won, a veteran star in the industry, compliments Wi Ha Joon during monitoring. The latter takes on the role of Choi Do Il in the series where he has many action scenes with several goons and men. Meanwhile, Kim Go Eun, the star of the show, also boasts her acting prowess as the camera rolls for her and a foreign actress, whom she has great chemistry with. Kim Go Eun and Wi Ha Joon also prove that their synergy is on another level as they scurry out of the small room, making adlibs that impress the director. Nam Ji Hyun Teases Kang Hoon For Line Delivery Mistake In the released behind the scenes clip, Kang Hoon and Nam Ji Hyun are in the spotlight for a confession scene. The two stars play the role of Ha Jong Ho and Oh In Kyung, respectively, childhood best friends who share an unrequited romance. The production unit and cast ensemble burst into laughter as Kang Hoon makes a hilarious mistake, calling Nam Ji Hyun Oh In Joo, who is played by Kim Go Eun. Nam Ji Hyun jokingly whines while teasing Kang Hoon at the same time. Kim Go Eun, who also learns about the mistake, jives in on teasing the poor actor. When asked about how she feels for Kang Hoon who made a "love confession," Kim Go Eun says he should have hid his feelings well as it could cause a love triangle and shock the world. During breaks, Kim Go Eun and Nam Ji Hyun share a roasted sweet potato, looking like they are on a vacation-which also alludes to their characters' dreams if they were rich. In the next clip, Nam Ji Hyun prepares for her important scene on the news. It requires reciting a long line, which the actress failed to do several times. In spite of that, Nam Ji Hyun proves her professionalism as she shows off her determination to get the scene right, even making impromptu revisions in her line just to get her message across. Without a doubt, the cast of the series doesn't only make a great ensemble but also really amazing friends. From their bond and inside jokes, they manage to create a lighthearted atmosphere on set in contrast to their thrilling drama. Don't miss new episodes of "Little Women" every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 p.m. KST on tvN. While you're here, watch the behind the scenes clip of the drama below: KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. The rom-com series "The Law Cafe" finally enters its second half with an impressive rating. Lee Seung Gi and Lee Se Young's drama hopes to continue to receive high praises from the public until its conclusion. Here's what to expect from its second half. 'The Law Cafe' Remains Most Watched Rom-Com Drama The romantic comedy series "The Law Cafe," starring Lee Seung Gi and Lee Se Young, successfully secures its rank at the top as the most watched series! Since the drama's premiere, "The Law Cafe" gained attention not only in South Korea but also in other parts of Asia. The drama enjoyed an all-time high rating, however, it still failed to record a new personal best with its latest episodes. On October 3, the series released its ninth episode, officially entering its second half of broadcast. "The Law Cafe" received an average rating of 6.5%, the same score the series achieved in its previous week. The new rating was also unable to surpass the highest viewership rating of the drama that was recorded during the premiere. With three weeks till its conclusion, "The Law Cafe" is expected to soar to new heights and end on a positive note. Here's What To Expect From Its Second Half of Broadcast Despite its lighthearted atmosphere, "The Law Cafe" still touches dark themes such as corruption, fraud and more. Apart from that, the series also sheds light to serious issues like domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and more. As the series enters its second half, the drama is expected to unravel twists and turns as well as answer every possible question that the viewers have. In particular, the main focus in the second half of the broadcast is Kim Jeong Ho (Lee Seung Gi) and Kim Yu Ri's (Lee Se Young) relationship. In the remaining episodes, they are expected to smoothen the lines that muddled in their friendship. The two are also predicted to put everything aside once they find answers, and finally rekindle their romance. As for the Dohan Construction, fans wish to see Lee Pyun Woong (Jo Han Chul) in his rightful place and pay for the crimes he committed. In particular, viewers are also curious whether Kim Yu Ri will continue her coffee shop business until the end, and whether Kim Jeong Ho will join her as lawyer partners in the long run. Moreover, "The Law Cafe" approaches the viewers with a bittersweet romance mixed with crazy, so brace yourself for the ride! Catch the new episodes of the drama every Monday and Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. KST on KBS2! KDramastars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. FILE - Democratic U.S. Senatorial incumbent Raphael Warnock speaks to supporters during a campaign stop at the Cobb County Civic Center on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in Marietta, Ga. The Georgia Democrat's campaign announced Tuesday, Oct. 4. 2022, that it had raised $26.3 million in the most recent quarter as Warnock runs against Republican Herschel Walker to hold his seat. (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File) Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman presented to the County Board a budget for next year that proposes a decrease in property taxes for the owner of an average value home, emphasizes public safety and money that would aid the city in redeveloping Uptown. Kerkman, in delivering her first budget address as county executive Tuesday night, said that her initial months since taking the reins have been about building partnerships. Partnerships with local government our municipalities, first responders and with our county employees the list goes on, she told the board. Working together is how we get things done in Kenosha County. And, working in partnership with you, we will adopt a budget that provides services the people of our county need, moves us forward as the gateway to Wisconsin and uses our taxpayer resources wisely. Levy up, property; taxes drop Administrations proposed budget comes with a tax levy increase of 1.86 percent rising by $1,353,956 million to $74,094,863 million for 2023.The corresponding tax rate is expected to drop by 56 cents from $4.18 this year to $3.62 per $1,000 of equalized property value next year. That means, the owner of a median value home, $271,000 (up from $238,549 this year) would expect to pay $981.51 in taxes for next year, a decrease. By comparison, in 2022, a home owner paid $997.01 in taxes to the county. The total budget for the county is expected to decrease by $27,573,422 to $275,042,503, a drop of about 9.11%. That decrease is due in large part to the Kemper Center project that had been part of the countys budget last year, but did not materialize, according to administration officials. She touted the countys AAA bond rating crediting the finance team and retired chief finance officer and now Supervisor David Geertsen for the countys top financial standing. One of the reasons weve maintained a triple A bond rating is that we continue to be a magnet for economic development in the region and the nation, she said. For the second year in a row, the county had the highest net new construction in the state in 2022 and the states second highest job growth during the five-year period from 2016 to 2021. The state averages was minus 1%, she said. Kerkman attributed the growth to companies, including Vonco Products, Salem Business Parks first tenant which broke ground on 36,000 square foot addition last fall. Developments in Pleasant Prairie, including the new Kroger grocery fulfillment center and Haribo also continue add to the regions economic development, she said.e Uptown redevelopment funds The budget also proposes $350,000 to the City of Kenosha for the ongoing redevelopment of the Uptown area as the community continues to heal from the wounds we suffered in August 2020. The redevelopment includes the The Lofts, which would bring housing, a grocery store and restaurant, among other developments to the Uptown area, that was destroyed during the civil unrest two years ago. This budget contributes $350,000 to an effort that will bring businesses and residents back to the struggling areas in the heart of the city. The budget, she said, looks to move forward with replacing the countys outdated human services building. The county has proposed moving the department from its current site at the Job Center, 8600 Sheridan Road to the Sun Plaza shopping center at the 52nd Street and 30th Avenue. Thanks to this board for recently approving the acceptance of a nearly $10 million grant from the state of Wisconsin, she said. According to Kerkman, the project is on track for construction next year with and an opening by spring of 2024. Kerkman said the administrations budget also commits to maintaining and improving county infrastructure, including that of the Pike River South Branch restoration. That project was previously supported by the County Board in the 2022 budget and is moving forward, she said. The project, in an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers comes with a $10 million grant for its first phase. The project is aimed at addressing chronic flooding in the corridor on the citys west side and in Somers. Public safety, risk management assessment During a press conference prior to the meeting, Kerkman said the budget also looks to hire a detective and analyst in the Sheriffs Department. Ive talked to the folks at the Sheriffs Department. My envisioning of this position because its very important to know where our crime is in those types of things, using heat maps to really dive in closer in looking at the data, she said of the new analyst position. As a result of an ongoing class and compensation study, administration has also proposed a 3% increase to the county's wage schedule and a 1% across-the-board increase for employees beginning Jan. 1. The recommendation comes as a consultant's preliminary findings show the county "benchmark jobs" to be, on average, below market value, Kerkman said. An additional $500,000 has been included to address the study's final recommendations in the coming months. The budget also includes $150,000 that would allow the county to hire risk management firm to conduct an after-incident assessment of the August 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake and the aftermath of protests and riots left in its wake. The study would also evaluate other emergency events, such as the flooding and tornadoes and how the county responded to them. In addition, the county executive said she has introduced a Kenosha County Veterans Honor Portal an online, one-stop shop for information designed for veterans in the county. The portal includes a map-based application with a self-guided tour of land marks dubbed the Kenosha County Veterans Tribute Trail. The feature also includes an honor registry, which allows veterans or their families to contribute a living history to the portal. In conclusion, this budget meets the needs of our county, it moves us forward and it does so fiscally responsibly, she said. I look forward to working in partnership with you the County Board to make it happen. The proposed budget will be presented to County Board committees this month. A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 1 before the board as a committee of the whole and will then be voted on by the full board on Nov. 2. The NAACP Kenosha Branch has announced the recipients of two special awards ahead of the Freedom Fund Dinner scheduled for Nov. 4. After a two-year hiatus, event organizers are preparing for a celebration by restoring the Brother John Wright Justice award and the Rev. Olen Arrington Jr. Excellence award. The Arrington honor is given to an individual who has demonstrated an exceptional level of academic stewardship in their professional career and community leadership activities. The Wright award is given to an individual who lives an exemplary life fighting for Social Justice including civil rights, voting rights, and any form of discrimination. In a release, the Kenosha NAACP said will recognize Zina Haywood, executive vice president and provost for Gateway Technical College, with the Rev. Olen Arrington, Jr. Excellence award for her exemplary personal and professional commitment to creating pathways for women of color to pursue careers in education and to increase access and affordability for non-traditional students professional stewardship in Academics. Tanya McLean, Executive Director and Founder of Leaders of Kenosha (LOK) will receive the Bro. John Wright Justice award for her commitment to not only improving the lives of Black people but for taking on issues of injustice in our community and ensuring that all citizens are treated fairly. McLean paid homage for her honor by acknowledging the Kimberle Williams Crenshaw quote,Its not about supplication; its about power. Its not about asking; its about demanding. Its not about convincing those who are currently in power, its about changing the very face of power itself. The late Rev. Olen Arrington Jr. was an educator, long-time pastor of Kenosha's Second Baptist Church on Washington Road and local civil rights leader. He made history in 2000 when he became Kenosha Unified's first African American member on the School Board. The late Brother John Wright was the past, long-time NAACP president (1987-2000), a local civil rights leader and the lead evangelist of the 23rd Avenue Church of Christ in the city's Columbus Park neighborhood. They died in June 2010. The NAACP Kenosha Branch also named Bryan Albrecht, President, Gateway Technical College, Terri Wruck, Manager of Charitable Giving at Snap On, and Tim Mahone, president of Mahone Strategies as 2022 Freedom Fund Event co-chairs. The NAACP Freedom Fund dinner has a proud tradition of bringing the Kenosha area business and community stakeholders together to make a difference, said Wruck, Freedom Fund event chair. Zina Haywood and Tanya McLean are true social justice champions who have effected change and advanced the cause of civil and human rights across Southeastern Wisconsin. The event will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Student Ballroom beginning with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the program at 6:30 p.m. The theme for the fundraiser is This is Power. The Freedom Fund Dinner is an established tradition for NAACP Branches across the country to raise funds and create pathways to effect change while advancing the cause of civil and human rights in America. The return of the Freedom Fund dinner is a historic reminder of Kenoshas commitment to eliminating social injustices while creating more equitable opportunities for everyone in our community, said Freedom Fund Co-chair Tim Mahone. Both Zina and Tanya are proven examples of how-to leadership creates meaningful change The event provides an opportunity to bring together emerging leaders and community stakeholders to end discrimination, embrace diversity and ensure greater opportunity for all people. The Freedom Fund Dinner is our opportunity to celebrate unity within our community. Our honorees exemplify how a single person holds power to change the world, said Freedom Fund Event Co-Chair Bryan Albrecht. The keynote speaker for this years event is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. He is the first African American to serve as the countys top official, and, at age 33, also the youngest. He previously represented Milwaukee as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, serving from January 2017 until June 2020. To purchase tickets to the Freedom Fund dinner visit https://KenoshaFreedomFund.eventbrite.com. For additional tickets, sponsorship and ad information contact NAACP President Anthony Davis at anthonydanetta1@att.net. Individual adult tickets are $75 (NAACP membership included), senior adults and youth (under 18 years of age) are $30 (NAACP membership not included). For more information contact the branch by email at anthonydanetta1@att.net or kenoshanaacp@yahoo.com or by phone 262-374-0888. Dot the Is, cross the Ts and, oh yeah, dont forget the ZIP code. Election season is upon us theres only a month to go before the November general election and we could tell by another flurry of court fights over absentee ballots. Last week, a liberal group, Rise, Inc., which encourages students to vote, and Jason Rivera, a voter who lives in Madison, filed suit in Dane County Circuit Court, against the state Elections Commission and Madison City Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl. A second, similar suit was filed in Madison three days later by the League of Women Voters. Rise argues election officials should be allowed to accept absentee ballots with partial witness addresses as long as they can discern the correct addresses. They also argue state law does not specify what constitutes an address. Rise says voters should not be disenfranchised because of immaterial errors on ballot envelopes like a missing ZIP code. Its a counter to the ruling by a Waukesha County judge in September who held that election officials couldnt fix or fill in missing address information on absentee ballot envelopes. That means election officials have to mail back the ballot envelopes (and the ballot) to the voter and have them correct or cure the information on the ballot envelope and get it back to the election clerk by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8. Its not a new fight. The state Election Commission (WEC) issued a directive to election clerks in 2016 to allow them to cure ballot envelopes with minor deficiencies. Then the hotly contested 2020 presidential election brought all sorts of allegations of voter fraud and a stolen election. That election was held during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when voters were hunkered down at home and many did not want to stand in line at the polls. Not surprisingly, absentee ballot voting in-person or by mail jumped to 59.7 percent of all votes in Wisconsin. That triggered concern over absentee voting practices and state Republican legislators told the WEC to withdraw that guidance or resubmit it as an administrative rule. It became a rule in July, but later that month the Republican-controlled Administrative Rules Committee struck it down. The WEC maintained the 2016 guidance to clerks still stood, leading to a conservative-backed lawsuit that resulted in the Waukesha judges ruling in September. The judge there, however, did not specify what information is required to constitute an address. So, that leaves us here, today, just a month away from the election with court fights still raging and this one could conceivably end up before the conservative-leaning state Supreme Court before its over. Hopefully before Election Day. Timing becomes important because absentee ballots are already being sent out. But election clerks across the state will face a pinch on how to handle ballot envelopes with deficiencies in the last few days before the election. Mail them back to the voter? That might not be enough time for the voter to receive it and mail it back in or deliver it in person by 8 p.m. on Election Day. The number of ballot envelopes with deficient information is not large but its not small either. The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau reviewed nearly 15,000 ballot envelopes from the 2020 election across 29 municipalities and found that 1,022 were missing parts of witness addresses. Thats about 7%. Only 15, or 0.1%, had no witness address. Do we believe that the ballot of a legitimate voter should be tossed out because its missing the name of the state (its Wisconsin), or a ZIP code? No, we do not. Do we like the idea of the courts determining if your mail-in ballot counts or not? No, we do not. Our suggestion is that you take matters into your own hands. You can do that a couple of ways. You can march down to the polls on Nov. 8 and cast your ballot in person; or you can mail or drop it off at the clerks office but only after youve double-checked it for missing information. Its not that hard. The ballot envelope requires you, the voter, to sign it and date it. It also requires the signature of an adult witness who attests to your address, which is listed on the ballot envelope. That witness must also provide (his or her) house number and street name or fire number and street name, city, state and ZIP code. (Those in rural areas without a house or fire number can provide rural route numbers and box numbers, along with city, state and ZIP code.) If your vote is important to you, you should at least give it the same attention as you would to the address on the Christmas package you are going to mail next month to Aunt Myrtle in South Carolina. And dont forget to fill out the ballot itself, too. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! To create a healthier, more just, and more equitable world, we must confront the truth, and that requires an act of collective courage. Perhaps there needs to be a whole new consciousness that abandons ideas of reforms and instead labors a social transformation toward liberation. There cannot be effective solutions that expand globally in the public health sphere if there isnt an effort to shift the way we think about the kind of power that is needed to create a world worth living in. Ira Memaj is a public health educator. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, The local and global concerns of COVID-19. This episode is sponsored by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience. With so many demands on their time, physicians today report record levels of burnout. Burnout is caused by many factors, one of which is clinical documentation. Studies indicate physicians spend two hours documenting care for every hour spent with patients. At Nuance, we are committed to helping physicians do what you love care for patients and spend less time on clinical documentation. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is an AI-powered, ambient clinical intelligence solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 83 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Rediscover the joy of medicine with clinical documentation that writes itself, all within the EHR. VISIT SPONSOR https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RATE AND REVIEW https://www.kevinmd.com/rate FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/kevinphomd FOLLOW ON TIKTOK https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinphomd GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://earnc.me/Br6LCX Powered by CMEfy a seamless way for busy clinician learners to discover Internet Point-of-Care Learning opportunities that reward AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s). Learn more at about.cmefy.com/cme-info 53 Shares Share You and I are different from who we were yesterday, last year, three years ago. We have been impacted by the pandemic, loss, and stress. We are struggling to bring some semblance of normality back into our lives. War, climate change, racial discontent, political division, and economic upheaval have affected our psyche and health. We long to tell our stories, first to ourselves and then to those whom we trust to listen and validate them, with the hope that by doing this, we will begin the journey to healing. But who will truly listen? The application of narrative medicine to the patient encounter allows the physician and patient a channel for the patients story to come to the surface so it will be heard, acknowledged, absorbed, and interpreted with a sense of compassion and empathy. This is not a novel approach but rather the way medicine was practiced prior to the age of corporate health care. Here is a glimpse into the world of narrative medicine from a patients perspective a moment in time when the physician enters the world of his patient and when an important connection is formed between the two. I enter the space of the exam room filled with fear and anxiety. My health story is complicated, with plenty of twists and turns. It seems my resolve is being tested yet again. I feel my heart pounding in my chest, my eyes darting about the room to find something calming to focus on. And so, I focus on the pastoral scene hanging on the wall and wish somehow I was there instead of here. I hear a knock on the exam room door as my doctor enters the room. We are masked(following medical guidelines), so there is an air of detachment between us. You ask how Im doing and that its good to see me again as you sit at your desk in front of the computer. I wonder how I am to answer your question when many factors affect my answer truthfully. You move your chair and are now facing me as you ask the even bigger question, What is most concerning to you right now, and how may I be of help? As I give my response, you are not compelled to make a data entry on the computer, but rather, you look intently at me and carefully listen to my response to my story. You ask if other troubling matters are occurring and affecting my life. You realize that I am more than a collection of data in an EMR; I am a unique individual whose life is composed of many experiences, all of which impact my health. I tell you that I am not certain that I possess the courage to face the potentially difficult times ahead. You tell me that I do. It is reassuring to hear your confidence in me. As we converse about my health, you occasionally pull up on the computer relevant test results and other data that will be used to develop a plan of action and invite me to take a look. You ask me if I agree with this plan because you realize that we form a partnership regarding my health. I have a voice in my health care, and I am not simply a bystander. Your choice of words and your tone of voice calm my troubled mind. You have taken the necessary time to determine our best course of action moving forward. A bond of trust is built between us, and I feel that my health is in the best hands. I leave the exam room feeling somewhat better, knowing that Ive had the opportunity to have my questions addressed and my story told. My mindset is one of confidence because I know I have you, my doctor, walking my health journey with me. Dr. Rita Charon, the Executive Director of Columbia Narrative Medicine at Columbia University, pioneered the field of narrative medicine. Narrative medicines guiding principles play an important part in establishing a strong relationship between physician and patient. However, its benefits extend beyond those directed to the patient its application is also of benefit to the physician. Physicians who develop narrative competence are able to walk alongside their patients as they navigate their disease processes and support their colleagues and reflect upon their hardships as providers in a career fraught with loss. With narrative competence, physicians can reach and join their patients in illness, recognize their journeys through medicine, acknowledge kinship with and duties toward other health care professionals, and inaugurate consequential discourse with the public about health care. By bridging the divides that separate physicians from patients, themselves, colleagues, and society, narrative medicine offers fresh opportunities for respectful, empathic, and nourishing medical care. The ability to voice our stories is a step toward potential resolution. This process helps relieve the burden that is within us and allows us to feel that we are not alone in the struggle. That, in itself, is very powerful and healing. For those physicians who are unfamiliar with narrative medicine and who may feel that they do not have the time within their schedule to apply this concept to their patients, I say try it. See if you experience a closer connection with your patients; as a result, you might recall what initially led you into the field of medicine. Narrative medicine may also be used to rediscover your humanity and your sense of self which may have been weighed down and lost through burnout and stress. This may be the spark that re-ignites your love of medicine. To those administrators of corporate health care systems, I ask that you allow the opportunity for your physicians to take the necessary time to interact with their patients instead of the revolving door approach. Time spent by the physician intently listening to the patients health story certainly has more validity than that same physician spending hours doing clerical tasks that could have been assigned elsewhere. At the same time, a strong connection is formed between physician and patient, leading to increased levels of satisfaction on both sides. Isnt that what we all want? The relationship between physician and patient is special, built on a foundation of trust and compassion. Narrative medicine serves as a pathway to enhance this experience even further. May we all find the peace we search for. Michele Luckenbaugh is a patient advocate. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Rebecca Bergin, 25 from Freshford in Kilkenny is living the dream. The business graduate from UCC is currently in the second year of a placement on a Bord Bia Graduate Programme in Paris. Working from Bord Bias office near the Elysee Palace in the 8th Arrondissement she is at the heart of the French capital and relishing every moment of her Emily in Paris experience. The Bord Bia Graduate Programme offers invaluable market experience to graduates, embarking on a career in the food and drink sector. The programme combines on-the-job learning, with a fully-funded monthly bursary, and academic study leading to a UCD Smurfit Business School accredited MSc. Prior to getting her place on the programme Rebecca was job-hunting while working part-time in Kilkenny. She says: When the graduate programme was advertised, I was like God, I would love that that would be brilliant. Now she is getting the opportunity to use her French language skills while also representing Irish food producers in the French marketplace. She is absolutely delighted with the invaluable experience she is getting in her Parisian role saying: Its better than I had imagined. A self-confessed foodie, who has a genuine passion for food, Rebecca is also getting the opportunity to gain insights into emerging food and drink trends in France. Rebecca pinpoints sustainability, organic produce, and local provenance as very important to French consumers. In the beverage sector she says that flavoured gins are also really popular. She observes: Its a really nice industry to be in and its really interesting because trends are just constantly changing. Especially working for Bord Bia, you have to be on top of the trends all the time. With their traditional love of fine food, the French marketplace is an important market for Bord Bia, especially post Brexit. Rebecca highlights Irish beef, lamb and whiskey as important categories for Irish exporters. As the French are very proud of their own food culture, Bord Bia have to navigate this strong localism in their campaigns. In the future Rebecca is keen to travel further but would also relish the opportunity to stay in France. She admits: Me personally, I love France. She laughs when similarities to Emily in Paris are mentioned. She does admit however that her striking red hair is an asset when representing Ireland; recently when wearing green at a trade event her Irish look was particularly commented on. The Bord Bia International Graduate Programme is open for applications with 15 roles in Dublin and 15 roles abroad. It is open to applications from recent graduates from a broad range of undergraduate degrees until November 6, 2022. Rebecca says: I definitely recommend applying and if you have a second language as well 100%. Its a really good experience. Its a really good place to learn and develop as a first work experience and also you get a fully funded masters. One of Kilkennys longest-serving school principals, a former councillor and Mayor of Kilkenny, has retired. Sean O hArgain has retired after decades of public service at the helm of Gaelscoil Osrai. He was honoured at a special ceremony on Friday where staff and students paid tribute to his years of stewardship. Principal OhArgain said he was hugely grateful to those attending or watching online, including Fr Roderick and the Board of the school. Im going to start with the most important people in my life, not just today but every day. I have two adult children, who are proud past pupils of this school. Unfortunately Caoilfhionn cant be here but I am absolutely delighted that Fionn is with us today, he said. Fionn had fantastic days here in the school and he has particularly fond memories of Muinteoir Labhras (Larry Hamilton) who provided him with an incredibly broad-based education and also my own friend Micheal O Cuinneagain, who was his sixth class teacher and nearly succeeded in making him into a full-blown Republican! Caoilfhionn also had wonderful years here, with the exception of the year that she was taught by her father. She had to inform me half way through the year that I could no longer use her as a spy, to report on the rest of the class! "They both received excellent education, a huge love for the Irish language and the core values of this school, which are al most impossible to measure. We are incredibly proud of both of them as honest, loyal, open and positive young people. Above anyone else, I am eternally grateful to Marian, or Mar as she is better known. I have been incredibly lucky to have an incredibly supportive, sometimes critical friend when needed and a woman of iimmense patience, understanding and straight talking as a life partner. The people of this city know the jewel I have as a spouse and I understand that very clearly too. "My parents are not in a position to attend but without them I would not be in the position I am in today. I am hugely proud of being a fifth generation teacher, going back to my great, great-grand uncle who worked as a hedge school teacher in mid-Clare, not long after the Great Famine. He stood for the right to education, to learning and to religious freedom, which was so necessary at the time, and my family (on both sides) have stood for those values ever since. I think specially today of my two grandparents who were hugely admired teachers. In particular, I remember Nance, my grandmother, who was a central and inspirational figure in my life. I remember the night she left us, having told me that she had finished the Crosaire crossword in the Irish Times and had learned a new word that day, at the age of 92! To my Mom and Dad, I am incredibly grateful. My love for learning, , for education, for curiosity, for arguing even, came from them both. We grew up in a house with a passion for reading, debating, curiosity and at times robust fighting of your corner. We had full freedom to express our feelings and views, but that also meant we had to defend them too. We had a huge interest in the world around us, based on the scientific analysis encouraged by our father and the incredible respect for our language, culture, music and heritage, which came from our mother.I am also hugely thankful to my brothers and sisters. There are three teachers among us, my two sisters and I. Principal O hArgain paid tribute to wider family, members of staff and the schools boards of management, and said he was delighted to be joined by students from the school. HAPPY I am particularly happy that the highest number ever of sixth class students progressed on this year to our sister post-primary school. The progression from Irishlanguage pre-school to primary and on to second level is the ultimate logical step and I hope that the numbers who do so will continue to increase, he said. Concluding, Principal OhArgain said: My unending thanks to you all. In the words of former RTE news journalist Maire de Barra at the end of the news a long time ago: Go gcuidi Dia sibh! A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures from the lower 20s to around 30 expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central, southwest, and west central Illinois. Portions of central, east central, northeast, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 9 AM CDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM TUESDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures from the mid 20s to around 30 expected. * WHERE...Central and eastern Missouri, as well as west central and southwest Illinois. * WHEN...From 9 PM Monday to 9 AM CDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. && Police have apprehended nine illegal Thai immigrants on charges of smuggling 10 billion-won ($7.05 million) worth of illegal drugs into Korea and selling them to Thai communities here, officials said Wednesday. The Chungnam Provincial Police Agency said it arrested a 33-year-old Thai national who operated a drug ring based in South Chungcheong Province and eight other ring members on charges of violating the drug management act. The nine, all of them illegal immigrants from Thailand, had allegedly smuggled various illegal drugs, such as methamphetamine, into Korea from Laos between October 2021 and last month and sold them to other illegal Thai immigrants in Korea or used them themselves. Police said they brought in the drugs, packaged as collagen supplements, through an international postal service. Based in the Nonsan and Cheongyang areas of South Chungcheong Province, the drug ring came in contact with Thai communities in the region, as well as those in the neighboring North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces, via social media to sell drugs in person for cash. Of the 3 kilograms of methamphetamine the ring smuggled into the country, police confiscated the remaining unsold amount of 1.3 kg, enough for 43,000 doses and worth 5 billion won, according to police officials. A total of 192 pills of yaba, a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine; 21 grams of marijuana; and 2 grams of ecstasy were also confiscated. The ring members told police they started using drugs to relieve fatigue from hard work, and spent the proceeds on living expenses and to purchase more drugs. In June, the drug ring leader received a prison sentence of 7 1/2 years, while the other eight are currently standing trial, the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency said. Thirty-one more Thai nationals were also apprehended on drug use and drug dealing charges in connection with the drug ring and all of them were deported to their home country, officials also said. (Yonhap) Albion, IN (46701) Today A few showers this morning with a steady, soaking rain during the afternoon hours. Increasing winds. Snow may mix in. High around 40F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Rain likely. Snow may mix in. Low 38F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Angola, IN (46703) Today Rain showers early will evolve into a more steady rain for the afternoon. Snow may mix in. High 41F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Snow may mix in. Low 37F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Rain showers this morning with a steady, soaking rain during the afternoon hours. Increasing winds. Snow may mix in. High around 40F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Snow may mix in. Low 38F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. Auburn, IN (46706) Today A few showers early becoming a steady rain for the afternoon. Snow may mix in. High 41F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Snow may mix in. Low 37F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch. IVE's Jang Wonyoung and Girls' Generation's Yoona were spotted at the Miu Miu fashion show in Paris. Both idols turned heads with their stunning visuals. Keep on reading for all the details. IVE Jang Wonyoung & Girls' Generation Yoona's Attend Miu Miu Show in Paris On October 4, IVE's Jang Wonyoung and Girls' Generation's Yoona were seen attending the Miu Miu 2023 Spring/Summer Fashion Show in Paris, France. For the event, Yoona wore an oversized grey coast over a bright red sweater. She paired the outfit with a light blue denim skirt, thigh-high white socks, and brass-colored heels. The "FOREVER 1" songstress accessorized the outfit with a black belt and handbag. With her youthful beauty, Yoona captivated many with her charms. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Girls' Generation Yoona Reveals Why She Doesn't Gain Weight Despite Eating A Lot Jang Wonyoung, on the other hand, wore a black-and-white cardigan with gold accents. She paired the top with denim mini-shorts. Jang Wonyoung rocked dangling metallic earrings for her accessories and clung to a black purse. In addition, she wore ankle-high white socks and black loafers. Jang Wonyoung showed off her refreshing and classy visuals. IVE Jang Wonyoung & Girls' Generation Yoona's Two-Shot at Miu Miu Show Becomes Hot Topic As both idols are brand ambassadors for Miu Miu, they stood side-by-side for photos on the red carpet. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: IVE Jang Wonyoung Continues to Draw Concern For Frail Figure Yoona and Jang Wonyoung's interaction at the event quickly became viral. On October 4, a post titled "Yoona and Jang Wonyoung's two shot at Miu Miu today" was shared by an internet user on TheQoo. The post included the interaction between the two idols and their individual images at the event. People praised their visual explosion. Internet users noted that the two have a similar image as "It Girls" and are both total visuals. Many hope the front shot will be posted to social media soon. Comments over Jang Wonyoung and Yoona's two-shot read, "The two-shot is so good." "Wow, both of them have a similar image." "Yoona is crazy... Wonyoungie too... I never knew I would see both of them together." "Give us the front shot..." "Crazy, both of them are dolls." "Wow, what is their age gap? They both look crazy." What do you think of the situation? Tell us in the comments below! For more K-pop news, follow and subscribe to KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Alexa Lewis KTOWN4U is popular website that caters to selling K-pop albums, merchandise, accessories, and even magazines such as ELLE, Vogue Korea, and Marie Claire, among others, that feature K-pop idols on the cover. Recently, KTOWN4U shared which of the magazines had amassed the most sales on their website. With that, here are the top 10 best-selling magazine covers featuring K-pop idols so far, according to KTOWN4U! BTS V for Vogue Korea's October 2022 Issue is the Best-Selling Magazine Cover Taking over as the best-selling magazine cover featuring a K-pop idol is BTS member V's cover for the October 2022 issue of Vogue Korea! According to KTOWN4U, V's solo cover for Vogue Korea, which is also in collaboration with luxury jewelry brand Cartier, had sold more than 52,900 magazine copies on the website in record time. In fact, this sales figure is also the highest amount recorded by a K-pop idol in terms of magazine sales. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BTS V Opens Up on Relationships, Time He Got Hurt After Experiencing THIS V's October 2022 issue cover for Vogue Korea also marks him as the first BTS member to ever have a solo magazine cover. Although this is not his first time gracing the cover, as V had previously appeared in the front pages with his fellow BTS members for the magazine's January 2022 issue. BIGBANG G-Dragon for Vogue Korea's November 2020 Issue is the Second Best-Selling Magazine Cover Following behind V as the second best-selling magazine cover featuring a K-pop idol is the King of K-pop and BIGBANG member G-Dragon's cover for the November 2020 issue of Vogue Korea! According to KTOWN4U's data, the BIGBANG member's solo cover for Vogue Korea, which dubbed him as the Trending King of K-pop for his excellent fashion sense, had recorded a sales figure of more than 36,300 magazine copies sold on the website. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: G-Dragon Has New Girlfriend? BIGBANG Member's Instagram Story Gains Attention This isn't the first time G-Dragon took over the front covers of Vogue Korea. With his reputation as one of the top-performing and best-selling Korean artists in the industry has seen, his unwavering influence and reputation landed him on the covers of numerous magazines throughout the years. Top 10 Best-Selling Magazine Covers Featuring K-pop Idols: *Based on KTOWN4U's sales 1. BTS V - Vogue Korea October 2022 issue (52,900+ copies sold) 2. BIGBANG G-Dragon - Vogue Korea November 2020 issue (36,300+ copies sold) 3. EXO Baekhyun - Harper's Bazaar October 2020 issue (27,900+ copies sold) 4. EXO Baekhyun - W Korea May 2020 issue (27,100+ copies sold) 5. BLACKPINK Rose - ELLE Korea July 2020 issue (25,800+ copies sold) 6. BIGBANG G-Dragon - Dazed Korea May 2021 issue (17,500+ copies sold) 7. NCT Taeyong - W Korea February 2022 issue (16,300+ copies sold) 8. SHINee Taemin - ELLE Korea October 2020 issue (14,700+ copies sold) 9. NCT Jaemin - WWD Korea October 2021 issue (11,700+ copies sold) 10. BLACKPINK Lisa - ELLE Korea April 2021 issue (11,600+ copies sold) For more K-Pop news and updates, always keep your tabs open here on KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Robyn Joan Sao Paolo [Brazil]/Noida [India], October 5 (ANI): Noida-headquartered technology company HCLTech announced its plan to hire 1,000 employees in Brazil in the next two years and to open a new technology centre in Campinas (Sao Paolo). The company said it was scaling up its operations to serve its growing local and global client base across industries. The company will hire local IT talent to develop and deliver next-generation technology solutions and services across digital, engineering and cloud. In line with its hybrid operating model, HCLTech also said it will embrace an agile workplace. Also Read | Coming Up: the Announcement of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is in Just a Few Latest Tweet by The Nobel Prize. "We are committed to delivering technology-driven differentiated solutions to our clients' increasing demands for digital transformation," said Anil Ganjoo, chief growth officer for Americas and executive sponsor for Brazil, HCLTech, adding that: "Our commitment to Brazil is part of our long-term strategic plan in the country, which includes supercharging progress for our clients, partners, people and communities in this region of significant importance." HCLTech is a global technology company, with more than 211,000 employees across 52 countries. It focuses on digital, engineering and cloud, powered by a broad portfolio of technology services and products. Also Read | Russian President Vladimir Putin Signs Laws Annexing 4 Ukrainian Regions. "We are excited to continue expanding our presence and bringing new economic opportunities to Brazil," said Fabiano Funari, country head, Brazil, HCLTech, and also added: "We're committed to becoming the preferred digital partner for clients in Brazil by delivering the best technology solutions to help our local and global clients on their technology journeys. We are also committed to developing the new generation of technology talent." The tech company works in the segments of financial services, manufacturing, life sciences and health care, technology and services, and telecom and media, among others. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Gurugram (Haryana) [India], October 5 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Going beyond geographical barriers to reach out to customers ahead of Onam, Kerala's most celebrated festival, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India launched a first-of-its-kind outdoor campaign 'Floating Showroom in the Backwaters of Kerala'. Taking the market closer to its customers with this new initiative, Honda aims to take the legendary Activa to far-away regions of Kerala for showcasing the ease of access & durability that the scooter provides to its millions of loyal customers in India. Also Read | #WATCH | Population Imbalance Leads to Changes in Geographical Boundaries Population Latest Tweet by ANI. Conceptualized by Tribes Communication, the new campaign pays homage to Kerala's iconic character while resonating with the city's iconic transportation channels via the backwaters. Beginning its seven-day voyage ahead of Onam festival, from Arookutty, Honda's Floating Boat showroom covered over 15 locations before anchoring at scenic shores of Alleppey to celebrate the culture and spirit of the state. Noteworthy, the brand campaign registered a record-breaking growth of 41% in online queries and 24 per cent in retail stores with a combined increase by 33% in branded related inquiries. Also Read | Godfather Full Movie in HD Leaked on Torrent Sites & Telegram Channels for Free Download and Watch Online; Chiranjeevi's Telugu Film Is the Latest Victim of Piracy?. Commenting on the success of the campaign, Atsushi Ogata, Managing Director, President & CEO, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India said, "We wanted to create an experience for our local audience and narrate a story that would be relatable to them. Through the floating showroom activation, we are delighted that our connection with our consumers has grown stronger. The result achieved so far is a testimony of Honda's strong customer connect and we are optimistic that this will contribute to building better and prolonged relations with our audience." Besides offering attractive schemes & affordable finance options, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India brand displayed attractive offers and schemes on the two-wheelers for the locals. With this campaign, HMSI became the first brand to introduce such an unconventional advertising concept in India. According to Gour Gupta, Managing Director, Tribes Communication, "A brand storytelling has to be creative, compelling and engaging. Through the floating showroom activation, we wanted to create an unprecedented experience for the audience. We are glad to have generated a huge impact on the queries from the customers and are optimistic that the momentum will sustain." This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], October 5 (ANI): Thirteen people, who got duped in Thailand on the pretext of jobs and were taken illegally into Myanmar arrived in Chennai on Wednesday morning, said State Minister Gingee KS Masthan. "Thirteen people, who got duped in Thailand on the pretext of jobs and were taken illegally into Myanmar, arrived in Chennai People were trafficked to Myanmar from various parts of the state via agents. CM (MK Stalin) took efforts to save them," State Minister Gingee KS Masthan told the media persons. Also Read | Indian Air Force Says It Needs More Fighter Aircraft Citing Increasing Number of Jets in Pakistan, Chinese Air Forces. "Around 50 Tamils are still in Myanmar and the government will put efforts to bring them back," Tamil Nadu Minister Gingee KS Masthan added, after receiving the 13 people who arrived in Chennai. "We applied for a job in Dubai. The Dubai agent said that the job is in Thailand but there was no job when we reached there. They took us around 450 km away to some place in a car. From there, a group of Chinese people made us cross a river illegally," a victim from Coimbatore told ANI. Also Read | Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Other IT Companies Put Onboarding on Indefinite Hold, Make Freshers Feel Uneasy. "They took our company phones and later we got to know that we were in Myanmar. We didn't have VISA and were illegally there. We had to chat via fake IDs with VIPs. The local military rescued us. We were mentally tortured and worked for 15-16 hours a day. A lot of people came via different agents," added the victim. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Cooks Coffee Company (NZX: CCC ) the international coffee focused cafe chain, is pleased to announce a significant expansion in the number of cafes operating under the Companys Esquires and Triple Two brands, representing expected growth of almost 10% in store numbers before the end of the year. The Companys Esquires chain, which had 50 UK cafes at the end of September 2022, has recently opened a new outlet in Islington, London, with a further three openings in towns in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, England, planned before the end of 2022. A further five store openings are currently scheduled in the UK in Q1 2023. In Ireland, Esquires will shortly have a new cafe operating in a Dublin suburb and a further opening is planned in County Carlow in Q1 2023, to add to the existing 15 Esquires cafes in Ireland. The Companys Triple Two brand is also focused on a significant number of expansion opportunities, having already doubled the number of Triple Two cafes in the last twelve months to 20, before these planned new launches. This month will see the launch of the first of Triple Twos Triple Two Go vans, providing a mobile coffee outlet in the Manchester, UK, area. Additionally, five new stores are currently planned to be opened in London and the south of England before the end of 2022. With these additional cafe openings Cooks Coffees total store count is expected to rise from 111 cafes across the UK, Ireland and the Middle East as at the end of September 2022 to over 120 by the end of 2022. Significant further expansion is anticipated, with the Company having a very healthy pipeline of additional opportunities in negotiation which are expected to see further stores opening in the first half of 2023. As announced on 15 August 2022, Cooks Coffee is planning to dual list on the Aquis Growth Market in London in Q4 2022. Keith Jackson, Executive Chairman of Cooks Coffee Company, said: We are delighted with the recent performance of both our Esquires and Triple Two cafes as we continue to build a business of ethical coffee brands with community spirit. Building on our position as the fourth largest coffee focussed cafe chain in the UK (behind Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero), and the largest solely franchisor focused cafe chain in the UK and Ireland, we see considerable opportunities for further growth. The Cooks Coffee franchise model promotes individual entrepreneurship and local community engagement, which appears to be resonating both with people who want to partner with us to open new sites and existing franchisees looking to grow their businesses through innovative new offerings. Having emerged from the pandemic in a healthy position I believe Cooks Coffee is now poised for significant growth that will deliver value for our shareholders. I look forward to providing further updates in due course as we progress our planned dual listing on the Aquis Growth Market in London and continue to grow the business. Expansion with new cafe openings across the UK and Ireland Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SCT - Scott Announces FY22 Results Manawa Energy Q2 Operating Report & Market Guidance Update IKE 1H FY23 Performance Update GSH - Annual Meeting and Director Nominations PGW Trading Guidance Update October 18th Morning Report Fonterra announces new Sustainable Finance Framework Air New Zealand Limited Retail Bond Offer EVO - Resignation of Director Tower updates full year guidance Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 5 (ANI): A 136 ft tall puja pandal in the capital of Uttar Pradesh is going to attract everyone's attention. The Durga Puja pandal, situated in Jankipuram, Lucknow is going to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest ever. The pandal is a replica of the under-construction Chandrodaya temple of Vrindavan, which is built to be one of the tallest religious monuments in the world with a height of above 700-ft and spread over 5,40,000 sq feet area. Also Read | Indian Air Force Says It Needs More Fighter Aircraft Citing Increasing Number of Jets in Pakistan, Chinese Air Forces. The pandal stands tall in the middle of Durga Puja Park in Jankipuram. It is built by the Utsav Puja Committee, which is also celebrating the Puja for the last 28 years. While emphasizing the features of this tallest pandal, Rakesh Pandey, General Secretary of the Durga Puja committee said, "This entire pandal has been built by 52 artisans from Kolkata and Assam and a time of over one month has been taken to build this tallest pandal", Also Read | Wipro, Tech Mahindra, Other IT Companies Put Onboarding on Indefinite Hold, Make Freshers Feel Uneasy. "A total of Rs 32 lakhs have been spent in making this tallest Durga Puja pandal", ANI has learned. "Every day about 70 thousand devotees come to the pandal to offer their prayers to Durga Maa", Rakesh Pandey said further. "Complete security arrangements have also been made in this pandal, fire safety equipment have been kept in place, along with it, trained people have also been deployed to use it, about 55 people around the entire pandal. Apart from this security guards have also been deployed to protect the pandal", Rakesh Pandey said. Adding, "The Guinness Book of World Records team evaluated the entire pandal they assured that the certificate will also be given in 4 to 5 days". Till now the title of the world's tallest pandal was held by Kolkata, whose height was 125 feet but, now it is overpowered by the Lucknow Durga Puja pandal. Devotees coming from every corner of Lucknow also told ANI that we had never seen such a grand pandal before today and it is a matter of pride for us that the Durga Puja pandal situated in Lucknow will also be included in the Guinness Book of World Records. The Durga Puja pandal going to be certified by Guinness Book is as high as 14-storey building. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 5 (ANI): Highlighting the development push by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the region that was a terrorist hotspot earlier has now become a tourist hotspot due to the policies of the Modi government. Shah, who has been on a 3-day visit to J-K, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 240 development projects of about Rs 2,000 crore in Srinagar on Wednesday. Also Read | Shiv Sena Dussehra Rally: Uddhav Thackeray Launches Frontal Attack on Eknath Shinde Faction, Calls Them 'Traitors', Vows Return of Shiv Sainik As CM Soon. Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several development projects in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir and addressed a public meeting in the region. Several dignitaries including Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh were also present on the occasion. Also Read | Durga Visarjan 2022: Six Drown During Durga Idol Immersion in Rajasthan's Ajmer District. In his address, the Union Home Minister said that the hills of Pir Panjal and Chenab and this region of Kashmir Valley are among the most beautiful areas of the world. "The development ushered in Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jammu and Kashmir is clearly reflected through the happy faces of the people in the region. He said that earlier, the three families who used to rule in the region hardly worked for the development of the region," Shah said. He said PM Modi has completed a huge task of ensuring that democracy reaches every village of Jammu and Kashmir. "Earlier, the meaning of democracy in Kashmir was restricted within the three families, 87 MLAs and 6 MPs, but after August 5, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has connected 30,000 people with democracy by taking it to the level of Panch, Sarpanch, BDC and Zilla Panchayat of the village." Earlier, due to corruption, he said the money of the poor was being misused, but now, PM Modi is ensuring that the money of the poor will reach the poor. Shah said, "under the rule of three families, only Rs 15,000 crore investment came in Jammu and Kashmir in 70 years, but under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, an investment of Rs. 56,000 crore has come in just three years." "Earlier the region was a terrorist hotspot but now it has become a tourist hotspot. Earlier, a maximum of six lakh tourists used to visit the Kashmir Valley every year, whereas this year alone till now, 22 lakh tourists have visited the region, giving employment to thousands of youth, and this process will be further strengthened," he said. Shah said that earlier stones and guns were given in the hands of the youth of the Valley, but now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has replaced them with mobiles and laptops and provided employment to the youth by setting up industries in the region. The Union Home Minister said that terrorism has not led to any good in the world. "From 1990 till today, 42,000 people of Jammu and Kashmir have succumbed to terrorism. Now terrorism is slowly being weeded out," he said. Shah said that now electricity has reached every village in Kashmir and Prime Minister Modi has ensured complete treatment up to Rs 5 lakh free of cost. He said that 77 lakh people have been given health cards so that they do not have to spend a single penny for their treatment. Union Home Minister said that he wants to reach out to the Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis of Baramulla, and the youth of Kashmir. He said that the people of Kashmir should think with an open mind that no good was ever done by the people who spread terror in the region, and Kashmir should now move forward with all the States of the country. Shah said that we should not go down the path of terrorism but that of development. The Minister said that the expressway from Nangal to Baramulla and from Baramulla to Uri has been built at a cost of Rs 850 crore. A 43-km road has been built connecting Baramulla to Gulmarg at a cost of Rs 85 crore to help tourists travelling from Gulmarg to Baramulla. He said that over one lakh families are being brought under the ambit of education through a scheme of Rs 847 crore. Two stadiums have been built in 402 panchayats of Jammu and Kashmir along with one playground in each panchayat. Additionally, two indoor stadiums are also being built at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Shah said that in the month of September this year, 13 lakh tourists visited Gulmarg. He said that the installation of power plants and irrigation projects worth thousands of crores of Rupees will bring prosperity to the valley of Kashmir. In order to improve the rail network, the work on rail link from Udhampur to Baramulla has been initiated. Under the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana, 119 new roads worth Rs 3,167 crore have been built. He appealed to the people to join the mainstream of the country and empower the process of development and move forward. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, October 5: Six days after AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said Congress president Sonia Gandhi will decide on the Rajasthan chief minister's post "in a day or two", uncertainty prevails among party workers in the state. "The state of confusion and uncertainty eventually harms the party. The assembly elections are approaching and hard work has to be done, but when there is confusion regarding the chief minister, it becomes difficult for the party workers," said Muzaffar Bharti, a Congress leader from Ajmer. Rajasthan Congress Crisis: Amid Uncertainties Over CM, Kamal Nath Called to Delhi; Likely To Meet Sonia Gandhi. Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot through his routine functioning, visits and meetings has tried to indicate that he is going to stay as the chief minister. However, dilemma persists among Congress workers with certain factions still believing there may be a change of guard in the state. Some Congress members said the party high-command should clear the confusion prevailing in Rajasthan. Rajasthan Congress Crisis: Sonia Gandhi to Decide on State chief minister within a day or two, Says Party GS KC Venugopal. Former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot held a meeting with Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas at the latter's residence on Monday night. The development is being seen as politically significant in the state. Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Gudha, who has switched to the Pilot camp from Gehlot faction, and a few other legislators also met the former deputy chief minister at his residence on Tuesday. "The chief minister has resumed visits to districts, holding meetings and appears confident. At the same time, there are some other developments also like Pilot meeting Khachariyawas and talks doing the rounds that the chief minister will be changed. This has created a lot of confusion which should be cleared by the Congress high-command," a party leader said in Jaipur. He said that if the party has to win the Rajasthan Assembly polls again, confusion will have to be removed at all levels. Congress leader from Ajmer, Bharti said the party organisation is also needed to be strengthened in Rajasthan and this can be done only when the "uncertainty over the CM post is cleared". An MLA from Gehlot camp said the chief minister has shifted his focus again to the routine work, conducting visits to districts to attend programmes under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympics. "He has given clear indications to people by visiting districts, to bureaucracy by holding a meeting of secretaries. However, there are certain developments which are fuelling speculations and it is for the party leadership to clear the confusion," he said. He said that people are appreciating schemes launched by the chief minster and if confusion persists, it causes loss to the party. On the other hand, one of the leaders from Pilot's constituency Tonk said that people want him as the chief minister and are waiting for the development to happen. "Pilot is the leader of 36 'kaum' and not only that of Gurjars. People want to see Pilot as the chief minister of Rajasthan," he said. The political crisis in the state unfolded with the party's move to hold a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting at the chief minister's residence on September 25. This was seen as an exercise to change the chief minister prior to the election to choose the party president for which Gehlot was the front runner. However, the meeting could not take place because Ashok Gehlot's loyal MLAs held a parallel meeting and handed over their resignation to assembly speaker CP Joshi against any move to make Pilot the CM. They wanted to get any MLA from 102, who supported the Ashok Gehlot government during the crisis in July 2020 that happened due to the rebellion of Pilot and 18 other MLAs, appointed as the new chief minister if Gehlot had to be replaced. Gehlot has apologized to Sonia Gandhi in Delhi for not being able to get a one-line resolution passed in the CLP meeting. After returning from Delhi, Gehlot started his work normally, indicating that all is well now. Pilot camp has remained silent all this while. It may be noted that Pilot and Gehlot were in the race for the CM post after the Congress came to power in December 2018. Pilot was the state Congress president that time, but the party high-command made Gehlot the chief minister for a third time and Pilot was made his deputy. In July 2020, Pilot along with 18 Congress MLAs revolted against the leadership of the chief minister. The one-month-long crisis ended after the intervention of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, Oct 5 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Shah, who is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in the Union territory, officials said. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: Man Beats Security Guard to Death With Bamboo Sticks for Not Allowing Him To Consume Alcohol in Powai. They said Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Director IB, DGs of various central armed police forces, police and army officials were present in the meeting. Shah is scheduled to address a public rally at Showkat Ali Stadium in Baramulla district before returning to Srinagar. Also Read | Gujarat Public Flogging Video: Youths Accused of Attacking Garba Event Tied to Pole, Thrashed With Sticks by Kheda Police As Villagers Cheer. He will lay foundation stone for several development projects and also inaugurate some projects which have been completed. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bandipora (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 5 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Police is confronted by the challenge of curbing the "scourge of drugs" which was feared to be rampant in Bandipora. "People for the past several years had feared that the scourge of drugs was rampant in the district and wanted to curb it as much as possible by the administration," said a report. Also Read | Navratri 2022: Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari Temple in Visakhapatnam Decorated With Currency Notes, Gold Ornaments Worth Rs 8 Crore As Part of Dasara Celebrations (Video). In a bid to curb the impact of drugs on the youth, the Bandipora police led by Senior Superintendent of Police Bandipora, Mohammad Zahid proceeded with the action while Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySP) Headquarters Shafat Mohmad put the responsibility of this task on his shoulders to fight this battle, according to the report. "In Bandipora's main town, one of the localities known as ward number-6 was the most infamous for the drug scourge on which the senior citizens were always concerned. Even, parents did not want their children to pass through this area," the report quoted a local Abul Majeed as saying. Also Read | Lucknow Shocker: Husband Kills Wife for Talking With Friend Over Phone, Ends Life in Talkatora. A post-graduation student in social works at Kashmir university, Tabasum Jan said that she always heard about the Bandipora district being known for A'lim (knowledge or education hub). "However, at the same time, she also used to hear that the district is losing its educational identity and the reason for which everyone was telling the spread of the drug curse," said the report. She said that the J-K Police has waged a war against the menace of drugs and it has been successful. "For the past few days I have been hearing that big drug dealers are being caught including some women who were always evading the police," the report quoted the student as saying. While giving details, the district Police chief Mohammad Zahid said that 58 NDPS cases were registered since 2021 and 82 drug peddlers which includes some big infamous peddlers were arrested. He said that 14.5 gm brown sugar, 22, 281spasmoproxyvon tablets, 1534 codeine bottles, xxx RUM bottles, around 2 KG charas, 32 KG 610 gm of charas powder, 30 Tramafar injections, 11 KG bung leaves and 4.500 poppy straw were recovered since last years. According to a senior police official, the police had got the information recently that the young students were being involved in the curse of drugs by taking the codeine bottles. The police proceeded with the action and raided a house in the Kuloosa locality and about 1,300 bottles were recovered from the spot. Two drug peddlers were also arrested. According to the report, on September 28, the police said that they arrested a notorious female drug peddler identified as Posha Begum hailing from Bandipora, who was evading arrest after she managed to escape on August 25 during a raid on a residential house, and a case was registered in PS Bandipora. "Keeping the sensitivity of matter in mind, a special investigation team was constituted to trace her by district police chief under the supervision of DYSP HQRS Bandipora Shafat Mohmad," it said. "The police said that she was produced before the Hon'ble court Bandipora and was granted judicial remand," it added. Earlier, last week the district police had organised an anti-drug awareness programme 'Prevention of drug addiction' under the banner of Nasha Mukht Abhiyan Diwas at Police stations Pethkote and Aragam respective, said the report. The programme was organised by police with the motive of generating awareness among vulnerable age groups about the ill effects of drug addiction to seek the cooperation of society in eradicating the social evils prevailing in society, particularly the menace of drugs. Detailed deliberations on various aspects of drug addiction and preventive measures especially in youth were also made while participants pledged to never indulge in any kind of substance abuse. The participants thanked the Bandipora Police for conducting such awareness programmes and building a bridge of trust between the police and the youth. Meanwhile, the Bandipora police have said that they are determined to eradicate the drug scourge from its roots while its ecosystem will be destroyed. "No one in the district will be spared under any circumstances regarding the drug scourge," it said while appealing to people to cooperate with the police to eradicate the drug menace in the district. "In a bid to eradicate drug menace from the society, lot many counselling sessions were organized by the police in several areas of the district," the report quoted the official as saying. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu, Oct 5 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Director General (Prisons) Hemant K Lohia was cremated with full state honours here on Wednesday, two days after he was murdered allegedly by a domestic help, in a sombre ceremony attended by family members, senior officials and colleagues. Lohia, a 1992-batch IPS officer, was found dead with his throat slit at his friend's house on the outskirts of Jammu late Monday night. Also Read | Bal Thackerays Son Jaidev Shares Stage with Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde at Dussehra Latest Tweet by PTI News. Jammu Zone Additional Director General of Police Mukesh Singh said Wednesday no terror angle has emerged during the investigation of the case. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Four Terrorists Killed in Two Separate Encounters in Shopian. The accused, 23-year-old Yasir Lohar domestic help at the house, was arrested from a field in Kanhachak on Tuesday following a major manhunt. "No terror angle has emerged during investigation of the case of murder of H K Lohia. Interrogation of the accused is in progress. His disclosures are being corroborated with field investigation," the ADGP said in a brief statement. Terror group People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) had claimed responsibility for the murder. However, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh, who visited the crime scene on Tuesday, told reporters on Tuesday "these terror groups shamelessly own everything and anything". The body of the slain officer was handed over to his family this morning for last rites after completion of legal and medical formalities. Later, a coffin carrying the mortal remains of the officer and wrapped in the Tricolour, was taken to police lines Jammu, where a wreath laying ceremony was held to pay homage to him. Senior police officers, his batchmates including additional director general of police (ADGP), STF, Punjab Harpreet Singh Sidhu, and civil officers turned up and offered floral tributes to the departed officer. Hundreds of people joined them in paying their last respects. His family members including wife Madhu Lohia, daughter and son were present at the wreath laying ceremony, which witnessed emotional scenes as many of his relatives broke down. His wife controlled her emotions and was heard telling the ADGP headquarters M K Sinha she will not cry. "It is a very unfortunate incident as we have lost a dynamic and courageous officer. His departure is a big loss for the J&K police and the nation as a whole and the void left by him is impossible to be fulfilled," Sidhu told reporters. After the wreath laying ceremony, the mortal remains of the officer were taken to the Jogi gate crematorium. The body was consigned to the flames amid a gun salutes. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Baramulla (J-K), Oct 5 (PTI) Rejecting any dialogue with Pakistan on Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that his government was more interested in talking to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and assured them that assembly polls will be held with "full transparency". At his first public rally in the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, Shah, in his 27-minute speech at Showkat Ali stadium in Baramulla district, trained his guns at leaders from opposition parties NC, PDP and Congress with frequent references to the "three families", "Mufti and company" and "Abdullah and sons". Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Four Terrorists Killed in Two Separate Encounters in Shopian. The Home Minister blamed Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the "lack of development" in Jammu and Kashmir as they ruled the erstwhile state for most of the years since the country's independence. "Those people who ruled here for 70 years advise me to talk to Pakistan. I have a clear intention that I don't want to talk to Pakistan, but I want to talk to my Gujjar, Pahari and Bakerwal brothers of Baramulla. Also Read | Rajasthan Political Crisis: CM Ashok Gehlot Gives Off Business As Usual Vibes, but Congress Workers Want 'Uncertainty' To End. "I will talk to the youth of Kashmir. Think, what did Kashmir achieve because of militancy? Today, every state of the country is moving forward, and Kashmir will also have to keep pace. We don't have to tread the path shown by terrorists. "The youth of Kashmir will tread the path of country's development, will join corporate sector after securing education and jobs. Modi is taking the country forward. I appeal to you to support him," Shah told the jam-packed stadium. The Home Minister also used the occasion to announce that the political process has been initiated in the union territory. "I want to assure you that once the Election Commission completes the electoral rolls exercise, elections will be conducted in Kashmir with full transparency so that your elected representatives govern here." He said that before delimitation, only the "three families" used to come to power, "but the delimitation by the Election Commission will result in your own representatives winning in the elections and then governing". Ahead of his visit to the Baramulla, security arrangements were tightened by the police and paramilitary forces to ward off any threat by terrorists. Shah was greeted with cheers from the audience when he paused during his speech briefly as 'Azaan' or Muslim call to prayer started from a nearby mosque. Five minutes into his speech, Shah paused and asked those on the stage "if something was going on at a mosque". When someone on the dais told him that it was an 'Azaan', Shah stopped his speech briefly and the people chanted slogans hailing him. Shah said that it was the government's endeavour to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful place in the country. "Has terror benefited anyone ever in the world? About 42,000 people of J-K have lost their lives from 1990 till now because of terrorism. Tell me, who is responsible for this? These three families who have ruled J-K are responsible," he said. The Home Minister asserted that terrorism is slowly and steadily coming to an end and cited the development work undertaken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins in Delhi. "God forbid, if anyone in your family falls ill, Modi ji will provide free of cost treatment up to Rs five lakh. About 77 lakh people have been given (Ayushman Bharat gold) cards and they will not have to spend even a single rupee for their treatment. "There were one lakh people who had no shelter in bone-chilling cold. For 70 years, Mufti and company, and Abdullah and sons, ruled J-K, but one lakh people didn't get houses. "However, from 2014 till 2022, Modi ji gave houses to one lakh people in J-K," he said, adding about 12 lakh families were provided with gas cylinders and the prime minister got rid of "chulhas". Shah said that there were two models available for the people - one of Prime Minister Modi which talks about development, peace and unity, and increases employment avenues, and the other one is the Gupkar model which let the Pulwama attack happen. The Gupkar model brings Pakistani terrorists, while the Modi model brings Rs 56,000 crore worth of investment on the ground which will provide five lakh jobs, he said "In the Gupkar model, youth get stones, machine guns, but in Modi model, youth get IIT, AIIMS, NIFT, NEET. "The youth need education Abdullah sahab, don't put stones in their hands. Modi ji has made it possible for youth to shed stones and get on with their studies," he said adding that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the ecosystem of terror has almost ended. "If anyone supports terrorists in your locality, please make him understand that Kashmir will not benefit from terrorism. Bring him back to the mainstream. Kashmir will benefit from democracy, from industries being set up here and other developmental steps," he said. Due to the improved security situation, 22 lakhs tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir this year so far whereas the figure earlier stood at an average of six to seven lakh, Shah said. "Earlier it was a terrorist hotspot but today it is a tourist hotspot. Imagine how many people have benefited from this," he said. Shah on Wednesday visited the house of policeman Mudasir Sheikh, who was killed in an encounter in Baramulla district, at Uri, 100 km from Srinagar, and met his family members. He also presided over a review meeting on the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir where Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and senior officials of the Centre, officers of the Army, CAPF, J-K Police and Jammu and Kashmir Government were present. Shah came down heavily on the three political families, alleging that their rule was full of misgovernance, corruption and lack of development. Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he alleged at the rally. The home minister repeated what he had said at his rally in Rajouri on Tuesday that earlier, power in Jammu and Kashmir was with three families, 87 MLAs and six MPs. Now 30,000 people, who were elected representatives of panchayat and districts councils, are part of the governance process, he said. He said the first work done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that democracy has reached the grass root level. Shah said due to Article 370, there was no reservation for the SCs and STs but after its abrogation, quota benefits could be given to Gujjars, Bakarwal and Pahadis. Everyone will get their due share under the reservation. There will be no loss of share for anyone, he said. On Tuesday, Shah announced that ST reservation benefits will be given to the Pahadi community along with Gujjar and Bakarwal communities following a recommendation of the Sharma Commission. At the rally here, Shah said that Rs 56,000 crore investment has come to Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years which will give employment opportunities to five lakh people, while just Rs 17,000 crore investment had come since independence. "Today I have come to ask Farooq Sahab and Mehooba Mufti ji to give an account of how much investment has come into Jammu and Kashmir during their rule of 70 years. How many industries had come up? How many factories were set up and how many youths benefited from employment," Shah said. He alleged that rampant corruption led to underdevelopment in Jammu and Kashmir and said the Modi government has ensured that every rupee being spent goes to those most deserving. He said it was the third day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir and he was happy to see that development has taken place in the Union territory. "Some days back, I read a tweet from Mehbooba Mufti in which she had asked me to give an 'account' of our work. "Mehbooba Ji, keep your eyes and ears open. You along with Farooq (Abdullah) sahab should see what we have given and compare it with the rule of three families over the last 75 years,'' he said. Shah said all states have an Anti-Corruption Bureau except Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the "three families" were responsible for stalling it. "I wonder why they did not allow it," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 5 (ANI): An octogenarian man, working as a security guard, was allegedly bludgeoned to death in the Powai area of Mumbai on Tuesday. Both the accused and the victim were the residents of a chawl near an open plot in the area. Also Read | UP Shocker: Woman Kills Husband With Help of Lover in Rae Bareli After Extramarital Affair Discovered, Stages It As Suicide. The incident took place in the early hours of the day at JC Builders compound- where the deceased, 86-year-old Limbaji Kamble worked as a security guard. The accused, Shripat Dengle, allegedly in an inebriated state, allegedly beat up the old man with sticks after the deceased didn't allow him to drink liquor, officials said. The 58-year-old accused used to visit the compound- an open plot owned by a private builder near the Hiranandani Hospital in Powai. Also Read | Vijayadashami 2022: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Expresses Concern Over Population Imbalance in India, Calls for Comprehensive Policy To Check It. On the day of the incident, Kamble denied Dengle to consume liquor, which irked the latter. Around 4 pm on Tuesday Kamble assaulted Dengle with wooden sticks leading to the old man's death. "Shripat Dengle (56) allegedly hit his colleague with sticks and killed him on the spot following a brawl- which started after the old man denied the accused to consume liquor in an open plot on Monday," Mumbai Police said. After hearing Kamble's screams some locals ran to the spot and called up the security guard's son, who rushed his father to the Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Mumbai Police have registered a case on the statement given by the family members of Kamble against Shripat Dengle. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Akola, Oct 5 (PTI) Residents of a non-descript village in Maharashtra celebrate Dussehra in a different way as they perform the 'aarti' of demon king Ravan on the festival when his effigies are burnt in other parts of the country. Also Read | Mumbai Shocker: Man Beats Security Guard to Death With Bamboo Sticks for Not Allowing Him To Consume Alcohol in Powai. Many residents of Sangola village in Akola district believe they are employed and able to sustain their livelihood because of Ravan's blessings and the peace and happiness in their village is because of the demon king. Also Read | Gujarat Public Flogging Video: Youths Accused of Attacking Garba Event Tied to Pole, Thrashed With Sticks by Kheda Police As Villagers Cheer. Locals claim the tradition of worshipping Ravan for his "intelligence and ascetic qualities" has been going on in the village for last 300 years. At the centre of the village stands a tall black stone statue of the 10-headed demon king. The villagers believe in Lord Ram, but they also have faith in Ravan and do not burn his effigies, local resident Bhivaji Dhakre told PTI on the occasion of Dussehra on Wednesday. Visitors from across the country come to this small village on Dussehra every year to catch a glimpse of the Lanka king's statue and some even offer prayers, locals said. Sangola resident Subodh Hatole said, "With the blessings of Mahatma Ravan, today many people in the village are employed. On the day of Dussehra, we worship the statue of Ravan with a maha-aarti." Some of the villagers hail Ravan as a "scholar" and believe he abducted Sita for "political reasons and preserved her sanctity", Dhakre said. Local temple priest Haribhau Lakhade said while the rest of the country burns effigies of Ravana on Dussehra, symbolising the victory of good over evil, residents of Sangola worship the demon king for his "intelligence and ascetic qualities". Lakhade said his family has since long been worshipping Ravan and claimed the happiness, peace and contentment in the village is because of the Lanka king. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 5 (ANI): The Young Men's Christian Association in Telangana and Andhra has extended its support to K Chandrashekhar Rao's decision to float a new national party stating that the Chief Minister is doing so for the "development of minorities". The Association, which has nearly 250 units in both Telugu states comprising over 10 lakh members, passed a unanimous resolution. Also Read | Uttarakhand Accident: Bus Falls Into Nayar River in Pauri Garhwal, 25 Dead; CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Reviews Rescue Operation. "We welcome CM KCR's entry into national politics for the development of minorities, We stand by CM KCR who is protecting the rights of minorities. YMCA members presented the unanimous resolution supporting CM KCR's national party to MLC Rajeshwar Rao," said a statement by the association. Earlier on Tuesday, a political row erupted after a TRS leader was seen distributing liquor bottles and chicken to locals in Warangal, a day ahead of the possible launch of the new national party by KCR. Also Read | South Korea Ballistic Missile Crash After Malfunction During Drill With US Sends Residents of Gangneung Into Panic (Watch Video). Slamming K Chandrashekar Rao after TRS leader Rajanala Srihari was seen distributing liquor bottles and chicken to locals, Congress leader Madhu Yashki on Tuesday called the Chief Minister a "brand ambassador of liquor". He alleged that KCR is "known for his drinking habits". Srihari distributed 200 chickens and liquor bottles to labourers. The cutouts of KCR and minister KTR were seen in the video. Speaking to ANI, Yashki alleged that KCR is trying to make the people and youth of the state "addicted to liquor and drugs". "KCR is a brand ambassador of liquor. He not only drinks liquor but is also involved in the liquor scam. So this establishes that the TRS party supremo is known for his drinking habits. His passion for drinking and the way he is promoting liquor sales in Telangana. Instead of giving jobs, he is distributing liquor," he said. Yashki cautioned the people of the country stating that the Telangana Chief Minister has "looted and cheated" the people of the state. "The people of India should be aware Telangana CM is a drunken chief minister. He looted and cheated the people of Telangana. Image if this person comes at the national level. They are trying to make the youth of Telangana addicted to liquor and drugs. The TRS workers are doing this to please their leader," he alleged. Earlier, the sources said that it is strongly believed that CM KCR will announce the name of his national party on the occasion of Dussehra. TRS meeting will be held on Dussehra, October 5 at Telangana Bhavan here, an official release from KCR's office said on Monday. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Truscreen Group Limited (NZX/ASX:TRU) (TruScreen or Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Beata Edling as Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Edling joined TruScreen in October 2020 as Medical Affairs and Market Access Lead and has developed an intimate knowledge of the TruScreen cervical cancer screening technology and business. She led the medical affairs and market access of TruScreen into new markets in Eastern Europe and the Balkan nations and inaugurated TruScreens International Experts Group. Dr Edling has also worked closely with TruScreens major distributors in China and in Vietnam. Chairman, Mr Tony Ho, said as the world and our global markets normalise economic activities after COVID, it is timely that TruScreen continues with commercialisation of our cervical cancer screening technology. The appointment of Sydney based Dr. Edling will provide a sharper focus to growing our business as border restrictions are removed from our markets. The past COVID years were devoted to preparing the Company for post COVID commercial activities. We expect China to lift border restrictions in the next few months. I would like to thank Mrs Juliet Hull, our Non-Executive Director for stepping in to lead the Company as Interim CEO during the past 20 months during the COVID period. Under Mrs Hulls leadership, much was achieved by TruScreen, including completion of the critical supplier contract with Zapco International and transitioning of the global regulatory MDD to MDR platform. Mrs Hull will resume her role as a Non-Executive Director of TruScreen. Dr. Edling holds a MD from the Medical University, Gdansk, Poland, and has completed part 1 of her Fellowship with Royal College of Surgeons, Australia. Dr Edling completed her PhD at the University of New South Wales, Australia, has a MBA from Sydneys Australian Graduate School of Management, and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Dr. Edling is an experienced executive who previously led large and small Medical Affairs Teams and commercialised numerous medical products with global pharmaceutical companies, Sanofi-Aventis, Shire, Eli Lily and Amgen for Australia and New Zealand. Dr Edling was previously a Non-Executive Director of ASX listed Noxopharm Limited. Dr. Edling is multi-lingual and speaks several European languages. Dr Beata Edling Appointed CEO of Truscreen Group Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SCT - Scott Announces FY22 Results Manawa Energy Q2 Operating Report & Market Guidance Update IKE 1H FY23 Performance Update GSH - Annual Meeting and Director Nominations PGW Trading Guidance Update October 18th Morning Report Fonterra announces new Sustainable Finance Framework Air New Zealand Limited Retail Bond Offer EVO - Resignation of Director Tower updates full year guidance Mangaluru, Oct 5 (PTI) A youth and his schoolgoing sister died after their scooter collided with a car on a highway in Sullia taluk of Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district, police said on Wednesday. Also Read | Ahmedabad Shocker: Man Beats Wife, Punches Her in Face Before Throwing Her Out of House After Daughter Starts Crying. The accident occurred on the Subrahmanya-Jalsoor state highway on Tuesday afternoon at Elimale in Sullia taluk, police said. Also Read | Oppo A17 With 5,000mAh Battery Now Official in India. The deceased have been identified as Nishant of Kadapala Bajinadka and his younger sister Moksha. Nishant was a student of a junior college in Sullia and his sister was studying in Class 5, they said. The duo were seriously injured in the accident and were rushed to the government hospital at Sullia. While Nishant died on the way to hospital, Moksha succumbed to injuries while being taken to Mangaluru for specialised treatment. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad [Pakistan], October 5 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has demanded that the contempt cases against her party leaders should also be quashed as it was done in the case of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. On October 3, the Islamabad High Court dismissed a contempt case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan after he agreed to apologise for his controversial remarks against a female judge at a rally. Also Read | Moscow Court Slaps Fine of USD 50,943 on TikTok for Refusing To Remove LGBT Propaganda. In a press conference on Tuesday, the PML-N leader maintained that the IHC's decision to dismiss the contempt case against the "devil" Imran Khan has "emboldened" him, The News International reported. She demanded same for her party leaders including Talal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz, and Nehal Hashmi. Also Read | Elon Musk Offers to Proceed with Twitter Buyout Deal: Report. "For years, he has been doing this. And when he does (something illegal) and sees that action will be taken against him, he apologises," Maryam said about Khan who recently escaped being charged for contempt of court, as per The News International. The PML-N leader said Khan went to the chambers of Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry to apologise as he was aware that if he does not do it, then he can be disqualified. "Was Zeba asked whether she wants to forgive him or not? Do you (courts) know what kind of precedent are you setting? Now, anyone can abuse and threaten any woman in jalsas," she said in the press conference. Imran Khan had submitted an affidavit in the IHC, assuring the court he would never do anything in future that would hurt the dignity of any court and the judiciary, especially the lower judiciary, The Express Tribune reported. Imran Khan had made some controversial remarks against Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and other officials at a rally on August 20 in Islamabad. The PTI chief had criticised the female judge after she had approved an extension in the physical remand of his close aide Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case. The PTI chief was booked in a terrorism case on the complaint of Islamabad Sadar Magistrate Ali Javed for threatening the female judge. The terrorism case was registered against Imran Khan in Margalla police station for allegedly using derogatory language and threatening the judge. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Oct 5 (PTI) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday met Pakistan's Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss bilateral ties. "This long-standing partnership continues today with discussions focused on opportunities to address key mutual defence interests," the Pentagon said in a statement. Also Read | Moscow Court Slaps Fine of USD 50,943 on TikTok for Refusing To Remove LGBT Propaganda. Austin hosted General Bajwa at the Pentagon during the 75th anniversary of relations between the United States and Pakistan, said the statement. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Agra, October 5: A doctor and his two children died on Wednesday after a fire broke out in a home cum private hospital in the Shah Ganj area of Uttar Pradesh's Agra. The fire brigade personnel successfully managed to shift four patients to a nearby nursing home after rescue operations. Police officials said Dr Rajan, owner of the Madhu Raj Hospital, his son and daughter could not be saved, but some other family members staying on the top floor were safely shifted. Meanwhile, in a major drive by the state government, after the Lucknow hotel fire, more than 20 hotels and hospitals have been served notices, while three have been sealed, for not being equipped with the required fire fighting systems. Mumbai Dassehra Tragedy: 5 Killed in Five Vehicles Crash on Bandra Worli Sea Link; PM Narendra Modi Condoles Loss of Lives. Video Visual from the Spot: Building owner, his son and daughter killed in fire at private hospital in UP Three people were killed when a fire broke out at a building that had a private hospital in UP's Agra on Wednesday morning. The hospital was running underneath a house in the Shahganj area of the city pic.twitter.com/a814rlxcOO The Jamia Times (@thejamiatimes) October 5, 2022 The chief medical officer (CMO) has asked the Indian Medical Association for cooperation to identify hospitals and nursing homes, lacking facilities for fire fighting. More than a thousand establishments, hospitals and labs, are registered with the health department, but scores of private centres are running without permission. Of these 412 are nursing homes. These will be identified and sealed soon, he said. A massive campaign would be launched soon. Uttarakhand Accident: Bus Falls Into Nayar River in Pauri Garhwal, 25 Dead; CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Reviews Rescue Operation. The Fire brigade department has released a fresh list identifying the hotels and nursing homes with fire fighting facilities. The list includes apartment complexes, hospitals and nursing homes. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 05, 2022 01:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, October 5: In a shocking tragedy on Dassehra, five men were killed in a major road crash involving an ambulance and four cars speeding on the Bandra Worli Sea Link, early on Wednesday morning, the BMC Disaster Cell said. According to the BMC officials, the accident took place around 2.15 hours on the southern (Worli side) arm of the sea link. Besides the fatalities, another 8 persons, including some toll-post staffers were also hurt in the pileup of the five vehicles. The deceased have been identified as: Stenar Jagdish Kadam, 36, Somnath Barnale, 32, Rajendra Singhal,40, Gajraj Singh, 42, and Satendra Singh, 35. Among the injured is a 28-year-old woman Aliya Khan and all the victims have been admitted to various city hospitals, said the BMC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed "pain" over the loss of lives in the Mumbai accident. "Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that those who have been injured have a speedy recovery." According to a preliminary probe, a speeding car crashed into the ambulance and three other vehicles which had halted there to take some victims of an earlier accident to hospital. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 05, 2022 01:29 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). A civilian injured in misfiring by the security forces in #JammuandKashmir's #Pulwama district has succumbed in the hospital. Official sources said that the civilian was injured in a misfiring incident in Haal village of Pulwama district Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/tgM6AYm5z5 IANS (@ians_india) October 5, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) The Syrian Foreign Ministry has held the Turkish forces responsible for cutting drinking water in the country's northeastern city of Hasakah for two straight months. pic.twitter.com/RugpW03cdw IANS (@ians_india) October 4, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) After years of strict and often-violent putdowns of cocaine producers in Colombia have failed in curbing drugs, the South American country's new president, Gustavo Petro, is trying a new approach. And with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Colombia for the first time, the United States has now thrown its support to this new "holistic" approach. Blinken was in Bogota to meet with the new Petro government and was the first stop in his tour of South America. After this, the U.S. Secretary of State will also be heading to Chile and Peru afterward, according to VOA News. "We strongly support the holistic approach that President Petro's administration is taking to counter narcotics through comprehensive rural security, justice, development, environmental protection, supply reduction as well as demand reduction including in the United States," said Blinken during a press conference following his meeting with President Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Marquez. Gustavo Petro's Language Softens After Meeting With Antony Blinken During his speech at the U.N. General Assembly last month, Petro hit the United States and said that the U.S.-led efforts to fight drug trafficking had been "a failure." He also added that the U.S. and other developed countries are pursuing a punitive approach toward the drug trade. He stated that this approach harmed small farmers in developing nations. However, according to the Associated Press, Petro had a less combative tone on Monday as he spoke with Blinken. READ MORE: Colombia: 7 Police Officers Killed in Ambush After President Gustavo Petro Called for Peace The former rebel, now serving as Colombia's president, stated that he and Blinken spoke about "more flexible" ways of tackling the drug trade. These aim to "reduce production and consumption across the hemisphere." The main target would be coca farmers in remote areas in Colombia. However, instead of attacking them and burning their crops at gunpoint, the government is planning to give them land titles instead, integrate them into the legal economy, and have them grow other crops, and not coca, which is the main ingredient for cocaine. Petro did admit that while tougher action is required against white-collar criminals and drug organizations, helping out poor farmers who grow coca and having them grow other crops instead would help reduce cocaine production. He also stressed that the aerial fumigation of coca crops with chemicals would continue to be banned to protect the environment. However, those "industrial-sized" coca fields run by organized crime will still be eradicated manually. Antony Blinken Praises Colombia's Migration Strategy Blinken also talked to Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez about immigration during his trip to Colombia, as well as American support for Venezuelan migrants. He even visited a migrant integration center in support of Colombia's Temporary Protected Status policy for Venezuelan migrants. During his visit, Blinken praised Colombia's migration strategy and said it remains a model for the region. "What we have seen today could be a model for other places to replicate," he said and added that there won't be a "lost generation of Venezuelans" because of the policy. The Anadolu Agency reported that 500,000 Venezuelans are currently staying in Bogota, with the city hosting over 20% of the 2.5 million migrants from Venezuela. READ NEXT: Cocaine Legalization in Colombia Gets Scrapped by Leftist Government This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Secretary Blinken holds a joint press availability with Colombian President Gustavo Petro - U.S. Department of State A recent Ecuador prison riot left at least 15 prisoners dead and 20 injured in Cotopaxi No 1 jail in Latacunga, Monday, a spokesperson for SNAI confirmed. SNAI Ecuador's agency that manages prisons, according to an Aljazeera News report. Dozens of soldiers arrived at the Ecuador prison facility to reinforce security while the administrative staff was evacuated from inside the complex. Officials said that authorities are working on identifying the bodies while the governor of Cotopaxi province, Oswaldo Coronel, told reporters that security had been restored. Coronel noted that 14 of the 20 injured prisoners had been taken to a hospital. READ NEXT: Ecuador: Police Arrest Indigenous Group Leader Leonidas Iza for Protesting Over Fuel Prices Ecuador Prison Riots SNAI said prisoners had fought with guns and knives before guards managed to regain control of the riot. BBC News reported that the violence started after a census of prisoners. It is believed that the conflict between Ecuadorean gangs fighting for lucrative cocaine networks has been the root cause of riots. The gang fights had also put a huge strain on the underfunded and overcrowded prison system. In September last year, the worst prison riot in Ecuador was reported in the port city of Guayaquil, wherein more than 120 inmates died. A fight at the same prison facility erupted two months later and caused 65 deaths. It was reported that an alleged drug gang boss, Leandro Norero, was also killed in the clash. The Washington Post reported that Norero, a.k.a. "El Patron," was also wanted on drug trafficking charges in Peru, where officials said that he managed to escape justice in mid-2020 by faking his own death amid the COVID-19 pandemic and flew to Ecuador. Officials said that they could confirm his death but the rules stated that details of how he died had to be given only to his family. Norero was arrested on money laundering charges. Confiscated from him were 42 gold bars, weapons, jewelry, and about $7 million in cash. In May, a deadly prison riot erupted in Ecuador between rival drug gangs. More than 200 police commandos had taken control of the maximum-security wing of the Santo Domingo de Los Tsachilas prison, as reported by The Guardian. Interim minister Patricio Carillo told reporters that the majority of the victims had been killed "with bladed weapons." The Ecuador prison riot in May has been the sixth occurrence since the start of 2021, which prompted the death toll to around 400 as violence continued to rise between drug trafficking gangs. Ecuador's police chief, Fausto Salinas, said at the time that there was really a lot of cruelty, with it involving hand grenades, machine guns, revolvers, and ammunition found inside the jail. Salinas said that what triggered the violence was the transfer of a gang leader from another prison, noting that the presence of that person "generated conflict and violence." READ MORE: Parts of Amazon Rainforest in Brazil Are Being Illegally Offered for Sale on Facebook Marketplace This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: WorldView: Deadly prison riot in Ecuador - from CBS News The United States and Venezuela have agreed to a prisoner exchange, with Venezuela releasing seven wrongfully-detained Americans for two Venezuelan drug traffickers who are nephews of Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores. However, this decision has had some pushback from Senator Marco Rubio (R.-Florida). According to the Florida Republican, the trade "puts Americans all over the world in danger." He told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" that this makes other countries treat U.S. citizens as bargaining chips and might kidnap them for this purpose. "I think seven innocent American hostages in exchange for two convicted drug dealers, who happened to be the nephews of (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro, is a huge win for Maduro and, unfortunately, puts Americans all over the world now in danger," said the Florida senator. Daughter of American Detainee in Venezuela Pushes Back Against Marco Rubio's Claims The Florida senator's comments did not go over too well for the families of the Americans who were released because of the exchange, as a relative of two of them blasted Rubio and called his comments "unpatriotic and unhelpful." Alexandra Forseth, the daughter of Alirio Zambrano and niece of Jose Luis Zambrano, talked to CNN's Alex Marquardt on "New Day." She expressed her disappointment in Rubio since the senator is "perpetuating this myth that getting our people home actually puts Americans at risk." Forseth also called Rubio "misinformed" and questioned his claims of supporting the men wrongfully detained by Venezuela. She then added that Rubio has done absolutely nothing in helping bring these men back home to the United States. According to CNN, among the Americans that Venezuela will be releasing with the Zambrano brothers are Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell, and Jose Pereira. The five of them, along with one previously released by Venezuela last March form the "CITGO 6," were detained in Venezuela over four years ago. The other two Americans freed by Venezuela include Marine veteran Matthew Heath and Osman Khan. The U.S. government classified all seven of them as wrongfully detained. READ NEXT: Venezuela: UN Experts Find Human Rights Abuses Still Prevalent Under Nicolas Maduro Prisoner Exchange a 'Win' for the United States While more people are talking about the two Americans detained in Russia, Paul Whelan and WNBA star Brittney Griner, Venezuela actually holds the highest number of Americans that the U.S. government considers as "wrongfully detained." With the release of the seven Americans in exchange for two Venezuelan nationals, many consider this a win for the United States and the Biden Administration, which promised to bring home around 60 Americans believed to be held hostage abroad or wrongfully detained in other countries. The prisoner swap came together quietly, according to The Guardian. It happened after several months of backchannel talks. The talks included the release of insider businessman Alex Saab, whom Venezuela says is a diplomat but the United States considers a corrupt regime enabler. He remains under U.S. custody following the exchange. Four Americans remained in Venezuelan custody as President Nicolas Maduro wanted Saab's release in exchange for all the wrongfully detained Americans. While Rubio had criticized the exchange, another Republican, former GOP staffer Caleb McCarry praised the administration's efforts to bring the prisoners back home. "This is serious diplomacy and can only help put the Mexico negotiations back on track. It's a win for the families, the American people, and the Venezuelan people," he said. READ MORE: Venezuela: US Officials in Talks With Nicolas Maduro Admin in Bid to Free Jailed Americans, Rebuild Ties This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: 'You've done absolutely nothing for me or my family': See this woman's message to Rubio - CNN U.S. President Joe Biden visited Puerto Rico to survey what the land needs after being hit by Hurricane Fiona. Fox News reported that during his visit, the president went as far as to claim that he was raised in the "Puerto Rican community at home, politically." He added that he came to Puerto Rico for a long time "as part of both business and pleasure," noting that he is committed to the island. Many had taken offense to the president's claims, particularly on the social media platform Twitter. Commentator on energy and politics, Dan K. Ebert, called out the president and said that he was not raised in a Puerto Rican community. Ebert added in a tweet that if former U.S. President Donald Trump had said that, "the media would be crying racism." No, @JoeBiden, you weren't raised in the Puerto Rican community. If Donald Trump had said this, the media would again be crying racism. https://t.co/uC3Z26Q3YQ Dan K. Eberhart (@DanKEberhart) October 4, 2022 Conservative politician, Mariela Roca, cited the incident wherein First Lady Jill Biden likened the Hispanics to tacos, and Nancy Pelosi said that they need "crop pickers in the south." Roca then tweeted as to why "the left is so thirsty" for the Latino population. Jill Biden: Hispanics are like Tacos. Nancy Pelosi: Dont send immigrants up north, we need crop pickers in the south. Joe Biden: I was raised Puerto Rican. Why is the left so thirsty for the Hispanic community? Que locos. https://t.co/0UM9uGT6PA Dr. Mariela Roca (@rocaforcongress) October 3, 2022 READ NEXT: Florida Hotels Offer 'Distress Rates' as Hurricane Ian Nears the State and Strengthens to Category 3 Storm U.S. President Joe Biden in Puerto Rico Biden and his first lady finished a three-hour visit to Puerto Rico on Monday evening after being hit by Hurricane Fiona. The hurricane-ravaged community of around 200 families, Central Mercedita, has not had electricity since September 18. An island-wide blackout was reported an hour before Fiona's eye entered the southwestern coast. Central Mercedita's community leader, Gerardo Manuel Robles, said families are spending $30 to $50 daily to buy fuel to power their generators, as reported by NBC News. Biden said during his visit that the community deserves "every bit of help" the country can give the island. The president added that he is determined to do that. The Bidens then visit Sor Isolina Ferre relief center in Ponce, where they briefly met with community leaders and families affected. Puerto Rico After Hurricane Fiona President Joe Biden announced more than $60 million in funding to help coastal areas to rebuild and better prepare for a severe storm, according to an NPR report. He noted in his speech to rebuild damaged properties in a "resilient way" so when storms come again, they will not be causing the same kind of damage that they have caused before. Hurricane Fiona landed on Puerto Rico on September 18 as a Category 1 storm, delivering over 30 inches of rain. The hurricane also destroyed roads and killed at least 13 people. In addition, there were over 1,000 federal response workers on the ground in Puerto Rico. A budget of $8 million was dedicated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, targeted to repair bridges and roadways. Five years before, Puerto Rico was also hit by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm. It was the worst storm in the island's modern history, killing around 3,000 people and causing more than $100 billion in damage. READ MORE: Tropical Storm Ian Path: Strength, Current Location, and When It Will Hit Florida, Revealed This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Biden visits Puerto Rico, announces more than $60M in aid - from ABC News Bowie County in Texas was rocked last year following the murder of 21-year-old pregnant woman Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock. And now, after weeks of trial, a Texas jury has found her killer, Taylor Rene Parker, guilty of both murder and capital murder. According to CNN, Parker killed the victim to take her baby and claim it as her own. After killing the pregnant mother, Parker cut her stomach open and took the unborn baby. Court records have shown that the baby also died after being forcefully taken from the mother's womb. Texas Killer Told Her Boyfriend She was Pregnant, Even Held a Gender Reveal Party Before the murder, Taylor Rene Parker reportedly told her boyfriend and others that she was pregnant. They even held a gender reveal party for her supposed baby. She then went away on October 9, 2020, telling her boyfriend that she was going to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, and preregistering for labor there. However, she did not go to Oklahoma but went to Texas instead to commit her brutal and gruesome act. That same morning, Simmons-Hancock's mother called the police to report that her daughter had been killed. The mother said her daughter had a large slice in her abdomen, and the baby was already gone. State troopers stopped Parker in Dekalb, Texas, where they discovered the killer holding the baby with the umbilical cord coming from her pants and still connected to the infant. They then took her to a hospital in Idabel, Oklahoma, where hospital staff found that Parker did not give birth to the baby. The baby later died, and Parker was found to be the cause of the baby's death as she "did not have consent to leave the home with the child and due to the inability to provide necessary care to the child," the affidavit noted. READ NEXT: Texas Gubernatorial Debate: Uvalde Families Lash Out Against Greg Abbott, Throw Their Support Behind Beto O'Rourke The Trial That Shocked Texas According to NBC News, the guilty verdict on Monday came after an hour of deliberation between the jury of six men and six women. They heard some grisly testimony from witnesses and agreed that Taylor Rene Parker was not just responsible for the death of the mother but the baby as well. During the trial, Parker's attorney tried to dismiss a kidnapping charge, which would have lowered her capital murder charge to murder. Attorney Jeff Harrelson argued that the baby was never alive, so the kidnapping count was not valid. "You can't kidnap a person who has not been born alive," he argued. However, the prosecutors presented medical professionals who testified that the baby still had a heartbeat when it was born. In addition, they showed how much pain the victim must have felt as she was still alive when Parker cut up her abdomen to extract the infant, according to CBS News. The punishment phase of the trial will begin on October 12. Parker is now facing a possibility of a life sentence or even the death penalty. The trial has shocked many in Texas, not only how grisly the murders were but also because Taylor Parker was revealed to be an expert conman linked to various other schemes. READ MORE: Louisiana Mom Stabs Her 2 Kids, Kills 4-Year-Old Daughter Before She Does Instagram Live Covered in Blood This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Audacious Tales, Schemes Dominate Taylor Parker Trial - From KTAL News Former President Donald Trump reportedly asked his top advisers if Ghislaine Maxwell had said anything about him during her arrest on charges of recruiting underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein. According to Metro, the revelation came from the new book "Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America" written by the New York Times' Maggie Haberman. In the book, Haberman detailed that Trump "anxiously" asked campaign advisors in a July 2020 Oval Office meeting if Maxwell had named him during interrogation about her inner circle. During her trial, Maxwell did not reportedly mention any powerful men she and Epstein were once associated with, including Trump. However, according to Haberman's book, Trump seemed to worry he would become involved in the investigation as he asked his aides about the issue twice. The book said Trump asked in reference to a New York Post article, in which it was reported that Maxwell would cooperate with prosecutors to save herself and would "name names." Haberman said in her book that Trump was in the Oval Office with his top advisors when the article was published. The former president asked his aides if they had seen the Post article that mentioned him. But the aides did not answer Donald Trump, which prompted him to ask if "she (Maxwell) say anything about" him. READ NEXT: Prince Andrew's Photo With Virginia Roberts Giuffre Is Fake With 'Irish Body Double,' Duke's Ex-GF Lady Victoria Hervey Claims Book Revelations About Donald Trump Maggie Haberman also detailed in her book a meeting in New York in early 2015 between Donald Trump and David Pecker, owner of "National Enquirer." The Telegraph reported that Pecker arrived at Trump Tower with a copy of the tabloid featuring Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew. The book went on to say that Pecker and Trump talked about the disgraced financier's private island, where he allegedly bring powerful men to have sexual encounters with young women. Haberman's book also revealed that Trump was believed to be on a private plane to Florida with Maxwell in 1997. The book also made claims of Trump flushing official documents down the lavatory, including wanting to bomb Mexican drug labs and nearly firing his daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Twitter. Trump called the book a "fake book," with "many made up stories." Ghislaine Maxwell Trial In July 2020, Page Six reported that many powerful people connected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were worried following the British socialite's arrest. The list of well-known names included Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Leslie Wexner, among others. A former business associate of Epstein, Steven Hoffenberg, earlier said that Maxwell will be naming "some big names," not just those who abused underage girls but also those who benefited from having connections with him. Hoffenberg went on to say that Maxwell thought "she was untouchable" and that she would be protected by the "intelligence communities" that she and Epstein helped with information. Andrew and Trump denied any knowledge of having sex with underage girls. The Duke of York recently faced a lawsuit from former Epstein's victim, Virginia Roberts, which led to him losing his military and HRH titles. Ghislaine Maxwell has been sent to a low-security prison and ordered to serve 20 years for getting teenage girls for Jeffrey Epstein to be abused. READ MORE: Former Buckingham Palace Official Says He Suspected Ghislaine Maxwell Had Intimate Relationship With Prince Andrew, Shows New Documentary This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Donald Trump Was Worried When Ghislaine Maxwell Was Arrested for Sex Trafficking, Per Book - From Law&Crime Network Indiana police are investigating the four murders in Gary City in Lake County that happened in just 24 hours. Investigators found that all the victims were targeted. However, they said the shootings were not connected to one another. Police added that the shootings were not related to drugs or gangs, and they were not random, CBS News reported. READ NEXT: Josiaz "Jojo" Aragon Killer Arrested, Receives First-Degree Murder Charges Indiana Police Identified the Victims in Gary Shootings The victims have been identified as April King, 50, Arlandus Jackson, 37, and two Gary teens, Bobby Wright, 14, and Dayvion Jones, 16. "We believe that all the individuals were targeted by a specific person. It just so happened that it happened with a short period of time, and we're working toward it," said Gary Police Chief Brian Evans. According to ABC 7 Chicago, King was gunned down in the 2600-block of Jackson Street on Sunday afternoon. Later that evening, Jackson was killed outside in the 900-block of Williams Street. On Monday morning, the two teens were found dead outside a house in the 2900-block of West 11th Avenue. "We have to invest very heavily in education, preventive measures for our youth, and try to curtail some of the violence," Evan said. "We're not immune to it, we're part of it, and we're doing everything that we can to investigate the crimes." For his part, Gary Mayor Jerome Prince promised to prioritize public safety and to continue working with youth initiatives to prevent this crime. Schools, Community Grief Over Victims in Gary Shootings Grief counselors were provided at the Gary Community Schools Tuesday to help students and teachers process the deaths of two Gary teens while neighbors dealt with the tragedy so close to home, Chicago Tribune reported. Wright attended Bailly STEM Academy, while James attended West Side Leadership Academy. Paige McNulty, manager of the Gary Community School Corp., noted that the recent horrible events deeply saddened them, adding that their thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims. Tahja Johnson, who lives in the building adjacent to the house where the teens' bodies were found, said she was away until Sunday night and did not hear or see anything. She was home when the teens' dead bodies were discovered. "It was just like a horrible sight... I just felt pain. When it's a child, it really hurts different," she said. Cy'eisha Howard, Wright's sister, noted that his brother loved his family and was a father figure to their baby brother."And now our baby brother doesn't have that no more... You all did that to a baby?" said Howard. Meanwhile, police said no arrests had been made yet in any of these cases, but they were working on some leads. READ MORE: British Teen Died in a Mexico Restaurant Due To Allergic Reaction to Sesame This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: 4 Shot, 1 Killed in 2 Overnight Shootings - From FOX59 News A Florida cop died after another police officer shot him while they were serving an arrest warrant. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said 21-year-old Deputy Sheriff Blane Lane died in the line of duty on Tuesday during a deputy-involved shooting. Crime Online reported that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said four cops were serving a felony warrant in Foxtown to Cheryl Lynn Williams for failure to appear on a meth-related case. Police reportedly entered the home, and shots were fired after the suspect brandished a BB gun, resembling a handgun. Judd speculated that the suspect planned to commit suicide by cop. Williams was shot during the confrontation and is now reported to be in stable condition. A witness reportedly identified Williams as the suspect who brandished the BB gun. Williams is expected to be charged with second-degree murder after she is discharged from the hospital. READ NEXT: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Wants Medical Cannabis Operators to Pay More to State Florida Cop Serving Arrest Warrant Shot Sergeant Michael Brooks and deputies Johnny Holsonback III, Adam Pennell, and Blane Lane arrived at the scene at around 3 a.m. According to Tampa Free Press, they advised that shots were fired at 3:08 a.m. When they arrived at the front door, the first witness at the trailer home told them that Cheryl Lynn Williams was at the backdoor. A second witness, who was also at the back door, told them that Williams was in there. All of the deputies except Lane went inside. Lane decided to take a tactical position outside the trailer near the front side. His position allowed him to see the view of the door and windows, ensuring that he would see the suspect if she tried to escape. Williams then stepped into view with a BB gun and immediately pointed it at authorities. Shots were fired, and Williams went down. Lane reported that he had been shot in the arm. He was then transported to a medical center, where he died after the round entered his chest. Investigation Reveals Florida Cop Shot Dead by Fellow Deputy According to the early investigation, Michael Brooks and Johnny Holsonback III apparently fired six bullets from their agency-issued firearms. The round that struck Blane Lane reportedly came from one of their firearms. In a press conference on Tuesday, Grady Judd said Cheryl Lynn Williams "created a violent environment," which led to Lane's death, USA Today reported. Judd noted that Williams wanted to "force the deputies to shoot her." He then added that, unfortunately, Lane was in the line of fire. Judd described the young Florida cop as "eager" and "brilliant." Judd said Lane had absorbed information "like a sponge" and was careful when doing his job. The young Florida cop lived in Fort Meade and entered the Polk State College KCTIPS dual law enforcement-detention academy in September 2020. He became a Detention Deputy in May 2021. Lane was sworn in as a patrol deputy last January. Judd said Williams will likely face additional charges. He noted that the suspect had already served more than nine years in a Florida state prison for drug-related charges. She had also been arrested for previous felonies. READ MORE: Florida Teen May Be Forced to Go Through Pregnancy After Deemed Not 'Mature' Enough for Abortion, Court Rules This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Polk County Deputy Killed: Sheriff Grady Judd Describes What Led up to the 21-Year-Old's Death - From 10 Tampa Bay The Canadian government is doing a very big mistake by thinking that such separatists and terrorist groups operating in Canada will not harm Canada but only other countries. by N. S. Venkataraman It is well recognized all over the world that Canada is a glorious country with vast and beautiful landscapes, considerable natural and mineral resources and many attractive tourist spots. Given these reasons, Canada remains a prosperous country, though underpopulated. In such favourable circumstances, the practice of welcoming migrants and refugees from various countries to Canada is adopted as a policy measure by the Government of Canada, not only to bolster its population level but also to reflect its humane approach. Today, people from several countries including Europe, Asia and Africa have migrated to Canada and settled down as full-fledged citizens, enjoying liberty, rights and privileges that the Canadian government liberally provide to its citizens. India is accusing Canada becomes a seedbed for Khalistanis - watered by the Canadian government, nurtured by the Pakistani premier intelligence service, the ISI [Photo: Special Arrangement] However, there also seem to be a negative angle to such liberal policy towards migrants and refugees, as the demographic structure of Canada is getting disturbed and a sort of sectarian outlook appears to be developing between different groups with varying background, which may create friction in the coming years. Even now, there is evidence of such friction happening. So far, it appears that the government of Canada has not looked into a such possible scenario with the seriousness and care that they deserve. Such developments have taken place in Western Europe also in recent times when thousands of refugees/migrants from Syria and other Islamic countries were permitted to enter Europe on humanitarian grounds. These migrants /refugees are unable to get integrated into the general population, as they lack the skill or sufficient education and have different religious practices. Such a situation has resulted in an increased level of crimes and violence and shootings in European countries in recent times and there is huge concern about such a situation. Recently, some Hindu temples were attacked in UK by those belonging to the Islam religion and many people wonder whether this would be the state of things to come in Europe in the coming years. Governments in Europe seem to be at a loss not knowing how to tackle this difficult situation, which is causing social tension and violence in public life. In Canada, one serious development is that separatists and terrorist elements who manage to get entry into Canada as migrants, however small in number they may be in the total population, are getting entrenched in Canada. It appears that the Canadian government have ignored such elements so far since separatism and terrorism are not targeted or aimed at Canada but at other countries in the world. Such developments are now causing anxiety and huge concern to other affected countries such as Sri Lanka, India LTTE, a separatist and extremist group with the declared objective of splitting Sri Lanka by force, has largely operated and seems to be now operating from Canadian soil. While this is causing a serious problem for Sri Lanka, the Canadian government have allowed them to operate in Canada and not bothering about the concern of the Sri Lankan government. In an almost similar way, the Khalistan movement is operating in Canada with the declared objective of forming a separate Khalistan state in India. Despite Indias appeal, the Canadian government has not checked the activities and growth of the Khalistan separatist movement in Canada. The Canadian government is doing a very big mistake by thinking that such separatists and terrorist groups operating in Canada will not harm Canada but only other countries. But the recent experience shows that stabbings in Canada have become too frequent. Entrenched separatist groups have started attacking innocent people who may belong to India or other countries. Against which the separatist groups are operating. Very recently, a series of stabbing at an indigenous community in a town nearby Saskatchewan has left ten people dead and fifteen wounded. In 2020, a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their homes and set fire across the province of Nova Scotia killing 22 people. In 2019, a man used a van to kill ten pedestrians in Toronto. Recently, a few Indian students have been killed and Hindu religious centres have been attacked. The situation in Canada has caused so much concern to the Government of India that it has advised students and visitors from India to be careful to safeguard themselves in public places against violent acts by some terrorist groups. The writing on the wall is now very clear concerning the likely scenario in future in Canada concerning law and order. Tolerating terrorists and separatists in the name of personal liberty and freedom on Canadian soil will become a suicidal path for Canada if such policy would not scrapped immediately. The terrorists will not only cause problems elsewhere but will also convert Canadian soil into a hotbed of terrorism if the Canadian government were to fail to understand the gravity of the situation and take necessary measures to control the separatist/terrorist groups operating freely in Canada now. N. S. Venkataraman is a trustee with the "Nandini Voice for the Deprived," a not-for-profit organization that aims to highlight the problems of downtrodden and deprived people and support their cause and to promote probity and ethical values in private and public life and to deliberate on socio-economic issues in a dispassionate and objective manner. Jailed teacher Enoch Burke has formally lodged an appeal against a High Court injunction preventing him from attending or teaching at the school he is employed at, Mr Burke, who objects to addressing a student with the pronoun "they" and opposes Transgendarism, was committed to prison last month until he agrees to obey the order not to attend at or attempt to teach any classes at Wilson's Hospital School in Co Westmeath. The school obtained an order committing Mr Burke, who had been suspended pending the hearing of a disciplinary hearing into allegations of misconduct against him, to prison over his failure to comply with the injunction. Arising out of his refusal to purge his contempt he has been behind bars at Mountjoy Prison since early September. On Tuesday afternoon Mr Burke, accompanied by members of the Irish Prison Services and assisted by his brother Mr Isaac Burke, formally lodged his appeal against the injunction at the Office of the Court of Appeal (CoA). The High Court had on Monday granted him an order allowing him to attend the Four Courts Complex in person. In his appeal Mr Burke wants the CoA to set aside orders including the granting of the temporary ex-parte injunction against him, and the subsequent decision to keep the injunction in place pending the final hearing of the matter. He also has appealed against the High Court's dismissal of applications brought by him aimed at setting aside his suspension from the school. Mr Burke has not appealed the High Court orders committing him to prison for contempt. His appeal is due to be mentioned before a directions hearing of the CoA later this month. It is understood that his appeal is unlikely to be heard before Christmas. After the appeal was lodged, Mr Burke was transported back to Mountjoy Prison. Speaking to the media afterwards Isaac Burke confirmed that his brother has "no intention" of purging his contempt, a move that would secure his release from prison. Enoch Burke, a History and German teacher, was suspended on full pay late last August pending an investigation into alleged misconduct, which he denies. Arising out of his refusal to stay away from the school its board of management obtained a High Court injunction against him. His refusal to comply with that order resulted in his incarceration. Mr Burke claims that the case centers around his opposition to a direction by his employer to address a student at the school, who wishes to transition, by the pronoun 'they' and by a different name is contrary to his Christian beliefs. He says that the suspension is unlawful, unfair and unreasonable and in breach of his constitutional rights to religion, freedom of expression and conscience. Lawyers for the school have argued that the matters that it had reluctantly put before the court are not about the teacher's opposition to Transgendarism, but was about his refusal to obey an order of the court. The school is the Church of Ireland's Diocesan School for Meath and Kildare claims that his refusal to comply with the injunction was disruptive to the school's students at the beginning of the new academic year. Mr Burke, who rejects that argument, has brought his own proceedings against the school where he seeks various orders and declarations including a declaration that the disciplinary process against him is unlawful and a breach of his constitutional rights, including his rights to freedom of expression, conscience, and religion. He also seeks various orders preventing the school from continuing both his paid administrative leave, and the disciplinary process against him. He further seeks an order preventing the school from dismissing him from his position. Mr Burke was placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of a disciplinary process commenced by the school, where he has been employed for several years. That process commenced after it is alleged that Mr Burke publicly voiced his alleged opposition to the school's principal direction to address a student, who wishes to transition, by a different name and by using the pronoun "they" rather than he or she. The school claims that last June a service and dinner was held to mark its 260th anniversary. It was attended by clergy, staff, past and present pupils, parents, and board members. It is claimed that Mr Burke interrupted the service and said that the school's then principal, Ms Niamh McShane, should withdraw the earlier demand regarding the student. It is also claimed that he said that he could not agree with transgenderism, and said it went against the school's ethos and the teaching of the Church of Ireland. The school claims that after he spoke members of the congregation and students walked out of the school chapel where the service was being conducted. After the meal he is alleged to have approached the Principal, and again asked her to withdraw the request regarding the student. Arising out of Mr Burke's alleged conduct a disciplinary process was commenced, and considered by the board, resulting in a decision to place him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the process. In a sworn statement to the court Mr Burke said he rejects claim made by the former school principal Niamh McShane that he questioned her loudly at the function. Mr Burke said that the former principal's allegations against him are "entirely false". Real hardship has been caused by Community Welfare Clinics closing across Laois, it has been claimed in the Dail. Laois Offaly TD Brian Stanley said clinics have halted in locations such as Mountmellick, Mountrath, Rathdowney and Graiguecullen. The claim was denied by Minister for Social Welfare Heather Humphreys. Community Welfare Officers held clinics in the towns for decades and this has now closed. They met with people who had no income and assessed them for short term and emergency social welfare payments, Deputy Stanley claimed. Speaking in the Dail, he said: It is an important service and sometimes it is vulnerable people who need it most. They may have no transport, may have run out of money or may not be in receipt of any payment from anyone anywhere. They may be out of work or perhaps out of work due to ill health and not had their claims processed yet. The service is therefore the last hope for people in dire straits through no fault of their own. There was a strong network going back over the years in every county and in key local towns. It is important that the walk-in service is there. There is more demand now than ever for this service. The Additional Needs Payment is welcome for people who are in energy poverty or energy hardship, to meet once-off demands with the current energy crisis and so on. I raised this with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on 8 September and she sent me back a reply stating that the continued in-person customer engagement remains a pivotal feature within the community welfare service. She outlines that this is still available at two locations in Laois. I would contradict that. She also says there is a free-phone helpline in Dublin and that people can send an email, said Dep Stanley. He argued this service has been overly centralised over the last couple of years. Gone is that network of face-to-face walk-in services where the community welfare officer came to a particular health centre, typically, on some morning during the week. Now people are being told to email Dublin or contact the national helpline. Telling people that is absolutely daft. People are being told to download forms on a computer. We are talking to people in a lot of cases who do not have a computer and are not computer-literate. The assurances given by the Minister here and what she said in the letter do not reflect the reality on the ground. That network of community welfare officers is no longer in place, said Dep Stanley. This is causing real hardship. I am appealing to the Government and the Minister of State to review this and try and get the network back in place in County Laois, Dep Stanley said in the Dail. In response Minister Humphreys replied: I want to be absolutely clear that this service continues to provide local access to local community welfare officers, CWOs, in local areas across the country and there are no plans to change the service. Deputy Stanley said: This is incorrect as CWO clinics have halted in locations such as Mountmellick, Mountrath, Rathdowney and Graiguecullen. Parents hoping to secure school bus places were left distraught and most upset by Education Minister Norma Foleys response to a query from a local TD. Deputy Charlie Flanagan had raised concerns over children left without school bus places in Emo, Vicarstown and Ballybrittas in the Dail last week. He asked the Minister for Education when she proposes to resolve a school transport issue affecting parents and children in the Emo, Vicarstown and Ballybrittas area of County Laois, the particulars of which have been fully outlined to Bus Eireann and are well known to her Department for many weeks; and if she will assist in bringing matters to a satisfactory conclusion. However, the Minister questioned the number of school children who had applied for the service. She also said there was one school bus service operating in the area. In response, a statement issued on behalf of the Parents Group-School Transport Emo, Vicarstown and The Rock said: On hearing of Minister Foley's reply to Charlie Flanagan parliamentary question last Wednesday, 28th September - parents within the group are very distraught and most upset. Minister Foley stated that five applications were made for the current school year; two of which are eligible and three are concessionary. Parents are outraged. These figures need to be reviewed and reflect the hard efforts of these families fighting for this bus service. The true number who applied which are eligible under the current Bus Eireann distance requirements are 11 pupils. Ten pupils are needed for a bus service and the parents group meet this. All the necessary details have been provided to the Department of Education, Bus Eireann etc, the parents claimed. We have been chasing the Minister for Education, Bus Eireann and local representatives but it's an uphill battle. What we urgently need now is the Department, School Transport section and or Bus Eireann to meet with us to discuss and agree the re-establishment of the route from Emo to Mountmellick urgently for this current school year, they continued. Our parents group held out great hope for budget day, 27th September and Minister Foley's commitment prior to same of seeking funding for school transport, in particular previous concessionary ticket holders. The budget announcements did not include anything about school transport. Parents were left confused and deflated, they said. The group say an update was released by the Department of Education last Friday, September 30. By way of update, following discussions with Minister McGrath and officials in DPER as part of the budgetary process some additional funding has been approved for the scheme which will allow officials in consultation with Bus Eireann to consider and evaluate where temporary additional capacity may be available, they stated. The initial focus will be where families applied on time and who previously held concessionary tickets, to alleviate the impact of the increased demands on the scheme for those families. However, it is important to stress that this is subject to capacity considerations. Constraints in sourcing vehicles and drivers in certain areas of the country may also mean that it may take a number of weeks to explore solutions for additional capacity, the group stated. Parents across the country still wait and try to continue to battle on. The school children are in their sixth week back in school and no concrete plans or definite resolution in sight for secondary school students in need of school transport. There are 6,000 students across Ireland, including those in Laois, who were literally 'left on the side of the road' with no bus or bus ticket and remain there presently, they pointed out. The parents group said over 20 families from the areas of Emo, Vicarstown and The Rock have been holding public meetings to try and get bus places for their children. The group's two main goals are: To increase capacity on the existing Bus Eireann school route from Vicarstown/Emo to secondary schools in Portlaoise. There are five children who previously held concessionary tickets in previous years and are without seats this year. With the free transport scheme introduced this year, it seems people applied as they were eligible, and it was free but the reality is there are seven free seats every day for the last almost six weeks on the bus from the New Inn Emo to Portlaoise schools, and five children who have paid for and used the service for the last number of years were kicked off the bus and have no seats, they claim. Secondly, the parents want to re-establish the historical school bus route from Emo to Mountmellick Community School. Emo National School is a feeder school to Mountmellick, Portarlington and Portlaoise. Only pupils from Emo who attend secondary schools in Portlaoise are currently catered for by Bus Eireann. The parents group has worked on this campaign for over the past year. They have established a need, which meets the current distance eligibility criteria - for the bus route to be reinstated. There are 11 eligible pupils for this current school year and a further eight pupils who meet the second nearest school / temporary alleviation measure extended by Minister Foley for 2022/2023, the parents say. Responding to Minister Foley's response in the Dail, Deputy Charlie Flanagan said: Im most unhappy. Department needs to move to resolve this issue without delay. Parents are justified in their frustration and annoyance. Im meeting with officials again this week. A portrait of Shane Lowry's winning smile by Conor Mc Nally is set to raise funds for The Geashill Ukrainian Support group. Conor was asked to do a painting of Lowry hitting a hole in one as a fund raiser for a local support group in Geashill. They expected him to do a quick caricature. Instead, he produced this one off digital painting capturing Shane Lowrys winning smile and simultaneously achieving his hole in one. It is an unusual painting as it has so much information from the achievement of the day, and still you come back to that familiar Shane smile. Conor is a young animator, who has worked on various projects in Birr and Belfast and has had a short film shown in Italy this summer. While animation is his field, this was the first time he attempted a painting of this style, and the first time he has recorded a famous person. He didnt disappoint and can now add this to his range of work. Hopefully we will be hearing more about him in the future. He is giving the proceeds from the auction to The Geashill Ukrainian Support group, who together with Geashill village and wider area have provided three families with a home and independence. The families can get some normality back into their lives. It is very difficult for the families who thought they would be returning to the Ukraine after six months and they are very grateful for the homes. MORE BELOW PICTURE. The committee recognises that this war could last two to three years and is very grateful to Conor and Shane for contributing this signed picture to auction. This allows the committee to sustain the families over their stay. They started the project in March and managed to fundraise a considerable sum of money to fund three mobile homes, situated on land donated by local woman, Bernie O'Sullivan. The children were welcomed into the school and are settling very well. Shane signed the painting, and it is now for auction. The painting is available to see in the Bridge Centre, Tullamore until Sunday 30th October. The auction is on-line. Interested parties can submit their bid and can follow the progress of the auction by clicking here Bidding ends at 10pm on October 23 and it has an estimate of 400 to 600. FINE Gael Laois-Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan has said he is available to serve as a government minister again when the cabinet reshuffle takes place in December. Dep Flanagan spoke after a Fine Gael 'budget roadshow' in Tullamore where Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe met local businesses and politicians. I had the honour and privilege to serve in three government departments, the Department of Children, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice. My message to Leo Varadkar is that I've reached peak fitness, I'm available for selection. He added that he is currently actively engaged" in his work as a TD for the Laois-Offaly constituency and is looking forward to heading into my 10th general election seeking a mandate for the people in respect of work done and in respect of future plans for the constituency. First elected as a TD in 1987, and a senior minister from 2014 until he was not reappointed after the 2020 general election, the 65-year-old remarked: Age is but a number. Asked if the Fine Gael leadership retained the confidence of its parliamentary party as opinion polls continue to suggest a stagnation in public support, Dep Flanagan replied: Absolutely. We acknowledge that this is a time of great challenge. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to engage directly with the Minister for Finance in the context of current budgetary matters and I believe that it's important that as a party we listen. That's what we're doing and continuing to act on feedback up and down the country. Minister Donohoe said he sees his own future as being within Irish politics after ruling himself out as a candidate for the vacant post of managing director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). The ESM is the financial institution which was used to support national economies during the last financial crash. I see my future within Irish politics and I hope I can have the opportunity to continue to serve but it's not a decision for me to make. I'll continue with my work in the Eurogroup which will take me up to the end of the year and then the party leaders will take the decision on [ministerial appointments]. The cabinet reshuffle will take place when Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar swap roles in December. Fine Gael sources indicated that there might be little room for substantial changes in cabinet posts given that Minister Donohoe has confirmed he will not be leaving for the European position. Foroige volunteers from Laois were joined by members from across the country for the annual volunteer conference in Co Offaly last weekend. Volunteers Denis Ryan, Sandra Hanniffy , Maureen Bradley were among those present at the 50th annual Foroige Volunteers Conference, with 120 delegates from 16 counties enjoying a wide variety of guest speakers, group discussions and social events aimed at exchanging ideas to continue Foroige volunteers' impactful work throughout Ireland. Minister Roderic OGorman visited the Tullamore Court Hotel and spoke to volunteers, praising their continued efforts throughout the pandemic. Foroige volunteers have helped create communities that are vital to our society. The value of the contributions that are made by these volunteers cannot be overstated. Not only does volunteerism positively impact our communities but it can provide people with a sense of purpose, improving their own wellbeing, enhancing their empathy and allowing them to connect with young people in their communities. Foroige has to be commended for the innovative approach in involving young people in the decisions that impact their lives, said Minister OGorman. Foroige volunteers praised by Minister Roderic OGorman Clinical psychologist, broadcaster and author, Dr David Coleman was the keynote speaker at the conference and gave his insights into how to communicate with and help teenagers tackle the problems they're facing in their lives. Foroige celebrated its 70th year anniversary with the first Club meeting in Mooncoin on March 14, 1952. Foroige now has over 5,500 volunteers working in its 550 clubs, 150 projects and programmes, including Leadership for Life; Be Healthy Be Happy, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), and Big Brother Big Sister. Foroige says its volunteers are essential to the organisations engagement with over 50,000 young people year after year. Foroige, with the help of volunteers, encourages young people to take responsibility for themselves and to be part of shaping the world around them while developing their talents, skills and abilities. Foroige Chairperson, Offaly woman Barbara Daly opened the conference and commented on the momentous anniversary. This year marks the 70th Anniversary of Foroige, and if we view the challenges ahead through the lens of history, we see that the organisation has continually evolved and changed through those seven decades, adapting to the needs of a given generation of young people, crossing each hurdle in its path and using obstacles as springboards to progress, she said. Foroige says it aims to enable young people to involve themselves consciously and actively in their development and in the development of society. Originally formed as the youth branch of Macra na Feirme - the group that would eventually go on to be named Foroige - from 12 pilot groups in its first year has grown to become Irelands largest youth development organisation with footholds of young people, volunteers and staff across Ireland. Foroige says it has provided generations of young people in Ireland the opportunity to meaningfully engage with their communities and develop important life skills all while having fun and making friends for life. Throughout its history, Foroige as an organisation says it has been a catalyst of social change, strengthening Irish democracy by building human potential and promoting its application in community life. New equipment at Portlaoise hospital will provide vital support to local women who may be having problems with breastfeeding, according to the HSE. A statement said the first device is a therapeutic ultrasound provides micro-massage and heat which treats mastitis by unclogging milk ducts, while also reducing pain and swelling. The Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has also purchased a cutting-edge laser machine which greatly speeds up the healing of cracked skin. One local woman treated by the breastfeeding support team at MRHP endorsed the advances. I had three laser treatments which has really supported my breastfeeding journey. The service is incredible and made such a difference to me. I can now feed without pain. "The two Lactation Consultants at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise could not have been more supportive, accommodating and full of information. I cant emphasise enough how important and valuable this service is, she said. Claire Fitzpatrick is a Clinical Midwife Specialist in Lactation at MRH Portlaoise. The laser treatment is non-invasive, it emits no heat or sound and is not painful but it does speed up wound healing and reduces inflammation which is very useful for women who are on the verge of giving up breastfeeding due to the pain caused by cracked nipples. For some mums, it helps prolong breastfeeding," she said. Margaret Sheeran, who is also a Clinical Midwife Specialist in Lactation at MRH Portlaoise, praised women. I am constantly really impressed by the local women who continue to express so they can breastfeed even though their baby may be in an incubator in the hospitals Special Care Baby Unit in Portlaoise. Breastfeeding doesnt always mean a baby at the breast. Sometimes it can happen for women in a different way, she said. The HSE said women who attend MRH Portlaoise to give birth can now return to get breastfeeding support from a fully qualified Midwife Lactation specialist for up to six weeks after their baby is born. A Parent Craft Co-ordinator will take up a position in October at the hospital to help women and their partners in preparation for birth and parenthood, which includes creating awareness of breastfeeding and empowering mothers to consider it as their first choice of infant feeding. The HSE says all of these measures are in keeping with the theme of this years HSE National Breastfeeding Week which is themed Expert Help for Every Step of the Way. Ita Kinsella is the Director of Midwifery at MRH Portlaoise. We at MRH Portlaoise have developed a holistic range of supports to help mothers and babies learn this new skill. If a mother can breastfeed for a short amount of time it will be helpful, and the longer you breastfeed the greater protection for mother and baby. We want every mother to know about all the free supports available to help her to breastfeed for longer if she wishes. It is great to see that breastfeeding rates are on the increase, she said. Michael Knowles, the General Manager of MRH Portlaoise says the hospital is delighted to provide these important new treatments for women who encounter problems with breastfeeding in Portlaoise. "We are fully supportive of the work of our entire Midwifery team in providing this key service to local parents and their new-borns, he said. As well as the help provided at MRH Portlaoise, the HSE said parents can access a range of online resources such as virtual breastfeeding groups and mychild.ie, which has practical breastfeeding advice and the Ask Our Expert live chat and e-mail breastfeeding support service, available 7 days a week. To join the HSE parenting and breastfeeding community, see the HSE www.mychild.ie Facebook page and hse_mychild on Instagram #hsemychild #breastfeeding #nationalbreastfeedingweek More on breastfeeding from the HSE below picture. Portlaoise hospital Midwives with equipment are left to right: Claire Fitzpatrick - Clinical Midwife Specialist in Lactation, Ita Kinsella, Director of Midwifery Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise, Margaret Sheeran, Clinical Midwife Specialist in Lactation. Your breast milk protects your baby against lots of illnesses and conditions. Its designed to meet your babys every need. Breast milk contains antibodies that can help fight infection. Your breast milk contains essential enzymes, hormones and antibodies. These are vital for your babys normal growth, development and good health. Breast milk is tailored for your baby and their stage of development. It changes as your baby grows to meet their needs and protects them from illness. When you come into contact with a virus or bacteria, your body will make antibodies to protect itself. These antibodies are passed into your breast milk so your baby is protected too. Despite years of research, science still can't replicate this. Breastfeeding is good for you too, it: helps your uterus (womb) return to normal size more quickly Helps you bond with your baby reduces your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and diabetes saves you time and money is convenient, no need to carry bottles and formula with you when out and about burns calories and may help you regain your pre-pregnancy weight Top Tips for breastfeeding mums Breastmilk is readily available No purchase necessary and at the right temperature! This is handy, no other feeding supplies needed, and less to pack in your bag every time you go out with your baby. Build your confidence Some mothers feel self-conscious breastfeeding in public the first time, particularly when attaching the baby to the breast. This gets easier with time. Most people won't notice you are breastfeeding, as it looks like you are cuddling your baby. Bringing your partner or a friend along for support until you become more confident can help. Ask if there is a dedicated feeding area if you want more privacy. Wear a loose top over a cami top so you can lift up the outer layer and pull down the strappy top. Wearing a nursing bra can help too so you can quickly click it open and attach your baby. Going to a support group and observing other mothers breastfeeding can help with your confidence. Find your local breastfeeding support group at www.mychild.ie/breastfeeding Prepare for breastfeeding when youre pregnant Classes are available in your hospital to learn about whats normal for breastfeeding and know what to expect in the first few days and weeks after birth. Here you can learn how to hand express your breast milk, for example. These classes are available online and we look forward to these returning in person as soon as possible. Youll also find lots advice on preparing to breastfeed at mychild.ie. Seek out support to help continue breastfeeding Staying connected with others when you are breastfeeding will help you master the skill and deal with bumps along the road. Maternity hospitals, public health nurses and voluntary support organisations provide face to face, virtual and phone support after your baby is born. If additional support is needed Lactation Consultants provide specialist help to overcome breastfeeding challenges. Find details of supports available in your area on mychild.ie. Spending lots of time in skin to skin contact with your baby boosts your supply of breast milk and helps bond with and comfort your baby. Have you got a breastfeeding question? The HSEs Ask our breastfeeding expert service is available for free on www.mychild.ie Talk to Lactation Consultants online for information and advice on any part of breastfeeding via email or live chat. The live chat service is available from Monday to Friday, 10am-3pm at mychild.ie. .... *Breastfeeding rates (HSE Figures) 63% of mothers try breastfeeding as the first feed after birth in hospital 4.8% point increase in the number of babies breastfed at the first public health nurse visit at 58.8% in 2021 up from 54% in 2019. Increases noted in a number of HSE areas around the country; Donegal, Sligo Leitrim, Galway, Mayo, North Tipperary, Kerry, North Cork, South Lee, Wexford, Dublin South West, Kildare West Wicklow, Laois Offaly, Longford Westmeath, Louth, Meath & Dublin North. 7.3% point increase in the number of babies breastfed at 3 months, at 42.3% in 2019 up from 35% in 2015. Role of the infant feeding/lactation midwife or nurse o Midwives and public health nurses are the primary front line staff available in the HSE to support breastfeeding commencing in the antenatal period with the delivery of breastfeeding preparation and antenatal classes. o Midwives help mothers to establish breastfeeding in the early days in hospital. Public health nurses, many of whom are midwives and paediatric nurses continue to support breastfeeding mothers throughout the postnatal period. Every mother is visited by a public health nurse within 72 hours of leaving hospital. Breastfeeding mothers receive follow up support if needed. o The role of infant feeding/lactation nurses and midwives in HSE services is to provide a specialist support service to mothers who need extra support to breastfeed e.g. gestational diabetes, caesarean section, premature birth, when baby is medically unwell or has a tongue tie. These staff members also provide breastfeeding education to other staff within HSE services. o Mothers can access HSE infant feeding/lactation services through their local maternity hospital or public health nursing service in some areas. Contact details for all HSE breastfeeding support services and HSE funded volunteer breastfeeding support groups can be found here: www2.hse.ie/services/ breastfeeding-support-search/ The Government has approved Irelands finalised CAP Strategic Plan which it says will deliver almost 10 billion to farm families over the next five years. Today, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, brought Irelands finalised CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027 to Cabinet for approval. The Cabinet approved the Plan, which had already received the green light from the European Commission in August, noting also that it has undergone Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment. Minister McConalogue said: "I am delighted to announce that this morning the Government approved the finalised CAP Strategic Plan 2023 2027. This is a farmer-friendly, fair and well-funded CAP. "It will deliver some 9.8bn to our farm families over the next five years to support them to continue to produce world-class, safe and sustainable food as well as supporting them in their important work of meeting our climate ambitions. "I acknowledge the support of the rest of the cabinet in particular the Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath who have always understood the need for supporting our farm families through the CAP. "There has also been constructive engagement from all Ministers throughout the process, which delivered not just increased funding for the sector but also featured closer collaboration than ever before from all of the relevant Departments in the design of the Plan. This collaboration will continue throughout the implementation process as we seek to achieve in particular the maximum environmental ambition through close monitoring and evaluation of progress," Minister McConalogue said. The plan will provide vital support to farmers and rural communities. It aims to meet the twin objectives of ensuring the continued viability of family farms and maximising the environmental and social sustainability of the sector. Speaking at the announcement Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Senator Pippa Hackett said This CAP is very different from previous plans. It contains a host of measures that I know will deliver for farmers, their families, and their incomes, while also protecting our soil, water, habitats and climate. In particular, I am pleased with the fivefold increase in funding to support organic farming which will help us achieve our target of 330,000ha of organically farmed land by the end of the upcoming CAP period. It will also support women who are heads of farm households. I am very happy to see that women farmers will qualify for higher TAMS grants and also that there will be separate Knowledge Transfer Groups for women. Finally, this CAP will deliver for both farming and the environment. The soil sampling programme, the farm environment study, the Life projects we support, and the All-Ireland pollinator plan are all feeding into this plan, while we are also building on our EIP knowledge and experience by incorporating new EIPs to help breeding waders and to target water quality. I am confident that CAP will now deliver results for our farmers, for nature, for biodiversity, and for climate. Minister of State with responsibility for Research and Development, Farm Safety, and New Market Development, Martin Heydon, T.D said: "The CAP is among the EUs pillar policies and one which Ireland has always strongly supported. Central to its success has been protecting farm incomes and underpinning food production across Europe while delivering on a range of policy objectives. This Strategic Plan marks a step change in how farmers health, safety, and wellbeing is integrated into farm supports. "Across a range of schemes, we have built in health and safety training while also prioritising it in the on-farm capital investment scheme. This will ensure we reach a wider audience of farmers than we have in previous CAPs - a positive from a farm safety and farm efficiency perspective. I believe this plan will help to drive down the unacceptable high number of fatal incidents on farms in the years ahead," he said. The newly announced CAP strategic plan (CSP) will undermine food production, according to the president of the The Irish Farmers Association (IFA). Tim Cullinan made the comment after the CSP was approved by Cabinet yesterday (October 4). The approved plan will reportedly deliver almost 10 billion to farm families over the next five years, and aims to meet the twin objectives of ensuring the continued viability of family farms and maximising the environmental and social sustainability of the sector. However, President Cullinan has identified a number of issues. He said, "The impact of the Eco schemes along with further convergence, front loading and greater conditionality will hit a cohort of our most productive farmers the hardest. "A number of the new schemes including the suckler cow, sheep and environmental schemes are underfunded. Last weeks Budget was a missed opportunity to rectify this." According to the IFA president, the environmental scheme, ACRES, also needs "significant changes to ensure it is workable for farmers". He pointed out aspects of the plan which he believes to be "unrealistic", including Senator Pippa Hackett's prediction of a fivefold increase in organic production in just five years. He said, "The capacity for the market to deliver a sustainable income for organic farmers is not currently there. "As we have seen over the past 12 months, the landscape of farming and the economy can drastically change, and it continues to do so. This plan needs to have flexibility and be adaptable to any future changes, this is something that Commissioner Wojciechowski also reiterated when he addressed IFA back in May." Speaking after yesterday's approval, Senator Hackett, who is the Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, said, "This CAP is very different from previous plans. It contains a host of measures that I know will deliver for farmers, their families, and their incomes, while also protecting our soil, water, habitats and climate. "In particular, I am pleased with the fivefold increase in funding to support organic farming which will help us achieve our target of 330,000ha of organically farmed land by the end of the upcoming CAP period. "It will also support women who are heads of farm households. I am very happy to see that women farmers will qualify for higher TAMS grants and also that there will be separate Knowledge Transfer Groups for women." Tonight (Tuesday October 4) in a special report, RTEs Prime Time goes undercover to discover how widely guidelines to control the sale of codeine over-the- counter in pharmacies are being followed. Prime Time visited eighteen pharmacies and not one adhered to all the guidelines around the sale of over-the-counter codeine medicines. The pharmacies visited were spread across three different counties. Prime Time was sold codeine painkillers in each of the 18 pharmacies. The programme bought 408 tablets over three days from the pharmacies they visited. After reviewing undercover recorded footage an expert in codeine misuse Dr Michelle Foley from the School of Health Sciences at the South East Technological University of Waterford said it was very worrying. She added that she was not at all confident that the guidelines ae being adhered to. Dr Michelle Foley: Codeine is an opioid medication that is used in the treatment of mild to moderate pain. It can also be used in the treatment of cough. Its addiction potential is quite strong. It is an addictive medication because it belongs to the same group of opioids, such as heroin. So, it is very addictive." Over the last decade there has been a 47% increase in the number of people treated for problem codeine use. Dr Foley has done extensive international research into codeine misuse and dependence, she said: There needs to be much tighter regulation within pharmacy if they are to continue to sell this product over the counter. Since August 2010, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the pharmacy regulator, has stated that all pharmacists must fully comply with its guidance on the safe supply of codeine medicines such as Solpadine, Nurofen Plus and Feminax. Since then, pharmacists have been required to directly supervise sales of the medication; question customers to assess if its the most appropriate treatment; and ask if they have tried an alternative non-codeine painkiller. Pharmacists are also meant to warn customers that codeine combined with paracetamol or ibuprofen has the potential to be harmful in overdose quantities or if used for a prolonged period. Customers should be told not take it for longer than three days. Dr Foley said: The three-day warning is really important because if the pain is unresolved within those three days, then the person does really need to go and see a GP. Twelve of the pharmacies visited undercover by Prime Time gave the three-day warning but most did not explain why it was important to stick to this. In fact, only one pharmacy told Prime Time that codeine is addictive. Three out of the 18 pharmacies did not give the three-day warning at all, and a further three said that it was for short term use only but didnt specify for how long. In one pharmacy, the only advice Prime Time was given was to take two tablets up to three times a day, preferably after food. Two hours later, the programme returned to the same shop changing their appearance slightly and was sold a second box of Nurofen Plus on the repeat visit with no questions asked or advice offered at all. After viewing the footage from all 18 pharmacies Dr Foley said: There was some attempt in some of the pharmacies to adhere to the guidelines, but none of the pharmacies that we saw in that footage actually ticked all the boxes in relation to the guidance that has been supplied to them from the regulator. Medical Director of Smarmore Castle Private Clinic Dr Hugh Gallagher, told Prime Time: The issue of codeine dependence is a significant concern to me, and I do regularly treat people with this problem. What you find is that they will traverse a wide area, going to multiple pharmacies and determining which pharmacies are perhaps easiest to acquire them from the story that they need to tell in order to get them but the problem with that is that it begins to dominate their whole lives. Watch Caution, Contains Codeine on Prime Time Tuesday October 4 at 9.35pm on RTE One and RTE Player. Produced by Lydia Murphy and reporter Conor McMorrow. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has predicted that Britain and France will both have blazing rows and work very collaboratively as he vowed the Government will approach the European Political Community with an open mind. Liz Truss is set to attend a meeting of the group French President Emmanuel Macrons scheme to bring together EU nations and countries outside the bloc. The Prime Minister caused controversy during her Tory leadership campaign by failing to say whether the ally was friend or foe. Mr Cleverly declined to call Mr Macron a friend when asked to choose but said he had a lovely chat with the French President on the eve of the Queens funeral. The Foreign Secretary told a Tory conference fringe event hosted by the UK in a Changing Europe think tank: We had a very friendly chat, I said to him that the comments that he made about Her late Majesty were pitch perfect. Elaborating on the cross-Channel relationship, he said there is a degree of sibling rivalry. I think our proximity sometimes generates friction but ultimately what weve seen on plenty of occasions, not just because of Ukraine, that despite perhaps our unique ability to rub each other up the wrong way at times, that actually we do have a real ability to pull together and work very collaboratively when needs be. I have no doubt that we will find ways of working brilliantly closely with France, and I have no doubt well find ways of having blazing rows with France, because thats what the Brits and the French do, its our thing. .@JamesCleverly on proposals for a European Political Community: "Europe is more than the EU. Having European countries find a way to work together on mutual security and economic security is something to approach with open eyes."#CPC2022 https://t.co/xhOOvxCK0g The UK in a Changing Europe (@UKandEU) October 4, 2022 Asked about Mr Macrons European club, Mr Cleverly said he agreed with recognising there is more to Europe than the EU. I think having European countries finding ways to work together, whether on mutual security, economic security etc, etc, thats certainly something well go into with open eyes. We want to find ways of working well with our neighbours and partners and friends in Europe, and were willing to explore what this can do and how it can add value to our relationships. Ms Trusss move to attend the meeting in Prague, which comes after days of weighing up whether to go, will raise eyebrows given her explicit scepticism about the project only a few months ago as Mr Cleverlys predecessor at the Foreign Office. Mr Cleverly said it had struck him how much the international community has pulled together since Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, saying the Russian president has failed in his aim to fracture the allies relations. He said Russias veto on the United Nations Security Council is problematic, but that it still serves an important function as it allows the world to see that they are isolated. Asked about negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol, Mr Cleverly said: Weve been very clear about the things we think are key to the integrity of the UK: Northern Ireland must always be treated as an integral part of our country. He praised government colleague Steve Baker for apologising to the EU and Ireland for his former ferocious stance on Brexit negotiations. I think it was very honourable to try and take some of the heat out of the conversation, he said. What Steve is implicitly saying is lets look forward and not backwards, and I think that is a very, very sensible thing to say. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has acknowledged that the wait for compensation for the farmers impacted by the landslide at Shass Mountain, Drumkeerin in June 2020 has "gone on too long" adding that he hoped "to conclude it and bring it to a resolution very soon". The Minister's comments came after the matter was again raised by Independent TD, Marian Harkin in the Dail last night, October 4. Deputy Harkin told the Dail "The Minister and I know this has gone on far too long. The landslide at Shass Mountain happened almost 27 months ago, in June 2020. While I recognise and appreciate, as do the landowners, the fact that the Minister ensured that Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, payments were paid in the intervening period, which was important, they are nonetheless waiting far too long for the package of compensation. "We are speaking about more than 20 farmers and approximately eight foresters who were adversely affected by the damage from this landslide. Their patience has been sorely tested. When I raised the matter last June in the Dail, which was the last time I raised it here, I made the point that maybe if they had marched, blocked roads and caused disruption, it might have been resolved sooner. However, they took the Minister at his word and so did I. I hope his word will be honoured here this evening." She noted the 'good work' of Leitrim County Council to mitigate the damage following the landslide but said that "there is still a huge piece missing in the middle of that jigsaw," and that is the issue of compensation. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said he is "working to address (this issue) and wish to bring peace of mind as quickly as possible to the landowners in the area. "I had hoped to have it concluded by now. The Deputy is right to say it has gone on too long and I hope to conclude it and bring it to a resolution very soon." Minister McConalogue said that the agricultural area affected by the landslide has been mapped by his department. "The total agricultural area affected by the overspill has been calculated to be just over 24 ha. The total area of forestry within the damaged area is estimated to be 12 ha," he said. "This comprises land held in seven privately owned forestry contracts. The affected area is associated with 20 landowners or basic payment scheme claimants, and 19 of them have an affected area that exceeds 50 sq. m. Six of the seven forestry contracts have an affected area that exceeds 50 sq. m as well. A report prepared by RPS Group consultants for the then Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht estimated a total deposit amount of 160,000 cu. m or 160,000 tonnes, which is present at varying depths of up to two metres in the overspill areas. The costs associated with the removal of the overspill material would run to more than 20 million. In addition, the removal of the peat from the affected area could create significant environmental issues, especially in relation to water quality and aquatic life in the Diffagher River and Lough Allen." Minister McConalogue said that these lands "have remained eligible for payment under the basic payment scheme and other schemes administered by my Department because the applicants have been able to avail of the provisions of force majeure for the 2020, 2021 and 2022 scheme years. This means I have been able to protect these farmers' crucial payments in these years. The matter is under review for the year ahead," he said. He noted that "following extensive consultation with various stakeholders, a proposal for compensation was drafted. This proposal contains several measures to deal with the impact of the landslide and has been submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for sanction, which is required for funding in respect of the agreed package of measures. We are engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the proposal and an announcement will be made, I hope shortly, on the package of measures." Deputy Harkin said she was disappointed that the package was not agreed and in place and asked how much longer farmers will have to wait for compensation? She also expressed concern over the review of farm payments for those impacted indicated for 2023. Responding Minister McConalogue said that he had hoped to have the compensation package completed "at this stage" but stressed "we have the outline of the package very clear". "We hope to get approval and get it soon. I hope to have this concluded by the end of the year," he said but acknowledged, "I cannot give a clear guarantee as to when that will be because it is subject to agreement between my Department and that of Public Expenditure and Reform but we are fully committed to following through on the commitment we gave to the farmers concerned to bring this to a definitive conclusion. "We want a situation that is going to bring a permanent outcome and permanent peace of mind to the farmers concerned. There is no need for farmers to march or protest on this because we are committed to following through on the commitment we have given. It is taking a bit longer than we had hoped but we will bring it to a final conclusion and one that brings peace of mind to the farmers concerned. "What happened to this community has been quite a traumatic event. It has affected the long-term capacity of all those landowners to use this land for agricultural purposes in future. As I said, the cost of moving in and clearing the land would be 20 million, which is simply unfeasible. It would be biologically dangerous as well given the potential impact on watercourses and the environment, so it is important we bring in a package that recognises the long-term impact on farming communities and on the local communities. We are expediting this and I hope to have it resolved shortly." Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday, October 5, he would meet arch-foe Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev for talks this week in Prague also attended by EU chief Charles Michel and French President Emmanuel Macron. "A quadrilateral meeting is planned between Armenia's prime minister, the presidents of Azerbaijan and France and the president of the European Council," Mr. Pashinyan told parliament in Yerevan. He didn't specify the exact date of the meeting, but said he would be traveling to Prague for the meeting of the European political community scheduled for Thursday. He also announced a separate meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Azerbaijan. Read more Subscribers only Macron's European Political Community wants to be a new platform for cooperation The announcement came days after Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers met for talks in Geneva to begin drafting the text of a future peace treaty. It highlights the growing Western engagement in the volatile Caucasus region, where Russia distracted by its war in Ukraine is visibly losing influence after decades of domination. Last month, at least 286 people were killed on both sides before a US-brokered truce ended the worst clashes since the neighbors' 2020 war. The six-week war in 2020 claimed the lives of more than 6,500 troops from both sides and ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire. Under the deal, Armenia ceded swathes of territory it had controlled for decades, and Moscow deployed about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers to oversee the fragile truce. Read more Subscribers only In Armenia, isolated residents face the advance of Azerbaijan's forces Baku and Yerevan fought two wars in 2020 and in the 1990s over the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated enclave of Azerbaijan. With Moscow increasingly isolated on the world stage following its February invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the European Union have taken a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process. Mr. Pashinyan and Mr. Aliyev last met in Brussels on August 31 under the mediation of Mr. Michel. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives. Read more Subscribers only Armenia becomes an uncertain haven for Russians: 'What's the point of fleeing a country at war for another country at war?' Le Monde with AFP Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks during a press conference in front of Marienborg in Copenhagen, on October 5, 2022. LISELOTTE SABROE / AFP Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday, October 5, called a general election for November 1st seven months ahead of the end of her term in office. Ms. Frederiksen, who has headed the Social Democratic minority government since June 2019, has seen her popularity dwindle in recent weeks due to her role in a pandemic-era decision to wipe out Denmark's entire captive mink population. Polls show that the center-left bloc is neck-and-neck with the center-right opposition, which includes parties that want to reduce immigration. In June, a Danish Parliament-appointed commission harshly criticized Ms. Frederiksen's government for its decision to cull millions of healthy mink at the height of the coronavirus pandemic to protect humans from a mutation of the virus. The election will select members of the 179-seat Folketing, or Parliament. "We want a broad government with parties on both sides of the political middle," Ms. Frederiksen said as she announced the elections. She admitted that "it is, of course, peculiar to have a general election in the middle of an international crisis." Ms. Frederiksen has recently been speaking openly about governing with some of the parties that are part of the center-right opposition. Proactive move She became Denmarks youngest prime minister when she took office at age 41 in 2019. She reached out to other political parties, including the opposition, to help steer the Scandinavian country through the Covid-19 pandemic and later teamed up with the opposition to hike Danish defense spending in the wake of the March 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia. She also is a staunch supporter of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Read more Subscribers only In Denmark, a universal grant helps all students Ms. Frederiksen said that a broad government with some of the parties in the center-right opposition "will get us through uncertain times." After the report on the mink culling was published, one of the government's center-left allies, the Social Liberal Party, stood up against Ms. Frederiksen and criticized her for her handling of the mink issue. Ms. Frederiksen has insisted that she didnt know the culling decision was unlawful, saying it was "based on a very serious risk assessment." A law was passed shortly after to make it legal. We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback The culling of up to 17 million animals was ordered after a mutated version of the coronavirus was found in farms in northern Denmark and infected 11 people. Although there was no evidence that the mutated version was more dangerous, the government said it moved proactively. Denmark was one of the worlds main mink fur exporters, producing an estimated 17 million furs per year. Kopenhagen Fur, a cooperative of 1,500 Danish breeders, accounts for 40% of global mink production. Most of its exports went to China and Hong Kong. Le Monde with AP North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan for the first time since 2017 on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. RICHARD A. BROOKS / AFP The skies over Japan had been quiet for more than five years. And then, on October 4, a missile fired by North Korea, which was moving very high and very fast at an altitude of 970 kilometers and 20,800 km/h passed over the country's Tohoku region, at the northern tip of the island of Honshu. According to the Japanese government's Secretary General Hirokazu Matsuno, it then crashed into the Pacific Ocean, outside Japanese waters, without causing any casualties or damage. Two previous launches took place in August 2017. According to Antoine Bondaz, a research fellow and the director of both the Korea Program and the Taiwan Program at the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS), the trivialization of these tests, along with the distraction caused by the war in Ukraine and the fractured unity in the United Nations Security Council, provides an avenue for Pyongyang's military development. Read more North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan, residents warned to take cover How would you rate the importance of this missile launch? Antoine Bondaz: It must be put into perspective. This is the eighth test of the Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range missile, which has a demonstrated range of 4,600 kilometers. This is a fairly classic ballistic weapon, and it is not the first time that this type of missile has flown over Japan. There were two instances in August and September 2017. And since 1998 this is the seventh time a North Korean missile has flown over Japan. On the other hand, this launch illustrates three dynamics. The first is the trivialization of ballistic tests. About 170 have been carried out since Kim Jong-un came to power in 2012. From 1994 to 2011, Kim Jong-il carried out only 13. The second is a distraction effect caused by the war in Ukraine, which is legitimately occupying most chancelleries around the world. The third, which is the most important and the sign of a rupture, is the lack of unity of the international community in the UN Security Council, for the first time since 2006 and the first sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear program. In May, there was a draft resolution, which was vetoed by Russia and China. However, since 2006, for each major nuclear or ballistic test, there has been a resolution generally associated with sanctions. These three dynamics open an avenue for North Korea. Which of Pyongyang's enemies is targeted by this launch? Many have spoken hastily about the provocation being directed at Japan. But when North Korea tests a long-range missile at its maximum capability, it has to go toward the Pacific. The North Koreans "pay attention," they fly hundreds of kilometers above the International Space Station, to the least problematic place, the Tsugaru Strait, where there are few inhabitants. In comparison, when China flies over Taiwan, it does so over Taipei, deliberately. If the North Koreans wanted to provoke Japan, they would fly their missile over Tokyo. Of course, from the Japanese point of view, this is still a problem. On the other hand, it is sending a message to the United States. A range of 4,600 kilometers will not reach the American continent, but it is enough to reach the island of Guam, which is extremely important to Washington and where the United States has a base that represents its front-line defense system in the region. Are long-range weapons the main threat from North Korea? There is a tendency, and this is a mistake, to react more to long-range missiles than to short-range missiles up to 800 kilometers even though these have been tested about 50 times in the last four years. These weapons have demonstrated their ability to penetrate enemy defenses. To put it very simply, a ballistic missile goes up very high; in this case, they launch a missile up to 50 or 60 kilometers of altitude, then break its trajectory to bring it down, and this is very difficult for radar to detect. Moreover, these weapons are especially accurate to within a few dozen meters. Previously, North Korea did not have this capability. It either "went all in" or it did nothing. Today, it can scale its response. This allows it to hit important factories in South Korea: For example, the three large Samsung semiconductor factories, with limited strikes. This changes the way South Korea must respond. It wants to both retain the nuclear deterrent provided by its American ally and develop a conventional deterrent. Two days ago, Seoul presented a new ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5, which could have a payload of 7 to 8 tons. This is huge. Usually, a ballistic missile carries a ton or a ton and a half over this type of range. This is part of what South Korea calls "KMPR," which stands for "Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation". The message is explicit. It is dealing with the lack of balance between the North and the South by saying "we don't have nuclear weapons, but we compensate for it with extremely important conventional capabilities," which are capable of destroying buried, highly protected targets. A missile fired by North Korea, in 2017, in an image released by the North Korean government. AP Read more Subscribers only War in Ukraine reignites debate on nuclear deterrents The West is watching Pyongyang's progress in both atomic bombs and the missiles that carry them. Is its technology developed in these areas? The question is whether North Korea's nuclear weapons are small enough and also reliable enough to equip missiles that are also operational and reliable. There is a strong likelihood that it could already strike South Korea or Japan. The question can be asked about the United States. It is not considered impossible that this is already possible. In any case, to say that it could not is risky. Moreover, it does not necessarily need a missile. Imagine a mini-submarine with a weapon that could explode at the entrance to the Han River, near Seoul, or next to the airport. Why did this authoritarian power deem it necessary to pass a law in early September to revise its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons? The 2022 North Korean law overturned the 2013 law and created more ambiguity about use scenarios. It says that North Korea will not use a nuclear weapon against a non-nuclear power unless it "colludes" with a nuclear power. This refers to South Korea. As it has new capabilities, North Korea can evolve its doctrine so that it has a wider range of options in managing military escalation, with an even greater level of deterrence. What is the status of denuclearization negotiations? We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback They remain an objective enshrined in the UN Security Council resolutions, in the distant future. But today, there are no more negotiations. What has happened, historically, is that before resuming negotiations, North Korea has demonstrated its capabilities. It's too early to say, but we may be in a period where it will carry out more frequent tests, including nuclear tests, before potentially resuming talks. And such talks will not be about denuclearization as such. North Korea will try to obtain the lifting of sanctions in exchange for a partial freeze on its nuclear program. Read more North Korea fires ballistic missile on eve of US VP Harris visit Julien Lemaignen Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version. It was supposed to be a clear win. Instead, it will be a duel without mercy. The polls had anticipated a clear victory for Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, in the first round of Brazil's presidential election. Instead, the left-wing candidate won 48.4% of the vote. Lula's two terms in office, between 2003 and 2011, had been marked by a sharp decline in poverty in one of the most unequal countries in the world. The former president's Workers' Party formed an alliance with eight other parties ranging from the center-right to the libertarian left, putting him in a strong position to potentially benefit from the votes of two candidates eliminated in the first round. But, Lula will have to face the outgoing far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, in a second round on October 30. The incumbent president appears to be in a strong position, as suggested by the gap between his actual score (43.2%) and the one predicted by the latest polls (around 36%). An error partly related to instructions from Mr. Bolsonaro's camp given to his supporters to boycott pollsters. Read more Subscribers only Brazil election: Poll failure to predict outcome caused by government-organized 'sabotage' The fact that Mr. Bolsonaro has ceded little ground to the left he garnered 46 % of the vote in 2018 while his tenure has been marked by the brutal return of hunger and poverty, savage deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, and the Covid-19 tragedy, highlights the far-right roots of a large portion of Brazil's 156 million voters and the country's deep polarization. While eleven candidates were running last Sunday, the two front-runners, Mr. da Silva, 76, and Mr. Bolsonaro, 67, together garnered more than 91 % of the vote. On the defensive The closer-than-expected gap has several reasons. For example, Lula, a former steel worker, has weaknesses in his campaign which was largely turned to the past and was not very active on social media. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro camp's used government resources and spent billions on the poorest just before the election, all while receiving support from evangelical churches. But the far-right candidate's score suggests that, even if he is ultimately defeated, his message of religious morality and outdated societal values is taking root in the country. As already seen by Mr. Bolsonaro's first-place finish in 13 of Brazil's 27 states and the surge of ultraconservatives in the congressional elections, where Mr. Bolsonaro's Liberal Party has the most elected officials, and in the election for state governors in the federation. Read more Subscribers only Brazilian elections: Ultraconservative wave sweeps Congress and state legislatures We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback Lula remains the favorite to win the election and is only one and a half points away from victory. But if he is elected, the new political map that has emerged from the polls may make it more difficult to implement his manifesto, especially his promise to restore social programs. Placed on the defensive, the left-wing candidate will be forced to deal with a situation that was not fully anticipated: Brazil, presented as a catalyst for the Latin American left, is proving to be a melting pot for the far right. This with an opponent who, like his friend Donald Trump in the United States, is succeeding, thanks to social media and evangelical churches, in making a lasting reactionary impression on the country. Read more Subscribers only Lula disappoints, Bolsonaro persists in first round of Brazil's presidential election Le Monde Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version. LIMERICK people are being urged to donate blood as some supplies across the country are "critically low". The Irish Blood Transfusion Service said they find themselves in a "very challenging situation" due to the low supplies. They are asking people in Limerick to attend one of their upcoming clinics this month to help replenish their supplies. One in four people will need a blood transfusion in their lifetime and one donation may save three lives. Existing and new donors are welcome to attend the clinics and appointments can be booked by calling 1800 222 111. The first clinic will be held on Monday, October 10 at Doon Community Centre from 4:45pm to 8pm. Two more clinics will be held at the Green Hills Hotel in Caherdavin on Wednesday, October 12 and Thursday, October 13 from 4:15pm to 7:30pm. COUNCILLORS have criticised the Land Development Agency (LDA) over the slow pace of progress at a key site in Limerick city. The LDA is charged with redeveloping a swathe of land near Colbert station, with the agency promising a sustainable and flourishing new urban quarter for the city. Its anticipated that around 862 homes will be provided. Limericks latest development plan relies heavily on the development of the Colbert Quarter to meet its housing targets up to 2028. But at last week's council meeting, executives from the LDA were criticised by members for its timeline, which suggested planning permission may not be sought until the end of 2024, with construction from 2026. We have set out an indicative timeline, but I think its important to caveat that by saying the planning process at the moment is a challenging environment. We would hope obviously to get schemes into it as soon as possible, but we really are dependent on the planning system and the efficiency of it, said Alan Kelly, strategic planning manager at the LDA. Councillor Dan McSweeney, Fine Gael, warned perhaps too many housing units have been allocated to the Colbert Quarter, and raised the possibility of dezoning lands here meaning theyd no longer need to be used for accommodation, in favour of elsewhere in the city. The message here today is we want keys in doors nothing else, he said. Maybe we have to go back and look at the development plan and say lads, we need to dezone land because this is not realistic. Thats the message thats going out there that yere not going to deliver, and youll miss your targets. Councillors Sharon Benson, Sinn Fein and Joe Leddin, Labour also expressed concerns, the latter saying: We need to expedite in any way we can some of these plans. We are in a housing crisis we need to break ground and start building homes. Dearbhla Lawson, the agencys head of strategic planning said: This is about delivering affordable, equality housing. What we are doing is making sure we are doing due process, working through the process and ensuring we are doing it in a proper way. THERE are fears for the future of small firms across Limerick this week as Revenue begins to call in Covid-19 debts. Business owners have begun to receive letters seeking repayment of the so-called 'warehoused tax debt where firms left facing a cashflow issue during the pandemic could defer paying duties to a later date. That date has now arrived, and with hundreds of millions owed across the State, the taxman has not ruled out using sheriffs to collect money outstanding. Its caused intolerable stress for many small business owners across Limerick, with most not wanting to go public for fear of reputational damage. Paul Flannery, the Limerick representative of the Vintners 'Federation of Ireland described it as a hammer-blow" to many hard-hit hospitality traders, already grappling with rising electricity bills and the cost-of-living crisis seeing their customer base dwindle. Limerick Chamber has asked Revenue to take a flexible approach and its chief executive Dee Ryan said it would be an absolute injustice if any business which survived Covid-19 was to go to the wall now. And local TD Willie ODea has put down an urgent parliamentary question with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe calling for him to introduce legislation to force Revenue to pause the collections. Its the last thing a business needs, the qualified accountant said. Government is rolling in with its announcements to help businesses suffering from an increased energy cost. For the Revenue to come along and insist on collecting this money could push many of these businesses into bankruptcy and cost many jobs. Doing this, Mr ODea said, would be a self-defeating exercise, pointing out that more people will need to be paid social welfare and tax collection will drop. For its part, Revenue has declined to comment, but confirmed to The Sunday Business Post that it has referred 183.5m of so-called bad debts to the enforcement stage, which will likely mean the intervention of sheriffs or solicitors. Its not possible to estimate how much debt for which debt warehousing has been revoked will be at sheriff enforcement at a future date, it added. Former councillor Bill ODonnell said he saw such a letter from the Revenue. Fortunately for him, the self-employed solicitor is not owing a balance. But the Bruff man acknowledged its a concerning time for many businesses and urged Revenue to afford businesses which show viability leniency and time. He compared it to the possessions list, where the homeowner is given every chance to save their house. Possession orders are only given in the absolute extreme circumstances, and its only as a matter of last resort, the court will make that order. Revenue needs to take a similar attitude, but my experience in the past suggests Revenue does not really operate in that way, said Mr ODonnell. Donal Cantillon, himself a practicing accountant and president of the Limerick Chamber said: Businesses are still in a precarious position regarding their viability. Theres no point undoing the good work government has done during Covid to put added pressures on business now. Its one thing they can do without. Mr Flannery added: Businesses are not paying because they cant. Its not because they dont want to its just they cannot. One impact of any business closures would be reduced money going to the council in terms of commercial rates. Councillor Michael Collins says he has huge fears and concerns around this, and plans to raise it with local authority finance bosses. PERMISSION for a 30m plan to build a student complex in Limerick city has been overturned by a High Court judge. Mr Justice David Holland took a decision to quash An Bord Pleanala's ruling to afford Cloncarragh Developments the go-ahead to build more than 100 apartments accommodating over 300 students at the former John Moloney garage site. Situated opposite Punchs Cross, the land has lain idle for almost two decades, with the new facility designed to meet the needs primarily of students studying at Mary Immaculate College. City solicitor Michelle Hayes of Environmental Trust Ireland (ETI) challenged the ruling of An Bord Pleanala in the High Court - putting forward a number of arguments. In his decision, which was handed down on Tuesday, Mr Justice Holland said he was quashing the permission due to the failure of An Bord Pleanala to circulate the submission from ETI to Limerick's planners in a timely manner. The big losers on the high court decision to overturn planning permission at punches cross are students pic.twitter.com/4pczJ0fUn5 Cllr Joe Leddin (@JLeddin) October 5, 2022 The judge dismissed a complaint from ETI around a conflict between the engineers' and the architects drawings. On an issue Ms Hayes raised around groundwater flow direction at the site, Mr Justice Holland held against her in this regard, and dismissed this claim. The case was heard, over three days, in June before Mr Justice Holland who reserved judgement until now. In a statement, welcoming the decision, ETI said: "An Bord Pleanala, which is the subject of a number of investigations, failed to send the submission prepared by Solicitor Michelle Hayes, President of Environmental Trust Ireland to Limerick Council until 4.05pm on June 21, 2021, which was too late for the Council and councillors to consider it at its meeting held at 9.45am that same day. Other submissions with the sole exception of the Environmental Trust Ireland submission were furnished by An Bord Pleanala to Limerick Council on June 8 and were considered in the Chief Executive's Report." Mr Justice Holland found that An Bord Pleanala's failure to send the Environmental Trust Ireland submission to the Council within the statutory time limit had caused prejudice to Environmental Trust Ireland. Commenting after the decision was handed down, Ms Hayes said: "I have been highlighting the very serious environmental issues, defects and the problems with build to rent shoebox apartments and co-living policies since June 2019, when the developer, Cloncaragh investments Limited first made its direct planning application to An Bord Pleanala." The case is up for mention again in the High Court on October 20 next when the issue of costs will be decided. A spokesperson for the developer said they will make no further comment until after that time. But disappointment has been expressed over the decision including notably from former mayor Joe Leddin, who represents City West. Councillor Leddin called for Cloncarragh to resubmit its plans, saying: "The decision by the High Court was based on a technical procedural issue by An Bord Pleanala during the process rather than any design flaws or concerns. I would urge the developer to resubmit without delay their application and hopefully we can have this derelict site developed for hundreds of students who desperately require accommodation having chosen to study in Limerick." High Court has overturned An Bord Pleanala decision to grant planning for the Punches Cross Student Village this evening following an appeal by @IrelandTrust pic.twitter.com/LwUFAjod3m Cllr Daniel Butler (@DanielButlerFG) October 4, 2022 Another member representing the area, Cllr Azad Talukder added: "It's very sad news for the local community. It would have provided accommodation for 300 people, and it would have lifted a lot of pressure locally. It is very disappointing, I don't understand how someone can take this view in the middle of a housing crisis." DANCE Limerick has announced it will present the premiere of Rising Voices by Alexandre Iseli later this week. Rising Voices is an emotionally engaging artwork that expresses the unique beauty of each individual, and their attempt to elaborate collective meaning through a ritual journey that progressively consolidates the bonds of the group. The new contemporary dance piece is driven by the urge to give people a voice, featuring four emerging young dancers under the artistic direction of Tipperary Dance Artistic Director, Alexandre Iseli. A collection of restless ritual attempts, Rising Voices combines creation with professionalisation in an interdisciplinary collaborative process. The premiere will take place at St. Johns Church, Limerick at 7.30pm this Thursday. THIS WEEK : We are delighted to present the Irish Premiere of 'Rising Voices' by Alexandre Iseli @TDPdancefest 7.30pm | Thurs 6th Oct Dance Limerick Church John's Square Tickets | https://t.co/c76ISI1mer pic.twitter.com/tBJWtEcqe1 Dance Limerick (@DanceLimerick) October 3, 2022 Alexandre Iseli is a choreographer and is the Artistic Director of Tipperary Dance, which he co-founded with Jazmin Chiodi. Alexandre initially trained as a scientist (MSc Biology) before becoming a full-time professional dancer in 1993, working in Switzerland, France, Belgium and Korea before settling in Ireland. He has toured over 35 countries worldwide with choreographers & companies such as Philippe Saire and Liz Roche. Alexandre has created over 20 choreographic dance works and dance films, many co-created with Jazmin. Their work has toured in more than a dozen countries. Suitable for all ages, this Thursday's performance is not to be missed! Tickets from 12, available at dancelimerick.ie. Tipperary Dance acts as an international creative space that engages with artists and citizens while building and providing infrastructure for the art form of dance. Rising Voices is embedded in a synergy of local and national partnerships including Clonmel Junction Arts Festival, South Tipperary Arts Centre, Dance Ireland and Tigh Roy Ionad Culturtha. Supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Tipperary Excel Arts Centre and Tipperary County Council. NEW DELHI : State-run ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) is looking to invest around $1 billion in a Brazilian offshore hydrocarbon block and also raise its stake, a person aware of the development said, in the latest Indian effort to strengthen energy security. Brazils state-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) operates the BM Seal-4 block with a 75% participating interest, while OVL holds the rest. It saw a major gas discovery in 2019 and is expected to start production after 2026. OVLs stake in the block is expected to go up after the investment. OVLs decision to invest follows the declaration of commerciality (DoC) for the BM Seal-4 block, with the final investment decision (FID) to be taken shortly. The block lies in the Sergipe Alagoas Offshore Basin in a 320 sq. km area. Energy diversification is an important agenda before the Indian government with investments planned in Brazil," the person cited above said on the condition of anonymity. The investment plan comes against the backdrop of a growing energy partnership between India and Brazil. India has been trying to diversify its energy supplies and access equity oil and gas from Brazil, which is currently the seventh largest global crude oil producer and exporter. Indias playbook also involves using Brazil as a beachhead to firm up partnerships with other Latin American countries. The efforts have gained traction, with Indian Oil Corp. recently signing a long-term contract to procure crude oil from Colombias state-run Ecopetrol SA. With India dependent on imports for as much as 85% of its oil needs and 55% of its natural gas demand, the countrys policy planners have been trying to acquire equity energy at a time energy prices have become very unpredictable in the wake of the Ukraine war. A consortium of OVL, Indian Oil Corp. (IOC) and Oil India Ltd is also looking to invest jointly in the massive Vostok project of Russias Rosneft. India has also been looking to invest in Novateks Arctic LNG-2 project as part of its energy security efforts. Queries emailed to the spokespeople for OVL, ONGC, and Indias ministry of petroleum and natural gas on 30 September remained unanswered till press time. A Petrobras spokesperson, in an emailed response, said, Petrobras informs that there is no transaction concerning BM Seal-4." The proposed investment in Brazil comes against the backdrop of IOC inking a long-term supply contract with Petrobras. Also, state-run BPCLs subsidiary Bharat PetroResources Ltd (BPRL) will invest $1.6 billion to develop the BM-Seal-11 project in Brazil. Indias cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) in July approved this additional investment in the project, which is expected to see production from 2026-27, wherein BPRL has 40% PI, and Petrobras, with 60% participating interest, is the operator. Most people and even experts have not registered that Brazil is an important player in oil. Today, we are the seventh largest producer and seventh largest exporter of oil, and we will be the fifth largest producer and exporter soon. However, India is one of the first countries to accept the idea that Brazil is a major player in oil. Since Brazil is a new player in this industry, it is important that we have as close a relationship as possible with India, which is a major consumer nation," Brazils ambassador to India, Andre Aranha de Lago, said in a recent interview. The proposed investment in the Petrobras block by OVL also comes at a time India has been trying to secure LNG globally after a contract with GAIL (India) Ltd was reneged on by Gazproms former subsidiary, Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore. India has reached out to the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq at a government-to-government level to secure additional LNG cargoes at affordable prices, as reported by Mint earlier. Indias natural gas consumption has been on an upswing with a focus on developing a gas-based economy, with the country consuming 163.06 million standard cu. m per day (mscmd) in FY22. Gas comprises 6.2% of Indias primary energy mix, far behind the global average of 24%. The government plans to increase this share to 15% by 2030. With India being the worlds fourth-largest LNG importer, Indian firms have inked long-term LNG contracts totalling 22 million tonnes per annum (mtpa). Indias gas demand is expected to be driven by the fertilizer, power, city gas distribution, and steel sectors. Indias import and production of natural gas in 2021-22 resulted in supplies of 64.8 billion cu m in the country. India produced 34,024 mscm of gas in 2021-22. ONGC is one of the largest global oil exploration and production companies. It produced 1.12 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in FY22, had proven reserves of around 6.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe; 4.2 billion boe in India) and a reserve life of around 15 years at FYE22," Fitch Ratings in a 7 September report. Nippon Life runs Indias oldest exchange-traded fund (ETF) Nippon India ETF Nifty BeES and manages 65,000 crore worth of investor assets in its ETFs . An ETF is a basket of securities which track an underlying index and get traded on the exchanges. The Nippon India ETF Nifty BeES was originally launched as Nifty BeES in 2001 by Benchmark Mutual Fund (MF). The fund house was acquired by Goldman Sachs (in 2011), and later by Nippon Life India (in 2015). Since then, the ETF industry in India has seen significant growth. Hemen Bhatia, who is head-ETF at Nippon Life India and had earlier worked with Benchmark MF, spoke to Mint on the factors that have driven ETF growth in India and the fund houses own growth in the ETF space. Edited excerpts from an interview: What has led to this ETF growth in India over the last few years? We see a lot of retail investors participating in ETFs. And once there is investor participation, they understand the benefits and they want the product to be part of their portfolio. There have been multiple levers of growth. One is the launch of CPSE ETF in 2014. When we launched a government-mandated ETF, investors took notice. In India, we have seen that when government uses an instrument or product, it helps the products popularity and takes it to the masses. Thereafter, the scheme re-categorisation by market regulator Sebi in 2017 has also helped. You might also like Stocks might claw back as bears exit shorts HUL is racing to outspeed B2B delivery firms Why investors are flocking to consumer stocks Earlier, an actively-managed fund could just take 50% large cap stocks, and balance 50% between mid- and small-cap stocks, benchmark itself against Nifty 50 and show outperformance. However, now there is a clear definition of what constitutes a large cap fund, mid cap fund and small cap fund and there is uniformity in comparison of different fund categories. Also, active funds were earlier only benchmarked against price return index, which was not appropriate as it didnt take into account the impact of dividend payouts by the index constituents. The challenge of alpha-generation was there earlier as well for active funds, but now it has become more apparent. EPFO and pension fund money has also been one of the biggest factors contributing to the burgeoning size of assets under management of the ETF industry. View Full Image Mint How would you summarize your ETF journey since Benchmark MF? From the time of Benchmark MF in 2001, we were the only fund house talking about ETFs. We were selling a product with 40-50 basis points expense ratio, when regular mutual fund schemes were being sold with an initial issue expense of 6%, entry load of 2% and total expense ratio of 2.5%-3%. But we had the conviction that if something is picking up in the US, it should also gain traction in our markets. What do you make of the growth of factor-based passive funds? Globally, in a $7-7.5 trillion market, factors make up for some $1.1 trillion. In India, it is picking up, but let me tell you that factor-based index is as good as any other actively-managed scheme. So, even an active fund manager would use an investment style, whether it is value, momentum or growth. So, factors are nothing but quant models with a fixed methodology, except that in active funds you have human intervention. The maximum money collected today is from two factorslow volatility and momentum. Factors like momentum, quality, low volatility tend to impact markets at different points of time. So, for someone to time the factor is as difficult as for a fund manager to pick an outperforming stock. Thats also the reason why we think investors should use a combination of factors. We launched Alpha Low Vol mainly because of this. We have seen returns of Alpha Low Vol are quite consistent. And only momentum factor has returns closer to that of Alpha Low Vol. However, on a risk-adjusted basis, Alpha Low Vol scores over momentum. What do you think of the recent Sebi circular on ETFs ? This is not just a circular, but a reform that Sebi (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has brought about for the ETFs. It is more of a business development that Sebi has undertaken for the growth of the industry. Globally, investors are not allowed to come directly to the fund house, but can only buy and sell the ETF on the exchange. Market makers provide the volumes on the exchange, apart from the natural volume. Though Sebi was always clear on appointing market makers when an offer document is filed, they were still not recognised as an entity in India . This has now changed after the Sebi circular. The regulator also stated that any investor who wants to trade directly with the fund house, can only do so if the transaction value is 25 crore and above. So, a lot of these volumes where transaction value is below 25 crore will now shift towards the exchanges. Earlier, any investor with even one lot size of Nifty (close to 1 crore value) could directly trade with the fund house. While Sebi has given industry time till 31 October for the 25 crore-rule, it is an important step and should get implemented. Your banking ETF is your largest sector ETF. Can you elaborate on this? Banking ETF is quite popular among investors. We also see a lot of insurance companies investing in the ETF. There are some regulations that prevent insurance companies from investing in particular sectors beyond certain limits. But through ETFs, these limits dont apply. We had seen sharp divergence in ETFs vis-a-vis their underlying indices in 2020. Why is that? That can always happen when there is sharp volatility in the markets. However, the amount of fluctuation you would have seen in our ETFs versus others would have been low because apart from market makers, we also have volumes from natural investors. So, market makers will give you volumes between certain spreads. But, what about the volumes within those spreads. This is where it matters how much investor folios and investor participation is there in your ETFs. Elsewhere in Mint In Opinion, Kaushik Basu explains the 'Incarceration Game' that helps authoritarian rulers stay in power. Will recovery in consumer demand hold? Niranjan Rajadhyaksha answers. Biju Dominic reveals an aspect of human nature than can power metaverse. Long Story explains why everyone loves the home loan customer. Amid Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday claimed that she put under house arrest and was prevented from attending a wedding in Pattan town in the Baramulla district. In contrast to her allegations, Srinagar Police, however, has denied the charges of any house arrest and said that she is free to travel. Mehbooba Mufti in a tweet, wrote, "While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker's wedding. If an ex-CM's fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one can't even imagine the plight of a commoner." Along with the tweet, she also posted a picture with a lock put on the gates of her residence. While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy,I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a workers wedding.If an ex CMs fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one cant even imagine the plight of a commoner.@AmitShah @manojsinha_ pic.twitter.com/5dYSfk8j1f Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) October 5, 2022 Responding to her tweet, the Srinagar Police wrote, "It is clarified that no restriction of any kind travel to Pattan, travel to Pattan was at 1 pm as intimated to us. The picture tweeted by her is of the inside of the gate with its own lock of residents who stay in the bungalow. There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel." It is clarified that no restriction of any kind travel to pattan, travel to pattan was at 1 pm as intimated to us. The picture tweeted by her is of inside of the gate with own lock of residents who stay in the bunglow. There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel. https://t.co/YMccUwDSh4 pic.twitter.com/kG5Luhj7Bm Srinagar Police (@SrinagarPolice) October 5, 2022 After the Srinagar police denying, Mehbooba Mufti then responded with the tweet, "I was informed last night by SP Baramulla Rayees Mohammad Bhat that I wouldn't be allowed to travel to Pattan. Today Jammu and Kashmir police have themselves locked my gates from inside & are now lying through their teeth. Sad that law enforcement agencies are brazenly trying to cover up their tracks." Meanwhile, Amit Shah while addressing a rally in Baramulla on Wednesday ruled out holding any dialogue with Pakistan and asserted that the Modi government will wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and make it the most peaceful place in the country. Shah asked whether terrorism has ever benefited anyone as the menace has claimed 42,000 lives since the 1990s in J&K. For the last 70 yrs, Mufti & company, Abdullah& sons were in power here but didn't provide housing for the 1 lakh homeless people. Modi ji gave homes to these 1 lakh people between 2014-2022," he added. Shah said some people often talk about Pakistan but he wanted to know how many villages in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have electricity connections. We have ensured, in the last three years, that all villages in Kashmir have electricity connection," he said. Shah is on a three-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir. Shah was received at the airport by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union minister Jitendra Singh, among others. On Tuesday, Amit Shah offered prayers at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra. This is the second visit by Amit Shah to Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 by the Modi government in August 2019. (With inputs from agencies) Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolence to the mountaineers who lost their lives in the Uttarakhand avalanche on Tuesday. So far, four deaths have been reported and the rescue operation is going on. "It is saddening that we have lost precious lives of those associated with a NIM Uttarkashi mountaineering expedition. Condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue operations are underway and the situation is being closely monitored by the authorities: PM," tweeted the Prime Minister's Office. It is saddening that we have lost precious lives of those associated with a NIM Uttarkashi mountaineering expedition. Condolences to the bereaved families. Rescue operations are underway and the situation is being closely monitored by the authorities: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 4, 2022 The Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) Principle on Tuesday informed PTI that 10 bodies of the trapped 41-member team of NIM were spotted after the avalanche struck at Mount Draupadi Ka Danda-2 peak. Out of the four have been recovered. Also Read: Watch: Massive avalanche plunges down trail behind Kedarnath Temple President Droupadi Murmu also expressed grief over the incident. Besides PM and the President, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also offered condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the avalanche. , - - President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) October 4, 2022 Taking to social media, Gandhi said, "News of the avalanche in Uttarakhand, which has claimed many lives, is distressing. Heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. Praying for the safe return of those missing, and speedy recovery of those injured." The mountaineering team consisting of 34 trainees and 7 instructors was returning after its expedition to a peak. According to the Press Release, the course arrived at Base Camp on 25 September. Following the schedule, the course moved for High Altitude Navigation and scale 5670 m tall Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II at 4.00 am. The team met with the unfortunate event while returning from the expedition at 08:45 hrs. "The Rescue work is in progress and as of now, four bodies have been recovered. SDRF, NDRF, and Indian Air Force are helping in the rescue," it added. Around eight mountaineers were immediately rescued by the ITBP team and were rushed to the ITBP hospital, informed Vivek Pandey, ITBP PRO to ANI. As soon as the forces received the information about the avalanche, a rescue operation was begun with the association of the ITBP, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and local police. (With agency inputs) If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. Elderly homeowners living in a mid Longford housing estate have been told there is absolutely nothing local authority officials can do to rectify sewage issues in the area. Fine Gael councillor and Longford Municipal District Cathaoirleach Gerry Hagan tabled a request for the council to take in charge a small sewerage plant that services six houses at Cullyfad's Radharc na Coille. Cllr Hagan called on the local authority to step in and allay an issue which was causing local residents much anxiety in the face of an ever deepening energy crisis. However, Director of Services John Brannigan said the council's hand were tied, insisting the dilemma was one which only Irish Water could resolve. It is Irish Waters responsibility to take it in charge. We have brought it to their attention and we havent had a satisfactory answer, he said. Mr Brannigan added there was no mechanism at the council's disposal to 'back charge' Irish Water on foot of a query raised by Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi. We need to put some sort of pressure on them (Irish Water) that the responsibility is theirs and that you can no longer just disregard that responsibility, added Cllr Hagan. The cost of the new National Childrens Hospital will exceed 1.43 billion euro, an Oireachtas committee has heard. National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) chief officer Derek Gunning told the Health Committee the total cost of the project may not be known for years after construction ends due to outstanding legal claims. More than 1.13 billion euro had been spent on the project up to the end of July. Mr Gunning said construction is scheduled to be completed by March 2024. He did not divulge an estimated total cost, except to say it will be more than the 1.43 billion euro approved by the Government in 2018. Representatives from the NPHDB and the Department of Health appeared before the committee on Wednesday to give an update on construction progress at the site. The National Childrens Hospital on the St Jamess Hospital site in Dublin is the largest current infrastructure development in the state. It has run into significant delays and financial overruns. The overall cost of the project has risen from an estimated 800 million euro in 2014, to 983 million euro in 2017, to 1.4 billion euro as of December 2019. The original completion date in the tender document was August 2022. Asked by Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane whether the total cost is likely to exceed 1.43 billion, Mr Gunning replied: Yes, it will be, it will be exceeded. As we look at the programme and the 17-month extension, the additional costs will bring us beyond that particular amount. He told TDs and senators that construction had significantly advanced since July and it is now about 78% completed. The advanced progress means that the layout of the hospital is clear and visible to all those who walk through the various departments that are reaching completion stage, he said. The committee heard the most advanced areas within the building have floors, walls, ceilings and joinery installed. The intensive care pendants and bathroom fittings are being installed, as are the sliding doors, Mr Gunning said. There are 22 operating theatres on the second floor of the building where medical equipment installation, ceilings, walls and floor fit-out is well under way. Other areas such as the emergency department, imaging, critical care and therapy areas are progressing at pace. Mr Gunning said it is expected that the first hospital rooms will be completed this month but the board could not say when the first patients will be welcomed to the hospital. Once the project is completed at the end of March 2024, Mr Gunning said it will be handed over to Childrens Health Ireland for a period of commissioning that will take at least six months. Department of Health Assistant Secretary Derek Tierney said the construction timeline had seen an extension in part due to the pandemic and that it would result in additional costs. He told Fine Gael TD Bernard Durkan: I completely understand the desire for certainty but we are in uncertain times. At the moment, we have a contractors programme which is stating a date and thats the date were holding the contractor to. He added there is volatility in the construction sector at present but the risk is largely mitigated. The committee also heard there are 989 claims from the contractor still in play somewhere along the disputes process. Mr Gunning said: We have a very strong team in place to defend each and every one of these claims. But when will these play out? If they are resolved in the conciliation or in the disputes management process we will have an answer. But if they go to the High Court then it will, I would say, it will be beyond the opening date of this hospital before the final account will be fully known. Mr Cullinane later sought clarity by asking Mr Gunning whether the disputes and the additional costs could actually go on for months if not years after the project is completed and the hospital even open and doing business. Mr Gunning replied: Correct. That is correct. Youre absolutely right. Mr Cullinane said: I think people will be a bit surprised to hear that long after the hospital is opened and providing services, were still likely to be locked in to a process of contractual disputes around costs. And even though we accept that the costs will probably be in excess of 1.4 billion (euro) theres no indication as to what amount thats going to be and how long thats going to take. Business & Finance, Health & Wellness By Chris Boyle Published: October 05 2022 Dr. Mohammed Imam comes from Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, where he was chair of cardiothoracic surgery and executive director of the Heart Institute. Mohammed Imam, MD, a leading cardiothoracic surgeon, has been appointed chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at NYU Long Island School of Medicine, effective October 1. He will take over for Scott Schubach, MD, who led the department as chair since 2003. Dr. Schubach remains on faculty full-time as director of academic affairs and as the newly appointed surgical specialty advisor for NYU Long Island School of Medicine. We are incredibly pleased to welcome Dr. Imam to NYU Langone HospitalLong Island, where he will help advance and continue our mission of quality, says Joseph J. Greco, MD, senior vice president and chief of hospital operations, NYU Langone HospitalLong Island. His expertise in this field is unparalleled, and we look forward to further growth and expansion of our world-class cardiothoracic surgery program on Long Island. We thank Dr. Schubach for his excellent leadership over the past nearly 20 years as chair of the department, says Dr. Greco. He grew the department from the ground up, recruited major new hires, and put our cardiothoracic surgery program on the map. Hes a phenomenal surgeon who has always been committed to the highest level of patient care, and we look forward to our continued work with him. Dr. Imam joins NYU Langone HospitalLong Island from Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, where he was chair of cardiothoracic surgery and executive director of the Heart Institute. Under his leadership, the Heart Institute at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital has consistently been awarded the highest rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for coronary bypass and mitral valve surgery for superior quality and low complication rates. One of the most experienced surgeons in his field, Dr. Imam has completed more than 5,000 surgeries with mortality and infection rates consistently among the best in the nation. His areas of expertise include mitral valve repair, complex coronary bypass surgery, minimally invasive valve surgery, and surgery for atrial fibrillation and aortic aneurysms. Its an honor to join an exceptional team thats already on the forefront of cardiac surgery, says Dr. Imam. Im excited for the opportunity to continue to grow the surgical services we provide on Long Island, and further raise the bar for providing the highest quality care to patients. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Imam is an investigator on numerous clinical trials in cardiothoracic surgery, including the Medtronic Expand TAVR II international trial, which seeks to study the feasibility of expanding the indications and usage of the TAVR device. He is also an investigator of the ROMA study (Randomization of Single vs Multiple Arterial Grafts) to determine the effects of using multiple arterial grafts in patients having coronary artery bypass surgery. About Dr. Imam Dr. Imam received his doctorate of medicine from the University of Mumbai, India, before completing his cardiothoracic surgery training at Tufts University. During his career, Dr. Imam has been the recipient of many prestigious awards, including Vitals Favorite Physicians, Castle Connolly's Top Doctors, and New York Magazine's Top Doctors awards for several years in a row. In addition, he was one of only ten cardiothoracic surgeons in the nation awarded the Alley-Sheridan Scholarship for Leadership by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in 2016. He has published several peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters, and his research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Cardiology, and the cardiac surgery industry. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Imam established an alliance with the YMCA in New York City to help improve community health. He also created a mentorship program for high school students from underrepresented communities on Staten Island. Most recently, he spearheaded efforts to visit India, his native country, with a team of doctors and medical residents in an effort to help improve the physical and mental health of the rural population in areas outside Bangalore. He plans to continue this work in the future. Chicago homeowners now can instantly view their propertys construction details, assessment history, and recent real estate sales in their neighborhood by tapping into a new Cook County database. 5-Oct-22 Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has unveiled a searchable database that shows a greater level of information for each property located in Chicago and Cook County suburbs. A property owner now can visit the Assessors website, enter their property index number (PIN) or address, and obtain information such as the estimated market value, assessed value, and property characteristics, said Scott Smith, Chief Communications Officer for the Cook County Assessors Office. Noteworthy features include information pertaining to permits, parcel divisions and consolidations, and the Homeowner Improvement Exemption. Another feature is the Neighborhood Sales function, which provides current real estate information that can be reviewed and printed, noted Smith. This function generates a list of real estate transactions within the neighborhood code of a property within the last 36 months, said Smith (left). The information is useful for property owners that are considering filing an appeal or would like to understand the market value of properties in their neighborhood. Much of the Assessors staff work is accomplished by utilizing digital tools, including the Automated Valuation Model. The AVM is joined with the parcel universe to allow convenient spatial analysis and mapping of sales, which can be joined to historic assessed values for ratio studies, notes the Open Data site. Here are some basic facts about how the Assessor does his job: It is important for homeowners to understand the current real estate market in their neighborhood. Assessments, under Illinois law, should be uniform and fairly reflect market values. If a property owner believes their property is worth less than the Assessors Offices estimate of its value, the owner is entitled to file an appeal. Appeals can be filed once a year during a specific timeframe which can be found on the Assessment Calendar and Deadlines page of the Assessors website. A taxpayer can file with the Cook County Board of Review and later with the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board. Homeowners often ask, according to Smith, what is the difference between Market Value and Assessed Value? The estimated Market Value is what the Assessors Office believes a property is worth in the current real estate market. The Assessed Value is the amount used to calculate your property taxes. For residential property, this is usually 10 percent of the estimated Market Value. For commercial property, it is typically 25 percent of the estimated Market Value. Homeowners can learn more about the new enhancements by downloading a guide or participating in an upcoming virtual workshop. For tips on how to navigate the Assessors Property Details and to read frequently asked questions, go to Cook Countys Open Data site. Datasets from the Assessors office can be viewed and downloaded online at: www.cookcountyassessor.com/opendata Homeowners also are invited to participate in a virtual workshop to learn more about the enhanced property details that can be viewed. The Assessors Office will be giving a live demonstration, viewable on Facebook and YouTube, and answering questions at noon on Wednesday, October 5. (Alliance News) - Integrated Diagnostics Holdings PLC on Wednesday said that its radiology venture, Al-Borg Scan, has received American College of Radiology accreditation for its nuclear medicine and ultrasound units. It also announced the launch of Al-Borg's sixth branch in Cairo's Maadi neighbourhood. Integrated Diagnostics is a consumer healthcare company in the Middle East and Africa, with operations in Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and Nigeria. It said Al-Borg Scan was the first radiology centre in Africa and one of the few radiology facilities in the Middle East to receive ACR accreditation. Integrated Diagnostics expects the certification to be advantageous for future business, and said it would make agreements with insurance providers easier to obtain. Yasmine El-Hini, acting country manager for Egypt at the International Finance Corp, added that the development would "deliver better health outcomes for patients". The new branch of Al-Borg Scan, which is the second to be rolled out in 2022, is expected to help expand the venture into another "strategic and currently underserved" area. The branch will offer a number of radiology services, including magnetic resonance imaging and echocardiography. From Al-Borg Scan's initial launch in 2018 to June 30, 2022, Integrated Diagnostics has invested nearly EGP400.0 million, around GBP18.1 million. In the six months to June 30, the venture reported revenue of EGP35.0 million, around GBP1.6 million, up 77% year-on-year. Chief Executive Officer Hend El Sherbini said while she was "thrilled" with progress thus far, work had just begun. "Over the coming year we are aiming to roll out two to three additional branches and further widen the venture's service offering as we look to capture a larger share of the fast-growing Egyptian radiology market," she said. Integrated Diagnostics shares were trading 2.2% higher at USD0.81 in London on Wednesday afternoon. By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Omega Diagnostics Group PLC on Wednesday said it has received positive data from the World Health Organisation regarding the evaluation of its Visitect CD4 Advanced Disease Rapid test. The Scotland-based medical diagnostics company reported that WHO's draft report said its test has shown high diagnostic accuracy. Omega shares trading 25% higher at 2.88 pence each in London on Wednesday late morning. The Visitect CD4 Advanced Disease test is a rapid lateral flow assay, designed to identify people at high risk of opportunistic infections like tuberculosis and cryptococcal meningitis. 300 specimens were analysed as part of WHO's evaluation conducted at the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Kisumu, Kenya. The report concluded the test showed high sensitivity of 96%, as well as a specificity of 96% from whole blood specimens. The evaluation receipt is an important milestone for Omega, who confirmed the sale of its CD4 business to Accubio Ltd in August 2022, and expects to receive GBP4.0 million contingent upon the successful outcome of its clinical study in Kenya and subsequent completion of the pre-qualification process. Omega now has until November 3, 2022 to review and comment on the draft report and the results submitted. A summary of the performance evaluation report will then be included in the WHO pre-qualification public report if the product meets all requirements. Chief Executive Officer Jag Grewal said it was encouraging to formally receive positive results. "If the Visitect CD4 Advanced Disease test successfully meets all WHO pre-qualification requirements, it will continue to be made available for sale by Accubio and the company will receive the full GBP4.0 million of deferred consideration," he added. By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Liz Truss's first conference speech as Tory leader was interrupted by heckling as she battled to unite her party. She promised to steer the country through the "tempest" and "get Britain moving". Protesters holding a flag which read "who voted for this?" were ejected from the hall after disrupting the speech. The PM has endured a bruising conference after just a month in the job, with a U-turn over a totemic tax policy and dissent within her cabinet, and heckling during her speech illustrated the level of discontent. She sought to rally Conservative activists behind her vision of a government wholly committed to boosting economic growth. She told the audience in Birmingham the country was in a "new era" under the King, following the death of The Queen. Truss said: "These are stormy days. "Together, we have mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the rock on which modern Britain was built. "We're now in a new era under King Charles III. "We're dealing with the global economic crisis caused by Covid and by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's appalling war in Ukraine. "In these tough times, we need to step up. "I'm determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation." Shortly ahead of her speech, YouGov released polling suggesting Truss is already more unpopular than Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn ever were. Just 14% of the public now say they have a favourable impression of the PM, compared with 26% who said so between September 21-22. Nearly three-quarters (73%) now see the PM in an unfavourable light, including more than half (55%) who see her very unfavourably. That gives her a net favorability rating of minus 59, depths not plumbed by Johnson, who hit minus 53 in July, or Corbyn, who fell to minus 55 in June 2019. YouGov surveyed 1,751 British adults on October 1-2. source: PA Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Wednesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- First Class Metals PLC - Lancashire, England-based metals exploration company - Reports preliminary assay results from the West Pickle massive sulphide discovery. Assays from first hole are of "exceptionally high grade" at 4.8% nickel, 3.7% copper over 1.8 metres from massive nickel-copper sulphides. Out of twelve holes drilled, assays remain outstanding for eleven holes. The West Pickle area is the on Schreiber-Hemlo & Sunbeam project land in Canada. Awaits further assays results. ---------- Kinovo PLC - London-based property services company focused on safety and regulatory compliance, land regeneration and energy efficiency - Completes refinancing of its GBP1.5 million term loan with its partner HSBC UK Bank PLC, together with the annual renewal of its current GBP2.5 million overdraft facility. At September 30, net debt position reduces to GBP100,000 from GBP1.7 million at the same time a year prior, with a cash balance of GBP1.7 million. ---------- Somero Enterprises Inc - Fort Myers, Florida-based laser-guided machinery concrete levelling specialist - Confirms no material damage to its Fort Myers facility or disruption to business due to Hurricane Ian. ---------- Ecora Resources PLC - London-based natural resources royalty company - Completes name change from Anglo Pacific Group PLC. Says name change reflects " successful transformation from a predominantly coal royalty business to one that by 2026 is expected to generate over 90% of its revenue contribution from commodities required to support a sustainable future." ---------- Spectral MD Holdings Ltd - London and Dallas, Texas-based predictive analytics firm for wound care - Announces results from its burn image assessment study. Objective of study was to obtain data in assessment of burn depth. Results show that in reviewing pictures of burn wounds that were so severe they would not have healed, emergency department practitioners selected that no surgery was needed and advised treatment with local wound care in 82% of patients. For healing wounds, ED practitioners selected local wound care in only 31% of the images. Says this is "well below" the current performance of Spectral MD's DeepView Wound Imaging System. ---------- BiON PLC - Kuala Lumpur-based renewable energy services - Gives notice it is changing its accounting date to April 30 from December 30 to reflect it becoming a cash shell following its disposal of BiON Ventures Sdn Bhd, which was the firm's main operational subsidiary. Intends to publish its annual report "within the coming weeks" which would enable its shares to resume to trading. ---------- Molecular Energies PLC - Leeds, England-based oil & gas company focused on Latin America - Confirms name change from President Energy PLC. ---------- Angus Energy PLC - oil and gas development company focused on UK assets - Says the Saltfeetby Field is currently achieving flow rates of between 40 and 50 barrels per day. Adds it expects that, by addressing the crest of the structure at the operation, it will add a further 100 barrels per day to production from the fields from the first quarter of 2023. Says planning permission for this has been obtained with preliminary permit approval received. In addition, says the loan facility and contingent payments to Forum Energy are expected to be satisfied in full by third quarter of 2022. ---------- Wildcat Petroleum PLC - targeting investment opportunities in businesses and assets within the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, including the use of blockchain within the sector - Says the last quarter has been "exciting" and "busy". Says it is busy scouting opportunities and building relationships in prospective target markets. Notes talks with the oil minister of Sudan, in particular. Says by working with the government of Sudan, Wildcat has an opportunity to become a partner in the development of the oil industry there. Says it is "getting closer" to executing a "substantial" deal in "not-too-distant" future. ---------- Dukemount Capital PLC - investor in the sustainable and flexible energy markets - Notes that HSKB Ltd, in which it holds a 50% interest, completes the sales of two special purpose companies to Mast Energy Developments PLC for GBP350,000. Each company has a 11,000 volt gas peaking facility, with full planning permission and grid access. Proceeds of sale are used to repay a portion of sums owing to lenders. ---------- Rotork PLC - Bath, England-based industrial equipment manufacturer - Notes "significant" minority vote against the re-election of Ann Christin Andersen as non-executive director at its annual general meeting. Total votes received in favour of the re-election was 80%. Says it is engaging with significant shareholders who voted against Andersen's re-election to "better understand their voting decision and concerns around a perceived 'over-boarding'". ---------- Braveheart Investment Group PLC - Barnsley, South Yorkshire-based investor in small- and medium-sized businesses - Buys a further 13.7 million shares in Aukett Swanke Group PLC at an average price of 2.416 pence per share for a total of GBP331,734. Braveheart now owns 19% of ASG. ASG is a professional services firm that mainly provides architectural and interior design services. ---------- Zenith Energy Ltd - Calgary, Canada-based oil & gas company - During September, produces a total of 955.5-megawatt hours at an average price of EUR419 per megawatt hour. This results in net revenue of EUR400,000 for the month. Net production costs are fixed at EUR35,000 per month, it adds. ---------- Bidstack Group PLC - London-based in-game advertising platform - Intends to launch equity fundraise consisting of a conditional placing, a subscription, and a separate conditional retail offer of shares at a price of 2.85 pence per share. Targeting GBP10 million in proceeds from placing and subscription. Shares are being offered through an accelerated bookbuild process. Stifel Nicolaus Europe Ltd is sole bookrunner and broker. Proceeds will used to fund the development of a platform to allow commercial right owners to have control over the content that appears in their licensed intellectual property. Fundraise conditional on approval at general meeting on October 25. Separately, firm announces retail offer via REX. Price of REX retail offer shares is 2.85p. Offer also conditional on approval at general meeting. Expected to close on Thursday. ---------- Tern PLC - investor focused on the internet of things - Announces retail offer via PrimaryBid. Issue price for retail shares is 7.5 pence per share, representing a 14% discount to the closing price on Tuesday. Separately, firm raises GBP1.3 million, before expenses, through the subscription of 17.3 million shares at the issue price of 7.5p. Says proceeds will be used to provide the firm with a "stronger negotiating position" and funding for follow-on investment opportunities. ---------- By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued since last week Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: ---------- Reabold Resources PLC - oil and gas company with projects in the UK, the US and Romania - Says competent person's report at PEDL 183 licence, which houses West Newton discovery. confirms asset is "one of the largest hydrocarbon fields discovered onshore UK". Report outlines gross 2C unrisked technically recoverable resource of 197.6 billion cubic feet of gas. Reabold has 56% interest in West Newton. Revenue in six months ended June 30 unchanged year-on-year at GBP560,000. Pretax loss widens to GBP2.7 million from GBP1.4 million. On Wednesday, the company says it strikes a sale and purchase deal with Shell PLC, which will see the oil major acquire Reabold investee Corallian Energy Ltd. Deal is worth GBP10 million, GBP3.2 million net to Reabold. "We are very pleased that Shell has acquired Corallian, and therefore the Victory asset. We believe such a transaction validates Reabold's strategy of creating value for shareholders by identifying, funding and monetising underappreciated, strategically important assets," Co-Reabold Chief Executive Stephen Williams says. ---------- Kavango Resources PLC - London-based mineral explorer focused on Botswana - Says multi-purpose drill rig mobilised for maiden drill campaign in the Kalahari Copper Belt. "The Rig has been mobilised to conduct a first phase drill programme on PL082/2018, where Kavango is targeting a potential analogue to Khoemacau's Banana zone deposit. The Banana Zone deposit sits immediately to the south of Ghanzi Ridge and exhibits similar geophysical characteristics to survey data acquired by Kavango over PL082/2018," Kavango says. It has contracted Mindea Exploration and Drilling Services Pty for first phase of drilling on licence PL082/2018. On Thursday, company said it successfully enhanced target resolution at the licence PL082/2018, ahead of drilling. ---------- Panther Metals PLC - Canada-focused mineral exploration firm - Reports "further high-grade gold drill intercepts" from second phase of drilling at Burtville East gold project in Western Australia. "These latest set of strong gold intercepts from drilling at the Burtville East gold project further to add to the underlying value of Panther Australia, as the team continue to grow the business," Chief Executive Officer Darren Hazelwood says. ---------- Orcadian Energy PLC - North Sea focused oil and gas development company - Says Founder Greg Harding to retire from board at end of the year. "Greg was a founder of Orcadian back in October 2013 when he and Steve Brown started screening relinquishment reports for a North Sea project of scale. After almost nine years with Orcadian, Greg is planning to retire. The board thanks Greg for his outstanding contribution to our understanding of the very best way to develop the Pilot field, and his unwavering support for our plans," Orcadian says. Christian Wilms to step down as non-executive from October 31, due to "increasing executive responsibilities" elsewhere. ---------- URA Holdings PLC - strategic minerals exploration in southern and central Africa - Pretax loss in six months to June 30 widens to GBP305,000 from GBP282,000 a year earlier. "Our strategy remains to seek value opportunities in the mineral sector with a focus on southern Africa, looking for situations which potentially offer rapid prospects of value creation. We believe the Gravelotte mine falls firmly into this category. Overall, we consider that we have made an excellent start to this process, and it only remains for me to thank the team, including our professional advisers, directors and former directors, who have brought us to the Market and provided the prospects for a profitable future for shareholders," URA says. ---------- Alkemy Capital Investments PLC - London-based company focused on acquisitions in the mining and technology metals sectors - Says company executive and project builder Tony Veitch appointed to lead development of Port Hedland Lithium Sulphate plant in Western Australia. "Alkemy also in advanced discussions with potential European-based offtakers of lithium hydroxide from [Tees Valley Lithium Ltd's] lithium hydroxide facility at Wilton International," company adds. TVL is wholly-owned by Alkemy. In addition, company says it is now listed on Frankfurt Stock Exchange. ---------- Cap-XX Ltd - Sydney-based maker of ultra-thin prismatic and cylindrical supercapacitors - Says revenue in year ended June 30 climbs to AUD5.6 million, about GBP3.2 million, from AUD4.1 million. Pretax loss widens to AUD4.9 million from AUD3.5 million. "The major focus for CAP-XX continues to be to become profitable and cashflow positive as soon as possible by increasing product sales from the newly installed former Murata production equipment, other new product families the company recently launched and new products and intellectual property the company is currently developing. We look forward to the future with increasing confidence," Chief Executive Anthony Kongats says. ---------- Chamberlin PLC - West Midlands-based castings and engineering company - Auditors tell company audit for year ended May 31 taking longer than expected. Chamberlin expects to file by end of October. Results to be consistent with July guidance. ---------- Invinity Energy Systems PLC - London-based energy storage company - Revenue in six months ended June 30 surges to GBP1.4 million from GBP15,000. Pretax loss widens to GBP11.6 million from GBP8.8 million. Peter Dixon-Clarke steps down as chief financial officer. Chief Development Officer Jonathan Marren assumes role of interim CFO. "Mr Dixon-Clarke will remain with the Company for a period to assist in the transition. Peter has been a valued member of the Company's executive management team since his appointment in August 2020 and has made an important contribution to the Group during his tenure as CFO," company adds. ---------- Tristel PLC - Cambridgeshire-based maker of infection prevention, contamination control and hygiene products - Launches Tristel DUO disinfecting foam in North America, alongside manufacturing and distribution partner, Parker Laboratories. "We are delighted to have products entering the North American hospital market in partnership with Parker Laboratories who are specialists in the ultrasound arena. In all the countries in which we operate, hospital ultrasound is one of our most important segments," Chief Executive Paul Swinney says. ---------- By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass. Safeguards SAFEwash joined forces with Manila Water Foundation (MWF) and DepEd to hold a P&G Safeguard Brigada Eskwela at the National Orthopedic Hospital School for Crippled Children (NOH SCC) last August 17. Stepping up to ensure that minimum handwashing standards are met for the nationwide reopening of classes,joined forces with Manila Water Foundation (MWF) and DepEd to hold a P&G Safeguard Brigada Eskwela at the National Orthopedic Hospital School for Crippled Children (NOH SCC) last August 17. Balik Eskwela 2022 After two years of living through the worlds most extended school closure, the Philippines finally reopens its public and private schools. The resumption of in-person classes was prompted by the challenges brought about by the digital divide, or the gap between individuals and their access to digital tools such as the Internet and digital-enabled services and devices. The Philippines Digital Economy Report 2020 of the National Economic Development Authority and the World Bank highlighted that this unequal access to digital resources has affected poor-performing and marginalized students. To bridge this gap, DepEd's Oplan Balik Eskwela 2022 engages partner agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders to facilitate a smooth and safe transition back to face-to-face classes. Back-to-School-Ready with #SAFEWash Helping to facilitate a successful nationwide school reopening, Safeguard partnered with DepEd and MWF to strengthen the minimum handwashing standards of schools across Metro Manila and other key areas nationwide through SAFEWash program. Last August 17, this collaboration mounted a successful MWF & Safeguard Brigada Eskwela for the National Orthopedic Hospital School for Crippled Children (NOH SCC), where sinks and hand soaps were provided. The program also complemented the donations with educational modules and a tutorial session for school staff to reinforce proper handwashing practice. P&G volunteers also participated to help refurbish the classrooms. A Huge Step Towards a Safer Normal To-date, Safeguards SAFEWash has already reached 200,000+ students and school staff nationwide. Celebrating this huge step towards a Safer Normal, Vice President for P&G Beauty Care and Brand Operations, Aldrich Gopal, echoed the Brands vision to safeguard the nation's health. A huge thank you to our partners for helping make this happen. Together, we take this step towards a SAFER normal, directly impacting the lives of our schoolchildren and their families, he said. But while this continuing collaboration has already made great strides in ensuring health and hygiene in schools, the SAFEWash program is far from over. More Helping Hands Needed Since its launch in 2020, SAFEWash has been equipping schools win against germs and illnesses, as a support to DepEds WASH in Schools (WinS) program. WinS is DepEds three-star rating system for evaluating public schools over-all hygiene and sanitation, where the opportunity to create a culture of proper handwashing is strong. The projects goal to uplift the hand hygiene rating of schools all over the Philippines, can be only achieved through sustained help and support. With your continued patronage of Safeguard, we can work hand-in-hand toward a Safer Normal, where proper handwashing culture in schools is built and promoted. After all, safeguarding the students and school staff means safeguarding the future of the nation. The situation between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie keeps getting more difficult to navigate by both movie stars. Their kids are right in the middle of it all, which is very unfortunate for them. They have suddenly become the greatest weapon that both parents are using in order to get their way in a legal battle that will only get much worse. After Angelina Jolie's accusations that paint Brad Pitt as a child abuser, the actor's representatives issued a response after sources close to Brad confirmed the allegations fell flat with authorities. According to TMZ, Brad Pitt's spokes person confirms that Angelina Jolie is on a smear campaign against the actor. This has taken an extreme toll on their children, who are currently being brainwashed by their mother to believe Pitt is an abuser. The source confirms Brad has very limited access to his children due to this campaign. Jolie reported that during that 2016 private jet flight, he didn't only physically abuse her but he also abused two of the children they share together. According to the FBI investigation, the allegations were insufficient to move forward with a prosecution. TMZ also reports there was an investigation from the Department of Children & Family Services that was concluded due to lack of evidence. Similarities with the Depp vs Heard case And thus, we now have the brand new case that willbe overly publicized and will get all the attention from the media. Many similarities can be found between this case and the one between Amber Heard vs Johnny Depp. For starters, Brad Pitt is also one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. The only difference is that Angelina Jolie's humanitarian work speaks for itself, finding dirt on her will be almost impossible for Brad Pitt's legal team. Khamzat Chimaev, a UFC middleweight phenom, is presently being held in St. Petersburg, Russia, after the Russian government confiscated his passport. This week's travel plans for "Borz," who was en route to Chechnya, have been put on hold until further notice. "Borz" was also scheduled to visit Brazil later this week per the Brazilian outlet Combate. Chimaev was born in Chechnya but moved to Sweden when he was 19 years old, where he went on to become one of the best wrestlers in the country. "My brother was doing [work] he and he told us, come here it's good for us and our one brother Tahir, he has like surgery as well so, that [would help him] like when we come directly here," Chimaev previously told ESPN. "After that we stay[ed] here, we like[ed] it and they helped us a lot as well." After an impressive 6-0 start to his Octagon career, "Borz" rapidly gained the attention of UFC fans, with five of those victories coming by way of first-round finishes. On October 6, the 28-year-old Chimaev is due to attend a movie premiere in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We'll have to wait and see if "Borz" can stick to those plans given his current predicament. Could this mean Chimaev is being recruited for war? "Chimaev had his passport arrested in St. Petersburg, where he disembarked before heading to Chechnya, when he was going to visit his family, and so he could no longer leave the country," Combate reported. Recently Russia has been in the eye of the hurricane for its methods of enlisting men to take part in the conflict with Ukraine. Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, and Chimaev are friendly, which may help to secure Chimaev's release from Russia. However, Kadyrov strongly supports Vladamir Putin and has even threatened to send his own teenage sons to fight with Russia in the conflict. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in the case of a Navy veteran seeking an exception to the Department of Veterans Affairs' post-service claims filing deadline, arguing that his service-connected disability precluded him from understanding he was eligible for benefits in the year immediately following his departure from the military. At issue in Arellano v. McDonough is whether a one-year, post-discharge window that allows veterans to file a claim and receive benefits beginning at the date of discharge should be waived under extenuating circumstances. Current law allows veterans to file a disability claim at any point in their lives, but if it isn't done within that first year, compensation may be granted starting only on the filing date. Read Next: Nimitz Returns to Sea After Tainted Water Sickens 11 Sailors Adolfo Arellano served in the Navy from 1971 to 1981. While assigned to the aircraft carrier Midway, the ship collided with a merchant vessel and Arellano was nearly swept overboard. He witnessed the injuries of numerous service members and the deaths of two, according to court records. As a result, he developed severe mental health conditions. Arellano applied for VA benefits in June 2011 with the assistance of his brother and was awarded disability compensation to the date of the filing. He argued, however, that since his service-connected condition left him unable to submit a claim within the year following discharge, the deadline should be waived -- a concept called equitable tolling that lets individuals, under some circumstances, pursue claims regardless of statutory deadlines. The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims denied Arellano's claim, and he appealed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit then split its decision on the case 6-6, with half the judges saying the equitable tolling policy couldn't be changed, and the other half saying it should apply. The judges agreed, however, that Arellano had not made his case for the waiver. As a result of the split, Arellano appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. During arguments Tuesday, Arellano's attorney, James Barney, a partner with the Washington D.C.-based law firm Finnegan, said Congress has spelled out exceptions to its statutes of limitations, including for veterans regarding disability pensions, and it intended to do the same for disability compensation claims. He also argued that the VA has the authority to make determinations on extenuating circumstances and, in cases where there is ambiguity, the veteran should prevail. "We expect this to be something that's applied sparingly, but in the cases where it's truly deserving, and for veterans who truly do deserve consideration of an equitable tolling claim, it ought to be available," Barney told the justices. Attorneys for the government argued that equitable tolling doesn't apply in the case, since the one-year post-discharge period is not a statute of limitations but merely a guideline for receiving immediate disability compensation. By law, veterans can apply for disability compensation at any time in their lives, regardless of the timeframe. Assistant to the Solicitor General Sopan Joshi said Congress has listed 16 exceptions in which equitable tolling can be applied to deadlines, and it would have included exceptions such as Arellano's case if it wanted to cover such cases. "If Congress doesn't speak in that language, then there's no basis for that inference," Joshi said. Arellano has asked that if the ruling is found in his favor, his case be sent back to the VA for further investigation so he can file a claim under the new decision. If he receives compensation dated to his discharge date, he could get more than $600,000. During arguments, the justices pressed the attorneys to defend their arguments, with Justice Elena Kagan asking Barney how he could say that Congress intended equitable tolling to apply in cases similar to Arellano's even though it didn't include it in statute. "You have, I think, 16 specific exceptions provided in this chapter. And this isn't one of them. And so, the thing that you want is the 17th thing, which is not specifically provided in this chapter. I mean, doesn't that language indicate the Congress didn't want this 17th thing?" Kagan asked. Barney disagreed, noting that Congress has established a pathway for retroactive claims for disability pensions that doesn't otherwise exist under general rules and the same should hold true for disability claims. Chief Justice John Roberts questioned Joshi over the government's strict interpretation that the 16 exceptions are the only ones intended by Congress. "I'm not sure which way your emphasis on the 16 exceptions really cuts. I mean, if there's 16 exceptions to the rule, that kind of suggests to me that the insistence upon strict enforcement is really not that important," Roberts said. Other justices questioned Arellanos argument that the one-year standard was a statute of limitations. "Why is this a statute of limitations?" Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson asked. "If they're expanding the default, and they're doing so conditionally -- 'We're expanding the default, if you file in a certain way' -- I don't understand why that operates like a statute of limitation." "Doesn't the failure to satisfy a statute of limitations typically result in the loss of the ability to prevail on a claim and not simply the loss of the ability to obtain a certain kind of relief?" asked Justice Samuel Alito. During an interview with Military.com before oral arguments, Barney stressed that the decision would likely affect a limited number of veterans who would have to prove they had extraordinary reasons for not filing a disability claim within their first year. Barney added that two main groups of veterans could benefit from a ruling in Arellano's favor: those with mental health conditions or traumatic brain injury whose disabilities, like the plaintiff's, may have prevented them from filing a claim; and veterans who could not file a claim because they signed secrecy agreements and their disabilities were caused by participation in secret operations. One such group, known as the Edgewood Veterans, has a lawsuit pending against the government over secret tests performed on them by the U.S. Army, including exposing them to mustard gas, sarin, LSD and other substances. Their suit is on hold while the Arellano case is decided. The veterans, who filed a brief in support of Arellano to the Supreme Court, were not able to discuss their exposures or experiments until 2006; a ruling in Arellano's case would make these vets eligible for disability compensation back to their date of discharge. "Something that is important to understand about equitable tolling is that it's a doctrine that's only used sparingly, not something that's going to be available to every veteran," Barney said. "But for those that are truly in need of it and who are truly deserving of it, it could be a godsend. The court could take anywhere from a month to nearly a year to issue its opinion in the case. Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Related: Supreme Court Sides with Army Reservist Who Lost State Job over Burn Pit-Related Illness Former Afghan Air Force (AAF) Maj. Samimullah Samim, one of the thousands of Afghans who ran the gantlet of Taliban checkpoints and the deadly chaos at the Kabul airport gates to escape to the U.S. in late August 2021, is still in the fight. But rather than bombing and strafing Taliban positions as he did in the AAF, he's targeting fires in the Pacific Northwest, using his piloting skills to combat a pressing threat in his adopted country. Samim flew hundreds of close-air support missions in a U.S.-supplied A-29 Super Tucano attack aircraft and a rigged-out Combat Caravan Cessna AC-208 to back Afghan ground forces in what was ultimately a losing fight in Afghanistan. Read Next: Republicans Vow to Put 'Woke' Military in Crosshairs if They Win in November With the support of a U.S. veterans group, the 32-year-old Samim earned U.S. flight certification and now flies reconnaissance missions out of Montana in a single-engine turboprop Pilatus PC-12 to scope out the wildfires ravaging the U.S. Northwest and direct fire attack aircraft to the scene. "As I fly over the fire, I send images. Our company [Bridger Aerospace] uses that if needed for the fire attack," Samim said in a phone call with Military.com last week. "I love the job, the meaning of it. "We track fires everywhere," he said, adding that his most recent missions took him over Idaho, Oregon and California. "Wherever there is fire, we go there," said Samim, whose new life in America has been profiled by outlets including The Wall Street Journal. Samim credited the U.S. Air Force officers who trained him with guiding him through a harrowing escape from Kabul with his wife and three children, and then arranging for his civilian flight certification and job with Bridger Aerospace in Montana. He first came to the U.S. in 2012 for English language schooling at the Defense Language Institute in San Antonio and initial pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. He returned to Afghanistan to fly with the fledgling AAF and then came back to the U.S. in 2017 to train on the A-29 at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia under the tutelage of Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas Ervin. Samim's last mission in the AAF was a medical evacuation in southwestern Helmand Province in mid-August 2021 to bring wounded Afghan troops back to the AAF base at Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) in Kabul. When he landed, he learned that the northern hub of Mazar-i-Sharif had fallen to the Taliban on Aug. 14. "That was like a big alarm that things were getting out of control," Samim said. He thought it would be months before the government collapsed, but his family woke him at his Kabul home the next day, Aug. 15, to tell him that the Taliban had taken over the capital. "I went into hiding each night while trying to get to the airport" with his wife and kids before the last U.S. military aircraft left HKIA, which eventually happened a minute before midnight on Aug. 30, Samim said. For four straight days, he tried and failed to get to the airport gates. "Going through the checkpoints with the Taliban wasn't easy. If they knew who I was, they would kill me. They don't forgive, they don't forget," he said. He was giving up hope but was in contact by phone with his former trainer, Ervin, who pressed him to keep trying. "I was starting to get mad at him," Samim said. "It was difficult to the point that I didn't believe it would happen," but Ervin kept telling him, "Please trust me. Push yourself to that gate. You've got to make it to that gate," Samim said. Around Aug. 20 or 21, his fifth day of trying, Ervin stayed on the phone with him continuously until he managed to reach a U.S. team leader Ervin had tipped off to be on the lookout for Samim and his family. They got past the gates with only a backpack, four bottles of water and two dolls for the kids. "I give all the credit to him," Samim said of Ervin. "I didn't know where we were going; I didn't know what would happen next," Samim said. The first flight took them to Qatar and then it was on to a U.S. base in Germany before finally arriving at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, for resettlement and processing with thousands of other Afghan refugees. With the support of Ervin and others, Samim and his family left Fort McCoy after about two months to stay with a family in Orlando, Florida, while he worked on his pilot certification. His supporters also arranged for a contract with Bridger Aerospace, and he's been flying for them since May. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David Hicks, former commander of the Train Advise Assist Command (TAAC) Air in Afghanistan that organized the Afghan Air Force to fly the A-29, counts Samim as a rare success story in his ongoing efforts to aid AAF personnel -- many of whom were unable to evacuate when the U.S. withdrew. "Like everything else that's happened in the past year, nothing is easy and everything turns out to be 10 times more challenging than what we thought it would be when we started," said Hicks, chief executive of Operation Sacred Promise, which formed in September 2021. The nonprofit's stated mission is to offer "evacuation and resettlement assistance to our allies from the Afghan Air Force and Army Special Mission Wing and their families," but Hicks acknowledged cutbacks as Afghanistan has faded from the headlines and the nation's focus has turned to Ukraine. New Mission for U.S. Afghanistan Vets Operation Sacred Promise began with about 200 volunteers, but "the numbers are far less now -- folks get burned out" in the struggle to raise funds and find workarounds to the State Department's labyrinthine rules on who qualifies for visas and resettlement in the U.S., according to Hicks. He said it is impossible to know exactly how many AAF personnel remain in Afghanistan and are looking to get out, but "we know there's a lot in Afghanistan, well north of a couple of thousand." The Taliban has offered amnesty to former AAF personnel if they agree to fly under the command of the new government or maintain aircraft as it seeks to build its own air wing. "We know some former [AAF] members have defected back to the Taliban, but there's no way to verify" how many, Hicks said. At an October 2021 NATO meeting in Brussels that took place as the Taliban consolidated control and sought out those Afghans who aided U.S. troops, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters, "We continue to work to ensure that those people who have helped us have the opportunity to leave the country if they so desire." Hicks' organization and more than 16 other veterans groups loosely linked under the umbrella of the Moral Compass Federation have charged in interviews with Military.com that the U.S. government has fallen short in providing that opportunity to leave. Former Afghan Air Force pilot Samimullah Samim holds a newspaper chronicling his transition from bombing the Taliban to tracking U.S. forest fires. (Photo courtesy of Samimullah Samim) Numerous agencies and nonprofits have sought to aid Afghans who worked directly or indirectly for the U.S. Some of the groups in the federation focus on particular sets of Afghans who fought against the Taliban, such as the NMRG Rescue Project founded by Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Kasza, a 13-year Green Beret veteran now serving in the National Guard. Kasza estimated that there are about 300 Afghans desperately seeking to leave the country who served for years in the National Mine Reduction Group, often clearing mines ahead of U.S. Special Forces missions. "These guys were literally there to take an IED [improvised explosive device] on our behalf," Kasza said. "There was an unspoken pact that they would take this risk in exchange for us providing help down the road. That puts a pretty substantial moral burden on our shoulders." But even if the NMRG Afghans manage to make it to a neighboring country to apply for a visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, they face the possibility of being turned away. "We're getting rejections for mundane things," such as the lack of a human resources letter, a document proving employment by the U.S. government, to qualify for a visa, Kasza said. Other groups in the Moral Compass Federation focus on providing aid and safe housing for thousands of Afghans who served in the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command while trying to get them the paperwork to qualify for a visa and resettlement in the U.S. "We sold them life, liberty and happiness, a chance to be free in their country" if they fought alongside the U.S, "and now of course they're not," said retired Army Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn Jr., one of the original Special Forces "Horse Soldiers" who entered Afghanistan shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. "We seem to not have the national patience for fixing something we broke," said Blackburn, founder of the AFGfree veterans group. He described the laborious, multistep process involved in trying to get the ANASOC veterans out of the country for a chance of coming to the U.S. "When it's time to process a visa, they now need an interview with a U.S. official," Blackburn said, but there no longer is a U.S. presence in Afghanistan. "So we have to move them to Pakistan or another country, get them a visa to stay in that country" and then try to get them an interview, he explained. In their efforts to aid Afghans seeking to come to the U.S., the veterans groups also have to be wary of potential scammers claiming to have ways of arranging transport and quick access to a visa. A lawsuit filed in federal district court in Florida by the veteran-led Save Our Allies group charged that it was fleeced out of more than $700,000 by companies and individuals, including other veterans, who promised to assist nearly 200 refugees but failed to deliver. "They did not provide what was promised as far as air transport, visas, decent housing and kept trying to stick 'em up for more money to the point where it became clear that it was a classic scam," Kevin Carroll, the lawyer representing Save Our Allies, told Military.com in a phone interview. In June, the Departments of State and Homeland Security announced steps aimed at "alleviating certain obstacles" in the process that has barred many Afghans seeking to come to the U.S. There could now be "exemptions" to the stringent vetting process for "Afghans who supported U.S. military interests" and even for Afghans who fought against the Soviet occupation, the State Department and Homeland said in a joint release. But that still leaves the stranded Afghans with the problem of getting out of the country while evading the Taliban to make their case for a visa, assuming they can get an interview with a U.S. official, said retired Air Force Special Operations Master Sgt. Travis Peterson, head of the Moral Compass Federation. Peterson said he was encouraged when Congress moved to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA), which would have eased the path to getting a Special Immigrant Visa for Afghans seeking to come to the U.S. while also making it easier to grant permanent resident status to the more than 70,000 already settled in the U.S. But the initial attempt to attach the AAA to a must-pass spending bill to keep the government from shutting down failed when the AAA was left out of the bill. Supporters of the AAA said they would try to attach it to two other must-pass bills that come up in December, but Peterson is not optimistic. "It's never gonna happen. With the triple 'A' going south, I don't know what else we can do," Peterson said. "The only thing we can do is keep pressing" the Defense and State Departments to ease restrictions. But he also expressed concerns about how much longer the veterans groups could keep up the lobbying effort without additional funding. Peterson said he had spoken at "four pretty major events in [the] last three months, and the total raised out of those was $1,500." Each one of the organizations in the Moral Compass Federation is strapped for money and, "without the federal government supporting us, I don't know what the future holds," he said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Related: Bill to Keep Government from Shutting Down Leaves Out Afghan Refugees Despite Vet Protest The Army on Wednesday released its new plan describing how it intends to combat climate change built around trying to survive increasingly extreme weather while limiting the service's contribution to the problem. While the plan offers ways to reduce climate change, it does so without directly acknowledging the military's hand in exacerbating the problem as one of the largest industry emitters of greenhouse gases in the world. As the Pentagon pushes through what many experts describe as likely irreversible impacts to the planet resulting from emissions, the service's plan is founded on one very Army word: mitigation. Read Next: The Army Cut Women's Clothing Allowance While Awarding Men More Money The 50-page plan, which is an extension of the service's overall Army Climate Strategy released earlier this year, offers a series of ambitious goals to meet Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's 2021 call to "immediately take appropriate policy actions to prioritize climate change considerations" as the Pentagon points to several instances of climate change-related events that have affected the services. "Dangerous levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) have already accumulated in the Earth's atmosphere," the Climate Strategy Implementation Plan said. "While the Army cannot address all or even most GHG emissions, the right initiatives, investments, and policies can significantly reduce Army GHG emissions while at the same time enhancing readiness." "In climate change terms, this is known as 'mitigation,'" it continued. One area where climate change is causing challenges for the Army is by creating increasingly extreme weather. "The effects of extreme weather exacerbated by climate change have already had profound impacts on the DOD," a Pentagon press release said Monday, going on to describe damages to military installations as a result of extreme weather and rising sea levels. In 2018, Hurricane Michael demolished at least half of the structures on Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, costing $5 billion to fix, according to the release, one example of the potential impact of extreme weather on military facilities. The increase in extreme weather will also put a strain on the National Guard's disaster response abilities, the Pentagon said, as the country watched Guardsmen rescue people from extreme weather in Kentucky and Florida recently. The Army also included an ominous warning about the broader risks that climate change poses for the military. "Indeed, climate change has been described as a 'threat multiplier,'" the plan said. "Extreme drought and flooding will displace individuals and communities, increasing the potential for human conflict and the demand for Army humanitarian relief and disaster response at home and abroad." "For the foreseeable future, climate impacts will disrupt Army activities and increase the frequency of crisis deployments," the plan added. But in trying to explain the impact and countermeasures the military will take, the services have generally been reticent to address the scale of military emissions. As of 2019, the military has released over 1,000 million metric tons of greenhouse gases since 2001, according to a study from Brown University's Watson Institute. The Pentagon produced a total of "527 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent from 2010 to 2017, an average of about 66 million metric tons per year in this period, roughly the same greenhouse gas emissions of 14 million passenger cars driven for one year," according to the study. The military was also the single largest consumer of energy in the United States at the time, although as the Global War on Terror has come to a close, the energy consumption levels have steadily dipped over the last decade. The Army is looking to further reduce that consumption, while battening down the hatches for the damage climate change will likely bring. "As extreme weather becomes commonplace, the Army must adapt its installations, acquisition programs, and training so that the Army can operate in this changing environment and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," said Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth in a Wednesday press release. "This climate implementation plan will improve our resiliency and readiness in the face of these changes." Some of the Army's goals outlined in the Climate Strategy Plan include the introduction of an Electric Light Reconnaissance vehicle next year -- the first in what the service hopes to be a long line of rechargeable combat vehicles by 2050. Additionally, the Army wants to provide "100% carbon-pollution-free electricity" for all its installations by 2030; achieve a reduction of 50% greenhouse emissions for all Army buildings by 2032; and achieve "net-zero" emissions for all installations by 2045. The plan released Wednesday is meant to provide guidance on how to support those goals. Instructions include "using existing Army processes" to reach the goals, tracking emission closely, and allowing subordinate units to participate in "technology assessment and demonstration programs which provide resources to test and validate new ideas." The Air Force released its own climate action plan a few hours before its sister branch, promising a net-zero emissions goal by 2046, according to NBC News. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: Army Lays Out Ambitious Goals to Combat Climate Change, Including Electric Tactical Vehicles Pregnant service members and civilians can now apply to Air Force Officer Training School, reversing the service's policy that barred candidates from going through the program until 12 months postpartum. The policy change, announced in a press release Sept. 30, allows pregnant candidates to apply and they can head to training six months after giving birth without needing a waiver. "I've taken several calls from active-duty Airmen who could not apply due to the previous policy, so this is definitely a step in the right direction," Lt. Col. Scott Black, Air Force Recruiting Service chief of officer accessions, said in a press release. "From a recruiting standpoint, it's also important that we are able to access the full pool of qualified candidates for commissioning to ensure we have the talent we need to meet our national security objectives." Read Next: Legionella Found in Pipes at Medical Barracks at Joint Base San Antonio, Forcing Relocations The change marks the latest Department of the Air Force policy update aimed at increasing the number of women in the officer corps, and follows larger diversity and inclusion efforts the Air Force and Space Force have been taking in recent years. "This policy update will attract female talent to the officer ranks," Capt. Frances Castillo, a member of the service's Women's Initiative Team, said in a press release. "It unequivocally shatters the glass ceiling that has kept or delayed hundreds of women from competing for a [Department of the Air Force] commission." Pregnant applicants, if accepted, will need to arrive for Officer Training School between six months and 14 months after being approved. Notably, if selected for OTS, the candidate must pass a physical fitness test or qualifying physical within that timeframe or they may lose their spot. In August, the Department of the Air Force set new demographic goals in hopes of getting more diverse applicants for its officer corps, which has historically leaned toward white males. Under those new goals, the Air Force and Space Force aim to have 36% of their officers be women, up from the previous target of 30% nearly a decade ago. As of June 30, the Air Force and Space Force's officer corps was made up of 23% women, according to the latest data from the Air Force Personnel Center. There have been several other policies released recently specifically aimed at benefiting pregnant airmen. In August, Air Mobility Command allowed pregnant airmen to have more information about their gestation kept private from their units. Also in August, officials at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma, Hill Air Force Base in Utah and Robins Air Force Base in Georgia created more private and secure spaces for breastfeeding airmen to pump. Earlier this year, the Air Force's Maternity Uniform Pilot Program, otherwise known as "Rent the Camo," was unveiled and will give pregnant airmen free maternity uniforms at certain bases. Additionally, in March, a new policy gave active-duty dual-military couples in the Air Force and Space Force extra time to decide whether they want to separate from the service after having a child. The Department of the Air Force began enacting a lot of these policies following a 2021 Air Force Inspector General report that pointed out that maternal bias was one of the primary reasons women did not feel included in the ranks. "Themes included maternal bias, perceptions that pregnancy and maternity leave negatively impact mission accomplishment and delay training, females receiving backlash for pumping breast milk at work, and being overlooked for career opportunities," the report detailed. That report also showed that one in four women delays pregnancy testing because of worries that their organization would take action that could harm their careers. "We're in a race for talent, and our policies need to reflect that," Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones said in a press release regarding the OTS change. "This policy change will ensure we're able to fully tap into the talent amongst our force as well as those looking to join us." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: The Air Force and Space Force Have New Diversity Targets for Their Officer Corps Read the original article on Business Insider. Sailors aboard a US Navy aircraft carrier recently found themselves drinking and bathing in water contaminated with jet fuel. Veterans say this problem is one that has spanned decades and many different ships. After Navy officials revealed in late September that the service found what it described as "traces" of jet fuel in USS Nimitz's water, a sailor on the ship -- and their parents -- shared photo evidence and testimony with Insider that the problem was significantly worse, with more than just "traces" of fuel in the water. "We were exposed to an unhealthy amount of" jet fuel, the sailor said last week, arguing that the seriousness of the issue was initially downplayed by the Navy, even as some of the carrier's crewmembers developed rashes and other troubling symptoms. Nearly a dozen veterans have since reached out to Insider to share that they also came in contact with water contaminated by jet fuel during their service aboard US warships. Insider spoke with a handful of these veterans -- sailors and Marines who served aboard aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships -- about their experiences. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisal in their current roles. These veterans served across four different decades, and all of them said that at some point during their service, they drank or bathed in water contaminated by jet fuel. Some recalled showers that reeked of gasoline and buying flavor packets to try and dilute the fuel taste from their tap water. Some of them said their leaders failed to properly address it, saying that they were told the problem would go away and not to worry about it. Others said they weren't sure if there was a good solution, suggesting this occupational hazard may just be a fact of life for service members aboard Navy vessels. "I believe this has been going on for quite a while," a sailor who served on the Forrestal-class carrier USS Saratoga in the 1970s said of the contaminated water on the Nimitz. "It's not the first time. It probably won't be the last." "It Was Just Terrible." The veterans who spoke to Insider about their service said that they definitely could smell and taste the jet fuel in the water, though it wasn't always visible. Some said they were told by leadership that jet fuel had gotten in the water. Contaminated water could be found in water fountains, sinks, and showers on the ships, they said, and it was also used to cook the food they ate. Some identified the fuel as either JP-5 -- also called jet propellant-5 -- or Jet A. Along with JP-8, these are types of kerosene-based fuel that the military uses in jets and helicopters deployed on flattops like carriers and big deck amphibs. According to a 2017 report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, these fuels are all flammable and smell like kerosene, and they can enter an individual's body through skin contact, the digestive tract, or the lungs. Once jet fuel enters the body, it can spread throughout. "When you go to take a shower, it smells a lot like jet fuel. It tastes like jet fuel. It was terrible," a sailor who served on USS Ranger, another Forrestal-class carrier, in the 1980s said. They said because the drains didn't work in the showers, a few inches of water would build up on the floor, and the whole bathroom "smelled like you were in a gas can." Steven Dockstader, who held the rank of a lieutenant during his time on the Iwo Jima-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli in the 1990s, said it was "one thing" to bathe in the contaminated water and smell like jet fuel but another thing entirely to drink it. He said that whenever his ship was in port, sailors and Marines would collect fresh water to bring back so they didn't have to drink the water on the ship. A Marine who sailed on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer during the 2010s said their ship eventually ran out of bottled water, so they bought caffeinated flavoring packets to try and dilute the taste of jet fuel in the water because they were told they would just have to keep using the water supply until the traces of jet fuel washed out. The USS Saratoga sailor, who was a seaman apprentice at the time, said they tried not to drink the contaminated water and would stick to fountain drinks or milk from the mess hall. "Everybody knew," the USS Ranger sailor said of the contaminated water. "Everybody talked about it, everybody complained about it. We all knew that it was happening." As with the latest incident aboard the Nimitz, it's not always clear how jet fuel gets into a ship's water supply. Bryan Clark, a former Navy officer and current defense expert with naval engineering experience, told Insider that one way this can happen is if the fuel tanks and the potable water tanks get cross connected. "It would not be hard to do, since the piping is set up to allow for a freshwater flush," he said. "The most likely scenario is the piping was set up for a flush at some previous time, and was not realigned afterward. In that case one or two valves out of position could put fuel into the potable water system." "We Were Just Told That It'll Go Away." The USS Saratoga sailor said that when their fellow sailors approached the vessel's leadership about the issue, they were told, "Don't worry about it. It's not going to hurt you." "They were aware of the situation and didn't really do anything about it," the sailor added. Sailors said they believed the medical teams on their respective ships were aware of the problem as well but said they didn't remember noticing any widespread health issues being reported at the time. Three of the service members Insider spoke with said they don't think that they've had any complications as a result of their suspected exposure to jet fuel. One said they get the shakes, which they feel may be a result of the contaminated water, and responded affirmatively when asked if they knew other Navy personnel who have also dealt with various complications. Dockstader, one of the ones who hasn't had any complications, said he saved a sample of the contaminated water as an "insurance policy" while hoping he didn't develop any health issues. "We were just told that it'll go away," said the Marine who served on USS Boxer and left the service as a corporal. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said in its 2017 report that "very little" is known about the health effects of jet fuel exposure. But going off accounts from people who have been exposed to kerosene, the agency cited reports of "harmful effects" on an individual's nervous system, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. "The observed effects included cough and difficulty breathing, abdominal pain and vomiting, drowsiness, restlessness, and convulsions," the agency said in its report. These symptoms are consistent with some accounts from a USS Nimitz sailor, as well as statements from Navy officials on the conditions of Nimitz personnel who recently reported falling ill after jet fuel was detected in the water supply. Accounts of jet fuel in the water aboard Navy vessels are far from the only times that individuals serving in the US military have been exposed to potentially toxic and hazardous substances. Last year, for instance, petroleum leaked into the Navy's water supply at a base in Hawaii, putting sailors and their families at risk, and former service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and were exposed to burn pits, where sewage, trash, and medical waste was disposed, have experienced adverse effects. "The Sad Truth of the Matter" Some veterans suggested that there may not be a good solution to the problem and that their ship's leadership didn't have a way to fix the problem and did the best they could under the circumstances. The Marine who sailed aboard the Boxer acknowledged that it would have been a challenge for their ship to offload everyone to land and clean out the system. Still, "I don't think it was adequately addressed because I shouldn't have been drinking water that tasted like jet fuel for two weeks," they said. Clark, a defense expert at the Hudson Institute, said it isn't common for jet fuel to contaminate a ship's water supply, but it happens often enough that the Navy has procedures in place for troubleshooting it. The views expressed by veterans -- that the issue shouldn't have happened at all -- were reflected in comments from a USS Nimitz sailor and their parents, who all said the contaminated water situation was downplayed by Navy leadership and wasn't initially seen as a pressing issue. Insider reached out to the Navy for comment on the concerns raised by former service members but has not yet received a response. "The sad truth of the matter," Dockstader said, is that "people that serve our country don't necessarily have their complaints fall on the ears of those that are willing to do something about it right away. And this is potentially a big deal." ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine Alone in his apartment in the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine, nuclear plant security guard Serhiy Shvets looked out his kitchen window in late May and saw gunmen approaching on the street below. When his buzzer rang, he was sure he was about to die. Shvets, a former soldier in Ukraine's military who was loyal to Kyiv, knew the gunmen would either kill or abduct and torture him. He thought briefly about recording a farewell to his family, who had fled to safety abroad, but instead lit a cigarette and grabbed his gun. Six Russian soldiers broke down his door and opened fire, which he returned. Wounded in the hand, thigh, ear and stomach, Shvets began to lose consciousness. Before he did, he heard the commander of the group tell his men to cease fire and call an ambulance. Shvets, who survived the shooting, is among workers from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant recounting their fears of being abducted and tortured or killed by Russian forces occupying the facility and the city of Enerhodar. Ukrainian officials say the Russians have sought to intimidate the staff into keeping the plant running, through beatings and other abuse. but also to punish those who express support for Kyiv. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was taking ownership of the plant. With his decree, he ordered the creation of a state company to manage the facility and said all workers now need Russian permission to work there. Ukraines state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it considers Putins decree worthless and absurd. It said the plant would continue to be operated by Energoatom as part of the Ukrainian energy system. A Good Life Before the War Life was good for employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before the Russian invasion of Feb. 24. They were guaranteed a financially secure and stable life for their families. And even though Ukraine still bears the psychological scars of the world's worst atomic accident at Chernobyl in 1986, the Zaporizhzhia plant Europes largest nuclear facility with its six reactors provided jobs for about 11,000 people, making Enerhodar with its prewar population of 53,000 one of the wealthiest cities in the region. But after Russia occupied the city early in the war, that once-comfortable life turned into a nightmare. The invaders overran the ZNPP, about 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) from Enerhodar, but kept the Ukrainian staff in place to run it. Both sides accused the other of shelling the plant, damaging power lines connecting it to the grid and raising international alarm for its safety. Ukrainian officials say the Russians used the plant as a shield as they shelled nearby towns. Reports of intimidation of the staff and abductions began trickling out over the summer. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s atomic watchdog, told The Associated Press about reports of violence between the Russians and the Ukrainian staff. Grossi traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday and will be in Russia later to hold consultations on Moscows intention to take over the plant and to continue his push for a safety zone to be established around it, the IAEA said in a statement. About 4,000 ZNPP workers have fled. Those who stayed cited threats of kidnap and torture underscored by the abduction Friday of plant director Ihor Murashov, who was seized and blindfolded by Russian forces on his way home from work. He was freed Monday after being forced to make false statements on camera, according to Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom. He told AP Murashov was released at the edge of Russian-controlled territory and walked about 15 kilometers (9 miles) to a Ukrainian-held area. I would say it was mental torture, Kotin said of what Murashov suffered. He had to say that all the shelling on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was made by Ukrainian forces and that he is a Ukrainian spy ... in contact with Ukrainian special forces. Enerhodar's exiled Mayor Dmytro Orlov, who spoke to Murashov after his release, said the plant official told him he had spent two days "in solitary confinement in the basement, with handcuffs and a bag on his head. His condition can hardly be called normal. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Murashov's abduction as yet another manifestation of absolutely uncovered Russian terror. "Terrible Things Happen There" More than 1,000 people, including plant workers, were abducted from Enerhodar, although some have been released, Orlov estimated. He fled to Zaporizhzhia, the nearest city under Ukrainian control, after refusing to cooperate with the Russians. Kotin estimated that 100-200 of those abducted are still being held. Orlov said the first abduction was March 19, when Russians seized his deputy, Ivan Samoidiuk, whose whereabouts remain unknown. The abductions then accelerated, he said. Mostly, they took people with a pro-Ukrainian position, who were actively involved in the resistance movement, he said. Orlov alleged they were tortured at various locations in Enerhodar, including at the city's police station, in basements elsewhere and even in the ZNPP itself. Terrible things happen there, he said. People who managed to come out say there was torture with electric currents, beatings, rape, shootings. ... Some people didnt survive. Similar sites were seen by AP journalists in parts of the Kharkiv region abandoned by Russian troops after a Ukrainian counteroffensive. In the city of Izium, an AP investigation uncovered 10 separate torture sites. Plant worker Andriy Honcharuk died in a hospital on July 3 shortly after the Russians released him, beaten and unconscious, for refusing to follow their orders at the facility, Orlov said. Oleksii, a worker who said he was responsible for controlling the plants turbines and reactor compartment, fled Enerhodar in June when he learned Russian troops were looking for him. He asked not to be identified by his full name for fear of reprisal. It was psychologically difficult, Oleksii told the AP in Kyiv. You go to the station and see the occupiers there. You come to your workplace already depressed. Many plant employees visited the basements and were tortured there, he said. Graves appeared in the forest that surrounds the city. That is, everyone understands that something horrible is happening, he said. They abduct people for their pro-Ukrainian position, or if they find any Telegram groups on their phone. This is enough for them to take a person away. Another employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety said he was unafraid of working at the plant despite the shelling but decided to flee in September after colleagues were seized. He said Russians visited his home twice while he was away, and the possibility of torture was too much for him. The plants last reactor was shut down in September to guard against a disaster from constant shelling, which cut reliable external power supplies needed for cooling and other safety systems. Kotin said the company could restart two of the reactors in a matter of days to protect safety installations as winter approaches and temperatures drop. But the power plant sits in one of four regions that Russia declares it has annexed, making its future uncertain. Kotin on Tuesday renewed his call for a demilitarized zone around the plant, where two IAEA experts are based. FREEDOM OR DEATH For Serhiy Shvets, whose apartment was raided May 23, it was only a matter of time before the Russians came for him during the occupation of Enerhodar, he said. He had signed up to serve in Ukraine's territorial defense forces shortly after the invasion and had sent his wife and other relatives abroad for safety. He said the Russian forces who shot him called the ambulance so I could die in the hospital. Doctors initially gave him a 5% chance of survival after he lost nearly two-thirds of his blood. But following several operations, he was well enough to leave Enerhodar in July and is living in Zaporizhzhia. Shvets, whose right hand is in a metal brace, quietly exhaled from pain as he moved it and said the only thing he regrets now is that he is too disabled to fight. Im a descendant from Zaporozhian Cossacks, he said, referring to his ancestors who lived on the territory of Ukraine from the 15th to 18th centuries and defended it from invaders. There was no such thing as surrender for them just freedom or death. He added: Why would I want such a life if I dont have my freedom? Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed. WASHINGTON The U.S. announced plans on Tuesday to provide an additional $625 million in military aid to Ukraine, a package that includes additional advanced rocket systems credited with helping the countrys military gain momentum in its war with Russia. President Joe Biden provided details on the latest packagewhich includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, known as HIMARS, 200 mine resistant vehicles, hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery and mortar ammunitionin a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vice President Kamala Harris joined the leaders on Tuesday's call. The U.S. and Ukraine leaders spoke as Russias upper house of parliament on Tuesday formally approved the annexation of swaths of Ukrainian territory following referendums that Ukraine and its Western allies dismissed as fraudulent. President Biden also affirmed the continued readiness of the United States to impose severe costs on any individual, entity, or country that provides support to Russias purported annexation, the White House said in a statement. This round of military aid marks the first time the U.S. has sent additional HIMARS to Ukraine since late July. The systemswhich will bring the total number of HIMARS sent to Ukraine to 20 have become a key tool in Ukraines ability to strike bridges that Russia has used to supply its troops, enabling Ukrainian forces to make inroads in Russia-controlled regions. The U.S. in recent weeks also provided funding through a separate program the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative so another 18 HIMARS can be purchased through longer-term contracts. USAI funds are being used as part of the effort by the U.S. and Western allies to ensure Ukraines forces are trained and equipped to defend their country in the years to come. But those contracts will take several years to fulfill. This is the first tranche of U.S. aid delivered in the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. Ukraine has pressed its counteroffensive in the Kherson region since the summer, relentlessly pummeling Russian supply lines and making inroads into Russian-held areas west of the Dnieper River. Ukrainian troops have been using the HIMARS to repeatedly hit the main bridge across the Dnieper and a dam that served as a second crossing. It also has struck pontoon bridges that Russia has used to supply its troops. Ukraines battlefield successes in Kherson are notable since that is one of the four areas that Russia is in the process of annexing. Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed reporting. The USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is returning to waters off the coast of South Korea in the latest show of strength after North Korea's most provocative missile test in years. A Navy spokesperson confirmed Wednesday the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is now in the Sea of Japan, which is off the Korean peninsula's east coast, but declined to comment further on "future operations." The decision to send the carrier back toward the Korean peninsula comes after Pyongyang on Tuesday test-fired an intermediate-range missile that flew directly over Japan before falling into the Pacific Ocean. Read Next: The Army Cut Women's Clothing Allowance While Awarding Men More Money The test was the first North Korean missile to fly over Japan since 2017 and the fifth launch in the last 10 days. Tuesday's missile launch caused Japanese officials to warn citizens to take cover and prompted a harsh rebuke from U.S. officials, with National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson calling it a "dangerous and reckless decision." The Navy's confirmation of the Reagan's location comes after the South Korean military announced the carrier's redeployment to the area earlier Wednesday. The statement from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the move showed the "firm will" of the U.S. and South Korean alliance, according to The Associated Press. The Japan-based Reagan had just concluded a joint exercise with the South Korean and Japanese navies in the area on Friday. Before the drills, the ship docked in the southern city of Busan, the first port call by a U.S. carrier in South Korea in four years. Earlier this week, the ship was operating east of Japan, according to the U.S. Naval Institute's fleet tracker. North Korean missile activity picked up after U.S. and South Korean forces in August held their biggest joint military exercises in five years and after Vice President Kamala Harris visited the peninsula, including a stop in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, last week. In addition to moving the aircraft carrier, the U.S. military responded to the latest North Korean missile launch in separate joint drills with the South Korean and Japanese military, according to statements from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, or Indo-Pacom. The joint U.S.-South Korean drills included bombing a range on an uninhabited island in the Yellow Sea, with the participation of four South Korean F-15K fighter jets and four U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters. But in an embarrassment, a South Korean missile malfunctioned and blew up, falling off an aircraft shortly after takeoff and panicking residents of a coastal city, according to The Associated Press. In the U.S.-Japanese exercises, U.S. Marine Corps fighter jets flew over the Sea of Japan with Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters, Indo-Pacom said. -- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel. Related: North Korea Sends Missile Soaring Over Japan in Escalation Ekow Blankson 05.10.2022 LISTEN Questions still linger about the death of actor, Ekow Blankson as many movie industry players and his followers have been asking about what caused his sudden demise. His family is also yet to issue a public statement on the sad incident. On Wednesday Ekow's childhood friend called, George Nartey who spoke on Hitz Fm was also not sure of what killed him. According to him, Ekow told him that he had cardio issues but he could not confirm what led to his death. He said he was yet to find out from his family. He was admitted to the hospital briefly, I think on the 8th or 9th of September ..then he got better. Last week Wednesday I met him, we spoke I didnt see him on Thursday, I didnt see him again on Friday. I didnt bother to call him because his wife was also not very well so I didnt call him. I just wanted him to have time for his wife. On Saturday I sent him a voice note oh my brother I havent seen you for a while, and he was like he was not well he has been at the hospital. I asked what's wrong with him, he said a few cardio issues, he revealed. I said ok get better, so please make sure you feel better because we have something to do on Tuesday. He was like even if I am not there you can do it. I was like no way you are leading the whole thing so get better so we do it. Then he said it again oh George if even I am not there you can do it. I didnt take it seriously, so I just left it. Then on Sunday night, he sent me a text and some pictures that he is being readmitted to the hospital. I said wow whats wrong with you? He said they are doing a few checks. Then around 10:48 pm exactly he sent me a list of contacts that I need to call for a written dummy and I have to coordinate issues here and there. I was a bit surprised so all I said was let's speak tomorrow morning and that was it, George added. Ekow reportedly died early Monday morning at an unnamed hospital in Tema. The cause of death is yet to be made public. He was a great actor known for his excellent performance in movies such as 'The Intruder', 'Diary of the Black Hustler', 'The Saga', 'Total Exchange', 'A Woman's Desire', In April, Checkmate and 'Frozen Emotion' etc. His death has come as a shock to Ghanaians and many industry players, mostly those who were on set with him within the week of his demise. A lot of them have sent their condolences to his family. His friend George Nartey said he is devastated to hear his friend is gone. According to him, Ekow had plans and he was a motivator. ---DGN online 04.10.2022 LISTEN Former New Patriotic Party parliamentary candidate for Kpone Katamanso, Hopeson Adorye, has stated that Alan Kyerematen is the only person who is mindful of what he says to the public. Speaking in an interview on Okay FM, Hopeson Adorye who was explaining why Alan Kyeremanten is the right candidate to beat NDCs John Dramani Mahama in the 2024 elections for the NPP said Alan doesnt contradict himself when speaking. He noted that Alan always stick to facts with the belief that it will help the party to easily retain power. According to him, the Trade and Industry Minister appeals to the middle class, grassroots, people in academia as well as persons on the other side of the political divide. NDCs candidate for 2024 is obviously Mr Dumsor John Dramani Mahama. Alan will defeat him coolly. Alan is the only person who is politically careful when speaking. He sticks to facts. You wont get Alans voice in which he is contradicting himself. Theres none like that. The academia, middle class and grassroots like him because of this. It is the polling station officers who are bringing Alan as flagbearer. They are always asking him when he is stepping down from his role as a minister, he added as monitored by this portal. Edward Mortey 05.10.2022 LISTEN A member of the communications team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edward Mortey has declared his intentions to contest the Greater Accra Regional Deputy Youth Organiser position. The vocal communicator announced on Tuesday, October 4 in an official release. In addition to his contributions to sharing ideas and defending the party in the media on social, political and economic issues, he implements communication strategies and programs for his constituency in the interest of the NDC to help build the base of the Party. He believes that with the right mindset and a desire for progress, Ghana would be a better place. Edward Mortey is of the view that Ghana is at a crossroads and needs the youth to rise to occasion to inspire the needed progress of the country. According to Edward Mortey, his mission is to avail himself to the youth wing in Greater Accra Region. I am highly optimistic that with a United front coupled with a well-coordinated organisation, we shall recapture political power for our next Flagbearer and members of parliament in the Greater Accra Region, he has noted in his statement of intent. He added, Together with the aspiration of the Ghanaian people especially the youth of this political party, I aspire to see and experience a well-resourced, focused, radical, advanced, and resilient youth front ever to chart the path of total transformation, development, and the prosperity of the Ghanaian people. I pledge to serve the National Democratic Congress Party especially the youth wing in Greater Accra with all my heart, might, body, soul, and spirit! In the spirit of the revolution, I hereby declare my contest to serve in the capacity of Regional deputy youth Organiser, Greater Accra Region. So help me God. About Edward Mortey Edward Mortey is a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). As a member, he served the National Democratic Congress as a branch manager at the age of Eighteen (18) and currently holds the position as the deputy constituency communication officer for Bortianor Ngleshie Amanfrom. He is an active associate of the Cuban Solidarity Movement in Ghana, Socialist Forum of Ghana, and Young Africa Leaders Initiative program under the US International Programs. Uganda's defence ministry on Tuesday announced that the president's powerful son Muhoozi Kainerugaba would no longer lead the country's land forces, hours after a social media tirade by the outspoken scion caused uproar in Kenya. The ministry said that President Yoweri Museveni had also promoted his 48-year-old son to the rank of general, but analysts said the elevation was likely a cosmetic move aimed at lowering his profile in the region. "According to the powers entrusted to him as the president and commander in chief, President Yoweri Museveni has promoted Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba to the rank of general," the ministry said in a statement. Although Kainerugaba has repeatedly denied claims he intends to succeed his 78-year-old father -- one of Africa's longest-serving leaders -- he has enjoyed a rapid rise through Uganda's army ranks and has often sparked controversy on social media. The move followed an endorsement on the weekend by some senior officials from the ruling National Resistance Movement who selected Museveni as their candidate in the country's 2026 presidential elections. Soon after, Kainerugaba on Monday triggered a firestorm on Twitter with tweets discussing plans to invade Kenya. "It wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi," he said on Monday evening, before doing an about-turn. "I would never beat up the Kenyan army because my father told me never to attempt it! So our people in Kenya should relax!" The social media fracas forced Uganda's foreign ministry to wade into the issue and release a statement expressing its "commitment to good neighbourliness (and) peaceful coexistence" with Kenya. 'Lower his profile' Kainerugaba is not shy about airing his views on foreign policy, offering up his opinions on subjects ranging from last year's coup in Guinea to the brutal war in northern Ethiopia. "One potential explanation of Muhoozi's Twitter storm over the last days is the endorsement of his father for the 2026 elections by top-NRM officials over the weekend," said Kristof Titeca, an expert on Central African affairs at the University of Antwerp. "This could have triggered him, as he might also be eyeing the 2026 elections," Titeca told AFP. "It can be questioned whether this promotion effectively entails more power. It could be perceived as a way to lower his profile, and reduce his real power." A Ugandan political analyst who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity agreed, saying "the elevation to general was a cosmetic move (by Museveni) to avoid upsetting" his son. Kainerugaba will continue to serve as a high-profile presidential adviser on special operations -- a role that extends into the political sphere. It's late in the evening in the Comorian capital of Moroni but the city's port is filled with eager faces. An 800-tonne rice shipment has docked in the Indian Ocean archipelago after three months of shortages that have sharpened hunger and stoked unrest. "We can officially declare the end to the rice shortage," declared Ben Abdallah Youssouf of Onicor, a state entity that holds a monopoly on imports and trade in "ordinary" rice, the cheapest and most consumed variety. But many locals who have struggled to put food on the table in recent weeks said they were far from convinced. "They say there's enough rice for everyone, but I don't believe it anymore," said Ben Laden, who like many others had joined the crowd at the dock in the hope of getting his hands on a sack. Supply-chain snags and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have caused food shortages and high prices across much of the world. But the crisis has been felt acutely in Comoros, an island chain of almost 900,000 people located between Madagascar and Mozambique, which was left virtually without its staple food. The country imports most of its food, and Onicor has blamed the lack of rice on suppliers, saying they did not deliver what they promised. Rations and tear gas When the supply crunch started to bite, rations were put in place, with a 25-kilogram (55-pound) bag earmarked to feed up to six families until the next shipment arrived. Up to 7,000 tonnes of rice are consumed every month, according to the government. By Ibrahim YOUSSOUF (AFP) When a freighter carrying about 800 tonnes of rice arrived early last month, most families had already run out of stock. Long queues had already formed outside distribution points. Some people placed bricks on the ground to hold their place in the line while they ran other errands. The precious cargo was unloaded under the watchful eye of heavily armed security forces but in any case, could only cover a fraction of the country's needs. Up to 7,000 tonnes of rice are consumed every month, according to the government. As government promises to deliver emergency assistance failed to materialise, tensions rose. Police arrested nine people after a truck convoy carrying rice bags was attacked. Some distribution points were moved to police stations. In the town of Ouani, authorities fired tear gas to disperse an angry crowd. Surging prices The cost of a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of rice, which normally sells for less than one US dollar, more than quadrupled. Most rice is imported from India and Pakistan. Families scrambled to find alternatives, but not everyone could afford pasta or root vegetables, which had also gone up in price due to high demand. About a quarter of the population lives below the threshold of poverty, according to the World Bank. All of this will "soon be just a bad memory," declared Youssouf, wearing a high-visibility vest as he oversaw the offloading in the port of Moroni on Monday night. Another 12,000 tonnes of rice would arrive on Tuesday, he promised. The sacks were loaded onto trucks and delivered to stores. Outside Kirti Khodidas's shop in the city's old quarter, soldiers stood guard, ready to intervene in case of overcrowding. The shopkeeper hoped to sell 800 sacks in one go. Mma Ibou, a woman in her 40s wearing a traditional dress, grabbed hold of a sack and placed it on her head before scuttling off with a smile on her face. Mr Irchad Razaarly, the European Union Ambassador, says there is no ban on Ghanas cocoa into the European market as speculated in the media space. We want more cocoa, and we are supporting Ghana and Cote dIvoire to produce cocoa and other commodities in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner, he said. The Ambassador said this on Monday at the second edition of the Orange Cocoa Day on the theme: Exploring How Improved Access to Land and Tree Tenure Promote Sustainability in the Cocoa Value Chain. The event was organised by the Embassy of the Netherlands together with the European Union Delegation to Ghana in partnership with the European Forest Institute, Solidaridad West Africa, Meridia, and others. Mr Razaarly said the call for sustainable cocoa production was growing globally and particularly in Europe, stressing that EU citizens were increasingly demanding measures to ensure that cocoa and other commodities were produced in an environmentally sustainable way. He said the EU had proposed a regulation, which was aimed at reducing the impact of products placed on the Union's market for six commodities palm oil, soya, wood, cattle, cocoa, and coffee. The purpose of the regulation, the Ambassador said, was to minimise the EUs contribution to global deforestation and to promote the consumption of products from deforestation-free supply chains. Touching on EU ongoing support, Mr Razaarly said the Union had supported COCOBOD to roll-out the Cocoa Management System through a sensitisation campaign, training of extension staff to verify the data collected and the provision of equipment. We work with COCOBOD and the Forestry Commission on the mapping and deforestation risk assessment. Ghana has good experience in Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, which could be replicated in the cocoa sector He reiterated the EUs commitment to the dialogue on sustainable cocoa and support to the sector and stated that Ghana's efforts towards sustainability were aligned with the Union's priorities. Providing a decent living income for cocoa farmers and ensuring the sustainability of the value chain, both in terms of labour rights and environmental protection, are key priorities for the EU, he said. Ms Katja Lasseur, the Deputy Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, said the theme was timely because investment in the cocoa sector thrived when the lands were secured free of any litigation. As part of our global strategy, the Netherlands will continue to support efforts to promote the sustainability of the cocoa sector and improve land and tree tenure arrangements that mostly affect cocoa farmers across Ghana's cocoa growing areas, she said. Nana Kwaw Asante Bediatu II, the Sefwi Divisional Chief of Asempaneye, called for better remuneration of farmers to motivate other prospective farmers to venture into cocoa farming. He called for more investment in the documentation of farmlands to ensure the sustainability of cocoa production for socio-economic development. The participants called for a dialogue to address challenges in the sector, saying, farming and production of cocoa beans were largely poorly regulated in the country. GNA When an artist is welcomed into the monumental interiors of a structure such as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa for a retrospective of their work, it suggests the levels of recognition they enjoy. The gallery, crafted from old dockyard silos in Cape Town, South Africa, opened in 2017. It is built to have such a pedigree; a solid foundation for African artists to gain global visibility and scrutiny. Tracey Rose is a South African multimedia artist whose practice spans performance, film and video installation, sculpture, photography, print and painting. Such a range is head-spinning. Most artists become distinctive for mastering one or two media at most, but not Rose. Equally impressive is her litany of pet subjects: race and deracialisation, South African coloured (mixed-race) identity, radical feminism, parenthood, post- apartheid South African politics, outrage and shock. The mid-career retrospective took up all of three exhibition floors of the imposing, six-storey edifice. No such extensive showing of Rose's work had ever been mounted. Apartheid's hangover The title of the retrospective, Shooting Down Babylon, foregrounds an unambiguous political intent, a continuing debunking of bastions of white supremacy, racial oppression and other structures of global inequality. The reference to Babylon , a famous biblical city, says it all. Rose is shooting holy cows. She rails stridently at the many forms of sociopolitical ills of the world. At first it might appear that the artist, born in 1974, is a cut-and-dried political artist hacked from the bleak cloth of anti-apartheid struggle. But there is an unexpected twist. Her rebellion spills over into the usual patriarchal sites of dominance; she criticises multiple vices in society as a whole, questioning, questing, denouncing with a considerable spewing of outrage and bile. The Kiss defied racial divides in South Africa. Courtesy the artist/Dan Gunn Gallery, London The peculiar complexities of colouredness (being of mixed ancestry) in South Africa informs much of Rose's work. But there are also the added difficulties of living through the #MeToo era, pervasive gender-based violence in South Africa, widespread insecurity, social discontent and deep-seated disillusionment with the post-apartheid dispensation. Rose's creative restlessness often mirrors these social anxieties. The enormous political backdrop of the anti-apartheid movement provides an illustrious tradition. Underneath its intimidating canopy, actors of varied political feathers have found a temporary home; subspecies of good and evil have coexisted, breeding new hybrids and toxins. And, of course, a new generation of rebels. Fun and games There is also an aspect of fun in Rose's expressions of outrage. For example, one of her performances, San Pedro V The Wall, takes place at the wall between Palestine and Israel. She appears in pinkish body paint and spotted panties, slinging an electric guitar. Parading up and down the wall, she hits guitar chords without regard for melody, lost in a world entirely of her own creation. It's a startling piece of agitprop and defiance. She urinates against the wall, baring her bottom as her final jab of the middle finger to a world constructed through injustice, violence and inequality. San Pedro V The Wall, a performance video. Courtesy of the artist and Dan Gunn Gallery, London Since the New York downtown art scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s we have come to expect shock and outrage from artists. Traces of these histories and developments are evident in Rose's retrospective. But her art is not all about outrage and defiance. Some of her works could even be called pretty, such as the bright, striking watercolours she made with her young son in which she embraces the child in herself. Here, it's all about innocence and quiet rapture coupled with a childlike wonder. Her works are generally endowed with an exquisite finish that makes them unexpectedly soothing. Beyond shock art Born in the coastal city of Durban, Rose was educated in South Africa and the UK and currently works as a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Her art has a visceral quality that is powerful and immediate, not sanitised by academia. Her first notable act of shock was a student performance titled Shittin' Bullion for her master's degree art class in London where she engaged in an act of public defecation. In the Ciao Bella series (2001), Rose represents herself as Venus Baartman, based on the historical figure of Sara Baartman , taken from Cape Town in 1810 and publicly displayed as a human curiosity across Europe. The series fits into Rose's focus on imagining a world where race is not a social construct. The climax of the series has got to be the creative (re)enactment of the biblical last supper of Jesus Christ in which some of Rose's characters reappear. An installation view showing the Ciao Bella series. Dillon Marsh/Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa The Kiss is a more lyrical affair. It's not just an interracial kiss in a divided South Africa. It's a photograph of a naked and handsome black man with a beautiful, naked white woman lying across his loins. They glare longingly into each other's eyes, a mix of yearning, wistfulness and stirring intimacy. A perfect piece of staged paradise in a world riven with racial bigotry and hatred. Here, Rose addresses a seemingly intractable social issue with tenderness and simplicity, and without evident cynicism. It speaks to a sense of aesthetics that appreciates the virtues of balance and natural harmony in a much abused world. Inexorably human Shooting Down Babylon reveals a lot about a major contemporary South African artist. Rose shares her ongoing creative restlessness, marked by multiple multi-media explorations, a lack of patience and frustrations with a world gone awry, and pockmarked by social ills and oppression. Part of her work seeks to reflect and encapsulate these oppressive dynamics, another part celebrates a quest for quirky beauty and simplicity. Yet another facet eulogises innocence's whimsy and lack of complicated adornment. And finally, Rose proclaims unabashedly the necessity for individual freedom and evolution. It's indeed a journey through several states and emotions; rage and repose, profanity and sublimity, complexity and simplicity. And through it all, Rose bawls out her self-evident right to be inexorably human. Sanya Osha does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. By Sanya Osha, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Humanities in Africa, University of Cape Town France is pushing for the European Union to "target senior officials and hold them responsible for their actions" over Iran's repression of protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, foreign minister Catherine Colonna has said. "France's action at heart of EU ... (is) to target those responsible for the crackdown by holding them responsible for their acts," Catherine Colonna told lawmakers in parliament, adding that the EU was looking at asset freezes and travel bans. Possible sanctions Proposed actions include "freezing their assets and their right to travel", Colonna added. She also criticised Tehran officials who, she said, "repress [protests] on the one hand and send many of their own children to live in the West on the other". The EU last agreed human rights sanctions on Tehran in 2021. No Iranians had been added to that list since 2013, however, as the bloc has shied away such measures in the hope of reviving a nuclear accord with Iran after the United States withdrew in 2018. Those talks have now stalled. It currently has an array of sanctions on about 90 Iranian individuals which have been renewed annually every April. Citing diplomatic sources, Germany's Der Spiegel reported Monday that Paris was working with Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic on sanctions against Tehran. EU action? EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, meanwhile, said that the EU is considering sanctions on Iran over the "killing" of Mahsa Amini and the crackdown on protests across the country. "We will continue to consider all the options at our disposal, including restrictive measures, to address the killing of Mahsa Amini and the way Iranian security forces have been responding to the demonstrations," Borrell told the European Parliament. He added that by "restrictive measures" he meant sanctions. Amini, 22, was pronounced dead on 16 September, days after the morality police detained the Kurdish Iranian for allegedly breaching rules requiring women to wear hijab headscarves and modest clothes. Anger over her death has sparked the biggest wave of protests to rock Iran in almost three years and a state crackdown that has seen scores of protesters killed and more than 1,000 arrested. The unrest has overshadowed diplomatic efforts to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers which had come close to a breakthrough in recent months before stalling again. Read also: (with AFP) The United States on Tuesday warned Burkina Faso's junta of the risks of allying with Russia, whose shadowy Wagner paramilitary group has voiced robust support for the latest coup. "Countries where the group has been deployed find themselves weaker and less secure, and we've seen that in a number of cases in Africa alone," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. "We condemn any attempt to exacerbate the current situation in Burkina Faso and we strongly encourage the new transitional government to adhere to the agreed-upon timeline for a return to a democratically elected, civilian-led government," he said. The impoverished Sahel state plunged into turmoil over the weekend when Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who had seized power only in January, was toppled by a newly emerged rival, 34-year-old Captain Ibrahim Traore. A small group of demonstrators in the capital Ouagadougou on Tuesday chanted support for Russia and against France, the former colonial power that has long been the main power in West Africa. Speculation was further heightened when the Wagner group's normally taciturn founder, businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, saluted Traore over social media, saying he and his troops "have done what was necessary" for "the good of their people." Neighboring Mali's junta has forged ties with the Wagner group, also defying Western warnings. The unit has been accused of rights abuses in the Central African Republic, Libya, Syria and increasingly in Ukraine and has been described by critics as a shadow army for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin -- dubbed "Putin's chef" due to his catering contracts -- previously denied a role with Wagner but last week confirmed he founded the group in 2014, saying the original goal was to send "patriots" into eastern Ukraine. Hundreds of residents and homeowners at Weija and surrounding communities in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have fled their homes due to heavy flooding. The waist-deep floods are a result of the spillage of excess water from the Weija dam. Several homes got submerged by the floods on Tuesday, 4 October 2022 following the opening of the floodgates. Apart from Weija, the flood-hit areas include Ashalaja, Oblogo and Tetegu and places in-between. Affected residents were seen fleeing their own homes with their luggage and whatever they could salvage. Soldiers from the Ghana Armed Forces have also been helping with rescue efforts in canoes. Also, personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and authorities from the municipal assembly are on the ground offering whatever assistance and logistics they could marshal, to the affected victims. Source: ClassFMonline.com As part of its recent 10 million funding award, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) established the Global Health Research Centre for Non-communicable Disease Control in Ghana with plans to expand to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. The Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) will collaborate on research to stop Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs). Many, including the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Health Service, on Tuesday, October 4, joined head with the implementers and funders at the Alisa Hotel, in Accra, where the research was officially launched. The research initiative will seek to end cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic lung illnesses, and other conditions that are not primarily caused by acute infection but have long-term health consequences frequently necessitating long-term treatment and care. The Chair of the event, Dr. Nkrumah Mills, President of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (GCPS) calls the need for West African countries, particularly Ghana, to quickly up their games in their fervency to combat the free rise of non-communicable diseases. The keynote address, read by the Minister for Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, focused on the government's desire to offer enormous support in terms of finances and counselling to the research team. The Minister further said, "I must say that the timing is apt because the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing globally and is currently the leading cause of death and disease burden worldwide, including in our sub-region. We just had a conversation on NCDs at the just-ended United Nations General Assembly meeting." He added, "According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), heart diseases, strokes, cancers, diabetes, and respiratory diseases now outnumber infectious diseases as the top killers globally, accounting for about 74% of all death." The sector minister also bemoaned the insufficient efforts being made to combat non-communicable diseases in Africa, particularly in the West African sub-region. "Dr. Chairman, there is no doubt that the region has been slowly responding to the increasing NCD burden, and most interventions address individual diseases rather than focusing holistically on people," he bemoans. Referring to a recent World Bank report, Hon. Agyemang-Manu stressed that "unless urgent action is taken, the rising NCD burden will add great pressure to the already overstretched health systems and pose a major challenge to development in the sub-region." Representatives of Ministries of Health from partnering Burkina Faso and Niger, Dr. Siri Baperman Abdel-Aziz for Burkina Faso and M. Sabo Hassane Adamou-Niger, also gave brief remarks, bemoaning the alarming rate of NCDs sounding a wake-up call for a collective fight against the canker. The global health research portfolio will seek to address the shifting global burden of disease, develop health systems to identify and respond to population needs, build resilience to tackle future global health threats and also strengthen research capacity in developing countries and the UK. As previously stated, NIHR, an institution at the forefront of addressing health issues, will provide support for the establishment of a Global Health Research Centre for Noncommunicable Disease control over a five-year period to address the scourge of NCDs. The centre will also train local researchers and clinicians and will offer a PhD and master's degree programme to students from all three countries. Other West African institutions such as Ashesi University, Ghana; Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO-UUB), Burkina Faso; and Laboratoire d'Etudes et de Recherche sur les Dynamiques Sociales et le Developpement Local (LASDEL), Niger, will partner in the research, which is fully funded by the U.K government. Also present were representatives from the United Nations, the British High Commission, other stakeholders, as well as media personalities and some members of the general public. Mr. Nathaniel Attoh of the Multi-Media Group anchored the event. MANZINI - Police were called and fired several gunshots following that a group of unknown people were found vandalising property at UNESWA, Kwaluseni Campus. In the process, the members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) arrested four men in connection with the vandalism. According to a source, who is well-placed within the University of Eswatini (UNESWA), Kwaluseni Campus, the incident took place on Monday at around 8pm. Group However, the source said it all started in the morning of the same day, when a group of unknown people used an informal entrance to gain entry into the university premises. He said some members of the group who were armed with sticks and stones, threatened to assault the security guards at the institution of higher learning, if they stood in their way. However, he said the unknown people did not do anything, but walked through the campus to the main gate and along the way; they allegedly uttered threats of vandalising property and made political statements. The source said they left the university through the main gate. Thereafter, the source said at around 8pm, a group of about 20 men, who they believe were made up of the same that had visited the campus earlier on the day, stormed the institution and pelted stones at the windows at the property, including dormitories. Marquee They also opened hose pipes at various buildings at the university, the source said. He also claimed that some of them tried to steal part of the pillars of the marquee, which was being erected for the graduation ceremony, which had been postponed indefinitely. However, he said police were called and they responded promptly to the call, something which disturbed them and they fled. In fact, the source said when the police arrived, they fired warning shots and a hot pursuit ensued. He said in the process, those who had taken some of the pillars of the marquee dropped them along the way and they (pillar) were found by the police. In the process the police managed to apprehend four men, the source said. UNESWA Registrar Dr Salebona Simelane, said the university was aware that a group of men came into Kwaluseni Campus on Monday morning and they threatened some of the security guards who were on duty. Once more, the registrar said they also gathered that on Monday evening, a group of unknown people vandalised the university property. However, he asked not to comment much about the matter as it was being handled by the police. On the same note, Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed the incident. She said police were called to the university after a group of men was seen vandalising some of the property of the institution of higher learning and opening hose pipes. Operation She said during the operation, the police managed to arrest four men in connection with the vandalism. She said they would appear in court in due course. It is worth noting that last Friday, the UNESWA administration closed two of the three campuses; Kwaluseni and Mbabane. This followed a protest action by the students, who are organised under the banner of the Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS). The protest was over insufficient scholarships, among other things. Again, on Monday, the university postponed its graduation ceremony, which was slated for Saturday, October 8, 2022. The university said it postponed the graduation ceremony because of unforeseen circumstances. The new date for the ceremony is yet to be announced. Level 300 Public Relations student, Caleb Asante Annor, has successfully picked nomination forms to contest for the SRC General Secretary position. The abled communications strategist took this bold step in the early hours of Tuesday, October 4. Speaking after he had been handed over the forms, the one-time WOCOM Secretary shared his inspiration for taking such a bold decision to contest GIJ-SRCs upcoming elections. "As an individual that is very interested in institutional communications, I decided to take part in the elections to do what I love most and also help serve students as I have always done since level 100. Serving as WOCOM Secretary did me a lot of good and heightened my interest in contesting in the general elections," he said. Caleb Asante Annor is asking his fellow students to vote him into power so that he could serve as a member of the SRC's executive arm and represent their interests. "I have goodwill for my colleagues and hope I will be given the nod to serve and prove what I have to offer them," he added. Mr. Asante Annor served on various SRC committees and functionaries after enrolling at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, including the SRC's legislative armthe General Assembly, the Vetting and Appointment Committee of the General Assembly, the Planning Committee of the General Assembly, and as an executive appointee to serve as the Women's Commission Secretary. The SRC's electoral committee has closed the picking of nomination forms for the various portfolios on October 4. The aspirants will be vetted on October 6 and 7, followed by campaigns and finally the General Elections on October 11. As the current crop of leaders prepares to leave office, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) will hold elections this semester to select new leaders. It is now clear that members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) are confused about the actual number of Community Senior High Schools (E-Blocks) the erstwhile John Mahama administration completed before exiting office in 2016. The level of inconsistency and deliberate misinformation by their communicators and sympathizers targeted at the unsuspecting public make one wonder if they care about their integrity. Whilst Prof. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang, a former Minister of Education and running-mate to John Mahama maintain they bequeathed the Akufo-Addo government a total of FORTY-SIX (46) completed E-Blocks, her former Deputy, Okudzeto Ablakwa also says they left FIFTY (50). As if that is not enough, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, a former Deputy Minister of Communication is also on record to have stated THIRTY-SIX (36) as the exact number of E-Blocks the Mahama government completed and commissioned before leaving office. Latest to join the fray of propaganda is Sammy Gyamfi. Speaking on TV3 last Saturday morning, the National Communication Officer of the NDC stated that Mahama commissioned over FIFTY (50) E-Blocks before exiting office. He didn't stop at that. He also appropriated the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) SHS at Abomosu in the Eastern Region to the erstwhile regime, stating emphatically that John Mahama cut sod for the construction of the school --- a blatant untruth! For the records, the Mahama government completed less than FIFTY (50) out of the TWO HUNDRED (200) Community Day Senior High Schools (E-Blocks) they promised to build in 4 years (2012-2016). In fact, in their own handing over notes to the Presidential Transition Team, they state 47 as the number of E-Blocks started (NOT COMPLETED). It is worthy to note that twenty three (23) out of this number were funded by the World Bank. Checks at the listed sites in their handing over notes indicate that the actual number of COMPLETED and COMMISSIONED E-Blocks by Mahama was TWENTY-NINE (29), and not those numbers which have been bandied about by their communicators. It must also be stated that, upon assumption of office, the Akufo-Addo-led government has constructed and completed THIRTY-ONE (31) E-Blocks, with over TEN (10) state-of-the-art STEM Senior High Schools across the country, with intake of students to begin in earnest. Facts are sacred! No. 345 Baobab Street The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) organised the Second West Africa Connect event to facilitate linkages between Mango, Cassava and ICT value chains actors, establish new business partnerships, as well as increase commercial transactions. The opening session featured remarks from the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Ghana, the ECOWAS Commission, the UEMOA Commission, the European Union Delegation to Ghana, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). On behalf of Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry of Ghana, Dr. Asiedu Hawkins, Technical Advisor to the Minister, congratulated the organiser for the initiative to connect buyers and sellers in the Mango, Cassava and ICT value chains from the region and globally with a view to boost intra-African and international trade opportunities before declaring the West Africa Connect 2022 open. On behalf of Mrs. Massandje Toure-Litse, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs & Agriculture, Mr. Kolawole Sofola, Acting Director of Trade stated that the West Africa Connect 2022 was organised to enable local firms to demonstrate the quality of their products and services, and lead to promising business and partnerships through the B2B sessions. He concluded by encouraging all companies to take advantage of the event, thanking the European Union for funding the WACOMP programme, as well as ITC and UNIDO for the technical support, as well as the Republic of Ghana for hosting the event in Accra. On behalf of Mr. Paul Koffi KOFFI, Commissioner for Business Development, Mines, Energy, and the Digital Economy (DEMEN), Mr. Joel Pegdwende Yameogo thanked the ECOWAS Commission, the European Union and partners for organising this event. He recalled the importance of the WACOMP and congratulated the ECOWAS Commission for successfully leading the programme. On behalf of the European Union, Mr. Timothy Dolan, Team Leader at the European Union Delegation to Ghana, commended the commitment of the ECOWAS Commission, the UEMOA Commission, ECOWAS Member States representatives, as well as ITC and UNIDO for the implementation of the WACOMP. He indicated that this second edition of the West Africa Connect is a confirmation the programme is effectively reaching out to businesses to strengthen the regions business ecosystem. He affirmed the EUs continued commitment to cooperate and collaborate with ECOWAS and ensure regional economic integration meets the needs of the private sector. Speaking on behalf of ITC, Mr. Ruben Phoolchund, Chief for Office of Africa emphasised ITCs commitment to strengthen SMEs in the ICT sector as well as ensure women and youth receive tailored support to integrate new technologies to their businesses. He also affirmed the growth potential in the agri-food sectors of cassava and mango value chains in West Africa. On behalf of UNIDO, Mr. Fakhruddin Azizi, UNIDO Representative to Ghana and Liberia expressed his satisfaction regarding the organisation of the event, recalling the importance of quality to ensure that products are compliant with the requirement of the receiving countries. The Second West Africa Connect Event connected sellers and manufacturers from the region with buyers from and outside the region in Mango, Cassava and ICT value chains. The event also featured panel discussions on export potential, digitalization, quality, investment, gender inclusion, product certification, exhibition booths and B2B meetings. Overall, more than 100 SMEs and 20 regional and international buyers participated in the event and approximately 150 B2B meetings were held. The West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the West Africa region and enhance the integration of ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania into the regional and international trading system. The Programme is led by the ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the UEMOA Commission, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNIDO and ITC, which are the implementing agencies of the regional component of the WACOMP. Angolan authorities must swiftly investigate and bring to justice those responsible for the assault on Ludmila Pinto, the wife of broadcaster Claudio Pinto, in an apparent warning to the journalist, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. At around 6 p.m. on September 20, two unidentified men whose faces were concealed by surgical masks broke into the Pinto home in Luanda, the capital, according to a statement by Radio Despertar, media reports, and the journalist and his wife, who both spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Claudio Pinto, who hosts the current affairs show In on Radio Despertar, which is owned by the opposition party National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), was not home at the time. The men tied Ludmila Pintos arms and legs with a clothesline and repeatedly slapped her, punched her stomach, and kicked her all over her body while also threatening to kill their one-year-old crying son, the journalist told CPJ. One of the attackers went to the kitchen, heated a kitchen knife, and cut Ludmila Pinto at least 16 times on her arms and 12 times on her legs, she told CPJ. The men said they would return to finish the job if her husband did not shut up, she said. Authorities must thoroughly investigate the brutal attack on Radio Despertar journalist Claudio Pintos wife and son and ensure that the perpetrators are speedily arrested and successfully prosecuted, said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. Failure to do so will send a message that its more of the same in President Joao Lourencos second term as president of Angola, where journalists continue to be denied their right to work without fear and self-censorship is endemic. The ruling Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party won the disputed August 24 election with a tiny majority, earning Lourenco a second term as president amid opposition allegations of electoral fraud that led to major protests. Pinto, who works under the name King, told CPJ that the men were in the house for about 20 minutes, and left a scrawled note in Portuguese saying King Aviso (King Warning). Pinto told CPJ that he believes the attack was prompted by his shows coverage of the elections, specifically its reporting that the ruling party had lost the vote in Luanda. He also said the attack might have been in response to an interview on his show with one of the radio stations election commentators criticizing the secret service for allegedly persecuting activists, politicians, and journalists. These were professionals that went into my home and left without a trace, Pinto said. Ludmila Pinto told CPJ that she overheard the two men saying her husband was close to the boss, knows a lot, and that they might need to finish the job if he doesnt shut up. Her husband told CPJ he believed the boss was likely a reference to UNITA leader Adalberto Costa Junior. The couple opened a case at the local Kilamba police station, and Ludmila Pinto was treated for her injuries at the local Sagrada Esperanca clinic and was also receiving trauma support, the journalist said. He said the police went to his house the following day to collect evidence. Commandant Jose Caly do Carmo of the Kilamba police station in Luanda told CPJ via phone call that the investigation into the attack was progressing and he had no additional information to share. A Socialist senator has asked the French Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, to explain to the upper house of parliament the government's position on Eric Dupond-Moretti, the Justice Minister who was this week sent for trial on conflict of interest charges. Senator Jean-Pierre Sueur, addressing the National Assembly in the name of the Socialist parliamentary group, called on the PM to speak to the Senate in the wake of Monday's decision by the Republican Court of Justice to send Dupond-Moretti for trial. Sueur said he would also like to hear Borne's observations on what the case implies for the objectivity and independence of French justice. In a Tuesday editorial, centrist daily newspaper Le Monde points out that the minister himself will nominate the chief prosecutor at the French supreme court, when Francois Molins steps down. That nominee will have, among other tasks, the job of leading the prosecution team against Dupond-Moretti at the Republican Court of Justice. The Socialist senator pointed to a precedent involving presidential ally Francois Bayrou who, when he was justice minister in 2017, resigned from the government after he was accused in a case involving the alleged use of public funds to pay members of Bayrou's MoDem party. 'Scant respect' for judiciary Senator Sueur also expressed shock at the attitude of the legal team defending Dupont-Moretti. "I note that the minister's lawyers have shown scant respect for the most exalted judicial authorities," he said. "Under such conditions, it is difficult to see how the said minister can be the guarantor of an independent justice. Dupond-Moretti made a brief reply, assuring the senator that his "legal team say what they feel they have to in order to defend me, but without any polemical intention". The minister went on to remind the National Assembly of the importance of the presumption of innocence. He earlier said that he had no intention of resigning. "I have the assurance of the full support of the prime minister," he said, adding that this case has been pending since July 2021 and has in no way interfered with his work. Read also: The President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is set to hold a meeting with the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi, Ashanti Region today, October 5, 2022. The meeting which will also have various MMDCEs in attendance is about the illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) activities in the country. Galamsey continues to cause havoc in the country as media reports have revealed the destruction not only land but forest reserves and water bodies. Amid pressure on the presidency to act fast, President Akufo-Addo has called a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs to be held this morning at Manhyia. Tomorrow, I will be meeting the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs on the Galamsey Menace in Kumasi, a post on the Twitter page of President Akufo-Addo said on Tuesday. Todays meeting on galamsey menace in the country will start at 10:00am. A young Ghanaian computer scientist and a graduate of the University of Development Studies(UDS), Mr. Israel Acheampong, has developed a new social media App called Stayplain to help friends and family communicate effectively. Stayplain is a new way to communicate with friends and family. It serves as the most advanced and innovative social media platform. The App serves different purposes such as users sharing their thoughts, expressing their emotions, or promoting their products and services. Users of the App can also share content which includes text, images, and videos and the content can be in the form of updates from people's lives, essays, or reports on an event. According to the App Developer, Acheampong, "When I was at the University (UDS Wa campus) in the year 2015, I planned to develop a local Social media Application. So God's grace, I started working on it till December 2021, and the dream came to pass. This local Social media App has a new feature that allows users to post content on any of the existing social media platforms at once. "Stayplain also lets you share funny Motivational videos, and music, watch your favourite videos, and feel at home. Share what you're up to with your friends and family. Stayplain - the best platform for staying connected. "With Stayplain, you can connect with your loved ones in a whole new way! It connects young professionals, students, and like-minded people who want to stand out just like you in Ghana/Africa. The App let you share text messages, pictures, videos, audio, polls, and more all within one platform. We developed this app to connect all Youths in Africa, especially Ghana, together to share ideas and make connections." The brilliant young man who disclosed how he built a name for himself on social media, notably Facebook and Twitter before he completed the University of Development Studies in Wa therefore called on Ghanaians to "support our own social media Platform designed by a Ghanaian youth." Ghanaian cocoa farmers, government officials and the entire nation started agitating after hearing that Ghanaian and Ivorian cocoa beans could be rejected under new European Union legislation. A few days ago, Minister for Information, Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah lamented this at a meeting in Brussels where delegates at the said meeting deliberated on how to keep Ghanaian cocoa and coffee relevant amidst the new EU LI. "In Europe, there is new legislation that could soon make Ghanaian cocoa & coffee unexportable to many international markets. Earlier this week in Brussels, I chaired a 2-day forum on "the future of Ghanaian cocoa and coffee value chains in the face of this new EU legislation. The Ghana Embassy in Belgium under the leadership of Ambassador Sena Boateng has moved swiftly to bring this to the attention of the Government of Ghana. It has also commenced work on realigning Ghanaian and European interests in cocoa and coffee, the Minister said in a tweet. The Minister added, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire need to act quickly to secure the industry while meeting the interests of European markets else millions of households and our entire economies could be significantly affected soon." The tweets conclude that thankfully, this work has started. Our task is to see it through. But according to the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaarly, Ghanaian cocoa and coffee will not be rejected by the new legislation. Delivering a speech on behalf of the Ambassador, H.E Irchad Razaarly at the Orange Cocoa Day in Accra, the Director at the EU Office in Ghana, Celine Madsen Prudhomme, said cocoa and coffee from Ghana meet the unions requirements. As my ambassador said earlier, there will be no ban. All countries considered high risk will be able to continue selling their products in the EU market provided producers can demonstrate that products are legal and free from deforestation. There is no ban on Ghanas cocoa. On the contrary, we want more of Ghanas cocoa, and we are in support of Ghana and Cote dIvoire amongst all of the producers who meet these requirements, she said. Speaking further, Miss Celine asserted that the regulation will rather seek to improve the quality of cocoa products from the two leading world producers of cocoa, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. On the contrary, we want more. The EU regulation would be used as an opportunity to improve the quality of cocoa from Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire. And we are helping these two countries to meet sustainability expectations, the European Union affirmed. The Deputy Minister for Communication and Digitalisation, Ms Ama Pomaa Boateng, has said Ghana has contributed significantly to the global fight against cybercrime. She said over 5,000 cybercrime incidents which could have caused losses to victims were prevented and several amounts of money were saved, owing to the Cybercrime/Cyber security Incident Reporting Points of Contact (PoC) launched in October 2019. The PoC, according to the Minister, has provided citizens with multiple avenues and channels to report cyber-related incidents and to receive assistance and guidance from the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). Ms Boateng said this at the launch of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) on Monday in Accra. "This year alone, as of the end of the third quarter, a total of 9,769 contacts have been received through the various points of contact of which 431 were recorded as actual Cyber security incidents and 5,389 as direct advisories, she added. She said the development of the Computer Emergency Response Ecosystem by the Ministry has brought improvement in incident reporting and response, specifically in the financial and telecommunications sectors. To mitigate the occurrence of cybercrime, Ms Boateng noted that the government has collaborated with the World Bank and the Council of Europe to organize capacity-building programmes for judges, prosecutors and other important stakeholders in cybercrime prevention and electronic evidence gathering. This move seeks to facilitate an effective prosecution of cybercrimes and computer-aided offences, Ms Boateng said. According to her, these developments established the critical pillars of Ghanas national Cyber security development. Consequently, the 2020 ITU Global Cyber security Index (GCI) report scored Ghana's Cyber security development at 86.69%, a major improvement from our earlier rating in 2017 which was 32.6%. she hinted. the National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) aimed at promoting capacity building and awareness creation to ultimately improve cyber security as well as strengthen the countrys national cyber resilience. In July 2017, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed the then Ministry of Communications to oversee Cyber security development in Ghana and pursuant to that effect the National Cyber Security Secretariat was established to coordinate Ghanas Cyber security efforts by implementing strategic initiatives for a secure and resilient digital Ghana. The Secretariat transitioned into the National Cyber Security Centre and is now, the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), following the passage of the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038) in December 2020. The period leading to the passage of the Act witnessed several critical interventions, as the government anticipated the need for robust Cyber security to support the countrys digital transformation agenda. Again, the Convention on Cybercrime, also known as the Budapest Convention and the African Union Convention on Cyber Security & Personal Data Protection also known as the Malabo Convention were adopted and ratified by Parliament. Subsequently, the annual National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) was also institutionalized, making October each year, a month for cyber security awareness creation. The government is implementing a National Liquified Petroleum Gas Promotion Programme to ensure that at least 50% of Ghanaians have access to LPG by 2030 as part of measures to mitigate climate change. The Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who disclosed this at the opening of the 3rd West African LPG Conference and Expo in Accra on Monday said the NLPGPP is an enhancement of the erstwhile Rural LPG Promotion Programme (RLPGPP), with an emphasis on commercial and industrial use. He said the LPG sector offers a compelling way to support Africa's industrialisation drive while leveraging the switch to cleaner energy sources, adding that, it would require joint efforts from academia, business, and the government to carefully drive West Africa to maximize the economic benefits along the entire LPG value chain. Dr Opoku Prempeh noted that although the usage of LPG as a household fuel has grown in several West African nations since the early 1990s, the average per capita consumption is still low by global standards. The Minister was hopeful that, after detailed discussions via this forum on the promotion of LPG through policies and national legislation in West Africa, LPG consumption might be greatly boosted in the region." The 3-day conference and Expo is aimed at reaching an agreement on making LPG available at an attractive price in the West African Markets and attracting the requisite investments for LPG storage and distribution infrastructure. MBABANE A widow of Gundvwini has rushed to court after being informed that a grave, on which she had erected a tombstone in remembrance of her husband, belongs to a certain woman from the community. The High Court has since directed the police to exhume the remains from the disputed grave for purposes of conducting a forensic pathology procedure. The order directing that a forensic pathology procedure should be conducted was issued by Principal Judge Qinisile Mabuza. Gugu Idah Jele told the court that during the preparations of an unveiling ceremony that was scheduled for December 2021, Lindiwe Jele informed them that the grave on which they had erected the tombstone belonged to her mother, Lomthandazo Sarah Jele. Respondents in the matter are Lindiwe Jele, Sigombeni Umphakatsi and the national commissioner of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). In her application, Gugu narrated to the court that around 1980, she contracted a Swazi Law and Custom marriage with Joseph Jele who was now deceased. She said they constructed their marital home at Macobolwane in Mbabane and four children were born out of the marriage. The applicant (Gugu) brought it to the attention of the court that around 2001, her husband got ill and passed away. She submitted that her husband was laid to rest at Sigombeni at a Jele family graveyard. During the funeral, I was unable to see his final resting place as I had been covered with a black cloth as per the custom for a grieving widow, averred the applicant. She recounted that after her husbands funeral, she requested her mother in-law, Lomandanda Jele, who unfortunately had passed on, to direct her to her (Gugu) husbands grave. She duly showed me the grave, which I believed to be my late husbands final resting place and I would from time to time visit and maintain it, said the applicant. According to the applicant, in September 2021, with her children they decided to erect a tombstone in remembrance of her husband. Unveiling We bought the stone and it was erected on what we believed to be my husbands grave. We then prepared an unveiling ceremony which was scheduled for December 2021.The first respondent (Lindiwe) communicated to us that the grave on which we had erected the tombstone belonged to her mother Nomthandazo Sarah Jele, submitted the applicant. She said the scheduled unveiling was halted on receipt of this information and a family meeting was convened to resolve the matter. The applicant went on to relate to the court that in March 2022, the family met and the issue was deliberated upon. She said it was agreed between the families that the only solution was to engage a forensic pathologist to determine the identity of the deceased person in relation to the two graves which were close to each other. I hasten to state that this decision was arrived at in consensus, hence we have alluded that no adverse order is being sought against any of the respondents. In fact the present application is premised on the intention to assist all the parties involved to find the truth, closure and accord our departed loved ones the dignity that they deserve in their resting place, submitted the applicant. She highlighted that the application she was seeking was for the opening and inspection of the graves for purposes of identifying the body. I am advised and verily believe that it will be unlawful to desecrate a grave without just cause and without an order of the court, hence the present application, she argued. The applicant was represented by Sifiso Jele of S.M Jele Attorneys in Mbabane. In an almost similar matter, the High Court recently stopped the unveiling of a tombstone of a man whose wives are fighting over who was the first wife between them. Judge Nkosinathi Maseko issued an order restraining Dortia Primrose Mncina (nee Dlamini), or anyone acting on her instructions, from conducting the unveiling ceremony of the late Boniface Samuel Mncinas tombstone. The University Teacher Association of Ghana (UTAG), Senior Staff Association of Universities of Ghana (SSA-UoG), Teachers & Educational Workers Union (TEWU), Federation of Universities Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA) have declared a strike action. Their strike will take effect October 13, a statement they issued said. Following the Press Conference by UTAG, GAUA, SSA-UoG, and TEWU-GH with FUSSAG in attendance on Wednesday, 28th September 2022 at the University of Professional Studies , Accra, the National Leadership of the four Labour Unions have had a series of engagements between some stakeholders of tertiary education in Ghana, including Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG). Upon further deliberations among the National Leaders, we write to communicate that the intended strike action of all labour unions in the public universities in Ghana takes effect from Thursday, 13th October 2022, the unions said. They added This gives the employer and all stakeholders of tertiary education in Ghana one crucial week to reverse the directive that seeks to negatively compromise the Conditions of Service of University Workers. Meanwhile, the National Leadership of the Labour Unions in the public universities in Ghana entreat all members to stay calm and cooperate with Leadership as we navigate this trying moment. The Unions earlier gave the government up till today Wednesday, October 5 to restore their conditions of service as agreed earlier this year or they withdraw their services. We know the language that easily sinks in their psyche , and we will speak it in one week if they fa il to heed to their own agreement with us, the National President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Professor Solomon Nunoo, stated at a press conference on Wednesday, September 28. They expressed their displeasure at the apparent unilateral decisions taken by government in varying their conditions of service. They claim letters written to draw attention to the anomalies have not been responded to. READ ALSO: Ace Ankomah wins judgement against Kevin Taylor We wish to state that the Ministry of Finance, through GTEC, should ensure that the conditions subsequent to the support of staff welfare in extricating them from economic hostilities will not disadvantage them relativ e to the Conditions of Service of members of Labour Unions in Public Universities. We are by this Press Conference registering our displeasure on the directive and requesting that under no circumstance should Vice Chancellors, through the ir Finance Directo rs, implement such by applying the Gh10.99 ex pump approved rate ONLY to Fuel Allowance without considering Vehicle Maintenance and Off Campus Allowances. Failure to address these essential concerns will result in the possible total withdrawal of our serv ices across all Public Universities in Ghana. A Labour Expert, Mr Austin Gamey urged the Government and the leadership of the unions to engage on the demands of the union. He explained that the law states clearly that both parties, the employer (government) and the employee (UTAG) should meet to discuss issues concerning condition of service and reach an agreement. If they are unable to reach an agreement then they have to seek assistance from a third party, the National Labour Commission (NLC), he added. Speaking on the mid day news on TV3 Thursday September 29, Mr Gamey said These are Professors, it is better government invite them. The law is very clear that they should engage. Once there is an agreement there is agreement. If there is no agreement then they have to look for a third party for assistance. 3news.com President Akufo-Addo has commended the Board of Directors of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), for successfully overseeing the completion of the second Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact with Ghana. Ghana by the end of June 2022, effectively completed the five-year Ghana Power Compact II, a $536 million United States Government-funded initiative that sought to transform, double access to power and stimulate private investment in Ghana's electricity sector. The President gave the commendation when the Board, chaired by Prof. Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu, called on him at the Jubilee House on Tuesday to present a report on its stewardship and to extend appreciation to the President for the opportunity to work on the programme. The Board was inaugurated in March 2017 by the President to oversee the activities of the MiDA's. We are happy to say that a lot has been accomplished under the Compact, said Prof Ntiamoa-Baidu. By the revised Compact end date of 6 June 2022, all Projects retained and prioritized for implementation had been completed, commissioned and handed over to the beneficiaries, including ECG, GRIDCo, the Ghana Standards Authority, the Energy Commission, PURC, Ministry of Education, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana, Accra Technical University, KNUST, and University of Energy and Natural Resources, among others, she said. Prof. Ntiamoa-Baidu told the President that all the Compact funds, including some USS31 million which Government contributed as counterpart funds, were fully utilized within the Compact term. All Projects were completed, at very high standards and handed over to the beneficiary Agencies. Numerous employment opportunities were made available to our youth and vital skills were transferred to them. We are aware that the Compacts intervention has had a major impact on the quality of power supply in ECG's Accra East and West Regions. We trust that all infrastructure will be well managed after the Compact, she added. President Akufo-Addo who anticipated a third a third Compact with the United States government, said he would call on the outgoing board when the need arose. The real issue before me now is compact three, what will be the basis. I am due to travel to America soon and I will raise it at the highest levels, he said. The five-year Compact was designed to create a self-sustaining energy sector in Ghana by reforming laws and regulations needed to transform the country's power sector by addressing the challenges in distribution, generation and access to energy in in the country. So far, the US Government has invested more than US$860 million grant funds in Ghanas infrastructure development under the first and second compact agreements since 2012. Projects undertaken in Compact II include the installation of two bulk supply points, one in Pokuase and the other at Kasoa, providing a total of 1015-megavolt amperes (MVA). The two are currently the largest and second largest substations in Ghana. The second are the installation of two vital primary sub-stations, with interconnecting circuits to serve electricity consumers and major health facilities, namely the 37 Military Hospital, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital at Ridge, the University of Ghana Medical Centre, Noguchi Memorial institute for Medical Research, Jubilee House, and communities in the environs of those facilities. The third project involves the installation of a refrigerator and air conditioner testing laboratory for the Ghana Standards Authority, the only such facility in the West African Sub-Region and a Low Voltage Bifurcation Project in six districts of ECGs Accra West and Accra East Regions. Also, streetlights replacement and refurbishing work on 528km of selected streets in 20 MMDAs in Greater Accra and retrofitting of 7 major government buildings in the Ministries, including interventions at Korle Bu and at the University of Ghana have been undertaken. The Compact funded internship for some 650 Ladies undertaking STEM Studies in various tertiary, technical and vocational Institutions in Ghana together with the establishment and resourcing of three selected Universities, as training Centres for electricity auditing. It also funded the reviewing and passing into Law of 20 Legislative Instruments for Energy Sector Regulations, in addition to providing the ECG with a state-of the art Meter Management and Geographic Information Systems, all of which would support efforts aimed at loss control and improved profitability. GNA Sputnik 1 was launched by the former Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, marking the start of the space age. Since then space activity has delivered many benefits . For instance, satellite imagery can be used in agriculture to predict food shortages and surplus harvests. It can also be used to forecast and monitor natural disasters like flooding. In recognition of this, by the second decade of the 21st century, more than 50 countries had space agencies, or other government bodies, carrying out space activities. Some African countries are also making their mark. The continent's evolving space sector is reportedly worth USD$400 billion today. Various experts from across the continent have published articles on The Conversation Africa, revealing the hopes, needs and achievements of Africa's space ambitions. Here are five insightful reads. Outer space programme is key to meeting Africa's needs Recognising the importance of outer space, Agenda 2063 part of Africa's development blueprint, put together by the African Union includes an Africa outer space programme. It focuses on Earth observation, meteorology, satellite communication, satellite navigation and astronomy. Etim Offiong, an expert from the Scientific Officer at the African Regional Centre for Space Science, argues that Africa's outer space programme is integral to meeting many needs that African countries have. Read more: Africa has ambitious goals for 2063: plans for outer space hold the key to success Achievements of the Cape's astronomers In some African countries, astronomical research is quite developed. South African astronomy, for instance, is at the forefront of many initiatives and discoveries. The South African Astronomical Observatory in Cape Town is the oldest permanent observatory in the southern hemisphere: it turned 200 in 2020. Astronomer Ian Glass reveals just how much Cape astronomers have achieved. They were responsible for, among other things, the first measurement of the distance to a star; the first photographic sky survey and the accurate measurement of the distance to the sun. Read more: South African astronomy has a long, rich history of discovery and a promising future Africa's nanosatellites One landmark moment for African space science happened on 13 January 2022 when The Cape Peninsula University of Technology, based in Cape Town, launched its third satellite mission into space. The nanosatellite constellation, consisting of three satellites - called MDASat (Marine Domain Awareness) was launched from the Cape Canaveral rocket launch site in Florida in the US. Space engineer, Nyameko Royi, who works on the project, reveals that these small satellites collect data that will enhance the security and protection of South African marine resources. They do this by monitoring and identifying foreign vessels within the country's exclusive economic zone. Read more: Nanosatellite launch is a big step forward for African space science Strides made by Senegal Senegal has also made great strides in astronomy and planetary sciences in recent years. Dozens of scientists from NASA and France, along with five tons of astronomical equipment descended on Dakar, Senegal in August 2018. They joined 21 Senegalese scientists in an important mission: collecting precious data in preparation for the flyby of an asteroid called Ultima Thule on January 2019. The project marked the first time Senegal was involved in a space mission to explore our solar system. Geologist, David Baratoux, explains why Senegal was chosen to be involved in a space mission to explore our solar system. Read more: Why NASA chose Senegal to find out more about an asteroid in outerspace The moves Ghana is making Ghana is another country that's making moves in the space sector. The government has made a bid to host the African Union's planned Space Agency and The Ghana Space Science & Technology Institute has been established to train specialists and to convert space research into commercial applications. It's also a participant in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope project. But, argues legal expert Julia Selman Ayetey , to harness the full benefits of space technology Ghana needs space legislation and regulations. Read more: Ghana is looking to outer space. It needs the law to match By Natasha Joseph, Commissioning Editor And Moina Spooner, Assistant Editor The conflict in Ukraine and the plight of Afghan women are just two topics at the heart of the 29th edition of the Bayeux Awards for War Correspondents, which kicked off on Monday with a series of exhibitions, conferences and screenings ahead of the award ceremony on Saturday. RFI spoke to this year's jury president, German photojournalist Thomas Dworzak. Dworzak, who headed the Magnum agency between 2017-2020, will have his hands full examining the selection of 51 reports shortlisted from 350 entries, including written press, television, radio and photography. The Ukraine conflict features heavily among the entries competing for one of the ten awards at the week-long annual event and is at the heart of two major exhibitions and screenings. Thomas Dwozak knows Ukraine well. He has also visited Russia many times and speaks the language. But he was taken aback by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February. Nobody I spoke to thought there would be an all-out war. I just thought it would be the usual threats, the 50-year-old reporter told RFI, explaining that he just happened to be in the country on a separate assignment shortly before the war broke out. Dworzak, a specialist in the Caucasus, admits there are chilling parallels between the situation in Ukraine today and what he witnessed as a young reporter in Chechnya in the early 1990s, albeit unfolding in a completely different media landscape. Putin's wars For the 19-year-old at the time, the upheaval in the Soviet enclave of Chechnya was his first big conflict, the one I felt the most connected to, he recalls. Tension has never ended in this part of the world. His photographic work there earned him a prize at the Bayeux festival in 2000, opening doors in his career which took him to places like Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Iran. As well as chairing the international jury, he has been invited to host a debate on Wednesday evening which proposes to "illuminate the present" in Ukraine by returning to the two Russian wars in Chechnya (1994-1996 and 1999-2000). I recently came across an old publication which had been used to illustrate an article called 'Putin's Wars' from 2000, he told festival organisers. I feel as though I've made my career under the shadow of the leader. He set up an unhealthy relationship with the neighbouring countries. Somewhere between worship of a romantic idea of the Caucasus and fierce repression of any bid for freedom. Thomas Dworzak spent over 20 years in the Caucasus, in Georgia mainly, meeting the people, exploring the culture and conflicts in the region, which resulted in the book, Kavkaz in 2010. Man without a plan Born in Bavaria, Dworzak saw photography as a way out of a quiet, stilted life. Yet the sensation that war was always just around the corner haunted his youth, the uneasy feeling that peace after WWII was not permanent. Did he go looking for conflict or did conflict find him? Perhaps a mixture of both. As a photographer, he did not really have a plan, nor did he have formal training. Even today, Dwozak insists that not being in control is part of the magic of the moment, adding that his advice to young reporters today is to not plan everything down to the last detail. The man who holds a World Press Prize among his honours is used to being judged, but admits he is slightly uneasy with the idea of having to choose just one photo, or one report, from the high quality material sent in. I'm looking for something where I don't feel the photography too much, telling me something new I didn't know. An avid supporter of digital technology and social media, he admits to being drawn to how ordinary people document their lives and their surroundings. After all, you don't need to travel thousands of miles he says interesting stories can be found (almost) anywhere. The key is to be passionate, curious, and leave a little something up to chance. Fundamentals of journalism The programme for this year's Bayeux week is especially rich, with exhibitions on Haiti, Afghanistan and Sudan, which are open to the public until the end of October, as well as numerous screenings and round-table conferences. The 2022 edition also features "a return to the fundamentals of journalism" with an exhibition by Herve Brusini on "the photographic work never unveiled" by journalist Albert Londres (1884- 1932). As with every year, a new commemorative stone in memory of journalists killed in action will be inaugurated. The ceremony will take place on Thursday in the presence of the families and colleagues of Maks Levin, the Ukrainian photojournalist "executed" according to Reporters Without Borders by Russian soldiers in March, of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist who was shot in May and of Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, the French reporter killed in Ukraine. Read more here on Prix Bayeux 2021: Security analyst Dr. Adam Bonaa has said the foreigners who were found at Achimota on Tuesday 3 October, 2022 could be mystery shoppers for a terrorist groups. He added that if our immigration and national security want citizens to help them. This is the time they need to come clear and tell us what actually happened, especially the lapses that made it possible for the foreigners to travel freely to arrive at Achimota. Some Nigeriens were stranded at the Achimota Overhead on the N1 Highway after the vehicle they were travelling in from Niamey to La Cote DiVoire. Dr. Bonaa has also questioned why citizens should trust national security if they don't share any information with the citizens. He shares the view that a collaborative effort is required to counter terrorism hence there must be exchange of information between stakeholders. According to him, In this day and age of terrorism, if your countering measures are not very good this could be it because recently a lot of them (foreigners) were removed from the country. So why are they here? I think that we still have not had answers and to say they are just moving to a neighbouring country is simply not good enough. Dr. Adam Bonaa also proposes that the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) and the other security agencies should fast-track investigation on the foreigners who claimed to have been abandoned by their bus driver at Achimota and escort them to their destination. These people could be mystery shoppers planted in the country to test how our security preparedness for terrorism is Dr. Bonaa told Alfred Ocansey on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show. 3news.com What is happening in neighboring Burkina Faso and other West Africa countries is a good omen for the sub-region. It is sending a signal to the Khaki Boys that gone were the days when they could usurp political power, misrule with iron fists and subdue the populace with their 'soldier power' without any challenge from their colleague soldiers who disagree with them. In fact, it is a clear message to the soldiers that, if you mess up with the democratic dispensation, you do so at your own peril. Another group of soldiers can also strike and the results could be bloody among the rank and file of the soldiers. We, the civilians, can only sit on the fence and watch while two usurpers of power mash it up at their barracks. It is like the war of desert rats. We, the civilians, will have to choose the lesser of two evils. Abi, ino bi so? The era of military strongmen is gradually coming to an end in Africa and West Africa, for that matter. The civilised world is moving forward and democratic system of governance is winning against silly military adventurers, dictators and the unnecessary spilling of innocent blood in the name of a revolution. The worst democratically elected government is far better than the best military regime. Is Professor Raymond Atuguba and his fellow coup mongers listening? Only a foolish man will choose a military regime over a democratically elected government. It is like choosing nuclear warfare over conventional warfare. Fortunately, leaders of coup d'etats in Africa end up dying violently or running away into exile. The few who survive and eventually hand over power to civilian governments live and die with disturbed consciences like 'Asomasi' and his wee-smoking soldiers and cadres, who tormented Ghanaians with his wish-to-be-forgotten two revolutions. The problem is that these soldiers never learn any lessons from history when they set out in their quest for power. A soldier is trained to fight and defend his nation in times of aggression but the moment the soldier chooses the path of ruling the country, he is in for trouble. In the beginning, he will have the support of a gullible populace because of the fear of his gun and bayonet, but as time goes on, the people become wised up and the situation changes. Opposition political parties too cash in to support the military adventurists, forgetting that when they too come to power, the same adventurists will breathe on their shoulders and usurp power at the time of their choosing. Let there be a coup d'etat in Ghana today (May God forbid) and see how NDC supporters will jubilate. For eleven good years, Ghanaians lived under a stultifying bloody revolution led by the late JJ Rawlings. We had no Parliament, no Constitution, no Council of State and above all, no voice and no freedom. A culture of silence was introduced and men became women as women run for cover. Loans were contracted without any approval from any Parliament or any debate as to the merit of the loan and what the loan was to be used for. More than three hundred factories built by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah were sold to members of the junta and their cohorts. Projects were sited at where the junta wanted them to be sited. Toilets were built where the people were thirsty because they did not have any potable water and bridges were built where we had no rivers (sic!). For eleven years, the country experienced brain drain as fine, well educated professional men and women did run into exile to seek for greener pastures and safety. Those who dared to stay behind were threatened, forced to work under duress and undue influence because Trade Unions had no say to negotiate on the welfare of workers. Workers who protested and went on demonstration were quickly subdued by the Abongo Boys who exhibited naked 'Soldier Power'. All the three state universities were closed for three years simply because students demonstrated against the regime. Ogyam came preaching Probity and Accountability but at the end of the day, he did not account to anyone and neither did anyone probe his junta before he died. Ewi, Barawo! Instead of handing over power to civilians, as directed by the IMF where Ogyam had gone for a bailout after eleven years of economic total mess, he metamorphosed into a civilian President, put off the military uniform and donned traditional Northern smocks and custom-made suits to misrule again for eight years. He eventually left behind a ruined economy to be inherited by John Agyekum Kufuor who worked beyond human endurance to steer the ship of state out of troubled waters. Anytime I hear the NDC guys talking about the state of the economy, I begin to think if they ever read about the political history of this country and the role military regimes, including the one which later became known as the National Democratic Congress, where they belong, have contributed to the mess of the economy. Anytime we take one step forward, the soldiers force us to take two steps backwards. As for Burkina Faso, our immediate neighbors, they have refused to copy from Ghanaians who, at one point collectively, decided that enough is enough for coup d'etats and chose democracy as the only way out in a referendum in 1991. Since 1992, we have been able to stay afloat on the rivers of democratic dispensation and we aren't going back. If the new junta leader of Burkina Faso wants to leave behind an indelible footprint on the greenest hills of Burkina Faso, he should immediately set a very short date for transition to civilian rule. He should be keen in supervising a free and fair election, hand over power and retire to the barracks with his soldiers and keep watching how the civilians rule the country. Any attempt he makes to hold on to power, as others did, will spell his doom. He has no option but to subdue the Jihadists, because his predecessor promised and failed, hence the need for him to stage the coup as he told us. On the other hand, if his intention is to fight the Jihadists and bring sanity to Burkina Faso, where thousands of people have been murdered by these sick brains and return to barracks after achieving his aim, he has my total support. He should be ruthless in this war. The question of Jihads should be settled by blood and iron because that is the only language they understand. No kid-gloves here. Captain Traore should use every tool of intelligence, every necessary weapon of war and every cohesive power of state to the destruction and to the defeat of these enemies of modern civilisation. He should not wait for the terrorists to attack before he sends soldiers to chase them since that is not self defence but suicide mission. Terror must be turned on these terrorists for them to have a taste of their own medicine. Burkina Faso soldiers should rather go after them, chase them from place to place, shoot them on site and harass them until there is no place for them to hide or rest. The soldiers must also pursue persons who support them and give them refuge. The battleground should be covered with the blood and skeletons of these criminals so that the people of Burkina Faso will live in peace. The military should scout for their leaders and kill them instead of arresting them. They don't deserve to be tried. All these can be achieved within one year if Captain Ibrahim Traore is serious and means business. But come to think of this: Don't you think time is up for Africa to rethink about the establishment of Africa Rapid Reaction Force as proposed by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to fight these jihadists and other terrorists groups who are disturbing our peace? Bonjour, Capitaine Ibrahim Traore!!!\ BY Eric Bawah [email protected] Lesotho, which holds parliamentary elections on Friday, is a politically unstable mountain kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa, on which its economy largely depends while supplying its huge neighbour with most of its water. 'Kingdom in the sky' Lesotho is known for the beauty of its mountainous terrain, and styles itself the "Kingdom in the Sky". More than 80 percent of the country, which is about the size of Belgium, sits 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) above sea level. Its highest peak is Mount Thabana Ntlenyana, with an altitude of at 3,482 metres. A constitutional monarchy, it is ruled by King Letsie III, who has no formal power. The government is led by a prime minister, who usually comes from the party with the majority in the 120-seat parliament. The country has had a coalition government for the past 10 years. The Basothos, a people from southern Africa's Bantu ethnic group, are a large majority in Lesotho, and most of the population is Christian. Maseru is the capital and largest city, with almost 350,000 inhabitants. The two official languages are English and Sesotho. - Turbulent history - Lesotho has been plagued by repeated bouts of instability, coup d'etats and scandals. A former British protectorate known as Basutoland, it achieved independence in 1966 under King Moshoeshoe II. In 30 years of reign Moshoeshoe was forced into exile twice. First as violence followed a disputed election in 1970 and again in 1990 after a military putsch. He died in a car crash in 1996 and was succeeded by his son Letsie III. In 1993 the country held its first democratic elections after 23 years of coups and military regimes. In 1998 political unrest and an army mutiny prompted the intervention of troops from South Africa and Botswana. In 2007 a curfew is imposed in Maseru after a series of attacks on ministers and their bodyguards. And in 2014, the army led by a sacked general seizes control of police headquarters, forcing prime minster Thomas Thabane to flee to South Africa. Thabane returns in 2017 becomes head of government after a ballot box win. But in 2020 he is forced to step down after being accused of ordering the murder of his estranged wife. Charges against him were dropped in July. Water tower Lesotho is not only landlocked, it is hemmed in on all sides by the territory of just one other state, South Africa. A poor country of just over two million people, it is economically dependent on South Africa, where much of the population goes to work. Remittances account for about 60 percent of household incomes. Unemployment is 22.5 percent, according to the World Bank. It imports much of its food from South Africa, but South Africa counts on its neighbour for its abundant reserves of water -- to an extent that Lesotho is nicknamed South Africa's "water tower". The Katse Dam reservoir supplies Pretoria and Johannesburg. The country also has several diamond mines, where the 5th largest diamond in the world (910 carats) was discovered in 2018. In 2017, Lesotho became the first African nation to allow cultivation of medicinal cannabis. About 70 percent of cannabis in South Africa comes from Lesotho where "green gold" is the third source of income. Life expectancy With more than 30 percent of its population living on less than $1.90 a day, Lesotho ranks among the world's poorest countries. About one in three children are stunted due to malnutrition, according to the UN. The coronavirus pandemic has dealt an additional blow to the fragile economy which is highly reliant on agriculture but highly exposed to the impact of climate change, suffering from shocks, such as drought and early frost. Almost one in four people is infected with HIV, the second highest rate in the world. Life expectancy in 2020 was 55 years. 05.10.2022 LISTEN For the past three, or few days ago, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the alleged or self-styled traditional overlord of Ashanti or Asanteman, has come under intense bashing by the Ghanaian public. This is following his candid views expressed in conversation meant for public consumption when the ambassador of the United States of America paid him a courtesy call at his Kumasi Manhyia Palace. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II blamed the expansion in the devastating galamsey activities throughout the country and inability to fight it on the ruling government. According to him, the government has not only failed to fight the canker of the ramified illegal surface and alluvial mining, otherwise called galamsey in the Ghanaian parlance, but has rather been issuing permits to some people to do galamsey, although it is irreparably damaging the nations water bodies, forests and arable/fertile lands. As soon as his statements became public, the Minister for Land and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor (Hon), countered his assertion. He said the chiefs are also responsible for the intensification of galamsey to making it difficult for the government to successfully fight it. The chiefs are either doing galamsey themselves, or are providing lands in their jurisdiction to be used for galamsey by the Chinese or those seeking to do galamsey. The minister claims his counter views to be fact since himself comes from a royal family in the northern regions of Ghana and is very much aware of what the chiefs do, or are doing, in respect of galamsey and the provision of lands for activities of any sort. Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had not long ago made some sweeping public statements at the 70th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He had said all Ashanti land belongs to him and that any chief occupying any portion does so temporarily as a caretaker to the land on his behalf. He went further to say that neither any chief, nor stool, nor family, owns any land in Ashanti region but him only. He again said he knows about thirty percent (30%) of the chiefs present at the function for doing galamsey. He had once said on captured video recordings that have since come into the public domain that no judge, or court, in Ghana can reverse any decision he makes/takes regardless of its nature. He has truly been taking some apparently preposterous decisions of which the courts and Ghanaians have not been able to reverse them. Forcing the wrong royal-candidate on Kumawu as their paramount chief whereas he has absolutely no right to do that. Forcing a complete stranger on Essumeja as their paramount chief; lying that there are no more royals, let alone, genuine royals, left in Essumeja and that the Golden Stool and Okomfo Anokye have told him in a dream, and indicated to him, a specific stranger to appoint as Essumejahene. What a cock and bull story that is! If indeed, he owns the entire Ashanti land and can enstool and destool any chief on the land, why is he sitting on his backside doing nothing when galamsey is spoiling Ashanti land, forests and water bodies, but only to blame them on the government, as though he cares? Why is he not destooling the chiefs on whose lands galamsey are taking place, although as caretakers on behalf of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II? His failure to do so signifies his consent to the destructive galamsey activities ongoing in the Ashanti region. No wonder that the public are bashing him for showing attitudinal nonchalance in the face of Ashanti land being destroyed by the Chinese and their Ghanaian accomplices to the detriment of the poor masses and the nation. If he does not favour galamsey, or is himself not involved in it, he should have ordered his chiefs to ensure that no galamsey activities go on on the lands they occupy. Anyway, his inability to demand his chiefs to stop galamsey activities goes to confirm that he has no control over them. He is just a ceremonial head as I have proven time and again through my publications. The subjects of each principal division within Asanteman or Ashanti traditional area or region, are the owners of the land so cadastrally surveyed and earmarked for them through their paramount chief. The public had better take it from me that Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is the Ashanti chief who has the least land in the region. I can challenge any Ashanti historian on this assertion should they claim differently. His public assertions to the contrary are all false and without doubt that the current Ashanti chiefs are cowards and are less knowledgeable about the Ashanti land and history. However, as Ashantis do not know much about land ownership in Ghana, and especially, in Ashanti region, they think Asantehene is the owner of the entire land as he erroneous said to the wondrous applause of the audience at the KNUST 70thanniversary celebrations as aforesaid. He deserves to be bashed if he has lied, and the wages of lies is public bashing. The public, please stop insulting Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II but the individual chiefs in whose jurisdictions the destructive galamsey activities are taking place. I should have explained things extensively much better if I was not feeling sleepy. Nevertheless, let us all join hands to fight the destructive galamsey in orchestration by the heartless Chinese and their Ghanaian accomplices or else, we shall in the next few years to come suffer from lack of water to drink, land to cultivate food to eat, and forests to aid rainfall, provide oxygen that we breathe and use up the carbon dioxide that we breathe out. Rockson Adofo Wednesday, 05 October 2022 President Akufo-Addo has asked chiefs in the country to help take partisan politics out of the fight against illegal mining (galamsey). At a meeting with the National House of Chiefs at Manhyia, Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, 5 October 2022, the president said it was important the fight is depoliticised for progress to be made. Since I took office on the 7th of January 2017, nearly six years ago, I have made it the central feature of my presidency, to lead the efforts to rid our country of this menace, which we all now call galamsey. Indeed, it was an important aspect of my inaugural address of that day, the president noted. He told the chiefs, however: It has not been easy, it has not been popular and we have not got the immediate results that I was looking for. Indeed, he added, in the last elections of 2020, my stance on the issue, cost my party and I significant losses in the mining communities. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey, was neither bombastic nor recklessness; it was the simple truth, the president told the gathering of chiefs. He said the menace persists despite several measures put in place against it by his government in the past six years. We have tried many initiatives, including that of the community mining scheme and the establishment of the new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon, which has imposed severe sanctions on those Ghanaians and foreigners convicted of illegal mining but still, we have not won the fight, he bemoaned. It is obvious that if we are to win the fight, you [chiefs] and I are to take the lead to collaborate closely to do so and that is why Im here today, the president said. He said after the meeting, Ill also be meeting the other half of local government the metropolitan, municipal and district executives in the 90 metropolitan, municipal and district areas across the country where mining activities take place, to seek their active collaboration, too. There are many requests I intend to make in the closed-door session of our meeting but one of the most significant, which I have to state now, is to seek your assistance to take partisan political interest out of the fight against galamsey, he mentioned. It can only succeed if it is a truly national battle which no one seeks to exploit for political gain as we saw in the last election. The progress of our country depends on all of us; all citizens of Ghana, all fellow Ghanaians, pulling together to defeat this existential threat to our future, the president rallied. He stressed: I have said it before: we are not against mining but we cannot accept mining in a manner that destroys our country. Our nation has always been a mining nation. Indeed, in the 15th century, when the first Europeans, the Portuguese, came to our shores, they called the first European-influenced town, El Mina, meaning The Mine. Source: ClassFMonline.com As the current crop of leaders, headed by H.E Edem Vine Dei Tutu, prepares to hand over this semester, the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) is about to go to the polls to elect new executives of the Students' Representative Council (SRC). The SRCs electoral committee, led by Mr. Harley Festus Kwabena, the commissioner, officially opened the nomination forms on Sunday, October 2 for interested applicants to pick forms for the two vacant positions, available at the SRC. After three days of form picking and filing, thirteen students of the Institute picked their forms to contest the October 11 GIJ-SRC election. The aspirants who will be vetted on October 6 and 7 are as follows: Three students have so far shown interest in contesting the lead position of the SRC. The presidency approved by the vetting committee are: -Bismark Owusu-Ansah (McCoy) -Edinam Adoboe (Great Fire) -Mudaththir Illias Issah (Dangaata). Luckily for him, if approved by the vetting committee, Mr. Caleb Asante Annor will go for an unopposed YES/NO. The Women's Commissioner race will be keenly contested after the vetting by Ayinawu Alhassan Adam, -Mateenah Naa Djama Odoi For the Organizing Secretary position, Daniel Kwame Zah --Stephen Akpo Agartha Osei and Agartha Osei have picked their forms pending the candidate vetting. Also, in the financial secretary race, -Obed King Gaglo and Asantewa Freda Twum are to be vetted. Another tight competition, which is the portfolio responsible for overseeing students' welfare on an external level, is the External Affairs commission. It will be contested by Job Kwabena Laboja and Osman Abubakari-Sadiq. If none of the above aspirants for the various positions are rejected, they will fight stiff competition on Tuesday, October 5. Meanwhile, amid the controversy surrounding the upcoming elections, particularly the online election mode, the GIJ SRC electoral commissioner, Harley Festus Kwabena, has assured the student body of free and fair elections. LOBAMBA The Ministry of ICT has been given three months to sort out the issue of RSTP Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vumile Dlaminis contract that expired a year ago. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was highly concerned that the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) had allowed the Royal Science and Technology Park (RSTP) CEO to hold the position without an instrument that speaks to that. The issue of the contract came to the fore when the ministry was responding to a query about the non-deduction of fringe benefits from the use of company vehicles for both business and personal activities by the executive management. It emerged that the only executive member that the RSTP had was the CEO, who was allocated a car from the pool of motor vehicles belonging to the institution, dedicated to his office for official business. However, the RSTPs Finance Manager, Lwandle Simelane, stated that the reason there were no fringe benefits paid was because the CEO was not paid a car allowance, hence he received no benefit. It was when Simelane told the committee that they were waiting for a new contract for the CEO which would state that he was entitled to a car allowance, that the members picked that he was currently without one. The committees Chairman, MP Musa Kunene, wondered how the CEO was remunerated given that there was no instrument from the ministry giving him the green light to occupy the position. He submitted that the ministry should have attended to the issue of the contract three months before it expired, because it could happen that he was now remunerated unlawfully. Nhlambeni Member of Parliament (MP) Manzi Zwane shared that this was a cause for concern as they had witnessed in other entities where a CEO was hired when there was an acting person holding the same position. However, RSTP Research Director Dr Rejoice Maseko explained that the matter had been resolved as the renewing of the contract had been presented to the ministrys Principal Secretary Phesheya Dube, who would take it to the minister before being presented to SCOPE. Committee Vice Chairman and Madlangempisi MP Sibusiso Scorpion Nxumalo, who was presiding yesterday, submitted that the committee frowned on the acting basis that the CEO was currently under as this was leading to leakages within the entity. So the CEO is being remunerated on a rate that he is not even aware whether it is lawful or not, wondered Nxumalo. He gave the institution three months to solve the issue of the contract for the CEO and give feedback to the committee on the progress. Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George has called on government to do everything possible to deal with the activities of illegal miners. According to him, illegal mining popularly called galamsey is causing too much destruction to the land, water bodies and forest reserves. Speaking to GHOne TV in an interview, Sam George stressed that Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi should be treated as an ecological terrorist for his involvement in illegal mining. The lawmaker insists that Chairman Wontumi and any other person involved in illegal mining should be arrested and prosecuted. Deploy your military. Our military is not only for peacekeeping outside Ghana. This one Ghana needs peacekeepers. We need peacekeepers in Ghana. "This is threatening our existence. This is biological warfare. You should call people like Wontumi an ecological terrorists because these are people terrorising our natural reserves, forest reserves, and water bodies. Call them out, and treat them as such. These are terroristsProsecute them, Sam George indicated. In his call to action, the Ningo Prampram MP noted that he will never believe President Akufo-Addos claim that he is committed to fighting galamsey until he sees a military deployment to guard the countrys forest reserves and water bodies. Deploy our military, move them to on the barracks and the basins, put them in there, and lets have a national operation to clear our first reserves, clear our water bodies, and then you can tell me you are committed to the fight, Sam George added. But Chairman Wontumi has denied reports he is involved in illegal mining. After the Forestry Commission was directed to halt the activities of Akonta Mining Limiteds operation owned by Chairman Wontumi and others. Akonta Mining Company Limited was said to have been operating unlawfully in the Nimri Tano forest reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region. According to the government, while the mining company has a lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri forest reserve. There have been calls for the prosecution of persons running Akonta Mining Limiteds operation in the forest reserve. Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has today held a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs on the galamsey menace in the country. He used the opportunity to call on the chiefs and MMDCEs to help him win the fight against illegal mining. Its about time government deploys the military to deal with illegal miners in forest reserves, this is according to Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George. Speaking in an interview with GHOne TV, the parliamentarian bemoaned the destruction of the countrys forest reserves and water bodies through the activities of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey). According to him, to flush illegal miners out of the various forest reserves, government must treat illegal miners as terrorists. In his interview, Sam George further urged the government to prosecute Chairman Wontumi, owner of Akonta mining, and others of a mining firm for engaging in illegal mining. Deploy your military. Our military is not only for peacekeeping outside Ghana. This one Ghana needs peacekeepers. We need peacekeepers in Ghana. This is threatening our existence. This is biological warfare. You should call people like Wontumi an ecological terrorists because these are people terrorising our natural reserves, forest reserves, and water bodies. Call them out, and treat them as such. These are terroristsProsecute them, Sam George stressed. He continued, Deploy our military, move them from their barracks and the basins, put them in there, and lets have a national operation to clear our forest reserves, clear our water bodies, and then you can tell me you are committed to the fight. There is continuous pressure on government to prosecite Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). His Akonta Mining company has been accused of prospecting in the Nimri Tano forest reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region without a license. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has admitted that he cannot fight the ongoing alarming illegal mining (galamsey) in the country alone. As a result, he has called on Chiefs in the country to help him deal with the menace has caused the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies. At a meeting with the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5, President Akufo-Addo appealed to the chiefs who are custodians of 80% of lands in Ghana to assist him to win the battle against galamsey. 80 percent of the lands in this country continue to be under your custody, much of it having been acquired through the blood and sacrifices of your ancestors. The remainder of 20 percent which I hold in the trust of the people of Ghana, derived from state acquisition from you. What this means is that ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is our joint responsibility, although by statute the minerals in the soil belong to the president in trust for the people, President Akufo-Addo said at the meeting. The President added, I ask all of you to join hands in the fight against illegal mining. We have to win that fight, to protect our heritage for the next generation. At the meeting, the Chiefs accepted the call by the President and stressed their willingness to play their part in the fight against illegal mining to protect forest reserves and the various water bodies. The National House of Chiefs has welcomed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos appeal for a collaborative effort to fight illegal mining (galamsey) in the country. At a crunch meeting in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5, President Akufo-Addo told the chiefs that he cannot fight illegal mining alone. He appealed to the chiefs who are custodians of 80% of lands in Ghana to assist him to win the battle against galamsey. 80 per cent of the lands in this country continue to be under your custody, much of it having been acquired through the blood and sacrifices of your ancestors. The remainder of 20 per cent which I hold in trust of the people of Ghana, derived from state acquisition from you. What this means is that ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is our joint responsibility, although by statute the minerals in the soil belong to the President in trust for the people, President Akufo-Addo said at the meeting. The President added, I ask all of you to join hands in the fight against illegal mining. We have to win that fight, to protect our heritage for the next generation. Speaking on behalf of the chiefs, National House of Chiefs President Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi assured the President that they are ready to back him in the fight against the galamsey menace. He said Chiefs will support the President to prosecute persons involved in illegal mining in the country regardless of their social or political status. Your relentless war against forest degradation and illegal mining in Ghana is of great importance to Ghanaians, especially we the chiefs. The effects of illegal mining on the environment threaten the survival of water bodies, farmlands, cocoa industry and even encouraging school dropouts, this undermines the revenue mobilisation drive in the country. In view of this development [the Chiefs] are solidly behind your administration to apply the appropriate sanctions against persons who are engaged in the practice of illegal mining irrespective of their status, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi shared. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni apologised on Wednesday for a social media tirade by his outspoken son that included a threat to invade Kenya and remarks about the country's recent elections. The rant on Twitter earlier this week by Museveni's 48-year-old son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, caused offence in Kenya, and angry calls for a formal explanation from Uganda. Among other remarks, Kainerugaba suggested taking his troops to capture Nairobi and chided Kenya's former leader Uhuru Kenyatta for not attempting an unconstitutional third bid at the presidency in recent elections. Museveni rebuked his son for "meddling in the affairs" of Kenya and speaking publicly about political matters, something he is barred from doing as a high-ranking military official. "I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us," said Museveni, who has ruled Uganda uninterrupted since 1986, and has the support of party leaders to run again in the 2026 polls. "It is not correct for public officers, be they civilian or military, to comment or interfere in any way, in the internal affairs of brother countries." Museveni said he had conveyed these remarks to William Ruto, who was sworn in as Kenya's president last month. He also offered an explanation as to why Kainerugaba was promoted to general on Tuesday, even as diplomats scrambled to contain the embarrassing repercussions of his remarks. "There are, however, many other positive contributions the General has made and can still make. This is a time-tested formula -- discourage the negative and encourage the positive," he said. The president also removed Kainerugaba as commander of Uganda's land forces in a move analysts said was likely aimed at lowering his profile and power. It is not the first time Kainerugaba's comments on sensitive foreign policy matters have caused diplomatic headaches for Uganda. His tweets in support of Tigrayan rebels in northern Ethiopia angered Addis Ababa, while his thoughts on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and last year's coup in Guinea also raised eyebrows. The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Dr. Clifford Braimah, wants the flooding in Weija to serve as a warning to persons fond of encroaching on buffer zones and building in waterways. Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Dr. Braimah explained that the devastation being caused was despite the controlled spillage of the Weija dam. The dam has five gates that are as high as 21 feet, but four have been opened no more than six feet high. Dr. Braimah stressed that residents needed to respect the buffer zones. I am sure this will be a serious caution to people selling around the place, whoever is selling round the place and whoever is buying around the place and whoever is building there. The communities that get flooded should take it more seriously because the water will find itself entering into communities that are not supposed to be affected, he said. Hundreds of residents have been forced out of their homes by floodwaters which have taken over homes and streets in Weija. The National Disaster Management Organisation has been on the ground and said it has so far rescued over 300 stranded people. In response, the local government has created about three estuaries at the Bojo beach to facilitate the quicker flow of flood water into the sea. ---citinewsroom 05.10.2022 LISTEN Child Rights International has commended the Ghana Police Service for its swift response in tracing the identity of the man captured in video beating an infant. The video which has gone viral has a man subjecting an infant to severe beatings under a tree. The Ghana Police Service is currently on a manhunt to fish out and deal with the man in the video. Efforts are underway to track down the individual involved, have him arrested and rescue the child," the Police said in a statement issued on Tuesday, 4 October 2022. The police has also placed a bounty on the head of the wanted man. In view of the urgency associated with the matter, a reward of GHS2,000.00 has been set aside for anyone who is able to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the individual and rescue of the child, the statement noted. Reacting to the incident, Child Rights International, in support of the efforts by the Ghana Police, is also placing a reward of GHS 10,000 on the head of any individual who will be able to provide details that will lead to the location of the individual in question, the person that recorded the video and the individual seated watching the scene unfold. It indicated that: The reward will be provided after such claims have been substantiated and verified by the Police and/or Social Welfare Department as true. It stressed: Numerous children around the world face such abuse daily, adding: This is a clear indication of a dent in child protection efforts in the country and must be tackled with all seriousness and perpetrators of such acts must face the FULL RIGOR OF THE LAW. Source: classfmonline.com President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the Millennium Development Authoritys (MiDA) intervention in Ghanas energy sector has helped to strengthen and construct a viable and reliable power supply for development. President Akufo-Addo said electricity power was key to the countrys pursuit to develop its Bauxite and iron ore resources which required a lot of energy. President Akufo-Addo said the original Compact (USD547 million), in addition to Compact II (USD316 million), which had been satisfactorily executed and completed epitomised the good relations between Ghana and the United States. He explained that Ghana - United States relations began to even deepen further when the former US President, George E. Bush initiated the COMPACT under former President John Agyekum Kufuors administration. President Akufo-Addo expressed the governments appreciation to the US Government when the Board of MiDA called on him at the Presidency on Tuesday to announce the completion and end of its project. But to the President, the real issue, however, was that Ghana needed a Compact III (3) adding: Im due to travel to America soon and I intend to raise it at the highest level. Even though Ghana has a temporal glitch in the relations with the Electricity Company of Ghana the Power Distribution Services, Ghana (PDS) contract annulment President Akufo-Addo hoped the American Government would understand and put it behind them. The President was optimistic that there was the possibility of the two governments dealing with those issues and initiating a new Compact. President Akufo-Addo expressed appreciation for the work MiDA had done to bring us to this day. Its a day for mutual satisfaction and mutual congratulations, he told the MiDA Board. The MiDA Board was sworn into office in March 2017 and charged to oversee the implementation of Compact. Chairperson of the MiDA Board, Prof. Yaa Ntiamoah Baidu, said the Board had come to thank the President for the opportunity he gave to the members and present its report. By the revised Compact, which ended on the 6th June 2022, she said all projects retained and prioritised for implementation had been completed, commissioned and handed over to the beneficiaries. The beneficiaries, Prof. Yaa Ntiamoah Baidu said included ECG, GRIDCO, Ghana Standards Authority, Energy Commission, Public Utility and Regulations Commission and the Ministry of Education. The rests were the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the University of Energy and Natural Resources. The Paramount Chief of Bunkpurugu Traditional Area, Naba Alhaji Abuba Nasinmong, has commended the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, for his "indefatigable leadership," and the recognition he has given to the people of Bunkpurugu and the north in general. He urged the Vice President to focus on his good works and not be discouraged by the negative comments. Welcoming Dr Bawumia, who is on a working visit to the north, to his Palace on Tuesday, the Bunkpurugu Naba, said, "I am excited having you present at my Palace, once again, to pay a courtesy call on me and my people in the Bunkpurugu Traditional Area. We are highly delighted to have you with us today, because of the recognition you have given us as a people in this part of our country. "You are a true statesman and an astute modern politician who has efficiently aided the first gentleman of the Ghanaian State, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to maintain law and order, peace and tranquillity and implementing people-centred policies that have touched the life of every Ghanaian, especially in the Bunkpurugu - Nakpanduri District such as Free SHS policy, Planting for Food and Jobs, an extension of electricity and improvement on our roads." The Vice President has been on a working tour of the northern part of the country since Sunday. After touring the Northern Region on Sunday and Monday and paying courtesy calls to traditional leaders and inspecting ongoing government projects, the Vice took his tour to the North East Region on Tuesday. The governments construction of Agenda 111 District hospitals is among key projects the Vice President has been inspecting on his tour. President Nana Akufo-Addo has expressed how difficult the fight against illegal mining, also known as galasmey has been under his government. Addressing the National House of Chiefs on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, the President said the fight against illegal mining has been prominent on his list since he assumed office. Since I assumed office in 2017 I have made it a central feature of my presidency to lead in the efforts to rid our country of this menace, which we all now call galamsey. Indeed, it was an important aspect of my inaugural address of that day. It has not been popular, and we have not got the immediate results that I was looking for, he added. President Akufo-Addo said the view he made to fight the menace five years ago cost him and the NPP significant losses in the mining communities during election 2020. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bombast nor recklessness. It was a simple truth. The President is nevertheless committed to fulfilling the promise he made to Ghanaians to bring an end to the menace. I ask you all to join hands with me in the fight against illegal mining, in order to bring an end to the devastation of our landscape and the pollution of water bodies. We have to win that fight to keep our environment clean and protect our land and waters, he told the chiefs. President Akufo-Addo in July 2017, in a similar forum against illegal mining, organised to get Ghanas chiefs involved in the fight against galamsey put his presidency on the line for the fight. He vowed to stop the menace, even if he ends up losing the presidency. ---citinewsroom MBABANE Following the release of the dates of the commencement of external examinations, head teachers and educators have raised concerns about the level of preparedness by learners. The dates were announced by the Minister of Education and Training, Lady Mabuza, during a press conference which was held at the Cabinet Offices yesterday afternoon. The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) candidates were among the first group to sit for the external examinations which began yesterday (October 4, 2022) and will be followed by Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Examinations (EGCSE) in November 14, 2022. The Junior Certificate entrants will sit for their examination from November 28, while Eswatini Primary Certificate (EPC) candidates start on December 5, 2022. In an interview with the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General (SG), Lot Vilakati, he stated that the preparedness of the learners was not at the level for them to sit for their final examinations. Limited Vilakati said pupils had very limited time to prepare, as the syllabus was about 80 per cent complete. The SG said the syllabuses could not be covered due to their bulkiness, following the abnormality caused by COVID-19 and the unrest that was experienced. He said pupils in Form V had to cover work from their previous class first, which they had not completed. Likewise with Grade VII and JC. He mentioned that other learners were already sitting for the examinations, hence learning time was very minimal. This, he said, disturbed the syllabus. If the ministry has approved that pupils should sit for their external examinations, they will write what they have covered, Vilakati said. He stated that teachers would have a hard time trying to cover the syllabus, which did not work for the pupils as they became overworked. He said it could be true that the learners might have had more days to attend school, compared to last year, but the syllabus dated back from previous classes and could not be completed due to the experienced anomaly. Teachers need to cover the staff which was missed in the previous classes. Vilakati said they would not be complaining if they had to only cover the syllabus for the current class. He said extending the time to cover the syllabus before sitting for the external examinations could have helped somehow. However, he said it should not be forgotten that both teachers and pupils needed a break and to get rest, adding that the more they took a break and overlapped to next year, teachers would be deprived of resting time. Anomalies He said the anomalies caused by COVID-19 and the political unrest had resulted in the education system not functioning well. On the other hand, Eswatini Principals Association (EPA) Secretary General Mduduzi Masilela, said a number of factors had contributed to learners unpreparedness. These, he stated, included that the current academic year was very short and had two terms. This, he said, was caused by the fact that 2021 was completed in the first quarter of 2022. Furthermore, he said the breaks which were taken between the terms were also costly as they consumed time. Masilela said schools had nonetheless tried to prepare the pupils for the final examinations by putting intervention time whereby they would stretch instructional time beyond the normal time. He added that with other schools, they noted that teachers would put in learning time, even on weekends. The limited time has not given us a choice to prepare the learners adequately like in usual times. When asked what he thought about the results, Masilela stated that they could not pre-empt but only hoped they would not get terrible results. He said in the past, there was disturbance in instructional time but teachers worked hard beyond the challenges. Masilela stated that it was not all gloom and they were hoping for the best. When asked about her expectation on the results, the minister of Education stated that she banked her hopes and trust on the teachers to do an excellent job as they understood the job and knew how to handle the situation. Mabuza said she was hoping for the best results, especially because this year was not like the previous one where learners did not have enough instructional time, although there were two terms. However, she said the situation was beyond control as they were trying to fix the academic calendar in order for the year to return to normal, like it used to be before the COVID-19 pandemic. She said there were also a number of tutorial methods, including online learning, which benefitted the pupils. Mabuza said, as the end of the 2022 academic year approached, they were encouraging head teachers, teachers and learners to continue with their hard work in preparing for the approaching final examinations for all school levels. Prepared She wished all schools success in their hard work, while they prepared learners for the final examinations. Mabuza also encouraged learners to put more effort and focus on their studies in order to succeed. Remember, success comes through hard work, she said. She urged parents and guardians to support their children as they prepared for the examinations. The minister stated that they needed to ensure that children had enough time to study and as well monitor them. Furthermore, she said schools and learners, including all those involved in the examinations, were advised to keep the examinations credible by acting in accordance with laid-out regulations and procedures during the writing. She said inconveniences stemming from inappropriate conduct during examinations could be avoided by upholding ethical conduct during the process of examinations by all those involved. Mabuza further advised the regional education officers (REOs) to take note of the examination commencement dates for proper logistical planning as they collaborated with the Examination Council of Eswatini (ECESWA). Former President John Dramani Mahama is in Virginia, USA to address the 500 CEO Summit organized by Liberty University, the largest Christian University in the world. Mr. Mahama will on Wednesday morning address the University Community at a Convocation Ceremony. He will later deliver the keynote at the Opening Celebration Dinner of the 500 CEO Summit in the form of a Q & A and meet various business and student groups. President Mahama, an advocate of the African Continental Free Trade Area who has been speaking and promoting sustainable economic growth in Africa, will join other leading American and World business leaders to discuss faith, business, and leadership. The former President is expected to push for significant investment in Africa through critical business partnerships. He will further guide influential American CEOs in getting started and doing business with Africa. Mr. Mahama will on Friday deliver a lecture on Reforming Institutions and Strengthening Legal Frameworks: The role of African governments at the Howard School Court Room. The lecture will be hosted by the Georgetown and Howard Universities. 05.10.2022 LISTEN Former Deputy Information Minister under the Mahama administration, Felix Ofosu Kwakye has reiterated his stance that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has failed in the management of the Ghanaian economy. In a post on his Twitter page on Wednesday, October 5, he urged the general public to reject any excuses from the Vice President regarding the poor state of the economy. Relying on a projection by the World Bank indicating that Ghanas debt to GDP ratio could be 104% by the close of this year, Felix Ofosu Kwakye has stressed that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia who is preparing to contest the presidential election after Akufo-Addo's term expires must be thrown out in 2024 together with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. Our debt to GDP ratio will be 104% by the close of this year according to the World Bank. That means we will owe more as a country than our entire GDP. It was 56% in 2016. Do not accept any excuses from Bawumia. Throw him out in 2024, the former Deputy Information Minister shared on his Twitter today. Indigenous communities in DR Congo have decried threats to the forests of the Congo Basin, which has increasingly come under pressure from timber merchants from around the world. While deforestation in Democratic Republic of CONGO is on the steady rise, the autochthone communities fear soon they may not have anything left of their heritage. The Democratic Republic of Congo contains around 60% of the forests of the Congo Basin, and contribute to the carbon storage capacity. There are three groups of indigenous peoples in the DRC: The Batwa, the Bambuti and the Babuluko, simply identified as the pygmies, considered as the guardians of the forest by their custom and lifestyle, which conserve the forest resources. Lisenga Drothee is one of thousands of indigenous people who depend on the forests to survive. Aged 56, Mrs. Drothee had the chance to go to school and equipped herself with knowledge of the environment and climate change for which she has campaigned against for more than 20 years defending and speaking for the indigenous people in DRC. She is one of hundreds of participants who joined the march for Climate justice torch organized by Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) in Kinshasa, DR Congo on October 2nd, 2022. She personally sent an alarming message to the Ministry of Environment on behalf of the autochthones community in DRC. Climate change is within our doors and walls. I am speaking on behalf of the Congolese people and especially on behalf of the indigenous people who have been the guardians of the forest for millennia, she said. She added that today the forest is destroyed and we lose our supermarket, we lose our natural habitat, our poisons, we lose the rivers whose flow is no longer fast, today we decree the fight as habit and we say STOP to climate change. Mrs. Drothee said she wants climate justice, and did not forget to add climate finance also because it is our wealth. We want that when we give our natural resources, there are also benefits for the local community and indigenous people." DRC is a strategic solution to the climate crisis given its vast forests, which sequestrate Carbon Dioxide emitted by industrialized countries. It has branded itself as the country of solutions. However, conditional access to climate finance and massive deforestation is alarming. Addressing participants at the launch of Pre-COP 27, the Vice Prime Minister, Eve Bazaiba emphasized the need to find adequate solutions to the deforestation in DRC and other tropical forests with consideration of indigenous communities. So lets take care of it by investing in forests. Let us also think about the guardians of forests because as such, they are entitled to remuneration. Let the world stop talking and get to work. The planet is burning, and we will burn with it if we keep talking instead of acting, said Mrs Bazaiba. About PACJA The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance is a consortium of more than 1000 organisations from 48 African countries that brings together a diverse membership drawn from Grassroots, Community-based organizations, Faith-based Organizations, Non-Governmental organizations, Trusts, Foundations, Indigenous Communities, Farmers and Pastoralist Groups with a shared vision to advance a people-centered, right-based, just and inclusive approach to address climate and environmental challenges facing humanity and the planet. There has been an outbreak of polio and diarrhoea at Koblemahagu, a community in the Tamale Metropolis couple of months ago. It created panic in the area and the health administration in the Northern Region. As a result, some personnel from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) were deployed to the community to educate the residents on how to stay healthy and save themselves from the worrisome situation. On Sunday 3rd October, 2022, a youth group belonging to the opposition National Democratic Congress calling themselves 'First Bench' organized a clean-up exercise in an effort to improve the health condition in the community and its adjoining suburbs. Locations including homes, cemeteries and public toilets were some of the spots the youth group paid much attention to during the exercise. Mr. Alhassan Hanan, chairman of the youth group, First Bench said they own it a duty to take their health and sanitation their utmost priority hence the exercise. We have realized that every corner you pass in this area the environment is not clean and we are the citizens of the community, so we decided with our elders to clean so that we can prevent a lot of sickness,es especially diarrhoea. He said the 'First Bench' youth group believe in prevention than cure, and they hope the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu will support the initiative for it to be sustained. Mr. Alhassan used the opportunity to appeal to constituency aspirants to continue with their campaigns devoid of insults. Assemblyman of the area, Mr. Mohammed Ahmed lauded the group for the clean-up exercise, stating that it would help manage the area's sanitation. According to him, the sanitation situation in the Tamale Metropolis is in crisis and therefore called on the metro assembly to sit up. Mr. Mohammed further charged other political youth groupings in the area especially members of the New Patriotic Party to emulate the examples of first bench members. A Frontline politician and former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill gives the reason why he resigned his membership of the APC. Mr Princewill opened up to select media men on important national and political matters in the country. Interview Excerpt: Sir, campaigns have started, what is your take on the peace accord recently signed by only six governorship candidates in Rivers State where PDP's Sim was absent. Recall that a similar situation played out b4 the 2019 polls when Wike did not turn up for a peace accord signed by parties along Odili Road. Your reaction please? Well, Ive just returned and I dont have the full facts, but you and I know these peace accords are a symbolic gesture. Weve done this several times and every time weve still gone ahead to face a violent election. Was there any consequence after that? No. Soldiers were killed; police, not to talk less of several civilians. So am I surprised if some dont take it seriously, especially the PDP? The answer is No. Politicians do not respect law enforcement or the judicial system. What they respect are winners. This win at all costs mentality is what people respect. Win and maybe even the security agencies and the judiciary will respect you. Peter Obis movement appears to have changed the voting demographics ahead of the 2023 elections. What are your predictions? Its too early to make predictions, so let us be careful. Having said that, let me qualify what I see. If we took the election picture as it is now, I see the likelihood of a runoff, yes, as things stand. But this is too early and a lot will, not can, happen in 5 months. For obvious reasons and I have made myself clear, I dont want to see a Muslim Muslim ticket in the villa, but if we are not careful, the potential in a Peter Obi or an Atiku, that is not fully utilized, will lead us to a Tinubu as President. Why do I say that? PDP strongholds in the South South and the South East and Middle belt which are ordinarily Atiku bases, will now be split between Atiku and Peter Obi. One is taking the votes of the other. That means, Underestimate Tinubu at your peril. We found this out the hard way. Underestimate Atiku at your peril. Wike found this out the hard way. And underestimate Peter Obi and his youths, at your peril and you may find out the hard way too. Neither of these men rely on their fellow men. Good morning Sir, you are yet to declare for another political party after resigning your membership of the APC. Why? Its Nigerian nature to assume that one must be a member of a political party at any one time. You, are you a member of a political party? So why must I be? Its also common thinking that assumes that my resignation is equal to a separation from Amaechi. I can resign on principle, but still keep my relationships. Its called maturity. Amaechi is still my leader. But I am not a member of APC. No. I have not joined any party since I resigned from the APC and Im not in a rush to do so either. Leaving APC very fast was the 1st priority and Im especially glad that I did so. It was important for me to send a message to the National. My focus now is on candidates and not on their parties. Fighting for our future is not a game. Where we come from, its often life and death. I like fighting, but Im tired of fighting with people who are not interested in the things that matter to me. People, public relations, media, Youth unemployment, rural women & girls empowerment, creative industry, job creation, skills development, SME access to credit and finally tackling insecurity. Im tired of fighting with people who do not have a common ideology that provides a clear basis for policy positions on the key issues. Why then are we gathered, if not to make a difference in the lives of others? What is the point? Since birds of the same feather flock together, or as Patrick Obaigbena would put it; avian species of identical plumage, congregate. I refuse to congregate with species that do not have my plumage. Maybe I will wait for the era of independent candidates or a party that defines an ideology and defends it. A party that is truly bigger than its candidates. There has been this recurrent spate of kidnappings and insecurity on the Emohua Kalabari route. As a Rivers son particularly from the Kalabari area, what do you make of it? What should be done? Just a few things, create jobs and install military checkpoints that are covered by mobile patrols. Before you do this carry out a clean sweep of the area with the help of credible local intelligence. The local government Chairmen of the three Kalabari LGAs and Emohua should be involved. Gale of defections have continued to hit your former party with a few key members of the party moving to PDP and other political parties. Why is it so and what is the solution to it? I cant say for sure why it is so; I am not a big fan of just identifying the problem. I am more interested in solutions, which is why you asked a good question. Its not my party any more, but those who remain, have a responsibility to find out what the solutions are, so as to apply them ASAP. One thing I learnt from Tinubu and Atiku is after every setback, they do a post mortem to analyze how to fix what went wrong. The objective is not to make the same mistake twice. Rivers APC should avoid abusing the defectors, focus on the why and look within. Then create the environment for not only people to stay, but others to come to them. The PDP candidate, Sim Fubara is an Ibani son from the Riverine dichotomy. Going by the 2014 electoral statistics, all the votes from the riverine area cannot match up with that of Obio/Akpo alone which is regarded as the stronghold of the PDP. What in your opinion is the string APC or any other party would pull to upset the PDP next year? Good question, but its directed at the wrong person because I have no way of knowing what the intricacies of the APC or any other party strategy will be. What I can say though, is that everybody can be beaten, nobody is invincible. Even Goliath. What it takes is courage, conviction, planning, timing and execution. If APC in Rivers does that which it is supposed to do, they will win. But if they dont, they will lose. Going by the premise of your question though, the candidate in Rivers might as well be always coming from Obio Akpor. The high numbers are not real and the number of riverine people living there is not captured. Whoever gets 400,000 votes in Rivers state will win it. There is an allegation that APC in alliance with INEC have commenced the process of rigging the 2023 elections by transfer of the manufacturer of the BVAS machine from Abuja to Enugu, sudden award of N48b surveillance contract to Tompolo, a man that was initially declared wanted by the FG and finally the allegation by CUPP of infusion of a fake voters register into INEC portal? I have heard these allegations and also the rumours. When I was a member of the APC, Im aware that the party leadership went to see Buhari to discuss strategy and he was crystal clear that it would be a free and fair election and so he would not interfere with the process. INEC is responsible for its conduct and the world, Nigerians and the youths will be watching. The election is likely to be tight, so any missteps will be the origins of a potential crisis. And INEC will be held responsible. I believe they know that. A word is enough for the wise. There is no need for paragraphs. Nigeria is 62 now, what are your assessments, do you think she is sitting further on the keg of gunpowder and way forward. Id rather not use language that is that incendiary. Nigeria as I see it is a big ship that is slowly going astray. Its drifting. And it is my opinion that Feb 2023 is really going to be the last opportunity to redefine a new future for ourselves. It will take a lot of very smart people who are ready to do a lot of very hard work, for us to see a Nigeria that we can be proud of in our lifetimes. If we get it right, we will see the signs before our next Oct 1st. There is a trend of political parties selecting anointed candidates as against the choice of party members. How has this affected your interest in politics, knowing that you just resigned from the APC after failing to secure the party ticket? Correction: I did not resign from the APC after either failing to secure the Governorship ticket nor after failing to secure the Presidential ticket. On both occasions, I issued statements of support to the party candidates, in spite of my obvious dissatisfaction with both outcomes. One must learn to live and let live. It must not always be you or your candidate. As for the anointing of selected candidates, it was done by a transparent process that involved everyone. The fact that some that were involved in that process are now regretting it, is a matter for them. I resigned purely because of the Muslim - Muslim ticket. Under this electoral act as amended, the popularity of party candidates cannot be overlooked. They have five months to appeal to their constituents. Let us pray the process is peaceful and the outcome is popular. Who will you be supporting for Rivers State Governor and why? What qualities does the candidate have? I will be supporting Tonye Cole. I said I would in the beginning and nothing has led me to go against my word since. Not even my resignation from the APC. He is a breath of fresh air and a very marked change from the status quo. His international reach and business experience will help us create jobs, create the atmosphere for businesses to thrive and move our focus from simply using youths to win elections to building our youths up to win for themselves and their families. He is a man of peace and is happy to work with all sides, different factions and all Rivers people, indigenes and non indigenes alike. Yes, he is new to politics and he is not spending cash like he should, but he will learn and is ready to do so. Rome was not built in a day. So let us bear with him so that he can bear with us. Because we will need people like him, to bear with our children. President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo has admitted the fight against the activities of illegal miners popularly known as galamsey is yet to yield positive results. In a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs on the galamsey menace at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5, the President further revealed that persons involved in the act have been arrested and put before court. We have tried many initiatives, including that of the Community Mining Scheme, and the establishment of a new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon, which has imposed severe sanctions on those, Ghanaians and foreigners, convicted of illegal mining. Still, we have not won the fight, he admitted. President Akufo-Addo admitted once more that the fight against Galamsey has never been easy. He asserted that communities, where illegal mining is prevalent, voted against the NPP in the 2020 general elections as a result of his apathy toward activities, adding that his initial declaration of putting his presidency on the line still holds. It has not been easy, it has not been popular, and we have not got the immediate results that I was looking for. Indeed, in the last elections of 2020, my stance on the issue cost my party and significant losses in the mining communities, the President stated. He added, It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bombast nor recklessness. It was the simple truth." Recently, the debate about the activities of illegal mining known popularly in Ghana as Galamsey has heightened. This follows the re-arrest of Chinese Galamsey Kingpin, Aisha Huang and most recently, a documentary dubbed "Destruction for Gold" by Multimedia journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, revealing the alarming rate of polluted river bodies caused by illegal mining. The Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, has expressed deep appreciation to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and other chiefs around the country for protecting their son, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The Nayiri welcomed Dr. Bawumia and his delegation, made up of members of government from various parts of the country, to his palace on Tuesday morning, before the Vice President commenced his working tour of the North East Region. As members of the Vice Presidents powerful delegation were introduced one after the other, the Nayiri realised that the delegation was made up of people from different parts of the country. He acknowledged the diversity of the delegation during his address and commended Dr. Bawumia for being inclusive, adding that the diversity of the delegation is also an indication that the Vice President is widely accepted and also has a very good relationship with people. To the members of the delegation, the Nayiri urged them to continue to work together with the Vice President until the right destination is reached. You have come far with the Vice President and since you have not yet reached your destination, you cannot complain of being tired. The plea to all of you is that, continue to lend support to the Vice President so that we will all get to our preferred destination. Expressing gratitude to all present and Chiefs for supporting the Vice President to serve, the Nayiri delivered a special message to the Asantehene, through members of the delegation from the Ashanti Region. The Asantehene is a blood brother to the Nayiri and a very good friend. Each time they are together and they speak the same language. So those of you from Ashanti, when you get back, go to the Asantehene and tell him that his brother, his friend extends warm greetings to him and expresses his gratitude to him for protecting our son. I also request his continuous support for his son so that he can get to where he wants to get to. The Nayiri urged Dr. Bawumia to continue to work hard in service to the nation, assuring that God will reward his efforts. The Vice President has been on a working visit to the Region since Sunday. After spending two days in the Northern Region, he started the a tour of the North East Region. Members of his delegation is made up of Ministers, MPs, Senior Government and Party Officials, former party executives and other party stalwarts. Source: 3news.com|Ghana 05.10.2022 LISTEN When the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) disenfranchised members of the Peoples Democratic League, and prevented us from participation in the 2018 general elections, we didnt lose heart and started preparing the next battle for our full participation in the 2023 general elections. Every day is a new step and new challenge, no matter who are behind this brutal injustice, we are confident that God is greater than any force on earth. Though some politicians in Sierra Leone believe there is no God in politics, so they can do and undo things as they whim and wish, we know they cannot change the will of God. There are political parties today in many countries around the world which are run, managed and controlled by people who cherish and love peace, democracy, freedom and justice. The Peoples Democratic League was built on those principles, and we cannot compromise them to the whims and wishes of desperate people, who are hell-bent on sowing the seeds of tribalism and regional divide politics in Sierra Leone. We believe it is not the policy of the elected Government of President Maada Bio to close the democratic space to a group of Sierra Leoneans, whose leader belongs to the wrong tribe. It is on record that President Bio has on numerous occasions made Sierra Leoneans to understand that he is not a President for one region or one tribe, but a President for all Sierra Leoneans living everywhere. The President has also assured members of the international community that his Party has a tradition and he wont be the one to break that tradition. That is to say, his government will defend the human rights and democratic freedoms of every Sierra Leonean, regardless of tribe, region or political affiliation. The PDL is not defending the President or his elected Government, but the truth is always the truth and must be said. Sierra Leone cannot thrive in an environment of sabotage, suspicion, hatred, division and distraction. This is where Sierra Leone has finds itself today, where the President says one good thing then others do the wrong things. This is not good for Sierra Leone and we want the President and our international development partners to act in order to save our democracy. The 1991 multiparty Constitution of the Republic of Sierra Leone guarantees the rights of every Sierra Leonean to participate in the democratic process without any intimidation or obstruction of any kind. The PPRC hatreds, intimidation and discrimination towards the PDL are both ethnic-driven and regional-driven political decision. Nowhere in the ECOWAS sub-region do we have a political party waiting for more than six (6) years to be registered and participate in the democratic process. This policy of exclusion is slowly killing our democracy, we want the elected Government of President Maada Bio and the larger international community, including the good Office of the United Nations Secretary General, the British Commonwealth, African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, ECOWAS to know and take appropriate action to see that there is a level-playing field, for the free, peaceful and credible conduct of the 2023 elections. We believe after the demise of the One Party rule, Sierra Leone is no longer a dictatorship that had held the country under the manipulative mechanism of one tribe. Sierra Leone, like any other nation on earth belongs to God, and the right of Sierra Leoneans to register political parties is a gift from God, which every Sierra Leonean must enjoy equally without intimidation. The right of PDL and its members to participate in the democratic process is a right we cannot afford to forfeit. The Peoples Democratic League is a diverse political Movement, where all Sierra Leoneans are welcome without any discrimination on grounds of tribe, region, religious belief or cultural background. Targeting PDL for exclusion in the democratic process because it leader is a Temne is a serious attack on all ethnic groups in Sierra Leone; attack on one is an attack on all. As a democratic country, we must not hide behind State Institutions to deprive the people of their human rights and democratic freedoms. Targeting the PDL because of who it leader is, what tribes it leader belongs to, what it leader looks and where it leader comes from is, and always will be, dangerous and deeply anti-Sierra Leone. The PDL has a role to play in what happens next in Sierra Leone. We can exercise our inalienable rights by marching on the streets and we can exercise our voting power at the polls. We will do what we know works when dehumanisation takes over dignity. We will organise peacefully and ask if we are not citizens of Sierra Leone, and if it is in the Constitution of Sierra Leone that no Temne person can lead Sierra Leoneans to register a political Party in the country. We have resisted prejudices of the past One Party rule, and not now that we are in a multiparty democracy. Members of the PDL will continue to address their concerns to the Sierra Leonean public and to the international community. However, despite over six (6) years of experience and efforts to get our final registration certificate, and despite also President Bios political will to defend and promote the human right and democratic freedoms of every citizen of Sierra Leone, whether inside Sierra Leone or outside Sierra Leone, the PPRC is still ignoring our demand to issue our final registration certificate, even when elections are less than a year away. This is unacceptable. You can delay our registration process, but you cannot delay destiny. If a country like Iraq can hold elections without any complain of exclusion, so can Sierra Leone. The exclusion of the PDL in the 2018 general elections, we want to say, the PPRC destroyed the soul of Sierra Leone with its act, which has since then been a blemish on its own reputation. The PPRC should reconsider its tactics before its image at home and abroad is hopelessly ruined, with all the attendant consequences. We believe President Maada Bio is a listening leader, who may not want anyone to stain the mandate given to him by the people of Sierra Leone. The PDL was established and declared on 7th April, 1986. It is a grouping of young, patriotic-minded, forward-looking, new crops of leaders, who feel for their people, their communities and their country and with great responsibility for humanity. Our adversaries often referred to the PDL as a country Party because of our uniqueness and politics style. Obviously we are a country Party and we appreciate those politicians for their understanding of the true character of the PDL. We always feel proud that we are a country Party because the membership composition of the PDL abounds in every corner of Sierra Leone and our membership is not based on tribe, religion, gender or any other immoral considerations. Of course we are a country Party. Our members are not unaware that the achievement of social and economic justice could only be possible through the involvement in the political activities, in sharing of power and addressing the demands and aspiration of the Sierra Leonean people. It is only in the PDL that all tribes and ethnic groups that made up of the sovereignty of Sierra Leone sit together and discuss issues that concerned all Sierra Leoneans. Unless and until our politicians think they are leaders who supposed to work for the good of the people, there will always be cracks on the political walls, whereby the people will no longer feel safe, but feel betrayed by those they entrust the governance of the country. Our politicians have been playing ethnic politics by sacrificing the good of their followers on the altar of self-aggrandisements. These politicians who say God is not present in politics are doing a disservice to the Sierra Leonean nation, forgotten that Sierra Leone belongs to God, and to God that life exist; and where there is no life, your politics ends in the cemetery. May God save Sierra Leone! (Chief) Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh Founding Father, Leader and Chairman Peoples Democratic League (PDL) For and on behalf of the Peoples Democratic League (PDL) The majority of Ghanaians in the latest Afrobarometer Survey have given the government a negative rating for its efforts to give women equal opportunities. From findings of R9 Survey led by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), 55% of Ghanaians engaged said the government is not doing enough to promote equal rights and opportunities for women. With just 44% of Ghanaians saying the government has done fairly well, it is giving an indication that the citizenry expects greater government effort. In the survey, women still trail men when it comes to educational attainment and control over how household monies are spent. The majority of Ghanaians also believe that a woman who runs for political office will gain standing in the community, but many also say it is likely that she will be criticised or harassed. Overall, a majority of citizens give the government a low grade for its efforts to promote equal rights and opportunities for women. Below are the key findings in the Afrobarometer survey as indicated in a release. Women are less likely than men to have secondary education (37% vs. 45%) or postsecondary education (13% vs. 24%) and more likely than men to have no formal schooling (20% vs. 11%) or only primary education (30% vs. 20%). Half (51%) of Ghanaian women say they make household financial decisions independently, compared to 60% of men. Most Ghanaians (85%) say women should have the same right as men to own and inherit land. Men are less inclined than women to believe in equality when it comes to land (82% vs. 89%). More than eight in 10 citizens (86%) think a woman will gain standing in the community if she runs for elective office. But 42% also say its likely she will be criticized or harassed, and 35% think she will probably face problems with her family. A majority (55%) of Ghanaians say the government is doing fairly badly or very badly at promoting equal rights and opportunities for women. Nowadays, we dont have to stay in the factory for long hours to process our shea. It is more than satisfying to see how much we produce with less time, says Majeed Neena, a member of one of the women shea groups supported by UNDP with new machinery to facilitate their shea processing. In Ghana, especially in the Northern and Savannah regions, the livelihoods of many households depend on shea and its products. Over 470,000 women farmers derive economic benefits from either picking shea or processing it into shea butter. Shea butter is often referred to as womens gold. Despite the great importance of shea to women, shea butter production has been largely done through manual labour-intensive processes. This does not only affect the quality of the shea products but also poses a great threat to the womens health. It has therefore become necessary to support women shea producers to improve their production efficiency with appropriate technology. Empowering women for sustainable livelihoods I used to go through the traditional method of making shea butter solely with my hands, making the process very tiring, Majeed Neena added. To help address the challenges the women face in the shea value chain, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been providing comprehensive support to women cooperatives in the shea landscape through various integrated programmes including the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reductions Project . A group of selected women were also supported through the UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme to receive Ecocert for Fair-Trade Certification to sell shea products in the international market. In addition, these selected women received a funding support of $200,000 from the UNDP Africa Regional programme through the Assistant UN Secretary-General and Regional Director for Africa, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, during her visit last year to Ghana. The support is to help the women acquire more machinery to facilitate their operations. These supports have gone a long way to help the over 3000 women in shea production in 14 communities in the Kumbungu District of the Northern Region of Ghana, who are members of Ripples Ghana, an NGO. Today, many of the women in the shea groups are excited about the enormous benefits they are deriving from the support they have received. Our production capacity has increased from 75 kilograms of shea at a centre per week to 125 kilograms when we started using the new machines we received. I am now able to engage more women, noted Hajia Rabiatu Abukari, Producer of Malti Products and Director of Ripples Ghana, a shea producing NGO in the Northern Region of Ghana. The shea processing machinery were locally manufactured. These include crashers, kneaders, millers, roasters, washers, and grilling mills. As part of the support, the women also rehabilitated their structures to meet good local factory standards. We are now ageing and dont have enough energy to crush the shea nut manually. We are grateful for this immense support, stated Hajia Fatimata, a leader of one of the women shea producing groups at Malti Products. Looking into the Future Equipping women with efficient machines is indeed helping them reduce exposure to toxic smoke. This is also limiting significant wood and water consumption and increasing their productivity. Empowering other women shea producing groups will require more investments. For someone like Hajia Abukari, the vision of Ripples Ghana goes beyond shea butter production as they want to also start cashew nut production. More partnerships will help in empowering many women groups like Ripples Ghana, to contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Press Release October 5, 2022 REVILLA PAYS TRIBUTE TO FILIPINO EDUCATORS IN CELEBRATION OF WORLD TEACHERS' DAY In line with the celebration of the World Teachers' Day, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. joined the nation in honoring Filipino educators whose invaluable contribution to society is commemorated October 5 of each year. "Bayaning maituturing ang ating mga guro na siyang gumagabay sa ating mga kabataan para magkaroon ng direksiyon ang ating kinabukasan at humuhubog para mapanatili ang kapayapaan at demokrasya sa bansa", Revilla, who champions the welfare of our teachers, said. "They had once walked the extra mile for us, and continue to do so for our children. They traverse terrains and deep waters just to bring education to the farthest places. They have never hesitated to do their vocation for they are aware that they are a crucial part of the bedrock on which the society and its future is built on", he added. As Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, the veteran lawmaker has continued to advocate the promotion of teachers' welfare by pushing for meaningful pieces of legislation that will uplift their lives. He filed Senate Bill No. 22 to institutionalize the granting of Teaching Supplies Allowance (TSA), better known as "chalk allowance", given annually to public school teachers. This will ensure that the government shall automatically allocate a budget for the said allowance every year through the General Appropriations Act. He thus called on all Filipinos to show their gratitude and appreciation to their teachers for dedicating their lives in nurturing their students to be proactive members of society. "Lagi nating binabanggit ang kahalagahan ng ating mga guro sa ating lipunan. Pero sana ay nakikita rin talaga natin ang pinagdadaanan nila. Pahalagahan natin sila sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng tulong na makakapagpaluwag sa pamumuhay nila. Balang-araw, wala na sanang teacher na habang nagtuturo ay iisipin saan kukuha ng panggastos para sa pagtuturo nila.", the solon said. Revilla also filed Senate Bill No. 267 that seeks to elevate the pay grade of entry-level public school teachers from Salary Grade 11 (P25,439) to Salary Grade 15 (P35,097) to provide them an increased compensation to cope with the challenges of the current times. MANZINI While there is a public outcry regarding the shortage of drugs in the countrys health facilities, at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital, medical drugs worth over E250 000 have gone missing. This publication has learnt from a source within the senior management of the Eswatini Nazarene Health Institutions (ENHI) that there were medical drugs that had gone missing. The source at ENHI said the drugs were worth over E250 000. It was gathered that the drugs were in fact received and recorded at the institutions storeroom. The source informed this publication that this was discovered during the recent audit by the office of the Auditor General, Timothy Matsebula. It is worth noting that the genesis of Matsebulas investigation was the shortage of medical supplies and drugs, which has been a constant challenge in the public health sector in the kingdom for time immemorial, despite interventions by the Ministry of Health to strengthen its stock controls. Concerns This constant issue has seen health practitioners petitioning government in various instances, wherein they raised their concerns and outlined that, among other things, they were now issuing prescription letters instead of affording the citizenry adequate care, as per their oath of service. Matsebula, in the Consolidated Government Accounts of the Kingdom of Eswatini for the financial year ended March 31, 2021, reported that he had noted that there was missing stock, worth E128 452.22, reported as a difference between Central Medical Stores (CMS) physical count and the government accounting system balance. Meanwhile, the impeccable source within the ENHI, said during the audit, they discovered that there was stock that was released from the storeroom to the dispensary; however, this stock was not accounted for at its destination. The source said the disappearance of the drugs was caused by some missing stock cards which had the transactions. The senior member of staff said: This is a gap that was identified and addressed after the audit. Another source within the institution said following the discovery of the missing stock, the management of the institution would take to task those who had not performed according to their job descriptions. The sources could not rule out elements of theft by some personnel and said management was at advanced stages of introducing the electronic dispensary module, which would become a secondary verification tool for inventory held within the dispensary as and when required. Meanwhile, a source within the Stores department, said health facilities needed to fill and also update stock cards whenever a transaction occurred. The source said this was part of the regulations that assisted in maintaining the inventory in health facilities. Failure to do so, the source said, was an indication of weakness in internal control on accounting for the stock in and out of the storeroom or warehouse. It is worth noting that this publication on June 2, 2022, reported that there were over 28 drugs on stock-out at the RFM Hospital. The shortage of medication was said to be rife at the RFM Hospital and had seen healthcare workers issuing prescription letters to patients so they could get the pharmaceuticals at retail pharmacies. Confirmed The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ENHI, Benjamin Simelane, confirmed knowledge of the unaccounted for drugs. However, Simelane referred further questions to the Ministry of Health, as he said it was working on the issue. He had been informed that this publication had gathered that there were instances wherein drugs were released from the storeroom but did not reach the dispensary. Simelane was further informed that sources within the ENHI had said this had happened at RFM and the drugs had a cumulative value of over E250 000. He had been sought for answers on whether the management had reported this to the Ministry of Health and how the hospital delt with such a challenge. Simelane was also informed that there were also claims that there were drugs that expired before they were dispatched. He was asked where these drugs were kept and how did the hospital ensure that they were not dispersed to the public. Also, the CEO was sought for comment following that there were claims that there were drugs that had been on stock-out for over a year. He was asked how many they were and how was the hospital dealing with the shortage. Subsequent to Simelane referring the questionnaire to the Ministry of Health, Principal Secretary (PS) in the ministry, Dr Simon Zwane, was informed that there were claims from sources that there were drugs that were not accounted for in certain hospitals. The stock, Dr Zwane was told, was said to have been delivered by the ministry through the Central Medical Stores (CMS) to the health facilities; however, it could not be tracked after being dispatched from the health facilities storerooms. In light of this, he was sought for assistance in understanding the following: Has the ministry ever evaluated medical drugs that are unaccounted for? If yes, what is the value of the stock? If not, how is the stock monitored to ensure it is not stolen? Questionnaire By the time this article was compiled, Dr Zwane was yet to respond to the questionnaire. Worth noting is that in May 2022, this publication reported that three public health facilities were piloting the logistics management information system (LMIS) as means to avert stock-out of medical supplies. At the time, Dr Zwane said the Ministry of Health, through financing from the Global Fund, was piloting the LMIS programme in three health facilities, namely; Piggs Peak Government Hospital, Dvokolwako Health Centre and Lobamba Clinic. The LMIS programme is a system that seeks to ensure that communication between the CMS and health facilities is fluid. Dr Zwane said ideally, the CMS should be able to have visibility of most of the health facilities so as to know at any given time how the stock situation was. He said the same ought to be the case with healthcare facilities, such that they were also able to know the stock status of the CMS. Dr Zwane said the pilot project was set to assist government in closing the gaps. The PS said the ministrys plan was to implement the LMIS in 22 other facilities. He said the LMIS would interface with the client management information system (CMIS), which would hopefully help them reduce unnecessary over and repeated prescription per patient. Dr Zwane also acknowledged that inconsistent supply of fuel was a major challenge contributing to shortages in health facilities. He said an attempt to have fuel bowsers at the CMS were unsuccessful. Manasseh Azure Awuni, a Ghanaian investigative journalist and the editor-in-chief of the Fourth Estate news portal sees President Akufo-Addo's anti-galamsey meeting today October 5 as not different from the usual ones which ended without any proper action. He said the highly respected Manhyia, the seat of the Asante Kingdom where today's meeting was held is not the place for such "jokes." The journalist said in a Facebook post on Wednesday, October 5, spotted by Modernghana News that he was glad the Asantehene was not part of the meeting. According to him, even the stupidest person in Akufo-Addo's cabinet knows the solution to the galamsey problem. President Akufo-Addo met the National House of Chiefs at Manhyia today to discuss the fight against galamsey. I was happy I didn't see the Asantehene at that joke of a meeting, but they could have looked for a concert house for that meeting, he said. He added the chiefs have their own issues, but they should not be blamed for our inability to stop the illegal mining that is threatening our land and our survival. Even the stupidest person in Akufo-Addo's cabinet knows the solution to the galamsey problem. Manasseh is asking the President to blame his failed appointees and the military who are reportedly shielding illegal miners to continue to their nefarious activities. The chiefs, who have always been at the centre of blame, according to Manasseh, must not be accused of the activities reportedly fueled by Akufo-Addo's appointees and officials. The problem is that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is not serious about the fight. Who deploys the soldiers to supervise and guard illegal mining and licensed illegal mining activities? Who appoints the defence minister and the CDS? Who appoints the Regional Ministers and MMDCEs, who chair the regional and district security councils? If they are all failing why do we blame the chiefs? Does Akufo-Addo need permission from the chiefs to fire an appointee who is not doing his or her work? he quizzes. President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo held a closed-door meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs on the galamsey menace Wednesday, October 5 in Kumasi. He called for the support of the chiefs to help in the fight against illegal mining in the country. The Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, has celebrated the remarkable achievements chalked by Ghanas teachers, describing them as the bedrock of the ongoing reforms and massive investment in Ghanas education sector since 2017. Government, he pledged, will therefore continue to partner all stakeholders in education, particularly teachers, to ensure that the objective of producing graduates ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution is achieved. Delivering a speech on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the University of Development Studies (UDS) campus in Tamale on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 to climax activities marking this years World Teacher Day, Dr. Bawumia indicated that the Day presents an opportunity to put a spotlight on the critical responsibility teachers bear in ensuring that our children enjoy the right quality education. The government of President Akufo-Addo acknowledges the value of education to human development and nation building, hence our massive investment in our education system including our teachers. However, the massive investment in education will come to nothing if our teachers do not rise to the occasion and respond positively to the great vision of transforming our nation through education. It is a proven fact that no nation in the world has developed without a conscious investment in its education system and the teachers who deliver the education, he noted. Teachers are profoundly essential to our world because they deliver education and as the world acknowledges that education is the most powerful weapon that fights poverty, insecurity, environmental degradation, gender and racial discrimination, diseases and many other human sufferings, it is important that those who deliver education are well acknowledged and appreciated. The Vice President continued: Indeed, the theme for this years celebration, The Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers synchronizes very well with Governments education transformation agenda. Our education transformation agenda hinges on training our people to be creative, innovative, critical thinkers and technologically astute to lead our forward march towards the 4th industrial revolution. It is in the light of this that the Government has introduced the standard based curriculum that focuses on the four Rs Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic and cReativity which will lead to 21st century skills of critical thinking, innovation, collaboration, communication and problem-solving, Dr. Bawumia stated. Emphasizing the key role played by teachers in Governments quest for accelerated development, the Vice President acknowledged that the success of the intentional and focused attention on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), massive investments to make technical vocational education and training (TVET) more attractive to learners, a target of achieving tertiary enrolment ratio of 40% by the year 2030, and the provision of more resources to the National Teaching Council in support of Governments teacher regulation and professionalization policy are all dependent to a large extent, on the cooperation of teachers. All these strategies to use education to transform our nation can only happen when we have our teachers on our side. The teachers role is critical than any other in-school factor that influences education outcomes. The Government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo remains committed to our Teacher First policy in ensuring that our teachers, who are central to any education reforms, are fully tooled, skilled and supported to deliver quality learning outcomes to support our development aspirations. The winner of the 2022 Ghana Teacher Prize, Stella Gyimaah Larbi of Adenta Community JHS received a house worth Ghs300,000, a scholarship to study abroad, an educational trip to Dubai, and accelerated promotion to the next rank, known as Out of Turn Promotion. Other award winners received vehicles, educational trips abroad, and in most cases, a scholarship to study in any public tertiary institution of their choice in Ghana. For the first time, the best Non-Teaching Staff received a Saloon car as part of the award. President Akufo-Addo was forced to meet the chiefs in Kumasi today following the alarming rate illegal mining popularly known as galamsey is causing to the land, water bodies and forest reserves. President during a meeting with the National House of Chiefs and MMDCEs at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Wednesday, October 5 admitted that the galamsey fight has yielded the needed results despite the many interventions. We have tried many initiatives, including that of the Community Mining Scheme, and the establishment of a new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon, which has imposed severe sanctions on those, Ghanaians and foreigners, convicted of illegal mining. Still, we have not won the fight, he admitted. This, Serwaa Amihere, a female Ghanaian broadcaster with Accra-based GHOne TV, has suggested that the President delegate the fight against galamsey to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akufo Dampare, for six months. In a tweet spotted by Modernghana News, she wrote, Mr President @NAkufoAddo can you try Dampare with the galamsey fight for six months and lets see what he can do. The debate over illegal mining has recently heated up. This follows the re-arrest of Chinese galamsey Kingpin, Aisha Huang and the recent release of a documentary titled "Destruction for Gold" by Multimedia Journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, which revealed the alarming rate of polluted river bodies caused by illegal mining. 05.10.2022 LISTEN The 12 accused persons in the Gambaga shooting incident have been granted a GH10,000 bail with two sureties each. They were granted bail by the Tamale Circuit Court on Wednesday, October 5, 2022. The first accused person, Fataw Balewa has also been granted bail to the tune of GH20,000 with two sureties. The case has been adjourned to October 19, 2022. Some 12 persons suspected to be land guards were last week arrested in Gambaga in the North East Region following a shooting incident. The incident was over a disagreement over a parcel of land between residents of Gambaga and a private developer. The shooting led to one person sustaining gunshot wounds. The injured was sent to the Gambaga Hospital, where he is receiving treatment. The 12 persons including the private developer, Fataw Balewa were later arrested by the Gambaga police and taken to the Tamale circuit court. ---citinewsroom President Nana Akufo-Addo has charged his appointees and New Patriotic Party (NPP) members to embrace governments tough measures in winning the fight against illegal mining also known as galamsey. This, he says will help Ghanaians repose confidence in the party and vote for them in the next election, thereby making the NPPs quest to break the eight a reality. Speaking to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Kumasi as part of his meeting to find a lasting solution to the menace, President Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment, adding that he will not shield any government official found complicit in galamsey activities. Let us work together to get rid of this menace. I believe that if the people of Ghana see a determined effort on our part, which yields results, our water bodies are clearing, our lands are being reclaimed, and our forest zones are being preserved, it will help them enable us break the eight, he stressed. Earlier, the President met with the National House of Chiefs, where he bemoaned how all efforts to fight galamsey have failed. It is obvious that, if we are to win the fight, you and l have to take the lead to collaborate closely to do so. That is why I am here today. After our meeting, I will also be meeting with the other half of the local government [institutions]-the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives in the ninety metropolitan, municipal, and district areas across the country, where mining activities take place, to seek their active collaboration. He also called on the chiefs to support government's effort in dealing with the menace. There are many requests I intend to make of you in the close-door session of our meeting, but one of the most significant, which I have to state now, is to seek your assistance to take partisan political interests out of the fight against galamsey. It can only succeed if it is a truly national battle, which no one seeks to exploit for political gain, as we saw in the last election. By Citi Newsroom The President of the Republic, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, October 5, held a crunch meeting with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on the illegal mining (galamsey) menace in the country. At the meeting in Kumasi, the President warned that he will not shield any MMDCE who will be found to be complicit in galamsey. He argued that it will not make sense for him to be waging a war against illegal mining at the national level whiles his representatives at the local level fuel such activities. You are my representatives in each of your metropolis, municipality, and districts. You are the representatives of the President. It cannot be that the President at the national level is waging war against galamsey and you at the local level, my representatives are compromising that fight. That cannot work. Im not here to threaten anybody but I want you to know that this is a struggle that I take very seriously. I will not be in the position to protect anybody against whom evidence is marshaled to show their complicity. I wont do it, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo warned. Before the meeting with the MMDCEs, the President also held an engagement with the National House of Chiefs at Manhyia. He used the opportunity to call on the Chiefs who are custodians of 80% of the lands in the country to assist him in the fight against illegal mining. On the part of the chiefs, they assured the President of their readiness to help to ensure that offenders are sanctioned regardless of their status. Ethiopia's government and rebels from the country's Tigray region said Wednesday they were ready to attend peace talks after the African Union invited both parties to negotiations in South Africa. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's national security adviser said the government had "accepted this invitation" while the leader of rebel-held Tigray said they were "ready" to send negotiators but raised questions about process. Both sides had been invited to talks in South Africa this weekend by AU chair Moussa Faki Mahamat to try and end nearly two years of war in Africa's second-most populous country. A major resurgence of fighting in August dashed a five-month truce and halted aid into Tigray, where a shortage of food, fuel, cash and medicine has caused a humanitarian crisis. The latest upsurge has also drawn Eritrean troops back to the battlefield in support of Ethiopia's federal and regional forces, which are confronting rebels from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) on multiple fronts. The deepening conflict has raised international alarm, with the United States this week announcing that its special envoy to the region, Mike Hammer, would be making his second visit to Ethiopia in as many months to seek a halt to the fighting. Tigrayan authorities said last month they were ready to participate in talks mediated by the AU, removing an obstacle to negotiations with the government in Addis Ababa. Abiy's national security advisor, Redwan Hussein, said the AU invitation was "is inline with our principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the need to have talks without preconditions". Tigray's regional authorities said they were "ready to send our negotiating team to South Africa" but wanted to know what other parties would be involved and what role the international community would play. "Considering we were not consulted prior to the issuance of this invitation, we need clarification to some of the following issues to establish an auspicious start for the peace talks," read a statement signed by TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael. 'Troika of negotiators' Map of Ethiopia locating Tigray region.. By Aude GENET (AFP) A diplomatic source told AFP that the AU talks would be mediated by "a troika of negotiators" including the bloc's Horn of Africa envoy Olusegun Obasanjo and former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta. Another diplomatic source said South Africa's former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka would serve as the third negotiator. The warring sides were previously at odds over who should mediate negotiations, with Abiy's government pushing for Obasanjo and the TPLF wanting Kenyatta to broker dialogue. They have also sparred over the restoration of basic services such as electricity, communications and banking in Tigray -- a key precondition for dialogue according to the TPLF. The region of six million people has been facing desperate shortages of food, fuel, medicines and other emergency supplies, with the UN's World Food Programme warning of rising malnutrition even before the latest fighting halted aid deliveries. Fighting has escalated in recent weeks in northern Ethiopia, with air strikes hammering Tigray and new fronts opening. The US State Department on Monday announced that special envoy Hammer would travel to Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia this month. The visit, which will include meetings with federal government and AU officials, comes on the heels of an 11-day trip by Hammer to Ethiopia last month, which the State Department said was aimed at supporting the launch of AU-led peace talks. The war, which erupted in November 2020, has killed untold numbers of civilians and triggered a deep humanitarian crisis, and all sides to the conflict have been accused of grave abuses against civilians. The TPLF dominated Ethiopia's ruling coalition for decades before Abiy took power in 2018. After months of rising tensions Abiy, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, sent soldiers into Tigray to unseat the TPLF, saying the move was in response to attacks on federal army camps. The people of Wuru Community in the Sissila East Community of the Upper West Region have appealed to the government to bring developments to the community to enable them to pay taxes to the appropriate authority to enjoy their portion of the national cake. According to the people, the community felt cut off from the rest of the country and that had deprived them of basic developments. to ensure that the community benefitted from the national cake. Mr Harduna Atiah, a businessman and caretaker of the Wuru community market told the Ghana News Agency, There are no roads to link Wuru to other Ghanaian communities where we can transact business. No transportation, no reliable communication network, no health facilities, poor educational infrastructure and no means of modern technology for farming. He said they used to pay tax to the Tumu Municipal Assembly but for some time now, they had to stop because they saw no reason for the payment. Currently, we have decided not to pay tax. Our taxes cannot be used to develop other areas while we suffer, he said. Mr Atiah said members of the community were in prison and asked for pragmatic efforts to be made to integrate them with the rest of the country. The GNA traveled to the Wuru community to find out their problems and to report same for government to consider supporting them. The community is about 70 kilometres from Tumu, which took the GNA three hours to travel to the community on a motorbike. The community has a CHPS compound with only one male nurse stationed there with no decent accommodation, no electricity to store drugs, meant for immunization and no reliable source of drinking water. Due to the poor nature of the road, only motorbikes can travel there, which compelled the community to transact business with neighbouring Burkina Faso thereby, rejecting the Ghana cedi as medium of exchange. The GNA observed that the many Burkinabes who transacted business in the community did not also pay tax. Mr Fuseini Batong Yakubu, the Sissalla East MCE said the Assembly had not been able to collect tax from the community due to the lack of access road. He said the Assembly was planning to erect a permanent tax collection shed at the market for the tax collectors. I have also met with the chief and the secretary of the Bujan Area Council to hold meetings with the people to see the need to pay market tolls as that would help us to use the IGF to undertake development in the area. The business persons coming from Burkina Faso are supposed to pay income tax, he explained. Mr Yakubu said he had also appealed to the chief of Wuru to help in identifying and registering the number of aliens settling in the area. GNA Families of victims of the Ejura shooting incident say they are yet to receive compensation from the Government despite a recommendation by the Ejura Committee. The Independent Committee, constituted by the Minister of Interior, recommended, among others, adequate compensation to be paid to the injured persons, Louis Ayikpa, shot in the intestine; Awal Misbau, who lost his leg, and Nasif Nuhu, who sustained injuries. Till date, none of the injured persons have received compensation, Alhaji Inusah Bawah, Chairman, Joint Committee of the Victims of the Ejura Incidents, emphasised at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday. On June 26, 2021, Ibrahim Mohammed Anyass, alias Macho Kaaka, a citizen journalist and Fix The Country activist, was attacked by unknown assailants at Ejura around 0130hours. He later died at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, two days later. Following his death, the youth of the community protested, which turned violent as they clashed with security personnel detailed to maintain order, leading to the shooting of the two - Abdul Nasir Yussif and Murtala Mohammed. The Joint Committee of the Victims of the Ejura incident said: After several months of back and forth, they asked all the victims to attend a medical examination at Komfo Anokye Hospital, at their own expense. Then they asked us to submit medical receipts. All of those were submitted. We received no letter acknowledging that they had received the receipts. The families, speaking through the Joint Committee said, so far, the families of the deceased had been paid GHS250,00. The Joint Committee said at a meeting with the Attorney-General, the families of the injured had raised concerns about the amount paid to the families of the deceased being woefully inadequate. The Joint Committee said its lawyers had followed up on two separate occasions to no avail and that it had not heard from the Attorney-General's Department after letters were sent to follow up on steps taken to pay compensations to the victims. Like the victims of the Ejura incident, the Ejura Committee in its report, submitted a month after the shooting incident on July 27, 2021, also recommended adequate compensation to be paid to the families of the two persons who were killed. Sahada Hudu, the wife of the late Ibrahim Mohammed Anyass, said she had been left helpless, vulnerable and psychologically distraught by her husband's passing. Shedding tears and receiving consolation from other family members as she narrated her story, she said she was fending for the children singlehandedly. Sahada said she had become a laughingstock in the community after Kaaka's passing, adding that she had left the community of her own volition because of the continued ridicule by some members of the community, contrary to assertions that she had been sacked by her husband's family. Agatha Doyina, the mother of Louis Ayikpa, who was shot in the intestine, said she had literally expended all her money on medical bills unaided. She said even though his son, now 17, was able to move about, he had been impaired as he was unable to do any work requiring physical strength. For her, adequate compensation from the Government as recommended by the Ejura Committee would give her some reprieve as she continued to nurse him to full recovery. Mr Oliver Barker Vormawor, Lawyer of the victims and Convenor of Fix The Country, said despite the findings of the independent Committee, all culpable persons were still walking free. GNA Arab Financial Services (AFS), a leading digital payment solutions provider, has been recognised and honoured for its workforce nationalisation efforts in Bahrain. The honouring took place at an event recently on the sidelines of the GCC ministerial meetings hosted by Saudi Arabia. AFS was the only financial institution from Bahrain to receive this honour, as a committed employer of Bahraini talent. Samer Soliman, AFS CEO, said: This is a tremendous honour for AFS and reflects the importance we place on recruiting and nurturing local talent. Our employees are the most important drivers of the organisations growth and innovation, and this award provides validation of our best practice in all areas of Employee Development. 19 leading firms The Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD), Eng Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, honoured 19 leading companies in the fields of labour and development across the GCC states, at the event. Receiving the award on behalf of AFS was Zainab Ali, Senior Human Resources Officer. With 70% Bahrainisation across its Bahrain operations, AFS is committed to its national workforce investment while offering exciting career opportunities both locally and regionally. Most recently, AFS successfully concluded its inaugural Summer Internship Programme: AFS iSuites. The programme, which trained promising, primarily Bahraini, students from local, regional, and global academic institutions, is a testament to AFSs commitment to supporting youth by developing their professional and technical skills. The internship programme focused on giving students with a range of academic specialisations a strong payments technology knowledge-based foundation that will serve them well in future.-- TradeArabia News Service At the launch of a menstrual hygiene management campaign, three under-aged girls [not their real names] shared their stories. Sarah Baidoo is 15-years-old and attends Akyempim basic school A. She is in JHS 3. On her birthday this March, she saw her period for the first time. Diana always felt left out whenever the subject matter came up in class on how they are menstruating. Sometimes our madam comes to class to ask and Ill be sitting there just like that because I havent menstruated yet. Akosua Aboagye is 14years and in the same school. She is in the same class with Diana. She also started to menstruate at 14. I was in school when it came. I was shocked so I just run home. I told my mum what had happened, and she told me I must stay away from boys. Mary Addo is in class 6 at Akyempim DA Model School. She is 13 years. She shares, my big sister menstruates. When I had my period for the first time, she was menstruating too. I hid and watched how she fixed her pad and I copied her. These three girls share something in common. Whatever they learnt about menstruation and menstrual hygiene either came from their teachers or other relatives, never their mothers and this holds sway for many girls across Ghana. Menstruation still appears to be a taboo subject in some parts of the world such that it is treated hush. Most mothers do not openly have conversations about the subject matter with their girl child and even when they do, it does not extend to menstrual hygiene management. To contribute to the 2022 global theme of making menstruation a normal part of life by 2030, Golden Star Resources (GSR) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH have launched a one-year campaign on menstrual hygiene management in the catchment communities of GSR. The menstrual hygiene management campaign will promote access to evidence-based information about menstruation and menstrual hygiene products with the goal to prevent stigmatization against menstruating women and girls. This campaign will run in 14 schools in Wassa East district. Over the course of the campaign, 772 girls will benefit from almost 14,000 packs of sanitary pads to improve their menstrual hygiene management. Sarah, Akosua and Mary are happy to be part of this campaign and for the next year, will not have to worry about where the next pad is coming from. Part of the campaign strategy will see a team of health professionals travel to the schools to teach the girls basic grooming through periodic education on keeping clean during their periods and discarding sanitary pads properly. The education will also target mothers, underscoring the importance of initiating conversations on menstruation and hygiene management with their girl children. In her engagement with the school girls, the Wassa East Ag. Director of Health Services, Sheila Ampadu Okyere, offered some tips on menstrual management by asking the girls to change their pads frequently, use cotton sanitary pads, wash reusable pads properly, keep the vagina clean and seek gynecological help for any irritation around the vagina. She called for action stating, we need passionate leaders to popularize menstrual hygiene management and ensure it finds its way into policy documents as well as the sector plans and a tangible programme on the ground. Joining the call to end period poverty, the Managing Director of Golden Star Resources, Shadrack Sowah, re-echoed appeals for the exclusion of taxes on sanitary pads. The menstrual hygiene management campaign is under the COVID-19 Pandemic Management in times of COVID-19 and beyond, a GIZ jointly implemented project with Golden Star Resources, one of several private partners and funded through the develoPPP programme on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The objective of the project is to increase the economic and health resilience within the catchment communities of the private partners in the mining industry to ensure they are better prepared to withstand future pandemic. This project started in September 2021 and hopes to have supported the catchment communities of its partners with enhanced access to healthcare, through Mass NHIS registration, extensive health screening exercise for various diseases, training of selected health personnel and campaign on maternal health by 2024. The Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Major General Francis Ofori has underscored the importance of experience sharing and collaboration between African countries. According to him, it is a sure way of building lasting peace on the continent. Major General Francis Ofori disclosed this during an address to declare open the workshop on the role of Coercion in Peacebuilding; Insights from Africa in an Inter-Regional Perspective. The three-day workshop started on Wednesday, October 5, and is expected to continue on Thursday before its climax on Friday, October 7. In his address, Major General Francis Ofori said the idea to build lasting peace in the African continent has necessitated this very important three-day workshop. This quest will however come to nothing if we fail to share experiences and harness our collective efforts at conceptualizing coercion, and the role of coercion in peacebuilding, focusing on interventions by traditional actors, non-traditional actors, and regional organizations in peacebuilding. The three-day workshop has been put together to provide a platform for robust engagement on coercion in peacebuilding, and particularly to accentuate issues concerning different theoretical and methodological approaches to coercion, drawing on empirical case studies with a focus on regional organizations, traditional and non-traditional actors in peacebuilding. The workshop being hosted by KAIPTC is being organised by the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) in partnership with the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS). The outcome of the three-day workshop will draw on the experiences of the international researchers, who have been invited from various countries to share and discuss insights from Africa from an interregional perspective. The outcome of the workshop will be shared with key actors in peacebuilding. Commenting on the work of KAIPTC, Major General Francis Ofori assured that his outfit remains committed to the giant strides made by the United Nations in the area of the Security Council Resolutions 2282 (Gender dimension of peacebuilding, including youth - 2016), 1325 (WPS Agenda - 2000), 2535 (Youth, peace, and security -2020) and 2250 (Thematic resolution that deals with the topic of youth from an international peace and security perspective 2015). He disclosed that the efforts of KAIPTC are also geared towards the promotion and implementation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the Maputo Protocols. We also continue to deepen our collaboration with ECOWAS in operationalizing the WPS Agenda in the sub-region and Africa as a whole for advancing sustainable peacebuilding efforts, Major General Francis Ofori added. Crystal Grace Chapel International celebrated its 9th anniversary since its inception in 2013 with a three-day anniversary programme dubbed "Divine Shift." The church, led by Prophetess Lina Biney and Rev. Patrick Biney, has grown gracefully in the last five years since it was relocated from its original location to Sarpeiman, near Amasaman in Accra. Several Christians, both members and non-members, attended the church's anniversary programmes on Thursday and Friday, September 9 and 10 and then on Sunday, October 2 for the grand finale. During the celebration, the church's leaders and members, as well as the guest speaker, Apostle Nat Opare Yeboah, expressed gratitude to the Almighty God for giving them another year and protecting them over the years. Elaborating on the theme chosen for the anniversary, "Divine shift" on the last day, Sunday, October 2, Apostle Nat Opare Yeboah, the guest speaker, revealed that maturity is the best way to attain a better shift in life as a Christian. Delivering a sermon themed "fruitfulness" he explained " the blessing of God is when the seed of God's words is planted (Genesis 1:28)," adding that such blessings are not to be given to men who walk in the way of the ungodly because such people will never prosper, unlike those who avoid bad company. He explained the significance of the number twelve in the life of a believer by referring to the biblical incident in which Jesus Christ healed a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years and also resurrected an already declared dead 12-year-old child. The revered preacher revealed that 12 is a special number that represents maturity as well as foundation and systems in a Jewish translation, which is what every Christian requires to succeed in their endeavour. The congregation was reminded once more not to underestimate the essence of God's life, which is a sign of maturity because hard work alone does not produce positive results. Your mistakes are a reflection of your immaturity. And when you fail to exhibit maturity, God also treats you like a child, he said, adding that Christians must always act mature so that whatever you do will be blessed by God for it to be fruitful." Genesis 1:11, 1:28, 9:1, Luke 8:40, Deuteronomy 8:18, Mark 9, Exodus 25:28, and Psalm 135 were the scriptures for his sermon. An international research workshop on coercion in peacebuilding is underway in Accra, Ghana. The workshop put together by the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) is being hosted by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC). The international research workshop was to create a space for exchange on the role of coercion in peacebuilding. About 35 international researchers are attending the workshop as participants to share and discuss insights from Africa from an interregional perspective. Delivering a welcome address on day one of the three-day workshop, the Commandant of KAIPTC, Major General Francis Ofori expressed his delight, insisting that programmes geared toward lasting peace for the African continent are very important. In his address, the Commandant emphasised that it is important for participants to share ideas for the goals of the workshop to be achieved at the end of the day. The idea to build lasting peace in the African continent has necessitated this very important three-day workshop. This quest will however come to nothing if we fail to share experiences and harness our collective efforts at conceptualizing coercion, and the role of coercion in peacebuilding, focusing on interventions by traditional actors, non-traditional actors, and regional organizations in peacebuilding, Major General Francis Ofori shared. Major General Francis Ofori He continued, The outcome of this three-day workshop will draw on the experiences of the international researchers, who have been invited to share and discuss insights from Africa in an interregional perspective. The outcome of the three-day workshop will be shared with key actors in peacebuilding. I will therefore urge all participants to participate keenly in all the deliberations. In his concluding remarks, Major General Francis Ofori expressed gratitude to Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) for partnering with KAIPTC to organise the workshop. On her part, the Head of the Research Department at PRIF, Dr. Sabine Mannitz stressed that it is necessary to organise such a workshop to try to understand the role 'too much' or 'too little' coercion plays in peacebuilding. She said at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, they believe it is an area that deserves more attention to inform decision-making on peacebuilding going forward. Dr. Sabine Mannitz One of the prospective we find promising in order to find out why peacebuilding maybe wont just work or fail in some instances is that there might be too much coercion or maybe also too little coercion. So we think that this is an aspect that deserves more attention in order to find clues about peacebuilding that actually works, Dr. Sabine Mannitz told journalists on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the workshop. She said the workshop seeks to discuss experiences from different fields, listen to practitioners and scholars, and then assess the landscape. At the end of the workshop, Dr. Sabine Mannitz is hoping that collaborations will be created not just in the three days of the workshop but also in the future. Sharing some remarks, Associate Professor at Addis Ababa University at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies, Prof. Bamlaku Tadesse Mengistu indicated that he is filled with pleasure to be participating in the workshop on behalf of IPSS. Prof. Bamlaku Tadesse Mengistu He said he is convinced that the workshop is of great importance and will create grounds for a debate on a topic that is very relevant to peacebuilding on the continent. Prof. Bamlaku Tadesse Mengistu intimated that he is hopeful the workshop will contribute to a peaceful and stable Africa. The workshop dubbed The Role of Coercion in Peacebuilding: Insights from Africa in an Interregional Perspective commenced at the KAIPTC on Wednesday, October 5, and will be closed on Friday, October 7. More about the workshop: The workshop is organised in thematic panels allowing for an in-depth discussion of underlying research perspectives and ideas. The first panel brings together scholars who work on varied aspects of coercion in peacebuilding using different theoretical and methodological approaches and aims at conceptualizing coercion. The second and third panel takes coercion into view by drawing from empiric case studies. The fourth panel focuses on regional organizations in peacebuilding, and the fifth panel is dedicated to non-traditional or new state actors in peacebuilding. The latter three panels analyse the approaches of these new or nontraditional actors in how they differ from interventions by traditional peacebuilding actors and, in particular, they discuss the role of coercion in interventions of these actors. All participants will provide short discussion papers prior to the workshop. Every panel will have a chair who guides the session. The Community Focus Foundation (CFF-Ghana) has implored the government to stop blaming the economic hardships being experienced by the citizenry on the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. In a press release, the Foundation insists that wanton corruption, economic mismanagement, and gross incompetence are the causes of the economic challenges facing the country. The Foundation notes that although Ghanaians have experienced some form of economic challenges over the years under previous governments, the current harsh economic condition is the worse form ever experienced under the fourth republic. CFF-Ghana proposes that the government commits to dealing with wanton corruption and economic mismanagement by making moves to recover all stolen public funds. ..we are recommending that Government takes deliberate actions including political commitment in punishing and recovering stolen funds by corrupt public officials, reducing government expenditures, and sealing revenue leakages towards economic recovery for improved livelihood of the Ghanaian people, a release by CFF-Ghana signed by Executive Director Richard Kasu reads. Below is a copy of the release: 06/10/2022 PRESS STATEMENT For Immediate Release: Ghana's Economic Woes; an existential threat to its democracy. Community Focus Foundation Ghana (CFF-GHANA) is deeply worried about the excruciating economic hardship Ghanaians have to go through in recent times. It's important to put on record that the economic mess the country finds itself today cannot be attributed to COVID-19 and the war between Russia and Ukraine as government want Ghanaians to believe. Admittedly, COVID-19 distorted economic gains globally but if the huge financial support extended to Ghana as result of COVID-19 were managed effectively, Ghana would have been far better so far as the economy is concerned. It is worth noting that wanton corruption, economic mismanagement and gross incompetence among others are the main causes of our economic woes. Truth be told, Ghanaians had experienced some form of economic challenges over the years under previous governments but the current harsh economic condition is the worse form ever experienced under the fourth republic. The suffering and disillusioned citizens must not be taken for granted. We however commend government for the public admission of the economic challenges at hand but it is important government is guided by the illegal power takeovers in the West African Subregion which were largely caused by factors including harsh economic conditions to restore hope to the citizenry. While at it, we are recommending that Government takes deliberate actions including politicalcommitment in punishing and recovering stolen funds by corrupt public officials, reducing government expenditures, and sealing revenue leakages towards economic recovery for improved livelihood of the Ghanaian people. Sgd: Mr. Richard Kasu (Executive Director) 0248640364 In response to the acquittal and release on Wednesday of three journalists for YouTube-based Iwacu TV who have been detained in Rwanda since October 2018, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement expressing relief: We are greatly relieved that the court has recognized the charges against Damascene Mutuyimana, Shadrack Niyonsenga, and Jean Baptiste Nshimiyimana as baseless. Finally, these journalists can go home to their families, said CPJs sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo. However, the four years that these journalists lost behind bars are a great injustice, underscoring the willingness of Rwandan authorities to abuse judicial systems to the detriment of the press. A repeat of such injustice should not be allowed, and all those other journalists who remain behind bars in Rwanda for their work should be released without delay. On Wednesday, October 5, a court in Kigali, Rwandas capital, acquitted the three journalists of charges of spreading false information with the intention of creating a hostile international opinion of Rwanda, publishing unoriginal statements or pictures, and inciting insurrection, according to reports by BBC News Gahuza and Reuters. One of their lawyers, Jean Paul Ibambe, confirmed to CPJ that the journalists were released from Nyarugenge Prison in Kigali on Wednesday evening, following the acquittal. The journalists were held in pre-trial detention until their trial started in August 2021. Earlier this year, prosecutors requested that they be sentenced to 22 years and five months in prison. At least four other journalists, most of them YouTube-based, remain detained in Rwanda. The ECOWAS Commission convened a virtual Maiden Regional Sensitisation and Awareness Event on the West African Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) programme, on 29 September 2022. The event was convened under the Chairmanship of the Head of ECOWAS National Office of Guinea-Bissau, Madam Cristina da Silva Pedreira, to provide a platform for the WURI projects implementing Member States and stakeholders to share information and their experience so that Member States institutions with digital identification management, immigration and security functions and Heads of the ECOWAS National Offices are better informed about the WURI programme. The event was attended by representatives of Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo, the World Bank, and the ECOWAS Commission. The Director of Free Movement and Migration, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Ms. Massandje Toure-Litse explained that as the regional component of the programme is gathering momentum, the Commission deems it necessary to convene this virtual meeting to sensitise the stakeholders with identification management-related functions in the ECOWAS region about the WURI programme and equally provide a platform for the WURI participating Member States to share their experiences in the implementation of their respective projects. He encouraged the Member States to learn more about the programme and highlighted that the beauty of the programme lies in its flexibility as other countries can join when they are ready and willing to subscribe to the regional objective of foundational systems interoperability and mutual recognition of foundational identity credentials for access to services. The World Bank Director of Regional Integration, Africa and Middle East and North Africa, Ms. Boutheina Guermazi expressed the Banks appreciation to the ECOWAS Commission for creating the platform for learning how the WURI programme is being implemented in the pilot countries. She noted that the programme has a continental perspective and adopts a regional view, thus its scope extends beyond the six (06) participating Member States. She also expressed confidence in the political will of the participating Member States and the countries capabilities to achieve the set targets, before reiterating the Banks continued and constant support to ensure the successful implementation of the programme for the benefit of all. The World Bank presented the overview of the WURI programme which covered the programme development objective, the multiphase approach adopted to reach an estimated 100 million persons in the region by 2028 amongst others whilst the Commission explained its role, the regional objectives of cross-border interoperability and mutual recognition of credentials, the prioritised activities for 2022 and the achievements thus far. The experience sharing by Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, and Togo indicated that the programme implementing Member States are at varied stages of implementation and each has its own challenges. However, the countries highlighted key milestones achieved which they expect will be a stepping stone to boost implementation. The submissions made by the Member States during the deliberation session will be taken into consideration in the course of the programme implementation. The WURI is a multi-phase programme financed by the World Bank and implemented by Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Niger and Togo, and the ECOWAS Commission, with the objective to increase the number of persons in participating countries who have government-recognized proof of unique identity that enables access to services. Specifically, the Commission aims to foster regional dialogues and cooperation for cross-border mutual recognition of foundational identity systems for access to services. The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) is suing Latitude Group [ASX:LFS] and Harvey Norman [ASX:HVN] for misleading interest free advertising. ASIC alleges that from January 2020 to August 2021, ads promoting interest free payment methods for purchases at Harvey Norman were misleading because they did not disclose that consumers could only use the interest free payment method if they applied for and used a Latitude GO Mastercard. LFS and HVN shares were flat on the news. Source: Trading View ASICs case: HVN and LFS misleading customers ASIC has filed a legal complaint against Australian fintech Latitude and retailer Harvey Norman for allegedly broadcasting misleading advertisements between January 2020 to August 2021. These ads allegedly promoted interest-free payment methods for Harvey Normans goods over television, print, and radio, extending over a 60-month period. In receiving customer complaints and procedural surveillance, it came to ASICs attention that there were specific terms attached to the supposed deal not always disclosed in the ads. Customers were required to sign up for a Latitude GO Mastercard, inclusive of establishment and monthly account fees which would have incurred an extra $537 (minimum) in hidden costs on top of Harvey Norman purchases. According to the claim submitted to the court, the advertisements used large writing and an upbeat narrator to highlight the interest-freeno deposit tagline, while smaller, tiny print outlined a minimum financed amount of $1,000, additional applicant requirements, conditions, fees, and charges. Source: ASIC ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said: ASIC is concerned the advertising did not provide consumers with the full picture, that they could only use the interest-free payment method by applying for and using certain Latitude credit cards. These credit cards, ASIC alleges, attracted substantial fees over the course of the 60-month payment term, and exposed consumers to the risks of incurring further debts and charges, as well as potentially affecting their credit rating. Consumers have a right to make informed choices. Credit providers and retail partners such as Latitude and Harvey Norman should ensure that their advertising clearly discloses all important information about payment methods and any fees. Ms Court added that in applying for Latitudes credit card, customer credit ratings could have been severely impacted without them even being aware. While there is yet to be a date set by the court for the first hearing, ASIC will be seeking certain declarations, financial penalties, sanctions, and other related orders against both Latitude and Harvey Norman. Latitude and Harvey Norman prepare to face the music Latitude has acknowledged the civil proceedings pertaining to its credit card and said the allegations relate to historic advertisements, agreeing they ran between the specified dates. The fintech said it will take the allegations seriously and intends to cooperate, saying Latitude is now reviewing ASICs claim and will not be commenting further at this stage given the matter is before the courts. Harvey Norman has not yet provided an official comment yet. Can Bitcoin [BTC] reach US$1 million by 2030? Can bitcoin be worth US$1 million? And could it reach that as soon as 2030? Sounds ludicrous. Bitcoin is currently hovering around US$20,000 and is down 60% over the past 12 months. But our crypto expert and Money Morning editor Ryan Dinse thinks the claim isnt farfetched. Hes actually preparing for the next crypto bull marketand discussing how in a special presentation he is holding today. Yes, today. If youd like to hear what Ryan has to say, you can watch his presentation here. Regards, Kiryll Prakapenka, For Money Morning Kuwait Finance House-Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) has launched the Waed Graduate Trainee Programme which is a structured and customised programme. Organised by KFH-Bahrain in partnership with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), it aims to train and enhance the employability of Bahraini graduates and to equip them with the necessary skills required to enter and succeed in the job market. Twenty Bahraini graduates have been welcomed to the programme at a launching ceremony held at the BIBF premises. Key guests In attendance were key guests from the Central Bank of Bahrain namely Khalid Hamad Al-Hamad, the Executive Director of Banking Supervision; and Khawla Ebrahim, the Acting Director of Islamic Financial Institutions Supervision Directorate; and from the Bahrain Association of Banks, Dr Waheed Al Qassim, the Chief Executive Officer have all attended the launching ceremony where they expressed their commendation of the efforts of KFH-Bahrain and BIBF in investing in the development of Bahraini youth and praised the strides of KFH-Bahrain towards increasing the career opportunities available for graduates. In addition, Dr Ahmed AlShaikh, the Director of BIBF, Abdulhakeem Yaqoob Alkhayyat, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of KFHBahrain as well as a number of representatives from both entities attended the launch ceremony. Al Hamad said: I would like to urge the participants to seize this opportunity and work towards creating a good impression, in addition to continuing to seek knowledge from diverse, reliable and accredited sources with a focus on discovering their creative skills and enriching them as much as possible. I would like to wish everyone great success in their future career paths. Alkhayyat said: As part of our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to support Bahraini youth, we have ensured developing a structured graduate programme which constitutes an enhanced addition to the other existing internship programmes that we continue to offer throughout the year. We, at KFH Bahrain, are dedicated to introducing and delivering effective development initiatives which aim to elevate national talent; and we aspire through this programme, to enrich the banking and financial services sector with the prominent knowledge, skills and competence of our young talents. Success skills Zainalabedin said: The programme has been structured to allow the graduates to develop workplace success skills with a focus on the core values and priorities which we cherish the most at KFH including shariah compliance, collaboration and teamwork, innovation and a focus on achieving excellence and sustainability; all of which are key principles in everything that we do and deliver at KFH. We also highly value the efforts of the Central Bank of Bahrain and the Bahrain Association of Banks in ensuring the development of a universal framework for a national skills-based Internship Programme and ensuring that such a framework is applied and implemented within the Financial Services sector. We, at KFH, have ensured that all elements and core standards of this framework have been embedded in the deliverables of Waed programme; which further enriches the graduates experience under this programme. The trainees are scheduled to spend the first month of the programme at the BIBF, during which they will receive intensive training courses delivered by qualified BIBF trainers, followed by a series of awareness and educational lectures which will be conducted by a number of experienced employees at KFH - Bahrain. On job training Subsequent to that, they will receive on the job training for a period of two months in one of the bank's functions to gain experience and practical skills in specialised fields. At the end of this first phase, which will be for a total of three months, five participants will be selected for the second phase of the programme, which will be for an additional three months. Participants in this phase will undergo a rotation programme in the various functions of KFH-Bahrain for two months. In the third and final month of this phase, the participants will be assigned to submit and implement an innovative enhancement initiative in the field of digitalisation or another area such as developing new products and services and streamlining work processes.-- TradeArabia News Service October 05, 2022 Media Hide Fascist Ideology Of Ukrainian Militia Which Visit Congress 'Western' media continue to denazify Ukraine by pretending that the Nazi formations in that country, which they had long decried, are now a harmless collection of celebrities. One could follow those changes along various pieces in the New York Times: Mar 15 2019: On his flak jacket was a symbol commonly used by the Azov Battalion, a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization. Feb 11 2020: Defenders of the Ukrainian Azov Battalion, which the F.B.I. calls a paramilitary unit notorious for its association with neo-Nazi ideology, accuse us of being part of a Kremlin campaign to demonize the group. Mar 17 2022: Facebook last week said it was making an exception to its anti-extremism policies to allow praise for Ukraines far-right Azov Battalion military unit, strictly in the context of defending Ukraine, or in their role as part of the Ukraine National Guard. Apr 29 2022: These scenes are from videos shared online in recent days by the Azov regiment, a unit in the Ukrainian military, which says they were taken in the mazelike bunkers beneath the sprawling Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine. As I had written previously: What was once "a Ukrainian neo-Nazi paramilitary organization" which even the FBI said is notorious for its association with neo-Nazi ideology was first relabeled as merely "far right" before it became a normal "unit in the Ukrainian military". Today the New York Times topped that evolution by turning a Ukrainian government press release into a tear dripping story about the reunion of freed Azov losers with their families: Released Azov commanders have an emotional reunion with family members in Turkey. Commanders of Ukraines celebrated Azov Battalion have held an emotional reunion with their families in Turkey, Ukrainian officials said, honoring the fighters released from Russian confinement last month as part of the largest prisoner swap since the start of the war. Among the 215 Ukrainian prisoners of war released in the exchange were 108 members of the Azov Battalion. The groups defense of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol the southern port city decimated by Russian forces in the first months of the war has become a powerful symbol of the suffering inflicted by Russia and the resistance mounted by Ukraine. Under the terms of the swap, the commanders of the battalion must remain in Turkey which brokered the exchange until the war ends. After months of waiting, they were reunited with family members on Monday, according to a statement from the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and photographs distributed by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service. There are many emotions, Ukraines first lady, Olena Zelenska, who attended the meeting, said in a post on Telegram. The road to this moment was long and difficult. Finally they were able to hug. ... Ms. Zelenska said she gave the Azov Battalion members thanks from Ukraine, from the president and all the people for whom they are fighting. How can anyone working at the New York Times not be ashamed of this whitewash of a deeply fascists organization. The NYT is far from the only 'western' media doing this. I was easy to find some 40 stories in main stream media which between 2014 and April 2022 which critically discussed the 'controversial' Nazi ideology of Azov and other Ukrainian militia. Then the coverage abruptly changed turning those fascist groups into harmless patriots. Others have done similar analyses: In order to get a better sense of how Canadian medias approach to reporting on the Azov Regiment (formerly the Azov Battalion) has changed over the years, we searched for every mention of the group in the archives of the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and National Post. We also searched through the CBC News website, as well as some of their broadcasts. All of the 90 unique mentions we found (as of August 10) were compiled, with the description of Azov provided in said article or broadcast being noted for comparison. We found that these news outlets (and the wire services much of their coverage relied upon) went from directly acknowledging Azovs neo-Nazi ideology to suggesting that the group is merely controversial or has a checkered past. Some reports included no qualifiers at all, and simply presented the group as just another Ukrainian military unit fighting against Russia. It is not just the media but also politicians who have done a U-turn from condemning Azov and other Nazi groups to welcoming them as guests in Washington DC. On March 27 2018 The Hill reported: Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis A little-noticed provision in the 2,232-page government spending bill passed last week bans U.S. arms from going to a controversial ultranationalist militia in Ukraine that has openly accepted neo-Nazis into its ranks. House-passed spending bills for the past three years have included a ban on U.S. aid to Ukraine from going to the Azov Battalion, but the provision was stripped out before final passage each year. This year, though, the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill signed into law last week stipulates that none of the funds made available by this act may be used to provide arms, training or other assistance to the Azov Battalion. White supremacy and neo-Nazism are unacceptable and have no place in our world, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), an outspoken critic of providing lethal aid to Ukraine, said in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday. I am very pleased that the recently passed omnibus prevents the U.S. from providing arms and training assistance to the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion fighting in Ukraine. A year later that language was again stripped from the omnibus spending bill. Three years on and the very same Nazis are greeted by prominent members of Congress: California Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff, who pushed the Trump-Russia hoax as hard as anyone, invited neo-Nazis serving in Ukraines Azov Battalion to the U.S. Capitol and met with them on Monday. The American Left is openly aligning itself with Nazis while painting its domestic political opposition as Nazis who present a danger to democracy, Sean Adl-Tabatabai noted in a Sept. 27 News Punch analysis. How quickly they seem to forget. Just three years ago, 40 U.S. senators signed a letter demanding that the Azov Battalion be added to a list of terrorist organizations. ... When it was reported that the Azov Battalion was in the thick of the fight against Russias invasion this year, however, Democrats and their legacy media allies treated them more as heroes than terrorists, critics say. ... During their visit, the Ukrainian soldiers reportedly thanked the U.S. Congress for the billions in aid it has approved thus far and then asked for more. There is whole series of pictures of Democrat congressmen and senators meeting such groups posted by Daria Kaleniuk, the assistant director of a Ukrainian activist group called Anti-Corruption Action Centre. The Anti Corruption Action Center is a U.S. government financed non-government organization in Kiev. Together with Ukraine's controversial National Anti-corruption Bureau it is a political enforcer which accuses anyone in Ukraine of 'corruption' as soon as they divert from the U.S. dictated line. Back in July it even took on Zelenski: [M]any political experts and anti-corruption activists viewed the removal of Ivan Bakanov, head of Ukraines state intelligence service, the SBU, and Iryna Venediktova, the countrys prosecutor general, by presidential decree as Zelenskyy taking advantage of extraordinary wartime authority to consolidate his own power. Its not a move to do the right thing. Its a move to gain more control over our top law enforcement bodies, Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer and activist at the Kyiv-based Anti-Corruption Action Center, said in an interview. The U.S. financed Anti-Corruption Action Center is now promoting the visits of fascists to the center of U.S. power. Democrats are welcoming them. Their hate of anything Russia allows them to ally with even the worst people one can think of while main stream media provide cover for those people's hateful ideology. Posted by b on October 5, 2022 at 8:45 UTC | Permalink Comments next page More FM is living for summer and is sending you to Raro for 5 nights with $5,000 His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, today (October 5) announced a proposed set of new labour market reforms that will replace Flexi Permits. The changes will increase protections for expatriate workers and streamline processes involved with registering for work or change of employment, reported BNA. The new measures represent the next step in Bahrains strong track record of leading regional reform in this area. In 2017, Bahrain secured Tier-1 Status in the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report, which ranks it alongside countries such as France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany across a range of areas. The reforms, which would be implemented by Bahrains Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), include: 1.The establishment of new labour registration centres and an online registration portal to increase ease of worker registration 2.Guaranteed Labour Market Regulatory Authority representation for any disputes between employee and employer 3.New measures to link work permits to vocational and occupational standards to increase safety and protections in places of work Under the reforms, which will be implemented by the Kingdoms Labour Market Regulatory Authority, inspections to identify employers engaged in illegal activity will be increased to safeguard the rights of employers, workers, and the Kingdom's business community, said the BNA report. The changes will also provide a more robust structure to allow employers to have greater flexibility to pay and source labour, driving growth of the private sector which sits at the heart of the Kingdoms ongoing development, it added. Sprinklr to Quadruple R&D Headcount in Singapore Customer experience management specialist Sprinklr has announced plans to more than quadruple the size of its Singapore-based Research and Development (R&D) Center to up to 100 professionals, during the next 36 months. Launched in 2009, NYC-based Sprinklr helps brands listen to, engage and reach customers across dozens of social media channels on one unified platform. In 2020, the firm raised $200m, at a $2.7 billion valuation, before opening the R&D center in Singapore. Sprinklr has already started recruiting and investing in engineers in the Singapore office. CEO and founder Ragy Thomas (pictured) explains: 'We selected Singapore as the company's Asia Pacific headquarters in recognition of its position as a regional hub for technology, innovation and business. Singapore provides Sprinklr access to an exceptional talent pool and serves as a gateway as we scale our business across the region'. Web site: www.sprinklr.com . Bahrain-based Taha International Industrial Services, a major company working for the elimination of waste from the aluminium industry, said it has been signed up by Indian refining company Runaya for supply of two additional hot dross processing units. These units are based on a patent that was developed by Bahraini and foreign experts at Taha International in Bahrain and is currently being employed by a rising number of aluminum smelters worldwide, said the company in a statement. The hot dross processing technology has the ability to change how companies handle their dross, thus making the process environmentally friendly and, most importantly, zero-waste. A recent study conducted by Ernst & Young, the Netherlands in collaboration with the renowned Austrian Montan University Leoben found that compared to other processes, Tahas process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80%. In short, it provides a sustainable, zero-waste solution for handling and processing aluminum dross, making for a trailblazing green business solution that Runaya Refining trusts to further transform the Indian aluminum industry, it stated. In short, it provides a sustainable, zero-waste solution for handling and processing aluminium dross, it added. According to Taha, the new Sarah hot dross processing units will make for a trailblazing green business solution that Runaya Refining trusts to further transform the Indian aluminium industry. Runaya Refining had placed this order to boost its capacity for refining, as well as strategising to employ cutting-edge technologies in the manufacturing industry while also preserving the environment. The acquisition will also help the Indian aluminum industry to grow through valuable tie-ups between national and global industry leaders. Runaya Refining currently serves 67% of Indias primary aluminum producers, it added. Lauding the successful collaboration, Taha International Group CEO Patrick Pollmann said: "Runaya has shown great leadership by continuously adopting innovative solutions and fully committing to sustainability in the field of aluminum." "By significantly increasing their processing capacities, they are making another critical contribution to greening the Indian aluminum industry. I am excited about the opportunities this key partnership will offer in the time to come," he added. Taha International CEO Ammar Awachi said: "The aluminum dross processing technology has the potential to transform how companies manage their aluminum waste, making it more ecologically friendly and, most importantly, free of toxic and dangerous waste." "This is in line with our commitment to support the strategy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in addressing environmental and climate challenges and to bring carbon emissions to net zero by 2060," remarked Awachi. On the key tieup, Runaya Refining CEO Annanya Agarwal said: "With sustainable solutions and innovative technologies at the heart of Runaya, we continue working towards our vision of a greener and sustainable tomorrow." "Converting Waste-to Wealth is our driving force, and through such acquisitions, we have prevented 40,000 tonnes of hazardous industrial waste from causing harm to the environment at large- which further help us to achieve more and contribute our part towards creating an AtmaNirbhar Bharat," added Agarwal.-TradeArabia News Service The third edition of the Future Food Forum 2022, organised and hosted by the UAE Food & Beverage Manufacturers Business Group, in strategic partnership with Dubai Chamber and Food Tech Valley, will address topics including sustainability, food security, retail supply chain management, digital technologies and the future of farming among other topics. Happening at Grand Hyatt Dubai on October 5 and 6, the Future Food Forum will host a 600+ C-level delegation including ministers, senior government officials, business leaders, academics and representatives from global brands and local start-ups as well as international experts from Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, the UK, US, France, Switzerland, and Denmark, to discuss future opportunities and challenges facing the sector. The Forum is supported by leading F&B manufacturers and technology companies, including Agthia, IFFCo, Nestle and GE. Saleh Lootah, Chairman, UAE Food & Beverage Business Group, commented: "UAEs efforts in sustainable development, climate action, and food security in the post-pandemic times explore synergies to strengthen the sector's competitiveness and importance in achieving the goals of the National Food Security Strategy, which include being at the top of the global food security index by 2051. The Future Food Forum 2022 will once again bring stakeholders together for in-depth and interesting discussions to promote a circular economy and pave a way for the transformation of food manufacturing." The GCC countries have traditionally been an import market for food and beverages, importing up to 80% of food due to their desert atmosphere. With looming supply chain disruption due to the war in Ukraine, Covid-19-related border closures, climate change, lower production in source countries, and increasing food wastage, there is an alarming food security situation in the Middle East region. Meanwhile, Mena countries are ramping up their agri-tech initiatives: Saudi Arabia is investing $665 million in local agriculture; the US and the UAE are collaborating on the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for climate; Abu Dhabi is launching a $270 million accelerator programme to position the emirate as a global hub for innovation in the agricultural innovation; Egypt is investing $2.1 billion in food security projects, and Kuwait's Wafra invests $100 million in an agri-tech startup. Signalling that food and beverage manufacturing is a key sector driving growth and performance of the regional economies. In light of these developments, key leaders at Future Food Forum 2022 will shed light on the challenges and opportunities available and why government organisations and local and international manufacturers need to play their role in the F&B sector to contribute to the regions sustainable economic growth and food security. The two-day event will feature several panel discussions to assess F&B business and the government's engagement with manufacturers. Topics to be focused on include sustainable food manufacturing, innovative strategies to promote food security, digitalisation in F&B manufacturing, circular economy, innovation and regulatory challenges and opportunities.--TradeArabia News Service Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) has signed a MoU with Fresh Water Norway, aiming to explore expanding the water supply chain and bolster water security through the region. The collaboration, which stands to support Fresh Water Norways UAE foothold, could see a staggering 1 billion litres of pure natural drinking water flow through Dubai every year, over a period of 50 years, said DMCC in its statement. The latest announcement is timed to coincide with DMCCs plans to launch its own water centre a move triggered in part by concerns at global water insecurity and volatility of supply. Further details are expected to be announced in the coming months, sad, DMCC said in a press statement.. The MoU is viewed as a core strategic collaboration for both parties. Fresh Water Norway will be able to avail in immediate terms of DMCCs world-class services, global connections and network across supply chains, and unrivalled ability to drive trade flows through Dubai. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said, DMCC is very proud to partner with Fresh Water Norway. This is a critical time for our planet and more needs to be done urgently to deal with major environmental and social challenges such as global water insecurity and high water stress facing countries as well as the plastic crisis in our oceans. Fresh Waters unique access to 1 billion litres of pure natural drinking water a year, combined with DMCCs unrivalled trade infrastructure and connectivity, provides a significant opportunity to address the imminent global challenge in the long-term. The launch of dedicated DMCC water centre in Dubai will not only bring the conversation of water to the forefront, but also attract the sector's leading companies to create a global centre for innovation, sustainable best practice, knowledge and education, while ensuring that the worlds most transported commodity has ability to reach water distressed areas," he added. Fresh Water Norway Chairman Alf Andersen said: "We are ready to export natural Norwegian drinking water to the region in collaboration with DMCC." "Whether exported in bulk for emergency water supply and storage, or ready-made for market consumption in fully recyclable packaging, we are confident Fresh Water Norways presence in Dubai and the region will enhance access to pure natural drinking water, and significantly reduce use of plastics," he added.-TradeArabia News Service A number of strategic partners from Bahrains startup ecosystem will join the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) in the Bahrain Pavilion in the upcoming Gitex Exhibition 2022 in Dubai. The exhibition is set to open on Monday, October 10, at the Dubai World Trade Centre and will run for five days until October 14. Tamkeen is sponsoring the Bahrain Pavilion with the participation of 30 Bahraini SMEs and startups from the information technology and telecommunication (ICT) sector. Bahrains participation is being organised in collaboration with Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH). The Bahraini delegation will comprise representatives from Tamkeen, the Information and eGovernment Authority, the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the Bahrain Development Bank, and Hope Fund. This participation highlights the Kingdoms commitment to supporting the local startup ecosystem across all economic sectors, especially the ICT sector which actively contributes to driving economic growth by creating job opportunities for local talent. This participation will also provide opportunities to attract international investments by meeting with global technology companies and exchanging knowledge and expertise, said a Tamkeen statement. Maha Mofeez, Acting Chief Executive of Tamkeen, emphasised Tamkeens commitment to maintaining ongoing collaboration with the relevant government organisations that represent Team Bahrain in alignment with national priorities to fulfill the objectives of the economic recovery plan, thus driving greater impact for the national economy. She stated: It is a priority for us to represent the Kingdom of Bahrain in prestigious international events such as the annual Gitex Exhibition which attracts some of the biggest ICT companies from across the globe. By sponsoring the Bahrain Pavilion, we will support startups and SMEs from the local ICT sector and enable them to enhance their performance and explore opportunities for growth and expansion, allowing them to promote their services and compete in regional and international markets. She added: The Bahrain Pavilion will also host the Bahrain delegation that will represent the Kingdom during the event and share Bahrains experience in developing and supporting its ICT sector, as well as network with international experts in ICT and bring back a wealth of knowledge that can benefit the development and growth of this high potential sector in Bahrain - TradeArabia News Service Jake Lacy becomes a lead after years of supporting roles View Photo While most people slowed down during the pandemic, Jake Lacys schedule accelerated. It began with filming The White Lotus for HBO, where his portrayal of an entitled newlywed dissatisfied with his honeymoon hotel room earned Lacy his first Emmy nomination. Since White Lotus, I feel like I havent stopped moving. If Im home between now and New Years, thatll be the longest weve been in one place in two plus years, said Lacy, 38, over Zoom from his home in Connecticut that he shares with his wife and two sons. But hes also quick to note his good fortune because My love for this work fires every one of my cylinders. When its good, its good. Theres just nothing better for me (besides) my family and this work. Maybe reading books. Thats it. Lacy has been recognizable for more than a decade, popping up, for instance, on the final season of The Office as Pete, a new salesman at Dunder Mifflin, or as a suitor for Rooney Mara in Carol. There was also a recurring role as Lena Dunhams good-guy boyfriend, Fran, in HBOs Girls. Although he was working consistently, Lacy said doubt about that next job would creep in. I felt like, I dont know how Im going to have two kids and buy a house and do this, like it just might not happen then a job would come along and buoy me long enough to not feel that way anymore. When White Lotus began production, Lacy said the set was energized by having cameras roll again. I think because of the pandemic, none of us had filmed in a year or eight months at best. There was a real enthusiasm and kind of gnawing excitement to be like, Get me out there, lets do this, you know? Murray Bartlett remembers the first scene he and I had when Im coming to complain about the room. He was like, I remember we both came at each other like two wild dogs. (Creator) Mike White had to go like, All right. This is the first time, lets pull it back a little bit, Lacy laughed. His latest role, in the new Peacock limited series A Friend of the Family, is more sinister. He portrays a man who ingrains himself into a church-going family in the 1970s, only to abduct one of the daughters twice. A Friend of the Family drops its first four episodes Thursday with the remaining five doled out weekly. Lacy plays Robert Berchtold or B who meets the Broberg family and immediately zeros in on one of the young daughters, Jan. B manipulates the Brobergs in a multitude of ways to gain access to Jan. The series is based on true events with the real Jan Broberg and her mother, Mary Ann, signed on as producers. (A documentary about the case, Abducted in Plain Sight, began streaming on Netflix in 2019.) When he took the job, Lacy wanted to make sure the children who worked on the series would be regarded with care. Right from the jump, I asked (showrunner) Nick (Antosca), How are you handling the abuse? He was like, We dont. We dont show it. Narratively, I have no interest in it. As a producer, I dont want to create that kind of television. As the person portraying the abuser, Lacy said he wanted to make sure both the kids and their parents felt safe because the worst thing would be to try to tell a story about grooming and trauma and in the process, traumatize a kid. His concerns were lessened by production who he credits with checking every box you could ask for. The production went out of their way to do that as well, both having a therapist on set always by union regulations, and then also changing the sides and scripts that were given to the kids, to protect them from what the experience was. The series also stars Lio Tipton, as Berchtolds long-suffering wife, and Colin Hanks and Anna Paquin as Jans parents who each experience their own entanglements with the man. On screen they were adversaries, but Hanks says working with Lacy sparked a new friendship. Ill be quite honest, we were cracking jokes nonstop all the way up until action and then immediately after cut, said Hanks. I think that made the work that much easier. It became very evident that we were kind of cut from the same cloth and that we needed to be able to think about everything else, anything else, and then we can go and do all the dark stuff that we have to do. We had an absolute blast. Hes an incredibly talented individual, and Im really, really proud of the work that we did together. Also this month, Lacy co-stars in the genre-blending film Significant Other, premiering Friday on Paramount+. Lacy and Maika Monroe play a young couple on a camping trip in Oregon. Its a tough thing to talk about because the basis of the movie is a spoiler. You can only kind of offer up the first act and be like, Theyre camping and a thing happens, he laughed. But when the switch flips, it was a lot of fun to do. ___ This story has been corrected to show that Mike White is the creator of The White Lotus. By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press Bus plunges into gorge in India; kills 25 on board View Photo NEW DELHI (AP) A bus in northern India plunged into a gorge, leaving at least 25 dead and over a dozen others injured, officials said. Police told the Press Trust of India news agency there were 45 to 50 people on board the bus, all of whom were part of a wedding party, when it fell Tuesday evening into a gorge in Pauri district in Uttarakhand state. State police and the disaster response force worked alongside locals to rescue 21 people Tuesday night at the site of the crash, police chief Ashok Kumar tweeted. Vijay Kumar Jogdande, a senior government officer, said they would be carrying out an investigation into the incident and will conduct postmortem examinations after retrieving the bodies from the site. Officials were seen clearing the area of bushes and trees to help with the rescue operation as they pulled up an injured person. Rescuers also retrieved a dead body using ropes before they were taken away on a stretcher. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said all possible assistance will be given to those affected. In this tragic hour my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest, he tweeted Wednesday. Deadly road accidents are common in India due to reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles. More than 110,000 people are killed every year in road accidents across India, according to police. Ukraine nuclear workers recount abuse, threats from Russians View Photo ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine (AP) Alone in his apartment in the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine, nuclear plant security guard Serhiy Shvets looked out his kitchen window in late May and saw gunmen approaching on the street below. When his buzzer rang, he was sure he was about to die. Shvets, a former soldier in Ukraines military who was loyal to Kyiv, knew the gunmen would either kill or abduct and torture him. He thought briefly about recording a farewell to his family, who had fled to safety abroad, but instead lit a cigarette and grabbed his gun. Six Russian soldiers broke down his door and opened fire, which he returned. Wounded in the hand, thigh, ear and stomach, Shvets began to lose consciousness. Before he did, he heard the commander of the group tell his men to cease fire and call an ambulance. Shvets, who survived the shooting, is among workers from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant recounting their fears of being abducted and tortured or killed by Russian forces occupying the facility and the city of Enerhodar. Ukrainian officials say the Russians have sought to intimidate the staff into keeping the plant running, through beatings and other abuse. but also to punish those who express support for Kyiv. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was taking ownership of the plant. With his decree, he ordered the creation of a state company to manage the facility and said all workers now need Russian permission to work there. Ukraine condemned the illegal Russian takeover attempt and called on the West to impose sanctions on the Russian state nuclear operator, Rosatom, and for all countries to limit civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia. Ukraines state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it considers Putins decree worthless and absurd. It said the plant would continue to be operated by Energoatom as part of the Ukrainian energy system. A GOOD LIFE BEFORE THE WAR Life was good for employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before the Russian invasion of Feb. 24. They were guaranteed a financially secure and stable life for their families. And even though Ukraine still bears the psychological scars of the worlds worst atomic accident at Chernobyl in 1986, the Zaporizhzhia plant Europes largest nuclear facility with its six reactors provided jobs for about 11,000 people, making Enerhodar with its prewar population of 53,000 one of the wealthiest cities in the region. But after Russia occupied the city early in the war, that once-comfortable life turned into a nightmare. The invaders overran the ZNPP, about 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) from Enerhodar, but kept the Ukrainian staff in place to run it. Both sides accused the other of shelling the plant, damaging power lines connecting it to the grid and raising international alarm for its safety. Ukrainian officials say the Russians used the plant as a shield as they shelled nearby towns. Reports of intimidation of the staff and abductions began trickling out over the summer. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.s atomic watchdog, told The Associated Press about reports of violence between the Russians and the Ukrainian staff. Grossi traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday and will be in Russia later to hold consultations on Moscows intention to take over the plant and to continue his push for a safety zone to be established around it, the IAEA said in a statement. About 4,000 ZNPP workers have fled. Those who stayed cited threats of kidnap and torture underscored by the abduction Friday of plant director Ihor Murashov, who was seized and blindfolded by Russian forces on his way home from work. He was freed Monday after being forced to make false statements on camera, according to Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom. He told AP Murashov was released at the edge of Russian-controlled territory and walked about 15 kilometers (9 miles) to a Ukrainian-held area. I would say it was mental torture, Kotin said of what Murashov suffered. He had to say that all the shelling on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was made by Ukrainian forces and that he is a Ukrainian spy in contact with Ukrainian special forces. Enerhodars exiled Mayor Dmytro Orlov, who spoke to Murashov after his release, said the plant official told him he had spent two days in solitary confinement in the basement, with handcuffs and a bag on his head. His condition can hardly be called normal. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Murashovs abduction as yet another manifestation of absolutely uncovered Russian terror. TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN THERE More than 1,000 people, including plant workers, were abducted from Enerhodar, although some have been released, Orlov estimated. He fled to Zaporizhzhia, the nearest city under Ukrainian control, after refusing to cooperate with the Russians. Kotin estimated that 100-200 of those abducted are still being held. Orlov said the first abduction was March 19, when Russians seized his deputy, Ivan Samoidiuk, whose whereabouts remain unknown. The abductions then accelerated, he said. Mostly, they took people with a pro-Ukrainian position, who were actively involved in the resistance movement, he said. Orlov alleged they were tortured at various locations in Enerhodar, including at the citys police station, in basements elsewhere and even in the ZNPP itself. Terrible things happen there, he said. People who managed to come out say there was torture with electric currents, beatings, rape, shootings. Some people didnt survive. Similar sites were seen by AP journalists in parts of the Kharkiv region abandoned by Russian troops after a Ukrainian counteroffensive. In the city of Izium, an AP investigation uncovered 10 separate torture sites. Plant worker Andriy Honcharuk died in a hospital on July 3 shortly after the Russians released him, beaten and unconscious, for refusing to follow their orders at the facility, Orlov said. Oleksii, a worker who said he was responsible for controlling the plants turbines and reactor compartment, fled Enerhodar in June when he learned Russian troops were looking for him. He asked not to be identified by his full name for fear of reprisal. It was psychologically difficult, Oleksii told the AP in Kyiv. You go to the station and see the occupiers there. You come to your workplace already depressed. Many plant employees visited the basements and were tortured there, he said. Graves appeared in the forest that surrounds the city. That is, everyone understands that something horrible is happening, he said. They abduct people for their pro-Ukrainian position, or if they find any Telegram groups on their phone. This is enough for them to take a person away. Another employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety said he was unafraid of working at the plant despite the shelling but decided to flee in September after colleagues were seized. He said Russians visited his home twice while he was away, and the possibility of torture was too much for him. The plants last reactor was shut down in September to guard against a disaster from constant shelling, which cut reliable external power supplies needed for cooling and other safety systems. Kotin said the company could restart two of the reactors in a matter of days to protect safety installations as winter approaches and temperatures drop. But the power plant sits in one of four regions that Russia declares it has annexed, making its future uncertain. Kotin on Tuesday renewed his call for a demilitarized zone around the plant, where two IAEA experts are based. FREEDOM OR DEATH For Serhiy Shvets, whose apartment was raided May 23, it was only a matter of time before the Russians came for him during the occupation of Enerhodar, he said. He had signed up to serve in Ukraines territorial defense forces shortly after the invasion and had sent his wife and other relatives abroad for safety. He said the Russian forces who shot him called the ambulance so I could die in the hospital. Doctors initially gave him a 5% chance of survival after he lost nearly two-thirds of his blood. But following several operations, he was well enough to leave Enerhodar in July and is living in Zaporizhzhia. Shvets, whose right hand is in a metal brace, quietly exhaled from pain as he moved it and said the only thing he regrets now is that he is too disabled to fight. Im a descendant from Zaporozhian Cossacks, he said, referring to his ancestors who lived on the territory of Ukraine from the 15th to 18th centuries and defended it from invaders. There was no such thing as surrender for them just freedom or death. He added: Why would I want such a life if I dont have my freedom? ___ Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed. ___ Follow APs coverate of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By HANNA ARHIROVA Associated Press Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Russia is taking ownership of Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europes largest. Putin signed a decree Wednesday ordering the creation of a state company to manage the facility and said all workers now need Russian permission to work there. Russian troops have occupied the plant for months. Ukraine condemned the illegal Russian takeover attempt and called on the West to impose sanctions on the Russian state nuclear operator, Rosatom, and for all countries to limit civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia. Ukraines state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it considers Putins decree worthless and absurd. It said the plant would continue to be operated by Energoatom as part of the Ukrainian energy system. ___ KEY DEVELOPMENTS: Putin signs laws annexing 4 Ukrainian regions Ukraine nuclear workers recount abuse, threats from Russians Experts: Russia finding new ways to spread propaganda videos EU agrees on price cap for Russian oil over Ukraine war Belarus opposition hopeful at Russian setbacks in Ukraine Ukraine links World Cup host bid to beating horrors of war ___ OTHER DEVELOPMENTS: WARSAW, Poland Ukraines prosecutor general says more evidence of torture and unnecessary killings is turning up in areas of the country previously held by Russian forces, including four bodies found in the Kharkiv region with bound or handcuffed hands. Andriy Kostin also told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a security conference in Polands capital on Wednesday that he had just heard about the bodies. He said the dead people were believed to be civilians but an investigation was needed to determine that. Two were found in a factory in the city Kupiansk with their hands bound behind their backs, while the other two were discovered handcuffed in the village of Novoplatonivka, according to Kostin. During public remarks at the Warsaw Security Forum, Kostin said Ukrainian authorities also discovered six cars where 24 civilians were killed near Kupiansk. The victims included 13 children and a pregnant woman who were killed while trying to escape, he said, without specifying when the killings took place. Kostin also said that Russias proclaimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions means nothing legally but only serves as evidence of Russias intentional policy in the crimes of aggression. ___ MADRID, Spain Leaders of Spain and Germany are meeting in northwestern Spain for a brief summit centering on Europes energy crisis and consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and 15 ministers from their governments are attending the meeting Wednesday in the city of A Coruna. Germanys gas supplies have been cut by its main provider Russia and the country is interested in proposals to build a gas pipeline linking the Iberian peninsula to the rest of Europe. The two will also discuss European fiscal policies and possibly Germanys suggested European anti-missile defense shield. ___ MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin says results of the referendums that Moscow held in four regions of Ukraine before annexing them are valid despite being described as a sham by the West and Kyiv. The vote results are more than convincing, and it is absolutely transparent and not subject to any doubt, Putin said. This is objective data on peoples mood, the Russian president said at an event dedicated to the Teachers Day. He added that he himself was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian officials are reporting further strategic losses for Russia within the territories Moscow has illegally annexed following sham referendums. Russian troops have started to withdraw from a southern Ukrainian city that was annexed along with the Kharson region though it administratively belongs to the neighboring Mykolaiv area, said Mykolaiv governor Vitaliy Kim on Wednesday. Kim says officials are seeking to confirm that officers have left Snihurivka, but there are troops still remaining there. Earlier, a Russia-installed official, Yury Barbashov, admitted Ukrainian troops were advancing toward the city but claimed Russia was still in control. Snihurivka, a city of 12,000, is a strategic railway hub in the Mykolaiv region. The Russians have seized the city in March and then annexed it together with the neighboring Kherson region. In the eastern Luhansk region, the governor Serhiy Haidai said Wednesday that Ukrainian forces have retaken several localities in the region, which also is among the four illegally annexed by Moscow. The de-occupation of the Luhansk region has begun, we can talk about it officially several settlements have been liberated from the Russian army and the invaders, Haidai said in a video statement on Telegram. The official did not name the recaptured places, but said that the retreating Russian forces are trying to mine everything as much as possible roads, buildings, everything around. ___ BRUSSELS The head of the European Unions executive arm wants to introduce checks on key EU infrastructure, including energy, after the suspected sabotage of natural-gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday that the damage last week to the Nord Stream pipelines linking Russia and Germany has shown how vulnerable our energy infrastructure is. She says that a comprehensive plan is needed to ensure the safety of key EU networks, including for data. Von der Leyen also says that satellite surveillance will be used to detect potential threats. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Residents of Ukraines capital of Kyiv have expressed anger and dismay that Russia declared annexations of parts of their country. Sofia Moroz, 20, says she cant understand how all this is happening. Moroz adds its strange, there is sovereignty, there is a country. There is a state, borders, ministries, she said. I cant understand why some people decided to change it. Why is it like that? For what? Olha Sviatka, 19, from Kyiv, says its not logical and its not true. The land is not Russian, so they must not touch it. A 38-year-old man from Kyiv who identified himself only by his first name, Oleh, says its my land. They, Russians, need to be thrown out, he says. All of them. Serhiy Lischuk, 26, agrees: Its our country and we will defend it, and our rights. ___ KYIV, Ukraine The head of Ukraines nuclear power company says he will take over managing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, after its director was first kidnapped and then released by Russian forces who occupy the facility. Petro Kotin, the head of Energoatom, said Wednesday he will be running the plant from the capital Kyiv. Ukrainian workers continue to operate the facility, which shut down its last operational reactor last month. Zaporizhzhia is Europes biggest nuclear plant. Fighting close to the complex has sparked fears of leaks or incidents. ___ WARSAW, Poland Belarus opposition leader says she believes that Russian military setbacks in Ukraine could shake Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenkos hold on power. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said at a security conference in Warsaw on Wednesday that it seems that Russia is about to lose this war, and that, if it does, it will no longer be able to prop up the Belarusian dictator. Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania after Russian ally Lukashenko claimed victory in August 2020 elections that were viewed in the West as fraudulent, and which many thought she won. She told the Warsaw Security Forum that hundreds of Belarusian volunteers have supported Ukrainians in their recent liberation of Ukrainian territory, and that 15 have died. ___ Researchers at the U.S.-based intelligence firm Nisos say in a new report that Russia has disguised its own propaganda videos so they can be posted on platforms such as Twitter without revealing their true origin. The report says the videos falsely claim that Ukraine caused civilian deaths attributed to Russian forces or say residents of areas forcibly annexed by Russia welcome their occupiers. The reported new tactic is Russias latest attempt to circumvent efforts by European governments and tech companies trying to stop Kremlin propaganda and disinformation about the war. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian officials have released disturbing evidence and images they say are from areas that Ukrainian forces recently have retaken from Russian troops. Serhiy Bolvinov, who heads the investigative department of the national police in the eastern Kharkiv region, on Wednesday said authorities are investigating an alleged Russian torture chamber in the village of Pisky-Radkivski. He posted an image showing a box of what appeared to be precious metal teeth and dentures presumably extracted from those held at the site. ___ MOSCOW Russian-installed authorities of the Kherson region accused Ukrainian forces on Wednesday of carrying out a missile strike on a hotel in the city of Kherson. Moscow-backed health officials in the region said one person was killed and three more were wounded. Ukrainian officials havent commented on the strike. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed laws on Thursday absorbing Kherson and three other Ukrainian regions occupied by his army into Russia after the Kremlin-orchestrated referendums that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham. Putins attempt to cement the increasingly precarious gains of Russias army come as Ukrainian troops are pressing a counteroffensive to reclaim those very regions. ___ MOSCOW The Kremlin held the door open for expanding areas of Ukraine under Russian control following the absorption of four regions it currently holds. Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed laws absorbing the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine into Russia after the Kremlin-orchestrated referendums that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham. The move came even as Ukrainian forces were pressing a counteroffensive to reclaim those regions. Asked about Ukraine taking back some territory in the four regions after their declared annexation, Peskov said Russia would reclaim them. He wouldnt say if Moscow planned to organize votes in any more Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine. ___ A former Russian state television journalist who quit after staging an on-air protest against the conflict in Ukraine and who was later charged with spreading false information about Russias armed force says she is no longer abiding by house arrest rules. Marina Ovsyannikova separately was charged in August for taking part in a street protest and holding a banner reading: (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is a killer, his soldiers are fascists. 352 children have been killed (in Ukraine). How many more children should die for you to stop? A former state-controlled Channel One employee, Ovsyannikova faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted under a law that penalizes statements against the military and that was enacted shortly after Russian troops moved into Ukraine. Ovsyannikova was placed under house arrest pending an investigation and trial, but over the weekend her ex-husband claimed she had escaped with her young daughter. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Ovsyannikova said that starting from Sept. 30, I refuse to abide by the restrictions imposed on me in the form of house arrest and (I) release myself from it. ___ BRUSSELS European Union countries agreed on Wednesday to impose new sanctions on Russia after it illegally annexed four regions in Ukraine, according to an EU official, including an expected price cap on Russian oil. No details of the sanctions were immediately released. They will be published as soon as Thursday. They are expected to include a price cap on Russian oil, curbs on EU exports of aircraft components to the country and limits on Russian steel imports. The moves build on already unprecedented European sanctions against Russia as a result of its war against Ukraine since February. EU measures to date include restrictions on energy from Russia, bans on financial transactions with Russian entities including the central bank and asset freezes against more than 1,000 people and 100 organizations. They also include a ban on most Russian oil products from December. ___ MOSCOW A Russian-installed official in the Kherson region insisted Wednesday that Ukrainian advances in the region have been halted. Kirill Stremousov, in comments to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, said that as of this morning there are no movements by Kyivs forces. Stremousov vowed that they wont enter (the city of) Kherson, it is impossible. He added that the Russian forces in the region were regrouping in order to gather strength and strike (back.) ___ KYIV, Ukraine Ukraines presidential office says that at least five civilians have been killed and eight have been wounded by the latest Russian shelling. A statement on Wednesday says Russian troops used six Iranian suicide drones to strike the town of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, leaving one person wounded. The strikes were the first on the town since March when the Russians retreated from the areas near the Ukrainian capital after a failed attempt to capture it. Russian forces also shelled areas on the western bank of the Dnieper River, facing the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and in the Donetsk region. In Sviatohirsk, which was reclaimed by Ukrainian forces, a burial ground for civilians was found and bodies of four civilians were discovered, according to Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. ___ KYIV, Ukraine Kyiv has dismissed as worthless the laws that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on Wednesday formalizing the annexation of four Ukrainian regions into Russia. The worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on, the head of the Ukraine Presidents Office, Andriy Yermak, said on Telegram messaging application. A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said in his nightly address that he has signed a decree rendering void any of Putins acts designed to annex Ukrainian territories since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Any Russian decisions, any treaties with which they try to seize our land all this is worthless, Zelenskyy said at the end of his video address. ___ MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws formally absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, even as its military is struggling to hang on to control of the regions it illegally annexed. The documents finalizing the annexation carried out in defiance of international laws were published on a Russian government website on Wednesday morning. Earlier this week, both houses of the Russian parliament ratified treaties making the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia. That followed Kremlin-orchestrated referendums in the four regions that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham. On the ground, the conflict has entered a new, more dangerous phase. Russia faces mounting setbacks, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the east and in the south the very regions Moscow has pushed to annex. ___ KYIV, Ukraine The Ukrainian army has recaptured a number of villages in the Kherson region as a part of its massive counteroffensive in the south of the country, the regional military command said. The Ukrainian flag has been raised above Liubymivka, Khreschenivka, Zolota Balka, Biliaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka and Mala Oleksandrivka villages, Operational Command South said. The villages are all concentrated on the right bank of the Dnipro river in the northern part of the region. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By The Associated Press Spain, Germany discuss energy crisis before EU summit View Photo MADRID (AP) The leaders of Spain and Germany held talks in Spain Wednesday, two days before both participate in an European Union summit to discuss Europes energy crisis derived from Russias invasion of Ukraine. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez hosted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the northwestern city of A Coruna. The two center-left leaders were accompanied by 15 ministers from their governments. The EU summit in Prague on Friday will likely include discussions on Germanys plan to subsidize gas prices for its consumers and businesses, a move that has raised questions from France and Italy. Sanchez said that he empathizes with Germany due to its pressing need to find alternatives to Russian gas and oil, while adding that the EU should find common solutions. Both Sanchez and Scholz support reforming the EUs energy market. The consequences of the war in Ukraine impact us all, but clearly it has a greater impact on the countries with a higher dependency on Russian carbon-based fuels so we empathize with the situation that Germany is in, Sanchez said. (And) Germany is Europes leading economy, so it is in all our interests that Germany does well. Scholz, meanwhile, reiterated his support for Spains push to build another, larger pipeline with France that could pump natural gas, and potentially green hydrogen, northwards to the rest of Europe. That plan, however, has received zero support from French president Emmanuel Macron. Scholz said that they did not discuss Germanys suggested European anti-missile defense shield as some local media had anticipated. On Thursday, leaders of over 40 EU and non-EU countries will meet in Prague to launch a European Political Community championed by Macron and aimed at boosting security and prosperity across the continent. The next day the leaders of the 27 EU members will gather to talk about energy and the war in Ukraine. Detained Iranian-American, 85, leaves Iran for major surgery View Photo DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) An 85-year-old Iranian-American detained for six years in Iran on what the U.S. says were specious espionage charges left the country and was flown to Oman and then to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for urgent medical treatment. A lawyer for Baquer Namazis family and the Omani government confirmed his arrival in Muscat. Irans state-run IRNA news agency published video of Namazi boarding a Royal Oman air force jet in Tehran and later Omani state TV aired video of his arrival in Muscat. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday evening that Namazi had been reunited with his family in Abu Dhabi and would soon receive treatment. Namazis release is the first of an American by Iran since President Joe Biden took office, although his son, Siamak, 50, and several other Americans remain in Iranian custody. Baquer Namazis release on humanitarian grounds, which was brokered by the United Nations, comes as talks have stalled on reviving the tattered 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. Jared Genser, a Washington-based lawyer representing the Namazi family, shared a photo of Namazi on the plane in a suit and tie. Today is a good day for the Namazi family, but the work is far from over, Genser said in a statement. We now need the United States and Iran to act expeditiously to reach an agreement that will finally bring all of the American hostages home. In addition to Siamak Namazi, there are at least three other Americans still held by Iran. After a brief stop in Oman, Namazi will undergo a procedure at the local branch of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi to clear a severe blockage to his left internal carotid artery, Genser said. That blockage put Namazi at high risk of a stroke. Blinken said: Baquer has asked that we convey his deepest thanks to all of those who worked so tirelessly to secure his release. I add my own gratitude for all of the friends and partners who helped bring about his freedom. In particular, we thank the Sultanate of Oman, which worked with Iranian authorities to arrange for his flight out of the country, and the United Arab Emirates, which is generously hosting him and his family during his medical treatment, he added. Namazi is a former UNICEF official who served as governor of Irans oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah. He was arrested in 2016, apparently drawn to Iran over fears about his incarcerated son detained in 2015. He was placed under house arrest for medical reasons in 2018 but prevented from leaving Iran despite his familys pleas that he travel to receive emergency heart surgery after suffering multiple hospitalizations. Last October, he underwent surgery in Iran to clear a blockage in an artery to the brain that his family and supporters described as life-threatening. Security forces arrested his son, Siamak Namazi, an advocate of closer ties between Iran and the West, while he was visiting Iran on a business trip. Both Namazis were sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran on what the U.S. and U.N. say were trumped-up spying charges. The U.N.s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention dismissed the cases against the two men, saying in 2017 their case is part of an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals. There is no evidence either Mr. S. Namazi or Mr. B. Namazi had a criminal record, including in relation to national security offenses, their report read. There is nothing to indicate that they have ever acted against the national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ___ Lee reported from Washington. By MATTHEW LEE and JON GAMBRELL Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) A delegation from aspirant NATO member Sweden met with Turkish officials on Wednesday to discuss Ankaras demands for the extradition of people it considers to be terrorists, Turkeys state-run news agency reported. Turkey had threatened to block Sweden and Finlands bids to join the 30-member military alliance. It accused the two Nordic countries of ignoring Turkish security concerns, and insisted that they change their stance on Kurdish rebels and other groups that Turkey considers as terrorists. Ankara had also demanded that an arms embargo on Turkey be lifted. NATO operates by consensus and the Nordic countries membership needs Turkeys approval to go ahead. Officials from Sweden and Turkeys justice ministries began two days of talks to discuss the possible extradition of people with links to outlawed Kurdish groups or the network of an exiled cleric whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating a failed coup in 2016, the Anadolu Agency reported. Last week, Sweden announced that it would lift an arms embargo it imposed on Ankara in 2019, following Turkeys military operation against the Kurdish militia known as the YPG in Syria. The move was widely seen as a step aimed at securing Ankaras approval. Turkeys parliament has yet to ratify Sweden and Finlands NATO membership. Once-neutral Finland and Sweden are abandoning what in Swedens case has been 200 years of military nonalignment, driven to join NATOs mutual defense pact in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and its continuing war there. Meanwhile, Turkeys Foreign Ministry summoned Swedens ambassador to protest content on Swedish public television that allegedly insulted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The ambassador was told that excessive and ugly comments and images against Erdogan and Turkey were unacceptable, Anadolu said in a separate report. It provided no detail on the content. GOP optimistic about Senate chances despite Walker turmoil View Photo NEW YORK (AP) Leading Republicans are entering the final month of the midterm campaign increasingly optimistic that a Senate majority is within reach even as a dramatic family fight in Georgia clouds one of the partys biggest pickup opportunities. And as some Democrats crow on social media about apparent Republican setbacks, party strategists privately concede that their own shortcomings may not be outweighed by the GOPs mounting challenges. The evolving outlook is tied to a blunt reality: Democrats have virtually no margin for error as they confront the weight of history, widespread economic concerns and President Joe Bidens weak standing. There is broad agreement among both parties that the Democrats summertime momentum across states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin has eroded just five weeks before Election Day. Theres reason to be apprehensive, not reason to be gloomy, veteran Democratic strategist James Carville said. It looked like at the end of August we had a little momentum. I dont know if weve regressed any, but were not progressing in many places. That tepid outlook comes even as Republicans confront a series of self-imposed setbacks in the states that matter most in the 2022 midterms, which will decide the balance of power in Congress and statehouses across the nation. None has been more glaring than Herschel Walkers struggles in Georgia, where the Republican Senate candidates own son accused him of lying about his personal challenges including a report from The Daily Beast alleging that the anti-abortion Walker paid for a girlfriends abortion in 2009. Walker called the accusation a flat-out lie and said he would sue. Walker had not taken legal action as of late Tuesday, but he repeated his denials Wednesday morning during a Fox News interview, even as he talked generally of a difficult past as a husband and father. Shown an image of the get well card the Daily Beast reported that he sent to the girlfriend which was signed with an H, not his full signature Walker said, he doesnt sign cards with just an initial. The Republican establishment, including the Sen. Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, and former President Donald Trump himself remained staunchly behind Walker on Tuesday in his bid to oust first-term Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. A Walker campaign adviser said the candidate has raised at least $500,000 since he first responded publicly to The Daily Beast report. If youre in a fight, people will come to your aid, said Steven Law, head of the Senate Leadership Fund and a close ally of McConnell, R-Ky. Law said the Georgia race had grown increasingly competitive despite the Democrats focus on Walkers personal life. And looking beyond Georgia, Law said the political climate was predictably shifting against the party that controls the White House, as is typically the case in midterm elections. It certainly seems that voters are returning to a more traditional midterm frame of mind, Law said. Should Republicans gain even one Senate seat in November, they would take control of Congress upper chamber and with it, the power to control judicial nominations and policy debates for the last two years of Bidens term. Leaders in both parties believe Republicans are likely to take over the House. Even facing such odds, its far too soon to predict a Republican-controlled Congress. Democrats remain decidedly on offense and are spending heavily to try to flip Republican-held seats in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Voter opposition to the Supreme Courts decision this summer to strip women of their constitutional right to an abortion has energized the Democratic base and led to a surge in female voter registrations. Republicans are most focused on Democratic incumbents in Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Nevada, although Republican officials believe that underwhelming Trump-backed nominees in Arizona and New Hampshire have dampened the partys pickup opportunities. The Republican candidates theyre running are too extreme, said J.B. Poersch, who leads the pro-Democrat Senate Majority PAC. I think this is still advantage Democrats. Meanwhile, conditions in the top battleground states are rapidly evolving. In Pennsylvania, Republican Senate nominee Mehmet Oz faced difficult new questions this week raised by a Washington Post article about the medical products he endorsed as a daytime television star. Another news report by the news site Jezebel detailing how his research caused hundreds of dogs to be killed rippled across social media. Still, Democratic officials acknowledge the race tightened considerably as the calendar shifted to October. And while there is disagreement within the White House, some officials there are concerned about Democratic nominee John Fettermans stamina as he recovers from a May stroke. Senate Republicans had a very bad start to October, but we know each of our races will be tight and were going to keep taking nothing for granted, said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who leads the Senate Democrats campaign arm. The GOP Senate candidates latest challenges in Georgia and Pennsylvania dominated social media Monday and Tuesday, according to data compiled by GQR, a public opinion research firm that works with Democratic organizations. News stories about Walkers abortion accuser and Ozs animal research had the first- and second-highest reach of any news stories on Facebook and Twitter since they surfaced Monday, topping content related to the television show Sons of Anarchy, another report about Planned Parenthood mobile abortion clinics and news about Kanye West. GQR used the social listening tool NewsWhip, which tracks over 500,000 websites in more than 100 languages roughly in real time. In swing-state Nevada, the rhetoric from Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has become increasingly urgent in recent days as she fends off a fierce challenge from former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Within the White House, there is real fear that she could lose her reelection bid, giving Republicans the only seat they may need to claim the Senate majority. We have a big problem, friend, Cortez Masto wrote in a fundraising appeal Tuesday. Experts say that our race in Nevada could decide Senate control and right now, polling shows me 1 point behind my Trump-endorsed opponent. Democrats and their allies continue to hope that backlash against the Supreme Courts abortion decision will help them overcome historical trends in which the party controlling the White House almost always loses seats in Congress. Democrats, who control Washington, are also facing deep voter pessimism about the direction of the country and Bidens relatively weak approval ratings. The traditional rules of politics have often been broken in the Trump era. In past years, Republicans may have abandoned Walker. But on Tuesday, they linked arms behind him. Law, of the Senate Leadership Fund, said he takes Walker at his word that he did not pay for a former girlfriends abortion, despite apparent evidence of a Get Well card with Walkers signature and a check receipt. He said voters believe that Walker may have made mistakes in his personal life that affected him and his family, but Warnock has made mistakes in public life in Washington that affected them and their families. There were some signs of Republican concern on the ground in Georgia, however. Martha Zoller, a popular Republican radio host in north Georgia and one-time congressional candidate, told her audience Tuesday that the latest allegations require Walker to reset his campaign with a straightforward admission about his personal demons and what hes done to overcome them. He needs to fall on the sword. I was a dog. And I have asked forgiveness for it, she said, detailing the kind of message she believes Walker must give voters. It would be so refreshing to have somebody just tell the truth. Walker attempted his version of that strategy Wednesday on Fox News. Its like theyre trying to bring up my past to hurt me, he said, before quoting Christian New Testament text. Im a sinner. We all sin before the glory of God. Yet Walker insisted his past transgressions dont include encouraging and paying for an abortion. Everyone is anonymous, and everyone is leaking, and they want you to confess to something you have no clue about, he said. Veteran Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin warned his party against writing off the Georgia Republican. I wouldnt say Walker is done. Over the last couple of cycles weve certainly seen Republican candidates survive things that are not supposed to be survivable, Schwerin said. There are a lot of close races, and the dynamics of this election are difficult to predict. Everybody is expecting multiple shifts in momentum between now and Election Day. ___ Associated Press writers Zeke Miller in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report. By STEVE PEOPLES AP National Politics Writer Complainant testifies about Australian Parliament House rape View Photo CANBERRA, Australia (AP) A former government staffer testified Wednesday about being raped by a colleague in the Australian Parliament House and described her fears of not being believed because of the disparity in their workplace statuses. Brittany Higgins became the first witness to testify against Bruce Lehrmann, 27, who has pleaded not guilty in the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court to a charge of sexual intercourse without consent in a ministers office in March 2019. He faces a potential 12-year prison sentence if convicted. The jury heard evidence from Higgins in person and watched video recordings of her two interviews with police in February and May last year. Higgins said she was a 24-year-old staffer in an administrative role in then-Defense Industry Minister Linda Reynolds office while Lehrmann had a more senior role as a ministerial adviser. The pair had gone back to Parliament House early one Saturday morning after a night of heavy drinking with colleagues. Higgins said she thought Lehrmann wanted to collect documents from Reynolds office, where she fell asleep on a couch and was awoken by Lehrmann raping her. Higgins said she felt trapped, not human as Lehrmann hovered over her, grunting and making noise. She said she started crying and told him to stop but he continued. She told police that when she returned to work Monday, two days after the alleged rape, she feared she would be fired because her and Lehrmann entering the ministers office was flagged as a security breach. I knew what had happened to me was wrong, I knew I hadnt consented, she said. She told police she didnt think anyone would believe her story and figured Lehrmanns words carried more weight than hers because of his more senior role. He was in the office on Monday. He didnt seem ashamed (or) upset, Higgins said. It just didnt feel like something he wanted to address. On Tuesday after the alleged assault, Higgins said she was questioned by one of her superiors on why she had visited the office on the weekend. She told police when she identified the incident as a sexual assault to her former chief of staff, the gears shifted. It became less about me and more political, in a sense, she said. While her rape allegation was recorded, Higgins did not make a victim statement to police until 2021, after she quit her government job. Defense lawyer Steven Whybrow told the jury Higgins allegations had not been tested or proven and Lehrmann denied having sex with her. Higgins said Lehrmann had attempted to kiss her after a staff dinner weeks before the alleged rape. She said she politely rebuffed his advance and the pair never spoke about the moment again. I rebuffed the kiss mostly out of shock because I wasnt anticipating it, she told the court. She said during her career in Parliament other men had made similar passes at her. Higgins was allegedly raped only weeks before then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison set the date for the May 18 election that his conservative coalition won against expectations. Higgins said she was aware of the implications her allegations could have on the then-ruling Liberal Party the whole way through. I was so scared coming forward, she said. She conceded that her fear over damaging the partys election chances if her allegation was leaked to the media made it more difficult to verify her account later. Prosecutor Shane Drumgold flagged more than 50 witnesses who could be called to give evidence during the trial, which is expected to last between four and six weeks. Among the witnesses are Reynolds as well as former government ministers Michaelia Cash and Steven Ciobo. The Associated Press does not usually identify alleged victims of sexual assault, but Higgins has chosen to identify herself in the media. Morrisons coalition was voted out of office in May after nine years in power. Higgins will continue to testify when the trial resumes Thursday. Seera Group, a leading provider of diverse travel and tourism services in the Middle East, has partnered with the Saudi Air Connectivity Program, a government initiative which aims to develop and enhance tourism air connectivity in Saudi Arabia. Seera will work with the Air Connectivity Programs partner airlines to boost air capacity from Dubai to Riyadh and Jeddah, from Kuwait to Riyadh and Jeddah, and from Doha to AlUla during the peak winter periods. These flights will run from November 2022 to March 2023, on weekends to offer extra capacity to short-term weekend visitors. Under the partnership, Seera will source and operate the flights in collaboration with the airlines. Almosafer, Seeras travel unit, will support the sales and marketing of the flights on its platforms and also create a dedicated white-label platform to further facilitate sales. Seera will also carry out B2B sales to other agents. Khalil Lamrabet, CEO of the Air Connectivity Program, said: We are excited to partner with Seera to complement the existing air capacity from Dubai, Kuwait and Doha during the upcoming winter season. This partnership will enable us to respond to the increase of traffic demand during the weekends offering our visitors more options to visit the Kingdom seamlessly. Majed Alnefaie, CEO of Seera Group, said: We look forward to working with the Air Connectivity Program to support the tourism agenda of Saudi Vision 2030. The Kingdoms tourism sector is thriving, and we have witnessed incredibly strong demand for travel to and from the Kingdom this year. These additional routes will serve to meet this demand and enable more people to explore the Kingdoms many offerings. We will continue to build partnerships to unlock opportunities in the region and support Saudi Arabias transformational journey. The Air Connectivity Program is an initiative of the Saudi National Tourism Strategy. Established in 2021 by a resolution of the Saudi Arabia Council of Ministers, the initiative aims to enable and enhance the kingdoms air connectivity to support the development of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia, in line with Vision 2030. - TradeArabia News Service Yves here. Although a very tiny example of the thesis of article, your humble blogger can testify that theres a great deal of commercial pressure to put data in the cloud. Not only do tech companies and software consultants recommend cloud backup and storage as if theres no possible downside, but for some commercial services like website hosting, few vendors will offer local storage (as in your data and backups on dedicated servers that they control, but at different locations). This article gives a fine overview of the dangers of cloud services to their customers, including dependence and exposure to predation. Sadly, while the cloud services market is highly concentrated, regulators are behind the curve in recognizing its importance, let alone doing something about it. By Cecilia Rikap, Lecturer and Program Director of the BSc, International Political Economy (IPE) at City, University of London; Tenure Researcher, CONICET; Associate Researcher, COSTECH lab, Universite de Technologie de Compiegne. Originally published at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website At the end of July, Microsoft and Googles parent company, Alphabet, presented their latest and relatively disappointing economic results blaming it on the macroeconomic distress. What may have gone unnoticed is that both companies referred to their clouds as the main engines of growth. The cloud was also responsible for Amazons better-than-expected quarterly results. The cloud refers to computing services, including software, hardware, and platforms offered as services through the Internet instead of running locally on individual computers. By 2025, 45% of the worlds data storage will be on the cloud. We are constantly storing information and accessing online applications through the cloud. Moving operations to the cloud is also crucial for companies. Yet, this mass transfer of information technology from inside organizations to the cloud is a very recent phenomenon. In 2012, firms spent just USD 6.5b on cloud infrastructure services; by 2021, investments had jumped to USD 178b (representing an increase of 2,638%). While the Cloud is used by all sorts of companies and public sector organizations, its ownership is overwhelmingly dominated by just three firms. Together, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google concentrate around 65% of cloud infrastructure services. This market dominance matters more than concentration in other markets because it entrenches tech giants control of digital technologies, which reinforces their global power and the value they capture from other businesses in the form of intellectual rents paid to use those digital technologies. Companies developing specific artificial intelligence (AI) applications, for example, are dependent on tech giants cloud services including access to cleaned big databases to train their specific AI models. They also rent generic AI solutions, like facial recognition or autocomplete for written text, that are integrated into their targeted or specific applications. Netflix recently stated that it relies on services provided by Amazons cloud (Amazon Web Services, AWS) and that it could not easily switch to another cloud provider. Other platform companies like Uber which can only operate accessing Google Maps and Booking made similar claims concerning technological dependence on big tech companies. Since the same lines of code can be simultaneously used by many, the reproduction costs of selling AI algorithms as cloud services tend to zero. Hence, as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google expand their client base, profits increase exponentially, to the point where AWS is Amazons most profitable business. Furthermore, since the AI code rented as a service includes deep learning algorithms that learn as they process data, the more these algorithms are lent, the more they will learn and self-improve, thus reinforcing these three giants digital leadership. And this is not all. The cloud offers tech giants a chance to sneak into (and copycat) thousands of organizations around the world. Like Amazons marketplace, AWS not only sells Amazon computing developments as services. AWS is also a platform that enables other companies to sell their own computing services. Among them, Elastic offered its products Elasticsearch and Kibana through AWS. As their popularity grew, AWS started offering its own version of these services, displacing Elastic from the market. Cloud computing is also a strategic industry. It allows the identification of promising businesses early by identifying growth in companies consumption of data storage space and processing power as well as greater use of different AI services. As a result, the three market leaders use information gathered from their Clouds to identify, and eventually fund existingbusinesses, or start new promising ones. As other companies first fail or succeed, big tech companies thus reduce their investment risks while keeping long-term economic profits. Microsofts acquisition of Nuance, a cloud-based system for medical transcription services, for USD 19.7 billion is a case in point. Nuance was already running services on Microsofts infrastructure before the acquisition. Acquiring Nuance represents a way to make a strong foothold in cloud services for the healthcare industry, which is a source of colossal datasets to be exploited with artificial intelligence. No wonder why, when the acquisition was announced, Microsofts CEO, Satya Nadella, tweeted: AI is technologys most important priority, and healthcare is its most urgent application. Yet, the acquisition also expanded Microsofts intellectual monopoly beyond healthcare, reinforcing its overall business, in particular, its cloud because it gave Microsoft access to Nuances more than 1,000 patents and secretly kept knowledge that had placed the latter at the frontier of speech recognition. The tendency towards market dominance that is premised on privileged access to data is exacerbated by the fact that the code underpinning cloud services is not made accessible to customers. Customers become locked-in and dependent on the cloud services provided by the dominant cloud service providers. This constrains the opportunities for customers to learn by accessing the code they purchase as a cloud service. Customers know what certain services can be used for, but they cannot learn from the rented code since they cannot access the actual algorithms that are making those things happen. This, even if part of those algorithms were developed by universities and public research organizations. This is true even when those customers are other major corporations. Siemens, for example, is the European leader when it comes to the number of AI patents it has been granted. But Siemens is also dependent on big tech cloud, including for the most advanced generic AI required to apply more specific applications that Siemens integrates into its medical imaging, energy, and transportation products. Only a year after launching Siemens MindSphere, a cloud platform for storing and analyzing data retrieved with IoT from its sold equipment, AWS took over part of this platforms development. AWS provides computing services that Siemens cannot develop in-house and that it needs to provide AI-specific solutions to its clients. This form of technological dependence is risky at least for two reasons. First, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have already entered Siemenss medical business with the potential of becoming serious rivals. Second, unlike the first ICT wave, where technology adopters could learn by using and adapting technologies leading to complementary innovations, cloud computing offers technology as a black box. Therefore, it limits users learning and generates a form of long-term technological dependence with no visible ways of moving beyond it. All this, while tech giants algorithms self-improve by processing the data harvested by companies like Siemens, thus further expanding the technological gap between cloud providers and other firms. As this technological dependence expands vis-a-vis the digital leadership of tech giants, Siemens may keep reducing its own development of MindSphere, relying instead on services accessed directly through tech giants clouds. Siemens is one of the thousands of companies that are basing their digital transition on analytics, database and IoT provided as cloud services by tech giants. As the use of these forms of the platform as a service accelerates they have the highest growth rate within the cloud infrastructure services market we may expect the reinforcement of tech giants leadership based on expanding technology enclosures. As firms lose their technical autonomy and subordinate to cloud solutions, value transfers in the form of intellectual rents to tech giants paid to use but not really access digital technologies will expand. These rents deepen polarization among firms and, in turn, foster wealth and income inequalities. This scenario points to forms of economic power that elude existing regulatory frameworks. Regulating the Cloud The European Unions Digital Markets Act is probably the worlds most advanced digital policy, thus the right place to look for cloud computing regulations. This Act aims to expand the EUs bargaining power against core platform companies by unifying member states digital economy rules and carrying out market investigations at the EU level that may lead to sanctions for non-compliant behavior. It is still to be seen whether the European Commission will be able to enforce this Act. Its past fines charged to Google for several antitrust cases Google Shopping (2010), Googles Android (2015), and Google AdSense (2016) were never cashed. The European Commission also ruled against Apple and Ireland for illegal state aid through selective tax breaks, but the EU general court annulled the decision. There is an additional limitation of special relevance for regulating the cloud. Although the Digital Markets Act identifies platforms potential role as gatekeepers even when they are not dominant in competition law terms, it remains focused on markets. Core platforms will be fined only if they are found to be market gatekeepers. For instance, if they systematically privilege their own products and place third-party ones in lower positions in customers searches on their platforms. The term cloud appears only 14 times in the 193-page latest provisional public version of this legislation. The cloud is only introduced as an example of a platform with potential market gatekeepers. Not a word is said about how Amazon, Microsoft, and Google operate this business, expanding their knowledge appropriation while subordinating other organizations. These giants are not only market gatekeepers but also knowledge and information gatekeepers. If the European Commission and its member and other states seriously want to introduce legislation that can counterbalance these firms power, this form of gatekeeping must be prevented. The emergence of private competition, as recognized by European leading corporations, is limited by the tangible capital in particular infrastructure intensive nature of the cloud. But even more challenging is the fact that competition is not the best solution for the cloud. Artificial intelligence algorithms sold as services in the cloud self-adjust and learn thus improving the more data they process. More competition would come at the expense of efficiency (each algorithm will process less data, thus producing less digital intelligence) and, therefore, potentially lower prices. This is a textbook case of what the economics literature calls a natural monopoly. Just like other natural monopolies like electricity, accessing computing services on the cloud is becoming crucial for businesses. Yet, unlike electricity, whose main regulatory dimension is tariff regulation, prices are not the most sensitive side of the cloud business but knowledge and information. Since it is impossible to limit digital learning when processing third-party data, corporations should not be the main and certainly not the only cloud providers. On the contrary, a solution could be to build a cloud operated democratically as an international public consortium. This might be one way to effectively tackle global knowledge and information gatekeeping in the digital world. It could also set a precedent for knowledge and information sharing in other fields and set some real limits to monopoly pricing, not just by its direct effects on pricing, but by making codes more available. By David Favre, Professor of Law at Michigan State University College of Law and Co-Founder of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Republished from The Conversation. Should Californians be able to require higher welfare standards for farm animals that are raised in other states if products from those animals are to be sold in California? The U.S. Supreme Court will confront that question when it hears oral argument in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross on Oct. 11, 2022. Pork producers are challenging a law that California voters adopted in 2018 via ballot initiative with over 63% approval. It set new conditions for raising hogs, veal calves and egg-laying chickens, whose meat or eggs are sold in California. The state represents about 15% of the U.S. pork market. At most commercial hog farms, pregnant sows are kept in gestation crates that measure 2 feet by 7 feet enough room for the animals to sit, stand and lie down, but not enough to turn around. Californias law requires that each sow must have at least 24 square feet of floor space nearly double the amount that most now get. It does not require farmers to raise free-range pigs, just to provide more square feet when they keep hogs in buildings. The National Pork Producers Council argues that this requirement imposes heavy compliance costs on farmers across the U.S., since large hog farms may house thousands of sows and that it restricts interstate commerce. The Constitutions commerce clause delegates authority to regulate interstate commerce to the federal government. In a series of cases over the past 50 years, the Supreme Court has made clear that it will strike down any state law that seeks to control commerce in another state or give preference to in-state commerce. Farmers and animal welfare advocates understand that if California wins, states with the most progressive animal welfare policies primarily West Coast and Northeast states will be able to effectively set national standards for the well-being of many agricultural animals, including chickens, dairy and cattle. Conceivably, California might also be able to require basic conditions for human labor, such as minimum wage standards, associated with products sold in California. Nine other states have already adopted laws requiring pork producers to phase out gestation crates. Massachusettss law would also apply to retail sales of pork raised elsewhere, like Californias, but its enforcement is on hold pending the Supreme Courts ruling in the California case. States control farm animal welfare The main federal law that regulates living conditions for animals is the Animal Welfare Act, which was signed into law in 1966. Among other things, it requires the Department of Agriculture to adopt humane regulations for the keeping of animals that are exhibited in zoos and circuses or sold as pets. However, farm animals are explicitly exempted from the definition of animal. While the federal government is mute on farm animal welfare, each state clearly has the power to regulate this issue within its borders. For example, in recent years, nine states have outlawed housing egg-laying chickens in battery cages that have been the industry standard for decades. These wire enclosures are so small that the birds cannot spread their wings. Since many states still permit battery cages, egg-laying chickens quality of life depends on the state in which they reside. It is also clear that the state of California has no power to adopt laws that are binding on the farmers of other states. This case falls between those two points heres how: Californias market power The California law says that if producers want to sell pork in California, they must raise pigs under conditions that comply with the states regulations. Farmers do not have to meet these standards unless they want to sell in California. The same requirement is applied to producers located in California and those based elsewhere, so the law does not directly discriminate between states in a way that would constitute a clear commerce clause violation. Producers of eggs and veal who sell in California are on track to implement new space requirements for their animals under the law. In my view, however, much of the pork industry appears to be in denial. Instead of working out how to comply, the National Pork Producers Council wants the courts to set the California law aside. Even as this case moves forward, however, major producers including Hormel and Tyson have said they will be able to comply with the California standard. Niman Ranch, a network of family farmers and ranchers who raise livestock humanely and sustainably, has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court supporting California. Admittedly, pork farmers have invested millions of dollars in their existing facilities, and the system efficiently produces huge quantities of cheap pork. But Californians have taken the position that this output comes at an ethically unacceptable cost to animals in the system. Harvard filed a Supreme Court brief and released a 60-page report today highlighting the cruel, far-reaching implications of challenging #Prop12.https://t.co/Q4GsaW53dB Harvard Animal Law (@AnimalLawHLS) August 15, 2022 Weighing ethics against compliance costs In considering this case, the Supreme Court will confront two questions. First, does Californias requirement constitute a burden on interstate commerce? A U.S. District Court in California held that the answer was no, and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed this ruling. There is no magical formula for what constitutes a burden on interstate commerce, so it is impossible to know in advance what the Supreme Court will say about this point of the case. The present court has not addressed this issue. If the court should decide that the California law does restrict interstate commerce, it then must consider whether the measure meets the Pike test, which was set forth in the 1970 ruling Pike v. Bruce Church, Inc.. In this case, the court held that a state law that regulates even-handedly must be upheld unless the burden that the law imposes on interstate commerce is clearly excessive in relation to the putative local benefits. Put another way, is Californians social interest in better welfare for pigs substantially outweighed by the economic cost to producers? In another 2010 ruling, United States v. Stevens, the court acknowledged that the prohibition of animal cruelty itself has a long history in American law, starting with the early settlement of the Colonies. However, the court concluded that depictions of animal cruelty the plaintiff had been convicted for producing and distributing dogfighting videos qualified as protected speech under the First Amendment and that this protection outweighed societys interest in promoting animal welfare. Is a national standard in the cards? Many animal welfare questions involve striking this kind of balance between ethical positions and economic consequences in a political context. It is like mixing oil and water, which makes predictions difficult. The biggest unknown is what views the newest Supreme Court justices will bring to this case. Only four current justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor were members of the court when it ruled on the Stevens case in 2010. Will todays court support Californias right to regulate products sold within its borders, or meat corporations economic arguments? How many justices will see farm animal welfare as an important public concern? I expect that the court will uphold the California law and that if this happens, within five years livestock producers will be proposing national legislation setting uniform welfare standards for farm animals. It is impossible to predict now whether a national law would improve animal welfare or adopt existing poor welfare practices. My job with the Post has evolved since October 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, both publications became aligned via former owner SouthComm Inc. I have served as Post managing editor since 2011. Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today (Natural News) German officials have issued a dire warning about a possible shortage of natural gas during the winter, when demand for heating is at its highest. This has driven up sales of electric heaters as German citizens prepare their households for the coming cold. Germany has been scrambling with rising energy costs for months, which it has blamed on Russia throttling the influx of gas supplies coming into Europe. Moscow, in turn, has blamed energy prices on Western sanctions. (Related: Energy prices in Germany soar 1,000% as companies go bankrupt.) According to German market research company Growth From Knowledge (GFK), over 958,000 heaters have been sold in the country since the beginning of 2022. The volume of electric heater sales from January to August has jumped by 76 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. GFK noted that the overall volume of electric heater sales for the five largest economies in Europe Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy, respectively actually decreased by 5.1 percent, strongly suggesting that the consumer habits of Germans are bucking the trend. Value growth from January to August 2022 was only driven by massive growth in Germany. All other markets show a negative result in value and volume for January to August 2022 compared with the same period of the previous year, said GFK in a statement. Too many electric heaters could overburden Germanys power grid The German Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) warned that a potential consequence of too many households relying on electric heaters is that it raises the possibility of blackouts due to too much strain on the power grid. Heaters can overload the power grids, for example, when many households in a district turn on their heaters at the same time on a cold winter evening, warned BDEW. The association noted that households will still have access to heating in the event of a gas shortage. Households, like hospitals, police stations and fire brigade facilities, have priority during gas shortages according to the law. We are in a very tense situation, but scaremongering is not going to help us here. Private households are among the protected customers, said BDEW. A spokesperson from Stadtwerke Bonn, a public energy and transport utility company, emphasized in a statement that private households and critical infrastructure would be the last to be affected by restrictions implemented during gas shortages. The spokesperson added that people should buy electric blankets instead of purchasing energy-intensive electric heaters. Electric blankets require only a fraction of the power while still providing warmth. Government trying to get households, businesses to reduce energy consumption In a radio interview, German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs Robert Habeck noted that the country is in an extremely tense situation right now due to the energy crisis. If we dont save, if households dont reduce consumption, we still risk not having enough gas in the winter, he said. The Federal Network Agency, the government agency responsible for gas rationing in case of a shortage, earlier said in a statement that household consumption remains too high to be sustainable. The agencys president, Klaus Mueller, called for sustained austerity efforts, warning both households and businesses that gas consumption in the past few weeks was well above consumption levels in prior years, calling the figures sobering. Without significant cutbacks in the private sector, it will be difficult to avoid a gas shortage in winter, he said. He added that curtailing consumption would still be needed even if winter wasnt coming. He also warned that even if households and businesses decrease consumption, theres no guarantee of a sure-fire way of preventing gas shortages. Mueller said these three conditions must be met for the country to get through the winter: Germany must import more natural gas; the gas supplies of Germanys neighbors must remain stable; and each individual must drastically cut back on gas consumption. Learn more about the energy crisis gripping Europe at NewEnergyReport.com. Watch this clip from Next News Network as Aldo Buttazzoni discusses the coming German power grid collapse and who is to blame for it. This video is from the channel News Clips on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Thousands of German protesters declare: Without Russian gas, our economy will be dead! Germany to nationalize struggling energy firm Uniper amid worsening financial crisis. Bakery owners in Germany protest sky-high energy bills amid worsening energy crisis in Europe. Energy collapse: First blackout simulation in German district predicts 400 deaths in 96 hours. Germans sound alarm as skyrocketing energy bills overwhelm their monthly budgets. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com DW.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Former Pfizer employee Karen Kingston told Dr. Steven Hotze that President Joe Bidens Executive Order (EO) 14081 is all about transhumanism. Kingston made this revelation during the Sept. 16 episode of The Dr. Hotze Report on Brighteon.TV. She told the program host: Bidens executive order on Sept. 12 is about transhumanism. In the EO, he clearly states that it is important to fund the development of technologies that can program cells to reprogram our biology, the same way that you program a computer program. Its disheartening that there hasnt been more movement to stop unleashing these bioweapons, neuroweapons and artificial intelligence, advanced device technologies on the American population and our children. Hotze agreed, saying that Bidens EO sought to turn people into cyborgs in the guise of advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing to develop an American bioeconomy. This, he added, aligned with the New World Order Biden is espousing. (Related: Bidens transhumanist EO calls for natural biology to be programmed like computers.) Kingston, known for her revelations about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, remarked that EO 14081 puts an emphasis on skin surveillance. This, she noted, is not just surveillance but an injection of an intelligent software into peoples bodies. She cited remarks by Israeli intellectual Yuval Noah Harari about humans being hackable animals thanks to the COVID-19 vaccines. Hotze concurred, adding that Harari and World Economic Forum Executive Director Klaus Schwab are godless people who want to create their own deity through a computer that connects people to it. He mentioned that this computer is called the internet of things or the internet of bodies. This executive order basically is an initiation by our government to be able to turn you and me and anybody into a cyborg. That means an individual human who is connected and controlled by electronic magnetic pulses from machines, technology from computers and they can control your behavior, remarked the Brighteon.TV host. Quantum computing platform is already available According to Harari, completely controlling the human population was never possible before due to the lack of computer processing capabilities. He once explained that biological knowledge multiplied by computing power and data enables the ability to hack humans. Kingston, however, revealed that the U.S. already possesses the bio-computing capabilities of a quantum computer. So now they can gather, collect, synthesize and manipulate this data and also send signals to and from the computing system they have, she said, citing an August 2022 article in Nature magazine. In response to Hotzes question about whether the new quantum computer would enable the government to collect data on the people injected with the COVID-19 vaccine, Kingston remarked that she does not believe it is happening as of now. She also mentioned that aside from the quantum database, the Starlink satellite systems and the 5G towers all need to work together for the purpose of collecting vaccinated peoples data and putting them into a master database. Moreover, Kingston touched on the discoveries of La Quinta Columna about the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The group of Spanish researchers discovered that the Pfizer vaccine vials can can start self-amplifying and self-assembling single-walled carbon nanotubes or graphene oxide nanotubes when exposed to electromagnetic fields. Follow Transhumanism.news for more news about the transhumanism agenda of the globalists. Watch the Sept. 26 episode of The Dr. Hotze Report below. The Dr. Hotze Report airs every Monday and Saturday at 5-6 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Globalists push transhumanism agenda with computer chips inserted into humans via COVID injections. CHILLING: Biden signs new order to develop genetic engineering technologies to write circuitry for cells and predictably program biology. The Dr. Hotze Report: Graphene oxide found in COVID vaccines Brighteon.TV. Vaccinated individuals are infecting the unvaccinated with dangerous graphene oxide, says biomedicine expert. Yuval Noah Harari says globalists have created a technological Noahs Ark (transhumanism) to escape mass extinction event theyre unleashing. Sources include: Brighteon.com WhiteHouse.Gov (Natural News) If any white conservative said some of the things Democrats of color say, they would be declared irreconcilable racists and banished from the planet. Case in point: Vice President Kamala Harris suggested last week that disaster relief for those suffering fallout from Hurricane Ian should first go to minorities due to prioritizing equity over equality. On Friday, Harris appeared with left-wing activist Priyanka Chopra at a womens leadership forum in Washington, D.C. sponsored by the Democratic National Committee, The Daily Wire reported, when the subject of hurricane disaster relief was broached. It is our lowest income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making, the vice president said. And so we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity, understanding that we fight for equality, but we also need to fight for equity, understanding not everyone starts out at the same place. And if we want people to be in an equal place, sometimes we have to take into account those disparities and do that work, Harris added. Needless to say, Harris overtly racist, bigoted comments were immediately attacked. The response in my state of Florida has been incredible. My Governor and Floridians are handling the aftermath remarkably. Kamala is exploiting our misfortune to pander to a voter bloc ahead of the midterms, noted Josie The Redheaded Libertarian. You cant make this up. Kamala Harris said the administration will be giving hurricane resources based on equity by directing funds to communities of color. I guess everyone else is just screwed, Students for Trump founder Ron Fournier tweeted. You cant make this up. Kamala Harris said the administration will be giving hurricane resources based on equity by directing funds to communities of color. I guess everyone else is just screwed. ????? pic.twitter.com/75y4JfoYD7 Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) September 30, 2022 Not that any conservative is this overtly racist, but just imagine if one was and said something this over the top in a public venue, Conservative Brief editor Jon Dougherty noted. Not that any conservative is this overtly racist, but just imagine if one was and said something this over the top in a public venue Dr. Jonny Republic If You Can Keep It ?? (@JonDougherty10) October 4, 2022 Should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk noted. Should be according to greatest need, not race or anything else Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2022 Agreed. Really disgraceful to see her priorities when folks have lost their homes, and some even their lives. Thank you, Elon! Fournier said in response. This is false. @VPs rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background, Christina Pushaw, communications director for Gov. Ron DeSantis reelection campaign, noted. This is false. @VPs rhetoric is causing undue panic and must be clarified. FEMA Individual Assistance is already available to all Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian, regardless of race or background. If you need assistance visit https://t.co/x9X8AstnzL or call 1-800-621-3362. https://t.co/idsw1PX86x Christina Pushaw ? ?? (@ChristinaPushaw) September 30, 2022 Its just jaw dropping that she is talking about prioritizing communities of color when the hardest hit communities are like 95% white. Not that it should ever matter in any case, she added. A day later, the Republican National Committees Research channel posted a short video clip of an exchange in which a man presumably a reporter asked the VP about her remarks at a swanky event as she walked by: Vice President, can you clarify what you meant about equity for hurricane relief? Harris looked at the man but ignored him and continued walking. Can you clarify what you meant about equity for hurricane relief? Kamala Harris refuses to answer. pic.twitter.com/abTJcjkJoJ RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 3, 2022 This woman is pathetic. Sources include: ConservativeBrief.com DailyWire.com New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) India on Wednesday said it has rescued 45 Indians trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar. Giving out details, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, in a Twitter thread, that the Ministry has been actively pursuing the case of Indians being trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar. "Thanks to the efforts of @IndiainMyanmar (Embassy of India in Myanmar) and @IndiainThailand (Embassy of India in Thailand), around 32 Indians had already been rescued. Another 13 Indian citizens have now been rescued and reached Tamil Nadu today," Bagchi wrote on Twitter. "Some more Indian citizens have been rescued from their fake employers and are in custody of Myanmar authorities for illegal entry into that country. Legal formalities have been initiated to get them repatriated at the earliest," he added in thread. He further informed that details of agents allegedly involved in this job racket have been shared with relevant authorities in various States in India for appropriate action. The MEA spokesperson said that instances of similar job rackets have also come to light in Laos and Cambodia and Indian embassies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been helping in repatriating people from there. The MEA reiterated that people should exercise extreme caution in accepting dubious employment offers overseas. The Indian Embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia had on Sept 19 issued an advisory for Indian nationals intending to visit Cambodia for employment or business purpose cautioning them to to thoroughly check the background of the company/organization/institution in Cambodia before entering the Kingdom of Cambodia. "It is pertinent to mention that there has been gradual increase in instances of many Indian nationals falling in trap of human traffickers/agents who are lured into Cambodia for bright future prospects but ultimately falling in traps or taken hostages by criminal syndicates indulging in illegal online fraudulent schemes and forced to work in strenuous conditions under constant physical and mental torture," the advisory issued by the Embassy read. Further, the Embassy advised the Indian nationals not to indulge in practices contrary to the purpose for which the visa is granted by the Host Government such as seeking employment on a 'Tourist visa'. Additionally, the MEA on Sept 24 issued an advisory informing that instances of fake job rackets offering lucrative jobs to entice Indian youths for the posts of 'Digital Sales and Marketing Executives' in Thailand by dubious IT firms involved in call-centre scam and crypto-currency fraud have come to our notice recently by Indian Missions in Bangkok and Myanmar. The MEA said that the target groups are IT skilled youth who are duped in the name of lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand through social media advertisements as well as by Dubai and India based agents. The victims are reportedly taken across the border illegally mostly into Myanmar and held captive to work under harsh conditions, the MEA said. The Ministry advised Indian nationals not to get entrapped in such fake job offers being floated through social media platforms or other sources. Before travelling on tourist/visit visa for employment purposes, Indian nationals are advised to check/verify credentials of foreign employers through concerned Missions abroad, and antecedents of recruiting agents as well as any company before taking up any job offer, the MEA advisory added. UNI ASU SHK1658 (Natural News) Do Kwon, the South Korean founder of cryptocurrency company Terraform Labs, insisted that he is not running away from the countrys authorities. His insistence followed the prosecutors office of South Korea accepting an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Kwons firm was responsible for the stablecoin TerraUSD and its sister crypto token Luna, which is worth around $60 billion combined. Both collapsed in May 2022, with many others in the crpyto industry feeling the repercussions including optimistic hedge fund Three Arrows Capital. A spokesperson for the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office confirmed to CNBC on Sept. 27 that Interpol has released a red notice for Kwon. According to Interpol, red notices are published for fugitives that must face prosecution or serve a sentence. The notices serve as request for law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and arrest suspects, which could lead to extradition proceedings. (Related: South Korea requests Interpol red notice in search for disgraced crypto developer Do Kwon.) The disgraced executive insisted that he was not fleeing, even using his Twitter account to push back. Im writing code in my living room, he tweeted in response to someone asking about his location. Kwon added that he is making zero effort to hide, even commenting that he goes on walks and to malls. Moreover, the Terraform Labs founder pointed out that he does not see his name on Interpols red notice list and that the world law enforcement agency does not always publicize these notices. According to the prosecutors office, the purpose of the red notice is to locate Kwon wherever he hides and return him to South Korea. Officials will then decide within 48 hours whether to issue an arrest warrant for him. Kwon stated on his Twitter that he is in Singapore, which the Singapore Police Force (SPF) denied on Sept. 17. Do Kwon is currently not in Singapore, the SPF stated. SPF will [nevertheless] assist the Korean National Police Agency within the ambit of our domestic legislation and international obligations. Warrants also issued to five other conspirators Aside from Kwon, arrest warrants were also issued to five other individuals connected to crypto tokens from Terraform Labs for violating South Koreas Capital Markets Act. South Korean prosecutors reportedly requested that Interpol issue a red notice to Kwon, which it granted four months after tokens from Terraform Labs crashed. TerraUSD collapsed, losing $40 billion in value as a result. Its sister token Luna, meanwhile, fell from a $116 high to less than a cent in April. Global investors allegedly lost approximately $42 billion, prompting South Korean authorities to take legal action. Prosecutors in Seoul also requested the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs to revoke Kwons passport. They also requested crypto exchanges KuCoin and OKX to freeze his crypto assets worth about $65 million. However, the beleaguered crypto executive denied accusations that he is on the run. We are in the process of defending ourselves in multiple jurisdictions, Kwon tweeted. We have held ourselves to an extremely high bar of integrity and look forward to clarifying the truth over the next few months. Terraform Labs also rejected South Korean charges over the collapse and stated the case against Kwon had become highly politicized. A company spokesman declared in a statement that prosecutors had shown unfairness and a failure to uphold basic rights guaranteed under Korean law, adding that there is no reasonable basis for their allegation of breaches of capital markets law. Follow CryptoCult.news for more news about cryptocurrencies. Watch the video below to know why cryptocurrency markets has more pain to come. This video is from the Chinese taking down EVIL CCP channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: CRYPTO CON: LUNA founder siphoned off $80 million PER MONTH from the crypto Ponzi scheme before it collapsed, leaving investors wiped out. Stablecoins Terra and Luna crater, exposing some cryptos as highly unstable Ponzi scams. CoinDesk outs Terra stablecoin founder as the same person behind failed Basis Cash experiment that crashed and burned. The scandal-ridden crypto industry is imploding, with Celsius firing 25% of its workforce as collapse contagion spreads. $258 billion Dogecoin racketeering lawsuit filed against Elon Musk has expanded massive crypto pump and dump scheme alleged. Sources include: CNBC.com News.Yahoo.com TheStar.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) Yet again, a witness called to testify by Democrats during hearings on abortion laws, has claimed that biological men can get pregnant and give birth. (Article by Niamh Harris republished from NewsPunch.com) During a House Oversight Committee hearing this week, Dr. Bhavik Kumar, abortionist and medical director for Primary and Trans Care at Planned Parenthood in Houston, Texas, told lawmakers that men can have pregnancies, especially trans men. And this is the party of science! Kumar did not elaborate on what other group of men he thinks can have pregnancies apart from trans men. Summit News reports: GOP rep Andrew Clyde asked Dr. Bhavik Kumar So can biological men become pregnant and give birth? to which Kumar replied Men can have pregnancies, especially trans men. Clyde followed up, So, are you saying that a biological female who identifies as a man and therefore becomes pregnant is, quote, a man? Is that what youre saying? Kumar responded, These questions about who can become pregnant are really missing the point, and Im here to talk about whats happening in Texas. This is me asking a question and you answering, Clyde interjected, adding Im asking the question, sir, not you. Right, and Im answering the question, Kumar replied, further stating Somebody with a uterus may have the capability of becoming pregnant whether theyre a woman or a man, that doesnt make a difference. Ok, were done, an exasperated Clyde responded adding This isnt complicated. Let me tell you: if a person has a uterus and is born female, they are a woman. That is not a man, and the vast majority of the world considers that to be a woman, because there are biological differences between men and women. I Cant believe its necessary to say this, but men cannot get pregnant and cannot give birth regardless of how they identify themselves, Clyde asserted, adding Why in the world would Democrats bring in a person whose title is director of trans care for an abortion hearing when only biological women can become pregnant? Clyde then re-read Kumars opening statement, in which the Planned Parenthood Director described abortion restrictions as inherently racist, inherently classist and fundamentally part of the white supremacy agenda. Clyde then noted that the organization Kumar works for was founded by Margaret Sanger. Margaret Sangers entire focus was to decimate communities of color through abortion to eliminate their future generations, Clyde urged. How many abortions have you performed in your lifetime? the rep then asked Kumar, to which the doctor replied Likely thousands. Clyde shot back, So as doctor yourself, do you believe you have terminated enough babies to justify Margaret Sangers beliefs and your continuance of her legacy? This is unconscionable, this is inexcusable, Im thankful this is now criminal and I look forward to the day when life is again respected across our entire nation. Read more at: NewsPunch.com (Natural News) Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla of Pfizer has pulled out of testifying before the European Parliament following scrutiny over a secretive deal to provide Europe with more Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines. Bourla was scheduled to testify before the European Parliaments COVID-19 committee on Oct. 10. The committee was meeting with key European officials and Big Pharma executives involved in the vaccine purchasing process. The committees goal was to learn more about how to quickly purchase vaccines for future pandemics. Big Pharma CEOs who have participated in committee proceedings include Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel and senior executives from AstraZeneca and Sanofi. (Related: Romanian lawmaker GRILLS Big Pharma executives over lack of accountability for dangerous COVID-19 vaccines.) However, Bourla backed out after an audit report into the European Unions vaccine procurement strategy was published in September. This raised new questions about Bourlas contacts with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. These conversations preceded a multibillion-euro vaccine contract. Committee chair and Member of the European Parliament Kathleen Van Brempt of Belgium said in a statement that she deeply regrets Bourlas decision not to attend the Oct. 10 hearing. She noted that she was looking forward to her discussion with Bourla. Bourlas cancellation comes just two weeks after the fully vaccinated and boosted Big Pharma CEO tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time. Janine Small, president of international development markets at Pfizer, will attend in his place. Pfizer said Small has been identified as best placed to support the committee in meeting their objectives. Corruption likely involved in EUs latest vaccine deal with Pfizer Bourla was expected to be interrogated and would have to address the scrutiny surrounding negotiations for the EUs third COVID-19 vaccine contract with Pfizer. This deal covered an initial 900 million vaccine doses for delivery in 2022 and 2023, with the possibility of increasing the purchase to a whopping 1.8 billion doses if necessary. This is the single biggest COVID-19 contract signed by the European Commission. But the deal left the EUs Court of Auditors with some major concerns. The court found that Von Der Leyen had been directly involved in the preliminary negotiations, which were concluded in May 2021. This is a departure from the regular negotiating procedure followed by other COVID-19 vaccine procurement contracts, where a joint negotiating team made up of officials from the European Commission and all 27 EU member countries known as the Vaccine Steering Board conducts exploratory talks with Big Pharma executives. The steering board had planned a meeting with EU representatives and national scientific advisors to hammer out the continents vaccine strategy for 2022. This meeting never happened because of Von Der Leyens backdoor dealings with Bourla. The Court of Auditors further noted that the European Commission is refusing to turn over records regarding the details of Von Der Leyens personal discussions with Bourla and other Pfizer executives. Just as concerning to the COVID-19 committee was a report that Von Der Leyen and Bourla had been exchanging text messages leading up to the commission agreeing to the EUs third COVID-19 vaccine contract with Pfizer. The audit court in its report urged the commission to search for the relevant text messages and assess whether public access can be granted to them. The New York Times reported that this seemingly close relationship between Bourla and Von Der Leyen had been going on for months in the run-up to the EUs COVID-19 vaccine deal with Pfizer. More stories about Big Pharma corruption can be found at BigPharmaNews.com. Watch this clip of athletes fully vaccinated with Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine collapsing in the middle of their games, with many of them dying soon after. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related articles: Big Pharma is investing in theragripper nanotechnology PARASITE that attaches to the GI tract to administer drugs. Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine had a shocking DEATH rate of 3.7% during early trial but the FDA approved it anyway. Pfizer recorded so many adverse events that it had to hire 2,400 more employees to handle paperwork and data processing. Recently released Pfizer documents show mRNA COVID-19 vaccine can cause 1,291 different adverse events. Whistleblower: Pfizer FORGED signatures of trial participants, falsified and fabricated trial data. Sources include: NewsPunch.com FiercePharma.com Politico.eu Brighteon.com (Natural News) In order to qualify for a monkeypox vaccine injection in San Francisco, one must not be heterosexual or have white skin, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). An official government flier spotted in the citys South of Market neighborhood explains that participants in the monkeypox jabbing program must belong to one of the following priority populations: Black, Indigenous, people of color, gay, bisexual, transgender, or a current sex worker of any gender and orientation. The SFDPH also tweeted an image of the flier see below that clearly markets monkeypox shots to San Franciscos fetish-driven population, referencing a Leather & LGBTQ Pop-Up event (whatever that is). As part of our efforts to make the MPX vaccine available to those who need it, SFDPH will be partnering with @SFLeatherDist to give MPX vaccines to eligible attendees today, Sunday, Sept. 18 from 3pm-6pm. Eligibility info at https://t.co/k6ECKtQxBd Details below: pic.twitter.com/BWlr813iYf SFDPH (@SF_DPH) September 18, 2022 Remember when the system created artificial demand for covid shots by claiming that celebrities were paying $25,000 to cut to the front of the line? One apparent goal of these fliers is to enrage the demographic that does not qualify for a monkeypox prick in San Francisco. This would mainly be straight white people, who are supposed to feel outrage that they are being excluded from eligibility. Keep in mind that this is more than likely reverse psychology (not to mention reverse racism) aimed at creating artificial demand for the shots among straight white people who otherwise might not want any more emergency injections. By making it seem like homosexual blacks and sex workers are getting medicine that normal people do not have access to, the powers that be are playing mind games with the masses. They did the same thing back in 2020 by having the media report that wealthy celebrities were cutting to the front of the line for scarce Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines. The purpose of those stories was to make ordinary people upset that the rich were supposedly being prioritized for a life-saving drug. This drove many to rush out and get injected the moment their name was called, believing that they were lucky to have been chosen for the miracle treatment. Once again, the government is manipulating the masses with monkeypox vaccines by playing race and gender games. San Francisco is often ground-zero for this type of insanity, but you can be sure they will try this same tactic elsewhere in time do not fall for it. Frankly, as a straight white male, Im greatly relieved that theyve reserved their latest unsafe and ineffective vaccine for the population segments society would be better off without, wrote a commenter about the ridiculous fliers. The free shot is probably as lethal as the covid clot shots, so is it possible that they know this and theyre trying to cull the POC / LGBT? speculated another about the true intent behind the program. No free poison for white people, added someone else to the conversation. Would be curious to see if people would see that more honest headline in as positive a light. Many others pointed out that straight white people have no risk for monkeypox since it appears to be an LGBT disease (and possibly one that only affects people who got jabbed for covid, as monkeypox is a potential adverse event). Where do they draw the line on the exact percentage of melanin needed to be considered white? asked another jokingly. What if I spend more time in the sun? Would that qualify? The latest news about the monkeypox scam can be found at MonkeyPoxReport.com. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The sabotage of the Nord Stream Pipelines was most likely accomplished with US intelligence. Not only is the Biden Administration intent on ending fossil fuels, but this was a strategic maneuver on how to wage war. Just as adversaries would counterfeit each others currencies in a desperate measure to undermine their economy to strip them of the ability to fund the war, blowing up these pipelines was a deliberate blow to inflict a death blow to the Russian economy they believe they have Putin on the ropes. Ending Russias #1 income, energy, they believe will undermine Putin and lead to a domestic revolution. The problem for the Russian people is that the West will NEVER accept Russia as an equal member. They indeed want to kill the bear completely. (Article by Martin Armstrong republished from ArmstrongEconomics.com) Naturally, there are those claiming Russia blew up the pipelines. Just before this sabotage, Putin said to lift the sanctions and he will return the gas flow as reported on September 7th, 2022. There was NO POSSIBLE WAY that Putin sabotages those pipelines for that was his bargaining chip. He could have simply turned off the valve. That leverage is now gone. He cannot now say lift the sanctions and I will turn on the gas. This was done by the climate zealots who have control of most Western governments. To even blame Russia is in reality proof that they know that this was a strategic play by the West most likely carried out with US intelligence. The Minsk Agreement brokered by Germany and France was to allow the Donbas to vote on their separation from Ukraine. The West has totally reneged on all of that and this is intentional for the objective here is this Great Reset and the end of fossil fuels. Khruschev grew up there in the Donbas and was in charge of Kiev rebuilding it after World War II before he rose to the leadership of Russia. His successor was Brezhnev who was also born there in the Donbas. This has been occupied by the Russian people since the days of the Tsars. The border of Ukraine was NEVER Ukraine as a nation-state. It was drawn solely by Khruschev for administrative purposes. The Donbas and Crimea were always predominantly Russian The West simply refuses to recognize that the people in that region are Russian and would naturally vote to join Russia for they are hated by the Ukrainians. In 2014, it was the West that installed a temporary government in Ukraine which was UNELECTED and they immediately upon orders from the USA, launched a civil war and attacked the Donbas. This is so unnecessary and I cannot imagine any world leader before Biden would have DELIBERATELY set the stage for war with Russia. The problem is, Biden is not mentally competent. The climate zealots are running the White House. All they care about is destroying the worlds capacity to produce and utilize fossil fuels. Unfortunately, our computer has NEVER been wrong on these major trends. It is the ONLY unbiased means of seeing the future for it is not based upon any human opinion for that is all any analyst has at his disposal right now. There is no question that these climate change zealots are out of control. They will kill more people than Marx could ever have imagined. World War III is materializing if we like it or not. We so desperately need a political revolution and vote these people out of their offices to overthrow all of these climate zealots controlling world leaders from behind the teleprompters to even hope to reduce the amplitude of what is on the horizon. I have met and advised many world leaders. NEVER in my 40-year career have I EVER witnessed such an absurd group of world leaders who are just hurling the world into a major global war all over fossil fuels. There are no peacemakers. Like Biden, all they are doing is reading the words written by someone else. Biden is incompetent and will lead the world into disaster and the real sad part about it, he is clueless as to the risks he is subjecting the entire population of the world to over fossil fuels. Read more at: ArmstrongEconomics.com (Natural News) Geoengineering expert Dane Wigington and the Health Ranger Mike Adams talked about the weaponization of Hurricane Ian and the threat of geoengineering to humanity during a recent emergency episode of the Health Ranger Report. Adams said Hurricane Ians movement was not natural looking as it entered the southwestern part of Florida, stopped, turned east and headed north. Hurricane Ian may have been weaponized. Wigington said frequency transmissions can be used to repel the storm in different directions, and that is how it is steered or maneuvered. The founder and lead researcher of GeoEngineeringWatch.org added that the same thing happens with other storms such as Hurricane Sandy, which climate engineers knew a week in advance was going to make an unprecedented left-westerly turn. The geoengineering expert and executive producer of climate engineering documentary film The Dimming noted that storms can be easily manipulated these days. In the case of Hurricane Ian, it was just a drifting mass of unorganized convection and that makes the storm much easier for them to steer until it gets closer to the land-based transmitters. So, until it got south of Cuba, it basically was completely unorganized, Wigington explained. And then with ionosphere heaters, they can affect the convection that allows the storm to start forming and strengthening, which it did right before it hit Cuba as it migrated northward by the southern end of Florida. The transmitter in Key West is part of the Next Red Transmitter Network. When they saturate the air mass full of electrically conductive particles, thats part of climate engineering. Those particles can be moved and repelled by the transmissions if youre repelling the particles that are saturating that air mass. Repel the air mass, youll repel the storm. And they can maneuver those storms, steer them where they want to go. They deenergize the transmitters on the side that they want the storm to migrate to, so they are not being repelled. Adams noted that with the measured transmission of the repelling force, climate engineers can freeze the movement of a storm, let it hover and stay over a certain area while dropping an enormous amount of rain. Wigington said that was what they did in the case of Hurricane Harvey, which dropped a massive amount of rain in Texas. Geoengineering poses a threat to the food supply Adams related that Hurricane Ian devastated Central Florida, affecting a company producing 50 percent of the pelletized phosphate fertilizer for North America and 12 percent of the phosphate fertilizers for the world. According to Wigington, vapor pressure deficit or VPD is a massive factor that is stunting the growth of trees and crops. He noted that climate change groups and narratives have failed to address climate intervention. Wigington went on to say that geoengineering is the single most destructive human activity of all, and the greatest and most immediate threat humanity is collectively facing. (Related: The Dr. Ardis Show: Geoengineering expert Dane Wigington says climate engineering is the single most destructive human activity Brighteon.TV.) People are inhaling the elements coming down in precipitation such as nontoxic elements along with aluminum, barium, strontium, manganese, polymer fibers and graphene, Wigington said. Polymer fibers and graphene are capable of acting as biological carriers to disperse a pathogen from the cloud to the ground and these are some of the threats that are contained in what is happening in the skies. Adams pointed out that the weaponization of the weather system has led to civilian infrastructure being targeted, causing mass starvation and famine in some parts of the world. Follow Geoengineering.news for more news about geoengineering and climate engineering. Watch the video below to know more about the weaponization of hurricanes and destruction of the biosphere. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: US military possesses advanced technology that can cause typhoons, earthquakes, floods and droughts. Weather weapons are targeting human infrastructure, aiming for Extinction Level Event (ELE) via mass famine and collapse. Climate engineering: Weapon that can bring populations to their knees without them knowing theyre under attack. Dane Wigington exposes the globalist geoengineering weather control agenda in fascinating interview with the Health Ranger. Weather modification programs have been run by the US government since 1953. Sources include: Brighteon.com GeoEngineeringWatch.org Weather.gov (Natural News) Theologian Dr. John Diamond is of the belief that President Joe Biden is part of the Deep State cabal and the One World Government. I dont think [Biden is] as weak as he looks. I think hes in bed with the One World Government, Diamond said during the Sept. 29 episode of his program America Unhinged on Brighteon.TV. I think hes part of the whole Deep State cabal and hes just poking the bear. Fellow Brighteon.TV host Dave Racer of America Teacher Civics joined Diamond on his program, remarking that Bidens weak facade may be part of the act he is trying to put out before the American people. But Racer ultimately pointed out that Biden is really a weak president who does not possess the courage to stand for freedom and liberty. Diamond proceeded to discuss the current conflict in Europe involving Russia. He said Russia formed the Soviet Union through the Warsaw Pact after it fought back and won against Germany during World War II. After the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Russia agreed to withdraw from Eastern Europe on the condition that the West would not encroach any further on its territory. But the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is breaking this promise by encroaching all the way to the Russian border. Its basically Russia against all of Europe, the United Nations and NATO, Diamond said. That is what were seeing right now. He added that the memory of death and destruction brought about by Germanys invasion of Russia remains fresh in the minds of older Russians. This, Diamond added, is something that Moscow seeks to prevent. Biden threatened to destroy Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades Ukraine Moreover, Diamond remarked that the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 (NS2) natural gas pipeline could be blamed on the Biden administration. He cited a February 2022 speech by the incumbent president to back it up. If Russia invades, then there will no longer be [an NS2 pipeline]. We will bring an end to it, Biden said on Feb. 7, 2022. I promise you, we will be able to do that, he continued with a smug smile. According to Diamond, the Deep States move to cripple NS2 and cause Europeans to freeze to death this winter is literally an act of war that the U.S. is responsible for. If Russian and Chinese troops ended up on our soil, I dont know how you can blame them at this point, he added. Moreover, Diamond added that the Biden crime family has a vested interest in Ukraine. This interest has roots in the Obama administration, where Biden served as vice president. Former President Barack Obama had supported a coup in Ukraine, paving the way for Biden and his cohorts to have business deals in the country. (Related: The Ben Armstrong Show: Bidens interest in Russia-Ukraine conflict peppered with corruption and controversy.) According to the America Unhinged host, the Deep State already captured America beginning with the separation of Church and State, the assassination of former President John F. Kennedy and the Patriot Act of 2001 signed by former President George W. Bush. Ultimately, Diamond remarked that he thinks Russia and its leader President Vladimir Putin do not want any involvement with the Deep State, the One World Government and the globalist bankers connected to them. Follow DeepState.news for more news about the globalist cabal. Watch the Sept. 29 episode of America Unhinged below. America Unhinged with Dr. John Diamond airs every weekday at 9-10 a.m., every Saturday at 8-9 a.m. and every Sunday at 9-10 p.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Dave Racer touches on the Build Back Better Acts questionable provisions Brighteon.TV. America Unhinged: Dr. John Diamond reveals how MONEY allows the Deep State to control everything Brighteon.TV. Russia clarifies what its red line is with the U.S., NATO, Europe, as world inches closer to war. Globalist deep state could be planning a false flag attack on Biden when he travels to Europe. Prather Point: Biden is turning Ukraine into an ENDLESS WAR for the benefit of war profiteers Brighteon.TV. Sources include: Brighteon.com 1 Brighteon.com 2 (Natural News) In a shocking act of medical tyranny and authoritarianism, the American Medical Association is now demanding that the DOJ arrest and prosecute anyone who opposes surgical child mutilations carried out in US hospitals that fraudulent claim they are affirming a childs gender identity by maiming them with medical violence. Leftist child abusers turn to the police state, writes Daniel Greenfield at FrontPageMag.com: When they get caught abusing children, the first resort of the leftist abusers, whether its the National School Boards Association or the American Medical Association is to label their opponents domestic terrorists and demand that the Biden administration use the DOJ to arrest and silence them. Now, the AMA is pro-mutilation, putting the organization in the same moral category as serial murderers, rapists or Holocaust operatives. Any doctor who remains a member of the AMA is now aligned with the for-profit mutilations of children in the name of wokeism, and Americas medical establishment joins the ranks of communist China with its forced organ harvesting in terms of outrageous acts of evil committed against humanity. If they will mutilate children for profit, what other crimes will they commit against adults to make more money? Furthermore, if AMA member doctors are willing to mutilate children for profit, what else are they willing to do for extra revenues? Could they perhaps falsely diagnose people with cancer so they might earn more money administering medically unnecessary chemotherapy? (Of course they do.) Might they falsely claim people have complex COVID so they can earn an extra $500K for their hospital by putting those people on ventilators and remdesivir, killing them in the process? This is the substance claim of a lawsuit that has already been filed against three hospitals in Fresno, California, which the lawsuit says profited by committing medical fraud and essentially murdering their own patients. If the AMA is willing to mutilate children for profit, any rational person has to assume theres no line they wont cross. Theres nothing AMA-member doctors wont do no matter how evil to make more money off the pain and suffering of innocent children and adults. Evidence-based medicine is a joke: Theres ZERO evidence that a child can change their gender through surgery and chemical castration The claims of the AMA, Big Pharma and western doctors who say they only practice evidence-based medicine are absurd, if not downright fraudulent. No evidence exists whatsoever to claim that covid vaccines are proven safe and effective for any human being. The clinical trials were skipped, and the FDA resorted to Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) under the false panic of the plandemic to skip the long-term trials and simply declare mRNA injections to be safe, without supporting evidence. And now, as Revolver.news is reporting, Big Pharma refuses to turn over mRNA data for independent assessment, indicating they are hiding the truth and committing an historic, global fraud in pushing covid vaccines that are neither safe nor effective: In scientific circles, doubts arise as to whether the information provided by the manufacturers about the mRNA vaccine is correct. Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna have so far refused to independently verify the data. A Stiko member is now also criticizing. Virologists, epidemiologists, pharmacologists they may not have always been friendly to each other during the pandemic. But they are now coming together on one point: it is the demand for an independent review of the studies that led to the approval of the mRNA vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer and Moderna. The studies are published. However, the primary data, scientifically the decisive documents, are missing. All vaccine evaluations of the registration studies are based on them. Until now, the documents have been kept under lock and key by the manufacturers, and they are refusing requests to see them. Similarly, there is zero evidence that a child can consent to a genitalia mutilation procedure under the delusional fairy tale belief that a person can change their gender through the use of a scalpel. This ludicrous idea being pushed by LGBT leftists (and complicit surgeons) is founded on the psychotic belief that children are born in the wrong bodies and that surgeons with scalpels can correct their biology by cutting off existing organs and making new holes or appendages to simulate replacement organs. Mark my words: One day soon, in the not-too-distant future, this practice will be seen as the true HORROR it has become, alongside the gassing of the Jews, the mass starvation of Ukrainians via the Holodomor, or the Cultural Revolution genocide of communist China under Mao. We are watching crimes against humanity unfolding right before our very eyes, with the full blessing of both the AMA and the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), who are literally invoking the DOJ as a kind of medical Gestapo to silence anyone who opposes the violent mutilation of children. The worse the crime, the more the need to resort to police state tactics by the same leftists who accuse conservatives of being authoritarians, writes Greenfield. Even Adolf Hitler didnt mutilate children for profit, but AMA doctors and surgeons do! This is not hyperbole: Western Medicine has now declared it is in the mutilation business, forever cementing its own fate to go down in history as a dark art of quack science, child abuse and human rights violations that will reverberate throughout history for centuries to come. Future historians will look back upon this time and shake their heads in disbelief that an entire class of so-called doctors would applaud the surgical mutilation of children, aghast at not only the practice itself but at the arrogance of the AMA demanding that the DOJ investigate and arrest anyone who opposes the practice. The message is rather clear: If these AMA doctors cant murder you with remdesivir, depopulate you with vaccines or mutilate your genitalia with scalpels, they will unleash the full might of the police state against you to threaten and silence you into compliance. Western medicine has become a criminal cartel of violent mutilators who prey upon the young. After surviving the covid vaccine holocaust that has already killed millions around the world, why are we not surprised? This is worse than Hitler, for even as Hitler murdered millions of innocent Jews, he did not mutilate children and call it medicine. He did not brainwash an entire generation of young people into hating their God-given bodies and try to manipulate them into surgical harm. Indeed, Hitler murdered millions and gassed innocent men, women and children to death using chemical weapons (developed, ironically, with the help of a pharmaceutical giant named Bayer), but even Hitler did not slice off the breasts of little girls or the penises of little boys. Even in his own twisted, sick mind, such acts of horrific violence were probably unthinkable. Yet those very horrors are now the accepted practices of todays mainstream surgeons and doctors. The medical establishment is now an industry of medical violence against children, and the AMA has lashed itself to one of the most horrific evils ever carried out in the history of the world. Even China, with its organ harvesting of the Falun Gong, doesnt mutilate children for profit. That designation appears to be emerging solely from western medicine (steeped in depopulation vaccines and deadly pharma drugs), where the very same nations who claim to be pro-Ukraine, pro-democracy and pro-choice are permanently mutilating the bodies of children, taking away their choice to revert back to their actual God-given gender and to be whole in their birth bodies. Once the organs are sliced off, after all, theres no getting them back. These children will grow up to be physically and psychologically scarred victims of a medical establishment gone criminally insane. As one commenter writes: (DasWrite, via Front Page Mag) Add the AMA to that rapidly growing list of once respected organizations, including the FBI and the DOJ itself, that need to be disbanded or extensively reformed. Theyve abused whatever authority they had by allowing themselves to be weaponized by leftist ideologues for so long that theyre no longer forces for good but tools for totalitarian oppression. We pray that a wave of lawsuits seeks substantial damages from these surgeons and hospitals for maiming children for profit, ruining their lives in the process. The AMA and AAP should both be named in the suits and held accountable for their promotion of these child mutilations carried out for profit. Alex Jones is being sued for hundreds of millions of dollars right now for harming no children at all and carrying out no acts of violence, merely speaking his opinion about a school shooting, an opinion which he soon corrected when new information was available. Yet AMA member doctors and surgeons are literally mutilating children with glee, for profit, marketing their services on social media (to children) and bragging about their mutilation achievements to a complicit corporate media that endorses the charade. More importantly, if the DOJ were to arrest and criminally prosecute anyone in this scenario, it should be the doctors, surgeons, hospitals and AMA executives who are carrying out these heinous crimes against children, all in violation of the AMAs own guidelines for medical ethics, by the way. There are crimes against children being carried out right now in America, and the parties carrying out those crimes arent even hiding it theyre bragging about it. Medical violence against children must stop. The medical establishment in America has become a cabal of torturers, mutilators, murderers and propagandists. Please God make it stop Learn more in todays Situation Update via Brighteon.com: The AMA demands DOJ prosecute anyone who opposes surgical child mutilations Outrageous escalation of MEDICAL DICTATORSHIP that exploits children for profit Leftists demand ALL opposing views be censored on climate, covid, elections, trans, etc. Berkeley law students demand NO JEW ZONES where Jews are banned Left-wing UK nurse says conservatives should be left to DIE Migrants enjoy 5-star cruise ship in Netherlands while citizens starve Federal Reserve rolling out social credit scoring pilot project to enslave everyone Planterra to shut down its entire fake meat operation Slow Food activists demand global mass starvation and famine Radical Left is at WAR with the sky, the oceans, the sun and the elements 60% of Americans now living paycheck to paycheck Kiyosaki tells listeners to keep buying gold and silver even as it gets cheaper Total collapse of the power grid in Bangladesh Brighteon: Brighteon.com/2e6636c6-8dba-47ea-917e-f66c05e88fe3 Bitchute: Bitchute.com/video/w1Axlfi1esKa/ Rumble: Rumble.com/v1mqtjk-situation-update-10522-american-medical-association-demands-doj-prosecute-j.html See more stories about medical violence at MedicalViolence.com Discover more interviews and podcasts each day at: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/HRreport Follow me on: Brighteon.social: Brighteon.social/@HealthRanger (my breaking news gets posted here first) Telegram: t.me/RealHealthRanger (breaking news is posted here second) Banned.video: Banned.video/channel/mike-adams Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@healthranger Gettr: GETTR.com/user/healthranger Parler: Parler.com/user/HealthRanger Rumble: Rumble.com/c/HealthRangerReport BitChute: Bitchute.com/channel/9EB8glubb0Ns/ Clouthub: app.clouthub.com/#/users/u/naturalnews/posts Join the free NaturalNews.com email newsletter to stay alerted about breaking news each day. Download my current audio books including Ghost World, Survival Nutrition, The Global Reset Survival Guide and The Contagious Mind at: https://Audiobooks.NaturalNews.com/ Download my new audio book, Resilient Prepping at ResilientPrepping.com it teaches you how to survive the total collapse of civilization and the loss of both the power grid and combustion engines. (Natural News) The government-run Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is currently showing some 648 cases of adverse events in breastfed babies whose mothers got vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19). Despite zero evidence that the shots are safe or effective for pregnant or lactating women, this demographic was added to the authorization list for their use. And now, babies everywhere are suffering because of the spike proteins and other jab chemicals that transfer through breast milk. Real-Time Magazine conducted an analysis of VAERS, identifying at least 648 cases of infants and babies suffering health damage, including life-threatening incidents and even death. The most common serious events were life-threatening bleeding; anticholinergic syndrome; liver problems; anaphylactic shock, neuroleptic syndrome; neurological side-effects such as convulsions or encephalitis; and hypoglycemia, writes Joel S. Hirschhorn for All News Pipeline. In most of the reported cases, several life-threatening side effects were recorded in the same baby. (Related: Covid injections are also linked to liver inflammation [hepatitis] in children.) VAERS doesnt capture all cases of covid jab injury and death One woman who spoke to the investigation team explained that she had been breastfeeding her son at the time when she got jabbed for the Chinese Virus. Within days, her son died. I pumped within an hour of receiving the shot, the woman said. My five-month-old son nursed the night following the shot and later ate the pumped milk that I acquired the same day of the shot. Eleven days later, he was found unresponsive during his nap at daycare. It is not clear how long he was unresponsive for until found by babysitter. He was immediately rushed to the hospital and doctors were able to get his heart beating again with excessive effort. Organ damage was extensive and he had no brain function, he did not recover. He passed away 13 days after I received the shot. In VAERS, the childs death was not even counted as a death, though it was indicated that he did not recover. This is a common occurrence in VAERS, which only captures a tiny fraction of jab injuries and deaths. We can see from this particular VAERS report that the childs death was clearly linked to the Pfizer mRNA (messenger RNA) injection, which the boys mother received on January 28. Not long after this, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially authorized the shot for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Another similar case occurred in March when a breastfeeding baby, also five months old, died just one day after his mother was injected for Chinese Germs. The baby fell ill, developing both a fever and rash, and refused to eat. He also cried nonstop before his tragic death. Patient brought baby to local ER where assessments were performed, blood analysis revealed elevated liver enzymes, the VAERS report for that incident reads. Infant was hospitalized but continued to decline and passed away. Diagnosis of TTP. No known allergies. No new exposures aside from the mothers vaccination the previous day. Keep in mind that when the FDA authorized covid shots for pregnant and breastfeeding women, not a single study had been conducted on this demographic. In fact, there has still not been a single study conducted, presumably because those pushing the shots know what the outcome would be. In the comment section, someone pointed to an article, which alleges that cows are now being given covid injections. Many worry that the milk from these fully vaccinated cows will pass the same deadly spike proteins on to anyone who drinks their milk. The latest news coverage about the fallout from Fauci Flu shots can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: AllNewsPipeline.com NaturalNews.com Truth11.com (Natural News) The hapless Biden regime has essentially admitted that it is responsible for sabotaging Russias Nordstream 1 and 2 pipelines last week. Since the attacks last week, which were unprecedented in Europe since World War II, diplomats and leaders from around the world have been asking the question, Whodunit? But as the questions (and outrage) reached a crescendo, the regime pretty much answered the question when a top official bluntly admitted that the attacks represent an opportunity. During a joint press conference on Friday with his Canadian counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, lacking any self-awareness whatsoever, observed that the damage to the multibillion-dollar pipelines (which has since been repaired, by the way) was being viewed by the left-wing lunatics within Bidens White House as a tremendous opportunity to reduce European reliance on Russian energy imports. Oh, and of course, less gas flowing also means less emissions in the air, which helps combat climate change and leads to a faster transition to green energy and electric vehicles (which few people really want). I think first its important to make clear that these pipelines that is, Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 were not pumping gas into Europe at this time. Nord Stream 2 never became operational, as is well known. Nord Stream 1 has been shut down for weeks because of Russias weaponization of energy, he claimed (Russia hasnt weaponized its energy resources but has shifted its energy policies to compensate for massive Western economic sanctions). Not long after, Blinken said of the sabotage, ultimately this is also a tremendous opportunity. Its a tremendous opportunity to once and for all remove the dependence on Russian energy and thus to take away from Vladimir Putin the weaponization of energy as a means of advancing his imperial designs, he said. At the same time, Blinken then touted that the U.S. had become the leading supplier of LNG (liquified natural gas) to Europe (after President Donald Trump unleashed the American energy industry to become the powerhouse it can be). The secretary of state went on to stress that the Biden regime is assisting European leaders to decrease demand on Russian energy and speed up the transition to renewables (that will never be enough to power the continent, using the current technologies of solar and wind). Interestingly, in that single section of comments while speaking alongside his Canadian counterpart, Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Blinken had repeated the word opportunity while highlighting the European energy crisis no less than three times, Zero Hedge reported. Too bad that this tremendous opportunity for DC bureaucrats will come at the expense of everyone else, especially this coming winter, said Aaron Mate, host of the Pushback Podcast. According to @SecBlinken, the Nord Stream pipeline bombing offers tremendous strategic opportunity for the years to come. Too bad that this tremendous opportunity for DC bureaucrats will come at the expense of everyone else, especially this coming winter. pic.twitter.com/T2eacQUuBF Aaron Mate (@aaronjmate) October 1, 2022 How arrogant and dismissive the Biden regime has become towards a continent allegedly full of allies. Blinkens Canadian counterpart played her Western globalist role and blamed the sabotage on Russia. But a piece in the American Conservative brilliantly explained why that is bunk: One could certainly see why sabotaging Nord Stream benefits the US. We didnt want Europe to get Nord Stream in the first place, because it would make Europe dependent on Russian gas. This is perfectly reasonable, from an American point of view. However, if Washington sabotaged those pipelines in the middle of the Ukraine-Russia war, that would mean an insane escalation of the war, to sabotaging critical infrastructure. Think about it: if Russia cant deliver gas to Europe anyway, because the pipelines are too damaged, that makes it harder to make peace and restore energy flow to Europe. This fits Washingtons policy goals. That doesnt mean Washington is responsible for this sabotage, but theres a lot more reason for Washington to have blown the pipelines up than for Russia. The Biden regime is slow-walking Americans into World War III. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com TheAmericanConservative.com Press Release October 5, 2022 Tolentino to DOLE: stop making excuses; it's our job to protect the Filipino workers MANILA - Tuesday, October 4, the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development held a joint hearing with the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development and Finance to discuss the Senate's proposed bills to protect freelancers and workers in the informal economy. For consideration before the Committee were the legislation on the protection of freelancers covered by Senate Bill No. 45 introduced by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Senate Bill No. 136 introduced by Senator Joel Villanueva, and Senate Bill No. 945 introduced by Senator Win Gatchalian, as well as legislation on the magna carta of workers in the informal economy covered by Senate Bills No. 42 introduced by Senator Estrada, 96 introduced by Senator Sonny Angara, 338 introduced by Senator Grace Poe, and 359 introduced by Senator Joel Villanueva. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio, Jr. welcomed the proposed bills [ta and said that this is an opportunity to discuss the different work arrangements driven by technology, which includes the gig economy. The Department's concerns on the implementation and execution of the proposed bills were then explained should these be passed into laws. "Meron lang po kaming concern dito, Mr. Chairman, dahil sa panukalang batas na ito, maraming assignment ang binibigay sa Department of Labor and Employment. At alam po nating lahat yan na pag maraming assignment, ay nangangailangan ng tao na naka dedicate dito sa assignment na ito para ma-gampanan at ma-implement ng maayos ang batas. Ang nakikita namin dito ay ma-eexpand and jurisdiction ng DOLE at papakielaman na rin niya ang pag enforce and pag adjudicate ng claims ng independent contracting arrangements. Wala po ito sa current system at kung iyan ay mangyayari, ang DOLE po ay hindi handa. Hindi handa yung current administrative structure ng DOLE po dito," Bitonio said. Senator Francis Tolentino, a member of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, called out Bitonio on these statements and observations. "I think the job here of DOLE is to help the Committee finalize the contentious points coming out of the proposed bills and not to lecture us that it is difficult," he said. According to Senator Tolentino, "Ang pinaguusapan natin dito - papano natin matutulungan yung manggagawa natin na walang employer-employee relationship. Nakalagay sa saligang batas, trabaho ng estado na bigyang proteksyon ang manggagawa. Hindi 'yung iiwas tayo na "hindi namin kaya to... Help us craft this bill. Help us fine-tune these pieces of legislation. Enable our workers benefit on social legislation that can be provided by the State and Congress." Earlier in September of this year, Senator Tolentino filed Senate Bill No. 1275 or the "Delivery Platform Riders Protection Act of 2022." The bill seeks to establish an employer-employee relationship between delivery riders and the digital platform companies. As such, delivery platform riders rendering services through online or app-based platforms would be entitled to minimum wage, social protection, and more comprehensive work benefits at par with those currently enjoyed by regular employees. IAEA boss vows support for Armenia's nuclear energy sector Moscow, Oct 5 (UNI) IAEA head Rafael Grossi pledged the UN nuclear watchdogs support for Armenia on Wednesday as it looks to step up nuclear energy production. Grossi inspected the countrys only nuclear power plant in Metsamor on Tuesday and met with President Vahagn Khachaturyan and Infrastructure Minister Gnel Sanosyan on Wednesday to discuss Armenias plans to extend the plants lifespan and possibly build a third reactor. "IAEA will continue to support Armenia in safely realizing these plans," Grossi said on social media. (Natural News) Ben Armstrong did not mince words in the September 23 episode of The Ben Armstrong Show,as he spilt the shocking adverse effects numbers associated with the Covid-19 injections. (Article republished from Expose-News.com) Armstrong said that he was given the actual Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data which the mainstream media, for some reason, does not report accurately. Im giving you the calculated VAERS data. And this is not a scam, Armstrong told his viewers. This is not scaremongering. But if youre sceptical and thinking, oh my gosh, this is over the top. In fact, Im underselling it. I am giving you what I think is the best-case scenario. According to Armstrong, the government and mainstream media are making people think that the numbers are extremely low. Getting to the point, he revealed the most likely extent of COVID-19 vaccine damage in the U.S. alone: 7.2 million hospitalisations, 1.2 million deaths, 2.3 million permanently disabilities and 2.1 million cases of myocarditis. Armstrong mentioned that VAERS recorded around 30,000 deaths from the vaccine. In line with this, a study by Jessica Rose and Mathew Crawford found in 2021 that the most credible estimate for deaths is reported at 41X. The researchers stipulated that they confirmed their hypothesis, finding that the 41X rate is on the low side of the estimates. This means that COVID-19 vaccine deaths in the U.S. could be around 1,230,000 already. While these are large numbers to swallow, Armstrong pointed out that some data showed that the vaccine can be 98 times worse for young adults than the coronavirus itself. He emphasized that it is 98 times more, not 98% more. Armstrong was referring to a new study conducted by nine health experts from top universities like Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. These experts analysed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that for every COVID hospitalization prevented by boosters administered to adults, serious adverse events were also recorded. Their study found that based on the CDC and sponsor-reported adverse event data, vaccine mandates may cause a net expected harm. For every COVID-19 hospitalization prevented in previously infected young adults, they anticipate 18 to 98 serious adverse events. Given the high prevalence of post-infection immunity, they stated that the risk-benefit narrative is less favourable and unethical. Some of the reasons they stated are: there is no formal risk-benefit assessment for the age group; vaccine mandates may result in net expected harm to individual young people; mandates are not proportionate; mandates violate reciprocity principles as vaccine-related harms cannot be compensated due to gaps in the current vaccine injury schemes; and that mandates create wider social harms. Moreover, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky admitted that there is a causal relationship between the mRNA vaccines and myocarditis when VAERS staff conducted assessments showing that causal associations exist between thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome and Janssens COVID-19 vaccine and between myocarditis and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna. Walensky also admitted that the CDC did not analyze certain types of adverse event reports in 2021 despite having previously stated that they started tracking adverse events in February of that year. Armstrong pointed out that the numbers he showed were for the U.S. alone. Imagine if I were to give you the world numbers. If this is just the United States, how many people has Dr. Fauci killed? he asked. Read more at: Expose-News.com (Natural News) Multiple families took legal action against three different hospital systems in Fresno, California for wrongful deaths. According to the families lawyers, the plaintiffs relatives were treated with the controversial antiviral drug remdesivir without informed consent. Chiropractor Dr. Bryan Ardis touched on these cases of hospital homicide during the height of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-10) pandemic on the Sept. 28 edition of The Dr. Ardis Show on Brighteon.TV. He noted that there are lawyers going around the country to talk about the wrongful deaths of individuals treated with remdesivir. Attorneys Daniel Watkins and Michael Hamilton filed lawsuits on Sept. 7 at the Superior Court of California in Fresno County against three hospitals Saint Agnes Medical Center, Community Regional Medical Center and Clovis Community Medical Center. The two lawyers discussed the complaints they filed on the same day, during an event titled Remdesivir Death: Landmark Lawsuit. Medical advocates including Ardis himself and Drs. Peter McCullough, Angie Farella and Janci Lindsay were in attendance during the Sept. 7 event. All four medical experts spoke out against the use of remdesivir. Full informed consent means that patients must be provided with full information about the deadly harm that this dangerous experimental drug causes of its own. They must be told that the only time it was ever tested, it was pulled because it killed so many people, the lawsuit stated. According to Watkins, they filed the lawsuits on behalf of 14 Fresno-area families who alleged that the hospitals engaged in medical deception and failed to tell them about the potential side effects of the drug, which include kidney failure. The two lawyers also referenced a study from the New England Journal of Medicine, in which a safety board found remdesivir to be the least effective and the deadliest drug in the trial. Use of the antiviral drug was suspended following the death of Ebola patients. Remdesivirs emergency use authorization to treat COVID-19 was also shrouded in corruption. It was approved by a panel that had nine individuals with financial ties to its manufacturer, Gilead Sciences. (Related: The war on Hydroxychloroquine can be traced back to Gilead, the drug maker looking to profit big from Remdesivir.) Lawsuit accuses the three hospitals of violating Nuremberg Code The lawsuit accused the three hospitals of violating the Nuremberg Code, which criminalizes human experimentation performed without informed consent as is the case for these patients getting remdesivir without their explicit approval. Watkins said there were some cases where remdesivir was given even after the patients declined, based on witness testimony. It also alleged that COVID-19 patients were subjected to the remdesivir protocol. This happens when patients come to a hospital for a problem unrelated to COVID-19, only to be told they have COVID or COVID pneumonia. From there, they are separated from their families, placed in isolation and told that remdesivir is the only option. They are placed on a BiPap machine at a high rate, making it difficult for them to breathe. Their hands are often tied down so they cant take the BiPap machine off their face, the lawsuit alleged. It went on to say that a psychiatrist is present to determine whether or not the patient is agitated, which results in their sedation, making it difficult for them to fight the side effects of remdesivir, especially as it relates to their ability to breathe against the side effects and against the BiPap machine. The lawsuit added that phones and signaling instruments for the nurses are placed beyond patients reach. They are kept malnourished and eventually intubated before they expire. According to the lawsuit, a protocol patient dies after nine days on average. Visit HospitalHomicide.com for more stories about hospitals giving deadly drugs to patients. Watch the full Sept. 28 episode of The Dr. Ardis Show below. The Dr. Ardis Show airs every Wednesday at 10-11 a.m. on Brighteon.TV. More related stories: Lawsuits claim hospitals specifically targeted unvaccinated patients with forced remdesivir and respirator treatment a DEATH sentence. Three California hospitals being SUED for administering remdesivir protocol to patients without informed consent, resulting in DEATH. COVID-19 patients should know they have the right to REFUSE treatment with remdesivir. Sources include: Brighteon.com TheEpochTimes.com (Natural News) Lee County, Florida had been hit by the worst of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, flattening buildings and washing away homes in its wake. As residents started to come to terms with the destruction, a new problem emerged looting. Authorities warned that looting and violence would not be tolerated, but this did not deter some people from doing so. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said they are especially concerned about looters going into areas that were hard-hit by the hurricane. You could have people bringing boats into some of these islands and trying to ransack peoples homes. I can tell you in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebodys home, DeSantis said. Officials activated a 6 p.m. countywide curfew, which applies to over 413,000 citizens. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a press conference that the issue is severe and is being taken seriously by law enforcement. (Related: Panic buyers stripped supermarket shelves bare before Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida.) Marceno had a message for individuals who are ready to loot or prey on people in the aftermath of the event: You better think twice. When I say zero tolerance, zero tolerance means we will hunt you down, track you down and youre going to jail if youre lucky. Already, five young suspects were arrested in Fort Myers for looting, the video of which had been spreading online and retweeted by Attorney General Ashley Moody. Florida will not tolerate looters taking advantage of #HurricaneIan to prey on vulnerable Floridians. They will be arrested and I have asked state attorneys to seek the longest pretrial detention possible to keep them locked up so they cannot commit new crimes, she wrote on Twitter. FEMA looking at immediate and long-term needs of Florida Meanwhile, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell said they are looking at both immediate and long-term needs of Florida, including priorities such as helping search and rescue missions and working to restore power and services in Lee County. Were already beginning our planning processes for what the recovery is going to look like, so while were still saving lives and stabilizing this incident, we know that were going to have a long and complex recovery. So were putting the measures in place right now to make sure weve got the right people on the ground to do that in the days to come, she told NPR. Criswell said Florida already has a plan to help residents as flood waters recede, adding that FEMA already assigned a federal disaster recovery coordinator to help. Meanwhile, active search and rescue efforts are now ongoing, with the states Division of Emergency Management working around the clock and patrolling the areas affected by the mega storm in what DeSantis said was the biggest flood event that the states southwest region has ever seen. A massive cleanup effort is also underway as Florida gets ready to get back on its feet. Visit Disaster.news for more updates about the damages caused by Hurricane Ian. Watch the video below for good news in Florida following the massive storm. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Hurricane Ian leaves 2.7 million Florida customers without power; significant casualties expected. Major Florida fertilizer hub took DIRECT HIT by Hurricane Ian, produces HALF the phosphate fertilizer for America. Hurricane Ian just threw another wrench into the supply chain by hammering transportation, ports, package carriers and fertilizer production. Florida in PANIC ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall: Grocery shelves STRIPPED BARE. Sources include: 100PercentFedUp.com Fox35Orlando.com Twitter.com NPR.org Brighteon.com (Natural News) An analysis of Pfizers own documents regarding the development of its Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine shows that the vaccine was not properly tested for possible adverse effects on male fertility. Later tests showed that the vaccine was actually harmful to sperm. This analysis was conducted by Amy Kelly, program director for Steve Bannons program war Room and the head of the Pfizer documents analysis project of Naomi Wolfs Daily Clout. According to Kellys investigation, Pfizer did not test its mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for male reproductive toxicity. This is defined as what adverse events the vaccine is capable of producing that are related to sexual function and fertility in adult males. Pfizer also did not test the vaccines negative effects on the sperm of vaccinated men or on offspring born to vaccinated men. Pfizer did not initially conduct studies despite understanding that mRNA material injected into people traveled throughout the body and gathered in organs, including in testes. (Related: Study finds mRNA material in BREAST MILK of vaccinated mothers.) Pfizers mRNA vaccine creates anti-sperm antibodies that harm male fertility A later study of the effects of Pfizers mRNA COVID-19 vaccine found that the dangerous vaccine resulted in the creation of anti-sperm antibodies, or antibodies that treated sperm as invaders, leading to sperm being damaged or killed. This study, which came to light at the end of Feb. 2021, was classified by Pfizer as producing an adverse event of special interest. Pfizers own document names the adverse event anti-sperm antibody positive as one of the nearly 1,300 adverse events that the COVID-19 vaccine can cause. As Kelly pointed out, what this study shows is that Pfizer knew about how its vaccine negatively impacts male fertility since the very beginning. The company also knew at least a year before it made a clearly false statement to the National Institutes of Health in Feb. 2022 when it said that COVID-19 vaccination does not reduce chances of conception. For nearly a year, then, the FDA [Food and Drug Administration], public health agencies and medical organizations ignored this cause of male infertility contained in the Pfizer documents all of which were sent to the FDA, then they lied about it, wrote Kelly. They kept silent for a year and then misled the public, rather than alerting the public, she continued. Kelly pointed out how the secrecy behind this serious adverse event constitutes a withholding of true informed consent for men. By suppressing discussion of this information, public health agencies, medical professionals and governments globally denied and continue to deny men true informed consent, wrote Kelly. Contrary to established medical ethics, Pfizer and public health agencies did not disclose the true impacts of mRNA gene therapy vaccines on male fertility and, thus denied men informed consent, she concluded. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines effects on the body at VaccineDamage.news. Watch this episode of the Health Ranger Report as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses how the mRNA vaccines for children are designed to depopulate the world by making them permanently infertile. This is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: The Zelenko Report with Ann Vandersteel: Pfizer avoided strict regulation thanks to emergency use authorization, says Karen Kingston Brighteon.TV. Science truth SHUTOUT: Twitter CENSORS doctor for sharing study showing impact of Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine on male fertility. Infertility: A Diabolical Agenda film exposes WHO for engaging in vaccine population control experiment. Recently released Pfizer document shows mRNA COVID-19 vaccine can cause 1,291 different adverse events. Pfizer, government regulators hid smoking gun data showing that COVID jabs cause birth defects and infertility. Sources include: Expose-News.com BehindTheFDACurtain.Substack.com Brighteon.com (Natural News) The abortion industry is so desperate to continue murdering babies in red states where the gruesome procedure is now outlawed or curtailed that Americas largest abortion mill, Planned Parenthood, is unleashing mobile abortion clinics to park on the borders of red states. The taxpayer-funded abortion giant is reportedly gearing up to launch what Breitbart News John Nolte describes as a mobile baby-killing machine. The first abortion clinic on wheels is set to appear in Southern Illinois to attract pregnant women from nearby conservative states like Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky. Our goal is to reduce the hundreds of miles that people are having to travel now in order to access care and meet them where they are, announced Yamelsie Rodriquez, president of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri to NPR. (Related: Remember when Planned Parenthood admitted guilt in illegally trafficking aborted baby body parts for cash?) Later this year, the southern Illinois clinic will begin offering consultations and dispensing baby murder pharmaceutical pills to women. If successful, Planned Parenthood will launch more mobile abortion clinics in other key locations across the country. Abortion is big business, and Planned Parenthood is desperate to maintain its profit streams Planned Parenthood likes to pretend as though it simply wants to help women in need, but let us face it: the abortion mill is about money and profit. Abortion is big business, especially when the government subsidizes it. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has massively cut into Planned Parenthoods profit streams in nearly half the country. Rather than take a step back and reconsider the nature of its business, the abortion mill is instead strategizing new ways to bring abortion to women with mobile clinics. They see a profit in this, Nolte writes. Millions and millions in profit. This death cult isnt just a death cult; its a lucrative death cult to the tune of $1.6 billion in revenue per year. Planned Parenthood also loves to claim that only three percent of its services involve abortion, but this is also a lie. If that were true, then why is Planned Parenthood in a tizzy over the loss of legal abortion in many Republican-led states? If baby-butchering was only three percent, Planned Parenthood could easily set up abortion-free Planned Parenthood clinics in states that have outlawed the unnecessary obscenity of elective abortions, Nolte says. But Planned Parenthood doesnt. In fact, Planned Parenthood exits states that cut taxpayer funding for abortion clinics. In other words, rather than stop performing abortions, these baby killers would prefer to close altogether. But-but-but you told me abortion only makes up three percent of your services? According to Nolte, Planned Parenthood has absolutely nothing to do with health care. It is just a lucrative and racist death cult, he says, that is willing to drive infanticide machines right to your door. The concept of abortion as birth control is so twisted, one commenter wrote about the situation. Planned Parenthood is an oxymoron since the object is NOT to be a parent, responded another. Planned Dis-Parenthood? Another asked what, exactly, Planned Parenthood is doing to help mothers plan to be parents, if that is truly why the entity exists? Its not about autonomy over a womans life; its about protecting unborn human life within said womans body, noted another commenter about how pro-lifers aim not to interfere with womens health but instead seek to protect the lives of innocent babies. Abortion wasnt supposed to be used as birth control when it was introduced to our Country in 1972, said another. It was supposed to be done rarely. The latest news about Planned Parenthood can be found at Evil.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) A Sept. 26 study revealed that seven out of 11 women injected with the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine had the mRNA poison in their breast milk. InfoWars host Owen Shroyer called this development the latest bad news about the vaccine. The study published in JAMA Pediatrics stated that trace amounts of COVID-19 vaccine mRNA were detected in breast milk samples obtained from seven out of 11 lactating women. The journal also tweeted that caution is warranted regarding breastfeeding infants younger than six months in the first two days after maternal COVID-19 injection. According to Shroyer, these trace amounts are still in the breast milk, and it just shows people that this mRNA can stick around forever. He added that the detection of the COVID-19 vaccine mRNA in human breast milk obviously proves that it causes blood clots. (Related: Breast milk of fully vaccinated women contains mRNA poisons, JAMA study reveals.) Thats seven out of 11 women with mRNA in their breast milk, said the War Room host. Which, of course, means that the infants, the newborn babies feeding, getting the breast milk, are now getting the mRNA vaccine technology. Shroyer expressed concern that vaccinated mothers might not want their mRNA-tainted breast milk getting into their newborn children for different reasons. But what are they going to do? Where are they going to go for breast milk? Are they going to be sure they can get pure breast milk? And theres no formula available because of the Biden economy. You cant get breast milk still. So, what are these mothers going to do? Shroyer asked. There was always the fear of the vaccines causing shedding of spike proteins and other things. Well, now we know the vaccines are shedding via the breast milk to the infants. So, its kind of like what the blood, and I think it was American Red Cross that recently came out and said were not separating vaccinated blood from unvaccinated blood. According to Shroyer, this became a big issue when a baby needing blood transfusion received blood from a vaccinated individual. The baby later developed a blood clot in the heart and later died. COVID vaccines may have already killed over 100,000 Americans The InfoWars host said the COVID-19 shot has killed at least 30,000 Americans on record. The actual numbers may be at least 100,000 as the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System admits to reporting only 10 percent. He also cited recent studies that showed five percent of vaccinated individuals have suffered a side effect that changed their lives for the worse. Were barely a year through this experiment, he said. It is an experimental vaccine. It was never tested on humans. The mandates, the side effects, the deaths [and] the lies just really put into perspective how evil it is. Shroyer said the presence of COVID-19 mRNA in the breast milk of vaccinated mothers should be considered a problem as it is a poison. He also mentioned that male semen has already been compromised as mRNA from the vaccines were also found in sperm. He lamented how Americans common sense and basic survival instincts are already gone, comparing those who willingly allowed themselves to be vaccinated as mice lured and trapped with free cheese. In the same way, Democrats baited the people with free stuff and money just to get injected. Now, Americans are learning that President Joe Bidens vaccine mandates are causing infants to ingest mRNA from the COVID-19 vaccines through their mothers breast milk. Shroyer ultimately slammed Biden for abusing his power and the Democrats for pushing the COVID-19 vaccines and medical martial law. Follow VaccineInjuryNews.com for more news about the COVID mRNA vaccines. Watch Owen Shroyer talk about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines to both babies and mothers below. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: NYU scientists find mRNA in human breast milk: Disaster for babies. Study finds mRNA material in BREAST MILK of vaccinated mothers. Expect thousands of US babies to be born with birth defects if their carrying mothers get injected with a thalidomide-laced covid vaccine. Sources include: Brighteon.com JAMANetwork.com (Natural News) A Ukrainian ambassador reacted in very hostile fashion to the suggestion of a peace plan from Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. (Article by Shane Trejo republished from BigLeaguePolitics.com) Musk proposed a peace plan on his Twitter account suggesting negotiations and compromise to stop the Russia/Ukraine conflict that is quickly morphing into World War 3. In his peace plan, Musk suggested that annexed regions by Russia vote on their own independence under UN supervision, with Russia abdicating if the people vote to stay in Ukraine. He also suggested that Crimea become formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 with water supply to Crimea assured and Ukraine remaining neutral. This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end just a question of how many die before then, Musk added. This caused Andri Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, to react with belligerence, not even attempting to make a coherent argument, in response to Musks notion of peace. The only outcome ist (sic) that now no Ukrainian will EVER buy your fing tesla crap. So good luck to you, he said, adding that f*ck off is my very diplomatic reply to you. The exchange can be seen here: Ukraines ambassador lashes out at Elon Musks peace proposal, telling him to f*ck off and saying no Ukrainian will buy his Tesla crap pic.twitter.com/egrhbA3rEA BNO News (@BNONews) October 3, 2022 Big League Politics has reported on the corrupt globalist puppet regime in Ukraine leading the charge for World War 3, which has resulted in defense contractors honoring their president: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is going to headline the annual Future Force Capabilities Conference and Exhibition, which is hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), a trade group of defense contractors who are cashing out over the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Zelensky will headline the event on Sept. 21 along with the Ukrainian defense minister Oleksii Reznikov. They will be appearing remotely through video link. Members of the NDIA include Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics three of the most powerful defense corporations in service of the military-industrial complex. The U.S. has given Ukraine $14.5 billion since their conflict with Russia began in February. Much of this money has been funneled into the NDIAs membership, bolstering their profit margins. Zelenskys constant agitating and propaganda, likely given while standing in front of a green screen, has helped lubricate the war machine. He will be honored for his service later in the month Zelensky serves his masters well. He will gleefully sentence countless numbers of his people to die in an unnecessary conflict so foreign corporations can enrich themselves. No wonder he is such a beloved figure among the globalists. All common sense voices for peace, like Musk, are under attack by a War Party that is more deranged than ever. The U.S. Empire needs to come to an end before it destroys the entire world. Read more at: BigLeaguePolitics.com (Natural News) The U.S. supply chain and international trade flows are about to take another major hit. The Mississippi River basin has experienced dry conditions throughout the summer of 2022, and there is very little rain in the long-term forecast heading into winter. The dry pattern has caused the Mississippi River to shrink, leading to low water levels in many locations. As this major shipping route is narrowed, there will be serious interruptions to the barge traffic. Soon, barges will be forced to reduce cargo loads to keep from grounding in the river. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already deployed buoy boats and two dredges to improve navigation down the narrowing shipping route. US corn and soybean harvest will be backlogged in the Mississippi River this year The Midwests upcoming corn and soybean harvest will be hampered, not only by the dry conditions, but also by shippers inability to transport the commodities down the Mississippi River. This narrowing of the Mississippi will restrict the total export of corn and soybeans this harvest season, ultimately driving up the price of these commodities and restricting total exports into European and Middle Eastern countries. For perspective, the Mississippi River typically accounts for half the corn and soybean exports leaving the United States. Farmers are already feeling the pressure. Barge rates are hitting new records, close to $50 per ton. Thats a shocking 50 percent increase from just a year ago. The prices are expected to increase even more, as the waterway backs up with multiple, smaller loads. These corn and soybean exports are more valuable than ever. Nations around the world are watching the situation closely, for they have lost critical food supplies after Ukraine was invaded earlier in the year. Of course, the Biden regime will use this crisis as an opportunity to sell the public on new government spending programs to combat climate change. But the government will never be able to print enough money to make the world into a climate utopia, with perfect equity in the supply chain. In fact, under the current regime, foreign policy mistakes have only made global trade more vulnerable. One natural disaster has a much greater ripple effect on global trade than ever before. Coast Guard requests barge size restrictions to prevent grounding on the Mississippi River The water level in the Mississippi River directly affects draft, which is the distance between the waterline and the deepest point of the boat. When river conditions are normal, the draft is about 12 feet at 1,500 tons. As the water level falls, the draft must be reduced. A shipper that reduces their draft by one foot will reduce their barges cargo by 200 tons. Shippers are still forced to pay the same amount of freight for the smaller shipment. Draft reductions are already in affect from Cairo, Illinois (106 max) to Greenville, Mississippi (11 max). These restrictions will also affect towing sizes. In fact, the Coast Guard is currently requesting that the shippers reduce their draft and tow size restrictions to prevent any grounding of the barges in the coming month. The Midwest desperately needs a tropical storm to come into the Gulf of Mexico and drive-up moisture from the south. Industry insiders and government officials warn that theres no way to fix the problem in time for the harvest season. The US Department of Agriculture warns that the soaring demand for barges this harvest season will likely put even more upward pressure on barge rates. Matt Ziegler, public policy manager at the National Corn Growers Association said, While barge scarcity and rate spikes could be detrimental to growers, Im not sure theres much we can do about it. Sources include: Zerohedge.com CommodityWX.com The earliest teeth may have been found in a Chinese fish fossil catch. The oldest teeth were discovered in southern China, along with a large haul of fish fossils, which may help researchers understand how our aquatic ancestors acquired their bite. The discoveries provide fresh information on a crucial stage of evolution that has been challenging to explain since there aren't many fossils left from that time period. Researchers describe some of their discoveries, including old teeth and previously undiscovered species, in four articles published Wednesday in Nature. Extremely Old Teeth The Silurian epoch, which lasted from 443 million years ago to 419 million years ago, is when the fossils were created. Around this period, teeth and jaws may have developed in our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery globe. Rather than "grubbing around" as bottom feeders and sifting out food from the muck allowed the fish to search for prey. Philip Donoghue, a paleontologist at the University of Bristol and one of the study's authors, prompted several further alterations in their anatomies, such as various types of fins. Donoghue explained, "It's just at this intersection between the Old and New World." However, according to Matt Friedman, a University of Michigan paleontologist who was not involved in the research, scientists haven't discovered enough fossils to demonstrate this transition in the past. They have relied on pieces from the past, such as a section of the spine or a scale, here and there. Also Read: Fish Fossil Revealed More Evidence that Teeth May Have Evolved from Outside the Mouth Exciting Scientists All Over the World As scientists from around the world examine the fossils from China, some gaps are anticipated to be filled. The fossil cache was found in the field in 2019, according to Min Zhu, the study's principal investigator and a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. After a painful journey that had failed to turn up any fossils, scientists investigated a rock pile next to a cliff along the side of the road on a rainy day. They saw fossilized fish heads staring back at them as they cracked apart one of the rocks. After carrying other rocks back to the lab for analysis, the study team ended up with a wide variety of fossils that were in excellent shape for their age. According to Per Erik Ahlberg of Sweden's Uppsala University, an author of one of the studies, the most prevalent species in the group is a little boomerang-shaped fish that probably used its teeth to gather worms. Another fossil depicts a strange creature that resembles a shark and has bony armor on its front. The well-preserved jawless fish explain the evolution of arms and legs from primitive fins. While these fish heads are frequently discovered as fossils, Donoghue noted that this specimen also preserved the whole body. The teeth are another factor. Multiple teeth were forming on what the researchers dubbed tooth whorls, which are bones. According to Zhu, the fossils offer the earliest conclusive evidence of jaws and are 14 million years older than any other teeth of any species discovered. An "Amazing" Find The fossil find is "amazing," according to evolutionary scientist Alice Clement of Australia's Flinders University, who was not involved in the study. She added that it might change how we think about this time period. Even though the next evolutionary period is known as the "Age of Fishes," the variety of fossils implies there were plenty of toothy critters swimming around at this time, according to Clement in an email. Related Article: Tooth Discovery Opens New Door on Studies About Human Evolution For more biological news, don't forget to follow Nature World News New research revealed that the craftsmen in Ribe Denmark in 700 AD showed advanced, sophisticated, and sustainable skills in making glass beads from old Roman glass mosaics. The study presented new development and surprising findings than previously believed in the Viking bead makers. The interdisciplinary study was published in the Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences journal and is available to read in ScienceDaily. In ancient times, Northern Europe showed a booming industry of glass bead production in the early middle ages. The importance of glass production was a rapid business. The research explained that colored glass was a scarce source of commodity in the early Medieval time. The colorful glass came from the pieces of mosaics from the deserted Byzantine palaces, temples, bathes, or houses. The materials were then transported to the North, which was being traded to interested parties, such as the Ribe. Bead makers from the Ribe would melt down the materials and transform them into majestic beads. Also Read: Only in Florida: Rare Snake Meets Tragic Death After Swallowing Massive Centipede According to the research abstract, it noted glasses recovered from two bead-making workshops in Ribe, Denmark. The researchers analyzed the recovered materials: crucibles, vessel fragments, cullet, and ninety pieces of tesserae. Production process According to the research, Professor Sren Sindbk explained that the most outstanding achievements in the discovery at the Ribe were not only the products they unveiled but also the economy and preservation of limited resources. The research noted that white beads were made when an artisan melts the gold leaf tesserae at a low temperature. Furthermore, the findings from one of the discovered workshops revealed that the creation of beads was sustainable to save time and materials. The process involved a particular way of melting the materials with minimum resources. The bead makers were said to crush the gold gilded and then remelt at the best lowest temperature to stir the melt and to trap the air. After it, the maker forms the beads by wrapping the glass around the iron mandrel. However, the findings found that some gold ended up in the melting pot process, based on the study. Sophistication in the process The sophistication and advanced process were present in making the beads, showing the mixture of the blue and golden mosaic stones. Moreover, the study noted that the advanced process was not only in the white beads but also present in the blue beads from the same workshop they discovered. Moreover, Gry Hoffmann Barfod said the discovery of glassmakers in Ribe was connoisseurs who had the clearest class made, noting the privilege to work on the materials helpful for today's society. Barfod is from the Department of Geoscience at Aarhus University. On the other hand, curator Claus Feveile said that the results showed the potential of new facts about the Vikings, which high-resolution excavation could be helpful for more revelations in the future. The scientists in the study were a collaboration between: Gry Barfod, Sren Sindbk - archeology professor at the Danish National Research Foundation's Center for Urban Network Development (UrbNet), Aarhus University. Curator Claus Feveile - From Museum of Southwest Jutland specializing in the Viking Age and Ribe'shistory Related Article: New Study Reveals Medical Knowledge of Stone Age Humans in Indonesia Cave For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News Nagpur, Oct 5 (UNI) RSS Chief Mohan Bhagawat on Wednesday said population control and religion-based population imbalance is an important subject that can no longer be ignored as they lead to changes in geographical boundaries. "In the 21st century, the three new countries that have come into existence, East Timor, South Sudan and Kosovo have been the results of population imbalance in certain territories of Indonesia, Sudan and Serbia. "Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries. Alongside the differences in birth rate, conversions by force, lure or greed and infiltration are also big reasons," he said addressing a gathering at RSS Headquarters on the occasion of Vijayadashami celebrations here. "All these factors have to be mulled over. Population control and religion-based population balance is an important subject that can no longer be ignored," Bhagwat said. 75 years ago, India experienced this, he added. Bhagwat said a population policy has to be formulated considering all these factors mindfully and should be applicable for all. "Public awareness campaigns will be required for creating a mindset of total observance of this policy. Only then rules pertaining to population control will yield results," he said. Bhagwat also said populations require resources, if it keeps growing it becomes a big burden, and therefore with the perspective of population control, plans are made. He said China has reversed its population control policy to increase population growth, but the situation in India is different. In 2000, the Union Government after multi-stakeholder consultations had framed a population policy. On incidents taking place at Udaipur and some other places, Bhagwat said these incidents had stunned the nation, but added that a particular community as a whole cannot be taken as a root cause for these incidents. "After the Udaipur incident, from within the Muslim society, few prominent persons voiced their protest against the incident. This manner of protest should not be an isolated phenomenon within the Muslim society rather it should become the nature of their large sections. Hindu society in general assertively expressed their protests and strong reactions after such incidents even if the accused be Hindu persons," he said. Whatever be the extent of provocation, protests always have to be within the boundaries of our laws and constitution, Bhagwat said. "Our society should come together, not fall apart or quarrel," he said. Bhagwat said many people agree with the concept of Hindu Rashtra, but are opposed to the word Hindu and they prefer to use other words. "We dont have any issue with that. For the clarity of concept we will keep emphasizing the word Hindu for ourselves," he said. He said scare-mongering is done among so-called minorities that there is a danger to them because of an organised Hindus, but this has not happened in the past, nor will it happen in future. "This is neither the nature of Sangh nor of the Hindus, history bears this out. Self-defence and defence of our own becomes a duty for everyone against those who spread hatred, commit injustice, atrocity, engage in acts of hooliganism and enmity towards society," he said. Neither threatens nor gets threatened. This kind of Hindu society is a need of the present times, and this is not anti-anybody, Bhagwat said. "Sangh has a steely resolve to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity and peace," Bhagwat said. UNI BDN PK GNK Since mid-August, about thirty African penguins have perished from the avian flu at Boulders Beach, a prominent breeding location in South Africa, which is closer to Cape Town. Penguins are infected with bird flu According to Dr. David Roberts of the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), 28 of the endangered seabirds either died or contracted the sickness and needed to be put to death as a result of it, as per Phys.org. To find more birds that may have contracted the virus, SANCCOB and the South African National Parks (SANParks) are collaborating. Every day, their rangers check the area in search of any birds that may be showing signs. If they find one, they will separate it away from the colony. Dr. Roberts noted that the rangers are outfitted in protective gear to make sure they really aren't part of the transmission. Approximately 3,000 African penguins, a species only found in Southern African waters, call the Boulders Beach penguin colony in Simon's Town on the country's picturesque coast about 20 kilometers from Cape Town home. According to the SANParks, the avian influenza virus, which is normally spread by bird feces, was discovered in the nation in May of last year and has afflicted a variety of sea birds. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed African penguins as one of the species at danger of extinction. Even while avian flu outbreaks are often not concerning for wild animal population levels, Roberts warned that they might increase the strain already placed on African penguins. We are concerned that a disease might be the final straw for some of them because they are already under a lot of stress due to other factors, such as a shortage of food, habitat degradation, and the breakdown of the ocean ecosystem. Read More: Bird Flu Outbreak Suspected as Dozens of Dead Birds Reported in Scotland, UK Reproduction of African penguins Unless breeding has failed for whatever reason, African penguins are a monogamous breed with just one partner for the rest of their lives. In that case, they may take on another partner, as per SANBI. Each breeding pair can return to the exact breeding colony and nesting site each year. The penguins breed in colonies, mainly on rocky shore islands. African penguins used to dig their nests into the layers of guano that were present on most islands, but after these deposits were mostly exhausted due to commercial exploitation, African penguins were prompted to use different nesting locations. Incubation lasts 38 to 41 days for one to two eggs per clutch in African penguins. Both sexes contribute greatly to the egg incubation process. The second parent will leave to go foraging at sea or to gather vegetative nesting material while one parent is caring for the egg. To maintain a steady incubation temperature, each parent possesses an incubation pouch on their body. After 14 days, the first moult takes place, followed by the second moult at 40-60 days, and the development of juvenile plumage at 70-80 days. After 70 to 90 days, the chicks are completely fledged. The fledgling youngsters will leave the colony where they were born on their own and return after traveling at sea for 12 to 22 months so they can moult into their adult plumage. Penguins must regularly shed their skin to stay warm and waterproof in frigid waters. Penguins will venture out to sea during the pre-moulting phase to bulk up for the moulting period. After moulting, the penguins may set sail in their brand-new feathers and spend roughly six weeks replenishing their fat stores prior to the start of the breeding season. Related Article: Study: Animal populations are decreasing due to their high-risk food-finding strategies Recent weather updates showed that meteorologists were monitoring two tropical waves that could develop into a tropical depression. Meanwhile, parts of Florida and Carolinas that Hurricane Ian heavily hit have continued the search and rescue operations and cleanup drives. Hurricane Ian caused massive damage to properties and homes, and the aftermath of the hurricane was devasting. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said they have been monitoring the two tropical waves in the Cabo Verde Islands and the Windward Islands, which could develop into tropical depressions. In the recent weather update of the National Hurricane Center on October 4, the Hurricane Center announced that the tropical wave moving to Windward Island recorded development of medium chance. Meanwhile, it also said that tropical depressions were seen to form over the western Caribbean Sea late this week or this weekend. Weather Monitoring NHC said the tropical wave was located east of the southern Windward Islands and expected to reach the island tonight or early Wednesday. The tropical wave was seen moving at 15 mph westward. However, the report noted that the tropical wave did not indicate significant organization. Also Read: Coastal Storms Could Bring Flooding and Windswept rainfall to Southeastern Virginia and Long Island Moreover, the report said that the tropical wave managed to gain little increase today, noting that a tropical storm is possible to form over the central or western Caribbean Sea by late this week. The Hurricane Center noted that they were monitoring areas where the tropical system could progress: the northern coast of Venezuela, ABC Islands, and the Windward Islands. On the other hand, NHC also noted a broad low-pressure system found in the west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, moving at 10 mph northwestward to the eastern tropical Atlantic. The low-pressure system could unleash large areas of showers and thunderstorms. The advisory also showed that tropical conditions would likely form, and the chance of formation is at 80% during the next 48 hours or in the next five days. Residents in affected areas are urged to stay updated with the weather development. Preparations before storms or Hurricanes As tropical systems could become tropical depressions, it is important to prepare for every storm, hurricane, or natural disaster. Here are some of the important reminders. Take note, especially in areas affected by the coming storm. Listen to weather news reports or local authorities' announcements. Repair all possible damage to your property that the storm could worsen, and it can pose a risk to your safety. As reiterated by weather reports, avoid operating the generator inside your home, as it could cause carbon monoxide poisoning. If your area's sea-water level increases, evacuate immediately or call for assistance from the authorities. After the storm, be mindful and careful with debris. Storms or hurricanes can cause power outages by damaging power lines. Having an emergency power bank for communication purposes would be helpful in an emergency. Residents near coastal or landslide-prone areas should be wary of mudslides, river flooding, dangerous seas, and landslides. Keep emergency bags with food and safety kits. Related Article: Cleanup from Hurricane Ian's Aftermath Continues in Carolinas For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News Australia has announced a strategy to conserve 110 species and stop the extinction disaster. According to the environment minister, many of Australia's most well-known native creatures are included in the priority targeting, which will also benefit others in similar ecosystems. An Ambitious Goal The federal government's purpose is to stop any more extinctions of Australian species. It is the first time a federal government has said that it wants to prevent all of the country's plant and animal species from going extinct. The objective is a component of a 10-year strategy to safeguard an extra 50 million hectares of land and water by 2027 and to enhance the trajectory of 110 species and 20 locations. Tanya Plibersek, the minister of the environment and water, declared that the government was establishing "the toughest objectives we've ever seen" to reverse the environmental disaster highlighted in this year's State of the Environment report. Also Read: Researchers and Indigenous People Concludes that Certain Areas of the Amazon May Never Recover Well Recieved Plan The existing strategy hasn't been effective. She remarked that they have to continue to have the same outcomes if we carry on as we have been. The plan incorporates the Albanese government's pledge to guarantee that 30% of land and marine areas are in conservation reserves by 2030 and expands upon a paper made public by the previous administration. There are 110 priority species, and there are now 20 places instead of only 6. The plan's aims, which were made explicit and included a goal of zero extinctions, were well received by conservationists. They said that stopping extinctions will need significantly more money for conservation efforts, the recovery of vulnerable species, and action to halt major threats, notably habitat degradation. If governments kept opening up additional coal and gas deposits, the Australian Greens claimed the objectives would be "unachievable." The chief conservation officer at WWF-Australia, Rachel Lowry, said it was good to see Australia join other industrialized nations in adopting a target of zero new extinctions, including New Zealand and EU members. Scientific Methods "Halting extinctions is possible, especially for a wealthy country with science-based remedies." However, according to Lowry, it's unclear how the strategy would benefit non-priority species, such as the greater glider, which is endangered. Australia's "woeful" record on extinction must be reversed, according to Basha Stasak, manager of the nature program at the Australian Conservation Foundation. According to her, this would need both increased financing and the tightening of Australia's national environmental legislation, as suggested by a review headed by the former head of the competition watchdog, Graeme Samuel. Scientists predict that $1.69 billion is required annually to address Australia's extinction threat, according to Stasak. We implore the government to allocate money in this month's federal budget to prevent extinction. The highly endangered King Island scrubtit is one of the new priority species, while the Blue Mountains and Australian Alps are among the recent locations. The strategy is broken down into goals addressing certain problems, including climate change, invasive species, species recovery, and habitat protection. Call for Action According to Euan Ritchie, a professor of animal ecology and conservation at Deakin University, all levels of government will need to cooperate to stop the root causes of environmental deterioration and species extinction, such as land clearance, invasive species, and continued reliance on fossil fuels. It still "falls well short of what would be necessary to stop and turn around Australia's biodiversity degradation and extinction disaster," he said, adding that the plan's greater ambition was good. The government also declared on Tuesday three natural groups and 15 additional species, including the parma wallaby and the lovely beard orchid, are vulnerable in Australia. Related Article: Wolves, Bears, and a Slew of Other Creatures are Making a Comeback in Europe For similar news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! The severe California drought puts count to 1200 wells that have run dry in the state since the year started. Elaine Moore's family is running out of water, a resource that is becoming more and more valuable as California's drought worsens. This summer, two wells owned by almond farmers in the Central Valley ran dry. After the family's previous well dried up last year, they drilled a new one and are now providing water to two of her children. She even helps a neighbor whose well dried up by providing water. Moore remarked that the previous year had been extremely dry. There wasn't much rain here. There wasn't much snowpack here. Everyone is extremely cautious about the water they use. Moore's grandchild is draining the kiddie pool so that the restrooms can be flushed. Megadrought More rural communities are going without groundwater as a result of heavy pumping that depletes underground aquifers that aren't being replenished by rain and snow in the American West's megadrought. According to the California Department of Water Resources, more than 1,200 wells have dried up across the state this year, an increase of almost 50% from the same time last year. In contrast, in 2018, 2019, and 2020, less than 100 wells were reported drying up each year. The San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural center of California and a major exporter of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, is where the groundwater crisis is worst. The severity of California's drought, which is currently entering its fourth year, is reflected in its declining groundwater supplies. More than 94% of the state is experiencing a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought, according to the US Drought Monitor. State water officials announced Monday that they are preparing for another dry year coming up because the weather phenomenon La Nina is anticipated to occur for the third year in a row year. California has just undergone its three driest years on record. Depleted Reservoirs Farmers need to pump more groundwater to irrigate crops because they are receiving insufficient surface water from the state's depleted reservoirs. Because of this, California's water tables are falling. According to state data, 64% of wells have water levels that are below average. Due to its reliance on groundwater, Madera County, which is located north of Fresno, has been particularly hard hit. About 430 dry wells have been reported by the county so far this year. Furthermore, municipal wells are in danger of drying up due to groundwater overdraft issues caused by agriculture. Due to dry domestic wells, some families do not currently have access to running water. Thomas Chairez claimed that the eight-person family he rents out his Fairmead property to previously drew water from his neighbor's well. However, his tenants did not have access to running water when it ran dry two years ago. Chairez is pleading with the county to offer a water delivery and storage tank service. For the time being, his tenants must fill 5-gallon buckets at a friend's house and drive each day to transport water. Read also: Drought Makes California Soil Breeding Grounds for Fungus that Cause Valley Fever Well Drilling Frenzy Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in March to halt the recent boom in well drilling. The temporary measure forbids local government organizations from issuing licenses for new wells that might endanger nearby wells or buildings. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which Governor Jerry Brown signed in 2014 to stop groundwater overpumping during the previous drought, has caused problems with groundwater in California as local agencies work to comply with it. By 2042, regional organizations must sustainably manage their aquifers under the law. Although the road will be difficult, according to water experts, the law will result in more reliable groundwater supplies for the next two decades. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, over the next two decades, approximately 500,000 acres of agricultural land, or 10% of the current total, will have to be taken out of production. Isaya Kisekka, a groundwater expert from the University of California in Davis, said that both the availability of drinking water and the loss of jobs will have an impact on these communities. Farmworkers are migrating in large numbers as this land is left fallow. California needs a lot of rain because they run out of water, so Chairez, along with farmers and locals, is hoping for a lot of it, AP News reported. Related article: California Keeps Experiencing Extreme Drought in Spite of Record-Setting Snow Quality Street chocolate, a Nestle brand, now comes in recyclable packaging, preventing 2.5 billion wrappers from ending up in landfills. The most recognizable chocolates in the UK are being given an eco-friendly makeover. Quality Street chocolates won't be sold in colorful plastic and foil packaging after 86 years. The Nestle-produced treats will instead be packaged in reusable waxed paper. The action will aid in lowering the annual amount of 2.5 billion sweet wrappers that are disposed of in landfills. For Nestle, which has previously faced criticism for its significant plastic footprint, it is a step in the right direction. Along with PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Unilever, the company was listed as one of the top four global plastic polluters in a report by the environmental NGO Break Free From Plastic in 2021. From Iconic to Eco-Friendly Over the upcoming weeks and months, the new packaging will gradually be introduced. All but the Green Triangle and Orange Crunch of the eleven well-known Quality street chocolates will come in the new packaging. The colors used to represent the various types of chocolate will not change. Cheryl Allen, the organization's head of sustainability, claims that Nestle, the company that owns Quality Street, thought carefully about its choice. Allen went on to say that Quality Street is a product line that people have strong feelings about and that they are aware that it is crucial to open the lid and reveal "the jewels," as the candies are commonly referred to. Additionally, according to Allen, they did a fantastic job with the redesign and are confident that customers will be pleased. Additionally, KitKats will be made more eco-friendly with packaging made of 80% recycled plastic. Can't Please Everybody The action benefits the environment. Campaigners, however, fault Quality Street's parent company Nestle for additional unethical and environmental transgressions. A UK consumer group called Ethical Consumer criticizes the company's sourcing strategy for cocoa. Ethical Consumer anticipated that 100% of chocolate products would be certified, whereas Nestle source 44% of cocoa through its Cocoa Plan. Other products are not sourced through the Quality Street brand's Cocoa Plan, but all of the chocolate used in its products is. Additionally, Nestle received the lowest possible score from the organization for its treatment of animals, factory farming, and animal testing. A company representative told Ethical Consumer that Nestle shares people's concerns about animal testing and plans to use only cage-free eggs for all of its food products globally by 2025. Nestle stated that to uphold their ethical and legal obligations, they are dedicated to minimizing the use of animal testing and think it should only occur in the most extreme circumstances. Read also: Coors Light Leaves Six-Pack Plastic Rings for a Greener Packaging Social Media Support On social media, Quality Street supporters have posted varying opinions about the new packaging, with many praising the improvement. Nestle's packaging decision received a "Yasssss" from one commenter who praised it as being excellent, while another added that it was about time. Not everyone on Twitter, though, was as enthusiastic, and many people voiced their disapproval of the new packaging. Quality street will now be wrapped in a waxy recyclable paper. It will save 2billion bits of wrapping going to landfill but, as my daughter said, when she opened the sample tin and saw the new, dull wrappers What have they done! pic.twitter.com/sxGJ1Shu0R Harry Wallop (@hwallop) October 2, 2022 One person claimed that Quality Street no longer sparkles and that presentation is crucial when it comes to food. Another remarked that Christmas would never be the same, EuroNews Green reports. Related article: Coca-cola Claims "Less Harmful" Plastic On Sprite Clear Bottles Roll-Out Starting August 1 While trying to "push" a surfer to shore, dolphins protected him from a stalking massive 20-foot shark, while two "guardian angels" tipped him off. On September 25, Australian surfer Bill Ballard noticed that the dolphins, which were nearby feeding on a swarm of salmon, started acting differently than usual. He was surfing at Wallagoot Beach in New South Wales. Ballard was familiar with dolphin behavior because he had previously encountered dolphins in the area. He said that the dolphins kept coming up to the surface water to look at him and started swimming back and forth, getting closer and somewhat trying to push or force him towards the shore, but it was hard to describe. A short while later, a plane that had been observing the feeding frenzy of the dolphins from above flew near Ballard to warn him that a gargantuan 20-foot shark was lurking in the nearby waters. The two passengers shouted at Ballard and pointed at the shadow of something large swimming nearby as they hung out of the low-flying aircraft. Shark Attacks in Australia One of the places in the world where shark attacks are most likely to happen in Australia. The International Shark Attack File, maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, lists 12 unprovoked shark bites that occurred in 2021. Although they don't actively seek out humans to hunt, shark encounters can be fatal. A shark might approach a surfer out of curiosity or because it thought the surfer looked like something it might want to eat. The Stalking Shark In the incident in New South Wales, the plane crashed into the water just yards from the beach after flying too low to climb again. Ballard went to see how the passengers were doing and spoke to one of them after catching a wave that helped bring him to shore. Ballard said that the female passenger on the plane kept mentioning that the shark was the biggest they had ever seen and that it was so close to Ballard. It was probably about 20 feet long. Ballard felt incredibly grateful to the passengers, who he compared to guardian angels who came to his rescue. Neither of the passengers was seriously hurt in the collision. Read also: Dolphins Save British Swimmer from Shark by Forming Protective Circle Around Him Off New Zealand Coast Don't Misunderstand. Although the species of the shark was not confirmed, Leonardo Guida, a shark expert at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, claimed that several species, including the famous "big three" sharks-the white, tiger, and bull sharks-call this region of Australia home. Guida explained that dolphins and sharks frequently congregate in the same area because they frequently pursue the same prey or hunt in comparable habitats. It's generally true that animals prefer to avoid conflict whenever possible, so the dolphins may be keeping a safe distance and keeping an eye on a potential rival while still being able to eat plenty of fish. He continued that although he is neither an expert on dolphins nor does he understand what they are thinking, the dolphins possibly saw the surfer as a potential threat to their food supply, and that's why they "pushed" him to shore rather than shielding him from a shark. According to Guida, large schools of fish, such as salmon, are a major attraction for sharks. They produce a lot and are relatively simple to catch food. The juvenile white shark was possibly in the area doing what it naturally does, which is following the school of fish. Australian salmon are one of the types of fish that can make up about a third of the food intake of juvenile white sharks on the east coast, Newsweek reported. Related article: Dolphins Rescue a Stranded Swimmer Stuck in Icy Water for 12 Hours Recent weather forecasts said a tropical depression 12 formed over the west of the Cabo Verde Islands. In the latest advisory on October 4, 2022 (4 pm EDT 4 ), the National Hurricane Center reported the tropical wave they were monitoring became a tropical depression 112. Still, it said that the tropical depression would be short-lived. In the same day weather update, the National Hurricane Center explained that satellite images showed that the low pressure in the west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands became better defined with showers and thunderstorms. The advisory said the tropical depression is expected to move at ten mph northwestward over the easter part of the tropical Atlantic in the coming days. Despite the short-lived tropical depression, residents in affected areas are urged to be careful with the upcoming tropical depression. On the other hand, AccuWeather reported that the tropical depression does not threaten the United States. Windward Islands 4pm EDT 4 October Key Messages for disturbance nearing the Windward Islands. Regardless of development, heavy rain & localized flooding possible for Windward Islands & N South America. Interests in Central America should monitor progress of this system.https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/bKbGmUgbbo National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 4, 2022 Moreover, the National Hurricane Center announced the importance of monitoring regardless of storm development. The advisory said heavy rains and localized flooding could be expected in the Windward Islands and North-South America. In the recent key message for the tropical disturbance, the Hurricane Center reminded residents of a potential heavy rainfall with flooding in parts of Curacao, coastal Venezuela, Windward Islands, Aruba, and Bonaire in the next few days. The upper-level winds and conditions are conducive to developing the tropical disturbance. Furthermore, NHC noted that the tropical disturbance in the Windward Islands had uncertainty in intensity. However, it said that the system could form a tropical depression on the central or western Caribbean sea by the end part of the week. The tropical disturbance was tracked, moving 15 mph westward across the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea. Forecasts said that the development of the tropical systems doesn't pose any threat, or it will land. However, residents are reminded of potential localized flooding, gusty winds, and rainfalls in affected areas as the tropical systems form into tropical depressions. Meanwhile, parts of Florida have continued their search and operations for affected communities since the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that additional 1,000 linemen were deployed to restore power in Lee County. Also Read: Coastal Storms Could Bring Flooding and Windswept rainfall to Southeastern Virginia and Long Island Additionally, the governor urged residents to be careful with cleanup drives. He also encouraged those who may want to volunteer to help the affected residents in Florida. He also said that all Lee County hospitals are now open, reiterating that his government prioritizes hospitals and healthcare systems since Hurricane Ian hit Florida. Tropical storm preparations Despite the tropical depression is seen to be short-lived and that the other tropical system will form in the next few days, preparations have been essential for storms. Here are some reminders you should remember before the storm hits your area. Know the details. Stay updated with the current weather reports if the coming storm could affect your area or what storm or hurricane advisories from the city. Be alert for potential localized flooding or mudslides if you live near coastal areas. Evacuate when the water rises or as advised by the local officials. Repair your home for any damages. Storms storm could have a heavy impact on homes. Be careful with closed roads, downed trees, downed communication, or power lines. Related Article: Cleanup from Hurricane Ian's Aftermath Continues in Carolinas For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News The researchers' innovative platform addresses a critical issue in water harvesting: collected water droplets form a thermal barrier that limits additional condensation; thus, they must be removed from the surface as quickly as possible to allow a way for more collecting. The team solved this issue by creating a platform with a distinct shape. They carve a number of mushroom-like tunnels into the collecting surface, each one smaller in diameter than a human hair so that some of the surface material overhangs each channel. Droplets that gather on the surface are absorbed into the channels, but the mushroom design prevents the water from returning to the initial collection surface. Water is collected using these canals. Researchers' flow platform advances water harvesting technology Summer's megadrought in the Western United States, as well as the failure of a Mississippi water treatment facility, have highlighted the necessity for alternative water supplies amid shortages, as per ScienceDaily. Harvesting water from the air is one solution to water scarcity. Dr. Xianming "Simon" Dai, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas' Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, is developing technology that will allow anyone to have an affordable, portable device that can access water anywhere, at any time, and with no external energy. Dai and his colleagues have enhanced that technique by creating a unique platform to speed up the harvesting process. The platform was proven in a paper published online on August 29 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A unique flow-separation slippery surface built on the foundation of Dai's past work in 2018 to extract water from fog and air is critical to the platform's success. The hydrophilic slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS), inspired by rice leaves and pitcher plants that can trap and route water droplets, has a unique water-absorbing feature that helps direct water droplets into the channels. SLIPS are also used to line the channels, which prevents fluids from backwashing onto the original collection surface. "The surface tension force transfers the liquid from the collection surface into the channel, which is beneficial for continuous water harvesting," Dai explained. "The mushroom-like canals are remarkable in that they contain the liquid." The technology has a wide range of applications, including military applications. Dai was awarded a Young Investigator Program funding from the Army Study Office in 2019 to further the research, which is also financed by the National Science Foundation. "Soldiers need to be able to drink water no matter where they are," Dai said. "A decentralized water harvesting technique is required." Because the device eliminates moisture from the air, he believes it might be valuable in food production and other situations requiring humidity management. Dai's team is working to improve the technology and make a bigger effect. Also Read: Scientists Provide New Solutions on Collecting Water Out of Thin Air Rainwater Harvesting Water-stressed areas of the world were able to fight the problem by capturing what little rainwater they got, as per Conserve Energy Future. This gradually expanded to locations where there was a lot of rain. As a consequence, a contemporary rainwater collection system was installed. The process's concept is straightforward. Rainwater is collected when it falls on the soil, stored, and used later. It may be purified to make drinking water, used for everyday purposes, and even used in large-scale enterprises. In a nutshell, rainwater harvesting is the process of collecting, purifying, storing, and utilizing rainwater for irrigation and other uses. Many people throughout the world use rainwater collection devices to lessen their usage of groundwater. This technique has been prevalent for thousands of years and is rapidly expanding. In regions where there is an abundance of rain, the extra precipitation can be used to replenish groundwater using artificial recharge techniques. The Benefits of Rainwater Harvesting The use of a rainwater collecting system delivers various benefits to the community. For starters, gathering rainwater helps us to better utilize an energy resource. It is critical to do so since drinking water is not easily renewable, and it aids in waste reduction. Rainwater collecting systems are based on simple technologies. Rainwater collecting offers a self-sufficient water source in areas where clean water is expensive or difficult to get. Rainwater collecting is an important source of clean water that improves the amount of potable drinking water available. Water collected by the rainwater collecting system may also be used for a variety of non-drinking purposes. This results in significant savings in utility bills for many homes and small companies. Related article: Desert Beetles, Cacti and Pitcher Plants Inspire New Water Harvesting Techniques Ostriches, like humans, deal with the problems of motherhood by banding together to care for their babies. Individuals take turns incubating eggs in communal nests where groups reproduce. However, there are consequences to cooperative breeding since there can be fierce rivalry over mating and who gets to incubate the eggs. In cooperative animals, the optimal breeding group size varies by sex "In nature, the opposing forces of competition and collaboration are predicted to result in an ideal group size," explained lead author Julian Melgar, a postdoctoral researcher at Lund University in Sweden, as per ScienceDaily. The most prevalent argument is that group sizes fluctuate in response to changes in environmental circumstances, however, this does not explain why groups with different compositions exist under comparable settings. Researchers set out to investigate the costs and advantages of group size under controlled ecological settings, untangle the influence of individual variations from group qualities on reproductive success, and determine how competition and cooperation vary with group size. Over an eight-year period, experimental groups of ostriches were created at the start of each mating season in May by putting various numbers of males and females in huge enclosures in the Klein Karoo, South Africa. Similar to the variety of group sizes reported in the wild, groups consisted of one or three males and one, three, four, or six females. The cooperative incubation behavior was temporarily suppressed during the mating season by removing eggs. The influence of the number of men and females in groups, as well as collaboration during incubation, on reproductive success, was studied. These disparities in male and female reproductive success can help explain why group sizes vary so greatly in nature. Also Read: Japanese Scientists Used Ostrich Cells to Make Virus-Detecting Masks that Glows Under UV Light How Ostriches Do It The mating methods of the various subspecies are similar, however, specifics may vary, as per Livescience. Males will often defend their own little area from the competition, while groups of females may move around, visiting possible mates. Men will mate with several females and females will mate with many males in a single season. To attract a female, a male will do a little dance in which he crouches down and alternately brings his black-and-white wings forward, one after the other. A wooed female will sit down, allowing the male to mount her from behind and inseminate her by putting his phallus (pseudo-penis) into her cloaca (waste and reproductive orifice). Although the male will mate with the other females in the group, he will only create a life-long mating relationship with one "dominant" female. After mating, the male digs a shallow hole in which all of the ladies lay their eggs, with the dominant female's eggs in the middle (the best spot). Evans told LiveScience that the dominating female will incubate all of the eggs while the other females flee. They go to begin another breeding effort with another man. Surprisingly, once the chicks hatch, the males take care of them. If a child-rearing male encounters another ostrich parent, the winner will take both pairs of chicks. Related article: This Creepy Ostrich-Like Robot Could Be the Future of Deliveries A tuberculosis outbreak at a zoo in Madagascar has claimed the lives of critically endangered primates, particularly types of lemurs that have never been known to contract the illness. Lemurs at Madagascar zoo are being killed by tuberculosis Eight black-and-white ruffed lemurs, one sifaka, and one fossa have recently passed away at the government-run Tsimbazaza Zoo and Botanical Park (PBZT) in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, all from suspected cases of the illness, as per National Geographic. The occurrence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (tuberculosis) inside the tissues of some of the dead animals has been confirmed by researchers from the Institut Pasteur of Madagascar with the assistance of IUCN members. Jonah Ratsimbazafy, a Malagasy primatologist, believes that the zoo, which is home to several hundred animals and is still open to visitors, must be shut down right once. There are around a dozen different kinds of lemurs at the Tsimbazaza Zoo, and the outbreak comprises the first known cases of sifaka, fossa, and black-and-white ruffed lemurs, according to Ratsimbazafy. Ruffed lemurs, sifaka, and fossa are all classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. The sickness in the pet lemur was first discovered by a team led by National Geographic Explorer Marni LaFleur, an anthropologist at the University of San Diego in California who studies the species. Last year. She claims that zoo visitors frequently share pictures of themselves touching and feeding lemurs on Instagram. According to Ratsimbazafy, if the zoo is not shut down, personnel and animals may infect visitors with tuberculosis. The zoo is unable to contain this extremely dangerous illness He also stated that the death of animals will probably be necessary to stop the spread of disease at PBZT. He strongly advises against hunting lemures in the wild to replace any that may be put down or have already passed away. Read More: Badgers Can Carry Tuberculosis Across Great Distances, Study Finds Bovine Tuberculosis Bovine tuberculosis is a long-lasting bacterial infection that affects cattle. It is largely brought on by M. bovis. It also has an impact on wild animals including wild boars, deer, and antelopes as well as other domesticated animals like sheep, goats, equines, pigs, dogs, and cats, as per WOAH. In many underdeveloped nations, bovine tuberculosis continues to be a significant threat to both animal and human health. M. tuberculosis is the root cause of human TB, which is the most prevalent. Clinically, it is impossible to distinguish M-caused illnesses, nevertheless. Those who have TB brought on by M. bovis, could be responsible for up to 10% of cases of human tuberculosis in some nations. The inclination of M may make the diagnosis more difficult. extrapulmonary infection), and the discovery of M. bovis infections in tissues beyond the lungs. Bovis has a built-in resistance to pyrazinamide, a popular antibacterial used to treat human tuberculosis. Tuberculosis transmission It is possible to contract the disease by direct contact with infected domestic or wild animals or indirectly by ingesting contaminated food or drink. By inhaling contaminated aerosols that are exhaled from the lungs, commonly cow herds are typically affected (by coughing). Colostrum or milk from infected cows can spread the infection to calves. Raw milk from infected cows can infect humans, as can contact diseased tissues at abattoirs or butcheries. The disease progresses slowly and may take months or years to become fatal. As a result, an infected animal may spread the infection to the herd before any symptoms manifest. Therefore, one of the main ways the disease is disseminated is via domestic animals that are moving while afflicted. Related Article: Farmer Vows to Stand in Way of Any Gunman For His Alpaca With Bovine Tuberculosis New Delhi, Oct 4 (UNI) In a telephonic conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India's call for an early cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy. The leaders discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the PMO said. The Prime Minister expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed Indias readiness to contribute to any peace efforts, the PMO added. He also reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. He emphasized the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine and underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment, the PMO said. The two leaders also touched upon important areas of bilateral cooperation, following up on their last meeting in Glasgow in November 2021. During the bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit recently, Modi stressed on the path of dialogue and diplomacy saying "Today's era is not for war". UNI ASU GNK According to information published by the Australian DoD on October 3, 2022, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) have successfully conducted bilateral maritime training during Exercise Singaroo 2022 in Australias northern waters. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Singapore Navy's Formidable class frigate RSS Steadfast. (Picture source: Canadian Forces Combat Camera Photo By Master Corporal Mathieu Gaudreault) The exercise, which ran from 26 to 29 September, included high-end warfare serials by Australian frigates HMAS Hobart and RSS Steadfast and Republic of Singapore Air Force F-15SG and F-16 aircraft operating from RAAF Base Darwin. Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley said the long-standing exercise was a sign of maturity in the interoperability of the two nations armed forces. Rear Admiral Edwin Leong, Chief of Staff-Naval Staff, Republic of Singapore Navy said the RAN and the RSN share a close and long-standing relationship. The 2022 iteration of Singaroo included the firing of Australias Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) from RAN destroyer HMAS Hobart. The ESSM is highly effective in countering aircraft and supersonic manoeuvring anti-ship missiles. About the RSS Steadfast RSS Steadfast (70) is the third ship of the Formidable-class stealth frigate of the Republic of Singapore Navy. The ship was built by ST Marine Engineering company in Singapore around the late 2000s and was commissioned on 5 February 2008. Radar cross section (RCS) reduction features have been incorporated into the Formidable class design, with inclined hull sides and bulwarks as well as concealment of ship boats and replenishment-at-sea equipment behind low-RCS curtains. The frigate is equipped with the Thales Herakles passive electronically scanned array multi-function radar, which provides three-dimensional surveillance for up to 250 km (155.3 mi). The radar provides all-round automatic search and tracking of both air and surface targets, and is integrated with the MBDA Aster air defence system. The frigate is equipped with Boeing Harpoon missiles and Oto Melara 76 mm guns for surface defence. The Harpoon missile has a range of 130 km (70 nmi) and uses active radar guidance. State date: 12 October 2022 End date: 13 October 2022 Location: Budapest, Hungary and online Languages: English, French, Spanish The World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) will be hosting the Budapest Conference in Budapest, Hungary on the 12th and 13th of October 2022 in an effort to showcase the increased efforts of the two organizations, and their Customs and FIU memberships. In 2018, the WCO created its Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorism Financing (AML-CTF) Programme, under the Compliance and Enforcement Sub directorate, and initiated an effort of close collaboration with the Egmont Group. This involved the delivery of joint training workshops in the AML-CTF arena to Customs Services, FIUs and police services, and the creation of two very important tools for the WCO and Egmont Group memberships: the Customs FIU-Cooperation Handbook (CFCH) and the Financial Intelligence Compendium. The WCO and the Egmont Group conceptualized and designed the CFCH to serve as reference guide for Customs Services and FIUs when it comes to Customs-centric money laundering. The Financial Intelligence Compendium was designed to provide analytical training in the areas of the suspicious transaction reporting for FIUs and in the trade documentation area for Customs Services. The Conference will produce a joint communique from the WCO and the Egmont Group that will outline important reasons for all Customs Services and FIUs to closely collaborate as an element to protect both civil society and the financial and international trade industries. The Secretary General of the WCO, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, will give the keynote speech, and the Chair of the Egmont Group, Ms. Xolisile Khanyile, will also give the opening remarks. The Conference will organize multiple anti-money laundering sessions that touch upon the Customs arena, to include: bulk cash smuggling; terrorism financing; e-currency; Trade-based money laundering; and money laundering via environmental and human trafficking/human smuggling. Retired Judge Chase Leonhard writes of the implementation of the SAFE-T Act: "One might well be confident that members of the bench, the bar and the legislature alike will rise to the occasion and ensure that the new law strikes an appropriate balance between public safety and the rights of the accused." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Our County Editor Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com. When Sara Laub's period was late, the New York City resident shrugged it off. She'd used an intrauterine device, or IUD, for three years and knew her odds of getting pregnant were extremely slim. But after 10 days had passed, Laub, 28, took a home test in early July and got unwelcome news: She was pregnant. Laub went to a Planned Parenthood clinic because she knew someone could see her immediately there. An ultrasound found no sign of a developing embryo in her uterus. That pointed to the possibility that Laub might have an ectopic pregnancy, in which a fertilized egg implants somewhere outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. Such pregnancies are rare, occurring roughly 2% of the time, but they are extremely dangerous because a growing embryo might rupture the tiny tube, causing massive and potentially life-threatening internal bleeding. Laub was experiencing no pain, bleeding, or other obvious symptoms of trouble. Still, a Planned Parenthood staffer recommended that she go to a hospital emergency department right away. Laub didn't realize it, but she was embarking on a lengthy and very expensive treatment to end the pregnancy. Even in a state that strongly supports a person's right to make her own choices regarding pregnancy New York legalized abortion in 1970, three years before Roe v. Wade made it legal nationwide Laub's experience shows the process can be arduous. An ectopic pregnancy in the fallopian tube is never viable. But following the June reversal of Roe by the Supreme Court, reproductive health experts say treatment may be dangerously delayed as some states move to limit abortion services. Some of those consequences are already being noted in Texas, where strict abortion limits were instituted last fall before the Supreme Court's decision. Since abortion is now allowed in Texas only in medical emergencies, doctors might wait to perform abortions until pregnant patients are facing life-threatening complications in order to comply with the law. "In Texas, we saw people not treating ectopic pregnancies until they ruptured," said Dr. Kristyn Brandi, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Montclair, New Jersey, who is board chair of Physicians for Reproductive Health, which supports abortion rights. The 2021 Texas law banned most abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy. University of Texas-Austin researchers interviewed doctors about the impact of the law on maternal and fetal care. A specialist at one unnamed hospital said the facility no longer offers treatment for certain ectopic pregnancies. About half of states have enacted restrictions on abortion or are trying to do so. Laub, who is being identified by her middle and last name because of her concerns about privacy, said she couldn't help thinking about the recent Supreme Court decision as she went through diagnosis and treatment. "As scary as my ordeal felt at the time, I was acutely aware that I was fortunate to have easy access to treatment, and elsewhere women with my condition face much worse experiences," Laub said. At Lenox Hill Hospital's emergency department on New York's Upper East Side, doctors ran more tests and gave Laub two options: an injection of methotrexate, a cancer drug that destroys rapidly dividing cells and is often used to end an ectopic pregnancy, or surgery to remove her fallopian tube, where the fertilized egg was lodged. Laub opted for the injection. After getting the shot, patients need follow-up hormone blood tests to confirm that the pregnancy is ending. Laub returned to the emergency department for bloodwork and an ultrasound three days after the shot. She returned again three days later and was given a second shot of methotrexate since the pregnancy hadn't terminated. The following week, she repeated the treatment in two follow-up visits. On July 20, after 12 days and five emergency department visits, Laub was scheduled for laparoscopic surgery to remove her fallopian tube. The total charges to date for the medical treatment: an eye-popping $80,000. Because her health plan had negotiated discounted rates with the hospital and the other providers, all of whom were in her provider network, Laub's out-of-pocket cost will be only a fraction of that total. It now appears Laub will owe a little more than $4,000. That still seems like a lot, she said. "On the one hand, I feel grateful that I was able to get treated when I was not in an acute state," Laub said. "But it's an awful feeling to know that the decision I made as to the best path forward for care comes at such a high cost." The hospital pointed out, however, that its charges were reduced by Laub's insurer discount. "Charges are based on the specific services provided in the treatment of the patient, said Barbara Osborn, vice president of public relations at Northwell Health, a system that includes Lenox Hill Hospital. Any amount due from the patient is based upon the benefit design and cost sharing provisions of the patient's insurance plan." Understanding hospital charges can be a head-scratcher since they often don't appear to align with the actual cost of providing care. That's true in this case. According to a breakdown by WellRithms, a company that analyzes medical bills for self-funded companies and others, on average Lenox Hill Hospital charges $12,541 for the surgery that Laub underwent, based on publicly available data that hospitals submit to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. But the hospital charged Laub's health plan $45,020. "Hospitals will charge whatever they can," said Jordan Weintraub, vice president of claims at the Portland, Oregon, company. "They put it on the payer to deny items rather than billing appropriately." Even more revealing is how much it actually costs the hospital to perform the surgery. According to WellRithms' analysis of the federal data, Lenox Hill's cost to perform the laparoscopic procedure is $3,750. The average cost statewide is $2,747. Nationally, the average outpatient charge for the surgical procedure Laub received is $13,670, according to data from Fair Health, a nonprofit that manages a large database of health insurance claims. The average total amount paid by the health plan and patient is $6,541. Surgical charges for managing an ectopic pregnancy vary widely depending on location. But the charges don't necessarily correlate with the ease of access to medical care to end a pregnancy. In the New York City metropolitan area, the average charge is $9,587, for example, while in San Francisco, the average charge is $20,963, according to Fair Health. Both New York and California have generous abortion access laws. Meanwhile, locations with more restrictive abortion standards don't necessarily charge more for ectopic pregnancy surgery. For example, in the Dallas area, the average charge is $14,223, while in Kansas City, Missouri, its $16,320, both lower than the average charges in Chicago ($18,989) or Philadelphia ($17,407). Many women opt for methotrexate over surgery to treat ectopic pregnancy. The drug is successful between 70% and 95% of the time without requiring surgery. The drug is often administered at a hospital because OB-GYNs are unlikely to keep the cancer drug in their offices, experts say. After the injection, patients must be followed closely until the pregnancy ends, because the risk of a life-threatening rupture remains. In addition, patients must get bloodwork at intervals after an injection to confirm that their pregnancy hormone levels are falling. After receiving her first injection at the emergency department, Laub was told she needed to return for follow-up bloodwork after each injection. Charges for those emergency department visits were likely significantly higher than the charges would have been had Laub received follow-up care from an OB-GYN in an outpatient setting. The hospital charged between $4,700 and $5,400 for each of those follow-up visits. Laub's share of the cost was about $500 each time. "She had a long course of treatment, and if it was all done through the emergency room that would be unfortunate," said Dr. Deborah Bartz, an OB-GYN at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "It would be really nice if instead she could have been worked into the outpatient setting with a protocol for managing surveillance." In a statement, Osborn defended the hospital's approach. "Ectopic pregnancies, which can be life-threatening conditions, require close surveillance and management to ensure a successful resolution," Osborn said. "The emergency setting allows for immediate availability of critical surgical services, as was ultimately necessary in this patients case." New research from the University of Cincinnati bolsters a hypothesis that Alzheimer's disease is caused by a decline in levels of a specific protein, contrary to a prevailing theory that has been recently called into question. UC researchers led by Alberto Espay, MD, and Andrea Sturchio, MD, in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, published the research on Oct. 4 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. Questioning the dominant hypothesis The research is focused on a protein called amyloid-beta. The protein normally carries out its functions in the brain in a form that is soluble, meaning dissolvable in water, but it sometimes hardens into clumps, known as amyloid plaques. The conventional wisdom in the field of Alzheimer's research for more than 100 years stated that Alzheimer's was caused by the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. But Espay and his colleagues hypothesized that plaques are simply a consequence of the levels of soluble amyloid-beta in the brain decreasing. These levels decrease because the normal protein, under situations of biological, metabolic or infectious stress, transform into the abnormal amyloid plaques. "The paradox is that so many of us accrue plaques in our brains as we age, and yet so few of us with plaques go on to develop dementia," said Espay, professor of neurology in the UC College of Medicine, director and endowed chair of the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute and a UC Health physician. "Yet the plaques remain the center of our attention as it relates to biomarker development and therapeutic strategies." Sturchio noted that many research studies and clinical trials over the years have aimed at reducing amyloid plaques in the brain, and some have lessened plaques, but until the September 27 announcement of a positive trial by Biogen and Eisai (lecanemab), none slowed the progression of Alzheimer's disease. More importantly, in support of their hypothesis, in some clinical trials that reduced the levels of soluble amyloid-beta, patients showed worsening in clinical outcomes. I think this is probably the best proof that reducing the level of the soluble form of the protein can be toxic. When done, patients have gotten worse." Andrea Sturchio, MD, First Author and Adjunct Research Instructor, UC's College of Medicine Research results Previous research from the team found that regardless of the buildup of plaques in the brain, people with high levels of soluble amyloid-beta were cognitively normal, while those with low levels of the protein were more likely to have cognitive impairment. In the current study, the team analyzed the levels of amyloid-beta in a subset of patients with mutations that predict an overexpression of amyloid plaques in the brain, which is thought to make them more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. "One of the strongest supports to the hypothesis of amyloid toxicity was based on these mutations," Sturchio said. "We studied that population because it offers the most important data." Even in this group of patients thought to have the highest risk of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers found similar results as the study of the general population. "What we found was that individuals already accumulating plaques in their brains who are able to generate high levels of soluble amyloid-beta have a lower risk of evolving into dementia over a three-year span," Espay said. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today The research found that with a baseline level of soluble amyloid-beta in the brain above 270 picograms per milliliter, people can remain cognitively normal regardless of the amount of amyloid plaques in their brains. "It's only too logical, if you are detached from the biases that we've created for too long, that a neurodegenerative process is caused by something we lose, amyloid-beta, rather than something we gain, amyloid plaques," Espay said. "Degeneration is a process of loss, and what we lose turns out to be much more important." Next steps Sturchio said the research is moving forward to study if increasing the levels of soluble amyloid-beta in the brain is a beneficial therapy for patients with Alzheimer's. Espay said it will be important to ensure that the elevated levels of the protein introduced into the brain do not then turn into amyloid plaques, since the soluble version of the protein is needed for normal function to make an impact in the brain. On a larger scale, the researchers said they believe a similar hypothesis of what causes neurodegeneration can be applied to other diseases including Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, with research ongoing in these areas as well. For example, in Parkinson's disease, a normal soluble protein in the brain called alpha-synuclein can harden into a deposit called a Lewy body. The researchers hypothesize that Parkinson's is not caused by Lewy bodies aggregating in the brain, but rather by a decrease in levels of normal, soluble alpha-synuclein. "We're advocating that what may be more meaningful across all degenerative diseases is the loss of normal proteins rather than the measurable fraction of abnormal proteins," Espay said. "The net effect is a loss not a gain of proteins as the brain continues to shrink as these diseases progress." Espay said he envisions a future with two approaches to treating neurodegenerative diseases: rescue medicine and precision medicine. Rescue medicine looks like the current work, studying if boosting levels of key proteins like amyloid-beta leads to better outcomes. "Interestingly, lecanemab, the anti-amyloid drug recently reported as beneficial, does something that most other anti-amyloid treatments don't do in addition to reducing amyloid: it increases the levels of the soluble amyloid-beta," Espay said. Alternatively, precision medicine entails going deeper to understand what is causing levels of soluble amyloid-beta to decrease in the first place, whether it is a virus, a toxin, a nanoparticle or a biological or genetic process. If the root cause is addressed, the levels of the protein wouldn't need to be boosted because there would be no transformation from soluble, normal proteins to amyloid plaques. Espay said precision medicine would take into account the fact that no two patients are alike, providing more personalized treatments. The researchers are making progress in precision medicine through the Cincinnati Cohort Biomarker Program, a project aiming to divide neurodegenerative diseases by biological subtypes in order to match therapies based on biomarkers to those most likely to benefit from them. "The Cincinnati Cohort Biomarker Program is dedicated to working toward deploying the first success in precision medicine in this decade," Espay said. "By recognizing biological, infectious and toxic subtypes of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, we will have specific treatments that can slow the progression of those affected." A new study, published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, found that myocardial infiltration could cause myocarditis during monkeypox virus infection. The article reported that two monkeypox virus-infected immunocompetent patients in the United States were hospitalized for signs of viral myocarditis and subsequently discharged upon symptom improvement. Background Viruses that cause monkeypox in Central and West Africa have caused monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreaks in other parts of the world from time to time. MPXV, a zoonotic DNA orthopoxvirus, is related to the smallpox virus. It is transmitted through large respiratory droplets and close or direct contact with an infected animal. There is typically a fever at the beginning of the illness, followed by the appearance of multiple papular lesions and inflammatory lesions on the skin, including vesiculopustular rash and ulcers. The infection can cause complications like pneumonitis, encephalitis, keratitis, secondary bacterial infections, acute kidney injury, and myocarditis. Young and immunocompromised individuals are at a higher risk of monkeypox virus infections. Generally, viral infections are associated with myocarditis. However, the pathophysiology of orthopoxvirus-induced myocarditis remains unknown. The study Two patients were recruited for this study with prior informed consent. Patient 1 was a 32-year-old man with MPXV infection likely due to asexual contact with a male partner, who was admitted for suspected myocarditis. His records suggested a viral infection with cervical lymphadenopathy, rash, and a single penile lesion. He also reported chest pain and dyspnea, with no accounts of SARS-CoV-2 or smallpox vaccination or infection. Patient 2 was a 37-year-old man who suffered from rash, fever, dyspnea, and reduced exercise tolerance. He was reported to have had sexual encounters with multiple partners 13 days before hospitalization. Five days after exposure, his symptoms commenced with bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy, followed by multiple skin lesions in both arms and a lesion at the base of the penis, and after that, fatigue, low-grade fever, and chills. Findings Physical examination of patient 1 showed numerous erythematous vesiculopapular, pustular lesions with erythematous borders, inguinal lymphadenopathy (left), and ulceration at the base of the glans penis. The serum samples showed the presence of p24 indicative of nonreactive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), negative HIV and hepatitis C on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, and a rapid plasma reagin titer of 1:2. Cardiac biomarkers such as high-sensitivity troponin T and N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide were elevated. Electrocardiogram exhibited a normal sinus rhythm, and the chest radiograph did not detect any abnormality. The C-reactive protein was 0.5 mg/dL, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 11 mm/h. The patient samples were negative for enterovirus, adenovirus, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies, parvovirus, cytomegalovirus, EpsteinBarr virus, coccidioidomycosis, and human herpesvirus 6. The patient was treated for monkeypox infection and syphilis. Echocardiography (ECG) post-hospitalization showed an ejection fraction of 69%. The patient was isolated even after the troponin levels were decreased post-hospitalization and the rash improved, which preceded the crusting and exfoliation of the lesions. He was discharged only after ten days with appropriate isolation guidelines and was prescribed oral tecovirimat for 14 days. During the physical examination, patient 2 had multiple skin lesions with central umbilication in the lower pubic and inguinal areas, while the upper extremities showed smaller vesicular lesions. Increased troponin I levels were detected in serum. The B-type natriuretic peptide level was 49 pg/mL; Electrocardiogram demonstrated normal sinus rhythm with T wave inversions in the inferior and anterolateral leads; ECG showed normal ventricles and systolic function with normal regional wall motion, and the diastolic parameters were age-appropriate. The MPXV infection was confirmed by nonvariola orthopoxvirus PCR. The patient was negative for HIV and SARS-CoV-2. After four days of hospitalization, the dyspnea resolved, and cardiac enzymes normalized. The patient did not require specific treatment for monkeypox or myocarditis and was discharged after symptom improvement with appropriate isolation guidelines. Based on the epidemiological trends, both patients likely had the clade IIb infection of the circulating MPXV. The viral infection was the most probable cause of myocarditis in both patients. However, other potential etiologies and viral co-infections could not be excluded. Inference Both patients improved 10-12 days after symptom onset. Direct myocardial infiltration of the MPXV was speculated as the probable cause for monkeypox-related myocarditis. Antivirals could be an effective treatment strategy. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer disproportionally affect racial and ethnic minorities. Of the 45 percent of Americans who have one or more chronic diseases, underserved populations are three to six times more likely than whites to have a chronic disease. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine, in collaboration with the Caridad Center, Inc., and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, have received a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project to tackle chronic health disparities through the use of electronic health records (EHR), artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The project, "Developing a Precise, Localized, Community Focused, Population Health Framework in an FQHC to Tackle Chronic Disease Disparities through EHR Data," is part of the NIH's "Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM-AHEAD)." This project is made possible by NIH Other Transaction Agreement Number 1OT2OD032581. AIM-AHEAD's program goal is to establish mutually beneficial, coordinated and trusted partnerships to enhance participation and representation of researchers and communities currently underrepresented in the development and AI/ML models, and improve the capabilities of this emerging technology, beginning with the use of EHR and extending to other diverse data to address health disparities. The AIM-AHEAD program consists of four cores -; partnerships, research, infrastructure, and data science training-;and this collaboration falls under the infrastructure core, which is headed by Nick Tsinoremas, Ph.D., vice provost for research, data and computing at the University of Miami and the founding director of its Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC), serving as principal investigator. One major recurring challenge faced by organizations that want to use their own institutional EHR data for research is establishing a suitable research environment in which the patient population can be profiled and research cohorts identified. Addressing this challenge is the first requisite step to enabling community focused, EHR-based, research projects that aim to apply AI/ML methods or any other methods to these sets of data. FAU's Schmidt College of Medicine and its affiliated health clinics, together with the Caridad Health Center Florida's largest free health clinic established in 1989 and the University of Miami, are developing this pilot program as a national model on how to implement AI/ML in community health centers and federally qualified health centers to improve their AI/ML delivery and research operations. Little has been done to actively incorporate data derived from electronic health records of federally qualified health centers and community centers that directly serve underrepresented and disadvantaged groups burdened by health disparities. Although these centers serve as the primary source of medical care for communities affected by health disparities, they unfortunately lack adequate data, artificial intelligence and machine-learning capabilities needed to collect, collate and analyze substantial amounts of patient data." Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., principal investigator, chair of the Department of Biomedical Science, senior associate dean for research, and professor of biomedical science, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today The project is spearheaded by Robishaw; Laura Kallus, chief executive officer of Caridad Center, Inc.; and Azizi Seixas, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine and director of the Population Health Informatics Program at IDSC. With this grant, researchers will tackle these health disparity challenges by implementing a research tool developed by the University of Miami with funding from the NIH's Clinical and Translational Science Award Program. The University Research Informatics Data Environment, also known as URIDE, is a web-based platform that aggregates and visualizes de-identified data from multiple clinical health systems within the organization. URIDE enables clinical research investigators and their teams to easily explore demographics, diagnoses, procedures, vitals, medications, labs, notes, allergies, comorbidities and other information. URIDE previously received funding from the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award program. This new pilot program will increase URIDE's utilization with a much wider expansion of the use of this cyber infrastructure platform. "We are very excited to collaborate with FAU and Caridad to expand the URIDE platform, creating a more representative community with this cutting-edge, health informatics tool," said Tsinoremas. The project team will establish a research environment to support the identification of research cohorts. Using URIDE, and with the incorporation of AI/ML and IoT, they will be able to conduct remote health monitoring. Patients with cardiometabolic health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes will be monitored remotely, which will enable the Caridad Center to implement a tailored AI/ML query and analytical platform in their EHR and conduct personalized queries in their research questions to address chronic disease within their patient population. "As a medical school of the community and for the community, we are very excited to collaborate with the Caridad Center and the University of Miami to bring together experts and resources to advance the goals of the National Institutes of Health's AIM-AHEAD program," said Julie Pilitsis, M.D., Ph.D., dean and vice president of medical affairs, Schmidt College of Medicine. "AI and machine learning are powerful tools that will help us to optimize health care delivery and drive health care innovation." If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit The world is losing the battle against AIDS due to ongoing discrimination around preventative medicines, testing and treatments, an international conference has been warned. While there has been progress in tackling the disease, the latest report from the United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS) shows that in the past two years there has been a frightening setback in prevention, treatment and funding for the AIDS response. In 2021, 650,000 people died of AIDS-related causes worldwide and 1.5 million people became infected with HIV well above global targets to limit annual HIV infections to 370,000 by 2025. Intellectual property rights for pharmaceuticals dominated discussions at the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022), which took place last week in Montreal, Canada. The conference heard that HIV infection rates are growing among at-risk communities, including low-income countries in Africa and deprived communities in urban areas, while a young woman acquires HIV every two minutes and one person dies of an AIDS-related illness every minute. Cost and access Inequalities perpetuate pandemics and a new approach is needed to end AIDS, leaders told the conference. In the United States we have the best research facilities but we made a critical mistake: we allowed the drug companies to hoard their intellectual property, not share it with those in the rest of the world. That has created enormous global inequities. Joseph Stiglitz, Economist, Columbia University Professor and Nobel Laureate Stiglitz was among a group of scientists, political and civil leaders who signed a letter calling on the pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare which developed the HIV prevention drug cabotegravir (CAB-LA) to lower its prices. One of the most successful AIDS prevention strategies, PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), consists of a daily pill to decrease the chances of acquiring HIV. PrEP is recommended for groups at higher risk of acquiring HIV, such as men who have sex with men, transgender women, and sex workers. The World Health Organization says 940,000 people across 83 countries received oral PrEP at least once in 2020. However, PrEP remains unavailable in many countries where the burden of HIV is highest. Where it is available, it can be prohibitively expensive. Approximately 70 per cent of those who have access to PrEP are white, gay, middle-class men at least in Rio de Janeiro, Veriano Terto, vice president of the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association, told SciDev.Net. Men who have sex with men, [people] who are black, poor and the trans population which is heavily impacted by HIV lack access to both information and services where PrEP is provided in Brazil, he added. Stigma persists Ending stigma and discrimination will be key to winning the battle against AIDS, the conference heard, particularly when the world is facing new diseases such as monkeypox. UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said that inequality and discrimination were not inevitable. Inequalities in access to services increase HIV/AIDS risks but when governments redistribute resources to get health technologies to poor and marginalized people you see new infections dropping, Byanyima said. She said that during COVID-19 restrictions, Thailand extended PrEP prescriptions from three to six months, offered remote consultations to minimize clinic visits, and used delivery services to distribute medication and collect self-samples. HIV prevalence among men [in Thailand] has been falling instead of rising, as it is in other parts of Asia, because they did reduce the inequality there, Byanyima told the conference. The conference, which took place from 29 July to 2 August, gathered more than 9,500 attendees in person and another 2,000 who attended virtually. The host government, Canada, was heavily criticized for failing to issue visas to hundreds of delegates from low- and middle-income countries. Activist groups interrupted some sessions, shouting: Nothing about us without us. Patients can recover from orthopedic surgery just as well without using opioid-based painkillers, says a McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Study results showed that by prescribing a combination of three non-opioid painkillers to patients, researchers successfully reduced approximately tenfold the amounts of opioids consumed over a six-week post-operative period, without altering their pain levels. Co-principal investigator Olufemi Ayeni and his team gleaned their results by enrolling 193 patients between March 2021 and March 2022 from three Hamilton hospitals including HHS' McMaster University Medical Centre and Hamilton General Hospital, and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton. The patients were randomly assigned to either a control group of 98 receiving standard opioid-based painkillers or an opioid-free group (93) receiving a combination therapy of naproxen, acetaminophen and pantoprazole and a patient educational infographic. The opioid-free group did have access to opioid medication if required for pain. Each patient undergoing outpatient knee or shoulder arthroscopic surgery was monitored for six weeks after their operation. After the six weeks, those in the control group had had an average of 72.6 mg of opioids, compared to 8.4 mg in the opioid-sparing group. Six patients in the control group and two patients in the opioid-sparing group asked for opioid medication after discharge. Difference in pain scores, patient satisfaction with care and number of adverse events were not significantly different. This study clearly shows that many of these surgical patients can be treated safely without opioid medications in a select population." Olufemi Ayeni, Professor of Surgery at McMaster and Orthopedic Surgeon at HHS "Furthermore, by reducing the number of opioids prescribed, we can collectively reduce the development of a reservoir of unused medications that can cause harm to many in society," he said. "By one estimate, there are at least 100,000 of these surgeries in Canada annually, meaning that shifting prescription practices to reduce opioid use can reduce patient exposure and, by extension, the potential for dependency on opioids." By comparison, Ayeni said more than one million orthopedic surgeries were performed annually in the United States from 2006 to 2016. Opioids remain the post-operative painkiller of choice for orthopedic specialists on both sides of the border, but North America's ongoing opioid epidemic is forcing a rethink among clinicians, Ayeni said, adding that orthopedic specialists at times prescribe more opioids than recommended by medical guidelines. Ayeni said that by switching to non-opioid painkillers after surgery, surgeons can play their part in combatting the ongoing opioid epidemic and reduce the risk of dependency in patients recovering from orthopedic surgery. Funding for the study was received from Physician Services Incorporated and Hamilton Health Sciences New Investigator Fund. More than 300,000 babies globally are born every year with sickle cell, a hereditary condition which causes red blood cells to become sickle-shaped. These unusually shaped cells do not live as long as healthy blood cells and can block blood vessels, sometimes resulting in painful swelling or even stroke. In many countries, families of children with sickle cell grapple with complications of the life-threatening disease, often without knowing the diagnosis, as health systems remain ill-equipped and underfunded to rollout the much-needed newborn screening services. Such was the case for Chilufya Pikiti, whose son was finally confirmed to have sickle cell disease after three months of repeated testing for malaria and HIV at various hospitals in Zambia in 2009. Pikiti shared his story as part of the online webinar series "S is for Screening", organized by global pharmaceutical firm Novartis in November 2021 to discuss important topics relating to sickle cell in Sub-Saharan Africa. Newborn screening, which was central to the discussions, entails primary screening for sickle cell disease at birth and enrolment into care programs before the onset of symptoms that could later develop into chronic complications. At the age of six months, Pikiti's first-born son, who was initially healthy at birth, began developing bouts of fever and excessive crying. By the time he was nine months old, "we had been in and out of hospitals without knowing the right diagnosis", says Pikiti. As a last resort, Pikiti was advised by his older brother to try a sickle cell test for his son at a university teaching hospital in the country's capital, Lusaka, where sickle cell disease was eventually confirmed. "But this came after repeated testing, with health workers not even suspecting he could have sickle cell," says Pikiti, whose predicament as a parent has ignited his zeal to create public awareness about life-threatening blood disorders through the Zambian Childhood Cancer Foundation, where he is a founding member. Pikiti's story, however, represents a bigger challenge on the continent, with medical experts attributing the misdiagnosis of sickle cell and delays for treatment to poor geographical access to expertise and laboratory tests. Lawrence Osei-Tutu, a specialist in clinical pediatric hematology and oncology at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana, says a typical parent with a child suffering from sickle cell disease reports to hospital when the child is aged six months, with complications such as painful swelling of hands and feet. "Children with sickle cell disease are prone to dying from infections even before their first birthday," Osei-Tutu tells the webinar. "As they grow from nine months to one year, that's when they develop anemia. "Unfortunately, when these anemic symptoms are unchecked, the blood continues to travel at a very high speed in various parts of the body and that can lead to a sequence of events that could eventually lead to stroke at the age of two years." Novartis launched its Africa Sickle Cell Disease program in Ghana in 2019 in collaboration with the country's health ministry and the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana to screen newborns and provide follow-up where the disease is diagnosed. The program has since been expanded to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia, with plans to reach at least 10 more countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The scaling up of newborn screening would help in planning for the comprehensive care of affected children, including antibiotic treatment to keep them free from life-threatening infections. "It's important to have tests that are simpler and quicker, to help us in screening sickle cell disease," says Osei-Tutu, explaining that newborn screening would also help in creating a database of children and families with sickle cell disease to inform related programs and policies. But sickle cell disease should not be looked at in isolation because it affects people's social and economic life, Charles Kiyaga, sickle cell program coordinator in Uganda's Ministry of Health, tells the webinar. With first-hand experience conducting nationwide screening services for sickle cell in Uganda, Kiyaga says families of children with undiagnosed sickle cell are likely to face dilemmas due to lack of awareness about the disease. Early screening alleviates social troubles related to the disease, such as broken families and marriage." Charles Kiyaga, sickle cell program coordinator in Uganda's Ministry of Health Existing programs If governments incorporated newborn screening into routine child health services at hospitals and provided the necessary funding to sustain sickle cell programs, it would help caregivers better manage the disease and improve patients' quality of life, Kiyaga believes. To successfully roll out newborn screening services for sickle cell in Africa, strategies should leverage existing programsnot be introduced as standalone projectssays Kiyaga. "It can anchor along existing programs such as early infant screening for HIV," he explains. In Tanzania, which has the fourth-highest birth children," she tellsSciDev.Net. "I am aware of families in rural areas that end up believing that their children have been bewitched when they discover that they have a yellowish coloration of eyes or are pale. That tells you the kind of care and treatment they end up receiving," Arafa, the founder of the Sickle Cell Disease Patients Community of Tanzania, tells SciDev.Net. She adds that beyond screening, there was also a need to intensify awareness campaigns. "Being informed, along with newborn screening services, could improve acceptance of the disease. Even if the baby is screened and found to be a carrier of a sickle cell, and not actually having the disease, it would help the family prepare the child's future in terms of managing marital choices." A new screening test App could help advance the early detection of Parkinson's disease and severe COVID-19, improving the management of these illnesses. Developed by a research team of engineers and neurologists led by RMIT University in Melbourne, the test can produce accurate results using just people's voice recordings. Millions of people worldwide have Parkinson's, which is a degenerative brain condition that can be challenging to diagnose as symptoms vary among people. Common symptoms include slow movement, tremor, rigidity and imbalance. Currently, Parkinson's is diagnosed through an evaluation by a neurologist that can take up to 90 minutes. Powered by artificial intelligence, the smartphone App records a person's voice and takes just 10 seconds to reveal whether they may to have Parkinson's disease and should be referred to a neurologist. Lead researcher Professor Dinesh Kumar, from RMIT's School of Engineering, said the easy-to-use screening test made it ideal to use in a national screening program. He said the team had developed a similar test for people with COVID-19 to reveal whether they need clinical attention, including hospitalization. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment could help manage these illnesses, and so making screening faster and more accessible is critical. This research will allow a non-contact, easy-to-use and low-cost test that can be performed routinely anywhere in the world, where the clinicians can monitor their patients remotely. It could also promote a community-wide screening program, reaching people who might not otherwise seek treatment until it's too late." Dinesh Kumar, Professor, RMIT's School of Engineering The research results are published in IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, IEEE Access and Computers in Biology and Medicine. How the technology works The voice of people with Parkinson's disease changes because of a combination of three symptoms: rigidity, tremor and slowness (known as bradykinesia). Expert clinicians can identify these symptoms, but this assessment can be challenging due to the large natural differences in people's voices. Kumar said previous attempts to develop a computerized voice assessment to detect Parkinson's had been inaccurate due to these significant differences in people's voices. "As part of our research, we used voice recordings of people with Parkinson's and a controlled group of so-called healthy people saying three sounds A, O and M which is similar to the Hindu meditation chant," Kumar said. "These sounds result in a more accurate detection of the disease." In patients with pulmonary disease symptoms from COVID-19, there is also a change in the voice due to lung infection, Kumar said. "Again, due to large differences in people's voices, pulmonary disease is difficult to recognize in its early stages," he said. "We have overcome this limitation with the choice of those same three sounds and the AI method of analysis we've developed." Prior to being used, the system is trained to identify the disease. Once trained, it performs an instantaneous analysis of the voice. The software then compares the results against existing samples of voices of people with Parkinson's against those who do not. Co-researcher Dr Quoc Cuong Ngo, from RMIT's School of Engineering, said the new technology was faster and better than any similar AI-based approach. "Our screening test App can measure, with great precision, how the voice of someone with Parkinson's disease or person at high risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 is different from healthy people," he said. Next steps The team wants to perform a larger, observational study to detect the progression of the Parkinson's and pulmonary diseases. "We are also keen to test the efficacy of this technology for other diseases, such as other neurological conditions and sleep disorders," Kumar said. "We are looking for a commercial partner and clinical partner ahead of a clinical trial planned for next year." The researchers from RMIT partnered with the Technical University of Kosice in Slovakia, the University of Surabaya in Indonesia and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology in Bangladesh on this work. The research results have been published in several peer-reviewed journals. A new study may have solved a mystery surrounding Crohn's disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease in which immune defenses meant to attack invading microbes instead mistakenly target the body's own digestive tract. Norovirus, a common infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea, is one of several viruses and bacteria thought to trigger disease onset in people with Crohn's disease, but the field does not know why. One clue emerged when past studies found that a certain genetic change (mutation) is present in most people with the condition. This mutation makes gut lining cells more vulnerable to damage. The mystery deepened again, however, when it was learned that half of all Americans have this same risk-conferring genetic mutation, but fewer than half a million develop Crohn's disease. Published online October 5 in the journal Nature, the new work in mice and in human tissue revealed for the first time that in healthy individuals, immune defenders called T cells secrete a protein called apoptosis inhibitor 5 (API5), which signals the immune system to halt the attack on gut lining cells. This protein adds an extra layer of protection against immune damage, so even those with the mutation can have a healthy gut. However, the researchers also found that norovirus infection blocks T cell secretion of API5 in mice bred to have a rodent form of Crohn's disease, killing gut lining cells in the process. Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the work supports the theory that API5 protects most people with the mutation against the disease until a second trigger, such as norovirus infection, pushes some across the disease threshold. In experiments centered on mice genetically modified to have the mutation linked to Crohn's disease in humans, mice that received an injection of API5 survived, while half of the untreated group died. This confirmed the idea that the protein protects gut cells, say the study authors. In human tissue, the investigators found that those with Crohn's disease had between 5- and 10-fold fewer API5-producing T cells in their gut tissue than those without the illness. Our findings offer new insight into the key role that apoptosis inhibitor 5 plays in Crohn's disease. This molecule may provide a new target for treating this chronic autoimmune illness, which has proven difficult to manage over the long term." Yu Matsuzawa-Ishimoto, MD, PhD, Study Lead Author and Gastroenterologist Dr. Matsuzawa-Ishimoto, a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Langone Health, notes that current therapies, which work by suppressing the immune system, put patients at high risk for infection and often become less effective after a few years of use. A treatment method targeting API5, he adds, might avert those issues. Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today In another set of experiments, the investigators created organ-like structures out of tissue collected from humans who tested positive for the mutation. Notably, these structures were made only of gut lining cells. Then, the research team dropped API5 into these "mini guts" and found that this treatment protected gut lining cells. In addition, adding API5-producing T cells also protected the gut lining. "The results of our investigation help explain why the genetic links to Crohn's disease are much broader than the actual number of people who have the disease," says study co-senior author and biochemist Shohei Koide, PhD. Dr. Koide is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and a member of the Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone. "Our study suggests that when norovirus infects those with a weakened ability to produce apoptosis inhibitor 5, it tips the balance toward a full-blown autoimmune disease," adds study co-senior author and microbiologist Ken H. Cadwell, PhD, the Recanati Family Professor of Microbiology at NYU Langone. Dr. Cadwell cautions that while the study authors derived API5 protein from human tissue rather than rodents, it remains unclear whether the injection treatment can be safely administered in humans. The research team next plans to explore the long-term effects of API5 injections to better understand whether the prospective treatment can effectively manage Crohn's disease, which can flare up repeatedly over a long period. Funding for the study was provided by National Institutes of Health grants R0IL123340, R0IDK093668, R0IAI140754, R0IAI121244, R0IAI130945, R0IDK124336, and R0IDK088199. Further funding was provided by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, and the Takeda-Columbia-NYU Alliance. Dr. Cadwell has received research support from Pfizer, Takeda, Pacific Biosciences, Genentech, and Abbvie, and has served as a consultant for Puretech Health, which develops microbiome therapies, as well as GentiBio and Synedgen. Dr. Koide has received research support from Argenx BVBA, Black Diamond Therapeutics, and Puretech Health, and has served as a consultant for Black Diamond Therapeutics. NYU Langone has patents pending (10,722,600, 62/935,035, and 63/157,225) for therapies developed from this treatment approach, from which Dr. Cadwell, Dr. Koide, Dr. Matsuzawa-Ishimoto, and NYU Langone may benefit financially. The terms and conditions of these relationships are being managed in accordance with the policies of NYU Langone. Asian Americans, the fastest-growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, cannot be lumped into one uniform group when looking at obesity prevalence. A new Northwestern Medicine study reports significant variation in the prevalence of obesity among subgroups of Asian American adults. Health risks in this population also may start at a lower BMI than standard BMI definitions of obesity. Using criteria specific to Asian populations (defined as a BMI or body mass index greater than 27.5), the prevalence of obesity ranged from 13% in Chinese American adults to 29% in Filipino American adults, the study found. Clinicians must be aware that the cardiovascular and metabolic risks related to obesity may be different among individuals who belong to different Asian subgroups." Dr. Nilay Shah, Lead Author, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a Northwestern Medicine Physician "The standard approach and definitions of obesity based on specific body mass index thresholds may not be appropriate for the Asian American population," Shah said. Applying standard definitions to Asian Americans may miss a large portion of adults from these groups who have higher risks for disease because of their body composition, the study found. The study will be published Oct. 4 in Annals of Internal Medicine. The Asian American population is expected to number more than 46 million by 2060. Until recently, the health of this population was not well described because individuals were grouped into a single 'Asian,' category, Shah said, which does not appropriately represent the different subpopulations of Asian American individuals. "Our study addresses the two major prevailing limitations in understanding obesity prevalence in Asian American populations," Shah said. "First, we identify the prevalence of obesity in the six largest Asian American subgroups: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, which better represents the variability in obesity in Asian subgroups in the U.S. "Additionally, we evaluate the prevalence of obesity based on both standard BMI thresholds that are currently applied to all adults, and further identify the prevalence of obesity based on lower BMI thresholds that may be more appropriate for Asian individuals, as suggested by the World Health Organization. "The standard threshold for obesity is a BMI of 30 or above," Shah said. "Recent work from our group and others suggests that number should be a BMI of 27.5 or above for Asian American people, based on their health risks." The consequence of these findings is that clinicians with Asian American patients may need to screen them for diabetes, cholesterol and hypertension at lower BMI levels than they otherwise normally would for patients of other race/ethnicity groups. Otherwise, they may be missing obesity-related health risks in their Asian American patients. Investigators used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual state-based survey of adults in the United States between 2013-2020, to calculate the prevalence of obesity across racial and ethnic groups including Asian American subgroups. "The next step in research is to understand the optimal BMI thresholds to define obesity for Asian American individuals," Shah said. "Knowing these optimal thresholds would guide clinical management of obesity and its associated metabolic and cardiovascular risks for these groups." Other Northwestern authors include Drs. Namratha Kandula and Sadiya Khan. This research was funded in part by grant K23HL157766 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. Low vaccination rates in poorer countries have little to do with so-called vaccine hesitancy according to a study that examined access to COVID-19 tools across 14 low-income countries. World Health Organization (WHO) show that only 16 per cent of people in low-income countries have received a single COVID-19 vaccine dose, compared to 80 per cent in high-income countries, some of which are already rolling out a fourth booster shot. Some pharmaceutical companies have blamed a reluctance to accept the vaccine, rather than supply shortages, for poor vaccination rates, especially in less wealthy countries. But the joint report by Matahari Global Solutions, the Peoples Vaccine Alliance and the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) found that inadequate supply of vaccines and treatments, underfunding of health systems and poor adaptation to local needs were behind the low coverage. Fifa Rahman, principal consultant at the global health research and policy group Matahari and lead author of the report, said there were several fundamental reasons why people were not accessing vaccines, not simply an outright distrust of the drugs. There is little doubt that the vaccine hesitancy narrative is rooted in racism and colonialism and the idea that certain people dont know how to do certain things, Rahman told an online press conference last week (25 August). It has to be more nuanced, otherwise its lazy and problematic. While Rahman acknowledged that concerns relating to technologies derived from western companies were a legacy of colonialism, she said many of the vaccine access obstacles were structural. Because experiments have happened in the past on black bodies, so people are concerned, but this is not to say people distrust vaccines, Rahman said. Global health researchers examined access issues in Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Haiti, Jamaica, Liberia, Madagascar, Nepal, Nigeria, Peru, Senegal, Somalia, Somaliland, Uganda and Ukraine. While most countries in the global North have surpassed the 70 per cent vaccination rate recommended by the WHO, in places such as Haiti and DRC vaccination rates are below ten per cent, according to the report. Overall, the report found a litany of multi-layered challenges to the expansion of COVID-19 vaccine coverage in some of the worlds poorest countries. Among these are a lack of cold chain storage, unpredictable supply chains compounded by poor road networks, conflict and, in many places, language barriers. Proximity to vaccination centers and distrust of government were also cited as major factors. The report made a raft of recommendations including targeted investment in health systems, prioritizing of local expertise in decision-making, and adequate pay for health workers. Elia Badjo, founder and executive director of the Citizen Organization System for Advanced Medical Research (COSAMED) and lead consultant for the report, said many health workers in DRC involved in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns were not trained, while less than one per cent of them were vaccinated. Most [health workers] have not been paid since the beginning of the pandemic due to lack of funds and hence are disillusioned, he said at the launch of the report. Language barriers were a major obstacle to COVID-19 information access in Uganda, especially among people with disabilities, according to the study. Community sensitization was done in English and Luganda, never mind that there are 56 different languages spoken in our country. Richard Musisi, Executive Director, Masaka Association of Persons with Disabilities Living with HIV and AIDS (MADIPHA) In violence-stricken countries such as Nigeria, people were more concerned about getting home safely than about COVID-19, the researchers said. Overall, the report made me sad, said Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health at McGill University, Montreal, who did not participate in the research. With such stark inequalities in access to tests, vaccines and drugs, how will lower-income countries with already fragile health systems cope with new waves of [COVID-19 variants] BA.5, BA.2.75, or other future variants. How will the pandemic end, when we have left behind millions of people? An earlier report by the Peoples Vaccine Alliance and development non-profit Oxfam found the death toll from COVID-19 was four times higher in lower-income countries than rich ones. Pai believes that while the challenges facing vaccine rollout campaigns are multi-dimensional, rich countries cannot be excused for vaccine hoarding. He says that self-sufficiency of low- and middle-income countries is now crucial, adding: I truly hope the African region will soon be able to manufacture their own vaccines, tests and drugs, so they will never have to rely on generosity of rich nations. In a recent study published in Nature Medicine, researchers reviewed the direct and indirect effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the COVID-19-induced pandemic on mental health. Background COVID-19 indirect effects encompassed stress-evoking and disruptive societal changes that adversely affected the general population's mental well-being. COVID-19 also triggered many direct effects, such as acute and long-lasting neuropsychiatric sequelae that occurred during primary infection or three to four weeks later and persisted for 12 weeks or more in some cases after initial infection. About the study In the present study, researchers first summarized empirical findings on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health at the population level by skimming through mental health symptom reports and prevalent mental disorders and suicide rates. Next, they described mental health sequelae of COVID-19 (e.g., symptoms of cognitive impairment and fatigue). Furthermore, they reviewed the neurobiological impact on brain structure and function. Finally, the researchers addressed the knowledge gaps and discussed the lessons learned to propose the best strategies to manage and mitigate mental health issues in future crises. Study findings The majority of the general population demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptation, as the researchers observed a slight increase in mental health symptom levels in the overall population. However, they found alternative explanations for the same; for instance, community support activities might have mitigated the mental health burden. Drug overdose or homicide likely masked the incidence of mental disorders. Due to a lag-time effect, some social/financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic might have surfaced later. Further, the studies evidenced that women consistently reported more mental health problems than men. They underwent higher stress due to increased childcare chores, domestic violence, and economic difficulties due to employment disruptions. Adolescents and young adults were inexplicably affected too. Alarmingly, studies in China and Japan indicated marked increases in suicide rates in children and adolescents during school closure periods. Black, Hispanic, and Asian individuals demonstrated higher unmet mental healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States (US). Likewise, people with multiple comorbidities represented another vulnerable group on which the COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact. Perhaps, they perceived more stress and fear of infection due to disruptions of regular healthcare services. A meta-analysis of nearly 206 studies found that the mental well-being of healthcare workers (HCWs) was comparable to the general population. However, this analysis did not account for different conditions faced by frontline and non-frontline HCWs. Nevertheless, HCWs had an increased workload during the pandemic, accompanied by fear of infecting themselves and their families. Several reports documented a higher incidence of depression and anxiety in HCWs. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, most countries had disorganized and understaffed mental health systems. To add to their plight, in the first 18 months of the pandemic, doctors abridged or postponed appointments and acute inpatient hospitalizations. The broader neuropsychiatric impact was heterogeneous and depended on infection severity. Several asymptomatic COVID-19 cases had no neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, others had transient non-serious neuropsychiatric symptoms. For instance, a meta-analysis that assessed patients 12 weeks after confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnosis found that 32% suffered from fatigue, and 22% experienced cognitive impairment. Unfortunately, these studies did not have well-matched controls with other types of respiratory infections or inflammatory conditions. During COVID-19-related hospitalization, the most common neuropsychiatric outcome was delirium, which occurred among one-third of patients and over 50% of patients who required intensive care unit (ICU) admission. In another one-year follow-up study using the US Veterans Affairs database, the incident risk difference due to COVID-19-triggered mental disorders was 64 per 1,000 individuals. A study analyzed electronic health records of the TriNetX network in the US, with 236,379 COVID-19 survivors and found that risks of incident neurological diagnoses were correlated with disease severity and increased by 78% and 32% when compared to influenza and other respiratory tract infections, respectively. Yet, whether post-acute sequelae of SARS-COV-2 infection form a unique pattern remains debatable. Studies have found acute neuropsychiatric symptoms among patients with severe COVID-19 correlated with the level of serum inflammatory markers. Neuroimaging deciphered leukoencephalopathy, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and cytotoxic lesions in the corpus callosum. Studies of postmortem specimens revealed significant neuropathology with signs of hypoxic damage and neuroinflammation. Post-acute neuroimaging studies in SARS-CoV-2-recovered patients, compared to control patients without COVID-19, showed numerous alterations in brain structure. For instance, such patients had a minor reduction in gray matter thickness in the brain cortex and within the corpus callosum and reduced overall brain size. All these findings align with the detection of anosmia, tremors, affect problems, and cognitive impairment issues in COVID-19 patients. Yet, neurobiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2-mediated neuropsychiatric sequelae remain unclear. It is also unclear whether COVID-19-related hospitalizations cause brain abnormalities due to hypoxia or whether it is a direct effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Learnings and future perspective First and foremost, mental health is as important as physical health and requires attention. There should be provisions for early interventions for those at the highest risk, including those vulnerable due to low socioeconomic status. Thus, adolescents and young adults, women, people with poor physical health and early life trauma, or those with higher exposure to pandemic-related work changes (e.g., HCWs) should be given priority for such interventions. Another key takeaway was that media communication during crises should give concrete and actionable advice to avoid polarization and strengthen vigilance. Further, it should foster resilience and help prevent a surge in mental health problems. Most importantly, longer follow-up periods on how a pandemic impacts a population's mental health is essential. There is an urgent need to prepare research and healthcare infrastructures for monitoring the long-term mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises. Overall, collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts with well-controlled prospective studies using standardized instruments will be crucial. Researchers at Delft University of Technology, VU University Amsterdam and Radboud University in the Netherlands developed a new technique for monitoring biological rates in dynamic microbial systems using on-line measurements from a Thermo Scientific Prima BT benchtop mass spectrometer.1 Image credit: Shutterstock/ymd2881 Making sense of microbial worlds Microbial communities are complex, dynamic systems in which the behavior and survival of each strain is inexorably linked to every other strain.2 These complex microbial ecosystems can form intricate webs of metabolic activity in which the products of one strains metabolic activity serve as fuel or poison for countless other organisms. One of the fundamental tools that scientists use to make sense of these convoluted communities is the enrichment study. In an enrichment study, a microbial community is exposed to certain selective pressures within a bioreactor. By controlling environmental factors such as temperature, light levels, pH or the availability of certain carbon sources; researchers can create conditions that are favorable to a certain strain within the culture. Over time, the culture will become enriched with whichever microbial strain is best adapted to the imposed conditions.3 Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, enrichment studies have enabled the discovery and characterization of a huge number of new microorganisms. However, the majority of these enrichments have been carried out by imposing specific static conditions in either continuous or batch systems holding the pH constant, for example, or inhibiting the availability of certain growth media. Recent work shows that imposing dynamic process conditions reveals additional microbial diversity compared to traditional chemostat or batch cultivation.46 The challenge of studying dynamic enrichment cultures Done right, dynamic enrichments provide access to additional information on time-dependent evolution of the system, through analysis and comparison of each operational cycle. But studying dynamic microbial systems is much more experimentally demanding than studying static ones. Cyclic changes in conditions (such as nutrient pulses) result in variable conditions within the bioreactor, and there is a certain response time before measurable parameters (such as dissolved oxygen concentration) respond to these changes. In order to gain insight into dynamic cultivation systems, researchers need to be able to examine the time-dependent properties of the system. This requires repeated measurement at short time intervals. Enrichment studies often take place over the course of weeks or months, making short-interval manual sampling cumbersome and often impractical. Online data from liquid probes and off-gas analyzers is readily available however, utilizing this data for detailed process characterization is often limited due to complicating physicochemical processes and inherent measurement noise. A new mass spectrometry-based approach to on-line characterization of dynamic cultures With a setup of eight 2.2 L bioreactors, the team of researchers demonstrated a novel technique for detailed, time-resolved analysis of dynamic cultures. Each bioreactor in the study was equipped with four feed/effluent pumps and two acid/base pumps. pH and dissolved oxygen probes were placed in each reactor. At the heart of their measurement system, the researchers used a Prima BT process mass spectrometer for online monitoring of bioreactor in- and off-gas composition. Offering fast switching between sample streams without compromising sample quality, the Prima BT enabled the researchers to collect frequent measurements of gas composition: the in- and off-gas composition of all eight bioreactors was measured every three minutes. Using mass spectrometry to measure continuously changing gas streams presents challenges. When gas composition remains constant, the Prima BT enables analysis of composition down to ppm levels. However, during dynamic bioreactor operation, the off-gas composition changes continuously as a result, gas composition within the flow cell changes continuously throughout the measurement window. This typically requires a trade-off between accuracy (achieved by larger sample times) and analysis time. Because the Prima BT features a small flow cell, which is continuously analyzed at different mass/charge ratios, the researchers were able to achieve a strong compromise between the two: alternating between 10 seconds of stream flushing and 8 seconds of measurement per channel (2 seconds at 4 different mass/charge ratios), they were able to take measurements of each system in under 3 minutes with an accuracy of between 10-300 ppm depending on the gas compound mole fraction. The team combined their rapid on-line mass spectrometry measurements with sophisticated automated data processing. Gas composition measurements were processed with a Particle Filter and kinetic process model, enabling accurate reconstruction of the dominant biological rates within the bioreactor. This, in turn, enabled differentiation between the processes of storage compound production and biomass growth within the bioreactors. The researchers methods allow for accurate and time-resolved assessment of the functional behavior of long-running enrichment cultures without needing off-line samples. This work paves the way for new insights into process dynamics with minimal experimental effort. Utilizing scanning magnetic-sector technology, the Prima BT bench top mass spectrometer offers powerful and precise gas real-time gas analyses. Features including 16-port rapid multistream sampling (RMS) and six-port automatic calibration manifold make it the ideal MS solution for biotechnology research and process development.7 To learn more about the range of mass spectrometry systems available from Thermo Scientific, get in touch with us today. References and Further Reading Stouten, G. R., Douwenga, S., Hogendoorn, C. & Kleerebezem, R. System characterization of dynamic biological cultivations through improved data analysis. (2021) doi:10.1101/2021.05.14.442977. Into the complexity of microbial communities. Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia https://gulbenkian.pt/ciencia/news/into-the-complexity-of-microbial-communities/ (2021). Schlegel, H. G. & Zaborosch, C. General Microbiology. (Cambridge University Press, 1993). van Loosdrecht, M., Smolders, G., Kuba, T. & Heijnen, S. Metabolism of micro-organisms responsible for enhanced biological phosphorus removal from wastewater. Use of dynamic enrichment cultures. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 71, pp. 109116 (1997). Simultaneous storage and degradation of phb and glycogen in activated sludge cultures - ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135400005637. Microbial community development in a dynamic gut model is reproducible, colon region specific, and selective for Bacteroidetes and Clostridium cluster IX - PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20562281/. Prima BT Bench Top Process Mass Spectrometer. https://www.thermofisher.com/order/catalog/product/PRIMABT. About Thermo Fisher Scientific Environmental and Process Monitoring Instruments We design and manufacture industry-leading products for Gas & particulate pollutants, Flow, gas and liquid measurement, Process analytical measurements, and Industrial Hygiene. Technologies have proven to help customers improve efficiency, ensure process and quality control, maintain regulatory compliance, and increase worker safety. Process mass spectrometers Maximize product yield and increase profitability with process mass spectrometry analysis. Process gas analyzers are engineered to meet a number of challenging process applications in the petrochemical, iron, and steel, and biotechnology industries. Highly reliable and easy-to-own, Thermo Fisher Scientific process gas analysis technologies deliver faster, more complete, lab-quality online gas analysis and process analytics. Learn More Process analytical technology/Biopharma Process Analytical Technology (PAT) is a regulatory framework initiated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that encourages pharmaceutical manufacturers to improve the process of pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and quality control. PAT aims to improve process efficiency by defining Critical Process Parameters (CPP) and monitoring these CPPs to stay within a defined limit, either in-line or on-line to maintain a products Critical Quality Attributes (CQA). Monitoring CPPs with process mass spectrometry gas analysis reduces over-processing, pinpoints contaminants, and increase product consistency. Learn More Industrial hygiene Industrial hygiene instruments keep your investments secure, your facilities compliant with local regulations, and your workers safe from leaking pollutants, gases, or toxic vapors. Make sure you have the most updated technology, with access to repair and calibration support to maintain reliable gas monitoring. With our environmental expertise, you can breathe easy knowing your company, workers, and neighboring communities have cleaner, safer, and healthier air quality. Learn More Sulfur analyzers Online sulfur analyzers replace expensive and time-consuming laboratory sampling. Get fast responses and wide measurement ranges of trace sulfur and total sulfur in flare gas, liquid, and vapor for reliable emissions monitoring. Learn More Gas & particulate analyzers Increasingly stringent regulatory requirements are making it more difficult to maintain regulatory compliance and optimal process performance. Air quality monitoring and reporting requirements in the U.S., China, India, Europe, and Latin America are shifting and being redefined. Together we can arrive at solutions that make sound business sense. Learn More Flow measurement Flow measurement and process control are critical aspects of producing, handling, and transporting hydrocarbons around the world. With our Thermo Scientific suite of flow computers and flow meters, we enable our customers to reduce cost, decrease lost material, automate, and monitor critical points in processes. From field to control room and upstream to downstream, our products provide greater control, confidence, and reliability. Learn More Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. AMES, Iowa Oct. 5, 2022 The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Alternative Funding Advisory Committee will meet on Friday, Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. at the Iowa State Capitol, Room 102, 1007 East Grand Ave., in Des Moines, Iowa. AGENDA Welcome and Introductions Anticipated process/schedule Overview of related Iowa DOT studies Overview of DART funding and 2017 study Discussion and next steps Adjourn After the Oct. 7 meeting, the following website will be accessible with information about this initiative: https://iowadot.gov/dartaltfunding. An opportunity to provide input to the advisory committee will be available through the website. For more information, contact Kristin Haar, Iowa Department of Transportation, by phone at 515-233-7875 or email kristin.haar@iowadot.us. Iowa DOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other nondiscrimination statutes. If you need more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact Iowa DOT Civil Rights at 515-239-1111 or by email at civil.rights@iowadot.us. # The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority Alternative Funding Advisory Committee was established by the Iowa Legislature to study the most effective and efficient methods to increase funding for the Des Moines area regional transit authority that are alternatives to an increase in property taxes. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Rain showers this evening with mostly cloudy conditions overnight. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain showers this evening with mostly cloudy conditions overnight. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. The Public Safety Report is compiled from criminal complaints filed in state and federal courts, as well as some police blotter information, trooper dispatches, fire department reports and interviews with public safety officials. Individuals named as arrested and/or charged with crimes in this report are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. For virtues, great services and dedication to the nation For virtues, great services and dedication to the nation TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa praised the late His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid Al Khalifas multiple achievements and contributions to the nation in the religious, social, political and humanitarian fields. HM the King recalled HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalids virtues, great services and dedication to the national development process, affirming that he is considered one of the personalities whose achievements will remain engraved in the national memory. HM King Hamad was speaking as he received at Al Safriya Palace yesterday the President of the Supreme Council for Health (SCH), and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid for Parental Care, Lieutenant General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and several centre members. They presented HM King Hamad a copy of a documentary book entitled Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid The Preacher, Thinker and Historian. They also presented His Majesty a film highlighting the virtues and stages of the life of HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid. HM the King expressed thanks to them for the valuable book containing information and historical documents that reflect important parts of the life of HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid. He also commended the noble humanitarian role and charity work undertaken by the HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalid for Parental Care, which was established in memory of the deceased and his distinguished humanitarian services. HM King Hamad expressed pride in the national work pioneers who had laid the foundations of the comprehensive development and had their imprints and honourable stances throughout Bahrains long history. The SCH President expressed thanks and appreciation to HM King Hamad for praising the virtues of the deceased, wishing HM the King abundant health and happiness. The book was published by the Al Hekma Retired Society and written by Khalid Abdulla Abu Ahmed, under the supervision of Dr Saeed Al Sammak, Vice President of the Al Hekma Retired Society TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Teachers in Bahrain enjoy advanced status, thanks to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas unwavering support for education. This was emphasised by Education Minister Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi as Bahrain joins the international community in celebrating the World Teachers Day today. In a statement marking the occasion, observed worldwide every October 5, Dr Al Nuaimi lauded the constant support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the educational march in the Kingdom, given the importance of education as an essential pillar of development and progress. He lauded the praise of HM King Hamad, while chairing this weeks regular Cabinet meeting, on the major role played by Bahraini teachers throughout history and their success in preparing generations of students who are capable of contributing effectively to the Kingdoms comprehensive development. The Education Minister extended congratulations to all teachers, commending their role in spreading knowldge and promoting the values that cement the national identity. He also paid tribute to Bahraini teachers for helping the Kingdom earn multiple local and international achievements, foremost which international reports ranking Bahrain among leading countries with the highest performance in achieving the education for all goals, as well as with quality educational services. Dr Al Nuaimi underlined the Education Ministrys constant keenness to advance the teaching profession, by providing professional development opportunities for teachers and putting in place the best conditions for creativity and giving, as they are partners in the development process currently witnessed by the Ministry. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com An enthusiastic audience was treated to an evening of Bahraini heritage music at the Cultural Hall. The performance by Bahrain Music Ensemble and conducted by Maestro Ziad Zeman was a tribute to the music and songs of Bahraini legendary artist and composer Mohammed Zuwayed. The show was programmed by the 31st Bahrain International Music Festival organized by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. Since its launch in 1992, the annual Bahrain International Music Festival has hosted local and world cultures and presented a wide array of performances. TORONTO, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - BGC Canada is commemorating five years of Giant Tiger Giant Steps, a flagship program that has helped BGC Clubs across Canada provide invaluable academic support to thousands of Club youth. The five-year milestone of the national Giant Tiger Giant Steps program is a cause for celebration. BGC Canada has a long-standing relationship with Giant Tiger that led to the creation of a national homework support program in 2017 called Giant Tiger Giant Steps that aimed to provide academic support for Club youth in Grade 7 and 8. Since then, fourteen grants have been given annually to BGC Clubs across Canada to run their Giant Tiger Giant Steps program, and this year there were even two rounds of grants. In total, 84 grants have been given to 42 clubs across eight provinces. "We are excited to celebrate five years of the Giant Tiger Giant Steps program with BGC Canada," said Aaron Wade, Director, Brand and Customer Communications, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. "We believe in supporting organizations like BCG Canada that make a tangible difference because their success directly benefits the neighbourhoods they serve. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to empower youth across the country and help them achieve their academic goals." These grants are used to purchase educational supplies, learning resources, and equipment, provide special events and field trips, hire and retain Club staff to run the program, and build meaningful relationships with the participants. The Giant Tiger Giant Steps program is provided to Club members on an average of four days a week, and thousands of BGC youth in Grade 7 and 8 have received tutoring and mentoring in a space that is supportive and distraction-free. Annual Club Reports have revealed six key outcomes for the program participants: Improved academic performance Increased interest in education More frequent Club attendance Higher levels of confidence Participants felt supported by staff Improved communication It has provided an important space for the youth such as Morgan who said the program provided them with "access to computers and supplies that I don't have at home". Parents have also appreciated the opportunities the program has made possible for their children. One parent said, "The Giant Tiger Giant Steps homework program was the best thing that happened to us, as my son is now able to succeed in school." BGC Canada looks forward to continuing its partnership with Giant Tiger to help more youth across the country achieve academic success. Owen Charters, President & CEO of BGC Canada said this program encapsulates BGC Canada's values because "Removing barriers and creating opportunities for all kids and teens is at the heart of what we do." About BGC Canada: For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada's largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN. About Giant Tiger: Giant Tiger, the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, is on a mission to make every dollar matter and is committed to providing on-trend family fashion, groceries, and everyday household needs. The privately held company has over 260 locations across Canada and proudly employs over 10,000 members of Team Tiger. All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. Whether Canadians are shopping in store or online at gianttiger.com, Giant Tiger makes it easy and fun for all to shop smart and save smart every day. SOURCE BGC Canada For further information: Mary O'Connell, BGC Canada, [email protected], 905-477-7272 x2202 MISSISSAUGA, ON, Oct. 4, 2022 /CNW/ - Cymat Technologies Ltd. (TSXV: CYM) (OTCQB: CYMHF) (the "Company" or "Cymat") is pleased to announce its results for the first quarter of the fiscal 2023 year the three months ended July 31, 2022. Sales for the quarter were approximately $1.1M in comparison to $0.9M for the comparable quarter of the last fiscal year. Larger AlusionTM sales in the quarter included the final shipment of panels for installation in a Lithuanian science museum, panels for a convention centre in Washington State and a significant stocking order made by our distributor in China. AlusionTM is expected to continue as the primary source of revenue for the near future with significant orders expected for buildings in New York City, Spokane Washington, and South Korea. The loss from operations of $1.7 (2021 loss of $1M) included non-cash charges of $0.8M (2021 - $0.9M) pertaining to the valuation of employee/consultant stock options. Additionally, operating expenses for the current period were increased as a result of the addition of a second production shift and increases in wages to address the tight labour market, increased raw material costs resulting from higher commodity prices and amplified by the strengthening US dollar and increased production line maintenance costs. SmartMetalTM sales were minimal for the current quarter. However, as recently announced, Cymat has received a long-anticipated order for vehicle blast mitigation kits from an Asian military vehicle OEM. This initial low-rate production order is anticipated to eventually extend to SmartMetalTM underbelly protection systems for up to 700 vehicles for this Asian military force. The OEM is expected to use this lead order to market this vehicle to other military forces currently utilized previous generations of this transport vehicle. The primary focus of Cymat's business development efforts continues to be the automotive industry. Under its development agreement with a global automotive OEM, Cymat continues to advance its battery box application of SmartMetalTM for an existing EV. Cymat is also actively discussing the potential of SmartMetalTM for use in planned future EV models with this OEM. Conversations with other automotive OEMs and tier-one manufacturers regarding the ability of SmartMetalTM to reduce vehicle weight and part complexity while enhancing crash protection are ongoing. Key financial data for the three months ended July 31, 2022 and July 31, 2021 include the following (All items in $ 000's, except net loss per share): Three Months Ended July 31, 2022 July 31, 2021 Revenue 1,103 946 Plant operating expenses 1,112 556 Research and material testing expenses 77 31 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,600 1,409 Loss from operations (1,686) (1,049) Net loss (1,781) (1,134) Net loss per share (0.03) (0.02) Operating cash flow (859) (1,308) Michael Liik, CEO and Chairman stated that "We are encouraged by the sales growth trajectory in both our architectural and military verticals for the balance of the year." He went on to say that "We also expect that our concerted efforts in the automotive space will generate further component development programs with both our existing automotive OEM customer as well as other automotive parts suppliers." About Cymat Technologies Ltd. Cymat Technologies Ltd. has the global rights, through patents and established know-how, to manufacture and sell Stabilized Aluminum Foam ("SAF"), a unique, ultra-light, cellular metallic material. The proprietary production process entails the injection of gases through a molten bath of alloyed aluminum infused with ceramic particles. The result is an advanced, lightweight, recyclable material that exhibits unique characteristics including: customizable density and dimensions; mechanical energy absorption; thermal and acoustic insulation; and time, temperature and strain-rate insensitivity. A key benefit of this continuous foam production process is its scalability and resultant low cost of production. SAF is used in such industries as architectural design, military and automotive. Cymat markets its architectural SAF under the AlusionTM brand and its automotive and military SAF under the SmartMetalTM brand. For further information , please visit our website at www.cymat.com. Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour. Neither the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSXV) nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not intended for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States Securities laws. SOURCE Cymat Technologies Ltd. For further information: Michael Liik CEO, Email: [email protected], Telephone: (416) 704-6217, Website: www.cymat.com; Investor Cubed Inc.: Neil Simon, CEO, Email: [email protected], Telephone: (647) 258-3310 CALGARY, AB, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - Good Earth Cafes Ltd. headquartered in Calgary, AB, has rapidly expanded their nationwide brand with no signs of slowing down. Emerging from the pandemic, Good Earth announced a partnership with Indigo Books. Now, Good Earth is set to open new community-minded coffeehouses. Good Earth Coffeehouse- The Maclaren (CNW Group/Good Earth Coffeehouse) "We are so pleased to be growing and reconnecting communities with exceptional coffee and fresh food served a social hub," says Nan Eskenazi, founder of Good Earth Cafes Ltd. "We believe the human connection and interaction that takes place in our coffeehouses is valuable as valuable as the coffee and food we serve." Earlier this year Good Earth unveiled their contemporary cafe design inspired by earthy tones and natural textures creating an inviting coffeehouse for guests to gather. Since the launch of their new design, Good Earth has opened locations throughout western Canada including former Starbucks locations at Sunridge Mall in Calgary and Lawson Heights in Saskatoon. To date, the brand also opened in The Maclaren in Edmonton, and at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George. The company's continued expansion includes a growing presence in new markets. Good Earth has confirmed openings of new coffeehouses in various markets including: Opening in 2022 and Q1 2023 Chapters - Chinook in Calgary, AB opening in November 2022 Indigo - Signal Hill in Calgary, AB opening in November 2022 Calgary Courts Centre in Calgary, AB opening in November 2022 Indigo Fairway in Kitchener, ON Indigo - Shawnessy, in Calgary, AB Chapters - Westside in Edmonton, AB The Bridge in Calgary, AB University of Toronto in Toronto, ON Yonge & Wellesley in Toronto, ON Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, ON Mississauga Hospital in Mississauga, ON Bay Centre in Victoria, BC Victoria General Hospital in Victoria, BC Additional Openings in 2023 Indigo and Chapters stores in Winnipeg, MB; Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Oshawa, Barrie, and Cambridge, ON; Edmonton, St. Albert, and Sherwood Park, AB; Halifax, NS, and Vancouver, BC. SickKids Hospital in Toronto, ON Good Earth's expansion continues to create ownership opportunities for single and multi-unit franchisees. The company pays special attention to community interaction and environmental responsibility. The brand attracts like-minded customers, landlords, and franchisees who want to better align their social and environmental values with a business. About Good Earth Coffeehouse: The first Good Earth Coffeehouse opened in Calgary in 1991. Founders Nan Eskenazi and Michael Going began with a desire to serve exceptional coffee and wholesome food, with a down- to-earth attitude. Good Earth has grown to 50 locations across Canada and remains true to the original mission...to be a coffeehouse with good food. SOURCE Good Earth Coffeehouse For further information: For media inquiries, please contact: Haley Poncsak, Director of Marketing Good Earth Coffeehouse, 403-294-9330, [email protected] Framework aims to support the prevention and treatment of diabetes OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in Canada with over 3 million people with diabetes in the country and 200,000 new cases diagnosed every year. It poses many challenges, such as serious complications and premature death for those affected by diabetes, and has impacts on health care systems. Budget 2021 announced $35 million over five years for research, surveillance and prevention, and to work towards the development of a national framework for diabetes. In June 2021, An Act to Establish a National Framework for Diabetes, introduced by Member of Parliament for Brampton South, Sonia Sidhu was unanimously passed by Parliament. Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, tabled the first of its kind, Framework for Diabetes in Canada. The Framework provides common policy direction to help align efforts and to support improved access prevention and treatment for all types of diabetes to ensure better health outcomes. The Framework was informed by people living with diabetes, academics, researchers, not-for-profit organizations, provinces and territories, Indigenous communities and other important partners to ensure that it makes a meaningful difference in the lives of those living with diabetes. To move forward in addressing diabetes in Canada, we must look at social determinants of health and take a people-centred approach. All relevant partners are invited to use the Framework to guide action to address diabetes and advance opportunities in ways that meet their respective mandates and objectives, and that are adapted to their respective community contexts. Quotes "The release of this Framework marks an important milestone in our efforts to better recognize, collaborate with, and support those living with diabetes in Canada. As we work to make meaningful change in the lives of those affected, we hope that all our partners use this as a tool to build on the many important initiatives and investments that are already in place." The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Health "Today's tabling of the Framework for Diabetes in Canada is a culmination of years of tireless work to improve the well-being of people living with diabetes from coast to coast to coast. The framework will give hope to millions of Canadians and provide a common direction to help align our work across the country on prevention, research, treatment, and so much more. My sincere gratitude to everyone who supported Bill C-237 and helped the national framework come to fruition." Sonia Sidhu Member of Parliament, Brampton South, Ontario "Today's tabling of the Diabetes Framework is a significant step forward in helping improve the quality of life of people who live with diabetes. Diabetes Canada thanks Minister Duclos and extends gratitude to MP Sonia Sidhu for her leadership in making this Framework a reality. We are proud to have led the call, alongside thousands of volunteers and hundreds of organizations throughout Canada, for a diabetes framework for the past several years and we look forward to continued collaboration with these groups and governments on the implementation." Laura Syron President and CEO, Diabetes Canada "We are very excited by the tabling of this much needed Framework and look forward to our continued journey with the Government of Canada in its implementation. For the 300,000 Canadians living with type 1 diabetes who rely on multiple daily insulin injections to survive, this Framework will help ensure they can live safer, healthier and easier lives until cures are found." Dave Prowten President & CEO, JDRF Canada Quick Facts On February 27, 2020 , Member of Parliament Sonia Sidhu (Liberal Ontario ) introduced Bill C-237, which called on the Minister of Health, in consultation with stakeholders, to develop a national framework designed to support improved access to diabetes prevention and treatment to ensure better health outcomes for Canadians. The National Framework for Diabetes Act received Royal Assent on June 29, 2021 . , Member of Parliament Sonia Sidhu (Liberal ) introduced Bill C-237, which called on the Minister of Health, in consultation with stakeholders, to develop a national framework designed to support improved access to diabetes prevention and treatment to ensure better health outcomes for Canadians. The received Royal Assent on . Through a virtual engagement process, a range of key stakeholders and Canadians affected by diabetes shared their views, experiences and perspectives to help inform the development of the Framework. An Indigenous-led engagement process with Indigenous organizations will help identify priorities and ways forward to address diabetes in First Nation, Inuit and Metis populations. There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. It is estimated that approximately 90% of cases are type 2, 9% are type 1, and gestational and other types of diabetes account for less than 1% of all cases. Some Canadians, such as First Nations and Metis people, people of African, and South and East Asian descent, and people with lower income and education levels, have higher rates of type 2 diabetes compared to the general population. Healthy behaviours (e.g., healthy eating and physical activity) can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and help mitigate negative diabetes-related health conditions. Related products SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada For further information: Marie-France Proulx, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, 613-957-0200; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries: 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709 STONEWALL, MB, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, commemorated the national historic significance of Ducks Unlimited Canada with a special ceremony to unveil a plaque at Oak Hammock Marsh. Founded in Winnipeg in 1938 by Canadian hunter-conservationists, in collaboration with the More Game Birds of America Foundation, Ducks Unlimited Canada was an early example of the international approach to continental nature conservation in Canada and the United States. Established in response to declining waterfowl populations and the widespread loss of wetlands across North America, Ducks Unlimited Canada is distinguished by its commitment to advance conservation science, innovative use of business principles, and partnership-driven approach for nature conservation. Ducks Unlimited Canada also fostered a sense of belonging to a cross-border North American conservation community and mobilized a grassroots network of volunteers and citizen scientists known as "Keemen". Following its first major project at Big Grass Marsh near Gladstone, Manitoba, Ducks Unlimited Canada has become a continental leader responsible for the conservation and management of more than 860,000 hectares of waterfowl habitat in its first 40 years in operationa figure that has since grown to roughly 2.5 million hectares. Today, these habitats are recognized for the tremendous value they provide to people and communities as nature-based solutions to floods, droughts, water pollution, and the impacts of climate change. Ducks Unlimited Canada is now an organization supported by a diverse group of conservationists with broad interests in environmental stewardship. The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians and youth connect with their past. The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,200 designations have been made nationwide. National historic designations illustrate the defining moments in the story of Canada. Together, they tell the stories of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching the understanding of ourselves, each other, and our country. Heritage places provide a wide range of cultural, social, economic, and environmental benefits to their communities. Quotes "In commemorating the national historic significance of Ducks Unlimited Canada, we recognize their important role in conservation in Canada. Today, the organization is a continental leader responsible for the conservation and management of more than 2.5 million hectares of waterfowl habitat. Historic designations like this reflect Canada's rich and varied history, and I encourage all Canadians to learn more about Ducks Unlimited Canada and its important contributions to Canada's heritage." The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada "Ducks Unlimited Canada has shaped conservation practices in this country, and across the continent. By establishing the first wetland conservation projects more than 80 years ago, pursuing leading-edge science and fostering strong cross-border partnerships, we have learned much about these essential habitats and the positive impact they have on both wildlife and people. We are proud of the legacy we continue to create, thanks to the support of our continental conservation community, and are humbled to receive such distinguished recognition of our storied history." Roger d'Eschambault President, Ducks Unlimited Canada Quick Facts Founded in Winnipeg in 1938, Ducks Unlimited Canada was an early example of the international approach to continental nature conservation in Canada and the United States , developed in response to declining waterfowl populations and the widespread loss of wetlands across North America . in 1938, Ducks Unlimited Canada was an early example of the international approach to continental nature conservation in and , developed in response to declining waterfowl populations and the widespread loss of wetlands across . During its 84 years in operation, Ducks Unlimited Canada has helped pioneer wetland ecology through its commitment to scientific research. It mounted one of the largest-scale surveys of breeding waterfowl in Canada and continues to play a leading role in the conservation and management of more than 2.5 million hectares of wetlands and other natural habitat. and continues to play a leading role in the conservation and management of more than 2.5 million hectares of wetlands and other natural habitat. Ducks Unlimited Canada is a key delivery partner in the trilateral North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP), an international action strategy for conserving waterfowl habitat throughout the continent. The NAWMP is widely recognized as one of the most successful conservation initiatives in the world. Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national historic significance of persons, places, and events that have marked history in Canada . Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized, and these important stories are shared with Canadians. advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national historic significance of persons, places, and events that have marked history in . Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized, and these important stories are shared with Canadians. The vast majority of nominations brought forward for the consideration of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada originate from members of the public. To nominate a person, place or historical event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information. Related Documents Backgrounder: Ducks Unlimited Canada Ducks Unlimited Canada historical film archive: View footage of some of the organization's earliest conservation efforts Related Links Parks Canada Agency Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada Framework for History and Commemoration Ducks Unlimited Canada SOURCE Parks Canada For further information: Jared Kist, External Relations Manager, Manitoba Field Unit, Parks Canada, 204-583-3648, [email protected]; Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada Agency, 855-862-1812, [email protected]; Ashley Lewis, Director, Brand and Communications, Ducks Unlimited Canada, 204-941-3097, [email protected] With Sarah Pavan, Club House will poll Canadians about hotly debated Thanksgiving food and language preferences in majority rules seasonal showdown LONDON, ON, Sept. 26, 2022 /CNW/ - Leading up to the holidays, Club House is asking food lovers nationally and provincially to vote on long-disputed Thanksgiving food and language preferences. In partnership with Ontario native Sarah Pavan, Beach Volleyball Olympian and World Champion, Club House will uncover which versions of classic seasonal dishes, terms, and habits win Canadian's hearts and minds. Club House Thanksgiving Debaters (CNW Group/Club House) "The Great Canadian Thanksgiving Debate celebrates diverse tastes of Canadians coast-to-coast," said Trevor Squires, Country Manager, McCormick & Company, Canada. "When it comes to contesting the best ingredients, recipes, and holiday preferences, who better to spice up the debate than Club House?" The brand has selected the nation's ultimate hot-button Thanksgiving recipes and preferences to face-off against one another. Highlighted debate questions include: Cranberry Jelly vs. Stewed Whole Cranberry Sauce Butter Tarts with Raisins vs. Butter Tarts without Raisins Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce vs. Turkey Sandwich without Cranberry Sauce The term "Stuffing" vs. the term "Dressing" Lumpy Mashed Potatoes vs. Smooth Mashed Potatoes Thanksgiving Dishes Mixed on the Plate vs. Each Thanksgiving Dish Enjoyed Separately Turkey as the Main Dish vs. Ham as the Main Dish vs. a Vegetarian Main Dish "I love a good competition on or off the court so I'm excited to debate and eat the Thanksgiving classics with Club House," said Sarah Pavan. "It's great to be representing Canadians again!" As part of this campaign, Club House is contributing two meals* to Food Banks Canada on behalf of the first 2,000 Canadians who vote in the Great Club House Thanksgiving Debate. This contribution, which expands a partnership with Food Banks Canada that began in 2015, is meant to address food insecurity in Canada. It supports more than 4,750 food banks and agencies from coast to coast to coast. Canadians are invited to vote for their favourites and see live results between September 26 and October 2, 2022, on ClubHouse.ca/ThanksgivingDebates** or on the Club House Flavour Maker App, free on iOS and Android. There, visitors can also find signature Club House recipes for contested dishes and more information about the Great Canadian Thanksgiving Debate. Fans can also join the fun on social media by following @ClubHouseSpices on Facebook and @ClubHouseCanada on Instagram. Media Note: High resolution images are available for download at this link. *Club House's contribution of two meals on behalf of the first 2,000 votes in the Great Club House Debate is based on the Food Banks Canada meal metric $1=2 meals. **Official survey conducted by Maru Blue, a world leading CX and insights software and advisory services company. Results to be released on October 3, 2022. About Club House Club House traces its roots back to 1883, where it first operated in London, Ontario, and today is Canada's leading flavour brand. For over 135 years, Club House has been making Canadian meals taste great through spices, herbs, seasoning blends, extracts, food colours, sauce mixes and other flavourful products available in retail outlets and foodservice businesses. Visit www.HelloFlavour.ca for more information and recipes. Club House is a McCormick & Company (MKC) brand. With over $6 billion in annual sales across 170 countries and territories, McCormick is a global leader in flavour. Founded in 1889 and headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA, McCormick is guided by our principles and committed to our Purpose To Stand Together for the Future of Flavour. McCormick envisions A World United by Flavour where healthy, sustainable, and delicious go hand in hand. To learn more, visit mccormickcorporation.com or follow McCormick on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. About Food Banks Canada Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 4,750 food banks and community agencies come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who last year made 1.3 million visits to these organizations in one month alone, according to our HungerCount report. Over the past 10 years, as a system we've sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $168 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit www.foodbankscanada.ca to learn more. SOURCE Club House For further information: Media Contacts: Dea Masotti Payne, [email protected] M: 204-583-1695; Sarah Windham, [email protected], M: 443-844-9067 VANCOUVER, B.C., Oct. 3, 2022 /CNW/ -- Scope Carbon Corp. ("Scope" or the "Company") a pioneering carbon mapping technology company, is pleased to announce that the Company has now entered into a product development agreement (the "Product Development Agreement") with Marsman Limited ("Marsman"), a British Virgin Islands development company, to assist in the advancement of the Company's self-learning image recognition technology (the "Technology"). Sean Prescott, the Company's Non-Executive Chairman and initial developer of the Technology, will be leading the software development in collaboration with Marsman. It is anticipated that the Product Development Agreement will enable the Company to create a unique user experience with a high-end product design and decrease the required time to develop the Technology. This will allow the Company more time to consider the further innovations and also ensure that the Company is creating a user friendly experience. Scope, with the assistance of Marsman, intends to develop, scale and enhance its Technology for market roll-out in 2023. The Marsman development team will be led by Martin Ma, an early key employee of the Alibaba Group who helped Alibaba found various key divisions within the group, including its Internet, CRM and Business Intelligence units. Previously a senior manager at Huawei, Mr. Ma is also the founder of Heliao, a business social networking platform in China and also provides outsourced development services for select projects. Assisting Mr. Ma will be a development team consist of approximately eight persons working both full and part time and with specialties ranging from TensorFlow development, front and back-end web development, project management, user interface design, quality control and assurance testing and server management. "We are very excited to be working with Marsman to develop an enhanced and scalable version of the Company's Technology" said James Liang, CEO of Scope. "Scope is at the forefront of a rapidly expanding industry and our goal is for Scope's Technology to become an essential tool for project developers of carbon credits and corporations looking towards establishing a net zero footprint. We believe the Company's partnership with Marsman will only enrich the development of the Technology and we looking forward to working and learning alongside our partner Martin Ma and his Alibaba team." About Scope Carbon Corp. Scope is a technology company located in Vancouver, British Columbia and is focused on the commercial development of its AI-driven image software, which the Company intends to use for the identification and estimation of carbon-based lifeforms and carbon emissions, both key components in the identification of carbon credits. The Company is currently focused on the commercial development of its Technology through its research and development program, to expand its capabilities and provide a one-tool solution in carbon mapping Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that constitute forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements in this news release that are not purely historical statements of fact are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, future, strategy, objectives, goals and targets, and more specifically any advancements or developments made to the Company's Technology, the participation of Mr. Prescott in the development of the Technology, qualities or development time of the Technology, any innovations which could be made to the Technology, timelines on commercialization of the Technology, the participation of Mr. Ma in the development of the Technology, the prospects of the carbon credits market and the application of the Technology to the same as well as all payments to be made Marsman. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable and reflect expectations of future developments and other factors which management believes to be reasonable and relevant, the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: "believes", "expects", "aim", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", "may", "should", "would", "will", "potential", "scheduled" or variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions, which, by their nature, refer to future events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and are based on assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, including, but not limited to, those risks and assumptions described in the Company's prospectus dated August 10, 2022, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While Scope considers these assumptions to be reasonable, based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions, continued satisfaction of Canadian Securities Exchange requirements, product safety and recalls, regulatory compliance and risks associated with the Company's business. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause anticipated opportunities and actual results to differ materially, please refer to the risk factors set out in the Company's prospectus dated August 10, 2022, a copy of which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof. Contact Information James Liang, CEO [email protected] +1 (604) 683 0911 SOURCE Scope Carbon Corp. National initiative recognizing teachers going above and beyond launches second competition today RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - Today is World Teachers' Day, where we acknowledge the vital role teachers play in providing inclusive, quality education and improving the lives of children. As a partner to teachers and educators, Staples Canada is announcing the winners of the We Love Teachers contest launched in May: a campaign to recognize teachers going above and beyond. The contest launches its second iteration with Fall nominations opening today. Staples Canada recognizes World Teachers Day by announcing We Love Teachers contest winners (CNW Group/Staples Canada ULC) "At Staples Canada, we recognize that teachers play an essential part in children's lives and are the cornerstone of success when it comes to education. We want to shed light on their impact," said David Boone, CEO, Staples Canada. "The We Love Teachers contest is our way to celebrate their efforts and recognize educators who are making a difference in communities to inspire and nurture education across Canada." Spring We Love Teachers winners announced In Spring 2022, parents, students and fellow educators across Canada were encouraged to nominate a teacher in their community making an impact for the first We Love Teachers contest. Staples received an incredible response with more than 360 heartfelt nominations; nominees were shortlisted based on select judging criteria, narrowing the list down to eight top finalists, including: Jess Bailey , Ottawa, ON : Recognized for inspiring young learners, creating a safe space for all and delivering lively, fun and community-inspired education to boost confidence, independence and academic success amongst students. Recognized for inspiring young learners, creating a safe space for all and delivering lively, fun and community-inspired education to boost confidence, independence and academic success amongst students. Harjit Chauhan, Maple Ridge, BC : Instills pride and courageousness within the classroom to speak about cultural diversity, seeking out authentic resources to nurture crucial conversations on equity and diversity among students, fellow educators and community members. Instills pride and courageousness within the classroom to speak about cultural diversity, seeking out authentic resources to nurture crucial conversations on equity and diversity among students, fellow educators and community members. Brian Joseph Elson Skinner , Wainwright, AB : A pillar in the educational community, involved at every corner of the school system, bringing smiles to students and staff through genuine passion and commitment to teaching. A pillar in the educational community, involved at every corner of the school system, bringing smiles to students and staff through genuine passion and commitment to teaching. Jeff Baty , Elie, MB : Inspires students to pursue their passions and seek post-secondary education by creating an exciting, open and nurturing class environment where students feel they can truly prosper. Inspires students to pursue their passions and seek post-secondary education by creating an exciting, open and nurturing class environment where students feel they can truly prosper. Peter Millett , West Northfield, NS : Recognized for progressive teaching styles that enrich students' learning, advocating for student success and uplifting school morale. : Recognized for progressive teaching styles that enrich students' learning, advocating for student success and uplifting school morale. Ling Chiu , Toronto, ON : A special education teacher serving the most vulnerable students with the highest degree of support and commitment to success and wellbeing, creating out-of-the-box experiences to foster inclusivity and engagement. A special education teacher serving the most vulnerable students with the highest degree of support and commitment to success and wellbeing, creating out-of-the-box experiences to foster inclusivity and engagement. Melanie Desgagne , Gatineau , QC: Recognized for innovative teaching methods and true reliability even outside school hours, teaching students the value of motivation when it comes to educational success. Recognized for innovative teaching methods and true reliability even outside school hours, teaching students the value of motivation when it comes to educational success. Sonia Goronovski, Tottenham, ON : Celebrated for her fascination and enthusiasm when it comes to teaching the youngest learners they can make a difference in the world. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Dh1ibRGm7l8 Class is back in session so is We Love Teachers! World Teachers' Day marks the launch of the second We Love Teachers contest accepting nominations now until November 15. Eight teachers from across Canada will be selected for a chance to win a $1,000 Staples gift card for their classroom or to upgrade any technology and $250 cash for self-care. Their nominators also win a $100 Staples gift card. To submit a nomination or learn more about the We Love Teachers contest, visit staples.ca/weloveteachers. Anyone who nominates a teacher will automatically be entered into a weekly prize draw to win a $50 Staples gift card. Teacher Membership Program One of the ways Staples Canada supports and recognizes teachers is the Teacher Membership Program, offering educators exclusive perks, competitive pricing on supplies and dedicated services. It's free to join and is available to teachers, staff and faculty at all public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities as well as home educators. Visit staples.ca/teachermembership for more information on the Teacher Membership Program or to join. For a limited time and while supplies last, Staples Teacher Membership Program members can collect a free Teacher Appreciation Gift designed by gry mattr at all Staples stores across Canada. About Staples Canada Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. With a focus on community, inspiration and services, the privately-owned company is committed to being a dynamic, inspiring partner to customers who visit its 300+ locations and staples.ca. The company has two brands that support business customers, Staples Preferred for small businesses and Staples Professional for medium to large-sized enterprises, as well as seven co-working facilities in Toronto, Kelowna, Oakville, Ottawa and Calgary under the banner Staples Studio. Staples Canada is a proud partner of MAP through its Even the Odds campaign, which aims to tackle inequities in communities across Canada and helps make a future that's fair for everyone. Visit staples.ca for more information or get social with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. SOURCE Staples Canada ULC For further information: Pamela Kennedy, Staples Canada, 905-737-1147 Ext. 578, [email protected]; Meg Murphy, Golin, (647) 475-4495, [email protected] OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 4, 2022 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the 1,000th day since the egregious downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752: "One thousand days ago today, the Iranian regime unlawfully and horrifically shot down passenger Flight PS752, cutting short the lives of the 176 innocent people on board including 55 Canadians, 30 permanent residents, and a total of 138 people en route to Canada. They were mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, educators, and students and most of all, they were loved. "In the 1,000 days since, people across Canada have mourned their loved ones. As Canadians, we mourn with them. Yesterday, I met with the families of the victims of PS752 to express my deepest condolences. In the wake of this crime, Canada has, and will continue to, support them. We opened new pathways to permanent residency for families of survivors, provided mental health supports, and continue to reaffirm Canada's steadfast commitment to holding the Iranian regime responsible for its horrific actions. "Canada and its Coordination Group partners are committed to holding Iran accountable, in accordance with international law. At the International Civil Aviation Organization, Canada continues to advance the Safer Skies Initiative and to address gaps in the accident investigation process to make sure this never happens again. We remain relentless in our pursuit of justice for the families of these victims, and we will stop at nothing to ensure the regime is held accountable. "Today, the regime continues to crack down on courageous Iranian women protesting the tragic killing of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran's so-called 'morality police.' Dozens of protesters have been killed. Once again, the Iranian regime is demonstrating its blatant disregard for human rights and human life. Canada unequivocally stands with the brave women who are marching in the streets of Iran and in the streets of cities right around the world in solidarity. "This unacceptable pattern of gross and systematic human rights violations and brutal murders must end. That's why yesterday, we imposed new sanctions against Iran by targeting 34 individuals and entities. This includes the Iranian regime's 'morality police' and senior members of the regime, including in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These sanctions build on our existing sanctions and measures some of the toughest any country has taken against Iran. They also complement the fact that Canada recognizes Iran as a State supporter of terrorism. "Today, we remember the innocent victims of PS752, and we stand with all those defending human rights here at home and around the world. The Iranian regime will be held accountable for its horrific actions." This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca SOURCE Prime Minister's Office For further information: PMO Media Relations: [email protected] Press Release October 5, 2022 Villar cites potentials of Mindanao in agri dev't Senator Cynthia A. Villar has stressed that agriculture in Mindanao brings hope and great opportunity for the region's inclusive growth. The chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Food committee sees Mindanao Island as the country's biggest potential for agriculture development. During her speech at the 24th Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) held in this city, Villar acknowledged the Mindanao business community has always been at the forefront of the region's annual trade expo. The expo, Villar said, helps boost the country's economic recovery amidst the pandemic. "I am happy that Davao City Chamber of Commerce is our partner focusing on the agriculture industry in accelerating the development of the agriculture sector in Mindanao," said Villar. She emphasized that Mindanao is the country's biggest producer of agri-products with banana, coconut, pineapple, other fruits, and nuts comprising the top five export products of the region. Villar related that Davao Region has 18 priority industry clusters: abaca, banana, bangus, cacao, coconut, durian, ICT, livestock and poultry, mango, mining, renewable energy, rice, seaweeds, tourism, wood, oil palm, rubber, and coffee. "Thus, prospects for agribusinesses here are very bright with growing demand for value-added products and processed food in the domestic and global market," she said. In recognition of Davao as country's biggest producer of cacao and its vital contribution in making the Philippines world-renowned and much-sought after by chocolate makers from the U.S., Japan, and Europe, Villar authored Republic Act No. 11547 which declared Davao City as "Chocolate Capital" and Davao Region as "Cacao Capital" of the Philippines. Based on the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Davao Region produces around 78.76 % of the annual production of cacao in the Philippines. "I know the importance of cacao that provides livelihood to farmers in the countryside to guarantee the sustainability of the country's cacao industry, particularly here in Davao to ensure food security, employment opportunities, and better income for our people," Villar emphasized. "There is also always agricultural tourism as a potential venture because there are a lot to see in Davao and the whole of Mindanao," she added. Villar, kinilala ang potensiyal ng Mindanao sa agri dev't IGINIIT ni Senator Cynthia A. Villar na ang agrikultura sa Mindanao ang magbibigay ng pag-asa at malaking oportunidad sa 'inclusive growth' ng rehiyon. Kumpiyansa ang chairperson ng Senate Agriculture and Food committee na ang Mindanao Island ang may pinakamalaking potensiyal sa bansa sa paglago ng agrikultura. Sa kanyang pananalita sa 24th Davao Agri Trade Expo (DATE) sa siyuad, kinilala ni Villar ng Mindanao business community na nangunguna sa taunang trade expo sa rehiyon. Ang expo, ani Villar, ang nakatutulong na paigtingin ang pagbangon ng ekonomiya ng bansa sa kabila ng pandemiya. "I am happy that Davao City Chamber of Commerce is our partner focusing on the agriculture industry in accelerating the development of the agriculture sector in Mindanao," ayon kay Villar. Binigyan diin niya na ang Mindanao ang ating pinakamalaking producer ng agri-products kung saan ang saging, niyog, pinya at iba prutas at nuts ang 5 pangunahing export products ng rehiyon. Inihayag din ni Villar na may 18 priority industry clusters ang Davao Region. Ang mga ito ay ang abaca, saging, bangus, cacao, niyog, durian, ICT, livestock at poultry, mangga, mining, renewable energy, bigas , seaweeds, turismo, kahoy, oil palm, rubber at kape. "Thus, prospects for agribusinesses here are very bright with growing demand for value-added products and processed food in the domestic and global market," ayon kay Villar. Bilang pagkilala sa Davao na pinakamalaking producer ng cacao and at mahalagang kontirbusyon sa pagkilala sa Pilipinas chocolate makers mula sa U.S., Japan, at Europe, inakda ni Villar ang Republic Act No. 11547 na nagdedeklara sa Davao City na "Chocolate Capital" at Davao Region bilang "Cacao Capital" ng. Pilipinas. Bas3 sa pinakahuling data ngPhilippine Statistics Authority (PSA), may 78,76% ang taunang produksyin ng cacao ng Davao Region. "I know the importance of cacao that provides livelihood to farmers in the countryside to guarantee the sustainability of the country's cacao industry particularly here in Davao to ensure food security, employment opportunities, and better income for our people," giit ni Villar. "There is also always agricultural tourism as a potential venture because there are a lot to see in Davao and the whole of Mindanao," dagdag pa niya. An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has described the partys presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, as the best man... An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, has described the partys presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, as the best man to lead Nigeria. Igbokwe is the Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Drainage and Water Resources. He spoke on Tuesday at an Ndigbo gathering at the Blue Roof of the Lagos Television (LTV) in Ikeja, the capital. The event was to declare the support of Igbos for the 2023 aspirations of Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu. Igbokwe declared that anyone who governed Nigerias commercial hub would effortlessly govern the country. Lagos is a 24 hour state and so anybody who has been governor in the state will not find it difficult to rule Nigeria, NAN quoted him saying. The government official challenged other presidential candidates to show Nigerians their achievements. Igbokwe urged Ndigbo in Lagos to protect their investments as they have so much to gain by supporting Tinubu. The SA lauded the ex-governor for his support to Ndigbo and urged the people of South-East to ensure they support all APC candidates in 2023. An American rapper and fashion designer, Kanye Omari West, known as Kanye West, has described the international social movement, Black Lives... An American rapper and fashion designer, Kanye Omari West, known as Kanye West, has described the international social movement, Black Lives Matter (BLM), as a scam. Black Lives Matter is an international movement established to eradicate white supremacy, racism, and discrimination experienced by black communities. Kanye West in a post shared on his Instagram page, berated those criticising him over the White Lives Matter T-shirt he wore at his fashion show. West angered the black people who called him out for trivializing the Black Lives Movement after wearing a shirt emblazoned with White Lives Matter during his Yeezy SZN 9 presentation in Paris. Reacting to the heat he received, the rapper said, Everyone now knows that Black Lives Matter was a scam, its over. Youre welcome. The Yeezy CEO, who at the event claimed to be above everything and unmanageable, added, I am Ye, and everyone here knows that I am the leader. You cant manage me. Mike Ozekhome, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order... Mike Ozekhome, counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order the release of his client. Kanu has been in DSS custody since his arrest and extradition from Kenya to Nigeria in June 2021. He is on trial for treasonable felony. In July, the United Nation Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in a 16-page report, had reportedly indicted both Nigeria and Kenya governments for the arrest, torture and continued detention of the IPOB leader. The group also urged the federal government to ensure the immediate release of Kanu unconditionally and pay him adequate compensations for the arbitrary violation of his fundamental human rights. In a letter on Monday, Ozekhome asked Buhari to order Kanus immediate release through a more productive political solution. Ozekhome said Buhari can order Kanus release in line with section 174, which gives the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) powers to discontinue at any stage before judgement is delivered any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by him or any other authority or person. You can do this by instructing the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation to wield his powers under section 174 of the 1999 Constitution to enter a nolle prosequi. This will immediately halt the present restlessness and sits-at-home mantra currently ravaging the South East and paralysing business and normal life, Ozekhome said. While noting that Kanus extradition was carried out illegally and arbitrarily without due process, the senior lawyer said a dispassionate consideration of the Report of the UN body will bear eloquent testimony to a litany of grave errors which Kanus abduction, and his continued detention and shabby treatment since then by officers and men of the Nigerian SSS, constitute. All these cumulatively constitute, not only gross violation of our clients fundamental rights under international and Nigerian laws, but, even more worrisome, cast an altogether avoidable pall on Nigerias image in the international community, the letter reads. To refuse releasing Kanu unconditionally and immediately is to court international displeasure and multi-faceted backlash. It will hurt Nigeria badly as it will also insinuate that your Excellency does not subscribe to the Rule of law and respect for citizens fundamental rights, and your postulations of the just ended United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which took place between 20th and 23rd September, 2022. Your Excellency must avoid these unhealthy reactions by ensuring that Kanu is released immediately and unconditionally now. The moral burden of insisting on keeping Kanu in detention is too expensive and too offensive to embrace, especially with his fragile and deteriorating health condition which his custodians (the SSS) have not been able to manage properly. Do not let Kanu die in detention sir. Ozekhome also said Buhari would be writing his name in gold by ensuring the release of the detained IPOB leader. Your Excellency, the whole world has spoken through the UN Human Rights Committee. The message is quite clear: Nnamdi Kanu must be released forthwith unconditionally. To insist on detaining him in defiance of the world would be at a great price which is better avoided, the letter reads. Suffice it to say, your Excellency that, just like in the earlier case of Umaru Dikko, your government risks turning Nigeria, once again, into a Pariah State, simply on account of this avoidable conundrum. Your Excellency, if the case of Mr. Dikko was understandable because it was carried out by a military regime, that of Nnamdi Kanu is inexplicable and unjustifiable under a democratic government headed by your good self and which operates under a written Constitution that guarantees fundamental rights, the rule of law and the enforcement of duly-ratified international treaties. The foregoing narrative clearly shows that this is the case with the relevant treaties under which the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued its binding directive for the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu. Your Excellency, I am not aware of any State which has defied or disobeyed such a directive without paying a national heavy price. Nigeria should not be the first member of that Hall of Infamy reserved only for pariah nations. That would be another blot on Nigerias image. The situation is however not irredeemable, as your Excellency can yet redeem it; and write your name in gold by ordering the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu from his present excruciating detention as ordered by the United Nations, through its Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. A federal high court in Umuahia, Abia state, has fixed October 27 for judgment in a fundamental human rights suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, le... A federal high court in Umuahia, Abia state, has fixed October 27 for judgment in a fundamental human rights suit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the federal government. In the suit filed through his counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu is challenging his extradition from Kenya by the agents of the federal government. Kanu alleged that he was kidnapped from Kenya and brought back to Nigeria to stand trial. Evelyn Anyadike, the presiding judge, fixed the date for judgment after lawyers in the suit adopted their final written addresses at the court session on Tuesday. Simon Enoch, counsel from the federal ministry of justice, in adopting his written addresses, prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it is an abuse of court process. He said an Abia state high court had already determined a similar case and that Kanu had violated his bail conditions prior to his re-arrest in Kenya. However, Ejimakor submitted that in contrast to the current lawsuit, the case resolved by the Abia high court, which was decided in Kanus favour, focused primarily on the 2017 military raid on Kanus home. He argued that the federal government should be required to show the legal document or authority that served as the foundation for the abduction or extraordinary rendition of Kanu. My client remains an unlawfully expelled individual, and cannot be subjected to any trial because he was unlawfully renditioned, the lawyer said. He also said the United Nations commission on human rights had already directed the Nigerian authorities to unconditionally release Kanu, and compensate him for the violation of fundamental human rights. The lawyer also told the court that Kanus health condition was deteriorating and he urgently needed the attention of his personal physician. Among several reliefs sought, Kanu is asking for an order mandating and compelling the respondents to pay the sum of N25,000,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Billion Naira) to the applicant, being monetary damages claimed by the applicant against the respondents jointly and severally for the physical, mental, emotional, psychological, property and other damages suffered by the applicant as a result of the infringements of applicants fundamental rights by the respondents. An order is also sought to halt Kanus prosecution and restore him to the status quo before his rendition on June 19, 2021. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), has denied reports that he prophesied against Peter O... Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), has denied reports that he prophesied against Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 election. Reports had emerged that Mbaka said if Peter Obi is not disgraced at the polls in 2023, he is not called by God. Mbaka, in a video posted on the churchs Facebook page, said he never spoke against Peter Obi. After handing over to Fr Anthony Amadi on Sunday, I started hearing that Fr Mbaka spoke against Peter Obi. I Rev Fr Mbaka on that Sunday never mentioned Peter not to talk of Obi. Please whoever is being used by the devil to blackmail me in the name of doing any job for anybody, is satanic and should apologize, withdraw such nefarious, and satanic utterance, and be careful when you want to harm the image of a man of God. Whoever did that, I have forgiven you, but I want to hear that you have apologized and withdrew what you said against me on that day, Mbaka said. Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, has taken a swipe at the presidential candidate of the Labour Par... Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, has taken a swipe at the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, for celebrating the honorary citizenship conferred on him in the United States. Recall that Obi in the early hours of Wednesday shared the news of his honorary citizenship of Dallas on his Twitter handle. Reacting, Sowore stated that Obi had been scammed and that the certificate wasnt worth the paper it was printed on. His Tweet read: No wonder #PeterObi clearly stated hes got no ideology different from #atiku and the rest, for him to be celebrating the conferment of honorary citizenship of Dallas shows hes got no clue that the award is not even worth the paper it was printed upon. Someone scammed him! Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employmen... Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, has turned the industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) into a personal quarrel. Speaking on Tuesday during a programme on Arise TV, Jega said Ngige is creating more problems than solutions. Unfortunately, right now, the minister of labour is not helping matters. He has turned this into a personal quarrel between him and the minister of education on one hand and between himself and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the other, Jega said. While many other people are trying to find a way of addressing this situation so that students can go back to school and ASUU can go back to work, he is busy creating challenges. He now took the matter to the industrial court, now today, he now registered two unions and he is trying to proscribe ASUU. If this is allowed by this government, I think this is a recipe for disaster and it may really create more problems than it can solve on this matter of strike in the universities. ASUU has been on strike since February 2022 to press home the demand for improved funding for universities, and a review of salaries for lecturers, among other issues. Several meetings between ASUU and the federal government have ended in deadlock. Consequently, the federal government went to court to challenge the strike. On September 21, the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) ordered ASUU to call off its strike, after which the union filed an appeal seeking a stay of execution of the judgment. On Tuesday, the federal government formally recognised the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), a breakaway faction of ASUU. The minister of labour and employment presented the certificate of registration to CONUA at an event held in Abuja. The move is believed to be an attempt to reduce the influence of ASUU. The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has disclosed the nature of the illness the President suffered for years. Aisha Buhar... The wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha, has disclosed the nature of the illness the President suffered for years. Aisha Buhari disclosed that Buhari suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD, for many years, due to his involvement in Nigerias civil war, his overthrow as military Head of State, and subsequent detention for 40 months without being charged with any offence. She disclosed this while speaking at an event for the Armed Forces Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Centre (AFPTSDC) initiated by the Mrs Lucky Irabor-led Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA). She recounted how she suffered the consequences of PSTD at an early stage in her marriage to Buhari. According to Aisha Buhari: It is a reality that soldiers and military families have to live with, despite its negative consequences. Being a soldiers wife or a retired soldiers wife and a wellness expert, I understand the challenges associated with PTSD and its impact on military families and the nation. My husband served the Nigerian Army for 27 years before he was overthrown in a coup detat. He fought civil war for 30 months without rehabilitation; he ruled Nigeria for 20 months and was detained for 40 months without disclosing the nature of his offence. One year after he came out from detention, we were married, I clocked 19 years in his house as his wife, legitimately. I suffered the consequences of PTSD because having gone through all these, and at the age of 19, to handle somebody who was a former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of Nigerias Armed Forces, to tell him that he is wrong is the first mistake you will make. So, at the age of 19, I had to figure out how to tell somebody of his calibre that he was wrong or right and that was the beginning of my offence in his house, and contesting elections in 2003 and failed, 2007, failed and 2011, the same thing all without rehabilitation I became a physiotherapist. You can imagine me at 19 years, handling somebody that went to war, suffered coup detat, then lost several elections, and, finally, getting to the Villa in the 2015. Also, for a woman to tell them that this is wrong or right in Nigeria and Africa is a problem. As Nigeria joins the rest of the world in celebrating World Teachers Day, some parents in Osun have called on the state government to make c... As Nigeria joins the rest of the world in celebrating World Teachers Day, some parents in Osun have called on the state government to make conditions of teachers and teaching conducive in both public and private schools. They also called on the concerned authorities to recruit qualified teachers into schools to ensure smooth impartation of knowledge to children since they are the leaders of the future. The theme for the year 2022 World Teachers Day is: The Transformation Of Education Begins With Teachers. Steven Oladungoye, while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo, urged the federal and state governments to recruit more qualified teachers into the teaching scheme because most schools were understaffed and teachers already engaged were underqualified. He said in most public schools, most subjects dont have teachers taking them. In most public schools, there is a dearth of teachers. There are not enough teachers taking some of these subjects. You find a situation where a teacher teaches more than four subjects. Even at that, some of them are not qualified to teach these subjects. How will you explain how a teacher who is less qualified teaching physics and chemistry. These are subjected which need qualified teachers to take them. Go to some schools, you find NCE graduates taking senior secondary students. This is bad. When you call some of these teachers aside, their complaints is that they never had the chance to go for further studies and this system is killing education. Adisa Mohammed, on his part, wants more government control of the private school system to forestall the ongoing degradation. Lamenting that many teachers in private schools, especially in Osogbo were underqualified, he revealed that he had to confront the proprietress of his childrens school when he discovered that most of what is being taught to his daughter was below standard. When I confronted her and I discovered that my daughters teacher was a National Diploma (ND) graduate. For Gods sake, what is an ND holder doing in a classroom with little children? Did she learn education in a polytechnic, or are Colleges of Education now offering ND as a certificate? When I discovered this, I promptly withdrew all my children from the school. Oluwatoyin Fayemi lamented that since the beginning of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, her children, who are both university undergraduates, have been idling away at home doing nothing. When you are talking of teachers, you are also referring to the education of children, and the strike by university lecturers is doing more harm than good to the higher education sector of this country. It is not helping anybody. On the action taken by the Federal Government to splinter ASUU into NAMDA and CONUA, Fayemi said, when you visit a doctor and complain of a headache. The doctor will not just prescribe analgesics based on your complaint. By convention, the doctor will do histology, take down your complaints. Ask further questions and then do a lab analysis. From there, a diagnosis would be arrived at before treatment would be prescribed. Thats how to do when it comes to signs and symptoms. The issue of ASUU and strike is a recurring headache. Our Minister of Labour is a medical doctor, yet he couldnt proffer a simple solution to the perennial strike. He prescribed a cancer treatment to solve a recurring headache. Shame in Ngige and shame on Buhari. A teacher, Egunyemi Joseph, maintained that professionalism was dying in the teaching profession and regretted that the political class has added to the woe that has befallen Nigerias teaching profession. Look at what they have done in Osun. The state government had made its intention of recruiting teachers known since before the pandemic. Many graduates have applied and till date, no recruitment has been carried out. The next we heard is that there is a disagreement between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the incoming Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the disagreement on the recruitment of additional teachers. This to me is unnecessary political interference. Dont be surprised if qualified candidates are screened out in favour of their own people. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 51F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 35F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. A deputy constable and a property manager were shot Wednesday while serving an eviction notice at an apartment complex in the West Lake Forest area of New Orleans, authorities said. Update: Accused shooter caught in Mid-City; 3 schools on lockdown First City Court Constable Lambert Boissiere Jr. said the injured deputy is 53-year-old Warren Smith, a longtime constable who formerly served in the New Orleans Police Department. Smith was shot in the shoulder and was rushed to University Medical Center, authorities said. A section of Interstate 10 was briefly shut down for the ambulance. The 36-year-old property manager was shot in the chest, according to NOPD Chief Shaun Ferguson, who held a press conference outside UMC with Boissiere. Watch the video. Both of the wounded men were alert and responsive, Ferguson said at 11:30 a.m., and their vitals were stable. Searching for shooter +2 Photos, video: Officer, property manager shot while serving eviction notice, authorities say A deputy constable and a property manager were shot while serving an eviction notice at an apartment complex in New Orleans, authorities said The shooting was reported just before 10 a.m. in the 7800 block of South Coronet Court (map). The two men were serving papers when "gunfire erupted," Ferguson said. Three people were present at that point - the deputy constable, the property manager and the tenant, he said. Ferguson said they don't know who fired a gun, but they are searching for the person who was being served with the eviction notice. They are also investigating if the deputy fired his weapon. Searching with helicopter, K-9s There was a heavy police presence at the complex as of 11 a.m., with New Orleans police officers, the SWAT team and members of the FBI, U.S. Marshals and ATF. Many were wearing bulletproof vests and were armed with rifles as they walked the streets. A helicopter crew from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office also responded to the scene to assist in NOPD's investigation, according to JPSO Capt. Jason Rivarde. In addition, K-9 units were searching the area. The scene was still for nearly two hours and spanned multiple blocks on South Coronet Court. Around 1 p.m., police were breaking down the perimeter on Coronet Court and had stopped canvassing the area. NOPD spokesperson Aaron Looney said the person remains at large and the search has moved to a wider range. Authorities did not release details about the person they were looking for at the complex. They are asking anyone with information to call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111. 'Was going so smoothly' Smith was serving eviction papers along with another deputy constable, but it was going smoothly and the colleague went ahead to the next address before Smith was shot, Boissiere said. "It was going so smoothly, he felt comfortable to go to the next one," Boissiere said. "We do hundreds of them and very seldom have a problem." First City Court records show Smith was serving an eviction warrant issued Sept. 6. Boissiere said his deputies are trained to call NOPD if it looks like there will be trouble and "not to use a weapon unless absolutely necessary." "In this case, he didn't have a chance to call anyone," Boissiere said during the press conference. 'Heard a couple shots' A neighbor who has lived in the area for 37 years said she heard the gunfire Wednesday. "I heard a couple shots-boom! Boom!," said the woman, who asked to remain anonymous because she fears retribution. "My neighbor called and said 'Girl, they shot a police officer.'" Around 12:15 p.m., authorities seemed to focus their attention on one of the apartment buildings in the 6800 block of Coronet Court. "Hes in there right now," said Darren Williams, who moved to North Coronet Court a month ago, as he gestured to the apartment building where an armored SWAT vehicle was stationed. I hope he comes out with his hands up. "Some people are ashamed of losing their house, getting put out," Williams said. "They get to the limit and hurt themselves or someone else. Staff writer Michelle Hunter contributed to this story. Europeans continue to stand firmly by Ukraine's side. A broad majority supports arms deliveries. The willingness to accept Ukraine into the EU remains high. There is also strong support for the need to become more independent in terms of energy supply - even if this means personal cuts. Nevertheless, these attitudes cannot be taken for granted, as there are initial signs that approval is crumbling. Gutersloh, October 5, 5 Oct. (News Aktuell) - .- 72 percent of Europeans are in favor of the EU becoming independent of energy supplies from Russia, even if this means rising costs. Support is highest in Poland (80 percent) and Italy (76 percent). It is lowest in Germany, at 69 percent. This is one of the findings of the new eupinions survey. eupinions is the Bertelsmann Stiftung's European public opinion tool, for which around 12,000 citizens throughout the EU are surveyed every three months. The data is representative for the EU as a whole and for seven selected member states and is published in cooperation with the Belgian King Baudouin Foundation. However, the comparative figures from March 2022 show that support for energy independence tends to decline as the scale of the cuts becomes clearer. For the EU, the number of those who want to become independent of Russian energy imports has fallen by only two percent. A look at individual member states shows clearer shifts. The decline is most pronounced in the Netherlands (-7 percentage points) and Poland (-6). "The rising cost of living crisis is already a major concern for 44 percent of Europeans. And they will feel the effects of the war even more acutely in their daily lives during the winter season," says Isabell Hoffmann, project lead and Europe expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung. A clear majority of 60 percent continues to support arms deliveries through the EU to Ukraine. Support is particularly strong in Poland, where 84 percent of respondents are in favor. Only Italy fails to demonstrate a majority in favor of arms deliveries. 58 percent of Italians are opposed. However, approval on this issue also fell slightly between March and June. "In March, everyone was in shock, and the will to support Ukraine was very high. Three months later, the shock has passed, but the will to support remains high. This perseverance is political capital and should be nurtured," says Isabell Hoffmann. A clear majority of Europeans are in favor of admitting Ukraine to the EU (66 percent EU-wide). A look at the different countries, however, highlights significant differences: in Poland, 84 percent are in favor. In Germany and France, the figure is just 60 percent. The majorities are stable, but slightly declining everywhere. There is also broad agreement on the question of what role Europe should play in the world. A clear majority of 71 percent says Europe already plays an important role in international affairs, while an even larger majority says Europe should play an even more important role. Our expert: Isabell Hoffmann, Project Lead und Co-Author Phone: +49 30 27 57 88 126 E-Mail: isabell.hoffmann@bertelsmann-stiftung.de More Information: www.eupinions.eu About the Bertelsmann Stiftung: Inspiring people. Shaping the future. The Bertelsmann Stiftung is committed to enabling social participation for everyone politically, economically and culturally. Our programs include Education and the Next Generation, Democracy and Social Cohesion, Digitalization and the Common Good, Europes Future, Health, and Sustainable Social Market Economies. In our work, we focus on people, since only they can change the world and make it better. We share knowledge, promote expertise and develop solutions. A nonprofit foundation, the Bertelsmann Stiftung was established in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn. For more information, please visit: www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de A local author's children's book has been garnering awards. Carrie Steinweg wrote "So Many Ways to Say I Love You." It won first place for childrens books in the IWPAs Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest, placed second with the Illinois chapter of the National Federation of Press Women and advanced to the national level. It's a short rhyming book. "The theme to the story comes from a couple places," she said. "One is that Ive always been a huge fan of Fred Rogers. I worshiped him as a young child watching 'Mr. Rogers Neighborhood' and loved how he expressed so many necessary concepts to kids in simple ways. He had a way of making everyone feel important and valued through watching him on television for a few minutes. I wanted to create a short, easy book in the spirit of things I learned from Mr. Rogers. Everyone wants to feel loved and sometimes saying those words or expressing love can be difficult. I hoped the book would help show young readers that love comes in many forms - that they could show love in ways beyond verbal communication and even that they can feel love from adults who might not say it all the time, but express it more in their actions." It's her fourth children's book and third short rhyming book. She likes to make it easy for early readers and fun for young kids who like that pattern. "After I wrote the story I had to give notes to the illustrator and wanted to use an animal for the character. When my kids were younger I read them so many childrens books and they always seemed most drawn to ones that had animals as characters," she said. "I thought about different animals to use and bears and bunnies were ones I liked, but were used so often. My last book, Waffle Likes Falafel, had a dog as the main character." She drew inspiration from a monkey named George, one of her sons' favorite TikTok characters with millions of followers. "So I decided on a monkey family for the book. George had a sister named Lacy. The main character in this book is a monkey named Lacey," she said. "Most of Georges videos were of him opening gifts that fans sent him. He was such a cute creature who was so curious and so human-like and he made me smile every time I watched him. I sent a copy of the book to George and Lacy and was excited when a video was posted of George opening the book. Unfortunately, George passed away shortly after the book was published while under anesthesia at a dental appointment. The family still posts videos of Lacy and their other monkey, Nash, and shares old footage of George." The book is available at the South Shore Arts gift shop and online at places like Amazon. Steinweg hopes readers take away a positive message. "That you can communicate love in many ways - sometimes through words, sometimes through acts of kindness, sometimes by spending time together, etc," she said. "There are many ways to show someone you care about them." Steinweg is also an acclaimed journalist, blogger and author of local history books like "South Holland" and the "Legendary Locals of Lansing." But she especially enjoys writing books for kids. "I always say that if I didnt have to worry about paying bills, Id love to spend my time writing childrens books, visiting schools and other places to read them in person and then giving them away," she said. "I love coming up with the story and then seeing it brought to life with illustrations, but the best part is seeing young kids enjoy them." She's currently booking school visits. Any teachers who would like her to visit their classroom to read can contact her at csteinw@yahoo.com. VALPARAISO Child molestation charges were dismissed this week against a 26-year-old Portage man on the eve of his trial, according to the court. Brian Wadas was set to go to trial Tuesday morning, but late Monday prosecutors dismissed the two felony counts of molestation and felony neglect against him, according to staff of Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish. The most severe of the charges carried a potential prison term of between 20 and 40 years. The prosecution's motion to dismiss cites concerns about "the deterioration of the seven-year-old victim's emotional and mental state during recent trial preparation." Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann said Wednesday morning the case remains under investigation. The charges were dismissed in a manner that they can be refiled. The girl had claimed Wadas molested her March 23, 2021, as she slept at her Portage home. The girl's mother said Wadas denied in a text message conversation that he molested the child, "but also alluded that if anything happened, he did not remember because he was asleep," according to police. Wadas was known by the girl. Merrillville theft suspects Police said two men, far left and second from left, are suspected to have stolen tools from a local business Sept. 13. One man, right and seco MERRILLVILLE Police are seeking help from the public in identifying multiple suspects in connection to two separate thefts at Merrillville businesses, police said Tuesday. The first incident took place Sept. 13, Detective Matt Vasel said. Two male suspects stole tool sets, welders and plasma cutters worth several thousand dollars, according to police. On Sept. 23, a second theft took place, Vasel said. A male suspect stole a woman's wallet and used her credit cards at a local business. Vasel said that two female suspects may have accompanied the male suspect but that police could not locate photos of them. Vasel said police are not revealing the names of the businesses where the thefts took place. He said they are both local. Anyone with information related to either investigation can contact Vasel at 219-769-3531, ext. 363 or mvasel@merrillville.in.gov. CROWN POINT Lake County prosecutors dropped charges Tuesday against a Gary man accused of molesting two young boys. DeAndre T. Teamer, 28, had pleaded not guilty to two counts of child molesting, a level 4 felony. In a motion to dismiss the charges, Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Tara Villarreal wrote the state had insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Lake Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez granted the state's motion Wednesday. Teamer, who was represented by attorney Scott King, was accused of forcing the two boys to touch each other inappropriately between July 2020 and April 2021 while they were in his care. King said the same witness was involved in multiple cases against Teamer and that he's "been through hell on earth." "I'm grateful the state did their job and looked at it and chose to dismiss," he said. "It's just devastating for him." King said he hopes prosecutors also will agree to dismiss a misdemeanor invasion of privacy case so Teamer can move on with his life. CROWN POINT Lake County prosecutors re-filed murder charges Tuesday against a man accused of fatally shooting a woman in February 2019, more than a year before her remains were found in a wooded area of Gary. Drew Carter III, 45, of Gary, has been in custody at the Lake County Jail since March 2019, Lake Criminal Court records show. A judge granted prosecutors' motion to dismiss Carter's previous murder case without prejudice in September 2019, but he remained in custody on a separate firearms charge stemming from his initial arrest in the homicide of 36-year-old Jessica Flores. Carter was scheduled to make a court appearance Thursday with attorney Adam Tavitas on his request for a bail reduction. Now that he's been charged with murder, kidnapping and two counts of criminal confinement, Carter likely will continue to be held without bond. He's pleaded not guilty to one count of being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. He had not yet entered pleas in his new case. "If they had the evidence two years ago, they should have prosecuted him," Tavitas said. "Mr. Carter denies any involvement in this, and we look forward to presenting the case to a jury." Police combed areas of the city with drones and helicopters in the weeks after Flores' disappearance. Her family described her as a mother of six who struggled with drug addiction but loved to make others laugh. A witness told police Carter shot Flores, of South Chicago Heights, on Feb. 25, 2019, as Flores and the witness sat in the backseat of Flores' boyfriend's Nissan Altima in Gary, records state. The witness and Flores were using cocaine that night, and Flores repeatedly argued with Carter before the shooting, court records allege. Authorities found the Altima on Chicago's South Side on Feb. 26, 2019, and discovered it had been partially burned and contained suspected blood in the back seat and some of Flores' belongings. The amount of suspected blood in the car indicated Flores likely didn't survive the shooting, but her remains weren't found until April 2020, charging documents state. A Gary city worker discovered a human skull March 28, 2020, in the woods east of a pavilion at Brunswick Park, which is in the 700 to 900 blocks of Clark Road. An additional vertebra was found the following day. The area is a short distance from the 900 block of Morton Street, where the witness last saw Flores' body in the Altima, according to court records. The skull, which had been damaged by a gunshot to the left frontal bone, was confirmed to be Flores through forensic dental comparison and DNA analysis. A deformed bullet core was recovered from the left parietal bone, documents state. After prosecutors dropped their first murder case against Carter, police said Flores was one of seven people including three members of the same family killed between Feb. 20, 2019, and March 11, 2019, whose cases were believed to be connected. The witness in the case against Carter told police about a visit with Flores to the home of George "Stacks" Heath, another one of the seven people whose homicides were believed to be connected, according to court records and police. Heath, 55, of the 3100 block of West 22nd Avenue in Gary, was found shot to death in his home March 11, 2019. No charges have been filed in his homicide. Carter's firearms case stems from his arrest March 14, 2019, by the U.S. Marshals Service on the initial murder charges. Carter, a convicted felon, had two guns in his black Pontiac G6 that day, court records allege. Carter's felon status stems from a conviction in U.S. District Court in February 2000 for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and carrying a firearm in relation to a violent crime. Carter was paroled from the Michigan Department of Corrections in May 2018 for a 2010 conviction in Kalamazoo County for assault with intent to do great bodily harm, court records show. Anyone with additional information is asked to call detectives at the Lake County/Gary Metro Homicide Unit at 219-755-3855. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP. Indiana State Police stock Indiana State Police arrested five teenagers in connection with an auto theft and other crimes, state police announced Wednesday. GARY A group of teenagers led police on a high speed chase down Interstate 80 after they failed to yield to a traffic stop Sunday night, Indiana State Police said Wednesday. A state trooper was patrolling the area near 25th Avenue and Chase Street when he noticed the driver of a white Kia traveling eastbound in the westbound lane. The driver neglected to stop at a stop sign while making a left turn from 23rd Avenue onto Chase Street. When the trooper tried to initiate a traffic stop, the suspects drove off, state police said. The trooper followed the Kia toward I-80 where the vehicle traveled westbound, according to state police. The vehicle began to exit on the Kennedy Avenue southbound ramp and crashed. Five individuals in the vehicle began to flee on foot but were captured by police. A records check indicated the Kia was reported stolen through the Chicago Police Department. Two adults and three juveniles were taken into custody, state police said. Tyrone M. Brandon Jr., 19, of Gary, and Tyrone D. Kirkman Jr., 18, of Chicago, face preliminary felony charges of auto theft and misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement and unauthorized control of a vehicle, according to state police. Brandon faces a potential felony charge of resisting law enforcement, a misdemeanor charge for reckless driving in a work zone and charges for a Lake County warrant against him. Kirkman faces a potential felony charge of resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and misdemeanor charge of false informing. Brandon and Kirkman were taken to the Lake County Jail. The three juveniles were taken to a juvenile detention facility and face multiple potential felony and misdemeanor charges. The final full month of Indiana's U.S. Senate contest is beginning on a melancholy note as both the Republican and Democratic candidates are mourning the deaths of fathers in their lives. U.S. Sen Todd Young, R-Ind., announced Monday the passing of his father Sept. 30 "following recent health challenges." Bruce Young, 77, of Carmel, was an Indianapolis native and Indiana University graduate who was married to his wife, Nancy, for 55 years. He was the father of three children and a grandfather to seven. "He was an incredible Dad who loved his family, modeled hard work, always encouraged me to pursue my dreams, and never lost his amazing sense of humor. I will always be grateful for his impact and example," Young said. In response to the news, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Thomas McDermott Jr., the five-term mayor of Hammond, told Young on Monday that he and his wife, Lake Circuit Judge Marissa McDermott, were "truly sorry for the loss of your father." "Marissa and I extend our condolences to you and your family during these tough times," McDermott said. On Wednesday, McDermott was on the receiving end of condolences from his opponent, and many Northwest Indiana residents, after he announced the death of his stepfather, Bill Simms, "after a long battle with emphysema and cancer." "Bill was the man who helped raise me as a young child growing up in California. I wouldn't be where I am today without Bill's love. He took me in and treated me as his own son when many men in similar situations wouldn't have done so," McDermott said. "Bill was salt of the earth, had numerous friends and a great social life. He was tough as nails, very funny and super sweet. Rest in peace Dad now you can finally go bowling and not be in pain anymore!" he added. Young said immediately after learning of the death of McDermott's stepfather: "Sorry for your loss, mayor. My best to you and your family. And thanks for acknowledging my Dad's recent passing." While Young and McDermott significantly diverge on policy issues, including abortion, labor and the role of the federal government, they are similar in other ways. For example, both men are about the same age McDermott is 53 and Young 50 and both served in the U.S. Navy, with McDermott as an enlisted submariner and Young as a Naval Academy graduate and Marine officer. They're scheduled to meet, along with Libertarian James Sceniak, for the sole U.S. Senate candidates debate at 6 p.m. Region time Oct. 16. The debate will be broadcast live on public television and radio stations across the state and available to view online through the website of the nonpartisan Indiana Debate Commission. Registered Hoosier voters can cast their ballot in this year's elections from Oct. 12 until Nov. 8. Accessories are often the least conspicuous elements in a runway presentation, but they can also offer the clearest distillation of a designers vision. Across the fall 2022 shows, the trends in footwear and jewelry reflected a spirit that was surreal, playful and subversive. Lacquered leather creations dominated and included kitten-heeled pumps in a sleek calfskin at Chanel and sculptural, shiny black clutches from Loewe. The standouts, however, were the undeniably kinky patent leather boots: There were knee-high designs with stiletto heels from Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent and similarly provocative siren red lace-ups from Dries Van Noten. For those who prefer a slightly less showy shoe that still has a high-gloss sheen, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the pair behind the New York-based brand Proenza Schouler, created a fitted glove boot with a block heel in fire engine red. Amazon on Tuesday suspended more than two dozen employees at a large warehouse on Staten Island who had refused to work their shift the previous evening, hours after a cardboard compactor at the site had caught fire. The paid suspensions will last while an investigation takes place, according to a company email to the employees that was shared by the Amazon Labor Union, which won a vote to represent workers at the warehouse in April. Dozens of employees had gathered in a break room Monday night, raising concerns about fire safety and refusing to work. Some worried that the air at the warehouse might not be safe to breathe because of smoke or fumes from the fire. The company confirmed the suspensions, saying that it respected employees rights to protest working conditions but that occupying work spaces was inappropriate. Now my parents are suggesting that I help with some of their expenses. But they would not need assistance if they were not dedicating a significant portion of their income to my sisters support. How do I determine what my obligations here are? I have adolescent children to whom I also have obligations, like paying for college. Name Withheld You clearly think that your parents have been enabling your sisters dysfunction. She would have been better off, you believe, if she had to take on more responsibility for herself. And its true that we can disrespect people by treating them as if they were incapable of doing what they really could do. Thats an especially strong temptation for parents of ill children, who often struggle with feelings of guilt. Still, youre taking a position about what the facts are. And wishful thinking believing what wed like to be true is a perennial human weakness. So suppose, for a moment, that your sister were truly incapable of looking after herself. Perhaps youve resisted the truth because accepting it would entail a serious imposition on you. Perhaps your perspective has even been distorted by resentment at watching your parents give your sister greater support and attention than theyve given you. We owe more to our siblings, even alienated ones, than we do to strangers. I have no strong reason to believe that this scenario is true. Im asking you to entertain it simply because youll need to have a clear picture of the situation before proceeding, and its responsible, in such cases, to consider the possibility that youre mistaken. Talking through your concerns with everyone involved might be part of making sure you arent. You have a better chance of using your combined resources financial and otherwise to best effect if you can come together on a plan of action. If youre confident in your appraisal of the situation, you should push your parents (and your sister) to see that, whatever has happened in the past, it is not too late to ask your sister to assume more responsibility. You can also remind your parents that you have commitments to your own children and your own life, and that you dont want to help sustain practices you judge to be mistaken. Your sister, in turn, should confront the fact that your parents have limited resources that must last their lifetimes and that they can no longer afford to prop her up as they once did. Given that shes accustomed to expansive parental largess, of course, a period of adjustment should be allowed for. And there are organizations, like the National Alliance on Mental Illness, that aid people with mental illnesses in finding support groups and other resources; you can help her look into them. My sister, who is in her 70s, lives across the country. We have been estranged for many years. That was her choice, but its OK with me, because she has an extremely difficult personality and is filled with irrational resentments. I heard that she is in a bad way broke and perhaps experiencing dementia. I am her only family, and Im grappling with how much I should do for her. She lives in a remote area and needs pretty much everything: an evaluation of her mental and physical health; a new place to live; someone to clear out her house and sell it; and, perhaps, protection from those who might try to exploit her. Should this fall to me? Name Withheld The afternoon gathering, attended by some 50 people, featured readings about the couples history and performances by the West Village String Quartet and the vocalist C. Anthony Bryant. Ms. Turner, 72, billed it as a wedding reception and organized it to highlight Ms. Murrays pivotal but often behind-the-scenes role in her husbands public life. Anna Murray Douglass is a figure that gets lost in the sauce, said Ms. Turner, who lives in Harlem. There is little mention of Ms. Murray in her husbands writing, and though Mr. Douglass was the most photographed man of the 19th century, there are no pictures of the couple together despite their 44 years of marriage. Ms. Turner was inspired to stage the wedding reception after reading Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography by David Blight, and Mr. Douglasss autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. The descriptions of Lower Manhattan in the 1830s in both books spurred her to visit the site of the couples wedding on Lispenard Street, she said. While doing so last summer, she got the idea for the event. Ms. Murray and Mr. Douglass were born in Maryland. A free woman, she was working as a housekeeper and laundress when they met in Baltimore, and she later financed his escape to New York with money she had saved from working and from selling one of two feather beds she had owned, which were a luxury good at the time. Mr. Gascons office said its investigators had found data stored in China. Holding the data there would violate Konnechs contract with the county. The county released few other details about its investigation. But it said in its statement that the charges related only to data about poll workers and that the alleged conduct had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results. Data breaches are an ongoing threat to our digital way of life, the district attorneys office said in the statement. When we entrust a company to hold our confidential data, they must be willing and able to protect our personal identifying information from theft. Otherwise, we are all victims. In a statement, a spokesman for Konnech said that the company was trying to learn the details of what we believe to be Mr. Yus wrongful detention, and that it stood by statements it made in a lawsuit against election deniers who had accused the company of wrongdoing. Any L.A. County poll worker data that Konnech may have possessed was provided to it by L.A. County and therefore could not have been stolen as suggested, the spokesman said. His organization, the Renew Democracy Initiative, has already distributed about $4 million in humanitarian aid in Ukraine, and is in the early stages of a multimillion-dollar communications campaign to buck up support for the war in the United States and Europe. Western leaders should push to end the conflict as soon as possible, Kasparov argues, by giving Ukraine the heavy weapons its leaders say they need. Were fighting the devil right now, said Hennadii Nadolenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs who has worked with Kasparovs group to brief Americans on the war. Without U.S. help, we couldnt survive. Last year, Renew Democracy teamed up with CNN on Voices of Freedom, an editorial series that involved dissidents from around the world telling their stories. The group also organized an open letter, signed by 52 dissidents from 28 countries, warning that to win the global fight against authoritarianism, America must once again believe in and live up to its own values. A green-card holder with a Croatian passport, Kasparov said that he and other dissidents had an objective vantage point on U.S. democracy that gave them the credibility to speak difficult truths. When we talked, Kasparov was feuding online with Elon Musk, the Tesla founder. On Monday, Musk floated a 280-character proposal to end the war in Ukraine that, to Kasparov, seemed too friendly to the Kremlin. He called Musks proposal moral idiocy. The exchange was typical of two Kasparov traits: A combative polemical style and a conviction in the righteousness of his own beliefs. His frank criticism of six U.S. presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump included, has at times alienated one side or another. But that, he said, had only reinforced his concerns about political polarization. Kasparovs response to Americans of all stripes is that although their democracy may be teetering, its still a beacon of hope to millions around the world. And as the war in Ukraine shows, maintaining it requires constant vigilance. Republicans struggles to find an effective abortion message this campaign season manifested themselves on Tuesday on a debate stage in the Maine governors race, as former Gov. Paul LePage repeatedly stumbled over a question about how he would handle the issue if voters returned him to office. The issue has been an advantage for Democrats, whose base has been energized after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade while Republicans face a dilemma over how to reassure swing voters without alienating their conservative base. Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat seeking a second four-year term, seemed to sense her opportunity while seated a few feet from Mr. LePage, a Republican who left office in 2019 because of Maines prohibition on serving a third consecutive term. Asked whether she would remove state restrictions on abortion, Ms. Mills said she supported the current law. Maine permits abortions until viability, generally until 24 to 28 weeks, when a fetus could survive outside a mothers uterus. My veto power, Ms. Mills said, will stand in the way of efforts to roll back, undermine or outright eliminate the right to safe and legal abortion in Maine. The suit was filed as an emergency request known as a writ and aims to stop the county from adopting the measures, said Athar Haseebullah, the A.C.L.U.s executive director in the state. Theyre treating our democracy as if its a game, Mr. Haseebullah said. It should be deeply offensive to everybody who cares about the process of election integrity. Mark Kampf, the Nye County clerk who was appointed to the post in August after the retirement of Sandra Merlino, who had warned against the changes, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The hand-counting process would be done in public; a presentation at a Sept. 20 county commissioners meeting indicated it would be streamed live and that citizens become poll watchers at home. Mr. Haseebullah said that could have a chilling effect on voter turnout and potentially violate a state law that asserts that no voting results of mail ballots may be released until all polling places are closed and all votes have been cast on the day of the election. For most of its existence, Malpaso Dance Company, founded in Cuba 10 years ago, has had a secure home away from home at the Joyce Theater in Chelsea, where it last performed in 2019. But returning to the Joyce for its season this week was a struggle. Traveling here from Cuba became more difficult in 2017, when the United States closed its embassy in Havana. Malpaso dancers seeking visas have had to travel to embassies in other countries Mexico, Canada, Dominican Republic and wait there for approval. And that was before the pandemic. Malpaso was scheduled to return to New York in January 2022. But the United States would not admit the troupe the Cuban vaccines the company had received werent on the approved list. So the Joyce sent the dancers to the only country that would admit them Serbia, where they rehearsed, performed and were jabbed with Pfizer vaccines. (Malpaso is an associate company of Joyce Theater Productions, receiving fiscal and administrative support.) But then Omicron arrived and the January shows were postponed to October. In September, waiting for visas in Dominican Republic, 11 Malpaso members got stuck in the bureaucratic limbo called administrative processing. When the visas were finally approved, their flight to Miami was canceled because of Hurricane Ian. Newly purchased direct flights finally brought them to New York. In this nine-episode limited series, which streams on Peacock, Lacy plays Robert Berchtold, an Idaho husband and father who in the mid-1970s twice abducted Jan Broberg, the eldest daughter of a family that he had known for years. (This case was previously explored in the Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight.) As the show tells it, and as Broberg confirmed in a recent interview, Berchtold, or B as those close to him knew him, used his smile, his jokes, his great charisma to insinuate himself with the Brobergs. The two families were so enmeshed that when Jan was first taken, her parents delayed contacting the FBI. (Following the first abduction, Berchtold was convicted of kidnapping. Sentenced to five years, he served just 45 days. After the second, he avoided prison entirely, serving five months in a psychiatric facility instead. In 2005, having been found guilty of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm for a later offense, he committed suicide.) Most of the episodes of A Friend of the Family had been written before casting began. Finding the right Berchtold was particularly daunting, because the actor needed to project an uncanny charm. He had to have a natural charisma that would come through the screen and drop into the living room of whoever was watching the show, said Broberg, who is a producer on the series. Because charisma, she continued, was Bs superpower. And yet, that same actor would also have to travel to some very dark places. Nick Antosca (The Act, Candy), the showrunner on A Friend of the Family, had been impressed by Lacys turn on The White Lotus and the sympathy that he brought to such an unpleasant character. An audience isnt meant to sympathize with B, Antosca clarified. But you have to understand how that family fell in love with him, he said. B doesnt think of himself as a monster, though inarguably he is one. Antosca suspected Lacy would be able to play both aspects at once. For years, Eric Wynn was the only Black drag queen at Club 219 in Milwaukee. He performed as Erica Stevens, singing Whitney Houston, Grace Jones and Tina Turner for adoring fans, eventually earning the title of Miss Gay Wisconsin in 1986 and 1987. I had this group of Black kids who came in because they were represented, Wynn, now 58, said of his time at the club in the late 1980s and early 90s. I saw them and let them know I saw them, because they finally had representation onstage. Among them were Eddie Smith, who was known as the Sheikh because he often wore a head scarf, and Anthony Hughes, who was deaf. Hughes was my absolute favorite fan and blushed when Wynn winked at him from stage. In return, Hughes taught him the ABCs of sign language. Image Eric Wynn performing as Grace Jones at Club 219. Credit... Eric Wynn He would sit there laughing at me when I was trying to learn sign language with my big, old fake nails on, Wynn recalled, laughing. This is completely not what the White House wants, and it is exactly what Russia wants, said Bill Farren-Price, a director of macro oil and gas analysis at Enverus, a research firm. The move also puts Saudi Arabia on a diplomatic collision course with the United States, he said. The production cuts could complicate plans by the E.U. to impose a price cap on Russian oil. But Saudi Arabia and Russias pricing power may also be weakened by falling demand in China, where the economy is slowing, and by increased production from non-OPEC nations. In other economic news, the strength of the U.S. dollar is wreaking havoc on the markets of developing countries, including Ghana and Pakistan. This article is part of our series on the Future of Transportation, exploring innovations and challenges that affect how we move about the world. Communication is key to any good relationship. But when it comes to vehicles and their owners, silence largely prevails. Except for a few vague warning lights on the dashboard and side mirrors and a few sensor-based sounds in some recent models and, of course, car horns drivers know nothing about what the vehicles and pedestrians around them are about to do. A dangerous obstruction in the roadway, two cars about to move into the same lane, or a bicycle coming out of a blind alley up ahead are a few potential surprises, with the driver finding out about them often too late sometimes with deadly results. Yet by later this decade much of such surprises is expected to change. Manufacturers are developing systems generically known as C-V2X shorthand for cellular vehicle-to-everything technology for vehicles to communicate with each other and pedestrians, cyclists, construction workers (via wearable sensors or smartphones) and road infrastructure elements, like traffic lights. The law firms representing Musk and Twitter on deal work and litigation stand to earn hundreds of millions for their months of labor, according to estimates from competitors and colleagues familiar with the matter. The firms declined to comment. The deal was always likely to be a lawyers dream, fee-wise. While Musks bid came together relatively quickly this spring, the talks rapidly became mired in lengthy legal wrangling, leading to many billable hours. There is a lot of discovery to do, Peter Glennon, a legal expert, told The American Lawyer in August. We arent just looking at emails. We are looking at Slacks, Teams, texts, all of it. (John Coffee, a Columbia law professor, previously estimated that legal fees could have run to $1 billion.) The key players: Musk is represented by Skadden on the deal side and by Skadden and Quinn Emanuel in litigation. Top partners at the firms bill about $2,000 an hour. Lawyers estimated to DealBook that the firms could be charging about $30,000 to $40,000 an hour, or $5 million to $8 million a month. That means Musk could have paid about $50 million, plus perhaps another $50 million in the run-up to litigation. Twitter relied on Wilson Sonsini and Simpson Thacher, where top partners also most likely bill about $2,000 an hour, for deal work. And for litigation its primarily relying on Wachtell, the blue-chip firm known in legal circles for its bespoke (and opaque) pricing, including hourly billing, flat fees and contingency deals. Depending on its arrangements, Wachtell could bring in $100 million to $200 million, lawyers estimate. Between those firms alone, the Twitter case has probably already generated about $150 million to $300 million in fees. But then add in all of the other lawyers involved in litigation, depositions, the deal and more. And that figure could grow if this actually goes to trial, or otherwise goes awry. Ray Dalio bids goodbye Ray Dalio, the outspoken and oddly earnest hedge fund manager whose profile rose after he predicted the 2008 financial crisis, is relinquishing control of Bridgewater Associates, the firm he founded out of his two-bedroom apartment in 1975. In a long planned transition, the co-C.E.O.s, Nir Bar Dea and Mark Bertolini, will run Bridgewater, now the worlds largest hedge fund, with $150 billion in managed assets. Dalio ushered in the era of enormous hedge funds. By the time Bridgewater started its signature Pure Alpha fund in 1991, most rivals were relatively small, focused on the stock market and managing the money of the ultrarich. Dalio, whose expertise was in currency trading, sought business from pension funds, which had huge piles of money to invest and were looking for exposure outside the stock market. At Bridgewater, Dalio enforced radical transparency, in which employees were encouraged to be brutally honest with one another. To some, Bridgewaters success made Dalio a management guru. His best-selling 2017 book, Principles: Life and Work, lays out the rules for achieving success and radical transparency. Digital World went public in September 2021. In its filings, the SPAC told investors that there had been no substantive deal talks with any potential target. One month later, Digital World announced plans to merge with Trump Media. Within weeks of the announcement, the S.E.C. opened an investigation into the deal, following news reports that the companies had flouted regulations by discussing a merger before Digital World went public. Its generally against the rules for SPACs like Digital World to have a target in mind before going public. Also, right before the merger of Digital World and Trump Media was announced in October 2021, there was an unusual surge in trading in shares of the SPAC. Federal prosecutors began their own inquiry. Now regulators and federal prosecutors in Manhattan are both looking into the trading, as well as the potentially improper communications between the two parties. The proposed merger has since been stuck. The deal is unlikely to go through until the investigations are resolved. Thus, Trump Media cannot access the $300 million that Digital World raised through its public offering. The failure to disclose those preliminary talks in the offering documents gave the S.E.C. a rare, clear-cut case to investigate, said Usha Rodrigues, the interim vice provost for academic affairs at the University of Georgia and a legal expert on SPACs. The investigations havent deterred small investors like Mr. Lewczak from piling into the stock of Digital World. Such investors make up roughly three-quarters of the companys shareholder base, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. Many of them are fans of Mr. Trump and have followed the former president who is banned from Twitter to Truth Social. In the meantime, Trump Media has joined Digital World shareholders in their campaign against the S.E.C. The company is accusing the regulator of playing partisan politics for not signing off on the merger. It has also said it is considering suing the commission to force it to approve the deal. Captain Russo-Elling, who was a lieutenant at the time of her death, was one of the oldest members of the citys E.M.S. ranks. She had earned commendations and medals for service and bravery, including for her response to the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and for the exhausting hours she worked during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020. She helped her city in its darkest days, said the citys acting fire commissioner, Laura Kavanagh, adding that Captain Russo-Elling likely answered over 25,000 emergency calls during her career. When she announced that the late lieutenant would be promoted posthumously, the hall thundered with applause as hundreds of the new captains colleagues stood for a standing ovation. At Station 49 in Astoria, she was the mother hen of the station, said another co-worker, Lt. Nancy Leger, who spoke while standing next to the coffin, which was now draped with a Fire Department flag and surrounded by flowers and Captain Russo-Ellings rescue helmet. She was tiny, but she was strong as nails, Lieutenant Leger said. Representative Ritchie Torres, a Bronx Democrat whose district includes the Twin Parks high rise, called the decline in criminal cases an alarming abdication of fire code enforcement in Americas largest city. The need for rigorous fire code enforcement is no abstraction to me, he said. It is a matter of life and death. Councilwoman Joann Ariola, a Republican who chairs the Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, said she had been aware of the downturn and is looking at several avenues to remedy the situation, attributing the trend in part to a manpower strain at the Fire Department. A spokesman for the department, Frank Dwyer, said that between 2020 and now, inspectors had written more than 700 criminal summonses as the violations are known for serious problems that had not yet been filed in court because of a backlog. The city can only file about 20 cases a month, because the court has not reopened to full capacity, he said. But a spokesman for the court system, Lucian Chalfen, said the city could file more cases if it wanted to, adding that the reduced number was due to an issue with the Law Department, which represents the city in fire code cases. It has nothing to do with us, he said. The Law Department said criminal prosecution is relatively slow because of burdensome discovery requirements. Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesman for the department, said it was working with the Fire Department to tackle the most egregious cases. It is difficult to measure how many cases are now being filed in administrative court that would have been filed in criminal court in the past. Mr. Dwyer declined to provide examples of such cases. Administrative court data shows a modest overall decline in the number of fire code cases since 2020. In November 2021, federal investigators interviewed the manager of a Bayonne, New Jersey, apartment complex, where unit 204 had been rented by a woman whose name appeared on leases all around New York City. As it happened, the woman was coming by to renew, so the investigators watched and waited. But the woman who pulled up in a white Range Rover and signed the lease was not the woman whose name was on it, prosecutors say: In fact, it was Latoya Williams, who was charged in a criminal complaint Wednesday with using stolen identities to rent luxurious hideouts for violent street gangs. Ms. Williams, 35, was arrested Wednesday at her Upper West Side high-rise and charged with aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. Authorities found several hundred thousand dollars hidden in her bed frame, according to the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn. She made her first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon and was released on $250,000 bond. A lawyer for Ms. Williams did not respond to a request for comment. After a flurry of publicity and an internal investigation in which Mr. Bolsonaro appeared to threaten the journalist for testifying against him, the incident was largely forgotten. But the macho bluster was typical of Mr. Bolsonaro, a lackluster soldier whose outsize political ambitions often rubbed senior military figures the wrong way. Even so, his military background proved electorally useful. In 1988, after the restoration of Brazilian democracy, he began a political career as a representative of the interests and perspectives of the military Everyman. Over time, his appeals assumed a more general right-wing tenor, embracing the conservative thrust if not the theology of evangelical Christianity. Mr. Bolsonaros politics a medley of bigotry, authoritarianism, religious moralism, neoliberalism and freewheeling conspiracy theorization were largely sidelined in the wake of military rule. But 13 years of progressive Workers Party governments gave rise to discontent on the right. To figures there, the lefts repeated electoral victories smacked of foul play and discredited the very notion of democracy itself. At the head of this charge, possessed of inimitable ideological bombast, was Mr. Bolsonaro. In Latin Americas biggest democracy, he now speaks for tens of millions. Sunday underscored this sorry state of affairs. Mr. Bolsonaros endorsed candidates overperformed everywhere, claiming major victories against candidates backed by Mr. da Silva in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Indeed, the first round of voting suggests not only that the political project that prevailed in 2018 in a word, Bolsonarismo is alive and well but also that it has room to grow. Considering Mr. Bolsonaros disastrous handling of Covid-19, his consistent threats to Brazilian democracy and the rash of corruption scandals surrounding him and his family, this is a grim prospect. Yet not an inexplicable one. Though theres a lot we dont know the census, delayed by the pandemic and institutional sabotage, is over a decade old some things are clear. While Mr. Bolsonaro retained his overwhelming advantage in the western and northwestern parts of the country, the most striking aspect of the election was how cleanly it fell along established lines of regional support. In the southeast, a traditional bastion of conservative politics, Mr. Bolsonaro prospered. In the northeast, a redoubt for the Workers Party, Mr. da Silva excelled. Mr. Bolsonaros success has been to retain and extend the traditional conservative base of support, enthusing it with his bitter denunciations of progressives, the justice system, journalists and international institutions. Yet for all of Mr. Bolsonaros show of strength, the most likely outcome remains a victory for Mr. da Silva. After all, no runner-up in the first round of voting has ever won the second. The candidates who finished third and fourth the center-right Simone Tebet and the center-left Ciro Gomes will probably support Mr. da Silva, too. The former presidents relish for campaigning, evident in an upbeat message he wrote on Twitter once the results were clear, is another advantage. Four weeks in campaign mode should suit him well. I wasnt surprised in the least by an allegation this week that Herschel Walker, who has advocated a no-exceptions ban on abortions, once paid for a girlfriend to have one. Walker has adamantly denied the claim, which appeared in an article in The Daily Beast, and The Times hasnt confirmed it. But if true, its hardly the first example of Republican hypocrisy along these lines. And his background has been an inexhaustible mine for opposition research. Theres dirt everywhere you dig. What did throw me was what some Republicans said publicly to defend Walker and to assure others in the party that all of this was inconsequential to his effort to defeat Senator Raphael Warnock, an incumbent Democrat, in the midterm election in Georgia next month. They took a jaunty trip down memory lane to October 2016, Donald Trumps first presidential campaign and the surfacing of the Access Hollywood tape. According to an article by Shane Goldmacher, Maya King and Lisa Lerer in The Times, the conservative Christian leader Ralph Reed compared the timing of The Daily Beast article to that of the Access Hollywood recording that threatened Mr. Trumps bid in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign. Weve seen this movie before, Mr. Reed said. Theyre trying to take down a good man. Case and Deaton contend that the ballots cast for Donald Trump by members of the white working class are surely not for a president who will dismantle safety nets but against a Democratic Party that represents an alliance between minorities whom working-class whites see as displacing them and challenging their once solid if unperceived privilege and an educated elite that has benefited from globalization and from a soaring stock market, which was fueled by the rising profitability of those same firms that were increasingly denying jobs to the working class. Carol Graham, a senior fellow at Brookings, described the erosion of economic and social status for whites without college degrees in a 2021 paper: From 2005 to 2019, an average of 70,000 Americans died annually from deaths of despair (suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning). These deaths are concentrated among less than college educated middle-aged whites, with those out of the labor force disproportionately represented. Low-income minorities are significantly more optimistic than whites and much less likely to die of these deaths. This despair reflects the decline of the white working class. Counties with more respondents reporting lost hope in the years before 2016 were more likely to vote for Trump. Lack of hope, in Grahams view, is a central issue. The American dream is in tatters and, ironically, it is worse for whites. Americas high levels of reported pain, she writes, are largely driven by middle-aged whites. As there is no objective reason that whites should have more pain than minorities, who typically have significantly worse working conditions and access to health care, this suggests psychological pain as well as physical pain. There are, Graham argues, long-term reasons for this. As blue-collar jobs began to decline from the late 1970s on, those displaced workers and their communities lost their purpose and identity and lack a narrative for going forward. For decades whites had privileged access to these jobs and the stable communities that came with them. Primarily white manufacturing and mining communities in the suburbs and rural areas and often in the heartland have the highest rates of despair and deaths. In contrast, more diverse urban communities have higher levels of optimism, better health indicators, and significantly lower rates of these deaths. In contrast to non-college whites, Graham continued, minorities, who had unequal access to those jobs and worse objective conditions to begin with, developed coping skills and supportive community ties in the absence of coherent public safety nets. Belief in education and strong communities have served them well in overcoming much adversity. African Americans remain more likely to believe in the value of a college education than are low-income whites. Minority communities based in part on having empathy for those who fall behind, meanwhile, have emerged from battling persistent discrimination. Over the past three years, however, there has been a sharp increase in drug overdose deaths among Black men, Graham noted in an email: The new Black despair is less understood and perhaps more complex. A big factor is simply Fentanyl for urban Black men. Plain and simple. But other candidates are Covid and the hit the African American communities took; Trump and the increase of acceptance for blatant and open racism; and, for some, George Floyd and continued police violence against blacks. There is also a phenomenon among urban Black males that has to do with longer term despair: nothing to lose, weak problem-solving skills, drug gangs and more. The role of race and gender in deaths of despair, especially drug-related deaths, is complex. Case wrote in an email: Women have always been less likely to kill themselves with drugs or alcohol, or by suicide. However, from the mid-1990s into the 20-teens, for whites without a four-year college degree, death rates from all three causes rose in parallel between men and women. So the level has always been higher for men, but the trend (and so the increase) was very similar between less-educated white men and women. For Blacks and Hispanics the story is different. Deaths of Despair were falling for less educated Black and Hispanic men from the early 1990s to the 20-teens and were constant over that period (at a much lower rate) for Black and Hispanic women without a B.A. After the arrival of Fentanyl as a street drug in 2013, rates started rising for both Black and Hispanic men and women without a B.A., but at a much faster rate for men. In their October 2014 study, Economic Strain and Childrens Behavior, Lindsey Jeanne Leininger, a professor at Dartmouths Tuck School of Business, and Ariel Kalil, a professor of public policy at the University of Chicago, found a striking difference in the pattern of behavioral problems among white and Black children from demographically similar families experiencing the financial strains of the 2008 Great Recession: Specifically, we found that economic strain exhibited a statistically significant and qualitatively large association with White childrens internalizing behavior problems and that this relationship was not due to potentially correlated influences of objective measures of adverse economic conditions or to mediating influences of psychosocial context. Furthermore, our data provide evidence that the relationship between economic strain and internalizing problems is meaningfully different across White and Black children. In marked contrast to the White sample, the regression-adjusted relationship between economic strain and internalizing behaviors among the Black sample was of small magnitude and was statistically insignificant. Kalil elaborated on this finding in an email: The processes through which white and Black individuals experience stress from macroeconomic shocks are different, she wrote, adding that the white population, which is more resourced and less accustomed to being financially worried, is feeling threatened by economic shocks in a way that is not very much reflective of their actual economic circumstances. In our study, among Black parents, what we are seeing is basically that perceptions of economic strain are strongly correlated with actual income-to-needs. This phenomenon has been in evidence for some time. A 2010 Pew Research Center study that examined the effects of the Great Recession on Black and white Americans reported that Black Americans consistently suffered more in terms of unemployment, work cutbacks and other measures, but remained far more optimistic about the future than whites. Twice as many Black as white Americans were forced during the 2008 recession to work fewer hours, to take unpaid leave or switch to part-time, and Black unemployment rose from 8.9 to 15.5 percent from April 2007 to April 2009, compared with an increase from 3.7 to 8 percent for whites. Despite experiencing more hardship, 81 percent of Black Americans agreed with the statement America will always continue to be prosperous and make economic progress, compared with 59 percent of whites; 45 percent of Black Americans said the country was still in recession compared with 57 percent of whites. Pew found that 81 percent of the Black Americans it surveyed responded yes when asked Is America still a land of prosperity? compared with 59 percent of whites. Asked will your childrens future standard of living be better or worse than yours? 69 percent of Black Americans said better, and 17 percent said worse, while 38 percent of whites said better and 29 percent said worse. Joness teaching struggles are common when generations collide in the classroom. But it isnt just about generational differences. It is about a course like organic chemistry, which is, in part, designed to filter out students unsuited to rigorous pre-med curriculums. At an expensive private university, however, students do not expect to fail out. The estimated total cost of attendance for an on- or off-campus student attending N.Y.U. over the 2022-23 school year is $83,250. Administrators at such tuition-dependent universities have a lot of incentives to make sure that their students do not fail out. That isnt about snowflakes but about the economics of modern higher education. Any battle in the culture war is always about the culture of economics. In the final analysis, this is not a great example of academic standards adrift. Organic chemistry has always been challenging. Many majors have similar courses, courses that have to be taught at scale, which means bringing in a lot of contingent labor to meet demand. Anxieties around such funnel classes in which failing means starting over or changing majors are as old as these kinds of courses themselves. This is not an invention of the student consumer model. The tell is that the students who petitioned against Jones were surprised that he was fired; thats not what the petition asked for. This does not exactly smack of the inmates running the asylum. Its more likely a case of the administration treating Jones the way it has undoubtedly treated other contingent faculty members over the years. This episode is a bureaucratic resolution to a worker widget that created one too many bureaucratic problems. The labor issue is by far the bigger social problem. Also on my mind: The music legend Loretta Lynn died this week at 90 years old. I love songwriting and roots music. I also love, in no particular order, a feminist icon who sticks it to the man, extravagant costumes and classic biopics. Ms. Loretta Lynn gave us all of that in her career. Marissa Moss is one of my favorite chroniclers of culture, gender and country music. Her new book, Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be, is a good read. Her reflection on what Lynn meant is moving. As a fan, I will miss her. I am also a Black fan of roots music and a scientist of social life. I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge Lynns politics at the end of her public life: The country girl born in Butcher Holler, Ky., embraced Donald Trump. People are complicated. In the final analysis, she gave the world more than she took. I learned about the Try Guys this week, thanks to a scandal about workplace improprieties. The BuzzFeed-turned-independent-internet stars were apparently a huge business. Their fans are devastated to learn that Ned Fulmer was ousted for having an inappropriate workplace relationship with an employee. Criticism abounds about him being a prominent wife guy that is, a married heterosexual man in popular culture who makes loving his wife a central part of his brand likability. The comedian John Mulaney is another recent example of the disgraced celebrity wife guy. The Try Guy microcelebrity is another example of how popular a brand can be without bubbling up to the general culture. A lot of people learned of these guys only through the scandal last week. A Google search shows that I was not the only one trying to figure out who these guys are. In more serious news, the Biden administration tried to quietly announce that millions of student loan borrowers have been excluded from debt cancellation. After first being included, student loans serviced by private banks were deemed ineligible. Insiders tell me it is a defensive strategy, as conservatives look hard for a plaintiff to sue the administration for its debt cancellation. Those holding such loans were not given notice. They could not reconsolidate with a public lender in time. And the whole affair undercuts the messaging going into election season. Timing has not been this administrations strong suit. Lately these kinds of questions have surfaced in a new way in the controversies over transgenderism, and especially over the practice of medically suspending a different biological transformation: not pregnancy but puberty itself. On that question, feminism seems more doubtful and divided than about abortion. But there are currents linking the two debates, and where there are reasonable feminist doubts about adolescent transgender interventions, there might also be reasonable doubts that a right to abortion is the essential solution to the physical and psychological burdens of unintended pregnancy as opposed to a right to receive care and support, with an ultimate goal of reconciliation. The Burden and the Gift From the perspective of Shanes essay, of course, the idea that a woman might be reconciled to the burdens of an unsought pregnancy is just the same oppression with a velvet glove. But in actual experience such reconciliation happens all the time which raises the second issue with the depiction that Shane and others offer of the pregnant womans predicament. Their argument deliberately isolates the traumatic aspects of childbearing, the better to cast them as a disease or a form of trauma, from the radical gift that pregnancy provides. This gift is not just a human life in isolation but the most intimate form of human relationship. One thats unchosen in cases of unintended pregnancy but no more unchosen than other primal relationships that help define a human life. One that is sought desperately in many contexts, as no disease or trauma ever would be. And one that even in those situations where pregnancy is greeted fearfully might be welcomed and desired with adequate reassurance, protection and support. The first shocks of puberty are not the end of the adult female story, the placentas impositions are not the end of my wifes book, and the full reality of pregnancy is not distilled by its traumatic elements. For evidence of this reality, its worth taking up a work thats often cited in pro-choice argument, a research project and 2020 book called The Turnaway Study, which tried to compare the life experiences of women who wanted an abortion but were denied one, because of legal cutoff dates, with those of women who obtained one. The findings that the pro-choice side highlights include a relative absence of regret among women who had abortions, on the one hand, and the physical burdens and socioeconomic challenges borne by women who carried their pregnancies to term, on the other. On the first point, a frequent pro-life rejoinder is that there was considerable attrition in the study and that women who regretted their abortions may have been more likely to drop out. On the second point, the studys finding seems undeniable: For individual women, bearing and rearing children creates real physical risks and imposes real financial costs. (How much legal abortion reduces such risks in the aggregate, across society as a whole, is a question the last column in this series will take up.) But the other notable finding from the project is the absence of long-term psychological trauma among most of the women who were denied an abortion. As the author, Diana Greene Foster, writes, there is initial distress when the abortion cant be obtained, but not thereafter: Once the pregnancy was announced, the baby born, and the unknown fears and expectations realized or overcome, the trajectory of mental health symptoms seems to return to what it would have been if the woman had received an abortion. I admit I was surprised about this finding. I expected that raising a child one wasnt planning to have might be associated with depression or anxiety. But this is not what we found over the long run. Carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term was not associated with mental health harm. The absence of such distress doesnt prove anything about the rights or wrongs of abortion itself. But it undermines the claim that the harms from undesired pregnancy are so absolute as to simply settle the abortion debate. If enduring an unwanted pregnancy were a form of state-imposed brutality so severe that it automatically legitimated abortion no matter what the moral status of the fetus, you would expect that extremity to have far more significant psychological effects. And the absence of those effects, even to the surprise of the studys firmly pro-choice author, suggests that the gifts of pregnancy have their place in any analysis of whats being asked of women confronted with its burdens. As does the equally notable way that womens preferences shift as they pass through the experience: One week after the abortion denial, 65 percent of the women still wished that they could have had the abortion; after the childs birth, it was 12 percent; five years later, it was 4 percent. While the U.S. intelligence community has chalked up some impressive successes in Ukraine, most notably its accurate prediction of Russias invasion, which occurred on Feb. 24, the 1962 crisis should serve as a reminder of the limits of intelligence gathering. Kennedy was belatedly informed about the deployment of medium-range Soviet missiles to Cuba, but was left in the dark about other equally important matters. He was unaware, for example, of the presence of nearly 100 Soviet tactical nuclear missiles in Cuba targeted on the Guantanamo naval base and a potential American invading force. The C.I.A. underestimated Soviet troop strength on the island and was unable to track the movement of any of the nuclear warheads. What both Kennedy and Khrushchev did possess was an intuitive understanding of the peril confronting not just their own countries but the entire world if the crisis was allowed to escalate. That is why they maintained a back channel to communicate with each other privately (through the presidents brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and the Soviet ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Dobrynin) even as they denounced each other publicly. It is also why they acted swiftly to reach a compromise deal (kept secret for decades) that involved the dismantling of U.S. medium-range missiles in Turkey in exchange for a Soviet nuclear withdrawal from Cuba. Like Kennedy, Khrushchev had experienced the horror of World War II. He knew that nuclear war would be many times more destructive. Kremlin archives show that for all his bloodcurdling rhetoric, Khrushchev was determined to find a peaceful solution as soon as it became clear that his nuclear gamble had failed. Mr. Putin, by contrast, has chosen to raise the stakes at every critical point. Escalation has become his preferred tactic. All this is taking place against the background of a communications revolution that has sped up the pace of warfare and diplomacy, resolving some of the technological challenges faced by Kennedy and Khrushchev but creating new ones in their place. It no longer takes 12 hours to transmit a coded telegram from Washington to Moscow. These days, news travels from the battlefield almost instantaneously, putting pressure on political leaders to make hasty decisions. A U.S. president no longer has the luxury that Kennedy enjoyed in October 1962 of taking six days to consider his response to the discovery of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba. We have not begun to approach the nuclear alert levels that characterized the Cuban missile crisis. While Mr. Putin has talked about putting his nuclear forces on heightened alert, there appears to be no confirmation of unusual movements in that direction. The most dangerous phase of the Cuban missile crisis lasted just 13 days; we are already in the eighth month of the war in Ukraine, with no end in sight. The longer it drags on, the greater the threat of some terrible miscalculation. About Serial' Season One: A high-school senior named Hae Min Lee disappeared one day after school in 1999, in Baltimore County, Maryland. A month later, her body was found in a city park. Shed been strangled. Her 17-year-old ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was charged with murder, and within a year, he was sentenced to life in prison. The case against him was largely based on the story of one witness, Adnans friend Jay, who testified that he helped Adnan bury Haes body. But Adnan has always maintained he had nothing to do with Haes death. Some people believe hes telling the truth. Many others dont. Sarah Koenig sorted through thousands of documents, listened to trial testimony and police interrogations, and talked to everyone she could find who remembered what happened between Adnan Syed and Hae Min Lee. She discovered that the trial covered up a far more complicated story than the jury or the public ever got to hear. The high-school scene, the shifting statements to the police, the prejudices, the sketchy alibis, the scant forensic evidence all of it leads back to the most basic questions: How can you know a persons character? How can you tell what theyre capable of? In Season One of Serial, she looks for answers. What may have been the most pivotal application of click chemistry began to take shape before the term was even coined. In the 1990s, Dr. Bertozzi was studying glycans, carbohydrates that sit on the surfaces of proteins and cells, the functions of which were not wholly understood. While much attention was being paid to genomes and proteins, glycans were relatively overlooked, in part because they were really difficult to track inside living organisms. Dr. Bertozzi began looking for ways to attach fluorescent molecules to glycans so she could map them as they moved. But the molecules used to track the glycans couldnt interfere with the rest of the cells functioning. So the method had to be, as Dr. Bertozzi put it, bio-orthogonal. It had to stay out of the cells way. Around the same time that click chemistry emerged, Dr. Bertozzi was able to develop bio-orthogonal tracking methods, and she realized that she could apply the new paradigm to her work, attaching fluorescent alkynes to glycans to be tracked. The reaction, as it stood after Dr. Sharplesss and Dr. Meldals contributions, required a copper catalyst, which would be toxic to living organisms. But Dr. Bertozzi came up with a different way of getting the two molecules to click together, modifying the alkynes structure to fill the catalysts role. This was a known concept, said Laura Kiessling, a chemist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about Dr. Bertozzis insight. What she did was recognize and apply that concept to a reaction that we could use in biological systems. Like many scientists, Dr. Kiessling, a friend and colleague of Dr. Bertozzis, uses bio-orthogonal click chemistry to map the internal structures of organisms, and the movements of their cells. For instance Dr. Kiessling does research on tuberculosis, and said that, with the method, she was able to visualize classes of carbohydrates that we couldnt see before. Other applications include tracking tumors, sequencing DNA and studying viruses. Dr. Kiessling added, We use this chemistry all the time as do others. This has really opened up an immense amount of new space for scientists to study how different living processes work and to watch those processes in action, even in real time, said Dr. Lorsch, whose organization has funded both Dr. Bertozzis and Dr. Sharplesss research. During the award announcement, Dr. Bertozzi, who joined remotely, acknowledged the potential of her and her fellow laureates work. The field of click chemistry is still in its early phases, she said, adding that there were many new reactions to be discovered and invented, as well as new ways to integrate the science in industries like biotechnology. One such application is in drug delivery, which involves doing chemistry inside living patients to make sure drugs go to the right place and not to the wrong place. Few creatures were built to soar like pterosaurs. Tens of millions of years before the earliest birds, these Mesozoic reptiles had pioneered flight with sail-shaped wings and lightweight bones. Eventually pterosaurs the size of small planes would take to the sky, pushing the boundaries of animal aviation. But the origins of these reptiles have remained murky because of a lack of fossils from the earliest fliers. The oldest pterosaur we have already had wings and were capable fliers, said Davide Foffa, a paleontologist at Virginia Tech, which makes it difficult to chart their aerial evolution. For decades, paleontologists have postulated that the earliest pterosaurs dwelled in trees and experimented with gliding before flying. But Dr. Foffa and his colleagues may have discovered a more ground-bound origin for these ancient aviators. In a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the researchers reanalyzed a cache of fossils and concluded that the earliest pterosaur relatives were off to a running start long before they took off. The team examined several sandstone blocks that were excavated around the turn of the 20th century from a quarry in northern Scotland. Known as the Elgin reptiles after a nearby Scottish town, these dense hunks of rock entomb the remnants of armor-clad ancestral crocodiles, early dinosaurs and lizards from the late Triassic Period, or 237 million years ago. One of the smallest animals found in these rocks is Scleromochlus, a slender reptile that could fit in the palm of a hand. While the space stations future remains far on the horizon, NASA and Russia have had to address getting crews to and from the outpost in orbit in the present. In the early years of the space station, before the loss of the Columbia shuttle in 2003, the two countries traded seats on the American space shuttles and the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. After the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011, NASA purchased seats from Russia for the transportation of its astronauts to and from orbit. That became unnecessary when SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule became operational in 2020. But NASA wanted to resume trading seats. For the seat exchange program, no money is paid between NASA and Roscosmos. Rather, the arrangement is intended to help ensure smooth operations on the space station, which consists of a Russian-led segment and a NASA-led segment. They provide the propulsion, Bill Nelson, NASAs administrator, said during NASA Television coverage of the launch. We, the U.S., provide the electricity. So for the safety of all the crew, as well as the operation of the station, we need both there now, particularly with regard to safety. The worry is that some kind of emergency a serious health issue with a crew member, for example could lead to an early return to Earth. All of the crew members on the spacecraft would have to return to Earth, too. (Otherwise, there would not be enough seats on the remaining spacecraft.) If all the Russians arrived on the Soyuz, that would leave the Russian segment of the space station with no crew to manage it. Flying integrated crews ensures there are appropriately trained crew members on board the station for essential maintenance and spacewalks, NASA said in a statement in July when Ms. Kikina was announced as a member of the Crew-5 mission. Buckle up. Elon Musk, who for months has been strenuously trying to back out of a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion, now appears ready to buy the company after all. In a surprise letter to Twitter on Monday night, Mr. Musk offered to take Twitter private at his originally proposed price $54.20 per share marking a possible end to one of the most dramatic legal feuds in Silicon Valley history. Its worth noting that the deal could still fall apart Mr. Musk is famously subject to 11th-hour mood shifts but the most likely outcome now is that the worlds richest man will in fact become Twitters new owner, possibly as soon as this week. Much is unknown about what Mr. Musk will do with Twitter if he acquires it. The mercurial billionaire has made only the vaguest of public statements about his plans for the company and its products. But we now know, thanks in part to a bevy of text messages released as part of the protracted legal battle, that it will be nothing like business as usual. And there are at least six predictions I feel confident making, if the deal does in fact close. Joe Sullivan, the former Uber security chief, was found guilty on Wednesday by a jury in federal court on charges that he did not disclose a breach of customer and driver records to government regulators. In 2016, while the Federal Trade Commission was investigating Uber over an earlier breach of its online systems, Mr. Sullivan learned of a new breach that affected the Uber accounts of more than 57 million riders and drivers. The jury found Mr. Sullivan guilty on one count of obstructing the F.T.C.s investigation and one count of misprision, or acting to conceal a felony from authorities. The case believed to be the first time a company executive faced criminal prosecution over a hack could change how security professionals handle data breaches. On a recent afternoon in Minneapolis, Parks settled in behind a folding table to watch a stumble-through of Sally & Tom, which is being developed in association with the Public, where it is expected to be staged next fall. The work, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III, is structured as a play-within-a-play it depicts a contemporary New York theater company in the final days of rehearsing a new play about Jeffersons relationship with Hemings, an enslaved woman. Parks has had a longtime interest in Jefferson and Hemings, and at one point had worked on a television project about the relationship that never got made; the play, she said, is not a straight historical drama, but about how the world is made, and how we live in this country. The protagonist is a playwright who, like Parks, is warm but exacting, and is rewriting and restructuring the show as opening night nears. When I asked Joseph Haj, the Guthries artistic director, how much he thought the play was about Parks, he at first shrugged it off, saying artists are always present in their work. After the run-through, he grabbed me to amend his remarks. I take back everything I said, he said. I see her all over this. Kristen Ariza, who is playing the playwright as well as Hemings (the fictional playwright stars in her own play) said the play is full of humor, until its not. It feels so meta, because were doing the play, within the play, and were doing all these things like within the play, she said. Shes constantly questioning, Does this fit? Is it working? Is it flowing correctly? Shes hearing our voices and adding things and making things work better as we go. A few days later, Parks was in Times Square, watching an invited dress rehearsal for Topdog/Underdog. The set is draped in a floor-to-ceiling gold-dipped American flag, meant, the director, Kenny Leon, told me, to reflect the way commerce infuses the culture. Two actors who have enjoyed success onscreen, Corey Hawkins (In the Heights) and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen, Aquaman), play the storys brothers, mischievously named Lincoln and Booth. They share a shabby apartment; Lincoln, fatefully, works as a Lincoln impersonator at an amusement park where patrons pretend to assassinate him, while Booth makes ends meet by shoplifting. Their relationship to each other, to truth-telling, and to their shared history is at the heart of the story. Lets dissect what happened. On Sept. 15, 2021, the car you were driving was flagged by two different traffic cameras at 2:17 and 2:22 p.m. This much you already know, from the sparse details Europcar originally sent to you. Had this happened in the United States or many other countries, the process would have been straightforward. Police run the license plate, connect it to the rental company, send over the details of your misdeeds (often with a grainy photo of your car, caught in the act). The rental company charges your credit card for the fine, plus an administrative fee and pays the government. Case closed. But things in the European Union are more complicated, thanks in part to a 2018 law called the General Data Protection Regulation. At least as interpreted by French authorities, it prohibits government from sharing data with a third party, in this case, Europcar, about where you were and what you did. The regulatory framework is so strict that you are always on the verge of infringing G.D.P.R., said the Europcar official. Thats why all the company could tell you at first is the time and date of your offenses, although it eventually determined they were speeding infractions of some kind but would not tell me how they got the additional information. As required by law, Europcar turned over your name and San Francisco address to the French Interior Ministry, which should have sent you an avis de contravention the violation notice by mail. But you told me you havent received it, which is not surprising. In reporting on your story, I spoke to several people who received traffic violation notices up to 18 months after renting a car in Europe. That jarred a memory from my own travels, and I unearthed an email I received in July 2018 from Sicily By Car, charging me a 60-euro processing fee for an unspecified traffic fine that I never received. Whether 45 (or 60) euros is an appropriate fee for simply passing along an address is an open question, but Europcar and Sicily by Car both disclose this policy in their terms and conditions, and companies worldwide have similar policies. In fact, as Europcar told you in one exchange, their policy is to refund that fee upon request if the customer does not receive the violation notice in one year. For you, Henry, that year actually expired earlier this month, though the point is moot since you got your bank to reverse the charges. Steingraber was inspired. He works as the executive and artistic director of The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at California State University, Northridge, and he decided to commission music that would alert people to the harms these trees face. The nonstop drumbeat of bad news can feel disempowering and can really lead to a sense of despair, Steingraber told me. People read the news, generally, at home alone, but when you come to a performance, youre with people, and I think our ability to inspire behavior change is unique. Steingraber enlisted three composers Gabriella Smith, Steven Mackey and Billy Childs as well as the violinist Etienne Gara to create a three-part concert, with each chapter dedicated to one of the tree species. (John told me he was floored by Thors reaction to his article: This is one I couldve never predicted, had I ever tried.) Bullet Train to Nowhere : Construction of the California high-speed rail system, Americas most ambitious infrastructure project, Construction of the California high-speed rail system, Americas most ambitious infrastructure project, has become a multi-billion-dollar nightmare A Piece of Black History Destroyed: Lincoln Heights a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California endured for decades. Lincoln Heights a historically Black community in a predominantly white, rural county in Northern California endured for decades. Then came the Mill fire Warehouse Moratorium: As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In Californias Inland Empire, As warehouse construction balloons nationwide, residents in communities both rural and urban have pushed back. In Californias Inland Empire, the anger has turned to widespread action The threats to these trees are dire. Scientists worry that future visitors to Joshua Tree National Park will find no Joshua trees, the way that some fear that Glacier National Park will eventually be devoid of year-round ice. Until a few years ago, about the only thing that killed an old-growth giant sequoia was old age, but not anymore. And the misty coast of Northern California, where redwoods thrive, was long thought to be relatively immune to destructive fires, but that illusion has been shattered, too. These trees cant fight for their own survival, Steingraber said. I view these musical pieces as something of the voice of the trees. You cant think about California without thinking of those trees. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. Like many other conservative residents of storm-battered southwest Florida, Pamela Swartz has long been leery of government spending. But as she stood among the smashed boats, gutted homes and overwhelming loss left by Hurricane Ian, Ms. Swartz said that federal aid could not come soon enough. This is their time to step in, said Ms. Swartz, whose garage in Fort Myers Beach had been flooded by Ians devastating storm surge. She was already frustrated after trying to file a federal storm claim. This is what we pay our taxes for. Hurricane Ian inflicted its worst damage and heaviest casualties across several deeply Republican counties, where Trump flags decorate yards and trucks and many voters express hostility toward President Biden and the federal government in general. On Wednesday, as Mr. Biden toured damaged areas of the coast and met and shook hands with Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 challenger who is usually one of his most strident critics, the two leaders shared bipartisan vows to build and recover. Both men have said they would put aside partisan differences in light of the disaster, which has killed at least 120 people in Florida, according to state and local officials. That is believed to be the most fatalities recorded in the state from a single hurricane since 1935. As the governor swept through a relief station set up at Monroe Canal Marina on Tuesday, residents swarmed to take photos and thank him for his work. To hell with Joe Biden, bellowed one man. Where the hell is he? You can go over it in a helicopter, and you can see damage, but it does not do it justice until you are actually on the ground, Mr. DeSantis said during a solo appearance on Wednesday. Arriving to a news conference later that day after an hourlong helicopter ride in which he surveyed the effects of the storm with the first lady, Jill Biden, Mr. Biden seemed eager to emphasize that he had toured a number of disaster areas as president. (He traveled to Florida two days after visiting storm-battered Puerto Rico.) He also pointed out that he was able to see a large amount of damage, including flooding and leveled homes, from Marine One. Im sure its much worse on the ground, Mr. Biden said. But you can see a whole hell of a lot of the damage from the air. And you can imagine. Even in the midst of natures wreckage, there were more overt signs that the president was visiting unfriendly political territory. Mr. Biden landed in Florida near Fort Myers Beach, a laid-back strip of sand and road that attracts rowdy spring breakers and margarita-toting snowbirds. The town was all but leveled when Hurricane Ian slammed into the coast with wind speeds exceeding 150 miles per hour. How Times reporters cover politics. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause. Learn more about our process. As he traveled to meet Mr. DeSantis in a wharf area near Fort Myers, the president passed people who were taking photos. Others were holding up their middle fingers. Still, Mr. Biden stressed that personal politics would not affect the federal governments response to the storm. Ahead of his visit, the White House announced that it would fulfill a request from the Florida government to extend the period of time the federal government would fully fund debris removal and emergency response efforts. The funding will last for 60 days rather than 30 days, though Mr. Biden said Mr. DeSantis would likely have to request more. Ms. Neumann now works for Moonshot, a private security company that tracks extremism online. Moonshot found a 51 percent increase in civil war references on the most active pages on 4Chan, the fringe online message board, in the week after Mr. Bidens Sept. 1 speech. But talk of political violence is not relegated to anonymous online forums. At a Trump rally in Michigan on Saturday night, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, said that Democrats want Republicans dead, adding that Joe Biden has declared every freedom-loving American an enemy of the state. At a recent fund-raiser, Michael T. Flynn, who briefly served as Mr. Trumps national security adviser, said that governors had the power to declare war and that were probably going to see that. On Monday, federal prosecutors showed a jury in Washington an encrypted message that Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers armed extremist group, had sent his lieutenants two days after the 2020 presidential election: We arent getting through this without a civil war. Experts say the steady patter of bellicose talk has helped normalize the expectation of political violence. In late August, a poll of 1,500 adults by YouGov and The Economist found that 54 percent of respondents who identified as strong Republicans believed a civil war was at least somewhat likely in the next decade. Only about a third of all respondents felt such an event was unlikely. A similar survey conducted by the same groups two years ago found nearly three in five people feeling that a civil war-like fracture in the U.S. was either somewhat or very unlikely. What youre seeing is a narrative that was limited to the fringe going into the mainstream, said Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and founder of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. The institutes researchers tracked tweets mentioning civil war before and after Mr. Trump announced the search on Mar-a-Lago. In the five preceding days, they logged an average of roughly 500 tweets an hour. That jumped to 6,000 in the first hour after Mr. Trump published a post on Truth Social on the afternoon of Aug. 8, saying these are dark times for our Nation. The pace peaked at 15,000 tweets an hour later that evening. A week later, it was still six times higher than the baseline, and the phrase was once again trending on Twitter at months end. WASHINGTON She has called him a moron. He has mused publicly purely in jest, his aides later insisted about wanting to hit her with the oversized wooden gavel used to keep order in the House. The relationship between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the man who is most likely to succeed her should Republicans win control of the House in next months elections is barely civil. And as the moment of the possible succession draws closer, she has become less and less interested in masking her contempt for Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the top Republican. At a news conference last week, when asked to respond to Mr. McCarthys claim that she was not allowing Democrats to speak out about what he described as a crisis at the border, Ms. Pelosi said of the minority leader, I dont even know what hes talking about and I dont know if he does. The same week, her spokesman, Drew Hammill, savaged Mr. McCarthy for a news conference he had held on the steps of the Capitol to discuss firing Nancy Pelosi. It was, Mr. Hammill said, about par for the course for an uninspiring and incoherent politician like the minority leader, whose only real accomplishment to date is typing up a radical right-wing wish list that sends a clear message to the American people that House Republicans have gone off the deep end. Stockpiling in Taiwan is a very active point of discussion, said Jacob Stokes, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security who advised Mr. Biden on Asia policy when he was vice president. And if you have it, how do you harden it and how do you disperse it so Chinese missiles cant destroy it? The view is we need to lengthen the amount of time Taiwan can hold out on its own, he added. Thats how you avoid China picking the low-hanging fruit of its fait accompli strategy that theyve won the day before weve gotten there, that is assuming we intervene. U.S. officials increasingly emphasize Taiwans need for smaller, mobile weapons that can be lethal against Chinese warships and jets while being able to evade attacks, which is central to so-called asymmetric warfare. Shoot-and-scoot types of armaments are popular with the Ukrainian military, which has used shoulder-fired Javelin and NLAW antitank guided missiles and Stinger antiaircraft missiles effectively against Russian forces. Recently, the Ukrainians have pummeled Russian troops with mobile American-made rocket launchers known as HIMARS. To transform Taiwan into a porcupine, an entity bristling with armaments that would be costly to attack, American officials have been trying to steer Taiwanese counterparts toward ordering more of those weapons and fewer systems for a conventional ground war like M1 Abrams tanks. Pentagon and State Department officials have also been speaking regularly about these issues since March with American arms companies, including at an industry conference on Taiwan this week in Richmond, Va. Jedidiah Royal, a Defense Department official, said in a speech there that the Pentagon was helping Taiwan build out systems for an island defense against an aggressor with conventional overmatch. WASHINGTON United States intelligence agencies believe parts of the Ukrainian government authorized the car bomb attack near Moscow in August that killed Daria Dugina, the daughter of a prominent Russian nationalist, an element of a covert campaign that U.S. officials fear could widen the conflict. The United States took no part in the attack, either by providing intelligence or other assistance, officials said. American officials also said they were not aware of the operation ahead of time and would have opposed the killing had they been consulted. Afterward, American officials admonished Ukrainian officials over the assassination, they said. The closely held assessment of Ukrainian complicity, which has not been previously reported, was shared within the U.S. government last week. Ukraine denied involvement in the killing immediately after the attack, and senior officials repeated those denials when asked about the American intelligence assessment. While Russia has not retaliated in a specific way for the assassination, the United States is concerned that such attacks while high in symbolic value have little direct impact on the battlefield and could provoke Moscow to carry out its own strikes against senior Ukrainian officials. American officials have been frustrated with Ukraines lack of transparency about its military and covert plans, especially on Russian soil. WASHINGTON The United States will send four more mobile rocket launchers to Ukraine, along with guided munitions for them to fire, as part of a $625 million military aid package announced Tuesday. The four rocket launchers, known as HIMARS, will be taken from Pentagon stockpiles, making them available right away. Last week, the Pentagon said it was giving Ukraine financing to build 18 more of the rocket launchers, a process that could take years. The new arms shipments were discussed by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine earlier in the day, the State Department said. The aid package is the 22nd the U.S. military has dedicated to Ukraine since August 2021. The Defense Department has already sent 16 M142 HIMARS or High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launchers to Ukraine, which officials in both countries have credited with destroying hundreds of Russian command posts, arms depots and other high-value targets. TOKYO Two days after North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan, it launched what appeared to be two more short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday morning the latest sign that it is intensifying its weapons program. The launches mark the 24th time this year that North Korea has conducted missile tests. The missile fired on Tuesday was the first from North Korea to fly over Japan in five years, triggering alarms across Japans northern regions. North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles that landed on Thursday outside Japans economic exclusion zone, according to Japans Defense Ministry. They were launched from near Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, toward the waters off the east coast, according to the South Korean military. In a news briefing, Yasukazu Hamada, Japans defense minister, said the first missile was launched at 6 a.m. and traveled about 217 miles and reached a maximum altitude of about 62 miles. The second missile, launched at 6:15 a.m., flew close to 500 miles and as high as 31 miles. MANILA After 433 gamblers won a lottery drawing in the Philippines last weekend, people across the country debated a thorny question: At what point does randomness begin to look a little too much like a racket? Some Filipinos accused the state-owned company behind the roughly $4 million prize drawing of fraud, a charge that was swiftly denied. Lawmakers said that they planned to investigate the winning draw as a way of securing the lotterys integrity. How was it possible, skeptics asked, that 433 people had all picked the same winning combination of six numbers 09-45-36-27-18-54? Or that all six figures turned out to be multiples of nine? Others said that the outcome was a simple case of good luck. (The winning numbers could be in any order.) Statisticians noted that it was not mathematically impossible for 433 winners to strike it big. Human beings are good at spotting patterns, but at the same time, we also need to take a look at whether this particular phenomenon is based on randomness or not, said Chua Tin Chiu, a statistician at the National University of Singapore. If it is, he added, theres nothing unusual about it. Rents are skyrocketing, luxury hotels and grimy hostels dont have beds to spare. And on the dusty, sunny streets of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, bands of young migrants, nearly all men, wander aimlessly, dazed at their world turned upside down and their hasty, self-imposed exile to a poor, remote country that few could previously place on a map. After leaving often well-paying jobs and families in Moscow and Vladivostok and many places in between, tens of thousands of young Russians terrified of being dragooned into fighting in Ukraine are pouring into Central Asia by plane, car and bus. The influx has turned a country long scorned in Russia as a source of cheap labor and backward ways into an unlikely and, for the most part, welcoming haven for Russian men, some poor, many relatively affluent and highly educated but all united by a desperate desire to escape being caught up in President Vladimir V. Putins war in Ukraine. I look up at the clear sky every day and give thanks that I am here, said Denis, an events organizer from Moscow who on Friday joined scores of fellow Russians at a bar in Bishkek to rejoice at their escape and trade tips on places to sleep, getting Kyrgyz residency papers and finding work. CANBERRA, Australia Australia has laid out a conservation plan aimed at preventing the extinction of any more of its plants and animals, an ambitious target for a country that has lost species at one of the highest rates in the world. The government announcement on Tuesday followed years of extreme weather events like wildfires and heat waves that have threatened the nations unique species, as well as a sweeping new five-year survey that found its environment and wildlife were facing even greater threats than previously acknowledged, driven by climate change. Our current approach has not been working, the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said in a statement announcing the plan. These are the strongest targets weve ever seen, she added. The 10-year plan includes a commitment by the center-left Labor government to conserve 30 percent of the nations landmass, bringing Australia in line with dozens of other nations, including the United States, that have signed on to the same goal. About 22 percent of Australias landmass is currently protected, the report said, and increasing that figure to 30 percent would mean an increase of 61 million hectares, or more than 235,000 square miles. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has apologized for upsetting members of her family with her announcement last week that she was stripping four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, but she did not back down from her decision. In a statement released on Monday, Margrethe, 82, noted that there have been strong reactions to my decision about the future use of titles for Prince Joachims four children. On Sept. 28, the palace announced that, as of Jan. 1, the four children of Margrethes youngest son, Prince Joachim, would no longer carry the titles of prince or princess and would be called count or countess of Monpezat instead. The change affects Prince Nikolai, 23; Prince Felix, 20; Prince Henrik, 13; and Princess Athena, 10, who would keep their places in the line of succession. Members of her family voiced dismay about the decision, with Prince Joachim telling a Danish tabloid that the family was very sad, and that the children had been mistreated, The Associated Press reported. Margrethe responded in the statement this week and said that her decision to strip them of their royal titles had been a long time coming. Japan has ordered a Russian diplomat to leave the country in retaliation for Russias expulsion last week of a Japanese consul general, as relations between the two countries deteriorate. Calling Russias move an indisputable and serious violation of international laws, Japans foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, said Tuesday that a diplomat at the Russian consulate in Sapporo had been declared persona non grata and ordered to leave within six days in an equivalent response. Last week, Russia accused a Japanese diplomat in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok of what it called illegal information-gathering activities. The diplomat was detained, blindfolded and interrogated before he was ordered to leave the country within 48 hours, according to Japanese officials, who denied that the official broke any laws. Jerzy Urban, a pugnacious press secretary for Polands Communist leadership whose acerbic wit turned his weekly news conferences into must-see TV during the 1980s, and who later became an unlikely free-speech hero when his acid-tongued tabloid ran afoul of prime ministers and the pope, died on Monday at his home in Konstancin-Jeziorna, a suburb of Warsaw. He was 89. Michal Marszal, an editor at Nie, the newspaper Mr. Urban founded in 1990, confirmed the death. As the most visible face of the Polish Communist regime, Mr. Urban sprinkled a rare dash of humor and candor over a society where the leadership otherwise offered very little of either. Between 1981 and 1989, he strode every Tuesday at noon to a dais in front of a small sea of domestic and foreign correspondents and took on all comers, responding with the sarcasm of an ace insult comic. The sessions were broadcast later that night and printed in the next days newspapers. On the one hand, he can be nasty and incomplete, The Washington Posts Jackson Diehl said in 1987, when he worked at the Warsaw Bureau. On the other hand, Urban really helps you get an interview and an answer. President Vladimir V. Putin signed more than 400 pages of legislation annexing four Ukrainian regions, the Kremlin said on Wednesday, forging ahead with a parallel reality in which Russia pretends to exercise sovereignty over thousands of square miles of territory that its military does not actually control. Russias economy ministry sought to attach real-world benefits to a largely illusory claim, forecasting that the annexation would raise Russias production of metallurgy and sunflowers by 20 percent each, while coal production would increase by 6 percent. The state news agency RIA Novosti released a map purporting to show Russias new territory, adding in fine print that part of it was under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Russian state television trumpeted the signing on Wednesday as the days biggest news story, while playing down or ignoring the fact that Russian forces are in retreat in multiple parts of the front line. The only currency unit starting Jan. 1, 2023, will be the ruble, and the territorial organs of the federal authorities will be created by June 1, intoned the anchor on the 12 p.m. news on Channel 1. An Iranian American who was held captive in Iran for seven years was released on Wednesday for urgent medical surgery, according to his lawyer and the U.N. The man, Baquer Namazi, 85, a retired UNICEF official, was imprisoned in 2016 by Iranian authorities during a visit to Iran to check on his son, Siamak Namazi, who had been arrested the year before while on a business trip. The Namazis were convicted of collaborating with a hostile power the United States in a secretive trial in Iran in October 2016, but the precise nature of the accusations has never been made clear. A video released by Iranian state media on Wednesday appeared to show Baquer Namazi on a tarmac struggling to board a flight of stairs, accompanied by a man dressed in traditional Omani clothing. Long before protests started spreading across Iran last month, the hijab the Islamic head scarf that Iranian law requires women to wear in public, along with loose-fitting modest clothing had been at the center of conflicts over national identity, religious authority and political power for decades. Worn by mandate, the veil has long served as a reminder of the Islamic Republics power. But now, stripped off and waved in furious protest by young women, it has come to symbolize the gulf between the populations demands and what the government is willing, or even able, to provide. Enforcement of the modesty laws was the apparent reason the countrys morality police arrested Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, several weeks ago. The police claimed that Ms. Amini had collapsed suddenly from a heart attack during mandatory training on the hijab rules while in custody. But when a video and photo of her in the hospital in a coma, bruises on her face and blood dripping from her ear, were shared online, they quickly went viral and provoked fury. After she died a few days later, the protests exploded into the largest mass demonstrations Iran has seen for years. Yummy and comforting. We almost never have fresh herbs, so I just add small amounts of whatever dried herbs Clark recommends fresh until it tastes right. This delightfully adaptable soup from Melissa Clark is delicious and warming on a chilly fall night. To thicken it, smash some of the beans; to loosen, add more broth. Substitute uncased turkey or chicken sausage for the ground turkey. Toss in whatever greens you have in the fridge. And if you dont have fresh herbs on had, just follow the smart reader advice above until a spoonful makes you nod and smile. Recipe: Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens Prosek Partners Prosek Partners 105 Madison Ave., 7th flr., New York, NY 10016 212/279-3115; fax: 212/279-3117 Financial communications, thought leadership and brand building, transaction services, issues management, digital, creative services. Employees: 299. Founded: 1990. Agency Statement: Read Jennifer Prosek's article "Culture During Times of Crisis" posted on odwyerpr.com. Every brand has a story to tell. And were experts at telling it. Prosek Partners is a certified Woman-Owned Business, among the largest integrated, independent communications and marketing firms in the U.S. and one of the few domestic, mid-size firms that offers global capabilities through its London office and international network. Specializing in providing a full range of communications solutions to financial and professional services companies, the firm delivers an unexpected level of passion, creativity and marketing savvy. 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Jennifer Prosek, Mark Kollar, Russell Sherman, Andy Merrill, Mickey Mandelbaum, Karen Niovitch Davis, Caroline Gibson, David Wells, Mike Geller, Neil Goklani, Brian Schaffer, partners Clients Include: AIGBloombergBNY MellonBridgewaterCarlyle GroupCitiCitizens BankEdward JonesFranklin TempletonGoldman SachsHartford FundsICEMan GroupMunich RePrudentialRockefellerSilicon Valley BankTD BankTravelersVista Prosek Partners in the news with O'Dwyer's: Hubbell, ICR, Prosek Pilot Flexjets $3B SPAC Wed., Oct. 12, 2022 ... The Hubbell Group, ICR Inc. and Prosek Partners are handling the merger of Flexjet, the global leader in the private aviation space,... News of Firms: Prosek Partners Launches Crypto, Web3 Unit Wed., Oct. 5, 2022 ... Prosek Partners launches crypto and web3 communications and marketing offering. The offering will work with companies... On the Move: Prosek Partners Hires CIA's Chavkin Fri., Sep. 9, 2022 ... 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(+60.7 percent to $97.8M) and Prosek Partners (+29.9 percent to $70M) topped ODwyers 2022 ranking of financial PR firms. Two firms debuted... News of Firms: Prosek Partners Rebrands Creative Offering Wed., Mar. 23, 2022 ... Prosek Partners rebrands its enhanced strategic branding and creative offering to Prophecy by Prosek. The rebrand reflects... On the Move: Prosek Partners Puts Beck in Charge of DC Tue., Mar. 15, 2022 ... Matthew Beck Prosek Partners hires Matthew Beck as SVP in its new Washington, D.C. office. Beck joins Prosek... Hunter Drops Deutsche Bank for FTI Consulting Post Mon., Mar. 7, 2022 ...financial regulations environment, enforcement actions, litigation and economic challenges. Hunter also was managing director of Prosek Partners and did an eight-year stint at Barclays in London. At the British financial services giant,... On the Move: Prosek Names Jim David DC Chief Thu., Jan. 27, 2022 ... Jim David Prosek Partners hires Jim David to head up its Washington office, which will be opening later... News of Firms: Prosek Partners Opens in Palm Beach Tue., Jan. 11, 2022 ... Prosek Partners is opening an office in Palm Beach, FL. The agency says that the new... Milken Institute Exec Director Joins Prosek Thu., Jan. 6, 2022 ... Katie O'Reilly Katie O'Reilly, who was executive director of the Milken Institute, has joined Prosek Partners to lead its convening and networking offering. The Santa Monica-based economic think tank runs conferences... On the Move: Prosek Partners Hires AmexCo's LaFiura Wed., Dec. 8, 2021 ... Jen LaFiura Prosek Partners names Jen LaFiura senior vice president, head of brand strategy. LaFiura was most recently... Lansons Intermarket Rebrands as Lansons Wed., Dec. 1, 2021 ...the late Matthew Zachowski launched Intermarket in 1986. Josh Passman, a 12-year veteran of Prosek Partners , was recruited as CEO of Lansons Intermarket in April. He joined from PJ Solomon,... News of Firms: J/PR Launches 20Two Studio Wed., Dec. 1, 2021 ...powered by C-level experience and a stronghold of back-office operations, said J/PR partner Sarah Evans. Prosek Partners partner Russell Sherman launches the Press Profiles podcast, which features prominent business journalists sharing... Brunswick Group is providing foundational communications for the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is expected to open by November. The facility, located outside Cairo and two kilometers from the Pyramids of Giza, will be the worlds largest architectural museum. GEM will feature more than 100K artifacts, including King Tuts entire treasure and artifacts from pre-historic times through thousands of years of pharaonic civilization and more modern ancient Greek and Roman periods of history. Brunswicks contract is with Legacy Development and Management on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt. According to the agreement, Brunswick was hired due to its distinctive experience in the field of critical issues, arts strategies, and reputations management. Its duties include development of a narrative for GEM, PR & communications strategies, media outreach, training and crisis management. The contract went into effect Sept. 22 and runs for three months. Fees are set at $132K. France Desmarais, head of Brunswick Arts, Gulf, leads the 11-member GEM PR team. Prior to joining Brunswick, she was senior museum director for Diriyah Gate Development Authority in Saudi Arabia. FINE Gael Laois-Offaly TD Charlie Flanagan has said he is available to serve as a government minister again when the cabinet reshuffle takes place in December. Speaking after a Fine Gael 'budget roadshow' in Tullamore where Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe met local businesses and politicians, Deputy Flanagan said: I had the honour and privilege to serve in three government departments, the Department of Children, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice. My message to Leo Varadkar is that I've reached peak fitness, I'm available for selection. He added that he is currently actively engaged in his work as a TD for the Laois-Offaly constituency and is looking forward to heading into my 10th general election seeking a mandate for the people in respect of work done and in respect of future plans for the constituency. First elected as a TD in 1987, and a senior minister from 2014 until he was not reappointed after the 2020 general election, the 65-year-old remarked: Age is but a number. Asked if the Fine Gael leadership retained the confidence of its parliamentary party as opinion polls continue to suggest a stagnation in public support, Deputy Flanagan replied: Absolutely. He said: We acknowledge that this is a time of great challenge. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to engage directly with the Minister for Finance in the context of current budgetary matters and I believe that it's important that as a party we listen. That's what we're doing and continuing to act on feedback up and down the country. Minister Donohoe said he sees his own future as being within Irish politics after ruling himself out as a candidate for the vacant post of managing director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). The ESM is the financial institution which was used to support national economies during the last financial crash. I see my future within Irish politics and I hope I can have the opportunity to continue to serve but it's not a decision for me to make. I'll continue with my work in the Eurogroup which will take me up to the end of the year and then the party leaders will take the decision on [ministerial appointments]. The cabinet reshuffle will take place when Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar swap roles in December. Fine Gael sources indicated that there might be little room for substantial changes in cabinet posts given that Minister Donohoe has confirmed he will not be leaving for the European position. UNCERTAINTY remains for businesses in Offaly and the Midlands, despite new supports announced in Budget 2023, two leading members of Tullamore Chamber said today (Wednesday, October 5). Local businesses met Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe when a Fine Gael 'budget roadshow' arrived at the Tullamore Court Hotel on Wednesday morning. Anthony Hanniffy, from the Tullamore door and kitchen manufacturer Agetek, the current Tullamore Chamber president, and Dolan's pharmacist Roger Guiney, a former president (pictured below with Darren Butler, Bank of Ireland, Tullamore), gave the budget measures a cautious welcome. Along with the phased 600 household electricity credit, the Government is supporting businesses by setting up a 1.2bn scheme where up to 40% of the increase in their energy bills will be paid for them by the State. Mr Hanniffy said the budget is welcome but he feared the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme might not be enough for some businesses. We don't really know. It's just such an uncertain time, said Mr Hanniffy. The reassuring thing was [the minister] did indicate he would re-look at it, they've no idea yet what the cost is going to be, they've put aside 1.2bn for it. It could come in less, it could come in more. But he did say he would monitor it so he was not saying 'We will make changes' but he's going to keep an eye on it anyway. So that to an extent was reassuring but we just don't know if it's going to go far enough. Mr Guiney said businesses have already had to face Brexit and climate action along with other challenges and were now confronted with the energy crisis which will hit customers' spending power. We're not seeing in the economic figures yet what the slowdown is nationally or at local level. But it's the small business at what point are people not going to be able to spend any more? Will the credits help them enough? he asked. They will for sure help them but there is uncertainty and uncertainty stops you from moving forward and making investment decisions. So we just don't know what's ahead of us despite assurances. Offaly has its own particular challenges, given its previous reliance on the bogs and it continued dependence on construction materials, said Mr Guiney. Here in Offaly our indigenous industry came out of the ground, out of the turf, sand and gravel, so we've a lot of concrete-related businesses here and they're obviously worried about the concrete levy that's coming at them, said Mr Guiney. They're large exporters to the UK, they have to deal with currency issues and everything else on top of that. That's a very local matter here for us in the Midlands and in Offaly. Speaking to the media after he met the businesses, Minister Donohoe strongly defended the controversial 10% levy on concrete products. While he will engage with the sector he said the levy must form part of the overall cost of mica redress. We're making commitments of huge amounts of taxpayers' money with other decisions still to come, we have to be open about the need to pay for some of this cost in some way. And that is what this levy is about, Minister Donohoe said. Any other measure that I brought forward would also have drawn criticism, would also have had pros and cons, and I believe this is a measure that is proportionate, that can work. He said the State has committed itself to spending 2.7bn on mica redress but the levy is needed in addition if we want to keep on spending money on everything else that we're doing at the moment. I'm very committed to this kind of measure, we need the money but as with everything in the Finance Bill, I'm going to get lots of feedback, we're here to consult with businesses and to hear carefully what they have to say. He indicated he believed the temporary business energy support scheme, where firms will receive up to 40 per cent of the increase in their electricity bills, is sufficient but it will be reviewed. He encouraged businesses to enrol with the scheme now and after a month has elapsed we'll have a far better idea regarding how many businesses will be on the scheme, what it's costing us, and what the average level of support is to different businesses. And then we'll make an evaluation of the scheme at that point. He said the scheme, costed at 1.2bn for its first six months, is a really significant intervention to back businesses and protect jobs. I don't believe there's a need to enhance it at the moment, he said. Minister Donohoe also said that through Energy Minister Eamon Ryan's engagement with the energy providers, he hopes to soon have clarity for 'pay as you go' customers who are fearing disconnection. Tullamore based Dotser was shortlisted for the High Potential Exporter of the Year Award at the Export Industry Awards 2022. The company was commended at the exclusive Export Industry Awards Ceremony which took place on Friday evening last in the Mansion House, Dublin. The Export Industry Awards recognise the tremendous achievements of companies working in international trade in Ireland. Ecommerce, software development and integration company, Dotser; was shortlisted for the category of High Potential Exporter Award; a category which identifies an early stage exporting company which has surpassed its potential and is demonstrating success and commitment in one or more markets. Home to Dotser Commerce, Dotser Agri, Dotser Tools and SuperShow - Event Management System; Dotser has achieved significant international growth in the past two years and is today supported by Enterprise Ireland by way of an effective sustainable strategy to achieve significant sales growth. Commenting on the awards, founder and CEO of Dotser Loughnan Hooper said, Dotser are delighted and honoured to have been shortlisted for the award of High Potential Exporter of the Year 2022. The nomination is testament to our focus and drive and will play a vital role in solidifying trust in our company in international markets. With this nomination we look forward to our next phase, with great confidence. Learn more about Dotsers plans and company updates at www.dotser.ie/news The Export Industry Awards is organised by the Irish Exporters Association (IEA), the voice of the Export Industry in Ireland. The Export Industry Awards are held to recognise the achievements and milestones of companies working in the export industry. The awards celebrate companies who have excelled in their sector despite some difficult trading conditions and highlights exporters who have been fundamental to Irelands success internationally. This year saw 10 high-profile companies winning awards across 10 categories in one of the most competitive processes in the coveted Awards history. The IEAs annual flagship event, a black-tie Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner had 460 export industry professionals, local and international dignitaries in attendance, and was moderated by comedian Oliver Callan. The High Potential Exporter of the Year was sponsored by Enterprise Ireland. Two other companies were nominated for the award Olas Staffing Software and Abbeylands Furniture T/A Scatterbox with the latter awarded the prestigious title. Visit www.irishexporters.ie for more information. Dochas have formally launched their calendar of events for October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. John Conroy, Service Manager, outlined all the events planned to ensure awareness, education and information sessions are at the forefront as we move into October. Commencing with a Breast Cancer Awareness Session on Monday 10th October 2022, The Bridge House Hotel will host Breast Cancer Ireland who will present an information session from 6.30pm for 1 hour. The information session will be facilitated by Carol Scott, Breast Cancer Ireland Outreach Coordinator. Carol will go through the eight signs and symptoms of breast cancer and how to do a self-check. Carol will also demonstrate using a mannequin how to do a breast examination and provide an opportunity to demonstrate what a lump feels like. This will be followed by a short Q&A at the end. This is open to both female and male. The prevalence of breast cancer is rising amongst men and this cohort are encouraged to come along also. You do not need to be registered with Dochas to attend this information session. On 11th October The Marie Keating Mobile Information Unit will be in OConnor Square, Tullamore, from 10am 3pm alongside Dochas Offaly Cancer Support Group. Staffed by a specialist nurse from the Marie Keating Foundation, the mobile information van will provide cancer information in the heart of Tullamore. The mobile unit is stocked with take home information leaflets and the nurses can talk to people in a private area on board the unit about any concerns they may have about cancer, either for themselves or for someone else such as a family member or friend. On 17th October 2022 Dochas relaunches its Bereavement Support Group from 7pm 9pm in Teach Dochas. This provides vital support to those struggling with bereavement through cancer in a supportive environment with people going through similar experiences. Anyone considering in joining this group should contact Dochas on 0579328268 to register your interest. On Thursday 20th October Dochas will host the Look Good Feel Better Charity makeup workshop. Look Good Feel Better provide free skincare and make-up workshops to women receiving cancer treatment delivered by professional beauty therapists and make-up artists and involves a bag of goodies for each participant sponsored by top pharmaceutical companies in Ireland. The workshop will commence at 2pm and you must be registered to reserve your space as spaces are limited. Contact Teach Dochas on 0579328268. And finally, this will be rounded off with a coffee morning in aid of Dochas Offaly Cancer Support Group in Teach Dochas on 21st October 2022 from 11am 2pm with all proceeds going to Dochas Offaly Cancer Support Group. If you have any queries in relation to any of the events being run, or want to know more about our support services feel free to contact us here in Dochas Offaly Cancer Support Group on 0579328268, by visiting our website www.dochasoffaly.com or check out any of our social media channels. It's been six months since a Canadian airline crew was detained in the Dominican Republic after finding drugs on board and reporting them to the authorities. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The actor, who was also a producer on the film Rust, was pointing a gun at Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding the director, Joel Souza. Five IRS workers have been charged with obtaining COVID-19 relief funds through false applications and spending the money on luxury goods. Virgin Atlantic has dropped its Heathrow to Hong Kong route after almost 30 years due to operational challenges including the closure of Russias airspace. As part of the move, the airliner will also close its office in the city-state. The legacy carrier announced today its decision not to resume flights which have been [...] Newsy 07 Oct 2022 Watch VideoGas prices are getting painfully high again, and it's expected to get much worse, as OPEC countries cut oil production.. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended a costly package to protect homes and firms from soaring energy costs. The EU says it is talking to Germany about the policy, which critics say will distort competition. The energy crisis is causing panic all over Europe. But Germany's recent 200 billion national economic rescue package cannot be a model for the whole of the EU, says Bernd Riegert. A US aircraft carrier is to be redeployed to South Korea's east coast, following Tuesday's ballistic missile test by Pyongyang. As Delhi's firecracker ban is in effect, citizens have planned to celebrate the 'Ravan Dahan' on Dussehra today in eco-friendly way. South Korea's military has apologised after a missile it launched during a joint live-fire drill with the United States malfunctioned and crashed, causing alarm among residents of the coastal city of Gangneung. French prosecutors have said British teachers who were responsible for looking after a 12-year-old girl who drowned on a school trip should be jailed for three years. A Russian-installed official in the Ukrainian city of Kherson says Russian forces who have conceded swaths of territory are "regrouping." Kyiv claims gains in three of the four regions Moscow says it has now annexed. A close ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin with his own private militia was quick to praise Friday's power grab by Captain Ibrahim Traore. The new junta accused France of seeking to stage a coup within a coup. The expected cut, led by Russia and Saudi Arabia, could add to inflation pressures and undercut efforts to help Ukraine. Alec Baldwin and the production company for the film Rust have reached a settlement with the family of the late cinematographer who was fatally shot on set. Russian President Vladimir Putin formalized the annexation of four Ukrainian regions on Wednesday despite major battlefield reversals in recent days shrinking the amount of seized territory Moscow controls. Rumble 07 Oct 2022 This story never dies and neither do Mark Groubert and Eric Hunley as they exploration of The Rust movie set tragedy where Alec.. A presidential decree signed in Moscow has designated the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine "federal property." But Ukrainian operators Energoatom called the move "worthless," as the IAEA head visited Kyiv. The United States has pledged a new $625 million security assistance package to support Ukraine in its continued fight against Russia's invasion. This was announced by President Joe Biden when he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenskyy Tuesday. He informed his Ukrainian counterpart that the United States will never recognize Russia's purported annexation of Ukrainian territory and wi Never underestimate the power of failure. As the Liz Truss Disaster Show demonstrates, the next pitfall is probably just around.. Eurasia Review 08 Oct 2022 British teachers who were responsible for looking after a 12-year-old girl on a school trip which ended with her drowning should be.. Belfast Telegraph 05 Oct 2022 The wealthy California county just north of San Francisco has one of the nations highest Covid-19 vaccination rates after years of being known for parents who opposed shots for childhood diseases. American officials said they were not aware of the plan ahead of time for the attack that killed Daria Dugina and that they had admonished Ukraine over it. After Pyongyang conducted its longest-range, which garnered worldwide criticism, South Korea and the US military launched a barrage of missiles into the sea in retaliation for North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan. U.S. President Joe Biden promised a new $625-million security assistance package to Ukraine on Tuesday, prompting a warning from Moscow that such a move risked a direct military clash between... #west #militaryclash #moscow #zelenskiy #ukraine It has been speculated that Vladimir Putin may send a message to the West by detonating a bomb on the border, escalating the conflict in Ukraine to a nuclear level. Here's proof that Russia is serious about its threat! Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed laws absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, a move that finalises the annexation carried out in defiance of international law.The documents were published on a Russian government... A "truly brave and courageous" Irishman has been killed fighting in Ukraine, his family has confirmed. In a reciprocal step, an executive order banning European Union haulage trucks crossing borders into Russias territory aggravates economic situation for both Russia and the European Union. Besides the European Union, the ban also affects international cargo transport on Russian territory for transport companies from Ukraine,... Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Paris-based private investment house Ardian has joined forces with global fintech platform iCapital, to drive access to its private market investment strategies. The partnership marks the latest deal the fintech platform has struck with an alternative asset manager intent on broadening its distribution to wealth managers. Notably, iCapital products created as a result of this partnership will be available through Allfunds, one of the world's leading B2B WealthTech platforms, said a joint press release. "Ardian will leverage iCapital's technology platform and structuring solutions to provide wealth managers and their clients with access to Ardian's deep private markets expertise and suite of alternative investment strategies, based on its global network of 15 offices in Europe, the Americas, and Asia," it said. Ardian's alternative investment strategies spanning Private Equity, Real Assets, and Private Credit, will be available to wealth managers, the companies added. "Private Wealth has always been an important part of Ardian's investor base. Today, this segment represents more than $8.3 billion of assets under management and over 600 investors. Over the past three years and following the launch of its Private Wealth Solutions unit, Ardian has been developing new ways to give private clients and wealth managers greater access to private market assets," the release said. With more than $141 billion in alternative assets under m...................... To view our full article Click here Director of Content and Operations Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half. Latvia is set to return to the Miss Universe stage this January in New Orleans, Louisiana after missing the pageant for a decade and a half. Latvia is set to return to the Miss Universe stage this January in New Orleans, Louisiana after missing the pageant for a decade and a half. The European country which is situated on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Estonia last joined the international pageant in 2006 after its debut in 2005 with the then 19-year-old Ieva Kokorevica who managed to place in the Top 10. Inga Raduga Model Management now holds the license for Miss Universe Latvia and a national final is expected to take place soon. A total of 10 contestants have been announced as shortlisted to participate in the upcoming competition. Meet them: Photos: Miss Universe, Miss Universe Latvia / Instagram Hosted by Miss Supranational Venezuela 2021 Valentina Sanchez Trivella and Ronald Sanoja, the special unveiling, and the crowning ceremony was broadcasted on Globovision with the attendance of Miss Earth Venezuela Organization President Prince Julio Cesar and Elizabeth Gasiba, the former titleholder who resigned due to personal reasons. The newly appointed Miss Earth Venezuela is a 25-year-old production engineering student and model from Caracas who considers herself a woman of God, dedicated, sweet, empathetic, persevering, and committed, not only to her country but to her beloved family. She will travel to the Philippines this November to represent her country at the Miss Earth 2022 pageant. "For me, being a beauty queen represents the dreams and aspirations of every Venezuelan girl, it is a demonstration that we women can achieve what we set out to do, it is a tool for breaking stereotypes, and of course, an opportunity to inspire and to demonstrate that everything is possible as long as our present principles and values are maintained," she said. Venezuela has previously won two Miss Earth with Alexandra Braun in 2005 and Alyz Henrich in 2013, and a total of eight Top 4 placements making it one of the strongest competitors at the international pageant. The national organization is now gearing up for the next edition of Miss Earth Venezuela expected to be held this December to select a representative for Miss Earth 2023 in Vietnam. Meet the new Miss Earth Venezuela: Former Miss Distrito Capital and Miss Venezuela 2019 third runner-up Oriana Pablos has been officially named Miss Earth Venezuela 2022 on Tuesday, October 4. Banjul, Gambia (PANA) - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission has reached staff-level agreement with the authorities of Gambia on the economic and financial policies that could support the IMF Executive Boards completion of the fifth review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement Photo: (Photo : Win McNamee/Getty Images) Stephanie Downing got an alarming text message from her dad, Stan Pentz, as flood water from Hurricane Ian rose in her Rotonda West, Florida residence around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28. Over an hour away at his home in Fort Myers, Pentz told his daughter that the water was up to his shoulders and he could not get out of the house. Downing, standing on her kitchen table, called her dad on the phone and told him to do anything in his power to get out and swim to safety. The call then dropped. Every time Downing called back, it went directly to voicemail. She then lost all cell service as Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in the state. The 32-year-old physical therapist told People Magazine that the last thing she heard her dad say was he thought he was going to drown. Downing thought her dad had died To make matters worse for Downing, her neighbors told her they had heard the death toll in badly hit Fort Myers was growing. She recalled looking at her husband at the time and telling him that she thought her dad was one of those people who were dead. Downing said that when she saw her sister, they did not even say anything to each other. They just held each other and cried because they thought their dad was gone. The sisters faced that potential reality for the next 20 hours until Downing finally gained access to the internet around 10:45 a.m. on Thursday. She received a text message from a stranger. It was the best message she had ever gotten, saying, "I'm here with your dad." Downing said her sister fell to the ground crying while she just fell into a chair with her head in her hands, saying, "Oh my God, he's alive." Pentz, who lives in a one-story condo building in Lee County, was in constant contact with his daughter as Hurricane Ian approached. He first put down towels when the water started seeping into his home. Read Also: Hilaria Baldwin Struggles With Mom Guilt After Welcoming 7th Baby Palm tree comes to Pentz's rescue during storm surge The water then smashed through his sliding glass doors. It rose 6 feet inside his home within an hour. The water was rushing at Pentz from both sides, and he could not get out of the house. He told his daughter on the phone that he was scared of drowning if he got out because the tide was so fast. However, Downing made it clear to her dad that he needed to get out. Pentz managed to dive through an opening in his house and swam over his vehicle toward the two-story building next door. He thought he was going to drown when he swallowed water, but he managed to cling to a palm tree for three hours to save his life. He was able to put his feet on the ground as the sun began to set. He walked a few miles to the Publix grocery store. A stranger there helped Pentz get word to his daughter that he was safe. Downing's sister picked up their father and took him to their mother's house within hours. Related Article: Indiana Teen Becomes Only Student in the World To Achieve Perfect Score in AP Calculus Exam Photo: (Photo : LUCAS TRIEB/AFP via Getty Images) A teen died of an allergic reaction after eating a burrito that contained sesame while traveling to Mexico, despite repeatedly checking with the restaurant if the food was cooked with that ingredient, Yahoo reported. Joe Dobson was hanging out with friends in the seaside resort of Playa del Carmen when they visited a restaurant on November 1 last year, an inquest heard. The teen, who was allergic not only to sesame but also eggs, milk, and peanuts, ordered a vegetarian burrito for his meal. He asked the restaurant's staff multiple times in both English and Spanish whether there was any sesame in the burrito. Dobson knew he had eaten sesame after just three bites His friends told the inquest that Dobson knew he had eaten sesame after just three bites of the burrito. The restaurant staff, however, did not seem concerned about the 19-year-old's allergy and would not call an ambulance to help him. Dobson had left his EpiPen at their apartment, but it was already too late when the friends returned and used it to treat him. Dobson fell unconscious and later died in the hospital, according to the Mirror. In a statement read by the coroner at South London Coroner's Court in Croydon, the victim's friend Harriet Preston described how she was visiting Dobson while he was working in Mexico and was aware of the teen's medical condition. She said they decided to eat at a fusion restaurant he had been to before after spending a day on the beach. Preston noted that Dobson ordered a vegetarian burrito and told the staff no sesame, using the Spanish word in relaying his instruction. Read Also: State Stimulus Checks Arriving to Americans in October 2022: Which States Are Sending Payments? EpiPen shot came too late for Dobson She added that after ordering, there was communication between Dobson and the restaurant staff to ensure there was no sesame in his meal. When the food arrived, however, it was sent back as Dobson believed the burrito contained sesame. Preston said that Dobson tried to tell the staff in basic English that if he ate sesame, he would die. When the meal arrived for the second time, and Dobson examined and tasted the burrito, he knew the food had sesame in it. Preston said that Dobson went to the bar staff, but they were in denial. He said he needed an ambulance as he could already feel it in his throat, but the staff was reluctant. She said the staff did not treat their situation like what it was, and there was no basic first aid or knowledge in the restaurant. Dobson went to the apartment to get his EpiPen. One of his friends said he ran to the taxi, but the driver was very casual. He was walking slowly to the door as he did not understand Dobson's condition's severity. The allergic reaction escalated when they got to the apartment, with Dobson falling over as they went straight to the lifts. The London native became increasingly unable to breathe and eventually lost consciousness. Dobson was brought to a local hospital, but doctors could not revive him with the teen dying that evening. Coroner Mark Taylor said that Dobson acted unwittingly in eating the food with sesame which caused the fatal reaction. He added that this should not have happened to someone like Dobson. Related Article: Utah Mom of 6 Shares What She Hopes Children Know Before They Leave Home Photo: (Photo : Cheryl Holt) If a baby is napping on its side, parents should change its position as the safest sleeping position for a baby is on its back, according to Medical News Today . Also, putting the baby to sleep on their back significantly reduces the risk of sudden death syndrome (SIDS), the nation's fourth leading cause of infant death. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the rate of SIDS dropped by 50 percent between 1994 and 1999. The number of back sleeping doubled in the same period due to SIDS prevention campaigns encouraging this position for infants. Parents and caregivers usually worry about what to do when a baby starts to roll onto their side or stomach. In most cases, moving the baby back is not necessary. However, people should continue to put the baby to sleep on its back even after it rolls over. The baby should always sleep on firm and flat surfaces, such as a crib or bassinet, as this also helps minimize SIDS risks. When babies sleep, they tend to do frog legs during the first month or two, but this is because their nervous system matures. Read Also: Mommy Issues: How It Can Affect a Person's Overall Development? AAP: Side sleeping is not safe for babies and offers no benefits Some individuals mistakenly believe that side sleeping is safe for babies who vomit or have reflux, but this claim is not supported by enough evidence. Babies with reflux are no more likely to choke when they sleep on their backs. Some medical providers advised placing newborns on their side to clear amniotic fluid. However, there's also no evidence to support such a recommendation. Babies sleeping on their sides are more likely to fall onto their stomachs. Also, a baby is too young to support their heads; therefore, there's a big possibility that their face becomes stuck against the mattress, making it hard to breathe. Usually, babies can fully support and lift their heads by four months. By the age of 3 or 4 months, numerous babies start attempting to roll over, and between 4 and 6 months, many can roll from their back to their stomach and eventually back to their first position. If the baby is old enough, there's no need to worry if they roll onto their side or stomach as long as they can support themselves and are in a safe sleeping environment. Nevertheless, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasizes the fact that side sleeping is not safe for babies and offers no benefits. Changing baby sleeping positions Many babies sleep better on their side, making the position even more dangerous as they tend to sleep deeper for longer and may be more difficult to awaken. Infants may not wake up if they cannot breathe or need to move compared to older babies. The easiest way to change a baby's sleep position is to start putting them to sleep on their back. Parents may need to help the baby slowly adapt to such a new position by nursing them to sleep before bed. You can gently rub their bellies or sing to them until they fall asleep. What to Expect notes that the main rule is to place the baby to sleep on his back from the moment he is born to reduce the risk of any syndrome. Related Article: Experts Disseminate Health Warning Regarding Giving Melatonin to Children South Africa: Little Flower ECD officially opened by President Ramaphosa President Cyril Ramaphosa says the growth of Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres is a fine example of social entrepreneurship that contributes to job creation and the development of children. The President said this at the opening of the newly refurbished Little Flower Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) in Nkantolo village in the Eastern Cape. The centre, which has been operating for several years from an informal structure, is located within the Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Local Municipality. These are solid foundations we have sought to build upon. That is why government, in partnership with civil society organisations and donors, is working to address the barriers that ECD centres are facing so that every child has an equal chance at a better life, the President said. He said the construction of Little Flower ECD centre is the outcome of such partnerships. The ECD is also a pilot site for a new form of ECD centre construction using alternative building technologies. The more we are able to move with the times and harness new applications, the more centres like this one can be built, using less resources and with greater speed, President Ramaphosa said. Over the past five years, the Department of Social Development has collaborated with various stakeholders to build 248 ECD centres around the country. Social Development also introduced the Vangasali campaign, which is a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the Department of Basic Education to enhance ECD service delivery. The campaign helps ECD centres to become formalised and it supports ECD workers. National Treasury has allocated an amount of just over R1.2 billion as a conditional grant in this financial year to expand ECD services. This aims to increase the number of children accessing ECD services by subsidising children from indigent families. It also helps conditionally registered ECD centres to meet the basic requirements needed to be fully registered. Through subsidy interventions we have been able to support nutrition at the centres, provide for workers to be paid and support the acquisition of learning materials, the President said. Through the Presidential Employment Stimulus, around 54 000 ECD practitioners have received support to ensure the survival and reopening of ECD centres in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2012, when the South African government declared ECD to be for the public good and embarked on an ECD expansion programme, millions of South African children under the age of six have benefited. We remain committed to our goal of universal ECD access by 2030 and are working hard to achieve it. "I want to thank all who have made the construction of this centre possible - Impande, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, traditional and community leaders, and parents. Little Flower is a centre of which we can all be proud, the President said. He said the centre is a fitting tribute to the icons of the liberation struggle, who were born and spent their childhood in the community, foremost among them being Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Were she with us today, she would be proud to see this centre and to see the happy faces of our children. Our thanks go to the Nelson Mandela Foundation and other partners for supporting the Vangasali campaign, he said. The President further sent his gratitude to the Departments of Social Development and Basic Education for their efforts. Early Childhood Development is an area that Dr Motsepe and I have been very passionate about over the years. We will continue to contribute what we can, where we can. It is the duty of us all to help the children of South Africa to get the best in order for them to become the best. Let us work together to create conditions in which the life prospects of a child are not hindered by the circumstances of their birth. Let us build on the successes we have made. Let us leave no child behind, the President said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-10-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Akhra Avidzba, the commander of the Pyatnashka battalion fighting on the Russian side in Ukraine, says that "Western curators" are influencing the official Tbilisi in order to drag Georgia into the war, although according to Avidzba, the country's authorities do not want war."Georgian authorities honestly do not want war. They understand: if war starts, they will change. The opposition wants to release Mikheil Saakashvili from prison so that they can attack us," he said during a press conference in occupied Sokhumi.Avidzba says that in 2008 Georgia was "loaded with a gun that then fired". According to him, "Georgia is preparing for war"."Today, weapons are sent to them by ships from Turkey. Twice an exercise was conducted, for this reason they brought weapons to them and nothing came out of there. Today, forces are being mobilized with them...Georgia is preparing for war. Whatever they think, we must prepare for it [war]. I have a second child with a Georgian woman. I have no complaint against the nation. I grew up with them in Sochi. At my gym, 90% are Georgians. But there is a difference between their thinking and the thinking of their state. The most nationalist nations in the post-Soviet space are Ukraine and Georgia," said Avidzba.Avidzba is a former foreign relations aide to de facto president of Georgia's Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.According to the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, they intend to fulfill the 12 recommendations created by the EU. According to him, the management team is motivated to implement the recommendations in a short period of time."Georgia will fulfill all these 12 recommendations, our government is involved, motivated as much as possible to fulfill all 12 recommendations as soon as possible. Here I would like to once again call on the opposition to participate in the working groups created in the Parliament. All doors are open to all opposition parties and now the main thing is to ensure their involvement," said Irakli Gharibashvili.On June 23, the European Council granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of EU membership candidates, leaving Georgia without candidacy. The European Council, consisting of the leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union, took into account the recommendation published by the European Commission on June 17, which set preliminary conditions for Georgia to receive the candidate status. The European Commission included de-oligarchization among the conditions for granting status to Georgia. Photo: (Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images) A growing number of American families are in financial difficulty right now due to universal free school meals ending in the United States. They are unable to keep up with school lunch payments and yet not able to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Many families have applied for a price break now that meals in schools cost money for the first time since the early days of the COVID pandemic, and sky-high prices of other essentials constrict the budgets of parents. Angie Richey, the nutrition services supervisor of Roseville Area Schools in Minnesota, said that she has cried with many families and that she had to tell one family of six that they were over the limit by $33. Biden administration wants to make universal school meals permanent A dozen school nutrition directors told NBC News that they have had to reject applications from a dad who lost his job during the COVID pandemic and has found only part-time work since; a mother of five whose only income comes from disability payments because she has cancer; and a mom whose insulin price rose significantly, among others. The Biden administration announced a year-long goal of making universal school meals permanent last week but still requires a divided Congress's approval. Advocates for free or reduced-price meals are pushing for immediate action. The White House strategy begins by expanding access to free meals to 9 million kids by 2032. While anti-hunger experts praised that proposal, they also said that many families could not wait any longer for help. Read Also: Shia LaBeouf Reveals His Mother Died Back in August, Tells Story About How Mom Introduced Him to God Discussions about the cost of lunch now commonplace in school cafeterias Lori Adkins, the president of the School Nutrition Association, a trade organization representing 50,000 school nutrition employees, said that these changes toward expanding access to all students must happen as soon as possible. She added that some kids are coming to school with no food from home and no money. Anji Branch, who leads the Idaho School Nutrition Association and is also a child nutrition director at Gooding School District in Idaho, said that discussions about the cost of lunch are now commonplace in school cafeterias. Branch said she has never had as many students say they can't eat because they don't have money. She added that students still receive their lunch even if they cannot pay. She explained that children should not have to be bothered by that. High school senior Marshall Troese is one guy who can't afford a school lunch nowadays. He knows his family's budget is tight as their car broke down just before they discovered that school would be charging for meals again. The 17-year-old said that there is a point where he gets used to being hungry. Related Article: COVID Pandemic Worsens Pay Gap With Working Moms Getting 58 Cents for Every Dollar Dads Earn Photo: (Photo : Alexa) Katherine and John Snyder II from Springfield Township are now in custody in upstate New York after allegedly abusing their five children and causing the death of their 8-year-old adopted son, Inside Edition reported. This case stemmed from an incident way back in 2016. According to court documents, the 51-year-old parents were indicted by the Hamilton County Prosecutor's office on 26 counts of various charges, including aggravated murder, endangering children, and felonious assault. The couple's former neighbor, who was not named, didn't think they were the nicest people, but he never thought they could do such things, especially to kids. Another former neighbor, also unnamed, said of Katherine that she was just excessive on everything, but she never thought she was capable of doing that to the children. Court documents further stated the couple's four adopted children, including their one biological child, were found severely malnourished and sustained physical abuse at their home on Conrad Drive. Read Also: Two Men Admits Murdering 6-Year-old Boy as Human Sacrifice to Gain Prosperity Blunt force trauma to the head and bronchial pneumonia The mother of five was charged with causing her son's death as an outcome of blunt force trauma to the head with a contributing factor of bronchial pneumonia. She was arraigned in the City of Plattsburgh Court and was remanded to the Clinton County Correctional Facility. The prosecutor's office stated that the crime was ruled a homicide and determined that the young boy could not have caused that injury himself. The Snyders challenged the ruling by filing twin civil lawsuits, which sought to remove homicide as the cause of death and asked the judge to review the coroner's report. The couple claimed in 2020 that the boy naturally died, asserted that the coroner's decision contained numerous errors, and claimed that the complaint had damaged their reputation. However, the court refused those requests in 2020, and the Hamilton County Department of Jobs and Family Services gained permanent custody of the couple's four remaining kids. John Synder II was charged with causing severe physical harm to their child and failing to feed them for five weeks in 2016. He was also arraigned in the City of Plattsburg Court. The couple was taken into custody in Clinton County, New York, on Monday after a warrant was issued for the said arrest. The two are expected to be extradited to Hamilton County, WLWT5 reports. Authorities revealed that the kids are now grown and in a safe environment. They provided information that permitted the office to seek an indictment. According to a report from News10, the number of child abuse in New York is 17.1 per 1,000 kids, while the national rate of child abuse, maltreatment, and neglect in the United States is 9.1 per 1,000 children. Related Article: Houston Dad Faces Charges for Lying to Authorities About His Child Being Inside Stolen Car to Hasten Search Photo: (Photo : DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images) American Airlines passengers got a surprise in early September when a baby was born in the middle of their flight, according to WFSB. Mom Kendra Rhoden, who hails from Hartford, Connecticut, was traveling to the Dominican Republic at seven months pregnant when her water suddenly broke on the flight. That came as a major shock for Rhoden, who was six weeks out from her due date. The Mayo Clinic said that commercial air travel before week 36 is generally considered safe if the woman has a healthy pregnancy. Rhoden said that she felt her baby kick while she was asleep on the plane, and then her water broke. Everything happened so fast for Rhoden Nurses on board came to help Rhoden, but it did not take long for the mom's baby boy to make his debut on the American Airlines flight. Rhoden said that everything just happened so fast, Alaska's News Source reported. Rhoden and her newborn baby were then taken to a hospital for evaluation when the plane safely landed in the Dominican Republic. Doctors in that country ensured the mother and child stayed long enough until it was safe for both of them to fly back home to the United States, which ended up being a few weeks. Rhoden and her infant son are now safely back home in Connecticut. She said she feels good now because she is home and he is safe. She added that he is where he needs to be right now, so she is happier than she was in the Dominican Republic. Rhoden named her baby boy Skylan, a nod to her giving birth in the sky. Skylan's birth certificate lists him as a citizen of the United States, with his place of birth listed as in the air. Read Also: State Stimulus Checks Arriving to Americans in October 2022: Which States Are Sending Payments? Martin gives birth on Frontier Airlines flight This is not the first time a woman has given birth on a plane this year. Shakeria Martin became an instant celebrity in May after giving birth to a baby girl on a Frontier Airlines flight, according to Today. Martin woke up from a nap on the flight to Orlando from Denver with intense contractions, resulting in her baby coming earlier than expected. The flight attendants on board could not find anyone on the plane with childbirth training, so they went to work themselves and helped with the delivery. Leading the way was flight attendant Diana Giraldo, who was praised by the airline for being exemplary and calm during the delivery. Giraldo noticed that Martin was uncomfortable, and she made sure there was no space for the mom's doubts. Captain Chris Nye paid tribute to Giraldo and the entire crew, saying they did a great job. Just like Rhoden, Martin decided to give her baby the name Sky. Related Article: Criminal Hackers Escalating Attacks on K-12 Schools and Institutions Photo: (Photo : Marco Aurelio Conde) A 28-year-old Colorado man was charged with second-degree kidnapping on Thursday after allegedly attempting to abduct a 10-year-old girl outside her school. According to People, Diego James Gettler was immediately taken into custody Monday after his parents went to the Thornton police station and reported that they recognized the suspect and the vehicle used in surveillance photos. According to the authorities, they received an incident report when they were called to the STEM Launch School in Thornton at around 7:30 a.m. on September 23. The little girl told the police that she was dropped off at school that morning by her mom and was sitting on some nearby steps when suddenly a man approached and asked her if she attended school. The young girl, who was not named, thought the stranger walked behind her and up the stairs but when she looked, the man walked back towards her. An arrest affidavit obtained by the news outlet stated that the adult made the young girl uncomfortable, so she stood up as he walked back down the stairs. However, the man suddenly grabbed her, which she described as him wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Read Also: Cursing: Teach Children How Language Can Be a Powerful Thing Authorities released surveillance footage to the public The adult man covered her mouth with his hands when the girl started screaming. The little girl told detectives that she began grabbing at the male and was able to pull down the mask he was wearing. The man looked terrified and panicked as his face was shown, then he ran away on foot. The local authorities found a surveillance video that showed Gettler parking a gray Saturn Aura, walking towards the school, and trying to abduct the girl. The affidavit further stated the man ran off and quickly climbed into the passenger side of his vehicle; then, the car drove off. The Thornton police station released surveillance footage to the public of the suspect that same day. The video showed a man wearing a black sweatshirt with "three blue and orange" Adidas symbols on the back of his hooded sweatshirt. He was also wearing black pants and shoes. Authorities also released photos of the vehicle, which had damage to its driver's side. Gettler's parents went to the police station on September 26, spoke to a detective, and identified their son as possibly involved as they recognized him based on released surveillance. The vehicle also matched the characteristics of the suspect's vehicle, New York Post reported. Preventing abductions of children His parents revealed that Diego owns and operates a gray Saturn Aura with the same damage on the driver's side. They also confirmed that their son had to enter the car from the passenger side. The suspect was later arrested in his vehicle outside a Home Depot in Parker on September 26. He has been booked into the Adams County Jail, and his hearing was set on October 5. Investigations suggest teaching children to keep their eyes and ears open and to scream as much as possible or give kids a whistle to blow to attract others' attention and prevent an abduction. Related Article: Florida Man Charged With Stalking 6-Year-old; Threatening He Would Turn the Girl Into a Woman Photo: (Photo : Diana Bagnoli/Getty Images) When St. Louis native Jessica Grib was about 32 weeks pregnant with her second kid, her blood pressure rose. The then-30-year-old thought little of it at the time, saying she was not concerned as she did not think anything would happen. Grib's doctor prescribed her medication, but the pregnant mom's blood pressure did not lower. Even bed rest did little to help Grib, who went into cardiac arrest after delivering the baby. After giving birth, Grib learned that she had peripartum cardiomyopathy. It is a type of heart failure or weakness of the heart muscle that happens at the end of pregnancy or within the first five months of delivery, according to Dr. Kathryn Lindley, the director of the Women's Health Center at Vanderbilt University. Grib wants to raise awareness about peripartum cardiomyopathy The American Heart Association said this rare condition could be hard to detect because it mimics pregnancy symptoms. Grib said that she wants to raise awareness about this dangerous disease. She added that she wants people to be comfortable advocating for themselves and to know the signs and symptoms of peripartum cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Grib's doctor suggested that she deliver her baby at 37 weeks when blood pressure medication and bed rest did little to help her. She agreed with Lindley, but at the last minute, baby Amelia turned breech, and doctors needed to perform a cesarean section on Grib. The worst-case scenario happened as she started crashing in the recovery room. As hospital staff tried to bring Grib to the cardiac catheterization lab, a room with diagnostic equipment that could generate heart images, she needed CPR for 10 minutes. Grib told TODAY that it was evident that she was having a heart event. She said that one of the nurses was a new father himself, and his whole mantra was they would not lose Grib. Read Also: School Officials Want Revival of Universal Meals Program To Help Feed the Children Grib placed on ECMO after giving birth Doctors implanted an Impella heart pump on Grib, and the new mom was later transferred to another hospital. She was placed on ECMO there, which is a type of life-support machine that works like an external heart and lungs for the patient, according to the American Thoracic Society. The two devices worked together to support Grib while her heart was in recovery. Grib said that she was on maximal life support hours after her daughter was born, and they had no idea what was happening with her. Grib was sedated on life support for two weeks and could not see her daughter. Grib's husband split his time between the two hospitals in St. Louis as he tended to his wife and child. When Grib woke up, she was finally able to meet her daughter. Grib said meeting her baby was very emotional. She added that they had a photographer come in and capture that moment, and she loves and hates those pictures simultaneously. Related Article: Mom Gives Birth to Twins With Different Fathers After Having Sex With 2 Men on the Same Day This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Apple TV+ today released the trailer for the second season of its hit bilingual comedy Acapulco. The Spanish and English-language series, which currently holds a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, stars an acclaimed, international cast led by SAG Award winner Eugenio Derbez. Acapulco returns for its ten-episode second season Friday, October 21, 2022 on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through December 16, 2022. Season two picks up right on the heels of season one, telling the story of 20-something Maximo Gallardo, whose dream comes true when he scores the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco, Las Colinas. In 1985, Maximo must contend with upheaval at the resort, unexpected problems at home and a new love interest who just might rival the girl of his dreams. Under Don Pablos guidance, he sets his eyes on one day running the entire Las Colinas operation by becoming Dianes right-hand man. Meanwhile, in present day, older Maximo returns to Acapulco to make peace with the recent passing of Don Pablo, and he is forced to confront some unfinished business young Maximo left behind. Apple TV+ Hosted the Premiere of the Highly Anticipated Drama Series, Shantaram (Click on image to Greatly Enlarge) Shubham Saraf, Elektra Kilbey, Steve Lightfoot, showrunner and executive producer, Antonia Desplat and Charlie Hunnam attend Apples Shantaram premiere screening at the Regency Bruin Westwood Village Theatre. Today at the Regency Bruin Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, Apple TV+ celebrated the upcoming premiere of highly anticipated drama Shantaram, ahead of the series debut on October 14. Shantaram will make its global debut with the first three episodes of its 12-episode first season on Friday, October 14, 2022, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday through December 16, 2022, on Apple TV+. (Click on image to Greatly Enlarge) Based on the internationally best-selling novel by Gregory David Roberts, Shantaram follows a fugitive named Lin Ford (Hunnam) looking to get lost in vibrant and chaotic 1980s Bombay. Alone in an unfamiliar city, Lin struggles to avoid the trouble hes running from in this new place. After falling for an enigmatic and intriguing woman named Karla, Lin must choose between freedom or love and the complications that come with it. Apple TV+ debuts trailer for season two of Emmy-nominated series The Problem with Jon Stewart (Click on image to Greatly Enlarge) Apple today revealed the trailer for season two of the Emmy Award-nominated Apple TV+ original series The Problem with Jon Stewart, premiering globally on Friday, October 7. Archive: Apple TV News Microsoft plans to launch an updated Surface Pro tablet, a new Surface Laptop, and a refresh of its iconic Surface Studio later this month, according to reports. This year marks the ten-year anniversary (and then some) of the Surface line, which was revealed in June 2012 but shipped on Oct. 26, 2012. Microsoft has scheduled a Surface event for Oct. 12, which means that Microsoft could ship a new Surface lineup ten years to the day after the first Surface launched. Depending on how you define it, Microsoft has now shipped ten Surface tablets (plus a refresh of the Surface Pro X last year) and thirty-five new models in all. Reports say that theyll be followed by a new Surface Pro 9, a Surface Laptop 5, and a Surface Studio 3 later this month. The latter seems to be the most certain, as Windows Central snapped an unexpected leak by the FCC of the Surface Studio 3s design which, if youve seen the Surface Studio 2, should look awfully familiar. Its not clear what will be inside it (Windows Central hears an 11th-gen Intel Core chip, rather than the more recent 12th-gen) and, if history holds, those components will be mobile parts, and not a desktop chip. Windows Central reporter Zac Bowden then followed up by saying that the device could be called the Surface Studio 2+ instead, with a configuration that sounds similar to the Surface Laptop Studio: I'm told the next Surface Studio will be dubbed "Surface Studio 2+" and features the Intel Core i7-11370H and NVIDIA RTX 3060. Also has three USB-C TB4 ports on the back. Display remains at 60Hz. Zac Bowden (@zacbowden) October 4, 2022 Still, the Surface Studio 2 has been primarily about the experience. Rarely do you find a monitor this large, and hardly ever one that can be inked upon. Microsoft has always positioned the Surface Studio as the tool for Windows creatives, and a halo device to woo their colleagues. Unless Microsoft somehow finds a way to push this device mainstream, this might be a device you see on a Netflix show, but rarely in the everyday world. A Surface Laptop 5, on the other hand, would be much more affordable to the average consumer. WinFuture.de said that its unearthed full specifications for both 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the new Surface Laptops, which again should look remarkably like their predecessors. Here, both models will use the 12th-gen Intel Alder Lake processors, specifically the Core i5-1235U and Core i7-1255U, if WinFutures report proves correct. The commercial versions (Surface Laptop for Business) will use the higher-clocked Core i5-1245U and Core i7-1265U instead. Its very likely, the same publications said, that the Surface Pro 9 will use the same processors inside of them. Both the Surface Pro 9 and the Surface Laptop 5, however, offer two potential differences based off these early leaks. First, reports say that the Surface Laptop 5 will not offer an co-developed version of AMDs Ryzen processor for this generation. Second, Microsoft has apparently decided to fold the Qualcomm-powered Surface Pro X into the main Surface Pro lineup, with a Windows-on-Arm variant that will be apparently branded as a generic Surface Pro tablet. An Arm-based variant would likely offer much more battery life than its X86-based counterpart, but potentially lower performance. Microsoft has also used the Surface Pro X tablet as a vehicle for always-on connectivity with its integrated WWAN modem chip. Microsoft could obviously hold back some surprises that havent leaked yet. Some sort of a 10th-anniversary promotion wouldnt be that unusual. A standalone Surface Studio display would be, though. Our own review of the 12th-gen Intel mobile Core chip, however, probably shows why Microsoft chose not to develop a Ryzen variant: Intels Core is at least equal, if not better, than AMDs Ryzen 5000 was, especially with more cores. For the most part, it appears that whats publicly leaked of Microsofts Surface lineup are some anticipated upgrades, with some potential surprises waiting in the wings. Well know more on Oct. 12. Its the start of a new era of competition. Today, Intels debut Arc A770 and A750 GPUs had their curtain drawn fully back, heralding the companys long-teased entry into discrete consumer graphics cards. Watch out, Nvidia and AMD. Chipzillas in the fray now, fueled by its new Xe HPG (High-performance gaming) GPU architecture. Intel took an unusual (but strategically smart) approach to Arcs debut, initially rolling out Arc 3 graphics for modestly priced portable laptops, before introducing a similarly modest Arc A380 desktop GPU in China this summer. Doing so allowed Intel to leverage its substantial strengths in notebooks and software support rather than going blow-for-blow with Nvidia and AMD on the desktop, and let the company spend months providing some much-needed driver polish. Arc A770 Limited Edition Read our review Weve covered the Arc 3 laptop GPU reveal and Intels killer features in a separate piece that explains what everyday folks should expect from this new breed of laptop. And now, we know how Arc 7 desktop graphics cards perform as well. (Spoiler alert: Sometimes it smashes, and sometimes it stuttersliterally, if you dont have PCIe Resizable BAR enabled). Thats not the point of this article though. As part of the various reveals, Intel Fellow Tom Peterson gave the press a high-level overview of the Xe HPG architecture underpinning these Arc Alchemist graphics cards, providing a glimpse at the nuts and bolts powering Intels discrete graphics ambitions. So, as we did with Nvidias Ampere and AMDs RDNA 2 architectures, heres a brief technical explainer on the innards of Intel Arcs Xe HPG chips. Much the way Nvidia and AMD use different technologies and terminologies for their designs, Intels Arc chips rely on some proprietary concepts (including a new take on clock speeds that needs some explaining). That makes it difficult to compare Arc against rival GPU architecturesIntel doesnt even use common terms like ROPs and TMUsbut by the time were done here, youll have a solid high-level understanding of what makes Xe HPG tick. Lets dig in. Meet Xe HPG Intel For Intel, Xe HPG render slices comprise the backbone of every Arc GPU. Intels laptop and desktop Arc offerings can be scaled up or down as needed to fit different market needs, but these render slices are at their heart, containing dedicated ray tracing units, rasterizers, geometry blocks, and the fundamental building block for Arc, the Xe Cores themselves. Xe XPG can scale all the way up to eight render slices in the flagship Arc A770. Each render slice contains four Xe cores and four ray tracing units, along with all the other bits necessary for running a modern GPU. These render slices are fully DirectX 12 Ultimate compliant, meaning Intels Arc GPUs can handle ray tracing, Variable Rate Shading, Mesh Shading, and all the other features associated with that standard. Intel Lets go deeper and take a peek at the Xe cores themselves. Each Xe core (again, there are four per render slice) is comprised of three key bits: 16 256-bit XVE vector engines that handle more traditional rasterization tasks, 16 1024-bit XMX matrix engines that handle machine learning tasks (like the tensor cores in Nvidias rival RTX GPUs), and 192KB of shared L1/SLM cache. That cache can be used to hold tasks during compute workloads, or shaders and textures while gaming. Intel The biggest companies in PC gaming may be betting big on ray tracing being the future of graphicseach Xe Core includes a specialized Thread Sorting Unit designed to help shaders process willy-nilly bouncing ray tracing data more efficiently, for examplebut traditional rendering remains king for now. Each Xe Vector Engine includes a dedicated floating point (FP) execution port to handle traditional shading tasks, along with a shared INT/EM port that can tackle integer-based tasks at the same time. Nvidia introduced concurrent FP/INT pipelines with its RTX 20-series Turing architecture to keep integer tasks from clogging up the FP32 pipeline, and its become the norm since. When Nvidia examined how real-world games behaved, it found that for every 100 floating point instructions performed, an average of 36 and as many as 50 non-floating point instructions were also processed, jamming things up, we wrote in 2018. The new integer pipeline handles those extra instructions separately from and concurrently with the FP32 pipeline. Executing the two tasks at the same time results in a big speed boost. Intel Intels dedicated XMX matrix engines hook into the vector engines in each Xe Core. Theyre broadly similar to Nvidias RTX tensor cores, designed to greatly accelerate machine learning tasks. These are the bits that unlock the potential of XeSS, Intels rival to Nvidias vaunted DLSS upsampling, as well as other special sauce features like Hyper Compute and the virtual camera feature in Intels new Arc Control command center. (Again, read our Arc laptop GPU coverage for deeper insight into those consumer-level features.) Intel When tapped by compatible software (such as a game with XeSS or an app that supports Hyper Compute), the XMX cores 4-deep systolic array can calculate up to 256 multiply accumulate (MAC) operations per clock for INT8 inferencing, a massive increase over the 64 ops/clock offered by modern GPUs with DP4a hardware on board, and the 16 ops/clock supported by older GPUs. Intels XeSS supports a fallback mode to run on rival Nvidia and AMD graphics cards that lack XMX cores, defaulting to DP4a hardware instead. This picture illustrates very well why Intel says XeSS runs much, much faster on Arc GPUs with XMX hardware inside. Intel Each Xe Core features 16 total Vector and Matrix engines, with pairs of each running in lockstep, able to run FP, INT, and XMX tasks all at the same time. Arc GPUs can be kept very, very busy indeed. The full extent of that busyness, and a deeper dive into how Xe HPG handles complex ray tracing tasks, can be found in the Intel explainer video below. Xe HPG media engine and AV1 encoding Intel has always been proud of its media engines, spearheaded by the lightning-fast QuickSync technology, and the Xe XPGs media engine is no different. It includes all the modern capabilities youd expect in a graphics chipvarious 8K HDR encode and decode support, HEVC, VP9, you name itbut also one big inclusion that no other chip (CPU or GPU) offered when Arc was announced: hardware-accelerated AV1 encoding. (Nvidias GeForce RTX 40-series will also support AV1 encoding, however. Intel The highly efficient next-generation video standard was created by a consortium of industry giants and is rapidly moving towards becoming the norm, and modern desktop GPUs support AV1 decoding that can help you watch 8K videos without your system setting itself on fire, but until now you needed to use software alone to actually create AV1 videos. Intel says that the hardware-accelerated AV1 creation unlocked by Arc is 50 times faster than software encodes, or its capable of delivering much clearer streaming visuals at the same bitrate as other encoders. Weve tested Arcs AV1 chops and discovered it indeed puts Nvidia and AMDs traditional encoders to shame. (Yes, even NVENC.) Paired with the Hyper Encode feature offered in all-Intel laptops and desktops as part of the companys Deep Link suite, which leverages the media engines in both the CPU and GPU rather than one or the other, Arc-based systems could prove terribly compelling for video creators. Xe HPG display engine Intel The Xe HPG display engine remains consistent across the Arc GPU stack, meaning every Arc graphics card offers the same video output capabilities (though the exact port configuration will vary by model). Dont expect good frame rates if you actually try gaming on a pair of 8K screens, but its good to know Arc will support it if you want all the pixels for your productivity tasks! Meet the Intel Arc A-series GPU lineup Intel Lets take a moment to bring all this technical talk back to the practical realm. Intel cobbled together a bunch of Xe cores and render slices into a pair of dedicated Arc Alchemist GPUs: the higher-end ACM-G10, which powers the flagship Arc 7 graphics options, and the more modest ACM-G11, which appears in Arc 3 laptops and desktop GPUs. Intels Arc desktop graphics card GPU lineup. Intel Intels Arc mobile graphics lineup. Intel From there, those GPUs can be sliced and diced to meet different market needs. The charts above show how the first generation of Arc graphics for laptops shook out. Xe HPG graphics clock speeds Something might have jumped out at you in those laptop GPU spec charts above: their ultra-low clock speeds. (The desktop GPUs run much faster, and much more typically.) In an era where Nvidias GPUs push 2GHz and some AMD GPUs clear 2.5GHz, seeing Intels Arc mobile topping out at 1650MHz and going as low as 900MHz is a tad eye-raising. Clock speeds between rival graphics brands arent as clear cut as they seem, however. Intel AMDs Game Clock for Radeon GPUs isnt the same as Nvidias Boost Clock, as Ive explained before. Intel is using yet another metric for its Arc GPUs, dubbed Graphics Clock. Petersen defined Intels Graphics Clock as the average clock speed of typical light and heavy workloads that particular GPU was intended for (so gaming for He XPG and likely compute tasks for workstation cards, for example). If you look at the laptop GPU charts above, youll also see a range of TDPs defined for each; the Graphics Clock is based off the lowest available TDP. In other words, Intels Graphics Clock for laptop graphics essentially represents almost a worst case scenario for Arc GPUs. (Desktop GPUs used a fixed power budget and behave much more typically, of course.) Intel All that said, graphics cores can run at different speeds depending on how hard theyre being pushedtheyll hit much higher speed in 2D retro games and much lower speeds in complex modern games that hit every part of the Xe Core and Render Slice, for example. And wattage can make a massive difference to performance as well; as weve seen with Nvidias mobile GeForce offerings, pumping more juice into a GPU can help propel a lower-tier GPU past a low-watt version of an ostensibly more potent sibling. Its also worth noting that clock speed isnt everything. In the same companys architecture, faster is generally bettera 2GHz GeForce GPU will be faster than a 1.5GHz one, say. But AMDs desktop Radeon RX 6500 XT lags behind its siblings despite packing a ludicrously fast 2.8GHz clock speed. Raw clock speed gains are far from the only way to drive faster performance, as AMDs Robert Hallock once explained on our Full Nerd podcast. That companys Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor actually saw big gaming performance gains by dropping clock speeds and plopping a huge slab of cache atop the chip. Its complicated, is what Im saying. But wait, theres more! Brad Chacos/IDG And that about does it for our tour of Intels Xe HPG architecture. If all this talk about matrix engines and media encoders got you hot and bothered, be sure to check out our Intel Arc A770 and A750 graphics card review for a deep dive into how all these technical tidbits manifest in reality. Arc performs very differently than its rivals, for better and sometimes for worse, and Xe HPG is the engine driving it all. Intels Arc A750 and A770 Limited Edition hit store shelves on October 12. A wholly-owned Ghanaian company, Niche Cocoa Industry, has opened a cocoa processing plant in the American city of Franklin in Tennessee, as part of a global expansion drive meant to consolidate its gains and process more Ghana cocoa beans for the world market. The company opened the factory on October 4 to help leverage the sizeable American market and its huge potential to develop both semi-finished and finished products cocoa products for the rest of the world. The plant is a partnership between Niche Cocoa and Omanhene Cocoa Bean Co., of Milwaukee and was commissioned by the United States of America (USA) Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Marisa Lago, officials of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), among others. It marked the first time that Niche, which is the largest private sector cocoa processor in Ghana, has entered the United States of America. The investment by Niche was touted by American state and federal agencies as the largest food and beverage investment by an Africa-based company in the U.S.A. and the largest Ghana foreign direct investment in American state of Wisconsin. The company already has operations in Germany. Mode of operation A statement from Niche Cocoa said the USA operations will be based from the Franklin Business Park location, where the company would operate from a 44,000-square feet space. It said the company would import cocoa cake, which will be pulverised to create cocoa powder for nationwide distribution. It said it would also manufacture finished chocolate made with cocoa butter and cocoa liquor produced in Ghana from the countrys premium cocoa bean. Unmistakable signal At the commissioning ceremony, the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade described the investment as historic, noting that it was an unmistakable signal to other companies across Africa and around the world that the USA was open for business. The Biden Administration is strengthening our relationships abroad to create jobs and prosperity at home. Niches investment here is more than just a new facilityit is an investment in American workers and in the Franklin community, Madam Lago said. She commended the Managing Director (MD) of Niche Cocoa, Edmund Poku, and the USA Department of Commerce for helping to facilitate the investment. Why USA The MD of Niche Cocoa Industry said at the commissioning that the size and nature of the USA market made it an obvious choice for Niche in its global expansion drive. Mr Poku explained that the company had successfully established itself as a formidable business in Ghana and in the eyes of some international customers. He said the company did that by mainly extracting high-quality semi-finished products from the cocoa bean for sale to key markets outside Ghana. The value within the supply chain comes from adding more value upstream and given the market dynamics, most of those big markets are outside of the African continent. Niche is proud, of not only of the quality of the product it has delivered but also of the flavor and taste of the Ghanaian cocoa bean, which is the worlds most premium bean. The USA became a natural choice for expansion, given the market size and potential to develop both semi-finished products and also selling more products up the value chain such as chocolates, Mr Poku said. Taking into account proximity to customers, logistics, high-quality human capital, and a business-friendly environment, Wisconsin was a great choice. We know how to build factories and so we could do that anywhere but the partnership between what we know how to do and what Wisconsin can offer Niche to succeed in our next chapter is what has brought us to the state, he explained. Exciting times The Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WEDC, Missy Hughes, said her outfit was excited about Niches presence in the state. Madam Hughes said the food and beverage sector was one of the states economic drivers and Niche Cocoas decision to locate there complemented the states existing businesses and opens new possibilities for collaboration in the supply chain. The Mayor of the City of Franklin, Steve Olson, said the city was happy to welcome Niche Cocoa to the Franklin Business Park, where it joined several other well-known food processors and other manufacturers Mr Olson said Niche Cocoa continued Franklins long history of welcoming international corporations to its fast-growing community. 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 Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has expressed satisfaction with progress of work on the Agenda 111 Hospital projects in the Northern Region. He has, however, charged the contractors on the projects to speed up work to ensure their completion on schedule. The eight district hospitals being constructed in the region are expected to be completed by December 2023. Addressing the media after touring some of the projects to assess progress of work yesterday, Dr Bawumia said: "I am very happy with the pace of work so far; I never knew the contractors had gone this far." The Vice-President began his two-day tour of the region last Sunday. Significance Dr Bawumia said the Agenda 111 initiative was an aggressive approach to addressing the healthcare infrastructure deficit in the country. He said after 60 years of independence, there were still about 90 districts across the country without hospitals to serve the people. One of the things that we have to appreciate fundamentally is that Agenda 111 is really a bold initiative by the government because we are saying that every district should have a hospital; that is the vision, he said. According to him, about 87 hospitals were at various stages of construction across the country, with the five regions of the north having about 27 of those projects. Courtesy call As part of the tour, the Vice-President paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of the Savelugu Traditional Area, Yoo-Na Yakubu Abdulai Andani, at his palace. He commended the chief for his immense contribution towards the attainment of peace in the region, saying: "You are the reason there is peace in Dagbon today and we must commend you." For his part, Yoo-Na Andani lauded the government for initiating interventions which he said were helping to improve the fortunes of the people. He appealed for the establishment of a technical and vocational training institute in the area to help equip the youth with employable skills. 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 Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has welcomed news from the European Union (EU) that there is no ban on cocoa from Ghana. He described the report as good news. The process of improving the quality of Ghanaian cocoa should be a mutually agreed path that aligns our common interests. Good news, the Ofoase Ayirebi lawmaker tweeted after the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaarly said Europe is not banning Ghanas cocoa. Mr Irchad Razaarly said the EU rather wants more of Ghanas cocoa. Speaking at the second Edition of Orange Cocoa Day 2022 in Accra, the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaarly, said The call for more sustainable cocoa production is growing globally. And our citizens in Europe are increasingly demanding measures for ensuring that cocoa and other commodities are produced in a socially environmental sustainable way. This explains EUs legislation on afforestation and forest degradation and must not be seen as a threat to Ghanas cocoa. There is no ban on Ghanas cocoa. On the contrary, we want more of Ghanas cocoa, and we are in support of Ghana and Cote dIvoire amongst all of the producers who meet these requirements. Earlier Mr Oppong Nkrumah revealed that the Ghana Embassy in Belgium under the leadership of Ambassador Sena Boateng, has brought to the attention of the Government of Ghana that in Europe, there is new legislation that could soon make Ghanaian cocoa and coffee unexportable to many international markets. Mr Oppong Nkrumah further indicated that the Embassy has also commenced work on realigning Ghanaian and European interests in cocoa and coffee. 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 He used to be one of the pioneer DJ cum Presenters on PeaceFM. Infact, he made listening to "adadamu" the vogue on radio. Nat "Sankofa Tete" Arthur is the name. He relocated to the UK a couple of years ago. Nathaniel Arthur, from East Croydon, has worked on the railways for three years. He has twice been involved in life-saving episodes, and his prompt action has been recognised with a lifesavers award. Here, he shares his experience. The first intervention I made on the railway was about two years into the job. I had just helped a passenger on to a train and noticed a middle-aged woman on her own crying on the platform. She kept looking at our customer information board, but it was clear she was upset. I approached calmly and tried to start a conversation with her. But she was reluctant to speak to me. She started to walk away and then boarded one of our trains, but I had a feeling deep down that something wasnt right. I kept an eye on her and asked my colleague to contact the British Transport Police, who were able to get on the train with her. It was clear the lady needed help, so I was glad to pick up on the behaviour even though I was quite nervous as Id never been in that situation before. Unfortunately, I had to make another intervention more recently. Again, I spotted a woman on her own this time, she was standing extremely close to the edge of the platform, which immediately raised alarm bells. I got closer to her and started talking very calmy, asking if she was ok, if there was anything I could do to help. She was adamant that she wanted to stay where she was, it was clear she was very distressed and emotional. I stayed with her, just talking and gradually moving closer and closer to her until I was able to persuade her to move away from the platform edge. I stayed and sat down with her talking until the BTP came to help. It was very worrying because she was clearly in a dark place in her life. But sadly shes not alone in feeling like that. Im grateful to have had the suicide prevention training from work and the Samaritans to help me feel more confident in approaching these situations. Working at a station comes with a lot of risks, and you have to be prepared to face a number of situations. When my children found out I had received a lifesaver award, they were incredibly proud. Nathanial Arthurs employers, Govia Thameslink Railway, say that if someone is thinking of taking their life, they should contact the Samaritans. The calls can be made at any time and are always free from any phone on 116123, even a mobile without credit and it wont show up on your phone bill. Laura Campbell, GTRs Suicide Prevention Manager, shares the vital Dos and Donts that they advise their staff to follow when approaching a vulnerable person: DO Phone 999 immediately if you are very concerned about someones behaviour at a station Let a member of staff or fellow passenger know if you are going to approach the individual Approach carefully and slowly, from the side if possible Try to start a conversation whatever comes naturally Try to move them to a safe place and find somewhere quiet to talk Ask open questions: these are helpful as they encourage people to talk through their problems Ask how they feel: Being invited to say how theyre feeling could be a big relief and you may find out more about what theyre really worried about DONT Put yourself between the person and the tracks Go on the tracks under any circumstances Give advice If the individual doesnt want help, try not to put any pressure on them. Stay nearby and do not leave them on their own Read Full Story .... HERE >>> : Source: insidecroydon.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Ghana on Saturday, 1st October 2022 held its first investor education program in the Northern Region dubbed, TIME WITH THE SEC Tamale edition. The program which is a flagship initiative of the SEC forms part of the SECs strategic thrust of educating members of the investing public and other key stakeholders about the SEC, the Ghanaian Capital Market and other important investment topics. The theme for the event was "Understanding the Role of SEC in the Capital Market" and it featured topics such as how to make use of the Capital Market (buying shares, collective investments schemes and capital raising); and how to identify Ponzi or Pyramid Schemes. The event was also used by the SEC to provide latest information on the Government Bailout Program as well as share other updates in the Securities Industry. There was also an engaging Open Forum which provided the investing public with an opportunity to ask questions and make their issues known directly to the SEC. In a welcoming remark, Naa Yab Gulkpe, Alhaji Naa Alhassan, Paramount Chief of Tamale and Chairman of the program whose speech was read on his behalf thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for organising its flagship program in the Northern Region. According to Naa Yab Gulkpe, the capital market is of utmost significance to growing economies since such economies need new forms of financial intermediation to finance investments that are either too long term or too risky for commercial banks to venture into. Such long-term financing makes the capital market an important driver for spurring economic growth and innovation he said. He further noted that the high level of ignorance among the investing public is a challenge that must be tackled because in many cases people who fall victims to fraudulent investment schemes are not well informed about investment and capital market activities. I therefore applaud the Securities and Exchange Commission once again for looking beyond the national capital for this outreach program he added. The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saidu, in his remarks stated that the capital market is a very important part of Ghanas financial industry since it brings together suppliers of capital and those who seek it for varied purposes. He noted that the Northern part of Ghana encompasses various opportunities that needs to be harnessed and leveraged to unearth massive benefits to the country. He however added that these opportunities require patient capital to make them a reality and the capital market holds the key to unlock such patient capital. Additional remarks were also made by the Director-General (DG) of the SEC, Rev. Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh, who explained the rationale for the program. According to Rev. Ogbarmey Tetteh, the TIME WITH THE SEC is to demystify the capital market and help members of the investing public and the public better understand what the industry is all about, and the products in the industry to facilitate their meaningful and well-informed participation in the market he said. He pointed out significant steps that had been taken to strengthen the Securities Industry including issuing important Guidelines for Market Operators such as the Corporate Governance Code for Listed Companies 2020 (SEC/CD/001/10/2020) and Securities Industry (Conduct Of Business) Guidelines 2020 (SEC/GUI/004/10/2020); the introduction of more stringent licensing requirements; the launch of a 10-year Capital Market Master Plan to serve as a blueprint for the growth and development of the Ghanaian Capital Market; the implementation of a nationwide investor education program; and close up collaboration with Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion with their presence include Mrs. Deborah Mawuse Agyemfra, Deputy Director-General Legal of the SEC; Mr. Paul Ababio, Deputy Director-General Finance of the SEC; Mrs. Tucci Goka Ivowi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX); Mr. Robert Owoo, Chief Operating Officer, GCX; Directors and Heads of Departments at the SEC; and representatives from Ministry of Food and Agriculture, EOCO, GCB Capital Limited, Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), and Peer Regulators in Ghanas financial sector. Requests for further information can be made by sending an email to [email protected], via the toll-free line, 0800100065 or visiting the SEC website at www.sec.gov.gh. By Order of the SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION DATED: 3rd OCTOBER 2022 Counting on your usual cooperation and support. Thank you. Yours sincerely, The Communications & External Affairs Unit Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C) Email: [email protected] Tel: (+233) 0302768970 Website: www.sec.gov.gh 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will today at 10am hold talks with members of the National House of Chiefs and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs) at Manhyia over illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in the country. The meeting will take place at Manhyia in the Ashanti region and comes amid a resurgence in galamsey activities. Presidential pledge It will be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in July 2017 put his presidency on the line with a commitment to end the illegal small-scale mining popularly called galamsey in Ghana. Rallying Ghanas traditional leaders together the president, said if there is one right thing to be done, that thing is for all to fight galamsey, reclaim the lands and leave for posterity a green country and a clean space. He was addressing a forum against illegal mining organized to get Ghanas chiefs involved in the fight against illegal mining. He said even though he had great allies in government, the war against galamsey cannot be won without the influence of the chiefs. We cannot win this fight without the traditional support of chiefs, he said, adding, "for any serious project, if you are not involved it doesnt happen". 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 Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, has made revelations about Ghana's history of repatriation of Chinese illegal miners. The illegal mining trade has been inundated by Chinese nationals who reportedly offer juicy deals to Ghanaian collaborators to own their lands for this menace. This illegitimate business, locally called 'galamsey', has become a bane of the country with the miners destroying the environment and water bodies and posing dangers to lives. One of the Chinese galamsey kingpins named Aisha Huang has been arrested and facing prosecution as part of measures to deter the illegal miners. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" discussion programme Wednesday morning, Kweku Baako disclosed that the Government of Ghana has since 2005 repatriated fifty thousand (50,000) Chinese nationals but only as few as two or three have been imprisoned in Ghana. "We have had the [culture] history of repatriating Chinese nationals arrested on the mining site. That is a fact. In fact, since 2005 to date, we have repatriated 50,000 Chinese. Only few have been sent to court and tried and only two or three are in prison. It's been the policy . . .by the State." To him, repatriating the Chinese doesn't send strong warning as it would if a severe punishment were meted out to them. "The Ghana Immigration Service will tell you that the policy is not deportation but repatriation and there are instances. I have the publications here where they arrested about 1,000 and they, themselves, pleaded to be repatriated. It's called voluntary repatriation. Some will tell you maybe we don't have the physical structures to contain them in prison and things but punish some. Punishing some sends a certain signal, deterrence," he said. 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 Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has partially supported the call for declaration of a state of emergency on galamsey activities. OccupyGhana last week wrote to the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo asking him to show more commitment towards the fight against galamsey. They called on the President to declare a state of emergency in the various mining areas across the country. In the letter dated September 28, 2022, OccupyGhana said; We risk losing our very essence as a nation unless immediate and radical action is taken, first to STOP all unregulated and illegal mining, and then put a process in place to REGULATE artisanal mining, going forward. We therefore request that you take immediate steps towards declaring a state of emergency in every mining area in Ghana. Also, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Amansie South District, Clement Opoku Gyamfi, has asked government to declare a state of emergency to fight the activities of illegal mining (galamsey). "The nation will be in trouble should the media give up. If the Police gets fed up with the fight of galamsey, it won't augur well for the country. Ghana Armed Forces and Immigration Service, don't give up," he said. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Kwamena Duncan stated that "it is well-intended that state of emergency should be declared" because "when you declare a state of emergency, it gives certain powers to the President". He, however, asked "when declared, what is that will be done so differently that will give a certain substance to the state of emergency?" The former Minister proposed that Military camps should be permanently established at the mining sites. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Kasoa Odupong Ofaakor Circuit Court has sentenced two Nigerians to 40 years imprisonment with hard labour for robbery. The two were arrested by the police after a failed robbery attempt on a mobile money vendor at Kasoa New Market junction on May 17, 2022. The convicted persons, Bright Okwara and Ferdinand Obi, pleaded not guilty to attempted robbery and robbery. However, the Court presided over by Mr Ebenezer Osei Darko, found them guilty after their trial and sentenced each person to 20 years imprisonment. On the day of the incident, a mobile money vendor, Mr Hassan Nuru Yaroh, had gone to withdraw money from the bank for mobile money business when he was attacked. The Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Amponsah, told the Court that Mr Yaroh withdrew an amount of GH11,800 and was on his motorbike to the shop when he noticed another motorbike following him. He said realising that he was being followed, Mr Yaroh decided to ride to the police station but unfortunately, his motorbike broke down and the two caught up with him. The convicts then snatched the money and sped off but luckily, Mr Yaroh's bike started again, and he followed them until they were caught up in traffic at the police post near the market junction and he sounded an alarm to alert the people around. The victim, according to the Prosecutor, got closer and hit them with his bike, snatched back the money while passers-by surrounded and arrested and handed them over to the police. 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 An International Expert in Information Security, Professor Godfried Williams, has advised the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) not to rule out cyber attacks on its system. He noted that the disruption of services clearly showed that the ECG did not have a robust cyber resilient plan in place to respond to attacks of such nature. In an interview last Sunday on how the ECG could secure its system, Prof. Williams who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Intellas, an IBM Business Partner said with a resilient plan in place, the ECG could have still provided services to clients despite the attacks. Breaches Giving further details, Prof. Williams said the cyber breaches could be caused by internal or external sources. He explained the idea that it could come from outside might not always be the case because there might be attackers who operated internally. But the only thing which is obvious is that there is a denial of service, which means that the systems have been attacked. The way out is to prepare ahead, but in situations that you are not prepared and it happens in real time, you need to face the consequences like what we are seeing with ECG today, he said. Key actors The information security expert said the problem was no longer a wholly ECG burden, emphasising that there was the need for the involvement of all key actors to solve the situation. That, he said, was because when attackers succeeded in their quest in a particular country, the trend was that they made several efforts at others because they could see more vulnerability in the system. And so, this may be just the beginning, and we need to brace ourselves and prepare ahead, he stated. Protecting threats To protect against the threats, Prof. Williams said there should be collaborative efforts among businesses, institutions, experts and regulatory authorities in the cyber space to create an enabling environment that would help them guard against vulnerabilities to cyber attacks. He explained that the collaboration should precede the creation of a robust cyber security ecosystem that thrived on consistent engagements among relevant stakeholders and championed by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA). Prof. Williams said recent instances of attacks demonstrated the necessity for industry-wide collaboration to fight against the threats. The attacks, he said, often had significant impacts with regards to financial losses to the affected entity and its clients, and so it required firms to build cyber resilience. He added that in building cyber resilience, firms needed to anticipate, predict, detect and protect their key infrastructure from attacks. Background Many homes in the country have been plunged into darkness after the ECGs prepaid metering system failed to render services to its consumers from Monday, September 26, 2022. According to a press statement issued by the ECG on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the electricity distributor admitted to experiencing technical challenges which had affected prepaid metering systems, thereby interrupting the vending of prepaid electricity credit across the country. Affected customers should please note that our ICT team is working assiduously to correct the anomaly and restore the system to normalcy, the statement said. However, five days after the issue of the statement, consumers were still reported to be stuck in darkness as they were unable to load power credit to their prepaid system. 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 Many cocoa farmers who gathered at this year's Cocoa Day celebration at Suhum in the Eastern Region in anticipation of a new cocoa price hike went home disappointed. This is because the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo, did not announce the new price as they had hoped but rather told them to expect the new price early next week. The farmers, who thronged the area from the cocoa growing communities in the country, expressed dissatisfaction about the failure to announce the new price. Currently, a bag of cocoa costs GH660 but the farmers said that was on the low side, as it did not match the current cost of production and economic situation. Cocoa Day The Ghana Cocoa Board commemorates the Cocoa Day each year to recognise the contribution of cocoa farmers and stakeholders for their contribution towards the economy. It is also used to promote the consumption of cocoa by creating awareness of its health and nutritional benefits. A series of events are held during the week, climaxed with a grand durbar at a selected cocoa production community. Suhum hosted this years event which was on the theme, "COCOBOD @ 75; Sustaining Our Environment, Wealth and Health." It was attended by cocoa farmers, workers of COCOBOD, stakeholders in the cocoa industry, government officials such as the Municipal Chief Executive for Suhum, Margaret Darko Darkwah, and the Member of Parliament for the area, Oboafo Asante. Be patient Addressing the farmers, Mr Addo, who represented the sector Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, said the new price would definitely be announced to cocoa farmers early next week. He explained that the delay in coming out with the new price for the commodity was because the committee assigned to deliberate on the price was yet to conclude its work. Mr Addo, therefore, appealed to the gallant cocoa farmers to exercise restraint and patiently wait for the new price which would be announced once the committee had presented a report on its work. Exhibition Before the climax, an exhibition of varieties of cocoa products was held. Also on display were chemicals used for the cultivation of cocoa, insurance companies exhibited their products some financial institutions were there to enable cocoa farmers solicit for financial support, as well as some non-government organisations (NGOs) who operate in cocoa growing areas. Earlier, some workers of COCOBOD went on a float through the principal streets of Suhum with placards some of which read, "Cocoa is a lucrative business for the youth", "Illegal mining is an environmental disaster", "Cocoa is Ghana and Ghana is Cocoa", "Cocoa lowers blood pressure", "Regular cocoa consumption reduces stress", "Consume cocoa daily for a healthy life", and "Let's say no to galamsey among others. Cocoa contribution The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, said it was an undisputed fact that cocoa had contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the country. He said although cocoa was a single crop, it had positively affected the livelihoods of every Ghanaian household. Mr Aidoo said although the government had made tremendous efforts to improve the lives of cocoa farmers as well as the fortunes of the cocoa industry, such efforts had been faced with an unprecedented challenge of illegal mining (galamsey). The activities of the illegal miners not only had the potential of crippling the cocoa sector but also threatened people's means of survival as humans, that is environmental degradation. 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 The Ghana Hotels Association (GHA) has hinted at its intention to break away from the Ghana Tourism Federation (GHATOF) by end of this month to fully concentrate on the hospitality industry. Dr Edward Ackah-Nyamike, President of the Ghana Hotels Association, speaking in an interview on Tuesday said the decision to break away from the Federation was taken somewhere in 2018 and it was purposely for the Association to focus fully on hospitality as the Federation was more focused on tourism. Mind you, hospitality as an industry can be very independent and it can be very exclusive. Technically, we dont need tourism to survive, however, we can do a lot with tourism, he stated when he announced the breakaway. He noted that the Association intended to ratify its decision during the next National Executive Council Meeting (NEC) in Tamale, later in the month. Dr Ackah-Nyamike however said that with the forming of the Confederation, NEC would advise on that, but it would be done in the shortest possible time not to leave so much gap. He added that the Association wanted to put hospitality in its rightful place in the scheme of things in this country, hence, breaking away and forming a new confederation was the way to go. With regards to the Federation, we are exiting to form a new Hospitality Federation that will focus on hospitality but where there is the need for collaboration with GHATOF we will do that, he said. We want to also look beyond tourism because our issues and challenges are very different from tourism issues, but we are getting to a point where the whole talk has been on tourism, and we are losing grip on hospitality, he explained. He said, as the name implies GHATOF appears to be focusing more on tourism, but we are in the hospitality business, and we want to begin to get the hospitality industry to take on its role as an industry devoid of all the too much focus on tourism. It is assumed that once there is tourism, there is hospitality, but that is not the case, and we think that over the years leadership has been focusing too much on tourism. He noted that the GHA was of the view that over the years, the hospitality industry had been marginalized, so the breakaway would allow for focus, and a clear vision and purpose. As the president of GHA, I am a member of the Council for GHATOF, and we have been very supportive and active, but we have come to the crossroad where we have realized that it was the best decision taken four years ago and we need to implement it, he noted. 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 Broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere has berated the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Betty Mould-Iddrisu, for her criticism of the current Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Godfred Dame. The former Attorney General chastised Godfred Dame for showing 'disrespect' towards former president John Dramani Mahama while reacting to critical comments the former president made about the judiciary. She described Dame's comment at the last Bar Conference held in Ho as unfortunate, undemocratic and a slap in the face of Ghanaians demanding fairness from the Judicial arm of government. Very unfortunate for a young Attorney General, Godfred Dame to come out with such statements about our former President. He was disrespectful and very upsetting to me, having held that position before. "I forgive him because I am a Christian and it's an act of charity... Betty Mould told IDEAS Exchange show host on XYZ TV, Eric Ahianyo. But, Adom-Otchere while speaking on his Good Evening Ghana show, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, said that Godfred Dame did no wrong with his criticism of John Dramani Mahama. According to him, Dame was right because the former president and other members of the National Democratic Congress keep criticising the judges in the country without facts. For important people like Aunty Betty when you are speaking, give us some details so that we can jump on it and help build a better society. when an important arm of government (like) the legislature, executive, judiciary or the media, the fourth estate, does something wrong, I think that the stakeholders must say what it is. So that those of us outside can understand. People must be bold enough to say that this is what has happened, he said. Listen to Adom-Otchere's remarks in the video below (from 15:00): Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, on Monday, 3rd October, 2022, paid a visit to the National Officers and staff of the NPP at the Party National Headquarters, Asylum Down. This visit forms part of the initiative introduced by the current executives, dubbed Party-Government Engagements, meant to bridge the gap between Government Appointees and Party Officers in the Partys quest to mobilize its rank and file for a third consecutive electoral victory in 2024. Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, who was accompanied by Richard Gyamfi, Head of International Relations and Partnership, interacted with the National Organizer of the NPP, Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye; Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Antoinette Tsibu-Darko; Director of Finance and Administration, William Amoah; Director of Research and Elections, Evans Nimako; Deputy Director of Research, Dr. Nyame Baafi, and some staff of the Party Headquarters. The National Organizer thanked the Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat for the visit, and commended him for transforming the Scholarship Secretariat through the successful rollout of many interventions including the digitization of the scholarship application process, decentralization of the scholarship award process to the various Districts, among others. Lawyer Nana Boakye urged the Registrar to take immediate steps, as possible, to address the legitimate concerns of beneficiaries of government scholarships such as undue delay in the release of scholarship subventions. He also commended Dr. Kingsley for doing an excellent job in widening the scholarship net and implored him to do more to increase scholarship opportunities for the nations youth and members of TESCON in particular. On his part, the Registrar of the Scholarship Secretariat assured the party leadership that his outfit was committed to collaborating with the Party and all relevant stakeholders in the discharge of their mandate of administering government scholarships both locally and abroad. 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 Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has expressed frustrations over the state of Ghana's economy and the attitude of the citizens. Discussing national issues bordering on illegal mining (galamsey) and terrorism among others, Mr. Pratt was extremely worried about the future of the country. He condemned practices where people build houses at unauthorized sites such as waterways and places earmarked for road networks and so forth. He made reference to current conflict on lands at Weija Gbawe where a dam has been constructed to control the flow of the river in the area but the place has been encroached by settlers who have erected buildings there and now risk their houses being demolished. He also raised concerns over other places which are designated to be flight zones, hence no building nor project should be constructed there but all warnings have been ignored and today these zones have turned into a real estate dwelling for the rich in society. Mr. Pratt also complained about the indiscriminate use of sirens by drivers which, he stressed, should be a grave matter of concern to the State authorities because it could create an opportunity for insurgents to enter the country. In Kwesi Pratt's estimation of the country, almost everything is amiss in Ghana. "What one thing is going well in Ghana?", he asked and challenged "somebody should just tell me one specific thing that's going on well". With all these and many issues broached by the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show Tuesday morning, Mr. Pratt concluded that if nothing is done to stop these practices, a time may come that every Ghanaian would opt to run from the country. "We couldn't protect our gold. We didn't get any benefits from it and it's also destroyed our lands. We have also built houses in the waterways. We are also cutting down our cocoa trees. We are also being threatened by Boko Haram. What is left again? Somebody should tell me. What is left is for us to run from here?", he questioned Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Minority in Parliament has described as cosmetic, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapors recent statement suggesting government never knew the extent of devastation by illegal mining. The Minister who was speaking at the 40th Anniversary celebration by the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), just after a working visit to Manso Datano in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region, said he was shocked at the level of devastation, which couldnt have happened on the blind side of local authorities. The question I ask is, how could this have happened on the blind side of the Chief, elders, assemblymen, unit committee members, district police commander, district chief executive, district officers of the minerals commission, forestry commission, environmental protection agency and the members of the community?he asked. He virtually took a swipe at traditional authorities who he blamed for not helping governments effort. I come from a palace and I can say without a shred of equivocation that in most cases, no one, and I repeat, no one can bring a chain saw to harvest in the forest or an excavator to mine in the bush or chanfang to work on a river body in a community without the knowledge, acquiescence or passive approval somehow of the Chief, Elders, the assemblymen, opinion leaders and or local authorities in the community. But the Minority in a strongly worded statement described the Ministers lamentation as laughable. Why will anyone be surprised when it is clear that there were no practical actions to save our lands after the several expensive conferences the government organised, the statement emphasized. It noted that it had previously raised concern about illegal mining before it gained renewed national attention and challenged government to demonstrate willingness to curb the menace and stop the pretence. Twice this year, the minority through the Mines and Energy Committee drew the attention of Government about the relapse in their fight against galamsey. We called on the Ministers responsible to wake up from their long-drawn sleep and save our lands from selfish galamsay operators. The Minority maintained that government clearly knows the actors and has allowed illegal mining to continue, with known party supporters busily sinking machines into lands all over, including state reserved areas, polluting our fresh waters and destroying farm lands. The ease at which private citizens, many of foreign background, plunge into our lands and ravage it under this Regime is very worrying. It justifies why many citizens and civil society groups express worry about the future of our country.it emphasized. 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 Chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Nana Akosua Sarpong Kumankumah, has extended a hand to the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) urging it to consider a possible merger to enable them to take up the reins of government. While paying glowing tribute to the founder of the PPP, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, Nana Sarpong Kumankumah said the enthusiasm to give Ghanaians a third viable political party, which led to the inauguration of the PPP, was still relevant as it was 10 years ago. Come home Come home and lets together fight this humongous evil that is in this country making sure our children do not get what they deserve. Come home and lets with unity go to the Jubilee House and take over governance and make sure that the youth of this country have a better alternative. Come home, she emphasised. She said the CPP is ready, you are ready, lets all come together, she emphasised. In a solidarity message at a rally to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the PPP last Saturday at Elmina in the Central Region, Nana Sarpong Kumankumah said it was only with a united front that a third force could take up the seat of governance and give Ghanaians and particularly the youth a better alternative. The event held at the Nana Kobina Gyan Square in Elmina was attended by members and sympathisers of the PPP across the country. It was on the theme: 10 years of progressive focus to bring change in Ghanas Democratic Governance-The Way Forward. Commendation The CPP chairperson commended the founder of the PPP for the immense impact he through the PPP had made on the countrys political landscape, saying she was certain that things would have been different if Dr Nduom was part of the political campaign in 2020. She said while there had been issues which, undoubtedly, caused the founder of the PPP to start the PPP as a possible third alternative party, there was the need to build bridges to build a formidable party capable of taking the reins of government. Nana Sarpong Kumankuma said Dr Nduom had the spirit of Ghanas first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, saying Dr Nduom had proven that he was a great political asset. She said his presence should ignite the spirit of Dr Nkrumah and propel them to unity to win power. Efforts by the Nkrumahist parties to merge into a formidable political force has faced a lot of challenges making them unable to make any meaningful impact in the countrys recent general elections. 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 President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reiterated his commitment to working hand-in-hand with Chiefs, traditional rulers and all stakeholders in the fight against Galamsey. According to President Akufo-Addo, it is obvious that, if we are to win the fight, you and I have to take the lead to collaborate closely to do so. That is why I am here today. Addressing the National House of Chiefs on Wednesday, 5th October 2022, the President noted that eighty percent (80%) of the lands Ghana continue to be under the custody of Chiefs, whereas the remainder of twenty percent (20%) is held in trust by the President. What this means, he said is that, ultimately, the welfare of the state of the lands is the joint responsibility of Chiefs and the President, although, by statute, the minerals in the soil belong to the President in trust for the people. Historically, we discharged that responsibility well. Even though, for centuries, we have been a mining nation, mining did not pose a threat to the health of our environment and water bodies. The rules that you put in place for mining ensured that the sanctity of our lands remained intact, and our water bodies remained unpolluted. Tragically, in the modern era, that is no longer the case. And that is why I have come to you today to talk about how, together, we can repair this dramatic situation, he said. President Akufo-Addo indicated that, since he took office, on 7th January 2017, he has made it a central feature of his presidency to lead in the efforts to rid the country of the menace of Galamsey, with a firm commitment made in his inaugural speech on the matter. It has not been easy, it has not been popular, and we have not got the immediate results that I was looking for. Indeed, in the last elections of 2020, my stance on the issue cost my party and I significant losses in the mining communities. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bombast nor recklessness. It was the simple truth, he said. The President continued, We have tried many initiatives, including that of the Community Mining Scheme, and the establishment of a new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon, which has imposed severe sanctions on those, Ghanaians and foreigners, convicted of illegal mining. Still, we have not won the fight. In seeking further assistance from the National House of Chiefs in addressing the galamsey phenomenon, he noted that taking partisan political interests out of the fight against galamsey is one way forward. It can only succeed if it is a truly national battle, which no one seeks to exploit for political gain, as we saw in the last election. The progress of our country depends on all of us, all citizens of Ghana, all Fellow Ghanaians, pulling together to defeat this existential threat to our future, he added. Reiterating the stance of Government, President Akufo-Addo noted that we are not against mining, but we cannot accept mining in a manner that risks destroying our country. Our nation has always been a mining nation. Indeed, in the 15th century, when the first Europeans, the Portuguese, came to our shores, they called the first European-influenced town, Elmina, meaning the mine in Portuguese, because, from their ships as they approached our shores, that is the activity they saw our people engaged in. it is not surprising that, in colonial times, we were called the Gold Coast. He, thus, asked all Ghanaians to join hands with him in the fight against illegal mining, in order to bring an end to the devastation of the Ghanaian landscape, and the pollution of our water bodies. We have to win that fight to keep our environment clean, and protect our heritage for our descendants, as you did in the past, he added. 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 The Communications Directorate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, paid a working visit to the management of Despite Media at Abeka Junction. The team also interacted with the Presenters and panel on the various morning shows on Peace FM, UTV, Okay FM and Neat FM as well as Peacefmonline. The meeting, which was facilitated by the Communications Directors of the party, was to afford them the opportunity to interact with the Despite Media on the best ways to address legitimate concerns in respect of the communication mechanism of the party. The meeting explored ways to ensure effective collaboration between NPP Communicators and Despite Media. Communications Director of the party, Mr. Richard Ahiagbah, addressing the meeting, said; Our mission here today is to meet your outfit to know how best you can help us tell our story. We have a good product that we are selling and need your outfit to help our voices to be heard in the media space. The reason is simple; Despite Media being very influential when it comes to Media in Ghana. So we are here to appeal to you all to give us your various platforms to air our message for the good people of Ghana to hear our voices and make a decision." Mr. Ahiagbah also stressed that the, NPP has always and continue to make good policies whenever we are in government unlike the opposition NDC that lack policies and without any social intervention but the challenges is that, there is a lope hole somehow in how to transcend our message to Ghanaians. Speaking of policies and social intervention, NPP can boast of NHIS, school feeding, capitation grant, Free SHS etc. Our message is short and that is we appeal to you to give us your platforms to air our message, he added. Deputy Communications Director, Jennifer Oforiwaa Queen, on her part, said; We respect you and gave you the needed respect because of the opportunity given to us to speak on your stations. We dont and will never take you for granted because we need you as much as you also need us so lets hold our hands together to move the country forward. We dont do propaganda but rather speak on issues and that is what we are known for as a political party. We need your platform to talk about what we have done, what we are doing and What we will do . Members of the media House also expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the party Communicators for according them the needed respect. They advised the Communications team to empower their Communicators by providing them with accurate information and urged them to stick to issues devoid of innuendoes, slander and insults. Unresponsive to calls from Producers was another challenge that the team urged them to take note. They advised them to ensure their appointees, MPs and other high profile members answer their calls when the need arises. They also told them to be patient when they hear their names or any issues related to the party on TV or radio and read them online as well. They further urged them to be proactive and know how to balance their communication and persuasion techniques. The NPP team was led by the Director of Communications, Mr. Richard Ahiagbah together with his Deputies in the persons of George Krobea Asante, Ernest Owusu Bempah, Kamal Deen and Jennifer Oforiwaa Queen. Other members of the Communications Directorate who went with the team were Nana Ayimadu Bekoe who is in charge of Deployment and Emmanuel Yaw Mensah, Administrator of the Directorate. Also, with the team as part of the media tour were Alexandra Akwasi Acquah, Member of Parliament for Akim Oda and Samuel Ayeh-Peye, Former Member of Parliament for Ayensuano constituency who are also members of the National Communications Team. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Chief Executive Officer of Engineers & Planners Ghana Limited, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama has been conferred EMY AFRICA, MAN OF THE YEAR at this years Exclusive Men Of the Year awards held on Saturday, October 1, 2022. The award was powered by Ghana Investment Promotion Centre. The special ceremony took place at the Grand Arena of Accra International Conference Centre. Mr. Ibrahim Mahama was awarded and specially recognized for his contribution to the growth and development of private sector businesses in Ghana and Africa. The EMY Africa awards, celebrate Leaders, Young Achievers, Community Builders to Captains of Industries across the continent. The Awards ceremony has fast become established as one of the biggest gatherings of influential and business leaders. Presenting the award to Mr. Mahama, the Board Chairman of Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Dr Felix E. Addo, acknowledged the immense contribution Mr. Mahama has made and continues to make to the economic development of Ghana. The award was also in recognition of his philanthropic activities. Dr. Addo said Mr. Ibrahim Mahama companies are economic powerhouse in Ghana and beyond. Speaking through the Technical Director of E&P, Mr. Majeed Abudu, Mr. Mahama said it is fulfilling that ones contribution to the development of the country is recognized. He said, more is being done to empower the teeming youth through job creation and mentorship. He thanked Ghanaians for accepting Dzata Cement since the company started operations last year. Mr. Mahama is the founder of Engineers and Planners an indigenous A-Class mining and construction company with an enviable record of working for multi-national companies both in Ghana and outside the shores of Ghana. He is also the owner of Asutsuare Poultry farm, one of the largest poultry establishments in Ghana. His latest venture is in the production of Portland cement, with the establishment of Ghanas first wholly owned cement producing company Dzata Cement. The plant has a capacity to produce 2.6 million tonnes of Portland cement in year. 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 Matt's fully loaded rig on Leg 1, enroute to Austria from Scotland. Matt on leg two, about to pedal from Whistler to Vermont, via Vancouver Airport First off, well done mate. Catch us up, last time we did a Q&A you'd just finished the EWS in the US, had the biggest crash of your life, and were on the way back to Europe. Scotland [Round 1 in June] has basically been washed out of my head, it feels like years ago. But yep, I came back to Europe, spent some time riding in the Alps with the Deviate Cycles team. It was really nice to come back to people who I knew and stay in one spot for more than a few days at time. The next race was Crans-Montana in Switzerland, not known to be the easiest place to travel on a budget, I heard you had a unique camp set up? There were a couple of decisions made by the organizers I wasn't too stoked about [laughs]. First the cost of living in the town, and second the timing of the race. I was not willing to splash the pockets that weekend and that same weekend it decided to snow so not totally stoked. When you say splash out the pockets, you mean not splash out on the expensive accommodation? I was on the DIY setup, living in the bivvy. I managed to smuggle a whole bunch of gas station food over the Swiss border so I had a weeks supply of lollies [candy or sweets for the non-Kiwis]. I also heard you were writing magazine articles in the bivvy at night before races Yeah, sitting up at night chipping away at these big magazine articles and not being able to focus on the EWS. It's a whole other ball to juggle. I think something I've learnt is that there's physical and mental fatigue. They are both huge impacts on your performance. How did the race itself at Crans Montana go? For me that weekend was quite hard. It was the start of a block - to all the people on the outside, I should've been fresh, but I wasn't fresh because I was working so hard. I was so gone mentally and physically - I didn't have much to give. There's so much more to it than the actual mission I'm on itself. It's setting stuff up for next year, it's sorting things from the past, and sharing the journey and story. Especially hard when you tell yourself you should feel good and because you've had a few more chill weeks, but really you're still working super hard.Although the weekend felt like a failure I learnt so much about the power of burnout and how to manage it best when you're stuck in that situation. You learn so much about yourself, your body and your mind when you're having those hard times. You don't learn much when it goes to plan. So it's 1000km and 4 days until the next round starts - you finish the race and right away start changing tyres? Yep, I managed to leave at 4pm. I took 45 minutes to pack up, getting pretty good at it I guess. I didn't do anything else after finishing but go and swap my tyres immediately afterwards. Not even food? Slick tyres on, and 32ish kg fully loaded. Ready to roll back to back 400km+ days. The French rubbing the pain in. Nope I did it on the bike, it was a waste of time. It was all about efficiency. The tightest ride between each race this year, how far did you go that first night? Also once again, not stoked on the timing of the EWS [laughs]. That night it hit -2 (28F) when I was pedalling. I made the decision not to sleep. I didn't have the equipment that was worthy of sleeping in -2 in the mountains. So made the call to not sleep and keep going. New Zealand doesn't often get that cold. Have you ever been in -2 degrees? I don't think I've done anything in minus conditions - fair to say I'm not acquainted with that weather. I didn't have the gear quite suitable. But what I did have was a sleeping bag. So I got the knife out and cut two holes in the bottom of it so I could stick my legs through and keep pedalling, as well as arm holes. I was like the Michelin Man - just less sponsored. And a sweaty mess by the end of it. That's unreal. So then how long did you ride for during that first leg, having started 45 minutes after finishing an EWS? Leg 1 - From 4pm Sunday to ~4pm Monday Leg 2 - From 11.30pm Monday - ~Midnight Wednesday It was 20 hours of pedaling, 22 hours of all up. So that puts us at ~4pm the Monday after race day - did you just fall off the bike as Michelin Man on the side of the road? Ha nope, so I ended up biffing the sleeping bag because all the stuffing had mostly fallen out. Which was a bold move to say the least. But I closely examined the weather and was confident that I'd be fine. You're in the middle of France heading south west, what did a bed look like? I didn't change anything, just slept with my helmet and slept with shoes on to save time in the morning. How long did you actually sleep for? I actually got a good sleep that night - that was pushing 6.5 hours of sleep. On the side of the bike path. And then woke up the next day and back into it? Not the furthest. But the hardest. I wanted to do a big chunk at the start to know I could get there. Well actually I got up on the same day - like 11.30pm. My thought was to tackle the night when I was most attentive because when day light hits, it feels like you've just started again. You broke your longest ride ever record on this pull, any mid-ride encounters like the Grouse in America or the Midgies in Scotland? Crow attack scars, endured while summiting the final 1000m climb into Loudenvielle after 1,000km in under 4 days Matt only stops at gas stations for supplies, it's fair to say the salt and vinegar chips have hindered his culinary experience while on his mission "they burn my tongue so I can't tell the difference in anything". Well I did get attacked on the final climb into Loudenville - I was in some state, I got attacked by a black bird. Its claws went into me. This was the tightest leg of your whole trip - you finally make it after averaging 340km days. Did you arrive in time for registration? I was four minutes late for registration - but luckily they were still there. I went down the Shakedown route fully loaded with slicks, bags and all because I thought it would be the quickest route.I arrived and then immediately went into a New Zealand news interview so had to stay up late. But this weekend I balled out and split an Airbnb with a few others. So you've done it, made it to the last round successfully in Loudenvielle. How's the carcass and what happened during the race? With the conditions I felt like a fish out of water. It was gnarly. The stuff at home usually gets closed when it's wet. I was quite happy with how I was doing, after stage 2 I was sitting in the Top 20. But at stage 3, I sent myself way down a bank and called it - it was too unsafe to keep pushing and I just wanted to finish.There wasn't much left in me. I was feeling gone. All I can say, is well done mate! What have you learned? Apart from sour lollies burn your tongue, they don't really speak English in Montreal, and bike boxes are a pain in the ass to ride with? I think the number one thing I learned is that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it no matter what, you just gotta go and do it. There's no holding you back. To learn you've got to fail. What would you say to someone who's thinking of giving it a crack? Do it, but be smart about it.Nobody sees the amount of organizing that goes into this. I have no plan B but I have a failure plan in place, if that makes sense. I don't want to set a plan B, it's an easy way out, but I think you need a fall back plan and a safety catch in case you end up in failure.Also, I think one of the keys to this is the power of words. "It's only this far," 'I've only got this far to go", and not let a single negative thought enter your mind stay positive even if it's tough. What's the most common question you get asked from interest people? What chammy do you use? The answers is simple, none. The quicker ass goes numb the better [Laughs].But in all seriousness, I want to thank all the people and brands who have supported us. It allowed me to get over to Canada and the States. It's phenomenal, it's made it a lot easier. I have to say Matty - meeting you in Europe this year I was impressed by your ambition but now I'm blown away and inspired by your drive and sense of purpose to get this done. It's so refreshing and inspiring. Thanks mate. Have your goals changed after this season? How is next year looking? Matt's total stats (excluding actual EWS Practice + Race Days): Scotland -> Austria 1550km 74 hours over 6 days Slovenia -> Italy 380km 19 hours over 4 days Whistler -> Vermont 403km 22 hours over 2 days Vermont -> Maine 238km 13 hours over 1 day Switzerland -> France 1021km 52 hours over 4 days EWS Overall Results I wanted to go overseas early so I could learn how it works. I've got few more years in U21, so hoping by the end of it I'm at the pointy end of the field. I'm hoping to get some low numbers next my name. The end goal is to get enough support so I don't have to pedal between all the races maybe...I'm still trying to work out next year, I still want to keep racing while adventuring. At this stage it looks like I'll be doing the same thing again, bikepack between each round and hopefully gain some support to possibly film and share the story.We wish Matt all the best for next year, and a good trip back home to Christchurch, NZ. Matt plans to take a well deserved rest, and we suspect scheme some more adventures.13th Overall Men U21 - "I got pipped out of the top 10 right at the end. Still something to be stoked on."10th Best Race Result - Austria & Whistler5th Best Stage Result - Vermont Here's What Witnesses Testified to on Day 2 of the Susie Zhao Murder Trial October 04, 2022 Connor Richards Editor & Live Reporter U.S. Warning: The following article contains graphic details involving murder and sexual assault. The second day of the trial for accused Susie Zhao murderer Jeffery Bernard Morris took place on Tuesday, Oct. 4 and featured testimony from a handful of witnesses, including a childhood friend of Zhao's who was one of the last people to see the poker player alive. Morris, 62, faces two felony murder charges in Michigan's Oakland County Circuit Court for the killing of Zhao, who police allege Morris sexually assaulted and burned alive. Other witnesses who testified during Day 2 of the trial, which is expected to last a week, include a medical examiner, a White Lake Police Department detective and a friend of Morris who saw him the day of the murder. Read about Day 1 of the Susie Zhao murder trial "Extensive Burning" At yesterday's hearing, prosecutors made the case that Zhao and Morris had met up on July 12, 2020 and that Morris, a convicted sex offender with a violent criminal history, zip-tied Zhao and drove her into a state recreation area and "(took) his fist and he hit her" in the genital area before "sprink(ling) the gas can over her and ... light(ing) her on fire while she's still alive." At the second day of trial, a deputy medical examiner for the Oakland County Medical Examiner Office confirmed that Zhao had "extensive burning on at least 95% of the body surface area," with the exception of her back and buttocks. A deputy medical examiner testifies in the Jeffery Morris trial The medical examiner also confirmed that Zhao had sustained a "laceration" between her vagina and anus, which he called a "significant deep wound" that was "half an inch or less" deep and made by "a significant force." The prosecution asked whether it could have been a fist that made the impact (they allege Morris had an obsession with violent "fisting" pornography and "used Zhao to make his violent fantasies come true"). "It could be," the medical examiner replied. The medical examiner further told the court that Zhao had soot in her windpipe and that she had died of "thermal body burns with ... soot inhalation," noting that she was likely alive for "a minute or two" after being lit on fire. A toxicology report also revealed therapeutic drugs and psychiatric medications in Zhao's system, including medications to treat schizophrenia, which prosecutors told the court yesterday Zhao had been diagnosed with. "She Seemed More Blankish" Michelle Lagrou, a childhood friend of Zhao who had known her for 18 years, took the stand and testified to being with Zhao the day she was killed. On July 10, Lagrou said she received a call from Zhao, who she hadn't been in close contact with, asking for a ride. Lagrou picked up Zhao and went to a friend's house in Saginaw, where she observed strange behavior from her childhood friend. Michele Lagrou testifies in the trial of Jeffery Morris "I thought she was acting somewhat strange, but I had heard from friends from some of mine ... that she was a little different," Lagrou said. "She seemed more blankish." Lagrou told the court that Zhao took her car without permission and that she noticed five pills of her Adderall prescription "were missing, so I assume that (Zhao) had taken them." Because of this, she tried driving Zhao to her mother's house on July 12 but ended up leaving her at a gas station when Zhao started acting "really weird and it rubbed me the wrong way." Lagrou testified that she hadn't known about her childhood friend's schizophrenia diagnosis, noting that "looking back now, it makes perfect sense." And Lagrou had trusted her friend despite the erratic behavior: "I've known this girl forever, so I didn't think she was stealing my car. So I just thought, 'is she lost?'" Other Testimony Others who testified include Jessica Drager, a forensic scientist for the Michigan State Police who stated that vaginal swabs from Zhao revealed Morris' DNA to be present, as well as a grocery store security manager who testified that Morris had shoplifted zip-ties and Vaseline the night of the murder and a gas station owner who testified to selling Morris a gas can. Additionally, a friend of Morris' testified that Morris "came over and wanted to borrow some money" for a hotel room on July 12 and noted that he saw a woman in a straw hat and glasses in Morris' car. Susie Zhao While she didn't testify, prosecutors read a statement from Zhao's mother, Fang Dai, who stated that she had picked Zhao up at the gas station on July 12 and taken her to her house. Dai and her husband left to get dinner later that evening and Zhao was gone when they returned. Dai also revealed more about her daughter's mental health history, noting that she and her husband had tried and failed to get Zhao institutionalized under court order in 2015. In 2018, the couple tried to get guardianship of Zhao, also to no avail. More Poker Players Speak Out With the case finally going to trial nearly two and a half years since Zhao's murder, a few poker pros took took to social media to remember Zhao, who was a regular in the Los Angeles cash game scene. Poker commentator Bart Hanson, himself a prominent figure in the LA poker world, called Zhao a "dear friend" and asked his followers to tune into the trial. On a more somber note the murder trial of my dear friend and LA poker pro @SusieQZhao started today in Michigan. It https://t.co/7aywlOb0L5 Bart Hanson (@BartHanson) Fellow commentator David Tuchman, meanwhile, tweeted that he had once had "Susie Q" over at his home for Thanksgiving dinner. "I miss her," said Tuchman. Other poker players who were close with Zhao include Ronnie Bardah, Xuan Liu, Brandon Shack-Harris and Clayton Fletcher. Day 3 of the trial, which is expected to last a week, according to Judge Martha Anderson, will commence on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. Images courtesy of Oakland County Circuit Court WouldIlieToYOU Denies Martirosian a Sixth Super MILLION$ Title October 05, 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor PokerNews yesterday asked if Artur Martirosian could come back from being eighth from nine in chips at the latest GGPoker Super MILLION$ final table and capture a record sixth title. The answer was ultimately no but the super-talented Russian did finish as the runner-up to "WouldIlieToYOU" of the Netherlands, who secured their second Super MILLION$ victory and a cool $357,739. GGPoker Super MILLION$ Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1 WouldIlieToYOU Netherlands $357,739 2 Artur Martirosian Belarus $280,497 3 Wiktor Malinowski Macau $219,933 4 Pablo Silva Brazil $172,446 5 Roman Novoselov Turkey $135,212 6 spaise411 Russia $106,018 7 Tyler "TheRayGuy" Cornell Mexico $83,127 8 Ramiro Petrone Uruguay $65,178 9 Aleksejs Ponakovs Latvia $51,105 The first finalist fell within the first ten minutes of action, and Aleksejs Ponakovs was that player. WouldIlieToYou min-raised to 80,000 from under the gun, Ponakovs raised to 340,000 leaving almost the exact same number of chips behind, then called when WouldIlieToYou set him all-in. WouldIlieToYou flipped over ace-king, which had the ace-nine of Ponakovs crushed. The five community cards failed to alter the course of the hand, and Ponakovs crashed out. Ramiro Petrone found himself on the wrong side of the rail after a clash with Wiktor Malinowski. The action folded to Malinowski in the hijack, and he min-raised to 120,000. Petrone called from the big blind. The jack-eight-seven all-spade flop saw Petrone check, Malinowski bet 60,000, and Petrone check-raise 180,000. Malinowski called. Both players looked on as the queen of clubs landed on the turn. Petrone bet 600,000 of his 623,640 stack before putting those chips in when Malinowski set him all-in. Petrone showed pocket aces with the ace of spades, but Malinowski had flopped a flush with a straight flush redraw with his queen-ten. The river bricked, and Petrone bowed out. Tyler Cornell Seventh place went to World Series of Poker bracelet winner Tyler "TheRayGuy" Cornell. Cornell lost all but a handful of big blinds after hitting a straight on the river with ten-nine when Malinowski had flopped a full house with his queen-jack. Cornell doubled-up but then open-shoved for 14 big blinds on the button with ten-nine and lost to Malinowski's king-ten. The final six became five when "spaise411" of Russia found himself with fresh air where his chips once stood. Spaise411 was down to 11 big blinds when they looked down at ace-ten under the gun and decided to play for stacks. Unfortunately, Martirosian woke up with pocket aces in the cutoff; spaise411 was drawing dead by the turn, although he did collect the Super MILLION$ first six-figure payout. Massive Prizes for Small Buy-ins in the GGPoker Mini MILLION$ From Oct. 2 Start-of-the-day chip leader Roman Novoselov was the next player heading for the exits; he busted after a cruel hand involving Martirosian. From the cutoff, Martirosian min-raised to 160,000, and Novoselov called in the big blind. Novoselov check-called a 135,000 continuation bet on the eight-queen-ten flop, which showed two diamonds. The six of diamonds was the turn card, and Novoselov led for 264,598, and Martirosian called. An offsuit nine completed the community cards, and Novoselov checked. Martirosian bet enough to set his opponent all-in, and Novoselov instantly called off his 1,133,759 chips. Novoselov turned over ace-deuce of diamonds, but Martirosian held a straight flush courtesy of his nine-seven of diamonds. Ouch. Martirosian added to his stack when he busted Pablo Silva in fourth. Silva min-raised to 200,000 from under the gun, and Martirosian called in the big blind. Both players checked on the king-nine-five flop, leading to a four on the turn. Martirosian bet 650,000 and Silva called. A deuce on the river was greeted by a shove by Martirosian, and an all-in call of Silva's pot-sized stack. Silva showed queen-nine, but the hot-running Martirosian flopped two pair with his king-five. Wiktor Malinowski Heads-up was set when Malinowski was eliminated at the hands of WouldIlieToYou, who limped in the small blind, and Malinowski checked. A seven-five-ace flop saw WouldIlieToYou lead for 100,000, and Malinowski call. A deuce on the turn saw similar action: WouldIlieToYou bet 328.125, and Malinowski call. The six of clubs completed the board, and WouldIlieToYou bet enough to set Malinowski all-in. Malinowski called off his 922,888 chips with queen-seven, not beliving WouldIlieToYou held an ace. WouldIlieToYou did not have an ace, but they did have a pair of tens in the hole, thus sending Malinowski to the showers. Martirosian held a substantial 12,043,315 to 5,556,685 chip lead over WouldIlieToYou going into heads-up and a sixth Super MILLION$ for Martirosian looked likely. However, WouldIlieToYou had other plans. WouldIlieToYou doubled up after Martirosian ran a bluff with ten-nine when WouldIlieToYou had flopped trip fours, putting the ball in the Dutch star's court. The final hand occurred during the 70,000/140,000/17,500a level, and saw WouldIlieToYou limp-call when Martirosian ripped in 2,535,177 chips with ace-four. WouldIlieToYou held pocket sixes, which held when the five community cards ran out queen-high. Martirosian narrowly missed out on becoming the first player to win six Super MILLION$ titles, with WouldIlieToYou securing his second such victory. PN Pod Special Edition: Robbi Jade Lew Addresses Hustler Casino Live Cheating Allegations October 05, 2022 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S. Hosts: Chad Holloway @ChadAHolloway Guests: Robbi Jade Lew LibsynSpotifyiTunesPodbeanPlayerFmStitcher In a special edition of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway sits down with Robbi Jade Lew, who has been accused by Garrett Adelstein of cheating in a highly-publicized hand from the Hustler Casino Live (HCL) live stream. Lew shares her side of the story and addresses lingering questions such as why she wavered on whether she thought she had jack-three or jack-four, why she gave the money back, what made her chair vibrate, and where things stand now. She also talks about what she thinks will happen and a potential heads-up match against Adelstein. It's one of the biggest poker stories of the year, and here's your chance to hear directly from Lew. Adelstein, Lew Tell Contrasting Stories Regarding Controversial HCL Hand Time Stamps Time Topic 00:14 Welcome to the show 00:35 Who is Robbi Jade Lew? 03:00 How does one go from low-stakes tournaments to high-stakes cash games? 04:00 Getting staked 04:58 How did you come to play on Hustler Casino Live? 05:42 How do you know Rip? Whats the relationship there? 08:19 Were you nervous about playing in such a tough lineup? 10:05 What was your prior relationship with Garrett Adelstein like? 11:35 Breaking down the hand 11:53 Why did you defend with such a weak hand like jack-four? 14:37 Why call the turn shove? 16:30 Did you think you had a pair of threes? 17:43 Why did you give varying explanations? 18:40 Why werent you more shocked if you thought you had jack-three but rolled over jack-four? 20:20 Why give the money back? 21:06 Did you offer to give the money back or did Garrett ask? 24:40 Do you regret giving back the money? 25:43 How does Rip feel about you giving back the money? 27:10 Did you cheat or do anything wrong? 28:00 Whats the deal with the vibrating chair and midsection? 30:35 What about the screengrab that appears to show something in your pocket? 32:30 How are you dealing with this incident blowing up and going mainstream? 35:38 Have you had any contact with Garrett Adelstein? 36:08 Will the heads-up challenge happen? 36:20 Have you been in touch with Hustler Casino Live? 37:04 Are you willing to take a polygraph test? 37:25 Do you envision any legal action against Garrett? 38:40 In your mind what is the right thing for Garrett to do? 39:05 What should the poker world know? 40:00 Has this whole experience turned you off from poker? Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Sarah Herring, Chad Holloway, and Jesse Fullen on Twitter. Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here! Sharelines PN Podcast Special Edition: @RobbiJadeLew addresses @HCLPokerShow cheating allegations. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Insiders have long known that Trump was nowhere near as wealthy as he claimed. Indeed, during the last Obama White House Correspondents Dinner, Obama compared Mike Bloomberg to Trump and said it wasnt fair. Mike was a big city mayor, knew policy in and out, and is actually worth the amount of money he says he is. Trumps true wealth was a secret then and, apparently, it isnt a secret now, at least to Trumps attorneys, who mocked Trumps lack of wealth. In an email put forth by the January 6th Committee (And probably not an accident that they used this email as an example), the House Select Committee seeks to overcome Trump lawyer John Eastmans claim to attorney-client work product. The Committee put forward this email as an example of many that clearly arent attorney-client work product. Among the other examples given was the exchange between Eastman and fellow attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Bruce Marks. As gathered by Mediaite, the abbreviations make almost no sense but are in the original: CHESEBRO: Am at Trump Internat ona n NYC, so Im fee ng extra nsp red to work on the Pres dents cases!! MARKS: A shame you are not in DC and could contribute to violation of the emoluments clause. (smmiley-face emoji) CHESEBRO: I m stay ng at Trump Int n DC from Jan 3 to at east the 8th. Do ng my part to curry favor w th the Pres dent by n ng h s (empty) pockets. Right. Not much chance that the Committee just randomly picked that example out. Nice little wink there. The Committee wrote: Congressional Defendants therefore ask that the Court review these documents in camera to determine the validity of Dr. Eastmans privilege assertions and the applicability of the limitations and exceptions considered in this Courts prior orders, including waiver, compelling need, and crime-fraud, So, while the Committee is attempting to get under Trumps skin with their choice of an example, the little wink, the State of New York A.G.s office is currently lining up their sledgehammer to prove that Trump is nowhere near as wealthy as he claimed for banking and loan purposes, while Trump then repressed valuations for tax purposes. Trumps attorneys seem to know Trumps problem, at least with cash flow, and mocked his poverty. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print That doctorate in history that was supposed to justify Doug Mastriano caught in a photo wearing a Confederate uniform in 2014? Um, well Jeffrey Brown was on the examining board for the Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidates dissertation and he is not impressed. Mastrianos work was dishonest, sloppy, tinged with religious zealotry, and indifferent to facts that contradicted his claims, scholar of U.S. history at University of New Brunswick and reportedly a U.S.-Canada dual citizen Jeffrey Brown told Alexander Panetta for CBC News The prospect of Doug Mastriano having any power, anywhere, is horrifying, Brown told CBC. Sure, this could be a political hit, except that the professors objections to Doug Mastrianos work predate the Republicans political career. And the criticism goes back years and spans several countries. It wasnt just Brown who had problems with Mastrianos work. James Gregory, a self-described registered Republican in Oklahoma who is a history Ph.D. candidate, warned that Mastrianos work was rife with academic fraud. Having mistakenly cited Mastrianos work and then realized it was inaccurate, Gregory describes a friendly relationship with Mastriano until he found details that contradicted the Pennsylvania Republicans thesis. Mastriano responded by ghosting him and blocking him on Facebook. This dissertation has bothered me for nine years, Jeffrey Brown told CBC News.[Mastriano] was awarded a Ph.D. on very shaky grounds. The thesis was about a Christian soldier, and Mastriano had been blustering his way about the theme for a long time. Richard Yeomans, a Ph.D. candidate in the history department, told CBC, This mans credentials are unearned. Its very clear a vanity degree was granted to him. Panetta points out, Other scholars and a French bureaucrat accused him (Mastriano) of sloppy research methods, misidentifying the battle location, ignoring contradictory details, digging without a permit and ruining an archeological site. But of course: Mastriano dismissed his detractors as jealous Mastriano has never dealt with criticism or even feedback well. He doesnt have the kind of disposition suited to a democratic style of government. He has a history, for example, of ordering other Christians not to criticize him. To say Mastriano has a monarchical bent is to undersell his aggrieved entitlement when the peoples votes are counted. Why does this matter? Because Mastrianos campaign is using his doctorate to somehow explain the fact that he was outed wearing a Confederate uniform in 2014 for a faculty photo at the Army War College, according to a copy of the photo obtained by Reuters. He had not yet retired from the U.S. Army. Current Pennsylvania Attorney General and Mastrianos Democratic opponent Josh Shapiro jumped on this, writing: Doug Mastriano wore the uniform of traitors who fought to defend slavery on official grounds of the U.S. Army War College. The College condemned him, saying this does not reflect our values. Former Trump lawyer and senior Mastriano campaign advisor Jenna Ellis tried to explain the Confederate uniform by citing his Ph.D. in history. (Its unclear what even a solid Ph.D. in history would have to do with wearing a Confederate uniform in this situation.) Ellis herself has been ordered to appear before a grand jury investigating whether Trump and others illegally tried to influence the outcome of the 2020 election in Georgia. She is a uniquely good fit for Mastriano, who has promised that if he wins, he will appoint a Secretary of State who will illegally (in violation of the National Voter Registration Act) force all voters in Pennsylvania to re-register to vote. In keeping with his local infamy (I write this from Pennsylvania), Mastriano seeks to obscure his decisions from the public. Mastriano has said he has already chosen this person but refused to identify them. He also plans to use his power to decertify or certify any machines or anything else involved with elections.' In determining how to take Mastrianos extremist rhetoric, context is helpful. Mastriano used campaign funds to bus supporters to what turned into the 1/6 attack and he was accused of crossing police barricades during the January 6th insurrection, though he says police lines shifted. Indeed, they did shift due to 1/6 attackers throwing the fencing. Video contradicts his claim. Mastriano, Donald Trumps pick, said he saw parallels between the criticism of the Jan. 6 attack and the 1933 Reichstag fire, which Hitler used to seize more power. Mastriano also scrubbed his Facebook page of more extremist videos, including one in which he calls the fight against abortion the most important issue of our lifetime. Mastriano was subpoenaed by the 1/6 committee because he was part of a plan to arrange for an alternate slate of electors from Pennsylvania for former President Trump and reportedly spoke with President Trump about post-election activities. The radical, far-right Republican pays the white supremacist and neo-Nazi website GAB to advertise for him. GAB was a hangout of the Tree of Life alleged mass murderer, who acted on rhetoric that came from then President Donald Trump about a caravan, which he blamed on Jewish people, as his reason for shooting innocent people. Mastriano is not alone in being a Trump election denier running for office, but he is easily the most extreme and most dangerous. He is also a cavalier, but dedicated, manufacturer of Kellyanne Conway-style alternative facts. None of that matters to his supporters, who have been primed by Trump to take orders from One Master and disbelieve anything reported by the press. But it could well matter to Independents and moderate Republicans, many of whom are backing Shapiro due to Mastrianos extremism and because of Shapiros history of working across party lines and law and order background. Although I am a Republican, I consider Mr. Mastriano to be completely out of his league. He is ill-informed, divisive and unworthy to be governor of this commonwealth, former Bucks County District Attorney David Heckle wrote in a statement endorsing Shapiro. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The Pennsylvania US Senate race appears to have been a toss-up for about a day as two new polls show John Fetterman leading Dr. Oz by 5-6 points. Monmouth University Poll Exposes Ozs Problems With PA Voters The Monmouth University Poll has Fetterman up 48%-43% and contains signs that Fettermans support is solidifying, and Oz has real problems with PA voters: Fetterman has a personal rating of 48% favorable to 44% unfavorable, which is similar to his 47%42% rating three weeks ago. Nearly half (48%) of the electorate will either definitely or probably vote for him in November, which is similar to his 49% support level in Monmouths prior poll, except that his definite support has increased from 32% to 37%. Oz continues to hold a net negative personal rating of 36% favorable to 53% unfavorable, which is similar to three weeks ago (36%52%). He has seen a slight increase in his support for U.S. Senate from 39% three weeks ago to 43% in the current poll, although only 25% are definitely backing the Republican at this stage. Also, slightly more Pennsylvania voters continue to say they definitely will not vote for Oz (46%) than completely rule out Fetterman (40%). Oz has real likability problems in Pennsylvania, and with so many voters committed to voting against him, he has an uphill task and virtually no margin for error in courting the few undecided voters that remain. John Fetterman Leads 46%-40% In Suffolk University/USA Today Poll Via USA Today: Fetterman, the states lieutenant governor, was backed by 46% of those surveyed. Oz, a celebrity doctor endorsed by former president Donald Trump, was backed by 40%. Thats closer than the nine-point lead, 46%-37%, that Fetterman held in the USA TODAY/Suffolk survey taken in June. Republicans have dumped millions of dollars into Pennsylvania in negative ads against Lt. Governor Fetterman. Oz has made up less than one point a month since Republicans started their negative barrage. If Republicans kept spending at their current level, Oz might catch Fetterman in the polls by March of 2023. The problem is that the election is next month. Oz has made small gains, but for the amount of money that has been spent on his behalf, Mitch McConnells Senate Leadership Fund spent $2.8 million for Oz last month, the Republican candidate should be much closer. Republicans will not be able to maintain an extreme level of spending on a candidate that currently leads in zero polls and is facing the news that he murdered hundreds of dogs: Dr. Oz isn't going to be able to brush his puppy killing ways under the rug Those of us who love our dogs won't forget that he did something so sick + cruel pic.twitter.com/6hJtf9Rh7O John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) October 5, 2022 Oz is getting his big push right now, and if the polls dont narrow more, expect Republicans to bail on Pennsylvania in the next few weeks. The US Senate election was moved to toss-up because Ozs showed some growth, but Fetterman is still leading within the polling average of the last two months, so little has changed in a Senate race that Democrats are in a good position to win. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that the national media was rooting for Hurricane Ian to hit Tampa because it would hurt him politically. Video: Desantis says the national regime media was rooting for the hurricane to hit the Tampa area so it would cause maximum destruction and death, which they could use against him politically. pic.twitter.com/qXOJhIaWhR Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) October 5, 2022 DeSantis said, You have national regime media that wanted to see Tampa because they thought that would be worse for Florida. Thats how these people think. They dont care about the people of this state. They dont care about the people of this community. They want to use storms and destruction from storms as a way to advance their agenda. They dont care what destructions in their wake. They dont care about the lives here. If they can use it to do their political agenda, they will do that. Ron DeSantis Has The Same Problem As Ted Cruz Ron DeSantis is a smart person who is trying to play dumb to appeal to Trumps supporters. He has the same inauthentic Ivy League guy vibe that has stopped Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) from being a successful Republican presidential candidate. Gov. DeSantis is potentially more dangerous than Trump because he is intelligent and he knows how to use government to enact his agenda. However, if DeSantis tries the rhetoric in the video above against Trump in a Republican primary, he will look like New Coke compared to Coke Classic. Trumps appeal to the unstable right is authentic because he is one of them. Ron DeSantis is playing a character, which is why he will be a distant second to Trump in a Republican presidential primary because if he tries to out-crazy the former president, he will fail. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print If DOJ brought charges against Donald Trump regarding the Top-Secret SCIF files that he took to Florida, it would be easy to prove that Trump knew what he had and knew he wanted to keep it, no matter what anyone else said. After all, hes never claimed, Some staffer put those there, I never knew No, hes claimed they were his under executive privilege, and today, in a rage-filled rant on Truth Social, Trump says that the documents belong to him and that he can better protect the documents at Mar-a-Lago than the people who specialize in collecting and protecting the countrys documents at the National Archive. This is especially laughable in the context of Top-Secret SCIF files, some involving another nations national defense and nuclear capability. Trump has been labeled a walking counter-intelligence threat for some time, and the government is not just protecting the countrys security. They are protecting these secrets from Trump himself. Of course, none of this registers as meaningful to Trump. From the post: NARA lost a whole hard drive full of HIGHLY SENSTITIVE information from the Clinton White House. More than 100,000 Social Security numbers and addresses, Secret Service and White House operating procedures (EXTREMELY SENSITIVE!). There is no security at NARA. I want my documents back! One can safely assume that the National Archives have lost documents from time to time, but they havent lost these. This is especially true with Top Secret documents, and this is laughable, the fact that there have been past failures doesnt mean that the documents are safer with Trump. Even if there was a universe in which Trump could better protect the documents, they are not Trumps documents and thus he has no right to assert he can protect them at all. In any potential criminal case, a big element is almost already proven. Trump knew what he had and intended to keep the files, knowing the government had demanded them back. Even in that context, Trump is still asserting ownership or control of the files. It is just another Trump ode to King Louie XIV, Letat, cest moi. The state, its me. It is too bad that it might take a document with a factsheet setting out The United States v. Donald J. Trump to make it clear to Trump that he is not the state. He is a citizen under the law. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Among the items that the DOJ recovered from Mar-a-Lago was a record of Trumps calls to Rudy Giuliani and emails about his post-election coup. Bloomberg reported: The log shows items titled Draft 2019 immigration initiative, For POTUS Review, and Executive Action to Curb Illegal Immigration. There was an internal analysis and packages of materials related to requests for presidential pardons and sentence commutations. Some of the clemency-related documents refer to initials, while others refer to full names of people who ended up receiving clemency from Trump, such as former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich. The document titled The Presidents Calls included a note that read, Message from Rudy, but it wasnt clear if that was a reference to Trump ally Rudy Giuliani. There was an unsigned June 2017 letter from one of Trumps law firms to former special counsel Robert Mueller, contents of a folder marked NARA letters an acronym for the National Archives and Records Administration and emails to a White House account regarding post-election legal action. Donald Trump won the presidency after months of screaming about Hillary Clintons emails. Fast forward six years and Trump could be facing criminal charges for mishandling government emails. The fact that Trump took documents and a record of his calls to his coup point man suggests that part of his motivation for mishandling government documents was to keep them out of the hands of investigators. It is hard to say that the cover-up is worse than the crime in this instance because Trump tried to overthrow the government, but the cover-up is what could get him charged with a federal crime. Florida sustained most of the damage from Hurricane Ian, posing a major financial challenge for the Sunshine State's weakened insurance industry. File/AP COLUMBIA Smaller businesses in Columbia will no longer need to provide parking for customers. Under an ordinance City Council passed Oct. 4, business structures occupying less than 7,500 square feet in nonresidential areas will not be required to have a certain number of dedicated parking spaces. City leaders say the change will eliminate a hurdle for entrepreneurs, while others worry it will make finding a spot tougher. Businesses can still provide parking, but the city won't determine how many spaces. The new ordinance won't change much in the downtown area. Many areas, including Main Street, the Vista, the Innovista and Five Points, were already exempt from the city's parking rules. It's meant to address swaths of parking lots in other parts of Columbia, such as on North Main and Gervais streets, making the city more walkable and appealing to developers, Mayor Daniel Rickenmann said previously. "I think what resonated with me is we've got to focus on people and not parking," Councilwoman Aditi Bussells said at a Sept. 20 City Council meeting. "I'm just really excited for what the future holds for Columbia in terms of being a walkable city." Nationally, cities are moving away from parking restrictions, John Gaber, director of the City and Regional Planning Program at Clemson University, previously said. But in a city like Columbia, where most people drive and live outside downtown, it could make it more difficult to find parking. Decreasing the amount of parking knowing that large numbers of your downtown workers dont live near it but actually commute from several miles is not, in the short term, going to create a multimodal system, Gaber said July 14. In the short term, it will create a bit of a crisis where people will not have a parking space, and then theyre going to have to look at other places downtown for parking. Rickenmann said previously it's a matter of people changing their mindsets. Instead of parking directly outside a business, he said, people should be open to parking down the street and walking or finding other modes of transportation. Some neighborhood leaders from surrounding areas told the Planning Commission they were concerned people with nowhere to park would clog up residential streets. These mixed-use districts back up to our residential areas, said Denise Wellman, president of the Cottontown Bellevue Historic District, at a July 14 Planning Commission meeting. Again, the idea may have merit, but they are going to add congestion. Theyre going to make our streets less pedestrian-friendly than they are now. No ones taking the time to think about that. Councilman Howard Duvall was the only council member to vote against the ordinance. He had previously asked the council to try to come to a compromise with concerned neighborhoods. Krista Hampton, director of the city's Planning and Development Services, said the city would evaluate how many parking spaces it has and potentially issue residential parking permits if it becomes a problem. Eliminating some of the city's parking lots will clear the way for businesses to take their places, which will, in turn, generate more revenue for the city than empty land, Gaber said. John Wilkinson, president of the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association, said at the council's Sept. 20 meeting the group supported the ordinance for this reason. "If we have a parking problem, it's that we have acres of empty, paved parking surface, and for what?" Wilkinson said. "...Our neighbors want a dense, walkable district along Main Street north of Elmwood, full of energy and life, and this will help us get there." The move is part of a series of initiatives intended to lower barriers for people starting businesses in Columbia. The city dropped sewer capacity fees, and the City Council approved a landscaping exemption that would allow business owners to forego a required buffer if it eliminates a parking space. Still in the works are plans to hire an investment recruiter to draw bigger industries to the city and a grease trap rebate program, which the council is expected to vote on at its Oct. 18 meeting. Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C. COLUMBIA Former jail director Tyrell Cato told a top Richland County official he had been fired from his last job before he started in his new position this summer, Cato's attorney said. That contradicts Richland County Administrator Leonardo Brown, who said he did not know about Cato's termination from Kershaw County for allegations of sexual misconduct until July 26, three weeks after Cato had started work at the Columbia jail. Brown fired Cato on Sept. 9 because Cato was not forthcoming and honest with him about his previous firing, according to the termination letter obtained by The Post and Courier. "I have doubts as to whether I can trust you to voluntarily, without specific and detailed prompting, keep me fully abreast of critical information that may cause harm to Richland County Government, regardless of the personal implications that it may have for your employment status," Brown wrote. "I need to be able to trust the people that I have in department leadership positions." No one from Richland County conducted a background check on Cato until weeks after he was fired, which has prompted an investigation from a state agency. Cato denied allegations of sexual misconduct that led to his firing from his previous job in Kershaw County on May 24. A grievance committee unanimously upheld his termination June 30. That same day, he received a call from Assistant Richland County Administrator John Thompson, said Elizabeth Bowen, Cato's attorney. Thompson asked about rumors Cato had been fired, and Cato confirmed them but denied the allegations of sexual misconduct. The termination letter referenced a conversation between Thompson and Cato prior to Cato's hiring but did not say what they discussed or when it took place. Brown said Oct. 4 he did not know what was said in that conversation because he did not take part. He declined to say whether Thompson knew about Cato's firing. "It's just not relevant, because he reports to the county administrator," Brown said. Cato began working at the troubled Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County on July 5. When Brown announced Cato's hiring at a July 19 County Council meeting, Brown said Cato was the right person to fix the litany of issues the jail has been facing, including staffing shortages and two federal lawsuits over conditions at the facility. County Council Chairman Overture Walker received an anonymous letter a week later saying Cato had been fired from Kershaw County. Walker said passed it along to Brown. That same day, three weeks after Cato started work, Richland County requested Cato's file from the state Criminal Justice Academy, which oversees law enforcement. At that point, Cato's training history incorrectly stated he had resigned from his job in Kershaw. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division is investigating how this happened. During a meeting July 27, Brown said Cato told him for the first time that he had been fired from Kershaw County. As part of an investigation, Brown placed Cato on unpaid administrative leave Aug. 20, according to a letter obtained by The Post and Courier. A Richland County representative called Kershaw County to ask about Cato for the first time Aug. 23, Kershaw County Administrator Danny Templar said. When asked why he did not call sooner, Brown pointed to Templar saying previously he wasn't surprised not to receive a call from Richland County initially because Cato had a good reputation in the law enforcement community. "Even in the face of these allegations, I think you will find that some people were communicating that this guy was good at what he did and he was a good director and all that kind of stuff," Brown said. Richland County submitted a completed background check to the Criminal Justice Academy on Aug. 31, nearly two months after Cato started working and 11 days into his administrative leave. The Law Enforcement Training Council requires all agencies get references from a law enforcement official to complete a background check, which includes calling a representative of the job candidate's previous employer. The Criminal Justice Academy is investigating whether Richland County failed to follow proper procedures when hiring Cato. After Brown fired Cato on Sept. 9, the former jail director submitted a grievance request, which the county administrator denied, Bowen said. The Post and Courier's initial request for Cato's letter of termination under the Freedom of Information Act was denied Sept. 21 because the county said there were "no responsive documents." After being told the letter existed Oct. 4, the Richland County Ombudsman's Office, which handles records requests, said the original response was an error and provided the document. Assistant Director Crayman Harvey, a former S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice officer who started working for Richland County in August under Cato, is serving as the jail's interim director. Cato was hired to head a jail already rife with issues. His predecessor, Ronaldo Myers, left his position as jail director in September 2021 after emails showed he was on unapproved leave during a riot that injured two officers and resulted in charges for a dozen inmates. Richland County stepped up its security measures following the riot. An inspection that same month found the jail understaffed and overcrowded. Since then, the county has frozen 50 positions and upped its base pay to $40,000 per year. An inmate, Lason Butler, died in February after complications of acute dehydration, determined to be a homicide, County Coroner Naida Rutherford said in April. The decision was based on the belief that inaction on the behalf of the jail staff led to Butlers death and doesnt necessarily require intent, Rutherford noted. Butler should have received hydration therapy before his death Feb. 11, she said. A federal lawsuit filed in August alleges staff also denied him medical care and left him in filthy conditions. Another federal lawsuit, filed in April, makes similar allegations, claiming the special unit where the jail houses mentally ill inmates is full of mold, pests and standing water. Clarification: This story was updated to reflect that the death of Richland County inmate Lason Butler in February was ruled a homicide based on inaction by jail staff, according to Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford. Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C. The Charleston County School District has a new leader in charge of supporting multilingual families. Jennifer Baez will become CCSDs interim director of multilingual outreach starting Oct. 10. In the role, shell be expected to help the districts multilingual learners and their families improve their educational experience. Nearly 15 percent of CCSD students say English is their second language, and that population is fast-growing. Baez came to the district from Texas, where she started her career in 2002 as a bilingual teacher and instructional specialist. During her time there, Baez paid particular interest to serving multilingual students and those from diverse cultural backgrounds. She joined CCSD in 2013 as principal of Angel Oak Elementary. She has since served as associate principal at West Ashley Advanced Studies Magnet and, most recently, principal of Pepperhill Elementary School since May 2019. Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! We are delighted to welcome Dr. Baez into this much needed role, Superintendent Donald Kennedy said in a press release. Her experience and expertise will help us improve outcomes for all students, particularly those who work hard to acquire the English language. Baez is taking the role during a time when the district is working to close academic gaps between students of color and their White peers. Recent SC READY test results showed that multilingual students at CCSD performed lower than the South Carolina average in math and English this past year. Taking Baezs place at Pepperhill is Lara Latto, who will serve as interim principal. The three-decade CCSD veteran has served in many roles within the district, from teacher to interventionist to administrator. Latto will join Pepperhill from her role as a CCSD principal on special assignment, a role in which Latto has collaborated with parents, administrators and counselors to develop improvement plans for students in need, according to the release. On a Thursday evening in Columbia, a small group of mostly women in their 20s and 30s sit around Pitas laughing and sipping on pinot noir or chardonnay as they wait for shared appetizers to arrive. "I loved being surrounded by people who know the importance of the 'Phone eats first,' mindset." one woman said, while snapping the perfectly Instagram-able photo of a bowl of hummus and a side of pita bread. The next day, they'll post curated videos and aesthetically pleasing photos to their various social media accounts (namely Instagram) that center around the promotion of good eats in the city. The women are a part of a growing group of local food micro-influencers in the city who have taken to their social media accounts to promote their favorite restaurants and bars around Columbia. And at Pitas, they're attending what's become known around the city as a "media dinner" or an "influencer dinner." "I think it plays a really vital part of marketing a restaurant. It really does, like getting eyes on your business from someone that you, like, know and trust," said Mattison Heatherly, founder of City Social, a public relations and marketing firm for restaurant and hospitality spots around Columbia. Heatherly is one of more than a couple dozen people in the area who have created "foodie" Instagrams sharing everything from video montages called Instagram Reels to carefully curated photos paired with semi-reviews in the captions of posts. Food instagramming and marketing becomes increasingly more popular Heatherly first noticed an uptick in food bloggers using social media to get the word out about restaurants when she was studying in the mid-2010s at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She said other, bigger cities like Houston and Austin had a slew of mostly young women using Instagram and internet blogs to share their opinions on food options in the city. This inspiration snowballed into a business for Heatherly. Heatherly moved to Columbia in 2018 and had already been using her social media to post about the restaurants she was eating at since 2016. When she noticed that a lot of the restaurants she loved to frequent didn't have a strong online presence, she got the idea to offer web designing and social marketing services to them. In 2019, she founded City Social. It has brought success for both Heatherly and the businesses who've hired her. She currently has 10 clients (or restaurants that utilize her public relations or marketing services) around town, including spots like Terra and Village Idiot Pizza. And the businesses she works with have noticed an increase in social media follows and views. But she's not the only one who's seen the need for social media marketing and promotion of local restaurants in a relatively small market. "For me, the page was always more about having fun and promoting (restaurants) and not really getting treated any differently than influencer would. I always really hated that term," said Lynn Luc, who runs the @gocola Instagram page and works as a freelance food photographer and content creator in the city. Outside of Luc and Heatherly, who are both millennials, younger micro-influencers have come onto the scene, as well as more students at the University of South Carolina who have begun using their social media platforms for the promotion of restaurants and bars. "Every weekend (of freshman year), Cantina 76 was my go-to spot, but now that I'm a senior, I like to, you know, find new places and tap into, like, the social media community that Columbia has and find new spots from there," said Meghan McCabe, who runs the Instagram account @meegmeals, which she started over two years ago. McCabe is a senior public relations major at the university and has used her experiences with local influencers and food bloggers to learn more about social media marketing outside of her classwork. Local restaurants feel the difference The result of promotion from the handful of food social media pages has made an impact on local businesses, co-owner of Village Idiot Pizza Kelly Glynn said. Glynn has been a client of Heatherly's for about two years and said she's noticed an impact on the restaurant's social media analytics. "We've always been primarily a word-of-mouth establishment," Glynn said. "Back in the day, the only places that you were advertising was Free Times and Zipsheet ... as social media has come into play, there are thousands of ways that you can spend your dollars to get consumers in." Village Idiot, a well-established pizza spot in Five Points (with two other locations an Olympia Mills location and a Forest Acres location), has hosted two similar influencer dinners one in the spring of this year and the other in mid-August. People from around the city's food scene, like food bloggers and media professionals, had a chance to meet the owners, participate in a pizza-making competition and sample pizza. All of these things resulted in visually attractive content for social media feeds. That's one of the main intentions behind influencer dinners like these, Hampton Street Vineyard owner Jonathan Lopez said. Lopez has worked with influencers and food bloggers to build the restaurant's brand after taking over the longstanding French restaurant in 2020. Lopez said the restaurant has hosted a handful of influencer dinners since he's been an owner. "They already have a major following and are encouraging people to come eat at places around Columbia, so it's a no-brainer to include them and to utilize their help," Lopez said. And while the dinners and social media posts from local influencers definitively increase traffic for restaurant websites and social media pages, they sometimes come at a cost: Many restaurants don't charge for influencer dinners, meaning that a sit-down meal, often including beer or wine offerings, often costs the restaurants hundreds of dollars. "It is really expensive, obviously, to kind of provide (food) for large groups like that," Luc said. "Most restaurants, or other businesses, can't just randomly drop like $600 in product for a big dinner." Luc said that while the goal is for the attendees of the dinner to post about the business afterwards, it's not a guarantee. But the price of the dinners, which typically run Village Idiot around $500 to $800, is well worth it for the publicity, Glynn said. She said it gives her restaurant an opportunity to build a stronger brand in the community and to network with food influencers and media personalities in the city. So, what exactly is an influencer? Not only has the online food community increased traffic virtually and in the restaurants, the relationship between local food influencers and independently run restaurants is a symbiotic one, restaurants owners said. Though, the women who run social media accounts like these often don't label themselves as influencers in the way most people view influencers. "I don't really consider myself an influencer," Heatherly said. "But I think if I can share my journey and my story of being a young female entrepreneur that is also encouraging other women and other people in Columbia to support local businesses... I think that is very on-brand for my personal side and also transitions into my job (running City Social)." Typically, influencers build a brand online and gain enough of a following that they can approach businesses with a proposition: free items from a business in exchange for advertising through their social media accounts. Columbia food influencers and restaurant owners said this isn't as prevalent in the city's scene. But there's evidence that word-of-mouth reviews and posts like what local food influencers often make drives business for smaller restaurants, according to Ram Janakiraman, a marketing professor at the University of South Carolina who has studied social media marketing. "We know that (word-of-mouth) really matters because it's seen as more objective and therefore it's more influential, regardless of the context," Janakiraman said. GEORGETOWN The Georgetown County School District schools with the highest poverty index in the district those in the Carvers Bay area will become magnet schools, thanks to a $15 million federal grant. The Georgetown district was one of 19 nationwide applicants to receive the Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant that it applied for this spring, district superintendent Keith Price announced at an Oct. 4 district school board meeting. "We are incredibly excited about this opportunity and we have already begun our steps for planning and implementation," Price said. "I would like to thank all of our principals and their staff in our Carvers Bay-area schools for their assistance in the application process and for our board for your support for this program. And now, the hard work begins." Price said the district received all of the funding it was eligible for about $15 million over five years from the federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program, which provides grants to school districts under federal desegregation orders. The program is planned to take effect in the 2023-24 academic year. The Georgetown County School District has been under a federal desegregation order since 1969. Board member Michael Cafaro asked Price on Oct. 4 whether the program should get the district out from under its desegregation order. Price replied that the grant program is designed to do exactly that. Price also confirmed for Cafaro that students from around Georgetown County can attend the magnet schools. The Carvers Bay area home of Browns Ferry, Plantersville and Pleasant Hill Elementary schools, Carvers Bay Middle School and Carvers Bay High School was chosen for the program, Price previously said, because its schools have the lowest enrollment, highest rate of minority enrollment and highest poverty index in the district. On May 17, principals of the five Carvers Bay-area schools outlined plans for how their curricula would transform under the magnet program. Browns Ferry Elementary School would become Browns Ferry Elementary School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Pleasant Hill Elementary would become Pleasant Hill Elementary Stream Academy, with a focus on science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and mathematics, hence stream. Plantersville Elementary School would become Plantersville Elementary Digital Immersion School, which would use collaboration with Coastal Carolina University and Boeing to continue the schools technology education, including coding. Carvers Bay Middle School would become Carvers Bay Middle STEAM Academy, with a focus similar to that of Pleasant Hill: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. Carvers Bay High School would become Carvers Bay Early College and Career High School. Principal Larry Odom said a military magnet model was previously considered but ultimately voted down. In addition to current college prep, honors and dual enrollment programs, the schools early college program would allow students to obtain associate degrees in the arts or science by graduation, Odom said. From handbags to soda pop, three new businesses have recently opened in downtown Greenville. Spartina 449, Rocket Fizz, and Hudson Blake Lifestyle and Home have each filled formerly vacant stores along North Main Street. The Daufuskie Island-originated brand Spartina 449 opened a handbag and apparel shop at 16 N. Main St., next door to the incoming French restaurant concept Scoundrel. The women's accessory store currently has 12 stores across South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. The flagship store is on Calhoun Street in Bluffton. In Greenville, it replaced Tribus Interior Design, which relocated to Pendleton Street. Farther up North Main Street, nestled between the restaurant The Lost Cajun and rolled ice cream shop Creme Shake, a new Rocket Fizz franchise opened its doors at 118 N. Main St. The soda pop and candy store sells over 500 flavors of sodas, nostalgic candies and knick-knacks. In March, the Clemson-born merchandise company Southern Fried Cotton announced it would close its shop to focus on wholesale, making room for Rocket Fizz. Across the road from Rocket Fizz, Hudson Blake Lifestyle and Home opened at 119 N. Main St., sandwiched between O.P Taylor's and the Savannah Bee Company. The women's clothing and decor store is the sister-brand to Dress Up, a Southeast-based clothing boutique with an existing presence on North Main Street near One City Plaza. Greenville is the test city for Hudson Blake. It sells collection-oriented and curated clothing with extended sizes and higher price points from Dress Up. There will also be some home items like candles and small furniture. Llyn Strong Fine Art Jewelry ended its 34-year run at the same storefront in 2020 and relocated to a studio and showroom space on East Washington Street. Do you have questions or information about other stores along Main Street? Email smirah@postandcourier.com. More than 130 jobs coming to Spartanburg County from 2 companies Two companies are establishing operations in Spartanburg County, bringing a combined investment of $9.5 million and over 130 jobs. A specialist in automotive exhaust technology Boysen USA will set-up shop in Spartanburg County at 404 Centura Ct. with a $4.5 million investment, creating 88 new jobs. The manufacturer is a subsidiary of the German-based Boysen Group, which opened its first U.S. plant in Gaffney in 2004. The company makes exhaust manifolds, catalytic converters, particulate traps, silencers and complete exhaust systems for original equipment manufacturers. The company works with Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and VW along with the brands Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Winar Connection, Inc. announced on Sept. 29 it would establish operations at 2525 Chesnee Highway in Spartanburg County. The custom cable products manufacturer plans to invest $5 million in the county and create 50 new jobs. The Ohio-based company makes custom cable assemblies and wire harnesses for its customers. The 40-year-old company plans to be online in November 2022 in Spartanburg. In other news... The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville celebrated its 10 year anniversary with a gala on Sept. 22. The inaugural class at the school started in July 2012. It is one of three accredited medical schools in the state. celebrated its 10 year anniversary with a gala on Sept. 22. The inaugural class at the school started in July 2012. It is one of three accredited medical schools in the state. Law firm Shumaker is partnering with the Greenville entrepreneurial support organization NEXT to help budding businesspeople launch startups. The law firm is the first partner with NEXT to help it launch the Founders Session , the first in a series of events "geared toward early-stage founders who are past the idea stage and are committed to pursuing a venture with high-growth, multi-million dollar potential," a release said. The first event was held on Oct. 4 at the NEXT Innovation Center where two Shumaker Partners led a discussion on intellectual property law. is partnering with the Greenville entrepreneurial support organization to help budding businesspeople launch startups. The law firm is the first partner with NEXT to help it launch the , the first in a series of events "geared toward early-stage founders who are past the idea stage and are committed to pursuing a venture with high-growth, multi-million dollar potential," a release said. The first event was held on Oct. 4 at the NEXT Innovation Center where two Shumaker Partners led a discussion on intellectual property law. A Greenville 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house featured in Southern Living in August 2022 has been listed for sale. The almost $700,000 home at 109 E. Augusta Place is now in a contingency contract, meaning an offer has been made and accepted but certain criteria must be met before the sale is finalized. The 1920s bungalow-style bungalow was transformed by the present owner, Taylor Hill who has a degree in historic preservation, per the Southern Living article. Real estate agent Alexis Furman with Joan Herlong and Associates Sotheby's International Realty is representing the house. Upstate personnel moves With nearly two decades of managing food and beverage operations for hotels and resorts, Josh Hamlin has been named director of food and beverage at Hotel Hartness . Hamlin will oversee the restaurant Patterson Kitchen + Bar, the bar The Captain, the Spa H and the over 16,000-sqaure-feet of meeting and event space. The hotel is part of the 449-acre Hartness Community located east of downtown Greenville. has been named director of food and beverage at . Hamlin will oversee the restaurant Patterson Kitchen + Bar, the bar The Captain, the Spa H and the over 16,000-sqaure-feet of meeting and event space. The hotel is part of the 449-acre Hartness Community located east of downtown Greenville. The Upstate SC Alliance, a public and private regional economic development organization, named Samantha Spratt as its business recruitment officer. She will provide support to international companies that may want to expand their business to the United States. Before joining the organization, she served as the executive director of the European American Chamber of Commerce-Carolinas. Thats all for this week. Email your thoughts, tips, releases and newsy bits to smirah@postandcourier.com. Greenville Technical College broke ground on a nearly $70 million combined health and life sciences and general education building. A pile of dirt in a parking lot off South Pleasantburg Drive represented the estimated center of the planned three-story, 125,000-square-foot facility, college President Keith Miller said. Small heaps were shoveled by leaders of the college, along with Gov. Henry McMaster, state and local officials and representatives of Prisma Health during the ceremonial ground-breaking Oct. 5. The planning started about 12 years ago. It's expected to open in 2024. Students and campus visitors will be able to see "science in action" once the partially glass structure is complete, Miller said. Beyond traditional classrooms there will be suites for medical imaging, ultrasounds, radiological technology and more. An anatomage lab will serve as a virtual cadaver, Miller said, with electronic dissection tables with life-size touch screens. The building will also host classes for general education courses. Miller estimated almost 90 percent of the student body will use the site. It will have non-classroom spaces like conversation rooms, study carrels and outdoor seating. To deepen its long-standing partnership, Prisma Health System gave the college $1.5 million to help with construction costs and "strengthen the health care workforce development programs in Greenville Technical College," said Jonathan Gleason, executive vice president and chief clinical officer of Prisma Health. It will be named the Prisma Health Center for Health and Life Sciences building. Prisma is the top employer of Greenville Tech students who go on to become nurses, X-ray technicians, physical therapists and more with the health system, Miller said. Greenville Tech is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, opening its doors in 1962. It was the first technical college in the state and now is accompanied by 15 others across South Carolina. More work is planned. Last year, the college opened its student success center. Future renovations are slated for its Engineering Technologies and University Transfer facilities, two decades-old buildings. Renovations will come later to the nursing building, Simulation Technologies and Training Center and the Student Commons. McMaster said the life sciences industry has a $12 billion impact on South Carolina with over 1,000 companies operating across the state and employing around 30,700 people. This summer, McMaster added a $25 million boost to an ongoing workforce scholarship program for South Carolinas 16 technical colleges, with a goal of providing opportunities for 40,000 state residents. An influx of state and federal money makes it much easier to widen interstate highways to help alleviate congestion. A rash of reported shootings all determined to be bogus caused lockdowns and at least one evacuation Oct. 5 at schools across South Carolina, temporarily forcing thousands out of their classrooms. Authorities say the "swatting" calls targeted at least 17 schools in various counties, including Beaufort, Charleston, Greenville, Horry and Richland. The calls appear to be part of a national surge in fake active-shooter threats to schools in the past month. The messages, at least some of which were pre-recorded, sent law enforcement officers racing to campuses as worried parents scrambled to figure out what was happening. At an evacuated Richland County high school, students described teachers barricading doors to classrooms and shutting blinds as police cars flooded the parking lot. One student said she climbed out of a classroom window to escape. At least 17 schools in 12 districts were impacted by the threats, according to an analysis by The Post and Courier. Those calls disrupted the learning of at least 16,000 students, according to enrollment figures. Gov. Henry McMaster, at a press conference in Greenville, said the calls may have come from a different country. "These threats are all roughly the same," McMaster said. "It's someone on social media saying that there has been a child shot or someone killed at this school or that school and there are three or four others that are injured." McMaster said he spoke to State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel about the dubious calls. By late morning, McMaster said 16 such calls had been reported around South Carolina. The governor stressed the FBI, SLED and additional law enforcement agencies are working together to investigate. "And they think that this voice or this transmission is coming from another country," McMaster said. "There's a foreign voice, a foreign-sounding voice." The FBI confirmed it was aware of the calls, said Kevin Wheeler, a spokesman in the agency's Columbia office. He said they had no information that there was a specific or credible threat to any schools. "The FBI takes swatting very seriously because it puts innocent people at risk," Wheeler said. S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson tweeted that he was "disgusted" by the bogus reports. "Active shooter situations are taken extremely serious by law enforcement," he posted. "False claims arent a joke, and prosecutors across the state will not treat them as jokes." State Education Superintendent Molly Spearman said she was "disturbed" by the threats, which caused significant disruptions to learning along with unnecessary trauma. "The individuals responsible should face severe consequences for their actions," she said. Phony calls, real fear The earliest call appeared to come in around 9:20 a.m. at Burke High School in downtown Charleston. The caller claimed to be hiding from an active shooter in a locked closet, Capt. Jason Bruder said. Officers were on the scene within minutes, followed quickly by fire and EMS personnel. The schools resource officer was on the campus at the time but had not heard any gunshots. Meanwhile, more calls from the same person stated that shots were still being fired at the school, which none of the 25 officers who responded heard. They quickly determined the call had been faked, Bruder said, but the high school and nearby Simmons-Pinckney Middle School were briefly locked down. Calls then followed at schools in Beaufort and Horry counties. More than 80 law enforcement officers responded around 9:30 a.m. to Beaufort High School, where they searched room by room for a phantom threat. I saw police officers and deputies literally running to the front door, Beaufort Police Chief Dale McDorman said. In Horry County, threats were made at Myrtle Beach High, Myrtle Beach Middle, Conway High and Loris High. Authorities determined those also were hoaxes. False reports continued through the late morning and into the early afternoon at schools throughout the state. One call sent sheriff's deputies rushing to Greenwood High School. The campus typically serves about 1,600 students in the Upstate, but the high school has been on break since Sept. 26. The only students there were Greenwood Eagle wrestlers, who were painting the parking lot, a school district spokesman said. A false report at Robert Anderson Middle School felt all too real for residents in Anderson County. In September 2016, a 14-year-old opened fire at the playground of Townville Elementary School, shooting two students and a teacher. Jacob Hall, 6, died. Thousands of residents attended his superhero-themed funeral. "Because it's real, we can't let our guard down," said Shale Remein, a county sheriff's office spokeswoman. After determining there was no threat, deputies were dispatched to other schools across Anderson County as a precaution, including Townville, Remein said. Word of another possible school shooting in this tightknit community sparked what Remein described as "intense emotions" for residents. "It just brings back a lot of memories, painful memories," she said. "There's still a lot of (post-traumatic stress disorder) in Townville after what happened." Blythewood High evacuation Officials locked down and then evacuated Blythewood High School in Richland County as a result of the hoax, Sheriff Leon Lott said. Around 150 law enforcement officers were dispatched for a call around 10:25 a.m. that appeared to have come from within the school, the sheriff said. When the school went into lockdown, teachers locked and barricaded doors as police cars pulled up, students said. Shataria Threats, an 18-year-old senior, said she climbed out of the classroom window and started running. Even though it was fake, the emotions were real, Lott said. The fear that they felt was real. Reagan Richardson and Kelsey Johnson, both freshmen, were in dance class when the school went into lockdown. They didnt leave until police showed up at the door. The 14-year-olds said they thought it was a drill at first. The day before, the school had a fire drill, they said. Their teachers expression made them realize this wasn't planned, they said. Our teacher was more scared than us, Johnson said. The blinds were closed, the door was locked and a table was moved in front as a barricade. The first thing I thought was to call my mama, Richardson said. My heart was fluttering. Her mother, 38-year-old Jacoba, said she was finishing a work meeting when her daughter called. She got into her car and rushed down Interstate 77 to Blythewood High with her hazard lights blinking. She waited outside until her daughter was released around 1 p.m. She said her "nerves were shot." Patrick Kelly first heard about the threat from his daughter first. The Blythewood freshman was in a math class overlooking the front of the school when police cars with sirens and flashing lights streamed into the parking lot. She texted Kelly, who addition to being a teacher also is a lobbyist for the Palmetto State Teachers Association, to ask what was happening. After his daughters text came dozens of others. Kelly, who wasnt at the school, said a longtime coworker messaged him, Patrick, this ones real. The colleague had carried a child on crutches out of the school to the football field after an officer told them to evacuate. Kelly said he was shaken after spending most of the day consoling his child and colleagues. Maybe this is the wake-up call weve been needing, he said. This is coast to mountains in South Carolina, there are thousands of families and students and educators that have had their lives turned upside down today. Hundreds of students waited at the high schools football stadium to be picked up, one by one. A line of parents stretched around the stadium. Some walked back to their cars, their arms draped around their children. Baron Davis, superintendent of Richland School District Two, said he witnessed the evacuation and police response. He said additional counselors will be called to the school to provide support for students. I saw ... the emotions that many of our students were feeling as they were exiting the building, not knowing if this was a prank or not, Davis said. James Manning, board chairman of Richland School District Two, said there will be conversations with legislators about tightening the punishment for those who make hoax threats. I think we need to increase the penalties for these fake calls, Manning said. There has to be consequences for the chaos its created when somebody does something like this." A national trend The calls appeared to be part of a nationwide surge in "swatting," or false reports that cause a large number of law enforcement officers and other first responders to race to a location. Since Sept. 9, the National Association of School Resource Officers determined that swatting calls have targeted schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia. On Sept. 21, law enforcement officers responded to calls for phony shootings at 14 schools in Minnesota, causing some school lockdowns, according to news reports. On Sept. 23, bogus calls for active shooters were made at schools across Ohio, including in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas. False reports can be dangerous, causing law enforcement officers to rush, lights and sirens active, to one location while ignoring other emergency calls, according to authorities. The reports can also cause anxiety for students, parents, teachers and administrators. Mo Canady, executive director of the association, said that while people have been making fake bomb threats at schools for decades, active-shooter hoaxes appear to be a new phenomenon. Canady said school districts began changing their policies in the early 2000s to address the problem of fake bomb threats. Finding an actual bomb is rare, but the threats can substantially disrupt learning, he said. All threats of danger should be taken seriously, he said, but school resource officers can play an important role in quickly assessing the situation and calling off large-scale responses when they are unwarranted. Canady could not say what was causing the recent spike but pointed to the mental health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as one possible explanation. "I wish I understood it better, because then we might have better recommendations on how to end it," he said. Nicole Ziege contributed to this report from Myrtle Beach, Caitlin Ashworth from Columbia, Kelly Jean Kelly from Beaufort, Sara Gregory and Spencer Donovan from Greenville, Ema Rose Schumer, Ali Rockett and Caitlin Byrd from Charleston. Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations. COLUMBIA Democrat Joe Cunningham's income as an attorney climbed after he left Congress, reopened his law firm in Charleston and entered the race to unseat Gov. Henry McMaster, according to a review of his tax filings. In 2021, the former 1st District congressman reported a total income of $172,434 from Joe Cunningham Law, from which he paid $29,826 in combined state and federal taxes. He is the sole owner of the firm. It was Cunningham's highest reported income in five years and nearly 2 times his and his ex-wife's combined earnings in 2018, when he flipped the coastal congressional seat to blue for the first time in four decades. Last year also marked the first time in that span the couple, who divorced this spring after a year of legal separation, filed independently. Their combined income reached a high of nearly $200,000 in 2020, his last year in Congress. Cunningham, who specializes in construction and personal injury law, allowed reporters for The Post and Courier and other news outlets to view tax returns beginning with 2017. That's when the Democrat entered the political fray by announcing his bid for Congress, where he spent a single term before Republican Nancy Mace flipped the seat back to red in 2020. In 2017, Joe and Amanda Cunningham reported a total income of $66,631, from which they paid $8,102 in taxes. Their earnings rose by a few thousand dollars in 2018, when in addition to him campaigning the couple welcomed a son and sold their home in West Ashley, which they bought two years earlier. He also opened his law firm in 2018. Their income shot up to $177,100 when he went to Washington the next year, mostly due to his congressional salary. He set aside $21,053 into his congressional pension account. He made no money from his law firm while in Congress. Their combined income increased again by roughly $20,000 in 2020, the year Cunningham lost his bid for re-election. Since the couple is no longer married, reporters agreed to respect her privacy and not provide their separate business earnings from the joint returns. In all, the couple paid $86,925 in state and federal taxes from 2017 through 2020. They did not itemize their deductions, so their returns did not break out charitable giving. Beyond taking the standard deduction for each tax year, adjustments taken to reduce their taxes included a $2,000 credit for their son and $2,500 deduction on student loan interest. Cunningham's campaign platform includes eliminating the state income tax, which makes up roughly half of the state's revenue. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! Already 45 percent of tax filers pay no state income tax. The 40-year-old paid a total of $26,090 in state taxes over the last five years. That's after receiving refunds from the state for overpayments in three of the last five years. McMaster's campaign has been questioning when Cunningham would release his tax information since the Republican governor, who is seeking a second full term, allowed reporters to view his filings in mid-September. Cunningham's senior adviser, Tyler Jones, said then that the candidate would do so. The couple's separation complicated the issue. It is the first time since gubernatorial candidates began releasing tax returns that either major party in South Carolina has had a divorced nominee. The timing also involved coordinating around reporters' schedules to drive to Charleston to follow a campaign embargo. "We released it in plenty of time for voters" to know what is in Cunningham's tax returns before the Nov. 8 election, Jones said. The Cunninghams made far less than the McMasters. The returns for McMaster, 75, and his wife show their income steadily declined by more than $200,000 since they moved into the Governor's Mansion. In 2017 his first year as governor they earned almost $557,500, a 21-year high for the couple. In 2020, they reported a total income of nearly $352,000. Most of their income comes from rental properties they own near the University of South Carolina campus. The McMasters had not yet filed their 2021 tax returns. They have consistently requested extensions over the years. In all, McMaster has made 21 years of the couple's tax returns publicly available. In 2017, soon after becoming governor, he provided reporters tax returns dating to 2000, when he was the state GOP chairman, an unpaid position. The governor of South Carolina is paid $106,078 a year. The speculation earlier this week was that OPEC+ was going to cut oil output by 1 million barrels a day, and the Biden White House was described as being in a panic about this prospective move, because gasoline prices are starting to soar again just in time to help tip the midterm election further in favor of Republicans.* CNN reported: The Biden administration launched a full-scale pressure campaign in a last-ditch effort to dissuade Middle Eastern allies from dramatically cutting oil production, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. . . On Wednesday morning, OPEC+ oil ministers meeting in Vienna agreed to an even larger production cut than the White House had feared 2 million barrels per day, beginning in November, according to a readout of the meeting released on Wednesday. The ministers said the cuts were necessary in light of the uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks. . . . Some of the draft talking points circulated by the White House to the Treasury Department on Monday that were obtained by CNN framed the prospect of a production cut as a total disaster and warned that it could be taken as a hostile act. The White House is having a spasm and panicking, another US official said, describing this latest administration effort as taking the gloves off. So much for the smart diplomacy the Biden crew promised us in place of the bumptious Trump. Those gloves they took off are probably the same soft white gloves theyve been using in their (fortunately) fruitless Iran negotiations. With Biden having recklessly depleted our Strategic Petroleum Reserve, he doesnt have any cards left to play to offset this OPEC move. For its part, OPEC may well be anticipating a significant global economic slowdown, which may have already started by some indicators. OPEC is also skillful in price theory, understanding how to maximize their revenues according to a price curve that is more predictable when the U.S. deliberately suppresses its own oil production potential because of c ch-. * As noted here over the weekend, the change in gasoline prices in just five days: Geregu Power Plc got off to a promising start Wednesday, pulling in N25 billion at the sound of the closing bell on Lagoss Custom Street, the day it gained public company status on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX). The firm listed 2.5 billion shares. Listed by introduction on the bourses main board, the segment comprising companies that are second in listing hierarchy based on how well they meet the exchanges strictest corporate governance standards and other requirements, the shares were priced at N100 per unit at market open but went on to add 10 per cent. That rate is the upper daily threshold permitted by the bourse. Geregu Power is controlled by the billionaire, Femi Otedola, the former owner of Forte Oil now turned Ardova, and generates electricity as well as distributes it through its subsidiary Amperion. Todays listing is a promising development in the countrys power sector and we are delighted to welcome Geregu Power Plc to the Exchange, NGX CEO Temi Popoola was quoted as saying in a release by the equity marketplace. This listing will enhance liquidity for Geregu, increase its visibility among global investors, elevate its value and boost transparency, as our marketplace is a sterling platform for raising capital and enabling sustainable growth for national development. The exchange has been striving to win back investor confidence at the same soften the ground for corporates to list since the market value of all the companies quoted on it tumbled from a record high of N13.5 trillion early in 2008 to 4.5 trillion the year after. Geregus listing adds N250 billion to the market capitalisation, not including Wednesdays gain, consolidating NGXs position as Africas biggest stock exchange after South Africas Johannesburg Stock Exchange. NGX displaced Casablanca Stock Exchange months ago to take the second spot. It has set in motion the process hoped to birth a new board to be christened the technology board, set apart for startups seeking capital, visibility and planning to scale. Startups on the continent closed deals valued at $3.5 billion in the year to June, according to African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association more than twice the sum seen in the same period of 2021 when Nigeria attracted the most private equity. Listing on the main board of the exchange will ensure that the long-term growth of the company is assured and its benefits will be passed on to our esteemed shareholder, Mr Otedola said, according to the statement. The National Council for Art and Culture (NCAA) has asked the House of Representatives to give it a legal framework to go after the organisers of Big Brother Naija (BBN) over nudity in the show. The council is also seeking powers to arrest and prosecute crossdressers in the country. The Director General of the council, Segun Runsewe, made the call on Tuesday during an investigative hearing by an ad hoc committee of the House. The committee is charged with investigating the duplication of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The existing bill prohibiting cross-dressing There is a bill in the House seeking to amend Same-Sex (Prohibition) Act to prohibit cross-dressing in Nigeria. The amendment, sponsored by Muda Umar (APC, Bauchi), seeks to amend sections 4 and 5 of the principal act. The bill proposes that A person engaging in cross-dressing is guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment of six months or a fine of five hundred thousand naira. Crossdressing, nudity in BBNaija not our culture Runsewe Mr Runsewe, who has been very vocal against popular Nigerian cross-dresser, Okuneye Olanrewaju, popularly known as Bobrisky, told the lawmakers that he ordered the police to disrupt the birthday celebration of Bobrisky. He said he had previously raised the issue of nudity in bbnaija to the organisers. I am the first person who took Big Brother Nigeria to the NBC to report them because they were havingI took it up and Big Brother (organisers) tried to reach me and I told them that if the culture in other parts of the world is to be naked nudity, etc they should not bring it to Nigeria because our culture is rich and it respects the integrity of our country, he said. A lawmaker, Alex Egbonna (PDP, Cross-River), complained that the intervention has not stopped the display of nudes on the show. That is the problem with Nigeria: you start something, you dont end it. But they were still naked even in the last event. That thing you started, taking them to wherever you took them to has not ended, that is what Im saying. They are still doing the same thing. They should have learnt. There is no solution to what you started and that is the Nigerian factor, he said. Responding, Mr Runsewe said if the lawmakers would give the council the needed power through the legislative framework, the issues will be addressed. I will give you an example. When Bobrisky started behaving like a woman, I rose and followed him to Lagos. I scattered his (birthday) party and I told him, This is not our culture. But at the end of the day, that is just Part 1. This honourable house just needs to empower us with just a legal framework and that nonsense will stop, he stated further. The Big Brother Naija ended its season 7 reality show on Sunday. It was won by Ijeoma Otabor better known as Phyna. The organisers said the show titled Level Up gulped over N4.7 billion. Merger of MDAs in the tourism sector Meanwhile, the committee is considering the merger of some MDAs in the tourism sector. The MDAs in consideration are the National Council for Art and Culture, National Commission for Museum and Monument, National Gallery of Art and National Orientation Agency. Others are: Nigerian Tourism Development Commission, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, National Theatre and National Troops, Centre for Black African Art and for Civilisation and National Institute for Cultural Orientation. The Chairman of the Committee, Victor Danzaria, in his opening remarks, said the committee has a mandate of assessing, ascertaining and doing a root-cause analysis of regular bickering among some established agencies. The requested page was not found on this server. Please, go to the homepage, you might find what you were searching for! We are sorry for inconvenience! Go to the homepage ... As the 27th Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) draws near, African leaders are speaking with perhaps the loudest voice on why Africas needs should be prioritised given the unprecedented effects of climate change on the continent in spite of its inconsequential contribution to global carbon emissions. In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Egypts Ambassador to Nigeria, Ihab Awab, outlines the several strategies being put in place by Egypt which will host the COP in November. Excerpts PT: COP27 is nicknamed Africas COP. What should Africa expect from Egypt, given that it is playing host, in terms of putting Africas interest first? Mr Awab: It is true that the Sharm El-Sheikh Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, otherwise known as COP27, is Africas COP. It is taking place at a very significant juncture of our worlds, of course, with all the challenges facing the world now, economically, recovery efforts from the Covid19 pandemic; the implications of the conflict in Ukraine and also the very clear indications that the world is not doing enough to combat climate change. But at the same time, the whole narrative around climate change has been developed outside Africa, it is time now to use the Sharm El-Sheikh conference to bring Africas voice to the forefront of the discussions on what can be done in order to combat the impact of climate change on the future of our continent. Our continent is basically the least contributor to carbon emission, not more that four per cent, and at the same time it is a continent that is developing, that is growing, a continent that has adopted and took upon itself to implement and achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2030 on sustainable development and the road is very long; the challenges to meet those goals are enormous. Some of them must be prioritised vis-a-vis other commitments in climate change, simply because since we as a continent are not the primary contributor, then we should not be taking up extra commitment on ourselves that might stifle or hinder our development aspirations. So this is basically the main tenet of how Egypts incoming presidency of COP27 is thinking about Africas stance. Africas voice needs to be very clear that we are all in the same boat and it is essential for there to be joint effort to combat climate change. But at the same time, we have our development aspirations and this is something I believe the Egyptian presidency during its Pre-COP consultations within Africa and with the rest of the world has been very clear about. The other thing about the Sharm El-Sheikh conference is that we will like to call it the implementation conference. Many of the pledges made in previous conferences regarding support to the developing countries especially in Africa, or how the transition to renewable energy for example should take place without undermining our development/growth aspirations, is yet to materialise. The aspect of financing some of the projects is a key priority for the incoming Egyptian presidency of COP27 and it is something that all African countries agree that COP27 should and must actually come out with practical actions and we at the same time do realise that the moment may be a little challenging because of the cost of the conflict in Ukraine, the incomplete recovery of the global economy after covid19. There are competing priorities for finance all over the world. If we are serious about combating climate change and also equally serious about achieving the SDGs, then this is the conference and this is the kind of discussion that needs to take place in Sharm El Sheikh. So that is why we believe in the opportunity for Africa to speak with one voice on the issues that matter the most for the future of Africa and for the issues that challenge Afrca in terms of climate and economic development. PT: You said Africa needs to speak with one voice and Egypt by virtue of being the next COP president, has assumed a leadership position. How is Egypt mobilising and organising other African Heads of State to make sure we are speaking with one voice? Mr Awab: The consultations at different political levels have been ongoing as well as consultation at the technical level. First of all, Africa has a group of negotiators that have been established a long time ago to participate and represent Africas common position at the expert technical level. This group has been mobilised and through that group, we go a step up to the African Council of Ministers of Environment, which is also the higher political level of ministers of environment which is also a very important configuration to discuss what is coming out of the expert level. President El-Sisi of Egypt has invited other African leaders to a segment of the Sharm El-Sheikh conference called the leaders summit. He has prioritised inviting African leaders to be present at COP27 to the extent possible in big numbers and in order for the concerns of Africa to be voiced not only jointly in one meeting but also in the various bilaterals that are expected to take place around Sharm El-Sheikh. World leaders will be there and African leaders will be there. And of course there is hope that we synchronise and synergise our messages at that highest political level so that the message does not come only in declarations that we are planning to put together but also in the messages of the various leaders and ministers among themselves and other ministers and leaders all over the world. So this is how we try to mobilise/formulate the message. There are levels of formulating the messages, putting the priorities and the leaders will be there, hopefully in numbers, to make sure that those messages come across at the highest political level. PT: At the Africa Adaptability Summit in Rotterdam, we saw that leaders of western countries did not show up at the meeting. How does that impact climate action? Mr Awab: As I mentioned, we do recognise the challenging moment that the world is living in. Our preparations and close coordination with the outgoing presidency -UK- is focusing on the fact that, despite the fact that there are various challenges, the world cannot afford not to act. We still have a few weeks until COP27, we are receiving indications that world leaders, especially from developed countries and industrial countries, they do recognise that we cannot walk back from the commitments we have made in previous conferences. Most recently, there was an IPCC report that said the world is in a very serious situation when it comes to emission and there was a lot of doubt on whether we will be able to reach the target of reducing emission and also temperature. That came as a wake up call to all of us, that while we are experiencing these challenges, there is no turning back. So we do hope and we are confident that world leaders will still show up but not showing up only, which is a sign of commitment itself, but hopefully they are also showing up with readiness to make commitments and pledges for the implementation of previous commitments that were made. There are diplomatic efforts ongoing to make sure we are able to get the best outcome in these circumstances. PT: Are there specific roles other big players in Africa can play at COP27? Mr Awab: Absolutely. And this is a very good segue to highlight the important role of Nigeria. Nigeria has been very vocal about the tenet of the African position and interest especially in the particular area of just energy transition. There is no development without energy and there is no development without access to energy and it is one of the 17 SDGs. Nigeria has been very vocal about it; President Buhari is a major champion of how Africa should mobilise itself to maintain its fair share of energy access and how access to energy and combating climate change should not necessarily be two contradictory goals for humanity. Nigeria plays a major role within Africa, thanks to President Buharis very vocal and very clear position but also Vice President Osinbajo who has been very vocal; his writings in major publications, his most recent visit to the US and his presentation in Washington. He is one of the champions to one of the most important African positions and aspirations which is just energy transition and this is shared widely across Africa and it is very important that countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, Morocco, Algeria and many of the big economies in Africa are able to really mobilise within their respective subregions but also to be able to speak with one and to be very vocal about the priorities of Arica and that is why we work very closely with Nigeria and there is a very good synergy on many of the main priorities before Sharm El Sheikh. PT: Could you quickly outline some of these priorities aside from just the energy transition which of course is very important. What other priorities are we looking at Africa speaking to with one voice? Mr Awab: The question of adaptation, how developing countries could adapt to the transition to green economies, green energy, and renewable energy. This is a very important aspect. We do recognise as Africa that this is a goal that we need to achieve. But at the same time, we know that this is going to cost the international community has the responsibility to aid Africa in its transition to this kind of energy which is still not very affordable to all the economies. So the technology needs to be available and there is a lot of effort, commitment and political will that needs to be demonstrated by the international community in that particular direction. It is not only the adaptation of energy, it is how our economies can be transformed into a green economy. It is not a button that you are going to push and you all of a sudden transform social and economic traditions and realities. We are talking about clean cooking in Africa; how are we going to make a transformation to clean energy for the regular household in the villages and small towns of Africa. These are breaks for the future of the continent, the developing world and the global economy itself. If the majority of the population of the world that lives in the developing world is unable to make that transformation, then our goal towards combating climate change but also towards ending poverty will not be attained. So we are very clear that ending poverty and attaining the goals for preserving our earth and combating climate change should not be in contradiction. PT: What specific demands should we look out for at the negotiation table at COP27? Mr Awab: As I mentioned, it is not only government to government that will be solving our problems. The role of the private sector and business to business investment in that transformation is going to be key. If the larger title is financing, and the issue of financing is key because developing countries cannot do it alone and also I need to remind that developing countries are not the largest emitters especially African countries. We are talking about financing that will have to come from governments, international financial institutions, investment funds, but also private sector and companies that are able to transfer the technologies needed at a cost effective rate. This is the main asks that will be presented at Sharm El-Sheikh that cuts across the various aspects of the agenda of the conference from adaptation to mitigation to compensation to risks and all of the agenda items. PT: What role can the media play in spotlighting, highlighting and sending out the African message? Mr Awab: I think there is a very important role for the media. By virtue of the several participations expected at COP27, it is not just about what the government says or agrees to. This is about how all levels of our society is able to achieve together and this is where the medias role is key; synthesising societies; synthesising business; putting forward the accountability dimension of what we can achieve, whether in Sharm El Sheikh or in the follow conferences. I think this is where the media can be able to highlight the ending poverty, combating climate change and how they should not be in conflict and what that really means for human commitments. Beyond governments in the developed countries, there are people in those countries who really care about the future of our earth and the more the media is able to present the kind of challenges we are facing in order to be part of our common drive. This is a major role the media can play. This is the first of the two-part interview. In the second part, the ambassador talks about the 2013 unrest in Egypt, fighting terrorists, trade between Nigeria and Egypt and other matters. Stay with PREMIUM TIMES for the second part. Chika Igba assisted with transcribing this interview. Chiamaka Okafor is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja met behind closed doors with the leadership of the House of Representatives over the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, led officials of the Lower Chamber to the meeting. Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Mr Gbajabiamila described the engagement with the president as very fruitful. He disclosed that the president had pledged to look into the Houses recommendations aimed at resolving the ongoing strike embarked upon by the university lecturers over eight months ago. Mr President as usual has very good listening ears. He took the report of the House, he accepted it, we discussed it at length the details of the report. He wanted to go through it himself. We have another meeting on Thursday between our good selves and Mr President for his final decision, he said. The speaker stated that the recommendations submitted to the president were the outcomes of series of meetings with stakeholders in the nations education sector. According to Mr Gbajabiamila, the president has agreed to go through the report and asked for some days to digest it after which he will make a final decision by Thursday. The speaker assured Nigerians that the ongoing strike by the lecturers would soon be over as both parties (ASUU and the federal government) had agreed to shift ground for the general good of the country. The House leadership met with ASUU and other government agencies twice in September with a view to ending the unions seven month old strike. The union has been on strike since February 14. It however declared total and indefinite extension of the strike in August as government could not meet its demands for improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among others. (NAN) Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appointed a professor of Public and Community Health, and former Provost of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Ikeja, Olumuyiwa Odusanya, as the pioneer substantive vice-chancellor for the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu. Mr Odusanya, a director of research and innovation at the Lagos State University, was one of the strongest contenders for LASUs vice-chancellorship position until the appointment of Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, a professor of Physiology, in September, 2021. PREMIUM TIMES reliably gathered that Mr Odusanya was singled out for the new position among more than 20 eminently qualified scholars reportedly headhunted by the search team. Odusanya in, Olaleye out A statement by the Office of the Special Adviser on Education (SAE) to Mr Sanwo-Olu, Tokunbo Wahab, said the appointment of the new VC took effect on 29 September. Mr Odusanya, will take over from Oluremi Olaleye, a PhD holder in Microbiology and substantive Rector of the Lagos State Polytechnic, who was in March appointed in acting capacity. Mr Olaleye, also a contender for the position, has been asked to revert to his position as the rector of the polytechnic pending when the last student of the polytechnic would be graduated. The statement, which was signed by an Assistant Director, Public Affairs Unit of the SAE office, Adesoye Oyelami, noted that Mr Olaleye has been directed to resume his duty post as the LASPOTECHs substantive rector for the next three years and two months remaining for him to complete his tenure. The statement reads in part; It would be recalled that the State Governor, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu at the take -off of the new university , approved the appointment of the then substantive Rector of the former Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, Dr. Nurudeen Olaleye as the Ag. Vice- Chancellor of the University, pending the selection and appointment of the substantive Vice- Chancellor. The State government noted that it has become imperative to appoint a substantive Vice- Chancellor for the institution (LASUSTECH) to ensure that there is no void in the Universitys leadership and to maintain the necessary stability of the Lagos State University of Science and Technology from time to time. Mr Wahab thanked Mr Olaleye for using his experience and good managerial skills to set the new University on a good track. He (Mr Wahab) noted that posterity would judge him (Mr Olaleye) aright as one of the foundation Management Heads of the University in the future, adding that his efforts would pave the way for the new administration to start on a good pedestal. About Odusanya The new and substantive LASUSTECH vice-chancellor was born on the 8 February, 1965. A Fellow of the Medical College in Public Health and Community Medicine (FMCPH), who holds Master of Public Health from University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka. Until his new appointment, Professor Odusanya is a Professor of Community and Primary Health in the Department of Community Health and Primary Health Care in the Faculty Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, Lagos State University. New deputy vice-chancellors Meanwhile, the incumbent acting deputy vice-chancellors-Olumide Metilelu and Kola Godonu, who are in charge of academic and administration, respectively, will reportedly continue in those capacities for the next 90 days. The new vice-chancellor is expected to announce his preferred deputies when he settles down after the expiration of the 90-day term of the duo. About LASUSTECH Governor Babajide sanwo-Olus administration had in February announced the official establishment of two additional universities following the successful transmutation of existing polytechnic and colleges of education. While LASUST is a transmutation of the hitherto Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, is a product of the transmutations of both the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, and Michael Otedola College of Primary Education (MOCPED), Naforija, Epe. The National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory body in charge of universities in Nigeria, had in February presented the clearance certificate of operations to Mr Sanwo-Olu and his Special Adviser on Education, Tokunbo Wahab. The Executive Secretary of NUC, Abubakar Rasheed, at the time said the agency had communicated with appropriate educational agencies of government including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Tertiary Education Trust Find (TETFund), and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others, of the new universities. The United States government has urged the District Court in Central California to sentence a Nigerian Instagram celebrity, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, to 135 months in jail for fraud. It gave its reasons for proposing the equivalent of 11 years and three months jail time for Mr Abbas in its court filings obtained by PREMIUM TIMES. Hushpuppi, an international fraudster, was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE) in June 2020 over an extensive fraudulent scheme that has robbed victims of their money in the U.S., Qatar, the United Kingdom, and other places. He was taken to the U.S, where he was charged with fraud and money laundering. In July 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He admitted to conspiring with multiple persons within and outside the U.S to launder the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme perpetrated against persons and businesses in different countries. PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that the trial judge, Otis Wright, has fixed 7 November as the date to sentence Hushpuppi. Ahead of the sentencing, a team of U.S. attorneys led by Stephanie Christensen, urged the court to sentence the defendant (Hushpuppi) to 135 months imprisonment. In presentencing filings countering Mr Abbas plea for a lighter punishment, the US authorities called for a three year term of supervised release and order of restitution of $1,732,841.34, a fine of $500,000, and the mandatory special assessment of $100. He will also restitute all stolen funds to the victim, according to the plea agreement signed by the parties. Hushpuppis life ambition directed towards crime In the U.S. governments response to Hushpuppis requests seeking departures and variances from the statutory punishment for his crime, the prosecuting lawyers disagreed with Mr Abbas claims of being a life-long, hard-working and ambitious individual. The lawyers argued that Hushpuppis conduct leading to the charges is inconsistent with his long history as a scammed and money launderer. Defendant is, by all accounts, an ambitious individual, but his ambition has long been directed towards crime and its rewards. In pleading for leniency, Hushpuppi cited earlier cases of four Nigerians who were convicted of economic crimes. But, the U.S. attorneys contend that none of the cited cases is similar to Mr Abbas charges. The sentences in the cited cases are not comparable for the purposes of the courts disparity analysis. None of these defendants were high volume money launderers who admitted to conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars, the governments counter-argument shows. Hushpuppis argument seeking a departure from statutory sentencing guideline, due to the disparate treatment of immigrants under the First Step Act, was also opposed by the prosecution. The government lawyers argued that the four defendants cases earlier cited by embattled Hushpuppi do not apply as the latter is not an immigrant to the U.S. The defendant did not come to the United States of his own volition- he was brought here to face justice in this case, the authorities said. Similarly, the prosecuting attorneys urged the court to discountenance Hushpuppis argument that he qualifies for a shorter sentence on grounds of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. Acknowledging the profound impact of the pandemic, the government, however, said Hushpuppis experience is not exceptional as compared to that of many others who were in custody during the pandemic and received no extra credit at sentencing, copies of court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES show Background Mr Abbas, in July 2021, agreed to plead guilty to the multi-million-dollar fraud charges slammed against him by the American government. He has been in detention since his arrest in Dubai and repatriation to the U.S. in June 2020. Hushpuppi who initially maintained his innocence, entered into a plea bargain agreement with the U.S. authorities in July 2021, in the hope of getting a lighter punishment. He pleaded guilty to Count Two which is Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering, an offence that attracts a maximum imprisonment of 20 years among other punishments including full restitution, his plea agreement with the U.S. government states in part. This paper reported that despite pleading guilty, Mr Abbas will not be freed from paying restitution. Defendant understands that the defendant will be required to pay full restitution to the victim(s) of the offence to which the defendant is pleading guilty. Defendant agrees that, in return for the USAOs compliance with its obligations under this agreement, the court may order restitution to persons other than the victim(s) of the offenses to which defendant is pleading guilty and in amounts greater than those alleged in the count to which defendant is pleading guilty, the plea agreement seen by PREMIUM TIMES in July 2021 read. Not being an American citizen, he will be deported after completing his jail term and paying up the amount to be restituted. The maximum penalty for the offence which Mr Abbas hopes will be reduced at his sentencing include: 20 years imprisonment; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a mandatory special assessment of $100. In June 2020, the Hushpuppi, who is known for flaunting his ostentatious lifestyle on the Internet, was arrested in Dubai by special agents including the Emerati police officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) operatives. The FBI stated in an affidavit obtained by PREMIUM TIMES that its investigations revealed that Mr Abbas financed this extravagant lifestyle with proceeds of crime. The Senate has confirmed all the 19 nominees appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The appointees were confirmed after the upper legislative chamber overruled petitions against some of them accusing them of being partisan and of being card-carrying members of the ruling All ProgressivesCongress (APC). They were, however, confirmed on Wednesday after the Senate said there was no concrete evidence or sworn affidavit to support the allegations levelled against some of them. The nominees were confirmed after the Senate considered the report of its Committee on INEC. The president in July, wrote to the Senate nominating the 19 RECs. He also sought the upper chambers confirmation of the nominees. Of the 19 nominees, five were reappointed for a second and final term of five years while 14 others had new appointments. The five nominees reappointed are Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); and Samuel Egwu (Kogi). The others are Onyeka Ugochi (Imo); Muhammad Bashir (Sokoto); Ayobami Salami (Oyo); Zango Abdu (Katsina); Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi); and Agundu Tersoo (Benue). Others are: Yomere Oritsemlebi (Delta); Yahaya Ibrahim (Kaduna); Nura Ali (Kano); Agu Uchenna (Enugu); Ahmed Garki (FCT); and Hudu Yunusa (Bauchi); Also nominated are Uzochukwu Chijioke (Anambra); and Mohammed Nura (Yobe). Mr Buhari said the request for confirmation of the nominees was in accordance with the provisions of Section 154 (1) of the 1999 Constitution Nigeria (as amended). Allegations against some nominees After a thorough analysis and scrutiny, a group of civil society organisations faulted some of the nominees for allegedly being partisan and of questionable past. They said Muhammad Bashir, the nominee from Sokoto State, was a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 elections cycle; Sylvia Agu, the nominee for Enugu State was believed to be the younger sister of the APC Deputy National Chairman, South-east. The group said the nominee for Imo State, Pauline Onyeka, who is a former Head of ICT at INEC in Imo state, allegedly gained notoriety for alleged corruption and connivance with politicians to undermine elections. ALSO READ: TMG condemns nomination of party chieftains as INEC RECs It said Queen-Elizabeth Agwu, a former Accountant-General in Ebonyi State, was suspended allegedly on the grounds of incompetence and corruption in 2016. The appointments, the group said, was against the provisions of Section 156(1(a) and Third Schedule, Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14(1) of the Constitution. No concrete evidence The chairman of the Senate committee on INEC, Kabiru Gaya, who presented the report, recommended that all 19 nominees be confirmed by the Senate. The lawmaker acknowledged receipt of petitions against some of the nominees which alleged that they are either card-carrying members of political parties or have served in such capacities in the past. He said during the screening, the indicted nominees were asked if they belong to political parties and if they had affiliations with such parties and that they responded in the negative. He said there was no concrete evidence or signed affidavit from the nominees to support the claims that they belong to a party. The purported evidence of a membership card of one of the nominees was dated 2020 and signed by the current chairman who was not a chairman at the time the petition stated, he said. He further said after examining the relevant documents, their level of exposure, experience and performance, the committee recommended that all nominees be confirmed. Before the nominees were confirmed, the Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda, sought clarification as to how the committee realised that the evidence(s) presented were not enough to prove their partisanship. But a number of lawmakers such as Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, James Manager and the Chief Whip, Orji Kalu, responded to him saying the screening of the nominees was properly done but that the allegations against the nominees were unproven. While Messrs Manager and Orji said they were present during the screening and witnessed when the nominees denied being members of political parties, Mr Omo-Agege explained that the Constitution does not say one should never have been a member of a party. All it says is that, you should not be one now. All 19 of them, at the time of their screening, said they are not members of a party. The nominees were confirmed in the Committee of the Whole and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, thereafter, charged them to serve with diligence and integrity. While he thanked the petitioners, he warned against mischief and appealed for the support of all Nigerians. Six months after terrorists kidnapped scores of people after attacking a train, the last batch of 23 hostages has been released. This was disclosed by Usman Yusuf, the secretary of a committee set up by the Chief of Defence Staff, Leo Irabor. PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on the Kaduna-bound train on March 28. At least eight people died in the attack while 168 people were declared missing, most of whom were believed to have been kidnapped. The train departed Abuja for Kaduna before it was attacked in a Kaduna community by the terrorists. While scores of passengers on the train were kidnapped, many others were not. The terrorists had earlier released some of the hostages in batches after ransom was paid by the relatives. The middleman who helped the victims families negotiate with the terrorists, Tukur Mamu, has, however, been arrested by the secret police, SSS. Mr Mamu was arrested on 7 September for allegedly conniving with the terrorists. He was arrested in Egypt on his way to Saudi Arabia for a lesser Hajj. He is still being held by the secret police. The Announcement In his Wednesday statement, Mr Yusuf said the hostages were released at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday and his committee has taken custody of the victims. I am pleased to announce to the nation and the world that at 4: pm Wednesday the seven-man presidential committee assembled by the chief of Defence Staff L.E.O Irabor secured the release and took custody of all the 23 remaining passengers held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists following the attack on the Abuja to Kaduna train on 28/3/2022, Mr Yusuf, a professor, wrote. The Nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Nigerian Military under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff who conceived and guided the operation from start to finish. All sister security agencies and the Federal Ministry of Transportation contributed immensely to this operation. The unwavering support of the President and Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari is what made it possible. Members of the committee are grateful for the rare honour and privilege to be part of this humanitarian operation. Mr Yusuf did not say if a ransom was paid to free the remaining hostages or what deal the government had with the terrorists. The federal government had in the past accused the train terrorists of reneging on previous agreements that centred on a prisoner swap. The timely intervention of the police saved four suspected shoplifters from jungle justice in the Surulere area of Lagos State. The police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday. Mr Hundeyin said that police from Surulere Division rescued one Babatunde Ogunsemi, 48, Olatunde Ayinde, 50, Oludare Olusegun, 49, and Sunday Ebifega, 41 from a mob for allegedly shoplifting at a supermarket in Surulere. He said the suspects were rescued and thereafter arrested following swift deployment of officers after a distress call from members of the community about the mob action. The syndicate had ventured into a supermarket, attempted to steal before they were caught. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were once captured on CCTV while shoplifting six bottles of Martell Blue swift cognac from the same supermarket. One of the suspects, Sunday, had been previously charged to court in 2021 for shoplifting, he said. The spokesperson said the suspects would be arraigned at the conclusion of investigation. The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Abiodun Alabi, commended residents of the state for always promptly alerting the authorities to suspicious persons and happenings. Mr Alabi warned the public to desist from jungle justice as it was a crime in itself. (NAN) The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army, Aminu Chinade, has warned officers and men of the command against involvement in partisan politics as the country prepares for general election in 2023. Mr Chinade, a major-general, gave the warning on Tuesday during a familiarisation visit to the Headquarters 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, in Benin, Edo State. Remain apolitical in order not to dent your career; whenever you are called upon during the election, you should remain neutral and apolitical. Maintain your professional ethics and shun any act of partisanship in the discharge of your duties, he added. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the GOC, who assumed duty on 12 August, said that the visit was for him to be conversant with all the units under his command. He commended the officers and men of the Brigade for their good conduct and professionalism, and extended the goodwill of the Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya, to the brigade. I want to commend you for your commitment and dedication from the brief report I got even before coming. I am encouraged by your behaviour. I also want to employ you to work closely with the host community, with a view to contribute to the security of the state and provide an enabling environment, especially in this election period, Mr Chinade said. (NAN) A Lagos High Court on Tuesday heard an audio recording of a phone conversation between Chidinma Ojukwu and Abubakar Mohammed, a security guard at the apartment where Usifo Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, was allegedly murdered. Miss Ojukwu is standing trial for Mr Atagas murder before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square. She is also charged with stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and Adedapo Quadri. In the audio recording, the court heard Miss Ojukwu saying hello while Mr Mohammed also responded by saying hello. Mr Mohammed also asked, Who is this? Miss Ojukwu, the first defendant in the charge, responded, It is me, and then asked the security guard about Mr Atagas car. She asked, Is the car around? Which car? Mr Mohammed responded, and Miss Ojukwu said, the Range Rover, that my ogas car, the black Range Rover. The court also heard when Mr Mohammed asked her why she had not returned since Tuesday night that she left, and she said that she went for a meeting. Mr Mohammed then asked her how about Mr Ataga, and she said he was fine. In the conversation, the court further heard as Mr Mohammed told Miss Ojukwu that since she was not around, he could not go and knock on her room door. He further asked her when she would be coming back. and she said, I am coming. While she was saying she was coming, Mr Mohammed asked her to use her phone number to call him, so that he could have the number. She agreed. Earlier, the Lagos State Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Adenike Oluwafemi, asked the ninth prosecution witness, Olusegun Bamidele, to confirm his testimony of 9 May, when he told the court about the security guards conversation with Miss Ojukwu. Mr Bamidele confirmed the evidence and recalled how he testified that Mr Mohammed transferred the audio conversation to his Infinix Hot 4. He said the audio was attached to his office desktop. He told the court that with the help of a senior colleague with deep knowledge of information and communication technology, it was turned into a compact disc. The witness said that he would be able to identify the disc. When the disc was shown to him, he identified it and also told the court that he attached a certificate of compliance to it. The prosecution tendered the disc in evidence but the first defendants counsel, Onwuka Egwu, objected on grounds that Mr Bamidele (PW9) was not the maker of the disc. He said The alleged maker of the CD is Mohammed (PW2). He argued that there was no satisfactory reason for the prosecution to desire that the court should accept a hearsay document when the author had given evidence as PW2. Mr Egwu cited Section 83 1 (a) (ii), 2011 of the Evidence Act and said, The prosecution has not laid any of this foundation for tendering of the document through Segun Bamidele. If the prosecution actually wants to rely on this document, PW2 ought to have been called, he argued. However, Mr Quadris counsel, Babatunde Busari, did not object, but counsel to Mr Egbuchu, the third defendant, C. J. Jiakponna, aligned himself with the first defendants counsel. Due process must be followed. This is a court of law, they did not lay the foundation, the author of this document is supposed to appear before your lordship. This is a hearsay. In her reply, Mr Oluwafemi said It is trite law that whatever the investigation police officer gathered as evidence is a direct evidence and not hearsay. Finally, admissibility is based on relevance. In a short ruling, Justice Yetunde Adesanya dismissed the objection of the defence. Mrs Adesanya held that on 16 June, 2021, PW2, gave evidence about how he asked Miss Ojukwu some questions and she answered. The maker of the audio recording has already been called to this court, and there is no requirement of the presentation of the gadget, objection is hereby dismissed, I so hold, she said. The audio CD was marked as Exhibit PW22A and the certificate of compliance marked as Exhibit PW23B. Ms Adesanya adjourned the case until 6 October for the continuation of trial. The three defendants were arraigned on 12 October 2021 on a nine-count charge brought against them by Lagos State Government. Messrs Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing. The third defendant, Ms Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count stealing of iPhone 7 belonging to the Ataga. Messrs Ojukwu and Quadri are alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on 15 June 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest. The alleged murder took place at 19 Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. The duo are also accused of committing forgery by procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased. (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday in Abakaliki displayed the list of governorship candidates nominated by political parties for the 2023 governorship race in Ebonyi State. Speaker of the Ebonyi House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, candidate of the All Progressives Congress, and Bernard Odoh, a former secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, made the list. Also cleared by the commission to run for the governorship in Ebonyi is Ifeanyichukwuma Odii of the Peoples Democratic Party, Edward Nkwegu, the Labour Party candidate and Chukwuma Nwandugo of the Action Alliance. Other governorship candidates on the INEC list include Sunday Opoke of the Young Progressives Party and Anthony Usulor of the Nigerian Renaissance Movement. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ebonyi, Joseph Chukwu, who announced the release to reporters in his office in Abakaliki, said the display was in line with Section 32 (1) of the Electoral Act. The law empowers the commission to display the final list of the authentic candidates for any election 150 days to the Election Day, Mr Chukwu said. According to him, 13 political parties fielded governorship candidates and their running mates for the March 2023 gubernatorial election in Ebonyi. He said that 15 political parties also fielded 246 candidates for the House of Assembly Election and added that campaigns for the governorship and state assembly elections would begin on 12 October. The INEC official warned governorship and the House of Assembly candidates against kicking off their campaigns before the stipulated time. 246 candidates across political parties will contest for seats in the 24 state constituencies in Ebonyi. We wish to warn that campaigns for the governorship and house of assembly elections have not started; the campaigns will commence on October 12 as provided for in the 2022 electoral law. Its an offence for political parties or their candidates to embark on campaigns outside the INEC-approved timetable of activities, Mr Chukwu said. (NAN) The Zamfara State Government has promised to start implementing the N30,000 monthly minimum wage from November this year. The Acting Governor of the state, Hassan Nasiha, made the pledge Tuesday afternoon when he received a Memorandum of Understanding between the government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Mr Nasiha said the state governor, Bello Matawalle, has approved the commencement of the payment of the new minimum wage from November. In his statement signed by Babangida Zurmi, the deputy governors spokesperson, the MoU was signed after a series of meetings between representatives of the state government and two trade unions, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC. The Deputy Governor expressed satisfaction with the level of maturity and understanding demonstrated by the Labour during their negotiation and engagement with government officials that led to the amicable resolutions of the lingering issues of minimum wage implementation in the State. According to the Deputy Governor, many factors have been put into consideration, especially economic, security, and social factors before concluding the matter eventually, said Mr Zurmi, in a statement, sent to PREMIUM TIMES. The state government committee, which was led by Bashir Yuguda, an ambassador, was saddled with the responsibility of mediating, negotiating on the workers demand Following the agreement to implement the new minimum wage, Mr Nasiha challenged the workers to ensure punctuality and productivity in service, for the betterment of all. The office of Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State has taken over the prosecution of Abraham Joseph, a former staff of Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), facing trial in a defamation case levelled against him before an Iyaganku Magistrates Court. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Joseph is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, breach of public peace and publishing defamatory message against Adepoju Olusola, the Director-General of FRIN. At the courts proceedings on Wednesday, Aminat Ameen, a lawyer from the office, told the court that the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oyelow Oyewo, had instructed her to take over prosecution of the case from the police. Ms Ameen then prayed the court to allow retake of the plea of the defendant. Responding, counsel to the defendant, Oluwafemi Omotayo, however, did not oppose the fresh arraignment and taking of the plea of the defendant. The Magistrate, T. B. Oyekanmi, therefore, ordered fresh taking of the plea of the defendant. The new prosecuting counsel (Ameen) informed the court that the defendant and others now at large conspired with Sahara Reporters, an online medium, to publish a defamatory article against the Director-General of FRIN. Ms Ameen said the defendant published the said message with the intention of tarnishing the reputation of Mr Olusola and causing a breach of public peace at the institute. She said the defendant conducted himself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace with the publication of Sahara reporters against Mr Olusola, knowing that the publication was false and could led to civil unrest within and outside the institute. Ms Ameen said the incident happened on June 29, 2021 at about 2.00 p.m. She said the offences contravened Sections 517, 375 and 249(d) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The defendant counsel urged the court to allow his client to continue to enjoy the previous bail granted him. Mr Omotayo said the defendants mother and his wife that earlier stood as sureties for him were present in the court. Magistrate T.B.Oyekanmi ordered that the defendant should continue to enjoy the previous bail conditions. The magistrate adjourned the case till November 10 for hearing. NAN reports that the defendant, if found guilty of the charges, would be liable to serve a total of three years and one month imprisonment. Section 517 of Conspiracy stipulates two years imprisonment, Section 249(d) of breach of public peace stipulates one month imprisonment, while Section 375 of defamation stipulates one year imprisonment. (NAN) Outspoken Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, has debunked reports that he released fresh prophecies against the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Mr Mbaka, had in June, prophesied that Mr Obi would not win the 2023 presidential election because he is a stingy man. Many Nigerians, including the Catholic diocese of Enugu, criticised him over the prophetic declaration on the LP candidate. The cleric later apologised to the former governor and his supporters, saying his intent was not to malign the LP candidate. The Bishop of the diocese of Enugu, Callistus Onaga, later banned church members from attending services at the ministry, following the controversial prophecy. The ban was lifted on Thursday, three months after. Mr Mbaka was later directed by the leadership of Catholic Diocese of Enugu to embark on a solitary journey to a monastery. The embattled cleric held a service at the ministry on Sunday to mark the partial reopening of the ministry and also announce Anthony Amadi, another Catholic priest, as the new spiritual director of the ministry. Reports emerged later alleging that Mr Mbaka, during the Sunday service at the ministry, gave a fresh prophecy that the LP candidate would not win the presidential election in 2023. But Mr Mbaka, in a video clip posted on the ministrys official Facebook page on Wednesday morning, described the report as nefarious and satanic. The cleric said he was shocked when he heard of the report after handing over the ministry to Mr Amadi, the new spiritual director. I, Rev Fr Mbaka on that Sunday never mentioned Peter, not to talk of Obi. Please, whoever is being used by the devil to blackmail me in the name of doing any job for anybody is satanic and should apologise, withdraw such nefarious, and satanic utterance and be careful when you want to harm the image of a man of God, he said. The priest said he had forgiven the person behind the report, but demanded that the person should apologise and withdraw the report against him. He said the report was intended to put the Adoration Ministry in trouble. No protest over journey to monastery Mr Mbaka also announced that he had embarked on the journey to the monastery. He urged his followers not to protest his trip to the monastery, explaining that his decision to temporarily relocate to the monastery was in obedience to my Bishop, His Lordship Callistus Onaga, whom he also asked to pray for him. Help me fellow adorers to stop any kind of protest that anybody will carry on my behalf to please me. Instead of the protest or demonstration helping me, it may jeopardise my priestly call, he pleaded. The cleric asked his followers to pray for him so that I will go and embark on deeper reflection, sober contemplations and interior waiting on the Lord, at the monastery. As a catholic priest, under the vow of obedience, I must obey the mother church. Please, in my absence dont do anything that is awful, anything in any way, shape or form gives the devil iota of glory. Let us not fall into any trap that the devil has set, Mr Mbaka said. He asked his followers to work, love and pray with the new spiritual director, assuring that he would soon return to the ministry after his prayers at the monastery. He did not, however, give an exact date of his return. I wish to inform you, fellow adorers, that this is not a time to be cantankerous, sorrowful, and angry unnecessarily, he said. Use this opportunity to call on God for integral wellness and wellbeing of the adoration ministry, which is the apple of Gods eyes. Teachers in Enugu State on Wednesday demanded full implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage from the state government. Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state, Theophilus Odo, said teachers needed to be paid the minimum wage as they were facing challenges. He listed some challenges as the withholding of outstanding promotions, non-payment of terminal benefits to retired teachers, and non-recruitment of new teachers. Speaking during activities marking the 2022 World Teachers Day, Mr Odo saluted the courage of teachers in the face of economic challenges in the state and the country. He said that this years celebration was low key, hence the NUT in the state declared prayers, instead of making merry. He added that the theme of this years celebration, Transformation of Education Begins with Teachers, reflected the mood in Enugu State at the moment. ALSO READ: Zamfara government to start paying minimum wage in November Without teachers there can never be any meaningful transformation either in the state or in Nigeria, Mr Odo stressed. UNESCO set aside the annual World Teachers Day in 1994 to appreciate the role of teachers in the transformation of humanity and societies. Most public schools in Nigeria were closed on Wednesday to mark the World Teachers Day 2022. (NAN) The Federal Operations Unit Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has recovered one unit of pump action rifle, two units of locally made guns, and 35 live cartridges from smugglers in Idiroko, Ogun State. The acting Comptroller, FOU, Zone A, Hussein Ejibunu, said this at a press conference to showcase the units activities in September on Wednesday in Lagos. Mr Ejibunu said the smugglers surrendered the weapons and ran into the bush when the officers of the unit engaged them. He assured that the suspected smugglers would be apprehended very soon. Other contrabands seized in the month of September included, 7,328 x 50kg bags of foreign parboiled rice, 121,550 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) and 68 cartons of frozen poultry. They also included 37 crates of eggs used to conceal rice, 150 kg parcels of Indian Hemp and 10 pieces of military camouflage bags. Chief among the September seizures was a massive discovery of 1,955 bales of used clothing in an abandoned building around the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, he said. He added that within the same period, a large cache of PMS concealed inside sacks was intercepted in the Badagry Axis of Lagos State. He added that five suspects were arrested in connection with some of the seizures. According to him, the seizures had a total duty paid value of N622.4 million, and the unit recovered the sum of N107.8 million for the period under review. He said the Federal High Court passed three judgements in favour of the unit on three criminal cases; securing the conviction of six people for being in possession of smuggled goods, while six civil suits against the unit were dismissed for lack of merit. The 1,955 bales of used clothing is the highest single seizure of used clothing made by the service this year and we have commenced investigation to know those behind this massive importation, and at what entry point these clothes came into the country. Used clothing in commercial quantity falls under absolute prohibition. They have been seized and we are on the trail of the smugglers to get them arrested. The smuggling of used clothes has economic and health implications for our people. The government in its wisdom wants the local textile industry to enjoy protection and create more jobs for Nigerians from the cotton farms through the textile and garment factories to our markets, he said. He said the serious health implication of textile smuggling was the exposure of users to skin diseases like scabies and fungal diseases, which could be transmitted by wearing unwashed second-hand clothes. This is coming when the world is wary of monkeypox whose mode of transmission includes clothing. The World Health Organisation fact sheet shows that Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus, he explained. (NAN) The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said the ministry had completed over 2000 projects in the sector within three years. Mr Pantami said this during an oversight visit to the Galaxy Backbones (GBB) Data and Information Centre on Wednesday in Abuja. He said public institutions will not be the only ones to benefit from the data centre but the private sector and all Nigerians in the area of broadband, among others. Mr Pantami said: Public institutions including private ones and ordinary citizens will benefit from the services like broadband and trainings, among others. If you look at the facility, it is a training centre. This training centre is for citizens. Trainings are going to be organised from time to time for our citizens in order to close the digital divide. This is one area that is going to be useful to our citizens because it is a government institution and citizens must benefit from this training. When citizens are trained, by implication you are raising the probability of getting or being employed either by government or private institution or even by international organisations. The minister said there were so many opportunities in the sector, adding that citizens should not restrict job creation to only the government or within Nigeria, but to explore internationally. Today in the digital economy sector, when we talk about job creation, dont restrict that job creation to only government or within Nigeria. There are one thousand and one opportunities out there at international levels. What is most important is to have the skills and be able to display to them that you will be able to take up the challenge. So, by training citizens, it will be an opportunity to increase their probability of getting employment, not in Nigeria, but even at the international level with even the tech giants, Mr Pantami said. He added that the data centre in Kano was already operational and preparations for its inauguration were in top gear. The Director-General of Galaxy Backbone, Mohammed Abubakar, said that data centres were drivers of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) worldwide. According to Mr Abubakar, we have the connectivity component of it and data centre component of it is where you have all your information. As you know information is now our black gold and crude oil. Before, we were storing our information on files, which were confidential and it was only a few people that had access to it. Now the data is in the cloud. It is everywhere, so the repository for that data are the data centres. All the information you have as a country is now going to be in the data centre that is in your control. There is a peculiarity, which is the protection of that data centre. If you have data and it is not protected, then anything can happen. (NAN) The Lagos State Government has filed a notice of appeal against a judgement stopping towing of vehicles and imposition of fines by Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) without a valid court order. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the government made this known in a press release on Wednesday. The press release was signed by the Director of Civil Ligation, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Hameed Oyenuga. The notice of appeal, filed on 30 September, contains four grounds against the judgement of a judge, Olalekan Oresanya, delivered on 22 September. The judge had held that LASTMA could not impose fines and tow vehicles of suspected traffic offenders without an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Lagos State said it had reviewed the judgement and was dissatisfied with it, adding that it had exercised its constitutional right of appeal by filing the notice of appeal. The state government urged members of the public to be law-abiding. NAN reports that, in the judgement, Mr Oresanya of an Ikeja High Court awarded N750,000 damages against the Lagos State Government for violating the fundamental right of a lawyer, Lawal Aliyu, whose vehicle was towed away by LASTMA officers. The officials also imposed a fine on Mr Aliyu without a valid court order. LASTMA, Lagos State Government, and the states attorney-general were respondents in the suit. Mr Oresanya held that it was unconstitutional for LASTMA to impose fines and tow vehicles of suspected traffic offenders without a valid court order. Mr Aliyu had challenged the imposition of a N20,000 fine on him by LASTMA for an alleged traffic offence, and the imposition of a N10,000 towage fine, which he was forced to pay by the traffic management agency. Mr Oresanya held that public authorities and bodies could not act in a manner inconsistent and incompatible with the fundamental rights of citizens as guaranteed by Nigerias constitution. (NAN) An ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives has commenced a plan for a possible merger of the telecommunications and broadcasting regulatory entities. The committee, chaired by Victor Danzaria (APC, Gombe) on Wednesday, met with the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Umar Danbatta, on the plan. Nigerian Communications Satellite, Galaxy Backbone, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and NCC are some of the agencies being considered for a merger. Mr Danzaria said research, revenue generation and service delivery are the critical conditions in the consideration process for merging or scrapping agencies of government. He said it is not about having many agencies with so many director-generals that do not deliver the required services to Nigerians but about productivity. The ad hoc Committee is critically looking at these agencies, their existence and looking at possible synergies and mergers of these agencies to give effective service to Nigerians. One area is research, second is revenue generation and thirdly is regulatory functions and service delivery and at the end of the day, this is what Nigerians want. It is not about when you go to any agency, you see this man seated there on a table and service are not being offered there, he said. The committee is also considering other MDAs for a merger. Speaking on the possibility of a merger, Mr Danbatta said all the agencies are doing different functions though there are areas of shared responsibilities. He explained that in some climes, telecommunications and broadcasting regulations are unified. He added that to achieve such a merger, the lawmakers must get experts to review existing laws and operational frameworks. NITDA regulates information technology, that is why they are called that name. Galaxy Backbone provides infrastructure that is promoting governance. In some countries, we have what is called converged regulators for the telecoms and related sector. In this country, we have two separate regulators, one for communication and the other for broadcasting. It must have been the wisdom of the government to separate them, he said. Mr Danbatta also spoke about the contribution of the NCC to the coffers of the federal government. We have records available to show that we have been contributing a lot to the coffers of government and a very good example is when we did that successful 5G auction. The proceeds from the auction go to the coffers of the government. We dont normally take anything. It is gazetted that whatever we sellspectrum, we do not keep the money, we normally transfer this money to the consolidated revenue fund of government he said. President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed striking education sector workers for being complicit in the corruption that undermines the nations educational system. He spoke during the fourth National Summit on Reducing Corruption in the Public Sector held at the State House in Abuja. The event themed, Corruption and the Education Sector, was organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). Mr Buharis comment brings to mind the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who have downed tools since 14 February. The university lecturers are demanding the federal governments compliance with an agreement it entered with the union in 2009 on different issues including improved funding for universities and a review of teachers remuneration. On 21 September, in an effort to end the strike, the federal government obtained a court injunction ordering ASUU to suspend its strike. The union has since appealed the ruling. In his goodwill message at the ICPCs event on Tuesday, the President noted the usual complaint of underfunding of the education system often presented as the reason for strikes by union workers in the education sector. Although he did not specifically mention ASSU, Mr Buhari insisted that workers unions that often went on protracted strikes for what he described as flimsy reasons, were equally complicit in the corruption that undermined the national educational system. Incessant strikes especially by unions in the tertiary education often imply that the government is grossly underfunding education, but I must say that corruption in the education system from basic level to the tertiary level has been undermining our investment in the sector and those who go on prolonged strikes on flimsy reasons are no less complicit, the President said. Education budgets Speaking further, Mr Buhari, who referenced the 1999 constitution, which includes the education sector as a Concurrent List, noted that the responsibility for planning and financing the nations high-quality education falls under the purview of both the Federal and State Governments. He also recommended that the federal budgets provision for education should include funding for Universal Basic Education, and transfers to the TETFUND, instead of just funding the Federal Ministry of Education and academic institutions. Mr Buhari noted that education is an item on the Concurrent List of the Nigerian constitution and its funding is the responsibility of both the federal and state governments. The total education budget for each year is, therefore, a reflection of both federal and state budgets and should be viewed with other financial commitments in their totality. He added that the budgets for education should not be limited to the allocation to the ministry of education and academic institutions alone, but should include an allocation to the Universal Basic Education, transfers to TETFUND and refund from the Education Tax Pool Account to TETFUND etc. I am aware that the aggregate education budget in all the 36 states of the federation and that of the federal government, combined with the internally generated revenues of the educational institutions themselves are also a subject that requires the attention of critics of government funding of education, he added. Sex-for-grade in school The President also raised concerns about the menace of sorting or cash for marks/grades, sex for marks, sex for grade alterations, and examination malpractice, in various institutions in the country. He commended the ICPC for investigating and prosecuting sexual harassment as an abuse of power in our educational institutions. He said I approve and encourage them to continue to do so. Sexual harassment has assumed an alarming proportion. Other forms of corruption include pay-roll padding or ghost workers, lecturers taking up full-time appointments in more than one academic institution, including private institutions, lecturers writing seminar papers, projects and dissertations for students for a fee, and admission racketeering, to mention only the most glaring corrupt practices. Last month, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the ICPC is investigating over 15 cases of sexual harassment. ICPC probes In his remarks, the ICPC chairman, Bolaji Owasanoye, reiterated the commitment of the commission to strengthening the Anti-corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (ACTU) across MDAs. According to him, the ICPC launched several undercover operations last year across the nation on corruption in university admissions procedures, which resulted in the breaking of syndicates and the arrest of their leaders in charge of undermining IJMB and JUPEB. The anti-graft boss noted that investigations into special funds like TETFUND and UBEC intended to boost educational delivery continue to unearth fraud, procurement standards violations, and compromises of statutory duties. Additionally, he said a System Study and Review on SUBEB in six states for 2019-2020 revealed that the intention of UBE law to support states to improve basic education is frustrated by a lack of commitment by state governments in not providing matching grants amongst other defaults. A former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Attahiru Jega, said the education sector is continuously being perforated by the incidences and consequences of corruption. Mr Jega, a professor in the Department of Political Science, said there are two broad dimensions of corruption in the education sector, each, of course, with wider ramifications and consequences. First, is the phenomenon of corruption within the education sector; its nature, type, dimensions, extent, magnitude and consequences. Second is the way and manner by which corruption in the wider public sector impacts upon and affects the education sector. He said the problems plaguing education are reflective of a crisis in the sector. Specifically, people focus on: poor funding, resulting in poor infrastructure and facilities; poor conditions of service and poor working environment; inadequacy of teaching staff, classrooms and laboratories; and poor quality of teachers. All of these dimensions of the crisis in the education sector are further complicated and intensified by persistent and pervasive corruption, he said. The Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum is set to hold a two-day programme to discuss the role of states in Primary Health Care (PHC) financing in Nigeria. The programme tagged: PHC Financing Forum, will hold in Abuja between 6 and 7 October. The forum is Nigerias community of practice and learning platform created by the 36 states health commissioners across the country. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Health and Human Service, Filani Oyebanji, said the event will focus on PHC financing, particularly the role sub-national systems must play in the process. Mr Oyebanji said the event is in collaboration with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), noting that they are key stakeholders in ensuring adequate financing for PHCs in the country. He said the objectives of the event include taking stock of approaches to finance PHC in states, identifying common challenges and policy responses, and developing a shared understanding of the way forward for financing PHC comprehensively and sustainably. The event looks promising, which shows the importance the ecosystem places on this type of activity. We are grateful to all our partners and everyone that has registered, he said. Mr Oyebanji said the event will attract participants from the public sector, organised private sector, development partners, academia, Civil Society Organisations, and the media. Structures Mr Oyebanji noted that high performing health systems recognise the importance of having an effective PHC service as a key driver of achieving universal health coverage (UHC). He said that strengthening PHC strongly relies on its structures across the country to deliver individual-based care and essential public health functions to all. He noted that although Nigeria has seen marked improvements in service delivery of primary health care, increasing financing and improving current financing arrangements can catalyse the goal of achieving UHC by 2030. Every PHC requires adequate financing and service delivery, he said. PHC system Primary healthcare is a level at which non-emergency, preventative health issues should be managed. It is meant to provide services to the majority of people based on need, without geographical, social, or financial barriers. ALSO READ: Health commissioners hold forum on primary healthcare funding Unfortunately, only about 20 per cent of PHC facilities across Nigeria are fully functional. The rest cannot provide essential healthcare services. Some PHCs are faced with a lot of problems, including poor distribution of health workers, poor quality of healthcare services, poor infrastructure, and lack of supply of essential drugs. The inability of PHC centres to provide basic medical services to people especially in the rural areas, has increased the influx of patients to secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. This has led to long queues in these hospitals and worsened patient experiences. A recent report titled; The State of Primary Healthcare Service Delivery in Nigeria, shows that Zamfara and 17 other Nigerian states are weak in PHC service delivery. The other states include Sokoto, Taraba, Kebbi, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Kogi, Jigawa, Rivers, Gombe, Cross River, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Plateau, Imo, and Kaduna. Findings from the report also blame Nigerias deteriorating healthcare system on the weak governance structures and operational inefficiencies. Nigeria must fully revitalise its Primary Health Care Centres (PHC) if it aims to achieve UHC, the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, said during a summit on PHC earlier this year. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, on Tuesday, ordered the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) to pay N540.5 million in damages to a pastor, Emmanuel Omale, of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry and his wife, Deborah, over false claim that they laundered N573 million for former chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu. Delivering judgement in the suit, Yusuf Halilu, the judge, held that the bank breached its duty of care to the claimants, the Omales and their church. The judgment was on the suit marked: FCT/HC/CV2541/2020 filed by Mr Omale, his wife and the church. The judge held that the evidence before the court showed that the bank admitted error in its report to the NFIU of entries in the account of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry which was accused of laundering money on Mr Magus behalf. Mr Halilu also said the bank claimed that the purported N573 million was wrongly reflected as credit entry in Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministrys account by its reporting system, which it recently upgraded. The judge held that FCMB admitted the error, which brought incalculable damage to the reputation of the claimants both within and outside the Nigeria depleting their churchs membership. Mr Halilu said the claimants provided sufficient evidence to establish case of negligence against FCMB. Consequently, the judge awarded N200 million as aggravated damages; N140.5 million as specific damages and N200 million as general damages. Background During the investigation of Magu by a Presidential Investigation Committee on the EFCC Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances from May 2015 to May 2020, it was alleged that an investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) revealed that Mr Magu, who is now retired from the police, paid N573 million into Mr Omales churchs account. It further alleged that the funds were used to purchase property for him in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). About the time the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported the report of the panel, Mr Magu was facing a barrage of similar allegations of a presidential investigative panel led by a former President of the Court of Appeal, Ayo Salami. President Muhammad Buhari has refused to release the report of any of the panels to enable the public to have first-hand information about Mr Magus culpability or otherwise in the charge and many others levelled against him. The Mr Salami-led panel, which conducted its months-long hearing in secrecy, is believed to have been engineered by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to get Mr Magu out of office over wide differences they shared on diverse issues. Mr Magu, who was suspended as Acting Chairman of the EFCC in the wake of the probe by Mr Salamis panel, was never recalled or held accountable for any infraction after the panel submitted its report to Mr Buhari. The other panel, titled, Final Report of the Presidential Investigation Committee on the EFCC Federal Government Recovered Assets and Finances from May 2015 to May 2020, was said to be headed by Abdullahi Ibrahim, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice. It stated that Mr Magu, through a pastor named Omale, had been laundering public funds to foreign countries. As an unknown pastor, the NFIUs report showed the huge movement of funds ranging from N573, 228,040.41, the report claimed. The report, published by NAN, delved into other allegations against Mr Magu including- failing to cooperate with foreign authorities over probe on former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke, and circulation of disproportionate figures on recovered loot. The report accused Mr Magu of allegedly failing to properly account for a recovered N551 billion by the EFCC while he was its acting chairman. The report featured prominently in the course of the defamation hearing filed by the Omales to clear their names. Although oil theft and vandalism persist across oil fields in the country, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has collaborated with relevant security agencies to clamp down on saboteurs. The NNPCLs Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari, disclosed this at the Senates joint committees on Petroleum (Upstream and Downstream) and Gas on Tuesday. While he noted that Nigeria is in a calamitous situation over oil theft, and pipeline vandalism with attendant low production, he said at least 395 illegal refineries have been deactivated. Mr Kyari also proposed capital punishment for offenders. The NNPCL earlier disclosed that it loses 470,000 bpd of crude oil amounting to $700 million monthly due to oil theft. PREMIUM TIMES also reported how Nigeria, amid dwindling revenue, lost $10 billion to crude oil theft in seven months. Mr Kyaris revelations come about two weeks after a group of lawyers petitioned the Senate Ad-Hoc committee over alleged oil theft from the Ugo Ocha export terminal at OML 42. The OML 42, an oil field located in the swamps of the western Niger Delta, is operated by NECONDE Energy Limited. The terminal has four flow stations with a combined production capacity of around 30,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). At the hearing which lasted over four hours, Mr Kyari said in the last six weeks, 395 illegal refineries have been deactivated, 274 reservoirs destroyed, 1,561 metal tanks destroyed, 49 trucks seized and a 4-kilometres illegal oil connection line from Forcados Terminal into the sea which had been in operation undetected for nine years detected. The NNPCL, he explained, carried out aerial surveillance of the affected areas and discovered the economic saboteurs carrying out their activities unchallenged and unperturbed. The problem at hand is not only security but social as locals in most areas where the illegal refiners operate unknowingly serve as their employees by mistaking them for operatives of licensed companies for oil exploration and production in the area. The NNPCL boss further informed the lawmakers that the Cambodia and Mexico models of involvement of non-state actors are being adopted by the group by involving three private security companies. It is not abnormal to involve non-state actors for protection of oil pipelines and other critical infrastructure as done in Cambodia and Mexico which produced desired results, he said. A member of the committee, Bassey Akpan (PDP, Akwa Ibom North East), also recommended that capital punishment be put in place for offenders. The chairman of the panel, Sabo Nakudu (APC, Jigawa South West), informed the NNPCL boss that oversight functions will be carried out in Port Harcourt and Warri refineries which are said to have been rehabilitated. Enugu East senator, Chimaroke Nnamani, has denied reports that he stole $41.8 million from the coffers of the Enugu State government during his time as governor between 1999 and 2007. Mr Nnamani described the reports as a ruse and fake news targeted at maligning him because of his alternative views on the recent political development in the country. His comment was contained in a statement he signed on Tuesday. The lawmaker was reacting to a report that said he looted $41.8 million during his days as Enugu State governor. According to the report, a statement by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) revealed that he used the stolen funds to acquire luxury assets in Florida. The FBI, in the statement, said Mr Nnamanis official salary as governor at the time was $10,670 per year thereby unlikely he would possess an adequate source of legitimate income to account for the purchase of the real estate he acquired in Florida. In his statement, Mr Nnamani who recently became vocal on social media particularly against supporters of opposition parties said the allegation was a campaign of calumny, intimidation, insults and abuse orchestrated to suppress and diminish his voice. However my voice will grow louder and more persistent, he said. I know my recent position will attract this attack by those who cannot tolerate alternative views. Democracy allows alternative viewpoints. If I cannot express my opinion and take a stand who will, he said. There was no such judgement anywhere, he maintained. He added that he left Enugu State on a solid foundation 15 years ago and no amount of mudslinging can rewrite the history. He, therefore, urged Nigerians to ignore the report sponsored by political foes and professional blackmailers. The senator, a member of the PDP, was recently named a member of the Presidential Campaign Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress an announcement which generated controversy. The APC has defended his inclusion in the Council. The party said while he may not be on the field with a PDP senatorial candidate in Enugu East, his presence is indicative that he may have chosen to give moral support to his old-time friend and brother, Bola Tinubu. Mr Nnamani is, however, yet to speak on his inclusion in the APC campaign council. International cyber-fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, says he deserves a lesser sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering at a United States court in July last year. Mr Abbas, a Nigerian Instagram celebrity, told the U.S. Central District Court in California that the U.S. Attorneys Office agreed to recommend a reduction in the applicable sentencing guidelines offence level following his guilty plea. He was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE) in June 2020, and subsequently ferried to the US, where he pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2021. The trial judge, Otis Wright, has fixed 7 November for his sentencing. Ahead of the sentencing, a team of U.S. attorneys, led by Stephanie Christensen, has urged the court to sentence the defendant (Hushpuppi) to 135 months imprisonment. But in court filings through his lawyer, Louis Shapiro, Hushpuppi said the US Attorneys Office agreed to recommend that Mr Abbas be sentenced to a term of imprisonment below the calculated range dictated by statute Giving a summary of his clients argument, Mr Shapiro, urged the court to depart and vary from the sentencing guideline factors in the plea agreement. The defence lawyer based his contention on the grounds that Mr Abbas showed an early acceptance of responsibility for the fraud. He added that Hushpuppi endured painstaking and crushing COVID conditions after being diagnosed with the ailment. Mr Abbas, through his counsel, is entreatiing the court to vary from the calculated guideline range towards a 13-level reduction to 20 points (33-41) months. This reduction would also enable Mr Abbas to continue supporting his family in their time of need, the court documents dated 5 September read. Mr Abbas comes from a good family Determined to secure a lighter sentence for his client, Mr Shapiro chronicled Hushpuppis family background. He described Hushpuppi, 39, as a devoted husband, father and son to his family. Giving details of Mr Abbas three children who live with their mothers in London, New York and Dubai, the defence lawyer said his children depend on his continued support, adding, Hushpuppi comes from a good family and has not had any prior run-ins with the law. Highlighting Mr Hushpuppis entrepreneurial skills by pursuing his dreams of having a personal business, Mr Shapiro noted that he worked hard and created opportunities for himself. The lawyer explained that Mr Abbas decision to plead guilty in the case has forced his ailing parents to move to secret locations due to the danger they have been exposed to in Nigeria. Impact of statutory sentencing guidelines on Mr Abbas Putting forth arguments to sway the court in granting a lesser sentence, the defence lawyer said Hushpuppi has a young family who looks to him to provide. Contending that Mr Abbas was not aware of how many persons were involved in the fraudulent scheme as well as the the extent of the monetary scheme, Mr Shapiro said the schemeMr Abbas became entangled in was already in operation prior to his involvement. He said the wire fraud scheme was being spearheaded by Ghaled Alaumary and individuals in North Korea, with whom Mr Abbas had no knowledge. Mr Shapiro disclosed that Hushpuppi was approached by Mr Alaumary, an old friend, and asked to procure bank account information. This information was to be used to wire transfer fraudulently obtained funds, the lawyer admitted, but said the extent of the fraud was unknown to Mr Abbas. Pointing out Mr Abbas cooperation with law enforcement agents when he was contacted, the defence lawyer said Hushpuppi is sincerely remorseful, adding he poses no threat to be a repeat offender. Based on Mr Abbas lack of criminal history, his extraordinary work ethic, his unconditional acceptance of responsibility, and his minimal risk of recidivism, a departure and variation below the sentencing guidelines would be sufficient to reflect on the seriousness of the offence, to deter future crimes, In an impassioned plea, Mr Shapiro said, Nobody benefits from Mr Abbas continuing to languish in prison not his family, not his parents, not society. He requested that the court impose a sentence below the statutory guidelines range. Background Mr Abbas, in July 2021, agreed to plead guilty to the multi-million-dollar fraud charges slammed against him by the American government. He has been in detention since his arrest in Dubai and repatriation to the US in June 2020. Hushpuppi who initially maintained his innocence, entered into a plea bargain agreement with the US authorities in July 2021, in the hope of getting a lighter punishment. He pleaded guilty to Count Two which is Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering, an offence that attracts a maximum imprisonment of 20 years among other punishments including full restitution, his plea agreement with the U.S. government states in part. This paper reported that despite pleading guilty, Mr Abbas will not be freed from paying restitution. Defendant understands that the defendant will be required to pay full restitution to the victim(s) of the offence to which the defendant is pleading guilty. Defendant agrees that, in return for the USAOs compliance with its obligations under this agreement, the court may order restitution to persons other than the victim(s) of the offenses to which defendant is pleading guilty and in amounts greater than those alleged in the count to which defendant is pleading guilty, the plea agreement seen by PREMIUM TIMES in July 2021 read. Not being an American citizen, he will be deported after completing his jail term and paying up the amount to be restituted. The maximum penalty for the offence which Mr Abass hopes will be reduced at his sentencing include: 20 years imprisonment; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a mandatory special assessment of $100. In June 2020, the Hushpuppi who is known for flaunting his ostentatious lifestyle on the Internet, was arrested in Dubai by special agents including the Emerati police officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) operatives. The FBI stated in an affidavit obtained by PREMIUM TIMES that its investigations revealed that Mr Abbas financed this extravagant lifestyle with proceeds of crime. Details of offences The US Attorneys Office for the Central District of California states in the agreement that beginning no later than on or about January 18, 2019, through on or about June 9, 2020, Hushpuppi knowingly combined, agreed, and conspired with multiple other persons (co-conspirators) to conduct financial transactions into, within, and outside the United States involving property that represented the proceeds of wire fraud. The co-conspirators, according to USAO, targeted multiple victims and laundered and/or attempted to launder funds fraudulently obtained, and attempted to be fraudulently obtained, through bank cyber-heists, business email compromise (BEC) frauds, and other fraud schemes. The intended victims of the conspiracy were said to include a foreign financial institution (which was a bank in Malta), the victims law firm (located in New York State), and two companies located in the United Kingdom. Mr Abbas was said to have known that these fraudulent schemes included bank cyber-heists, BEC schemes, and other fraud schemes. A top Nigerian police officer, Abba Kyari, was later indicted over his roles in facilitating the crime. But a federal court in Abuja, recently dismissed the Nigerian governments extradition request for Mr Kyari. The judge, Emeka Nwite, said Nigerias Attorney-General, Abubakar Malami, was responsible for the failure of the case by instituting the extradition proceedings despite the pending criminal case against Mr Kyari in Nigeria. Mr Kyari and three other police officers are being tried on charges bordering on cocaine trafficking. The foreign financial institution (a bank in Malta) was an intended victim of a cyber-heist, while the other victims identified above were victims of BEC schemes. In some BEC schemes involving victim companies in the United Kingdom, Mr Abass was said to have with one co-conspirator on May 12, 2019, how they anticipated fraudulent payments of approximately 6 million per week. Once a victim deposited funds into a bank account, the defendant would coordinate with other co-conspirators to obtain or move the funds, and then to further launder the funds, the U.S. government said. In addition to admitting defendants involvement in the schemes intending to defraud the victims listed above, Mr Abass was also said to have admitted involvement in a scheme to defraud a victim company in Qatar that was building an international school (the Qatari Victim Company) and the owner of that company. He was also said to have in December 2019, begun conspiring with a co-conspirator to defraud the owner of the Qatari company who was seeking a lender to invest $15,000,000 in a project to build an international school. Mr Abass alleged co-conspirator was said to have already defrauded the victims of funds at the time that the defendant joined the scheme. Beginning on or around December 11, 2019, the defendant began to communicate with the Victim Businessperson, fraudulently using the name Malik, it was stated. As Malik, the prosecution said further, Huspuppi falsely told the victim that he would open a bank account in the United States where the $15,000,000 loan could initially be deposited. In truth, defendant and Coconspirator A did not intend to assist the Victim Businessperson in securing a loan; they were defrauding the Victim Businessperson, the prosecution alleged. The chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Kayode Fayemi, has said the country must address the issue of poor funding for Primary Health Care (PHC) to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030. Mr Fayemi said this on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of a two-day programme to discuss the role of states in PHC financing in Nigeria. Represented by Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, he said health financing is a critical building block of the health system that directly affects the functionality of the overall system. He noted that equitable access to PHC is a key component of all high-performing health systems and a prerequisite for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 and UHC. Until we address the issue of poor funding for health and the fragmentation of the health financing arrangements in Nigeria, we will make little headway in our pursuit for UHC, he said. The programme tagged: PHC Financing Forum, is organised by the Nigeria Health Commissioners Forum (NHCF) in collaboration with NGF. PHC financing Mr Fayemi reiterated that health systems are driven by their financing arrangements, which include the number of funds they receive, how these funds are distributed across the system, and how they are utilised to provide equitable access to services. He said Nigeria is facing challenges in ensuring PHC is financed sustainably to cover risk protection, adequate infrastructure, human resources, and the delivery of quality health services. ALSO READ: Governors launch Leadership Challenge Fund to improve PHCs across Nigeria He said for Nigeria to solve the problem of PHC financing and meet the demands for a responsive and high-performing health system, it must approach PHC financing and service delivery with four key focuses in mind. He said; The utilisation of the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF) to finance essential health services, especially for the vulnerable, and to improve the countrys capacity to address public health emergencies. Consolidate funding to address primary care and essential public health functions. An increase in budgetary allocations for healthcare both at the national and state levels and theexploration of innovative ways to pool funds for non-contributory healthcare coverage. Functional PHC In his remarks, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Yobe State, Muhammad Gana, said the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into spotlight the need for standard and functional PHC at the sub national levels. Mr Gana, who doubles as the Vice-Chairman of the NHCF, said PHC is the most promising platform for providing basic essential preventive and promotive health interventions and other public healthfunctions. He noted that PHC drives improvements in immunisation, communicable and non-communicable diseases, maternal health, and nutrition. He said the theme of the event is one of the three activities under a state leadership collaborative of the NHCF, designed to share, showcase and highlight state level performance and accountability. Mr Gana said the event also serves as an opportunity to examine the problems of PHC financing, interrogate how Nigeria can fund PHC services, especially for the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Lagging behind Mr Gana said many countries including Nigeria is yet to achieve the desire of PHC four years after the Astana Declaration. In October 2018 at the global conference on PHC, heads of states made a promise to strengthen their PHC systems as an essential step towards achieving UHC. Four years post declaration, we are yet to achieve the desire of PHC meeting the basic health needs of the population in most low- and middle-income countries, he said. He explained that public spending is insufficient, access is inequitable and out of pocket spending is on the high side thereby making people bypass PHC facilities to seek care in secondary and tertiary centres. Nigeria PHC system Primary healthcare is a level at which non-emergency, preventative health issues should be managed. It is meant to provide services to the majority of people based on need, without geographical, social, or financial barriers. Unfortunately, only about 20 per cent of PHC facilities across Nigeria are fully functional. The rest cannot provide essential health care. Some PHCs are faced with lot of problems, including poor distribution of health workers, poor quality of health care services, poor infrastructure, and lack of supply of essential drugs. The inability of PHC centres to provide basic medical services to people especially at the rural areas, has increased the influx of patients to secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities. This has led to long queues in these hospitals and worsen patient experiences. A recent report titled; The State of Primary Healthcare Service Delivery in Nigeria, shows that Zamfara and 17 other Nigerian states are weak in PHC service delivery. The other states include Sokoto, Taraba, Kebbi, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Kogi, Jigawa, Rivers, Gombe, Cross River, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa-Ibom, Plateau, Imo, and Kaduna. Findings from the report also blame Nigerias deteriorating healthcare system on the weak governance structures and operational inefficiencies. The NHCF vice chairman said at the end of the forum, all stakeholders must take stock of the countrys achievements and make definite new commitments to accelerate progress. We can move the brick by working together to build a safer and healthier Nigeria for all of us, Mr Gana said. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies on Wednesday agreed to cut monthly oil output by 2 million barrels per day in November. It is the deepest cut by OPEC+ since the 2020 COVID pandemic. It decision comes despite pressure from the United States and other for the group to pump more. OPEC said it took the decision in light of the uncertainty that surrounds the global economy and oil market outlooks, and the need to enhance the long-term for the oil market. The development came after Brent crude dropped as low as $84/barrel in September, having hit $125/barrel back in June. ALSO READ: OPEC agrees on oil production cut OPEC had last month agreed to cut oil output by 100,000 barrels per day. OPEC+ supply fell about 3.6 million barrels per day short of its output target in August. This means the latest cut is smaller than the shortfalls that canes as a result of Western sanctions on Russia, Venezuela and Iran and output shortfall in problems in Nigeria and Angola. The decision is technical, not political, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazroui was quoted by Reuters as saying ahead of the meeting. We will not use it as a political organisation, he said, adding that concerns about a global recession would be one of the key topics. Brent crude traded at $92 per barrel on Wednesday, after climbing on Tuesday. To mark the World Teachers Day, the Nigerian government on Wednesday announced winners of the various categories of the 2022 Presidential Teachers and School Excellence Award. The winners who were drawn from different public and private primary and secondary schools across the country won cars, motorcycles, generators and other items. They were announced and presented with the gifts by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Eagle Square in Abuja at a ceremony to mark the day. The winners were said to have emerged from tens of nominees across the states of the federation. The Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, was also presented with an award for his contributions to education. Earlier in his welcome address, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the government has expanded the annual teachers award to cover more categories. He added that a directive has also been given for outstanding winners and other educators to be considered for national awards and National Productivity Order of Merit Awards. This has been implemented in the latest national honours list to serve as additional motivation for exemplary service and dedication to achieving learning outcomes, he said. Congratulating the winners, Mr Adamu reiterated the governments focus on reforms in the education sector, which he noted includes enhanced funding. He said We call on states and local governments to prioritise the welfare of teachers by placing their salaries on first line charge in their respective budgets. This, we believe will provide a solution to the spectre of unpaid salaries. The winners Meanwhile, a teacher at Oke Odo Senior High school, Alimosho, Lagos State, Adefemi Adeunke, won the best teacher, public school category while Ugokwe Uchenna of Susu College, Nkpor, Anambra State, was announced winner of the private schools category. While Mummys Place International Nursery and Primary School, Akure, Ondo State, won the best private school, St Michaels African Church School in Ogun State, emerged the best in the public school category. Meanwhile, in the unity colleges category, Federal Government College (FGC), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, emerged the best unity college in the country. It defeated the Federal Government Academy (FGA), Suleja, and FGC Kano to clinch the trophy. Also, Usman Auta of the Federal Government College, Bwari, emerged the best teacher in the unity colleges. Chukwunedum Sabina of Abbot Girls Secondary School, Ihiala, Anambra State, was awarded the best administrator, public school category. The House of Representatives on Wednesday gave a standing ovation to Nigerian teachers to commemorate International Teachers Day. The decision to honour the teachers followed a motion of personal explanation moved by Dachung Bagos (PDP, Plateau). However, there was quibble between the Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau) and the mover of the motion, Mr Dachung, leading to a hot debate among members. Background The Majority Leader of the House, Alhassan Doguwa (APC, Kano), raised a point of order that Mr Bagos brought the motion under a wrong procedure. He argued that Mr Bagos should have moved a substantive motion. Reacting to the motion, the deputy speaker accused Mr Bagos of having ulterior motives in moving the motion. Bagos is trying to use this platform to gain that attention; I will prefer the motion to come from people who know the value not from those who are trying to use the teachers to gain control of the electoral process, he said. Defending his colleague, the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta), said the mover of the motion did not move it based on ulterior motive. He added that there was nothing mischievous in the motion nor was Mr Bagos trying to pull a political stunt. It has nothing to do with Bagos seeking political relevance. For me, theres nothing mischievous with Bagos move, nothing political. One way or another we went through them (the teachers). Bagos is talking about teachers in Nigeria. If Wase is insinuating that this is political for Bagos to win election then its not parliamentary, he said. Exercising his right of reply, Mr Wase said he was not against the motion to honour teachers, but the procedure used by Mr Bogos. Mr Wase said let us not begin to inpute whats not the motive, the motive is to honour teachers. I come from a teaching background and the parliament has done a lot for their betterment. The controversy over the procedure divided the lawmakers as some backed Mr Bagos, while others backed the deputy speaker. The disagreement was squashed by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, who disclosed that he directed Mr Bagos to use personal explanation to raise the matter. To celebrate teachers, the Speaker allowed lawmakers to talk about their favourite teachers. A member from Kano, Sani Bala (APC, Kano) informed the House that a colleague, Ado Kiri (APC, Jigawa) taught him Agricultural Science in secondary school. Mr Kiri was given a standing ovation by the lawmakers. Following the contributions by members, the lawmakers observed a minute silence in honour of all deceased teachers in the country. The newly elected President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Audu Amba, has said the challenges of shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure, inadequate funding and refusal of some states to implement the N30,000 minimum, among many others, have thrown Nigerias education system into crisis. Mr Amba said this on Wednesday while delivering his speech at the Eagle Square in Abuja during an event to mark this years World Teachers Day. He said: It is regrettable that this deplorable state of education and poor working conditions of teachers adversely affect education service delivery, especially in the public sector. Mr Amba, therefore, called on both the federal and state governments to increase budgetary allocation for the sector. He said: Let me use this occasion to reiterate our call on governments at both national and sub-national levels to place a high premium on education and accord teachers their pride of place in society. In this regard, we must brace up as a nation to invest adequately in education by raising the budgetary allocations to education in line with the internationally recommended benchmarks of at least 4 per cent to 6 per cent of GDP and/or 15 per cent to 20 per cent of public expenditure. Amba thanks Buhari The NUT president, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the bill for the harmonisation of teachers retirement age. Mr Amba, therefore, called on the President to expedite action on the implementation of other welfare packages promised to the teachers. He extended the appeal to the state governments to implement relevant pledges, saying the best investment can only be made in the education sector. Government hails teachers union Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has also appreciated the teachers union for ensuring industrial harmony in the countrys public primary and secondary schools. The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the teachers have remained committed despite being sometimes at the receiving end of intolerable policies, practices and experiences. I note with an enormous debt of gratitude that the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), the umbrella association of all teachers, never called out their members on strike or stopped catering for the educational needs of our children throughout my tenure as minister of education, Mr Adamu said the event. Unlike the NUT, lecturers in Nigerias public universities under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have been on strike for almost eight months, demanding improved funding for the university system and welfare for its members. But the resilience of the teachers in the basic education level has proved more productive with the gradual improvement in the welfare of the teachers, said Mr Adamu. While acknowledging that there is more to do, Mr Adamu said the scorecard of President Muhammadu Buharis welfare for the teachers is commendable. He listed the welfare packages to include the new retirement age of teachers which is now 65 years of age or 40 years of service as opposed to 60 years or 35 years of service for other civil servants. This is to retain experienced hands in the teaching profession, he said. The minister added: We have adopted a career path policy that will see our teachers specialise and practice their profession on the basis of skills sets, aptitude and proficiency, and continuing professional development. We have significantly improved teacher quality through steadfast implementation of certification and removal of quacks from our classrooms, through the untiring efforts by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) and the National Teachers Institute (NTI). New salary structure, students stipends The Minister added that plans have been concluded to commence the payment of stipends and scholarships to education students in Nigerian universities and colleges of education to boost enrollment and with the assurance of automatic employment upon graduation. He also disclosed that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission has completed work on the reviewed remuneration package for teachers in basic and secondary schools including provisions for rural posting allowance, science teachers allowance and peculiar allowance. Implementation is awaiting the conclusion of consultations with state governments and the National Assembly, he said. He added: To mitigate the current dearth of qualified teachers in the school system, the government has commenced the implementation of a teacher conversion programme with ICT training, starting with the Federal Civil Service. We are pleased to note that a number of states have also implemented the scheme. The Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with other agencies of government has commenced the implementation of welfare programmes approved by Mr President for teachers including sponsorship to refresher training to benchmark best practices, building low-cost housing in rural areas and the introduction of a specialised pension scheme. Similarly, the biological children of teachers can now attend their respective schools at no cost as an additional incentive for committed service and in appreciation of the sacrificial spirit that propels it. He said curriculum has been revamped and that History and Religious Knowledge have been introduced as stand-alone subjects. We are also working with professional associations and religious bodies including the Nigerian Historical Society to address the shortage of teachers in specialised subjects. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe A judge of the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Wednesday urged the lawyers representing both the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigerian government to work out an out-of-court solution to the ongoing trade dispute that has shut down Nigerian public universities for over seven months. Biobele Georgewill, a member of the courts three-member panel, gave the recommendation at a hearing on the industrial face-off. ASUU represented by Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had filed an application for a stay of execution of a recent ruling of the National Industrial Court, which compelled the union to suspend its ongoing strike. James Igwe, also a SAN, represented the federal government at Wednesdays proceedings. As senior lawyers, for the sake of the children and our lawyers, have a discussion among yourselves, leave the litigants out and agree on a way forward, Mr Georgewill told the two senior lawyers. The nation will appreciate you for it, he added. In an interview after the proceedings with journalists, Mr Igwe expressed optimism that he and Mr Falana would be able to reach an agreement before the hearing scheduled to come up on Thursday. Mr Falana also told journalists his clients also wanted an amicable resolution to the matter. Hearing continues Thursday Earlier on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal fixed Thursday to hear the application by ASUU seeking a stay of execution of the ruling of the National Industrial Court which ordered it to suspend its strike. When the matter was called on Wednesday, counsel for ASUU, Mr Falana, told the court that he had two applications before the court but that he wished to withdraw one. The court granted his request. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Falana told the court that he had served the preferred application on the federal government and had proof of service. Counsel for the federal government, Mr Igwe, however, told the court that it was the withdrawn application that he had seen and responded to. He said in light of the new development, he needed time to respond to the application which he said he intended to oppose. The presiding judge, Hamma Barka, leading two other justices on the panel, consequently fixed Thursday to hear ASUUS application. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Industrial Court had on 21 September ordered ASUU to call off the strike. The court granted the motion on notice filed by the federal government, urging the lecturers to return to classrooms. Ruling on the interlocutory injunction, the trial judge, Polycarp Hamman, restrained ASUU from continuing with the industrial action pending the determination of the suit filed against ASUU by the Federal Government. Miffed by the ruling, the union headed to the appellant court to appeal the ruling. The university lecturers embarked on the strike on 14 February demanding the federal governments compliance with an agreement it entered with the union in 2009 on different issues including improved funding for universities and a review of teachers remuneration. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, recently held meetings with both the representatives of ASUU and the federal government to resolve the crisis. Mr Gbajabiamila expressed optimism that the crisis would soon end after meeting with President Muhammad Buhari to submit the recommendations arrived at, at the recently held meetings on the issue. (NAN) Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has approved free medical care for workers in the states civil service as part of the states Social Health Insurance Scheme. Mr Uzodinma gave the approval at a town hall meeting he held with top management staff of the Imo Civil Service in Owerri on Tuesday. The governor said the gesture was part of efforts to ensure that civil servants in the state remained healthy and well-positioned to carry out their duties. He added that over 47,000 verified workers in the state would be part of the scheme. Mr Uzodinma, therefore, directed the states Ministry of Health to get all verified workers into the free medical scheme. He also said that workers, at both state and local government levels, would receive medical care from government-owned hospitals and designated private hospitals. Health is wealth. We, therefore, remain committed to improving the health and, by extension, the productivity of civil servants in our states workforce. I have been told it would cost N500 million to sustain this health insurance but that notwithstanding, I remain committed to it, the governor said. The states Head of Service, Raymond Ucheoma, commended the governor for the kindness and untiring support to the welfare of workers. He described the gesture as a historic landmark which he said would reinvigorate workers to continue putting in their best. Mr Uzodinma reassured workers who were due for promotion would all be promoted to boost their morale. He also said the shortfall in the number of teachers required by the Imo State Education Management Board (SEMB) would soon be a thing of the past, as the government had completed plans to engage more teachers. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies attended the meeting in the state, including permanent secretaries, directors of ministries, the chairman of the Imo Internal Revenue Service and the general manager, Imo Data Centre. (NAN) Thousands of women from the South-east zone Wednesday converged on Owerri for a rally in support of APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and his running mate, Kashim Shettima. The women, who converged on Hero Square, later marched through the Imo International Conference Center (IICC) to the Government House, Owerri, where Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo received them. Addressing the women, the governor said APC had done well and was a party to beat in the zone. In the South-east, APC is strong; we are in every nook and cranny of the zone and we are solidly behind our presidential and vice presidential candidates and all APC candidates in the zone, he said. Mr Uzodimma commended the women for their commitment, resilience and patriotism in turning out en mass to show solidarity for the party and its candidates. He expressed happiness that after many years of the civil war, the second Niger Bridge had been completed and most of the federal roads have received a facelift. We are indeed happy with President Muhammadu Buhari. We are also happy with our party and the presidential and vice presidential candidates, he said. He expressed confidence that Mr Tinubu would replicate the development he initiated in Lagos in Nigeria if voted into power. In 1999, when there was no story of womens inclusion and when the Chinese Beijing Conference has not taken resolution, he chose a woman as his running mate in Lagos. So, this is a man after the heart of women, he added. Earlier, Mr Uzodimmas wife, Chioma, said the rally was organised to show solidarity and support for Mr Tinubu and Mr Shettima. It is on record that the ruling APC in Nigeria of today has given women a lot of opportunities in politics and corporate governance more than any other. In Imo State today, our performing governor has done a lot more to improve the standard of life by accommodating women in positions of leadership and governance, she said. According to her, our ideal 21st-century leader must have the ability to make the most out of every situation. She said such leaders must be courageous and push the boundaries to make things better. The best leaders know how to get the most out of people; they enable the full potential in others. These are the qualities we have found in Bola Tinubu right from when he joined politics and throughout the MKO Abiolas struggle of 1993, the struggle and bustle for democracy and his eventual reign as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, she said. The governors wife described Mr Tinubu as a core democrat, a Pan Nigerian who gave different tribes a shot in his administration. Also speaking, the national women leader of the party, Bertha Edu, assured the party faithful that APC would usher in peace and development to the South-east. We came with an agenda for the South-east, that agenda is APC. As a people, we will continue to vote for APC, she said. (NAN) On 1st September, the second phase of the Lagos State governments ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles (popularly called Okada) took effect. The phase saw the ban on Okada operations in parts of the state gaining more ground, with its extension to more areas. It was extended to four more Local Government Areas (LGAs) and six Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs). The state named the additional areas as Oshodi- Isolo LGA, Kosofe LGA, Shomolu LGA and Mushin LGA. Agboyi -Ketu LCDA, Odi-Olowo LCDA, Bariga LCDA, Isolo LCDA, and Ikosi-Isheri LCDA were also given as the LCDAs affected by the ban. Earlier in the year, the state government, after a critical review of its restriction on Okada activities in the first six LGAs from 1st February 2020, strengthened it further in the areas. It expanded the restriction to a total ban across the highways and bridges within the six LGAs and their LCDAs, effective from 1st June 2022. The state listed affected LGAs as Apapa, Surulere, Ikeja, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Eti Osa. Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Coker- Aguda LCDA,, Itire -Ikate LCDA, Onigbongbo LCDA, Ojodu LCDA, Lagos Island West LCDA, Lagos Island East LCDA, Yaba LCDA, Ikoyi Obalende LCDA, Iru Victoria Island LCDA, Eti-Osa West LCDA, and Eti Osa East LCDA were also listed as the LCDAs affected by the ban. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the ban was to implement the state traffic law and check the threats posed by operations of commercial motorcycles in the state. One month after the second phase of the ban took effect, motorists, riders, commuters, security agents and others have different experiences. For some riders who tried to defy the ban, the security officials have cut many to size. The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit said it impounded 150 motorcycles for violating traffic rules in the last week of September alone. The units spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, said the motorcycles were impounded after a weeklong operation in parts of the state. Mr Abdulraheem stated that there had been about 95 per cent compliance with the ban, but that the 150 motorcycles impounded were used to flout the order. Others who were in the business have not been daring, but taken the ban in their stride, settling for other means of making ends meet. Dauda Yusuf, who rode Okada in Surulere, said he usually generated between N5,000 to N6,000 daily. Mr Yusuf said he was operating between Bode Thomas and Ojuelegba and used to smile home every day before the ban reached the area. With the ban on Okada operations in Surulere, I switched to pushing wheelbarrows and selling water. I now sell water in Surulere where I am residing, I also generate over N1,200 daily through wheelbarrow pushing, Yusuf said. Tunde Afolabi, who operated in Lagos Island between Marina and Adeniji area, however, said it had been difficult for him after the ban. Mr Afolabi pleaded with the government to help and provide them with accessible alternatives to survive. Emeka Chibuzor said he operates in Ikorodu where commercial motorcycles still run, being outside the areas so far covered by the ban. He, however, said that they faced challenges of extortion from police officers who restricted their operations unlawfully. Mr Chibuzor pleaded with the government to intervene and stop the unlawful restrictions by the police, which were hindering their operations. Kehinde Omotehinse, Coordinator, Lagos Community Youth Development Initiative, Kosofe chapter, said while the ban was well-intentioned, it took away the livelihood of many families. Government should provide an alternative. These people are Nigerians, they deserve a living too, he said. But the Lagos State government, in placing the ban, had urged the displaced riders to take advantage of the numerous schemes it had in place to empower residents. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the government was not leaving the riders stranded. Mr Omotoso said the riders could approach the government as a cooperative body to get the First and Last Mile buses. The Commissioner for Transport, Frederic Oladeinde, while announcing the second phase of the ban, said the government was responsive. As a responsive government, we are not leaving the affected passengers stranded without any viable means of transportation, that is why we have made available alternative and sustainable means of transportation. The alternative transportation includes the First and Last Mile Bus Transport Scheme, the BRT Scheme, the Lagos e-hailing taxi Scheme (LAGRIDE) and other acceptable modes of transportation, to go about their daily activities. The commissioner said the governments existing interventions aimed at empowering the residents should equally be accessed as alternative means of livelihood for the affected riders. These interventions are coordinated by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) for vocational training; the Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment for internship programmes; Office of Civic Engagement; Office of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) for Loan for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and Lagos Economic Acceleration Programme (LEAP); the Ministry of Agriculture (Agric YES); the Ministry of Education for CodeLagos Scheme, and many others. The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa, said the government had been engaging in skills acquisition for different kinds of artisans. Mr Giwa said that after engaging them in the training, the government usually gives them incentives to start their businesses. Government has been doing a lot with regard to incentives and providing soft loans to artisans. Okada riders that are affected by the ban could enrol for training to incorporate them in the First and Last Mile bus scheme of the state where they can get trained and retrained. Government has provided lots of First and Last mile buses that can ply routes across Lagos. People that are meant to ride the motorcycles should patronise First and Last Mile buses designated to ply inner routes to make Lagos residents more comfortable, Mr Giwa said. The Lagos State Police Command, on its part, dismissed fears of a possible negative ripple effect of the ban on the crime rate, due to the level of unemployment. The commands spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said rather than swelling crime, the ban had reduced the incidence of traffic robbery in some parts of the state. Although we still have pockets of traffic robbery in some areas, the ban has reduced it drastically. It has helped us channel our energy to other areas, so it has been a welcome development, he said. On its possible effect on other crimes, he said there was nothing on the ground to indicate an increase. Meanwhile, some commuters want the government to do more to fill up the gaps the ban has brought to transportation in some areas. One of them, Ramota Adeyemi, a civil servant, said the ban had come with some difficulties for residents. According to her, the impact of the alternatives promised has yet to be felt on many routes where Okada had been banned from plying. I suffer a lot coming and going to work every day. I live in Mushin and I used to take Okada to get to my house from Mushins last bus stop. Since the ban, I have been trekking. So have many, she said. Some others, however, appealed to the state government to extend the ban to more council areas. A resident of Shomolu, Oseni Ajimomuiya, said the positive results of the ban in the local government area should inform extension to other parts of the state. Mr Ajimomuiya, who is a media assistant to the Chairman of the local government, said the ban was for the good of the people. The ban on Okada in certain areas is a step in the right direction. It is pro-people as it is for the security and well-being of residents. Look at Shomolu for instance, the compliance here is 100 per cent and we are already seeing the results. I was at the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital here in Fadeyi the other day and the CMD told me that emergencies and Okada-related accidents have drastically reduced. Traffic has been flowing better here since the ban. All these show that the ban is for the people. The extension of the ban to other local government areas will be for the good of more people, he had told NAN. Mr Ajimomuiya, however, said the state government could support banned Okada riders with more alternatives to take care of themselves and their families. Some routes are suffering, we must admit. Some of these Okada riders want to switch to tricycles but they cant afford it. The government should support them, he said. Haruna Akinwale, a civil servant and resident of Maryland, said that the ban had brought sanity to his area. Mr Akinwale urged the state government to extend the ban to other local government areas in view of the success recorded. Edomi Ovie, a Lagos-based journalist, said the ban on operations of commercial motorcycles had been justified as it had reduced crime in the areas where it had been imposed. He said the use of Okada was not ideal as a means of transportation in the state, calling for its blanket ban in all local government areas. Wasiu Adesina, Chairman, Ikorodu Local Government, commended the state government for the ban in some local government areas. He said the restriction was yielding the desired results in the affected council areas. He said the ban, so far, had not been extended to his local government. He said the council was doing everything possible to properly monitor the operations of commercial motorcyclists so that they do not pose threats to the people of the area. People use motorcycles to perpetrate crime, so it is important that we check such things in our community. Riders will be penalised for disobeying rules because we do not want our local government area to be operating ground for those banned in other areas, he said. Mr Adeshina warned Okada riders not to flout the rules guiding their operations in the community, vowing that erring riders would be made to face the full wrath of the law. Similarly, Monsuru Akinloye, Chairman, Eredo Local Council Development Area, commended the state government for the restriction in some areas. The ban is commendable but the reasons for the ban are not present here in Eredo in the Epe division. Eredo is a peaceful place.No real issues with Okada riders. Accidents are not common, we are good here, he said. He said the council would continue to do its best to ensure that issues did not come up with Okada operations in the area. (NAN) Ahead of the 2023 general elections, INEC in Lagos State says 394 candidates of different political parties are jostling for the 40 seats in the states House of Assembly. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that governorship and houses of assembly elections were scheduled to hold across the country on 11 March 2023. According to the final list of governorship and house of assembly candidates displayed on Wednesday at the commissions office in Yaba, 16 candidates of different political parties are contesting the 2023 governorship election in Lagos state. The list was signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the secretary of INEC. According to the list, the candidates for the assembly seats in Lagos State are contesting on the platform of 16 of the 18 registered political parties in the country. The list showed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) had contestants in all the 40 state constituencies. While the Action Alliance (AA) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) fielded candidates in 36 state constituencies each, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Boot Party (BP) had candidates for 34 state constituencies each. The African Action Congress (AAC) is contesting in 21 state constituencies while Accord (A), Action Peoples Party (APP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) filed candidates in less than 10 state constituencies each. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) did not field candidates for the state assembly election in the state. NAN reports that the governorship list shows that only 16 of the 18 registered political parties fielded contestants, out of which only two candidates are female while the remaining 14 are male. Only candidates of the APM and APP are female: Funmilayo Kupokiyi, 51, and Abiola Adeyemi, 44 respectively. The other governorship candidates are Dickson Olaogun (A), Abdulrasaq Balogun (AA), Akeem Olayiwola (AAC), Olufunso Doherty( ADC), Bamidele Ishola (ADP), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (APC), Olawale Oluwo (BP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (LP) and Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal (NNPP). Others are Braithwaite Ishola (NRM), Olajide Adediran (PDP), Taofeek Uthman (SDP), Wasiu Ajayi (YPP) and Adenipebi Mode-Adekunle (ZLP). APGA and PRP did not field candidates for the governorship seat. According to the list, Mr Olaogun (65) of Accord Party is the oldest while Mr Rhodes-Vivour (39) of LP is the youngest. (NAN) Organization's Board Approves $1.1M+ in Grants Focused on Bridging Community Conflict and $100K in Rapid Response Grants for Ukraine; Creates Two Diversity ADR Scholarships at Historically Black Colleges and Universities NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution Foundation (AAA-ICDR Foundation) announces that its Board of Directors has approved financial support for a variety of initiatives to bridge community conflict, prevent and reduce violence, extend access to justice to vulnerable and underserved communities, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in the U.S. and internationally. These grants reflect Board initiatives outside of the Foundation's regular grant cycle, and grantees were identified by the Foundation and invited to apply. "We believe in the power of constructive dialogue, and other aspects of alternative dispute resolution, to change society for the better," said India Johnson, President and CEO of the AAA-ICDR, Chair of the AAA-ICDR Foundation. "We feel privileged to be able to financially empower nonprofit organizations and initiatives that seek to reduce conflict and violenceand expand access to justicein at-risk communities across the country, and around the world." Bridging Community Conflict The AAA-ICDR Foundation Board has approved $1,129,047 in special initiative grants focused on bridging community conflict, with a focus on civil discourse that seeks to mend societal divisions. These grants are also focused on supporting initiatives that look to prevent and reduce violence by concentrating on vulnerable and underserved communities and police/social service partnerships. The grantees include: Cure Violence Global , which will receive $542,000 . The organization takes a rigorous, scientific, and data-driven approach to helping communities implement violence prevention programs that are effective in significantly reducing violence with a focus on maintaining worker safety, based on the latest understanding of the risks and challenges frontline workers face and the field's response to these risks. Cure Violence Global treats violence as a public health issue, and that community partners and strategic partnerships are key to success in reducing it. For more information, visit https://cvg.org/. , which will receive . The organization takes a rigorous, scientific, and data-driven approach to helping communities implement violence prevention programs that are effective in significantly reducing violence with a focus on maintaining worker safety, based on the latest understanding of the risks and challenges frontline workers face and the field's response to these risks. Cure Violence Global treats violence as a public health issue, and that community partners and strategic partnerships are key to success in reducing it. For more information, visit https://cvg.org/. National Conference on Citizenship , which will receive $187,047 . The Congressionally chartered nonprofit will use this grant to promote and measure civility by producing a Civility Index, working with three pilot communities to embed civil discourse practices into public settings, and convening local leaders to refine and disseminate these tools and practices. To learn more, visit https://ncoc.org/. , which will receive . The Congressionally chartered nonprofit will use this grant to promote and measure civility by producing a Civility Index, working with three pilot communities to embed civil discourse practices into public settings, and convening local leaders to refine and disseminate these tools and practices. To learn more, visit https://ncoc.org/. National Institute for Civil Discourse , which will receive $200,000 . The non-partisan organization, based at the University of Arizona , seeks to promote healthy and civil political debate, so that people with different values and political preferences can discuss their differences in a civil and productive manner. This grant will be used to increase the scale and impact of the CommonSense American Program, ultimately used to engage members of Congress to work on bipartisan action. For more information, visit https://nicd.arizona.edu/. , which will receive . The non-partisan organization, based at the , seeks to promote healthy and civil political debate, so that people with different values and political preferences can discuss their differences in a civil and productive manner. This grant will be used to increase the scale and impact of the CommonSense American Program, ultimately used to engage members of Congress to work on bipartisan action. For more information, visit https://nicd.arizona.edu/. Sandra Day O'Connor Institute for American Democracy, which will receive $200,000 . The institute's mission is to further Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's legacy and lifetime devotion to advancing civics education, civic engagement, and civil discourse. This grant will support Civics for Life becoming the "go to" online destination for civil discourse and civics education with nonpartisan, fact-based content and interactive activities. For more details, visit https://oconnorinstitute.org/. Assistance to Ukraine The AAA-ICDR Foundation has approved $100,000 in rapid response grants focused on utilizing mediation to assist Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The grantees include: Mediators Beyond Borders International , which will receive $75,000 towards its work in partnership with the National Association of Mediators of Ukraine on trauma awareness for mediators and dialogue facilitators. That partnership is dedicated to not only reducing conflict and violence, but also to improving access to justice in Ukraine and helping displaced Ukrainians. For more information, visit https://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/ and http://namu.com.ua/en/. , which will receive towards its work in partnership with the on trauma awareness for mediators and dialogue facilitators. That partnership is dedicated to not only reducing conflict and violence, but also to improving access to justice in and helping displaced Ukrainians. For more information, visit https://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/ and http://namu.com.ua/en/. Project Kesher, which will receive $25,000 towards its programs on the ground in Ukraine . The grant purpose is to empower Ukrainian women leaders with the knowledge and skills to get a seat at the table and impart mediation based practices in negotiations to promote gender equality and a post-war vision that inspires hope. The grant will also go towards mentoring participants in integrating mediation tools in their community building work. To learn more, visit https://www.projectkesher.org/. Creation of ADR Diversity Scholarships with Law Schools at Historically Black Colleges & Universities In addition, the AAA-ICDR Foundation has established diversity scholarships at Howard University and North Carolina Central University, two historically Black colleges and universities that offer certificates in dispute resolution programs in their law schools. Both scholarships involve a three-year commitment to provide $50,000 annually to a second- or third-year law school student enrolled in these universities' certificates in dispute resolution programs. Each scholarship represents a total commitment of $150,000. Scholarship recipients will be selected in September 2022. "Support for diversity, equity, and inclusion has always been a major area of focus for our Foundation," said Ms. Johnson. "Our diversity scholarships will help create a more diverse pool of arbitrators who can facilitate equitable resolutions to disputes through the arbitration process." The AAA-ICDR Foundation has awarded more than $5 million since its inception in 2015. The Foundation's 2021 Annual Report, which includes more information about its mission and the grants it has funded, can be viewed here. About the AAA-ICDR Foundation The American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution Foundation (AAA-ICDR Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is able to solicit donations and provide grants to fund a range of worthy causes that promote the Foundation's wide-reaching mission, which is to support the prevention and resolution of conflicts by expanding access to alternative dispute resolution. Its priorities includes fostering measures that prevent and reduce violence, bridge community conflict, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion with a focus on access to justice. The Foundation is not involved in any way in the oversight, administration or decision making of the AAA-ICDR cases or in the maintenance of the AAA-ICDR's various rosters of arbitrators and mediators. For more information on the AAA-ICDR Foundation, please visit: www.aaaicdrfoundation.org. Media Contacts: Michael C. Clark Laura Simpson American Arbitration Association JConnelly +1.212.716.3978 +1.973.713.8834 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE AAA-ICDR Foundation Through a new partnership with Sprouts stores in California, African Dream Foods, a hot sauce and seasoning company, has found a statewide retailer with a shared commitment to natural products with a positive impact. ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- African Dream Foods (ADF), an all-natural hot sauces and seasonings company focused on bringing authentic African flavor to the US market, is pleased to announce that Sprout Farmers Market, one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural, and socially-conscious food in the United States, will be carrying three of their sauce flavors. African Ghost Pepper Sauce, Sweet Dream Sauce, and the award-winning Lemon & Garlic Peri-Peri Sauce are all-natural, gluten-free, and vegan sauces produced in Cape Town, South Africa. These flavors launched as new items in around 90 Californian Sprouts Farmers Market locations in September 2022. In line with its current give-back policy, for every 5 fl oz bottle purchased at Sprouts, ADF will contribute 10 cents to African wildlife conservation organizations. African Dream Foods Hot Sauces in Sprouts David Schmunk, Founder and Managing Director of African Dream Foods, commented: "When ADF began exploring a retail strategy, it was of critical importance to find a grocer with a shared commitment to the give-back aspect of business, especially as today's consumer increasingly gravitates toward brands that align with their values and priorities. With African Dream Foods' focus on farm-fresh produce, authentic African flavor, with a mission to support wildlife conservation and fair-trade farming practices, Sprouts was a perfect choice." THE PRODUCTS ON CALIFORNIA SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET'S SHELVES Sweet Dream Sauce - This sauce is thick, with a chutney-like consistency that is on the mild side. It has notes of sweetness, jamminess, and a little tingle of spice. Lemon & Garlic Peri-Peri Sauce - This sauce won the 2022 Sofi Award for Best New Hot Sauce. It has notes of sweetness, umami-ness, richness, a great lemony garlicky flavor, and a little spice. African Ghost Pepper Sauce - This sauce is the spiciest sauce of the bunch. It has some major heat but also has a complex, incredible flavor and aroma. ABOUT AFRICAN DREAM FOODS Launched in 2021, African Dream Foods is a purpose-driven specialty food brand that is bringing authentic African flavor to the world through our African Hot Sauces and Seasonings. More importantly, we're a dedicated, multi-national team of photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, and hot sauce lovers who are passionate about great taste and wildlife conservation. A mutual love for African flavors and animals brought us together and we are committed to providing, not only a product that tastes amazing but also one that can be bought with a clear conscience. To learn more, visit www.africandreamfoods.com , sign up for African Dream Foods news emails HERE , or follow us on Instagram (@african.dream.foods, #sendhotsauce #africandreamfoods). ABOUT SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET Sprouts is the place where goodness grows. True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. Sprouts inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products paired with purpose-driven people. The healthy grocer continues to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients such as organic, plant-based, and gluten-free. Headquartered in Phoenix, and one of the largest and fastest growing specialty retailers of fresh, natural, and organic food in the United States, Sprouts employs approximately 31,000 team members and operates more than 380 stores in 23 states nationwide. To learn more about Sprouts visit about.sprouts.com. Media Contact: Natasha Jebens [email protected] +1(323)400-5075 SOURCE African Dream Foods MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ally Law, a global legal network with nearly 3,000 lawyers worldwide, is pleased to announce its newest member, Delvalle, Escalona, Levy & Corro (DELCO), based in Panama City, Panama. Founded in 2019 by four lawyers with significant experience in private legal practice and the financial sector, DELCO has quickly become a go-to firm for clients across Central America, the Caribbean and beyond. Recognized by IFLR, Latin Lawyer and Leaders League, more than half of the firm's lawyers are individually ranked in Panama by The Legal 500. Delco Law Said Paul Franke, president of Ally Law and a partner in Denver-based law firm Moye White, "The leadership and delegates of Ally Law are thrilled to welcome our new Panama member firm, DELCO, to our network. The founding partners and lawyers of DELCO exemplify the values that make Ally Law a key resource to business and individual clients around the world: a commitment to legal excellence, top-quality client service, and industry-leading innovation. As our network's presence in Latin America continues to grow, DELCO will enable us to better serve our member firms' domestic and multinational clients across the region." DELCO represents clients in the full range of corporate, regulatory and dispute-resolution matters. The firm's core practice areas include aviation, banking, project finance, estate planning, litigation and arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and tax. Firm lawyers also have notable experience in business immigration and migration, intellectual property, labor and employment, maritime, and public bidding and concessions, among other areas. Firm co-founder Ricardo Delvalle noted, "Collectively and in their home jurisdictions, Ally Law member firms are second to none. As cross-border business relationships and investments continue to grow, we are pleased to serve as a key resource for businesses and individuals with interests in Panama and throughout Central and South America, and to help our domestic clients gain access to tier-one legal services across the globe." About Ally Law Ally Law, a Chambers and Partners Band 2 Leading Law Firm Network (Global Market Leaders), provides sophisticated legal services to major corporations, with a sharp focus on value and efficiency. Our nearly 75 firms include approximately 3,000 lawyers in 100 business centers worldwide. For more information, visit www.ally-law.com. Press contact: Wendy Horn, Executive Director, Ally Law [email protected] +1.612.770.6046 SOURCE Ally Law SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global artificial intelligence in cybersecurity market size is estimated to reach USD 93.75 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 24.3% from 2022 to 2030, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. An unprecedented spike in cyber incidents has fostered the demand for AI, cloud, and machine learning for seamless operations, data safety and prompt response to cyber threats. Some factors, such as soaring internet penetration, expanding footfall of connected devices, and escalating data protection concerns, have triggered the need for advanced cybersecurity solutions. Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report: In terms of type, the cloud security segment will contribute notably toward the global market in the wake of the rising prominence of AI and machine learning. Based on vertical, the BFSI sector will exhibit profound demand for AI in cybersecurity to resist cyberattacks and prevent data leaks. North America AI in cybersecurity market share will be pronounced due to threats to mobile devices and soaring penetration of IoT and 5G in the region. Some major players, such as IBM Corporation, Cylance Inc. (BlackBerry), Acalvio Technologies, Inc, Intel Corporation, Amazon Web Services, Inc., FireEye, Inc., LexisNexis, Fortinet, Inc., Micron Technology, Inc., and Darktrace are poised to boost their portfolios in the coming years. Read 200-page full market research report, "Artificial Intelligence In Cybersecurity Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Cloud Security, Network Security), By Offering, By Technology, By Application, By Vertical, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research. Artificial Intelligence In Cybersecurity Market Growth & Trends Artificial intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity has leveraged a faster response to breaches and propelled the efficiency of cyber analysts. AI is likely to be sought for vulnerability management, threat hunting, and boosting network security. In doing so, emphasis on natural language processing, machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks could gain ground during the assessment period. For instance, deep learning has become trendier to track transactions, logs, and real-time data to detect threats. AI is highly sought-after to secure cloud services and on-premises architecture and spot abnormal user behavior. Natural language processing could remain a value proposition to foster the penetration of AI technologies in cyberspace. The trend for natural language inference, sentiment analysis, and text summarization will bode well for major companies gearing to reinforce artificial intelligence in the cybersecurity market share. Prominently, NLP has received impetus for fake news detection, clickbait detection, and rumor detection. Leading companies are likely to bank on NLP to detect malicious language and domain names produced for phishing scams. Stakeholders predict North America to witness investments galore, on the heels of the high footprint of connected devices, IoT, and 5G. Moreover, the possibility of DDoS attacks and the growing prominence of IoT-enabled activities have prompted major players to bank on cutting-edge technologies to deter cyber incidents. To illustrate, in August 2019, Microsoft was reported to have alleged Russian hackers using IoT devices to breach enterprise networks. Industry participants expect bullish investments in machine learning platforms, threat hunting, and advanced analytics. Besides, Microsoft Security blocked over 35.7 billion phishing and malicious emails and more than 9.6 billion malware threats in 2021. The competitive landscape alludes to an increased emphasis on organic and inorganic growth strategies, including mergers & acquisitions, product offerings, technological advancements, collaborations, and innovations. For instance, in July 2022, Darktrace rolled out Darktrace PREVENT to assist organizations in pre-empting cyber-attacks. Meanwhile, in August 2022, it was reported that Thoma Bravo was contemplating acquiring Darktrace. In February 2019, BlackBerry completed the acquisition of Cylance to bolster its footprint in AI cybersecurity. Artificial Intelligence In Cybersecurity Market Segmentation Grand view research has segmented the global artificial intelligence in cybersecurity market in terms of type, offering, technology, application, vertical, and region: AI In Cybersecurity Market - Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030) Network Security Endpoint Security Application Security Cloud Security AI In Cybersecurity Market - Offering Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Hardware Software Services AI In Cybersecurity Market - Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030) Machine Learning Natural Language Processing (NLP) Context-aware computing AI In Cybersecurity Market - Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030) Identity and Access Management Risk and Compliance Management Data Loss Prevention Unified Threat Management Fraud Detection/Anti-Fraud Threat Intelligence Others AI In Cybersecurity Market - Vertical Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030) BFSI Retail Government & Defense Manufacturing Enterprise Healthcare Automotive & Transportation Others AI In Cybersecurity Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2017 - 2030) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe U.K. Germany France Asia Pacific China Japan India South America Brazil Middle East and Africa (MEA) List of Key Players of Artificial Intelligence In Cybersecurity Market Acalvio Technologies, Inc Amazon Web Services, Inc. Cylance Inc. (BlackBerry) Darktrace FireEye, Inc. Fortinet, Inc. IBM Corporation Intel Corporation LexisNexis Micron Technology, Inc Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: IT & Telecom Cyber Security Market - The global IT & telecom cyber security market size is expected to reach USD 82.64 billion by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2022 to 2030 according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Expansion of telecom networks, emerging BYOD trend, and the emergence of 5G technology are anticipated to increase the network traffic and create loopholes, thereby increasing the risk of cyber-attacks. The global IT & telecom cyber security market size is expected to reach by 2030, expanding at a CAGR of 12.1% from 2022 to 2030 according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. Expansion of telecom networks, emerging BYOD trend, and the emergence of 5G technology are anticipated to increase the network traffic and create loopholes, thereby increasing the risk of cyber-attacks. Artificial Intelligence In Fintech Market - The global artificial intelligence in fintech market size is expected to reach USD 41.16 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2022 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely used in financial organizations to improvise their precision levels, enhance their efficiency and instant query resolving through digital banking channels. AI technology like machine learning can help organizations raise their value by improving loan underwriting and eliminating financial risk. - The global artificial intelligence in fintech market size is expected to reach by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2022 to 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely used in financial organizations to improvise their precision levels, enhance their efficiency and instant query resolving through digital banking channels. AI technology like machine learning can help organizations raise their value by improving loan underwriting and eliminating financial risk. Artificial Intelligence Market - The global artificial intelligence market size is expected to reach USD 1,811.8 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 38.1% from 2022 to 2030. Artificial Intelligence (AI) denotes the concept and development of computing systems capable of performing tasks customarily requiring human assistance, such as decision-making, speech recognition, visual perception, and language translation. Browse through Grand View Research's Next Generation Technologies Industry Research Reports. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Astra ESG Solutions Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc AT&T turns on new fiber network only months after signing contract, bringing fast and reliable internet service to Southwest Indiana consumers. EVANSVILLE, Ind., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Just as Indiana farmers are harvesting the crops they planted in the spring, residents of Vanderburgh County are reaping the benefits of fiber-optic technology, planned and planted by AT&T* earlier this year. AT&T CEO John Stankey today visited Vanderburgh County, where he and County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave announced the first locations to get AT&T Fiber as part of a countywide, $39 million network deployment. This public-private partnership is an example of AT&T's work with local governments looking to expand broadband access and narrow the digital divide in their communities. AT&T is building fiber to more than 20,000 locations in the county a largely rural community where roughly one-third of homes, farms and businesses did not have access to fixed broadband service before this fiber build. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring high-speed, reliable broadband to communities across the country," said AT&T CEO John Stankey. "Combining public sector funding and private sector investment is the most cost-effective way to ensure more Americans are able to take advantage of robust connectivity. This type of public-private partnership can serve as a model to help close the digital divide once and for all." Vanderburgh County officials used federal funds made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2020 to bring fiber broadband to the area. Under that agreement, Vanderburgh County contributed $9.9 million in public funds to the project and AT&T covered the remaining $29.7 million. Vanderburgh County officials recently agreed to extend the network to 90 additional locations, bringing fiber coverage to more unincorporated parts of the county. "If you live in a big city, you probably take your high-speed internet for granted. But it's a different story in rural parts of the country," said Cheryl Musgrave, commissioner, Vanderburgh County. "Fortunately, through this collaboration with AT&T, thousands of our rural neighbors will have a new story to tell, because they'll also have access to fiber-powered broadband. "I'm truly excited to see the impact this new connectivity will have on our schools and families, and the economic growth of our community," Musgrave added. AT&T worked quickly to bring the benefits of fiber to Vanderburgh County residents and businesses, with the network core becoming operational only seven months after the previously announced contract agreement was finalized. That allowed AT&T to connect the first fiber locations earlier than expected. The project will be completed by November 2023. The new fiber network is capable of delivering speeds up to 5 Gbps on both upload and download. The faster speeds and capacity mean customers can now connect to data intensive online tools and applications, deploy precision agriculture technologies and access vital education resources. AT&T has extensive experience deploying fiber-optics across Indiana. In fact, hundreds of thousands of locations in the state have access to AT&T Fiber today. AT&T is also currently working with the City of Boonville and the City of Martinsville on public-private partnerships to bring AT&T Fiber to those communities. AT&T is committed to connecting more Americans to reliable, high-speed broadband internet in several ways, including expanding and upgrading our network and participating in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP provides eligible households with a benefit of up to $30 a month (up to $75 on qualifying Tribal lands) to reduce the cost of broadband service and can be applied to all our AT&T Fiber speed tiers. Additionally, you can apply your ACP benefit to Access from AT&T to get internet speeds of up to 100Mbps, where available, for $0. After you confirm your ACP eligibility, call us at 866-986-0963 to discuss your options and order service. Be sure to have your National Verifier application ID handy when you call. Residents and businesses can learn more about AT&T Fiber at att.com/fiber and can sign up to be notified when service will be available at their address at att.com/notifyme. About AT&T in Indiana From 2019-2021, AT&T invested more than $1 billion in its wireless and wireline networks in Indiana to expand coverage and improve connectivity in more communities. That investment has increased reliability, coverage and overall performance for residents and businesses. It's also improved critical communications services for Indiana's first responders using the FirstNet network. Becoming the Best Broadband Provider We are on a mission to be the best broadband provider in America, whether you're at home, work or on the move. We do this by combining the most reliable 5G network1 with the fastest growing fiber internet in America2, so you have a seamless experience from a single provider. Becoming the best connectivity provider also means serving the critical mission of America's first responders. FirstNet, Built with AT&T is the only purpose-built, nationwide wireless broadband communications platform dedicated to the public safety community. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. *About AT&T We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com. 2022 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. 1 Based on nationwide GWS drive test data. GWS conducts paid drive tests for AT&T and uses the data in its analysis. AT&T 5G requires compatible plan and device. 5G not available everywhere. Go to att.com/5Gforyou for details. 2 Based on publicly-available data of net customer adds for major fiber providers over previous four quarters. SOURCE AT&T OCA and its hospital network in Monterrey consolidate Auna's position as a leading healthcare Company in Latin America LIMA, Peru, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Auna S.A.A. ("Auna" or "the Company"), one of the largest and most respected players in the South American healthcare industry and with an expanding regional presence, announced today that it has acquired a 100% ownership stake in Organizacion Clinica America, ("OCA"), a leading healthcare group in Monterrey, Mexico. OCA operates three high complexity hospitals representing the largest infrastructure footprint in Monterrey's healthcare market, with approximately 35% market share based on number of beds. "We are very pleased with this acquisition, which enables us to expand our regional footprint into Mexico's high-growth healthcare market. OCA is the third-largest hospital group in the country by number of beds and one of the leading providers of key medical specialties and oncological services in Monterrey. This is a major milestone toward achieving our objective of consolidating Auna's position as a prominent healthcare provider in Latin America," commented Mr. Luis Felipe Pinillos, Auna's CEO. "Building on our successful track record of accretive acquisitions, OCA is one of the best entry points into the Mexican healthcare market, which is twice the size of our core markets of Peru and Colombia combined. We will continue to deliver on our mission of transforming healthcare in the countries that Auna serves, with excellent patient outcomes through positive and streamlined patient experiences at an affordable cost. With the addition of OCA to our hospital network, we will continue and improve the delivery of cutting-edge healthcare services in Latin America. Leveraging scale, best-practice medical standards and technology, our people-centered healthcare approach provides confidence, security, and high medical resolution," continued Mr. Pinillos. "Additionally, in connection with our strategy to develop a regional platform for healthcare services, we are pleased to announce that Mr. Sven Boes has joined our Company as CEO of Auna Mexico. Mr. Boes has been working closely with us on this transaction and we are confident that with his inspiring leadership style and his twenty years of experience in the Mexican healthcare sector, including recently as CEO of TecSalud Hospitals in Monterrey, he will help us deliver on our promise to transform healthcare, granting increased access and improved medical outcomes and patient experiences," concluded Mr. Pinillos. "We are thrilled to partner with Auna and believe this is a perfect fit given our joint focus on premium healthcare services. We have provided healthcare services in Monterrey for over fifty years and have become one of the leading healthcare groups in this market. Our hospitals have best-in-class technology and one of the largest physician networks in Northern Mexico. We expect this regional association with Auna to be beneficial to our patients, our medical staff, and our community. This promising partnership will further Auna's mission to serve patients with the best practices in medicine and strengthen our teams and healthcare capabilities to continue improving our patient experience and medical outcomes," commented Mr. Levinson, OCA's CEO. OCA is well-positioned in Monterrey as a premium provider of general healthcare services and oncology. Its network of hospitals includes OCA Hospital ("OCAH"), Doctors Hospital ("DH") and Doctors Hospital East ("DHE"). OCAH, founded over 50 years ago benefits from its high prestige in Mexico, contributing 40% of OCA's hospital and ICU beds. DH, founded in 2011, also accounts for 40% of hospital and ICU beds. DEH, founded in 2019, is OCA's newest facility and represents 20% of OCA's hospital and ICU beds. OCA will add approximately 550 hospital beds, 130 ICU beds and 475 medical offices to Auna's network of general healthcare facilities and will expand its premium oncological offering though OCA's leadership in the Monterrey market. Key facts about the healthcare industry in Monterrey, Mexico The Mexican healthcare market is approximately 3x and 6x larger than the Colombian and Peruvian markets, respectively. Over twenty insurers operate in Monterrey , whereas only four large hospital groups serve the city. , whereas only four large hospital groups serve the city. The state of Nuevo Leon is home to the most reputable hospitals in northern Mexico . The transaction has been authorized by COFECE, Mexico's anti-trust commission. About Auna Auna is one of the largest and most respected companies in South America's healthcare industry and with an expanding regional presence. Founded in 1989, the company is now one of the leading providers of oncology healthcare plans in Peru and operates hospitals at all levels of complexity in Peru and Colombia. Since 2018, Auna has expanded rapidly not only through growth in its oncology segment and execution of organic developments, but also through the acquisition of important healthcare players in the high growth markets of Colombia and now, in Mexico. Auna is backed by Enfoca, its controlling shareholder and one of the leading investment firms in Latin America. For more information visit www.aunainvestors.com About OCA Organizacion Clinica America, is one of the leading medical groups in Monterrey and the third largest in Mexico. With operations established in 1973, it has grown a relevant footprint with attention focused on high specialty procedures and a reputation as a premium oncology leader in Monterrey. For more information for financial analysts, investors and financial press: Auna Investor Relations, [email protected] Contact: Ana Maria Mora Head of Investor Relations [email protected] Tel: +519-6307-6282 SOURCE Auna S.A.A Leading eyewear brand expands the portfolio in its philanthropic program, Blenders Cares SAN DIEGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blenders Eyewear, announced today a continued partnership with Keep A Breast, the Los Angeles based non-profit organization focused on breast cancer prevention and education. As a part of its official philanthropic program, Blenders Cares, the eyewear brand will provide support and monetary donations to the organization for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since 2017, Blenders Eyewear has teamed up with Keep A Breast to support its mission in breast cancer awareness and prevention. The company has donated over $200,000 to the organization over the years. As a continuation of the partnership, the eyewear brand has launched the new, limited-edition Keep A Breast sunglasses in which 100% of the profits from each sale will be donated to the organization. Set in Blenders' Millenia X2 design with polarized lens, the Keep A Breast sunglasses encourage consumers to get involved and support the cause this Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond. "We care deeply about our community and are dedicated to supporting important causes through our philanthropic program, Blenders Cares," said Christian Scott, Vice President of Marketing at Blenders Eyewear. "We hope that our partnership with Keep A Breast heightens awareness, and increases support for those impacted by breast cancer." Founded in 2012 by Chase Fisher, Blenders Eyewear is the leading provider of sunglasses, snow goggles and prescription eyewear. With a variety of bright, colorful, and fun eyewear designed to suit an active lifestyle, Blenders Eyewear aims to inspire all to take on its company-wide motto of, "Life in Forward Motion." The brand's continued partnership with Keep A Breast further carries out its mission and ongoing philanthropic efforts through Blenders Cares. "October marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Prevention Month, an important time to acknowledge, support and give back to those who have been impacted by breast cancer," said Shaney jo Darden, Founder of Keep A Breast. "Partnering with Blenders Eyewear enables us to further spread our mission and impact. We're thrilled to partner with them once again to continue to educate young people globally about Breast Cancer Prevention." Blenders Eyewear's new Keep A Breast sunglasses are available to purchase now on BlendersEyewear.com for $69. For more information on Blenders Eyewear and the Blenders Cares program, please visit BlendersEyewear.com, and follow @BlendersEyewear on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For more information on Keep A Breast, please visit www.keep-a-breast.org/ and follow @KeepABreast on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. About Blenders Eyewear Blenders Eyewear was founded in 2012 by Chase Fisher in San Diego, California. Blenders produces a wide range of men's and women's sunglasses and snow goggles. Driven by a company-wide motto of "life in forward motion," its products are predicated upon a bold aesthetic that emphasizes progressive colorways aimed at an active lifestyle. For more information on Blenders Eyewear and to stay up-to-date on the collections, please visit BlendersEyewear.com, and follow @BlendersEyewear on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. About Keep A Breast The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to help eradicate breast cancer by informing young people about methods of prevention, early detection and support. Through art events, educational programs and fundraising efforts we seek to increase breast cancer awareness among young people so they are better equipped to make choices and develop habits that will benefit their long-term health and well-being. SOURCE Blenders Eyewear URBANDALE, Ill., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Caravel Autism Health, a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of young children on the autism spectrum, is celebrating the grand opening of its third Iowa location today. Caravel's team of specialists has been improving outcomes for children with autism since 2009. Caravel's newest clinic is at 2439 106th Street in Urbandale, Iowa. The clinic will help families in the Greater Des Moines area by providing a comprehensive range of services including evaluation, diagnosis, customized Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, family support and counseling. ABA uses positive reinforcement to help young children build language and communication skills and improve focus. ABA is recognized as the most effective treatment for children with autism by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Caravel opened its first Iowa clinic in 2021. According to Caravel CEO Mike Miller, "ABA therapy helps children who are on the spectrum achieve better outcomes, especially when we can start treatment in the early developmental years. We have made Iowa a focus of our expansion efforts because we want to ensure that families have access to the highest quality autism services close to home. We are excited to be opening the Urbandale clinic and giving local families access to this life-changing treatment." "ABA therapy helps children with autism learn to connect with the world around them," explained Jessica Crawford, MA, BCBA, LBA, clinic director for Caravel in Urbandale. "If a child has autism, the best possible scenario is early identification. By diagnosing at an early age and beginning ABA treatment, we can give that child the greatest opportunity to reach his or her full potential." Crawford and her team at Caravel's Urbandale clinic are currently enrolling new clients for evaluation and treatment. For information or to schedule an appointment, call 515-316-3773 or visit www.caravelautism.com. About Caravel Autism Health Since 2009, Caravel Autism Health has been devoted to helping families navigate the challenges of childhood autism. Our team of clinical experts specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of children on the autism spectrum. Caravel's research-based and data-driven programs are designed to provide better outcomes that help children with autism reshape their development and embrace new ways of interacting with the world. SOURCE Caravel Autism Health New CEO appoints two new executives and promotes senior scientist to new Chief Medical Officer position to focus company and help drive delivery of long-term growth strategy Terry Burke joins Clario as Executive Vice President of Clario's eCOA business and David Fusco as Executive Vice President of Human Capital joins Clario as Executive Vice President of Clario's eCOA business and as Executive Vice President of Human Capital Dr. Todd Rudo , M.D. is promoted to the role of Chief Medical Officer M.D. is promoted to the role of Chief Medical Officer The appointments announced today fill a mix of new and existing roles, drawing on Clario's internal talent and external expertise. PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clario, a technology company that delivers the leading endpoint solutions for decentralized (DCT), hybrid and site-based clinical trials, today announced three significant strategic changes to its executive leadership team to help focus the company and help drive delivery of long term growth strategy. The appointments fill a mix of new and existing roles, drawing on Clario's internal talent and external expertise. Terry Burke joins Clario from Quest Diagnostics as Executive Vice President of Clario's eCOA business, David Fusco joins Clario from Staple Street Capital as Executive Vice President of Human Capital, and Dr. Todd Rudo is promoted to the new role of Clario's Chief Medical Officer. David Fusco, Executive Vice President of Human Capital Terry Burke, Executive Vice President, eCOA Todd Rudo, M.D., Chief Medical Officer Chris Fikry, Chief Executive of Clario, said: "As we focus on the changing and complex post-pandemic clinical trials environment, Clario continues to bring in the new skills and develop the existing talent we need to deliver for our clients and their patients. My colleagues and I are delighted to announce the latest additions to our leadership team, who will each bring deep expertise and broad experience to the business." For biographies of the new appointees, visit https://clario.com/about/leadership/. To schedule interviews with the new members of Clario's executive leadership team, please contact [email protected]. About Clario Clario is a leading technology company that generates the richest clinical evidence in the industry for our pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device partners. Across decentralized and site-based trials, our deep scientific expertise, global scale and the broadest endpoint technology platform in the industry allows our partners to transform lives. Clario's Trial Anywhere solutions have been powering hybrid and decentralized clinical trials (DCT) for over 20 years, enabling sponsors to collect high-quality endpoint data from any modality or location, all while improving the patient experience and diversity. Clario has the only technology platform that combines eCOA, cardiac safety, medical imaging, precision motion, and respiratory endpoints. With facilities in nine countries, Clario's global team of science, technology and operational experts has helped deliver over 19,000 trials and 870 regulatory for over 5m patients in 120 countries. Our innovation has been transforming clinical trials for 50 years. For more information, go to Clario.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Clario Media Contact Duncan Cantor Sr. Director, Corporate Communications [email protected] SOURCE Clario With consumer demand for residential solar on the rise, this partnership provides solar installers critical documentation of consent to contact online consumers. BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Colossus, a technology company that delivers quality solar leads to businesses across the nation, and ActiveProspect, a SaaS platform for consent-based marketing, announced their partnership to provide compliance solutions to companies in the residential solar industry. When marketing to consumers, solar installers need to be aware of applicable telemarketing policies and regulations. Tweet this With the biggest climate package in U.S. history set to boost consumer demand for rooftop solar, more homeowners will be interested in claiming tax credits and rebates to achieve energy efficiency and lower their energy bills. With the biggest climate package in U.S. history set to boost consumer demand for rooftop solar, more homeowners will be interested in claiming tax credits and rebates to achieve energy efficiency and lower their energy bills. When marketing to consumers, solar installers will need to be aware of applicable state and federal telemarketing policies and regulations, even if they purchase solar leads from a trusted source. "At the end of the day, if you're the one reaching out to prospects by dialing data and it's not compliant, you may be held responsible even if your vendor was at fault," said Heather Griffin, Colossus Co-CEO & President. "Working with a marketing partner that follows permission-based lead acquisition models reduces fine risks and increases contact and conversion rates. Providing TrustedForm certified leads is one way we help mitigate legal risks while adding a layer of quality control for our partners who can rest assured that the leads we provide are legitimate and consensual." ActiveProspect's TrustedForm provides independent documentation of consent to contact leads acquired through online marketing. Colossus provides TrustedForm certification for every lead, meaning that solar installers will receive all the information necessary to document a prospect's interaction with a web page or contact form. "Our partnership with Colossus continues to build on our strong foundation within the growing residential U.S. solar market," said Steve Rafferty, founder/CEO of ActiveProspect. "As we continually onboard and expand our support for solar installers nationwide, it only makes sense that we team up with best in class platforms that are engaged in consent-based marketing and provide optimized, compliant marketing solutions." Complying with federal regulations such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which requires documented proof of consent prior to contacting consumers, can be complicated, with non-compliance resulting in costly litigation. TrustedForm protects companies from costly TCPA compliance violations by providing the highest standard of independent proof of consent available. To learn more about growing your residential solar sales, visit Colossus.com . About Colossus Colossus is a technology company dedicated to helping businesses sell more solar. By matching residential solar providers with the right customers, Colossus helps solar companies grow their sales by delivering real-time solar inquiries. Top solar companies across the nation utilize the Colossus Marketplace to effectively fill their sales pipeline. Colossus drives results by partnering with solar sales teams to offer qualified solar leads and expert consultation to improve performance and help businesses close more solar sales. About ActiveProspect ActiveProspect is an Austin-based SaaS company on a mission to make consent-based marketing the best method for customer acquisition. Their comprehensive product suite empowers companies across industries to take real-time action on their leads, protect themselves from litigation by documenting proof of consent, and save money by providing new levels of data insights and control. For more information, go to www.activeprospect.com . SOURCE Colossus DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Credera, a global boutique consulting firm focused on strategy, transformation, data, and technology, today announced the achievement of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Machine Learning competency. This is AWS' way of recognizing that Credera has proven ability to leverage complex machine learning workloads in production across many customers, backed by rigorous methodology. Credera is part of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group (OPMG), which aligns digital, data, and customer relationship management capabilities to deliver precisely targeted and meaningful customer experiences at scale leveraging the global reach of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC). Credera houses Omnicom's Amazon Center of Excellence, enriched by the recent achievement of the DevOps, Data and Analytics, and Well Architected competencies. "We are looking forward to helping more of our clients build, deploy and manage world-class ML capabilities on AWS." Tweet this "We have focused our AWS competencies on those that support our clients' ability to get a return on investment on their data," said Ryan Gross, Credera Partner and Data & Analytics leader. "The data scientists recognized by our ML competency provide clients with a unique ability to unlock the value in all forms of data. When combined with our Well Architected, Data and Analytics, and DevOps competencies, we have the proven ability to build these models into mission-critical production systems." "Over the past 2 years, Credera has transformed the way it and its clients think and work with data," said Vincent Yates, Credera Chief Data Scientist. "We have grown the data practice more than ten times over in the past two years by bringing world class talent in data science, engineering, and analytics. We then equip our people with the best tools available, and this competency demonstrates that." Our highly trained data science team brings deep capability to deliver on the cutting edge of machine learning. This includes computer vision, video analytics, natural language processing, language generation, advanced time series analysis, anomaly detection, recommender systems, and online learning techniques. Credera's unique combination of four AWS competencies demonstrate our team's ability to deliver the full cycle of next-generation data products to support our customers at every stage of the journey to being data driven. "We're delighted that our capabilities in machine learning and supporting our clients in getting the best out of their ML efforts on AWS have been recognized with this competency," said Ian Thomas, Chief Data Officer in Credera's UK office. "We are looking forward to helping more of our clients build, deploy and manage world-class ML capabilities on AWS." Headquartered in Dallas, today Credera has a team of more than 4,000 talented consultants around the globe. It has been honored by Fortune as a "Best Place to Work" in consulting and professional services and by Forbes as one of the "World's Best Management Consulting Firms." Credera is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner. ABOUT CREDERA Credera (credera.com) is a global boutique consulting firm focused on strategy, transformation, data, and technology. As a part of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, our over 4,000 consultants across the globe partner together with clients ranging from long-time market leaders to emerging companies delivering strategy and execution leadership to create tangible business results. Credera's deep business acumen and technical expertise, combined with a deep dedication to building trusted relationships, unlocks extraordinary business performance for our clients. Our mission is to make an extraordinary impact for our clients, people, and communities. ABOUT OMNICOM PRECISION MARKETING GROUP Omnicom Precision Marketing Group aligns Omnicom's global digital, data, and CRM capabilities to deliver precisely targeted and meaningful customer experiences at scale. Using its universal framework of connected data, connected intelligence and connected experiences, OPMG provides services that include data-driven product/service design, technology strategy and implementation, CRM/loyalty strategy and activation, econometric and attribution modeling, technical and business consulting and digital experience design and development. At the core of delivering these services is Omni, an advanced technology platform that combines a powerful cultural insights engine with massively scaled data insights from first-, second- and third-party sources, including several proprietary Omnicom data partnerships. Omnicom Precision Marketing is a part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. SOURCE Credera Intelligent microsatellite, LICIACube, documented NASA's successful asteroid collision Similar Argotec microsatellite slated for the Artemis I moon mission TURIN, Italy, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- When NASA's DART spacecraft successfully hit the asteroid Dimorphos, the closest cameras that captured the impact were on LICIACube, a microsatellite built by Argotec. The next closest cameras were telescopes on Earth, 7 million miles away. Argotec Mission Control Centre in Turin, Italy, received the first pictures from LICIACube (Light Italian CubeSat for Imaging Asteroids) a few hours after impact. LICIACube captured more than 600 pictures invaluable material for the scientific community for planetary defense purposes. The two cameras that captured the images also powered LICIACube's self-navigation system, which precisely positioned it before and during impact. For 12 hours prior to impact, the microsatellite navigated toward the target without human control. One minute before collision, it began capturing three images per second while rotating continuously around the asteroid at a safe distance to witness the collision from different angles. This mission confirmed the unique performance and reliability of Argotec's satellite program, including its advanced AI algorithm. Continuous image acquisition, real-time on-board processing, target identification and autonomous tracking in a miniature high performance on-board computer make this system unique. LICIACube remains in deep space, providing more information of unexplored areas. "These results are a revolutionary step in space technology," said David Avino, CEO and founder of Argotec. "Our part in the DART Mission has shown that AI-powered autonomous navigation and target recognition in miniature spacecrafts perform reliably in challenging conditions such as deep space." Argotec will take photos from a similar microsatellite, ArgoMoon, on NASA's upcoming Moon-orbiting mission, Artemis I. It will be the only European payload aboard the Space Launch System. Once ArgoMoon launches, Argotec will be the world's only company with two microsatellites in deep space. Images See the DART images from Argotec's LICIACube at https://www.nasa.gov/feature/first-images-from-italian-space-agency-s-liciacube-satellite About Argotec Argotec designs, engineers, manufactures and operates small satellites and other aerospace products that combine reliability with top performance. Its products and services are used by several international space agencies and commercial partners. Argotec is based in Turin, Italy, with U.S. headquarters in Largo, Maryland. It is rapidly expanding, with revenues doubling in 2022. In 2023, the company plans to double its employees, triple its plant area and expand its U.S. presence. Media Contact Drea Garrison [email protected] SOURCE Argotec, Inc. Representatives from 12 Estonian companies will be in attendance seeking collaborations DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the e-governance leader in Europe, Estonia is the world's first country to function as a digital service government. Through enabling its population to do business using broad digital service network, Estonia outperforms all other countries, scores highly on cloud usage, remote working, employment of ICT specialists, and more. Representatives from 12 Estonian e-companies will be present at the 2022 GITEX GLOBAL, taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 10 - 14 October. They will be sharing their progressive innovations and introducing visitors to Estonia's celebrated digital achievements. Woman taking photos of enter e-estonia sign As a result of strengths across all categories of digital development, Estonia has the highest number of start-ups per capita compared to other countries in scope and is recognized as a leader in e-government. Every e-company in attendance will be seeking to explore collaborations toward consolidating Estonia's vision of a digital society. Visitors to the stand at GITEX GLOBAL can look forward to exploring global virtual solutions, IoT innovations, connectivity, cyber-capability development, and much more. On 13 October, there will be a GITEX networking event taking place at Hyde Hotel where company representatives will also be present. This offers another valuable opportunity to speak to them and explore opportunities for collaboration in a more intimate setting. For example, e-Recidency will be one of the focus topics at GITEX networking event. Estonia is the first country to offer e-Residency, a government-issued digital identity and status that provides access to Estonia's transparent business environment. E-resident entrepreneurs from all over the world can start an EU-based company and manage their businesses from anywhere, entirely online. In 2022, an Estonian e-resident broke the world record for fastest company incorporation ever in a time of 15 minutes and 33 seconds. Estonia truly is a country to watch as it paves the way for new digital nation for the world. Contact: Reem Masswadeh, M: +971 (05)0 583 9330, E: [email protected] Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914536/e_estonia_sign.jpg SOURCE e-Estonia Bids Due October 17, 2022; Auction to Be Held October 18, 2022 NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilco Streambank (www.HilcoStreambank.com) announced that it is seeking offers to acquire the software and other assets of Edgeworx, Inc., which has developed an edge computing artificial intelligence solution for software developers along with associated hardware. A sale of the assets of Edgeworx is being conducted by Edgeland, LLC, as secured lender, pursuant to Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. Bids are due on October 17, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and a public auction will be held on October 18, 2022, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Interested parties can learn more here. The product Darcy.AI allows developers to build in their local environment, deploy applications and hardware at the edge, and run artificial intelligence software utilizing the cloud. The company's software serves as an operating system allowing developers to build real-time artificial intelligence into the infrastructure of the edge of networks. The hardware first deployed via a camera allows businesses to employ a sleek, computer vision camera at the source of data capture. The cloud permits the camera or any other hardware or software at the edge to operate remote hardware and software just like anything else in the cloud, without pushing video feeds back to servers. "The software provides an end-to-end platform of AI, hardware, and cloud tools that can integrate with any infrastructure or model, be it your own design or a model from the web," remarked Hilco Streambank CEO Gabe Fried. He continued, "The software is being utilized and the company has produced hardware a camera allowing the data to remain in the cloud at the edge of networks, leading the way in connecting the edge to the cloud." The sale of the assets will be conducted on an "as is, where is" basis, without representations and warranties. Gabe Fried Chief Executive Officer [email protected] 617.458.9355 Richelle Kalnit Senior Vice President [email protected] 212.993.7214 Stella Silverstein Analyst [email protected] 646.651.1953 About Hilco Streambank: Hilco Streambank is a market leading advisory firm specializing in intellectual property disposition and valuation. Having completed numerous transactions including sales in publicly reported Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, private transactions, and online sales through IPv4.Global, Hilco Streambank has established itself as the premier intermediary in the consumer brand, internet and telecom communities. Hilco Streambank is part of Northbrook, Illinois based Hilco Global, the world's leading authority on maximizing the value of business assets by delivering valuation, monetization and advisory solutions to an international marketplace. Hilco Global operates more than twenty specialized business units offering services that include asset valuation and appraisal, retail and industrial inventory acquisition and disposition, real estate and strategic capital equity investments. SOURCE Hilco Streambank ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fitness Ventures LLC, One of Crunch Fitness' fastest growing franchisees, announced today the acquisition of all 4 of the Louisville, KY Crunch Fitness locations. Crunch Dixie and Crunch Middletown are open and operating locations while Crunch Outer Loop and Crunch Fern Creek are currently under construction and set to be open by year end. Crunch Fitness State of the Art Facility "Expanding into Louisville is particularly exciting for us," stated Brian Hibbard, CEO of Fitness Ventures. "We own and operate locations throughout the U.S. with al lot of that concentration in the Midwest. Louisville fits extremely well into that strategy. Greg Tibbs, Mike Goodsell, and the entire Louisville team have done an amazing job building the Crunch brand in the market along with a strong culture, so we are excited to build on that momentum." The acquisition fast tracks Fitness Ventures already aggressive growth, with plans to open around 15 locations per year for the foreseeable future. "These 4 locations are just the start for the Kentucky market," stated Hibbard. "We will have additional locations being announced in the coming months in Louisville as well as the surrounding markets such as Lexington, Bowling Green and Elizabethtown." "The Louisville market has been underserved for high value low-cost fitness options for quite some time. I believe that is why we have thrived so well here," stated Tibbs. "We had acquisition interest from several great groups, ultimately, we chose Fitness Ventures as both our teams were very culturally aligned. After meeting with several people within their organization, it became apparent they had a team first mindset that very much mirrored ours. We were also drawn to their vision and growth strategy, and we wanted the Louisville team to be part of that." The Louisville clubs offer top-quality cardio equipment and strength training equipment, circuit training, a functional training area with multiple indoor turf areas, a dedicated group fitness studio, a dedicated ride studio, HydroMassage beds, saunas, and high-end tanning. Members looking for assistance reaching their goals will have access to highly experienced Personal Trainers. For additional information, please contact Hiba Abduljawad at [email protected], 407-360-6746 About Fitness Ventures, LLC Founded in 2016 by Brian Hibbard, Fitness Ventures, LLC is one of the fastest growing franchisees within the Crunch Fitness system. The Company currently operates locations across the United States, with many more in development. With a unique operating and development strategy, and a keen focus on execution, Fitness Ventures operates some of the highest volume Crunch locations in the system and boasts industry leading financial returns. Fitness Ventures was acquired by Prospect Hill Growth Partners, L.P., a private equity firm focused on operational value creation in middle-market growth companies, in 2020. The partnership with Prospect Hill and new access to institutional capital has allowed Fitness Ventures to seize on new opportunities at a faster pace, like this one. Website: www.fitnessventuresllc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fitness-ventures-llc-crunch/ About Crunch Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of 'No Judgments.' Crunch serves a fitness community for all kinds of people, with all types of goals, exercising all different ways, working it out at the same place together. Today, we are renowned for creating one-of-a-kind group fitness classes and unique programming for our wildly diverse members. Headquartered in New York City, Crunch serves over 2.2 million members with over 400 gyms worldwide in 34 states and the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Portugal, Puerto Rico, and Spain. Crunch is rapidly expanding across the U.S. and around the globe. For more information, please visit crunch.com. SOURCE Fitness Ventures DUBLIN, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Pneumococcal Vaccine Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pneumococcal vaccine market size reached US$ 8.5 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 11.6 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.32% during 2021-2027. Keeping in mind the uncertainties of COVID-19, we are continuously tracking and evaluating the direct as well as the indirect influence of the pandemic. These insights are included in the report as a major market contributor. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children under 2-5 years of age are at a high risk of developing pneumococcal disease. This, in confluence with the escalating number of birth rates and the growing concerns among parents about the health of their children, represents one of the major factors bolstering the market growth. Additionally, the increasing geriatric population is contributing to the market growth. This can also be accredited to the contagiousness of the disease, which can cause severe complications in older adults. Furthermore, the rising number of smokers and individuals living with chronic health conditions is positively influencing the market growth. Moreover, the introduction of the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) in infant routine immunization by governing agencies of numerous countries is anticipated to propel the market growth. Key Market Segmentation Breakup by Vaccine Type: Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine Breakup by Product Type: Prevnar 13 Synflorix Pneumovax 23 Breakup by Distribution Channel: Distribution Partner Companies Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Government Authorities Breakup by End User: Pediatrics Adults Breakup by Region: North America United States Canada Asia-Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Indonesia Others Europe Germany France United Kingdom Italy Spain Russia Others Latin America Brazil Mexico Others Middle East and Africa Key Topics Covered: 1 Preface 2 Scope and Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 5 Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market 6 Market Breakup by Vaccine Type 7 Market Breakup by Product Type 8 Market Breakup by Distribution Channel 9 Market Breakup by End User 10 Market Breakup by Region 11 SWOT Analysis 12 Value Chain Analysis 13 Porters Five Forces Analysis 14 Price Analysis 15 Competitive Landscape Companies Mentioned Astellas Pharma Inc. GlaxoSmithKline Plc. Merck & Co. Inc. Panacea Biotec Ltd. Pfizer Inc. Sanofi S.A. Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd Walvax Biotechnology Co. Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wk5zvc Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Fairport Wealth continues its expansion eastward with the addition of a $102 million advisory business in Princeton, N.J. CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hightower today announced that it has facilitated a merger for Fairport Wealth, a Hightower advisory business in Cleveland, Ohio. Optimal Portfolio, LLC, led by Yu Oen in Princeton, N.J., with $102 million in assets under management (AUM), will join Fairport's growing business of wealth management professionals, bringing Fairport's AUM to $3.4 billion. Mr. Oen founded Optimal Portfolio, an SEC-registered fiduciary investment advisory firm in 2010. Today, he manages approximately 50 high-net-worth clients, including both families and businesses. Over the past 12 years, Oen has developed robust asset management and financial-planning capabilities. With an attractive client base, Optimal Portfolio aligns with Fairport and Hightower, both culturally and operationally. Tweet this "Between his background as a successful business owner and experience in corporate finance, investment banking and private equity, Yu brings a unique skillset and perspective that will serve as a great benefit to our entire team," said Fairport Wealth President Matt Logar. "We are excited to expand into this key region and support Yu in further growing his business." Mr. Oen specializes in serving executives and business owners, including a number of former Wall Street executives. The business will operate in New Jersey under the Fairport brand name. "As I considered my business goals, I recognized that joining Fairport Wealth would give me the best way to grow my practice and ensure continuity of service to our clients well into the future," Oen said. "Hightower's expertise in compliance and operations, coupled with offering a wide array of value-added services, including those for business owners, will enable me to better serve my clients as my practice continues to grow. I'm excited to join the company and begin making use of their many resources." The Hightower M&A team has professionals dedicated to helping Hightower advisory businesses execute sub-acquisitionsproviding sourcing, valuation, deal structuring, due diligence, legal and regulatory, pre- and post-close integration, and capital resources for transactions. This is Fairport Wealth's fourth sub-acquisition in the last three years. In August, Fairport added a team led by Buffalo, N.Y.-based advisor Brian Geary. In 2021, Fairport added FMA Advisory of Harrisburg, Pa., and in 2019, Fairport added Leonetti & Associates, an existing Hightower advisory business located in Buffalo Grove, Ill. "Yu's entrepreneurial spirit is exactly what we look for in new partners," said Hightower Chairman and CEO Bob Oros. "With an attractive client base, Optimal Portfolio aligns with Fairport and Hightower, both culturally and operationally. We look forward to bringing Yu into the fold and supporting him in his overall goals." In addition to inorganic support, Hightower offers its 131 advisory businesses in 34 states and the District of Columbia a range of services designed to catalyze and accelerate organic growth, including business development consulting, leadership and team development, talent acquisition, marketing support, technology, investment management resources, compliance, accounting, payroll and human resources. Advisors benefit from streamlined access to the Hightower National Trust Company, estate & financial planning, and business management services such as personal CFO, bookkeeping, bill pay and tax preparation for their clients. As of June 30, 2022, Hightower's assets under management (AUM) were $108.4 billion, and assets under administration were approximately $132.6 billion. About Hightower Hightower is a wealth management firm that provides investment, financial and retirement planning services to individuals, foundations, and family offices, as well as 401(k) consulting and cash management services to corporations. Hightower's capital solutions, operational support services, size and scale empower its vibrant community of independent-minded wealth advisors to grow their businesses and help their clients achieve their vision of "well-th. rebalanced." Based in Chicago with advisors across the U.S., the firm operates as a registered investment advisor (RIA). Learn more about Hightower's collaborative business model at www.hightoweradvisors.com . Securities offered through Hightower Securities, LLC member FINRA/SIPC. Hightower Advisors, LLC is a SEC registered investment advisor. Media Contact: Siobhan Nolan JConnelly (862) 217-9585 [email protected] SOURCE Hightower LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the ICANN75 Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) announced a new leadership team to head the ICANN Board of Directors. Tripti Sinha and Danko Jevtovic were elected Board Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively. Additionally, four new Board members took their seats. The new ICANN Board Chair Tripti Sinha brings more than three decades of experience in Internet and Internet infrastructure technologies. She was selected to serve as Chair by her fellow Board members and previously served as ICANN's Board Governance Committee Chair. The Board Governance Committee will now be led by fellow Board member Sarah Deutsch. Selected for the Board by ICANN's 2018 Nominating Committee, Sinha previously held leadership roles in ICANN working with the root server community. She currently serves as Assistant Vice President and Chief Technology Officer in the Division of Information Technology and the Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads at the University of Maryland. "It is an honor to be selected chair of the ICANN Board of Directors," said Sinha. "The Internet is used by more than five billion people today, with more coming online every day. ICANN plays a critical role in the technical governance of the Internet, and it is our responsibility to ensure that it remains stable, secure, and resilient for those users. I look forward to working with the Board, the organization, and the ICANN community to serve ICANN's mission and protect this global resource." The new ICANN Board Vice-Chair Danko Jevtovic also brings much experience to his role, including governance. He most recently served as ICANN Board's Finance Committee Chair and will continue to serve in that role as well. Jevtovic previously was a founding partner of one of the first Internet service providers in Serbia, SezamPro, and is currently a partner at Jugodata Ltd. He also was also selected for the Board by ICANN's 2018 Nominating Committee. The ICANN Board also welcomed the following new members: Chris Chapman and Sajid Rahman, selected by the ICANN Nominating Committee; Christian Kaufmann, selected by the Address Supporting Organization; and Wes Hardaker, selected as the Root Server System Advisory Committee's non-voting liaison to the Board. Outgoing Chair Maarten Botterman and Vice-Chair Leon Sanchez remain on the Board of Directors and will work to support the new leadership. The ICANN Board, composed of 20 members from five geographic world regions, is the oversight body of ICANN. The new Board leaders were elected during ICANN's Annual General Meeting, held from 17 to 22 September 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. More than 1,200 attendees participated in person, and more than 800 attended remotely. They took part in more than 200 working and training sessions and discussed issues crucial to a secure, stable, interoperable Internet, including Domain Name System security threats, Universal Acceptance of domain names, and geopolitical, legislative, and regulatory developments that affect the functioning of the Internet. For more information about ICANN's Board of Directors, please visit here. For a high-resolution image of Tripti Sinha, please visit here. About ICANN ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an address - a name or a number - into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation and a community with participants from all over the world. SOURCE ICANN The Italian trade show group expands strategic international partnerships and acquires two new exhibitions RIMINI, Italy, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Corrado Peraboni and Francesco Santa, respectively CEO and International Business Development Director of IEG - Italian Exhibition Group, leader in trade show and conference organisation in Italy and the world, announce signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with Singapore Tourism Board, the leading economic development agency in tourism under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, to support the development of new IEG events in the City of Lions and the strengthening of the entire MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) ecosystem within the State. Corrado Peraboni and Francesco Santa, respectively CEO and International Business Development Director of IEG. IEG will open regional headquarters in Singapore, where it also recently signed a letter of intent (LOI) with CEMS - Conference & Exhibition Management Services for the acquisition of two strategic trade shows in the luxury and food segments where IEG already boasts a leading role: Sije - Singapore International Jewelry Expo and Cafe Asia, Sweet and Bakes Asia, Restaurant Asia. STATEMENTS Corrado Peraboni, CEO of IEG: "The partnership with Singapore Tourism Board marks another important step forward in IEG's internationalisation process. It is an important piece in our strategy that, in every respect, aims to establish IEG as a 'community catalyst' for the industries its events represent by taking them to the most promising markets, generating value in terms of business for exhibiting companies, associations and all the stakeholders." Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director, Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board: "We are heartened by the Italian Exhibition Group's (IEG) decision to anchor their regional headquarters in Singapore, and we look forward to welcoming more internationally renowned event brands to our city. This new partnership is testament to Singapore's solid economic fundamentals and our standing as a Global-Asia Node for MICE and business. We look forward to deepening our partnership with IEG as they expand their presence in Singapore and the region." Francesco Santa, International Business Development Director IEG: "Today's signing is a source of great pride and satisfaction. Singapore Tourism Board and IEG begin a collaboration for the development of products in Singapore and the entire South East Asian region. Further proof is the agreement signed with CEMS for the acquisition of the jewellery and food shows. The valuable exchange of know-how and innovation between IEG and Singapore will contribute to strengthening trade relations with the ASEAN region, of which Singapore is the hub." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914532/Italian_Exhibition_Group.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/723307/Italian_Exhibition_Group_Logo.jpg Italian Exhibition Group press contacts: Marco Forcellini Press Office Manager [email protected] Silvia Giorgi International Press Office Coordinator [email protected] +39 (0)541 744814 SOURCE Italian Exhibition Group Global Gas Market Continues to Become More Flexible and Responsive as the Share of Competitively Priced LNG Stayed on an Upward Trend in 2021. However, there was a slowdown in the growth trend of competitively priced gas, as a share of Total Gas Consumed for the First time since 2017. LONDON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Gas Union (IGU) today releases its 2022 Wholesale Gas Price Survey Report. The survey is the [14th] to be undertaken in a series that began in 2005. Report Key Findings World Price Formation 2005 to 2021 - LNG Imports Wholesale Price Map 2021 Strong growth in the share of Gas on Gas (GOG) pricing in the LNG market persisted in 2021, reaching 46% of total LNG imports, up by 2% year on year. The growing share of total GOG in LNG imports was a continuation of the trend that took off in 2017 (the total GOG share of LNG imports in 2016 was 25%.) 2021 saw more contracted LNG volumes tied to hub prices, especially Henry Hub. The volume of spot LNG cargoes was only marginally higher, but the share of spot LNG cargoes in total LNG imports declined, for the first time since 2016 (34% vs. 35%). Gas on Gas (GOG) pricing share was marginally down by 0.3% - at 49% of total world gas consumption, a slowdown in a strong trend toward increasing GOG over the years. This is up by more than 50%, compared to 31.3% in 2005 when the IGU launched its first survey. The Oil price escalation (OPE) linked pricing share was up by 0.5 percentage points to just over 19% of the total gas consumption, with the volume up by 64 bcm. In 2021, wholesale prices rose sharply in some regions, from the record lows of 2020 to new record highs, and the trend of global market price convergence has stalled. The average world wholesale price levels went from their record low of $3.22 per MMBTU in 2020, to $5.54 in 2021, which was just below the highest level of $5.58 recorded in 2013. Amidst Energy Crisis, Global Gas Market's Increasing Flexibility Allowed to Redirect Supply Quickly Unprecedented increases in spot prices and price volatility, from the lowest depths of Covid-19 in 2020 to record-breaking highs in 2022, have put the gas markets into uncharted territory. The close to half of the LNG supply using market-based pricing is what allowed the gas market to continue functioning and deliver gas to customers, despite colossal global shocks. The rise of market-priced share of global LNG trade to just under 50% of total imports in 2022, allowed the global gas market to respond effectively to the significant change in LNG demand and changing LNG flows. Most recently with LNG being diverted to Europe to replace declining pipe imports from Russia. Competitively set gas on gas market pricing is the very definition of flexibility, which is what is required in the currently turbulent market. Thanks to the large share of gas-on-gas priced volumes, the market was able to send effective price signals for the supply to go to where it was required most. In a situation of an extremely tight market, with no excess capacity and demand growth outpacing new supply additions, higher prices acted to move scarce supply in new directions. Madam Li Yalan, the IGU President said: This edition of the report comes out in a year when the gas markets have been experiencing unprecedented challenges and turbulence; and when gas consumers are struggling with abnormally high price levels. The findings of the report confirm that there is now a functioning global gas market, and despite the challenges faced by everyone in managing the high-price environment, a well-functioning market is key to ensuring energy security. An efficient market has provided the necessary flexibility to reorganize global gas supply flows to where they were required most in a matter of just a few months. Unfortunately, the market remains supply-constrained, resulting in high prices. Ongoing efforts to add new sources of gas supply, together with prudent measures to enhance efficiency and conservation on the energy demand side are needed to help rebalance global energy markets and make energy access secure and affordable to all. Milton Catelin, the IGU Secretary General noted: The markets have been doing their job, and the current abnormally high prices reflect a market that is out of balance. The pressure on governments and decisionmakers to relieve high price burden on economies and citizens is understandably high in this difficult time. However, intervening in the markets through price controls, or windfall taxes on energy producers, will not solve the problem. This kind of tactic runs the risk to throw the gas market further off-balance and worsen energy insecurity, extending it into the future. What the market needs is rebalancing of supply and demand, combined with some carefully targeted social relief measures for the most vulnerable groups, and well-planned energy efficiency and conservation measures. About the Report The Annual IGU Wholesale Gas Price Survey report was launched in 2005. It is a unique global database on the evolution of gas markets, changes in gas price formation mechanisms, and wholesale gas prices. 2022 Edition includes data from 96 gas markets, covering 98% of total world natural gas consumption. It is produced by the IGU Strategy Committee and Michael Fulwood of the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies. About the International Gas Union The International Gas Union (IGU) was founded in 1931 and is a worldwide non-profit organisation representing more than 150 gas and related service industry members worldwide on all continents. The members of the IGU are national associations and corporations within the gas industry and related services worldwide, covering over 90% of the global gas market and working in every segment of the gas value chain, from the supply of natural and decarbonised gas, renewable gas and hydrogen, through their transmission and distribution, and all the way to the point of use. The IGU organises flagship international gas conferences, including World LNG Congress, the World Gas Conference (WGC), and International Gas Research Conference www.igu.org. Tatiana Khanberg, Director of Strategic Communications and Membership, [email protected] Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1913995/International_Gas_Union_IGU_2022_Global_Wholesale_Gas_Price_Surv.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1913996/International_Gas_Union_IGU_2022_Global_Wholesale_Gas_Price_Surv.jpg SOURCE International Gas Union Leveraging research insights, L.L.Bean and Mental Health America extend partnership to fund outdoor programming focused on resilience and connection. FREEPORT, Maine, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in celebration of its 110th Anniversary, iconic outdoor retailer L.L.Bean unveils new, proprietary research findings that experiencing awe in the outdoors makes us more resilient and strengthens relationships. L.L.Bean is turning these insights into action with partner Mental Health America (MHA) to fund programming focused on improving mental well-being through time spent outdoors. "My great-grandfather founded L.L.Bean over a century ago on the belief that nature brings out the best in us," says Shawn Gorman, Executive Chairman, L.L.Bean. "With stress levels at an all-time high, the restorative power of the outdoors is more important than ever. This research proves what we've known intuitively, and we're excited to work with MHA to support community based programming that ensure those benefits are as accessible and inclusive as possible." Research shows that awe the experience of being in the presence of something so vast or beautiful in nature it shifts our perspective has a positive physiological effect on the human condition but little was known about its effects on mental health. L.L.Bean partnered with University of California Irvine (UCI) Associate Professor of Psychological Science Dr. Paul Piff to better understand why the outdoors makes us feel better in hopes the knowledge would empower more people to get outside more often and with greater intention. The research found: Experiencing awe outdoors is linked to more resilience in the face of life's challenges. Those who experienced the highest levels of awe outdoors were 42% more likely to strongly believe they were equipped to "better handle difficulties." Shared experiences of awe in the outdoors deepen our relationships. Those who spent time outdoors in company of others and reported the highest level of awe said the experience was 28% more meaningful and 37% richer. "Awe is a profound and transformative experience yet, until today, science knew little about how it affects our mental health and social relationships," says Dr. Paul Piff. "Now, thanks to generous support from L.L.Bean, we have exciting evidence pointing to a significant link to increased resilience in the face of adversity and deeper, more meaningful social connections." Mental Health America Grant Program L.L.Bean and MHA earlier this year announced a two-year partnership to bring the power of the outdoors to those that need it most. Now, using the research findings as a guide, L.L.Bean and MHA are kicking off a two-year grant program that will award $200,000 ($100,000 each year) through a total of 10 grants to MHA affiliates across the country to support outdoor programs that focus on resiliency and foster connection. Over 150 affiliates across 42 states are eligible to apply for funding. Grant applications for year one will be reviewed through November 2022, and recipients will be announced before the end of the year. To learn more, visit www.llbean.com. About L.L.Bean, Inc. L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L. Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In 2020, L.L. Bean donated over $6 million to 100+ outdoor and community-enriching organizations, many of which focus on increasing access to outdoor spaces. L.L. Bean operates 54 stores in 19 states across the United States, along with 25 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L. Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. About Dr. Paul Piff Paul K. Piff, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychological science at University of California Irvine, where he also directs the Morality, Emotion and Social Hierarchy Lab. Dr. Piff's research examines the origins of human kindness and cooperation, and the social consequences of economic inequality. In 2015, Dr. Piff was designated as a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science in recognition of his outstanding early contributions to the field of psychology. About Mental Health America Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation's leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all. MHA's work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need them; with recovery as the goal. Learn more at MHAnational.org. Media Contacts: Amanda Hannah L.L.Bean Head of External Communications [email protected] Alejna Kalavik Porter Novelli [email protected] SOURCE L.L.Bean HOUSTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Loomis U.S. is proud to announce that Bjorn Zuger has joined the team as the new President and Chief Executive Officer as of September 23, 2022. The addition of Zuger will help Loomis U.S. achieve its goals of strategically aligning itself as a tech-focused industry leader and a top provider in cash management for financial institutions and retailers. Bjorn Zuger, New President and Chief Executive Officer of Loomis U.S. Prior to joining Loomis U.S., Zuger served as the Country President of Loomis Switzerland and Regional Vice President for Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He is a Swiss-born citizen and attended business schools in Switzerland that specialized in logistics and supply chain management. Zuger has previously held various management positions within the VIA MAT Group in Europe and South America, which was later acquired by Loomis in 2014. Zuger is dedicated to leading Loomis U.S. into its next chapter with a strong focus on efficiency, quality, and excellence. He is passionate and committed to the training and development of Loomis team members to enable the continuation of the legacy career advancement that makes Loomis U.S. competitive and unique. His global perspective is instrumental for the future growth and diversification of cash management opportunities while maintaining a strong focus on sustainability. "I am honored and excited to join Loomis U.S.," says Bjorn Zuger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loomis U.S. "I look forward to working alongside our customers and the U.S. team by continuing our commitment to excellence and the Loomis values, as well as driving our position as a tech-focused cash management industry leader." Learn more about the Loomis U.S. management team here. About Loomis U.S. As a leader in cash distribution across the United States with nearly 200 branch locations, 11,000 employees, 3,200+ vehicles, and close to 50,000 SafePoint locations servicedLoomis is proud to provide cash handling products and services to financial institutions and commercial/retail businesses nationwide. Learn more at https://www.loomis.us/ SOURCE Loomis US VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - MANTARO PRECIOUS METALS CORP. (TSXV: MNTR) (OTCQB: MSLVF) (FSE: 9TZ) (the "Company") is pleased to report the maiden diamond drill program at the Golden Hill Property has returned strong gold grades from the first drill hole at La Escarcha gold deposit. Full assays are pending on the remaining 20 drill holes from the La Escarcha gold deposit as well as Gabby, Westhill and Brownfield targets. Highlights: Figure 1: Cross Section showing assay results from GH0003 in relating to identified shear zones and surrounding holes with pending assays. (CNW Group/Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.) Figure 2: Plan view mapping showing the locations of holes drilled on the Golden Hill Property. Highlighting holes with Assay results received (blue) and holes with assays pending (black) (CNW Group/Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.) High-grade gold mineralization intercepted across the "C" structure in GH0003 confirming down dip extensions of high-grade gold mineralization beneath La Escarcha mine to at least 100 meters below surface. Gold assays from diamond drill hole GH0003 include 4.69m at 5.15 g/t Gold from 171.51m , including 2.2m at 9.38 g/t Gold, intercepting the "C" shear zone. Gold grades present in each of the five primary gold bearing quartz shear zones at the La Escarcha Mine. All samples have been prepared by ALS Oruro and have been dispatched to ALS Ireland for analysis via screen fire assay. Mantaro Chairman and Chief Geologist, Dr. Christopher Wilson, states, "Our first assays have confirmed high-grade gold mineralization beneath the La Escarcha Mine to at least 100 meters below surface. It is extremely encouraging that the grade of these initial results are similar to our 2021 metallurgical study which was taken from a 10 tonne under ground bulk sample with a high average head grade of 5.53 g/t gold by fire assay. Unoptimized bench-scale gravity test work on the bulk samples reported recoveries of 74% gold and exceptional cyanide recoveries of up to 96%. Multiple gold intercepts in hole GH003,together with surface mapping of quartz vein outcrop and underground drives, support our analysis that multiple shear-hosted veins are located within the broader structure. We are looking forward to the steady flow of assay results in the near term." Dr. Wilson further comments, "Gold mineralization at Golden Hill is of an orogenic or greenstone-hosted type. Mineralization occurs within a regional structure that juxtaposed metavolcanics and metasediments (typical of gold mineralization in greenstone terranes worldwide). Four other gold deposits are located along this structure to the north of Mantaro's concessions over a strike length of at least 25 km confirming that the Golden Hill shear zone is very robust gold exploration target. Mineralization at Golden Hill is hosted within high-grade shoots and presents as free gold with quartz and quartz carbonate. Sub-parallel structures are common in such systems and structure forms the primary vector for drill targeting. In this respect, the C2 and C3 structures, while of lower tenor than the C structure intercepted in hole GH0003, are gold mineralized and are thus robust exploration targets with potential to host higher grade shoots along structure and at depth. Drilling an untested target in an under-explored greenstone province, as is the case with Golden Hill and the Bolivian Shield, is challenging. Greenstone-hosted gold systems are large and attractive targets. The results from hole GH0003 confirm the thesis that the Golden Hills shear is an excellent target for the discovery of greenstone-hosted gold deposits." Hole GH0003 was drilled to test the down dip extensions of gold mineralized quartz-carbonate shear zones that have been mined at surface and underground at La Escarcha gold deposit. Assay results have confirmed gold mineralization continues to depths of over 100 meters below surface with significant intervals including 4.69m @ 5.15 g/t Gold (including 2.2m @ 9.38 g/t Gold from 174m) across the 'C' shear zone from 171.51m downhole. Significant mineralization was also intercepted across the 'C2' and 'C3' quartz shear zones as seen on Figure 1. Core Drill Results and Intercepts: Table 1. (Core Drill Results and Intercepts Golden Hill) HoleID East North Azimuth(deg.) Dip (deg.) From (m) To (m) Downhole Interval (m) Au g/t GH0003 561713.7 8159788.7 100 -40.5 104 106.15 2.15 1.03 And 118 125 8.00 0.30 And 136 137 1.00 0.56 And 141 142 1.00 0.93 And 171.51 176.2 4.69 5.15 Additional drilling is required to determine true widths as all hole intercepted veins at an oblique angle. The assays are not capped. About Golden Hill Property Golden Hill is centered on a broadly north-south trending regional structure that hosts the La Escarcha underground mine and the Gabby, Garrapatillia and Brownfields workings and gold-bearing vein occurrences in its western hanging wall. The same structure hosts numerous saprolite gold and hard rock gold deposits to the north and south of Golden Hill over a strike length of at least 25 kilometers underpinning the significant control the structure exerts on gold mineralization. A northwest-trending splay of this structure hosts areas of alluvial and saprolitic/hard rock workings within Golden Hill and immediately to the north. At least six strike kilometers of these structures are known within Golden Hill in addition to the four kilometers between La Escarcha and Brownfields which have been mapped in detail. Known mineralization and surface anomalism is open along strike on all structures. Mineralization between La Escarcha and Brownfields is characterized by a series of broadly parallel, north-south trending, very steeply dipping quartz veins that are between 1 to 5 meters wide. Mineralization is hosted in mafic metavolcanics, at the contact of metavolcanics and metasediments, and within metasediments (see Figure 2). Veins are well exposed in underground workings at La Escarcha where they comprise multiphase white quartz and slivers of wall rock which are fracture oxidized. Veins are up to 5 meters wide and contain significant visible gold. Mine staff have reported that gold grades increase downwards from surface to the 60 m level which is currently under limited development. Most gold appears to be free hosted in fractures within quartz and pyrite. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Mantaro follows industry-recognized standards of Best Practice and Quality Assurance/Quality Control. Samples are submitted to ALS in batches of 40 comprising 35 half cut core samples, two field blanks, two certified reference material standards and one staged duplicate. Samples are sealed in plastic bags using single use tie-locks and delivered to ALS Oruro in Bolivia thereby ensuring chain of custody. Since the ALS facility in Bolivia is only a preparation facility, sample pulps were sent to ALS Ireland for fire assay. To date, all batches have passed QAQC and blanks and CRM's were within acceptable tolerance limits. All diamond holes were drilled started in PQ diameter, occasionally downsizing to HQ in difficult drilling conditions past 150 meters. Core recovery across all veins was nearly 100%. Qualified Person Dr. Christopher Wilson, Ph. D., FAusIMM (CP), FSEG, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. About Mantaro Precious Metals Corp. Mantaro Precious Metals Corp. is a British Columbia company that holds a diversified portfolio of gold and silver focused mineral properties in Bolivia and Peru. The Company's holds an option to acquire up to an 80% interest in the advanced Golden Hill Property ("Golden Hill"), located in the underexplored, orogenic Bolivia Shield, Bolivia. The Company also has a 100% interest in the high-grade Santas Gloria Silver Property as well as a 100% interest in each of the La Purisima, Cerro Luque and Huaranay Properties (collectively, the "Silver Properties"). The Silver Properties are located in Peru. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Resulting Issuer undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Mantaro Precious Metals Corp. Scholarships will be awarded to eligible female candidates in India pursuing a degree in STEM ANDOVER, Mass., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Navisite today announced the expansion of Navisite's Next Steminist Scholarship program to India, where the company has maintained a strong presence for more than two decades. As part of the program, Navisite will provide two needs-based scholarships to two eligible female candidates who are currently enrolled full time at an accredited college or university. Applications are being accepted now through October 30, 2022. Launched in the United States in 2021, Navisite's Next Steminist Scholarship program is designed to encourage young women to go after their dreams in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and has awarded $60,000 in scholarships since the start of the program. The scholarship program in India, where Navisite has three office locations (Gurugram, Hyderabad and Pune), will similarly focus on encouraging young women to achieve their educational goals with financial assistance to be used towards a degree in STEM. According to The Economic Times, India is one of the few countries in the world producing the highest number of scientists and engineers. Interest in STEM fields has picked up in the past few years, with data showing that 43% of STEM graduates in India are women. "Women in India are pursuing degrees in STEM, but there is room for improvement in supporting women from lower income backgrounds," said Tejal Munagekar, managing director of Navisite India. "Navisite is committed to hiring, promoting and championing female technologists, and we are proud to launch Navisite's Next Steminist Scholarship India to provide financial support that can help deserving young women achieve their goals." The scholarship is available to anyone 22 years old or younger who is an Indian citizen, identifies as female, is a current college undergraduate enrolled full time at an accredited college or university, and demonstrates financial need. For more information about the requirements and to apply, please visit Navisite's Next Steminist Scholarship. About Navisite Navisite is a trusted digital transformation partner for growing and established global brands. Through our highly specialized teams, industry solutions, business process expertise and application services, we provide the capabilities and practical guidance customers need to modernize, build and support more agile, resilient and expanding businesses. Our strategic advisory and transformation services advance innovation with comprehensive cloud, enterprise application, data management, intelligent automation and cybersecurity solutions, empowering customers to navigate change and meet new demands at any point in their journey. To learn more, visit navisite.com. SOURCE Navisite NEXT RUNG TO COMMERCIALIZE C-GREEN'S TRANSFORMATIVE CLIMATE-SMART OxyPower HTC TECHNOLOGY IN NORTH AMERICA SOMERVILLE, Mass., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Next Rung Technology, an engineering and consulting organization based out of Greentown Labs, today announced that it has entered into a three-year partnership with C-Green, a Swedish company with a transformative technology for sustainable handling of wet organic waste such as municipal sewage sludge. The partnership includes Next Rung Technology managing the marketing and development of opportunities for the installation of C-Green's technology in North America. NEXT RUNG TECHNOLOGY ENTERS THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH SWEDISH CLEAN-TECH COMPANY C-GREEN "We look forward to continuing to develop our market potential in North America in partnership with Next Rung. Together we have established contacts with many key players and have noted a significant increase in interest in our technology," says C-Green CEO Michael Sjoberg. "Next Rung Technology and C-Green have been collaborating in the market assessment, outreach and project development in North America since 2020. With the growing need to reduce sludge and biosolids volumes, increased landfilling costs, and increasing restrictions on land applications and landfilling, the OxyPower HTC technology is the right solution to solve a major pain point in the US biosolids and sludge markets," adds John Ellersick, President Next Rung Technology. "As a significant investor in C-Green, and promoter of the company's solution for wet organic waste handling, we look forward to the company's continued expansion in North America together with Next Rung. We believe that there is a large North American market for the solution and that Next Rung is the ideal strategic partner for C-Green," according to Ingvar Erikson, Business Creation Officer at InnoEnergy Scandinavia. Next Rung Technology provides technology development and commercialization for new sustainable technologies in industries such as water and wastewater, energy, sustainable food and alternative protein, and biochemical sectors. C-Green is a Swedish clean-tech company with a technology that transforms wet waste into useful products in a cost efficient and climate smart way. C-Green's OxyPower HTC process uses hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) to convert sludge and other wet biomass into useful products. C-Green's biorefineries provide waste handlers, industries, municipalities, agriculture, and food processors with a safe and sustainable wet waste management solution while at the same time simplifying the recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus and increasing biogas production. C-Green's technology transforms wet waste into hydrochar, a dry, sterile, bio-based, carbon-enriched product that can be used as biofuel or as soil improvement. With C-Green's technology the sludge volume can be reduced by 75-80%. The global production and handling of sludge is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Compared with current methods of wet waste handling, as much as 80% of greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided using C-Green's technology. InnoEnergy is the leading innovation engine in sustainable energy, bringing the technology and skills required to accelerate the European Green Deal, with the goal of becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050. SOURCE Next Rung Technology MIAMI, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicklaus Children's is collaborating with Miami-Dade College (MDC) to implement a scholarship program for students accepted to MDC's Associate of Science in Nursing Program. The Nurse Scholars Program, sponsored by Nicklaus Children's Health System, is administered by Edcor, a third-party service, and features tuition scholarship awards of up to $10,000. The Nurse Scholars Program includes four semesters of didactic and clinical experiences as a student and Student Nurse Intern (SNIP). The SNIP is a per-diem employment opportunity for nurse scholars to be hired as care assistants to gain insight into the field of pediatric nursing. Pediatric and practicum experiences will be completed at Nicklaus Children's Hospital and 10 participants will be accepted during each fall and spring semester. "Nurses are essential to our mission of providing amazing patient care to the children and families we serve," said Shannon Odell, Nicklaus Children's vice president and chief nursing officer. "It's an honor for us to assist future nursing colleagues as they pursue their training and prepare for careers in this incredible profession." Students accepted into the Nicklaus Children's Nurse Scholars Program are provided a scholarship towards school tuition of up to $10,000, with payment made directly to the school. Recipients are responsible for additional fees applied by the school. After completion of the program, eligible graduates may be offered employment into the Horizon Nurse Residency program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital to fulfill a two-year agreement within the organization. The graduating nurse scholar is required to complete a RN to BSN program after completion of the ASN program if hired as a Horizon RN. For more information about Nicklaus Nurse Scholars Program, visit https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/medical-professionals/for-students Nicklaus Children's Hospital will be attending the MDC onsite orientation on November 9 to promote the ASN Nursing Scholar program to students accepted to their nursing program. About Nicklaus Children's Hospital Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 800 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. In the 2022-2023 ranking, the hospital tied with two other hospitals as the number one children's hospital in Florida. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org For more information: Rachel Bixby 305-898-9165 SOURCE Nicklaus Childrens Health System ONE's $1.6 billion investment, supported by a $200 million state grant, marks the birth of an emerging trend away from NCM based cell factories making ONE's Michigan factory first in developing North American material supply chains to commercialize LFP technologies that do not sacrifice EV range. investment, supported by a state grant, marks the birth of an emerging trend away from NCM based cell factories making ONE's factory first in developing North American material supply chains to commercialize LFP technologies that do not sacrifice EV range. ONE signed a multi-year lease agreement with Ashley Capital for a 659,589 square foot building in Van Buren Township, Michigan . The campus will include raw material refinement, cathode materials production, and cell and battery manufacturing, employing 2,112 highly skilled workers. . The campus will include raw material refinement, cathode materials production, and cell and battery manufacturing, employing 2,112 highly skilled workers. The new factory, called ONE Circle, will achieve a 45% reduction in carbon emissions by 2028 through a circular manufacturing approach, in partnership with DTE Energy, 6K Energy, and a leading North American battery recycler. VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Our Next Energy (ONE), a Michigan-based energy storage technology company, today announced a $1.6 billion investment in a new battery cell manufacturing plant, called ONE Circle, in Van Buren Township, Michigan. The recently constructed facility is expected to create 2,112 new jobs when operating at its full annual capacity of 20 GWh by the end of 2027, equivalent to 200,000 electric vehicle battery packs annually. ONE Circle property in Van Buren Charter Township, MI ONE Circle property in Van Buren Charter Township, MI "ONE is thrilled to select Michigan for our first cell factory, due to the state's unique combination of battery talent, proximity to material supply and access to low-cost energy," said Mujeeb Ijaz, founder and CEO of ONE. "We applaud the leadership of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the MEDC team, led by Quentin Messer. In addition, our collaboration and new strategic partnerships with DTE Energy, Van Buren Township, and Wayne County have helped ONE build a strong foundation for clean tech manufacturing in Michigan." "ONE's $1.6 billion investment creating 2,112 jobs in Van Buren Township will build on our economic momentum and secure the future of mobility and electrification right here in Michigan," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "This innovative, Michigan-made company is on the cutting-edge of battery technology, and the work they're doing will increase the range of electric vehicles to over 600 miles on a single charge. With this new gigafactory, we will continue bringing the supply chain of electric vehicles, chips, and batteries home to Michigan and the USA while creating a sustainable, clean energy economy. Let's keep putting Michiganders first, creating good-paying jobs with great benefits, and building the future of the auto industry right here in Michigan." ONE's inclusive workforce development program will begin in 2024 and will re-train Michigan residents for the high-skilled green manufacturing jobs at ONE Circle. The company will partner with Detroit-based Focus: HOPE and Walker-Miller Energy Services to help transition Michigan's talented automotive workforce with emphasis on equitable economic development. ONE will offer an average annual salary of $67,456 (38% above the ALICE wage threshold), as well as industry-leading benefits and a comprehensive training program. Over the course of 20 years, ONE Circle is expected to generate $967 million in state taxes and more than $13 billion in new personal income. "Working with the MEDC, DRP, and Wayne County we were very excited to play a leading role in ONE's decision to land its operations in Van Buren Township," said Jerry Norcia, DTE Energy Chairman and CEO. "ONE will bring new, high-tech jobs to Southeast Michigan, supporting further EV deployment and the possibility of integrated, high-capacity energy storage for the electric grid in the future." By 2028, ONE Circle will drive down carbon emissions by 45% by onshoring its supply chain and integrating materials refinement with its Massachusetts-based partner 6K Energy into its manufacturing processes, while leveraging renewable energy for 50% of its power needs. ONE is also partnering with a well-known North American battery recycler to be able to bring recycled materials back into its LFP and Anode-Free cells. This more sustainable approach to cell manufacturing is further supported by ONE's partnership with DTE Energy to operate a grid-tied factory with utility-scale energy storage. ONE Circle will act as a giant battery in its Gigafactory-to-Grid model to help stabilize the local power grid and provide renewable energy to the surrounding community in partnership with DTE Energy. ONE conducted a competitive site selection process, evaluating 12 states and a Canadian province, but ultimately selected Michigan because of the commitment of the State and DTE Energy to making Michigan a key part of the electric vehicle future. This was in part due to Governor Whitmer and EGLE's MI Healthy Climate Plan, which outlines a path to carbon neutrality by 2050 and a specific focus on supporting increased electric vehicle infrastructure access and affordability. ONE will take possession of the newly constructed facility in January 2023 and begin upgrades and equipment installation. ONE Circle is being leased from Ashley Capital and is located at 42060 Ecorse Road in the Crossroads Distribution Center, in Van Buren Township, Michigan. For more information, visit one.ai/ About Our Next Energy Our Next Energy, Inc. (ONE) is a Michigan-based energy storage technology company focused on battery technologies that accelerate electrification. Our vision is simple: Double the range of electric vehicles; use safer, more sustainable raw materials; and establish a localized supply chain. This strategy will result in a reliable, cost-effective, and conflict-free supply chain. ONE's all LFP Aries battery can deliver 300 miles of range while it's LFP based dual chemistry Gemini system will deliver 600 miles of range. SOURCE Our Next Energy Inc. Stand out with Reno8 Z 5G's eye-catching design and powerful portrait capabilities Powered by several AI-enhanced imaging features such as AI Portrait Retouching and Bokeh Flare Portrait, the new Reno8 Z 5G is designed to offer users unlimited styles for their portraits Reno8 Z 5G is Alongside its outstanding camera capabilities, the Reno8 Z 5G features a glass back cover and the Integrated OPPO Glow. By adopting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Mobile Platform and optimized ColorOS 12.1 DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the most photographed generation in history, Gen Z needs to know that every single shot they snap tells a story. Thanks to AI-enhanced imaging features like AI Portrait Retouching and Bokeh Flare Portrait, the new Reno8 Z 5G is designed to offer users unlimited styles for their portraits all at an entry-level affordable price point. OPPO Reno8 Z 5G AI Portrait Retouching is optimized to intelligently retouch the skin tone and makeup without any artificial or excessive brightening. This feature is updated based on OPPO's special survey feedback from thousands of overseas users regarding their skin tone and beauty preferences. The Reno8 Z 5G can now deliver natural and vivid selfies with high resolution and high saturation. Bokeh Flare Portrait is for those who want to get DSLR-grade portrait images. It enhances the brightness of the subject while automatically blurring the background and boosting the bokeh light spots. All of the superior features are backed by a powerful 64MP AI Triple Camera, ideal for the best in day and night photography. The Reno8 Z 5G is also equipped with other impressive features like Selfie HDR, AI Palettes, AI Colour Portrait, Ultra-Clear 108MP Image, Flash Snapshot and more, to increase the overall imaging quality. For those who want to stand out with an eye-catching device, the Reno8 Z 5G is the first OPPO smartphone to adopt a 0.5 mm anti-glare glass back cover with Integrated OPPO Glow. This means users get to enjoy a fingerprint resistant smooth matte finish back with a glittery appearance, guaranteed to be a head turning visual effect. With its ultra-slim body that is approximately 7.66 mm in thickness and around 181 g in weight, the Reno8 Z 5G is available in two trendy color schemes Dawnlight Gold and Starlight Black, both giving off a fresh and glistening aesthetic. Always ahead of the curve, the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is the first smartphone in the industry to adopt a spliced matte-glossy battery cover to replace the heavy camera base to elevate visual unity and create a refreshing yet dynamic look. Moreover, the Reno8 Z 5G also features OPPO's iconic Dual Orbit Lights, which are placed under the dual camera module to keep the phone sleek and slim. When turned on, the Dual Orbit Lights light up or blink depending on different scenarios. A beautiful interior is not the only thing this dynamic smartphone has to offer. The Reno8 Z 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Mobile Platform and the 33W SUPERVOOC TM is able to charge the Reno8 Z 5G's 4500mAh large battery to 100% in 63 minutes. On the front of the phone, a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with 60Hz refresh rate delivers smooth graphics. The display is Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD certified for playing high-quality video content. The Reno8 Z 5G comes with the optimized ColorOS 12.1. A key highlight for those looking to have some fun whilst they connect with friends and loved ones, Omoji also gives users more creative ways to personalize their phone with 20 new accessories of collars, hats, and basic facial elements have been added on the Reno8 Z 5G. The brand new Reno8 Z 5G is now available to purchase for only AED 899, bringing users beautiful design, powerful hardware and more options for customization to ensure a truly unique experience. Customers who purchase the Reno8 Z 5G between 7th and 30th October will receive free Earbuds and a 12-month extended warranty promotion. About OPPO OPPO is a leading global technology brand since 2004, dedicated to providing products that seamlessly combines art and innovative technology. OPPO is on a mission to building a multiple-access smart device ecosystem for the era of intelligent connectivity. The smartphone devices have simply been a gateway for OPPO to deliver a diverse portfolio of smart and frontier technologies in hardware, software and system. In 2019, OPPO launched a $7 Billion US Dollar three-year investment plan in R&D to develop core technologies furthering design through technology. OPPO is firmly pursuing the creation of the best technology products and technological artistry for global users. Based on the brand elements of leading, young and beautiful, OPPO dedicates to the mission of letting the extraordinary users enjoy the beauty of technology. For the last 10 years, OPPO has focused on manufacturing smartphones with camera capabilities that are second to none. OPPO launched the first mobile phone, the Smile Phone, in 2008, which marked the launch of the brand's epic journey in exploring and pioneering extraordinary technology. Over the years, OPPO has built a tradition of being number one, which became a reality through inventing the world's first rotating camera smartphone way back in 2013, launching the world's then thinnest smartphone in 2014, being the first to introduce 5X Zoom 'Periscope' camera technology and developing the first 5G commercial smartphone in Europe. Today, OPPO was ranked as the number four smartphone brand globally. OPPO brings the aesthetics of technology of global consumers through the ColorOS system Experience, and Internet service like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO's business covers 60 countries operated by more than 40,000 dedicated employees, with over six research institutes and five R&D centers across the world, from San Francisco to Shenzhen. OPPO also opened an International Design Centre headquartered in London, driving cutting edge technology that will shape the future not only for smartphones but for intelligent connectivity. About OPPO MEA OPPO started its journey in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region in 2015 after setting up its regional office in Egypt. Following the immense success of the brand's sales centre in Cairo in the first year, OPPO accelerated its expansion plan across the MEA region and inaugurated its country operations in the UAE in 2019. Now OPPO is physically present in more than 14 markets across the region, including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the Levant. To empower its presence in the region in line with its product localisation strategy, OPPO further invested in MENA and set up its very own factory in Algeria in 2017, thus, becoming the first Chinese brand to build a manufacturing premises in North Africa. Based on insights of local consumers in each country, OPPO has evolved the progress of product localisation, taking into consideration several perspectives towards each market, including product localisation, to further meet the core needs of users; marketing localisation, to better communicate with local young customers; and talent localisation, to understand local consumers further and provide an optimum customer service. Within the last year, OPPO has started to adjust its product line in the Middle East region specifically. This has included the launch of its flagship OPPO Find X Series and the introduction of the OPPO Reno Series. OPPO will continue to evolve its local product line to offer more premium series to consumers in the region. A forward-thinking international technology company, OPPO strives to be a sustainable company that contributes to a better world and have enacted positive change in every way possible through activating local community initiatives and humanitarian, charity campaigns. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914543/OPPO_Reno8_Z_5G.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1451542/OPPO_Logo.jpg SOURCE OPPO NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Owl Rock Capital Corporation (NYSE: ORCC) ("ORCC") today announced it will release its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2022 on Wednesday, November 2, 2022 after market close. ORCC invites all interested persons to its webcast / conference call on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its third quarter ended September 30, 2022 financial results. Conference Call Information: The conference call will be broadcast live at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the Events section of ORCC's website at www.owlrockcapitalcorporation.com. Please visit the website to test your connection before the webcast. Participants are also invited to access the conference call by dialing one of the following numbers: Domestic: (877) 737-7048 International: +1 (201) 689-8523 All callers will need to reference "Owl Rock Capital Corporation" once connected with the operator. All callers are asked to dial in 10-15 minutes prior to the call so that name and company information can be collected. Replay Information: An archived replay will be available via a webcast link located on the Events section of ORCC's website for one year, and via the dial-in numbers listed below for 14 days: Domestic: (877) 660-6853 International: +1 (201) 612-7415 Access Code: 13733345 About Owl Rock Capital Corporation Owl Rock Capital Corporation (NYSE: ORCC) is a specialty finance company focused on lending to U.S. middle-market companies. As of June 30, 2022, ORCC had investments in 168 portfolio companies with an aggregate fair value of $12.6 billion. ORCC has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. ORCC is externally managed by Owl Rock Capital Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser that is an indirect affiliate of Blue Owl Capital Inc. ("Blue Owl") (NYSE: OWL) and part of Owl Rock, a division of Blue Owl. Owl Rock, together with its subsidiaries, is a New York based direct lending platform with approximately $56.8 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2022. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking statements" that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about ORCC, its current and prospective portfolio investments, its industry, its beliefs and opinions, and its assumptions. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "will," "may," "continue," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "would," "could," "should," "targets," "projects," "outlook," "potential," "predicts" and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond ORCC's control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in ORCC's filings with the SEC. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date on which ORCC makes them. ORCC does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or any other information contained herein, except as required by applicable law. Investor Contact: Dana Sclafani 212-419-3000 [email protected] Media Contact: Prosek Partners David Wells / Josh Clarkson [email protected] SOURCE Owl Rock Capital Corporation Precision medicine company adds a suite of new board members and advisors to guide the company in accelerating the growth of its precision medicine solutions for acute care CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prenosis, Inc., a precision medicine company, today announced four new members to its Board of Directors and nine members to its Clinical & Scientific Board. The academic and industry leaders will provide guidance to the company's executive team. The new board members include leading experts in business development, corporate development and M&A, commercialization of health IT, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic products, and venture capital investments. The new scientific board members include preeminent experts in endotyping, immunology, pharmaceutical development, biomarkers, infectious diseases, artificial intelligence for acute care, and new machine learning methods for precision medicine. Prenosis is leveraging machine learning algorithms trained on deep biological data and comprehensive clinical data to create precise and comprehensive maps of acute disease. Using these maps, Prenosis develops and markets valuable navigational tools to improve patient care by illuminating the optimal treatment pathway for each patient based on their personal biological signature. "We are thrilled and humbled to welcome such a talented and diverse group of medical and healthcare business experts," said Bobby Reddy, Jr., CEO and Co-Founder, Prenosis, Inc. "We have assembled a dream team of leading medical and analytics researchers, healthcare business leaders, commercial specialists and investors who understand how to bring solutions to physicians and patients. With the collective guidance of our new board members and advisors, I am confident that Prenosis will be positioned to accelerate solutions for acute care and fulfill our promise of improving health outcomes for everyone through better data." Current Members of the Board of Directors who will continue in their roles include: Bobby Reddy, Jr. , Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder , Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder Jim Zhao , Director of R&D, Foxconn Interconnect Technologies Incoming members of the new Board of Directors include: Edward Ogunro , Ph.D., former Chief Scientific Officer, Hospira , Ph.D., former Chief Scientific Officer, Hospira Julia Monfrini Peev , Founder and Managing Partner, PACE Healthcare Capital, > $1B deployed in healthcare PE/VC , Founder and Managing Partner, PACE Healthcare Capital, > deployed in healthcare PE/VC Mark Wagner , CEO of four successful Medtech/Diagnostic companies , CEO of four successful Medtech/Diagnostic companies Sean Murphy , former Head of Business and Corporate Development, Abbott , former Head of Business and Corporate Development, Abbott Board Observer: Maria Siambekos , healthcare tech executive with 25+ years' experience and two successful exits; current CEO of ArborMetrix The members joining the Clinical & Scientific Advisory Board are: Rashid Bashir , Ph.D., Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering, Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Professor of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Ph.D., Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering, Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Professor of Bioengineering, Kevin Klauer , DO, EJD, FACEP, FACOEP, CEO, American Osteopathic Association and former CMO of TeamHealth , DO, EJD, FACEP, FACOEP, CEO, American Osteopathic Association and former CMO of TeamHealth Gary Kurtzman , MD, Board Member, Crescendo, Prognos, Moxee, Zipnosis , MD, Board Member, Crescendo, Prognos, Moxee, Zipnosis Suzanne A. Lebold , Ph.D., Former VP of Business Development and Acquisitions, AbbVie , Ph.D., Former VP of Business Development and Acquisitions, AbbVie Nathan Shapiro , MD, MPH, Vice Chairman of Emergency Medicine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School , MD, MPH, Vice Chairman of Emergency Medicine Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Professor of Emergency Medicine, Matthew Sims , MD, Ph.D., Director of Infectious Diseases Research, Beaumont Health , MD, Ph.D., Director of Infectious Diseases Research, Beaumont Health Philip Verhoef , MD, Ph.D., FAAP, FACP, ATSF, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Hawaii-Manoa , MD, Ph.D., FAAP, FACP, ATSF, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, Sihai Dave Zhao , Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Ph.D., Associate Professor, Ruoqing Zhu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Prenosis is pioneering a revolution in managing acute diseases that have previously eluded conventional methods, starting with sepsis. Sepsis occurs when the immune system reacts abnormally to an infection, setting off a chain of events that leads to organ failure and potentially death. Sepsis is currently one of the leading causes of mortality in U.S. hospitals, with the WHO estimating that it causes 1 in 5 deaths worldwide[1]. Prenosis has spent nearly a decade building fit-for-purpose biological and clinical datasets to better understand sepsis and other acute care conditions. Using this information, Prenosis has developed patient maps and valuable navigational tools to empower physicians to administer optimal treatment to patients faster. Prenosis' first such tool, the Sepsis ImmunoScoreTM, is a Software-as-a-Medical Device (SaMD) digital diagnostic designed to aid in the risk assessment for progression to sepsis of patients admitted to the emergency department or hospital. Prenosis is currently seeking to obtain FDA clearance for the tool. The test runs on Prenosis's ImmunixTM software platform, which interfaces with hospital Electronic Medical Records that hosts multiple products to improve patient care. The addition of new board members builds on a recent string of strategic partnerships and accolades for Chicago-based Prenosis, including the announcement of PACE Healthcare Capital's recent investment bringing Prenosis' total funding to $20 million, being selected as part of the MedTech Innovator 2021 Showcase, being named the #2 Medtech Startup of 2021 by MDDI, and being asked to present its research at scientific and industry meetings, including the 2022 annual meetings for the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American Thoracic Society, and TEDx. About Prenosis Prenosis is a health tech innovator devoted to ushering in a new era of precision diagnostics in acute care using artificial intelligence. Its ImmunixTM precision diagnostics platform leverages machine learning algorithms trained on deep biological data and broad clinical data designed to capture and illuminate the complex health states of patients more holistically. Its proprietary NOSISTM dataset is one of the largest and fastest-growing hybrid biomarker-clinical datasets for sepsis care. The Sepsis ImmunoScoreTM diagnostic on the ImmunixTM platform has the potential to save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in healthcare spending annually. The Sepsis ImmunoScoreTM is not yet approved for commercial use in the United States. [1] https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/09/who-says-sepsis-causes-20-global-deaths SOURCE Prenosis SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prologis, Inc. (NYSE: PLD) today announced the final results from the offers to exchange outstanding notes (the "Duke Realty Notes") of the nine series described in the table below issued by Duke Realty Limited Partnership ("Duke Realty OP") for notes in nine corresponding series to be issued by Prologis, L.P. ("Prologis OP") in the aggregate principal amount of up to $3.375 billion. As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 4, 2022 (the "Final Expiration Date") and as indicated in the table below, approximately $3.23 billion aggregate principal amount of the Duke Realty Notes had been validly tendered for exchange (and not validly withdrawn). In addition, as of the Final Expiration Date, the conditions required for the consummation of the exchange offers had been met. These conditions included, among other things, (i) receipt of the requisite consents to amend the terms of the applicable Duke Realty OP indenture governing the Duke Realty Notes and (ii) the consummation of the merger with Duke Realty Corporation, which closed on October 3, 2022. The following table shows the principal amount of each such series tendered by the Final Expiration Date. The settlement date for the exchange offers is expected to take place on or about October 6, 2022. Series of Notes Issued by Duke Realty OP to be Exchanged CUSIP No. of Duke Realty Notes Outstanding Principal Amount of Tendered as of Final Expiration Date Percent of Aggregate Principal Amount Tendered as of the Final Expiration Date 3.250% Senior Notes due June 30, 2026 26441YAZ0 $358,336,000 95.56 % 3.375% Senior Notes due December 15, 2027 26441YBA4 $449,764,000 94.69 % 7.250% Senior Notes due June 15, 2028 26441QAC8 $50,000,000 100.00 % 4.000% Senior Notes due September 15, 2028 26441YBB2 $430,597,000 95.69 % 2.875% Senior Notes due November 15, 2029 26441YBC0 $364,252,000 91.06 % 1.750% Senior Notes due July 1, 2030 26441YBE6 $326,086,000 93.17 % 1.750% Senior Notes due February 1, 2031 26441YBF3 $442,273,000 98.28 % 2.250% Senior Notes due January 15, 2032 264414AX1 $486,565,000 97.31 % 3.050% Senior Notes due March 1, 2050 26441YBD8 $322,411,000 99.20 % The exchange offers and the solicitation of consents were made under the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in a prospectus, dated September 14, 2022, which forms a part of the registration statement on Form S-4 filed by Prologis OP with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") (as amended from time to time, the "Prospectus"), and a related letter of transmittal and consent that contains a more complete description of the terms and conditions of the exchange offers and the solicitation of consents. TD Securities (USA) LLC and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC served as the dealer managers and D.F. King & Co., Inc. served as exchange agent and information agent for the exchange offers and consent solicitations. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The exchange offers and solicitation of consents were made only by means of the Prospectus and the related letter of transmittal and consent. About Prologis, Inc. Prologis, Inc. is the global leader in logistics real estate with a focus on high-barrier, high-growth markets. As of June 30, 2022, the company owned or had investments in, on a wholly owned basis or through co-investment ventures, properties and development projects expected to total approximately 1.0 billion square feet (95 million square meters) in 19 countries. Prologis leases modern logistics facilities to a diverse base of approximately 5,800 customers principally across two major categories: business-to-business and retail/online fulfillment. Forward-Looking Statements The statements in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry and markets in which we operate as well as management's beliefs and assumptions. Such statements involve uncertainties that could significantly impact our financial results. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may" and "will" including variations of such words and similar expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future including statements relating to rent and occupancy growth, development activity, contribution and disposition activity, general conditions in the geographic areas where we operate, our debt, capital structure and financial position, our ability to form new co-investment ventures and the availability of capital in existing or new co-investment ventures are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained and, therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that may affect outcomes and results include, but are not limited to: (i) national, international, regional and local economic and political climates; (ii) changes in global financial markets, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; (iii) increased or unanticipated competition for our properties; (iv) risks associated with acquisitions, dispositions and development of properties; (v) maintenance of real estate investment trust status, tax structuring and changes in income tax laws and rates; (vi) availability of financing and capital, the levels of debt that we maintain and our credit ratings; (vii) risks related to our investments in our co- investment ventures, including our ability to establish new co-investment ventures; (viii) risks of doing business internationally, including currency risks; (ix) environmental uncertainties, including risks of natural disasters; (x) risks related to the current coronavirus pandemic; and (x) those additional factors discussed in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by us under the heading "Risk Factors." We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statements appearing in this document except as may be required by law. SOURCE Prologis, Inc. COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) and Antum Risk are partnering to address workplace violence in South Carolina's healthcare facilities. The South Carolina-based Antum Risk, which offers a host of risk management services, will allow SCHA members to use their data management system to monitor and track incidents of violence in the workplace. This will provide South Carolina's hospitals and health systems with actionable data to implement strategies to advance workplace safety and prevent acts of violence. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics indicates that the problem has increased over time, rising from an incident rate of 6.4 per 10,000 employees in 2011 to 10.4 per 10,000 employees in 2018. Healthcare workers accounted for 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries due to violence in 2018. More recent studies indicate that 44% of nurses reported experiencing workplace violence and 68% reported experiencing verbal abuse during the pandemic. SCHA members have made strides in creating a culture of workplace safety, but a broad-based, universal data source for tracking and responding to violent incidents is needed to better understand the dangers facing healthcare workers. Through the partnership with Antum Risk, SCHA will be able to offer its members a data source that will facilitate targeted interventions, benchmarking, and statewide safety improvement efforts. "We've known for a long time that workplace violence is a serious problem for our members, but as an industry we have often been unable to zero in on where we can make the greatest impact," said Lara Hewitt, Vice President of Workforce and Member Engagement at SCHA. "Thanks to this partnership, our members can speak a common language around these challenges and work together to find innovative solutions to ensure a safer work environment." "Violence in the healthcare workplace is a reality and it's important to understand the underlying issues that are creating an environment where hostility towards caregivers continues to occur. An industry report indicates that roughly two nursing personnel were assaulted every hour in the second quarter of 2022," said Wendy Stephenson, Vice President of Risk Management for Antum Risk. "We are excited to partner with SCHA to help reduce harm towards the state's hospital employees and create a safer environment for patients." The program will include a self-assessment that allows healthcare facilities to evaluate their current landscape of incidents and benchmark their data against other hospitals to better understand trends and best practices to reduce acts of violence. "Hospital workers are exposed to unique risks every day that stem from the extraordinary work they do to save lives and serve patients," Hewitt said. "'Do no harm' is not just an ethical duty to patients, but also to the healthcare heroes who are working to create a better state of health in South Carolina." About SCHA SCHA is committed to making South Carolina one of the nation's healthiest states by helping our hospitals and health systems provide the best care possible. We advocate for sounds healthcare policies and legislation, facilitate collaboration to tackle problems that none of us could solve alone, find and share innovations and best practices, and provide data, education, and business solutions to help our members better serve their patients and communities. Together, we are leading South Carolina to a better state of health. Learn more about SCHA at www.scha.org. About Antum Risk Originally founded in 1977 by South Carolina healthcare executives as a group workers' compensation self-insurance pool, we are a leading provider of workers' compensation coverage to the state's healthcare industry. Antum Risk provides innovative solutions, serving as an alternative to the commercial insurance market. Our offerings include group programs for workers' compensation, professional and general liability, and medical stop-loss. With more than 40 years in the healthcare claims and risk management industry, Antum Risk also provides a variety of risk management consulting services. Media Contact: Schipp Ames Phone: 803.744.3543 Email: [email protected] SOURCE South Carolina Hospital Association SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The SME Education Foundation has recognized 16 SME PRIME schools that excel at providing STEM/CTE manufacturing knowledge and skills to students by awarding the schools sustaining financial support to help underwrite materials and operating costs. Rob Luce, Vice President, SME Education Foundation Supported and informed by private industry, SME PRIME (Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education) builds cost-effective and tailored manufacturing/engineering programs in high schools across the country, providing equipment, curriculum, professional development, scholarships, and manufacturing-focused extra-curricular activities to students and teachers. Nationwide, the SME Education Foundation provides manufacturing and engineering education to thousands of students at more than 81 schools in 22 states. "Our SME PRIME schools program partners with schools and manufacturers in communities across the United States to connect high-school-age students with the manufacturing education they'll need to secure a satisfying career in manufacturing upon graduation," said SME Education Foundation Vice President Rob Luce. "These sustaining funds will help ensure that the SME PRIME programs that have launched in these schools have the operating funds that they need going forward for materials, tools, and equipment to ensure the momentum they need to be successful." Luce said the PRIME schools receiving these grants operate programs developed in years past, utilizing donations previously raised by the Foundation. The sustainability awards are additional dollars to help the schools maintain their programs going forward after the initial development funding was invested. "It's part of our emphasis on 'partnership,' which is the 'P' in the PRIME acronym," he said. "We're looking to maintain long-term relationships with these schools to provide long-term value so that these programs continue feeding the manufacturing talent pipeline." Schools receiving SME PRIME sustainability awards for 2022 were: Hollenstein Career and Technology Center, Fort Worth, Texas Hopewell High School , Huntersville, North Carolina , Middleton High School, Tampa, Florida STMA High School, St. Michael, Minnesota Walker Career Center, Indianapolis, Indiana Indiana County Technology Center, Indiana , Pennsylvania , East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies (formerly Wando High School ) Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina ) Wheeling High School, Wheeling, Illinois Capital High School, Helena, Montana Grand Haven , Grand Haven, Michigan , Whitehall , Whitehall, Michigan , Romeo , Romeo, Michigan , Racine Washington Park , Racine, Wisconsin , Central Columbia , Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania , Four Cities Compact, includes Barberton and Wadsworth and Barberton HS, Barberton, Ohio Wadsworth , Wadsworth, Ohio "Students in the SME PRIME program today are preparing to be the advanced manufacturing leaders of tomorrow," said Luce. "We're thrilled to provide support to these maturing programs and the educators and students who participate in them." The 2021 SME PRIME Outcomes Report indicates that 89% of SME PRIME seniors nationwide pursued careers or education in manufacturing or engineering upon graduation." About the SME Education Foundation The SME Education Foundation inspires, prepares, and supports the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent. Since its organization by SME in 1979, the SME Education Foundation works to bring students, educators, industry and communities together through its SME PRIME program; awards annual student scholarships and conducts the Student Summit Event Series held at SME events in North America. Visit the SME Education Foundation at smeeducationfoundation.org . Follow @mfgeducation on Twitter or at facebook.com/SME.Education.Foundation . SOURCE SME Education Foundation Private Equity Real Estate Company, Stoic Equity Partners, entered the Little Rock, AR market by acquiring Colonel Glenn Storage and Shackleford Business Center during Q3 2022. DAPHNE, Ala., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "We love the Little Rock market, it is the kind of steady, strong market where we like to make long term investments." said Jeremy Friedman, principal of Stoic Equity Partners. Stoic Equity Partners purchased Colonel Glenn Storage a 18,625 square foot self-storage facility in west Little Rock in August. Stoic is building two additional climate-controlled buildings to increase the size of the facility to 54,625 square feet. The property will be third-party managed by StoreEase out of Birmingham, AL. StoreEase provides a revolutionary solution to many of the problems in the self-storage industry. The property will be Virtually Managed using their proprietary virtual management technology which allows customers to interact with a live manager via a Kiosk which provides a superior customer experience even though the facility is unmanned. All doors and locks will be controlled by the Noke One smart access control using blue tooth technology providing superior security and convenience Shackleford Business Center Stoic acquired Shackleford Business Center, a 48,000 square foot flex-industrial property in September. Shackleford Business Center is conveniently located near Interstate 430 in west Little Rock and has a mixture of long-term stable tenants including Hangers, Arcadis, Transition Group and Omni Tech. Stoic plans to renovate the property to address deferred maintenance issues and improve the appearance for the businesses located in the center. Shackleford Business Center is located approximately one mile away from Colonel Glenn Storage. "We like to own multiple properties near each other, it helps us manage the assets more efficiently," said Grant Reaves, principal of Stoic Equity Partners, "and we are looking for more properties in the Little Rock market." Stoic is currently in pre-development on other Ground-up storage developments as well as identifying and underwriting the acquisition of existing self-storage facilities and industrial properties throughout the southeast. About Stoic Equity Partners: Stoic Equity Partners was founded by Jeremy Friedman and Grant Reaves to pursue value add and opportunistic commercial real estate acquisitions/developments throughout the Southeast. Grant and Jeremy both come from commercial real estate brokerage and worked together for many years at a prior firm. After sharpening their skills of investment real estate through brokerage, the founders decided to take their careers to the next level by moving to the principal side of the business. Stoic's investors are true Partners in its ventures. By offering Partners unparalleled transparency through technology, Stoic is able to show investors how their wealth is working through their real estate investments. Media Contact: Stoic Equity Partners, LLC Attn: Media Relations 2210 Main Street, Ste H Daphne, AL 36526 251-747-9111 [email protected] For complete information, visit: www.stoicep.com SOURCE Stoic Equity Partners NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vestar Capital Partners, a leading U.S. private equity firm, today announced that it has been named to Inc.'s 2022 Founder-Friendly Investors list honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of successfully backing entrepreneurs. The list recognizes firms that entrepreneurs can trust and collaborate with while receiving the financial and strategic support they need to help accelerate growth. All the firms on the Inc. list have successful track records of remaining actively involved with the businesses in which they invest. "Vestar is proud to once again be recognized by Inc. for our commitment to supporting founders as they unlock the growth potential within their businesses," said Dan O'Connell, Founder and CEO of Vestar. "Founders have many options when seeking a capital partner; working with a recognized firm that offers operational expertise, relationships, and a long-term perspective can be critical in achieving sustainable growth. Vestar is proud of our 30+ year track record of partnering with management to invest for growth, and we are eager to meet new entrepreneurs who can benefit from our partnership." Vestar has invested nearly $3 billion in more than 25 founder- and family-owned companies since its inception in 1988, and its current portfolio consists of 10 founder-led businesses across Consumer, Business & Technology Services and Healthcare. "Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, they're partners," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media. Inc. compiled its list by surveying founders who have sold to private equity and venture capital about their experiences partnering with the firms, and examining data on how portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships. About Vestar Capital Partners Vestar Capital Partners is a leading U.S. middle-market private equity firm specializing in management buyouts and growth capital investments. Vestar invests and collaborates with incumbent management teams and private owners to build long-term enterprise value, with a focus on Consumer, Business & Technology Services and Healthcare. Since inception in 1988, Vestar funds have invested $11 billion in 89 companies as well as more than 200 add-on acquisitions with a total value of approximately $52 billion. For more information on Vestar, please visit www.vestarcapital.com. Contact: Lambert Jennifer Hurson (845) 507-0571 [email protected] or Joanne Lessner (212) 222-7436 [email protected] SOURCE Vestar Capital Partners Introducing Bumpdate, a Revolutionary Private Social Platform for Expecting and Existing Parents Created by New Mom, Former Tech Executive PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bumpdate is transforming the way we embrace pregnancy as the first-ever private social networking mobile app made for expecting parents to share their journeys with their loved ones. The app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play . Research shows that friendship and support from your village can improve the well-being of those who are pregnant and postpartum. The app encourages connection and social support for these individuals who are statistically at a higher risk of experiencing mental health challenges. As a private platform, Bumpdate makes it easy for selected family and friends to check in when it matters most by following expected due dates, an easy-to-read trimester meter, real-time pregnancy calculations by weeks and days, children's ages and birthdays. "Plenty of pregnancy tracker apps tell you if your baby is a peach or a cantaloupe, but no app helps you remember the important details about those closest to you, until now," explains Gabrielle Iorio Sylk, Bumpdate Founder and former VP of Operations for a tech startup. The Bumpdate concept emerged when Gabrielle and her friends became parents during the global pandemic. As a first time mom she realized just how much it meant when she received a simple text while sitting in the doctor's office lobby, alone, awaiting a nerve wracking appointment. She wanted to make it easy for friends to remember to check in during important milestones. Gabrielle gave birth to her son and began her next labor of love Bumpdate. Bumpdate's featured episode on The Bizzimumzi Podcast goes LIVE today! Click here to listen . Bumpdate believes deeply in the power of community and has teamed up with like-missioned brands, some of which include: Moms on Call , Tinybeans , Yumble , HATCH , nemah , The Dairy Fairy , Bibs and GoBe all organizations who support expecting and growing families. Back to back giveaways for the month of October will be announced on Instagram . For more details view our media package here and contact [email protected] . About Bumpdate Bumpdate is the first-ever app made for expecting parents to privately share key details about their pregnancies and growing families with their loved ones. Expected due dates, an easy-to-read trimester meter, real-time pregnancy calculations by weeks and days, children's ages and birthdays, product recommendations and more all in one place and only accessible by selected friends and family. With Bumpdate, loved ones can check in when it matters most and be the friend who remembers. Watch this 1 minute video and visit bumpdateapp.com to learn more. For additional information, contact [email protected] . Bumpdate is free to download on the App Store and Google Play . Follow @bumpdateapp on Instagram and #shareyourjourney SOURCE Bumpdate The State of Crypto Report provides an in-depth look at the crypto industry over the past few months, as well as insights into crypto valuation frameworks. ZURICH and NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 21Shares AG ("21Shares"), the world's largest issuer of cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs) and a subsidiary of 21.co , today released the seventh edition of its State of Crypto Report Our Insights into Valuation Frameworks, the Case for Cryptoassets. The report provides an in-depth overview of the state of the cryptoasset industry over the last few months. In addition, it provides an update on the company's original valuation methodology report first published in September 2020 combining and building upon previous efforts to develop a fundamental framework for determining cryptoasset valuations. Currently, there is no industry-wide consensus on how to value cryptocurrencies. However, given the rapid adoption of the crypto industry which has grown 194% over the past two years from $390 billion to over $1.1 trillion in market value there is a clear need for a framework around the asset class. The goal of this report is to propose valuation methodologies that reconcile the different approaches investors have taken in recent years. Key topics explored in the report include: The two approaches to valuing asset classes including crypto: intrinsic valuation and relative valuation. The distinctions between each framework are below: The distinctions between each framework are below: Intrinsic valuation links the value of an asset to its capacity to generate cash. Alternatively, relative valuation (also called "pricing") estimates how much should be paid for an asset based upon what others are paying for comparable assets. How investors can apply relative valuation approaches. This can be done in two ways - via "multiples" and market sizing: This can be done in two ways - via "multiples" and market sizing: Multiples provide a standardized price estimate and help determine whether a given asset is undervalued or overvalued relative to its peers. Market sizing tends to be more appropriate for "store of value" assets. This approach involves establishing a total addressable market (TAM) and a percent share the cryptoasset could capture. How we measure the intrinsic value of cryptoassets. Since cryptoassets are not all equally the same, they cannot be valued with the same methods. The core difference from a valuation standpoint between Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) assets stems from the system upon which the asset is built: Since cryptoassets are not all equally the same, they cannot be valued with the same methods. The core difference from a valuation standpoint between Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) assets stems from the system upon which the asset is built: PoW assets like Bitcoin are "crypto-commodities" an output of an energy-intensive process called mining used to verify, settle transactions and secure the network. In comparison, PoS assets such as Ethereum are capital assets and trade high-energy mining for users on that asset's network staking their own cryptocurrencies for transaction validations. As a result, the cost for mining bitcoin is best measured with intrinsic value, while a discounted cash flow method for Ethereum makes more sense. "We place education at the core of our research, and our team stands by free and publicly accessible content for investors of all backgrounds, whether retail or professional," said Eliezer Ndinga, Director of Research at 21Shares. "We believe that crypto will disrupt and expand business models in financial services, eCommerce, art, music and more, but we're still in the early days of this innovation. Amid the market turbulence of this spring and summer, it's more important than ever that industry knowledge is readily available to all investors, and we see this report as a key stepping stone in that mission." Today's release closely follows the launch of 21Shares' parent company, 21.co, along with its $25M funding round. Additionally, the company recently launched its Crypto Winter Suite of products, including the Bitcoin Core ETP , S&P Risk Controlled Bitcoin and Ethereum ETPs , and Short and Core Ethereum ETPs . Earlier this year, 21Shares published the sixth issue of its State of Crypto Report , which explored current trends in the crypto industry and how investors are successfully optimizing their crypto portfolios. To download the full report please click here . For more research from 21Shares, visit 21shares.com/research . Press Contacts: Arielle Sobel, Head of Global Communications, [email protected] Megan Enright, Communications Manager, [email protected] About 21.co: 21.co is the world's leader in providing access to crypto through simple and easy to use products. 21.co is the parent company of 21Shares , the world's largest issuer of cryptocurrency exchange traded products (ETPs) which is powered by Onyx, a proprietary technology platform used to issue and operate cryptocurrency ETPs for 21Shares and third parties in addition to Amun , a token provider focused on making the DeFi world more accessible. The company was founded in 2018 by Hany Rashwan and Ophelia Snyder. 21.co is registered in Zug, Switzerland with offices in Zurich and New York. For more information, please visit 21.co . SOURCE 21Shares DUBLIN, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "5G Monetization and Adoption Strategies in Asia-Pacific" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Asia-Pacific (APAC) 5G market generated revenue of $6.59 billion in 2021, and it is likely to reach $35.22 billion in 2026, increasing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39.8% from 2021 to 2026. Market focus is shifting even more towards growing the enterprise segment, which makes commercial sense. 5G monetization in APAC for both the consumer and enterprise segments is being driven by intelligence and automation that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to address local behaviors, needs, and preferences. Contribution from 5G network slicing to revenue is delayed, but the publisher expects that by 2025, it will account for 43.9% of total 5G revenue in APAC. Simplification, digital, agile, managed, and value creation are fast becoming hygiene factors to cope with the increasingly complex 5G era. To stay relevant, timely, and competitive, the joint enablement of new digital services and new viable business models that can create new options or possibilities will be helpful to drive both 5G and economic growth. Beyond enabling strategic partnerships, industry players must extend the level of support that is necessary to overcome gaps and broaden boundaries. For successful 5G monetization, industry competitors should work to apply technology that can create new dimensions and new ways of working or living. Innovative technology should not be used to replace old processes and systems that use older or cheaper solutions. Instead, the need isfor visionaries to dream up a new world for the techies to build using new technology. This is a space where 5G is strong and will excel. 5G monetization requires out-of-the-box thinking, which is why the publisher looks towards the innovative companies of the world as the movers whowill capitalize on it. With the journey to the cloud settling on multi-cloud or hybrid cloud rather than cloud-native as the solution, the next uncertainty and wave of growth is in the direction personalization will take. This will be an interesting space to watch and understand how well technology can get to know a person to serve its intended purpose. The metaverse concept seems promising; however, the concept is still at a nascent stage and is not ready to impact 5G during the duration of this study (2021-2026). Key Topics Covered: 1. Strategic Imperatives Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow? The Strategic Imperative 8T The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the 5G Industry Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline EngineT 2. Growth Opportunity Analysis Scope of Analysis Customer Segmentation Key Competitors Growth Metrics Growth Drivers Growth Restraints Forecast Assumptions Revenue Forecast Revenue Forecast by Customer Segment Revenue Forecast by Product Revenue Forecast Analysis Competitive Environment 3. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Consumer Growth Metrics Revenue Forecast Forecast Analysis Discussion on 5G Monetization 4. Growth Opportunity Analysis - Enterprise Growth Metrics Revenue Forecast Forecast Analysis Discussion on 5G Monetization 5G Enterprise - Checklist for 5G Monetization 5G Enterprise - Cisco Case Study 5G Enterprise - Microsoft Case Study 5. 5G Adoption Strategies Plans for Incorporation of 5G into Company - Malaysia Benefits of 5G to Company - Malaysia Challenges Faced in Planning the Incorporation of 5G - Malaysia Risks Faced in the Incorporation of 5G - Malaysia Approach to the Incorporation of 5G - Malaysia Business Drivers Supporting Incorporation of 5G - Malaysia Solution Drivers Supporting Incorporation of 5G - Malaysia Discussion on 5G Adoption Strategy - Malaysia Discussion on 5G Adoption Strategy - APAC 6. Respondent Demographics Survey Respondents by Industry Survey Respondents by Role 7. Growth Opportunity Universe Growth Opportunity 1: Private 5G Networks for the Enterprise Segment Growth Opportunity 2: E2E Solutions for the Enterprise Segment Growth Opportunity 3: Customer Experience Improvements for Customer Segments 8. The Last Word Conclusions and Recommendations 9. Appendix List of Other Companies 10. Next Steps Your Next Steps Why Frost, Why Now? List of Exhibits Legal Disclaimer For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a65pde Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Abendroth-Fortel.com supports the digitizing of the commodity market through innovative applications SINGAPORE, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Abendroth Fortel, a leading financial services adviser and a well reputed commodity broker aiming to provide its clients with an array of investment opportunities in the commodity markets, today announced the disclosure of commodity fundamental content from the analytics through the updated developer platform, which allows customers to instantly access the database of commodity markets and their fundamentals. The current market events have influenced traditional ways of business management, including the commodity markets, meaning that commodity fundamental data setting from Abendroth Fortel's analytics are opening the further ongoing use of APIs. This represents a first stage in a long way run to offer the company's analytics basic commodity insights and data straight into the customer' driver systems and quantitative models, which will help in interpreting trends from large amounts of data in an accurate way. There are several factors that determine market users find the practicality of reacting promptly to various changes in the market circumstances. Continuous digitization, artificial intelligence and big data accessibility are facilitating the operating models. The new developer platform includes data experts ready to initiate the power of data by being able to insert big data and insight straight into original systems and confidential data models. The analytics of commodity fundamental content that creates the new API offering involves the company's commodity inventory. "The developer platform represents a central component of our vision to boost the commodity markets of the future by developing the proficiency directed towards our customers through the applying of digital technologies. In addition, we make use of a corresponding market approach that shows trading participants ways of facing various challenges and helps them make convincing decisions", said Chan Tze Yan, Senior Manager Editor, Abendroth Fortel Editorial Entry. About Abendroth-Fortel.com Abendroth-Fortel.com is one of the leading financial services advisers and a well-reputed commodity broker. The primary aim of the firm is to provide its clients with an array of investment opportunities in the commodity markets. Abendroth Fortel provides an unparalleled range of services like commodity trading, financial advice, alternative investments, and forex trading for both local and global investors to meet their diverse requirements. The firm's professional staff is trained to handle the highest level of service for customers of all sizes and requirements. Abendroth Fortel prefers challenging tasks that allow the company to work on the edge of its capabilities. PRESS CONTACT Hoi Batisah https://www.abendroth-fortel.com/ SOURCE Abendroth-Fortel.com DUBLIN, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap" or the "Company") (NYSE: AER) today announced that it has signed agreements with SAS AB ("SAS") for the retention and lease extension of six Airbus A320 aircraft. "We are delighted to support SAS as it implements its business transformation plan, 'SAS FORWARD', through a voluntary chapter 11 process which is expected to lead to a financially stable and profitable airline. These aircraft will help to support SAS with its objectives of being a highly competitive and operationally efficient airline," said Aengus Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, AerCap. "SAS has been a long-time customer of AerCap, and we wish Anko van der Werff and all the SAS team every success and we look forward to building on our partnership for many years to come." About AerCap AerCap is the global leader in aviation leasing with one of the most attractive order books in the industry. AerCap serves approximately 300 customers around the world with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and is based in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Miami, Singapore, Memphis, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle, Toulouse and other locations around the world. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are "forward-looking statements". In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "will," "aim," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors, including the impacts of, and associated responses to: the Ukraine Conflict, the Covid-19 pandemic, our ability to successfully integrate GECAS' operations and employees and realize anticipated synergies and cost savings; and the potential impact of the consummation of the GECAS transaction on relationships, including with employees, suppliers, customers and competitors, that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For more information regarding AerCap and to be added to our email distribution list, please visit www.aercap.com and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/aercapnv. SOURCE AerCap Holdings N.V. SINGAPORE, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Company ("AG&P"), a leading downstream LNG and infrastructure development company, today announced the appointment of Sandeep Mahawar as the Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group. Mr. Mahawar comes with over 25 years' experience in the LNG and natural gas industry and will be focused on developing and optimizing AG&P's LNG and downstream projects and driving market development strategies. Sandeep Mahawar, Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group Mr. Joseph Sigelman, Chairman and CEO of AG&P Group, said, "As AG&P continues to develop downstream LNG terminals and associated city gas networks in key markets across South, Southeast Asia and beyond, we are privileged to welcome Sandeep Mahawar as our Chief Commercial Officer for our LNG business. Sandeep has earned great respect from his years of experience building great businesses and AG&P is excited to see his leadership in action in the years ahead during this most exciting and revolutionary time in our industry." Mr. Sandeep Mahawar, Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group, said, "I am truly impressed by the talent and dedicated team at AG&P that has demonstrated a proven operational track record in India and the Philippines. I am honored to join the team as it continues its momentum of completing the first LNG terminal in the Philippines and assist with all AG&P's initiatives to support the energy transition goals of the region and the new and emerging markets." Mr. Mahawar previously served as Senior Vice President and a member of the Senior Management team at Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd ("SLNG"), primarily responsible for leading the transformation of Singapore into an LNG Hub and ensuring energy security. Since joining SLNG in 2013, Mr. Mahawar took on managerial responsibilities within commercial, operations, finance and strategy divisions, and worked closely with the SLNG Board to align company strategy with business execution. Through Mr. Mahawar's 9-year tenure, under his leadership, SLNG expanded its portfolio of infrastructure services and recorded significant growth in both revenue and operating profit since the start of commercial operations. Prior, Mr. Mahawar was with BG Group, a UK headquartered multinational oil and gas company acquired by Shell in 2014. He was responsible for driving cross-functional projects, including M&A and global commercial and business expansions and worked across Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa for over 15 years. Mr. Mahawar also served as Chairman of the ASEAN Gas Consultative Committee in 2016 by the ASEAN Council of Petroleum ("ASCOPE") to represent Singapore and as the Vice Chairman of one of its subcommittees on Gas Advocacy from 2017 to 2020. He was a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and the Chairman of its Singapore Chapter. In 2021, for his long-term, exceptional contributions to Singapore's LNG sector, Mr. Mahawar received the 'Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Standards Council Commendation Award'. About AG&P Group Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) develops LNG import and regasification facilities as well as downstream city gas networks. AG&P also provides engineering and project management services for LNG and other infrastructure. AG&P is part-owned by Osaka Gas, JBIC (the Japan Bank of International Cooperation) and Asiya, a publicly-traded Kuwait fund, as well as its management. SOURCE AG&P Group SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flag carrier Air New Zealand has extended its partnership with Discover the World for GSA services. Air New Zealand has been partnered with Discover for the Latin America region and selected markets in Southeast Asia. The extended partnership will cover a strategically important region for Air New Zealand with particular focus on the UK and German DACH markets. Christine Sutton (previously with STA Travel and Emirates) was appointed Senior Sales Manager UK & Europe in July. Aiden Walsh, Head of Airline Development and Partnerships for Discover the World commented 'We are delighted to grow our partnership with Air New Zealand for the European region. With Aotearoa borders now fully open we look forward to working with our trade partners on developing passenger sales." Christine Sutton, Senior Sales Manager for Discover the World commented, "It has been a phenomenal start so far, the travel trade has been really excited to have local contacts in the market again, we are looking forward to working with the trade to keep them updated on the Air New Zealand products and activities" Aaron Gilden, Head of Sales SSEA, UK and EU for Air New Zealand commented, "Air New Zealand is excited to be extending our partnership with Discover the World. It was vital for us to choose a partner that could represent our brand values and deliver a premium service to our trade partners. With our New Zealand joint venture partnership with Singapore Airlines and 'More ways to New Zealand' proposition, we continue to offer our customers unmatched options to reach our home of Aotearoa via the Air New Zealand global network." About Air New Zealand Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 98 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 6.7 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. This year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand - 8th year in a row. Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Airpoints, Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with 3.5 million members. It allows members to earn Airpoints Dollars and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangopare, the Maori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience. About Discover the World Discover the World has earned a reputation as an innovative global sales representation leader in the travel industry through a worldwide network of 85 offices in more than 60 countries. With a portfolio of over 100 clients utilizing its sales, marketing and business process outsourcing services, the work of Discover has a direct positive impact on the growth of our clients and trade industry partners every day. For more information about Discover the World, visit discovertheworld.com SOURCE Discover the World CAIRO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AstraZeneca Egypt, was recently certified as a Best Place to Work for Millennials marking it the first organization in Egypt to receive such award. The certification is based on an HR analysis of the company policies focusing on Millennials and an anonymous employee survey result. Seventy percent of a firm's evaluation is based on how the company's Millennials associates rated their experiences at their workplaces. The comprehensive analysis focused on several workplace factors including work-life balance, professional development opportunities and company benefits. This year, 84% of AstraZeneca's Millennials employees in Egypt said the organization is a great place to work, compared to 71% at an average Egyptian organization. Hatem El Werdany, Country President of AstraZeneca Egypt said: "At AstraZeneca Egypt, we are inspired by the things that seem impossible and empowered to challenge conventional thinking to deliver breakthrough ideas that can make a difference in all aspects of our business and to the healthcare in Egypt. With the fresh graduates and young talents increasing more and more in our organization during the past years, we have witnessed the contribution of young people and the impact of a truly inclusive and diverse workforce on our business. This year we are proud to be awarded as a Best Place to Work for Millennials, as it reflects our commitment towards an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued for their ideas and contributions" Heba Elshabrawy, HR Director of AstraZeneca Egypt added: "As a young organization where 90% of AZ Egypt are Millennials, being first company ever in Egypt to be recognized as "BPTW for Millennials" is an achievement we are very proud of as a team. It comes after our recognition as Best Females Employer in 2021, which reflects how Inclusion is core to our culture. Having a Great Place to Work is one of AstraZeneca's Global Priorities, & locally in Egypt we are keen on driving a culture of lifelong learning & development, supporting an inclusive environment where people feel respected, supported, & safe so that our diverse, uniquely talented employees are free to drive innovation and perform at their best." The program looks for companies with a culture that supports employees, flexibility in hours, competitive compensation, quality benefits, training, and continued education opportunities, career advancement, and other factors. AstraZeneca is proud to be a company that's known for its culture, where employees can experience career growth and excellence. Every year, more than 50 organizations in Egypt partner with the Best Places to Work organization for the assessment, benchmarking and planning of actions to strengthen their workplace culture. The Best Places to Work for Millennials is one of the several certification programs offered by the Best Places to Work organization. AstraZeneca achieved the Best Place to Work for Women certification and was among the top 3 best employers in Egypt for 2019 and 2020. For more information about the program, please visit www.bestplacestoworkfor.org SOURCE Best Places to Work A new SAS-sponsored study by Economist Impact predicts three potential futures for banking, examining the risks and opportunities ahead CARY, N.C., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As disruptive forces roil today's financial sector, banking execs are scrutinizing the evolving role of banks in the most competitive market they've ever faced. What does the future hold? And how can they meet the challenges ahead to forge a brighter future both for the industry and the greater world? Such is the focus of a new future of banking study, Banking in 2035: three possible futures, by Economist Impact and sponsored by AI and analytics leader SAS. What will #Banking in 2035 look like? SAS-sponsored study by Economist Impact explores three scenarios. #FutureofBanking Tweet this New research predicts what the banking landscape might look like in 2035. What risks lie ahead? And what opportunities do banks have to pave a more purpose-driven path? The first in a two-part study, the report presents three possible scenarios for the 2035 banking landscape. Through extensive desk research and expert interviews, Economist Impact's analysis: Snapshots the "megatrends" primed to resculpt the banking landscape over the next decade. Uncovers risks and opportunities presented in different combinations of trends. Highlights specific ways banks can evolve to support a more equitable, ethical and sustainable future. In confronting quandaries like climate change, economic fragmentation, and pervasive economic and social inequities, the study is clear: Banks face a defining moment. "The sector's rapid evolution amidst prevailing uncertainty begs a fundamental question: What is the purpose of banks?" said Yuxin Lin, Senior Manager of Policy and Insights at Economist Impact. "How banking leaders answer this question and the business decisions they make as a result will redefine the entire industry." "Banks have the power to elevate not just our global economy but all of humankind," said Alex Kwiatkowski, Director of Global Financial Services at SAS. "By embracing technology and innovation with intention, banks can pave a more purpose-driven path, where higher purpose and profitability go hand-in-hand. And if they don't embrace this fully, a golden opportunity to make a genuine difference will be squandered, potentially with very serious consequences." Scenario 1: Can transformed banks regain public trust? Since the 2008 financial crisis, banks have faced reputational trouble. In fact, financial services consistently ranks among the least trustworthy sectors, currently inspiring confidence in just over half (54%) of the public, according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. Flashing forward to 2035, Scenario 1 envisions a world where banks wield digital transformation to rehabilitate their image. Banks have strengthened data privacy and cyber fraud safeguards and championed consumer-focused regulation. Greater transparency and consumer protections buoy public trust, fueling open banking and partnerships that ignite lucrative new offerings. Digital platforms frictionlessly unify every facet of customers' financial lives in personalized, customizable ways. "Consumer trust, built over many years, can be lost in an instant," said Stu Bradley, Senior Vice President of Fraud and Security Intelligence at SAS. "As digitalization accelerates, it is critical that banks create hyper-personalized engagement as they address rising risks. In balancing customer experience and risk, an enterprise decisioning approach where fraud, risk and engagement decisions integrate holistically across the customer journey can cut costs and streamline banks' IT infrastructures, while boosting revenue and customer retention." Scenario 2: Might banks catalyze cross-industry climate action and power the green transition Addressing the climate crisis will require unprecedented global cooperation and collaboration. According to the United Nations, governments' current commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions fall far short of what's needed to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Averting the worst impacts of climate change demands quick, decisive action. Scenario 2 foresees a global community committed to climate action in 2035, where decarbonization is a foremost consideration across energy, infrastructure and transportation. Cities have been redesigned for energy efficiency and climate resiliency. Cost-effective renewable energy sources and green technologies are the norm. "Climate leadership in the banking sector will drive greater cross-industry progress toward net-zero emissions by 2050 and it starts now with better analytics, modeling and management of climate risk," said Troy Haines, Senior Vice President and Head of Risk Research and Quantitative Solutions at SAS. "In enhancing their ability to model climate risk scenarios and understand potential impacts to their balance sheets and capital, banks can help propel the green transition and advance worldwide climate resilience." Scenario 3: How will banks fare in a geopolitically fragmented world? Even as the world tries to put the worst of COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, economic and market uncertainties abound. The pandemic's aftereffects have magnified tensions between the world's economic superpowers while overburdening developing ones, whose populations suffer outsized consequences. Against this backdrop, it isn't hard to imagine Scenario 3, which depicts a geopolitically contentious world stage in 2035, colored by divergent interests and a retreat of multilateralism among the world's economic giants. Bilateral and regional agreements have supplanted the World Trade Organization. The global financial system has been fractured by rivals' alternative payment systems and the rise of digital currencies. "Deglobalization, accelerated by recent global events, will likely widen the staggering societal inequalities that plague us today," said Theodora Lau, Founder of Unconventional Ventures. "Indisputably, banking and money are at the heart of it all. Each of us has a role to play in championing a more inclusive and sustainable future with our actions of today." Reimagining banking for the 21st century at Sibos and everywhere Lau, also a renowned author, speaker and industry commentator, will join SAS' Kwiatkowski on the Meet the Experts stage at next week's Sibos conference in Amsterdam. The duo will delve into the study at their joint session, Embedding Generosity Into the Global Economy, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 12:30 p.m. CEST. Attendees can also engage with SAS throughout the conference at Sibos Booth B115. SAS will debut part two of this future of banking study in November. Banking in 2035: global banking survey report will explore the results of an international survey of banking industry professionals. In the meantime, learn how better insights beget better banking at SAS.com/betterbanking. About Economist Impact Economist Impact combines the rigor of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyze progress. For more information, visit impact.economist.com. About SAS SAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright 2022 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE SAS SAN DIEGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Located close to the famous Gaslamp Quarter and waterfront, The Bristol Hotel invites guests to spend a few days exploring all that America's Finest City has to offer. The hotel is within walking distance of Petco Park, the Convention Center, Waterfront Park, and is just a short drive from the San Diego Zoo, Seaport Village, the U.S.S. Midway, and the San Diego Airport. The Bristol Hotel Downtown San Diego The Bristol Hotel Suites "The Bristol is the perfect way to be near everything that downtown San Diego has to offer," said General Manager, Rob Vaine. "Living and working here is definitely a mood and a lifestyle. It often feels like the 1960s, with our own Southern California twist. And even though there is so much to do and see around here, there is always something new to discover as well. Please feel free to contact us ahead of time to find out exactly what seasonal events are going on during your stay." The Bristol San Diego Where Comfort Meets Culture and Art Originally built in the late 1960s, The Bristol Hotel houses American history with original colorful art pieces like Peter Max's 1930 painting commissioned by the U.S. government and used to create a U.S. postage stamp. Another piece by contemporary artist Burton Morris , entitled "American POP," is also housed in the lobby. 1930 painting commissioned by the U.S. government and used to create a U.S. postage stamp. Another piece by contemporary artist , entitled "American POP," is also housed in the lobby. Overall retro style with tones of black, white, and gray using pops of yellow; all suites have vintage record players and decorative bed pillows featuring a replica of a 1965 Beatles concert ticket their only local appearance. Earning a Top 25% from AAA, the hotel is just steps from the Gaslamp and Little Italy districts; the waterfront is less than a mile away and it is just an eight-minute walk to the Star of India . . Other features include a 24-hour market, a fitness facility, two meeting spaces for business or reunion events, and a spectacular City Scene at 1,000 sq. ft. with a gourmet coffee maker. Modern renovation perks, 100% smoke-free habitat, complimentary Wi-Fi, same-day dry cleaning and laundry services (charges apply), access to the fitness center and business center, EV and Tesla Supercharger Stations, and beverage brewing stations. For the latest rates, events, and room specials, explore the Bristol Hotel online and follow them on social media: Instagram. About Kamla Hotels Established in 2006, Kamla Hotels is an innovative hotel management and hospitality company that acquires, develops, and manages both franchise and independent hospitality assets for its clients in California continually setting the highest standards for excellence. The company name, Kamla, and Lotus Flower logo represents pure faithfulness and hospitality. At Kamla Hotels, everyone from the management team to each hospitality associate understands and abides by the same guiding principle: to deliver the best business services and personal attention for all of our customers and guests. Explore their growing family of hotels at: www.KamlaHotels.com. Media Contact: Christine A. Dieu, Corporate Director of Sales 562.231.5973 x 205 [email protected] SOURCE The Bristol Hotel MIAMISBURG, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Billerud Americas Corporation, a leading producer of pressure sensitive (PS) face paper and release liner in North America, today announced it will investigate a relaunch of its OptiLabel HB product made at its Quinnesec Mill on the No. 41 paper machine. "We launched OptiLabel HB made at our Quinnesec Mill in 2020 during the peak of the COVID pandemic to support demand in the PS marketplace, so, we have already successfully made a significant volume of this product," said Senior Vice President of Marketing Aaron Haas. "By making OptiLabel HB at Quinnesec, we hope to provide an additional domestic supply source for PS paper. We already make a great deal of OptiLabel HB and UniSil release liner on our No. 3 paper machine at our Escanaba Mill, and this additional machine will give us more manufacturing flexibility to support the PS marketplace for both release liner and face paper supply." "We understand customers need available face paper and release liner products, and we believe the product from Quinnesec can help fill a sizable space in this market segment," Haas continued. "Our goal is to qualify products with strategic customers now through the end of 2022, and be at expanded production rates by the start of 2023." "At Billerud, we believe that sustainable paper solutions are preferable to fossil-based products like PET liners," said Director of Product Development Stacey MacNeil. "Our OptiLabel HB face paper and UniSil release liner are both proven workhorses for laminators and label converters. We want to give laminators, label converters, and end users the ability to avoid operational complications and environmental negatives that may exist with PET liners or filmic labels." Billerud Americas Corporation operates two integrated paper mills in Escanaba and Quinnesec, Michigan, which produce graphic and specialty papers. OptiLabel HB is a semi-gloss C1S product for PS prime label applications. UniSil is a release liner base sheet for PS siliconizing. For more information on these products, please contact your Billerud Americas Corporation sales professional, send an email to [email protected] or visit billerud.com. SOURCE Billerud Americas Corporation MAUMEE, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionix announced its attendance at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2022 National Conference & Exhibition in Anaheim, CA, beginning October 7 through October 11, 2022. Bionix will be exhibiting at booth 1945, where it will feature various products, including those created by Bionix to help with injection relief, ear and nasal care, and ear irrigation. The company's most recent launch, ClearLook, is the next generation of Lighted Ear Curettes and will also be featured at the exhibition. ClearLook Lighted Ear Curettes offer a unique and ergonomic handle design that promotes a natural and comfortable grip out of the line of sight, giving healthcare professionals better control and confidence while performing cerumen removal. ClearLook's design includes reference markers for re-entry into the ear, improving practitioner and patient satisfaction. "Bionix is pleased to attend AAP, and we look forward to networking with attendees and other exhibitors," said Chris Becker, President and CEO of Bionix, LLC. "At Bionix, we are always looking for exciting new products that solve everyday problems medical professionals encounter. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase our innovations and demonstrate to medical professionals that Bionix creates tools to provide better patient care." Bionix is a quality-driven, service-oriented, multi-national company committed to acquiring, developing, manufacturing, and marketing innovative single-patient use medical products that help people. The Bionix team encourages all AAP attendees to stop by their booth to learn more about their innovative products. Limited samples will be available for ClearLook and other popular products. About Bionix A trusted name in the healthcare industry for nearly 40 years, Bionix has continued to grow and evolve with the ever-changing healthcare industry in the United States and more than 75 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.bionix.com. Contact: Jean Gillen Marketing Communications Manager [email protected] www.bionix.com SOURCE Bionix Carriers and insurance companies' emphasis on risk management requires telematics solutions on trucks that carry dangerous or expensive goods, says Frost & Sullivan SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The need to address safety, security, and driver management inflates demand for telematics solutions, driving the Brazilian connected trucks telematics market. Frost & Sullivan's recent analysis finds that carriers and insurance companies' emphasis on risk management requires telematics solutions on trucks that carry dangerous or expensive goods. This market will reach 2.59 million units by 2027 from 1.12 million in 2021, registering commendable growth at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%. Infographic Brazilian Connected Trucks Telematic For further information on this analysis, Brazilian Connected Trucks Telematics Growth Opportunities, please click here. "More than 62% of freight transportation is through the road in Brazil. This highlights the importance of the truck fleet in the country and the urgent need for telematics adoption to reduce the total cost of ownership," said Ingrid Schumann, Mobility Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Additionally, although the telematics market in Brazil is still focused on track and trace solutions, other segments, such as driver and vehicle management, are increasing in demand." Schumann added: "The commercial vehicle segment in Brazil will grow rapidly in the next decade due to the expansion of agribusiness and eCommerce. This will positively impact the telematics market as these new vehicles represent opportunities for telematics service providers (TSPs), original equipment manufacturers, and start-ups to increase their market shares." To reap the benefits of the growing Brazilian connected trucks telematics sector: TSPs should invest in solutions that impact fuel consumption , such as vehicle and driver management, in addition to routing. , such as vehicle and driver management, in addition to routing. Fleet companies should demand an open telematics system as it offers benefits such as truck data that will be easily read and understood. as it offers benefits such as truck data that will be easily read and understood. TSPs that work with last-mile deliveries should invest in solutions requested by the end customer, such as routing, estimated time of delivery, and order status checks. For this type of product portfolio, it is vital to invest in logistics integration. Brazilian Connected Trucks Telematics Growth Opportunities is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan's Mobility research and analyses available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future. About Frost & Sullivan For over six decades, Frost & Sullivan has helped build sustainable growth strategies for Fortune 1000 companies, governments, and investors. We apply actionable insights to navigate economic changes, identify disruptive technologies, and formulate new business models to create a stream of innovative growth opportunities that drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion Brazilian Connected Trucks Telematics Growth Opportunities K80C Contact: Mariana Fernandez Corporate Communications E: [email protected] https://www.frost.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1912290/ENGLISH_Brazilian_Connected_Trucks_Telematics_Growth_Opportunities.jpg SOURCE Frost & Sullivan BANGALORE, India, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- An estimated 18.1 million people worldwide are with Cancer in 2021, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). - Clearly, even the most advanced treatments are not enough to stop this killer disease once it has metastasized and spread throughout the body. Fortunately, there may be a cure closer than you think and OncoDynamiX is leading the edge with its Novel Technology Platform for personalized Cancer treatment to improve medical outcomes and reduce treatment costs. OncoDynamiX to provide tailored treatments and advanced technologies for cancer treatment. Cancer is curable! OncoDynamiX represents an important step toward a future free from mortality because Cancer can be treated if someone seeks help early enough. The goal is to help global patients from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America to get information on getting screened for Cancer, survival rates of different cancers, diagnosis tips, and more. Critical Points of ONCODYNAMIX Platform to assist Cancer Patients OncoDynamiX uses two platforms to target cancer treatment. NEOTOX is a novel, novel data-driven methodology for pragmatic precision medicine, which is a non-NGS route to personalized cancer therapy. The Technology predicts the clinical outcome of a cancer patient to specific Cancer to specific drug or combination of drugs and validates in a 3D environment in the lab before summarizing to each patient. ONCEMBLEX, which is a genomics-driven methodology for precision medicine in Cancer. The workflow utilizes cutting-edge protocols in NGS for an exhaustive set of genes relevant to Cancer be it known, targetable signatures, or drivers and passengers of unknown significance. This Technology enables us to pinpoint the best drug or combination of drugs with maximum therapeutic benefit. OncoDynamiX is a global precision cancer treatment solutions company headquartered in Bangalore, India operating since 2020 with more than 50 man-years of research, 15 million data points on Cancer and 1500 cancer cell lines, 250 cancer drugs with NeoTox and Oncemblex platforms to give personalized therapy. Mr. Sundaresh Babu, the CEO of OncoDynamiX, said, "The goal of both the platforms is to provide personalized cancer treatment for patients, to improve their lifestyle, reduce the cost of treatment and save lives. In addition, this partnership takes the solution closer to the rest of the world." George Molakal, a global Director at OncoDynamiX spoke at the Health Conference at Chicago about OncoDynamiX. He said that this is revolutionary in cancer treatment and shows hope for the patients suffering with cancer to get the right drugs. It is no secret that cancer treatments can be expensive. And not just in terms of the financial side, but they also pose substantial health challenges. This is where OncoDynamix enters the picture and promises to provide patients with a platform where they can get all information, they need on cure cancer treatment at affordable rates. This ensures that nobody has a tough time fighting Cancer. SOURCE OncoDynamiX MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On Thursday, October 27, 2022, at approximately 4:05 p.m. Eastern Time, Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE: COF) will release its third quarter 2022 earnings results. Additionally, the company will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to review financial and operating performance for the quarter ending September 30, 2022. The call will be webcast live and the earnings release will be available on the company's homepage at www.capitalone.com . A replay of the webcast will be available 24 hours a day, beginning two hours after the conference call, until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 10, 2022, through the company's homepage. About Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company which had $307.9 billion in deposits and $440.3 billion in total assets as of June 30, 2022. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has branches located primarily in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index. Visit Capital One About for more Capital One news. SOURCE Capital One Financial Corporation HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Patricia (Patti) A. Husic, President & CEO of Centric Financial Corporation and Centric Bank ("Centric") (OTC Pink: CFCX), has been selected from hundreds of national top-tier female bankers as one of American Banker's Most Powerful Women to Watch. Patti Husic is one of American Banker's 2022 Women to Watch in U.S. Banking. Tweet this With 60% of Centric Banks executive leadership team female, and 70% of the workforce female, Centric Bank President and CEO Patti Husic has turned rhetoric into reality with her vision for advancing women in banking and finance. Founder and leader of one of the winningest banks in the country, Husic has been named one of American Banker's 2022 Women to Watch in U.S. Banking. Under Husic's founding in 2007 and sustaining leadership, Centric Bank has grown to a $1.1 billion financial institution and become one of the winningest banks in the country. In addition to achieving American Banker Best Banks to Work For wins in 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018, four American Banker Top Team recognitions, Top 50 Fastest-Growing Companies for eight years, and Top 200 Community Banks in the U.S. in 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019, Husic has been one of The Most Powerful Women in Banking for seven consecutive years. A past chair of PA Bankers Association, she is one of only three women to hold the position in the association's 127-year history. Husic also founded PA Banker's Women in Banking Program, now in its tenth year. With 60% of Centric Bank's executive leadership team female, and 70% of the workforce female, Husic turned rhetoric into reality with her vision for advancing women in banking and financeno peer bank in Pennsylvania is equal to Centric Bank's number of women in leadership. "For the past 15 years, Patti Husic has exhibited extraordinary leadership in guiding Centric Bank from its inception, through multiple seasons of national crisis, to eclipsing the $1 billion asset threshold," says Duncan Campbell, President & CEO of PA Bankers Association. "Throughout her career, Patti has served her customers and communities with tremendous passion and dedication. As one of only a few female bank founders in the country, she has long recognized the importance of increasing the number of female leaders in the C-suite for our industry. Patti epitomizes this goal, as evidenced by her seven-member executive leadership team, five of whom are women." This year, Husic joined a super-elite group of women in the U.S. who have founded a bank and then successfully negotiated its sale. On August 30, 2022, Husic announced that Centric Financial Corporation would merge with First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (FCF: NYSE), a $9.6 billion institution headquartered in Indiana, PA. Husic will join First Commonwealth Financial Corporation and the Bank's board of directors upon completion of the merger, which is expected to close on or after January 1, 2023, subject to certain conditions including regulatory and Centric shareholder approvals. "The Centric Bank journey has been my greatest opportunity to give back to the community I grew up in and love, and to invest in a team of 140 incredibly talented, generous, and steadfast people. It has been much more than my professional purpose; Centric Bank's growth and impact on our small businesses has been my personal mission for the last 15 years," says Husic. "My next professional chapter opens a new vision of possibility and opportunity, both in business and community service." "Since our founding in 2007, Centric Bank has thrived as a category of onewe redefined community banking in Pennsylvania and proudly financed brighter futures for more than 6,000 businesses. The Centric Bank Way is embedded in the hearts and minds of our team and will be the perfect complement to the First Commonwealth Bank culture," says Husic. The Most Powerful Women in Banking program recognizes individuals and teams for demonstrating exceptional leadership skills, strong performance, and a commitment to driving real outcomes for diversity, equity, and inclusion in financial services. "The 20th anniversary of The Most Powerful Women in Banking represents an impressive milestone and gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past while looking toward the future," says Gemma Postlethwaite, CEO of Arizent, publisher of American Banker. "When I think about what this year's honorees have accomplished as business leaders, as mentors to women in their organizations, as inspiration to the next generation of bankersI am confident we have the right leaders forging ahead and shaping the industry for the next 20 years and for future generations." American Banker recognizes leaders in financial services: The Most Powerful Women in Banking, The Most Powerful Women to Watch, The Most Powerful Women in Finance, and Top Teams. The complete rankings, including profiles of all the honorees for 2022, can be found on American Banker's website, as well as in the October issue of American Banker Magazine. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, American Banker will host three events in New York City. On October 26, 2022, for the first time ever THE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN BANKING conference will be an in-person event aboard the historic USS Intrepid aircraft carrier with inspiring discussions, executive networking, and insightful panels on a range of leadership topics. Registration is open to the entire financial services community. There will be two invite-only honoree events as well. Honorees of The Most Powerful Women in Banking: NEXT program, which recognizes high-achieving executives ages 40 and under, will be celebrated at an invitation-only awards dinner at HK Hall on October 25, 2022. The annual gala for The Most Powerful Women in Banking honorees will close out the ceremonies at The Glasshouse on October 27, 2022. ABOUT CENTRIC BANK AND CENTRIC FINANCIAL CORPORATION An American Banker 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018 Best Banks to Work For, four-time American Banker Most Powerful Women in Banking Top Team, three-time Best Places to Work, and Top 50 Fastest-Growing Companies for eight years, Centric Bank is headquartered in south central Pennsylvania with assets of $1.1 billion and remains a leader in organic loan growth. A locally owned, locally loaned community bank, Centric Bank provides highly competitive and pro-growth financial services to businesses, professionals, individuals, families, and to the health care and dental industries with the Doctor Centric Bank Division. Centric Bank was named one of the Top 200 Community Banks in the U.S. in 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019. Founded in 2007, Pennsylvania-based Centric Bank has financial centers located in Harrisburg, Hershey, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Doylestown, Devon, and Lancaster, as well as a loan production office in Devon and an Operations and Executive Office campus in Hampden Township, Cumberland County. To learn more about Centric Bank, call 717.657.7727 or visit CentricBank.com. Connect with them on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Centric Financial Corporation is traded over the counter (OTC-Pink) with the ticker symbol CFCX. Contact: Anne Deeter Gallaher Tel. 717.580.4856 [email protected] SOURCE Centric Financial Corporation New engagement with UK's largest energy services provider strengthens Cognizant's position as Centrica's leading services partner for its digital journey LONDON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognizant today announced that it has extended its long-standing relationship with Centrica, the largest supplier of energy and energy services to the United Kingdom, to deliver business critical services encompassing application testing and management of its IT infrastructure landscape. As part of the new contract, Cognizant will provide a combination of application, non-production environment management and testing, and cloud infrastructure support. Through the creation of a more holistic and integrated IT engagement, Cognizant will enable a more efficient, cost-competitive, and integrated service. Centrica will benefit from flexibility to scale integrated application, infrastructure and testing services up or down, enhanced performance of its IT infrastructure, and consumer-facing applications with improved availability and responsiveness to enhance user experiences for Centrica's ten million end-customers. "As the energy industry changes, our ability to adapt and evolve is of critical importance, so that we make things simpler for our customers and their busy lives," said Darren Miles, Group Chief Information Officer, Centrica. "As such, we are pleased to continue working with Cognizant as a reliable and experienced technology partner that understands our business and is able to deliver mission-critical systems that are fundamental to our journey." "We are incredibly proud of our long-standing relationship with Centrica and the opportunity to bring our expertise to bear at a time when the energy markets and utility industry as a whole are faced with unprecedented volatility and public scrutiny," said Rohit Gupta, Managing Director, UK&I, Cognizant. "We are delighted to continue building on our relationship with the UK's leading energy and energy services supplier." Since 2005, Cognizant has provided Centrica with a broad range of consulting, AIA, data, cloud and digital engineering services, including SAP business transformation services, addressing the need for accelerated digital transformation, agility, speed and infrastructure security. About Centrica Centrica is a leading international energy services and solutions provider focused on satisfying the changing needs of their customers and enabling the transition to a lower carbon future. Centrica's business is founded on a 200-year heritage of serving people. Centrica supplies energy and services to over 10 million customer accounts in the UK and Ireland through strong brands such as British Gas and Dyno, supported by circa 7000 field engineers. About Cognizant Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) engineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life. See how at www.cognizant.com or @cognizant. SOURCE Cognizant The new global brand, known as Clinisys, serves over 3,000 customers in 34 countries TUCSON, Ariz., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clinisys today announces it has completed the combination of Sunquest Information Systems, HORIZON Lab Systems, and Apollo LIMS under its singular brand. The completion marks a new chapter for Clinisys, expanding its global presence and breadth of expertise to enable healthier communities through the transformation of the modern laboratory. Clinisys is now one of the largest information systems providers for laboratories globally across healthcare, life sciences, and public health with over 3,000 customers in 34 countries. Michael Simpson, Clinisys CEO, commented: "Combining the businesses gives us the scale to help tackle the biggest informatics challenges faced by laboratories today, helping to streamline workflows and improve the health and wellbeing of communities worldwide. We are committed to providing best-of-breed solutions to support every type of laboratory or remote testing environment; public or private sector, in-house or outsourced, and in all types of laboratory sectors, including Healthcare, Water, Crop Sciences, Contract Services, Life Sciences, Environmental, Food & Beverage, Pharma, and Public Health." "We are consolidating behind the Clinisys brand to signal our expanded support for a much wider range of industries and sectors, as well as global operations," Simpson added. "As we look to the future, we will continue to invest in our core products and solutions from each of the combined businesses, as part of our long-term integrated Clinisys Laboratory Platform strategy. This means customers will benefit from continuity while tapping into our expanded capabilities and scale." For existing customers, the combination of the new businesses will not affect the existing products and services provided to them, which will now be delivered to them using the new Clinisys brand. To learn more, visit Clinisys' new website www.clinisys.com. About Clinisys Clinisys is a global provider of intelligent diagnostic informatics solutions and expertise designed to redefine the modern laboratory, across healthcare, life sciences, and public health. Millions of laboratory results and data insights are generated every day using Clinisys' platform and cloud-based solutions in over 3,000 laboratories across 34 countries. Headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, Chertsey, England, and Gent, Belgium Clinisys' mission is to enhance the effectiveness of operational workflows in any laboratory or testing environment and keep citizens and communities healthier and safer. To learn more visit www.clinisys.com Media Contact: Linden Gregory Metia Group +44 (0)7525 926 435 [email protected] SOURCE CliniSys WILMINGTON, N.C., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudWyze, the premier managed services and internet provider in North Carolina, was selected by the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) to receive $18,423,751 in grant funding as part of the 2022 Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Grant program. This funding will help the organization expand broadband services to 8,628 underserved and unserved homes in Edgecombe, Harnett, Johnston, Martin, Nash counties. "We are thrilled about the GREAT Grant funds and excited for all North Carolinians, especially those who have lived without access to high-speed internet service," said Shaun Olsen, Founder and CEO of CloudWyze. "We have endless gratitude for our county partners and everyone who has helped us drive our mission of connectivity in our state's rural communities. We also appreciate Governor Cooper and NCDIT for trusting CloudWyze to provide fast and reliable internet service to our awarded counties." Harnett County Manager Brent Trout emphasized the importance of the partnership with CloudWyze and its impact on county residents. "Access to quality internet service is becoming almost as important as electricity to our residents, so we are excited to see phase one of the project begin in October," said Trout. Governor Roy Cooper announced the $206 million grant awardthe state's largest round of GREAT grant awards to dateat an event on August 31. In a press release, Governor Cooper said access to high-speed internet makes a big impact in the everyday lives of rural residents. "High-speed internet access is critical for people to work, learn, access telehealth and connect with one another," said Governor Cooper. "Thanks to this significant GREAT grant award funding, many more North Carolina families and small business owners will have the tools they need to succeed in today's digital world." NCDIT received 305 grant applications for this round of GREAT Grant funding. Qualified applicants must already participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which allows providers to offer discounted internet service to low-income households. CloudWyze has proudly participated in the ACP program since it was initially launched as the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program in May 2021. CloudWyze is waiting for further details on the timelines for receiving the grant funding for the expansion projects. An announcement will be made once the organization has all the information. To keep up with the latest news, visit the CloudWyze website or call (910) 795-1000. About CloudWyze: Founded in 2002, CloudWyze empowers residents and businesses in Eastern North Carolina with high-speed internet solutions and technology support. Their technology experts are committed to creating equitable access to critical information and services to drive growth and prosperity in their local communities. CloudWyze offers public and private cloud-based solutions, around-the-clock support, phone and internet. Visit their website to learn more and follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Name of Contact: Shaun Olsen Contact's Title: Founder, CEO Contact's Phone: (910) 795-1000 Contact's Email: [email protected] SOURCE CloudWyze Coforma, a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), supporting the VA by developing technical integrations to improve Veteran healthcare experiences WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Coforma has been awarded a two-year contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve clinical outcomes for Veterans by building applications on the VA's Clinical Decision Support (CDS) platform and integration with varying electronic health record (EHR) systems. The project, awarded for nearly $10M in potential value, is part of a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-aside contract on the VA Customer Experience, DevOps, Agile Releases (CEDAR) IDIQ. Coforma, an agency that crafts creative solutions and technology products for the communities served by its government and commercial partners, began work on the project September 9. Coforma to support Veterans Affairs by developing technical integrations to improve Veteran healthcare experiences Tweet this Coforma will be supported by subcontractors SAIC, MO Studios, Intellibridge, and Flexion for this effort. "Team Coforma will work to help the VA improve the way clinicians access patient data by leveraging human-centered methodologies to ensure everything is developed with the clinician's and Veterans' needs in mind," said Eduardo Ortiz, CEO of Coforma and US Marine Corps Veteran. "Providing clinicians real-time patient data alongside the CDS platform will empower them to make evidence-based, better-informed treatment recommendations." About Coforma: Coforma works with the government and private sector to craft creative digital solutions and build technology products that improve people's lives. We've honed a modern, agile, user-centered approach that elevates human needs through thoughtfully-designed systems and products. We're dedicated to reshaping the way communities access and utilize technology products. Together. Visit us at coforma.io . Contact: Angela Palm Hopkins, [email protected] , 301-202-4740 SOURCE Coforma CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced that its Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend payment of $0.33 per share of CAG common stock to be paid on December 1, 2022 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 3, 2022. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Marie Callender's, Banquet, Healthy Choice, Slim Jim, Reddi-wip, and Vlasic, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: [email protected] INVESTORS: [email protected] SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. Some of the Capital Region's most successful minority entrepreneurs and executives honored. Business Icons Robert L. Johnson, Calvin Butler, Cathy Hughes, Deryl McKissick, Emmitt Smith, Warren Thompson, Emmit J. McHenry, among Hall of Fame Inductees SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Capital Region Minority Supplier Diversity Council (CRMSDC) will celebrate 50 years of driving economic opportunity and growth in the region with its Leaders and Legends celebration on October 12, 2022, at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Twenty leaders, innovators, trailblazers, and business champions will be inducted into the organization's MBE Hall of Fame in recognition of their support of and advocacy for minority business enterprises. The list includes such innovators such as the creator of the .com domain, America's 1st Black Billionaire, a media mogul, and the posthumous induction of the late Congressman Parren J. Mitchell, considered the godfather of the minority business movement. CRMSDC's Celebrates 50 Years CRMSDC Announces Hall of Fame Inductees The Leaders & Legends Hall of Fame is a lifetime achievement award celebrating iconic individuals for their indelible imprint on minority businesses. These individuals have significantly impacted the region's economy or, through public policy, transformed the landscape for minority businesses. "This is a significant celebration for our organization as we reflect on 50 years and pay homage to the late Congressman Parren J. Mitchell who had a bold vision and paved the way for minority business," said Sharon Roberson Pinder, CRMSDC President and CEO. "What we do every day and how these inductees continue to contribute to our mission promotes the viability of minority-owned firms and drives the local and regional economy. Our inductees have been at the forefront of pioneering change and making a meaningful difference for MBE's." CRMSDC is one of 23 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. CRMSDC provides corporate members and NMSDC certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) with a thriving ecosystem pulsing with progressive opportunities to grow, partner, and develop their capabilities and their inherent entrepreneurial spirits. The ceremony will be held in the Oprah Winfrey Theater at the Museum and will include a cocktail reception, the MBE Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and a private museum stroll. The evening's events will be hosted by Allison Seymour, anchor of WUSA9's "Get Up DC!" and Marc Clarke, host of Fox45's "Bmore Lifestyle." Tickets can be obtained online at www.crmsdc.org. For the full list of Hall of Fame inductees, click here. About CRMSDC The Capital Region, Minority Supplier Development Council (www.crmsdc.org) was established in 1972. It is one of 23 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (www.nmsdc.org), which advances business opportunities for certified MBEs and connects them to corporate members. Our region includes Washington DC, the State of Maryland and Northern Virginia The Washington Business Journal has recognized The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council as one of the 2020 Top 25 Largest Business Advocacy Groups in the Greater Washington, DC region. Moving from #13 in 2019 to #12 in 2020 and to the number #11 slot this year. The MBDA Business Center, Virginia, helps minority-owned firms create jobs, compete in the global economy and grow their business. The center is part of a national network of funded centers in major cities throughout the United States. The center works with minority business enterprises to generate increased financing and contract opportunities and to create and retain jobs.www.mbda-virginia.com. For more information about the event: Sonya Bigelow-Smith 410.707.2850 [email protected] For more information about CRMSDC: www.crmsdc.org SOURCE The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council Data published in Molecular Therapy Methods and Clinical Development confirm the potential preclinical benefit of the sa-mRNA technology platform, the next generation of mRNA vaccine technology CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global biotech leader CSL (ASX:CSL) today announced results from the preclinical studies of the company's self-amplifying messenger RNA (sa-mRNA) influenza vaccine candidates, the next generation of mRNA vaccines. The data, published in Molecular Therapy Methods and Clinical Development, indicate that the sa-mRNA influenza vaccine candidates produced a potent, cross-reactive immune response against pandemic and seasonal influenza strains, A(H5N1) and A(H1N1).1 "These preclinical data show the potential of sa-mRNA technology to provide protection against pandemic and seasonal influenza in one vaccine dose," said Ethan Settembre, PhD, Vice President, Research, CSL R&D Seqirus Vaccines Innovation Unit and study author. "As we look toward initiating our Phase 1 clinical trials in the near future, these data are an encouraging testament to the value of pursuing innovative vaccine technology platforms, like sa-mRNA." mRNA vaccines help protect against infectious diseases by giving instructions to cells in the body to make a protein, stimulating the immune response and leaving a blueprint to recognize and fight future infection.2 Different from standard mRNA vaccines, sa-mRNA instructs the body to replicate mRNA, amplifying the amount of protein made.3 This could enable vaccine manufacturers to potentially develop more effective vaccines with a smaller dosage and with lower rates of reactogenicity, underscoring the value in both pandemic and seasonal settings.3 "In addition to the burden of seasonal influenza, emerging pandemic pathogens remain an ever-present threat and the need for flexible, effective vaccine technology is clearer than ever," said Jonathan Edelman, MD, Vice President, Vaccines Clinical Development, Interim Head, CSL R&D Seqirus Vaccines Innovation Unit. "As we continue actively pursuing technological advances to improve influenza protection and strengthen our differentiated vaccine portfolio, the data published in Molecular Therapy Methods and Clinical Development allows for a better understanding of the potential of sa-mRNA vaccine technology." As a global leader in influenza prevention, CSL Seqirus' longstanding heritage in influenza vaccines, along with CSL R&D's established capabilities in vaccine research and clinical development, positions CSL well to make strategic investments in both the development of the company's existing platforms and in longer-term, high opportunity development activities. While influenza is at the core of the CSL Seqirus business, the company is also exploring the potential for sa-mRNA vaccines in other infectious disease areas. CSL Seqirus produces influenza vaccines across its global manufacturing network, which includes facilities in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. In February 2022, CSL Seqirus announced an investment in a new R&D facility located in Waltham, Mass. The new facility will support the company's growing R&D portfolio, with a focus on the sa-mRNA technology platform. The facility will serve as the company's central R&D hub for current and future vaccine design, and collaborations with stakeholders from across the industry and academia. About the Study The preclinical studies were designed to evaluate the ability of sa-mRNA bicistronic influenza vaccine candidates, A(H5N1) and A(H1N1) to co-express two influenza antigens, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA), raising potent immune responses in mice and ferrets.1 While HA has been the primary protein included in licensed inactivated influenza vaccine formulations, NA is the second most abundant influenza surface protein, and the bicistronic capability, incorporated in this sa-mRNA influenza vaccine study for the first time, unlocked the possibility to produce both HA and NA antigens.1 The results demonstrate that the A(H5N1) sa-mRNA influenza vaccine candidate induced an anti-HA and anti-NA neutralizing response raised by sa-mRNA influenza vaccines at a dose as low as 0.01 g in mice and also induced HA-specific CD4+ T cells.1 In comparison to the MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccine and non-adjuvanted protein vaccine, the adjuvanted influenza vaccine also raised CD4+ T cell response, while the non-adjuvanted protein vaccine did not.1 sa-mRNA vaccines also stimulated CD8+ T cell response, an effect which was not exhibited in both non-adjuvanted and adjuvanted protein vaccines.1 The bicistronic A(H1N1) vaccine candidate protected the ferrets' lungs from influenza infection by markedly reducing the amount of virus in the ferrets' upper respiratory tract.1 Due to the additional NA antigen, bicistronic A(H5N1) vaccines not only raised a potent neutralizing response to pandemic A(H5N1), but also to A(H1N1) and produced cross-reactive humoral and cellular responses in mice and ferrets.1 NA demonstrated a notable immune response without compromise of the immune response to HA raised by our sa-mRNA bicistronic influenza vaccines.1 The meaningful and cross-reactive immune responses raised by the sa-mRNA influenza vaccine candidates resulted in protection from influenza infection.1 Read the full manuscript here. About Seasonal Influenza Influenza is a common, contagious seasonal respiratory disease that may cause severe illness and life-threatening complications in some people.4 Influenza can lead to clinical symptoms varying from mild to moderate respiratory illness to severe complications, hospitalization and in some cases, death.4 Because transmission of influenza viruses to others may occur one day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick, the disease can be easily transmitted to others.4 Estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that during the 2019/20 influenza season, there were an estimated 405,000 influenza-related hospitalizations in the U.S.5 The CDC recommends annual vaccination for individuals aged 6 months and older, who do not have any contraindications.6 Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that help protect against influenza virus infection, it is recommended that people get vaccinated before influenza begins spreading in their community.6 The CDC recommends that people get vaccinated by the end of October.6 About Pandemic Influenza Pandemic influenza, is a contagious airborne respiratory disease which is unpredictable in timing and severity.7 The risk of influenza-associated morbidity and mortality is greater with pandemic influenza than with seasonal influenza because there is likely to be little or no pre-existing immunity to the virus in the human population.8 Four influenza pandemics have occurred over the past century, with the 1918 pandemic being the most severe in recent history, estimated to have killed up to 50 million people worldwide.9 According to the CDC, a novel influenza A virus such as the highly pathogenic avian A(H5N1) strain can cause severe disease and have a high mortality rate.10 If the influenza A(H5N1) virus were to change and become easily transmissible from person to person while retaining its capacity to cause severe disease, the consequences for public health could be severe.10 About CSL CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of lifesaving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, vaccines to prevent influenza, and therapies in iron deficiency, dialysis and nephrology. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL including our three businesses, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor provides lifesaving products to patients in more than 100 countries and employs 30,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL . For more information about CSL, visit www.CSL.com. About CSL Seqirus CSL Seqirus is part of CSL Limited (ASX: CSL). As one of the largest influenza vaccine providers in the world, CSL Seqirus is a major contributor to the prevention of influenza globally and a transcontinental partner in pandemic preparedness. With state-of-the-art production facilities in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, and leading R&D capabilities, CSL Seqirus utilizes egg, cell and adjuvant technologies to offer a broad portfolio of differentiated influenza vaccines in more than 20 countries around the world. For more information about CSL Seqirus, visit www.seqirus.com. Media Contact CSL Seqirus Polina Miklush Office: +1 908 608 7170 Email: [email protected] References 1 Chang C, Music N, Cheung M, et al. Influenza sa-mRNA bicistronic HANA vaccines raise potent and cross-reactiveneutralizing antibody and cell-mediated immune responses in mice. Molecular Therapy Methods and Clinical Development. DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.09.013. 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html. Accessed September 2022. 3 Vigel, B., Lambert, L., Kinnear, E., et al. (2018). Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccines Give Equivalent Protection against Influenza to mRNA Vaccines but at Much Lower Doses. American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy. 4 CDC. (2022). Key Facts about Influenza. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm. Accessed September 2022. 5 CDC. (2021). Estimated Influenza Illnesses, Medical visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States 2019-2020 Influenza Season. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2019-2020.html. Accessed September 2022. 6 CDC. (2022). Who Needs a Flu Vaccine and When. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm. Accessed September 2022. 7 CDC. (2016). Pandemic Basics. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/index.html. Accessed September 2022. 8 WHO. (2014). How pandemic influenza emerges. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/how-pandemic-influenza-emerges. Accessed September 2022. 9 WHO. (2017). Pandemic Influenza Risk Management: A WHO guide to inform and harmonize national and international pandemic preparedness and response. Retrieved from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/259893/WHO-WHE-IHM-GIP-2017.1-eng.pdf;jsessionid=4421F16879D2F8B96481F8D0C745C7F3?sequence=1. Accessed September 2022. 10 CDC. (2015). Highly Pathogenic Asian Avian Influenza A(H5N1) in People. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5n1-people.htm. Accessed September 2022. SOURCE CSL Seqirus HUTCHINSON, Kan., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Data Center Inc. (DCI), the privately-owned developer of digital banking and fintech processing solutions, recently signed a processing agreement with New Horizons Bank in Powhatan, Virginia. DCI will provide the bank an inclusive system for staff to manage customer relationships when handling high volume fintech transactions. Data Center Inc. (DCI), www.datacenterinc.com New Horizon Bank CEO Doug Mitchell was enthusiastic about the collaboration. "New Horizon Bank is very excited about our new partnership with DCI," he said. "After a thorough review of seven core processors, it was very clear DCI shared the same values and vision around technology and service that are the cornerstone of the New Horizon Bank model." Other major motivators for the switch were DCI's options for sponsor banks and their digital branches. Some of the technology offerings that attracted New Horizon Bank to DCI included its Oracle database which provides an open architecture for the bank, multi-branding in core processors across branches, and an API that communicates with third party vendors without a middleman allowing the bank to save money while implementing changes with ease. "Mr. Mitchell did his homework on us and in the end saw how we can meet his bank's needs today and be a viable partner for the future with technology and services that reach their customers," DCI's CEO and President Sarah Fankhauser reinforced. "Everyone can tout technology solutions, but it's another thing to implement them with a high level of service and continued support," Fankhauser concluded. New Horizon Bank is DCI's second bank in Virginia, and another in a series of wins, as DCI moves forward aggressively with new technology releases, updates, and vendor integration that help community financial intuitions adapt quickly to the evolving market. DCI continues to promote their culture around trust, service, and innovation as a differentiator in the banking and fintech industry. With a hefty pipeline leading them into 2023, DCI is excited for what the future holds for their current and future customers. For more on this story, read our white paper, Found on Google. About DCI DCI is the developer of the award-winning iCore360 core banking software, plus iCoreGO digital banking and fintech processing solutions for community financial institutions nationwide, including those using other core platforms. DCI is privately owned by a group of bank clients, with several serving as board members and user group leaders. DCI also provides private ATM network/card management, FrontLine teller software, custom analysis, risk/vendor management, and more. For additional information about DCI, visit www.datacenterinc.com or contact [email protected]. Media Contact: Jesse Tosten, Director of Marketing 620.694.6773 [email protected] SOURCE Data Center Inc. (DCI) $93.3M Award Supports SEEK EAGLE PMO Modeling, Analysis and Tools ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- DCS Corporation announced the award of the SEEK EAGLE Modeling, Analysis and Tools Support 3 (SEMATS 3) contract, valued at $93.3 million. Under this 5-year, single-award contract, DCS will provide support to the Air Force Test Center's (AFTC) 96th Test Wing, AF SEEK EAGLE Office (AFSEO) at Eglin Air Force Base. Under SEMATS 3, DCS will provide support to the AFTC 96th Test Wing AFSEO at Eglin AFB. The SEEK EAGLE program was created as the Air Force standard for aircraft stores certification. The mission of the AFSEO is to deliver war-winning capability by expanding compatibility of state-of-the-art weapons on current and future generation aircraft, and by providing accurate combat weapon delivery software. This includes providing the manpower and engineering tools, data, rationale, and mission planning software applications necessary to safely load, carry, and employ legacy and developmental stores (such as weapons, tanks, pods). While the AFSEO principal focus falls on fleet aircraft with externally carried weapon systems, newer aircraft include an expanded capability to carry weapon systems both internally and externally, and include unmanned and "smart" technologies. To understand the overall effects on aircraft performance and weapon employment characteristics, extensive modeling and simulation, test and analyses (both ground and flight), are required to assure safety-of-flight for the aircrew. "DCS is proud to continue our work with the Air Force Test Center to help advance modeling and analysis capabilities," said Jim Benbow, DCS CEO. "We are committed to upholding and advancing AFSEO's mission of expanding compatibility of state-of-the-art weapons and providing accurate combat weapon delivery software." SEMATS 3 represents DCS's first award with AFSEO and will expand its customer footprint at Eglin AFB. DCS and its subcontractors will provide project planning, engineering and analysis for compatibility aircraft stores, management of technical data libraries, and support for new weapon, aircraft, and mission planning, with special emphasis on safe escape and ballistics. About DCS An employee-owned company, DCS offers advanced technology, engineering, and management solutions to Government agencies in the national security sector. The transformative ideas, commitment to quality, and entrepreneurial spirit that characterize our employee-owners allow us to ensure the success of each customer's mission and actively contribute to the well-being of the Nation. For more information, please visit: https://www.dcscorp.com. CONTACT DCS Corporation [email protected] 571-227-6000 SOURCE DCS Corporation From chilling tales to spooky places there's something for everyone HELENA, Mont., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In addition to its spectacular beauty, Montana is known for ghost towns and historical sites that have tales of lingering souls and spooky spirits. Visitors are guaranteed to have an unforgettable and thrilling experience road tripping across the state to these haunted spots. Bannack, Montana Centuries ago, Montana earned the name "Treasure State" when it beckoned treasure seekers to travel west. Booming mining communities, such as Bannack and Garnet, were founded by those hoping to strike gold in Big Sky Country. Over the years, they were left abandoned as their inhabitants moved on to bigger cities and new opportunities. Today, the weathered structures of these ghost towns stand preserved, serving as architectural skeletons of Montana's rugged past. A visit to towns like Bannack and Virginia City may give you a glimpse of a long-forgotten miner clutching a cache of gold. Travelers seeking spine-chilling thrills this fall should experience one of these spooky haunts, starting with the Bannack Ghost Walks. These live reenactments highlight significant events throughout the history of Bannack, an old mining town once bustling with lifenow the afterlife. Those willing can meet the ghosts of Henry Plummer, Joe Pizanthia, Cyrus Skinner, Doctor Glick, Mattie Silks and many more rogues from Bannack's colorful past. From Bannack, outdoor enthusiasts interested in learning about Montana's mining past can head north to Garnet. There's a self-guided tour of the 30 buildings in this historic mining town, including the J.R. Wells Hotel, F.A. Davey's Store, and two old western saloons. It'll give you a glimpse of what life was like during the gold mining boom of the 1800s. You can also hike the surrounding trails ranging from 1-3 miles. A little over an hour north of Bannack are the towns of Butte and Anaconda. Butte, like so many of Southwest Montana's communities, was born on the boom and bust. Initially, miners flocked to the area for gold, then silver, and eventually copper which would become king in the area. The success of the mines drew a diverse population to Butte that would shape the culture of the city. Butte is home to 38 certified hauntings featured on Butte's Spooks & Spirits Tour. New to the tour this fall, explore the haunts of Discovery's Ghosts of Devil's Perch. Nearby in Anaconda, there are a number of ghost town sites, but the Granite Ghost Town State Park located near the town is a must-visit. The Granite ghost town is the remnants of the Granite Mine and the small town that grew up around the mine. The town was established around 1875 and was once a thriving community. The Granite Mine was once the richest silver mine in the world, but that didn't stop it from closing; the town became deserted in 1893. Today, the ghost town has the remnants of a few of the town buildings and a good portion of the mine is still intact. For something more frightening, the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge won't disappoint. Just a short drive from Anaconda, visitors can take a guided or self-guided tour through the intimidating cell house and into the chilling slide bar cells and black box of maximum security. If that doesn't sound creepy enough for you, there are Ghost Tour options that allow entry after hours into locations not normally open to the public. There you will experience the hot spots where reports have cited paranormal activity. To plan your spooktacular Montana adventure, go to VISITMT.COM. ABOUT VISIT MONTANA Visit Montana markets Montana's spectacular unspoiled nature, vibrant and charming small towns, breathtaking experiences, relaxing hospitality, and competitive business climate to promote the state as a place to visit and do business. For more information, visit VISITMT.COM. SOURCE Visit Montana Purpose-built business unit combines the strengths of three organizations to create one specialized, fully integrated solutions aggregator for the U.S. public sector HERNDON, Va., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TD SYNNEX Public Sector, part of TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX), announced its launch as a unified, purpose-driven brand that combines the strengths and decades of dedicated service to the U.S. public sector of three successful organizations DLT Solutions, Tech Data Public Sector Solutions and SYNNEX GOVSolv. This new specialized, fully integrated business unit will focus on bridging the gap between technology partners and U.S. public sector organizations, so they can achieve their individual missions. This will be accomplished through specialized and scalable aggregator solutions, including channel enablement, engineering services and support, industry-centric marketing, the Diversity Alliance Program, and our Cloud Navigator, Enterprise Agreement Platform, Confirmed Stateside Support and Secure Software Factory offerings. DLT Solutions and TD SYNNEX U.S. public sector entities re-brand as TD SYNNEX Public Sector. Tweet this We are excited to bring TD SYNNEX Public Sector to market, an always evolving, next-generation business unit with a combined 75 years of dedication and service to the U.S. public sector. Integrating the capabilities and U.S. public sector operations of the legacy organizations was a strategic move to leverage the strengths of three different, but complementary, entities into a single business unit that provides full project lifecycle delivery and support for vendors, channel partners and end-users across the entire U.S. public sector. "This announcement comes at a time when the U.S. public sector is under pressure to deliver transformational change in terms of complying with modernization, cybersecurity and customer experience directives, while facing significant supply chain issues," said Reyna Thompson, senior vice president of public sector vendor management, TD SYNNEX Public Sector. "The unprecedented combination of talent, resources, capabilities and global reach positions TD SYNNEX Public Sector as the catalyst to connect the entire U.S. public sector, making it easier for technology companies, their channel partners and U.S. public sector end-users to do business, while helping to modernize and secure our nation's IT network." Maintaining a complete technology portfolio from endpoint devices and edge computing to advanced integrated software solutions, TD SYNNEX Public Sector will focus on the key domain areas that are shaping today's U.S. public sector, including data and analytics, cybersecurity, IT infrastructure and application lifecycle. It will offer an agile, flexible and innovative organization with the full support of the world's leading global distributor and solutions aggregator, TD SYNNEX, including an additional reach back to more than 22,000 of the IT industry's best and brightest. "Our people are industry-leading practitioners with decades of experience serving the U.S. public sector," said Eddie Franklin, senior vice president of public sector sales, TD SYNNEX Public Sector. "We can now bring their collective insights to bear to best support our technology vendors and channel partners, as well as their customers across the federal, state, local and education landscape." For more information about TD SYNNEX Public Sector, please click here. [email protected] and @TDSYNNEX U.S. #publicsector entities re-brand as TD SYNNEX Public Sector. The unprecedented combination of #IT talent, resources, capabilities and global reach positions TD SYNNEX Public Sector as the catalyst to connect the entire U.S. public sector. About TD SYNNEX Public Sector TD SYNNEX Public Sector is a business unit of TD SYNNEX. It is the premier government solutions aggregator that specializes in understanding the IT needs and solving the challenges of the U.S. federal, state, local and education markets. TD SYNNEX Public Sector helps simplify the process and removes barriers for independent infrastructure and software vendors, federal systems integrators and value-added resellers doing business in the U.S. public sector. For more information, please click here. About TD SYNNEX TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. We're an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX' 22,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 1,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, IoT, mobility and everything as a service. TD SYNNEX is committed to serving customers and communities, and we believe we can have a positive impact on our people and our planet, intentionally acting as a respected corporate citizen. We aspire to be a diverse and inclusive employer of choice for talent across the IT ecosystem. For more information, visit www.TDSYNNEX.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. 2022 TD SYNNEX Corporation. TD SYNNEX, the TD SYNNEX Logo, and all other TD SYNNEX company, product and services names and slogans are trademarks of TD SYNNEX Corporation. Other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE TD SYNNEX Public Sector OAKMONT, Pa., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Connections Dental is pleased to announce that Dr. Jason Choorapuzha has been selected as one of Pittsburgh Magazine's Top Dentists for the greater Pittsburgh area. For the fifth consecutive year, Dr. Choorapuzha has been selected as a recipient of this award, which is determined by peers within the dental profession. A native of southwestern Pennsylvania, Dr. Choorapuzha grew up in the Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He provides quality oral health care to patients in the Oakmont area, including preventive, restorative, cosmetic dentistry , as well as implants and orthodontics. Dr. Jason Choorapuzha "I am honored to receive such a wonderful award," says Dr. Choorapuzha. "There is no greater compliment as an oral health care professional than to know that the care you provide is valued by so many people." Dr. Choorapuzha received his DMD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, where he served as class VP for two years, and then President for two years. Following dental school, Dr. Choorapuzha completed his General Practice Residency at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. During the one-year residency, he received top honors for his presentation on "Kidney Disease and the Dental Practitioner" at the Minnesota Dental Association's Star of the North Meeting. After spending three years working for AppleTree Dental, a non-profit dental group in Minneapolis that focuses on geriatric and special-needs patients, Dr. Choorapuzha returned to Pittsburgh. He now resides in the Gibsonia area with his wife and two young sons. "My goal is to provide the best oral health care to my patients in a compassionate and empathetic setting. I want my patients to feel comfortable and confident about visiting the dentist and have healthy and beautiful smiles for life," shares Dr. Choorapuzha. "I am truly passionate about what I do." Connections Dental provides quality oral health care to patients of all ages in the communities of Oakmont, Verona, Fox Chapel, Plum, New Kensington, Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods in SW Pennsylvania. The practice offers a wide range of oral health services such as preventive dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, Invisalign, root canal therapy, and dental implants. To learn more about Connections Dental and the services provided, please visit their website. https://dentistinoakmont.com/ Contact Connections Dental Dr. Jason Choorapuzha (412) 828-6400 [email protected] https://dentistinoakmont.com/ SOURCE Dr. Jason Choorapuzha Joint Study by BCG and Vestiaire Collective Finds the Secondhand Fashion and Luxury Market Has Tripled in Size Since 2020, With No Signs of Slowing Down PARIS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The estimated value of the apparel, footwear, and accessories resale market is between $100 and $120 billion worldwide, more than three times the size it was in 2020, according to new research by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Vestiaire Collective, a global platform for preowned fashion. The report, titled What an Accelerating Secondhand Market Means for Fashion Brands and Retailers, is being released today. The secondhand market is already worth 3% to 5% of the overall apparel, footwear, and accessories sector and could grow to as much as 40%. While resale products make up approximately one quarter of secondhand products buyers' closets, they are expected to comprise 27% of closets in 2023. Gen-Z consumers are the most apt to both buy (31%) and sell (44%) secondhand items, with millennials close behind. "At BCG, we have been analyzing the global resale market in detail since its infancy," said Sarah Willersdorf, BCG's global head of luxury and coauthor of the report. "It is now certain that consumers have embraced secondhand and it's changing the way they buy and sell their clothes. There is a tremendous opportunity for brands that enter this market to capture new customers while also appealing to existing shoppers motivated by sustainability, affordability, and exclusivity." Sustainability Is an Increasingly Prominent Driving Force for Secondhand Buyers The report is based on two global surveys of 6,000 consumers conducted in 2020, and 2,000 consumers in 2022, to better understand their engagement with the resale market. While affordability was cited as the primary driver for buying secondhand items among more than half of respondents, this trend is declining. Product variety was reported as the second biggest driver behind consumption of secondhand goods. Forty percent of buyers view secondhand as their way to consume fashion sustainably, and the same number are choosing the secondhand market for the large choice and unique pieces it offers. The thrill of the hunt and opportunity to barter with sellers are also increasingly popular factors for purchasing secondhand clothing, with 35% of survey respondents reporting them as their driving forces. Sellers Are Motivated by Detoxing Their Wardrobe but Deterred by a Lack of Time Sixty percent of those selling secondhand items are looking to clean out their wardrobes and make room in their closets. That same number also reported motivation to recover the residual value of their item and either spend it on secondhand (39%) or firsthand (20%) products, or in general (39%). While selling is an increasingly adopted behavior among buyers, not all buyers have sold items on the secondhand market themselves. Thirty percent of non-sellers have something to sell but haven't been able to find the time to list their items. In lieu of selling, 30% of respondents prefer to give their items away to friends or charities. One-quarter of buyers reported that they wouldn't know what items they would sell from their wardrobes. "Vestiaire Collective is the leading global app for desirable pre-loved fashion created in 2009 with one mission: to transform the fashion industry for a more sustainable future," said Fanny Moizant, cofounder, and president of Vestiaire Collective. "We are proud to see that sustainability and environmental awareness are increasing drivers for customers to buy and sell, but also for companies who wish to integrate circularity into their business model. While there are many avenues for brands to explore this market, internally or with an external partner, collaborating with an established platform like Vestiaire Collective has significant advantages, including access to a community of over 23 million resale consumers worldwide, as well as over a decade of data, pricing, logistics and fulfillment expertise." Succeeding in the Brave New Resale World Nearly 60% of consumers have either discovered a brand or bought it for the first time secondhand, underscoring the strong opportunity for brands to increase their reach to new customers by participating in the resale market. The report outlines three models for brands or retailers to consider when entering the secondhand market. Owning and Operating Its Own Resale Capabilities: By reselling their own collections online and in stores, companies can retain control of their brand and pricing structure and still make a margin twice on the same item. But this approach can be resource intensive, and there can be limited customer reach, as well as volume and inventory risks. By reselling their own collections online and in stores, companies can retain control of their brand and pricing structure and still make a margin twice on the same item. But this approach can be resource intensive, and there can be limited customer reach, as well as volume and inventory risks. Partnering With a Resale Platform: This model offers a mutually beneficial solution. The platform handles the logistics, payment processing, and product validation, while gaining increased traffic, promotion, and credibility from the retailer. For its part, the brand can resell its products, boost recognition, and cheaply acquire new customers without having to run the resale operation. This model offers a mutually beneficial solution. The platform handles the logistics, payment processing, and product validation, while gaining increased traffic, promotion, and credibility from the retailer. For its part, the brand can resell its products, boost recognition, and cheaply acquire new customers without having to run the resale operation. Exploring Resale Without Making a Significant Investment or Long-Term Commitment: This option includes giving a retail partner a modestly sized retail space in stores and developing discount-and-incentive schemes for selling secondhand clothing back to retailers. These lighter solutions help increase footfall and audience reach, and allow players to participate in the circular economy while mitigating the risk that comes with counterfeit goods. Download the publication here: www.bcg.com/publications/2022/the-impact-of-secondhand-market-on-fashion-retailers Media Contacts: Boston Consulting Group Eric Gregoire +1 617 850 3783 [email protected] Vestiaire Collective Marie Tobaly [email protected] About Boston Consulting Group Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place. About Vestiaire Collective Vestiaire Collective is the leading global app for desirable pre-loved fashion. It is dedicated to transforming the fashion industry for a more sustainable future by promoting the circular fashion movement as an alternative to overproduction and overconsumption and the wasteful practices of the fashion industry. Inspired by the "Long Live Fashion" philosophy, it provides its community - those who live for fashion and take care of it for life - with inspiration, tools and features to lead the change as they sell and buy unique pre-loved pieces from each other's wardrobes. The platform is unique thanks to its highly engaged community and its rare, desirable inventory of 5 million items. Launched in Paris in 2009, Vestiaire Collective is a Certified B Corporation with offices in Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and a tech hub in Berlin. Find out more by downloading the app, visiting www.vestiairecollective.com and following @vestiaireco on Instagram. SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Feedback from diverse stakeholders was and will continue to be critical in developing renewable options for customers Nation-leading proposals are designed to help recruit and retain companies looking to achieve their own clean energy goals GREENVILLE, S.C., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has proposed the creation of innovative customer renewable programs and a major expansion of an existing one to allow South Carolina customers the option to supplement their power usage with 100% renewable power a critical need for many businesses seeking to relocate or expand operations in the Palmetto State. Details were spelled out today in filings with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina. "Many of our largest customers prioritize renewable power sources and are making decarbonization a long-term part of their business plans," said Lon Huber, Duke Energy's senior vice president of pricing and customer solutions. "Duke Energy is proud to offer these customers a wide range of options including the ability to match their hourly use with carbon-free energy in one of the country's first 24x7 clean energy programs." That program Renewable Choice would allow large-load customers to contract with either of Duke Energy's South Carolina utilities to provide locally sourced environmental attributes, including renewable energy certificates (REC), generated from both utility-owned generation assets as well as third-party owned generation assets and could include energy-storage options. This program is designed to meet the needs of the companies most advanced in their sustainability journey. If approved, South Carolina would have one of the first tariffed programs for time-aligned clean energy in the country. These proposals come after extensive conversations with customers, developers and advocate groups to learn more about what they need to achieve their carbon and sustainability goals. "A majority of South Carolina's leading employers have explicit decarbonization goals, and the carbon intensity of electricity suppliers is top-of-mind for economic development prospects too," said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy's South Carolina state president. "Recruiting the next big employer to South Carolina may hinge on helping achieve their corporate sustainability goals. We believe these programs and the stakeholder feedback that helped create them will be critical in attracting and retaining companies in the 21st century." Another innovative program being proposed Clean Energy Impact is ideal for non-residential customers that want to claim a certain percentage of renewable energy through environmental attribute purchases in support of corporate sustainability goals, or for residential customers that would like to support the local renewable energy industry. Changes are also being requested for an existing program Green Source Advantage an option that allows large customers to offset their power purchases by securing renewable energy from projects connected to the Duke Energy grid. The customer may count the renewable energy generated to satisfy sustainability or carbon-free goals. Proposed changes include the ability for customers to contract for up to 100% of their energy use compared to the current approximately 30%, as well as expanding the number of solar resources available to customers under the program. As with Renewable Choice, customers can also combine energy storage with their project allowing them to align the production of renewable energy with their energy load. These programs are to be sourced from solar generation currently going through the companies' competitive procurement processes. If approved, both current customers and customers who are in the process of locating their business to South Carolina can sign up for these programs in advance. To learn more about these programs, business customers can visit duke-energy.com/emerging, while residential customers can find more information at duke-energy/emergingprograms. A leader in renewable energy Duke Energy is leading the largest clean-energy transformation in the United States. It maintains more than 4,600 megawatts of solar power on its energy grid in the Carolinas. That could power about 850,000 homes and businesses at peak output. The company also operates more than 45 solar facilities in the Carolinas. With nuclear, hydro and renewable energy, more than half of its energy mix is carbon-free. Duke Energy Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities serve 8.2 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 28,000 people. Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural gas business and at least a 50% carbon reduction from electric generation by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2050 net-zero goals also include Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 emissions. In addition, the company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear. Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2022 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' "America's Best Employers" list. More information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Contact: Ryan Mosier 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy CAPE CORAL, Fla., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecological Laboratories, Inc. (ELI) a World-Wide Leader in Environmental Waste Water Management is expanding their global distribution network in the Farm Waste Sector. Near-term expansion will include the countries of Brazil, Denmark, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Poland, and building on Asian partnerships. This network, together with the recent ELI acquisition of TOMCO Chemical in the USA, has reach to greater than 800 animal husbandry producers servicing more than 10,000,000 pigs and cattle globally. In Farm Waste, agricultural operators traditionally use combinations of polymers, bacillus spore bacteria, physical removal, and/or chemicals to handle key farm waste challenges. "The product Microbe-Lift IND & Microbe-Lift/SA differs from most, if not all, commercial bioformulations in that it contains a select consortium of live bacterial cultures that exhibit unique anaerobic oxidation capabilities," says Doug Dent (CTO). The cutting edge All-Natural liquid microbial and humic formulations under the Microbe-Lift IND and Microbe-Lift SA products will now be available in expanded foreign markets; allowing animal producers to solve challenges including: Odor pump-out consistency / consistent fertility grade flies crusting & sludge buildup H2S Toxicity and related corrosive effects Building on the recent acquisition of TOMCO , ELI is focused on becoming the #1 provider of premium biological additives into farm waste, with future R&D investment in Bio-Gas and Waste to Energy strain development to expand future portfolio offerings for partners. George Meserole, Vice President of International Sales Operations for Ecological Labs stated, "Currently we are in the strong position to selectively engage with global partners who share our vision on utilizing cutting edge natural bacterial products. These products allow the farm operators to transition away from less efficient methods used. Existing bacillus and polymer technologies familiar to farmers don't have the efficacy to address their needs compared to Ecological's highly active live microbial formulations." Commercially in 2022 Q4 2023, Ecological will focus on identifying the strongest On-Farm Distribution partners in Belgium/Netherlands, Canada, Mexico & Germany. If in these markets and have interest, please contact [email protected], with the subject line: "Partner w/ELI in Farm Waste) Ecological Laboratories, Inc. biological products for Waste-To-Energy can be sourced from our exciting portfolio of global distributors: SOURCE Ecological Laboratories, Inc. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and ATHENS, Ga., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and Piedmont today announced they have been awarded a certificate of need to build a freestanding, 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Athens, Georgia. The hospital will be located at 1083 Parkway Boulevard. The hospital will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions. Complementing local acute care services, the future hospital will offer physical, occupational, and speech therapies and 24-hour nursing care to restore functional ability and quality of life. The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, and activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, pharmacy, and therapy courtyard. "We are excited to expand our partnership with Piedmont, a forward-thinking and wellrespected healthcare leader that has been serving Georgia residents for more than 100 years," said Ronnie Wagley, President of Encompass Health's South Atlantic Region. "We look forward to providing even more access to highquality care for Athens-area residents in need of rehabilitative services through this future hospital. By leveraging the strengths of both organizations, we will help patients regain their independence through our coordinated and connected care." "Through our partnership with Encompass Health, we have experienced the value that they can bring to our patients, and we look forward to adding another access point for patients and their loved ones that will provide care close to home," said Michael J. Mandl, Piedmont Executive Vice President. Encompass Health currently has five inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in Georgia and has announced plans to open an additional two hospitals in the state over the next three years, including Atlanta and Columbus. About Piedmont Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing health care. We continue to fuel Georgia's growth through safe, high-quality care close to home an integrated health care system that provides a hassle-free, unified experience. Every year, we have over 30 million visits to Piedmont.org, more than 450,000 appointments scheduled online by patients and over 100,000 virtual visits. We are a private, not-for-profit organization that for centuries has lived up to our purpose to make a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. Today our organization is supported by a work force of more than 37,000 who care for 3.4 million patients across 1,400 locations and serving communities that comprise 80 percent of Georgia's population. This includes 22 hospitals, including three inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, 65 Piedmont Urgent Care centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and more than 3,000 Piedmont Clinic members. Piedmont has provided $1.4 billion in uncompensated care and community benefit programming to the communities we serve over the past five years. In 2022, Forbes ranked us No. 166 on its list of the Best Large Employers in the United States. In 2021, the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that rates hospitals on safety, awarded Piedmont more A grades than any system in Georgia. For more information, or book your next appointment, visit piedmont.org. About Encompass Health Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 153 hospitals in 36 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Encompass Health's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, the regulatory review and approval process, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against the Company; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays; the ability to successfully complete this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; disease outbreaks, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health in response to disease outbreaks; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; the hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's information systems; Encompass Health's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on Encompass Health's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Encompass Health contacts: Piedmont contact: Media contact: Danielle Hall | 205-970-5912 Media contact: Sarah Teach | 404-550-6932 [email protected] [email protected] Investor Relations contact: Mark Miller | 205-970-5860 [email protected] SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- essence makeup, a buzzy range of affordable and fun-to-use cosmetics, is thrilled to announce its debut in the gaming space with its first activation on global streaming platform Twitch. essence makeup Taps into Cosplay Community with First Twitch Activation To further expand its digital presence and reach new audiences, essence has joined forces with leading full-service strategic marketing agency Ader and Twitch streamer and creator Emiru to host a namesake cosplay contest that will stream live on the platform on Tuesday, October 25. Designed to foster creativity and community, the contest will feature categories of different cosplays in which fans submit their photos via Reddit and are judged by Emiru and a panel of other top Twitch streamers for a chance to win $30,000 in prizes. "At its core, essence is fun makeup for fun people, and what's more fun than cosplay?" said Jill Krakowski, Chief Marketing Officer at Cosnova, Inc. "Knowing many of our consumers are in the gaming space, we've been exploring different ways to get involved. Social media has been pivotal in growing essence and as the ultimate social platform for gamers, we feel Twitch offers an opportunity to connect with the gaming community in a way that resonates with the brand." essence, which is widely known for its viral Lash Princess Mascara, continues to generate significant growth, increased market share, and record-breaking sales performance at key retailers each quarter largely due to its evolving digital strategy. Building on the success essence has seen on platforms such as TikTok and Flip, gaming is a natural next step for the brand, whose audience is primarily Gen Z. "essence's fun-spirited brand ethos is a great fit for an audience immersed in and connected through play," said Shini Reddy Wark, Chief Growth Officer, Ader. "We're excited to produce this unique and interactive experience that enables a natural and meaningful connection between essence and the gaming community. Gaming is a perfect venue for the individuality and expression that essence provokes." To attract participants and viewers, Emiru and essence will both be engaging in a series of promotional activities leading up to the event including social posts, livestreams, and short form content. Participants can submit entries on Emiru's Reddit community at reddit.com/r/emiru until October 23, 2022, at 11:59pm PT. Winners will be announced during the Twitch livestream on twitch.tv/emiru on October 25, 2022. About essence makeup essence cosmetics provides user-friendly and affordable makeup options that bring joy to the often serious world of beauty. Beauty doesn't have to cost a lot, and essence proves everyday that excellent quality and innovation is not a question of price. essence's range of color cosmetics are majority manufactured in Europe with ingredients that comply with the strict standards of the European Union Cosmetics Directive and United States FDA. Products are 100% cruelty-free as well as vegan, paraben-free, gluten-free and alcohol-free as often as possible. For further information on essence makeup, visit essencemakeup.com. About Cosnova Beauty cosnova Beauty with headquarters in Sulzbach, Germany is a family-owned company founded by Christina Oster-Daum and Javier Gonzalez in 2002. At the end of the fiscal year 2021, cosnova Beauty had around 650 employees around the world. Meanwhile, its cosmetic brands essence and CATRICE are sold in over 80 countries in Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia, Oceania and Africa. The company's customers include drugstores, food retailers, department stores, perfumeries and fashion chains as well as various online trade partners. In addition, essence and CATRICE are also each represented with their own online stores About Ader Ader is a full-service, strategic marketing agency activating publishers and endemic brands in gaming including Amazon, Samsung, Activision Blizzard, Hershey's, Sega, Epic Games, and Warner Bros. Founded in 2015, Ader understands the complexity and opportunity of the evolving industry - the creators, the communities, the platforms - and facilitates intelligent collaboration through Consulting, Campaign, Live, Event, Produced, Experiential and Metaverse solutions, capabilities and services. Ader is a sister company to NRG, an integrated media company, and highest viewed esports organization in the world, with competitive esports teams including SF Shock and NRG Valorant, and O&O media properties Full Squad Gaming. For more information on Ader, visit www.adergaming.com. SOURCE essence makeup Serving the Farmers brand for more than a decade, Mr. Dailey joined Farmers Group, Inc. in 2007 with its acquisition of Bristol West Holding, where he served in several roles including CEO. From 2008 to 2011, he served as Farmers Group, Inc. Executive Vice President of Personal Lines pushing forward new and innovative products for the organization. In 2011, Mr. Dailey was promoted to President and Chief Operating Officer and became a member of the Farmers Group, Inc. Board of Directors. He has served as Chairman since October 2015. Mr. Dailey was appointed to the role of President & CEO of Farmers Group, Inc. in January 2012. "Jeff has made a positive impact at Farmers over more than a decade of leadership and service," said Mario Greco, Zurich Group Chief Executive Officer. "He has successfully led the organization by producing positive business results, driving technological advances, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, as well as leading employees and the organization effectively through a global pandemic and some of the most eventful periods of time in Farmers more than 90-year history. We appreciate his contributions and leadership." "We are delighted to have Raul Vargas serve as the 13th President & CEO of Farmers Group, Inc.," continued Greco. "Raul in his current role as President of Distribution, Life and Financial Services offers a strategic and solutions-oriented path forward for the national insurer group to continue to deliver a high-level of service and quality insurance products to U.S. consumers. His in-depth understanding of the insurance industry and his history as a strategic leader make him a unique nominee for the position." "It's been an honor to lead Farmers over the years," said Dailey. "Since its founding in Los Angeles in 1928, Farmers has had a rich tradition of proudly serving its customers. It has been a privilege to propel the organization forward in a positive direction and to continue the legacy in which Farmers was founded. I am grateful to have worked with incredibly talented individuals through my time here as President & CEO, and I look forward to continuing to serve the brand as Chairman of the Farmers Group, Inc. Board of Directors." "Raul is an accomplished and seasoned industry leader who has succeeded in senior roles at Zurich, most recently running Zurich's innovative personal lines and life insurance distribution partnership with Santander in Latin America," said Mr. Dailey. "Since joining Farmers earlier this year, he has impressed me with his curiosity, intelligence, and the diversity of his experience in the insurance industry. I am confident he will lead Farmers to continued growth and success." "It's an honor and privilege to have been selected to lead Farmers in this next chapter of the organization's history," said Mr. Vargas. "I'm dedicated to working with our talented team to drive sustained growth and continuously enhance the experience of our valued customers. I am thankful to Jeff for his continued leadership, and I look forward to working closely with him to build on the work he's accomplished." Mr. Vargas has more than two decades of international leadership experience across Latin America and Europe. His extensive career with Zurich Financial Services Group includes eight years as CEO of Zurich Santander Insurance America, in addition to several leadership roles across a wide array of geographies including Head of Distribution and Proposition Management of Zurich Santander in Madrid, Spain; Head of Life Business Latin America in Miami, Florida; as well as Chief Life Actuary and Head of Product Development in Milan, Italy. Mr. Vargas joined Zurich Insurance Group in 1997 as Life Actuary in Zurich Argentina. The Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange are California inter-insurance exchanges owned by their policyholders. Each of the Exchanges is governed by its own Board of Governors. Farmers Group, Inc., or one of its wholly owned subsidiaries provides certain administrative services for each Exchange pursuant to a power of attorney. The Exchanges do not hold an ownership interest in Farmers Group, Inc., or its subsidiaries, and neither Zurich Insurance Group, Farmers Group, Inc., nor any of their subsidiaries hold an ownership interest in any of the Exchanges. About Farmers Insurance "Farmers Insurance" and "Farmers" are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes, and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com or follow Farmers on Twitter @WeAreFarmers, on Instagram @ThisIsFarmers and Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance. Contact: External Communications Farmers Insurance 818-965-0007 [email protected] SOURCE Farmers Group, Inc. SANTA FE, N.M., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Mexico State Police Department has settled a sex discrimination lawsuit brought by its first female pilot, LeAnne Gomez. The department denied any wrongdoing, but agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve Gomez's claims that she was consistently denied opportunities for training and career advancement while enduring a hostile work environment because of her gender. As a result, Gomez has created a platform for solutions-based advocacy to workplace conditions affecting people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The New Mexico State Police department has settled a gender discrimination case with its first ever female police pilot Tweet this LeAnne Gomez in front of the NMSP helicopter in 2018. Gomez, who was employed as an NMSP aviation officer and pilot from July 2015 to March 2019, filed her lawsuit in 2020. In it, she outlined a pattern of discrimination, harassment and retaliation that commenced soon after she was hired. At the time, Gomez was a commercially certified helicopter pilot and qualified law enforcement officer who expected to receive the additional training she needed to perform police missions. The department had previously provided such training to male candidates with no prior flight experience. Instead, according to the suit, Gomez received inconsistent instruction from a supervisor who described one of their first training flights as a "$2,000 date." At an industry conference, the same supervisor told Gomez that he would be telling everybody that they were married because she was "drawing too much of a crowd," the filing states. Gomez says that after she objected to his behavior, she was subjected to retaliation that damaged her professionally, financially and emotionally. She says she was denied the training and flight time she needed to progress as a pilot and received lower pay as a result. Members of the Air Section continued to exclude her from team meetings, trainings and missions while telling her "If you don't like it, leave and fly somewhere else," Gomez claims. Meanwhile, Gomez was the only member of the Air Section who had to ask permission to attend team briefings. For more than three years, she used the chain of command to notify the department of the discriminatory treatment and seek the training she deserved. The filing alleges her requests and reports went nowhere. According to the filing, the embedded culture against women was incessant during the academy, Gomez was subject to lewd videos and a sergeant called women "bleeders." There were constant comments claiming that underperforming males were "like girls." Her flight trainer incorrectly indicated that she was not strong enough to perform a required emergency procedure in the helicopter because she was female, according to a deposition. The complaint outlines a barrage of demeaning, harassing and disparaging comments and events. Gomez says she was ultimately forced to resign to protect her mental health, having lost almost four years of career progression as a pilot and in no position to start over. While the settlement cannot replace the sacrifice of her dream career, she is using this opportunity to call attention to the persistence of discriminatory and toxic cultures in workplaces including NMSP. Gomez wants to make contact with businesses and individuals to help design and implement solutions-based training, consulting, structural changes and assistance for those who want to improve workplace culture. To find out more or get involved, you can contact LeAnne here. "Everyone suffers and morale plummets when there are human rights issues in the workplace. Having diversity uncovers biases that aren't apparent without it," Gomez says. "Solutions exist to these issues, and I am going to find and implement them. Culture issues are affecting businesses' ability to hire and retain workers, they reduce productivity and ultimately, affect the bottom line." When asked about the future of her former agency, she replied, "Entities need to understand that the 'problem' is not gone because the individual that was a catalyst for uncovering the problem is gone. Creating an inclusive culture in the context of diversity may seem expensive at first because it can result in punitive measures for tenured employees, but nothing is so costly to a company or agency as willfully cultivating a toxic culture." To view the details of the case, visit here. SOURCE LeAnne Gomez DUBLIN, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Digital Transformation Market by Component, Technology (Cloud Computing, Big Data & Analytics, Mobility & Social Media Management, Cybersecurity, AI), Deployment Mode, Organization Size, Business Function, Vertical and Region - Global Forecast to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global digital transformation market size is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 21.1% during the forecast period, to reach USD 1,548.9 Billion by 2027 from USD 594.5 Billion in 2022. The key elements anticipated to propel the adoption of digital transformation market technology throughout the forecast period are rising expenditure on marketing efforts, rising spending on television commercials, and changing consumer intelligence landscapes. In addition, the use of digital technology has led to developments that are reflected in the Digital Transformation Market. During the projection period, the adoption of the digital transformation market will increase due to its use across organizational processes, companies, competencies, and procedures. The improvement of organizational functions, workforce optimization, and conversion of an organization's offerings and services are all achieved with the help of the digital transformation market, which is anticipated to fuel the market's expansion in the years to come. Manufacturers now require digitalization due to the development of digital technologies such as big data & analytics, cloud computing, blockchain, mobility, AI, robotics, IoT, and cybersecurity. These innovations are also used by businesses to enhance client relationships and add new features to their existing business processes, which is causing businesses to adopt digital transformation. The AI technology to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period By technology, the digital transformation market has been segmented into cloud computing, big data & analytics, mobility & social media management, cybersecurity, AI, IoT and other technologies. The CAGR of the AI technology is estimated to be the largest during the forecast period. The use of advanced technologies such as cloud, IoT, big data & analytics, mobility & social media management, AI and cybersecurity had led to innovate and transformation, stimulating the growth of business ecosystem. In the market for digital transformation, AI increases consumer satisfaction, which accelerates the market adoption of AI technology. The rise of artificial intelligence had changed how data is gathered and evaluated. The Large Enterprises segment to register for the largest market size during the forecast period The digital transformation market has been segmented by organization size into large enterprises and SMEs. The market for Large Enterprises is expected to register for the largest market size during the forecast period. Solutions for digital transformation are used by large businesses to improve operational effectiveness and consumer experiences. To develop a data-driven strategy, they must integrate, categorize, and evaluate a vast amount of data from many operations. Among business functions, Other business functions is register to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period Legal, supply chain, and operations are included under other business functions. The legal industry must digitally alter all aspects of the legal experience, including service delivery, workflows, processes, team communications, and client involvement. The efficiency and workflow at a traditional law firm could seem slower than what clients expect from contemporary digital technologies, which provide instant satisfaction. Businesses are utilizing digital technology to share assets and information in unique ways related to the supply chain. The capabilities of the technologies that are accessible to organisations have a significant impact on the rate of supply chain digitalization. A s developers designed applications to benefit from the data produced by ERP systems, one of the first business functions to experience substantial technical advancements is supply chain management. Market Dynamics Drivers Rising Adoption of Big Data and Other Related Technologies Advent of Ml and Digital Transformation Cost Benefits of Cloud-Based Digital Transformation Solutions Rapid Proliferation of Mobile Devices and Apps Adoption and Scaling of Digital Initiatives Restraints Changing Regional Data Regulations to Lead to Time-Consuming Restructuring of Predictive Models Data Security Concerns Issues About Privacy and Security of Information Opportunities Rising Internet Proliferation and Growing Usage of Connected and Integrated Technologies Demand for Personalized Digital Transformation Increasing Willingness of Organizations to Use Digital Technology Challenges Integration of Data from Data Silos Issues Related to It Modernization Ownership and Privacy of Collected Data Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 5 Market Overview and Industry Trends 6 Digital Transformation Market, by Component 7 Digital Transformation Market, by Technology 8 Digital Transformation Market, by Deployment Type 9 Digital Transformation Market, by Organization Size 10 Digital Transformation Market, by Business Function 11 Digital Transformation Market, by Vertical 12 Digital Transformation Market, by Region 13 Competitive Landscape 14 Company Profiles 15 Appendix Companies Mentioned Adobe Aexonic Technologies Alcor Solutions Alibaba Baidu Brillio Broadcom Dempton Consulting Group Emudhra Equinix Google Happiest Minds HCL Technologies HPE IBM Interfacing Kissflow Marlabs Microsoft Oracle Process Street Processmaker Salesforce SAP Scoro Smartstream Tibco Software Yash Technologies For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1cnl95 Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Shares Outstanding: 295,706,006 Trading Symbols: TSX: GGD OTCQX: GLGDF HALIFAX, NS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - GoGold Resources Inc. (TSX: GGD) (OTCQX: GLGDF) ("GoGold", "the Company") is pleased to present its second annual Sustainability Report that sets out the Company's performance and achievements with respect to its environmental, social and governance ("ESG") practices. "We're pleased to release our second annual Sustainability Report which outlines our performance and achievements related to ESG practices. Silver continues to be a metal that is a key component of the emerging green economy. Our partnership with the Town of Parral to help remediate their land produces silver at a low carbon footprint of 0.006 tCO 2 e per ounce of silver equivalent produced," said Brad Langille, President and CEO. "Over the past year, we have made substantial progress toward our ESG goals. We took action to improve our governance, which our stakeholders told us was a priority. We promoted dialogue internally to discuss how we could improve our business even further, including topics related to ESG. Our philosophy has always been to do business in a way that not only helps our communities and employees thrive, but that also protects natural ecosystems while increasing long term shareholder value." The full update is available for download at www.gogoldresources.com/sustainability/ Highlights of the Report: 0.006 tCO 2 e per oz of silver equivalent produced e per oz of silver equivalent produced 0.004 tCO 2 e per tonne of ore processed e per tonne of ore processed 9,500 hours of safety and professional development training Awarded the ESR distinction (Empresa Socialmente Responsables Corporate Social Responsibility) $17.1 million USD spent in local purchases, including $422,000 in community investment spent in local purchases, including in community investment Adoption of new policies related to Environment, Human Rights, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Climate Change, and Water Resources Appointment of Karen Flores as Director and head of ESG Committee About GoGold Resources GoGold Resources (TSX: GGD) is a Canadian-based silver and gold producer focused on operating, developing, exploring and acquiring high quality projects in Mexico. The Company operates the Parral Tailings mine in the state of Chihuahua and has the Los Ricos South and Los Ricos North exploration projects in the state of Jalisco. Headquartered in Halifax, NS, GoGold is building a portfolio of low cost, high margin projects. For more information visit gogoldresources.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy of any of GoGold's securities in the United States. This news release may contain "forward-looking information" as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding GoGold's future plans in the areas of sustainable development, health, safety, environment, community development, the Los Ricos South and North projects, and future plans and objectives of GoGold, including the intention to undertake further exploration at Los Ricos North, and the prospect of further discoveries there, constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information but which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions in connection with the continuance of GoGold and its subsidiaries as a going concern, general economic and market conditions, mineral prices, the accuracy of mineral resource estimates, and the performance of the Parral project. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from GoGold's expectations include exploration and development risks associated with GoGold's projects, the failure to establish estimated mineral resources or mineral reserves, volatility of commodity prices, variations of recovery rates, and global economic conditions. For additional information with respect to risk factors applicable to GoGold, reference should be made to GoGold's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with securities regulators, including, but not limited to, GoGold's Annual Information Form. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date of this release. SOURCE GoGold Resources Inc. This news release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated October 15, 2021, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated September 10, 2021. VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Great Panther Mining Limited (OTCPK: GPLDK) ("Great Panther" or the "Company") announces that on October 4, 2022, the Supreme Court of British Columbia (the "Court") pronounced an initial order (the "Initial Order") converting the Company's restructuring proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada) (the "NOI Proceedings") to the more flexible restructuring proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) ("CCAA"). Similar to the stay of proceedings granted in the NOI Proceedings, the Initial Order prevents creditors from enforcing against the Company up to and including October 14, 2022 (the "Stay"), on which date the Company will return before the Court to seek, among other things, an extension to the Stay. The Initial Order also approved an agreement between the Company and Asahi Refining Canada Ltd. ("Asahi") pursuant to which Asahi will continue to provide refining services to the Company (the "Asahi Agreement"). The Company's management is of the view that the Asahi Agreement will avoid the potential disruption of seeking a new refiner and will assist in maintaining the timely sale of gold from its indirectly owned mine, increasing the funds available to support the Company and its operations during these proceedings. Additional Information Further updates will be provided as appropriate. A copy of the Initial Order and all materials related thereto, as well as any other information regarding the CCAA proceedings, are available on the court-appointed monitor's website at https://www.alvarezandmarsal.com/GPR. ABOUT GREAT PANTHER Great Panther Mining is a precious metals producer focused on the operation of the Tucano Gold Mine in Brazil where the Company controls a land package covering nearly 200,000 hectares in the prospective Vila Nova Greenstone belt. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the Company's intention to request an extension to the Stay, the continued provision of refining services by Asahi and the benefits of entering into the Asahi Agreement. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant procedural, operational, business, economic and regulatory risks and uncertainties, including risks related to the restructuring process and its impact on the Company's operations and financial conditions, uncertainty regarding the ability to obtain protection against all collection and enforcement actions during the judicial reorganization proceedings, uncertainty regarding the Company's ability to identify and pursue strategic alternatives that will maximize stakeholder value, and the risks described in respect of Great Panther in its most recent annual information form and management's discussion and analysis filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com and its most recent annual report on Form 40-F and management's discussion and analysis on Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov . There is no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove accurate or that actual results will not vary materially from these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's current views of our near- and longer-term prospects and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not intend, nor does it assume any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, changes in assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. SOURCE Great Panther Mining Limited SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Finalists for the prestigious 2023 Green Truck of the Year award have been announced by Green Car Journal, the 'green' car field's leading authority for the past 30 years. Five distinguished candidates top the list including the Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Maverick, Hyundai Santa Cruz, RAM 1500, and Toyota Tundra. The winner will be honored at a San Antonio Auto & Truck Show press conference on Friday, November 11, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Green Car Journal 2023 Green Truck of the Year "We are excited to be presenting our Green Truck of the Year award for the ninth straight year at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, in the heart of truck country," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and GreenCarJournal.com . "This year's field offers something for every truck enthusiast, from an all-electric pickup to hybrid and efficient gas engine models. In every case, these more environment-friendly pickups deliver all the attributes demanded of a truck in our modern world, at a reasonable price appealing to truck buyers." THE FINALISTS Ford's F-150 Lightning is the automaker's highly anticipated electric pickup featuring a 230-320 mile range, starting at $46,974. The Ford Maverick offers a 2.0-liter EcoBoost or standard 2.5-liter hybrid powerplant, the latter delivering up to 42 city mpg at an entry price of $20,995. At $24,440, the Hyundai Santa Cruz features a more compact pickup form ideally suited for everyday use, offering an estimated 26 highway mpg. The RAM 1500 pickup line delivers style and rugged functionality starting at a base price of $37,090, with several eTorque hybrid power options available that net up to 26 highway mpg. Toyota's third generation Tundra full-size pickup features an entry point of $36,965 and offers an i-FORCE MAX hybrid powertrain, delivering 437 horsepower and up to 24 mpg. While evaluating potential finalists, Green Car Journal editors consider an array of important criteria including fuel efficiency and thus reduced carbon emissions plus availability, connectivity, performance, and value. Price is a crucial element as pickup buyers weigh the capabilities they need and the environmental performance they desire, balanced with a retail cost that makes a purchase or lease possible. Trucks with a higher base price typical of the luxury segment are considered in the magazine's separate luxury award category. New models that are announced but offer unknown delivery dates, features, or price are considered in the following year's award program when details become available. "As consumers enhance their desires to focus on energy-saving elements and efficiencies, it is important for us to continue to highlight those leading the way in the auto industry," said SA Auto Dealers President Pam Crail. "San Antonio will get an incredible show with this year's finalists, with these manufacturers coming up with new, unique features that are raising the bar for truck aficionados everywhere." About Green Car Journal The Green Car Awards are an important part of Green Car Journal's mission to showcase environmental progress in the auto industry. The award-winning magazine and GreenCarJournal.com are premier sources of information on electric, advanced technology, and low carbon vehicles. Green Truck of the Year and the Green Car Awards are trademarks of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc. About San Antonio Auto & Truck Show The San Antonio Auto and Truck Show (SAATS), produced by the San Antonio Dealers Association, is a preeminent automotive event, bringing all things automotive to South Texas each November. Dubbed "the largest showroom in South Texas," show visitors may shop and compare all makes and models of cars and light trucks, under one roof. The show is also the Truck Capital of the South. SAATS offers up exciting automotive manufacturer displays of the newest model vehicles and the latest, cutting-edge technologies every year. Visitors can also experience the most current and innovative ways to personalize their vehicles in the MarketPlace. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.saautoshow.com . Media Contact: Tanya Sammis 512-431-8940 [email protected] SOURCE San Antonio Auto & Truck Show LAKE FOREST, Calif., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GTFO It's Vegan officially launches GreatFoods Research & Advisory Services to help companies in the plant-based and vegan market achieve greater levels of success in this highly competitive and rapidly evolving sector. GreatFoods offers a full suite of product launch services, from product concept development and innovation, new and existing product testing, launch on the GTFO It's Vegan platform, and expansion via our national distribution network. According to the recent report "Plant-Based Foods Poised for Explosive Growth" published by Bloomberg Intelligence, the plant-based foods market is forecasted to reach 7.7% of the global protein market by 2030, with a value of over $162 billion, up from $29.4 billion in 2020. However, recent plant-based sales in the U.S. might indicate otherwise. Several recent articles published by FoodNavigator-USA reference the "weakening US retail sales of meat alternatives" -- from July 2022 versus July 2021, total sales dollars increased 7.6% to $120.2m, while total sales volume declined 5.1%. Marc Pierce, CEO and Co-Founder of GTFO It's Vegan, the largest online retailer and wholesaler of vegan and plant-based products in the U.S. states "while the market overall continues to experience growth, the number of entrants in any one category such as plant-based meats, seafood, or dairy is accelerating faster than the overall growth of its category. This makes it harder for brands to succeed as they fight to acquire market share. There are simply too many products entering the market to ensure the success for everyone." Pierce continues, "when we first launched GTFO in May of 2020, there were 5 or 6 major players in the top selling categories. Now there are 30 or 40 all vying for their share of the market. This spells trouble for new entrants who may not have the market insight, marketing budgets, distribution presence, and most importantly, the product uniqueness to succeed." Even well funded players are suffering. Planterra Foods who launched the OZO brand a few years ago just announced it is being shut down by its parent company Brazilian-based JBS. Maple Leaf Foods, who owns Lightlife and Field Roast plant-based brands, is reallocating resources back to conventional meat amid declining sales. As substantiated by the Good Foods Institute, billions of dollars have been invested in the plant-based space in the past few years. While great for the industry, many of these companies and investors may never see a return on their investment. Pierce continues, "It reminds me a bit of the dot-com bubble that burst in 2000. Many of the companies receiving funding may not have what it takes to succeed. 'Me Too' products are destined to fail and both companies and investors should think long and hard before launching new innovations that are not competitively distinct." GTFO It's Vegan has the data to back this up. After husband and wife team Marc and Tanya Pierce launched GTFO in May of 2020 amid the pandemic, they have sold over 500k items across 50k orders to tens of thousands of customers. They now maintain one of the largest proprietary databases of plant-based sales data and consumer preferences, including thousands of product reviews and social media comments coming from their nearly 150k Instagram followers. With this gold-mine of highly valued data, GTFO spent many months planning the launch of GreatFoods Research and Advisory Services to provide data, research, and advisory services to companies serving the vegan and plant-based sectors. GreatFoods' solutions, combined with a carefully recruited team of industry experts, helps food and beverage companies navigate the complexities of developing, launching, and growing plant-based products and brands. This is a natural evolution for GTFO. Prior to launching the company, Marc Pierce ran a successful market research and consulting business for nearly 20 years catering to the health, wellness and consumer products sectors. He also previously held leadership consulting positions with PriceWaterhouse Coopers and Ernst & Young. Marc started his career in brand management with Procter & Gamble. GreatFoods offers a full suite of services, including: access to its proprietary Veganalytics -- detailed de-identified purchase trends, data, and benchmarks by category and consumer segment; quantitative and qualitative market research; and, advisory services to assist with product innovation, testing, launch and expansion of plant-based offerings. Powering its suite of services is an industry first, inhouse developed SaaS solution called STAMP, a proprietary platform that enables companies competing in the plant-based sector to rapidly obtain feedback and purchase intent on their products. Pierce states, "I am most excited about this piece of technology as nothing like this exists in the market today. We have the ability to push out concept stage and existing products in every box we send to our large base of customers and obtain real-time feedback on what is most important to these customers in selecting a plant-based product together with how well the product is delivering on their expectations." In less than 10 days, GreatFoods can advise a company of its STAMP score illustrating the likelihood a product will succeed or fail in the market. With the GTFO's online marketplace and the STAMP solution, GreatFoods becomes the first company of its kind to bridge the gap between maintaining a qualified panel of nearly 50k vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and plant-based curious customers, sampling products to these customers, and providing real time feedback from these customers. To solidify market readiness, GreatFoods tested its offerings on over 50 new entrants and existing companies. Pierce states, "in prior research and consulting endeavors I would have had to outsource one or all of these components; now we have the full end-to-end solution to help companies learn what it takes to succeedor alternatively make the tough decisions to regroup or exit, saving companies and investors from misplaced investment and costly mistakes." To learn more about GreatFoods Research and Advisory Services, visit https://gtfoitsvegan.com/greatfoods/, www.gtfoitsvegan.com or email [email protected]. Media Contact: Marc Pierce 949-229-0044 [email protected] SOURCE GTFO Its Vegan Five-day gathering includes leading medical researchers from Columbia, Johns Hopkins, MAPS, NYU, and Yale, veterans and generals, New York legislators, and leaders of global indigenous communities NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizons, the world's longest-running annual event devoted to psychedelics, returns to the New York Academy of Medicine and The Great Hall at The Cooper Union from Wednesday, October 12 Sunday, October 16, 2022. An internationally-recognized destination for the growing psychedelic community, this year's five-day conference includes over 70 leading experts from science, medicine, policy, law, business, the armed forces, religion, anthropology, and the humanities. This year's program includes two days of classes for medical and care professionals, as well as four days of in-depth forums that explore the field of psychedelics. Classes and Workshops on Wednesday, October 12 & Thursday, October 13 at the New York Academy of Medicine In-depth CE/CME education about psilocybin and MDMA therapy led by researchers like Matthew W. Johnson , PhD and Mary Cosimano , LCSW of Johns Hopkins , and Marcela Ot'alora G., MA, LPC of MAPS. , PhD and , LCSW of , and Marcela Ot'alora G., MA, LPC of MAPS. The Psychedelic Business Forum on Thursday, October 13th at the New York Academy of Medicine Discussions with entrepreneurs, executives, investors, and philanthropists about growing a psychedelic care industry that can integrate with the healthcare system Psychedelics in Research on Friday, October 14th at the Great Hall at Cooper Union Briefings on the potential of psilocybin, MDMA, and novel psychedelic therapies to treat PTSD, alcoholism, end-of-life anxiety, Alzheimer's, pain, cluster headaches, and other indications. Psychedelics in Medicine on Saturday, October 15th at the Great Hall at Cooper Union Updates on major shifts in statewide and national policy that could create regulated access to psychedelic medicine in the next few years. Psychedelics in the World on Sunday, October 16th at the Great Hall at Cooper Union A look at the traditional, cultural, and religious uses of psychedelics in the real world from artists, activists, scholars, and leaders of indigenous communities. Horizons is open to the public and registration is available at horizonspbc.com/newyork . About Horizons Since 2007, Horizons has helped the public understand the world of psychedelics through live events and digital media. Its flagship conference in New York City is the largest and longest-running annual gathering of the psychedelic community in the world. Horizons is produced by Horizons PBC, a public benefit corporation based in New York City. SOURCE Horizons PBC DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In its 62nd year, the leading luxury brokerage in Dallas, Fort Worth and all of North Texas became part of a unique and growing family of other Sotheby's International Realty affiliates. Robbie Briggs, the CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty, announced the news in October 2021. But, there would be more news to come, later that year and throughout 2022. Here is an update from Briggs: Robbie Briggs, CEO, Briggs Freeman Sothebys International Realty "I can confirm that time does fly when you're having fun. It has been one amazing year since Peerage Realty Partners formalized a substantial partnership interest in our brokerage. Peerage is a private-equity investor in the luxury real estate realm, especially top Sotheby's International Realty affiliates. The group is exceptionally passionate about the $204 billion brand, having already partnered with several brokerages affiliated with it across Canada, Chicago, Vermont and New Hampshire before we joined forces. Peerage grew exponentially in 2021, finding new partners in nine businesses across the North American residential real estate sector. Most are like Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty: well-established firms with strong brands and equally strong reputations for offering a luxury experience and trusted advice to clients. The news kept coming. In December, Peerage acquired a substantial partnership interest in Cascade Sotheby's International Realty, serving key Oregon and Southwest Washington markets. Now, Cascade has merged with the Hasson Company, another leading luxury brokerage, which serves Portland Metro, Central Oregon and Southwest Washington, too. The new entity is called Cascade Hasson Sotheby's International Realty. This year, Peerage has acquired substantial partnership interests in Premier Sotheby's International Realty, in Florida and North Carolina, and Pacific Sotheby's International Realty, in the Southern California markets of Orange County and San Diego County. We are all part of the growing Peerage Realty Partners family now one of the 10 largest residential real estate services firms in North America, with more than 7,000 best-in-class agents and employees in almost 300 offices. Together, we are projected to transact more than $53 billion in residential real estate. What does this mean for our clients? Even more support for their favorite agents and more value for themselves. The partnership provides strategic input, capital, technology, operational expertise, marketing and more all to enhance the client experience, through every phase of a transaction and beyond." Interviews with Briggs and brokerage president Russ Anderson are available. The brokerage's website with properties, neighborhoods, schools and more is briggsfreeman.com. SOURCE Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The " Industrial Monitoring Relays Market by End-user, Product, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026 " report has been added to Technavio's offering. The report expects the market size to grow by USD 597.97 million, accelerating at a CAGR of 6.18% during the forecast period. According to the report, the market will observe significant growth in APAC. The high urbanization rate and the increasing use of electronics among the population are creating immense opportunities for vendors operating in the region. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Industrial Monitoring Relays Market 2022-2026 Technavio offers in-depth market insights that assist global businesses to obtain growth opportunities. Make informed decisions by purchasing our full report. Download PDF Sample Report Before Purchasing Technavio categorizes the global industrial monitoring relays market as a part of the global industrial machinery market. The parent, the global industrial machinery market, covers companies engaged in manufacturing industrial machinery and components covering presses, machine tools, compressors, pollution control equipment, elevators, escalators, insulators, pumps, roller bearings, and other metal fabrications. The market in focus is driven by factors such as the growing need for safe and reliable monitoring devices for power equipment, rising demand for remote monitoring in the power sector, and the modernization of power network. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The global industrial monitoring relays market is fragmented due to the presence of numerous established and emerging vendors. The leading vendors in the market hold a significant market share. They have the financial resources and technical expertise to carry out the R&D. Moreover, they have strong brand recognition, established distribution networks, and an extensive product portfolio. Hence, small and medium-sized players find it difficult to compete with established players in terms of technological advances and access to distribution networks to expand their market presence. Thus, they adopt competitive pricing strategies to improve market penetration. Industrial Monitoring Relays Market 2022-2026: Segmentation End-user Power Industry Oil and Gas Industry Automotive Industry Chemical Industry Others The power industry is the key end-user in the market. The need to maintain a continuous supply of electricity in power plants and improve the longevity of equipment will accelerate the adoption of industrial monitoring relays in the power industry during the forecast period. Product Voltage Monitoring Relays Phase Monitoring Relays Others The demand for voltage monitoring relays has been significant among end-users in the market. Voltage monitoring relays are easy to install, do not require current transformers, and, therefore, are less expensive. Also, they need only voltage connections so that they can be connected independently of the system load. Such benefits are increasing their demand in the market. Geography APAC North America Europe The Middle East and Africa and South America 37% of the market growth will come from APAC during the forecast period. Rising investments in renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind and an increase in the number of nuclear reactors are expected to foster the growth of the industrial monitoring relays market in APAC over the forecast period. Industrial Monitoring Relays Market 2022-2026: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the industrial monitoring relays market provides a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the market. Some of these vendors include ABB Ltd., AIC Technik Pvt. Ltd., ALSTOM SA, Banner Engineering Corp., Bender GmbH and Co. KG, Broyce Control, Coto Technology, Danfoss AS, Eaton Corp. Plc, FINDER SpA, Fujitsu Ltd., FURUKAWA Co. Ltd., General Electric Co., Macromatic Industrial Controls Inc., OMRON Corp., Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co. KG, Pilz GmbH and Co. KG, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., Shenle Corp Ltd, Siemens AG, TE Connectivity Ltd., and WEG Equipamentos Eletricos SA. The report also covers the following areas: Industrial Monitoring Relays Market 2022-2026: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2022-2026 Detailed information on factors that will assist industrial monitoring relays market growth during the next five years Estimation of the industrial monitoring relays market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the industrial monitoring relays market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of industrial monitoring relays market vendors Related Reports: Industrial Monitoring Relays Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 6.18% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 597.97 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 5.1 Regional analysis APAC, North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution APAC at 37% Key consumer countries US, Canada, China, India, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled ABB Ltd., AIC Technik Pvt. Ltd., ALSTOM SA, Banner Engineering Corp., Bender GmbH and Co. KG, Broyce Control, Coto Technology, Danfoss AS, Eaton Corp. Plc, FINDER SpA, Fujitsu Ltd., FURUKAWA Co. Ltd., General Electric Co., Macromatic Industrial Controls Inc., OMRON Corp., Phoenix Contact GmbH and Co. KG, Pilz GmbH and Co. KG, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric SE, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc., Shenle Corp Ltd, Siemens AG, TE Connectivity Ltd., and WEG Equipamentos Eletricos SA Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized. Table of contents: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview Exhibit 01: Executive Summary Chart on Market Overview Exhibit 02: Executive Summary Data Table on Market Overview Exhibit 03: Executive Summary Chart on Global Market Characteristics Exhibit 04: Executive Summary Chart on Market by Geography Exhibit 05: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user Exhibit 06: Executive Summary Chart on Market Segmentation by Product Exhibit 07: Executive Summary Chart on Incremental Growth Exhibit 08: Executive Summary Data Table on Incremental Growth Exhibit 09: Executive Summary Chart on Vendor Market Positioning 2 Market Landscape 2.1 Market ecosystem Exhibit 10: Parent market Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics 3 Market Sizing 3.1 Market definition Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition 3.2 Market segment analysis Exhibit 13: Market segments 3.3 Market size 2021 3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026 Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 4 Five Forces Analysis 4.1 Five forces summary Exhibit 18: Five forces analysis - Comparison between2021 and 2026 4.2 Bargaining power of buyers Exhibit 19: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers Impact of key factors 2021 and 2026 4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers Exhibit 20: Bargaining power of suppliers Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.4 Threat of new entrants Exhibit 21: Threat of new entrants Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.5 Threat of substitutes Exhibit 22: Threat of substitutes Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.6 Threat of rivalry Exhibit 23: Threat of rivalry Impact of key factors in 2021 and 2026 4.7 Market condition Exhibit 24: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2021 and 2026 5 Market Segmentation by End-user 5.1 Market segments Exhibit 25: Chart on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 26: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 5.2 Comparison by End-user Exhibit 27: Chart on Comparison by End-user Exhibit 28: Data Table on Comparison by End-user 5.3 Power industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 29: Chart on Power industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 30: Data Table on Power industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 31: Chart on Power industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 32: Data Table on Power industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.4 Oil and gas industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 33: Chart on Oil and gas industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 34: Data Table on Oil and gas industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 35: Chart on Oil and gas industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 36: Data Table on Oil and gas industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.5 Automotive industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 37: Chart on Automotive industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 38: Data Table on Automotive industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 39: Chart on Automotive industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 40: Data Table on Automotive industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.6 Chemical industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 41: Chart on Chemical industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 42: Data Table on Chemical industry - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 43: Chart on Chemical industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 44: Data Table on Chemical industry - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 45: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 46: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 47: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 48: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 5.8 Market opportunity by End-user Exhibit 49: Market opportunity by End-user ($ million) 6 Market Segmentation by Product 6.1 Market segments Exhibit 50: Chart on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 51: Data Table on Product - Market share 2021-2026 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Product Exhibit 52: Chart on Comparison by Product Exhibit 53: Data Table on Comparison by Product 6.3 Voltage monitoring relays - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 54: Chart on Voltage monitoring relays - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 55: Data Table on Voltage monitoring relays - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 56: Chart on Voltage monitoring relays - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 57: Data Table on Voltage monitoring relays - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.4 Phase monitoring relays - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 58: Chart on Phase monitoring relays - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 59: Data Table on Phase monitoring relays - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 60: Chart on Phase monitoring relays - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 61: Data Table on Phase monitoring relays - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 62: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 63: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 64: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 65: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 6.6 Market opportunity by Product Exhibit 66: Market opportunity by Product ($ million) 7 Customer Landscape 7.1 Customer landscape overview Exhibit 67: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 8 Geographic Landscape 8.1 Geographic segmentation Exhibit 68: Chart on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 69: Data Table on Market share by geography 2021-2026 (%) 8.2 Geographic comparison Exhibit 70: Chart on Geographic comparison Exhibit 71: Data Table on Geographic comparison 8.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 72: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 73: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 74: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 75: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.4 North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 76: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 77: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 78: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 79: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.5 Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 80: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 81: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 82: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 83: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.6 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 84: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 85: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) and - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 86: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) and - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 87: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 88: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 89: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 90: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 91: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.8 US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 92: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 93: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 94: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 95: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.9 China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 96: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 97: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 98: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 99: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.10 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 100: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 101: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 102: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 103: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.11 India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 104: Chart on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 105: Data Table on India - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 106: Chart on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 107: Data Table on India - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.12 Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 Exhibit 108: Chart on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 109: Data Table on Canada - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) - Market size and forecast 2021-2026 ($ million) Exhibit 110: Chart on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) Exhibit 111: Data Table on Canada - Year-over-year growth 2021-2026 (%) 8.13 Market opportunity by geography Exhibit 112: Market opportunity by geography ($ million) 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 9.1 Market drivers 9.2 Market challenges 9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges Exhibit 113: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2021 and 2026 9.4 Market trends 10 Vendor Landscape 10.1 Overview 10.2 Vendor landscape Exhibit 114: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 10.3 Landscape disruption Exhibit 115: Overview on factors of disruption 10.4 Industry risks Exhibit 116: Impact of key risks on business 11 Vendor Analysis 11.1 Vendors covered Exhibit 117: Vendors covered 11.2 Market positioning of vendors Exhibit 118: Matrix on vendor position and classification 11.3 ABB Ltd. Exhibit 119: ABB Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 120: ABB Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 121: ABB Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 122: ABB Ltd. - Segment focus 11.4 ALSTOM SA Exhibit 123: ALSTOM SA - Overview Exhibit 124: ALSTOM SA - Business segments Exhibit 125: ALSTOM SA - Key news Exhibit 126: ALSTOM SA - Key offerings Exhibit 127: ALSTOM SA - Segment focus 11.5 Banner Engineering Corp. Exhibit 128: Banner Engineering Corp. - Overview Exhibit 129: Banner Engineering Corp. - Product / Service Exhibit 130: Banner Engineering Corp. - Key offerings 11.6 Bender GmbH and Co. KG Exhibit 131: Bender GmbH and Co. KG - Overview Exhibit 132: Bender GmbH and Co. KG - Product / Service Exhibit 133: Bender GmbH and Co. KG - Key offerings 11.7 Eaton Corp. Plc Exhibit 134: Eaton Corp. Plc - Overview Exhibit 135: Eaton Corp. Plc - Business segments Exhibit 136: Eaton Corp. Plc - Key news Exhibit 137: Eaton Corp. Plc - Key offerings Exhibit 138: Eaton Corp. Plc - Segment focus 11.8 FINDER SpA Exhibit 139: FINDER SpA - Overview Exhibit 140: FINDER SpA - Product / Service Exhibit 141: FINDER SpA - Key offerings 11.9 FURUKAWA Co. Ltd. Exhibit 142: FURUKAWA Co. Ltd. - Overview Exhibit 143: FURUKAWA Co. Ltd. - Business segments Exhibit 144: FURUKAWA Co. Ltd. - Key offerings Exhibit 145: FURUKAWA Co. Ltd. - Segment focus 11.10 Rockwell Automation Inc. Exhibit 146: Rockwell Automation Inc. - Overview Exhibit 147: Rockwell Automation Inc. - Business segments Exhibit 148: Rockwell Automation Inc. - Key news Exhibit 149: Rockwell Automation Inc. - Key offerings Exhibit 150: Rockwell Automation Inc. - Segment focus 11.11 Schneider Electric SE Exhibit 151: Schneider Electric SE - Overview Exhibit 152: Schneider Electric SE - Business segments Exhibit 153: Schneider Electric SE - Key news Exhibit 154: Schneider Electric SE - Key offerings Exhibit 155: Schneider Electric SE - Segment focus 11.12 Siemens AG Exhibit 156: Siemens AG - Overview Exhibit 157: Siemens AG - Business segments Exhibit 158: Siemens AG - Key news Exhibit 159: Siemens AG - Key offerings Exhibit 160: Siemens AG - Segment focus 12 Appendix 12.1 Scope of the report 12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist Exhibit 161: Inclusions checklist Exhibit 162: Exclusions checklist 12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$ Exhibit 163: Currency conversion rates for US$ 12.4 Research methodology Exhibit 164: Research methodology Exhibit 165: Validation techniques employed for market sizing Exhibit 166: Information sources 12.5 List of abbreviations Exhibit 167: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Innovative smartphone brand celebrates cutting-edge tech of latest flagship product release with unique engagement approach SHANGHAI, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global smartphone company, Infinix, today announced the launch of the brand's all-new ZERO ULTRA smartphone its most powerful flagship to date with 180W Thunder Charge technology as well as a space-themed limited-edition XBOY EXPLORER NFT collection.The launch of the innovative NFTs celebrates humanity's desire to explore new frontiers, both the wider universe and the metaverse. Infinix's NFT collection will be available via lottery prize draw, in which users can participate by purchasing a device or via social media. INFINIX ZERO ULTRA XBOY EXPLORER NFT Collection "With the launch of ZERO ULTRA we're pushing boundaries. This flagship smartphone delivers industry-leading specs that empower young people to Explore Beyond. Our goal is to integrate that spirit of exploration into mobile phone development, and launch super-fast charging technology that offers users the best-possible experience. At the same time, we're undertaking innovative NFT marketing strategies, to deliver an exciting digital experience to users. The XBOY EXPLORER NFTs tie all these exciting developments together," said Skye Chen, Head of Global Public Relation at Infinix Mobility. "The Web3 shift is increasingly of interest to younger generations, in a digital world that explores the combination of technology and art. NFTs are a trendy tool that brands can leverage to expand brand awareness and user engagement. As such, the NFT collection is expected to help Infinix create a unique digital experience for users, as the brand explores innovative new communications strategies to lead a new trend in the mobile technology industry."said Eric, founder of Cluster3 NFT Labs, who is in charge of designing the space-themed NFT collection. About XBOY EXPLORER NFTs The XBOY EXPLORER NFT collection pays tribute to humanity's spirit of space exploration, with a team of five explorers hailing from different planets in our solar system. Each character is equipped with abilities that represent the main technological achievements delivered in Infinix's ZERO ULTRA smartphone. The five XBOY EXPLORER characters are: FLASH from Venus with 180W Thunder Charge representing ZERO ULTRA's super power, MIRROR from Jupiter with a 3D waterfall display, VISION from Mercury with a 200MP camera, WISESTAR from Mars with a 6nm 5G processor, and CHIC from Saturn with a highly stylish look. FLASH, with his world-first 180W Thunder Charge, is the collection's super-rare, special-edition NFT variety. When purchasing Infinix's ZERO ULTRA, users will get an NFT lottery card that offers a chance to win an animated NFT by scanning the QR code. Alternatively, fans can participate in the "Explore NFT stories with Infinix" activity via Infinix's Facebook channels. They'll get the opportunity to win an NFT by sharing their favorite XBOY EXPLORER characters on their own social media, explaining why its their favorite. Fans that gain the most interaction on their posts, as well as users selected by Infinix's official account, will win the limited-edition NFTs. A lucky 2% of participants will win the FLASH special edition. Leveraging NFTs and Web 3.0 for a unique digital brand experience The release of the NFT collection will be Infinix's first step into the Web3 marketing space. As the world moves towards Web3 adoption, Infinix offers users a unique digital experience through the one-of-a-kind XBOY EXPLORER NFT collection to promote ZERO ULTRA in a fun and exciting way. Infinix is actively exploring new trends in the metaverse. By connecting the attributes of its physical products with creative NFT assets, the brand is engaging with young consumers in the metaverse in an entirely new way, and inviting them to become brand owners and co-creators. Infinix will continue to explore new technologies and experiences, working with young people around the world to discover and be inspired by the metaverse. About ZERO ULTRA Infinix's latest flagship smartphone ZERO ULTRA features stunning technology advances. Pushing the boundaries of innovation, ZERO ULTRA delivers efficient performance and premium experiences through its 180W Thunder charge efficiency, impressive 3D Curved 120Hz AMOLED display, powerful 6nm 5G Processor MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipsets, upgraded user interface, and the highest-pixel camera and cinematography capabilities on the market, with a industry's highest 200MP main camera. Pricing and Availability Infinix's ZERO ULTRA will be available in Coslight Silver and Genesis Noir in 256GB at $520. Prices and availability will vary from region to region. For details on ZERO ULTRA, please visit: https://www.infinixmobility.com/smartphone/zero-ultra For details on NFTs, please visit: https://www.infinixmobility.com/nft/ About Infinix Innix Mobility is a rapidly emerging technology brand that designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of smart devices worldwide under the Innix brand, which was founded in 2013. Targeting today's youth with rst in class technology, Innix creates trendy, powerful and attainably priced smart devices that bring the latest technology on the market to users around the world at a time when they need it at a price that they want. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1911676/INFINIX_ZERO_ULTRA.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1911677/XBOY_EXPLORER_NFT_Collection.jpg SOURCE INFINIX MOBILITY Gonorrhea is on the WHO high-priority list of antimicrobial resistant bacteria World's first intranasal prophylactic gonorrhea vaccine candidate Mucosal vaccine platforms provides a broad opportunity for viral and bacterial vaccines BILTHOVEN, The Netherlands, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Intravacc, a world leader in translational research and development of preventive and therapeutic vaccines, today announced that it has been awarded a contract with base and options that may total US$14.6 million from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the development of a prophylactic intranasal vaccine against Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG). Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the NG bacteria. Intravacc will develop a prophylactic vaccine based on its proprietary outer membrane vesicles (OMV) platform technology. The NG vaccine, called NGoXIM, is based on gonococcal OMVs combined with sustained-release microspheres containing recombinant human IL-12, and will be administered intranasally. Proof-of-concept studies with NGoXIM have already shown the vaccine to be effective in animal models, inducing a potent, lasting, and cross-protective immune response. Intravacc will develop a complete production process for NGoXIM to generate vaccine batches under Good Manufacturing Practices. The company will work towards a non-clinical toxicity (TOX) and Clinical Trial Material batch to execute a Phase I study in healthy adults, investigating the safety of the vaccine and generating efficacy data. The IL-12 containing microspheres called GneX12 will be developed and produced by Therapyx Inc. Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is the second most common bacterial infectious disease in the US, with a reported incidence of more than 300,000 cases per year. Due to under-reporting and asymptomatic disease course, the true incidence is believed to be more than double the reported incidence. NG, a gram-negative aerobic 0.61.0 m bacteria, is the cause of this sexually transmitted disease. Currently there is no effective gonorrhea vaccine available, and the disease is known to be contracted repeatedly without apparently developing protective immunity. In addition, antibiotic resistance is increasingly common for this bacterium. Gonorrhea is on the WHO high-priority list of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. The project is funded by Federal funds from the National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N93022C00058. Dr. Jan Groen, Intravacc's CEO, says: "Together with our sub-contractor Therapyx, we are honored that NIH and NIAID have awarded us this contract, allowing both of us to demonstrate the safety and tolerability of our intranasal gonorrhea vaccine candidate, NGoXIM (Avacc 11)." About Intravacc's OMV platform technology For the development of vaccines, Intravacc has designed and developed a platform based on outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) - spherical particles with intrinsic immune-stimulating properties. The OMVs can be designed with immunogenic peptides and/or proteins that stimulate effective adaptive immunity. The OMV carrier has been optimized to induce a more effective immune response against these newly introduced antigens. Intravacc has also developed genetic tools to increase the yield of the OMVs, reduce the toxicity and achieve the desired antigenic composition. Intravacc's OMV platform is scalable and allows rapid and efficient modification of the antigen composition, either through genetic modification of the bacterial host or by associating antigens with stored OMVs. About Intravacc Intravacc, located at Utrecht Science Park Bilthoven in the Netherlands, is a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization for infectious diseases and therapeutic vaccines. As an established independent CDMO with many years of experience in the development and optimization of vaccines and vaccine technologies, Intravacc has transferred its technology world-wide for many vaccines including polio, measles, DPT, Hib and influenza. Around 40% of childhood disease vaccines are based on Intravacc's know-how and proprietary technology. Intravacc offers a wide range of expertise for independent vaccine development, from concept to Phase I/II clinical studies for partners around the world, including universities, public health organizations (WHO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), biotech and pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.intravacc.nl. About Therapyx Therapyx is a privately held Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Buffalo New York. The Company is developing a proprietary drug delivery system based on the encapsulation of highly potent protein therapeutics into micro-particles that engineer slow, controlled, local release of drug substances while preserving bioactivity, reduced toxicity and long-term shelf-stability. For more information see the company's website www.Therapyxinc.com. Contact info Intravacc Dr. Jan Groen, CEO P: +31 30 7920 454 Mirjam Hartman, Media relations P: +31 6 115 969 94 E: [email protected] LifeSpring Life Sciences Communication, Amsterdam Leon Melens P: +31 6 538 16427 E: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1334670/Intravacc_Logo.jpg SOURCE Intravacc B.V. Investment will accelerate data integration and scale key product offerings, including Jensen DiversityMetrics, Executive Search and Jensen Diversity Pipeline Tracker NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jensen Partners , a women-owned executive search and corporate advisory firm that enables data-driven talent solutions for the asset management industry, today announced a strategic investment from JB Capital, a Bellevue, Washington-based investor focused on market areas underserved by institutional investors. The investment will enhance Jensen Partners' ability to empower asset managers with data-driven solutions that address a wide range of talent challenges, including diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), recruiting, hiring and retention. The cornerstone of Jensen Partner's data-driven approach is Jensen DiversityMetrics -- the first enterprise software platform to combine self-reported diversity data and human capital management technology specifically designed to enable asset managers to measure, report and improve talent management. With Jensen DiversityMetrics, firms can benchmark against competitors, source diverse talent, analyze hiring and retention practices, identify biases in workplace culture and report progress to investors. Jensen DiversityMetrics' powerful combination of quantitative analytics and qualitative information also powers Jensen Partners' executive search and recruitment offerings, including Jensen Diversity Pipeline Tracker, an on-demand diverse candidate pipeline. "Our data-driven approach gives our platform a clear advantage," said Sasha Jensen, founder and CEO of Jensen Partners and Jensen DiversityMetrics. "We fundamentally believe data has the power to enable better hiring decisions and instill the accountability necessary to make the asset management industry more diverse, equitable and inclusive. To unlock that power, we track over 25,000 professionals across the asset management industry and leverage demographic, hiring and retention data to help asset managers attract, hire and retain the talent they need to succeed in today's market. The investment from JB Capital will increase our ability to leverage and integrate data across our executive search, advisory and DEI solutions." "Jensen Partners is an industry leader with an innovative suite of technology and data-enabled talent solutions," said Jeremy Hill, founder of JB Capital. "Given the intense competition for talent across asset management, hiring decisions have become increasingly important for firms. At the same time, investors are demanding more comprehensive DEI reporting from managers. Jensen Partners' unique ability to empower confident hiring and DEI decisions sets them apart from competitors and will accelerate customer acquisition and growth across the platform." Over the last several years, Jensen Partners has received several rounds of institutional funding, experienced transformational growth and expanded in both headcount and geographic footprint with locations in New York, Miami, London and Hong Kong. Jensen Partners is a three-time consecutive winner of Private Equity Wire's "Best Recruitment Company for Investor Relations and Asset Raising," as well as AltCredit US and AltCredit Europe's "Best Recruitment Firm." In 2021, Jensen Partners announced a first of its kind pledge, which guarantees all future human capital searches conducted by Jensen Partners will begin with a candidate pool comprised of at least 51% of candidates who come from underrepresented backgrounds. Jensen Partners' also regularly reports key industry hiring and DEI trends to the public via LinkedIn and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Insider, and WSJ Pro Private Equity. About Jensen Partners Jensen Partners is a woman-owned, data-driven, global human capital advisory firm focused on solving staffing and DEI challenges across the alternative asset management industry powered by Big Data and our proprietary DEI enterprise software platform, Jensen DiversityMetrics. In addition to executive search, Jensen Partners offers LP/GP referencing, proprietary 360 Investor Referencing methodology, and comprehensive benchmarking and analysis. To learn more, please visit www.jensen-partners.com. About Jensen DiversityMetrics Jensen DiversityMetrics combines rich diversity analytics with the latest research from the field of human capital management, providing an objective 360 degree view of where a firm stands on DEI and how they can make meaningful progress towards a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce, including: verified demographic data for more than 25,000 investment and distribution professionals from across the industry, a candidate pipeline of over 8,000 investment and distribution professionals who self-identify as belonging to one or more underrepresented groups, and a proprietary scoring algorithm that enables objective DEI comparisons across firms and industries. With Jensen DiversityMetrics, firms can benchmark against competitors, develop diverse candidate pipelines, analyze hiring and retention practices, identify biases in workplace culture and report progress to investors. About JB Capital JB Capital provides creative, tailored solutions through the provision of capital, strategy and operational support to facilitate growth strategies for well managed companies. JB Capital partners have more than four decades of combined real estate, capital markets and investment banking experience. As a result, JB Capital offers a level of experience, counsel and resources often times not available to smaller private companies. For more information, visit the website at www.jb-capital.com. Media Contacts Prosek Partners for Jensen Partners Max Berger [email protected] Lyceus Group for JB Capital Rex Carlin [email protected] SOURCE Jensen Partners WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SpiderOak, the leader in Zero-Trust cybersecurity solutions for space systems, is pleased to announce that John Moberly has joined the company as Senior Vice President for Space. Moberly is a seasoned commercial and defense sector executive with decades of success in aerospace markets working with the industry's most advanced space systems. John Moberly joins SpiderOak Moberly now leads SpiderOak's business development strategy for civil, military, and commercial space offerings, leveraging the company's zero trust and cybersecurity foundational capabilities. He brings experience spanning technical network exploitation and algorithm development, space system development, and space protection. "We are excited to have John join the team to lead our business development and sales strategy for space," said CEO Dave Pearah. "His expertise in new space and proven track record will be invaluable in growing both the business and ensuring SpiderOak offerings are aligned with the unique security requirements facing federal, civil, and commercial space organizations." Prior to SpiderOak, Moberly was the president of LeoLabs Federal, a commercial provider of radar monitoring, collision avoidance, and space domain awareness services for objects in low-Earth orbit. He previously led the Space & Intelligence Business Area for Arete & Associates, a company delivering algorithms for weak-signature detection and AI/machine learning applications for the Defense Department and Intelligence Community. Moberly stated, "SpiderOak is leading the way in a revolution in space cybersecurity solutions to address head-on the greatest threat we currently face in space national security. We have the tools ready and under development that will ensure America maintains the critical edge in winning the new space race." Moberly retired as an Army officer with twenty years of service, the last twelve of which were spent as a space operations officer with tours in the National Reconnaissance Office, the Army staff, and as the Intelligence Community portfolio manager in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. After retiring from the Army, Mr. Moberly served as an executive at Hughes Network Systems and General Dynamics Mission Systems. About SpiderOak SpiderOak is a U.S.-owned and operated software company that delivers cybersecurity solutions for civil, military, and commercial space operations. Our commercially available products are built upon a foundation of zero-trust encryption and distributed ledger, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your most sensitive data in the space domain. For more information about SpiderOak products, services, or business development opportunities, check us out at https://spideroak.com/ or SpaceCyber.Com. Editorial Contact For inquiries, please call SpiderOak at (866) 432-9888 ext. 6 or write [email protected] SOURCE SpiderOak Inc. Move will increase service support for lawn and landscape customers GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kawasaki Engines has announced that its business in Puerto Rico has transitioned to a dealer-direct structure effective October 1, 2022, adding to its network of more than 7,600 independent dealers around the world. Under the new structure, Kawasaki Engines provides dealers in Puerto Rico with all the dealer-support services provided throughout its domestic network. These include sales and marketing programs, technical assistance, warranty support, customer care, and a direct line to Kawasaki through a district sales manager, an inside sales representative, and a field service advisor. "Ultimately this is about providing better and more consistent support for the lawn and landscape dealers and their customers in Puerto Rico," said Karen Howard, director, dealer sales support and marketing. "We look forward to providing increased levels of service support and an enhanced customer experience." Kawasaki Engines, a division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., distributes gasoline engines for landscape, industrial, and consumer markets. The division is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. It sells to and services customers through a network of OEMs, distributors, and more than 7,600 independent dealers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, select countries in Central and South America, and the U.S. Trust Territories of the Pacific, including Guam. Media Contact Tiffany Young Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. | Engines Division 616-954-3027 SOURCE Kawasaki Engines TAIPEI, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) once again warned that global emissions are on track to surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit and reach 3.2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres sent a strong and clear message to the world about this, stating: "Lower the temperaturenow. Don't flood the world today; don't drown it tomorrow." At Climate Week NYC this September, Cathay FHC was pleased to announce that its sustainable targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a coalition comprised of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature. Cathay Financial Holdings (Cathay FHC), one of the leading financial institutions in Asia, has continued taking even more aggressive actions to ensure that its net-zero commitment carries on, even during the past two and a half years of the COVID-19 pandemic. At Climate Week NYC this September, Cathay FHC was pleased to announce that its sustainable targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a coalition comprised of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature. Today, more and more top global companies have committed to setting emissions-reduction targets through the SBTi. The SBTi is leading the business-based effort for the 1.5 degree Celsius campaign, which calls for companies to set net zero science-based targets in line with a 1.5 degree Celsius future. The goal is to reduce global-greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050. Businesses that commit to this effort have two years to develop science-based targets, which are then closely reviewed by the initiative's team of experts. Only targets that meet its strict criteria are approved. For years, Cathay FHC has been encouraging climate-change awareness throughout its entire operation. In addition to Cathay FHC's headquarters and various flagship office complexes, major subsidiaries are using and/or gradually transitioning towards renewable energy sources in their buildings. As the first Taiwanese financial institution to establish the Responsible Investment Working Group, Cathay FHC has also been investing in renewable energy, developing green insurance, and issuing green bonds since 2014. Cathay United Bank, one of Cathay FHC's subsidiaries, for example, has set targets for renewable-energy loans and coal-fired electricity-generation financing, including a target for renewable-energy loans: namely, to increase the proportion of the credit business associated with loans for renewable energy in the power-generation industry to 85 percent by 2025; and a target for loans to high carbon-emission industries: specifically, to cease coal financing by the first quarter of 2027. Cathay FHC, globally committed to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, is also the first Taiwanese financial institution to join the RE100 initiative. In addition to utilizing science in setting long-term absolute GHG targets to cover its entire value chain, Cathay FHC is also looking forward to others joining this effort. In recent years, through the aggressive engagement of stakeholders, major carbon emitters in Taiwan, including Formosa Plastics, China Steel, Foxconn, and Taiwan Cement, have all committed to net zero and/or carbon neutral goals. Cathay FHC has also been analyzing the opportunities and challenges facing natural capital investments and how mobilizing finance for nature can help achieve the goals of both the Paris Agreement and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Chief Investment Officer Sophia Cheng was recently invited to speak at the World Biodiversity Summit and Third AOS Climate and ESG Asset Owner Summit during UNGA 77 and Climate Week NYC. She shared Cathay FHC's net-zero roadmap, including real-world examples, and urged financial institutions to influence their stakeholders in halting and even reversing this loss of biodiversity. Cheng also called for a realignment to a pro-nature economy that can drive new business opportunities. Cathay FHC understands that "speed and scope" are important in a unified effort to fight climate change. Through youth forums, workshops, roundtables, and more, Cathay FHC continues to work with and encourage young people in caring about, taking the initiative in, and becoming valuable contributors to the climate-action movement. Clearly, solving climate change requires a global effort. The annual Cathay Sustainable Finance and Climate Change Summit aims to guide Taiwanese companies in identifying paths to corporate sustainability, enabling them to take a clear and aggressive path of action on climate change. This year during the upcoming COP27 in November, Cathay FHC has taken the initiative by working with the World Climate Foundation to feature live-streaming of the World Climate Summit at the event. About Cathay FHC Cathay FHC is the largest financial group in Taiwan, with total assets of over US$400 billion. The group includes leading players in life insurance, banking, property and casualty insurance, asset management, securities, and venture capital. With a presence in 12 markets in Asia, Cathay FHC is dedicated to becoming a leading financial institution in the region. SOURCE Cathay Financial Holding Co., Ltd. SOFIA, Bulgaria, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Linden Energy has recently finalized its participation as a 20-year, 10 percent capacity holder in the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB). The pipeline began commercial operations this past Saturday, October 1. The commencement of IGB's commercial operations was marked at its inauguration ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria and attended by multiple heads of state, including EU President Ursula Von Der Leyen, Bulgarian President Radev, and special guest Azerbaijani President Aliyev and other participating government officials. Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and Linden Advisory Board Member Matthew Bryza represented Linden Energy at the IGB inauguration ceremony, joined by Svetoslav Ivanov, Overgas CEO and Linden Energy's Bulgarian partner. IGB's inauguration is a strategically important project to help US allies and friends bolster their energy security. Tweet this Regarding his attendance, Matthew Bryza said, "IGB's inauguration marked the culmination of two decades of thinking, planning, and execution of a strategically important project to help US Allies and friends bolster their energy security by diversifying their supplies of natural gas. While the volumes of gas that will transit IGB are not enormous, they are highly significant to create commercially attractive options for the private sector to help governments satisfy vital economic needs for their citizens." In July 2021, at the 3 Seas Initiative in Sofia, Linden Energy announced the acquisition of 50 percent of Bulgaria's largest private natural gas company, Overgas Inc. AD , an acquisition that the parties finalized in August 2022. Even before this execution, the two companies had started developing and implementing their strategy for gas supply diversification in the Balkan region. Overgas took an active part in the planned FSRU terminal in Vlora, Albania, which is important for the Southeastern European gas markets. "The IGB pipeline is key to the diversification of gas markets in Bulgaria and throughout the region. This pipeline will be integral to our objectives with Overgas, and we are excited to see it become utilized in connection with the Revithoussa terminal in Greece. All current market players are eagerly awaiting the future connection of ICGB with the DESFA's pipeline system and the future LNG terminal of Alexandroupolis," said Stephen Payne, President of Linden Energy. About Linden Energy Linden Energy is a US-based, internationally focused energy development company. Founded in 2013 by Stephen Payne, Linden Energy has energy projects in Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Africa. Linden Energy Website: www.Linden.Energy Contact Info: [email protected] SOURCE Linden Energy Dianetics, with its promise of personal freedom, brings a message of hope to the annual Los Angeles COFECA (Central American Federation) parade. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In its tradition of supporting and taking part in the cultural and civic life of the Los Angeles Central American community, the Church of Scientology Los Angeles emphasized personal freedom at this year's annual celebration of Central American Independence. Dianetics brings a message of personal freedom and hope to the annual L.A. COFECA (Central American Federation) parade. Tweet this The Dianetics float at the COFECA Independence Day Parade The Church has been partnering with COFECA, the Central American Federation, in its annual Independence Day celebrations for the past seven years. And this year, the Federation invited the Scientologists to reach out to the community with Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health and its promise of personal freedom. And for good reason. With this year's Los Angeles County Quality of Life Index results showing a marked increase in worry and stress among Angelenos, parade organizers encouraged the Church to provide the thousands lining the parade route and attending the festival in MacArthur Park with a practical answer to improve their outlook and ability to cope. Dianetics helps people free themselves from nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets, insecurities and psychosomatic illnesses. In short, it helps them take control of their mental health. They are then in a much better position to handle the challenges that confront them. Those wishing to learn more about Dianetics are invited to get their own copy of Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, and attend the weekend-long Dianetics Seminar at the Los Angeles Church of Scientology, which provides the service in English and Spanish. The Church of Scientology Los Angeles is an Ideal Scientology Organization, configured to service Scientologists in their ascent to spiritual freedom and serve as a home for the entire communitya meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all cultures and denominations. An episode of Inside Scientology featuring the Church of Scientology Los Angeles was part of the special program when Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige launched the Scientology Network in 2018. This episode is available on DIRECTV channel 320 and can be streamed at Scientology.tv , through mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms. SOURCE Church of Scientology International CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- lowRISC C.I.C., the open source system on a chip (SoC) organization, today announced the appointment of Prof. Dr. Claudia Eckert to its board of directors. Eckert holds the chair for IT Security in the Department of Computer Science at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and is director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security (AISEC) in Munich, overseeing more than 220 researchers. She has over 30 years of research and development experience in the field of IT security, with a focus on new methods and technology to increase embedded system and application security, as well as research aimed at increasing the resilience of systems against attacks. "We are very pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Eckert a premier expert in the field to our board of directors," said Gavin Ferris, CEO of lowRISC. "She shares our vision for the future of open-source hardware and silicon development and her R&D experience in IT security will be of great value in moving our mission forward. With her breadth of knowledge and her technical insight, Prof. Eckert will help us deliver an industry first: high-quality, secure open-source system-on-chip designs." Eckert joins Andy Hopper, professor of Computer Technology and former head of the Department of Computer Science Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and independent chair, treasurer, and vice president of The Royal Society; Luca Benini, professor of Electronics at University of Bologna, chair of Digital Circuits and Systems at ETH Zurich; Gavin Ferris, CEO, lowRISC; Ron Munich, senior staff software engineer at Google; Robert Mullins, professor of Computer Architecture at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge; and Dominic Rizzo, OpenTitan Project Lead, Google. "As someone who is very active in the cybersecurity field and open-source software space, I am proud to lend my expertise in open-source and related security issues to advance lowRISC's mission of bringing secure open-source innovation to the silicon design ecosystem," said Eckert. "lowRISC's forward-looking approach addresses some of the most significant technology challenges we're facing from global chip supply shortages to security implementation. lowRISC's innovation in open-source hardware is unparalleled and I am proud to be a part of this important and exciting endeavor." Eckert earned her degree in Computer Science at the University of Bonn and finished her Ph.D. at TUM. She worked at several universities including the University of Oldenburg, Kiel University, LMU Munich, and the University of Bremen. She founded the Center for Advanced Security Research Darmstadt, of which she was deputy director until 2010, and later went on to found the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied and Integrated Security in Munich with a specially created professorship alongside it at TUM. As a member of various national and international industrial advisory boards and scientific committees, Eckert advises companies, business associations and the public sector on all IT security issues. In specialist committees, she is involved in the design of the technical and scientific framework in Germany and in the design of scientific funding programs at the EU level. Eckert has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the Society for Information Technology's Digital Minds award, which honors those who advance digital development in Germany. In 2011, the trade journal Computerwoche ranked Eckert among the top 100 most important personalities in the German ICT landscape. About lowRISC lowRISC C.I.C. is a not-for-profit company whose founding mission is to demonstrate, promote and support the use of open-source silicon - bringing the benefits of open-source design to the hardware world. We are producing high-quality, security-focused, open, and flexible IP. Our expertise includes RISC-V processor core design, contributing to the LLVM Compiler, and in collaboration with our growing family of industry and academic partners developing and hosting the Silicon Commons in support of our ecosystem of open-source silicon implementations. SOURCE lowRISC DENVER, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), will release its third quarter 2022 results on November 2, 2022. The company will broadcast a live conference call on its Investor Relations website at http://ir.lumen.com at 5 p.m. ET. Additional information regarding the third quarter 2022 results, including the company's earnings release, investor presentation, and related materials will be available on Lumen's Investor Relations website. If you are unable to join the call via the web, the call can be accessed live at +1 877-283-5145 (U.S. Domestic) or +1 312-281-1201 (International). The call will be archived and available as an audio replay on Lumen's Investor Relations website starting at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 2, until 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 31, 2023. The replay can be accessed by dialing +1 800-633-8284 (U.S. Domestic) or +1 402-977-9140 (International), reservation code 22020905. About Lumen Technologies and the People of Lumen: Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when technology advances the way we live and work. With approximately 400,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 countries, we deliver the fastest, most secure platform for applications and data to help businesses, government and communities deliver amazing experiences. Learn more about the Lumen network, edge cloud, security, communication and collaboration solutions and our purpose to further human progress through technology at news.lumen.com /home, LinkedIn: /lumentechnologies, Twitter: @lumentechco, Facebook: /lumentechnologies, Instagram: @lumentechnologies and YouTube: /lumentechnologies. Lumen and Lumen Technologies are registered trademarks in the United States. SOURCE Lumen Technologies, Inc. PLANTATION, Fla., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MASA Medical Transport Solutions (MASA MTS) today announces a new partnership with Ease, a benefits administration and HR software solution that connects brokers, business owners, HR administrators, employees, insurance carriers, and more. This new partnership will effectively expand MASA MTS' ability to offer benefits to brokers nationwide. MASA MTS delivers value-added coverage specifically dedicated to emergency transportation and related costs. Once a healthcare plan pays its portion, MASA MTS works with providers to ensure their Members incur no out-of-pocket costs for ground or air ambulance transportation, including co-pays and deductibles. Brokers subscribing to Ease receive technology-driven features that automate and streamline their overall benefits for improved enrollments. Currently over 2,000 agencies utilize Ease to serve more than 75,000 clients. Ease will present MASA MTS to brokers through their enrollment options portal. Considering the average cost of a ground ambulance ride is $1,5001, and $24,0002 for an air ambulance, the addition of MASA MTS to the Ease lineup will allow brokers to offer their clients ultimate peace of mind. "Ease is a like-minded partner that shares our goal of providing evolved technology solutions, which ultimately will help bridge coverage gaps related to emergency medical ground and air transportation," said Tony Lodovico, Senior Vice President, B2B Sales. "Adding Ease to the MASA partner portfolio significantly increases our reach and ability to further serve the nationwide broker community." "Ease is committed to connecting our brokers and their employer groups with the partners that best meet their needs during open enrollment and beyond," said David Reid, Ease CEO. "We are pleased to now include MASA MTS in our marketplace offerings." About MASA Medical Transport Solutions MASA MTS is the leading prepaid limited health service that covers the unexpected out-of-pocket costs associated with emergency medical transport. We provide a program covering all emergency air and ground transport providers in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.masamts.com . About Ease Ease is the #1 rated benefits administration and HR software for businesses with 2-250 employees, powered by insurance brokers. Today, over 2,000 agencies trust Ease to support benefits, payroll, and HR needs for more than 75,000 employers and their 2.5 million+ employees. CITATIONS: 1 Healthcare Insider 2 FAIR Health SOURCE Masa Global New leadership appointments carry forward ongoing dedication to distinguished expertise and a culture of career opportunity CLEVELAND, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- McDonald Hopkins LLC today announced executive leadership team appointments that will support the Firm's growth and strengthen its position as a destination firm for both talented attorneys and distinguished clients. On October 1, 2022, James Giszczak and James Stief became co-presidents of McDonald Hopkins. On October 1, 2022, James Giszczak and James Stief became co-presidents of McDonald Hopkins. On October 1, James Giszczak and James Stief became co-presidents of the Firm, succeeding Shawn Riley, who served as president for six years. Riley has become the Firm's chairman and continues serving clients as a senior member of the Firm's Strategic Advisory and Restructuring Department. The transition, first announced in April, marks the first time in McDonald Hopkins' 92-year history that it is managed by co-presidents. By embracing the co-presidency model, McDonald Hopkins has greater flexibility and representation in attending to client needs, supporting its existing attorneys, recruiting new talent into the Firm, and promoting the Firm's people-first culture throughout its six U.S.-based offices. In addition to the succession of president, the Firm has also announced new appointments across its leadership team. Together, the transition underscores the Firm's commitment to providing exceptional client service along with career development opportunities for the next generation of leaders at McDonald Hopkins. "Over the past several years, we have invested in ongoing leadership development among our attorneys, and, as a result, we have a group of leaders ready to step into new roles and continue to drive the Firm's success," said Riley. The leadership team appointments, which also became effective October 1, include: Christal Contini joined the Firm's Executive Committee and became vice chair of its Business Law Department. She will also remain chair of the Firm's Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group and retain her position as a leader of the Firm's Private Equity practice area. Contini's practice focuses on M&A, including representing family-owned businesses, private equity funds, independent sponsors, physician practice groups, and other healthcare companies. Michael Latiff joined the Firm's Executive Committee and became chair of its Litigation Department. Latiff presently co-chairs the Firm's Business Litigation Practice, chairs the Professional Development Committee, and serves on the Firm's Board of Directors. Latiff's practice focuses on business litigation; automotive; construction litigation; OSHA appeals and workplace safety; trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition; shareholder disputes; and warranty and recall. David H. Gunning II became the chair of the Firm's Business Law Department. Gunning is also a member of the Firm's Real Estate Practice Group. His practice focuses on real estate, financial services, real estate recovery, construction, social corporate governance and impact investing, and commercial finance. Marc Carmel became the office managing member of the Firm's Chicago office. Carmel is a member of the Firm's Strategic Advisory and Restructuring Department. His practice focuses on strategic advisory and restructuring involving companies, private equity and other investment firms, and directors and executives, and the litigation finance industry. Miriam Rosen became the office managing member of the Firm's Detroit office. Rosen is a member of the Firm's Litigation Department. She also serves on the Firm's Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Her practice focuses on counseling employers on difficult employment situations, such as managing leaves of absence, handling internal investigations, implementing complex business decisions impacting employees, ensuring wage/hour compliance, and managing risk associated with employee separations. James Boutrous now chairs the Firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group. Boutrous is also a member of the Firm's Litigation Department. His practice focuses on labor and employment counseling; labor and employment litigation; Disability, Family Medical Leave Act and related leave; management training and education programs; and trade secret, noncompete, and unfair competition. Timothy Lowe became co-chair of the Firm's Business Litigation Practice Group. Lowe is also a member of the Litigation Department. His practice focuses on automotive; trade secret, noncompete and unfair competition; sales representative agreements and litigation; directors and officers litigation; business litigation; and data privacy litigation. Jason Smith now chairs the Firm's Real Estate Practice Group in addition to maintaining his position as chair of its Commercial Finance Group. He is also a member of the Business Law Department. Smith's practice focuses on finance, including asset-based, commercial, ESOP and real estate finance, business counseling, and general real estate. "I look forward to leading alongside Jim and all the other talented attorneys and professionals that make McDonald Hopkins such a multidisciplined and dynamic firm," said Giszczak. "As we considered these changes, we were reminded of how deep our talent pool is and how fortunate we are to have so many people capable of leading and managing our Firm. It's a testament to our people and our culture that all of those called on to become our next generation of leaders embrace and support the opportunity to drive our Firm forward in our pursuit of continued excellence." "McDonald Hopkins' reputation as a destination firm is made possible by our contingent of enterprising and committed professionals. I am honored to have the privilege to work alongside these individuals on our collective journey to drive growth, profitability, and innovation across the Firm," said Stief. "We believe the varied skills, backgrounds, and practice areas of focus of our people will position our Firm for success as we take on the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow." About McDonald Hopkins Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Baltimore/Annapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of legal and business challenges our clients face. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com . CONTACT: Cynthia Stewart McDonald Hopkins LLC 600 Superior Avenue, East, Suite 2100 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Phone: 216.348.5733 Email: [email protected] SOURCE McDonald Hopkins After national search, Hall is selected for top financial role at the rapidly growing health sciences company. VANCOUVER, Wash., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Molecular Testing Labs, a mission-driven, innovative health sciences company specializing in clinical diagnostics, announced they have selected Jason Hall as their Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Hall comes on with more than 20 years of financial leadership experience, serving as CFO and leadership roles in healthtech companies, startups, privately held firms, and Fortune 50 companies. Hall joins Molecular Testing Labs during a period of rapid growth, with the recent addition of new CEO Eric Strafel. "It is an honor to join the team at Molecular Testing Labs, one of the most exciting, innovative, and fastest-growing companies in the health science industry," said Jason Hall, new CFO of Molecular Testing Labs. "Molecular Testing Labs' mission to expand health equity and remove barriers to quality care is one I've long subscribed to. I'm excited to help Molecular Testing Labs grow their financial impact and work alongside an amazing team of innovators to develop an organization with limitless potential." In addition to holding C-suite level positions in several high-growth companies, Hall most recently served as the CFO of CareXM, a PE-backed SaaS healthtech platform. In that role and previous positions, Hall raised record amounts of funding to drive rapid growth. Earlier in his career, after honing his financial acumen at Morgan Stanley in Chicago, Jason gained operational insights in healthcare finance at Abbott, where he held several financial leadership roles. While in San Francisco, Jason joined web-based electronic medical records company Practice Fusion to guide its rapid-growth phase. "As we continue to grow Molecular Testing Labs, we could not be more thrilled to have someone of Jason's caliber at the helm as CFO to help us to accelerate our growth and impact through strategic investments and partnerships," said Eric Strafel, CEO of Molecular Testing Labs. "Expanding health equity is the future of healthcare in America and Jason's long-time expertise in managing the finances of transformational healthcare businesses and his deep knowledge of the industry makes him a perfect fit in our efforts to expand quality care to all who need it." About Molecular Testing Labs: Molecular Testing Labs is headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. Molecular's leaders are visionary in their approach to precision laboratory diagnostics and are committed to revolutionizing accessibility to testing via proprietary technology systems, advanced logistics, and cutting-edge research and development. They provide laboratory solutions through collaborative partnerships with payors, private healthcare institutions, universities, commercial partners, and public health organizations. Molecular Testing Labs is a CLIA- and CAP-accredited, state-of-the-art reference laboratory that is passionate about bridging the gap and building bonds between the large communities that have access to diagnostics and the smaller underserved communities that deserve that same access. Molecular Testing Labs is pioneering distribution and specimen collection methods that open access to medical testing where geographic, financial, and stigma barriers create gaps in the delivery of healthcare. About Jason Hall: Jason Hall is a seasoned finance executive and respected corporate strategist. His career has been focused on partnering with leadership teams in setting values to best serve the healthcare communities. For more than 20 years, the growth-focused CFO has dedicated himself to forming deep partnerships with key accounts to enhance quality of earnings and discover potential acquisition targets, devise deal structure and execute deals to drive growth while maintaining profitability. Previous leadership roles included Chief Financial Officer for CareXM and Gnarly Nutrition, where he led the development of strategic plans to drive growth while maintaining profitability. Prior to joining CareXM, Jason was Finance Director for Practice Fusion where he and the team raised a record $85 million in Series D financing, establishing one of the largest SaaS healthcare records systems in the US. He also holds Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis (CSCA) designations. Jason comes to Molecular Testing Labs with years of experience as a financial leader in the healthcare industry. Jason is focused on enhancing the finance functions with best-in-class tools, deep expertise, and demonstrated focus on long-term value in everything from unit economics to potential acquisitions. Jason is passionate about health and is an advanced climber and certified Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT L1). Jason served as Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Member, Board of Directors for the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance for eight years. Jason enjoys the outdoors, staying fit and maintaining a wellness mindset. His interests include climbing rock and ice, wrangling his Siberian husky, and repairing old cars. SOURCE Molecular Testing Labs WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA and United Launch Alliance (ULA) will host a media briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 1 p.m. EDT in advance of the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID) technology demonstration. The briefing will be held via WebEx. LOFTID is scheduled to launch Tuesday, Nov. 1, as a secondary payload with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's JPSS-2 polar-orbiting satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. After hitching a ride to space aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket, LOFTID will inflate and then descend back to Earth from low-Earth orbit to demonstrate how the inflatable heat shield design can slow down a spacecraft to survive atmospheric entry. This technology could support landing crew and large robotic missions on Mars, as well as returning heavier payloads to Earth. The briefing participants are: Trudy Kortes , director of Technology Demonstrations, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters , director of Technology Demonstrations, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters Joe Del Corso , LOFTID project manager, NASA's Langley Research Center , LOFTID project manager, NASA's Langley Research Center John DiNonno , LOFTID chief engineer, NASA Langley , LOFTID chief engineer, NASA Langley John Reed , ULA chief technologist Media will have the opportunity to ask questions of panelists. To participate, media must RSVP at least two hours prior to the virtual event to Gerelle Dodson at: [email protected]. The briefing will be recorded and made available online after the event. The LOFTID project is managed and funded through NASA's Technology Demonstration Missions program, part of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. The project is led by NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, in partnership with United Launch Alliance and with contributions from NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. NASA's Launch Services Program, based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for managing the launch service. For more information about LOFTID, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/loftid SOURCE NASA WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On, Thursday, October 6, 2022, the Transformative Justice Coalition will host a press conference with its national partner organizations: National Newspaper Publishers Association, Rainbow/Push Coalition, Black Voters Matter, Concerned Black Men of America, Hip Hop Caucus, League of Women Voters and the African American Policy Forum to announce their 25-city Arc of Voter Justice Tour. A citizen's right to vote is their voice and TJC and its partners are inviting everyone to join them as they turn voting into a celebration and travel by bus across the United States. Along the way participants will register to vote and check their eligibility to vote while enjoying good food, music, games, and banned books as we transform voting and the voting experience. This is a free nonpartisan event. What: #10MillionMoreBlackVoters Arc of Voter Justice Tour Who: Barbara Arnwine, Esquire Founder/President/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition Daryl D. Jones, Esquire, Board Chair/Co-Leader, Transformative Justice Coalition Dr. Benjamin Chavis, President/CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Founder, Rainbow/Push Coalition represented by Acting National Executive Director, Bishop Tavis Grant Cliff Albright, Co-Founder, Black Voters Matter Kimberle Crenshaw, Co-Founder/Executive Director, African American Policy Forum Dr. Karen McRae, President/CEO, National Organization of Concerned Black Men Tanya Clay House Esq., Executive Vice President, Hip Hop Caucus Virginia K. Solomon, League of Women Voters When: Thursday, October 6, 2022 10:00 a.m. 11:00am (EST) Where: National Press Club Peter Zenger Room 13th Floor 529 14th St NW, Washington, DC Founded in 2015 by Barbara Arnwine, president emeritus of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, the Transformative Justice Coalition seeks to be a catalyst for transformative institutional changes that bring about justice and equality in the United States and abroad. Learn more at tjcoalition.org. For more information, contact: Lynn Whitfield, Esq. [email protected] (561) 856-6757 SOURCE Transformative Justice Coalition NetBase Quid continues to invest in market-leading analytics for users globally to assist with data-driven decision making SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NetBase Quid , a global leader in AI-powered consumer and market intelligence, announced the next phase of innovative platform upgrades and product enhancements including a unified look and feel, new dashboard experience, NetBase Presentation Mode, tripled international coverage, and unifying updates to the platform user interface. "With more than 3 billion consumer and market insights analyzed by NetBase Quid every month, it's critical for marketers to be empowered to understand and share the stories that matter most to them," said Bob Goodson, Co-founder & President at NetBase Quid. "We've re-imagined key visuals through the updated dashboards for brands and their agency partners to allow them to better understand their consumers, their preferences and passions, ultimately leading the brands to make better data-driven decisions." Key product highlights this quarter include: NetBase Presentation Mode: This update will deliver clear, intuitive visualizations for compelling presentations, executive storytelling, and faster decision making. The modern visualizations in the user interface will include timeline, word clouds, donut charts, text and source widgets, domain bar charts, story scope, and topic comparisons. This update will deliver clear, intuitive visualizations for compelling presentations, executive storytelling, and faster decision making. The modern visualizations in the user interface will include timeline, word clouds, donut charts, text and source widgets, domain bar charts, story scope, and topic comparisons. Dark Mode: Users can now seamlessly switch between light and dark modes, according to their preferences, to get a personalized and immersive experience to explore the dashboard. Users can now seamlessly switch between light and dark modes, according to their preferences, to get a personalized and immersive experience to explore the dashboard. Unification of NetBase and Quid UI: A consistent design has been adopted and launched to unify the user experience in NetBase and Quid to modernize and streamline the user experience. Users can now toggle between NetBase and Quid applications via the convenient App Switcher and under a single log in. A consistent design has been adopted and launched to unify the user experience in NetBase and Quid to modernize and streamline the user experience. Users can now toggle between NetBase and Quid applications via the convenient and under a single log in. Expanded Content: Enhanced coverage for global forum data, including tripling the coverage in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Updated NLP support for international languages that include Arabic, German and Spanish. In Q2, NetBase Quid released a multitude of platform enhancements including expanded TikTok Certified Topics, expanded forum content and global language coverage, among other key updates. To read more about the updated capabilities, please visit: https://netbasequid.com/blog/fall-product-update About NetBase Quid We make the world make sense. We deliver AI-powered consumer and market intelligence to enable business reinvention in a noisy and unpredictable world. Our platform uses advanced artificial intelligence to process billions of indexed resources across all forms of structured and unstructured data, empowering brand, agency, and consulting services customers to make smart, data-driven decisions accurately, quickly, and efficiently. We are the trusted partner of Ogilvy, T-Mobile, United Airlines, Yum! Brands, Walmart, Hyundai, Wunderman Thompson, Microsoft, BCG, and The New York Times. Learn more at www.netbasequid.com SOURCE NetBase Quid Nearly 25,000 teenagers ages 13-17 share how they think, feel, and behave as it relates to Jesus. DALLAS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Barna Group has released the first volume of The Open Generation , a first-of-its-kind international research study to understand the identity, values, and views of teenagers around the world. The first volume, titled "How Teens Around the World Relate to Jesus," explores teens' perceptions of and affections for Jesus. The Open Generation includes responses from nearly 25,000 teens ages 13-17 across 26 countries. The survey was sent to a cross section of teens, nationally representative of each country, regardless of their faith background or leaning. The study was developed and conducted by Barna Group in 2021, in partnership with Alpha, Biblica, and World Vision, with additional support from Christian Vision, Bible Study Fellowship, Christ In Youth, and the Association of Christian Schools International. "This study is intended to help us listen to teens today," said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. "The impression these voices offer is that this generation is open, inclusive, and curious about different faiths and perspectives. Our data suggests that although this generation may not deeply engage with Jesus, they are open to him, and when they do engage, they experience positive effects. It is our goal to offer a picture of the rising generation to the Global Church so that we may support and engage teens in relevant, meaningful ways." Key research findings in Volume 1 Most teens around the world have a positive perception of Jesus. For example, about half of all teens, across faith groups, describe Jesus as "loving" (49%) and believe he offers hope to (46%) and cares about (43%) people. Only some core elements of the Christian gospel story come through in teens' perceptions of Jesus. Nearly half of teens overall (47%) believe Jesus was crucified, while one-third of all teens (33%) says Jesus rose again. Teens' perceptions of Jesus are more about the past than the present. There is a common perception that he is not active today. There is a gap between the percentage of teens who identify as Christian in a nominal or cultural sense and those who say they have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus. One-third of self-identified Christian teens has not made a personal commitment to follow Jesus. Teens do not see Christians nearly as positively as they see Jesus. Teens believe that Jesus is more "loving," "wise," and "peaceful" than the Christians who follow him. And Christians are seen as more "judgmental" or "hypocritical" than Jesus. Teens are generally curious about Jesus. Overall, two-fifths of global teens (38%) are very motivated to continue learning about Jesus, and another one-fifth (21%) are somewhat motivated to do so. For teens, there is a strong correlation between being committed to following Jesus and experiencing satisfaction, support, and stability. Also, teens with a commitment to follow Jesus tend to have a greater sense of community than peers with other levels of connection to Jesus. Barna Group will release three volumes as a part of The Open Generation study on the following dates: October 5, 2022 : How Teens Around the World Relate to Jesus : How Teens Around the World Relate to Jesus October 12, 2022 : How Teens Around the World View the Bible : How Teens Around the World View the Bible October 19, 2022 : How Teens Around the World Can Make an Impact Learn more about the study by visiting barna.com/the-open-generation . If you are a reporter seeking access to the full version of Volume 1, contact [email protected] . Barna Group is a visionary research and resource company based in Dallas, Texas. Started in 1984, the firm is widely considered to be a leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture. Conducting more than two million interviews over the course of thousands of studies, Barna has become a go-to source for insights about faith and culture, leadership and vocation and generations. Barna has worked with thousands of businesses, nonprofit organizations and churches across the U.S. and around the world. Barna is an independent, privately-held, nonpartisan organization based in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Nashville, Tennessee, Ventura, California, and Atlanta, Georgia. SOURCE Barna Group In collaboration with Ascendium and World Education Services, Jobs for the Future will build a network of rural training and education providers focused on immigrant and refugee talent BOSTON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit driving transformation in the American workforce and education systems, today announced an ambitious two-year initiative for economic advancement for immigrants, refugees, and migrant workers in rural areas. The Rural Immigrant Success Exchange (RISE), a partnership with Ascendium and the World Education Services (WES) Mariam Assefa Fund, will build a network of education and training providers that will break down barriers to education, training, and employment for immigrant and refugee workers residing in rural communities across the United States. "Immigrants and refugees have established themselves as valued economic contributors in rural communities. They open small businesses and provide a vital source of talent in diverse industries like manufacturing, agriculture, health care and construction," said Maria Flynn, President and CEO of JFF. "At a time when rural and remote communities are grappling with business stagnation, population decline and policy disinvestment, investing in the skills and talents of immigrants and refugees can help to strengthen rural businesses and revitalize communities." In partnership with WES and Ascendium, JFF will identify, recruit and select ten organizations providing workforce training to immigrants and refugees in rural communities across the nation to form a learning community. This opportunity is open to community-based organizations, training and education providers, economic development organizations, and workforce development boards. Selected organizations will receive $150,000 over the two-year grant period and participate in JFF-led technical assistance activities including sharing and adopting best practices for career navigation, participant support, and job readiness with peer institutions, RISE funders, and other stakeholders. "Immigrants and refugees comprise a significant and growing proportion of rural populations and are well-positioned to fill key talent gaps and contribute to their local communities," said Lauren Crain, associate director of U.S. programs and strategy at the WES Mariam Assefa Fund. "This unique capacity-building project will invest in rural-based organizations that are supporting the success of immigrants and refugees in their communities. Through this initiative, we seek to better understand the needs of immigrants in rural communities and surface solutions to dismantle the barriers they face in accessing career training and education programs and high-quality jobs." RISE will explore avenues to support these learners through contextualizing and enhancing proven strategies for the unique needs of this population. Research and evaluation will be at the core of the new initiative. Over the next two years, a team of researchers at JFF will collaborate with participating education and training providers to build a community of practice that will surface new insights into the needs, barriers and aspirations of rural immigrant, migrant, and refugee workers. "Rural immigrants, migrants, and refugees have the potential to fill workforce needs and achieve upward socioeconomic mobility, yet we know little about the organizations supporting these learners and the strategies they use to help them gain access to education and training," said Keith Witham, director education grantmaking at Ascendium. "This project takes an asset-based approach, identifying the most innovative organizations and shining a light on what's working as they serve these diverse populations of rural learners from low-income backgrounds." While immigrants represent a smaller share of residents of rural areas than urban areas, a 2018 Pew Charitable Trusts analysis found that since 2000, immigrants have accounted for 37% of the net new population growth in rural counties and have accounted for the majority of U.S. population growth since 1965 . Despite their positive impact on local and regional economies, rural immigrants, migrants, and refugees face additional barriers to accessing stable and meaningful employment, including hiring bias, exploitation in the workplace, limited financial resources, and limited English proficiency. JFF is inviting applicants to register their interest in participating in RISE until October 31, 2022, by completing an initial interest form available here . Selected organizations will be contacted to complete a comprehensive application. For more information, please contact Paige Korbakes at [email protected]. About Jobs for the Future: Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the American workforce and education systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. www.jff.org . About Ascendium: Ascendium Education Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to helping people reach the education and career goals that matter to them. Ascendium invests in initiatives designed to increase the number of students from low-income backgrounds who complete postsecondary degrees, certificates and workforce training programs, with an emphasis on first-generation students, incarcerated adults, rural community members, students of color and veterans. Ascendium's work identifies, validates and expands best practices to promote large-scale change at the institutional, system and state levels, with the intention of elevating opportunity for all. For more information, visit https://www.ascendiumphilanthropy.org About World Education Services and the WES Mariam Assefa Fund: World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. For more than 45 years, WES has set the standard of excellence in the field of international academic credential evaluation. Through its grantmaking, impact investing, and partnerships, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund seeks to advance economic and social inclusion for immigrants and refugees. Learn more: wes.org/fund SOURCE JFF VISION by Protiviti thought leadership series examines the future of ESG through exploration with global business leaders MENLO PARK, Calif. and OXFORD, United Kingdom, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm Protiviti explores the business outlook of the future of environmental, social and governance (ESG) in 2032 and beyond in the latest installment of its VISION by Protiviti thought leadership series. The ESG survey was conducted in collaboration with the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanization at Kellogg College, University of Oxford, U.K. While the survey found that 98% of global business leaders cite ESG as a top factor in business success, only 25% of North American respondents think that prioritizing an ESG strategy will be an 'extremely important' focus by 2032, compared to 71% of their counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region and 58% in Europe. This 'enthusiasm gap' could indicate a majority of North American business leaders are out of step with other leaders globally in establishing and/or achieving ESG goals. Regarding environmental factors specifically, 37% of North American executives shared that they believe their corporate greenhouse gas emissions will decline by 2032, whereas Asia Pacific and European leaders were much more optimistic at 88% and 81%, respectively. Every day we see more organizations setting long-term ESG goals, and these goals require clear roadmaps to achieve them. Tweet this "Every day we see more organizations setting long-term ESG goals, and these goals require clear roadmaps to achieve them. While there continue to be debate and different approaches to ESG, it's an important topic to many stakeholders. Organizations need to be clear about their goals and objectives for addressing ESG matters," said Cory Gunderson, executive vice president, Global Solutions, Protiviti. "Our VISION by Protiviti research indicates that ESG will remain a focus within business strategies for most industry sectors over the next decade. However, many organizations especially those in North America appear to be in more of a 'wait and see' mode and may not be on track compared to their global peers." In terms of spending on ESG, 64% of surveyed leaders globally expect an increase in corporate spending to manage environmental risks ten years from now. However, 61% of North American leaders report numbers that share a different reality, with responses indicating that their companies' spending for environmental concerns will remain the same or even decrease in ten years' time. Generational discrepancies also arose with the younger C-suite executives (those under the age of 50) indicating that ESG will become extremely important over the next decade (60%). Overall, almost three-quarters of respondents note their company has established a dedicated ESG or sustainability post or office. Adapting ESG Over the Next Ten Years Over three-fourths of business leaders surveyed (78%) believe that ESG reporting will become mandatory within ten years. Fewer than half of North American business leaders (49%) believe ESG reporting will become mandatory by 2032. The survey also found that consumer demand (42%) and regulatory requirements (39%) are expected to be the top two main drivers of change within the ESG space globally in the next 10 years. "ESG reporting is not an end in and of itself. It's a useful mechanism to shine light onto what companies are doing and the progress they're making toward their ESG goals," said Christopher Wright, global leader of Protiviti's Business Performance Improvement Solution. "Continuing to instill reporting and compliance, be it mandatory or voluntary, into ongoing business processes will help companies progress their ESG strategy over the next decade." Differences arise in tracking the extreme risks that companies are most worried about now and in the next decade. When assessing the highest amount of risk across the E, S and G currently facing their companies, 43% of business leaders cite the environmental factors, compared to 37% for social and 20% for governance. When asked what area within the ESG spectrum will pose the most 'extreme risk' in the next decade, 21% feel environmental factors, whereas 7% report they are extremely concerned about governance factors and 12% think social risks will be the most extreme risk by 2032. The ESG survey's respondents were 250 board members, C-suite executives and other global business leaders who work for public, private and non-profit organizations representing a wide range of industries. The survey was conducted in June and July 2022. Learn More About the Future of ESG 2032 and beyond The Protiviti-Oxford survey report, "Executive Outlook on the Future of ESG, 2032 and Beyond" is available for complimentary download (free subscription) at VISION by Protiviti. The site also has an interview about the survey's key findings with the three Oxford academics who collaborated with Protiviti on the research and co-authored the report: Dr. Nigel Mehdi, Course Director in Sustainable Urban Development and Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford; Dr. David Howard, Co-Director of the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation at Kellogg College; and Dr. Vlad Mykhnenko, Associate Professor of Sustainable Urban Development and Fellow at St. Peter's College, University of Oxford. The survey report is one of many pieces of VISION by Protiviti research developed by Protiviti around ESG; additional content available on its VISION by Protiviti website includes: About GCHU Established in 2018, the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation (GCHU), Kellogg College, University of Oxford, brings together leading and influential thinkers in an interdisciplinary approach embracing evidence-based healthcare, sustainable urban development, and education, and provides a collaborative forum for organizations active in these disciplines. About Protiviti Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that delivers deep expertise, objective insights, a tailored approach, and unparalleled collaboration to help leaders confidently face the future. Protiviti and its independent and locally owned Member Firms provide clients with consulting and managed solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, digital, legal, governance, risk and internal audit through its network of more than 85 offices in over 25 countries. Named to the 2022 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, Protiviti has served more than 80 percent of Fortune 100 and nearly 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies. Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half (NYSE: RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half is a member of the S&P 500 index. All referenced marks are the property of their respective owners. Protiviti is not licensed or registered as a public accounting firm and does not issue opinions on financial statements or offer attestation services. Editor's note: Photos available upon request. SOURCE Protiviti LONDON, ON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Odd Burger Corporation (TSXV: ODD) (OTCQB: ODDAF) (FSE: IA9), one of the world's first vegan fast-food chains and the first to go public, today announced that it has launched its franchising operations in the United States. Odd Burger's Plant-Based Buffalo ChickUn Burger. (CNW Group/Odd Burger Corporation) Odd Burger has formed a Delaware corporation that will serve as the franchisor of, and that will operate, Odd Burger's U.S. franchise division ("Odd Burger U.S."). Odd Burger U.S. has completed the preparation of its initial Franchise Disclosure Document and Franchise Agreement for use in the United States and intends to begin offering and selling franchises in 25 U.S. States, including: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Odd Burger U.S. also intends to begin the process of filing its franchise offering with certain additional U.S. States where filings are required to be completed prior to any offers or sales, including Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. The process is expected to be completed by the end of November 2022. "We could not be more excited to initiate our U.S. expansion and extend our brand to millions of people in the U.S. market," says James McInnes, Co-Founder and CEO of Odd Burger. "We have already received hundreds of inquiries from potential franchisees in the U.S. and now we will begin the process of finding the perfect franchise partners to work with." In addition to seeking individual franchise partners, Odd Burger U.S. is developing Area Representative and Area Development Programs, and will be seeking area representatives and area developers for the U.S. market to further accelerate its growth. In Canada, Odd Burger has signed Area Representative Agreements for British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, that will see over 76 locations developed for these territories over the next 8 years. Nanaimo BC Franchise Odd Burger is also pleased to announce that it has signed a Franchise Agreement for a location in Nanaimo BC, with franchisees Drihant Isamaliya and Kamalpreet Kamalpreet. The restaurant is expected to open in 2023 once the franchisees find a location and complete construction. The Nanaimo location marks the 11th Franchise Agreement signed in Canada. Additionally, Odd Burger currently operates 6 corporate locations in Ontario. Canadian Locations Update The Company is also pleased to provide a progress summary of previously announced Canadian locations: Location Status Projected Opening Brampton, ON Construction complete, pending final inspections Nov. 2022 Calgary, AB Under construction Dec. 2022 Edmonton, AB Offer to lease submitted for location, awaiting landlord acceptance TBD Oakville, ON Location secured, drafting permits March 2023 Ottawa, ON Offer to lease submitted for location, awaiting landlord acceptance TBD Regina, SK Location Secured May 2023 Surrey, BC Offer to lease submitted for location, awaiting landlord acceptance TBD Toronto, Broadview, ON Landlord building deficiencies to be rectified by Nov. 2022. Construction to resume once complete Spring 2023 Vancouver, BC Offer to lease submitted for location, waiting landlord acceptance TBD Victoria, BC Location Secured TBD For more information about starting a franchise with Odd Burger in the U.S. or in Canada, applications can be submitted on the Company's website: https://oddburger.com/pages/franchise-apply About Odd Burger Corporation Odd Burger Corporation is a chain of company-owned and franchised vegan fast-food restaurants as well as a food technology company that manufactures and distributes a line of plant-based protein and dairy alternatives to foodservice channels under the brand Preposterous Foods. Odd Burger restaurants operate as smart kitchens, which use state-of-the art cooking technology and automation solutions to deliver a delicious food experience to customers craving healthier and more sustainable fast food. With small store footprints optimized for delivery and takeout, advanced cooking technology, competitive pricing, a vertically integrated supply chain along with healthier ingredients, Odd Burger is revolutionizing the fast-food industry by creating guilt-free fast food. Odd Burger Corporation is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ODD, on the OTCQB under ODDAF, and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under IA9. For more information visit https://www.oddburger.com. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements that relate to among other things, the Company's strategies, intentions, plans, beliefs, expectations and estimates, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "likely", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "objective" and "continue" and words and expressions of similar import. Forward looking information contained or referred to in this news release includes statements relating but not limited to:, the impact of the development agreement in the areas discussed; the expected future expansion of Odd Burger locations and the number of franchises and the benefits the Company expects to derive therefrom; as well as the number of retail outlets to be opened and the Canada and Franchises in the United States discussed herein. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied in making forward-looking statements, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include but are not limited to: financing risk, general business and economic conditions (including but not limited to currency rates); changes in laws and regulations; legal and regulatory proceedings; and the ability to execute strategic plans. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements contained in this document, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. SOURCE Odd Burger Corporation Check your property before Tax Sale starts Nov. 15 CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The deadline for Cook County property owners to avoid the Annual Tax Sale is fast approaching. Properties with unpaid 2020 property taxes (that were due in 2021) will be offered November 15 - 18, 2022. Over $226 million is due on 55,857 homes, businesses and land. Less than $1,000 is owed on 14,189 properties in Chicago and 7,162 properties in suburban Cook County. Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is mailing certified notices informing property owners that their unpaid taxes are to be sold, which would put a lien against their properties. It is the first step in a process that can end with the loss of a home, business or land. In addition to the mailings, the Treasurer's Office will publish delinquency property tax lists in area newspapers. "We are bound by law to offer properties having delinquent taxes up for auction," Pappas said. "The purpose is to recover back taxes and get the properties back on the tax rolls, not to seize property." Owners can avoid the Tax Sale by paying the delinquent taxes and interest before the sale begins November 15. Check to see if your taxes are delinquent by visiting cookcountytreasurer.com. Use the box on the home page labeled "Avoid the Tax Sale" to search for your home or other property by entering a Property Index Number or an address. Property owners can also use the website to make sure they are receiving the exemptions for which they qualify. Exemptions include the homeowner exemption, senior exemption and senior freeze exemption. Payment can be made in five ways: Online for free at cookcountytreasurer.com In person at any Chase Bank location location In person at any of more than 100 community banks where you have an account By mail In person at the Treasurer's Office Per Illinois law, an annual tax sale is conducted 13 months after the due date. But pandemic-related issues delayed the 2018 and 2019 tax sales. The 2018 Tax Sale was held in November 2021 and the 2019 Tax Sale was held this past May. SOURCE Cook County Treasurer's Office SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The global pet care market size is expected to reach USD 236.16 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2022 to 2030. The year 2020 was not very promising for many industries, but it has been a boon to the pet care industry due to repeated lockdowns and the work-from-home culture leading people to take better care of their pets. This has stipulated the demand for pet services and products to a significant rise in the industry. Key Industry Insights & Findings from the report: Based on pet type, the dog segment accounted for the largest revenue share of over 39% in 2021, due to a considerable increase in dog adoption as a result of changing lifestyles and growing knowledge of the benefits of dog companionship. Moreover, they have been shown to help with anxiety, stress, and depression, as well as loneliness, cardiovascular health, and exercise which is expected to bode well for the growth of the segment. Based on type, the product segment is projected to register the fastest CAGR of 5.0% from 2022 to 2030. Innovation in products such as moisturizers, creams, and lotions is likely to propel the growth. For instance, in 2021, Pure and Natural Pet, a U.S.-based pet care company launched new products to their line of pet grooming and health essentials which are USDA certified. North America is expected to contribute a majority of the global revenue share in 2021. During the forecast period, the rising demand for natural and premium goods is expected to drive the growth of the regional industry. Read full market research report, "Pet Care Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Pet Type (Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird), By Type (Product, Food), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030", published by Grand View Research. Pet Care Market Growth & Trends Moreover, the growing awareness about pet humanization, increasing purchasing power of consumers, and a rise in the demand for premium pet care products are the factors driving the growth of the industry. Due to urbanization, people have been living in smaller residential spaces, this has however increased the adoption of smaller pets such as dogs, fish, hamsters, and cats. Consumers are looking to plug the familial gap with pet companions. In addition, premium pet care products are natural and of higher quality, and safer than regular pet care products. With the increase in demand for premium pet grooming products globally, several companies are trying to occupy majority shares in this segment. For instance, in 2020, BASF Care Creations in North America launched 3 formulations for the dog grooming segment: Creamy Co-Wash for Dogs, Fresh Obsessed Dry Shampoo Mist, and Micellar Dog Shampoo. According to Pet Biz Marketer, pet food makes up about 3/4s of all pet industry sales. There has been a noticeable increase in the trend of pet food brands gaining market share via niche pet foods. One of the fastest-growing niche food categories is freeze-dried dog food, it is a dog food that's freeze-dried to extend shelf life. Petfoodindustry.com reports that sales for non-traditional pet food formats are growing faster than traditional pet food. Pet Care Market Segmentation Grand View Research has segmented the global pet care market based on pet type, type, and region Pet Care Market - Pet Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Dog Cat Fish Bird Others Pet Care Market - Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) Products Pet Litter Pet Grooming Products Fashion, Toys, and Accessories Food Dry Food Wet/ Canned Treats/ Snacks Pet Care Market - Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2030) North America U.S. Europe France U.K. Asia Pacific China India Japan Central & South America Brazil Middle East & Africa List of Key Players in the Pet Care Market Ancol Pet Products Limited Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd. Champion Petfoods LP Hill`s Pet Nutrition, Inc. Mars, Incorporated Nestle Purina PetCare Petmate Holdings Co Saturn Petcare GmbH Tail Blazers The Hartz Mountain Corporation Check out more related studies published by Grand View Research: Inflatable Pet Collar Market - The global inflatable pet collars market size is expected to reach USD 107.2 million by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2020 to 2027. Rising pet adoption, coupled with higher consumer spending on pets, is driving the demand for pet welfare products, thereby boosting the market growth. Negative impositions of e-collars on pet animals regarding self-trauma, discomfort, and misadventure are also paving the way for higher adoption of inflatable pet collars in case of injuries. The global inflatable pet collars market size is expected to reach by 2027, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2020 to 2027. Rising pet adoption, coupled with higher consumer spending on pets, is driving the demand for pet welfare products, thereby boosting the market growth. Negative impositions of e-collars on pet animals regarding self-trauma, discomfort, and misadventure are also paving the way for higher adoption of inflatable pet collars in case of injuries. Pet Furniture Market - The global pet furniture market size is expected to reach USD 3.0 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., registering a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period. Rising spending on domestic animal, along with rapid expansion of multi-utility furniture product forms, is expected to remain the key driving factor. - The global pet furniture market size is expected to reach by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., registering a CAGR of 5.2% over the forecast period. Rising spending on domestic animal, along with rapid expansion of multi-utility furniture product forms, is expected to remain the key driving factor. U.S. Surgical Pet Collar Market - The U.S. surgical pet collar market size is anticipated to reach USD 219.0 million by 2028, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.2% from 2021 to 2028. Rising healthcare expenditure on domestic animals, growing demand for insurance, and an increase in the rate of pet adoption are anticipated to propel the growth of the market. Browse through Grand View Research's Homecare & Decor Industry Research Reports. About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Grand View Compass | Astra ESG Solutions Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc AKC, USDA and Ohio Forum for Companion Animals partner in event CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Petland Inc., the American Kennel Club (AKC), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Ohio Forum for Companion Animals (OFCA), and the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently hosted the eighth annual Dog Breeder Symposium in Walnut Creek, Ohio. More than 275 people representing professional and hobby breeders from Ohio, Indiana and Iowa were in attendance. Petland's Breeder Relations Manager Chris Heiskell educates breeders about Purdue University's Canine Care Certified program at the 8th annual Breeder Symposium. "Petland is proud to support this vital annual event focusing on breeder best practices. The collaboration between federal and state agencies, breeders, veterinarians and the pet industry demonstrates the priority all of us have in continuing to develop and implement processes to improve the life and welfare of pets," said Petland President and CEO Joe Watson. The Symposium series is the only of its kind where the five groups work together to produce an annual breeder education event geared towards sharing best practices and the continued improvement of dog-breeding standards. "Each group brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the meeting and it's an extraordinary educational networking opportunity that supports and encourages responsible breeding," said Petland's Vice President of Animal Welfare Brian Winslow. This year's symposium was held September 29 with the following key areas of focus: Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's Canine Care Certified Program - Certification with the nation's highest standards of care in regulated and unregulated kennels. College of Veterinary Medicine's Canine Care Certified Program - Certification with the nation's highest standards of care in regulated and unregulated kennels. Exercise Obedience Training Providing an environment of positive enrichment and socialization. Speakers included representatives from Petland, AKC, USDA, ODA, OFCA as well as veterinarians. Breeders also participated in panel discussions about best practices. Previous symposiums have addressed the importance of socialization programs for breeding parents and their offspring, developing rehoming programs for retired sires and dams, training, improved kennel design and genetic testing. Petland, Inc. is a franchise operation with quality, full service retail pet centers across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, El Salvador and Saudi Arabia. For more than 55 years, Petland Pet Counselors have been dedicated to matching the right pet with the right person and meeting the needs of both. To its customers who already have pets, Petland is dedicated to enhancing their knowledge and enjoyment of the human-animal bond. Petland was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in south central Ohio. For more information on Petland, visit www.petland.com. To learn about our pets, please visit www.petlandcares.com. Contact: Elizabeth Kunzelman, Director of Public Affairs Petland, Inc., 740-775-2464 SOURCE Petland Physik Instrumente Group launching Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise MUNICH, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Infor, the industry cloud company, today announced that Physik Instrumente Group has chosen to implement Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise. The manufacturer, which specializes in producing precision instruments, is thus advancing its growth strategy fueled by unified, standardized data management harnessing the potential of AI/ML in a multi-tenant ERP cloud. Learn more about Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise: https://www.infor.com/products/cloudsuite-industrial-enterprise Physik Instrumente (PI) is a privately held industrial company founded in 1970 as a spin-off of the Max Planck Society, a nonprofit association of leading German research institutes. The manufacturer, based in Karlsruhe, state of Baden-Wurttemberg, supplies positioning technology, enabling precision to the nanometer, as well as standard and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) products with piezo or motor drives. In the founding years, the company's primary customers were academic research and science labs; later, PI also started supplying semiconductor and automotive manufacturers, the biotech sector, mechanical engineering, the medical technology sector, and process manufacturing industries. The PI Group maintains four subsidiaries in Germany and 15 foreign sales and service locations on three continents. For PI, exact precision and accuracy are key. The manufacturer relies on powerful, yet simple-to-use enterprise business applications that allow the constant exchange of knowledge in real time across site boundaries. A consistent and integrated data management is indispensable. In addition, PI wanted to render its business more efficient, stable and agile by standardizing workflows and processes, radically reducing the number of peripheral applications. PI also aimed to execute on its global growth strategy to strengthen its own capacities as well as the control and visibility on the supply chain and the ability to improve the long-term planning cycle. PI conducted a search for a powerful cloud ERP provider. Infor had been a partner of PI since 2006 and had already provided its previous on-premises solution. Due to the many years of trustful partnership, the manufacturer chose Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise, a multi-tenant, highly scalable cloud platform for next-generation enterprise resource planning, powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise is specifically tailored to the needs and requirements of the manufacturing industry. Key assets include the ability to standardize and optimize business processes in a way only a true multi-tenant cloud offering can do, whilst ensuring round-the-clock availability of all systems and continuous live updates to the most current version. PI now has a single and central instance with an integrated database that can be accessed from all branches. "We are a long-standing partner of Infor and are understood and this is the crucial aspect for us," says Florian Geistdorfer, chief operating officer of Physik Instrumente Group. "Infor CloudSuite Industrial Enterprise is, therefore, not just a software package, but an elementary component of our corporate group that supports us in achieving our ambitious growth targets." "Physik Instrumente Group is a prime example of how the highest-quality standards are demanded and appreciated by customers," said Wolfgang Kobek, Infor executive vice president & GM international business. "This is one reason why we are proud to support the company with a software suite that helps ensure compliance with such standards, thus also supporting business success." About Physik Instrumente Physik Instrumente (PI), headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, is the market and technology leader for high-precision positioning technology and piezo applications in the industrial automation, semiconductor, photonics, microscopy and life sciences market segments. For over 50 years and in close cooperation with customers from all over the world, PI's approximately 1,400 specialists have been pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible, developing both standardized and customized solutions. More than 400 issued and pending patents underscore the company's claim to leadership. PI is represented worldwide by nine manufacturing sites in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as 16 sales and service offices. About Infor Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. We develop complete solutions for our focus industries. Infor's mission-critical enterprise applications and services are designed to deliver sustainable operational advantages with security and faster time to value. Over 60,000 organizations in more than 175 countries rely on Infor's 17,000 employees to help achieve their business goals. As a Koch company, our financial strength, ownership structure, and long-term view empower us to foster enduring, mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. For more info, visit www.infor.com. Press contact: LEWIS Communications GmbH Benjamin Gildein / Lena Seitz Tel: +49 89 173019 -29 / -33 [email protected] Copyright 2022 Infor. All rights reserved. The word and design marks set forth herein are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Infor and/or related affiliates and subsidiaries. All other trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective owners. www.infor.com SOURCE Infor TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Primo Water Corporation (NYSE: PRMW) (TSX: PRMW) (the "Company" or "Primo"), a leading provider of sustainable drinking water solutions direct to consumers in North America and Europe, today announced that the Company will release its third quarter ended October 1, 2022 financial results before the markets open on Thursday, November 10, 2022. Primo will host a conference call, to be simultaneously webcast, on Thursday, November 10, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. A question and answer session will follow management's presentation. To participate, please call the following numbers: Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Conference Call North America: (888) 664-6392 International: (416) 764-8659 Conference ID: 90921686 This is a live, listen-only dial-in telephone line. Webcast for Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Conference Call A live audio webcast will be available through the Company's website at www.primowatercorp.com. The webcast will be recorded and archived for playback on the investor relations section of the website for two weeks following the event. ABOUT PRIMO WATER CORPORATION Primo Water Corporation is a leading pure-play water solutions provider in North America and Europe and generates approximately $2.1 billion in annual revenue. Primo operates largely under a recurring razor/razorblade revenue model. The razor in Primo's revenue model is its industry leading line-up of sleek and innovative water dispensers, which are sold through retailers and online at various price points. The dispensers help increase household penetration which drives recurring purchases of Primo's razorblade offering. Primo's razorblade offering is comprised of Water Direct, Water Exchange, and Water Refill. Through its Water Direct business, Primo delivers sustainable hydration solutions across its 21-country footprint direct to the customer's door, whether at home or to businesses. Through its Water Exchange and Water Refill businesses, Primo offers pre-filled and reusable containers at approximately 14,000 locations, water dispenser sales at approximately 9,000 locations and water refill units at approximately 24,000 locations, respectively. Primo also offers water filtration units across its 21-country footprint. Primo's water solutions expand consumer access to purified, spring, and mineral water to promote a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle while simultaneously reducing plastic waste and pollution. Primo is committed to its water stewardship standards and is proud to partner with the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) in North America as well as with Watercoolers Europe (WE), which ensure strict adherence to safety, quality, sanitation and regulatory standards for the benefit of consumer protection. Primo is headquartered in Tampa, Florida (USA). For more information, visit www.primowatercorp.com . SOURCE Primo Water Corporation RENTON, Wash., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiant Logistics, Inc. (NYSE American: RLGT), a leading provider of technology-enabled global transportation and value added logistics solutions, today announced it has acquired the operations of Cascade Enterprises of Minnesota, Inc. ("Cascade"), a Minneapolis, Minnesota based, privately held company that has operated under the Company's Airgroup brand since 2007. The Company structured the transaction similar to its previous transactions, with a portion of the expected purchase price payable in subsequent periods based on the future performance of the acquired operations. On a post-closing basis, Cascade will continue to operate under the Airgroup brand through the remainder of 2022 and is expected to transition to the Radiant brand in early 2023 as Cascade is combined with existing Company owned operations in the Minneapolis area. Tom Heinsen, Founder and CEO of Cascade commented, "Back in 2007 we were looking to align ourselves with a partner who shared our passion for the business. In Radiant we found that and so much more. As both an early partner and shareholder, it has been exciting to be a part of the building momentum of the Radiant network. Radiant has consistently provided an environment that allowed us to build our business and share in the value creation opportunity as a shareholder. They continue to do this as we transition our business while ensuring the continued success of our customers and employees." "With the benefit of Radiant's recent acquisition of Navegate in December 2021, we are particularly excited to work with Joe Pelletier and his team to take the Navegate technology to our customers. Through the Navegate platform we now have access to a very robust global trade management solution that will provide purchase order and vendor management tools that unlocks SKU-level visibility from the manufacturing floor in Asia through final delivery here in the U.S. We believe this will allow us to further differentiate ourselves in the marketplace and provide additional support for both current and prospective customers." Mr. Heinsen will continue with Radiant as Vice President, Strategic Accounts. "The Cascade transaction and our long-standing partnership with Tom and his team are significant to the continued evolution of Radiant," remarked Radiant's Founder and CEO, Bohn Crain. "We launched Radiant in 2006 with the goal of partnering with logistics entrepreneurs who would benefit from our unique value proposition. It is satisfying to know that Tom has shared in the value that he has helped to create and is now able to take advantage of the built-in exit strategy available to the entrepreneurs participating in our network. It was March of 2007 when we welcomed Tom to the Radiant network. From the beginning Tom has participated as a shareholder and as one of the larger operating partners in our network. We are very proud to be able to support Tom and his team in this transaction and help them reach their own individual goals." Crain continued: "We believe that the Cascade transaction is also indicative of the broader opportunity available to us in the marketplace and that there will be more entrepreneurs, both internal and external to our existing network, that will look to join our ranks. This remains a very exciting time in the evolution of Radiant and we remain confident that our growth strategy will continue to bring value to our operating partners, our shareholders and to the end customers that we serve." About Navegate Navegate's robust digital platform offers a unique combination of tech-enabled services, customs brokerage expertise, and a full complement of international and domestic services to help customers significantly reduces costs and better manage their compliance and risk mitigation strategies. In 2021 Navegate was acquired by Radiant and continues to evolve and offer unparalleled control and visibility over the supply chain process. About Radiant Logistics (NYSE American: RLGT) Radiant Logistics, Inc. (www.radiantdelivers.com) is a publicly traded third party logistics company providing technology-enabled global transportation and value added logistics solutions primarily to customers based in the United States and Canada. Through its comprehensive service offering, Radiant provides domestic and international freight forwarding along with truck and rail brokerage services to a diversified account base including manufacturers, distributors and retailers which it supports from an extensive network of Radiant and agent-owned offices throughout North America and other key markets around the world. Radiant's value-added logistics services include warehouse and distribution, customs brokerage, order fulfillment, inventory management and technology services. This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, regarding future operating performance, events, trends and plans. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained herein, including, without limitation, statements regarding our future financial position, business strategy, budgets, projected revenues and costs, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "estimates," "anticipates," or "believes" or the negative thereof or any variation thereon or similar terminology or expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events.. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our expectations, include but are not limited to, the performance of our historic business at levels consistent with recent trends and reflective of the synergies we believe will be available to us as a result of our recent acquisitions; and those risk factors that apply to our operations as disclosed in Item 1A of our Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2021 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other public documents and press releases which can be found on our web-site (www.radiantdelivers.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, as they speak only as of the date made. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and we undertake no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof. SOURCE Radiant Logistics, Inc. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned spoken word duo, Sekou Andrews and Steve Connell , brought the house down during their recent four minute powerful poetic performance at the filming of ABC's primetime special, Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music & Laughter . The gifted poets were personally invited by their dear friend, legendary television producer Norman Lear, to appear on stage and celebrate his grand centennial and triumphant career. "Norman is a national treasure who we're blessed to call family," says Sekou Andrews and Steve Connell. "To perform and be amongst a room full of luminary megastars honoring Norman's 100 years, all the while having him there with us to commemorate, was truly remarkable." Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Jimmy Kimmel, Amy Poehler, Kristen Bell, and George Clooney were just some of the A-Listers invited to honor Norman's magnificent television career, which spans seminal shows like All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, Silver Spoons, The Facts of Life, 227, and many more! As the world's leading "Poetic Voice," Sekou Andrews is disrupting the speaking industry in unprecedented ways. A schoolteacher turned GRAMMY-nominated recording artist, two-time national poetry slam champion, actor, thought leader, and award-winning spoken word poet, any given day finds Sekou keynoting at leadership conferences for Google, Apple, Mastercard, or one of his other Fortune 500 clients. Sekou has also performed pieces on major network shows for HBO and Showtime, and for President Obama in Oprah's backyard! Steve Connell is an actor, poet, and transformative entertainer whose live performances are as dynamic as the words he delivers. He has entertained at private events for President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, amongst others, and his work has been seen on ABC, HBO, MTV, as well as at the Sundance Film Festival, Kennedy Center, and The White House. Together as long-time creative collaborators, Sekou Andrews and Steve Connell are known to deliver comedic, heart-wrenching, and inspiring poems that examine the current American cultural landscape, touching on social justice, human relations, and other relevant topics. Through the vehicle of a spoken word, comedy and hip-hop blend, the duo has brought important discourse to American audiences on prominent platforms including TEDMED, HBO, Showtime, and MTV. To interview Sekou Andrews and Steve Connell, contact Eileen Koch of EKC PR, a full-service Branding, Marketing and Public Relations firm at 310-441-1000 or [email protected] . SOURCE Sekou Andrews & Steve Connell Annual roundup highlights the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of successfully backing entrepreneurs DENVER, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Revelstoke Capital Partners ("Revelstoke"), a Denver-based private equity firm focused on investing in healthcare services companies, today announced that it has been named to Inc.'s fourth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, which honors the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of successfully backing entrepreneurs. The final list recognizes those firms that entrepreneurs collaborate with and trust as they receive the financial support they need to help drive growth. All have successful track records of remaining actively involved with the businesses in which they have invested. "We are very excited and humbled to once again be recognized as one of the most founder-friendly investors by Inc. Magazine. For the past nine years, Revelstoke has been committed to building a reputation and a private equity investment model that supports founder-led businesses," said Simon Bachleda, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Revelstoke. "We pride ourselves on fostering a strong sense of collaboration and partnership with our management teams as we seek to grow our businesses and create value. This focus has resulted in Revelstoke investing in 169 investments since 2013, most of which have been with founder-led businesses." "Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, they're partners," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media. To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity and venture capital firms. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity and venture capital firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2022 About Revelstoke Capital Partners Revelstoke is a private equity firm formed by experienced investors who focus on building industry-leading companies in the healthcare and related health and wellness sectors. Revelstoke partners with entrepreneurs and management teams to execute on a disciplined organic and acquisition growth strategy as it strives to build exceptional companies. Revelstoke is based in Denver, Colorado and has approximately $5.2 billion of assets under management. Since the Firm's inception in 2013, Revelstoke has completed 169 acquisitions, which include 26 platform companies and 143 add-on acquisitions. The "Founder-Friendly Investors" award is a program designed by Inc. Magazine to help founder-led companies accelerate growth and create revenue. Private equity and venture capital firms that have exited U.S.-based, founder-led portfolio companies are eligible to apply. For investments to qualify, portfolio company founders must have remained actively involved in their business for at least one-year post-investment. Winning firms are selected based upon their investments and founder references. Revelstoke is not aware of the number of advisers also surveyed for the award. Like all entrants, Revelstoke paid a fee to be considered for this award. This award is not to be construed as indicative of Revelstoke's future performance. Reference to an award is only one piece of information relevant to an evaluation of an investment adviser such as Revelstoke. Finally, this award represents information as of a specific date and time and may not reflect important information related to an evaluation of the investment adviser which has occurred prior to, or subsequent to, the award. Contact: Jennifer Hurson Lambert 845-507-0571 [email protected] SOURCE Revelstoke Capital Partners RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SDAIA has partnered with American tech firm Google to launch a global program that will look to reduce the gender gap in the technological sector, especially artificial intelligence. The Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence announced the new initiative named 'Elevate', in association with Google Cloud, during the 2nd Global AI Summit in Riyadh on Sept. 15. Elevate is a global program which aims to use AI to reduce the gender gap by empowering more than 25,000 women globally in the next five years. The program will provide free accessible training to women in tech and science, empowering them and pursuing the growing number of job opportunities in the field of data and artificial intelligence. Speaking at the event virtually, Princess Haifa Bint Abdul Aziz Al-Muqrin, Saudi Arabia's permanent representative to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said that women are underrepresented in the field of AI and technology. "At the moment, when digital technologies are reshaping everyday life, we cannot deny that women are underrepresented in AI and STEM fields in general. Women only represent 3 percent of Nobel prize laureates in science and only 12 percent of artificial Intelligence researchers globally," said Princess Al-Muqrin. She said that this inequality is depriving the world of enormous untapped talent, insisting that women's involvement and perspectives are needed in the technology sector to make it work for everyone. The program has two tracks: the technical track for Data Engineer, Cloud Architect, ML Engineer & Data Scientist will make 30% of the program trainees. The non-technical track for Cloud Business Enthusiast will make 70% of the program trainees. To register at Elevate please visit the link https://globalaisummit.org/elevate?lang=en SOURCE SDAIA SAN DIEGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sempra (NYSE: SRE) (BMV: SRE) today announced a contribution of up to $100,000 to the American Red Cross to assist relief efforts and communities recovering from devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. A $50,000 contribution will help provide critical services, emergency shelter and supplies in the areas impacted by the storm. The company will also match up to $50,000 from employees' personal contributions. "During this difficult time, we are ready to help communities and families impacted by this catastrophic hurricane. We are proud to support organizations like the American Red Cross whose volunteers are working diligently alongside first responders and our own utility crews to support restoration and recovery efforts," said Lisa Alexander senior vice president of corporate affairs for Sempra. "These individuals embody one of Sempra's core values to do the right thing, repeatedly rising to the challenge to help those impacted by devastating weather events and other natural disasters." Prior to Hurricane Ian's arrival, Oncor Electric Delivery Company, which is majority owned by Sempra, deployed 500 mutual assistance personnel to Florida to support local restoration efforts in impacted communities. These crews include repair and construction resources, vegetation resources and other management personnel who have been using drones, airboats and other means to assess damage and help restore power to nearly all of the 2.6 million people left without electricity in the immediate aftermath of the storm. "Hurricane Ian was one of the most powerful storms to strike the U.S. in decades, with terrible winds, storm surge, rain and flooding. The hurricane left thousands of homes severely damaged and uninhabitable," said Sean Mahoney, Regional CEO, American Red Cross Southern California Region. "Those impacted need help now, and this generous donation from Sempra will help the American Red Cross provide sheltering, meals and hope. We are grateful for this significant assistance to help those affected by disasters like storms and countless other crises." Sempra's financial pledge will directly support the American Red Cross' disaster relief efforts underway in Florida. More than 1,500 Red Cross volunteers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia are supporting relief efforts in the hardest-hit areas in Florida. These volunteers are providing lifesaving assistance including shelter, food, water and other relief supplies. Red Cross evacuation centers remain open in the impacted areas, providing emergency shelter to thousands of people still displaced by the hurricane. About Sempra Sempra's mission is to be North America's premier energy infrastructure company. The Sempra family of companies have 20,000 talented employees who deliver energy with purpose to nearly 40 million consumers. With more than $72 billion in total assets at the end of 2021, the San Diego-based company is the owner of one of the largest energy networks in North America helping some of the world's leading economies move to cleaner sources of energy. The company is helping to advance the global energy transition through electrification and decarbonization in the markets it serves, including California, Texas, Mexico and the LNG export market. Sempra is consistently recognized as a leader in sustainable business practices and for its long-standing commitment to building a high-performing culture focused on safety, workforce development and training, and diversity and inclusion. Sempra is the only North American utility sector company included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and was also named one of the "World's Most Admired Companies" for 2022 by Fortune Magazine. For additional information about Sempra, please visit Sempra's website at sempra.com and on Twitter @Sempra. SOURCE Sempra Simcote specializes in epoxy-coated rebar and fabrication, as well as a full range of epoxy construction products. Since 1978, Simcote has fabricated and delivered more than 1 million tons of epoxy-coated rebar to projects across North America. The new facility in Sedalia will allow Simcote to expand the geographic area it services. "We are a family business that values our employees, customers, vendors, and the communities we operate in," said Adam Simmet, President of Simcote. "When we explored locations that support our core values and assist in delivering the highest quality products to our customers, Sedalia became the obvious choice. We look forward to growing our business in this great community." The family-owned company has two other locations in the U.S., and this will be its first location in Missouri. Simcote selected Sedalia and Pettis County for multiple reasons, including its infrastructure, proximity to customers and skilled workforce. The new facility will include the latest in coating, fabrication, and safety technology, as well as position Simcote to be an industry leader in supplying sustainable infrastructure products. "Sedalia is home to leading steel companies from across the world, and we are proud to welcome Simcote to our growing list of businesses in the steel industry," said Sedalia Mayor Andrew Dawson. "We are excited to add another reputable manufacturer to our community." "Simcote is exactly the type of company we want in Pettis County," said David Dick, Pettis County Presiding Commissioner. "Our region is growing and we're working hard to ensure our businesses have the workforce and support they need to be successful here." Simcote plans to begin construction on the new 67,000 sq. ft. facility soon with operations beginning in Summer 2023. "Missouri is seeing a significant amount of new investment from leading global companies," said Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership. "Sedalia has a strong ecosystem of manufacturing and steel, so it's a perfect fit for Simcote. We are confident Missouri will provide Simcote with exceptional talent, solid infrastructure, and a pro-business environment that will ensure they flourish here." Economic Development Sedalia-Pettis County worked with the following organizations to attract Simcote to Missouri, including: Missouri Partnership, Central Missouri Electric Cooperative, Liberty Utilities, City of Sedalia, Pettis County, and State Fair Community College. About Missouri Partnership Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri's business strengths. Since 2008, Missouri Partnership has worked with partners statewide to attract companies that have created 31,000+ new jobs, $1.6 billion+ in new annual payroll, and $5.6 billion+ in new capital investment. Some recent successful projects that led to major investment in Missouri include Accenture Federal Services LLC, Amazon, American Foods Group, Casey's, Chewy, Inc., Meta, Square, Swift Prepared Foods, USDA, and Veterans United. Media Contact: Janelle Higgins, [email protected] SOURCE Missouri Partnership Introducing high-quality, cost-effective MRI shielding solutions for original equipment manufacturers CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions, a highly specialized service partner for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of large-scale medical equipment, expands into MRI shielding solutions by partnering with Interflex Medizintechnik GmbH, a member of the Simon Hegele group. Building on their successful European track record and partnership, Simon Hegele and Interflex have launched the IntercabinCOPPER product line in Central America. Together, Simon Hegele and Interflex will provide MRI OEMs with a single solution for design, delivery, and installation of fully finished MRI scan rooms. The partnership is a complement to MRI transportation, delivery, and installation services that Simon Hegele provides today. Consolidating these services benefits the medical imaging centers through a reduced timeframe and cost for room construction and system installation. IntercabinCOPPER will continue to provide the same high-quality door and window options Interflex is known for and will offer options for fully finished rooms with both galvanized and copper rooms. "Our partnership with Interflex is a great opportunity to expand our capabilities in the medical technology market and brings more cost-effective solutions to our OEM customers," says Jim Nestel, CEO of the Americas and the Asia Pacific for Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions. "We are proud to launch in Mexico and look forward to a global expansion of the product line." Roberto Fiore, Interflex founder, adds "This launch signifies an exciting milestone not only in our partnership with Simon Hegele but the medical imaging community." "IntercabinCOPPER expands our comprehensive service portfolio which includes warehousing, cryo farming, rigging, transportation, and installation," says Gustavo Galetto, Simon Hegele Healthcare Solution National Manager Mexico. "IntercabinCOPPER is a cost-effective solution, and its flexibility to jobsite conditions is a unique feature that appeals to our customers. We are very pleased with the partnership and look forward to expanding the product line throughout the Americas." For more information about Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions, visit the company's website: www.simonhegele-healthcare.com. About Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions (Americas, Asia Pacific , Latin America ) As an innovative logistics service provider, Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions develops highly specialized full-service solutions for the healthcare industry with corporate offices in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Singapore and the subsidiary GMED Healthcare Solutions, headquartered in Chicago. Through our mission, We Make Healthcare Work, we are committed to making a significant impact on the healthcare system in our communities through installation and servicing of modern technology in hospitals and clinics. As part of the Simon Hegele Group of Companies, the Healthcare Division performs its services in more than 30 locations worldwide, optimizing the supply chain processes of healthcare customers. Further information can be found on LinkedIn or on www.simonhegele-healthcare.com. About the Simon Hegele Group The Simon Hegele Group is one of the most innovative service providers along complex supply chain processes. The principles of "more than just logistics" and "we make healthcare work" have been the driving force for the further development of the group and its services for many years. Simon Hegele offers customers from the healthcare, pharmaceutical, industry and retail sectors at over 50 locations worldwide highly specialized value-added services tailored to the respective customer processes and supports them in focusing on their respective core competencies. The photographic material attached to this press release may be used for reporting purposes. The copyright is held by the Simon Hegele Group of Companies. Simon Hegele Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions Group Gesellschaft fur Logistik und Service mbH 1001 Mittel Drive Unternehmenskommunikation // Anna Spahn Wood Dale, IL 60191 | United States Tejostrae 1-9 // 65479 Raunheim [email protected] [email protected] Media Contact: Kebra Shelhamer 918-260-6552 [email protected] SOURCE Simon Hegele Healthcare Solutions SAN ANGELO, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 3, 2022, a complaint was filed in the San Angelo District Court against the United States Army alleging violations of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In that complaint, on behalf of 10 Army soldiers, Plaintiffs allege that the United States Army has systemically denied religious accommodation requests to its mandatory COVID -19 vaccination policy, while simultaneously granting thousands of secular exemptions. All Plaintiffs were found by a Chaplain in the Army to hold a sincere religious belief that was substantially burdened by the vaccine mandate. To date, based on publicly available information, the Army has only granted 32 requests for religious accommodation while issuing denials to close to 2,000, with over 8,000 awaiting final decision. Plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Aaron Siri, Elizabeth A. Brehm, and Wendy Cox at Siri | Glimstad; Chris Wiest, Attorney at Law, PLLC; and Thomas Bruns, with Bruns, Connell, Vollmar & Armstrong, LLC. SOURCE Siri & Glimstad LLP DUBLIN, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Smart Government Global Market Report 2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global smart government market is expected to grow from $24.07 billion in 2021 to $28.71 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.26%. The smart government market is expected to grow to $58.08 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.27%. North America was the largest region in the smart government market in 2021. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the smart government market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa. The increased investment in smart government technologies will propel the growth of the smart government market. Government institutes across the globe are increasing spending on network management, cybersecurity, and other smart government, to deliver dependable, effective, and security services to their people. For instance, in January 2021, the US government announced $10.2 billion of investments in Federal information technology modernization to fend off potential cyberattacks and IT issues. It is a crucial step in realigning US cyber defenses to increase faith in the US government's capacity to provide reliable and secure services. Therefore, the increased investment in smart government technologies is expected to boost demand for smart government platforms and solutions during the forecast period. Technological advancement is a new trend gaining popularity in the smart government market. Technological advancements such as the Internet of Things (IoT) are increasingly incorporated into new systems and cloud solutions to make government activities more efficient. The widespread use of IoT technology has strengthened the government-citizen interaction, providing a strong case for public benefit generation. IoT is used in smart city operations to build and provide interconnected solutions for a community's well-being. In February 2022, Rogers Business, a Canadian-based technology, and media firm developed a suite of internet of things (IoT) smart cities and smart building solutions to fulfill the rising infrastructure demands of governments and organizations. The Rogers Business Smart Cities and Smart Buildings business will collaborate with various vendors to develop solutions from water leak detection sensors to AI-powered traffic signal capabilities. In June 2021, Granicus, a US-based software company that develops technologies to help government agencies, acquired two gov-tech companies, Bang the Table and OpenCities, for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, Granicus will change the way citizens and governments interact. Granicus' commitment to the governments of Australia and New Zealand will be reinforced by the acquisition of two enterprises, which will give public sector solutions to more than 350 governments while also growing its presence in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Bang the Table is an Australia-based company that offers an online citizen engagement platform for local government. OpenCities is an Australia-based premier digital customer journey platform for the public sector, which assists local governments in transforming their websites, digital forms, and service delivery experiences. Scope Markets Covered: 1) By Type: Open Data Platform; Analytics; Government Resource Planning System; Security; Remote Monitoring; Network Management 2) By Deployment: On Premise; Cloud 3) By Component: Solution; Services Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Smart Government Market Characteristics 3. Smart Government Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Smart Government 5. Smart Government Market Size And Growth 6. Smart Government Market Segmentation 7. Smart Government Market Regional And Country Analysis 8. Asia-Pacific Smart Government Market 9. China Smart Government Market 10. India Smart Government Market 11. Japan Smart Government Market 12. Australia Smart Government Market 13. Indonesia Smart Government Market 14. South Korea Smart Government Market 15. Western Europe Smart Government Market 16. UK Smart Government Market 17. Germany Smart Government Market 18. France Smart Government Market 19. Eastern Europe Smart Government Market 20. Russia Smart Government Market 21. North America Smart Government Market 22. USA Smart Government Market 23. South America Smart Government Market 24. Brazil Smart Government Market 25. Middle East Smart Government Market 26. Africa Smart Government Market 27. Smart Government Market Competitive Landscape And Company Profiles 28. Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Smart Government Market 29. Smart Government Market Future Outlook and Potential Analysis 30. Appendix Companies Mentioned ABB Ltd. Amazon Web Services Inc. Avaya Inc. Capgemini Cisco Systems Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vwsoln Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets The social app's superior user experience uses gamification powered by Web3 technologies. Taipei, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Revolutionary inclusive friend-making app Rooit helps over 1.2 million global users find friends and make real connections. Now, Rooit is poised to take the next big move to become the world's leading web 3.0 friend-making app. The company is already backed by leading venture capital funds, including Rakuten, Techstars, and Expara Ventures. Virtual and Decentralized Identities Users can meet new friends by checking their NFT collections. Rooit as a Web3 friend making Dapp is building the exclusive community for NFT collectors and believers. Rooit's NFT Collections: "Alpha Cell" and "ROO". ROO is the main collection of Rooit. It is a collection of 7,777 utility-enabled 3D NFTs. Each ROO unlocks the ability of chat2earn, private club membership, IRL events, upcoming Rooit drops, and more. 79% of GenZ are reported feeling lonely, and looking for authentic connections. While there are numerous matching and dating apps on the market today, Rooit stands for something different; developing authentic connections with decentralized identifier. In particular, while other apps often only allow users to present their prettified but dull and static profile to others with little hints about the natural person behind the screen, Rooit connects people through their shared stories and feelings, providing a better glimpse of their personalities and life perspectives. Additionally, thanks to Rooit's on-chain assets and decentralization of identity, users know that they're tapping into an Ethereum blockchain-based network that's 100% safe and secure. More importantly, since the app relies on the creation of tokens to validate the authenticity of the contents and the creators, it can significantly reduce the number of scammers and chatbots which have ruined the user experience on other competing apps to build a real network with real connections. "Users can share their stories anonymously and be matched for free with those they like. All content creators can also choose to make their content on chain to earn tokens. 40% of active users are content creators. Therefore, Rooit generates over 5 million swipes a month, resulting in over 300 thousand matches," said Paul Hsu, CEO of Rooit. Introducing "Alpha Cell" Rooit's newest NFT project Building on its reputation as a safe haven and outlet, Rooit intends to further improve its user experience through social gamification powered by Web3 technologies. Specifically, new users can mint an Alpha Cell or ROO NFT, which they can grow and feed by taking desirable actions on the platform, such as meeting people, conversing with them, and creating genuine content. This mechanism is free to grant everyone equal access to the community in which they can establish a virtual identity, which fundamentally democratizes and decentralizes the platform. As users grow their presence and activities on the network, their Alpha Cell will become brighter and evolve to unlock more features. Once Alpha Cell reaches level 4, magical things will happen, taking users further into the enchanted world of 'Rooitverse'. What's more, in the first quarter of 2023, Rooit also plans to incorporate Alpha Cell as a sidekick for chat2earn so users can level up and activate more advanced abilities. Moreover, the whitelist members the exclusive team of VVIP or The Origin, with premium membership of the Rooit ecosystem, can enjoy more privileges, such as staking NFT to earn Rooit's token $STAR, allowlist for all the NFT collections, networking with extraordinary people who are leading experts in Web3 technologies, among other perks. Web3 friend-making first mover To achieve all these remarkable milestones, Rooit has relied strongly on its talented and resilient founding team members, including CEO Paul Hsu, who led the international brainwave startup from 0 to profitability, COO Kays Bouachick has extensive expertise in the BTOC business and big data analysis. At the same time, CTO Peter Yu excelled at algorithm design. Indeed, recently the Rooit co-founders were even featured on 'Meet the Drapers', the crypto reality TV series with famous Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper and entrepreneur Peter Diamandis. The company has also been selected by leading crypto exchange Crypto.com and will be listed on their NFT platform. With a talented team, category-defining product, and strong financial support, Rooit sets out on a clear path to grow and generate substantial revenues, aided by being the first mover of the Web3 friend-making platform. Learn more about how Rooit is re-inventing real social connection on the app's Website. About Rooit Founded in 2019 in Taiwan, the original friend-making app Rooit has attracted over 1.2 million users, with over 800 thousands of them residing in the United States and Taiwan. Dubbed as the social metaverse for the lonely Generation Z, Rooit allows users to share their own stories to connect to others and join themed chat rooms with AI-powered chatbots to make genuine and meaningful friendships. SOURCE Rooit Inc. Poetizer, the First Social Network "Born" in Europe Focuses on Poetry for Creativity, Healing and Community, Launches Green Publishing Tech PRAGUE, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Do a quick internet search and you will quickly learn about poetry's comeback and its benefits on mental health. As more people leave traditional social media platforms, especially GenZ, for something more "authentic", Poetizer is giving them a new community with more meaning. The first social media network "born" in Europe has found a niche in the resurgence of poetry and they believe poetry can be a source of good and healing in the world. In August 2022, the company launched Poetizer Publishing to become a green publishing tech startup giving users a more eco-friendly alternative to self-publishing, a platform for marketing and also allowing them to earn more income. Poetizer App Launched in 2018, Poetizer has grown despite little to no promotion. Its 330,000, primarily GenZ users in 120 countries are mostly located in the U.S., where people are looking for more positive social channels and alternatives for healthy self-expression. In an age where social media is so widely used, many artists and creators have taken to sharing their work online, and poets are no exception. Traditional social networks for marketing face a decline of Gen Z users as they are increasingly more criticized for their superficiality, polarization of societies and detrimental effects on mental health. In the past decade, and especially during the pandemic, poetry has had a resurgence in what some are calling a full-on renaissance. Poets like the famously anonymous three-time New York Times Bestselling Author , have built strong followings on social media, and poetry, in particular, has seen a boost in poets of color . Poetizer, the social media platform exclusively for poetry is not only giving people a voice through the healthy expression of poetry, but also a supportive community and a way to earn additional income. "Poetry writing offers a unique emotional release and self-discovery that is empowering and healing, and it's clear people are seeking it out," says Nicholas Mazza, PhD, PTR. "They're looking for more positive social connections and communities that are supportive and understanding and where expression is authentic. Poetizer gives them this with all the benefits for a healthier mind." "It's heartwarming to have such a wonderful community that supports its users of all shapes and forms," said Lukas Sedlacek, CEO Poetizer. "Oftentimes, our users share their personal stories with us about how sharing their emotions through poetry writing, and reading the work of others, helped them overcome challenging times and deal with mental health issues.' Sedlacek added that Poetizer users write, share and engage in a lot of "Statement Poetry" expressing emotion about social and global issues, and also people dealing with personal issues and even celebrating love. In the Spring, so many people were writing poems in support of Ukraine, Poetizer printed them off and posted them on the John Lennon wall in Prague . Then they hosted an event where the poems were read. In August 2022, Poetizer Publishing launched an all-in-one self-publishing tech solution for authors that lets them easily and quickly have their work formatted, illustrated, printed, shipped and sold and giving authors a way to market their books to their followers on Poetizer and making it available in its online Bookstore. And it's greener, disrupting an industry needing to be innovated to reduce waste and carbon footprint. "The publishing industry is the world's third largest industrial greenhouse emitter. We urgently need projects that bring solutions and healing to our ailing planet," said Sedlacek. "We want to contribute as Poetizer, too, by providing a social network that improves mental health and offers a greener alternative to traditional publishing.'' Poetizer has raised $3,000,000 to date and, with its continued month over month growth, is now pursuing its Series A round of funding. World Mental Health Day 2022 Challenge The WHO has designated Monday, October 10, 2022, as World Mental Health Day, an initiative to rekindle efforts to protect and improve mental health. Poetizer encourages everyone to write at least one poem expressing something that is on their mind. They can either keep it personal, share it with someone or with many "someones" and experience the supportive and open Poetizer community firsthand. Poetizer also provides an outlet for those in Florida who are coping with the devastation and loss of their homes to Hurricane Ian. A Floridian himself, Mazza says that in these moments when words feel difficult, writing them will help survivors process what they've been through and move towards recovery both physically and mentally. "Perhaps, if there was more poetry in our lives, there would be less need for therapy," said Mazza. About Poetizer Poetizer believes that poetry can be a force for good in the world. Launched in 2018, Poetizer is the first social network "born" in Europe and the first next generation social network and publishing platform with 330,000+ users and more than 3,000,000 poems published to date. It allows users to read, write and share poems with the supportive community and also publish through Poetizer Publishing and sell their poem books in the Poetizer Bookstore to earn additional income. The tech startup aims to digitalize, decentralize, ecologize, modernize, and democratize the publishing industry. For more information, visit www.Poetizer.com . Media contact: Jennifer Fortney [email protected] 773-991-8109 SOURCE Poetizer More than half of consumer survey respondents said they were likely to seek an on-demand vehicle rental from a dealership. Customers who received courtesy vehicles at their last service visit were twice as likely to say they "Definitely Will," rent a vehicle from dealer inventory. AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A survey of U.S. car owners, commissioned by fleet management experts Dealerware, found auto dealerships have a clear opportunity to win a share of the $25 billion U.S. car rental market1 that is primarily served by national rental chains. To learn how existing dealership fleet programs meet customer mobility needs, and which on-demand rental offerings dealership customers say they value the most, download the full report at: https://www.dealerware.com/research/mobility-offering-preferences/. More than half of U.S. car owners surveyed said they were likely to rent a vehicle on-demand. More than half of U.S. car owners surveyed - and 60% of premium-brand vehicle owners - said they would choose an electric vehicle over an internal combustion vehicle if given a choice for a courtesy loaner. Vehicle rental needs are today mostly met by traditional rental businesses, but some customers are already turning to auto dealerships for on-demand rental. Survey responses about future likelihood to rent from traditional or non-traditional providers suggest that the customer experience provided by dealerships is more satisfactory than that provided by established rental companies. The survey, completed by J.D. Power, showed that dealers have competitive advantages in customer service, fleet management, facilities and proximity to local rental customers. Matt Carpenter, Dealerware CEO: "Daily, weekly and monthly access to vehicles on demand is becoming a real market need for consumers rethinking their personal mobility needs. Auto retailers and manufacturers are well equipped to win this market together by scaling connected fleets and delivering elevated customer experiences." Key takeaway: Fleet experience helps dealers win customers Dealerships have over the last several years adopted mobile contracting and digital fleet management tools that make it simple, convenient and fast for customers to use dealership courtesy fleet vehicles. In turn, these investments have increased customer satisfaction with dealership experiences. The business impact of improved dealership experiences is undeniable. A great customer service experience was the most common factor in customers' decision to return to a dealership, cited by 71% of survey respondents. The study showed that providing alternate mobility options in the form of courtesy, rental or shuttle vehicles is a key piece of a great experience, and is a determining factor for dealerships' ability to win business and build customer loyalty: Ninety-six percent of customers who receive a courtesy vehicle during a service visit say they'll return to that dealership for their next vehicle purchase. of customers who receive a courtesy vehicle during a service visit say they'll return to that dealership for their next vehicle purchase. Customers who received a courtesy vehicle at their last service visit were twice as likely to say they "Definitely Will," rent a vehicle from dealer inventory. Dealership mobility programs will also aid the rollout of new offerings, including on-demand access to electric vehicles. Introducing customers to EVs through dealership mobility programs helps dealerships keep customers "in the brand," while giving the EV-curious a chance to test battery range and vehicle capability before considering longer term commitments. More than half of consumers surveyed said they would choose an EV over an internal combustion vehicle as a courtesy vehicle, if given the choice. Key takeaway: Rental is on the rise, dealerships are winning customers Survey results show clear demand among car owners for flexible (daily/weekly/monthly) access to other vehicles. More than half of survey respondents said they were likely to seek a rental from a dealership. The top factors influencing consumers' choice of rental provider are: Competitive pricing Easy access to the location Simple customer service experiences Quality of vehicles Dealerships with fleet management experience already offer high quality vehicles and simple booking processes, and more than 60% of customers live within 10 miles of their preferred dealership. Dealerships that already offer rentals may be more likely to see repeat business than traditional rental providers. 86% of customers who rented from dealerships in the past say they would do so again, compared to just 50% for those who rented from an off-airport location of a national rental provider. Carpenter: "Dealerships have the facilities, vehicles, staff and customer service experience to win trust and a significant share of this market." About Dealerware Dealerware is modern fleet management for the modern automotive retailer. The Dealerware connected car platform elevates the service experience for dealerships, dealer groups and OEMs. By automating cost recovery, improving efficiencies, and elevating the customer experience, Dealerware allows automotive retailers to lower the cost and complexity associated with the management of courtesy vehicles, retail rental, and subscription programs. Launched in 2016, Dealerware today manages tens of thousands of vehicles for hundreds of dealerships in North America, including the top 10 public dealer groups, across 28 OEM brands. For more information, please visit Dealerware.com. SOURCE Dealerware, LLC. PARIS and LUXEMBOURG and ZURICH, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Synechron, Inc., a leading digital transformation consulting firm, has been recognized as one of the best places to work in three key global business locations - France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Synechron has achieved the prestigious Great Place to Work 2022 certification based upon direct feedback and input from its regional employees within these three office locations. Great Place to Work is a consulting institute, which conducts employee surveys to support companies in their development to become an excellent employer. Its Great Place to Work certification is one of the world's most respected marks of workplace excellence. In France, 99% of Synechron employees surveyed said they feel that they can take days off when necessary, and over 90% think Synechron demonstrates an environment of respect, friendliness, and a place where employees feel welcomed and can build strong relationships with their colleagues. In Luxembourg, 100% of employees surveyed responded that they are encouraged to maintain a work-life balance, and that management is equipped with the necessary skills to run the business. Finally, in Switzerland, 100% of respondents believe that Synechron is a safe place to work and that employees are treated fairly, regardless of their sexuality, race, age, and/or gender. Of significant mention, across Synechron France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, is that between 88% and 96% of employees regard Synechron as a great place to work based upon all aspects surveyed. These three new Great Place to Work certifications follow several others over the past year, demonstrating the company's commitment to being a fantastic place to work for all of its 13,800+ team members across the globe. Also in 2022, Synechron was named one of the Global Best Places to Work, as well as a Great Place To Work in Singapore. In December 2021, it was named a Great Place To Work in Amsterdam. Mihir Shah, Managing Director, Head of Europe, Middle East & APAC at Synechron commented, "We are incredibly proud of our company culture which embraces deep collaboration, and demonstrates the utmost respect Synechron has for our incredibly talented employees. We are grateful for again being recognized as our dedicated employees acknowledge their appreciation for Synechron's commitment to our work environment." He continued, "Adding these three new regional Great Place to Work certifications to our previous best employer awards is testament to our wonderful teams. Their tenacity and passion positively shine through as they work to meet our clients' objectives in their jobs every day." Francois-Bernard Mizrahi, Managing Director, and Head of Synechron France, Luxembourg and Switzerland said, "We are honored that our dedicated team members have provided such positive feedback about their experience working at Synechron. It is gratifying to know that as we continue to focus on building a workplace that is respectful and inclusive to all, our hard work and the efforts of everyone at Synechron to build our culture are being recognized." Synechron continues to seek ways to recognize, support, and provide its 13,800+ global team members with the tools to build and enhance their skills and careers. Of note, Synechron has provided no-cost access to the Udemy 24/7 online learning and development platform, as well as on-site and virtual training that provides opportunities to individually reskill/upskill. Synechron also champions its "Same Difference" Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program, which includes a variety of collaborative team building and team supporting projects, events and initiatives. It also supports an array of Corporate Social Responsibility programs for charitable work being done by local/regional organizations and individuals they serve, as well as partnering with multiple DEI organizations and networks. In addition, its widely recognized COVID support programs have helped employees maintain their physical and mental well-being and navigate the pandemic. About Synechron At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Enterprise Advisory & Technology Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, Payments, Systems Integration, and Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. With top clients to boast about, Synechron has a global workforce of 13,000+, and has 38 offices in 17 countries within key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is a consulting institute, which has supported companies in around 50 countries. We conduct employee surveys and cultural analysis, and support companies in their development to become an excellent employer. The competition of the Best Workplaces of Great Place to Work is the world's largest and most respected study of workplace excellence. For more information please contact: Rashmi Joshi, Associate Director Global Marketing and Communications Synechron [email protected] or SEC Newgate UK Andrew Adie / Sophie Morello / Matthew Redley [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1510767/Synechron_Logo.jpg SOURCE Synechron Technologies Pvt Ltd PARIS and LUXEMBOURG and ZURICH, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Synechron, Inc., a leading digital transformation consulting firm, has been recognized as one of the best places to work in three key global business locations - France, Luxembourg and Switzerland. Synechron has achieved the prestigious Great Place to Work 2022 certification based upon direct feedback and input from its regional employees within these three office locations. Great Place to Work is a consulting institute, which conducts employee surveys to support companies in their development to become an excellent employer. Its Great Place to Work certification is one of the world's most respected marks of workplace excellence. In France, 99% of Synechron employees surveyed said they feel that they can take days off when necessary, and over 90% think Synechron demonstrates an environment of respect, friendliness, and a place where employees feel welcomed and can build strong relationships with their colleagues. In Luxembourg, 100% of employees surveyed responded that they are encouraged to maintain a work-life balance, and that management is equipped with the necessary skills to run the business. Finally, in Switzerland, 100% of respondents believe that Synechron is a safe place to work and that employees are treated fairly, regardless of their sexuality, race, age, and/or gender. Of significant mention, across Synechron France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, is that between 88% and 96% of employees regard Synechron as a great place to work based upon all aspects surveyed. These three new Great Place to Work certifications follow several others over the past year, demonstrating the company's commitment to being a fantastic place to work for all of its 13,800+ team members across the globe. Also in 2022, Synechron was named one of the Global Best Places to Work, as well as a Great Place To Work in Singapore. In December 2021, it was named a Great Place To Work in Amsterdam. Mihir Shah, Managing Director, Head of Europe, Middle East & APAC at Synechron commented, "We are incredibly proud of our company culture which embraces deep collaboration, and demonstrates the utmost respect Synechron has for our incredibly talented employees. We are grateful for again being recognized as our dedicated employees acknowledge their appreciation for Synechron's commitment to our work environment." He continued, "Adding these three new regional Great Place to Work certifications to our previous best employer awards is testament to our wonderful teams. Their tenacity and passion positively shine through as they work to meet our clients' objectives in their jobs every day." Francois-Bernard Mizrahi, Managing Director, and Head of Synechron France, Luxembourg and Switzerland said, "We are honored that our dedicated team members have provided such positive feedback about their experience working at Synechron. It is gratifying to know that as we continue to focus on building a workplace that is respectful and inclusive to all, our hard work and the efforts of everyone at Synechron to build our culture are being recognized." Synechron continues to seek ways to recognize, support, and provide its 13,800+ global team members with the tools to build and enhance their skills and careers. Of note, Synechron has provided no-cost access to the Udemy 24/7 online learning and development platform, as well as on-site and virtual training that provides opportunities to individually reskill/upskill. Synechron also champions its "Same Difference" Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program, which includes a variety of collaborative team building and team supporting projects, events and initiatives. It also supports an array of Corporate Social Responsibility programs for charitable work being done by local/regional organizations and individuals they serve, as well as partnering with multiple DEI organizations and networks. In addition, its widely recognized COVID support programs have helped employees maintain their physical and mental well-being and navigate the pandemic. About Synechron At Synechron, we believe in the power of digital to transform businesses for the better. Our global consulting firm combines creativity and innovative technology to deliver industry-leading digital solutions. Synechron's progressive technologies and optimization strategies span end-to-end Enterprise Advisory & Technology Consulting, Digital, Cloud & DevOps, Data, Payments, Systems Integration, and Engineering, servicing an array of noteworthy financial services and technology firms. Through research and development initiatives in our FinLabs we develop solutions for modernization, from Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to Data Science models, Digital Underwriting, mobile-first applications and more. Over the last 20+ years, our company has been honored with multiple employer awards, recognizing our commitment to our talented teams. With top clients to boast about, Synechron has a global workforce of 13,000+, and has 38 offices in 17 countries within key global markets. For more information on the company, please visit our website or LinkedIn community. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is a consulting institute, which has supported companies in around 50 countries. We conduct employee surveys and cultural analysis, and support companies in their development to become an excellent employer. The competition of the Best Workplaces of Great Place to Work is the world's largest and most respected study of workplace excellence. For more information please contact: Rashmi Joshi, Associate Director Global Marketing and Communications Synechron [email protected] or SEC Newgate UK Andrew Adie / Sophie Morello / Matthew Redley [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1510767/Synechron_Logo.jpg SOURCE Synechron Technologies Pvt Ltd SYNERGEN named as '10 Best Workplaces in the IT & ITES Industry in Sri Lanka,' '50 Best WorkplacesTM in Sri Lanka,' '70 Large Best Workplaces in AsiaTM,' '15 Best WorkplacesTM for Millennials in Sri Lanka' and '15 Best Workplaces for Women in Sri Lanka' DALLAS and COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SYNERGEN Health, a leader in technology and analytics-driven revenue cycle management solutions for health care organizations, has been recognized in five categories in the 2022 Great Place to Work program for its continued commitment to its employees and evolving workplace. This year, SYNERGEN was selected as a "10 Best Workplaces in the IT & ITES Industry in Sri Lanka," "50 Best WorkplacesTM in Sri Lanka," "70 Large Best Workplaces in AsiaTM," "15 Best WorkplacesTM for Millennials in Sri Lanka" and "15 Best Workplaces for Women in Sri Lanka." SYNERGEN continues to foster exemplary employee experiences as it earns consistent recognition, year after year, from the Great Place to Work program. By analyzing employee experience through the company's size, diversity, innovation, values, and leadership, Great Place to Work ensures that every employee, no matter their role, has a consistently positive experience at work. "We are thrilled to have been selected for multiple Great Place to Work honors," said Duminda Gunawardena, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, SYNERGEN Health. "It's a core value for us that our employees not only enjoy working for SYNERGEN but are also given the opportunity and support to grow in their careers. When employees feel they have the necessary resources to grow and thrive at the workplace, our team is better able to serve clients through our innovative RPA and data-driven solutions that are transforming revenue cycles." SYNERGEN Health's goal has long been to foster an open and collaborative environment. With a company culture that values teamwork and diversity, SYNERGEN employees can lean and depend on each other to make more effective, efficient, and the most informed decisions that enhance each customer's experience. "The impact our collaborative culture has on our success cannot be overlooked," continued Gunawardena. "These awards are a testament to the empathic and selfless nature of our team. Their collective commitment to each other and our customers is what makes SYNERGEN a great place to work. We want to build on these core principles and look forward to the future as we continue to create an ever-growing and inclusive workplace that inspires the next generation of innovators." "If we have learned anything in the past few years, it's that the workplace is continuing to evolve year over year. The pandemic challenged us in ways that we could have never predicted, but we have pushed through and emerged stronger nearly three years later," said Surinda Gunawardena, Managing Director, SYNERGEN Health. "We are all so proud of our team and will continue to do everything in our power to support SYNERGEN Health's greatest asset - our people for years to come." Great Place to Work identified the World's Best Workplaces in 2022 by analyzing surveys representing 19.8 million employee opinions worldwide and currently assesses organizations in over 70 countries across 100 territories. This Great Place to Work Sri Lanka study is based on the global Great Place to Work for All model, a rigorous methodology, which has been researched, tested, and carried out in similar studies around the world. 85% of the Great Place to Work for All evaluation is based on the experience of trust and employees reaching their full human potential as part of their organizations, no matter who they are or what they do. These experiences are analyzed in relation to each company's size, workforce demographics, and industry norms. The remaining 15% of the evaluation is based on all employees' daily experiences of innovation, their organizations' values, and the effectiveness of their leaders to ensure they are consistently experienced. SYNERGEN Health has long been a people's company dedicated to providing unparalleled revenue cycle solutions, robotic process automation technology, and stellar customer success. Through its passion and commitment to innovation, SYNERGEN Health has demonstrated steady growth as well as recurring industry honors throughout the years, recognized by leading organizations such as Gartner, KLAS and AdvancedMD, in addition to Great Place to Work. To learn more about SYNERGEN Health and its technology solutions and services, visit www.synergenhealth.com or follow us at @SYNERGENHealthLLC on LinkedIn. About SYNERGEN Health Founded in 2011, SYNERGEN Health is a pioneer in the technology and data-driven revenue cycle transformation for the U.S. health care industry. SYNERGEN Health provides complete revenue cycle services, advanced analytics, payment solutions, machine learning, robotic process automation, consulting services, and other software solutions. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees around the world and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Great Place to Work helps organizations quantify their culture and produce better business results by creating a high-trust work experience for all employees. Their unparalleled benchmark data is used to recognize Great Place to Work-Certified companies and the Best Workplaces in the U.S. and more than 60 countries, including the 100 Best Companies to Work For and the World's Best lists published annually in Fortune. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All. MEDIA CONTACT: Matt Maurel [email protected] 225-933-0123 SOURCE SYNERGEN Health SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE: TMHC) ("Taylor Morrison"), a leading national developer and homebuilder, announced today that it will release its third quarter 2022 results before the market opens on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. Taylor Morrison will hold a conference call to discuss its third quarter results the same day at 8:30 a.m. ET. A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available on Taylor Morrison's website at www.taylormorrison.com on the Investor Relations portion of the site under the Events & Presentations tab. For call participants, the dial-in number is (844) 200-6205 and conference ID is 205344. The call will be recorded and available for replay on the Company's website. Taylor Morrison's filings will be available on the Company's website or with the SEC at sec.gov. About Taylor Morrison Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Taylor Morrison is a leading national developer and homebuilder. We serve a wide array of consumers from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury and 55-plus active lifestyle homebuyers under our family of brandsincluding Taylor Morrison, Esplanade, Darling Homes Collection by Taylor Morrison and Christopher Todd Communities built by Taylor Morrison. From 2016-2022, Taylor Morrison has been recognized as America's Most Trusted Builder by Lifestory Research. Our strong commitment to sustainability, our communities and our team is highlighted in our latest annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. For more information about Taylor Morrison, please visit www.taylormorrison.com. CONTACT: Mackenzie Aron, VP Investor Relations Taylor Morrison Home Corp. (480) 734-2060 [email protected] SOURCE Taylor Morrison The 2022-2023 HBCU & HSI Public Relations Tour will introduce students to scholarship opportunities and resources for jumpstarting a career in PR NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the PRSA Foundation, in partnership with leading global independent public relations firm MikeWorldWide, is announcing the launch of the 2022-2023 HBCU & HSI Public Relations Tour a new initiative designed to engage with Black and Hispanic students who are interested in pursuing a career in the field. Working closely with higher education faculty and various campus chapters of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), leaders from the PRSA Foundation and MikeWorldWide will conduct both in-person and virtual listening sessions at select historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) across the U.S. During the tour, students will hear about available scholarship opportunities from the PRSA Foundation to support their academic and career goals. They will also learn best practices for landing an internship or entry-level role and tips for finding a mentor. The Fall 2022 leg of the tour will begin in October with in-person campus visits to schools in Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, and will conclude in November with a virtual session. "Because of our mission to improve diversity and inclusion in the PR industry, we have committed a focus to increase outreach to HBCUs and HSIs in ways that help their students access the scholarships provided by the PRSA Foundation and PRSSA and strengthen that pipeline for mentoring and recruiting efforts," says Aerial Ellis, Ed.D., president of The PRSA Foundation's Board of Trustees. 'Throughout the tour, we will be actively listening to the students as well to understand how our organization best can prepare for and adapt to their needs and desires as they pursue a career path into PR." Professionals from MikeWorldWide will also be talking to students about their real-world experience, the skills needed to thrive in the industry, and unique pathways into the field. The agency has had a dedicated focus on cultivating relationships with HBCUs and HSIs as part of its workforce diversity efforts with the goal of building a diverse pipeline of talent. "The PR industry has been working diligently and urgently to close the equity gap and it's important that we provide more education and access opportunities for professionals and students of color," says Amber Micala Arnold, VP of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice at MikeWorldWide and PRSA Foundation Board Trustee. "MikeWorldWide is proud to be a presenting sponsor for the HBCU & HSI Public Relations Tour because it allows us to put our values and Caring Counts mantra to work. We look forward to supporting the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our industry." To see the latest list of schools and dates, please visit the official tour page and register your interest HERE. Additional sessions will be announced early next year for the Spring 2023 leg of the tour. Follow the PRSA Foundation on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates. About PRSA Foundation The PRSA Foundation is an independent, 501 (c) (3) charitable organization that is committed to promoting diversity among public relations professionals and companies so that they can best serve the public good and address the needs of a diverse world. www.prsafoundation.org About MikeWorldWide MikeWorldWide is a leading independent, integrated public relations agency serving global clients across the US & Europe. It employs more than 225 communications experts that live at the intersection of consumer brand marketing, technology, and corporate reputation. The award-winning firm applies its expertise and culture of caring through research, strategy, creativity, empathy, and insight for clients to maximize the potential of every marketing channel. It delivers breakthrough communications for global enterprises, corporate leaders, and innovative brands that are driving the creative economy. To learn more about MikeWorldWide, visit www.mww.com; see our open positions on LinkedIn. SOURCE MikeWorldWide PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Will Hispanic American voters decide control of the U.S. House and Senate this 2022 election? Who are the Hispanic swing voters? How many dimensions of diversity exist within Hispanic American communities? In the lead-up to the midterm elections, during National Hispanic Heritage Month, this 3-part Purple Principle series explores these questions with insightful Hispanic experts in politics, media and culture. Hispanic American Swing Voters, Part 1 - Audiogram www.fluentknowledge.com/hispanic-series Episode One: The series kicks off with former centrist Miami congressman Carlos Curbelo, now a political commentator for NBC. "Republicans have been trying to meet Latinos where they're at," observes Curbelo, "while Democrats try to meet Hispanics where they want them to be." Former four-term San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros highlights the economic influence on Tejano, or Mexican-Texan, business owners by the GOP-controlled state government. "If all of the invitations to you as a member of a Hispanic chamber of commerce are to be with like-minded businesspeople, and they're all Republicans," he says, "at some point you say, 'Maybe that's where I should be.'" UT San Antonio political scientist Sharon Navarro highlights how Democratic rhetoric has contributed to recent electoral shifts, citing calls to abolish the border patrol, which employs thousands of Tejanos. Episode Two: Host Robert Pease interviews a pair of the most experienced political strategists in the country, Chuck Madrid and Mike Rocha, co-hosts of "The Latino Vote" podcast. Rocha explains that Latino voters will decide the Senate due to "races in Nevada, a lot of Latinos; Arizona, huge Latinos; Georgia, a million Latinos." And Madrid emphasizes that one of the "great promises of the Latinization of America is a moderation of the rhetoric in our body politic." Episode Three: Northwestern University scholar Geraldo Cadava argues that the notion of a Latino voting bloc is not only a myth, but unhelpful, given Hispanic diversity along many dimensions. And two multi-talented Hispanic celebrities share personal anecdotes on that theme from their immigrant childhoods Cristela Alonzo from an impoverished Texas border town, and Honduran-born Carlos Mencia from East Los Angeles. The Hispanic American Swing Voters series provides nuance, insight and personal reflection, from The Purple Principle, a Fluent Knowledge production lauded by The New York Times and Stitcher during the 2020 election cycle. The Purple Principle is available on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Amazon Music, and Spotify. Contact: Alison Byrne [email protected] SOURCE Fluent Knowledge LLC BROSSARD, QC, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ThirdEye Data has opened up a new office in Montreal, extending its services to the Canadian market. The artificial intelligence and big data company is based in San Jose, CA, and transforms enterprises worldwide with its Data & AI services & solutions. It's a one-stop shop for data science, analytics, and engineering services. Industry Specific AI ML Models as a Service - ThirdEye Data ThirdEye Data - Data & AI Services & Solutions ThirdEye Data has served the U.S. market for over a decade, building end-to-end solutions for startup companies and Fortune 500 enterprises, creating a solid foothold in the technical market. Its services help organizations transform their existing knowledge into strategic insights for tactical business deployment, enabling key executives to make informed and timely decisions. The company has opened its new office in Montreal to expand its reach, hoping to tackle local challenges unique to Canadian businesses seeking AI and business intelligence consulting services. ThirdEye's experienced professionals already provide consultations to enterprises worldwide, allowing them to introduce a broad perspective when developing solutions. Additionally, the expansion into the Canadian market opens the doors for technical professionals to immigrate to Canada. Commenting enthusiastically about this expansion, ThirdEye Data's Founder and CEO, Dj Das says, "Our move into Canada is a natural progression of business - for acquiring a broader business market as well as getting access to skilled resources. Canadian companies are ready to adopt Data & AI technologies, and ThirdEye Data has the business acumen, domain knowledge, and technical maturity to meet their needs. It's a win-win!" ThirdEye has recently onboarded Mr. Phil McCluskey as its Managing Director and Technical Head, taking the first steps toward forming its Montreal office. He commented, "Coming on board to ThirdEye Canada was a dream opportunity to build this new branch office from the ground up. I will personally be responsible for business development and hiring. We are just getting started while the sky is the limit!" To mark ThirdEye's entry into Canada, ThirdEye is sponsoring the Big Data & AI event in Toronto to be held at the Metro Convention Center on Oct 6th and 7th. This is Canada's largest Big Data and AI event that brings together more than 5,000 attendees for two days long immersive business and technical sessions. ThirdEye's assembly of experienced executives allows it to successfully focus on cloud computing, artificial intelligence, real-time analytics, scalable distributed computing, and data management for companies of all sizes. Now, with its business expansion into Montreal, it can assist even more businesses. ThirdEye Data, Canada 6000 Rome Boulevard, Suite 410 Brossard, Quebec J4Y 0B6 Canada thirdeyedata.ai [email protected] 1 (408) 462-5257 SOURCE ThirdEye Data A Major Step in the Right Direction KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trualta , the leading e-learning platform for family caregivers, celebrates the release of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers and commends the Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage (RAISE) Act Family Caregiving Advisory Council and The Advisory Council to Support Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) for this monumental milestone. "We are so excited that there is finally a nationwide caregiver strategy, and that it aligns with the work that Trualta does every day," said Jonathan Davis, Trualta CEO. "We currently help family caregivers in 28 states, in partnership with states, CBOs, health plans and providers, and we are thrilled that there is a national plan that will bring additional help to families." There are an estimated 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S. who often experience anxiety, depression and burnout due to a lack of support. Caregivers and parents were five times more likely to experience a negative mental health symptom during the COVID-19 pandemic than their non-caregiver counterparts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "There are so many connection points between Trualta's core mission of helping family caregivers and the new national strategy that supports these family caregivers," said Lance Robertson, an advisor to Trualta and the former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Aging. "Family caregivers do invisible work that has a tremendous impact and it is time that their burden is fully acknowledged." Trualta's caregiver skills training platform empowers family caregivers, and is fulfilling some of the exact goals of the new national strategy, including: Increasing awareness of family caregiving: Through a vast network of partnerships across the aging network and healthcare landscape, Trualta seeks to acknowledge and support unpaid family caregivers, including those who do not yet identify as caregivers. Through a vast network of partnerships across the aging network and healthcare landscape, Trualta seeks to acknowledge and support unpaid family caregivers, including those who do not yet identify as caregivers. Increasing emphasis on integrating the caregiver into processes and systems for which they have been traditionally excluded: Trualta's skills-based approach builds caregiver confidence and encourages caregivers to be self-advocates for both their own and their loved ones' best interests. Trualta's skills-based approach builds caregiver confidence and encourages caregivers to be self-advocates for both their own and their loved ones' best interests. Increasing access to services and supports to assist family caregivers: As a web-based platform, Trualta breaks down many traditional physical barriers. Trualta can help users wherever they are, whenever they need help, and also fosters social connections through features such as caregiver stories, comments, and a care companions program. As a web-based platform, Trualta breaks down many traditional physical barriers. Trualta can help users wherever they are, whenever they need help, and also fosters social connections through features such as caregiver stories, comments, and a care companions program. Providing better and more consistent research and data collection: Trualta provides real-time analytics and standard reporting that makes it easy for partners to see how caregivers are interacting with the portal. About Trualta Trualta's online learning platform supports families managing care for loved ones at home. In partnership with innovative healthcare payers, providers, government and social service organizations, Trualta improves care at a lower cost. Each partner organization is equipped with a customized learning portal offering on-demand, personalized, skills-based training to help caregivers keep loved ones at home for longer. Currently available in 28 U.S. states, Trualta's evidence-based offering is proving that trained, confident family caregivers can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. SOURCE Trualta Recognition shines spotlight on housekeepers who go above and beyond to keep hotels clean and guests safe NORTHBROOK, Ill., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nominations are open for the fourth annual 2022 Guest Room Attendant (GRA) Excellence Award, sponsored by UMF Corporation. The award recognizes the invaluable contributions of GRAs hotel housekeepers who ensure safe guest and employee environments in hotels and lodges across the country. In an industry that is still feeling the pandemic's aftershocks, the GRA Excellence Award acknowledges the housekeeping heroes who have shown up day after day to clean and disinfect guest rooms and common areas. Nominations are open through Dec. 31, 2022. "Hotels transformed their business models during the pandemic, first deploying infection prevention practices similar to those of an acute care hospital and now contending with a staffing crisis," said UMF CEO George Clarke. "Throughout all of this, GRAs have remained steadfast as the industry's heroes. They quickly learned new cleaning and disinfection processes, picked up extra shifts when pinch hitters were needed, and seamlessly managed increasing guest expectations. The National GRA Excellence Award acknowledges the hardworking hotel housekeepers who ensure the safety, satisfaction, and loyalty of guests and employees, alike." According to a recent survey by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), almost all hotels are understaffed, 49% severely so. Almost 60% of respondents rank housekeeping as the most critical need. At the same time, travelers continue placing a premium on safe and sanitary environments and sustainable products, further increasing the pressure on hotel housekeepers. "Cleanliness and infection prevention will always be paramount in hospitality," added Clarke. "We are privileged to celebrate the hotel workers on the frontlines who safely and effectively process guest rooms and public areas to ensure those standards are maintained. The 2022 GRA Excellence Award is an ideal way to honor the hotel housekeeper who deserves recognition." Hotel general managers and housekeeping managers are encouraged to nominate dedicated staff for the award. The award recipient will receive an all-expenses paid trip for two, including airfare to a location of their choice within the 48 contiguous states. Nomination forms, available at https://bit.ly/3ffosf0, should be submitted by Dec. 31, 2022. About UMF Corporation UMF Corporation is the leader in the research and development of high-performance products, programs and training for the infection prevention and commercial cleaning markets. Through extensive testing, exhaustive analysis, and the commitment of significant human and financial resources, new antimicrobial technologies have been merged with innovative product designs that are redefining the future of clean. http://www.perfectclean.com, LinkedIn SOURCE UMF Corporation Beloved retailer welcomes 'Hugo' home after engaging with fans and giving back across the country SCOTTSBORO, Ala., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the span of four months, Unclaimed Baggage, a popular tourist destination and the country's only merchant of lost baggage, embarked on a 50-state road tour in celebration of its 50th anniversary, surprising and delighting fans with games, giveaways and unique experiences. Unclaimed Baggage - 50 Years 50 States Road Tour Recap "From our store in Scottsboro, Alabama to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, from the St. Louis Arch to Boston's Fenway Park, Unclaimed Baggage literally put itself on the map this summer," said Bryan Owens, owner of Unclaimed Baggage and son of the organization's founder, Hugo Doyle Owens. "The '50 Years, 50 States' road tour was an expression of gratitude for the fans, team members and community who have supported this family-run business over the course of its 52-year history, and it was a remarkable experience." Led by "Hugo," the restored 1965 Chevrolet truck named after Unclaimed Baggage's founder, the summer tour commenced in May 2022 and brought one-of-a-kind experiences to fans across all 50 states. The eye-catching vintage vehicle was a popular sighting on social media, having posed with some of the country's most iconic and unusual roadside attractions. By the Numbers Hugo and his handlers drove 19,000 miles , visited all 48 contiguous states and met fans in 52 cities . , visited all 48 contiguous states and met fans in . The iconic Unclaimed Baggage suitcase made its way to Alaska and Hawaii , to complete the lofty goal of visiting all 50 states . and , to complete the lofty goal of visiting . The travel team hosted 50 consumer events , including Love Luggage events, charitable drop-offs and media stops. , including Love Luggage events, charitable drop-offs and media stops. Hugo engaged with more than 27,000 fans of Unclaimed Baggage and countless others over the course of the tour. Giving Back with Gratitude "In every state we visited over the course of the tour, engaging with fans was a rewarding experience, but what we'll never forget is the opportunities we found to give back and make a difference in the lives of others," noted Bryan. As Unclaimed Baggage made its way across America, the retailer identified organizations along the route whose missions align with that of their own and made either a monetary gift or donated practical items that meet direct needs, such as clothing, shoes, eyewear, bedding and toiletries. "Giving, serving and supporting sustainability is part of our company's DNA," said Sharon Owens, co-owner, Chief Brand Officer and director of the retailer's charitable foundation, Reclaimed for Good. "We're passionate about seeking opportunities to redeem lost items that could transform the lives of people in need, such as wheelchairs, prescription glasses and medical supplies. On the tour this summer, we created unique ways to do it, like auctioning off a suitcase filled with luxury items that were all found in lost luggage, and then donating the proceeds." "Love Luggage" is an ongoing program of Reclaimed for Good that gives personalized luggage to foster children. This gift was given many times over the course of the tour, replacing the garbage bags many children typically use to transport their belongings. Welcome Home, Hugo The memorable "50 Years, 50 States" road tour concluded with a celebratory welcome home rally and two-day retail event that included giveaways, promotions and fun guest experiences. About Unclaimed Baggage Located in Scottsboro, Alabama, Unclaimed Baggage is a one-of-a-kind retail store that draws one million shoppers annually from all 50 states and around the world. As the country's only merchant of unclaimed and lost airline baggage and its contents, Unclaimed Baggage offers a treasure trove of goods that airlines have been unable to reunite with their former owners. The store has made national news for its ever-changing array of unique items from around the world, all sold at an incredible value. As part of its commitment to service and generosity, the company created the Reclaimed for Good foundation which has given millions of dollars' worth of product and profit to meet needs around the globe. Learn about Unclaimed Baggage at unclaimedbaggage.com. Media Contact: Heidi McDow, A. Larry Ross Communications 972-267-1111 [email protected] SOURCE Unclaimed Baggage Atlas V launched SES-20 and SES-21 to deliver TV, radio and critical data transmission services in support of the FCC's 5G national transition CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the SES-20 and SES-21 satellites in a dual-satellite configuration lifted off on Oct. 4 at 5:36 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. To date ULA has launched 154 times with 100 percent mission success. A ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the SES-20 and SES-21 mission for SES lifts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at 5:36 p.m. EDT on October 4. Photos by United Launch Alliance "We're excited to support our commercial partner SES in their C-band transition efforts to meet the FCC's objective to deploy 5G service across the U.S. Their mission aligns with our mission to connect the world and these capabilities will enable uninterrupted commercial services to many Americans," said Gary Wentz, ULA vice president of Government and Commercial Programs. "The Atlas V delivered the satellites accurately to a near-geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles (35,888 km) above the equator. Thank you to the ULA team and our partners for ensuring the successful delivery of this multi-payload mission to orbit." The Boeing-built C-band satellites, launched on an Atlas V 531 configuration rocket, will enable SES to continue providing critical data and TV transmission services to nearly 120 million American homes. The launch of SES-20 and SES-21 is part of a broader Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to clear a portion of C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous US (CONUS). This was the 96th launch of the Atlas V rocket, the 80th Atlas V launch from SLC-41 and the 107th launch from SLC-41. ULA's next launch is the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-2 civilian polar-orbiting weather mission for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA and NASA's Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator (LOFTID). The launch is planned for Nov. 1 from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Leveraging a legacy of 100 percent mission success launching more than 150 missions to explore, protect and enhance our world, ULA is the nation's most experienced and reliable launch service provider with world-leading reliability, schedule confidence, and mission optimization. We deliver value unmatched by any launch services company in the industry, a tireless drive to improve, and commitment to the extraordinary. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Photos available on the ULA Flickr page. SOURCE United Launch Alliance (ULA) With more than two decades of experience, Screen has tried more than 250 cases and pivoted from representing auto insurance companies to assisting accident victims. SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mike Morse Law Firm is pleased to welcome veteran attorney Lisa Screen to its talented team of trial lawyers. Screen has a diverse background in various practice areas including criminal law and auto insurance. She has tried more than 250 cases to a jury and has extensive experience litigating high profile cases throughout her two-plus decades in the legal sector. In 2018, Screen was named partner at Garan Lucow Miller PC, a firm that represents the auto insurance industry, before joining Mike Morse Law Firm. Veteran attorney Lisa Screen joins Mike Morse Law Firm "I was tired of seeing insurance companies not paying out on legitimate claims," Screen said. Screen made the switch to personal injury to help victims who weren't getting the settlements they deserved from the insurance companies. As a senior attorney, Screen will lead a team of several attorneys at the firm and bring her extensive trial experience and knowledge to the forefront of her leadership. "We're thrilled to welcome Lisa to our talented team of attorneys. Coming from the auto insurance industry, Screen has a unique understanding of clients' needs and where they are often left unmet. Her passion for helping victims and her impressive trial experience make her an invaluable asset for our firm and will translate to more wins for our clients," Mike Morse said. The addition of Screen marks the 28th new hire the firm has welcomed this year. With a staff of over 175 legal professionals, Mike Morse Law Firm remains Michigan's largest personal injury law firm. About Mike Morse Law Firm Since 1992, the Mike Morse Law Firm has been protecting the rights of Michigan auto accident and injury victims. They are Michigan's largest personal injury firm, specializing in auto, truck, pedestrian, and motorcycle accidents as well as Social Security disability claims. They are experts in Michigan's No-Fault Act. Since opening their doors in 1995, the firm has won over one billion dollars for its clients. Mike Morse Law Firm handles cases throughout the state of Michigan, with a main office in Southfield. To learn more, call (855) 645-3946 or visit www.855mikewins.com. SOURCE Mike Morse Law Firm Prototype of immersive VR walkthrough of medical procedures available to children's hospitals and clinics to reduce stress for pediatric patients undergoing surgery NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Saritasa Technology Solutions, innovation partners delivering new products and solutions to clients, and Before, Inc., have released a new virtual reality (VR) software prototype to get children comfortable with medical procedures before surgery. The unique VR experience gives children and young teenagers a chance to familiarize themselves with medical tools in a safe environment ahead of their medical procedure to relieve preoperative anxiety. The completion screen of the Before, Inc. VR software program. An example of what a child sees when using the Before, Inc. VR software program ahead of surgery. Before Inc. provides products and services to help acclimate and mentally prepare patients and their families for medical procedures. The degree of anxiety before a medical procedure varies but Pediatric Health, Medicine and Therapeutics reports that several studies indicate that 50% to 75% of pediatric patients suffer from preoperative stress. Before Inc. is addressing the problem by developing a VR tool that allows patients to experience what will happen on the day of their surgery using VR. "Even minor surgery can be terrifying for kids. My daughter struggled with anxiety before a minor operation and that experience made me realize how important it is to listen to our kids and provide them with tools to cope." said Dr. Warren Scott Comulada, co-founder of Before, Inc. "We created a virtual experience to make kids more comfortable with what happens in the operating room. They get 'hands-on' experience with blood pressure machines, oxygen masks, and other medical devices. It's much more realistic and more effective than using picture books or videos." Dr. Comulada is a Professor-in-Residence at the University of California, Los Angeles, Schools of Medicine and Public Health, with a passion for applications for digital health tools, such as text messaging, chatbots, and peer support platforms. Recognizing the need for new tools to address preoperative pediatric patient anxiety, Comulada worked with child life specialists and children to develop a human-centered design for a usable, friendly, and helpful tool. When it became clear that VR would be an ideal platform, the Before team approached Saritasa for support with development. "Most people still think virtual reality is only for gaming and that couldn't be further from the truth," said Aaron Franko, VP of Immersive Technology at Saritasa. "Companies are using the technology in so many unique ways. It's exciting to help bring a product to market that encourages the protection and treatment of mental health." Most recently, Before Inc, was selected to be one of the Battlefield 200 companies for the TechCrunch event in San Francisco, Oct 18-20. They hope to secure additional funding to aid in the development and adoption of the platform. The platform is currently open to testing and feedback with children's hospitals and clinics. About Before Inc. Drs. W. Scott Comulada and Justin Wagner established Before Inc in 2021. They aim to develop immersive software that provides patients with virtual dress rehearsals for upcoming medical procedures to reduce their anxiety and the fear of the unknown. Before, Inc. is developing its first product with Saritasa, a virtual reality perioperative walkthrough for pediatric patients and their families to reduce preoperative anxiety. To know more about Before Inc, visit https://before-inc.com/ or contact Dr. Comulada at [email protected] . About Saritasa Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Saritasa aims to empower global brands with innovative, customized solutions that fit their needs and support an ever-evolving technology ecosystem. Saritasa specializes in custom software development, mobile development, augmented reality and virtual reality development, IoT solutions, web, database development, and DevOps. Founded in 2005, the Saritasa team employs over 140 employees and has delivered thousands of successful software, hardware, and mobile app projects to a range of clients across multiple industries. To learn more about the company, visit www.saritasa.com. Media Contact: Chelsea Freeman Firecracker PR (909) 573-7237 [email protected] SOURCE Saritasa The acclaimed research solution has been recognized as gold winner in the New Product or Service of the Year | Legal category NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. today announced that VitalLaw, its leading research solution, has earned a gold Globee Award in the 10th Annual 2022 CEO World Awards. VitalLaw is an intuitive research platform that provides legal professionals with comprehensive support and world-class analysis in key practice areas. With more than 25,000 pieces of practical content and data visualization tools, VitalLaw gives customers access to solutions that enrich the entire legal process by delivering faster answers and deeper insights. The solution also provides customers with consistent and current updates for laws and regulations. "We are honored with this Globee recognition, a true testament to VitalLaw's efforts in empowering legal professionals to make a profound impact on their organization," said Ken Crutchfield, Vice President & General Manager of Legal Markets at Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. "This achievement demonstrates our commitment to delivering a seamless customer experience through innovative technology that enables efficiency and productivity." The CEO World Awards, part of the coveted Globee Awards recognition program, are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, and their management teams from organizations in every industry and of every size. The coveted annual CEO World Awards program encompasses the world's best in leadership, innovation, organizational performance, new products and services, excellence studies, corporate social responsibility, and milestones from every major industry in the world. Organizations from all over the world including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, largest to smallest and new start-ups are eligible to submit nominations to the CEO World Awards in a wide range of categories. See the complete list of 2022 winners here: https://globeeawards.com/ceo-world-awards/winners/ About Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk, and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2021 annual revenues of 4.8 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,800 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com , follow us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook , and YouTube . MEDIA CONTACT: Linda Gharib Director, Brand & Communications Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. Tel: +1 (646) 887-7962 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. DRAPER, Utah , Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to improve the adoption of new technology in healthcare, Xenter today unveiled XenFI, the first product in its wireless "Technology in Medicine" ecosystem. XenFI is comprised of XMD (a HIPAA-compliant, global healthcare cloud) and its XenFI-Hub, Xenter's wireless communications device that is designed for use in various healthcare settings. These first Xenter products are designed to automate clinical workflow, enable smart/wireless devices, improve patient outcomes, and lower healthcare costs. Xenter today unveiled XenFI, the first product in its wireless "Technology in Medicine" ecosystem (TechMed). Tweet this "Historically, the healthcare industry has been slow to adopt new technologies," said Richard J. Linder, Xenter's CEO, Chairman, and Founder. "The reality is that tomorrow's healthcare technologies cannot be delivered through the largely connected/cabled healthcare world that's been the standard practice for decades. "From the beginning, we've brought new core competencies to TechMed with a unique, multidisciplinary team that includes experts in silicon chip design, artificial intelligence, Software-as-a-Service, wireless smart devices, and more. The result is that we will deliver transformational solutions to physicians and patients with this "Technology in Medicine" approach. XenFI is designed to dramatically transform healthcare and improve outcomes in Office-based Laboratories (OBLs), ASCs (Ambulatory Surgical Centers), and interventional hospital laboratories. Xenter's XenFI-Hub is a wireless communications device that is installed in OBLs, ASCs, and interventional suites. XMD, Xenter's global healthcare cloud, provides real-time voice-to-text processing and automates medical reporting. "Xenter is building a new medical ecosystem and a suite of connected smart/wireless devices," Linder explained. "XenFI, XenFI-Hub and XMD are the first in a series of new products that can collect, aggregate, and analyze real-time Physical Intelligence data." Xenter's XenFI wireless ecosystem is available today. Physicians and healthcare providers interested in learning more should contact Xenter at [email protected]. About Xenter A privately held, investor-backed company headquartered in Draper, Utah, Xenter has launched a wireless TechMed ecosystem designed to provide transformative outcomes for physicians, healthcare professionals, provider organizations, and patients. Xenter, XenFI, XMD, XenFI-Hub, XMD, and Physical Intelligence are trademarks of Xenter, Inc. All other trademarks and copyrights are property of their respective owners. CONTACT David Politis, Xenter, [email protected], C: +1-801-556-8184 SOURCE Xenter Beirut, Oct 5 : Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called for the election of a new President for Lebanon within the constitutional time frame before President Michel Aoun's tenure ends on October 31, a statement by the Council of Ministers reported. "I hope that the parliament succeeds in electing a new President for the country within the constitutional time frame because the challenges facing Lebanon require a strong cooperation among constitutional institutions," Mikati said on Tuesday at a Beirut forum to discuss difficulties facing Lebanon's youth. As President Aoun's six-year tenure is about to end, Lebanese politicians have voiced their concerns about no successor being found, warning of greater institutional deadlock in the absence of a new President, Xinhua news agency reported. Lebanon has previously witnessed several periods of presidential vacancy due to political differences among the different parties governing the country. The current situation raises concerns in the country about the possibility of the post being left vacant again while the country grapples with a steep financial crisis. Kiev, Oct 5 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), which rules out holding any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky's press service reported. The document, published on Zelensky's website, on Tuesday said that Ukraine's NSDC deemed holding talks with Putin "impossible". With his decree, the Ukrainian President also instructed the government to prepare proposals for the creation of a multi-level security guarantee system designed to boost Ukraine's defence potential, Xinhua news agency reported. On Sept. 30, the NSDC adopted a decision aimed at guaranteeing Ukraine's security and restoring its territorial integrity following Moscow's formal recognition of four Ukrainian regions, which are partially controlled by Russia, as Russian territory. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29. Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War Warsaw, Oct 5 : Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau has said that the reparations for World War II Germany owes to Poland "limit and hinder the possibilities for further development and deepening of Polish-German relations". At a joint press conference with his visiting German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, Rau on Tuesday added that they had discussed the issue of Germany's reparations for the destruction and crimes of World War II, Xinhua news agency reported. "Polish society is still traumatised by the German military aggression against Poland in 1939, the German occupation and its negative implications for social capital, economic potential and national heritage," he said. "It is high time to tackle this issue." However, Baerbock said that from the federal government's point of view, the issue of war reparations is a closed one. Berlin has already argued that Poland waived its right to war reparations in 1953. On Monday, Polish Foreign Minister sent a diplomatic note to Germany formally outlining his country's demands for reparations for the damage caused during World War II. In a report published on September 1, the Polish government estimated the country's human and material war losses at 6.2 trillion zloty ($1.3 trillion). Srinagar, Oct 5 : An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces at Moolu area in South Kashmir's Shopian district, Police said on Wednesday. This is the second encounter in Shopian in less than 12 hours. An encounter is already underway at Drach area in Shopian. "Second encounter has started in Moolu area of Shopian. Police and security forces are on the job," Police added. The gunfight started after a joint team of Police and security forces received an input about the presence of terrorists in the area. After security forces cordoned off the area, terrorists hiding there started firing drawing retaliation by the security forces. There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past in which many terrorists have been eliminated. One terrorist was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Baskuchan area in South Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday. Rae Bareli, Oct 5 : A woman along with her lover were arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli for allegedly murdering her husband, police said. The accused dressed up the scene to make it look like a case of suicide. They even planted a suicide note, saying that no one was responsible for the death. Rae Bareli Superintendent of Police (SP), Alok Priyadarshi, said that the accused woman, Shubha Devi, 32, was married to Rajesh, who worked at an automobile company in Gujarat. Shubha, who lived in Rae Bareli, was in a relationship with Sumair, 38. Last week, when Rajesh returned for Dussehra holidays and came to know about his wife's extra-marital relationship, he insisted that she should accompany him to Gujarat. This unsettled Shubha and Sumair, who first strangled Rajesh and then hung his body from the ceiling to make it appear as a case of suicide. However, the post-mortem report said that Rajesh had been strangulated to death. However, it was Shubha who had informed the police that her husband committed suicide at his residence in Gadaganj police station. "A team reached the spot and took the body for post-mortem examination, but a motive could not be ascertained following which the victim's brother was contacted. He claimed that minutes before the incident, he had spoken to his brother Rajesh and the latter did not sound depressed or worried over anything," the SP said. The police team also recovered a suicide note but handwriting experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory said that the handwriting was of someone other than Rajesh. "We also took phone records of the victim's wife and found one specific number of a person with whom she used to speak for long at odd hours. A team rounded up the person operating the number and he was identified as Sumair," the SP added. Sumair's handwriting sample was also taken, which matched with that on the suicide note. "We interrogated Sumair who spilled the beans that he along with the victim's wife first strangulated Rajesh and then dressed up the scene as of a suicide," said Arvind Singh, Station House Officer, Gadaganj. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The wholesale price of gas in Bulgaria dropped by 34 percent with the launch of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB), which transports Azerbaijani gas, Azernews reports, citing the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission of Bulgaria. The regulatory commission approved the wholesale price of natural gas for October at 233.36 leva ($116.93) per MWh, down by 34 percent from the previous month. "The significantly lower price for the month of October is due to the very competitive price conditions under the long-term contract for the supply of natural gas from Azerbaijan. The price of the supplied quantities is formed entirely by oil quotations for a period of 6 months ago and does not depend on the dynamics of exchange prices on the European gas markets," the statement reads. The opening ceremony of the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria was held in Komotini on July 8, while a ceremony to inaugurate the (IGB) was held in Bulgaria on October 1. Earlier, it was reported that Azerbaijan will export about 600 million cubic meters of gas to Bulgaria by the end of 2022. Bulgarian Energy Minister Rosen Hristov then said that negotiations are underway to increase gas supplies from Azerbaijan to Bulgaria, at least for the heating season, for another 200-300 million cubic meters. The IGB gas pipeline is designed to connect the Greek national gas transmission system (DESFA S.A.) and the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP AG) in the area of Komotini (Greece), and with the Bulgarian gas transmission system (Bulgartransgaz EAD) in the area of Stara Zagora. The total length of the gas pipeline is 182 km, the diameter of the pipe is 32'', and a design capacity of up to 3 billion m3/year in the direction of Greece-Bulgaria. The pipeline is designed to increase its capacity up to 5 bcm/y depending on market interest and the capacities of neighboring gas transmission systems. Dubai, Oct 5 : The much-anticipated Hindu Temple of Dubai has officially opened its doors in Jebal Ali Worship Village, which houses nine religious shrines, including seven Churches, one Gurudwaras and the new Temple. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Dr. Omar Al-Muthanna, CEO of CDA and Raju Shroff, trustee of the Hindu Temple Dubai, officially welcomed devotees to the 70,000 square foot premises by monumentally lighting a lantern together to celebrate the opening. Over 200 dignitaries, ambassadors and local community leaders attended the celebration. Burgeoning a new era of tolerance, generosity and inclusivity, the community-run Hindu Temple Dubai is an illuminating structure of devotion and coexistence. It has taken the Hindu Temple Dubai trustees three years to bring this dream to a reality. After one year of planning, as soon as groundbreaking began, Covid had struck the city. Against all odds, with the careful guidance and support of the Dubai government, construction continued over the last two years to bring this landmark to life. Raju Shroff elaborated in his speech, "Despite Covid-19, construction timelines were not hampered because of the support of the Dubai government. The Hindu Temple Dubai is truly a remarkable icon of how receptive and compassionate the Dubai government is. The Emirati generosity remains. Whether it was in 1958 to launch the first mandir in the country to the Hindu Temple now - we are grateful to be in Dubai." The Indian diaspora has played a significant role in the success of the UAE, since they first came to shore in the 1920s. They have been brave pioneers, forging business and cultural ties that bind the social fabric of Dubai since 1958. Back then, community leaders such as Vashu Shroff and his family founded the first Indian Temple, finding its humble beginnings in one room. It was a home that welcomed the diaspora at large to come to find peace when they needed it and at the crossroads of modernity and tradition to ensure the preservation of our beliefs that would be meaningful for the future generation. Mirroring this expansion, the Indian community saw an astronomical increase in our population from roughly 6000 in 1958 to the 3.3 million people that call it home today. This meteoric rise also breathed new life into every aspect of the economy, from business to tourism making Indians an immensely influential demographic in the region. With over 30,000 businesses ranging from small to medium and even multinational, the community assimilated seamlessly. What we are seeing now is a rich tapestry of interlaced traditions and heritage. Today, Dubai is famously known as India's best city and making it India's vital hub. This impetus led to the birth of The Hindu Temple Dubai, an institution inspired, in part, by the legacy of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Temple will aim to mirror his visionary approach by laying the foundation for an establishment that will stand the test of time. A space empowered by a simple but moving thought, 'For the people, by the people' The Hindu Temple is a beautiful marriage of two cultures. The showstopping piece is undoubtedly the duality of the traditional Hindu dome atop the Mashrabiya screens infused with the 3D-printed lotus symbol. The transparent dome extends to the sky while the Arabian architecture-inspired screens cast calming shadows through the room. By incorporating white marble to adorn every inch of the Temple, it beautifies and reflects harmony and purity. The marble pillars and arches are also intricately handcrafted with designs and scriptures. Vastushastra (Hindu architecture) played a crucial role in the eventual decision to create an octagonal shape with an east-facing entrance. The octagonal shape is steeped in Hindu mythology and represents the structure of the sacred Shree Yantra. The Temple is using digital technology to pre-book visits. By the end of the year, there will be a spacious community center where Hindu ceremonies including rituals and prayers can take place including weddings, naming ceremonies and janiyas (thread ceremony), with an option for catering. Deities in the temple Ganapathi - God of beginnings Lakshmi Narayanan - Goddess of wealth Lord Guruvayurappan - God of preservation and protection Lord Ayyappan - God of righteousness and celibacy Mookambika Devi - Hindu Goddess, who is representing Adi Parashakt and is said to be the mother of the Universe Balaji - God of justice Durga Matta - Goddess of protection, strength, motherhood, destruction and wars Shiv Linga - Shiva Linga is a symbol of lord Shiva: a mark that reminds of the omnipotent lord, which is formless Radha Krishna - Krishna is the God of protection, compassion, tenderness and love. Radha is his spiritual energy Jhulelal- Hindu God of water Ramji Darbar - Coronation of Rama with his wife Sita next to him Lord Muruga with Valli and Deivanai - God of war and commander of the army of Gods. Deivanai is the Goddess of Kriya Shakti and Valli is the Goddess of Ichha Shakti, meaning the Power of Action and Power of Will respectively, while Lord Muruga represents Gyana Shakti or the power of Wisdom. Hanumanji- God of wisdom, strength, courage, devotion and self-discipline Sai Baba - Saint whose teachings concentrate on a moral code of love, charity, forgiveness, contentment, inner peace and devotion to the God and guru Shri Jalaram Bapa - divine incarnation Tokyo, Oct 5 : Japanese tech giant Sony is likely working on a new smartphone as a report says that "out of nowhere, a mysterious Sony handset has been spotted on Geekbench". According to GizmoChina, the device's RAM capacity, the chipset information and with the software is also included in the listing. "An unknown Sony-branded smartphone with model number XQ-DS99 has made its appearance on Geekbench. As per the listing, the phone will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8000 SoC," the report said. The report mentioned that the device will include 12GB RAM and will run Android 12. A recent report said that the tech giant is working on its first 100MP camera sensor. The sensor will be aimed at premium mid-range smartphones. Notably, Sony also makes camera sensors for tech giants Apple and Google which are popular brands among smartphone photography enthusiasts. Lucknow, Oct 5 : The Uttar Pradesh health department has made it mandatory for all private hospitals in the district to put up photos and phone numbers of doctors working there. These details should be put up at a place where patients and their attendants can see them easily. Besides, hospitals also have to put up information about the specialty of emergency medical officers along with their phone numbers on the display board. Additional chief medical officer Dr A.P. Singh said, "By putting details of doctors, patients will be able to know that qualified doctors are treating them. Besides, they would know whom to contact in an emergency. It will also help health officials during hospital inspections." He stated that as of now, hospitals must keep a licence issued by the chief medical officer (CMO) which has to be displayed during the inspection. The move came after the health department, during raids, found several unqualified doctors, paramedical staff and nurses working in hospitals. Officials said there are around 350 hospitals and nursing homes in the city with licence. During the health department's raids on 18 hospitals, anomalies were found in 10 hospitals and notices were served on them. The most common anomaly was the absence of emergency medical officers from hospital. In three private hospitals, paramedical and nursing staff were untrained. Apart from that, a visit to two hospitals on Hardoi Road revealed that the doctors were not qualified for practising modern medicine. They had BHMS and BAMS degrees. Dr A.P. Singh said, "We are running a special drive against hospitals run by unqualified staff. Strict action will be taken against those who indulge in it. FIRs will also be filed against them." Lucknow, Oct 5 : Om Raut's magnum opus 'Adipurush' is now attracting political flak. Uttar Pradesh deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that no one will be allowed to play with the sentiments of millions of Hindus. He said that a number of saints had objected to the portrayal of gods in 'Adipurush' and their demand to ban the film was justified. BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj said that the film makes a mockery of Hindu deities. "Ravan looks like a Muslim invader in the film while Hanuman's image has been distorted beyond recognition which is highly condemnable. Film makers think they can get away with any level of cinematic liberty. This cannot be permitted," he said. Mahant Satyendra Das, chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi temple, said, "No one can be allowed to misrepresent the Hindu mythology and distort the image of Hindu gods and goddesses." Sunil Raj of Hindu Rashtra Sena, a fringe outfit, said that the film's teaser also portrays Sita in a poor light. "She looks more like a film heroine than a goddess. We will not allow the film to get a release." Adipurush, a Hindu mythological film based on the epic Ramayana stars actor Prabhas as Lord Ram, Saif Ali Khan as Ravana, and Kriti Sanon as Sita. The film is directed by Om Raut. It is scheduled to release in January next year. Srinagar, Oct 5 : Three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists were killed in a gunfight with the security forces in the Drach area of South Kashmir's Shopian district, officials said on Wednesday. This is the second encounter in Shopian in less than 12 hours. An encounter was also underway in the Moolu area of Shopian. "Three local terrorists linked with proscribed terror outfit JeM killed in encounter at Drach Shopian. Second encounter at Moolu is in progress," Jammu and Kashmir Police quoting Additional Director General Police Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar tweeted. The gunfight started after a joint team of police and security forces got an input about the presence of terrorists in that area. After security forces cordoned off the area, terrorists hiding there started firing drawing retaliation by the security forces. There have been a series of encounters between the terrorists and security forces across Kashmir in the recent past in which many terrorists have been eliminated. One terrorist was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces in the Baskuchan area of South Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday. San Francisco, Oct 5 : Twitter on Wednesday said it has received a letter from Elon Musk to go ahead with their original deal of $54.20 per share (or $44 billion). Twitter shares went up 22 per cent after the news. In a new filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Musk's legal team has also asked the court to adjourn the trial and all other proceedings. "We received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). The intention of the Company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share," Twitter said in a statement. Musk tweeted: "Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app. Twitter probably accelerates X by 3 to 5 years, but I could be wrong." The surprising development led to the micro-blogging platform's share jump 22 per cent after it reopened as trading of Twitter shares was briefly halted. According to the letter sent to Twitter, "the Musk Parties provide this notice without admission of liability and without waiver of or prejudice to any of their rights, including their right to assert the defenses and counterclaims pending in the Action, including in the event the Action is not stayed, Twitter fails or refuses to comply with its obligations under the April 25, 2022 Merger Agreement or if the transaction contemplated thereby otherwise fails to close". In the new US SEC filing, Musk's legal team said that "On October 3, 2022, they "sent a letter to Twitter... notifying Twitter that the Reporting Person (Musk) intends to proceed to closing of the transaction contemplated by the April 25, 2022 Merger Agreement." The team said that the offer means that the Delaware Chancery Court should "adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related thereto pending such closing or further order of the court". Twitter shareholders had earlier voted to approve Musk's $44 billion takeover bid. New York, Oct 5 : A California man has been charged with hate crimes and robbery after he attacked and robbed 14 South Asian women, mostly wearing sarees and bindis, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office said. Lathan Johnson, 37, from Palo Alto, took necklaces off his victims, and sped away in a getaway car. In the process, he also injured the women, mostly in the 50-73 age group. The estimated worth of all the stolen necklaces is about $35,000. "Almost all the victims wore a saree, bindi, or other types of ethnic attire when they were attacked," the District Attorney's office said, and added that the spree of attacks, which started in June, mostly took place in San Jose, Milpitas, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen vowed to pursue convictions for anyone who attacked others due to their race or ethnicity. "I say to our South Asian community that anyone who targets and attacks you will be arrested and treated with the utmost severity under our law. Santa Clara County's precious diversity is our strength, our superpower - not a criminal opportunity," Rosen said in a statement. The Santa Clara Police Department and the US Marshal's Office apprehended Johnson, but the first agency to tie him to the crimes was the Milpitas Police Department. They were able to connect him to a getaway car. If convicted, Johnson will face prison time. The District Attorney and South Asian community leaders will be attending the hearing today in San Jose. Late last year, the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office charged a group of men with hate crimes and robbery for targeting Asian women during a spree of purse snatching. Those cases are still pending. New Delhi, Oct 5 : In a latest action against the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the Delhi Police have arrested two of its active members from the Khajuri Khas area in the national capital. The accused were identified as Israr Ali and Mohammed Samoon. An FIR against them was filed under sections 153-A of IPC read with sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act. Inspector Radhey Shyam had lodged a complaint in this respect. Now Assistant Commissioner of Police, Udayveer Singh will probe the matter. "We have arrested the banned organisation members and are looking into the matter," the police said. Recently, four PFI members were held after an FIR was lodged with the Shaheen Bagh Police Station. The Ministry of Home Affairs had on September 28 declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its eight affiliates "unlawful association" for five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. This ban came shortly after the NIA, ED and various state police forces carried out a coordinated nationwide crackdown on the PFI. In 2019, the Uttar Pradesh government sought a ban on the PFI for its alleged involvement in anti-CAA protests in parts of the state. The Central government's ban on the PFI was imposed on several counts centred on terror, including terror funding and training. Consequently, hundreds of its leaders have been apprehended in the past few days. The specific reasons for the Union government to ban the outfit pertains to the PFI's efforts to radicalise vulnerable persons of a community, its links to other terrorist organisations, including the ISIS, and more significantly, posing a threat to India's internal security by way of involvement in major violent incidents that point at the PFI. San Francisco, Oct 5 : The US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a complaint against tech giant Apple over allegations that it discriminated against employees during their unionising efforts at its World Trade Center store in New York. The NLRB's complaint was filed after the Communications Workers of America, the union working with organisers at Apple retail stores in New York, Atlanta, and Oklahoma, charged the tech giant of discrimination, reports The Verge. The US labour agency "found merit" to complaints that Apple had been "interrogating its employees about their support for the union". Apple was yet to comment on the NLRB complaint. According to the report, Apple needs to be present at a hearing with an NLRB administration on December 13, unless it settles with the union. In May, the Communications Workers of America claimed that Apple was violating labour laws by holding captive audience meetings in Atlanta, "forcing employees to listen to anti-union talking points." In June, Apple retail store workers finally managed to vote to form a union in Maryland state in the US. Apple's Towson Town Center store in Maryland state was the first retail location in the US to hold a union election. They voted to unionise, with 65 in favour and 33 against. The workers sought to expand their rights, asking for "a say when it comes to pay, hours, and safety." Apple recently hiked benefits for both part-time and full-time retail employees. Los Angeles, Oct 5 : The fight between Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and her ex-husband Brad Pitt is getting uglier with each passing day. The 'Girl, Interrupted' star has filed a countersuit against Brad Pitt amid their legal battle over Chacteau Miraval, a French winery the former couple bought more than a decade ago, reports Variety. The countersuit, accessed by Variety, finds Jolie's legal team revealing new details about an alleged altercation that took place between Pitt, Jolie and their children on a plane in September, 2016. According to Variety, Pitt filed a lawsuit against Jolie earlier this year, accusing her of violating "contractual rights" after she sold her half of Chacteau Miraval without his knowledge. Jolie's lawyers claim in the countersuit that discussions with Pitt's team about selling her side of the company broke down after he demanded she sign "a nondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt's physical and emotional abuse of her and their children." As per the countersuit, "Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face" and "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her" during the 2016 altercation. Jolie's lawyer states the dispute started when Pitt accused her of being "too deferential" to their kids. The two started fighting in the plane's bathroom. Variety further states that the countersuit read: "Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall, Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom." The countersuit states that Pitt attempted to get physical with one of their kids after the child came to Jolie's defence. "When one of the children verbally defended Jolie, Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him," the countersuit states. "To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the aeroplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow. The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying." As reported in August, Jolie was behind an anonymous 2016 lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleged being assaulted by her "then-husband" on a private plane. The actor told an FBI agent that Pitt "physically and verbally assaulted" her and their children. Hyderabad, Oct 5 : A crucial meeting of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) began here Wednesday noon to take a decision on converting itself into a national party. Chief Minister and TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao was presiding over the extended general body meeting of the party at its headquarters Telangana Bhavan. The meeting, being attended by state ministers, MPs, state legislators and other leaders, will pass a resolution converting TRS into Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal(S) leader H. D. Kumaraswamy, president of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan and other leaders of the two parties were also attending the meeting at the invitation of KCR. A total of 283 delegates including ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, party executive committee members, Zilla Parishad chairpersons, district party presidents and chairpersons of corporations were attending the meeting. During the meeting, KCR is likely to highlight the aims and objectives of floating the national party. Leaders of JD (S) and VCK are also likely to address the meeting to pledge their support. After passing of the resolution, KCR will host lunch for the invitees. He is scheduled to address a news conference in the evening, where he will formally make the announcement about the new political entity. A festive atmosphere and excitement gripped Telangana Bhavan. Banners, flexis and posters hailing KCR's entry into national politics have been put up on roads around the TRS headquarters and at other places in the city. TRS leaders and workers in Hyderabad and other parts of the state were celebrating the occasion with special prayers on the occasion of Dussehra for the success of BRS. The resolution to be adopted at the meeting with the signatures of the participants will be submitted to the Election Commission of India on Thursday for registration of the party. The party is likely to retain its pink colour and election symbol of car. After receiving the nod from the Election Commission, the pink party will field its candidate as BRS' nominee for the by-election to Munugode Assembly constituency in Telangana. The last date for filing nominations is October 14. KCR is also likely to announce TRS candidate for the by-election on Wednesday. While KCR is likely to be the president of the national party, his son and cabinet minister K. T. Rama Rao, who is currently the working president of TRS, is expected to be appointed as the president of Telangana unit of BRS. Senior leader and Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao, who is general secretary of TRS, is likely to be the national general secretary of the new party. It was in 2001 that KCR had floated TRS to revive the movement for separate statehood to Telangana. After achieving the goal in 2014 following a 13-year-long struggle, he formed the first government in the new state and retained power in 2018. Chennai, Oct 5 : Ace director S. Shankar, who is known for films like 'Robot', 'I' and 'Nayak',is the latest person to praise director Mani Ratnam's magnum opus, 'Ponniyin Selvan 1', which is based on the literary classic by eminent writer Kalki. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Shankar wrote: "'PS1' captivates. A quality Tamil historical film after years. Mani Ratnam sir's mastery in filmma'King' proven yet again (sic)." He then went on to praise the film's technical team and said: "Hats off to cinematographer Ravi Varman's picturesque depiction. A R Rahman music riveting! Full three hours intrigue you for the sequel. Hail to the vast Army that made this epic!" Shankar isn't the only one to be impressed by the magnum opus. Scores of people including celebrities like Telugu star Nagarjuna too have been impressed by the epic.The film, which released last Friday much to the delight of fans, has been receiving a thunderous welcome from audiences. It grossed a worldwide sum of over Rs 80 crore on its very first day, thereby entering history books as the film with the biggest ever opening in Tamil cinema. The film's brilliant story is based on the early life of prince Arun Mozhi Varman, who went on to be known as the great Raja Chozhan. Called by Mani Ratnam as his dream project, the film features a host of top stars including actors Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Trisha, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Jayaram, Parthiban, Lal, Vikram Prabhu, Jayaram, Prabhu and Prakash Raj. Mumbai, Oct 5 : In a boost for Shiv Sena (Uddhav group), the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have declared support to its candidate in the upcoming Andheri East Assembly by-elections, party leaders said here on Wednesday. The bypoll is necessitated owing to the demise of the sitting Sena legislator, Ramesh Latke, who died in Dubai last May. The Sena has fielded his widow, Rutuja Ramesh Latke for the November 3 byelections, hoping to garner the sympathy votes. She will take on the Bharatiya Janata Party's former BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) corporator Murji Patel, who is considered a popular leader in the area. This is the first crucial electoral test for the Sena President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray after the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June. The election has triggered a keen tussle between Thackeray and the rival faction led by the BJP-supported Chief Minister Eknath Shinde who toppled the MVA. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said today that the party will not field its own candidate but will support the MVA nominee who is contesting on a Sena ticket. NCP National Spokesperson also said that the party will support the Sena nominee for the bypolls. "The MVA was formed after the 2019 Assembly elections to keep the communal BJP out of power for the benefit of the state. During our tenure of two-and-half years, we took many welfare decisions and did good work during the unprecedented Covid-19 crisis," said Patole. However, the BJP at the Centre misused the central agencies like the ED and CBI to bring down the MVA regime by taking away the Sena MLAs, he said. Patole pointed out how, when all BJP efforts to break the MVA alliance failed, they created a rift in the Sena to oust the state government in June. The three parties will now go all-out to ensure the victory of Rutuja R. Latke over the BJP nominee Murji Patel, they added. Los Angeles, Oct 5 : Can Hollywood star Will Smith land his second Oscar after the infamous slapgate at the 94th Academy Awards conducted earlier this year? That's the question facing Apple after it announced that it will release 'Emancipation', a drama about an escaped slave that it paid Smith $35 million to star in and produce, reports Variety. The streamer is betting that the furor over Smith's assault of Chris Rock at the Oscars has died down, particularly after Smith recorded an awkward apology video. But even if Smith becomes the first performer since Tom Hanks to score back-to-back Oscars for best actor, he won't be able to pick up his prize in person. Nor will he even be able to accept it via satellite. That's because in April, facing almost certain expulsion, Smith decided to resign from membership of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. According to Variety, that was followed almost immediately by the Academy Board of Governors' decision to ban him from the Oscars telecast and Academy-sponsored events for 10 years. But even though he can't accept his award on the broadcast, Smith can still be nominated, and even win another Oscar. Variety further states that it's unclear how aggressively Smith will campaign for the prize or if Apple will even push him in the crowded best actor race, which also includes Brendan Fraser, Austin Butler, Colin Farrell and Hugh Jackman, none of whom slapped a beloved stand-up during a global television event. But if Smith decides to press the flesh, he won't be able to do it at any Academy member gatherings. He'll have to consign himself to events presented by the likes of SAG and the Golden Globes. If Smith's performance was able to overcome his publicly perceived "blacklisting," the Academy's Actors Branch, which comprises about 1,400 former colleagues, acquaintances, and Hollywood adjacent working performers, can place him on their ballot to receive a nomination when voting occurs from January 12 to January 17. The official nominations will be announced on January 24. Mumbai, Oct 5 : On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, Bollywood actress Mugdha Godse spoke about the festivities and shared how she celebrates the festival. The actress said that she cleans up her house and decorates it to ward off any evil or negative forces. "I celebrate Dussehra by decorating my home in a traditional way. The main door is decked up with a lovely toran (a door hanging decorated with flowers or mango leaves). I move the furniture around to welcome Dussehra." The 36-year old actress, who made her Hindi film debut with Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Fashion' and went on to work in movies such as 'Jail', 'Heroine' and Tamil film 'Thani Oruvan' among others, explained the importance of the festival and how it symbolises the victory of good over evil. "The spirit of this festival is divine and teaches a lot about the importance of believing in goodness. It leaves with the relief of knowing that Good overcomes Evil at the end of everything and that should remain with us always," she added. Srinagar, Oct 5 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday that Mufti & Co and Abdullah & Sons had made Kashmir a 'terrorist spot' while Modiji has made it a 'tourist hotspot'. Shah addressed a large public rally in Baramulla town, his first public meeting in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. He started his speech with a glowing tribute to the son of soil, Maqbool Sherwani who was martyred fighting the tribal invaders in 1947. Shah interrupted his speech when he heard the 'Azaan' (Call for Namaz) coming from a local mosque. He restarted his speech after the Azaan was over. He said before his visit to J&K, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had asked him through a tweet that he should give an account of what he has done for J&K. "Mehboobaji see with eyes wide open and also Farooq Sahib, see what we have done and what you had done. "In your rule, there were 87 Assembly members, 6 Parliament members and three families. "Modiji took democracy to Panchayat, block and district levels. Today there are more than 30,000 public representatives in these institutions," he asserted. He questioned both Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah about the investments they had brought into J&K during their rule. "In 70 years since 1947, Just Rs 15,000 lakh crore worth investment came to J&K and from 2019 till date, Rs 56,000 lakh crore worth investments has come which will give employment to 5 lakh locals. "Mufti & Co and Abdullah & Sons made Kashmir a 'terrorist spot' while Modiji has made Kashmir a 'Tourist spot'. "Till October this year, 22 lakh tourists came here. You gave stones and guns in the hands of the local youth and Modiji gave them laptops and mobile phones", he said. He asked the people whether terrorism has ever helped anybody in the World. "42000 people died in militancy related incidents in J&K, but no son of any leader died during this period. It was always the poor man who had to carry the heaviest weight in the World -- the dead body of his son", Shah said. He said till 2014, J&K had just four medical colleges and now there are nine in J&K. "Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis could not get any reservation till Article 370 was here. Modiji removed Article 370 and now Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis will get reservations. "Modiji formed the Sharma commission and through the recommendations of this commission, our Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari brothers and sisters will now get reservations. "Some people say we must talk to Pakistan, but we say we must talk to the youth of Kashmir. "Those who advocate talks with Pakistan should go and see PoK and find out how many villages have electricity there. "We brought electricity to every village in J&K. 77 lakh people have health cards and they are entitled to treatment for Rs 5 lakh from the government", he said. Hyderabad, Oct 5 : The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Wednesday welcomed the decision of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to enter national politics by changing its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) while the BJP has termed it as misadventure by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Soon after the TRS general body meeting passed a resolution to change its name to BRS, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi took to Twitter to congratulate Chandrasekhar Rao on TRS' transformation into a national party. "My best wishes to the party on their new beginning," wrote Owaisi, a member of Lok Sabha from Hyderabad. Meanwhile, the BJP has termed KCR's move to enter national politics as misadventure. "CM KCR's misadventure while struggling to keep his government operational financially is an unworthy exercise," said BJP spokesman K. Krishna Sagar Rao. He pointed out that this is not the first time a regional party nurtured national ambition. "Many regional parties since 1947 have tried and failed. AIADMK, DMK, TDP, SP, BSP, RJD, JD(U), TMC and recently Aam Aadmi Party are few," he said. The BJP leader wondered how by just changing its name, the TRS can become a national party. He said that a party needs to get quantifiable voter support in multiple states for it to be recognised as a national party. "BJP believes there's no 'Telangana Model' and it exists only in the fictitious imagination of CM KCR. One can't sell a model to the nation, which doesn't exist," said Krishna Sagar Rao. He believed that KCR's initiative will be self sabotage. "Change of the name from TRS to BRS will lead to losing his home turf, while he embarks on a wasteful national ambition," he added. Chennai, Oct 5 : City-based housing finance company, Sundaram Home Finance is foraying into business loan financing for small traders, shops and business owners. The business loan will be extended to these people against their residential property for business growth and working capital needs. The company on Wednesday opened an exclusive Small Business Loan branch in Madurai and one more such branch will be opened in Tenkasi on Friday. "Small businesses in the Tier 2 and 3 towns in TN are thriving once again and are looking to expand their business. There is a need for formal financing options to this small business segment," Lakshminarayanan Duraiswamy, Managing Director said. According to him, a loan up to Rs20 lakh will be extended. Srinagar, Oct 5 : Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader on Wednesday in a statement said that a section of the J&K mainstream politicians was creating confusion on the real demand of the people of union territory relating to its autonomy within the Constitution of India. "I feel deeply surprised that certain J&K mainstream leaders are creating confusion on the basic issue of the people of J&K regarding autonomy within the Constitution of India. These politicians assert that they would help the people of the J&K in restoration of full statehood from the current Union Territory status," Soz said. "They conveniently forget that the PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah have committed before Parliament that the statehood would be restored soon after the Delimitation process. This assurance is before the Parliament of India." "However, irrespective of this assurance from the PM and HM, the people of the J&K would continue their legitimate struggle for restoration of autonomy within the Constitution of India." He said this section of the mainstream politicians, who misinterpret restoration of the statehood, should understand that they are only duping the people of J&K by referring to the statehood. "The real issue is the demand for restoration of the autonomy enshrined in the illegally abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution of India." "By all standards, the people of J&K will continue their struggle for restoration of the autonomy for the state within the Constitution of India." Chennai, Oct 5 : Pure play electric car maker BYD India Private Ltd targeting a sales of 15,000 units next year is launching a new model, increasing its distribution network and expanding production capacity if needed, said a senior official. Currently, the company rolls out e6 model a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and in a couple of days BYD India will be launching a new model Atto3 a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The company's plant near here has a capacity to roll out 10,000 units per year. BYD India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway funded Chinese company BYD Auto. "If need be we will expand the capacity," Sanjay Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of Electric Passenger Vehicle Business told IANS. As per the government's vehicle registration data available on the Vahan portal, a total of 305 vehicles have been registered in 2022 and last month it was 63 units. Citing some of the vehicle registration offices in the country are not connected to the Vahan portal Gopalakrishnan said: "We have delivered about 530 units to our dealers. About 83 of them are with the dealers and the remaining has been sold to the buyers by them." Gopalakrishnan said BYD India will be launching its new model Atto3 soon. He said sales of the new model will start happening from January 2023. Gopalakrishnan declined to comment further on the company's proposed launch. The Atto3 is expected to take on Tata Nexon EV. "On the distribution side we will be having about 23 showrooms by the end of this year and 50 next year," he added. Presently, the company has seven showrooms in the country. BYD Auto recently reported better-than-expected results for the first half of the year, registering $21.7 billion in revenue that was nearly 66 per cent up from the same period last year. The company is slowly penetrating the European market. It has already begun operations in Norway and is looking to start business in Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. China remained the market leader in EV sales, followed by Europe and the US. China's EV sales increased by almost 92 per cent YoY to reach 1.24 million units from just 0.64 million units in Q2 2021. As it has happened in the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle industry, the Asian automobile makers are expanding their offering and enjoy certain advantages over Tesla, said S&P Global Ratings in a research report. As a matter of fact, BYD has overtaken Tesla in the first half of 2022. According to S&P Global Ratings, BYD also benefits from a more vertically integrated business model compared with peers amid supply-chain disruption. In India BYD has two plants - one for car making and the other for electronic items- involving a cumulative investment of about $150 million. The company assembles its cars by importing the parts from China. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) Kolkata, Oct 5 : The last four days of Durga Puja were just like other days of struggle for the deprived eligible candidates protesting against West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam on the streets of Kolkata for 570 days. However, on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, the Left Front chairman in West Bengal, Biman Bose on Wednesday reached the agitation dais under the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Mayo Road in central Kolkata, greeted them with sweets as per Bengali rituals and expressed solidarity towards their movement. Although the state education minister, Bratya Basu issued an appeal to the protesters to refrain from the agitation during the festival days, they refused and continued with these demonstrations. A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court too upheld their rights to continue with their protests during the festival days and turned down the plea of the police that agitation on the streets should not continue during Puja days to prevent traffic congestion. Bose is not the first politician from the opposition wing in the state to reach the dais during the festival days and express solidarity to the protesters. On Tuesday evening, on Maha Navami, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari went to the agitation dais and assured them of taking up the matter to the highest level of the Union government. "Education is the concurrent list of the Indian Constitution and hence the Union government will be involved in the matter. This will be done since the state government is showing no positive move to ensure jobs for all eligible candidates who have been illegally deprived," Adhikari said.. The CPI(M) state secretary in West Bengal and the party politburo member, Md Salim also went to the agitation dais on October 3, on Maha Asthami, and from there he launched a scathing attack against the state government. "The eligible candidates have been protesting here for over 550 days and the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is busy attending Puja pandals," Salim said. The CPI(M) activists also arranged food for the agitators on that day. Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 : Days after the Mumbai unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recovered 198 kg of crystal methamphetamine and 9 kg high-quality cocaine, worth Rs 1,476 crore, the Kerala Excise officials on Wednesday raided the business unit of one of the prime accused near Kochi. Keralite businessman Vijin Varghese was arrested by the Mumbai unit for the drugs that was found hidden in a consignment of fruits. While he is in the DRI custody in Mumbai, his business partner Manzoor, who hails from Kasargode, is on the run. Vijin, his brother Jibin along with their partner Albin have a unit at Kalady near here under the name Yummito International Foods, where a team of Excise officials conducted the raids. They inspected hundreds of cartons of fruits that was packed, but failed to get anything. Incidentally this big haul by the DRI was based on an information received through inputs that drugs in high quantity will be smuggled into the country. According to the inputs, contraband substance would be arriving from South Africa as part of a consignment of fruits. The agency kept working on the input, following which on Friday evening, a team of DRI officers intercepted a truck in Vashi. The truck was carrying imported oranges. Incidentally two days back, a high-level team of DRI had conducted inspection at their factor at Kalady, but so far they have not been able to recover anything and the report is that the Excise is yet to get any leads. San Francisco, Oct 5 : With the judge in the Twitter-Elon Musk case declaring that the micro-blogging platform could hunt for Musk's secret chats with whistleblower Peiter 'Mudge' Zatko, the Tesla CEO may have decided to make a turnaround and announce to go ahead with the $44 billion takeover deal he earlier terminated. In a fresh court filing, Judge Kathaleen McCormick at the Delaware Court of Chancery in the US has rejected Musk's legal team's argument that Zatko's denial makes additional discovery irrelevant. Zatko, Twitter's former head of security, has said he did not contact Musk or his team but Twitter wants to know more, especially about a mysterious email from May 6 that turned up in the files of Quinn Emanuel, a legal firm that represents Musk. In the email, the sender suggests that Musk's team get in touch with Zatko on another platform (through "alternate secure means") in order for them to provide information about Twitter. "Plaintiff argues that its broader proposal is necessary to investigate an unusual May 6 email produced from the files of Quinn Emanuel. The email was sent from an anonymous account hosted by protonmail.com (a popular encrypted email provider) to Quinn Emanuel attorney Alex Spiro and purports to be from 'a former Exec at Twitter leading teams directly involving Trust & Safety/Content Moderation'," read the judge's filing. The author of the email offered Musk information on Twitter and suggests communicating "via alternate secure means". The judge said that Zatko's testimony, while sworn, is not susceptible to a credibility assessment at this stage and is therefore not dispositive. "Moreover, Defendants' statements concerning the May 6 email raise more questions. The timing and the contents of the May 6 email render it at least plausible that Zatko was the author," said judge McCormick. In its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Musk's legal team has also asked the court to adjourn the trial and all other proceedings. The team said the Delaware Chancery Court should "adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related thereto pending such closing or further order of the court". Recently, a new treasure trove of texts exchanged between Musk and Agrawal was leaked in the public domain. Agrawal told Musk that he is free to tweet "is Twitter dying?" or anything else about Twitter "but it's my responsibility to tell you that it's not helping me make Twitter better in the current context". Bengaluru, Oct 5 : Karnataka Congress alleged on Wednesday that IAS officer Amrit Paul, who was arrested in connection with the PSI recruitment scandal in the state, is just a scapegoat. The opposition party also pointed fingers at former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa's son as the main kingpin behind the sensational PSI recruitment scandal. The opposition party has made these charges after BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal alleged that former CM's son is behind the PSI's scandal. Dinesh Gundu Rao, AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Goa states demanded a judicial probe or the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the PSI scandal for the truth to come out. "The notification to the recruitment of PSI was issued during this government's (BJP) tenure in Karnataka. The scandal had taken place during the rule of BJP. In this tenure B.S. Yediyurappa had resigned and become former CM. Is BJP MLA trying to point out towards Yediyurappa's son? There is no possibility of smoke emanating without fire. Will MLA Yatnal make allegations just like that?" Dinesh Gundu Rao questioned. He further stated that there is a direct allegation by a BJP MLA on direct involvement of Yediyurappa's son in the scandal. The scandal is being probed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) presently. This is not the first time that MLA Yatnal is making such charges, he added. In spite of these allegations, why is the CID not looking into charges by BJP MLA Yatnal? Dinesh Gundurao questioned. During the last session, Congress had demanded for the judicial probe. BJP MLA had demanded that the ex-CM's son is the kingpin behind the scandal and demanded a CBI probe. "The ruling BJP had not denied the demand for a probe by us. Let it value the demand made by BJP MLA Yatnal," he chided. If one looks carefully at BJP MLA Yatnal's allegations, it seems that Amrit Paul, the sitting IPS officer arrested regarding the scandal, is a scapegoat. The kingpin behind the scandal is the former CM's son. The unanswered question is who is this person? The truth should be known to people, Dinesh Gundu Rao stated. If the truth can only come before the public through the judicial probe or CBI inquiry, he stated. New York, Oct 5 : Officials at the San Diego zoo announced the arrival of 41 tiny Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles - a rare and endangered turtle species - after two decades. The Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle is mainly found in South Asia, especially in the Indus, Ganga, Godavari, Coleroon, Mahanadi and Padma rivers. In India, the species has largely been spotted in the states of West Bengal, Meghalaya and Goa. The conservationists at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance had closely monitored three adult turtles for any indications of breeding. After 20 years, they found two nests containing 41 eggs - all survived. "This is an extremely prolonged process as the turtles can take close to 10 years to even reach sexual maturity," said a news release. It makes the zoo the first accredited organisation in North America to hatch and raise the rare species. When emerging from their shell, hatchlings can be as small as about 4 cm. They can grow to as long as 3.6 feet from the front to back of the top shell. The species requires a highly specialised habitat. A female turtle, at a time, can lay about 65-193 eggs. It is believed to be an ambush feeder and spends most of its time concealed below the sand, with only the tip of the snout exposed, according to the Wildlife Institute of India. These turtles are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Some of the major threats to their population include exploitation for medicine and meat. Environmental pollution, sandbar habitat destruction, international pet trade and human food harvesting have also played a role in these turtles becoming an endangered species. Kalaburagi, : Oct 5 (IANS) There was high vigil in Karnataka's Kalaburgi district on Dussehra day on Wednesday following the Dalit Sena's announcement that if the effigy of Ravan is burnt, the effigy of Lord Ram would also be set on fire. The Dalit Sena is opposing the organisation of Ravan dahan programme in which effigy of Ravan would be burnt on the occasion of the Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) Police said that Hindu groups have organised burning of a 50-foot tall Ravan effigy in the premises of the Appa Jatra Grounds in Kalaburagi. Dalit organisations have objected to it and claimed that the programme is being held without permission from the authorities. They have further warned that they will burn the effigy of Ram, if Hindu activists burn Ravan's effigy. In light of the stiff resistance, the Hindu organisations have dropped the programme burning of the effigy of Ravan and will celebrate other rituals. Geneva, Oct 5 : Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel will receive the 2022 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced. The selection committee said it was recognising Merkel's "leadership, courage and compassion in ensuring the protection of hundreds of thousands of desperate people" as well as her efforts to find "viable long-term solutions" for those seeking safety, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the UN refugee agency. Under Merkel's leadership, Germany welcomed more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016 -- at the height of the conflict in Syria and amid deadly violence in other places, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the UNHCR statement. At that time, the then chancellor called on her fellow Germans to reject divisive nationalism and urged them instead to be "self-assured and free, compassionate and open-minded", the UNHCR said. Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, praised Merkel's determination to protect asylum-seekers and to stand up for human rights, humanitarian principles and international law. "By helping more than a million refugees to survive and rebuild, Angela Merkel displayed great moral and political courage," Grandi said. As well as protecting people forced to flee war, persecution and human rights abuses, the former chancellor was the driving force behind Germany's collective efforts to receive them and help them integrate into society, through education and training programs, employment schemes and labour market integration, according to the statement. UNHCR's Nansen Refugee Award recognises extraordinary humanitarian work on behalf of refugees, internally displaced or stateless people. Vadodara, Oct 5 : More than 12 persons have been detained by the police after a communal clash broke out in Vadodara's Gorwa area over hoisting of religious flags on Tuesday night. Both the warring groups indulged in stone pelting, forcing the police to resort to lathi charge to disperse the mob. Assistant Commissioner of Police, S.M. Varotaria, told the local media, "On Tuesday night, two religious groups wanted to put up religious flags on a tree. The clash broke following arguments over whose flags will be hoisted higher. Both sides started pelting stones on each other, but the police reached the spot on time and dispersed the mob after mild lathi charge. Adequate police force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order." The officer added that based on CCTV footage, the police have rounded up around 12 to 18 persons, and more will be detained for unlawful assembly and violence. In another incident, a clash between two groups was reported from Kharod village in Mehsana district. On Tuesday night, a group of were reportedly making noise while holding a party to which another group belonging to a different caste objected, leading to a clash. The police had to rush to the spot to bring the situation under control. Mumbai, Oct 5 : Actress Genelia D'Souza recently spoke about celebrating the festival of Dussehra with her husband Riteish Deshmukh and her entire family. She also emphasised on the importance of being part of the celebration. The "Tujhe Meri Kasam" actress said in a statement: "Dussehra is an important festival in our family and we make it a point to be free on this day. I feel Dussehra is a denotation that all comes to an end only with the victory of the good." Genelia is known for her works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films like "Satyam", "Sye", "Happy", "Dhee", "Ready", "Katha" and "Masti". Sharing her best wishes on the auspicious occasion, she added: "I wish for a healthy and happy world this Dussehra and that everyone lives a wholesome life. I wish that our children can have all the opportunities and wonderful experiences that we grew up with." Islamabad, Oct 5 : Former Director General of Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Bashir Memon, has confirmed the claims made by a hacker that he was locked inside a washroom on then Prime Minister Imran Khans order, media reports said. In an interview with a private news channel, the former cop confirmed the allegations levelled by a hacker on Twitter. The hacker, in a series of tweets which have now been deleted, shared inside details of the meeting between Memon and the former Prime Minister, Geo News reported. It was claimed that the former DG of FIA was locked inside a washroom in the PM House and was pressurised to follow Imran Khan's orders, Geo News reported. Memon, responding to the claims, confirmed the details, saying the former premier used abusive language towards PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz which infuriated him and he responded harshly. At this, Memon added, the then principal secretary to the Prime Minister, Azam Khan, grabbed his hand, took him out of the room and locked him in the washroom. "Azam Khan then scolded me over my conduct with the Prime Minister" said Memon. It is pertinent to mention that the government has formed a high-powered committee to probe into the audio leaks from the PM House that have raised questions over its cyber security. Multiple audio leaks of the meetings taking place at the PM House have been leaked online, sparking a new political controversy over the PTI's US conspiracy narrative. In one of the audios, Imran Khan could be heard allegedly strategising the US cypher issue and how to use it to support the party's narrative. New Delhi, Oct 5 : Congress is in search of new state chief in Jharkhand after the recent turmoil where three of its MLAs were caught in West Bengak with a large amount of cash - allegedly as first part of a deal to switch sides - and suspended. However, the new state President, to succeed incumbent Rajesh Thakur, is likely to be appointed after election for the Congress President's post later this month. With the party focussing on a tribal face, Lok Sabha member and wife of former Chief Minister Madhu Koda, Geeta Koda is said to be the front runner, while Bandhu Tirkey and Kalicharan Munda are other contenders, party sources said. Meanwhile, the state of affairs in the party unit is far from being peaceful. Congress has four ministers - Alamgir Alam, Ramshwar Oraon, Banna Gupta, and Badal Patralekh in the JMM-led government, and sources say MLAs and leaders have expressed dissatisfaction over their working style, and several voices have been raised for a change. Of the 18 Congress MLAs in the state, five are women, but they complain despite winning in such a large number for the first time, not a single woman MLA was given a ministerial post. A Congress woman MLA told IANS: "On hand, the party gives the slogan of 'Ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon' (I am a girl, I can fight), but on the other hand, the women who have won in the Assembly polls are not considered worthy of becoming a minister. This contradiction should be cleared." The organisational structure of the Congress in the state is also not good. Since 2017, the party has not been able to constitute the Committee, and the organisation in the state is being run by the state President, three-four executive Presidents, and few spokespersons. Asked why the state committee could not be formed in the state in the past five to six years, state chief Thakur told IANS: "This time, all processes have been completed for the constitution of the Pradesh Congress Committee. It is expected that after completion of the party's election for the presidential post, in few days, Pradesh Congress Committee will be announced." Thakur said that election of President for 319 blocks has been held and on October 10 a 25-30 member committee will be formed in each block. Jaipur, Oct 5 : While the political stir in Rajasthan Congress looks to have settled down for the time-being, things might flare up again from Thursday with the 10-day show-cause period of three Ashok Gehlot loyalists, including two state ministers and the RTDC chairperson, ending on Wednesday. These three leaders were given show-cause notice for organising an unofficial meeting of party MLAs parallel to the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting called by Congress observers on September 25. They were issued the disciplinary notice on September 27. In such a situation, a reply to be given by these three leaders might again lead to a political stir in Rajasthan, said Congress sources. After the boycott of the CLP meeting convened on September 25, the Congress observers had objected to the indiscipline displayed by the party MLAs. Later, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met Sonia Gandhi in Delhi and apologised for the gross indiscipline shown by his MLAs. Since then, the tensed situation in Rajasthan Congress seems to have settled down. The Congress had on September 27 issued show-cause notice to Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal, Water Supply Minister Mahesh Joshi and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) Chairman Dharmendra Rathod. The Congress had accused Dhariwal of conducting a parallel meeting of party MLAs at his residence, while Joshi was accused of boycotting the CLP meeting despite being the chief whip. Rathod was accused of arranging the logistics for the MLAs. The trio was told to submit their reply within 10 days, i.e., by October 6. It is being said that if the party decides to take strict action, the ministerial posts of both Dhariwal and Joshi might be taken away, which will surely raise the political temperature in Rajasthan. Sources said that some important decisions can be taken by the top party leadership with regard to Rajasthan after receiving the replies from the three show-caused leaders. Discussions are likely to take place between Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge in this regard. New Delhi, Oct 5 : Alerting people about dubious employment offers from overseas, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday that it has so far rescued 45 Indians from Myanmar who were trapped in fake job rackets. "We have been actively pursuing the case of Indians being trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar. Thanks to the efforts of @IndiainMyanmar & @IndiainThailand, around 32 Indians had already been rescued. Another 13 Indian citizens have now been rescued, & reached Tamil Nadu today," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Giving more information, the official said, "Some more Indian citizens have been rescued from their fake employers and are in custody of Myanmar authorities for illegal entry into that country. Legal formalities have been initiated to get them repatriated at the earliest." Instances of similar job rackets have also come to light from Laos and Cambodia. Indian Embassies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been helping in repatriating people from there as the details of agents allegedly involved in this racket have been shared with the relevant authorities in various Indian states, Bagchi said. These dubious IT firms, engaged in call-centre scams and cryptocurrency frauds, offer jobs to lure Indian youth for the posts of digital sales and marketing executives in Thailand. The firms have captured the attention of Indian Embassies in Bangkok and Myanmar, stated the Ministry in the advisory against fake job rackets issued on September 24. New Delhi, Oct 5 : India's Petroleum and Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri will lead an official and business delegation to Washington DC and Houston between October 6 and 11. In Washington DC, Puri will co-chair the Ministerial dialogue of US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (USISCEP) to be held October 7 with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. The revamped USISCEP was launched in accordance with US India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden at the Leaders' Summit on Climate held in April 2021. The partnership continues to advance energy security and innovation, scaling up emerging clean energy technologies and deploying technical solutions. Puri will also hold discussions with CEOs of US-based energy companies during the course of his visit. Ahmedabad, Oct 5 : The general secretary of Gujarat Vidyapith, Nikhil Bhatt, has issued a press statement saying the trustees of the Vidyapith have decided to invite Governor Acharya Devvrat to take charge as the deemed university's Chancellor. Gujarat Vidyapith was founded by Mahatma Gandhi on October 18, 1920. It was started as Rashtriya Vidyapith in the wake of the non-cooperation movement. Sitting Chancellor Ela Bhatt was appointed in March 2015. Couple of months back, she submitted her resignation on health grounds and requested the trustees to accept it and appoint a new Chancellor. Nikhil Bhatt said in the statement that the trustees have decided to accept her resignation and it will be effective from October 19. A delegation of trustees will pay a visit to Governor Achary Devvrat to request him to take charge as Chancellor. According to sources, there are 26 trustees of the Vidyapith, of which 24 participated in Tuesday's meeting. Sources said eight members of the trust were strongly against the decision to invite the Governor to take over as Chancellor. New York, Oct 5 : Mystery deepened in the case of a kidnapped Indian-origin family in California as officials reported that a person was taken into custody in connection with the case after he attempted suicide and the truck belonging to one of the victims was found burning. But still missing is the kidnapped family - eight-month-old baby Aroohi Dheri, her parents, Jasleen Kaur, 27, and Jasdeep Singh, 36, and uncle, Amandeep Singh, 39. A 48-year-old man was held "as a person of interest" on Tuesday and is in a "critical condition" at a hospital after the suicide attempt, the Merced County Sheriff's Office said. Amandeep Singh's wife, Jaspreet Kaur, made an appeal on TV for the victims' release: "I am begging in front of the people who took my family away, please, please let them go." "My niece, she's just an 8-month-old kid and she doesn't have any food with them," she said. Merced County is about 225 kilometres southeast of San Francisco. Detailing the kidnapping, the Sheriff's office said that they were alerted to the kidnapping on Monday when a truck belonging to Amandeep Singh was found burning on a highway. When officers were unable to contact him, they reached out to a family member. Family members reported the four missing after they couldn't contact them either and officers were directed to a business, Unison Trucking, to investigate, according to the Sheriff's office. Detectives then determined that the four had been kidnapped, it said. Jaspreet Kaur told KTLA TV that her husband had gone to work that day at 8 a.m. and she got a call at about 11 a.m. that there was no one at the business's front desk and when she tried calling him, the calls went to voicemail. The person in custody was identified by the Sheriff's office as Jesus Manuel Salgado who was picked up after it received information about him. But before law enforcement officers became involved, he had attempted to take his own life, the Sheriff's office said. It said that a bank reported that a bank card belonging to one of the victims had been used at an ATM machine and officers got a picture of the person using it. "The person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene", the sheriff's office said. But it said that the person in the ATM photo "was not the person of interest that is in custody" and it was working with the bank "to obtain the correct photo". When someone is held "as a person of interest", it usually means that the person could be a potential suspect but officials do not have sufficient information to file charges. ABC30 TV station in Fresno reported that Salgado had earlier been involved in a robbery in 2005. The station said that Merced County prosecutor's office he was charged with home invasion robbery with a gun, witness intimidation and attempted false imprisonment in that case. He was imprisoned and released in 2015, ABC 30 said. The station quoted Sheriff Vernon Warnke as saying, "We are hoping he recovers because right now, he is our only lead to the family. We still have no leads on where the family is, what their condition is." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) New York, Oct 5 : How can bots, which you can never miss whenever you log on to your bank website or check out a hotel, or those malicious tech world creatures Elon Musk keeps railing about, make a difference to the Ukraine war? They can actually make serious difference, according to the Centre for Humanitarian Technology (CFHT), which has collaborated with the San Jose, California-based Automation Anywhere, Inc, to roll out the Telegram for Humanity customised software bot, or digital worker, to enable relief organisations automate humanitarian efforts for thousands of war-affected families across Ukraine. It may sound grand, but it saves hundreds of hours of manual processing each week. Aid volunteers are thus freed to do more useful work. Automation Anywhere is a global leader in robotic process automation co-founded by four Indian Americans -- Mihir Shukla, the CEO, Neeti Mehta Shukla, his wife, who oversees the social impact activities of the privately-held company, Ankur Kothari, and Rushabh Parmani -- in 2003. It is under Neeti Mehta Shukla's watch that initiatives such as Telegram for Humanity are run. The company, which has collaborated with Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services and Salesforce to advance "intelligent automation", has just secured funding led by the Silicon Valley Bank to the tune of $200 million. It is the third big infusion of capital into the company after a Series A round of $550 million in 2018 from General Atlantic, Goldman Sachs, NEA, World Innovation Lab, SoftBank Investment Advisers, and Workday Ventures, followed by a Series B round, in late 2019, led by Salesforce Ventures, which secured $290 million. In Ukraine, meanwhile, the Telegram for Humanity bot is being employed by Step with Hope, a humanitarian organisation that provides aid to more than 8,000 families each week in combat zones and recently released territories in southern Ukraine. What the bot does is automate thousands of manual requests for aid with increased speed and accuracy. The requests, as Neeti Mehta Shukla put it during a media interaction here, could range from everyday necessities such as diapers for babies to access to the services of psychologists, lawyers, and child welfare specialists for those in need. Alla Semenchuk, Operations Director, CFHT. described the work of distributing the resources that refugees and internally displaced people require as "critical and tremendously challenging". She noted that "the customised bot is both refugee-friendly and volunteer-friendly -- it makes application processing quick and transparent, saving human effort and strengthening the organisation's structure". CFHT, incidentally, to quote its own description of itself, "develops, deploys, and operates information and communication technology (ICT) to support scalable humanitarian emergency relief efforts". The purpose of bots is to mimic repetitive human tasks in a organisation and do so intelligently. For those who work for non-profit organisations, these free them up from spending hours filling up forms and other similar compliance-related chores -- hours that they could spend with the people they want to serve on the ground. For Neeti Mehta Shukla, who till describes Chennai as her home, this mean opening up another face of robotic process automation. "Technology is all about human enablement," she said, and her vision of empowering humanitarian organisations digitally dovetails into the company's pitch for an "automation economy". Automation Anywhere, in fact, is engaged also with the UK's National Health Service (NHS), and in a one-of-its-kind experiment, a bot it developed "in just 24 hours" for the Northampton General Hospital reliably monitored the oxygen levels of Covid-19 patients with no human intervention, "freeing more than 1,500 hours for medical staff to spend on even more vital work". Elsewhere in China, Automation Anywhere and its partner, Netcraft, developed a bot-outfitted website visited by 50,000 citizens of Macau. The bot regularly gathers, organises and presents important Covid-19 information such as outbreak locations, mask availability or hospital wait times -- "from multiple hard-to-find sources". Hyderabad, Oct 5 : The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), formerly the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), will make a beginning from Maharashtra to expand its activities nationwide, party President and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said on Wednesday. He said the party would pick up Maharashtra as the first field of activity by launching the farmers' wing of the party from there. Rao stated this during his speech at the general body meeting of the TRS, which unanimously passed a resolution to change the party's name to the BRS. KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also made it clear that while continuing as the Chief Minister, he would visit all parts of the country. "We will not leave the ground. No one should have any doubts about this," he told party leaders. KCR's remarks came amid speculations in political circles that his son K.T. Rama Rao will take over as the Chief Minister while he will focus on national politics. The TRS founder called for developing a bright India. "If resources of our country are used within the country, we can develop better than America. We still have time. We will expand across the country," said KCR, who has his eyes set on 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The Chief Minister also stated that if good happens to the country because of Telangana, this would go down well in the country's history. KCR also revealed that Dalit, farmers', and tribal movements would be carried forward as the main agenda. He vowed to remove social and political disorders across the country. "Telangana has already shown this to the country. We will take stock of the evolving situation from time to time and move forward," he said He called for taking the country forward just as the Telangana movement was carried to victory. He claimed that Telangana ensured development of every community. He said both the rural and urban areas in the state have developed and the awards announced by the Centre were a proof of this. He recalled that the TRS made a beginning 21 years ago. " Within a short time after achieving Telangana state, we moved forward rapidly by implementing development programmes in all sectors including agriculture, electricity, irrigation and drinking water. The neighbouring states are wonderstruck by seeing programmes in Telangana state. All this was possible because every action is being executed with utmost commitment." KCR said that in the 75 years of Independent India, parties that ruled the country have done nothing for the country except coming to power or leaving power. He claimed that politics is a task for the TRS, while for other parties it is only a game. "We worked with commitment as activists for the development of Telangana. Due to hard work, great achievements have been made. The per capita income of Telangana was only Rs one lakhA when the state came into existence but today it has increased to Rs 2.78 lakh. Telangana's GSDP was Rs 5. 6 lakh crore in 2014 and today it has reached to Rs 11.50 lakh crore," he said. KCR called for working hard and collectively for the country's development on the lines the TRS strove for the development of Telangana state. "It is not a hasty decision to float a national party. India is a union of states. Comprehensive development is possible only if the states and the country develop together. Telangana's GSDP is originally supposed to be Rs 14.5 lakh crore. But Telangana is not able to achieve the development it deserves due to the short-sighted and irrelevant policies adopted by the Union Government. Many of the sacrifices made for the independence of this country remain unfulfilled." The Chief Minister attributed the rapid development achieved by Telangana to out-of-box thinking and innovative programmes implemented in the state. He spoke about one such programme Dalit Bandhu aimed at upliftment of the Dalits. Stating that agriculture is one of the neglected sectors, KCR said BRS would highlight the problems of farmers as the main agenda and try to influence the politics of the country to address them. He claimed that leaders of many parties across the country were coming forward to join hands with him. He said former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav have assured him that they will attend the historic programme of launching of the BRS. He recalled that former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda strongly supported the Telangana movement, and his JD-S announced its support to the national party. The TRS meeting was attended by Deve Gowda's son and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Tamil Nadu's VCK party founder-leader Tholkappiyan Thirumavalavan. KCR revealed that he already had discussions with many economists and experts in various fields and took their advice for the formation of the national party. Kolkata, Oct 5 : Chandrachur Goswami, the principal organiser of the Durga Puja conducted by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha at Kasba in South Kolkata, filed a complaint with the police on Wednesday claiming that he was assaulted by three unknown persons in front of the pandal. The said Durga Puja had triggered a controversy as the Mahishasura idol there resembled Mahatma Gandhi, with shaved head and a spectacle. Goswami claimed that on Wednesday afternoon, three persons entered the pandal and started clicking pictures. "Besides clicking pictures of the idol, they were also taking photographs of the surroundings inside the pandal. I became curious and asked them about the subject about their pictures. In reply, they physically assaulted me and left the scene. One of them even claimed to be a central government official. I have lodged a complaint with the local police station. I expect the police to take immediate action," Goswami told mediapersons. Last Saturday, the local people had noticed that the idol of Mahishasura in the pandal resembled Mahatma Gandhi. Following wide-spread criticism and police intervention, the idol was given a different look with the spectacle removed and a wig put on the head of Mahishasura. On Tuesday, state Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had told mediapersons that the party would move the court against the organisers of the said Puja. He also held the Trinamool Congress-led state government directly responsible for the incident. "We will be moving the court against this incident. The state government is equally responsible for this unfortunate event. Even in BJP-ruled states, no one has the guts to insult the father of the nation in this manner. The entire world follows Mahatma Gandhi's principles. We cannot tolerate his insult in West Bengal," Chowdhury said. Bengaluru, Oct 5 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to take part in the state executive committee meeting scheduled to be held on October 7 at the Palace Grounds here, said sources in the BJP. The crucial meeting was postponed multiple times because of the flood situation in the state. The party has now finalised the date and approached the office of the Home Minister for his participation in the meeting. Though a final confirmation is yet to come, Shah has responded positively to the invitation, BJP insiders said. BJP's Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh, state unit chief Nalin Kumar Kateel, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, national general secretary C.T. Ravi and others will take part in the meeting. The BJP in Karnataka is strategising to counter Congress' 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi. The padayatra is evoking good response in the state, and interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi is also scheduled to take part in it on Thursday. The saffron party has also planned a series of conventions and state-wide tours. Chief Minister Bommai has announced that he would take up a state-wide tour along with Yediyurappa after the Dasara festivities, which concluded on Wednesday. The BJP is also organising a mega rally for other backward classes in Kalaburagi on October 30, in which it expects five lakh people from all over the state to participate. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during Luv Kush Ramleela as part of Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi on Wednesday, October 05, 2022. (Photo:IANS/Anupam Gautam) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal holds a bow and an arrow as he aims for an effigy of Ravana during Luv Kush Ramleela as part of Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort in New Delhi on Wednesday, October 05, 2022. (Photo:IANS/Anupam Gautam) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Oct 5 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday attended the "Ravan Dahan" programme, near the Red Fort, on the occasion of Vijay Dashami. Addressing the gathering, he said: "Through Ramlila, on one hand, we connect with our culture and on the other hand, we get a very inspirational message from the life of Lord Shri Ram. Lord Ram lived a life of sacrifice, he could have become a king if he wanted, the public was with him, but at the behest of his parents, he left the kingdom and went to exile for 14 years. I hope and pray that we can all together Make India No 1 & become the best and most powerful nation in the world." Kejriwal also shot arrows at the idols of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad to burn the effigy. The organising Committee felicitated him, presenting with the Ramayana, a mace, and shawls. The Chief Minister said that may Lord Shri Ram keep everyone healthy, destroy all diseases, may there be lots of blessings in everyone's families and bless everyone with lots of happiness. "I am requesting the people of Delhi and across the country to watch Ram Lila in person along with your children instead of watching it on television. I pray for the progress of Delhi and may the country add glory to its name across the globe. It is my dream that India becomes the best and most powerful country in the world." Zurich, Oct 5 : Credit Suisse is at the centre of market turmoil amid rumours the bank could be on the brink of collapse, media reports said. Investors have rushed to sell the Zurich-based bank's shares amid concerns about its financial health as it prepares to unveil a costly restructuring plan due later this month, Al Jazeera reported. Speculation that the bank could fail has invoked comparisons with the 2008 collapse of US investment bank Lehman Brothers, which had precipitated the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. But economists are cautioning against such parallels due to the significant differences between then and now. On social media, a number of investors with large followings, including Lark Davis and Graham Stephan, posted comparisons to Lehman Brothers that quickly went viral. On Monday, Credit Suisse shares plunged as much as 11.5 per cent, hitting a record low of $3.64. At the same time, credit default swaps - a type of investment that serves as insurance against a company defaulting - rose to all-time highs. Amid the turmoil, the lender has lost nearly 60 percent of its market value this year alone, Al Jazeera reported. "Credit Suisse has the poor track record that features Archegos and Greensill - so there is not a lot of confidence," Campbell R Harvey, a professor at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, said. "They have had CEO turnover. Further, the CEO's internal letter to employees did not reassure - if you have to explain to employees what is going on, it is a bad sign." On Monday, Citibank analysts dismissed comparisons to 2008, noting that Credit Suisse's liquidity coverage ratio -- the portion of cash and other assets that can be quickly accessed in a crisis -- was among the "best in class" at 191 per cent. "I do not think this is a Lehman Brothers. Their tier one ratio is 13.5 per cent," Harvey said, referring to the portion of capital made up of core assets, which regulators consider a key marker of financial strength. The global financial environment has also changed significantly since Lehman Brothers went bankrupt. Banks are more tightly regulated than in 2008 and have more capital on hand to manage risk, Al Jazeera reported. Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Hamburg-based Berenberg Bank, said that while he could not comment on the health of Credit Suisse, a crisis similar to 2008 was extremely unlikely. "The risk of a Lehman-style event is close to zero as - whatever the problem with any bank may or may not be - regulators and central banks are far better equipped to nip any such problem in the bud," Schmieding said. New Delhi, Oct 5 : The Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, wrote to Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena on Wednesday demanding a CBI probe into the 'MCD toll tax scam'. In the letter addressed to the Delhi L-G, Sisodia demanded a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), resulting in a 'scam' worth Rs 6,000 crore. This is the second time that Sisodia wrote to the L-G in this matter. "Through this letter, I again want to draw your attention towards the Delhi Municipal Corporation scam during the BJP regime which led to the loss of around Rs 6,000 crore to the MCD. I had even requested you earlier to recommend a CBI probe into this matter," Sisodia wrote in the letter. The Deputy CM added that he is "saddened to know that you did not recommend a probe into the matter and also did not responded to my letter". In August, Sisodia had alleged a massive Rs 6,000 crore toll tax scam in a letter to Saxena, and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter. "Perhaps you have not been able to see the corruption in the matter despite proof, because the BJP is involved. In your effort to hamper the work of the government, you have been levelling false allegations against the chosen government in Delhi and have been ordering inquiries. All of these are baseless, that's why nothing has come out of this," Sisodia wrote. Sisodia had written to the L-G on Tuesday as well, after the L-G Secretariat directed the Chief Secretary to inquire into the alleged "irregularities and discrepancies" in the power subsidy given by Delhi government to the consumers. Sisodia had alleged in the letter that Saxena is bypassing Delhi's elected government and ordering "illegal and unconstitutional" investigations. Mumbai, Oct 5 : Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday launched a frontal attack on the rebel group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, declaring them as 'traitors and vowed that a Shiv Sainik will return to power soon. Addressing the party's signature annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park before a mammoth crowd, the ex-Chief Minister said that on Dussehra, the tradition is to burn an effigy of the 10-headed demon king Ravana. "But this year, the Ravana is different, with 50 mouths... We have a 'dhokhasur' (traitor), 'khokhasur', (slang for crores of rupees), a 'katappa'... Your ministerial posts may go away, but the blot of 'traitor' will remain permanently on your faces, it can never be erased," Thackeray said, targetting Shinde, who had rebelled to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in June. He also slammed Shinde for ignoring late Thane Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe for 20 years, and now suddenly resurrecting him for their political gains. Thacekray accused the Shinde government and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP of threatening Shiv Sainiks right up to the village level elections, forcing them to join their group, or 'face cases', but said that Balasaheb Thackeray's Sainiks will not tolerate any injustice done to them. During his speech, punctuated with several cheers and roars from the crowd, Thackeray said soon this (Shinde-Fadnavis) regime would complete 100 days in power, of which "90 days were spent in Delhi", referring to the CM's frequent trips to the national capital. Urging Shiv Sainiks to have faith in Balasaheb's Sena, repose confidence in him, and prepare to vanquish the traitors in every elections, Thackeray vowed that the party will rise again and a Sainik will again become the state CM, praising the crowd that had come 'voluntarily' and not 'paid' to come. Training guns on the BJP and its central leaders, he referred to J.P. Nadda's recent statement - on how all Opposition parties are decaying - and warned that the country is veering towards a single-party autocracy, a dictatorship with a return to slavery. Reiterating the understanding with Amit Shah (post-2019 Assembly elections), Thackeray said that "the BJP backstabbed us, so I formed the MVA to teach them a lesson", but added that he had left only the BJP, not the Hindutva propounded by Balasaheb, as alleged by the saffron camp, and asked, "Why didn't these traitors raise their voice then?" Referring to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent visit to a mosque in Delhi where the Muslim community leaders referred to him as 'Rashtra Pita', Thackeray asked whether he had left Hindutva. He also used the occasion to 'publicly praise' the recent concerns on poverty and unemployment raised by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, but questioned Bhagwat on issues like the release and felicitation of the rapists of Gujarat riots victim Bilkis Bano or the murder of a young girl in a resort owned by a BJP leader in Uttarakhand. He also took jibes at Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 'uninvited trip to eat cake with Nawaz Sharif' (ex-PM of Pakistan), at Shah for keeping busy devising strategies to unseat opposition-ruled state governments and dared the BJP to get back the Indian territories usurped by Pakistan and China, among other issues. Thanking the crowd for turning up in large numbers, Thackeray bowed in acknowledgement, and assured that with people's support, he would conquer 'Mahishasura' and bring a Sainik back as the CM soon. New Delhi, Oct 6 : A cyber stalker was arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly stalking and harassing his former fiance. M. Harsha Vardhan, Dwarka Deputy Commissioner of Police, said that the accused Sudheer Kumar is the former fiance of the girl and wanted to defame the latter as their engagement had broken up. The victim approached the Delhi Police and lodged a police complaint, saying that someone had made a Facebook account in her name using her photo and was uploading objectionable description. The woman said that the unknown accused, who made the Facebook account, had been sending requests and morphed pictures to her family members. She added that the accused had also posted her mobile number on the social media as well. After recording the woman's statement, the police lodged an FIR under section 354(D) and 292 of the IPC at Dwarka cyber police station. During the investigation, details of fake Facebook account were obtained and as per technical analysis several leads were received. On the basis of technical analysis, the police team raided in Uttar Pradesh's Etah and arrested the accused Sudheer. The accused told the police that sometime ago he had got engaged with the victim. However, due to some reasons, their relationship couldn't go further and engagement broke up. Kumar was angry over his broken engagement and decided to take revenge. Therefore, he created a fake Facebook account in the name of the girl to defame her. Kolkata, Oct 6 : Seven persons have been killed and several others are feared missing following a flash flood in Mal river at Malbazar in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district while local Durga Puja organisers assembled at the river bank for immersion of the Durga idols on the occasion of Dussehra, police said. The Jalpaiguri District Magistrate, Moumita Godara Basu confirmed the death toll as seven. "Several people assembled at the Mal river bank at 9 p.m. when the flash flood swept several people. The administration immediately stopped the immersion of idols there. By late Wednesday evening seven bodies had been recovered. Nearly 40 persons have been rescued who were swept by the flash flood and got stuck on a local island," the District Magistrate said. Jalpaiguri's District Police Superintendent, Debarshi Dutta said that initially only two bodies were recovered and as the rescue operations started five more bodies were recovered. "The rescue operations are being conducted by teams of district police, State Disaster Management Department and the National Disaster Response Force," Dutta added. However, state police sources said that because of the evening hours, the rescue teams are facing difficulties in the rescue operations. "It will take some more hours, at least till tomorrow morning, to gauge the exact number of casualties and missing persons so far," a district police official said. He also added that the exact number of missing persons are yet to be ascertained. The local Trinamool Congress MLA from Mal Assembly constituency, Bulu Chik Baraik said that besides the administration the local people are also assisting the rescue teams in their operations. "The evening hours are posing difficulty in swift rescue operations," he added. In the first nine months of 2022, Sierra reinforced and diversified its portfolio of assets under management in Europe and Morocco, signing 23 new contracts and attracting new clients. Since the beginning of the year, the Company has 11 new contracts in the Property Management area and 12 in Leasing, [] John Larson, Co-Owner of Waytek, Mitchell Clark, Business Development Manager, Amphenol Sine Systems, and Kevin Pung, Chief Customer Officer, Waytek. Electrical components distributor Waytek, Inc. has presented Amphenol Sine Systems with Wayteks Supplier of the Year Award for 2021. The Supplier of the Year Award recognizes the long-time Waytek partner that has distinguished itself through ongoing commitment to excellence, collaboration, quality performance improvement, and outstanding service to Waytek customers. Amphenol Sine Systems has demonstrated superior leadership among Wayteks suppliers, providing high-quality connectors and terminals to Waytek customers. Amphenol Sine has ensured a steady supply of inventory despite worldwide supply chain challenges, while providing a high level of engagement with Waytek and its customers. Amphenol Sine Systems is a worthy recipient of our 2021 Supplier of the Year Award, said Kevin Pung, Chief Customer Officer, Waytek. They have shown exceptional commitment to providing high quality, service, and innovation throughout the year. As a result, weve seen a growing demand from our customers who are choosing Amphenol Sine as their primary source for multi-pin connectors. It is an honor to receive the Supplier of the Year award from Waytek, a leading distribution partner who matches our passion for high-quality products, service, and reliability, said Amphenol Sines Director of Sales & Marketing, Wayne Spence. Through our strong relationship and collaboration, Waytek and Amphenol Sine are well-positioned to build upon our responsiveness to the market and meet the needs of our mutual customers now and in the future. Amphenol Sine Systems has been a leading manufacturer of industrial interconnect products since 1967 and has built a reputation for stringent quality standards and continuous innovation. The company was selected for Wayteks Supplier of the Year Award by demonstrating high performance in areas such as innovation, quality, product availability, on-time delivery, and a long-term approach to Wayteks strategy. For more information about Amphenol Sine Systems products distributed by Waytek, go to http://www.waytekwire.com/amphenol. About Waytek Waytek, Inc. is a customer-driven distributor of automotive wire and DC electrical components serving OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), wire harness manufacturers, and upfitters across North America. A family-owned business, Waytek commits to providing exceptional service to our customers, shipping more than 99 percent of in-stock orders the same day.* We partner with product manufacturers known for premier quality, and take pride in creating a consistent sense of purpose and unity for our employees. In 2020, Waytek marked 50 years as a company. With a mission to provide an exceptional customer experience, we do our part so our customers can do theirs. About Amphenol Sine Systems Amphenol Sine Systems, founded in 1967, is a subsidiary of the Amphenol Corporation and is a leader in industrial interconnect products. The company designs, manufacturers and supplies high-performance interconnect systems for a broad range of industrial applications including factory automation, motion control, heavy equipment, alternative energy, rail mass transportation and advanced technology solutions for hybrid-electric vehicles. The company's headquarters are located in Clinton Township, Michigan with global manufacturing, engineering, sales and service operations. *Orders entered by 3:00 p.m. EST. Our 3-year revenue growth rate of 192% is a direct reflection of our amazing team, processes, and the top-notch products we produce for the trucking industry. Inc. magazine today revealed that Iowa Customs is No. 2854 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. Iowa Customs was also ranked #71 Nationally in Manufacturing , #1 in Manufacturing in Iowa, and #14 in the State of Iowa. We are honored and humbled to be selected for the Inc. 5000 list. Our 3-year revenue growth rate of 192% is a direct reflection of our amazing team, processes, and the top-notch products we produce for the trucking industry. Dave Wurzer, President The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years. "The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today." Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies were also featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 23. About Iowa Customs Iowa Customs is a Semi-Truck Accessories Manufacturer which creates and manufactures aftermarket accessories for Peterbilt and Kenworth Class 8 semi-trucks in addition to a full line of universal fitment products. Iowa Customs prides itself in offering World Class products with World Class customer service for the trucking industry. Utilizing State-of-the-Art equipment, Iowa Customs is on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology, processes, and best industry practices. For more information, please visit us at http://www.iowacustoms.com Methodology Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places About Inc. The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/. Prefabricated Guard Booths Acquisition of Homes by Keystone allows us to expand our portfolio into modular prefabricated homes. Guardian Booth, the leading manufacturer of prefabricated booths and customized workspaces, has announced its plan to expand its product offering by acquiring Homes by Keystone. In addition, the company will relocate its headquarters to Waynesboro, Franklin County, Pennsylvania from Orangeburg, New York to create a new flagship manufacturing facility. Guardian Booth has committed to invest $4.5 million in this relocation project and will create 33 new and full-time jobs with this relocation and retain current employees of Homes by Keystone. Our strategic directive was to expand our geographical reach to support customers throughout the mid-Atlantic, northeast, Midwest, and southeast while increasing our manufacturing footprint over the next few years; Franklin County was the perfect fit in terms of location. We feel lucky to have found Homes by Keystone which has lots of synergy to our existing business model and allows Guardian Booth to expand its portfolio into modular prefabricated homes, said Abraham Taub, owner, and chief executive officer of Guardian Booth. Guardian Booth has been awarded the funding proposal by the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) in Pennsylvania. It has received $271,000, which includes a $165,000 Pennsylvania grant and a $106,000 workforce development grant to train workers. Guardian Booth specializes in the design and manufacturing of customized prefabricated booths for parking attendants, guards, ticket vendors, and cashiers. The company also provides modular office and portable security enclosures upon request. The team at Guardian Booth has invested in research and manufacturing, which helps it build high-quality booths. For more information, visit http://www.guardianbooth.com, email at info@guardianbooth.com, or contact via phone at +1 (844) 992-6684. Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services "This important achievement certainly took the whole Pine Grove team coming together. CARF International announced that Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services has been accredited for a period of three years for its adult Intensive Outpatient Treatment: Substance Use Disorders (SUD) program, the Partial Hospitalization: Integrated: SUD / Mental Health treatment program for adults, and its Residential Treatment: Integrated: SUD / Mental Health treatment program for adults. This is the first accreditation that the international accrediting body, CARF, has given to Pine Grove. This accreditation was the result of a concentrated team effort on Pine Groves behalf. Debbie Sanford, RN, MS, MBA, Pine Groves Administrator said, I am very appreciative of every Pine Grove staff member, who contributed many hours towards this accreditation, checking charts, writing policies, and ensuring staff education and competencies. This important achievement certainly took the whole Pine Grove team coming together. This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be given to an organization and shows the organizations substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process. It has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit its commitment to offering programs and services that are measurable, accountable, and of the highest quality. Located in South Mississippi, Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services is one of the nations most comprehensive treatment campuses. Pine Groves world renowned programs treat gender specific substance abuse including specialized tracks for co-occurring eating disorders and trauma. Additionally, Pine Grove offers an Intensive Outpatient substance abuse healing program for adults and a separate treatment track specifically for those who are age 55 plus. Other Pine Grove specialty programs include a dedicated professionals treatment curriculum and a comprehensive evaluation center. Pine Grove also features a program for patients with sexual addiction. Inpatient Services including an Adult Psychiatric Unit, along with a Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Unit, and Outpatient Services are other components. Pine Grove is a division of Forrest Health, a partnership of healthcare organizations across South Mississippi, and the behavioral healthcare extension of Forrest General Hospital, a 547 bed, level II Regional Trauma Center. Established in 1984, Pine Grove has provided nationally and internationally recognized health care for 38 years. For more information, please visit http://www.pinegrovetreatment.com and call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673). CARF is an independent, nonprofit accrediting body whose mission is to promote the quality, value, and optimal outcomes of services through a consultative accreditation process and continuous improvement services that center on enhancing the lives of the persons served. Founded in 1966 as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and now known as CARF International, the accrediting body establishes consumer-focused standards to help organizations measure and improve the quality of their programs and services. For more information about the accreditation process, please visit the CARF website at http://www.carf.org. I am really proud of how our teams work showed through at the Showcase. The TFX Startup Showcase was not just an opportunity for us to tell a new audience about Pyrra, but it was also a fantastic way to get to know four other dedicated and talented founders. TFX Capital (TFX), an early-stage venture capital investor in technology solutions that make the nation more secure and society stronger, hosted the 6th annual Veteran Startup Showcase on September 29, 2022, as part of its commitment to elevate the resilience, perseverance and grit of B2B startup founders who have served in the U.S. military and intelligence communities. At the Showcase, Washington, DC-based Pyrra, represented by Co-Founder and Army Veteran Welton Chang, won top honors and $50,000 in non-dilutive funding to grow their business. Denver, Colorado-based Aclymate, represented by Co-Founder and Navy Veteran Mike Smith, took home second place honors and $12,500. Now in its 6th year, the event provides participating founders with the opportunity to compete for non-dilutive funding and grow their networks by meeting with invited investors, corporate executives, innovation leaders and network stakeholders throughout the event. Each year, TFX welcomes an elite group of founders to participate in this Showcase, and every year we are consistently impressed with the caliber of finalists. The 2022 Showcase certainly was no exception, said Kevin Eckert, Partner at TFX Capital. The judges ultimately selected Pyrra due to their unique market opportunity to deploy a solution top of mind for government, media companies and enterprises with an exceptional team positioned to succeed. Congratulations to the entire team at Pyrra. The judging panel included Greg Brown, Owner and President of Cardinal Finance and Administrator at the Charlotte Angel Fund, Karl Hightower, Chief Data Officer at Novant Health, and Jodi Hubler, Board Director and Advisor at Gratum Ventures. Im really proud of how our teams work showed through at the Showcase. The TFX Startup Showcase was not just an opportunity for us to tell a new audience about Pyrra, but it was also a fantastic way to get to know four other dedicated and talented founders. This is one of the reasons why we competed - to connect into this community that TFX fosters and receive access to startup support that is hard for veterans to find, said Welton Chang, Co-Founder and CEO of Pyrra and Army Veteran. This years competition included a total of five carefully vetted and selected startup finalists founded by service-driven, high-performing veteran and intelligence community entrepreneurs. Participating startups included: accelEQ, digital healthcare platform that automates medical notes and saves physicians time that can be spent treating patients Aclymate, climate accounting software to help businesses calculate their carbon footprint as the first step toward becoming carbon neutral (runner-up) Essential Personnel, workforce management and wellness software solution designed to help critical personnel build strong teams, ensure the safety and wellness of their employees and advance the professional capabilities of their organization Phalanx, data security provider that leverages its zero trust data access (ZDTA) tool to increase security and visibility of data while increasing cyber resilience, reducing cyber risk, and decreasing the reportable footprint in the case of a breach Pyrra, threat intelligence platform built to detect and protect against threats on alternative social media platforms (winner) Having been a direct beneficiary of a rewarding career supported by both veteran mentors and entrepreneurs, paying it forward is just the right thing to do. Investing in a rewarding program with TFX just makes my contributions more valuable, as we are aligned on the mission of creating a force multiplier effect, said Kevin Hesselbirg, a TFX Investor and Showcase Mentor. TFX does a great job of not only curating interesting and exciting companies worthy of investment, but also offers invaluable insight and guidance to entrepreneurs setting them on a path to success. Congratulations to the teams at Pyrra and Aclymate and along with all participants in this years Showcase. This years event was sponsored by Kevin and Sara Hesselbirg, Veterans Bridge Home, JP Morgan Chase & Co, Caldwell Partners, Novant Health, Akerman LLP, Dualboot Partners, Brown Advisory, Frazier & Deeter, Lavoie CPA, Lancaster & Hall, and TIAA. To learn more about TFX Capital and its service-driven investment thesis, please visit http://www.tfxcap.com About TFX Capital TFX Capital (TFX) is a veteran-led and service-driven venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies founded by high-performing and commercially tested military veteran entrepreneurs likewise driven by service. TFXs investment thesis is proving that supporting startups founded by those who have served not only results in durable outcomes, but in technology-fueled products and services that can make our nation stronger and our society more secure. TFX has unique and trusted access to service-driven founders of pre-series A and series A technology startups, providing relentless support through a network-driven task force that brings together teams of experts to help turn their ideas into companies that make a difference. "AshHEALTH has a proven-track record and provides us deep insight, industry knowledge and important connections that we find advantageous and beneficial to our companys comprehensive mission. Greg Savino, CEO - InfinityRx InfinityRx recently launched its proprietary PSP platform in addressing some of the most important dynamics impacting copay assistance programs and exceeding expectations for market access for its clients. Co-founded by two veteran New York pharmacists, the company boasts a cloud-based platform that offers a unique and easy-to-administer digital method for brand pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to buy-down expensive prescription medication. The InfinityRx platform delivers a flexible, mobile, and innovative rules engine that electronically drives a targeted price discount or copay assistance to high-cost medications at the POS retail level and all sites of care for treatment. A manufacturer can customize its target price and program benefits directly into the InfinityRx signature proprietary platform and make changes that become effective and fully operational for patients to experience the benefit in real-time, under 24-hours versus historical platforms that can take up to thirty days to deploy. The companys platform is a necessary tool that enables prescription drug manufacturers the ability to help patients avoid prescription drug abandonment, and to reduce medication non-adherence which for years has been reported as a nationwide pandemic. AshHEALTH, LLC. applies a stringent rubric to qualifying the companies it selects to represent. According to its founder, a successful healthcare industry executive with nearly twenty-five years of industry experience dedicated to building and managing successful startups, AshHEALTH undergoes a strict analysis and review of each company it chooses to adopt into its diverse client portfolio. Ashton Maaraba, Founder and CEO, AshHEALTH states, A company must pass three factors. First, the management team and founders need to reflect competence and passion. Second, a marketable product is essential and must reveal an identity. Third, the product and service model are engineered to support a niche market while proving innovative and inventive to its buyer. Maaraba further explains, InfinityRx checked off all the boxes and leads its portfolio as an exemplary next-generation startup for Patient Copay Assistance and Claims Processing platforms.Greg Savino, PharmD. and CEO at InfinityRx mentions, InfinityRx was founded with the mind-set that change and innovation in this product field is essential. Patients rely on timely subsidies and manufacturers deserve a new solution that is robust and flexible to suit their needs. Our team of pharmacy experts, software engineers and architects witnessed first-hand the shortcomings of the technology and solutions provided by traditional patient service programs. They are inflexible and inefficient, and this impacts pharmas ability to support patient needs in a timely and cost-effective fashion. The InfinityRx patent approved technology and its advanced solutions solve this problem. AshHEALTH has a proven-track record and provides us deep insight, industry knowledge and important connections that we find advantageous and beneficial to our companys comprehensive mission. About AshHEALTH, LLC. AshHEALTH LLC. was founded by Industry power broker, healthcare executive and advocate, Ashton Maaraba, (J.D Candidate, M.Sc., B.Sc., Lean Six Sigma Black Belt). Ashton has nearly twenty-five years of healthcare industry success and is recognized for his leadership, product growth expertise and ability to help diverse healthcare companies thrive from start-up to become industry leader. He has a passion for launching innovation, and a strong mind-set for operationalizing products and revenue acceleration. Most notable geographic success included, Bonum Health (a National Telemedicine Company), PharmaSmart (an International Health Services Kiosk and Data Company and FLAVORx, (The world's most popular medicinal flavoring company), Ashton has also advised and steered many Healthcare brands in the digital healthcare and prescription savings space in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Middle East. AshHEALTH principle is recognized for penetrating and deploying Health & Wellness products and services to nearly 50,000 Retail Sites, Pharmacy's, Health Systems, Private & Public Employer Groups, Insurers, Government Venues and Digital Health Centers. About InfinityRx, headquartered in New York, is an affordability program administrator representing Patient Service Programs (PSP) sponsored by manufacturers of drugs and other clinical products. Connecting with all sites of care through advanced patent approved technology, and removing all barriers with novel solutions, InfinityRx empowers prescribers and drug service providers to furnish value-added services to their patients. InfinityRx service programs help patients achieve their therapeutic goals while cultivating growth and profitability for their clients. InfinityRx is passionate about inspiring pharmaceutical companies, healthcare service providers, and all others who share their commitment to join them in reshaping the future of healthcare. Visit us at InfinityRx.com. - https://youtu.be/teYzCVscvvE Media Contact: Abbey Chakalis InfinityRx, LLC +1.516.604.0713 METROLEX IP, a Washington DC Patent Law Firm, has recently unveiled the design of their new website highlighting the intellectual property law services offered to their clients including patent attorney services. The new website was created to enhance the firms web presence and to enable users to easily navigate through the content and discover the wide array of IP law services offered by the firm. With the new website design, users will find that the overall look and feel have been completely reengineered. Improved features and styles have been implemented including detailed descriptions of the services offered by the firm. With these new website features METROLEX IP hopes visitors will experience an improved user experience. METROLEX IP, a Washington DC Patent Law Firm, has positioned themselves as a global hub for their clients intellectual property needs. METROLEX IP has offices in Washington DC and Osaka Japan. METROLEX IP provides a unique value proposition by enabling clients, particularly those with business in Japan and Asia, to rapidly gain global patent and IP protection by filing International Patent Applications and domestic U.S. and Japanese applications. With the unveiling of their new website design, the team at METROLEX IP looks forward to providing prospective and existing clients a better online experience. For more information, visit their new website at https://metrolexip.com/ or give them a call today at (202) 979-9784. Their US office is located at 900 17th Street NW, Suite 320 Washington, DC 20006. Hastings Equity Partners "We believe in our team, and in the business owners with whom we work. We hold the owners work, expertise, and opinions in high regard. Inc. announced its fourth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs. Last year was the first that Inc. shifted focus from previous listswhich were called the Private Equity 50and this year will continue the trend, including venture capital firms. Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, theyre partners, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media. For Ted Patton, Founder and Managing Director at Hastings Equity Partners, the relationship with founders and their employees is core to the firms success. Joe Conlon, Managing Director at Hastings Equity, commented, we seek to foster strong partnerships that can generate wins for everyone. Not only are we committed to our owner-operators and investors, but we are also committed to the employees and the mutual goals of each relationship we form. Above all, we believe in our team, and in the business owners with whom we work. We hold the owners work, expertise, and opinions in high regard. Hastings Equity, an honoree of Inc.s 2022 Founder-Friendly Investors, recently completed the sale of Code Red Safety (Code Red), a leading provider of safety equipment and mission critical safety services and solutions to industrial facilities throughout the U.S. In 2019, Hastings partnered with Code Red founders Mike Miller and Rob Tepperman, and industry executive, Nick Mowbray, to recapitalize Code Red and acquire and integrate two strategic add-on acquisitions: Critical 2-Way Communications and Turnaround Logistics. The combination of the three companies resulted in a scaled operation that fills a void in the middle-market left by the consolidation of several competitors in prior years. Over Hastings three-year investment, Code Red underwent a period of substantial transformation with revenues increasing 30% and EBITDA doubling. During this time, Hastings expanded the capabilities of the business while maintaining a strong culture and adherence to core values established by the founders of Code Red. Hastings partnership approach, operational focus, and boots on the ground mentality helped catapult this founder-led company into a powerhouse within the middle-market industrial safety services industry. [Hastings] showed us more potential than I ever thought Id seeaddressing the right aspects of our business and taking a hands-on approach without altering parts of the business which were performing well. They helped us find a great new CFO, a fantastic sales team and some very sharp consultants. Ive never seen a team so involved and dedicated, says Mike Miller, founder of Code Red Safety. To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity and venture capital firms. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity and venture capital firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2022 Introduced in 2019, the Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms list quickly established itself as one of Inc.s most resourceful franchises. It has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake. The October 2022 issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and will be on newsstands beginning October 4, 2022. About Inc. The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. About Hastings Equity Partners Founded in 2004, Hastings Equity Partners is a lower middle-market private equity firm. Hastings invests first institutional capital in North American founder-led companies within the industrial and business services sectors, where it has deep operating and investing experience. As a preferred capital partner, Hastings seeks to empower businesses to reach their full potential. For almost two decades, the firm has formed long-term partnerships with entrepreneurs while utilizing a hands-on approach to help optimize operations, accelerate revenue growth, and significantly increase equity value. For more information, visit http://www.hastingsequity.com. Action Title Research, a technology-based search solution for the title insurance market, announced the acquisition of Legal Title Services, LLC. Legal Title Services has joined forces with Action Title Research to modernize and automate title production processes to enrich the client experience and scale the business far more efficiently. Through this acquisition, Action Title Research widens its client base in New England, expanding its footprint and the opportunity to modernize title production processes benefiting many more clients and transactions. Legal Title Services brings 37 years of providing comprehensive title searches, municipal searches, court searches, expert testimony, and a variety of other real estate-related services to its clients. Legal Title Services has extensive experience in residential, commercial, and foreclosure searches, serving title insurance companies and their sales representatives, attorneys and law firms, and title agencies and their underwriters. Legal Title Services, based in Connecticut, has strong lasting relationships throughout New England. Joseph Sanfilippo is a well-respected title expert and attorney known for his deep insight, attention to detail, and exceptional personalized service to his clients. Through this acquisition and the completed integration of Eastland Title Services in April, Action Title Research continues its mission of automating and digitizing the U.S. real estate landscape by bringing its proprietary workflow software to new clients in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine, building off of its strong base and success in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Action Title Researchs strategy is to serve its clients with unrivaled service and support by utilizing its people, technology, and processes to automate and simplify the title production process for clients. Legal Title Services will be fully integrated into Action Title Researchs SmartSearchTM workflow software as part of the AES platform, modernizing and automating its workflow while enhancing the client experience. "I'm honored to have served such exceptional clients over the years, and Legal Title Services has found a great partner in Action Title Research to take us forward, making use of its advanced technology based processes to serve our clients even better, said Joseph Sanfilippo, Founder, and CEO of Legal Title Services. "We're thrilled about Legal Title Services joining the Action Title Research family," said Chris Blum, co-founder, and CEO, of Action Title Research. "Legal Title Service's expertise in all things search, residential, commercial, and foreclosure is exceptional. As with our previous acquisition of Eastland, we will quickly integrate Joe's expert search practice with our automated processes and technology." Action Title Research has had an incredible 2022, meeting the dynamic real estate market with spectacular service for its clients., said Jonathan Busch, principal, Strattam Capital. Welcoming Joseph and his team at Legal Title Services continues Action Title Researchs disciplined geographic expansion plan, giving more clients access to Action Title Researchs proprietary technology platform to modernize their title production process. The acquisition of Legal Title Services, LLC marks Action Title Researchs second acquisition since Strattam Capitals investment in late 2021 to drive geographic expansion and fuel product growth. About Action Title Research Action Title Research provides a proven, technology-driven process to title research and public-records analysis. Our innovative systems and processes ensure consistent quality and fast delivery. The solution can be tailored to fit your agency workflow. For more information, visit ActionTitleResearch.com. About Legal Title Services, LLC Legal Title Services, LLC is a full service title search company. The company provides title searches, municipal searches, court searches, expert testimony and other related products. Media Contact Doug Rainbolt, Action Title Research, (510) 364-4999, drainbolt@actiontitleresearch.com Action Title Research, LLC 519 S Broad Street Glen Rock, NJ 07452 PH: 201-531-1663 FAX: 201-531-1662 http://www.ActionTitleResearch.com The International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) membership has elected Mark Van Bruggen, IPMA-SCP, as the associations president-elect for 2023 to represent the interests of public sector HR professionals. Van Bruggen has more than 34 years of public sector HR experience at the NJ Civil Service Commission and was recently advanced to become the HR Consultant to the Chief of Staff. In this new role, he advises the current administration on a myriad of civil service issues and appointments at the highest levels of state government. He has served as IPMA-HR New Jersey chapter president, IPMA-HR Eastern Region president and has been a two-time member of the IPMA-HR Executive Council. The term of service for Van Bruggen will begin January 1, 2023. Van Bruggen was introduced during the 2022 IPMA-HR Annual Business Meeting on September 30, 2022. In 2023, Van Bruggen will serve alongside Cheryl Lewis-Smith, IPMA-SCP, IPMA-HR 2023 Executive Council president and Jennifer Fairweather, MPA, PHR, IPMA-SCP, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-HR 2023 past president. He will become IPMA-HR president in 2024. The IPMA-HR Executive Council appointed two new members to the Council. The newly appointed council members are Carol Rubino, IPMA-SCP (for a 3-year term) and Amy Strough, IPMA-SCP (completing a one-year term to fill a vacancy). The following Executive Council members will continue their terms on the 14-member council: Melanie Ault, IPMA-SCP, Amy Blake, IPMA-SCP, SHRM-SCP, Tamara Dixon, MPA, PHR, IPMA-SCP, SHRM-SCP, Joe Genovay, MPA, Brian Haggarty, Christine Hoffmann, IPMA-SCP, Trish Holliday, SPHR, SHRMSCP, IPMA-SCP, CPC, Lucinda Kenning, MBA, SPHR and Sonja Stanchina, IPMA-SCP. ### About IPMA-HR The International Public Management Association for Human Resources is the leading public sector human resource organization in the world. We represent the interests of human resource professionals at all levels and strive to promote excellence in HR management. Since 1906, IPMA-HR has been a resource for comprehensive and timely public sector HR industry news, policies, resources, education, professional development opportunities, jobs, tools for assessing job applicants and candidates for promotion. For more information, visit http://www.ipma-hr.org. Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins in DARK SHADOWS The star of TV's first spooky remains beloved a decade after his passing. DARK SHADOWS has been responsible for a lot of firsts since it premiered in 1966. It was the first soap opera to introduce horror and the supernatural to afternoon TV, the first to appeal to younger viewers (who famously ran home from school to watch), and the first to be widely seen after its original network run (in syndicated reruns, on DVD and Now streaming.) But one thing the DARK SHADOWS universe lacked was proper recognition for the long and varied career of its star: Canadian actor Jonathan Frid. Producer/director Mary OLeary is on a mission to change that, first with her Emmy-nominated documentary DARK SHADOWS AND BEYOND THE JONATHAN FRID STORY in 2021 and now with Jonathan Frid dot org, the first-ever memorial website devoted to Frid, who passed away in 2012 at age 87. Im proud that my documentary has brought renewed attention to one of the most iconic stars of 1960s TV, producer/director Mary OLeary said in a statement. With Jonathan Frid dot org, I hope to extend that awareness and inspire even more people to learn about a man I was honored to call a friend. Launching October 5, just in time for Halloween season, Jonathan Frid dot org is a continuation of OLearys efforts to promote her award-winning documentary (available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital), by offering a wealth of archival photos and video. So much material I found and created for the documentary didnt make the final cut, OLeary added. With this website, I have an opportunity to share it all with fans, including a letter Frid wrote to his mother when he won the role on Dark Shadows. OLeary has brought it to life, with a reading by actor Ian Buchanan (GENERAL HOSPITAL, TWIN PEAKS). Giving voice to Jonathan Frid was a deeply powerful experience, Buchanan said. More than a decade after his passing, Jonathan is still so beloved. The accolades the documentary has received are a confirmation of his timeless appeal and a testament to the way Mary OLeary tells his story. OLeary, who garnered seven Daytime Emmys for producing the long-running dramas GENERAL HOSPITAL and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, understands the power of a good cliffhanger. Every day, viewers stream the documentary on sites like Tubi and ask questions on social media, OLeary said. Jonathan Frid dot org will keep that conversation going. Theres more to be told about Jonathan Frids life before and after Barnabas Collins. And I think fans will enjoy whats to come! OLeary plans to add to the websites video offerings regularly, starting with unseen excerpts from interviews with DARK SHADOWS co-stars like Marie Wallace and David Selby, who played sometime-werewolf Quentin Collins. Jonathan Frid brought humanity to Barnabas Collins and the fans loved him for it, Selby said recently. Mary OLearys work is a fitting tribute to a very special man and a very special show. CONTACT: Mary OLeary 323-252-2185 moleary0829@gmail.com Will McKinley, Promotions Director 917-992-8860 willmckinley@mac.com logo Investing in entrepreneurs through giving them access to learning resources is a part of Skys The Limits approach to shaping the next wave of breakout entrepreneurs. Skys The Limits mission to build a global community where all entrepreneurs and their allies can build meaningful relationships and grow together is truly taking root in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the organization continues to support entrepreneurs in this community through game-changing programming. The organizations ecosystem of partnerships and top-notch mentors creates space digitally and in-person for its members to learn and thrive. The Dreamland Festivals Spark Summit engaged the organization last month through two sessions within the festival. The first was a breakout panel discussion, From Mentoring to the Marketplace, on September 17th featuring the organizations rockstar Member Experience Manager, Chris Harvey and two rising entrepreneurs on the platform, RayChel Wilson and Kasha Yolanda. The panelists spoke about the important role that mentorship plays in the entrepreneurial journey and shared how their own mentors have helped them level up and get their businesses into the marketplace. In addition to sharing experiences and tips to maximize your mentor/mentee relationship during the panel, Skys The Limit also awarded two grants of $2,500 to two deserving Tulsa entrepreneurs: Steph Simon - Founder of Dreamland Music Festival dreamlandtulsa.com Matt Crockett - Founder of Town University (clothing brand) and World 45 (record label) https://townuniversity.co In addition to the breakout panel, the summit also presented a Fireside Chat on September 17th featuring Membership Manager, Chris Harvey and hip-hop artist/entrepreneur LaRussell. The trailblazing duo shared their best insights and tips on becoming a founder and building community online and in-person through innovative approaches that encourage co-working, partnerships, and programming. Spark Summit took place as part of the 3-day Dreamland Tulsa Festival and featured musical performances by rising stars like Grammy nominated hip-hop artist Rapsody, panel conversations, keynotes, art installations, VR/AR experiences, workshops, and more. The Spark Summit space within the festival was created to spark innovation and connect creative leaders in Tulsa and beyond to learn and build the future together. Investing in entrepreneurs through giving them access to learning resources is a part of Skys The Limits approach to shaping the next wave of breakout entrepreneurs. The organization was proud to see this event take place in a city with a rich history of entrepreneurship like Tulsa and its ability to truly amplify the voices of young entrepreneurs. About SkysTheLimit.org: SkysTheLimit.org is a non-profit organization whose platform connects under-represented entrepreneurs with volunteer business professionals for free one-on-one mentoring. Skys the Limits mission is to build a global community where all entrepreneurs and their allies can build meaningful relationships and grow together. The team also provides education and training opportunities to all members as well as monthly funding opportunities PPE Supply Canadas mission has always been focused on helping their communities stay protected, in addition to finding ways to give back however they can. This initiative has not only provided PPE Supply Canada with the opportunity to contribute to an important cause but has also created the opportunity for thousands of others. At this point in time we see wearing a mask as an act of kindness, and were always looking for ways the company can extend that kindness even further, says Hussein Dhalla, founder and owner of PPE Supply Canada. Now our customers can feel even better about their purchase, knowing that, not only are they protecting themselves and those around them, but a portion of the sale is going to the Canadian Cancer Society in support of the breast cancer community as well, he adds. This donation applies to PPE Supply Canadas special KN95 mask variant, which is available in two shades of pink, in addition to their pink ASTM level 3 masks. A total of $5.00 is donated from each box/pack purchased, meaning if five (5) boxes/packs are purchased, $25.00 in total is donated. PPE Supply Canadas house brand of pink KN95 and ASTM disposable face masks can be found via their online store, http://www.ppe-supply.com and are currently available for purchase for all. If youre an organization or business interested in a bulk order of pink KN95 or ASTM disposable face masks in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please reach out to PPE Supply Canada directly at 647-577-2624. About PPE Supply Canada: PPE Supply Canada is a Toronto-based personal protective equipment retailer. Focusing on the needs of its communities, the company strives to provide exceptional experiences alongside high-quality personal protective equipment that has been trusted by its diverse customer base throughout the pandemic. All of their orders are shipped out the same day they are placed, as they understand the urgent needs of their clients and customers. They offer same-day delivery within the Greater Toronto Area if the order is placed before 11:00 AM EST. They provide priority shipping from coast to coast, ensuring their customers receive their personal protective equipment as soon as possible, regardless of where they are in the country. The company has also partnered with Uber Eats Canada, making its items readily available to local consumers. PPE Supply Canada is equipped with a team that handles the needs and requests of all B2B clients, ensuring extraordinary customer service, fast shipping times and happy customers. PPE Supply Canada is Registered with Health Canada. It holds its Health Canada Medical Device Establishment License (MDEL) which permits the company to manufacture, distribute and import medical devices in Canada. Mployer Advisor announces the 2022 winners of the "Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards" for San Francisco. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor, the leading independent platform for employers to research, review, and evaluate insurance brokers is pleased to announce the winners of its Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards based in San Francisco, California. Mployer Advisor has named more than 600 winners in over 50 regions as part of its second annual 2022 awards. The class of 2022 winners account for less than 5% of all brokerages nationwide. Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards Program evaluates brokerages based on the breadth and depth of their experience across employer industries, sizes, insurance products, and employer reviews. We recognize esteemed brokers that demonstrate market-leading competencies and a proven track record of success among employers, insurance providers, and peers. The team at Mployer Advisor is proud to honor this group of top insurance consultants as part of the 2022 class for our second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, said Brian Freeman, the Founder and CEO of Mployer Advisor. Employer-sponsored healthcare and benefits cover over 150M Americans. Who an employer selects as their benefits advisor has more impact on cost and quality than who they choose as the insurance carrier. We scored these brokerages utilizing sophisticated, industry-first algorithms, and we applaud the winners demonstrated commitment to service, quality, and positive employer feedback. Mployer Advisor determined the winners of the second annual Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards by analyzing each brokerage based on historical data, online reviews, their M Score rating, and demonstrated business experience. The San Francisco, California job market is one of the most competitive in the U.S. West, employing almost 1 million people. Offering competitive employee benefits is a critical factor in hiring top talent for the regions employers. Finding and partnering with a highly rated insurance consultant is imperative to retaining talent in any market. The recipients of the 2022 Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards for San Francisco, California are as follows: The above winners are a snapshot of Mployer Advisors matrices and proprietary M Score on June 1, 2022. To view a full list of consultants in San Francisco, California, visit MployerAdvisor.com. To view a complete list of the 2022 recipients of Mployer Advisors Top Employee Benefits Consultant Awards, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/best-insurance-brokers. About Mployer Advisor: Mployer Advisor is changing the way employers search, evaluate, and select insurance advisors. The intuitive platform connects employers and employees to great benefits and insurance plans by providing employers with actionable data to easily evaluate and select the best advisor for a companys specific needs. Most brokerages have a profile on Mployer Advisor, which provides independent ratings of insurance advisors to support employers. Insurance brokers cannot pay to influence their Mployer Advisor rating. Only highly rated brokerages are allowed to advertise on the platform. To learn more about Mployer Advisor, visit https://mployeradvisor.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn. Disclaimer: Rankings are dynamic, and this report may not reflect the rankings currently listed on Mployer Advisors website. Because Mployer Advisors research is ongoing, interested companies that want to join next years list are encouraged to claim their free profile on Mployer Advisor. Media Contact: Abbey Dean (Director of Content) mailto:Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com [Abbey.dean@mployeradvisor.com __title__ null] ### Dr. Julie Washington Joins ARC's Academic Advisory Board Dr. Washingtons work has shed light on critical issues impacting reading, language development, and language acquisition for students of color that is essential to ensuring all learners read and write on or above grade level." American Reading Company (ARC) announced today the appointment of Julie Washington, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Education at the University of California Irvine (UCI), to its Academic Advisory Board. She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Dr. Washingtons work has shed light on critical issues impacting reading, language development, and language acquisition for students of color that is essential to ensuring all learners read and write on or above grade level, said Jane Hileman, Founder and CEO of the American Reading Company. Her guidance and leadership on our Academic Advisory Board will provide invaluable insight to partners in the field. Dr. Washington earned her Ph.D. in Education with a focus on Speech and Language Pathology. She is the director of both the Dialect, Poverty and Academic Success Lab (the University of California, Irvine) and the Learning Disabilities Research Innovation Hub. Dr. Washingtons recent research focuses on the relationship between poverty, language variation, and literacy. The objective of this research is to understand how cultural dialect impacts the assessment and identification of reading disabilities in African American children as well as to analyze how language production and comprehension affect reading development and early language skills for children growing up in poverty. Referring to her recent appointment to the board, Dr. Washington said, There is so much work to be done when it comes to literacy issues facing our nation's classrooms, especially among those affected by the pandemic. I look forward to working with ARCs Academic Advisory Board in their continued quest of ensuring that high-quality and culturally-relevant literature is accessible to all students. It is an honor to be a member. About American Reading Company American Reading Company (ARC) is a diverse, mission-driven organization, headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, that works to ensure every student reads and writes on or above grade level. ARC works collaboratively to strengthen district and school capacity at every level by placing literacy and agency at the heart of school transformation through foundational skills instruction, reading and writing practice, knowledge-building content, formative assessment, and an integrated tiered system of support. As a result, all students read, write, discuss, think, investigate, and solve problems at ever-increasing levels of proficiency. ARC partners share a sustained commitment with partner districts to achieve academic success for every student. Mike McHenry and Seth Urbanek of Wedding Oak Winery Seth has earned numerous accolades on an international stage for the outstanding quality of our wines. His promotion is a natural step in our strategic plan to continue to produce high-quality wines with Texas-grown grapes and Im excited for the future of our winery. Wedding Oak Winery has promoted head winemaker, Seth Urbanek, to General Manager. In his new role, Urbanek will lead the winery through its next phases of growth, while continuing to oversee the winemaking team. Founding partner, Mike McHenry, who has guided Wedding Oak Winerys success since 2012, will remain as managing partner. Over the past decade Wedding Oak Winery has emerged as one of the premier wineries in Texas, says managing partner, Mike McHenry. When we opened, we became a cornerstone in the revitalization of San Saba, Texas that now has a thriving downtown. Later we added new tasting rooms in Burnet and Fredericksburg, Texas. Since joining our winemaking team five years ago, Seth has earned numerous accolades on an international stage for the outstanding quality of our wines. His promotion is a natural step in our strategic plan to continue to produce high-quality wines with Texas-grown grapes and Im excited for the future of our winery. Urbanek joined Wedding Oak Winery as assistant winemaker during crush in 2017. He was later promoted to winemaker in 2019 and continues to be responsible for all aspects of wine production leading the winemaking team. He brings a scientific approach to winemaking and has focused on making vineyard-specific wines with Texas-grown grapes to shape the winerys portfolio. As general manager, Urbanek will oversee the day-to-day operations of the winery and will chart a path for the winerys continued growth. Before joining Wedding Oak Winery, he worked in winemaking at Sheldrake Point Winery, Ovid, NY, MollyDooker Winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia, and Champagne Bollinger, Ay, France. Urbanek is a graduate of Texas A&M University, holds a certified proficiency in the French language from Centre Universitaire dEtudes Francaises, Grenoble, France, and a Master of Science degree in Enology at Cornell University. To add depth to the winemaking team, Wedding Oak Winery has hired Elizabeth Kuehne as assistant winemaker. Kuehne is responsible for cellar management and assisting with all aspects of production working, working with head winemaker and GM, Seth Urbanek, and the winemaking team. She previously worked as a summer intern for two harvests at Wedding Oak Winery before joining the team as an employee for her third crush this summer. Kuehne recently graduated with honors from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry, with a concentration in organic chemistry, and English. I am grateful for the leadership of Mike McHenry to guide my career development and provide a roadmap for me to take the reins, says Seth Urbanek, Wedding Oak Winery general manager. I will continue the winerys mission of making 100% Texas-grown wines that are perfect for lifes grandest celebrations as well as everyday enjoyment. As our business grows, we have consciously hired people with the right skills to strengthen our team in essential business areas. Were pleased to have Elizabeth join our team. Her passion for wine, background in chemistry, and previous harvest experience make her a great addition to our winemaking team. About Wedding Oak Winery Wedding Oak Winery was established in 2012 by viticulturist Mike McHenry and a group of friends with a passion to bring the burgeoning Texas wine industry to the heart of small-town Texas. The historic 1926 tasting room and 10,000-case winery, located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 190 and State Highway 16, is a central part of the renaissance of San Saba. Wedding Oak Winery takes its inspiration and name from the majestic, 400-year-old oak tree, known as the Wedding Oak Tree, which grows about 2.5 miles northwest from the winery. With gracious tasting room facilities in Fredericksburg and Burnet, Texas, Wedding Oak Winery offers 100% Texas-grown wines of distinction from the top of the Hill Country appellation in San Saba to the heart of Wine Road 290. Using 100% Texas-grown grapes, Wedding Oak Winery makes wines that celebrate the Texas terroir and wine-growing conditions. Wedding Oak Winery embodies the casual beauty, friendly personalities, and relaxing hospitality that defines small-town Texas. Connect with Wedding Oak Winery on Facebook, and Instagram. An upcoming segment of Advancements with Ted Danson will focus on improvements in regenerative growing practices. This segment of Advancements will explore how climate change affects the way farmers operate. Audiences will see how farmers who have adopted regenerative practices are embracing agroecological approaches to build a robust and resilient food system. With a behind-the-scenes look at 21 Acres Center for Local Food & Sustainable Living (21 Acres), the show will travel to the peri-urban area north of Seattle, in King County, Washington to learn how small-scale farms and local food organizations are poised to feed the community during food shortages. The show will explore agroecology as a low-tech solution to the failings of big agriculture and a consolidated and commodified food chain. "We welcome the Advancements crew to the 21 Acres campus," said Liesl McWhorter, Co-Director at 21 Acres. "It will shine a light on Sammamish Valley, where small farms have been producing food for years on the principles of carbon sequestration and healthy soil management for long-term agricultural viability and climate resilience." Viewers will learn about neighboring farms, who are part of a community of producers who are tackling climate change head on, are using age-old principles of soil stewardship in a tiny, yet mighty agricultural production district. 21 Acres values a whole systems approach to food production, small-scale food economies, environmental preservation, and climate resilience, said Ed Sullivan, senior producer for the Advancements series. We look forward to sharing how the collective innovates to solve current problems by infusing traditional concepts with new knowledge. About 21 Acres: 21 Acres Center for Local Food & Sustainable Living is a nonprofit organization committed to educating about the value of agroecology, soil health, local food systems, and green energy as solutions to climate change. Its campus in Woodinville, Washington hosts a Certified Organic and Real Organic Certified regenerative farm, a LEED Platinum certified building, a distribution center for local food, and a year-round retail Farm Market. For more information, visit: http://www.21acres.org. About Advancements and DMG Productions: Advancements is an information-based educational television series that explores recent developments taking place across several industries and economies. Shining a light on important issues and topics impacting society today, the series features the cutting-edge improvements, state-of-the-art technologies, and innovative solutions responsible for shaping, molding, and transforming our world. Backed by experts in various fields, DMG Productions is dedicated to education and advancement, and to consistently producing commercial-free, educational programming for viewers and networks. For more information, please visit http://www.AdvancementsTV.com or call 866-496-4065. More than 21 years after the tragic events of September 11, we continue to honor our lost colleagues by supporting local causes and communities that were important to them and remain so today. Fred Alger Management, LLC (Alger) today announced a $170,000 contribution to charities focused on addressing inequality and social justice. This marks the third consecutive year Alger has provided such support. Since 2020, Alger and its employees have contributed more than $940,000 to such organizations. The donations are made in memory of the 35 colleagues the firm lost on September 11, 2001. Employee-led fundraising and volunteer initiatives supporting underserved communities is an important part of Algers culture. This years contributions are another demonstration of our commitment to these efforts. I am proud that our firm prioritizes giving back to organizations that are helping to improve communities like the greater New York City area and Boston, where Alger employees live and work, said Alger CEO and Chief Investment Officer Dan Chung. The following non-profit organizations will receive a donation from Alger: All Stars Project Avenues for Justice Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) Brooklyn NAACP Equal Justice Initiative Jay Heritage Center New Jersey Institute for Social Justice New York Civil Liberties Union NYC Anti-Violence Project The ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts The Boston Racial Equity Fund The Bronx Defenders Bail Reform Initiative The Brooklyn Hospital Center The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City The Knowledge House The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund More than 21 years after the tragic events of September 11, we continue to honor our lost colleagues by supporting local causes and communities that were important to them and remain so today, Dan added. Algers charitable efforts, including the Alger Candlelight Giving Program and the firms Matching Gift Program, are additional ways that Alger and its employees are dedicated to giving back to the community by creating meaningful volunteer opportunities and supporting those who are underserved. Algers Candlelight Giving Program was established in 2007 and is managed by Alger personnel. For a full list of Algers charitable efforts, visit Algers website. About Alger Founded in 1964, Alger is widely recognized as a pioneer of growth-style investment management. Headquartered in New York City with affiliate offices in Boston and London, Alger provides U.S. and non-U.S. institutional investors and financial advisors access to a suite of growth equity separate accounts, mutual funds, and privately offered investment vehicles. The firms investment philosophy, discovering companies undergoing Positive Dynamic Change, has been in place for over 50 years. Weatherbie Capital, LLC, a Boston-based investment adviser specializing in small and mid-cap growth equity investing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alger. For more information, please visit http://www.alger.com. Its been 20 years since American Banker first spotlighted the achievements of women leaders in financial services. Since then, weve seen inspiring progress and innovative leadership, including the emphasis placed this year on environmental, social and governance issues. Today, American Banker announced the 2022 honorees of The Most Powerful Women in Banking. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the program recognizes individuals and teams for demonstrating exceptional leadership skills, strong performance and a commitment to driving real outcomes for diversity, equity and inclusion in financial services. This years rankings show honorees on the move. Thasunda Brown Ducketts new position as CEO of TIAA lands her on The Most Powerful Women in Finance list for the first time (previously shed been recognized as one of The Most Powerful Women in Banking as CEO of Chase Consumer Banking). Titi Coles promotion to CEO of Legacy Franchises at Citi also means she moves from The Most Powerful Women to Watch to The Most Powerful Women in Banking. Among the notable areas of leadership that connect this years honorees was the advocacy for their companies environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. On the Top Teams list, the US Bank team leading their new centralized ESG office was recognized for their efforts, as well as several other honorees who spearheaded key strategic programs in this area including: Candace Browning, Head of Bank of America Global Research and Vice Chair of the Bank of America Institute, Bank of America Ranjana Clark, Head of Global Transaction Banking, MUFG Jane Fraser, CEO, Citigroup Florence Pourchet, CEO of CIB Latin America and Head of Corporate Responsibility Americas, BNP Paribas Its been 20 years since American Banker first spotlighted the achievements of women leaders in financial services. Since then, weve seen inspiring progress and innovative leadership, including the emphasis placed this year on environmental, social and governance issues, says Chana Schoenberger, Editor-in-Chief at American Banker. It feels important and appropriate that so many of our honorees are driving meaningful ESG efforts for their organizations. American Banker recognizes leaders in financial services: The Most Powerful Women in Banking, The Most Powerful Women to Watch, The Most Powerful Women in Finance and - Top Teams. The complete rankings, including profiles of all the honorees for 2022, can be found on American Bankers website, as well as in the October issue of American Banker Magazine. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, American Banker will host three events in New York City. On October 26, 2022, for the first time ever THE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN BANKING conference will be an in-person event aboard the historic USS Intrepid aircraft carrier with inspiring discussions, executive networking, insightful panels on a range of leadership topics. Honorees Ranjana Clark, Head of Global Transaction Banking, MUFG; Erminia (Ernie) Johannson, Group Head North America Personal and Business Banking, BMO; Kate Burke, COO and CFO, AllianceBernstein; and Diane Morais, President, Consumer and Commercial Banking, Ally Bank are among the luminaries speaking at the conference. Registration is open to the entire financial services community. There will be two invite-only honoree events as well. Honorees of The Most Powerful Women in Banking: NEXT program, which recognizes high-achieving executives ages 40 and under, will be celebrated at an invitation-only awards dinner at HK Hall on October 25, 2022. The annual gala for The Most Powerful Women in Banking honorees will close out the ceremonies at The Glasshouse on October 27, 2022. The 20th anniversary of The Most Powerful Women in Banking represents an impressive milestone and gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past while looking toward the future, says Gemma Postlethwaite, CEO of Arizent, publisher of American Banker. When I think about what this years honorees have accomplished as business leaders, as mentors to women in their organizations, as inspiration to the next generation of bankers I am confident we have the right leaders forging ahead and shaping the industry for the next 20 years and for future generations. About American Banker American Banker empowers banking professionals with unique analysis and insight into the ideas transforming their business and industry. Across its journalism, events, research and benchmarking, it helps drive the way forward through the complexity of business innovation, retail and commercial disruption, technology, regulation and reform. With a banking community 850M strong, American Bankers content connects leaders online, in person and in print every day. 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, Financial Planning and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News and Digital Insurance. "We've worked closely with The 20 team over the past 5 years, and their philosophy in managed IT services has been a guidepost in much of our success up to this point. This partnership is the logical conclusion to that relationship," said Michael Wayland, Managing Director of Byte-Werx. Byte-Werx today announced its acquisition by The 20 MSP, a leading managed service provider with offices nationwide. Byte-Werx is a managed service provider based out of Bentonville, Arkansas. The organization has experienced steady growth over the past several years and boasts a proven track record of helping small and mid-sized firms maximize productivity and profitability through better technology. As a member of The 20's growth platform, Byte-Werx has benefitted from The 20's business model, leveraging it to boost revenue, drive sales, and establish itself as a leading technology consultant across several industry verticals. With this acquisition, The 20 MSP and Byte-Werx seek to deepen their preexisting partnership, maintain growth momentum, and draw on their collective expertise to develop new, higher-value offerings for their client base. "We're thrilled to be joining forces with The 20 MSP," said Michael Wayland, Managing Director of Byte-Werx. "We've worked closely with Tim and his team over the past 5 years, and their philosophy in managed IT services has been a guidepost in much of our success up to this point. This partnership is the logical conclusion to that relationship, and we are excited about leveraging our shared resources to serve our clients even more fully." "Together we can continue to provide clients with game-changing support and services that turn their technology into a competitive advantage and give their organizations an edge over their competition," Wayland added. "It's my pleasure and privilege to welcome Byte-Werx to The 20 family," said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20 MSP. "Byte-Werx is an exemplary managed service provider with a leadership team who understands what it takes to succeed in this industry. This acquisition isn't just about getting bigger; it's about adding quality the right people and the right processes. Byte-Werx is going to give us a tremendous boost in terms of talent and resources, and I couldn't be more excited for what's in store." This acquisition by The 20 MSP expands the company's national footprint and continues an aggressive growth plan that reflects the vigorous consolidation activity across the MSP industry. The 20 MSP has more acquisitions lined up in the coming months. About The 20 MSP The 20 MSP has been helping businesses succeed through better technology since 1986. As a leading provider of managed IT services, The 20 MSP serves hundreds of businesses nationwide, providing each one with white glove service, secure and streamlined IT infrastructure, and 24/7/365 support. We believe in building lasting relationships with clients founded on trust, communication, and the delivery of high-value services for a fair and predictable price. Our clients' success is our success, and we are committed to helping each and every organization we serve leverage technology to secure a competitive advantage and achieve new growth. To learn more, visit the20msp.com About Byte-Werx Byte-Werx has provided excellent IT support since 2013, helping hundreds of businesses increase productivity and profitability by making IT a streamlined part of operations. Our mission is to deliver the latest technology consulting, services, maintenance and support as a highly cost-effective IT solution in order to help our clients achieve new growth and find success in their respective industries. The Carpenters Path: an inspiring discussion of Jesus and His teachings. The Carpenters Path is the creation of published author Clifford Hall, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who served with the United States Marines. He later moved to Utah, where he attended the University of Utah and went on to a career in banking. Hall shares, My hope when I first began putting this project together was to show people the path I took to find the key to living a simple and harmonious life. I believe that most of us spend our entire existence putting too much value into vain things like object possessions and who we are in connection to the world we live in, failing to realize that all this comes directly from our ego, which is part of our minds negative operation process that holds us hostage. This part of the mind is, without a doubt, behind all of mankinds suffering and affliction. It is the part of our subconscious mind that wants to make our attachment to all that glitters more addicting so it can constantly subject us to its false reality. But what we have to remember is that during his short time on earth, Jesus taught about how to become more connected to our true spiritual self. And he did so by telling us to let go and let God be our source of wisdom and understanding. That is why I chose the title of this book The Carpenters Path. Learning the secret to taking on this part of our nature is our only salvation for the future. So I am inviting you to join me on this journey of minea pilgrimage of seeking the truth to who you really are. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Clifford Halls new book will encourage readers to reflect on their spiritual and self-awareness. Hall shares in hopes of aiding others on their journey to fulfilment through nurturing a strong relationship with their faith. Consumers can purchase The Carpenters Path at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Carpenters Path, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. CoolIT Systems (CoolIT), the global leader in scalable liquid cooling technology for desktop and data centers, announced that on September 11, 2022 the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued an Order that granted summary judgment of non-infringement for all of CoolITs past and current products in regard to Aseteks U.S. Patent Number 8,240,362 (the 362 patent). The court also found that CoolITs most recent pump design does not infringe either. Following this summary judgment, CoolIT and Asetek settled all outstanding litigation between them, and CoolIT expects that the parties will soon submit a joint stipulation dismissing CoolITs and Aseteks claims with prejudice. On January 23, 2019, Asetek sued CoolIT for patent infringement regarding the aforementioned 362 patent and four additional U.S. patents, 8,245,764; 9,733,681; 10,078,354; and 10,078,355. This prompted CoolIT to defend and countersue Asetek for the infringement of four of CoolITs U.S. patents. During the case Asetek added claims of infringement for two additional Asetek U.S. patents, 10,599,196 and 10,613,601. Of these seven asserted Asetek patents, only the 362 patent was scheduled to be litigated in a trial scheduled for March 2023. The remaining six patents had either been dropped by Asetek or stayed by the court pending ongoing appeals and proceedings by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). As a result of the Order granting summary judgment of non-infringement on September 11, 2022, Asetek would not have had any remaining claims of infringement to present at the March 2023 trial. In contrast, CoolIT would have been presenting its infringement claims against Asetek with respect to three of CoolITs patents relating to Split Flow technology. In its Order, the court also found that all of CoolITs products containing its newest generation pump, which is found in CoolITs industry leading desktop liquid cooling solutions, do not infringe a claim limitation that is found in all of the Asetek patents asserted in the district court case. CEO, Steve Walton, commented, We appreciate the courts attention to detail throughout the litigation and we are very pleased the court reached the correct result in determining CoolIT was not infringing. CoolIT respects the intellectual property of others, but will take a stand when it believes it is not infringing. We are most happy with getting back to the business of selling great products. *Case Number 3:19-cv-00410-EMC* *Court of Record: District Court for the Northern District of California* ABOUT COOLIT SYSTEMS CoolIT Systems specializes in scalable liquid cooling solutions for the worlds most demanding computing environments. In the desktop enthusiast market, CoolIT provides unparalleled performance for a range of gaming systems. In the enterprise data center and high-performance computing markets, CoolIT partners with global leaders in OEM server design to develop the most efficient and reliable liquid cooling solutions for their own leading-edge products. Through its modular, Direct Liquid Cooling technology Rack DLC, CoolIT enables dramatic increases in rack densities, component performance and power efficiencies. Together, CoolIT and its partners are leading the way for widespread adoption of high-performance computing. For more information about CoolIT Systems and its technology visit https://www.coolitsystems.com/ and follow @CoolIT Systems on LinkedIn. Its an honor and a privilege to be selected once again as one of New York Magazines Best Doctors, says Dr. Alden. Dr. Dmitri Alden has been selected for New York Magazines upcoming annual list of physicians who are recommended by their peers and efficiently screened by Castle Connolly. Truly best in class, he has consecutively been on this prestigious list since 2015. The New York Magazine Best Doctors selection process is challenging, with professional qualifications, education, board certification and disciplinary record being taken into consideration. Dr. Alden ranks highly among a select group of physicians who, in addition to their superior qualifications, demonstrate exemplary listening and communication skills when treating patients. Dr. Dmitri Alden is a board-certified, world-renowned oncologist and surgeon of the liver, pancreas and biliary system that sees patients from all over the world. He has dedicated his life to the war on liver and pancreatic cancer and performed well over 10,000 surgeries in the past 20 years. At the forefront of medical innovation, he is a specialist who treats complex cancers using only the most advanced surgical procedures and technology. Dr. Alden is a member of several international surgical organizations, the author of multiple publications on both liver surgery and pancreatic surgery and a frequent speaker at international medical forums. Its an honor and a privilege to be selected once again as one of New York Magazines Best Doctors, says Dr. Alden. More about Dr. Dmitri Alden: Dr. Alden was born in Moscow, Russia and completed his medical school education at the prestigious Pirogov Medical Institute, currently Moscow State Medical University. After completing a surgical residency in Moscow he moved to France and obtained diplomas in advanced surgical studies at the University of Nantes and University of Paris, the latter dedicated exclusively to liver surgery. After obtaining his clinical research experience, Dr. Alden completed a surgical residency at St. Vincents Hospital in New York City, part of the New York Medical College program. Dr. Dmitri Alden completed extensive training in hepatobiliary surgery and liver transplantation, studying at the HepatoBiliary Center (CHB) at the Paul Brousse Hospital in Paris. Dr. Alden has subspecialized training and extensive experience in robotic and laparoscopic liver and pancreatic cancer surgery and is recognized as Americas Top 100 Surgeons (Consumers Research Council of America) for his achievements. Dr. Alden speaks fluent English, Russian, and French, and his practice is located at 186 E 76th Street in New York, NY. For more information or to schedule a consultation please call (212) 434-6216 or visit http://www.liversurgeryny.com. ERIN has emerged as a leader, powering smarter, more effective referral recruiting for enterprises at scale. Referral recruiting is the golden ticket in the hiring stack, producing leading recruiting yields and employee longevity." ERIN, a leading employee referral platform, today announced the closing of a $5 million financing round led by Reformation Partners. Reformation Partners is joined by BlueTree VC, Grouse Ridge Capital, Yoshimi Iyadomi, and existing investor LabCo NYC. Growth over the last year has been incredible. ERIN is now the employee referral platform for over 1.5 million employees in 100 countries said Mike Stafiej, CEO. This round of funding will allow us to keep up with market demand, drive innovative new features, and continue to provide world-class support to our customers. Fully Automated Employee Referrals at Scale ERIN offers an advanced feature set that allows customers to completely automate employee referrals from the point of referral through bonus payment. The mobile app is packed with gamification and tracking features that keep employees active with their companys talent acquisition initiatives, driving more referrals overall and significantly increasing the number of converted referral hires. David Rogg, Managing Partner at Reformation Partners, said, ERIN has emerged as a leader, powering smarter, more effective referral recruiting for enterprises at scale. Referral recruiting is the golden ticket in the hiring stack, producing leading recruiting yields and employee longevity. ERIN helps large enterprises, across a wide range of desk and non-desk industries from healthcare to industrial to tech, manage these complex systems. Sree Gadde, Managing Partner at BlueTree VC added, ERIN is addressing the current hiring pain in the market with an elegant solution that integrates with multiple HRIS platforms, and most importantly, the team has execution experience for scaling this product across multiple industries. ERINs platform expands the traditional efforts of employee referrals. In addition to automating referrals and providing gamification features to drive adoption, ERIN offers an AI component that benefits both employees and candidates with career development. The Internal Mobility feature set reduces turnover and bridges the career development gap for large businesses by matching employees with the next step for their career at their organization. The Referral Network add-on drives candidate involvement by helping the employees know what positions the candidates are a good fit for. About ERIN Technologies, Inc. ERIN Technologies, Inc. is a leading employee referral platform that supports millions of employees making referrals in over 100 different countries. ERINs platform enables businesses to completely automate employee referrals and provides an engaging experience allowing employees to make referrals in less than 30-seconds using the mobile app or web browser. ERIN is based in Pittsburgh, PA and was founded in 2018. To learn more about ERIN and how their platform helps businesses boost referral hires, visit https://erinapp.com About Reformation Partners Reformation Partners is an early growth equity firm. The firm invests in the best capital efficient enterprise and consumer companies at their point of breakout and supports their growth through profitability, future financing rounds, and exit. The firm was founded in 2019 and has made twelve portfolio investments to date across the United States. About BlueTree Venture Fund BlueTree VC is a Pittsburgh based early-stage fund. The fund is focused on software-enabled technology companies for B2B solutions in Series A or Series Seed Extensions. Media Contact info(at)erinapp.com 1-833-374-6277 Frisco Family Law Firm Offers $1000 Scholarship to College Students for 2022 The Law Office of Philip W. Moore, Jr. is pleased to announce that its team has chosen a winner for the Fall 2022 Leadership Excellence Scholarship. Attorney Philip Moore introduced the Leadership Excellence Scholarship in order to assist deserving future leaders in pursuing a degree that may serve them well in their career path. By offering this scholarship, the firm hopes to build connections with and support students who are working to enhance their leadership capabilities and use their education to serve the community. Blake Demler, a senior at the University of Houston, has been awarded $1,000 to put towards his educational goals. Blake is currently the vice president of his fraternity chapter, demonstrating ongoing leadership skills in addition to academic strength. Blakes application essay stood out due to his focus on communication and delegation skills, two important characteristics of an excellent leader. The Law Office of Philip W. Moore, Jr. strives to uphold the values of good leadership in managing each clients case, beginning with clear and effective communication throughout the legal process. The Leadership Excellence Scholarship will be offered again in the Spring of 2023. To be eligible for this award, students must be either engaged in Greek life on their campus or be enrolled in their schools honors program. Students must also maintain a 3.0 GPA. Applications are judged based on the quality and content of the required leadership-based video or essay submitted by the student. Students may view the full list of requirements and submit an application by visiting https://www.pwm-law.com/scholarship. About the Law Office of Philip W. Moore, Jr. The Law Office of Philip W. Moore, Jr. is a family law practice located in Frisco, Texas. The law firm focuses its services on divorce, child custody, asset division, child support, and other issues affecting families in our community. A longtime personal injury and civil litigation lawyer, Attorney Moore shifted his focus to family law cases more than 10 years ago. During that time, he has achieved favorable results for numerous people facing family law issues. The firm proudly serves clients throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. To learn more about the Law Office of Philip W. Moore, Jr., please visit https://www.pwm-law.com/. If you are interested in speaking with our team or scheduling a complimentary consultation, call 972-954-6455. Ikonix consolidation Ikonix is a global industry-leading test and measurement company that manufactures electrical safety compliance analyzers, manual- & programmable power sources, and offers a complete line of accessory, software, and personal protective equipment. Ikonix products helps customers ensure electrically safe products and maintain product quality throughout the entire lifecycle of their products. Starting January 1st, 2023, Ikonix will complete full brand consolidation. A new chapter of Ikonix that simplifies its product portfolio and offers world-class customer service. Ikonixs 3 iconic brands Experts in electrical safety compliance. Associated Research has over 85 years of serving manufacturers in every industry around the globe. With a deep knowledge base to teach best practices in safety and automation and deliver the latest technology and features to optimize your work environment. EEC safety tester shares many similarities with Associated Research products. In this brand consolidation, Associated Research will be the main brand offering premium electrical safety tester for leading manufacturers to optimize their production. Electrical safety compliance simplified. SCI has been in the industry since 1953 providing simple and intuitive testers that wont create a bottleneck in your production process. Further, it provides compatibility with personal protective equipment to ensure workstation safety. SCI is an ideal solution for small to medium-volume manufacturers who need a simple tester to get their job done. Powering production. EEC started as an AC power source manufacturer and has been a veteran in delivering high-quality AC power source and electrical safety testing since 1978, handling the most demanding industrys needs. In this brand consolidation, EEC electrical safety tester lines will be transitioned to the Associated Research brand, except for the highly specialized ESM-500 MultiPRO series. The EEC brand remains as originated, by offering a wide range of powerful performance and precision AC power sources for production line testing requirements. Ikonix and APAC market has different customer demands, some models may only be available in APAC regions. Ikonix embraces this new chapter and believes this consolidation will benefit our customers globally. We are fully prepared and ensure minimum impact to our customers while providing the best service and support during this brand transition. Ikonix Values Customer Happiness Globally Customers are Ikonixs top priority. We remain committed as your partner throughout your products life cycle. At the same time, we aim to provide an unrivaled customer experience along with quality products that last. The Ikonix customer commitment: Expert guidance from pre-purchase to re-purchase. Fast sales and service lead times. 45 days full refund. If youre not satisfied with your tester, return it within 45 days for a full refund. Some conditions may apply* Industry Best on Instrument Warranty: New tester is warranted to be free from defects in workmanship and material for a period of (5) years from the date of shipment. * Global warranty. Complete customer care around the world. For any defect, the customer can send back the instrument to the office at Ikonix USA, Ikonix Asia, and Ikonix Taiwan. Some conditions may apply. * *APAC models may have different terms. For more information about each brands detail or any questions about the compatibilities of old and new, contact our sales representative at contact@ikonixasia.com or call us at +60-3-78429168. Contact Ikonix USA at info@ikonx.com or call at 1-847-367-4671. IKONIX owns and operates industry-leading test and measurement brands across the globe. We manufacture electrical safety compliance instruments and power sources to help our customers conform to safety standards and regulations. Driven by building long-term relationships, IKONIX provides knowledge and expertise to our customers throughout the entire lifecycle of their product. Laying the foundation for our mission to expand globally has allowed us to successfully compete in the global market. IKONIX currently has three operating branches, Ikonix USA, Ikonix Taiwan, and Ikonix Asia. "Mobile has become a central component in acquiring, servicing and retaining policyholders," said Beth Robertson, managing director of the Keynova Group. "Advances such as accident-sensing telematics with integration to claims processing drive value for consumers and for carriers." Keynova Group, the principal competitive intelligence source for digital financial services firms, today announced the results of the Q3 2022 edition of its semi-annual Mobile Insurance Scorecard. GEICO earned top honors for its mobile user experience, once again ranking first in overall score in Keynova Groups evaluation of the mobile apps and mobile websites of the 12 largest U.S. auto and property insurance carriers. The Scorecard highlights how carriers are leveraging new digital capabilities to streamline the mobile experience for prospects and policyholders. Key trends identified in the review include the rapidly emerging use of accident detection via telematics with integration to claims for the consumer market, enhanced mobile claims features to simplify the process for users, as well as more comprehensive support for the use of mobile channels to quote and purchase insurance coverage. "Mobile has become a central component in acquiring, servicing and retaining policyholders," said Beth Robertson, managing director of the Keynova Group. "Advances such as accident-sensing telematics with integration to claims processing and digital damage inspection tools drive value for consumers and for carriers, helping to position insurance firms as crucial partners to their policyholders. Carriers Expand Telematics Use for Accident Detection The use of telematics in usage-based insurance is extending beyond safe-driving assessments with one-third of leading insurance carriers now offering accident-detection capabilities, and GEICO and Allstate integrating crash-detection systems directly into their primary servicing apps. These expanded telematics tools can detect an accident, connect the driver with roadside assistance services, and help launch the claims process. By recording accident-related data including location, date and time, speed, driver, and driving behaviors, telematics can facilitate claims filing for the policyholder while also reducing investigative time required of the carrier. Additional Investment in Improving Mobile Claims Capabilities As efficient and effective claims practices are central to policyholder retention, insurance carriers continue to introduce new mobile elements that improve the user experience. For instance, 75% of carriers enable mobile devices to be used for inspections of automobile damage following an accident, and nearly 60% offer mobile or other remote devices for inspections of damage to homes. In the mobile claims interface, 42% of carriers now provide access to a policyholder's pertinent coverage information, such as the deductible amount and whether or not rental reimbursement is available. More than half (55%) of carriers provide GPS fill in one or both of their mobile modes, and one-third of carriers incorporate claims mapping to identify an incidents location. Adapting to the rise in alternative payment options like Zelle, PayPal or Apple Pay, one-quarter of carriers also now offer claims compensation via these payment methods, with more than 40% enabling policyholders to select their preferred payment option from within the mobile claims interface. Insurance Quoting Experience Improves as Mobile Shopping Takes Center Stage With the number of customers who use a mobile device to shop for insurance forecasted to double, all the leading carriers support quoting through mobile web, while more than 80% enable quoting via their apps including half that seamlessly link from their apps to mobile web to supply quotes. In addition, more than 80% of insurers provide in-quote guidance on policy and coverage selections to assist users in making informed decisions without the need to talk to a live representative. With Progressive joining GEICO, The Hartford, and USAA, one-third of carriers now provide an estimate in the auto quote process for a user to save money by bundling homeowners or renters coverage with an auto policy. Making the process even easier for users on the go, 11 of the 12 leading carriers also enable the mobile microphone tool to be used to fill information in a quote form. About the Mobile Insurance Scorecard Keynova Groups semi-annual, fact-based Mobile Insurance Scorecard evaluates user capabilities, customer experience elements, and best practices to identify evolving trends and insights that drive mobile strategy in the auto and property insurance industry. The evaluation encompasses the mobile channels of Allstate, American Family, Esurance, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, The Hartford, Travelers, and USAA. For more information, please visit https://www.keynovagroup.com/scorecards/#insurance. About Keynova Group Keynova Group is the leading competitive intelligence firm providing trusted benchmarking insights and analysis of consumer and small business digital financial services, including banking, credit card, home lending, and insurance. Keynova Groups Scorecards have served as the go-to source for leading financial services firms to obtain reliable competitive intelligence and actionable insights since 1999. The firms proven methodology and highly detailed results help its clients maximize the value of their digital channels to deliver a premier experience to customers and prospects. MedVet Announces Caregiver Appreciation Bonus Since announcing the new appreciation bonus, many of our long-tenured technicians, vet assistants, client service representatives, and other team members have shared how valued and appreciated this bonus makes them feel - and that was exactly the goal. MedVet announces a new Caregiver Appreciation Bonus to thank their employees (caregivers) who are choosing to build a long-term career with the organization. The program recognizes and rewards the dedication of eligible full- and part-time, non-doctor caregivers through a monetary bonus corresponding to each five-year anniversary of service as of June 30 on an annual basis. A full-time caregiver reaching five years of service is awarded a $5,000 bonus, 10 years receives a $10,000 bonus, and so on for every five years throughout the individuals career. Part-time team members are eligible to receive half these bonus amounts. The first group of 130 caregivers received an appreciation bonus on September 30, 2022. With the launch of the program, MedVet also issued a one-time special appreciation bonus to 355 additional caregivers not hitting a five-year milestone but who have been with the organization more than five years. Individuals received up to $10,000 based on their time with the organization and full- or part-time status. In total, MedVet distributed appreciation bonuses to 485 caregivers, representing roughly 20% of their team. MedVet has an incredible team of caregivers. We could not be happier to recognize these individuals for their longstanding commitment and dedication to our patients, clients, referral partners, and each other. Since announcing the new appreciation bonus, many of our long-tenured technicians, vet assistants, client service representatives, and other team members have shared how valued and appreciated this bonus makes them feel - and that was exactly the goal, said Dr. Linda Lehmkuhl, MedVets CEO. The Caregiver Appreciation Bonus is the latest in a series of investments demonstrating MedVets commitment to providing a supportive and rewarding Caregiver Experience. Earlier this year, the organization released updates to their Clinical Services Career Framework, providing caregivers clarity on the many ways to grow their careers. They also restructured pay ranges to bolster compensation and benefits for credentialed technicians, assistants, and client service representatives. The Caregiver Appreciation Bonus is the second program made possible by MedVets veterinarian owned and led structure. Like the Employee Relief Fund, which was launched in 2020 to assist caregivers experiencing unplanned financial hardship, the caregiver appreciation bonuses are fully funded by the organizations shareholders who care deeply for their team. Being veterinarian owned and led means our shareholders not only know what it takes to deliver exceptional care and service, but also work alongside these individuals daily. We recognize the importance of our caregivers on the frontlines of healthcare delivery, as well as the invaluable work of our support services team members working behind the scenes. The caregiver appreciation bonus is yet another way we show our team how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate them, added Dr. Lehmkuhl. About MedVet: MedVet is the leading veterinarian owned and led family of specialty and emergency hospitals dedicated to delivering exceptional care and a deeply supportive experience to pets and their loving families, referring veterinarians, and team members. For more than 30 years, MedVets empathetic, insightful, and driven team of expert caregivers has helped the organization grow to be the preferred choice for high quality, compassionate care, proudly serving more than 500,000 patients each year in communities throughout the United States. To learn more about MedVet and its mission of Leading Specialty Healthcare for Pets, visit medvet.com. ### Men In Kilts, the tough-to-tackle cleaning concept, has embraced a thorough rebrand. Clarifying its prior exterior cleaning identity and moving away from the No Peeking! catchphrase, the brand is embracing the strength and reliability associated with traditional kilts, bringing its identity into the 21st century. When we first decided to take on a rebrand, which is a huge commitment from everyone involved, we were really focused on controlling the narrative and presenting a united front, explained Rachel Southard, president of Men In Kilts. We knew we needed to bring clarity to what we do because our name and logo dont specify our work.. Ultimately, while the kilt is an essential part of Men In Kilts identity, its prior representation did not align with the true mission of the organization. We were leading with the kilt so much that it allowed our competitors to say that were just a gimmick and dont really know what were doing, explained Jennifer Faz, Men In Kilts marketing manager. We wanted to reel that back in and make sure that people knew we are professionals first, and we just so happen to wear kilts. Discarding the No Peeking! branding has allowed franchise owners to feel more respected as they move throughout their communities, and its replacement Your Tough-to-Tackle Cleaning Team better reflects the mission. When our customers see us, we want them to think of warriors, ready to take on the tough-to-tackle cleaning with strength and honor., Southard said. We do the jobs that customers dont want to and competitors are unable to. Thats who we are, and we want to portray strong people ready to take on tough jobs, not someone just lifting their kilt and insinuating not to peek. This sentiment truly shines through in the brands new Plaid Promise, the guarantee that window and gutter cleaning, pressure and house washing, and snow removal will be done correctly. If its not, the technicians will return to complete the job to standard. Embracing this guarantee allows clients to develop trust for the Men In Kilts in their area and strengthens the brands image even further. With innovative tools and technology, a commitment to going above and beyond for clients and strong community involvement, Men In Kilts owners naturally stand out. Throughout the rebranding process, Men In Kilts leadership interviewed franchisees and consumers to thoroughly understand what would resonate with each party and ensure the final product would set the brand up for success. Looking forward, this new identity allows Men In Kilts to present itself to the world for exactly what it is. Prospective franchisees will feel even more confident in their investment, knowing that clients view the brand as the team they can trust to handle the dirty work they cant. Men In Kilts are here to protect your investment and your property. We offer a higher quality clean and hold all of our businesses to higher standards. Another big part of our value proposition is the opportunity franchisees have to engage with their communities, and this new presentation reflects that very well, Southard added. When theres a tornado in your neighborhood, the Men In Kilts are out there cleaning up. Or when your elderly neighbor cant leave their home, the Men In Kilts are delivering groceries. These are true stories of our franchisees, and it was time our branding aligned with the hearts of our franchise network. ABOUT MEN IN KILTS Men In Kilts is North America's leading residential and commercial window and exterior cleaning company. Positioned to serve the growing demands of the multi-billion dollar cleaning and building maintenance industry, the Men In Kilts concept is about building a national brand that delivers an unparalleled level of professional service. Men In Kilts was started in 2002 by Nicholas Brand, a Vancouver based Scotsman who fashioned a hand-sewn kilt and put a visual to the otherwise faceless window cleaner. By 2009, his business had grown to over one million dollars in revenue and in 2012 the first franchise location was sold. Today, backed by parent company Threshold Brands, Men In Kilts now has over 50 franchise locations across North America with aggressive expansion plans in place. On Saturday, October 15, 2022 the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HWHA) will host historian and author Dr. Emilie Amt for a talk entitled "Black Eyewitnesses to the Battle of Antietam," which will focus on people who lived on the Antietam National Battlefield, with special attention to places that can still be seen today. The talk will be held at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 on the front porch of the Newcomer House located at 18422 Shepherdstown Pike, Keedysville, MD. Dr. Amt's talk directly ties in with her most recent book, "Black Antietam: African Americans and the Civil War in Sharpsburg," a skillfully researched work recounting the personal stories of African Americans, both enslaved and free, who lived on the battlefield and who worked in the armies who clashed there. Since 2010, Dr. Amt's historical research has focused on African Americans in western Maryland in the era of slavery. She gives frequent talks, leads workshops, and works with local historical, church, and community groups on public history projects. A native of Maryland, Dr. Amt is an emeritus professor of history. From 1998 to 2021 she held the Hildegarde Pilgram Chair of History at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She earned a B.A. in medieval studies from Swarthmore College and a D.Phil. in modern history from Oxford University. The Newcomer House will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Volunteer docents will be available to share knowledge about the Newcomer House and offer assistance to visitors to the three county Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. This is the sixth season of Porch Programs at the Newcomer House, HCWHAs Exhibit and Visitor Center at Antietam National Battlefield. Porch Programs feature presentations, demonstrations, pop-up exhibits, interactives and more from April through December. The Newcomer House is located at 18422 Shepherdstown Pike in Keedysville, MD. The house is open 10am-4pm weekends in April, May, October and November and daily June through September. For more information, contact Rachel Nichols, Rachel@heartofthecivilwar.org or 240-308-1740. Still leading the nation, California has installed 35,950.14 megawatts, enough to power 9,153,089 homes. California continues to lead the nation in solar power, creating jobs, protecting the environment, and improving lives with the transition to green power. Premium Power Systems, serving the solar installation needs of San Luis Obispo County since 2016 recently released a report about the future of solar energy for California. Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) released its online Solar State by State report in June 2022 summarizing critical statistics about solar growth in California through Q1 2022: Still leading the nation, California has installed 35,950.14 megawatts, enough to power 9,153,089 homes. The solar industry has invested over $78 million in California and created 75,712 solar jobs. Prices have dropped 50% in the past 10 years. Solar provides 25.29% of Californias electricity. Number of installations is 1,500,495. Projections are that solar will grow by more than 17,477 over the next five years. Communities in San Luis Obispo County are also contributing to the growth of solar energy. Several public agencies have installed solar systems to reduce energy costs. Businesses, wineries, farms, ranches, and other agriculture operations are relying more and more on solar energy to improve their bottom-lines and homeowners are installing solar at increasing rates reducing the energy use and cost for powering their homes. The Economic Vitality Corporation (EVC) of San Luis Obispo County has an active initiative to reduce energy costs and respond to the State of Californias goal that 50% of universal scale energy production be from renewable sources by 2030. Premium Power Systems, providing solar services for San Luis Obispo County, is proud to be part of the strategic solar initiative that supports commercial, residential, and public agencies. Solar energy is making a positive impact on the environment and on the bottom line for business, home, and public budgets. Solar installation is more than installing panels on a rooftop. The versatility that comes with the ability to choose rooftop systems, pole-supported systems, or on-grid, off-grid or hybrid systems supports every kind of installation from agricultural operations to those who choose to not rely 100% on the grid. Systems can be designed to rely on battery back-up and generators to increase reliability and further decrease energy costs. Full-service residential and commercial solar services include a free estimate and free solar design whether for a new solar system or upgrading an existing system. Effectively installed solar systems by the S an Luis Obispo solar company are designed to easily scale as power needs grow. The companys green initiative includes installing EV (electrical vehicle) charging stations. As more and more local residents and business and community leaders are purchasing electric and hybrid vehicles charging systems are become as necessary as kitchen appliances at home and computers at the office. The team from Premium Power Systems continues to grow with the industry, providing a level of expertise and knowledge that helps solar users get the best return from their investment. The team strengths reside in innovation, staying current with technological advances, providing state-of-the-art solar energy systems, electric vehicle charging systems, and solar systems with battery storage for home and commercial use. Premium Power Systems Inc. 3348 Spring St #106 Paso Robles, CA 93446 (805) 265-0760 Because of the variety in weather and temperatures across the state, California can be subject to wildfires year around, but certain times are more susceptible than others. Ants Tractor Mowing, a San Luis Obispo County weed abatement and defensible space service recently released the report Understanding California fire season. Wildfires are not new to California, said company owner Anthony Elisarraras, but the frequency and intensity of wildfires in recent years means understanding fires and fire season is more important than ever. The Cal Fire website reports there were 8835 fires in California burning 2,568,948 acres during 2021. Experts report that the cost of fighting wildfires averages $2.1 billion annually. Insurance claims have reached billions of dollars and property owners are finding claims being denied, insurance rates increasing or fire insurance cancelled. Because of the variety in weather and temperatures across the state, California can be subject to wildfires year around, but certain times are more susceptible than others. Peak fire season in Northern California used to start in June and end sometime in November. Fire season begins earlier for Southern California, running from May to November, or later. San Luis Obispo County, ranging from the Pacific Ocean to arid land inland, south to the Southern California weather influences and north to Northern California weather influences, is vulnerable to fire season from both regions. The prolonged drought has increased the risk of fast spreading fire due to dry vegetation. The winter rain is just sufficient enough for vegetation to grow, but not enough to keep everything green into early summer. Vegetation dries out earlier and this means that defensible spaces and weed abatement around San Luis Obispo County homes, businesses and other structures are more important, said Elisarraras. The Western Fire Chiefs Association identifies the following risk factors for California wildfires: Drought leaving trees, grasses, shrubs and soil without critical moisture, contributing to hotter and drier weather. More than 97% of California is in severe drought. Wind is added fuel to spreading wildfires during any weather and even more so in hot, dry weather. Southern Californias Santa Ana winds and Northern Californias Diablo winds can reach up to 40 miles per hour or more. Human activity starts up to 90% of fires, including campfires, fallen power lines, any unattended recreational fire, discarded cigarettes, vehicle accidents and equipment that creates sparks. Not managing weeds and other dry vegetation making weed abatement and creating defensible spaces critical to helping control wildfires. Ants Tractor Mowing has been providing quality defensible space and weed abatement services to San Luis Obispo County communities since 2004. The company maintains an excellent work ethic and competitive pricing to protect the community with: Weedeater services that are effective for spaces that are too small for a tractor, where there is landscaping to preserve or where more detailed weed abatement is needed, such as along fence lines. Mowing, accomplished with a tractor and a flail mower is a cost-effective and efficient method for removing and controlling weeds and shrubs on acreage, large lots, pastures, and other open spaces. Defensible space is the amount of space, defined in zones, that fire authorities advise is necessary to protect structures, property and lives in the event of a wildfire. Visit the Ants Tractor Mowing website for a free online estimate. Ants Tractor Mowing 330 Old Settler Road Paso Robles, CA 93446 (805) 203-0669 Sussex County Joins the New Jersey Purchasing Group Sussex County invites all potential vendors to register online. Today, Sussex County announces it has joined the New Jersey Purchasing Group, a regional purchasing community by Bidnet Direct. Local government agencies throughout New Jersey utilize the purchasing group for bid and vendor management. Sussex County invites all potential vendors to register online with the New Jersey Purchasing Group to access its upcoming solicitations by visiting http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-jersey/sussexnj. Sussex County joins the New Jersey Purchasing Group and the community of approximately 51 participating local government agencies located throughout New Jersey. Along with a variety of bid and vendor management solutions, Sussex County gains access to a bid library to help with bid creation, a shared pool of vendors, and association with like-minded purchasing professionals in the area. Collaboration is important to us, says Mathias Banner, Purchasing Agent for Sussex County. We look forward to being able to improve our efficiency by using the New Jersey Purchasing Group. In addition to our time savings, our valued vendors can now access not only our open bids, but those from other municipalities, counties and school districts throughout the state. We invite all of our current vendors to register. Vendors interested in doing business with Sussex County and other nearby government agencies are encouraged to register at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-jersey/sussexnj. Benefits of joining the New Jersey Purchasing Group include: Centralized location for bids from over 50 participating agencies Bid alerts customized to the vendors products or services Reliable and timely delivery of notifications, addenda and documents Advanced notice of Term Contract expiration E-Bid and E-Quote Submission The New Jersey Purchasing Group is one of Bidnet Directs regional purchasing groups throughout the country. It provides Sussex County a bid and vendor management solution, document and addendum distribution, and tracking of all activity throughout the procurement process. Sussex County is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. Its county seat is Newton. It is part of the New York metropolitan area and is part of New Jersey's Skylands Region. The county was established in 1753 from portions of Morris County and named after the county of Sussex in England. About Bidnet Direct: Bidnet Direct, powered by mdf commerce, is a sourcing solution of regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. Bidnet Direct runs regional purchasing groups, including the New Jersey Purchasing Group, across all 50 states that are used by over 1,600 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers Embry-Riddle's P. Barry Butler; Arnold James, U.S. Army retired; and Leanne Caret, executive vice president and senior advisor at The Boeing Company, at an agreement-signing ceremony. (David Massey) The Boeing Company has every confidence in Embry-Riddles ability to cultivate strong talent." -Leanne Caret, executive vice president and senior advisor to The Boeing Company Meaningful, high-paying jobs for young people are the focus of a plan set forth on Sept. 27, 2022, by The Boeing Company and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Under a new agreement, Boeing will provide guaranteed job interviews for Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) graduates from Embry-Riddle as well as three partnering schools Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona State College and Stetson University. Job interviews will be offered to ROTC graduates after they complete their military service commitment. Embry-Riddles ROTC programs were among the first four to be selected by Boeing to take part in the ROTC interview initiative. An agreement signing ceremony took place during Boeing Week at Embry-Riddle. The weeklong series of activities, culminating with a career fair, provided students with an exceptional opportunity to network with aviation and aerospace leaders from The Boeing Company. At Embry-Riddle, we place enormous value on our military students, and we are deeply grateful to Boeing for their commitment to promoting success for members of the military, said Embry-Riddle President P. Barry Butler, Ph.D., during an agreement-signing ceremony at the university. "Service to our community and beyond is an integral part of everything we do at Embry-Riddle, and Boeing shares our long-standing dedication to serving those who serve. Butler added that the new agreement is an exceptional benefit for ROTC graduates. It is also in keeping with our goal to help transitioning military members secure meaningful, high-paying career positions in the civilian realm, where their work ethic, discipline and skills can promote innovation and competitiveness. In remarks during a signing ceremony, Ms. Leanne Caret, executive vice president and senior advisor to The Boeing Company, said: The Boeing Company has every confidence in Embry-Riddles ability to cultivate strong talent, and we are grateful to leaders like Dr. Butler who share our vision for cultivating talent and instilling the skills and values needed to thrive in our industry. Officiating at the signing on Sept. 27 was retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Arnold James, who is the Career Services director for Embry-Riddles Worldwide Campus. Serving Those Who Serve Embry-Riddles legacy of support for the military dates back to the schools founding in 1926. The universitys current service to military and veteran students has long allowed Embry-Riddle to retain the top spot in the U.S. News & World Report Best Online Bachelors Programs for Veterans category. Embry-Riddles residential campuses also rank among the Top 5 in the Best for Vets category of the same rankings. Embry-Riddle was launched to train airplane pilots immediately after World War I. When World War II erupted, the demand for aviators and mechanics surged. Allied nations sent more than 25,000 young men to several Embry-Riddle centers in Florida to be trained as pilots and aviation technicians. During the Korean War, the U.S. Air Force contracted with Embry-Riddle to train airmen in the fundamentals of airplane maintenance. After the war, the university continued to provide aviation-related education and training for military personnel. The universitys association with the Air Force dates back to the Army Air Corps, as early as 1939, when Embry-Riddle participated in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. In addition to pilots, Embry-Riddle trained students to build and repair all varieties of aviation instrumentation. During the war, a seaplane base continued operations as an all-female division. In partnership with what is today the Air Force, Embry-Riddle helped provide pilots, mechanics and technicians to allied military forces during World War II as well as the Korean War. Top ROTC Operations Embry-Riddle supports top-performing ROTC operations at both of its residential campuses, located at Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona. At Daytona Beach, students can train for service in the Air Force, Army and Navy. At Prescott, ROTC programs are offered for Air Force and Army officers in training. Both operations also include a Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Program. Recent accomplishments have included: The Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) programs at Prescott and Daytona Beach were ranked in 2019 among the top 10% of all 145 AFROTC detachments nationwide, by the Department of the Air Forces Air Education and Training Command (AETC, or Air University). The two detachments 028 in Prescott and 157 in Daytona Beach now produce the largest number of rated aviation officer candidates for the Air Force outside of the Air Force Academy. The nations first two ROTC Cadets selected to officially attend the U.S. Armys Air and Space Basic Course (Michael Flynn and Lilyanne Pepe) will be from the Army ROTC program at Embry-Riddles Daytona Beach Campus. Air Force ROTC Cadets at Embry-Riddle received some of the first commissions as leaders and Guardians in the U.S. Space Force. In 2018, former Detachment 028 Cadet Austin Fischer was named Outstanding ROTC Cadet of the Year in 2018, by the Air Force Association. About The Boeing Company As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers. About Embry-Riddle Reporters worldwide contact Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University for content experts in all aspects of aviation, aviation business, aerospace, engineering and STEM-related fields. Our faculty experts specialize in unmanned and autonomous systems, security and intelligence, air traffic and airport management, astronomy, human factors psychology, meteorology, spaceflight operations, urban air mobility and much more. Visit the Embry-Riddle Newsroom for story ideas. Embry-Riddle educates 32,500+ students at its residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona, at approximately 110 Worldwide Campus locations and through online degree programs. The Book Of Revelation Revealed: a helpful resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of Gods word and plans. The Book Of Revelation Revealed is the creation of published author Tommy Ayers. Ayers shares, The Revelation is a revelation of things to happen. We are actually witnessing some of the events foretold in this book. It is Christ who commands John to write to the seven churches, who opens the seven seals, reveals the suffering of the saints, opens the little book, reigns, judges the dead according to their works at his Second Coming, rules from the beginning, presides over the changing scenes of earths history, and who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The book is one of hope but also one of warning. Its aim is to assure the church of the advent of the Lord in victory that lies hidden with God but it is certain. But the crown will not be won without a struggle. The conflict is presented by the form of symbols that are not difficult to understandJerusalem times as the type of cause. And this is the church of Christ. Babylon appears as the type of evil cause, and this is the world of power. The heavenly Jerusalem has the assistance of divine power. The earthly Babylon has the help of evil powers, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Tommy Ayerss new book will challenge and encourage students of the Bible, whether they are new or established. Ayers shares in hopes of encouraging others to deepen their relationship with God and find a stronger connection with His word. Consumers can purchase The Book Of Revelation Revealed at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Book Of Revelation Revealed, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Virtual Contact Center Image Building on the results of the demonstration, transcosmos and NTT Com hope to create a new style of customer communication powered by the metaverse as well as support ever-diversifying workstyles for a more sustainable world. transcosmos inc. and NTT Communications Corporation announced today that in August they launched a demonstration test of a virtual contact center in the metaverse to improve working conditions for employees as well as to support communication between businesses and their customers. The test, an outgrowth of the two companies' respective efforts to use the metaverse for new ways of communication, is aimed at realizing employee-friendly contact centers that will allow employees to work anywhere without feeling isolated from colleagues. For the test, the two companies have established a virtual contact center that consolidates both decentralized physical contact centers and agents working from home. 1. Introduction Today, the job market is at a turning point due to digitalization-induced changes such as new online communication technologies, the push towards teleworking, and worker relocations to rural areas. Such changes have also led to new challenges for businesses. To accommodate today's diversifying workstyles, transcosmos has expanded its network of digital contact centers to 33 locations in Japan and 50 in other countries. Also, to support teleworking, it has built the industry's largest network of home-based contact centers, amounting to about 3,000 workstations in Japan and 10,000 in other countries. Today, more than 55,000 people worldwide are working at virtual call centers operated by transcosmos. While transcosmos offers various forms of contact center services, securing talented employees has been a challenge under the traditional model of using a metropolitan center as an operational hub connected to regional and overseas satellite centers. In particular, this model incurs an extra layer of operational cost for on-site managers. Also, restricting physical centers to set locations can limit hiring opportunities. At the same time, while work-from-home arrangements can help expand workstyle options, home-based agents tend to feel isolated due to a lack of communication with colleagues, unlike when working in physical centers. To address such issues as well as further evolve contact center services, transcosmos and NTT Com launched their virtual contact center demonstration test. The test will reflect NTT Com's experience with various workstyle-transformation services and solutions, which enable organizations to provide employees with more flexible workstyle arrangements that are not limited by location or time, as well as NTT Com's involvement with new services and solutions incorporating extended reality (EX) technology. 2. Scope of Test The demonstration test is targeted at overcoming the limits of physical contact centers and work-from-home operations. It is also aimed at establishing a standardized model for virtual contact centers in the metaverse that consolidate employees working at physical centers and at home. Verification targets: Working in the metaverse can help home-base agents to feel less isolated. Information sharing and escalation in the metaverse can reduce managerial needs. Establishment and feasibility of operational rules for virtual contact centers. Optimal equipment and working environments for agents. 3. Roles and Responsibilities transcosmos: Management of virtual contact center operations. Preparation of a virtual center package based on analysis of test operational data. NTT Com: Installation and management of phones & communication equipment (Arcstar IP Voice, toll-free numbers, etc.) Provision of NTT XR Coworking metaverse service (metaverse space & avatars)*1 4. Comments from transcosmos/NTT Com Kenshi Matsubara, Representative Director, Executive Vice President, transcosmos inc.: transcosmos is driving the shift from physical contact centers to a work-from-home model with the goal of offering 4,000 home-based workstations by the end of the current fiscal year ending in March 2023. Building on this demonstration test, we aim to establish full-scale virtual contact centers that will allow employees to feel as if they are working in the same location as their colleagues, thereby eliminating the feeling of isolation when working from home. We also aim to provide high-quality services from home environments to enable contact centers to offer more diverse ways of working." Satoko Takahashi, Senior Vice President, Communication & Application Services, Platform Service Division, NTT Communications Corporation: NTT Com offers extensive services that help clients to realize workstyle innovation. In this demonstration, we are relocating hundreds of transcosmos contact center agents to a virtual contact center in the metaverse. The aim is to enable the agents to feel as if they are working at a large contact center in the real world and thereby help transcosmos solve the challenge of home agents feeling isolated from colleagues. NTT Com is committed to developing services for new workstyles that will enable businesses to build and operate next-generation contact centers. 5. Future Outlook transcosmos will continue to drive metaverse initiatives that enable businesses to meet their employee needs as well as to drive virtual communication services*2 to enhance communication between businesses and their customers. Building on the results of the demonstration, transcosmos and NTT Com hope to create a new style of customer communication powered by the metaverse as well as support ever-diversifying workstyles for a more sustainable world. *1 NTT XR Coworking (no translation available) https://group.ntt/jp/nttxr/service/service00006/ *2 Virtual Communication Service: https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/company/news/220901_0002.html About transcosmos inc. transcosmos launched its operations in 1966. Since then, we have combined superior "people" with up-to-date "technology" to enhance the competitive strength of our clients by providing them with superior and valuable services. transcosmos currently offers services that support clients' business processes focusing on both sales expansion and cost optimization through our 171 bases across 28 countries/regions with a focus on Asia, while continuously pursuing Operational Excellence. Furthermore, following the expansion of e-commerce market on the global scale, transcosmos provides a comprehensive One-Stop Global E-Commerce Services to deliver our clients' excellent products and services to consumers in 46 countries/regions around the globe. transcosmos aims to be the "Global Digital Transformation Partner" of our clients, supporting the clients' transformation by leveraging digital technology, responding to the ever-changing business environment. Visit us here https://www.trans-cosmos.co.jp/english/ About NTT Communications Corporation NTT Communications solves global technology challenges by helping enterprises utilize managed IT-infrastructure solutions to overcome complexity and risk in their IT environments. 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. As the core provider of the DOCOMO group's enterprise-business services and solutions, we create value by providing global-scale support for restructuring in industry and society, new workstyles and digital transformation in communities. Together with NTT Ltd., NTT Data and NTT DOCOMO, we are the NTT Group. Joseph Salamon My mother was a union schoolteacher, so the importance of a strong and enforced contract is not an abstract idea to me, said Salamon. Pennsylvania labor, employment and workers compensation law firm Willig, Williams & Davidson is pleased to announce that Joseph Salamon has joined the firm as an associate. Salamon will focus his practice on labor law. Joseph is committed to advocating for workers dignity and respect in the workplace, said Managing Partner Deborah R. Willig. We are pleased to welcome him to our team of attorneys who are fighting for fair pay and benefits, safe working conditions, and equitable treatment for all workers. While a law student at Temple University Beasley School of Law, Salamon worked with a variety of organizations whose goal it is to achieve better and safer working conditions for employees. As a legal intern at the Office of the Solicitor at the United States Department of Labor, he made recommendations for agency action in claims filed under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and drafted memoranda on nationwide injunctions and jury verdict form requirements in Fair Labor Standards Act claims. He also served as an intern at the Social Justice Lawyering Clinic, where he assisted workers with wage theft claims against their employers. While interning with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, he worked on federal workplace disputes in which the EEOC was pursuing legal action on behalf of employees who had been discriminated against. My mother was a union schoolteacher, so the importance of a strong and enforced contract is not an abstract idea to me, said Salamon. I always knew that I wanted to practice labor law to ensure that labor unions and the hard-working people they represent receive the protections and benefits they deserve. Salamon earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Temple University Beasley School of Law in 2022. He received a bachelors degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University in 2011. About Willig, Williams & Davidson Willig, Williams & Davidson (http://www.wwdlaw.com) is one of the largest and most respected union-side labor law firms in the United States. The firm has offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Jenkintown Pa., as well as Haddonfield, N.J., and Chicago, Ill. Founded in 1979, Willig, Williams & Davidson focuses on representing labor unions, employee benefit funds and individual working people and their families on a variety of legal fronts, including national, regional and local contract negotiations; election and campaign finance; dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration and litigation; family law matters; benefits law design and compliance issues; discrimination, overtime and unpaid wages, and other employment matters; prepaid legal services for union members; social security disability; and workers compensation matters in Philadelphia and beyond. Workers inspire us. Click here for old website By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov will attend the 33rd Ministerial Meeting of OPEC plus countries to be held in Vienna, Austria on October 5, Azernews reports. The event will be held offline for the first time since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To note, Azerbaijan is a party to the OPEC plus deal. Since April 2020, OPEC and non-OPEC countries have entered into an agreement on the reduction of daily oil output volumes. At the 19th Ministerial Meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC countries, Azerbaijan supported the decision to increase daily crude oil output by 400,000 barrels per month in August-December 2021 and to extend the Declaration of Cooperation until late 2022, with partial adjustments to the base level of oil production from May 2022. From May 2022 till the end of the year, the calculation of Azerbaijan's oil production obligations will be continued on the basis of the existing level. In other words, the 718,000-barrel daily crude oil production set in October 2018 for Azerbaijan will remain the base level for determining the output level next year. In early 1977, 23 year-old Brooklyn-born photographer Marilyn Nance traveled to Lagos, Nigeria to take part in an historic gathering of Black creative people returning to Africa from around the globe. Nance was among the 400-member Black American delegation participating in FESTAC 77, formally called, The Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, a once- in-a-lifetime assemblage of artists, actors, dancers, intellectuals, musicians, writers and politicians from across the global Black African Diaspora. The successor to an earlier festival, the First World Festival of Black Arts, held in Senegal 11 years earlier, FESTAC 77 was described as the Olympics, plus a Biennial, plus Woodstock. But Africa style. More than 17,000 Black people from around the world participated in FESTAC 77 including such global pop stars as Stevie Wonder, Miriam Makeba, and Nigerias own Fela Kuti, jazz musicians Randy Weston, Sun Ra, and Milford Graves, Black intellectuals such as Wole Soyinka, and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young. It was a Pan African festival of art and culture unprecedented in scale, yet in the years since, FESTAC 77 has faded into obscurity, mostly forgotten but for a scant number of books and articles written about it. Nances new book Last Day in Lagos, an incomparable collection of photographs documenting the landmark event, will rectify that situation. The book is out now from Fourthwall Books and The Center for Art, Research and Alliances (CARA). Edited by Oluremi C. Onabanjo with photographs culled from Nances archive of over 1,400 images, the book is a black and white photographic essay capturing the infinite variety of Black and African people, as well as the artistry, literature, and cultural performances that took place in Lagos from early January to February 1977. PW talked with Nance, whose work has been exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Schomburg Research Center among other institutions, about the genesis of the book, her role in documenting the festival and the festivals place in world art history. Publishers Weekly: Tell us how a photograph of your grandmother set the stage for you to become part of the 400-plus U.S. delegation to FESTAC '77? Marilyn Nance: I submitted a portfolio of photographs, and that photograph of my grandmother was chosen to be exhibited at FESTAC. I heard that there were 2,500 people chosen. In the end, the organizers did not have the means to transport that number of people from the USA to Nigeria. And so the list had to be cut. And of course, I was disappointed. And then, I overheard two of my instructors talking about the fact that they were looking for technicians. I was studying television production, I had a lot of audio visual skills, in addition to photographic skills. So I wrote a letter saying, listen, I know you're looking for technical people to work this festival, you need people to document it. I said please consider me, because I was selected originally as an exhibiting photographer, but I'm willing to serve in a technical capacity. I just want to get there. And it worked. You were part of an American contingent that included political figures like Andrew Young and Louis Farrakhan; musicians like Stevie Wonder, Sun Ra, and Randy Weston and writers like Haki Madhubuti and Audre Lorde. Tell us about your fellow artists from AfriCOBRA [African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists, a Black artist collective co-founded by Jeff Donaldson, a key Black American organizer of FESTAC] and other organizations. I knew Charles Abramson, Ellsworth Ausby and I knew the late Valerie Maynard and Tyrone Mitchell. And when I got to Nigeria, I met David Stephens, Viola Burley Leak, Barkley Hendricks, who was from, I think, Connecticut, and Tacoumba Aiken. Who was Sharon Abuja Douglas, and why did you dedicate the book to her? I was a graphic design student, she was an industrial design student. We were always co-conspirators. When we applied to FESTAC to exhibit, both of us got letters at the same time saying, I'm sorry, you're not going. She reapplied as a technician and was on the film crew, and I was photographing. We did projects together when I was a finalist for the W. Eugene Smith Grant. She helped me put my materials together, and we enabled each other. She passed away in 1996. In the book you describe yourself as an historical agent. And how does that description shape how you photographed? We are all historical agents. Nothing we do is lacking input. But we have to see ourselves that way. I like saying I was there, here I am. I have the skills, and I'm qualified. I come from a line of storytellers. I've called myself a storyteller. And that's one way in which history was passed on. And so I'm a mid-20th century storyteller, picking up a camera, and then at the end of the 20th century, using internet technology in the 21st century. In the book you write about how your photographs reflect my romantic notions of Pan-African unity. What was it like seeing Black people from across the African Diaspora? I didn't kiss the ground when I got there. Not everything in Nigeria was peaches and cream. But I saw familiar faces in all of the different delegations: The Somali delegation, the Nigerian delegation; It was just fascinating to me. You described FESTAC '77, a gathering of 17,000 people of African descent, as essentially a temporary Pan-African nation. How did the festival make you feel as an American? That was the first time I actually felt like an American, because I'm thinking, I am an African. I'm an African-American. But everything about me, said American [including]: the way I dressed. And I wouldn't have known that just being in the U.S. As an older photographer today, what images from the festival move you in a different way today than they did when you were younger? When I was younger. I felt like, this is a good photograph [because] its not out of focus. But now, as a 68 year-old photographer, I think focus is overrated. In the beginning of the book, theres a blurred image of a man on the bike. South Africa was not represented, but the Liberation Front was there. And I believe on page 95 [theres a picture of] the Liberation Front walking into the stadium out of focus. Whats in focus, are the Nigerian girls who are standing at the sidelines to greet the contingents on page 94. In 1977 after I came back to the U.S. from Nigeria, and I was thinking of making postcards. I was gonna do a series, but I actually made one postcard. There wasnt a lot of media coverage of FESTAC 77 in the West, and there was no follow-up festival. Do you see your book filling that void? So many people don't know about FESTAC 77. So we dropped so many names [of artists who were also there] in this book. Theres just no excuse for people to not pick up any given names and go do a deep dive [for information about them] and try to find out more. So that's kind of like my mission. The Midwest Independent Booksellers Association has named Alex George, the owner of Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, Mo., its 2022 Bookseller of the Year. The award is given annually to a bookseller who makes an extraordinary impact upon their community. In a release, MIBA called George a powerhouse of literary accomplishment. Because of Alex George, Columbia has become a literary haven where the community comes together to celebrate the transformative power of books and reading. In an email nominating George for the honor, Pamela Klinger-Horn, a bookseller at Valley Bookseller in Stillwater, Minn., wrote Alex George has proven himself to be a force of nature in his community. With Alex George and Skylark Bookshop, Columbia glows like a metropolis of literacy. A recent PW profile of Skylark Bookshop that was part of its spotlight on bookselling series called George, an Oxford-educated British expat, a literary-jack -of-all-trades. Besides being a bookseller, George is the author of three novels and the founder of the Unbound Book Festival that has taken place in Columbia every spring (except 2020 and 2021) since 2015. The free event draws several thousand people to Columbia and features a slate of marquee authors, including George Saunders in 2019, who famously declared while there: Events like the Unbound Book Festival will save this country. George opened Skylark Bookshop in 2018, he told PW, because the community so embraced the literary festival and there was no indie in Columbia selling new books. The bookstore, which has a simple motto Because Books -- is located in a 2,700-square-foot space in a historic building in downtown Columbia. Skylark is the official bookstore for Unbound and its bestselling title is Georges 2020 release, The Paris Hours. George will officially receive his Midwest Bookseller of the Year Award on October 12 during an awards ceremony kicking off this years Heartland Fall Forum. Operation Unicorn the codename of the plan for handling Her Late Majestys death should she pass away in Scotland saw the Queens coffin transported by air from Edinburgh Airport to RAF Northolt near London on 13 September. This created the need for a high-definition, broadcast-capable, wireless solution that avoided the use of cables across the airport runway, whilst mitigating interference and guaranteeing quality of service.Due to the scale of the production in Scotland - and indeed the whole of the United Kingdom - technical resources were stretched beyond capacity said QTV. This small but significant site was left without any traditional RF systems for positions that could not be cabled. The situation demanded new and innovative technological thinking to achieve the expectations of the production, explained QTV CTO Gareth Gordon. From the band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland to the RAFs C-17 Globemaster taking off and carrying Her Late Majesty The Queen from Scotland for the last time, these were breath-taking live pictures broadcast globally from the airport tarmac. The video link on the 5G network wasnt there as a back-up it was a live feed to the world.The private 5G network - which uses dedicated portions of wireless spectrum for specific single owner use - was designed and deployed by the University of Strathclyde and its spin-out company, Neutral Wireless, and developed through a series of proof-of-concept trials in 2022 as part of IBCs Accelerator Media Innovation Programme. This involved an international consortium of broadcasters and media technology vendors over the course of 2021-2022. QTV worked closely with national broadcasters to provide a world feed to television channels globally, including content captured over the private 5G network. The Neutral Wireless pop-up 5G SA network was deployed for QTV within 24 hours of the spectrum licence in the radio frequency band n77 (3.8GHz 4.2GHz) being granted by UK broadcast and communications regulator Ofcom. The use of such a private 5G SA network at an airport is also believed to be a first.The outside broadcast at Edinburgh Airport was also supported by Open Broadcast Systems and Zixi, with the former providing encoders and decoders, and Zixi providing licences to use the software Defined Video Platform, Zen Master Control Plane and protocol over 5G at short notice.The decision to deploy such a radically new solution came about at the IBC show in Amsterdam less than 48 hours ahead of the events of 13 September, revealed QTV CEO Jack McGill. Indeed, it is because of IBCs Accelerator programme that 5G has been so robustly trialled including our own involvement in that process and we had every confidence that it had reached maturity for live deployment on one of the UKs most significant ever live events, he said.Commenting on the network Professor Bob Stewart, from University of Strathclyde and head of the Universitys software defined radio team, said: The use of a dedicated 5G private network operating in shared spectrum licensed by Ofcom is believed to be a first for live TV news. A spectrum licence was granted in the n77 frequency band at Edinburgh Airport and the network was rapidly deployed on the tarmac beside the runway to provide connectivity for a wireless camera position. The network operated live and with no technical issues for nine hours. Lawyer Tretyakov gets 7 years in jail for legal assistance to Roscosmos subsidiary MOSCOW, October 5 (RAPSI) The Khimki City Court has sentenced lawyer Igor Tretyakov to seven years in a penal colony in the case of embezzlement of Roscosmos funds, a RAPSI correspondent has reported from the courtroom. Tretyakov was also fined 400,000 rubles (about $7,000 at the current exchange rate. He was detained in the courtroom, according to judge Oksana Kulbaka. The court also sentenced ex-CEO of the S.A. Lavochkin Scientific Union Sergey Lemeshevsky and chief of the Unions legal department Yekaterina Averyanova to 7.5 years and 6 years in a penal colony respectively. The defendants were also fined 500,000 and 300,000 rubles ($8,500 and 5,000). According to lawyer Stanislav Shostak, who defends Tretyakov, his client spent a total of 5 years in custody and under house arrest, what equals to 5 years in prison. The defense is appealing the sentence. A criminal case over embezzlement from a subsidiary of Roskosmos was initiated in July 2018. Investigators stated that the defendants defrauded the Roskosmos subsidiary by signing fraudulent contracts for provision of legal services with the law firm. All the works were allegedly performed by the corporations own specialists. The overall sum of payments to the firm reached 330 million rubles ($5.6 million). By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 10/05/2022 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Which couples are still together and which MAFS couples have split up and divorced? And where are they now? 's first fourteen seasons featured 54 different couples who got married at first sight -- so which couples are still together, who split up and divorced, and where are they all now?Each season of -- which premiered in the United States eight years ago and is based on a Danish series -- features couples (previously three couples, but four couples on Seasons 8 and 9, and five couples beginning with Season 10) being matched together by relationship experts and agree to marry when they first meet.Complete strangers become husband and wife in a matter of minutes, and the couples' lives are then documented by TV cameras over the course of the next four to eight weeks (eight weeks, in the case of 's most recent seasons).The couples typically enjoy their first night together in a hotel after exchanging vows -- with some couples deciding to consummate their marriage immediately -- and then embark on a honeymoon, move in together, and simply attempt to deal with the struggles of daily life as man and wife.At the end of the extreme marriage experiment, each couple must decide whether they'd like to stay married or get a divorce on "Decision Day."has experienced very mixed results over the years. While a significant number of couples decide to stay together and continue their new marriage at the end of their season, the real world seems to hit them hard after the cameras leave, resulting in the couple splitting up only months later.Do cast members see a different side of their spouses once cameras are gone, or do the romances naturally fizzle over time?Some couples are still together to this day and are extremely happy. Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner from Season 1, for example, have had two children.Several other couples have also had children -- including Ashley Petta and Anthony D'Amico Shawniece Jackson and Jephte Pierre Danielle Bergman and Bobby Dodd Deonna McNeill and Greg Okotie , and Jessica Studer and Austin Hurd However, there are also relationships that ended badly. Jessica Castro from Season 2, for instance, accused Ryan De Nino of alleged death threats, and she went on to file a restraining order and lawsuit against him.Some couples have also never even made it to "Decision Day" and ended their marriage prematurely, including Season 4 couple Heather Seidel and Derek Schwartz as well as Season 6 couple Molly Duff and Jonathan Francetic Are the remaining couples now lovers, friends or enemies?! What about early season couples like Cortney Hendrix and Jason Carrion, Jaclyn Methuen and Ryan Ranellone, Vanessa Nelson and Tres Russell, Sonia Granados and Nick Pendergrast, and Lillian Vilchez and Tom Wilson?And how about more recent season couples like Danielle DeGroot and Cody Knapek Sheila Downs and Nate Duhon Jaclyn Schwartzberg and Ryan Buckley Dave Flaherty and Amber Martorana , and Tristan Thompson and Mia Bally Keith Dewar and Kristine Killingsworth , and AJ Vollmoeller and Stephanie Sersen Click thelink below to see photos of each couple and find out! BEGIN GALLERY >> Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. For four years in a row, Historic Athens Porchfest has brought music to the streets of Athens and engaged both students and locals in the local music scene. On Oct. 2, a day that was expected to be plagued by the winds and rains of Hurricane Ian, attendees were pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous weather that welcomed them to the event. Every year, within the first few days of classes starting, hundreds of newly-christened freshmen flock to Herty Field, a former athletic field turned multi-purpose greenspace. At the far end of the field lies one of University of Georgias many landmarks, the Herty Field Fountain. Once the sun sets, this peaceful field becomes the focus of freshman fervor, as hundreds of incoming UGA students throw themselves into the fountain as a celebration of their first few steps into college life. Brattleboro Museum & Art Center held its 15th Annual Domino Toppling Extravaganza on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. Veteran domino toppler and YouTube superstar Lily Hevesh returned with her team to assemble over 25,000 dominos in two and half days that covered the museums Wolf Kahn & Emil Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 56F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A clear sky. Low 32F. Winds light and variable. A former employee says he was interrogated by state security police about the layout of the British Consulate. The British Consulate in Hong Kong is seen in this 2013 file photo. Reports that China is trying to obtain floor plans for all properties used by foreign missions in Hong Kong have sparked security concerns, amid an ongoing crackdown under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by Beijing. The Financial Times reported recently that China has demanded the floor plans of all properties rented by foreign missions in Hong Kong. "The order has brought the city in line with how China treats embassies and consulates on the mainland and sparked fears in the diplomatic community that Beijing could use the information to plant listening devices, according to three people familiar with the matter," the paper said in an Oct. 3 report on its website. Simon Cheng, a former employee of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, said Chinese state security police were insistent that he draw a floor plan of the consulate for them during his interrogations during a 15-day detention in August 2019. Cheng said he wasn't at all surprised by the FT report, suggesting the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will continue to tighten control on what it views as potentially hostile "foreign forces" that it blames for inciting the 2019 protest movement in Hong Kong. "I think the freedom of movement of diplomats in Hong Kong will gradually be restricted, which will eventually worsen the relationships between China and foreign countries," Cheng told RFA. China confirmed on Aug. 21, 2019 that it was holding Cheng, then investment director for the Scottish International Development Agency under the aegis of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong, 11 days after his family reported him missing. Cheng was reported missing after he failed to turn up to work since Aug. 9 following a trip across the border to the neighboring city of Shenzhen, in mainland China. His detention came after weeks of tension between the U.K. and China, with Beijing repeatedly warning London not to "interfere" in its internal affairs by commenting on long-running pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Simon Cheng, a former employee of the British Consulate General in Hong Kong who was detained by Chinese state security police, says they insisted he draw a floor plan of the consulate for them in August 2019. Credit: Reuters Torture-induced confession Cheng has since detailed his torture at the hands of Chinese state security police in Shenzhen, confirming speculation that he had been detained while in the controversial dual checkpoint area of the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus, which was designated part of the People's Republic of China in a controversial move amid fears of cross-border arrests and detentions within Hong Kong's borders. Cheng described interrogation sessions during which he was restrained in a "tiger chair" and asked to detail the role of the U.K. in the Hong Kong protests. Told that he could be jailed for decades for subversion or rioting, Cheng was forced to confess to charge of "soliciting prostitutes." He said papers relating to his detention had the date fields left blank, so he never knew if or when he would be released. Benson Wong, former assistant politics professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, said there has been a marked a shift in China's attitude to foreign diplomats in the wake of the 2019 protest movement. He said the request for floor plans as reported in the FT also included properties used to house diplomats and consular staff. "[This would mean] that the places where foreign diplomats and even staff live are no longer safe," he said. "Embassy personnel could easily be targeted by the so-called national security law," Wong said of a law that has criminalized public criticism of the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities anywhere in the world, regardless of nationality. Wong said the new approach would be counterproductive, as Hong Kong tries to reestablish itself as a financial hub and attract more foreign investment. Ever-widening crackdown The imposition of the national security law from July 1, 2020 launched an ever-widening crackdown on public dissent and political opposition that has seen dozens of former opposition lawmakers and democracy activists detained for "subversion" for taking part in a democratic primary in 2020. The mass public protests -- which Beijing claims were incited by hostile foreign powers fomenting a "color revolution" in Hong Kong -- and the increasingly violent responses by protesters to widespread and excessive police violence, were cited as the main reason for the new regime. Beijing agreed under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration to allow Hong Kong to maintain its traditional freedoms for 50 years, and to move towards fully democratic elections. But a National People's Congress (NPC) standing committee ruling in 2014 said a one person, one vote system could only happen if all candidates had been pre-approved by Beijing. The Chinese government has repeatedly dismissed any criticism of its crackdown in the city as "interference" in its internal affairs. The U.K. government has said its six-monthly reports and other statements on Hong Kong are part of its "normal diplomatic activities." "The U.K.'s response to the situation in Hong Kong is consistent with normal diplomatic practice," it said in its December 2021 report. "We stand by the measures we introduced in response to the National Security Law, including suspending our extradition treaty and extending the arms embargo on China to Hong Kong," the report said. When U.S. Consul General Michael Hanscom Smith left office in July 2022, pro-CCP media said his departure was "good riddance to a failed diplomat," citing U.S. consular staff meetings with local protest leaders and pro-democracy politicians as evidence that he was "interfering" in Hong Kong's affairs. "The U.S.-backed plan to harm China by sacrificing Hong Kong had been foiled, and his political masters in Washington, D.C., were not best pleased, perhaps even blaming him for not having tried harder," the China Daily said in an editorial when Hanscom Smith left his post. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Noble Raven 22-2 saw only the second deployment of a Japanese submarine in the region's military exercises. Warships from Japan, the U.S. and Canada conduct a combined exercise in the South China Sea which ran from Sept. 23 -Oct.1 A combined naval exercise led by Japan wrapped up in the South China Sea in a display of allied solidarity amid increased regional tensions. The week-long exercise between maritime forces from Canada, Japan, and the United States ended Sunday. It was held off the back of another trilateral exercise, Noble Raven 22, that concluded in the Western Pacific a month earlier. The drills, dubbed Noble Raven 22-2, saw the rare appearance of a Japanese submarine that may signal a future deployment of Japans subs in the region. This is only the second time a Japanese submarine took part in joint drills in the South China Sea. The first was in November 2021, in a bilateral exercise with the U.S. Navy. Chinas growing assertiveness against other claimant states in the South China Sea, and Japan in the East China Sea presents a grave concern for Japan, according to a report by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. We will continue to strengthen cooperation with allied and partner navies, contribute to peace and stability in the region and maintain maritime order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, said the Japanese Navy, known officially as the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) since Japan's post-war constitution prohibits it from having a military fighting abroad. Besides the submarine, Japan sent one of its two helicopter destroyers, the JS Izumo, and the destroyer JS Takanami. The U.S. sent the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins and fleet replenishment-oiler USNS Rappahannock. For its part, the Royal Canadian Navy sent two frigates, HMCS Winnipeg and HMCS Vancouver. The two Canadian frigates have also been deployed to Operation NEON to monitor United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Koreas weapons of mass destruction programs. The Vancouver took part in the original Noble Raven 22 from Aug. 30 to Sept. 7 in the waters running from Guam to the South China Sea. It also conducted a transit through the Taiwan Strait on Sept. 20 alongside the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Higgins. A Japanese warship and submarine taking part in Noble Raven 22-2. CREDIT: Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Japans Indo-Pacific Deployment The Izumo and Takanami are part of the JMSDFs Indo-Pacific Deployment 2022 (IPD22), a four-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region from June 13 to Oct. 28. During Noble Raven 22-2, the three participating navies conducted maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, live-fire missile events, and advanced maneuvering scenarios, according to a press release from the U.S. Navys 7th Fleet. Cmdr. Joseph McGettigan, commanding officer of the USS Higgins, was quoted as saying that the seamless interoperability between all ships demonstrates the strength of our alliances. It has been a busy time for the Japanese military. The JMSDF, together with the U.S. Navy and the Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy, conducted a trilateral anti-submarine warfare exercise in the waters near Korea and Japan on Sept. 30. The U.S. Navys only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan, and its strike group joined Japanese and Korean destroyers in high intensity exercises to enhance our combined capabilities against enemy submarine threats, according to another statement from the 7th Fleet. In late August, maritime forces from the U.S., Japan, ROK, Australia and Canada sailed together in the week-long Exercise Pacific Vanguard 2022 in the seas off Guam. In the latest development, following North Koreas ballistic missile launch over Japan on Oct. 4, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), or the Japanese Air Force, held a bilateral exercise with U.S. Marine Corps fighters over the Sea of Japan on the same day. China has yet to say anything about the trilateral exercise in the South China Sea or the large-scale annual military drills, Kamandag, between the U.S. and the Philippines that began on Monday. Experts say the South China Sea is playing an important part in Japans maritime strategy where Tokyo is taking a multilateral approach to pushing back on Chinese territorial claims. The PLA destroyed a 'tacit agreement' when it started crossing the median line, just 25 miles from Taiwan's waters. Taiwanese soldiers participate in an urban warfare drill at the Army Infantry Training Command in Fengshan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Jan. 6, 2022. The democratic island of Taiwan is making preparations for war, in response to Chinas ratcheting up of military tensions with repeated incursions by air and sea, ministers said on Wednesday. Taiwanese defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) destroyed what he called a "tacit agreement" when it made incursions across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from China. Chiu told lawmakers in Taipei on Wednesday that Taiwanese forces would react if China crossed a "red line," although he didn't specify what such a red line might be. Chinese military aircraft have repeatedly crossed the median line since an Aug. 2 visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi riled Beijing. Taiwan has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), nor formed part of the People's Republic of China, but Beijing insists it has a territorial claim on the island, which was a Japanese dependency for the first half of the 20th century. "The median line was supposed to be a tacit agreement for everyone," Chiu told a Legislative Yuan committee. "That tacit agreement has been destroyed." The median line, which lies around 40 k.m. (25 miles) from Taiwan's waters, was delineated by a U.S. general at the height of hostility between Beijing and Taipei in 1954, and the PLA largely respected it until a foreign ministry spokesman said there was no such thing in 2020. "They want to build a new normal but we do not change ... We will stand firm when they come. We do not give in," Chiu said. Taiwan's Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng arrives at parliament in Taipei, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, March 10, 2022. Credit: Reuters 'Irresponsible actions' Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly rejected Beijing's insistence on "unification," saying the island's 23 million people have no wish to give up their sovereignty or democratic way of life, a view largely backed up by recent opinion polls. Tsai condemned Chinese military moves in an online think tank event Tuesday, where she expressed gratitude for support from the U.S., G7 countries and called for solidarity in the face of Beijing's threats. "China's persistent military exercises, gray zone operations, and incursions with military personnel, weaponry, and drones into the areas around Taiwan undermine the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," she said. "These irresponsible actions encroach on Taiwan's sovereignty and threaten peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. They also endanger air and maritime safety as well as international trade in an attempt to erode international law and norms," Tsai told an event shown by the Global Taiwan Institute, a Washington think tank. "We know from history and current events that threats against any one country or region translate, directly and indirectly, to increasing threats against its neighbors. This is why global solidarity is key to countering authoritarian expansion, safeguarding democracy, and addressing shared challenges," she said. Chiu said Taiwan is already preparing for a Chinese invasion. "We are building up our arsenal and preparing for war according to our own plan," he told lawmakers. Stockpiles of food, critical supplies, energy Meanwhile, deputy economy minister Chen Chern-chyi told journalists that the government is already taking monthly inventories of critical food and energy supplies. State-run Taipower and state-owned refiner CPC Corp are already primed to ensure energy supplies, Chen said. "We want to ensure we have a certain period of stockpiles in Taiwan, including food, including critical supplies, minerals, chemicals and energy of course," he said. According to a recent article by former CIA analyst John Culver, China could invade as early as 2024, but some estimates say 2027 is more likely. But there will be sure signs that war is coming, Culver wrote in an op-ed for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, citing halted demobilization and regular drills, the building of field hospitals and propaganda exercises aimed at preparing the general population for the impact of military conflict. "If China decides to fight a war of choice over Taiwan, strategic surprise would be a casualty of the sheer scale of the undertaking," Culver wrote. "Even if Xi were tempted to launch a quick campaign and hope that Taiwans will to fight would quickly collapse, Russias disastrous invasion of Ukraine probably has induced more caution in Beijing." "Any invasion of Taiwan will not be secret for months prior to Beijings initiation of hostilities. It would be a national, all-of-regime undertaking for a war potentially lasting years," he said. Chao Chun-shan, a China expert at Taiwan's Tamkang University, said the invasion is almost certainly on the CCP's agenda. "They have already put this on the agenda for sure," Chao told RFA. "[We just don't know] whether it'll be in the short, medium or long term." PLA capabilities in question But he agreed that there are question marks over the PLA's capabilities to stage a massive amphibious invasion. "Many people say that the CCP, especially the navy, is a match for the United States, but I think the CCP's military strength is still far behind that of the U.S," Chao said. "After 2027, the likelihood they will fight this war is higher." Lin Po-chou, Chinese military expert at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said it is still unclear exactly how much military support the U.S. would offer Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. "If it's going to be an allied operation, there will need to be a lot of coordination and drills beforehand," Lin told RFA. "A while ago, there were reports that the U.S. was planning to stockpile weapons in Taiwan. So the form this so-called aid will take is still unclear." CIA chief Bill Burns told CBS News on Oct. 3 that developments in Ukraine may have changed CCP leader Xi Jinping's approach to Taiwan. "I think President Xi is watching what's happening in Ukraine like a hawk," he told the network. "I think he's been sobered to some extent by the poor performance of the Russian military." "That Chinese leadership is also looking at what happens when you stage an invasion, and the people you're invading resist with a lot of courage and tenacity as well." Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. They were arbitrarily detained for three months for protesting against a new military camp in their village. The Lao military arbitrarily detained five land dispute protesters for three months, then threatened them with further punishment if they were to talk to the media after their release, RFA has learned. In April, authorities violently detained Nang Boumy, 55, Ngad, 58, Bounthavy, 36, Khamphout, 49, and Tou Oun, 72, as they destroyed signs and argued with military personnel at a newly built camp in their village of Houay Nam Yen in Naxaithong district, north of the capital Vientiane. The five detainees were sent to a military facility in Nong Kheng, in Vientianes Sayathany district, where they remained until late July. The military released them, pending the courts decision on their case, but told them to keep quiet about it. They prohibited us from saying anything or putting anything in the news, otherwise [the five] would be jailed again, a villager told RFAs Lao Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons. If they were to read the news, they would be able to ask us who the source is. So we kept silent and said nothing, the villager said. The court decided their fate while they were not present, and the military relayed the decision, an eight-month sentence with the final five months suspended, when they returned to the prison on Sept. 22., sources told RFA. Their absence in court was irregular, a legal consultant, who declined to be named, told RFA. The military committed a conflict of interest, the consultant said. The prosecution is very weird. The dispute between the military and the villagers remains unsettled. Around 40 families have been living in the 25-hectare (61-acre) disputed area in Houay Nam Yen and nearby Sisawat village since 1989, the year they fled homes damaged by floods at the nearby Nam Houm Reservoir. Soldiers claiming ownership of the land began to build there within the past year. In April, after the five were detained, Naxaithong district deputy head Phouvone Phong-Latkeo said that local villagers have no right to the disputed land, because the Vientiane Agriculture and Forestry Department had handed it over to the military following the 1989 Nam Houm flood and that it was now property of the state. Rather than threatening to arrest people living in the disputed area, the military should engage with the community to find a solution, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for New York-based Human Rights Watch, told RFA. The Lao military should be negotiating with villagers in cases of land disputes, not abusing their rights by detaining them for months just because the villagers asserted their right to farm there, said Robertson, who called their arbitrary detention a blatant violation of human rights. He called for an impartial investigation into the detention of the five protesters with accountability for those responsible. It is totally unacceptable for the military to cover up their rights violations by threatening the villagers with further harm if they reveal what happened to them, he said. Once again, the Lao government's complete failure to protect the land rights of the Lao people are on full display. RFA attempted to contact the military for more information on the matter, but received no reply. Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Junta troops and local militia are believed to be behind the killings in three townships. UPDATED AT 10:12 p.m. EST on 10-5-2022 Nearly a dozen people, including members of Myanmar's deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) party, have been killed in three townships in Mandalay region on three successive days, locals said Wednesday. The victims, 10 men and one woman, all died after having their throats slit and were discovered with cards bearing the logo of the Kyaukpadaung township-based "Thway Thauk," or "Blood Comrades" pro-junta militia group. Their bodies had been disposed of along roads in Nyaung-U, Natogyi and Taungtha townships. At around 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Myint Zaw Lin, 48, the younger brother of NLD MP Myint Sein was seized by around 20 people in plain clothes, according to locals. They said his body was found the following morning near the train line that runs past Nyaung-U. NLD member Kyaw Win, 68, was killed on Sunday as he returned home after being forced to flee from taking part in unspecified political activities, the Nyaung-U residents said. The two were arrested and killed by plainclothes military intelligence officers and members of the Blood Comrades, according to locals. RFA has not been able to confirm the claim. Seven men in plain clothes also snatched two men and a woman -- all NLD members -- from Singu township around midnight on Sunday, residents said. Their bodies were discovered near a hospital the following morning. They have not done anything political and have been away from the [NLD] party for a long time," a resident, who did not want to be named for safety reasons, told RFA Burmese. "At the beginning, I thought they were just taken in for questioning, but all three bodies were found in the morning. One man, Win Aung Moe, was found with his hands tied behind his back. Apart from 52-year-old Win Aung Moe, the dead have been identified as Nyein Chan Min, a 40-year-old man and Thaw Mi, a 30-year-old woman. The bodies were cremated on Tuesday. The funeral announcement for Myint Zaw Lin who was slain Oct. 3, 2022, in Nyaung-U township, Mandalay region, Myanmar. Credit: Citizen journalist Natogyi and Taungtha killings Five residents of Natogyi were abducted by a group of men in military uniforms on Monday and found slain the following morning, sources from the township said. The dead were identified as Kyaw Hsan, 55, Hla Soe, 56, Thein Lwin, 47, Kyaw Min, 42, and Zin Min, 38. An official with Natogyi anti-junta People's Defense Force (PDF) told RFA the bodies were found with their throats slit and the logo of the Blood Comrades placed on or near them. However, he claimed that the perpetrators were junta troops posing as members of the pro-junta militia. Men in junta uniforms took them away -- some were caught by men on foot while others were taken by men in four vehicles," the PDF official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The victims are regular civilians. They have no connections with our group. They are not our supporters either. They are not active in politics." The PDF official said the Blood Comrades do not operate in Natogyi. "In the past, there was a similar [pro-junta] group formed to fight against us, but we took the first strike and eliminated them. This time, the military killed these people themselves and labeled them as Thway Thauk militia group members. In Taungtha, a 40-year-old NLD party member named Tun Zaw was taken from his home by more than a dozen junta troops on Monday and found dead the next day, township residents said. His throat had also been slit and a Blood Comrade card was placed near his body, they said. The information officer from a PDF unit in Taungtha that calls itself the Guerrilla Warfare Group told RFA that all of the killings over the past three days were carried out by junta troops and said residents of the area are now living in fear. We revolutionary fighters have pushed back [against the junta] and now they are committing these murders in response to our actions," said the officer, who declined to be named. Thein Htay, the economist, minister and spokesperson of the juntas Mandalay region administration, claimed he was unaware of the killings, when contacted by RFA for comment. Undated photo of the town entrance of Natogyi township, Mandalay region, Myanmar. Credit: Citizen journalist NLD targeted On April 21, 2022, the Blood Comrades, a formerly unknown pro-junta militia, announced their plan to kill all NLD party members, party supporters, PDF troops and their family members, in a message posted to the Telegram social media platform. Sources say at least 30 people have been killed by the group. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) 2,336 pro-democracy activists and other civilians have been killed by the junta in the 20 months since the military's Feb. 1, 2021 coup. Members of the deposed NLD have been frequent targets of violence. According to the NLD, 55 party members have been killed between the military takeover and the end of September this year. This story has been updated with the increased death toll in Mandalay, comments from local PDF groups and the regional junta spokesman, and to provide background on the killing of NLD members. Tharyarwaddy Prison is difficult for relatives to visit and known for brutal conditions. The entrance gate of Tharrawaddy Prison in Bago region is seen in this undated file photo. Authorities under the juntas Ministry of Home Affairs have transferred dozens of political prisoners from Myanmars Insein Prison in Yangon to a facility infamous for its poor treatment of inmates, RFA has learned, prompting concern from family members for their well-being. Prison Department authorities transferred the estimated 250 political prisoners to western Bago regions Tharyarwaddy Prison where former inmates have reported being subjected to torture and other forms of abuse on Sept. 24, relatives told RFA Burmese, adding that they were never informed of the move. Former political prisoners say transferring inmates to prisons such as Tharyarwaddy, where they have little access to family members and are subjected to poor treatment, is a tactic the junta uses to punish them for their activism and break their spirit. A family member of journalist and political prisoner Nyein Nyein Aye, who was among those transferred to Tharyarwaddy last month, said they were worried about her safety and status at the new prison. I got a surprise phone call informing me they were transferring her to a new location. I was shaken, said the family member of the reporter, also known as Mabel, who is serving a three-year sentence for allegedly violating the countrys Counterterrorism Law. Tharwaddy is not close to where we live. It will be very difficult to send her packages. I later learned that she was forced to move abruptly and had to leave all her belongings She has to buy all of her personal items at the new location. It will be very difficult for her. Another relative of a political prisoner, who declined to be named, said getting packages to inmates at Tharyarwaddy is significantly more complicated. We need to present a copy of our national ID card and list of family members issued by Immigration Department to prove we are related to the prisoner, they said. A family member must then go in-person to deliver the package. It is challenging because now they are in another region. I cant travel there every month to do that because I dont have enough money. Additionally, the relative said, there is no guarantee that inmates will even receive what is sent to them, as the staff at Tharyarwaddy are known to steal the contents of packages. I cooked enough food for a month, but [my relative] didnt receive all of it. I was told they only received four of the 15 packages I sent, they said. When asked by RFA about the conditions at Tharyarwaddy, Deputy Director General of the Prison Department Naing Win dismissed the allegations. We currently have some regulations for health reasons, so all packages are kept at a facility associated with the prison. We process and inspect them and then forward them on, he said. They can file a complaint to us if they have problems sending packages. We are doing our best to facilitate the process. We have never violated their rights or made the prisoners lives harder. Police security forces guard Tharrawaddy Prison on Aug. 4, 2015. Credit: RFA Reports of abuse In addition to concerns over personal property, there have been reports of political prisoners being mistreated, physically abused, and even tortured at Tharyarwaddy. In July, authorities transferred more than 60 political prisoners to Tharyarwaddy from Hpa-An Prison in Kayin state. Sources told RFA that upon their arrival, the inmates were forced to sit in uncomfortable positions and later beaten, leaving several with severe injuries. Mar Kee, a former student activist and prisoner of conscience who served time in Tharyarwaddy Prison during the 1980s told RFA that it is one of Myanmars worst detention centers. During our time, the prison had severe restrictions and life was very tough We had to fight for our rights as they forced political prisoners to perform hard labor with the other inmates and we endured torture there, he said. We heard conditions improved after ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) staff visited the prison. I assume the current situation there might not be as bad as in our time. But it wont be as good as the time immediately following the ICRC visit. Mar Kee said political prisoners who staff at other prisons had singled out as troublemakers were immediately subjected to physical abuse upon their arrival at Tharyarwaddy, and often placed in solitary confinement. Their intent is clear Former political prisoner Win Zaw Naing told RFA that the junta is following the playbook of Myanmars previous military regime in dealing with prisoners of conscience by sending them to Thayarwaddy and prisons in remote locations, where they have less access to family members and are forced to endure harsh conditions. Their intent is clear, he said. They want to subject political prisoners to hardships. Win Zaw Naing said authorities also intend to punish the family members by transferring political prisoners to far flung locations where they lose contact with their loved ones for months at a time. Their hope is to hurt both the prisoners and their relatives outside the prison, he said. Thailands Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) says that authorities in Myanmar have arrested nearly 16,000 people since last years coup mostly during peaceful anti-junta protests. More than 12,500 remain in detention, the group says. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. The Dalai Lama addresses the congregation on the second day of teachings in Dharamsala, India, Oct. 4, 2022. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama called on Tibetans this week not to lose heart amid harsh COVID restrictions imposed by China in the formerly independent Himalayan country. Speaking on Tuesday in Dharamsala, India seat of Tibets exile government the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) the Dalai Lama said the Tibetan people are now suffering under measures imposed by China to slow the spread of the disease. The public are facing great difficulties amid harsh COVID restrictions in Tibet, the 87-year-old Dalai Lama said on the second day of a program of religious teachings requested by a visiting group of Buddhists from Taiwan. You do not need to feel disheartened when faced with temporary difficulties. What is most important is that you should feel at ease and trust that the truth will eventually prevail. China is changing, and the day will come when we Tibetans in exile and Tibetans in Tibet will be reunited, the Dalai Lama said. Chinese state media have reported 18,343 cases of COVID-19 infection as of Oct. 5, with at least 60,507 people now held in quarantine in conditions described as harsh by sources inside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). In a Sept. 26 statement, the Central Tibetan Administration said Chinese authorities are holding Tibetans in quarantine camps without adequate food, water or medical care. Camp managers have routinely placed infected persons with others still uninfected, resulting in a further spread of the virus, the CTA said. At least 5 Tibetans in the regional capital Lhasa have jumped to their death from tall buildings to escape lockdown conditions, sources told RFA in earlier reports. US promises support US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya in a Tweet on Tuesday expressed continuing US support for the Dalai Lamas role as spiritual leader of the Tibetan people both in exile and in Tibet. We will continue to support members of the Tibetan communitys religious freedom, including the ability to choose their own religious leaders, Zeya wrote following a meeting on the sidelines of the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. In a statement, Kate Saunders former communications director for the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) urged the UN and member states of the European Union to adopt language joining the United States in supporting the Dalai Lama and protecting Tibetan national identity. Tibetans just like the Ukrainians are fighting to protect and defend their religious civilization, their unique identity, and they are facing great danger, Saunders said. Tibetans have been showing remarkable resilience, subtlety and sophistication in protecting this great religious civilization. Dispute over succession The question of who will select the Dalai Lamas successor is a major point of friction between China, which insists on its right to choose the religious leaders reincarnation, and Tibetans inside their homeland and around the world. Tibetan tradition holds that senior Buddhist monks are reincarnated in the body of a child after they die. The Dalai Lama has said that if he returns, his successor will be born in a country outside of Chinese control. In the 1990s the exiled Dalai Lama and the Chinese government each selected their own Panchen Lama, another senior Buddhist teacher, with Beijings anointed lama now widely rejected by Tibetans. Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force more than 70 years ago, following which the Dalai Lama and thousands of his followers fled into exile in India and other countries around the world. Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting separatism in Tibet. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA Tibetan. Written in English by Richard Finney. The wife of a music lecturer arrested in early September on charges of "conducting anti-state propaganda" says she does not believe local police claims he refused legal assistance. On Sept. 14 the Security Investigation Agency of Dak Lak provinces Police Department sent Dang Dang Phuocs family a notice issued two days earlier which stated: During the interrogation of the accused, the Security Investigation Agency explained the rights and obligations of the accused under Article 60 of the Criminal Procedure Code 2015 and Dang Dang Phuoc did not ask for a defense [lawyer] but [chose to] protect his own interests during the investigation process. His wife, Le Thi Ha, told RFA she doesnt believe the contents of the notice and said other political prisoners have also been denied lawyers with the same excuse. My husband told me to hire a lawyer for him before he was arrested, she said. But six days after he was detained, the Security Investigation Agency issued a written notice of legal refusal and said he had changed his mind. I have talked with many other families of political prisoners and learned that every family received a notice of refusal of a lawyer but when they talked to the prisoner [they discovered] the truth is not like that. Phuoc, 59, is a music lecturer at Dak Lak Pedagogical College in Vietnams Central Highlands. He often writes on Facebook about issues including education problems, human rights violations, corrupt officials and social injustice. Police arrested him on Sept. 8 and said they would hold him for four months at least. They searched his house the same day. Phuoc was charged with "making, storing, spreading or propagating information, documents and items aimed at opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, which carries a sentence of between seven and 20 years. State media reported that Dak Lak Provincial Police documents said: "Since 2019 until now, Dang Dang Phuoc has taken advantage of the Facebook social network to regularly compile and publish many articles and video clips containing propaganda content that distorts and opposes the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Phuoc's family invited lawyer Nguyen Van Mieng from the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association to defend him. Mieng said he completed procedures to act as Phuocs lawyer at Dak Lak provinces police headquarters on Sept. 12. Mieng told RFA that while a case related to national security was being investigated the local chief procurator could decide to deny the defendant a lawyer in order to ensure the investigation's secrecy. Phuocs wife said the police have not been following official procedures. When they arrested Phuoc, they read the arrest warrant and searched the house but did not show me or give me the arrest warrant or search warrant, Ha said. It is common in political cases in Vietnam to deny defendants access to their families and lawyers during the investigation, which can last at least four months. Relatives are also prohibited from seeing prisoners of conscience until the case goes to court. Ha said she was only allowed to send blankets and warm clothes to her husband. She said the investigator in charge of the case, Hua Quoc Thuan, told her she was not allowed to provide food for her husband, even if she bought it at the detention center canteen RFA called the number of the Security Investigation Agency provided by Thuan but no one answered. A court in Brussels has backed a fiercely criticized treaty allowing prisoner exchanges with Iran, potentially opening the way for an Iranian diplomat imprisoned on terrorism charges to return home in exchange for a Belgian aid worker. The ruling, according to the Belgian media, lifts a temporary ban on using the treaty that was handed down by an appeals court earlier this year. Prime Minister Alexander de Croo's government has said that the treaty is the only solution for the release of Olivier Vandecasteele, a Belgian aid worker jailed in Tehran. Vandecasteele, 41, was detained by Iranian authorities in February, apparently without charge. In exchange, Iran would likely take back Iranian diplomat Assadollah Assadi, who was last year sentenced to 20 years in connection with a plot to bomb a rally of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an exiled opposition group, outside Paris in June 2018. The Belgian opposition has alleged that the agreement with Tehran was tailor-made to permit Assadi's release, while Iranian exiles have also mounted a fierce campaign against the deal, leading a group of 11 human rights organizations to appeal to Brussels to cancel the agreement. The groups said the treaty could result in the release of a convicted terrorist and legitimize Irans hostage-taking. They also warned that the agreement violates the commitment of Belgium and the European Union to hold perpetrators of terrorist acts accountable. Western countries have repeatedly charged that Iran is trying to take advantage of foreign countries by taking dual and foreign nationals hostage and then using them in prisoner swaps. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Iran has summoned the British ambassador to Tehran, accusing U.K. officials of trying to provoke further unrest in the country amid a wave of protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini after she was detained for Islamic dress-code violations over the way she was wearing a hijab. Officials in Iran have tried to portray more than two weeks of anti-government demonstrations that have spread across the country as a foreign plot. The Foreign Ministry in Tehran said in a statement that British officials were interfering in Iran's internal affairs and had made comments showing it is one of the countries involved in "anti-Iranian activities." There was no immediate comment from the British ambassador or government officials in London on the matter. After a summer of sporadic protests over poor living conditions, water shortages, and economic hardships, a new wave of unrest was unleashed in Iran following Amini's death on September 16. Three days before she died, Amini was taken into custody by Iran's morality police for the alleged "improper wearing" of a hijab. Officials say the 22-year-old died of a heart attack, but relatives said Amini had no history of illness and was healthy when detained. Eyewitness accounts of the arrest say she was beaten by security officials. Since then, anti-government protests have gained strength and broadened to include many parts of the country. On October 3, President Ebrahim Raisi appealed for national unity while admitting "weaknesses and shortcomings" in the country. But he also echoed other officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in blaming the United States, Israel, and the West for inciting the unrest. An 85-year-old Iranian-American previously barred from leaving Iran has now left and arrived in Oman, state media report. Baquer Namazi has left Iran, semiofficial Iranian website Khabaronline said on October 5, publishing a video showing him boarding a private plane accompanied by a man in Omani traditional dress. Oman on October 4 thanked Iran for handing over U.S. citizen Namazi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on its website. Namazi, a former UNICEF official, holds both U.S. and Iranian citizenship and is one of four Iranian-Americans, including his son, Siamak, who had been detained in Iran or barred from leaving the country. The United Nations said in a statement on October 1 that following appeals by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the Iranian president, Tehran had agreed to allow Namazi to leave the country for medical treatment and that his son had been granted a furlough. Baquer Namazi suffers from a heart condition and was hospitalized several times while in prison. Siad and Baquer Namazi both received 10-year prison sentences in 2015 for "collaborating with the hostile American government" -- charges they both denied. Washington also rejected the allegations and called for their immediate release. Siamak Namazi was based in Dubai with Crescent Petroleum Co. and was detained while visiting family in Tehran in 2015. Baquer Namazi was arrested at the Tehran airport. He served two years of his sentence before being placed on a medical furlough but was forced to remain in Iran until the latest announcement. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Russian air strikes have destroyed almost one-third of Ukraine's power stations since October 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on October 18 as Moscow launched a fresh wave of air attacks that hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, targeting residential areas and energy infrastructure. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Zelenskiy tweeted that the attacks had caused massive blackouts across Ukraine and that there was "no space left for negotiations" with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Another kind of Russian terrorist attacks: targeting (Ukraine's) energy & critical infrastructure. Since Oct 10, 30 [percent] of Ukraines power stations have been destroyed, causing massive blackouts across the country. No space left for negotiations with Putin's regime," Zelenskiy wrote. The Kyiv prosecutor's office said two people were killed in the October 18 strikes in the Ukrainian capital after five others lost their lives in drone attacks the previous day. Earlier on October 18, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, said there had been three Russian strikes on an unspecified energy facility in northern Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the attack was on "critical infrastructure." The northern Ukrainian city of Zhytomyr was left without water and electricity supply after Russian air strikes, its mayor said. Russian troops also shelled energy facilities in Dnipro and, previously, in Zhytomyr, and blasts were reported in Kharkiv. Explosions also shook the cities of Kriviy Rih and Mykolayiv, local officials said, a day after Russia launched waves of kamikaze drone strikes that killed at least seven people, four of them in Kyiv, and damaged infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital and several other cities across the country. "Kriviy Rih. Explosions in the northern part of the city. We are in shelters," Oleksandr Vilkul the head of the central Ukrainian city's military administration said on social media, adding that so far there were no reports of casualties or damage. In the southern port of Mykolayiv overnight shelling killed at least one person, Mayor Oleksandr Sienkovych said early on October 18. On the same day, British intelligence identified the drones used by Russia in the attacks as being Iranian-made. In its daily intelligence bulletin on October 18, the British Ministry of Defense said that Russia's heightened tempo of long-range strikes over the past week against targets across Ukraine included so-called kamikaze drones provided by Iran. "[Strikes] have been conducted by cruise missiles, air defense missiles in a surface-to-surface role, and Iranian-provided Shahed-136 one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles," British intelligence said. U.S. President Joe Biden's spokeswoman, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters that the White House strongly condemns Russias missile strikes and said the attacks continue "to demonstrate [Russian President Vladimir] Putins brutality. She said the United States "will continue to impose costs on Russia, hold them accountable for its war crimes." The United States, Britain, and France agreed that Iran supplying drones to Russia would violate a UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six powers. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on October 17 that more than 100 such drones had struck Ukraine in the past week, hitting power stations, sewage treatment plants, bridges, and playgrounds. "A third of Ukraine's energy infrastructure was affected," a ministry statement said. "We call on Tehran to immediately stop supplying Russia with any weapons. Otherwise, Iran and its leadership will bear the strictest responsibility, including within the framework of international legal proceedings addressing Russia's crimes against Ukraine." Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed earlier on October 17 to the foreign ministers of the European Union to impose sanctions on Iran over drone supplies to Russia. Both Russia and Iran have repeatedly denied that Iranian drones are being supplied to Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on October 18 that Moscow had no information about whether or not Iranian drones were used in attacks against Ukraine earlier this week. On October 17, Iran also stuck to its denial that it is supplying the drones to Russia, while the Kremlin has not commented. Asked for comment, the Iranian mission to the United Nations repeated a statement issued by the government on October 14 that said it supports upholding the UN Charter and the UN attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine. The United States warned on October 17 that it would take action against companies and nations working with Iran's drone program. "Anyone doing business with Iran that could have any link to UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or ballistic missile developments or the flow of arms from Iran to Russia should be very careful and do their due diligence -- the U.S. will not hesitate to use sanctions or take actions against perpetrators," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters. "Russia deepening an alliance with Iran is something the whole world -- especially those in the region and across the world, frankly -- should be seeing as a profound threat," Patel said. With reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP Fighting in the Donetsk region, the Ukrainian Army's 93rd Mechanized Brigade is using a captured self-propelled howitzer, a 2S5 Giatsint-S, to hit back against Moscow's forces with their own shells. Several were captured after the retreat by Russian troops from the Kharkiv region during a sweeping Ukrainian counteroffensive. The Ukrainian Army, National Guard, and State Border Guard Service have been conducting joint exercises near the border with Belarus. These exercises have been going on since Ukrainian forces liberated the Chernihiv region from Russian troops. The Ukrainian military demonstrated for journalists how its forces would handle an invasion by Ukraine's northern neighbor. KHARKIV, Ukraine -- On a street in the middle of hard-hit Kharkiv, Hamlet Zinkivskiy stops and stares at a series of shattered windows that resembled a mosaic, its shards glinting in the sun. "If you don't think about the death and destruction, it looks beautiful," said Zinkivskiy, a street artist who was born in Ukraine's second-largest city and, like others here, has watched and endured as it has been battered by Russian bombs and rockets. Long before the large-scale Russian invasion began in February, the shaven-headed, chain-smoking 35-year-old became known in Ukraine and beyond for his spare, sometimes brooding black-and-white murals that changed the face of Kharkiv and became emblems of a new generation trying to break away from the city's stagnant post-Soviet identity. Zinkivskiy's beloved hometown, located just about 30 kilometers from the Russian border, has been hit hard since the invasion began. On its first day, February 24, Russian troops reached the city's northern suburbs, putting its future in question. Like many residents of Ukrainian cities under attack, Zinkivskiy sought refuge that evening on a subway platform beneath the streets. "The night at the metro station...was the worst experience of my life," he recalled. "Total fear, total panic, unreal cold." Kharkiv has been through a lot since then but has not fallen. In mid-May, Russian units were pushed out of its immediate surroundings, and in mid-September Ukrainian forces recaptured almost all the Kharkiv region territory that the Russians had overrun, dealing Moscow a major blow in a lightning counteroffensive that surprised most observers and many of the city's residents. Meanwhile, Zinkivskiy's life has turned upside-down. He joined the volunteer military battalion Khartia and set himself to, as he put it, "making the most of every minute to destroy Russia and create the Ukraine of the future." Zinkivskiy, who is now a regular visitor of a shooting range and carries two knives with him, says he will be ready to fight when it is needed. For now, he says, his commander asked him to do what he does best: paint whatever he wants, wherever he wants, to lift the spirits of those who defend the city. "I've never lived so much," reads the inscription on one of his recent works -- though the stark depiction of an empty park bench and child's swing seems to convey a dark message about the departed. As of September 29, a total of 1,277 civilians had been killed and 2,348 wounded as a result of Russia's actions, according to Oleh Synyehubov, governor and head of the Kharkiv regional military administration. Until recently, Kharkiv had been bombarded frequently, and strikes on its infrastructure have not stopped despite the Russian retreat from the region. "At some point I stopped following the news about successive missile attacks," Zinkivskiy said. "I wake up, I am happy to be alive, and I go on with my work." He filled some of the marks left by cluster munitions on the streets with white paint, revealing that their form resembles flowers. "They were not greeted with flowers -- so they gave us theirs," he said -- a reference to the Kremlin's misguided expectation that many Ukrainians would welcome the invading Russian forces with open arms. For Putin's Russia, bent on subjugating Ukraine, Kharkiv -- a largely Russian-speaking city so close to the border -- is a prize perhaps second only to Kyiv. But both cities have escaped Moscow's clutches, an outcome few expected when the rockets began to rain down and Russian forces flooded across the frontier in February. As the war grinds on more than seven months later, the streets of the city center -- where Zinkivskiy has painted dozens of works over more than a decade -- are full of badly damaged buildings with broken windows and walls turned black from smoke. Many of them are now vacant, their entrances boarded up with plywood panels. On the panels protecting the entrance to the city-council building, Zinkivskiy painted a huge gasoline canister, several Molotov cocktails, and the words "Hellish hospitality." On another entranceway he painted bunches of keys and wrote, "The keys are missing their doors." Behind the city's doors, many of the people are missing: Some are dead, and roughly half of Kharkiv's population of 1.4 million has left because of the war. Most of Zinkivskiy's friends have left the city and many won't come back soon, he says -- but he has new acquaintances now, soldiers and volunteers. The artist is outspoken about the war and gives no quarter to Russia or to those who are willing to accept a compromise with Russian President Vladimir Putin. But his works remain skeptical and ambivalent, as they were before the war. "War steals a lot of time and opportunities. War gives a lot of time and opportunities," reads the inscription on one of his recent works, depicting a seesaw that resembles a scale. Zinkivskiy says he never thought he would spend most of his time raising and managing money for military trucks and night-vision goggles -- things he does now on the top of painting. He would like to be with his wife to celebrate their first wedding anniversary -- they spent only four months of this year together because of war -- but she is in Austria and he cannot imagine being outside of Ukraine. Wandering through the streets of Kharkiv, Zinkivskiy recalls that when he was 17, he read that real art is only possible in times of cataclysms, like war and revolution. "I almost burst into tears -- I thought this means that there's no point in becoming an artist in Ukraine because nothing is ever going on here," he said. KYIV -- The Ukrainian Supreme Court has dismissed one of its judges following a recent finding by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, that he has Russian citizenship. In a directive published on October 5, Supreme Court Chairman Vsevolod Knyazyev ordered that Bohdan Lvov be stripped of his powers as a judge and dismissed from the court, effective immediately. A Supreme Court statement said the decision was based on confirmation from the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) that official Russian registries indicate he possesses Russian citizenship. The SBU's finding echoed the results of the investigation by Schemes, which reported on September 15 that Lvov had Russian citizenship in addition to his Ukrainian citizenship. Using multiple sources, Schemes journalists found that Russian government databases contain Lvov's past applications for Russian passports and the use of a Russian passport that bears his name to register his co-ownership of a Moscow apartment and to transfer that ownership share to his wife in 2012. Under Ukrainian law, judges may not have dual citizenship. Sensitivity about Ukrainians in positions of power with ties to Russia has intensified since Moscow launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. In a Facebook post on October 3, the Supreme Court said that the SBU's "verification" of information related to Lvov's case continued. Meanwhile, Schemes learned from multiple sources that the SBU had suspended the 55-year-old judge's access to state secrets and reported his Russian citizenship to several state bodies, including the State Migration Service and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's office. Lvov, who was also dismissed from his position as chairman of the Supreme Court's Commercial Court of Cassation, Ukraine's top court for economic and property disputes, denies that he has ever had Russian citizenship, despite the evidence. He alleges that documents have been falsified in a bid to discredit him and undermine Ukraine's judicial system. He asserts that the results of a polygraph examination show that he does not have Russian citizenship, but he has not provided substantial evidence to support his claim. In his 2017 application for a Supreme Court judgeship, he did not acknowledge any foreign citizenship. Lvov made no immediate comment following the announcement of his dismissal. Online Petition Since the initial Schemes report was published, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has launched a criminal investigation into the judge's failure to declare the Moscow real estate in past annual financial declarations. NABU has summoned Schemes journalists as witnesses in this investigation. On September 30, an online petition appeared on the president's website urging Zelenskiy to start an investigation into the Schemes' findings and, if confirmed, to strip Lvov of his Ukrainian citizenship -- an act permitted under Ukrainian law for the voluntary acquisition of foreign citizenship. By the evening of October 6, the initiative had received more than 22,000 signatures out of the 25,000 required for Zelenskiy to consider this proposal. Lvov has requested the State Bureau of Investigation and the SBU open investigations into the Schemes report, but neither body has commented publicly about their responses to his appeal. A representative of the SBU, however, earlier told Schemes that the position of the Security Service "remains unchanged -- representatives of the judicial branch of government must possess Ukrainian citizenship only." The SBU itself underwent a change of leadership earlier this year for allegedly failing to stamp out collaboration with Russia in its own ranks. Elizabeth Owen contributed to this report As of September 28, UNESCO had confirmed that Russia's invasion of its neighboring country had damaged 82 religious sites in Ukraine. The Holy Mountains Lavra of the Holy Dormition, a significant Orthodox Christian monastery near the recently freed town of Svyatohirsk, is one of those locations. Also known as the Svyatohirsk Monastery of the Caves, the large complex of onion-domed churches is considered one of the five holiest sites in the Russian Orthodox Church. Niles Noblitt is being inducted into the Indiana Academy for his many achievements and contributions to Indiana as co-founder of Biomet, Inc., and Rose-Hulman as chair of the Board of Trustees and significant benefactor. Board of Trustees Chair and alumnus and Indiana biomedical technology pioneer Niles Noblitt will be inducted into the prestigious Indiana Academy on Monday, October 10, in Indianapolis. The honor recognizes his lifetime of achievement and contributions to Indiana and Rose-Hulman. The Indiana Academy promotes the advancement of Indiana through the Academys support of the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc., and its member institutions. Academy membership highlights people who live in or are from the state who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in philanthropy, business, public service, advancement of the sciences, the arts, literature, culture, and scholarship in connection with Indianas independent non-profit colleges and universities. A 1973 biological engineering graduate of Rose-Hulman, Noblitt co-founded Biomet Inc., a medical device manufacturer located in a business cluster within Warsaw, Indiana. The company specialized in reconstruction products for orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, craniomaxillofacial surgery, and operating room supplies. It has been named among the nations top 10 producers of orthopedic devices. Noblitt joined Biomets Board of Directors in 1977 and became chairman of the company from 1986 until his retirement in 2007 subsequent to the sale of the company. His professional work also includes developing total joint prosthetic devices and processes that continue to have significant usage, with thousands of patients worldwide continuing to benefit from those products and the processes Noblitt helped established to produce. He remains active in the medical technology industry through a variety of advisory and board member roles with biomedical companies throughout the world. In retirement, Noblitt has lent his organizational leadership expertise, problem-solving skills, and commitment to helping others assist in Rose-Hulmans leadership role in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). He started a five-year term in 2018 as chairman of Rose-Hulmans Board of Trustees, a group of nearly 30 successful STEM professionals, corporate leaders and alumni who provide guiding principles and support the Institute. This came after Noblitt had served as vice chair and trustee along with years as a supportive alumnus through advising to campus leadership and providing philanthropic support, with his wife, Nancy, by sponsoring student scholarships, expanding leadership and community service opportunities through the Noblitt Scholars program, and growth of the Institutes state-of-the-art Oakley Observatory. During Noblitts tenure as trustees chair, Rose-Hulman has successfully completed its $250 million Mission Driven fundraising drive; opened several new campus facilities, including a new $29 million, 70,000-square-foot academic building, a $21 million expansion of the student union, and the Richard J. and Shirley J. Kremer Innovation Center; and expanded national recognition and increased gender, ethnic and geographic diversity within the student body. Rose-Hulman attracts top scholars from throughout the world seeking a specialized undergraduate STEM educational experience. Noblitt said, Im proud of my association with Rose-Hulman and am pleased to see the Institute become recognized nationally for what I have known since my days on campus that it provides the core technical and educational principles, strong work ethic, leadership opportunities, and sense of community that produce graduates that become leaders in their career fields. I am humbled by this Indiana Academy honor in recognition of my efforts to make a difference in peoples lives. President Robert A. Coons pointed out that Noblitt worked closely with Institute leadership to help Rose-Hulman overcome one of the most tumultuous periods in its 148-year history: surviving the consequences and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The college has come out of this period further committed to its mission of providing students with the worlds best undergraduate STEM education in an environment of individual attention and support. Niles has a strong commitment to Rose-Hulman and its students, faculty, and staff. That resiliency has never been more important to the Institute than the past two years, said Coons. At the same time, Niles has helped campus leadership set a course on short- and long-term strategic plans to keep Rose-Hulman on the leading edge of an ever-changing higher education landscape. That leadership and support has been appreciated by me and the rest of the campus community. Noblitt received an honorary doctorate in engineering from Rose-Hulman in 1996. He was a longtime board member with Indianapolis Nico Corporation, a pioneer in minimally invasive methods of brain surgery. He also was chairman of MedShapes Board of Directors prior to its acquisition by Colfax (now Enovis), a senior advisor with Episurf Medica and formerly served on the board of OrthoHelix Surgical Designs Inc. prior to its acquisition by Tornier. Joining Noblitt in being inducted into the Indiana Academy this year are D. Wade Clapp, MD, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine; David Findlay, president and chief executive officer of Lake City Bank; and David Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Inc. Indiana Academy membership also includes Rose-Hulman trustees Linda White, Greg Gibson and Anton Hulman George. Founded in 1970, the Indiana Academy, is maintained through the support of the Tony and Mary Fendrich Hulman Endowment Fund and donations from members of The Indiana Academy. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) auctioned $465.3 million in September, Azernews reports per the funds press service. As a whole, in 2022, SOFAZ sold $3.8 billion at foreign currency auctions in Azerbaijan. The fund's revenue from the major oil and gas fields amounted to $7.7 billion from January to August 2022. Of these, revenue from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli block of fields, which are the largest oil fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, amounted to $6.6 billion, while the fund's revenues from the Shah Deniz field, which is among the worlds largest gas-condensate ones, amounted to $1.1 billion. Established in 1999, SOFAZ is a sovereign wealth fund, which accumulates and preserves Azerbaijans oil and gas revenues for future generations. The fund accumulates income from the sale of oil contracts, and in 2003, it started to make transfers to the state budget of Azerbaijan. As for now, SOFAZ's annual contribution to the countrys GDP is over 80 percent. About 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid crashed into Earth near the site of the small town of Chicxulub in what is now Mexico. The impact eradicated roughly 75% of the animal and plant species on Earth, including whole groups like non-avian dinosaurs and ammonites. According to new research led by University of Michigan scientists, it also triggered a monstrous tsunami with kilometer-high waves that scoured the ocean floor thousands of kilometers from the impact site. The authors calculated that the initial energy in the impact tsunami was up to 30,000 times larger than the energy in the December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami; it radiated mainly to the east and northeast into the North Atlantic Ocean, and to the southwest through the Central American Seaway which used to separate North America and South America into the South Pacific Ocean. This tsunami was strong enough to disturb and erode sediments in ocean basins halfway around the globe, leaving either a gap in the sedimentary records or a jumble of older sediments, said Molly Range, a researcher in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. The review of the geological record focused on boundary sections, marine sediments deposited just before or just after the asteroid impact and the subsequent end-Cretaceous mass extinction. The distribution of the erosion and hiatuses that we observed in the uppermost Cretaceous marine sediments are consistent with our model results, which gives us more confidence in the model predictions. In their study, Range and her colleagues modeled the first 10 min of the Chicxulub event with a crater impact model, and the subsequent propagation throughout the world oceans using two different global tsunami models. The impact tsunami was up to 30,000 times more energetic than the December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, one of the largest tsunamis in the modern record. Flow velocities exceeded 20 cm/s along shorelines worldwide, as well as in open-ocean regions in the North Atlantic, equatorial South Atlantic, southern Pacific and the Central American Seaway, and therefore likely scoured the seafloor and disturbed sediments over 10,000 km from the impact origin. The big result here is that two global models with differing formulations gave almost identical results, and the geologic data on complete and incomplete sections are consistent with those results, said Professor Ted Moore, also from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. The models and the verification data match nicely. The team found that one hour after impact, the tsunami had spread outside the Gulf of Mexico and into the North Atlantic. Four hours after impact, the waves had passed through the Central American Seaway and into the Pacific. Twenty-four hours after impact, the waves had crossed most of the Pacific from the east and most of the Atlantic from the west and entered the Indian Ocean from both sides. By 48 hours after impact, significant tsunami waves had reached most of the worlds coastlines. For the study, the researchers did not attempt to estimate the extent of coastal flooding caused by the tsunami. However, their models indicate that open-ocean wave heights in the Gulf of Mexico would have exceeded 100 m (328 feet), with wave heights of more than 10 m (32.8 feet) as the tsunami approached North Atlantic coastal regions and parts of South Americas Pacific coast. The first global simulation of the Chicxulub impact tsunami demonstrates that it was much larger than any recent earthquake-generated tsunami, and that it was likely large enough to leave a mark on marine sediment records, the scientists said. Many uncertainties remain, and there is much room for improvement in future studies. Their results were published in the journal AGU Advances. _____ Molly M. Range et al. The Chicxulub Impact Produced a Powerful Global Tsunami. AGU Advances, published online October 4, 2022; doi: 10.1029/2021AV000627 A new program in the works at the College of Science and Engineeringled by four professors with funding from the National Science Foundationwill greatly bolster access to STEM education for low-income students, while providing a network of supporting services to best meet their needs. The $1.5 million NSF S-STEM Award will help build the Seattle University Math and Science Scholars (SUMSS), an S-STEM scholarship and support infrastructure for students who traditionally experience academic hardship and attrition due in part to the significant financial burden of higher education at a private university. The SUMSS program aims to improve recruitment, retention, graduation rate and career placement for these students and is a collaboration among the Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics departments, in partnership with the Deans Office and programs across campus. This NSF S-STEM Award to support and mentor our students via research, professional formation and discernment will have a great impact to support student recruitment and success in the College of Science and Engineering. This project and its goals are highly aligned with our mission and is a recognition of the efforts of the teams involved to deliver on our institutional values, says Dean Amit Shukla, PhD. This also is a recognition of the need to support and diversify graduates in STEM areas, which is a priority for the CSE and SU. I commend the team for developing this successful proposal and know that their work will be a model for others to follow in supporting student success in STEM. Associate Professor of Biology Mark Jordan, PhD, is the principal investigator for SUMSS and says that this NSF award builds on existing funding but for the first time this aid is available to students in Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. Another differentiating factor is the high value add of extending support outside of the college, all part of educating the whole person, the cornerstone of SUs mission. Seattle U already provides great support services for students in academics and career counseling. However, research shows that low-income and first-generation students are less likely than their peers to access these services, explains Jordan. The SUMSS program will connect the scholarship recipients with these services from the moment they arrive on campus. Long-term, we hope to facilitate a greater culture of access to these services, along with stronger connections among STEM faculty, advisors and academic and career service providers on campus. Beginning in 2023 and continuing each fall through 2026, a cohort will be selected, comprised of eight incoming freshmen from the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics, as well as Pre-Science. Each student will receive a scholarship of $10,000 per year for four years. All SUMSS students will also participate in a research course in data science because this is a skill that is in high demand for all STEM employers in Washington, says Jordan. During the first year, students will be introduced to a variety of campus services, including Learning Assistance Programs, the Career Engagement Office, the Office of Fellowships and Counseling and Psychological Services. Past experience has taught us that a number of students are not fully aware of the support offered through these services or are hesitant to make use of them, says Associate Professor of Mathematics McLean Sloughter, PhD, who is a co-principal investigator. We aim to make students familiar with and comfortable with these existing support services. In year two, students will participate in an interdisciplinary research course, which will teach them how to apply data science techniques to analyze data from biology and chemistry studies and how to effectively communicate the results of their research, explains Sloughter. And, throughout all four years, students will participate in a structured career discernment process, in which they will be given guidance as they reflect on their career goals and prepare themselves for those careers, including developing CVs and portfolios and applying for summer internships and research experiences. The professional development piece of this program is key, says the colleges Director and Assistant Dean of Student Academic Affairs Jennifer Coogan, MA, MEd, who is a co-principal investigator. The benefit to SUMSS Scholars is a coordinated effort across the college and university to support an academically talented low-income student through graduation and not only be but feel career-ready in their field, Coogan explains. The lessons we will learn from this project can be shared with the college, as we have learned from our peers who have previously conducted STEM student retention research projects. Perhaps, similar programs will be repeated in our college or across the university. A central component of SUMSS is the cultivation of community, which begins with a summer orientation before the start of the academic year. While the program is focused on community-building among the students in the program, it is frequently the case that some community building leads to more community building, says Sloughter. These students will introduce their other classmates to the folks theyve gotten to know through this program. Theyll invite classmates to join them for study groups. Theyll be able to recommend to their peers the resources weve connected them with. Associate Teaching Professor of Chemistry Jennifer Sorensen, PhD, who is a co-principal investigator, says SUMSS will expand overall recruitment and career development within the college. The NSF S-STEM program that is funding this project has a strong focus on workforce development. We are looking forward to collaborating with the Career Engagement Office to build stronger relationships with local employers and new internship opportunities for our scholars, she says. This work has the potential to benefit students across the college seeking internships and faculty looking to integrate relevant industry problems or practices in their courses. And, Sorensen notes, Much more than giving students a scholarship check, the SUMSS program hopes to foster the conditions for our scholars to be incredibly successful, both academically and personally. . , . Page Content A new decision by the Federal Labor Court (BAG) includes an important change in the law. On Sept. 13, Germany's highest labor court decided that employersregardless of the size of the company and the existence of a works councilmust record the work hours of their employees (Ref.: 1 ABR 22/21). Here is a summary of the consequences of the decision for employers. Overview of the Recent Changes Until Sept. 13, German law provided only for an obligation to record work time for any work time exceeding the standard work time of eight hours on workdays and work time on Sundays and public holidays in accordance with Section 16 para. 2 of the Working Time Act (ArbZG). The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that member states have an obligation to implement a regulation that employers have to introduce an objective, reliable and accessible work time recording system in order to ensure the practical effectiveness of the European Union (EU) Working Time Directive. However, the German legislator has not implemented this decision yet. The Federal Labor Court has now pre-empted any decision by the legislator by affirming a general obligation for employers to record the work hours of their employees. From now on, employers are obliged under Section 3 para. 2 No. 1 of the ArbSchG to introduce a suitableelectronicsystem for recording work time. There are no precise requirements for the system to be implemented yet, but according to the ECJ, it must be an "objective, reliable and accessible" system that is intended to ensure the practical effectiveness of the Working Time Directive. The system must, therefore, at least enable verification of compliance with rest breaks and rest periods. Verification requires the recording of the beginning and end of work time, including overtime, and rest breaks. The mere provision of a work time recording system by the employer is not sufficient. The employer must ensure the actual participation of the employees in order to meet the control obligation according to Section 3 para. 1 ArbSchG. Flexible work time models such as trust-based work time should continue to be possible in the future. This was already provided for in the coalition agreement, irrespective of the decision on Sept. 13. Employees who perform their work within the framework of trust-based work time may therefore continue to organize their work time independently in compliance with the applicable laws. However, they are now required to record the times they worked. Outlook Employees and the works council are now likely to have a claim against the employer for the introduction of a work time recording system, which they can enforce in court. However, the decision will not change the fundamental burden of presentation and proof in overtime compensation proceedings. As the BAG already stated in May 2022, the provisions of EU law on work time have no effect on the principles developed under German substantive law and procedural law on the allocation of the burden of presentation and proof in overtime compensation proceedings. Nevertheless, due to the obligation to record work time, disputes about the hours worked by the employee could now occur less frequently. It is currently unclear how the competent authorities will react to the BAG's decision. In any case, without a change in the national regulations, sanctions by the authorities are unlikely at this point. There is no specific legal obligation to record all work hours, meaning that there is currently no regulation that imposes a fine. An analogous application of existing regulations would violate the statutory requirement under Article 103 para. 2 of the German Constitution. Christian Koops and Miriam Siemen are attorneys with Baker McKenzie in Munich, Germany. 2022 Baker McKenzie. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission of Lexology. Content is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended and should not be construed as legal advice. This may qualify as "Attorney Advertising" requiring notice in some jurisdictions. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. For more information, please visit: www.bakermckenzie.com/en/client-resource-disclaimer. Page Content A growing number of workers are feeling the effects of political affiliation bias and would benefit from greater inclusiveness, according to a recent Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Politics at Work Study. The percentage of U.S. workers who say they've experienced political affiliation bias has risen 12 percentage points in the past three years. Almost a quarter of the 504 workers surveyed in late August (24 percent) say they have personally experienced differential treatment, either positive or negative, because of their political views, compared with 12 percent of U.S workers in 2019. "Unfortunately, we've seen a real decline in civility when people express their opinions and beliefs, and it's a barrier to success for employers and their employees," said SHRM President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP. "This trend has been fueled by the relative anonymity of social media, and it has spilled into our communities and our workplaces. In today's climate, people are saying, 'I can't work with you if you don't share my views.' It's a problem HR professionals and business leaders cannot ignore. I am hopeful SHRM's research will help organizations build constructive dialogue in the workplacefor the good of employees, the bottom line and society at large." Nearly half of U.S. workers (45 percent) have experienced political disagreements in the workplace. Companies can lean on their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies to help manage these conflicts. "Differences in political viewpoint is indeed a diversity issue," said Jonathan Segal, an attorney with Duane Morris in Philadelphia and New York City. "It is but one example of diversity in thought. It is neither possible nor desirable to attempt to prohibit any political workplace discussions. An attempt by management to do so may align those who disagree on almost every political issue to agree on one thing: The employer is overreaching." Twenty-six percent of U.S. workers engage in political discussions with their colleagues. Those who work fully in person are more likely to engage in political discussions with their co-workers (30 percent) than hybrid workers (24 percent) and fully remote workers (19 percent). Christine Walters, J.D., SHRM-SCP, an independent consultant with FiveL Co. in Westminster, Md., had a different perspective. "I might even caution employers to suggest employees respectfully refrain from those conversationsjust as we might discourage proselytizing in the workplace," she said. "If an employee chooses, however, to ignore the employer's suggestion and proceeds to disclose his or her political affiliation or opinion, then the employer should demand a respectful and civil response, discourage engaging in further discourse and move on." Various Views on Differing Political Perspectives Two-thirds of U.S. workers (66 percent) say the employees in their organizations are inclusive of differing political perspectives among other employees. Moderate (73 percent) and liberal workers (70 percent) are more likely than conservative workers (60 percent) to say the employees in their organizations are inclusive of differing political perspectives among other employees. Interestingly, though in-person workers say they speak with colleagues about political issues more frequently than remote or hybrid workers, only 57 percent of fully in-person workers say their organizations are inclusive of differing political perspectives among employees, compared woth fully remote workers and hybrid workers (both 83 percent). "There is probably more political diversity in your workplace than you think," Segal said. "There tends to be 'groupspeak,' where those with less common views simply don't speak. The appearance of an almost universally held view is not the reality, but groupspeak makes it more likely that those with different views will simply hide their views. This results in a lack of engagement and actual estrangement. Indeed, it may result in views not being expressed that should be heard for leaders to respond to societal issues with workplace implications." Although most U.S. workers report that their organizations are inclusive of differing political perspectives among employees, some supervisors report that they would be hesitant to hire or promote people with certain political beliefs. Supervisors are more likely to be hesitant to hire a job applicant who disclosed that they had extremely conservative beliefs (30 percent) than an applicant who disclosed that they had extremely liberal beliefs (20 percent). Approximately 1 in 5 supervisors would be hesitant to promote an employee who disclosed that they had extremely conservative (18 percent) or extremely liberal beliefs (21 percent). More Workplace Guidelines Needed Only 8 percent of organizations have communicated guidelines to employees around political discussions at work leading up to the 2022 midterm elections, according to a separate survey of 1,525 HR professionals, conducted from Aug. 25 to Sept. 11. "Any antibullying or harassment policy could be amended to include the phrase, 'Although we encourage an open dialogue as to matters of national significance, when it comes to politics, employees must conduct discussions respectfully and without threatening or disruptive tone in the workplace,' " said Steven Loewengart, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Columbus, Ohio. "Any such policy should make clear it is not intended to prevent employees from discussing their working conditions or otherwise engaging in protected activity," said John Porta, an attorney with Jackson Lewis in New York City. "Employers should train their management staff on how to defuse situations if the communications become emotional or agitated." Potential Legal Issue Political viewpoint is not only a diversity issue, but also a potential legal issue, Segal said. Jennifer Abruzzo, the National Labor Relations Board general counsel, has stated that conversations about political issues may be protected under the National Labor Relations Act as concerted activity to the extent that they relate to workplaces issues. "This would include, for example, issues involving pay equity, minimum wage, immigration [and] health care coverage for abortion," Segal said. In addition, some jurisdictionssuch California, New York and the District of Columbiahave laws that prohibit discrimination based on political affiliation. Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. 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! Australia is behind the times in cloning Ramsays caustic creation Frances Cauchemar en cuisine has been airing since 2011 but its understandable when you ask yourself this: who can host it? Fronting Kitchen Nightmares requires a confrontational poise. Youve got to like a scrap enough that the audience enjoys your having one. Exasperated swearing, to convey frustration, helps as well. Reality TV stars who wear the black hat are a rarity in this country, which is why the gig finally went to the Irish-born chef and presenter Colin Fassnidge. Nearly every country in Europe has a homegrown version, although the most famous successor is Ramsays own hit American edition, Foxs Kitchen Nightmares. Debuting in 2007 and running for seven seasons, it accumulated untold decibels, expletives and spat-out food. Gordon Ramsay is amazing source code. Since the Scottish chef-turned-television-terror debuted Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares on Britains Channel 4 in 2004, the reality format where the host visits a doomed restaurant and applies shock treatment to the failing proprietor, menu and staff has been duplicated more than 25 times. If you live and die by your chips, then we just died, declares Fassnidge, taste-testing the menu at a chaotic American diner in NSWs Central Tablelands. On My Kitchen Rules, Fassnidge presented as the cheeky bad boy, and he leans into that persona here. The show meets him halfway, serving up disastrous venues in the first two episodes with owners set in their ways; the second, running a cafe in the hills behind Queenslands Sunshine Coast, has a distinct whiff of David Brent to him. Bombs away. Colin Fassnidge makes a point in an episode of the local Kitchen Nightmares. Credit:Geoff Magee Photography The eternal friction in Kitchen Nightmares is craft versus confrontation. Do you define and defuse the obvious failings, or just broadside the owner until they bite back? Ramsay himself favoured the former in Britain, the latter in America. Fassnidges iteration also likes a blunt review, peppered with beep-worthy interjections, although the narrative very quickly arrives at tears and welcome teachings. The American diners pugnacious boss Mumma Jo starts out rebuking Fassnidge, but soon becomes his disciple, even if that road to Damascus moment mostly happens overnight and off-camera. Loading Fassnidge is quick with a consoling hug, but the shows attitude to kitchen culture is sometimes thoughtless. There are several scenes, for example, where Mumma Jo harangues her staff, which is presented without caution or commentary. The staff risk being cannon fodder, whether for Fassnidge or Mumma Jo. In another scene the assembled employees are told on camera that cost-cutting requires a reduction in their shifts and that if anyone objects they should speak up now. The scene has all the charm of a dictator demanding allegiance of his subordinates live on state TV. Police investigate suburban shooting in Queensland Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later. Dismiss A woman sacked from her CEO role at a south-east Queensland council has made a last-ditch court appeal to be reinstated and receive compensation from the councillors who ousted her. A crucial part of her argument was that she could not afford to keep paying her legal team while she waited months for a decision in her case, leading to problems when she tried to appeal. Sharon Kelsey was appointed as chief executive of Logan Council in June 2017 after a period of instability in the role. Credit:Alexandra Weaver Sharon Kelsey was appointed as Logan City Council chief executive on June 2, 2017. On October 12, 2017, Kelsey made a public interest disclosure to the Crime and Corruption Commission alleging potential misconduct by then-mayor Luke Smith. Moss Cass, the first Labor minister for the environment, was given that pisspot portfolio by Gough Whitlam in 1972. A month later, Cass took a small boat to visit environmentalists camped, helpless and weeping, on the submerging sand dunes as Lake Pedder National Park was drowned for a tiny hydroelectric scheme. Unable to reverse the flooding, he saw the loss of Lake Pedder as a personal failure. Cass was a doctor and wanted the health portfolio. However, given lowly environment, he became an energetic advocate so much so that his trenchant stand against the proposed mining of (now World Heritage) Fraser Island led to Whitlam relieving him of the environment portfolio in 1975. Moss Cass at home in Melbourne in 2002. Credit:Angela Wylie. Fast forward half a century. Tanya Plibersek, a much more seasoned and powerful Labor figure than Cass, and whose forte was education, has been given environment by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. She immediately raised hopes with a National Press Club speech in July in which she expressed shock at the latest State of the Environment Report. Plibersek warned that the precious places, landscapes, animals and plants that we think of when we think of home, may not be here for our kids and grandkids. Warning: This story contains graphic content Brittany Higgins said she felt trapped and not human while her colleague Bruce Lehrmann was grunting on top of her on the couch in former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds office, and told police it felt like me saying no was a strange afterthought. The graphic details of the alleged rape in the early hours of March 23, 2019, were aired to an ACT Supreme Court jury on the second day of a six-week criminal trial before Higgins stepped into the witness box to watch CCTV footage of her drinking heavily with her accused attacker before the incident at Parliament House. Brittany Higgins (centre) arrives at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Wednesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In a second recorded interview played to the jury, Higgins said she rebuffed a kiss from Lehrmann outside a Canberra pub in the weeks before he allegedly raped her but didnt treat it significantly because Ive had other people in politics make passes at me before. Preventing one of Australias closest neighbours from forging closer bonds with China will be top of Anthony Albaneses agenda when the prime minister meets Solomon Islands counterpart Manasseh Sogavare in Canberra on Thursday. Sogavare alarmed Australian officials and fellow Pacific leaders earlier this year by signing a wide-ranging security pact with China. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in Canberra. Credit:Joe Armao Last month he controversially delayed his nations scheduled elections, despite an offer from Australia to help pay for the poll. Albanese will host Sogavare for a meeting at Parliament House followed by dinner at the Lodge, but the leaders are not expected to speak to the media following their meeting, as is common during such a visit. The safety incident at a Collie mine that was partly blamed for Western Australias coal shortage was the result of a bulldozer falling down the side of a pit. WorkSafe Commissioner Darren Kavanagh confirmed the incident occurred at Premier Coals mining operations near Collie on August 16 this year. The Premier Coal mine in Collie. Credit:Premier Coal website The incident involved a bulldozer backing through a windrow and going down the side of a pit, he said. There were no reported injuries. WorkSafe mines inspectors attended the site and secured the scene. Birmingham: Greenpeace protesters have interrupted Liz Trusss first speech as prime minister to the Conservative Party conference. But the moment appeared to sway support in favour of the embattled leader, whose set-piece address to the conference was seen as a make-or-break moment in her attempt to recover her flailing month-old premiership. Greenpeace protesters disrupt British Prime Ministers Liz Truss keynote speech at the conservative partys conference. Credit:Getty Images The interruption took place in the opening minutes of Truss 30-minute speech to party members. Greenpeaces head of public affairs, Rebecca Newsom, and policy officer, Ami McCarthy, held up a banner that read who voted for this and called out who voted for fracking a reference to Truss green light for the resumption of extracting coal-seam gas in Britain. Russia announced the annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces after staging referendums that Kyiv and the West say were phoney exercises held at gunpoint. Kyiv says it will never accept the illegal seizure of its territory by force. The Russian moves come as momentum in the war has clearly swung in Ukraines favour since the start of September. Vladimir Putin watches military exercises in 2019. Credit:AP Thousands of Russian troops fled their positions after the front line crumbled, first in the northeast, and, since the start of this week, also in the south. Worthless decisions by a terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraines presidential office, said on Telegram of the annexation moves, which he said reminded him of a collective madhouse. Ukraine has so far given few details of its most recent military gains, in line with a policy of withholding comment about advances while they are under way. Loading This week alone, since the Russian pseudo-referendum, dozens of population centres have been liberated. These are in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions all together, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Tuesday. Power station Putins order to seize control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station could be one of the first major practical consequences of the annexation move. The power station is located right on the front line, on a Russian-controlled bank of a giant reservoir with Ukrainian forces on the opposite bank, and both sides have warned of the danger of a nuclear disaster from fighting near it. Loading In recent days, Russia detained the Ukrainian manager in charge of the plant. He has since been released but will not return to work. The head of Ukraines state nuclear energy company Energoatom, Petro Kotin, said he was now taking charge of the plant and urged workers not to sign any documents with its Russian occupiers. Kyiv has long accused Moscow of planning to switch the plant from Ukraines power grid to Russias, a move it says would heighten the risk of an accident. IAEA head Rafael Grossi, who is due to visit Kyiv and Moscow this week, posted on Twitter a picture of himself boarding a train for Kyiv and said negotiations on a safe zone around the plant were more important than ever. Drone attacks Even as Russian forces have been pushed back on the battlefield, Moscow has been launching attacks far from the front using what Kyiv says are Iranian-made drones since last month. Tehran has denied supplying them; Moscow has not commented. Dozens of firefighters rushed to douse blazes on Wednesday in Bila Tserkva, around 75km south of Kyiv, following what Ukrainian officials said were the first strikes using the Iranian loitering munitions so close to the capital. There was a roaring noise, a piercing sound. I heard the first strike, the second I saw and heard. There was a roar and then boom followed by an explosion, said 80-year-old Volodymyr, who lives across the street from the building that was hit. It is beyond me what those Russians think. I do not know when we will manage to chase them from our territory. It is just tears and heartache for my Ukraine. Thats all I can say, said 74-year-old Lyudmyla Rachevska. Loading Putin responded to the loss of territory two weeks ago by announcing the annexation plan, ordering the call-up of hundreds of thousands of reservists and threatening nuclear retaliation to protect Russian land. Tens of thousands of Russian men have since fled the country to escape the draft. In the east, Ukrainian forces have been expanding an offensive after capturing the main Russian bastion in the north of Donetsk, the town of Lyman. They are now pushing into Luhansk province, which Moscow had claimed to be totally under its control after some of the wars heaviest fighting in June and July. In the south, the Ukrainians have recaptured a swath of territory in Kherson province along the west bank of the wide Dnipro River, threatening to cut thousands of Russian troops off from resupply or escape. PHILIPSBURG:--- A new issue of the Growing Up Safe Sint Maarten (GUSS) magazine has been launched online. The 5th edition puts a special focus on meaningful youth participation and can be read on www.growingupsafe-sxm.com. Simply put, meaningful youth participation provides quality and equal opportunities for young people to be involved in decision-making on policies, strategies, and programmes that affect them. Young people are an asset and should be treated as co-creators in our developmental processes, explains Dr. Henry Charles, one of the youth participation experts featured in GUSS. In addition to expert insights, GUSS also features interviews with inspiring and active young people, brave personal stories, tips to support youth participation, and more. The magazine is geared toward informing and connecting professionals that work with children in Sint Maarten. The importance of meaningful youth participation in St. Maarten is gaining more recognition as Government Ministries and stakeholders are increasingly displaying a more structured approach to consulting with youth when developing policy and programs. Youth are also being made more aware of the importance of their participation and engagement in these processes, explains Soraya Agard-Lake, member of the Transitional Child Protection Working Group (TCPWG). The TCPWG is an inter-ministerial group, with representatives from the Ministries of Justice, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) and Public Health, Social Development and Labour (VSA). The magazine series is one of the initiatives of the TCPWG with support from UNICEF the Netherlands and Augeo Foundation and is financed by the Government of The Netherlands, through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund managed by the World Bank, as part of the Child Resilience and Protection Project (CRPP). Read the Growing Up Safe Sint Maarten Magazine series on www.growingupsafe-sxm.com. To follow updates on UNICEF the Netherlands work on Sint Maarten, follow UNICEF Sint Maarten on Facebook or @unicefsxm on Instagram. ~Teams up with local businesses to show teacher appreciation~ PHILIPSBURG:--- In commemoration of World Teachers Day on October 5th, 2022, MP Angelique J.G. Romou via the Raise Your Voice Foundation joined together with the local business community to love our teachers out loud and thank them for making a resounding difference in the lives of our students and families The 2022 Loving Our Teachers Out Loud initiative is a Coupon Brochure, filled with discounts and freebies for our teachers on Sint Maarten to enjoy. MP Romou did a school tour and visited every school in Dutch St. Maarten to personally pay tribute and give words of encouragement and distribute the coupon Brochures to all teachers. These coupons will be available to be redeemed by teachers during the period October 2022 thru March 2023. Teachers would present the respective coupon in person at participating businesses in order to redeem the discount or free item. MP Romou thanked all twenty-five local businesses who hopped on board the initiative to show their appreciation to our local teachers with discounts and free items. These businesses are Obersi Group, Dominos Pizza, KFC, The Sugar Mill Cafe, Marks Place Restaurant, Beirut Restaurant, Luckys Shopping Center, Victors Cosmetics, Blue Point, Inglot, Overstocks, Pineapple Petes, Addicted Hair Lounge, Georginas Nails, Shop and Take, Dollar Smart, Beautylicious, Colosseum SXM, Divico, Carrefour Market, Crocs, Fire Fit Gym, Ace Home Center, Sale & Pepe Restaurant and Ts Closet. I know the hardships that the teachers on our island are currently facing, and I know that this doesnt begin to solve them however please know that I am working hard behind the scenes doing what I can (as a citizen and a Member of Parliament) to contribute to better conditions for our teachers. I believe that each individual can do their part to bring about change and that is why I had to recognize every teacher for their hard work and dedication to the teaching profession and by extension empowering our future leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, being able to team up together with our local business community to show appreciation in commemoration of World Teachers Day is an honor. To our beloved teachers, please consider this as a token of appreciation on behalf of the community that loves you. We see your hard work; we appreciate your hard work and we want to love you out loud for your hard work. Happy World Teachers Day! MP Romou concluded. To the educators of St.Maarten, This week, our country acknowledges and commends you for your diligent efforts on behalf of our students. Teachers have one of the most difficult and rewarding jobs because they literally shape and change lives. We honor and thank you for the crucial part you play in assisting children and enhancing the future of our country, especially during Teacher Appreciation Week. However, I believe Teacher Appreciation Week needs a new place in our countrys calendar of events. Allowing it to get the true value and recognition it deserves outside of the midterm vacation. Designing difficult lessons, guiding students through their learning, giving feedback to students, engaging with parents and families, working with colleagues, reflecting on your instruction, keeping up with research and changes in content and pedagogy, and being a leader in your schools all require a lot of time and effort. However, a large portion of the work you perform also involves the intangible; it involves developing that seemingly unexplainable but nonetheless inescapable spark between you and your students. It exists when you identify every student's potential, even if he or she isn't yet aware of his or her own talents when they enter your classroom. It's there when you see the student sitting quietly in your class, hoping no one will notice that her or his home life has completely collapsed. It's there when you lend a sympathetic ear and support to the student who doesn't have a place to call home, who doesn't have a network of friends outside of the classroom, or who just isn't sure where he or she belongs. It's there when you provide food to a hungry child, speak with a student who has missed class, and create a community in your classroom where everyone feels comfortable. You are supporting the development of students' strong character characteristics, which they will utilize to make decisions on a regular basis. You are encouraging lifelong learners, empowering people to take part more actively in our democracy, and, most significantly, you are allowing students the freedom to choose, enabling them to have an infinite number of possibilities for their career and life pathways. So, I undoubtedly appreciate you for giving our students more power and by never giving up until every child has access to quality education. Thank you for performing this important work without expecting recognition; nonetheless, please know that the WITU and I believe that teaching ought to be elevated and honored. In closing, I'm appreciative of all teachers for performing this tremendously difficult but vitally necessary work for the students in our country. Happy World Teachers Day! Yours in education, Stuart Johnson President of the WITU Uranium Energy Corp Intersects 68.7% eU3O8 over 2.1 meters at Newly Acquired Christie Lake Project in Eastern Athabasca Basin, Canada UECa?s Newly Acquired Canadian High-Grade Pipeline: Christie Lake is one of 29 properties included in the portfolio from recently acquired UEX Corporation (UEXa) Amongst the Highest-Grade Drill Intersections of 2022: Latest drill results represent the highest-grade mineralized intersection ever encountered at the Christie Lake Project and amongst the sectora?s best uranium results of the year, mineralization remains open in all directions. Growing Resources: New SK-1300 resource report for Christie Lake Project to incorporate the new drill results. Strategic Location: Christie Lake Property is situated in the eastern Athabasca Basin approximately 9 km northeast and along strike of Camecoa?s operating McArthur River Mine, the worlda?s largest and highest-grade uranium mine. Decades of Conventional Mining History with Superior Grade: Uranium from the Athabasca Basin places Canada among the top producers of global uranium using conventional production and the unique geology of the Athabasca Basin deposits can result in grades that exceed the world average of uranium deposits of 0.2% U3O8 by up to 100 times. Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE American: UEC, the aCompanya or aUECa https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/uranium-energy-corp/) is pleased to announce a new discovery of high-grade uranium at its 82.77% owned Christie Lake Project, located in the eastern Athabasca Basin (see Figure 1) of northern Saskatchewan, Canada (see aAbout the Christie Lake Projecta below).A Christie Lake (see Figure 2) is an exciting, growth-oriented, high-grade resource-stage project, strategically situated 9 km along strike of Camecoa?s McArthur River Mine and is of one of 29 projects in UECa?s recent $171 million acquisition of UEX Corporation. To date, seven holes have been drilled into a new discovery, named the Sakura Zone. Discovery hole, CB-173 encountered high-grade mineralization that averaged 7.8% eU3O8 over 9.1 m between 422.2 m and 431.3 m, and included a subinterval of 26.1% eU3O8 over 2.3 m from 425.1 m to 427.4 m. Follow-up hole CB-176A, intersected the unconformity approximately 13 m north-east of CB-173, and intersected 68.7% eU3O8 over 2.1 m from 426.9 m to 429.0 m (see Figure 3 and Table 1), the highest-grade mineralized intersection ever encountered on the Christie Lake Property. All seven holes contain uranium mineralization at or near the unconformity. These intersections represent some of the largest and highest-grade drill intersections of uranium reported globally in 2022. Amir Adnani, CEO and President stated: aWea?re delighted to hit the ground running with our newly acquired portfolio in Canada.A In the last ten months wea?ve invested close to $420 million to create a unique two-pronged approach with a 100% unhedged market strategy: 1) near term U.S. In-Situ Recovery (aISRa) production; and 2) Canadian high-grade conventional pipeline.A Our Canadian high-grade conventional business is comprised of 29 projects, 5 of which are advanced resource-stage, with Christie Lake being one that we see strong potential for resource growth. The projects in Canadaa?s Athabasca Basin are among the highest grades globally for conventional mining and todaya?s headline 68% grade over 2 meters demonstrates this competitive advantage.A While porosity, flow-rates and recoveries are essential in U.S. In-Situ Recovery production, grade is king in conventional mining. At UEC we have created a North American platform of best-in-class uranium resources in proven U.S. and Canadian mining jurisdictions.a Mineralization at the Sakura Zone remains open for expansion in all directions and will be the focus of the next phase of drilling on the Christie Lake Project.A UECa?s 2022 summer exploration program has now been completed and the Company plans to commence the 2023 winter program in early January of the new year. About Canadaa?s Athabasca Basin The Athabasca Basin is a world-class uranium district in the northern portion of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, occupying an area of about 100,000 square kilometers. The unique geology of the Athabasca Basin deposits can result in deposit grades that exceed the world average of uranium deposits of 0.2% U3O8 by up to 100 times. All of Canadaa?s current uranium production occurs from the mines located in the Athabasca Basin.A According to the World Nuclear Association (aWNAa), the Athabasca Basin was responsible for producing 9.7% of the worlda?s uranium production in 2021. Uranium mineralization in the Athabasca Basin occurs in fault structures that penetrate the interface between the sandstone and underlying basement rocks, known as the unconformity.A Uranium can be found at the interface, known as the unconformity, or up to several hundreds of meters below the unconformity surface in the underlying fault structures in the basement. The uranium concentrations from holes presented above is the radiometric equivalent uranium grade (aREGa), denoted as eU3O8, which is determined in-situ within the drill hole.A For more information on REGs please see the aAbout Radiometric Equivalent Gradesa section below. The core recovery from the mineralized zone in hole CB-176A is estimated to be approximately 20%.A The portions of the core recovered from the interval confirm the presence of very high-grade uranium mineralization.A Thus, the Company believes that assay results collected from the mineralized interval will not be representative of the true concentration of uranium present and that the REG presented above will be a more accurate estimate of grade.A The Company has restricted the reported core length and concentration of the mineralization detected by the probe to the intervals of lost core and visibly mineralized recovered drill core.A The probe measured radiation occurs over a wider interval than was observed as either mineralized core or lost core.A The Company believes that wider interval detected by the probe is likely due to the smearing of uranium-bearing drill cuttings along the inside of the drill core, a process that occasionally occurs during the drilling process. About Radiometric Equivalent Grades The eU3O8 grades were estimated in-situ within the drill holes using calibrated down-hole radiometric gamma probes which are lowered down the hole, a method commonly used by uranium explorers and miners in the Athabasca Basin.A The probe records the amount of radioactivity present in the rock adjacent to the probe as it moves up and down the hole. The probes were calibrated prior to the commencement of the current drill program at the Saskatchewan Research Councila?s (aSRCa) test pit facility in Saskatoon.A Using down-hole probes to calculate radiometric equivalent grades is a common practice by uranium mining companies in the Athabasca Basin.A Down-hole probes can accurately measure uranium concentration by measuring the light flashes that occur every time the probea?s scintillator is struck by a gamma radiation particle emitted from uranium crystals.A The number of light flashes are acounteda? by a photomultiplier tube.A Sometimes within high-grade intervals, due to a process called asaturationa? occurs when light emitted by the probea?s scintillator overwhelms the photomultiplier tubea?s ability to acounta? individual light flashes it can be difficult to accurate determine radiometric equivalent grades. Samples from all holes have been collected for assay analysis to confirm these equivalent grades.A The samples will be analyzed at the SRCa?s Geoanalytical Laboratory in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with results expected in the coming weeks.A About the Christie Lake Project UEC holds an 82.775% combined direct and indirect interest in the Christie Lake Project which is a joint venture with JCU (Canada) Exploration Company, Limited, a company that is 50% owned by UECa?s wholly owned subsidiary UEX Corporation.A UECa?s direct ownership in Christie Lake is 65.5492% and indirect ownership through its 50% ownership in JCU is 17.2254% The Christie Lake Project is located in the eastern Athabasca Basin (see Figures 1 and 2) approximately 9 km northeast and along strike of Camecoa?s McArthur River Mine, the worlda?s largest and highest-grade uranium mine.A The controlling structure of the McArthur River Mine deposits, the P2 fault, continues to the northeast beyond the mine and trends onto the Christie Lake Project. Our technical team believes that, through a series of en-echelon steps, the northeast strike extension of the P2 Fault not only crosses the Christie Lake Project but also controls the three known uranium deposits on Christie Lake: the ?rora, Paul Bay and Ken Pen Deposits as well as the newly discovered Sakura Zone. Qualified Persons and Data Acquisition The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Roger Lemaitre, P.Eng., P.Geo., UEXa?s President and CEO and Chris Hamel, P.Geo, UEXa?s Vice President, Exploration, and Nathan Barsi, P.Geo., UEXa?s District Geologist, who are each considered to be a Qualified Person as defined by S-K 1300. About Uranium Energy Corp Uranium Energy Corp is the fastest growing supplier of the fuel for the green energy transition to a low carbon future. UEC is the largest, diversified North American-focused uranium company, advancing the next generation of low-cost, environmentally friendly ISR mining uranium projects inA the United StatesA and high-grade conventional projects inA Canada. The Company has two production-ready ISR hub and spoke platforms inA South TexasA andA Wyoming. These two production platforms are anchored by fully operational central processing plants and served by seven U.S. ISR uranium projects with all their major permits in place. Additionally, the Company has diversified uranium holdings including: (1) one of the largest physical uranium portfolios of U.S. warehoused U3O8; (2) a major equity stake in Uranium Royalty Corp., the only royalty company in the sector; and (3) a Western Hemisphere pipeline of resource stage uranium projects. The Company\-s operations are managed by professionals with decades of hands-on experience in the key facets of uranium exploration, development and mining. For additional information, please contact: Uranium Energy Corp Investor Relations Toll Free:A (866) 748-1030 Fax:A (361) 888-5041 E-mail:A info@uraniumenergy.com Twitter: @UraniumEnergy Stock Exchange Information: NYSE American:A UEC Frankfurt Stock Exchange Symbol:A U6Z WKN:A AAJDRR ISN:A US916896103 In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.chA A Safe Harbor Statement Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes aforward-looking statementsa as such term is used in applicable United States and Canadian securities laws. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other 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 aexpectsa or adoes not expecta, ais expecteda, aanticipatesa or adoes not anticipatea, aplans, aestimatesa or aintendsa, or stating that certain actions, events or results amaya, acoulda, awoulda, amighta or awilla be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as aforward-looking statementsa. 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 include, among others, the actual results of exploration activities, variations in the underlying assumptions associated with the estimation or realization of mineral resources, the availability of capital to fund programs and the resulting dilution caused by the raising of capital through the sale of shares, accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry including, without limitation, those associated with the environment, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, permits or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Many of these factors are beyond the Companya?s ability to control or predict. 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 contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and that could impact the Company and the statements contained in this news release can be found in the Company\-s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Oledcomm joins HomeGrid Forum to progress the LiFi interoperability using G.hn backbone Posted by Publisher Telecommunication Paris, France, October 04 2022: HomeGrid Forum has welcomed Oledcomm to contribute to the coexistence and interoperability testing needed for accelerating the market adoption of Light Fidelity (LiFi) using the G.hn backbone. Oledcomm is a spin-off from the Paris-Saclay University research, which co-invented Visible Light Communication in 2005. LiFi is a form of wireless communication which uses LEDs to transmit data at high speeds over the visible light, ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. LiFi is a more secure form of wireless communication than Wi-Fi, as any information being transmitted can only travel as far as the light is visible. For governments buildings, law firms and other companies sharing sensitive data, this technology is invaluable. For other market segments like schools and hospitals the use of LiFi infrastructure is driven by the strong requirements of limiting the exposure to electromagnetic waves. Oledcomm has already been instrumental for the rapid introduction of the LiFi products on the consumers market by launching at the CES Las Vegas 2022 a LiFi tablet for schools in France. aWelcoming Oledcomm as a member is a great step for HomeGrid Forum and the innovation of G.hn in the LiFi industry,a said HomeGrid Forum President Livia Rosu. aWe are witnessing an exponential increase of the LiFi use cases driven by sensitive data sharing requirements. With the recent launch of the HomeGrid Forum LiFi Task Force, it is an exciting time for Oledcomm to join us in progressing the G.hn standards-based interoperability ecosystem for LiFi.a Oledcomm President and co-CEO, Benjamin Azoulay said: aJoining HomeGrid Forum will be a great step for Oledcomm in our journey of learning about and adopting the most secure and reliable technologies to aid the development of LiFi. The solid foundation, provided by G.hn, will be a critical factor in the successful adoption of LiFi and the entire industry must realize its potential to truly reap the benefits of LiFi technology.a Oledcomm displayed a disruptive LiFi demo at the LiFi Conference earlier this year: https://lificonference.com/program/ To view Oledcomma?s solutions for specific industries and use cases please visit: https://www.oledcomm.net/#lifi-technology HomeGrid Forum offers multiple membership levels within the organization. To view the membership levels and associated benefits, please visit https://homegridforum.org/join/. To view the HomeGrid Forum G.hn broadband connectivity solution through light with LiFi please visit: https://homegridforum.org/lifi/ To view the HomeGrid Forum LiFi Task Force dashboard of meetings and specifications please visit the Membersa? Area: https://members.homegridforum.org/wg/LiFi-TF/dashboard IsoEnergy Provides Update on Summer Exploration Results IsoEnergy Ltd. (aIsoEnergya or the aCompanya https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/isoenergy-ltd/ ) (TSXV: ISO; OTCQX: ISENF) is pleased to provide an update on the results of summer exploration work on its 100% owned eastern Athabasca Basin uranium properties (Figure 1). Highlights Diamond drilling totalling 6,648 metres in 20 drill holes at the Larocque East, Trident and Geiger projects Airborne surveying at Evergreen, Spruce, East Rim, Full Moon, and Edge Staking of nine claims totalling 4,349 hectares Tim Gabruch, President and Chief Executive Officer commented: aIsoEnergy is very encouraged by the results that were intersected at all three properties drilled this summer. These results, along with the geophysical work undertaken, are providing highly valuable information as we plan systematic follow up targets for the winter and broader 2023 exploration programs.a Andy Carmichael, Vice President of Exploration commented: aAt Larocque East, the Kernaghan trend was upgraded by the intersection of a broad zone of pervasive basement alteration. This conductive trend has been tested on a single fence within the project and is a high-priority follow-up exploration target. Results at Trident exceeded our expectations with prospective graphitic structures being intersected in three target areas, opening a significant amount of strike length for further exploration. Drilling at Geiger to follow-up winter geophysical surveys intersected sandstone-hosted alteration and structure in both areas and basement-hosted hydrothermal alteration at Q23. This fall, we look forward to receiving final interpretations of the airborne geophysical survey work as well as the geochemical results from the summer drilling to further refine 2023 exploration campaigns.a Diamond Drilling Larocque East Project Six drill holes totalling 1,998m were completed on the Larocque Lake and Kernaghan Lake conductive trends (Figure 2). In the Hurricane East area, located within two kilometres of the Hurricane Deposit, three drill holes followed up strongly anomalous sandstone geochemistry and alteration intersected by previous IsoEnergy drilling. Favourable alteration and structure were encountered but no mineralization was intersected. On an underexplored section of the Larocque Lake trend in the eastern portion of the project, one hole was drilled, LE22-142, which intersected weak to moderate alteration and structure in the upper sandstone above graphitic basement. Follow-up will be guided by geochemical results. The remaining two drill holes tested the Kernaghan trend where historical drilling intersected anomalous sandstone geochemistry and defined over 40m of unconformity relief. Drill hole LE22-144, designed to locate a structure inferred to be located between the two historical drill holes, intersected a broad zone of variable argillization and hematization in the basement associated with faulting. Planning is underway to follow up these results in 2023. Trident Project Six drill holes totalling 1,293m were completed at IsoEnergya?s Trident project. Drilling tested historically-defined electromagnetic (EM) conductors hosted within zones of low magnetic susceptibility to evaluate four target areas for the presence of structures. This first-pass drilling was successful, intersecting prospective graphitic structures with brittle reactivation in three of the target areas and upgrading more than 10km of conductive strike length. Geophysical surveying is planned for 2023 to prioritize sections of strike for further drilling. Figure 3 shows the Trident target areas and 2022 drill hole locations. Geiger Project Eight holes totalling 3,357m were completed at Geiger to follow-up conductors identified by geophysical surveys carried out in the Q23 and Q48 areas during the winter 2022 season (Figure 4). Four holes completed in the Q23 area targeted moderate to strong conductors. GG22-31 intersected high-strain graphitic gneiss and pervasive argillization which extends 55 metres into the basement and completely overprints the regional paleoweathering profile. GG22-31 is located 4.5km south of the radioactive intersection in drill hole ML22-006, recently announced by Fission 3.0 Corp. on the neighboring Murphy Lake property. The Geiger project covers 3.4km of the interpreted strike between GG22-31 and ML22-006. Four holes were completed in the Q48 area, including a three-hole fence across the centre of the winter 2022 survey area. Sandstones in the central drill hole, GG22-34, are pervasively bleached with metre-to decametre-scale zones of structure, desilicification, and clay alteration which increase in width and strength toward the unconformity. Conductive rocks were intersected in the basement well below the unconformity. In GG22-35, located 200m to the west, the upper 115m of sandstone is pervasively bleached and contains zones of silicification and clay-lined fractures associated with abundant structures including quartz-healed breccias. These results upgrade the central conductive trends at Q48. Planning is underway to continue exploration of the Q23 and Q48 areas. Pending geochemical results will guide follow-up. Airborne Geophysical Surveying Airborne geophysical surveying totalling more than 5,000 line-kilometres was completed over IsoEnergya?s Evergreen, Spruce, East Rim, Full Moon and Edge projects in June and July (Figure 1). The survey utilized Xcalibura?s FALCONA Airborne Gravity Gradiometer system to acquire high-resolution gravity gradient, magnetic, and radiometric (spectrometry) datasets. Survey data were received in late August and interpretation of results is underway. Gravity gradient and magnetic data are expected to improve understanding of basement geology and assist in the identification of potential alteration zones, while radiometric results will be followed up with ground-truthing to locate near-surface showings and radioactive boulder trains such as those that led to the discovery of several notable uranium deposits including Triple R and Key Lake. Claim Staking Nine claims totalling 4,349 hectares were recently staked in the Eastern Athabasca (Figure 1). Six of the new claims were staked at Larocque East to cover an approximately 4km long interpreted western extension of the Kernaghan Lake conductive trend and to link the Larocque East and Larocque West projects. Two claims staked 16km northwest of the McArthur River Mine form the new Rapid River Project, which is interpreted to cover approximately 2.5km of the Ens Lake conductive trend and a 3.5km extension of the Fox Lake trend, host of the Fox Lake Deposit. One additional claim was staked to link the Madison and 2Z projects. Qualified Person Statement Andy Carmichael, P.Geo., IsoEnergya?s Vice President, Exploration, is the aQualified Persona (as defined in NI 43-101 aA Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects) for the Company and has validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. All radioactivity measurements reported herein are total gamma from an RS-125 hand-held spectrometer. All chemical analyses are completed for the Company by SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories in Saskatoon, SK. For additional information regarding the Companya?s Larocque East Project, including its quality assurance and quality control procedures applied to the exploration work described in this news release, please see the Technical Report titled aTechnical Report on the Larocque East Project, Northern Saskatchewan, Canadaa dated August 4, 2022, on the Companya?s profile at www.sedar.com.This news release refers to properties other than those in which the Company has an interest. Mineralization on those other properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Companya?s properties.A About IsoEnergy IsoEnergy is a well-funded uranium exploration and development company with a portfolio of prospective projects in the infrastructure-rich eastern Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada. In 2018, the Company discovered the high-grade Hurricane Deposit on its 100% owned Larocque East property in the Eastern Athabasca Basin. The Hurricane Deposit has Indicated Mineral Resources of 48.61 Million lb U3O8 based on 63,800 tonnes grading 34.5% U3O8 and Inferred Mineral Resources of 2.66 Million lb U3O8 based on 54,300 tonnes grading 2.2% U3O8 (July 8, 2022). The Hurricane Deposit is 100% owned by IsoEnergy and is unencumbered from any royalties. IsoEnergy is led by a Board and Management team with a track record of success in uranium exploration, development, and operations. The Company was founded and is supported by the team at its major shareholder, NexGen Energy Ltd. Tim Gabruch President and Chief Executive Officer IsoEnergy Ltd. +1 306-261-6284 info@isoenergy.ca www.isoenergy.ca Investor Relations Kin Communications +1 604 684 6730 iso@kincommunications.com In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of any offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities referenced herein have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the aU.S. Securities Acta), and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements thereunder. Forward-Looking Information The information contained herein contains aforward-looking statementsa within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and aforward-looking informationa within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. aForward-looking informationa includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as aplansa, aexpectsa, ais expecteda, abudgeta, ascheduleda, aestimatesa, aforecastsa, aintendsa, aanticipatesa, or abelievesa or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results amaya, acoulda, awoulda, amighta or awill be takena, aoccura or abe achieveda or the negative connotation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Companya?s planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder,A alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.A The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. In this episode we explored several different aspects of family dynamics that were interwoven within the overall storylines and clinical cases in the Gaffney ED. We also explore some of the difficulties of moving forward from past decisions, dealing with actions from the past and also a glimpse into the world of misdiagnosis and stigma with mental health. They also demonstrate in this episode some of the very real outcomes of the pandemic from both a logistical and medical training standpoint. We also had an opportunity to begin to learn a bit more about Dr. Archer, and begin to understand the backstory better of the man many began to love to hate the last few seasons. It was definitely an action packed hour Chi-hards! Goodwin, Dr. Marcel and Dr. Tanaka-Reed Dr. Halstead, Dr. Asher, Dr. Charles, Jenny and Henry Dr. Taylor, Maggie and Grant Dr. Choi, Dr. Archer, Dr. Hudgins and Mr. Albert Morero Dr. Archer and his son Sean Archer We begin this episode with Goodwin meeting with all the ED staff and informing them that the hospital continues to have significant supply issues for key supplies. This is an all to real reality for all of healthcare as an outcome of the pandemic, and shows that our writers really are keeping a pulse on the reality of the aftermath of the pandemic.An ambulance pulls in and Maggie calls for Dr. Marcel and Dr. Kai Tanaka-Reed. Julian Sanchez was shot, and is brought in by paramedics to the trauma room. Kai tries to run the trauma and take over from Crockett in a very arrogant way despite his inexperience, and it appears he does not have great interpersonal skills from this first interaction. He questions why Crockett wants to get a chest and pelvis film, but Dr. Marcel explains you always have to be sure the hole going in and out meet up and nothing else was affected and that bullets travel in unexpected ways, and you would not want to leave it in his chest. Crockett sends him to tell Maggie they will need an angio to find out where the injury to the artery is.Dr. Marcel goes to angio and asks why the scan has not been completed and Dr. Tanaka-Reed tells him that there is no contrast dye and to talk to the tech, so Crockett goes to radiology. He stops Hannah's patient Jenny's CT and says that he needs the contrast dye more. Dr. Abrahms and Dr. Marcel take it to Goodwin, and Sam says this is triage 101 and it is head over leg, and after much debate and a few more egotistical comments from Kai, Sharon agrees and the contrast goes to Jenny for her head CT. At this point, Dr. Marcel asks Kai to have Maggie book an OR, but when Dr. Marcel goes to the OR, the patient is not there. He returns to angio and we discover that behind Dr. Marcels back and without his permission, Dr. Tanaka-Reed decided to use carbon dioxide to try to get the image they need. Dr. Marcel luckily comes in at the right time, because as he is reprimanding Kai for using something way more dangerous than contrast, the patient has a complication, but thankfully Dr. Marcel is there to position him properly and help clear the bubble that could have caused him to die. They are able to identify the injury and they take Julian to the OR to fix his vessels.In the OR, they discover a fistula, and Dr. Tanaka-Reed tries to minimize his error by stating that noone could have foreseen that injury. The young intern's cocky and narcissistic personality is certain to cause friction this season, as we definitely have some strong personalities in the ED, and do not anticipate many of them will put up with a young and inexperienced doctor speaking to them this way. After the surgery the patient thanks Dr. Marcel and Dr. Tanaka-Reed takes offence and says he did not like how Dr. Marcel took credit for everything and that he was just as responsible for saving the patient's leg, maybe even more so. Kai says that Crockett should be giving credit where credit is due and he has been talking down to him all day, and Dr. Marcel tells him "OK, I was very impressed with the way you almost killed our patient."Later as he is leaving, Goodwin asks Dr. Marcel how things went with Dr Tanaka-Reed and he says fine, but Goodwin tells him that Kai has filed a complaint with HR about Crockett being condescending and disrespectful to him, and she asks if he wants to file a counter complaint but Crockett says no, and that they will find a way to find common ground and she does not have to reassign him. I love that Crockett is going to stick things out, as Kai could learn alot from Crockett about how to communicate with patients, and based on what we saw when Crockett first arrived at Med, I wonder if he sees a bit of himself in this young man.This episode begins for Will with him meeting with an inspector about his building and Will tells him he is waiting for the insurance company to approve his claim so he can begin repairs to his building. The inspector tells him that he is in violation of several building codes and that he will be charged $700 a day until he remedies the issues. Will asks him what he should do and the inspector says he should get it over with and bring in a wrecking ball. It is sad to see after he finally decided to invest his reward money to see Will's bad luck streak surface again. Unfortunately, it feels sometimes like bad luck seems to follow him, and he is always in some sort of kunundrum.Will fills Hannah in on what is going on with the building and Hannah says maybe he should just tear it down, but Will says he is going to file an appeal. Hannah reminds him that it has been a month since the fire and to stop acting like a martyr, but Doris interrupts them and says they need them. The friendship between these two characters is one that seems to be blossoming, and it poses the question if they will be reunited, or perhaps Stevie will return to add to the drama of the relationship. They head out into the department to meet two ambulances. A nine year old boy and his mother were in a low speed motor vehicle crash, and brought in for assessment. It looks like the boy may have a broken arm. The paramedics also warn them that it looks like they might be living out of their car. Will goes in to assess the little boy named Henry. Henry shows him his crysallis and as Will examines his arm, he tells Will that his mom just drove off the side of the road.Hannah has examined Henry's mother, Jenny, and she seems fine other than a few cuts and scrapes and Will goes in to fill her in on Henry and ask for permission to put a cast on his arm, but she will not consent to Will treating him, and she becomes agitated and paranoid and they have to sedate her. They consult with Dr. Charles, and he goes to speak with Henry and waits for the toxicology screen on Jenny.Dr. Charles speaks to Henry and he says his pain is minimal. Henry asks if he is there to take him away from his mom, and Dr. Charles asks why he would ask that and he says a lot of people have been talking about that. Dr. Charles talks to him about his crysallis. Daniel asks about his mother and if she has been having a tough time, but he does not want to talk about her. Will wants to double doc his consent but Dr. Charles says Henry is stable and he wants to be sure they are right before they get DCFS involved. Hannah tells him that the toxicology screen on Jenny is negative. It is really wonderful how Will wants to be an advocate for his patients, but as we have seem before, he is definitely jumping ahead and this has only served to get him in trouble in the past, so it is a good thing that he has colleagues to help reign back his zealous nature.Dr. Charles goes in to examine Jenny and she continues to be paranoid and has strange lapses in speech and Dr. Charles asks for permission to treat her and send her for a scan, and she agrees. Daniel also asks Hannah to consult Dr. Sam Abrahms. Dr Charles is such an endearing character and it is so wonderful to see how he will do anything he can to ensure that his patients are properly diagnosed and treated. They order Jenny a CT of the head. Ultimately however, after a battle over the contrast with Dr. Marcel, the scan comes back negative.Jenny becomes agitated and tries to remove Henry from the hospital, and Henry pleads with her to listen to the doctor. She accidentally smashed the crysallis jar on the floor and cuts her foot on the glass, and they have to restrain and sedate her. DCFS takes temporary custody of Henry while she is being admitted, and Will takes Henry back to his room to treat his arm and they give him a new jar for his crysallis. He asks what is going to happen to his mother and Will tells him that she will rest at the hospital for a few days while Madelyn (the worker from DCFS) will find him a comfortable place to stay.Dr. Charles and Dr. Cuevas are discussing Jenny's admission when Dr. Asher joins them and shows Dr. Charles the chest xray from when Jenny came in. She feels her mediastinum is wide and she could have a tumor which could be causing her symptoms, so they hold the admission and send her for another scan of her chest. They discover a small tumor and she goes for surgery to remove it. Dr. Asher tells Dr. Halstead that they feel the tumor was what was causing her psychosis. Jenny and Henry are reunited, and he shows her that the crysallis had hatched and turned into a butterfly, and we see that Jenny's psychotic symptoms have resolved. She apologizes for her behaviour and Dr. Charles lets her know they are all glad that she is okay now. This was such an enlightening case, as unfortunately due to the stigma of mental health, many patients are not given a proper workup and could be misdiagnosed.Grant comes in with one of his workers, who had an accident at his worksite. Vanessa takes the worker in and takes care of the man who has a stick in his eye, and Maggie orders the CT scan Dr. Taylor requested. The stick managed to not penetrate the eyeball, and Vanessa removes the stick and checks his eye.Grant tells Maggie that Vanessa is her spitting image, and they are waiting for opthamology so Grant asks to take them for lunch. Maggie says she is to busy, but Vanessa asks her to come for her. As she is heading over though, Ben arrives and she leaves to have lunch with him. Vanessa sees them leaving as she is eating with Grant.Maggie later apologizes to Vanessa for not making it to lunch and Vanessa tells her that she saw her go with Ben and that it seemed that she was trying to keep them apart and Maggie tells her that she was, and that she has not told Ben about Grant yet. Vanessa apologizes for not being more sensitive to the situation. As Ben comes into the ED and Grant is leaving with his worker Keith, Vanessa runs interference for Maggie to help keep them apart.As they are leaving the hospital, Maggie tells Ben about reconnecting Vanessa with her birth father, and Ben wants to know why she waited until today to tell him. She tells him that she has told Grant she is not interested in reconnecting with him, and he asks why she felt the need to tell him that. Maggie says it was to make sure there were no misunderstandings, but clearly Ben looked upset that she had not told him sooner. We can hope that with everything their relationship has survived, that they will be able to move past this, as their relationship is definitely a fan favorite at Med.Dr. Choi has freshly returned from vacation, and Dr. Zach Hudgins approaches him and Dr. Archer to review a patient. The patient has end stage ALS and is experiencing chest congestion and low oxygen saturation. Dr. Archer hears the name and goes in with them. Dr. Archer gave Al his original diagnosis. Dean suggests doing a bronchoscope to clean out his lungs but Al does not want to be intubated as he has a DNR. Ethan suggests treating him less invasively first like a CF patient with chest compression vests and breathing treatments and Dr. Archer reluctantly agrees.Suddenly the patient's oxygen saturation falls and he is really struggling to breathe. Dr. Hudgins tries to help but is worried he might hurt the patient so Dr. Archer takes over and they assist him to cough up a huge mucus plug. Dr. Choi is still hopeful that the compression vest will work but Dr. Archer tells Mr. Morero that he feels that bronchoscopy is the only way to clear things out for him. Al tells him he does not want intubation, and Dean reminds him of his family and all he has to live for. Dean promises he will not allow him to be left helpless on a bed. This was a very risky promise to make that only comes back to bite him later.They go to complete the intubation and Dr. Hudgins is having difficulty and tells Dr. Choi that because of COVID, they were not allowed to practice on real patients and he has only done this in simulation before. He has difficulty manipulating the anatomy and eventually Dr. Archer has to take over. Al improves following the procedure and they lighten his sedation to try to extubate him. However when they try a breathing trial, he is struggling to much, and they indicate they have to resedate him, and he tries to pull out the tube and they have to restrain him, but Dean tells him he will get him off the ventilator. Watching the sadness in Mr. Morero's eyes was truly heartbreaking, as clearly this is not what he wanted, and as they close out their storyline, we see Dean looking in the room and Al looking at him, clearly sad and angry at the same time. This patient story really brings up the importance of respecting patient wishes, and that sometimes while they may not make the decision we want, they should be able to make their own decision if they are capable of weighing and understanding the options. We have seen this bite several of our physicians in the past, including Dr. Halstead, Dr. Manning, Dr. Choi and Dr. Marcel to name a few. I guess we can add Dr. Archer to the club now.Before the episode ends, Dr. Choi takes Dr. Hudgins into a room with a dummy to practice intubations. He tells him welcome to boot camp. This was a very sweet interaction, and clearly Dr. Choi wants to help Dr. Hudgins after the restrictions he expreienced during the pandemic, and speaks to the added level of support new professionals will need in order to help them properly treat patients following their lack of hands on training over the past 2 years.After the call he received last week, Dean goes to the jail to visit his son. We find out it has been fifteen years since they have seen each other, and Sean teases Archer about getting old. Archer says he was talking to his lawyer, and she said something about a plea and he tells Sean he will get him a good lawyer, but Sean says no and he is cool with taking the plea and staying in prison. Dean tells him he has always given up on things to easily, and Sean says calling him was a bad idea and he will see him in another 15 years and walks out of the visitation area.After what happens with his patient, Dean returns to visit Sean again. He goes to see if there is anything Sean wants to tell him and tells him he will do his best to listen.The episode draws to a conclusion as we see Will watching his building be demolished by a wrecking ball. Perhaps this is symbolic of new beginnings, just like for Vanessa and her father, the new residents, Jenny and Henry and Dean and his son Sean. One thing is for sure, the wave of change is heading towards Chicago Med, and we will just have to see what happens when the ripples settle. I can't wait! Castilla y Leon (Spain), October 05, 2022 (SPS)- The political forces in the province of Castilla y Leon renewed their positions in support of the Sahrawi people's struggle for freedom and self-determination, during talks between the representative of the Polisario Front in Castilla y Leon Mr. Mohamed Labat and members of the Parliamentary blocs representing the Socialist Party, Por Avila Party, Union of the People of Leon Party and Soria YA Party. The representative of the Polisario Front briefed his hosts on the latest developments of the Sahrawi cause, in light of the ongoing war between the Sahrawi Peoples Liberation Army and the Moroccan occupation forces, as well as the Sahrawi governments concern about human rights violations practiced by the Moroccan occupation forces against Sahrawi activists in the occupied cities of Western Sahara and southern Morocco, in addition to the difficult humanitarian situation in the refugee camps resulting from the lack of food and medicine. The talks also dealt with other issues, including activating the role of the parliamentary group Peace and Freedom for the Sahrawi People and how the Sahrawi Parliament can benefit from the parliamentary experience in Castilla y Leon through the exchange of visits, experiences and expertise and unifying positions on many issues of common concern such as human rights and issues of freedom for peoples who suffer under the yoke of colonialism. SPS 110 TRA Quito (Ecuador), October 05, 2022 (SPS) The Sahrawi diplomat Ahmeiduha Ahmed Mohamed was received by Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, at the presidential palace in the capital Quito, where he handed him his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Sahrawi Republic to Ecuador. During the credentials ceremony, the President Guillermo Lasso, reiterated his country's position in support of the Sahrawi people and their just cause. The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss a number of issues of common interest, especially at the international level, in addition to valuing the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries. SPS 110 TRA By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has conducted another large-scale audit of the ICAO Coordinated Validation Mission for compliance with international safety standards of civil aviation in Azerbaijan under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program, Azernews reports. During the audit, compliance with international safety standards and the organization of state control was consistently verified in eight critical elements, including legislation, organizational structure, flight operations control, aircraft airworthiness control, air navigation standards control, aerodrome operator control, certificate issuance, and air accident investigation. According to the preliminary report of the Validation Committee, the effective implementation of the flight safety management system in Azerbaijan and compliance with ICAO standards were set at 80 percent. This figure is 5 percent above the global and European average set by ICAO by 2025, and at the same time, it is above the compliance rate of 66 percent determined by the last audit conducted in Azerbaijan in 2018. In this regard, ICAO sent a letter to the Digital Development and Transport Ministry and congratulated the Government of Azerbaijan and the State Civil Aviation Agency for the success achieved. The letter also expressed willingness to discuss directions of activities for further enhancing the control capacity of the agency. Photo: ANDINA/Parque de las Leyendas The find includes four ceramic bottles and a small brown bird-shaped jug, which are thought to belong to the Ychsma Culture a society that settled in the Valleys of Lurin and Chillon, in the central coast of Peru. The artifacts were found in the northeastern tip of Huaca La Palma. On a preliminary basis, the experts have determined that the find is believed to belong to the Late Horizon a time when the central coast was under the administration of the Inca Empire, between approximately 1470 and 1532 AD. The zoo states that this discovery is not the only one associated with construction during the late periods in Maranga, considering that human remains associated with the construction of floors or walls were found in recent works at Huaca Tres Palos and Huaca San Miguel. It also noted that Legends Park houses 54 monuments of the Maranga Archaeological Complex; however, Huaca La Palma is one of the most important ones due to the presence of friezes (one of the few in Lima), such as those of booby birds and stepped crosses (chacanas). In addition, it has certain features in common with the "pyramids with ramps" related to the Ychsma Culture in the lower valley of the Lurin River. (END) NDP/LIT/RMB/MVB Five ceramics, which are more than 500 years old and in a good state of preservation, were found by a team of archaeologists at Lima's Parque de las Leyendas (Leyends Park) zoo while conducting research at Huaca La Palma.Publicado: 5/10/2022 #AsambleaOEA ???? | En el marco de la 52 Asamblea General de la OEA, el Canciller @CesarLanda0 sostuvo una reunion de trabajo con la Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de Canada @melaniejoly, donde se dialogo a favor de la promocion de los Derechos Humanos y la Democracia. ???? ?? ???? pic.twitter.com/DgHO6a8uJy Police officers with the Brigades and Services for Countering Organized Crime and the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) prosecutors carried out, on Wednesday morning, 82 house searches in cases related to the commission of high-risk drug trafficking crimes, with over 150 people to be taken to hearings. told Agerpres. "The case files prosecuted by the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism - the Territorial Services of Alba, Cluj and Galati and the Territorial Office of Sibiu are aimed at the commission of high-risk drug trafficking crimes and the carrying out of operations with products knowing that these are likely to have psychoactive effects, without having an authorization issued under the terms of the law," informs a press release from the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (IGPR) sent to AGERPRES. Judicial activities are carried out together with police officers with the Brigades of Fighting Organized Crime (BCCO) of Alba-Iulia, Cluj-Napoca, Galati, Targu Mures, Oradea, Brasov, Timisoara, the Services for Countering Organised Crime (SCCO) of Sibiu, Satu Mare, Harghita, Maramures, Salaj, Bistrita-Nasaud and Arad, and also participating in the searches are members of the Romanian Gendarmerie. The action benefits from the support of the Technical Office within DIICOT and the Special Operations Directorate within the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police. The General Inspectorate of the Border Police informs that on Tuesday, 64,738 people entered Romania through border checkpoints throughout the country, including 7,696 Ukrainian nationals, down by about 6% compared to the previous day, told Agerpres. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday, approximately 137,600 people, Romanian and foreign nationals, with more than 40,000 means of transport, underwent border checks, both on the inbound and on the outbound. The number of Ukrainians who crossed into Romania since the pre-war date of February 10 is 2,499,561. On Tuesday, 26 foreign citizens who did not meet the legal requirements were denied entry to the country, and 15 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave for various legal reasons. On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) postponed for a later date, namely for 26 October, the debates regarding the Save Romania Union's (USR) notification related to the law enabling the construction of small hydroelectric power stations plants in protected areas. In the notification submitted to the CCR, the USR invoked 11 arguments of unconstitutionality, including the violation of the principle of bicameralism, taking into account that there are major differences in the legal content between the draft cleared by the Senate, as the first Chamber referred, and the draft passed by the Chamber of Deputies, told Agerpres. Moreover, the USR called-out the right to a healthy environment. "The damage to water bodies, the destruction of aquatic ecosystems, as well as that of forest habitats also affects human health. The purpose of environmental impact studies is to establish solutions to prevent or limit the aforementioned ecological impact, as well as to identify the responsible authorities in the event of ecological disasters, on the 'polluter pays' principle. In the conditions in which the law lifts the guaranteed protection of protected areas for such hydropower projects, granting, in return, 'immunity' to hydropower projects by simply invoking the major public interest, the risk created for the environment and human health it is a major one," the notification of the USR reads. The USR also invoked the violation of Romania's obligations and responsibilities towards the European Union, by not complying with the provisions included in art. 11, 191, 194 and 288 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as well as in Directives No. 60/2000 establishing a framework of Community action in the field of water policy, No. 43/92 regarding the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, No. 60/2007 regarding the assessment and management of flood risks, No. 147/2009 on the conservation of wild birds and in Directive No. 52/2014 regarding the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. The plenary meeting of the Chamber of Deputies cleared, on 23 March, the draft law which stipulates that the investment objectives for the creation of hydropower facilities in progress with a completion percentage greater than 60 percent are considered projects of major public interest and national safety and security, and they shall be made operational by 31 December 2025. In a statement issued last Tuesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the repeated launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea constitute, in addition to a threat to international peace and security, a repeated violation of International Law and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council A ceremony dedicated to the Romanian-British economic partnership and the beginning of the reign of King Charles III took place, on Tuesday evening, at the Peles Castle in central Sinaia. In her speech, the Custodian of the Romanian Crown, Margareta, spoke about the bilateral relations between the two countries, which were established during the reign of King Carol I, highlighting some important moments, recalling, at the same time, the sad moment of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, told Agerpres. Also, Her Majesty sent a message of hope and confidence to King Charles III. "Let's dedicate tonight's meeting with British diplomatic and economic personalities to the 140 bilateral relations, to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II and the reign of King Charles III," the Crown Custodian concluded. In turn, the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Bucharest, Andrew Noble, said, referring to the beginning of the reign of King Charles III, that the British who live in Romania and love this country are "especially blessed" that they have a king who knows Romania well. Furthermore, he mentioned in his speech the importance of bilateral relations in several fields of activity. I believe that the future is bright for the relations between our countries. (...) I think if we look at the energy sector, education, healthcare, transport, defense and, of course, technology (...), I think we will do very well in these sectors together, said Andrew Noble. The event was attended by state authorities, representatives of the United Kingdom Embassy in Bucharest, members of the business environment, figures from civil society. The Amiral Ion Murgescu Military Petty Officers School of the Romanian Navy will be awarded on Friday the Badge of Honour of the Romanian Army at a ceremony marking the school's 125th anniversary, told Agerpres. According to the Romanian Navy Staff, the celebration will take place in the presence of Deputy Chief of Staff of the Romanian Navy Cornel-Eugen Cojocaru. At the same time, the State Mint will launch a medal to celebrate the same anniversary under its 2022 Medal Programme-Anniversaries. The Navy's post-secondary education establishment, the only one of its kind in Romania said to continue the traditions of the previous special schools established under High Decree 3110 of October 8, 1897, signed by King Carol I. This year, the Constanta-based school also celebrates 30 years of bearing the name of the first admiral of the Romanian Navy, Vice Admiral Ioan Murgescu. In 1896, Murgescu was in command of the Royal Navy, a position that allowed him to take all the necessary steps to establish a school to train specialist petty officers to serves the technical needs on board warships. The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) postponed for Wednesday, October 26, the debates on President Klaus Iohannis' notification on the Aquaculture Law. The normative act, which was sent to the head of state by the Parliament, on July 4, with a view to promulgation, regulates the legal framework regarding the activity of aquaculture and the sale of products obtained from aquaculture, when these activities are carried out on the territory of Romania, including in marine waters under national jurisdiction. The law was tacitly adopted by the Senate, as a result of exceeding the adoption deadline, on October 11, 2021, and later, with amendments and additions, by the Chamber of Deputies - on June 29, told Agerpres. The head of state shows that among the changes brought by the Chamber are the elimination of the contravention of possessing, transporting or trading without legal documents the fish and other aquatic creatures obtained from aquaculture, the content of the crime of fish theft, as well as the change in the concept regarding the confiscation of goods that have were used to commit crimes and misdemeanors. President Iohannis says that the criticized law disregards the constitutional principle of bi-cameralism. The head of state also says that the law violates the principle of the separation of powers in the state, but also the constitutional role of the Government provided by the Constitution through the provision according to which, within one year from the date of entry into force of the normative act, both the areas in the public domain of the state on where the fishing facilities are located, as well as the areas related to them, will pass into the private domain of the state by decision of the E xecutive. He states that the law also violates art. 1 paragraph (5), art. 44 para. (1) and (2) and of art. 136 of the Constitution. President Iohannis mentions that, by the content of its provisions and by the lack of correlation of the norms with all the regulations in force, the law contains a series of inconsistencies, overlaps and contradictions that are contrary to art. 1 paragraph (5) from the Constitution. The head of state requests the CCR to admit the notification of unconstitutionality and to declare the law unconstitutional, in its entirety. The Government approved on Wednesday the granting of aid to the Republic of Moldova of 130,000 cubic meters of firewood, the Minister of Environment, Water and Forestry Tanczos Barna announced. "On the occasion of the visit of Mrs. Maia Sandu, the President of the Republic of Moldova, a request for support was presented to the Romanian side for the Republic of Moldova due to the humanitarian crisis and the economic crisis in which this country is, due to refugees and due to natural gas problems - a pre-existing problem, but aggravated by the war. The request referred to the granting of firewood for the Republic of Moldova, as crisis aid for this country. We decided today that the aid should be provided by Romsilva, in a partnership with Moldosilv, the state forestry company from the Republic of Moldova. The price at which this amount of wood will be sold is the weighted average price practiced by Romsilva this year in the case of the sale of the firewood type," said Tanczos Barna, at the Victoria Palace, after the Executive meeting.He also said that transport to the border will be ensured, these quantities will be transported, most safely by rail. The Institute of German Studies within the German language study line of the Babes-Bolyai University (UBB) in Cluj-Napoca launched, on Wednesday, under the Science Cafe brand, a network of research-development-innovation laboratories (UBB-HUB-CDI), within the NTT DATA company, told Agerpres. "UBB and NTT DATA students, researchers and experts who want to get involved in national and international projects, independently or in partnership with other universities, institutes or partner companies from the German-speaking area, will carry out their activity in these laboratories. The three laboratories that initially constitute UBB-HUB-CDI are: (1) 'Knowledge Discovery & Software Engineering', (2) 'Economics and Optimization' and (3) 'Digital Humanities'",reads a press release sent by UBB on Wednesday. According to the cited source, in the last five years, more than 30 R&D projects with partners from industry or universities in Germany have been developed within the Institute of German Studies, on various topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Autonomous Drones, Smart Cities, Energy, etc. "Just as UBB has opened up to the socio-economic environment, I am glad to see that the socio-economic environment has opened up to UBB, hosting CDI units that can thus generate complex innovation ecosystems," declared the UBB rector, Professor Dr. Daniel David, as cited in the press release. On Wednesday, President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on Education Day, in which he affirms that teachers fully deserve the recognition and trust of the entire society. "Happy anniversary to all the teachers who, through their dedication, guide children on the fascinating journey of knowledge. A quality education is not possible without well-prepared and motivated teachers. In Educated Romania, the role of the teacher is an essential one, in terms of responsibility and of its importance in building a strong nation. Thank you for the mission you have undertaken! You fully deserve the recognition and trust of the entire society!" the head of state wrote on Facebook, told Agerpres. The National Consumer Protection Authority (ANPC) has sanctioned low-cost carrier Blue Air with over 10 million RON for the flights canceled starting from June 15, 2022 until now, ANPC said in a release. According to the conclusions of the investigations conducted by ANPC commissioners, Blue Air Aviation SA has failed to propose any commitments or a plan of remedial measures for customers within the deadline set by the competent authorities. In the period covered by the investigation, specifically June 15 - September 12, 2022, 150,227 consumers from 23 EU member states were affected, and the company's practice was repetitive, told Agerpres. "Following these findings, the ANPC investigation team decided to hand down two fines, one in the amount of 2,000,000 euros, equivalent in RON at the exchange rate of 4.10.2022, for the large-scale impact on consumers across the EU, and another in the amount of 200,000 RON for repeated violations. The fines total 10,094,200 RON," the release states. The fines also come with complementary sanctions: remedial measures; the company is required to cease unfair commercial practices, in the sense of no longer putting on the market misleading flight offers it doesn't have the resources to deliver; the suspension of services is proposed until the termination of the misleading commercial practice or until the completion of the ordered measures. Blue Air first announced on September 6 that it would suspend all scheduled flights until September 12 on grounds that its accounts had been seized by the Ministry of the Environment. Although one day later the Environmental Fund Administration announced that it had decided to suspend the seizure of Blue Air Aviation's financial assets and the establishment of a 12-month schedule for the pay-off of the debt, the low-cost airline operator announced that it would resume flights only from October 10, because it lacked the necessary funds to pay for fuel and other operational expenses related to the flights planned starting from September 12. Later on, at the end of September, the airline announced that it would not resume flights from October 10 and that it was in talks with potential investors, lenders and the government of Romania to restructure its capital profile. The National Agency for Cadastre and Real Estate Advertising (ANCPI) has registered over 350,000 properties this year, free of charge for citizens, within the integrated cadastre and land register system, representing an area of over one million hectares, ANCPI informs in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Wednesday. Another almost seven million hectares from 2,435 administrative-territorial units (UAT) are under construction. ANCPI, a public institution subordinated to the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration (MDLPA), completed the systematic registration of buildings at the level of the entire locality in 153 UATs, out of a total of 3,181, as well as in cadastral sectors with a total area of over 3,800,000 hectares. A number of 40 communes were registered with European funds through the Major Project "Increasing the degree of coverage and inclusion of the property registration system in rural areas of Romania". At the same time, it is stated in the press release, the systematic registration of real estate in over 19,000 cadastral sectors with an area of 2,797 hectares was completed. Until October 4, through the ongoing programs, ANCPI opened 5,118,045 new land records free of charge for citizens. Out of the total of 9.54 million hectares of agricultural land that are subject to APIA (Agency of Payments and Intervention in Agriculture) subsidies, 6.55 million hectares (69%) were registered in the integrated cadastre and land register system, told Agerpres. Currently, cadastral works are being carried out in 2,435 UATs both at the level of the entire locality (in 569 UATs, with a total estimated area of 4,500,000 hectares) and on cadastral sectors (in 19,883 cadastral sectors, with the total estimated area of 2,414,996 hectares). The National Cadastre and Land Registry Program (PNCCF) aims towards free registration for citizens of all real estate (land and buildings) in Romania in the integrated cadastre and land registry system. The program is financed from the ANCPI's own revenues, from European funds and from the local budget of the municipalities, the press release reads. President Klaus Iohannis will participate, on Thursday and Friday, in the first meeting of the European Political Community and in the informal meeting of the European Council, which is taking place in Prague, in the Czech Republic, the Presidential Administration informed, told Agerpres. President Klaus Iohannis participated, on Tuesday, in a video conference with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, and the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, regarding the two meetings. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca expressed his confidence on Wednesday that the package of Education laws will be approved by the Government by the end of this month, so that in November it will be submitted to the parliamentary debate, told Agerpres. At the beginning of the Government meeting, the Prime Minister welcomed the new Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, to the Executive, expressing his joy, at the same time, regarding the increase in the presence of women in the Cabinet. Given that Wednesday marks the Day of Education, the Prime Minister wished success and better results to all those working in this field. "I appreciate the willingness and interest of the OAS to listen and discuss joint solutions in order to face crisis situations affecting food security in the country and other parts of the world, the Head of State said after the meeting. We have agreed to strongly promote agriculture, further development, democracy, as well as human rights in Peru and the entire region," he added. During the meeting, the top dignitary was accompanied by a delegation made up of Foreign Affairs Minister Cesar Landa, Education Minister Rosendo Serna, and Agrarian Development-Irrigation Minister Jenny Ocampo Escalante, among others. Almagro highlighted Peru's agricultural capacities to face crises. On the other hand, in statements to the press, he said that the dialogue with President Pedro Castillo focused on priority issues of his Government and the region, including food security and the creation of spaces for dialogue in order to strengthen democracy. "We spoke with President Castillo, and he has been very clear about working in spaces for inter-institutional dialogue, for dialogue with civil society, and with the business sector," he underlined. On the other hand, the OAS Secretary General considered that Peru can deal with the crisis within the country and the Hemisphere using its knowledge and agricultural capacities. Peru has the capacity to face this situation thanks to the knowledge of its small farmers, entrepreneurs, technicians, and experts, he said. (END) NDP/JCR/RMB The President of the Republic Pedro Castillo on Tuesday highlighted the meeting with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) Luis Almagro, held at the Government Palace within the framework of the 52nd OAS General Assembly, which is set to take place in Lima between October 5 and 7.Published: 10/4/2022 Romania has used up 67% of its European funds for the years 2014-2020, but the funds can still be absorbed until December 2023, Government spokesperson Dan Carbunaru announced on Wednesday. "So far, the absorption level for the 2014-2020 allocation period - you know that Romania still has until December 2023 to absorb all the money - we already have a 67% absorption rate, there are 24 billion euros that Romania has absorbed, including 4 billion this year. Project calls for another 750 million euros are already launched, with another 290 million euros - the value of the other calls - to be publicly announced as soon as possible. As such, the pace is sustained," he told a news conference held at the Government House, told Agerpres. He said that the problems generated by rising labour and materials costs slowed down the pace at which certain projects were implemented, but that the government stepped in. At the same time, Finance Minister Adrian Caciu said that drawing money under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) must be sped up for what has already been achieved. "There are a number of things for which funds can be requested. I had discussions last week with Minister Bolos and the other ministers to make the fund applications, so that the money available to Romania can be used," he said. As many as 1,059 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, by 360 fewer than on the previous day, on over 16,450 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed Of the new cases, 234 were in re-infected patients who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease. Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 256, and in the counties of Cluj - 70, Timis - 64, and Brasov - 62, told Agerpres. The 14-day COVID-19 notification rate is highest in the counties of Cluj - 1.41, Timis - 1.37, and in Bucharest - 1.34. As of Wednesday, 3,273,069 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania. - Hospitalisations - As many as 1,280 people with COVID-19 are hospitalised at specialist care facilities across the country, by 69 fewer than the day before; 83 of this total are children. Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 117 are in ICUs. Of the ICU patients, 108 are unvaccinated for COVID-19. - Deaths - According to the Ministry, 12 Covid deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours - 10 men and two women. There was one death each in the 40 - 49 and the 50 - 59 year age range, three were in the 60 - 69 age category, one in the 70 - 79 age category and six in the 80+ age range. All deceased patients suffered from underlying conditions, and only two were vaccinated for Covid. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 67,066 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union will seek to obtain unanimity of votes at the Summit in December regarding Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen area, Czech Minister of EU Affairs Mikulas Bek stated in the plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The Czech high official said that, in past years, the Schengen area felt challenges, such as the wave of migrants in 2015-2016 and the consequences of the current conflict in Ukraine. In a debate dedicated to the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, the Czech Minister said that the Czech Presidency of the EU Council believes that Schengen expansion is a fundamental element and is committed to making progress so that Romania and Bulgaria join this area. The voting of an EP resolution on this topic is scheduled to take place in the plenary meeting over 20-17 October.The Czech official stated that several visits to be carried out by European experts to Romania and Bulgaria will begin next week.In his turn, European Commission Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas brought to mind that Romania and Bulgaria have met the technical criteria for joining the Schengen area, for a long time, something known since 2011. He said that in the past 35 years, an entire architecture for the Schengen area has been constructed and this architecture must be improved. The EC Vice-President added that the Europeans' support for Schengen proves its importance, mentioning that Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting for a Council decision for over 11 years. Margaritis Schinas wanted to praise the Romanian and Bulgarian partners for the manner in which they managed the Union's external borders in the face of a large wave of Ukrainian refugees.He added that the two countries remain committed in enforcing the Schengen acquis and ensuring security at the external borders, mentioning that the upcoming visit of the European experts does not mean a reassessment of the preparation of the two countries, but only an opportunity for the member states to receive the latest updates regarding the application of the Schengen rules in Romania and Bulgaria.The representative of the EU Executive concluded that the European Commission reiterates its support for Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, adding that the opportunity to take this historic decision shall take place in December.The Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union will seek to obtain unanimity of votes at the Summit in December regarding Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen area, Czech Minister of EU Affairs Mikulas Bek stated in the plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.The Czech high official said that, in past years, the Schengen area felt challenges, such as the wave of migrants in 2015-2016 and the consequences of the current conflict in Ukraine. In a debate dedicated to the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, the Czech Minister said that the Czech Presidency of the EU Council believes that Schengen expansion is a fundamental element and is committed to making progress so that Romania and Bulgaria join this area. The voting of an EP resolution on this topic is scheduled to take place in the plenary meeting over 20-17 October.The Czech official stated that several visits to be carried out by European experts to Romania and Bulgaria will begin next week.In his turn, European Commission Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas brought to mind that Romania and Bulgaria have met the technical criteria for joining the Schengen area, for a long time, something known since 2011. He said that in the past 35 years, an entire architecture for the Schengen area has been constructed and this architecture must be improved. The EC Vice-President added that the Europeans' support for Schengen proves its importance, mentioning that Romania and Bulgaria have been waiting for a Council decision for over 11 years. Margaritis Schinas wanted to praise the Romanian and Bulgarian partners for the manner in which they managed the Union's external borders in the face of a large wave of Ukrainian refugees.He added that the two countries remain committed in enforcing the Schengen acquis and ensuring security at the external borders, mentioning that the upcoming visit of the European experts does not mean a reassessment of the preparation of the two countries, but only an opportunity for the member states to receive the latest updates regarding the application of the Schengen rules in Romania and Bulgaria.The representative of the EU Executive concluded that the European Commission reiterates its support for Romania's and Bulgaria's accession to Schengen, adding that the opportunity to take this historic decision shall take place in December. The PSD (Social Democratic Party) ministers have met all the milestones established for the third quarter of 2022 under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) of Romania, the Social Democrats stated on Wednesday, while saying they were willing to help the Minister of Energy in this respect too, told Agerpres. "At the same time, the PSD says it hopes that the other members of the Government will also meet the milestones in the PNRR related to their field of activity, until the date of transmission of the payment request to the European Commission. In the case of some ministries where the delays are longer, such as for example, the Ministry of Energy, the PSD has shown itself willing to provide support for the acceleration of the activity, so that the milestones are met, and Romania can obtain the tranche of European funds related to the third quarter," reads a PSD press release. Bihor County border authorities and environmental commissioners denied entry to Romania for a shipment of paper waste from Hungary due to lacking import documents, the Oradea Border Police Territorial Inspectorate informed on Wednesday. The long-haul truck driven by a Romanian and carrying 21 tons of paper waste to a Romania-based recipient arrived at the Bors II Border Crossing Point for clearance. Due to suspicions regarding the legality of the respective transport, the border police requested the support of the representatives of the Bihor County Commissariat within the National Environmental Guard. The checks revealed that the driver did not have the documentation required by law for the import of such products, the cited source said, told Agerpres. Therefore, the truck was denied entry to Romania and the shipment was returned to the sender. ST. LOUIS The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency sent a team to help with search and rescue efforts in hurricane-stricken Florida, the agency said Tuesday. The NGA deployed a team on Sept. 29 to the Fort Myers, Fla. area, where Hurricane Ian hit last week. The NGA team was requested by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The team is processing 60,000 drone images each day as part of the search and rescue efforts. Teams in Springfield, Va. and St. Louis are helping with damage assessments, to guide food and water distribution. St. Louis County Library will bring arts-based programming and cultural enrichment to county library branches this fall made possible by a $200,000 endowment from the Kranzberg Arts Foundation to the St. Louis County Library Foundation. The endowment will develop library spaces for use as artistic venues and provide an arts-based approach to community development. The library will host annual group exhibits featuring Kranzberg Arts Foundation visual artists-in-residence at the new Clark Family Branch, scheduled to open in late 2023. We couldnt be more thrilled to partner with the St. Louis County Library to bring free arts programming to communities throughout St. Louis County and highlight our incredible local artists, musicians and thought leaders, said Chris Hansen, executive director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation. The programs will begin in October at two branches. Musician and educator Harvey Lockhart will host the monthly Kranzberg Jazz Jam every first Thursday of the month at the Lewis and Clark Branch, 9909 Lewis-Clark Boulevard. This weekly gathering celebrates St. Louis jazz legacy and future and aims to make the music accessible for all ages and backgrounds. The first session will take place 6 p.m. Oct. 6. A new speakers series will take place at the Florissant Valley Branch, 195 New Florissant Road South, on the second Monday of each month beginning at noon Oct. 10. It will feature speakers from across the arts, culture and leadership landscape. Attendees are invited to bring their lunch. St. Louis County Library was also named the 2022 Missouri Library of the Year for distinguished and outstanding work for the community by the Missouri Library Association. The award was presented last week during the associations annual conference in Springfield, Missouri. If the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a taco is that crispy corn shell filled with seasoned ground beef, strings of bright yellow cheese and shredded lettuce, then it's time to think beyond the emoji. October 4 is National Taco Day, but any day in October (or any month, really) is a worthwhile opportunity to dive into the diverse world of tacos. "When I was living in Mexico, I realized there is this word, 'taquear,' which means to taco something or to go have tacos somewhere," said Lesley Tellez, a New York-based writer and author of "Eat Mexico." "It's not just a physical thing, it's a way to eat something," she added. If you have tortillas, you're already halfway to making tacos. Whether built from soft flour or corn (masa) tortillas, fried corn tortilla shells, or other grain variations like quinoa flour or cassava flour tortillas, the taco is really flexible -- both literally and metaphorically. You can buy a stack of ready-made tortillas or make your own at home; King Arthur Baking has a number of recipes using a variety of flours. Tortillas have been used as edible vessels since the days of the Aztecs, but the popularity of tacos grew with the dispersion of modern Mexican cuisine in the 20th century. They can be stuffed with almost any filling(s) you can imagine: From the puffy tacos of Tex-Mex cuisine to the fish tacos of Baja to food trucks slinging regional specialties, the taco contains multitudes. And with so many ways to fill a taco, why restrict yourself? "I object to the idea of a taco night because it's not a night -- it can be every day," Tellez said. "There's a whole universe of tacos out there." This month, use the taco as a canvas for indulging in both traditional and improvised recipes. And if you're anywhere near San Bernardino, California, stop by Mitla Cafe and try the tacos that inspired the founder of Taco Bell. Once you've crunched into one of Mitla's freshly fried taco shells -- as I have at the end of a long Route 66 road trip -- you'll wonder how you can ever eat a fast-food taco again. Hearty meat tacos When it comes to taco fillings, tender pork and beef are traditional and beloved by many. No doubt you have a favorite taqueria that dishes up a mouthwatering taco platter, but if you want to make your own at home, try these recipes. Carnitas, made with pork shoulder braised in orange juice and Coca-Cola, are simultaneously juicy and crispy. Traditionally the pork is fried in lard before slow cooking, but this slow cooker carnitas recipe offers the option of using coconut oil. Barbacoa translates to "barbecue" in Spanish and refers to the method of slow-roasting tough cuts of beef -- or goat or lamb -- in a pit. (When it comes to tacos, beef is typically the most popular meat.) But instead of digging a pit in the backyard, Instant Pot barbacoa makes the process much easier. Chicken tinga, a Pueblan dish characterized by its spicy chipotle-and-tomato sauce, is another favorite taco filling. This saucy shredded chicken is another taco filling that's easy to replicate in the Instant Pot -- or for a no-stress dinner, use shredded rotisserie chicken. Vegetarian tacos For farm-share subscribers who struggle with what to do with their regular produce boxes, tacos are always the answer. If a vegetable can be cooked, it can be turned into a taco filling, according to Tellez. "You can 'taco' a pile of sauteed mushrooms, sauteed squash and chopped tomatoes," she suggested. Mushroom tacos can be made simply with a skillet of sauteed cremini mushrooms -- or with meaty wild varieties such as oyster mushrooms for a vegetarian version of carnitas. (If you want even more ways to cook with mushrooms, try these ideas.) Squash tacos can be filled with summer squash and zucchini when those vegetables are in season, or hard squash varieties, such as butternut, kabocha or delicata, during colder months. When delicate squash blossoms are available, grab a handful to pan-fry in a light batter as a fleetingly special taco filling. In one of Tellez' "Eat Mexico" recipes, shredded carrots make the most unexpectedly delicious taco fillings. They can be rolled in tortillas and pan-fried for a taquito-style meal or simply spooned into a soft tortilla of your choice. Breakfast tacos for any time of day Austin, Texas, seems to have single-handedly made the breakfast taco a dish worth waking up for, but you don't need to travel to the Lone Star State -- or anywhere further than your kitchen -- for a loaded-up, fill-you-up tortilla. Eggs are a standard in breakfast tacos, whether scrambled or fried, but beyond that, it's up to your cravings to dictate what else is included. Chorizo, potatoes, cheese, salsa, beans, avocado (fresh or fried), and even steak or brisket are on the table. And if all else fails, just look to what you have on hand and turn it into a taco. "My favorite tacos (use) the leftovers that I pull out of my fridge and reinvent," Tellez said. Her secret for transforming sad leftovers is by always stocking the refrigerator with classic taco toppings that bring big flavor. "I tend to keep a lot of toppings," she explained. "I always keep hot sauce that I love, cilantro, raw jalapeno, and raw cabbage because it stays good forever." With an arsenal of fresh, spicy and crunchy toppings, everything from fried rice to chopped-up frittatas can become taco fillings. Take stock of what you've got and taquear to your heart's content. The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. A phone conversation was held between the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the U.S. Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. On October 4, upon the initiative of the American side, a phone conversation was held between the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the U.S. State Secretary and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan. The sides exchanged opinions on the meeting held on October 2 in Geneva. The Armenian side reiterated the need for the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, the immediate repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war illegally held in Azerbaijan and for the unconditional observance of the ceasefire regime. The inadmissibility of resolving the issues with the use of force or the threat of use of force was stressed. In the context of preventing new aggressions, the importance of introducing international mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the border situation was emphasized. During the conversation, the interlocutors exchanged views on the development of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty and the creation of a discussion mechanism between Stepanakert and Baku. The sides agreed to continue discussions aimed at establishing stability and security in the South Caucasus, the foreign ministry said in the readout. Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Melissa Fuoss is now the age 43 that Sgt. William McEntee was when he died. McEntee was a Kirkwood police officer. He was murdered on July 5, 2005, by Kevin Johnson. He walked up to McEntees police car and fired several shots, then followed McEntee after the officer drove away and shot him in the back of the head. McEntee, a 20-year veteran of the force, left behind a wife and three children. Johnson was 19 at the time. He is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Nov. 29. This is a story, Fuoss wrote recently, of endless tragedy. An English teacher, she is part of a group of educators many of whom taught Johnson who are advocating that one death is compounded by another one. They have written Gov. Mike Parson, asking him to spare Johnsons life. McEntee did not deserve to be shot, Fuoss wrote in a blog post. I am 43, and a mother, and I cannot imagine the pain of officer McEntees family. Their husband, and father, and son, and brother, will never walk through the door again. Their lives became forever altered because of Kevin. Those seven shots destroyed more than one mans life, and nothing will ever be able to make that okay. Kevins lifetime of abuse, his mental illness, his extreme trauma, and his still not fully developed teenage brain, do not excuse or justify his actions. But we cannot separate Kevins story from the tragedy of that day in 2005. And we cannot separate this story from racism. For many people, when it comes to the death penalty, there is no gray area, only black and white. Youre either for it, as is former St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch, the man who sought the ultimate punishment for Johnsons horrible deed. Or youre against it, as Fuoss is, as I am, as current St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell is. The Conviction and Incident Review Unit of Bells office has asked outside investigators to look into whether racial bias contributed to Johnsons conviction of first degree murder. The death penalty in the U.S. is fraught with examples of mistakes of innocent men killed for a crime they didnt commit, of a dynamic that makes it more likely Black men will receive the death penalty than white men. There has been tragedy upon tragedy, with questions of wrongful conviction hanging over the death chamber long after a convicted murderer has died. This is not necessarily one of those cases. Johnson did the unspeakable crime. He admits it. Hes written that hes remorseful. The people trying to spare his life dont believe hes innocent. But they also dont believe he deserves to die. If killing Kevin would have brought back the police officer he killed, then the death penalty may make sense, but of course that is not even a possibility, says Pam Stanfield. She was Johnsons principal in elementary school. She remembers him as a smart kid with great potential who grew up in a life of tragedy. Johnson lived in Meacham Park, the historically Black neighborhood in Kirkwood that was often a symbol of the regions racial injustice. His father was incarcerated. His mother was addicted to crack. Johnsons 12-year-old brother, who had struggled with medical issues, died the day Johnson snapped and killed McEntee. None of this justifies what he did, says Fuoss. She taught Johnson in high school, and when she learned of what Johnson had done, she immediately thought of the poem he had written in her class of giving his infant daughter a bath and the joy it brought him. That daughter is 19 now, the age her father was when he killed a cop. The teachers in Johnsons life have mentored her and guided her, as theyve communicated with Johnson during his stint in prison. I could not see the value behind taking another father away from his child, especially since he was the only parent she had, Stanfield says. In the time since Johnson was convicted, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that sending children, including those just a few months younger than Johnson when he committed his crime, to their deaths or to life in prison without parole is cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling recognized that a childs brain is not developed enough to fully comprehend their crimes. They can change. They can grow. What does it say about us, Fuoss wonders in her writing, if we compound one tragedy by creating another, replacing justice with vengeance? I have always believed that the death penalty is wrong, but this feels deeply disturbing and personal to me. I love Kevin and am so proud of the way he has worked to heal himself and fight against injustice, Fuoss writes. Advocacy for Kevins life is not in conflict with compassion for the McEntee family and what they have lost. ... We can honor the devastating loss of McEntees life and believe that the death penalty is wrong, and that it is wrong for Kevin. Both things can exist together. VANCOUVER, BC and UTTENWEILER, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2022 / XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. (CSE:XPHY)( OTCQB:XPHYF)(FSE:4XT) ("XPhyto" or the "Company") is pleased to report that it has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") to identify and assess potential business synergies for manufacturing, import/export, distribution and product development with a US-based thin film manufacturing firm (the "Firm"). The Firm operates a state-of-the art US-based FDA-certified pharma production facility managed by a seasoned leadership team with over 50 years of experience. With an expert R&D team and a licenced manufacturing facility with a 50 million+ annual thin film capacity, the Firm is an ideal potential partner to produce XPhyto's oral dissolvable ("ODF") biosensor products. They are capable of thin film medical product formulation, mixing, coating, and packaging. In addition, the Firm has a portfolio of OTC and FDA-approved products currently for sale in the US market. The LOI sets out a number of short-term milestones to determine the extent and feasibility of potential business synergies between XPhyto and the Firm which include: manufacturing compatibility for XPhyto's ODF biosensor products; potential EU-GMP certification of the US-based facility; reciprocal import/export opportunities between the US and Europe; and product R&D collaborations. XPhyto's proprietary ODF biosensor development portfolio includes multiple oral health products, including for the detection of stomatitis, periodontitis, and periimplantitis. The Company's first ODF biosensor screening product is for general oral inflammation. Positive detection of the causative inflammatory agents results in an enzymatic release of a bitter compound in the user's mouth, with no medical training, analytical equipment or power supply required. The oral inflammation biosensor is designed to function as a simple, low-cost, and self-administered screening test to identify users for follow-up medical testing. The Company's oral dissolvable inflammation screening test was EU registered in late 2021 and is currently licensed for marketing and sale in Europe. XPhyto's pipeline of biosensor screening products for inflammatory, bacterial and viral infectious diseases includes stomatitis, periimplantitis, periodontitis, group A strep, influenza A, and covid-19. This suite of biosensor products positions the Company within the global biosensor and oral health markets which are expected to reach US $43.6 billion and US $44.5 billion respectively by 2028 according to Global Market Insights. About XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. is a diversified bioscience accelerator focused on next-generation drug formulation, diagnostic, and new active pharmaceutical ingredient investment opportunities, including: precision transdermal and oral dissolvable drug formulations; rapid, low-cost infectious disease and oral health screening tests; and manufacture, standardization, and evaluation of psychedelic compounds for the treatment of neurological conditions. The Company has research and development operations in North America and Europe, with an operational focus in Germany, and is currently focused on regulatory approval and commercialization of medical products for European markets. XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. Hugh Rogers, CEO and Director Email: [email protected] Phone: +1 780-818-6422 Forward looking statements This news release includes statements containing forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "develop", "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "propose" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and in this release include the statement regarding the Company's goal of building a successful diagnostic, drug delivery, and medical cannabis company. Forward-looking statements are only predictions based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including: that the Company may not succeed in developing a commercial product; that the sale of products may not be a viable business; that the Company may be unable to scale its business; product liability risks; product regulatory risk; general economic conditions; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; currency risks; competition; international risks; and other risks beyond the Company's control. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: XPhyto Therapeutics Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: In an 8-k filing published yesterday, Exxon Mobil Corp (NYSE: XOM) signaled it will post strong Q3 operating profits on the back of high natural gas prices. Despite weaker performance in refining and chemicals, Exxon pointed to strong Q3 earnings, which will likely come ahead of the consensus. Exxon could deliver figures close to Q2s record-setting $17.9 billion profit, the filing showed. Exxon signaled that natural gas lifted operating results by around $2 billion, which offsets declines of about $1.6 billion in oil profits. Earnings from oil and gas could hit $13 billion, materially higher than the consensus calling for a $10.1 billion in the Q3 operating profit. Overall, operating profits could hit $17.8 billion, again higher than the $14.68 billion, as per Refinitiv. Bank of America analyst Doug Leggate raised Q3 EPS estimates to reflect a positive trading update. While refining is lower sequentially, 3Q22 still looks like XOMs second best quarter ever, while combined Chemicals/Specialty Products holds up much better than expected, with higher specialty pricing offsetting polymer weakness. Overall 3Q22 sets up XOM for its first meaningful dividend increase in 3 yrs and potential secondary acceleration in buybacks already 3x to $30bn through end 2023, Leggate said in a client note. JPMorgan analyst Ian Mitchell said Exxon will likely report a solid beat, judging by the 8-k filing. The range of potential outcomes in the guidance is, once again, quite wide ($3.59 to $4.26). However, with history as a guide, we think that XOM typically comes in above the midpoint, including the most recent 2Q22, Mitchell wrote in a note. Finally, Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta also raised Q3 estimates following the company's 8-K filing. We underestimated the impact of the stronger gas price environment and continued strength in refining margins, driving robust results relative to our estimates We revise our 3Q2022 EPS estimate from $3.08 to $3.87. We remain constructive on XOM, with a differentiated upstream project queue, unique business transformation driving FCF breakevens lower, and improving returns on capital driving our Buy rating, Mehta wrote. The analyst sees an upside potential of over 20% in XOM shares. By Senad Karaahmetovic In a wide-ranging note on payment technology stocks Wednesday, Goldman Sachs analyst Will Nance told investors the risk-reward is highly favorable on FIS. (NYSE: FIS). The analyst explained that while much of the conversation revolves around whether Fidelity National Information Services can keep pace with "growthier peers" in the payments space, they believe the story is "highly compelling from a value lense, and capable of delivering double-digit EPS growth beyond next year." Nance added that they believe this is the case even with Merchant growth trailing the market and elevated investment spending levels in Banking. Nance added that Goldman's bottom-up work on revenue expectations and incremental margins by business line suggests that Fidelity National could point to the lower end of its long-term targets. "We now see ~6-7% topline growth (incl ~8-9% in merchant) as our base case, with margin expansion in the 50-60bps range (including limited margin expansion in Banking solutions as the company continues to build out its MBP platform)," the analyst wrote. "However, given the significant underperformance and Street numbers already sitting at the low end of FIS's targets, we believe this is fairly well understood, and at ~$7.35 2023E EPS, we believe the risk reward is highly favorable. Our SOTP suggests ~38% upside to shares, and we believe the current valuation is effectively pricing in very little value for the merchant business. We would look over the next 2 quarters for mgmt to reset the bar, as well as deliver some incremental efficiency initiatives on the cost side as catalysts for share to re-rate," he concluded. By Sam Boughedda MEXICO CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of bbb- (Good) of Seguros Universales, S.A. (Universales) (Guatemala). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Universales balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM). The stable outlooks reflect AM Bests expectation that the company will be able to maintain its risk-adjusted capitalization while new business performance develops. Universales, which was established in 1962, is the sixth-largest insurer in Guatemala, with a market share of 7.74%. The companys portfolio, as of August 2022, is composed mainly of non-life products (75%), with the remainder (25%) focused on the life insurance market. The company holds very competitive positions in the property/casualty (P/C) and accident and health segments, ranking 5th and 6th, respectively. The company is owned privately by a group of 10 shareholders, none with a stake larger than 23%. AM Best views Universales business profile as neutral, based on the companys market position and its ability to develop niche markets through commercial alliances, distribution channels and by developing new offerings. The companys management capabilities have allowed it to enter key business in Guatemala, reflecting in a 30.9% growth for 2021. In addition, the companys digitalization and ERM efforts are allowing the company to navigate the ongoing economic cycle successfully. AM Best assesses Universales balance sheet strength as very strong, due to the availability and quality of the capital, reinsurance protection and conservative risk profile. The companys consistent profitable results are reflected in a growing capital base with a conservative risk profile and well-structured dividend payments. Universales has a reinsurance program based on a mixture of treaty and facultative programs with highly rated reinsurers, which historically have been effective in protecting its balance sheet. AM Best views Universales operating performance as marginal due to its dependency on other technical income and investment results to generate positive bottom-line results, as its combined ratio has been consistently above 100. In the past three years, the company has adjusted its offerings in terms of price and coverages, which helped it to improve its loss ratio most recently 48% in August 2022; however, administrative expenses and acquisition costs continue to limit its performance. AM Best will continue to monitor the performance as its market experience develops. Negative rating actions could take place if the companys capital base deteriorates as a consequence of higher risks undertakings or underperforming business without prudent capital management. Positive rating actions could take place if operating performance improves in a consistent and sustained way in the medium term. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2022 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005595/en/ Eli Sanchez Associate Director +52 55 1102 2720, ext. 122 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 [email protected] Alfonso Novelo Senior Director +52 55 11027 2720, ext. 107 [email protected] Al Slavin Communications Specialist +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098 [email protected] Source: AM Best Annual roundup highlights the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Inc. has announced its fourth annual Founder-Friendly Investors list, honoring the private equity and venture capital firms with the best track records of success backing entrepreneurs. Last year was the first that Inc. shifted focus from previous listswhich were called the Private Equity 50and this year will continue the trend, by including venture capital firms as well. The final list recognizes 184 firms that entrepreneurs collaborate with and trust as they receive the financial support they need to help drive growth. Per Inc.s selection criteria, all 184 have a successful track record of remaining actively involved with the businesses they invest in. Battery makes both venture capital and private equity investments. Fully investing in an entrepreneur, and their innovative vision, involves far more than the financial investment. By developing relationships with and supporting entrepreneurs for the long-term, these private equity firms are more than investors, theyre partners, says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. media. This incredible recognition on the Inc. 2022 list of founder-friendly investors is a testament to Batterys nearly forty years of dedication to our portfolio founders and management teams, and to backing big ideas, said Morad Elhafed, a Battery general partner. We are proud to partner with paradigm-shifting executives who are forming and scaling the disruptive technology companies of tomorrow, especially in the software sector. Battery has invested in more than 450 companies globally since its inception, excluding seed-stage deals, resulting in 73 total IPOs and 195 M&A events*. Eight of the firms companies staged IPOs in 2021, and 13 had M&A exits. The portfolio companies that went public last year were Affirm, Amplitude, Braze, Coinbase, Confluent, Olo, Scodix and Sprinklr. To compile the list, Inc. went straight to the source: entrepreneurs who have sold to private equity and venture capital firms. Founders filled out a questionnaire about their experiences partnering with private equity and venture capital firms and shared data on how their portfolio companies have grown during these partnerships. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/founder-friendly-investors/2022 Introduced in 2019, the Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms list quickly established itself as one of Inc.s most resourceful franchises. It has become a go-to guide for entrepreneurs who want to grow their companies while retaining an ownership stake. The October 2022 issue of Inc. magazine is available online now at https://www.inc.com/magazine and will be on newsstands beginning October 4, 2022. About Inc. The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community they need to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. About Battery Ventures Battery partners with exceptional founders and management teams developing category-defining businesses in markets including software and services, enterprise infrastructure, consumer tech, healthcare IT and industrial technology and life-science tools. Founded in 1983, the firm backs companies at all stages, ranging from seed and early to growth and buyout, and invests globally from offices in Boston, San Francisco, Menlo Park, New York, London and Tel Aviv. Follow the firm on Twitter @BatteryVentures, visit our website at www.battery.com and find a full list of Battery's portfolio companies here. *Data through March 31, 2022. Battery Ventures provides investment advisory services solely to privately offered funds. Battery Ventures neither solicits nor makes its services available to the public or other advisory clients. For more information about Battery Ventures potential financing capabilities for prospective portfolio companies, please refer to our website. For a complete list of portfolio companies, please click here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005712/en/ Megan OLeary / Battery Ventures Director of Marketing (415) 426-5912 [email protected] Source: Battery Ventures TAMPA, Florida--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As the local Coca-Cola bottler operating across most of the state of Florida, the impacts of Hurricane Ian are personal to Coca-Cola Beverages Florida (Coke Florida). Our associates, customers, and community partners across southwest and central Florida have been directly impacted. All of our associates are accounted for and safe, but many suffered tremendous personal loss. The road to recovery will be long and have lasting impacts on their lives. Our people are our greatest asset, they are our family, and we are committed to be with them on this recovery journey, said Troy Taylor, Coke Floridas Chairman and CEO. To aid in the recovery, Coke Florida has committed an additional $500,000 to the Associate Care Fund (ACF). The ACF is an independent 501(c)3 organization established in 2018 and managed by Coke Florida associates. The organization provides ongoing assistance to associates who experience unexpected financial hardship. Funding for the ACF is dependent upon voluntary charitable contributions. Historically Coke Florida and its associates have been the primary contributors, however during these unique times, the fund has accepted donations from a broader group, including Coca-Cola system bottling partners, wanting to assist Coke Florida family members facing financial hardships from this storm. To further aid in the recovery effort, The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded a $1,000,000 grant to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts for people impacted by Ian across Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia. In addition, The Coca-Cola Employee Disaster Relief Fund will provide financial assistance to associates impacted by Hurricane Ian. This fund was created to help associates across the Coca-Cola system immediately after a disaster, and is supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Bottling Partners, and system associates. The Coca-Cola Company is also donating $150,000 to support local nonprofit organizations, such as food banks, as they work to provide recovery assistance to areas affected by the storm. As boil-water notices increase along with significant power issues and an expanding number of shelters to support those who are displaced, bottled water is a critical need. Together, Coke Florida and The Coca-Cola Company are donating truckloads of DASANI and other hydrating beverages to community partners helping storm victims, first responders, and volunteers. Thomas Benford, Coke Floridas President and Chief Operating Officer shared, At Coke Florida, we are proud of our commitment to the communities where we live, work, and worship. Despite personal challenges, our teams are resilient. We look forward to re-engaging with our customers and communities. Benford added, We are also thankful for the outpouring of support from across the Coca-Cola system, its bottling partners, and business colleagues. Former associates, community partners, and others have reached out to help address this tremendous need. We are thankful and confident that we will get through this together and be stronger as a result. #WeareCokeFlorida About Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC (Coke Florida) is a family-owned Coca-Cola bottler. Coke Florida has an exclusive sales and distribution territory that covers over 21 million consumers across 47 Florida counties, and includes the major metropolitan markets of Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Coke Florida markets, sells, manufactures, distributes, and merchandises over 600 products of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies. The company is the third largest privately held and the sixth largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Coke Florida was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified company, one of the largest minority-owned businesses in Florida, and the fourth largest Black-owned businesses in the United States. In 2022, Coke Florida was named a US Best Managed Company by Deloitte-Private and The Wall Street Journal joining an elite group of private companies holding this designation. To learn more, visit www.cocacolaflorida.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005332/en/ J. Katrinda McQueen Vice President, Communications Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, LLC 813-557-9088 [email protected] Source: Coke Florida SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Douglas Emmett, Inc. (NYSE: DEI), a real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today that it plans to release its 2022 third quarter earnings results after market close on Thursday, November 3, 2022. A live conference call is scheduled for the following day, Friday, November 4, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Jordan Kaplan, President and Chief Executive Officer, will host the call along with Peter Seymour, Chief Financial Officer, Kevin Crummy, Chief Investment Officer, and Stuart McElhinney, Vice President Investor Relations. Interested parties can listen to the call via the following: INTERNET: Go to www.douglasemmett.com/investors at least fifteen minutes prior to the start time of the call in order to register, download and install any necessary audio software. PHONE: 888-349-0488 (U.S.) or 412-542-4156 (International). Please ask to join the Douglas Emmett, Inc. call. REPLAY: A rebroadcast of the live call will be available for 90 days on our website at www.douglasemmett.com/investors. About Douglas Emmett, Inc. Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. For more information about Douglas Emmett, please visit our website at www.douglasemmett.com. Safe Harbor Statement Except for the historical facts, the statements in this press release regarding Douglas Emmetts business activities are forward-looking statements based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to us about known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on forward-looking statements to anticipate future results or trends. For a discussion of some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005790/en/ Stuart McElhinney, Vice President Investor Relations 310.255.7751 [email protected] Source: Douglas Emmett, Inc. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) co-founder, Moderna co-founder Noubar Afeyan attaches importance to the development of artificial intelligence in Armenia. Afeyan delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the Global Innovation Forum 2022 in Yerevan. He said the event is taking place in difficult times for the country. But we are very familiar with challenges. Challenges make us focus and flex our powers. There are numerous challenges we see as a state which is in the stage of development. We have inadequate resources, an underdeveloped economy over the course of thirty years, absence of institutional capacity, development is slow, difficult geographic position. But this has been our home long before all our neighbors appeared here, Afeyan said. He also spoke about regional security issues. Afeyan said that the world is withstanding extremely intense challenges, wars, pandemics and others. He said that climate change is also a global challenge. This century is going to be the century where biology will have the biggest impact on humanity. Biology has always been part of human life, but in terms of technology it was never linked to computers, now it is, which is very important, Afeyan said. He highlighted imagination and faith for innovation. Artificial intelligence can be a revolutionary force not only commercially or in any other sector, but in science, because artificial intelligence has the ability to see the trends which the human mind cannot see with the complexity that exists. People may perhaps not notice that they can have progress in some area, but a machine will see it by making projections, Afeyan said. He said he would want Armenia to welcome and develop the AI sector. GLEN ALLEN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dynex Capital, Inc. (NYSE: DX) is scheduled to release its financial results for the third quarter on Monday, October 24, 2022 before the market opens. In connection with this report, the Company will host a conference call and live audio webcast at 10:00 am ET to discuss its financial results and business outlook. Webcast Details The live audio webcast will be accessible online at www.dynexcapital.com on the homepage under Current Events. An archive of the webcast will be available on the Company website approximately two hours after the live call ends. Conference Call Details Those wishing to listen to the live conference call via telephone should dial in at least 10 minutes before the call begins at 1 (888) 330-2022 and provide the passcode 1957092. About Dynex Capital Dynex Capital, Inc. is a financial services company committed to ethical stewardship of stakeholders' capital; employing comprehensive risk management and disciplined capital allocation to generate dividend income and long-term total returns through the diversified financing of real estate assets in the United States. Dynex operates as a REIT and is internally managed to maximize stakeholder alignment. Additional information about Dynex Capital, Inc. is available at www.dynexcapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221004006141/en/ Alison Griffin (804) 217-5897 Source: Dynex Capital, Inc. SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF), a premier provider of title, settlement and risk solutions for real estate transactions and the leader in the digital transformation of its industry, today announced that it will host a conference call on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at 11 a.m. EDT. The call will follow the release of the companys earnings results for the third quarter of 2022, which is scheduled earlier that day at 6:45 a.m. EDT. The conference call, which will also be broadcast over the Internet and is open to investors, members of the financial community, the media and other members of the public, can be accessed online at http://www.firstam.com/investor or by dialing toll free 877-407-8293. Callers from outside the United States may dial +1-201-689-8349. An audio replay of the conference call will be available through Nov. 10, 2022 by dialing 201-612-7415 and using the conference ID 13733443. An audio archive of the call and a copy of the third-quarter 2022 earnings release, including the financial information contained therein, will also be available on First Americans investor website. At the present time, the company expects to release its fourth-quarter and 2022 year-end earnings results on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 at 6:45 a.m. EST and host a conference call at 11 a.m. EST on the same day. About First American First American Financial Corporation (NYSE: FAF) is a premier provider of title, settlement and risk solutions for real estate transactions. With its combination of financial strength and stability built over more than 130 years, innovative proprietary technologies, and unmatched data assets, the company is leading the digital transformation of its industry. First American also provides data products to the title industry and other third parties; valuation products and services; mortgage subservicing; home warranty products; banking, trust and wealth management services; and other related products and services. With total revenue of $9.2 billion in 2021, the company offers its products and services directly and through its agents throughout the United States and abroad. In 2022, First American was named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Great Place to Work and Fortune Magazine for the seventh consecutive year. More information about the company can be found at www.firstam.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005694/en/ Media Contact: Marcus Ginnaty Corporate Communications First American Financial Corporation (714) 250-3298 Investor Contact: Craig Barberio Investor Relations First American Financial Corporation (714) 250-5214 Source: First American Financial Corporation Nations Largest Hispanic Educational Media Company Unveils Initiative Encompassing Television Programming, Digital Content, and Community Outreach to Drive Interest in Space-Related Careers among Hispanics BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HITN-TV, the nations leading Spanish-language media source for educational and cultural programming, announced today that it will join the global event World Space Week 2022 from Oct. 4-10, 2022 (www.hitn.tv/spaceweek/) in benefit of the Hispanic youth in the United States. HITN will offer a slate of space-themed content through its television, digital, and community outreach initiatives. The programming will be available to 40 million homes nationwide through HITN-TV, as well as on its TV-everywhere app HITN GO. Taking part in World Space Week 2022 deeply aligns with HITNs mission to advance the educational, cultural, and socioeconomic aspirations of U.S. Hispanics. The objective is to inspire younger generations of Latinos to explore science and technology careers by making space-focused content and information for families entertaining and accessible. Pew Research found that even though Hispanic adults make up 17 percent of the U.S. workforce, they hold only 8 percent of available jobs in STEM fields. Guillermo Sierra, Head of Television and Digital Services for HITN, said, Addressing the need for increased awareness about opportunities and careers in the field of space fueled HITNs desire to actively participate in World Space Week. By showcasing the wonders of space and the science driving exploration, we provide Hispanics with a better understanding of career paths and opportunities in space-related fields many of which take place here on Earth. HITNs World Space Week initiatives are designed to ignite curiosity and give families a starting point for meaningful conversations about involvement in fields related to space. Coordinated by the World Space Week Association (WSWA), with the support of the United Nations, World Space Week is a global initiative with more than 20 years in existence serving as an international celebration of the contributions that science and technology have made for the betterment of the human condition. In 2021, more than 6,000 events were organized in over 96 countries. The special programming lineup for HITN-TV and HITN GO for World Space Week includes: The Sun: Inferno in the Sky (Tuesday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT & 11 p.m. ET/PT; Monday, Oct. 10, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT & 11 p.m. ET/PT): presents the latest developments in solar science, including sun storms and their impact on Earths climate and electrical systems. presents the latest developments in solar science, including sun storms and their impact on Earths climate and electrical systems. The Moon: Our Gateway to the Universe (Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT & 11 p.m. ET/PT): explores the most recent and most spectacular scientific breakthroughs that are shedding light on the Moons most enduring mysteries. explores the most recent and most spectacular scientific breakthroughs that are shedding light on the Moons most enduring mysteries. Mission 50-51From ISS to Mars: Space, the Future of the Earth (Thursday, Oct. 6, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT & 11 p.m. ET/PT; Saturday, Oct. 8, 10 p.m. ET/PT): highlights the high-speed experiments and explorations conducted by the international Space Station scientists in preparation for future extended missions such as the one whose destination is Mars. highlights the high-speed experiments and explorations conducted by the international Space Station scientists in preparation for future extended missions such as the one whose destination is Mars. Zenith: Advances in Space Explorations: The Earth & the Future (Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT & 11 p.m. ET/PT; Sunday, Oct. 9, 10 p.m. ET/PT): focuses on the exponential advances being made in space-based research and the technology powering new discoveries. focuses on the exponential advances being made in space-based research and the technology powering new discoveries. Make it to the Moon: The Unsung Heroes of the Apollo (Saturday, Oct. 8, 8 p.m. ET/PT): a two-part documentary that highlights the scientists and engineers who made the Apollo missions possible through their innovation, sacrifice and spirit. a two-part documentary that highlights the scientists and engineers who made the Apollo missions possible through their innovation, sacrifice and spirit. Super Smash (Sunday, Oct. 9, 9 p.m. ET/PT): highlights the growing problem of space trash (debris from orbits, missiles and satellites) and how it affects the success of space-related research. The program also covers ingenious inventions that may be able to clear space trash and make space missions safer. Acclaimed biologist and conservationist Rosa Vasquez Espinoza will host HITNs World Space Week shows. Vasquez is the founder of MicroAmazon, a multi-disciplinary project focused on exploring the still-unknown universe of extreme natural environments. Her inclusion provides aspiring Hispanic scientists with another role model as they learn about career paths and educational options to further their potential STEM careers. During this special programming series, its HITNs goal to take viewers somewhere theyve never been before and open their eyes to all thats possible, said Erika Vogt-Lowell, Director of Programming and Acquisitions for HITN. Having Rosa Vasquez Espinoza aboard for World Space Week provides the added benefit of representation, as we showcase the success of a Hispanic female scientist for the many future scientists tuning in to our space week programming. As part of its community outreach efforts for World Space Week, HITN will host webinars moderated by Rosa Vasquez Espinoza, featuring international experts discussing exciting topics such as aerospace missions, climate change, careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and their impact on our community, among others. Middle schools and high schools are invited to join the one-hour webinars and participate in the Q&A sessions specifically created for their students. Schools can register at https://hitn.tv/spaceweek/webinars/. The English-language webinar will take place on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022 at 10 a.m. ET. Expert panelists include: Antonia Jaramillo (Public Affairs Specialist at NASA); Lili Villarreal (EGS Operations Flow Manager at NASA); and Paula do Vale Pereira (Assistant Professor of Space Systems and Aerospace Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology). The Spanish-language webinar will take place on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 at 10 a.m. ET. Expert panelists include: Sasha Sims (EGS Chief of Staff at NASA); Tomas Ahumada (Scientist, PhD Astronomy); Luis Henry Quiroga-Nunez, (Assistant Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology). World Space Week is intended to be an educational experience about space and science for everyone, including the youngest members of the family. HITN will be extending this initiative to EDYE, its premium SVOD service designed for preschool children, available in both the United States and Latin America (www.edye.com). A variety of episodes from several world-renowned series featuring space-related content will be made available to all platform users during the week of Oct. 4-10, along with an educational guide for parents that can be used to spark conversations with their children about the fascinating world of space and beyond. For full details about HITNs World Space Week initiatives, please visit www.hitn.tv/spaceweek/. About HITN-TV HITN-TV is a leading Spanish-language media company that offers educational and cultural programming for the whole family. It reaches more than 44 million homes in the United States and Puerto Rico through DIRECTV, AT&T U-verse, AT&T TV, DISH Network, Verizon FiOS TV, Comcast Xfinity, Charter Spectrum, Mediacom, CenturyLink, Prism and Altice, Liberty Cable & Claro (Puerto Rico). Download the "HITN GO" Everywhere app available on Apple, Android, Apple TV, and Roku with a wired subscription. For more information, visit: www.hitn.org and follow @HITNtv on social platforms. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005765/en/ Yaneiza Echezarraga / 305-310-0913 [email protected] Source: HITN-TV Success of the IPO on Euronext Growth in Paris Strong growth in half-year revenue, +51% to 110.2 million Strong increase in EBITDA, +170% to 4.9 million, and EBIT, +413% to 2.8 million Significant improvement in net income Reaffirmation of short and medium-term objectives Acceleration of the M&A strategy following the acquisitions of MON PRINT and Lusodabel, respectively in Denmark and Portugal FONTENAY-AUX-ROSES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: ICAPE Group (ISIN code: FR001400A3Q3 - mnemonic: ALICA), a global technology distributor of printed circuit boards, today announces its results for the first half of the current fiscal year, ending June 30, 2022, as approved by the Board of Directors on October 5, 2022. Cyril CALVIGNAC, ICAPE Groups CEO, stated: The results for the first half of the year demonstrate the dynamic demand for the solutions we offer worldwide. Thanks to the synergies generated by the combination of organic development and an offensive acquisition strategy, our profitable growth is being actively deployed, as illustrated by the improvement in our margin and the controlled increase in our structural costs. In this context, all of the Group's financial indicators are progressing significantly. We naturally intend to continue the pace of acquisitions during the second half of 2022 in order to achieve our objective of 230 million in revenue for the year. All these elements enable us to reassert our short and medium-term commercial and financial objectives. Simplified income statement In m (IFRS standards) H1 2021 H1 2022 Var. Revenue 72.8 110.2 +51.3% % growth 51.3% Cost of goods sold (55.2) (81.0) +46.8% Transportation fees (3.5) (5.8) +62.6% Agent fees (0.8) (0.6) -18.2% Gross Margin 13.4 22.8 +70.9% % revenue 18.3% 20.7% +2.4 pts Salary (8.5) (13.1) +53.6% G&A (3.1) (4.9) +58.1% EBITDA 1.8 4.9 +170.3% % revenue 2.5% 4.5% +2 pts D&A (1.3) (2.1) +64.2% EBIT 0.6 2.8 +412.5% % revenue 0.8% 2.6% +1.8 pt Financial result (0.7) (0.6) n.a. Income before tax (0.2) 1.1 n.a Income tax (0.1) (0.3) n.a. Net income (0.3) 0.9 n.a. Commercial activity and financial results As of June 30, 2022, half-year revenue reached 110.2 million, up by more than 50% compared to the first half of 2021. This strong growth is notably driven by Europe and the United States. The ICAPE activity, related to the distribution of PCB, represents more than 85% of the half-year revenue and 15% for the DIVSYS and CIPEM activities, dedicated to the distribution of custom-made technical parts. At the end of June, ICAPE Group recorded an order backlog of 71.8 million. The commercial gross margin increased by 71% and represents more than 20% of the revenue of the first half of 2022. Expenses allocated to salary amounted to 13.1 million, an increase of more than 54% compared with the first half of 2021. This increase is explained by the acceleration of investments in human resources in anticipation of the future growth expected by the Group. Over the same period, the increase in general and administrative expenses remains under control given the expansion of the scope, including an increased number of subsidiaries, and the resumption of business travel compared to the first half of 2021. Taking these elements into account, EBITDA improved significantly from 1.8 million to 4.9 million, or +170%, in the first half of 2022. EBIT and net income also show strong growth, reaching 2.8 million (+413%) and 0.9 million respectively at the end of June 2022. As of June 30, 2022, ICAPE Group reported a net financial debt of 18.3 million resulting from a cash position of 16.6 million and a level of financial debts amounting to 34.9 million. First half 2022 and post-closing highlights In July 2022, the Company successfully completed, within the framework of its IPO, a capital increase of approximately 17 million, increased to 17.4 million following the partial exercise of the over-allotment option. This offering was notably subscribed by institutional, industrial and financial investors, as well as numerous individual investors. In line with its commitments, the Group completed the acquisition of the Danish company MON PRINT as well as Lusodabel, a major supplier of PCB solutions in Portugal and Spain. The consolidation of these two operations will take place as of January 1st, 2022 and both are now subsidiaries of ICAPE Group. Reaffirmation of commercial and financial targets Based on the performances achieved over the period, ICAPE Group reaffirms its ambition to reach a revenue of about 230 million by the end of 2022, including at least 23 million from the acquisitions made during the year - representing about 35 million of revenue in full year. The Group intends to pursue its external growth strategy through the acquisition of companies meeting the following criteria: - moderate size, - large portfolio of local customers, - gross margin above 25% while being profitable, - strong potential for commercial synergies with the Group. The Company also confirms all the targets communicated during the IPO. About ICAPE Group Founded in 1999, ICAPE Group acts as a key technological expert in the PCB supply chain. With a global network of 30 subsidiaries and a major presence in China, where most of the worlds PCB production is done, the Group is a one-stop-shop provider for the products and services which are essentials for customers. In 2021, ICAPE Group generated consolidated revenue of 169 million. For more information, visit www.icape-group.com Appendices - Financial Statements (IFRS) Consolidated balance sheet (In thousands of euros) 30/06/2022 30/06/2021 31/12/2021 Goodwill 11,837 4,592 5,605 Intangible assets 9,682 2,096 2,688 Tangible assets 5,204 3,678 4,838 Rights of use 6,710 5,063 5,981 Non-current financial assets 338 234 222 Deferred tax assets 1,137 788 587 Other non-current assets 5 - 5 Total non-current assets 34,914 16,451 19,905 Current financial assets 1 - 21 Inventories and work in progress 16,769 8,574 15,799 Accounts receivable and other debtors 49,038 38,336 45,791 Other current assets 1,774 750 1,178 Cash 16,684 14,929 26,006 Total current assets 84,266 62,590 88,815 Total Assets 119,180 79,041 108,721 Equity 2,303 3,008 2,291 Share premium 408 1,916 327 Treasury shares - (5,887) - Translation differences 668 (116) 215 Other reserves (including other non-recyclable comprehensive income) 2,609 3,236 32 Net income for the period 948 (288) 2,451 Total equity, group share 6,937 1,869 5,316 Non-controlling interests 783 18 693 Total Equity 7,720 1,887 6,009 Borrowings and financial liabilities 9,470 2,714 9,910 Non-current lease liabilities 5,668 4,486 5,178 Commitments to employees 565 577 662 Deferred tax liabilities 733 182 3 Other non-current liabilities 297 53 297 Total non-current liabilities 16,733 8,012 16,050 Borrowings and bank overdrafts 25,470 21,458 21,744 Current lease liabilities 1,680 1,130 1,391 Accounts payable and other creditors 55,072 45,873 62,209 Current tax liabilities 1,259 443 738 Other current liabilities 11,247 238 580 Total current liabilities 97,727 69,142 86,661 Total liabilities 111,460 77,154 102,711 Total liabilities and equity 119,180 79,041 108,721 Consolidated cash flows (In thousands of euros) 30/06/2022 30/06/2021 31/12/2021 Net income 886 (289) 2,487 Ajustments Elimination of depreciation, amortisation and provisions 1,917 1,312 2,469 Elimination of gains and losses on disposal and dilution gains and losses 76 0 19 Calculated income and expenses related to share-based payments 26 43 86 Cash flow after net borrowing cost and tax 2,905 1,067 5,061 Elimination of tax expense (income) 257 70 731 Elimination of the net borrowing cost 338 89 296 Cash flow before cost of net borrowing cost and tax 3,500 1,226 6,088 Change in working capital requirement (9,651) (7,357) (4,709) Taxes paid (113) (379) (986) Cash flow from operating activities (6,264) (6,510) 393 Acquisition of subsidiaries, less cash acquired (2,650) (3,918) (6,190) Acquisition of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (3,265) (949) (2,213) Change in loans and advances granted 206 6 (31) Disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 23 7 77 Cash flow from investment activities (5,686) (4,907) (8,357) Capital increase 92 11 376 Net disposal (acquisition) of treasury shares - (25) (25) Borrowings 3,718 4,073 11,917 Repayment of borrowings (1,754) (1,328) (2,487) of which IFRS 16 borrowings (833) (504) (1,144) Financial interest paid (345) (79) (300) of which net financial interest paid IFRS 16 (110) (95) (189) Dividends paid to Group shareholders - (224) (224) Cash flow from financing activities 1,711 2,429 9,258 Impact of exchange rate fluctuations (*) 951 251 938 Change in cash (9,288) (8,737) 2,232 Cash and cash equivalents 26,006 23,682 23,682 Bank overdrafts (passive cash) (109) (16) (16) Opening cash position 25,897 23,666 23,666 Cash and cash equivalents 16,684 14,929 26,006 Bank overdrafts (passive cash) (75) (0) (109) Closing cash 16,609 14,929 25,897 Change in cash (9,288) (8,737) 2,232 (*) includes mainly exchange rate variations linked to the USD currency for +440 K in June 2022 against 217 K in June 2021. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005610/en/ ICAPE Group CFO Shora Rokni Tel: +33 1 58 18 39 10 [email protected] Investor Relations NewCap Nicolas Fossiez Louis-Victor Delouvrier Tel: +33 1 44 71 94 98 [email protected] Media Relations NewCap Arthur Rouille Antoine Pacquier Tel: + 33 1 44 71 94 94 [email protected] Source: ICAPE DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Invitation Homes Inc. (NYSE: INVH) (Invitation Homes or the Company) today announced that it will release its third quarter 2022 financial and operating results on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, after the market closes. The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to review third quarter results, discuss recent events, and conduct a question-and-answer session. The conference call will be available via webcast on the Invitation Homes Investor Relations website at www.invh.com. To participate in the live telephone conference call: Domestic Dial-in Number: 1-844-200-6205 International Dial-in Number: 1-929-526-1599 Access Code: 535191 To access a telephone replay of the call: Domestic Dial-in Number: 1-866-813-9403 International Dial-in Number: 1-929-458-6194 Access Code: 147088 Date Accessible Through: November 24, 2022 About Invitation Homes: Invitation Homes, an S&P 500 company, is the nation's premier single-family home leasing company, meeting changing lifestyle demands by providing access to high-quality, updated homes with valued features such as close proximity to jobs and access to good schools. The company's mission, "Together with you, we make a house a home," reflects its commitment to providing homes where individuals and families can thrive and high-touch service that continuously enhances residents' living experiences. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005055/en/ Investor Relations Contact: Scott McLaughlin 844.456.INVH (4684) [email protected] Media Relations Contact: Kristi DesJarlais 972.421.3587 [email protected] Source: Invitation Homes Inc. NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- KBRA releases research on potential ABS exposure in our rated universe of consumer and commercial ABS to Hurricane Ian, which made landfall along Floridas southwestern coast on September 28 before making landfall a second time near Georgetown, South Carolina. Key Takeaways Consumer ABS transactions and some traditional commercial ABS asset classes, such as equipment and small business, typically benefit from obligor and geographic diversification. Borrowers are generally required to maintain physical damage insurance for secured assets during the term of the loan, which may result in a prepayment or reduce loss severity for damaged collateral. KBRA is reviewing the extent to which insurance may have a role in recoveries and prepayments in transactions. As in past storms, KBRA expects many servicers to implement hardship assistance programs for borrowers requesting temporary assistance through payment deferrals and forbearance. We will review the operations and strategy of servicers in managing the aftermath of the storm. Transportation segments are well diversified (aircraft and containers are globally diversified, railcars are domestically diversified), mobile, and should not be significantly impacted by the storm as operators may have had sufficient warning to relocate the assets out of the storms path. Whole business securitizations (WBS) typically comprise franchise restaurant locations (and some non-restaurant concepts) that may be impacted by the temporary or permanent closings of the locations that collateralize the transactions. KBRA will review all WBS ratings, focusing initially on those that may have larger concentrations in the affected areas in Florida. Click here to view the report. About KBRA KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRAs ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005619/en/ Rosemary Kelley, Senior Managing Director, Head of Global ABS +1 (646) 731-2337 [email protected] Eric Neglia, Senior Managing Director, Head of Commercial and Consumer ABS +1 (646) 731-2456 [email protected] Melvin Zhou, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-3191 [email protected] Alan Greenblatt, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-2496 [email protected] Xilun Chen, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-2431 [email protected] Business Development Contact Ted Burbage, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-3325 [email protected] Source: KBRA Award grant part of New Mexico Department of Transportation electric vehicle charging station grant program funded by American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 TAOS, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Inc (KCEC) today announced that the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has selected KCECs proposed EV projects to receive $800,000 in grant funds appropriated to the NMDOT by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Section 9901 State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The NMDOT award for KCEC will provide funding for engineering services, design, and installation of electric vehicle (EV) DC fast charging stations across seven New Mexico locations under the NMDOT Level 3 Direct Current Electric Vehicle Charging Station Grant Program. The charging station host entity and their respective locations are: Angel Fire Ski Resort, Angel Fire, NM Red River Convention Center, Red River, NM El Rito Northern New Mexico College, El Rito, NM Picuris Administration Building, Penasco, NM Questa Village Hall, Questa, NM Oja Calliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, Oja Caliente, NM Taos Plaza, Taos, NM (2) KCEC began establishing EV charging stations throughout its service area in 2019 as part of its plan to be among the cleanest, most cost-effective electric cooperatives in America. With the new charging sites, KCEC will have 50 total EV charging stations and expand its contribution toward New Mexicos statewide objective to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by the year 2030. The EV grant award is the latest in a string of 2022 milestones KCEC is meeting in partnership with its wholesale power provider, Guzman Energy, including having lower retail electricity rates than any Tri-State member cooperative, and achieving 100% daytime solar powered this year. With these new charging stations, we are providing our members with expanded clean energy economy services that improve quality of life and economic opportunity in our region, said Luis A. Reyes, Jr., CEO of KCEC. We are thrilled that the NMDOT shares our vision to ensure EV services are available to our community as well as to our valued New Mexico tourism visitors. The new charging stations are targeted to be operational around 2023. About Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Formed in 1944, Kit Carson is a member owned electric distribution cooperative in northern New Mexico and is the second largest cooperative in the state. Kit Carson is one of 16 electric cooperatives that serve rural New Mexico communities, serving nearly 30,000 members in Taos, Colfax and Rio Arriba counties. To learn more about Kit Carson, visit www.kitcarson.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005717/en/ Regan Petersen for Guzman Energy [email protected] 303-332-3896 Source: Guzman Energy HANOI, Vietnam--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- A recent exchange between leaders from FPT Corporation, FPT Software, Landing AI and Schaeffler explored the potential of applying artificial intelligence (AI) in various methods of inspection and defect detection, within the manufacturing industry. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005361/en/ Mr. Truong Gia Binh - Chairman of FPT Corporation, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phong - Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of FPT Software, Dr. Andrew Ng - Co-founder and General Director of Landing AI, and Mr. Roberto Henkel - Senior Vice President Digitalization and Operations IT of Schaeffler, as moderators (Photo: Business Wire) Identified as the key for further enhancing competitiveness and workforce reinforcement, AI has the potential to be included in various operation processes. One such field, AI in visual inspection - with computer vision and machine learning on the rise has been becoming more popular thanks to the engagement of top players across industries. In the recent online sharing, experts from FPT Corporation, FPT Software, Landing AI, and Schaeffler have discussed their visions for the future of AI in Real-time Quality Inspection. All parties emphasised on the use of data-centric approach to shorten AI training duration in machine learning and addressed critical issues faced by brownfields factories. Until just recently, factory owners were equipped with rule-based vision inspection, which required IT experts to write pages of rules for the algorithm to detect product defects. These systems are unable to "self-learn" or take on new status outside-of-the-book. Solely capable of detecting errors in their rule books, rule-based inspection might miss anomalies, requiring manual inspection by onsite staff. Rather than having a vision engineer write pages and pages of rules, you can now show some data to the AI system and build a system that works just as well, but much faster, said Dr. Andrew Ng - Founder & CEO of Landing AI. Data-centric AI continuously proved to be highly efficient, significantly reducing the time to bring trained AI into use. In a recent project between Landing AI and a Japanese manufacturer, for example, compared to rule-based inspection that took up to 6 months to build, data-centric AI only took 6 minutes to learn from the qualified data input and accurately identified product defects. Another challenge is multi-variations among different production lines, not to mention production plants. Each variation required dozens more rules for computer vision to abide by. Therefore, factories are constantly looking for new solutions, especially AI ones, integrating with high-resolution cameras and are capable of self-learning. Applying AI broadly in our manufacturing processes is a core element of Schaefflers digital strategy and will enable the next level of optimization within production, Roberto Henkel - Senior Vice President Digitalization and Operations IT of Schaeffler. Earlier this year, Accenture and Frontier Economics estimated that by 2035, AI applications might boost labour productivity by as much as 40% across 16 industries. AI would also bring $3.8 trillion (up 45%) in added value to the manufacturing industry, according to the report. The technology was considered much more reliable in identifying microscopic defects without compromising the intense production paces. As such, product quality, labour productivity was also expected to rise while saving manpower, thereby reducing production costs. In Vietnam, FPT Software has collaborated with Landing AI to bring the LandingLens - an MLOps visual inspection solutions - to hundreds of its customers, including Schaeffler. Dr. Truong Gia Binh - Chairman of FPT Corporation asserted: Data-centric AI can also work for sound inspection, electromagnetic inspection or light spectrum inspection. This potential direction quickly became an interesting topic. With excitement, the leaders shared a vision for data-centric AI to inspect the quality of material and internal error without physical interaction, as well as receiving sound cues to detect defects. However, all parties needed to overcome the challenges in change management and staff training before successfully applying cutting-edge technologies. We need easy-to-use platforms which bring high class technologies to the shop floor and make them (staff) capable to use it, said Roberto Henkel. This was also the problem which Dr. Ng was striving to solve, making AI accessible for everyone. Data-centric AI technology is the key that makes it feasible for people to engineer the data, Dr. Ng shared. Having accompanied more than 1,000 global partners to achieve digital transformation, FPT has helped transform both business structure and technology for companies in various industries, providing them with staff training and new technologies updates. "We work on the 3 C - community, communication and building shared content," Dr. Binh said. The FPT chairman emphasised: "The key point is change management and people management. We're talking about business formations, technology transformations, and people's transformation." With an intensive background in the education field, Dr. Andrew Ng also expressed his enthusiasm for training staff on new technology, ensuring all key personnel learn the desired skill sets. The high-quality workforce for high-tech industry was one of Vietnam's current competitive advantages within the Southeast Asia region, according to a recent remark from the representative of Savills. This attracted a wave of investment from large tech companies from the US and around the world. As challenging as the rise of AI can be for those who are yet prepared in terms of awareness and capability, for individuals who are willing to grow and take the lead in gaining the necessary skills, opportunities will be abundant. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005361/en/ Media Mai Duong (Ms.) FPT Software PR Manager Email: [email protected] Dzung Duong (Ms.) Corporate Branding Manager Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.fpt-software.com/newsroom/ Source: FPT Software The Young Women in STEAM Grants - launched in 2020 - award young women making tremendous contributions to STEAM fields and help them further pursue their dreams DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As a decades-long leader in womens empowerment and innovative science, Mary Kay celebrates young women who are taking charge of their futures through leadership, innovation, and determination to excel in STEAM fields. Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math. [1] By offering continued support to young women in STEAM fields, they are continuing Mary Kays mission, which is to improve women's lives everywhere. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005835/en/ Mary Kay is committed to inspiring young women making tremendous contributions to STEAM fields to continue to pursue their dream. (Photo: Mary Kay Inc.) More young women gaining access to STEAM education leads to an increase in women embracing careers in those fields. In turn, this provides access to more equal opportunities for women, narrows the gender pay gap, bolsters economies, and eliminates bias in scientific and related fields, said Dr. Lucy Gildea, Chief Innovation Officer, Product and Science for Mary Kay Inc. Every day, through innovation and science, women around the world are solving some of the most complex problems but theres more to be done to recognize their contributions, provide them a voice and increase their representation in STEAM fields. Mary Kays Young Women in STEAM Grants and social campaign feature young women from around the world who are making outstanding contributions in STEAM fields. Ivanna Hernandez, aspiring astronomer and aerospace enthusiast from Colombia, was a recipient of the Young Women in STEAM grants and received a second continuing education grant to launch her dream of becoming the first Latin American woman astronaut to go to Mars. In celebration of World Space Week, Mary Kay created a video highlighting the importance of STEAM education opportunities to help young women reach for the stars young women like Ivanna. Young women in Colombia have very little access to STEAM education, especially in the aerospace field. By bringing awareness to the program and pursuing my passion to go to space, I hope to bring more opportunities to young women in Colombia who are interested in seeking higher education and careers in STEAM areas, said Ivanna Hernandez. The best solutions are achieved when you have a diverse team capable of noticing all the flaws that a problem or design raises. Because women have different social backgrounds and specific needs, our contribution complements and fills gaps that have been overlooked for years. Mary Kay is proud to continue its commitment to providing educational opportunities to young women around the world by investing in their future and watching them soar in their STEAM pursuits. About Mary Kay One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty company in 1963 with one goal: enriching womens lives. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. As an entrepreneurship development company, Mary Kay is committed to empowering women on their journey through education, mentorship, advocacy, networking, and innovation. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skincare, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements, and fragrances. Mary Kay believes in enriching lives today for a sustainable tomorrow, partnering with organizations from around the world focusing on promoting business excellence, supporting cancer research, advancing gender equality, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Learn more at marykayglobal.com, find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on Twitter. Sources National Girls Collaborative Project (2022). The State of Girls and Women in Stem. https://ngcproject.org/resources/state-girls-and-women-stem View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005835/en/ Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications marykay.com/newsroom 972.687.5332 or [email protected] Source: Mary Kay Inc. OSHKOSH, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), a leading innovator of mission-critical vehicles and essential equipment, today announced that John Bryant, executive vice president and president of Oshkosh Defense, will retire on November 1, 2022, following 12 years with the company. Consistent with the companys succession planning process, Tim Bleck, vice president of finance for the Defense segment has been appointed as Bryants successor. Bryant will remain in an advisory role to support the transition through June 30, 2023. On behalf of the entire Oshkosh Leadership Team and its Board of Directors, Id like to thank John Bryant for his years of service to our organization and for his 28 years of service in the United States Marine Corps, said Oshkosh Corporations president and chief executive officer, John Pfeifer. Under Johns leadership, Oshkosh Defense achieved notable program wins that have helped transform the company and expand into adjacent markets. Bleck joined Oshkosh Corporation in 2006 as a controller in the Commercial segment and has held multiple roles with increasing levels of responsibility since that time, most recently serving as vice president of finance, Defense. Tim is a proven leader with a deep understanding of our defense business. He was instrumental in securing the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle award with the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the companys recent acquisition and integration of Pratt Miller. We are pleased to welcome him into this new role and are confident in his abilities to continue the growth trajectory and success of our Defense segment. I am honored for the opportunity to serve in this new role and to lead an outstanding team as we drive the strategic priorities of our defense business to deliver both near- and long-term value for Oshkosh shareholders, said Bleck. Bleck earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth. He has extensive experience in the defense industry and with U.S. Government defense programs. Since 2015, he has served as an Executive Sponsor for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). About Oshkosh Corporation At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs approximately 15,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common cause: to make a difference in peoples lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG, Pierce, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh Defense, McNeilus, IMT, Jerr-Dan, Frontline, Oshkosh Airport Products, London and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com. , All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, should, project or plan or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Companys control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include cybersecurity risks and costs of defending against, mitigating and responding to data security threats and breaches impacting the Company; the Companys ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions and to realize the anticipated benefits associated with the same; and risks related to the Companys ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals; impacts of the conflict in Ukraine, including impacts on supply chains, logistics, input costs, capital markets and demand; and the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economies and the Companys customers, suppliers and employees. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005760/en/ Financial: Patrick Davidson Senior Vice President, Investor Relations 920.502.3266 Media: Jennifer Stiansen Vice President, Global Branding and Communications 240.500.6485 Source: Oshkosh Corporation YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Alen Simonyan addressed a congratulatory message on the occasion of Teachers Day, the Parliaments press service said. The message reads: Dear teachers, I congratulate you on the occasion of your professional day. I will not open a big secret, if I say that every person in his/her life has his/her teacher, whose advice never gets old, and we need the imparted knowledge at the right moment. It is a well-known expression that the possible wars are prevented or won thanks to the knowledge received at school and the teachers deep circumspection and the ability of educating generations ready for challenges of life. I wish you never give up the title of exceptional authority, weaken and you continue making love the education with parental warmth. It is indisputable that the role of the ambassador and the translator between the generations is trusted to you, you are able to make the child a pupil, then a citizen. We are proud of your work, and we appreciate it, we bow down before your hard-earned merit. Decision Intelligence Software Provider Strengthens Commitment to Government Agencies with Dedicated Practice to Modernize Analytics for the Delivery of Critical Public Services NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pyramid Analytics (Pyramid), a pioneering decision intelligence platform provider, today announced a new business practice dedicated to the specific needs of U.S. federal agencies. Led by a team of experts with a deep background in the federal market segment, Pyramids Federal Business Practice builds on the companys success with federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and strengthens its focus and commitment to providing the U.S. Federal Government and federal partners with sales, technical expertise, and services to deploy Decision Intelligence for strategic uses at scale. Key Points: Decision Intelligence enabled by AI and Machine Learning (ML) can modernize the delivery of critical public services, including healthcare, homeland security, and defense in the US federal market segment. President Bidens Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Budget proposes spending $65 billion on IT for civilian federal agencies and prioritizes IT Modernization, Cybersecurity, and Digital Customer Experience initiatives that leverage advanced analyticsi. The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform, training, and consulting services will be provided directly and through partnerships with federal resellers and federal system integrators. The Pyramid Platform can be deployed on any cloud platform on-premises or in hybrid and multi-cloud environments Pyramids US Federal Practice is led by Joe Fritsch, Director of Federal Sales; Peter Morris, Senior Director Partner Channel, North America; Dave Henry, Senior Vice President, Strategic Alliances; Russ Cosentino, Regional Vice President Sales, North America, East; and Brian McCormac, Senior Vice President of Global Sales. The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform can be deployed on any cloud platform, including AWS, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, on-premises or in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The Pyramid Platform is available in the AWS Marketplace and can be run on AWS GovCloud to address specific regulatory and compliance requirements of agencies at the federal, state, and local level, ensuring a reliable, scalable and secure decision intelligence solution. Decision Intelligence is Key to Government Digital Public Services President Bidens Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Budget proposes spending $65 billion on IT for civilian federal agencies an 11 percent increase from the estimate reported for 2022 aiming to prioritize federal-wide initiatives around IT Modernization, Cybersecurity, and Digital Customer Experience. These initiatives require decisions to be made quickly, accurately and in context of outcomes and processes. Decision Intelligence enabled by AI and machine learning helps federal agencies unlock value from their data. It empowers internal decision-makers to make faster, better decisions, giving organizations the ability to generate insights, analyze data and understand roadblocks in workflows to solve problems faster and create better processes. The use of AI and data for real-time decision making by federal civilian and defense agencies is poised to increase. Gartner estimates that by 2024, 60 percent of government AI and data analytics investments will directly impact real-time operational decisions and outcomes. The ability to identify, prioritize, model and (re)engineer decisions for improvement (i.e., decision intelligence) will be critical for any disruption ready and resilient organization.ii Pyramid Strengthens Commitment to VA and Other Government Agencies The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform is currently used by the Veterans Health Administration, Americas largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 heath care facilities including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites throughout the country. The VA provides comprehensive healthcare services to 9 million veterans each year. The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform is used by more than 41,000 clinical, medical and administrative staff to identify patterns and execution gaps across the system, ensuring US military veterans receive more personalized and enhanced care to improve the services they offer to veterans and their families. Accurate and highly contextualized decisions are gaining more importance as government agencies are challenged with unprecedented complexities and uncertainty, backlogs of work and economic disruption, and ongoing labor shortages. With the Pyramid Platform, government agencies are well positioned to build back better with data-accelerated decisions that improve the ability to deliver critical services for American citizens. Healthcare providers can share information more easily to improve care, transportation agencies can better predict potential delays and solve issues before they happen, supply chains can be managed in real time, and organizations can lower the skills barrier by automating the complex steps required for a data-driven approach. Decision Intelligence is the Next Big Data Analytics Innovation The next major innovation in analytics is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Applying AI across Data Prep, Business Analytics, and Data Science is what separates Decision Intelligence from traditional business intelligence tools such as Microsoft Power BI, Qlik, and Tableau. AI lowers the skills barrier by automating the highly technical work needed to prepare and analyze data and create and share reports and dashboards. The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform delivers data-driven insights for anyone to make faster, more intelligent decisions. The Pyramid Platform provides instant access to any data, enables automated governed self-service for any person, and serves any analytics need, from the simple to the sophisticated. By uniquely combining Data Prep, Business Analytics, and Data Science with AI guidance in a single environment, the Pyramid Platform reduces cost and complexity while accelerating growth and innovation. This enables a strategic, organization-wide approach to Business Intelligence and Analytics. Quotes Joe Fritsch, Director of Federal Business Practice, Pyramid Analytics: Pyramids Federal Business Practice is the first of many strategic growth initiatives we are launching to expand our partner ecosystem, including federal systems integrators and value-added federal resellers. As Pyramid expands its offerings and further establishes its position as a leading provider of augmented analytics, we are committed to helping U.S. federal civilian, defense, and intelligence agencies expand and optimize their use of data-informed decision intelligence at scale. About Pyramid Analytics Pyramid is whats next in analytics. Our unified decision intelligence platform delivers insights for everyone to make faster, more informed decisions. It provides direct access to any data, enables governed self-service for any person, and serves any analytics need in a no-code environment. The Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform uniquely combines Data Prep, Business Analytics, and Data Science in a single environment with AI guidance, reducing cost and complexity while accelerating growth and innovation. The Pyramid Platform enables a strategic, organization-wide approach to Business Intelligence and Analytics, from the simple to the sophisticated. Schedule a demo. Pyramid Analytics has regional headquarters in global innovation and business centers including New York City (Pyramid Analytics USA, Inc.), London, and Tel-Aviv. Our team lives worldwide because geography should not be a barrier to talent and opportunity. Investors include Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), Sequoia Capital and Viola Growth. Learn more at Pyramid Analytics. ____________ i Budget of the U.S. Government Fiscal Year 2023 ii Gartner, 4 Key Actions to Amplify Digital Gains and Resilience in Government, May 20, 2022 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005740/en/ North America: Heather Racicot Resonance PR: +1 360-632-5616 [email protected] UK/Ireland, Europe: Alex Izza Resonance PR: +44 (0)208 819 3170 [email protected] Chas Kielt Vice President of Global Corporate Communications, Pyramid Analytics 617.687.3371 [email protected] Source: Pyramid Analytics WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With an eye on fostering positive change, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) has released a special edition of its peer-reviewed journal focusing entirely on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in dental education. The authors of the 23 articles in the September 2022 issue of the Journal of Dental Education not only outline and address the current environment for their topics, but they also provide proposed strategies to effect change. The content is broken down into five main sections: Establishing frameworks for antiracism and structural competency in dental education, Exploring recruitment and admissions practices to increase student diversity, Advancing gender equity and opportunities for the LGBTQ+ community, Strategies to increase faculty of color in dental education and Addressing access to oral health care for vulnerable populations The idea for the special issue sprang from powerful forces reshaping the entire country, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a series of movements promoting social justice, according to Michael S. Reddy, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., JDE Editor and Dean of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry. The advent of the pandemic threatened to disrupt the preparing of a health workforce to meet the needs our nation, he said. Likewise, it led to a national increase in awareness of social justice gaps and pointed to the opportunity to transform health care education. We were delighted to assemble and highlight the pioneering work of forward-thinking scholars who set a vision for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in dental education. Romesh Nalliah, D.D.S., M.H.C.M., JDE Associate Editor and Associate Dean for Patient Services at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, said the JDE editors felt compelled to publish this special issue. We would be burying our heads in the sand if we didn't acknowledge that race and racism are critical issues in dental education and dentistry, he said. Im very proud that the Journal of Dental Education is expanding the conversation on this topic with a powerful special issue. The issue also includes an association report that provides a summary of an ADEA Presidents Symposium on men of color in the health professions. The event was held March 20, 2022 as part of the 2022 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition in Philadelphia, and reflects a commitment by ADEA President and CEO Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H., to advance diversity and inclusion in dental education. With this special edition of JDE, we invited some of our brightest minds to bolster our awareness of the problems we face and the opportunities before usand to challenge us to do better in making dental education more representative of the rich diversity in our country, said Dr. West. I want to extend my deep gratitude to all of the authors for taking the time to share their insights, experiences and expertise. The JDE special issue opens with an introduction by Jeanne C. Sinkford, D.D.S., M.S., PhD., FACD, FICD, and Sonya G. Smith, Ed.D., J.D., M.Ed, that details the changes and challenges shaping dental education. Dr. Smith is ADEAs Chief Diversity Officer and Dr. Sinkford is a renowned scholar, icon and champion of the advancement of women, diversity and health equity in dental education and oral health. She was the first woman to become a dean of a U.S. dental school. Dr. Sinkford is also the ADEA Senior Scholar-in-Residence Emerita and Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita of the Howard University College of Dentistry. Our collective efforts will be required to create more inclusive, humanistic, accessible and equitable environments throughout dental education where each person thrives, feels a strong connection and has a sense of belonging, they wrote. The JDE special issue is the latest in a series of ADEA projects aimed at bringing a sharper focusand greater progressto diversity and inclusion. The association recently completed a ground-breaking climate assessment survey that collected baseline data on diversity, equity and inclusion at U.S. and Canadian dental schools and allied dental education programs. Additionally, ADEA has launched an ambitious Men of Color in the Health Professions Initiative. The project, supported with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, seeks to identify solutions that aid in the recruitment, matriculation, retention and graduation of historically underrepresented men in the health professions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005864/en/ Kellie Bove [email protected] 202-513-1172 Source: American Dental Education Association GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- An investment fund managed by Trinity Fund Advisors LLC, an affiliate of Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC (Trinity), today announced the acquisition of Hyatt Regency Greenwich, a 373-key hotel located in Greenwich, Connecticut, one of the most affluent communities in the United States and a top commuter market to New York City. The hotel, which is the largest and only branded full-service hotel in Greenwich, is conveniently situated in a highly trafficked area and benefits from numerous demand generators. Trinitys capital improvement plan contemplates a multi-million-dollar renovation of the four-story hotels guest rooms, lobby, and meeting space. Trinity also plans to enhance the hotels amenities, replace the existing restaurant with a grab & go market, and re-concept the existing Gazebo Bar located in the hotels central atrium. Trinity believes these efforts will elevate the hotels appeal among hotel guests and local residents, making it an attractive venue for weddings, bar mitzvahs, social gatherings and corporate events. This transaction represents a unique opportunity to acquire a market-leading full-service hotel at a discount to replacement cost and establish Trinitys presence in the New York metropolitan area, said Sean Hehir, Managing Partner, President, and CEO of Trinity. We are pleased to expand our relationship with Hyatt, and we look forward to leveraging our value-add experience and capabilities to enhance this exceptionally well-located hotel. Hyatt Regency Greenwich resides on a 14-acre site adjacent to I-95 and between Greenwich and Stamford in Fairfield County. The hotel, which is a 50-minute train ride or under an hour drive from New York City, housed famed publisher Conde Nasts printing press between 1921 and 1967 and was redeveloped to Hyatt Regency Greenwich in 1986. It has since gone through numerous renovations, and currently features 35,000 square feet of meeting space, an indoor swimming pool, fitness center and salon. Hyatt Regency Greenwich delivers a seamless travel experience for guests, World of Hyatt members, and customers in the heart of Connecticuts Old Greenwich, and we are pleased to continue managing this property under a long-term management agreement for many years to come, said Pete Sears, Americas group president, Hyatt. We look forward to working with Trinity as they remain committed to further enhancing the guest experience and help us usher in the hotels next elevated chapter. Fairfield County has ranked among the top 30 counties nationally for net migration since March 2020. Moreover, the Stamford/Danbury submarket, where the hotel is located, currently benefits from an imbalance of supply and demand caused by numerous hotel closures in the Connecticut and Westchester County submarkets. We believe our capital improvement plan, combined with strong population inflows and a lack of any full-service hotels under construction within a 15-mile radius, positions Hyatt Regency Greenwich to enjoy an increase in both business and leisure demand, said Hehir. Hyatt Regency Greenwich represents Trinitys seventh hotel transaction since the final closing of Trinity GP Fund I L.P., Trinitys inaugural fund, in 2021. These acquisitions include the EAST Miami, W Hollywood, Omni San Diego Hotel, Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, and Four Seasons Resort Dallas at Las Colinas. About Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC Trinity is a private real estate investment firm with a 26-year history of specializing in value-add opportunities. Based in Honolulu, Hawaii, with an office in Beverly Hills, California, Trinity focuses on unique real estate investments in world-class markets and has invested more than US $8 billion in the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Japan by leveraging its deep institutional knowledge and longstanding local relationships. For additional information, please visit Trinitys website at www.trinityinvestments.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005733/en/ Media: Jason Chudoba or Megan Kivlehan ICR for Trinity Investments [email protected] | 646-277-1249 [email protected] | 646-677-1807 Source: Trinity Real Estate Investments LLC Fuels Technology and Market Scale to Automate Laundry for Property Managers and Renters Nationwide Taps Former Washio Founder to Debut New Pickup and Delivery Service for Gig Workers SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tumble, the smart laundry technology platform, announced today that it has raised $7 million in seed funding to modernize the shared laundry experience and transform outdated machines into revenue-generating assets. Funding will be used to scale its proprietary software platformpowering an all-digital experience from cashless payment to cycle tracking and machine securityto serve rental properties and residents nationwide, and soon consumers with a new pickup and delivery service. The round was led by Hivers and Strivers and includes participation from Array Ventures, Western Technology Investment (WTI), the PenFed Foundation, Zag Capital, as well as angel investors, including former AWS Senior Vice President and current Board Member at Twilio and Intuit, Richard Dalzell, and early Groupon Investor, Rich Heise. Tumble also secured $1.5 million in venture debt from WTI. For well over three decades, property teams have had to rely on outdated technology and services, leaving residents with a terrible laundry experience and billions of dollars on the table, said Doug Doan, Founder and General Partner at Hivers and Strivers. In only three years, Tumble has built the first and only fully integrated smart laundry technology built to benefit the bottom line and truly make laundry easier for residents. With only two shared laundry companies capturing the market share, and the vended laundry category (also known as coin operated laundries or laundromats) valued at $5 billion overall, the industry is ripe for innovation as Tumble taps into the multifamily industrys $53 billion potential. A recent report anticipates the online laundry services global market will hit $221 billion by 2030. Tumbles growth trajectory, backed by a proven model for boosting net operating income (NOI) for property management companies throughout California, will now bring smart laundry to 25 more major metros and 200 cities nationwide. The multifamily industry has been stifled by dumb laundry for too longTumble is saving property managers and their residents with the smart laundry experience, said Tumble CEO and Founder Scott Patterson. Were also giving back valuable time to onsite teams who have lost countless hours, and renters, to laundry complaints and machine maintenance. With Tumble, one of the most important amenities is now a valuable revenue stream. To use Tumble, residents simply download the app, add balance to their wallet, choose their location and connect to Tumbles washer and dryers. They can also pay, track and lock their machines, getting notifications once the cycle is complete. Tumbles key features include: Cashless Payment - secure payment done by smartphone Machine Availability - real-time window into machine availability Cycle Tracking - real-time window into cycle progress Locking Mechanism - lock/unlock remotely, keeping laundry secure Push Notifications - receive alerts when laundry is ready Predictive Maintenance - data-driven machine learning keeps machines in-service Tumble Support allows residents to report issues and provide feedback in real time, freeing up onsite teams by at least 52 hours a year, on average. It also allows for 90 percent of the maintenance to be done remotely, while also handling 99 percent of service tickets. We trusted Tumble with our portfolio of 2,945 units across 300 properties which has directly resulted in an exponential increase in both resident and property management satisfaction, said CEO and Founder of 2B Living Brooks Baskin. Tumble has provided much more than smart laundry services, it has become a cornerstone in our portfolios amenity offerings, providing best-in-class property management and commitment to adopting only the best technology to serve our residents. As both a property management company and a team that has supported Tumble through this last investment round, were doubling down on the growth and success of the company and look forward to seeing their continued expansion. Tumble was founded in 2019 by CEO Scott Patterson, having just finished serving 11 years in The United States Marine Corps, where laundry was a valued commoditylearning to fold or find whoever owned the clothing in a machine. After leaving the military and moving to San Francisco, Patterson found mostly broken, unreliable laundry machines, dirty rooms, stolen clothes and expensive cards to refill. Shortly after, the U.S. experienced a coin shortage during the height of the pandemic, further perpetuating the pain of the traditional laundry room while rendering some completely useless. Patterson quickly launched Tumble in San Francisco in 2021 and has since quadrupled its market share and has grown the team to meet a nationwide demand for smart laundry. Tumble is set to soon debut a new pickup and delivery service that taps into the growing gig economys $347 billion potential. The offering will further expand platform capabilities and value for Tumble customers, and give consumers the opportunity to earn using their existing laundry rooms. We have re-engineered the shared laundry model by creating the infrastructure and technology that brings the machines and software to people, allowing us to streamline and monetize the experience, said Tumble CTO and former founder of Washio Bob Wall. Our new pickup and delivery service provides a way for people to earn money using an existing amenity in their apartment building while tapping into pent up demand for gig economy workers that may not have, or may not want to drive their car in order to earn extra money. Tumble is driving the industry towards value creation, instead of extracting income from residents. Were incredibly proud to have the support of our investment partners and customers to further our vision to modernize the laundry experience and ultimately, end laundry day for good, added Patterson. Tumble is currently in thousands of units managed by leading property management companies including: 2B Living, Veritas Investments Inc., FPI Management, Moss & Company, AMC Management LLC, Rainey Property Management, Shomof Group, GreenTree Property Management, Mosser Structure Properties, R.A. Snyder, AWI Management, Q10 Property Advisors, to name a few. To learn more about Tumble, visit Tumble.to. To join the waitlist for Tumbles new pickup and delivery service, sign up today at jointumble.com. About Tumble Tumble is the smart laundry technology platform that offers an all digital experience from cashless payment to cycle tracking and machine security. Tumbles Smart Laundry platform is first of its kind, allowing users to simply download the app, add balance to their wallet, choose their location and connect to Tumbles laundry machines with a unique code. Using its proprietary technology, Tumble allows users to pay, track and lock their machines, getting notifications until the cycle is complete. Tumble also offers Smart Support for help, to report issues and give feedback in real time, freeing up onsite teams by 90 percent on average. Founded in 2019 out of San Francisco, Tumble currently services California, with expansion plans for Chicago and NYC in 2023. To learn more, visit tumble.to. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005707/en/ Press Contact Lindsey Henn Tumble PR [email protected] +1 (626) 893-4228 Source: Tumble KEEWATIN, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- United States Steel Corporation (NYSE: X) (U. S. Steel) leadership and employees were joined by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, other elected officials, and key partners to celebrate the Companys investment in direct reduced (DR)-grade pellet capabilities at its Minnesota Ore Operations Keetac plant today. The investment marks a step forward in U. S. Steels metallics strategy by supplying the increasingly tight DR-grade pellet market and provides the company with the flexibility to feed a potential future direct reduced iron (DRI) or hot briquetted iron (HBI) facility. DRI and HBI are important electric arc furnace metallics inputs. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005583/en/ U. S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt addressing the crowd at DR-grade pellet investment celebration at Keetac. (Photo: Business Wire) Minnesota Governor Tim Walz joined the celebration along with U. S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt and Senior Vice President and Chief Manufacturing Officer Scott Buckiso to discuss U. S. Steels commitment to produce products that are mined, melted and made in America. The $150 million investment expands on the Companys existing competitive advantage in low-cost iron ore. Our investment at Keetac is a commitment to the future of American steel, said U. S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt. As we look forward to celebrating National Manufacturing Day on Friday, I want to recognize the exceptional team working on this project and our employees for their dedication. When we do well, so do our employees and the communities where we live and work; the Iron Range remains a critical part of our future. The Company broke ground on the facility in the third quarter of 2022, and the facility is expected to be operational in late 2023 with first pellets produced in 2024. Im proud to celebrate U. S. Steels major investment in the Northland, said Governor Walz. Minnesotas steel industry is a critical part of our history, culture, and thriving economy and a critical job creator on the Iron Range. I look forward to the growth this investment will bring to both our regional and statewide economies. In addition to producing DR-grade pellets to ultimately feed EAFs, the production facility will maintain flexibility to continue producing blast furnace grade pellets. Upon completion, the Company could also sell the new pellets to third-party DRI or HBI producers. The DR-grade pellets produced will be a new product line for U. S. Steel. Ensuring domestic production helps Minnesota and protects us against global supply chain challenges and geopolitical uncertainty, said Doug Loon, President and CEO of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. This project helps secure a bright future for mining in Minnesota. For more information about the project and todays event click here. Cautionary Language on Forward-Looking Statements: This release contains information that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We intend the forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in those sections. Generally, we have identified such forward-looking statements by using the words believe, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, project, target, forecast, aim, should, will, "may" and similar expressions or by using future dates in connection with any discussion of, among other things, the construction or operation of new or existing facilities, trends, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, changes in global supply and demand conditions and prices for our products and statements regarding our future strategies and statements expressing general views about future operating results. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but instead represent only the Companys beliefs regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Companys control. It is possible that the Companys actual results may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results indicated in these forward-looking statements. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the time made. However, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made. Our Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our Company's historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described on this webpage and in Item 1A. Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and those described from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Founded in 1901, United States Steel Corporation is a leading steel producer. With an unwavering focus on safety, the Companys customer-centric Best for All strategy is advancing a more secure, sustainable future for U. S. Steel and its stakeholders. With a renewed emphasis on innovation, U. S. Steel serves the automotive, construction, appliance, energy, containers, and packaging industries with high value-added steel products such as U. S. Steels proprietary XG3 advanced high-strength steel. The Company also maintains competitively advantaged iron ore production and has an annual raw steelmaking capability of 22.4 million net tons. U. S. Steel is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with world-class operations across the United States and in Central Europe. For more information, please visit www.ussteel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005583/en/ Amanda Malkowski Media Relations Manager Corporate Communications C - (412) 736-2475 E - [email protected] Source: United States Steel Corporation DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) plans to release its second quarter fiscal 2023 financial results on Wednesday, October 26th, 2022 at approximately 4:05 p.m. ET. Following the news release, VF management will host a conference call at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET to review results. The conference call will be broadcast live on the Internet, accessible at ir.vfc.com. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, an archived version will be available at the same location. About VF Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the worlds largest active-lifestyle companies which connects people to the activities and experiences they cherish most through a portfolio of outdoor, active, workwear and streetwear brands including Vans, The North Face, Timberland and Dickies. Our purpose is to power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We connect this purpose with a relentless drive to succeed to create value for all stakeholders and use our company as a force for good. For more information, please visit vfc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005067/en/ Investor Contact: Allegra Perry [email protected] Media Contact: Colin Wheeler [email protected] Source: VF Corporation MILFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) will hold its Q3 2022 financial results conference call live on Tuesday, November 1st 2022 at 8:00 a.m. eastern time. A live webcast of the presentation will be available on Waters investor relations website at https://ir.waters.com. A replay of the webcast will also be available until at least November 15th, 2022, at midnight eastern time. About Waters Corporation Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT), a global leader in analytical instruments and software, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, and food sciences for more than 60 years. With more than 7,800 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in more than 35 countries, including 14 manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005763/en/ Caspar Tudor, Director, Investor Relations [email protected] Source: Waters Corporation Radiant Logistics, Inc. (NYSE American: RLGT), a leading provider of technology-enabled global transportation and value added logistics solutions, today announced it has acquired the operations of Cascade Enterprises of Minnesota, Inc. ("Cascade"), a Minneapolis, Minnesota based, privately held company that has operated under the Company's Airgroup brand since 2007. The Company structured the transaction similar to its previous transactions, with a portion of the expected purchase price payable in subsequent periods based on the future performance of the acquired operations. On a post-closing basis, Cascade will continue to operate under the Airgroup brand through the remainder of 2022 and is expected to transition to the Radiant brand in early 2023 as Cascade is combined with existing Company owned operations in the Minneapolis area. Tom Heinsen, Founder and CEO of Cascade commented, "Back in 2007 we were looking to align ourselves with a partner who shared our passion for the business. In Radiant we found that and so much more. As both an early partner and shareholder, it has been exciting to be a part of the building momentum of the Radiant network. Radiant has consistently provided an environment that allowed us to build our business and share in the value creation opportunity as a shareholder. They continue to do this as we transition our business while ensuring the continued success of our customers and employees." "With the benefit of Radiant's recent acquisition of Navegate in December 2021, we are particularly excited to work with Joe Pelletier and his team to take the Navegate technology to our customers. Through the Navegate platform we now have access to a very robust global trade management solution that will provide purchase order and vendor management tools that unlocks SKU-level visibility from the manufacturing floor in Asia through final delivery here in the U.S. We believe this will allow us to further differentiate ourselves in the marketplace and provide additional support for both current and prospective customers." Mr. Heinsen will continue with Radiant as Vice President, Strategic Accounts. "The Cascade transaction and our long-standing partnership with Tom and his team are significant to the continued evolution of Radiant," remarked Radiant's Founder and CEO, Bohn Crain. "We launched Radiant in 2006 with the goal of partnering with logistics entrepreneurs who would benefit from our unique value proposition. It is satisfying to know that Tom has shared in the value that he has helped to create and is now able to take advantage of the built-in exit strategy available to the entrepreneurs participating in our network. It was March of 2007 when we welcomed Tom to the Radiant network. From the beginning Tom has participated as a shareholder and as one of the larger operating partners in our network. We are very proud to be able to support Tom and his team in this transaction and help them reach their own individual goals." Crain continued: "We believe that the Cascade transaction is also indicative of the broader opportunity available to us in the marketplace and that there will be more entrepreneurs, both internal and external to our existing network, that will look to join our ranks. This remains a very exciting time in the evolution of Radiant and we remain confident that our growth strategy will continue to bring value to our operating partners, our shareholders and to the end customers that we serve." . Standard Motor Products, Inc. (NYSE: SMP), a leading automotive parts manufacturer and distributor, announced today that it has acquired 100% of the capital stock of Kade Trading GmbH, headquartered in Glinde, Germany. Founded in 2004, the company has operated across Europe as a supplier of mobile temperature control components to commercial vehicle, passenger car and specialty equipment markets, and has been a distributor of SMP products including electric compressors, hose assemblies and receiver dryers. The company generated approximately $6 million in annual revenue during 2021. SMP will fund the acquisition in cash through borrowings under its revolving credit facility. Mr. Eric Sills, Standard Motor Products' Chief Executive Officer and President, stated, "We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Kade Trading and to welcome the employees to the SMP family. Their well-established customer relationships further strengthen our overall presence in Europe, and provides synergies to our other recent specialized non-aftermarket channel acquisitions. Furthermore, this acquisition will provide SMP with an entry point into the European market for our temperature control products with a strong focus on the continuing electrification of thermal systems. "While still a relatively small business, we believe product categories such as electric compressors along with new complementary specialized products will expand market penetration into the EV segment as the demand throughout Europe evolves over time." Elon Musk's twitter account is seen on a smartphone in front of the Twitter logo in this photo illustration taken, April 15, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration By Nivedita Balu and Akash Sriram (Reuters) - Elon Musk's change of heart over his buyout deal for Twitter Inc was greeted with a wave of price target boosts on the social media company's stock, although Tesla investors feared that the billionaire was spreading himself too thin. Musk, who sold over $15 billion worth of Tesla Inc shares earlier in the year to fund the deal, had threatened to abandon the takeover, citing a large number of fake accounts and inviting a lawsuit from Twitter to close the deal at the original offer price of $44 billion. While there was no insight into another round of potential stock sale from Musk, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives warned that the Tesla CEO's interest in closing the deal would weigh on the company's shares. "We see lingering impacts from Musk stock sales as a drag dissipating but the big worry is Musk juggling too many balls at the same time," Ives said. "We see minimal benefit for Musk owning Twitter for Tesla investors going forward." Musk also heads spacecraft manufacturing company SpaceX and is a co-founder of neurotechnology company Neuralink and The Boring Company. Twitter shares, which closed at their highest level since April, were down about 2% on Wednesday, while Tesla fell nearly 6%. At least three analysts raised their price targets on Twitter stock to match Musk's offer price after he showed renewed interest in buying the company on Tuesday. Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth in Boston, estimated that Musk may need to sell an additional $2 billion worth of shares, but said it would be hard to know if he would sell more shares ahead of the company's quarterly results. Tesla is expected to report its quarterly results on Oct. 19. FIXING TWITTER Musk, a self-described "free speech absolutist" and a prominent Twitter user, has been critical of the social media platform. He has called out the micro-blogging platform for not doing enough on free speech, while criticizing its content moderation policies. In July, Musk said he could walk away without penalty because the number of bot accounts were much higher than Twitter's estimate of less than 5% of monetizable daily active users. Bots are automated accounts and their use can lead to overestimations of how many people are on the service, a key factor in determining ad rates and the overall value of the service. As Musk looks to cut costs, fix problems related to bot accounts and find new ways to monetize the service, he will also have to take on the additional challenge of navigating an uncertain economic environment. "Musk's task would be tough in normal times, but has the added burden now of taking on this challenge into a deteriorating, uncertain macroeconomic backdrop" Rosenblatt Securities analyst Barton Crockett said. (Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru, Additional reporting by Medha Singh; Editing by Sweta Singh and Anil D'Silva) YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The government of Armenia remains committed to further cooperation with all partners in promoting innovation, open internet and high-tech economy, Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan said during the opening ceremony of the Global Innovation Forum in Yerevan. Technologies enable to generate new ideas that are getting out the traditional development channels. The digitization process of the economy has its place in Armenias development strategic plan for 2021-2025. This year the Global Innovation Forum is taking place at difficult conditions for our country, which proves Armenias commitment to reveal the opportunities of using new technologies which will be used for the benefit of the welfare of the people. We understand the importance of high technologies, especially that of artificial intelligence in multiple aspects, he said. According to the deputy PM, artificial intelligence is one of the most crucial technologies in the 21st century. He said it is going to completely change peoples way of living. Hambardzum Matevosyan stated that technology has entered into almost all spheres of human activity by significantly increasing the opportunities for innovation and creativity for Armenia. Armenia, with its human capital, uses the possibilities of the digital age, but it should be done in an efficient way. We should form a comprehensive understanding of how the artificial intelligence is changing the global economic infrastructure. We should ensure collaboration between the people and the machines. Progress brings certain dangers and risks as well. In case of digitizing the public administration we need to get prepared for emerging challenges and make them manageable. I am full of optimism that this Forum will help understand the opportunities and risks the use of artificial can entail for us. The government of Armenia remains committed to further cooperation with all partners in promoting innovation, open internet and high-tech economy as a means to accelerate achievements of our shared development goals, the deputy PM said. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Marlboro maker Philip Morris has offered concessions to address EU antitrust concerns over its $16 billion bid for tobacco and nicotine products maker Swedish Match, a European Commission filing showed on Wednesday. The EU competition enforcer did not provide details of the concessions in line with its policy. It will seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept them or demand more. The Commission extended its deadline for a decision to Oct. 25 from Oct. 11. Companies typically offer remedies during the preliminary review if they are confident that the EU antitrust watchdog will accept them. The Commission had been expected to clear the deal unconditionally but no final decision had been made, people close to the matter said on Tuesday. The deal, which has been cleared in the United States and Brazil, is complex and EU regulators have to take into account the scope and characteristics of the European market, another person said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee, Editing by Louise Heavens) BRISBANE, Australia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allkem Limited (ASX|TSX: AKE, the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the resource extension drilling program currently underway at its Mt Cattlin spodumene operation in Western Australia. The drilling program consists of three phases as described below: Phase 1 drilling within the US$900 2NW pit shell converting resource to reserve (planned 49 holes, 11,120 metres). Underway ~77% complete. Phase 2 drilling to the north and down dip of the US$900 2NW pit shell to test resource extensions outside of the US$900 2NW pit (planned 80 holes, 19,125 metres) and within the US$1,100 pit shell. Underway ~55% complete. Phase 3 drilling in the SW of the mine tenements to test additional targets and prospects (18 holes, 2,440 metres). To be undertaken in late 2022/early 2023. HIGHLIGHTS Phase 1 drilling is targeting to convert 3.2Mt of Resource to Reserves. Intercepts within this pit include high grade zones with large thicknesses such as 12m at 2.46% Li 2 O and 15m at 1.91% Li 2 O Phase 2 drilling and assay results demonstrate resource extension potential to the north of the current pit with high grade intercepts in the lower pegmatite, including 9m at 2.98% Li 2 O and 7m at 1.86% Li 2 O and Phase 1 and 2 drilling at 2NW pit is on target for completion by end of October and a consultant has been engaged to immediately commence a study to convert mineral resources to Ore Reserves for scheduling, mine planning and detailed pit design Mt Cattlins Mineral Resource tonnage recently increased 21% to 13.3Mt @ 1.2% Li2O and 131 ppm Ta2O5 INTERIM DRILLING RESULTS Allkem commenced a three-phase resource extension program in mid-April that targets 147 holes for approximately 32,685 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling. As of 14 September, 81 holes drilled for a total of 19,177 metres were complete and assay results for 47 drillholes were available. Highlights from the assays of the upper pegmatite include: Drillhole From(m) To(m) Thickness(m) Li2O% Ta2O5ppm NWRC186 81 89 8 1.41 105 NWRC204 87 95 8 1.59 128 NWRC211 79 91 12 2.46 53 NWRC212 86 101 15 1.91 72 NWRC238 89 105 16 1.73 92 NWRC241 99 112 13 1.51 115 All significant assays are tabulated in the appendix. Figure 1: Intercepts to the north of the US$1,100 whittle shell show potential for mineral resource expansion. Highlights from the lower pegmatite include: Drillhole From(m) To(m) Thickness(m) Li20% Ta2O5ppm NWRC128 215 227 12 1.91 218 NWRC129 213 222 9 1.43 177 NWRC131 237 245 8 1.85 176 NWRC137 203 212 9 1.59 286 NWRC138A 239 249 10 1.69 247 NWRC147 191 201 10 1.16 128 NWRC154 189 199 10 1.01 124 NWRC156 202 211 9 1.39 434 NWRC158 220 229 9 0.98 73 NWRC164 192 201 9 0.76 36 NWRC175 228 239 11 2.15 126 NWRC176 232 243 11 0.97 175 NWRC179 179 191 12 1.66 608 NWRC186 181 193 12 1.35 93 NWRC188 209 221 12 1.34 99 NWRC190 216 228 12 1.66 261 NWRC191 216 226 10 1.94 171 NWRC192 229 239 10 2.08 378 NWRC197 204 216 12 1.32 79 NWRC200 232 241 9 2.98 414 NWRC202 246 257 11 1.01 483 NWRC203 166 177 11 1.92 164 NWRC242 221 231 10 1.76 281 Pegmatite mineralisation to this point generally aligns with the existing geological model and of those assays returned to date and lithia (Li2O) content is consistent with historic (pre-2022) assays in the North West pit area of Mt Cattlin. Given the tendency for pinch and swell in pegmatite mineralisation, definitive conclusions are not possible at this stage, however geological logging and assay results to date are highly encouraging. A typical cross section at northing 224160E (MGA 94) in Figure 1 shows ongoing thick pegmatite development down dip from the US$650 (Ore Reserve) pit shell and the USD 1,100 Whittle shell. All drill hole collars for assay results are presented in Figure 2 and Appendix: Table 1. Given the executed orientation of the drilling, assay intercepts reported are broadly true width. Figure 2: Drilling progress as of 14 September 2022 and location relative to USD 1,100 pit shell and current NW pit design and cut-back. Next steps The Phase 1 resource infill program at 2NW pit is on target for completion by the end of October and Perth based consultants Entech have been appointed to project manage an open pit, cut-back feasibility level study and execution. Planning is underway for follow-up reverse circulation and diamond drilling, for the purposes of extension, geotechnical and metallurgical studies. The study is anticipated to commence in October and aims to convert in-situ mineral resources (as announced on 25 August 2022) to Ore Reserves for scheduling, mine planning and detailed pit design in a NW pit. Additionally, a scoping study continues to evaluate the potential for either opencut or underground development of further resource extensions from Phase 2 drilling. On completion of the drilling at the NW pit, the focus will shift to Phase 3 and further definition in the SW part of the reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction (RPEEE) footprint and lead to programs that test pegmatite continuity in areas previously not included in resource and mineral resource modelling. These programs will continue towards the end of the year and extend onto exploration leases as conditions and permitting allows. This release was authorised by Mr Martin Perez de Solay, CEO and Managing Director of Allkem Limited. Allkem LimitedABN 31 112 589 910 Level 35, 71 Eagle StBrisbane, QLD 4000 Investor Relations & Media EnquiriesAndrew Barber M: +61 418 783 701 E: [email protected] Phoebe LeeP: +61 7 3064 3600 E: [email protected] Connect [email protected] +61 7 3064 3600www.allkem.co IMPORTANT NOTICES This investor ASX/TSX release (Release) has been prepared by Allkem Limited (ACN 112 589 910) (the Company or Allkem). It contains general information about the Company as at the date of this Release. The information in this Release should not be considered to be comprehensive or to comprise all of the material which a shareholder or potential investor in the Company may require in order to determine whether to deal in Shares of Allkem. The information in this Release is of a general nature only and does not purport to be complete. It should be read in conjunction with the Companys periodic and continuous disclosure announcements which are available at allkem.co and with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) announcements, which are available at www.asx.com.au. This Release does not take into account the financial situation, investment objectives, tax situation or particular needs of any person and nothing contained in this Release constitutes investment, legal, tax, accounting or other advice, nor does it contain all the information which would be required in a disclosure document or prospectus prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act). Readers or recipients of this Release should, before making any decisions in relation to their investment or potential investment in the Company, consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to their own individual investment objectives and financial situation and seek their own professional investment, legal, taxation and accounting advice appropriate to their particular circumstances. This Release does not constitute or form part of any offer, invitation, solicitation or recommendation to acquire, purchase, subscribe for, sell or otherwise dispose of, or issue, any Shares or any other financial product. Further, this Release does not constitute financial product, investment advice (nor tax, accounting or legal advice) or recommendation, nor shall it or any part of it or the fact of its distribution form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract or investment decision. The distribution of this Release in other jurisdictions outside Australia may also be restricted by law and any restrictions should be observed. Any failure to comply with such restrictions may constitute a violation of applicable securities laws. Past performance information given in this Release is given for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as (and is not) an indication of future performance. Forward Looking Statements Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and beliefs and, by their nature, are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results, performances and achievements to differ materially from any expected future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the risk of further changes in government regulations, policies or legislation; the risks associated with the continued implementation of the merger between the Company and Galaxy Resources Ltd, risks that further funding may be required, but unavailable, for the ongoing development of the Companys projects; fluctuations or decreases in commodity prices; uncertainty in the estimation, economic viability, recoverability and processing of mineral resources; risks associated with development of the Company Projects; unexpected capital or operating cost increases; uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones at the Companys Projects; risks associated with investment in publicly listed companies, such as the Company; and risks associated with general economic conditions. Subject to any continuing obligation under applicable law or relevant listing rules of the ASX, the Company disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this Release to reflect any change in expectations in relation to any forward-looking statements or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Nothing in this Release shall under any circumstances (including by reason of this Release remaining available and not being superseded or replaced by any other Release or publication with respect to the subject matter of this Release), create an implication that there has been no change in the affairs of the Company since the date of this Release. Competent Person Statement The information in this announcement that relates to Exploration Results and Mineral Resources is based on information compiled by Albert Thamm, B.Sc. (Hons)., M.Sc. F.Aus.IMM, a Competent Person who is a Fellow of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Albert Thamm is a full-time employee of Galaxy Resources Pty. Limited. Albert Thamm has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Albert Thamm consents to the inclusion in this announcement of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Any information in this announcement that relates to Mt Cattlins Mineral Resources and Reserves is extracted from the report entitled Mt Cattlin Resource, Reserve and Operations Update released on 25 August 2022 which is available to view on www.allkem.co and www.asx.com.au. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original market announcements and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the Mineral Resources estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement. Not for release or distribution in the United States This announcement has been prepared for publication in Australia and may not be released to U.S. wire services or distributed in the United States. This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction, and neither this announcement or anything attached to this announcement shall form the basis of any contract or commitment. Any securities described in this announcement have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in transactions registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 or exempt from, or not subject to, the registration of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and applicable U.S. state securities laws. APPENDIX 1 DRILL HOLE INFORMATION AND ASSAY RESULTS Table 1: Drill hole collar and orientation as surveyed Hole ID TYPE MGA94 Z51East MGA94 Z51North RL Depth Dip MGA94 Z51Azimuth NWRC116 RC 223758 6282275 269 255 -70 180 NWRC117 RC 223761 6282420 270 300 -56 180 NWRC118 RC 223759 6282450 270 285 -69 181 NWRC120 RC 223796 6282216 269 209 -70 180 NWRC121 RC 223799 6282279 269 250 -71 180 NWRC122 RC 223800 6282430 270 270 -63 180 NWRC123 RC 223796 6282471 270 270 -73 180 NWRC125 RC 223832 6282239 268 236 -70 180 NWRC126 RC 223835 6282278 268 235 -70 180 NWRC128 RC 223850 6282375 271 250 -70 180 NWRC129 RC 223839 6282415 270 260 -67 180 NWRC130 RC 223840 6282440 270 260 -70 180 NWRC131 RC 223840 6282471 270 260 -72 180 NWRC132 RC 223841 6282520 270 260 -88 182 NWRC134 RC 223828 6282657 269 290 -76 175 NWRC137 RC 223881 6282375 270 252 -87 180 NWRC138A RC 223884 6282478 270 260 -71 184 NWRC142 RC 223878 6282650 267 285 -76 181 NWRC147 RC 223920 6282378 269 228 -77 180 NWRC148 RC 223919 6282441 270 180 -80 180 NWRC149 RC 223915 6282485 270 218 -70 180 NWRC151 RC 223916 6282639 268 270 -71 180 NWRC153 RC 223979 6282241 266 205 -70 180 NWRC154 RC 223972 6282320 268 205 -70 191 NWRC155 RC 223969 6282360 269 215 -70 188 NWRC156 RC 223968 6282400 269 225 -70 188 NWRC157 RC 223964 6282440 270 240 -69 184 NWRC158 RC 223964 6282480 270 240 -70 184 NWRC162 RC 223956 6282676 266 265 -70 180 NWRC164 RC 224006 6282400 270 350 -70 183 NWRC165 RC 224005 6282440 270 234 -70 184 NWRC166 RC 224005 6282480 270 168 -70 184 NWRC167 RC 224018 6282548 270 228 -72 195 NWRC168 RC 224022 6282587 269 255 -73 197 NWRC170 RC 223997 6282678 267 228 -70 180 NWRC171 RC 223998 6282718 264 275 -70 180 NWRC172 RC 224060 6282362 255 195 -80 218 NWRC174 RC 224040 6282561 269 246 -71 180 NWRC175 RC 224038 6282602 269 250 -70 180 NWRC176 RC 224035 6282638 268 255 -69 180 NWRC179 RC 224080 6282435 255 210 -71 180 NWRC181 RC 224076 6282559 269 235 -70 180 NWRC182 RC 224078 6282603 268 210 -70 180 NWRC186 RC 224120 6282436 255 210 -70 180 NWRC188 RC 224119 6282520 269 225 -71 180 NWRC189 RC 224114 6282599 268 234 -71 174 NWRC190 RC 224111 6282633 268 240 -72 171 NWRC191 RC 224137 6282669 265 250 -70 180 NWRC192 RC 224121 6282719 264 255 -70 180 NWRC195 RC 224142 6282517 262 230 -71 168 NWRC196 RC 224159 6282562 262 235 -70 180 NWRC197 RC 224160 6282602 267 234 -70 180 NWRC198 RC 224160 6282640 265 246 -82 180 NWRC199 RC 224160 6282662 265 71 -70 180 NWRC200 RC 224159 6282758 264 270 -70 180 NWRC201 RC 224159 6282798 264 275 -70 180 NWRC202 RC 224167 6282838 264 285 -70 187 NWRC203 RC 224201 6282395 255 186 -70 180 NWRC204 RC 224200 6282434 255 192 -70 180 NWRC205 RC 224195 6282477 262 215 -70 180 NWRC207 RC 224196 6282650 266 246 -63 181 NWRC208 RC 224200 6282717 262 245 -70 180 NWRC209 RC 224193 6282773 264 264 -67 176 NWRC210 RC 224198 6282798 264 264 -70 180 NWRC211 RC 224240 6282394 255 186 -70 180 NWRC212 RC 224241 6282435 255 186 -70 180 NWRC213 RC 224234 6282477 262 220 -71 180 NWRC214 RC 224237 6282519 262 153 -70 180 NWRC215 RC 224241 6282557 262 230 -69 180 NWRC216 RC 224240 6282599 264 224 -70 180 NWRC219 RC 224231 6282743 260 260 -70 180 NWRC220 RC 224239 6282757 259 250 -70 180 NWRC224 RC 224304 6282656 246 225 -61 194 NWRC225 RC 224305 6282672 247 235 -70 204 NWRC227 RC 224282 6282794 255 260 -61 180 NWRC233 RC 224313 6282674 247 225 -68 173 NWRC234 RC 224321 6282714 249 220 -83 180 NWRC238 RC 224360 6282547 235 300 -73 180 NWRC240 RC 224360 6282753 249 220 -62 180 NWRC241 RC 224400 6282628 235 144 -86 180 NWRC242 RC 224159 6282702 264 250 -75 180 All significant intercepts with a minimum cut-off 0.4% Li2O%; minimum 4m interval; maximum 2m of internal waste are presented separately in Tables 2 and 3 below. Table 2: Significant intercepts - upper pegmatite body (61) Drillhole From (m) To (m) Metres Li2O% Ta2O5ppm Pegmatite Body NWRC128 157 161 4 1.27 78 61 NWRC131 183 188 5 0.96 100 61 NWRC147 130 136 6 0.82 85 61 NWRC154 115 120 5 1.28 146 61 NWRC155 121 125 4 1.59 57 61 NWRC156 138 142 4 1.14 107 61 NWRC157 146 150 4 0.9 158 61 NWRC164 118 122 4 1.3 83 61 NWRC172 75 82 7 1.54 93 61 NWRC174 150 155 5 0.93 38 61 NWRC175 162 166 4 0.86 77 61 NWRC179 83 88 5 1.74 182 61 NWRC186 81 89 8 1.41 105 61 NWRC188 122 126 4 1.5 73 61 NWRC190 138 142 4 0.97 110 61 NWRC200 185 192 7 1.12 31 61 NWRC201 194 200 6 1.39 352 61 NWRC203 77 82 5 1.11 94 61 NWRC204 87 95 8 1.59 128 61 NWRC211 79 91 12 2.46 53 61 NWRC212 86 101 15 1.91 72 61 NWRC216 129 133 4 0.47 113 61 NWRC238 89 105 16 1.73 92 61 NWRC241 99 112 13 1.51 115 61 Table 3: Significant intercepts - lower pegmatite body (62). Minimum cut-off 0.4% Li2O%; minimum 4m interval; maximum 2m of internal waste Drillhole From (m) To (m) Metres Li2O% Ta2O5ppm Pegmatite Body NWRC122 236 240 4 0.95 77 62 NWRC123 249 253 4 1.33 77 62 NWRC128 215 227 12 1.91 218 62 NWRC129 213 222 9 1.43 177 62 NWRC131 237 245 8 1.85 176 62 NWRC137 203 212 9 1.59 286 62 NWRC138A 239 249 10 1.69 247 62 NWRC147 191 201 10 1.16 128 62 NWRC153 161 166 5 0.81 148 62 NWRC154 189 199 10 1.01 124 62 NWRC155 191 197 6 0.45 126 62 NWRC156 202 211 9 1.39 434 62 NWRC158 220 229 9 0.98 73 62 NWRC164 192 201 9 0.76 36 62 NWRC172 168 174 6 0.88 143 62 NWRC175 228 239 11 2.15 126 62 NWRC176 232 243 11 0.97 175 62 NWRC179 179 191 12 1.66 608 62 NWRC186 181 193 12 1.35 93 62 NWRC188 209 221 12 1.34 99 62 NWRC189 214 218 4 1.55 80 62 NWRC190 216 228 12 1.66 261 62 NWRC191 216 226 10 1.94 171 62 NWRC192 229 239 10 2.08 378 62 NWRC197 204 216 12 1.32 79 62 NWRC200 232 241 9 2.98 414 62 NWRC201 243 250 7 1.86 457 62 NWRC202 246 257 11 1.01 483 62 NWRC203 166 177 11 1.92 164 62 NWRC209 241 245 4 0.93 133 62 NWRC211 173 177 4 0.61 103 62 NWRC216 214 218 4 0.47 85 62 NWRC242 221 231 10 1.76 281 62 APPENDIX 2 RESOURCE AND RESERVE TABLES Mt Cattlin Mineral Resource at 30 June 2022 Category Tonnage Grade Grade Contained metal Contained metal Net Variance to2021 Statement Mt % Li2O ppm Ta2O5 (000) t Li2O lbs Ta2O5 % Measured In-situ - - - - - -100 % Indicated In-situ 4.5 1.3 135 59 1,339,000 -6 % Stockpiles 2.4 0.8 122 19 646,000 -20 % Inferred In-situ 6.4 1.3 131 83 1,850,000 121 % Total 13.3 1.2 131 161 3,835,000 21 % Notes: Reported at cut-off grade of 0.4% Li2O contained within a pit shell generated at a spodumene price of USD1,100 at 6% Li20. The preceding statements of Mineral Resources conforms to the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2012 edition. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes. Excludes mineralisation classified as oxide and transitional. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures. RPEEE is defined as reasonable prospects for eventual economic evaluation. Mt Cattlin Ore Reserve at 30 June 2022 Category Tonnage Mt Grade% Li2O Gradeppm Ta2O5 Contained metal(000) t Li2O Contained metallbs Ta2O5 Variance to 2021 % Proven - - - - - % -100 % Probable 2NW only 3.3 1.12 105 37.0 764,000 -30 % Stockpiles 2.4 0.80 122 19.0 646,000 -20 % Total 5.8 0.98 113 56.0 1,410,000 -28 % Notes: Reported at cut-off grade of 0.4% Li2O within current mine design. The preceding statements of Ore Reserves conforms to the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2012 edition. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes. Reported with 17% dilution and 93% mining recovery. Revenue factor US$650/tonne applied. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures. APPENDIX 3 JORC 2012 TABLE 1 DISCLOSURE Section 1: Sampling Techniques and Data MT CATTLIN LITHIUM PROJECT SAMPLING AND DATA Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels, random chips, or specific specialized industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc.). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling. Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used. Aspects of the determination of mineralization that are Material to the Public Report. In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (e.g. reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverized to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralization types (e.g. submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Pre-2017 Mt Catlin mineralization was sampled using a mixture of Diamond (DD) Reverse Circulation drill holes (RC), rotary Air Blast (RAB) and Open Hole (OH). In the north zone drilling is a 40mE x 40mN spacing and infilled to 20mE to 25mE x 20mN to 20mN in the central zone. In the south the drilling is on a 40mE x 80mN pattern. Drill holes were drilled vertical to intersect true thickness of the spodumene mineralization.A total of 39 DD holes for 1,528.56m, 986 RC holes for 48,763m, 59 OH holes for 1,999m and 23 RAB for 402m had been completed before 2017.The drill-hole collars were surveyed by professional survey contractors. A total of 71 drill holes were surveyed by Surtron Technologies Australia of Welshpool in 2010. Sampling was carried out under Galaxy Resources QAQC protocols and as per industry best practice.RC sample returns were closely monitored, managed and recorded. Drill samples were logged for lithology and SG measurements. Diamond HQ and PQ core was quarter-cored to sample lengths relating to the geological boundaries, but not exceeding 1m on average. RC samples were composited from 1m drill samples split using a two-stage riffle splitter 25/75 to obtain 2kg to 4kg of sample for sample preparation. All samples were dried, crushed, pulverized and split to produce a 3.5kg and then 200g sub-sample for analysis For Li (method AAS40Q), for Ta, Nb and Sn (method XRF78O) and in some cases for SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Cr2O3, Fe2O3, K2O3, MgO, MnO, P2O5, SO3, TiO2 and V2O5 were analysed by XRF78O. Entire drill-hole lengths were submitted for assay.Drilling 2017-8 From 1m of drilling and sampling, two 12.5% splits are taken by a static cone splitter in calico drawstring bags. This obtains two 2kg to 4kg samples with one being retained as an archive sample and the other submitted for assay, where required an archive bag is used as the duplicate sample.A 4.5-inch diameter rod string is used and the cyclone is cleaned at the end of every 6m rod as caking occurs from the mandatory use of dust suppression equipment.Drilling November 2018 2021 Subsequent to 2018 update, 5,912m (41 holes)m of new reverse circulation (RC) and 273.65 of diamond tails (2 holes) has been completed (excluding metallurgical and geotechnical) has taken place.From 1m of drilling and sampling, two 12.5% splits are taken by a static cone splitter in calico drawstring bags. This obtains two 2kg to 4kg samples with one being retained as an archive sample and the other submitted for assay, where required an archive bag is used as the duplicate sample.A 4.5-inch diameter rod string is used and the cyclone is cleaned at the end of every 6m rod as caking occurs from the mandatory use of dust suppression equipment.Drilling April 2022 onwardsA total of 81 holes drilled for a total of 19,177 metres and 47 holes remaining planned for a total remaining of 11,155 metres as of 14 September, 2022. Drilling techniques Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) and details (e.g. core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc.). RC drilling hammer diameter was generally 4 & 5/8 inches in early exploration, from 2009 and 2010 the bit diameter was 5 inches.RC 2017 - 2020 5.25-inch face sampling hammer, reverse circulation, truck mounted or tracked drilling rigs, Three Rivers Drilling, Castle Drilling.Diamond core is generally RC from surface, and either PQ size tails in weathered rock and narrowed to HQ in fresh rock (standard tubing). Core was not oriented as the disseminated and weathered nature of the mineralization does not warrant or allow it. Diamond core is typically for metallurgical test-work. Precollars drilled short of mineralisation.RC 2021 A 5.25-inch face sampling hammer, used in reverse circulation. ASX (Australian Surface Exploration) drillers used for RC (including pre-collars).Diamond 2021: Wizard Drilling utilised for diamond drilling from surface. HQ size Metallurgical and geotechnical diamond drilling (standard tubing). Two Metallurgical holes were diamond tails from approximately 70m to 80m. Four Geotechnical holes were diamond from surface and two tails from 50-60m depth.RC 2022PXD, RC drilling, 5 1/3 inch, face sampling hammer. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies. Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc.) photography. The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. All DD, RC and OH (PC) and RAB intervals were geologically logged (where applicable); RQD (DD only), interval weights, recovery, lithology, mineralogy and weathering were recorded in the database.The DD core was oriented using the Ezy-Mark tool and after 2019 using the Reflex ACT electronic orientation tool. Geological logging was qualitative.Recording of interval weights, recovery and RQD was quantitative. All DD core was photographed and representative 1m samples of RC and OH (PC) chips were collected in chip trays for future reference and photographed. All drill holes were logged in full.2017-2022 logging All drill holes are logged and validated via LogChief/DataShed systems. Stored in MS SQL server database.Assays, standards and control limits are monitored after loading of each batch and reports supplied on demand. All drill holes are logged in full.Different Lithium bearing mineral species and crystal sizes are logged in detail. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken. If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc. and whether sampled wet or dry. For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique. Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples. Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling. Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Pre-2016 sampling All fresh rock DD core was quarter-cored using a stand mounted brick saw. Soft, weathered DD core was also sampled quarter-core, using a knife and scoop where applicable and practical.RC samples were collected using a two stage riffle splitter. All samples were dry or dried prior to riffle-splitting.All 2kg 1m drill samples were sent to SGS, dried, crushed, pulverized and split to approximately -75 to produce a sample less than 3.5kg sub-sample for analysis.Sampling was carried out under Galaxy Resources QAQC protocols and as per industry best practice.Duplicate, blank and standard reference samples were inserted into the sample stream at random, but averaging no less than 1 blank and standard in every 25 samples.Samples were selected periodically and screened to ensure pulps are pulverized to the required specifications.Duplicate quarter-core samples were taken from DD core at random for testing averaging one in every 25 samples.Duplicate riffle-split RC samples were taken at random, but averaging one every approximately 25 samples.The sample sizes are appropriate to the style, thickness and consistency of the mineralization at Mt Catlin. Drilling 2016 (SGS) Core was halved by saw and sample lengths typically 0.5m in length. Sample preparation involved crushing followed by splitting of sample if sample greater than 3 kg using a riffle splitter (SPL26), Dry sample, crush to 6mm, pulverise to 75m (PRP88) in a LM5 Mill. Drilling 2017-2021 Diamond drilling was typically sawn half core with whole core used for metallurgical test work.Intertek (2017-8) Samples are sorted and weighed. Samples >3kg are riffle split and milled in LM5 to obtain 85% passing 75 Microns. A 400g pulp is taken and a nominal 0.25g sub-sample is fused with sodium peroxide.Nagrom: 2018-2021 RC chips are dried to 105C, crushed to nominal top-size of 2 mm in a Terminator Jaw crusher using method CRU01. Pulverised up to 3 kg in a LM5 pulveriser mill at 80% or better passing 75m, using method PUL01. If the sample is greater than 3 kg, the sample is dried, and split with rotary splitter before analysis, Diamond core is dried, crushed in a Terminator Jaw crusher to top size 6.3 mm, and pulverised in a LM5 mill up to 2.5 kg using method CRU01. If the sample is greater than 2.5 kg, the sample is riffle split after drying to reduce the sample size. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total. For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc., the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc. Nature of quality control procedures adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) and precision have been established. Pre-2016 QAQCAll samples were dried, crushed, pulverized and split to produce a 3.5kg and then 200g sub-sample for analysis For Li (method AAS40Q), for Ta, Nb and Sn (method XRF78O) and in some cases for SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Cr2O3, Fe2O3, K2O3, MgO, MnO, P2O5, SO3, TiO2 and V2O5 were analysed by XRF78O. This process involves fusing the sample in a platinum crucible using lithium metaborate/tetraborate flux. For Cs, Rb, Ga, Be and Nb from time to time analysis was by IMS40Q DIG40Q to ICPMS end.Duplicate, blank and certified reference samples were inserted into the sample stream at random, but averaging one every ~25 samples.Galaxy Resources utilized certified Lithium standards produced in China and one from SGS in Australia, STD-TAN1.Inter-laboratory checking of analytical outcomes was routinely undertaken to ensure continued accuracy and precision by the preferred laboratory. Samples were selected periodically and screened by the laboratory to ensure pulps are pulverized to the required specifications. All QAQC data is stored in the Mt Catlin database and regular studies were undertaken to ensure sample analysis was kept within acceptable levels of accuracy; the studies confirmed that accuracy and precision are within industry standard accepted limits. Umpire analysis performed on pulps at Genalysis and Ultratrace Perth. 2016-QAQC In 2016 Perth SGS were used for a small 6 hole diamond program by General Mining. Samples were digested using a sodium peroxide fusion digest, method DIG90Q and the resultant solution from the digest was then presented to an ICP-MS for the quantification of Li2O, using method IMS40Q. The majority of standards submitted performed within expected ranges with a positive bias observed for two standards. 2017 - 2021 QAQCSamples (including QA/QC samples) were processed by Intertek PLC, Perth laboratory in 2017 and 2018, by utilised method FP1 digest (Peroxide Fusion complete), MS analytical finish, 22 elements, Li2O detection limit 0.03% Ta2O5 detection limit, 0.2 ppm. Monthly review of QA/QC, which includes blanks, field duplicates, high grade standards and CRM (certified reference materials) and SRM (standard reference materials). FS_ICPMS is a Laboratory Method FP1/MS (mass spectrometry) used to analyze for Cs, Nb, Rb, Ta,Th, and U . FS/ICPES (inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy) is Laboratory method FP1/OE used to analyze Al, Fe, K, Li, and Si. Reports include calculated values of oxides for all elements.RC samples and diamond (including QA/QC samples) have been processed by Nagrom Perth, Perth Western Australia. Methods utilised from Lithium and Tantalum are ICP004 and ICP005 (Peroxide Fusion complete). ICP005 utilises tungsten carbide bowl to reduce iron contamination at exploration and resource development stages (detection limit of 10ppm and 1ppm for Li2O and Ta respectively) Monthly review of QA/QC, which includes blanks, field duplicates, high grade standards and CRM (certified reference materials) ) and SRM (standard reference materials).. All sampling has rigorous QAQC in terms of reference sampling as well as blank and standards introduced into the sample steam.Duplicate field samples show some evidence of high nugget effect. Typically, duplicate pairs plot within acceptable limits. Field duplicates have been submitted at a rate of 1 per 20.5 samples. Standards ASM0343, ASM0340 AMIS0339, OREAS147, OREAS148 and OREAS149.Standards reported only one result outside three standard deviations from 533 assays for Lithium. The vast majority of Tantalum standards reported within three standard deviations. Corse blanks have shown no evidence of systematic contamination from 2016-2021 with results consistently low.2022 Drilling: Lithium by Peroxide Fusion in Ni crucible with OES at both Intertek and Nagrom. Tantalum by Peroxide Fusion in Ni crucible with MS at Nagrom and Intertek or by XRF at Nagrom.Review of QA/QC, which includes blanks, field duplicates, high grade standards and CRM (certified reference materials) ) and SRM (standard reference materials) are conducted as assays are returned. All sampling has rigorous QAQC in terms of reference sampling as well as blank and standards introduced into the sample steam.Duplicate field samples show some evidence of high nugget effect. Typically, duplicate pairs plot within acceptable limits. Field duplicates have been submitted at a rate of 1 per 20.1 samples.Standards AMIS0339, AMIS0340, OREAS147, OREAS148, OREAS750 and OREAS751. Standards are submitted at a rate of 1 per 25 samples and Blanks after/within high grade zones at a target rate of approximately 1 per 20 samples. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel. The use of twinned holes. Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols. Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Pre-2018 VerificationAn external geological consultant and GXY staff have visually assessed and verified significant intersections of core and RC and PC chips. Several core holes were compared to neighboring RC and PC drill holes. The geological logging of the DD holes supports the interpreted geological and mineralization domains. Studies on assays results from twinned holes showed a close correlation of geology and assays. Primary data is recorded by hand in the field and entered Excel spread sheets with in-built validation settings and look-up codes. Scans of field data sheets and digital data entry spread sheets are handled on site at Galaxy. Data collection and entry procedures are documented and training given to all staff. QAQC checks of assays by Galaxy identified several standards out of control, these were subsequently reviewed and results rectified. No clear and consistent biases were defined by Galaxy during the further investigations into QAQC performances although deviations were noted by Galaxy.2017-8 Verification CP independently verified drilling, sampling, assay and results from validated, externally maintained and stored database. No adjustments to assay data other than conversion from Li to Li20 and Ta to Ta2O5.2018 - 2021 Verification The CP independently verified drilling, sampling, assay and results from validated, externally maintained and stored database. No adjustments to assay data other than conversion from Li to Li20 and Ta to Ta2O5.Primary data capture by Maxwell LogChief and management by Maxwell DataShed. Assay data loaded directly from Laboratory supplied .csv files as are downhole and collar surveys.An independent data verification was completed as part of a 2021 Ni-43-101 filing by then then competent person.The CP has verified the drill collar, assay and assay QAQC data. Section 2: Reporting of Exploration Results Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings. The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a license to operate in the area. Mining Lease M74/244 was amalgamated and awarded on 04/08/2009 and is valid until 23/12/2030 and covers 1830 Ha.The project is subject to normal projects approvals processes as regulated by the WA Department of Mines, Industry and Regulation.The tenement is subject to the Standard Noongar Heritage agreement as executed 7 February 2018.The underlying land is a mixture of freehold property owned by Galaxy and vacant Crown land. The property Freehold title is held by Galaxy Resources or its child subsidiaries. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. During the 1960s WMC carried out an extensive drilling program to define the extent of t local spodumene bearing pegmatite. The WMC work led onto a further investigation into project feasibility.In 1989 Pancontinental Mining, Limited drilled 101 RC drill holes. In 1990 Pancontinental drilled a further 21 RC drill holes.In 1997 Greenstone Resources drilled 3 diamond holes and 38 RC holes, undertook soil sampling and metallurgical test work on bulk samples from the mine area. Haddington Resources Ltd in 2001 drilled 9 diamond holes for metallurgical test work and undertook further sterilization drilling.Galaxy acquired the M72/12 mining tenement from Sons of Gwalia administrators in 2006. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralization. The Mount Catlin Project lies within the Ravensthorpe Suite, with host rocks comprising both the Annabelle Volcanics to the west, and the Manyutup Tonalite to the east. The contact between these rock types extends through the Project area. The Annabelle Volcanics at Mt Cattlin consist of intermediate to mafic volcanic rocks, comprising both pyroclastic material and lavas.The pegmatites which comprise the orebodies occurs as a series of sub-horizontal sills, hosted by both volcanic and intrusive rocks, interpreted as a series of westward verging thrusts.Typical coarse grained spodumene (grey-green colour) from the NW pegmatite shown below.The NW pit pegmatites extend from near surface sub-crop to vertical depths of 250-300m and further down dip extensions are interpolated form 2D seismic data generated by previous owners.The pegmatites remain open down dip. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level elevation above sea level in meters) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length. Pre-2017 drilling reported 4 August 2015 by subsidiary GMM (ASX:GMM). Last prior resource and update was August 2022.2019-2021 drill collars New resource development collar information is presented in Table 1 above. Holes are generally steeply inclined between -80 to -70 degrees to determine true width or due to infrastructure. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (e.g. cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated. Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail. The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. Pre-2017 Data Where higher grade zones internal to broader intervals of lower grade mineralization were reported, these were noted as included intervals and italicized.2019-2021 Drilling New results are reported to a 0.4% cut-of grade (below), minimum 4m width, maximum 1m internal dilution. Only drillholes incorporated into the resource model are reported. 2022 Drilling Minimum cut-off 0.4% Li2O; minimum 4m interval; maximum 2m of internal waste.No metal equivalent values are used. Relationship between mineralization widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results. If the geometry of the mineralization with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported. If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). All intersection grades have been reported previously as length weighted average grades using a 0.4% Li2O lower grade cut-off except where stated.Intersections were calculated allowing a maximum of 2m of internal dilution with no top-cut applied. Cutting of high grades is not required due to nature of the mineralization and grade distribution/estimation.The Mt Cattlin lithium and tantalum mineralization occurs as a thick horizontal to gently dipping pegmatite and generally lies 30 to 200m below the current topographic surface resulting in drill intercepts nearing true widths.2022 reported intersections are true widths. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Diagrams, both plan and section, are included in the text above. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. 2022 - All significant intersections above 0.4% Li2O have are reported. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk sample size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. Fe2O3 is modelled with Li and Ta to determine the effect of deleterious chemistry and mineralogy at or near pegmatite contacts and rafts of surrounding country rock with pegmatite. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling). Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. Development and extraction of the NW Pit Mineral Resource and Reserve.Ongoing resource development drilling. New geotechnical and metallurgical test work drilling.Resource extension drilling to the SW.Resource update is expected in Q1, 2023 with study work to start Q4, 2022. Graphics accompanying this announcement are available athttps://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e6a4b0dc-668b-4a68-ab2a-16f1900fec8c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b561eb58-bb52-46cc-8e33-be7ad6f9e1ea Figure 1 Intercepts to the north of the US$1,100 whittle shell show potential for mineral resource expansion. Figure 2 Drilling progress as of 14 September 2022 and location relative to USD 1,100 pit shell and current NW pit design and cut-back. Source: Allkem Limited VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Lithium Corp. (American Lithium or the Company) (TSX-V:LI | OTCQB:LIACF | Frankfurt: 5LA1) is pleased to announce the appointment of Carsten Korch to the Board of Directors and as an audit committee member. Carsten is a Peru based entrepreneur with more than 30 years experience as founder, co-founder, and board member of companies across a variety of sectors. Carsten has lived in Peru for over 20 years and is an established member of that community with deep relationships throughout the country. Carsten is an innovative leader who specializes in project development and government issues and has significant experience in audit and compensation committee matters. He was an early investor in Assante Gold Corporation (West Africa) and has supported the company through exploration, development and into production and is an independent board member and member of the audit committee. He is also on the Board of Peru based Panoro Apurimac SA., a private company exploring for copper in Peru. Carsten was born and raised in Denmark and communicates in 6 languages including Spanish. Andy Bowering, Chairman of American Lithium stated, We are very pleased to welcome Carsten to the Company. He is an innovative, resourceful, and forward-thinking leader with deep relationships and connections in Peru and strong knowledge of local matters. He sees great potential in our projects, as well as the benefits they can unlock for Peru and is committed to supporting and working with our team and stakeholders to help us maximize value. Options and RSU grantsIn connection with the above appointment of Carsten Korch, the Company also announces that it has granted an aggregate of 150,000 incentive stock options (the Options) and 150,000 restricted share units (the RSUs) in accordance with the Companys incentive plan (the Incentive Plan), and as compensation for ongoing services rendered to the Company. The Options vest over a period of 12 months and are exercisable at a price of $2.14 until July 4, 2027. Each RSU represents the right to receive, once vested, one common share in the capital of the Company. The RSUs vest on July 4, 2024, subject to earlier vesting in the event of a change of control and subject to the polices of the TSX Venture Exchange. About American LithiumAmerican Lithium, a member of the TSX Venture 50, is actively engaged in the development of large-scale lithium projects within mining-friendly jurisdictions throughout the Americas. The Company is currently focused on enabling the shift to the new energy paradigm through the continued development of its strategically located TLC lithium claystone project in the richly mineralized Esmeralda lithium district in Nevada, as well as continuing to advance its Falchani lithium and Macusani uranium development-stage projects in southeastern Peru. Both Falchani and Macusani have been through robust preliminary economic assessments, exhibit strong significant expansion potential and enjoy strong community support. Pre-feasibility work has now commenced at Falchani. The TSX Venture 50 is a ranking of the top performers in each of 5 industry sectors in the TSX Venture Exchange over the last year. For more information, please contact the Company at [email protected] or visit our website at www.americanlithiumcorp.com for project update videos and related background information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. On behalf of the Board of Directors of American Lithium Corp. Simon Clarke CEO & Director Tel: 604 428 6128 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking InformationThis news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the ability to appeal the judicial ruling, and any other statements regarding the business plans, expectations and objectives of American Lithium. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", indicate, scheduled, target, goal, potential, subject, efforts, option and similar words, or the negative connotations thereof, referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of future results or events. Although American Lithium believes that the current opinions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information available at the time, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since American Lithium can provide no assurance that such opinions and expectations will prove to be correct. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to: American Lithiums ability to achieve its stated goals; risks and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent and manner to which measures taken by governments and their agencies, American Lithium or others to attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 could affect American Lithium, which could have a material adverse impact on many aspects of American Lithiums businesses including but not limited to: the ability to access mineral properties for indeterminate amounts of time, the health of the employees or consultants resulting in delays or diminished capacity, social or political instability in Peru which in turn could impact American Lithiums ability to maintain the continuity of its business operating requirements, may result in the reduced availability or failures of various local administration and critical infrastructure, reduced demand for the American Lithiums potential products, availability of materials, global travel restrictions, and the availability of insurance and the associated costs; the judicial appeal process in Peru, and any and all future remedies pursued by American Lithium and its subsidiary Macusani to resolve the title for 32 of its concessions; risks regarding the ongoing Ontario Securities Commission regulatory proceedings; the ongoing ability to work cooperatively with stakeholders, including but not limited to local communities and all levels of government; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that any future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with our expectations; risks that permits will not be obtained as planned or delays in obtaining permits; mining and development risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes (including work stoppages, strikes and loss of personnel) or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration and development; risks related to commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations; risks related to foreign operations; the cyclical nature of the industry in which American Lithium operates; risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms or delays in obtaining governmental approvals; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the uncertain global economic environment and the effects upon the global market generally, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, any of which could continue to negatively affect global financial markets, including the trading price of American Lithiums shares and could negatively affect American Lithiums ability to raise capital and may also result in additional and unknown risks or liabilities to American Lithium. Other risks and uncertainties related to prospects, properties and business strategy of American Lithium are identified in the Risks and Uncertainties section of Plateaus Managements Discussion and Analysis filed on January 19, 2021, in the Risk Factors section of American Lithiums Managements Discussion and Analysis filed on January 29, 2021, and in recent securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. American Lithium undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Cautionary Note Regarding Macusani Concessions Thirty-two of the 151 concessions held by American Lithiums subsidiary Macusani, are currently subject to Administrative and Judicial processes (together, the Processes) in Peru to overturn resolutions issued by INGEMMET and the Mining Council of MINEM in February 2019 and July 2019, respectively, which declared Macusanis title to 32 of the concessions invalid due to late receipt of the annual validity payments. In November 2019, Macusani applied for injunctive relief on 32 concessions in a Court in Lima, Peru and was successful in obtaining such an injunction on 17 of the concessions including three of the four concessions included in the Macusani Uranium Project PEA. The grant of the Precautionary Measure (Medida Cautelar) has restored the title, rights and validity of those 17 concessions to Macusani until a final decision is obtained at the last stage of the judicial process. A Precautionary Measure application was made at the same time for the remaining 15 concessions and was ultimately granted by a Court in Lima, Peru on March 2, 2021 which has also restored the title, rights and validity of those 15 remaining concessions to Macusani, with the result being that all 32 concessions are now protected by Precautionary Measure (Medida Cautelar) until a final decision on this matter is obtained at the last stage of the judicial process. The favourable judges ruling confirming title to all 32 concessions from November 3, 2021 represents the final stage of the current judicial process. However, this ruling has recently been appealed by MINEM and INGEMMET. American Lithium has no assurance that the outcome of these appeals will be in the Companys favour. Source: American Lithium Corp. DENVER, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crownpeak, a leading digital experience platform (DXP), today announced the acquisition of ilumino, a digital accessibility services and consulting firm. The acquisition reinforces an existing two-year partnership with ilumino, expanding Crownpeak's automated accessibility scanning technology with ilumino's subject matter expertise in digital accessibility and usability. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More than one billion people worldwide live with some form of visual, auditory, mobility, or cognitive disability, and many organizations are recognizing the need to deliver digital experiences that are inclusive of all users. The Crownpeak/ilumino partnership already serves business services, insurance, and consumer packaged goods (CPG) leaders operating in multiple countries. "With the combination of Crownpeak and ilumino, our customers have access to richer and more results-driven capabilities to address accessibility demands," said Jonah Paransky, CEO of Crownpeak. "In addition, our valued partners can use our acquired accessibility strength to complement their existing accessibility practices or deploy it as an outsourced component - from project management to implementation and remediation fulfillment." "We founded ilumino to help millions of people and the world's largest brands provide a more meaningful, accessible, and independent digital experience," said Mark Reardon, CEO and Co-Founder of ilumino. "Incorporating accessibility practices can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. By formally joining Crownpeak as one company, we can make a broader impact on the market. We're excited about the greater possibilities of making a bigger difference for our customers, partners, and their end users." Crownpeak's accessibility solutions enable enterprises to deliver consistent, inclusive, and accessible digital experiences across all digital touchpoints - including web, mobile apps, and software. Leveraging the enterprise and global expertise of ilumino, Crownpeak will advance its accessibility solution, systematically and continuously scaling to deliver both innovative technologies and best-in-class managed services. "Global enterprises are prioritizing their accessibility objectives to both prep for upcoming regulations and meet consumer, partner, and employee needs," said Paransky. "Expanding content and capabilities in an inclusive way is not only the right thing to do, but it also allows enterprises to realize significant business benefits in top-line revenue gains, cost savings and legal risk mitigation." Crownpeak's Accessibility and Quality solution provides automated and ongoing scanning and auditing against WCAG guidelines, enabling compliance with ADA, AODA and EAA (European Accessibility Act) requirements. Crownpeak's accessibility functionality is seamlessly and natively integrated into its Digital Experience Platform (DXP) for ease of content operations workflow. With Crownpeak's technology and expertise, enterprise customers can improve digital accessibility practices within the context of their existing business practices, brand guidelines, and personalized user experiences. About Crownpeak Founded in 2001, Crownpeak empowers customers to orchestrate digital experiences effortlessly. Crownpeak's cloud-native SaaS Digital Experience Platform (DXP) enables over 1,000 market-leading brands to create personalized experiences across all content channels through enterprise-grade content management, natively-integrated accessibility, and digital quality assurance tools. Customers can compose, manage, and scale the right content across all devices and platforms to millions of global visitors - delivering experiences that drive commerce, loyalty, and engagement with their consumers, partners, and employees. For more information, please visit www.crownpeak.com. About ilumino POWERING DIGITAL INCLUSION. ilumino is a digital accessibility company driven by a passion to help create a more inclusive online world through compliant technology that everyone can enjoy. A user-focused approach makes the accessibility of websites, software or mobile applications, documents, and digital platforms straightforward, scalable, and complementary of established branding. Contact Information: Michael Robinson Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] (713) 510-3218 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Source: Crownpeak New key preclinical results and a case study excerpted from our ongoing phase II clinical trial DNV3681 in vitro efficacy is superior to vancomycin and similar to the gold standard, fidaxomicin The prodrug DNV3837 is rapidly converted to DNV3681 in vivo and the active drug mostly concentrates in the GI tract The use of DNV3837 is a potential paradigm shift for CDI treatment DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company, pioneer in the exploration and exploitation of bacterial biodiversity to address the urgent, global challenge of antibiotic resistance, announces that a poster titled DNV3837, a parenteral GI tract-targeted treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection is to be presented at the ESCMID/ASM conference taking place in Dublin, from October 4 to 7. The new preclinical data presented show that DNV3681 is highly efficient against 333 clinical isolates of Clostridioides difficile, and its efficacy is superior to vancomycin and similar to the gold standard, fidaxomicin. Preclinical and clinical data show that the prodrug DNV3837 is rapidly converted to DNV3681 in vivo and that the active drug mostly concentrates in the GI tract. This unusual pharmacokinetic profile could be explained by a strong efflux of the active drug by the intestinal efflux pumps from the blood to the GI lumen. The patient case presented suffers from a severe Clostridioides difficile infection. His White Blood Cells count, an inflammatory marker, rapidly dropped after inclusion, remained in the upper limit during 8 days and was normal at the end of the treatment. The diarrhea episodes improved after 6 days of treatment and came back to normal 10 days after treatment after a transient constipation period. DNV3681 concentrations in feces were several order of magnitude higher than DNV3681 MIC901. Georges Gaudriault, Chief Scientific Officer of DEINOVE who attended the ESCMID/ASM conference in Dublin specifies: The use of DNV3837 is a potential paradigm shift. The intestine is a complex organ and CDI is not simply a topical disease of its epithelium. In order to treat efficiently the infection and avoid the persistence and/or recurrence of the infection, it is critical to treat this organ as a whole. DNV3837 is the first parenteral drug targeting the intestine and generating high exposure of DNV3681 in the intestinal tissue, as showcased today. *** ABOUT CLOSTRIDIOIDES DIFFICILE INFECTIONS (CDI) More than 40% of hospitalized patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) have been classified as severe disease associated with higher morbidity and mortality2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies CDI as one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections, ahead of even MRSA3 infections. In the United States, it is estimated that CDI causes nearly half a million disease cases each year, and approximately 29,300 deaths4. This condition is not limited to the United States and recent studies5 show that the incidence of this type of infection is greatly underestimated in other parts of the world, such as Europe and Asia. To date, there is no proven therapeutic solution for CDI patients with severe vomiting, ileus and toxic megacolon. The oral route being compromised, the available treatments, which are mostly oral, have difficulty reaching the intestine because of the patient's pathological condition (reduced gastrointestinal motility, intubation, intestinal perforation, etc.), and the few antibiotics that could be administered intravenously do not cross the gastrointestinal barrier and therefore do not reach the infection site. ABOUT THE DNV3837 ANTIBIOTIC CANDIDATE DNV3837 a prodrug6 of the DNV3681 molecule (also known as MCB3681) is a narrow-spectrum, hybrid oxazolidinone-quinolone synthetic antibiotic targeting only Gram-positive bacteria. It is developed as a highly active first-line treatment targeting C. diff. It has demonstrated significant activity and superiority to reference treatments against isolates of C. diff., regardless of their virulence (including the hyper virulent BI/NAP1/027 strain). DNV3837 is an intravenous antibiotic that, when converted to its active form DNV3681, crosses the gastrointestinal barrier and accumulates in the intestinal lumen, allowing it to precisely target the infection site. Several Phase I trials (on approximately a hundred healthy volunteers) have shown a high concentration of the antibiotic in stools, a strong marker of its presence in the intestine. It has also demonstrated its ability to eliminate Clostridioides bacteria without affecting the gut microbiota. FDA granted the DNV3837 drug with Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation and Fast Track status. For more information on the DNV3837 Phase II clinical trial in Clostridioides difficile infections, visit ClinicalTrials.gov: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03988855 ABOUT DEINOVE DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company pioneering the exploration of a new domain of life, unexplored at 99.9%: the microbial dark matter. By revealing the metabolic potential of rare bacteria or still classified as uncultivable, it tackles a global health and economic challenge: antimicrobial resistance. The new therapies discovered and developed by DEINOVE target superbugs (microbes that have become resistant to one or more antimicrobials) that cause life-threatening infections which are now spreading at high speed. This breakthrough approach gave rise to one of the worlds first specialized microbiotechnology platforms and a unique collection of nearly 10,000 rare strains and thousands of bacterial extracts. Today, DEINOVE is conducting several development programs, of which its first antibiotic candidate is currently evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial in severe Clostridioides difficile infections, one of the worlds first emergencies. The Company has also developed new bacterial micro-factories that address the other issue in the race against antimicrobial resistance: the industrial production of these rare and low concentrated compounds with often too complex chemical structures to be generated by chemical synthesis. Located at the heart of the Euromedecine park in Montpellier, DEINOVE has been listed on EURONEXT GROWTH (ALDEI - code ISIN FR0010879056) since 2010. The Company has around 50 employees and relies on a network of world-class academic, technological, industrial and institutional partners. CONTACTS InvestorsMario AlcarazChief Financial Officer +33 (0)4 48 19 01 00 [email protected] MediaATCG Partners Delphine LENS+33 (0)9 81 87 46 72 / +33 (0)6 11 07 14 08 [email protected] 1 MIC : Minimale Inhibitory Concentration. MIC90 is the lowest concentration inhibiting, in 18 to 24 hours, the multiplication of 90 % of clinical isolates. 2 Zar FA et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Aug 01; 45(3):302-7. 3 MRSA: methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus 4 Guh AY, Mu Y, Winston LG et al. N Engl J Med 2020;382:132030 5 Balsells E, Shi T, Leese C, Lyell I, Burrows J, Wiuff C, Campbell H, Kyaw MH, and Nair H (2019) Global burden of Clostridium difficile infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Glob Health 9:010407 6 Prodrug: substance whose transformation in the body results in an active product Attachment Source: Deinove Seattle, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WatchGuard Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity, today announced that its AuthPoint multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution has earned a Performance Verified certification from Miercom, an independent testing and certification service. Evaluating AuthPoint against competing solutions across a wide range of categories, Miercom found that WatchGuards MFA solution offered greater functionality at a lower cost, easier setup and administration, and a better end-user experience. With threat actors having easy access to billions of stolen and leaked credentials online and the increasing sophistication of phishing attacks, password-only authentication offers inadequate protection in todays security environment, said Tracy Hillstrom, vice president of content strategy & experience, WatchGuard Technologies. MFA is now essential for organizations to verify the identity of workers wherever they are, especially with the shift to remote and hybrid work. Miercom evaluated MFA solutions offered by WatchGuard, Cisco Duo and Microsoft Azure across 24 different criteria. The analysis found that AuthPoint provides a complete set of features for one affordable price (including many features that its competitors charge extra for), while beating both alternatives in ease of use and functionality for both administrators and end users, offering exceptional overall ROI. Miercom noted that AuthPoint: Provides the simplest single sign-on (SSO) setup and usage for both administrators and users. Offers a seamless and intuitive user experience, making it ideal for first-time users Includes modern features such as risk-based authentication, which provides enhanced secure access capabilities with the use of customizable risk policies. Is the only solution among those tested that offers footprint-based migration through the cloud across all platforms upon activation, providing the highest level of security against hackers. Offers high value and ROI with its combination of a rich feature set, affordable one-time purchase price, and ease of use. Overall, Miercom found that WatchGuard AuthPoint proved competitively superior in authentication provisioning, deployment and security testing, noting that Cisco and Microsoft do not offer nearly the same amount of functionality, ease of use or intuitive interface as WatchGuard. To read the full Miercom report, click here. For more information about AuthPoint click here. About WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in unified cybersecurity. Our Unified Security Platform approach is uniquely designed for managed service providers to deliver world-class security that increases their business scale and velocity while also improving operational efficiency. Trusted by more than 17,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 250,000 customers, the companys award-winning products and services offer five critical elements of a security platform: comprehensive security, shared knowledge, clarity & control, operational alignment, and automation. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com. For additional information, promotions and updates, follow WatchGuard on Twitter (@WatchGuard), on Facebook, or on the LinkedIn Company page. Also, visit our InfoSec blog, Secplicity, for real-time information about the latest threats and how to cope with them at www.secplicity.org. Subscribe to The 443 Security Simplified podcast at Secplicity.org, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts. WatchGuard is a registered trademark of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners. Chris Warfield WatchGuard Technologies 206-613-6600 [email protected] Kevin Pedraja Voxus PR 206-686-9691 [email protected] Source: WatchGuard Technologies, Inc Press Release Nokia enhances Industrial portfolio with specialized devices for hazardous environments found in chemical, oil and gas industries Nokia introduces private wireless Industrial 5G fieldrouter and a special edition of the Nokia XR20 smartphone created by HMD Global with ATEX, IECEx and UL certifications Will enable reliable, secure connectivity for equipment and people in chemical, oil and gas, manufacturing and other hazardous industrial environments, using private 4.9G and 5G wireless networks 5 October 2022 Espoo, Finland Nokia today announced it is enhancing its market-leading range of ruggedized user equipment for use in hazardous, flammable, explosive and dusty environments. The company is introducing enhanced versions of Nokia Industrial 5G fieldrouter and Nokia XR20 smartphone created by HMD Global, for 4.9G and 5G networks, to allow oil and gas companies and other industries to maintain vital connectivity of their workforce and machines. The digital transformation of industries is driven not just by the need to boost productivity and efficiency, but also to protect teams and the environment. For instance, its essential to keep workers connected at a remote oil drilling platform, chemical processing plant, dusty mine, or any other hazardous environments. *ATEX, *IECEx, *NEC500 and *UL detail the requirements for making equipment safe to use in those locations where flammable chemicals are being used and where explosions could occur. The ruggedized Nokia XR20 has been enhanced in collaboration with HMD Global to meet the requirements of operating in hazardous environments. With applications such as Nokia Team Comms or Group Communications on the smartphones, workers can interact using push-to-talk and video. Nokia Industrial 5G fieldrouters and Nokia XR20 Industrial edition phones are ATEX and IECEx certified and Nokia XR20 Industrial edition is also NEC500 and UL certified to meet the protection requirements of countries across the globe. Nokia pioneering Industrial 5G fieldrouters solve the issue of connecting legacy industrial equipment and vehicles to the private wireless network to allow enterprises to benefit from Industry 4.0 use cases such as autonomous operations at mines, ports and factories. Now equipped with integrated enclosures, oil and gas companies can use the Industrial fieldrouters to connect autonomous vehicles in hazardous areas or collect environmental and other types of data from machines connected by fieldrouters over the private wireless network. Jaime Laguna, Global Head of Oil and Gas and Mining for Nokia, said: Nokia is committed to delivering end-to-end private wireless solutions for enterprises and allowing workers to communicate in the most intuitive, secure and safe ways, especially in demanding hazardous environments. We are pleased to enhance our portfolio of ruggedized devices to meet these specific industry demands for safe connectivity. Sebastian Ulrich, Managing Director Global Enterprise Business for HMD Global, said: We are looking forward to working closely with Nokia to provide end to end solutions in demanding hazardous environments. The Nokia XR20 Industrial edition allows vital and secure communication for workers in these remote locations. By implementing the Nokia Digital Automated Cloud (DAC) private wireless platform, customers can leverage the recently launched Nokia Connectivity Operations Dashboard, which extends the Nokia Industrial device management. This will provide the tools they require to track and gain visibility into device and network health without the need to deploy a separate solution. Nokia Industrial device management supports zero-touch onboarding of Nokia Industrial smartphones, handhelds and IoT devices on the network. Management can be scaled to thousands of devices, allowing customers to apply policies and permissions by groups and update and patch devices remotely. Further, by subscribing to Nokia Network Digital Twin in addition to Nokia Connectivity Operations Dashboard, customers will benefit from real-time monitoring of the network as experienced by the devices. This will provide capabilities such as anomaly detection and prediction of future behaviour, allowing users to see the impact of planned changes ahead of real-world implementation. *ATEX (Appareils destines a etre utilises en ATmospheres EXplosives) *IECEx (IEC System for Certification to Standards Relating to Equipment for Use in Explosive Atmospheres) *NEC500 (National Electrical Code Articles 500) *UL (Underwriters Laboratory) Resources: User equipment | Nokia Digital Automation Cloud Nokia Connectivity Operations Dashboard Nokia Digital Automation Cloud | Nokia Private wireless | Nokia New Nokia Industrial 5G fieldrouter to extend private wireless capabilities and simplify connectivity in North America Nokia extends range of Industrial device solutions for private wireless networks | Nokia Nokia Industrial device images About NokiaWe create technology that helps the world act together. As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. Adhering to the highest standards of integrity and security, we help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive world. Media Inquiries:NokiaCommunicationsEmail: [email protected] Source: Nokia Oyj PERRYSBURG, Ohio, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE: OI) has scheduled its third quarter 2022 conference call and webcast for Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 8 a.m. EDT. The Companys news release for the third quarter 2022 earnings will be issued after the market closes on Tuesday, November 1. What: O-I Conference Call and WebcastEarnings presentation materials will also be posted on the O-I website, www.o-i.com/investors, when the earnings news release is issued. When: Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 8 a.m. EDT Where: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/132468676 or at www.o-i.com/investors, Events and Presentations page The webcast will be archived at www.o-i.com/investors until November 2023. ### About O-I Glass At O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE: OI), we love glass and were proud to be one of the leading producers of glass bottles and jars around the globe. Glass is not only beautiful, its also pure, healthy and completely recyclable; making it the most sustainable rigid packaging material. Headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio (USA), O-I is the preferred partner for many of the worlds leading food and beverage brands. We innovate in line with customers needs to create iconic packaging that builds brands around the world. Led by our diverse team of approximately 24,000 people across 70 plants in 19 countries, O-I achieved revenues of $6.4 billion in 2021. Recognizing the tremendous benefits of glass, the United Nations has designated 2022 as the International Year of Glass to celebrate the past, present, and future of this transformative material. Learn more about us: o-i.com / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn The company routinely posts important information on its website www.o-i.com/investors. Attachment For more information, contact: Sasha Sekpeh O-I Investor Relations (567) 336-5128 [email protected] Source: Owens-Illinois General Inc. PERRYSBURG, Ohio, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE: OI) has scheduled its third quarter 2022 conference call and webcast for Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 8 a.m. EDT. The Companys news release for the third quarter 2022 earnings will be issued after the market closes on Tuesday, November 1. What: O-I Conference Call and Webcast Earnings presentation materials will also be posted on the O-I website, www.o-i.com/investors, when the earnings news release is issued. When: Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at 8 a.m. EDT Where: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/132468676 or at www.o-i.com/investors, Events and Presentations page The webcast will be archived at www.o-i.com/investors until November 2023. ### About O-I Glass At O-I Glass, Inc. (NYSE: OI), we love glass and were proud to be one of the leading producers of glass bottles and jars around the globe. Glass is not only beautiful, its also pure, healthy and completely recyclable; making it the most sustainable rigid packaging material. Headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio (USA), O-I is the preferred partner for many of the worlds leading food and beverage brands. We innovate in line with customers needs to create iconic packaging that builds brands around the world. Led by our diverse team of approximately 24,000 people across 70 plants in 19 countries, O-I achieved revenues of $6.4 billion in 2021. Recognizing the tremendous benefits of glass, the United Nations has designated 2022 as the International Year of Glass to celebrate the past, present, and future of this transformative material. Learn more about us: o-i.com / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn The company routinely posts important information on its website www.o-i.com/investors. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pure Extracts Technologies Corp. (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF) (XFRA: A2QJAJ) (Pure Extracts or the Company), a plant-based extraction company focused on cannabis, hemp and functional mushrooms, is pleased to announce that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pure Extracts Manufacturing Corp., has received a purchase order (PO) from the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) for its new, cured resin, 1 g vape carts. This Pure PullsTM branded product called Durga Mata Cured Resin will be available in October for purchase through licensed retailers throughout the province of Ontario, and through the OCS online store. Cured resin is a cannabis concentrate derived from dried and cured cannabis plant material. The drying and curing process removes moisture from the buds and improves the flavour and aroma of the final product. The cannabis plant material then undergoes an extraction process to produce a cured resin vape oil. The specialized extraction techniques used to create Pure Pulls Durga Mata Cured Resin retains all the natural terpenes and the nice earthy flavour to ensure a smooth, enjoyable vaping experience every time. Pure Extracts CEO, Ben Nikolaevsky, remarked, We are excited about receiving a PO for our newest product category - cured resins. And its especially gratifying to have received this PO from the OCS, in the largest and most competitive provincial cannabis market in Canada. This marks another successful milestone in the expansion of our line of branded products. About Pure Extracts Technologies Corp. (CSE: PULL) (OTC: PRXTF) (XFRA: A2QJAJ)Pure Extracts features an all-new, state-of-the-art processing facility located just 20 minutes north of world-famous Whistler, British Columbia. The bespoke facility has been constructed to European Union GMP standards aiming towards export sales of products and formulations, including those currently restricted in Canada, into European jurisdictions where they are legally available. Pure Extracts was granted its Standard Processing License by Health Canada under the Cannabis Act on September 25, 2020, and its Sales Amendment on July 19, 2021. The Companys stock began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) on November 5, 2020. Find out more at https://pureextractscorp.com/ Or contact:Pure Extracts Investor RelationsTel: +1 604 493 2052[email protected] ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDBen NikolaevskyBen NikolaevskyCEO and Director This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of Pure Extracts, and the other statements are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of Pure Extracts, are forward-looking statements and involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual events, performance or results to differ materially from what is projected in forward looking statements. Although we believe that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and we cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Companys expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, including those listed under Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Information Form. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as, and to the extent required by, applicable securities laws. This news release contains information about potential sales revenue from supply agreements, which may be considered as disclosure of financial outlook under applicable securities laws. Such information is subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations, and qualifications as set forth in the above paragraph. Specifically, estimated sales revenue which may be derived from supply contracts has been calculated based on current wholesale prices and assume, among other things, that the Company will be able to find buyers for its products. Financial outlook contained in this news release was made by management as of the date of this news release and was provided for the purpose of providing readers with an understanding of the potential revenue which may be derived from supply agreement recently entered into by the Company, and are not an estimate of profitability or any other measure of financial performance. Readers are cautioned that the financial outlook contained in this document should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Source: Pure Extracts Technologies Corp. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan received Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, the Presidential Office said. In his remarks the President highlighted the importance of the cooperation between the Armenian government and the IAEA, which, he said, is very important for ensuring the energy and nuclear security of Armenia. Your visit is very important for us. The nuclear power plant in Armenia has started its operation in 1976. From that period up to now we have passed through many experiments. Later it resumed its works in 1995. I participated in that process as a member of the management commission and can state for sure that the re-launch of the NPP cannot have taken place without our close cooperation with IAEA, without the broad consulting and technical support provided by the agency. I hope our cooperation will be continuous, he said. Rafael Grossi thanked for the reception and said that IAEA is ready to support Armenia in developing security, digital systems and strategy. The meeting also touched upon the designing works for building a new nuclear energy unit in Armenia, as well as the necessity of training young and professional specialists. The IAEA Director General said that Armenia can always expect the Agencys support. During the meeting the sides agreed to continue the close cooperation particularly in expert consulting and comprehensive support framework. Washington, DC, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- URAC joins leaders to announce the Mental Health at Work Index, the first-of-its-kind comprehensive strategy to measure, improve and innovate workplace mental health. URAC is a partner in the Founding Corporate Council to support the development and global adoption of the Index. URAC joins AXA, Aon, Bank of America, Business Group on Health, Jardine Matheson, MINDSET Care Limited (Singapore), MINDSET Limited (Hong Kong), LifeWork and Prudential. Informed by science and guided by real-world experience, The Mental Health at Work Index takes the guesswork out of mental health at work. With The Mental Health at Work Index, organizations around the world can measure, improve, and innovate their workplace mental health efforts. A Founding Corporate Council of eight organizations have come together to help drive the development and adoption of the Mental Health at Work Index to recognize the importance of providing a standardized tool to help organizations of all sizes and across industries globally invest in sustainable and best-practice workplace mental health programs. These founding members contribute their expertise and perspectives to ensure the practical value of the Index. The founding members include: AXA, Asia & Africa, Founding Principal Partner Aon Bank of America Business Group on Health Jardine Matheson, MINDSET Care Limited (Singapore) and MINDSET Limited (Hong Kong) LifeWorks Prudential URAC The Mental Health at Work Index will launch in early 2023 after the current beta testing phase is complete. By completing The Mental Health at Work Index, organizations can benchmark their programs and services and develop high-quality services and offerings that will translate into real impact. The Index is aligned with global guidance and standards, including International Organization for Standardization, Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the recently released World Health Organization guidelines. It guides leaders through a library of resources and practical evidence-based recommendations that provide them with verified data to inform strategic decision making about mental health programs so that they can make the choices for their organizations that will make a significant difference in the mental health of their workforce. The Mental Health at Work Index Three Ps Framework assesses workforce mental health programs across the continuum of Protection, Promotion and Provision of care. The assessment dives deep into 10 organizational categories: mental health strategy, leadership, workforce engagement, communication, organizational culture, mental health training, work environment, mental health benefits, employment practices and monitoring and reporting. Shawn Griffin, MD, President and CEO of URAC, said We know that companies need to focus on mental health strategies to support their employees; the current workforce demands it. By partnering with other leaders in this space, URAC can offer our expertise as a trusted independent, third-party arbiter of health care quality. The Mental Health at Work Index allows organizations to evaluate their success in supporting the mental wellness of their employees. Were proud to be a founding partner of One Mind at Work collaborating with One Mind, Columbia University Mental Health + Work Design Lab, and Ethisphere to equip companies with easy-to-access resources and practical recommendations to support mental health in the workplace in impactful, measurable ways. On October 3rd, Bloomberg featured The Mental Health at Work Index in an article, Bank of America-Backed Scorecard Lets Companies Assess Workplace Mental Health. For more on the Mental Health at Work Index, visit mentalhealthindex.org, or email [email protected]. ### About URAC Founded in 1990 as a non-profit organization, URAC is the independent leader in promoting health care quality and patient safety through renowned accreditation programs. URAC develops its evidence-based standards in collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders and industry experts. The companys portfolio of accreditation and certification programs span the health care industry, addressing health care management and operations, pharmacies, telehealth, health plans, medical practices and more. URAC accreditation is a symbol of excellence for organizations to showcase their validated commitment to quality and accountability. www.urac.org About One Mind and One Mind at Work One Mind is a leading mental health non-profit that heals lives through science and advocacy. As an arm of One Mind, One Mind at Work is a global coalition of organizations committed to the development and implementation of a gold standard for workplace mental health and well-being. Today, there are nearly 150 One Mind at Work member organizations. www.onemind.org About The Columbia University Mental Health + Work Design Lab The Mental Health + Work Design Lab thought leadership, content expertise, scientific research and strategic guidance on advancing mental health at work. The Mental Health + Work Design Lab is committed to translating science into practice to improve mental health at work. About Ethisphere Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere also helps to advance business performance through data-driven assessments, benchmarking, and guidance. For more information, visit www.ethisphere.com Attachment Laura Wood, Director, Marketing and Communications, URAC URAC 202-326-3968 [email protected] Source: URAC By Sabrina Valle HOUSTON (Reuters) -Exxon Mobil Corp on Tuesday signaled strong third quarter operating profits on the heels of the prior quarter's all-time high as earnings from natural gas offset weaker refining and chemicals, according to a securities filing. The largest U.S. oil producer issued a snapshot of factors affecting its third quarter that showed results could land near the company's $17.9 billion second quarter profit. Exxon and rivals this year have posted sky-high earnings on rising energy prices and demand aided by cost-cutting. Gas prices, in particular, have soared this year on strong demand from Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In the third quarter, U.S. natural gas prices averaged $7.95 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), up from $7.17 mmBtu in the second quarter. Brent prices eased to $98 per barrel in the same period, from an average of $109 between April and June. Exxon's official results are due on Oct. 28. The snapshot showing more stellar profits comes after Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods and U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm clashed over White House criticism of fuel prices last week. In a breakdown of individual business units, Exxon indicated natural gas boosted operating results by about $2 billion, offsetting an about $1.6 billion decline in oil profits. Earnings from pumping oil and gas could reach about $13 billion, compared to Wall Street's forecast of a $10.1 billion operating profit. Weak refining margins reduced profits from selling gasoline and diesel by about $2.6 billion, offset by lower maintenance costs and an additional business day during the quarter. Operating profit could fall to about $3.4 billion from $5.3 billion in the second quarter, the filing indicated. Chemical results also will slip by about $300 million from the prior period's $1.07 billion operating profit, and motor oil results will double to about $800 million, offsetting the chemicals drop, the filing showed. Overall, a tally of changes show an operating profit of about $17.8 billion, above IBES Refinitiv forecast of a $14.68 billion, or $3.44 per share, profit. Exxon earned $17.9 billion, or $4.21 per share, an all time record, in the prior quarter. (Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Cynthia Osterman) FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERS By Chibuike Oguh NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apollo Global Management Inc and Sixth Street Partners, which had been looking to provide financing for Elon Musk's proposed $44 billion buyout of Twitter Inc, are no longer in talks with the billionaire entrepreneur, said two sources familiar with the matter. Apollo had been in talks to provide preferred equity financing for the deal, alongside Sixth Street, sources previously told Reuters. Apollo, Sixth Street and other investors were looking to commit more than $1 billion in financing for the deal at the time. In reply to tweets saying that neither entities were part of the $7.1 billion of third-party equity financing announced in early May, nor part of the debt financing, Musk said: "correct". These talks ended months ago around the time Musk started having second thoughts about the deal, the sources cited above said. Musk initially proposed the buyout in April before backtracking in July and then changing course again this week. Musk and Twitter are attempting to reach an agreement after months of litigation that damaged Twitter's brand and fed Musk's reputation for erratic behavior. Twitter and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Apollo and Sixth Street declined to comment. Musk's U-turn on buying Twitter could not have come at a worse time for the banks funding a large portion of the $44 billion deal and they could face significant losses because of an unfavorable financing environment, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Musk is expected to provide much of the $44 billion through funds he raised by selling down his stake in electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc and by leaning on equity financing from large investors while major banks have committed to provide $12.5 billion of debt financing. (Reporting by Chibuike Oguh in New York Additional reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Writing by Anirban Sen; Editing by Marguerita Choy, Christopher Cushing and David Goodman) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) (OTCQB: CNUCF) ("Canuc" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on exploration at the Company's San Javier Ag-Au Project in Sonora State, Mexico. Recent work has identified eight targets, located within four (4) distinct mineralized zones, which now merit follow-up work. Silver Zone (Mineralized Zone 1) A soil survey designed to cover the surface area above a 1,500 metre long by 500 m wide magnetic "high" feature referred to as the Silver Mountain Zone has received results from the lab for an additional 100 samples. These samples were collected for the purpose of further delineating a strong Ag and Au in soil geochemical anomaly which was reported from this area in a previous news release (News Release May 5th, 2022). The recently obtained results have extended the original 300 m long anomaly for an additional 450 m towards the southwest. The silver in soils anomaly now measures more than 750 m in strike length and remains open in both the southwest and northeast directions. Values of up to 21.2 g/t Ag and 1.65 g/t Au were detected in the extended survey area. Bonanza grade silver values previously reported (News Releases Sep 22nd, 2020 and Oct 14th, 2020) are associated with magnetite veins which daylight near the margins of this magnetic high. Recent prospecting and rock sampling has focused on the northeast end of this zone approximately 400 m northeast of the soil survey. Ten channel samples ranging in width from 1.0 to 2.0 m were collected from bedrock and magnetite veining exposed at surface and in artisanal workings. Ag values ranged from 38 g/t to 1,533 g/t (Au from trace to 0.131 g/t, and Cu from 34 to 2,732 ppm). Seven samples have also been collected near old artisanal workings located 300 m east of the soil grid currently in progress. These seven samples were taken over an area covering a smaller related satellite magnetic high feature and assayed from 26.9 g/t to 640 g/t Ag and from 0.102 to 1.189 g/t Au. Additional sampling is now planned throughout this area. Gold Zone South and Gold Zone Central (Mineralized Zones 2&3) The Gold Zone is a 200 to 600 m wide, 3 km long NW-SE trending zone of deformed volcanic and sedimentary rocks containing elevated gold mineralization that has been identified across the southern part of the Company's San Javier Project, part of which falls within the 10 km Sapucci-Cerro Verde trend of the San Antonio Project (Referred to in the Osisko Development Corp. News Release Dated June 22nd, 2022). The Company has received assay results from 1,829 channel samples (typically 2 m long) collected from 11 bulldozed trenches cut at various intervals at right angles across this zone. An additional 46 samples have been collected from various locations within the trend. Gold and copper results from the first three trenches have been reported in an earlier news release (News Release December 14th, 2021). All of the trenches contained zones of elevated gold values across widths ranging from 0.2 to 40.0 m. Five targets have been outlined in 2 zones measuring 300 to 400 m in diameter. The South Gold Zone contains 2 distinct targets. One of these named La Cascada, assayed 0.16 g/t Au and 0.48% Cu over a width of 13.0 m. A trench across the Loma Peloma target located approximately 550 m southeast of La Cascada assayed 0.59 g/t Au and 0.47% Cu over a width of 10.5 m. The Central Gold Zone includes 3 distinct targets - La Mesa, La Curva and La Quebrada. La Mesa area includes numerous scattered elevated gold values ranging from trace to 1.42 g/t over 2.0 m. One 16 m wide section assayed 0.28 g/t Au (range from 0.013 to 0.819 g/t). Approximately 400 m northwest of La Mesa lies La Curva target. This zone contains a cluster of elevated gold zones along a 40 to 50 m section of the trenching including 0.45 g/t over 6.0 m, 0.48 g/t over 4.0 m and 0.45 g/t over 4.0 m. A third target in this area is named La Quebrada. Assay results from trenching across this target include 0.68 g/t Au over a width of 14.0 m. Approximately 80 m southeast of this trench area 6 channel samples of 1.0 m width were collected over an area approximately 100 m long by 50 m wide. These 6 channel samples averaged 3.09 g/t Au (range from 0.018 g/t to 11.4 g/t). The mineralization in the Central Zone is associated with stringers and veins of quartz-barite-specularite and local magnetite in highly fractured and oxidized tuffaceous latite and trachyte of the Upper Cretaceous aged Tarahumara Formation. Copper and silver values are only slightly elevated in the Central Gold Zone area. North Zone (Mineralized Zone 4) The North Zone is a zone of stockwork veining and iron-oxide stringer veining located on the north flank of a 1,200 m wide, donut-shaped magnetic high feature in the north-central part of the Company's property. This area has been described in a previous news release (News Release May 5th, 2022). Two targets within the northern margin of the magnetic feature are currently recognized. The first target is named Chapoteados (Copper-Gold stockwork zone) which is an area with old artisanal workings and abundant stockwork veining hosted in sandstone and quartzite of the Triassic aged Barranca Group of sedimentary rocks. The area prospected and sampled was approximately 200 m wide by 600 m long. 22 samples taken from this area contained an average grade of 0.38 % Cu, 0.296 g/t Au and 3.9 g/t Ag (News Release May 5th, 2022). The second target is referred to as El Arroyo Hondo and is located approximately 800 m northeast of Chapoteados. Mineralization in this area is associated with iron oxide bearing stringers, veinlets and breccia matrix in highly fractured Barranca Group sandstone. Twenty five channel samples collected from scattered locations within a 300 m by 100 m area averaged 15 g/t Ag (range from trace to 145 g/t), 0.14 g/t Au (range from 0.01 to 1.19 g/t) and 229 ppm Cu (range from 20 ppm to 0.38%). The North Zone is considered to be highly prospective for Cu-Au-Ag-Mo-Ba Porphyry or IOCG-type mineralization since it is hosted within the Barranca Group rocks. These rocks underlie the Tarahumara Formation which hosts the higher-level mineralization of the Central and South Gold Zone as well as the other porphyry type Cu-Au deposits which are found in proximity (Cerro Verde, La Trinidad and Mesa Grande of Barksdale Resources Corp.). "The abundance of silver found in our rock and soil samples suggests to us that company claims are located, at least in part, on the silver dominant component of a district scale Cu-Au-Ag mineralized system," stated Christopher Berlet, President and CEO of Canuc Resources Corporation. "The company's silver anomalous area is located at approximately the mid-point of the 10 km northeast to southwest trending Sapucci-Cerro Verde copper-gold trend but offset to the northwest of this midpoint by about 1-1.5 km. Silver mineralization comes predominantly in the form of silver halides with magnetite association. These factors, in combination, are suggestive to us of the potential for substantial regional mineralization resulting from, amongst others, IOCG depositional processes." "Further exploration success will catalyze the growth of a robust mining camp in the San Javier area, and the concurrent prospect of regional development benefits." All samples are assayed for gold by Fire Assay with an AAS finish. Silver content is determined as part of an Aqua Regia digestion, multi element ICP-ES analysis. Samples containing more than the upper detection limit by these methods (over-limits) are re-assayed by Fire Assay with a gravimetric finish. Seymour M. Sears, B.A., B.Sc., P.Geo. is the Qualified Person for the Company, as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release. About Canuc Canuc is a junior resource company focusing on its San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company also generates cash flow from natural gas production at its MidTex Energy Project in Central West Texas, USA where Canuc has an interest in eight (8) producing natural gas wells and has rights for further in field developments. For further information please contact: Canuc Resources Corporation. (416) 525 - 6869 [email protected] Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking information. All information, other than information of historical fact, constitute "forward-looking statements" and includes any information that addresses activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the Corporation's strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is based on current expectations and applies only as of the date on which they were made. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Corporation to fund the exploration expenditures required under the Agreement. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in the Corporation's annual financial statements, MD&A and other publicly filed documents. The Corporation cautions that there can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by law, the Corporation does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking information contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. 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 news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139513 Burlington, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Evertz Technologies Limited (TSX: ET) ("Evertz" or the "Company"), the leader in Software Defined Video Network ("SDVN") technology, is pleased to announce the voting results of its 2022 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders held today, in Burlington, Ontario. Election of Directors By a way of vote by ballot, the seven nominees listed in the management information circular for the meeting were unanimously elected as directors of the Company. Detailed results of the vote on this matter are set out below: Nominee Votes For by Proxy % For by Proxy Votes Withheld by Proxy % Withheld by Proxy Douglas A. DeBruin 56,364,102 91% 5,375,273 9% Romolo Magarelli 56,480,937 91% 5,258,438 9% Rakesh Patel 56,384,900 91% 5,354,475 9% Christopher M. Colclough 59,136,544 96% 2,602,831 4% Dr. Ian L. McWalter 60,457,922 98% 1,281,453 2% Dr. Thomas V. Pistor 60,460,810 98% 1,278,565 2% Brian Piccioni 60,646,910 98% 1,092,465 2% Re-appointment of Auditor The resolution re-appointing BDO Canada LLP as the Company's auditors and authorizing the directors of the Company to determine the auditors' remuneration was unanimously carried pursuant to a vote by way show of hands. Approval of the 2022 Restricted Share Unit Plan and Previously Granted Restricted Share Units By a way of vote by ballot, the approval of the Company's 2022 restricted share unit plan and the grant of an aggregate of 1,063,750 restricted share units thereunder to certain officers and employees of the Company was supported by the Company's shareholders. Detailed results of the vote on this matter are set out below: Motion Votes For by Proxy % for by Proxy Votes Withheld by Proxy % Withheld by Proxy Approval of the Company's 2022 Restricted Share Unit Plan and Previously Granted Restricted Share Units 56,698,215 92% 5,041,160 8% About Evertz Evertz Technologies Limited (TSX: ET) designs, manufactures and markets video and audio infrastructure solutions for the television, telecommunications and new-media industries. The Company's solutions are purchased by content creators, broadcasters, specialty channels and television service providers to support their increasingly complex multi-channel digital, and high and ultra-high definition television ("HDTV" and "UHD") and next generation high bandwidth low latency IP network environments and by telecommunications and new-media companies. The Company's products allow its customers to generate additional revenue while reducing costs through efficient signal routing, distribution, monitoring and management of content as well as the automation and orchestration of more streamlined and agile workflow processes on premise and in the "Cloud". Contact Information Evertz Technologies Limited Doug Moore Chief Financial Officer (905) 335 7580 [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139686 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Idaho Champion (CSE: ITKO)(OTCQB: GLDRF) (FSE: 1QB1) ("Idaho Champion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has closed the second tranche of its recently announced private placement offering. As part of the closing of the second tranche, the Company issued 9,200,000 shares for gross proceeds of $460,000*. *All amounts expressed are in Canadian dollars. Idaho Champion opened a non-brokered private placement of up to 20,000,000 shares at a price of $0.05 per share for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. The proceeds of the financing will be used for the acquisition of the two prospective lithium pegmatite projects in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory of Quebec, preliminary field work on the Projects and for general working capital purposes. In connection with the private placement, the Company paid a cash finders' fee of $21,250. Completion of the private placement and payment of any finders' fees remain subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). In accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the private placement with be legended with a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. About Idaho Champion Gold Mines Inc. Idaho Champion is a discovery-focused exploration company that is committed to advancing its highly prospective mineral properties located in Idaho, United States and shortly, Quebec, Canada. The Company's shares trade on the CSE under the trading symbol "ITKO", on the OTCQB under the trading symbol "GLDRF", and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "1QB1". Idaho Champion is vested in Idaho with four cobalt properties in Lemhi County in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. In addition, the Company has been advancing the Baner gold project in Idaho County and the Champagne polymetallic project located in Butte County near Arco. Idaho Champion strives to be a responsible environmental steward, stakeholder and contributing citizen to the local communities where it operates. Idaho Champion takes its social license seriously, employing local community members and service providers at its operations whenever possible. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF IDAHO CHAMPION "Jonathan Buick" Jonathan Buick, President and CEO For further information, please visit the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or the Company's corporate website at www.idahochamp.com. For further information, please contact: Nicholas Konkin, Marketing and Communications, Idaho Champion Phone: (416) 567- 9087 Email: [email protected] THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. Cautionary Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of the Company. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the Company, including suggested strike extension. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139682 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Infinity Stone Ventures Corp. (CSE: GEMS) (OTCQB: TLOOF) (FSE: B2I) (the "Company" or "Infinity Stone"), is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of 6,400,000 Units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.25 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $1,600,000. Each Unit is comprised of one (1) Class A Subordinate Voting Share (a "Share") and one-half (1/2) of one share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable into one (1) Share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.50 for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. The Company also announces that it has closed a non-brokered private placement of 1,428,571 flow-through Units (each a "FT Unit") at a price of $0.35 per FT Share for gross proceeds of $500,000 (the "FT Offering"). Each FT Unit is comprised of one (1) Class A Subordinate Voting Share (a "Share") and one-half (1/2) of one share purchase warrant (a "FT Warrant"). Each whole Warrant is exercisable into one (1) Share (a "FT Warrant Share") at a price of $0.45 for a period of three (3) years from the date of issuance. In connection with the FT Offering, the Company issued 100,000 finders' warrants, and paid finder's fees of $34,999.99. Each finders' warrant is exercisable at a price of $0.45 for a period of three (3) years from the date of issuance. "With the closing of our combined flow-through and non-flow-through offerings, we are excited to welcome the participation of several Australia-based institutions. The well-developed and educated Australian institutional and retail market has a deep understanding of the value and critical need for battery mineral exploration projects. We believe the distribution in Australia will help provide ISV greater exposure for the Company's lithium assets, ultimately realizing a stronger valuation and upside for our shareholders," said Zayn Kalyan, CEO of Infinity Stone. The gross proceeds from the FT Offering will be used to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" (CEE) that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such term is defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) related to the Company's mining projects. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used for exploration expenses and general working capital. Engagement of Foster Stockbroking Infinity Stone is also pleased to announce it has engaged Foster Stockbroking Pty Ltd ("FSB") in the provision of capital markets advisory services in relation to a proposed Australian Securities Exchange ("ASX") dual listing of Infinity Stone. An ASX listing will provide the Company with greater access to existing and new investors. There has been significant interest from the Australian market in the Company's lithium projects, particularly the Camaro Lithium Project adjacent to Patriot Battery Metal's Corvette Lithium Discovery in James Bay, Quebec. The Company believes the ASX listing will position the Company better in the Australian market, which has many well-established lithium companies listed on the ASX with hard rock lithium projects in Canada. The Company will provide further update on the dual listing, as there is no guarantee the Company will be granted approval to list on the ASX. The securities referenced herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or under any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy such securities in the United States. About Infinity Stone Ventures Infinity Stone's mission is to be a diversified, single source supplier for the critical energy metals being used in the clean energy revolution alongside its established SaaS solution portfolio. Infinity Stone is meeting the demand from battery and wind turbine manufacturers, nuclear and hydrogen energy producers, and energy metals speculators by acquiring 100% interest in critical mineral deposits and occurrences in stable mining-friendly jurisdictions, close to final use destinations in North American manufacturing hubs. To register for investor updates please visit https://infinitystone.ventures. Infinity Stone Contact Zayn Kalyan CEO and Director Direct: 778-938-3367 [email protected] The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "projects", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including statements respecting: the expected use of proceeds from the offerings; the Company's intention to dual list onto the ASX; Australian investors' interest in the Company and its projects; and the expected result of distribution in Australia. Although forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management of Company believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The forward-looking statements may also be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of the Company, including those described in the Company's public filings available on www.SEDAR.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139549 Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (FSE: 0NG) (XSTU: 0NG) (the "Company" or "Northern") is pleased to announce that it has completed the previously announced exercise of its option to acquire a 100% interest in the Mousseau West graphite project ("Mousseau West" or the "Property") through the payment of $500,000 in cash and the issuance of 900,000 common shares of the Company to the owners of the Property. Northern also has the right to acquire a 2% net smelter royalty retained by the owners at any time upon the payment of $1 million. Hugues Jacquemin, Northern CEO, commented, "Mousseau West has the potential to become a significant project and we expect the deposit can play an important role as the Company solidifies its position as the only significant graphite producer in North America. We recognize there are local concerns and will do everything possible to minimize its effects and to maximize its benefits to all stakeholders in the Antoine-Labelle Regional Municipality and the Province of Quebec. Projects such as Mousseau West and local communities must find ways to co-exist because minerals like graphite are critical to maintaining our standard of living, supporting the transition to a green economy and reducing our dependence on China. Our Lac des Iles, Quebec quarry ('LDI') is the only significant graphite producer in North America and has been providing jobs and economic benefits to the municipality for over 30 years. Resources at LDI will be depleted in the next couple years and Mousseau West has the potential to significantly extend its life and return production to 25,000tpy, thus maintaining the jobs and economic benefits generated in the Antoine-Labelle Regional Municipality. There will be no processing plant or tailings pond at Mousseau West, only a quarry. Both projects are in close proximity to a number of North American lithium ion battery factories and are well positioned to provide them with a secure supply of graphite produced with the highest ESG standards." Graphite is the largest component in lithium ion batteries which make the transition to electric vehicles ("EV") possible. It is also a critical component in fuel cells and it is an additive that makes many products lighter, stronger and more energy efficient. China is the largest producer of graphite and though its processes are not ESG compliant it continues to supply almost all graphite that is used in batteries. For these reasons the EU, US and Canada have declared graphite a critical mineral. Mousseau West is located approximately 12 kms north of Highway 117, 40 kms east of Mont Laurier, Quebec and 150 kms north of Montreal, Quebec. It is located approximately 80 kms from the Company's producing LDI graphite mine. Over 7,500 meters of drilling has been carried out at Mousseau West and the Property contains an Inferred Resource of 4.1 million tonnes grading 6.2% graphitic carbon. The resource includes 2.7 million tonnes that have been drilled on 25 meter centers and do not need additional definition work. A technical report entitled "Technical Report and Resources Estimate of the Mousseau West Property" dated September 24, 2013 (the "Report") was completed by Alain Tremblay, geol. eng. and Yvan Bussieres, geol. eng. in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. It was filed on SEDAR on October 17, 2013 and is available under the profile of NanoXplore Inc. To the best of Northern's knowledge, information, and belief, there is no new material scientific or technical information that would make the disclosure of this resource inaccurate or misleading. The Company intends to update the resource estimate and complete a Preliminary Economic Assessment to evaluate the economics of mining graphite at Mousseau West and trucking it to Lac-des-Iles for processing. The Mousseau West deposit outcrops at surface making it very suitable for an open pit quarry. The deposit has not been closed off by drilling and other conductors exist on the Property and represent additional exploration targets. The graphite is mainly hosted by calcitic marbles which provide buffering capacity for the low level of sulphides which indicates that like LDI, any tailings would likely be non-acid generating. The common shares issued to the owners of Mousseau West as partial consideration for the Company's acquisition of the Property are subject to four month resale restrictions under applicable Canadian securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange expiring on February 5, 2023. About Northern Graphite Northern is a Canadian, TSX Venture Exchange listed company that is focussed on becoming a world leader in producing natural graphite and upgrading it into high value products critical to the green economy including anode material for lithium ion batteries/EVs, fuel cells and graphene, as well as advanced industrial technologies. Northern is the only significant graphite producing company in North America and will become the third largest outside of China when its Namibian operations come back online in the first half of 2023. The Company also has two large scale development projects, Bissett Creek in Ontario and Okanjande in Namibia, that will be a source of continued production growth in the future. All projects have "battery quality" graphite and are located close to infrastructure in politically stable countries. Qualified Person Gregory Bowes, B.Sc. MBA P.Geo is a "qualified person" as defined under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release including data disclosed with respect to the Mousseau West Property. For additional information Please visit the Company's website at http://www.northerngraphite.com/investors/presentation/, the Company's profile on www.sedar.com, our Social Channels listed below or contact the Company at (613) 241-9959. LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Facebook This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward- looking statements and information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "possible" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "will", "could", or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others, the Company's plans for advancing the Property including extending the mine life at LDI, its intentions with respect to bringing its Namibian operations back on line and to advancing its other developments projects to production, and developing the capacity to manufacture value added products. All such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by management based on their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. However, these statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected including, but not limited to unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of other parties to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure and the failure of ongoing and contemplated studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139683 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Trojan Gold Inc. (CSE: TGII) (OTCQB: TRJGF)("TGI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed William Moore as an Independent Director and will be replacing Gerry White, P.Geo who has resigned as a Director. Since 2005, William Moore has been a partner at Toronto-based private equity firm Bolger Capital Partners. Mr. Moore has been working in the investment business since 1990 and has successfully taken, or been involved with, more than 15 companies going public. He has also assisted in raising over $100 million on behalf of his clients. Mr. Moore has served on a number of boards and has been instrumental in day-to-day operations in the mining and technology sectors and has also spent 17 years working as a volunteer with the Salvation Army. Charles Elbourne, President and CEO of the Company, stated, "I am very pleased to welcome Bill to the Board. He brings decades of financial and mining industry experience to the Company, which will be highly beneficial to TGI as it looks to build shareholder value. On behalf of the board, we look forward to Bill's professional advice, insight and leadership as the Company works to capitalize on its strategically located properties in northwestern Ontario." Charles also took the opportunity to thank Gerry White for his valuable service to the Company as a Director and stated that, "Although we reluctantly agreed to accept his resignation from the Board, we are pleased that he has agreed to stay on as an Advisor to the Company." The Company would also like to announce that it has granted William Moore 200,000 incentive stock options under the Company's Stock Option Plan. Each option is exercisable at a price of $0.075 per common share, vests immediately and expires three years from the date of the grant About Trojan Gold Inc. Trojan is an active Ontario-based prospect generator junior exploration company, led by a team of professionals having exploration, engineering, project financing and permitting experience. Trojan has accumulated land positions in the Hemlo Gold Camp and Shebandowan Greenstone Belt which in management's view represent mineral exploration potential. For further information on the Company, please visit www.trojangold.com. Trojan is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol (CSE: TGII) and the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB") under the ticker symbol TRJGF. For further information, please contact: Charles J. Elbourne, President & CEO Trojan Gold Inc. 82 Richmond St. East, Suite 401 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1 Telephone: 416-315-6490 Email: [email protected] Website: www.trojangold.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions, and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy. Forward-looking information contained in this press releases includes, but is not limited to the timing and amount of estimated future exploration potential and success of such exploration activities. Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation, that sufficient capital, personnel and other resources will be available to the Company that will allow it to undertake exploration activities on its properties. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the impact of the recovery post COVID 19 pandemic, including but not limited to its impact on precious metals and the mining industry generally; the Company not having access to the resources it needs in order to carry out its proposed exploration activities on the timeline described in this press release or at all; there being no assurance that the exploration program will result in expanded mineral resources; risks and uncertainties inherent to any mineral resource estimates; receipt of necessary approvals; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; future gold and other metal prices; accidents, labour disputes and shortages; environmental risks; and other risks relating to mining industry, including the risks set out in the Company's public disclosure documents that can be found on its profile page at www.SEDAR.com. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and are based on the beliefs, estimates, expectations, and opinions of management on such date. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required under applicable securities law. Readers are cautioned to consider these and other factors, uncertainties, and potential events carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139675 YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Academic courses on Artificial Intelligence will be held in certain schools of Yerevan and the Province of Tavush, the Founding CEO of Foundation for Armenian Science and Technology (FAST) Armen Orujyan told reporters during the Global Innovation Forum 2022 in Yerevan. Artificial intelligence classes were held for the first time in Armenia. Nowhere around the world are there artificial intelligence courses in high schools. Teaching artificial intelligence to young people from high school will ensure big flow for both universities and companies seeking to work in AI, Orujyan said. Orujyan said there are no champions in AI. If the United States is investing billions of dollars in AI it doesnt decide its positions in the sector. For example, investing in an algorithmic solution of one Armenian young person could be more beneficial, he said. A new SAS-sponsored study by Economist Impact predicts three potential futures for banking, examining the risks and opportunities ahead CARY, N.C., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As disruptive forces roil today's financial sector, banking execs are scrutinizing the evolving role of banks in the most competitive market they've ever faced. What does the future hold? And how can they meet the challenges ahead to forge a brighter future both for the industry and the greater world? Such is the focus of a new future of banking study, Banking in 2035: three possible futures, by Economist Impact and sponsored by AI and analytics leader SAS. What will #Banking in 2035 look like? SAS-sponsored study by Economist Impact explores three scenarios. #FutureofBanking The first in a two-part study, the report presents three possible scenarios for the 2035 banking landscape. Through extensive desk research and expert interviews, Economist Impact's analysis: Snapshots the "megatrends" primed to resculpt the banking landscape over the next decade. Uncovers risks and opportunities presented in different combinations of trends. Highlights specific ways banks can evolve to support a more equitable, ethical and sustainable future. In confronting quandaries like climate change, economic fragmentation, and pervasive economic and social inequities, the study is clear: Banks face a defining moment. "The sector's rapid evolution amidst prevailing uncertainty begs a fundamental question: What is the purpose of banks?" said Yuxin Lin, Senior Manager of Policy and Insights at Economist Impact. "How banking leaders answer this question and the business decisions they make as a result will redefine the entire industry." "Banks have the power to elevate not just our global economy but all of humankind," said Alex Kwiatkowski, Director of Global Financial Services at SAS. "By embracing technology and innovation with intention, banks can pave a more purpose-driven path, where higher purpose and profitability go hand-in-hand. And if they don't embrace this fully, a golden opportunity to make a genuine difference will be squandered, potentially with very serious consequences." Scenario 1: Can transformed banks regain public trust?Since the 2008 financial crisis, banks have faced reputational trouble. In fact, financial services consistently ranks among the least trustworthy sectors, currently inspiring confidence in just over half (54%) of the public, according to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer. Flashing forward to 2035, Scenario 1 envisions a world where banks wield digital transformation to rehabilitate their image. Banks have strengthened data privacy and cyber fraud safeguards and championed consumer-focused regulation. Greater transparency and consumer protections buoy public trust, fueling open banking and partnerships that ignite lucrative new offerings. Digital platforms frictionlessly unify every facet of customers' financial lives in personalized, customizable ways. "Consumer trust, built over many years, can be lost in an instant," said Stu Bradley, Senior Vice President of Fraud and Security Intelligence at SAS. "As digitalization accelerates, it is critical that banks create hyper-personalized engagement as they address rising risks. In balancing customer experience and risk, an enterprise decisioning approach where fraud, risk and engagement decisions integrate holistically across the customer journey can cut costs and streamline banks' IT infrastructures, while boosting revenue and customer retention." Scenario 2: Might banks catalyze cross-industry climate action and power the green transitionAddressing the climate crisis will require unprecedented global cooperation and collaboration. According to the United Nations, governments' current commitments for reducing greenhouse gas emissions fall far short of what's needed to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Averting the worst impacts of climate change demands quick, decisive action. Scenario 2 foresees a global community committed to climate action in 2035, where decarbonization is a foremost consideration across energy, infrastructure and transportation. Cities have been redesigned for energy efficiency and climate resiliency. Cost-effective renewable energy sources and green technologies are the norm. "Climate leadership in the banking sector will drive greater cross-industry progress toward net-zero emissions by 2050 and it starts now with better analytics, modeling and management of climate risk," said Troy Haines, Senior Vice President and Head of Risk Research and Quantitative Solutions at SAS. "In enhancing their ability to model climate risk scenarios and understand potential impacts to their balance sheets and capital, banks can help propel the green transition and advance worldwide climate resilience." Scenario 3: How will banks fare in a geopolitically fragmented world? Even as the world tries to put the worst of COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, economic and market uncertainties abound. The pandemic's aftereffects have magnified tensions between the world's economic superpowers while overburdening developing ones, whose populations suffer outsized consequences. Against this backdrop, it isn't hard to imagine Scenario 3, which depicts a geopolitically contentious world stage in 2035, colored by divergent interests and a retreat of multilateralism among the world's economic giants. Bilateral and regional agreements have supplanted the World Trade Organization. The global financial system has been fractured by rivals' alternative payment systems and the rise of digital currencies. "Deglobalization, accelerated by recent global events, will likely widen the staggering societal inequalities that plague us today," said Theodora Lau, Founder of Unconventional Ventures. "Indisputably, banking and money are at the heart of it all. Each of us has a role to play in championing a more inclusive and sustainable future with our actions of today." Reimagining banking for the 21st century at Sibos and everywhereLau, also a renowned author, speaker and industry commentator, will join SAS' Kwiatkowski on the Meet the Experts stage at next week's Sibos conference in Amsterdam. The duo will delve into the study at their joint session, Embedding Generosity Into the Global Economy, on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 12:30 p.m. CEST. Attendees can also engage with SAS throughout the conference at Sibos Booth B115. SAS will debut part two of this future of banking study in November. Banking in 2035: global banking survey report will explore the results of an international survey of banking industry professionals. In the meantime, learn how better insights beget better banking at SAS.com/betterbanking. About Economist ImpactEconomist Impact combines the rigor of a think-tank with the creativity of a media brand to engage a globally influential audience. We believe that evidence-based insights can open debate, broaden perspectives and catalyze progress. For more information, visit impact.economist.com. About SASSAS is the leader in analytics. Through innovative software and services, SAS empowers and inspires customers around the world to transform data into intelligence. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW. SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright 2022 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/banking-in-2035-trust-climate-risks-and-geopolitical-rivalry-shape-a-purpose-driven-industry-forecasts-study-301641818.html SOURCE SAS The Italian trade show group expands strategic international partnerships and acquires two new exhibitions RIMINI, Italy, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Corrado Peraboni and Francesco Santa, respectively CEO and International Business Development Director of IEG - Italian Exhibition Group, leader in trade show and conference organisation in Italy and the world, announce signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today with Singapore Tourism Board, the leading economic development agency in tourism under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry, to support the development of new IEG events in the City of Lions and the strengthening of the entire MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) ecosystem within the State. IEG will open regional headquarters in Singapore, where it also recently signed a letter of intent (LOI) with CEMS - Conference & Exhibition Management Services for the acquisition of two strategic trade shows in the luxury and food segments where IEG already boasts a leading role: Sije - Singapore International Jewelry Expo and Cafe Asia, Sweet and Bakes Asia, Restaurant Asia. STATEMENTS Corrado Peraboni, CEO of IEG: "The partnership with Singapore Tourism Board marks another important step forward in IEG's internationalisation process. It is an important piece in our strategy that, in every respect, aims to establish IEG as a 'community catalyst' for the industries its events represent by taking them to the most promising markets, generating value in terms of business for exhibiting companies, associations and all the stakeholders." Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director, Exhibitions and Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board: "We are heartened by the Italian Exhibition Group's (IEG) decision to anchor their regional headquarters in Singapore, and we look forward to welcoming more internationally renowned event brands to our city. This new partnership is testament to Singapore's solid economic fundamentals and our standing as a Global-Asia Node for MICE and business. We look forward to deepening our partnership with IEG as they expand their presence in Singapore and the region." Francesco Santa, International Business Development Director IEG: "Today's signing is a source of great pride and satisfaction. Singapore Tourism Board and IEG begin a collaboration for the development of products in Singapore and the entire South East Asian region. Further proof is the agreement signed with CEMS for the acquisition of the jewellery and food shows. The valuable exchange of know-how and innovation between IEG and Singapore will contribute to strengthening trade relations with the ASEAN region, of which Singapore is the hub." Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1914532/Italian_Exhibition_Group.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/723307/Italian_Exhibition_Group_Logo.jpg Italian Exhibition Group press contacts: Marco ForcelliniPress Office Manager [email protected] Silvia GiorgiInternational Press Office Coordinator [email protected]+39 (0)541 744814 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ieg-with-singapore-tourism-board-301641400.html SOURCE Italian Exhibition Group CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amidst a year of record undergraduate enrollment, North Park University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as a top Regional University, as well as one of the best schools for Social Mobility and Undergraduate Teaching. A record 476 first-year students enrolled for the Fall 2022 semester despite challenges including continued effects of the Covid Pandemic, as well as a decrease in the number of high school graduates choosing to attend college. "This incoming class [of 476 students] means that we have put together back-to-back classes at this level, with record numbers of first-time, first-year students," said North Park President Mary K. Surridge. "In the current higher education landscape and recruiting space, this is a significant achievement and indicates several encouraging things." "North Park is a compelling university of choice for prospective students, and our recruitment staff has done a great job of identifying and cultivating new students," President Surridge said. "Students have choices, and they are choosing North Park." This is the second year in a row that North Park's incoming class has broken enrollment records, with the school welcoming first-year 464 students in 2021. This year's class includes students from 30 countries and 30 states, with the majority coming from Illinois. In the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings, North Park was ranked #39 for best Regional Universities in the Midwest (a position it has held since 2020); #15 for Top Performers on Social Mobility; and #20 for Best Undergraduate Teaching. The social mobility ranking means that North Park excels at helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds enroll in and finish college. In its latest annual ranking, U.S. News and World Report took into account 17 measures of academic quality at 1,500 degree-seeking institutions. The magazine also takes into account student satisfaction, costs of attending, and campus life in determining its rankings. ABOUT NORTH PARK UNIVERSITY North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st Century America. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-park-university-enrolls-largest-first-year-class-earns-top-ranks-in-us-news-and-world-report-301641734.html SOURCE North Park University LONDON, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Safenetpay announced its rebrand and name change to Moneff. The rationale behind the new name has been to more closely reflect the change in Moneff's proposition from a pure payments company to an expanded portfolio of streamlined and efficient services to support SMEs. SMEs and entrepreneurs need easy-to-access solutions that manage their money. Despite SMEs making up 99% of all registered businesses in the UK, high street banks and mainstream lenders continually overlook or reject entrepreneurs, and charge extortionately high rates for business accounts and cross-border transfers. Moneff helps small businesses move their money more efficiently by providing a one-stop hub for free* multi-currency business accounts, transfers with competitive FX rates, card issuing and online payment processing services. By creating a global financial infrastructure using innovative API-led cloud technology and leveraging strategic partnerships, Moneff aims to create a fairer and more progressive financial ecosystem for the 22.6 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UK and EU. "We felt it was necessary to change the name of the company to more accurately reflect our offering of helping small businesses manage their money efficiently," said Sanjar Mavlyanov, CEO and founder of Moneff. "We want our customers to be focused on improving their business, rather than being distracted by dealing with multiple vendors. That's why we are building an ecosystem of business tools that helps companies grow and save them money" added Dilshod Mikhmanov, Moneff's Co-founder and CFO. By providing small businesses with free*, borderless and frictionless e-money accounts, Moneff is democratising the customer experience by putting their needs first and offering a true money solutions alternative for businesses of all types. Moneff prides itself in providing high levels of customer service, and is always seeking to refine and develop our business practices to achieve best results for its clients. * Subject to eligibility criteria. ABOUT MONEFFMoneff is the one-stop hub for small business owners. We enable SMEs and sole traders to move their money efficiently by offering free multi-currency business accounts (subject to eligibility), transfers with competitive FX rates, card issuing and online payment processing services. Previously known as Safenetpay, Moneff (now a trading name of Safenetpay Services Company Ltd) was founded in 2016 and headquartered in London. Moneff is authorised as an Authorised Electronic Money Institution by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and has been granted an EMI (Electronic Money Institution) licence by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority. NOTES TO EDITORS Moneff is headquartered at CityPoint, 1 Ropemaker Street, EC2Y 9HT in London. Those wishing to register their interest can now sign-up here: https://moneff.com/ To access executive biographies and photos visit: https://moneff.com/our-team MEDIA CONTACTOtabek Nuritdinov, Head of Business Development and MarketingEmail: [email protected]Tel: +44 (0) 7824864222 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1913653/moneff.jpgVideo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk4erZGr2Mk View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/safenetpay-changes-its-name-to-moneff-301640020.html SOURCE Safenetpay Services PHOENIX, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Building and sustaining a strong pipeline of talent requires heavier investments in education, upskilling, and career development. And in today's job market, it also requires business leaders to evolve their thinking and expand workforce strategies to include individuals who have historically been excluded from job consideration, specifically men and women with a criminal background. Televerde, a global sales and marketing solutions company that provides second chance employment and helps disempowered people find their voice and reach their human potential, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Banyan Labs, a software development company that employs 100%, justice-impacted individuals, to help end the stigma of incarceration and create more career opportunities for qualified individuals with a criminal past. "As a for-profit company that works with members of the incarcerated community, we know people have questions and may be skeptical about the potential inside U.S. corrections facilities," said Kellie Walenciak, head of Marketing, Televerde. "To this end, we want to show the world our Televerde operations so people can meet with the talented incarcerated women who work with us. Through our work with Banyan Labs, the public will be able to sit face-to-face with these women and hear in their own words their journeys of transformation and how education, support, and a second chance allowed them to find and fulfill their human potential. These interactions will hopefully spark an evolution in hiring practices that lead to total inclusion in the workforce once and for all." The partnership with Televerde and Banyan Labs will bring to life a series of first-person digital video narratives of the incarcerated women who make up 70 percent of Televerde's global workforce. This digital experience will live on the Televerde website and be developed by justice-impacted men and women who learned coding skills through the Persevere Program while behind bars and who successfully transitioned to full-time Banyan Labs employees once released. "At Banyan Labs, we're proud to partner with companies like Televerde that are as committed to elevating the incarcerated community as we are," said Mark Clark, director of business development at Banyan Labs. "Our partnership with Televerde will show the value that second-chance hires can bring to organizations and why it's incumbent upon all business leaders to embrace workforce strategies that help build a pipeline of future talent and lead to an economy where everyone can flourish, regardless of background or circumstance." The Televerde/Banyan project called, Televerde Virtual Roundtables, will be completed in December with a January global launch planned. About Televerde Phoenix-based Televerde is the first and only fully integrated sales, marketing, and customer care solutions organization that delivers revenue as a service and customer experience expertise with a human touch, best-in-class technology, and an operating model that is resilient to shifting market conditions. Since 1995, Televerde has generated more than $12B in revenue for the world's leading B2B companies including SAP, GE, Adobe-Marketo, and Securus Technologies. A purpose-built company, Televerde believes in second chance employment and strives to help disempowered people find their voice and reach their human potential. Seven of Televerde's 10 engagement centers are staffed by incarcerated women, representing 70 percent of the company's 600+ global workforce. The Arizona State University Seidman Research Institute recently documented the model's success in a study. The results reveal that participants of Televerde's program go on to attain employment, earnings, and education at higher rates and re-offend at significantly lower rates than other formerly incarcerated females in the United States. The full study can be accessed here. About Persevere Founded in 2012, Persevere is a nonprofit organization that is committed to ending mass incarceration, reducing recidivism, and empowering justice-involved men and women to succeed as productive members of society. Persevere as a whole provides a comprehensive program that includes coding education during incarceration as well as career readiness, mentoring, essential life-skills training, residential transitional living and job placement in the technology sector after release. About Banyan Labs Banyan Lab is a software development company that employs 100%, justice-impacted individuals. With a social impact mission, Banyan Labs provides businesses with innovative information technology solutions and opportunities to make lasting, positive social change. Created out of the desire to place Persevere graduates into jobs through an on-the-job training program, their work is proven, professional, and affordable. Kellie Walenciak[email protected]908-377-9968 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/televerde-and-banyan-labs-team-up-to-show-the-effects-of-prison-education-and-the-transformative-power-of-a-second-chance-301641730.html SOURCE Televerde Bathymetric and topographic lidar data and high-resolution imagery will be collected to support worldwide needs. MOBILE, Ala., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District has selected Woolpert for a $49.9 million firm-fixed price contract to provide worldwide geospatial operations, sensor maintenance and technical support for the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX). The contract will support coastal mapping and charting missions through 2025. Woolpert will collect high-accuracy bathymetric and topographic lidar and survey data and high-resolution imagery of the land, beach and shallow water seafloor under task orders assigned by JALBTCX in support of the Corps, U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Coastal Mapping Program and Naval Oceanographic Office. WMR-532, the joint venture of Woolpert and Optimal GEO, was awarded two previous iterations of this contract in 2017 and 2019. In 2021, Woolpert acquired Optimal GEO. "Increasing changes in our environment have made the collection of accurate and consistent coastal data imperative to protecting lives, infrastructure and economies," Woolpert Vice President John Gerhard said. "We're honored to do whatever we can to support the great work of the Corps and JALBTCX partners." About Woolpert Woolpert is the premier architecture, engineering, geospatial (AEG) and strategic consulting firm, with a vision to become one of the best companies in the world. We innovate within and across markets to effectively serve public, private and government clients worldwide. Woolpert is an ENR Top 150 Global Design Firm, earned six straight Great Place to Work certifications and actively nurtures a culture of growth, inclusion, diversity and respect. Founded in 1911 in Dayton, Ohio, Woolpert has been America's fastest-growing AEG firm since 2015. The firm has 1,900 employees and more than 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com.Media Contact: Jill Kelley, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/woolpert-selected-by-us-army-corps-of-engineers-for-50m-coastal-mapping-charting-contract-301641032.html SOURCE Woolpert AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Water should be free so why do we pay to drink it? It's a pivotal question that's being asked by the Austin-based startup FreeWater as they push to make not only water but other products free across the globe. FreeWater is a new type of company that makes money by printing advertisements onto aluminum bottles and paper cartons of natural spring water which then allows them to give it away for free. Leading what they call the "giving economy" they also donate 10 cents per beverage to build water wells for people in need. "Our product makes donating to charity as simple as saving money on your groceries and drinking FreeWater," said FreeWater's Founder, Josh Cliffords. The company says FreeWater is only the beginning and it's just the first product of their future free supermarkets. Each new free product they introduce will donate to a different charitable cause. The groundbreaking startup has quickly become an international phenomenon creating interest around the world from brands, investors, and consumers alike. FreeWater's viral Tiktok and Instagram accounts have played a key role in its massive influence. The company reached 100,000,000 organic impressions within a year, and they now hope to offer their passionate global following a chance to get more involved by participating in their crowdfunding campaign on FundRazr to finance free vending machines and the company's global expansion. FreeWater has already financed two water projects in Kenya by distributing free spring water in the USA. Their mission is to put the highest quality products in consumers' hands for a negative price since the water is free and it is donated to charity. "Our startup puts a spin on capitalism by freely distributing negatively priced goods that are profitable," said Cliffords. "We help brands reach their desired audience, provide consumers with high-quality goods for free, and donate to charity to solve global issues without using a penny of taxpayers' money." "Free vending machines will be a key role of FreeWater's future distribution model," said Cliffords. "Our mobile app will limit users to 1-3 free drinks/snacks per person daily. Free vending machines will be emptied daily and each location will donate between $10,000 to $36,000 to charity annually." For additional information see www.freewater.io. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-first-free-beverage-company-says-free-vending-machines-are-next-301641725.html SOURCE FreeWater Inc UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. ___)* First Trust Exchange-Traded Fund VIII (Name of Issuer) FT Cboe Vest International Equity Buffer ETF - September (Title of Class of Securities) N/A (CUSIP Number) September 30, 2022 (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement) Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed: [X] Rule 13d-1(b) [_] Rule 13d-1(c) [_] Rule 13d-1(d) *The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page. The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes). SCHEDULE 13G CUSIP No. Not Applicable 1 Names of Reporting Persons Brookstone Capital Management, LLC 2 Check the appropriate box if a member of a Group (see instructions) (a) [ ] (b) [ ] 3 Sec Use Only 4 Citizenship or Place of Organization USA Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With: 5 Sole Voting Power None 6 Shared Voting Power 121,426 7 Sole Dispositive Power None 8 Shared Dispositive Power 121,426 9 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 121,426 10 Check box if the aggregate amount in row (9) excludes certain shares (See Instructions) [ ] 11 Percent of class represented by amount in row (9) 11.96% 12 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IA Item 1. (a) Name of Issuer: First Trust Exchange-Traded Funds VIII (b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, IL 60187 Item 2. (a) Name of Person Filing: Brookstone Capital Management, LLC (b) Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence: 1745 S. Naperville Rd., Suite 200 Wheaton, IL 60189 (c) Citizenship: Illinois (d) Title and Class of Securities: FT Cboe Vest International Equity Buffer ETF - September (e) CUSIP No.: N/A Item 3. If this statement is filed pursuant to 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a: (a) [_] Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act; (b) [_] Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act; (c) [_] Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act; (d) [_] Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940; (e) [X] An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E); (f) [_] An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F); (g) [_] A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G); (h) [_] A savings associations as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813); (i) [_] A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940; (j) [_] A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J); (k) [_] Group, in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: ____ Item 4. Ownership (a) Amount Beneficially Owned: 121,426 (b) Percent of Class: 11.96% (c) Number of shares as to which such person has: (i) Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: None (ii) Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 121,426 (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: None (iv) Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 121,426 **Note 1** Brookstone Capital Management, LLC ("Brookstone"), an investment adviser registered under Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, furnishes investment advice to un-registered accounts (collectively, the "Accounts"). In its role as investment adviser or manager, Brookstone possesses shared voting and investment power over securities of the Issuer described in this schedule that are owned by the Accounts, and may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of such shares of the Issuer held by the Accounts. However, all securities reported in this schedule are owned by the Accounts. Pursuant to Rule 13d-4 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), Brookstone disclaims beneficial ownership of such securities. In addition, the filing of this schedule shall not be construed as an admission that the reporting person or any of its affiliates is the beneficial owner of any securities covered by this Schedule 13G for any other purposes than Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act. Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class. If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following [ ]. Item 6. Ownership of more than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person. The Accounts described in Note 1 above have the right to receive or the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, of the proceeds from the sale of, the securities held in their respective accounts. Brookstone disclaims beneficial ownership of all such securities. Item 7. Identification and classification of the subsidiary which acquired the security being reported on by the parent holding company or control person. Not Applicable Item 8. Identification and classification of members of the group. Not Applicable Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group. Not Applicble Item 10. Certifications. SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Dated: October 5, 2022 /s/ Matt Lovett Name/Title The original statement shall be signed by each person on whose behalf the statement is filed or his authorized representative. If the statement is signed on behalf of a person by his authorized representative (other than an executive officer or general partner of this filing person), evidence of the representative's authority to sign on behalf of such person shall be filed with the statement, provided, however, that a power of attorney for this purpose which is already on file with the Commission may be incorporated by reference. The name and any title of each person who signs the statement shall be typed or printed beneath his signature. Attention: Intentional misstatements or omissions of fact constitute Federal criminal violations (See 18 U.S.C. 1001). (Tribune News Service) Some 300 members of the Indiana National Guard are headed to Kosovo for a nine-month mission focused on ensuring safety and security for Kosovars living in the former Yugoslavia. The 38th Infantry Division's 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, which includes approximately 20 soldiers from Northwest Indiana, departed Camp Atterbury on Saturday as Task Force Nighthawk and initially stopped in Germany en route to Kosovo. When they arrive in Kosovo, the task force soldiers will lead Regional Command-East under NATO authority in support of Operation Joint Guardian, a multinational mission that's maintained freedom of movement for all Kosovo citizens since 1999. "The men and women of this brigade will work to ensure that Kosovo's independence and sovereignty will remain strong, and that our collective goal of independent, multi-ethnic states in society coexisting peacefully in the western Balkans is realized," said Maj. Gen. Dale Lyles, Indiana's adjutant general. "Our deployment demonstrates America's resolve to defend the sovereignty of free and democratic nations like Kosovo," he added. The Hoosiers are the 31st rotation of United States military forces based at Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo. Troops from Poland, Latvia, Switzerland, Turkey, Slovenia, Greece, Hungary and Italy also are serving in Regional Command-East. Col. Chris Mabis, leader of Task Force Nighthawk, said during a departure ceremony Friday that the Indiana National Guard soldiers "represent the best the United States has to offer." "Everyone sitting here is an ambassador of the United States and a representative of the Hoosier State. I can't be prouder of this team," Mabis said. Mabis also thanked the soldiers' families for allowing their family members to represent Indiana and the United States, and serve people in need, far from home. "You're a vital part of Task Force Nighthawk, and your job is the most important. Rely on each other and help each other out; that's the strength of our community-based force," Mabis said. Prior to heading overseas, task force members participated in training at Camp Atterbury, near Indianapolis, on weapons, non-lethal weapons, liaison monitoring, patrol operations, traffic accidents and how to interact with governmental and nongovernmental entities. (c)2022 The Times (Munster, Ind.) Visit at www.nwitimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. GROTON, Conn. (Tribune News Service) U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney announced Tuesday that the Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $532 million contract to provide lead yard support, development studies and design efforts for Virginia-class submarines. With potential modifications, the contract could bring $813 million in work to Electric Boat over the next year. In a press release announcing the contract Courtney who is the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee on Seapower and Projection Forces, said the contract represents additional investment on top of a previously awarded contract in 2019, and allows EB to maintain development efforts on Virginia-class submarines. (c)2022 The Day (New London, Conn.) Visit at www.theday.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of understanding on halal keyfiyyat (quality) infrastructure, Azernews reports. The document was signed between the Azerbaijani Standardization Institute under the State Service for Antimonopoly Control and Supervision of the Consumer Market and the Kazakh Institute of Standardization and Metrology. The parties agreed to exchange experience on standardization of halal products, training of specialists, technical cooperation, and promotion measures for certification of halal products. The development of standards for halal products and services will be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation - the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries. To note, representatives of the Azerbaijani Institute of Standardization took part in the annual meeting of the International Organization for Standardization in the United Arab Emirates. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan were established on August 30, 1992. The Kazakh embassy in Azerbaijan was opened on January 9, 1993, and the Azerbaijani embassy in Kazakhstan on March 1, 2004. The two countries closely cooperate in various sectors of the economy. Around 160 companies with the Kazakh capital operate in Azerbaijan in the sphere of industry, construction, trade, agriculture, transport, and services, and Azerbaijani companies are also represented in the Kazakh market. Azerbaijan's investments in the Kazakh non-oil sector from 1995 to 2021 amounted to more than $200 million, while Kazakhstan's investments in the Azerbaijani non-oil sector totaled about $100 million. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan amounted to $135.7 million in 2021. STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Artsakh Davit Babayan presented details from his recent visit to the United States in an interview to ARMENPRESS. Strengthening Homeland-Diaspora ties as the key component, idea, is on the basis of the state-building of our foreign policy. From this perspective we attach special attention to the expansion, deepening of ties with Armenians of the Diaspora and ensuring that these relations remain at a high level. We are obliged to always keep firm our ties with the Diaspora. Armenians of the United States have always played an active role in the development and strengthening of the Homeland. Diaspora-Armenians participated in almost every program in Artsakh through the Hayastan All Armenian Fund and other channels. In addition, our compatriots living in the USA have implemented numerous political initiatives aimed at the recognition of Artsakh by different US states, towns and other local self-government bodies. Thanks to these initiatives, various pro-Armenian resolutions have been adopted by the US Congress and Senate. In other words, a major work has been done, the FM said. He said that Artsakh now should become the most important idea for Armenians, and the focus on Artsakh should be the pillar of the Diaspora. What I say doesnt mean at all that we should refuse from other national fundamental goals, as the recognition of the Genocide, etc, but in this particular case the focus on Artsakh is a priority. Artsakh must be saved because there wont be Armenia and Diaspora without Artsakh. In this regard, we have had important meetings with the US public, political and analytical circles. We have presented the situation to our traditional friends who continue supporting the interests of Artsakh and Armenians. Therefore, its also very important to see what approaches the United States has. We need to be very realistic. Naivety, moreover, adventurism, costs and will cost very high in geopolitics. We need to understand very well the interests of different countries, our place and role in that in order to take right steps. I would like to note that the United States is the only country which still could restrain Turkeys expansionist aspirations. But a little time has been left in this respect because Turkey will be a totally autonomous geopolitical player in several years. I would not like a repeat of Germanys example in 1930s when different poles supported Nazis in the same way in order to use them against the Soviet Union, or vice verse, the Soviet Union has tried to do the same against the West, and in the end everyone suffered. The present is very similar to that situation. The visit to the US doesnt mean in any way that we are changing some geopolitical vectors. Artsakh has always had its approaches, firstly guided by pan-Armenian interests and traditional ties with the Diaspora. Its worth noting that in fact, Russia is the only country that really ensures the security of Armenians of Artsakh, which is impossible without Russian peacekeepers. On the other hand, the United States is the only country that can still restrain Turkey through political means. This is the situation. In general, the visit has been broadly covered, and I think, it has been useful, the Artsakh FM said. When asked what results could be expected in practice from the meetings held in the United States, the FM said: Our visit coincided with several initiatives in the US such as the official adoption of April 24 as an Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in California, as well as different resolutions, projects were presented which condemn the Azerbaijani aggression, call on the US to stop the respective aid to Azerbaijan, etc. This means that we should work with our friends, with the people of good will in order to restrain the expansionist aspirations of Turkey and Azerbaijan. Its a long process, but is also an important direction. FM Babayan said that Artsakhs rating is unprecedentedly high in the Diaspora. Artsakh is truly sacred for the Diaspora, this is very good. If we manage to turn Artsakh-centricity into a basis of nationwide unity, we will have much greater opportunities for saving the homeland. What had happened with Artsakh, and in general what is happening as a result of the aggressive policy of Azerbaijan and Turkey, has caused a very great pain there as well. But I didnt see apathy, but a big desire to revive, he said. The Navy is preparing to introduce yet another clothing item to the fleet a two-piece flame retardant uniform that aims to be a common sense alternative to coveralls, according to a U.S. Fleet Forces spokeswoman. More commonly known as the 2POC, the two-piece organizational clothing uniform will debut later this year, Lt. Cmdr. Madie Hansen told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday. It was designed for various working conditions and environments, she said, including surface ships, submarines, flight decks, during sea-and-anchor detail and fire-fighting. Advertised by the Navy as its primary at-sea uniform, the 2POC features the same flame resistance as the improved coveralls rolled out in 2018, according to Hansen. They are made of flame-resistant rayon, aramid, meta-aramid, para-aramid and nylon. The Navy is committed to continuously improving safety, and our sailors are much safer today than before the introduction of flame-resistant variants, she said. It mirrors the cut of the Type III working uniform and is lighter and more comfortable than the current coveralls, Hansen said. No ironing is necessary; the 2POC was designed to be worn right out of the dryer, she added. The 2POC is not a uniform, but organizational clothing, Hansen said, meaning it is issued to sailors for free by their command and is not an additional requirement to the sea bag. Forty ambassadors have been wearing the uniform over the past year to educate sailors about the 2POC, Hansen said. This follows modifications made after enlisted sailors and officers tried out the clothing and provided their feedback. Not everyone is happy about the change. Michael Frech, a chief petty officer who retired in February, said there are far too many uniforms and too many unnecessary uniforms as well as requirements. Why do we need fire retardant coveralls? he asked Stars and Stripes via Facebook Messenger Monday. To fight fires, right? Well, what does the repair locker have? Fire retardant bulwark coveralls and fire-fighting garments. So, whats the point? Hansen said 84 percent of sailors surveyed between May and September 2019 at Norfolk, Oceana and Bahrain said they wanted something other than standard coveralls. Unlike the coveralls it is replacing, the 2POC can be worn in port and underway and is approved for on and off base while making routine stops, she said. The 2POC is dark blue for E-6 and below and khaki for E-7 and above, including officers. For outerwear, sailors will be authorized to wear the black navy working uniform fleece liner with the color match tab as well as their command ball caps. We want Sailors to be proud of what they wear, and the two-piece organizational clothing or 2POC represents our warfighting heritage while meeting todays needs of our hard-working fleet, Hansen said. CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea North Korea flew a dozen warplanes Thursday near the border with South Korea, prompting the South to scramble more than 30 military aircraft in a dramatic escalation after a series of missile tests by the Communist regime. The highly unusual moves took place hours after the North launched two ballistic missiles from Pyongyang into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, in the sixth round of tests in the past 12 days. Following the missile tests, eight North Korean fighter jets and four bombers flew in formation and were believed to have conducted air-to-surface firing drills, South Koreas military told The Associated Press. South Korea responded by scrambling 30 fighter jets and other military aircraft, the Ministry of National Defense said. Although North Korea has sent military aircraft near the border before, the Yonhap news agency said it was probably the first time so many aircraft had been launched in such a provocative manner. North Koreas recent missile tests have sharply escalated tension in the Korean Peninsula. The United States, South Korea and Japan have conducted joint exercises in response. In Thursdays tests, the Norths first missile flew roughly 217 miles at a peak altitude of 50 miles at Mach 5 speed, according to ministry estimates. The second flew roughly 497 miles at a peak altitude of 37 miles at Mach 6. "Consecutive [North Korean] ballistic missile launches are a grave provocative act to harm not only the Korean Peninsula but also international peace and stability and we condemn this strongly and urge North Korea to stop it immediately," the ministrys text message said. "Our troops will maintain a firm readiness posture and are tracking and monitoring relevant moves in preparation for further [North Korean] provocations while working closely together with the U.S." Thursdays launch was also announced in a tweet from the Japanese Prime Ministers Office. A separate message posted on the offices English-language Twitter account said the projectile had likely flown over Japan, but that tweet was soon deleted. The countrys defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada, told reporters that Japan immediately protested through the Norths embassy in Beijing, strongly condemning the act. We will continue working on drastically strengthening our defense power while examining every possibility, including the capability to attack enemy bases, he said. North Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement Thursday that the elevated tensions were caused by the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups presence. The launch comes one day after South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group would redeploy near South Korea's eastern coast following anti-submarine drills with the South Korean and Japanese navies. The Joint Chiefs cited the "highly unusual" timing of North Korea's provocations, which included an intermediate-range ballistic missile test on Tuesday. The IRBM, suspected by experts to be a Hwasong-12 that can theoretically reach the U.S. territory of Guam, flew over Japans Aomori prefecture and prompted rare take-shelter warnings from the Japanese government and U.S. military. Aomori is home to Misawa Air Base, headquarters of the 35th Fighter Wing. The launch, which marked the first time in five years that a North Korean missile flew over Japan, was described by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno as an "extremely problematic act." U.S. and South Korean jets on Tuesday afternoon dropped two Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, bombs on an island in response to the IRBM test. The next morning, the allies conducted a live-fire drill using the Army Tactical Missile System and launched several surface-to-surface missiles toward the East Sea. One of the missiles fired by South Korea failed and crashed inside of a military base. No injuries were reported, according to the South Korean military. U.N. Assistant-Secretary-General Khaled Khiari on Wednesday condemned North Korea's launches and said it violated the group's Security Council resolutions. "This launch risks triggering a significant escalation of tensions in the region and beyond," he said, according to a press release on Wednesday. "It is of serious concern that [North Korea] has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety." U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a tweet Thursday that the Security Council was concluding a meeting on North Korea's launches when it heard of the latest test. "Stop the reckless, provocative, and escalatory behavior and return to dialogue," she wrote. North Korea has launched roughly 40 missiles so far this year, a record. The regime is also suspected by the U.S. and South Korea of having prepared to conduct a seventh nuclear test, its first since 2017. Stars and Stripes reporter Hana Kusumoto and The Associated Press contributed to this report. CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan is redeploying to South Koreas eastern coast less than a week after it concluded trilateral naval drills with South Korean and Japanese warships. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff in a press release Wednesday said the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group would be entering international waters in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, on the same day due to highly unusual timing of North Korea's activities. On Tuesday, the communist regime fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The strike groups redeployment demonstrates the determined will of the [South Korea]-U.S. alliance and will enhance the readiness posture of the alliance against consecutive North Korean provocations, the Joint Chiefs statement said. The strike group made port in and around the coastal city of Busan on Sept. 23, shortly before a four-day drill with South Korean warships to address North Korean provocations with an aim to improve capabilities of the U.S. and South Korean navies, according to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense. The ships were joined by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for an anti-submarine warfare exercise on Sept. 30, the first such drill in five years. North Korea has launched several missiles since those drills. It has carried out five rounds of tests in a span of 10 days and 22 tests so far this year, a record. Tuesdays IRBM test prompted the Japanese government and U.S. military to issue alerts warning people to seek shelter. The incident marked the first time in five years that North Korea has fired a missile over Japan. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, during a news conference immediately following the launch, described it as an extremely problematic act. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol presided over a meeting with the countrys National Security Council and said the reckless nuclear provocation would only bolster Seouls defense capabilities and its alliance with Washington. Allies response Hours after the test, four South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles and four U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons dropped two Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, bombs on an island target in the Yellow Sea. The joint exercise resembled a similar drill by South Korea after the North launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on March 24. Seoul fired several ground-to-sea missiles and dropped two bombs into the East Sea then as a show of force. A U.S. Indo-Pacific Command news release on Tuesdays joint exercise referred to North Koreas latest test and said the JDAMs showcased the combined deterrent and dynamic strike capabilities of the U.S. and South Korea. The U.S. remains committed to peace and prosperity through the region in order to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said. Our commitment to the defense of [South Korea] and Japan remains ironclad. U.S. and South Korean forces followed that up with another exercise early Wednesday. The two sides launched four Army Tactical Missile System surface-to-surface missiles toward the East Sea to demonstrate their reaction capability and for the purpose of deterring further provocations from North Korea. One of its missiles was successfully launched but the other failed, a South Korean military official told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday. No casualties were reported, and an investigation is ongoing. South Korean officials customarily speak to the media on condition of anonymity. South Korea and the U.S. showed they have the capabilities and posture to incapacitate the origin points of provocations, no matter where North Korea provokes, while always maintaining their surveillance level on North Korea, a statement from South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday. North Koreas state-run media outlets had not published details of its missile launch as of Wednesday morning. The outlets, such as the Korea Central News Agency, often release unverified specifications of the projectiles following a launch and criticize military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea. SEOUL, South Korea A malfunctioning South Korean ballistic missile blew up as it plowed into the ground Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States that was a reprisal for North Korea's successful launch a day earlier of a weapon that flew over Japan and has the range to strike the U.S. territory of Guam. The explosion and subsequent fire panicked and confused residents of the coastal city of Gangneung, who were already uneasy over the increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea. Their concern that it could be a North Korean attack only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries were reported from the explosion, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 missile that crashed inside an air force base on the outskirts of the city. A Joint Chiefs of Staff official, who spoke on condition of anonymity during a background briefing, said the missile's warhead didn't explode during the crash and that the fire was caused by burning rocket propellant. The official said the missile fell soon after liftoff and that no civilian facilities were affected. Kwon Seong-dong, a governing party lawmaker representing Gangneung, wrote on Facebook that a "weapons system operated by our blood-like taxpayer money ended up threatening our own people" and called for the military to thoroughly investigate the missile failure. He also criticized the military for not issuing a notice about the failure while maintaining a media embargo on the joint drills. "It was an irresponsible response," Kwon wrote. "They don't even have an official press release yet." South Korea's military acknowledged the malfunction hours after internet users raised alarm about the blast and posted social media videos showing an orange ball of flames emerging from an area they described as near the air force base. It said it was investigating what caused the "abnormal flight" of the missile. Officials at Gangneung's fire department and city hall said emergency workers were dispatched to the air force base and a nearby army base in response to calls about a possible explosion but were sent back by military officials. The U.S. and South Korean militaries are conducting the joint exercises to show their ability to deter a North Korean attack on the South. During Tuesday's drills, they conducted bombing runs by F-15 strike jets using precision munitions and launched two missiles each that are part of the Army Tactical Missile System. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan was scheduled to return to waters east of South Korea on Wednesday to demonstrate the allies' "firm will" to counter North's continued provocations and threats. The carrier was part of drills last week with South Korea and Japan. The homegrown Hyumoo-2 is key to South Korea's preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North. Some versions of the missile are similar to Russian-designed Iskander missiles, which also inspired a localized variant in North Korea as it expands its arsenal of nuclear-capable short-range weapons designed to evade South Korea's missile defenses. North Korea's successful launch of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile hours before the drills was the country's most provocative weapons demonstration since 2017 and was its fifth round of weapons tests in 10 days. That missile has a range capable of striking Guam, which is home to one of the largest military facilities maintained by the U.S. in Asia. North Korea in 2017 also tested missiles capable of hitting the continental United States. Japan's lower house, the more powerful of the two-chamber parliament, adopted a resolution on Wednesday condemning North Korea's launch, saying that the flight over Japan posed a "grave and imminent" threat to the country's security. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said the country's deputy nuclear envoy, Lee Tae-woo, met with U.S. counterpart Jung Park in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss the recent North Korean launches and vowed to strengthen three-way cooperation with Tokyo to counter the threat and bring Pyongyang back to the negotiation table. North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launch events this year, exploiting Russia's war on Ukraine and the resulting deep divide in the U.N. Security Council to accelerate its arms development without risking further sanctions. Its aim is to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies while gaining recognition as a nuclear state and wresting concessions from those countries. The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the latest North Korean launch. The open meeting was scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday. Washington's nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang has stalled since 2019 over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against the North and the North's disarmament steps. AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to the report from Tokyo. TAIPEI, Taiwan Taiwan's defense minister on Wednesday said the island will respond to incursions into its airspace by Chinese warplanes and drones, but gave no details on specific actions. Responding to questions from legislators, Chiu Kuo-cheng said China's newly aggressive stance had changed what Taiwan would define as a "first strike" that would necessitate a response. China stepped up its military exercises, fired missiles into waters near Taiwan and sent warplanes across the dividing line in the Taiwan Strait in response to an August visit to the island by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years. China denies the existence of the median line in the Taiwan Strait and challenged established norms by firing missiles over Taiwan into Japan's exclusive economic zone. "We initially said we do not make the first strike ... if they haven't done the first strike, which means firing a projectile or a missile," Chiu said. "But the situation has obviously changed." Asked by legislator Lo Chih-cheng of the governing Democratic Progressive Party if an incursion into Taiwanese airspace by a Chinese warplane would count as a first strike, Chiu responded in the affirmative. Taiwan has thus far responded to Chinese incursions into its air defense identification zone by issuing warnings, scrambling jets and activating anti-air missile defenses. The growing frequency of such incursions has spurred a push in Taiwan to optimize its geographical advantages in resisting a much more powerful foe through asymmetrical warfare, such as the use of mobile weapons systems suited to repelling an invasion force. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has also brought a new focus on China's vow to bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary. The vast majority of Taiwanese reject the idea of coming under control of China's authoritarian one-party Communist system. Russia's failure to achieve its military goals in Ukraine has been a shot in the arm for those advocating for Taiwan's counteroffensive against China's attempts at diplomatic, cultural and economic isolation. A former Japanese colony, Taiwan separated from mainland China in 1949 as Mao Zedong's Communists forced Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists to relocate across the 180-kilometer (110-mile) -wide Taiwan Strait. China has never renounced its threat to invade and cut off all ties with Taiwan's government following the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. Also Wednesday, Deputy Economics Minister Chen Chern-chyi said the government was prepared to ensure adequate supplies of food, energy and other critical goods, including those crucial for the high-tech manufacturing industry, in the event of Chinese aggression. China's military drills in August were largely seen as a rehearsal for a potential blockade of the island, a move that would spark a global financial crisis and by law trigger a response from the U.S., Taiwan's chief ally. "We have a system. We do inventory every month," Chen told lawmakers. "We will insure we have a certain period of stockpile in Taiwan, including food, including critical supply, minerals, chemicals and energy of course." Chen also said Taiwan was firm in safeguarding trade secrets and key national technologies and ensuring its top scientific talent is not poached by China. Export controls are in place to ensure Taiwanese products cannot be used in the Chinese military, he said, adding those measures were being constantly updated in consultation with allied nations and any loopholes were swiftly plugged. "Those measures, we will implement very firmly," Chen said. Ukrainian troops on Tuesday accelerated their military advances on two fronts, pushing Russian forces into retreat in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to the east and in the Kherson region to the south. The gains showed Kyiv continuing to recapture occupied territory on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his rubber-stamp parliament sought to formalize their increasingly far-fetched annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The Ukrainian armed forces commanders in the south and east are throwing problems at the Russian chain of command faster than the Russians can effectively respond, said a Western official who briefed reporters about sensitive security information on the condition of anonymity. And this is compounding the existing dysfunction within the Russian invasion force. Ukraine has been pushing to take back as much of its occupied territory as it can before Russia potentially sends hundreds of thousands of reinforcements to the battlefield, following a recent mobilization effort. The Ukrainian counteroffensive, which had moved far more slowly in the south compared with the lightning push through the northeastern Kharkiv region in September, has suddenly picked up speed, with Russian units retreating in recent days from a large swath of territory along the west bank of the Dnieper River. Ukrainian forces pushed ahead dozens of miles into the southern Kherson region, liberating towns and villages in scenes reminiscent of those from mid-September, when they swept into Kharkiv and were greeted by joyful residents who had spent many months under Russian occupation. On Monday, the spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that superior tank units of Ukraine had wedged in the depth of our defense line near the villages of Zolota Balka and Oleksandrivka in the Kherson region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said late Monday that the 129th Brigade from his native city of Kryvyi Rih had liberated the settlements of Arkhanhelske and Myrolyubivka. A video shared on social media by soldiers from the Ukrainian navys 35th Marine Infantry Brigade showed the capture of Davydiv Brid, which delivered a major blow to Russian supply lines in the Kherson area. Regaining control of Kherson, a rich agricultural region whose capital boasts a key port where the Dnieper flows into the Black Sea, is critical for Ukraine. Its capital was the first significant city captured by Russia at the start of its invasion in late February, and its loss would be a severe setback for Russia strategically crippling for the military and politically humiliating for Putin. As the only position the Russians hold west of the Dnieper, Kherson is a potential strategic springboard for Russia to launch any future offensive down the Black Sea coast toward the storied port city of Odessa. Ukrainian officials had touted an operation to liberate Kherson for months. But until now, its forces had struggled in the south, suffering heavy casualties and making few territorial advances. The Ukrainian gains in Kherson follow the recapture over the weekend of the strategic transit hub of Lyman, in eastern Donetsk. The Ukrainians have now pushed through Lyman, apparently intent on extending their gains into Luhansk, the region where Russia has maintained its strongest grip. The collapse of the Russian position in Lyman occurred just as Putin was claiming that the city and all of the Donetsk region, along with Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, were annexed and restored to Russia as part of its historical lands. But unlike in Kharkiv, where Moscow ordered a retreat, Russian forces had apparently been told to defend Lyman. All Russian forces withdrew in poor order, suffering high casualties from artillery fire as they attempted to leave, the Western official said of Lyman, comparing it to Kharkiv. Then, as you recall, troops received an order to cede the territory, the official said. But in Lyman, we think that the Russian troops retreated despite orders to defend and remain. Relinquishing this area is exactly what the Kremlin did not want to happen, the official said. As a result, Russian control over the Luhansk region, which was mostly uncontested since June, is now also in jeopardy. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a Washington-based think tank, said geolocated footage corroborates statements from Russian military figures that Ukrainian troops are continuing their advance east of Lyman, apparently gearing up for a fight over the town of Kreminna. The new round of Russian setbacks revived debates over Kremlin strategy among pro-Russian military bloggers, who for months have provided a more detailed and less censored look into the war campaign than Moscows official military reports. I am now being reproached for driving people into depression with my news, Alexander Kots, a military correspondent for Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, wrote Tuesday on his Telegram blog, which has more than 600,000 subscribers. Well, there will be no good news in the near future neither from the Kherson front, nor from now Luhansk. Videos posted by Russian independent outlet Astra show pro-Russian fighters from the self-proclaimed Luhansk Peoples Republic camping out in an open field and complaining that Russian commanders abandoned them as they withdrew. In the videos, a man in worn-out fatigues said the Russian losses in the area were huge, with only 193 survivors and a few pieces of heavy equipment left from their initial convoy. The Washington Post could not independently verify the video clips. Another popular Russian war blogger, known as Rybar, posted maps showing how the Russian hold on the Kherson region shrank dramatically in the span of just a few hours. Losing the west bank of the Dnieper River to Ukrainian control would be an immediate danger for remaining Russian units in the area, Rybar wrote to his nearly 1 million followers. As Russia was retreating on the battlefield, Zelensky signed a decree Tuesday formally refusing any negotiations with Putin a largely symbolic move to show Kyivs confidence in its military position. Meanwhile, the political theater continued in Moscow, where the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, rubber-stamped Putins annexation of the four Ukrainian regions. Putin and other officials have warned that Russia would feel entitled to defend its newly seized territories by all possible means including, potentially, the use of nuclear weapons. The annexation legislation now passes back to the Kremlin for Putins final signature, which from Russias perspective would complete the process of seizing more than 15 percent of all Ukrainian sovereign territory. Putins brazen land-grab attempt was met with overwhelming international condemnation. Even countries that traditionally maintain closer ties to Moscow, such as Turkey and Serbia, have joined Western nations in refusing to recognize the annexation. Putin now appears to be betting on the unpopular mobilization drive that aims to call up hundreds of thousands of men to help hold ground in the annexed regions. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Tuesday that more than 200,000 men have been sent to the Russian armed forces in the two weeks since Putin announced the mobilization on Sept. 21. At the same time, the interior minister in neighboring Kazakhstan, Marat Akhmetzhanov, said that an equivalent number of Russians about 200,000 had crossed that countrys border since Sept. 21, most of them fleeing the mobilization or leaving out of fear that Putin would soon impose martial law and ban international travel. Tens of thousands more Russians have fled to other neighboring countries, including Georgia and Finland. The botched mobilization has led to severe recriminations in Russia, with some governors expressing fury that men who are too old or otherwise unqualified are being wrongly called to duty. Shoigu, the defense minister, tried to respond to a torrent of recent reports on Russian social media from mobilized men and their family members complaining about the lack of appropriate equipment in military units, which forced some newly enlisted soldiers to seek protective gear themselves. Officials have been instructed to provide the mobilized with the necessary sets of clothing and other equipment, Shoigu said, adding that 80 training grounds across Russia are now accepting mobilized soldiers. Ilyushina reported from Riga, Latvia; Khurshudyan from Dnipro, Ukraine; and Rauhala from Brussels. The Washington Posts Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbakumova in Riga contributed to this report. BRUSSELS Leaders from more than 40 countries meeting in the Czech capital Thursday are set to launch a "European Political Community" aimed at boosting security and prosperity across the continent. But critics claim the new forum is an attempt to put the brakes on European Union enlargement. The Prague meeting is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron and is backed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. It's taking place with Russia's war on Ukraine in its eighth month and as pressure builds to allow Ukraine to join the 27-nation EU. "The war in Ukraine and the legitimate aspiration of its people, just like that of Moldova and Georgia, to join the European Union, encourages us to rethink our geography and the organization of our continent," Macron said in May in a speech outlining his idea. But even with the outpouring of support for Ukraine in the form of weapons so it can fight back, or shelter for people fleeing Macron said, "we all know perfectly well that the process which would allow them to join, would in reality take several years, and most likely several decades." What is needed, Macron said, is "a new space for political and security cooperation, cooperation in the energy sector, in transport, investments, infrastructures, the free movement of persons and in particular of our youth." His plan which would involve 44 countries, including existing EU members, aspiring partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as Britain and Turkey mirrors a proposal by former president Francois Mitterrand to unite Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The inaugural European Political Community summit at Prague Castle will kick off with an opening ceremony, followed by a series of meetings where leaders will discuss the key challenges Europe faces; security, energy, climate, the dire economic situation, and migration. No EU money or programs are on offer, and no formal declaration will be issued after the meeting. The aim, should this summit go well, would be for leaders to gather once or twice a year. The forum, an EU official involved in preparations said, "does not replace existing organizations, structures or processes and does not aim to create new ones at this stage." However, Macron's speech, and remarks by Scholz in August, have raised concerns that the European Political Community might become a "second-class ticket" to joining the EU, given the almost glacial pace of membership talks in recent years. Several Balkan countries have been waiting around two decades to join Turkey even longer and progress has been held up by objections from single EU member countries, most recently Greece and then Bulgaria in the cases of hopefuls Albania and North Macedonia. "Macron's specification that 'we may not all live in the same house, but we share the same street' feeds skepticism that these structures could relegate the Balkans and other EU hopefuls to the waiting room indefinitely," said Marta Mucznik, from the European Policy Centre think tank. "If member states stopped hijacking enlargement for reasons that have more to do with their domestic politics than the process as such, then the EU would be one step closer to finding the remedy to the current deadlock," she wrote in an analysis of the plan. But in a speech in Prague in August, Scholz insisted that the new grouping "is not an alternative to the upcoming process of EU enlargement. After all, we have given our accession candidates our word and these words must be followed by deeds at long last." That said, he suggested that a bloc with 30 members or more could become unwieldy and he underlined that "we must also make the EU itself fit for this major enlargement," which would involve six Balkan countries, and possibly Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in the future. Turkey's hopes are on hold. Indeed, the exercise of once-relatively-rare national vetoes has become a common occurrence, notably in the case of Hungary. Each country has also insisted on having its own policy commissioner in the EU's executive branch, the European Commission, which proposes laws and ensures they're respected. Meanwhile, the European Parliament the bloc's only democratically elected institution has also swollen to more than 750 members. "Just letting EU enlargement proceed slowly through the existing uncertain process will turn the politically significant commitment to Ukraine, Moldova and other candidates into a discouraging obstacle course," the Bruegel think-tank said in its analysis. The new forum, it said, ought not to be "regarded as a substitute for EU accession, but should be designed to work as an accelerator. For countries not seeking to join the EU, it would provide an ongoing framework that sustains structured cooperation with the EU." Whether that message is heard and believed by the many countries hoping to join the world's biggest trading bloc should be known by the time the summit ends on Thursday evening. The proof of its worth will probably only come once a second summit is held. Poland has spoken to the U.S. about sharing atomic weapons, President Andrzej Duda said, a provocative statement that comes as Western nations confront Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. and NATO have publicly stated that they have no plan to deploy nuclear weapons in countries that joined the alliance after the collapse of communism more than three decades ago. A White House official said they were unaware of the issue being raised and referred further questions to Polands government. The Biden administration is seeking to walk a fine between supplying Ukraine with advanced weaponry while avoiding moves that would cause the Kremlin to further escalate the conflict. Poland, NATOs largest member from the former Warsaw Pact, is one of the most vocal proponents of bolstering the alliances eastern flank. The problem, first of all, is that we dont have nuclear weapons, Duda said in an interview with the Gazeta Polska newspaper published on Wednesday. There is always a potential opportunity to participate in nuclear sharing. Nuclear sharing can comprise anything from offering escort or reconnaissance jets for a nuclear mission, or offering dual-capable aircraft available for nuclear roles to actually hosting an allys nuclear weapons. Allies such as Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy and Turkey host U.S. nuclear weapons on their soil, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. A senior diplomat in Warsaw said Dudas comments could potentially include any of those activities. The diplomat, who declined to be named because he wasnt authorized to speak publicly on the matter, said hosting the weapons would be in the security interest of Poland, the region and all of Europe. The Polish president didnt specify who hed spoken with in the U.S. government. Hosting nuclear weapons would defy warnings from President Vladimir Putin that Russia will respond to any expansion of the alliances military capabilities in its former back yard. In April, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Polands de-facto leader as the head of the ruling Law & Justice Party, told the German Welt am Sontag newspaper that his country was open to hosting U.S. nuclear weapons. We have spoken to American leaders about whether the U.S. is considering such a possibility of Poland sharing the weapons, Duda told the newspaper. The topic is open. Putin has in the past days hinted that further escalation in Ukraine may involve arms that havent been used in war since 1945. Before invading Ukraine, he demanded NATO roll back to positions it held in 1997, before the rush of former communist countries to join the alliances protective umbrella against their former Soviet master. In April, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Polands government has recently caused deep concern: The line is extremely militant, anti-Russian, and the proposed actions, of course, can only lead to a further increase in tension on the continent, according to Prime state news agency. Poland is also holding separate talks with a number of countries, including the U.S., about acquiring atomic energy. Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting that an impending infusion of drafted troops can change the dynamic on the battlefield in Ukraine, but analysts say he is losing time, as his military operation succumbs further to Ukrainian advances and shows signs that it needs more than just raw personnel to regain the initiative. Putin has distracted attention from the bleak battlefield picture in recent days by orchestrating referendums, declaring annexations and making nuclear threats all part of an attempt to freeze Russian territorial gains amassed since February that are unraveling by the day. But those political machinations in Moscow, carried out with great fanfare and bluster, have been unable to mask the reality some 600 miles away in Ukraine: Russia's force is beleaguered and poorly managed and in the immediate future, there may not be a silver bullet to fix it. Military analysts agree that Russia's haphazard mobilization of at least 300,000 reserves is unlikely to help Putin on the battlefield in a matter of days. Whether it can aid Moscow in stabilizing the situation longer term into the late fall, winter and spring is an open question, they said. The impact of the new soldiers depends partly on whether they can be trained effectively and how the Russian military organizes and deploys them. "People are not beans. Units are not units, except on a map," said Frederick Kagan, a senior fellow and director of the critical-threats project at the American Enterprise Institute. "If you take a bunch of pissed-off, demoralized, scared, untrained humans, give them weapons and throw them into a fighting force, you don't have soldiers." Putin will have to focus first on restoring basic fighting capability to a military with badly depleted units that need to be reequipped at scale, which is difficult, Kagan said. "Before we are talking about flooding the zone, we are really talking about restoring combat units to anything like combat capability," he said. How much territory the Russians lose before the reinforcements arrive isn't entirely down to Moscow. Ukraine has been beating back the Russians on two major fronts for more than a month. It is unclear how long Ukrainian forces, which are suffering losses of their own, can sustain the push. "One of the hardest things to know is when to stop," said Christopher Doherty, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. "Just as you've made this huge gain, you've stretched all of your logistical line, many people have been in combat for days on end. There is a psychological bump you get from winning and being on the offensive, but everybody runs out of juice at some point." At the moment, Ukraine is keeping up its momentum. In the east, its forces wrested back the city of Lyman over the weekend and are advancing deeper into occupied areas of the Luhansk region. The Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south, meanwhile, has quickened in recent days, with forces moving down the Dnieper River toward Kherson. Where and when the Ukrainian counteroffensive ultimately pauses will also depend on weaponry and ammunition, much of it coming from the United States. On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced an additional $625 million in aid to Ukraine, including four more HIMARS rocket launchers, 16 155-mm Howitzers and 75,000 155-mm artillery rounds. Ukraine has asked for longer-range rockets and tanks but so far hasn't received them. The United States has committed more than $16.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to the White House. Russia regularly warns of consequences if the United States and its allies continue to arm Ukraine but has proved unable to disrupt the flow of weaponry. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the amount of American arms being given to Kyiv had reached a "dangerous line." Disappointment about Moscow's battlefield position has seeped into the public sphere in Russia, primarily through Telegram channels but also at times on tightly controlled state television. Russian military blogger Maxim Fomin, who posts under the pseudonym Vladlen Tatarsky, said in a video uploaded Tuesday to Telegram that the situation on the front for Russian forces is "not great, to put it mildly." Russia doesn't have enough forces on the battlefield "to solve the Ukrainian question decisively," he said, expressing concern that draftees about to be sent to the front in many cases are not receiving proper training. "You can fight with unprepared people, but it's fraught with big losses," he said. Andrei Marochko, a Russia-backed militia official in Luhansk, told the Russian state television show "60 Minutes" that the Ukrainians backed by NATO were operating with superior battlefield intelligence capabilities. "They literally look in real time online with satellites at our movements, our fortification structures," Marochko said. "That gives them certain privileges and makes their chances of success a lot higher than ours." He said the Russian side had fewer forces than the Ukrainians in a number of locations, offering up a rationale for Putin's recent mobilization. There are few indications that any of the major problems that have been dogging the Russian military since the start of the invasion have been solved. For months, it has faced difficulty carrying out combined ground and air attacks, leading troops with a variable will to fight and organizing a complicated logistics pipeline to get supplies to the front. More than seven months in, no clear commander of the Russian campaign has emerged in public, and recent reports have suggested that Putin is intervening personally to make battlefield decisions. Hard-liners within Russia have attacked the country's generals publicly for poor decision-making. The problems Putin is facing in Ukraine are compounded by risks at home. The mobilization has made the war in Ukraine real for many Russians who had been paying little attention. The result is likely to be many more Russians including those with sons, brothers and husbands now headed to the front searching out information about how Russian forces are faring. "They have given people a reason to pay attention to what is happening on the battlefield," said Sam Greene, a professor of Russian politics at King's College London. "When you are not being sent there, you can just kind of get news off the television, and the television isn't going to tell you much. Now all of a sudden it matters to you." At the same time, the Russian state has fumbled in its execution of the draft, calling up men meant to be disqualified. Russia restructured its military 10 years ago and dismantled a lot of the mobilization system, which was expensive to maintain and seen as largely unnecessary and now it is showing, said Dara Massicot, a senior policy researcher at the Rand Corp. Massicot said there is little reliable public information about how Russia intends to train and deploy the draftees, making it too early to say exactly what kind of impact the mobilization is likely to have. She said the new troops are likely to have poor combat capability but could free up personnel in the rear to fight at the front, assuming there are soldiers to free up. "Creating a tank battalion out of these guys is going to go how we all would expect," Massicot said. "But if they use them in an auxiliary role or a noncombat role in the occupied territories, there probably is a significant benefit for what they are trying to do which is hold on." The situation has demonstrated the limits of Putin's ability to control the functions of his own government and military. "One of the things that we should have learned through this is that there are things that Putin doesn't know one of which is how good is his army, how effective is his state," Greene said. "He has never tried this stuff before. So, he is not going to know how effectively it's going to work until push comes to shove." ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine Alone in his apartment in the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine, nuclear plant security guard Serhiy Shvets looked out his kitchen window in late May and saw gunmen approaching on the street below. When his buzzer rang, he was sure he was about to die. Shvets, a former soldier in Ukraine's military who was loyal to Kyiv, knew the gunmen would either kill or abduct and torture him. He thought briefly about recording a farewell to his family, who had fled to safety abroad, but instead lit a cigarette and grabbed his gun. Six Russian soldiers broke down his door and opened fire, which he returned. Wounded in the hand, thigh, ear, and stomach, Shvets began to lose consciousness. Before he did, he heard the commander of the group tell his men to cease fire and call an ambulance. Shvets, who survived the shooting, is among workers from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant recounting their fears of being abducted and tortured or killed by Russian forces occupying the facility and the city of Enerhodar. Ukrainian officials say the Russians have sought to intimidate the staff into keeping the plant running, through beatings and other abuse. but also to punish those who express support for Kyiv. A GOOD LIFE BEFORE THE WAR Life was good for employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before the Russian invasion of Feb. 24. They were guaranteed a financially secure and stable life for their families. And even though Ukraine still bears the psychological scars of the world's worst atomic accident at Chernobyl in 1986, the Zaporizhzhia plant Europes largest nuclear facility with its six reactors provided jobs for about 11,000 people, making Enerhodar and its prewar population of 53,000 one of the wealthiest cities in the region. But after Russia occupied the city early in the war, that once-comfortable life turned into nightmare. The invaders overran the ZNPP, nearly 4 miles from Enerhodar, but kept the Ukrainian staff in place to run it. Both sides accused the other of shelling the plant that damaged power lines connecting it to the grid, raising international alarm for its safety. Ukrainian officials say the Russians used the plant as a shield from which to fire shells on nearby towns. Reports of intimidation of the staff and abductions began trickling out over the summer. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s atomic watchdog, told The Associated Press about reports of violence between the Russians and the Ukrainian staff. About 4,000 ZNPP workers fled. Those who stayed cited threats of kidnap and torture underscored by the abduction Friday of plant director Ihor Murashov, who was seized and blindfolded by Russian forces on his way home from work. He was freed Monday after being forced to make false statements on camera, according to Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear company. Kotin told AP Murashov was released at the edge of Russian-controlled territory and walked about 9 miles to Ukrainian-held areas. I would say it was mental torture, Kotin said of what Murashov suffered. He had to say that all the shelling on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was made by Ukrainian forces and that he is a Ukrainian spy ... in contact with Ukrainian special forces. Enerhodar's exiled Mayor Dmytro Orlov, who spoke to Murashov after his release, said the plant official told him he had spent two days "in solitary confinement in the basement, with handcuffs and a bag on his head. His condition can hardly be called normal. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described Murashov's abduction as yet another manifestation of absolutely uncovered Russian terror. TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN THERE More than 1,000 people, including plant workers, were abducted from Enohodar, although some have been released, estimated Orlov, who fled to Zaporizhzhia, the nearest city under Ukrainian control, after refusing to cooperate with the Russians. Kotin estimated that 100-200 remain abducted. Orlov said the first abduction was March 19, when Russians seized his deputy, Ivan Samoidiuk, whose whereabouts remains unknown. The abductions then accelerated, he said. Mostly, they took people with a pro-Ukrainian position, who were actively involved in the resistance movement, he said. Orlov alleged they were tortured at various locations in Enerhodar, including at the city's police station, in basements elsewhere and even in the ZNPP itself. Terrible things happen there, he said. People who managed to come out say there was torture with electric currents, beatings, rape, shootings. ... Some people didnt survive. Similar sites were seen by AP journalists in parts of the Kharkiv region abandoned by Russian troops after a Ukrainian counteroffensive. In the city of Izium, an AP investigation uncovered 10 separate torture sites. Plant worker Andriy Honcharuk died in a hospital July 3 shortly after the Russians released him, beaten and unconscious, for refusing to follow their orders at the facility, Orlov said. Oleksii, a worker who said he was responsible for controlling the plants turbines and reactor compartment, fled Enerhodar in June when he learned Russian troops were looking for him. The 39-year-old asked not to be identified by his full name for fear of reprisal. It was psychologically difficult, Oleksii told the AP in Kyiv. You go to the station and see the occupiers there. You come to your workplace already depressed. Many plant employees visited the basements and were tortured there, he said. Graves appeared in the forest that surrounds the city. That is, everyone understands that something horrible is happening, he said. They abduct people for their pro-Ukrainian position, or if they find any Telegram groups on their phone. This is enough for them to take a person away. Another employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety said he was unafraid of working at the plant amid shelling but decided to flee in September after colleagues were seized. He said Russians visited his home twice while he was away, and the possibility of torture was too much for him. The plants last reactor was shut down in September to guard against a disaster from constant shelling that cut reliable external power supplies needed for cooling and other safety systems. Kotin said the company could restart two of the reactors in a matter of days to protect safety installations as winter approaches and temperatures drop. But the power plant sits in one of four regions that Russia has moved to annex, making its future uncertain. Kotin on Tuesday renewed his call for a demilitarized zone around the plant, where two IAEA experts are based. FREEDOM OR DEATH For Serhiy Shvets, whose apartment was raided May 23, it was only a matter of time before the Russians came for him during the occupation of Enerhodar, he said. He had signed up to serve in Ukraine's territorial defense forces shortly after the invasion and had sent his wife and other relatives abroad for safety. He said the Russian forces who shot him called the ambulance so I could die in the hospital. Doctors initially gave him a 5% chance of survival after he lost nearly two-thirds of his blood. But following several operations, he was well enough to leave Enerhodar in July and is living in Zaporizhzhia. Shvets, whose right hand is in a metal brace, quietly exhaled from pain as he moved it and said the only thing he regrets now is that he is too disabled to fight. Im a descendant from Zaporozhian Cossacks, he said, referring to his ancestors who lived on the territory of Ukraine from the 15th to 18th centuries and defended it from invaders. There was no such thing as surrender for them just freedom or death. He added: Why would I want such a life if I dont have my freedom? Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has clearly recorded in his October 4 speech at the European Parliament the fact that Azerbaijan attacked sovereign Armenian territory in September and is now occupying parts of it. Azerbaijan explicitly bombarded Armenias territory, they used artillery and unmanned aerial vehicles. We are not speaking about military action that happened in disputed territory, we are speaking about actions that took place in territory of Armenia. Both countries are accusing each other in violating the ceasefire, but the fact is that Azerbaijan bombarded the territory of Armenia, Borrell said, adding that Azerbaijans military is occupying some parts of Armenias territory. He said that EU is working intensely to de-escalate the situation. Meetings were organized between the high leadership of the two countries and the EU called for resumption of direct contacts, he said. What else can we do? We cant do more than we are doing. We only have certain capacities, Ill be happy if youd share your ideas on what else we can do, he told MEPs. Borrell said that the EU offered to deploy an EU mediation mission at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. Armenia agreed to this offer, but Azerbaijan didnt. What more can we do? We cant deploy EU troops without the consent from both sides, Borrell said. Speaking about Turkeys active involvement in the regional processes, he said: It is clear that Turkey continues supporting Azerbaijan. Borrell welcomed Turkeys readiness to start working toward normalization with Armenia, adding: It is important that borders between Armenia and Turkey get opened because it will help to de-escalate the situation. He called for an investigation into the video showing the gruesome execution of Armenian PoWs by Azeri troops. Speaking about the EUs gas supply deal signed earlier with Azerbaijan, Borrell said that the energy deal will not work to the detriment of human rights. BRUSSELS The European Union and Israel on Monday held high-level talks for the first time in a decade, with the Europeans pressing Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid about how to put a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians into place. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell welcomed the recent support from Lapid who took part in Monday's talks by videoconference for an end to the conflict based on an Israeli and Palestinian state living peacefully side by side. "This is also what we want to push for. We want the resumption of a political process that can lead to a two-state solution and a comprehensive regional peace," Borrell said. "We have to explore how we can put this into practice." "It's better to sit and discuss frankly, than to avoid any contact. Certainly we disagree. Certainly we express concern, but I think it's more positive to sit and discuss," Borrell told reporters in Brussels. In his opening remarks at the meeting led in Brussels by Israeli Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern Borrell underlined the EU's concern "about the continued tensions and violence on the ground and the continuation of unilateral measures, such as settlement expansion, and the security issues." It's the first time the two sides have held an "Association Council" since July 2012. Israel and the EU signed an Association Agreement governing their ties in 1995, and the pact entered force in 2000. Talks were meant to be held annually, but Israel canceled a planned 2013 meeting over the EU's policy toward Israeli settlements. Some EU countries have also been reluctant to meet since then. Lapid welcomed the meeting. "It is an important milestone in our improving relations. This past year has seen some vast progress in our ties and there is still so much more that we can do," he said, according to the speech released by his office. However, there is no short-term prospect for peace. Israel's military occupation of the West Bank is now in its 55th year. The last real peace talks ended in 2009, and critics say growing Israeli settlements in the West Bank and elsewhere undermine any hopes for a two-state solution. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank along with Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, controlled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, for a future state. Lapid is serving as caretaker prime minister until a Nov. 1 election, in which he is facing a tough race against former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Opinion polls indicate that even if Lapid is able to form a new government, the next parliament, like the current one, will be dominated by hard-line parties that oppose Palestinian statehood. At the U.N. General Assembly last month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that "our confidence in achieving a peace based on justice and international law is waning, due to the Israeli occupation policies." Speaking a day after Lapid addressed the assembly, Abbas delivered a pessimistic assessment of diplomacy, saying a "frantic campaign to confiscate our lands" persisted in the generations-long dispute, while the military "are killing the Palestinian people in broad daylight" with impunity. Josef Federman in Jerusalem contributed to this report. Iran released its longest-held U.S.-Iranian detainee, a businessman jailed seven years ago during a visit to Tehran, and his elderly father, according to the United Nations. The announcement coincided with anti-government protests in Iran and, separately, a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Venezuela following diplomacy by President Joe Bidens administration. The White House denied a news report from Iran suggesting that billions of dollars in Iranian funds frozen abroad would soon be released. Iran arrested Siamak Namazi in October 2015 and sentenced him to 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign countries. Namazi is only on a one-week furlough from Tehrans Evin prison and remains barred from leaving Iran, Reuters reported, citing his lawyer. Namazis 85-year-old father, Baqer Namazi, arrested in February 2016 after authorities lured him to Iran on the false promise that hed meet his son, will be allowed to leave Iran to receive medical care, the UN said in a statement. Irans state-run Nour News tweeted on Saturday that negotiations mediated by a Middle Eastern country had led to the simultaneous release of Iranian and U.S. prisoners and that billions of dollars of Iranian funds frozen abroad under sanctions would soon be released. Reports from Iranian sources of a transfer of funds related to the release of Baquer Namazi and furlough of Siamak Namazi are categorically false, Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the White Houses National Security Council, said in a statement. A UN working group determined in 2017 that Siamak and Baqer Namazi hadnt received fair trials and demanded their immediate release. Iranian and U.S. officials have said recently that theyd discussed prisoner exchanges through interlocutors, while denying any direct link to the talks on Irans nuclear program. Restoring the accord would release sanctions on Irans struggling economy in exchange for limits on its nuclear activity. Economic malaise and a confluence of other grievances related to civil liberties have converged during the protests, which have entered their third week. The unrest erupted on Sept. 16 after a 22-year-old woman died in the custody of Tehrans morality police, whod arrested her for allegedly violating Islamic dress codes. (Tribune News Service) It was five years ago while kayaking with his wife on northeast Michigans Van Etten Lake adjacent to a former Air Force base, says attorney Anthony Spaniola, when he spotted a work crew testing a foam substance on the beach. He says hed heard that the state had found astronomically high levels of toxic per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, in the foam that formed a snowlike crest around the lake. The foam was said to contain 2,200 parts per trillion of PFOS, a type of PFAS. The Environmental Protection Agency has set the current safe level of PFOS at 0.02 parts per trillion. Spaniola paddled over to the contractors testing the foam to see what results they were getting. I said to them, I saw that story in the paper about 2,200 parts per trillion. That seems really high to me, Spaniola said in a recent interview. And in a moment of candor, one of them said to me, Buddy, we got way higher than that. Spaniola was discovering what hundreds of communities across the country have been learning with increasing frequency in the past decade: U.S. military installations have colossal problems with PFAS, also known as forever chemicals because they dont break down naturally, like the coatings on non-stick cookware and the compounds that resist flames in firefighting foam used by the military. The chemicals are also highly toxic, having been linked to a wide range of health problems even at very low exposures. And in Michigan and most other states, the Department of Defense has done little to address its PFAS problems despite the millions of dollars that have been provided for cleanup work in recent defense authorization and appropriations bills. More such spending as well as a mandate to act are proposed in the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that has been passed by the House and awaits action in the Senate. Since early in 2010, Spaniola had been involved with community efforts to get the DOD to clean up contamination that has spread over nearly 6 square miles, including parts of Van Etten Lake, the Au Sable River and the groundwater used by hundreds in the town of Oscoda on the shore of Lake Huron. The toxic substances originated at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, a sprawling complex that operated for 70 years before it was designated a federal Superfund site in 1994, the year after it closed. Most of the PFAS came from heavy-duty fire suppressants known as aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) used to snuff out fires and in practice drills at the base, long a training site for bomber crews. But it took until 2010, through testing by a state environmental specialist, that PFAS was discovered in the water supplies, making Wurtsmith the first of more than 700 military sites found to be contaminated with the highly hazardous compounds. Filthy 50 Wurtsmith is among the worst of those sites, part of a group dubbed the Filthy 50 by environmentalists and members of Congress, yet getting the Defense Department to clean up the mess has been an excruciatingly slow and painful process. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., co-chair of the Congressional PFAS Task Force that was formed in response to the activism in Oscoda, described his efforts to force a DOD cleanup as frustrating and exasperating. Kildee and other Michigan Democrats, including Reps. Debbie Dingell and Elissa Slotkin and Sen. Gary Peters, pushed Congress to provide $175 million to address PFAS in the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, and the 2023 NDAA thats been passed by the House has a provision that would force the Pentagon to adhere to the most stringent PFAS standards, whether they be federal or state language born out of DODs refusal to follow Michigans stricter limits on PFAS. I shouldnt even have to write a memo, let alone pass legislation, that requires the DOD to adhere to state and federal requirements, Kildee said. (DOD) should do it just as a matter of moral obligation. For at least a decade before Wurtsmith was shut down, AFFF was not only sprayed on the grounds but also stored in leaky tanks and dumped in grassy areas off the runways, only 500 yards upstream in the aquifer from the main drinking water wells, said retired Air Force officer Craig Minor, who was stationed at Wurtsmith in the mid-1980s and now says he and his family have serious health problems. At an August hearing in Michigan of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Peters, Minor said he was hospitalized for a prostate issue while at Wurtsmith, and then a tumor formed not long afterward. His son was born with severe cerebral palsy and microcephaly, and his wife miscarried their next child, he said. It wasnt until years later that they discovered that health conditions like theirs were connected to being exposed to groundwater that contained up to 43,000 parts per trillion of PFAS. Today, my liver and spleen are enlarged and my kidneys are low-functioning, Minor testified at the hearing. It is now 40 years since Wurtsmith citizens began drinking PFAS from AFFF at egregious amounts. No plan yet Nearly 13 years after the PFAS was discovered, the Defense Department has yet to implement a cleanup plan. In 2016, the Air Force announced it was voluntarily complying with what the EPA called a lifetime health advisory, a suggested but unenforceable maximum for PFAS exposure, of 70 parts per trillion. By that time, the zone of concern for PFAS-contaminated drinking water covered hundreds of homes near the retired base. The Air Force has denied responsibility for nearly all the tainted wells, forcing the state to provide bottled water or under-the-sink reverse osmosis filters. To date, an Air Force spokesman said it has provided only one household with alternative drinking water, at a cost of $4,600. Meanwhile, the spokesman said the DOD is still performing studies and identifying solutions in what it calls the remedial investigation phase, expected to be completed by late 2023. Then, the spokesman said, the department will need to perform a feasibility study, propose a cleanup plan, provide 30 days for public comment and finalize the decision. It is likely to be several more years before Oscoda sees the start of real cleanup work. The Defense Department also has said it lacks funding for a cleanup expected to cost at least $239 million in Oscoda, although that figure could rise as EPA tightens its PFAS regulations. Congress is ready to provide the funds, Kildee said. DOD just has to give a number, which it has been slow to do in the past. Lets face it, the Defense Department has never been reluctant when it comes to asking for money, he said. We have significantly increased the amount of money available for cleanup its been driven by Congress but they shouldnt need to be persuaded by Congress to ask for funding. Friend to foe Community leaders like Spaniola, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network that is working to address PFAS contamination at military bases throughout the region, say DOD is dragging its feet. Oscoda is a working-class town with many retired military, a natural constituent of the Pentagon, Spaniola said. Its a very patriotic, small Northern Michigan American community, and they were sad when the base closed. But there was a very good relationship there, and it turned to just outright hostility. I didnt think Id ever see anything quite like it, and it was all DOD-inspired. This summer, the EPA updated its lifetime health advisory and lowered the acceptable threshold of some PFAS in drinking water from 70 parts per trillion to as low as .004 ppt, levels the Air Force says it cannot achieve. Nancy Balkus, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for environment, safety and infrastructure, said at the Senate hearing that the new levels are lower than current methods can detect, meaning it cannot comply with the new limits. Were only able to test down to 4 parts per trillion, she said. And its very difficult to determine a clean water source if we can only test down to 4. That does not bode well for other military sites around the country with high levels of PFAS. According to a DOD spokesman, there are 702 military installations across the country that require a PFAS assessment. Although the majority belong to the Air Force, theres also contamination at other bases, including those run by the National Guard. The spokesman said the department is committed to fulfilling our cleanup responsibilities, operating within the law and authorities provided by the federal cleanup law, and clearly communicating and engaging with communities. But Spaniola said he believes DOD is doing all it can to cut cleanup costs in Oscoda because it will set a precedent for its contaminated sites elsewhere. Kildee agrees. If it were not for the community being persistent, as well as myself and my Senate colleagues being persistent, I dont believe that even those steps that were inadequate would have been taken, he said. The Pentagon also has not yet released a congressionally mandated report, which was due in May, detailing the cleanup status of the so-called Filthy 50. I think that (DOD) thinks they have a public relations issue, Spaniola said, and they certainly do. But they also have a substance issue, and I believe that theres an opportunity to make Wurtsmith a national showcase so that someone higher up in command will seize on that opportunity. 2022 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. WASHINGTON Photographer Charise Isis said her latest exhibit featuring portraits of female veterans impacted by breast cancer was inspired by her friend, Army veteran Donna Guinn Kaufman. Kaufman provided the impetus for Isis when she told her of a 2009 Defense Department study that found female active-duty service members have a 20% to 40% higher incidence rate of breast cancer than the public. She said to me, I have friends who are dying, and I want to unearth this information so that women serving in the military can advocate for themselves, Isis said. The photographer decided to expand her Grace Project, which features portraits of women who have had mastectomies or lumpectomies due to breast cancer, to include a chapter on military and veteran women. Some of the resulting photos are now on display at the Military Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., and Isis said she hopes it will raise awareness of the disease. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the exhibit will be displayed until Sunday. Kaufman also helped Isis gather female veterans to participate in the project. In 2015, Isis took the first 20 portraits of The Athena Division, named after the Greek goddess of war, which are exhibited at the memorial and feature 50 photographs. Some of the portraits were also taken at the Military Women's Memorial. "It was a moving thing for these women because breast cancer is a hidden disease underneath your clothes. You're not walking around with your scars," Isis said. "But breast cancer, for the most part, is an amputation of sorts. These women aren't being recognized for their scars, but coming into [Military Women's Memorial], removing their shirts and being seen for the scars that are underneath their clothing, and then also being recognized for their service [at the memorial]." Kaufman died in May 2020 after battling breast cancer. A May 2021 study by the National Library of Medicine reported female veterans were nearly three times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than the rest of the population. The study also reported breast cancer cases had tripled in the Department of Veteran Affairs from 1995 to 2012. The study also said breast cancer is the leading cancer affecting female veterans, with data that implied increases were based on service-related exposures. The National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc., a nonprofit focused on helping women impacted by breast cancer, reported, on average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes in the United States. Moreover, the breast cancer death rates are 40% higher among Black women than white women. Air Force veteran Sheila Johnson has a portrait featured in The Athena Division. She was still on active duty when she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer on Dec. 2, 2009. Johnson underwent a mastectomy with reconstruction surgery. "I thought it'd be a great way to bring veterans' voices to the forefront, so that's why I'm passionate about it," she said. "I'm passionate about making sure that people know that people in the military get breast cancer." Though Johnson's mother died from breast cancer a few years ago, she said she didn't know much about the disease. "I wish I would have known about genetic testing," Johnson said. "These are things [in] the military that we need to talk about, that [we] need to have open conversations about." Almost 13 years later, she's still battling the disease, but she credits research for keeping her alive. She also advocates for getting more money for research. "I am a product of research," Johnson said. "I was on a clinical trial for three and a half years and I want people to have that same experience, especially veterans. Especially all women diagnosed with breast cancer. [Just] because I've been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer doesn't mean a life sentence, [it] doesn't mean it's terminal." Army veteran Tamekiah Aguirre had her portrait taken in July. Aguirre had followed Isis' Grace Project for a couple of years before her breast cancer diagnosis in September 2020. She had a small lump in her breast. Aguirre had a lumpectomy, and she said her doctor was able to catch all of it. She then received three and a half weeks of radiation. When Isis took Aguirre's photo in July, Aguirre said Isis brought comfort and ease and made her forget about her scars. "When she's photographing you, she tells you to think about everything you went through in this journey," Aguirre said. "But it's a way that she has you embrace it, not the negative side of it, it's the positive side. You take those emotions and you gravitate to those emotions, but in a way to say in that moment, 'I'm here, I'm alive. I'm thriving. On Saturday, five additional portraits were unveiled, one of which was of Kate Hendricks Thomas, a Marine veteran who advocated for better health care for veterans exposed to burn pit toxins. Thomas fought for years to prove her cancer resulted from her exposure to toxic burn pits before the VA recognized the link. At the same time, she advocated for the process to change so other veterans didn't face the same challenges. Thomas died in April at the age of 42. In June, President Joe Biden signed into law The Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans In Combat Environments Act, also known as the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act. The new law extends access to mammograms for female veterans who served in areas with burn pits or other toxic exposures, regardless of their age, symptoms or family history. "[Kaufman] would be so proud that this is happening [at Military Women's Memorial]," Isis said. "I really hope that these photographs, and this message, get in front of the right eyes so that there's more funding for research for metastatic breast cancer. We need to do better [for] our women veterans who are serving and getting breast cancer. They need to be looked after." Female veterans interested in participating in The Athena Division can apply to be photographed at http://the-grace-project.org/. A former Marine who gained nationwide acclaim as a good Samaritan before the revelation of a $400,000 fraud scheme avoided prison time, as a federal judge sentenced him to three years probation. Johnny Bobbitt Jr., of Philadelphia, had pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering in a case stemming from a GoFundMe campaign established by two others on his behalf in 2017, supposedly to raise money for the homeless veteran. Co-conspirators Katelyn McClure and Mark DAmico concocted a story that Bobbitt, 39, selflessly gave McClure his last $20 after she ran out of gas on Interstate 95 in Philadelphia. The story was quickly picked up by local and national media outlets, went viral and raised approximately $400,000 from more than 14,000 donors in less than three weeks, the Justice Department said in a statement Monday after Bobbitts sentencing in New Jersey. Bobbitt was told about the phony pretext and the donation campaign after it had brought in about $1,500, the DOJ said. However, he received only $25,000 of the proceeds, the statement said. McClure and DAmico spent the rest of the money on themselves, going on lavish vacations and purchasing luxury cars, designer handbags and other expensive items, according to news reports. The scam fell apart in 2018 after an attorney representing Bobbitt alleged in a lawsuit that McClure and DAmico were misusing the donations. An investigation ensued, and authorities determined that all the money was gone by March 2018. Bobbitt served 14 months in the Marine Corps as an ammunition technician before being discharged at the rank of private without completing his first enlistment contract, the Army Times reported in 2017, citing the services personnel office. During his enlistment, which was between 2002 and 2004, large numbers of Marines were sent to Iraq, but his service record showed no deployments, according to the Army Times report. Bobbitts drug addiction has been well-documented in court papers and news reports. In 2019, he was sentenced to five years probation by a state court in New Jersey, and that included long-term, inpatient treatment for addiction, local newspaper the Courier Post reported. His drug habit also led to his discharge from the Marine Corps, according to the paper. In response to Military.com, a spokesperson for the service said the early discharge and Bobbitts rank upon departure are indicative of the fact that the character of his service was incongruent with Marine Corps expectations and standards. Bobbitt had made the acquaintance of McClure and her then-boyfriend DAmico at a casino, where they became friends, according to news reports. When the Pay it Forward GoFundMe page was created in the fall of 2017, the fundraising goal was $10,000. McClure and DAmico were sentenced previously, the former to a year behind bars, the latter to term of slightly over two years. U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman, who sentenced Bobbitt, also ordered him to pay $25,000 in restitution. GoFundMe has said that it gave refunds to the approximately 14,000 donors. Thomas (22) and Anthony Stokes (24) were unemployed and saw an opportunity to make a few quid at the time Two men found driving around with a car boot full of stolen shaving paraphernalia have been fined after a court heard they were not criminal masterminds. Thomas (22) and Anthony Stokes (24) were unemployed and saw an opportunity to make a few quid at the time. They were fined 200 each when they pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to possession of stolen property. The court heard both accused were in a car when it was stopped at Seville Place in the north inner city. Anthony Stokes, from St Margarets Park, Ballymun was driving and Thomas Stokes, of Buttercup Avenue, Darndale was in the passenger seat. Found in the boot were electrical items including shaving paraphernalia like shavers and clippers as well as cosmetic items and clothing. The total value was around 2,000 and Anthony Stokes told the gardai he had bought them for 400. The accused were arrested and charged. Some owners had been found but enquiries were continuing, the court heard. Both accused were fully cooperative with the gardai at the time. The case was one of naivety and stupidity rather than the accused being any criminal masterminds, their lawyer said. The accused were both unemployed and saw an opportunity to make a few quid, he said. It was stupidity rather than anything else, the lawyer added. They did not spend a huge amount of money buying the property and probably didnt think it through. Julie McBrien spent the money on lucrative cars, a sprawling mansion and luxury holidays A woman convicted of a 2m fraud after faking cancer has had her appeal to have her prison sentence reduced quashed. Julie McBrien, who also goes by the name Hogg, almost brought her former employers, Northern Mouldings Limited, based in Cookstown, to the brink of collapse. McBrien spent the money on lucrative cars, a sprawling mansion and luxury holidays. Forensic examination discovered lifestyle spend of just over 141,000; general expenditure of 360,000; property development and interior design totalling 667,000; fashion and beauty at 231,000 and 145,000 on jewellery. Defence lawyers asked for details such as these to be omitted from the record, but it was refused. McBrien created false bank statements, forging a former employees signature having failed to remove their name from the company register. She also created false invoices and forged a document making herself solely responsible for the companys invoices. When McBrien was eventually arrested, she admitted to everything, with the prosecution arguing she had the ability to manipulate for her own ends. She was told at her sentencing that she had been given preferential treatment by her employer because she had claimed to have cancer. McBrien claimed through her six-year case that she would harm herself if her identity was made public. A psychiatrist who travelled from England to assess McBrien said her fake cancer claim was to curry emotional support and described her behaviour as Martyr Syndrome. The psychiatrist accepted only viewing McBriens GP notes up to 2016 (the year of arrest), and didnt request additional records as he didnt think they would materially change his opinion. He also felt such material wasnt of relevant value, having obtained sufficient evidence from McBrien. Ultimately his opinion was rejected and in November 2021, after a number of failed court appearances, McBrien was jailed for five-and-a-half years. Almost a year later she mounted an application for leave to appeal the prison sentence and for Legal Aid to fund this, but both were refused. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. French Member of the European Parliament Jordan Bardella strongly criticized Vice President of the European Commission and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell for sacrificing European friendship with the Armenian people over the EU's signing the energy deal with Azerbaijan when the latter is attacking Armenia. What matters more for the EU, the Azeri gas or Armenian blood? Bardella said at a European Parliament discussion on the Azeri attack against Armenia, addressing Borrell. My question is very clear and direct: what matters more for you, the Azeri gas or Armenian blood? I think I already know the answer because the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen signed a deal doubling gas supplies from Azerbaijan, without ever protecting Armenians with an official statement, who were attacked on their own land, Bardella said. Jordan Bardella said that authenticated footage has emerged showing the execution of Armenian prisoners of war by Azeri troops. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for to point finger on this dirty war unleashed by Baku? Has the EU become incapable of expressing positions in global relations without American structures? Perhaps this is out of fear to expose Turkey, which is a NATO member and is directly supporting Azerbaijans aspirations, Jordan Bardella said. He emphasized that he doesnt accuse the EU for its actions aimed at reducing energy dependency from a single source. We are accusing you in unpredictability and ideological blindness, and also for doing this all in a hurry and sacrificing European friendship with the Armenian people. Our civilization is burning, while Europe is looking away, Bardella warned. Borrell, who was in the chamber, refused to reply to Bardellas remarks. Councillor Healy-Rae, the son of TD Michael Healy-Rae, has appealed against his conviction for an assault in Kenmare five years ago A witness insisted to an appeal hearing that he saw Kerry County Council member Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae (26) strike an English holidaymaker a punch directly into the face. Councillor Healy-Rae, the son of independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae, has appealed against his conviction for an assault in Kenmare five years ago. Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae has challenged his conviction for assault causing harm to English holidaymaker Kieran James before Tralee Circuit Appeals Court. The second day of the appeal hearing before Judge Francis Comerford heard evidence from Neilly O'Sullivan. Mr O'Sullivan was out with Mr James and his partner, Lauren, and other relatives in Kenmare to celebrate their engagement on December 27, 2017. Mr Healy-Rae's counsel, John Berry BL, said his client was vehemently challenging the conviction. Mr Berry noted that two other individuals had withdrawn appeals over the matter. "I am not suggesting for one moment that you were not the victim of a criminal assault in Kenmare," Mr Berry told Mr James. But the barrister said it was his client's position that he had only tried to act as a peacemaker and to restrain others that evening. Kevin Healy-Rae (25), a younger son of Michael Healy-Rae, withdrew his appeal against the assault conviction before Judge Comerford. Kevin Healy-Rae had his seven-month suspended sentence affirmed by the court. A friend of the brothers, Malachy Scannell (36), also withdrew his appeal to an assault causing harm conviction. He had his six-month suspended month sentence also affirmed by Judge Comerford. Both will now enter bonds in respect of their sentences on Friday. Cllr Healy-Rae, Kevin Healy-Rae and Malachy Scannell were convicted three years ago of assaulting a British tourist over a queue-jumping incident at a Kenmare chip van on December 28, 2017. Both had confirmed appeals, via their solicitor Padraig O'Connell, within hours of their convictions. Kerry Circuit Appeals Court had listed the cases in 2020 but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and disruption to court lists, the cases have been delayed until now. Mr O'Sullivan said he was punched by Malachy Scannell on Main Street and, as he bent down to pick up his glasses which had been knocked off, he saw Jackie Healy-Rae punch Mr James. "I saw Jackie land a punch into Kieran's face. It was a very forceful punch. I am sure it was the one that broke his nose," Mr O'Sullivan said. The witness denied he had seen Cllr Healy-Rae act to restrain any of the other two men at the scene. Mr O'Sullivan said he tried his best to protect and shield Mr James who was the focus of the attention from the three others. Mr James, an English national who has an Irish passport, outlined to Judge Comerford yesterday the incidents of December 28, 2017. The young man had travelled to Kerry in Christmas 2017 to introduce his wife-to-be, Lauren, to his Irish relatives. After socialising in a Kenmare pub, Mr James said he went with his fiancee and four Kerry cousins to get food at a local chip van. After queueing, they had placed their food order when a young man, Kevin Healy-Rae, barged through and jumped the queue. Mr James's partner, Lauren, objected to the man jumping the queue with Kevin Healy-Rae then turning on Mr James. "He said: 'this is my town and this is my chip van.' He was very agitated by my wife pointing out that he had just jumped the queue." He said Kevin Healy-Rae, whom he did not know at the time, left the scene but quickly returned with two other men, his older brother Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae and Malachy Scannell. Mr James said he was pushed by Kevin Healy-Rae and immediately pushed him back. Suddenly, he said he was grabbed from behind by Jackie Healy-Rae and placed in a firm headlock. "Jackie grabbed me around the neck in a kind of headlock," Mr James said. "It lasted for 20 or 30 seconds. I was struggling to breathe. It wasn't a light hold." Mr James said he was finally released from the headlock when his partner shouted that he couldn't breathe. He said their group was so shocked by the incident they immediately decided to go leaving the food they had paid for behind them. Mr James said as they walked up Main Street in Kenmare, he heard aggressive shouting and realised that three men were running up the road to confront them. He said he was grabbed again by Jackie Healy-Rae who held his arm behind his back while he was repeatedly punched by the other two men. "He was forcing my arm behind my back and the other two were punching my face in," he said. "I was not really able to defend myself." Mr James said his partner who he married in 2018 had bravely tried to protect him by screaming at the assailants to stop and then trying to position herself between them. He said the incident only ended when Lauren suddenly shouted that the gardai were coming and the three men left the scene. Mr James told the court was injured in the incident and had to receive medical attention both in Ireland and in England. He said he suffered a broken nose which he had to undergo two operations to repair, a damaged shoulder, a broken tooth and a scar over his nose. "All these injuries were sustained in the second attack up on Main Street," Mr James said. The witness rejected suggestions by Mr Berry that Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae had only tried to act as a peacemaker that night and was trying to end the confrontation which had commenced at the chip van. "There is restraining and there is assaulting. I was assaulted by Jackie Healy-Rae." Lauren James said she feared for her husband's safety that evening. She said that when she spotted her husband being held in a headlock by the chip van, his face was "bright red." "Kieran was very still he was not fighting it. His face was bright red. I was very concerned (for him). There was a vein popping on his head. I said you are going to kill him." After Mr James was released and her group attempted to leave the scene, she said her husband was then attacked by three men on Main Street. "Obviously that was very shocking," she said. "They were all attacking Kieran they were punching his body. Kieran's face was unrecognisable. There were large patches of swelling and bruising. His nose was pushed to the side. You could see it was broken." "He looked disfigured." Mrs James said she stood in front of her husband and desperately tried to protect him because he was so dazed. "My concern was to try to prevent Kieran from suffering any more physical assaults." But she said two of the assailants that confronted her were very aggressive . "It was a totally unprovoked attack on him," she said. She rejected suggestions that any of those who confronted her husband were acting with restraint either at the chip van or on Main Street. During the 2019 district court case, it emerged Kevin Healy-Rae had insisted to investigating gardai that the incident was politically motivated and that there are people all over Ireland who hate his family. Cllr Jackie Healy-Rae Jnr, Kevin Healy-Rae and Malachy Scannell had vehemently denied a number of assault charges before Kenmare District Court in 2019. However, they were convicted on all charges by Judge Dave Waters after extensive witness evidence was heard and CCTV security camera footage was viewed from around Kenmare town centre. Jackie Healy-Rae was handed a suspended eight-month prison sentence and is now appealing against both his conviction and sentence. Kevin Healy-Rae received a suspended seven-month prison sentence. Malachy Scannell, was handed a suspended six-month prison sentence. Both brothers have an address at Sandymount in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry. Mr Scannell of Inchinacoosh, Kilgarvan, Co Kerry is a close friend of theirs. The appeal continues today. Mr McGeough (64) said, It was a punch against the Catholic Church as much as against me personally A woman is to be prosecuted for the assault of an ex-IRA gunrunner who was punched in the face while saying the rosary as an LGBTQ march passed by. Gerry McGeough was assaulted as he stood with eight men praying and holding a statue of the Virgin Mary as the Pride parade made its way through Cookstown last September. The former Sinn Fein ard comhairle member has received a letter from the PPS saying a woman is to be charged with unlawful assault. Mr McGeough (64) told the Belfast Telegraph: It was a punch against the Catholic Church as much as against me personally. It was an assault on Our Lady and the rosary too. I should be able to go out and pray publicly as I do without being attacked and assaulted. After he was punched, he described those parading as glorifying the sin of sodomy and lambasted his former party for taking part in the event. Footage of the assault circulated widely on social media. In 2011, Mr McGeough became the first republican jailed for historic offences since the Good Friday Agreement after he was convicted of the 1981 attempted murder of part-time UDR man Sammy Brush. He was released in 2013. The Mid-Ulster Pride parade was backed by clergy as well as Sinn Fein, the SDLP and People Before Profit. Crowds came out to cheer and support it. Mr McGeough told Purged.TV: Ive been in several prisons across the world for republican activity. A lot of people we see in Sinn Fein today couldnt be found for love or money when the bullets were being fired way back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Sinn Fein is an anti-Catholic organisation. When I was a member of the Irish republican movement, it was standing by Catholicism especially in places like East Tyrone. Mr McGeough joined the East Tyrone Brigade in 1975, aged 16. In 1981, he shot Mr Brush who also worked as a postman as he delivered mail in Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone. In 1988, he was arrested crossing the Dutch-German border with weapons in a car. He was charged with attacks on the British Army in the Rhine and held in Germany for four years. Mr McGeough was then extradited to the US where he was charged with attempting to buy surface-to-air missiles in 1983. After serving three years in American jails, he was deported to the Republic in 1996. He became a prominent Sinn Fein figure and was national director of its No To Nice campaign. He later left the party in protest at its abortion stance. He is due to appear in court later this morning A fifth juvenile has been charged with endangerment of gardai in Cherry Orchard. A garda spokesman said the teenager is due to appear before Dublin Childrens Court this morning. Gardai investigating the endangerment of Gardai and related incidents in the Cherry Orchard area on the 19th of September 2022, arrested a male juvenile on Tuesday, 4th October 2022. "This is the fifth arrest made as part of this investigation. Read more Three charged over garda car ramming incident in Cherry Orchard released on bail Yesterday, three teenagers appeared before the Children Court in relation to the same incident. All three were bailed and are due to appear before the court again on 15th November. A fourth boy was referred to the Juvenile Youth Diversion Programme. Ruth Lawrence (42), originally from Clontarf, Dublin, was at the centre of a global manhunt until a dawn police swoop yesterday. An Irish woman who has been on the run for eight years for the double murder of two best friends has been arrested in South Africa. Ruth Lawrence (42), originally from Clontarf, Dublin, was at the centre of a global manhunt until a dawn police swoop yesterday. The Hawks an elite South African police unit said they were acting on an international warrant and that Lawrence will appear in court today. She fled Ireland in 2014 with her then boyfriend, Neville Van Westhuizen (39), and headed for his native country of South Africa. Her boyfriend is also wanted in connection with the double murder but is already serving a life sentence in South Africa for the horrific killing of a teenager. Gardai confirmed the two murder victims, Eoin OConnor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33), were not criminals or part of a drugs gang but have not revealed a motive for the double killing. The victims were found wrapped in plastic sheeting and buried in a shallow grave on Inchicup Island, Lough Sheelin in Co Meath eight years ago. Lawrence split with her then boyfriend Van Westhuizen in 2017. Hawks spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo said vital information about Lawrence and her whereabouts was received on September 28. She was arrested in Pellissier, Bloemfontein, yesterday in connection with the killing of best friends Mr OConnor and Mr Keegan. Their bodies were found wrapped in plastic sheeting and buried in a shallow grave and ever since she has been wanted by Interpol. Her former boyfriend is currently serving 15 years in a prison in Durban for the murder of a teenager in 2017 and will be quizzed by police. Cpt Singo said: Her arrest comes on an Interpol warrant regarding the murder of Eoin OConnor (32) and Anthony Keegan (33) in Ireland. They were both found murdered in 2014 and after the murder of the deceased persons the suspect then fled the country to South Africa. Van Westhuizen was given a 15-year prison sentence for murder, attempted murder and kidnapping at Durban High Court in 2017. The court heard he and three other men grabbed three teenagers in a local tattoo parlour who they suspected of having stolen a mobile phone that was charging. They beat the three boys up badly and then forced them to drink a poisonous concoction then let them go but one of the teenagers subsequently died after staggering back home. It was said in court that Neville Peter van der Westhuizen was also wanted by Irish police in connection with a murder. Despite his reputed wealth and speculation that Morrissey owned a number of bars on the Costa Del Sol, Morrissey is only linked on paper to one other company in Spain. Johnny Morrissey arrested at one of his villas in Marbella J.COSTA/SOLARPIX Johnny Morrissey ran an importexport business out of Mijas in Spain Sanctioned Kinahan fixer Johnny Morrissey ran an import-export business out of Mijas in Spain before offloading it to a British expat, newly obtained company records show. Official records show the company was registered by Morrissey on March 5, 2007, in Mijas on the Costa Del Sol. Morrissey, who has been sanctioned by the US government for facilitating international drugs shipments, identified the companys purpose as "hotel and restaurant services and the import and export of food products and household good related to such services. Morrissey founded the company with starter capital of just 3,100 and filed financial statements for successive years leading up to 2011. In January 2011, Morrissey filed "a change of identity of the sole share-holder for the company with a named British ex-pat taking on the role. Despite his reputed wealth and speculation that Morrissey owned a number of bars on the Costa Del Sol, Morrissey is only linked on paper to one other company in Spain. On February 16, 2010, Morrissey set up the now infamous Rat Book Media SL appointing himself as the companys sole administrator. Outlining the purpose of the company, Morrissey identified it as the provision of computer programs and supply of texts and information to a third-party database. Johnny Morrissey arrested at one of his villas in Marbella J.COSTA/SOLARPIX In reality, the company was a vehicle through which Morrissey hosted a subscription website to name and shame criminal "rats. When the website went live, it offered users the chance to find the rats in your neighbourhood. A year before he set up the Spanish company, Morrissey had travelled to Panama to investigate the possibility of running the company from there but balked at the cost after a bank he wanted to route subscription fees through required that he maintain a physical office in the country. Morrisseys interest in setting up a website to name and shame rats coincided with an increased focus by European authorities on the activities of the Kinahan cartel. In 2008, police in Spain, the UK, Ireland and Belgium teamed up to investigate the Kinahan cartel, following a major bust and the confiscation of 1.5 tonnes of cannabis in a house in Kildare. The joint investigation was known as Operation Shovel and resulted in the arrests of senior cartel figures including Christy Kinahan Snr. The high-profile investigation established that the cartel had set up 200 companies, operating in 20 countries, to aid in moving drugs and laundering cash. In a sanctioning notice April 11, the US Treasury Department described Johnny Morrissey as an enforcer for the Kinahan cartel, the most powerful organised crime gang in Ireland. Morrissey, who has been remanded in custody in Spain, facilitates international drug shipments for the organization from South America and is involved in money laundering, the US notice said. reinvestment | 2m seized from criminal gangs by CAB to be used to fund community projects Christine Campbell said that not having closure is torture in itself. The mother of an innocent plumber brutally murdered as he worked in the home of gang boss Martin Marlo Hyland has called for a cold-case investigation into his shooting. in 2006, Anthony (20) was shot dead by gunman who also murdered Hyland in his bed in the Finglas home. The young plumber had no involvement in criminality and was killed solely because the killers did not want to leave a witness to their crime. Last week, Anthony's mother Christine met gardai to try and move the unsolved case forward after 16 years. Speaking to Newstalk, she said she is still looking for justice for her son's murder. "As a mother, I just want to finish this job and get justice - this is not about me, this is about Anthony", she said. She also told Newstalk that not having closure is 'torture'. "I just think as a mum, you just want to do everything you can to protect your child. "And obviously I'll always have that feeling I wasn't there that morning to protect him. "First it turned into months, then it's turned into years - and now we're at 16 years? "Any mum knows that's torture in itself, to not have closure". Before being murdered, Hyland had controlled a large part of the citys drugs trade and headed up a North Dublin crime gang. However, his own associates decided to murder Hyland after he grew erratic and paranoid and drew garda attention upon the gangs operation. Martin 'Marlo' Hyland was shot dead in 2006 Gardai believe the murder was ordered by Hylands associate Eamon The Don' Dunne in a bid to seize control of the drugs gang. Dunne would, himself, be murdered in April 2010. Christine said she believed improved DNA testing could help solve his murder. "From what I've seen on FBI Files, Cold Cases - which I watch a lot of - that's what normally happens. "They might have missed something, they go back on it, and DNA of course. "Over the years, this is what they're all going by: DNA". Eamonn Dunne Christine said gardai have told her that her son has not been forgotten. "They reassured me he hasn't been forgotten about. "And I'm not the only one out there, there's an awful lot of cases to be solved too. "So they do have a job on their hands, and it's like due course." But she appealed to anyone with information to come forward. "It's never too late to come forward, put his family out of misery and let us get some sort of justice. "It might be a little thing that you know over the years, and you kept it to yourself, but that could help me solve my son's case", she added. At one point, both gunmen stood over Sean, shooting him, as he collapsed to the floor CCTV images show two masked men following the murder of Sean Fox Two gunmen who shot a father of two dead in front of two family members as he watched a football match in a Belfast social club fired up to 20 shots in an attack that lasted just 21 seconds. Sean Fox (42) was gunned down on Sunday afternoon in the Donegal Celtic FC social club. His uncle was sitting beside him, and one of his two children was also present. They both witnessed the horrific killing, suspected to have been carried out by dissident republicans. He was shot multiple times by both gunmen, Detective Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan said yesterday. At one point, both gunmen stood over Sean, shooting him, as he collapsed to the floor. This was a calculated, planned, ruthless execution. It was carried out in broad daylight and in the presence of others. The gunmen arrived, carried out the murder and left the club in under a minute. Sean Fox Detectives said they are following several lines of inquiry, including Mr Foxs friendship with another murder victim, Jim Donegan, who was gunned down in his 80,000 Porsche outside a school in Belfast in December 2018. Both men were members of the so-called Marbella Crew of high-profile drug dealers, four of whom have now been murdered. Its understood that the gang has held a summit to try and establish who is handing information on their activities over to republican hitmen. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the jailing of one of Irelands most decorated former officers and the social media campaign against Jonathan Dowdall and his family A former Garda Superintendent has been jailed for six-and-a-half years after he was caught with more than 250,000 worth of cannabis. But the investigation into John Spud Murphy began because of his suspected links to the Hutch Organised crime group and the passing of information to them. Before his arrest in Spain, Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch became aware of a European Arrest Warrant issued for him thanks to an anonymous Twitter site. And now the same social media channels are under investigation because of threats to State Witness Jonathan Dowdall and members of the Garda team working on the Regency probe. So whats been going on behind the scenes? Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the jailing of one of Irelands most decorated former officers and the social media campaign against Dowdall and his family. Crime Word Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud. MORE EPISODES Taylor Rene Parker beat her victim, who was 34 weeks pregnant, before slicing through her abdomen hip to hip A Texan woman is facing the death penalty after murdering her pregnant friend and cutting the unborn baby from her womb in an attempt to steal it. Taylor Rene Parker beat Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock, who was 34 weeks pregnant, about the head before slicing through her abdomen from hip to hip, a court in Bowie County heard. Ms Simmons-Hancock (21) is believed to have still been alive after having the baby cut from her womb, the jury was told. She later died in a pool of blood in front of her three-year-old daughter. The baby removed from Simmons-Hancocks womb also later died. It was no quick death, Lauren Richards, the assistant district attorney, said of the attack in October 2020. When Taylor had the baby and Reagan was still alive, thats when Taylor started slashing and cutting. She cant leave her alive. It was no quick death. She just kept cutting her. I guess Reagan would not die fast enough for Taylor to get out of there and get on with her plans. The pain Reagan must have felt when Taylor started cutting her abdomen, hip to hip... indescribable. The court heard that mother-of-two Parker (29) could not conceive again after a hysterectomy. She obsessively researched how to fake a pregnancy and watched videos on delivering babies pre-term at 35 weeks. Prosecutors alleged that she disguised herself to look pregnant, faked ultrasounds, posted about her pregnancy on social media and even had a gender reveal for her pretend baby in the months before the murder, as part of a plot not to lose her boyfriend. On the day she attacked Ms Simmons-Hancock, she told the man that she was being induced, the prosecution said. After abducting the baby, Parker fled the scene but was stopped by a Texas State Trooper for speeding. Parker reportedly told the officer that she was driving to a hospital after she had the baby on the side of the road. Parker and the baby were both rushed to McCurtain Memorial Hospital in Oklahoma, where hospital staff reportedly grew suspicious after she refused to be treated by the doctors. The baby later died at the hospital. Parker was described by Ms Richards as a liar and manipulator who would be held accountable. The verdict of a jury of six men and six women came after three weeks of sometimes grisly testimony. The defendant was also facing a kidnapping charge, which her legal team tried to dismiss in an effort to have a capital murder charge lowered to murder. They claimed that the baby could not have been abducted as it was never alive. Prosecutors said, however, that several medical professionals testified the infant had a heartbeat when born. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, but jurors could vote for a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. Armenia is actively discussing the use of an international monitoring mechanism to avoid border incidents with Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in parliament. He said there is a universal understanding, including among international actors, that perhaps the elimination of the aftermath of the aggression and the signing of a peace treaty alone wont create sufficient guarantees and that additional guarantees will be required, for example the presence of any international monitoring, observation or similar mechanism on the border with Azerbaijan. This is one of the instruments which is under discussion, in addition to other instruments. I can point out another instrument, for example pulling back the militaries from the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. There are various instruments, also an international monitoring mechanism and it is very actively being discussed, the FM said. Speaking about a recent claim made by former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian who said that the latest Azeri provocations on the border are connected with some undisclosed verbal agreements which were reached in addition to the 9 November, 2020 trilateral agreement, Mirzoyan said that he was perplexed when he read Oskanians article because the claims where substantiated by very suspicious allegations that some verbal agreements exist. There are no such agreements and we have numerously said this. Armenia hasnt been and will not be part of any other agreement, the FM said. We were travelling across central Switzerland in an ultra-modern GoldenPass panoramic train, which has a partially glassed roof and massive windows to give 180 degree visibility. It used to be said that every boy dreams of being a train driver. Well, here I was in the front seat of a modern express train, right above the tracks, with a giant window framing the magnificent alpine scenery in front of me. I might not have actually been in control of this high-tech engine the driver was behind me in a control booth but it certainly felt as if I was. We were travelling across central Switzerland in an ultra-modern GoldenPass panoramic train, which has a partially glassed roof and massive windows to give 180 degree visibility. Sitting in the very front row just behind the window wipers, we glided through the spectacular landscape while fighting the temptation to lean to the right or left as we approached a bend, as if on a rollercoaster. The panoramic train Thankfully, the wipers were not needed as it was a gloriously sunny day with temperatures in the high 20s. Back in Ireland this would have meant a very uncomfortable hot, sweaty journey. But this was Switzerland where the trains not only run on time but have first-rate air conditioning. We had only been in the country a few hours, so this seemed like the dream start to our late summer break. After flying with Swiss International Air Lines from Dublin to Zurich, we jumped on a regular double-decker train from the airports train station before changing at Spiez for our panoramic ride. We were to catch the train again a couple of days later, and it was, without a doubt, one of the highlights of our visit. But for now, we disembarked at the pretty alpine village of Chateau dOex in the Pays-dEnhaut, which was to be our base for the first couple of days. Sitting at 1,000m, the town is surrounded by rolling green hills and mountains and is, in fact, the world alpine capital of hot air ballooning, due to its favourable micro-climate. But our interests were much more down to earth we were on a tour checking out the gastronomy of the canton of Vaud, one of 26 regions that make up Switzerland. Cheesemaker Bruno This was why we found ourselves on the second day at a cheesemaking demonstration at Le Chalet restaurant in Chateau dOex, just a short walk from our Roc et Neige hotel. As we entered, the first scene to greet us was cheesemaker Bruno stirring a vast 200-litre copper pot of cultured milk and rennet over an open fire, before taking out the resulting curd to start the cheesemaking process. We then sampled some of the finished product in a lovely lunch with hot cheese in a pastry, over a green salad. That afternoon found us in another cheesemakers, the cellars of LEtivaz in the village of the same name. Their hard cheese is known throughout Switzerland and 40pc is exported to France, Germany and Belgium along with the UK, the USA and Canada. When it was launched in the 1930s there were 20 producers supplying the milk, now there are 70 and the name LEtivaz is brand protected. The cheese is only made between May and October when the cows feed on the rich grasses of the high alpine pastures, giving its distinctive flavour. In winter, deep snow keeps the animals indoors. The wheels of cheese, weighing 18 to 35kg, are kept in the cellars for at least a year and sell for about 400. There are 20,000 stored at any one time. A LEtivaz cheese cellar Of course, Switzerland is not only known for its cheese but also for its wine and chocolate. Our group fell in love with the fruity white wines on offer at every restaurant and regretted that few of them were available in Ireland or even the rest of Europe. The reason is that the Swiss lucky things drink nearly all of it themselves. Maude Vogel, who runs a beautiful vineyard in the village of Grandvaux on the Lavaux hillside above Lake Geneva, told us it was simply not practical to export large quantities. With a high cost of living in Switzerland, winemakers couldnt compete with countries like Spain or Chile. Once international taxes and Vat were added the cost would be prohibitive for customers, she said. We spent a wonderful afternoon sampling some of the 26 wines she and her brother Simon produce from 14 different grapes at their Domaine Croix Duplex vineyard, including the Chasselas and their Fleurettes 4 Plants. Their engineer grandfather Samuel Vogel opened the business in 1929, after falling in love with the stunning location high above the lake. He passed it on to his children, and now it is being run by the third generation of the family. We sat on a sun-dappled terrace gazing down on vineyards as far as the eye could see on a perfect afternoon. The beautiful vineyards of Domaine Croix Duplex Its just a seven-minute journey to Grandvaux on a local train from Lausanne where we were booked into the lovely Best Western Plus Hotel Mirabeau for our last night. There is much to see and do in Lausanne, famous as the home of the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Museum and the lakeshore Olympic Park, all very accessible on the citys great Metro system. There are gorgeous walks along the banks of Lake Geneva, while the hilly old city has medieval quarters including a 12th-century gothic cathedral and a thriving cafe/bar scene. We had a great night in Le Vestibule pub just opposite the cathedral, where the toilets and a speakeasy bar are all hidden behind bookcases. Over our few days, we sampled some excellent meals in prestigious restaurants including the chic Le Cafe du Valrose in Rougemont, close to Chateau dOex, and the lively Le Roc in Hotel de Rougemont. In Lausanne, we lunched in the new Jacques restaurant and had dinner on the terrace of the trendy Sardine in the old section of the city. Not to be missed was a visit to the famed chocolate workshop, Noz, to sample some of their gorgeous goodies. Founder and chocolatier Nicolas Noz even taught us how to bake carac, a regional speciality, while demonstrating his intricate cake decorating skills. We flew out of Geneva hours later, still dreaming of the dark stuff. TRAVEL FACTFILE SWITZERLAND See myswitzerland.com Swiss has direct flights from Dublin to Zurich and Geneva. See swiss.com The Swiss Travel Pass allows free travel on trains, buses and boats in over 90 cities (and entry to 500 museums) from 239 for 3 days to 370 for 6 days. See swisstravelpass.com. See Hotel Roc et Neige and Hotel Mirabeau Lausanne The influencer is sharing her own journey since being diagnosed with depression and anxiety at 17. Grace Mongey, known as FacesbyGrace to her 178k Instagram followers, has been named the face of mental health campaign Walk in My Shoes. The social media sensation is building on her own battle with mental health to tackle stigma. "My journey began at a young age, but I really started to notice a change and feel like something was off when I was 17, Grace said. "I was very low and very anxious and overwhelmed during a period and my Man took me to the GP. He said it sounded like I had depression. "Fast forward almost 10 years, and I experienced the worst depression Ive ever felt. I was 25 and living in Australia with friends. I began to distance myself from them and found it hard to socialise in public places. "My anxiety had gotten so bad I was faced with regular daily panic attacks. I decided it was time to come home and get help." "I have worked really hard to keep myself in a positive head space but, like everything, I need to always check in and keep on top of it." The married mum of two has since learned how to manage her mental health and has used her experience to open up the conversation around mental health with her followers. The influencer says shes delighted to take on the challenge of being ambassador. "My own journey with mental health began in my teens when I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression at 17 years of age, and having experienced this at such a formative, critical age, I know how important it is to have resources, tools, campaigns and supports out there that are particularly targeted towards young people. The Walk in My Shoes campaign focuses on teaching young people about their mental health through online campaigns like #MindYourselfie. FacesbyGrace This year the programme of events will focus on psychosis, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, what Walk in My Shoes describe as the lesser understood or commonly misrepresented mental health issues. The awareness-raising campaign is run by St Patricks Mental Health Services in the lead up to World Mental Health Day on October 10. Grace joins a long line of celebrity ambassadors for the campaign, from Steve Garrigan of Kodaline to Dublin GAA star Nicole Owens. Afterwards, we got a tag gun on Amazon for about 10 and when we were finished, we would retag all the clothes, and bring them back The film will have its US premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 17 The self-funded 93-minute film with hundreds of extras and even two armoured tanks Luke Hanlon on set during filming of his debit movie The Troubles, a Dublin Story The Troubles, a Dublin Story sees Sophia Adli take on the role of Rosie The Troubles, a Dublin Story had its world premiere at this year's Galway Film Fleadh Director and writer Luke Hanlon on set during filming of The Troubles, A Dublin Story The Troubles, a Dublin Story explores events during the Troubles from the perspective of two brothers growing up in North Dublin A former windscreen repairman from Dublin has landed his debut film a spot at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival in California. Apart from replacing car windscreens, Luke Hanlon eventually became the face of Autoglass TV ads, and has now written, directed, and produced his own film set during the Troubles in 1980s Dublin funded solely by his life savings. Hanlon (40) wrote and directed The Troubles, A Dublin Story over 18 months, basing the story of two Dublin brothers on true accounts of those involved. The first-time director grew up in Santry in Dublin and began his career as a technician for Autoglass before landing the role as the face of their Autoglass repair, Autoglass replace television advertisements. The Troubles, a Dublin Story had its world premiere at this year's Galway Film Fleadh Later, Hanlon began working as a film extra and discovered writing as a way of coping with depression. I suffered from depression, and I just needed to write. I was drinking too much when I left Autoglass, I was just being stupid. Writing kind of saved my life, he told Independent.ie. I was out of work, no money. I was just at a low point, and someone said, 'youre good with words. Why don't you try to write something down? I always had the idea for this film because I kind of grew up in that world. I always found when I would be looking at films about the IRA, that they were lionised. They were either proud freedom fighters with these high morals or they were portrayed as terrorists. But to me, these were just normal guys. These guys go to work nine to five. They were just very, very ordinary. They are not moralistic freedom fighters, nor are they evil terrorists. Through the film, Hanlon said he wanted to draw a link between seemingly nonviolent acts and eventual terrorist attacks and how many people who joined did not understand the implications of the IRA. The Troubles, a Dublin Story sees Sophia Adli take on the role of Rosie The film follows how a robbery in Dublin could lead all the way down to a bomb killing innocent children. They were so far removed from it that a lot of them could not see it. They would think, 'We are not doing that. We are only extorting money out of this pub. We are not planting the bombs, he said. I was warned not to mention these type of things. It was only 30 to 40 years ago, so it is still very raw. A lot of people do not talk about this, but we should because it is a part of our history. The director highlighted how recent and fresh these events still are within the public and how many of the movers and shakers of the Troubles are still alive. They'd be nearly living on the same road. You could live next door to someone who got their kneecaps blown off by the guy on the other side of your house, he said. I talked to people whose relations were killed by the IRA, people who were criminals up in Northern Ireland and then they were sent down to Dublin. Director and writer Luke Hanlon on set during filming of The Troubles, A Dublin Story Everyone knew somebody. It was just kind of a part of life back then. What at first began as a short three-minute teaser, soon grew into an ambitious 93-minute feature film with hundreds of extras and even two armoured tanks, all funded by Hanlons own 10,000 savings. Official, state-backed funding sources turned him down a fact that Hanlon says pointed to their lack of interest in the story. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Nobody would listen to us. Nobody would talk to us even after we had made it. They would not even come into a room with us, he said. They are not interested in these type of stories. I do not know why, but they are just not. Hanlon clarified that they did eventually meet but only after the film gained attention at its Galway Film Fleadh premiere and official selection for the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival in the US. The film is also showing at the IndieCork Film Festival this week. The film stars relatively unknown actors Ray Malone, Adam Redmond, Wayne Byrne, William Delaney, Sarah Hayden and Sophia Adli, with Hanlon describing them all as highly trained, very talented and driven. Cinematography was by Colm Mullen, while it was edited by Oleg Rudowski and Jay Javeiri. On set during filming of The Troubles, a Dublin Story Shot across Ireland, the project had no shortage of challenges and expenses including a proposed 6,000 fee to use archive footage of Bobby Sands, the IRA member who died on hunger strike. Instead we shot a whole scene that basically replicated Belfast in 1981," he said. We shut down the whole street in Dundalk, we got two armoured tanks, we got all the cars, all the weapons, all the soldiers, and 100 extras. We shot that for 950 and it is one of the top scenes in the film, it is the second opening scene in the film. Another example of the films frugality came in the form of the costumes for all the extras and neighbours who volunteered to be in the scene. A trick with the costumes is that we would go into a giant Penneys store and buy 1,000 worth of costumes. Afterwards, we got a tag gun on Amazon for about 10 and when we were finished, we would retag all the clothes, and bring them back, Hanlon said. We would get all our money back, so we saved money on costumes. It was a good trick. We haggled, bargained, charmed everyone and anyone to help us out with props, cars, locations and 99pc of the people were more than happy to be involved. The people of Ireland are great like that. In the end, Hanlon credits the knowledge gleaned during his time as a film extra for helping him finish the movie on a limited budget with few resources. I think everyone can write. Everyone has a story to tell, and this is just my perspective of the world. This is not the right perspective or the wrong perspective. It is just my perspective, he said. The keenest of trout fishers braved the wet conditions on Saturday to celebrate the opening of the new trout fishing season. Constant rain early in the day as the boats were heading out onto lakes Rotoiti, Okataina and Tarawera did ease off later, but blue skies were in short supply. The smiles of success on the faces of anglers however werent dampened by the weather. Catch rates were on par with those of previous openings except on Lake Okataina which produced high fish numbers. Fat looking trout, now destined for the fish smoker, were the order of the day with Tarawera fish, in particular, standing out for their top condition. Fish & Games Matt Osborne says the fish measured from Lake Tarawera were outstanding. With what weve seen to date, the size and condition of the young hatchery Tarawera 2-year old fish were better than last season by a good measure. Okataina and Rotoitis fish were only very slightly lighter than last year but Rotoitis fish were a little longer. The heaviest fish for the day, a three-year old hatchery release from Lake Rotoiti tipped the scales at 4.1kg Fish & Game rangers were present at most of the boat ramps carrying out surveys and compliance checks. We talked with hundreds of anglers, but the weather did keep some people away in the end. All of the anglers Fish & Game spoke with were fully compliant. Sundays weather was much improved, and anglers made the most of the opportunity to get out there. Catching up with friends and family is a key part of trout fishing in the region and Fish & Game was delighted to see so many families on the water. A special family fishing licence is available. While the opening day celebrations are a big event for Rotorua, some of the best trout fishing actually lay ahead over the summer period. Warmer spring conditions will bring fish onto the feed and the lakes fish really well in spring and summer when smelt are on the move. Did you hear the one about the mystery man, a Memorial Cross and the enquiries that returned a family heirloom? Earlier this year, a stranger walked up to an 83-year-old Coromandel man named Kelvin and asked if he was a member of the RSA. The stranger had a King George New Zealand Memorial Cross (pictured below) that he wished to be returned to the next of kin. The medal was engraved with a serial number and name: NZ411778 SJT. G. E. REID. Sergeant George Ernest Reid was a Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) aviator. Kelvin duly posted it to the Air Force Museum, who contacted Police to determine if it was stolen. Christchurch-based Authorised Officer Deb Wilson was determined to find the medals rightful home, so she made some enquiries, including contacting Major (Rtd) Ian Martyn from Medals Reunited New Zealand. Together, Deb and Ian uncovered the history of the medal and located a direct descendent of George, living in Queensland Australia, to pass the special medal to. He was thrilled to hear about the cross and received its return with much pride and gratitude. After WWII, the medals of servicemen and women who died during active service were sent to their nominated next of kin. In addition, a Memorial Cross was awarded to the relatives of these deceased men and women, predominantly to the female relatives wives, mothers or daughters of servicemen - as an acknowledgement of their grief and sacrifice. In 1942, Sergeant George Ernest Reid, an Air Gunner from the RNZAF was killed in a Short Sterling bomber during his second operation over Sterrebeek, east of Brussels. His aircraft was attacked by a German Night Fighter and the plane crashed. Sergeant Reid is buried with four colleagues in the Nossegem Communal Cemetery in Brabant Belgium. The Memorial Cross was given to his widow, Margaret Reid, who died in 2000. Its unknown where the cross went after this as Margaret and George had no dependents, but thanks to Deb and Ian the medal has been polished up and returned to a grateful family member. -Police Ten One Magazine. The Government is chipping in almost $240,000 to help assess environmental contamination at two former Coromandel gold mines. It will help with detailed site investigations to determine the levels of arsenic and cyanide left from historic gold extraction at the former Tokatea and Victoria Battery Mines. Both mines are now on public conservation land. The projects will be led by the Department of Conservation in a joint partnership with Waikato Regional Council, says Environment Minister David Parker. The money is from the Ministry for the Environment Contaminated Sites Remediation Fund. The Victoria Battery site, in the Karangahake Gorge, is getting $192,254, equal to DOCs funding input, while the Tokatea sites getting $42,900. MfE is also contributing to staff costs. Mining during the Victoria Battery era involved processing that concentrated metals and used chemicals with the potential to leave historic contamination, says DOCs Tauranga operations manager Jeff Millham. The site contains possible mercury, hydrocarbons, and heavy metal contamination. These contaminants are a problem when they occur at levels which may affect human health or the environment. Currently, the risk to the public from the site is considered low if there is no soil disturbance. The Victoria Battery project is to determine the level and extent of the risk to the public and the environment. DOC is working together with iwi and [the regional council] to lead and deliver the project, says Millham. DOC will need to apply for new funding once detailed site investigations are completed, and we understand what contamination is at the site. Investigation work to determine future management options for the site is planned to begin shortly and will take about 10 months to complete. This work will provide information to review management and remediation options and input into the final remedial work, if required. This process will take a few years due to complexity of the work and resources required. Meanwhile, the Tokatea site is also a historic disused mining location and potential contamination is similar to the Victoria Battery. The approach and work required by DOC is also similar, but to a lesser extent, says DOCs Coromandel operations manager (Tokatea) Nick Kelly. -Stephan Ward/Stuff. Bay of Plenty born jazz drummer Lauren Ellis is set to return to Tauranga for the first time in three years. She is scheduled to perform with her American band, the Lauren Ellis Quartet, in Tauranga on the back of the Wellington Jazz Festival, and will be holding free jazz workshops for secondary school students later this month. Regarded by her mentor, American jazz drummer Peter Erskine as one of the finest drummers and musicians on the scene right now, Lauren has been making big strides in the Los Angeles music community. Lauren left to California in 2019, after being awarded a full scholarship and teaching assistantship, where she gained a masters degree at the University of Southern Californias Thornton School. Her upcoming performance will explore contemporary jazz written by Lauren, along with original pieces by other members of her group. "A lot of the music is brand new and hasn't even been debuted in Los Angeles yet so we are really looking forward to sharing it," says Lauren. Lauren Ellis performing at Bruce Mason Centre. Photo: Juan Pablo Pontoriero. Described as a culmination of pieces the group has worked on, they will be drawing upon new creative influences and experiences while living and studying in one of the most diverse music scenes in the world. The drummer was educated at Otumoetai College before heading to Wellington to do a four year music degree, and performed with the Rodger Fox Big Band for nearly 10 years before being offered her scholarship. Lauren says music has always been a "large part" of her life, with her professional career spanning 15 years. When asked why she chose to study in California, Lauren says to get a masters in the United States was always her plan. It was something I always wanted to do, but I became busy pursuing a lot of great opportunities in Wellington I put it off, says Lauren. Photo: Ewa Ginal-Cumblidge. Peter Erskine was my top and only choice, so I contacted him directly, and he offered me a position in the Masters program as well as a teaching assistants job. You dont pass on an opportunity like that, so Id say it worked out pretty well! My decision wasnt so much influenced by the location, rather, the person I wanted to study with Peter. It was a bonus he just so happened to teach at USC, which has a world-class jazz program and faculty, and is conveniently right in the heart of an exceptionally musically diverse city, Los Angeles." Lauren says connecting with other musicians and audiences is her favourite part of performing, and her band has had a variety of influences when it comes to inspiration. All four of us come from such different backgrounds, yet as most musicians do, weve all spent a serious amount of time learning from the history, traditions, and culture behind this black American art form. We are heavily influenced by the pioneers of this music such as Cannonball Adderly, Mary Lou Williams, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock, as well as modern day legends such as Wynton Marsalis, Teri Lyn Crringotn, and Christian McBride. We also arent limited exclusively to jazz, many of us are frequently playing RnB, funk, afro-latin, pop and indie styles of music. Photo: Ewa Ginal-Cumblidge. Lauren says the band decided to come to New Zealand to host workshops, and offer young musicians the chance to be exposed to music at a high level. There are great opportunities for young students to be involved in jazz education in New Zealand, largely at many of the high school jazz competitions and festivals and we owe a lot of that to Rodger Fox. Rodger and many others have continued to work hard over the years to ensure these experiences are available to younger players, including myself when I was younger! Outside of tertiary education, there just isnt enough man power to make more opportunities like these ongoing or frequent due to a lack of resources. The few jazz educational programs that are on offer arent in every city and often come at a high cost. With the help of Creative New Zealand, Ive been able to offer the workshops for free which means students have access to high-level jazz education without the hurdle of cost. Upon returning to New Zealand, Lauren says she is most looking forward to seeing her Wellington friends, some of which are amongst the best musicians she knows. We call came up through university together and have been very tight-knit since then. The relationships you form during those years become lifelong. Lauren and her band will be in New Zealand from October 15 to October 30. From Monday, October 24, to Saturday, October 29, they will be heading to Tauranga to host workshops at Tauranga and Rotorua schools. Our show is on Tuesday, October 25, at the Graham Young Youth Theatre at Tauranga Boys College. Were also playing a show at the Creative Jazz Club in Auckland on Thursday, October 27. For tickets to see the Lauren Ellis Quartet live in Tauranga, visit eventfinda.co.nz. A Tauranga student is receiving a $1000 grant towards her future university studies, thanks to a competition run by Rotary Club of Tauranga earlier this year. Otumoetai College student Bella Ritai says she first entered the competition in August, after seeing it on display at the Tauranga Careers Expo. "I didn't actually expect to win it," says Bella. "To enter they asked me to give them my name, phone number and a filled out form asking what I would do if I did win the money. "I told them I would use it for my future studies at university, and I was alone when I got a phone call from the rotary club telling me I had won." The Rotary Club of Tauranga stand at the Tauranga Careers Expo. Photo: Supplied/SunLive. Bella says her first reaction was to run out of her room and let her parents know the good news. "They were so excited. It was very exciting for all of us. I'm planning to go to Victoria University down in Wellington and want to use the money to go towards studying marketing, communications and criminology." Bella says the $1000 grant from the Rotary Club of Tauranga will firstly go towards her books, classes and anything else she may need before heading down to study. "Finding out made me want to work harder towards my study and put this money to good use. I was so surprised when I won, I have never won anything like this before so it means a lot to me." Wellington became Bella's top choice after visiting her sister who studied at Victoria. "She talked about how much she liked it there. Wellington is also just such a cool place to live in. It's not too far away from home, but at the same time it will be an amazing place to be independent and start investing in my future." Bella adds she wasn't sure if she wanted to go to university earlier in the year, but after looking into different courses she found topics she was interested in, and wanted to learn more about. "I think it is so awesome the rotary club is doing this sort of thing. Winning it makes me want to try hard in my studies, and put the money towards something good. "It's an amazing thing they're doing for people, along with giving back to kids in the community." Rotary Club of Tauranga member and competition organiser Joan McKirdy says the competition was designed to help students with their university costs, and to raise awareness about what rotary does to the youth. Photo: Supplied/SunLive. "We really wanted to help those in the community that needed the support, and will put it to good use," says Joan. "When we saw Bella's application she told us she was going to put the money directly into her future, and that's why we chose her. "On top of that, we also want the youth to understand the good that rotary does in the community." Joan adds she hopes initiatives like the competition will help raise more awareness about rotary, and further propel students into their future endeavours. The Ministry of Education has revoked the licence of a Tauranga daycare attended by Malachi Subecz, who died in 2021. The five-year-old died on November 12, 2021 following prolonged and horrific abuse at the hands of Michaela Barriball, whom his imprisoned mother had entrusted with his care. Barriball, who was charged with the boys murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years on June 30. In sentencing, Justice Paul Davison admonished those who could have acted to try and prevent the childs abuse. Adults could have taken steps to intervene and report what was happening, this is the clear lesson, he said. According to the court summary of facts, Barriball was spoken to by staff at the daycare and told them that the deceased had fallen off his bike and had also fallen in the weekend. The staff asked the deceased if he had fallen off his bike, to which he replied no. Malachi also told daycare staff twice when attending to his injuries that Michaela Barriball was going to be mad at him. Malachi was meant to be at daycare until October 15 last year, but his last day was September 29, after which he never returned. Daycare staff reported that he was a normal child, was not accident prone, the summary of facts noted. Following Malachis death, the Ministry of Education put a provisional licence on Abbeys Place, the childcare centre the Te Puna five-year-old attended. The service was put on a provisional license on May 17, 2022, and required to meet specific conditions by July 22, 2022, says the ministrys central deputy secretary Jocelyn Mikaere. Those conditions, relating to regulation 47 of the Regulations, have not been met. The regulation 47 condition on the licence imposed on May 17, 2022, was as follows: -Provide evidence of a formal review of this incident and a review of the child protection policy and procedure, including the identification of failures in the process and areas for improving the policy and procedure. -Provide evidence that in the absence of key persons, there is an alternate procedure for staff to escalate concerns about suspected abuse to another senior manager and the service provider, seek professional advice and/or make a report to an external agency. -Provide evidence that the centre manager has received sufficient support to understand and fulfil their role in ensuring the services child protection policy and procedure are followed by all staff. - Provide evidence that additional training and support has been provided to all staff, managers, governance members to identify and respond to concerns about child abuse. Mikaere says as these have not been met, the ministry has issued Abbeys Place with a Notice of Decision to Cancel the Provisional Licence. This will take effect from 5pm on Friday, October 7, 2022. Children must no longer attend the service from this date, she says. We have contacted all the parents and are supporting them to enrol their children at a new service. Oranga Tamariki failed to take the bare minimum action when concerns were raised about the safety of a child who was later murdered by his carer, the Chief Ombudsman has found. Five-year-old Malachi Subecz suffered months of abuse at the hands of his carer, Mikaela Barriball, including being beaten and burned, before he was murdered in November last year. Malachi was placed in Barriball's care when his mother was sentenced to prison early last year. While living with Barriball, he had been living in a cabin at the back of a Tauranga property, where he was tortured for months. In June, Barriball was jailed for life with a non-parole period of 17 years. Michaela and Sharron Barriball in the High Court in Rotorua during their sentencing hearing. Photo: Leah Tebbutt/RNZ. Malachi's wider whanau complained to the state's welfare agency several times last year, concerned about the child's safety. But in a review released on Wednesday, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says no action was taken, going on to describe Oranga Tamariki's (OT)response as "a litany of failures". "Oranga Tamariki's own law and policy puts the well-being of a child at the centre of decision-making that affects that child. Malachi's wider whanau raised concerns about his welfare at the hands of his carer," says Boshier. He says the Crown agency failed to take the "bare minimum" of action to protect Malachi, despite the child's wider whanau first raising concerns in June 2021. Among the evidence provided was a photo of Malachi with a suspected bruised eye. But after the complaints were received, Oranga Tamariki spoke to Malachi's mother in prison, who had no concerns, Boshier says. OT decided to take no further action. "Malachi's welfare and interests were not prioritised; they were instead wrongly assumed to be addressed or overridden by his mother's endorsement of his carer, in spite of evidence that he may not be safe," he says. This prompted a further complaint that no action was being taken. Again, nothing was done. Boshier says there was no evidence that OT met with Malachi himself to find out what he felt about his living situation, nor did it do a safety check on the carer's home. "It is my view that Oranga Tamariki omitted to do all that was necessary and desirable, and it should have investigated the report of concern." Even when Malachi was admitted to hospital, his uncle again called OT to complain but was told at first there was no complaints process. Malachi died a short time later. "A number of things are supposed to happen following a report of concern in cases where a child is at risk of harm or neglect and if it appears an investigation is necessary or desirable," says Boshier. "If an investigation is begun, Oranga Tamariki is required to do an assessment followed by a safety and risk screen. The screen identifies whether immediate action is required to secure the safety of the child." Boshier found none of these steps appeared to have been taken. There was also no record that OT considered its obligations under the Child Protection Protocol at any stage. Boshier says OT acted unreasonably and wrongly, and the agency should apologise to the whanau, in a time and way that was right for them. Oranga Tamariki says it had accepted the Chief Ombudsman's recommendations. Two other reviews have begun into the case and Boshier says he would be closely monitoring their progress. OT was conducting a review into its practice while Dame Karen Poutasi had begun an independent review looking at the roles and responsibilities of the different agencies involved in Malachi's care, he says. "I believe my findings will help inform these reviews. The objective must be to prevent such tragedies from happening again." He says he expected OT to report on the reviews' conclusions and he may make further recommendations if he was not satisfied. -RNZ. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. In Honor of World Teachers Day, Fly Arna, Armenian national airline, and a joint venture company between the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) and Air Arabia Group, surprised two distinguished teachers in Armenia for their contribution towards educating the future generation. Fly Arna extended four return air tickets to a teacher of Physics at the secondary school of Khndzoresk community in Armenias Syunik region Anahit Ishkhanyan and a teacher of Armenian language at Yerevan Shevchenko School Anahit Mkrtchyan. The two-way tickets are offered to the teachers from Yerevan to Sharm El-Sheikh with the purpose of organizing their deserved holiday with the national carrier during the coming months. Gayane Antonyan, Fly Arnas spokesperson, said: We at Fly Arna are incredibly grateful for the commitment and hard work of educating our youngsters. Celebrating this special occasion, today, Armenianational airline decided to surprise the two teachers, who had years-long significant contribution to the formation of an educated and developed generation Anahit Mkrtchyan and Anahit Ishkhanyan visited Fly Arnas office today and received their presents from the representative of the airline. How many babies need to die before something is done? This is the question from National child abuse advocacy group, Child Matters, after the Ministry of Education revoked the licence of a Tauranga daycare attended by murder victim Malachi Subecz. Child Matters says the licence revocation reinforces the significance of legislating mandatory child protection training in New Zealand. Five-year-old Malachi Subecz from Te Puna tragically died following sustained and horrific abuse at the hands of his caregiver in November last year. The Ministry of Education has now formally revoked the licence of Abbeys Place Childcare Centre after the centre failed to meet conditions of its provisional licence. Ex-police detective, lawyer and now CEO of Child Matters, Jane Searle, says laws need to change now. Sadly, Malachis death was completely avoidable if the childcare centre and other adults in his life had acted on his behalf, the outcome would most likely have been different, she says. Children who are being abused cannot stop that abuse that is the important role of adults to have that voice on behalf of powerless children. Jane says education staff need to know how to identify and appropriately respond to suspected abuse because, as history shows, the consequences can be fatal. We have a plethora of health and safety rules in New Zealand, yet we dont have anything in place to protect our most vulnerable tamariki who are suspected of being abused. Unlike many other countries, in New Zealand child protection training is not mandatory for professionals or volunteers who work with children and young people. This means some of the key people in a childs life may not be equipped with the skills and expertise to recognise the signs of abuse, and how best to respond, says Jane. With one child dying from abuse every five weeks on average in New Zealand, the need for mandatory child protection training is crucial if were to have a society that knows how to protect its children, take action when needed, and follow up to ensure their safety. To be blunt, how many other babies need to die or be horrifically abused before the government acts? The need is now. A child is in critical condition after falling from a tree in Welcome Bay. Emergency services were called to the incident in Welcome Bay at just before 5pm on Tuesday. A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline at the time of the incident says the TECT Rescue Helicopter, St John and firefighters were all on scene. A spokesperson for the rescue helicopter says the child was rushed to Waikato Hospital after life-saving measures were performed. A police spokesperson confirmed that officers did attend the scene, along with firefighters who assisting with the landing of the helicopter. Warning: This video contains language that may offend some people. Work to improve the road condition on State Highway 29 is expected to get underway next week. This follows remedial work to repair a "series of potholes" which opened up on the highway on Friday, September 30. A video sent to SunLive shows a large number of vehicles pulled over on SH29 on Friday, repairing flat tyres in the rain. Amongst the carnage, a toddler and mother were stranded the dark for two hours after their car tyres were damaged. Waka Kotahi regional manager of maintenance and operations Rob Campbell says remedial work got underway on SH29 on October 4, which includes resurfacing works and subsoil drainage installation at the problem area. Next week we begin the programmed chip sealing work which will improve the condition of the road. NZTA puts the Friday event down to significant weather. Winter is always tough on our roads, and the damage caused by the particularly heavy rain weve seen this winter has been especially bad. The Bay of Plenty region received more than 120mm of rain across 72 hours over this weekend alone. Bay of Plenty system manager for Waka Kotahi Roger Brady told Stuff the road was inspected earlier in the day and there were no issues reported. Contractors were on site within the hour after being notified of road damage at about 5.30pm. A significant amount of rain fell in the Bay of Plenty in the weekend, causing a number of roading issues. The MetServices says the region had more rain than the total average for the month in previous years. "Tauranga has reported more rain so far this month than its normal October average," says John. The average amount of rain for Tauranga in October is 80mm, and the city has already seen 83.8mm this month. Similarly, Whakatane has already exceeded its monthly average according to John, with 85mm of rain already hitting the town compared to the 83.9mm October average. "Rotorua has also exceeded its normal October average too. Rotorua has seen 121.3mm in 2022 compared to the 98.6mm October average." Road safety campaigner Geoff Upson says the series of potholes could have easily been foreseen, and could have been prevented as early as last summer. It really doesnt take a genius to look at a stretch of road, and decide whether or not it will be a problem the next time it rains, says Geoff. The road shouldnt have even been fixed last Friday, it should have been fixed on August 18 when it was first reported as a problem. Geoff says he posted a video on Facebook in August, which showcases a similar scene of cars pulled over with flat tyres, and the poor state SH29 was in prior to the wet Friday on September 30. I still cannot get over the fact that police told us to avoid the area because of the potholes over the weekend. It is just hilarious. Geoff adds he does not see weather as a proper excuse for the pothole problem. NZTA continually blame events like these on the weather. It rains every winter. NZTA needs to be more honest about what the real problem is, which is a reduction on road maintenance overall and wasting money on things we dont want. Rob says potholes are an ongoing issue, which comes with the flexible pavements that are used in New Zealand. We acknowledge that potholes will appear across the country, especially on routes that experience high volumes of freight vehicles like SH29 Kaimai Range. When we become aware of potholes, contractors carry out temporary repairs as quickly as possible, however we wait to make permanent repairs until the warmer, drier months of spring and summer, to ensure our work lasts as long as possible. NZTA say the location of the potholes were on the same highway, but in different locations to the video published by Geoff in August. "Potholes have appeared at times over the winter and spring period on the Lower Kaimai Range area, close to where the most recent potholes appeared, however the locations are not identical. "As with any road, water is the main contributing factor creating potholes, especially on older road surfaces and pavements." Local berry growers are worried a hepatitis A scare linked to imported fruit could accidentally put people off local produce. Twelve cases of hepatitis A prompted Foodstuffs to recall some Pams frozen berry products while government food safety specialist investigated into the source of the illness. Earlier this week, Ministry for Primary Industries said frozen Serbian berries were under investigation because of a possible link. Read more here. Deputy general of New Zealand food safety Vincent Arbuckle says eight of the 12 cases are linked by genetic sequencing, meaning they are likely exposed to the same source of the virus. Local producers are worried consumers may not pick up on the difference between locally-produced fresh and frozen products and those imported from overseas. Northland berry grower Patrick Malley told Checkpoint consumers should have confidence in locally grown fresh and frozen products. Waikato's Sunrise Berries managing director Todd Feather reassures consumers that New Zealand's food safety is of a high standard. He says berry plants can pick up diseases through bad farming practices, but care is taken to ensure that doesn't happen here. Feather says his staff monitor the crop everyday and regular tests are carried out to detect harsh pathogens. Although New Zealand produces its own berries, most are eaten fresh, while the frozen supply comes in from overseas. Malley says there is a need to import berries from overseas because of the cost difference. "It's cheaper to grow berries [that are frozen] over in Serbia, than it is for us grow fresh berries and have some of them go into the frozen market. And that's just the nature of things." Feather says berries imported from Chile, China and Eastern Europe can be sold in the frozen market due to their low labour costs. New Zealand Food Safety says tracing the illness back to specific products is a challenging process, especially as hepatitis A has a long incubation period of up to 50 days. People are being warned to continue cooking frozen imported berries as a precaution, while the investigation continues. Foodstuffs spokesperson says customers who have already bought the berries should boil them or return them to the store to get a full refund. -RNZ. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. n October 5, Paruyr Hovhannisyan, Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia, received Domenico Arduini, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Armenia, on the occasion of handing over a copy of the credentials, ARMENPRESS was infomred from the press service of the MFA Armenia. During the meeting, the interlocutors referred to the future plans of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Armenia, as well as the possibilities of overcoming humanitarian problems. The Deputy Minister presented the details regarding the consequences of the latest aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, highlighting the importance of targeted response of the international community towards condemning the Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. On October 5, from 19:40-20:00, the units of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, using mortars and large-caliber rifles, opened fire in the direction of the Armenian military positions located in the eastern part of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Defense Ministry of Armenia. "As of now, the adversarys fire has been silenced," the Ministry said. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Commissioner of the Federal Republic of Germany, Luise Amtsberg, called for an investigation into the footage showing the execution of Armenian prisoners of war. "I am horrified by the video, which apparently shows the execution of Armenian prisoners of war. Any alleged war crime in the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be investigated, the culprits should be brought to justice," ARMENPRESS reports, Amtsberg wrote on her Twitter page. On October 2, a video was published on the Azerbaijani Telegram channels showing how the Azerbaijani soldiers brutally shoot the captured Armenian soldiers at the Armenian military position. A phone conversation was held between the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the U.S. Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. October 5, 2022, 10:28 Creation of Stepanakert-Baku discussion mechanism discussed during Mirzoyan-Bayramov- Blinken call STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: On October 4, upon the initiative of the American side, a phone conversation was held between the Foreign Minister of Armenia, the U.S. State Secretary and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan. The sides exchanged opinions on the meeting held on October 2 in Geneva. The Armenian side reiterated the need for the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, the immediate repatriation of the Armenian prisoners of war illegally held in Azerbaijan and for the unconditional observance of the ceasefire regime. The inadmissibility of resolving the issues with the use of force or the threat of use of force was stressed. In the context of preventing new aggressions, the importance of introducing international mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the border situation was emphasized. During the conversation, the interlocutors exchanged views on the development of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty and the creation of a discussion mechanism between Stepanakert and Baku. The sides agreed to continue discussions aimed at establishing stability and security in the South Caucasus, the foreign ministry said in the readout. Geta BHPian Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Chennai Posts: 182 Thanked: 1,354 Times Ayudha Pooja for automobiles So we wash our vehicles, wipe them clean, apply sandal paste and vermilion on bonnet, garland them, do a customery Pooja to ward off the evil eye, break coconuts and pumpkins and crush lemons under the wheels. I am not sure whether such a custom is practiced in the other states. Hence just felt like sharing this with the other enthusiasts here Hindus in Tamil Nadu celebrate Ayudha Pooja on the ninth day of Navaratri. This day is essentially for cleaning, maintaining and paying obeisance to your professional equipments and machinery, for serving you well through the year. Since Navaratri is the celebration of the invisible energy (Shakti, personified as womanhood) it may be construed that the reverence is to the energy that is a part of the professional machinery.So we wash our vehicles, wipe them clean, apply sandal paste and vermilion on bonnet, garland them, do a customery Pooja to ward off the evil eye, break coconuts and pumpkins and crush lemons under the wheels.I am not sure whether such a custom is practiced in the other states. Hence just felt like sharing this with the other enthusiasts here Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Geta : 4th October 2022 at 14:46 . In a nutshell: Elon Musk seems to have changed his mind again and will buy Twitter after all for the originally agreed-upon amount. He will end up paying $54.20 per share, with the entire deal being worth around $44 billion. According to a new SEC filing, billionaire Elon Musk will go through with his Twitter acquisition, after all, provided the company drops its lawsuit against him. Twitter shares rose 22 percent when the news broke, while Tesla shares fell about 5 percent but have recovered somewhat since then. So how did this whole ordeal start? In April, Musk disclosed that he purchased a 9.2 percent stake in Twitter. The company quickly offered him a seat on its board of directors, which Musk eventually rejected as it wouldn't bar him from ever acquiring a stake larger than 14.9 percent. The billionaire then announced his plans to buy the whole company in a deal worth $44 billion. After the company accepted, Musk quickly gained cold feet, citing concerns about the number of spam and fake accounts on Twitter, among other issues. In July, he formally requested to get out of the deal, which prompted the company to sue him. That trial is scheduled to start on October 17 and might still go through if the two parties don't come to an agreement by then. Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2022 Musk likely changed his mind (again) due to his legal team reportedly believing that the case wouldn't go his way. Press reports indicate the assigned judge repeatedly sided with Twitter in pretrial rulings, with the recent emergence of a whistleblower apparently not improving expectations enough. Twitter said it received the letter and planned to accept the deal at the price they initially agreed upon in April. Musk later tweeted that he intends to make Twitter an "everything app," which likely means expanding its feature set to more than just social media. This makes it sound a bit like WeChat, a popular social media app in China that's also used to order food, book rides, make payments, and more. We'll have to see in the next few weeks if Twitter will go private, finally bringing this rollercoaster to an end. Why it matters: Do you have aspirations of working for the most valuable company in the world? With its $2.35 trillion market cap, Apple offers plenty of employee benefits, but getting on the payroll isn't easy. According to boss Tim Cook, there are four qualities Cupertino looks for in its potential hires. Speaking at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy (via Fortune), Cook emphasized how important it is that incoming Apple staff care about the world, as he believes this brings out the best work in people. The CEO then broke down the four key attributes he says people need to work for Apple. The first of these and, given the company's controversial return-to-work mandate, possibly the most relevant today is the ability to collaborate with colleagues. "we look for the ability to collaborate with peoplethe fundamental feeling that if I share my idea with you, that that idea will grow and get bigger and be better," he said, noting that Apple's ability to create new products stemmed from collaborative, rather than individual, efforts. Want to work here? Unsurprisingly, Cook cited creativity as another trait Apple looks for in potential employees: "[we look for] somebody that will kind of walk around the problem and look at it from different angles and use their creative juices to come up with solutions." Curiosity was next. Cook said being curious enough to ask lots of questions, be they smart or dumb, puts pressure on the person to think through the answers really deeply. The last and probably most obvious thing Apple wants from workers is a high level of expertise. "If we're doing something in industrial design, we need somebody that knows industrial design and has a skill set in it either from their college days or through their work days," he said. Cook said that Apple staff with these four skills had done well at the company, which is why it looks for the same attributes when hiring staff. He added that being paid a lot of money will not make someone happy if the job is unfulfilling. "People have to work for a reason bigger than themselves," he said. "So you want to have a vision for a company that is about serving the customer and somehow improving their lives. You want to do it in an ethical way." It's interesting to hear Cook name the collaboration skill first. The CEO has long said in-person teams are essential to Apple's culture, which is why the company has been pushing harder than most to get its employees back in the office. It led to a staff petition in August against the return-to-work mandate that demanded location-flexible work. Something else Cook perhaps should have mentioned as a trait Apple looks for is employees not making ill-advised comments in TikTok videos. Tony Blevins, vice president of procurement for Apple, made that mistake recently and it cost him his job. United States President Joe Bidens National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan welcomed the release of the 17 Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan. October 5, 2022, 10:47 US continues to support ongoing efforts to reach lasting peace agreement White House National Security Advisor STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: We welcome Azerbaijans return of the 17 Armenian POWs from the recent violence. The United States continues to support ongoing efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement, Sullivan tweeted. Azerbaijan released 17 Armenian prisoners of war on October 4 at US mediation. Forward-looking: One of the biggest challenges for large semiconductor companies is that they must make big bets on key technologies and markets many years before they become commonplace. In our increasingly digital world, chips are the main base-level component necessary to enable new types of innovations that, in turn, lead to the creation of new product categories or the reinvention of older ones. Such is the case of today's automobile market, which is seeing a transformation of capabilities, architecture, and design all being driven by chip-powered digital technologies. Several years back, many of the world's largest semiconductor companies, including Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel and others started making plans for what they saw as the next big digital device category: the smart connected car. Now, as we start to see the debut of model year 2023 cars with increasingly sophisticated tech-enabled functions, it's becoming clear that those early bets are starting to payoff. Each of these major tech vendors -- all of whom have typically focused on end user computing devices like PCs and smartphones -- are making important inroads into the automotive industry. In fact, each are now starting to highlight signs of the increasing importance that being a car component supplier is having on their respective bottom lines. At its recent GTC conference, for example, Nvidia highlighted how it is leveraging its next generation GPU technology for a variety of different automotive applications, including assisted and autonomous driving, as well as infotainment functions. Similarly, Qualcomm held an investor day last month that discussed the company's rapidly growing pipeline of automotive-based business. Finally, Intel just announced that it will be spinning out its Mobileye division in what it hopes will prove to be a big financial windfall after purchasing the ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) technology-focused, Israel-based company in 2017. In Nvidia's case, the company has already released many previous iterations of its GPU-powered technology for the car market, but with each successive generation, the company is enabling more powerful capabilities and reaching into new applications. After years of success driving car infotainment systems, the company took on the more challenging task of assisted driving functions and now continues to work towards higher levels of autonomous driving. The company's new Drive Thor platform is powered by the latest Ada Lovelace generation of GPU technology, the newest Arm-based Grace CPU technology that the company announced earlier this year, and the AI capabilities from the company's Hopper multi-instance GPU tech for AI acceleration. With Drive Thor, automakers can consolidate intelligent vehicle functions on a single SoC. Collectively, these enable a whopping 2 teraflops of performance. In real world terms, that means that Drive Thor can be used to enable most of the key technology-driven functions found in a modern car -- including ADAS and some autonomous driving functions, automatic parking, infotainment control, driver and passenger monitoring, and instrument cluster control -- from a single platform. This is an important advance because previously many of these functions were run by separate chips. In fact, many car makers or Tier 1 automotive suppliers would often pick chips from different vendors to run these different functions. That's why it became relatively common to hear multiple chip vendors talk about how they won business from the same vendor and sometimes even the same models. They were being used for different functions. With Drive Thor, Nvidia is offering car manufacturers, starting with their 2025 models, the ability to start integrating more of these functions into a single platform. Given the enormous complexity of today's cars, that's a potentially big win for everyone involved. For Nvidia, of course, it gains more of the business and establishes itself as an even more critical supplier. For carmakers, the integration of multiple functions into a single digital platform can help simplify the overall architecture of the car, which should lead to more reliable operation, and reduce the costs and complexity associated with combining multiple platforms into a single vehicle. Drive Thor enables this multi-function support by running multiple different applications simultaneously through a virtualized software environment (conceptually similar to what servers do in data centers and in the cloud) that Nvidia refers to as multi-domain computing. In essence, this allows Drive Thor to replicate in software the many physical domain controllers that have powered various automotive functions within cars for decades. Also, unique to Drive Thor versus previous generation Nvidia automotive hardware is an inference transformer engine, which the company claims can deliver a 9x improvement running the types of neural networks that are at the heart of assisted and autonomous driving functions. Rounding out the news, Nvidia also announced that China car company Zeeker (part of the Geely Automotive Group, which also owns Volvo) will be the first to use Drive Thor as its computing platform starting with cars built in 2025. At its Automotive Investor Day, Qualcomm also announced (though did not detail) a new automotive technology offering called the Snapdragon Ride Flex SoC. Like Nvidia's Drive Thor, Qualcomm's Ride Flex is supposed to be powerful enough to support all the key compute-powered driving functions in a smart, connected car, but full details on the chip aren't expected until CES 2023 on January. Qualcomm has also been releasing products for the automotive industry for many years now and, back in early 2022, launched a renewed automotive strategy with the Snapdragon Digital Chassis program. Digital Chassis integrates multiple different functions, such as Snapdragon Digital Cockpit for in-vehicle infotainment and Snapdragon Ride for assisted and autonomous driving, into a single platform that carmakers can either pick and choose from, or take as one -- a path that may become more popular with the debut of the Ride Flex SoC. Qualcomm's history with the car industry goes much further back, as it's been delivering communications peripherals such as cellular modems, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth chips for cars for several decades. Most telematics systems like GM's OnStar and its equivalent, are typically powered by Qualcomm's connectivity chips. Plus, given the increasingly software-defined nature of modern cars, as well as the critical need and potential new business opportunity for over-the-air upgrades, the "connected" part of the smart, connected car is becoming significantly more important. As a result of those long-term connections, the company announced at its investor event that its pipeline for automotive revenue had grown from $19 billion to $30 billion over the course of just a few months, highlighting the momentum it is seeing with partners like Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, and Stellantis. In addition, Qualcomm unveiled a partnership with Mercedes Benz to bring the Digital Cockpit functions and the Snapdragon Automotive Connectivity Platform into future Mercedes vehicles. For its part, Intel announced plans to spin out its Mobileye division in a widely anticipated IPO. Mobileye has been the early leader in assisted driving functions through camera-driven and smart map-based technology and has established partnerships with virtually all the large car manufacturers around the world. Recently, the company added support for lidar and other sensors with its True Redundancy platform and is increasingly moving towards more autonomous driving functions. When Intel purchased Mobileye just over 5 years ago, it was one of the first signs of the growing importance of the automotive sector for big semiconductor companies. Since then, Intel has continued to nurture the company and helped it to grow. Now it hopes to be able to "cash in" on its investment with the newly announced IPO and leverage some of those funds for its own aggressive plans for new chip manufacturing sites. Smart, connected cars are going to be an incredibly important part of the future growth of not only the big chip companies like Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD, but of lesser-known ones As with many long-term predictions, not everything about how the big semiconductor companies and the automotive industry would work together has panned out as initially expected. After all, we are still a very long way from fully autonomous Level 5 cars for individuals -- despite the tech industry's strong prognostications and huge efforts. However, there's no question that smart, connected cars are going to be an incredibly important part of the future growth of not only the big chip companies like Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD, but of lesser-known ones like Marvell, Lattice Semiconductor, and many others. In fact, recent reports from large investment banks have suggested that 45% of a car's components could be tech-related in the next 10 years or so. As the high tech link to the automotive industry continues to evolve, we're also starting to witness huge growth in cloud connected services for cars. In sum, it's a great (and telling) example of the kind of influence that semiconductors and tech can have on traditional industries overall. It also may be a foreshadowing of other interesting re-invention opportunities still to come. Bob O'Donnell is the founder and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, LLC a technology consulting firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the technology industry and professional financial community. You can follow him on Twitter @bobodtech. Image credit: Riccardo In a nutshell: Takedown requests from copyright holders have reached an all-time high of six billion URLs. So Google is working with content owners to blacklist rights-infringing websites before its algorithms can even index them. As a result, the search giant has removed billions of results linking to pirated materials. Requests for content delisting from Google Search results recently reached an unprecedented milestone, passing the six-billion mark and highlighting the company's strong will to cooperate with rightsholders. Mountain View regularly receives takedown orders on alleged pirate links from its earch index. Google grants the requests after a careful review of their validity. Google's policy on copyright infringement, as outlined on its Transparency Report page, is consistent with the infamous Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and "provides a simple and efficient mechanism for copyright owners from countries/regions around the world." A copyright owner can send Google a takedown notice about an alleged pirate link, and Google will remove the offending content from its search results if there are no issues. Google has received 6,006,830,816 requests to delist from 326,888 rightsholders. It has granted the majority of those. Of the more than six billion results, 4,043,339 were top-level domains. Requests from organizations acting on behalf of its rights-holding clients totaled 333,253. The ten most active organizations have collectively reported nearly 2.5 billion URLs, more than 40 percent of the total requests. Interestingly, only 400 domains are responsible for 41 percent of Google's entire delisting activity. In other words, almost half the takedowns are on sites that regularly host infringing content like The Pirate Bay and others. Aside from dedicated pirating hosts, delisting requests sent to Google have included blatant false positives like websites of The White House, the FBI, Disney, Netflix, and others. The numbers provided by Google indicate that the most popular internet search engine and one of the largest tech companies ever has a positive relationship with content owners and copyright holders. It's a reverse of the times when the company actively opposed any third-party efforts to limit web indexing. Now, Google is working voluntarily with those third parties and accepting takedown requests for links that aren't even indexed by the search engine yet. Google offers copyright holders a preemptive blocklist to prevent pirate links from being added to search results in the future. The once-important issue about free "access to information" is now just a tiny side note at the end of the content delisting page. Data provided there "helps inform global conversations on the way copyright impacts access to information." Google says there are still active "discussions with policymakers around the world on how to best fight online piracy and connect users with legitimate content." In brief: The Moon is a staple in the night sky, but have you ever stopped to consider how it came to be? Researchers have been asking this question for decades and a new simulation adds an interesting wrinkle to the debate. One leading theory suggests ancient Earth was hit by an object called Theia that was roughly the size of Mars. It was previously believed that debris from the collision came together in orbit over months or years to create our satellite. The new simulations were run at the highest resolution of any sim used to study the Moon's origins and suggest the offshoot could have been forms in a matter of hours after impact. The higher-res sims also surfaced new behaviors and details that simply were not evident with lower resolution models. Vincent Eke, a researcher at Durham University who helped co-author the study, said the more we learn about how the Moon came to be, the more we discover about the evolution of the Earth. Lunar rock samples have very similar isotopic signatures to rocks here on Earth, suggesting material that makes up the Moon could have originated here. Theia could have also been isotopically similar to Earth, but it would be an unlikely coincidence. The new simulation provides a plausible explanation as to why the isotopic signatures are so similar and could also explain other quirks like the Moon's tiled orbit and its thin crust. Jacob Kegerreis, a postdoctoral researcher at NASA's Ames Research Center and lead researcher of the study, said the simulations open up a whole new range of possible starting places for the Moon's evolution. Or, it could just be a hollow, artificial structure brought here by someone else for an unknown purpose. The team's paper has been published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. NASA said additional analysis of future lunar samples, like those scheduled to be brought back from Artemis missions, will help narrow down which theories about the Moon's origin are correct. Image credit: Michele Raffoni In a nutshell: Dutch submersible manufacturer U-Boat Worx is hoping its upcoming creation will appeal to sailing enthusiasts and undersea explorers alike. It truly does offer the best of both worlds, but only if you've got deep enough pockets. The Nautilus is a 1,250-ton, 37.5 meter underwater superyacht. Unveiled at the recent Monaco Yacht Show, the vessel can function both as an on-water yacht and a submersible. In yacht mode, the Nautilus affords a spacious sun deck, a freshwater pool, a bar and a dining table. Inside, you will find a 50 square meter dinner and lounge area with four circular windows measuring nearly four meters in diameter each. The blueprint also calls for a master cabin, four additional staterooms and sleeping quarters for up to six crew members. A full galley makes meal prep and cooking a breeze, above or below the water. The interior layout can be fully customized to meet a client's specific needs and wants. The diesel-electric will have a depth rating of 200 meters (around 656 feet), a surface cruise speed of nine knots and an underwater speed of four knots. The vessel can stay under water for up to four days at a time, with underwater endurance at cruise speed set at six hours. A tender, the Aronnax, is stowed under the aft deck. Seasickness and treacherous weather conditions will likely become a concern of the past for owners. As U-Boat Worx founder Bert Houtman notes, if the sea becomes too rough, simply dive and continue your voyage in comfort. U-Boat Worx is a leader in the market for small submersibles with a range of personal underwater vehicles available to the buying public. While still not exactly cheap, the Nemo series starts at 545,000 euro and can accommodate two passengers to a depth of up to 100 meters, or around 330 feet. The U-Boat Work Nautilus starts at 25 million euro, a figure that will no doubt climb once customizations are factored in. Orders are expected to be ready within 30 months, we are told. (Photo : Albert Putra Purnama) Albert Putra Purnama When he was just a child, Albert Putra Purnama's dad picked him up at school and told him about the impact Bill Gates was having on the world. Immediately, Albert was inspired and motivated, but unlike Bill Gates, he didn't go to Harvard and his mediocre grades certainly weren't setting him on that path. However, Albert had the right level of ambition to make a difference, and now, in his early 20s, he's proving to himself and the world of tech that he didn't need Harvard to succeed. When he left his home in Jakarta, Indonesia, and set out for college in the United States, Albert had no idea what to expect. He planned on getting into UC Berkeley and then figuring the rest out. But even then, life didn't go quite as planned. He didn't get into UC Berkeley, and he was never able to land a job at his dream company, Google, but he never stopped pursuing his dreams. Ultimately, Albert went to college at the University of California, and to Diablo Valley College. This is where he met a group of like-minded entrepreneurs. Together, the group of innovators developed Cotter, a passwordless login solution for websites and applications. Albert had developed an authentication solution for mobile trading in Southeast Asia before coming to the states, so Cotter was almost a 2.0 iteration of that project, but way more sophisticated. Along with his co-founders, Albert was selected to participate in the Y Combinator, a prestigious startup accelerator program. During that time, Cotter was refined and improved upon as the team interviewed customers, updated the software, and created a finished product. Though Cotter was eventually acquired by Stytch, an API-based passwordless software, its legacy would continue to live on through Typedream. When Albert and his team were building Cotter, they integrated plugins for no-code website builders like Webflow and Bubble, making it easier for people with no coding skills to add the new login functionality to their website. People began to ask for a plugin to integrate Notion, a popular note-taking application. Albert and his team learned that people were using Notion's interface to build their websites because it didn't require coding, and they knew that there was a need for a better no-code website builder. Enter: Typedream. Typedream gives users the ability to build websites in a matter of minutes, but even better, it doesn't require any coding skills. With the ability to create websites on their own, individuals and businesses all over the world can level up their online presence in the age of digitization. Unlike legacy no-code website builders like WordPress or Squarespace, Typedream is even easier to use, has more sophisticated features, and makes finished websites look like they were professionally done. Already, Typedream has been named the #1 Product of the Day, the #1 Product of the Week, and the #1 Product of the Month by Product Hunt. Though Albert had to step back from Cotter in order to dedicate enough time to Typedream, he learned the important lessons of prioritizing your goals, ensuring that products are serving their purpose, and persevering through challenging times. His story is unique, and his successes are a product of his own devotion. Now, Albert Putra Purnama has nowhere to go but up. After making the Forbes 30 Under 30 list at the age of 24, it's clear that big things are ahead. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The European Union (EU) has passed a law today that mandates gadget makers to switch their devices' charging ports to USB-C type by the end of 2024. A wide range of electric devices will be affected, including Apple's iPhone and AirPods that use lightning connectors. The directive's goal is to make all the gadgets available in the Europe marketplace have a standard charging point. The passing of the said law resulted from a total of 602 votes from the Members of the European Parliament (MEP), winning against the 13 member states that disagreed and eight abstentions. All Devices Are Affected, Regardless of the Manufacturer More information about the rule was mentioned in the press release statement issued earlier this day. It stated that all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold within Europe will be required to have a charging point compatible with USB Type-C by the last few months of 2024. More electronic accessories are included, such as headphones, keyboards, portable navigation devices, and other rechargeable gadgets that utilize a wired cable if operating a power delivery of up to 100 watts. Then, by spring 2026, the requirement will also apply to laptops. Also Read: EU Forces Apple To Only Sell iPhone With USB-C Charging Port by 2024; Here's What Will Happen if Tech Firm Doesn't Comply An Effort to Reduce E-waste and Promote Product Sustainability MEPs claim that this act is an attempt by the union to cut electronic waste and to give consumers more options in terms of making more environmentally responsible decisions. The law will eliminate the common conception, so-called the "lock-in" effect brought on by technological advancements. The lock-in effect is when a consumer only relies on a single manufacturer. In addition, this is to make use of various devices more accessible and convenient to most users. "Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices," as stated in the press release. Better Information for the Customers The newly-passed law will benefit users by getting better information from the tech manufacturers. Tech companies must disclose the charging characteristics of the new devices, making it simpler for consumers to determine whether or not their existing cables are compatible. Over time, customers will be able to save up to 250 million every year by not purchasing unnecessary chargers, leading to an increase in the number of times these chargers will be reused. "Disposed of and unused chargers account for about 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually in the EU," the article revealed. The Long-Awaited Proposal The discussion involving standard chargers has been in debate for the past decade. The union had voiced its support for establishing such a ruling, which unifies the charging standard for devices. Unfortunately, previous initiatives and voluntary approaches failed to yield concrete results for EU consumers. Finally, the Commission revealed that it was working on the proposed legislative amendment in September 2021. Related Article: Apple Forced to Comply With EU's New USB-C Charging Cable Rule to Continue to Sell Wired Smartphones in Europe This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Trisha Kae Andrada 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rivian recently reaffirmed its Electric Vehicle (EV) production goal to 25,000 by end of 2022, as reported by The Verge. The reaffirmation shows signs the company is rising above its challenges and brought in a positive production report. (Photo : Mustafa Hussain/Getty Images) CHICAGO, IL - JULY 21: An interior view of an electric delivery van during a launch event between Amazon and Rivian at an Amazon facility on July 21, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. The automaker plans to build a $5-billion factory in Georgia, which was backed by Georgia's state government by providing $1.5 billion in tax incentives. In fact, Georgia officials called the project the "largest economic development deal in the state's history." However, last week, Ocmulgee Superior Courts Chief Judge Brenda Holbert Trammell ruled that the economic development authority of the state failed to justify the use of taxpayer-funded money to subsidize the project. Plans Now in Jeopardy According to judge Tramell, the company failed to provide that the factory is "sound, reasonable, and feasible," which is required under the state law. There is also a group of locals who oppose the plan that the factory mustn't be exempt from local property taxes, and the judge agrees. Under the terms, Rivian would have paid $300 million to local governments and school systems over the period of 25 years, instead of paying regular property taxes. The opponents said that Rivian was not one that could be afforded such incentives and must be subject to regular property taxes. Additionally, opponents are concerned about the traffic, environmental damage, and more. This came as a surprise since it was only a normal routine to validate a bond agreement. Additionally, the automaker's plans to build the Georgia factory has been met by mixed reactions-with rallies, conspiracy theories, and threats against local officials. So far, Rivian is exploring its legal options to address the most recent judge ruling. Also Read: Rivian to Reorganize its Production for Faster Output, But Some Users Will Have to Wait Longer The Deal The deal is a focal point in the state as a number of political races in this year's midterms could determine the party that will control Congress. For example, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia has already made the Rivian deal a key point in his reelection campaign this year. The factory is seen as an important part of the company's plans to become a major player in the industry during the shift toward electrification. It also calls for Rivian to use the land for free until 2047. The Project The construction of the Rivian five-billion battery and assembly plant has begun. Ever since its announcement last year, it aims to employ 7,500 workers and could grow to as many as 10,000 workers. Thus, this will make the factor one of the biggest auto assembly complexes in the US. Additionally, it will be the largest industrial announcement in Georgia history. Related Article: Rivian Says Amazon Electric Van Deliveries Reaches 430,000 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by April Fowell 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Webb, SOAR, and NASA released the aftermath of the recent crash which the DART mission left behind, showing a trail of its remains in a 6,000-mile-long line in space. The NASA DART mission took place towards the end of September and its test crash collided with the Dimorphos which is part of the Didymos asteroid in the Apollo constellation region. NASA DART: New Images on Crash Site, a 6,000-mile Trail Chile's NOIRLab managed to capture the aftermath of the NASA DART mission's crash site, using the SOAR (Southern Astrophysical Research) Telescope to capture the scene. The image reveals a 6,000-mile line of the trail which was left behind by the Dimorphos asteroid as part of it was destroyed, as well as the remains of the DART CubeSat. The trail is massive, and it brought a long line of space particles made up of the asteroid's composition to appear in the massive cosmic heavens. And while it does not have any massive effect or dangers floating around, it surely gives the public a sight to see when looking back at the DART mission, something to expect more in the future. Read Also: NASA's James Webb and Hubble Capture Detailed Images of DART's Asteroid Impact NASA DART: James Webb Also Shows Another Image Another image of the DART mission's aftermath is from the most powerful space telescope in existence, NASA James Webb. According to NASA, it also positioned Webb to capture the crash mission by the DART spacecraft to Dimorphos, and here, it resembles a shining star as the spacecraft impacted the rock in its position. The Hubble was also able to bring its images on the recent mission. NASA DART Mission and its Relevance Instead of monitoring and reporting on a potentially hazardous asteroid or passerby heading towards the planet, NASA devised a way to help change its course and move it slightly off its trajectory. It is with the DART initiative or the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, which went on its successful test run last September 26. NASA confirmed the asteroid impact success for the spacecraft, and while the DART CubeSat is already gone and blown to smithereens in space, it did its job well. The space industry is already celebrating this milestone as it is a potential lifesaver in the future. Instead of simply waiting for the inevitable, the DART would be the prevention in any potential dangers on the planet, with the mission having an early test run last year. The contract is still with SpaceX's Falcon 9 to bring it to orbit on its first stage before its journey towards the potential point of impact. The DART mission is of massive relevance to modern-day space ventures as it may soon help in potentially saving the public from many dangers in the future, especially inevitable ones from space. Nevertheless, this photo is a reminder of the DART's impact not only on the asteroid but also on the world for the security it brings to all. Related Article: [LOOK] NASA DART Mission Captures Epic Images Before Asteroid Impact This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President of the United States Joe Biden will be giving an additional fund worth $60 million to rehabilitate of Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Fiona last month. The speech was done in the city of Ponce, as revealed by a report from Gizmodo. (Photo : SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) US President Joe Biden delivers remarks in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on October 3, 2022. - Biden flew to Puerto Rico on Monday to inspect storm damage, saying in a veiled jab at his predecessor Donald Trump that the territory had not "been taken very good care of" during a crippling series of past hurricanes. The president also funded the country for the recovery from the hurricanes named Irma and Maria, but the additional fund's purpose is to "rebuild it all," as per Biden. He also stated that the purpose of his visit is to show Puerto Ricans that all of America is with them, as reported by Fox News. He added, "Rebuild it in a resilient way so you don't-when the storms come again, which they will, they're not having the damage they caused before." He encouraged the attendees by describing the country as a vital place with strong people. Hurricane Fiona's Effect The damages of the hurricane that happened to the island last month were severe as homes, vehicles, and roads were destroyed because of the strong rainstorms and flash floods. As per Associated Press, the officials estimated that almost $3 billion worth of infrastructure was damaged by the hurricane. Aside from the damages, some parts of the country still experience power and water outages as of the moment affecting almost 100,000 Puerto Ricans. The damage that the latest hurricane has done to the country has been amplified as Puerto Rico is still recovering from Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma. Also Read: President Biden Mandate: No More ICE Cars by 2035, US Federal Government Fleet to be EVs Puerto Rican Grid Recovery and Modernization (Photo : Jose Jimenez/Getty Images) SALINAS, PUERTO RICO - SEPTEMBER 20: A kid rides a scooter past down electricity lines on September 20, 2022 in Salinas, Puerto Rico. The island awoke to a general island power outage after Hurricane Fiona struck this caribbean nation two days ago. Aside from the funding, the president also announced the team for Puerto Rican Grid Recovery and Modernization which will be headed by Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. This team will be working on repairing the island and will start the full transition to renewable energy. Based on the United States Energy Information Administration, the majority of the island's power comes from petroleum, natural gas, and its single coal-fired powerplant. Meanwhile, only 3% comes from renewable sources. One of the president's goals for the United States is to achieve 100% carbon pollution-free power by 2035. Adding to this is the net-zero emission across the economy of the country by 2050. By looking at the plans of the president for his nation, the decision of developing a Puerto Rican Grid Recovery and Modernization team is not surprising. At the end of his speech, Biden promises the Puerto Ricans to continue his support for better climate resilience. Related Article: Biden-Harris Administration Will Reduce Geothermal Energy Costs by 90% This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Inno Flores 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Matter is coming soon for all, and many are already expecting the debut of the famous system that would soon help in controlling many appliances or technology found in one's house. The initiative focuses on integrating it for different devices and internet-enabled smart technology in an upgraded smart home, helping people control everything and stay connected to different brands. Some of the brands include Apple, Amazon, Samsung, IKEA, and more, particularly those who are also collaborators in this initiative. Matter's System is Coming Soon, Debuting Shortly (Photo : Google The Keyword) 9to5 Google said that Matter is already preparing for its debut this year, and it seems that many reports are also backing up this information as companies are already delivering on the compatible tech. Matter 1.0 is coming to the world, and it will help in delivering the brand's product, as well as integrating existing ones from many companies. The many delays on Matter have left the world asking for it, especially with its promising offers available for all. Now, it is only a matter of time before Matter and its partners officially launch the smart home initiative for everyone. Matter promises an integration for many devices in a single control or app, helping connect people to their homes remotely, via their smartphones. Read Also: Google-Apple's Smart Home Hub, Matter, Delayed its Launch Date to Fall 2022 Google is Preparing for Matter Integration With that said, Google also announced the arrival of a new and improved array of smart home products from its development, and it brings a Matter-support for its soon integration. While it is still Google's proprietary tech, it will also be detected by the Matter system, particularly with its cloud-to-cloud connection. Google said that its devices will have a Fast Pair with Matter and Android smartphones to easily detect Matter-enabled devices. Matter and its Relevance One never thought of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, some of the most significant Big Tech companies, working together in creating technology for the world. However, that was made possible with everyone's work and help in delivering Matter, a system for the smart home to integrate different devices in a single app. There are different products and tech under Matter's brand including smart light bulbs, speakers, smart displays, thermostats, switches, and other internet-enabled devices. However, Matter would also help in controlling existing devices with the likes of the Google products like Nest, smart routers, Apple TV, and other products from collaborators. However, since 2021, there have been multiple delays in launching the feature for all, for unknown reasons behind it. Still, Matter is an existing collaboration among many Big Tech companies and the Connectivity Standards Alliance which aims to deliver an all-in-one experience for all users in their homes. Transforming the house into a smart home may be troublesome for many, but with Matter, it would be a breeze and help through its integration. Related Article: IKEA's DIRIGERA Coming Soon, Smart Home Hub with Matter Support-Price and Release Date? This article is owned by TechTimes Written by Isaiah Richard 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Trend Azerbaijan is turning into a logistics center for the transshipment of cars from Europe to the East, in particular to the countries of Central Asia, Press Secretary of Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC Elmar Habibli told Trend. According to him, today the port registers a large flow of premium class passenger cars, which are planned to be transported to Central Asian countries. "A total of 8,300 cars were transported through the territory of Azerbaijan from January through August 2022, which is 4 times more than in the same period the previous year. It's expected that the growth rate of car transportation through Azerbaijan will grow rapidly," he said. The Defense Ministry of Armenia has provided an update on the health condition of Armenian soldiers injured in Azerbaijani attacks in mid-September. October 5, 2022, 12:25 Condition of Armenian soldiers injured in latest Azerbaijani attacks improves STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: As of October 5, 61 of the military personnel wounded in the latest Azerbaijani military aggression have successfully undergone treatment and have been discharged from hospitals. 40 servicemen have completed treatment and are on rehabilitation leave, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, Panorama.am informs. The Defense Ministry says that there are currently no more wounded soldiers in critical condition in hospitals. Elon Musk recently presented a four-point plan for bringing about peace in Ukraine via Twitter. His proposal involves making significant concessions to Russia, which Kyiv finds unacceptable. However, his suggestions appear to be met with welcome arms from Russia, according to a report from the independent Russian news site Meduza. (Photo : CARINA JOHANSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images) Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway on August 29, 2022. - The meeting, held in Stavanger from August 29 to September 1, 2022, presents the latest developments in Norway and internationally related to the energy, oil and gas sector. Russia Welcomes Musk's Suggestions To quote directly from Musk's tweet, his proposal for managing the current situation in Ukraine comprised of four points: 1. "Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people." 2. "Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev's mistake)." 3. "Water supply to Crimea assured." 4. "Ukraine remains neutral." Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia's federal security council, responded to the tweet by comparing Elon Musk to Shtirlits, the famous and fictional undercover Russian spy. "He's worthy of a promotion to the next officer's rank. In his next post he might say something like 'Ukraine is an artificial state'," Medvedev said in a post on his Telegram channel. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, claimed that Russia is aware that Musk's proposal caused many people in Europe, the Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic states to lose sleep. Peskov also claimed that an invasion of "bots" was to blame for the poll's outcomes, which were posted by Musk on Twitter. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Roscosmos, joked in a post that Anna Kikina, the only female cosmonaut in active service for the Russian space agency and is scheduled to board a SpaceX Crew Dragon for the International Space Station, may have had something to do with Musk's shift of heart regarding the conflict. "That's what a Russian woman has done to the American," Rogozin wrote on his Telegram channel. Read Also: Is Tesla Ready to Deliver Useful AI to the Real World? Elon Musk Claims it Works 'Non-Hierarchically' Zelensky: Which Elon Musk Do You Like More? Even though Russian officials welcomed Musk's suggestions with humor, some people were not happy about them as he was accused of promoting a Pro-Russian peace agreement. President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Musk by polling his 6.6 million Twitter followers to determine which version of Elon Musk they preferred: the "One who supports Ukraine" or "One who supports Russia." More than 83 percent of the one million respondents supported Ukraine. Musk's remarks have surprised many people because he has been supporting Ukraine ever since Russia's invasion took place in February. In fact, SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet has been keeping at least 150,000 Ukrainians connected daily as they remain to live in the war-torn European country. A Ukrainian government official revealed this data in a tweet in May. Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov posted on Twitter that Starlink's help has been significant to Ukrainians ever since the invasion. Related Article: Elon Musk is Buying Twitter for $44B, Says He is Doing it for 'X' App This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two recent observations-one made from a helicopter and the other from a drone-captured two of the ocean's most deadly predators engaging in a confrontation. However, it is worth noting that this was no ordinary fight. This is the world's first footage of a group of orcas going "fin-to-fin" with a great white shark, as reported first by ScienceAlert. Hunting the Great White According to marine biologist Alison Towner of Rhodes University in South Africa, this behavior has never before been seen in detail, and most definitely never from the air. On the afternoon of May 16, a drifting drone in Mossel Bay's harbor noticed a white belly in the water. The drone's operator, a beachside enthusiast, chose to follow a group of killer whales who were swimming close to the surface. While the drone was recording the sharks, it was able to catch a pair of orcas that moved off eastward toward the river mouth, which is a recognized center for shark activity. The orcas started swimming close to each other on the ocean's surface, facing different directions as if they were maintaining watch. After seven seconds, a fifth orca came out from the waters between the two patrols and a three-meter-long white shark was being pushed to the surface by its nose while it was lying on its belly. The orca quickly flipped the shark onto its side and bit into the shark's belly behind its pectoral fin, causing blood to splatter into the water. The fifth orca dove deep once again and released the carcass. One of the patrols bit the shark's tail and pulled it deep into the waters. Read Also: This Haunting Image of a Dead Whale Being Circled By Sharks Wins Australia's Photography Prize Starboard the Shark Killer A member of the orca pod was later recognized as "Starboard," a well-known male with a dorsal fin that had collapsed, according to ScienceAlert's report. Before this, Starboard was linked to several shark carcasses that were washed up on South African beaches and four of them had missing livers. Starboard and another male orca named Port are most likely the murderers of other local shark species, according to circumstantial evidence, even though no one has ever seen them engage in direct combat with a great white shark. These two whales frequently visit shark hotspots, and when they do, the big fish usually leave the region for many days, as per ScienceAlert. ScienceAlert further noted that white sharks are occasionally hunted by orcas, although only three studies have ever publicly documented these instances. The first time the hunting method has been revealed in any depth is through a rigorous examination of the drone footage and photographs taken by a nearby helicopter. Based on the helicopter photos, orcas killed at least two additional white sharks on that day. The pilot of the helicopter saw two shark killings from the air just before the drone footage. The pilot also used their phone to take several images and a few quick videos of the orca predators. Related Article: Underwater Volcano in the Pacific Spews Smoke, Ash, and Shark Fragments This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. All eyes are now on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which has been named a "top pick" by US investment firm Morgan Stanley. This comes after reports that the Taiwan-based company's stock recently soared to new highs. As per Bloomberg, the circuit manufacturing services saw the most increase in nearly three months after the US investment bank forecasted a return to growth for the electronics industry in the second half of 2023. As shown by various trade data, TSMC led the majority of companies in Asia's chip industry sector. Earlier this year, the semiconductor manufacturer closed deals after deals with other processor and device manufacturers. Earlier this week, Nvidia Corp. ordered TSMC to produce the RTX 40 graphics cards, using a 4-nanometer process. Asia's Most Valuable Listed Corporation? According to the same Bloomberg report, Morgan Stanley named TSMC Asia's most valuable listed corporation. Furthermore, the investment bank deemed the company a top pick, describing it as a "future technology enabler." TSMC rose 3.7% in Taipei. After an observed rapid market correction, processor equities such as TSMC, GlobalWafers Company, and MediaTek have reached trough valuations, according to Morgan Stanley industry experts. Read Also: Microsoft-Activision Blizzard Acquisition: Is PlayStation Trying to Prevent the Deal and Allegedly Planning a Meeting With EU Regulators Meanwhile, the long-term trends of 5G, intelligent systems, and electric vehicles, all of which require semiconductors, are not changing. Following CNBC, a chip recovery will be aided by falling prices for tech products and logistics, as well as the reopening of economies, particularly in China. Another reason is a slower increase in foundry production capacity. The same report tells us that investors should place a priority on investing in big players with pricing power, businesses with long-term growth potential, and enterprises that will profit from China's localization of the semiconductor industry, analysts recommended in the report. Largely secular growth stocks have long-term potential and are less dependent on current economic conditions. More About the TSMC Bounce TSMC reported its revenue for August 2022 to have been roughly $218.13 billion back in August. This represents an increase of 16.8% from July 2022 and a rise of 58.7% from August 2021. The Taiwan-based manufacturer is anticipated to perform better over the next few weeks as it recovers from a global chip shortage. In other reports, Apple is said to have agreed to TSMC's price increase for the M3 chip found in the upcoming Mac mini and MacBook and the rumored iPhone 15 lineup. This came after the iPhone manufacturer refused to accept the price increase. Based on a 9to5Mac report, TSMC has informed its clients, including Apple and Nvidia, that it intends to increase the price of chip wafers up to 8 inches by 6% and up to 12 inches by 5%. The A17, a new Bionic chip that uses the 3nm process, is reportedly being developed by TSMC at the moment. The rumored Apple iPhone 15 flagship smartphone will reportedly be powered by this upcoming chip by 2023. Related Article: TSMC 3nm Chip Delay Might Happen as Intel Cancels Order! Will This Affect Apple's A17 Bionic Chipset Launch? 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Turkish denialists found out last week that they cant defeat Armenians in California. October 5, 2022, 13:53 Turkish denialists cannot defeat Armenians in California STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: Contrary to extensive Turkish lobbying efforts, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Sept. 29, 2022, a bill designating April 24, Genocide Remembrance Day, as a State Holiday. The bill, initiated by California Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian on February 7, 2022, was adopted unanimously by both legislative chambers of the State at the end of August. It had earlier passed unanimously through three separate committees in each of the chambers. Assembly Bill 1801 mandates the closing of all community colleges and public schools throughout California on April 24 of every year. State employees will be given time off with pay. The bill states: The Legislature finds and declares that Genocide Remembrance Day would be a day for all to reflect on past and present genocides, but especially those that have felt the impact of these atrocities and groups that have found refuge in California, including, but not limited to, the Holocaust, Holodomor, and the Genocides of the Armenian, Assyrian, Greek, Cambodian, and Rwandan communities. Genocide Remembrance Day would be observed annually on April 24, also known as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, during the week the state of California traditionally recognizes Genocide Awareness Week. The bill further states: Public schools and educational institutions throughout this state may include exercises, funded through existing resources, remembering and honoring the many contributions that survivors of genocide have made to this country. The State Board of Education may adopt a model curriculum guide to be available for use by public schools for exercises related to Genocide Remembrance Day. In a belated and failed attempt, the Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), issued on Sept. 6, an Action Alert asking Gov. Newsom to block the bill after it was adopted unanimously by the California Legislature. The Turkish Action Alert was also posted on websites in Turkey, urging millions of Turks around the world to send messages to Gov. Newsom. The Action Alert contained two sample letters addressed to Gov. Newsom, along with his email, postal address and fax number. The Turkish messages contained the usual denials about the Armenian Genocide, ignoring the fact that all U.S. 50 states had acknowledged the Armenian Genocide, along with both Houses of Congress, and Pres. Joe Biden. On the eve of Gov. Newsoms Sept. 30 decision on the bill, the ATAA posted a second Action Alert in the afternoon of Sept. 29 urging him to veto it. Unfortunately for ATAA, the Governor signed the bill on that same day. The ATAA posted a sheepish message on its Facebook page on Sept. 30 with a typing error: Regretfully sharing the devastating Mrs. [probably meant to write news] for Turks in state of California. CA Governor Newsom signs. After signing the Genocide bill, Gov. Newsom declared: Genocide commemoration is more than a history lesson. It is a powerful tool to engage people across generations in the sanctity of human rights, the enormity of crimes, and how to prevent future atrocities. Establishing a state holiday that commemorates genocides -- both past and present -- provides space for groups to heal and sends a powerful signal about our California values. Importantly, California continues to lead by example, with a strong record of providing refuge to countless groups suffering through the atrocity of genocide. California Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, the sponsor of the bill, stated: As a member of a community impacted by genocide, its hard to describe how much this means to those of us who have endured the often intentional denial of our pain and history for so long. Today, the largest state in the union and the 5th largest economy in the world has taken a stand to annually recognize the impacts of genocide. To all those who have been lost to genocide, we remember you. To all those who live with the impacts of genocide, we stand with you. California Assemblymember Laura Friedman told The California Courier: In recognizing Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24th as a state holiday in California, were acknowledging the tragedy and horrors of the Armenian Genocide and the devastation of genocides that followed. Were also honoring the victims and survivors throughout history, and educating future generations so that we can prevent such atrocities from occurring again. The Turkish Action Alerts were futile because they had the impossible goal of blocking a widely-acknowledged historic fact, the Armenian Genocide. The only thing that Turkish denialists and their government should now do, after over 100 years of lies, is acknowledge the truth and make appropriate amends to descendants of the Armenian Genocide. Such an action would be in the best interest of Turkey itself. After that, Turkish citizens would no longer live with a guilty conscience and resort to embarrassing cover ups whenever they are reminded of the Armenian Genocide. As I wrote in my December 2006 article, Ahmet Ertegun, the Founder and CEO of Atlantic Records and son of Mehmet Ertegun, Turkeys Ambassador to the U.S., had told me in a meeting in Los Angeles prior to his death that he could not understand why Turkish officials kept denying the Armenian Genocide -- a fact known to the entire world. He made it clear that his purpose in acknowledging the Genocide was not to appease Armenians. He believed that it was, first of all, in Turkey's interest to acknowledge the Genocide, because doing so would help Ankara's application for membership in the European Union and get rid of the stigma that had haunted his native land for so many years. It is now up to Turkey and Turkish denialists to decide what course to take. They can either acknowledge the obvious truth of the Armenian Genocide or continue denying an undeniable historic fact and become the laughing stock of the world. By Harut Sassounian Publisher, The California Courier Guatemala is one of the Latin America's most violent countries. Homicides increased from 3,500 in 2020 to 4,078 in 2021. On Tuesday night, the Mara Salvatrucha gang attacked the Barrio 18 gang in a hotel on El Semillero beach, in the department of Escuintla, killing 4 adults and three children. According to the National Civil Police's first investigations, the victims were members of the Barrio 18 gang and the massacre was motivated by a territorial dispute. Among those victims are Yonathan Siritit Vasquez (aka Elon) and his brother Luis Isaias (aka el Guicho). The Siritit Vasquez were brothers of the leader of a hitmen group, Auner Gustavo (aka El Pupa), who was found dead inside the Pavon prison a few weeks ago. According to local media, the victims were in the pool celebrating a robbery they had recently committed. A government spokesman mentioned that investigations are being conducted by the Department of Crimes Against Life and the National Division Against Gang Development. Once the execution was carried out, the four gang members escaped in a black vehicle, without being detected or detained. Currently, Guatemala is one of the Latin America's most violent countries. According to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), homicides increased from 3,500 in 2020 to 4,078 in 2021. So far this year, murders have still increased by 10 percent. The presidential vacancy raises concerns in a country that is going through a severe financial crisis. The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) on Wednesday urged the election of a new head of state for Lebanon as President Michel Aoun's tenure is set to expire on October 31. "ISG emphasizes the importance of electing, within the timeframe set by the constitution, a new president who could unite the Lebanese people and work with all regional and international actors to overcome the economic and humanitarian crisis for the greater public good, most immediately by paving the way for comprehensive reforms and an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF)," the ISG said. This international support group also called for the formation of a new government to implement the country's direly needed reforms. "Now is the time for Lebanese politicians to swiftly reach a broad-based national consensus to avoid a multilayered executive vacuum," it said. Angry depositors blocked roads, set fire to tyres and threw glass bottles in a protest outside the Lebanon Central Bank in Beirut against capital controls and the wider financial crisis pic.twitter.com/5MtN9Gix0H The National (@TheNationalNews) October 5, 2022 The ISG also noted with concern "the insufficient progress in the implementation of the commitments made under the April 7 staff-level agreement with the IMF, notably the delay in adopting appropriate legislation on capital controls, bank secrecy, and bank resolution, as well as decisions towards unifying the multiple exchange rate system and restoring the health of the financial sector." Lebanon had previously witnessed several periods of presidential vacancy due to political differences among the different parties governing the country. The current situation raises concerns in the country about the possibility of the post being left vacant again while the country grapples with a steep financial crisis. The ISG was created in 2013 by the United Nations and Lebanon to help mobilize support and assistance for Lebanon's stability, sovereignty and state institutions. China, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the United States, along with the European Union and the Arab League, have participated in the ISG operation. The Spanish fan who traveled on foot to Qatar to watch the World Cup has disappeared: "We fear that he is being held in Iran due to the political situation" Russian President Vladimir Putin signed four laws ratifying the treaties on the accession of the Donetsk and the Lugansk Peoples Republics, as well as the Kherson and the Zaporozhye Regions to Russia. October 5, 2022, 15:00 Putin approves ratification of treaties to admit new regions to Russia STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: The treaties were signed in Moscow on September 30. They stipulate the establishment of the new regions borders. The borders of the republics and the regions will be defined by the borders of territories, which "existed on the day of their establishment and accession to Russia," the document reads. Until the heads of the new regions are elected according to Russian law, they will be governed by acting heads, who will be appointed by Putin. Regional parliamentary elections will be held on the Single Voting Day in September, 2023. The new regions will be integrated during a transitional period to last until 2026. Prior to 2023, the Ukrainian hryvnia will be allowed for cash and non-cash payments, after which the Russian ruble will be the sole currency there. The armed forces of the new regions (available in the Donetsk and the Lugansk Peoples Republics) are supposed to become part of Russias Armed Forces, while legislative norms running counter to the Russian Constitution, including capital punishment, will not be applied. On Sunday, Putin submitted draft federal constitutional laws on admitting the new regions to Russia as well as ratification agreements to the State Duma. Later that day, the countrys Constitutional Court approved those documents. On Friday, Putin and the heads of the four regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia at a Kremlin-hosted ceremony. Earlier, those regions held referendums where the overwhelming majority of voters opted for joining Russia. The official representative of the Kazakh Foreign Ministry, Aibek Smadiyarov, said that the candidacy of a new Ukrainian ambassador to Kazakhstan is being considered by the Foreign Ministry. Currently, a request has been received from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to appoint a new ambassador to Astana, TASS quoted him as saying. Smadiyarov added that Kazakhstan and Ukraine "have a complete mutual understanding on this issue." Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan believes that the tone of the commentary of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova regarding the Ambassador of Ukraine to the republic "is dissonant with the nature of the allied relations between Kazakhstan and Russia as equal strategic partners." He announced the intention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan to call the Russian ambassador on October 5 for a conversation. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the day before that Moscow had previously been promised that the "Bandera emissary" Pyotr Vrublevsky would leave Kazakhstan forever, but now he has reappeared in the capital of the republic and attends diplomatic receptions as head of the diplomatic mission. In this regard, on October 4, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan, Yermek Kosherbayev, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry. He was told about the categorical unacceptability of such a situation. Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin instructed the investigators to check Vrublevsky's statements that "it is necessary to kill as many Russians as possible." During a phone conversation on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden informed his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky about another package of US military aid to Ukraine, worth $625 million, the White House press service said, Tass informs. October 5, 2022, 15:56 US president pledges another military aid package to Ukraine, worth $625 million STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: "President Biden pledged to continue supporting Ukraine <> for as long as it takes, including the provision today of a new $625 million security assistance package," the White House said in a statement, adding that the delivery would include additional weapons and equipment, including HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems, artillery systems and ammunition, and armored vehicles. Vice President Kamala Harris also took part in the conversation, the statement says. Later, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the recent aid delivery would bring the overall cost of US military aid to Ukraine to more than $17.5 billion. "Recent developments <> only strengthens our resolve," Blinken said in a statement on Tuesday. "We will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine." "The capabilities we are delivering are carefully calibrated to make the most difference on the battlefield and strengthen Ukraines hand at the negotiating table when the time is right," he added. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that, in response to a request from the Donbass republics, he made a decision to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. He underscored that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukrainian territories, instead planning to demilitarize and denazify the country. In response, the West started introducing sweeping sanctions against Russia and shipping weapons and military vehicles to Kiev already worth tens of billions of dollars at this point. On September 23 to 27 September, referendums on joining Russia were held in the DPR and LPR, as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. A vast majority of residents were in favor of such a move. On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions signed agreements on the accession of these regions to Russia. A banner bearing Chris Lawton's image is displayed in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week events. Lawton, a reserve officer in the Zachary Police Department, was killed in the line of duty in March 2018. Several of his former colleagues visited the nation's capital May 11 to 15. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh Davit Babayan commented on the possibility of direct negotiations between Artsakh and Azerbaijan. October 5, 2022, 16:31 Artsakh says ready for direct talks with Azerbaijan, calls for comprehensive settlement involving all parties STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS: Speaking to ARMENPRESS, he said that there is a clear format for the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict which has been approved during the OSCE summit in Budapest in 1994. The problem is that this format should be maintained, by which Artsakh is recognized as a party to both the negotiations and the conflict. Of course, we are ready for direct talks with Azerbaijan, but a comprehensive settlement of the conflict is necessary with the involvement of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, Azerbaijan, Artsakh and Armenia in that process. We can perceive direct negotiations differently, but when we talk about a political issue, then Azerbaijan must accept our subjectivity and Artsakh as a full party to the conflict, and only then we can negotiate as equal to equal, the FM said. He said that its understandable that Azerbaijan will do everything to avoid and not to meet the representatives of Artsakh, not to discuss the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict, therefore, Babayan said, it is necessary to seek the restoration of the full format. There are contacts which are necessary. For instance, if a shepherd crossed into their area, then some contacts, of course, together with Russian peacekeepers, are needed for his return, for the search of the relics of our fallen soldiers. In other words, contacts couldnt be avoided, which, however, calling as negotiations around external political issues, is, of course, not right, he said. Babayan also commented on the question what are the priority steps in the context of the latest Azerbaijani attack on Armenia and what issues are on the agenda in the diplomatic front, given the security challenges. According to him, a very proper and wise foreign policy should be run, with a perception that its impossible to ensure the security of Artsakh, the reliable and dignified future of its people without it. It is necessary to avoid adventurism. We have natural allies, brotherly countries. In general Armenian people, like Jews, are one of those unique nations who are capable to have normal relations with many countries, even with those countries which have bad relations with one another. We have a Diaspora and are obliged to have good relations with all countries which have an Armenian community. This is in our interests, which doesnt mean, however, that one should be done at the expense of another. I consider it impermissible. If 3 million Armenians live in Russia, so why we should be anti-Russian? Especially when the future depends on it. If there are no Russian peacekeepers, there will be no Artsakh. But it doesnt mean that we should become enemies with the West, because there are 2 million Armenians living in the United States, he said adding that they are obliged to have good relations with their natural ally. In general, we should study and respect every civilization, we should think of what we could take from there as an example that could be useful to us. I think this is a right approach, he said. The Cortex Innovation District in St. Louis' Central West End is one of the top five innovation districts in the world. The New Orleans BioDistrict wants to emulate its success in attracting companies and jobs. Armenia is actively discussing the use of an international monitoring mechanism to avoid border incidents with Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said in parliament. October 5, 2022, 17:25 International monitoring mechanism for avoiding border incidents actively under discussion - Armenian FM STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: He said there is a universal understanding, including among international actors, that perhaps the elimination of the aftermath of the aggression and the signing of a peace treaty alone wont create sufficient guarantees and that additional guarantees will be required, for example the presence of any international monitoring, observation or similar mechanism on the border with Azerbaijan. This is one of the instruments which is under discussion, in addition to other instruments. I can point out another instrument, for example pulling back the militaries from the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. There are various instruments, also an international monitoring mechanism and it is very actively being discussed, the FM said. Speaking about a recent claim made by former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian who said that the latest Azeri provocations on the border are connected with some undisclosed verbal agreements which were reached in addition to the 9 November, 2020 trilateral agreement, Mirzoyan said that he was perplexed when he read Oskanians article because the claims where substantiated by very suspicious allegations that some verbal agreements exist. There are no such agreements and we have numerously said this. Armenia hasnt been and will not be part of any other agreement, the FM said. Ontario recently announced a partial reform of its elementary and secondary school curricula to include mandatory learning on coding, as of September 2022. As researchers with combined expertise in teaching computer programming and curriculum development, its clear to us that this curricula is about computer programming, despite the fact that the province only uses the term coding. Coding is a most basic aspect of learning programming. Ontarios decision is in line with those taken by Nova Scotia and British Columbia, which were the first and only Canadian provinces to make learning computer programming compulsory at the primary and secondary levels in 2015 and 2016 respectively. Smart female IT programer working in Data Centre System Control Room. In the rest of the world, many governments have also made this change, such as Estonia as early as 2012, the United Kingdom in 2014, and South Korea in 2017. On the second level of the almost 100-year-old Nicholas Building, on the intersection of Swanston Street and Flinders Lane, theres a ballroom that has sat unused for decades. This could finally be about to change, however, if a bold new plan for the beloved building goes ahead. The new vision for the building also includes a new glass pavilion, a public green space on the rooftop and carving out room for events and performances. Its all part of a bid by a group consisting of the Nicholas Building Arts Foundation, the City of Melbourne and investment group Forza Capital and theyre calling on the state government to help make it happen. Plans for the Nicholas Building in Melbourne CBD. Credit:Urban Creative Concept Design The Nicholas Building is a unique creative hub in Melbournes CBD. Its the last building like this left in Melbourne, says Dario Vacirca, artist and president of the Nicholas Building Association. Across its levels there are artist studios and independent businesses, bookstores and galleries its a melting pot where art is celebrated and cross pollination between artistic disciplines is the norm. Of the roughly 110 active tenants, they cover basically every form of art and creativity you can identify from painting through VR through to jewellery, through to sculpture, Vacirca reflects. Last year, the building was put up for sale with a valuation of $80 million and a ripple of anxiety passed through the close-knit community. It meant the future was uncertain would rents become unaffordable? Would it be developed into something entirely new? What would happen to the artists for whom its a creative base? The love for the Nicholas Building isnt just about the structures and space its about the arts community that has grown there. The Stranger (MA 15+) 117 minutes The Stranger is based on Kate Kyriacous book The Sting: the Undercover Operation that Caught Daniel Morcombes Killer. Joel Edgerton optioned the book in 2018 and gave it to Thomas M. Wright to adapt and direct. Edgerton plays an undercover cop, with Sean Harris as a drifter known in the film as Henry Teague. Joel Edgerton in The Stranger. Credit:See-Saw Films The film competed at Cannes in May and had its Australian premiere at the Melbourne Film Festival two significant accolades. Before the latter, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, parents of the 13-year-old boy abducted from the Sunshine Coast in 2003, called the film a cruel act, an attempt to make money off Daniel Morcombes name and of no community benefit whatsoever. In fact, the Morcombes were sent the first draft of the script almost three years earlier and chose not to participate. Thomas M. Wright avoids a direct representation of the crime. This is a fictionalised account of a police operation that has no depiction of a victim. It has no representation of that victim, no representation of their family, there is no violence in the film, all names and details have been changed, Wright told an interviewer before the MIFF screening. Terracini said he was quitting to get on with the next phase of my life, to pursue new adventures and enable the transition of my successor. In a statement, OA said it had been agreed by all that now was the right time for the former singer, who turned 73 the same day, to leave. Terracini, who has helmed OA for 13 years and was to have seen out his contract to the end of next year, abruptly announced his resignation on Thursday leaving the arts community reeling. Speaking to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald Terracini said, I felt that you cant have two artistic directors in the building, and Id be hanging around with, frankly, with not much to do, which is not a particularly good thing for anyone. I dont want to be an impediment to someone, just loitering around the corridors. Thats not healthy it wouldnt be good for me, frankly, and it wouldnt be good for the company. He also pointed to projects he has started speaking to people about, that I want to pursue, which include one in particular which would be a real conflict of interest with Opera Australia. Terracini said that he sent a letter to the chair of OA flagging his intentions in advance of the public announcement. I decided six to eight weeks ago, he says, with an emphasis on the I. Weve had a good chat about it and everyones agreed, so its a good time for me to go. However, he isnt firm on the exact date of departure. Im in here today and tomorrow, he says. Asked if he will be going in to the office after that he replies, Ill still be working a bit on a musical because thats not completely locked in yet. This coming-of-age story was ground-breaking when it was published 30 years ago. Back then, tales of young non-Anglo women were virtually non-existent, in books, on stage or on screens. Teenager Josie Alibrandi is wrestling with that heritage as the play opens. Shed rather buy tinned tomatoes than take part in the annual passata bottling day. Crates of tomatoes are piled high around the walls, a reminder of family rituals and connections to Italian heritage. Josie Alibrandi was a heroine ripe for her times. She spoke to the adolescent spirit of a generation of young Australians who were ready to hear. In the years since, Melina Marchettas novel about a marginalised teen became a school text and a successful film. Thats quite a journey from outsider tale to mainstream in three decades. A new adaptation of a story that is now hailed as an Australian classic brings plenty of expectations. Looking for Alibrandi is grounded in Sydneys inner-west of the 1990s, and this production makes no attempt to update the tale. Rather it evokes the era, from the florid carpet that covers the stage to references to broadcaster Margaret Throsby. Loading As in the novel and film, 17-year-old Josie is a bright scholarship girl in her final year at her posh Catholic high school. Shes struggling with her migrant background, her mother, Nonna, emerging sexuality and a class and generational divide. And thats before the appearance of her long-absent father. Italian POWs for farms More than 1000 Italian prisoners of war, captured by the British in the Middle East, have arrived in Australia to relieve the manpower shortage in rural industry. They presented a motley appearance in their various types of military uniform, carrying their belongings in roughly tied bundles and neatly made wooden boxes. Some of the men carried guitars and mandolins as they boarded the train for country camps. Gable awarded US Air Medal The film actor, Captain Clark Gable, has been awarded the US Air Medal for exceptionally meritorious achievement while participating in the five bomber combat missions over enemy-occupied territory. The citation says the courage, coolness and skill Gable displayed on these occasions reflect great credit upon him and the US armed forces. Gables last raid was on Nantes, France in a Flying Fortress. Typists threaten strike Melbourne property owners and commercial businesses will be asked to step up to slash the citys greenhouse gas emissions, with sweeping new measures being floated, such as reduced rate charges for top performers and an enforced emissions cap. On Tuesday night, City of Melbourne councillors unanimously voted in support of a discussion paper that proposes initiatives to significantly accelerate the number of buildings going green and help the municipality meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2040. The City of Melbourne wants to accelerate the greening of CBD buildings. Credit:Eddie Jim To hit the goal, all buildings would need to become zero-carbon emitters, with five-star energy ratings and all-electric power, meaning 77 would need to be retrofitted each year an 11-fold jump from the current average of seven. Commercial buildings are responsible for 60 per cent of the citys greenhouse gas emissions, while residential towers account for just 6 per cent. When former NAB chief executive Andrew Thorburn was appointed the new Essendon CEO on Monday, the football clubs president, Dave Barham, declared him a highly credentialled leader with a proven track record in development and building the leadership capabilities of his people. In The Ages news story covering the appointment, the only concern raised was that Thorburn had resigned from NAB after the release of the report by the royal commission into the banking and superannuation industry and had been sharply criticised by commissioner Kenneth Hayne. Andrew Thorburn resigned as Essendons chief executive the day after his appointment. Credit:Peter Braig The story also mentioned that he was the chairman of City on a Hill church, with his biography on the churchs website stating that he became a Christian in 2002 and believes the gospel of Jesus is transformative and brings ultimate meaning to life. Social media started delving into these beliefs and it quickly became clear a controversy was brewing. The Ages CBD column pointed out on Monday evening that, at Essendon, There is no silver lining ... that doesnt come with a big fat cloud. Then media reports detailed the controversial sermons published on the churchs website about homosexuality and abortion: the most abhorrent likened abortion to the operation of concentration camps and said practising homosexuality was a sin. Premier Daniel Andrews, an Essendon supporter, described them as absolutely appalling views. A Melbourne woman has pleaded guilty to her role in an international fraud syndicate, which stole millions of dollars from superannuation funds and stock portfolios and laundered the proceeds through the purchase of diamonds. Jasmine Vella-Arpaci was 21 when she helped scam more than $3 million from the super funds and share portfolios of older Australians who held accounts with funds including HESTA, Hostplus and Rest Super. Jasmine Vella-Arpaci pled guilty at the Victorian County Court on Wednesday. Credit:AAP As part of the offending, Vella-Arpaci took part in both identity theft and phishing schemes to obtain peoples personal information and gain access to various accounts. Money siphoned from the victims accounts was then transferred to a string of fraudulently obtained Westpac debit cards and mailed to a syndicate member in Hong Kong, known as H. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he will have a quadrilateral meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, French President Emmanuel Macron and President of the European Council Charles Michel during the informal summit of the European Union in Prague. October 5, 2022, 17:35 Pashinyan to hold meeting with Erdogan, quadrilateral meeting with Aliyev in Prague STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 5, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Speaking in parliament, PM Pashinyan also said that a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is also expected in Prague. I am traveling to Prague to participate in the European Political Community summit. A quadrilateral meeting is planned there between myself, the Azerbaijani President, the French President and the President of the European Council. A meeting with the Turkish President is also planned. We had announced about a possibility of this meeting. If nothing changes, these will be the main meetings that essentially fit into the general discussion of the peace agenda, PM Pashinyan said. Pashinyan added that afterwards he will depart for St. Petersburg, Russia to participate in the informal summit of the CIS. For the past year, 21-year-old Willow Swaneveld has found herself jumping at the sound of rustling leaves, worrying about being under tall trees and unable to hear a standard iPhone alarm tone without a surge of panic. At 6am on October 29, 2021 the exact moment her alarm went off the branch of a 30-metre gum tree crashed into the bedroom of a converted shed on her familys property in Cockatoo, in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. Willow Swaneveld, 21, is still dealing with the emotional effects of the October 2021 storm that destroyed her home. Credit:Jason South Swanevelds home was one of more than 170 properties that were damaged in terrifying storms that ripped through the region in June and October. Everything was shaking and I looked up and all I saw was brown. I didnt know what it was. All I knew is it was coming closer, Swaneveld said. A 25-year-old man accused of murdering his friend by stabbing him 14 times in the chest and abdomen while high on LSD has appeared in court to face the first day of his trial. Nathan Ihaka Cherrington was 23 years old when he allegedly fatally stabbed Gus Kennedy, 24, in a drug-fuelled rage at his unit at Clyo Way, Kallaroo, on January 17 last year. Nathan Cherrington is accused of murdering his friend. Credit:Facebook Cherrington knocked on a neighbours door at 2.46am, asking them to call triple zero. He allegedly told the three men living there I f--ked up, Im going to jail, I think hes dead, Im tripping out. State prosector Michael Cvetkoski said Cherrington was experiencing a bad trip when he attacked Kennedy, but that the attack had been purposeful and conscious. Opposition MPs have accused Labor minister Harriet Shing of using confidentiality laws during her time as the head of a parliamentary integrity committee to gag Victorias corruption agencies from discussing matters that could be politically damaging for Premier Daniel Andrews. In a Coalition minority report not yet tabled in parliament, but obtained by The Age, opposition MPs claimed the committee, which monitors the performance of agencies like the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, fundamentally abrogated its responsibilities to witnesses, the integrity bodies it oversees, the Parliament, and the people of Victoria. Harriet Shing (right) with Governor Linda Dessau after being sworn in as a government minister. Credit:AAP Opposition members of this Committee believe that the work of the IOC (Integrity and Oversight Committee) should be removed from party politics, as the work of this Committee is undertaken on behalf of the Victorian Parliament and people, said the report, authored by deputy chair, Liberal MP Brad Rowswell, and former Coalition treasurer Kim Wells. Members of the Committee have an obligation to the Parliament and not the PPO (Premiers Private Office). Move in line with Tech Datas strategy of empowering ISVs and partners to drive new business and strengthen capabilities in security solutions SINGAPORE, October 05, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX company, today announced that it has expanded its strategic partnership with Cibecs a leading endpoint backup, protection and security solutions provider in 6 markets across Asia Pacific & Japan region (Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam). This partnership brings Cibecs Endpoint Cloud, which offers best-in-class data protection with intelligent management capabilities, to customers in the APJ market. The partnership underscores Tech Datas strategy of empowering ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) and partners to drive new business and further their channel capabilities across APJ. By leveraging a comprehensive data backup, protection, and security software package, ISVs and partners can now enable IT managers and CIOs to bridge the gaps in their endpoint environment and with complete visibility and control. Commenting on the development, Sundaresan Kanappan, Vice President High Growth Technologies, Tech Data Asia Pacific & Japan, said "The Asia Pacific enterprise data management market is expected to witness a market growth of 12.1% CAGR during the forecast period (2020-2026)1, with the data protection market expected to witness a growth of 16.1% CAGR during the forecast period (2017 - 2023)2. Given this backdrop, this new partnership is in line with Tech Datas strategy of bringing out a transformational approach to driving solutions in the region as well as enabling ISVs to benefit from increased functional flexibility through the channel." "With bad actors getting creative in exploiting endpoint systems vulnerabilities it is imperative to engage robust endpoint security measures to protect devices from unauthorised access, malware and data theft. Endpoint protection is a key part of endpoint security and Cibecs Endpoint Cloud solution can play an indispensable role in helping our customers by providing them full visibility or control over endpoint data and devices," added Kanappan. Story continues According to Richard Dewing, CEO of Cibecs, "We are delighted to take our partnership with Tech Data to the next level and are excited to align with their APJ presence and ability to address all markets while helping to build the right partner profile. With cloud adoption on the rise across the region, we are confident that Cibecs Endpoint Cloud, by providing a single, unified platform to discover, manage, backup and secure business data, will play an important role in delivering the most advanced data management and protection technology." Cibecs Endpoint Cloud is a powerful cloud platform built for Azure, allowing IT departments and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to easily manage highly distributed and remote workforces, centralise, consolidate, and secure business data remotely, meet compliance regulations and drastically reduce desktop support costs. 1Research and Markets: Asia Pacific Enterprise Data Management Market By Component, By Deployment Type, By Organization Size, By End User, By Country, Industry Analysis and Forecast, 2020 - 2026 2Research and Markets: Asia Pacific Data Protection Market Analysis (2017-2023) About Tech Data Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX (NYSE: SNX) company, is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. Were an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX 22,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 1,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Our edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, IoT, mobility and everything as a service. TD SYNNEX is committed to serving customers and communities, and we believe we can have a positive impact on our people and our planet, intentionally acting as a respected corporate citizen. We aspire to be a diverse and inclusive employer of choice for talent across the IT ecosystem. For more information, visit www.TDSYNNEX.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. About Cibecs Inc. Cibecs Inc is a privately held company headquartered in Delaware, USA with offices and distributors in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Cibecs is trusted by hundreds of thousands of business users globally. Representative customers include: Coca-Cola, Barclays, Kraft Foods, KPMG, Grant Thornton, Ingram Micro and CNBC. Additional Information about Cibecs can be found on the company website www.cibecs.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221004005096/en/ Contacts Jason Loo Head of Communications Tech Data Asia Pacific & Japan Jason.loo@techdata.com Demand for electric cars continues to grow as the Australian vehicle market's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gains pace. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) says 93,555 new cars and trucks were sold in September, a 12.3 per cent improvement on the same month last year. That took demand over the first nine months of 2022 to 811,130, now just 0.6 per cent down on the same period in 2021. Notably, 7247 battery electric cars were sold last month, more than the demand for hybrid and plug-in hybrid models combined. Tesla also claimed third spot among the best-selling cars with its Model Y beaten only by the Toyota HiLux and the Ford Ranger. FCAI chief executive Tony Weber said the rising demand for electric vehicles signalled that a growing number of Australians were committed to decarbonising their transport choices. "While the overall market share of battery electric vehicles remains low (2.7 per cent), there is a clear market trend towards zero-emission technology," Mr Weber said. The latest vehicle sales figures follow the federal government's call for submissions to help shape an electric vehicle strategy. The strategy will seek to make EVs more affordable, expand the choice available to buyers, reduce overall vehicle emissions, save Australians money on fuel, and increase local manufacturing. Mr Weber said Australia's pathway to decarbonising light transport was complex and required a holistic policy framework. "Any future policy and regulation need to be developed within the context of vehicle price, model availability and battery supply, and supported through the rollout of charging infrastructure and consumer incentives," he said. On the broader market result, Mr Weber said supplies of new cars to the local market were showing signs of improvement. But he said some logistical and supply chain issues remained as the global automotive market recovered from the coronavirus pandemic. Toyota led the market in September selling 14,852 vehicles ahead of Kia on 7290, Mazda with 7259, Mitsubishi with 6784 and Ford with 6635. The Toyota HiLux was the best seller with 5170, ahead of the Ford Ranger on 4890, the Tesla Model Y on 4359, Mazda's CX-5 on 2439 and the Mitsubishi Triton on 2319. Andrew Michael Westee Oct. 28, 1958 - Sept. 11, 2022 STEPHENS, GA Andrew Michael Westee, of Stephens, GA, formerly of Auburn, NY, died on Sept. 11, 2022. He was born in Ithaca, NY on Oct. 28, 1958. He is survived by his parents, Dr. Donald A. Westee and Suzanne Ebertz Westee; he is also survived by his son, Damon Westee; two grandchildren: Wolfe and Ravina; his sister, Leigh Westee; his brother, Philip Westee; many other relatives; and his girlfriend, Toni Dunn. After graduation from Auburn High School in 1976, Andy attended the University of Rochester and then transferred to the University of Miami. His love of music led him to pursue that dream in Miami, with multiple bands. He moved to Atlanta, GA in the early 1980s and eventually formed the band Redd Threat. In the mid 1980s Redd Threat was managed by members of Twisted Sister and was signed to a major record label. They played countless shows and opened up for many national acts. Andy has written hundreds of original songs and his musical talent had no bounds. Andy loved animals and raised many types of insects, birds and reptiles. His favorite snake was Cyanide, a fully venomous rattlesnake, which became a mainstay in his rock shows. Anyone that knew Andy was aware of his extreme intelligence and talent. The Earth has lost a unique individual. We will all miss him. Bureau seeks broad spectrum of nominees to help improve public land management nationwide The Bureau of Land Management today announced that it is seeking public nominations for positions on the Wyoming Resource Advisory Council (RAC). This citizen-based council assists in the development of recommendations that address public land management issues within Wyoming. The BLM maintains RACs chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Federal Policy and Land Management Act across the West. Each RAC consists of 10- to 15-members from diverse interests in local communities, and they assist in the development of recommendations that address public land management issues. Wyomings Resource Advisory Council provides BLM Wyoming with vital feedback on current issues, concerns, and proposals, and enable us to engage local communities and stakeholders to improve our management of public lands, said BLM Wyoming State Director, Andrew Archuleta. We aim to encompass a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds that represent our state and use their counsel to guide our work as effectively as possible. The BLM maintains RACs as a means of gaining expert advice, ideas, and diverse opinions on issues including land use planning, environmental issues, fire management, off-highway vehicle use, recreation, oil and gas exploration, noxious weed management, grazing issues, and wild horse and burro herd management issues. The RACs support the Bureaus commitment to enhance the quality of life for all citizens through the balanced stewardship of Americas public lands and resources. Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on the RAC. Nominees, who must be residents of the state where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be reviewed based on their training, education, and knowledge of the RACs geographic area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision-making. Letters of reference should accompany all nominations from any represented interests or organizations, a completed RAC application, and any other information that speaks to the nominees qualifications. The RAC is seeking seven nominations in the following categories: Category One Representatives of organizations associated with energy/mineral development; federal grazing permit holders; the timber industry; transportation or rights-of-way; off-highway vehicles users; and commercial and developed outdoor recreation. Category Two Representatives of archeological and historic organizations; dispersed recreation users; wild horse and burros organizations; and nationally or regionally-recognized environmental organizations. Category Three Representatives of State, county, or local elected office; Indian Tribes located within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; academicians employed in natural resource management or natural sciences; employees of a state agency responsible for management of natural resources; and the public at large. As published in a notice in todays Federal Register, the BLM will consider nominations for 30 days until November 5. For more information, please contact Azure Hall, ahall@blm.gov 307-274-5591 By Azernews By Ayya Lmahamad Russia's total investment in Azerbaijan amounted to $6.3 billion at the beginning of 2022, of which $5 billion was in the oil sector, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said in an interview with RG, Azernews reports. The minister noted that more than 1,000 companies with Russian capital operate in hydrocarbon production and transportation, the chemical industry, energy, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and cargo transportation in Azerbaijan. "Reorientation is underway, but the Caspian Sea itself is a growing market, with a population that is increasing per capita income. The western route of the North-South international transport corridor is the railroad through Dagestan to Azerbaijan, then there is a potentially large project of Resht-Astara with an exit to the Transiranian road to Bender-Abbas, to the ports of the south. In addition, the Yarag-Kazmalyar border crossing with Azerbaijan is being reconstructed, which is planned to be completed this year," he said. Azerbaijan and Russia cooperate in different sectors, such as economy, agriculture, customs, communications, high technology, and others. Over 230 intergovernmental and intercompany documents have been signed between the two countries and six "road maps" are being implemented. Azerbaijan's investments in the Russian economy have exceeded $1.2 billion, with the majority of the investments being in the non-oil sector. In addition, Russian investments in Azerbaijan's economy totaled $6.3 billion, with $5 billion in the oil sector and $1.3 billion in the non-oil sectors. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Russia amounted to $2.9 billion in 2021, making Russia Azerbaijans third-largest partner. The post office where George Bacel once worked in Fayetteville now bears his name. U.S. Rep. John Katko held a dedication ceremony on Wednesday to rename the facility as the Corporal George H. Bacel Post Office. It's the culmination of three years of work that began when Katko's office contacted Fayetteville Mayor Mark Olson and asked him to recommend a local veteran for the honor. After consulting with some local residents, Bacel's name emerged as the favorite. Katko, R-Camillus, introduced the legislation in late 2019. Bacel graduated from Fayetteville High School and enlisted with the U.S. Marine Corps on Dec. 8, 1941 one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor that led to the United States' entry into World War II. During the war, Bacel fought in several battles, including Guadalcanal and New Guinea. He was discharged from the Marine Corps and received the Good Conduct Medal in 1945. When Bacel returned to Fayetteville, he owned Fayetteville Hairstylists, a hair salon, for 30 years. He also established the American Legion in Manlius. Later in his life, he worked at the Fayetteville Post Office. "He was a man who loved his family, his country and our community," Katko said Wednesday. It took one year for Katko's bill to advance in Congress. In December 2020, one year after he introduced the measure, the House and Senate passed it with the unanimous support of both chambers. Former President Donald Trump signed it into law in early 2021. While House Republicans have released their "Commitment to America," GOP U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney unveiled her "Commitment to NY-24," a platform that addresses some of the biggest issues namely the economy and others that may appeal to conservative voters in the new district. Tenney's policy positions include supporting legislation that will make the Trump tax cuts permanent and opposing what she calls "(House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's) reckless spending agenda and Green New Deal policies." The Green New Deal is a proposed plan backed by some Democrats that would address climate change. Tenney, R-Canandaigua, says she will advocate for New York farmers by opposing the plan to lower the state's farmworker overtime threshold from 60 to 40 hours over the next 10 years. She supports federal legislation that would prevent states, including New York, from reducing the maximum work weeks for farm laborers to below 60 hours. She also wants to repeal the estate tax and make the federal 20% pass-through small business tax deduction permanent. Tenney's platform reiterates her support for natural gas drilling. She has introduced legislation that seeks to force New York to reverse its ban on hydraulic fracturing, a form of gas drilling, or risk losing federal funding. What's not mentioned in her agenda is how that may affect the district, which includes much of the Finger Lakes. Accountability is one of the headings in Tenney's Commitment to NY-24. She repeats her support for impeaching Democratic President Joe Biden over his handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the migrant surge at the southern border. She pledges to "continue to demand transparency" and has sponsored a bill that would require an audit of federal COVID relief funds. Tenney highlighted her work as the founder of the Election Integrity Caucus she said she's "honored to lead the charge in Washington to fight for free, fair and transparent elections." She authored the End Zuckerbucks Act, a bill she says will "stop far-left nonprofit organizations from funneling dark money to election agencies in (Democratic) counties like they did in the 2020 presidential election." "Zuckerbucks" have been panned by Trump supporters. The grants were issued by the Center for Tech and Civic Life, an organization financially backed by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The group donated $350 million to election offices across the country to help administer the 2020 elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Center for Tech and Civic Life's tax filings, six counties in the new 24th district Cayuga, Genesee, Jefferson, Ontario, Oswego and Yates received grants from the organization. Republicans outnumber Democrats in each of those counties. Under the heading, "A Future That's Built on Freedom," Tenney says she "will always defend the Second Amendment" and highlights her A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association. She mentions her opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates and a bill she introduced to ensure that caregivers can see nursing home residents during public health emergencies. Tenney also supports the Parents Bill of Rights, which she says would ensure "schools are accountable to parents." On policing, she opposes the "defund the police" movement and supports preserving qualified immunity for police officers. She also supports border security and combating illegal immigration. In a statement about her platform, Tenney said that New Yorkers are "concerned about our safety, economic stability and government accountability." "Alongside House Republican leadership, I am releasing my 'Commitment to NY-24 and America' so voters know exactly what my priorities will be if reelected to the newly drawn 24th district," she continued. "Our plan would cut costs, safeguard our communities and refocus our future on freedom and transparency. I look forward to working with my colleagues to fulfill our commitments to voters and deliver real results for central and western New York." The 12-county 24th district extends from western New York to the North Country. Several counties in the Finger Lakes region, including all of Cayuga, are in the district. Tenney moved from the Utica area to Ontario County to run for reelection in the new district. Her opponent is Democratic candidate Steven Holden, a U.S. Army veteran who lives in Camillus, Onondaga County. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 45F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Some clouds. A shower of rain or wet snow possible. Low 36F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Clear skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low around 35F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Clear skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low around 35F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. David Wilcox I edit The Citizen's features section, Lake Life, and weekly entertainment guide, Go. I've also been writing for The Citizen and auburnpub.com since 2006, covering arts and culture, business, food and drink, and more. Follow David Wilcox Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Since COVID-19, the number of direct support professionals working with people with disabilities in Cayuga County has decreased by 41%. It's a decrease of "crisis proportions," the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities told The Citizen, and it's why the office is holding a job fair at Emerson Park on Thursday. Direct support professionals work with people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, helping them integrate into the community and realize their potential. Cayuga County has lost 46 of its professionals during the pandemic, the office said, as part of an ongoing workforce shortage it faces across the state and most human service organizations face across the country. According to an August report by the American Network of Community Options and Resources, the shortage has led to new referrals being turned away, the elimination of services and a higher frequency of reportable incidents medication errors, physical injury, etc. nationwide. While no local services have been eliminated, the office said, three Cayuga County residences for people with disabilities have been closed temporarily. The people there have been relocated to residences with more staff to ensure their safety. The office did not respond to a request to identify the residences. Along with job fairs like Thursday's, the office is working to grow the state's direct support professional workforce by increasing salaries, bonuses and, by 12%, the office's budget. The increases were included in this year's state budget. The starting wage of a state-employed direct support assistant in Cayuga County has increased from $18 an hour to $21 an hour since COVID-19, the office said. The current average wage of $22.78 will also soon increase to $23.46. The office noted that the average direct support professional turnover rate is 17% in the county compared to 26% in the state. However, the county's rural location is an obstacle to growing its direct support professional workforce, the office said. Nationally, the work is seen as harder than entry-level jobs in retail, food and other industries that offer similar pay, according to the American Network of Community Options and Resources. Its report said most of those industries were quicker to increase pay after COVID-19. But those who do consider becoming a direct support professional at Thursday's job fair at Emerson Park should consider more than just the pay, one parent of a person with disability in Auburn said. Jinny Ellis, whose 53-year-old daughter has autism and lives in an Auburn residence for people with disabilities, told The Citizen that direct support professionals have given her "a wonderful life." "To devote your life to caring for people with developmental disabilities is wonderful. It completely changes their lives," Ellis said. "It's a meaningful life result of these people who are so caring." Ellis said her daughter lives with three other women at a residence with one or two professionals there at all times. They give her one-on-one attention, and often accompany her into the community. Ellis believes Auburn is more progressive than most places in that regard. It's common to see people with disabilities at Wegmans and other public spaces, she said, because of the support they receive. Ellis' daughter usually comes home on weekends. Due to the workforce decrease, however, she has been spending more time at home since COVID-19. Staff from other residences fill in at hers, but the loss of familiarity is difficult for her, Ellis said. She has known some of her direct support professionals for decades, and that comfort with them has been crucial to her realizing her potential. "As much as they're trying to do their best, she needs that consistency," she said. "You start to think of staff as extended family, and we do." If you go WHAT: New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities job fair WHEN: 2to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 WHERE: Emerson Park, 6877 E. Lake Road, Owasco The Ioniq 6 is the most aerodynamic EV from Hyundai and has a drag coefficient of 0.21. Hyundai Motor Company announced recently that its Ioniq 6 electric vehicle (EV) has returned an impressive per-charge range of 614 kilometers, according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). This makes the Hyundai Ioniq 6 one of the most energy-efficient mainstream EVs anywhere in the world. Scheduled to go on sale in select European markets later this year and in North America by early parts of 2023, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 has a drag coefficient of 0.21 which makes it the most aerodynamic EV in the company portfolio. A number of key design elements like an active air flap, wheel air curtains, integrated rear spoiler and wheel gap reducers combine to help the EV cut through air. "We put every effort into designing the most efficient car in the EV segment," said Byung Hoon Min, Head of Total Vehicle Performance Development Center at Hyundai Motor Company. Our focus on improving aerodynamics helped to achieve one of the longest all-electric range vehicles available, which will reduce customers EV range anxiety and help grow the segment." Powering the Hyundai Ioniq 6 are two battery options - a 53.0 kWh unit which comes as standard and a long-range 77.4 kWh unit. In the long-range battery set up, the Ioniq 6 is also offered with an AWD option. FOLLOW US:Stay Updated with latest content - Subscribe us on FOLLOW US:Stay Updated with latest content - Subscribe us on Ahead of its official launch, the Ioniq 6 is making some very big promises that include 325 Ps of max power and 605 Nm of instant torque. It also claims to go from 0 to 100 kmph in 5.1 seconds. And when parked and plugged in at a 350 kW DC station, the EV can be powered from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes. While Ioniq 6 is prepping itself for a launch in western markets, Hyundai has already confirmed it is bringing in Ioniq 5 to Indian shores as a direct rival to Kia EV6 which too was launched earlier this year. First Published Date: Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Hans Ellegren (C), Eva Olsson (L) and Thors Hans Hansson, members of the Nobel Committee for Physics announce the winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics, (LR) on the screen, Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger, during a press conference at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on Oct. 4, 2022. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT News Agency via AP) 3 Physicists Share Nobel Prize for Work on Quantum Science Three scientists jointly won this years Nobel Prize in physics Tuesday for proving that tiny particles could retain a connection with each other even when separated, a phenomenon once doubted but now being explored for potential real-world applications such as encrypting information. Frenchman Alain Aspect, American John F. Clauser, and Austrian Anton Zeilinger were cited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for experiments proving the totally crazy field of quantum entanglements to be all too real. They demonstrated that unseen particles, such as photons, can be linked, or entangled, with each other even when they are separated by large distances. It all goes back to a feature of the universe that even baffled Albert Einstein and connects matter and light in a tangled, chaotic way. Bits of information or matter that used to be next to each other even though they are now separated have a connection or relationshipsomething that can conceivably help encrypt information or even teleport. Its so weird, Aspect said of entanglement in a telephone call with the Nobel committee. I am accepting in my mental images something which is totally crazy. Yet the trios experiments showed it happens in real life. Why this happens I havent the foggiest, Clauser told The Associated Press during a Zoom interview in which he got the official call from the Swedish Academy several hours after friends and media informed him of his award. I have no understanding of how it works but entanglement appears to be very real. His fellow winners also said they cant explain the how and why behind this effect. But each did ever more intricate experiments that prove it just is. Clauser, 79, was awarded his prize for a 1972 experiment, cobbled together with scavenged equipment, that helped settle a famous debate about quantum mechanics between Einstein and famed physicist Niels Bohr. Einstein described a spooky action at a distance that he thought would eventually be disproved. I was betting on Einstein, Clauser said. But unfortunately I was wrong and Einstein was wrong and Bohr was right. Aspect said Einstein may have been technically wrong, but deserves huge credit for raising the right question that led to experiments proving quantum entanglement. Most people would assume that nature is made out of stuff distributed throughout space and time, said Clauser, who while a high school student in the 1950s built a video game on a vacuum tube computer. And that appears not to be the case. What the work shows is parts of the universeeven those at great distances from each otherare connected, said Johns Hopkins physicist N. Peter Armitage. This is something so unintuitive and something so at odds with how we feel the world should be. This hard-to-understand field started with thought experiments. But what in one sense is philosophical musings about the universe also holds hope for more secure and faster computers all based on entangled photons and matter that still interact no matter how distant. With my first experiments I was sometimes asked by the press what they were good for, Zeilinger, 77, told reporters in Vienna. And I said with pride: Its good for nothing. Im doing this purely out of curiosity. In quantum entanglement, establishing common information between two photons not near each other allows us to do things like secret communication, in ways which werent possible to do before, said David Haviland, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics. Quantum information has broad and potential implications in areas such as secure information transfer, quantum computing and sensing technology, said Eva Olsson, a member of the Nobel committee. Its predictions have opened doors to another world, and it has also shaken the very foundations of how we interpret measurements. While quantum entanglement is incredibly cool security technologist Bruce Schneier, who teaches at Harvard, said it is fortifying an already secure part of information technology where other areas, including human factors and software are more of a problem. He likened it to installing a side door with 25 locks on an otherwise insecure house. At a news conference, Aspect said real-world applications like the satellite were fantastic. I think we have progress toward quantum computing. I would not say that we are close, the 75-year-old physicist said. I dont know if I will see it in my life. But I am an old man. Speaking by phone to a news conference after the announcement, the University of Vienna-based Zeilinger said he was still kind of shocked at hearing he had received the award. Clauser, Aspect and Zeilinger have figured in Nobel speculation for more than a decade. In 2010 they won the Wolf Prize in Israel, seen as a possible precursor to the Nobel. The Nobel committee said Clauser developed quantum theories first put forward in the 1960s into a practical experiment. Aspect was able to close a loophole in those theories, while Zeilinger demonstrated a phenomenon called quantum teleportation that effectively allows information to be transmitted over distances. Using entanglement you can transfer all the information which is carried by an object over to some other place where the object is, so to speak, reconstituted, Zeilinger said. He added that this only works for tiny particles. It is not like in the Star Trek films (where one is) transporting something, certainly not the person, over some distance, he said. The Nobel prizes carry a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (nearly $900,000) and will be handed out on Dec. 10. The money comes from a bequest left by the prizes creator, Swedish dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1895. Coconino High Schools (CHS) student Conservative Club held a forum for this years candidates for the Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) governing board Monday evening. Students, teachers and other community members gathered to hear candidates speak on student-related topics. Three of the five candidates running for the board Gretchen Slover, Mindy Thomas and Kristine Pavlik were present at the event. After introductions, they were asked questions on five topics important to students: school safety, teacher accountability and retention, curriculum and instruction, parent and student rights, and FUSDs budget and the upcoming bond initiative. Conservative Club co-presidents Harlee Peterson and Rachael Jesus moderated the forum, taking inspiration from a forum the Flagstaff Education Association (FEA) held Sept. 1. Jesus had attended the previous forum, where she said she was struck by the lack of student involvement in the event. Soon after, she took the idea for a student-focused forum to the club and they arranged the event in about a month. When we started making this event and we were advertising it to other students, we found that lots of other students didnt even know that there were candidates running for a position on the board, Jesus said. The board members create policies that directly affect the students, so I feel like we have a right to know whats going to happen in the future and that we have a voice to say, hey, since this is for me, I should tell you whether I actually enjoy the idea of this policy coming into place or not.' According to the Conservative Club's constitution, its purpose is to create a safe environment for students to voice their opinions, promote political awareness and encourage participation in local, state and national civics. The clubs mentor and advisor is CHS teacher Laura Locke, who the students said was amazing. The word conservative in the club's name means traditional conservative values such as limited government, the students said. We want to promote an environment where all students are welcome, said Lani Napoleon, the club's public relations officer. ...We want to allow for more student involvement regardless of where you stand and just say, were open to having this discussion. If this is a topic youre interested in, well talk about it with you. The students said the topics were selected to be especially relevant to student concerns. To develop the list, they had Jesuss younger sister and some friends listen to potential questions to see which they were most interested in hearing answered. While Jesus was interested in hearing about critical race theory (CRT), for example, she said many students didnt know what it was, and said the bond and budget were similarly difficult to understand. The most common suggestion they received was the topic of school shootings, which was one of the first questions asked at the forum. In response to a question about increasing school safety, Slover emphasized exchanging ideas with the community. She suggested the use of security-trained retired and volunteer community members could be used in managing the safe school environment without creating a culture of fear for the students." Thomas said FUSDs recent crisis reality training program was an excellent way to start. Other measures she suggested were creating a plan of action with help from an expert and additional training for teachers, students and parents. FUSDs bond measure (Prop 448) on the upcoming ballot would give the funding needed to update schools and other security measures, Pavlik said. In addition to helping staff intervene in conflicts and bullying and...empower our students to share their concerns about safety, she said she would consider educating families and providing devices for secure firearm storage. Jesus said she wished they had gotten more course-specific questions from students, such as the one inspired by her sister about funding for the culinary program. In response to that question, Thomas said she would need to review the budget more to see about the classes being underfunded. Pavlik again mentioned the bond measure as a way to continue to fund programs and said the district should be making efforts to make sure students know about its CTE partnerships. It's important to support students who might not be going to college, Slover said, adding that she would like to explore ways to increase those programs, including the culinary classes. One topic the students wanted to include, but felt they werent able to word in a way that it would be answered properly, had to do with protecting LGBTQIA+ students. An audience question at the previous forum had gotten really controversial, which made club members concerned the candidates would discuss their opinions on gender and sexuality, rather than the question itself. [The candidates] talked a lot about bias and how they want to get rid of bias within the school. If youre on the school board, you really cant have that," Napoleon said. Whether you agree or you disagree, you cant have that bias there. So if youre talking about students as a whole and them being people no matter how theyre oriented, how are you going to protect those people? They are people. Jesus added: Whether you like it or not, there are going to be kids who express themselves in ways that you dont approve of. But theyre still human and theyre still the students you have sworn to protect, so what are you going to do? Engaging with the board The Conservative Club hoped this event would help students learn more about and engage with FUSDs board. A lot of the students arent really engaged in a lot of the events that are going on; they dont know enough stuff thats going on, Peterson said. I think thats really problematic because it creates this barrier where stuff is getting implemented and they dont have any clue about it. The club members said they appreciated the candidates who had taken the time to engage with the event and that, though they had attended a board meeting last year to make public comment on its mask policy, this was the most engagement theyd had with the board. Its hard to reach out to board members, honestly, and the way we thought we could do it at the time was through these board meetings," Jesus said. "As some people in the audience said tonight, you only have two minutes or three minutes to express everything you want to. This was much better. I know the candidates arent actually on the board yet, but I had more engagement with them than Ive ever had with any of the other board members in the past year. FUSDs current board had discussed ways it could better engage with students at its most recent meeting. Suggestions included lunch meetings, town halls and a student representative to the board, among others. Peterson and Jesus had ideas for ways both students and board members could increase engagement between the two groups. For students, Peterson said it was important to take advantage of chances to interact with district leaders, such as when they make classroom visits. They could also take advantage of other ways to contact the board, such as the email addresses listed on the district website. Jesus said she wanted FEA to reach out to students about their events, using platforms other than Facebook, which all the students hardly use (students tend to use Instagram and Snapchat instead, Peterson added). She had recently learned, however, that parents could be upset by teachers advertising political events to students, so she hopes student-led efforts like this might be a better way to encourage students to engage in the events. They thought the school board should be using tools like the school announcements and the Pulse (a student-created weekly news video at the school), and continuing to have informal meetings with students. The FUSD board candidates will be on the Nov. 8 ballot, as will the districts bond and budget override measures. More about the candidates can be found at https://coconino.az.gov/2874/2022-Governing-Board-Candidates. CHSs Conservative Club can be found on Instagram (@cococonservativeclub), where they plan to post a recording of the forum. Veterans find new direction and fulfillment through the agricultural programs offered by the Veteran's Farm of North Carolina One of the bigger problems I had was I no longer had a purpose, because in the Marine Corps, you are built up to have a pretty big ego, Robert Elliott told The Epoch Times. This problem isnt unique to Elliott or to the Marines specifically, but is common to many veterans who have recently made the transition from military service back to civilian life. The lack of purpose, structure, and a support network can be devastating to veterans. It certainly was to Elliottuntil he found a way to regain all three. His answer? Farming. But he didnt stop there. After realizing what a lifesaver farming was for his transition back to civilian life, Elliott started the Veterans Farm of North Carolina (VFNC), where he provides agricultural programs for other veterans who are currently in the position he once was. Beginnings Born in 1979, Elliott grew up on his aunt and uncles farm in North Carolina, where he learned both farming and ranching from an early age. However, it wasnt a great life. Growing up, we seemed to always be broke, Elliot said. The truth of the matter is farmers struggle way more than they thrive. Not wanting to live the life of a poor farmer, Elliott joined the Marines Delayed Entry Program at age 17, while still in high school. He was inducted after graduation. Elliott served for five years, making the rank of E4 corporal. He then worked as a civilian contractor to the military in North Carolina, where he had been stationed for his last post. I got to stick around my military unit for 15 years total, he said. That came to an end with contractor cuts from the Department of Defense. It was 2011, and he had a hard time finding replacement work. Out of pure necessity, I didnt have much of a choice but to move back home to the farm, Elliott said. Thats what I refer to as my transitional-suicide time, he explained. A lot of suicides in the veteran community happen during transition from military back to civilian life, typically around the nine-month mark because were disconnected from our support network pretty much overnight. Elliott has lost eight brothers he served with in the Marinessix to suicide. One ended his life the day after his retirement party. Saved by a Chicken One day, Elliott was on the farm attempting to study for a final exam (he was attending college at the time) but was not in a healthy state of mind. Nothing was working out for me really well at all, he said. He was pretty miserable and contemplating dark thoughts. His girlfriend at the time had recently purchased some yard chickens. One in particular, named Adele, would regularly jump into his lap or try to steal food from his hands. It just kind of dawned on me one day: Maybe I should try farming and see what I can do with it, Elliott said. A chicken saved my life. Now, Elliott uses farming to give hope to other veterans through VFNC. A Unique Education Elliott describes the whole operation as a boot camp for farming. His mission? Giving veterans a new mission and America a new farmer. North Carolina has an aging farming population and a military servicemember and veteran population of 666,000, making Fayetteville, North Carolina the perfect location for VFNC to train a new generation of veteran farm entrepreneurs. It has three hands-on programs which educate veterans in the how-tos of farming, which include both organic vegetables and livestock production as well as history, theory, and agricultural concepts. Two programs are six months and one is four months. Around 20 veterans are enrolled in the programs at one time. Elliott finds veterans through word of mouth and through presentations VFNC gives at Fort Braggs for exiting service members who are interested in transitional training. VFNC also partners with government programs, such as the Department of Defenses transitioning program, SkillBridge, where veterans can sign up for specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships to learn the skills of a civilian career area. Active-duty personnel may enroll within the final 180 days before transitioning to civilian life, with approval from their unit and the Soldier for Life-Transition Assistance Program. In addition to VFNC, Elliott built the Soldiers to Agriculture Program, which is offered by North Carolina State Universitys Agricultural Institute (AGI), administered through the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, and taught at Fort Bragg. It is the only one of its kind. Farming With Family Donovan Holloway is one of the veterans learning how to farm in the SkillBridge program partnering with the VFNC. His background doesnt have anything to do with farming. Holloway was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1981. His father was a career sailor in the Navy, so Holloway spent most of his youth living on military bases, including Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. I joined the military at the ripe, young age of 18, Holloway told The Epoch Times. His parents were divorced and he felt that he needed some stability in his life and the Marine Corps would provide it. Holloway was deployed to Iraq in 2003 as part of the initial invasion. Sometime later, he was stationed in Hawaii, where he met his future wife, Lauren. Holloway returned to Iraq with an aerial observer unit, in which he served as a door gunner on a helicopter armed with a machine gun, at times having to fire that machine gun. We also participated in a couple of raids in and around the country, he said. Through an education program provided by the Marine Corps, Holloway earned a bachelors degree in business administration alongside a promotion to second lieutenant. This was followed by a masters in information technology and a promotion to captain. Somewhere along the line I got married and had kids and I experience stress at extreme levels, Holloway said, half-jokingly. Ive lost buddies, both in combat and through suicide, unfortunately, he said. There are a lot of things we go through as veterans, a lot of experiences we go through, especially during wartime, and your emotions are ebbing and flowing. There are a lot of things that incite my anxiety or get me going. Hes found farming to be therapeutic. I needed to restore some kind of balance in my life. I found that being outsidebeing with animals, growing things, seeing the fruits of my labor right in front of me instead of sitting in meetings all dayI found that was soothing to me. The Holloways own 50 acres of land in Georgia, which was originally owned by Laurens ancestors. Its been in my fathers side of my family since the Emancipation Proclamation, she told The Epoch Times. Although her ancestors right up to her grandparents were hog farmers, Laurens father joined the Army, essentially ending the familys legacy of farming. The property in Georgia was farmland at one time, but as Lauren explained, It needs to be reclaimed. And thats what the Holloways plan to do. Its also been great for his family. The Holloways homeschool their five children, so everything that we do is a lesson, he said. Another advantage is the food that the farm provides. I enjoy the time being able to be outside with my family all day, doing things together, he said. Holloway also has an invested interest in using his farm and farming skills to help other veterans in need, even using the place to provide R&R. Combat Medic-Turned-Farmer Working side-by-side with the Holloways on the VFNC is Lizzie Hubbard. Veterans-turned-farmers Lizzie Hubbard (L) and Donovan Holloway (R), with his wife, Lauren, on the Veterans Farm of North Carolina. (Courtesy of William Holloway) Hubbard is from Texas, where she and her four sisters grew up on two acres with cows, chickens, ducks, and rabbits. Her mother was from Pennsylvania and had a green thumb, so she was able to successfully grow plants, even though the Texas climate and landscape werent always conducive to it. A few years after college, at age 24, Hubbard joined the Army as a combat medic. In Iraq and Afghanistan, she was in the thick of it. My unit has been on I.R.F. [Immediate Response Force] the entire time Ive been there, which means that weve deployed on eight-hour notice three times, including the most recent Afghanistan deployment to remove refugees, she told The Epoch Times. As a medic and then a senior medic in my unit, theres a lot of responsibility that you carry for the wellbeing of your guys if things dont go well for them, Hubbard said. It can be hard to get over it. She spoke of moral challenges that occur on deployments, and as a senior medic, she was the only person actually permitted to speak in a moral sense when you dont have a lot of rank, adding that responsibility has a lot of challenges that come with it as well. Now, Hubbard is in a three-month transition program, which shes executing on-site at the VFNC. At first, she wasnt sure she had enough agricultural experience to be a successful farmer, but after a month of working with Elliott, she feels confident enough to pursue setting up a flower farm in Massachusetts, which shes planning to open in November. Like Holloway and others in the VFNC programs, Hubbard has found farming to be therapeutic. Not only do you get to grow and heal, and to make beautiful things that nourish people, whether its food, or animals, or flowers, but youre also responsible for it, she said. Parnell Acres Ray Parnell was born in 1970. I grew up in rural North Carolina. My grandfather was a farmer, he told The Epoch Times. After school, on weekends, and during the summers, hed work the farm alongside his family. Then, Parnell joined the army at age 18 and had a 22-year career. While he was never suicidal after returning to civilian life in 2010, Parnell did say this: After youve been in the military and youve done some of the things that we do in the military and we go through, some of the problems of the civilian population just dont seem that significant. So we have a hard time relating to people who have not shared that military journey. During his time in the service, Parnell lived in a wide variety of areas and housing, including apartments in the suburbs. But after he retired, his rural roots called him back. I always knew I wanted to live in the country; I always knew I wanted to own land, he said. About three years ago, I decided I was going to start farming. In a common scenario, after his grandfather died, Parnells mother and her siblings had sold off the farm in pieces, so Parnell had to find a new piece of land to call his own. He purchased his new farm last December and dubbed it Parnell Acres. Prior to this, Parnell bumped into a Marine veteran at the Farm Service Agency who told him about Elliotts classes. Parnell spoke with Elliott for about 15 minutes and signed up for an earlier version of one of his programs. The organization of the lessonsthat stems from Roberts background in the military, Parnell said. Very structured, very organized, and I think thats something a veteran can relate to. Army veteran Ray Parnell with his farm-grown pumpkins at Dirtbag Ales in Hope Mills, North Carolina, in 2020. (Courtesy of Jenny Bell) The programs set up a future network among the students. One of Parnells classmates owns a farm in Guilford, New York; hes bought her hay and shes bought his pumpkins. But its not just professional relationships that start; its also a support network among veterans. Parnell summed up the objective of the VFNC this way: The whole point behind it is not just a conduit for people that have an interest in farming to be able to farm, its also a brotherhood and a sisterhood of like-minded people that have had some shared experiences. As for Elliott, this is exactly the kind of network he was lacking when he was transitioning back to civilian life. I had no idea that I would be doing something like this, he said. This is 100 percent my calling. I see it now. The Ayung River in Bali, Indonesia, in August 2022. (Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) American Man Missing After Falling From Raft in Bali River DENPASAR, IndonesiaAuthorities suspended their search Tuesday evening for an American man who fell into a fast-flowing river while whitewater rafting on Indonesias tourist island of Bali. The search was halted as darkness fell and will be resumed Wednesday morning, rescue coordinator Komang Sudiarsa said. Robinaugh Clifford Neil, 63, was among a group of 10 foreign tourists in two rafts on the Ayung River when they encountered trouble Monday in hilly terrain in the Ubud district of Bali. The water level suddenly increased, triggering a strong current that caused one of the rafts to flip over, local police chief Gusti Ngurah Yudistira said. The five tourists who had been riding in it tried to reach the second raft, causing it to overturn, too, sending all 10 tourists into the raging waters, Yudistira said. Two local rafting guides with them managed to rescue nine of the tourists, but Neil went missing. Yudistira said authorities have notified villagers along the river to pay attention in their daily activities and immediately report to authorities if they see a body. The tourists all wore life vests and helmets and had been briefed by guides before starting the 12-kilometer (7.4-mile) rafting trip, which was to last about 2 1/2 hours with a break midway down the river, Yudistira said. The search involves about 70 rescuers from Balis Search and Rescue Agency, police, and the rafting companys guides, Sudiarsa said. (Left) Angelina Jolie at a premiere in Los Angeles on Sept. 30, 2019. (Right) Brad Pitt at a special screening on Sept. 18, 2019. (AP Photo) Angelina Jolie Details Brad Pitt Abuse Allegations in Court Filing LOS ANGELESA court filing Tuesday from Angelina Jolie alleges that on a 2016 flight, Brad Pitt grabbed her by the head and shook her then choked one of their children and struck another when they tried to defend her. The descriptions of abuse on the private flight came in a cross-complaint Jolie filed in the couples dispute over a French home and winery they co-owned that is separate from their ongoing divorce, which she sought soon after. A representative for Pitt, who was not authorized to speak publicly, strongly denied Jolies allegations and called them another rehash that only harms the family. The allegations of abuse on the plane first became public shortly after the flight, but reports were initially vague and details were kept sealed in divorce documents and investigations by the FBI and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, both of which found that no action against Pitt was necessary. A judge gave Pitt 5050 custody of the children after a closed-door trial in which the allegations were aired. But an appeals court subsequently disqualified the private judge for not disclosing possible conflicts of interest after a motion from Jolie, nullifying the decision. More details of the allegations were revealed earlier this year when a Jolie lawsuit against the FBI over a Freedom of Information Act request was made public. The New York Times first reported the court filing. The filing says that on Sept. 14, 2016, Jolie, Pitt and their six children were traveling from the winery, Chateau Miraval, to Los Angeles. Pitts aggressive behavior started even before the family got to the airport, with Pitt having a confrontation with one of the children. After the flight took off, Jolie approached Pitt and asked him what was wrong, the filing says. Pitt accused her of being too deferential to the children and verbally attacked her. Later, it says, He pulled her into the bathroom and began yelling at her. Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall. One of the children, who were between 8 and 15 years old at the time, verbally defended Jolie, the countersuit says, and Pitt lashed out. Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him. To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplanes seats injuring Jolies back and elbow, the filing says. The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. The document says he subsequently poured beer on Jolie and poured beer and red wine on the children. Jolies gave an account of the flight to two FBI investigators in the days that followed. It appeared in a heavily redacted report later released by the agency. It included a photo of a bruise on Jolies elbow and a rug-burn type injury on her hand. In it she said that she had seen Pitt have two to three drinks, but said he appeared articulate and not intoxicated. The investigators met with federal prosecutors, and It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors, the report says. An FBI statement said it has conducted a review of the circumstances and will not pursue further investigation. The 47-year-old Oscar-winning actor and director Jolie and the 58-year-old Oscar-winning actor Pitt were among Hollywoods most prominent couples for 12 years. They had been romantic partners for a decade when they married in 2014. Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, and a judge declared them single in 2019, but the divorce case has not been finalized with custody and financial issues still in dispute. By Andrew Dalton An AirPower wireless charger along with other products during an Apple launch event in Cupertino, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2017. (Stephen Lam/Reuters) Apple Forced to Change Charger in Europe as EU Approves Overhaul BRUSSELSApple will have to change the charger for its iPhones in the European Union from autumn 2024 to comply with new rules introducing a single charging port for most electronic devices. The reform passed by an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament on Tuesday, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, potentially strengthens the EUs role as a global standard-setter on telephone technology. The vote confirmed an earlier agreement among EU institutions. The new rules will make USB-C connectors used by Android-based devices the standard across the 27-nation bloc, forcing Apple to change its charging port for iPhones and other devices. It will also apply to laptops from 2026, giving manufacturers longer to adapt, although many already use USB-C. Apple is expected to be the most affected of the big providers of electronic devices to European customers, although analysts say the impact could be positive if it encourages shoppers to buy the U.S. companys new gadgets instead of ones without USB-C. Shares in European semiconductor manufacturers rose on Tuesday after the vote, including those of Apple suppliers STMicro and Infineon. The deal also covers e-readers, ear buds and other technologies, meaning it may also have an impact on Samsung, Huawei and other device makers, analysts said. Apple, Samsung and Huawei were not immediately available for comment. Under the reform, mobile phones and other devices sold after autumn 2024 will have to be compatible with the single charger, said Alex Agius Saliba, the EU lawmaker who steered the reform through the EU assembly. Old chargers will not be outlawed, however, so that customers can continue to use older models. The large size of the EU market means the new rules may lead to changes in other countries. Gradual Phase-Out Saliba told a news conference that outlawing old chargers would have had a disproportionate impact on consumers and the environment, but noted that the change is expected to lead to a gradual phase-out of older products. In total 13 categories of electronic devices will have to adapt by autumn 2024. The Parliament extended the original proposal from the EUs executive Commission which covered only seven types of devices. Lawmakers also added laptops from 2026. Apple has in the past warned that the proposal would hurt innovation and create a mountain of electronics waste. The change had been discussed for years and was prompted by complaints from iPhone and Android users about having to switch to different chargers for their devices. The European Commission has estimated that a single charger would save about 250 million euros ($247.3 million) for consumers. Half the chargers sold with mobile phones in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29 percent had a USB-C connector and 21 percent a Lightning connector, which is used by Apple, a 2019 Commission study showed. Apple is working on an iPhone with a USB-C charging port that could debut next year, Bloomberg reported in May. The Commission has also been mandated by lawmakers to assess the possible regulation of wireless charging, but an EU official said no decision has been made yet, noting that the technology is not yet mature. ($1 = 1.0106 euros) By Francesco Guarascio At Oath Keepers Trial, FBI Agent Alleges That Thomas Caldwell Conspired to Bring Weapons to the Capitol on Jan. 6 WASHINGTONAn FBI agent alleged in federal court on Oct. 4 that Thomas Caldwell organized a plan for the Oath Keepers to quickly bring weapons from a hotel in Virginia via a boat across the Potomac River to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. FBI Special Agent Michael Palian testified that he arrested Caldwell not because he was described as a commander of the Oath Keepers on social media, but because the plan to bring the weapons was part of an alleged scheme to interfere with the certification of the Electoral College vote. During his investigation of the Oath Keepers, Palian interviewed people around the country. He told the court that no one said to him that Caldwell planned to breach the Capitol. Although Caldwell didnt pay a membership fee to be part of the Oath Keepers, said Palian, that doesnt mean he wasnt conspiring with them. On January 6, Oath Keepers members communicated through a walkie-talkie app on their phones called Zello. According to Palians investigation, there is no evidence that Caldwell used the Zello app on Jan. 6, 2021. He also wasnt in the old leadership group, a group chat on the app Signal where members of the Oath Keepers made plans to come to Washington. Even though Caldwell was on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, he didnt enter the Capitol building, Palian confirmed. When the FBI agents went to arrest Caldwell on Jan. 19, 2021, Palian didnt notice any military training equipment on the property. The defense attorney pointed out that at the time of the arrest, the FBI wasnt aware of Caldwells military record, suggesting that the bureau didnt conduct a thorough investigation before pressing a charge. The defense attorney said investigations of this nature sometimes take years to complete. The FBI agent responded that while that is sometimes the case, in other cases it could take a shorter time when danger is imminent. During the opening statements on Oct. 3, the prosecutors said the Oath Keepers tried to gain credibility by using their training from the U.S. Army. They displayed a chart in the court with the Oath Keepers organization and what they were allegedly assigned to do on January 6. The prosecutors presented the court with screenshots, audio recordings, and other materials that they say show how the Oath Keepers conspired to stop President-elect Joe Biden from taking office in 2021. Thomas Caldwell, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, has been charged with seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, aiding and abetting, conspiracy to prevent an officer from discharging any duties, and tampering with documents. Australias National Postal Service Sets 2050 Net-Zero Target Australias national postal service will aim to reach net-zero by 2050, under a new sustainability road map released on Oct. 5. The move will make Australia Post the first government business enterprise to set a net-zero emissions target and will see the organisation roll out a series of initiatives aimed at decarbonising its operations. It comes despite comments from California-based ecomodernist Michael Shellenberger who said the natural environment was actually in a much healthier state now compared to how it has been portrayed by climate change activists. By 2025, the group will aim to reduce emissions by 15 percent, source 100 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources, have fully sustainable packaging, decrease landfill waste by 20 percent, and spend A$100 million on social enterprise and Indigenous suppliers. Australia Post currently operates the countrys largest electric delivery fleet at 4,635 vehicles. By 2030, the company will also invest in sustainable aviation fuel, push to reduce the emissions of its delivery feet, and drive the adoption of electric vehicles by supply chain partners. While by 2040, the group will aim to accelerate the reduction of air freight emissions. Group CEO Paul Graham said work was already underway to reduce the carbon intensity of the companys operations. I am delighted to announce Australia Post will target net-zero by 2050 as part of our 2025 Sustainability Roadmap launched today. This plan will guide Australia Post in the next phase of our sustainability journey as it becomes even more critical to accelerate our decarbonisation, he said in a statement. We hope as Australias longest running business, with one of the countrys largest and most diverse workforces, that our transformation can inspire other organisations to follow suit. Following the Net-Zero Agenda The service spruiked its adherence to the United Nations Paris Agreement to keep global temperatures well below two degrees Celsius. Michelle Rowland, the minister for communications, welcomed the move. Australia is serious about reducing emissions and it is fantastic to see Australia Post, one of the oldest and most established institutions in the country, supporting our net zero ambitions. Australia Posts decision comes just weeks after the federal Labor government managed to pass new legislation to enshrine net-zero into law. Meanwhile, Shellenberger, author of The Death of Environmentalism, told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Sydney on Oct. 1 that the environmental situation was actually improving in developed countries. The death rate from natural disasters has crashed. We have four times as many people as we did in the world 100 years ago, and the death toll has declined about 90 percent in the United States, he said. I had the great pleasure of correcting one of the witnesses on a Congressional Panel a couple of weeks ago, who claimed that hurricane frequency and intensity were increasing. In fact, the best available science predicts that there will be a 25 percent decline in hurricane frequency in the future, even alongside a five percent increase in intensity, which we are not seeing at this point. A rare 1930s Australian penny has been sold for nearly $60,000 (US$39,000). Featuring a partial diamond and six pearls on King George Vs crown, the penny is the lowest mintage pre-decimal Australian coin in existence. The coin was sold at a national online auction on Sunday night for $59,415 to a Western Australian bidder who wants to pass it on to his grandchildren, breaking an Australian record. This penny has not only broken a record at Lloyds Auctions, but we believe it has broken an Australian auction record based on its grade, selling for $60,000, said Lee Hames, Chief Operations Officer for Lloyds Auctions. Our previous record for a 1930s penny was $30,000, which we auctioned last year, and in 12 months, the price has now doubled at auction. The rare 1930s Australian penny has been sold for nearly $60,000. (Supplied) The 1930 penny is considered a numismatic superstar, with its value only rising and its significance deeply established in Australian history, Hames continued. A once by-product of economic depression is now a symbol of prosperity, the ultimate cherry on top for any coin collector. Pennies Not Meant to be Minted The penny was a product of the Great Depression in 1929, when significant deflation resulted in lower demand for currency, with no new pennies minted by the Government at the time. However, an accidental minting of the 1930 pennies led to 3000 being produced, with only around 1500 ending up in circulation. Many have been damaged and discarded over the years. Interestingly, the reason they were released was because the Melbourne Mint used a test run of around 1,500 minted coins just to fill the 1931 order, Amanda Benson, Head of Fine Art and Luxury at Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers, told ABC Radio Adelaide. They think 3,000 were minted, but only 1,500 were used to bolster the 1931 supply. The rare 1930s Australian penny has been sold for nearly $60,000. (Supplied) It wasnt until pre-decimal currencies were phased out in 1966 that coin collectors realised the 1930 coin was missing, according to Benson. It is unknown exactly how many of these 1930 pennies are in collectors hands nowadays. Growing Interest in Alternative Investments Two more recent Australian coins have skyrocketed in value after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. A 2012 Red Poppy $2 coin is now selling for more than $300. Another 2013 Purple Coronation $2 coin commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Queens coronation is now selling for up to $180. There is currently a growing interest in alternative investments, Benson said. Ironically its during times when the stock market tends to be a little bit more tumultuous that people look for alternative investments like coins, paintings, memorabilia, she told ABC. At the moment, because the stock market is quite difficult to predict, people are looking for other investments like this. The Bay Street financial district is shown in Toronto on Aug. 5, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette) Banks at Greater Reputational, Legal Risk From Global Climate Pledges Climate finance alliances harsher on high-emitting sectors than Canada's domestic regulator News Analysis Canadas big banks have been incorporating climate considerations into the core of their operations but are starting to get nervous about the legal and reputational risks stemming from commitments made to global climate-related coalitions they voluntarily joined. Much of the issue centres on financing high-emitting sectors, with global alliances taking a much harsher stance than the domestic regulator. The Globe and Mail reported on Sept. 29 that Canadas big banks are concerned they could face legal action resulting from antitrust concerns if mandated by global coalitions to cut ties with some high-emitting sectors like oil and gas. The banks also have concerns about how these global coalitions are governed. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), the self-described worlds largest coalition of financial institutions committed to transitioning the global economy to net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is led by a trio that includes former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who took up the post of U.N. Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance in 2020. The banking component of GFANZ is the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), of which eight Canadian financial institutions are members, including the six largest banks. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision is the worlds primary standard-setter for regulating banks, but Fitch Ratings said in June that its principles for managing and supervising climate-related financial risks will lead to increased reputational and conduct risks for banks as regulators step up their scrutiny of banks climate risk and sustainability pledges. No Surprise It doesnt surprise me if banks are starting to get worried, Ross McKitrick, an economics professor at the University of Guelph specializing in environment, energy, and climate policy, told The Epoch Times. The fact that they are only now realizing the problems of this agenda just confirms how little competence banks have on issues of climate change and climate policy. They overstate the risks of the former and ignore the risks of the latter. Carney has said that the bulk of the cost of transitioning to green energy has to come from the private sector. Mark Carney makes a keynote address to launch the private finance agenda for the 2020 U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) at Guildhall in London, England, on Feb. 27, 2020. (Tolga Akmen/WPA Pool/Getty Images) GFANZ includes fewer members from top-emitting countries like China, Russia, and Indiaa cause of consternation for some of the bigger U.S. banks that are thinking of exiting the alliance, the Financial Times reports. The NZBA commitment and guidelines require banks to set 2030 and 2050 net-zero targets consistent with limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This includes all key sectors involved in extracting and supplying fossil fuels (coal mining, oil & gas) as well as most key sectors involved in demanding and consuming fossil fuels (power generation, transport, real estate, cement, steel, etc.), states NZBAs latest FAQ. To comply with NZBA, banks have to publicly disclose their targets and report annually on progress. They have to set up a high-level transition plan to achieve stated targets within an approximate timeline and calculate and disclose the emissions profile of their lending portfolios every year. Global Dictates McKitrick takes issue with global organizations dictating broad restrictions on a countrys firms. It is up to democratically elected governments to set regulations on the activities of firms in our economy, he said. We cant have unelected bankers usurping that role, especially when they have shown they lack the competence and accountability to take on such responsibilities. GFANZ said on Sept. 14 that there is no rationale for financing new coal projects, yet China is ramping up its coal production due to energy supply worries. Members should establish and apply financing policies to phase out and align carbon-intensive sectors and activities, such as thermal coal, oil and gas, and deforestation, not only through asset divestment but also through transition finance that reduces real world emissions, wrote Carney, GFANZ co-chair Michael Bloomberg, and vice-chair Mary Schapiro. In May 2021, the International Energy Agency published its pathway to net zero by 2050. No new oil and natural gas fields are needed in the net zero pathway, and supplies become increasingly concentrated in a small number of low-cost producers, it said. But its the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Regulations (OSFI) draft guideline B-15 that sets out expectations around climate risk management practices for Canadas big banks. It could set additional capital requirements for the banks. OSFIs senior media relations advisor Carole Saindon told The Epoch Times that the federal agency does not regulate the banks voluntary climate commitments, referring to those with GFANZ and NZBA. OSFIs mandate allows financial institutions to compete and take reasonable risks based on the financial institutions own risk appetite, she said. A final version of B-15 is expected by early 2023, but the current draft doesnt single out fossil fuels. Risk and Reward As oil prices spiked after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the focus on energy security has come to the forethus the immediacy of fossil fuels has gained in prominence relative to the reduction of emissions. But the banks are getting the message about continuing to finance the oil and gas sector, which is becoming increasingly untenable within the global alliances. Theres already been a noticeable pullback from the energy sector by the big banks, and oil and gas has been becoming a smaller share of their lending portfolios. However, in a dire year for stocks, energy is the only sector in the S&P 500 and Toronto Stock Exchange to have posted double-digit returns year-to-date. A file photo of Bay Street in downtown Toronto, home to the head offices of Canadas biggest banks. (The Canadian Press/Kevin Frayer) Banks should evaluate loans to the oil and gas sector based on the usual financial criteria of risk and reward. But they absolutely should not be allowed simply to shut off funding to a major economic sector for reasons of activism and politics, McKitrick said. While oil and gas is not the only high-emitting sector, it makes up a very small portion of gross loans for Canadas big banksroughly between 1 and 3 percent as of July 2021. There was really a bit of a perception that this was a relatively risky sector, Mark Narron, senior director, North American Banks, at Fitch Ratings, told The Epoch Times. He adds that the Canadian banks have exhibited robust governance frameworks around climate risk management and are in relatively good shape. We dont see voluntary commitments for climate risk management regulations so far as having a negative impact on their earnings potential growth and their business mix. But Narron also said the legal risks and antitrust concerns are not top of mind in his analysis of the banks. Beijing Labels 80,000 Online Posts as Rumors Ahead of National Party Congress Chinese expat calls for an end to the 'Great Firewall' Chinas top cyberspace watchdog announced Sept. 29 that it has labeled some 80,000 online posts as rumors since August in a campaign targeting online rumors and false information. According to a statement of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), it has organized 12 major Chinese digital news portals and social media platforms to refute and label rumors related to key social and livelihood areas including health, food safety, education, employment, and natural disasters. The CAC required all key websites and platforms to set up special accounts or columns to release rumor-refuting information and to send rumor-refuting content accurately to all users who have been exposed to rumors, according to the statement. Posts that are labeled rumors are to be exposed in a timely manner on the relevant platforms so as to squeeze the living space of online rumors to the maximum extent so to ensure there is no space for online rumors to hide, reads the statement. The CAC also encourages netizens to report and provide clues to rumors on its reporting platform. Chinas cyberspace has been heavily censored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and the regimes recent campaign further tightens its grip on Chinas digital space. Sheng Ronghua, deputy director of the CAC, said at a press conference on Aug. 23 that the watchdog had cleaned up more than 20 billion pieces of illegal and unhealthy information and nearly 1.4 billion accounts since 2019. Many of the so-called rumors are posts and footage uploaded by Chinese netizens during the pandemic trying to communicate their plight and often asking for help. Increased Control Before National Congress Several Chinese netizens told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that they are now under even stricter control by the CCP. Mr. Lin (pseudonym), a business owner from Chinas eastern Zhejiang Province said that Chinese export companies find it harder to do business with foreign companies due to censorship. A computer displays a message from the Chinese Great Firewall on the proper use of the internet at an internet cafe in Beijing. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) Since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the end of 2019, the CCP doesnt permit Chinese export companies to travel overseas to attend international exhibitions or trade fairs, Lin said. Chinese business people have to use online meeting apps to communicate with their foreign counterparts, Lin said. But the government recently issued a document, explicitly banning the educational sector from using any overseas apps or using VPN. Anyone who communicates with foreigners using VPN or overseas communication apps must report themselves to the government, Lin said, adding that those who fail to do so face severe punishment. VPN is an abbreviation for virtual private network. It provides better safety and privacy over a public network. Lin said that the government forced people to communicate via WeChat with foreign companies. The official regulators know everything were talking about, said Lin. They know what you say to any company abroad. We dont have any choice but to obey [and use WeChat which is monitored by the CCP]. Lin said that several of his friends have sold their residences in China and are planning to emigrate to other countries, as they could no longer bear the censorship. Mr. Wu (pseudonym) is a resident of Chinas southwestern Guangxi Province. He told The Epoch Times that he has more than 10 Weibo accountswith several hundred thousand followerswhich have all been suspended by the authorities. I have posted some video clips and wording regarding protests against lockdowns, which are regarded as sensitive information, and now all my accounts have been banned, Wu said. He said that all the Chinese social media require netizens to register using their real names and IDs. Once you are banned, it means trouble, said Wu, adding that it is difficult to re-register a social media account. Cui Li (pseudonym), a resident from Chinas western Xinjiang, told The Epoch Times that she uploaded footage of a protest against lockdown in Wanjialiang, a district in the regional capital city of Urumqi. I posted it on Douyin [a Chinese version of TikTok], and it was removed within five minutes. Then the police called to warn me not to post similar contents, Cui said. A symbol of TikTok (Douyin) is pictured at The Place shopping mall at dusk in Beijing, China, on Aug. 22, 2020. (VCG/Getty Images) Expat Censored in China and Abroad Wang Qingpeng, a former Chinese human rights lawyer now living in the United States, experienced the CCPs information censorship both in China and in the United States. When speaking with the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times on Oct. 1, Wang said that she didnt feel any censorship at first due to the CCPs brainwashing. She started to think about freedom of speech after she began to use social media WeChat in 2014 and joined some rights groups on the platform the following year. I saw many of their posts were removed and their accounts were banned, which made me think about the issue of free speech, Wang said. Her first WeChat account was terminated on June 4, 2017, after she used it to call for donations to help rights lawyers persecuted by the communist regime. The date of Wangs account being deletedJune 4is regarded as a sensitive phrase and date by the CCP. On June 4, 1989, the regimes tanks rolled into Beijings Tiananmen Square to crack down on peaceful student protesters who were demanding democracy and an end to corruption. It is still unknown how many students were killed by the regime on that day. Wang registered a new WeChat account after she came to the United States. This account was suspended as well, it happened after I posted a New Years greetings written by a group of rights lawyers on Jan. 1, 2019, Wang said. She said that WeChat had a function to block particular posts or accounts. A user with a China account (L) attempts to send a politically sensitive image in a WeChat group Chat from Citizen Lab testing conducted in January 2017. (Courtesy of Citizen Lab) The Chinese regime threatened her family in China, asking them to pressure her not to speak out about human rights issues in China. My parents made a statement to cut their ties with me, and my husband once thought of divorcing me, Wang said. But she was determined to continue to speak up against the CCP. She has called for the end of the regimes Great Firewall, which is a combination of legislative actions and technologies used by the CCP to control how Chinese people use the internet. The Chinese are enclosed by the CCPs firewall, which is a shame for politicians all over the world who do business with the CCP, said Wang. Western countries should insist that the CCP remove the firewall as a condition for it to do business with foreign countries or join any international organizations. If there was no firewall, brave Chinese citizens would be able to meet on various platforms to gather strength, exchange information, and conduct civic drills. There are many awakened people in China, but they have no channels to speak out, Wang said. Some Chinese people do not know the truth because they are strictly censored. Its an urgent matter to pull down the regimes firewall, she said. Fang Xiao and Hong Ning contributed to the article. Biden to Visit Florida to View Hurricane Ian Damage, Meet with DeSantis President Joe Biden is visiting Florida on Oct. 5, a week after Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on parts of the state. Biden flew to Fort Myers in the morning. After arriving, he and First Lady Jill Biden were set to survey damaged areas while traveling via helicopter to Fishermans Wharf. In the afternoon, the Bidens are scheduled to receive a briefing on response updates by local, state, and federal officials. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, and Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will be among the officials, the White House said. And in the evening, the president and his wife are slated to meet with small business owners and residents who were impacted by the storm, as well as workers who responded after the hurricane made landfall. Biden will deliver remarks to reaffirm his commitment to supporting the people of Florida as they recover and rebuild from the devastating storm, the White House said. According to the schedule, the Bidens will fly back to Washington in the evening. Biden visited Puerto Rico on Oct. 3, several weeks after Hurricane Fiona struck the U.S. territory. He pledged $60 million in aid during the visit. Ian made landfall as a category 4 hurricane, with winds of 140 mph. The storm brought strong surges and heavy rain, causing flooding and other damage. The death toll from Ian has reportedly risen above 100, with about half of the deaths in Lee County. Officials there did not order an evacuation until the day before Ian struck, later than other nearby counties. DeSantis has said that officials delayed the order because the projected path of the storm shifted. The storm had not been projected to have much of an impact on Lee County before the shift. The order was given the earliest possible moment when we got the weather information, Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais told reporters at a briefing. DeSantis told reporters on Monday that the storm preparations and response would be reviewed. Photo by Robert Scoble | Flickr/CC BY 2.0 Arizona and Google announced a settlement Tuesday in a consumer fraud lawsuit, allowing the tech behemoth to pay $85 million instead of going to court later this month. Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed the lawsuit against Google in 2020. The lawsuit was the result of a larger investigation that was prompted by 2018 reporting by the Associated Press revealing certain Google applications store location data without asking, and that deleting the data is a time-intensive process. The AP found that Google Maps, for example, creates a snapshot of where users are whenever they open the application, even when location history is turned off. When I was elected attorney general, I promised Arizonans I would fight for them and hold everyone, including corporations like Google, accountable, Brnovich said in a written statement about the settlement. I am proud of this historic settlement that proves no entity, not even big tech companies, is above the law. The State of Arizona will receive $77.25 million in the settlement, while another $7.75 million will go to the private attorneys Brnovichs office hired to represent the state in the lawsuit. The settlement also directs the AG to spend $5,000,000 at an accredited law school for educating AG staff and judges on issues of consumer protection, privacy and technology. The money is also to be spent to create a bipartisan association of AGs that will develop programs on consumer protection laws in the realm of digital privacy. The remainder of the $77,250,000 is to be spent or directed by the Arizona legislature toward either education, broadband or internet privacy efforts and purposes. This case is based on outdated product policies that we changed years ago, Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesman, said in a statement to the Arizona Mirror. We provide straightforward controls and auto delete options for location data, and are always working to minimize the data we collect. We are pleased to have this matter resolved and will continue to focus our attention on providing useful products for our users. While the case is over, there are still lingering questions about issues raised in the case, much of which was redacted and sealed in court filings. Last year, both Google and the AG agreed to a special discovery master, an outside person who would oversee the discovery process and settle any disputes. During the discovery process, the state had 30 hours of witness depositions and more than 200,000 pages of documents were produced, according to the court ruling. The initial lawsuit filed by the attorney general included 270 exhibits, of which only a small portion have been made public. Some of those documents shed light on certain issues such as Googles own engineers being confused by their privacy settings and how Googles apps shared location information with other applications. Some documents that have been released showed that Googles own engineers were confused by the privacy settings. I agree with the article, an unnamed Google employee wrote in an internal email along with other exhibits that are part of the states case. Location off should mean location off; not except for this case or that case. During the lawsuit, the AG released a new version of the previous complaint with sections that had previously been redacted now visible. For example, a previously redacted paragraph in the complaint revealed that the Attorney Generals Office found that Google employees had admitted that the companys location history and web app activity disclosure policies were misleading. The documents show that employees were working behind the scenes after the AP story to try to change the user interface to make it easier for Google users to opt-out of location sharing. However, one unnamed employee expressed their dismay about thinking they had their location tracking turned off, only to find it was not. Speaking as a user, WTF? More specifically I **thought** I had location tracking turned off on my phone, the unnamed software engineer said in the released chat logs. So our messaging around this is enough to confuse a privacy focused (Google software engineer). Thats not good. Documents also showed that Googles privacy policy was crafted in a way to allow applications that had location tracking turned off from using the location tracking information from another Google application that had location tracking on. My understanding is that nothing is current (sic) stopping one Google product (A) from using location logged by another Google product (B) if [REDACTED] approves the A<-B use, the unnamed employee says. In fact, our landmark privacy policy came into existence pretty much for the very reason of enabling cross-product data use. Two years later, more documents would be released by the AG to reveal a Google tool called IPGeo which, according to a 2009 presentation obtained by the attorney general, is designed to predict users locations from their IP addresses by improving ways of exploiting available data, and to provide this knowledge to all Google products. The attorney generals office also found a confidentiality notice attached to the presentation about the tool. You have no idea how incredibly confidential this one is, the notice said. My my, is this confidential. I kid you not. Imagine an article titled Google knows where you live, because it spies on you in the NYT. Youve been warned. This isnt the only lawsuit the tech company has recently settled. In Illinois, Google settled with residents there to the tune of $100 million for a violation of the states Biometric Privacy Act. President Joe Biden meets with local residents impacted by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Biden Tours Hurricane Ian Damage, Says DeSantis Has Done a Good Job President Joe Biden on Oct. 5 traveled to Florida, where he surveyed areas damaged by Hurricane Ian and met with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Biden went on an aerial tour on a helicopter before going to Fishermans Wharf, where he met with DeSantis and other local, state, and federal officials. Biden told reporters that DeSantis has done a good job handling the storm recovery. What the governor has done is pretty remarkable, he said. We worked hand in glove, we have very different political philosophies, but we worked hand in glove. And hes been on top on things related to dealing with this crisis, Biden also said. Weve been completely lockstep. Biden traveled to Florida with First Lady Jill Biden, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and a bevy of assistants such as Kate Bedingfield. DeSantis thanked them for coming and praised the federal governments assistance. We were very fortunate to have good coordination with the White House and with FEMA from the very beginning of this, DeSantis said, including Biden quickly approving a major disaster declaration, which provides federal aid to individuals affected by the hurricane. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Lee County Chairman Cecil Pendergrass, and first responders greeted the Bidens when they landed. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rick Scott (Fla.) were among the officials who met with the president during the trip. President Joe Biden and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis meet with local residents impacted by Hurricane Ian at Fishermans Pass in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 5, 2022. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Nearly 4,000 federal employees are on the ground in Florida helping in the wake of the storm, along with tens of thousands of state and private workers. Over 3,800 rescues have taken place and close to 100,000 structures have been searched, while pre-staged resources like water have been deployed, according to state and federal officials. Just 3 percent of the state is without power. Still, the hurricane dealt catastrophic damage, with many homes still underwater, Criswell told reporters on Air Force One. That prompted Biden to announce that federal disaster assistance would be available for 60 days to help with the recovery. The period of time was requested by the governor. The cost to the government is projected to be billions of dollars. Today, we have one job, and only one job. And thats to make sure that people in Florida get everything that they need to fully, thoroughly recover, Biden said. If DeSantis asks, the coverage time may be extended, Biden said. The president also said hes working on getting additional personnel to the state. Biden and his wife were flying back to Washington on Wednesday evening, after meeting with small business owners and others impacted by Ian. Justice Clarence Thomas, pictured at The Heritage Foundation on Oct. 21, 2021, suggested in 2020 it might be time for Supreme Court to hear a case on Section 230 protections for tech companies. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Big Techs Big Moment Finally Arrives at Supreme Court Commentary In what is shaping up to be an action-packed term at the Supreme Court, the justices upped the ante on Oct. 4 by granting review in another banner case: Gonzalez v. Google Inc. The case centers on the interpretation of a law that has plagued social media users, especially conservatives, for some time by allowing tech giants to ban, promote, alter, or recommend content based on the users point of view. That law is the Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996. Section 230(c)(1) of the act (which bears the long title, Protection for Good Samaritan Blocking and Screening of Offensive Material) shields publishers (like big tech platforms) from civil liability for hosting offensive content created by others. It says: No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider. Section 230(c)(2) of the Communications Decency Act also provides good Samaritan protection from civil liability for operators of interactive computer services that engage in the good faith removal or moderation of third-party material they deem obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected. Courts generally apply a three-pronged test when deciding whether Section 230 shields a provider from a claim of liability. Courts will look to see if (1) the defendant is a provider or user of an interactive computer service; (2) the cause of action is based on information provided by another information content provider; and (3) the claim treats the defendant as being the publisher or speaker of the harmful information at issue. If all three parts are satisfied, then the defendant is immune from liability. In short, under Section 230, online platform providers that host or republish speech are protected against a range of laws that might otherwise be used to hold them legally responsible for what others say and do. The provision leaves it to companies to decide whether certain content should be removed and does not require them to be politically neutral. So good faith removal or moderation of third-party material has, in increasing measure, protected the notoriously left-wing big tech cabal, allowing them to adjust content as they wish. Curiously, the content adjustment only seems to work against content of one perspective: the conservative one. The censorship of conservative voices by Big Tech is well-documented. Some on Capitol Hill have gone so far as to claim that Big Tech practically owns the governmenta claim that seems increasingly well-founded considering the governments documented efforts to control messaging during both the pandemic, and on politically inconvenient stories. But until Gonzalez, no vehicle presented the appropriate opportunity to consider the question on Section 230s application. Which is not to say this is Big Techs first run at the Supreme Court. As recently as 2020, the Supreme Court turned away the petitioners who also came to the court asking for clarification on the parameters of Section 230 in a case called Malwarebytes Inc. v. Enigma Software Group USA, LLC. In a statement accompanying the denial of the petition for certiorari, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that in an appropriate case, we should consider whether the text of this increasingly important statute [the Communications Decency Act] aligns with the current state of immunity enjoyed by Internet platforms. Thomas went on to say: And in the 24 years since [its adoption, we] have never interpreted this provision. But many courts have construed the law broadly to confer sweeping immunity on some of the largest companies in the world. Congress passed the Communications Decency Act in 1996 after a New York court held an internet service provider liable for a defamatory statement posted on that websites message board. It was sold to Americans as a necessary guardrail against pornography and obscenity online, while also allowing free speech to flourish. But now, more than 25 years later, quite the opposite has happened: While Big Tech platforms have throttled, banned, or de-platformed undesirable (read: politically unpopular) speech online, pornography and obscenity have unfortunately been allowed to flourish. In granting review in Gonzalez v. Google, the Supreme Court will have to consider some damning facts. The family of Nohemi Gonzalez, the only American killed in the 2015 terrorist attacks on Paris, sued Google (through its YouTube service) for aiding and abetting her ISIS killing by recommending content by a militant Muslim group. The suit alleges that by allowing its algorithms to recommend video content from the terrorist group, YouTube is no longer entitled to Section 230 immunity from civil liability. The petitioners also allege that YouTube provided material support to ISIS without which the explosive growth of ISIS over the last few years into the most-feared terrorist group in the world would not have been possible. The petitioners claim that videos that users viewed on YouTube were the central manner in which ISIS enlisted support and recruits from areas outside the portions of Syria and Iraq which it controlled. The question presented in Gonzalez is whether Section 230(c)(1) of the Communications Decency Act immunizes interactive online providers (like YouTube) from liability when they make targeted recommendations of information provided by another information content provider (like ISIS), or only limits the liability of interactive computer services when they engage in traditional editorial functions (such as deciding whether to display or withdraw) concerning that information. Thus far, the modern-day Roberts court is largely guided by textualismfaithfulness to the plain and ordinary meaning of words within the laws they interpret. So, the Gonzalez case provides a golden opportunity for the court to clarify exactly what the Communications Decency Act Section 230 shield covers and what it doesnt. Knowing that most Americans consume their news on digital devices, and knowing that the flurry of midterm elections will shortly be upon us, the stakes couldnt be higher. Gonzalez v. Google wont be the only time the high court considers the legality of online censorship this term. The Supreme Court also said on Oct. 3 that it would consider a separate but related lawsuit involving Twitter. That case was filed by the family of Nawras Alassaf, who was killed in a terrorist attack in Istanbul in 2017. The family claims Twitter, Facebook, and Google violated the Anti-Terrorism Act by allowing ISIS to use their sites. And Florida and Texas both have signaled they want the Supreme Court to review their laws aimed at stopping social media censorship as a violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which has resulted in a circuit split. Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The body of a 19-year-old female student was found in a toilet stall in the Taipei Longshan Temple, Taiwan. Her father criticized the Taiwan police for being sloppy in their investigation. (Courtesy of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau) Body of Hong Kong Student Found in Taipei Temple, Taiwan Left note, 'Do Not Communicate With the Underworld' On Sept. 29, 2022, the body of a young female student was found inside a locked toilet cubicle in the basement of Longshan Temple, Taipei. The student left a note warning people to not communicate with the spiritual world. Her parents rushed to Taiwan after learning of her death. Mr. Chung, the students father, said his daughter had mentioned in a phone call with her mother, that she was upset and thought some spirits were harassing her. He criticized the Taiwan police for being sloppy with their investigation and for refusing to do a preliminary autopsy. Chung stated that he would try to get legal advice. The Discovery On Sept. 29, a cleaner couldnt open the door of a toilet stall. Once a security guard opened the door, he found a womans body on the floor. Police recovered two notes from the deceased womans backpack. One note addressed the cleaners who would discover her body, I am sorry. I know cleaning up is going to be very troublesome. The other note read: Please forgive me. Do not randomly communicate with the underworld. Police also found Ms. Chungs identity in her knapsack. They discovered she was a 19-year-old Hong Kong student studying at Lunghua University of Science and Technology in the city of Taoyuan, Taiwan. Based on multiple media reports, the student arrived at the temple at 11 a.m. and headed to the bathroom in the temple basement. Taiwan police traced her steps via CCTV security footage. No one had followed the woman to the basement, nor were there any signs of a struggle or violence. Hence, the police ruled out homicide as the cause of death. Officers continue to investigate the cause of death as of Oct. 3, 2022. Parents Dissatisfied with Police Ms. Chungs parents rushed to Taiwan thanks to assistance from the Taiwan government. The couple were escorted from the quarantine hotel to arrange for their late daughters funeral and burial. Mr. Chung, the father of the late student, told the media that the police work had been sloppy. Not only did they refuse to conduct a preliminary autopsy, they also asked us to trust their experience and to sign for the case closure. Mr. Chung did not comply. He believed that there were suspicions, including that the CCTV cameras could have covered other areas his daughter had passed through. Mr. Chung said that he would not rest until he found the answers he was looking for. He would also seek legal advice and go to the temple himself to investigate. Miscommunication In response to Mr. Chungs criticism, the police said they never refused to do an autopsy and believe there was a miscommunication between the two parties. Wanhua Precinct Assistant Captain Huang explained that when they received a call about the discovery of a body, the police team immediately went to the scene to investigate, access available surveillance camera footage, and collect evidence. Later that day, the local prosecutor and forensic examiner of the District Public Prosecutors Office conducted an autopsy. The Vice Captain said, If I remember correctly, the family arrived in Taiwan on the evening of Sept. 30, 2022. But they had to be quarantined at a hotel. On the morning of Oct. 3, 2022, local prosecutors escorted the parents to the coroners office for a second autopsy. Therefore, there might have been a miscommunication somewhere, since we never refused an autopsy and had in fact conducted it twice. Before Her Death Mr. Chung said his daughter did not do well in secondary school in Hong Kong. So in September 2020, she continued her studies at Lunghua University of Science and Technology in Taiwan. She was in her third year at the school. Due to pandemic restrictions, Chungs parents could not visit their daughter for a long time. Mr. Chung remembered how relieved they were when she told them how much she loved the Taiwanese university. Along with being quiet, Chung was described as well-mannered and intelligent. She received scholarships from the school and enjoyed drawing and doing handicrafts. When she first arrived in Taiwan, she made extra money running an online shop during her time away from school. Signs of Melancholy In the summer of 2022, Chung returned to Hong Kong for vacation. Her father said she seemed fine at that time; but once she returned to school in September, she spoke of feeling sad on the phone with her mother. Chung also told her mom, I think I am seeing things. I think they might be spirits. I am miserable. The parents had planned to take their daughter to Japan for a break on Oct. 4, 2022. Mr. Chung told the newspaper that his daughter lived in the university 4-bedroom dormitory. Although his daughter was never bullied at school or involved with money disputes, he worried it might be challenging for her to find new friends and communicate with people to due to her quiet personality. Having no one with her makes her dig deeper into the rabbit hole. Possibilities While netizens speculate whether the body discovery was ghost related, Chinese newspaper Info Times consulted Taiwanese Folk Culture Study Researcher and Numerologist Master Hsieh. Hsieh first explained that in traditional folk culture, people believe that when a person contacts or summons the dead, the living can be connected to the dead on a spiritual level. Hence their vision or hearing may be synchronized. However, Hsieh said the deceased could have participated in something to communicate with spirits, such as a ouija board, before her death. She became fearful after that. He analyzed the notes found in Ms. Chungs backpack. The folk culture expert said, Scientifically, the two written notes were signs of Ms. Chung suffering from severe distress and fears before her death. However, since the late student came from Hong Kong, she probably did not know who to turn to for help. Her fears could be the cause of her hallucination. Official Response Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) instructed its Hong Kong Affairs Office to provide full assistance to Mr. And Mrs. Chung. The office said it would do its best to provide whatever the family needed during their time in Taiwan. The Taiwan MAC said that as soon as the news broke, they immediately issued entry visas to Taiwan to the parents. Once the Chungs arrived, the council said it sent their condolences and prayers to the parents through the university. Shan Lam Contributed to this article California police are searching for a suspected serial killer still on the loose. Hes gunned down six so far. Doctor groups ask the Justice Department to investigate what they perceive as disinformation about gender reassignment procedures for youths. Elon Musk proposes to close his Twitter deal on original terms. Topics in this episode include: 1. California Police Hunt Serial Killer 2. Medical Groups Ask DOJ to Probe Disinformation on Gender Transition for Youths 3. Okla. Childrens Hospital Barred From Relief Funds Unless it Halts Gender-Affirming Treatment 4. SCOTUS Overturns Ruling on Mass. Gun Law 5. Trump Asks SCOTUS to Intervene in Document Dispute 6. Musk Moves to Close Twitter Deal 7. Search for Hurricane Survivors Continues 8. NYC: Fentanyl Pills Found in Lego Box 9. Boston Bomb Hoax Suspect Arrested 10. US and South Korea Test Fire Missiles 11. Micron Set to Build Chip Factory in New York 12. Hot US Labor Market May Be Cooling Down 13. US Debt Exceeds $31 Trillion 14. International Team Wins Nobel Physics Prize 15. Australia Commits to Zero Extinctions With New Plan 16. Croctober Giveaway 17. Building Up an Amazon Side Hustle to Survive Inflation * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV A doctor attends to a COVID-19 patient at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, Calif., on Jan. 3, 2021. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images) California Doctors Sue State Over New Medical Misinformation Law Attorneys for two doctors have filed a federal lawsuit against the Medical Board of California and state Attorney General Rob Bonta over a freshly signed law that aims to punish physicians for spreading misinformation or disinformation related to COVID-19. The complaint, filed on behalf of Dr. Jeff Barke and Dr. Mark McDonald in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Oct. 4, just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2098 (AB 2098) into law, asks the court to declare the new law unconstitutional and seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent its enforcement. The statute defines misinformation as false information that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care, and disinformation as misinformation that is deliberately disseminated with malicious intent or an intent to mislead. In his signing message, Newsom said he was concerned that similar laws could have a chilling effect on doctors, but was confident that AB 2098 is narrow enough to apply only to those egregious instances in which physicians are acting with malicious intent or clearly deviating from the required standards of care. Governor Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters at AltaMed Urgent Care in Santa Ana, Calif., on March 25, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Barke, a primary care physician, and McDonald, a psychiatrist, assert that the recently enacted law violates their rights to free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. They allege the law, which allows the medical board to punish doctors for unprofessional conduct if they dont comply with what the state deems to be scientific consensus, chills the protected speech of medical professionals on the basis of viewpoint. It also intrudes into the privacy of the doctorpatient relationship and replaces the medical judgment of licensed professionals with that of the government, according to the complaint. The lawsuit names as defendants Bonta and the entire medical board, including Kristina Lawson, president; Randy Hawkins, vice president; and Laurie Rose Lubiano, secretary. Scientific Consensus Constantly Changing Daniel Suhr of Liberty Justice Center, lead attorney in the case, told The Epoch Times that AB 2098 is unconstitutional and un-American. While the law says doctors cant provide patients with medical advice contrary to scientific consensus about COVID-19, the past two years have shown the so-called scientific consensus is constantly changing and evolving, Suhr said. In fact, its only because we allow doctors and scientists the freedom to challenge the scientific consensus, that we end up learning new things about how to treat the disease better, and actually deliver better results for patients, he said. Suhr said the Constitution allows Americans to determine what they believe is true, and only in a free and open marketplace of ideas can people see and understand their options. When the government comes in, and says, Were going to have one official truth, or Were going to ordain one scientific consensus, that is fundamentally contradictory to 200 years of American history, he said. Theres something very Orwellian about it, for sure. Laws such as AB 2098 seem to be part of a coordinated censorship campaign that doesnt bode well for democracy, Suhr said. We started with this whole concept of misinformation specific to COVID, and now, we see it in health care related to gender transition surgeries; we see it in climate change; we see it in election results, he said. Our government is claiming the right to define truth and then censor and suppress any [other] view. Carlos Villatoro, a spokesperson for the medical board, said the agency does not comment on pending litigation; Bontas office said on Oct. 4 that it had not yet been served. Dr. Jeff Barke in Tustin, Calif., on March 10, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Could Cause Harm to Patients The idea of the state compelling doctors to align their speech with the government narrative is dangerous, Barke, who is based in Orange County, told The Epoch Times. Im primarily involved because I think its important to protect patients rights because if a patient feels that a physician is being muzzled to speak their truth and give their opinion, its going to have a chilling effect and potentially could cause harm to patients, he said. The bottom line is to protect patients. Barke disagrees with the notion that theres scientific consensus on COVID-19 in the first place. Science is not consensus. Its the opposite; its challenging consensus, he said. The only way you get scientific consensus is when you silence people that have a differing opinion, which is whats happening now. So, there may be this perception that theres some level of consensus, but there isnt. For example, Denmark has recommended against COVID-19 boosters for any healthy person under age 50, while the U.S. is recommending that children as young as 6 months old be vaccinated, Barke said. So, if I speak out against vaccinating a healthy 6-month-old, or somebody whos pregnant, or a teenager whos otherwise healthy, Im going against some made-up scientific consensus. And, technically at that point, the medical board could disapprove and accuse me of unprofessional conduct, he said. Not long ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health care agencies had recommended asymptomatic people be tested for COVID-19, but now it doesnt, he said. During the statewide lockdowns, people werent allowed to attend school, sporting events, or theaters, based on the idea of asymptomatic spread. That was the premise upon which all these draconian measures were based, he said. So technically, if Id spoken out a few months ago and said I dont think asymptomatic spread is really important and we shouldnt be testing people that dont have symptoms, Id be in violation of this law because I would be speaking out against the established medical scientific consensuswhatever that is. With California already facing a shortage of primary care doctors, Barke said he expects more physicians will leave the state, which will create a heavier unnecessary burden on physicians and patients. AB 2098 is a bad law. Its unconstitutional, anti-American, and it puts patients at risk, he said. I think it will be struck down in the court. Canadian Government Official Responds to Reports of Unofficial Chinese Police Stations in Toronto An investigation into allegations that communist China is operating unofficial overseas police stations in Canada is underway, officials say. Testifying before the parliamentary Canada-China committee on Oct. 4, Weldon Epp, director general for Global Affairs Canadas North Asia and Oceania Bureau, said should the allegations be proven true, the activity would fall outside of any legitimate police-to-police liaison role between the two countries, and that Ottawa would make serious representations to Beijing. The activity thats being alleged would be entirely illegal, totally inappropriate, and would be subject to very serious representations and follow-up diplomatically, Epp said. Reports of Chinas expanding overseas police service stations were brought to public attention after Spain-based human rights NGO Safeguard Defenders published its investigative report last month, titled 110 Overseas: Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild. At the time of publication, the report identified 54 Chinese overseas police stations in 30 countries, including three in Toronto. The stations are all under the jurisdiction of two local-level police services in Chinathe Fuzhou Public Security Bureau in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, and the Qingtian County police in Zhejiang Province, the report said. Peter Dahlin, founder and director of Safeguard Defenders and co-author of the report, told The Epoch Times previously that in addition to the three stations in Torontotwo in Markham and one in Scarborough, whose locations were published in a Chinese state media outletthere are likely other unofficial Chinese police stations either in existance or being established in Canada, though they have yet to be discovered. Map of the 30 countries where Chinese police have established 54 known 110 Chinese overseas police stations. (Courtesy of Safeguard Defenders) Dahlin said that during the investigation, his team came across a news release issued by Beijing on July 5, 2018, that stated 10 other provinces should launch similar operations on a pilot basis. Epp, who served as consulate general of Canada in Shanghai from 2015 to 2019, said that there is no bilateral treaty with China that would allow the Chinese police to reside in Canada and open their police stations on Canadian soil. Violation Of Our Sovereignty During questioning, Conservative MP and foreign affairs critic Michael Chong asked Epp whether Global Affairs has made representations to the Chinese regime about how unacceptable it is that the CCP has allegedly established the police stations, which he said are reportedly being used to intimidate Canadians and even coerce them in going back to China. Epp said his department is working with partner agencies to ascertain whether theres a basis to the allegations. I can tell you that we are working closely with partners to understand whether these media reports are based in fact, Epp said, adding that the department regularly raised concerns to senior levels in Ottawa and Beijing about the growing evidence of growing foreign interference from China. Epp was referring to a series of reports issued by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians to federal agencies. He said the evidence from those reports suggests that the largest source of foreign interference in Canada by foreign state actors, is coming from the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] sources. Chong also asked if Global Affairs is investigating whether diplomats accredited to the Chinese embassy and other missions in Canada are involved with the alleged police stations and whether the government has sent representatives to check out the three locations published in Chinese state media reports. Theyre not only illegal, theyre a violation of our sovereignty, a violation of international law, and violation of any diplomatic norms that are out there, Chong said. Conservative MP Michael Chong rises during Question Period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on May 31, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Without trying to frustrate the line of questioning, I just want to underscore the fact that the investigative role thats critical here, before we take important and anticipated diplomatic actions in response, is pretty crucial, Epp answered. Conservative MP Raquel Dancho asked whom Global Affairs is working with during the investigation, to which Epp answered that it wasnt appropriate for him to discuss the operational details on camera. Visas Should Be Revoked Glen Linder, director general of Social and Temporary Migration at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), also testified at the committee meeting, where he was asked by Chong if the IRCC has performed a status check on the individuals working in the alleged police stations. Is there an investigation going on right now to determine their immigration status? Because if these individuals have come here from the Peoples Republic of China under false pretenses, those visas should be revoked, Chong said. As my colleague from Global Affairs mentioned, [we are] taking the issues very seriously and there are discussions with partners, Linder replied. Liberal MP Jean Yip who represents the riding of Scarborough-Agincourt in Ontario, stressed the importance of reassuring Canadians, particularly those residing in Scarborough and Markham where the alleged unofficial police centres are. She asked Epp how an investigation will be conducted if a constituent faces harassment, intimidation, or coercion by the alleged centres. What can they do? Just go to the local police? she said. We encourage individuals not only to let Global Affairs know, such that we can undertake appropriate communications with [the] Chinese government, but that they need to report these to the police, Epp said. NDP MP Heather McPherson said the suggestion for citizens to contact Global Affairs was useless, given that after years of working in the international development sector, she has yet to find a way to contact Global Affairs herself. She questioned if the federal department has any interaction with local police services, and if the police are trained to handle such requests. Information intelligence sharing is through the RCMP with local police forces, but Global Affairs Canada works very closely with the RCMP, with CSIS, and other intelligence parties, Epp said. He added that his department shares information on foreign interference with those partners. NDP MP Heather McPherson speaks at the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 27, 2022 in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) In terms of their specific operational training that goes beyond my expertise of how the police services will honour that information and translate it into practical [training], he said. There are a lot of discussions about how to shorten the distance between individual Canadians experiencing this and knowing how to deal with it, he added. Its very important, but I just want to emphasize the operational lead still has to be the police. Its not sufficient, but its the first [step]. Asked by Dancho if Global Affairs will make a public announcement if the allegations turn out to be true, Epp said he would defer it to the RCMP to make the decision. When pressed to provide a timeline for when the investigation will conclude, he said he was unable to do so. Nothing to Deter Them Aileen Calverley, co-founder and trustee of the human rights advocacy group Hong Kong Watch, said it is very shocking to learn of the alleged unofficial police centres established by the Chinese regime. They are openly doing that because there is no legislation, theres nothing to deter them, nothing to punish them, Calverley told the committee, adding that the stations are meant to intimidate those who speak out against the regime. They can intimidate people like us. Ive been living in Canada for many decadesnow, I feel frightened, she said. Calverley proposed that Canada should put in place new legislation and see to it that the individuals involved are registered as foreign agents. In response to Calverleys testimony, Senator Leo Housakos took to Twitter later that night, commending her for speaking out against Chinas communist regime. Its long past due for members in both chambers to support my Foreign Agent Registry legislation, Bill #S237. Time to truly tackle foreign interference and intimidation on Canadian soil, he said. Andrew Chen contributed to this report. Gen. Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff, speaks during a military announcement at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on June 20, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Lars Hagberg) EXCLUSIVE: Canadian Military to Keep Vaccine Mandate for Core Functions, Drop It for Others: Leaked Directive The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is planning to keep its vaccine mandate in place for positions requiring high readiness and deployments and to drop it for others, according to a draft directive obtained by The Epoch Times. Following a review of the current public health situation, notably the evolution of the virus and increased CAF vaccination rates, it has been decided that those positions requiring that members be vaccinated against COVID-19 will be restricted to those supporting core operational functions, or for the maintenance of operational readiness as described herein, says the directive from the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) dated Sept. 27. Those supporting core operational functions include personnel assigned to units or elements that need to deploy on short notice. The directive mentions special operations high readiness forces and task forces, land forces Immediate Response Units, ready-duty ships and standby ready-duty ships, the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO), contributions to NATO and the U.N., and contributions to multilateral partners. In addition to the above, personnel would need to be fully vaccinated if placed on a notice-to-move of fewer than 45 days to deploy to a location that has no or limited access to medical care or that is in a country with a vaccine requirement for entry. CAF members posted to work abroad on assignments, such as within Canadian diplomatic missions, will not be compelled to be vaccinated by their employer but rather will need to comply with the host nations requirement. Forces placed on a readiness of over 45 days notice-to-move will not be subjected to a vaccine mandate, but when theyre placed on high readiness or deployed to a war zone the mandate will likely come into force. This means the mandate will remain in effect for most soldiers wanting to serve on operations. The directive says the mandate will be dropped in some CAF schools and educational establishments, static units and headquarters, and ceremonial units. It will also be dropped for the Canadian Rangers as well as for reservists who are not on high readiness and deploying to areas with limited access to medical care. Prospective recruits will no longer need to be vaccinated to join the Forces, but they will need to be informed that some positions or operations may require COVID-19 injections. Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson Jessica Lamirande would not confirm whether the release of the new directive is coming soon. In terms of the CDS directive, there is no set timeline for any potential changes, she told The Epoch Times. Release of Members The new directive will not apply to CAF members who are in the process of being released for not complying with the previous vaccination policy. Administrative reviews related to previous COVID-19 policy for which a release decision has been rendered by Director Military Career Administration shall be actioned, says the draft policy. Meanwhile, those on remedial measures will be spared, but a mark will stay on their file. DND says there are currently 449 CAF members whose file is under administrative review, which when completed leads to a dishonourable discharge under code 5f, unsuitable for further service. Remedial measures have been initiated for 657 soldiers, DND says. As of Sept. 13, 108 soldiers from the regular force have left the service citing mandatory vaccination as the main reason, and 299 have been kicked out for not complying with the vaccination policy. The number of reservists who have refused vaccination hasnt been made public since the mandate came into force, but The Epoch Times has confirmed that some have voluntarily quit due to the mandate. Rationale The draft directive explains the CAFs rationale for modifying its mandate. It says over 96 percent of members have received a primary series of injections and mentioned vaccination helps prevent severe outcomes. This has helped to ensure a very low rate of hospitalizations and severe outcomes of infection, which has enabled a sufficient level of operational readiness to meet the many demands asked of the CAF throughout the pandemic, the document says. The CAF directive, like the Canadian government, acknowledges that vaccinations dont stop infection. There are significant limitations in the ability of the vaccine to decrease transmission risk, it says. Lamirande told The Epoch Times that statistics on severe COVID-19 outcomes among CAF members prior to mass vaccination are not readily available. She also said DND does not keep statistics on adverse events after any type of vaccination. Vaccine Injury Vaccination against COVID-19 has been increasingly linked to a host of health problems. Some jurisdictions, such as certain Scandinavian countries, have stopped recommending vaccination for younger people or made recommendations against some brands of vaccine specifically for young men, due to risks of heart inflammation (myocarditis and pericarditis). Health Ontario says cases of myocarditis and pericarditis post-vaccination have been occurring more frequently in males under 30, and at a higher rate with the Moderna injection. Young males are a key demographic of the CAF and Moderna was used extensively to vaccinate the troops. There have also been claims of vaccine injury among CAF members, according to an internal email obtained by The Epoch Times. Sgt. Calvin Scott, a Royal Canadian Air Force airman, sent the email to his squadron in January. Another CAF member who received the email provided it to The Epoch Times. Scott, who was reacting to CAFs vaccine booster campaign, told his colleagues of his heart injury following vaccination and advised them to make an informed decision about getting a third dose. I am sending this information as I believe it is important for CAF members to have access to a wide breadth of information prior to making personal health decisions, he wrote. Scott said that he wasnt against vaccines and that COVID-19 vaccination may be beneficial for some based on age, sex, and health status. In his email, he provided links to scientific literature on the risks of post-vaccination heart inflammation. I am currently medically grounded and will be wearing a heart monitor for reasons that appear to be tied to the original two COVID vaccine shots. Unfortunately, I also have two neighbours, both military, facing the same health issue and circumstance, he wrote. According to a former pilot from another squadron speaking on the condition of anonymity, the email was leaked from the squadron by pilots who were wary of the vaccine, and it made some waves. Scott was reportedly threatened with charges and given a recorded warning for speaking out. The latest CDS draft directive says boosters could become mandated depending on the circumstances, such as the emergence of a new virus variant or for a specific deployment. Tweak of Mandate A previous version of the draft that was leaked during the summer suggested that the CAF vaccine mandate would be dropped entirely. Later, Chief of the Defence Staff Wayne Eyre said the mandate would only undergo a tweak. On Sept. 27, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre called on the CAF to drop the mandate, while his partys health critic, Michael Barrett, said keeping it mandatory for some operational purposes might be acceptable. The Epoch Times sent a request to the Conservative Party to clarify its position on the mandate but did not receive a response before publication time. Its the hundred-day mark since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. What did the president announce as the issue of abortion gains steam ahead of elections? The nations highest court just kicked off a new termand it makes its first moves on cases regarding vaccine mandates, gun rights, and voting rights. Florida continues to comb through the destruction left by Hurricane Ian. Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart joins us to assess. Trump is suing CNN. Find out why he filed a half-billion-dollar lawsuit against the media organization. Thomas Hogan, economist and senior researcher at the American Institute for Economic Research, joins us to discuss the state of the economy and if the Fed is out of answers. Flight attendants now get more mandated rest time between flights. The Federal Aviation Administration is rolling out new rules, increasing rest time to 10 hours between shifts. BUY Jan 6 DVD: The Real Story of Jan. 6 Documentary102 Minutes, Color), Promo Code [Steve] for 20% off. * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Follow CapitolReport on social media: Twitter https://twitter.com/capitolreport Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CapitolReport/ Gettr https://gettr.com/user/capitolreport Follow EpochTV on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV CCP Runs Police Outpost in New York City, Part of Global Network of Transnational Repression: Report Chinese authorities have opened at least one overseas police service station in the United States as part of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) global transnational repression, according to the human rights group Safeguard Defenders. These operations eschew official bilateral police and judicial cooperation and violate the international rule of law, and may violate the territorial integrity in third countries involved in setting up a parallel policing mechanism using illegal methods, the Spain-based group said in a recent report. The report, titled 110 Overseas: Chinese Transnational Policing Gone Wild, examined the initiative, which was begun by 10 pilot provinces in 2018. These stations also are called 110 Overseas, named after the countrys police emergency services phone number. An outpost in New York City was among the first batch of 30 overseas police service stations in 21 countries set up by the Public Security Bureau in Fuzhou, the capital city of the southern coastal province of Fujian. Other Chinese cities also set up their own outposts abroad. The Chinese police authorities division in New York opened on Feb. 15, according to Dongnan News, a media outlet backed by the Fujian provincial government. The center, called Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, is located at 107 East Broadway, inside the headquarters of the American ChangLe Association (ACA), a nonprofit with close ties to the Chinese regime. Safeguard Defenders identified 54 overseas police service stations across five continents, including in cities from Toronto to Dublin. The total number of such stations is unclear. There is no complete list of such 110 Overseas police service stations available, the report states. [T]he number is undoubtedly larger and such stations more widespread. ACA Established in 1998, the ACA is one of the most influential communities for immigrants from Fujian Province in the United States, according to its website. The ACA cooperated with Fuzhous Public Security Bureau to set up the Fuzhou police service station this year, the associations chairman said in April during an event at the groups office while hosting the deputy Chinese consulate general in New York, Wu Xiaoming, Dongnan News reported at the time. Wu, according to the report, recognized the associations contribution to promoting Sino-U.S. friendship and supporting Chinas peaceful reunification. The New York community group, as with many purportedly grassroots Chinese organizations, is linked to the Chinese Communist Partys sprawling united front system. That refers to a network of thousands of overseas groups loosely overseen by the United Front Work Department, a powerful Party agency that works to advance the regimes interests abroad, including by carrying out foreign influence operations, suppressing dissident movements, gathering intelligence, and facilitating the transfer of technology to China. The ACA maintains close ties to the regime and has been praised for its efforts in supporting CCP and its leaders. Photos displayed on its website include a certificate of appreciation from the Chinese consulate in New York in 2015. The consulate praised the ACA for playing an active role in organizing overseas Chinese nationals to welcome Chinese leader Xi Jinping when he traveled to New York to attend United Nations meetings at that time. The groups former president, Zhang Zikuo, in 2019 attended an official ceremony in Beijing to mark the 70th year of CCP rule over China as a representative of overseas Chinese nationals in the United States, according to a 2020 report by the Fuzhou City Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. In May 2020, Zhang, then-president of the ACA, attended an online seminar organized by the United Front Department of Fuzhous Changle District, during which they had an in-depth study of the spirit of the two sessions, the report reads. Two sessions refers to annual meetings held by the regimes rubber-stamp legislature and political advisory body. Sinister Goal Ostensibly, the overseas police service stations serve administrative purposes, with many tasks the report said that would be traditionally considered of a consular nature. For example, the New York stations most popular service was assisting overseas Chinese in renewing drivers licenses without having to return to the country, according to an August report by Dongnan News. The report said that from March 1 to April 27, 36 applications completed an online physical examination at the station and had their drivers licenses renewed. The stations make overseas Chinese feel the care and love of the motherland, ACA Chairman Lu Jianshun told Dongnan News. The report mentions that Lu also is a staff member at the New York station. Safeguard Defenders, however, said such 110 overseas have a more sinister goal, as they contribute to resolutely cracking down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities involving overseas Chinese. Some of the stations have already been implicated in collaborating with Chinese police in carrying out policing operations on foreign soil, the group said. One example provided in the report was the successful return of a Chinese fugitive surnamed Xia, who was accused of fraud and fled to Serbia. After identifying Xias location in Belgrade, Chinese police authorities successfully [got] in touch with Xia through its overseas service station, the report stated, citing a 2019 article by Chinese state media. Police in Qingtian city then directly carried out persuasion to return through the Chinese social media app Wechat and video calls with the support of staff members of the overseas service. Chinese police, the report stated, educated Xia about relevant policies, laws, and cases at least once a week before Xia finally actively cooperated with the police to return to China in October 2018. From April 2021 to July 2022, an estimated 230,000 overseas Chinese nationals have been persuaded to return to the country to face criminal charges, according to a Chinese state media report. Safeguard Defenders noted such persuasion to return involves harassment and intimidation of the targets relatives in China. If the target refuses to comply, their families could face punishment, such as their children being denied education. These methods allow the CCP and their security organs to circumvent normal bilateral mechanisms of police and judicial cooperation, thereby severely undermining the international rule of law and territorial integrity of the third countries involved, the report states. It leaves legal Chinese residents abroad fully exposed to extra-legal targeting by the Chinese police, with little to none of the protection theoretically ensured under both national and international law. Officials at the ACA, the FBI, the Department of Justice, the State Department, and the New York attorney generals office didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. China to Remain US Adversary After Xi Secures Third Term in Power: Author As Chinese leader Xi Jinping looks set to secure a third five-year term as CCP leader during the partys 20th National Congress in October, the following period will see more competition and confrontation between the United States and China, according to China expert and author James Gorrie. I dont see great cooperation I dont think thats going to mark our relationship in the foreseeable future. I think were much more along the lines of competitive and adversarial, Gorrie told the China in Focus program on NTD news, The Epoch Times sister media. He pointed to the fact that China and Russia have proclaimed a friendship without limits, saying: [China] coordinated with Russia on that invasion. And theyre doing a lot of coordination on energy on food and currency. So Russia and China are pretty married, he noted. Chinas Internal Problems Gorrie further took note of the fact that the Chinese economy is not in good shape. China has big problems in terms of their economy. Their real estate sector is in a depression. Unemployment among the youngest is now over 20 percent, which is huge. The national average is around five and a half percent, he said. So theres some large issues that need to be addressed, Gorrie stressed. According to the expert, the Chinese regimes zero-COVID policy has exerted a devastating impact on the country. Its just been so oppressive on their own people. You have tens of millions of people not earning money, not not going to work, supply chain disruptions, Gorrie said. In his opinion, that furthered the trend of nearshoring which had started before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. That trend was created by China. Chinas labor costs are higher, their IP theft is rampant, he explained. Europeans [are] relocating factories in say Turkey, America is relocating factories in say Mexico, and so forth. And the Philippines and Vietnam [are] picking up some of the slack from China, Gorrie added. As the author of the book titled The China Crisis, he opined that the tendency will continue, as the bloom is off the rose. Once you reestablish the supply chain, you dont want to have to go back and put it at risk for a capricious CCP that may decide that you need to be locked down for the next six or eight months, he said. Decoupling From China Going forward, Gorrie urged that America continue to try to decouple from China, economically and trade-wise. So Americas policy ought to contain China, and ought to make it difficult for China to exert its influence externally, he said. He further suggested that America bring back home the manufacturing of key industries. It should be done for strategic industries and parts and those types of things that are in our best interest to have control over, Gorrie said. We shouldnt have strategic medical supplies or technological supplies being made in a country that is potentially adversarial to us, he contended. Gorrie pointed to the new report revealing that more than 150 scientists who worked in a top U.S. national security laboratory were hired by the Chinese regime to do research. So much of our IP continues to go to China. Theyre a formidable force in robotics and AI, biotech, bioengineering. And a lot of that comes from the U.S., he noted. Thus, he called for defunding the companies and universities involved with the misconduct. Something needs to be done swiftly and effectively, he said. What we need to do to strengthen ourselves and to minimize Chinas influence, Gorrie said. Hannah Ng Reporter Follow Hannah Ng is a reporter covering U.S. and China news. She holds a master's degree in international and development economics from the University of Applied Science Berlin. With Britain having acquired a new head of state and a new head of government in a matter of days last month, some constitutional teething troubles between Buckingham Palace and Downing Street were perhaps inevitable. It is a source of regret, however, that the first issue to apparently divide the UKs two seats of power should be climate change. It has been widely reported in the British press that Prime Minister Liz Truss ordered King Charles not to attend the forthcoming COP27 climate change conference at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt in November. Naturally, Trusss office points out that the prime minister is in no position to order the king to do anything, and the official line from the palace is that the monarch accepted Trusss advice that he should not attend. Perhaps what triggered this early confrontation was Truss subconsciously harking back to her fiery university years as an anti-monarchist; or, as some analysts see it, it may be her eagerness to draw a clear line early on in the relationship that she will be calling the shots in her country. Either way, the fact remains that King Charles will be denied participation in an event close to his heart, on an issue close to his heart, in a region close to his heart and that is a mistake. Climate change is a real and pressing threat. Only this summer the UK endured three devastating heatwaves in June, July and August: Temperatures hit a record 40.3C, there was a 200 percent increase in the number of wildfires, the Meteorological Office declared a national emergency, and three people died from drowning. All of this was attributable to climate change. There is a convention that British monarchs do not get involved in politics, but climate change is an issue that transcends politics. Only last year, as Prince of Wales, Charles addressed the COP26 opening ceremony in Glasgow, and his late mother Queen Elizabeth also gave a speech at the event. Last November, Charles had the British governments blessing for a trip to Egypt, where he discussed COP27 with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. If it was acceptable then, why not now? Throughout his life, King Charles has been a genuine, passionate advocate for environmental causes and action to combat the climate emergency. Not only that, but he is also a figure around whom many countries in the world can unite: I can at least speak for Arab countries, where he enjoys deep personal bonds with Gulf royal families, and is widely respected for his understanding of Islam and Arab culture. Last months state funeral of Queen Elizabeth, watched by billions worldwide, was a classic illustration of how the British royal family is a key element in the countrys soft power, image, and culture. Meanwhile, with efforts such as the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative, there is clearly momentum, resources and focus for change in a region that had not paid much attention to the issue before. The UK is still finding its feet again after a series of blows that began with the repercussions of Brexit, then the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now a cost-of-living crisis. Choosing not to empower King Charles in a role that suits him so well, and could have been an additional channel to lobby and win favor with attending Arab and international leaders, shows both a lack of sophistication and a lack of confidence. Not very British, is it? A model of C919 passenger aircraft is on display during the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, China, on Sept. 3, 2022. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images) Chinas C919 Airliner Never Fails to Fail Commentary Samuel Johnson once said of a dog walking on its hind legs that even though it was not done well, one was surprised to see it done at all. Such is the increasing indifference I am feeling toward Chinas C919 passenger jet, Beijings latest effort to break into the global commercial airliner business. The plane actually celebrated a bit of a milestone a few days ago whenfive years after its first flightit finally received its airworthiness certification from the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). It was supposed to have been certified last December, but continuing delays in flight testing made that a nonstarter. In fact, at the time, the C919 had flown only 34 out of a required 276 flights. I know that I pick on the C919 a lot (see here and here and here), and I should really cut the plane some slack. But few countries have taken such a good opportunity to develop and manufacture a product that could have truly been globally competitive and totally screwed it up. For a country like China, building the C919 was certainly an achievable goal. In the first place, it was not a particularly groundbreaking aircraft. Noted aerospace analyst Richard Aboulafia has called the C919 a me-too jet, adding that the plane offers no new technology. Certainly, the C919 is not, for example, like Embraers family of small regional jets. The Brazilian aerospace company pioneered the development of small but fast jet-propelled airliners seating less than 125 passengers, such as the ERJ45 or the E170/E190 series. As such, Embraer helped to revolutionize the commuter airliner business. In fact, the C919 was, from the very beginning, a rather mediocre airplane. It is a narrow-body plane, seating around 160 passengers, which puts it in roughly the same category as two already existing workhorses of the skies, the Boeing 737 and the Airbus A320. Visitors walk past a Boeing 737 (L) and a Boeing 777 (R) displayed during the Farnborough Airshow, in Farnborough, on July 18, 2022. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images) That said, theres nothing wrong with being a manila-envelope passenger plane. There is a sizable global market for narrow-body jets, and the C919 was likely to enter as a low-cost challenger, relying on cheap Chinese labor to undercut the competition. Even if it was only sold to Chinese airlines, the potential for sales was huge. And yet China has dropped the ball on every occasion. The C919, initiated in 2008, was supposed to conduct its first flight in 2014 and begin deliveries by 2016. In fact, it didnt fly until 2017. While the plane has finally received certification by the CAAC, it still needs to be separately certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Europes Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) if Beijing wishes to sell the airplane overseas. In the meantime, C919 program costs have skyrocketed, and China has reportedly already spent over $20 billion on the plane. As a result, the unit price of the C919 has risen. Originally expected to cost about $50 million per plane, the C919 is now predicted to be priced at around $90 million to $100 million each. This is roughly the same price as a 737 or A320, wiping out whatever cost advantage it might have had. Finally, calling the C919 Chinese is stretching the point. The plane relies heavily on Western suppliers for critical components and subsystems, including its avionics, landing gear, nacelles, flight controls, andmost importantlyjet engines. Around 60 percent of these foreign suppliers to the C919 are U.S. companies, such as General Electric, Honeywell, and Eaton. In fact, it is estimated that only 25 percent of the overall value of the C919 is actually Chinese, mostly in the manufacture of the fuselage and wings, as well as final assembly. As Aboulafia has put it, its more a Western jet than a Chinese one. Beyond simply injuring Chinese pride, this excessive dependency on foreign components and technologies puts the program in serious danger. Even if much of the Western technology is rather oldand the evidence is that much of what is being transferred to China is hardly cutting-edgeit still leaves the C919 at the mercy of foreign suppliers. And these foreign suppliers are becoming increasingly hesitanthostile, evenwhen it comes to working with the Chinese on high-tech projects. The Chinese regimes belligerent behaviorits growing threats toward Taiwan, its regional bullying, its stifling of democracy and human rights in Hong Kong, and its failure to condemn Russian aggression against Ukrainehas left many in the West with a bad taste in their mouths and increasingly reluctant to team up with China. In December 2020, under the Trump administration, the Commerce Department added a new Military End User (MEU) list to its existing export controls. The MEU list essentially prohibits certain technology exports to certain entities (in China and other countries) that represent an unacceptable risk of use in or diversion to a military end-use. These entities included AVIC, the state-owned aerospace company overseeing the C919 program. The Biden administration has expanded on this hardline approach, blacklisting seven Chinese companies, in part to keep U.S. companies from exporting advanced semiconductors to China. In the end, Beijing will likely strong-arm several Chinese airlines into buying the plane. So far, only Chinese airlines and many Chinese financial leasing companies have placed orders for the planebut it is unlikely to be a globally competitive project. Instead, the C919 will likely go the way of many other national aircraft vanity projects such as Russias Superjet, Indonesias N-250, or the Turkish Regional Jet: neither technologically competitive nor economically viable. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Crisis Politics Are Stormy Politics: A Look at Jason Kenneys Time as Alberta Premier Commentary Jason Kenneys time leading Alberta ends in the next few days. The hope and promise he represented was expressed in the support for his United Conservative Party (UCP) government in 2019. The UCP was a considerable political achievement: against substantial odds, Kenney united bickering factions, whose fracturing ushered Rachel Notleys socialist NDP to power. The freshly created party then swept into office with 55 percent of the popular vote, earning them 63 of 87 seats. But by February 2021, Kenneys popularity was halved, and less than a year later he resigned after anemic support in review of his leadership. Kenney is a formidable politician, and the most talented person to become premier of Alberta since Peter Lougheed (1971-1985). In active politics for 35 years, Kenney is powered by boundless energy and a powerful work ethic. He is a personable, affable, likeable man with strong oratory skills and a quick mind. His policy talents are as enviable as his campaigning abilities. He blossomed as a young Reform MP in opposition and helped fashion the federal Conservative Party. He went on to become secretary to then prime minister Stephen Harper and later minister of immigration, employment, and defence. It is easy to forget that Kenney entered Alberta politics when the province faced three arduous challenges: (1) an NDP government ill-disposed to fiscal integrity and unfriendly to the provinces beleaguered energy and ranching industries; (2) a massive collapse in oil prices that crippled the economy and the already emptied coffers, and (3) a federal government openly hostile to all things Alberta, except its cash. The UCP electoral platform directly addressed these challenges. It sought to rebuild the Alberta Advantage, return to fiscal balance, and help recover the energy sectors health. Remarkably, Kenney achieved most of his policy and legislative agenda within three years while also dealing with a pandemic. His government lowered corporate taxes, reduced red tape, promoted skilled labour, streamlined business processes, promoted growth in diversified economic fields, helped increase indigenous participation in energy projects, repealed the carbon tax, cut MLA pay, delivered a referendum on equalization, created a war room to defend Albertas energy and environmental achievements, passed legislation to curtail oil exports to B.C., engaged school curriculum reform, and tackled pay for health-care workers. Buoyed by high oil prices, the province is back to surpluses, and attracting investment. Some policies have attracted controversy and had mixed results. Kenney drew sharp criticism for not fully grasping Alberta political culture. The proposal to open coal-mining in the Rockies or use aerial drones to surveil provincial parks, some say, resulted from too many advisers not understanding what is meaningful to Albertans, which rings true. But getting things done often includes doing the wrong things. Such bumps are par for the course. Overall, he leaves the province in better economic terms than he found it. Yet, despite these substantial electoral and policy successes, Kenney is out. How did his successes dissipate inside less than a single term as premier? Kenneys undoing was what Otto von Bismarck called the imponderable, what is not in the playbook: a pandemic. Abandoning established practice, and without any direct medical crisis experience, Kenney handed over the reins to doctors who had no crisis management experience. Salary conflicts with doctors before COVID ensured that doctors had no interest in Kenney succeeding, and he was stampeded into four rounds of stop-and-go medical restrictions, without any exit plan. Kenneys political skill was thus neutralized in the pandemic. His experience in regular politics, when compromising is a virtue, became a vice. Kenney is good at making pronouncements of principle while being flexible and effective in action. He was always excellent at adapting his sail to changes in the political winds. But crisis politics are stormy politics, and keeping sails up in a storm will sink you. In a crisis, compromise can become vice because it can quickly turn into indecision when people expect resolve. Crisis demands decisiveness, not zigzagging or reversals. Kenney could have survived the Christmas travels and sky palace scandals. He could have survived the broken promises about vaccine passports, or his calling people names. The flaw was the whole strategy. He tried to navigate a channel between lockdown and openness, gaining the benefit of neither. COVID scattered citizens to extremitiesthose in fear of infection and those preferring mitigation without excessive restrictions. There was no half-infections, half-economic ruin, or half-death compromise, so in straddling the middle, Kenney earned no benefit. In a crisis, out of normal politics, Kenney lacked the determination to navigate without his habitual sails. But despite his failure of leadership in a time of crisis, Edmonton will miss him and his talents. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers her keynote speech at the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, on Oct. 5, 2022. (Jacob King/PA Media) Cutting Taxes Right Thing to Do Morally and Economically: UK Prime Minister UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has defended her tax-cutting plan as morally and economically right but sought to allay concerns over rising government borrowing by pledging to be fiscally responsible. Addressing the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham on Wednesday, Truss promised to steer the country through the tempest and get Britain moving. It comes after her governments plan to fund massive tax cuts with government borrowing rattled investors and led to turmoil in the financial markets. In an attempt to spur growth, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled the biggest package of tax cuts in half a century on Sept. 23. However, it sparked panic among investors concerned about increased government borrowing, causing the pound to fall and borrowing costs to soar. Growth, Growth, and Growth Despite having been forced to ditch plans to scrap the 45 percent top rate of tax, Truss told the conference that the government must stay the course in pursuit of her top priorityGrowth, growth, and growth. She said she is ready to make hard choices, because we have no alternative if we want to get our economy growing again. The prime minister stressed: Cutting taxes is the right thing to do morally and economically. Morally, because the state does not spend its own money. It spends the peoples. Economically, because if people keep more of their own money, they are inspired to do more of what they do best. A low tax economy is a sign that Britain is open for business, she said. But in an attempt to calm markets, Truss promised to keep an iron grip on the nations finances. I believe in sound money and the lean state, she said, adding that her government will always be fiscally responsible. Anti-Growth Coalition The speech was briefly disrupted by Greenpeace protesters holding a flag that read who voted for this? before they were ejected from the conference hall. Later in her speech, Truss listed climate activists as enemies of enterprise as part of an anti-growth coalition, which also includes opposition parties, trade unions, and Brexit-deniers. I will not allow the anti-growth coalition to hold us back, she said. The fact is they prefer protesting to doing. They prefer talking on Twitter to taking tough decisions. The coalition always peddles the same old answers, she said. Its always more taxes, more regulation, and more meddling. The main opposition Labour Party rejected Trusss characterisation. Labours shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said: Liz Truss has been a government minister for the last 10 years. She has been at the heart of building a Conservative economy that has led to the flat wages and low growth she highlighted today. PA Media contributed to this report. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark greets guests during a break at the Danish Royal Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of Danish Queen Margrethe II's accession to the throne in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Sept. 10, 2022. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) Danish Queen Apologizes, but Refuses to Backtrack on Stripping Royal Titles COPENHAGEN, DenmarkDenmarks popular monarch, Queen Margrethe II, has apologized for upsetting members of her family with a decision to strip the royal titles from four of her grandchildren, but has refused to change her mind. Last week, the royal palace of Europes oldest royal monarchy announced that as of Jan. 1, the four children of Margrethes youngest son, Prince Joachim, would no longer be called prince or princess but instead count or countess of Monpezatthe birth title of her late husband, French-born Prince Henrik. They should be addressed as excellencies and would maintain their places in the Danish order of succession. It is my duty and my desire as queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in keeping with the times. Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment, Margrethe, 82, said in a statement released Monday by the royal household. This adjustment I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, Europe longest reigning monarch said. She has not altered her decision. I have made my decision as queen, mother and grandmother. But, as a mother and grandmother, I have underestimated the extent to which much my younger son and his family feel affected. That makes a big impression, and for that I am sorry, Margrethe said in the statement. Commenting hours after the announcement had been made by the palace on Sept. 28, a visibly moved Joachim told the Ekstra Bladet daily in Paris where he lives and works, that are all very sad. Its never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They themselves find themselves in a situation they do not understand, Joachim, 53, said. The change affects his four children: Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik, and Princess Athena. Asked how the decision had affected the relationship with his mother, Joachim replied: I dont think I need to elaborate here. Joachims first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, who is the mother of Nikolai and Felix, said they were confused, saddened, and in shock. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them, Alexandra said. Joachim has been married to Princess Marie since 2008 and she is the mother of the two younger children, Henrik and Athena. Margrethes younger son, who since September 2020 has been defense attache at the Danish Embassy in Paris, said he received a five-day warning of the change. He said he was originally presented with a plan in May that would have removed the childrens titles when they reached age 25. Margrethes decision was in line with moves that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years. In 2019, Swedens King Carl XVI Gustaf announced that the children of his younger children, Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip, would lose their royal titles. His oldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, is heir to the throne, followed by her children. They will retain their titles. In Denmark which has a constitutional monarchy, the heir to the throne is Crown Prince Frederik. His oldest son, Prince Christian, is next in line, followed by Frederiks three younger children. Margrethe was proclaimed queen on Jan. 15, 1972, a day after the death of her father, King Frederik IX. By Jan M. Olsen Doctor Groups Push DOJ to Probe Disinformation on Meds, Surgeries for Trans-Identifying Youths Three influential American medical groups are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute all organizations, individuals, and entities that share information deemed to be false about transgender medical treatments for minors. The Oct. 3 letter, sent to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, represents the latest salvo in a fierce national debate. In the letter, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association, and the Childrens Hospital Association are insisting that disinformation must be blocked and people who spread it should be prosecuted, adding that their words foment threats, intimidation, and violence against medical professionals. Detractors interpret the letter as an attempt to squelch opposition to the lucrative medical procedures and to shift the focus away from rising concerns over the safety, effectiveness, and ethics of such interventions. They note the letter comes just days in advance of the AAPs convention in Anaheim, California, where critics of the treatments plan a First Do No Harm unity rally on Oct. 8. Wont Be Silenced In response to the letter, Scott Newgent, a biological woman who deeply regrets medically transitioning to appear male at age 42 after giving birth to two children, said in a text to The Epoch Times: This was made to silence me and others like me. Newgent refuses to stop his advocacy, saying that he, too, has been subjected to threats for vociferously opposing medical gender transition for minors. Newgents medical transition inflicted lifelong complications and he is passionate about saving kids from similar consequences. Newgents advocacy group, TreVoices.org, declares: Medical transition is no place for a child! Newgent plans to participate in the Anaheim protest this weekend and in The Rally to End Child Mutilation, set for Oct. 21 at the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. There, lawmakers have been expressing dismay over a Vanderbilt University Medical Center video that surfaced in which a doctor described transgender surgery as a big moneymaker. Conservative commentator Matt Walsh was first to draw attention to the video. Feud Over Gender-Affirming Care People on both sides of the debate agree on one thing: Increasing numbers of young people are being diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a strong, persistent conflict between a persons biological sex and self-perception of gender. The trends origins and the best ways to help young sufferers are hotly contested, along with virtually every other facet of this topic. Opponents accuse gender-affirming proponents of fast-tracking minors along a course of puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones, and body-altering surgery, denouncing the process as child abuse. Supporters call the procedures medically necessary for the patients overall wellbeing. Some supporters of the gender-affirming model opine that questioning minors uncertainty about their gender smacks of conversion therapy, a process that aims to switch someones same-sex attraction to that of the opposite sex. People like Newgent counter that many youths who transition are actually same-sex-attracted, rather than transgender. A number of gay-rights advocacy groups oppose the gender-affirming treatments. Lawmakers nationwide are responding to public outcry over the procedures in various ways. Last week, California became a sanctuary state, welcoming people to travel there from states that have banned or restricted the treatments for minors. On Oct. 17, a battle over the nations first law banning the procedures for minors goes to trial in an Arkansas federal court. Medical Groups Allege Campaign of Disinformation Proponents of the gender-affirming care model include the trio of groups that wrote to Garland urging swift action against a rising tide of coordinated attacks against medical professionals who provide the controversial medical interventions. Some medical professionals and patients involved with other types of medical care have been caught in the crossfire, the groups say. In one hospital, a new mother was prevented from being with her preterm infant, the groups letter said, because the neonatal intensive care unit allowed no one in or out due to a bomb threat. In addition, people who work at medical centers have been subjected to harassing social media messages, telephone calls, and protests, the letter said, alleging that the attacks are rooted in an intentional campaign of disinformation, where a few high-profile users on social media share false and misleading information, fomenting threats and violence. Besides seeking intervention from the Department of Justice, the medical groups are also marshaling Twitter, TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram to take bolder action when false information is shared about specific institutions and physicians, an AAP news release said. Because of the threats, medical professionals now are fearful of providing evidence-based, gender-affirming health care for children, the letters state. Attempts to Electronically Muzzle Opponents Failing, Activist Says In social media posts reacting to the letter, a number of ordinary citizens expressed concern about the groups apparent attempt to censor and persecute opponents. They also denounced violence but supported opponents rights to express concerns over the medical procedures. Some questioned the authenticity of the letter, noting it didnt appear on the groups official letterhead and bore no signaturesjust three typewritten names of the organizations. However, the letter was posted on the American Academy of Pediatrics website, accompanied by a news release that quoted leaders of all three groups. In a text to The Epoch Times, Newgent, who calls himself a transman, said Big Tech has repeatedly censored his messages on social media; the same thing has happened to others who share his views. Newgent noted that, within hours of the letter being sent to Garland, all of his media accounts came up with warnings. He sent The Epoch Times a screenshot of a critical security alert on his email account. Despite apparent attempts to electronically muzzle those messages, Newgent thinks that cries for level-headed, non-medical solutions for gender-dysphoric teens have grown louder. People are listening Shadow bans on social media did not stop me, Newgent texted. It keeps getting bigger because Im right. He said the truth about medical transitioning for children has been withheld from parents, and that many parents are pressured and misled into providing consent. Logos of U.S. online news and social networking service Twitter displayed on computers screens on Nov. 20, 2017. (Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images) Do 270,000 Professionals Agree? Although the three associations that sent the letter to Garland say they represent a total of 270,000 U.S. medical professionals, the groups leaders do not necessarily speak for the rank-and-file. Group members who doubt or question the gender-affirming model often remain silent due to fear that dissenting would kill their careers, whistleblowers have said. Advocates for the treatments assert they are life-saving, because gender-dysphoric young people often threaten or attempt suicide. But transgender adults also have high suicide rates, even after undergoing the procedures. Critics of the procedures also say there are no long-term, robust studies convincing them that the treatments do more good than harm for young people. Supporters accuse those people of ignoring recent findings suggesting that the procedures improve the suffering teens mental health and happiness. Alejandra Caraballo, a trans-rights supporter with nearly 50,000 followers on Twitter, cited outcry over a recent grant for a study and wrote on Twitter: Its never enough for them. They say gender-affirming care doesnt have enough evidence or studies. When doctors conduct studies, they say its activism. Its not in good faith, they simply just dont want trans people to exist. Matt Walsh, a podcaster and columnist who featured Newgents story of regret in his documentary earlier this year, What is a Woman? reacted to the doctors letter in a tweet to his 1 million followers: Some of the biggest and most powerful medical organizations in the country are now calling on the federal government to prosecute and imprison those of us who criticize their medical practices. We are entering a very dark time. Im ready. In the AAP news release, Childrens Hospital Association President Amy Wimpey Knight called for a return to civil dialogue amid the emotionally charged debate. From a safe distance, French drone photographer Armand Sarlangue arranges a rendezvous with an explosive volcanic fissure located several hundred meters from the main crater of Fagradalsfjall volcano in Icelandalso known as the Land of Ice and Fire. Dancing far above gleaming molten lava, Sarlangues drone camera captured what no unaided human photographer could hope to achieve. The fissurea glowing orange eye radiating geothermal energy, with veins of fire spiraling kaleidoscopically outwardtakes center stage in this arresting image titled Big Bang. Delivering this red-hot spectacle to Italys Sienna Awards, Sarlangue claimed first prize in the Drone Photo Awards 2022the most important international contest for aerial photographyand was named the competitions Photographer of the Year. A jury selected the winning shot from the submissions of 2,624 participants from 116 different countries. The winners of the competitions nine distinct categories, in addition to the top prize, were recently released. Winner: Photographer of the Year Big Bang by Armand Sarlangue, France. (Armand Sarlangue/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Winner: Urban By Serhiy Vovk, Ukraine. (Serhiy Vovk/Drone Photo Awards 2022) A sea of uniform, turquois-shingled rows stretches as far as the eye can see looking down over the desirable Kartoffelraekkerne neighborhood in Copenhagen, Denmark, waxing surreal in an aerial city shot by Ukrainian photographer Serhiy Vovk, who claimed first prize in the Urban category. A lone boatman naps serenely in one of countless small, rickety rafts tethered along the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bengali, attesting to a lifestyle of primal simplicity, far removed from the bustle of modern megalopolises like New York or Los Angeles. This photo snagged the People category award. Iranian photographer Mehdi Mohebipor won the Wildlife category for a shot of a flamboyance of flamingos filling the frame with their tranquil avian amiability, basking in a warm light. Winner of the Sport category, Polish photographer Daniel Koszela captured an aerial view of the participants of the Bieg Piastow ski event in Poland in a novel, vertical, straight-down winter composition. Winner: People By Anindita Roy, Bangladesh. (Anindita Roy/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Winner: Wildlife By Mehdi Mohebipor, Iran. (Mehdi Mohebipor/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Other winners include an encounter between parched desert sand dunes and the South Atlantic Ocean captured by Swiss photographer David Rouge, winner of the Nature category; an aerial shot of salt pan laborers drying their wares under the sun in Habra, India, taken by Indian photographer Saurabh Sirohiya, who claimed the Abstract category award; a pair of polar bears exploring an abandoned Soviet arctic weather station, captured by Russian Dimitri Kokh, who took home the top prize in the Storyboard category. The list goes on. These and the several other winners will be featured at the Above Us Only Sky exhibition during the Siena Awards, which runs from Oct. 1 until Nov. 20, and features eight photographic exhibitions in the rustic northern Italian city of Siena. Winner: Sport By Daniel Koszela, Poland. (Daniel Koszela/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Winner: Nature By David Rouge, Switzerland. (David Rouge/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Winner: Abstract By Saurabh Sirohiya, India. (Saurabh Sirohiya/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Winner: Wedding By Krzysztof Krawczyk, Poland. (Krzysztof Krawczyk/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: People By Shibasish Saha, India. (Shibasish Saha/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: Sport By Phil De Glanville, Australia. (Phil De Glanville/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: Nature By Enrico Pescantini, Italy. (Enrico Pescantini/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: Wildlife By Florian Ledoux, France. (Florian Ledoux/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: Urban By Yura Borschev, Russia. (Yura Borschev/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: Abstract By Suzanne Nelson, Australia. (Suzanne Nelson/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Runner Up: Wedding By Fabian Ortiz, Spain. (Fabian Ortiz/Drone Photo Awards 2022) Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter An injured inmate is evacuated in a gurney after a deadly prison riot in Latacunga, Ecuador, on Oct. 4, 2022. (Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo) Ecuador Prison Clash Leaves at Least 16 Dead, Including Drug Lord QUITO, EcuadorThe death toll from a bloody fight among inmates at a prison in central Ecuador rose to 16 Tuesday, and authorities said one of the dead was an alleged drug gang boss who had evaded charges in Peru by faking his death during the pandemic. Officials said the number of wounded from clashes among inmates armed with guns and knives at the state prison in Latacunga stood at 43, with two in critical condition. The fighting erupted Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday. The drug capo was identified as Leonardo Norero, alias El Patron. Authorities said that they could confirm his death but that rules allowed details of how he died to be given only to his family. Norero, 35, had been arrested in an exclusive area of Guayaquil in late May during a raid that officials said seized 42 gold bars, weapons, jewelry, and about $7 million in cash. They said he owned at least seven companies and luxury real estate, among other assets. He was being held at the medium-security prison in Latacunga, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital, Quito, while awaiting trial on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. The Regional Sierra Centro Norte Cotopaxi prison following clashes between inmates, in Latacunga, south Ecuador, on Oct. 3, 2022. (Rodrigo Buendia/AFP via Getty Images) Norero also was wanted on drug trafficking charges in Peru, where authorities say he managed to evade justice in mid-2020 by faking his own death amid the coronavirus pandemic and escaping to Ecuador. His lawyers had presented a falsified death certificate and purported photos of his death. Dozens of soldiers arrived at the Ecuadorean prison at midday Tuesday to reinforce security while administrative personnel were evacuated from inside the complex. In recent years, Ecuadors state prisons have seen numerous bloody clashes between rival groups of prisoners, which authorities have blamed on disputes among rival drug gang members. Prison official said 316 inmates were killed by other prisoners last year, while so far this year there have been 106 fatalities. The worst battle occurred in September 2021 at the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, when 125 prisoners were killed. Two months later, a fight at the same prison caused 65 deaths. The Supreme Court is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 14, 2022. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) Election Integrity Advocates Cheer Independent State Legislature Case Before Supreme Court The U.S. Supreme Court convened its annual session in Washington on Oct. 3 with a crowded docket that included cases related to affirmative action, LGBT issues, and freedom of speech and religion. Among the most closely watched cases slated for the term, which could see hearings extend into next summer, is a challenge to the North Carolina Supreme Courts 2021 rejection of the state legislatures revised post-2020 Census maps for the states 14 congressional districts. In placing Moore v. Harper on its docket, the nations highest court has agreed to resolve a decades-long debate over the independent state legislature theory, which maintains that the U.S. Constitution vests election regulation entirely with state lawmakers to the exclusion of other elected officials, appointed bureaucrats, and the courts as long as their actions comply with state and federal laws. In their appeal of the North Carolina Supreme Courts ruling, which determined that the redrawn congressional district maps were unconstitutionally gerrymandered, lawmakers argue that under their interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, the independent state legislature theory renders state courts powerless in matters relating to federal elections, including how state lawmakers draw congressional district maps. Several briefs have been filed in the appeal. Through late September, 21 briefs had been lodged, with 16 in support of the appellants and five arguing for neither party. Theory proponents, which include election integrity advocates and conservative groups from across the country, say they seek to cuff state courts from acting like super legislators while asserting state legislatures right as necessary parties to participate in all election-related lawsuits. Among groups filing briefs in support of the theory are the Honest Elections Project (HEP), the Republican National Committee, the Republican Caucus of the Pennsylvania Senate, the Citizens United Foundation, and the American Legislative Exchange Council. HEP Executive Director Jason Snead told The Epoch Times on Oct. 3 that it is interesting how the theory has attracted a lot of attention in the past two years despite being teed up many times over the years with little notice. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican, seen here gaveling in a session in Raleigh, N.C., in April 2020, is the lead petitioner in Moore v. Harper, which asks the U.S. Supreme Court to debate the independent state legislature theory. (Gerry Broome/AP Photo) The theory isnt new, but because so many election lawsuits have been filed since the 2020 election, he said its validity must be verified to end judicial activism and reaffirm the Constitutions original intent. The courts have been willing to involve themselves into elections by issuing election-determinative rulings and black-letter election laws, which appellants argue are unconstitutional and should be clearly defined as such, Snead said. HEP, created in February 2020 by the Federalist Society to spearhead election integrity initiatives, maintains in its brief that the North Carolina Supreme Court used unprecedented interpretations of vague parts of the state constitution to seize control over congressional redistricting and that its ruling sets a dangerous precedent: that rogue courts can ignore the U.S. Constitution and rewrite the laws of our democracy behind closed doors. The theory is rooted in two articles of the U.S. Constitution. Article I states that state legislatures have authority to determine times, places and manners of holding elections for Senators and Representatives. Article II states, each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors in presidential and vice presidential elections. Snead said HEPs brief is pointing out that the word legislature in the election clause has a meaning [that] legislatures are specifically selected to be the main body in crafting election laws, and that the legislature is not part of the state as a whole that includes judges, cabinet officials, governors, and unelected bureaucrats in administering elections. The controversial doctrine was a prominent component in legal challenges before the U.S. Supreme Court in the wake of Floridas disputed 2000 election. The court overturned a Florida Supreme Court ruling that cited suffrage principles in the states Constitution to allow manual recounts. In throwing out the ruling, the court determined that when the state legislature enacted the law governing presidential electors, it was not acting solely under the authority given it by the people of the state, but by virtue of a direct grant of authority made under Article II of the United States Constitution. However, most legal scholars argue that 130 years of court rulings make the application of a theory using an originalist interpretation of solely in the U.S. Constitution untenably moot. Opponents say the 14th Amendment states that each citizens vote must be counted and cite safeguards in the U.S. Constitution and federal law, such as the Electoral Count Acts safe harbor provision, that ensure that the popular vote determines Electoral College electors and, thus, cant be determined by state lawmakers. Critics say the theory gives intellectual cover to a gambit by Republicans to solely grant state legislatures the power to override popular votes. The left-leaning Brennan Center for Justice stated that if the court embraces the theory for the first time it could wreak havoc on American democracy. The benefit of technical arguments under the independent state legislature doctrine to subvert election results is (proponents) have an aura of respectability and expertise, University of CaliforniaIrvine School of Law legal scholar Richard Hasen wrote in a 2021 Harvard Law Review Forum article, calling the doctrine a strong vehicle for a bloodless coup. Snead and Hans von Spakovsky, The Heritage Foundations election law reform initiative manager, say that much of the criticism is politically motivated. I think its a great case, von Spakovsky told The Epoch Times on Oct. 4. What astonishes me is seeing the hysteria on the left about this case and the complete and total exaggerations being made, claiming that if the court upholds the appeal, it will destroy voting rights in this country and state legislatures would have the green light to do anything they want. That is an absurd claim. Heritage Foundation Election Law Reform Initiative Manager Hans von Spakovsky is seen here at a Washington event in October 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times) The question to be resolved in Moore v. Harper is whether a states judicial branch may nullify the regulations governing the manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives prescribed by the Legislature thereof, and replace them with regulations of the state courts own devising, based on vague state constitutional provisions purportedly vesting the state judiciary with power to prescribe whatever rules it deems appropriate to ensure a fair or free election. Von Spakovsky said the case isnt about giving state legislatures more authority, but rather about reclaiming it from the courts, noting that there are some states where a state legislature cant defend its laws as a litigant when a law it passed is challenged in court. The state itself defends the law. Appellants want state legislatures right as necessary parties to participate in all election-related lawsuits affirmed and state courts ability to intervene restricted. Under the U.S. Constitution, legislators are not bound by state laws, but obviously, they are bound by the federal Voting Rights Act, which says they cannot discriminate, according to von Spakovsky. He said the appeal seeks a verdict that states that the state Supreme Court cannot simply step in when there is no evidence of any kind that the state legislature has violated the state constitution or state laws or federal laws, saying, You know, you use too much politics, so were going to do the district maps. When the court agreed in June to hear the case, three justicesSamuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuchexpressed interest in discussing the theory. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he saw serious arguments on both sides. In accepting the case, Thomas said there was an urgency to resolve the issue outside the crucible of a presidential election. Snead noted that the case hasnt been calendared through November, suggesting that the soonest it will be heard is in December. Election Software CEO Arrested Over Alleged Data Theft, Storing Data on Servers in China The head of Konnech Corp., a Michigan-based software company, was arrested on Oct. 4 for allegedly stealing and storing personal data of Los Angeles County election workers on servers in China. Konnech CEO Eugene Yu, 51, was arrested in Michigan on charges of stealing the personal identifying information of Los Angeles County election workers, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office. Investigators also seized computer hard drives and other digital data relevant to the case. The office stated that it would seek Yus extradition to Los Angeles. According to the office, Konnech won a five-year, $2.9 million contract with Los Angeles County in 2020 for an election worker management systemnamed PollChief softwarethat was used by the county in the last California election. The software was designed to assist with poll worker assignments, communications, and payroll, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement. Under the contract, Konnech was supposed to securely maintain the data and only provide access to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. But investigators found that the company stored the data on servers in China. In this case, the alleged conduct had no impact on the tabulation of votes and did not alter election results, Gascon said. But security in all aspects of any election is essential so that we all have full faith in the integrity of the election process. Alleged Ties to CCP The New York Times reported on Oct. 3 that Konnech had become the target of allegations that the company has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and had given China access to the personal data of 2 million poll workers in the United States. The software company denied having any ties to the CCP and said all of its data was stored on servers in the United States, according to the report. Yus arrest comes weeks after Konnech filed a lawsuit on Sept. 12 against True the Vote, a nonprofit vote-monitoring organization in Texas, for making false and racist accusations against the company. True the Vote lauded Los Angeles Countys rapid action in the case and said Konnech had obtained an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) to limit the organizations ability to speak about the litigation. True the Vote was sued last month by Konnech to try to silence our organization, including obtaining an ex-parte TRO, conducted in secret so that True the Vote had no opportunity to contest it, the organization said in a statement. Today, Konnech CEO Eugene Yu was arrested based on alleged evidence of the very activities he and his organization attempted to suppress. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) speaks during the primary election night party for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, in New York on June 28, 2022. (Mary Altaffer/The Canadian Press) End Vaccination Mandate at Canada-US Border, New York Senator Urges White House A prominent New York senator is joining the ranks of American lawmakers who want the White House to end vaccination rules at the Canada-U.S. land border. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Brian Higgins, Democrats both, have written to urge President Joe Biden to reciprocate Canadas new COVID-19 border policy. Gillibrand says businesses, hospitals and medical suppliers in New York have been suffering throughout the pandemic as a result of border restrictions. Canada dropped its vaccination requirement for visiting foreign nationals last week, and made it optional for travellers to use the controversial ArriveCan app. Gillibrand is only the latest U.S. lawmaker to put pressure on the Biden administration to lift vaccine rules for visiting foreigners. Higgins and Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, want the Department of Homeland Security to drop the requirement as soon as possible. We urge the United States to reciprocate the policy of our Canadian neighbours by easing our own COVID-19 restrictions for the sake of our northern border communities and their economies, Gillibrand and Higgins write in their letter. Both Canada and the U.S. have seen significant declines in their COVID-19 caseloads and death rates, in part thanks to the work the two countries have done together to manage their shared interests, it reads. We believe now is the most opportune moment to ease restrictions that would once again unleash the northern border economy, reunite friends, families, and colleagues across the border, and continue the U.S.-Canada partnership that has been crucial for both of our nations successes. The letter even quotes federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos saying Canada is at the point it can safely lift the border vaccinationmeasures. The United States must reciprocate this decision and allow Canadians to enter the country without requiring the reporting of an individuals vaccination status. White House officials will only say that no changes to U.S. land border procedures are imminent. CHI Health locations are impacted by an "IT security incident" at its parent company, CommonSpirit Health. Taylor Miller, a CHI Health spokeswoman, said the incident is affecting CHI Health hospitals throughout Nebraska, including St. Elizabeth and the Nebraska Heart Hospital in Lincoln. "As a precautionary step we have taken certain IT systems offline, which may include electronic health record systems and other systems," Miller said in a statement. "Our facilities are following existing protocols for system outages and taking steps to minimize the disruption. We take our responsibility to ensure the privacy of our patients and IT security very seriously." She did not provide any details on what the specific incident was and how or if it is affecting patient care. Health care companies have been a common target of data breaches, and there have been several recent incidents in Nebraska. Last year, Bryan Health notified an unknown number of patients that a staff member had without authorization accessed medical records and personal information of patients in 2020. Also in 2020, Nebraska Medicine in Omaha was the target of a cyberattack that shut down computer systems for days, and in 2019, a device brought into a CHI Health location by a third-party vendor introduced a virus, also known as malware, into the health systems network. The Omaha World-Herald contributed to this story. Environmental, Political Elites Are Destroying Food Production for Climate Goals Commentary In the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, a special thematic part was dedicated to anticipating the future on Earth in the winter of 2022. The visitors had the opportunity to vote for the topic they found important and wanted to learn more about. The three knowledge offered choices were 1) how development of energy potential may influence climate change; 2) how improving the condition of the environment, forests, parks, and waters may reduce CO2; 3) how improving the conditions of agriculture, land, and farmers may contribute to food security and affordable food. The visitors voted by throwing a bottle cork in one of the three knowledge cylinders, and the option that won the most votes would be promoted in the museum through popular science content. Out of 18 visitors, only four decided to vote for the third cylinder on agriculture, and these were children and women. The rest of the votes were shared almost equally between the cylinders for energy and the environment. The ad hoc experiment I conducted revealed several important issues. How is it possible that the priority question of food security and sustainable agriculture attracted such weak attention? Developing energy and environmental potential for CO2 reduction, although of high relevance, cannot feed the world. But it attracts ecological concerns and mobilizes solidarity sentiments more than hunger in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where a significant part of the populations has only one or half a meal per day. Making food affordable and accessible to them and dying children in Yemen and Ethiopia (where the war has been going on since 2020) obviously doesnt engage sentiments as strongly as information that the Earth is 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than 100 years ago; that glaciers are melting in an enormous vastness of ice; or that polar bears are withdrawing toward the inner continent. Because of the polar bears and glaciers, international meetings of the highest importance regularly convene in Davos, Switzerland; the compulsory climate agreement in Paris was signed; and Greta Thunberg shouted at the United Nations General Assembly, urging radical changes in CO2 emissions. Environmentalists share one chronic feature: they are preoccupied with the imagined state of environmental purity and harmony on a universal level. They associate resolving environmental problems with a larger transformative endeavor. The reduction of carbon emissions is inseparable from a series of seemingly unrelated political projects: ending capitalism and existing power structures, and completely restructuring transportation systems and industries. It is thus not surprising that concrete places such as Yemen and Ethiopia and their particularistic problems of hunger inspire fewer public statements, and only sporadically evoke expression of concerns at international conferences. Even in the Carnegie Museum, the knowledge cylinder that suggested improvement of food security attracted only a few curious minds. In a new environmental era, a role attributed to agriculture is to mitigate environmental and pollution risks first. Dealing with food security and feeding the world population has a secondary importance. The European Green Deal indicates the trend, while its two core strategies, farm to fork (F2F) and biodiversity, practically reveal the whole environmental hypocrisy. Both strategies have been driven by the noble intention to increase sustainable food production and to restore biodiversity, but the unintended consequences of the shift are largely unknown and thus far have never been discussed in a holistic way. What is the cost of conservation, afforestation, and halving pesticide useof regulations and the expanding bureaucracy that must supervise the path toward an environmentally sustainable future? Such questions get silenced along the way or are ignored in the public debates as if they represented blasphemous attempts to endanger common sustainability goals. With growing environmental concerns, European Union policy has sidelined food security since the late 1980s. The EU visions of agriculture in 2030 are now more preoccupied with reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55 percent; reducing chemical plant protection by 50 percent; increasing the area under organic farming to at least 25 percent; reducing the sales of antimicrobials by 50 percent; and reducing land use by at least 10 percent, to name a few objectives. The scientific and market assessments of the European Green Deal F2F and biodiversity strategies already suggest some alarming consequences. The full implementation of the two strategies will need to face the challenges of the inevitable shrinking of the domestic food supply and jeopardized local farmers, as well as how the EU and the world in general will cope with higher prices for agricultural raw materials and food. The strategies will inevitably decrease the EUs export of its key agricultural produce and will make it a net importer in the markets where its now an exporter. Reductions in chemical plant protection and an increasing shift to organic farming, including hobby urban farming and permaculture, will lead to reduced yields. The conservation of designated nonproductive areas will inevitably increase the price of land and will create substantial pressure on land resources outside the EU. Two major future consequences of the EU agri-environmental strategies already are evident. Consumers all over the world will bear the costs of higher food prices, affecting the economic efficiency of the whole supply chain. New environmental norms imposed by agri-environmental policies on production and consumption, mainly practiced in the West, will prevent poor countries from participating in markets because they will be unable to meet these standards. Its likely that the poor will continue to lag and further sink into pauperization. Likewise, environmental externalities that spring from food demand will likely be offshored to poor countries, where ordinary people chronically lack access to private land and still live on $3 a daywhich was a common condition of American citizens in the beginning of the 19th century. They will not only remain poor and hungry, but they will be fed by the European CO2. It is an environmental win-win. In 1983, Mary Douglas and Aaron Wildavsky prophetically asked, Why is social conscience concerned with environment and not with the education of the poor or relief of the indigent? Four decades later, the pattern remains the same, and clearly shows that some environmental issues have priority over others. Concerns about countries CO2 emissions overshadow interest in whether the countries can feed their own people. The inhumane dimension of these concerns is especially important in the context of the growing world population that will greatly increase demand for food production. And perhaps civilization will not be ready to cope with the problem, given that the top-priority questions are asked and resolved last. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Jovana Dikovic Follow Dr. Jovana Dikovic is an economic anthropologist and researcher at the Center for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Zurich. She is also a lecturer at the Universities of Zurich and St. Gallen. Her regional expertise is in the rural Balkans where she investigates how microeconomics, local cultures, values, and ideas skew the course of the state plans for agriculture, rural development, and cooperation. She is particularly interested in understanding how the synergy of local forces reconfigures the institutionalized idea of change. She widely publishes in academic journals and political magazines in Switzerland, the United States, and Serbia. An election worker opens envelopes containing vote-by-mail ballots for the Aug. 4 Washington state primary at King County Elections in Renton, Washington on Aug. 3, 2020. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) FBI Issues Update on US Elections Ahead of 2022 Midterms The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said on Wednesday that both agencies are confident that election infrastructure will not be compromised during the 2022 midterms. The FBI and CISA will continue to quickly respond to any potential threats, provide recommendations to harden election infrastructure, notify stakeholders of threats and intrusion activity, and impose risks and consequences on cyber actors seeking to threaten U.S. elections, the agencies said (pdf) in a joint statement. Both agencies said there is no indication to suggest cyber activity has prevented someone from casting a ballot or compromised the integrity of the ballot. As of the date of this report, the FBI and CISA have no reporting to suggest cyber activity has ever prevented a registered voter from casting a ballot, compromised the integrity of any ballots cast, or affected the accuracy of voter registration information. Any attempts tracked by FBI and CISA have remained localized and were blocked or successfully mitigated with minimal or no disruption to election processes, the statement said. Neither agency provided an example of how voting may have been manipulated. They also did not provide an example of how they successfully blocked malicious actors from targeting U.S. elections. The statement did acknowledge that some election systems that house voter registration information and data could be targeted by malign actors. Cyber actors may also seek to spread or amplify false or exaggerated claims of cybersecurity compromises to election infrastructure; however, these attempts would not prevent voting or the accurate reporting of results, CISA, which is run by the Department of Homeland Security, and the FBI also said. The FBI, meanwhile, has been accused of meddling in the 2020 election by Republican lawmakers using whistleblower statements accusing the bureau of suppressing damning information about President Joe Bidens family. With weeks to go before the November 2020 elections, a former Biden family associate, Tony Bobulinski, came forward and corroborated messages found on Hunter Bidens laptop and accused the Bidens of being compromised by Chinese officials. In one email exchange, Hunter referred to his father as the big guy who was slated to receive 10 percent on the CEFC deal, which was confirmed by Bobulinski two years ago. During an interview on Tuesday evening with Fox Newss Tucker Carlson, Bobulinski again asserted that he believes President Biden was well aware of his sons business dealings and likely profited via an influence-peddling scheme. Both Joe and Hunter Biden have denied any improper behavior. Bobulinski, who was involved in a venture with Hunter Biden and Chinese energy firm CEFC, alleged that an FBI agent in 2020 never contacted him after he went to the bureau with information about the younger Bidens deals. Because of the FBIs alleged actions ahead of the 2020 contest, Bobulinski said the bureau altered history and suggested they rigged the election. You can call it rigged. You can call it stolen. You could call it suppressed. The American people can call it whatever they want. But the fact pattern is the FBI alone altered history in that election, he told Fox News. When asked about Bobulinskis interview, the FBI declined to offer a comment on Bobulinskis allegations. The Biden administration has built a censorship machine that is targeting news outlets including The Epoch Times, as well as Just the News, New York Post, Fox News, Washington Examiner, and others. The censorship system involves tech platforms that are consulting with federal government agencies. Meanwhile, Melissa Fleming, the U.N.s under-secretary-general for Global Communications, has declared that we own the science when it comes to climate change. She spoke on a World Economic Forum panel, where she also detailed how the United Nations is training and deploying its own influencers to spread its narratives. In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp, well discuss these stories and others, and answer questions from the audience. Fed Agencies Censored News Outlets on List; UN Says It Owns the Science Subscribe to the new Crossroads newsletter and stay up-to-date! *Sponsor Special: Up to $2,500 of free silver with American Hartford Gold. Call 877-260-2764, text JOSHUA to 6-5-5-3-2, or visit: https://ept.ms/3rshean The Real Story of Jan. 6 Documentary102 Minutes, Color The Real Story of Jan. 6, a documentary by The Epoch Times, reveals the truth that has been hidden from the American people. While a narrative has been set that what took place that day was an insurrection, key events and witnesses have been ignored, until now. The Real Story DVD: https://www.epochtv.shop/product-page/dvd-the-real-story-of-january-6 , Promo Code Joshua for 20% off * Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List. Donate to Support Crossroads: https://donorbox.org/crossroads Crossroads merchandise: https://www.epochtv.shop Follow Crossroads on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crossroads.Josh Twitter: https://twitter.com/crossroads_josh Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/Crossroads_JoshuaPhilipp Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@crossroads_josh Gettr: https://www.gettr.com/user/crossroads_josh Gab: https://gab.com/Crossroads_Josh Telegram: https://t.me/Crossroads_josh Flint Water Crisis Charges Dropped for 7 Former Officials A Michigan judge threw out felony charges Tuesday against seven people in the Flint water scandal, including two former state health officials blamed for deaths from Legionnaires disease. The dismissal was significant but not a complete surprise after the Michigan Supreme Court in June said a different judge acting as a one-person grand jury had no authority to issue indictments. Judge Elizabeth Kelly rejected efforts by the attorney generals office to just send the cases to Flint District Court and turn them into criminal complaints, a typical path to filing felony charges in Michigan. It was a last-gasp effort to keep things afloat. Anything arising out of the invalid indictments are irreconcilably tainted from inception Simply put, there are no valid charges, Kelly said. Kellys decision doesnt affect former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Thats only because he was charged with two misdemeanorswillful neglect of dutyand his case is being handled by another judge. But he, too, was indicted in a process declared invalid by the Supreme Court. His next hearing is Oct. 26. In 2014, Flint managers appointed by Snyder took the city out of a regional water system and began using the Flint River to save money while a new pipeline to Lake Huron was being built. But the river water wasnt treated to reduce its corrosive qualities. Lead broke off from old pipes and contaminated the system for more than a year. The attorney generals office lashed out at the courts after its latest defeat, declaring that well-connected, wealthy individuals with political power and influence had prevailed over Flint residents. There are not adequate words to express the anger and disappointment felt by our team, who have spent years on this case only to see it thwarted based upon a new interpretation of a nearly century-old law, the statement said. Prosecutors, however, didnt mention that the Supreme Courts summer opinion was unanimous. The attorney generals office didnt indicate whats next, only that it will continue its pursuit of justice for Flint. Besides lead contamination, the Flint River water was blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires disease, which typically spreads through cooling systems. Former state health director Nick Lyon and former chief medical executive Eden Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter in nine deaths linked to Legionnaires. They were accused of failing to timely warn the Flint area about the outbreak. Lyons attorneys praised Kellys decision and urged the attorney generals office to close a misguided prosecution. This misuse of the criminal justice system has to stop, Chip Chamberlain and Ron DeWaard said. Misleading statements about what Director Lyon did or didnt do contribute nothing to a constructive public dialogue and do not represent justice for anyone. Besides Lyon and Wells, charges were dismissed against Snyders longtime fixer in state government, Rich Baird; former senior aide Jarrod Agen; former Flint managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley; and Nancy Peeler, a former health department manager. Michigans six-year statute of limitations could be a problem in some cases if the attorney generals office wants to file charges again. The deadline, however, would be longer for charges faced by Lyon and Wells. Prosecutors in Michigan typically file felony charges in District Court after a police investigation. A one-judge grand jury was extremely rare and had mostly been used in Detroit and Flint to protect witnesses, especially in violent crimes, who could testify in private. Prosecutors Fadwa Hammoud and Kym Worthy chose that path in the Flint water probe to hear evidence in secret and get indictments against Snyder and others. But the state Supreme Court said Michigan law is clear: A one-judge grand jury cant issue indictments. The process apparently had never been challenged. Chief Justice Bridget McCormack called it a Star Chamber comeback, a pejorative reference to an oppressive, closed-door style of justice in England in the 17th century. An effort to hold people criminally responsible for Flints lead-in-water disaster has lasted years and produced little. Before leaving office in 2019, then-Attorney General Bill Schuette, a Republican, had pledged to put people in prison. But the results were different: Seven people pleaded no contest to misdemeanors that were eventually scrubbed from their records. After Dana Nessel, a Democrat, was elected, she got rid of special counsel Todd Flood and put Hammoud, the states solicitor general, and Worthy, the respected Wayne County prosecutor, in charge. There is no dispute that lead affects the brain and nervous system, especially in children. Experts have not identified a safe lead level in kids. Facing a wave of lawsuits, the state agreed to pay $600 million as part of a $626 million settlement with Flint residents and property owners who were harmed by lead-tainted water. Most of the money is going to children. Flint in 2015 returned to a water system based in southeastern Michigan. Meanwhile, roughly 10,100 lead or steel water lines had been replaced at homes by last December. The city had 100,000 residents in 2010, but the population fell roughly 20 percent to 81,000 by the 2020 census, following the water crisis, according to the government. Dont Repeat Europes Energy Mistakes, Warns Former Extinction Rebellion Activist A former activist in radical climate change group, Extinction Rebellion, has called on Australia not to follow Europes footsteps into its current energy crisis through the aggressive pursuit of net-zero. Zion Lights, former Extinction Rebellion spokesperson, said Europe was currently a sinking ship that was forcing residents into scrambling to keep the lights on. Europe is in an energy crisis and is a crisis of our own making. Please do not make the mistakes that weve made, Lights told the audience at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) Australia in Sydney on Oct. 1. People cant afford electricity bills because of a pipe dream that was based on fantasy instead of evidence. The British activist said people in Germany are talking about not having enough wood to burn to keep them warm through the winter, while in the UK the government could shut down power to certain businesses as a backup plan if the country runs out of energy this winter. No developed country should be looking at rationing its citizens, telling them how long they can shower for, she added. These are the mistakes that were made with eyes wide open by weak leadership. Moving Towards Nuclear Energy Europes energy crisis is a result of countries phasing out nuclear power stations and doing everything on renewables without the energy supply to back it up, said Lights. She described nuclear energy as clean, firm and reliable. No industrial-sized country in the world with an industrial grid has been able to decarbonize without a thirdwithout nuclear energy firm, clean source of energy to back up, the British environmental activist argued. No one wants to shut fossil fuels more than me. Ive been on this train for a long time. But I also dont want people to suffer and have blackouts and not have energy. She called Australia a nuclear nation just waiting to happen, being the third largest exporter of uranium in the world and having world-leading research institutes like ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation). She also pointed to several coal-fired power stations which could be converted to nuclear sites. However, Australia has banned nuclear power since 1998 as part of the Coalition governments deal with the left-wing Greens and the Australian Democrats to pass other bills through the Senate. But some Australian senators are urging the federal government to lift the ban, with Queensland Senator Matt Canavan introducing a new bill to try remove nuclear energy prohibitions. Zions Road to Damascus The climate activist also revealed that she quit Extinction Rebellion after realising that the groups approach to environmental problems did not lead to viable solutions. I was starting to think that weve been protesting for 20 years, she said, First of all, are we getting it wrong? Are people sick of hearing what we dont want? When you join the environmental movement, its just completely standard that youre anti-nuclear, she added. And I never questioned it, I was young, and I really was worried about the environment. Despite the debate around energy becoming increasingly polarising, Lights noted that its not a left, right issue. Maybe you dont care about climate change, but you should care about energy because we live this high quality of lifestyle because we have access to energy. And now in Europe, were losing access to it. Valves near a drilling rig at a gas processing facility, operated by Gazprom company, at Bovanenkovo gas field on the Arctic Yamal peninsula, Russia, on May 21, 2019. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) Gazprom Confirms Flows to Italy via Austria Have Resumed Russias Gazprom said on Wednesday that it is resuming transportation of Russian gas to Italy via Austria after the state-controlled energy company held up supplies over the weekend amid regulatory issues. In a statement, the company said that together with the Italian buyers, it had managed to find a solution to gas sales following regulatory changes in Austria in late September. Those new regulations were the result of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The Austrian operator has signaled its readiness to confirm the transport nominations of Gazprom Export, making it possible to resume the supplies of Russian gas across Austria, the company said. Gazprom previously said in a statement on Telegram on Saturday that gas transit through Austria had been halted after its grid operator refused to confirm nominated transport volumes, or the amount of gas that Gazprom planned to ship. Austrias Energy Ministry said Gazprom had not signed the contracts needed, while the countrys regulator E-Control said the new regulations had been known to all market participants for months. The majority of Russias gas to Italy passes via Ukraine through the Trans Austria Gas Pipeline, to Tarvisio in northern Italy on the border with Austria. EU Energy Crisis Looms Italy previously received around 40 percent of its gas from Russia. Italian energy company Eni confirmed and welcomed the news of a resolution on Wednesday, stating that the resumption of supplies was made possible by the resolution, by Eni and the parties involved, of the constraints deriving from the new legislation introduced by the Austrian regulatory authorities. Wednesdays solution regarding gas sales from Russia to Austria will no doubt bring welcome relief to energy prices in Europe, which have surged this year on Russian sanctions and limited supplies ahead of what is expected to be a colder than normal winter. The situation has been made even more volatile by repeated halts to flows of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, and most recently, ruptures to both the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is extremely concerned about the leaks, while EU officials have suggested it was an act of sabotage. Italy has in recent months stepped up its efforts to secure additional gas supplies from alternative suppliers in Algeria, boosting total deliveries by nearly 20 percent. Benchmark gas futures fell as much as 4.7 percent on Wednesday following news of the resuming of gas transportation, while European gas prices fell as low as 154.28 euros ($153.33) a megawatt-hour and were down 3 percent at 158.35 euros as of 10:33 a.m. Vienna time, Bloomberg reported. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson shakes hands with President Donald Trump onstage during the annual NATO heads of government summit in Watford, England, on Dec. 4, 2019. (Steve Parsons/WPA Pool/Getty Images) Going Woke Doomed Boris Johnsons Premiership: Trump Going woke cost former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson his political career, according to former President Donald Trump. Trumps comments were made in an Oct. 4 interview with Laurence Fox on GB News, a free-to-air television and radio news channel in the UK. Fox, who recently played President Joe Bidens second son in Breitbarts film My Son Hunter, is filling in for Nigel Farage on the GB News prime-time show Farage. I think the biggest problem Boris has is [that] he went liberal all of a sudden, he went to the other side Hes a good man, but something happened to him. He changed, Trump said, pointing to Johnsons ousting from his post in July. According to Trump, the UK leader lost trust and love from people as he became less conservative. He went a little bit wokier than I believe he really is. Trump said. Trump attributed Johnsons political failure to his leftist stance. I think ultimately, that was the thing that really got him out. I dont believe it was the party, he said, referring to the scandals that led to Johnsons ouster. I think the party was just an excuse, Trump contended. He became much less conservative and I think a lot of people didnt like it. Respect for Prime Minister Liz Truss The former president praised current Prime Minister Liz Trusss economic policy. I like some of the things shes done, Trump said, adding A lot of times finance is inverse. Trump noted that Trusss economic philosophy resembles his direction as president. I cut taxes very substantially and we did much more business. Shes done that. I know shes taken some hits for it, which surprises me, Trump said. It could be that at the end of the [day], there will be bigger revenues. Its going to be very interesting. The former president emphasized his support of the UK leader, despite the public criticism that she is facing, saying he thinks very highly of her. What she did is very inverse to what some people thought, but that doesnt mean they were right. I have a feeling she might be right, he noted. Fox invited Trump to comment on the famously outspoken Charles III and his support for the woke agenda and the Green New Deal. Trump spoke about his relationship with the monarch, saying that they got along well with each other. He has a strong view on things, the former president said, but opined that the new king will avoid expressing leftist inclinations. I think hell probably not discuss certain elements of what he believes, Trump said. Trump again teased a 2024 presidential run in comments to Fox, who is substituting for Brexit leader Nigel Farage on the outlet. If I promised to play you in the movie Trump 2024, will you run for president again? asked the anchor. Oh I think Id have to consider that strongly, Trump replied, adding that recent polls have favored him. A mobile phone and laptop with the Google website, on Dec. 14, 2020. (Laurie Dieffembacq/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images) Google to Pay Arizona $85 Million to Settle Location Data Lawsuit Google will pay $85 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich over the way the company used peoples location data. Brnovichs office alleged Google deceptively obtained user location data to make billions of dollars in profit in what the office called one of the biggest consumer fraud lawsuits in Arizona history. The settlement represents the largest amount per capita Google has paid in a consumer fraud and privacy lawsuit of this kind, according to the attorney generals office. Brnovich began investigating Google in 2018 after reports that some of the companys apps continued to track user location data even if they had switched off the location history feature. The attorney generals office noted that Brnovich, who sued Google in Arizona state court in 2020, was the first to take the tech giant to state court over dark patterns, or coercive design tactics, built into the software that are designed to manipulate users behavior. When I was elected attorney general, I promised Arizonans I would fight for them and hold everyone, including corporations like Google, accountable, Brnovich said in a statement. I am proud of this historic settlement that proves no entity, not even big tech companies, is above the law. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (L) discusses the problem of human trafficking in Arizona at a press conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., on June 22, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times) Brnovich alleged that Google engaged in deceptive and unfair practices by tracking user location data after users turned off that feature. When users turned off their Location History in settings, Google continued to surreptitiously collect their location through other settings such as Web & App Activity and the company used that information to sell ads, the Arizona attorney generals office said. In 2019, more than 80 percent of Googles $161 billion revenue was generated through advertising. Google collects detailed information about users, including their physical locations, to target ads to them in specific locations, which Brnovichs office said is regularly done without the users knowledge or consent. Settlement According to court documents (pdf), both parties decided to settle after assessing the legal issues to avoid the costs and uncertainties of a trial, which was due to begin on Oct. 24. Under the terms of the settlement, Arizonas Legislature will direct $77.25 million to the states general fund to spend on education, broadband, and internet privacy efforts. The attorney generals office will also direct $5 million to an accredited law school that maintains programs for the education of attorney general staff and judges regarding consumer protection issues and to a bipartisan association for state attorneys general with programs about consumer protection issues and related training. The settlement noted that nothing in the agreement constitutes an admission of wrongdoing or violations of law. A Google spokesperson said the company now provides straightforward controls and auto delete options for location data and is always working to minimize the data it collects. We are pleased to have this matter resolved and will continue to focus our attention on providing useful products for our users, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said in comments obtained by Axios. The Epoch Times has asked Google for further comment. Gov. Gavin Newsom Enacts Bill Decriminalizing Most Jaywalking in California Californias Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill decriminalizing jaywalking, in most cases. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2147 on Friday. Authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-Calif.), the bill is also called The Freedom to Walk Act and legalizes safe street crossings. This bill would prohibit a peace officer, as defined, from stopping a pedestrian for specified traffic infractions unless a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger of collision with a moving vehicle or other device moving exclusively by human power, the bill states. In a press release on Sept. 30, Ting blamed jaywalking laws on the 1930s auto industry. During that time, there was a spike in deadly car accidents, and the auto industry was looking to shift the blame from drivers to pedestrians. Most street designs only take into account the needs of drivers and not those who choose to walk, it said. Plus, under-resourced communities tend not to have infrastructure like crosswalks or pedestrian-crossing buttons. The bill is scheduled to come into effect on Jan.1, 2023. The police will not be able to use jaywalking as a pretext to detain someone, the release stated. It should not be a criminal offense to safely cross the street. When expensive tickets and unnecessary confrontations with police impact only certain communities, its time to reconsider how we use our law enforcement resources and whether our jaywalking laws really do protect pedestrians, Ting said. Past Deaths, Other States California has seen multiple deaths involving jaywalking. Around four years ago, a resident, Chinedu Okobi, ended up being killed by San Mateo County deputies in Millbrae while they attempted to arrest him on jaywalking charges. In 2017, another resident was beaten up by Sacramento police after stopping him for jaywalking. The individual suffered serious injuries. In September 2020, police shot Kurt Reinhold for jaywalking. Prior to the incident, the officers were arguing about whether Reinhold needed to be pulled up for jaywalking or not. Other states have taken action against jaywalking laws. In 2021, Nevada and Virginia, for example, both decriminalized jaywalking. In Missouri, Kansas City decriminalized jaywalking last year. In 2020, more than 7,000 pedestrians were killed on roads due to crashes involving motor vehicles, which comes to around a death every 75 minutes, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One in six people who died in crashes that year were pedestrians. An estimated 104,000 emergency-room visits were recorded of pedestrians who were treated for non-fatal injuries due to crashes. By TravelPulse staff From TravelPulse To have an unforgettable encounter with majestic gray and blue whales, consider visiting Pueblo Magico (Magical town) Loreto in Mexicos Baja California Sur. Loreto is an oasis trapped between the waters of Mar de Cortes and the desert lands of Sierra Giganta. Its the remote land that the Jesuits used to start their pilgrimage to evangelize and colonize Baja and Alta California. Its also the largest temporary home to gray and blue whales in the world. It is in front of a set of islands declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site and still one of Mexicos favorite sun and beach destinations. Every January, its fortunate waters receive dozens of blue whale specimens, the largest mammal in the world, which arrive to complete their reproduction process through mating and breeding. To observe them, visitors have to navigate to Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto (Loreto Bay National Park) with its bay and islands converted into a sanctuary and where service providers take them for passive observation, following established rules for not affecting the species. Once the boat locates a whale, usually guided by the jet of water expelled when breathing or by showing their back, they approach at a less than 4 km per hour speed and maintain a 100 meters (about 328 feet) distance, so tourists must keep eyes wide open so as not to miss their serene swim. In cases where the specimen naturally approaches the boat, visitors shouldnt touch it or scream, and certainly not jump into the water to try to swim with it. During the blue whale watching season, which runs from January to March, travelers also have the privilege of observing another species the gray whale. To do this, they must leave Loreto by boat until they reach Bahia de Magdalena (Magdalena Bay), two hours away. This specimen, especially the younglings, has the characteristic of jumping and approaching boats more confidently. Remember to follow the rules in both cases so their natural behavior isnt affected. Loreto is 226 miles away from La Paz and communicates with the main cities of Baja California Sur and Baja California by the Transpeninsular highway. However, its also accessible by a 30-minute plane flight from the capital of Baja California Sur. 2022 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dr. Ray Bergans research lab and researchers in the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. (Kent Sievers/UNMC) OMAHA Patients could get better-tailored care, and doctors could learn which treatments work best with certain people under a new agreement to share data from Nebraskas 92 hospitals with researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Leaders with the Nebraska Hospital Association said the data is gleaned from every health claim that hospitals submit to insurers for payment, not from medical records, and it wont identify patients no names, no addresses. Insurers include Medicare and Medicaid. The records contain information that could help UNMC researchers and hospitals improve health care and lower costs, said Jeremy Nordquist, the hospital association president. The information includes ZIP codes, diagnoses, treatments and readmissions. The hospital association has been gathering the data for two decades. Today, it helps administrators make business decisions involving what kinds of care are needed and where. Later this year, the association will start sharing five years of data annually with UNMC. A UNMC researcher mining that information, he said, might more quickly identify a cluster of pediatric cancer patients in southwest Nebraska, for example. Researchers would then work with locals to find causes and ways to prevent more cases. The value is huge, Dr. Jeffrey Gold, UNMC chancellor said Tuesday. Having access to administrative data, real-time data, allows us to monitor the outcomes and the distribution of access to health care across the State of Nebraska. Gold said he is hopeful that Nebraska will see outcomes similar to or better than what other states have enjoyed after sharing this sort of information with academic medical centers. UNMC researchers are training this month on how to find the data they need. Already some researchers are discussing potential ways to study mammography, rates of infectious disease and cancer treatments, he said. In public health, for example, he said earlier-stage information could give signals that speed up the response and save lives. The goal of all of this is to improve access, improve quality and improve value, Gold said. Its very exciting. Its a very forward-thinking relationship, and were very grateful. The hospital associations board decided to share the data because they think it could help address health disparities between rural and urban Nebraskans and between Nebraskans of color and white Nebraskans, Nordquist said. Its hospitals served nearly 4.5 million patients last year. Are there different ways to treat diseases where different pockets of the state are seeing different results? Nordquist asked. We want healthier Nebraskans. The association shares the information already with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. But neither HHS nor the association has enough staff to dig deeper into the health care implications, he said. Gold said the relationship between UNMC and the hospital association also goes the other way. The hospitals will have specific questions about resources and facilities needed, and UNMC researchers will help them analyze the information. Said Nordquist: The potential is almost endless in terms of the research that could be done with it. Suzan Kennedy has smoked marijuana, and says her Wisconsin roots mean she can handle booze, so she was not concerned earlier this year when a bartender in St. Paul, Minnesota, described a cocktail with the cannabinoid delta-8 THC as a little bit potent. Hours after enjoying the tasty drink and the silliness that reminded Kennedy of a high from weed, she said, she started to feel really shaky and faint before collapsing in her friends arms. Kennedy regained consciousness and recovered, but her distaste for delta-8 remains, even though the substance is legal at the federal level, unlike marijuana. Im not one to really tell people what to do, said Kennedy, 35, who lives in Milwaukee and works in software sales. But if a friend tried to order a delta-8 drink, I would tell them, Absolutely not. Youre not putting that in your body. The FDA and some marijuana industry experts share Kennedys concerns. At least a dozen states have banned the hemp-derived drug, including Colorado, Montana, New York, and Oregon, which have legalized marijuana. But delta-8 manufacturers call the concerns unfounded and say theyre driven by marijuana businesses trying to protect their market share. So what is the difference? The flower of the marijuana plant, oil derived from it, and edibles made from those contain delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the substance that produces the drugs high, and can be legally sold only at dispensaries in states that have legalized marijuana. Similar products that contain delta-8 THC are sold online and at bars and retailers across much of the U.S., including some places where pot remains illegal. Thats because a 2018 federal law legalized hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant. Hemp isnt allowed to contain more than 0.3% of the psychotropic delta-9 THC found in marijuana. The concerns about delta-8 are largely focused on how its made. Delta-8 is typically produced by dissolving CBD a compound found in cannabis plants in solvents, such as toluene that is often found in paint thinner. Some people in the marijuana industry say that process leaves potentially harmful residue. A study published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology last year found lead, mercury, and silicon in delta-8 electronic cigarettes. The FDA has issued warnings about the serious health risks of delta-8, citing concerns about the conversion process, and has received more than 100 reports of people hallucinating, vomiting, and losing consciousness, among other issues, after consuming it. From January 2021 through this February, national poison control centers received more than 2,300 delta-8 cases, 70% of which required the users to be evaluated at health care facilities, according to the FDA. Delta-8 is just the obvious solution to people who want to have access to cannabis but live in a state where its illegal, said Dr. Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a longtime medical cannabis provider. You can either get in a lot of trouble buying cannabis, or you can get delta-8. Grinspoon described delta-8 as about half as potent as marijuana. But because of the lack of research into delta-8s possible benefits and the absence of regulation, he would not recommend his patients use it. If it were regulated like Massachusetts medical and recreational marijuana programs, he said, harmful contaminants could be flagged or removed. Christopher Hudalla, chief scientific officer at ProVerde Laboratories, a Massachusetts marijuana and hemp testing company, said he has examined thousands of delta-8 products and all contained contaminants that could be harmful to consumers health. Delta-8 has incredible potential as a therapeutic because it has many of the same benefits as marijuana, minus some of the intoxication, said Hudalla. But delta-8, like unicorns, doesnt exist. What does exist in the market is synthetic mixtures of unknown garbage. Justin Journay, owner of the delta-8 brand 3Chi, is skeptical of the concerns about the products. He started the company in 2018 after hemp oil provided relief for his shoulder pain. He soon started wondering what other cannabinoids in hemp could do. Theres got to be some gold in those hills, Journay recalled thinking. He said his Indiana-based company now has more than 300 employees and sponsors a NASCAR team. When asked about the FDAs reports of bad reactions, Journay said: There are risks with THC. There absolutely are. There are risks with cheeseburgers. He attributes the side effects to taking too much. We say, Start low. You can always take more, Journay said. Journay said that he understands concerns about contaminants in delta-8 products and that his company was conducting tests to identify the tiny portion of substances that remain unknown, which he asserts are cannabinoids from the plant. An analysis of 3Chi delta-8 oil conducted by Hudallas firm last year and posted on 3Chis website found multiple unidentified compounds that do not occur naturally and thus would not be recommended for human consumption. Delta-8 oil is still sold on 3Chis site. Journay said the analysis found that only 0.4% of the oil contained unknown compounds. How can they then definitively say that compound isnt natural when they dont even know what it is? he said in an email. The vast majority of negative information out there and the push to make delta-8 illegal is coming from the marijuana industries, Journay said. Its cutting into their profit margins, which is funny that the marijuana guys would all of a sudden be for prohibition. Delta-8 products do appear to be significantly cheaper than weed. For example, Curaleaf, one of the worlds largest cannabis companies, offers packages of gummies that contain 100 milligrams of delta-9 THC for $25, plus sales tax, at a Massachusetts dispensary. At 3Chi, gummies with 400 milligrams of delta-8 cost $29.99 online, with no tax. Journays criticism of the marijuana industry holds some truth, said Chris Lindsey, government relations director for the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates for legalization of marijuana for adults. We see this happen in every single adult-use legalization state, said Lindsey. Their established medical cannabis industry will sometimes be your loudest opponents, and thats a business thing. Thats not a marijuana thing. Still, the bans might not be working fully. In New York, which banned delta-8 in 2021, Lindsey said, its available at any bodega. In July, Minnesota implemented a law that limits the amount of THC, including delta-8, allowed in hemp products outside of its medical marijuana program. News reports said the law would wipe out delta-8. But the state cannot control whats being sold over the internet outside of Minnesota and shipped in, said Maren Schroeder, policy director for Sensible Change Minnesota, which aims to legalize recreational cannabis for adults. Max Barber, a writer and editor in Minneapolis, remains interested in delta-8 despite his states restrictions. Even though he could likely obtain a medical marijuana prescription because he has an anxiety disorder and chronic sleep problems, he hasnt pursued it because pot made his anxiety worse. He used CBD oil but found the effects inconsistent. In March 2021, he tried a 10-milligram delta-8 gummy. It got me pretty high, which I dont enjoy, he said. Then he found what he considers the right dosage for him: one-third of a gummy, which he takes in the evening. He said he now gets between six and eight hours of sleep each night, has less anxiety, and is better able to focus. I have become kind of an evangelist for delta-8 for everyone I know who has sleep problems, said Barber, who bought enough gummies to last for months after the new law went into effect. To address concerns about delta-8, the federal government should regulate it and make accessing cannabis easier for consumers, said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. He pointed to a recent study in the International Journal of Drug Policy showing that the number of Google searches for delta-8 in the U.S. soared in 2021 and that interest was especially high in states that restricted cannabis use. In an environment where whole-plant cannabis is legally available, there would be little to no demand for these alternative products, said Armentano. Lindsey, of the Marijuana Policy Project, isnt so sure that would matter. When he first learned of delta-8s growing popularity in 2021, he thought it would go the way of drugs like K2 or Spice that he said fall between the regulatory rules long enough to get on shelves before eventually getting shut down. That didnt materialize, said Lindsey. The more that we understand about that plant, the more of these different cannabinoids are going to come out. And that, he said, will in turn spur interest from consumers and businesses. KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation. The most tragic sight imaginable is a mother who has lost a child. Witnessing such a thing, most shrink from the searing sense of loss, the emptiness of bereavement. Yet when Michelangelo unveiled his Pietathe image of the Virgin Mary mourning the lifeless Christhe revealed how sorrow can be conquered by hope. In 1497, Cardinal Bilheres de Lagraulas commissioned a then unknown 23-year-old Michelangelo Buonarroti to produce the over-life-size sculpture group, the young Florentines first public work. It was destined for the cardinals burial chapel in St Peters Basilica in Rome, then a much smaller building than the massive modern church. It would be placed above an altar where future generations might pray for the cardinals soul. Michelangelo spent a year sourcing and transporting the single block of marble from Carrara and unveiled the completed work to universal astonishment during the Jubilee Year of 1500. The Year of Jubilee was celebrated every 50 years, following the seven cycles of sabbatical years, and was celebrated as a year of liberation and rest. Modern viewers have to peer at the sculpture from behind a wall of glass, where it was housed after it was attacked with a hammer in 1972. The welts and breaks were repaired, but the protective shield dulls the artistic voice of this powerful statue. Pieta by Michelangelo, 1497. Marble. St. Peters Basilica, Rome. (Public Domain) The Theme in a New Medium Young Michelangelo was the first Italian to sculpt the subject of the Pieta, a theme developed by German artists in the 14th century and later adopted by the French who gave it its name, meaning to feel sorry for. The composition, showing Mary holding the dead Christ before burial, had no scriptural basis, and northern artists sought to evoke pity by emphasizing Jesuss wounds and Marys grief. With jagged, gaping holes in Christs hands, feet and side, a body stiff with rigor mortis, and the crown of thorns still bound around his brow, the earlier versions were meant to make the viewer recoil. But the Florentine sculptor had other ideas. He rendered Jesuss body with the perfect articulation and proportions of a Greek god, elegant limbs draped across Marys lap. He made the wounds barely visible and the sleeping face peaceful. The only indications of death were in the carefully wrought details of the body: a shoulder bunched up under the ear, sagging muscles in the flesh of the thigh, and blood pooled in the dangling hand, all to suggest the heaviness of death. Redirecting Our Sorrow Michelangelo employed the pathos of the scene to redirect attention from Christ, whose suffering is long over, to the face of Mary, whose sorrow must be at its most acute. Gazing into the youthful visage, however, there is no frown of resentment, no open-mouthed shouts of grief and no raised brows of doubt. Her still, solemn face evokes the youthful Mary who, in the Gospel of Luke, as an adolescent girl told the angel Gabriel, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Michelangelos Mary is the women who, when she said yes to God, meant it. Through the trials of explaining her mysterious pregnancy to Joseph her betrothed, to delivering the Son of God in a rough stable, to the rapid flight to Egypt one step ahead of Herods soldiers, Marys yes had life-altering consequences. On this Friday, when, after pouring 33 years of affection into her son as well as 33 years of expectation in the savior, it would seem too much to take all that investment of love and hope and bury it in a tomb. Hope Despite Shadows Michelangelos deft chisel work accentuates the perils of this bleak moment. The veil around Marys face appears to hang loosely, leaving a ribbon of shadow around her brow, pooling into darkness on the sides of her neck. Deep crevasses in her bodice and skirt swallow up the light, forming pockets of obscurity. Originally placed in a shallow niche, grim shadows would have pressed in on all sides. Undaunted by the darkness, Mary perseveres with her eyes fixed on the body of Christ: Carved by Michelangelo in the smoothest planes possible with surfaces that could take an extraordinarily high polish. Art historians marvel that the sculptor never polished marble that highly again but stepping back from the work one can see why. For all the shadows that play around the Blessed Virgin, her eyes are transfixed by the light radiating from the body of her son. Mary never loses sight of the light, even in the darkest hoursa timeless lesson for the millions who have stood before the work recalling their own pains and sorrows while seeing Mary shoulder the heaviest burden any human could be asked to bear. She never loses hope. The pyramidal structure of the statue enhances the sense of her constancy. Her hope anchors her in the stormiest of moments. In the midst of all this artistic perfection, there is an anomaly that insinuates itself into the scene: Marys lower body is disproportionately large in comparison to her upper body. The broad swath of drapery transforms her lap into a showcase for the body of Christ, resembling a shroud as well as recalling the womb that held him for nine months. But Jesus, stretched across Marys legs, does not appear to be ensconced firmly in her lap, but slumps downward, as if about to fall onto the altar below. With one hand Mary holds her son close. Her other hand opens towards the viewer in a gesture of offering. The light and the hope that had been the source of Marys strength is not kept for herself, but readily offered to anyone who comes seeking solace in dark times. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reviews armed forces during a graduation ceremony for armed Forces Officers' Universities at the police academy in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 3, 2022. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters) Irans Khamenei Backs Police Over Mahsa Amini Protests, May Signal Tougher Crackdown DUBAIIrans supreme leader on Monday gave his full backing to security forces confronting protests ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody, comments that could herald a harsher crackdown to quell unrest more than two weeks since she died. In his first remarks addressing the 22-year-olds death after her arrest by morality police over inappropriate attire, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Aminis death deeply broke my heart and called it a bitter incident provoked by Irans enemies. Mahsa Amini in a file photo. (IranWire via Reuters) The duty of our security forces, including police, is to ensure the safety of the Iranian nation The ones who attack the police are leaving Iranian citizens defenseless against thugs, robbers, and extortionists, Khamenei told a group of armed forces cadets in Tehran. Security forces, including police and the volunteer Basij militia, have been leading a crackdown on the protests, with thousands arrested and hundreds injured, according to rights groups, which put the death toll at over 130. Iranian authorities have reported many members of the security forces killed during the unrest, which has spiraled into the biggest show of opposition to Irans authorities in years, with many calling for the end of more than four decades of Islamic clerical rule. Khamenei said security forces had faced injustice during the protests. Some people have caused insecurity in the streets, Khamenei said, sharply condemning what he described as planned riots, and accusing the United States and Israelthe Islamic Republics arch-adversariesof orchestrating the disturbances. The harsh crackdown against the protests has drawn widespread international condemnation. The White House denounced the crackdown and Britain summoned the Iranian charge daffaires, condemning the crackdown as truly shocking. Protesters chant slogans during a protest over the death of a woman who was detained by the morality police, in downtown Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Obtained by AP) Harsh Punishment Within hours after Aminis funeral in the Kurdish town of Saqez on Sept. 17, thousands of Iranians poured into the streets across the country, with people burning pictures of Khamenei and chanting Death to the dictator, according to videos on social media. Still, there is little chance of a collapse of the Islamic Republic in the near term, since its leaders are determined not to show the kind of weakness they believe sealed the fate of the U.S.-backed Shah in 1979, officials and analysts told Reuters. However, the unrest calls into the question the priority that has defined Khameneis rulethe survival at any cost of the four-decade-old Islamic Republic and its religious elite. Those who ignited unrest to sabotage the Islamic Republic deserve harsh prosecution and punishment, said Khamenei. The protests have not abated despite a growing death toll and an increasingly violent crackdown by security forces using tear gas, clubs andin some cases, according to videos on social media and rights groupslive ammunition. In defiance of Khameneis warning, Iranians in several cities chanted We want regime change and death to Khamenei from rooftops at nighta form of protest used in the 1979 revolution that turned Iran into an Islamic Republic. In an unprecedented move, high school students in a dozen cities joined the protests, refusing to attend classes and walking in the streets without compulsory headscarf. Videos on social media showed young girls chanting Freedom, Freedom in the city of Karaj. Demonstrations also spread to dozens of universities, with university students staging strikes to protest a late Sunday attack by security forces at Tehrans prominent Sharif University. Dozens of students were arrested and many have been injured according to social media posts and videos. By Parisa Hafezi A detail of the Internal Revenue Service building in the Federal Triangle section of Washington on April 27, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) IRS Employees Used COVID-19 Relief Funds for Luxury Cars, Trips to Las Vegas: Justice Department Five former and current employees of the IRS have been charged with schemes to defraud COVID-19 relief measures like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The two programs were federal stimulus initiatives authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Court documents show that the five defendants obtained funds under the two programs by submitting fraudulent loan applications seeking more than $1 million. The funds were used for personal purposes like purchasing luxury goods, cars, and travel, including trips to Las Vegas, the DOJ announced in an Oct. 4 press release. Brian Saulsberry, 46, of Memphis, Tennessee, received $171,400 in loans, using a portion of the funds to buy a Mercedes-Benz. Courtney Quinshe Westmoreland, 38, of Cordova, Tennessee, obtained $11,500 in loan funds, using them to buy luxury clothing and services like massages and manicures. Fatina Hewitt, 35, of Olive Branch, Mississippi, received $28,900 in loans, spending the money on a Las Vegas trip and Gucci clothing. Roderick DeMarco White II, 27, of Memphis, Tennessee, obtained $66,666 in funds, using them to buy personal items including a Gucci satchel. Tina Humes, 56, of Memphis, Tennessee, obtained $123,612 in loan funds, using the money on jewelry and traveling to Las Vegas. This matter demonstrates the brazenness with which bad actors have taken advantage of federal programs meant to help those who suffered most from the COVID-19 pandemic, said Kevin Chambers, director for COVID-19 fraud enforcement. Other COVID-19 Relief Fraud Saulsberry, Westmoreland, Hewitt, White, and Humes have been charged with one or multiple counts of wire fraud, with each count carrying a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Saulsberry is also charged with two counts of money laundering, which comes with a 10-year prison term as a maximum penalty. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section of the DOJs Criminal Division has prosecuted more than 150 defendants in over 95 criminal cases, seizing in excess of $75 million in cash, real estate, and luxury items these individuals had secured fraudulently from PPP funds. In September, Illinois police arrested 15 people who allegedly applied for fraudulent PPP loans and used the money to bail themselves out of jail. A Sept. 21 memo issued by the Department of Labors Office of the Inspector General (OIG) states that billions in unemployment benefits set aside by the federal government to assist Americans who lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic instead went to criminals (pdf). In February and June 2021, the OIG issued an alert stating that over $16 billion in unemployment benefits were defrauded. Since then, the OIG has identified an increase of $29.6 billion in potentially fraudulent payments within three of the areas previously analyzed, raising the cumulative total for these high-risk areas to $45.6 billion. The total potential fraud covers the period of March 2020 to April 2022, the memo said. An epidemic of myopia, or nearsightedness, is occurring at younger ages. Too much screentime and not enough time outdoors have been pinpointed as the likely culprits. STORY AT-A-GLANCE The way technology has infiltrated our lives, in many cases from morning until well into the night, has dramatically changed the way humans use their eyes in just a short blip of time The prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) has increased in recent decades, especially in East Asia, and the numbers are expected to get worse in the next 50 years For some populations in Asia, especially university students, myopia prevalence is over 90% When a person is nearsighted, their eyeballs become elongated, an anatomical change thats irreversible and increases the risk of serious vision problems, including blindness Home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with worsening myopia in children No treatments are capable of curing myopia; prevention is a better option, and spending more time outdoors and far less time on screens is key, especially for children Myopia, or nearsightedness, causes faraway objects to appear blurry while close-up objects look clear. One of the greatest risk factors for myopia is having a parent who also suffers from this vision problem.1 As such, its long been considered a primarily genetic condition until recently. Speaking with The Atlantic, Dr. Marina Su, a New York City optometrist, noticed that more children in her practice had declining vision, even though their parents vision was perfect. If its only genetics, then why are these kids also getting myopic? she said.2 Myopia is on the rise worldwide not just in New York City and theres debate over whats driving the change. A frontrunner is the theory that technology particularly staring at screens all day is the culprit, leading to problems with vision at younger and younger ages, which could lead to an epidemic of blindness thats decades down the road, according to Dr. Michael Repka, an ophthalmology professor at Johns Hopkins University.3 An Epidemic of Myopia The prevalence of myopia has increased in recent decades, especially in East Asia, and the numbers are expected to get worse in the next 50 years. In 2019, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) established the Task Force on Myopia to address the substantial global increases in myopia prevalence and its associated complications.4 In a report from the Task Force, its stated that the prevalence of myopia is expected to grow from 1,406 million people, or 22.9% of the population, in 2000 to 4,758 million people 49.8% of the population, in 2050.5 Severe nearsightedness, known as high myopia, is also expected to rise, from 163 million people (2.7% of the population) in 2000 to 938 million people (9.8% of the population) in 2050.6 For some populations in Asia, especially university students, myopia prevalence is over 90%.7 Among young adults in East and Southeast Asia, 80% to 90% have myopia and 10% to 20% have high myopia. The tendency to study long hours and perform near work with the eyes has long been linked to poor eyesight.8 According to The Atlantic:9 Historically, British doctors have found myopia to be much more common among Oxford students than among military recruits, and in more rigorous town schools than in rural ones. A late-19th-century ophthalmology handbook even suggested treating myopia with a change of air and avoidance of all work with the eyes a sea voyage if possible. Its a concerning trend that goes far beyond the inconvenient need to wear glasses. The fact is, the way technology has infiltrated our lives, in many cases from morning until well into the night, has changed the way humans use their eyes dramatically in just a short blip of time. Long ago, humans were hunters and gatherers, Liandra Jung, an optometrist in the Bay Area, told The Atlantic. We relied on our sharp distance vision to track prey and find ripe fruit. Now our modern lives are close-up and indoors. To get food, we forage by getting Uber Eats, she said.10 Progressive Myopia Carries Significant Risks The increasingly early onset of myopia in children, combined with high progression rates, paints a particularly poor picture for the future, which could easily lead to an epidemic of high myopia even in children as young as 11 to 13 years of age.11 When a person is nearsighted, their eyeballs become elongated, an anatomical change thats irreversible and increases the risk of serious vision problems, especially later in life. According to the AAO Task Force, by age 75, 3.8% of people with myopia and 39% of those with high myopia have uncorrectable visual impairment.12 In other words, myopia increases the risk of conditions that can cause permanent blindness, including retinal detachment, cataracts and glaucoma, even when myopia is low to moderate severity.13 The AAO task force explained that the widespread clinical and societal impacts of increasing myopia prevalence require a coordinated global response,14 particularly since the younger a person is at onset, the faster progression tends to be.15 AAO added:16 It is projected that uncorrectable visual impairment resulting from myopia will increase 7 to 13 times in high-risk areas by 2055. The public health burden posed by myopia extends beyond the direct costs associated with the optical correction of refractive error and includes the socioeconomic impacts and diminished qualify of life associated with visual impairment. In China, large-scale changes have been implemented to combat the growing trend of myopia in children. Along with restricting video games, no written tests are given before third grade, and metal bars have even been added to school desks so children are forced to stay farther away from their schoolwork.17 Screen Time, Lack of Outdoors to Blame? With the rate of technological development continuing to grow exponentially, its unclear if anyone envisioned how society would become obsessed with staring at screens, such that our waking hours are dominated by them in one form or another. Vision is suffering as a result. Writing in the journal Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, a team of experts identified intensive education (i.e., more studying) and limited time outdoors as the major risk factors in the epidemic of myopia.18 They wrote: The localization of the epidemic appears to be due to the high educational pressures and limited time outdoors in the region, rather than to genetically elevated sensitivity to these factors. Causality has been demonstrated in the case of time outdoors through randomized clinical trials in which increased time outdoors in schools has prevented the onset of myopia. In the case of educational pressures, evidence of causality comes from the high prevalence of myopia and high myopia in Jewish boys attending Orthodox schools in Israel compared to their sisters attending religious schools, and boys and girls attending secular schools. Combining increased time outdoors in schools, to slow the onset of myopia, with clinical methods for slowing myopic progression, should lead to the control of this epidemic, which would otherwise pose a major health challenge. Reforms to the organization of school systems to reduce intense early competition for accelerated learning pathways may also be important. AAO also stated, Too much time spent indoors increases a childs risk for nearsightedness. Studies show that more time outdoors in natural light reduces a childs risk.19 Similarly, French researchers described outdoor activities as one of the most promising treatments for myopia in children.20 An alarming increase was further identified in myopia in children in 2020, when home lockdowns occurred, keeping an already nature-starved population indoors even more. One study found that home confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with worsening myopia in children. Myopia prevalence among children aged 6 to 8 years increased 1.4 to three times in 2020 compared to the five years prior.21 Another study, published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology, described digital screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic as a risk for a further myopia boom. Increased digital screen time, near work, and limited outdoor activities were found to be associated with the onset and progression of myopia, and could potentially be aggravated during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak period, they wrote in 2021.22 Moving Toward Myopia Control With nearsightedness worsening in young children, treatments aimed at myopia control, or myopia management, are becoming more popular. Myopia-control clinics have popped up in well-to-do areas throughout the U.S., and theyre also common in China. Myopia control aims to slow the rate of axial elongation that occurs in the disorder.23 Treatments include atropine eye drops, multifocal soft contact lenses and orthokeratology lenses (OrthoK), which are worn overnight. OrthoK are contact lenses that reshape the eyeballs clear, front layer, changing the way light enters the eye and helping to improve vision.24 No treatments are capable of curing myopia, however; theyre only able to slow down its progression. Prevention is a better option, and spending more time outdoors and far less time on screens is key for that, especially in young children. Blue Light Exposure From Screens Also Dangerous Technology is interfering with eyesight in multiple ways, not only because people are spending so much time focused on close-up screens but also because theyre being exposed to blue light in the process. Data presented at the 60th Annual European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology Meeting further revealed that longer exposure to blue light was associated with earlier onset of puberty in rats, along with reduced levels of melatonin, increased levels of certain reproductive hormones and changes in the ovaries.25 LEDs found in many screens have virtually no beneficial infrared light and an excess of blue light that generates reactive oxygen species (ROS), harming your vision and possibly leading to age-related macular degeneration (AMD),26 which is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in the U.S. LED lights may also exacerbate mitochondrial dysfunction leading to chronic conditions ranging from metabolic disorders to cancer. Although not conclusive, we would advise that the use of blue light emitting devices should be minimized in prepubertal children, especially in the evening when exposure may have the most hormone-altering effects, Dr. Aylin Kilinc Ugurlu said in a news release. If you view screens at night, its therefore essential to block your exposure to blue light while doing so. In the case of your computer, you can install a program to automatically lower the color temperature of your screen. In addition, when watching TV or other screens, be sure to wear blue-blocking glasses after sundown. Better yet, eliminate the use of screens entirely after sunset, particularly in young children who are most susceptible to their deleterious effects. Originally published on Oct 4 2022 Mercola.com References Special counsel John Durham arrives at federal court in Washington on May 18, 2022. (Teng Chen for The Epoch Times) John Durham Cant Discuss Trump Dossier Sources Alleged Links to Russian Intelligence at Trial: Judge Special counsel John Durham and his team cant tell jurors about how the primary source for the anti-Donald Trump dossier has had links to Russian intelligence, a U.S. judge ruled on Oct. 4. The FBI opened an investigation into Igor Danchenko, the dossier source, after a colleague of his tipped off authorities, saying Danchenko had said he could get the person money in exchange for classified information. The FBI investigation advanced after agents learned that Danchenko had been in touch with the Russian Embassy and known Russian intelligence officers and had in the past been interested in becoming a Russian intelligence officer himself. But the bureau closed the probe in 2010, claiming that Danchenko had left the country. Danchenko later told agents in 2017 that he had contact with multiple people he believed were Russian intelligence officers. Durhams team asked the court in September to let prosecutors discuss what the FBI learned during the investigation. The Government anticipates that a potential defense strategy at trial will be to argue that the defendants alleged lies about the sourcing of the Steele Reports were not material because they had no effect on, and could not have affected, the course of the FBIs investigations concerning potential coordination or conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russian Government. Thus, the Government should be able to introduce evidence of this prior counterintelligence investigation (and that [sic] facts underlying that investigation) as direct evidence of the materiality of the defendants false statements, prosecutors said at the time. Such evidence is admissible because in any investigation of potential collusion between the Russian Government and a political campaign, it is appropriate and necessary for the FBI to consider whether information it receives via foreign nationals may be a product of Russian intelligence efforts or disinformation. Defense lawyers said the fact that Danchenko was investigated by the FBI could be admitted but said prosecutors shouldnt be able to use any of the details unearthed during the investigation. In part, their argument rested on how the FBI hired Danchenko as a confidential human source in 2017 and continued paying him through 2020. The committee that reviewed Danchenko before his hiring knew of the prior investigation and the agents involved in the probe raised no objections to using Danchenko as a source, according to the defense. As an initial matter, those facts obliterate the governments argument that any alleged false statements were material to the governments ability to evaluate whether Mr. Danchenko could have been working for the Russians all along, they said. U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga, a George W. Bush appointee, sided with Danchenko. The probative value of these unproven allegations, i.e., Danchenko sought to facilitate the sale of classified information and that he had contact with Russian intelligence services, which would have to be established through multiple levels of hearsay, is of only marginal relevance in terms of proving the materiality of Danchenkos allegedly false statements, Trenga wrote in an order. The evidences low probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice and confusion of the issues. Danchenko is charged with five counts of lying to the government. He allegedly lied about sourcing information from Sergei Millian, a businessman, and not sourcing information from Charles Dolan, a longtime Clinton family associate. Igor Danchenko leaves the U.S. courthouse after his arraignment in Alexandria, Va., in a Nov. 10, 2021, file image. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Rejects Many Other Proposals Trenga also rejected many of the other proposals floated by the government. Durham wanted to admit statements that Danchenko made about the salacious claim regarding Trump, Russian prostitutes, and the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow. Danchenko conveyed the allegation to Christopher Steele, a former British spy who compiled the dossier for Hillary Clinton and other Democrats in 2016. Danchenko allegedly told the FBI he spoke to hotel staff and management about the allegations. Durham asked to call Bernd Kuhlen, a German citizen who was the only Western member of the hotel management in 2016. Kuhlen would testify that he doesnt recall meeting with Danchenko and had no knowledge of the allegation. Trenga rejected both proposals, ruling that Danchenkos statements regarding his sourcing dont qualify as direct evidence. He also said that Kuhlens testimony bears little probative value in terms of materiality. Further, Danchenkos comment to the FBI that Millian could be Source D, one of the people Steele credited, is being blocked from the trial for now, although the government can ask for reconsideration during the trial. Trenga also said prosecutors cant talk about Danchenko allegedly saying he never told friends or associates that he worked for Steele or Steeles business, Orbis Business Intelligence. However, the government can introduce an email from Danchenko to Dolan that indicates he passed a letter to Steele for Dolan and planned to coordinate a meeting between Dolan and Steele. And a message Danchenko sent to Cenk Sidar, a former boss, about fabricating sources cant be admitted because its completely unrelated to the Steele reports, the judge said. The trial is due to start on Oct. 11. A sign reading, "Loot and I Shoot" sits outside a storm-damaged home in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Naples, Fla., on Oct. 2, 2022. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images) Looting Will Get Progressively Worse Amid Hurricane Ian Chaos, Sheriff Warns As parts of Florida face a long road to recovery following extraordinary damage caused by Hurricane Ian, some people have already been taking advantage of the situation and started looting amid the chaos. William Snyder, the sheriff of Martin County, told TCPalm that he doesnt expect looters to calm down, fearing the worst. He said looters already went on a spree of stealing and ransacking structures very early after the Category 4 storm made landfall in western Florida last week. It was very early and some of the looting was starting already, but it will get progressively worse, I think, as people become more desperate, Snyder, who was dispatched as part of a 15-person rapid response team on Sept. 30 to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Charlotte County, told the publication. Shortly after the teams arrival in Charlotte, officials encountered dazed residents, as well as several pretty sketchy people looking for water, food, and fuel, but nobody was arrested at the time. However, sometime later, Snyder received reports of people stealing gas-powered generators that were supposed to be powering traffic control devices. When they bolted those down, they chained them down, they started stealing the gas out of the generators, the sheriff told TCPalm. A day after the teams arrival, they received a report about a house that was burning after the homeowner put a generator in the garage because he was so fearful that looters would steal their backup generator. The house was a total loss, Snyder said. The challenge that stuck out to me the most was just how fragile society is when electricity and water go, the sheriff added. No gas, no electric, no water, and everything starts to come to a stop. We Have Law and Order In nearby Lee County, Sheriff Carmine Marceno issued a stark warning to would-be-looters after a group of four peopleincluding three illegal immigrantswere arrested on Sept. 29 for taking advantage of the situation. As far as lootingwe have law and order in Lee County. We have law and order in our great state of Florida, and we always will, said Marceno. Right now, we have four cases of looting, and Im proud to say theyre behind bars where they belong. Our residents are going to be safe. Marceno added that three of the arrested individualsRobert Mena, Brandon Araya, and Stephen Arayawere illegally inside the United States while they were caught looting in Lee County. Lee County jail records show that Brandon Mauricio Araya, 20; Stephen Eduardo Sanchez Araya, 20; Valerie Celeste Salcedo Mena, 26; and Omar Mejia Ortiz, 33, were arrested for burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency. Ortiz also faces petit larceny charges. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, among other officials, have issued similar messages to would-be looters after reports emerged that people allegedly started traveling to stricken islands and ransacking properties. I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebodys home, and I would not wanna chance that if I were you, given that were a Second Amendment state, DeSantis said, who noted that some Floridians have firearms. Some residents also boarded up all the businesses, and there are people that wrote on their plywood, you loot, we shoot, DeSantis added. At the end of the day, we are not going to allow lawlessness to take advantage of this situation. From NTD News Tim Sharp, a former Republican candidate for Florida House of Representatives, has filed a lawsuit accusing state election officials of illegally removing his name from the Aug. 23 primary ballot. Dhillon Law Group is representing him. (Courtesy of Tim Sharp) MAGA State House Candidate Files Lawsuit After Being Bumped From Florida Primary Ballot 'The establishment buys who they can, cancels who they can't, and then comes at whoever is left standing.' Tim Sharpan America First MAGA candidate in Flagler County, Floridahas filed a lawsuit against Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the Florida Division of Elections after allegedly being unjustly bumped from the ballot. Sharp, who was running for the Florida House of Representatives, was disqualified from the Aug. 23 Florida primary despite completing all candidate requirements. The state elections department told Sharp he was disqualified because his qualifying check wasnt labeled as his official campaign account, but Sharp disputes this claim. In a Sept. 18 press release (pdf), Sharps campaign said he was cancelled from running for state house representative despite completing meticulous paperwork and being fully qualified, and announced that hes being represented by the nationally recognized Dhillon Law Group. Searchable online campaign records show that Sharp designated Middlesex Federal Savings in Sommerville, Massachusetts, as the primary depository for his campaign on Oct. 12, 2021. Screenshot from Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidate form in which Tim Sharp designated Middlesex Federal Savings in Sommerville, Mass., as his official campaign account holder. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections website) On June 17, 2022, Sharp hand-delivered a check for his campaign qualifying fee to the state elections department. According to the image of the check, it was written from his primary campaign account at Middlesex Federal Savings. A screenshot of the check received June 17, 2022, by the Florida Division of Elections, written from Tim Sharps designated campaign account at Middlesex Federal Savings in Sommerville, Mass. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections website) The Florida Division of Elections 2022 Supervisors Handbook on Candidate Qualifying (pdf) says that if a qualifying check is hand delivered and does not have the words campaign account printed or handwritten on it, the elections employee is to ask the person if its a campaign check. If the person indicates it is a campaign check, the elections employee is to have the person write campaign account on the check because the employee has no authority to determine whether the account is a campaign account. Screenshot from Page 19 of the Florida Division of Elections 2022 Supervisors Handbook on Candidate Qualifying, outlining the procedures to be taken when a candidate or campaign treasurer hand delivers a check that does not have campaign account printed or written on it. (Florida Division of Elections) Not Qualified Sharp insists he was told by the elections employee who accepted his qualifying check that everything was in order and that they would update their website later that night to show that he had qualified. Sharp was stunned to find later that night that the website showed he had not qualified. The following Monday, Sharp made frantic phone calls and sent a flurry of emails to the division of elections, trying to find out what went wrong. He received no response. On June 22, Sharp drove for three hours back to Tallahassee, only to be told that he had been disqualified because his check did not say campaign account on it and the account it was drawn from was not a campaign account. What really makes it ironic is that I physically waited in the parking lot in Tallahassee until after 12 p.m. in case there was an issue so if I got a phone call I could run in and correct it, Sharp told The Epoch Times. However, Sharp was never contacted by the Division of Elections with notification that there was a problem with his check, nor did they provide him an opportunity to rectify the issue. Initially I thought, maybe that is the rule and I just missed it, Sharp confessed, adding that the rules are very convoluted and anything the government does becomes a mess. As a first-time candidate, Sharp thought it was possible he had made a mistake. Feeling defeated, he got back in his car and started his three-hour drive back home. An hour into the drive he started getting text messages from his advisers. They had found records from several other candidates who had also paid their qualification fee with a check that did not say campaign account on it. Thats when I drove back to Tallahassee to physically talk to Donna Brown, because I wanted to show her the evidence I had, Sharp said, referring to the bureau chief for election records at the Florida Division of Elections (DOE). But she refused to speak with me because she said she didnt have time. Jessico Bowman, one of Sharps campaign advisers, was with Sharp when Brown dismissed him. She said, Its not a campaign account. You cant use that check,' Bowman recalled. I feel like the establishment has complete control of the Division of Elections. They acted outside of their own written procedures and the law to disqualify Tim after expressing that everything was in good order. This is very disappointing and discouraging for all regular folks who may have interest in running for public office. Other Qualifying Checks According to the Florida elections website, Randy Ross, a Republican candidate for Florida House District 39, filed his qualifying paperwork on May 16, 2022. His qualifying check, received by the department on June 16, 2022, did not have the words campaign account printed or written on it. Screenshot of check submitted by Randy Ross to the Florida Division of Elections to qualify as a candidate in the Florida primary. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections) Moreover, the check was written from an account at Harris Bank in Chicago. According to his campaign bank account records, Ross designated TD Bank in Orlando, Florida, as his official campaign account. Ultimately, Ross lost his primary bid to fellow Republican Doug Bankson. Screenshot from Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidate form received May 16, 2022, by the DOE, in which Randy Ross designated his account at TD Bank in Orange County, Florida, as his official campaign account. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections website) David Tillery is a Democratic candidate for Florida House District 66. While Tillerys campaign paperwork does reflect that he designated PNC Bank as his official campaign account, his check did not bear the words campaign account, but he qualified. Because he ran unopposed, Tillery will face Republican incumbent Traci Koster in the Nov. 8 general election. Screenshot of check submitted by David Tillery to the Florida Division of Elections to qualify as a candidate in the Aug. 23, 2022, Florida primary. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections) Denali Charres, a Democrat-turned-Republican running for the Florida Senate in District 10, also submitted her qualifying fee without the words campaign account printed or hand-written on the check. She was not disqualified. Screenshot of check submitted by Denali Charris to the Florida Division of Elections to qualify as a candidate in the Aug. 23, 2022, Florida primary. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections website) According to Sharp, after discovering that he had been disqualified for reasons the Florida Division of Elections excused for other candidates, he decided to pursue legal action. However, while he had contacted several attorneys in Florida who told him they would take his case, he said they strung him along for a couple of weeks before they came back and said they didnt have the manpower. Thats why there was such a delay in actually filing the case, Sharp explained. Because we didnt actually file until about 90 days after the primary was over. The Epoch Times has contacted the Florida Division of Elections for comment. The Lawsuit The complaint (pdf), filed Sept. 9, 2022, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, specifically names Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd and Donna Brown, bureau chief for election records at the Florida Division of Elections (DOE). As secretary of state, Byrd oversees the DOE. Under Florida law, the DOE regulates the qualification of candidates and the entry of their names on the ballots that voters receive for state elections. Without the approval of the DOE and its designation that a candidate is qualified, a candidates name cannot appear on the ballot. Despite the admonitions in the supervisors handbook issued by the DOE, Defendant Byrds DOE disqualified Sharp as a candidate after wrongfully determining that the check for the qualification fee that he submitted was not drawn upon a campaign account solely because the naming information on the face of the check referred to a business instead of a campaign committee, the lawsuit states. Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd. (Courtesy, The Florida House) As bureau chief of election records, Brown was the primary official responsible for the wrongful determination that Sharp should be disqualified based on his qualification fee check and the wrongful decision to refuse to correct the error once Sharp brought it to the DOEs attention. According to Page 2 of the supervisors handbook, the qualifying officers duties are ministerial in nature. This means that the qualifying officer may not determine whether the contents of the qualifying papers are true or accurate. Questions regarding the truth or accuracy of matters stated in a candidates qualifying papers becomes a judicial question if and when an appropriate challenge is made in the courts. According to Sharp, bumping candidates from the ballot isnt the only way the establishment eliminates unwanted challengers. One crazy thing is there were several other candidates around the state who were actually propositioned to drop out of the race, Sharp disclosed. Im talking grass-roots, constitutional conservative candidates. One of those candidates was Drake Wuertz. The Righteous Fight Among the documents on the DOE website for Wuertz, his qualifying paperwork was received on July 26, 2021. Due to redistricting, Wuertz redesignated his campaign for state representative for District 38 on March 16, 2022. Screenshot of form submitted to the Florida Department of State/Division of Elections by candidate Drake Wuertz, redesignating his campaign for State Representative for District 30 to District 38, due to redistricting, on March 16, 2022. (Florida Department of State/Division of Elections website) This move placed Wuertz in a primary race against a Republican incumbent named David Smith. I ran on a very strong conservative platform, Wuertz told The Epoch Times. Like Sharp, Wuertz was tired of go along to get along Republicans who float on moderate campaigns and avoid bold commitments just to get elected. Shortly after switching to District 38, Wuertz said he was contacted by someone in GOP leadership and invited to meet for breakfast. During the two-hour meeting, the GOP negotiator, sent by order of the House Campaigns Committee, tried hard to convince Wuertz to drop out of the race. The Speaker of the House, Paul Renner, got heavily involved in primaries this year when previous House Speakers did not, Wuertz explained. He definitely wanted his preferred candidates to win and was not shy about it. But Wuertz declined, telling the GOPs alleged middleman the legislation we need to put forth and the changes we need to make are at the state level. The man reminded Wuertz that Smith was a powerhouse with a lot of money and a lot of support from PACs, lobbyists, and the corporate establishment. Again, Wuertz declined to drop out. Valerie and Drake Wuertz pause for a selfie while arriving at a bill signing by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Daytona, Fla. (Courtesy of Drake Wuertz) The party representative then played the take one for the team card, Wuertz said, pressuring Wuertz to think about whats best for the party. They could even move him to another district for a future run and slide him $25,000 or $50,000 in campaign funds, the man allegedly said. I was thinking, this is like something out of a Mafia movie, Wuertz laughed. So I looked at his face, thanked him for breakfast, and then I said no. Wuertz lost the primary, but not his integrity. When you get involved in this righteous fight and youre a true America First conservative, they really stack the deck against you, Wuertz said, adding that despite his election loss, he and his wife Valerie are continuing the fight. Wuertz serves as precinct committeeman and sergeant at arms for the Seminole County Republican Executive Committee. Valerie serves as the legislative chair for the Seminole County chapter of Moms for Liberty. One thing that bothers me is when people lose and never show up again, Wuertz said. Its a Strategy the Establishment Uses I think what youre seeing is that establishment politicians dont want true constitutional conservative candidates in office, Sharp said, adding that his race was pretty quiet until Anthony Sabatini got involved and came out to publicly endorse him. Tim Sharp (L), former candidate for Florida House of Representatives, with Republican Florida State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, commemorating Sabatinis endorsement of Sharp in Orlando, Fla., in February 2022. (Courtesy of Tim Sharp) Sabatini said hes aware of how the establishment got rid of Sharp. They did this with a lot of people this year, Sabatini told The Epoch Times. Its a strategy the establishment uses. They find some technicality in their paperworktheir notary was from a different county, or the check was from a separate account, or the postage date was on the wrong dateand they disqualify them on these different technicalities. But its not legal. But they know that most people dont have the time or the money to file lawsuits so they just kick people off the ballot that they dont want challenging their preferred candidate. But if the preferred candidate makes a mistake theyll just fix it administratively. Sharp also remembered how U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) allegedly tried to derail Sabatinis congressional primary campaign. According to a Sept. 12 Politico report, McCarthy and his allies neutralized his potential detractors in GOP primaries across the country, wiping out dissenters who might derail his speakership bid next year and prove to be major headaches in Congress. In fact, the American Liberty Action PAC dropped over $1.3 million to stymie Sabatinis congressional bid after he was endorsed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). The establishment buys who they can, cancels who they cant, and then comes at whoever is left standing, Sharp asserted. Sharp may have been removed from the ballot, but hes fighting back legally, and he said the Republican Party hasnt seen the last of him. Major Police Operation in Newport Beach Leads to Arrest of Carjacking Suspect: IN PHOTOS NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.A man was arrested on the evening of Oct. 4 after barricading himself in a home in the aftermath of two carjacking incidents. Police said the first carjacking happened shortly after 4 p.m. at the upscale outdoor mall Fashion Island. The suspect later ditched the car and grabbed another vehicle, leading police in a short pursuit before abandoning it. He then ran away in the Dover Shore area just a few miles from the mall where he barricaded himself in a home, police said. This kind of thing does not really happen here too often, a teenager living in the neighborhood told The Epoch Times. I mean, there might have been something I can remember like a few years ago. Surprised by the scale of the police operation, many residents were observing outside of their homes while the suspect was apprehended by multiple Orange County law enforcement agenciesincluding Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Costa Mesa police departments, with the Orange County Sheriffs Department deploying a helicopter to maintain constant air coverage. A SWAT team was called to the scene to help take the man into custody. Onsite witnesses said he was originally brandishing a firearm after ditching the stolen vehicle. The neighborhood is out and talking [with each other], resident Brynn told The Epoch Times. So thats the silver lining. The suspect eventually surrendered to police by about 9 p.m. His name was not immediately released by authorities. Police tape blocks off the crime scene in Sacramento, Calif., on Feb. 28, 2022. (Andri Tambunan/AFP via Getty Images) Man Charged With DUI in Fatal Wrong-Way Crash in Tustin SANTA ANA, Calif.A 21-year-old man was charged Oct. 4 with manslaughter and drunken driving in a wrong-way crash that killed a 22-year-old woman on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Tustin. The California Highway Patrol received calls that Dylan Erric Robinson was driving a 2015 Toyota Prius northbound in the southbound diamond lane on the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway at the San Diego (405) Freeway early Oct. 2 morning. By the time an officer arrived in the area three minutes later Robinson was entering the southbound Santa Ana (5) Freeway HOV transition road to the southbound Costa Mesa (55) transition road going northbound, according to the agency. The highway patrol officer turned around, and came upon the collision between Robinsons car and another vehicle on the southbound Santa Ana Freeway HOV transition road to the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway about 2:15 a.m., the agency reported. The Prius was speeding north in the southbound lanes before it slammed into a white Subaru Outback southbound on the southbound Santa Ana Freeway transition to southbound Costa Mesa Freeway. Both vehicles sustained major front-end damage and ended up on the right shoulder and HOV lane, the agency reported. Reinne J. Lim, an Anaheim resident, who was in the front passenger seat of the Subaru, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Subarus driver, Tommy Le, 22, of Costa Mesa, broke his right leg and right hand, according to the report. Robinson sustained multiple cuts on his legs, arms, and head and was taken to OC Global Medical Center to be treated, the agency reported. Robinson, of Altadena, was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, and DUI with a blood-alcohol content of .08 percent or more causing injury, all felonies, according to court records. He also faces sentencing enhancements for allegedly inflicting great bodily injury on two victims. The complaint alleges Robinson had a blood-alcohol content of .17, more than twice the legal limit of .08. After returning from a trip to the Mexican border with Texas where he saluted Nebraska National Guard troops who are deployed there, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday that "America urgently needs to change course at the national level to fix this ongoing emergency." National Guardsmen from Nebraska's 1-376th Aviation Battalion are helping provide detection and monitoring through aviation support to enable U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to conduct their law enforcement duties more efficiently, the governor said. That mission supports U.S. Department of Homeland Security efforts to manage border security, Ricketts said. "Your work has provided much-needed assistance (to) deal with the historic surge of illegal crossings" at the border, the governor told the National Guard troops when he visited them Friday. "By strengthening border enforcement, you're helping to keep dangerous drugs like meth and fentanyl off of our streets. "You're also helping give critical humanitarian aid to those who've been enticed to cross the border by our failed federal policies," he said. Ricketts also thanked federal customs and border protection personnel who he said are undermanned and underresourced. Man Trying to Protect His Spiritual Books Dies After Police Push Him Out of Window in China A Chinese man fell to his death after two police officers pushed him out of the window of his home. He was trying to stop them from confiscating his personal belongings and spiritual books. Yin Zhibo, 44, from Yanji City, Jilin Province, was at home when the officers broke in. Someone had reported him to the police for distributing informational materials exposing the Chinese regimes persecution of Falun Gong. Though Yin died on March 16, 2021, his death was only recently confirmed by Minghui.org, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that reports on the ongoing persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual system in China. Given the regimes tight control, it isnt easy to get information out of China Yin Zhibo and his family. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a mind-body discipline rooted in the traditional values of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It is practiced freely all over the world, but has faced violent suppression from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since July 20, 1999. Falun Gong adherents in China have been arrested, imprisoned, and tortured to death for refusing to renounce their faith. As Yin attempted to stop the police officers from confiscating his Falun Gong books and materials, they beat and shoved him to the window, eventually pushing him out. Yin fell to the ground and died instantly, according to the report. Yins wife and son were present at the scene. His wife fainted several times witnessing his tragic death, while his young son rushed downstairs and leaned on his body, trying to wake him up. A large group of Falun Gong adherents practice the exercises in Shenyang City, China, before the persecution of the practice began. (Minghui.org) In this undated photo, Falun Gong adherents practice the standing meditative exercises at Changchun Citys No. 1 Automobile Factory before the persecution began. (Courtesy of Minghui.org) According to the report, the Yanji City police department ignored the testimonies of neighbors who witnessed the entire incident, and exempted the two officers. Yins older brother went to the local government to appeal, but the village officials harassed him and threatened to confiscate his family land. The police also detained Yins nephew for 15 days, suspecting that he might also be a Falun Gong practitioner. According to Minghui.org, there have been several cases of Falun Gong adherents who died after falling out of windows; they either fell while trying to avoid being arrested and tortured, or after being pushed out of windows by the on-duty officials. In 2009, Shi Yuying, a former fencing champion in Jinan City, Shandong Province, died after falling from a window when police raided her home to arrest her for practicing Falun Gong. The police officers who ransacked Shis home remained tight-lipped about why she fell from the window of her fourth-floor apartment building, the report said. Yuan Pingjun, a tailor from Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, was arrested in August 2010 and detained at the Hebei Province Legal Education Training Center. Less than 10 days after her arrest, her family was informed that she had died after falling from the fifth floor to the second floor of the training center. Her family was not allowed to set up a service hall to mourn her death, reported Minghui.org. A sign from Haringey Council reminds people to stay at home near Alexandra Palace in London, on April 26, 2020. (Edward Smith/Getty Images) Man Who Stabbed UK Social Worker Kept Children Indoors for a Year Because of COVID-19 Fears Defendant describes Haringey social services and police as a 'private army' LONDONA man who stabbed a social worker who was conducting welfare checks on three children has said they were kept indoors for over a year because of fears of COVID-19. Sulai Man, 34, denies attempting to murder Themba Nkomo, 61, who was attacked in the hallway outside a flat in Wood Green, north London, on Aug. 6, 2021. Man also denies wounding police constables David Turpin and Luke Smith with intent, when they went to the aid of Nkomo, who was stabbed eight times. The trial at the Old Bailey has heard Man, who is also known as Sulai Bukhari, had a long-running dispute with Haringey Councils social services department, which had repeatedly sought to gain access to the flat to check on the children. On Wednesday Man was cross examined by prosecutor Simon Ray about the incident and why he had been so determined not to allow social workers to access the flat. Ray asked him, In August 2021, how long had it been since the children had been outside? Man replied, Over a year, because of the coronavirus. Man said there had been 10,000 emails between himself and social services about the issue of them conducting welfare checks on the children. The defendant was later asked about his belief that the children would be classed as Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) in the event of them catching COVID-19. Man said he had read an article that suggested there was an NHS policy in place during the pandemic which classed people with special needs as being DNR. Ray said: That is not in fact the case. Im not disputing that is what you believed. In the first wave of the coronavirus it was discovered that DNR was in place for certain people, not necessarily children, and that had caused real concern and the NHS concluded that should not have been the case. Man replied: I didnt know they changed their policy. Are you saying they changed their policy? A child and parent walk near a closed primary school in Deptford, London, on Jan. 4, 2021. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Jury Shown Body Camera Footage of Attack The court was then shown body camera footage from police officers as they forced entry into the flat after failing to persuade a woman to open the door. Man had gone outside before the police arrived and was lurking in a communal area, wearing a mask and a black hoodie, and clutching a Swiss army-style knife in his hand. Suddenly, after the police gained entry to the flat using bolt cutters to cut a chain on the door, Man attacked Nkomo, who had been left in the hallway by the front door. Man repeatedly referred to Haringey social services and the police as a private army and he said: Nkomo was part of that private army because of the way he was conducting himself. You decided he deserved to die, didnt you? asked Ray. No, replied Man. The defendant described the attack on Nkomo and the police officers as a moment of desperation. The trial continues. The children in the case cannot be identified for legal reasons. A Mexican flag is seen over the city of Tijuana, Mexico, from San Ysidro, a district of San Diego, California, on April 21, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake Mexico to Appeal Ruling Dismissing Its Lawsuit Seeking Damages From US Gun Companies for Mexican Crime The Mexican government has said it will appeal its loss in a lawsuit that sought to hold U.S. manufacturers and wholesalers of firearms liable for criminal gun trafficking into Mexico. The announcement came after Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts ruled (pdf) on Sept. 30 in Mexico v. Smith & Wesson Brands Inc., court file 21-11269, that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) of 2005 shielded the companies from liability for the harms alleged by Mexico. The PLCAA unequivocally bars lawsuits seeking to hold gun manufacturers responsible for the acts of individuals using guns for their intended purpose. And while the statute contains several narrow exceptions, none are applicable here, Saylor wrote. The PLCAA was enacted to prevent anti-Second Amendment activists and jurisdictions from engaging in backdoor gun control by bankrupting gun companies for engaging in lawful commerce. Manufacturers and dealers may still be sued for defective products, breach of contract, criminal misconduct, and other actions for which they are directly responsible, but not for the mere unlawful use of their products by criminals. U.S. gun control groups, including the Brady Campaign and Everytown for Gun Safety, sided with Mexico, urging the court to ignore U.S. federal law and allow the Mexican lawsuit against U.S. companies to proceed. Saylors ruling deals a major blow to the ongoing efforts by gun-control advocates to undermine the PLCAA, according to The Reload, a publication that focuses on the policies and politics surrounding firearms. The statute has long been a target for the groups [that] claim it unfairly shields U.S. gun makers from liability for the harm caused by gun violence. Gun-control activists in the U.S. hoped the Mexico suit would serve as a potent vehicle for piercing the statutes protections. Mexico blamed the United States for violence and accused it of negligence. The Government of Mexico will appeal the decision of the federal judge and will insist that the arms trade must be responsible, transparent, and accountable and that the negligent way in which they are sold in the United States makes it easier for criminals to access them, the Embassy of Mexico in the United States stated in what it called a courtesy translation of a statement. This action by the Government of Mexico has received worldwide recognition and has been considered a turning point in the discussion about the responsibility of the arms industry in the violence experienced in Mexico and the region, the translated statement reads. U.S. state attorneys as well as prosecutors, academics, civil society organizations and other countries governments support the Government of Mexico in this action. The Government of Mexico will continue its effort to put an end to illicit arms trafficking. The civil lawsuit for damages against those who profit from the violence suffered by Mexicans goes to a second stage, in which the Foreign Ministry will insist that the negligence of these companies is seriously affecting our country. In the lawsuit, filed in August 2021, Mexico sued Smith & Wesson, Sturm, Ruger & Co., Glock, Barrett Firearms, Beretta, Colt, Century Arms, and Interstate Arms, claiming that the U.S. companies undermined that countrys tough gun laws by making, promoting, and selling military-style assault weapons in such a way that the guns would be appealing to drug cartels and criminals. The states of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon, as well as the District of Columbia have filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting Mexicos position. Deb Lain, a resident of Minisink, expresses her support for a new library serving families within the Minisink Valley School District at a public hearing at Greenville Resource Center, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Minisink Valley District Residents Discuss New Library Budget at Public Hearing At the first public hearing for a new library at Minisink Valley Central School Districtthe only school district in Orange County, New York, without a public librarythe proposed annual budget led the discussion for residents. The librarys first-year operation is budgeted at $534,500, about one percent of the total school district tax levy. A committee of residents supporting the libraryFriends of Minisink Valley Public Libraryis suggesting that every district family calculate their annual library tax by multiplying their school tax bill by 1 percent. For example, if a family pays $6,000 in school tax, its library tax is around $60. Mount Hope resident Paul Rickard said the calculation overlooks the fact that each town has a different equalization rate, so it doesnt yield the real dollar amount that each family is going to pay. Paul Rickard, a resident of the Town of Mount Hope, speaks at the new library budget hearing at Greenville Resource Center, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Each municipality in New York assesses properties at a percentage of market valuewhich is called the equalization ratedepending on their varying budget needs. Minisink Valley Central School District (MVCSD) covers four towns in western Orange County Mount Hope, Greenville, Wawayanda, and Minisinkas well as portions of the towns of Wallkill and Mamakating. I think your mission is a great one, but it already exists. There is no difference other than paying more money for what you guys want to do, Rickard said at the public hearing on Oct. 4. Currently, MVCSD families can apply for one library card per household through their town clerk, which will get them access to Port Jervis and Middletown libraries. Each card costs about $75, which is paid by town taxes. Families with children attending MVCSD can access five school libraries. Anne Friedel, a resident of the Town of Mount Hope and a committee member of Friends of Minisink Valley Public Library, answers questions at the library public hearing at Greenville Resource Center, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Anne Friedel, a Mount Hope resident and member of Friends of Minisink Valley Public Library, said a new public library will offer residents more cultural and educational programs. We want programs that are tailored to our own community. Wouldnt it be nice if we were a priority of our own library instead of having to be put on waiting lists of somebody elses libraries? Friedel said. Once the new library enters the Ramapo Catskill Library System, district residents can enjoy its five-day-a-week delivery service, which allows them to borrow books from four dozen libraries within the system and pick up the books at their own library, she added. Ron Myruski, a resident of Wawayanda, expressed concern about cost overruns as well as future cost bumps. The largest chunk42 percentof the budget covers personnel costs, including salaries, social security, health insurance, and retirement contributionwhich could fluctuate under economic conditions. Ronald Myruski, a resident of the Town of Wawayanda, listens during the library budget hearing at Greenville Resource Center, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) How long would you be content with what you have written on this paper? How long before you would say, Oh, we need to build something huge just like everyone else, and we have to spend five million on it? Myruski said. The current budget proposes to rent a 2,000-square-foot spacewhich could be at Greenville Resource Center, a storefront within the school district, or other locationsat a monthly rent of $2,500. Sue Shapiro, a Greenville resident and member of Friends of Minisink Valley Public Library, said the library budget, like the school budget, is controlled by residents. We cannot raise this budget by $1 without putting it out to a vote, she said. We might have a small library now, but its going to be our own library. I want my community to have its own library that we can be proud of, that we can control, that we dont have to worry that our elected officials decide one day not to renew the library contract with other cities, Shapiro said. Sue Shapiro, a resident of the Town of Greenville and a committee member of Friends of Minisink Valley Public Library, answers questions at the library public hearing at Greenville Resource Center, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) In the early 2000s, Shapiro said she and her family had no access to any library for years because her town had no contracts with other cities. Since then, she has been advocating for a local public library. New York state allows four types of librariesassociation libraries, municipal public libraries, special district public libraries, and school district public librariesthe kind that MVCSD families are going to vote on. The library will be run by its own board, separate from the school board. Dot Winner, a Wawayanda resident and member of Friends of Minisink Valley Public Library, echoed Shapiros sentiments. When my daughter was in sixth grade, I wanted to get her a library card of her own because it gives a kid dignity to have a library card, but she could not have one. Im not proud of Minisink Valley School District, which is the only school district in Orange County and the only area in Orange County that does not have a library, Winner said. Dot Winner, a resident of the Town of Wawayanda, expresses her support for a new library serving families within the Minisink Valley School District at a public hearing at Greenville Resource Center, N.Y., on Oct. 4, 2022. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Another resident brought a spreadsheet that listed the number of books at Middletown Thrall Public Library and Port Jervis Free Library. She asked how many books the new MVCSD library would carry, but got no answer. The resident declined to disclose her name to The Epoch Times. A third of the budget, about $179,000, is expected to be spent on library materials. Other residents are concerned the library might be far from the center of the 115-square-mile school district, and inconvenient for some residents. The location should be confirmed before we can vote on it, one resident said. The MVCSD public library referendum vote will take place on Oct. 18, 12 to 9 p.m., with two voting sites open at the Intermediate School and Otisville School Building. The last public hearing on the library vote will be held on Oct. 11 at Greenville Resource Center at 6:30 p.m. A relative wearing a T-Shirt with an image of a disappeared boy, inspects an area where the group suspects there are interred bodies of missing persons, just outside of Cuautla, Mexico, on Oct. 12, 2021. (Fernando Llano/AP Photo) Mother of Missing Mexico Woman Killed, 4th Since Early 2021 MEXICO CITYYet another mother searching for her disappeared child has been killed in Mexico, the fourth murder of a volunteer search activist in Mexico since the start of 2021. Activists said Tuesday the victim was Esmeralda Gallardo, who led efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter. The activist group Voice of the Disappeared in Puebla said Gallardo was killed in the city of Puebla, east of Mexico City. Prosecutors in Puebla confirmed the killing, and pledged to solve the case as quickly as possible. But the group called on authorities in a statement to leave aside the superficial speeches and guarantee the safety of the victims, and the rights and safety of the families of the disappeared. The U.N. human rights office in Mexico said Gallardo had been shot to death. The U.N. office condemned the killing and said in a statement that Gallardo had provided relevant information about her daughters disappearance which was not effectively taken into account during the search or the investigation of the crime. Gallardos daughter, Betzabe Alvarado Gallardo, disappeared in the low-income neighborhood of Villa Frontera in January 2021. In August, search activist Rosario Rodriguez Barraza was killed in the northern state of Sinaloa, home to the drug cartel of the same name. In 2021, in the northern state of Sonora, searcher Aranza Ramos was found dead a day after her search group found a still-smoking body disposal pit. Earlier that year, volunteer search activist Javier Barajas Pina was gunned down in the state of Guanajuato, Mexicos most violent. The motive in those killings remained unclear; in the past, many searchers have said publicly they arent looking for evidence to convict killers. Most volunteer search teams are made up of mothers of Mexicos over 100,000 missing people. Faced with official inaction or incompetence, many mothers are forced to do their own investigations or join search teams which, often acting on tips, cross gullies and fields, sinking iron rods into the ground to detect the tell-tale stench of decomposing bodies. The searchers, and the police who sometimes accompany them, usually focus on finding graves and identifying remains. Search groups sometimes even get anonymous tips about where bodies are buried, knowledge probably available only to the killers or their accomplices. After the killing in August, a group of search groups known as collectives issued a statement demanding protection for searching mothers. No mother should be killed for searching for her children, the coalition wrote. On the contrary, the government is obligated to ensure their safety in continuing their searches, as long as thousands of cases of disappeared people continue to pile up. Tesla CEO Elon Musk smiles as he addresses guests at the Offshore Northern Seas 2022 (ONS) meeting in Stavanger, Norway on Aug. 29, 2022. (CARINA JOHANSEN/NTB/AFP via Getty Images) Musk Said That Buying Twitter Is an Accelerant to Creating an Everything App Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app, following his agreement to buy the social media giant. Musk made that statement in a tweet after he proposed to proceed with his original offer of $44 billion to acquire the Twitter and take it private. After months of battling in an attempt to back out of the Twitter deal, Musk agreed to purchase the tech company before he was due to be deposed in Delaware on Oct. 17. Musk is now expected to own the company within a matter of weeks, if not days, and has made promises to make changes to protect freedom of speech. He has said that the social media service could charge subscription fees in the future to business and government users. If Musk is able to put the right team together, which can take his orders on this, then the value of Twitter can increase, said Loups Gene Munster on CNBC. The billionaire entrepreneur explained that his acquisition of Twitter was part of his plan to create an everything app, known simply as X. Twitter probably accelerates X by 3 to 5 years, but I could be wrong, Musk replied on Twitter to a follower who said it would have been better to start X from scratch. X.com was the name of an online bank that Musk co-founded in 1999, which later changed its name to PayPal a year later after merging with software company Confinity. The online marketplace eBay bought PayPal for $1.5 billion in 2002, but later spun it off as an independent company in 2015. Musk, back in 2017, reacquired the rights to the X.com domain name from eBay and relaunched the site. Thanks PayPal for allowing me to buy back http://X.com! No plans right now, but it has great sentimental value to me, he stated in a tweet. The Return of X Musk compared his vision for Twitter with the vision he had for X during Teslas annual shareholder meeting in August. The Tesla CEO exclaimed that he had a grander vision for what he thought X.com could have been. Its a pretty, pretty grand vision, said Musk, now obviously, that could be started from scratch, but I think Twitter would help accelerate that by three to five years. So its kind of like something I thought would be useful for a long time. I know what to do, I dont have to have Twitter for that but it would, like I said, its probably at least a three-year accelerant, and I think its something that will be very useful to the world, he explained. Musk later brought up the possibility of making X.com Twitters competitor if the deal didnt go through, following the August meeting. The SpaceX CEO had long spoken about creating an everything app, whereby users can access most of their favorite online services and utilities in a centralized program on their electronic devices. Musk, however, has provided few other details as to what the proposed platform would look like. Industry analysts suggest that he is eyeing something along the lines of an app that incorporates multiple services, including messaging, social media, payments, and food orders, similar to Chinas WeChat. WeChat, which was created by Tencent Holdings, is a multi-purpose app that combines most of those functions. That everything app has amassed more than 1.2 billion users since its initial release in 2011, mainly among the ethnic Chinese community. At a June town hall with Twitter employees, Musk said that he wanted to expand Twitter to one billion users, and that he wanted to replicate WeChats model, after noticing that people in China basically live on the platform, explaining, If we can recreate that with Twitter, well be a great success. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, speaks to reporters during a visit the Antioch Water Treatment Plant in Antioch, Calif., on Aug. 11, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Newsom Calls for Taxing Oil Companies During Fuel Crisis Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling on state lawmakers to impose a new tax on oil companies as gas prices continue to escalate in California, but industry experts say the tax would add more cost for consumers and could destabilize oil businesses. Prices at the pump in the Golden State are the highest in the nation, climbing again this week to an average of $6.41 per gallon Oct. 4, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. The governor claimed Sept. 30 that refinery issues and the states high gas taxes were not to blame. Gas prices in California have increased by a record 84 cents per gallon in just over one week, Newsom said in a fiery video message. It just doesnt add up. And oil companies, they provide no explanation. The states Energy Commission sent a letter the same day to refinery executives asking them to explain the price increases, pointing to lower-than-normal inventories of gasoline as a possible contributing factor. Newsom accused the oil refineries and companies of profiting from the situation. The fact is, theyre ripping you off, Newsom said in a Sept. 30 statement. Their record profits are coming at your expense. Were not going to stand by while greedy oil companies fleece Californians. A man pays for gas in Irvine, Calif., on April 1, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Newsom said he is working with legislators to propose charging oil companies a windfall profits tax on earnings above a set amount each year. Revenue generated from the tax would be refunded to taxpayers, according to the statement. He also asked the California Air Resources Board, a state regulatory agency, to allow retailers to start using less-expensive winter-blend gasoline early this year. The state requires retailers to sell an emissions-reducing summer-blend fuel, which adds as much as 25 cents per gallon. The early transition should increase supply and save consumers the extra cost per gallon, according to the statement. Record Prices Caused by Refinery Shortage, High Gas Tax Consumers were paying record prices for fuel this week in Los Angeles as the average price reached $6.49 Oct. 4. In Orange County, prices hit a new record at $6.45 per gallon on average. The average price has risen in 14 of the past 15 days in the county, increasing by $1.05. This is nearly 51 cents more than last week, $1.22 higher than one month ago, and $2.07 greater than a year ago. Prices began to escalate after four large refineries in California shut down in September for planned and unplanned maintenance, cutting off much of the states gas supply. A view of the Chevron refinery in Richmond, Calif., on Nov. 17, 2021. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) This has forced retailers to compete with other states and countries for oil. Prices are rising drastically as a result, according to oil industry experts. Despite record gas prices, California increased its gas tax rate again in July. The state now adds 53.9 cents of tax per gallonthe highest in the nation. Windfall Tax Might Drive Up Consumer Prices The windfall tax would further increase gas prices, the Western States Petroleum Association told The Epoch Times. The Governor and the Legislature fail to understand time and time again that their policy decisions have a major impact at the pump, said Kara Greene, spokeswoman for the association. Governor Newsom has the ability to quickly lower gas prices by suspending gas taxes and his regulatory program costs, but hes deliberately chosen to make another policy decision to further increase costs on consumers through yet another tax on fuel. Also, targeting the industry with a windfall tax for making money during profitable times and not providing relief during downturns seems unfair, one industry expert and lawmaker in the Permian Basin between Texas and New Mexicoa region that supplies 40 percent of the countrys oil productiontold The Epoch Times. [The proposed tax] just doesnt make the playing field consistent, New Mexico State Representative Greg Nibert said. Nibert is also an oil and gas attorney and a member of the Energy Council, a nonpartisan legislative forum for energy-related policies in the southwest. Traffic flows along San Diego roadways in San Diego, Calif., Aug. 31, 2006. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images) Such tax would also destabilize oil businesses, he said. It doesnt account for the bad times, as well as the good times, he said. The oil industry can be really good for a short time and then it can be really bad for a short time. Right now, its really good. But every oil company knows that they need to build their war chest because, in a few years, theyre going to see it go down. The oil industry historically cycles through market extremes. One notable downturn occurred at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic when much of the world was locked down. On April 20, 2020, oil producers had to pay customers to take oil off their hands because the West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract dropped 306 percentthe largest one-day drop since 1983and settled at negative $37.63 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, according to financial news website Market Watch. Oil pumpjacks operate at dusk Willow Springs Park in Long Beach, Calif., on April 21, 2020, a day after oil prices dropped to below zero as the oil industry suffers steep falls in benchmark crudes due to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images) California is in a pretty interesting place energy-wise, Nibert said. You have a state that politically does not want fossil fuels, and you have a huge demand for fossil fuels. And, you have limited infrastructure to get oil to your refineries. To meet the need, California has been importing more than half of its oil supply from foreign countries since 2012except for 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 lockdownaccording to the state Energy Commission. In 2021, the state imported nearly 300,000 barrels56 percent of its supplyfrom a list of countries topped by Ecuador, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Brazil. Domestically, the state produced 151,300 barrels of oilabout 29 percentand imported another 78,10015 percentfrom Alaska last year, according to the commission. Crude tankers are shown at the port of Long Beach, Calif., on March 8, 2022. (Mike Blake/Reuters) New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media prior to a Labour Party caucus meeting in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 23, 2022. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) NZ Media Has Lost the Publics Trust After Becoming Mouthpiece for the Government: Former MP Public trust in New Zealand media has fallen to a record low after the governments funding of media organisations came with strings attached which caused people to view the media as a mouthpiece of the central government. The Public Interest Journalism Fund (PIJF), a $55 million (US$32 million) government fund established in February 2021, is described as targeted, short-term support for public interest journalism through COVID-19. However, the fine print showed the funding came with strings attached, Muriel Newman, founder of the New Zealand Centre for Political Research and former New Zealand MP, told The Epoch Times. Newman was referring to the condition included in the funding that all recipients actively promote and acknowledge the Maori as a partner under the Treaty of Waitangi. This requirement promotes a radical re-interpretation of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi as a partnership between Maori and the Crown, Newman said. [The media] are nevertheless going along with it in order to access the money. An independent report for the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, published in November 2021, noted that several stakeholders had expressed concern that funding decisions had crossed into editorial decision-making. The media is no longer acting as the Fourth Estate, holding power to account, Newman said. Instead of being fiercely independent, they have now morphed into a public relations mouthpiece for the government. A close-up of an unidentifiable man and woman sitting next to each other on the Tube, both looking at their phones. (Kirsty OConnor/PA Media) Trust in Media at Record Low In New Zealand, peoples general trust in the news has fallen significantly, from 53 percent in 2020 to 45 percent in 2022the lowest on recordaccording to a study by Auckland University of Technology. Paradoxically, one of the main reasons for distrust in news media appears to be the governments funding of it. A large number of respondents now perceive media as an extension of the government, hence it is seen as untrustworthy, co-author Merja Myllylahti said. Co-author Greg Treadwell added that in its role as the primary disseminator of vital COVID-19 information, it became seen as a government mouthpiece. In one sense, it has quite rightly been, he said. Former Nationals MP Alfred Ngaro questioned why and how the government had been allowed to dictate editorial conditions to the media. I think it creates huge conflicts of interest, he told The Epoch Times. I think what it does, it then creates opportunities for hidden agendas from political parties. During question time in parliament about the imminent public merger of Radio New Zealand (RNZ) and Television New Zealand (TVNZ), Broadcasting and Media Minister Willie Jackson said Kiwis needed a trusted public broadcaster. We no longer have trust in national media. No longer is there trust in whats happening at a national media level, he said on Sept. 28. He later told parliament that there was always a risk that future governments would direct the new public broadcaster for political purposes. Well be very, very clear. It will be very clear about editorial control [rules], Jackson said on Sept. 29. Broadcasting and Media Minister Willie Jackson speaks to media during a Labour press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Nov. 2, 2020. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) People Sick of Agenda Pushing Bob McCoskrie, the founder of Family First NZ, told The Epoch Times that he believes trust in the media will continue to decline. Part of that is earned because people are sick of the media for, rather than reporting the news, trying to push an agenda, he said. Family First NZ analysed media reporting in recent major debates and found overwhelming media bias towards one side of the argument. Two to one in favour of supporting legalizing cannabis for recreational use, he said. And then when we got to the Roe v. Wade decision82 percent bias in favour of abortion and 18 percent for pro-life. McCoskrie said rather than reporting on the debates, the media were leading it. Eventually, everybody gets sick of it because they dont want to be told what to think they just want to read what the debate is about, he said. Funding under the PIJF has been available for over three years, with $10 million (US$5.8 million) for the 2020/21 financial year, $25 million in 2021/22, and $20 million in 2022/23. When the funding ends in June 2023, it will likely be in the middle or ahead of the election campaign to determine the next central government, which has yet to be scheduled. Newman believes the Ardern government will extend the funding to maintain some level of influence over the media during the general election. The Epoch Times reached out to Media Minister Willie Jacksons office for comment but did not receive a response. Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre rises during Question Period at the House of Commons in Ottawa on Sept. 22, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Poilievre Calls Liberals Climate Action Plan a Tax Plan Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the Liberals climate action plan is actually a tax plan that will raise money for the government without reducing emissions. [The prime ministers] carbon tax has not hit a single, solitary emissions reduction target, said Poilievre during question period in the House of Commons on Oct. 5. It has not worked. Poilievre said a farm family recently told him they paid over $12,000 on carbon taxes in July alone. Now obviously, that gets passed on to customers, he said, before adding that the prime minister wants to triple, triple, triple the tax on that family, which theyll have to pass on in even higher food prices. The carbon tax is set to increase again in April 2023, which will cause the price of fuel per ton in Canada to rise by $15 and will continue to do so every year until 2030, according to government figures, by which time fuel will cost $170 per ton. The government says the rate hikes are based on global warming factors and emissions factors used by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Responding to Poilievres request that Ottawa cancel its planned carbon tax increase, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, Clever slogans dont help families. When is the Conservative leader going to get serious on climate change? Trudeau asked. The prime minister hasnt gotten serious on climate change, Poilievre responded. He has a tax plan, not a climate plan, that has raised money for his government but its not reduced emissions or hit targets. The governments emissions reduction target is to reach net-zero emissions countrywide by 2050. By 2030, the government aims to have reduced Canadas emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels. In the month of July, when this family was paying $12,645 in carbon tax, supposedly for the environment, the prime minister jumped on his private jet 20 times, Poilievre said during Wednesdays question period. Will he tell us how much carbon he emitted in that month of July? Trudeau said Poilievre should put as much energy into building a plan to fight climate change as he does into concocting elaborate theories and attacks. We might be able to compare a real climate plan from the Conservatives to what the government has been doing for the past seven years, said Trudeau. But he would prefer to focus on me than focus on Canadians and their future. Poilievre has repeatedly called on the government to cancel its planned tax hikes. On Sept. 28, his motion to stop the federal carbon tax from increasing next April was defeated in the House 209116. A day later, Conservative MP and House Leader Andrew Scheer tabled a new motion to prevent tax increases on items like gas, groceries, home heating and pay cheques, the motions text reads. When they do triple the [carbon] tax, how much will it cost to buy a litre of gas across Canada? Poilievre asked Wednesday. South Africa: Police questioning three in German tourist murder case Police in Mpumalanga have taken three people in for questioning in relation to the gruesome murder of a German tourist in White River on Monday. This was on Wednesday revealed by Police Minister, Bheki Cele, during a visit to the scene of the incident. He was accompanied by Police National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and his management. The tourist was gunned down during a robbery on Numbi Road in White River. According to police reports, he was one of four German tourists who were traveling on Numbi Road, en route to Numbi Gate, at Mdluli Safari lodge. They were accosted by three armed suspects, who instructed the tourists to open the doors of their vehicle. The driver reportedly locked all the doors. The suspects allegedly shot him on the upper body through the window. The driver died on the scene before the suspects sped off in their vehicle. In the wake of the incident, Cele said government and other role players, will implement interventions. "As we stand here, we have three people of interest on this one. They are not arrested, they are people of interest, although... they are in the hands of the police," the Minister said, adding that they have reason for taking in these individuals. While the Numbi Road is notorious for crime, there are other areas of concern in the area. It is on this score that Cele said he is confident that police will soon "announce an arrest" in this regard. "We believe that we'll be able to crack the case that very soon. Police have done their job and they believe that they're not very far in cracking this case." Beyond this, he said government is in the process of determining the amount of required crime fighting interventions and resources for the area. We will all be coming together to work on the situation, especially on preventative measures... [These will] bring on board the communities. We believe that communities here will help, even those who have grievances with the companies. We will need to bring everybody together. "We have been given the information of the resources that might be needed by the Provincial Commissioner," the Minister said, noting that proper patrolling is needed. The Mpumalanga provincial government is also expected to avail the traffic inspectorate. "We'll come together very soon to work on preventative measures, including providing more resources . We need to mobilise everybody," Cele said. The Minister will engage Tourism Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, on the way forward. He said it is important to mobilise community involvement in crime-fighting efforts. "They will have to understand that it is to their benefit that tourists keep coming here. As the police, we will do our work here," the Minister said, adding that resources patrols will be done alongside private security. Cele said he has met with private security firms and lodges operating in the area to discuss how to handle crime trends and reports. "I'm told that the businesses will have to get involved. They have to come on board because they have things to say. I'm sure that will take us forward," he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2022-10-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova The Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater has presented an opera "Natavan" by a prominent composer, People's Artist Vasif Adigozalov, Azernews reports. This year marks the 190th anniversary of Xurshidbanu Natavan, great poetess and the daughter of Mehdi Gulu khan, the last ruler of the Karabakh khanate. The opera tells about the life path of a great poetess. The author of the libretto is Nazim Ibrahimov, and the verses are written by Ruzgyar Afandiyeva. At the same time, poems by Khurshidbanu Natavan, Qasimbay Zakir and other members of the Majlisi-Uns literary society were used in the libretto. The opera production was warmly accepted and received thunderous applause from the audience. The main roles in the opera were performed by People's Artist Azar Zeynalov, Honored Artists Jahangir Gurbanov, Tural Aghasiyev, Tayyar Bayramov as well as leading soloists Seljan Nasibli, Taleh Yahyayev Mahir Taghizada, Atash Garayev, Fahmin Ahmadli, Ravan Amiraslanli, and many others. The opera "Natavan" was staged and directed by People's Artist of Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan Firudin Safarov, the director of the performance is Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan Hafiz Guliyev, the production designer - People's Artist Rafiz Ismayilov, choreographer-People's Artist Tamilla Shiraliyeva,choirmaster-Honored Art Worker Sevil Hajiyeva, music director and conductor - People's Artist Yalchin Adigozalov. Khurshidbanu Natavan became popular through her relationship-themed ghazals and rubaiyat. Kindness, friendship, humanism, and love were the main themes of Natavan's ghazals. Her romantic poems express the feelings and sufferings of a woman who was not happy in her family life and who lost her son. She adopted the pen name Natavan, a Persian term meaning "powerless", after her sons tragic death in 1885. Some of her known poems are "To My Son, Abbas", "Lilac", and "Beloved One", which are still used in folk songs. In addition to poetry, Natavan was also engaged in painting. She was exceptionally good at pencil sketching and attractive embroidery as well. Her landscape sketches were the first-of-a-kind in European style in Azerbaijani art, which perfectly combined the concepts of the Western and Oriental art forms. Her embroidery works were regarded as masterpieces. After her father's death, she was closely engaged in philanthropy, promoting the social and cultural development of Karabakh. Even though she took over the Karabakh khanate at the young age of 13, Natavan successfully established her literary career and managed the responsibilities of developing her native city, Shusha. She did a lot for the welfare of people, including building a water pipeline, opening schools, and building hospitals. Prominent for her charity and social activity, Natavan was the first to provide her home city Shusha with drinking water. Among her deeds was a water pipeline that was first laid down in Shusha in 1883, thus solving the water problem of the townsfolk. Moreover, she also did a lot for the development and popularization of the famous breed of Karabakh horses. Karabakh horses from Natavan's stud were known as the best in Azerbaijan. In an international show in Paris in 1867, a Karabakh horse Khan from Natavan's stud received a silver medal. The daughter of the khan was also active in sponsoring one of the first literary societies. She established the first literary society in Shusha and went on to sponsor several more across the country. Majlis-I Uns (Society of Friends) became a renowned poetic circle in Karabakh. Jesus declared in Matthew 25:40-45, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. 44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? 45 He will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. In January 2022, I formed a Community Outreach Team in which we look for opportunities to help those in our community whether they attend First Christian Church or not. These excellent volunteers Gary & Muriel Thompson, Cindy & Steve Stedman, Allan Neal, Alfred & Dorothy Smith, Dan & Mary Witulski, Carol Arpke, Norm & Lois Nicholson, Barb Guenther, Tammy Weichel, Carolyn Barnard, Chad & Laci Kleveland, and Bonnie Hanneman all helped in the following ways: collecting donations, delivering donations, paying utility bills to avoid disconnection, making phone calls to collect information and to provide assistance, delivered a donated mattress & box springs, praying, giving rides, paid to tow a vehicle, purchased and donated 26 dozen eggs to the Beatrice Community Food Pantry, helped get new tires, a new battery, and other car repairs, as well as contributing their own funds. We have helped approximately 10 families and provided over $1,500 in various gift cards to gas stations, Walmart, grocery stores, and fast food restaurants. We made approximately 20 separate trips to the Beatrice Community Food Pantry and picked up and delivered groceries consisting of at least 4 bags for each family, and also made 6 separate trips to grocery stores, Dollar General, or Walmart and purchased and delivered groceries, approximately 40 boxes of baby diapers in various sizes and wipes, and purchased and delivered a child car seat. When we werent able to help, we provided community resources to assist people in meeting their needs such as employment needs, transportation needs, temporary housing needs, and grocery needs such as referring them to The Beatrice Community Food Pantry or The Salvation Army Food pantry, and also Blue Valley Community Action. We are proud to work with all community leaders and community resources to help those in need. All of the donations came from members of the First Christian Church Beatrice and a special THANK YOU to Allan Neal who personally purchased 75% of the diapers and wipes and brought them to the church for families to pick up or for our volunteers to deliver. Id say this was a success! Without the generosity of those who are willing and able to give to the church, we would NOT be able to give back to the community. This is why church is so important. This is why you need to commit to serving the Lord by being in a church family to offer your gifts, abilities, finances, talents, and love which is then paid forward. First Christian Church Beatrice truly cares and makes a commitment to give to those in need whether they are members or not, especially when we have the means and volunteers who are able. Marco Mendicino speaks with reporters on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 21, 2022. (The Canadian Press/ Patrick Doyle) Proposed Handgun Freeze Backed by Limited Data, Public Safety Committee Hears The Liberal governments plan to tighten firearms legislation by putting a freeze on handguns is backed by limited data on the potential impact this measure will have on reducing crime, the Commons public safety committee heard on Oct. 4. I cant tell you exactly what impact it will have, Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Safety Talal Dakalbab told the committee. Dakalbab was responding to a question from Conservative MP Dane Lloyd. I think Canadians would want to know that the department has done a study that the outcomes will lead to enhanced public safety, said Lloyd. Does the department have such a study or analysis that indicates these programs will increase public safety? While indicating no study has been conducted, Dakalbab shared some of the data available to his department regarding the increase in handgun ownership in the country. He said handgun ownership has increased by 50 percent over the past 10 years and his department has seen an increase in the reporting of stolen handguns. Dakalbab said that freezing the transfer of handguns is not only to address gang violence, but also domestic violence and suicides. We do have data about how committing or attempting to commit suicide with a gun increases significantly lethal outcomes. The Liberals seek to address rising gun violence in the country through Bill C-21, which will freeze the transfer of handguns. The bill has passed second reading in the House of Commons in June. As a temporary measure before the bill becomes law, the government imposed an importation ban on handguns in mid-August. Bill C-21 also includes red flag provisions to confiscate firearms from individuals considered a danger to themselves and others and increases penalties for some weapons offences. At the same time the Liberals want to pass Bill C-5 to remove mandatory minimum sentences on some firearms offences to serve as an anti-racism measure to address the overrepresentation of indigenous and black adults in prison. Mendicino Testifies Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino also attended the committee meeting and was asked whether a study had been commissioned on the separate issue of the assault-style firearms federal buyback program. He did not answer the question directly. Youre about to embark on a program that could reach into the billions of dollars. Have you or your department commissioned any studies that demonstrates that this buyback plan is an effective use of taxpayer dollars to enhance public safety? asked Lloyd. Ive spoken with the victims, replied Mendicino before being cut off. Have you commissioned a study that proves this? said Lloyd. Of course were studying the costing very carefully, studying it currently, replied Mendicino, addressing the cost of the program but not its purported effectiveness. Last year, the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated the buyback price tag at over $750 million without administrative costs. Lloyd raised an engagement paper prepared by Mendicinos department in 2018 titled Reducing Violent Crime: A Dialogue on Handguns and Assault Weapons. He quoted a sentence from it which says that In all cases the data does not conclusively demonstrate that these handgun or assault weapon bans have led to reductions in gun violence. The paper cites the examples of handgun policies in Australia and the UK, as well as the U.S. ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004. Some provinces have recently said they would not cooperate with the buyback, which they call confiscation. Alberta announced on Sept. 26 it would not cooperate with the federal buyback program and asked the RCMP in the province to follow suit. Saskatchewan and Manitoba have since joined Alberta, citing that the program targets law-abiding citizens and police resources should be directed at criminals. RCMP Between Two Masters as Ottawa Battles Prairie Provinces on Gun Confiscation The RCMP is caught between Ottawas intention to seize firearms and the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, which contract with the national police force but dont want to use it to have the guns seized. Two years ago, the federal government declared 1,500 previously legal guns illegal, and subsequently announced a buyback program whereby owners would be compensated for an assigned value of their forfeited guns. That program, which involves RCMP officers confiscating firearms, is now in the process of being implemented, but Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro announced on Sept. 26 that the province will not be participating. The Saskatchewan and Manitoba governments followed suit two days later, saying they wouldnt use local policing resources to enforce the initiative. Retired RCMP officer Andrew Brooke says its unclear at this point whether Ottawa or the provincial governments will prevail. The provincial interpretation of the policing contracts now in place with the RCMP and the provinces do not appear to coincide with the position being adopted by Hon. Marco Mendicino, Minister of Public Safety. The stage appears set for a potentially epic battle over the pre-eminence of jurisdiction, Brooke told The Epoch Times by email. Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Todd Korol) Shandro said on Sept. 26 that Alberta pays over $750 million per year for the RCMP and that Article 23 of its Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA) gives Alberta leverage. The article lays out dispute mechanisms should the province disagree with how policing is carried out. However, Carleton University criminology professor Darryl Davies says the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act has traditionally shut provinces out. The PPSAs have never addressed discipline, so thats not included in a contract with the RCMP. And as a result, when RCMP are engaged in, shall we say, dubious use of force, or in situations where they have exceeded their authority, the provinces have been unable to hold them accountable for that, Davies said. All those issues fall under the RCMP Act, so it has always been one of the sore spots for the provinces [which] have no control and accountability over the RCMP. While they provide a police service, the quality of that police service, if its abysmal, if its terrible, cannot be effectively addressed through that contract mechanism. He adds that if the provincial government exercises the PPSA resolution process and still faces firearms confiscation, they would have the option of appealing it to the ombudsman for resolution. If that fails, then they would be better grounded to pursue it in court, Davies says. The RCMP seized guns in High River, Alberta, during flooding in 2013. Residents returned to their homes to discover their guns were missing, and many expressed anger after finding out it was done by the police force. Financial Considerations Alberta has considered creating a provincial police force, which may temper how strongly Ottawa and RCMP National Headquarters insist on enforcing the law. Davies says the RCMP has had a sullied reputation in recent years, but financial considerations have led most provinces to keep the force. A restricted gun licence holder holds a AR-15 at his home in Langley, B.C., on May 1, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Jonathan Hayward) The feds are picking up 70 percent of the cost of policing, so its always been economically advantageous to the provinces to maintain these PPSAs. But the question now is, at what cost? The provinces are responsible for the administration of justice, and thats their constitutional right, Davies said. He notes that it may not be a matter of the Mounties simply enforcing the law. Youll probably find a lot of members within the RCMP that would also support the provinces. Theyll never do it publicly, but privately, will not want to enforce legislation that they know, in the communities in which they live, is going to be incredibly unpopular, Davies said. Former RCMP officer Larry Comeau, who retired after 36 years with the force, says the RCMP finds itself answering to two masters in the provincial-federal feud, but the clash between Ottawa and the citizens the force is called to protect is also in play. Trudeau has said Canadians do not need weapons for self-protection. Trudeau should try telling that to rural residents in Alberta and Saskatchewan who are many miles from an RCMP detachment and can wait lengthy periods for a response to a death threatening emergency. Those in these areas also require weapons to protect their livestock, Comeau wrote by email. The Epoch Times reached out to the Department of Public Safety but didnt hear back by publication time. In remarks to MPs at a House of Commons Public Safety Committee meeting on Oct. 4, Mendicino said hes still focused on working with provinces for the buyback program. Advancing a fair buyback program that will compensate law-abiding gun owners for the assault-style rifles that they originally purchased lawfully is consistent with keeping our community safe, and we will always be collaborative with our provincial and territorial partners, he said. Lack of Resources On Sept. 27, Christine Tell, Saskatchewans minister of corrections, policing, and public safety, wrote a letter to RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore saying that none of the $200 million the province pays the RCMP annually should be used to seize its residents guns. On Sept. 28, Shandro posted to Twitter: Neither the province or Albertas RCMP want police resources taken off the street in order to confiscate firearms. Leland Keane, a former RCMP officer who retired in 2019, told The Epoch Times that a lack of police resources is only one reason the seizure effort cant work. Theyve been running on empty for the last easily 10 to 15 years. They just dont have the people and the logistics to do it. Its an impossible thing. Theyre trying to get water out of a dry well. Its just pure politics, Keane said. (LR) Images of 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, with her mother Jasleen Kaur and her father Jasdeep Singh, and her uncle Amandeep Singh, are displayed at a news conference in Merced, Calif., on Oct. 5, 2022. (Andrew Kuhn/The Merced Sun-Star via AP) Kidnapped California Family, Including Baby, Found Dead SAN FRANCISCOA baby girl, her parents, and uncle who were kidnapped at gunpoint from their central California business two days ago were found dead Wednesday, the sheriff of Merced County said. Our worst fears have been confirmed, Sheriff Vern Warnke told reporters Wednesday night. About 5:30 p.m., a farmworker found the bodies close together in a Merced County orchard in an extremely rural and remote area, he said. The announcement came after authorities released surveillance video of a man kidnapping 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri; her mother Jasleen Kaur, 27; father Jasdeep Singh, 36; and uncle Amandeep Singh, 39, on Monday. An undated image shows a person of interest, where the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene where four members of a family were taken against their will at gunpoint from a business in the city of Merced, Calif., on Oct. 3, 2022. (Merced County Sheriffs Office via AP) Authorities said they were taken by a convicted robber who tried to kill himself a day after the kidnappings. Theres no words right now to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident, Warnke said. I said it earlier: Theres a special place in hell for this guy. Investigators, including crime lab technicians from the California Department of Justice, would be processing the crime scene through the night, Warnke said. He didnt immediately supply other details. Investigators were trying to discover a motive for the slayings, the sheriff said. We have a whole family wiped out and for what? We dont know yet, he said. Relatives had been notified of the deaths, the sheriff said. Were hoping that they can now at least have some kind of closure, Warnke said, adding: Its not the closure we were hoping for; its not the closure they were hoping for. The family members were taken from their business in Merced, a city of 86,000 people about 125 miles southeast of San Francisco in the San Joaquin Valley, Californias agricultural heartland. Relatives of Jesus Salgado, 48, contacted authorities reporting that he had admitted to them he was involved with the kidnapping, Warnke told KFSN-TV on Tuesday. Salgado tried to take his own life before police arrived at a home in nearby Atwater, and he has since been hospitalized. Jesus Salgado in a file photo. (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP) Warnke said Salgado has talked to investigators but he didnt provide details. Efforts to reach Salgados family were unsuccessful Wednesday. The video released earlier Wednesday showed the suspect first walking by the property before talking to one of the men. Later, it shows him leading the men, who had their hands zip-tied behind their backs, into the back seat of Amandeep Singhs pickup truck. The suspect then went back to the trailer that served as the business office and led Kaur, who was carrying her baby in her arms, out and into the truck before the suspect then drove away. Family members said nothing was stolen from the trucking company but that their relatives were all wearing jewelry. Warnke had said that after the kidnappings, an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used in Atwater, about 9 miles north of Merced. Warnke said the kidnapper made no ransom demands. Relatives of the victims had earlier asked anyone who owns a convenience store or gas station in the area to check their surveillance cameras for images of the suspect or the family. They said they were worried the baby wasnt being fed because the family didnt have any baby food with them at the time of the kidnapping. Please help us out, come forward, so my family comes home safe, Sukhdeep Singh, a brother of the victims, said, his voice breaking. Sukhdeep Singh (R) and Balwinder Saini (C) speak about the kidnapping of their family members, 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her mother Jasleen Kaur, her father Jasdeep Singh, and her uncle Amandeep Singh at a news conference in Merced, Calif., on Oct. 5, 2022. (Andrew Kuhn/The Merced Sun-Star via AP) Eight-month-old Aroohi Dheri. (Merced County Sheriffs Office via AP) Salgado was previously convicted of first-degree robbery with the use of a firearm in Merced County, as well as attempted false imprisonment and an attempt to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness. He was sentenced to 11 years in state prison in that case, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He was released from prison in 2015 and discharged from parole three years later. He also has a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the corrections agency said. Investigators have not found a link between Salgado and the family to show they knew each other before the kidnapping. As of right now, we believe it was random, Deputy Alexandra Britton said. We dont have evidence to prove otherwise. Family members told KXTV-TV that the office for Unison Trucking Inc., the familys business, had only opened about a week earlier. My husband is very peaceful and calm person. We dont have any clue why they kidnapped them, said Jaspreet Caur, wife of the kidnapped uncle. The sheriff said detectives believe the kidnapper destroyed unspecified evidence in an attempt to cover his tracks. The sheriffs office said that firefighters on Monday found Amandeep Singhs truck on fire. Merced Police Department officers went to Amandeep Singhs home, where a family member tried to reach him and the couple. When they were not able to reach their family members, they called the Merced County Sheriffs office to report them missing, the office said. Merced County Undersheriff Corey Gibson said a farmer found a phone belonging to one of the victims on a street in Dos Palos, a town 30 miles southwest of Merced, and answered it when the family called it. By Olga R. Rodriguez and Stefanie Dazio Satirical Website The Onion Files Supreme Court Brief Supporting Man Arrested for Police Parody Account American satirical publication The Onion on Monday filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of an Ohio man who is suing his local police department for violating his First Amendment rights by arresting him over a satirical Facebook page. Anthony Novak was arrested in 2016 after he launched a Facebook page that looked almost identical to that of the Parma, Ohio, Police Departments official Facebook page. Novak published six posts on the page in which he parodied the police departments questionable policing, according to his lawyers, including posts regarding the departments heavy-handed tactics. The posts were an obvious parody, his lawyers said, and included one announcement of an official stay inside and catch up with family day to reduce future crimes from taking place in Ohio, during which anyone who was caught outside risked being arrested by police. After just 12 hours, Anthony took down the Facebook page after a police spokesperson told a local TV station that an investigation would likely be launched into the page. Novak was promptly arrested, his home was raided, and he was briefly jailed. He faced a felony charge relating to an Ohio law that prohibits any individual from using a computer, computer system, computer network, telecommunications device, or other electronic device or system or the internet so as to disrupt, interrupt, or impair the functions of any police, fire, educational, commercial, or governmental operations. A jury acquitted Novak at his trial, and he sued the department the following year, arguing the police violated his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights (pdf). But the lawsuit was dismissed after a federal appeals court in May granted the officers qualified immunity, a legal principle that protects state and local officials, including law enforcement officers, from being sued for allegedly violating an individuals constitutional rights. This meant that Novak could not hold them accountable. Novaks lawyers have argued that the First Amendment protects the right of every American to criticize the government and its officials. Serious Satire Last week, Novak appealed the dismissal of his lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court, and The Onion has now weighed in on the matter in support of Novak. In keeping with The Onions satirical style, the 23-page amicus brief (pdf) states that The Onion is the single most powerful and influential organization in human history, offering highly acclaimed, universally revered coverage of breaking national, international, and local news events. The publication also enjoys a daily readership of 4.3 trillion, according to the court document, and provides more than 350,000 full- and part-time journalism jobs in its numerous news bureaus and manual labor camps stationed around the world. Members of its editorial board have served with distinction in an advisory capacity for such nations as China, Syria, Somalia, and the former Soviet Union, the court document states. On top of its journalistic pursuits, The Onion also owns and operates the majority of the worlds transoceanic shipping lanes, stands on the nations leading edge on matters of deforestation and strip mining, and proudly conducts tests on millions of animals daily. According to the court document, the publication filed the brief to protect its continued ability to create fiction that may ultimately merge into reality. Justifiably Concerned The Onions writers also have a self-serving interest in preventing political authorities from imprisoning humorists, it states. This brief is submitted in the interest of at least mitigating their future punishment. While the contents of the amicus brief are delivered in satirical style, The Onions filing is most definitely not a joke. The publication said it became justifiably concerned when it learned that Novaks lawsuit was dismissed and the officers were granted qualified immunity and pointed out that its own business model was threatened by such actions. It noted that The Onion regularly pokes its finger in the eyes of repressive and authoritarian regimes, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic Peoples Republic of North Korea, and domestic presidential administrations. So The Onions professional parodists were less than enthralled to be confronted with a legal ruling that fails to hold government actors accountable for jailing and prosecuting a would-be humorist simply for making fun of them, the company wrote in the court document. The courts decision suggests that parodists are in the clear only if they pop the balloon in advance by warning their audience that their parody is not true. But some forms of comedy dont work unless the comedian is able to tell the joke with a straight face. Parody is the quintessential example. Parodists intentionally inhabit the rhetorical form of their target in order to exaggerate or implode itand by doing so demonstrate the targets illogic or absurdity, they wrote. The publication added in the brief that it cannot stand idly by in the face of a ruling that threatens to disembowel a form of rhetoric that has existed for millennia, that is particularly potent in the realm of political debate, and that, purely incidentally, forms the basis of The Onions writers paychecks. The Epoch Times has contacted The Onion for comment. South Korean businessman and founder of the Korean internet group Naver-Korelya, Hae-Jin Lee, poses for a photo session in Paris, on Oct. 19, 2017. (Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images) South Koreas Naver Acquires US E-Commerce Platform Poshmark for $1.2 Billion South Koreas internet giant Naver said Monday that it will acquire Poshmark, a U.S.-based social commerce platform, for $1.2 billion, including all of its issued and outstanding shares. Naver said that it would acquire each share of Poshmark for $17.90 in cash, a 15 percent premium over Poshmarks Monday closing price. The enterprise value for Poshmark is $1.2 billion. The company aims to capitalize on the $80 billion U.S. e-commerce market, which it estimates will grow by 20 percent annually to $130 billion by 2025, through its acquisition of Poshmark. This transaction provides Naver with an enhanced foothold in the U.S., expanding its international profile, which it has steadily increased both organically and through investments over the past 20 years, it stated. Navers stock fell 7.5 percent on Tuesday after it announced the deal. Investors were skeptical of the acquisitions timing amid the slow economy and the decline of South Koreas currency, which fell 17 percent against the U.S. dollar this year. Manish Chandra, Poshmark founder and CEO, said that his company will benefit from Navers financial resources, technology capabilities, and leading presence across Asia in the long run. Poshmark has over 80 million users in the United States, primarily millennials or generation Z, and generated approximately $2 billion in gross merchandise value last year with a take rate of 20 percent. The company reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss in August, exacerbated by slower e-commerce growth, but efficient marketing spend and advertisement revenue could help profitability, Naver said. The online market changes so quickly, not doing anything can mean losing long-term value, Naver CEO Choi Soo-Yeon said. Naver is the largest portal site in South Korea and has more than 36 million monthly users. The company also acquired North American online literature platform Wattpad for $600 million last year. Reuters contributed to this report. Chiu Kuo-cheng, the Defence Minister, at a press conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on Aug. 2, 2019. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images) Taiwan Expands 1st Strike Definition, Will Retaliate Against CCP Air Incursions Taiwan is expanding its definition of a first strike for the purposes of determining whether to militarily retaliate against Chinese aggression, according to a top defense official. The government of Taiwan now will consider significant incursions into its airspace by Chinese aircraft and drones to constitute a first strike in the same manner as a missile attack, defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told lawmakers on Oct. 5. Chiu said the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) recent aggression necessitated the expanded definition. He added that CCP crossings of the median line, the midpoint of the Taiwan Strait, are an effort to create a new norm for intimidation and harassment. The median line was supposed to be a tacit agreement for everyone, Chiu said. That tacit agreement has been destroyed. The median line was decided upon as a buffer zone by the United States in the 1950s as a means of de-escalating conflict between communist China and Taiwan. Since then, both sides generally have respected the boundary. However, in the past several months, CCP forces under Xi Jinping have initiated an aggressive campaign to normalize a military presence on Taiwans side of the waterway. Taiwan previously held that it wouldnt strike militarily against China unless China struck first. Until now, that meant that CCP forces would need to strike the island with a missile. Chiu said on Oct. 5 that Taiwan would now respond to a broader range of threats. We initially said we do not make the first strike if they havent done the first strike, which means firing a projectile or a missile, he said. But the situation has obviously changed. Of course, we have a red line, he added. We absolutely will respond. Chiu also condemned the CCP for its efforts to unilaterally change the status quo through military force and intimidation and said that the Taiwanese people were prepared to defend themselves. They want to build a new normal, Chiu said. But we will stand firm when they come. We do not give in. Taiwan Will Defend De Facto Independence The CCP claims that Taiwan is a rogue province of China that must be united with the mainland by any means necessary. Its leadership has openly threatened to start a war to ensure that Taiwans independence isnt internationally recognized. Taiwan has been a self-governing democracy since 1949 and has never been controlled by the CCP. Moreover, it boasts a thriving market economy and is the worlds leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors, which are used to build everything from pickup trucks to hypersonic missiles. In August, the CCP used a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a pretext to initiate unprecedented military drills. Those exercises included the firing of ballistic missiles over Taiwan and into the waters of Japans exclusive economic zone. Taiwanese leadership has said that the exercises and the CCPs ongoing military presence are preparation for an invasion of the island. Most Taiwanese reject the suggestion that the island should come under the control of the CCP, and the island has put up a spirited resistance to continued efforts to intimidate it into submission, such as the CCPs campaign of air and sea incursions. To date, CCP forces have largely only made incursions into Taiwans air defense identification zone, in which aircraft are required to identify themselves to Taiwanese authorities. They havent launched a full incursion into the islands airspace. Chius comments indicate that if the CCP pursues such an aggressive course of action, Taiwans military could respond with lethal force up to and including a missile strike against the mainland. A student walks through Krentzman Quadrangle on Northeastern University Campus in Boston, Mass., on Sept. 14, 2022. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) Texas Man Arrested for Alleged Northeastern University Bomb Hoax A Texas man who told police last month that he was injured in a suspected bomb threat at Northeastern University was arrested and charged Tuesday with allegedly staging a hoax explosion and providing false and misleading information about it to authorities, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The alleged hoax occurred when Jason Duhaime, 45, of San Antonio, worked at the university as the new technology manager and director of the Immersive Media Lab. According to charging documents, Duhaime allegedly told 911 operators on Sept. 13 that he was injured by sharp objects that burst out of a plastic case he opened inside the lab that evening. Specifically, it is alleged that Duhaime told the 911 operator that he and a Northeastern student who was working in the Lab had collected several packages from a mail area earlier that evening and brought them into the Lab, the DOJ said in a statement. Among the packages were two Pelican cases, which Duhaime brought into a storage closet inside the Lab. Duhaime allegedly told the 911 operator that when he opened one of the cases inside the closet, very sharp objects flew out of the case and under his shirt sleeves, causing injuries to his arms. The DOJ said Duhaime also allegedly told the 911 there was an anonymous violent note directed at the lab. In response, the university issued an alert to all staff and students to shelter in place amid what they thought was a bomb scare. Students were advised to avoid the Curry Student Center and Snell Quad while the police bomb squad assessed the threat. One of the alerts described an explosion, the DOJ said. The alleged hoax occurred nine days after another package exploded on campus. No Sign of Explosion However, law enforcement allegedly couldnt see signs of a forceful or explosive discharge or any type or magnitude in the case, which was empty and undamaged, the DOJ said, citing newly unsealed court documents. The storage closet where Duhaime had allegedly opened the case also showed no signs of debris, the DOJ said. Duhaime wanted to be the victim but instead victimized his entire community by instilling fear at college campuses in Massachusetts and beyond, said FBI special agent in charge Joseph Bonavolonta on Tuesday. Throughout the course of the investigation, we believe he repeatedly lied to us about what happened inside the lab, faked his injuries, and wrote a rambling letter directed at the lab threatening more violence, he added. Duhaime, who is presumed innocent until proven guilty, has expressly denied fabricating his story about the case, the letter, and his injuries, the DOJ said. Forensic analysis of a computer seized on Sept. 14 allegedly revealed an electronic copy of the letter matching word-for-word the violent note Duhaime allegedly said was directed toward the lab in a backup folder. According to court documents, the metadata associated with this file reflected a Created Date/Time of Sept. 13, 2022, at 2:57 p.m. and a Last Printed Date/Time of Sept. 13, 2022, at 4:02 p.m., the DOJ said. Duhaime, who was arrested on Tuesday morning, will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. A conviction on charges of intentionally conveying false and misleading information related to an explosive device and making materially false statements to a federal law enforcement agent comes with up to five years in prison for each count. The Evolution of Godless Practices: Eugenics, Infanticide, and Transhumanism The very definition of evil in the modern world Commentary There is a straight line that runs from eugenics through infanticide to transhumanism. All three are the devils work in the material world. Let us explore the issue. Good Versus Evil From biblical times to the present, there has been an ongoing battle between good and evil that has been waged. On one side, there are those who believe in a higher power and that mankind was made in the image of God, which is an immutable constant not to be trifled with or corrupted by human beings. Another way of saying that is that people in this camp believe that human nature itself has been immutable and constant through the millennia and that only by looking to God can mankind improve their condition. On the other side are those who deny the existence of God. They believe that mankind is the supreme intelligence in control of human destiny, is malleable and can be shaped through science, and can evolve to a superior form of man through planning and experimentation by natural leaders over time. Therefore, in their view, there are no moral or religious constraints on the practices intended to evolve mankind toward some conceivedand ever-changingvision of the future. Many in the first camp would characterize the ongoing battle as good versus evil. Mankind has been arguing about, defining, and redefining what it means to be good for millennia. The ancients defined good in terms of normal versus different, knowledge versus ignorance, and later right versus wrong in the context of defining laws and justice. Societies and governments were organized around these concepts. People attend the 32nd annual memorial service and prayer vigil to remember the more than 900 victims of the Jonestown massacre in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2010. Cult leader Jim Jones was a Marxist believer and set the original teachings of Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought as the doctrine of the Peoples Temple. (Eric Risberg/AP Photo) The concept of evil has also been defined by many cultures through the ages. The dictionary now defines evil as morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. Most Americans (and most people in general) have an innate understanding of what is evil on a personal level. Some refer to that understanding as a conscience. Even the people in the second camp who believe that mankind is the supreme being may have consciences informed by religion and experience. Governments have been organized to reflect, monitor, and control the cultural norms of the people governed. Logic dictates that those governments would also implement and enforce those cultural norms from a different philosophical framework from each other, partly as shaped by their respective religious philosophies and the various ideologies that have been developed and tested over the centuries, such as monarchical rule, Marxism, fascism, socialism, communism, corporate capitalism, patriarchy, oligarchy, philosopher kings, and so on. Mutable Mankind in Atheistic Societies The totalitarian ideologies that were developed and tested during the 20th century (particularly fascism and communism) denied the existence of God so that the governments that exercised those ideologies would be unconstrained by religious and moral boundaries in their pursuit of developing and grooming their version of modern man in their societies. Examples of those perversions of mankind include the following: Herrenvolk (Nazi Germanys Master Race) The Nazis were obsessed with racial theories that resulted in a pseudoscientific racial classification system in which Aryans (people of German and Nordic descent) were considered to be the master race, at the apex of the human pyramid and destined to rule the world (on Nazi terms, of course). Jews were considered by Nazis to be on the lowest level of the hierarchy. Nazi society was organized around these concepts in order to develop and promote those with the purest Aryan blood at the expense of those with lesser classifications in the hierarchy. For example, German boys were educated, inculcated, and groomed in Nazi principles through the Hitler Youth program. Girls were brainwashed through two parallel programs: Young Girls was an organization for girls aged 10 to 14, while the League of German Girls was for girls aged 14 to 18, with the latter being focused on comradeship, domestic duties, and motherhood. This undated photo shows a roll call, in the early morning or late evening hours, on the roll call square in front of the camp gate of the Nazi concentration camp Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg on the outskirts of Berlin. (AP Photo) Homo Sovieticus (Soviet Man) The Soviet Man was to be the ultimate proof that communism worked and that mankind could evolve for the better (as defined by the communists) without Gods guidance. The Russian communists attempted to shape individual consciousness, character, and social practices in order to get the people to conform to the Marxist view of the perfect citizen. The Soviets experimented with telepathic research, cybernetic simulations, and mass hypnotism over television to control the minds of their citizenry. This was a forerunner of the mass formation psychosis being exploited by the left and globalists these days. Chinese Communist Man The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has controlled education in China for decades to politically indoctrinate students at all levels according to CCP ideology, principles, history, racial theories, and global objectives, and, most importantly, to condition everyone to acquiesce to the CCPs control of all aspects of Chinese society. CCP leader Xi Jinping said in 2019, We need to strengthen political guidance for young people, guide them to voluntarily insist on the Partys leadership, to listen to the Party and follow the Party. And the CCP is leading the world in implementing social controls to monitor all Chinese citizens compliance with CCP directives. Educate, monitor, control, and discipline: the perfect world with perfectly compliant citizens envisioned for all by the Chinese communists. Mankind in Control Theories initiated in the 19th century bore spoiled fruit in the 20th and 21st centuries. Karl Marxs theories (Marxism) begat the Communist Manifesto, whose godless adherents continue to plague the world today. Charles Darwins theory of evolution begat eugenics, which the National Institutes of Healths Genome Research Institute defines as an immoral and pseudoscientific theory that claims it is possible to perfect people and groups through genetics and the scientific laws of inheritance. John Deweys theory of progressive education similarly haunts U.S. public education to this very day. Julian Huxley (18871975) in 1951. Huxley was a fervent advocate of eugenics, the idea of improving humanity by removing undesirables from the racial gene pool. (Baron/Getty Images) Eugenics was and is particularly evil. Its adherents included the Nazis, Americans associated with the Population Society, the Committee on Eugenicswhich studied selective and restrictive human breedingand the American Eugenics Society. Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt even promoted Nazi sympathizer and eugenicist Frederick Osborn to positions in government, including chairman of the Civilian Advisory Committee on Selective Service, chairman of the Army Committee on Welfare and Recreation, and chief of the Morale Branch of the War Department. The Nazis used eugenics to justify the sterilization and, ultimately, elimination of undesirables, including Jews, homosexuals, gypsies, Slavs, and others. Eugenics theories led directly to the Nazi genocide that killed millions in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. Eugenics was also the basis for implementing sterilization laws in the United States in more than 30 states, with some of those laws persisting until the 1980s, according to the NIH Genome Research Institute. More than 60,000 people deemed to be idiots, imbeciles, promiscuous (females), or feebleminded were sterilized in the United States in the 20th century. Eugenics also heavily influenced Margaret Sanger. A eugenicist and racist, Sanger founded the Birth Control League (1921) and its successor, Planned Parenthood (1942). She supported several eugenics initiatives: sterilization of people with mental and physical disabilities, segregation of undesirable criminals (for example, prostitutes, paupers, drug addicts, and the unemployed) into concentration camps, and mandatory birth control training for mothers with serious disease (choice was not part of the equation). Another of Sangers initiatives was the Negro Project, in which predominantly black neighborhoods were targeted for birth control programs. Its purpose was evident, as she later disclosed in a private letter in December 1939: We dont want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. Planned Parenthood was, of course, one of the main organizations behind the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973. The Supreme Court decision claimed that a womans right to an abortion was implicit in the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. As a selling point, its advocates first claimed that abortions should only be performed in rare instancesfor pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, or to save the mothers life. Once the federal government funded Planned Parenthoods abortion clinics, abortion advocates incentivized by federal money pushed the boundaries of acceptable abortions from within the first trimester to eventually the evil practice of partial-birth abortions, in which a child being birthed is halted halfway and killed with scissors to the neck. Thus, simple therapeutic abortions have evolved into infanticidethe barbaric killing of children. It should be noted that Adolf Hitlers Nazis were rightfully accused of committing genocide by killing 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. However, these numbers pale in comparison to the 63 million children aborted in the United States since the passage of Roe v. Wade in 1973. That number includes over 19 million black babies aborted. That is real genocide, the underpinning philosophy of which is evil. Eugenics has become infanticide. Pro-life protesters hold up signs inside the Indiana State Capitol building in Indianapolis, Ind., on July 25, 2022. Indiana became the first state to pass an abortion ban after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images) The newest effort by the godless camp to meddle with the natural course of humanity is the transhumanism movement, which seeks to accelerate human evolution through advanced technologies. It is a segue from eugenics because it aims to enhance the human species through the addition of advanced biological and physical (mechanical, biomechanical) technologies or, as Britannica puts it, to augment or increase human sensory reception, emotive ability, or cognitive capacity as well as radically improve human health and extend human life spans. In short, the goal is to create super-humans who will live forever. Just like eugenics, there is no natural selection involved, but rather a selective implementation by and for those willing to pay the cost (and to be experimented upon). And there is no limit to the experimentation and no ethical constraints on applying the technologies. Concluding Thoughts God versus man. Good versus evil. The eternal struggle. First came eugenics, then came abortion on demand and infanticide, and now there is the new horizon posed by transhumanism. That is the evolution of an evil kind! None of these have moral, ethical, or religious constraintsall are arbitrary, determined by those holding political power. The Biden administration has cleared the decks for transhumanism by signing the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy on Sept. 12. Into the Brave New World we gowith much trepidation! Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Front Lines of the Language Wars Commentary Language is the perfect instrument of empire.Antonio de Nebrija, bishop of Avila, 1492 The bishop was correct, in his time and ours. Spain proceeded to become the most powerful empire in the world over the following century, spreading her mother tongue across the Americasjust as the Roman army had imposed Latin across its sweep, and just as the British Empire would bring English to India and Africa. American dominance in the 20th century similarly meant that English became the default international language of business. English speakers today enjoy the privilege of traveling a world where airport marquees, road signs, restaurant menus, hotel staff, and shopkeepers all cater to us. So we might think the global language wars are over, with English declared the victor and Mandarin Chinese the only future challenger. But now we have to consider whose English will prevail because theres an ongoing battle to influence not only our words, but our very thoughts and actions. Whose English will prevail? The top-down English of academics, politicians, and journalists, of The Associated Press, the Modern Language Association, Merriam-Webster, and the Human Rights Campaign? Or the natural, evolving English of speakers and writers operating without imposed constraints? Thats a tough question to answer because language is more than a tool for communication and cognition. Its also an institution in society, and like all institutions, is subject to corruption and capture by those with political agendas. Since language is the starting point of our entire epistemology and metaphysicsi.e., we process sensory data and thoughts using wordscontrol over language is an obvious prize. We can analogize attempts to impose preferred language with interventionist central planning in a marketplace, while bottom-up evolution involves linguistic entrepreneurs acting in a laissez-faire system. Of language, the analogy is imperfect; language cant be owned, and there are no property rights issues involved. But language certainly can be controlled and steered, whether by officialdom, by politicians, by professors, by celebrities and influencers, or by cultural elites. Deplatforming, canceling, and even criminal hate speech laws are the enforcement tools against wrongspeak, so the language wars arent merely academic. All of this is the subject of my recent paper, which considers the question of top-down imposition versus natural evolution in the context of recent political phenomena such as Brexit, Trump, transgenderism, Black Lives Matter, equity, and social justice. Here are four key concepts to help understand the front lines of the linguistic battlefields: First, words are intentionally stripped of all meaning by overuse and abuse. This is explained in George Orwells famous exposition on meaningless words, which he understood as plain language used in consciously dishonest ways to impose political agendas. Thus, we see words such as fascism, racism, Nazi, and democracy, which all once had common, reasonably understood usages, converted into mindless bludgeons wielded in political combat. Meaningless words elevate the speaker or writer as inherently good and just (us), while placing the targeted recipient into a category of Very Bad Person (them). If words are tools, meaningless words are hammers. Second, words are coded and embedded with meaning beyond their simple agreed-upon definitions. Sometimes, this is crass and despicably obvious, as when the term denier is used to liken climate change skeptics to Holocaust deniers. Sometimes, this is more subtle, as when Hillary Clinton mentions our sacred democracy without explaining how, why, or by whose authority we should hold in religious reverence a political system of mass voting. And sometimes, words such as sustainable or inclusive are used so amorphously as to render them a form of luxury good, like a linguistic Birkin handbag: The identity and status of the user become the meaning. Third, the newly imposed words contain their own admonitions and exhortations. Social justice perverts an individualized, temporal conceptjusticeinto an undefinable and unreachable broad societal goal. Equity distorts the ideal of equal treatment under the law into an unachievable (and actually undesirable) goal of equal outcomes. Systemic racism erases individual moral agency, creating a form of original sin or martyrdom depending on ones race, regardless of ones own beliefs and actions. Only active antiracism can atone for this. Cisgender creates an entirely new category for what was considered the default status up until five minutes ago. The imposed words effectively beg the question on a meta level, pressuring all of us to reconsider reality. Finally, the newly imposed lexicon isnt intended to advance communication and understanding, but rather to browbeat and demoralize. We see this especially in the endlessly fluid world of trans language, where new acronyms and phrases issue forth almost constantly. The early adopters of the new words dont really expect average people to adopt and keep up with all the new terms; theyre used to demand respect for and acquiescence to the new sexual landscape. Those who fumble with the bewildering new rules can be attacked as misgendering or disrespecting trans people. The goal isnt to help ordinary people navigate the sudden rise of trans issues through kindness or acceptance, but rather to impose an entirely new way of thinking about our most basic human biology and identity. Language goes to the core of how we perceive and understand the world, and it naturally changes over time, both through top-down imposition and natural evolution. But when the imposers have an agenda, we should recognize it and understand it. This African writers summary of British colonial influence on Kenya applies equally to todays colonizers attempting to impose their English on all of us: English became a key tool of control for social indoctrination within Kenya. The British government took great steps to ensure that they implanted English as the premier language of the state and to make clear, especially to the native blacks, that English was the be all and end all of society and culture. To do this, the English had to focus this effort into two main branches: education and administration. This restriction on the widespread use of English among the black population led the use of English to be placed in very high regard. It was associated with knowledge and intelligence, allowing those who could speak it to automatically reach higher on the social ladder than those who only spoke African languages. This social reverence of the English language made it easier for the British to impose control on Africans. This reverence translated easily to complacency, because people would easily accept anything to do with English governance due to a high regard for the English language. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Jeff Deist Follow Jeff Deist is president of the Mises Institute. He previously worked as chief of staff to Congressman Ron Paul, and as an attorney for private equity clients. CHICAGOThe mother, Alma, works long hours as a dishwasher to pay for a small apartment in California and to put food on the table. Her daughter, Angel, is a 17-year-old high-schooler who eats poorly, hangs out with bad influences, and believes she knows better than her mother. Alma wants Angel to take the SAT test so she can go to college. But Angel refuses. Alma believes that her daughters intelligence would allow her to become a wonderful veterinarian. But the daughter doesnt want to be a veterinarian; she wants to be an environmental activist. What if I dont do what you say? What are you going to do about it? Angel screams. Are you going to take away the shitty phone I have? She smashes the phone on the floor. These arguments in Almathe world premiere play at American Blues Theater, presented in association with Chicago Latino Theater Alliance as part of the fifth annual Destinos International Latino Theater Festivaloccur between a hard-working Latina mother and her daughter, but it could be about the divide between any mother and daughter of any color, race, or religion. A clash of values has been and still is common in many families. Bryanna Ciera Colon as Angel (lying) is comforted by her mother, Alma, played by Jazmin Corona, in the world premiere of Alma. (Courtesy of ArtWest) Set in a tiny apartment in California that was realistically designed by Tara A. Houston, this one-act drama features excellent performances. As Alma, Jazmin Corona is riveting as she projects a woman who so loves her daughter that she sleeps on a couch in the living room while Angel has her own private bedroom. As Angel, Bryanna Ciera Colon does a terrific job at being a stereotypical teenager, screaming at her mother because Alma crossed the line in entering her bedroom, and then hugging a stuffed animal as she apologizes for yelling. Well directed by Ana Velazquez, Alma is a warm slice-of-life drama that moves with powerful momentum. But it was not enough for playwright Benjamin Benne to pen a gripping story about a generational clash with identifiable family characters; he also grafted politics onto the play. Regrettably, these are superfluous to its poignant arc. Activist Narrative Before Alma even begins, there are projections on the wall of the set that have nothing to do with its tale. Here, we see dates of 1769, 1846, 1916, and 2016. There is no explanation as to the meaning of those dates, but the audience is expected to know that 1769 was the year that Spain colonized Mexico, 1846 was the year that the Mexican-American War began, 1916 was the year that the United States conducted military operations against Poncho Villa, and 2016 was the year of the last U.S. presidential election. These dates in Mexican history are not mentioned in the play. The action of Alma has us riveted with dramatic tension between the two characters. This changes, though, as the play rolls into its final moments. Here, Alma announces that she could be deported to Mexico and would be unable to return to the United States for 10 years, during which time Angel would have to stay with a family friend. Furthermore, to gain our sympathy, the playwright has Alma praising the United States for its abundance of food, with which Angel isnt impressed. That sudden and last-minute revelation doesnt quite ring true. If Alma came to the United States legally, she would not be deported. And if she crossed the border illegally, why would she now be so concerned to follow the law? Todays illegals are not being denied entry, but then again Alma takes place in 2016 during the previous administration, when Americas boundaries were not as porous as they are now. (LR) Bryanna Ciera Colon as Angel goes through teenage growing pains as her mother, Alma, played by Jazmin Corona, tries to advise her in the world premiere of Alma. (ArtWest) Just to make sure that weve gotten the political message of the play, theres a scene which hammers the point home. Thats when the television news focuses on Donald Trump talking about building the best wallto which Alma lets out a horrendous scream. Thats when it becomes obvious that the poignant play is an ill-disguised rant in favor of allowing everyone, including illegal immigrants, to enter America. Its a shame that the playwright had to manipulate the characters and their story to fit in with a political narrative, otherwise Alma could have been a wonderfully heartfelt play that families would appreciate. Alma American Blues Theater Rivendell Theatre, 5779 Ridge Ave., Chicago Tickets: 773-654-3103 or AmericanBluesTheater.com Runs: 1 hour, 25 minutes (no intermission) Closes: Oct. 22, 2022 Courthouse clerks are stepping up their pressure on Yellowstone County to finalize a new labor contract since their last expired in June. The union representing the clerks also has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the county with the states board of personnel appeals. Yellowstone County employees are meeting with union representatives in Billings to conduct a strike assessment, a rare step in contract negotiations, union representative Sam Telling said in a statement. Approximately 130 Yellowstone County Courthouse employees, represented by the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), have worked since July 1 without a contract in place. Negotiations between the county and the union are currently underway with a state mediator. The county has offered significant pay increases to all of the MFPE employees and, in the words of the union, the parties are close on agreement, Jeana Lervick, chief in-house deputy county attorney, said in a statement. The dispute originated with a clerk shortage in the Yellowstone County Sheriffs office last fall. After failing to attract qualified candidates to fill the vacant positions, the county sought to advertise the openings with a higher starting salary. The higher salary was still within the union contract pay range listed for the position. Recognizing that these newly hired clerks would make more than some recently hired clerks working at a lower rate, the sheriffs office also sought to increase the salaries of the recently hired clerks until the county and the union started contract negotiations that coming spring. The sheriffs office needs approval from the union to adjust employee salaries. The union turned down the offer and instead proposed beginning contract negotiations early. In its brief filed with the labor board, the county stated it couldnt begin negotiations with the clerks union earlier than the scheduled spring start because it was already in the midst of contract negotiations with another of its unions. The county then offered to give raises to its 34 lowest paid clerks, both in the sheriffs office and in the courthouse until a new contract was negotiated. The union turned down the offer, according to the countys brief, arguing instead for an earlier start to contract negotiations. In preparation for a county commissioners meeting in January where the raises would be discussed, the countys HR department emailed the salary information and what would be covered at the meeting to union representatives and the employees who would be eligible for the raises. In its unfair labor practices complaint, the MFPE argued that the county is barred from offering wages higher than the low end of a negotiated contract range and thus acted inappropriately. It also argued that the email sent by HR was an attempt to interfere with union activities. Its the countys opinion that both (complaints) are inaccurate, Lervick said. Regardless, the state will decide what the law determines on both and regardless, in my opinion, neither should have any impact whatsoever on negotiations right now. With its complaint to the board of personnel appeals the union is seeking a return to the status quo of posting job listings at the rates agreed to with the union. Its also asking that backpay be paid to union members who were hired at rates lower than the newly hired clerks at the sheriffs office. Finally, the union is seeking that the county stop direct dealing with union members and advertising positions at rates not agreed to by the union. Our county employees work hard for their community and deal directly with the public every day, MFPE President Amanda Curtis said in a statement. Their work is valued by their neighbors and community members and that should be reflected in their wages and by fairly compensating everyone not just the new hires. We are hopeful that mediation will be successful, but if it isnt, then those workers are prepared to stand up for themselves and their families. The unfair labor dispute and the ongoing contract negotiations are separate issues but both have factored into the dispute between the county and the MFPE. Its unfortunate that the two issues have become confused because the countys goal is and has been for nearly a year now to get its employees equitably paid, Lervick said. Right now the delay is preventing that and its not fair to staff. Thieves Break into Carousel School, Steal Van WESTCHESTER, Calif.Thieves stole a van from a special needs school in Westchester, and police Oct. 5 are looking for two suspects who are suspected of stealing the van, damaging another, and stealing thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Security cameras at the Carousel School in Westchester captured two people jumping over a barbed wire fence and breaking into two vans on Oct. 4 night, school officials told KTLA 5. The first suspect climbed over the fence right there. The second one climbed over the fence right there, the schools technology assistant manager, Joe Davis, told KTLA 5. Maria Davis, Executive Director of Carousel Schools, told KTLA 5 the thieves took cellphones, flashlights, and other equipment from the vans. Carousel School has been in Westchester for 45 years and buses more than 70 students to campus daily. The thieves stole one of the vans. School administrators told KTLA 5 it will take an estimated $70,000 to replace the two vans and another $30,000 to replace the stolen items. Please, we really would like to get our things back, so we can be back in business and pick up kids, Maria Davis told KTLA 5. Top Biden Admin Official Provides Update on Sabotage Attack Against Nord Stream Pipelines A top Biden administration official said the United States wasnt involved in the explosions targeting the Russian-owned Nord Stream pipelines last month. John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, told Fox News that the United States had nothing to do with the explosions when asked. Thats just Russian propaganda and disinformation, Kirby said in the Oct. 4 interview. Now, we know it was an act of sabotage, but theres an investigation going on right now. I dont think were going to get into credentialing that in terms of who was responsible. Were going to let the investigators take a look at that. But, clearly, this was an act of sabotage. There has been speculation that the United States may have facilitated the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines because of several public statements made by White House officials. Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the pipeline damage is a tremendous opportunity to once and for all remove the dependence on Russian energy. Again, I cant speak to specific accountability for this act of sabotage, Kirby said. I can just assure you the United States had nothing to do with it, of course. Thats just Russian propaganda. U.S. officials havent determined who was behind the attack, he noted. No group or nation-state has claimed responsibility, while authorities in Nordic countries said the damage was done by explosions. In this picture provided by Swedish Coast Guard, a small release from Nord Stream 2 is seen on Sept. 28, 2022. (Swedish Coast Guard via AP) Just look at what Russia has done in the past since the last seven months of this war and when it began and that is to weaponize energy, Kirby said. The Kremlin has denied accusations that it sabotaged the pipelines, noting that they contained Russian gas. Restoration Possible Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said over the weekend that it was technically possible to restore the ruptured offshore infrastructure of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, TASS news agency reported. A total of four leaks were discovered last week on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea near Denmark and Sweden, with a significant fall in gas pressure leading to the detection of the ruptures. A ship works offshore in the Baltic Sea on the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany on Nov. 11, 2018. (Bernd Wuestneck/dpa via AP) There have never been such incidents. Of course, there are technical possibilities to restore the infrastructure; it takes time and appropriate funds. I am sure that appropriate possibilities will be found, Novak said. Denmarks energy agency said on Oct. 2 that it had been informed by Nord Stream AG that stable pressure had been achieved in Nord Stream 1, once the largest single supply route for Russian gas to Europe, indicating the outflow from the last leaks had halted. Reuters contributed to this report. Then-President Donald Trump comes out of the Oval Office for his departure from the White House in Washington, on Sept. 16, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Says National Archives Should Return Documents After Mar-a-Lago Raid Former President Donald Trump wrote Tuesday the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) should return documents to him amid the Department of Justices (DOJ) investigation into whether the 45th president mishandled classified information. NARA lost a whole hard drive full of HIGHLY SENSITIVE information from the Clinton White House, wrote Trump on Truth Social, referring to previous reports on the subject that said the hard drive went missing in 2009 from NARAs Maryland facility. What else have they lost? How can Americans trust a system like this? DOJ prosecutors say the FBI seized roughly 11,000 documents, including about 100 that were allegedly marked classified or top secret, during a raid targeting Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. That probe was launched, according to the federal agency, after the former president handed over materials to NARA earlier this year before NARA indicated that some of the records were classified. But Trump said that there is no security at NARA, pointing to the CNN report. I want my documents back! he wrote. Its not clear if Trump is referring to the FBI-seized materials, the documents he handed over to NARA this year, or both. An archived news release issued by NARA in July 2009 stated that an external hard drive containing copies of Clinton Administration Executive Office of the President data was lost National Archives facility in College Park, Maryland. Its not clear what was on the hard drive. Court Battle The former presidents comment on social media comes as his lawyers asked the Supreme Court to issue an order that would reverse an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling and ensure that more than 100 documents marked as classified are part of the review of a special master. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court building in Washington on June 1, 2017. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Justice Clarence Thomas gave the DOJ a deadline of 5 p.m. on Oct. 11 to respond. That appointment order is simply not appealable on an interlocutory basis and was never before the Eleventh Circuit. Nonetheless, the Eleventh Circuit granted a stay of the Special Master Order, effectively compromising the integrity of the well-established policy against piecemeal appellate review and ignoring the District Courts broad discretion without justification, Trumps petition said. Last month, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court ruled that DOJ investigators could retain the classified materials and review them as part of their criminal investigation. The court stipulated that the documents belong to the federal government and not Trump. Since the raid Trump has often stated that he declassified a range of materials when he was president. His lawyers have not provided details about those declassification orders in court papers, however. During an interview in September, Trump argued that he had broad declassification powers while he was president. Different people say different things but as I understand it, if youre the president of the United States, you can declassify just by saying its declassified, even by thinking about it, the former president told Fox News. Because youre sending it to Mar-a-Lago or wherever youre sending it. There doesnt have to be a process. There can be a process, but there doesnt have to be, Trump said. Youre the president you make that decision on whether to declassify, he said. Undated photograph of a police officer taking down notes at the scene of a crime in England. (PA) UK Catholic Journalist Arrested Over Allegedly Sending Offensive Messages A gender-critical Catholic mother and journalist has detailed her experience after police arrested her at her home on suspicion of malicious communications offences. Caroline Farrow, a journalist and mother-of-four, wrote a lengthy statement on Twitter about her arrest by Surrey Police at her home in southern England on Monday night while she was cooking a roast chicken. She claims police told her she had written some insulting messages on the internet. Police seized all her electronic devices as potential evidence. Farrow said that the row stems from anonymous posts shared on an internet forum called Kiwi Farms. She said that police showed her a series of posts from the site, but she told them she wasnt responsible for these posts. Farrow told GB News Mark Steyn that she has been arrested for what was a Twitter spat about gender issues and that the allegation was made by a certain person. She told Steyn that she has been released under investigation and that she doesnt know whether she is going to be charged. How it started. No warrant. I opened the door and this guy pushed it open to come in. pic.twitter.com/V1IAEBSh5Z Caroline Farrow (@CF_Farrow) October 4, 2022 Commentary on Social Media A Surrey Police spokesman told The Epoch Times by email that on Oct. 3 officers attended an address in the Guildford area as part of an investigation into allegations of malicious communications (sending of indecent, grossly offensive messages, threats, or information) and harassment. He added that a 48-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of both offences and taken to the station where she was interviewed. He said that she has now been released under investigation and inquiries remain ongoing. Police said that under section 19 of PACE [the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984], they can seize items if an offence is alleged to have been committed on an electronic device, as it may hold a key piece of evidence and may routinely be seized during an investigation. Temporary Detective Chief Inspector David Bentley told The Epoch Times by email that the investigation into these allegations is very much ongoing and the relevant inquiries are being carried out. When we receive an allegation of a crime, in this instance one where a grossly offensive message is said to have been communicated, it is our job to assess it alongside any available evidence to identify if an offence has been committed. If it has, we gather further evidence and carry out an investigation to prove or disprove the allegation. That is exactly the process that is being followed in this case, said Bentley. We have a duty to protect the integrity of an investigation, so we will not be providing a running commentary on this case, he added. Live Police Investigation A spokesman for Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner Lisa Townsend told The Epoch Times by email that she is aware of concerns that have been raised on social media about the arrest of a woman at her home in Surrey yesterday on suspicion of malicious communications offences. Our office has been in contact with Surrey Police today to seek clarification around the circumstances of the investigation and subsequent arrest, he added. The spokesman said that Townsend has previously been clear in her personal views on the debate around sex and gender and the wider debate around the policing of social or political issues. Whilst she understands the concerns that have been raised in this case, it is important to stress this is a live police investigation and whilst that remains ongoing it would not be right to comment further at this stage. That process must be respected and the Commissioner will be taking a keen interest in the outcome, he added. UK Police Chiefs Pledge Officers Will Attend All Home Burglaries Police chiefs in England and Wales have promised that their officers will attend all residential thefts, following the UK governments call for a shift of focus from symbolic gestures to commonsense policing. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) said on Oct. 5 that chief constables will work to ensure the approach is implemented as soon as practically possible. According to the NPCC, while some UK police forces already have a policy of attending all home burglaries, others only attend where it has been established that there are evidential lines of enquiry or where victims are vulnerable or elderly. NPCC Chair Martin Hewitt said more burglaries should be solved if officers visit the scene. Real Crimes It follows interventions by the UKs new Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, who has told police chiefs that they should focus on fighting real crimes rather than making symbolic gestures. The proportion of crimes in England and Wales that end with a charge or court summons has fallen since 2015, reaching 5.6 percent in the year to March 2022, down from 7.1 percent the previous year. Last week, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told the BBC that the proportion of reported burglaries attended by an officer from the force has fallen to 50 percent. Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaking during the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on Oct. 4, 2022. (Jacob King/PA Media) In an open letter dated Sept. 23, Braverman said she expects the police to cut homicide, serious violence, and neighbourhood crime by 20 percent. In her Conservative Party conference speech on Oct. 4, Braverman praised forces which are already promising to visit the scene of every burglary and said, The law-abiding majority expect every force to investigate every neighbourhood crimeand so do I. Get Back to Basics During her campaign to become Conservative Party leader and prime minister, Liz Truss said the police should get back to basics and spend their time investigating real crimesmurder, burglary, and serious violence, not Twitter rows and hurt feelings. According to a recent report by conservative think tank Policy Exchange, British policing has lost its way, as the public believe that the police are more interested in being woke than solving crimes. The report, written by former Metropolitan Police officer David Spencer, said police should avoid behaviour such as taking the knee, which can easily be interpreted by others as an expression of a partisan political view. In August, Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police said that officers have ended up being involved in stuff which is just not a policing matter, and that it is undermining confidence in the forces. In May, the UKs Chief Inspector Andy Cooke said officers should stay away from the different thoughts that people have and focus on serious criminality. Lily Zhou, Owen Evans, and PA Media contributed to this report. Home Secretary Suella Braverman speaking during the Conservative Party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on Oct. 4, 2022. (Jacob King/PA Media) UKs Braverman Pledges Whatever It Takes to Stop Illegal Immigration British Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Tuesday vowed to do whatever it takes to stop illegal immigration across the English Channel. In her first major speech as home secretary, Braverman told the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham that she wants to cut [the] overall numbers of immigration, adding the UK shouldnt be relying wholly on low skilled foreign workers. Invoking her own heritage as a second-generation immigrant, Braverman said her parents embraced British values and integrated into the community, which didnt mean abandoning their heritage. The home secretary said British people are losing sight of the core values and the culture that made it so and have been led astray by a combination of unexamined drive towards multiculturalism as an end in itself and the corrosive aspects of identity politics. Channel Crossings Weve got to stop the boats crossing the Channel, Braver told the conference, referring to small boats carrying illegal immigrants who enter Britain by clandestinely crossing the English Channel from France. According to Home Office figures, the number of people smuggled into the UK in small boats has soared in recent years, with 28,526 people detected in 2021, compared to 8,466 in 2020, 1,843 in 2019, and 299 in 2018. By the end of September, some 32,807 people had made the perilous journey this year. A group of illegal immigrants are brought in to Dover, England, by the RNLI, on Aug. 25, 2022. (Gareth Fuller/PA Media) Braverman said there are no quick fixes to the chronic problem, pledging her total and undeniable and unfettered and unconditional commitment to doing whatever it takes to tackle the issue. The home secretary said she would work with the French to ramp up actions on the French coastline and against people-smuggling gangs; find a way to make the Rwanda scheme work; get asylum seekers out of hotels, which she said costs 5 million a day; and take back control of the UKs immigration policy from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). People who deliberately enter the United Kingdom illegally from a safe country should be swiftly returned to their home country or relocated to Rwanda, she said. Bravermans predecessor Priti Patel signed a deal with Rwanda in April, allowing the UK to send illegal immigrants, including those who seek asylum, on a one-way flight to the African country. But her first attempt to relocate people to Rwanda was frustrated by the ECHR in Strasbourg, which issued a last-minute injunction to ground the flighta decision Patel said was made in an opaque way and was politically motivated. Braverman praised Patel and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson for making the groundbreaking deal, saying the UK needs to take back control from the Strasbourg court. She also said the UKs modern slavery laws are being abused by people gaming the system, citing a 450 percent increase in modern slavery claims since 2014many of which she said are liesand anecdotes of foreign sex offenders blocking their removal by making modern slavery claims. Braverman vowed to seek to introduce new legislation, saying, UK policy on illegal migration should not be derailed by abuse of our modern slavery laws, Labours Human Rights Act, or orders of the Strasbourg Court, and pledged to double down on enforcement. Legal Immigration Braverman also said she wants Britain to cut overall numbers in immigration, in an apparent departure from the previous governments policy. It comes after speculation that the government may loosen immigration rules for skilled immigrant workers to plug shortages in the labour market. Braverman said theres absolutely no reason why we cant train up enough of our own HGV drivers, or butchers, or fruit pickers, adding, The way we build a high-skilled, high-wage economy is by encouraging business to invest in capital and domestic labour, not relying wholly on low skilled foreign workers. Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent, England, on Dec. 18, 2021. (Gareth Fuller/PA) Earlier on Tuesday, Braverman said at a fringe event of the Conservative Party conference that it was her ultimate aspiration to fulfill the pledges of the Conservative governments under former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron and reduce the number of net immigration to tens of thousands. Im not going to commit to a number. I think we have got to definitely substantially reduce the number of students, the number of work visas, and in particular the number of dependents on those sorts of visas, she said. Ditching the previous Conservative governments pledge to reduce immigration from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands, Johnson campaigned on an Australian-style points-based immigration system in 2019. Under the policy his government introduced, EU citizens could no longer move to the UK without visas from Jan. 1, 2021, but there was a liberalisation of immigration policies for skilled non-EU workers. A record-high number of visas were granted in the year ending June 2022, but the size of post-Brexit net immigration is unknown, owing to an interruption of survey data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Office for National Statisticss (ONSs) ongoing process of changing its estimation methods. The latest ONS estimate said net immigration in the year ending June 2021 was around 239,000, slightly down from the year ending June 2020 (260,000), but these estimates were based on experimental methods and are subject to uncertainty. In her main speech, which ended in a standing ovation, Braverman said its the highest duties of [the] state to keep British people safe and secure borders. She pledged to tackle violent crime, voicing her support for the police while telling the forces to get back to common-sense policing instead of pandering to identity politics. Studies paint concerning chain of evidence suggesting COVID- and vaccine-produced spike proteins can affect brain health The list of complications, conditions, and diseases resulting from the COVID shots is nearly endless and can affect any organ system in the body. Pfizer knew. Heres their document. Look at the last 8 pages, which lists more than 1100 serious side effects and life-threatening illnesses Pfizer knew would happen from the first shot. We posted an article on The Tenpenny Reports about it: They All Knew. Neurologic Injury This study published by Philip Oldfield in January 2022, is eye-opening. Here is the abstract, edited lightly for clarity: This mini-review focuses on the mechanisms of how SARS-CoV-2 affects the brain, with an emphasis on the role of the spike protein in patients with neurological symptoms. Following infection, patients with a history of neurological complications may be at a higher risk of developing long-term neurological conditions associated with the alpha-synuclein prion, such as Parkinsons disease and Lewy body dementia. Compelling evidence has been published to indicate that the spike protein, which is derived from SARS-CoV-2 and generated from the vaccines, is not only able to cross the bloodbrain barrier but may cause inflammation and/or blood clots in the brain. Consequently, should vaccine-induced expression of spike proteins not be limited to the site of injection and draining lymph nodes there is the potential of long-term implications following inoculation [vaccination] that may be identical to neurological complications seen in patients who were infected with SARS-CoV-2. It is important to mention, we now know the spike proteins do not remain localized in the arm. Lets drill down on this article, starting with some definitions: Alpha-Synuclein: These are the major component of Lewy bodies, which are characteristic of Parkinsons disease and Lewy body dementia. There is much speculation on what the primary function of alpha-synuclein may be under healthy conditions. However, the accumulation of this protein when it has folded abnormally seems to be central to neurodegeneration. Since the culprit of chronic illness has been widely described as being the spike protein, a 2021 study of monkeys provided compelling evidence that the spike protein associated with SARS-CoV2 is responsible for Lewy body formation. Parkinsons disease: A long-term degenerative disease of the central nervous system, affecting the motor system. The most obvious early signs are resting tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking. Lewy body dementia: This type of dementia is associated with difficulty thinking, slowed movement along with changes in behavior and mood. Lewy body dementia is one of the most common causes of dementia, affecting more than 1 million individuals in the United States and millions more around the world. Both Parkinsons disease and Lewy body dementia are characterized by groups of misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins in brain. The two diseases together are the second most common cause of neurodegenerative dementia, only surpassed by Alzheimers disease. The Oldfield article goes on to say: many of the serious neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19 are due to hypoxia, cytokine storms, and blood clots, all of which contribute to damaging neurons in the brain. Some of the symptoms of brain injury include loss of smell and taste (anosmia), severe headaches, debilitating fatigue, trouble thinking clearly (brain fog), seizures, strokes, and various degrees of paralysis. We know that these symptoms can be attributed to the spike protein, which can enter the brain by two primary entryways: Through the Vasculature: All of the blood vessels in the brain have ACE2 receptors. The spike protein binds to this receptor, which essentially opens the door and allows the spike protein to enter. Once inside the cell, the spike proteins promote and contribute to micro-thrombi, leading to small and large blood clots. By directly damaging the blood brain barrier: The bloodbrain barrier (BBB) is part of the microvasculature of the central nervous system. The tight junctions in these specialized blood vessels control what is allowed to pass from the general circulation into the brain. The BBB protects the central nervous system from toxins, pathogens, and other pro-inflammatory molecules. Spike proteins tested in vitro caused significant changes to the properties of the BBB with loss of barrier integrity. When the BBB is destabilized, the spike proteinand many other destructive substancescan freely pass into the brain, leading to the neurological complications seen in both those who have experienced the infection and those who have received a COVID vaccine. A separate mouse study showed that spike (S1) proteins tagged with iodine (I-S1) crossed the BBB very quickly. In fact, more than 50 percent of I-S1 proteins crossed the capillary wall and entered into the brain and interstitial fluid spaces within 30 minutes of the IV injection. The spike protein was taken up by all 11 areas of the brain that were tested, which could explain the wide variety of different neurological symptoms that are observed clinically. This article, Circulating SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Antigen Detected in the Plasma of mRNA-1273 Vaccine Recipients clearly lays out the ramification of the COVID shots on brain tissue: These data show that S1 antigen production after the initial vaccination can be detected by day one and is present beyond the site of injection site and the associated regional lymph nodes. It was observed that the spike protein S1 subunit was detectable in the systemic circulation up to approximately two weeks post-injection in eleven out of thirteen healthcare workers. Although concentration of the S1 subunit was low, this study provides proof-of-principle that spike proteins can get into circulation following inoculation. Can it be any clearer that the pathology observed after a COVID injection is from the spike proteins produced by the mRNA, gene-modification technology that came through that needle? Will those who had the shots and experienced now immediate side effects be at greater risk of Parkinsons disease or Lewy body dementia in 10 or 20 years? Is brain dysfunction already starting to appear? Although it seems weve been talking about this pandemic and its shots forever, the Pfizer and Moderna shots were unleashed on the world December 2020; the J&J and AstraZenca shots were released in February 2021. In reality, its been less than two years. We are in the middle of a great experiment, and the final results will not be known for many years. Additional articles reviewed (not in any particular order) The BloodBrain Barrier https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4292164/ SARS-CoV-2 causes brain inflammation and induces Lewy body formation in macaques https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.23.432474v2.abstract The SARS-CoV2 spike protein alters the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7547916/ Neurological Complications Associated with the Blood-Brain Barrier Damage Induced by the Inflammatory Response During SARS-CoV-2 Infection https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7518400/ Dr. Sherri Tenpenny is a board-certified osteopathic medical doctor. She is the founder of Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center, Tenpenny Health Restoration Center, LLC, medical clinics located near Cleveland, Ohio and several online educational businesses that can be found at DrTenpenny.com She writes two Substacks per week. The first, EyeOnTheEvidence are educational pieces to help the general public understand complex medical concepts. The second, released on Sundays, are inspiration pieces OnWalkingWithGod . US Coal Prices Top $200 as Worlds Energy Desperation Intensifies Ahead of Winter U.S. coal prices soared past $200 per ton last week, according to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Spot Central Appalachia coal prices climbed to $204.95 per ton for the week ended Sept. 30, up more than 3 percent from the previous week. Thats the highest price since 2005. Newcastle coal futures, the benchmark for Asia, touched a record high of nearly $450 per ton, before easing to around $400. Domestic coal production has been holding steady. EIA numbers show that U.S. coal output totaled 12.1 million short tons, up 1.9 percent year over year. In addition, year-to-date coal production totaled nearly 438 million short tons, up close to 4 percent from the same time a year ago. (A short ton, or just ton in the United States, equals 2,000 pounds. A long ton, used in the UK, is 2,240 pounds.) In 2021, coal represented more than one-fifth (22 percent) of U.S. electricity generation, behind natural gas (38.3 percent). By comparison, wind and solar accounted for just 9.2 percent and 2.8 percent, respectively, last year. But the fuel source has been surging on strengthening global demand, particularly as the Northern Hemisphere braces for cold and snowy weather. Global Energy Demand Crunch S&P Global data note that total spot transaction volumes rose 22 percent in the third quarter, up from the AprilJune period. In July, the International Energy Agency (IEA) projected in a market update that worldwide coal consumption would return to all-time highs in 2022. A man walks in in New Yorks Times Square during a winter storm, on Jan. 4, 2018. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon) Global coal demand is being propped up this year by rising natural gas prices, which have intensified gas-to-coal switching in many countries, as well as economic growth in India. Those factors are being partly offset by slowing economic growth in China and by the inability of some major coal producers to ramp up production, the IEA stated in its report. Indeed, Chinese coal imports slumped about 15 percent year over year in August. Beijings zero-COVID strategy has resulted in lockdowns in multiple pockets of the country, which has weakened economic growth and applied pressure on demand for a broad array of commodities, from soybeans to crude oil to coal. However, thats been offset by robust European demand. In the first half of the year, coal was Germanys largest source of energy production, representing almost 30 percent, according to confirmed data from the Institute for Energy Research (IER). Thats a result of the European Unions (EU) ban on Russian coal imports, forcing eurozone members to search for alternative sources. Moscow had provided approximately 70 percent of the EUs thermal coal prior to the restrictions. In the first seven months of 2022, Australia exported 2.9 million metric tons of coal to Europe, up 73 percent from all of 2021. European seaborne thermal coal demand is also forecast to increase 14 percent, or 12 million metric tons, in 2022. With many European nations increasing thermal coal use, an additional nine gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity has been made available to meet energy demands and make up for the decline in Russian energy imports. Coal prices are surging, but they are still more affordable than record-high gas prices, Adam Woods, Wood Mackenzies senior research analyst, wrote in a recent research note. It isnt only European households that have been struggling. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association warned that more than 20 million U.S. households are behind on their utility bills. The organization estimates that the average cost of home heating during the winter season will rise more than 17 percent, to $1,202, the highest in a decade (pdf). Electricity costs surged close to 16 percent on an annualized basis in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The situation could intensify, as coal-producing firms have been running at near maximum capacity without the infrastructure to boost output. Moreover, supply-chain snafus could prevent companies from even expanding production capabilities, experts say. The growing energy crisis created originally by the underperformance of renewable energy was exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, resulting in Russias closure of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline due to sanctions imposed by the West, the IER noted last week. But the high prices are caused by energy shortages, and Europe is looking for enough energy supplies to get through the winter. According to Fitch Solutions, coal prices are expected to fall next year and in 2024. While businesses and households are feeling financial pain, coal stocks are climbing on price growth. Peabody Energy, for example, shares jumped more than 3 percent on Oct. 5, to above $27, lifting its year-to-date gain to nearly 139 percent. Arch Resources rose roughly 2 percent, to $138 midweek, bringing its year-to-date increase to more than 50 percent. US Court Agrees to Speed Up Biden Administration Appeal of Trump Special Master Order A U.S. appeals court on Oct. 5 granted the U.S. governments request to speed up consideration of the governments appeal of the order that inserted a special master, or an independent third party, into former President Donald Trumps records case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit granted the request, ordering the government to file an initial brief by Oct. 15, Trump to respond by Nov. 11, and the government to reply to Trumps response by Nov. 18. Before the change, the three dates were Oct. 20, Nov. 19, and Dec. 10. Expediting the process would serve judicial efficiency because a ruling in the governments favor may render further proceedings before the special master and the district court unnecessary, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers said in their brief. Without a quick ruling, the lawyers warned of prolonged litigation. Trump opposed the request, arguing it violated federal rules, which give appellees 30 days to respond to principal briefs. The government has not shown why Trump should have less time than that provided under the Rules to prepare and brief his arguments before this Court in this unprecedented case, they said. The appeals court order granting the DOJ request did not include a rationale for the decision. U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan, an Obama appointee, granted the motion. Oral argument has not been scheduled. Jordan said that he consulted with Chief Judge William Pryor Jr., a George W. Bush appointee, on oral arguments, and a special panel will decide when and how to hear oral argument. The DOJ wants oral argument to happen quickly, perhaps even before all the briefs are released. Trumps lawyers are pushing for the oral argument to happen after all the briefs are presented. President Trump believes setting oral argument in January 2023 or later is appropriate, the lawyers said in a recent filing. Former President Donald Trump gets ready to speak during a Save America rally in Warren, Mich., on Oct. 1, 2022. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images) Background DOJ officials allege U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, improperly inserted a special master into the case and improperly blocked government officials from using records with classified markings that were seized from Trumps home in August by FBI agents. The officials argue the court did not have jurisdiction to enter such an order. A panel of 11th Circuit judges agreed on the second point, and in September stayed part of Cannons order. That stay pends the outcome of the appeal. As the appeal is being weighed, U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie, the Reagan appointee who is serving as special master, is getting ready to review the more than 11,000 documents not marked classified that were seized from Trumps home. One of the reasons the government wants to speed the appeal up is to prevent Dearie from continuing his work. If this Court agrees that the district court lacked jurisdiction, further proceedings before the special master and district court would end, DOJ lawyers said in their motion. Alternatively, if this Court upholds the district courts exercise of jurisdiction but concludes that Plaintiff cannot assert executive privilege against the Executive Branch in these circumstances, as the government maintains, such a ruling would substantially narrow the special master proceedings. The government has said a special master isnt necessary because its filter team sifted out materials that are potentially protected by privilege before case agents entered Mar-a-Lago, even though there have been at least two breaches of the protocol. Trump and his lawyers say the special master is needed to protect the former presidents interests and to make sure privilege is properly applied. Charif Souki, CEO of Tellurian, speaks at a news conference at the CERAWeek Conference by S&P Global in Houston on March 9, 2022. (Nathan Frandino/Reuters) US Gas at $4$5 Is a Thing of the Past, Says Tellurian Chairman LONDONThe chairman of liquefied natural gas (LNG) company Tellurian Inc., Charif Souki, on Tuesday said that cheap U.S. gas is a thing of the past and the only solution for Europes energy crisis is to invest in U.S. gas infrastructure. Getting (U.S.) gas in the water for $4$5 is something of the past; if you really want to justify an investment you have to think of $10$12, Souki told the Energy Intelligence Forum in London. Souki said investment in U.S. LNG projects could be Europes one option to solve the energy crisis sparked by Ukraines war, with Russian gas supplies to Europe having plunged since the start of the war. Europe will be spending $500 billion to $600 billion in subsidies for their consumers. For a fraction of that price, you could secure long term gas reserves from the [United] States, he said. There are $100 billion of liquefaction projects in the United [States] that are permitted but have not been able to obtain financing You have to make investments if you want to control the resource. The United States has been the biggest supplier of the seaborne fuel to Europe this year, with U.S. cargoes representing more than 70 percent of Europes JanSept LNG imports. By Marwa Rashad As the truck-driver shortage continues to stall shipping across the country, new options to learn the trade are rolling into Billings. The 160 Driving Academy cut the ribbon on their Billings branch Tuesday launching the latest iteration of a national truck driving training chain. The nationwide commercial driving school certified and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Entry Level Driver Training Program, the academy operates 130 schools across 43 states and recently opened in Billings within the last year to expand its operations and help create jobs for local under-trained workers. They felt that we needed a unified, standardized program to train new truckers, Branch Manager Edmond Kirby said of the academy. As far as local companies are concerned, they are in desperate need. As its name implies, 160 Driving Academy is 160-hour program spanning four weeks, where students can earn a Class A Certified Drivers License (CDL) to operate heavy machinery like semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, tanker vehicles and livestock beds. A Class A license also allows drivers to operate certain Class B and Class C vehicles if they possess the correct endorsements. Billings-area residents could previously receive CDL training at SAGE Truck Driving School and Legacy Truck Driving Academy in town while community colleges throughout Montana offer their own programs, but the industry as a whole has struggled to keep pace with the need for drivers for years. The Montana Department of Labor Industry reported both new and existing job openings in the states transportation material moving industry steadily increasing from February 2020 with a peak of 26,000 job openings in May 2022. Over this period, supply-chain shortages and vaccine mandates affecting cross-border travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic compounded previous issues across the industry of older drivers retiring and a lack of interest from the in-coming workforce to replace them. Montana Trucking Association Board Member and Weave Companies Quarry Services General Manager Sam Buchanan added that, due to this shortage of qualified workers, local trucking businesses have found themselves competing with larger companies for drivers. Its a pretty nomadic workforce, he said. With competing pay and flexible work schedules offered by other companies, it can be hard to hang on to workers. The workforce trends may be shifting, however, since peaking last May, Montanas trucking job listings have started to drop with 22,000 available jobs reported at the start of October. Since opening, Kirby says the Billings academy has steadily increased their enrollees after an initial slow start, and is now averaging between six and eight students per month. He said recent public outreach, competitive training offers and highlighting the current labor shortage have helped to increased enrollment in recent months. They see the need, they see the opportunity, Branch Manager Edmond Kirby said of the incoming recruits. Theyre seeing that these are well-paying jobs and, really, four weeks isnt that long to earn your CDL. The cost to attend a CDL training program ranges from $3,000 to $5,080 depending on the state and qualification while the average annual wage for a heavy trucking job was calculated at approximately $41,000 by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry in 2021. The Billings MET Transit department has also taken steps over the past year to address their own need for city bus drivers. Last fall, they began a training program that allowed new entry-level recruits the chance to earn a Class B CDL for straight trucks, most types of buses and dump trucks. MET Transit Manager Rusty Logan says these recent efforts to offer training have been a success. The program typically takes five to six weeks to complete, but it also provides an alternative for applicants to learn on the job rather than pay for training at a school. Before the program, the city was down as many as eight drivers, which led to scheduling issues. There are currently only two shortages and four recruits are currently enrolled in the program. After holding driving tests in the parking lot of Amend Park for the first year, Billings MET Transit is due to finish development on a dedicated training lot by the end of the month. Logan added that their program has also produced new workers opting to stay long-term versus hiring previously licensed drivers who oftentimes leave for other job opportunities. He said the workers coming through the program are often municipal workers with experience working in the community. Weve had a lot of success with training rather than recruiting, Logan said. A lot of the people coming through (the program) are already working with clientele, so weve been focusing on keeping things in-house. The 5th and 8th Air Wing of Japan Air Self-Defense Force's F-15 and F-2 fighters hold a joint military drill with U.S. Marine Aircraft Group 12's F-35B fighters off Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu in this handout picture released Oct. 4, 2022. (Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/Reuters) US, Japan Hold Joint Military Drills in Response to North Korean Missile Launch The United States and Japan deployed fighter jets for joint exercises on Oct. 4 in response to North Koreas test-firing of a ballistic missile over Japan. The drills were held in airspace west of Japans Kyushu region, involving eight Japanese fighter jets and four U.S. fighter jets, according to Japans Joint Staff. Japans Joint Staff said in a statement (pdf) that the security situation surrounding Japan has become increasingly severe, citing North Koreas test-firing of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan early on Oct. 4. The drills will confirm the Japanese and U.S. forces readiness, demonstrate the strong determination of Japan and the United States to deal with any situation, and further strengthen the deterrence of the JapanU.S. alliance, the statement reads. Gen. Koji Yamazaki, chief of Japans Joint Staff, met with U.S. IndoPacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino in Tokyo on Oct. 4 to discuss concrete initiatives for U.S.Japan collaboration to ensure stability in the region. U.S. forces also conducted a bilateral exercise with the South Korean military on the same day. Following the DPRKs ballistic missile launch over Japan Oct. 4 (KST), #USINDOPACOM & ROK personnel conducted a bilateral exercise over the #WestSea on Oct. 4 to showcase combined deterrent & dynamic strike capabilities while demonstrating our nations bilateral interoperability. pic.twitter.com/LLpE8olzZw U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) October 5, 2022 North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan on Oct. 4 for the first time in five years, prompting Japans government to issue an emergency alert that warned people in several regions to take shelter. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile flew 4,600 kilometers (2,858 miles) at an altitude of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), the longest-range missile that North Korea has launched so far, Kyodo News reported. Kishida Holds Talks with Biden Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke by telephone with President Joe Biden after the missile launch, and condemned North Koreas missile test in the strongest terms for destabilizing the region. The White House stated that both sides recognized the launch as a danger to the Japanese people, destabilizing to the region, and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The leaders agreed to closely coordinate their immediate and longer-term response bilaterally, trilaterally with [South Korea], and with the international community, it stated. South Korea and the U.S. military fired four short-range missiles into the sea off the countrys east coast on Oct. 5 to showcase their combined deterrent and dynamic strike capabilities amid North Koreas ongoing provocations. Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, referring to South Koreas official name. A surface-to-surface missile is fired into the sea off the east coast in this handout picture provided by the Defense Ministry, South Korea, on Oct. 5, 2022. (South Korean Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters) US, South Korea Test Fire Missiles in Response to North Koreas Actions South Korea, and the United States, fired four short-range missiles into the sea off the countrys east coast on Wednesday morning local time in response to North Korea sending a ballistic missile over Japan and into the Pacific Ocean the day before, officials in Seoul said. Following North Koreas actions on Tuesday, which are seen as provocations, South Koreas First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong spoke with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts that evening to discuss a joint response. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori noted that North Koreas repeated missile launches are a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and are a threat to the region and international community, according to Seoul. Pyongyangs latest long-range test, the first of its kind since 2017, drew international condemnation. Amid reports of a suspected missile launch, the Japanese government on Tuesday alerted citizens in the Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures to shelter in sturdy buildings and underground. Officials in South Korea and Japan later confirmed that North Korea had test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile farther than it had before. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly condemned North Koreas actions, calling them outrageous and a threat to the security of Japan and the international community. U.S. President Joe Biden also condemned the test in the strongest terms, and the European Union called it a reckless and deliberately provocative action. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed the EU, calling it a reckless act and a violation of Security Council resolutions. It is also of serious concern that the DPRK has again disregarded any consideration for international flight or maritime safety, he said in a statement. In response to the communist regimes actions, South Korean and American troops staged their own missile drill, firing a pair of U.S.-made ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles, Reuters reported. The military separately confirmed that a South Korean Hyunmoo-2 missile failed shortly after launch and crashed, but caused no casualties. The United States asked the U.N. Security Council to meet on North Korea on Wednesday, but diplomats said China and Russia are opposed to a public discussion by the 15-member body. US, South Korea, Japan to Cooperate on Countermeasures The vice ministers of the United States, Japan, and South Korea agreed on Tuesday to work together to mitigate future North Korean threats, Seoul said on Wednesday. They plan to meet in Tokyo this month to continue discussions about responding to North Korea at a Korea-U.S.-Japan Vice Foreign Ministers Council meeting. [T]he three vice ministers evaluated that the three countries are closely communicating with each other at the bilateral and trilateral levels, including foreign ministers and vice ministers, and the chief representative for North Korean nuclear weapons, regarding North Koreas recent missile launch, and the U.N. Security Council response, Seoul said. In a separate call with the United States and South Korea, the two vice foreign ministers decided to respond strongly to North Korea. South Korean lawmakers believe North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test either on Oct. 16 or 17, ahead of the November U.S. midterm elections and at the time of the Chinese regimes party congress, which is scheduled for Oct. 16. In July, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that China deters North Korea from participating in denuclearization efforts pursued by the U.S. government because Beijing benefits from Chairman Kim [Jong Un] continuing to hold his nuclear weapons. Pompeo, who was speaking at the Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul, said he believes Chinese leader Xi Jinping uses Kim as a puppet. The Chinese regime, he said, uses Pyongyang as an important buffer state, causing Washington to spend energy defending East Asia against North Koreas nuclear weapons systems. US Taxpayers Unknowingly Fund Grooming and Pedophilia Commentary Taxpayer dollars are being used to fund agencies that are grooming schoolchildren. As a public school teacher and former school board member in Orange County, California, I have discovered things about government grants through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDCs) Division of Adolescent and School Health that I never would have believed unless I had seen them with my own eyes. One organization that HHS funds is Healthy Teen Network (HTN), which is used by many school districts as a resource for sexual health. Bob Reeg, a program development and public policy consultant with HTN who has advocated for comprehensive sex education for children and youth before Congress and the executive branch, wrote an article in May 2020 titled What Pandemics Can Teach Us About Food and Eating, and Sexual Activity, Too. In the article, Reeg compares a persons need for food to a persons need for sex, saying both are vital for survival. He says that just like everyone has the right to eat, everyone has the right to sexual activity. Reeg seems to suggest that age is irrelevant, and according to his logic of comparison, sexual abstinence would be equal to death by starvation. During the COVID-19 lockdown, HTN put out the article 5 Tips for Your Sexual Health During Covid-19, which provided a link giving kids 54 ideas on how to sext. HTN also says porn consumption serves an important positive space for sexual exploration, especially for youth of diverse sexual identities, and thus schools should (based on research, of course) teach youth to read and unpack porn using media literacy skills. Coincidentally, sharing sexually explicit material is a typical grooming behavior. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who authored the states new sex education requirements (AB 329) that include teaching ever-evolving gender identities and expansive sexual orientations in grades 712, was granted Healthy Teen Networks Spirit of Service Award in 2018. Governing agencies (CDC) also fund the organization Advocates for Youth (AFY), which co-authored the National Sex Education Standards (pdf) that many school districts use nationwide. In AFYs 2018 version (pdf), on the topic of sexual consent, it states that consent is a fundamental right for people of all ages (p. 7, [K-12]). Its 2020 version states that schools are to affirm expansive and fluid sexual identities (p. 63). YMSMyoung men (ages 1319) who have sex with men (18 and older)is one of those identities, according to AFY. The CDC has endorsed a project targeting YMSM with a school-centered approach to increase HIV and sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment among boys who have sex with adult men, to address health disparities. AFY takes an all-inclusive approach to sexual identities, which leaves the door wide open to pedophilia. It says: Sexual orientations include, but are not limited to: asexual, bisexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, pansexual, [and] queer (p. 63, 65). Queer is an umbrella term for nonconforming fluid identities. The CDC says kids can make up their own genders. The term nonbinary, which is on many school registration forms, is defined, in part, by the CDC as gender creative, meaning students can create their own gender(s). If youre wondering how this relates to pedophilia, allow me to introduce you to the founder of gender identity: John William Money. His philosophy was that nurture overrode biology, thus gender was neutral and could be determined by environment and guided exploration. According to many documented patient testimonials in John Colapintos book As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl, Moneys therapeutic practice was to facilitate childrens gender exploration by showing them pornography as young as age 6, have them examine their genitalia, and practice various sexual positions with enforced play of copulation. Similarly, the sex-ed standards from AFY also promote sexual exploration in order to know ones gender identity. It states that students decide their identities through experiential learning cycles in which they learn by doing (p.58). These lived experiences, or collection of events, become the students firsthand validation of their identities (p. 61). The difference between Moneys theory and AFYs standards is that Money limited gender identity to male or female, whereas today, gender identity has unlimited possibilities. Money, who had a doctorate in psychology from Harvard, publicly endorsed pedophilia. In an April 1980 issue of Time magazine, he is quoted as saying, A childhood sexual experience, such as being the partner of a relative or of an older person, need not necessarily affect the child adversely. In an interview with the Dutch journal Paidika cited in Colapintos book, Money says, If I were to see the case of a boy aged 10 or 12 whos intensely attracted toward a man in his 20s or 30s, and the relationship is totally mutual, and the bonding is genuinely totally mutual, then I would not call it pathological in any way. Although Moneys famous twins studyin which one identical male twin was raised as a girl and the other as a boywas a complete failure, he won a prestigious award in 2002 from the German Society for Social-Scientific Sexuality Research and was funded for 35 years by U.S. taxpayer dollars through the National Institutes of Health, according to Colapinto. Money also pioneered and established the Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic for transsexual surgeries. Most importantly and alarmingly, the CDC has embraced Moneys ideology of gender identity, and its now being implemented in our schools, medical professions, sports, and laws. As a society, we have trusted governing agencies and their endorsed scientific pioneers to provide expert health advice. Over time, we have viewed the CDC as an objective source of information with humanitys best interest in mind. However, their funding of agencies that sexualize children and their promotion of the extreme ideology of made-up, infinite genders is a betrayal to Americans. As the French philosopher Voltaire warned, Anyone who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. Its time to reevaluate our so-called experts before atrocities become the norm. A version of this article was originally published in The Liberty Sentinel on Sept. 6. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. People visit a makeshift memorial for the 19 children and two teachers killed in the May 24 mass school shooting sits in the town square in Uvalde, Texas, on June 21, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Uvalde Parents Sue School District, Former School Police Chief, Gun Manufacturer Three parents of children who survived the May 24 Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, have sued the school district as well as law enforcement agencies, the former school police chief, and an AR-15 rifle manufacturer. Plaintiff Corina Camacho is the mother of a 10-year-old boy who survived, but was shot in the leg during the mass shooting that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. Camachos son was in Classroom 112, which, along with adjoining Classroom 111, was where the murders took place. Two other plaintiffs, Tanisha Rodriquez and Selena Sanchez, are suing on behalf of their children, aged 8 and 9, who were at Robb Elementary on May 24. Lawyers from Los Angeles-based Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on Sept. 28. Uvalde officials faced harsh criticism after hundreds of local and state law enforcement officers waited for 77 minutes before federal officers entered the classrooms and killed the shooter. A report from the Texas state legislature blamed systemic failures and poor leadership for the response that may have contributed to the death toll. The lawsuit alleges that Pete Arredondo, the school district police chief who was fired two months after the massacre, failed to act, with deliberate indifference to the constitutional rights of Plaintiffs, and the rights of Plaintiffs under state law. In the same vein, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (UCISD) is also named in the lawsuit. UCISD spokesperson Anne Marie Espinoza said previously that the district has engaged with Texas-based private investigator firm JPPI Investigations to conduct an independent review of the Uvalde CISD Police Departments actions on May 24. Espinoza didnt respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Another defendant is the City of Uvalde, named as the entity under which the Uvalde Police Department sits. Both the police department and Mariano Pargas, who was the acting chief of the Uvalde police department on the day of the massacre, are accused of failing to act. The city of Uvalde responded to a request for comment on the lawsuit, saying The city of Uvalde does not comment on pending litigation. The third individual named in the lawsuit is Mandy Gutierrez, the principal at Robb Elementary School. She had available resources so she could communicate the alerts to everyone. And she chose not to, even though it was at her fingertips, said lead attorney for the plaintiffs Stephanie Sherman. Sherman said she didnt have a case for including the Uvalde County Sheriffs Office or the Texas Department of Public Safety but that could change once she has all the facts in the timeline. The lawsuit may hinge around the alleged violations of the Fourteenth Amendment, which provides for equal protection under the law, adding that nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. The Supreme Court has ruled that police officers or government agencies have no constitutional duty to protect an individual, unless theyre in a custodial situation such as prison, jail, or mental institution, where theyre unable to move freely. Sherman told The Epoch Times that she will argue that the children at Robb Elementary were indeed in custody as they werent free to leave once law enforcement was on scene. Once they [police] start taking care of you, once they are engaged with you, like in this situationand this applies to the school district and the policeonce they take you in custody, so to speak, because the kids were not free to leave, they were in lockdown, the kids were in fact in custody, Sherman said. In addition, law enforcement officers outside the school were restraining and preventing parents from entering the school to rescue their children. However, in 2020, an appeals court ruling upheld a prior decision around the Fourteenth Amendment argument that said Broward County officials didnt have a custodial duty to protect the students during the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Plaintiffs suggest that the essential nature of a public schools role and control over its students requires that schools provide protection and safety for their students. However, the suggestion that school attendance equates to the level of custody implicating a constitutional obligation to protect has been expressly rejected by the Eleventh Circuit, the appeals court stated in its ruling. Sherman said the lawsuit doesnt put a figure on the amount of punitive damages the parents are seeking because its possible other parents will join the suit, and she doesnt yet have all the information regarding the response failures. Companies Being Sued The Uvalde parents are also suing three firearms-related businesses: Georgia-based Daniel Defense, which manufactures and sells AR-15-style semi-automatic rifles; Oasis Outback, which is a firearms dealer in Uvalde; and Arkansas-based Firequest, an online supplier from which the Uvalde shooter bought an accessory that converted his semiautomatic rifle into the equivalent of a machine gun. Gun makers and sellers deliberately push their lethal weapons into the hands of unpredictable, emotional, and volatile young adult civilians knowing that it is needlessly reckless, absurd, and dangerous to the public, the suit states. The lawsuit names Motorola Solutions, Inc. as a defendant for providing the communication devices to police, which failed during the shooting. Their radios werent even working inside the school in some instances, Sherman said. The lawsuit also names defendant Schneider Electric USA, Inc. as the maker of the security door at Robb Elementary that failed to lock and allowed the shooter to gain access to the school. Sherman said the lawsuit casts a broad net over multiple defendants, but that its a big soup of problems. It is a collective domino effect of bad decisions, conscious decisions, poor planning, lack of planning, and so many players involved, she said. The horrors at Robb Elementary School were only possible because so many in positions of power were negligent, careless, and reckless. Sherman said such cases usually take up to three years. The first thing that will happen is, as soon as the defendants are served, they will file motions to dismiss, she said. If she successfully argues that especially high hurdle, the case will go to trial. An employee is seen at the Victorian quarantine accommodation hub in Melbourne, Australia, on Feb. 19, 2022. (AAP Image/James Ross) Victorias Government to Shut Down $580 Million COVID-19 Quarantine Hub The government of the Australian state of Victoria will shut down the $580 million (US$376 million) quarantine hub after eight months of operation due to a fall in COVID-19 cases. In February, the Victorian government launched the purpose-built quarantine facility in Melbournes outer north suburb Mickleham to accommodate international travellers and local residents. However, it only served 2,168 quarantine patients before shutting down in the week commencing Oct. 10. The $580 Million Quarantine Hub The hub was built with funding from the federal government, but the Victorian government was responsible for operating the site. On average, each quarantine patient costs Australian taxpayers over $267,000. The Victorian government lobbied for the facility for months before receiving the green light from the former Morrison government in June 2021. The construction cost was initially estimated to be $200 million but later revised to $580 million. At present, other quarantine hubs in Brisbane and Perth, which were approved by the former federal government, have also been closed. The Mickleham facility was subject to criticism when the Victorian government removed quarantine requirements for international arrivals not long after it opened the quarantine hub. The state government then repurposed the facility to house people contracting COVID-19 but unable to self-quarantine at home. As the number of COVID-19 cases dropped after the latest Omicron wave, Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines said the facility had served its purpose. Its closure is another step in our recovery from the pandemic, he said. Australia needed these facilities before the pandemic first hit, but this important facility now exists as an insurance policy in the event of a future pandemic, or to provide accommodation in emergencies like natural disasters. The facility staff will have to find other jobs, with some of them continuing to work to close the site before it is handed back to the federal government on Jan. 1, 2023. In addition, Victorias quarantine agency will transfer its remaining functions to the Department of Justice and Community Safety and stop operating in early 2023. Meanwhile, the Victorian Opposition has promised to repurpose the 250 beds at the Mickleham facility to house non-acute patients to relieve the pressure on the states health system should it win the election in November. Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the Coalition would not leave the facility unused. Putting a padlock on Mickleham is just lazy, she said. U.S. President Joe Biden (right), with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland (left) and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, participates in a Gun Violence Strategies Partnership meeting at the New York Police Department Headquarters in New York on Feb. 3, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Violent Crime Is Now a National EpidemicWho Should We Blame? Commentary Tens of millions of Americans are pessimistic about the state of the country. Not just Republicans, but Democrats, too. Besides the worrying state of the economy, many U.S. citizens are understandably concerned by the rise in violent crime, a coast-to-coast phenomenon that appears to be worsening. A Gallup report, published earlier this year, outlined the many ways in which violent crime has edged up in recent times. As the author of the report noted, for the first time since 2016, a majority (53%) say they personally worry a great deal about crime, while another 27% worry a fair amount. To be clear, according to the FBI, violent crime includes four offenses: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. More recently, a midyear survey of large law enforcement agencies found that violent crime spiked by 4.2 percent between January and June. Robberies rose by a staggering 12 percent. Meanwhile, aggravated assaults increased by 3 percent. Throughout the United States, crime rates are still considerably higher than they were pre-pandemic. In fact, violent, criminal behavior is now an epidemic of epic proportions. In California, a state synonymous with criminal activity, violence reigns supreme. State Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that property and violent crimes continue to have devastating consequences for communities across the state. Moreover, a troubling new report published by researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine shows that physical and sexual violence is rampant in the Golden State. In the past year, 4 percent of Californians have experienced intimate partner violence. Rather alarmingly, in the same period, 18 percent, or roughly 1 in 6 Californians, have either been physically or sexually assaulted. Police crime scene investigators place evidence markers on 10th Street at the scene of a mass shooting in Sacramento, Calif., on April 3, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group/TNS) This begs the question: Who is to blame? Republicans? Hardly. Take a look at a study by analytics firm NeighborhoodScout on the 10 most dangerous U.S. cities. Not one of them has a Republican mayor. This is not to lay the United States epidemic of violent crime squarely at the feet of every Democrat. Not at all. However, if we were to have an honest discussion about crime, we must admit that one political party takes criminal activity a little more seriously than the other. In Monroe, Louisiana, the countrys most dangerous city, you have a 1 in 34 chance of being a victim of crime. In Michigan, home to not one but two of the countrys most dangerous cities, the alarming rise in violent crimes has left many residents living in a state of fear. As journalist Ted Roelofs recently noted, between January and July this year, Grand Rapids recorded 3,363 crimes, including 761 assaults and 15 homicidesall above averages for the previous three years. In Oakland County, there were 26 homicides in the first six months of 2022, double the tally for the same period last year, wrote Roelofs. Pontiac, the county seat of Oakland County, has witnessed 10 homicides this year. Four of the county victims were children aged 4, 6, 7 and 16. This year, Detroit, the largest city in Michigan, has been plagued by a number of mass shootings. Although depressing, none of this should come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the state of Michigan. It is, after all, governed by Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat who, not that long ago, said she supported the spirit of attempts to defund the police. Whitmers support seems to have paid offnot for the average residents, of course, but for the anti-police minorities. This year, more than 200 officers have quit Detroits police department. In fact, across the country, an increasing number of police officers are heading for the exit doors. In New York City, according to the New York Post, more than 1,500 NYPD officers have either resigned or retired so far this yearon pace to be the biggest exodus of officers since the statistics have been available. At the same time, violent crime in the city continues to surge. The Big Apple is in the midst of a Big Rot. Members of the New York Police Department and emergency vehicles crowd the streets after at least 13 people were injured during a rush-hour shooting at a subway station in the New York borough of Brooklyn, on April 12, 2022. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) When the country needs them more than ever, U.S. police departments are struggling to recruit and retain officers. Why? We all know why. Because police officers have been demonized by left-leaning politicians and left-leaning news outlets for far too long. This explains why suicide rates for officers are high. Rather perversely, as police officers find themselves being vilified, criminals find themselves being supported, assisted, and enabled. In California, lest we forget, shoplifting is practically encouraged. Go ahead, grab an iPhone, would-be criminals are told, nothing will happen to you. By all means, come back tomorrow and grab another one if you have the time. Unlike the criminals in California and other parts of the country, innocent, law-abiding Americans are paying the heaviest of prices. The United States, supposedly the most powerful country in the world, is being destroyed by criminals, from the petty to the downright dangerous. Although we hear very little about defunding the police in 2022, the damage has already been done. You simply cant expect to vilify the boys (and girls) in blue for the best part of two years and expect things to return to normal. Its not possible. Now, Americans on both sides of the political aisle are paying the heaviest of prices. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Virgin Atlantic Scraps UK Flights to Hong Kong, Closes Office and Services Virgin Atlantic announced on Oct. 5 that its permanently pulling out of Hong Kong, dropping flights to the Asian hub and shuttering its offices after 30 years. The UK company cited a string of factors as reasons behind the decision, including issues arising from Russias ongoing war in Ukraine. After careful consideration, weve taken the difficult decision to suspend our London Heathrow to Hong Kong services and close our Hong Kong office, after almost 30 years of proudly serving this Asian hub city, an airline spokesperson said in a statement. The airline stated that ongoing Russian airspace closure, which would have resulted in Heathrow to Hong Kong flight times being extended by between one and two hours, had also played a part in its decision. Customers who were booked to travel to Hong Kong beginning in March 2023 will be offered a refund, voucher, or the option to rebook on an alternative Virgin Atlantic route, according to the spokesperson. Our people and customers in Hong Kong have been amazing since we first touched down at the famous Kai Tak Airport in 1994, and since then weve provided important connectivity between the UK and Hong Kong for thousands of customers and supported global supply chains through our cargo operations, the spokesperson said. Virgin Atlantic is owned by British billionaire Richard Branson and was founded in 1984. The company launched its first flight from the UK to Hong Kong in 1994. The airline suspended passenger flights to Hong Kong in December 2021 during a ban on flights out of the UK amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but those flights had been set to resume in March 2023. COVID-19 Cases Prompt Airlines to Reduce Services That date was later pushed back after Hong Kong remained under strict lockdown amid a new wave of COVID-19 cases, prompting a string of airlines to also cut or reduce flights to the financial hub. At the time, Virgin Atlantic stated that the deadline was being pushed back due to ongoing operational complexities on the flight route. The company stated on Oct. 5 that aircraft that had been set to fly to Hong Kong would instead be used to increase frequencies in other key markets from the Summer 2023 schedule. Bloomberg reports that roughly 46 Virgin Atlantic jobs will be affected by the latest decision to pull out of Hong Kong, with job losses also expected among office staff and cabin crew. The Oct. 5 announcement also means that British Airways and Cathay Pacific will now be the only airlines providing nonstop flights between London and Hong Kong. British Airways is set to resume flights to Hong Kong beginning on Dec. 6, according to its official website. This isnt the first time that Virgin has scrapped flights to Hong Kong. Virgin Australia removed Hong Kong to Melbourne and Hong Kong to Sydney services in 2019 after what it called a comprehensive review of the route. John MacLeod, Virgin Australia Groups chief commercial officer, said at the time that Hong Kong had continued to be a challenging market and that a decline in demand following ongoing civil unrest and concerns over the spread of COVID-19 had promoted the companys decision to pull its services. Virgin Atlantic didnt respond to a request for comment by press time. People fill out their ballots at a polling station in Washington, DC, on Nov. 3, 2020. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Washington, DC City Council Gives Initial Approval to Bill That Would Allow Non-Citizens to Vote The City Council in Washington, D.C., has preliminarily approved bills that would enable non-citizens to vote in elections and make mail-in voting permanent. The City Council approved the bills in a first reading. The Democrat-controlled body must do so again in the next vote, called the final reading, for the legislation to be sent to Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat. B24-0300, or the Local Resident Voting Rights Act of 2021, would allow non-citizens who are otherwise eligible to vote in the District to vote in local elections. This allows us to expand voting rights to eligible residents of the district who are not citizens, Councilwoman Brianne Nadeau, a Democrat, said before the vote, including illegal immigrants. Its really critically important that folks have a voice. So if were going to continue to work toward a more inclusive democracy, and full participation in our elections, we need to vote in support of this bill today, she added later. Councilwoman Mary Cheh, another Democrat, questioned how the change would play out. The concern here is not at all about their immigration status, whether legal or illegal, Cheh said. Its asking whether somebody who is a complete stranger to our community, to our nation, and who happened to be sent here on a bus from Texas, and managed to remain resident for 30 days could actually vote in our elections. Cheh was the only member to vote against the bill. Members of the public testified in support of the bill during a hearing over the summer. None appeared to oppose it. Critics of the measure and others like it say allowing non-citizens to vote dilutes the voice of citizens and undermines their rights. Other jurisdictions have started letting non-citizens vote in local elections, including New York City. The New York Supreme Court struck down that law in June, finding it violated the states Constitution. The council on Tuesday also unanimously advanced B24-0507, known as the Elections Modernization Amendment Act of 2021. The bill would require district officials to mail every voter a mail-in ballot for each election, making permanent a change officials introduced for the first time in the 2020 presidential election. B24-0507 also requires officials to operate at least 55 ballot drop boxes and enables voters to vote at any voting center, regardless of the precinct to which theyre assigned. Voters value the convenience and flexibility that mail-in ballots, ballot drop boxes, and Vote Centers provide, Councilman Charles Allen, who sponsored the legislation, said in a statement. He said that the changes made in recent years have increased voter turnout, adding, To me, its a no-brainer to make these changes part of every election moving forward. Members of the public testifying about the bill expressed support during the public hearing in January. We fully support the following provisions of this bill, which we believe will further reduce barriers to voting or will improve the voting experience, said Kesh Ladduwahetty, operations director for DC for Democracy. US Gave Almost $29 Million to Chinese Entities for Joint Research Since 2015: Report U.S. government agencies sent almost $29 million in taxpayer dollars directly to Chinese entities for joint research over a five-year period ending in 2021, recently released findings show. From fiscal years 2015 through 2021, the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], NIH [National Institutes of Health], and DOD [Department of Defense] provided 22 awards totaling $28.9 million directly to Chinese entities, including universities and other research institutions, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said on Sept. 29 about a trove of analyses. Researchers found the federal funding focused on multiple scientific disciplines, aiding Chinese entities in conducting research on disease surveillance, vaccination studies, and the development of new drugs, as well as alternative technologies to propel vehicles such as drones. The release of the 38-page GAO report (pdf) follows a January request from House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. They asked the GAO to review federal funds provided to China or to entities controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for collaborative research, and U.S. contributions to multilateral institutions. Stefanik described such funding as troubling. Chinas deception and stonewalling of the truth behind the origins of COVID-19 has led to millions of senseless deaths and trillions of dollars in economic destruction across the globe, she said in a statement to The Epoch Times. The three agencies provided funding for a total of 13 Chinese entities for joint publications, information sharing, and workshops, while 84 percent of the direct funding went to the University of Hong Kong, Peking University, and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, known as the Chinese CDC. While receiving almost $5 million from the NIH and the CDC in recent years, the Chinese CDC had been suppressing information about the COVID-19 outbreak domestically and snubbed U.S. offers of assistance, although any health data would have been crucial to formulate a more effective pandemic containment strategy and minimize the diseases global spread. Health workers wearing personal protective equipment walk on a street in a neighborhood during a COVID-19 lockdown in the Jingan district in Shanghai on April 8, 2022. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images) Even more frightening, Stefanik continued, we still have no idea how much total money has been sent to China due to lax reporting requirements. Make no mistake, the Chinese Communist Partys deception throughout the pandemic confirmed that China is not a reliable partner. Part of the Full Picture Investigators found that Chinese entities also received federal research funds through subawards, yet due to reporting requirementsor lack thereofthe report said it was unable to specify the extent of such funding. In a statement provided to The Epoch Times, McCaul said hes grateful to the GAO professionals who pull back the curtain on American taxpayer dollars funding entities in China. Unfortunately, the tens of millions of dollars in research collaboration they found is only part of the full picture, he said. The Biden administration stopped the Office of Management and Budgets efforts to track federal spending in China that began under Trump at my request. I will keep working with my colleagues to track and stop every U.S. government dollar that is going into China, and ultimately, into the hands of the CCP. White House officials didnt respond by press time to requests by The Epoch Times for comment. The CDC and NIH awarded the vast majority of the funding ($28.6 million) through cooperative agreements to Chinese entities in Hong Kong and mainland China, while the rest, from the DOD, went to entities in Hong Kong. The GAO noted the U.S. government treated the territory separately from mainland China until July 2020, when a Beijing-imposed new national security law took effect. Awards to Chinese state universities also remain highly controversial given the CCPs intellectual property theft efforts. The extensive state-sponsored espionage of IP and research at the expense of the interests of other countries has been referred to as the copy-replace model. A researcher works in a Chinese biopharma lab in Shenyang, in Chinas northeast Liaoning Province, on June 10, 2020. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images) Such practices come along with well-financed, state-run recruitment programs such as the Thousand Talents Plan, which has attracted promising overseas Chinese and foreign experts in the fields of science and technology to fuel Chinas innovation drive. The program has been perceived as a threat to U.S. national security over intellectual property theft concerns. The GAO report states that of the 22 awards to Chinese entities from fiscal years 2015 through 2021, 17 were closed while five were continuing as of July, including three from NIH and two from CDC. In fiscal year 2020 alone, federal agencies committed about $1.4 billion for research and development collaboration with foreign entities, per the report. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily news briefing at the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on Sept. 20, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) White House Accuses OPEC of Aligning With Russia as Biden Faces More Midterm Pressure The White House on Wednesday sharply criticized the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, after its members decided to implement a significant cut to oil production. The group of significant oil producers, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, announced it would slash oil production by 2 million barrels per day. For months, the Biden administration attempted to lobby the Saudi kingdom to produce more oil, with President Joe Biden even visiting Saudi Arabia in July. The President is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of [Russian President Vladimir] Putins invasion of Ukraine, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said in a statement on Wednesday morning after OPECs announcement. Their statement touted the White Houses recent actions to help bring down U.S. gas prices and confirmed that the Department of Energy will deliver another 10 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to continue the historic releases that Biden ordered in March. The President will continue to direct SPR releases as appropriate to protect American consumers and promote energy security, and he is directing the Secretary of Energy to explore any additional responsible actions to continue increasing domestic production in the immediate term, according to the statement. Gas Prices Gas prices surged to $5 on average nationwide in June. Since then, prices have steadily dropped as the Biden administration released oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, according to the American Automotive Association (AAA). For the past several weeks, however, the average price for regular gas has again increased on a daily basis. It now stands at $3.83 per gallon as of Wednesday, AAA data shows, representing an uptick of about 7 cents from a week ago. Gas prices over the $6.00 mark are advertised at a 76 Station in Santa Monica, Calif., on May 26, 2022. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also reporters Wednesday on Air Force One that the OPEC decision was a mistake and accused the group of aligning with Russia, although Russia is a key member of OPEC. During a news conference Wednesday at the OPEC+ meeting in Vienna, a reporter asked an unidentified Saudi minister whether OPEC is trying to hold the world hostage with the latest oil production reduction. The minister said such a statement was very provocative and asked the reporter to show me where is the act of belligerence. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Subail al-Mazroui said that OPECs decision would be based on technical considerations. The decision is technical, not political. We will not use it [OPEC] as a political organization, he said. Political Fallout Cutting oil production just weeks before Novembers midterm elections poses a possible political problem for Biden and his fellow Democrats, as the president has often claimed that he was working to decrease gas prices. Since he took office in January 2021, Republicans and oil industry officials have lambasted his administration for ending construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, suspending drilling leases, and favoring electric vehicles. Officials in his administration have also been accused of being out of touch with ordinary Americans concerns while touting electric cars in the face of record-high gas prices earlier this year. Outside of Washington, some motorists have targeted Biden by placing pictures showing him pointing next to the text, I did that! on gas pumps. President Joe Biden attends the second meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access in Washington on Oct. 4, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) In a note issued this week, financial analysts at Citi warned, Higher oil prices, if driven by sizeable production cuts, would likely irritate the Biden Administration ahead of U.S. mid-term elections. There could be further political reactions from the U.S., including additional releases of strategic stocks, along with some wildcards including further fostering of a NOPEC bill, Citi said, referring to a U.S. antitrust bill targeting OPEC, Reuters reported. But the impact might be limited because some OPEC producers werent able to meet previous production targets. An announced cut of any volume is unlikely to be fully implemented by all countries, as the group already lags 3 million barrels per day behind its stated production ceiling, Rystad Energy analyst Jorge Leon said in a note, according to CNN. Energy-aware Montanans may have taken note of the proposed $2.35 billion Blue Hydrogen project in Beulah, North Dakota, and attributed its engineering innovation to the projects principals: Mitsubishi Power Americas and Bakken Energy. Cyan H2 LLC (Cyan), a Montana veteran-owned small business, views the project as a misappropriated idea. And, with the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DoE) indicating that it may commit $1.7 billion of financial support to the project, now a U.S. taxpayer-funded misappropriated idea. Cyan had a conference call discussing hydrogen with the Great Plains Synfuels Plant in North Dakota two weeks before sitting down with a top Mitsubishi executive and Mitsubishi consultant in Bozeman at the 14 North steakhouse on 30 October, 2020 to discuss our companys vision of a vast Blue Hydrogen hub in the Bakken, benefiting the nation. Mitsubishi was adamant that it did not believe in Blue Hydrogen, in any form. Cyan, over about three or so hours, tried to convince them of Blue Hydrogens viability. They didnt buy it. Blue Hydrogen, they said, had no future at all. But they loved our team and the fact that several of us were service academy graduates with high-powered MBAs and world-class energy experience, and asked if wed, instead, like to help Mitsubishi drum up business with the U.S. Department of Defense. After a note the next day thanking us for the great discussion," Mitsubishi went radio silent. Seven months later, on 02 June, 2021, Mitsubishi announced the largest Blue Hydrogen project in the North America, not only based in the Bakken, but the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. Moreover, the Mitsubishi executive to whom Cyan pitched Blue Hydrogen was cited as being instrumental to the project. Cyan sent a letter requesting help to the U.S. DoE Secretary, Montanas governor, and each member of Montanas congressional delegation. We knew that Mitsubishi would be seeking U.S. taxpayer assistance and argued that, based on its behavior, it had forfeited that privilege unless it included Cyan, who had provided the idea to Mitsubishi, in the project. However, we received no help. Subsequently, one of our U.S. senators appeared in a photo with the Mitsubishi consultant with whom we had met, and the U.S. DoE awarded Mitsubishi and its partners nearly $400 million for its Green Hydrogen project in Delta, Utah. Now, the U.S. DoE has indicated it will provide another $1.7 billion to Mitsubishi and its partners for the Blue Hydrogen play in the Bakken. Such is life when a small Montana business tries to partner with a $40 billion multinational. But were not finished evangelizing for hydrogen. Earlier this year, Cyan presented to Westmoreland Mining Company a zero-emissions coal-to-Hydrogen proposal, though, admittedly, Westmoreland would prefer to do more of the same that is, mine and burn coal to make power. We would rather take Westmorelands coal either by acquiring the Rosebud Mine from Westmoreland or by entering into an iron-clad supply agreement with Westmoreland and others and gasify it to produce Hydrogen while sequestering the resultant carbon dioxide (CO2) sub-surface. (We also have other plans to generate zero-emissions hydrogen by renewables or natural gas. As well, as featured in the Sidney Herald, we attempted to convert the Lewis and Clark Power Plant in Sidney into a zero-emissions hydrogen facility, but, upon investigation, the Montana Public Service Commission had cut a sweetheart deal with MDU, incentivizing MDU to demolish the plant and its jobs.) Because coal would be used to make hydrogen instead of power in Colstrip, equivalent power could be generated by scaling up wind farm capacity in Eastern Montana. (Indeed, cold weather packages on wind turbines required.) Firm power could be realized by placing Colstrip Units 3 and 4 in a quasi shutdown condition, restored if needed. In turn, millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually would be avoided while increasing the number and security of jobs for decades to come. We have initiated a conversation with the U.S. DoE for funding. Our viewpoint is, if U.S. DoE is willing to provide $1.7 billion to Mitsubishi and its partners for Blue Hydrogen in North Dakota particularly when Cyan had had to convince Mitsubishi that Blue Hydrogen had merit it should fully consider Cyans current hydrogen proposals. Popcorn and Inspiration: The Dig: Our Past Can Speak to Our Future, If Only We Preserve It That release could not be found. Police charge 15-year-old boy after fatal hit-and-run NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A 15-year-old boy who drove a BMW through a red light and killed an engineering graduate at an intersection in Muang district on Sept 30 reported to police to hear the charges yesterday (Oct 4). deathcrimepolice By Bangkok Post Wednesday 5 October 2022, 11:11AM The wrecked BMW sedan after the accident. Photo: Police Pol Lt Col Paisal Panrew, an investigator, said the boy, whose name was withheld because of his age, was accompanied by his parents when he arrived at Pho Klang police station. He was questioned by police in the presence of officials from the youth observation and protection centre, reports the Bangkok Post. He was charged with reckless driving causing death, ignoring a red light and driving without a licence. The boy admitted the charges. Pol Lt Col Paisal said investigators were compiling further evidence and their report would be passed to prosecutors for legal proceedings. He said the boy was not driving under the influence of alcohol, as confirmed by a test after the accident. The accident occurred on Sept 30 about 10pm. A BMW sedan driven by the boy ran a red light at an intersection and hit Thanapol Kaewmoon, 24, who was heading on a motorcycle from Suranaree University of Technology in Muang district of Nakhon Ratchasima to his room. Thanapol died at the scene. Thanapol was from Tha Tako district in Nakhon Sawan and had only recently graduated with honours in telecommunications engineering, and was working part-time at the university hospital while preparing to pursue a masters degree. The North Dakota Supreme Court has extended to Oct. 31 the deadline for a lower court judge to reconsider his decision to prevent the states abortion ban from taking effect, after the judge cited workload and health factors. The state's highest court earlier this week ordered Judge Bruce Romanick to weigh an abortion clinics chances of winning a lawsuit in reconsidering whether his decision to temporarily halt enforcement of the ban was correct. Romanick says the original Monday deadline was difficult given the many duties of any judicial officer throughout the state." To compound matters, he was diagnosed Thursday with COVID-19. The Supreme Court agreed to give Romanick more time to decide the lawsuit arguing that the states constitution grants the right to abortion. Three North Dakota companies and a cooperative are getting a total of more than $47 million in loans and grants to boost high-speed internet access for thousands of rural residents and hundreds of businesses, along with numerous farms and schools. The money is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency and its ReConnect Program. Rural Development State Director Erin Oban said the federal money will "enhance and strengthen broadband access in some of the most difficult-to-reach locations and communities in North Dakota. Consolidated Enterprises Inc. will use a $13.8 million grant to connect 851 people, 38 businesses, 164 farms and one school to high-speed internet in Billings and Stark counties. Halstad Telephone Co. will use a $2.8 million grant to connect 532 people, seven businesses and 86 farmers to high-speed internet in Traill county. Griggs County Telephone Co. will use a $16.9 million loan to connect 2,943 people, 99 businesses, 11 educational facilities and 1,731 farms to high-speed internet in Ransom, Cass and Richland counties. BEK Communications Cooperative will use a $13.9 million grant to connect 1,496 people, 61 businesses, 257 farms and four schools in Barnes, Cass, and Ransom counties. Whether its how friends and family stay connected to one other, how we keep ourselves informed, how students learn at school, how health care is delivered to patients, or how businesses provide to their customers, access to high-speed internet is an essential service, as necessary in our day-to-day lives as reliable electricity and running water, Oban said. Consolidated, Halstad and BEK will participate in the Federal Communication Commission's Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs to make high-speed internet more affordable for customers. For more information on those programs go to https://www.fcc.gov/affordable-connectivity-program and https://www.fcc.gov/general/lifeline-program-low-income-consumers. For more information on the ReConnect program, go to https://www.usda.gov/reconnect. A campaign over whether to impose term limits on North Dakota lawmakers and the governor is a mismatch so far at least financially. Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Term Limits, has contributed more than $810,000 in the past two years to get the ballot proposal before voters. Lawmakers and opponents complain they can't keep up with out-of-state interests. Opponent say there has been no time to organize and raise funds before the vote. Last month the North Dakota Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the measure should be placed on the November ballot. FILE - Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, attends the opening of the Tesla factory Berlin Brandenburg in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has proposed a peace plan for Ukraine that would involve holding repeat votes under the U.N. auspices in Russia-occupied regions, triggering a showdown with Ukrainian Twitter users who have rejected his proposals in a stream of furious comments. Biden and DeSantis join together in Ian recovery effort President Joe Biden has surveyed the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida, promising to marshal the power of the federal government to help rebuild EU agrees on price cap for Russian oil over Ukraine war European Union countries have agreed to impose a price cap on Russian oil and other new sanctions after Moscow illegally annexed four regions in Ukraine FILE A Vermont State Trooper, center, speaks to a homeowner, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2018, near an area on Peacham Road, in Barnet, Vt., where the body of Gregory Davis was found. Los Angeles biotech investor Serhat Gumrukcu pleaded not guilty Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in a transcontinental murder-for-hire conspiracy that led to the 2018 abduction and killing of Gregory Davis. Russian launches to space from US, 1st time in 20 years A Russian cosmonaut has rocketed from the U.S. for the first time in 20 years, catching a ride with SpaceX A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by employees of the Massachusetts veterans home at the center of a devastating COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 who said their constitutional rights were violated because they were forced to work in inhumane conditions. A North Dakota judge who refused to allow the states abortion ban to take effect while a clinics legal challenge is pending has been ordered to take another look at that decision. The state Supreme Court late Tuesday ordered Judge Bruce Romanick to weigh the clinics chances of succeeding and reconsider whether his earlier decision was correct. Romanick last month denied a request to lift his stay of a law banning abortion while a challenge to the laws constitutionality is pending. The Red River Womens Clinic, the states only abortion clinic, argues that the states constitution grants a right to abortion. Attorney General Drew Wrigleys argued that the judge didn't sufficiently consider whether the clinic's suit would succeed. Colin P. Clarke is the director of research at the Soufan Group and a senior research fellow at the Soufan Center. This first appeared in The Los Angeles Times. NED BRISTOL is a retired Sun Chronicle editor. He can be contacted at nedbristol@msn.com . Next week: Nonvoters and what motivates them to become voters right before an election. Many forces are at work. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 57F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 38F. Winds light and variable. My life has been turned upside down as a result of Barclays failing to protect transactions made from my current account. In July 2020, I was persuaded to buy Bitcoin and invest it in a firm developing a Covid vaccine. During a period of around three months, I withdrew amounts ranging from 475 to 25,000. I later discovered this was a scam. Barclays did not query a single transaction, despite these being completely out of character for me. I complained, but the bank passed me from one person to next and was slow to act, then it dismissed my complaint. Crypto scam: A dating app scammer duped a victim into sending Bitcoin claiming it would be invested in a legitimate firm developing a Covid vaccine I took my case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, but I fell foul of its six-month deadline for submitting a complaint, so it was rejected. I have been extremely ill and depressed as a result of all this, and have resorted to calling out the mental health team twice to help me avoid committing suicide. Please help. Anon. Sally Hamilton replies: When I contacted you, I was distressed to hear how you were hooked by this terrible scam. You had recently been through a messy divorce and when you finally felt strong enough to try to meet someone new, you joined the dating app Tinder. You enjoyed online conversations with a friendly, fortysomething woman who said she lived in Norfolk too far away for you to easily meet, and it was lockdown. How convenient for the scammer. Eventually, conversation turned to investing in Bitcoin. She claimed to know all about it and said she could help you make some money, adding authenticity by saying she was the daughter of a Barclays bank director. With your finances in a precarious state following your marriage split, it seemed a possible route to recovering some losses. Over the course of a few weeks, the woman induced you to spend 103,000, mostly on your debit card, with a legitimate cryptocurrency firm. She then persuaded you to use the cryptocurrency to buy virus vaccine tokens from another operation. When you made those payments, however, the Bitcoin went to a sham account belonging to the scammer. When you bought the Bitcoin, you had no warnings from Barclays about your numerous unusual transactions. And when you realised you had been duped and reported the fraud, the bank said it had done nothing wrong. You eventually reported the case to the Ombudsman but, as you explain, it was unable to investigate. You were aggrieved because you were still in discussions with Barclays over a second complaint, about its slowness to request chargebacks on your disputed transactions. The Ombudsman was able to rule on this, as you had acted within six months of your claim failing. However, it only awarded you a few hundred pounds. Your mental health has suffered as a result of the scam and trying to recover the losses. Letters from your doctor describing your poor mental and physical health apparently cut no ice with Barclays and the Ombudsman, as the dates of the correspondence also fell outside the permitted period. The scammers actions are hard enough to bear, but when you hit a brick wall with Barclays, desperation mounted. Some people may think what happened was your fault and that it was not the banks responsibility to step in. But it is baffling to me that so many Bitcoin transactions did not raise a huge red flag at the bank. After all, cryptocurrencies are a fraudsters paradise. Taking into account this failing and the fact you were clearly very emotionally vulnerable after your divorce, I felt there was good reason for Barclays to reopen your case. It agreed to investigate and, after several weeks, admitted it could have provided more protection. It decided to refund half of your losses on a shared blame basis. This amounted to 51,454, plus interest. Barclays limited the refund because it believed you did not carry out due diligence, nor did you provide evidence of the scammers coercive texts, as you had deleted them. It would not budge further. While happy to receive an offer of half your losses, you still felt aggrieved. I suggested you ask the bank to permit you to refer the case to the Ombudsman, waiving the six-month cut-off clause, so its investigators could make an independent judgment. But you said the Ombudsman had already put this request to Barclays and it had declined. The Ombudsman can force the issue, but only if it considers as exceptional the circumstances surrounding the delays in making a complaint. It did not consider them so in your case. Im sorry to say it, but this looks like the end of the road. If you had made your payments by bank transfer, this story might have ended differently. An industry code to protect people from authorised push-payment fraud means victims are likely to have their money refunded automatically if there are no warnings issued by their bank. Card payments are not part of this code. Instead, they operate within a voluntary chargeback scheme where a customer can dispute the payments that were not authorised (as you did). Unfortunately, you technically did authorise the payments, which were made to a genuine firm, and you received its goods. In my view, this is a huge gap in protection for fraud victims. After weeks of deliberation, you told me you were planning to accept Barclays offer. It pains me to say that it is probably now time to move on and focus on rebuilding your life. Compared to zero, 51,454 is not a bad place from which to start repairing your finances. A Barclays spokesman says: This is another tragic case of a cryptocurrency investment scam and we urge everyone to stay alert to the threat of fraudulent investment opportunities. We encourage everyone to take steps to satisfy themselves that the person or business they are investing through is legitimate and who they think it is. Remember that if an investment seems too good to be true, it probably is. Elon Musk last night agreed to buy Twitter for 38billion just months after declaring the deal was off. In a U-turn that stunned Wall Street and the City, the billionaire asked the social media giant's board to proceed as planned with his $54.20 per share offer. And in a statement, Twitter said it intended 'to close the transaction' at that price. U-turn: Elon Musk has asked social media giant Twitter's board to proceed as planned with his $54.20 per share offer Twitter shares surged 22 per cent to more than $52 but electric car maker Tesla gave up early gains on fears the deal will prove a distraction for boss Musk. The move came just two weeks before a courtroom showdown between Musk and Twitter was due to begin in one of the most high-profile legal battles in US corporate history. The two sides were going to face off in a Delaware court on October 17 when Twitter was set to seek an order directing Musk to close the deal at $54.20 a share or 38billion. Industry experts suggested Musk may have revived the deal to bring to an end proceedings he was unlikely to win. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives said the fresh takeover proposal was a 'clear sign' Musk recognised his efforts to walk away from the deal were 'highly unlikely' to succeed. 'Being forced to do the deal after a long and ugly court battle in Delaware was not an ideal scenario and instead accepting this path and moving forward with the deal will save a massive legal headache,' he said. The battle for Twitter erupted in April when Musk revealed he had snapped up around a tenth of the company, making him the biggest shareholder. The 51-year-old snubbed an offer to join Twitter's board and within weeks launched his 38billion swoop on the blogging site. Twitter initially sought to fend off the tycoon's advances, adopting a so-called 'poison pill' defence. But within the month its board, led by chief executive Parag Agrawal and chairman Bret Taylor, recommended shareholders accept Musk's offer. But the deal was thrown into doubt when the South African said he was putting his bid 'on hold' in a dispute over the number of 'bots', or fake accounts, on the site. Will he sell Tesla shares to fund deal? The resumption of Elon Musks Twitter takeover will throw a fresh spotlight on the finances of the worlds richest man in a year that has already seen more than 42billion wiped off his fortune. Musk and Twitter say they want to close the deal at the previously-agreed price, which should mean it can proceed without further complications. Musk has already sold 13.4billion shares in his electric car company Tesla since agreeing to buy Twitter and says he does not plan to sell any more of his stake. But some analysts think he will do so in order to fund the Twitter deal. Tesla founder Musk has already sold 13.4bn shares in his electric car company Tesla since agreeing to buy Twitter Musk is the worlds richest man with a fortune of 194billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. But that fortune has fallen by 42billion since the start of the year more than the 38billion he is paying for Twitter. The deal could also revive fears among Twitter users about Musks plans for the platform, which has removed conservative voices. Fans of former US president Donald Trump hope that Musk will reactivate his account, which was shut down after the January 2021 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters. Musk is an outspoken user of the platform, most recently stirring controversy with a plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine that drew condemnation from Ukraines leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Musk argued that Twitter's public estimates that less than 5 per cent of accounts are bogus were wrong suggesting the figure was as high as 20 per cent. He piled pressure on Twitter in June with a threat to walk away from the deal altogether, accusing the firm of a 'material breach' of its obligations. And when Musk finally confirmed suspicions he had gone cold on the deal, shares crashed, taking losses to more than a third since he revealed his 9.2 per cent stake. Twitter responded by suing Musk who is worth an estimated 205billion in a bid to force him to complete the deal. As part of the deal settled in April, Musk and Twitter had agreed to pay each other a $1billion break-up fee if either was responsible for it falling through. It set up a bitter battle, but one which many observers believed would be impossible for the billionaire to win. The legal fight saw scores of Musk's private messages with well-known figures in the world of tech made public. The case also saw Musk attempt to use claims made by Twitter whistleblower Peiter Zatko to scrap the deal. Former security head Zatko claimed that executives at the social media site had deceived regulators and the company's board about holes in its defences against hackers. An emergency court hearing in the US on Musk's letter was expected as early as last night. Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter said: 'It is the latest twist in the dramatic takeover saga, and comes just two days before he [Musk] was set to be deposed by Twitter's lawyers, raising speculation that 'Team Musk' believe the chances of the court ruling in his favour were slim.' An oil cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia has agreed its deepest cuts to production since the 2020 Covid pandemic sparking fury in the West. Opec+ will reduce output by 2m barrels of oil a day, equivalent to 2 per cent of global supply. The move pushed the price of oil further above $90 a barrel, taking gains since last weeks low of around $84 to 12 per cent. Crude tactics: Opec+ will reduce output by 2m barrels of oil a day, equivalent to 2% of global supply The White House branded the decision short-sighted given the strength of demand for crude worldwide, and the US could now release more oil stocks in a bid to lower prices, heightening tensions with Saudi Arabia and other Opec members. The rising price is likely to push up fuel prices for British motorists. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said: The question is when and to what extent retailers choose to pass these increased costs on at their forecourts. Relations have been strained between Saudi Arabia and the US. Saudi Arabia has not condemned Moscows actions in Ukraine and US officials want lower oil prices to deprive Moscow of revenue. Unilever was accused of taking the world for idiots by selling Magnum and Cornetto ice creams in Russia as essential goods. The consumer goods giant has not pulled products from the country, and is one of a few Western firms still trading there since Februarys invasion of Ukraine. Global businesses have incurred huge costs by shutting up shop in Russia. Fast food chain McDonalds took a hit of up to 1.2billion. Business as usual: Unilever has not pulled products from Russia, and is one of a few Western firms still trading there since February's invasion of Ukraine Unilever boss Alan Jope said in March it would supply only essential food and hygiene products. But a report by the Moral Rating Agency (MRA), which exposes firms presence in Russia, says Unilever is still supplying ice cream. MRA founder Mark Dixon accused Unilever of moral-washing and said: The company is taking the world for an idiot. Bill Browder, the US anti-corruption campaigner and author of Red Notice, How I Became Putins No 1 Enemy, said Russia is committing mass murder in Ukraine. He said: If Unilever is still doing business there its totally unacceptable. 'Their excuse that Magnums and Cornetto ice cream are essential goods is both laughable and the height of cynicism. Labour MP Chris Bryant said: Much as I love a Magnum, there is no way they are essential to life. 'What is essential is ending Putins brutal war in Ukraine and using everything in our armoury social, diplomatic and economic to bring Russia to its senses. Unilever ranked third in the MRAs hall of shame. Others criticised include Nestle and French state-owned energy giant EDF. Unilever was asked to comment. North Dakota is teaming up with Minnesota, Montana and Wisconsin to develop a regional hydrogen hub to help meet the nations clean energy, transportation and agricultural needs, Gov. Doug Burgum announced Wednesday. The states have signed an agreement to develop a proposal for a Heartland Hydrogen Hub with the goal of obtaining funding from the U.S. Department of Energys $7 billion program announced last month. North Dakota, through the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, will lead the effort in collaboration with industry partners and state coordinators from all four states. The agreement also says the states will identify opportunities to collaborate with tribal nations. By bringing together our expertise in agriculture and energy production, we can create a world-class hydrogen hub and do even more as states to feed and fuel the nation and the world, Burgum said in a statement. The Department of Energy announced in late September that it opened applications for $7 billion in federal funding to create regional hubs that would increase clean hydrogen production and distribution. The funding was included in the infrastructure law enacted last year. The department said it will select six to 10 hydrogen hubs, with concept papers due by Nov. 7 and applications due by April 7, 2023. Seven Midwestern states including Minnesota announced a similar partnership last week to develop a proposal for the federal funding. The North Dakota Department of Commerce will work with the EERC on the states portion of the proposal. The EERC is home to the National Center for Hydrogen Technology, which has been researching the production of hydrogen from both fossil fuels and renewable fuels. An air of secrecy fills the red-brick townhouse, located around the corner from St Pauls Cathedral in London. Upon entering, I am whisked into a wood-panelled room where five Royal Mint employees wearing white gloves stand facing a dark display cabinet. Inside sits a polished silver coin about the size of a satsuma. Printed on it is the unmistakable profile of our new King. Limited: The most expensive item in the Royal Mint 's Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Coin Collection is a 82,950 gold coin in the 'ounce' range weighing 1kg (pictured) It is a Thursday afternoon and I am among the first in the country to witness the unveiling of a new commemorative 5 Crown coin to mark the life and death of the late Queen. Our small group is gathered at the Worshipful Company of Cutlers, a historic knife-making guild which dates back to the 13th century. Unused to seeing anything but Queen Elizabeths portrait on our coins, it takes my eyes a second to adjust as I inspect this new image: King Charles, modestly dressed without a crown, facing the opposite direction to his mother as is tradition. But she is not far away. On the reverse are two portraits of our late monarch; one of her in her youth and one in her later years. Above them is the inscription, Elizabeth Regina. It is the first time two monarchs have been pictured on one coin in the Royal Mints 1,100-year history. The likeness was crafted by sculptor Martin Jennings, best-known for his statues of writers Sir John Betjeman and George Orwell. Since the Queens death last month, many people have been desperate to scoop up as many keepsakes and collectibles as they can to celebrate her long legacy. The new 5 Crown is one of three designs launched on Monday by the Royal Mint as part of its Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Coin Collection. The range also includes a 50p design featuring the King. On the flipside is an image of the quarters of the Royal Arms and the emblem of each home nation. The third design is a special ounce coin, displaying a profile image of Queen Elizabeth II on one side and the effigy of the King on the other. All three are available in a range of precious metals with the cost varying depending on the material. F or example, a 5 Crown can be bought in a brilliant uncirculated standard for 14.50. This means the metal struck is of a higher quality than coins in general circulation. A platinum version of the design, meanwhile, costs 5,770. And if you want a 22 ct gold variation of the 50p piece, it will cost you 1,195. A limited-edition 5 oz coin in gold was also selling for 13,395. But only 250 were made and by yesterday morning, all were sold. The most expensive item in the collection is a 82,950 gold coin weighing 1kg. Only 30 are available. The new 5 Crown is one of three new designs launched by the Royal Mint as part of a Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Coin Collection The 5 Crown and 50p coins will be made according to customer demand to reduce waste, and are available until December 31. But most of the ounce designs are limited edition. All are available to buy individually, and come with a presentation case and certificate of authenticity. Unsurprisingly, the Royal Mint website crashed the moment the new collection launched, and by 10.30am there were almost 60,000 people in an online queue. Customers took to Twitter to vent their frustration as they battled to log on. One user said that after an hour in the queue he was forced to give up as there were still 35,000 people ahead of him. Another suggested it was like an online sequel to the queue to attend the Queens lying-in-state, when thousands lined the streets of London to pay their respects. Infuriatingly, customers who looked away from their screens while they waited also found they lost their space, as queue numbers were only valid for ten minutes. But the waiting time had fallen by yesterday morning. A spokesman for the Royal Mint says: We thank customers for their patience during this incredibly busy time. If you are not online, purchases can be made by calling 0800 0322 152. The Royal Mint frequently produces collections to commemorate significant royal events, most recently the Queens Platinum Jubilee and the former Prince of Waless 70th birthday. Sought after: The Platinum 50p, which was originally priced at 1,395, is now selling for 3,500 Jon White, a coin expert at the Britannia Coin Company, says: The long-term value of a coin boils down to how many are produced and what the demand is now. New coins for a new monarch are always popular, as are the last coins of the previous monarch. We expect these commemorative coins to be phenomenally in-demand. A 1,800 three-coin sovereign collection commemorating the Queens Jubilee in June is no longer available on the Royal Mints website. And a UK 5 silver proof coin marking the same event, which was retailing for 92.50, has also sold out. For the Jubilee, the Royal Mint produced a limited-edition run of 50p coins in platinum, which is unusual as the metal is very difficult to strike. The Platinum 50p has been phenomenally successful, and they are now selling for 3,500 each, says Mr White. They were originally priced at 1,395. On Friday, a 2022 limited-edition Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee 5 coin, which cost 14.50, sold for 35.50 on eBay. The commemorative coin set cannot be used as legal tender. However, new 50p coins, featuring the same design as in the collection, will enter circulation from December. It means they may be in the nations pockets by Christmas. The coins will be distributed via 20 cash centres across the country, which supply currency to banks and post offices based on demand. There are about 27 billion coins currently in circulation bearing the image of the late monarch, and these will co-circulate with the new coins. From January 1 next year, all new coins, irrespective of whether they are in circulation or commemorative, will bear the image of the King. Chris Barker, information and research manager at the Royal Mint, says: The Queen has been the only figure to grace our coins since decimalisation, and its not inconceivable that in thousands of years time, some of these coins will still be out there and recognisable. a.cooke@dailymail.co.uk Victory: We helped win back 6m for taxpayers after exposing the devious tactics used by rip-off rebate firms Money Mail has helped win back 6 million for taxpayers after exposing the devious tactics used by rip-off rebate firms. These unregulated agents, which charge eye-watering fees for tax refunds that customers can claim for free, snare around 500,000 people every year. In June, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) finally pledged a clampdown and launched a consultation aimed at stamping out unscrupulous behaviour. To aid with its investigation, we called on readers to step forward and share their experiences. Your response was overwhelming. Over the summer we were inundated with emails and letters outlining the underhand ways you had been preyed on by these firms. We submitted two dossiers to the taxman, and ran a series of articles naming and shaming the worst offenders. In some cases the fees charged were more than the tax refund owed, while others had been repeatedly threatened with court action after refusing to continue with their claim. Scores of readers also said they had no idea they were even entering into a contract that gave rebate firms permission to act on their behalf. Now, in the first step to outlawing shady tactics, the taxman has pledged to refund 60,000 people who lost huge chunks of their cash in fees to one rebate firm highlighted by Money Mail Tax Credits Ltd. Angela MacDonald, HMRC's deputy chief executive and second permanent secretary, says: 'We are taking action here to make sure Tax Credits Ltd's clients receive the money they are entitled to. I'd like to thank the Daily Mail for highlighting these cases and helping ensure people get their money back.' The unprecedented intervention comes after HMRC uncovered major failings in the online processes used by the company to sign up customers. Tax Credits Ltd offers to help people claim rebates, such as the marriage tax allowance and working from home relief. The third party company operates online, flooding social media sites with enticing advertisements claiming housholds could be entitled to hundreds of pounds. For a rebate firm to make a claim on someone's behalf, taxpayers must sign an iron-clad contract known as a 'deed of assignment'. This instructs HMRC to send any money owed to the company rather than the individual, and can be revoked only if the firm agrees. But Tax Credits Ltd customers were not shown a copy of this agreement during the sign-up process. Instead, those who completed the online form were merely told to provide an e-signature and tick a box. The firm claimed that doing so gave it permission to sign a deed of assignment on the taxpayer's behalf. This meant customers were often completely unaware of the terms they were agreeing to including the fact the firm would pocket a 48 pc fee equivalent to almost half the payout. Many did not realise they were entering into a contract at all. 'It's a huge relief I'm so grateful' Wait: Marilyn Duffield's 362 working from home tax rebate had gone to Tax Credits Ltd Marilyn Duffield has been waiting since March for a 362 working from home tax rebate. She was informed by HMRC the money had been sent to a company called Tax Credits Ltd. But she says she does not remember giving the firm permission to make a claim on her behalf, and despite chasing has never received a penny. Marilyn, who is recently retired and has started work as a lunchtime supervisor at a local school, says: Ive wracked my brains trying to think if I signed anything. I dont think anyone would agree to pay so much in commission. Money Mail has done a wonderful job in getting this money back. Its such a relief. Im so grateful. HMRC said it would now repay a total of 6 million to Tax Credits Ltd customers an average of 100 each. Exact refunds will depend on the size of the payment claimed, and how much was pocketed by the firm in fees. Taxpayers who have already received their refunds, minus fees, do not need to do anything. Tax Credits Ltd In May, This is Money alerted HMRC to Tax Credits Ltd when a reader contacted us with concerns over its practices. She was owed more than 2,000 in a rebate from the Government, but a deed of assignment had been created without her permission which sent the money to the third party company. Read the full story here: Taxpayers targeted by third party rebate agents who trap them in legal agreements... and then take a big cut of their cash. HMRC is writing to those affected, with any charges deducted due to be refunded by mid-November. The taxman said it is seeking to recover this cash from Tax Credits Ltd. Anyone who had their claim paused during HMRC's investigation, which began in May, will receive their refunds by the same deadline. Mother-of-two Gillian Archer was thrilled to discover she will get her full payment. The 61-year-old, who works in administration at her local community hospital in Kent, had never heard of Tax Credits Ltd until she received a letter from HMRC in May stating it had paid a 607 personal tax refund to the firm. She does not remember signing an agreement for the company to claim on her behalf. And when Gillian asked to see a copy of the contract, she did not recognise the signature provided. When she then discovered she would lose almost half of her cash in fees, she refused to send proof of identification to the company and never received a penny as a result. Crackdown: In June, HM Revenue & Customs finally pledged action on rip-off tax rebate firms Now, after chasing HMRC for months, she is relieved the ordeal is over. 'I couldn't believe the news when I heard it. It's wonderful,' she says. However, critics say HMRC has not gone far enough. Currently, refunds will be paid only to online customers. HMRC says it still recognises paper forms as a valid contract, which means Tax Credits Ltd can continue to act on customers' behalf. And the taxman stopped short of preventing the company from operating altogether. Solicitor and former HMRC lawyer Osita Mba says: 'HMRC should not treat victims differently based on whether they used a sign-up process that involved a paper form or an online form. It should take enforcement action by way of criminal investigation.' There are also scores of complaints about other rebate firms using unfair and unclear contracts. The number of people complaining to the taxman specifically about deeds of assignment has more than tripled in two years from 545 in 2020 to 1,808 in 2022, according to a freedom of information request by BBC Radio 4's Money Box. HMRC says there is no evidence as yet of similar problems with other firms. However, it adds that a new task force has been set up to review the sign-up procedures of all 200 repayment agents. It also intends to publish the findings of its consultation within the next ten weeks. Victoria Todd, head of the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group, says: 'We urge HMRC to keep this issue as a priority and review all repayment agents' practices, not just in relation to assignments, but other areas of consumer protection. 'Where agents fall short, HMRC should use all existing powers open to them to take immediate action to protect taxpayers.' Tax Credits Ltd did not respond to requests for comment. t.armstrong@dailymail.co.uk The situation involving cost overruns at the North Dakota Attorney Generals Office and the deletion of emails of the former attorney general and his top deputy has gotten murkier in the last week. It reinforces the Tribune editorial boards call for the Legislature to pass stricter oversight rules for state agencies involved in leasing and remodeling projects. State Auditor Josh Gallion outlined his investigative report to the Legislatures audit committee last week. The committee turned the matter over to Attorney General Drew Wrigley for further investigation. Wrigley will hire an independent agency to conduct the investigation. He said the case will get priority. The auditors report added to an already muddled situation. Former Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, who died in January, and former Chief Deputy Attorney General Troy Seibel were involved in the leasing and remodeling of a building at 1720 Burlington Drive in Bismarck. The building was leased from Stealth Properties. Parkway Property Management co-owner C.J. Schorsch, who also is a Stealth owner, notified Seibel in June 2021 of cost overruns of nearly $1.8 million. The Attorney Generals Office last year used $1.4 million for its 2019-21 budget and rolled the remaining $400,000 into a new rental rate of the lease to cover the overrun. The lease is for 10 years. The auditors report raised some new issues. Gallion said some payments for work were received without invoices. The report prompted legislators to raise questions about double-billing and trust. The report also noted the difficulties the investigation had because Stenehjems and Seibels emails were deleted on the direction of Liz Brocker, Stenehjems spokeswoman, who later resigned. The North Dakota Information Technology Department has said the emails couldnt be recovered. However, the report said the department didnt bring in any outside firms in an effort to retrieve the emails. Gallions investigation found that a Microsoft employee told ITD that it was possible the emails could be retrieved. And Wrigley in July told ITD Deputy Chief Information Officer Greg Hoffman to hire an outside technology company to help with the search, reported Forum News Service. Hoffman apparently thought it was a suggestion, not an order. Wrigley cant believe how he was misunderstood. ITD is now hiring Planet Technologies to help with the emails. Another wrinkle in the situation: One of the owners of Stealth Properties is Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck. Dockter indicated he has a limited role in the daily operations of Frontier Contracting, a company that did work on the building and received payments without invoices. Docker said he plans to meet with Wrigley to resolve any issues. Legislators arent barred from doing business with the state as private citizens. Its legal, but it has raised questions in the past. Dockter also is one of the owners of two companies -- Parkway Property Management and Frontier Contracting -- used to work on the buildings remodeling. Its a mess that must be resolved. Whoever Wrigley hires needs to move quickly to conduct the investigation. ITD and Planet Technologies hopefully can recover all or some of the emails. It will benefit Dockter if he fully explains his role in the leasing and remodeling. When the Legislature meets in January it needs to consider tougher oversight rules for state agencies and offices involved in leasing and building projects. Finally, transparency is essential. The public needs to be told the results of the investigation and email search. There have been suggestions of a coverup; its time to put those fears to rest. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan Culture Minister Anar Karimov has met with the representatives of leading media organizations and think tanks operating in Mexico as part of the UNESCO-MONDIACULT 2022 World Conference, Azernews reports, citing the Culture Ministry. During the meeting, the minister provided information on the damage caused to Azerbaijan's cultural heritage as a result of the Armenian occupation. Currently, restoration works are being carried out in the liberated territories. Over 2,600 historical and cultural monuments, including 706 state-registered, were destroyed as a result of the almost three decades of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani lands. Anar Karimov brought to the attention that mosques were destroyed and animals were kept in these places of worship, and many churches were vandalized as well. He pointed out that the Azerbaijani government is committed to the restoration of cultural heritage in these areas, and is determined to restore all historical and cultural monuments that have been destroyed, regardless of their origin. The minister told meeting participants about the traditions of tolerance formed in Azerbaijan over the centuries. He stressed Azerbaijan's contribution to intercultural dialogue and highlighted the activities planned within the framework of the Baku Process and the global call "Peace4Culture". Next, Anar Karimov met with the Serbian Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Stanko Blagojevic. During the meeting, it was noted that relations between the countries are developing in a number of important directions. The sides stressed the importance of expanding cooperation in the field of culture, including the deepening of ties between cultural institutions and the establishment of closer cooperation between museums. They expressed their hope that the organization of mutual culture days in both countries will also contribute to this process. It was noted that Azerbaijan and Serbian are successfully cooperating within UNESCO, and issues such as mutual support are of great importance on this platform. As part of the visit, a meeting was also held with the Deputy Minister in charge of cultural development and leaders of several agencies under the Mexican Culture Ministry Marina Nunez Bespalova. Anar Karimov gave detailed information to the Mexican official about the damage caused to the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan as a result of the Armenian occupation and the restoration works carried out in the liberated territories. He underlined that cultural exchanges will contribute to the strengthening of cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Mexico Ms. Marina Nunez Bespalova said that Mexico has had extensive experience in the field of protection of cultural heritage and fighting against the illegal trade of cultural objects. He stressed that Mexico can provide training and expert assistance to Azerbaijan in these areas. It was noted that the organization of Azerbaijani culture days in Mexico can play an important role in order to better introducing Azerbaijan in Mexico. The UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development- MONDIACULT 2022 was held in Mexico. The main goal of the conference is to shape a more robust and resilient cultural sector, fully anchored in the perspectives of sustainable development as well as promotion of solidarity, peace, and security, in line with the vision enshrined in the UN Secretary-General's report Our Common Agenda (September 2021), which refers to culture as a global public good, the good of us all. Hans Moke Niemann, the teenage chess grandmaster who world champion Magnus Carlsen accused of cheating at the board, admitted doing so only twice while playing online. But chess.com, a popular venue for top players, today accused Niemann of cheating many times at the site. The Wall Street Journal: The report, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, alleges that Niemann likely received illegal assistance in more than 100 online games, as recently as 2020. Those matches included contests in which prize money was on the line. The site uses a variety of cheating-detection tools, including analytics that compare moves to those recommended by chess engines, which are capable of beating even the greatest human players every time. The report states that Niemann privately confessed to the allegations, and that he was subsequently banned from the site for a period of time. The 72-page report also flagged what it described as irregularities in Niemann's rise through the elite ranks of competitive, in-person chess. It highlights "many remarkable signals and unusual patterns in Hans' path as a player." And on Hacker News, an account registered under the name chesscom adds: There is so much more to our report than what was focused on in the WSJ article. The full report will be shared shortly (UPDATE: The full report is up.) Chess.com has some clever analytical tools beyond simply checking moves against chess engines (which today play far better than any human can, even in blitz games). For example, chess.com reports that Niemann played "stronger moves after the browser window loses focus", i.e. his play improves when he switches to another browser window or application before making moves. Though the online play being analysed here does not implicate the real-life tournament play that matters to international rankings (or his online play since 2020) Niemann has explaining to do. The Sahel-based branch of Al Qaeda, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), has claimed an attack on a convoy in Burkina Faso that killed over a dozen soldiers last month, the SITE Intelligence Group said on Tuesday. Islamist militants attacked a convoy taking supplies to a town in northern Burkina Faso on Sept. 26, days before the West African country was hit by its second military takeover this year. JNIM claimed credit for the ambush and said it caused significant economic losses to the enemy and led to a shakeup in the Burkinabe army ranks, culminating in the military coup, the SITE statement said. Eleven soldiers were found dead and about 50 civilians were reported missing after the attack, the previous government said. But an internal security document seen by Reuters on Tuesday gave a death toll of 27 soldiers. SOURCE: REUTERS Russian President Vladimir Putin looked set to finalise his plan to annex four Ukrainian regions on Tuesday even as Ukraine pushed back his forces on two separate battlefield fronts, reducing the amount of seized territory Moscow controls. Russia has escalated its seven-month war with the annexation drive, a military mobilisation and warnings of a possible recourse to nuclear weapons to protect all of its territory. Putin was expected to sign on Tuesday evening a law formally incorporating the four regions, representing about 18% of Ukraines territory, into Russia, a move Kyiv and its Western allies say is illegal and will not be recognised. The two chambers of Russias parliament have already ratified the legislation. Russia does not fully control any of the four regions it claims Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south and the Kremlin has said it has yet to determine the final borders of the annexed territory. Russian forces in the Donetsk and Kherson regions have been forced to retreat in recent days and appear to be struggling to halt an increasingly Western-equipped Ukrainian army. U.S. President Joe Biden told Ukraines leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a call on Tuesday that Washington would provide Kyiv with $625 million in new security assistance, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers. Biden also reiterated that the United States would never recognise Russias annexation of Ukrainian territory, the White House said. Earlier, the European Union also rejected Moscows illegal annexation and urged it to unconditionally withdraw all of its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine. Separately, Italys likely next prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, offered Ukraine her full support during a phone call with Zelenskiy, her Brothers of Italy party said. Two of her allies, who have ties to Putin, have been much more ambivalent. Moscow hopes a partial mobilisation it announced two weeks ago can help reverse a series of battlefield reversals. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency on Tuesday as saying that Russia had so far called up more than 200,000 reservists out of a planned 300,000 men. Many Russian men have fled the country rather than fight in Ukraine, however, and Russian lawyers say they are working flat out to offer advice to men who want to avoid being drafted. Some Russians are making journeys of thousands of miles by car, train and plane to escape. Jump in airline tickets from Russia after mobilization SOUTHERN BREAKTHROUGH President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Ukraines northern neighbour and an ally of Putin, accused Kyiv on Tuesday of sending 15,000 troops to the border area to build defences and conduct reconnaissance, actions he called provocations. In their biggest breakthrough in the south since the war began on Feb. 24, Ukrainian forces retook several villages in an advance along the strategic Dnipro River on Monday, Ukrainian officials and a Russian-installed leader in the area said. Ukrainian forces in the south destroyed 31 Russian tanks and one multiple rocket launcher, the militarys southern operational command said in an overnight update. Ukrainian video footage from Novopetrivka, a newly recaptured village in the Kherson region, showed Ukrainian soldiers removing a Russian flag from a power pylon, wiping their feet on it and setting it alight. They then raised a Ukrainian flag. In the east, Ukrainian forces have been expanding an offensive after capturing the main Russian bastion in the north of Donetsk, the town of Lyman, hours after Putin proclaimed the annexation of the province last week. Russian defence ministry maps presented on Tuesday appeared to show rapid withdrawals of Russian invasion forces from areas in eastern and southern Ukraine where they have been under severe pressure from the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The ministrys daily video briefing made no mention of any pullbacks, but on maps used to show the location of purported Russian strikes, the shaded area designating Russian military control was much smaller than the day before. Ukraine has released little information about Kherson, in keeping with a policy of withholding details about ongoing advances. Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address that Ukraines army had seized back towns in a number of areas, without giving details. On the eastern front, Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed leader in Donetsk, said Russian forces were building a serious line of defence around the city of Kreminna after being pushed back. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a Russian missile crashed into the outskirts of the Ukraine-controlled eastern city of Kramatorsk. A Reuters reporter on the scene said the missile had gouged a huge crater in the backyard of a house. NUCLEAR RHETORIC In a decree on Tuesday, Zelenskiy formally declared any talks with Putin impossible, while leaving the door open to talks with Moscow if it got a new leader. The Kremlin said that what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine would not end if Kyiv ruled out talks, adding that it takes two sides to negotiate. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Moscow did not want to take part in nuclear rhetoric spread by the West, after Britains Times newspaper reported that NATO had warned members Putin might test an atomic weapon on Ukraines border. A Western diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday NATO had not warned its members of a Russian nuclear threat. Separately, a NATO official said the alliance had not observed any changes in Russias nuclear posture but that NATO remained vigilant. The Kremlin welcomed a potential peace plan floated on Twitter by billionaire Elon Musk, whereby Ukraine would cede Crimea, allow new referendums on Russian-occupied land and agree to neutrality. It is very positive that somebody like Elon Musk is looking for a peaceful way out of this situation, said Peskov of the plan, which was denounced by Kyiv as an effective reward for Moscows invasion. SOURCE: REUTERS President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraines military had made major, rapid advances against Russian forces in the past week, taking back dozens of towns in regions in the south and east that Russia has declared annexed. This week alone, since the Russian pseudo-referendum, dozens of population centres have been liberated. These are in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions all together, he said in a Tuesday night address. Russia moved to annex those regions after holding what it called referendums over several days from Sept. 23 votes that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. Russian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed their annexation last Friday. Zelenskiy named eight small towns in Kherson in the south as recently having been recaptured. Reuters could not independently verify his statements.A video released by the Ukraine defence ministry appeared to show the Ukrainian flag being raised over one of those communities, Davydiv Brid, in Kherson. Ukrainian forces retook several villages in an advance along the strategic Dnipro River on Monday, Ukrainian officials and a Russian-backed leader in the area said. In the east, Ukrainian forces have been expanding an offensive after capturing the main Russian bastion in the north of Donetsk, the town of Lyman.Russian forces in the Donetsk and Kherson regions have been forced to retreat in recent days and appear to be struggling to halt an increasingly Western-equipped Ukrainian army. In some areas of the front line it was possible to extend the area we hold from between 10 to 20 km, the southern Operational Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) said on Wednesday. Russian forces were destroying their reserves of ammunition and trying to destroy bridges and crossings in order to slow the Ukrainian advance, the UAF said in its daily report. In Kherson, withdrawing Russian forces were planting mines on infrastructure facilities and in homes, it said. In the past 24 hours, Russia had lost 31 servicemen, more than 40 pieces of equipment, including eight tanks, 26 armoured vehicles, and a large calibre howitzer, it said. RUSSIAN ESCALATIONPutin had been expected to sign on Tuesday evening a law formally annexing the four Ukrainian regions. They represent about 18% of Ukraines territory, and Kyiv and its Western allies annexation say is illegal and will not be recognised. Russia does not fully control any of the four regions it claims Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south and the Kremlin has said it had yet to determine the borders of the annexed territory. Russia has escalated its seven-month war with the annexation drive, a military mobilisation and warnings of a possible recourse to nuclear weapons to protect its territory. Moscow hopes a partial mobilisation it announced two weeks ago can help reverse a series of battlefield setbacks. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency on Tuesday as saying that Russia had so far called up more than 200,000 reservists out of a planned 300,000 men. Many Russian men have fled the country rather than fight in Ukraine, however, and Russian lawyers say they are working flat out to advise men who want to avoid being drafted. Russian defence ministry maps presented on Tuesday appeared to show rapid withdrawals of Russian forces from areas in eastern and southern Ukraine where they have been under severe pressure from the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The ministrys daily video briefing made no mention of any pullbacks, but on maps used to show the location of purported Russian strikes, the shaded area designating Russian military control was much smaller than the day before. On the eastern front, Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed leader in Donetsk, said Russian forces were building a serious line of defence around the city of Kreminna after being pushed back. U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO MEET U.S. President Joe Biden told Zelenskiy in a call that the United States would provide Ukraine with $625 million in new security assistance, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers. Biden also reiterated that the United States would never recognise Russias annexation of Ukrainian territory. Earlier, the European Union also rejected Moscows illegal annexation and urged it to unconditionally withdraw its troops. Russias ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said in a social media post that the U.S. decision to send more military aid to Ukraine posed a threat to Russias interests and increased the risk of a military clash between Russia and the West. The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote next week on a draft resolution denouncing Russias action, diplomats said. Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last week. In a decree on Tuesday, Zelenskiy formally declared any talks with Putin impossible, while leaving the door open to talks with Moscow if it got a new leader. The Kremlin said that what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine would not end if Kyiv ruled out talks, adding that it takes two sides to negotiate. SOURCE: REUTERS Thomas Bradford of Detroit, Michigan was a spiritualist who was such a believer in the afterlife that he killed himself to prove it. So in 1921, he placed an ad in the newspaper seeking an assistant for an experiment in "spiritualistic science." A respected writer from a prominent area family, Ruth Doran listened to Bradford explain that "there was but one way to solve the mystery [of the afterlife]two minds properly attuned, one of which must shed its earthly mantle." She agreed and promised that after his death, she'd hold seances and keep her ears (and mind) open for messages from the great beyond. Apparently with great confidence, Bradford extinguished his heater's pilot light and sat in his room until the gas did him in. From Mysterious Universe: An investigation was launched, and although Doran was at first seen as highly suspicious or at the very least complicit in the death, it would be ruled a suicide and she would claim that she had not seriously believed Bradford would actually go through with it [] Doran did her part, dutifully keeping constant vigil and holding regular seances, but there was no response from Bradford. As Doran kept trying, a psychic medium by the name of Lulu Mack came forward to claim that she had been contacted by Bradford when he called out to her during a seance and said his name. Mack, who claimed that she had never heard of Bradford before that, explained that he had indeed been strenulously trying to communicate from the other side, but that his spirit was too weak because he had died of a suicide. She said that he was only in "the first sphere of the heavenly constellation," so she was getting only garbled messages from Bradford, but she would not be able to fully understand what he was trying to say until he strengthened his spirit by reaching a different "heavenly altitude," a process that she said could take years. Eventually, Doran herself felt that Bradford had contacted her and she enlisted a whole group of spiritualists to help receive his message. Bradford reportedly delivered the following message which unfortunately would be his last: I am the professor who speaks to you from the Beyond. I have broken through the veil. The help of the living has greatly assisted me. I simply went to sleep. I woke up and at first did not realize that I had passed on. I find no great change apparent. I expected things to be much different. They are not. Human forms are retained in outline but not in the physical. I have not traveled far. I am still much in the darkness. I see many people. They appear natural. There is a lightness of responsibility here unlike in life. One feels full of rapture and happiness. Persons of like natures associate. I am associated with other investigators. I do not repent my act. My present plane is but the first series. I am still investigating the future planes regarding which we in this plane are as ignorant as are earthly beings of the life just beyond human life. "The Time a Spiritualist Killed Himself to Prove a Life After Death" (Mysterious Universe) Gardai and the Irish government have jointly launched a public awareness campaign on the risks of phishing and ransomware attacks. Launched yesterday (October 4) by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee alongside Minister of State Oisian Smyth and Assistant Commissioner Paul Cleary, the campaign includes public events hosted by local Crime Prevention Officers focusing on the risk online crime poses for small and medium businesses, and for the elderly. The campaign is part of the European Cyber Security Month in October to address the growth in cyber-attacks. To help prevent attacks, Gardai recommend updating software regularly including antivirus and system updates, avoiding insecure public wifi, changing log-on credentials regularly, keeping personal and work data separate, securely backing up data regularly, and reporting hacking to employers and/or Gardai. The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and the National Cyber Security Centre have noticed an increase in ransomware attacks against small and medium businesses. Many of these attacks are launched through infected email attachments or phishing email which link to fraudulent websites that are used to download malicious software (malware) onto the targeted computer. The European Cyber Security Month 2022 programme was launched today. The themes of this years programme are ransomware and phishing. At the launch event the speakers outlined the rise in these types of attacks and how online users can best protect themselves from cyber attacks. pic.twitter.com/rSt4h7v6iK Garda Info (@gardainfo) October 4, 2022 According to Gardai, phishing attacks occur when you receive an email that looks like it is from your bank, a supplier or another official agency. The email tells you that your account is locked, that you are due a tax refund or that a package is delayed and that you have to click on the link to unlock the account, the refund of the package for delivery. Clicking on the link brings you to a copy of the banks site or the webpage belonging to the supplier and a request to enter private or banking details. If you supply these, they will likely be used to commit fraud or sold online. If you receive an email of this type, DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK in the email; instead, delete the email and ignore it. If you still are unsure, you can telephone the bank, the supplier or the company mentioned in the email. A number of webinars will be hosted by Ibec and the Citizens Information Board throughout the month. For more information, click here. The Republic of Ireland womens national team is urging women to be aware of the signs of breast cancer. According to Breast Cancer Ireland, symptoms include puckering of the skin of the breast, a lump in the breast or armpit, dimpling of the nipple or nipple retraction, an enlargement of the glands, unusual swelling in the armpit, and the unusual increase in the size of one breast. Ireland WNT captain, Katie McCabe, said: It is so important that all women are fully aware of the need to be educated about breast cancer and to ensure that they are going for regular checks in order to tackle it. All of the players and staff involved with the Ireland Womens National Team are passionate about raising awareness of breast cancer because it is something that affects so many women. With over 20% of women diagnosed with breast cancer being between the ages of 20-50 years, Kate is encouraging all women from the age of 20 upwards to be aware. She continued: "We would like to encourage all women from the age of 20 upwards to learn all about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer by downloading Breast Cancer Irelands Breast Aware app and not being afraid to go for a check-up. Brilliant to see Ireland WNT work with @BreastCancerIre to raise awareness Such an important issue for women to be aware of Find out more https://t.co/0AWmjhD54O#BreastCancer | #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/r7MQ70TIWv FAI Women (@FAIWomen) October 5, 2022 Overall, 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer in the course of their lifetime, as well as 1 in 1000 men. CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland, Aisling Hurley, commented: "We are thrilled to see the support of the Ireland Women's National Team for our education and awareness drive this Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This aligns perfectly with the launch of this year's MakeTime2Check campaign which encourages women (and men!) of all ages to learn the eight most common signs and symptoms of the disease and even more importantly to make the time to check themselves regularly, as early detection saves lives. "The high profile of the members of the WNT and their willingness to help us share these messages is wonderful to see, and we are very appreciative of their efforts in helping us to turn the tide on this disease." For further information on the eight signs and symptoms of breast cancer, click here. Failure to educate young people about pornography and its effects leaves the sexual education of the next generation in the violent and misogynistic hands of the porn industry, a teacher has warned. The Minister of Education has been urged to speed up the proposed changes to the sex education curriculum for schools. Eoghan Cleary, an English and drama teacher at Temple Carrig Secondary School in Co Wicklow, told an event hosted by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) that young peoples expectations of sex is skewed. Minister for Education Norma Foley, who attended the event, heard how students are turning to the porn industry for their sex education. Mr Cleary devised a gender studies programme at his school in response to what he said was a lack of understanding to consent, misogyny and toxic masculinity. The BodyRight programme, developed by the DRCC, enables students to explore social conditioning with regards personality, behaviour, education, careers, relationships, and sex. When it came to sex, what the students assumed was expected of them because of their gender was so obviously and universally influenced by porn, that I immediately redeveloped the programme to be one to focus on porn literacy, he said. Since implementing both of these programme, the culture of our school has been slowly but steadily affected by them. Our students, from third year on, are fluent in their understanding of consent, how to ask for it, how to give it, how to withhold it, what the law says about it, and how to practically figure out what they are comfortable consenting to, as well as being able to support someone who has experienced an unwanted sexual interaction. More than half of our students reported actively using porn, a quarter of our male students using it more than once a day. Lets be clear, they are not passably watching it. They are actively using it. Those who use it report that they rely on it to know what theyre expected to do in a sexual interaction, and how theyre expected to do it. Our students currently have 24 hour access in their classrooms, in their bedrooms to the most violent, degrading and misogynistic video content available in the world. Their expectations of how they are meant to act and behave in sexual encounters is so skewed. I have a very detailed list of the expectations that they have fed back to me, many of them based on the boys belief that they are expected to demonstrate dominance, and the girls understanding that they are meant to behave in a submissive and compliant manner. The specifics of this list would be shocking to most of you, as the negative focus on unhealthy, extremely violent and toxic harmful attitudes and behaviours is undeniable. He said that without such programmes in schools, there is nothing to challenge these expectations. Mr Cleary told the event that students are shocked and angered that the Department of Education has not revised its curriculum on sex education sooner. They are shocked that this is the first time they are being taught about something so vitally important to their well being, he added. They are angry that no one has protected them and their sexual conditioning throughout their childhood. He said these types of programmes need to be embedded in the national curriculum and delivered by trained teachers. If we continue to allow primary and secondary school children to access the internet in the unfettered manner that smartphones enable, without any kind of regulation, effective legislation, or at the very least some education about pornography and its effects on their brains and their future sex lives, we are leaving the sexual education as well as the sexual conditioning of the next generation of Irish children in the increasingly violent and misogynistic hands of the porn industry, he added. The event was held to launch the DRCC annual report and statistical supplement 2021. DRCC chief executive Noeline Blackwell also urged the minister to speed up the changes within schools. Every single year that passes without this makes our heart sink because theres another class that has started that wont hear what needs to be heard, that will leave school without knowing what they need to know, Ms Blackwell added. So we will continue to be really impatient for the change. Ms Foley said said that access to sexual and health education is an important right for students. A review of the current curriculum by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment identified areas that required improvement. This updated specification places a strong focus on the development of important life skills that young people need growing up in a fast-changing and indeed, I would say complex world, Ms Foley said. It recognises the very significant changes which have taken place in young peoples lives since the current specification was developed. It is absolutely grounded in an approach that is positive, holistic, student-centred, inclusive and age and developmentally appropriate. The new Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the Department of Health is urging the public to be prepared for winter amid an increase in Covid-19 infections. Professor Breda Smyth, who was today (October 5) appointed by the Minister for Health following open competition for the role, made the call as 405 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Irish hospitals this morning. It marks an increase of 23% from 329 cases last week and a 74% increase compared to the week prior. According to the Department of Health, not all Covid-19 cases in hospital have been admitted due to Covid-19 infection, however each Covid positive patient reportedly adds to hospital system strain heading into the busy winter period. Stay well by being prepared for winter amid the current rise in #COVID19 infection in the community. This is a great opportunity to top-up the protection COVID-19 vaccines offer while also receiving protection from the flu virus. https://t.co/vC4BaQPAAE Chief Medical Officer (@CMOIreland) October 5, 2022 The majority (70%) of cases hospitalised for Covid-19 were aged 65 years and older as of September 27 2022; of these, more than 1 in 4 had not completed their primary Covid-19 vaccine course and approximately 2 in 5 had not yet received any booster vaccine. The Department is encouraging people to keep up-to-date with vaccine schedules and to take a booster dose as soon as eligible. Professor Smyth was officially appointed as Chief Medical Officer by Minister Stephen Donnelly after serving as interim CMO since July of this year. Speaking about the news, she said, "This is a very proud day for me and my family. I am delighted to accept this role and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Department of Health, and across our health and social care service to promote and protect public health and the health and wellbeing of the population of Ireland. "The Chief Medical Officer has a primary role in implementing cross-government initiatives like Healthy Ireland and Slaintecare and I am excited by the challenge ahead. I am keen to use my term as Chief Medical Officer to support greater engagement with marginalised groups in society and address inequities in health by supporting the departments work in improving the affordability and quality of our health service." Ireland has no time to lose to achieve its sustainable development goals, the Taoiseach has said. Micheal Martin said progress has been knocked off-course by conflict and the pandemic in recent years. He added that those who bear the least responsibility climate change often end up the worst affected as a result. The Fianna Fail leader made the comments at the launch of the Governments new National Implementation Plan for the Sustainable Development Goals 2022-2024. Speaking at Government Buildings, Mr Martin said: Conflict, including war in Europe, and the despicable weaponisation of food and energy are adding yet further challenges to robust and sustainable progress. The devastating impacts of the climate crisis are being felt today on every continent, bringing increased human misery, displacement, loss of opportunity and conflict. Often those who bear the least responsibility and who have the least protection end up the worst affected. And against this difficult backdrop, progress towards achieving a number of these sustainable development problems has been knocked off course. Were not where we would wish to be, for example, on hunger, on dire poverty and on gender equality. And so, along the lessons of the past few years, is that progress is not guaranteed, and is not always linear. He added: The only way to deliver a more secure, sustainable and fair island and global community for future generations is to maintain and restate our ambition now and value ourselves once more to achieve each and every one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new plan sets out five strategic objectives and 51 actions, with 119 individual measures, to increase Irelands ambition and strengthen implementation structures to achieve the SDGs. It was developed in collaboration with all Government departments and key stakeholders, and based on input from two public consultation processes held over the last year. Agreed by all 193 United Nations member states, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs represent the international communitys road map towards a safer, fairer, more prosperous and sustainable world. Mr Martin described it as the imperative and agreed route to where we need to be and there is no time to lose to achieve the targets. The Tanaiste said the world had become a very different place since the 17 goals were adopted by UN member states in 2015 but they remain just as relevant today as they did then, even if the way we go about achieving that might be different. Leo Varadkar added: The 2030 agenda is a compelling call to action, challenging each and every one of us. The goals are inter-dependent and we need to ensure that we achieve them across Government. Environment Minister Eamon Ryan said that Ireland, like many countries across the globe, is living in times of unprecedented crisis. Were still dealing with the impact of Covid-19, we are facing record-breaking pressures on our planet from climate change, biodiversity loss, and we now face the global fallout from Russias war on Ukraine. Access to food and fertiliser is being affected and the possibility of hunger is a very real threat again, to many across the world, this year. The Sustainable Development Goals offer a blueprint to forge a more united and coherent way forward. They provide us with a framework to tackle the interlinked crises facing society today. Mr Ryan added: The SDGs must be achieved for everyone if they are to be achieved at all. The plan will be implemented by all Government departments with each minister having specific responsibility for introducing SDG targets. The launch of the plan was complemented by the publication of an updated SDG policy map, which identifies the lead department for each of the 169 SDG targets and maps them against national policies. The Irish Government can do more to look after Troubles victims living in the state, a former minister has said. Charlie Flanagan said there were gaps in the system when it came to catering for the needs of those injured or bereaved in the conflict. The former justice and foreign affairs minister was commenting after attending a weekend service for victims in Clones, Co Monaghan. The event was dedicated to what organisers described as hidden victims of the Troubles in the Republic of Ireland. Families of murdered gardai attended the service, as did bereaved relatives of civilians killed in terrorist attacks such as the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. At the event, organised by South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF), some victims called for more state recognition of their loss, claiming their needs had been overlooked for decades. Mr Flanagan said he was very pleased to have attended the service. I think that there is more work we can do on this side of the border in terms of looking after our victims, he said. I have been in touch with Taoiseach Micheal Martin, I have spoken to senior officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs. And, yes, I do believe that there are gaps in the system. Speaking to the PA news agency at an event in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Wednesday, the Fine Gael TD noted that former tanaiste, the late John Wilson, had examined issues around victims needs through a commission set up by the Irish government in the late 1990s. Much of that work was actually stood down and it seemingly expired during the early years of this century, he said. I believe its important that we review that and we revisit that because there are circumstances of hardship and suffering that we need to be aware of. He added: There are a relatively small number of survivors of Troubles-related issues here in the Republic. But that shouldnt detract from the level of suffering and the need to ensure that they are fully catered for in terms of health, in terms of welfare. And I have asked that a senior officials group across a range of government departments be convened, involving officials in the Department of Public Expenditure, in the Department of Justice, in the Department of Health, in the Department of Welfare and in the Department of Foreign Affairs to see how best this small number can be dealt with, because I believe they have a justifiable grievance. Mr Flanagan was minister of foreign affairs when the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland parties designed a series of mechanisms for dealing with the legacy of the Troubles in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement. The UK Government has since stepped away from that agreement and is putting legislation through Parliament that would establish a very different model, including an offer of immunity from prosecution for some individuals suspected of Troubles crimes. Mr Flanagan reiterated the Irish Governments opposition to the UK proposals. During the course of the Stormont House Agreement in 2014 I said that the Irish government will not be found wanting, he said. We see at the moment unilateral action on the part of the British Government changing the framework of the Stormont House Agreement in a way that I dont believe is satisfactory. I want changes there. Amid weeks of debate over election investigations . . . This news tidbit reminds us that the election concerns shouldn't be so casually dismissed. Here's the sitch . . . "County officials say they're looking into the impact, if any, on data related to Johnson County election workers" Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Johnson County learns of arrest related to election worker management software it uses Johnson County, Kansas, officials said they were notified Tuesday of an arrest that's related to software the election office uses for its election worker management system.The county said in a statement that it learned that the Los Angeles County District Attorney arrested an executive with Konnech Corporation as part of an investigation into the possible theft of personal identifying information of election workers. Johnson County reviewing whether election workers' personal information was compromised KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After the arrest of an executive with Konnech Corporation in Los Angeles County, Johnson County officials are looking into whether the information of election workers was compromised. A spokesperson for Johnson County said the county uses PollChief as its election worker management system. Konnech Corporation distributes and sells PollChief. Developing . . . Over the weekend there were so many deadly instances of violence that we lost count of the 2022 numbers. Thankfully, there was a blessed pause in the killing that allowed us to catch up. Right now the latest update from KCPD reveals the current homicide count is127. That's an 8.54% increase over last year at this date. And let's not forget 2021 was the 2nd highest year for homicides in KCMO history with 157 at year's end. Sadly, we're on pace to exceed that total. Accordingly . . . Tonight we take a glimpse at local crime news from throughout the metro and pray that the better angels of our neighbors help to reduce the level of killing in KCMO and throughout the nation. Check TKC news gathering . . . 1 person suffers life-threatening injuries in shooting near 28th Street in KCMO KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One person suffered life-threatening injuries in a shooting Monday night in Kansas City, Missouri. The shooting was reported around 9:40 p.m. on Monday. Police responded to the scene of east 28th Street near Montgall Avenue. This story will be updated as additional information is available. Kansas City highway closed after police try to stop suspected carjacker KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Part of a metro highway is closed over the noon hour after police tried to stop a suspected carjacking suspect. Kansas City police said they received information that a car connected to a carjacking in Kansas City, Kansas, could be in south Kansas City. Gladstone police searching for driver who crashed stolen car into house GLADSTONE, Mo. - The Gladstone Police Department is searching for a driver who fled the scene after crashing a stolen vehicle into a home. The crash happened in the 200 block of NW 59th Terrace and caused extensive damage to the home and the vehicle. Police said the suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. Man killed in shooting Tuesday at KCK apartment building KMBC file image SOURCE: KMBC file image A man was killed in a shooting Tuesday at an apartment building in Kansas City, Kansas, police said.Authorities said officers were called just before noon to the apartments in the 400 block of Troup Avenue and found a man dead in an apartment. Niko Quinn spent 30 years trying to tell the truth about a double murder in Kansas City, Kansas Chapter 1: Niko Quinn's Truth. After watching her cousin get murdered in 1994, Niko Quinn was one of two eyewitnesses who sent Lamonte McIntyre to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Quinn says then-Kansas City, Kansas, police detective Roger Golubski pressured her into making false testimony, and she's been trying to "make it right" ever since. 61-year-old charged in deadly stabbing in Kansas City's Northeast KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A 61-year-old man is facing charges in a deadly stabbing over the weekend in Kansas City's historic Northeast. David Cornell has been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in Jackson County. On Saturday, Kansas City police were called to the area of Gladstone Boulevard and Independence Avenue and found 31-year-old James Fisher injured outside a home. 2 men claim they were wrongfully convicted because of ex-KCK detective's role in case Two men said they were wrongfully convicted because of a former Kansas City, Kansas, police detective's role in their case.Roger Golubski was charged with abuse of power and sexual assault in September.Brian Betts and Celester McKinney are in prison for the 1997 murder of Gregory Miller.It's why members of the group More2 rallied Tuesday in Kansas City, Kansas. Missouri Supreme Court will not discipline former Jackson County prosecutor JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A former prosecutor will not be disciplined by the Missouri Supreme Court. Amy McGowan is a former Jackson County prosecutor. The Missouri Supreme Court heard oral arguments on whether she violated the rules of professional conduct and if her law license should be suspended indefinitely. Handgun found in Park Hill School District student's belongings at Plaza Middle School The families of Plaza Middle School students received a troubling message from the Park Hill School District on Tuesday. A letter emailed to parents from the school's principal, Adrian Singletary, informed them that the building was placed under lockdown after a gun was found in a student's belongings. Former Kansas City police chief hired as consultant for another Missouri city ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - An embattled former Kansas City, Missouri, police chief is helping a nearby community as it searches for its next police chief. A spokesperson confirmed the St. Joseph City Council will pay former Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith $250/hour for consulting services. Developing . . . Right now we bring word of one more amenity moving out of the reach of low-income consumers. Sure, we love capitalism just as much as anybody broke-ass slob . . . But even the most strident advocates for biz uber alles can't really explain how the current monetary scheme accounts for the White House turning money into confetti with help from most corporate rulers. Don't ask TKC for advice . . . Macroeconomics beyond sea shell trading confuses this basement blogger. Instead . . . We take a quick peek at a doggie luxury hotel in the metro . . . Because this kind of thing TOTALLY makes sense as the rate of homelessness spikes across the nation . . . "They don't groom or give shots - it's all about play and sleep. The rooms have dehumidifiers, evening music, and ventilation with UV disinfection technology." And so we contrast doggie luxury with another reason why Summer vacations were so short for the working poor this year . . . "When contrasted with the pre-Covid levels of 2019, rates for the most affordable double room in Kansas City are about 63% higher." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Luxury dog hotel opens in south Overland Park Monday was opening day for a new luxury dog hotel. K9 Resorts is located off U.S. 69 Highway and 135th street.There's no spa, but they have just about everything else. Carrara marble at the check-in desk. They have music just for dogs and when you're in one of the luxury suites, TV for dogs as well.Dogs seem to like the place. Kansas City now has 8th-most expensive hotel rooms in America - Kansas City Business Journal Kansas City ranks among the most expensive U.S. cities for hotel accommodations, according to a new survey. With an average rate of $208 per night for the cheapest available double room, the City of Fountains ranks No. 8 on Cheaphotels.org's report of the nation's most expensive city destinations in 2022. Developing . . . Culture war and open hostility toward law enforcement persist according to a recent Kansas City Star report . . . For the record . . . We don't know anything that Chief is guilty of . . . And any credible investigation in the United States doesn't start with the presumption of guilt. However . . . This report features a politically charged attack for reasons that aren't clarified beyond a federal inquiry that was launched AFTER the former Chief exited the department. Here's the newspaper's side of the story . . . Embattled former Kansas City Police Chief Rick Smith is no longer under contract to advise the city of St. Joseph Police Department after the Department of Justice launched an investigation into the KCPD, prompting community concerns with Smiths qualifications in St. Joseph. Drew H. Brown, Sr. treasurer of the local NAACP unit in St. Joseph, about 55 miles north of Kansas City, said he learned about the contract with Smith at an NAACP meeting last Tuesday. Brown, who subscribes to The Star and has kept up with news regarding KCPD and Smith, was upset. Frankly I was outraged, Brown said. Of all the people in the world, why him? Hes spoiled meat. Hes tainted. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . The Syracuse region is celebrating a blockbuster project coming its way: Micron Technology plans to invest $100 billion over a 20-year period on a semiconductor manufacturing plant that is expected to create 9,000 jobs. It is the type of breakthrough development long envisioned for a business park in a rural setting not far from Buffalo, in Genesee County. As big semiconductor plant heads to Syracuse, STAMP site in Genesee County misses out again The project is expected to create as many as 9,000 jobs over the next two decades at the White Pine Commerce Park in Clay. But so far, that site the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park, known as STAMP hasnt reeled in a big semiconductor fish. Last year, Samsung decided to build a $17 billion semiconductor plant in central Texas, with the Genesee County site considered a contender for it. And while Micron chose upstate New York for its project, the company opted for a site just over 100 miles down the Thruway in Clay. Samsung reportedly chooses Texas for chip plant Genesee County economic development officials had hoped to persuade the South Korean electronics giant to instead build the project at the Science Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park known as STAMP in the Town of Alabama. So how can Western New York secure a mega-development like Microns, rather than end up a runner-up? Economic development specialists say STAMP boasts access to workers in two metro areas, resources including water and power and nearby academic institutions. But the site still faces the challenge of sealing the deal with a company in the semiconductor industry, in the face of stiff competition from other parts of the country. Critics of STAMP see its location as a liability. The business park is an isolated spot in the Town of Alabama, about four miles north of the Thruway, with few amenities around it and incomplete infrastructure. But promoters of STAMP cite its location as an asset. It is outside Batavia, between Buffalo and Rochester, capable of drawing workers from two major metro areas. STAMP has ample land and access to low-cost hydropower. STAMP also has access to water from Lake Ontario, an ingredient vital to semiconductor manufacturing. Syracuse.com reported that Micron's project could consume as much as 10 million gallons of water per day, enough to supply a village or town. To add factory jobs, it takes space. And there isn't enough of it Business recruiters can pitch manufacturers on the appeal of the Buffalo Niagara region's workforce, quality of life and universities. But it is hard to seal the deal if there is nowhere for a company to get up and running quickly. Chip competition Alabama Town Supervisor Robert Crossen said he believes there are practical reasons the Genesee County site wasnt as good a fit for Micron. I believe they looked at our site," Crossen said. "We just did not have enough available land for them. While the STAMP site is about 1,250 acres, portions of it are covered with woods and wetlands and, therefore, are unsuitable for development. Crossen said he believes the single-largest construction-ready portion is about 400 acres, and even that requires the re-routing of power lines. John Boyd, a site selection specialist, said every company does its own evaluation of a site like STAMP, and determines whether that location fits its particular needs. "Another company may view the STAMP site as a way to sort of be more remote and view that as a positive," said Boyd, principal of the Florida-based Boyd Co. "But that is a challenge." Tom Kucharski, CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara, which recruits companies to the region, said sites outside of metro areas appeal to chip manufacturers, which want to protect their high-tech operations from vibrations. "You can't be near a rail line," he said. "You can't be near airports." Plug Power starts construction of $290M project in Genesee County State and local officials hope Plug Power getting shovels in the dirt is just the beginning of development at the 1,250-acre STAMP site. Laying the groundwork While STAMP hasn't landed a semiconductor manufacturer, the park does have its first tenant: Plug Power, which is building a $250 million "green hydrogen" plant. Although on a much smaller scale than Microns, Plug Powers project has kick-started development of a site that for years struggled to gain traction. Back in 2015, a company called 1366 Technologies announced plans to open a factory at STAMP that would create 600 jobs over the first five years. 1366 Technologies intended to make solar energy products at the location. But the project was scrapped in 2018, after the company failed to secure the federal loan guarantees it needed to finance the project. Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, said he met with Microns CEO about four years ago to discuss its project. The size of the project at the time made it a good potential fit, Hyde said, but as it grew immensely in scale, it far outstripped the planned utility capacity at the STAMP site. Landing projects of that size requires a significant investment in infrastructure, as Onondaga County did with the $225 million spent at the Micron site, Hyde said. The state has allocated $52.3 million to help prepare STAMP for development, including investing in water and power capacity into the property, according to the GCEDC. In addition, Plug Power is spending $55 million on an electric substation, which will also benefit future tenants. STAMP also has smaller developable parcels, with the largest at 500 acres, and others at 80 or 100 acres, Hyde said. Plug Power, for example, is taking 56 acres. Prospect hunting Hyde said nothing is certain, but the STAMP site is in the running for 20 projects, six of them semiconductor operations, worth a combined $45 billion and promising a possible 25,000 future jobs. It's the most competitive part of economic development in the world, you know, Hyde said. This is big game hunting, business attraction. You've got to make the investments up front, or you're always chasing the bus. Assemblyman Steve Hawley, R-Batavia, said STAMP wasnt seriously in the running for the Micron chip plant because it lacks the infrastructure required for the project. But Hawley said the prospects looking at STAMP, combined with the Plug Power project, are fueling optimism about development at the long-available site. There is, of course, some trepidation and doubt that it will ever come to fruition, Hawley said. But with this Plug Power, and the other 20 active participants looking at this site, I'm very, very hopeful that it'll be occurring within the not-too-distant future. Boyd said even though Micron chose Clay, he doesn't believe that knocks STAMP out of contention for a large-scale chip project of its own. There will be other major chip projects out there that will be looking at the STAMP site in the months ahead, he said. And Boyd thinks STAMP can take advantage of Micron's mammoth development. The most obvious immediate way it helps is to get a supplier or a vendor for Micron that would view the STAMP site as being proximate, he said. Sites such as STAMP benefit from Micron choosing the Syracuse area in another way, by drawing more attention from the industry to upstate, Boyd said. "This will be a platform for that site to really be the next winner in the battle for chip production. This Micron project now puts New York front and center with the chip industry, given the size and importance of this." Central Texas and Arizona remain hotbeds for the semiconductor industry. But Boyd said there is interest within the industry in spreading new semiconductor operations around the country, to ensure adequate labor and for national security reasons. Newly approved federal legislation championed by Sen. Charles Schumer will make it more affordable for Micron to establish operations in higher-cost locations such as New York state, Boyd said. Micron is expected to take advantage of those incentives when they become available next year. Drawing interest As the Buffalo and Rochester regions and Genesee County promote STAMP, Kucharski said six or seven companies connected to the semiconductor industry considering the site have signed nondisclosure agreements, indicating serious interest. "They're projects," he said. "They're not casual inquiries." It is also a sign of the development plan that could emerge at STAMP, Kucharski said. "It would not be untrue to say that if STAMP was eventually to become a supplier park to the emerging semiconductor industry, it could have more job creation and investment than actually landing a (fabricator)." Kucharski said all of upstate stands to gain when a semiconductor manufacturer chooses New York state. "When you do something like Micron or Wolfspeed in Utica a couple years ago, it's going to take the entire state and then some to come up how we're going to be able to attract suppliers, distributors, prefab, all the labor that's going to be necessary," he said. Hard times persist for our neighbors and this recent discovery is far more dire than "taco trail" attractions. Take a peek . . . "Health officials said the person with monkeypox is isolated at home. The KDHE has contacted people who may have been exposed to the patient." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . Wyandotte County announces first-known case of monkeypox The Unified Government Public Health Department of Wyandotte County announced the county's first-known case of monkeypox. Health workers said in a news release that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment confirmed the positive case.Health officials said the person with monkeypox is isolated at home. Wyandotte County announces 1st confirmed monkeypox case KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Health officials in Wyandotte County confirmed the first known case of monkeypox Tuesday afternoon. The Unified Government Public Health Department in Kansas City, Kansas, announced the case around 3 p.m., but noted that the risk to the general public is "low at this time." Developing . . . The average annual rent for condo rentals and apartments increased in Sept. 2022 in Mississauga, Brampton and Toronto, according to Rentals.ca and Bullpen Research & Consultings latest National Rent Report. Former Toronto mayor Art Eggleton, the longest serving mayor of the former city (prior to amalgamation), will join several other former city mayors to discuss the new "strong mayor" system. - Toronto Star file photo Spying and lying: Ben Macintyre on the importance of being able to keep track and his new book Prisoners of the Castle A Clarence-based manufacturer of industrial gaskets, seals and O-rings is expanding its facility with more back-office and warehouse space after landing a major client with big orders. Eight years after it nearly doubled the size of its facility, Seal & Design wants to add about 3,200 square feet to its complex. The company, which employs 113 at salaries of $35,000 to $100,000, plans to add 15 full-time and three part-time workers. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. It intends to renovate 1,600 square feet of existing space for its production managers and production engineering staff so they can work more efficiently in operating the plant and managing larger projects, while also adding a 1,650-square-foot lunch room and 1,500 square feet of storage. It's asking the Clarence Industrial Development Agency to support the $1.475 million expansion project with $35,000 in sales tax breaks and even more valuable property breaks. The Clarence IDA will hold a public hearing on the application at 8:25 a.m. Oct. 20 in Clarence Town Hall. Founded in 1988 and owned by President Dean S. Penman, Seal & Design makes gaskets and seals for the aerospace, HVAC, automotive, industrial pump, electrical and medical industries. The company said it has received larger orders from an auto battery manufacturer that will generate 5% growth in sales over the next three years. To handle that growth, it needs to add staff and enhance its management offices, while stocking more products in-house. "If the project is not financially assisted by the Clarence IDA, it will slow growth at the facility," potentially resulting in the loss of that larger customer because Seal & Design would be constrained on space and efficiency. Located at 4015 Casilio Parkway, the current facility was built in 1996, with 15,000 square feet for office space, warehouse and manufacturing. The company added 18,000 square feet of additional storage and production space in 2002, another 11,000 in 2011 and then 40,000 in 2015. Project costs include $750,000 for the additions, $250,000 for the renovation, $400,000 for furniture and fixtures, and $75,000 in professional fees. About 62% of the overall cost is for the office space. Funding includes $1.35 million in company equity. The project already has received municipal site plan approval, and officials hope to start work in early November, and finish by the end of March. A team from the FBI's training and research center in Virginia has rescheduled a visit to Buffalo to assist the probe into a suspected firebombing at the CompassCare anti-abortion center in Eggertsville, according to the company. The group of investigators had been scheduled to come in from the FBI facility at Quantico, Va., on Sept. 30 to help local agents and Amherst police analyze surveillance video from the June 7 arson at CompassCare's crisis pregnancy center, 1230 Eggert Road, but the agency canceled on Sept. 19 without explanation, CEO James Harden told The Buffalo News last month. The FBI in Buffalo has declined comment on the investigation. Harden said he recently received a call informing him the visit is back on for Oct. 18. "My reaction is that they're feigning interest because of all the pressure they're getting," said Harden, who has said he believes authorities have enough evidence to bring charges in the arson at CompassCare as well as in acts of vandalism at other anti-abortion centers nationally. The Ukrainian Defense Forces have destroyed a Russian S-300 air defense missile system near the Zaporizhzhia regions city of Tokmak. The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The enemy is trying to hold the temporarily occupied areas, focusing efforts on attempts to disrupt the Ukrainian Armys active actions in certain directions, continues offensive actions in the Bakhmut direction and the Avdiivka direction. In certain areas, Russian troops are regrouping. Russian invaders are opening fire on Ukrainian positions all over the contact line, carrying out remote mining operations and conducting air reconnaissance. The enemy is launching strikes on civil infrastructure and residential areas, violating international humanitarian law, and the laws and customs of war. The threat of air and missile strikes is persisting all over Ukraine. On October 4, 2022, Russian occupiers launched nine missile strikes and six air strikes on Ukraines territory, and used multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) over 56 times. Over 27 Ukrainian settlements came under enemy fire, including Kharkiv, Shypuvate, Kramatorsk, Bakhmut, Maiorsk, Huliaipole, Zaliznychne, Andriivka, Bilohirka, Voznesensk and Prydniprovske. In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the situation remained rather unchanged. In other directions, Russian troops opened fire as follows: in the Siverskyi direction with cannon artillery, near such settlements as the Sumy regions Pysarivka and Holyshivske; in the Slobozhanskyi direction with tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery, near Hraniv, Ohirtseve, Hatyshche, Vovchansk and Bilyi Kolodiaz; in the Kramatorsk direction with mortars, cannon and rocket artillery, near Bilohorivka, Serebrianka and Spirne; in the Bakhmut direction near Soledar, Bakhmut, Bakhmutske, Odradivka, Zaitseve, Opytne, Yakovlivka and Yurivka. In the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian troops used tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery to open fire on over 24 settlements, including Avdiivka, Vodiane, Marinka, Novopil, Olhivske and Pervomaiske. In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders used tanks, mortars, cannon and rocket artillery to strike such settlements as Vyshchetarasivka, Dobra Nadiia, Illinka, Marhanets, Chervonohryhorivka, Nikopol, Pokrovske, Velyke Artakove, Andriivka, Stepova Dolyna, Bezimenne, Myrne, Luch, Shyroke, Bilohirka and Lozove. Over the past day, Ukrainian defenders have repelled enemy attacks near such settlements as Strilecha, Zelene, Maiorsk, Spirne, Zaitseve, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Kurdiumivka, Novomykhailivka and Vuhledar. When retreating from the Kherson regions settlements, the enemy is planting mines within infrastructure objects and privately-owned premises, and preventing local residents from any movement. According to the available information, in the temporarily occupied Crimea, medical facilities in the city of Yevpatoria are facing a shortage of drugs to treat the injured occupiers. The enemy is facing provisioning issues with the so-called partial mobilization. In particular, the newly mobilized soldiers were sent back from Krasnodar Krais Molkino Training Center to Primorsko-Akhtarsk, as they could not be provided with accommodation, clothing and food. The Russian occupation authorities are trying to compensate for personnel losses with calling up local residents in the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. In particular, according to the available information, men from Luhansk, without conducting a medical commission and training, are mobilized and immediately sent to replenish the military units that suffered the highest losses. In the evening of October 3, 2022, Ukraines Defense Forces struck Russias pontoon and ferry crossings over the Dnieper in the Kherson region. The enemys final losses are yet to be checked. In addition, the Ukrainian military destroyed an enemy S-300 air defense missile system near the city of Tokmak. Enemy positions were also struck near the Zaporizhzhia regions Huliaipole and Orikhiv. Over the past day, Ukrainian air forces have launched 17 strikes, hitting four enemy strong points, 11 military equipment and ammunition clusters, and two air defense missile systems. In different directions, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense units destroyed one Russian helicopter and two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Ukraines missile and artillery units struck two Russian command posts, four personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, one air defense missile system, and the enemys bridge and pontoon crossing. mk A new enemy offensive from the territory of Belarus cannot be ruled out, as Russia is posed to send mobilized military units there. Some units have already been deployed on the Belarusian territory and are now refurbishing mothballed airfields built back in Soviet times. Thats according to Security Service Colonel Roman Kostenko, who now serves as Secretary of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, who spoke in an interview with Ukrinform. He emphasized that Ukraine considers Belarus to be its enemy, therefore it maintains defenses along the entire common borderline. "I have information that Russia will send its military units into Belarus. Some units are already stationed there. They are reviving the mothballed airfields built during the Soviet era. Newly mobilized units of fighters will also be deployed there. This is a threat. It cannot be ruled out that from there, they will make another push in the north," Kostenko noted. Read also: Lukashenko turns Belarus into bridgehead for Russian army In his opinion, Belarus will enter the war against Ukraine if Russia starts making serious gains. "We take all this into account. We know that Belarus is an enemy. We are aware that they can join the war. However, we are doing everything to make sure nothing works out for them," Kostenko stressed. As reported earlier, the self-proclaimed president of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, confirmed that his country is indeed participating in the Russo-Ukrainian war in Ukraine, stopping short of sending its troops. Therefore, Belarus doesnt kill anyone, he claimed. Belarus has been providing material and technical support to the Russian Federation in the ongoing war, in particular, at the beginning of the invasion, part of the Russian troops crossed into Ukraine through the Belarusian border. In addition, it is from the territory of Belarus, that the Russian air force flies sorties to bombard Ukrainian cities, as well as launch missiles across the territory of Ukraine. Russian authorities kicked off their covert mobilization campaign after the Russian armys first significant failures on the battlefield back in May. Thats according to the Ukrainian defense intelligence spokesman Vadym Skibitsky, who spoke on the air of the Orestokratiya show, Ukrinform reports. "Back in May, the first signs appeared that Russia wasnt coping with the tasks they had set before themselves. Both the blitz capture of Kyiv and full occupation of Ukraine failed. At the same time, the first so-called volunteers began to appear, the combat army reserve was recruited, Russian private military companies began to actively hire people, and the so-called patriotic battalions emerged, to which all Russian federal entities were supposed to bring recruits. There were many examples of covert mobilization, but no one talked about it in the open," said the intelligence spokesman. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on September 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced mobilization, after which activists and opposition figures in Russia called for the citizens to take to the streets in protest. Russian Defense Minister Serhii Shoigu announced that 300,000 reservists would be called up as part of the partial mobilization move. On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents on the "accession" into the Russian Federation of the puppet entities "DPR" and "LPR", as well as the territories of Kherson and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine captured by the Russian army. Ukraines Air Force has launched more than 10 strikes on enemy positions over the past day. Nine Russian ammunition and military equipment clusters and two air defense missile systems were confirmed as destroyed. In the Kherson direction, Russian troops have suffered significant losses and are evacuating the wounded across the Dnieper. The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to the General Staff, Russian troops are trying to hold the temporarily occupied areas, focusing efforts on attempts to disrupt the active actions of Ukraines Defense Forces in certain directions. The enemy continues attempts to conduct offensive actions in the Bakhmut and Avdiivka directions. In certain directions, Russian troops are regrouping. Russian invaders are opening fire on Ukrainian positions along the contact line, conducting remote mining operations in certain directions and air reconnaissance. The Russian military continue to strike civil infrastructure and residential areas, violating international humanitarian law, and the laws and customs of war. The threat of air and missile strikes is persisting all over Ukraine. Over the past day, Russian troops launched three missile strikes and two air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) over 15 times. Over 20 settlements came under enemy fire, including Bila Tserkva, Ridkodub, Siversk, Soledar, Bilohirka, Karlivka, Zaporizhzhia, Nikopol, Kryvyi Rih and Myrne. In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the situation remained rather unchanged. In other directions, Russian troops opened fire as follows: in the Siverskyi direction near the Sumy regions Holyshivske and Pysarivka; in the Slobozhanskyi direction near such settlements as Ivashky, Huriv Kozachok, Udy, Ridkodub, Vovchansk and Dvorichna; in the Kramatorsk direction near Kivsharivka, Kamianka, Novoliubivka, Terny, Torske, Ivanivka, Serebrianka, Spirne and Bilohorivka; in the Bakhmut direction near Rozdolivka, Bilohorivka, Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Opytne, Ivanhrad, Zaitseve, Odradivka, New York and Yurivka; in the Avdiivka direction near Avdiivka, Pervomaiske, Vodiane, Krasnohorivka, Marinka and Novomykhailivka. In the Novopavlivka and Zaporizhzhia directions, Russian invaders did not conduct active offensive operations. The enemy opened fire near Volodymyrivka, Novosilka, Vremivka, Shakhtarske, Zolota Nyva, Prechystivka, Pavlivka, Vesele, Chervone, Dorozhnianka and Mala Tokmachka. In the Southern Bug direction, Russian troops continue to regroup and withdraw their units. Over 25 settlements came under enemy fire along the contact line, namely Velyke Artakove, Bilohirka, Blahodativka, Andriivka, Novohrednieve, Sukhyi Stavok, Luch, Stepova Dolyna, Soldatske, Pravdyne and Myrne. Over the past day, Ukraines Defense Forces have repelled enemy attacks near such settlements as Vyimka, Bakhmutske, Bakhmut, Maiorsk and Novomykhailivka. In the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar, Russian invaders continue to exert moral and psychological pressure on Zaporizhzhya NPPs staff members. According to the available information, Ukrainian employees are forced to obtain Russian passports and sign labor contracts with Rosatom. As a result of the successful actions of Ukraines Defense Forces in the Kherson direction, Russian units suffered losses and are trying to evacuate the wounded and equipment to the nearest crossings across the Dnieper. In particular, up to 150 wounded Russian soldiers and about 50 damaged military equipment units were transported to Vesele, which is situated near Kakhovka HPP. In the temporarily occupied territory of the Luhansk region, due to a large number of the wounded and local medical facilities being overloaded, the enemy is using a school as a military hospital. According to the preliminary information, up to 200 wounded servicemen are remaining there. The Russian military command continues to recruit prisoners in order to replenish personnel losses. According to the preliminary information, over 650 prisoners from the high-security correctional colonies of Russias Stavropol Krai agreed to take part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine. Over the past day, Ukraines Air Force has launched over 10 strikes on enemy positions. Nine Russian ammunition and military equipment clusters and two air defense missile systems were confirmed as destroyed. In addition, the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense units shot down seven enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including six Iranian-manufactured suicide drones. Ukraines missile and artillery units struck two Russian command posts, as well as 12 personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters, and 10 other important targets. mk Moscow's efforts to force the Germans to put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into operation have been mocked as a nice try in Berlin. The representative of the German Federal Government, Christine Hoffmann, gave such an assessment of the proposal voiced by the Russian side on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Russia has offered this multiple times. In this case, I could only say: nice try, Hoffmann said, repeating the phrase in Russian, with a smile (the spokeswoman had long worked as a journalist in Moscow). She recalled that Russian gas has not been supplied to Germany for a long time not because Nord Stream 1 was damaged, but because Russia simply did not want to supply it, finding various reasons for this, including political ones. Currently, Germany and other countries assume that Russia is not a reliable supplier, and this does not depend on which pipes they are talking about. Regarding the causes of the accident on the "Nord Stream" pipes, Berlin's opinion remains unchanged. It was "a deliberate act of sabotage", although the Federal Republic of Germany refrains from naming the culprits. "We assume that this is deliberate sabotage, and everything points to it," Hoffmann said. The investigation into the incident will be handled by a Joint Task Force, which includes experts from Denmark, Sweden, and Germany, but Germany has yet to formally approve its involvement. As for Russia's expressed desire to join the work of the Group, Berlin does not comment on this, as its Denmark and Sweden that are to decide. Read also: Nord Stream hit with blast with TNT equivalent of 700 kg At the end of September, incidents occurred on both branches of the main gas pipeline Nord Stream 1, while one of the two branches of Nord Stream 2 was also damaged. NS2 certification had earlier been suspended due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine in February. Russian monopoly Gazprom once again declared its readiness to resume gas supplies to Europe, but through the only branch of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which survived the incident. Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidents Office Ihor Zhovkva had phone consultations with Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic Fernando Morgado and Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister of Spain Emma Aparici. According to the Presidents Office, the interlocutors discussed the implementation of Ukraine's course on Euro-Atlantic integration. Ihor Zhovkva informed Fernando Morgado and Emma Aparici in details about Ukraines application for an expedited NATO membership, which was signed by the President, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and the Prime Minister on September 30, 2022. "We count on substantive consideration of this issue by the members of the Alliance. It is important that during such a discussion the proposals of Ukraine, which were presented by the Yermak-Rasmussen working group in the framework of the Kyiv Security Compact, be taken into account," Zhovkva stressed. iy A second-time felony offender was sentenced Tuesday to three to six years in prison on a charge of third-degree burglary, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced. Edward W. Jackson Jr., 61, of Buffalo, had pleaded guilty to the charge before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case on Sept. 1, ahead of a jury trial, Flynn said. Jackson admitted to entering a woman's apartment on Delaware Avenue on the afternoon of Feb. 15, 2021. When he was confronted by the woman, he said he was there to fix a door and then left. After he exited, prosecutors said, the woman noticed that a drawer in her spare bedroom had been opened. Jackson was found inside the building by the property managers and appliance movers, who chased him and held him until police arrived. Flynn noted that Judge Case also issued a final order of protection, specifying that Jackson stay away from the victim and her apartment building until at least 2030. Over the past day, more than 34,000 people have arrived in Ukraine, of whom 31,000 - Ukrainian citizens. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said in a statement, Ukrinform reports. On October 4, almost 67,000 people and 19,000 vehicles crossed Ukraines western borders with the EU and Moldova. More than 32,000 people left Ukraine on October 4. Of whom, more than 20,000 crossed the border into Poland, the rest - into other EU countries and Moldova. In addition, 72 trucks with humanitarian aid entered the territory of Ukraine. As Ukrinform reported, 37,000 citizens returned to Ukraine on October 3. iy Women have been travelling to Vicenta Gonzalezs farm to seek her help for nearly half a century. It sits at the end of bumpy dirt road in a remote region of northern Costa Rica, and during the rainy season the route becomes an almost impassable churn of mud. Even then, her driveway is continually abuzz with vehicles of all kinds and a steady stream of visitors who make the trip to Vicentas place on foot. At an age when many are settling into retirement, Vicenta, a 74-year-old great-grandmother and former midwife, has never been busier. From launching community projects and finding people work in an area plagued by unemployment, to defying deep-rooted machismo and seeking out refuge for survivors of gender-based violence, she is a fulcrum of her community to whom many turn for help. Since 2018, a social and political crisis in Costa Ricas northern neighbour, Nicaragua, has forced more than 200,0000 people to flee the country. Vicenta whose farm is just a few kilometres from the border has worked tirelessly to provide food, shelter, and other basics to female asylum-seekers and their children. They are very much in need: They need a place to find refuge, and when they arrive, they dont know where to go, dont know anyone, said Vicenta, who is universally referred to by the respectful title of Dona Vicenta. If someone shows up sick, I have to figure out how to help them. If someone has been hurt, I have to figure out how to defend them I have to be a nurse, a doctor, a counsellor, a babysitter. For her work defending the rights of vulnerable women from both sides of the nearby border, Vicenta has been chosen as the regional winner for the Americas of the 2022 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, a prestigious annual prize that honours those who have gone to extraordinary lengths to support forcibly displaced and stateless people. See also: Angela Merkel to receive UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for protecting refugees at height of Syria crisis Like many in this porous border region, Vicenta has roots in Nicaragua. She was born in the country, the fourth of her farm worker parents five children. With few opportunities to study, like many girls in rural areas throughout large swaths of Central America, she was mostly kept home. Still, Vicenta says that even as a child she was already dreaming of travelling and escaping the narrow constraints of the community of her birth. Her generous spirit also revealed itself early on. Vicenta recalls being around 12 years old when she defied her mothers orders to avoid a neighbour suffering from a contagious lung ailment to sneak him food and medicine. That same generosity surfaced again after she met her Costa Rican husband and moved to his country some 55 years ago. After the young couple bought an 11-hectare farm with an old-growth cacao plantation, near the northern border town of Upala, she quickly became a key figure in the community, emerging as the areas go-to midwife and the closest thing to a first responder. Long before the dirt road to the property was built, people would travel to the farm by canoe on a nearby river seeking Vicentas help with births and emergencies. Over the decades, she delivered some 213 babies, had two children of her own, and took in and raised three more one of whom recently moved back to the farm, along with her own family, following the recent death of Vicentas husband. Even after she stepped back in recent years from her role as a midwife, women continued to turn to Vicenta for help. She recalls one particularly harrowing incident in which a Nicaraguan woman showed up on her doorstep with seven children in tow, seeking work and a safe place to stay after her husband attacked her with a hammer. "If we don't know our own rights, we can never lift our heads high." Countless similar incidents led Vicenta to form AMECUP, whose Spanish-language acronym translates as the Association of Entrepreneur Women of Upala, an organization dedicated to helping defend women and their rights. If we dont know our own rights, said Vicenta, we can never lift our heads high. AMECUPs work centres, in part, around regular afternoon coffee breaks, in which women gather at Vicentas farm and talk openly about taboo subjects, such as gender-based violence. When they identify women experiencing such violence, the members of the association work to find the best solution, be that couples therapy or finding them refuge. For the women who choose to leave violent relationships, Vicenta helps by providing temporary shelters or by referring the women to government agencies or NGOs. The lack of jobs in the area often binds women to abusive relationships, so AMECUP also equips survivors with the skills they need to start their own small businesses, providing workshops on such topics as baking and soap-making. Women who have fled Nicaragua are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence, Vicenta says. Often they have crossed the border with no documents, the few things they can carry, and children in tow. Vicenta (right) and Carmen*, (left) a 38-year-old asylum seeker from Nicaragua, tend to some of the approximately 3,000 cacao trees on Vicenta's plantation. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Vicenta (center) and her collaborator Dara Arguello (left) register asylum seeking women from across the nearby border with Nicaragua to help them access basic services. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Vicenta (left, white blouse) and her collaborators Maricela Gutierrez (center) and Dara Arguello (right) attend a meeting with a member of the local community at the farm. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Maria*, a 28-year-old asylum seeker from Nicaragua who fled after her family received threats, poses for a portrait using a banana leaf to hide her identity. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Auxiliadora*, a 26-year-old asylum seeker who also fled Nicaragua, now works with Vicenta's women's rights organization AMECUP. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Carmen,* a 38-year-old asylum seeker from Nicaragua, holds dried cacao beans she has separated from their skins - one step in the process of turning them into chocolate. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Vicenta processes dried and ground cacao beans into a paste that will be used to make chocolate and other cacao-based products sold under the association's Cacaotica label. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Dara Arguello (left), a 35-year-old Costa Rican, and Vicenta oversee a display of products made by their all-female collective Cacaotica. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso Vicenta serves a cake for Mother's Day, an important public holiday in Costa Rica, to her family and other guests gathered at her farm for the occasion. UNHCR/Nicolo Filippo Rosso She (Vicenta) is a very special person, said Yamileth Garcia, Upalas first-ever female mayor. She has a noble heart and this desire, this gift of being able to help her fellow human beings, particularly those who come from Nicaragua. Vicenta has given over part of her property to the cause. The cacao pods from her organic plantation serve as the raw material for a wide range of products from chocolate nibs and bars and even tea and cacao wine to beauty aids such as moisturizing face creams and lip gloss. The group raises money by selling the products under the label Cacaotica, and in exchange, the members of the cooperative lend a hand with the labour-intensive task of tending the plantations 3,000 trees. What motivates me is the love that I feel for others, said Vicenta, whose memories of arriving here as a young woman help her empathize with the refugees and asylum seekers who are now fleeing her native Nicaragua. I feel as if I were experiencing their problems I lived through (similar) problems when I first arrived Thats what motivates me and fills me with emotion. "She's a role model for us." Working with Vicenta and the other women of AMECUP has been a godsend for Carmen,* a 38-year-old Nicaraguan mother of three who escaped persecution back home with her children, sisters and mother. Shes a role model for us, said Carmen. Thanks to Vicenta and the other womens help, she says, she was finally able to escape an abusive relationship and help provide for her family by making and selling artisanal soaps. She shows women how to learn and how to be independent, so that we dont depend on others. Asked if she ever feared that her work could put her in danger, Vicenta described being threatened by the husband of a woman to whom she had given shelter. I told him, Well, if Im going to die because of something, it will be defending women, she recalled, adding, Ive given my all, devoted my life to (helping) women escape violence. Big smiles greet Naw Bway Khu, 54, as she arrives at the Metta May May Shelter for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Lashio, the largest town in Myanmars northern Shan State. Women and children here know her as Naw Snow (Snow being the English translation of Bway and Naw an honourific used by people of Karen ethnicity in Myanmar), the leader and founder of the organization that runs this peaceful refuge. A trained nurse with a friendly demeanour, she acquired the nickname nearly two decades ago when she set up Meikswe Myanmar meaning Friends of Myanmar with the initial aim of providing antiretroviral therapy and places of refuge for women and children living with HIV/AIDS. After enduring years of domestic violence during her marriage, Naw Bway Khu wanted to support women in similar situations. Following her husbands death in 2002, she spent two years working for an international NGO that cared for people living with HIV/AIDS before starting Meikswe Myanmar. Initially she accommodated women in her own home before establishing the centre in Lashio, and later an orphanage. I was freed from my previous life [with my husband] and wanted to help women who were [HIV] positive, she recalls, adding that she felt fortunate to have escaped contracting HIV from her husband. I often brought them into my home, accepted them and shared with them what I ate. I wanted them to live a long life and fulfil their dreams. "Meikswe's work is all about addressing gaps." As the organization started to care for a growing number of patients in rural and isolated communities, Naw Bway Khu noticed that many villages lacked access to basic services such as education and health care. She gradually expanded Meikswes programming to offer psychosocial support, education and income-generating activities. Meikswes work is all about addressing gaps, she explains. Depending on the needs we come across, we expand our activities and geographical reach step-by-step. See also: Angela Merkel to receive UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for protecting refugees at height of Syria crisis In 2015, decades of armed conflict in northern Shan State sharply escalated, displacing tens of thousands. While humanitarian aid reached those who made it to camps for internally displaced people, Naw Bway Khu noted that those who sought safety in villages received little to no assistance. Those in host communities were forgotten, she says. As the strain intensified, Meikswe used funds pooled from staff, their families, friends and relatives to mount an emergency response, distributing food and basic household items to displaced people sheltering in villages. Naw Bway Khu also advocated for more international aid to be allocated to host communities supporting the displaced. Naw Bway Khu meets a displaced woman at a camp for internally displaced people in Kyaukme township, Shan State. Meikswe Myanmar provides emergency response training for local civil society organizations at the camp. UNHCR/Hkun Ring Naw Bway Khu, 54, founded Meikswe Myanmar in 2004 to address the needs of women and children living with HIV/AIDS. The organization has since expanded to include support for internally displaced people. UNHCR/Hkun Ring A woman feeds a child at the Metta May May centre, a shelter run by Meikswe Myanmar for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Lashio, Shan State. UNHCR/Hkun Ring Marip Roi collects water from a well constructed by Meikswe Myanmar and UNHCR in a village in Shan State that hosts internally displaced people. Previously, the community had difficulty accessing clean water. UNHCR/Hkun Ring Noe Lar Sheh leads a sewing group in Namma Bawda village, in Shan State. Internally displaced since 2012, she completed her own sewing training through Meikswe Myanmar and now teaches a group of internally displaced people and host community members how to sew and run their own businesses. UNHCR/Hkun Ring Naw Bway Khu meets children and teachers at a school in Hkashi village, Shan State, where Meikswe Myanmar trains teachers and community volunteers in early childhood care and development. UNHCR/Hkun Ring Today, Meikswe implements a range of activities to support internally displaced people, their host communities and other vulnerable groups in close to 300 locations across six regions and states from Rakhine State in the west of the country to Shan State in the north, as well as Kayin State in the south-east. For its dedication to supporting internally displaced people, even in the most hard-to-reach areas, Meikswe has been named the Asia-Pacific Regional Winner of the 2022 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award, a prize awarded annually by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to honour those who have gone to extraordinary lengths to help forcibly displaced or stateless people. With a team of 77 staff members drawn from a variety of backgrounds and ethnic groups, Meikswes activities directly benefited some 25,000 people in 2021. This was despite the many logistical, financial and security challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the military takeover that took place in February of that year. All of our staff have to follow four values: to provide services for marginalized people, respect all races and religions, treat all fairly, and prioritize the needs of children and women, Naw Bway Khu says. She attributes Meikswes success in delivering aid to communities cut off from other assistance to her staff. We do things from the heart, she says. No matter how difficult or challenging it is, we are able to work because we have already received the love and trust of the community. Besides its dedicated staff, Meikswes achievements stem from Naw Bway Khus determination to empower displaced and conflict-affected communities so they are eventually able to help themselves. We cannot support them forever, she says. That is why we also provide technical support, so they can be strong enough on their own. At the Namma Bawda village in Shan States Lashio Township, a group of 10 displaced women and 11 villagers are part of a Meikswe-supported sewing project that generates an income for their families. The women eagerly show Naw Bway Khu the fabrics they work with. I think it is very good of Meikswe to support us like this, says Noe Lar Sheh, a displaced woman living in the village. We've never experienced anything like it before. "Meikswe is like a big shady tree, supporting organizations like us." Meikswes empowerment initiatives also extend to its support to local community-based and civil society organizations that are often the first responders during times of crisis. Recognizing the need for communities to be able to quickly respond to arrivals of displaced people, the organization trains them on how to carry out a basic humanitarian response. It also acts as a bridge between them and the international organizations that can provide much-needed resources. For the Otamaung Association, a civil society organization operating in Shan States Kyaukme Township, Meikswes trainings have been invaluable. First set up to provide health support to people from highland areas, the association has now expanded to provide emergency assistance to those displaced by conflict. There is a Myanmar proverb that says one sturdy tree can support 10,000 birds. Meikswe is like a big shady tree, supporting organizations like us to have the confidence and capacity to carry out our work, says Mai Ye Win Aung, the General Secretary of the Otamaung Association. Naw Bway Khu is determined to keep expanding Meikswes reach so they can assist more communities. We will continue to work to achieve the rights that every human being should have, she says. Meikswes logo shows a small boat with a dove on it. I intend to help those on our boat as much as we can. We will help them find peace. When Massoud came to Denmark seven years ago, after fleeing the war in Syria, he first found it difficult to bridge the cultures of his old and his new home. A Danish volunteer family helped him make friends and learn the language. Massoud now works and plans to study natural science at the university next year. We are here because our country is at war, not just to sit around, he says about Syrian refugees in Denmark. We work, we study. We are active in society, and we do our best. UNHCR continues to call for protection of Syrian refugees, as the situation in Syria has not improved enough to justify the cessation of refugee status. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pierre (left), a Burundian refugee, and his friend Zacharie, a local Congolese, irrigate their cabbage fields in Tabac Congo locality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Tanganyika province. UNHCR/Aline Irakarama The sound of a lively song floats down a hill where a group of Burundian refugees and their Congolese neighbours are farming together near the shores of Lake Tanganyika, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Zacharie, 25, proudly shows off the land he is cultivating in the Tabac Congo locality, some 15 kilometres outside of Kalemie town. "I became interested in agriculture by watching Burundian refugees farming and growing tomatoes, cabbages, onions and aubergines, says the Congolese father of one. A few years ago, there were very few of these vegetables at the local market. His Burundian friend, Pierre, 41, nods in agreement. When I was working in a field, Zacharie often stopped by on his way to town, he says. He would ask a lot of questions and seemed interested in my work. One day, I asked him to join me to harvest vegetables. Pierre adds that the generosity of the local Congolese community has encouraged him and many other Burundian refugees to build lives for themselves in the Tabac Congo area, where they found safety after fleeing Burundis post-election violence in June 2015. "I try to give back to the community that has hosted us for so long." With his wife and four children, and alongside thousands of other refugees, Pierre had used the cover of night to reach the border city of Uvira, in the DRCs South Kivu Province before taking a boat south on Lake Tanganyika, until they reached Kalemie. Devastated at having left his belongings and his livelihood as a farmer behind, he never imagined at the time, that he would manage to rebuild his life. The first days were not easy, but we arrived here with other families who were able to speak Swahili. That helped us in finding some small jobs and to slowly earn a living and put a roof over our heads, recalls Pierre. The first months we were living with other families in a small shelter. I now work hard, have my own house, and try to give back to the community that has hosted us for so long. Zacharie, 25, learned everything he knows about farming from his friend Pierre, a Burundian refugee. UNHCR/Aline Irakarama Before he met Pierre, Zacharie was also struggling to get by on small jobs like producing palm oil for cooking. What started as a seasonal job working alongside Pierre soon became full-time. With Pierres support, Zacharie has learnt techniques for growing vegetables and now rents a small piece of land that he farms, earning some money to take care of his family. I learnt everything from scratch from ploughing the field, to selecting the right seeds and tools to farm, says Zacharie. For his part, Pierre has learned Swahili from Zacharie. We plough this land by the sweat of our brow, he says. Every day is a struggle, but we have to put food on the table." He adds that the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs have created additional challenges. Good quality seeds have become expensive, and we often lack land where we can cultivate with adequate tools. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners are trying to address some of these obstacles by providing refugees with agricultural tools and seeds and advocating with local authorities for access to arable land. Our operation in the DRC is one of the most underfunded in the world and we are trying to create sustainable farming initiatives like this one to enhance refugees self-reliance, says Mamadou Cissokho, the Head of UNHCRs Sub-Office in Kalemie. To date, UNHCR has received only 40 per cent of the US$225.4 million required to respond to the needs of displaced people in the DRC. "Seeing Pierre and his family do so much in a foreign country has taught us a lot." Regardless of the challenges, the hard work and skills of refugees are recognized and appreciated by many in the area. We appreciate their solidarity and willingness to teach others, says Windo, a local chief in one of the villages in Tabac Congo. We buy fresh produce from traders at the local market who buy the vegetables directly from Pierre and other refugee farmers. Pierre and his fellow refugee farmers dream of gaining access to more agricultural land and tools so they can plant and produce a wider variety of vegetables to be sold at the local market. In the meantime, they have shared their farming knowledge with over 40 young Congolese like Zacharie. "I often take my friends to the fields, especially during the harvest season, to encourage them to start farming, says Zacharie. "Seeing Pierre and his family do so much in a foreign country has taught us a lot. Buffalo Public Schools officials offered assurances Wednesday that the district's schools remain safe, one day after a large fight outside McKinley High School led to a student's arrest. "Buffalo Public Schools students are not out of control," Superintendent Tonja M. Williams said at a press conference in City Hall. But fights Tuesday near McKinley shined an undesirable spotlight on the Elmwood Avenue high school, which enrolls about 1,000 students across four grades. Williams said the fights attracted "hundreds of students" and required additional police officers, who arrested a 16-year-old male on charges of resisting arrest and obstruction. Buffalo police said no further charges had been made, but said their investigation remained ongoing. Videos shared with The Buffalo News showed students fighting in several areas: what appeared to be the foyer of McKinley, just outside the school and near the former Voelker's Lanes bowling alley, about three blocks away at Amherst Street and Elmwood. It was at the last destination where the fighting required additional police and led to the arrest, BPS spokesperson Ka'Ron Barnes said. In February, a student was stabbed and a security guard shot in the school parking lot, sparking an increase in safety measures districtwide. In stabbing aftermath, administration and parents push for changes to ensure safety at Buffalo schools Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Tonja Williams wants walk-through metal detectors installed in every district high school by the end of the school year. Charlene Watson, an associate superintendent who oversees McKinley, said she met with McKinley principal Moustafa Khalil on Wednesday morning to devise a different plan for the end of the school day. Dismissal will now be staggered, with a short period of time between when grades 9 and 10 leave together and when grades 11 and 12 leave as a group. The two clusters will exit through different doors, and career and technical education (CTE) teachers have committed to joining school resource officers and anti-violence community groups outside the school to "help with student transition from the school to the buses," she added. Pastor James Giles, the leader of Buffalo Peacemakers, said his anti-violence group is usually better prepared to prevent large-scale fights before they occur, and that Tuesday was an exception. "This kind of slipped through the cracks on us because normally out there students generally tell us everything that's about to go on," Giles said. Giles referred to large fights coordinated on social media and through group text messages, with most students showing up to a predetermined location to just watch as small group of students fight. He said Peacemakers have been successful in shutting down these coordinated efforts in the past, causing fight organizers to choose different sites. As AG investigates Buffalo school suspensions, a call for change: 'What we're doing isn't working' While suspensions have gone down slightly since 2015, according to BPS data, there still are a disproportionate number of Black, multiracial and Native American students suspended, compared to white students. Jessica Bauer Walker, a leader of the Parent Congress that comprises several BPS parent groups, attended Wednesday's press conference to emphasize the existing systems that seek not only to stop violence in schools, but also address the root causes that lead to violent acts. She cited a "holistic framework" that includes restorative practices and trauma-informed care by community health workers. Barnes and Khalil issued separate statements that McKinley students would face punishment if they did not immediately get on the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority buses that wait for them each afternoon outside the school. All-access no more: NFTA, Buffalo Schools return to routed metro passes for students Curtailing large public altercations is a major part of new NFTA Transit Police Chief Brian Patterson's coordinated safety plan. "Any bus rider choosing to leave school property and attempt to go to the store or attempt to catch the bus at another bus line will have their bus passes revoked immediately and also put themselves at risk for suspension," Khalil said. "These new procedures are being put in place to ensure the safety and well-being for all of our students and staff." Buffalo Public Schools this year returned to routed NFTA bus passes for high school students after large fights discouraged the transportation authority and school administration from continuing the all-access bus and rail pass policy that had been in effect since 2019. School Board President Louis Petrucci said the district was working to determine whether the students who engaged in the fight outside McKinley were all McKinley students, or if the school served as a meeting place for students from other schools. Principal founder of the Indigenous Cultures Institute Mario Garza kicks off day two of the 12th annual Sacred Springs Powwow, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. Each Powwow begins with this tradition of the blowing of conch shells in four directions offered as a blessing. A 16-year-old male student was arrested in connection with a large fight Tuesday afternoon outside McKinley High School during dismissal, Buffalo Police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge reported. The student was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest. The incident remains under investigation, DeGeorge said. A press release from Ka'Ron Barnes, spokesperson for Buffalo Public Schools, late Tuesday night indicated that some McKinley students "bypassed their special NFTA buses" before traveling to the intersection of Elmwood Avenue and Amherst Street to engage in multiple fights. Video was shared with The Buffalo News of a fight occurring outside the former Voelker's bowling alley, beginning on the sidewalk and spilling out onto Amherst Street. McKinley Principal Moustafa Khalil, in a statement Tuesday night, directed all student bus riders to immediately board their buses after leaving the building. "Any bus rider choosing to leave school property and attempt to go to the store or attempt to catch the bus at another bus line will have their bus passes revoked immediately and also put themselves at risk for suspension," Khalil declared. "These new procedures are being put in place to ensure the safety and well-being for all of our students and staff." Barnes said all McKinley High School parents were contacted Tuesday night by robocall to emphasize that punishments could be levied if students do not "board their assigned special NFTA bus, in front of the school, immediately at dismissal." Buffalo Public Schools this year returned to routed NFTA bus passes for high school students after large fights discouraged the transportation authority and Superintendent Tonja M. Williams from continuing the all-access bus and rail pass policy that had been in effect since 2019. Tuesday's fights were the first to draw charges at McKinley since the shooting and stabbing incidents in February, in which a student was stabbed and a security officer was shot during an incident in the McKinley parking lot after dismissal. Buffalo Public Schools and former superintendent Kriner Cash have been sued by the stabbing victim's mother for negligence. Washington, Oct 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Oct, 2022 ) :President Joe Biden makes a politically charged visit Wednesday to inspect the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Ian in Florida while also presenting a united front despite bitter disagreements with Republican critic and potential 2024 opponent, Governor Ron DeSantis. Authorities say at least 76 people -- more than 100 according to US television networks citing local officials -- died in one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States. The Category 4 hurricane flattened whole neighborhoods on the Sunshine State's west coast, knocking out power for millions of people, with hundreds of thousands still waiting for electricity to be restored Tuesday, and then tore up into North Carolina. For Biden, who visited hurricane-hit Puerto Rico on Monday, the Florida trip also has an inescapable political dimension, taking him into the stronghold of both DeSantis and Biden's scandal-plagued predecessor in the White House, Donald Trump. The Democrat, who says he wants to seek a second term despite already being the oldest man ever in the job at 79, could realistically end up facing a rematch with Trump in two years or a challenge from the up-and-coming DeSantis. DeSantis has been a caustic critic, as he builds his brand of muscular right-wing politics in a bid to replace Trump as the biggest name in the Republican party. Biden has returned fire, painting DeSantis as part of what he says in an increasingly extreme right. The hurricane, however, has prompted a truce, with phone calls between the two men and acknowledgement from DeSantis that the Federal government was quick to provide assistance. The visit is "above politics," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. "There will be plenty of times, plenty of time to discuss differences between the president and the governor," she said. "Now is not the time." - Disaster briefing - Biden's main goal, Jean-Pierre said, is to check that "the people of Florida have what they need." Biden is set to view ravaged areas in southwestern Florida from a helicopter, then receive a briefing from federal emergency management chief Deanne Criswell and DeSantis, among other officials. Biden, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, will also meet with small business owners and local survivors of the storm, before making a televised address at Fishermans Wharf, Fort Myers. He will "confirm his commitment to the people of Florida as they recover and rebuild," Jean-Pierre said. Biden's visit to Puerto Rico covered similar ground, although there he was updated on recovery from Hurricane Fiona, which hit the island last month. Again, Biden stressed the unity message, telling the territory -- which often feels overlooked by the mainland and the federal government -- that "all of America's with you."The disagreements with DeSantis, however, are many and will likely resurface as soon as Floridians recommence a semblance of their previous lives. DeSantis opposed Biden on many of his Covid-19 policies during the pandemic, accusing the president of overreach. He has likewise made himself the standard bearer of the conservative backlash to growing tolerance for LGBT issues -- something Biden has championed. (@FahadShabbir) Kabul, Oct 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Oct, 2022 ) :Two persons were killed when a bomb blast tore through a mosque on the grounds of Afghanistan's interior ministry in Kabul on Wednesday, a hospital said. Italian non-governmental organisation Emergency, which operates a hospital in Kabul, said it had received 20 patients "after a bomb attack in a mosque at the interior ministry". "Two were already dead on arrival," it said on Twitter. However interior ministry spokesman Abdul Nafy Takor said the explosion happened "in a mosque which is at a distance from the ministry of interior" where visitors and some employees pray. He did not give an indication of official casualty figures, or the exact distance from the ministry, but said an investigation was ongoing. The latest blast comes after a suicide bombing on Friday killed 53 people in a Kabul classroom, including 46 girls and women, according to a UN death toll. Witnesses said the attacker blew himself up in the women's section of a gender-segregated classroom of a study hall in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighbourhood -- an enclave of the historically oppressed Hazara community. Tehran, Oct 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Oct, 2022 ) :Iran said Wednesday it had summoned British ambassador Simon Shercliff to hear a protest over "meddlesome statements" on the unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since the 22-year-old Kurd died on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly failing to observe the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. The street violence has led to the deaths of dozens of people -- mostly protesters but also members of the security forces. Tehran "rejects and strongly condemns the interference of the British foreign ministry in Iran's internal affairs by resorting to fake and provocative interpretations," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Unfortunately, by issuing unilateral and selective statements, the British side shows that it has a share in the scenarios of the enemies who are active in Britain and are acting against the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Iran will consider possible options for a reciprocal response to any unconventional actions by the British side," the ministry said, adding that it had made its protest on Tuesday. Also on Wednesday, in an Instagram post, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani accused Western governments of meddling in Iran's affairs. "The interfering behaviour and open support of some Western governments for the recent disturbances in Iran and the continuation of their provocative behaviour proved that whenever they see an opportunity, they will not hesitate to take direct and indirect action against the stability, security and establishment of our country and system," Kanani said. On Monday, the British foreign ministry summoned Iran's top diplomat in London to criticise the way Iranian authorities are handling the protests. "The violence levelled at protesters in Iran by the security forces is truly shocking," foreign minister James Cleverly said. "We will continue to work with our partners to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their flagrant human rights violations," he added. Paris, Oct 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Oct, 2022 ) :Paris police on Wednesday dismantled a camp that is home to over 100 crack users, the latest move in a campaign that has repeatedly displaced the addicts around the capital. Local residents and aid groups have for years been frustrated by authorities' failure to either clamp down on open drug dealing and crime in and around the camps or to provide appropriate treatment for users. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter as the evacuation got under way that this time, "1,000 officers will be deployed to prevent the camp from reforming somewhere else". An AFP journalist saw large numbers of police surround the rubbish-strewn Square Forceval in northeast Paris from 7:00 am (0500 GMT), with police chief Laurent Nunez on the scene. By mid-morning, tents, furniture and other items had been mostly removed and cleaning services had arrived, with a few of its inhabitants still visible in the surrounding streets. The clearance was "inevitable and necessary to make our neighbourhoods habitable again", said Francois Dagnaud, mayor of Paris' 19th district. But the possibility the camp might be reconstituted elsewhere "is a risk that should be on everyone's mind and that is in no one's interest," he added. Over the past two years, successive evacuations have moved crack users from the Stalingrad square on the city's Saint-Martin canal, first to a nearby park, and then to their current site alongside the French capital's ring road. Tackling the city's crack problem -- visible on the streets for the past three decades -- has proved difficult due to the addictiveness of the drug, a cocaine derivative that sells for as little as 10 Euros ($9.90) per dose. Darmanin, a law-and-order hardliner, has given newly-installed Paris police chief Nunez a single year to wipe out crack in the capital. The interior ministry said that inhabitants of the camp wanted by police would be arrested, while foreigners without papers would be detained awaiting deportation. "Other occupants will be directed towards accommodation structures with medical and social assistance, or to medical facilities," the ministry added. Ambassador of Belgium to Pakistan Charles Delogne called on Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman at Governor's House here on Wednesday and discussed relief to the flood victims and enhancing bilateral trade LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Oct, 2022 ) :Ambassador of Belgium to Pakistan Charles Delogne called on Governor Punjab Muhammad Balighur Rehman at Governor's House here on Wednesday and discussed relief to the flood victims and enhancing bilateral trade. Thanking the envoy for the timely relief efforts for the flood victims, the governor said Belgium had also sent aid for the flood victims through the United Nations (UN), which was very valuable act for the country. Muhammad Balighur Rehman said promotion of trade and business ties was very important to boost economy, adding that Pakistan admires continuous support of Belgium in grant of GSP Plus status to Pakistan. He said exchange of trade delegations was necessary to further promote investment between the two countries. He said that Pakistan was an important trading partner of the European Union (EU). Balighur Rehman said that minorities were an important part of Pakistan population and they had been playing a positive role in development of the country since its creation in 1947. He said he had been in constant contact with the minorities and delegations of minority communities visit him at the Governor's House on important days. The governor said Pakistani women were proving their mettle in every field, adding that a consortium had been formed on women empowerment in universities. Belgian Ambassador Charles Delogne said Pakistan had vast investment opportunities in various sectors and trade between the two countries would be further enhanced. WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 531 rocket launched into orbit two Luxembourg-operated television service communications satellites to blanket the United States. The Atlas booster blasted off on schedule at 5:37 pm ET on Tuesday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in the US state of Florida. The launch was podcast by ULA. The rocket carried the SES-20 and SES-21 communications satellites into near-geosynchronous orbit 22,000 miles above the earth to provide television broadcasting services across the United States, ULA said. The commercial dual-payload launch was carried out for satellite operator SES of Luxembourg. The mission was launched from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, according to ULA. (@ChaudhryMAli88) TOKYO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) Japan's lower house on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning North Korea's missile tests, including the launch of a ballistic missile over Japanese territory the day before. "Ongoing missile launches by North Korea, and the launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japanese territory for the first time in five years, pose a serious threat to our country, and also threaten peace in the region and the world," the draft resolution read. The consideration of the document by Japan's lower house was broadcast on its official channel. North Korea carried out its latest missile launch on Tuesday morning. The missile flew over Japanese territory and landed in the Pacific Ocean outside the country's exclusive economic zone. The range of its flight, according to the Japanese military, was about 4,600 kilometers (2,860 miles) with the maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometers. The test marked the first missile launch over Japan since 2017. Tokyo convened the National Security Council due to the launch and established an emergency headquarters to collect and analyze information about North Korea's missile program. Prior to this, Pyongyang also launched several presumably ballistic missiles last week. Their flight range was 300-400 kilometers, while the maximum altitude was about 50 kilometers. Some of the missiles flew along a non-standard trajectory. Since the beginning of 2022, Pyongyang has conducted a total of 23 missiles tests, compared to just eight launches a year earlier. (@FahadShabbir) PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th October, 2022) French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday accused the country's authorities of "infantilizing" the population for encouraging people to wear warm clothes to save on heating amid energy crisis in Europe. "A few days ago, Economy and Finance Minister (Bruno Le Maire) explained to us that the French budget is calculated 'up to every euro'. This came before the wardrobe tips to spend the winter better, which were successful in the government, from warm sweatshirts to turtlenecks. I will not participate in this infantilization of our compatriots," Le Pen said at the National Assembly's meeting. Earlier this week, French media noted that many politicians have started wearing winter clothes, despite the warm weather, in order to promote energy-saving measures. On September 27, Le Maire tweeted a photo of himself smiling and wearing a blue turtleneck in his office. The minister said that employees of his department will dress warmer, wearing turtlenecks instead of ties to save energy. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne also came to the meeting wearing a warm jacket after her speech on Monday about France's readiness for the looming winter, despite the gas shortage in Europe. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron recorded a video message to citizens, wearing a jacket and a turtleneck, which has become a new symbol of an energy sobriety program launched by the French government this summer. According to the program, France needs to reduce electricity consumption by 10% by 2024 to avoid shortages during the impending winter. The government called on enterprises and transport companies to submit concrete plans to reduce energy consumption. The government's energy-saving plans include limiting the heating in public buildings and government ministries to a maximum of 19 degrees Celsius. Since 2021, energy prices in Europe have been surging as part of a global trend. After the beginning of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 and the adoption of several packages of sanctions against Moscow by the West, fuel prices have accelerated the growth, pushing many EU governments to resort to contingency measures. Democrats and voting-rights advocates are blasting a lawsuit filed by state Republicans and their allies that could upend how absentee ballots are processed in New York. Last Week, GOP and Conservative officials including the Erie County Republican election commissioner filed the suit that challenges who is eligible to vote by absentee ballot and challenges how those ballots are counted. They argue that changes to election law made in recent years by Democrats in state government make it more difficult to ensure the security of absentee voting. GOP blasts Democratic mailer with prefilled mail-in ballot request Democrats urged recipients to cite fear of contracting Covid-19 at a polling place as their reason for requesting an absentee ballot and pre-checked this selection on the applications. "Once again, Democrats have thwarted the Constitution and the will of the voters in their attempt to rig the election in their favor. As we did with their illegal gerrymander scheme, we are taking their unconstitutional laws to the courts to protect voter integrity," state GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy, also a congressional candidate, said in a statement. He referred to a previous legal challenge that resulted in redrawn congressional and State Senate districts in New York. Democrats and an attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union say the lawsuit is a cynical attempt to limit voter access that was deliberately filed in a county dominated by Republicans just weeks before Election Day. They also defended the integrity of absentee voting in New York and feared the effects of a last-minute judicial fight on the election. "This is a political lawsuit wrought by the Republican Party, who's going to take second place in all of their statewide races this year," said Jeremy Zellner, who is chairman of the Erie County Democratic Committee and the county's Democratic election commissioner. "I think they're trying to find an excuse to claim a la Donald Trump that this election was somehow tampered with." State evaluates highs and lows of new voting changes Early voting, expanded use of absentee ballots and other changes may prove only the beginning. The lawsuit, first reported by the Gothamist news site, was filed Sept. 27 in State Supreme Court in Saratoga County. The plaintiffs include Langworthy; Erie County GOP Election Commissioner Ralph Mohr; state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar; the Saratoga County Republican Committee; and an Erie County resident named William Fitzpatrick. The defendants include Gov. Kathy Hochul, the state Board of Elections and leaders of the State Senate and Assembly. Representatives for Hochul, the Elections Board and the office of Attorney General Letitia James all declined comment, citing the pending litigation. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs ask the court to rule unconstitutional a change to state voting procedures, approved in 2020, that requires county elections officials to inform absentee voters when their ballots are about to be thrown out because of a technical issue, such as a missing signature and give those voters a chance to fix, or "cure," the problem. Republicans and Conservatives say the change, which requires election workers to open absentee ballot envelopes earlier in the process, limits the ability of a candidate or opposition party to object to flawed absentee ballots or seek judicial review of those ballots. Elections officials push back against GOP's absentee ballot warnings Democrats and Erie County's Republican elections commissioner say the concerns are without merit. With ballot envelopes opened earlier in the process, election workers place those ballots into the pool of votes sooner, and this makes it impossible to pull back a ballot for any reason, Mohr said. He cited, as examples, occasions when voters have cast an absentee ballot but died before Election Day, or when voters have voted as an absentee but later changed their mind and voted in person for a different candidate. In those cases, respectively, the ballot of the deceased voter shouldn't count, and the in-person vote would take precedence over the absentee vote, which would be thrown out. In addition, Republicans and Conservatives say, fear of Covid-19 infection is no longer a valid reason to vote by absentee ballot. They noted that President Biden declared the pandemic over and Hochul gave up her emergency Covid-19 powers. Finally, the lawsuit also contends that absentee ballot applications mailed out to an unknown number of Democrats by the state party should be invalidated because the forms had pre-filled voter information, including Covid-19 worries, as the reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Mohr said he's favored past efforts to expand access to mail-in ballots, but the changes pushed by Legislature Democrats went too far. "What they wanted to do is they just didn't want any of these absentee ballots to be scrutinized," Mohr said. Democrats say the election law provisions and party mailer challenged in the lawsuit were good-faith efforts to make it easier for as many eligible voters as possible to cast ballots. The changes to state law have not created more opportunities for voter fraud, and people can still have valid reasons to want to avoid Covid-19 at the polling place, Zellner said. "This lawsuit is another pathetic attempt by the Republicans to disenfranchise voters and promote the big lie," Max Della Pia, Langworthy's Democratic opponent for Congress, said in a statement, referring to the debunked belief that Biden's 2020 election win is invalid. Paladino seeks information about votes in primary in apparent effort to challenge his loss Carl P. Paladino's congressional campaign wasn't kidding when it said it would go looking for "irregularities" in the Aug. 23 Republican primary. They also questioned the timing of the lawsuit, noting that Republicans earlier this year participated in primaries conducted under the same rules without raising objections. It is not clear how this lawsuit will affect the upcoming election. Local election boards already are mailing out absentee ballots to voters and processing ballots that have returned. Erie County, for example, mailed out a few thousand absentee ballots last week to military and overseas voters, and beginning Wednesday will mail absentee ballots to nearly 16,300 local voters. The NYCLU's Perry Grossman, a voting-rights attorney, said this is part of a larger campaign by Republicans nationally to raise uncertainty about efforts to expand voting access. "This is an attempt to suppress turnout by sowing confusion," Grossman said. "Confusion and doubt." The assigned trial judge, State Supreme Court Justice Dianne Freestone, is a former top official with the Saratoga County GOP Committee, one of the parties to the lawsuit, Gothamist reported. However she rules, the losing side is certain to appeal the decision. The ELN and the Government of Colombia announce the return to dialogue in November (ANSA) Representatives of the Colombian Government and guerrillas from the National Liberation Army have met and agreed to re-start the peace process, which was abandoned three years ago. By James Blears The two sides met in Venezuela, following on from an earlier meeting in Cuba. They will publically announce when the process will begin again, at the start of next month. The most likely venue would be Cuba. It would be ironic if peace negotiations successfully concluded on Cuban territory, because The National Liberation Army, better known as the ELN was founded there in 1964, the same year as the establishment of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the FARC. The FARC signed a peace agreement with the Colombian Government in 2016 and has since evolved into a political party. But the ELN have continued their armed struggle until now. Talks with the ELN were suspended by the previous Administration in 2019, after the ELN planted and detonated a car bomb at a Police Cadet Academy in Bogota, killing more than twenty students. Their current armed strength is estimated at between 1,300 and 4,000. They`ve kidnapped and attacked oil installations. However, they`ve recently released some army and police hostages as a sign of goodwill. New President of Colombia Gustavo Petro who was once an M19 guerrilla, says he wants to bring this more than half-century conflict to a peaceful conclusion. The opportunity to accomplish it is now gaining momentum. Filipino fisherman Mariel Villamonte had spent years plying the turquoise waters of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea for snapper and grouper -- until a Chinese coast guard vessel water cannoned his boat. That was in 2012, around the time China snatched control of the small ring of reefs from the Philippines, and he has not dared go back. "Their ships are made of steel, ours are made of wood," said Villamonte, now 31, recalling how two Chinese vessels chased his outrigger before blasting it with high-pressure water. The fishing ground, tapped by generations of Filipinos, is one of many potential flashpoints for military conflict over the South China Sea. China and Taiwan both claim sovereignty over almost the entire sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have competing claims to parts of it. Trillions of dollars worth of ship-borne trade passes through the waterway annually and naval vessels from the United States and Western allies sail through it regularly. Of all the claimants, China has in recent years forced its stance most aggressively. Hundreds of Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels prowl the waters, swarming reefs, harassing and attacking fishing and other boats, and interfering in oil and gas exploration, and scientific research. Analysts say Beijing's aim is regional supremacy and control over all activity in the waters -- and it is using its might to bully smaller rivals into submission. "They really envision themselves to be the centre of this region, economically, politically and militarily," said Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines's Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea. "What they want is that eventually the weaker nations simply give up and leave them there just to avoid a problem." 'Chinese Dream' China often invokes the so-called nine-dash line, a vague delineation based on maps from the 1940s, to justify its claims over the South China Sea. The Philippines brought a case before an international court disputing China's stance. The tribunal ruled in 2016 that Beijing's claims have no legal basis. China has since ignored the ruling, and tensions with the Philippines eased after former president Rodrigo Duterte set aside his country's legal victory and courted Chinese businesses instead. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who took over from Duterte in June this year, has pledged to uphold the court decision and insisted he would not let China trample on Manila's maritime rights. But in the decade under President Xi Jinping, who is expected to secure a record third consecutive term in office this month, China has dramatically expanded its presence in the sea. Xi's desire for control of the waters is not about fish or fossil fuels, said Greg Poling, director of the US-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI). His main objectives are realising the "Chinese Dream" of national rejuvenation -- Xi's vision of restoring the country to perceived past glory -- and securing his political legitimacy. Poling said generations of Chinese leaders had made increasingly "absurd" claims to the sea, leaving Xi with no choice but to "assert claims to everything". Satellite images published by AMTI show China's land-reclamation efforts in the waters have vastly outstripped those of all other claimants combined. Since 2013, it has ripped up roughly 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) of reef to create about 1,300 hectares of new land for artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago, said Poling. The militarised islands -- complete with runways, ports, and radar systems -- enable Chinese vessels to patrol as far south as Indonesia and Malaysia. Apart from destroying fish breeding grounds and smothering marine life with sediment, experts say Beijing's actions contravene international law. Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China helped negotiate, countries have exclusive rights to natural resources within about 200 nautical miles of their shore. China's claims extend as far as a thousand nautical miles, which Poling said was "wildly inconsistent" with the law. "The rules that protected China as a developing coastal state now seem like an unfair constraint on a China that believes that it should be able to impose its will on its neighbours," he said. 'Thief in your backyard' China's seizure of Scarborough Shoal has robbed Villamonte and other fishermen in Cato village, in the northern province of Pangasinan, of a key source of income. Their families began fishing there in the 1980s when bigger boats enabled them to make the 500-kilometre round trip. It was full of fish and offered life-saving shelter during storms. Now, the fishermen say they mainly rely on "payaos", floating devices that attract yellowfin tuna, anchored away from the shoal and left alone by Chinese boats. After decades of overfishing by countries surrounding the waters, the men have to spend longer at sea and resort to catching smaller fish. Even then, they sometimes struggle to break even. Despite the risks, Filipino fishermen still try to enter the shoal to top up their catch. Christopher de Vera, 53, said members of his crew have gone inside under the cover of darkness, leaving them feeling like "a thief in your own backyard". But he said the shallow waters no longer teem with fish after the coral was "decimated" by Chinese giant clam harvesters. 'Worst nightmare' China's growing assertiveness has not been seriously challenged by Southeast Asian countries due to deep divisions over how to respond and fear of retaliation if they do, according to analysts. The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is split between those with close ties to China, such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, and others that are warier of Beijing. Their differences have hampered negotiations between China and ASEAN for a "code of conduct" that would govern behaviour in the sea. Talks have dragged on for 20 years as Beijing, which prefers to deal directly with its smaller neighbours, went on an island-building spree. The United States is widely seen as the only nation powerful enough to push back, but there are concerns about its reliability. President Joe Biden hosted ASEAN leaders in May to signal Washington's long-term commitment to the region in the face of China's growing clout. But decades of inconsistent policies and perceived neglect of the region have damaged Washington's image. "Southeast Asian countries are simply not willing to place their bets on the United States," said Shahriman Lockman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. China has previously used deadly force to back its claims and its recent war games around Taiwan, which it considers part of its own territory, rang alarm bells across the region. Chinese and Vietnamese forces engaged in clashes in 1974 and 1988 in which dozens of troops died. For now, Beijing appears keen to avoid war while pursuing its expansionist drive. "They are masterful at avoiding crossing that threshold by being shrill about their protestations, this wolf warrior diplomacy, that is designed to intimidate and get you to give in without fighting," said John Blaxland, an international security and intelligence expert at the Australian National University. And its tactics are working. Poling said the sea could become a "Chinese lake" as the growing risk and cost of operating there forces out Southeast Asian fishermen, oil and gas companies and coast guard. Villamonte used to regularly make 6,000 pesos ($105) per trip when he could fish at Scarborough Shoal. Now it can be as little as 2,000 pesos, or nothing at all. Fishing is all he knows -- his father and grandfather were fishermen -- and his "worst nightmare" is losing access to the rest of Philippine waters. "My family will go hungry," he said. Myanmar's junta leader has not been invited to a regional summit next month, host Cambodia said Wednesday, in a fresh diplomatic snub for the isolated military regime. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has led diplomatic efforts to resolve the turmoil that has gripped Myanmar since the military seized power last year. But there has been little progress on a "five-point consensus" agreed with the junta, and its leader and ministers have been shut out of recent meetings of the 10-member regional bloc. Linking the invitation to "progress in the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus", a Cambodian foreign ministry spokesman said the junta had been invited to "nominate a non-political representative for the upcoming ASEAN Summits". This means junta chief Min Aung Hlaing would not be allowed to attend, just as his top diplomat was barred from foreign ministers' gatherings in Phnom Penh in February and August. The five-point plan, agreed in April last year, calls for an immediate end to violence and dialogue between the military and the anti-coup movement. There is growing dissatisfaction within ASEAN -- sometimes criticised as a toothless talking shop -- at the Myanmar generals' stonewalling. The junta's execution of four prisoners in July, in defiance of widespread international calls for clemency, caused further anger. August's meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers ended with a rare condemnation from the bloc for the junta's actions. The ministers said they were "deeply disappointed by the limited progress in and lack of commitment of the Naypyidaw authorities to the timely and complete implementation of the five point consensus". ASEAN's own envoy tasked with brokering peace has admitted the scale of the task, saying "even Superman cannot solve" the crisis. US pressure The regional bloc's snub comes as Washington attempts to exert more pressure on the junta through the United Nations, following outrage over an air strike that killed 11 schoolchildren last month. US State Department counsellor Derek Chollet held talks with other governments and with representatives of the self-declared National Unity Government -- dominated by ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi's party -- during the UN General Assembly earlier this month. Myanmar is planning fresh elections in August next year, but Chollet warned there was "no chance" they could be free and fair. The junta has justified its power grab pointing to alleged fraud in the 2020 elections, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party won easily. A military crackdown on dissent in the wake of the coup has left more than 2,300 civilians dead, according to a local monitoring group. The junta, meanwhile, says the uprising against its rule has left almost 3,900 of its supporters dead. Nearly a decade after starting a registry to track assault weapons, New York officials are no closer to knowing how many of those guns are circulating in the state. More than 40% of owners of assault weapons who registered their firearms with New York State Police under a new state law failed to recertify the guns five years later as the law requires. The 2013 New York Safe Act banned the sale of assault weapons and required anyone who owned such guns to register them with state police an effort aimed at helping law enforcement solve crimes and prosecute criminals. The provisions were among the most controversial of a slew of new measures to reduce gun violence in the wake of a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The Safe Act defined assault weapons as semi-automatics capable of accepting detachable magazines and with a military-style feature that could include protruding pistol grips, folding stocks, thumb hole stocks, a second hand grip, bayonet mount or flash suppressor. By 2015, 23,847 people applied to register 44,485 assault weapons believed to be a small fraction of the total number of assault weapons in the state. Many gun owners scoffed at the law, and some county sheriffs, including in Erie County, said they would not enforce it. Compliance appears to have gotten worse. While the Safe Act also required assault weapon owners to re-register their guns every five years, just 14,056 residents have submitted applications for recertification, according to a state police spokesman. Police agencies across the state have lodged 435 felony charges against individuals for failing to register an assault weapon since the law went into effect in 2013, according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. The Safe Act, nearing its 10th anniversary, illustrates how difficult it is to implement new gun control measures, even in a state that already has plenty of them. Among the measures: a new permit process for the purchase of semi-automatic rifles, which remain legal if they do not have the military-style features specified by the Safe Act. Gun rights advocates decried the new laws as knee-jerk bureaucracy that will do little to keep criminals from getting guns or make people safer. The new concealed carry law already is being challenged in court. Anyone that wants to get a gun is going to get a gun anyways. And its not going to be legal and theyre going to be able to do whatever they want to do, said Nick Brzezniak, chairman of the Erie County Chapter of Shooters Committee on Political Education, or SCOPE. Research: Laws make NY safer But data from the Centers for Disease Control suggests New Yorks tight firearms laws make the state safer, relative to most other states, when it comes to gun-related violence. In 2020, New York had fewer gun deaths per 100,000 residents than all but four other states, and its gun death rate was 61% lower than the national average, according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Even before adopting its latest gun laws, New York was rated sixth-best state in the country in gun safety strength by the Giffords Center, which supports stronger gun control laws. At the other end of the spectrum was Mississippi, which had 28.6 gun deaths per 100,000, a rate that was 110% higher than the national average. Giffords Law rated Mississippi among the five worst in the country for gun safety strength and noted that the state loosened restrictions further in 2021 by allowing people to carry concealed firearms using a drivers license that never expires. New Yorks strong gun regulations clearly have an impact on deterring gun crimes and violence, said Robert J. Spitzer, author of five books on gun control and gun policy, including The Gun Dilemma: How History is Against Expanded Gun Rights, published this month. Its difficult to measure the precise impact of a specific law on the wrongful uses of guns, but laws are in place to prosecute those who break them and deter people who fear being caught and prosecuted, said Spitzer, distinguished service professor emeritus at State University of New York College at Cortland. Between 75% and 90% of guns seized by police in New York investigating crimes come from outside the state another good indicator that New Yorks laws make a difference, said Spitzer. If it was just as easy to get a gun in New York as outside the state, people would just get those guns in New York State, because you dont have to travel or travel as far, he said. In addition to the registration system, the Safe Act banned the sale of high-capacity magazines and semi-automatic guns with military features. But gun manufacturers introduced new models of guns in New York that functioned the same as the banned weapons, except with enough cosmetic changes to fall outside the ban. Ban didn't prevent Buffalo mass shooting The Safe Act's ban on the sale of assault weapons did not stop a Broome County man from legally buying a Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle from an Endicott gun store and then allegedly using the weapon in a racist attack at a Tops in Buffalo on May 14. Payton Gendron, 19, of Conklin was charged with killing 10 people in Buffalo's deadliest mass shooting. The gun he is accused of using complied with the Safe Act requirements at the time of purchase, according to the stores owner. A previous owner of the gun had modified the rifle to limit the magazine to 10 rounds so that it adhered to the state law, according to a racist diatribe that Gendron wrote prior to the attack. Gendron used his fathers power drill to undo that modification and return the weapon to being what he described as a military grade assault rifle the same type of gun a 20-year-old man used to kill 26 people a decade ago at Sandy Hook. Gun registries have the potential to help police identify violent criminals and to protect officers responding at a scene where guns might be present. Advocates for registration systems also say they make firearm owners more accountable and discourage illegal sales of guns. But few states have registries, and some states have banned them as an infringement on gun owners freedoms. How many assault weapons are in NY? In New York, even with a registry in place for nearly a decade, its still not clear how many assault weapons are circulating statewide. A gun trade group estimated in 2015 that a million guns in New York fell into the state's definition of assault weapons, but Spitzer said he believes that number is wildly inflated, given the low gun ownership rates of New Yorkers compared to Americans in other states. Its just not a number that anybody tracks, he said. Gov. Hochul's office declined to comment on questions from The News about the Safe Act, the number of assault weapons in the state, and levels of compliance with the assault weapon registration requirement. Hochul was in U.S. Congress at the time the Safe Act was adopted and didn't start as lieutenant governor for Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo until 2015. Governor Hochul's top priority is to keep New Yorkers safe, and she worked with the legislature and national experts to enact landmark gun legislation that expanded red flag laws, raised the age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles, and carefully regulates concealed carry permits to protect New Yorkers and respect responsible, legal gun ownership," spokeswoman Janine Kava said in an emailed statement. Nationwide, the number of firearms has continued to proliferate and is now estimated at more than 400 million, and gun violence shot up dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic. Gun violence prevention experts said more stringent efforts at the state level to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people can help. Theres plenty of work in firearm policy to be done, said Dr. Garen J. Wintemute, an emergency room physician and director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California Davis. Most of the country, for example, still allows people with a history of violent crimes to purchase firearms, even though research shows that people with misdemeanor records of crimes such as assault, battery and brandishing firearms are at hugely increased risk of committing violent crime, relative to other gun owners, said Wintemute. And when California began prohibiting people with violent pasts from buying guns, the risk went way down" in that state. In most of the country, its a myth that you cant buy a gun if youve been convicted of a violent crime. That only actually applies if the crime is a felony or if it invokes domestic violence, he said. Extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws, have shown to be effective, especially in preventing suicide deaths, said Wintemute. And in California, in 59 cases where an extreme risk protection order was used for a potential mass shooter, none of the cases so far has resulted in a mass shooting, he said. When a tip is given and acted on, the best evidence we have is that theyre very effective, said Wintemute. Research out of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions also shows that permitting and licensing laws are among the most effective policies at reducing multiple forms of gun violence, and yet just nine states have permit-to-purchase laws, said Cassandra Crifasi, associate professor at Johns Hopkins who studies gun policy and gun violence prevention. The centers research found lower rates of firearm homicides, fewer guns diverted for use in crimes, lower rates of firearm suicide, lower incidences of mass shootings and fewer law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty in states that have permit policies. In 2007, Missouri repealed a handgun purchaser licensing law that had dated back to the 1920s. Researchers at Johns Hopkins estimate the change led to an additional 49 to 68 firearm homicides per year in the state from 2008 to 2012 and a 23% increase in the states firearm suicide rate. NY's new gun laws New York has gone in the opposite direction, adding a new permit-to-purchase requirement for semi-automatic rifles that took effect in September and reworking its concealed-carry permit process to comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down parts of its old concealed-carry law. Brzezniak worries the changes, which prohibit even people with concealed-carry permits from having their guns within safe zones such as schools, churches and public buildings, will make New Yorkers less safe. Listen, if I was a criminal, Id want to go into a gun-free zone, knowing that theres a lot of people that arent going to be carrying anymore, he said. Brzezniak, who has had a concealed-carry permit for many years, said he already has avoided going to some places, either because he had a gun with him or didnt feel comfortable being in a gun-free zone without his firearm. I have friends that say, You know what, Im going to protect myself or my family, no matter what and Im still carrying my gun and Ill deal with it later, he said. Thats not really the answer either. I do believe in following the laws. Still, he added, the new laws are totally wrong and we have to keep fighting to make them right, for the safety of everybody. Wintemute, the California emergency room physician, acknowledged that gun regulations can only go so far in helping curb violence and crime. Particularly in a place like California and in New York, where there are lots of policies in place already, we need to recognize that there are limits to the inroads we will make preventing gun violence if all we do is work on guns. We need also to work on the social factors that make violence seem necessary or useful, he said. Ethiopia's federal government says it has accepted an invitation from the African Union to take part in the peace talks aimed at ending the ongoing civil war and halting hostilities against the country's Tigray region leadership. African Union chief Moussa Faki Mahamat extended the invitation to the peace talks in South Africa in a letter addressed to the leaders of the Tigray region and the Ethiopian federal government. Redwan Hussein, the national security adviser to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, confirmed Wednesday morning that the federal government has accepted the invitation. The decision "is [in line] with our principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the need to have talks without preconditions," Redwan said. Separately, a federal government statement re-affirmed Addis Ababa's preference for talks mediated by the African Union. The government of Tigray responded Wednesday that it was ready to participate in the talks. Fighting in Ethiopia's civil war renewed in late August, breaking a fragile truce that had been in place since March and halting much-needed aid deliveries to the Tigray region where more than 5 million people need humanitarian assistance. According to the letter sent by Faki, mediation efforts by the AU's envoy for the Horn of Africa will be supported by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and the former deputy president of South Africa, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. The letter says the talks are "aimed at laying the foundation for a structured and sustained mediation" between the two sides "towards a durable resolution of the conflict." According to a diplomatic source in Addis Ababa, this AU core mediation team will be supported by "observers" from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, an eight-country trade bloc in region. The talks in South Africa represent the highest-level effort to date to end the nearly two-year war and follow at least three rounds of discussions between senior officials on both warring sides. The United States' newest and most advanced aircraft carrier has embarked on its first deployment to train with allies and patrol the high seas of the Atlantic amid increased tensions across the globe. The USS Gerald R. Ford began its deployment in the North Atlantic on Tuesday as the lead ship in a carrier strike group that includes six ships from NATO countries, several U.S. warships and a submarine. "We're going to use the entire Atlantic as our playpen," Navy Captain Paul Lanzilotta, the ship's commanding officer, told reporters ahead of the deployment. "We're going to be doing pretty much every mission set that's in the portfolio for naval aviation." "America's biggest and baddest warship," as the Navy calls it, has nearly two dozen new technologies and a completely redesigned flight deck, which allows it to generate 30% more flights than other U.S. carriers. Among the nuclear-powered carrier's new technologies is a brand-new radar system to detect threats and the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) used to catapult aircraft off the ship. Older U.S. carriers use steam-powered catapults, which require a significant amount of space on the ship for steam piping, condensation return and fresh water needed to produce the steam. The USS Ford is the largest warship in the world displacing 112,000 tons of water, which is 12,000 more tons than the Nimitz-class carriers and 32,000 more than the world's third-largest warship: China's new Fujian aircraft carrier. However, due to significant upgrades in design and automation, the ship requires about 600 fewer sailors to maneuver it than the Nimitz-class carriers, a change that is expected to translate into billions of dollars in savings during the ship's 50-year lifespan. The ship's current carrier strike group includes forces from Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and the United States. It's the largest partnership show of force in the Atlantic since World War II, according to the U.S. Navy. Lanzilotta said the North Atlantic deployment will serve as a "steppingstone kind of approach" to prepare for longer global deployments that will begin next year. It will also project power in the North Atlantic through air defense exercises, maritime domain awareness, long-range maritime strikes, distributed maritime operations, anti-submarine warfare exercises, as well as naval integration, according to Vice Admiral Dan Dwyer, commander of U.S. Second Fleet, which overseas operations in the Arctic and North Atlantic. "In this area of strategic competition, we can no longer assume that geography provides us with the protection and standoff that we've had in the past," said Dwyer. The deployment comes seven months after Russia illegally invaded Ukraine and just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a mobilization of 300,000 more troops in an effort to counter heavy losses on the battlefield. But while Moscow's focus on Ukraine has preoccupied Russia's ground forces, Moscow's naval fleet remains "undiluted" by the fight, according to Bruce Jones, a consulting professor at Stanford University and the director of the Brookings Institution's Project on International Order and Strategy. "We saw a substantial increase in Russian naval activity in the lead-up to the Ukraine crisis in the Arctic so the North Atlantic is a very important place where we're going to end up having to deter Russia," he told VOA. Jones points to the potential sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline in the Black Sea as an example of the type of aggression that Russia's naval forces might be capable of waging. "Arguably, we're in a more dangerous period, because Russia may well be looking to escalate beyond Ukraine as the situation in Ukraine gets worse for him [Putin]," he told VOA. Aircraft carriers are utilized as floating, movable air bases that provide air cover for ships at sea and offensive capabilities across the globe, as, for example, when carriers were used to conduct airstrikes against Islamic State. Melanie Sisson, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, said carriers have served as the "backbone for the United States in terms of power projection, in terms of force projection," pushing military power forward while also serving as a massive symbol of U.S. military commitments to allies across the globe. The USS Ford is the first ship in a new class of aircraft carriers in more than 45 years. The lead ship of the Nimitz-class carriers, the USS Nimitz, is expected to retire after a final deployment in the coming months. The USS Ford ran years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget due to problems integrating its new technologies and design. Delegates of Colombia's government and the nation's largest remaining guerrilla group met on Tuesday and announced that they will restart peace talks that were suspended in 2018. After meeting in Venezuela's capital city, representatives of the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, issued a statement saying a start date for the peace talks would be announced after the first week of November. The statement also added that Norway, Venezuela and Cuba would be "guarantor states" in the talks, and that the participation of civil society groups would be "essential" for the peace talks to succeed. A place for the talks has not yet been announced, though ELN commander Antonio Garcia suggested that different stages of the negotiations could be held in Cuba, Norway and Venezuela. The ELN was founded in the 1960s by students, union leaders and priests that drew inspiration from Cuba's revolution. The group is believed to have around 4,000 fighters in Colombia and is also present in Venezuela, where it runs illegal gold mines and drug trafficking routes. Following a 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces, or FARC, of Colombia, the ELN became the nation's largest remaining guerrilla group. Since then, it has increased its activities in territories that were formerly under FARC control. The group is known for staging kidnappings for ransom and attacks on oil infrastructure and has been listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. Colombia's recently elected President Gustavo Petro is the nation's first leftist leader and has promised to make peace deals with the ELN and several other armed groups in Colombia. He has shifted away from the strategy of the previous government, which suspended talks with the ELN after the rebels refused to stop attacking military targets. In a press conference that followed the meeting between both sides, Colombia peace commissioner Danilo Rueda said that the ELN had shown changes in its behavior, which had enabled it to gain the government's trust. Rueda said that the rebel group had recently released hostages and scaled back attacks against the Colombian military. The ELN did not disclose any details on what it would seek in exchange for laying down its weapons. But the commander, Garcia, hinted that the group was looking for political and economic changes. "The way to look for peace is not just by thinking about weapons but by attacking the root causes of this conflict, which are inequality and the lack of democracy," Garcia said. In the 2016 peace deal with the FARC, Colombia gave the rebel group 10 seats in the nation's congress as well as the possibility of forming its own political party, while rebel leaders who collaborated with a transitional justice system were able to evade prison sentences. Colombia's government also agreed to financing land titling schemes and rural development projects as part of the peace deal. While Africa is seeing a drop in the rate of rhinoceros poaching, Namibian wildlife authorities say they are seeing a surge in rhino killings in the southern African nation. Conservationists say poachers seeking rhino horns for Asian markets are targeting Namibia's commercial farms. Save the Rhino Trust CEO Simson Uri Khob said there are reports that syndicates of rhino poachers from South Africa are operating in Namibia. He said poaching cases are rising, especially in Etosha National Park and commercial farms. Its a problem, Khob said. The only thing I can say is we have to take more hands with the communities [that are] in the areas and do more awareness. Salmon Vermaak, who heads an anti-poaching group called Namibia Wildlife Protection, said the group has received two rhino poaching reports in the last four months, the first such cases since the organization began operating in the area eight years ago. We pick up tracks of prospective poachers on the farms we look after, Vermaak said. The figures from the Ministry of Forestry show what the increases are. There are definitely syndicates operating between here and South Africa. Vermaak said his group isnt involved with intelligence or the infiltration of the syndicates, but is primarily involved with the protection of the countrys rhinos. Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Forestry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said recent statistics show a surge in poaching, although the latest figures are still being verified. So far this year, Namibia has reported 48 poached rhinos compared to 43 in 2021 and 40 in 2020. Muyunda also welcomed the recent conviction of preacher Jackson Babi who is also described as a self-proclaimed prophet in documents from the Gobabis Magistrate Court. We want to believe that this will deter others that are involved in poaching of rhinos or any other wildlife crime and also those who want to get involved in this illicit activity, Myunda said. Namibia is home to the largest black rhino population in the world. As a delegation from the West African political bloc ECOWAS arrived in Ouagadougou on Tuesday, protesters took to the streets outside the airport. They shouted anti-French and anti-ECOWAS slogans and said it was time for Burkina Faso to manage its own return to security. The country has been locked in a conflict with militant groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida for almost seven years, experiencing its second coup in eight months this weekend. ECOWAS is expected to establish relations with the new junta leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, and to reinforce a two-year transition period for the country to return to democracy set up under the previous junta. They may want to gently explore what the attitude of the new leadership is towards military cooperation with other ECOWAS countries and particularly Niger, with whom the [Paul-Henri Sandaogo] Damiba regime had built a particularly strong, close military partnership," said Paul Melly, an analyst at U.K.-based think tank Chatham House. "And they may hope also to get a bit of a steer as to whether the new regime will maintain the military cooperation with French forces. Burkina Faso is seen as a strategic lynchpin in the western Sahel conflict, with terrorism already spreading from its southern border to West Africas coastal states. ECOWAS has a major stake in Burkina Fasos success in security matters. If Burkina Faso falls, or as it falls, it puts in danger a lot of other countries that surround Burkina Faso, said Michael Shurkin, an analyst with 14 North Strategies, a Washington-based consultancy. At the protests today and over the weekend, many demonstrators could be seen waving Russian flags, while the junta has indicated it is looking to turn to new international partners, potentially Russia, to help rectify its security problems. This also is bad news because whereas the French have made mistakes, the French at heart were trying to secure the area and create security," said Shurkin. "The Russians have no such goals. The Russians are there to destabilize the region and stick as many fingers in the eyes of France as is possible to make everything worse. Weve already seen from Mali what Wagner would do if they were to come to Burkina Faso, which is basically just to kill civilians. Andrew Lebovich is a research fellow at the Clingendael Institute, a Netherlands-based think tank. Asked what he thought the new junta could mean for security in Burkina Faso and the region, he said its already a dire security situation, so anything thats further disruptive to the armed forces, to the chain of command, to ongoing operations would have a negative impact. Its going to make the already meager level of regional cooperation more complicated and more difficult. Thousands have died in Burkina Faso due to the conflict; almost 2 million people have been displaced. Ugandas ministry of health says a fourth health worker has died from the spreading Ebola outbreak that has killed 11 people. The outbreak of the Sudan strain of the virus began in September but health authorities are also testing a suspected case of the Zaire strain. Fifty-eight-year-old Margaret Nabisubi, an anesthetic officer, is Ugandas fourth health worker to succumb to the deadly Ebola Sudan virus. Nabisubi reportedly battled the disease for 17 days. Dr. Sam Oledo, the president of the Uganda Medical Association, says Nabisubi was to retire in two years. The Uganda Medical Association has been spearheading a call to Ugandas ministry of health to provide adequate protective gear to health workers and says there has been a good response. Oledo describes the state of hospitalized health workers. Its painful because there is no amount of words that can replace colleagues whom youve been working with. And its our prayer that the family is compensated, said Oledo. We are glad that our other colleagues, who were doing so bad. About three-four days ago, they are improving. So we are glad that those who were diahorrating 36 times a day, they are now having about three or four motions, which is good to us. Uganda registered its first case of the Ebola Sudan strain September 20th in the Mubende district and the disease has spread to four other districts, Kassanda, Kyegegwa, Bunyangabu and now Kagadi. The ministry of health has since moved all affected health workers into supportive management treatment at the FortPortal specialized unit. But Dr. Tonny Kapsandui, program manager for Amref Health, notes that as more health workers succumb to Ebola, it sends fear and panic among health workers in an already ill-prepared health system. Kapsandui also says Uganda may have to brace for more Ebola cases if a suspected case of the Congo Crimean strain is confirmed in Amuru district in Northern Uganda. And we got information from our project manager there, that theres a case in Amuru. And that interestingly is the Congo Crimean variant. Not the South Sudan. We expect South Sudan most likely to show up in Amuru because its at the border with South Sudan. But, its the Congo variant. The ministry of health has yet to confirm the new variant case. If confirmed, it will be exactly three years since Uganda reported a case of Ebola Zaire virus. Theres still no current and effective vaccine. The Sudan Ebola strain was first reported in southern Sudan in 1976. Although several outbreaks have been reported since then in both Uganda and Sudan, the deadliest outbreak in Uganda was in 2000, claiming over 200 lives. The fragile political and security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo threatens the country's human rights and fundamental freedoms, a report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council warns. The United Nations says some improvements have been made in the DRC's human rights situation since its last report a year ago, but violations and abuses remain rife. The report attributes most crimes to armed groups, but notes 44% have been committed by the DRC's armed forces and the Congolese National Police. That, it says, has led to a resurgence in restrictions on civic and political space. Christian Jorge Salazar Volkmann, director of the Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division, says political opponents, journalists and members of civil society have been arbitrarily arrested by the intelligence services. "I remain concerned about the proliferation of hate speech and messages inciting violence, discrimination and hostilities, particularly in relation with the political competition, the armed conflict in the east and intercommunal conflicts in the rest of the country," he said. Volkmann says one year before the next presidential elections, it is important to bring alleged perpetrators of the messages to justice, and prevent the security situation from further deteriorating. He says the security situation in the DRC's eastern provinces remains extremely worrying. "Measures taken in the implementation of the state of siege, which came into effect on the sixth of May 2021 in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, do not appear to have deterred armed groups from attacking civilians, particularly in internally displaced person sites. Nor have they reduced the number of documented violations and abuses," Volkmann said. The United Nations says armed groups have killed thousands of people and forcibly displaced nearly 5.5 million from their homes. The report finds the resurgence of M23 rebels in North Kivu since November 2021 has led to a further deterioration of security. Volkmann calls for an end to impunity, which he says fuels conflicts in the DRC. He says perpetrators of crimes must be held accountable and brought to justice. DRC Minister of Human Rights Albert Fabrice Puela says efforts are being made to protect and promote human rights throughout the country. He notes the government was making progress in establishing the transitional justice initiative, adding that the process of addressing past and current human rights violations will help prevent new conflicts and restore peace. The impending November midterm elections, in which control of both houses of the United States Congress is being closely contested, could have significant consequences for the largest foreign policy challenge currently facing the Biden administration: Russias invasion of Ukraine. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops into Ukraine in February, the U.S. and its allies, including most NATO countries, have been funneling aid and weapons into the country to help prop up the government and repel the invaders. While the U.S. public still maintains broad support for Ukraine, and bills providing for aid have been passing with large bipartisan majorities, a vocal minority of Republican lawmakers, echoed by a number of influential voices in the broader conservative movement, have criticized the federal government, saying it is spending too much and potentially prolonging the conflict. Pressure on US policy Now, some experts are questioning the degree to which that minority might be able to sway U.S. policy if the party successfully seizes the House, the Senate, or both, in November. I think it's top of mind for a lot of people in Washington who are supportive of what we've been doing in Ukraine, Conor Savoy, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA. Savoy said a significant number of the Republican lawmakers who have voted against Ukraine aid so far, including many of the 57 who voted against a $40 billion aid package in May, have done so because of concern about a lack of oversight over the spending. But others include many self-styled populists in the mode of former President Donald Trump, who are instinctively suspicious of foreign aid spending, even when it is supported by the partys leadership. They don't like this, Savoy said. They think it's money down a foreign rat hole. While there has also been some Democratic opposition to Ukraine spending, the resistance in that party has been far smaller. Combined with broad Republican support, Democratic majorities have been able to push aid packages through. Determined resistance Its far from certain that things would change if the GOP takes power in Congress, given that a majority of Republicans still supports aiding Ukraine. However, it is important to remember that in Congress, a determined minority is often able to thwart the will of the majority. A decade ago, while the Republican Party ran the House of Representatives, a core group of conservatives the Freedom Caucus consistently stymied their leaderships efforts to make budget deals with then-president Barack Obama, leading to government shutdowns and fears of a default by the Treasury Department. Some observers have noted a growing rift between the Republican Partys leadership and its populist wing. The schism between the partys establishment Republicans and Trump-style populists raises questions about whether President Joe Biden can rely on lawmakers to continue funding the influx of U.S. military equipment to Ukraine if Democrats lose control of Congress, the website Defense News noted last month. On the campaign trail, Democrats have used the threat of a Republican takeover scuttling Ukraine aid as a talking point. In Ohio, Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan has repeatedly gone after his Republican opponent, J.D. Vance, for the latters admission, I dont really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another. Conservative groups dubious Over the weekend, the influential Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) posted a tweet that immediately gained broad attention because it seemed to validate Putins claim to have annexed four regions of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin announces the annexation of 4 Ukrainian-occupied territories, the tweet read. Biden and the Dems continue to send Ukraine billions of taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, we are under attack at our southern border. When will Democrats put #AmericaFirst and end the gift-giving to Ukraine? The organization later deleted the tweet, claiming that it had not been approved by its leadership. It was replaced with one that called Putin a madman and his invasion of Ukraine illegal. However, the same reluctance to continue funding Ukraine at current levels remained. We must oppose Putin, but American taxpayers should not be shouldering the vast majority of the cost, CPAC said. Other conservative organizations have also expressed concerns. The American people are tired of the neoconservative policy consensus that demands billions of their tax dollars be spent to defend the integrity of Ukraines border when resources and stewardship cannot be found to address our own, Russ Vought, president of the Center for Renewing America, told the website Defense One last month. This new package will prolong a fight that lacks an American dog [pressing U.S. interest], allowing regional allies to shirk their security responsibilities yet again. Diverting resources On Sunday, Republican Representative Matt Gaetz, whose home state of Florida had just been ravaged by a hurricane, used Twitter to suggest that aid to Ukraine was diverting assistance from his constituents. "Dear Congress: On behalf of my fellow Florida Man in grave need of assistance Just send us like half of what you sent Ukraine. Signed, Your Fellow Americans," he wrote. Last week, announcing her vote against a spending resolution that included more funding for Ukraine, Representative Marjorie Taylor Green tweeted, Today, Im voting NO on the continuing resolution to fund Americas 50 states, plus Americas 51st state: Ukraine. Also in the news, Vladimir Putin has just annexed a large portion of Ukraine. Are we funding Russia, too? Republican leaders in the House have indicated that if they take over, the general view of their caucus including any newly elected members will factor into their decision-making. In remarks to reporters last month, Representative Elise Stefanik, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said, We want to make sure they get all the briefings. I know theres concern, rightfully so, about having oversight over those dollars. Im not going to get ahead of our members before the election, our newly elected members. Its going to be a conference decision of those new members. Greece is warning it is ready to use all its diplomatic and military might to defend its sovereignty against what it calls hostile plans by its historic foe Turkey. The direct warning follows a controversial energy deal Turkey recently signed with an element of Libyas divided government. But the tensions that have been building up recently between the two NATO allies is sparking fears of a crisis that could spill out of control and destabilize the military alliance. Speaking to Greeces parliament, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis advised Turkey to return, in his words, to a realm of logic. Otherwise, he warned Ankaras growing aggression and plans to claim control of areas Greece considers its territory will be stopped. The Greek leader said geography does not change at the behest of ones decision to change or distort it. He said Greeces borders are its own and, Mitsotakis said, they are ready to be defended by its armed forces as well as by what he said are its powerful diplomatic allies. Lawmakers answered with a roaring applause and standing ovation before Mitsotakis quickly moved to meet with the U.S. ambassador to Greece and a visiting U.S. congressional delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives. Greece and Turkey are longtime foes but also NATO allies. Relations have cooled and warmed over the decades, often over air and sea rights. Greeces threat comes after Turkey recently signed an agreement with one of Libyas two rival administrations, granting rights to an already controversial energy collaboration in waters that Greece and other countries, including Egypt and Cyprus, also claim. The deal also comes as Greece boosts deployment of troops and U.S. military hardware on two islands closest to Turkeys borders in the Aegean Sea actions that recently prompted a complaint from Ankara to Washington. Turkish officials called the deployment a hostile move by a NATO member and warned that Turkey would also mobilize its military in response. Ankara sees the military buildup on the islands of Lesbos and Samos as a violation of a decades-old agreement marking the borders of the two countries. Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has gone further in the last few days, denouncing Greek ownership of several islands in the Aegean remarks that have prompted Athens to escalate talk of its willingness to defend itself in the face of what it calls Turkish aggression. The European Union has chided Turkey for its stance and Washington is already at odds with Turkey for purchasing a missile defense system from Russia, a move NATO countries say puts the alliance at risk. Analyst George Tzogopoulos explains the broader repercussions that this growing crisis could bring to the NATO alliance and how Russia, its greatest opponent, may exploit it. Its crystal clear in Washington that Turkey is not considered a reliable partner and within that context, Greece is. So, this situation is creating a new dynamic within the Eastern Mediterranean and NATO itself but most importantly, in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine, the US is working closer with reliable partners, and this is fueling the aggressive rhetoric from the other side [Turkey], he said. There are hopes within Europe, he says, that the situation may be contained. But Tzogopoulos warns the alternative could prove dangerous. If Turkey continues, the cohesion of NATOs southeast flank will be jeopardized, news that will be welcomed in Moscow, he said. Diplomatic sources in Athens tell VOA that senior Greek officials will visit the Middle East in the coming days to try and overturn Turkeys latest energy pact before Ankara sends out drilling vessels to contested waters, as part of a bid to avert a larger conflict. Iran has recently sent new military reinforcements to its western borders close to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and threatened to launch a cross-border ground invasion into Iraqi Kurdistan against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, a senior Iraqi Kurdish official in Iraq who asked to remain anonymous told VOA. "Iran has gathered forces near Kurdistan Region and through a delegation of Iraqi military officials, sent a message to the Kurdistan Regional Government that it may conduct a ground operation if forces of East Kurdistan [Iranian Kurdish militants] do not evacuate the area," the official said. The official added that after Iran's "message," Rebar Ahmed Khalid, Kurdistan Region's Interior Minister, has met with leaders of Iranian Kurdish groups the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Revolutionary Association of Workers of Iranian Kurdistan, demanding them to withdraw their Peshmerga fighters from the mountainous border region to prevent an Iranian incursion. Atta Saqzi, a spokesperson for Revolutionary Association of Workers of Iranian Kurdistan, told VOA, "Iran has brought a lot of forces to the borders, and there is even a threat to assassinate political activists of East Kurdistan inside the Kurdistan Region of Iraq." Saqzi added, "There have been threats against Kurdish party officials for a long time, but after the demonstrations and uprisings of the Kurds in the east [Iranian Kurdistan], Iran has openly threatened to take revenge on the Kurdish parties." Responding to VOA questioning on whether Washington was aware of Iran's military movement on Kurdistan Region, Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson at the U.S. State Department, said he did not have "any specifics," adding however that "we would take issue with any violation of Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Iran's widespread protests first started on September 16 in Kurdish cities when a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, lost her life following her detention by Iran's morality police for allegedly failing to properly cover her hair with a hijab. The protests quickly spread to other cities outside Iranian Kurdistan, with violent clashes between security forces and protesters leaving at least 154 people dead, including children, according to the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights. Struggling to quell the protests and blaming Iranian Kurdish militant groups for encouraging popular resistance in Kurdish cities, the Iranian government has shelled the groups' bases on the Iran-Iraq border several times over the past two weeks. Speaking to VOA, Iranian Kurdish officials have denied they were behind the unrest in Iran and said that the protests were a part of "a spontaneous civil movement." The attacks entered a new level of escalation on September 28 when Iran's Revolutionary Guards conducted missile and drone attacks on three Iranian Kurdish targets near Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Kirkuk that killed at least 14 people and injured over 30. An American citizen a mother and her 1-day-old infant were among those who died in the attack. The U.S. military said it shot down one of the drones because it posed a threat to U.S. forces in Erbil, capital of Kurdistan Region. It is unclear if the Kurdistan Regional Government will be able to dissuade Iran from further attacks on the region, given the relatively small amount of leverage the Kurdish government has over the much more powerful Iran, according to officials and experts who spoke to VOA. Osman Sedary, deputy head of the Peshmerga Committee in the Kurdistan Regional Parliament, told VOA that diplomacy was the best option the region had to address the threat. "We have to have a peaceful understanding as Kurdistan Region to resolve these issues. Both the Central Government [in Baghdad] and Kurdistan Region are now in continuous discussions to resolve this," Sedary said. The Kurdish nationalist movement in Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria has survived pressure from the four governments mainly due to the sprawling Zagros Mountains. In northwest Iran, where most of the country's population of over 10 million Kurds live, the Kurds were able to establish their first Kurdistan Republic in 1946 before it was crushed by the Iranian government about 12 months later. This story originated in VOA's Kurdish Service with contributions from Zhiyar Mohammed and VOA State Department bureau chief Nike Ching. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov South Caucasus Weekly Review: 26 Sept-2 Oct 22 This project of Azernews is designed to cover major weekly developments in the South Caucasus nations. HIGHLIGHTS Armenian, French leaders discuss regional situation in Paris Allies refuse to sell weapons to Armenia premier Moscow, Brussels, Washington unwilling to recognize Karabakh's independence or inclusion in Armenia Pashinyan Belarus President visits Georgias occupied Abkhazia region Premier: Georgia deserves EU membership status, fulfilling Dream of Generations Georgia, EUs Eastern Europe and Central Asia working group mull cooperation Baku urges Yerevan to honor intl obligations for sake of regional peace, security, prosperity Azerbaijani, Armenian senior officials discuss peace agenda in Washington Azerbaijani, Armenian FMs negotiate draft peace deal in Geneva ARMENIA Armenian, French leaders discuss regional situation in Paris Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris to discuss late regional developments, Azernews reports, citing the Armenian media. Prior to the meeting on September 26, the leaders of the two countries made statements for the press. Large-scale military actions were held on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, resulting in several deaths. Armenian land was attacked, and civil infrastructure was damaged. In the face of an untenable scenario, France has fulfilled its obligations, Macron said. France, holding the presidency of the UN Security Council, convened a meeting of the Security Council, where the situation was discussed twice, on September 14 and 15. The Council members demanded a speedy cessation of hostilities and respect for the ceasefire. Taking into account that there are occupied positions, France demanded that the Azerbaijani forces return to their initial positions. I told President Aliyev on September 14 that the fact that the border is not demarcated cannot justify any advance into the territory of the other country, the French president stressed. He added that France is convinced that the use of force cannot be a solution for either Armenia or Azerbaijan and it is necessary to resume the dialogue immediately. All unresolved issues, which are numerous, should be resolved exclusively through negotiations. According to Macron the 44-day war between Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2020, led to a de facto new situation with an expanded Russian military presence in the region. In turn, Pashinyan underlined that the administrative borders between Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan became state borders in the first months of independence of the two countries since both countries signed and ratified December 8, 1991, Agreement on Establishing Commonwealth of Independent States. As for long-term solutions, I think it is necessary to sign the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty with the mutual recognition of the borders reaffirmed by the agreement of December 8, 1991. Armenia is ready for the opening of communications and the construction of new communication routes in the region, in accordance with the national legislations of the countries through which they pass, Pashinyan said. Allies refuse to sell weapons to Armenia premier Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenias allies refused to sell arms to his country, Azernews reports, citing the Armenian media. At a cabinet meeting on September 29, Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan has had some success also in terms of its relations with Armenias allies, and is trying to do so that no weapons are supplied to Armenia. The premier added that payments had been made, but the commitments to supply weapons to Armenia are not being fulfilled, including by the allied nations. In all directions, in all cases wherever possible, unfortunately, they have some success also in terms of the relations with our allies, wherever possible they are attempting to do so that no arms and ammunition are supplied to Armenia. We have cases when 100 million dollars have been paid, but the delivery commitments to Armenia are not being fulfilled, including by the allied countries. This is, of course, a sad reality. And we need to deeply analyze this situation, Pashinyan stressed. He emphasized that all of this is being done with the long-term objective of forcing Armenia to reject its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. But I want to emphasize that despite all factors, we are determined to protect our independence, our sovereignty, and our territorial integrity. And glory to all heroes, who stand in the positions to protect Armenias independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, Pashinyan added. Meanwhile, the Economic Times reported that India would supply missiles and ammunition to Armenia. The governments signed a number of contracts for the supply of arms and ammunition to Armenia in early September. Arms worth around $244 million are expected to be sent to Armenia in the upcoming months. According to ET sources, the contract includes the first-ever export of indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers, which are already being used by the Indian army. India will also supply anti-tank rockets as well as a range of ammunition to Armenia under the deal. Moscow, Brussels, and Washington are unwilling to recognize Karabakh's independence or inclusion in Armenia Pashinyan Neither Moscow, Brussels, nor Washington is ready to recognize the independence of Karabakh or recognize it as part of Armenia, Armenian Premier Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Public Television on September 30, when asked whether Moscow, Brussels, and Washington have their own proposals on the Karabakh conflict settlement. We cant say that each of them has their own package, but they do have certain views. If I am obliged to speak with our people truthfully, and I am obliged to do so, I should have said this earlier, even before the war. None of the countries you mentioned is ready to recognize Karabakh's independence, and none of them is ready to recognize Karabakh as part of Armenia. We must face this truth, he said. When asked whether these nations acknowledge Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said that there is a declaration by the above-mentioned countries that Karabakh is an internationally recognized part of Azerbaijan. GEORGIA Belarus president visits Georgias occupied Abkhazia region Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka visited Abkhazia, his first trip as president to the Georgian breakaway territory on September 28, Azernews reports, citing the Georgian media. At the meeting with the so-called president of occupied Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, Lukashenka said that the issue of Abkhazia was discussed at the meeting held the day before with President of Russia Vladimir Putin. Yesterday, we discussed the problems of Abkhazia with our elder brother Vladimir Putin. We were discussing these issues till late at night and came to the conclusion that Abkhazia cannot be abandoned. It needs help so that this prosperous land and the people who live here can live normally, Lukashenka said. He added that Belarus and Russia are coordinating their actions. Today, more than ever, we see what the world has turned into. We will not be allowed to live in peace. Therefore, we should strengthen relations with our friends, Lukashenka said. Georgia's reaction to the Belarusian president's visit was obviously negative. I strongly condemn Alyaksandr Lukashenkas visit to Abkhazia region occupied by and meetings with representatives of the Russian occupation regime. This step violates the law on occupied territories and contradicts international law as well as bilateral relations between our countries, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili stressed. I strongly condemn President Lukashenkas visit to Russian-occupied Abkhazia. It is an obvious violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty, which needs a strong response from the government and the international community. We all should be firm in addressing such violations! For Georgia party leader Giorgi Gakharia said. I strongly condemn Alyaksandr Lukashenkas visit to occupied Abkhazia. This is an unacceptable violation of Georgias `Law on Occupied Territories' and the principles of our bilateral relations and international law, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili emphasized. President Lukashenkas arrival in Bichvinta in occupied Abkhazia/Georgia in violation of Georgias Law on "Occupied Territories" is unacceptable. We strongly condemn this unlawful action. Fundamental principles of international law must be followed, Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili said. On September 29, the Foreign Ministry summoned the Belarus ambassador to Georgia following Lukashenkas visit to the occupied Abkhazia region. Likewise, the European Union also strongly condemned Lukashenkas visit to Abkhazia, describing it as a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, as well as international law. The European Union strongly condemns Alyaksandr Lukashenkas visit to Georgias Abkhazia, in the separatist region, despite the fact that Lukashenka as a person has no legitimacy to act as the head of state, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said. Premier: Georgia deserves EU membership status, fulfilling the Dream of Generations Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili made a speech on September 22 at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, emphasizing that receiving EU membership candidate status will make the dream of generations a reality since, in the end, it will lead to gaining EU membership. We are continuing our absolute path towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Our commitment to these goals is backed up by actions and real results, including an Association Agreement, DCFTA, and visa-free travel with the EU, Garibashvili stated at the assembly. Garibashvili mentioned the European Councils historic decision to provide Georgia with a European perspective in his speech, stating that it had produced a new set of benchmarks. Garibashvili asserted that just as in the past, Georgia will meet and exceed those benchmarks. We are fully aware that the European perspective comes with a responsibility of the highest political, economic, and legal convergence with the EU. Georgia immediately responded to the European Councils decision by presenting an action plan to address the EUs 12 priorities, the PM noted. Let me be clear: Georgia deserves EU member candidate status, which will bring us to eventual membership and make the dream of generations a reality, he said. The PM also stressed the Georgian Dream party's efforts to carry out a reform program that had brought the country closer to significant international partners such as the EU, US, NATO, and UN. Georgia, EUs Eastern Europe and Central Asia working group mull cooperation Georgias Parliamentary Majority Leader Irakli Kobakhidze held a meeting with the members of the European Unions Eastern Europe and Central Asia Working Group (COEST) on September 27. The discussion at the meeting touched on the implementation of the 12 recommendations of the European Union. An interesting meeting was held. We introduced to our colleagues the representatives of the EU countries how the twelve points are being implemented. In this regard, we presented a detailed report, and at the same time, we touched on all the main issues related to the development of the country, said Kobakhidze after the meeting. Similarly, the members of the parliamentary opposition also met with the COEST members. The parties discussed the current situation regarding the implementation of the 12-point recommendations proposed by the European Union for granting the candidate status to Georgia. The representatives of the parliamentary opposition introduced their vision to the EU guests regarding the implementation of the hereof recommendations. AZERBAIJAN Baku urges Yerevan to honor intl obligations for sake of regional peace, security, prosperity Baku has urged Yerevan to honor its international obligations for the sake of regional peace, security and prosperity, Azernews reports, citing the Foreign Ministry. In a statement on the second anniversary of September 27 Remembrance Day, the ministry emphasized that Azerbaijan is the initiator of normalizing ties with Armenia on the basis of rigorous adherence to international legal norms, particularly sovereignty, territorial integrity, and inviolability of international borders. We call on Armenia to respect these fundamental principles to ensure peace, security, and prosperity in the region and comply with its international obligations. Armenia should finally put an end to imitation in the negotiations and take genuine, constructive steps. There is no other alternative for the peaceful development of the region, the statement stresses. It recalls that two years have passed since the Azerbaijani armed forces' retaliatory steps in 2020 to confront another military provocation by the Armenian armed forces, which marked the start of the 44-day Patriotic War. Azerbaijan's counter-measures were taken within the scope of the right to self-defense and in line with international humanitarian law to halt Armenia's recurring military aggression and ensure the civilian population's safety, the ministry underlined. Azerbaijani, Armenian senior officials discuss peace agenda in Washington Azerbaijani presidential top foreign policy aide Hikmat Hajiyev and Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan have discussed the peace agenda in Washington, under the auspices of US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Azernews reports. "Today, I hosted Hikmat Hajiyev and Armen Grigoryan for direct and constructive talks. We discussed the importance of avoiding further violence and pursuing time-bound and focused negotiations. We also identified concrete steps forward in support of a stable and lasting peace," Sullivan wrote on his Twitter page on September 28. "We thank the US for arranging the meeting and efforts to ensure sustainable regional peace. The meeting results were reported by Jake Sullivan in an agreed way. The major point here is to continue working on the peace agenda within a specific timeline. The meeting addressed peace agreement negotiations, border delimitation, the opening of transport lines, as well as issues regarding landmines and missing persons, which are part of the humanitarian agenda," Hajiyev said. Azerbaijani, Armenian FMs negotiate draft peace deal in Geneva Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan met to negotiate a draft peace treaty in Geneva on October 2, Azernews reports, citing the ministry. The bilateral meeting was organized in accordance with the task assigned to foreign ministers to develop the text of the peace treaty as agreed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on August 31 in Brussels under the auspices of European Union Council President Charles Michel. Bayramov stressed the importance of efforts on normalizing interstate ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia and negotiating a peace treaty in the post-conflict period. The minister called Armenia's attention to the peace treaty provisions based on Azerbaijan's five principles in this respect. Taking into account the recent tensions on the undelimited border, Bayramov proposed conducting the next meeting of the bilateral commissions on delimitation in October, rather than November as originally scheduled. The Azerbaijani top diplomat emphasized the significance of the full withdrawal of Armenian armed forces from Azerbaijani territory, the opening of transport and communication lines in a timely manner based on preliminary agreements, reached in the trilateral commission led by deputy prime ministers, the need to move forward in the field of border delimitation as envisaged in the trilateral statements, signed by the Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders. Concerning humanitarian issues, the minister stressed the need for clarifying the fates of almost 4,000 missing Azerbaijanis, as well as the inadmissibility of Armenia's ongoing mine-laying campaign in Azerbaijani territory, which causes numerous tragic losses and is considered a war crime and a gross violation of Armenia's obligations under the trilateral statement. Bayramov emphasized Azerbaijan's commitment to regional peace and stability, as well as its willingness to sign a peace deal. It was decided that negotiations in this respect would continue. You might see people walking down Main Street in Angola now, sipping wine, beer or a cocktail. Despite the fears of residents worried about litter and mayhem who wanted the village to continue to ban open containers of alcohol, the Village Board voted to allow the practice. Repealing the village's law prohibiting open containers of alcohol had been discussed for several weeks. Proponents say it could revitalize the downtown area, be good for existing businesses and maybe attract a few more to the one-square-mile municipality. Monday's meeting was well-attended, with about two dozen visitors. Residents spoke in favor and against the proposal, and the board approved it 4-1. Deputy Mayor John Wilson voted against changing the law. "Everybodys point is valid. You have to be understanding to everybodys opinion," Mayor Thomas Whelan said. Brandy Lombardo runs BTR Brews on Main Street, the only bar in the village. She said she went to the board meeting to understand the pros and cons of the proposal. "It really doesn't make a difference either way if they had passed the law or not," she said. But she said it will help her business, particularly when there are special events in the village. "I just don't see it causing any havoc," she said. The Village Board had wanted to bring the proposal up for a public vote, but then learned it could not legally hold a referendum on the subject. It's not the only community to allow people to walk around with open containers. The Town of Evans, where Angola is located, allows the practice, as does the Village of East Aurora. "We don't generally see too many issues," Evans Police Chief Gregory Szarowicz said. "It's not like as we drive down the road we see people walking around with open containers." The mayor said he would like to see the village enact two amendments, one to require a permit for having open containers in village parks, and one to outlaw glass containers. Whelan said anyone who carries an open container of alcohol still must adhere to all of the other village and state laws governing unruly behavior and littering. But he did not rule out evaluating how the law works out. "If this turns Angola into bedlam, we will bring that law back in a heartbeat," Whelan said. For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in Russias war on Ukraine. All times EDT. 10:01 p.m.: Ukrainian staff running the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) are preparing to restart one of the plant's six reactors, all of which are shut down, the U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. "Senior Ukrainian operating staff informed IAEA experts present at the ZNPP that preparations are under way to start unit 5 at reduced power to produce steam and heat for the needs of the plant," the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement, adding that preparations would take "some time." 9:30 p.m.: Lloyd's of London is investigating a possible cyberattack, the commercial insurance market said on Wednesday, with companies on high alert for intrusions as a result of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. "Lloyds has detected unusual activity on its network and we are investigating the issue," a Lloyd's spokesperson said by email, Reuters reported, adding that the market was resetting the network. Lloyd's, which has been vocal in its support for sanctions against Russia, declined to comment on the possible source of the attack. 8:50 p.m.: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will suggest to EU leaders meeting this week how the EU could cap gas prices in a bid to contain soaring energy costs, Reuters reported. EU governments have debated a gas price cap for weeks, without reaching agreement. While a majority of EU members support some form of cap to tackle soaring inflation, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands are opposed, citing concerns over security of supply. The EU executive's chief laid out her proposals in a letter on Wednesday to EU country leaders, who will discuss whether or how to cap gas prices at a meeting in Prague on Friday. Such a cap would be a temporary fix while the EU works on a new gas price benchmark, von der Leyen said. 8:05 p.m.: 7:17 p.m.: Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX on Wednesday launched from Florida the next long-duration crew of the International Space Station for NASA, including a Russian cosmonaut hitching a ride with two Americans and a Japanese astronaut as part of the mission. The four-member crew were expected to reach the International Space Station (ISS) in about 29 hours, on Thursday evening, to begin a 150-day science mission aboard the orbital laboratory some 250 miles (420 km) above Earth, Reuters reported. 6:44 p.m.: French energy giant TotalEnergies will continue to ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia as long as there are no European sanctions on the fuel, the company's Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. "We will continue to ship LNG from Russia as long as there is no sanctions, or push, from Europe on the gas, because we contribute to the security of supply for Europe. If there are sanctions we will stop immediately," Pouyanne told Energy Intelligence Forum in London. 6:13 p.m.: The European Union should deliver tanks to Ukraine and speed up the procedure of having the country join the bloc, European Parliament speaker Roberta Metsola told Agence France-Presse on Wednesday. The centre-right Maltese official said she would relay the message to EU leaders at a summit in Prague on Friday. The Ukrainians "need weapons that they can fight with in order to regain their territory, and that means, for example, Leopard II tanks that several members states have," Metsola said in an interview during the parliament's plenary sitting in Strasbourg. Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and non-EU members Norway, Switzerland and Turkey altogether possess some 2,000 of the tanks, according to an EU official. Metsola said countries willing to give tanks would be reimbursed from an EU fund, the European Peace Facility, which has released $2.5 billion for Ukraine military purchases. 5:27 p.m.: The squeak of their shoes and the thump of the ball on the court feel blessedly normal for Vika Kovalevska and Vlada Hozalova,The Associated Press reported. Basketball provides a brief sanctuary from the ceaseless undercurrent of tension they feel about whats happening at home in Ukraine. The game also helps ground them in their new life in southern Alberta, where they play basketball for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns. Basketball helps to distract from everything that has happened around you, Kovalevska said. I just try to focus on the practices, turn off my brain and immerse myself in the world of a fast and dynamic game, where there is not time to think about anything else. Kovalevska and Hozalova are friends who have played internationally for Ukraines under-20 womens team. The two guards arrived in Canada in May. Kovalevska, 23, enrolled in business studies in Lethbridge and will begin playing this season. Hozalova, 24, needs to complete an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program at the university before shes academically eligible to play conference games in Canada West. Hozalova, who answered questions for this story via email with the Canadian Press, can still practice with the Pronghorns and play exhibition games. 4:55 p.m.: The bodies of two Russian soldiers lay bloating in trees on opposite sides of the road, close to the blasted hulks of the cars and the van in which Ukrainian army officers said the dead mens unit was retreating into the eastern town of Lyman, Reuters reported. Unaware that their forces had withdrawn from the key rail junction, the Russians last weekend drove into an ambush by Ukrainian special forces, their flight and lives ended by a storm of gunfire, the officers said. The bodies, the ruined vehicles and carpets of bullets, torn uniforms and metal shards testified on Wednesday to Moscows loss of Lyman to a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has reclaimed parts of Donestk province overrun by Russian forces earlier this year. Armored vehicles, trucks and cars bearing Ukrainian troops or ladened with supplies churned past the ambush site toward frontlines, their occupants craning their necks to view the scene. 4:07 p.m.: Ukrainian officials are reporting further strategic losses for Russia within the territories Moscow has illegally annexed following sham referendums, The Associated Press reported. Russian troops have started to withdraw from a southern Ukrainian city that was annexed along with the Kharson region though it administratively belongs to the neighboring Mykolaiv area, said Mykolaiv Governor Vitaliy Kim on Wednesday. Kim says officials are seeking to confirm that officers have left Snihurivka, but there are troops still remaining there. Earlier, a Russia-installed official, Yury Barbashov, admitted Ukrainian troops were advancing toward the city but claimed Russia was still in control. Snihurivka, a city of 12,000, is a strategic railway hub in the Mykolaiv region. The Russians have seized the city in March and then annexed it together with the neighboring Kherson region. In the eastern Luhansk region, the governor, Serhiy Haidai, said Wednesday that Ukrainian forces have retaken several localities in the region, which also is among the four illegally annexed by Moscow. The de-occupation of the Luhansk region has begun, we can talk about it officially - several settlements have been liberated from the Russian army and the invaders, Haidai said in a video statement on Telegram. The official did not name the recaptured places, but said that the retreating Russian forces are trying to mine everything as much as possible - roads, buildings, everything around. 3:15 p.m.: Police have searched the Moscow office of Golos (Voice), a movement that monitors elections and defends voters' rights, as well as the homes of the group's members in Moscow and other parts of Russia,Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Grigory Melkonyants, the movement's co-chairman, said on October 5 that Moscow police confiscated computers, flash memory cards, payment cards, and his passport during an early morning that was executed "on completely trumped-up reasons." According to Melkonyants, police said the searches were conducted because the Golos members were "witnesses" in a probe launched against Mikhail Gusev, a member of the movement from the city of Ivanovo, who was charged with discrediting Russia's armed forces. Police also searched the homes of leading Golos members Arkady Lyubarev and Vitaly Kovin in Perm, Irina Matlseva in Ivanovo, Natalya Guseva in the Chelyabinsk region, as well as journalist Denis Kamalyagin and two members of the Yabloko opposition party -- Nikolai Kuzmin and Katerina Novikova -- in the city of Pskov. Golos member Vitaly Averin said the searches were held over the organization's "fight for fair and free elections, and for a humane state governed by the rule of law." 2:30 p.m.: Ukraines prosecutor general says more evidence of torture and unnecessary killings is turning up in areas of the country previously held by Russian forces, including four bodies found in the Kharkiv region with bound or handcuffed hands, The Associated Press reported. Andriy Kostin also told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a security conference in Polands capital on Wednesday that he had just heard about the bodies. He said the dead people were believed to be civilians but an investigation was needed to determine that. Two were found in a factory in the city Kupiansk with their hands bound behind their backs, while the other two were discovered handcuffed in the village of Novoplatonivka, according to Kostin. During public remarks at the Warsaw Security Forum, Kostin said Ukrainian authorities also discovered six cars where 24 civilians were killed near Kupiansk. The victims included 13 children and a pregnant woman who were killed while trying to escape, he said, without specifying when the killings took place. Kostin also said that Russias proclaimed annexation of four Ukrainian regions means nothing legally but only serves as evidence of Russias intentional policy in the crimes of aggression. 2:10 p.m.: 1:45 p.m.: Russia has devised yet another way to spread disinformation about its invasion of Ukraine, using digital tricks that allow its war propaganda videos to evade restrictions imposed by governments and tech companies, The Associated Press reported. Accounts linked to Russian state-controlled media have used the new method to spread dozens of videos in 18 different languages, all without leaving telltale signs that would give away the source, researchers at Nisos, a U.S.-based intelligence firm that tracks disinformation and other cyber threats, said in a report released Wednesday. The videos push Kremlin conspiracy theories blaming Ukraine for civilian casualties as well as claims that residents of areas forcibly annexed by Russia have welcomed their occupiers. English-language versions of the Russian propaganda videos are now circulating on Twitter and lesser-known platforms popular with American conservatives, including Gab and Truth Social, created by former President Donald Trump, giving Russia a direct conduit to millions of people. In an indication of the Kremlins ambitions and the sprawling reach of its disinformation operations, versions of the videos were also created in Spanish, Italian, German and more than a dozen other languages. 1:15 p.m.: 12:50 p.m.: U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese said Wednesday that President Joe Biden is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putins invasion of Ukraine, according to a statement released by the White House. At a time when maintaining a global supply of energy is of paramount importance, this decision will have the most negative impact on lower- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from elevated energy prices, the statement said. It said the Biden administration will release another 10 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the the market next month, to protect American consumers and promote energy security. Finally, todays announcement is a reminder of why it is so critical that the United States reduce its reliance on foreign sources of fossil fuels, the statement noted. With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is now poised to make the most significant investment ever in accelerating the clean energy transition while increasing energy security, by increasing our reliance on American-made and American-produced clean energy and energy technologies. 12:30 p.m.: 12:15 p.m.: Dozens of firefighters rushed to douse blazes on Wednesday in a town near Ukraine's capital Kyiv following multiple strikes caused by what local officials said were Iranian-made loitering munitions, often known as 'kamikaze drones,' Reuters reported. Six drones hit a building overnight in Bila Tserkva, around 75 km (45 miles) south of the capital, said the governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksiy Kuleba. Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks with Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in the last three weeks, but the strike on Bila Tserkva was by far the closest to Kyiv. 12:05 p.m.: 11:55 a.m.: In a tit-for-tat move, Russia has expelled Lithuania's charge d'affaires and suspended the operations of a cultural center at the Lithuanian Embassy in Moscow, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said in a statement on October 5 that Virginia Umbrasene was labeled as persona non grata and ordered to leave Russia within five days. The order comes two days after Lithuania declared Russia's envoy to the Baltic state, Sergei Ryabokon, persona non grata over his actions, which Lithuanian authorities described "incompatible" with his diplomatic status and which interfered with internal Lithuanian affairs. 11:40 a.m.: 11:25 a.m.: Belarus opposition leader said Wednesday that she believes Russian military setbacks in Ukraine could shake the hold on power of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, The Associated Press reported. We have a distracted Russia that is about to lose this war. It wont be able to prop Lukashenko up with money and military support as in 2020, said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, speaking at a security conference in Warsaw. Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania after Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in disputed August 2020 elections that were viewed in the West as fraudulent, and which many thought she won. She said that hundreds of Belarusian volunteers have supported Ukrainians in their recent liberation of Ukrainian territory. As I speak, a Belarusian battalion is part of Ukraines counter-offensive chasing the invaders away. We all understand that the speed of changes at the Ukrainian front opens new opportunities for Belarus. And its moving so fast, she said at the Warsaw Security Forum. We keep our fingers crossed for our military volunteers in Ukraine. Fifteen lost their lives already. she said. 11:10 a.m.: The Director General of the U.N.s International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Twitter Wednesday that he is headed back to Ukraine for more meetings concerning the safety of nuclear facilities there. 10:50 a.m.: The European Union gave its final approval for a new batch of sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine, the bloc's executive arm in Brussels said on Wednesday. The EU was spurred into action by Russia's nuclear threats and military mobilization for its seven-month war in Ukraine, as well as Moscow announcing annexation of parts of its neighbor - a former Soviet republic that now wants to side with the West. The measures include more restrictions in trade with Russia in steel and tech products, and an oil price cap for Russian seaborne crude deliveries to third countries through European insurers meant to align the bloc with the United States, Reuters reports. In addition, the sanctions will target more individuals at the Russian defense ministry, people involved in Moscow's ad-hoc annexation votes in occupied eastern Ukraine and those participating in bypassing sanctions. 10:35 a.m.: 10:15 a.m.: President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would stabilize the situation in four Ukrainian regions it has claimed as its own territory, an indirect acknowledgment of the challenges it faces to assert its control, Reuters reported. "We proceed from the fact that the situation will be stabilized, we will be able to calmly develop these territories," Putin said in televised remarks. Earlier his spokesman said the four regions faced an intensive process of adaptation, and that it would be difficult. Putin, speaking at an award ceremony for teachers, also said he had great respect for the Ukrainian people. "We always, and even today despite the current tragedy, hold great respect for the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture, language, literature and so on," he said. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions of Ukrainians have fled their homes and their country since Putin ordered Russia's invasion on February 24. 10:05 a.m.: Millions of Ukrainian schoolchildren are returning to the classroom despite air sirens that are still interrupting lessons. With more than 2,000 school buildings around the country destroyed, educators are working hard to rebuild and bring normality to childrens lives. VOA Eastern Europe Chief Myroslava Gongadze visited the village of Bohdanivka near Kyiv where Russian occupiers destroyed the local school and kindergarten. 9:50 a.m.: The World Trade Organization forecast a slowdown of global trade growth next year as sharply higher energy and food prices and rising interest rates curb import demand, and warned of a possible contraction if the war in Ukraine worsens, Reuters reported. The Geneva-based trade body said on Wednesday that merchandise trade would increase by 3.5% this year, up from its April estimate of 3.0%. However, for 2023, it sees trade growth of just 1.0%, compared with a previous forecast of 3.4%. "The picture for 2023 has darkened considerably," WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told a news conference, adding that risks for next year's forecast were more on the downside. "If the war in Ukraine worsens, rather than gets better, that's going to have a huge impact," she said. 9:40 a.m.: As the world is gripped by food insecurity, Somalia, a country of 15 million people shaking off its past as a failed state, can be considered the end of the line. The nation of proud pastoralists that has survived generations of drought now stumbles amid several global crises descending at once, The Associated Press reported Wednesday. They include climate change, with some of the harshest effects of warming felt in Africa. Russias invasion of Ukraine, which stalled ships carrying enough grain to feed hundreds of millions of people. A drop in humanitarian donations, as the world shifted focus to the war in Ukraine. One of the worlds deadliest Islamic extremist groups, which limits the delivery of aid. 9:25 a.m.: Half a million Nigerians are affected by flooding in 29 of Nigeria's 36 states this year. Farmers say the rising waters will push food bills higher in a nation where millions have fallen into food poverty in the past two years, Reuters reported. Farming was constrained by flooding and food shortages and COVID-19 restrictions in 2020. Prices shot higher due to this year's war in Ukraine and nationwide insecurity that has pushed thousands of farmers off their land. "This is a catastrophe indeed," said Dimieari Von Kemedi, chief executive of Alluvial Agriculture, a farm collective. "All of these wrong things are happening at the same time." 9:10 a.m.: Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said Wednesday on Twitter that Russian positions in occupied territory are legitimate military targets and said Ukraine was engaged in legitimate counteroffensive operations. President Vladimir Putin formally incorporated four Ukrainian regions into Russia on Wednesday even as his forces retreated within them. 8:55 a.m.: The head of Ukraine's state nuclear energy company said on Wednesday he was taking charge of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, and urged workers at the plant not to sign any documents with its Russian occupiers, Reuters reported. Energoatom chief Petro Kotin made his comments in a video address posted on the Telegram messaging app despite Russia saying it plans to supervise the plant's operations. The video address followed the brief detention by Russian forces of the Ukrainian who had been in charge of the plant, where Ukrainian staff are still working. "All further decisions regarding the operation of the station will be made directly at the central office of Energoatom," Kotin said. "We will continue to work under Ukrainian law, within the Ukrainian energy system, within Energoatom." 8:40 a.m.: 8:15 a.m.: Ukraine's exports of agricultural products are up 41% in September, the Kyiv Independent reported Wednesday. Ukraine increased its export of agricultural products by land and naval routes in September to 6.9 million metric tons, the media outlet said, citing information from Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. The export volume has increased by 41% compared to August, he added. 7:50 a.m.: Russian energy giant Gazprom resumed gas exports to Italy via Austria on Wednesday after resolving an issue over guarantees that had led to the suspension of flows over the weekend, Reuters reported. Gazprom said the company and its Italian customers had found a solution following regulatory changes in Austria which halted flows entering Italy via a pipeline passing through Tarvisio in the northeast of the country. Italian energy group Eni confirmed in a statement on Italy's GME platform that supplies had resumed although it said it expected only part of the gas requested to arrive on Wednesday. Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said on Monday that the suspension of flows was not down to "geopolitical factors." 7:35 a.m.: 7:15 a.m.: Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian-installed separatist administration in Ukraine's Donetsk region, said on Wednesday that the frontline around the town of Lyman, which Ukraine retook over the weekend, was "stabilizing," Reuters reported citing Russian state-owned news agency RIA. RIA also cited Pushilin as saying that Russian units were reinforcing defensive lines near Lyman, amid Ukrainian successes across a range of fronts. Reuters was unable to verify the battlefield reports. 7:05 a.m.: Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant will operate under the supervision of Russian agencies after President Vladimir Putin formally annexed the wider Zaporizhzhia region this week, the RIA state-owned news agency reported. Another state-owned news agency, TASS, reported that Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), will visit Moscow in the coming days to discuss the situation at the plant. Russia moved to annex Zaporizhzhia and three other regions after holding what it called referendums votes that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive. 6:45 a.m.: Rebeca Grynspan, secretary general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), may visit Moscow next week to discuss the Turkish-brokered deal to unblock Ukrainian Black Sea grain exports, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported, citing the foreign ministry. Russian officials have in recent months leveled increasing criticism at the deal, which Moscow agreed to in July. 6:20 a.m.: 6 a.m.: International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said on Wednesday that he may visit Ukraine's Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant again, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported. TASS reported Grossi, who headed an IAEA delegation to the plant last month, as saying that he would continue discussing the creation of a "safety zone" around the facility. 5:15 a.m.: The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote next week on a draft resolution condemning Russias annexation claim. Russia used its veto power to stop a similar measure at the U.N. Security Council last week. 5 a.m.: Foreign minister James Cleverly said on Wednesday Britain was listening carefully to nuclear threats made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, but that Putin had a long history of "saber-rattling." Asked whether Russian nuclear threats had to be taken seriously, Cleverly told BBC radio: "We always listen carefully ... to what Vladimir Putin is saying. We also recognize of course that he has a long history of saber-rattling." 4:30 a.m.: European Union governments are set to reach agreement on Wednesday on proposals for new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported citing EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. EU governments, grouped together as the Council, have been debating an eighth round of sanctions against Russia since last week. "I trust that before the end of this plenary sitting, we will have reached an agreement within the Council and the adoption of the joint proposal put forward by the Commission," Borrell told the European Parliament on Wednesday. 4 a.m.: European Union countries need to step up protection of their critical infrastructure, by conducting stress tests and using satellite surveillance to detect potential threats, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday. "The acts of sabotage against Nord Stream pipelines have shown how vulnerable our energy infrastructure is. It is in the interest of all Europeans to better protect this critical infrastructure," von der Leyen said in a speech in the European Parliament. 3:15 a.m.: French Junior Minister for European Affairs Laurence Boone said on Wednesday that Russians fleeing their country to avoid being mobilized in the Russian army would not automatically get visas to remain in France, but that their situation and any security risks would be considered, Reuters reported. "We have limited conditions under which visas can be given. We will make sure dissident journalists, people who fight the regime, artists and students can still come here, and we will issue visas on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the security risks," she said in an interview with franceinfo radio. 3 a.m.: The United States will on Wednesday carry a Russian to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX ship, in a voyage that carries symbolic significance amid the Ukraine war, Agence France-Presse reported. Anna Kikina, the only female cosmonaut in service, is part of the Crew-5 mission, which also includes one Japanese and two American astronauts. Blast-off is set for noon from the Kennedy Space Center, with the weather forecast so far promising. Two weeks ago, an American astronaut took off on a Russian Soyuz rocket for the orbital platform. The long-planned astronaut exchange program has been maintained despite soaring tensions between the two countries since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February. 2:50 a.m.: 2:30 a.m.: Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to push its ally Belarus to the top of an international diamond certification body to protect Moscow's gems from being branded conflict diamonds following its invasion, Reuters reported. Some members of the Kimberley Process, a coalition of governments, industry and civil society that certifies diamonds, have called for diamonds from Russia, the world's top producer by volume, to be labeled conflict diamonds. Belarus has applied to be the KP's vice chair in 2023 and chair in 2024, according to a September 19 letter seen by Reuters. The KP makes decisions by consensus, so the rift over Russia risks paralyzing it. "Russia is pushing Belarus to become chair, so that Russia's interests can be better pursued and protected within the KP," Ukraine's Kimberley Process representative Vladimir Tatarintsev said in an email on Tuesday. Belarus did not respond to emailed requests for comment. Russia has said it condemns attempts to "politicize" the KP. The KP has the power to ban diamond exports from certain countries, as it did in 2013 when rebels seized power in Central African Republic. In its bid, Belarus said it was prepared to uphold the KP's "unity and authority." Belarus, which has never before been KP chair, supported Russia in quashing a proposal to discuss the invasion of Ukraine at a KP meeting in June. Jacob Thamage of Botswana, the current KP chair, to whom the bid was addressed, did not respond to a request for comment. 2 a.m.: The Ukrainian armed forces have advanced up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) beyond the Oskil river in the northeastern Kharkiv region into Russia's defensive zone towards the town of Svatove in Luhansk region, the U.K. said on Wednesday. "Politically, Russian leaders will highly likely be concerned that leading Ukrainian units are now approaching the borders of Luhansk Oblast, which Russia claimed to have formally annexed last Friday," the British Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence bulletin. The intelligence update added that it was highly likely that Ukraine could now strike the Svatove-Kremina road in Luhansk region and added that Ukraine continued to make progress is its operations in the southern front as well. 1:30 a.m.: Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the United States said Washington's decision to send more military aid to Ukraine poses a threat to Moscow's interests and increases the risk of a military clash between Russia and the West, Reuters reported. "We perceive this as an immediate threat to the strategic interests of our country," Antonov said on the Telegram messaging app on Wednesday. "The supply of military products by the U.S. and its allies not only entails protracted bloodshed and new casualties, but also increases the danger of a direct military clash between Russia and Western countries." 1:05 a.m.: A price cap for Russian oil proposed as part of the European Union's eighth round of sanctions against Russia will not apply to pipeline shipments, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a statement late on Tuesday. Hungary, which has been the most vocal critic of sanctions against Russia in the EU, largely relies on Russian crude shipments and Russian gas, both imported via pipelines, Reuters reported. 1 a.m.: The head of the company operating Europe's largest nuclear plant says Ukraine is considering restarting the Russian-occupied facility to ensure its safety. Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom shut down the plant's last reactors last month amid fears that fighting nearby could cause a radiation disaster. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Energoatom President Petro Kotin said the company could restart two reactors within days to make sure the plant's safety systems don't freeze during the winter. The power plant sits within one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia has illegally claimed as its territory. The plants director was seized and blindfolded by Russian forces on his way home from work Friday. 12:30 a.m.: Amazon faces fines of up to $204,000 (12 million rubles) in Russia for failing to delete content Moscow deems illegal, news agencies reported on Tuesday, Reuters reported, in what would be a first penalty of this kind for the U.S. tech giant. Russia has fined several other foreign tech firms for the same offense; part of what critics say is a wider campaign by the Kremlin to throttle the influence and reach of Western technology companies in Russia. TASS quoted a Moscow court as saying that two cases had been drawn up against Amazon, both pertaining to a "violation of the procedure of restricting access to information" in accordance with Russian legislation. Amazon did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. 12:05 a.m.: Two women in Moscow-annexed Crimea, including Miss Crimea, were found guilty of discrediting the Russian army by singing a Ukrainian patriotic song in a video posted on social media, Agence France-Presse reported, quoting local authorities. Olga Valeyeva, who won the Miss Crimea 2022 beauty pageant, and an unnamed friend sang the popular Ukrainian "Chervona Kalyna" song on a balcony. A video of the women singing was posted on Instagram stories, which auto-deletes after 24 hours. Crimean police said Valeyeva was fined 40,000 rubles (about $680), while her friend was given a 10-day prison sentence. Crimean police also posted a video of the women apologizing for singing the song, blurring their faces. Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse. For years, Somali clans and villages have tried to resist demands from the Islamist group al-Shabab, which can include taxes called "zakat," plus livestock, weapons and boys they can turn into fighters. And for years, al-Shabab has effectively crushed the local rebellions, usually with ruthless efficiency. In early 2018, al-Shabab militants took over the village of Gulane, in the Middle Shabelle region north of Mogadishu, and asked residents to "donate" money, rifles and boys. A local farmer, Hibaad Ali Dasar, said he would rather die than hand over his son, who was younger than 12 at the time. Al-Shabab responded by taking Dasar's grain and burning down his farm, said Adale deputy mayor Mukhtar Mohamed Mohamud, who knew Dasar. Dasar and other men in the village moved their families to the government-controlled town of Adale and organized a militia of about 60, which clashed with al-Shabab starting in May 2018. They called themselves "Ma'awisley," a reference to the sarong many of them wear. Clashes continued through the summer of that year. The federal government provided ammunition and some weapons but other no significant support, Mohamud said. That October, Dasar and several of his men were planning an attack when they were ambushed and killed by two al-Shabab units. The rebellion ended, and the militants got their taxes. But Dasar's spirit lives on in another mobilization of locals in central Somalia, in the Hiran and Galmudug regions. In June, residents of the village of Bahdo, who have been resisting al-Shabab taxes, fought off a major attack from the group. The leader of Galmudug state, Ahmed Abdi Kariye, said up to 70 al-Shabab fighters were killed. Kariye described the locals' resistance against the militants as historic. The Somali government has hailed the local mobilization efforts and is calling for expansion of the resistance to other regions. President Hassan Mohamud has said he wants to use a new strategy against al-Shabab, to fight them economically as well as militarily, to not just weaken al-Shabab but to eliminate the group. Will the local militias, who are again calling themselves Ma'awisley, succeed this time? "The public were always ready to fight al-Shabab," said Kamal Dahir Hassan Gutale, national security adviser to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. "What is different this time is the government; the president and the prime minister have started to encourage them and stand with them when the community decided to mobilize." Government troops have joined the local militias in an offensive against al-Shabab in recent weeks, and officials reported taking more than 40 localities from the group. None were large towns, and al-Shabab has since reported retaking several areas. In one retaliatory attack, al-Shabab fighters killed 20 people and burned food trucks near the town of Mahas last month. On Monday, the group claimed responsibility for three car bombings in Beledweyne, the center of the local mobilizations in Hiran region. It was an apparent attempt to discourage the resistance, killing more than 20 people and destroying local government headquarters. Monday's attack followed a recent statement from al-Shabab spokesman Ali Dhere, threatening violence against clans that support the federal government. Gutale said mobilization against al-Shabab has not yet peaked and said he expects more clans to join the fighting. This mobilization comes at the "right time," said General Dahir Aden Elmi, aka "Indhoqarsho," a former Somali army chief. Elmi said that in the past there was no coordination between the local militias and the government troops in combating al-Shabab. "A lot of times the government and the locals fought separately. The locals fought alone, and the government fought alone. The result was a lack of accomplishment," he told VOA. "If the government supports this [mobilization] with power, I see this will be the way to defeating al-Shabab." Africa and Latin America have the highest rates in the world of treatable sight problems, but a Spanish NGO is finding innovative ways to reverse this situation. Conditions like glaucoma or cataracts, which are easily treated in developed countries, often go unattended in many poorer countries that are struggling with more serious medical challenges like HIV or malaria. The London-based International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, IAPB, reports 161 million people suffer from uncorrected eye problems and of these, 100 million have operable cataracts. Another 510 million are short-sighted. By far the largest proportion of people with sight problems around 90% live in the world's poorest regions, the agency said. About 55% are women. The Foundation Ojos del Mundo, Spanish for Eyes of the World, has been working for more than 20 years to help people whose sight problems could be easily corrected. With three projects in Africa and one in Latin America, the foundation aims to offer aid and train local doctors to do the work. It is a daunting task. In Western sub-Saharan Africa, 18.8% of the population suffer from vision loss, but this rises to 21.8% in southern sub-Saharan Africa, according to IAPB figures. These figures are exceeded only in South Asia, where the sight loss stands at 22.2%. This compares with 4.8% in Western Europe and 3.6% in North America. Across the Atlantic Ocean, the figure for Latin America is between 12.3% and 13.4%, according to IAPB. Ojos del Mundo, a Barcelona-based NGO, treats avoidable eye conditions like cataracts or glaucoma and lazy eyes through direct intervention or by training local people to do the work. The foundation has projects treating Saharawis who have fled the Western Sahara and are living in refugee camps in Algeria as well as in centers in Mali, Bolivia and Mozambique. Since it began in 2001, Ojos del Mundo has restored the sight of more than 37,000 people and trained 13,000 local specialists. Nuria Ramon, head of strategic collaborations for Ojos del Mundo, said preventable blindness caused poverty in many countries because people who were unable to see were unable to work. "In many cases, these are conditions like cataracts or reading problems which can be reversed easily by access to simple operations or even glasses," she told VOA. "In the countries in which we work, like Mali which is very poor and has problems with AIDS and malaria, sight problems are not regarded as serious enough to warrant help from the state. We train doctors to become ophthalmologists and then a smaller number will become retina specialists." Celebrity help In order to raise awareness of their work, the NGO has enlisted the help of Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who has donated a photograph of his eye as part of a new fundraising campaign called irisesoftheworld.org. The image will be sold as a unique, digital non-fungible token (NFT) and a photographic print authenticated by the actor as part of the irises of the world campaign. The auction started on September 29 and ends on October 6. Bardem, who won an Oscar in 2008 for best supporting actor in "No Country for Old Men," told VOA he backed the campaign because he wanted to help people who lacked access to basic eye health care. "I think Ojos del Mundo does extraordinary work. In a matter of hours, people who had been blind for years recover their sight. People who, unfortunately, do not have access to standard medical care for geographical, economic and social reasons, are able to see again," he said in written answers to questions from VOA. "Being able to help perform, help a miracle like this, was the main reason I wanted to support them," he said. Bardem added that eyes were vital for him as an actor. "A vast array of emotions come through our sight and are also transmitted through our eyes. At the end of the day, every sense counts on the creation of any fantasy, and the eyes play a very important role," he said. In Bolivia, Ojos del Mundo worked in the El Alto community and the rural areas of La Paz, located in the high Andes at an altitude of 4,000 meters. About 70% of the population there has been classified as poor or extremely poor. Filling gaps Before the NGO arrived in 2003, there was no ophthalmic care system, which meant those who did not have the resources to travel to the capital often became blind or suffered with sight problems which could be treated easily. The NGO trained ophthalmologists and worked with Bolivian health services so they could treat local people. In Mozambique, when Ojos del Mundo started work in 2002, there were only six ophthalmologists for 20 million people, far below the level recommended by the World Health Organization. The NGO started training schemes for local doctors to treat people for eye problems. The foundation has worked to address the widespread lack of information about eye diseases among children and adults. Ojos del Mundo did not want to speculate on how much Bardem's NFT would raise at auction, but the highest bid so far was $12,910. The reserve price of $8,930 would pay for 1,300 eye tests, while $29,777 would fund four years of training for an ophthalmologist. A bid of $49,621 would pay for 715 cataract operations. Ramon thanked Bardem for offering an image of his eye to raise awareness of Ojos del Mundo's work in the world. She said the foundation wanted to attract attention to their campaign by inviting a series of well-known celebrities to donate images of their own eyes. Without revealing the identity, she said later this year a "worldwide star" will follow Bardem's example. Bardem and his wife, fellow Oscar winner Penelope Cruz, have supported a series of charitable causes, donating money to rebuild homes after the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and raising funds for the Open Arms project which rescues people crossing the Mediterranean. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, along with Russia and other oil producers, announced on Wednesday that they would cut production targets by 2 million barrels a day, an action that could help Moscow pay for its war with Ukraine and hurt U.S. President Joe Bidens chances to further cut gasoline prices for American motorists. The production cut was seen as a rebuke to Biden, who visited Saudi Arabia in July in what now has turned out to be a futile effort to persuade the worlds second-biggest oil producer after the United States to refrain from cutting production. White House officials assailed the decision in Vienna by the 23 countries that belong to the OPEC+ coalition, which analysts say could increase the risk of a global recession in the coming months. Crude oil prices had been falling for months on the world market but had risen in recent days in anticipation of the OPEC production cut. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council director Brian Deese said in a statement that the president is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of [Russian President Vladimir] Putins invasion of Ukraine. At a time when maintaining a global supply of energy is of paramount importance, Sullivan and Deese said, this decision will have the most negative impact on lower- and middle-income countries that are already reeling from elevated energy prices. Effective in November The OPEC+ coalition said the production cut, from 43.8 million barrels a day to 41.8 million, would take effect in November. It is the first time OPEC has cut oil production targets since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, although the coalition has been undershooting its target by 3 million barrels a day this year. Because of the underproduction of the oil-producing countries, White House national security spokesman John Kirby played down the new OPEC+ agreement. So, in some ways, this announced decrease really just kind of gets them back into more aligned with the actual production, he said. Even so, the oil producers are hoping to curb the drop in world crude prices, which surged past $100 a barrel earlier this year but had fallen 32% in the last four months before increasing to more $93 a barrel on Wednesday after the OPEC announcement. With the drop in the price of crude over the summer months, gasoline station pump prices fell in the U.S., which in turn boosted Bidens job approval rating as the country heads to nationwide congressional elections next month. A year ago in the U.S., gas station prices averaged $3.20 a gallon (3.78 liters) and in some states fell to near that low in recent months. But now, with crude oil prices on the rise again, the national average is at $3.83 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association. With Bidens Democratic Party holding narrow control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and some pollsters predicting a Republican takeover of the House and possibly the Senate, White House officials are concerned about any increase in gasoline pump prices being blamed on Democrats, giving Republicans an electoral boost. In addition, Russia relies on gas and oil sales for a large portion of its budget to help fund its war in Ukraine. It supported the production cut, which will enable Moscow to sell oil for higher prices on the global market. A leader from Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed a petition to India's Supreme Court seeking the establishment of a fact-finding committee to "study the real history" of the Taj Mahal, a 17th-century mausoleum. In his petition last week, Rajneesh Singh, head of the BJP's media relations in Ayodhya, north India, said although it is said the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, there is no "scientific evidence" to prove this as fact. Singh noted in his petition that in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, India's National Council of Educational Research and Training [NCERT] told him that "no primary source" was available to confirm that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal. NCERT is an Indian government body that was established to help improve school education in India. By also filing an identical RTI query to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), he failed to get a "satisfactory reply" about the origin of the Taj Mahal, Singh's petition said. The court should convene a fact-finding committee, consisting of historians and archaeologists, "to study the origin of the Taj Mahal, to clarify the history and put to rest the controversy around the monument," Singh wrote in his petition. Singh filed the petition to the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court on May 12 rejected his previous petition, in which he urged the court to direct the ASI to open some sealed rooms of the Taj Mahal to see if any Hindu idol lay there. Right-wing group: Its Hindu temple Right-wing Hindu groups have sometimes asserted the Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple since 1989 when Indian writer P.N. Oak published "Taj Mahal: The True Story." In his book, Oak wrote that it was built as a Hindu temple in the 12th century and used to be called Tejo Mahalaya, or the Palace of Lord Shiva. They say Shah Jahan converted Tejo Mahalaya to Taj Mahal in the 17th century, much the way the Mughal rulers destroyed Hindu temples and converted many of them into mosques and Islamic structures. The groups are demanding the Taj Mahal be transferred to Hindus, and they say they would "convert it back" to a temple of Hindu deity Shiva and worship there. In 2017, a group of lawyers petitioned a court in Agra seeking a judicial intervention to get the Mughal-era tomb a UNESCO world heritage site declared as a Hindu temple. Weeks later, in a statement to the court, the ASI said the Taj Mahal was indeed a Muslim mausoleum built by emperor Shah Jahan to honor his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The fact that Shah Jahan built the structure is attested to by the Persian-language official chronicles and other accounts of the period, as well as by the historical accounts and travelogues written by some 17th-century European travelers such as Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Niccolao Manucci and Francois Bernier, said Syed Ali Nadeem Rezavi, a professor of medieval history at India's Aligarh Muslim University. "There are also a large number of preserved documents, both from the Mughal court and the House of Amber, the Kachhwaha clan rulers of medieval Jaipur, showing the Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal as a tomb," Rezavi, an expert in medieval archaeology and architecture, told VOA. "From India, Bernier, a scholar, wrote several letters back home. 'Bernier's Travels in the Mogul Empire' a book on Bernier's letters from India carries the translation of one letter in which he described how he took a newly arrived Frenchman to the site of the 'under-construction tomb' of Mumtaz," he said. Temple claim based on fantasy At the Bikaner Archives (Rajasthan state archives) and City Palace Museum in Jaipur, there are numerous original Mughal and Kachhwaha documents showing how the land for the tomb was purchased by Shah Jahan from Kachhwaha ruler Jaisingh, detailing the way in which the construction materials were procured, and laying out the costs for transporting those materials to Agra, Rezavi said. "The farman, or edict, which shows in return for the land for the tomb in Agra, Shah Jahan granted four times larger land to Jaisingh, and the letter of acceptance of the land by the Kachhwaha ruler both documents survive," he said. "Made of white marble, the Taj Mahal was built following a typical Iranian noni-partite plan. You cannot show any temple, of any period made of white marble, surmounted with a dome, and built following such a plan in India. It is ridiculous if some call the Taj Mahal a temple, or Hindu structure. The claim is based on fantasy." In the eyes of the outsiders, the Taj Mahal defines India, Delhi University professor Apoorvanand, who uses one name, told VOA. "That an icon created by a Muslim represents India is a thought which is repulsive to the adherents of the politics of Hindutva. This is why they are striving to prove that it was originally built by Hindus," Apoorvanand said. "They [the Hindutva groups] cannot accept that Indian culture has been shaped by Muslims. For them, everything was originally Hindu, later being converted into an Islamic shape. They are only seeking to restore them to their original Hindu status, they say." Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has issued a public apology to Kenya, asking forgiveness for tweets by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba. The tweets on Monday joked about Uganda invading Kenya. But Museveni promoted his son from lieutenant to general while removing him as commander of the armys land forces, saying there were many positive contributions he has made. In a statement Wednesday, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni apologized for what he called meddling in the affairs of brother Kenya. The statement reads in part, I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for tweets sent by General Muhoozi, former commander of land forces here, regarding the election matters in that great country. Museveni said it is not right for public officers, be they civilian or military, to comment or interfere in any way in the internal affairs of brother countries. He said such discussions should be handled by the peer-review mechanism of the African Union and not in public comments. On Monday, Kainerugaba joked on Twitter about Uganda invading Kenya. One tweet said, "It wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi." This was quickly followed with, Haha, I love my Kenyan relatives, Constitution? Rule of Law? You must be joking! For us there is only the revolution, and you will soon learn about it. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded Tuesday with a statement reiterating its commitment to good neighborliness, peaceful coexistence and cooperation with Kenya. In May, Gawaya Tegule, a lawyer, filed a constitutional court petition challenging Kainerugaba regarding his politicized social media tweets. Tegule asked the court to charge Kainerugaba with treason and said the first sons tweets on regional affairs are hard to fathom. We are seeing him behave like a little goat that has cut its tether, Tegule said. And just running around generally eating all the neighbors crops, stepping on the neighbors shoes, upsetting neighbors saucepans. And then he expects to be applauded for that. So, with all respect, this is a boy who needs to be mentored. He needs to be advised. He needs to be reined in. Museveni explained that while Kainerugabas mistake is one aspect where his son has acted negatively as a public officer, he has many other positive contributions. However, Kristof Titeca, a professor at the University of Antwerp on governance and conflict in Central Africa, argued that Kainerugabas promotion to the rank of general could be seen coming. He cited instances early this year when the army was put on high alert, and Museveni held a meeting with the top army brass. Later in July, the army distanced itself from tweets by Kainerugaba that supported the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front in Ethiopia, saying the tweets were not an official position of the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces. Titeca said Kainerugabas promotion to general raises questions about what his father, Museveni, could potentially be preparing him for outside of the military. Does it mean more power or less power for the first son? As commander of the land forces, he did, in fact, hold a lot of actual military power, Titeca said. Is it a move by his father, the president, to take him away from that military power? Or is it a way to transition him to more civilian responsibilities and hence prepare him for a presidential bid? Kainerugaba, at the age of 48, is now the youngest general in Uganda. Most of those who are ranked as generals fought with Museveni in the 1986 bush war that brought him to power. Calls to Kainerugaba and his personal assistant went unanswered. But as relates to Kenya, Kainerugaba indicated in one of his tweets that he had met with his father, and he indicated some changes would be coming after he scared Kenyans on Twitter. National Unity Platform leader Robert Kyagulanyi responded to Musevenis apology by demanding he apologize to what he called countless Ugandans abducted and tortured with reckless abandon, and he questioned whether they would ever get justice. Japan and South Korea urged the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to send a "clear and unequivocal" message to North Korea, following its latest and most dangerous launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan. "This council should be mindful that it is being tested and that its credibility is at stake. Silence is not an option," Japan's U.N. envoy Kimihiro Ishikane told council members. Wednesday's emergency meeting follows North Korea's test-firing on Tuesday of a reported intermediate-range ballistic missile that flew an estimated 4,600 kilometers before landing in waters about 3,200 kilometers east of Japan. The launch violates numerous Security Council resolutions. North Korea did not speak at the meeting but appeared to respond by firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea as diplomats met in New York. The South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff and Japanese government reported the launch, the sixth round of firings in less than two weeks. South Korea's envoy said his country is living with missile provocations on a near-daily basis. "The Security Council must take decisive measures to send a unified and clear message to Pyongyang that its escalatory behavior must come to an end," Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook told the council. "In the meantime, the existing Security Council sanctions measures must be fully and faithfully implemented by all members of the United Nations, especially by council members." He said that might be the only way to effectively pressure North Korea to return to the negotiating table. Tuesday's North Korean missile launch follows a major joint naval exercise between the U.S. and South Korea featuring the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan supercarrier. The United States was among the council members who requested Wednesday's Security Council open meeting. "We can and must return to a time when we spoke with a unified voice against the DPRK's malign behavior and when we stood together in support of the global nonproliferation regime," U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, referring to North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, by its abbreviation. "This means fully implementing existing DPRK resolutions, it means undertaking sanctions-maintenance efforts, and it means pursuing a resolution to address DPRK sanctions-evasion activities going forward," she said. After the meeting, she told reporters that the council would "continue to engage over the course of the next week to find a unified voice and way forward." But the appetite for tightening existing sanctions or seeking new ones appeared slim. China and Russia both offered justifications for Pyongyang's behavior, saying it was not rewarded for previous lulls in missile launches and describing the recent U.S.-South Korea military exercises as provocative. "A brief examination will reveal that the DPRK launch activities took place either before or after such military exercises and did not exist in isolation," China's Deputy Ambassador Geng Shuang said. "Introducing new sanctions against DPRK is a dead end," said Russia's deputy envoy Anna Evstigneeva. "It's a measure, as we already stated, that is bringing us zero result when it comes to DPRK." Nearly all the other council members condemned the recent launches, called for council resolutions to be respected and enforced, and expressed concern that DPRK might escalate further with a nuclear test. Some expressed concern that council silence has emboldened North Korea. Several council members pointed out that North Korea has launched 39 ballistic missiles this year eight since late September. Tuesday's launch is viewed as especially provocative, as it upped the ante from the short-range missiles Pyongyang had previously used. They urged dialogue and diplomacy as the only viable path out of the situation. 'Defensive deterrence steps' Earlier Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was taking "appropriate defensive deterrence steps" with allies and partners in response to North Korea's "dangerous and reckless" launch of a long-range missile. "If they [North Korea] continue down this road, it will only increase the condemnation, increase the isolation, increase the steps that are taken in response to their actions," Blinken said during a press conference in Santiago, Chile. The top U.S. diplomat said Washington remains open to a dialogue with Pyongyang. "We call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in a sustained and substantive dialogue," he said. After the DPRK's ballistic missile launches, Japan requested a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and South Korea in Tokyo this month. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. In response to North Korea's test-firing of a ballistic missile over Japan, on Wednesday the U.S. and South Korea ran precision bombing exercises and launched their own series of missiles. However, the Biden administration said it remained open to dialogue with Pyongyang. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. The U.S. and South Korea fired a volley of missiles into the sea early Wednesday and staged a bombing drill in the Yellow Sea in response to North Korea's firing of an unidentified ballistic missile over Japan. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it fired four Army Tactical Missile Systems and a Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile. A second short-range Hyumoo-2 malfunctioned and crashed into the ground on the air force base on the outskirts of Gangneung. No injuries were reported, and an investigation into the cause of the malfunction has begun. The crash rattled residents of the coastal city, who feared it could be a North Korean attack. The South Korean military acknowledged the crash hours later. Earlier Tuesday, Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary, told reporters the North Korean missile was launched at 7:22 a.m. and splashed into the Pacific Ocean outside Japan's exclusive economic zone 22 minutes later. It prompted Tokyo to evacuate some residents in the northern prefectures of Hokkaido and Aomori on Tuesday morning. South Korea's JCS called the North Korean projectile an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), launched from North Korea's northern Jagang area, flying a distance of 4,500 kilometers with a flight altitude of 970 kilometers. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden condemned the missile launch during a phone call Tuesday, according to a White House statement. "The leaders jointly condemned the DPRK's (North Korea's) missile test in the strongest terms, recognizing the launch as a danger to the Japanese people, destabilizing to the region, and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," the statement said. It added that Biden reinforced the administration's "ironclad" commitment to Japan's defense. Japan's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile flew over Japan for about one minute, soaring further than previous intermediate-range missiles, estimated at 4,600 kilometers, before landing in waters some 3,200 kilometers east of Japan. That the missile was shot over Japanese territory takes the escalatory mood in the region even higher, a decision Adrienne Watson, the U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, in a statement Tuesday described as "dangerous and reckless" and shows North Korea's "blatant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions and international safety norms." North Korea had last tested a Hwasong-12 IRBM in late January of this year, after which its state media explained its lofted trajectory as intentional, done "in consideration of the security of neighboring countries" in apparent reference to Japan. That missile was estimated to have a range capable of putting Guam within reach. The latest ballistic missile launch is likely to exceed that range. Some 3,400 kilometers separates Pyongyang and Guam, which houses a U.S. strategic naval base. Hwasong-12 IRBMs were also tested in August and September of 2017, when Japan last issued a call to shelter after missiles flew over Hokkaido. Tensions have been on the rise on the Korean peninsula in recent days, with Tuesday's launch upping the ante from the short-range ballistic missiles Pyongyang had fired on September 25, 28, 29 and October 1. The fifth test in ten days follows a major joint naval exercise between the U.S. and South Korea featuring the nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan supercarrier, which resumed for the first time in five years. A trilateral anti-submarine military exercise with Japan was also conducted for the first time since 2017 off South Korea's coast. A return to nuclear testing also remains a strong possibility. South Korea's spy agency last week told lawmakers a seventh nuclear test, should it materialize, would most likely fall between October 16 the first day of China's National Congress of the Communist Party and November 8, the U.S. midterm elections. At an Armed Forces Day ceremony on Saturday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned North Korea against any nuclear provocations, saying a "resolute and overwhelming" response would be ready from the allies should it decide to use nuclear weapons. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree Tuesday declaring that negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin has become impossible following Putins attempt to annex four Ukrainian regions. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia would wait until Zelenskyy changes his mind or until a new president takes office in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden assured Zelenskyy in a phone call that the United States will never recognize Russias purported annexation of Ukrainian territory. Biden also said the U.S. was ready to impose severe costs on any individual, entity, or country that supported Russias annexation claim. In addition, Biden told the Ukrainian leader the U.S. was sending the Kyiv government another $625 million in armaments to help it fend off Russias seven-month invasion, bringing total arms aid to more than $17.5 billion since January 2021, when Biden took office. Earlier Tuesday, the upper house of Russias parliament voted to make the four Ukrainian regions part of Russia, pushing forward with a process that has been condemned by Ukraine and its Western allies and was described by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a "dangerous escalation" that has "no legal value." Russias lower house already gave its approval after Russia organized what it claimed to be referendums in four regions of Ukraine occupied by Russian troops. Ukraine said the voting was held under coercive conditions and did not represent the will of the people in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Guterres said last week that "annexation of a states territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the principles of the U.N. Charter and international law." Ukrainians forces keep gaining While Russia pushes ahead with its annexation claims, Ukrainian forces have made gains in a counteroffensive in Russia-held areas. Russia-installed officials in Kherson said Ukraines military had recaptured some settlements, while the Russian Defense Ministry acknowledged that "with superior tank units," Ukraine had "managed to penetrate into the depths of our defense." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Monday that Ukraines military was moving ahead with its advances. Without providing details, he said the army had seized back towns in several areas. "New population centers have been liberated in several regions. Heavy fighting is going on on several sectors of the front," he said. Zelenskyy said Sunday that his forces in Kherson had liberated the settlements of Arkhanhelske and Myroliubivka. Still, a Russian defense spokesman said Moscows troops "have occupied a pre-prepared defensive line and continue to inflict massive fire damage" on Kyivs forces. A senior U.S. military official said Monday that the United States sees heavy fighting continuing as Russian forces try to push west, "but no significant shifts on the ground have occurred as Ukrainian forces continue to hold the line." Carla Babb contributed to this report. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) The Mississippi attorney general's office is asking the state to set an execution date for a former U.S. Marine Corps recruiter who was convicted in the 2000 rape and killing of a 16-year-old waitress. Thomas Edwin Loden Jr., now 58, has been on death row since 2001, when he pleaded guilty to capital murder, rape and four counts of sexual battery. Mississippi's most recent execution was in November. According to documents the attorney general filed Tuesday with the state Supreme Court, Loden kidnapped Leesa Marie Gray, who was stranded on the side of a road in northern Mississippi's Itawamba County. Court records said Loden spent four hours repeatedly raping and sexually battering Gray before suffocating and strangling her to death. Gray disappeared June 22, 2000, on her way home from working as a waitress at her familys restaurant in the Dorsey community. Prosecutors said she was last seen driving out of the restaurant parking lot. Relatives found her car hours later with her purse still inside and the hazard lights flashing. According to court documents, her body was found the next day in Lodens van. Loden had joined the Marine Corps immediately after he graduated from high school in Itawamba County in 1982. He served in Operation Desert Storm and went to recruiter school in 1998. Loden started operating the Marines' recruiting office later that year in Vicksburg, Mississippi. During Loden's sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty, he did not cross examine state witnesses, did not object to exhibits that prosecutors showed and did not offer any evidence to help his own case, the attorney general's office wrote. Loden filed several appeals of his conviction, and those were unsuccessful. In 2015, he joined other four other Mississippi death row inmates in a federal lawsuit challenging the state's lethal injection protocol. The state revised the protocol to allow the use of midazolam if thiopental or pentobarbital cannot be obtained. A federal district judge granted an injunction to prevent the state from using compounded pentobarbital or midazolam, but the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that ruling. The case is back at the district court and is unresolved. The state attorney general's office wrote Tuesday that the ongoing challenge to the lethal injection protocol is not an impediment to setting Lodens execution." Merrida Coxwell, one of the attorneys representing Loden in the federal lawsuit, declined to comment Tuesday on the attorney general's request for an execution date because he had not yet read the filing. Another attorney in the federal lawsuit, Stacy Ferraro, did not immediately respond to a phone message from The Associated Press. The execution last November was Mississippi's first in nine years. A lethal injection was given to a David Neal Cox, who had pleaded guilty to killing his estranged wife and sexually assaulting her young daughter as her mother lay dying in 2012. Mohammed Yusuf NAIROBI Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has been promoted to general, the Uganda Defense forces spokesperson announced Tuesday. The move comes a day after Kainerugaba posted a series of tweets where he joked about invading Italy and neighboring Kenya. He said on Twitter that his country's land forces could capture Nairobi in two weeks, a comment that has angered Ugandan opposition leaders and many Kenyans. In a statement, Uganda's ministry of foreign affairs distanced itself from the remarks. Kainerugaba is widely seen as a possible successor to the president, who is 78 years old and has ruled Uganda for more than 35 years. Kainerugaba, who was previously a lieutenant, was dropped from his role as commander of Ugandan land forces following his promotion, but will continue with his duties as senior presidential adviser for special operations. The 48-year-old Kainerugaba has never declared his intention to replace his father as head of the east African nation. However, while celebrating his birthday in April, he spoke of winning power and said he will announce his political program soon. Opposition politicians and groups in Uganda have accused Museveni of grooming his son to take the reins from him after he leaves office. Museveni has ruled Uganda since 1986. OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO Burkina Faso's ousted coup leader Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba left the country for Togo Sunday two days after he himself was overthrown in a coup, while the new junta urged citizens not to loot or vandalize. Damiba's departure was confirmed by two diplomats who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. It was not known whether Togo was his final destination. Earlier Sunday, religious leaders who had mediated between the factions said that Damiba had offered his resignation as long as his security and other conditions were met. A junta representative later announced on state television that their leader, Capt. Ibrahim Traore, officially has been named head of state following the Friday coup that ousted Damiba. Their power grab marked Burkina Faso's second military coup this year, deepening fears that the political chaos could divert attention from an Islamic insurgency whose violence has killed thousands and forced 2 million to flee their homes. It followed unrest in Ouagadougou, the capital, in which mobs on Saturday attacked the French embassy and other French-related sites, wrongly believing that they were sheltering Damiba. In this image from video broadcast by RTB state television, coup spokesman Capt. Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho reads a statement in a studio in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, on Friday evening, Sept. 30, 2022. Along with agreeing not to harm or prosecute him, Damiba also asked Traore and the new junta leadership to respect the commitments already made to the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. Damiba, who came to power in a coup last January, had recently reached an agreement to hold an election by 2024. In a statement late Sunday, ECOWAS said it would be sending a team of mediators to Ouagadougou on Monday including former Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou. The ECOWAS statement, signed by Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, noted that Damiba had resigned "in order to avoid a violent confrontation and possible bloodshed." Earlier in the day, the new junta leadership had called for an end to the unrest that engulfed Ouagadouou in wake of Friday night's coup. SEE ALSO: In a statement broadcast on state television, junta representative Capt. Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho called on people to "desist from any act of violence and vandalism" especially those against the French Embassy or the French military base. Anti-French sentiment rose sharply after the new junta alleged that interim president Damiba was sheltering at a French military base following his ouster. France vehemently denied the allegation, but soon protesters with torches thronged the perimeter of the French Embassy in Ouagadougou. Saturday's violence was condemned by the French Foreign Ministry, which denied any involvement in the rapidly developing events. French Institutes in Ouagadougou and the country's second-largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso, had also been targeted and French citizens were urged to be very cautious. "The situation is very volatile in Burkina Faso," a French spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Sunday. Damiba came to power in January promising to secure the country from jihadi violence. However, the situation only deteriorated as jihadis imposed blockades on towns and have intensified attacks. Last week, at least 11 soldiers were killed and 50 civilians went missing after a supply convoy was attacked by gunmen in Gaskinde commune in the Sahel. The group of officers led by Traore said Friday that Damiba had failed and was being removed. To some in Burkina Faso's military, Damiba also was seen as too cozy with former colonizer France, which maintains a military presence in Africa's Sahel region to help countries fight Islamic extremists. Some who support the new coup leader, Traore, have called on Burkina Faso's government to seek Russian support instead. Outside the state broadcaster on Sunday, supporters of Traore were seen cheering and waving Russian flags. In neighboring Mali, the coup leader has invited Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group to help with security, a move than has drawn global condemnation and accusations of human rights abuses. Conflict analysts say Damiba was probably too optimistic about what he could achieve in the short term but that a change at the top didn't mean that the country's security situation would improve. "The problems are too profound and the crisis is deeply rooted," said Heni Nsaibia, a senior researcher at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, adding that "militant groups will most likely continue to exploit" the country's political disarray. Police have arrested three suspected robbers who seized almost 12 kilograms of gold yesterday when they pounced on a Securitas cash-in-transit vehicle from How Mine to Fidelity Printers in Bulawayo. In a tweet, police said, they received information that some of the stolen items were abandoned at a house under construction along Folly Road, West Summerton, Bulawayo. Detectives reacted to the report and recovered car keys, 3x9mm spent catridges, a black glove, a 303 rifle loaded with eight live rounds and three empty metal boxes. Further investigations by the police established that the South African registered Nissan NP 300 single cab vehicle, registration number HRR30XJGP, which was abandoned by the suspects at the scene belongs to Ximba Nkosilathi, also known as Tonderai Vumbunu and was at times being driven by Anthony Moyo. Police arrested Antony Moyo who implicated Wilson Mutandwa and Earnest Mutandwa, who were subsequently arrested. Police said Earnest Mutandwa was arrested in Beitbridge while attempting to flee to South Africa. The suspects accomplices who include Abraham Vumbunu, Elijah Vumbunu, Israel Zulu, Diva (no further particulars known) and six other suspects are on the run. Police further said, Armed robbery syndicates, including company employees and associates leaking information to criminals are warned that their days are numbered. There has been a string of armed robberies in the last few months in Zimbabwe. The government recently urged locals in possession of illegal guns to surrender them without any questions being asked. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Wednesday to formalize Russias annexation of four Ukrainian regions, a move widely condemned as illegal and one that comes as Ukrainian forces advance in a counteroffensive to take back areas under Russian control. The Russian measure, approved earlier this week by the countrys parliament, claims Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions as Russian territory. Russia-installed officials carried out what they called referendums in those areas. Ukraine and its western partners, along with the United Nations, rejected those votes and the overall annexation effort, saying the votes were held under coercive conditions and did not represent the will of the people. The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote next week on a draft resolution condemning Russias annexation claim. Russia used its veto power to stop a similar measure at the U.N. Security Council last week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared photos Wednesday from Lyman, a key city in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, recaptured by Ukrainian forces in the days after the Russian referendums. All basics of life have been destroyed here, Zelenskyy tweeted. They are doing so everywhere in the territories they seize. This can be stopped in 1 way only: liberate Ukraine, life, humanity, law and truth as soon as possible. Hours earlier, Zelenskyy tweeted his thanks to U.S. President Joe Biden following the announcement of $625 million in new U.S. military aid. Zelenskyy said his militarys ability to reclaim territory from Russian forces is a joint success of Ukraine, the United States and the entire free world. The new round of U.S. aid includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, 200 mine resistant vehicles, hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery and mortar ammunition. Laura Cooper, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, told reporters Tuesday the package is "tailored to meet Ukraine's immediate needs and to maintain momentum in the east and in the south. Russia criticized the U.S. move, with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov calling it an immediate threat to the strategic interests of our country. "The supply of military products by the U.S. and its allies not only entails protracted bloodshed and new casualties, but also increases the danger of a direct military clash between Russia and Western countries, Antonov posted on Telegram. Britains defense ministry said Wednesday that Ukraine is continuing to make progress along both the northeastern and southern battle fronts, including moving close enough to put a key supply road for Russian forces near the town of Svatove in Luhansk in range of Ukrainian artillery. Politically, Russian leaders will highly likely be concerned that leading Ukrainian units are now approaching the borders of Luhansk Oblast, the British defense ministry said in its daily assessment. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Though gun registration compliance is disappointingly low, it looks like New York States 2013 Safe Act is doing just that: keeping New Yorkers safer. For proof, look at the numbers: In 2020, New York had fewer gun deaths per 100,000 residents than all but four other states, and its gun death rate was 61% lower than the national average, according to Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Those statistics do not take into account the new gun restrictions passed this year in the aftermath of the May 14 massacre at the Jefferson Avenue Tops and the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting. Its encouraging to know that the Safe Act which, among other provisions, banned the sale of assault weapons and required anyone who owned such guns to register them with state police was already making a difference. Gov. Kathy Hochuls 2022 legislation which raised age requirements, restricted concealed carry, expanded Red Flag protections and more demonstrates New Yorks determination to move in the opposite direction of states like Mississippi, which, in 2020, had 28.6 gun deaths per 100,000, a rate 110% higher than the national average. These statistics complement Mississippis status with no license or background check required to openly carry handguns as among the five most permissive gun control states in the country. Now for the not-so-good, if unsurprising, news. The assault weapon registry provisions of the Safe Act have proven difficult to enforce, with the result that owners are not complying and theres no way of knowing how many semi-automatic rifles with military-style features are circulating in New York. Clearly, the owners or would-be owners of this unnecessarily extreme weaponry persist in their defiance of the states gun laws and are likely to continue to do so. There is further uproar among Second Amendment zealots over the concealed carry provisions in the 2022 laws. Though the Safe Act did not prevent the May 14 horror, it stopped other violence from happening and kept guns out of the hands of enough dangerous people to maintain New Yorks gun death statistics on the lower side. Laws cant do everything, but they help stem the tide of senseless killing that results from easy access to dangerous weapons. Gun rights activists would do well to remember that these laws are meant to protect public safety; they are by no means attacks on the Second Amendment, which like other key provisions of the Constitution, has its limits. Just as the First Amendment has not been interpreted to allow child pornography, the Second Amendment should not be interpreted to help make mass murder easier. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. Two books the YWCA Walla Walla has invited the public to read and share at hosted discussions and soup suppers in October. WALLA WALLA-The YWCA Walla Walla invites the community to read two books this month for Domestic Violence Action Month (DVAM) and then meet for discussions and soup suppers at the YWCA Reception Room. The first selection is "No Visible Bruises: What We Don't Know About Domestic Violence Can Kill Us." Written by journalist Rachel Louise Snyder and published in 2019, "No Visible Bruises" uses personal accounts to shed light on the complex problem of domestic violence. "The humanity of each person she interviewed comes through," said Executive Director Anne-Marie Schwerin, "from survivors, advocates, and prosecutors as well as the perpetrators of violence." While at times quite wrenching, the book is hopeful about solutions to violence. The book has won numerous awards and made several publishers' "Best of 2019" lists. A second, shorter option (roughly three-quarters the size of No Visible Bruises) published in 2018 is "Wanna Go, Wanna Stay: My Journey in a Season of Abuse." Set in early 1970s Atlanta, Maria Scott tells her own story of meeting the charismatic Mark as a young professional woman. Kirkus Reviews called "Wanna Go, Wanna Stay" a "frank remembrance that tells of how the author found the strength to free herself from a dangerous situation." On Tuesday evening, October 18, Columbia County YWCA Advocate Miki Fulbright will host a discussion of "Wanna Go, Wanna Stay" in the Delany Room at Dayton Memorial Library at 6 p.m. The following Monday, October 24, a discussion of "Wanna Go, Wanna Stay" will take place in the Reception Room at the YWCA Walla Walla at 6 p.m. YWCA Advocate and Campus-based Advocate Malia Lewis will lead the discussion. A meeting to discuss "No Visible Bruises," led by YWCA LiNC Director, Andraya Anderson, will take place on Wednesday, October 26, at 6 p.m., also at YWCA Walla Walla. This is an opportunity to meet one of the newest YWCA staff members and learn more about Living in New Circumstances, LiNC, and the life skills and confidence-building program for domestic violence survivors. Limited copies of "No Visible Bruises" are available on loan from the Rural Library District and the City of Walla Walla Public Library. Kindle versions, audiobooks, and paperback copies of either title can be ordered online and at local booksellers. There is no charge, but participants are asked to sign up using the form at ywcaww.org/DVAM to ensure there will be supper for everyone. The website provides information about other DVAM activities, such as the Taking Steps Against Domestic Violence walk on October 19. Call 509-525-2570 if you have questions. About the YWCA: YWCA Walla Walla's mission is eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. A signature program is the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Resource Center: a domestic violence shelter, counseling, support groups, advocacy, and information. In addition, the YWCA offers a licensed preschool and childcare center and a number of community and personal enrichment programs. Its the never-ending issue in Buffalo schools: suspension policies that critics credibly complain are unfairly implemented. Suspension have been too readily imposed, and Black and Hispanic students have been more frequently subject to them. Among those critics is Attorney General Letitia James, whose office recently began investigating the issue, along with inequality of opportunity. Theres plenty to investigate, but one issue in particular raises a flaming red flag: suspensions that are implemented before a parent is formally notified. One parent, speaking to a reporter on condition of anonymity, complained that a full week can go by before receiving a notice of suspension. That problem has been noted by Legal Aid of Buffalo. Carolyn Hite, a former staff attorney for the agency, said her clients faced several problems, including notices of suspensions not given to them in writing, not given in the familys language or delayed. I had at least three clients in the spring who were sent home without actually being suspended. So the principal would call and say your child is not welcome back for the next week, Hite said. None of this is tolerable. A suspended student, more than most, needs supervision. Thats unlikely if parents arent made aware of the decision. As Buffalo and one unfortunate family learned, the consequences can be dire. In 2010, 15-year-old Jawaan Daniels, who was on suspension for wandering the halls of Lafayette High School, was killed in a drive-by shooting. That kind of tragedy may be a rarity, but one death is more than enough to send a message about the need to ensure that suspended students are handed off in a safe and responsible way. The problems have long gone beyond the matter of supervision, though. Wandering the halls doesnt justify a suspension. Neither does an adolescents smart mouth. Teachers and administrators like police officers need to know how to handle those kinds of provocations in a professional and constructive manner. That doesnt mean ignoring inappropriate outbursts but it does require finding a way, short of a suspension, to protect, as best a possible, the interests of everyone in the building, including teachers and other students. It may not be easy, but the price of getting it wrong can lead to a life of diminished opportunities. The race of students who are suspended has long been an issue. A 2018 report released by the New York Equity Coalition showed that during the 2016-17 school year, the district suspended students at a higher rate than any of the states other large urban school districts. Black students, in particular, were more than twice as likely to be suspended than their white classmates, the analysis found. The district has made efforts to improve its performance on this issue. In a statement issued after the attorney generals office announced its investigation, At-Large Board Member Larry Scott noted that the district has made significant investments meant to help children and improve their behavior, including trauma-informed care, restorative practices and social-emotional learning. Its important to credit the district for its efforts but its more important to observe that more work remains to be done in identifying and implementing best practices. The attorney generals eventual report may help light the way. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. I am writing this correspondence on behalf of my Iranian-American community here in Western New York, and also as an Iranian-born United States citizen. We are asking our government representatives and officials to officially support the citizens of Iran in their recent efforts to gain freedom from the oppressive and totalitarian Islamic regime in Iran. We are asking you to publicly condemn the governments brutal and violent reprisal against its own people, which has resulted in the deaths of dozens of unarmed citizens, and counting. We are asking Congress to stand in solidarity with Iranian women and men who are fighting for justice for Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old woman who was beaten to death over the improper wearing of the compulsory head cover. The Iranian people and Iranian women have been the victims of endless human rights violations at the hands of a corrupt Islamic Republic and their Morality Police, for the past four decades. The time has come and the Iranian people have chosen to fight and die in order to gain their freedom. We as Americans must support this battle against tyranny. In addition, we are also asking you to back any measures being taken to restore communications and/or expand internet access to the population of Iran, who are being systematically silenced through technology. Finally, we are asking that this human rights violation take precedence over any nuclear deal being negotiated with this corrupt regime. All deals must come off the table. In closing, we implore you to stand with the people and take constructive action against the dictatorship government of Iran now. Please join us in our peaceful rally in front of City Hall, at noon on Saturday, Oct. 8. Nadia Shahram Williamsville Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Europeans are practiced at the sort of baroque summitry thatll take place this week in Prague, inside the castle grounds where the Thirty Years War started. Forty-four national leaders including friends, frenemies and plain old enemies are showing up for the inaugural meeting of the so-called European Political Community. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Exactly what that institution will become remains to be worked out. But the idea is to remind most Europeans (Russia and Belarus werent invited) that they share something loftier than a common geography that is, ideals and a common destiny. Thats the vision, in any case. It was conceived, as such soaring inspirations tend to be, by Emmanuel Macron, the president of France. He came to it in the conviction that all the other European structures are too flawed to help a continent torn by war, border disputes and assorted crises in energy, migration and economics. Advertisement In that assessment, Macron is right. Just drawing up a list of those other institutions gets confusing. It starts with such clubs as the Council of Europe (no relation at all to the European Council) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (which includes even non-European countries and Russia, the continents greatest warmonger). Right at the top, theres the European Union. Meant to be historys greatest-ever peace project, its in theory supposed to gradually integrate its member states currently 27 into a United States of Europe. It doesnt take Macron to realize that none of these groupings is flexible or strong enough to solve Europes biggest problems. The EU, for example, is so institutionally complex that its hard just to count how many presidents it has (probably about 10 ). In policy areas such as trade it may be a superpower, but in most others notably defense its a minion. Its design flaws are legion. The EU cant eject errant members (Hello, Hungary) and is unhelpful when a country wants to leave voluntarily (Bye, Brits). On many important issues, any rogue member can veto all decisions. On others, the EUs treaties are ambiguous they contain a mutual defense clause that nobody relies on, for instance, which is why all but six EU nations are also in NATO. Advertisement Yet another shortcoming of the EU is that it excludes too many European countries. Turkey officially became a candidate for accession to the bloc in 1999; it gave up any hope of joining long ago and may never stop sulking. Several Balkan countries fear that theyre in the same holding pattern. Worse, from their point of view, is that Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia whom the EU wants to support against threats from Russia may jump ahead of the Balkans in the queue. Macron apparently hopes that the European Political Community will one day do better. Launched as a soft-law institution, it could mature into a club which members can enter as well as leave, but not obstruct or sabotage. It could also provide a continental stage for Brits, Turks, Swiss, Albanians, Georgians and all others who cant or wont join the EU. Its already been decided that the Communitys next gathering will take place in Moldova. As good as Macrons intentions are, of course, Europe wont stop being Europe just because its getting yet another institution. One country represented in Prague, Ukraine, is fighting for its very existence against a European invader. Two others, Armenia and Azerbaijan, were at war with each other just last month. Two more, Turkey and Greece, could be at any moment, with a third, Cyprus, possibly wedged between them. The North Macedonians, Albanians, Bosnians and other Balkans suspect that the European Political Community is merely Macrons consolation prize because nobody intends to let them into the EU proper. The guests from Serbia, meanwhile, deny that those from Kosovo even have a country to represent. Advertisement So yes, itd be easy to make fun of this continental symposium, of Macrons megalomania in constantly proposing new paperwork monsters and of Europeans being as fractious as theyve always been. Too easy. A more generous view is that Macron and other European leaders are refusing even at a time when one European, Russian President Vladimir Putin, threatens others with nuclear war to jettison their dream of continental peace, security and harmony. This weeks convention wont be a another Peace of Westphalia or Congress of Vienna. It wont solve the continents problems, unite the divided or pacify the bellicose. But it deserves attention and support. In times such as ours, gathering in peace is so much better than not gathering at all. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Here is the pitfall of working at a multinational. Calamities elsewhere, such as bad business decisions made thousands of miles away, can lead to major overhauls across the board, sapping growth prospects everywhere and denting employee morale. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight This is especially true now at Credit Suisse Group AG, whose new management team promised to unveil an emergency strategy review later this month. Drastic options are on the table, including a large-scale investment banking retreat, a sale of its securitized products business and, of course a lot of layoffs to cut costs. In Hong Kong, one of the Swiss banks profit centers for years, its worker bees are not happy. Job cuts began in the summer, with some client-facing roles within the Greater China investment banking business slashed. Meanwhile, at its crown-jewel wealth management division, which services Asias high-net-worth individuals, Credit Suisse is struggling to halt the departure of its top bankers. Advertisement One cant blame private bankers for abandoning ship. Amidst all the turmoil, this years bonus pool is likely to shrink further. Unlike some US peers where private bankers are paid a percentage of the revenue they generate, Credit Suisses bonus payments are discretionary. A bonus pool is determined at the global level, and cascades down to regional offices, team leaders, and client-facing relationship managers. As a result, private bankers payout ratios can vary from person to person and year to year. Some may not get to eat what they killed at all. Throw in that some of the bonus is paid out in Credit Suisse shares which have lost half of their value this year and bankers may not even wait for compensation season before heading for the exit. Perhaps the talent exodus is a wake-up call for those in Zurich. Asia has been an important profit center for the Swiss bank. Between 2016 and 2020, the region contributed one-third of the profit growth in its wealth management division, and 48% cumulative growth in invested assets, according to HSBC Holdings Plc. Credit Suisses star region has no shine without its diligent bankers in Hong Kong. Advertisement Now Credit Suisse may point to the China slowdown and say that Asia is not the only game in town North America, for instance, is churning out a lot of new wealth. That would be a flawed argument. New business opportunities emerge even as China pursues big business crackdowns. For instance, family offices in the mainland are now keen to open branches in Hong Kong and Singapore and diversify their wealth into assets abroad. In addition, one may argue that Credit Suisses two big divisions in Asia investment banking and wealth management complement each other. Private clients from China get rich by taking their companies public; they are also avid investors in their personal wealth. Here in Asia, investment banking is as big a profit contributor as the wealth management business, according to HSBC. Why break something that is already self-sustaining? A big problem with Credit Suisse is a misalignment between its risk appetite and bureaucratic company culture, former Hong Kong bankers grumble. They question why the US prime brokerage unit serviced Archegos Capital Management, thereby incurring $5.5 billion in losses, and why the banks asset management arm marketed Greensill Capitals supply chain financing as among the safest investments it offered, thereby denting the banks reputation. Why should Hong Kong be dragged in to share the burden? Advertisement It is perhaps time Credit Suisse show their Hong Kong bankers some love. More From Bloomberg Opinion: No, Credit Suisse Isnt on the Brink: Paul J. Davies Hong Kong Bankers Might As Well Be Quiet Quitting Now: Shuli Ren Credit Suisse and the Hotel California Effect: Marc Rubinstein This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. A former investment banker, she was a markets reporter for Barrons. She is a CFA charterholder. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Elon Musk likes to go big or go home. So it was no surprise after news broke that he was buying Twitter Inc. after all, that he would tease a huge ambition for the company: Musk is not simply buying Twitter to make it better. He claims a much grander plan: creating an everything app that does whatever you need. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The idea is not preposterous. Several so-called super apps have long existed in Asia. More than a billion Chinese citizens use QR codes through Tencent Holdings Ltd.s WeChat to do all manner of tasks, from buying groceries to booking a dentist appointment, sharing photos with friends or playing video games. They can access a government-issued ID card through WeChat too. You basically live on WeChat in China, Musk told Twitters staff in June. If we can recreate that with Twitter, well be a great success. Advertisement You can see why Musk is eager to copy the model. If he truly wants to quintuple Twitters revenues to $26.4 billion, one way would be to make it part of a platform that hosts lots of payment activity he can skim from. WeChat made an estimated $17.5 billion in revenue in 2021, largely through advertising and by taking a cut on transactions it processes for things like games, deliveries and a thriving market for digital services. More than half a billion people use thousands of mini-apps inside of WeChat everyday. Singapore-based Grab, which counts SoftBank Group Corp. and Uber Technologies Inc. as its two biggest shareholders, has also been called a super app, offering ride-hailing, food delivery and digital payments. But making a super app is hard. For one thing, Americans make mobile payments far less than their Chinese counterparts. And WeChats success as a daily hub came down to launching at the right time, in 2011, when smartphone sales in China were exploding, and then riding the wave of its expanding network effect. Advertisement Manufacturing a new user base as large as WhatsApp, Facebook or WeChat is all but impossible now. It would be like trying to replicate the explosion of New Yorks growth into a megacity during the 19th century. The boom time has passed; the networks are entrenched. Silicon Valley has also toyed for years with trying to build its own super apps on the notion that a strong payments platform could power sprawling services in the same way WeChat Pay does. But Facebooks efforts to build payment services, including with a crypto platform called Libra, fell apart, and while WeChats dominance comes in part from working in lockstep with the Chinese government, US Big Tech firms have an altogether different relationship with regulators and the state: theyre facing calls to be broken up. Slimming down looks like a wise financial strategy anyway. Facebook has shut down an array of business segments, while Instagram has been rolling back features after criticisms it was becoming too bloated. Advertisement If Musk were truly determined, he could try and buy PayPal Holdings Inc., closing a meaningful loop for himself after co-founding PayPals predecessor more than two decades ago. It was named x.com. Twitter historically adds incremental features to its platform, so a comprehensive payments service would probably need to be bought and bolted on. But Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey could have already done that back when he was leading both Twitter and the payments giant Square, now called Block Inc. Why didnt he merge the two and create a super app when he could? Most likely, because he recognized it wouldnt work: US consumers werent ready for a Swiss Army knife of apps, and itd raise hackles with regulators too. In any case, its probably not the best idea for someone as volatile as Musk to oversee an app on which millions engage in social commentary, payments, shopping, identification and more. It would give the worlds richest man, infamous for his unreliability, a new level of unprecedented power that he -- and we -- could probably do without. Advertisement Musk has a giant fan base thanks to Tesla and is a masterful self-promoter. But he also has a habit of making grand promises and not following through. Theres a decent chance this is just another idea that fizzles out eventually too. Lets hope so. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Matt Levines Money Stuff: Elon Musks Twitter Deal Is Back Musks Twitter Will Reel From Culture Shock: Parmy Olson A QR Code Revamp in China Threatens a Duopoly: Andy Mukherjee This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Parmy Olson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology. A former reporter for the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, she is author of We Are Anonymous. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Who bears the burden of immigration? Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida have made much of their claim that their jurisdictions do so disproportionately, and those run by Democrats obviously do not. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Every community in America should be sharing in the burdens, DeSantis said after he plucked 50 Venezuelan asylum seekers from Texas and flew them to Massachusetts. It shouldnt all fall on a handful of red states. Abbott, who has been spreading own-the-Dems mirth across MAGA America by busing asylum seekers to Chicago, Washington DC and New York City, apparently agrees. Its all about providing much-needed relief to Texas overwhelmed border communities, his office asserted. Yet once these red-state pranksters stop chortling about the blue-state outrage over their handiwork, they might stop to consider the extent to which they are misleading their constituents and undermining their states economic fortunes. Advertisement Their proposition that poor migrants whether undocumented, seeking asylum or whatever are a red-state burden to be foisted upon rival blue jurisdictions relies on a misrepresentation of how the burden is in fact distributed. It exploits a vast misunderstanding of the true costs and benefits of immigration. According to research by economists at Harvard University, Americans overstate the number of immigrants living in the United States by almost fourfold. They underestimate their education and employment rates, and overestimate both their poverty and the burden they impose on American taxpayers. Almost 15% of Americans believe the average immigrant receives twice as much support from the government as natives do. A 2016 report by the National Academies of Sciences found that although immigrants and their families also pay less in taxes, they receive fewer benefits across their lifecycles than families headed by American-born. Advertisement The misperceptions, the research found, are starkest among people without a college education especially those working in industries with lots of immigrants and people who lean politically to the right. So Abbott and DeSantis are probably correct to think these voters will buy that immigrants are mooching off them personally, not off the smug liberals of New York and Chicago. That, too, is wrong. Over a quarter of the population in deep-blue California was not born in the US 10.4 million people. Some 4.5 million foreign-born live in New York, in the ballpark with Texas and Florida. Overall, there are twice as many foreign-born people in states won by Joe Biden in 2020 than in those won by Donald Trump. And they make up a substantially larger share of their population. And because public services tend to be more generous in blue states, taxpayers there tend to pay a larger tab for the wellbeing of the immigrants living among them. Advertisement According to the Academies of Sciences report, immigrants and their dependents in Texas receive state and local benefits worth $2,050 more than they pay in state and local taxes. But so do immigrants and their families in California. DeSantiss claims notwithstanding, the net fiscal burden imposed by immigrants in Florida is small, by comparison: $350, against $1,500 in New York and $1,850 in New Jersey. It may seem naive to take the GOP pranksters argument at face value. The purpose of the buses and the charter planes loaded with Venezuelans was to score points among a crowd already convinced that immigration, no matter its form, threatens their way of life. By stoking voters xenophobia, however, the governors can only harm the states they govern. Consider, for starters, the fiscal balance mentioned above. Immigrants and their dependents may cost state and local coffers more than what they contribute in taxes. But their children will one day be adults. And families headed by this second generation contribute substantially more than they take out: $1,550 more in California, $4,400 more in New York, $1,200 more in Florida. Advertisement Beyond this narrow window, the cost of pushing away the immigrants that are fueling most of the population growth could hurt states whose domestic pool of workers is shrinking. Immigrant women make up most of the eldercare workforce. Asparagus is now grown mostly in Mexico rather than the San Joaquin Valley, where less illegal immigration has slimmed the agricultural labor force. The historical record provides compelling evidence of the economic damage that Abbotts and DeSantiss political instincts might yield. As the Great Depression swept across the United States, states and localities repatriated hundreds of thousands of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. In a somewhat contradictory argument, William Doak, the Secretary of Labor at the time, argued that the expulsions were both essential to reduce unemployment of citizens and needed because many of the target individuals were jobless and on relief. Mexicans took too many jobs yet too many of them were unemployed. Go figure. Advertisement A study almost a century later by economists at the Universities of California at Berkeley and Davis, and the Korea Development Institute, found that cities that deported most aggressively saw a fall in the employment and wages of natives, especially those holding complementary jobs that in some way depended on the low-wage industry in which the Mexicans labored. Not only did natives not replace the lost Mexican workers. The repatriation of Mexicans, who were mostly laborers and farm workers, the researchers wrote, reduced demand for other jobs mainly held by natives, such as skilled craftsman and managerial, administrative and sales jobs. DeSantis and Abbott have not yet started to ship out immigrants that are active in their labor force. They probably understand the costs. But the voters they hope to energize with their buses and charter planes full of asylum seekers might soon ask them to do just that. And as nutty as that sounds, both governors may well see a political logic in complying. Advertisement More From Bloomberg Opinion: Republicans Migrant Stunts Highlight a Policy Failure: The Editors When Immigration Hypocrisy Landed on Marthas Vineyard: Tyler Cowen Texas and Florida Are Going Full Belarus on Migrants: Andreas Kluth This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Eduardo Porter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Latin America, US economic policy and immigration. He is the author of American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise and The Price of Everything: Finding Method in the Madness of What Things Cost. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Now we know: Even in a country as tightly controlled as Russia, a string of military defeats will be followed by public squabbling and personal attacks. But then again, perhaps Russia is less tightly controlled as a battlefield loser than as the fearsome, almost unbeatable military superpower it was before invading Ukraine. As he prepares to celebrate his 70th birthday on Oct. 7, Vladimir Putin should start worrying about his continued ascendancy. After previous setbacks, the Russian far right had already criticized the military top brass, especially Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is not an ethnic Russian and thus an easy target for the ultranationalists. But last week, when Russia lost the important town of Lyman in the Donetsk region hours after declaring it, and the rest of occupied Ukraine, part of its territory, the accusations rose to a new level. Ramzan Kadyrov, the dictator of Chechnya, who has described himself as Putins infantryman, published a bitter post on Telegram, slamming Colonel General Alexander Lapin for the Lyman defeat and Russias top military commander, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, of ignoring his earlier complaints about Lapins conduct of the campaign. Lapin purportedly ran the defense of Lyman from Luhansk, 150 kilometers away, and bungled the communication and logistics aspects of the defensive operation. Lapins lack of talent is not the worst of it its that the top people at the General Staff are covering up for him, Kadyrov wrote. If it were up to me, Id downgrade Lapin to private, strip him of his medals and send him to the front lines with gun to wash off his disgrace with his blood. Advertisement I dont know what the Defense Ministry is reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, Kadyrov added. Kadyrovs outburst got a sympathetic reaction from Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group private military company, which has played an outsized role in the conflict. Way to go, Ramzan, youre the man, Prigozhins press service quoted him as saying. All these jerk-offs should be sent to the front lines with submachine guns, barefoot. In subsequent comments, however, Prigozhin denied with his usual sarcastic slyness that his words referred to top generals. A former top military commander, Lieutenant General Andrey Gurulyov, now a parliament member from the ruling United Russia party, added his voice to the chorus of criticism. The Russian military, he said, was in trouble because everybodys lying, reporting that the situation is good. Advertisement Its natural, of course, that the military leadership would get some flak for systematic battlefield mishaps. Yet its hardly common for the leaders of other fighting forces under Putins banners both Kadyrov and Prigozhin have thousands of well-trained fighters in Ukraine to attack the special military operations top strategic planners and commanders. Someone of Gurulyovs rank accusing the military chain of command of pervasive lying is also extraordinary. Countries at war usually at least try to mask any differences among top commanders and make a show of cohesion; while it was on the retreat during the summer, Ukraine presented a united front without any visible cracks. You wont hear Kadyrov, Prigozhin or Gurulyov criticizing the Commander-in-Chief himself. On the surface, a conflict is brewing between the regular military and freelancers of all stripes: Chechen volunteer fighters, Wagner mercenaries, the nationalist ex-military from Colonel Igor Girkin (Strelkov) to the more moderate Gurulyov. All of them are Putin loyalists, except star Telegram commentator Strelkov, who has vowed to refrain from criticizing the president while the war is on. But anger at Putin is the next logical step if the military defeats continue. If the chain of command is rotten and truthful information is not reaching Putin, even though its being reported by dozens of pro-war Telegram channels and by the freelancers, who but Putin bears the final responsibility for filtering out these reports and acting as if everything is still going to plan? Who bears the final responsibility for not making any personnel changes at the Defense Ministry and the General Staff? These questions are bound to arise if Russia continues losing territory that it has just claimed as its own. Even the use of nuclear weapons with the inevitable blowback it would provoke would not deflect them. Advertisement It wont be Russias defeated, exiled and still fleeing liberals and moderates who will be asking the questions, but fighters and military leaders convinced that victory is being stolen, or has already been stolen, from them. Im not predicting a military coup as such. These have never been successful in Russia from the czarist era, when the Decembrist uprising of 1825 doomed a whole cohort of young officers, to the present. Mikhail Tukhachevsky may or may not have plotted against Joseph Stalin in the 1930s, but Stalins ruthless purges of the top military brass rendered that a moot point. Stalins successor, Nikita Khrushchev, quickly neutralized one of Russias greatest World War II heroes, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, when he became a potential threat and even, it seems, before any actual plot was conceived. The military was a driving force of the 1991 putsch against Mikhail Gorbachev and failed miserably, with some top generals killing themselves and others going to prison. In post-Soviet times, General Lev Rokhlin, a hero of the first Chechen war, barely concealed plotting to overthrow Boris Yeltsin his daughter later confirmed that he did and quickly turned up dead. Vladislav Achalov, a former paratroops commander, took part in the 1993 nationalist rebellion against Yeltsin, was close to the Rokhlin conspiracy and was rumored to plan a putsch against the military reforms carried out during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev; he died suddenly in 2011 at the age of 65. Advertisement But even though Russias political rulers and secret police have always managed to keep the Russian military in check, todays situation is unusual in many respects. The command of the Ukraine operation is anything but centralized rather, it has the feel of a feudal army on a crusade, with princes commanding forces of their own and generals barely coordinating their actions. This is Putins war, but different people have different ideas about how to fight it for him and, of course, for themselves. That is hardly conducive to victorious action, and it undermines Putins control not just of events on the battlefield, but also of the propaganda space, which he has owned for years and which he took special care to purge directly before the invasion and in its early phase. With no heroes emerging from the squabbling mob of princelings and generals, the civilian population cannot be energized to support Putins mobilization drive, and even his top propagandists are focused on helping people avoid it only those, of course, who arent supposed to be drafted for various reasons. The far right would like heroes to emerge. Strelkov and other telegram commentators are singing paeans to Colonel General Mikhail Teplinsky, who has commanded the airborne troops since June, but armies that lose as badly as the Russian military is losing today the Russian front appears to be near collapse both in the east and in the south of Ukraine can hardly produce inspiring examples. They can, however, produce powerful men in command of armed forces who are unwilling to take the fall. Exactly how this may bring about the end of the Putin era is too early to say but conditions are set for the first truly serious challenge, or series of challenges, to the power of the aging dictator who has gone too far out on a limb with this disastrous campaign. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Advertisement Europe Can Fight Putin By Capping Gas Prices: Kyriakos Mitsotakis How Does Putin Stay So Popular While Losing the War in Ukraine?: Tobin Harshaw Romania Fears Putin, But Putin Should Fear Romania, Too: Robert D. Kaplan This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Leonid Bershidsky, formerly Bloomberg Opinions Europe columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation Team. He recently published Russian translations of George Orwells 1984 and Franz Kafkas The Trial. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share After a couple of decades in the wilderness, the US Postal Service is finding its footing as the backbone of US e-commerce, seeking to establish package delivery as its top opportunity and smartly trying to claw back revenue that it has ceded to private companies. The agency will need to steel its resolve because many companies and interest groups feed off the Postal Service and arent keen on change. The Postal Service lost its way as the traditional letter the most profitable product to deliver slowly lost relevance to e-mail. The initial reaction from past postmasters general was to cut costs and seek to reduce service. Talks of privatization crept into the conversation. After pushback from unions, Congress and people who love the post office halted any drastic actions, a malaise took hold and financial losses in the billions of dollars piled up. Even after it was clear that the rise of e-commerce and package delivery would give the Postal Service a renewed relevance, the system remained oriented toward letters and marketing mail. The Postal Service wasnt nimble enough and didnt have an adequate sales force to capture the e-commerce volume. Large and small companies swooped in to grab that e-commerce business without spending to build out a network and dumped presorted packages at the services local delivery units for just the costly final-mile leg of the journey. Although the Postal Service carries more packages than United Parcel Service Inc., Amazon.com Inc. or FedEx Corp., the agency hasnt harnessed the power of its unique network, which delivers to all 163 million addresses in the US at least six days a week and has 30,000 retail outlets. Advertisement This potential is now in the early stages of being unleashed if Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is allowed to carry out his 10-year plan to transform the Postal Service. This wont be easy. He will be attacked on all sides. In a shot across the bow to interests that prefer the status quo, the Postal Service this month eliminated its Reseller Program, which had given five companies deep discounts on package rates. Those discounts were passed on to customers, including other large companies that in turn also offered these lower rates to the final consumer. The program didnt make much sense because these resellers were profiting without ever touching any packages. DeJoy decided to cut out these middlemen and serve those customers directly. This is likely to become a theme as the Postal Service reconfigures its network from one built to deliver letters to one thats designed to handle packages. This will take time and money the agency plans to spend $40 billion over a decade to consolidate and modernize sorting facilities and renew its fleet of delivery vehicles, which are an average of 28 years old. Advertisement The Postal Service will also need to overcome the political baggage of DeJoy, a loyalist of former President Donald Trump. He was appointed by the Postal Services board during Trumps term and was accused of trying to sabotage mail-in balloting by gutting the Postal Service soon before the 2020 presidential election. The FBI investigated him in connection with campaign contributions made by employees who worked for him when he was in the private sector he said the Justice Department had closed the case without bringing criminal charges and the Federal Election Commission dismissed related complaints. There have been calls for DeJoys removal, which can be accomplished only by a vote from the Postal Services nine-member board, which so far continues to support him, though the terms for two DeJoy supporters expire in December. President Joe Biden has not made a public push to replace him. As long as DeJoy is on the job, he has the logistics experience and entrepreneurial chops to push through a transformation of the Postal Service. He grew New Breed Holding Co., which was a small logistics company in North Carolina with 10 employees when he became CEO in 1983, into a provider of distribution, transportation management and light manufacturing with 6,800 employees. When DeJoy sold the business to XPO Logistics Inc. for $615 million in 2014, the company had annual sales of $600 million. Advertisement In a sign that DeJoy may be able to disarm union critics, who initially rejected him on concern he would try to carry out Trumps ideas of privatizing the agency, he negotiated a labor contract with the American Postal Workers Union that accelerated the time for converting part-time workers into full-time ones and was ratified by 94% of its members. Were not afraid of new ideas and new thinking as long as the workers are fully respected in the process, Mark Dimondstein, president of the union, said in an interview. DeJoys efforts are likely to raise complaints from companies, including United Parcel Service Inc., FedEx Corp. and Deutsche Post AGs DHL. DHL offers an e-commerce service even though it has no last-mile delivery trucks. The company picks up packages from large customers, sorts them and then hands them over to the Postal Service for final delivery. There are several of these so-called postal consolidators that may find an invigorated Postal Service taking that business back for itself, somewhat similar to the Reseller Program. Advertisement The Postal Service, which owns no delivery aircraft, has reduced the amount of mail and packages being carried by plane, which has direct repercussions on FedEx. The company has a contract to provide air transportation for mail, including international service, that concludes in September 2024. The Postal Service is the largest customer of FedExs Express unit, and the reduction in postal volume has already impacted the companys operations, FedEx said in its July annual filing. The company said a decision by the Postal Service to terminate early or not renew the contract would negatively impact our profitability. Trucks are more reliable than aircraft, mainly because of weather, and using ground transportation reduces the number of times a package is handled to nine from 15, according to DeJoys plan.UPS has sued the Postal Service, contending the agency sets its package prices too low because it attributes too much of its costs to other operations such as letter delivery. At the same time, UPS leans on the Postal Service for delivery of lightweight packages in a low-cost service called SurePost. The Atlanta-based courier, though, has been taking back some of these SurePost packages for itself when the package destination is close to where UPS drivers are already making deliveries. That has left the Postal Service with the UPS packages that are more costly to delivery, such as in rural areas. With a bulked-up sales force, the Postal Service may seek to capture these customers directly without UPS as an intermediary.The Postal Services network is perfect for the short-distance, quick turnaround deliveries that e-commerce is demanding. Under a new service called USPS Connect, businesses can drop off packages at one of 2,600 locations for next-day service in 5,300 ZIP codes or same-day delivery if the packages are there by 7 a.m. This service was introduced in February after a trial in Texas and is being expanded, Steven Monteith, chief customer and marketing officer at the Postal Service, said in a recent presentation. For light packages, it costs $3.95 each, he said. Thats a rate that customers wont get from UPS or FedEx. As investments in technology and sorting equipment are rolled out, the Postal Service will be able to track packages more accurately and improve service. A large, professional sales force needs to be built out. The 10-year plan was announced in March 2021 and is already starting to show results, such as eliminating the Reseller Program and meeting delivery service targets. Advertisement Still, this is a government agency, so the changes will take some time, and DeJoy doesnt have a free hand. He must grapple with the board, the Postal Regulatory Commission, Congress and a lot of easily riled citizens who hold the post office dear to their hearts. For example, critics have decried a slowdown in mail service based on DeJoys strategy of using trucks instead of paying companies like FedEx for expensive air transportation. He was forced to add unproven, expensive electric vehicles in the mix for a much-needed fleet renewal. The list wont end there. DeJoy will certainly face a host of additional challenges in transforming an organization that is not only a business but a public service that reaches millions of people each day and ties communities together. Reasserting itself in package delivery is the right step for a Postal Service that needs to find firmer financial footing. Advertisement More From Bloomberg Opinion: Congress May Rescue the Post Office From Itself: Timothy OBrien Will DeJoy Ever Leave the Postal Service?: Timothy L. OBrien Postal Banking Has Great Promise for the US: Editorial This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Thomas Black is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering logistics and manufacturing. Previously, he covered U.S. industrial and transportation companies and Mexicos industry, economy and government. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share The mass shift to remote work during the pandemic allowed people with professional and management jobs to do them effectively from mountaintop aeries, beachfront cottages and exotic foreign locales. Mainly, though, it seems to have enabled residents of big-city neighborhoods and close-in suburbs to avoid going to offices that were in some cases within walking distance of their homes. These numbers are from the 2021 edition of the American Community Survey, a sort of mini-census that the US Census Bureau sends out to 3.5 million households each year. They come in response to the multiple-choice question, asked of household members who were already reported to have performed paid work the previous week: How did this person usually get to work LAST WEEK? Car, truck or van remained the box checked most frequently, with an estimated 75.6% of US workers getting to their jobs that way in 2021. But the percentage working from home, which had been rising slowly for years, jumped to 17.9% in 2021 from 5.7% before the pandemic in 2019. In some places, as should already be apparent from the above chart, it jumped much more than that. Advertisement The places I have chosen to focus on here are Census Public Use Microdata Areas, or PUMAs, which divide the nation into units big enough (population of more than 100,000, usually) for the Census Bureau to release microdata from which anybody can compile their own custom estimates and tables without compromising the privacy of respondents. These particular numbers are derived not from the microdata (which isnt out yet and is released only as five-year averages in any case) but from a table published by the Census Bureau in mid-September that Ive seen referenced by one pseudonymous Twitter user but otherwise has not received the ample attention it deserves. A big advantage of PUMAs is that they divide diverse big cities into more coherent parts while at the same time adding together suburbs (and small towns and rural areas) that alone dont have enough people for the Census Bureau to release their data. Sorting by PUMAs makes clear that working from home was most prevalent quite close to office centers last year. Central Washington, DC, in the Census Bureaus accounting (heres the map) includes the nations most famous home office, at the White House, as well as the Capitol Mall and the neighborhoods north and south of it, from Foggy Bottom to Dupont Circle to Adams Morgan to Shaw to the new residential developments of Southwest and the Navy Yard. In San Francisco, the Inner Mission & Castro and North Beach & Chinatown PUMAs are close to downtown and South of Market & Potrero encompasses it, as does the Queen Anne & Magnolia PUMA in Seattle. Even the more suburban areas in the above chart are home to corporate headquarters and other large office complexes, with the nations three largest corporations by market capitalization based in Cupertino (Apple Inc.), Redmond (Microsoft Corp.) and Mountain View (Google parent Alphabet Inc.). Because I know you want more, and also because the margins of error here are such that the 15th- and 30th-place PUMAs are statistically indistinguishable, here are the next 15 in the rankings (I would have put them all in one chart but it got too crowded). Its a more suburban list, but theyre all suburbs close to central cities or large office centers.(1) Advertisement The Census Bureau also released work-from-home estimates for cities and census-defined places of 65,000 residents or more. The top-15 ranking of these makes clear why the listing by PUMAs is more informative, I think, but also highlights some more interesting WFH hotbeds in the suburbs of Seattle, Washington, San Francisco and Atlanta. When I posted a version of this chart on Twitter a couple of weeks ago (based on a different Census Bureau table that had data only for fewer, bigger cities), a lot of people reacted with surprise that cities and close-in suburbs dominated the rankings rather than exurbs and mountain resorts. Thats partly because there arent many exurbs or mountain resorts with more than 65,000 people, although the PUMA statistics covering such places (the chart below shows an assortment that was chosen less than scientifically) also dont reveal any sky-high WFH numbers. There surely are parts of scenic, exurban Sonoma and national-park-neighboring Bozeman and Jackson (which is in Teton County, Wyoming) where most people work from home, but to get near the 100,000-population PUMA threshold, those have to be tallied alongside other neighborhoods and rural areas where most residents have hands-on jobs. In large urban agglomerations there are so many people working from home that they can dominate entire cities of more than 65,000 people or PUMAs of more than 100,000. Advertisement Which leads us to those urban agglomerations. It was a report on the share of working from home by commuting zone by Adam Ozimek and Eric Carlson of the Economic Innovation Group, a Washington think tank, that inspired my dive into this data. Ive chosen here to sort by the more familiar designations of metropolitan areas (a county or group of counties with a core urban area of at least 50,000 people) and micropolitan areas (the same but with a core between 10,000 and 50,000). One micropolitan area, Truckee and Grass Valley in the mountains and foothills north and east of Lake Tahoe, makes the top 15. So do five metropolitan areas of fewer than a million people (Boulder, Durham-Chapel Hill, Ann Arbor, Trenton-Princeton and Corvallis), while the countrys five largest metro areas (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Houston) are missing. But the rankings are still dominated by some pretty large metropolises. The pandemic exodus from big cities was not a chimera. Urban populations truly did decline, and demand for houses in exurbs and mountain resorts really did skyrocket. Yet the vast majority of the white-collar workers who had clustered in big cities and expensive suburbs before the pandemic stayed put even as they stopped going into the office. One possible interpretation of this is that there remains a lot of pent-up demand for housing far from traditional job centers the exodus has barely begun. Another is that cities and close-in suburbs have attractions beyond just proximity to the office. Advertisement More From Bloomberg Opinion: Your Guide to the Permanent Pandemic Economy: Allison Schrager Future Remote Workers Need to Network More in College: Conor Sen Working From Home Isnt a Free Company Benefit: Jonathan Levin (1) Ive condensed but generally tried to stick with the Census Bureaus nomenclature here, even though it doesnt always conform with popular usage. East Oakland usually means the poorer southeastern half of the city; here its the hilly neighborhoods that run along the citys northeastern edge. The Central/Pacific Palisades Los Angeles PUMA runs from the coast to Hollywood, mostly in the hills but also including some of southern San Fernando Valley. And Lamorinda is a commonly used portmanteau for the San Francisco suburbs of Lafayette (where I grew up), Orinda and Moraga that I used here to make the line fit for those reading on a desktop (sorry, couldnt manage that for those of you reading on your phones). Advertisement This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Justin Fox is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. A former editorial director of Harvard Business Review, he has written for Time, Fortune and American Banker. He is author of The Myth of the Rational Market. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share BRUSSELS Leaders from more than 40 countries meeting in the Czech capital Thursday are set to launch a European Political Community aimed at boosting security and prosperity across the continent. But critics claim the new forum is an attempt to put the brakes on European Union enlargement. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The Prague meeting is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron and is backed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Its taking place with Russias war on Ukraine in its eighth month and as pressure builds to allow Ukraine to join the 27-nation EU. The war in Ukraine and the legitimate aspiration of its people, just like that of Moldova and Georgia, to join the European Union, encourages us to rethink our geography and the organization of our continent, Macron said in May in a speech outlining his idea. Advertisement But even with the outpouring of support for Ukraine in the form of weapons so it can fight back, or shelter for people fleeing Macron said, we all know perfectly well that the process which would allow them to join, would in reality take several years, and most likely several decades. What is needed, Macron said, is a new space for political and security cooperation, cooperation in the energy sector, in transport, investments, infrastructures, the free movement of persons and in particular of our youth. His plan which would involve 44 countries, including existing EU members, aspiring partners in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as Britain and Turkey mirrors a proposal by former president Francois Mitterrand to unite Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The inaugural European Political Community summit at Prague Castle will kick off with an opening ceremony, followed by a series of meetings where leaders will discuss the key challenges Europe faces; security, energy, climate, the dire economic situation, and migration. Advertisement No EU money or programs are on offer, and no formal declaration will be issued after the meeting. The aim, should this summit go well, would be for leaders to gather once or twice a year. The forum, an EU official involved in preparations said, does not replace existing organizations, structures or processes and does not aim to create new ones at this stage. However, Macrons speech, and remarks by Scholz in August, have raised concerns that the European Political Community might become a second-class ticket to joining the EU, given the almost glacial pace of membership talks in recent years. Several Balkan countries have been waiting around two decades to join Turkey even longer and progress has been held up by objections from single EU member countries, most recently Greece and then Bulgaria in the cases of hopefuls Albania and North Macedonia. Advertisement Macrons specification that we may not all live in the same house, but we share the same street feeds skepticism that these structures could relegate the Balkans and other EU hopefuls to the waiting room indefinitely, said Marta Mucznik, from the European Policy Centre think tank. If member states stopped hijacking enlargement for reasons that have more to do with their domestic politics than the process as such, then the EU would be one step closer to finding the remedy to the current deadlock, she wrote in an analysis of the plan. But in a speech in Prague in August, Scholz insisted that the new grouping is not an alternative to the upcoming process of EU enlargement. After all, we have given our accession candidates our word and these words must be followed by deeds at long last. Advertisement That said, he suggested that a bloc with 30 members or more could become unwieldy and he underlined that we must also make the EU itself fit for this major enlargement, which would involve six Balkan countries, and possibly Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia in the future. Turkeys hopes are on hold. Indeed, the exercise of once-relatively-rare national vetoes has become a common occurrence, notably in the case of Hungary. Each country has also insisted on having its own policy commissioner in the EUs executive branch, the European Commission, which proposes laws and ensures theyre respected. Meanwhile, the European Parliament the blocs only democratically elected institution has also swollen to more than 750 members. Just letting EU enlargement proceed slowly through the existing uncertain process will turn the politically significant commitment to Ukraine, Moldova and other candidates into a discouraging obstacle course, the Bruegel think-tank said in its analysis. Advertisement The new forum, it said, ought not to be regarded as a substitute for EU accession, but should be designed to work as an accelerator. For countries not seeking to join the EU, it would provide an ongoing framework that sustains structured cooperation with the EU. Whether that message is heard and believed by the many countries hoping to join the worlds biggest trading bloc should be known by the time the summit ends on Thursday evening. The proof of its worth will probably only come once a second summit is held. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share PRAGUE Qatars emir paid his first visit to the Czech Republic on Wednesday for business talks expected to include a potential deal for deliveries of Qatari liquefied natural gas. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is accompanied by a large delegation, was formally greeted by Czech President Milos Zeman at the Prague Castle. The emir and his entourage will meet Czech officials including Finance Minister Zbynek Stanura, Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela and Transport Minister Martin Kupka. Among other issues, talks are expected to focus on deliveries of liquified natural gas from Qatar, the worlds biggest LNG exporter. Following the Kremlin's war on Ukraine, t he Czech Republic, like other European nations, is seeking alternative sources for fossil fuels to replace its former dependence on Russian gas. Advertisement Later in the day, the emir will meet Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Other issues to be discussed include cooperation in the arms industry, space technology and the possible involvement of Qatari investors in building Czech transport infrastructure. An economy and trade cooperation deal between the Czech Republic and Qatar was expected to be signed at the Prague Castle later Wednesday. During his three-day visit, the emir is also expected to meet some of the leaders from more than 40 countries who are attending a summit in Prague on Thursday aimed at boosting security and prosperity across Europe. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share ISLAMABAD The Asian Development Bank on Wednesday announced it would provide $2.5 billion in aid to flood-ravaged Pakistan, where climate-induced deluges have killed nearly 1,700 people since-mid June. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight It would be the largest donation to the already impoverished country so far after the World Bank last month pledged $2 billion in aid. Pakistans Finance Ministry said in a statement that the ADBs country director, Yong Ye, announced the aid package at a meeting with Pakistans newly appointed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. It said Ye expressed sympathy over damages and deaths caused by the monsoon-related flooding in Pakistan. The statement said Dar appreciated ADBs role and support in promoting sustainable development in Pakistan and he apprised Ye of the devastation caused by the floods and their impact on the economy of Pakistan. Advertisement Pakistan says the record-breaking floods have caused at least $30 billion in damage. The latest development comes a day after the United Nations amid a surge in diseases in flood-hit areas of Pakistan asked for five times more international aid for Pakistan. Pakistanis are now at increasing risk of waterborne diseases and other ailments, which have killed more than 350 people since July. Another 1,697 deaths were caused by the deluges this year. The U.N. on Tuesday raised its aid appeal for Pakistan to $816 million from $160 million, saying recent assessments pointed to the urgent need for long-term help lasting into next year. The previous day, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said about 10% of all of Pakistans health facilities were damaged in the floods, leaving millions without access to health care. Advertisement He urged the international community to help Pakistan, where he said the floodwaters have stopped rising, but there is danger of more deaths from waterborne and other ailments among millions of flood survivors. Doctors in Pakistan are trying to contain the outbreak of waterborne and other diseases, particularly in badly hit southwestern Baluchistan and southern Sindh provinces. The disaster has also put at risk the education of 12 million school-aged children in Pakistan. GiftOutline Gift Article Marc Thiessens column stating that Florida Gov. DeSantis was acting presidential was absolutely ludicrous. DeSantis is a perfect example of the stunning hypocrisy of the Republican Party. They all want the government out of their lives until they need help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is in fact the government and it is funded by the taxes that we all pay. Most of the recent weather-related disasters have been in red states and FEMA is right there to help. In 2012, when DeSantis was a congressman, he joined 66 other Republicans to vote against an aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy, which struck New York and New Jersey, and he recently misused $12 million on his childish political stunt, for which a sheriff in Texas is starting a criminal investigation. Also, Floridas two Republican senators recently voted against increased funding for FEMA and are now demanding that Washington send aid. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share WARSAW, Poland Belarus opposition leader said Wednesday that she believes Russian military setbacks in Ukraine could shake the hold on power of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. We have a distracted Russia that is about to lose this war. It wont be able to prop Lukashenko up with money and military support as in 2020, said Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, speaking at a security conference in Warsaw. Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania after Russian ally Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in disputed August 2020 elections that were viewed in the West as fraudulent, and which many thought she won. She said that hundreds of Belarusian volunteers have supported Ukrainians in their recent liberation of Ukrainian territory. As I speak, a Belarusian battalion is part of Ukraines counter-offensive chasing the invaders away. We all understand that the speed of changes at the Ukrainian front opens new opportunities for Belarus. And its moving so fast, she said at the Warsaw Security Forum. Advertisement We keep our fingers crossed for our military volunteers in Ukraine. Fifteen lost their lives already. she said. Russia is facing mounting setbacks in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces retake more and more land in the east and in the south the very regions Russia has said it seeks to annex. Tsikhanouskaya hailed the Belarusian partisans who carried out acts of sabotage early in the war on the railway system in Belarus to hamper the Russians in their assault on Ukraine, and said Belarusians would continue to oppose the war as they can. We are preparing our partisans, you know, to act decisively at this very moment. The acts of sabotage that took place in February and March can be repeated again, though people who are making these acts of sabotage can face death penalty, she said. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share NAIROBI, Kenya The leader of Ethiopias embattled Tigray region and the federal government have been invited to peace talks in South Africa this weekend as part of a pan-African effort to end one of the worlds most overlooked wars, according to a letter seen Wednesday by The Associated Press. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight If Debretsion Gebremichael attends the proposed talks between the Tigray and Ethiopian sides, it will be the highest-level effort yet to end the two-year war that has killed thousands of people from conflict and starvation. In a statement, he said he is ready to send a negotiating team but has questions about who else might take part, considering that we were not consulted prior to the issuance of this invitation. Ethiopias government has accepted the invitation, national security adviser Redwan Hussein said. In a separate statement, the government called it consistent with the Ethiopian governments prior positions that talks be mediated by the AU and be held without preconditions. The statement does not say who might attend. Advertisement The letter from the chair of the AU Commission says the AU-convened talks would be aimed at laying the foundation for a structured and sustained mediation between the two sides toward a durable resolution of the conflict. The AU letter says the talks would be facilitated by AU special envoy and former Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo with the support of former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and former South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. A diplomat in Addis Ababa said representatives from the European Union, the United Nations and the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development are expected to attend the talks as observers in support of the AUs mediation team. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The talks come more than a month after fighting in Tigray renewed following months of relative calm. Forces from neighboring Eritrea, allied with Ethiopias government, are again joining the fighting in what Tigray forces have described as a large-scale offensive. Advertisement On Tuesday, an airstrike hit the Tigray town of Adi Daero where displaced people were sheltering, a humanitarian worker who visited the site afterward told the AP. They described the scene as total carnage and said health workers reported more than 50 people killed. The worker spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The Tigray region has been largely cut off from the world since the war began in November 2020, with more than 5 million people without basic services including electricity, phone, internet and banking. Medicines have run desperately low. On Thursday, the U.N. said trapped staffers were finally able to rotate out of the region for the first time since the fighting renewed. The fighting also has spilled over into Ethiopias neighboring regions of Amara and Afar as Tigray forces have tried to pressure the government, putting hundreds of thousands of other civilians at risk. Advertisement United Nations-based investigators have said all sides have committed abuses. There is also deep suspicion on both sides. A member of the Tigray negotiation team, Tsadkan Gebretensae, told a U.S. think tank last week that we have agreed on an African-led process, but that should not be carte blanche for the AU to impose what should be a peace process. Tsadkan said Tigray representatives had met three times with Ethiopian authorities in Djibouti and Seychelles and he thanked the United States government for organizing the meetings, which he said produced a clear proposal for a cessation of hostilities. But after that, he asserted, the Tigray side was betrayed. He didnt give details. The Tigray authorities seek unfettered access for humanitarian aid, the resumption of basic services, respect for constitutional boundary arrangements and the withdrawal of foreign forces, Tsadkan said. The Tigray authorities will accept whatever comes out of an impartial, agreed-upon peace process, he said. GiftOutline Gift Article ATHENS, Greece At least 15 people have died after two boats carrying migrants sank in Greek waters, and rescuers were looking for dozens still missing, authorities said early Thursday. The coast guard said 15 bodies had been recovered near the eastern island of Lesbos after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank. Five people were rescued and three had been located on a rocky outcrop near the site of the sinking. A second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers (miles) to the west, near the island of Kythira, where a sailboat carrying about 100 migrants sank late Wednesday. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share DUBAI, United Arab Emirates An 85-year-old Iranian-American detained for six years in Iran on what the U.S. says were specious espionage charges left the country and was flown to Oman and then to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for urgent medical treatment. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight A lawyer for Baquer Namazis family and the Omani government confirmed his arrival in Muscat. Irans state-run IRNA news agency published video of Namazi boarding a Royal Oman air force jet in Tehran and later Omani state TV aired video of his arrival in Muscat. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday evening that Namazi had been reunited with his family in Abu Dhabi and would soon receive treatment. Namazis release is the first of an American by Iran since President Joe Biden took office, although his son, Siamak, 50, and several other Americans remain in Iranian custody. Baquer Namazis release on humanitarian grounds, which was brokered by the United Nations, comes as talks have stalled on reviving the tattered 2015 Iran nuclear deal with world powers. Advertisement Jared Genser, a Washington-based lawyer representing the Namazi family, shared a photo of Namazi on the plane in a suit and tie. Today is a good day for the Namazi family, but the work is far from over, Genser said in a statement. We now need the United States and Iran to act expeditiously to reach an agreement that will finally bring all of the American hostages home. In addition to Siamak Namazi, there are at least three other Americans still held by Iran. After a brief stop in Oman, Namazi will undergo a procedure at the local branch of the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi to clear a severe blockage to his left internal carotid artery, Genser said. That blockage put Namazi at high risk of a stroke. Blinken said: Baquer has asked that we convey his deepest thanks to all of those who worked so tirelessly to secure his release. I add my own gratitude for all of the friends and partners who helped bring about his freedom. Advertisement In particular, we thank the Sultanate of Oman, which worked with Iranian authorities to arrange for his flight out of the country, and the United Arab Emirates, which is generously hosting him and his family during his medical treatment, he added. Namazi is a former UNICEF official who served as governor of Irans oil-rich Khuzestan province under the U.S.-backed shah. He was arrested in 2016, apparently drawn to Iran over fears about his incarcerated son detained in 2015. He was placed under house arrest for medical reasons in 2018 but prevented from leaving Iran despite his familys pleas that he travel to receive emergency heart surgery after suffering multiple hospitalizations. Last October, he underwent surgery in Iran to clear a blockage in an artery to the brain that his family and supporters described as life-threatening. Advertisement Security forces arrested his son, Siamak Namazi, an advocate of closer ties between Iran and the West, while he was visiting Iran on a business trip. Both Namazis were sentenced to 10 years in prison in Iran on what the U.S. and U.N. say were trumped-up spying charges. The U.N.s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention dismissed the cases against the two men, saying in 2017 their case is part of an emerging pattern involving the arbitrary deprivation of liberty of dual nationals. There is no evidence either Mr. S. Namazi or Mr. B. Namazi had a criminal record, including in relation to national security offenses, their report read. There is nothing to indicate that they have ever acted against the national interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran. ___ Lee reported from Washington. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share JOHANNESBURG At least three people of interest have been identified by South African police investigating the killing of a German tourist by gunmen. Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the site of the killing Wednesday where he said that authorities are searching for the suspects identified in their probe. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight We are working to find out how far we have gone with them. So we believe that we will be able to crack the case very, very soon, he told reporters. The tourist was fatally shot Monday afternoon near an entrance to Kruger National Park, South Africas largest game reserve in Mpumalanga province. He was driving a vehicle carrying three other travelers when it was attacked near the Numbi entrance to the park. He was shot after locking the car doors when the gunmen demanded that he unlock them, according to the police. Advertisement The vehicle reversed for a few meters until it came to a halt after hitting a wall, but the suspects sped off without taking any belongings from their victims, according to the police. The killing has sparked concerns about South Africas tourism, of which Kruger Park and the countrys wildlife reserves are a significant part. The government condemned the killing, maintaining that South Africa is still a safe travel destination. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine Alone in his apartment in the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine, nuclear plant security guard Serhiy Shvets looked out his kitchen window in late May and saw gunmen approaching on the street below. When his buzzer rang, he was sure he was about to die. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Shvets, a former soldier in Ukraines military who was loyal to Kyiv, knew the gunmen would either kill or abduct and torture him. He thought briefly about recording a farewell to his family, who had fled to safety abroad, but instead lit a cigarette and grabbed his gun. Six Russian soldiers broke down his door and opened fire, which he returned. Wounded in the hand, thigh, ear and stomach, Shvets began to lose consciousness. Before he did, he heard the commander of the group tell his men to cease fire and call an ambulance. Advertisement Shvets, who survived the shooting, is among workers from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant recounting their fears of being abducted and tortured or killed by Russian forces occupying the facility and the city of Enerhodar. Ukrainian officials say the Russians have sought to intimidate the staff into keeping the plant running, through beatings and other abuse. but also to punish those who express support for Kyiv. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was taking ownership of the plant. With his decree, he ordered the creation of a state company to manage the facility and said all workers now need Russian permission to work there. Ukraine condemned the illegal Russian takeover attempt and called on the West to impose sanctions on the Russian state nuclear operator, Rosatom, and for all countries to limit civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia. Advertisement Ukraines state nuclear operator, Energoatom, said it considers Putins decree worthless and absurd. It said the plant would continue to be operated by Energoatom as part of the Ukrainian energy system. A GOOD LIFE BEFORE THE WAR Life was good for employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant before the Russian invasion of Feb. 24. They were guaranteed a financially secure and stable life for their families. And even though Ukraine still bears the psychological scars of the worlds worst atomic accident at Chernobyl in 1986, the Zaporizhzhia plant Europes largest nuclear facility with its six reactors provided jobs for about 11,000 people, making Enerhodar with its prewar population of 53,000 one of the wealthiest cities in the region. But after Russia occupied the city early in the war, that once-comfortable life turned into a nightmare. Advertisement The invaders overran the ZNPP, about 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) from Enerhodar, but kept the Ukrainian staff in place to run it. Both sides accused the other of shelling the plant, damaging power lines connecting it to the grid and raising international alarm for its safety. Ukrainian officials say the Russians used the plant as a shield as they shelled nearby towns. Reports of intimidation of the staff and abductions began trickling out over the summer. Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.s atomic watchdog, told The Associated Press about reports of violence between the Russians and the Ukrainian staff. Grossi traveled to Kyiv on Wednesday and will be in Russia later to hold consultations on Moscows intention to take over the plant and to continue his push for a safety zone to be established around it, the IAEA said in a statement. Advertisement About 4,000 ZNPP workers have fled. Those who stayed cited threats of kidnap and torture underscored by the abduction Friday of plant director Ihor Murashov, who was seized and blindfolded by Russian forces on his way home from work. He was freed Monday after being forced to make false statements on camera, according to Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom. He told AP Murashov was released at the edge of Russian-controlled territory and walked about 15 kilometers (9 miles) to a Ukrainian-held area. I would say it was mental torture, Kotin said of what Murashov suffered. He had to say that all the shelling on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was made by Ukrainian forces and that he is a Ukrainian spy ... in contact with Ukrainian special forces. Enerhodars exiled Mayor Dmytro Orlov, who spoke to Murashov after his release, said the plant official told him he had spent two days in solitary confinement in the basement, with handcuffs and a bag on his head. His condition can hardly be called normal. Advertisement President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described Murashovs abduction as yet another manifestation of absolutely uncovered Russian terror. TERRIBLE THINGS HAPPEN THERE More than 1,000 people, including plant workers, were abducted from Enerhodar, although some have been released, Orlov estimated. He fled to Zaporizhzhia, the nearest city under Ukrainian control, after refusing to cooperate with the Russians. Kotin estimated that 100-200 of those abducted are still being held. Orlov said the first abduction was March 19, when Russians seized his deputy, Ivan Samoidiuk, whose whereabouts remain unknown. The abductions then accelerated, he said. Mostly, they took people with a pro-Ukrainian position, who were actively involved in the resistance movement, he said. Orlov alleged they were tortured at various locations in Enerhodar, including at the citys police station, in basements elsewhere and even in the ZNPP itself. Advertisement Terrible things happen there, he said. People who managed to come out say there was torture with electric currents, beatings, rape, shootings. ... Some people didnt survive. Similar sites were seen by AP journalists in parts of the Kharkiv region abandoned by Russian troops after a Ukrainian counteroffensive. In the city of Izium, an AP investigation uncovered 10 separate torture sites. Plant worker Andriy Honcharuk died in a hospital on July 3 shortly after the Russians released him, beaten and unconscious, for refusing to follow their orders at the facility, Orlov said. Oleksii, a worker who said he was responsible for controlling the plants turbines and reactor compartment, fled Enerhodar in June when he learned Russian troops were looking for him. He asked not to be identified by his full name for fear of reprisal. Advertisement It was psychologically difficult, Oleksii told the AP in Kyiv. You go to the station and see the occupiers there. You come to your workplace already depressed. Many plant employees visited the basements and were tortured there, he said. Graves appeared in the forest that surrounds the city. That is, everyone understands that something horrible is happening, he said. They abduct people for their pro-Ukrainian position, or if they find any Telegram groups on their phone. This is enough for them to take a person away. Another employee who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of his safety said he was unafraid of working at the plant despite the shelling but decided to flee in September after colleagues were seized. He said Russians visited his home twice while he was away, and the possibility of torture was too much for him. Advertisement The plants last reactor was shut down in September to guard against a disaster from constant shelling, which cut reliable external power supplies needed for cooling and other safety systems. Kotin said the company could restart two of the reactors in a matter of days to protect safety installations as winter approaches and temperatures drop. But the power plant sits in one of four regions that Russia declares it has annexed, making its future uncertain. Kotin on Tuesday renewed his call for a demilitarized zone around the plant, where two IAEA experts are based. FREEDOM OR DEATH For Serhiy Shvets, whose apartment was raided May 23, it was only a matter of time before the Russians came for him during the occupation of Enerhodar, he said. He had signed up to serve in Ukraines territorial defense forces shortly after the invasion and had sent his wife and other relatives abroad for safety. He said the Russian forces who shot him called the ambulance so I could die in the hospital. Doctors initially gave him a 5% chance of survival after he lost nearly two-thirds of his blood. But following several operations, he was well enough to leave Enerhodar in July and is living in Zaporizhzhia. Shvets, whose right hand is in a metal brace, quietly exhaled from pain as he moved it and said the only thing he regrets now is that he is too disabled to fight. Im a descendant from Zaporozhian Cossacks, he said, referring to his ancestors who lived on the territory of Ukraine from the 15th to 18th centuries and defended it from invaders. There was no such thing as surrender for them just freedom or death. He added: Why would I want such a life if I dont have my freedom? ___ Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed. ___ Follow APs coverate of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share CAIRO The U.S. envoy to Yemen on Wednesday blamed rebel Houthi leaders for the recent failure to extend the countrys cease-fire agreement, accusing them of making last-minute maximalist demands that derailed constructive negotiations. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight Yemens warring sides failed to reach an agreement to extend the nationwide truce Sunday, threatening to reignite the countrys bloody civil war after a six-month cessation in front-line fighting. During a news conference, U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking said the Houthis hijacked the negotiations by suddenly demanding the salaries of their military and security personnel be paid before that of Yemeni civil servants. Lenderking did not provide any other reason for the failure of the negotiations. The U.N.-backed truce took effect in April, as the war entered its eighth year. The ruinous conflict began in 2014 when Iranian-backed Houthi forces seized the capital of Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, pushing the government into exile. In response, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition which included the United Arab Emirates intervened in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognized government to power. Advertisement Following the passing of the cease-fire deadline, small exchanges of fire were reported in the western governorate of Al Dhalea, while military reinforcements were deployed by both sides in the front-line cities of Marib and Taiz. The reports post-cease-fire could not be immediately confirmed by The Associated Press. A Houthi official told the AP on Sunday that the U.N.s unwillingness to provide written guarantees for several of the groups demands proved the major obstruction to negotiations. The demands included the payment of employee salaries and the opening of Sanaa airport and the Houthi-held port of Hodeidah, the official said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to brief the media. Aprils truce had originally established the partial opening of the capitals airport and the Red Sea port of Hodeida, as well as the lifting of the Houthi blockade on Taiz, the countrys third largest city. However, disagreements over the opening and control of Taizs key entry roads has meant the city has remained under a Houthi-imposed siege. Both sides have reported several violations of Aprils cease-fire agreement. Advertisement Analysts say the Houthis withdrawal from cease-fire talks is a reflection of the Shia groups belief that they had greater political leverage in recent cease-fire talks and were more willing to return to war. However, Farea Muslimi, an associate fellow at British think tank Chatham House specializing in Yemen, told The Associated Press it is still likely Houthi leaders will be forced back to the negotiation table. In not backing down from their position, the Houthis face expanded military pressure from U.S. and Saudi allies, along with greater internal economic difficulties, he said. The Houthi forces have deployed an increasingly effective arsenal of weapons against Saudi Arabia and other rivals in recent years, including cruise missiles and drones, akin to those manufactured by their major backer Iran. Many of these larger weapons types were displayed in a Houthi military parade in late September. The Saudi-led coalition remains the dominant aerial force and has launched thousands of airstrikes on Houthi positions since 2015, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians, rights groups say. Advertisement Houthi forces are also responsible for civilian casualties. Officers from their military have previously admitted to The Associated Press of recruiting children into their ranks arguing that boys as young as 10 are considered men. Meanwhile, factional infighting within the anti-Houthi coalition has surfaced in the countrys southern provinces. In August, United Arab Emirates-supported militia groups seized vital southern oil and gas fields controlled by other forces fighting with the Saudi-led coalition. Clashes between them and other forces from within the alliance have killed dozens. On Tuesday, The U.N. joined scores of other non-governmental organizations and international aid groups calling for Yemens warring parties to extend the truce and build on the gains achieved over the last six months. Advertisement The conflict, which in recent years turned into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has killed in excess of 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians, according to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The fighting has thrown Yemen into one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, pushing it into deeper poverty and near famine. Yemen needs not just a military cease-fire, but a truce with hunger, said Muslimi. GiftOutline Gift Article Flaunt magazine cofounder Long Nguyen, an independent thinker who was very much part of the fashion scene for the past few decades, has died. Many in the industry associate him with Flaunt, the indie magazine that he cofounded in 1998 and where he served as its longtime style director until the summer of 2019. Prior to Flaunt, Nguyen served as style director for Detour magazine in the mid- to late 90s, helping to define the relaxed and accessible street style and grittier heroin chic ethos that was taking hold in the fashion industry. More from WWD Earlier in his career Nguyen opened the first public relations office in New York for Dolce & Gabbana an opportunity that was said to have presented itself after he happened to meet cofounders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana and later taught himself Italian. More recently, Nguyen had served as chief fashion critic at The Impression. After leaving that post, Nguyen had been working as a creative consultant. One of his sisters, Dao Nguyen, an attorney in Vietnam, confirmed his death Tuesday. She was uncertain of his exact age. A memorial is being considered for a later date, she said. Declining to comment on the cause of death, his sister said, He died peacefully and on his terms. Nguyens body was found in his Chelsea apartment by the New York Police Department, according to Alan Fell, a partner at Rick, Steiner, Fell & Benowitz LLP., whose firm had represented Nguyen prior to his death and is handling his estate. An NYPD spokesperson deferred comment to the office of New York Citys chief medical examiner. Representatives there had not responded to a request for comment as of Tuesday afternoon. The date of Nguyens death has not yet been confirmed by city officials. New York City became the base camp for the Vietnamese-born creative, who forged his own career path in the U.S. after his family came to America following the fall of Saigon. Story continues The Washington Posts senior critic at large Robin Givhan first befriended Nguyen in her early days of covering fashion at The Detroit Free Press, a fact she knew because he had saved a thank-you note that she had written to him for loaning garments for a photo shoot. It stands out because it was a mid-size paper that was not [available] across the country. It wasnt exactly seen as this hot fashion market. I had just started. But he was one of those people who was just very kind, she said Tuesday. He was always extremely gracious and thoughtful someone who always remembers your birthdays. Inclined to also file away designers notes from runway shows and other industry-related ephemera, Nguyen had this really incredible sense recall and history. Above all, Givhan admired his independence as an editor, having grown up in the indie magazine world. Singling out his role at Flaunt, she said, To be able to build a magazine, stay in a magazine and create these connections throughout the industry, where people not only resent what you do, but are eager to contribute to what you do as an independent is really extraordinary in the best of times. Then to be able to do that, as everything has become so corporate, is in my mind kind of a miracle. He worked so hard at not just what went into the magazine but all of the behind-the-scenes relationships that you have to build in order to sustain a magazine. His exit from Flaunt attracted headlines. At the time, Nguyen said that an assistants legal filing alleging sexual and verbal harassment against two senior executives at the Los Angeles-based magazine was the last straw for him. Flaunt officials denied any wrongdoing at that time and challenged the length of the 21-year tenure that Nguyen claimed to have had at the magazine. Nguyen had stated that he only stepped aside after being unable to get the accused to do the right thing in a post-#MeToo era. Born in 1965, he grew up in a family with 11 other siblings and lived an intercontinental life from a young age. He was believed to have been 58 years old, according to his sister, who was not certain of his birth month, as birthdays were not customarily celebrated. Nguyen started living overseas at the age of eight or nine, attending boarding school in Geneva. In 1975, as the Vietnam War was ending, the family, which had built one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country, relocated to the U.S. and settled in Boston. When we left for America, we had basically lost everything. My mother has since come back and rebuilt [the company], his sister said. After Nguyens father died in Vietnam, his mother and his aunts ran the pharmaceutical company, which had a joint venture with Nestle to make milk formula and also made IV solutions for the U.S. Army through a separate deal, his sister Dua said. Their mother was kind a powerhouse, she said. And raising 12 kids alone in America is not easy. In the 90s, she went back to Vietnam because she was always passionate about the health care sector. She rebuilt a factory to make over-the-counter medicine because she wanted to bring affordable health care to Vietnamese people. She put all of us through school, high school, college and graduate school. Dao Nguyen said, It was not easy sometimes. Wholly sensitive kids feel some isolation more than others, if you know what I mean. We all have to learn to deal with certain things in our lives. She clearly cant give us all of her attention, right? Long Nguyen had attended the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy and Princeton University, where he studied comparative history and comparative literature. He was often reading, favoring Russian and French literature, especially works by Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Jean-Paul Sartre. He always had a very sensitive aspect to himself and that is reflected in his writing. He always sees a different side to things. Emphasizing how Longs sensitivity made him feel things more than many of us do, his sister said, Sensitive people feel more. They get hurt more. In a way, they are brilliant at what they do. But there is that anger. In some ways, he was like that. Uplifted by the number of strangers, predominantly from the fashion community, who have reached out to extend their condolences, his sister said, I am so happy to see that so many people love him. Basically, they are his family in New York. I see those professionals as his family even more so than the family that he was born into. Givhan recalled Tuesday how many of professional connections led to real friendships for him, as opposed to necessary transactional exchanges that are common for some working in fashion. She said, It never felt transactional with him. He was so smart about the industry, creativity and history. He really thought about things. He read so broadly far beyond fashion. He was as engaged with politics, history and religion a vast array of topics and he funneled a lot of that into his consideration of fashion. He loved fashion but he could be as completely enthusiastic discussing something unrelated to fashion. Not one to boast about anything, Nguyen would periodically share articles that he had written with his sister, who was impressed by how he expressed himself and had encouraged him to write a book about the fashion industrys history starting in the 80s, when people were really creative without being worried about what people think. she said. Suspecting that he was in the process of doing that, his sister hopes that, if that is in fact the case, some of his friends will help see that through. That was the most beautiful thing about him. He never boasted. He never said anything about himself. But certainly, he was proud of some of the things that he had sent me. In addition to his sister, Long is survived by his other siblings and their mother, whose names were not immediately known. Click here to read the full article. In the Bond stories, 007 acts as though the British secret service is a global intelligence organisation that does not need help from anyone, except, perhaps, for the occasional assist from the CIAs Felix Leiter. But the reality, according to Richard Kerbaj, is that Britain is but one member of an extraordinarily long-lasting five-nation global intelligence alliance dominated by the US but which values participation of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Unlike other alliances, including NATO, which have expanded their membership base over time, writes Kerbaj, the Five Eyes has maintained its exclusivity since its creation. Another point of difference is that its very existence is not legally binding, but instead built on a framework of institutional and individual trust, secrecy, information assurance and friendships. Edward Snowdens leaking of documents gave the Five Eyes a huge problem. Credit:AP This is the first book by the British-based journalist and filmmaker, who specialises in national security. A virtue of his inclusive approach is the sense it gives of the big picture of international surveillance and espionage beyond the clandestine activities of the US and Britain, which so often are discussed as though they occur in isolation. One of the biggest coups pulled off in the early years of the Five Eyes was the defection in Canberra of Soviet agent Vladimir Petrov in the 1950s, which led to the exposure of Russians spies operating around the world. It was this operation, were told, that established Australia as a respected member of the Five Eyes. More recently, Australia sought to persuade other Five Eyes members to exclude Chinese entities from establishing 5G networks. Family content creators have been on the rise on social media, which digital strategist Meg Coffey said was a result of the growing market online as kids moved away from free-to-air TV. Kids dont watch free-to-air, well, not just kids, the younger generation, and where they are watching, the device whether it is a TV, or an iPhone, or an iPad that is changing, she said. I think they are realising that there is a lot of money that can be made and a lot of fame that can be made. Prezley and Charli were just 10 and 6 when they asked their mums to start a YouTube channel. The Empire familys dedication to YouTube over the past five years has seen their childrens accounts grow alongside their channel grow. Prezley has since overtaken the entire family, with 1.7 million subscribers and more than 600 million total views on his personal account. Coffey said Prezleys multitude of subscribers and views also made him the biggest earner in the family. Loading Depending on the number of subscribers you have and the number of views you have the ratios change, she said. So if youre someone with 10,000 subscribers getting millions of views versus someone with millions of subscribers getting millions of views, those are two completely different things. So Prezley has 1.7 million on his YouTube channel, but the family channel doesnt have that many. So its mainly the son Prezley. The mums admit they originally knew nothing about YouTube when Prezley and Charli first expressed an interest in making videos in 2017, and were hesitant to expose their children to such a public domain. Prezley and Charlotte came to us and wanted to start a YouTube channel, and we were actually really anti-social media. But they kept asking, and so we decided, OK lets look into it. We wanted to know what it was about, if our kids were going to be using it, they said. We saw that it actually wasnt as negative as we thought, and it was actually a pretty cool creative outlet as well and they wanted to be actors, they wanted to be on screen. Beck and Bec said even though our family structure might be different to others, it is still very relateable. Beck and Becs hesitation to join in on the videos was also partially due to their family structure being different to the norm as same-sex parents. There wasnt really any representation of a family like ours at the time. But we have had literally no negativity, its been really strange because we really anticipated that sort of thing, they said. And we will get messages from parents who have the same kind of family structure saying, Thank you, its so nice for kids to see a family like ours. Coffey said the success of family channels could be attributed to the scarcity of innocence and wholesome content online, and they provided a safe space among the labyrinth that is the internet. Its quality, wholesome content, its families, its people you can relate to, its fun. And I think sometimes in a world of crazy and chaos people just want a little bit of fun, she said. The Empire family are transparent and easy to love, documenting their highs and all their lows, from losing their cat to filming with the DreamWorks channel, which made Prezley and Charlis dreams come true. The kids have been doing some acting, which is their long-term career goal; they both want to be actors, they said. Prezley and Charlotte are now presenting on the DreamWorks channel on Foxtel, so thats been amazing. Prezley and Charli do YouTube, Tik Tok and DreamWorks outside of school hours. Its fun and games for the children, as they are just taking part in the acting part of it but the mums are under the pump. It takes a lot to offend people in fashion, where rats have roamed the runway and John Galliano once called a Dior collection Haute Homeless, but Ye succeeded with an off-schedule show at Paris Fashion Week, featuring T-shirts with images of Pope John Paul II on the front and the hate speech slogan White Lives Matter on the back. Accompanying the image of the popular pontiff was the Spanish text Seguiremos tu ejemplo, which translates to We will follow your example, but the rapper, designer and occasional host of spiritual gatherings formerly known as Kanye West was not looking for guidance. Kanye West wears a White Lives Matter T-shirt alongside Candace Owens at Paris Fashion Week. Credit:TWITTER / @REALCANDACEO I am Ye, and everyone knows I am the leader, he said, in a six-minute introduction to the show for his label Yeezy, held in an empty office building near the Arc de Triomphe. Ye was wearing a shirt with the inflammatory White Lives Matter slogan, which has been used by the Ku Klux Klan. Not everyone was willing to follow, except perhaps guest of honour Candace Owens, a US conservative commentator who last month referred to Yes ex-wife Kim Kardashian on a podcast as a prostitute. Actor Jaden Smith and British fashion journalist Lynette Nylander walked out of the show, attended by Galliano, Balenciaga designer Demna and US Vogue editor Anna Wintour. It was the fall of a rock star stockpicker that drew fund manager Magellan firmly into the spotlight this year. In February, the chief investment officer and co-founder of the company Hamish Douglass announced that, after months of mounting pressure, he would take a period of medical leave after intense focus on his professional and personal life. Hamish Douglass co-founded Magellan in 2006. It came off the back of a rocky few months for Magellan. Its flagship global equities fund had been underperforming and then chief executive Brett Cairns suddenly resigned in the lead-up to Christmas after almost 15 years with the company. Douglass soon after confirmed he had split from his wife. The firm then revealed it had lost a contract with one of its major clients, St Jamess Place, one of the largest wealth managers in the UK. The Albanese governments proposed change on franking credits, if it becomes law, will raise only $10 million a year. This leads to the question; why bother, given Labors proposed changes to franking credits were one of the reasons it lost the 2019 election? The draft legislation released by Treasury for comment last month stops companies paying their shareholders franked dividends that are funded from capital raisings that are in excess of their profits. David Richardson, senior research fellow at The Australia Institute, says the estimated $10 million in savings from the change is a distraction. What the government likely wants to head off is the release of the $430 billion that companies have in their franking account balances. Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers and the Albanese government risk a backlash from shareholders if the retrospectivity of a proposed new law on franking credit is not dropped Credit:SMH That number comes from the Australian Taxation Office as of June 30, 2020 the latest available figure and an increase of $36 billion from a year earlier. The value of franking credits locked up in companies balance sheets is rising rapidly. Twelve years ago, it was $218 billion. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - October 5, 2022) - Idaho Champion (CSE: ITKO) (OTCQB: GLDRF) (FSE: 1QB1) ("Idaho Champion" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has closed the second tranche of its recently announced private placement offering. As part of the closing of the second tranche, the Company issued 9,200,000 shares for gross proceeds of $460,000*. *All amounts expressed are in Canadian dollars. Idaho Champion opened a non-brokered private placement of up to 20,000,000 shares at a price of $0.05 per share for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000. The proceeds of the financing will be used for the acquisition of the two prospective lithium pegmatite projects in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory of Quebec, preliminary field work on the Projects and for general working capital purposes. In connection with the private placement, the Company paid a cash finders' fee of $21,250. Completion of the private placement and payment of any finders' fees remain subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including approval of the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE"). In accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued pursuant to the private placement with be legended with a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. About Idaho Champion Gold Mines Inc. Idaho Champion is a discovery-focused exploration company that is committed to advancing its highly prospective mineral properties located in Idaho, United States and shortly, Quebec, Canada. The Company's shares trade on the CSE under the trading symbol "ITKO", on the OTCQB under the trading symbol "GLDRF", and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "1QB1". Idaho Champion is vested in Idaho with four cobalt properties in Lemhi County in the Idaho Cobalt Belt. In addition, the Company has been advancing the Baner gold project in Idaho County and the Champagne polymetallic project located in Butte County near Arco. Idaho Champion strives to be a responsible environmental steward, stakeholder and contributing citizen to the local communities where it operates. Idaho Champion takes its social license seriously, employing local community members and service providers at its operations whenever possible. Story continues ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF IDAHO CHAMPION "Jonathan Buick" Jonathan Buick, President and CEO For further information, please visit the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com or the Company's corporate website at www.idahochamp.com. For further information, please contact: Nicholas Konkin, Marketing and Communications, Idaho Champion Phone: (416) 567- 9087 Email: nkonkin@idahochamp.com THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR THE SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY ANY SECURITIES IN ANY JURISDICTION, NOR SHALL THERE BE ANY OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION OF SECURITIES IN ANY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH SUCH OFFER, SALE, OR SOLICITATION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. Cautionary Statements Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulation services provider has reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of the Company. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of the Company, including suggested strike extension. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/139682 Taiwan is looking for a way to defend its leaders from 'decapitation' as China's military veers closer to the island President Tsai Ing-wen after her swearing-in at the Presidential Office in Taipei on May 20, 2016. Taipei Photojournalists Association/Pool Photo via AP Tension is rising between the US and China over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a breakaway province. China's military has increased its activity around Taiwan since Nancy Pelosi visited there in August. That has stoked concern that China could go after Taiwan's leaders at the start of a broader attack. A "decapitation" attack on political and military leaders at the outset of a conflict is a nightmare for national governments. During the Cold War, the US and the Soviet Union feared a nuclear first strike would be preceded by a decapitation strike that would wipe out their leaders and paralyze the networks needed to launch a retaliatory strike. Today, ultra-fast hypersonic missiles and precision-guidance systems offer the possibility of neutralizing an opponent's command structure before a war begins. For big nations with strategic depth, like the US and Russia, this might be an acceptable risk. But for Taiwan which is only about the size of Maryland the possibility of a Chinese decapitation strike must be taken seriously. Tourists watch a Chinese military helicopter fly by Pingtan Island on August 4. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images What now concerns observers is more aggressive Chinese military activity in the Taiwan Strait, including numerous air and naval incursions into Taiwan's air-defense identification zone, which surrounds the island but is not territorial airspace, after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in August. For years, China and Taiwan, which Beijing claims is a breakaway province, have tacitly agreed not to venture too far into the 112-mile strait to avoid an armed clash and the consequent risk of escalation. But Chinese forces are now routinely going beyond the midway point in the strait that once was an unofficial demarcation line. The problem with these incursions or with military exercises like those Russia did to prior to invading Ukraine is that it positions enemy forces close to a nation's territory and in a favorable position to launch a surprise attack. The thought has certainly occurred to the Chinese military, which seems to have created a replica of Taiwan's Presidential Office Building on a training base. Story continues Given Beijing's vow to "reunify" Taiwan with the mainland and China's massive military buildup, including investment in long-range precision-strike capabilities a mockup of Taiwan's own White House is not surprising to see. The Presidential Office Building in Taipei in August 2021. Walid Berrazeg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Naturally, Taiwan has plans to protect its leaders. Taiwan's military is prepared to defend its capital, Taipei, against a decapitation strike, the nation's defense minister assured the legislature in 2017. "The 66th Marine Brigade, based in New Taipei City's Linkou Township, was established in 2005 and is responsible for defending Taipei against decapitation strikes," according to a 2017 Taipei Times article. Recently, the 66th Brigade has been training with US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles which have devastated Russian tanks in Ukraine to practice repelling a Chinese invasion. When asked if Taiwan could launch its own decapitation strikes against China's leadership, a senior Taiwanese general replied merely, "We have our own special forces." Taiwan's 2023 defense budget requests $4.5 million to purchase five mobile command vehicles, which would help keep the island's chain of command intact in a crisis, the military police command said, according to the Taiwan Times. The problem with preparing for decapitation is that there is a thin line between prudence and paranoia. Lion Islet, part of Kinmen County, a Taiwanese offshore island, seen in front of the Chinese city of Xiamen in April 2018. Carl Court/Getty Images During the Cold War, for example, a Soviet decapitation strike could have damaged the US civilian and military command structure but wouldn't have prevented a retaliatory strike especially from US ballistic-missile submarines operating stealthily and autonomously at sea with enough firepower to send Russia back into the Middle Ages. Absent a miscalculation, the Kremlin was unlikely to authorize a first strike. Taiwan is in a tougher position. It has no nuclear weapons to deter China. Given Taiwan's proximity to the mainland, it's a safe assumption that Beijing is keeping careful track of the movements of Taiwanese leaders. Massive numbers of Chinese ballistic missiles and aircraft are only a few minutes of flight time away from key Taiwanese targets. Yet even a successful decapitation strike wouldn't necessarily guarantee a successful Chinese invasion. Taiwan plans to build more than 1,000 anti-ship missiles that could potentially devastate a Chinese amphibious assault, and it wants the US-made HIMARS rockets that have devastated Russian forces in Ukraine. While US officials worry that Taiwan's plans to expand and upgrade its F-16 fighter fleet is the wrong choice of weapon against a vastly superior foe, Taiwan will have a small but potent air force and navy. Taking out the enemy's leaders is a viable strategy in war, but it is no guarantee of victory. Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. Read the original article on Business Insider remaining of Free Views Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again. Already a Subscriber? Login Here Home delivery print subscribers, activate your account for Unlimited Digital Access and our e-Edition Here SUBSCRIBE TODAY! 24 Hour Access After police shot and killed the gunman at a gas station in Enfield, N.S., they found five firearms in his possession, three handguns and two rifles. He obtained three of them in Houlton, Maine. (Mass Casualty Commission - image credit) Advocates for both gun-owner rights and stricter firearms controls say police, the federal government, and border services could take actions to help prevent massacres like the Nova Scotia mass shooting from happening again. The Mass Casualty Commission leading the public inquiry into the April 2020 mass shooting, where 22 people were killed by a gunman driving a mock RCMP cruiser across the province, heard submissions for final recommendations from people on both sides of the gun-control issue last month. Blair Hagen of the Canadian National Firearm Association said the commission should not tighten or bring in more Canadian firearms regulations since the current laws did nothing to stop gunman Gabriel Wortman. He didn't have a gun licence and illegally smuggled most firearms used in the shooting from the United States. "The perpetrator planned this incredible act of violence for a very long period of time, carefully accumulating the tools and accessories he needed unlawfully if need be in complete contempt and total disregard for any law or regulation," Hagen said. Hagen said a better question would be why the gunman met "little or no resistance" early in his rampage that began in Portapique, N.S. Rod Giltaca of the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights said the "only regulation" that could have influenced the shooting is around search warrants. Giltaca pointed to the section of the Criminal Code that allows a peace officer to apply to a judge for a search warrant or in some cases search without a warrant with the intent to seize weapons in the interest of public safety. The opportunity to use this section of the code came up on multiple occasions in the years before the shooting, Giltaca said, including the 2010 and 2011 tips the gunman was uttering threats to his family or police, and owned multiple firearms. Giltaca said it has also become clear through the inquiry that the gunman's concerning behaviour, including illegal possession of firearms which he would show off in Portapique, was "an open secret" in the community. Story continues CBC There seems to be a "high degree" of frontline police discretion involved when these searches are carried out or applied for, Giltaca said, and called for the inquiry to examine why that didn't happen. "These regulatory measures are well understood by frontline police officers, so again, this is a very serious problem," Giltaca said. 1 Canadian gun came from estate But Joanna Birenbaum of the Canadian Coalition for Gun Control told the commission there are multiple areas where gun regulations should be tightened or created, including a tool that could have prevented at least one gun from falling into the shooter's hands. One of the five guns found in Wortman's possession after he was killed by police a Ruger Mini 14 was from the estate of his New Brunswick friend Tom Evans after his death, which he received "no questions asked," Birenbaum said. There is also "little to no follow-up" done by authorities when someone's firearms licences expire or a licence holder dies, Birenbaum said, so the onus is left to family or lawyers to alert police that there's a gun that needs to be taken away or destroyed. CBC Instead, she said there should be "immediate" administrative and legal changes to prevent the unlawful transfer of firearms from estates, and to track the status of any firearms belonging to owners with an expired licence. Evans's Ruger and an RCMP-issued service pistol stolen from Const. Heidi Stevenson after he killed her during the mass shooting were the only guns investigators traced back to Canada. The other three came from the United States, and court records suggest Wortman's friend Sean Conlogue of Houlton, Maine once owned two of them a Ruger P89 9-mm-calibre semi-automatic handgun, and a Glock 23 .40 calibre semi-automatic pistol. Police also believe the shooter arranged to purchase a Colt Law Enforcement-brand carbine 5.56-mm semi-automatic rifle from another man, after admiring it at a gun show in Houlton. CBC Evidence at the commission showed Wortman was able to smuggle the guns across the border, often rolled up in the tonneau cover of his truck. Birenbaum said the federal government needs to form an agreement with U.S. border officials to better prevent gun smuggling, including a commitment to fully investigate, prosecute, or extradite American residents and companies who sell or transfer firearms when they should have known the gun would go to a Canadian who was not licensed. "It does not appear that any steps were taken to hold the perpetrator's friend Sean Conlogue criminally accountable," Birenbaum said. A retired U.S. federal prosecutor has told CBC technical firearms offences rarely end up in court unless the accused is considered a risk to the community. Birenbaum said that cross-border agreement should also address straw man purchases like Wortman used where someone buys a gun for another person who's banned from getting one and increase enforcement and inspection of gun dealers near the Canadian border. The coalition also called for the establishment of a national firearms hotline where citizens could report illegal gun concerns to staff for the RCMP commissioner, and not their local police force, which Birenbaum said might have made a difference for Brenda Forbes. Forbes has said multiple times she reported Wortman's abuse of his partner Lisa Banfield and his guns to RCMP, but nothing was done. The RCMP officer who responded to Forbes's testified her complaint had nothing to do with domestic violence or firearms. The inquiry's final report is due by the end of March 2023. The Houlton Rifle and Pistol Club/Facebook MORE TOP STORIES By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijani Ambassador to Switzerland Fuad Isgandarov has thanked the country for hosting a direct meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Geneva on October 2, Azernews reports. The envoy thanked the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) for its outstanding dedication and professionalism in organizing the meeting underlining the unique contribution of Swiss Secretary of State Livia Leu. [I] would like to express my sincere gratitude to Swiss FDFA for exceptional hospitality and professionalism, demonstrated in organizing first ever direct meeting between Azerbaijani and Armenian ministers of foreign affairs and their delegations on negotiations on Peace agreement without participation from out, Isgandarov wrote on his Twitter page. I was delighted by the goodwill and activity of State Secretary of Swiss FDFA Mme Livia Liu and Her Excellency entire team in providing in very short notice all necessary measures to start the way to peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It shows Switzerlands readiness for future peace-making membership in UN SC, he tweeted. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan met to negotiate a draft peace treaty in Geneva on October 2. The bilateral meeting was organized in accordance with the task assigned to foreign ministers to develop the text of the peace treaty as agreed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on August 31 in Brussels under the auspices of European Union Council President Charles Michel. A 19-year old Hazara Afghan girl sits on a bench at a Hazara education centre in Kabul, Afghanistan on Oct. 1, a day after a suicide bomber's attack at the same centre. (Ebrahim Noroozi/The Associated Press - image credit) Canadian government officials have met with representatives of the Taliban on at least 13 occasions in Qatar since it swept to power in Afghanistan in August 2021, documents obtained by CBC News reveal. The documents, obtained through access to information law, show David Sproule, Canada's senior official for Afghanistan, has been along with various Global Affairs Canada (GAC) officials and representatives of allied countries pressing the Taliban for commitments on extending the right to an education to women, fighting terrorism and granting safe passage to Afghans who want to leave the country. Unlike foreign affairs departments in the U.S. and Pakistan, Canada does not provide regular updates on its talks with the government in Afghanistan. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly declined an interview request for this story, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told journalists Wednesday morning that Canada has no intention of recognizing the Taliban as Afghanistan's government. "The reality is, along with international partners, we have to continue to press on them to respect womens' rights, to make sure the girls can go to school, to help the safe passage of people who want to leave Afghanistan. There is a need to engage even though we will not be recognizing them," he said. In a statement, GAC spokesperson Charlotte MacLeod emphasized how Sproule has been engaging the Taliban informally, with allied countries, and all would continue to press them on human-rights related issues, fighting terror and other "key priorities." The Canadian Press The documents obtained by CBC News are mostly emails Sproule sent to his GAC colleagues. They show the Taliban has made its own requests of Canada and other countries and has issued denials regarding the dangers faced by Afghans trying to leave, despite multiple reports by CBC News and other media outlets about those dangers. Story continues In a meeting on Oct. 12, 2021 not long after it took over the Taliban asked representatives of foreign governments to reopen their embassies in Kabul. According to a note Sproule wrote to his colleagues, Afghanistan's acting foreign minister at the time, Amir Khan Muttaqi, also asked those governments to lift their sanctions and claimed his government was inclusive because it included ethnic minority representation and "women in government have not been fired." Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images During that same meeting, Sproule reported, the Taliban claimed that "people are using security as an excuse to leave the country, but are really leaving to seek economic opportunities." Sproule said the Taliban also claimed that while it did not want anyone to leave, it would "not create hurdles if they wanted to go." Sproule said that the Taliban suggested that foreign governments "interested in helping women ... should start by paying the salaries of 200,000 female teachers, including 28,000 in Kabul." Sproule reported that during his next meeting with Afghan government representatives, also in October, the Taliban acknowledged "a minor problem in cabinet" a lack of women. Taliban representatives also claimed, he said, that "women judges, prosecutors and others" taking part in demonstrations against the regime "are deliberately provoking security personnel to retaliate against them so they can produce video of the retaliation to back up their claims for asylum abroad." Nava Jamshidi/Getty Images Sproule reported the Taliban accused "the international community" of a double standard because it "recognized many other governments that came to power by force but had the support of the people." He said that on Nov. 23, he asked another Taliban official (whose name and title were redacted in the documents) why they would not consider a power-sharing agreement "with respected figures outside the movement to give it added legitimacy." The Taliban representative agreed there would be an "advantage in doing so," Sproule said, since the last four decades in Afghanistan showed that one political group could not fully control the country by force but the regime was maintaining "100 per cent monopoly over power." Embassy intrusion The correspondence also showed Sproule was troubled by Taliban members entering Canadian diplomatic property on Sept. 10, 2021, a little less than a month after the regime seized power and after Canada announced it was temporarily shutting its embassy and vacating staff. A report by the British news organization Sky News from that day shows journalists entering the British and Canadian embassies accompanied by Taliban security guards. Footage from the Canadian compound shows discarded bottles of wine on the ground and a Taliban member saying, "They must have had a lot of money to eat this much ... They used to eat good food, get drunk and then have sex with each other." The first reference to this event in Sproule's documents comes in a note he wrote on Sept. 20, 2021. In it, he says he plans to formally register "concern about Taliban individuals entering our diplomatic property in Kabul in violation of Afghanistan's treaty obligation to protect diplomatic property." The documents say Sproule brought up the event again during meetings in October and November of 2021 with different Taliban representatives. He reports he was told to "forward the video clip of the incident for the matter to be pursued." The last meeting between Sproule and Taliban representatives summarized in the documents took place on Feb. 16 of this year. One document says Sproule warned the Taliban that "future engagement of the international community" with their government would be "directly influenced by its actions against terrorist groups" and that Afghanistan should "not again be allowed to serve as a base for terrorist activities." In response, says the document, Taliban defence official Abdullah Hanefi insisted that the Taliban controlled "all of Afghanistan's territory" and while small cells might exist, no terror group was using Afghanistan as a training ground or to finance activities. Nipa Banerjee, a professional in residence at the University of Ottawa School of International Development and Global Studies, said that while it may not be easy to conduct diplomacy with the Taliban, "it is absolutely essential." "Abandoning the Taliban at this stage, to me, is equivalent to abandoning the ordinary Afghans who have nobody to support them," she said. Banerjee worked at the Canadian embassy in Kabul for four years that overlapped with Sproule's tenure as ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007. Toni Choueiri/CBC Banerjee said Canada could team up with allies in the international community to open a representative office in Afghanistan in order to have a presence on the ground without committing to a full embassy. She said such an office could fact-check Taliban claims that it is allowing girls to return to school and is not jailing political dissidents. "Whether or not [the Taliban] are trustworthy is something that needs to be established and the government has to figure out how to establish that," she said. "I'm saying that fact-checking with goals, outcomes and indicators of outcomes, this can be done and we should work on that." NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Wednesday that while he doesn't support recognizing the Taliban government, he does support talks between Canada and the Taliban. "Our goal as New Democrats is to make sure we get people that have put their lives at risk, that have supported our troops, we find a way to get them to safety," Singh told a news conference. "If that means having some meetings and having ongoing dialogue, then for the goal of securing the release and the safety of those who have put their lives at risk to support our troops, yes, we should do that." Singh added he also wants to see the Canadian government put pressure on the Taliban to respect human rights in Afghanistan. GAC's departmental statement to CBC News suggested it has little basis to believe the Taliban's claims. It noted "the human rights situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate severely, especially with regard to secondary education for girls," and it is "deeply concerned about reports of extrajudicial punishments ... such as reprisals and summary executions, disappearances and detentions." Canada has allocated more than $143 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and the region this year. Former foreign affairs minister Marc Garneau appointed Sproule as senior official for Afghanistan during the last Canadian federal election. He made the announcement on Twitter on Aug. 27, 2021. When Montreal's 2022 Pride parade was cancelled Aug. 7, hundreds took to the streets of downtown Montreal to march instead. (Jean-Philippe Hughes/Radio-Canada - image credit) At 8:43 a.m. on Aug. 7, Simon Gamache sprinted through the Sheraton Hotel in Montreal to the room where Pride parade personnel were supposed to be getting ready, only to find it empty. The executive director of Montreal Pride, the organization in charge of the city's Pride parade and festival, had not been informed that staff were told to go home, despite asking people to remain on "standby" as he and his team tried to save the parade, which was scheduled for 1 p.m. Outside, cars whizzed by on Rene-Levesque Boulevard. The street, where 12,000 parade participants and a crowd of up to 100,000 were expected in mere hours, had already been reopened to traffic. According to a report into what went wrong that day, a series of mistakes and trigger reactions led to the parade's cancellation. "The cancellation of the parade was the result of a series of chaotic exchanges on the phone or by text messages in a climate of emergency," wrote the author of the report, Philippe Schnobb, the former chair of Montreal's transit agency, Societe de transport de Montreal (STM). He determined that the parade was not cancelled "voluntarily or maliciously" but found that a lack of communication among an overloaded staff, including the departure of two key members, had contributed to the fact that 96 security volunteers were not recruited. More transparency needed Schnobb made 13 recommendations, including a reorganization of Montreal Pride's entire governance structure, "professionalizing" its board of directors and publishing financial reports on its website to improve transparency. He said the board was already revising its regulations. "I believe the crisis is an excellent opportunity for Montreal Pride to take steps to regain the confidence of its partners and of the general public," wrote Schnobb, who held 60 meetings lasting between 15 minutes and two hours each. Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada Soon after the parade was cancelled, rumours circulated that Montreal police had forced it to close because a contingent of LGBTQ+ officers had been excluded, while others believed the organization had received threats. When the announcement became official, people demanded answers and wondered why Montreal Pride hadn't requested more help to recruit volunteers. Story continues Hundreds gathered for an impromptu Pride march through the streets of downtown Montreal instead. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante requested the independent review Schnobb was named days later to conduct. Montreal Pride manages a $6-million annual budget, 85 per cent of which is funded by government agencies and private entities. Its largest cost is the festival, but the parade is considered one of the top 10 most important events of the year in Montreal and generates about $10 million in economic spinoffs. Verity Stevenson/CBC Though Montreal Pride had a plan for emergencies, Schnobb said it was not well-known by staff and there was no specific plan for emergencies related to the parade itself. An 8:03 a.m. phone conversation between two staff members, following the realization that they were missing the 96 security volunteers, set in motion the "demobilization" of other security staff, as well as of Montreal police officers assigned to the parade. By the time Gamache arrived at the hotel 40 minutes later, it was too late. The report didn't specify why that information wasn't shared with him. Two minutes before his arrival, a Radio-Canada radio program had broadcast the news that the parade would not take place. Gamache felt he had no choice at that point to proceed with cancelling the event and the group issued a statement on its Facebook page at 9:13 a.m. In an interview Tuesday, Schnobb said the Montreal Pride staff who told volunteers to go home felt they had to act quickly because of just how many thousands of people were involved in the parade. "Everyone acted in good faith. It's just that at one point, there should have been a double-check," he said. "The time frame they had to make a decision was very short." But if a crisis team had mobilized to problem-solve, "the decision could have been different or not but [at least] they would have had time to make a decision," Schnobb said. Part of the reason why the 96 security volunteers weren't recruited is that there was confusion about whether they were supposed to be paid staff or volunteers, and there was no line in the parade's budget indicating the need for them. The person in charge of recruiting volunteers was not tasked with recruiting them, and that person went on medical leave two weeks before the parade. What's more, one of the people in charge of organizing the parade was fired at the end of June. Schnobb recommended that all security personnel be paid in the future to ensure their presence at the parade. Jean-Baptiste Demouy/Radio-Canada In a statement, Gamache, the executive director, said the organization was committed to regaining the trust of the public and the community it serves. "My team and I will continue the work of consolidation in order to ensure the development and smooth running of all the activities of the Montreal Pride Festival including, first and foremost, the flagship event that is the Pride parade,'' Gamache said. Mayor Valerie Plante welcomed the report and praised Pride Montreal for collaborating in the investigation and for proactively making changes to ensure the future success of one of the city's biggest events. Moe Hamandi, the president of Pride's board of directors, also issued a statement, saying he received the report "with openness and humility." NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists ...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures in the lower 30s. * WHERE...The New Jersey counties of Morris, Hunterdon and Somerset. The Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, western Chester, upper Montgomery and upper Bucks. * WHEN...From midnight tonight until 9:00 AM Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freezing conditions will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect sensitive plants from the cold. && KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the final papers Wednesday to annex four regions of Ukraine while his military struggled to control the new territory that was added in violation of international laws. Ukrainian law enforcement officials, meanwhile, reported discovering more evidence of torture and killings in areas retaken from Russian forces. In Lyman, an eastern town liberated after more than four months of Russian occupation, residents emerged from their destroyed homes to receive packages of food and medicine. In a defiant move, the Kremlin held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine. Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia. Peskov did not specify which additional Ukrainian territories Moscow is eyeing, and he wouldnt say if the Kremlin planned to organize more such referendums. Putin last week signed treaties that purported to absorb Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions into Russia. The annexation followed Kremlin-orchestrated referendums in Ukraine that the Ukrainian government and the West have dismissed as illegitimate. The Russian president defended the validity of the vote, saying it's more than convincing" and "absolutely transparent and not subject to any doubt. This is objective data on peoples mood, Putin said Wednesday at an event dedicated to teachers, adding that he was pleasantly surprised by the results. Putin also signed a decree Wednesday declaring that Russia was taking over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called it a criminal act and said it considered Putin's decree null and void. The state nuclear operator said it would continue to operate the plant, which was occupied by Russian forces early in the war. On the ground, Russia faced mounting setbacks, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the eastern and southern regions that Moscow now insists are its own. The precise borders of the areas Moscow is claiming remain unclear, but Putin has vowed to defend Russia's territory including the annexed regions with any means at his military's disposal, including nuclear weapons. Shortly after Putin signed the annexation legislation, the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on his Telegram channel that the worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on." A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world, Yermak added. Zelenskyy responded to the annexation by announcing Ukraine's fast-track application to join NATO. In a decree released Tuesday, he also ruled out negotiations with Russia, declaring that Putin's actions made talking to the Russian leader impossible. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy switched to Russian to tell the Kremlin that it has already lost because it still has to explain to Russian society why the war and the mobilization are necessary. And more and more citizens of Russia are realizing that they must die simply because one person does not want to end the war, Zelenskyy said. In the eastern Kharkiv region, more disturbing images emerged from areas recently reclaimed from Russia. Serhiy Bolvinov, who heads the investigative department of the national police in the region, said authorities are investigating an alleged Russian torture chamber in the village of Pisky-Radkivski. He posted an image of a box of what appeared to be precious metal teeth and dentures presumably extracted from those held at the site. The authenticity of the photo could not be confirmed. Ukraines prosecutor general also spoke of new evidence of torture and killings found Wednesday in the Kharkiv region. Andriy Kostin told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a security conference in Warsaw that he had just been notified of four bodies found with signs of possible torture. He said they were believed to be civilians but an investigation was still needed. Two bodies were found in a factory in Kupiansk with their hands bound behind their backs, while two other bodies were found in Novoplatonivka, their hands linked by handcuffs. During his public speech, Kostin said officials found the bodies of 24 civilians, including 13 children and one pregnant woman, who had been killed in six cars near Kupiansk. It was not clear when the discovery was made. On the battlefield, Russia and Ukraine gave conflicting assessments of a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the Russian-occupied southern Kherson region. A Moscow-installed regional official insisted that Ukrainian advances had been halted. As of this morning ... there are no movements by Kyivs forces, Kirill Stremousov said Wednesday in comments to state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti. However, the Ukrainian military said the Ukrainian flag had been raised above seven Kherson region villages previously occupied by the Russians. The closest of the liberated villages to the city of Kherson is Davydiv Brid, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. The deputy head of the Ukrainian regional government, Yurii Sobolevskyi, said military hospitals were full of wounded Russian soldiers and that Russian military medics lacked supplies. Once they are stabilized, Russian soldiers were getting sent to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Not everyone arrives, Sobolevskyi wrote. In the neighboring Mykolaiv region, the governor said Russian troops have started to withdraw from Snihurivka, a city of 12,000 that Moscow seized early in the war and annexed along with the Kherson region. A Russian-installed official in Snihurivka, Yury Barbashov, denied that Russian troops had lost control of the city, a strategic railway hub, but said Ukrainian forces were advancing. In the Moscow-annexed eastern Donetsk region, where Ukrainian forces still control some areas, Russian forces shelled eight towns and villages, the Ukrainian presidential office said. After reclaiming the Donetsk city of Sviatohirsk, Ukrainian forces located a burial ground for civilians and found the bodies of four people, according to Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. When Russian troops pulled back from the Donetsk city of Lyman over the weekend, they retreated so rapidly that they left behind the bodies of their comrades. Some were still lying by the side of the road leading into the city on Wednesday. Lyman sustained heavy damage both during the occupation and as Ukrainian soldiers fought to retake it. Mykola, a 71-year-old man who gave only his first name, was among about 100 residents who lined up for aid on Wednesday. We want the war to come to an end, the pharmacy and shops and hospitals to start working as they used to, he said. Now we dont have anything yet. Everything is destroyed and pillaged, a complete disaster. In the Luhansk region, also in the eastern Donbas, Gov. Serhiy Haidai said Ukrainian forces have retaken six villages. He did not name the villages, but said the retreating Russian forces are mining the roads and buildings. Haidai also said the Russian forces were indiscriminately drafting men from the Luhansk region. "They no longer ask about health and marital status; sick people and those with many children are being taken away, he said. In central Ukraine, multiple explosions rocked Bila Tserkva, a city about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital, Kyiv. Regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said six Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones struck the city and set off fires at what he described as infrastructure facilities. One person was wounded. Hanna Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Air Products & Chemicals Inc. Chief Executive Officer Seifi Ghasemi will discuss the company's vision for a hydrogen economy on Monday in Washington, D.C. Ghasemi, who is also chairman and president, will take part in a "fireside chat" with David Livingston, a senior adviser with the U.S. State Department's office of the presidential envoy for climate. That talk will be held at 2:45 p.m. during the Hydrogen Americas Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Air Products is the world's largest producer of hydrogen, according to a company news release. For the world to move toward a cleaner, sustainable future, hydrogen must play a big role, Ghasemi said in the statement. "Hydrogen is the best solution to address emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy-duty transportation and heavy industry, where electrification is not feasible or practical," he said. Upper Macungie Township-based Air Products has committed more than $11 billion to clean-energy projects and expects to commit at least $4 billion more. The summit's hosts are the Sustainable Energy Council and the U.S. Department of Energy. It is a gathering for government, industry, service providers and users. Also speaking at the summit is Eric Guter, Air Products' global vice president for hydrogen for mobility. He will participate in a discussion of commercial opportunities for clean hydrogen at 4:15 p.m. on Monday. "Every ton of carbon dioxide emissions captured or replaced today will have an exponential benefit for years to come," Guter said in the statement. Air Products has more than 60 years of experience in the hydrogen industry and operates in more than 50 countries. Shares in the company are traded under the ticker symbol APD on the New York Stock Exchange. Air Products was trading at $244.44 Wednesday at 3 p.m. The company's market capitalization based on that price is $54.3 billion. BETHLEHEM, Pa. Bethlehem City Council on Tuesday night approved a certificate of appropriateness for ArtsQuest's proposed new cultural center. The site, located on Northampton Street between Second and Third streets in Southside Bethlehem, will be home to a new, semi-detached five-story, 73,485-square-foot building connected to a new one-story structure. The project has a $22.1 million price tag. Prior to the construction, ArtsQuest will demolish six buildings at its Banana Factory Arts Center site. The steel-frame structure of the main building will feature a flat roof and a mix of brick- and metal-panel siding stretching along the site's entire width facing West Third Street. That will be connected to the one-story, brick masonry ancillary structure with a flat roof facing Northampton Street. The main building's fifth floor has a 12-foot setback, and the plan calls for an open patio with canopy on the top floor. Capital plan Prior to council's regular meeting Tuesday, a Committee of the Whole meeting reviewed the city's 2023-2027 capital plan, which designates projects and expected revenue sources. Departments reviewed Tuesday night include public safety, public works traffic, facilities, recreation, grounds, streets, storm sewers, community and economic development, along with general projects. Some of the plans include maintenance and repair of 10 city bridges, lighting replacements on Route 378, erecting wayfinding signage across Bethlehem, along with upgrades to the southern end of Monocacy Way Trail and the South Bethlehem Greenway. Other expenditures involve ambulance and police vehicle purchases and first responder respirator masks. The meeting was informational only. Votes will occur during November budget meetings. BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The jury delivered its verdict Wednesday in the case of a man accused in a string of burglaries in South Side Bethlehem back in March 2021. 45-year-old Kevin Mamuzich was found guilty of burglary, attempted burglary, criminal mischief, theft, and possession of instrument of a crime, according to the Northampton County District Attorney's Office. Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 14. Bethlehem police were dispatched to several businesses in 2021 to investigate break-ins and attempted break-ins. The first stop was a nail salon in the 300 block of Broadway. An employee reported that several desk drawers had been opened but nothing was taken, according to the criminal complaint. An officer spotted marks on the front door frame near the latch. Police were also called to the Goosey Gander on West Fourth Street for a report of $200 and business documents being stolen. Investigators said damage to a back door was consistent with the door being forced open. The owner of a hair salon in the first block of West Fourth Street reported about $541 in cash, an iPhone, an iPad and a device for taking electronic payments were stolen. Police said the door appeared to be pried open. Investigators said surveillance video provided a description of the burglar and showed he was carrying a dark-colored bag. Police were then called to the Tally Ho Tavern in the 200 block of West Fourth Street for a report of an attempted break-in about 5:30 a.m. that morning. Video surveillance showed a man matching the description of the hair salon burglar trying to use a tool to pry open the door. A detective reportedly recognized the burglar as Mamuzich having previously arrested him, according to court records. Finally, police responded to the Family Prescription Center in the 400 block of Wyandotte Street to investigate a report that someone tried to break in. The owner reported more than $10,000 worth of damage to three doors to the business. Yuri, 36-year-old artist from Siberia, works on his laptop while on his bunk bed at a hostel in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Sergey Ponomarev/The New York Times) BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan Rents are skyrocketing, luxury hotels and grimy hostels do not have beds to spare. And on the dusty, sunny streets of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, bands of young migrants, nearly all men, wander aimlessly, dazed at their world turned upside down and their hasty, self-imposed exile to a poor, remote country that few could previously place on a map. After leaving often well-paying jobs and families in Moscow and Vladivostok, Russia, and many places in between, tens of thousands of young Russians terrified of being dragooned into fighting in Ukraine are pouring into Central Asia by plane, car and bus. The influx has turned a country long scorned in Russia as a source of cheap labor and for its backward ways into an unlikely and, for the most part, welcoming haven for Russian men, some poor, many relatively affluent and highly educated but all united by a desperate desire to escape being caught up in Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times I look up at the clear sky every day and give thanks that I am here, said Denis, an events organizer from Moscow who Friday joined scores of fellow Russians at a bar in Bishkek to rejoice at their escape and trade tips on places to sleep, getting Kyrgyz residency papers and finding work. The gathering Friday night, convened to celebrate the start of a new Russian community, was one small part of a vast exodus of Russians to Central Asia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and a shrinking list of other places still willing take them in during what has become their countrys most concentrated burst of emigration since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. The outflow began in February, with hundreds of thousands of people leaving after Russia invaded Ukraine, but has accelerated since Sept. 21, when Putin declared a partial mobilization in response to battlefield defeats. In the subsequent four days, the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported, 261,000 military-aged men were estimated to have left. Tens of thousands more have fled since. Story continues The chaotic rush for the exit has inverted the usual shape of a wartime refugee crisis: Unlike the millions of Ukrainian women and children who have fled into Poland and other European countries, these Russian men are not running away from an invading army, but from serving in one. Nor do they fit the stereotype of migrants as destitute people trying to escape the developing world. While Putin boasted Friday in the Kremlin that his war had given Russia millions of new citizens grabbed from Ukraine, the conflict is driving his real citizens to despair and flight. When it all started, we thought it would just affect professional soldiers and their families, but with mobilization, it has touched us all, said Alexander, a 23-year-old university student from the Russian Far East. Staying in Russia, he added, would mean either going to prison or into the army. At the bar in Bishkek, no one seemed to take seriously Putins latest announcement that he was annexing four regions of Ukraine, vowing that Ukrainians living there would from now on be forever Russian. He just lies all the time, said Yuri, a 36-year-old artist from Siberia. Before embarking on a three-day bus and train journey to Bishkek last week, Yuri ran a small business designing album covers for an American heavy metal band and doing artwork for other foreign clients. He now sleeps on the upper bunk in an overcrowded hostel room shared with 19 other people, many of them Russian. At least I feel safe here, added Yuri, who like most of the Russians interviewed asked that only his first name be published, fearing retribution. Eldar, 23, a math tutor from Russias Sakhalin Island in the Pacific, blamed many Russians for being too apathetic about the war. Most people just sit on their sofas and think that if Putin goes, things will get even worse, he said. I could not be part of this anymore and have to think about my own future, he added. That so many Russians took so long to start worrying about the war in Ukraine has infuriated Ukrainians, who have endured seven months of torment and bloodshed. Even now, Russians who fled rarely talk about the war, focusing on their own travails with housing, money and unfamiliar customs. After decades of being treated as Russias poor and desperate country cousins, many Kyrgyz, including the countrys president, Sadyr Japarov, are happy to see the shoe on the other foot. This is a very new phenomenon for us, Japarov said in an interview. Noting that more than 1 million Kyrgyz worked in Russia, he added that their citizens can of course come here and work freely and had no need to fear being extradited home. He said he did not know how many Russian draft dodgers had arrived but added that the influx would help his country, even as it jacks up rents and leads some landlords to evict Kyrgyz tenants to make way for Russians willing to pay double, triple or more. We dont see any harm and see lots of benefits, he said. In a contrast with Europes 2015 migration crisis, involving Syrians, Afghans and others, many of the Russians seeking sanctuary in Kyrgyzstan are highly educated and had good jobs back home, often in tech or culture. Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries have long worried that refugees would pour in from nearby Afghanistan but, said Yan Matusevich, a Russian-born American scholar who is researching migration in Bishkek, nobody in their wildest dreams ever expected a flood of Russian refugees. Fleeing Russians, he added, did not want to be regarded like refugees from developing countries, but there were so many of them that international organizations needed to start thinking about providing a humanitarian response like those in previous migrant crises. Some of the migrants have lots of money, but others are not affluent or left in such a hurry that they have little more than the clothes on their backs and depend on the charity of locals. In Osh, the countrys second-largest city, a Kyrgyz woman, Dinara, posted her telephone number online and offered to host penniless Russians at her home. I will be happy to help you. No money needed, meals included, she wrote, although such generosity is wearing thin as more Russians arrive. The welcome has forced some Russian arrivals to reconsider their countrys self-image as a big-hearted, civilizing force superior to less developed parts of the former Soviet Union. It is a vaccination against imperialism to come here and be accepted by the Kyrgyz after the way they have been treated in Moscow, never mind other cities, said Vasily Sonkin, a 32-year-old Muscovite, referring to the more than 10% of Kyrgyzstans population working in Russia, mostly in menial jobs, and often subject to prejudice. What to call the arrivals is still in flux. If Russians do not see themselves as refugees, they also do not want to be called draft dodgers, and there is no sign of the anti-war fervor that gripped young Americans who fled to Canada during the Vietnam War. A tiny minority support the war but do not want to die fighting it. Dmitry, a tech entrepreneur from Sochi, scoffed at protesters but said he had lost faith in Russias direction after the Kremlin agreed to a prisoner swap that set free more than 100 members of Ukraines Azov Regiment. Putin said the goal of this whole thing at the start was to denazify Ukraine, but then he freed all these Nazis, he said, parroting Russias false propaganda line that Azov is composed of fanatical fascists. He said he was reluctant to leave his wife and daughter behind but saw no point in staying in Russia and risking the draft after vital employees at his company started running away. He can operate his company virtually from Bishkek and, if the war continues, said he would relocate his family. Many Russian exiles prefer to be seen as relokanty, a term that originated in Belarus, a brutal dictatorship whose once thriving tech sector offered employees hope of escape through relocation abroad with a foreign company. Ermek Myrzabekov, the owner of a Bishkek travel agency and president of Kyrgyzstans tourism association, said he had received a flood of requests from companies looking for a place in Central Asia to park Russian male employees. The surge, he added, meant super profits for hospitality and airlines but also risked tensions if more Kyrgyz families with children were evicted to make way for Russians. Hotels in Bishkek and Osh, Myrzabekov said, were all 100% fully booked, a situation that he expected to continue after Putins bellicose speech Friday. Everyone can see that Putin has gone too far already and cant step back. Russians will be staying here for a long time, he predicted. 2022 The New York Times Company OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) More than a dozen soldiers seized control of Burkina Faso's state television late Friday, declaring that the country's coup leader-turned-president, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, had been overthrown after only nine months in power. A statement read by a junta spokesman said Capt. Ibrahim Traore is the new military leader of Burkina Faso, a volatile West African country that is battling a mounting Islamic insurgency. Burkina Faso's new military leaders said the country's borders had been closed and a curfew would be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The transitional government and national assembly were ordered dissolved. Damiba and his allies overthrew the democratically elected president, coming to power with promises of make the country more secure. However, violence has continued unabated and frustration with his leadership has grown in recent months. Faced by the continually worsening security situation, we the officers and junior officers of the national armed forces were motivated to take action with the desire to protect the security and integrity of our country, said the statement read by the junta spokesman, Capt. Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho. The soldiers promised the international community they would respect their commitments and urged Burkinabes to go about their business in peace. A meeting will be convened to adopt a new transitional constitution charter and to select a new Burkina Faso president be it civilian or military, Sorgho added. Damiba had just returned from addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York as Burkina Faso's head of state. Tensions, though, had been mounting for months. In his speech, Damiba defended his January coup as an issue of survival for our nation, even if it was perhaps reprehensible to the international community. Constantin Gouvy, Burkina Faso researcher at Clingendael, said Friday nights events follow escalating tensions within the ruling MPSR junta and the wider army about strategic and operational decisions to tackle spiraling insecurity. Members of the MPSR increasingly felt Damiba was isolating himself and casting aside those who helped him seize power, Gouvy told The Associated Press. Gunfire had erupted in the capital, Ouagadougou, early Friday and hours passed without any public appearance by Damiba. Late in the afternoon, his spokesman posted a statement on the presidency's Facebook page saying that negotiations are underway to bring back calm and serenity. Fridays developments felt all too familiar in West Africa, where a coup in Mali in August 2020 set off a series of military power grabs in the region. Mali also saw a second coup nine months after the August 2020 overthrow of its president, when the junta's leader sidelined his civilian transition counterparts and put himself alone in charge. On the streets of Ouagadougou, some people already were showing support Friday for the change in leadership even before the putschists took to the state airwaves. Francois Beogo, a political activist from the Movement for the Refounding of Burkina Faso, said Damiba has showed his limits." People were expecting a real change, he said of the January coup d'etat. Some demonstrators voiced support for Russian involvement in order to stem the violence, and shouted slogans against France, Burkina Fasos former colonizer. In neighboring Mali, the junta invited Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group to help secure the country, though their deployment has drawn international criticism. Many in Burkina Faso initially supported the military takeover last January, frustrated with the previous governments inability to stem Islamic extremist violence that has killed thousands and displaced at least 2 million. Yet the violence has failed to wane in the months since Damiba took over. Earlier this month, he also took on the position of defense minister after dismissing a brigadier general from the post. Its hard for the Burkinabe junta to claim that it has delivered on its promise of improving the security situation, which was its pretext for the January coup, said Eric Humphery-Smith, senior Africa analyst at the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft. Earlier this week, at least 11 soldiers were killed and 50 civilians went missing after a supply convoy was attacked by gunmen in Gaskinde commune in Soum province in the Sahel. That attack was a low point for Damibas government and likely played a role in inspiring what weve seen so far today, added Humphery-Smith. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Friday that nearly one-fifth of Burkina Faso's population urgently needs humanitarian aid. "Burkina Faso needs peace, it needs stability, and it needs unity in order to fight terrorist groups and criminal networks operating in parts of the country, Dujarric said. Chrysogone Zougmore, president of the Burkina Faso Movement for Human Rights, called Fridays developments very regrettable, saying the instability would not help in the fight against the Islamic extremist violence. How can we hope to unite people and the army if the latter is characterized by such serious divisions? Zougmore said. It is time for these reactionary and political military factions to stop leading Burkina Faso adrift. Mednick reported from Barcelona. Associated Press writers Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed. MEXICO CITY (AP) Yet another mother searching for her disappeared child has been killed in Mexico, the fourth murder of a volunteer search activist in Mexico since the start of 2021. Activists said Tuesday the victim was Esmeralda Gallardo, who led efforts to find her missing 22-year-old daughter. The activist group Voice of the Disappeared in Puebla said Gallardo was killed in the city of Puebla, east of Mexico City. Prosecutors in Puebla confirmed the killing, and pledged to solve the case as quickly as possible. But the group called on authorities in a statement to leave aside the superficial speeches and guarantee the safety of the victims, and the rights and safety of the families of the disappeared. The U.N. human rights office in Mexico said Gallardo had been shot to death. The U.N. office condemned the killing and said in a statement that Gallardo had provided relevant information about her daughter's disappearance which was not effectively taken into account during the search or the investigation of the crime. Gallardo's daughter, Betzabe Alvarado Gallardo, disappeared in the low-income neighborhood of Villa Frontera in January 2021. In August, search activist Rosario Rodriguez Barraza was killed in the northern state of Sinaloa, home to the drug cartel of the same name. In 2021, in the northern state of Sonora, searcher Aranza Ramos was found dead a day after her search group found a still-smoking body disposal pit. Earlier that year, volunteer search activist Javier Barajas Pina was gunned down in the state of Guanajuato, Mexicos most violent. The motive in those killings remained unclear; in the past, many searchers have said publicly they arent looking for evidence to convict killers. Most volunteer search teams are made up of mothers of Mexicos over 100,000 missing people. Faced with official inaction or incompetence, many mothers are forced to do their own investigations or join search teams which, often acting on tips, cross gullies and fields, sinking iron rods into the ground to detect the tell-tale stench of decomposing bodies. The searchers, and the police who sometimes accompany them, usually focus on finding graves and identifying remains. Search groups sometimes even get anonymous tips about where bodies are buried, knowledge probably available only to the killers or their accomplices. But the mainly female volunteers often recount getting threats and being watched presumably by the same people who murdered their children, brothers and husbands. After the killing in August, a group of search groups known as collectives issued a statement demanding protection for searching mothers. No mother should be killed for searching for her children, the coalition wrote. On the contrary, the government is obligated to ensure their safety in continuing their searches, as long as thousands of cases of disappeared people continue to pile up. Noelle O'Soup's family is questioning how officials failed to protect a vulnerable Indigenous girl from a man like Van Chung Pham, whose criminal record spans nearly three decades. (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit) WARNING: This story discusses violence against Indigenous women and girls and may affect those who have experienced it or know someone who has. The family of Noelle O'Soup says they believe multiple levels of government and the judicial system failed to protect their 14-year-old niece from a man who was known to be a danger to vulnerable women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and questions why the public wasn't warned of his release from custody. The body of O'Soup and another woman who has not been publicly identified were found in an apartment at 405 Heatley Ave. in May, months after the body of the apartment's tenant was discovered by police. The tenant has since been identified by CBC News and other news outlets as 46-year-old Van Chung Pham. This week, transcripts and audio recordings of both court and immigration hearings obtained by CBC News revealed Pham had a long history of using and selling drugs to vulnerable people in the Downtown Eastside, and had been ordered deported from Canada to Vietnam as early as 2016. Vancouver Police confirmed Pham was wanted on a Canada-wide warrant at the time of his death in February. CBC News also learned Noelle and the other woman were not the first women to die in Pham's presence a third woman died of an overdose in a room he rented at Canada Hotel. Despite this history, Pham was released from immigration custody with virtually no supervision in October 2020, as there appeared to be no hope of removing him from Canada after Vietnamese officials failed to procure the travel documents required. A month after his release, he allegedly assaulted and drugged another woman. 'Unbelievable, horrible' Cody Munch, O'Soup's uncle who had been applying for custody of his niece when she fled a group home in Port Coquitlam, about 30 kilometres east of Vancouver, in May 2021 said learning of Pham's criminal history, and repeated warnings that he was a danger to the public, was the latest dark turn in a case that has left his family devastated. Story continues "It was unbelievable, horrible [...] knowing what he did to other women," said Munch, speaking from his home in Fort St. John in northeastern B.C., about 414 kilometres north of Prince George. "I'm not going to lie. I had tears that were running down my eyes." Submitted by Cody Munch Both sides of the O'Soup family have been critical of police and the Ministry of Children and Family Development's response to their niece's case, questioning why an amber alert was not issued when she disappeared from her group home and why it took so long for her body to be found. While Pham's body was found in the apartment at the Heatley Block on Feb. 23, police did not find the other two bodies in the small apartment until May, after neighbours complained of a foul smell. Ben Nelms/CBC In a written statement to CBC, Sgt. Steve Addison with the Vancouver Police Department said police do not have authority to search the homes of people who die suddenly from natural causes, drug overdoses or other non-criminal means. Because Pham's death is considered not suspicious, and because of his long history of drug use, it is widely assumed he died of an overdose. "The apartment where Noelle was found was a single-room occupancy suite, and the tenant was an extreme hoarder," read the statement from Addison. Ben Nelms/CBC "In the absence of a detailed search of the suite, which was not authorized by law at the time of Pham's death, there is no likelihood that anyone could have discovered Noelle's remains." A Vancouver police officer linked to the case is currently under investigation for alleged neglect of duty under the Police Act. The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner (OPCC) has said the accusation is in connection to the officer's conduct when it came to attending the apartment on the Heatley Block where the three bodies were ultimately found. 'Why wasn't he in jail?' Addison confirmed Pham was well-known to VPD, and had been charged 13 times between 1994 and 2007 as a result of their investigations. He said if a violent offender obtains statutory release or has completed their sentence and still poses a risk to the public, police sometimes issue a public notification at the recommendation of Correctional Service Canada, but that Pham's police history included mostly non-violent offences such as mischief, property crimes and drug offences. Because O'Soup disappeared from a group home in Port Coquitlam, Vancouver Police only took over the investigation after her death. But Munch said he's unsatisfied that Pham was released without conditions, on account of what amounted to missing paperwork. He said his family is "disgusted" that within 16 months of Pham's release, his niece and another woman were dead, with yet another woman alleging she'd been drugged and sexually assaulted. "It makes me sick to my stomach ... because this could have happened to many other women. If he hadn't died and overdosed in his apartment, this could have happened to so many other women," he said, adding police should make a public appeal for information about Pham, who he believes may have other victims. "I definitely think that this guy should be investigated as a serial killer." Josie August, Noelle O'Soup's aunt, said in a Monday press conference with families of other missing and murdered Indigenous women that the revelations about Pham raise questions about why police weren't communicating the risk he posed to the public. "Why wasn't he in jail? Why wasn't there posters about keeping safe from him?" she said. "I find it very disheartening that we find more through the media than we do through the Vancouver Police Department." Criminal investigation ongoing Police said they have not released Pham's name and photo because the investigation is in the hands of the B.C. Coroners Service. While police sometimes release photos of suspects and ask for potential victims to come forward, that is not currently planned in Pham's case. "We may consider doing that at some point in this investigation," said the statement from Addison. "However, this remains an ongoing criminal investigation and we must maintain the integrity of that investigation by not disclosing information that could taint statements of other potential victims or witnesses." STEM Google Announces $20M in Computer Science Education Grants Targeting Rural and Urban Programs Google and its charitable foundation Google.org have announced $20 million in new grants to help expand access to computer science education to millions more students in under-resourced communities across the country, particularly rural and urban areas. The funds will go to nonprofits that Google has previously partnered with to create CS education programs in schools that don't have such curriculum in place, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a new blog published early today: The national 4-H organization, to expand its CS Pathway program through Cooperative Extension System, with plans to make the curriculum available online to every 4-H chapter in the country and their 6 million students Expanding Computer Education Pathways, which helps policymakers, educators, and partners create and implement CS education plans in all 50 states A number of local nonprofits with a focus on Atlanta, Chicago, New York, the District of Columbia, and Los Angeles that give access to CS education to women and Black, Latino, and Native learners, including CodePath in Atlanta and Chicago and the Computing Integrated Teacher Education project at City University of New York The Hidden Genius Project, a longtime Google.org grantee, to expand its efforts to train and mentor Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership "For so many students, computer science education is providing a foundation in the skills they'll need for their future careers," Pichai explained in his blog. "Yet there remain deep opportunity gaps in education that prevent everyone from accessing those skills equally. At Google, we believe educational opportunities should be available regardless of socioeconomic status, background, race or geography." The grants continue Google's focus on "supporting national and local organizations who reach underserved students in major urban centers and rural communities, and who help governments and educators implement CS education plans nationwide," he wrote. At a press conference on Wednesday, Pichai emphasized the importance of every student learning the foundations of computer science regardless of their future career plans. "Technology will end up touching most jobs; CS education is not about making everyone become coders or something," he said. "As a first step, CS education is about getting people comfortable with technology, so that boosts their confidence (in using technology), because regardless of the work they do small business owners including from rural areas, they may have a plumbing business, whatever it is they'll have to navigate how to be online, how to maybe use Google Analytics for the first time" or how to grow their business using technology. Exposing students to CS education earlier will "have a profound difference" in those students' futures and in the nation's work force and economic output, Pichai added. The national 4-H program, which began implementing a CS Pathway afterschool program in some local chapters after an initial grant from Google several years ago, with a goal of reaching 1 million students by 2022. The CS Pathway curriculum exceeded that goal, Pichai said Wednesday, with 1.4 million students having participated in the 4-H computer science program thus far. The new grant funds will be used to expand that program and take it online, enabling more than 3,500 4-H educators to use the CS curriculum in every local chapter across the country, Google said. The funds earmarked for the ECEP Alliance, a national network coordinated by the Texas Advanced Computing Center at The University of Texas at Austin, "will enable ECEP to partner with policymakers, educators and others on systemic changes that will help more students from a wider range of backgrounds pursue computing-related degrees," Pichai said. "It will also support the addition of five new states to the ECEP Alliance, laying the foundation for a national framework." For more information, visit Pichai's blog or Google.org. COLUMBUS The Columbus City Council spoke in favor of returning to the Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court on Tuesday following deciding last week to close the citys municipal court. The city council decided against having its own municipal court during a special meeting on Sept. 29 citing costs as a major reason for disbanding the court. The city council discussed their future options during its committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday. The city of Columbus adopted the municipal court ordinance in 2018 with the court opening on May 1, 2019 and operating out of Columbus City Hall. Prior to that Columbus was part of the joint municipal court system. Previously the court was a member of the Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court, which is out of Randolph. Columbus City Administrator Kyle Ellefson said that Columbus does have other options but prefers that the city returns to Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court. Columbus Alderperson Trina Reid agreed with Ellefson but also wanted to see what other options were available with joint municipal courts in the area including Beaver Dam and Sun Prairie. Council Alderperson Ian Gray felt that returning to Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court was the best option. It is the closest, and it worked well in the past, Gray said. And we didnt have to contribute tax dollars. Ellefson said that Eastern Columbia County Joint Municipal Court serves 20,000 people out of two locations. Columbus will need to transfer prior to the end of Columbus Municipal Judge Ed Schellins term in April. Portage Mayor Mitch Craig spoke to a group of Portage business and community leaders on Tuesday about his first few months as mayor since taking office last April. Craig was invited by the Portage Area Chamber of Commerce at the monthly lunch at Pizza Ranch to speak. He began by explaining a trio of new housing developments, stating that to grow the city there is a need for more businesses and housing. The first development Craig noted was the Rolling Prairie development planned for the north side of town on Gunderson Road. City officials have said it is an important project because it will link Gunderson Road and Hamilton Road. There is a great need for housing in Portage, Craig said. Rolling Prairie is still set to be the biggest subdivision built in Portage in more than 40 years with initial plans of the 60-acre lot including over 90 separate lots. On Tuesday Craig said the development will include smaller lots along with larger lots and the possibility of a multi-family lots. The final plans for the development still face a number hurdles but Craig is confident the subdivision will break ground in the near future. He added that the construction will most likely be done in two phases and that linking Gunderson and Hamilton Roads wont happen until the second phase. Another development Craig mentioned was a proposal for a number of condominium units on Henry Drive near the airport. A third development that is in the initial stages is a housing development near Mud Lake. Craig said a recent plan to repurpose the former nursing care facility at 715 W. Pleasant Street appears not be going forward. The plan was to make the building into affordable housing. However, Craig said he was in favor of tearing the building down and building new housing there. Keep it at housing, not affordable housing, Craig said. A housing study released in 2021 showed there is a need for housing and affordable housing in Portage as the city has more jobs than workers. Craig outlined his top three goals for the city which revolve around growing the citys tax base. The first is to bring more businesses into the city, Craig said. Then we need to fix the roads and that will help the third goal of building more housing in Portage. Craig added to the point by stating when he grew up in Portage the population sign said 8,000 people and 50 years later he noted the population is now 10,500. And 900 is from the prison, Craig said. He added that by bringing in more business and growing the tax base will bring in more people into Portage. This is not for just my time, but for our kids and grandkids, Craig told the audience. Plan Commission Craig was also asked about the Portage Plan Commission that has not had an alderperson from the common council on the commission since the April elections. The commission is made up of seven members the mayor, one alderperson, chair of the parks and recreation board and four citizen members and is charged with keeping the city plans in line with the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The common council has voted 12 times to appoint a member to the Plan Commission with no one receiving the required two-thirds majority voted to be appointed. The vote has been on every council agenda since Craigs election and has been split between Alderpersons Mike Charles and Eric Shimpach receiving votes. I dont see that changing for at least a year, Craig said. The city council will vote for the 13th time on Oct. 13 to appoint an alderperson to the Plan Commission. What is arguably the Dells area's main attraction had one of its best years of business to-date in 2022, in large part due to the addition of an innovative new waterslide. Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, according to attraction Director of Marketing Fotini Laskaris Backhaus, had one of its best summers in 2022. She said that Medusa's Slidewheel, the waterslide which held its grand opening just before Memorial Day this year, brought in more visitors and attracted social media influencers from platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. "It was so nice to see," said Laskaris Backhaus. "We were really thankful for it." Mt. Olympus opens Medusa's Slidewheel for 2022 tourism season Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Lake Delton held the grand opening of Medusa's Slidewheel on May 28. The rotating waterslide is the only one of its kind in the United States. Medusa's Slidewheel, a rotating waterslide, is the only one of its kind in the United States. It is open throughout the year as part of the indoor waterpark. "We're the 'guinea pigs' with the Slidewheel," said Laskaris Backhaus, noting that the only other location with a similar waterslide in a similar climate is in Poland. "This summer has been one of our best seasons yet," said Nick Laskaris, Fotini's father and owner of Mt. Olympus. "Medusas Slidewheel made a huge impact for not only us, but for the area as well." She did not provide exact figures, but Laskaris Backhaus said that attendance in 2022 was "matched, if not better" than that of 2021, as well as revenues collected from lodging at Hotel Rome and other facilities owned by Mt. Olympus. "We had a killer year," said Laskaris Backhaus. "It has been a great, great summer and looking forward to the fall. I think our expansion is helping out a ton as well. Numbers are looking fantastic." The expansion of the indoor waterpark and abundance of lodging has helped make Mt. Olympus profitable throughout the year instead of just during the tourism season. Laskaris Backhaus said that the social media presence created by the slide surprised her and the family. She said that WhiteWater West, a designer for Medusa's Slidewheel, helped bring in Alex Ojeda, a tourist who posted two videos of the slide and has over 8 million followers on his TikTok account. More YouTube and other social media platformers promoted the slide as well. After a banner 2022, Laskaris Backhaus is optimistic for an even better year in 2023, especially considering the other renovations to the indoor waterpark, which includes an expanded pool and children's area, will be fully completed. She said that there are no concrete plans for new attractions in 2023, but that the family "always has something up our sleeve." "The Laskaris family should be commended by everyone in the area for undertaking this one-of-a-kind attraction," said Village of Lake Delton trustee Tom Diehl in an email. "Hundreds of thousands of new visitors frequented Mt. Olympus and the surrounding area this summer. It has resulted in record-visitor spending." Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@captimes.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Widespread sub-freezing temperatures in the mid and upper 20s expected. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 9 AM CDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. This will effectively end the growing season. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. A Freeze Warning means sub-freezing temperatures are imminent or highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation. && A man who is suspected in the kidnapping of 15-year-old Kryssy King was known to local authorities more than a year earlier, newly released FBI documents show. Trevor Blackburn, 22, was arrested in Douglas County Sunday night. A few hours earlier, King was found safe in the Cornell area. On September 9, a school district contacted the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office to report its academic network had been breached and child pornography had been posted and shared with teachers, administrators and students. That district was not named in the FBI documents. According to an affidavit citing Steven V. Telisak, Special Agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Blackburn distributed visual depictions, through video, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct onto the school district network. But the Chippewa Sheriffs Office was investigating Blackburn even earlier, the documents show. It is not clear, however, whether the earlier activities of Blackburn described below according to the FBI documents were connected to the current case. BACKGROUNDOn July 11, 2021, Chippewa County Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to a report that a minor female had taken the family vehicle from their home. In an effort to find her, authorities searched her bedroom where they found a notebook with various usernames and passwords. At the bottom of one page was the address 3273 Big Woods Road in Maryland. When the deputies found the minor and interviewed her, she told deputies that the Maryland address in her notebook was the location of Trevor McAllister, who was later identified as Trevor Blackburn. The girl reported that she met Blackburn on the internet and believed him to be 16 years old. She said she saw him report online to others that he was between 16 and 22 years old. She communicated with Blackburn using FaceTime and Snapchat Apps. The girl said that Blackburn was nice to her at first but later became a very controlling and mean individual. The change in personality happened when the girl attempted to break up with him, she said. Blackburn told the girl that he wanted $3,000 from her or he would travel to Wisconsin and shoot her dog. According to the FBI affidavit, Blackburn convinced the girl to not take her medications and to provide her fathers and grandmothers credit card information to him. At the time the girl stole the family vehicle, she reported that she was en route to meet Blackburn because he demanded she do so. The girl believed Blackburn would kill her dog if she did not comply. During the interview the girl said shed sent nude photos and made nude video calls with Blackburn through Snapchat. She believed Blackburn possessed some of the nude images of her. On January 23, 2002, Chippewa County Sheriffs deputies received a complaint from the girls father that family members were receiving nude photos of the girl over Facebook and Twitter. The family also reported receiving harassing phone calls from unknown persons. The girls aunt reported that she received a friend request on Facebook in July from an account belonging to her niece. When the woman accepted the friend request, she was directed to a Twitter page with a banner reading, Im a Whore. The aunt then saw pornographic images, including between six and eight postings of full-frontal nudity and a persons vagina. The Twitter account had her nieces name on it. The Twitter page also listed the girls home address, her fathers name and the girls phone number. The girl said she did not make the Facebook or Twitter accounts. She admitted in an interview with the Chippewa County Sheriffs Office that she gave Blackburn the password to her Snapchat account. She said the pornographic images on the Twitter account were images and videos she recalled sending to Blackburn when she was 14 years old. She also said that Blackburn had bragged about his hacking abilities. IP addresses traced to these accounts include one registered to a Sarah McAllister who was also known as Sarah Blackburn. A previous address for Sarah Blackburn was found to be 3723 Big Woods Road, Ijamsville, Md. Thats the same address the girl was travelling to, to meet Trevor Blackburn in July 2021. Blackburn, upon questioning, admitted to contact with the girl. During a September 19, 2022 interview with the FBI, the girl was presented with a photograph of Blackburn at which time she identified him as the person who was forcing her to produce child pornography. The local deputy and Blackburns mother described Blackburn as severely autistic. Blackburn is being held in jail currently. Judge James Isaacson set the $1 million cash bond on possible charges of kidnapping, burglary, and other assorted charges. 20m funding announced to create inclusive space and improve ALN facilities in schools 20m of funding for local authorities has been announced to help improve or create inclusive spaces and facilities to support learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). This can include the creation quiet or sensory areas, upgrading or purchasing of new equipment such as specialist sensory aids, and for works to improve the inclusivity of learning environments. The Welsh Government funding will be distributed via Local Authorities to support mainstream schools, special schools or pupil referral units. The investment will support the implementation of the Additional Learning Needs Act, as well as supporting the delivery of the Curriculum for Wales by ensuring all learners are taught in classrooms and spaces with the technologies and facilities they need. The improvements will be led by local need and distribution of funding determined by local authorities. Ysgol Dinas Bran in Llangollen received previous ALN improvement funding as part of the Havens project, alongside other schools in Denbighshire. The Havens project is a model of creating spaces within mainstream schools which provide a bridge for pupils who find it difficult to attend mainstream schools full-time. At Ysgol Dinas Bran, funding has been used to create a wellbeing space called Hafan. The Hafan includes a green room for students to take time out when they need, and there is a focus on green space with an outdoor space for planting and seating where the pupils can relax and enjoy. Headteacher Mark Hatch says: The area is working so well for students and has been a fantastic investment. The Minister for Education and the Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles said: This investment will make a real difference to learners with additional needs across Wales, making sure they have the facilities they need to support their learning. I want to ensure we support and inspire all learners to reach their full potential, which is why implementing our Additional Learning Needs Act is central to our wider programme of educational reform. Estyn recently reported on the steady progress towards implementing ALN reform, and strong support from the sector. Its important that investment in education settings underpins that progress. Family appeal after Wrexham women missing for nearly a month A family member has circulated the above image as part of an appeal to locate Emma Crump, who is missing. Emma, from Wrexham, has been missing for almost a month and was last seen near Cardiff central station on Wednesday 28th September. Her brother said, She is vulnerable and might be sleeping on the streets and if anyone does spot her please report it to the police. Were obviously worried sick, so if anyone has contacts in South Wales or near Cardiff, please share this. We are told North Wales Police, South Wales Police and British Transport Police are aware. Plans for much needed hub for Rossett community approved by councillors A much needed hub for the local community is to built in Rossett after plans to demolish a disused toilet block were given the go ahead. The existing toilet block, located near Rossett Park, is described as being more than 50 years old, but has been closed for the last five due to vandalism and unacceptable behaviour. Rossett Community Council had proposed that the building is knocked down to make way for Hwb Yr Orsedd, a facility at the heart of the village of Rossett intended to serve the local community in a variety of needs. The application had been recommended for refusal by the councils interim planning officer, who said a lack of off street parking provision for the proposed development had been considered unacceptable. However it was argued during a planning committee meeting on Monday (3 October) that many people who would use the hub would be within walking distance or could travel by bus. Chris Guest, who spoke on behalf of the community council, said that a survey undertaken had found that 90 per cent of people who would use the hub would not travel there by car. Mr Guest said: We believe that the existing on street parking provision of about 25 spaces on the two sides of the park is sufficient to meet the needs of the hub users. Yes there are pinch points, with parents dropping off and collecting children from the local schools. However the rest of the time there is ample space to facilitate the visitors of the hub. I pass there four times a day including at ten past three when were parents were there picking up from schools and they were ample spaces around that green. On behalf of the the Hwb board and the community council, I urge committee members to support the application. We have an opportunity to replace an ugly, disused block with a vibrant, local facility and to create a hugely valuable resource for the community something which we know people want, will use and will benefit from. We wont have an opportunity like this again. If planning permission is refused the disused toilet block will deteriorate further and become even more of an eyesore than it is now. There isnt anyone else in the village for the Hwb to be developed, so the opportunity to create this valuable community asset will be lost forever. These comments were echoed by local councillor Hugh Jones, who said it was important to encourage a shift to sustainable transport and to make using public transport and active travel the easy thing to do in 2022. Cllr Jones went onto say: Were trying to do a building that is fit for the 21st century and the years ahead. The design is environmentally friendly and the only missing elements is for car parking and car parking policy, which harks back to the 20th century. What were trying to do is were trying to produce a development here that is fully in accordance with Welsh Government policy. In terms of accordance with policy committee in granting this application has the ability to quote policies that actually fully support this development with zero car parking. I would say chair there are numerous community facilities around the county borough with zero parking. The other fact is that we as a council have declared a climate emergency. What were trying to do is were trying to develop a building that conforms to that climate emergency policy. So what were trying to say to the planning committee is please walk the walk with us, conform to planning policy for the 21st century and recommend approval for this development. However planning officer Matthew Phillips said that whilst it is accepted that the development is in a sustainable location, the application has been recommended for refusal due to lack of parking. He said: Its in the heart of the village and the vast majority of the users of the site would actually walk there. However, what I would ask you to consider is that Rossett is quite an extensive community, it covers from Trevalyn, Burton as well. A this is a community facility, we would expect people from all areas of the community to want to use it and be able to use it. It is likely to generate demand for parking. Committee members agreed that the proposed hub was in a sustainable location and could be accessed by either walking or via public transport. A majority of councillors voted in favour of granting the application to demolish the former toilet block and to let the development of the new community hub to go ahead. Chippewa Falls Fire Chief Lee Douglas remembers when having black soot on his helmet was a badge of honor. I call it foolish now, but thats exactly what we did, Douglas told the Chippewa Valley Technical College President and employees Tuesday after accepting from the College items to decontaminate after a fire. That was kind of our way of saying, Hey, look at me. I put out a fire. Now things like these buckets give us that opportunity to not carry that stuff with us. CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia, Fire Training and EMS Continuing Education Manager Mark Schwartz and Foundation representative Kaela Stendahl presented Chippewa Falls Fire & Emergency Services with two five-gallon buckets full of items like a self-retracting water hose, dish soap, a scrub brush and special shampoo. Firefighters nowadays know to scrub and rinse after fighting fires but having the right items on the rig might not be top of mind. Schwartz and Stendahl put their heads together to change that. I originally got the idea from the state of Florida, which issued one of these buckets to every single fire engine in the state, he said. Were using a lot of synthetics when were building houses now, like rubbers and glues, and when it burns, it just turns into cancer-causing materials. When these firefighters are going into a structure fire, theyre wearing all of that stuff. Now they can wash it off before they even get back in the truck. Once Schwartz was satisfied with his research, his first call was to Stendahl, a member of the Colleges Foundation team. When Mark (Schwartz) approached the Foundation we were happy to assist in raising funds so he could purchase the supplies needed for the buckets, she said. Im pleased to share that we raised more than $4,700 for this project, with the CVTC Alumni Association as our largest sponsor. Many firefighters in the CVTC district of 11 counties are alumni. An estimated 50% of the Chippewa Falls fire department firefighter-paramedics are graduates of CVTC. Beaton-Garcia thanked Nate Martell, firefighter paramedic lieutenant, Nick Mompier, firefighter paramedic, and the entire firefighter paramedic team in Chippewa Falls for putting their lives at risk daily. This is a small part of what we can do to show support for first responders, she said. Thank you so much for everything you do for our community. We wanted to make sure that we give you our best so you can be your best. The death toll is mounting in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which made landfall on the Florida coast as a Category 4 storm last Wednesday, September 28, bringing devastating storm surges to the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area and deadly flooding across the state. Residents of apartments in Harlem Heights, Fla., clean out clothes and other possessions from their apartments swamped by flood waters from Hurricane Ian, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022. [AP Photo/Rebecca Santata] As of this writing, at least 103 people have been confirmed dead in Florida and five in North Carolina, though the total is expected to be higher as search and rescue teams are still working through the wreckage. Lee County, which includes Cape Coral and Fort Myers, alone accounts for 54 of the deaths, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said Monday, up from the countys previous death toll of 42. Neighboring Charlotte County, where the hurricane made landfall, has the second most recorded deaths at 24. As of now most of the deaths were drownings, according to officials. Statewide more than 2,300 rescues have been made, and over 1,000 urban search and rescue personnel have checked 79,000 structures, according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a press conference on Tuesday. President Joe Biden is to meet with DeSantis on Wednesday, in order to give the appearance that something is being done by the state and federal governments about the disaster. Contrary to the image they are attempting to create, no substantial assistance is forthcoming. With the total estimated damage standing at between $28 billion and $47 billion, according to an estimate from CoreLogic, no commensurate sum has even been floated let alone formally proposed by the president or the governor. Meanwhile, over $50 billion has been shoveled into fueling a war with Russia by the United States which stands to start a world-ending nuclear war. The death toll in Lee County is likely in no small part due to the failure to issue timely evacuation orders, with residents being given a mandatory evacuation order on September 27less than 24 hours before Ian made landfalldespite warnings that they were in the storms path made since at least September 23. Over 700 people have been rescued in the county so far according to Marceno. DeSantis defended the delayed evacuation order on Saturday in Fort Myers, telling reporters that county officials were following the data which showed the storm making landfall in Tampa Bay, which is in Hillsborough County, before shifting south to Lee County. The implication of this is that the government decided that the effect on businesses through the evacuation of two counties outweighed the loss of lives if the storm were to change course. DeSantis, who is in the running to replace fascistic ex-President Donald Trump as leader of the Republican Party, no doubt is attempting to burnish his credentials as a ruthless defender of the profits of the financial elite. It is much in keeping with the policy of herd immunity pursued by his administration in Florida which has killed over 80,000 people in the state. The governor has only just now announced the opening of the first Disaster Recovery Center, with DeSantis announcing that other Disaster Recovery centers are being opened by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Much as in previous responses by the political establishment to past storms, such as that of Hurricane Maria in 2017 which killed more than 3,000 in Puerto Rico; Hurricane Katrina, which killed 1,800 in New Orleans in 2005, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years which has killed more than 1 million, the policy of the government towards Hurricane Ian was one of malign neglect centered around protecting profits rather than lives. The DeSantis acolyte Marceno attempted to distract from the death and devastation by focusing on four individuals who the sheriff says are illegal immigrants suspected of unspecified burglaries, threatening that suspected looters may be summarily executed: You might walk in. Youll be carried out. His fascistic threats make the priorities of the political establishment apparent: profits over lives. Meanwhile the personal property of the working and poor, and for that matter small businesses, are allowed to be destroyed with little or no aid from the state. As of Tuesday evening 374,579 customers were still without power in Florida, according to PowerOutage.us. Lee accounted for the most outages at 201,329, a little under half of the customers in the county, while the nearby counties accounted for the vast majority of the rest of the outages. Over half of the customers in both DeSoto and Charlotte counties remain without power. Many in the areas affected by the storms still lack access to fresh drinking water and remain under boil-water notices, according to the Florida Department of Health. As in other natural disasters, those who will be impacted the most are overwhelmingly the working class and the poor. Those who were unable to afford flood insurance are now left with ruined homes and nowhere to go. In the counties under evacuation orders, less than 20 percent of homes had coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program. This is under conditions in which workers in Florida are already struggling to pay for housing. There are 2.24 million households in the statemore than a quarter of total householdswhich have incomes below $50,000 a year and pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent or mortgage, according to the University of Floridas Shimberg Center for Housing Studies. The most the federal government pays out is $40,000 for property damage repairs and another $40,000 for car damage. Suffice it to say $40,000 is far less than what is required to repair a destroyed home, or even to renovate from significant water logging, which can leave debilitating toxic mold that can cause permanent lung damage or even death. Florida has seen rental prices increase by more than 30 percent over the past two years. The loss in housing stockthrough the destruction of housesmeans that prices for homes are expected to increase even further. As a result of the lack of alternatives, many are resorting to staying in the water-logged ruins of their homes or becoming homeless. Robert McClain, 67, a military veteran and retired construction worker, was interviewed by the New York Times in the garage of his water-logged rental home. He said he had few options but to live in his car. Im not running to go live in the Hilton, you know what Im saying? He concluded, Im totally screwed. Over the past fortnight, millions of people have faced a great deal of uncertainty after it was revealed that Optus, one of Australias largest telecommunications providers, had been hit by a successful hack. Ever since it announced the breach, the corporation has engaged in a damage control exercise aimed at minimising its liability. Information about the hack has been drip fed to customers and the population, meaning that much remains unknown about the nature of the hack and the extent of the material that has been compromised. Screenshot of Optus Facebook page What is known, however, is highly concerning. On Monday, a week-and-a-half after the breach was reported, Optus revealed that the personal identification details of more than two million customers had been breached. The expired details of another 900,000 people were also hacked. The night before, Optus had sent text messages and emails to some current and former customers, indicating that they had been impacted by the breach. The belated character of Optuss announcements means there is every possibility that the details of all ten million of its customers may be caught up in the hack. That would amount to almost 40 percent of the population. The information that has been hacked includes passport and drivers licence details, as well as Medicare and other social security information. Email addresses, full names, dates of birth and even residential statuses are in the data that has been pilfered. Experts have warned that those affected could be victimised by a range of different type of fraud. At the low end, this could include increased phishing attacks, involving emails and texts containing harmful links aimed at stealing further details. At the high end, some people could be targeted for identity theft, as well as the opening of fraudulent bank and mobile phone accounts. Already, the details of some 10,000 Optus users have been posted to an online forum. The information of other customers could be being traded on the black market. The companys response has prompted widespread anger. Optus customers have complained on social media over the delayed and uninformative communications from the corporation. Many are unclear about whether they need to engage in the onerous, time-consuming process of changing their drivers licence numbers and passport details to protect themselves. Optus has given undertakings to pay the related fees for those who are affected. In a number of states, however, the exact processes by which this will occur, and which customers will be eligible, remain vague. More broadly, the hack has pointed to the dangerous consequences of for-profit corporations controlling vast swathes of data, and a key social utility, i.e., telecommunications. There is a clear conflict between the privacy interests of ordinary people and the commercial impulses of such companies to retain as much data as possible, while seeking to minimise the costs required to protect it. At the same time, ever-greater government surveillance imposes requirements on such corporations to retain information for extended periods, even if it is not needed for the service requirements of customers. When it reported the breach, Optus claimed that it had been the victim of a sophisticated hack. That assertion has been rejected by the federal Labor government, the countrys digital security agencies and independent experts. The Information Security Media Group (ISMG), an intelligence firm, reported early last week that the hacker had taken the data by accessing an unsecured Application Programming Interface (API)software that is used to share data between computer programs and devices. This was later confirmed to ISMG by the hackers. Calling themselves Optusdata, they wrote in a message: No authenticate needed. That is bad access control. All open to internet for any one to use. In other words, the information was connected to the Internet and was not protected in any way. Other aspects of the hack have led cybersecurity experts to speculate that Optusdata is not a sophisticated hacking organisation. It demanded a payment from Optus of $AU1.5 million in return for the data, an unusually low sum. It later posted messages to an online forum in childish English, apologising for the inconvenience caused by the hack and expressing contrition. If the data breach had occurred in Europe or the United States, Optus would be liable for government-imposed financial penalties that could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. In Australia, there is no such liability. Under the legislation that governs data protection in the sector, penalties for company violations of general security provisions are capped at $250,000 per infringement. Fines for corporations that breach privacy obligations are capped at $2.2 million. Prior to the hack, there had been plans for Optus to be floated on the Australian Stock Exchange. Estimates of its valuation had ranged from eight to twelve billion Australian dollars. Optus has an operating revenue of over $7 billion. Singtel, Optus parent company, reported a net profit of $1.95 billion in the last financial year. The extent of the Optus leak has resulted in a substantial degree of publicity, but there is every indication that massive data breaches are occurring frequently, with the corporations involved facing minimal consequences. The Australian Financial Review reported yesterday that freedom of information requests to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) revealed at least 11 such breaches in the first six months of the year, each of them affecting 10,000 or more customers. A report on the Pearls and Irritations website cited a 2019 report by the OAIC, also obtained under freedom of information laws. It stated that overall, the response system [to data breaches] is either non-existent or performing poorly from a citizens perspective. The report observed significant deficiencies in response standards, formal reporting channels of Government, and meaningful protection for consumers. While successive governments have presided over a lax regulatory framework, they have increased requirements for corporations to retain data, in line with a broader surveillance regime. Australian legislation, bolstered in 2015, requires companies to retain all data they acquire, through the life of a contract and for two years afterward. Justified on the basis of combating terrorism and serious crime, the draconian data retention framework is part of a broader onslaught on democratic rights, with intelligence and other government agencies granted ever-expanding powers to spy on the private information and communications of citizens. The real target is mounting social and political opposition within the working class. The Labor government has demagogically condemned Optus and adopted a pose of frustration with its response, but Labor, no less than the Liberal-National Coalition, is responsible for both the lax regulatory framework that imposes virtually no penalties for such breaches, and the intrusive data retention requirements. Prominent legal firms are floating the possibility of class actions, which, given the number of customers affected, could be among the largest in history. Government officials are also flagging possible, as yet unspecified, regulatory changes. Whatever these outcomes, however, the Optus saga highlights the incompatibility between the needs and interests of ordinary people in a complex modern society, and the domination of critical infrastructure by vast corporations whose only motive is to maximize profits and shareholder returns. It is another reason to place telecommunications, along with the banks and big business, under public ownership and the democratic control of the working class, as part of a broader socialist transformation of society. As the Ukrainian military continued its rapid advances along multiple fronts, the White House announced another massive arms shipment for the war against Russia, sending over 200 armored vehicles in its latest arms shipment. Along with the armored vehicles, the US announced the shipment of four HIMARS long-range missile systems, 16 m777 howitzers, together with 500 Excalibur long-range guided artillery shells. A Maxxpro mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle (Credit: US Department of Defense) Ukrainian forces continued their advance on two fronts Tuesday, leading Russian forces to retreat in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as well as the Kherson region to the south. Speaking Tuesday night, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodomir Zelensky said dozens of settlements had been retaken. This week alone dozens of population centers have been liberated. These are in Kherson, Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions all together, adding, This is far from a complete list. Our soldiers do not stop. Serhiy Kuzan, an adviser to Ukraines Defense Ministry, told the Financial Times that Russian forces are not operating in a co-ordinated fashion because we chose the right tactics to destroy their communications and supply lines. In the preceding weeks, Ukrainian forces had destroyed command centers, resupply lines, and weapons depots, in some cases dozens of miles behind the Russian front. In a Pentagon briefing Monday, a senior military official made clear that the free operation of Ukrainian long-range missiles were made possible by Ukrainian/NATO air superiority over the contested regions of Ukraine, made possible by the deployment of advanced anti-aircraft systems from the US and NATO. The official said, It is a contested environment in the air and predominantly Russian forces, as, again, you highlight them, launching munitions from safe zones, so to speak, right over Russian-held territory or not too far from the border to try to evade Ukrainian air defenses. The latest advances follow the capture of Lyman, a strategic transit hub in the north of Donetsk, where Russian forces staged a disorganized retreat, and were reportedly killed in large numbers by Ukrainian forces as they were retreating. All Russian forces withdrew in poor order, suffering high casualties from artillery fire as they attempted to leave, said a Western official quoted by the WashingtonPost. In Kharkiv, the official said troops received an order to cede the territory But in Lyman, we think that the Russian troops retreated despite orders to defend and remain. The Associated Press reported that Russian troops left the bodies of their comrades lying in the streets as they retreated, and AP photographers documented the bodies of Russian soldiers being torn apart by animals. The advances by Ukrainian forces continued as Russia struggled to train and mobilize the hundreds of thousands of reservists it had called up two weeks ago, amid widespread reports that troops were not provided uniforms, supplies or body armor. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia had called up 200,000 men out of a planned total of 300,000. By contrast, the US media reports that over 400,000 people had fled the country since then. Mobilized soldiers reportedly have to purchase their own uniforms and a first-aid kit. The Washington Post wrote: Prices of bulletproof vests have dramatically increased in Russia over the past two weeks, with some stores hiking up the prices by more than ten times In total, a soldier looking to purchase a full uniform appropriate for fighting in Ukraine [would] have to spend roughly $3,000 out of pocket. As this military debacle was unfolding, Russias upper house of parliament approved the annexations of four Ukraine regions, despite the fact that the Russian military was rapidly losing ground and Kremlin Spokesperson Dimitri Peskov could not specify what the borders of the annexed territories actually were earlier this week. The European Union escalated its economic war against Russia, with Politico reporting that EU ambassadors have reached an agreement to place a price cap on sales of Russian oil. On Monday, the United Nations General Assembly will meet and is expected to vote on a draft resolution condemning Russias annexation of Ukraine territories. Over the past week, multiple Russian officials have stated that Russia would use nuclear weapons to defend the territories newly annexed by Russia. In what was perhaps the most chilling development of the past 24 hours, a US Defense Department official refused to deny reports that a train from a unit of the Russian military charged with handling nuclear weapons was making its way toward the front. During Mondays Pentagon briefing, a reporter from NPR asked, The Times of London is reporting that a train operated by what they call the Secretive Nuclear Division in Russia, is heading towards Ukraine. Are you guys seeing any movement of any nuclear arsenal? The official replied, Tom, Im aware of those press reports. I dont have anything on that. A follow-up question in the briefing from the Economist asked: You said youd seen nothing that compels you to change your posture, which is not quite the same as saying that you've seen no movement of nuclear related forces by Russia. Theres also, apart from the report of the 12th main directorate, theres also a report of a Russian submarine, the Belgorod diving in the White Sea, perhaps to test the Poseidon torpedo. Do you have any information on that? The US official again refused to issue a denial, saying, No, I dont have any information to provide on that. And again, I know its not a satisfying answer other than to say, again, we have not changed our posture. In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday, Republican representative Mike Turner called on the US to alter its nuclear posture, declaring, This administration needs to step up its game on missile defense. We have assets in Europe and we need to engage them so that we can provide protection to our allies. He declared, The administration needs to begin to deploy and activate our missile defense systems, so at least we can look to Europe, and say were going to be using these resources to provide some protection, should Putin decide to use weapons of mass destruction. In the face of the clearly mounting nuclear danger, the Washington Post rejected any efforts by the US to negotiate an end to the conflict, declaring that Putin flirts with a dance of death. The only sane thing to do is stand down and end this needless war. On Monday, the seditious conspiracy trial of Oath Keeper founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes and four of his accomplicesKelly Meggs, Jessica Watkins, Thomas Caldwell and Kenneth Harrelsonbegan with opening statements by prosecution and defense attorneys. Left: Stewart Rhodes, founder of the extreme-right Oath Keepers; Right: Roger Stone in Washington D.C [AP Photo/Susan Walsh/Manuel Balce Ceneta] On the first day of the trial, Assistant US Attorney Jeffrey Nestler outlined the Oath Keepers plan to prevent the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden. These defendants tried to change... history. They concocted a plan for armed rebellion to shatter a bedrock of American democracy, he said. Nestler continued, If Congress could not meet, it could not declare the winner of the election, and that was their goalto stop by any means necessary the lawful transfer of power, including taking up arms against the United States government. Nestler described how Rhodes and the other accused coordinated their plans to descend on Washington in encrypted text message groups and GoToMeeting sessions. Using digital footprints of Rhodes and his accomplices, prosecutors presented evidence of the defendants discussing over a period of months their plans to keep Trump in power by force. This included bringing an assortment of weapons for use on January 6, 2021, including guns and paramilitary gear, which they stored in hotel rooms occupied by quick reaction forces just outside of Washington D.C. To show that there was indeed a conspiratorial plot, Nestler produced Signal text messages Rhodes sent to Oath Keepers and the Friends of Stone (FOS) chat group on and around November 7, 2020, the day Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election. The chat group was headed by long-time Trump operative Roger Stone, whom Trump pardoned between the 2020 election and January 6, 2021, the day set for Congress to certify Bidens win. Other members of Stones chat group who played a role in Trumps coup attempt include Republican operative and lead Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander and the leader of the Proud Boys militia group, Henry Enrique Tarrio, who has also been charged with seditious conspiracy. Another Oath Keeper in the group was the former lead counsel for the Oath Keepers, Kelly SoRelle. SoRelle was also a volunteer for Lawyers for Trump, a coalition of right-wing lawyers assembled ahead of the 2020 election. Last month, the Department of Justice (DoJ) charged SoRelle on four counts in connection with the coup, including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and obstruction of justice. SoRelle was videotaped outside the Capitol with Rhodes on January 6, as Oath Keepers breached the Capitol in a stack military-style formation. Their aim was to capture or kill elected officials, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence. Last week, NBC News reported that SoRelle texted with Trump White House aide Andrew Giuliani about election issues in November 2020. Andrew is the son of Rudy Giuliani, Trumps personal coup lawyer. In his new book, The Breach, former January 6 investigator Denver Riggleman reports that SoRelle attempted to text a number inside the White House on December 20, 2020, two days after Trump called on his followers to come to D.C. on January 6 for a wild demonstration. In the messages to the FOS group on November 7, Rhodes wrote that it was time to step up and push Trump to finally take decisive action. Putting paid to all attempts to portray the January 6 coup as a rowdy protest and not an armed insurrection, Rhodes went on to tell the chat group, The final defense is us and our rifles. Trump has one last chance, right now, to stand. But he will need us and our rifles too. Prosecutors cited testimony and evidence from FBI agent Michael Palian showing that two days later, on November 9, Rhodes held a national conference call with heads of the Oath Keepers, including Kelly Meggs, Kenneth Harrelson and Jessica Watkins. On that call, Rhodes told the group to plan to go to Washington D.C. so that Trump would know that the people are behind him. If things go kinetic, good, Rhodes said. If they blow bombs up and shoot us, great. Because that brings the president reason and rationale [to invoke the Insurrection Act]. He added, [O]ur mission [is] going to be to go into D.C., but I do want some Oath Keepers to stay on the outside and to stay fully armed and prepared to go in if they have to... So if the shit kicks off, then you rock and roll. Rhodes added that the group would have to wait for the president's order so as to have legal cover to massacre Trumps political enemies. During the same leadership meeting, Kelly Meggs, at that time the Florida president of the Oath Keepers, offered a list of legal weapons to be carried by those going inside Washington D.C. and not stationed outside the city limits as part of the quick reaction forces. Pepper spray is legal, she said. Tasers are legal. And stun guns are legal. And it doesnt hurt to have a lead pipe with a flag on it. Nestler said the content of this call was so disturbing that one increasingly alarmed follower recorded the meeting and sent it directly to the FBI tip line on November 25, 2020. However, FBI agent Palian confirmed on the second day of his testimony that he did not see the message or listen to a recording of the meeting until after the same tipster re-sent it in March of 2021, two months after the attack. An FBI spokesperson refused to provide a statement to the Washington Post when asked to comment on Palians testimony and the fact that the FBI did nothing to protect the Capitol or break up the plot despite having a recording of the fascist militia leaders discussing plans for an armed attack on Congress to overturn the election and keep Trump in power. The Oath Keepers trial is expected to last at least one month and possibly go into the new year. Rhodes and the four co-defendants have all pleaded not guilty. To convict the defendants of seditious conspiracy, which carries a 20-year sentence, the government has to prove that the accused conspired to use force to resist the state. The Civil War-era offense is considered a lesser form of treason. This is the first of two seditious conspiracy trials against the Oath Keepers, who, along with the Proud Boys, spearheaded the attack on Congress on the orders of Trump and his fellow Republican coup-plotters. The Oath Keepers were formed in 2009 by Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper and Yale-educated lawyer. Throughout Trumps presidency, the Oath Keepers provided security services for Trump-aligned Republicans such as Roger Stone. They also served as security for various speakers at Stop the Steal protests organized in the wake of Trumps electoral defeat. Prior to January 6, the far-right militia group enjoyed extremely close ties with police departments around the country. During the Obama presidency, the Oath Keepers were allowed to mass in Ferguson, Missouri to menace anti-police violence protesters following the police murder of Michael Brown. During protests in Louisville, Kentucky following the May 2020 police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Oath Keeper militia detachments were allowed to violate curfew without fear of arrest or imprisonment from the police. Rhodes and 10 other Oath Keepers were formally charged with seditious conspiracy and other felonies in January of this year. Two of the Oath Keepers, Joshua James and Brian Ulrich, have already pled guilty and agreed to testify against Rhodes in the current trial. In May of this year, a North Carolina member of the Oath Keepers, William Todd Wilson, pled guilty to conspiring with Rhodes to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, per a court filing. In his plea agreement, Wilson said he was present on January 6, 2021 when Rhodes telephoned someone close to Trump in the White House as the assault on Congress was underway. Wilson said that Rhodes recommended that Trump personally invoke the Insurrection Act and federalize the Oath Keepers, allowing them to massacre Trumps political enemies. According to Wilson, after the call ended Rhodes turned to his fellow fascist thugs and said, I just want to fight. Itll be a while before Columbus residents see a new viaduct in town but city officials have been exploring options for one in the downtown area. During a Columbus City Council Committee of the Whole meeting held Oct. 3, the council heard the results of a viaduct alternatives study conducted by Wilson and Company, Inc. Matt Bryant of Wilson and Company said the firm kicked off public involvement of the study with a booth at Columbus Days in August. We had in-person survey/questionnaires, trying to get the word out on the project, Bryant said. Also just gathering a lot of information from the general public on how they use the existing street networks, if they had a preference on routes. We also had a QR code so people can walk up on their mobile phones and take a survey. The survey was also out on the citys website. Public meetings have been held twice this year, with the last one being in the summer held in conjunction with the downtown revitalization study. The viaduct study results showed three strong options: a straight viaduct on 23rd Avenue, an east shift viaduct on 23rd Avenue and a curved viaduct from 26th Avenue to 23rd Avenue. Notably, the first option would have an availability for a pedestrian underpass and different cost options the city could utilize depending on available funding, said Michael Steffensmeier of Wilson and Company. In the initial plans, the streets that would need to be closed would have cul-de-sacs. The firm also provided a scoring system for the different options, with the curved viaduct (with an elevator and switchback ramp) scoring the highest. However, that option would also be more difficult to accomplish as Union Pacific Railroad doesnt typically favor those types of viaducts. The next step will be more public meetings with stakeholders and the community. More public involvement is probably needed just to get a better feel for how people like some of these options or if we need to score these a little bit differently just based on conversations you have, Steffensmeier said. We want to make sure we're getting what everybody wants in the downtown area. Rough cost estimates were also shared for all three options, with the curved viaduct being the highest and the regular 23rd Avenue viaduct being the most cost-effective. Bryant noted federal money and grant opportunities are available for projects like this. First Ward Council Member Charlie Bahr asked about the timeline of the project and how quickly it could be completed. Bryant said the public input meetings could happen quickly, but securing the funds and working with Union Pacific Railroad would take longer. Also, it could take one to two years for just the design of the viaduct itself. The very best case scenario, he said, is three years. A few years is actually fast track with everything that needs to be done here, City Engineer Rick Bogus said. We do have some money in this current fiscal year, though, to take those next steps that Matt (Bryant) was talking about. Bahr noted one business on 13th Street that sees multiple semis pulling in a day, and asked what the business would do if that street closed for a viaduct. Bryant said information like that is collected during the public input process and then taken into consideration when making a final decision. Fourth Ward Council Member John Lohr questioned if underpasses are a possibility. He said there are underpasses in Grand Island and other places that seem to work well. Bryant responded the issues with underpasses relate to groundwater and soil conditions, as well as difficulty in working with the railroad company. When asked by First Ward Council Member Beth Augustine-Schulte if a viaduct straight over 26th Avenue had been an option, Bryant noted it wasnt a desirable possibility due to the proximity of Frankfort Square and other factors. Augustine-Schulte said during the public engagement process, she would like to see residents told exactly how businesses and residents in those areas will be impacted. Bryant said at the next public meeting, renderings could be available. In other council news, Columbus Police K-9 handler Santiago Velasquez was appointed as sergeant. As noted during the meeting, Velasquez is a graduate of Schuyler Central High School, has a degree in criminal justice from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and served in the Marine Corp from 2006-2010. He is a nine-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department. Police Chief Charles Sherer said that until a new K-9 handler is recruited and trained, K-9 Eros will continue working with Velasquez. Santiagos got a lot of blood sweat and tears in this program. The reason that it's been successful as it has is because of all his time and dedication to both his position and to the dog to make sure got off on the right track. He wants to make sure that that continues, Sherer said. Once a new K-9 handler is assigned and trained, Sherer added, Velasquez will overlook the K-9 program as part of his supervisory duty. If and when we ever decide to grow the department, he'll be an integral part of that as well in choosing the dog and choosing the new handler and being involved with all that training as well, Sherer said. So all the time and effort we put into him was not going to go to waste. In fact, I hope that we can put it to better use. Velasquez told the council that he was looking forward to the new opportunity. I'm very thankful to be in this position, Velasquez said. I have been serving the City of Columbus for the last nine years. Also very grateful to my family for the continued support. And I'm very excited to continue to work for the community in this new role and opportunity. The Columbus City Council also: Set the citys tax request at $6,366,005.08. Approved a lease agreement with the Columbus Area Childrens Museum for space in the community building at a cost of 5% of the groups annual gross revenue, not to exceed $3,916.56. City Administrator Tara Vasicek said there will be no cost to the childrens museum for the first 12 months; this agreement will go into effect after the first year. Presented a proclamation declaring Oct. 13-16 as Support Citizens with Intellectual Disabilities Week. Approved an agreement with JEO Consulting Group in the amount of $249,000 for a flood mitigation and resiliency study. A publicly-available memo states the city has received a Building Infrastructure and Communities Hazardous Mitigation Assistance Grant, which pays for 75% of the cost. The city is paying for the remaining 25%. The purpose of the study is to identify, develop and prioritize mitigation projects that will reduce the risk of flood damage in the City of Columbus. The timeline for the final report is December 2023. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) made headlines last week after agency director William J. Burns cut the ribbon on a new statue of Harriet Tubman outside CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. The statue of Tubman (c. 1822-1913), the great abolitionist and political activist of the American Civil War, now stands next to two others: Nathan Hale, an American spy executed by the British during the Revolutionary War, and William J. Donovan, considered the founding father of the CIA. The unveiling of the statue is the focal point of a broader CIA campaign around Tubmans legacy. A special tribute on the CIA website titled, Honoring Harriet Tubman: A Symbol of Freedom and an Intelligence Pioneer, attempts to rebrand Tubman as a 19th century version of a CIA spy. The piece is a carefully written, distorted history of Tubmans life and the historical significance of her work. The CIA's new statue of Harriet Tubman. The piece couches Tubmans heroic work of rescuing slaves through the Underground Railroad in military garb, describing her as leading clandestine operations to gather vital intelligence as a spy. A Twitter post by the CIA announcing the piece reads, Harriet Tubman was not only a conductor of the Underground Railroad, but also a spy for the Union. One struggles to find the words to describe the level of absurdity surrounding the whole campaign. Commentary on the event reads like a skit showcasing the height of delusion and depravity in the ruling class. It was awesome, CIA Museum Director Robert Byer told the Washington Post after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Byer went on to explain to NBC News that Tubmans legacy was an example of intelligence work, going behind enemy lines, using safe houses and signals intelligence to get people to freedom. Tubman operated with ingenuity, stealth, courage and selflessness, Byer said. These are all traits we want our officers to embody. At first blush, the Washington Post writes, Tubman, a civil rights activist who famously and repeatedly broke the law, might seem an unlikely inspiration for todays foreign intelligence officers. But Byer said there was a lot of overlap between the ethos of the CIA and Tubmans. Who do they think they are fooling? Tubman was part of a whole generation of anti-slavery opponents such as Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Sojourner Truth, and Wendell Phillips who represented a profoundly egalitarian and democratic tradition. When they supported the military struggle of the Union against the Confederacy, as Tubman did, not just in words but in deeds, they were fighting on side of that democratic tradition against the monster of slavocracy. Today, by contrast, the CIA defends countless reactionary, dictatorial regimes around the world, including some, like Saudi Arabia, where slavery is still practiced. If one were to search for the modern-day equivalent of the oppressors against whom Tubman and her contemporaries fought, the plantation masters and their slave-catchers, those who today shackle, enslave and torture others, one would need look no further than the CIA itself. The record of CIA torture and crimes against humanity is matched in modern history only by the Nazi Gestapo and the Stalinist GPU/KBD. The agency runs a world-wide network of criminality, deceit, and violence operating through hundreds of black sites in every corner of the globe, used to carry out the interests of American imperialism with the most inhumane and depraved means. The Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, issued in 2014 as a heavily redacted document, cited the regular use of tactics such as waterboarding, systematic beatings, forced chaining to a wall for up to 17 days, depriving prisoners of sleep for more than a week, threatening prisoners with death, mock burials, and hitherto unknown tortures such as rectal feeding. One shudders to imagine what would be revealed in the unredacted report. What are the real character traits of those able to carry out such extreme violence? If one were to ask Majid Khan, Chelsea Manning, or Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri what skills their torturers possessed, what would they say? When former CIA director Gina Haspel was watching the torture of detainee Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, who was hooded and naked, at a US black site in Thailand in 2002, was she portraying the same Harriet Tubman-style selflessness that Byer hopes all their officers embody? Of course, it is hardly necessary to argue that the guiding principles of equality and freedom that were the bedrock of Tubmans life stand as the complete antithesis to the entire basis of the CIA, which has organized the overthrow of democratically elected governments from Indonesia to Iran to Ukraine to Guatemala, Chile, and most of Latin America. In fact, the real motivation behind the CIA campaign is quite plainly stated by the agency itself. We need diversity in order to do our mission here, Byer said. If those slaves hadnt trusted Harriet Tubman, they wouldnt have given her information. That is, the co-opting of Harriet Tubman is a part of a broader campaign by the CIA to attract a more diverse workforce to the agency on the basis of identity politics imperialism. This identity-based campaign initially garnered attention in 2021 with the launching of the Humans of CIA'' series. The campaign amounted to a series of videos highlighting the agencys commitment to racial and gender diversity. The rebranding of Tubman is part-and-parcel of the same basic campaign. One of the things that this agency has in place is the idea that our workforce cannot work on worldwide missions without looking like the United States, without looking like the world, Janelle Neises, deputy director of the CIAs museum, explained in an interview. The campaign has caused the usual backlash among the right-wing elements. Mike Pompeo, for example, tweeted in response to the unveiling of the statue, a woke military is a weak military. On the other hand, there has been no public backlash thus far from outlets claiming to be left. Their silence is a reflection of an extreme nervousness. The seamless marriage of identity politics and US imperialism is a devastating exposure of the reactionary content of politics based on race, gender, and sexuality that almost all the so-called left organizations in the US have so ferociously promoted. Identity politics and related ideologies such as intersectionality have become a fundamental part of the Democratic Partys efforts to divide workers and enrich a thin layer of the middle class which falsely presents itself as representative of the broad masses. The fact that these left ideas'' are now proving an essential tool of the bourgeoisie to maintain its class domination over the working class by keeping workers divided along racial and gender lines stands to expose all those identity politicians who have made careers out of denigrating class identity, promoting the Democratic Party, and supporting so-called human rights imperialism. Moreover, the CIA is carrying out this campaign against the backdrop of open and intense discussion within the ruling class about the possibility of nuclear war. The United States and NATO are in a reckless pursuit of global geopolitical objectives for which they are prepared to sacrifice an untold number of working class lives and livelihoods, regardless of skin color, gender or sexual identity. However, there is immense opposition to war within the working class and especially among working class youth. The reemergence of a wave of working class struggles throughout the US and around the world is generating a powerful bulwark of working class solidarity against the divisive and toxic politics of identity. Over the last several months, an explosive opposition of rail workers has developed against the efforts of the unions and the Biden administration to force through a sellout agreement. There are also developing strike movements among health care workers, educators, service workers and other sections of the working class. It will only be on the basis of a unified struggle by workers in defense of their social and democratic rights that war can be stopped, and all of the institutions of class exploitation dismantled. On Tuesday, Stellantis Chief Manufacturing Officer Arnaud Deboeuf threatened the jobs of thousands of workers during a visit to the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit. After touring the factory, Deboeuf reportedly told union officials if defects and absenteeism were not substantially reduced, the company would remove any future products and put the factory, which currently employs 5,239 workers on three shifts, on the path to closure. After months of threatening to eliminate the third shift, workers were temporarily laid off this week, allegedly due to parts shortages. According to the United Auto Workers union, however, Deboeuf is currently deciding whether the 2,000 workers on the shift would return to work next week and will inform the union on Friday. The UAW did not even issue a verbal protest against these threats. Instead, UAW officials fully sided with management. In a letter to Warren Truck workers Tuesday, Local 140 President Eric Graham said, We had a meeting with Stellantis Chief Manufacturing Officer Arnaud Deboeuf today and what he had to say about Warren Truck Assembly was NOT good. The future of the Wagoneer at Warren Truck is at risk. Our LIVELIHOODS ARE IN JEOPARDY. The defects in the trucks is above unacceptable and absenteeism is at 15%. They are giving us until March to decrease absenteeism and increase quality. If this is not improved significantly, the company is not willing to allocate any future products to Warren Truck. Predictably, the UAW Internationals incumbent president, Ray Curry, had absolutely nothing to say about the threats to workers jobs. Warren Truck workers, however, were livid over this economic blackmail. They are not getting the production they want for these $120,000 Jeeps they want to sell, a veteran worker at the Warren Truck plant said, referring to deluxe Grand Wagoneer models. They are complaining about quality, but 40 percent of the plant are part-time workers. Of course, there is high absenteeism because nobody wants to come in for $15 an hour. Now, theyre threatening workers, saying theyre going to take the Jeep out and youll lose your jobs. They already took the Ram truck out. This used to be one of the best plants Chrysler had for 40 years. Now theyre threatening workers at SHAP [Sterling Heights Assembly Plant], saying theyre going to move their truck to our plant even while theyre threatening that they are going to take the Jeep from us. Every time there is a new ownerand we have had lots of new ownersits the same old crap. They whipsaw workers against each other to demand more concessions. Will Lehman campaigning at Warren Truck Assembly plant in August 2022 [Photo: WSWS] Will Lehman, the Mack Trucks workers who is running for UAW president, denounced the job threats, telling the WSWS, I call on all workers to oppose this attack on the workers at Warren Truck and mobilize in defense of their jobs. I met with workers at the plant in August and I know that a plant closure or any job cuts will rip away their livelihoods, devastate their families and destroy their neighborhoods. Workers cannot allow this to happen. Stellantis made a net profit of $7.98 billion in the first half of 2022, up 34 percent compared to the first half of 2021. It paid its CEO, Carlos Tavares, $20.5 million, more than 300 times the average worker, plus a stock package worth some additional $32 million and long-term compensation of about $25 million. It was the workers, including the workers at Warren Truck who produced the wealth, not Tavares, Deboeuf and the other corporate executives. Ray Curry and the rest of the UAW apparatus are nothing but tools of these corporations, and they are using these threats to extract even more wage and benefit concessions. Stellantis, Ford and GM are already slashing thousands of jobs in the US and internationally, and want to reduce all workers to nothing but low-paid temps. As I have said before, if the production of electric vehicles requires fewer man hours, this is a reason not to cut jobs, but to reduce the number of hours we work with no loss in pay. That is a socialist and workers agenda that I fight for. To stop the competition between workers to see who is going to work for the worst pay and conditions, and to protect all jobs, we have to build rank-and-file committees to fight layoffs and plant closures. In opposition to the Buy American nationalism of the UAW, we have to unite workers across borders and defend all our jobs. Stellantis, which is the product of a $52 billion merger of French automaker PSA and Italian-American Fiat Chrysler, is engaged in a savage cost-cutting campaign as it moves, along with other global automakers, towards electric vehicle production. Last month, Deboeuf said the cost of electric vehicles would have to be cut by 40 percent by 2030 to maintain the market and profitability. Last month, Stellantis came to an agreement with the Italian auto unions to cut up to 1,820 more workers from the groups Italian operations this year through so-called voluntary redundancies. With this agreement, Gianluca Ficco of the UILM union said, we are trying to manage in advance the job impact of the energy transition and manage it in a socially acceptable way. Workers, however, are in no mood to accept further concessions and attacks on jobs. I like the sound of Wills statement that we have to unite, not just in US, but across borders so they cant pit us against each other, the veteran Warren Truck worker said. Ive been leaving his fliers on break tables for other workers to read. Some say his demands, like triple pay for overtime, is way too good to be true, but Will is saying we have to fight for it. We have to organize the shop floor because the UAW is in bed with management. Im carrying Wills message into the plant. Mail-in ballots in the first-ever direct election for top UAW executive positions are set to be sent to UAW members starting on October 17. The UAW monitor has recommended ballots be mailed back no later than November 18, in order to be received by the final deadline, November 28. The tabulation of ballots will begin on November 29. Because Curry and the corrupt UAW apparatus are so despised, the UAW is seeking to keep workers unaware that an election is even going on, hoping this will suppress voter turnout. A veteran worker at the Stellantis Detroit Assembly Complex-Mack plant said union officials have told workers at the plant nothing about the UAW election. Workers only know there is an election from Wills campaign. He heard that when a worker at Mopar asked a union rep about the election, they lied, telling them that the delegates chose the president. The worker reported that the recent debate between UAW presidential candidates was posted in a Mack Facebook group, drawing angry reactions against the UAW bureaucrats. Ray Curry and Gibby Gibson acted like they didnt know anything, he said. They claimed that there were not tiers. People are asking a lot of questions. Speaking on conditions at the plant, he said: Stellantis wants to be a temp service. There are less than 100 tier 1 at the Mack plant and 400 tier 2 and 4,000 they hired off the street. Probably the majority working at Mack now are temps. Some workers have two jobs. No one is being rolled over to full time. Now, we have been hearing that the third shift may be laid off in November, but they havent given a date. He agreed that Wills campaign was part of a broader fight. Addressing the inequality produced by capitalism, he noted that since the 1990s, CEO pay had risen astronomically. Commenting on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, he said, He spent half a billion on a yacht while others are fighting just for a living wage. A second-tier worker at Fords Sterling Axle plant in suburban Detroit said, A lot of workers saw Will debating Curry and the other candidates and said it was phenomenal what he did taking them on like that. We are fighting our own local battles here. This place is just shy of a revolt. Ninety percent of the workers have had enough of it. The UAW is letting management get away with anything it wants. Guys are getting screwed over getting their minimum hours because they told management on previous occasions that they couldnt do overtime. OSHA came in and asked why workers werent wearing safety glasses. Well, thats because two years ago Ford said it did a study, which found that we didnt need safety glasses. But in any industrial setting like this we should have glasses. We have complained about water leaking into high-voltage panels. The plant management said he didnt have anything to do with that. Then we saw that they covered up the panels with fire-retardant tarps. I saw that they shut down Wills Twitter account and that people protested and forced them to restore it. I also know how dirty the UAW can be. I am doing my best to talk to second-tier workers and fill them in about Wills campaign and how we can make change for ourselves. I am going to pass out fliers to get the word out to vote for Will. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Remains found in a burial in Khojavand District belong to Azerbaijani servicemen, Head of the medical forensics department of the Association of Forensic Medical Examination and Pathological Anatomy Nurana Huseynova said. Huseynova noted that the Azerbaijani people faced thousands of tragedies, terrors, and mass murders, committed by Armenians. "Three sites with 12 remains were found in Edilli village of Khojavand district. These remains belong to Azerbaijani servicemen. Clothes, shoes, knives, cigarette butts, bullets, and cartridges were found at the burial sites. The remains will be sent to the medical forensics department for research," she said. In addition, it was revealed that before they died, their hands and feet were tied. It should be mentioned that in the XX century, Armenians perpetrated systematic crimes and atrocities against Azerbaijanis to break the spirit of the nation and annihilate the Azerbaijani people of Karabakh. The Khojaly genocide is regarded as the culmination of the Armenian mass murders. Some 613 Azerbaijanis, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elders were brutally murdered on the ground of national identity in Khojaly in 1992. This heinous act was preceded by a slew of others. Armenians set fire to around 20 buildings in the Baghanis-Ayrim village of Gazakh District, killing eight Azerbaijanis. A family of five, including a 39-day-old newborn, were all burnt alive. Between June and December 1991, the Armenian troops murdered 12 and wounded 15 Azerbaijanis in Khojavand District's Garadaghli and Asgaran District's Meshali villages. Armenian military detachments bombed buses on the Shusha-Jamilli, Aghdam-Khojavand, and Aghdam-Garadaghli routes in August and September of the same year, killing 17 Azerbaijanis and injuring over 90 others. In October and November 1991, Armenians burned, destroyed, and plundered over 30 settlements in the mountainous area of Karabakh, including Tugh, Imarat-Garvand, Sirkhavand, Meshali, Jamilli, Umudlu, Garadaghli, Karkijahan, and other significant villages. It should be noted that over 4,000 Azerbaijanis went missing as a result of the First Karabakh War. It is believed that the vast majority of them were systematically killed and buried in mass graves. Page Content Bulgarian Tanya Hristova (BG/EPP) was elected chair of the European Committee of the Regions' Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC) at the commission's external meeting in Brno, Czech Republic, on 3 October. The Mayor of Gabrovo will chair the SEDEC commission work for two and half years, the second half of the Committee's current five-year mandate. In her new role, Ms Hristova will lead the EU regions' and cities' work on a wide range of topics, including employment and social policies, education and training, culture, equality and youth policy, as well as research, innovation and artificial intelligence. Tanya Hristova, born in 1971, has been the mayor of Gabrovo Municipality since 2011 and leads the Bulgarian delegation at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) where she has been a prominent member since 2012. Ms Hristova already chaired the SEDEC Commission briefly between September 2019 and February 2020. She has also worked as a chief of the political office of Bulgaria's Minister of EU funds between 2010 and 2011. Speaking after her appointment, Ms Hristova said: "EU's future choices should be taken according to what our citizens demand. This is the main legacy of the Conference on the Future of Europe, and also the spirit of our work in the European Committee of the Regions, and in SEDEC especially. We're committed to engage with cities and regions to help providing answers to the persistent demands for equal opportunities and decent working conditions. To acknowledge the extraordinary enthusiasm of younger generations to build more inclusive and human societies. Place based research, quality education and skills, fertile innovation ecosystems where science meets creativity: these represent some of the key tools we promote in our daily activities in SEDEC. My commitment is to work, hand in hand with regional and local leaders, with partner EU institutions, universities and SMEs, to turn our vision into a great success story." The new first vice-chair of the SEDEC Commission is Inga Berzina (LV/Renew E.), Member of Kuldiga Municipal Council, and the second vice chair Ricardo Rio (PT/EPP), Mayor of Braga. Ms Hristova already led the proceedings at the external meeting in Brno, where two opinions were discussed. The first one, drafted by Tine Radinja (SI/The Greens), Mayor of Skofja Loka, assesses the future perspectives of EU's Youth Policy. Building on the experiences of the European Year of Youth 2022, it calls for new and comprehensive reflection on youth policy, mainstreaming of youth issues across policy fields and the active participation of youth in building the future of Europe. Members also adopted Markku Markkula's (FI/EPP, Member of Espoo City Council) opinion on the New Innovation Agenda for Europe. The opinion stresses that the European Commission's ambitious innovation policy targets can be reached by avoiding fragmentation and by orchestrating influential measures through effective collaboration in the cities and regions between industry, academia and regional and local administrations, addressing societal challenges such as climate change, increased resilience and digital transformation. The two-day meeting continued on Tuesday morning with a conference on Engaging youth in science, research and innovation. In his opening speech, Jiri Nantl, Deputy Governor of the South Moravian Region, underlined that the current crisis requires immediate and short-term solutions, but at the same time "we must not lose our vision and confidence in the following period". "A number of European regions have strong innovation centres and can find solutions in this area for the near and distant future. The South Moravian Region also has wide possibilities of innovation. A number of them will be introduced to you here during today's conference. This is where our vision and I would say our hope lies. It presents us with new challenges, especially in the field of education", Mr Nantl said. European Regulator Lists What is Needed for 'Responsible Crypto Sector' Source: AdobeStock / Grecaud Paul More dialogue between the crypto industry and supervisors, consumer education, rigorous compliance, and even a mind shift for some crypto firms are necessary for creating a responsible crypto sector, said Jose Manuel Campa, chairperson of the European Banking Authority (EBA). The European Banking Authority is a regulatory agency of the European Union, whose goal is to contribute to the creation of the European Single Rulebook in banking through the adoption of binding technical standards and guidelines, as their website says. In a Financial News commentary piece on Tuesday, the EBA chairperson noted that the European Parliament and Council concluded their negotiations on the European Commissions proposal for a regulation on markets in cryptoassets, known as MiCA. However, Campa argued, Concluding negotiations on MiCA [] should be seen as the beginning, not the end, of the work to foster the emergence of responsible cryptoasset products and services in the EU. MiCa is expected to enter into force in 2023. Campa described it as a ground-breaking legislation that creates an EU regulatory framework for crypto, including stablecoins, and for cryptoasset services, including custody and exchange. Campa noted that, As authorities deepen their capabilities and apply the new perimeter of regulation, an uptick in enforcement actions can be expected to stamp out unlawful or unscrupulous practices in the cryptoasset market. This action should be welcomed not only to protect consumers, but to address practices that tarnish perceptions of legitimate uses of the technologies across the financial sector. How to foster a responsible sector Campa argued that, in order to create such a climate in which responsible cryptoasset products and services can emerge at scale, there needs to be a dialogue between industry and supervisors through initiatives that would foster: a common and pre-emptive understanding of opportunities and risks, an understanding of supervisory expectations. The EBA chairperson added that, This dialogue is also important to flush out any inadvertent obstacles, or potential gaps, that may need to be addressed to facilitate responsible innovation. Another necessary element is consumer financial education initiatives, as consumers need to be equipped with the skills necessary for them to understand the features of crypto products and services. This is also needed in order to create an important demand-driven force to promote higher standards. As for many firms that are active in the crypto sector, they will need to see major adjustments to risk management practices to meet the requirements under MiCA, Campa said, adding: For some firms, the adjustments will need to go beyond systems and controls, and will entail a complete shift in mindset toward a compliance by design approach. Meanwhile, in the realm of the supervisors, crypto market monitoring capabilities will need to be strengthened, as well as extended. These need to cover new distribution and marketing channels and emerging interconnections between crypto and traditional finance (TradFi). Indeed, many supervisors are already accelerating investments in new data analytics and training for staff, wrote Campa. EBA to play its part Meanwhile, per MiCa, a new supervision system is established under the EBA's responsibility for the largest asset-referenced and e-money tokens [stablecoins]. The EBA will play its part in facilitating responsible uses of cryptoasset applications in the EU, said Campa, adding that next year, the regulator will start delivering the extensive number of technical standards and guidelines mandates under MiCA and the Transfer of Funds Regulation (TFR). The EBA will also continue actions to facilitate EU-wide monitoring and assessment of emerging cryptoassets and use cases, promote knowledge exchange between industry and supervisors, promote supervisory merging at the national level, and continue to work with international standard-setters. Campa concluded that, I am confident that responsible and sustainable innovation in the crypto sector can provide benefits for EU citizens in the years to come, but it will also require strong, consistent regulation, and a rigorous compliance culture. ____ Learn more: - 'More Work to Be Done' as EU Imposes Strict New Crypto Regulations - EU Institutions to Continue MiCA Discussions Without Bitcoin Mining Ban Proposal - Council of European Union Advances Talks On MiCA, DORA Regulations - EU Regulation May Harm Small Crypto Players, Stablecoin Users, And Elon Musk - Use of Digital Euro as Form of Investment Can be Prevented - ECB Official - EU Lawmakers Want Anti-Money Laundering Rules To Cover NFTs The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams said efforts are ongoing at Camp Michaux to restore its native ecology. Adams visited the historic area of Michaux State Forest on Wednesday to talk about restoration efforts in that area. DCNR said its Bureau of Forestry is addressing the threat of invasive, non-native plant species at the camp, which is expected to only worsen as Pennsylvanias climate warms. So far, the bureau has addressed the issue by planting diverse native plant species, which provide pollinator habitat and trees that can survive a warmer, wetter climate. The trees were planted in 2021 and 2022, and their health will be monitored by the bureau to learn which species are best suited to the changing climate. Prior to the restoration, Camp Michaux was overrun with a number of invasive, non-native plant species that aggressively hindered the native ecosystem, State Forester Ellen Shultzabarger said. We were able to plant 40 native tree and shrub species, and more than 9,000 plant plugs of about 20 species to restore the ecosystem and protect this area for years to come. The efforts target Camp Michaux, a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp that was an abandoned World War II prisoner of war interrogation camp. The camp is also linked to the iron industry in the late 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries when the area was a working farm known as Bunker Hill Farm. It later became a church camp after it was used as an interrogation camp. Our natural spaces are full of important history and we must preserve sites like Camp Michaux to ensure the knowledge and lessons of the past are not lost, Dunn said. I am grateful to the Michaux State Forest staff for prioritizing the restoration efforts at the camp to ensure future visitation and education, particularly because of the connection to conservation linked to the camp. It has been over a year since the U.S. withdrew its military from Afghanistan following two decades of combat operations in response to the 9-11 attacks on America. The Department of Defense records 2,218 military deaths associated with Operation Freedom in Afghanistan. The last U.S. casualties were 13 servicemembers supporting withdrawal and evacuation operations. They were killed in a suicide bombing attack on Aug. 27, 2021. While that war in Afghanistan is fading from memory and we now focus on another conflict in Ukraine, it is fitting that we remember the life of a young soldier with ties to the Carlisle community who was among four American servicemembers killed on Oct. 6, 2013. The following is a reflection that has stayed with me over the past nine years. Editors Note: This guest editorial originally ran in The Sentinel in 2013. It is being re-run today on the sixth anniversary of the death of Sgt. Patrick Hawkins, who died while serving in Afghanistan on Oct. 6, 2013. The usually imposing edifice of the Pentagon was diminished by the foreground of marble headstones in Arlington National Cemetery. One of the last interments of the day was for a young Ranger, Sgt. Patrick Hawkins, of Carlisle. Those gathered to honor Patrick included family and friends, serving comrades in arms, neighbors and retirees, and motorcyclists who accompanied the funeral procession. Although the attending senior officials were the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army, rank did not matter. All joined equally in somberly celebrating the life, service and sacrifice of this young soldier. In an award ceremony earlier in the day, we heard his father recount the life of a son emerging as a young man in the 21st century. Full of passion, Patrick sought to find himself in skateboarding, cars, music and cookinga typical celebrant of our American pop culture. His dad, a retired colonel, spoke of how he and his wife supported Patrick in his many endeavors. We can readily imagine the pride of his parents when Patrick told them he wanted to join the Army. In our Carlisle community, many sons and daughters follow their mothers and fathers example of military service. At a time when the nations culture seems to neglect building the character and values of our youth, we see evidence to the contrary in Carlisle. Patrick excelled as a soldier. He qualified as an Airborne Ranger and was assigned to a Ranger battalion. He served several combat tours in Afghanistan. His fellow ranger sergeant and buddy informed us that Patrick was not just a tab-and-badge wearer, he was a leader among his peers and of others placed in his charge. His buddy also told how Patrick met and pursued the love of his life, Brittanie, his young bride. Patricks passion for life was intensified by his love for his wife, his family, and his nation. This hardened warrior had a loving spirit. Patricks body tattoos, the artifacts of his generation, displayed the legacy of his familys immigrant past. He was all American. Patricks mother told us that he had another special tattoo added after joining the Army. It epitomized his service especially on the final day of his life as he rushed to the aid of comrades: John 15:13, Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. The Army Secretary and Chief Of Staff spoke briefly to the family of Sgt. Patrick C. Hawkins, then stepped aside. After honors were rendered with a 21-gun salute, the presiding officer concluded the ceremony with: On behalf of the President of the United States and the people of a grateful nation, I present this flag as a token of appreciation for the honorable and faithful service your loved one rendered this nation. We too should honor the sacrifice of a warrior-servant as one of our own. Actor Angelina Jolie alleged in a complaint filed Tuesday that Brad Pitt physically attacked her and their children during a flight on the couples private jet from France to California in September 2016, several days before she filed for divorce. In court documents obtained by The New York Times, Jolies lawyers claim Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. They also say Pitt began yelling at Jolie in a private bathroom and grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall. Pitt then allegedly punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom. The court filings also state that Pitt lunged at one of the children after the child called him a prick. After the FBI investigated the incident, Pitt was cleared of wrongdoing. The new details emerge after Pitt sued Jolie in February over a winerythey once co-owned, alleging that Jolie violated contractual agreements by selling her stake to an aggressive third-party competitor. The two had purchased a controlling stake in Chateau Miraval Winery in Correns, France, in 2008. Jolies lawyers say that she sold her stake in October 2021 to Russian oligarch and Tenute del Mondo owner Yuri Shelfer after Pitt demanded that she sign a nondisclosure agreement to prevent her from talking about their marriage. Jolie previously declined to share specific details of Pitts alleged abuse. In September 2021, while still moving through their divorce battle, Jolie told The Guardian that she feared for the safety of her family during her marriage to Pitt, but stopped short of sharing why. Im not the kind of person who makes decisions like the decisions I had to make lightly, she told The Guardian in 2021. It took a lot for me to be in a position where I felt I had to separate from the father of my children. The couple married in August 2014 and have been legally separated since September 2016. Story continues Read the full New York Times piece here. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... The law in question is one of two major bills passed in 2018 at the urging of then-Gov. Eric Greitens to limit the rights of public employees. One bill, which required some employee unions to receive annual approval to withhold dues from paychecks, was declared unconstitutional last year by the Missouri Supreme Court (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent). Most Missouri state employees are at-will workers not entitled to seniority protections or grievance rights when they are fired, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. In an opinion that overturned a Cole County Circuit Court decision, the high court declared that a 2018 law repealing the merit system for most state workers is constitutional. Three unions representing state employees alleged the law illegally altered their collective bargaining agreements by denying them job protections guaranteed in the contracts. Those agreements, Judge W. Brent Powell wrote in the unanimous decision, all included provisions stating that changes in state law could change the employment terms. Crucially, all the (agreements) included savings clauses, recognizing the provisions of the (agreement) could not supersede law and allowing for modification of the (agreements) upon changes in the law, Powell wrote. Soon after the law was passed in 2018, the state Personnel Advisory Board issued new regulations eliminating seniority protections for layoffs and recalls; for-cause protections for suspensions, dismissals, and demotions; and grievance procedures for employment actions such as transfers. Only employees who work in state penal and charitable institutions prisons and hospitals retained merit system protections, exceptions included in the law to comply with federal regulations. Three unions, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME; the Communications Workers of America, or CWA; and the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, challenged the law. Each had contracts that required merit-system protections for the covered employees. Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem ruled last year that the contracts remained in force until renegotiated. AFSCME represents employees of several agencies in two bargaining units craft and maintenance positions and direct care. CWA represents employees in the Social Services and Health and Senior Services departments and the Office of Administration. SEIU represents probation and parole employees and patient care professionals in the Corrections and Mental Health departments and the Missouri Veterans Commission. By withdrawing the merit system protections, the unions argued, the law violated constitutional provisions barring the legislature from impairing the obligations of contracts. In upholding the law, Powell wrote that the two elements that define at-will work are an indefinite term of employment and the ability of the both parties to end the employment relationship at any time for no stated reason. But grievance procedures, seniority protections, and for-cause requirements are not necessarily inconsistent with at-will employment, Powell wrote. These terms and conditions of employment are inconsistent with at-will employment only if they limit the right to terminate employment at any time without cause. In its ruling, the court directed Beetem to hold additional hearings to determine the subjects that could be included and those that must be excluded from future state labor contracts. The law being challenged was one of two major bills passed in 2018 at the urging of then-Gov. Eric Greitens to limit the rights of public employees. One bill, which required some employee unions to receive annual approval to withhold dues from paychecks, was declared unconstitutional last year by the Missouri Supreme Court. The post Anti-Flag Unleash New Song Modern Meta Medicine Featuring Killswitch Engages Jesse Leach: Stream appeared first on Consequence. Anti-Flag have shared the new song Modern Meta Medicine featuring guest vocals from Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach. The track arrives ahead of Anti-Flags forthcoming album, Lies They Tell Our Children, out January 6th. The song and its accompanying video take aim at big pharma and the American healthcare system. As images of pill bottles race across the screen, the band supply an angry yet catchy per Anti-Flags signature sound punk tune with an hooky chorus: On and on and on and on / Were never right, were never wrong. Modern Meta Medicine looks to trace back the origins of capitalisms takeover of our health as global citizens, the Reagan era policies that allowed for billionaires to flourish off of the suffering of so many, said Anti-Flag in a press statement. Healthcare is a human right, and we need to steal our rights back from a machine that sees us as commodities and profit margins, however we can. The band added: Lets be honest, in a world and cultural climate that reaps division and sows a void of nuance in our conversations, writing a record that challenges a healthcare system that puts profit before people can be scary. But an opioid crisis, miracle cures for our weight, our skin, the hair on our heads, a limp dick, and then the simultaneous denial of access to healthcare for the bodies of pregnant people, the poor, Black and immigrant communities is a stark contrast that must be discussed. Lies They Tell Our Children was recorded, produced, and mixed by Jon Lundin. In addition to Jesse Leach, the guest-heavy album also features notable appearances by Rise Againsts Tim McIlrath, Silversteins Shane Told, Bad Religions Brian Baker, and more. Story continues Anti-Flag will also be embarking on a fall 2022 North American headlining tour. It kicks off on September 16th in Burlington, Vermont, and runs through November 6th with an appearance at Punk in the Park in Silverado, California. The run includes multiple festival appearances including numerous dates for the bands recurring ANTIfest. Three additional dates follow in December. Pick up tickets via Ticketmaster. Lies They Tell Our Children is available for pre-order via Spinefarm. Below you can stream the video for Modern Meta Medicine. Anti-Flag Unleash New Song Modern Meta Medicine Featuring Killswitch Engages Jesse Leach: Stream Jon Hadusek Popular Posts Subscribe to Consequences email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox. BBC Studios has taken full control of Firebird Pictures, the British drama indie behind Prime Videos Wilderness and BBC Ones Wahala. The BBCs commercial arm already had a stake in the company, which former BBC execs Elizabeth Kilgarriff and Craig Holleworth run together. More from Deadline Firebird now sits in a stable of BBC Studios indies that include Gentleman Jack firm Lookout Point, Steve Coogans Baby Cow Productions, Sherwood maker House Productions, The End of the F*cking World indie Clerkenwell Films and Killing Eves Sid Gentle Films. The BBC also has minority stakes in the likes of Various Artists Limited, Expectation, Curve and Mothership Productions and is backing YouTuber Joe Suggs new venture Final Straw Productions. Firebird launched in 2019 with minority support from the BBC after Kilgarriff and Holleworth left their respective roles as BBC Senior Commissioning Editor and BBC Drama/BBC Films Head of Business. Recent greenlit are Wilderness, a six-part drama from Marnie Dickens for Amazon based on BE Jones novel, and Wahala, which is for BBC One and written by Theresa Ikoko and based on Nikki Mays novel. Filming on Wilderness began in July with Jenna Coleman and Oliver Jackson-Cohen starring, as Deadline reported over the summer, while Wahala is set to shoot in 2023. Firebird say it has multiple projects in development with UK and U.S. platforms, and expects further greenlights to be announced later this year. Kilgarriff and Holleworth said in a statement: From the very beginning of Firebirds journey with just a blank piece of paper and an empty office with one chair, BBC Studios have supported and backed us every step of the way, fully trusting in our vision and ambition and helping build the company to where we are today. We are delighted to now be cementing our relationship and are excited for Firebirds future as we grow the company together. Story continues BBC Studios returned more than 180M ($203M) to the UK independent production sector in 2021/2022 in development funding, rights investment and royalties. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. President Joe Biden speaks during the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC, September 28, 2022. OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images Joe Biden apologized to the family of the late Rep. Jackie Walorski for mistakenly asking "Where's Jackie?" Walorski's mother responded "in Heaven with Jesus" when Biden brought up the gaffe, the New York Post reported. The family met with Biden before he signed a bill in her honor and then got a West Wing tour. President Joe Biden privately apologized to the family of the late Republican Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana for mistakenly asking "Where's Jackie?" during a White House anti-hunger event last week, according to the New York Post. Walorski's mother, Martha "Mert" Walorski, responded "in Heaven with Jesus" when Biden brought up his gaffe during a meeting with the family in the Oval Office on Friday, The Post says. The family met with Biden before he signed a bill renaming an Indiana Veterans Affairs clinic in Walorski's honor, according to the Post. "She said, 'Well, Mr. President, we can tell you where Jackie is. She's in heaven with Jesus,'" Keith Walorski, the late congresswoman's brother, told The Post. "He could only agree. He's a very Catholic person. He's very strong in his Catholicism. So all he could do is say, 'Yes, you're right. I know.'" Biden invited Mert Walorski to sit in his chair behind the Resolute Desk for a photo and then took the family on a tour of the West Wing that included his private dining room and an outdoor swimming pool. "We forgive him for his gaffe," Keith Walorski told The Post. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., participates in the House Ways and Means Committee Trade Subcommittee hearing on "The Effects of Tariffs on U.S. Agriculture and Rural Communities" on Wednesday, July 18, 2018. Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call The meeting came two days after Biden sought out Walorski at the White House event while thanking bipartisan elected officials who introduced legislation to convene the conference. "Jackie are you here? Where's Jackie?," Biden said, looking to the side and saying in a soft voice, "she was going to be here." White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attempted to explain Biden's behavior by repeatedly saying Walorski was "top of mind" for Biden, who had planned to invite her family to the White House. Walorski and two of her staffers were killed in a car crash in Indiana on August 3, prompting a statement then from Biden mourning her death. Story continues Walorski was among members of the Indiana congressional delegation who voted to object to the certification of Electoral College votes, confirming Biden as president, after the violence of the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Biden's statement after her death acknowledged disagreements on "many issues" but praised her work, her partnership with the White House on and service to her community. Read the original article on Business Insider Nurses Debbie Black and Rachel Lee double check a COVID-19 vaccine dose for a child during a vaccine clinic in Hamilton, Massachusetts, on Sept. 9. Wisconsin reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 6,656 new cases. That's down 17.7% from the previous week's tally of 8,092 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19. Wisconsin ranked 15th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 19.4% from the week before, with 323,859 cases reported. With 1.75% of the country's population, Wisconsin had 2.06% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 10 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before. Brown County reported 364 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 504 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 97,033 cases and 588 deaths. Door County reported 45 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 45 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 8,157 cases and 79 deaths. Kewaunee County reported 25 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 18 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,453 cases and 61 deaths. Oconto County reported 58 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 47 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 12,663 cases and 126 deaths. Shawano County reported 63 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 73 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 13,313 cases and 158 deaths. Marinette County reported 66 cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 74 cases and two deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 13,384 cases and 139 deaths. Across Wisconsin, cases fell in 53 counties, with the best declines in Dane County, with 781 cases from 1,084 a week earlier; in Milwaukee County, with 972 cases from 1,275; and in Brown County, with 364 cases from 504. Story continues >> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases Within Wisconsin, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Menominee County with 307 cases per 100,000 per week; Chippewa County with 217; and Lincoln County with 196. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week. Adding the most new cases overall were Milwaukee County, with 972 cases; Dane County, with 781 cases; and Waukesha County, with 368. Weekly case counts rose in 16 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Chippewa, Columbia and Oconto counties. In Wisconsin, 43 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 30 people were reported dead. A total of 1,866,634 people in Wisconsin have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 15,263 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,397,885 people have tested positive and 1,059,605 people have died. >> Track coronavirus cases across the United States Wisconsin's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 2. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state: Last week: 735 The week before that: 775 Four weeks ago: 849 Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation: Last week: 51,355 The week before that: 53,692 Four weeks ago: 61,434 Hospitals in 17 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 17 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Brown County reported 364 additional COVID-19 cases this week Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty On Monday, September 26, I delivered a video monologue as part of my job as a rotating co-host for The Hill TVs political commentary show, Rising. Id been a weekly guest on the show for three years, and this was my first Radaran op-ed delivered straight to the camera. It was also my last. On September 28, I was fired. In my years as a contributor on the show, there were no complaints about my performance. I had recently begun guest-hosting and even shot a pilot for another show that I had pitched to The Hill TV (the video arm of the D.C.-based political website, The Hill). Rising isor is supposed to bea show where hosts and guests from both the right and the left can say the things that are verboten on other corporate media outlets. On several occasions over my years at Rising, I had criticized Israeli government policy and the corporate medias whitewashing of its mistreatment of Palestiniansboth inside Israel and in the occupied territories. And so I assumed this would be a good, thought-provoking topic when I co-hosted last Monday. Israel Is Sending Robots With Machine Guns to the Gaza Border On each episode of Rising, hosts deliver something called Radarsop-ed monologues delivered straight to the camera. As noted by former Rising co-host Ryan Grim, who estimated he read over 150 Radars, there is no editorial process. No higher-ups tweak the copy or veto the topic. The host writes the script, its uploaded to a teleprompter, and read in front of a camera. Thats the routine. I focused my Monday Radar on the vicious attacks leveled against Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib for labeling Israelis policies as apartheid, and for calling out the moral contradiction among people claiming to be progressive except when it comes to Palestine. I used a clip of Jake Tapper speaking on CNN as a jumping off point. Tapper opened his segment by saying Tlaib was facing criticism today for what several of her Jewish colleagues have deemed antisemitic comments. Tapper then cut to a video clip of Tlaibs remarks at an online event organized by Justice in Palestine Action, in which she said: I want you all to know that among progressives it has become clear that you cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israels apartheid government. And we will continue to push back and not accept this idea that you can be progressive except for Palestine. Story continues Tapper responded: The CEO of the Anti Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, slammed the comments, saying that Israel does not have an apartheid government and said she should not be imposing a litmus test, tweeting that Tlaib tells American Jews that they need to pass an anti-Zionist litmus test to participate in progressive spaces. Some of Tlaibs Jewish colleagues agreed. Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz called her comments outrageous and nothing short of antisemitic. Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Jemal Countess/Getty This was not the first time that Tapper insinuated that Tlaib is an antisemite and extremist. In fact, he has faced allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian bias, which prompted #cancelTapper hashtags and protests at CNNs headquarters. I decided it was time to voice my own protest. My monologue made the case that Israel is, indeed, an apartheid state, drawing on many different sources and authorities: the UN, the International Criminal Court, Israeli law, human rights organizations (including Israels own Btselem), several Israeli politicians (including former prime ministers), and South Africas Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Minister for International Relations Naledi Pandor. I also laid out my relationship to the issue: I was born in New York City. My great grandparents were from Eastern Europe. I could move to Israel today, buy a house, get a job, travel around with no problem. So could Jake Tapper and Jonathan Greenblatt. But a Palestinian like Rashida Tlaib cant even visit her family home in what is now Israel. Rashida Tlaib Reignites Dem Family Feud Over Israel Rising recorded my monologue, and my work co-hosting that days show was done. But as I was leaving the office I got a call from a producer who wanted me to hear it from her that my monologue would not be posted on The Hill TVs YouTube channel. Higher-ups (at The Hill and/or its corporate parent, Nexstar) had seen it and decided not to run it. Apparently there was a new policy in placeof which the producer had not been informedagainst opinion pieces on Israel, either written or filmed. Over the next few days, I urged the producers to convince Nexstar/The Hills executives to publish the video. We also discussed the possibility of releasing the Radar along with a discussion between me and someone else with an opposing view. Another producer told me she was cautiously optimistic that we would be able to reach some kind of compromise that brought in a countering voice. Later, I received a call from The Hills editor-in-chief, Bob Cusack, saying they were not going to run the monologue. My Radar now killed, I asked the producers if I could cover the controversy on my weekly segment, which I was scheduled to present the next morning. I was told to check my email. An executive at Nexstar Media had written to inform me that they would not be needing [me] to appear on Rising. But she generously encouraged me to feel free to submit any unpaid invoices and even graciously wished me all the best. For three years, I looked forward to my weekly appearance on Rising. I enjoyed choosing the stories, discussing and debating them with the hosts, and, whenever possible, using humor to engage people with difficult subjects. I was grateful to work on a show that let me talk about Palestine, Latin America, the labor movement, corporate censorship, free speech, and neo-McCarthyism. My segments won a large audience, and the feedback on my hosting was overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastica real accomplishment in the normally toxic YouTube comments section. I had even filmed a pilot for a show that I had pitched to The Hill, which the producers were excited about and which was widely viewed. For three years, Rising and I worked well together. But after three days of back and forth, the bosses decided they were done with me. How are you supposed to feel when youre canceled and fired? People in power attempting to put you in your place, disposing of you? Initially, I felt diminished. Hurt, even. D.C. Insider Rags Star Conspiracy Theorist Abruptly Exits But then I considered my company: Marc Lamont Hill, who was fired by CNN as a contributor after he called for a free Palestine from the river to the sea during a speech at the UN. Angela Davis, whose award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute was revoked over her support of the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement (BDS). Political scientist (and son of Holocaust survivors) Norman Finkelstein, whose tenure was denied and reputation was tarnished by DePaul University over his criticism of Israel. Historian Juan Cole, who was blackballed and rejected over his criticism of Israel by Yale Universitys Department of History. Journalist Nathan Robinson, who was fired as a Guardian columnist after sarcastically joking about U.S. aid to Israel. Journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin, who was banned from speaking at the University of Georgia after refusing to sign a pledge vowing to not participate in the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement. Scholar Steven Salaita, who was fired by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign over disrespectful tweets he published from his personal Twitter account criticizing Israels strikes on Gaza in 2014, which killed over 500 children. The good news is Salaita won a settlement against the university. The bad news is that hes been unable to find another academic job and, as of 2019, was supporting himself as a bus driver. Dont Stop Using the Term Cancel Culture Ive been incredibly fortunate to have been showered with an outpouring of support. After having been censored by a corporate media company which merely masqueraded as a brave and risk-taking outlet, I turned to an actually independent, brave, and risk-taking media organization, Breakthrough News. And we re-produced the video of the monologue I had originally recorded for Rising. Rashida Tlaib, Roger Waters, Susan Sarandon, countless journalists, and supporters have tweeted, emailed, left comments expressing support and solidarity, emailed The Hill to complain, and unsubscribed from The Hill TVs channel. The story has received media attention from people like ex-Rising host Ryan Grim, who broke the story at The Intercept, Branko Marcetic, who wrote in Jacobin about the possible troubling motives behind Nexstar Medias censorship of criticism of Israelas well as sites such as Mondoweiss, Common Dreams, Scheer Post, and more. Israeli soldiers prevent Palestinians from passing after blocking the road during a military operation. Nasser Ishtayeh/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty You know who I havent heard from? Bari Weiss, Ben Shapiro, Jordan Peterson and many of the other self-professed champions of free speech and open debate, who decry cancel culture but speak out against it very selectively. Thats OK. I can move on. Ehren is fil teierer far gelt. There is more work to be done. In the last year, several Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces. The prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is perhaps the best-known example, which the Israeli government initially tried to cover up. But shes not the only one. Ghufran Harun Warasneh was shot on her way to work and Yousef Abu Hussein was killed in an airstrike last year in his Gaza home. The stories of these murdered journalists, and the future stories they did not live to report on, still need to be told. Censorship and cancellation and firings have a chilling effectthats their purpose. We can find our own purpose in fighting back. What happened to me doesnt compare to what has happened to Palestinian journalists. But knowing what they face makes me all the more determined to speak out. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A California condor spreads its wings in this file photo from the San Diego Zoo's breeding operation. Chris Parrish, the CEO and president of the nonprofit Peregrine Fund, stands in front of a towering red rock backdrop. Shielded by his khaki-colored cowboy hat and wraparound sunglasses, his boots lightly dusted in Mars-like sandstone, he grips a microphone in his left hand and greets a crowd where usually there wouldn't be one. Opposite Parrish, hundreds of eager bird watchers, conservationists and volunteers create their own gallery seating for what's to come. They sit low to the dusty ground on Tommy Bahama folding chairs, guarded by umbrellas and bucket hats to protect them from the intense September sun that beats all the way down into the canyon. Spectators waited in the sun near Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona for a chance to see five captive-bred California condors take flight for the first time. They point their telephoto lenses and viewing scopes to the top of the cliff for a chance to see the endangered California condor, a bird that disappeared from the wild and nearly went extinct. The spectators had traveled great distances for a chance to view these massive birds take off. Cars idle in a parade of vehicles leading up to the viewing site along a drawn-out dirt road, the license plates tracing them back to Oregon, Missouri, Florida. Parrish acts as a grand marshal of sorts for what will be the 27th California condor release on the Colorado Plateau, north of the Grand Canyon. Here we are again, he says, his voice projecting across the flat field at the release viewing area, about 16 miles south of the Arizona-Utah state line. Over a quarter century of reintroducing these birds to their historic lands. Cars line the entrance to the condor viewing site at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, where five California condors were released into the wild. On top of the towering red cliff, in a chain-link release pen, sit five young California condors who were bred in captivity and have never been in the wild. Three adult wild condors have taken an interest in what's happening. Social creatures by nature, the adults perch on top of the pen waiting for the new recruits to spread their wings and join the wild-and-free club. A human joins the condors up top. Tim Hauck is the California condor reintroduction program director, and he communicates to Parish and other Peregrine Fund biologists down below via walkie-talkie. Story continues A California condor spreads its wings, one of the largest wingspans of any North American bird, in this file photo from the San Diego Zoo's captive breeding program. I think were ready Tim, says Parish. Copy that, Haucks voice is relayed down. Here we go. Recovery plans established Chris Parrish, of The Peregrine Fund, greets the crowd at the 27th annual public California Condor release. Releases at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument began in 1995, but efforts to restore the condors population date back to 1975, when the first recovery plan was formed by U.S Fish and Wildlife Service. Questions about the viability of recovery were initially raised because there were so few remaining birds in the wild. We had so many questions with so few birds, Parrish said. Will there be enough genetic diversity to see if they can have a viable population? Known as thunderbirds, the California condor is the largest land bird in North America. Their wingspan can exceed 9.5 feet and they can reach speeds of up to 55 mph. A distinct-looking creature, they can be distinguished from other vultures not only by size but by a triangular white patch under their black wings. White markings on its wings make the California condor more identifiable in the wild, as shown in this file photo from the San Diego Zoo's captive breeding program. They once soared in the thousands across the western U.S and Mexico. Fossil records indicate that the birds once inhabited areas as far east as present-day New York and Florida. But by the mid-20th century, their range was significantly reduced as more people moved west. There are many theories and hypotheses as to why the birds had declined, Parrish said. Some say it was human encroachment. Theres that little town called Los Angles near their historic range where they were last found. Known as nature's cleanup crew, condors get their nutrients by feasting on dead animal carcasses, snacking on everything from beached whales to field mice. A hardy and effective immune system protects the birds from any bacteria found on the carrion. A California condor soars over crowds near Horseshoe Bend in northern Arizona. Five young condors were released at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. It was the use of lead ammunition by hunters that proved deadly to many of the birds. On impact, lead ammunition losses a portion of its weight, spreading toxic fragments along the wound channel and throughout the body of the target. Fragments of lead remain in the carcass and in the discarded guts pile. When the scavenging birds come in to feed, they ingest the lead, resulting in a fatal feast. Ron Webb is the lead wildlife care specialist at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. He has led the California condor program there for two years but has worked with the birds for 24 years. He tells the story of a time-lapse photo from a field camera at a site where 31 condors could be counted in a single frame feeding off one carcass. At the time there were only 89 condors flying free in the whole state of California. Thankfully, he said, the carcass was free of lead. A third of the state's California condor population were feeding off this one carcass, he said. If that one carcass had lead in it you arent just affecting one bird. Efforts prove successful at San Diego Wild Safari Park By 1982 only 22 California condors remained in the wild. As part of the recovery plan, biologists set out to capture all remaining birds. On Easter Sunday 1987, the final wild condor was brought in. With no condors left in the wild, breeding programs were set up at the Los Angeles Zoo and San Diego Wild Safari Park. Young California condors are shown in this file photo from the San Diego Zoo's captive breeding program. Currently, there are 34 condors at the San Diego location, including chicks, release candidates (birds that will be released into the wild, like the five at the Vermilion Cliffs), and breeding pairs. Birds are bred there, and eggs are hatched on site. After five months, about the time a bird would typically leave the nest in the wild, the young condors are moved to a facility about a mile away from the park. Because we have to remove them from mom and dad to make room for the next breeding season, Webb says. We have adult birds take over that parenting role. Condors typically only reproduce once every other year, which results in a slow reproduction rate for the species. A slow reproduction rate usually is balanced out by a slow mortality rate, which would occur in nature, because condors have a lifespan of over 60 years. Normally that works out fine as long as the mortality rate stays at a natural rate too, Webb said. What caused the decline over time is that mortality rate was artificially elevated as (human) population increased in the West, and we brought guns and ammunition. Biologist from The Peregrine Fund watch newly introduced California condors from viewing scopes. They will watch the birds until sundown to make sure they are safe from predators. Breeding and care specialists needed a way to increase the yield of the eggs to speed recovery efforts and combat ramped-up mortality caused by lead ammunition. They found success in a method called double clutching, where an egg is removed from the nest to encourage the female to lay another egg. Double clutching is a process that would happen in the wild if the female lost her egg, he said. When the egg is taken from the nest, the bird experiences egg loss. Webb compares it to a miscarriage in a mammal. The egg acts as an embryo in the uterus, he said. Once that egg is lost it simulates the loss of an embryo in a mammal and she will get back in a cycle. About a month after the egg is removed from the nest, the cycle repeats and a new egg is laid. Early in the program, some females were triple clutched to speed up reproduction rates. Population soars to new highs Birds for the reintroduction program are bred at four captive breeding facilities across the West: the Los Angeles Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, the Oregon Zoo and the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho. Newly introduced California condors circle at Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona. USFWS recommends where the birds will go after a year and a half at these facilities. Biologists look at representation across the entire population for the birds that are in managed care as well as which birds are living at which release sites. Birds are given a studbook number at hatching and a tag number to help identify them in the wild. The birds will be tracked for the remainder of their life. The public can track the birds anytime as well at Condorspotter.com Currently, the five release sites are Big Sur, Pinnacles National Park, Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge, all located in California, Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, as well as one release site in Baja California. The condors are shipped from the facilities to the reintroduction location. There, the releases are watched by spectators on the ground and live streamed by thousands of bird enthusiasts around the world. The first reintroduction occurred in 1992 in Southern California. A California condor soars near Horseshoe Bend in northern Arizona. By 2003, condor No. 305 made history as the first California condor born in the wild post-reintroduction. And in 2008 the project reached a milestone, for the first time more condors were flying free in the wild than remained in captivity. Today, there are more than 500 of these massive birds living in both captivity and the wild. More than half of those are flying free over California, Arizona, Utah and Baja California. But the biggest threat that has plagued the fate of these birds over the past century and a half, remains an issue to be confronted. About 50 percent of all wild condor deaths recorded between 1992 and 2020 were caused by lead poisoning. Its disappointing because its an issue that is completely controllable by humans, but it seems to be the hardest part of the program, Webb said. In 2019, California became the first state to ban hunting with leaded bullets. Health officials say no safe exposure levels exist for lead. No such law banning or monitoring lead ammunition have been enacted in Utah, Arizona or Mexico. But there is forward progress, Webb said. Theres a lot of good organizations out there working with a lot of good people trying to affect change. 'This is kind of a big deal' Back at the foot of the cliffs, on the sunny September Saturday, Parrish praises the collaborative nature of the breeding and reintroduction program. All the damages we as humans do," he said. We also do some pretty amazing things together. Tim Hauck, California Condor Reintroduction Field Manager, wears a hat from the Peregrine Fund, which has been instrumental in the release of captive-bred condors in northern Arizona. On the cliff above, Hauck supervises as one of the biologists opens the two doors on the release pen, one on top and one in the front to allow the birds the easiest way to enter their new home. This is kind of a big deal, Hauck said. This is bolstering the condor population. It goes up hopefully today by five individuals. Condor 1084 (5A) claps her wings and immediately takes flight once the pen doors swing open. The quick departure surprises Hauck as well as those on the ground. Sometimes the birds will sit in the pen for more than an hour after the doors open. The remaining four birds slowly follow the first brave condor. One by one, testing the strength of their wings like a ballplayer in the on-deck circle, they take flight through the square opening and leave the cliff, like their ancestors once did without the help of humans. Biologists from the Peregrine Fund watch from viewing scopes on the ground. Lined up in purple shirts and Fund ball caps, they will observe the birds until sundown to make sure they do not land in vulnerable areas where predation by coyotes will be a threat. Newly introduced California condors circle at Vermilion Cliffs in northern Arizona after they were released into the wild for the first time. After just 31 minutes, the fifth and final bird, condor 1080 (A0) spreads his wings and enters the unknown landscape ahead. He soars with the other newest residents of the rugged canyon country, circling the cliffs and batting their black and white wings in a display of strength and resiliency. Now 114 California Condors call this place home. Jake Frederico covers environment issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to jake.frederico@arizonarepublic.com. Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Support environmental journalism in Arizona. Subscribe to azcentral today. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Condor population is recovering, but lead ammo remains a threat Texas Department of Public Safety logo Two Texas Panhandle area first responders died in a crash Tuesday night, according to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) released Wednesday morning. "It is with hearts full of sadness and grief, that we inform you, last night DVFD lost 2 of our own in a vehicle accident," the Dalhart Volunteer Fire Department said in a Facebook post. "While returning to station from a call earlier in the night, Firefighter Brendan Torres and Fire Chief Curtis Brown were involved in a motor vehicle accident with a semi. Chief Brown and Firefighter Torres were pronounced at the scene. As more information becomes available of funeral services, we will release that information. Please give the families, Firefighters, and their families space and time as figure out how to move forward." The DPS statement says that on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at approximately 8:40 p.m., DPS troopers responded to a head-on collision involving a Dalhart Volunteer Fire Department vehicle (Chevrolet Tahoe) and a truck tractor towing a semi-trailer on US 54, northeast of Dalhart in Dallam County. More:Amarillo Civic Center trial starts: 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark' The preliminary investigation indicates the truck tractor towing the semi-trailer was traveling northeast and the Chevrolet Tahoe was traveling southwest, when the driver of the truck tractor attempted to pass an unknown vehicle and struck the Chevrolet Tahoe head-on. The two Dalhart firefighters inside the Tahoe died. The driver of the truck tractor was taken to a hospital in Dalhart with unknown injuries. More:City of Amarillo: Road improvement project to impact traffic on Port Lane The investigation is ongoing, and an official report about the crash is forthcoming. This is a developing story; more information will be released as it becomes available. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: DPS: 2 Dalhart firefighters killed in head-on crash on US 54 Dr. Anthony Fauci believes that he shouldve been much more careful in his messaging during the initial U.S. COVID-19 outbreak, saying that his early statements shouldve repeated the uncertainty of what were going through. When I said, At this particular time, we should not necessarily do anything different, thats when there was, like, five cases in the country, Fauci said. But then I said I kid around about it it was semicolon, However, this could change rapidly and we need to be prepared.' More from Variety Fauci spoke with Washington Post national health reporter Dan Diamond on Oct. 4 at a seminar hosted by the University of Southern Californias Center for Health Journalism. Along with discussing COVID and monkeypox, Fauci recalled the media coverage of his role during the pandemic, and how he was both scrutinized and revered by the public. When I say we should get vaccinated because it saves lives, and someone says no, am I the polarizing figure? Or is the person whos saying something thats completely untrue, creating the polarization? Fauci asked rhetorically. Some people say hydroxychloroquine works its the end-all. I say, theres no data that shows that it works. Am I being politicized? Am I polarizing? I dont think so Im just sticking with the data. Fauci also noted how the media can distort certain messages and make mischief by clipping out a few words. You have to be very careful, he said. It is really unfortunate that thats the world in which we live, in that its a bunch of sound bites sound bites that sometimes get cut in half and get misinterpreted. Fauci will step down from his role in the federal government in December. Although hes not aware of who will be taking over his positions, Fauci stressed the importance of having a public health figure whos a scientist that can advise the public. Story continues There will be another Fauci, he said. Not exactly like me, just like Im not exactly like anybody else. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The claim: Giant human skeletons were found in Ohio A new version of an old hoax has been gaining attention through an Instagram meme. The Sept. 26 reel, which was liked over 40,000 times in two days, claims there are "giant human caucasian skeletons in Ohio that predate any known civilizations." This isn't the first time a claim like this has spread on social media, or in history. False claims of giant skeletons have circulated since at least 1845, the Columbus Dispatch reported. In December 2014, a satirical news site called the World News Daily Report wrote an article about the Smithsonian destroying giant skeletons that spurred confusion online. The latest claim is also wrong. Mark Hubbe, an anthropology professor at Ohio State University, said there is no evidence of giant skeletons in Ohio. USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Ohio anthropologists said the claim is baseless Hubbe said he is confident the most recent claim "is not based on any real findings." W. Scott McGraw, the chair of Ohio State's anthropology department, agreed. While he said there are "lots of wonderful stories about this kind of thing," they were just that stories. "It would be great if there were giants!" he said. However, so far it has just been "creativity and imagination." But at least one user who shared the post insists the giant skeletons are real. The Instagram user @jesuschristrebornonceagain pointed USA TODAY to "The Book of Enoch," an ancient Hebrew text, as proof that such giants existed. The version of the book the user provided does mention giants, but it makes no connection to North America as the post the user shared does. Our rating: False Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that giant human skeletons were found in Ohio. Ohio anthropologists confirmed there is no evidence of this. Story continues Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim giant human skeletons were discovered in Ohio Photo credit: Oprah Daily Brandon Taylors 2020 debut novel, Real Life, was a finalist for the prestigious Booker Prize, and hailed as one of the best books of that year. His highly anticipated second novelalso in large part a campus novel involving characters who attend the Iowa Writers Workshop (from which Taylor earned his MFA IRL)will be released in May 2023 by Riverhead. It is a gorgeously written novel of youths promise, of the quest to find ones tribe and ones calling. Oprah Daily has the exclusive cover reveal. We asked Taylor why he and his publisher chose the image they did for the books cover, a painting by artist Logan T. Sibrel titled Chin Smooch. He told OD Books VP Leigh Haber, For me, it captures a real sense of intimacy and warmth. Taylor added that whats depicted could be a kiss, it could be CPR. It could be this man is sleeping. I love that there can be all these different interpretations of what appears to be a familiar tender scene. That feels very much in step with the novel to me. Iowa City is ground zero for this cast of lovers and friends in the process of launching their adult lives, grappling with questions about whether art is rooted in trauma, or if giving up a career in dance to become an investment banker is selling out. Erudite, intimate, hilarious, poignant, the novel is also an exploration of class, gender, and racial divisions. In its press materials, the publisher describes The Late Americans as a novel of intimacy and precarity, friendship and chosen family. Taylor told us that he himself chose the usage of precarity because it sums up where each of the characters are: all on the brink in some crucial way, whether spiritually, psychically, career-wise, or economically. Taylor, who is also author of the 2021 story collection Filthy Animals, is a kind of latter-day Renaissance man. He was studying for his doctorate in biochemistry before deciding to enroll in Iowas writing program. Hes a longtime fan of ballet, and has written before of the dance world. There are many art and literary references sprinkled throughout The Late Americans. He curates a viral newsletter called Sweater Weather, in which, for one, he professes his love for writers such as Mavis Gallant and Jane Austen, and in the latter case, accuses the creators of the recent Netflix screen adaptation of Austens Persuasion to be perpetrators of a hate crime. Some might say hes a provocateur. Story continues In his fiction, though, what Taylor is drawn to is the excavation of the tiny microstructures of social interaction. About that he says: I always say that I was raised by wolves, where my family didnt do a lot in terms of socializing me. When I entered school, and later college, other people seemed to know instinctively how to make friends or how to be in intimate situations, whereas I had no idea. That may be why Ive always been very curious about what people say to each other after a fight, or just before sex, or when theyre about to kiss someone. As a writer, Im curious about all the weird silences that occur in our daily interactions with other humans. Im always trying to dig into those moments and find a language for them. You Might Also Like Google will pay Arizona $85 million to settle a 2020 lawsuit, which claimed that the search giant was illegally tracking Android users, Bloomberg reports. At the time, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich argued that Google continued to track users for targeted advertising, even after they turned off location data settings. If this sounds familiar, it's because Google is also being sued by attorneys general in Texas, Washington, D.C., and Indiana over similar data tracking complaints. Brnovich's office also notes that the $85 million settlement is the largest amount Google has paid per user in a privacy lawsuit like this. But given that Google is currently seeing quarterly revenue over $69 billion, the punishment may seem like a drop in the bucket. It's nothing compared to the $1.7 billion Google was fined by the EU over abusive advertising practices. In a statement, Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said the suit was related to older product policies that have been changed. We provide straightforward controls and auto delete options for location data, and are always working to minimize the data we collect, he said. We are pleased to have this matter resolved and will continue to focus our attention on providing useful products for our users. Brnovich, meanwhile, says he's proud of this historic settlement that proves no entity, not even big tech companies, is above the law." Parris Island Climate Change (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) A Republican political action committee had to pull a television advertisement promoting Minnesota congressional candidate Tyler Kistner after a veterans group pointed out that the ad falsely claimed he was a combat veteran. According to the non-profit news site Minnesota Reformer, the Congressional Leadership Fund advertisement described Mr Kistner as having served four combat deployments. It aired on local television stations and streaming services for just one day before the veterans group VoteVets which has endorsed Mr Kistners opponent, Representative Angie Craig asked for the ad to be taken down. The Reformer noted that Mr Kistners overseas tours as a member of the US Marine Corps were served in non-combat areas, including Japan and Korea, while the super PAC said the ad had been taken down by the time VoteVets asked for it to be removed. Mr Kistner is attempting to unseat Ms Craig two years after losing to her by two per cent in the 2020 general election. His military service was an issue during that race as well, with Mr Kistner resisting the release of his discharge paperwork before it was disclosed to a local newspaper. During his prior race against Ms Craig, Mr Kistner repeatedly claimed to have personally seen combat, making such statements as Ive been in fights, Ive been in combat. I know exactly what its gonna take during a primary candidate forum. A film about a pro-war man from New York City bringing a bunch of beers to his buddies fighting in Vietnamsounds like a clickbait video I'd find somewhere in the depths of YouTube at 3 a.m. The thing is, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is actually a true story, and the result is about a million times greater than anything I could've ever predicted going into this film. Initially set in the neighborhood of 1967 Inwood in New York City, Zac Efron plays John "Chickie" Donohue, a merchant marine who spends half of his time sleeping and the other half getting drunk with his friends at the local bar. A classic don't-question-authority type of guy, Chickie firmly believes that the war effort in Vietnam is justifiedand that everyone else probably feels the same way. Though when he wanders past an anti-war protest in a local park and finds his sister there, it spurs him to make a lofty decision: to travel to Vietnam and show his friends and the other troops that the American people are still behind them. Oh, and to hand-deliver some American beer right into their hands. He's also traveling there almost to prove something to the nay-sayers: that the Vietnam War isn't just a bunch of uncontrolled chaos with zero direction. But there's something else going on here: he's attempting to prove himself right, a last-ditch act of consolation shielded by a veneer of American beer, a symbol of the almighty American Dream in and of itself. Image credit: AppleTV+ As for the acting alone, Efron's New York accent felt a little forced and out of place at times, though despite that, he was an absolute charm to watch back on screen again, with his performance solidly showcasing a person's slow metamorphosis over time. Russell Crowe portrays Arthur Coates, a seasoned war photographer whose initial feelings about Chickie are just about the same as ours': that he's blind to what's really occurring in Vietnam and is simply trying to gloss everything over with a duffle bag full of PBRs. Story continues Once the two are suddenly thrown together into the real throes of combat on the streets of Vietnam, Chickie gets a full, unvarnished look at the war from the camera lens of Coates, whom he's following around while trying to avoid incoming gunfire. "That's what war is, Chick," Coates says. "It's one giant crime scene." Image credit: AppleTV+ There's practically a limitless amount of hard truths that none of us want to hear as we muddle through life, and in every way, that's at the core of The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Most of the time, shielding yourself from reality is the easiest thing to doto throw distraction after distraction at yourself in order to not be emotionally destroyed. But it's the act of simple acceptance that proves to be the toughest of all, and it's something that takes Chickie quite a bit of time to come to terms with. "Bringing my buddies in Vietnam some beer" is a lot easier to swallow than having to arrive at the hard truth that cheering your friends on to enlist in the army and "fight for peace" isn't such a black-and-white decision to makeor yours to encourage. "The chaos over there isn't under control," Chickie says to his friends back home after returning from Vietnam. "It's not under control at all. Look, I know our grand-dads and our dadsthey went over to Europe to save the world. And I would put today's guys up there any day. But I'm not so sure we're saving the world this time." Paradiso_photo_bar4 - Credit: @arnaundu A lavish speakeasy tucked into the back of a pastrami shop in Barcelona has taken home the title of The Worlds Best Bar of 2022. Paradiso, located in Barcelonas trendy El Born district, topped the annual Worlds 50 Best Bars list this year, with judges praising its outlandishly inventive cocktail program, sustainable ethos, work in the global bar community and brilliant sense of fun. More from Rolling Stone More than 26 cities are represented on this years Best Bars list with Paradiso claiming the top spot for the first time. This is also the first time the title of Worlds Best Bar has been bestowed on a bar outside of New York or London. Still, both cities are well-represented on the 2022 list. Londons Tayer + Elementary comes in at the number two spot, while Connaught Bar places eighth. New York places six entries on the Top 50 list, meantime, led by the Lower East Sides Double Chicken Please at number six, and the Greenwich Village hotspot Katana Kitten rising one place to number nine. New Yorks Double Chicken Please Double Chicken Please was also awarded the Disaronno Highest New Entry award for its Worlds Best Bars debut. Worth noting: both bars are Asian-owned and operated. Further proof of Asias emergence on the cocktail scene: Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong each have two bars on this years list, with Singapores Jigger & Pony (number 12) named The Best Bar in Asia. New Delhis Sidecar rises 21 places to number 26, after its debut last year, when it became the first Indian entry since 2010. Bar Benfiddich in Tokyo rounds out the Asian honorees, coming in at number 48. The Top Ten though is dominated by mainstays, like Sips in Barcelona, Licoreria Limantour in Mexico City and Little Red Door in Paris leading the pack after Paradiso. Story continues Singapores Jigger & Pony This is the 14th edition of the Worlds 50 Best Bars list, which honors the bartenders, bar owners and brands at the forefront of the international cocktail scene. The list is chosen by an Academy of more than 650 drinks experts, renowned bartenders, consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists from around the world. In a press release, Worlds 50 Best Bars content director Mark Sansom offered his heartfelt congratulations to the bars on the list, adding that his team is delighted to once again be able to showcase the incredible diversity of the global bar sector, from grand hotel bars and dive bars to neighborhood speakeasies and stunning rooftop spaces. Here is the full list of establishments that made this years Worlds 50 Best Bars list. Ranking Establishment City 1 Paradiso Barcelona 2 Tayer + Elementary London 3 Sips Barcelona 4 Licoreria Limantour Mexico City 5 Little Red Door Paris 6 Double Chicken Please New York 7 Two Schmucks Barcelona 8 Connaught Bar London 9 Katana Kitten New York 10 Alquimico Cartagena 11 Handshake Speakeasy Mexico City 12 Jigger & Pony Singapore 13 Hanky Panky Mexico City 14 BKK Social Club Bangkok 15 Salmon Guru Madrid 16 Drink Kong Rome 17 Coa Hong Kong 18 Floreria Atlantico Buenos Aires 19 The Clumsies Athens 20 Baba au Rum Athens 21 Cafe La Trova Miami 22 Attaboy New York 23 Satans Whiskers London 24 Tropic City Bangkok 25 Kumiko Chicago 26 Sidecar New Delhi 27 Tres Monos Buenos Aires 28 Argo Hong Kong 29 Maybe Sammy Sydney 30 Swift London 31 Line Athens 32 Baltra Bar Mexico City 33 Manhattan Singapore 34 Overstory New York 35 1930 Milan 36 Dante New York 37 A Bar with Shapes for a Name London 38 Zuma Dubai 39 Locale Firenze Florence 40 Red Frog Lisbon 41 Cantina OK! Sydney 42 CoChinChina Buenos Aires 43 Himkok Oslo 44 Carnaval Lima 45 Galaxy Bar Dubai 46 LAntiquario Naples 47 Employees Only New York 48 Bar Benfiddich Tokyo 49 Lucys Flower Shop Stockholm 50 Bulgari Bar Dubai Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. A typical Terrebonne Parish home listed for $269,900 in September, down 3% from the previous month's $278,250, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. The median list home price in September was up about 16.9% from September 2021. Terrebonne Parish's median home was 2,736 square feet for a listed price of $100 per square foot. The Terrebonne Parish market was tepid, with a median 79 days on market. A month earlier, homes had a median 66 days on market. The market added 92 new home listings in September, compared with the 24 added in September 2021. The market ended the month with some 220 listings of homes for sale. The median home prices issued by Realtor.com may exclude much, or even most, of a market's homes. The price and volume represent only homes that are single-family homes, condominiums or townhomes. They include existing homes, but exclude most new construction as well as pending and contingent sales. Information on your local housing market is available through the USA TODAY Network and houmatoday.com, with more data from Realtor.com. More local news:How is school going after Hurricane Ida? We asked these local students to explain. Fairs, food and fun: 4 things to do this weekend in Terrebonne and Lafourche Across the Houma-Thibodaux metro area, comprised of Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, median home prices fell to $259,750, down 4.1% from a month earlier. The median home had 2,653 square feet, at a list price of $99 per square foot. Across all of Louisiana, median home prices were $284,950, falling 0.5% from a month earlier. The median Louisiana home for sale had 1,905 square feet at list price of $148 per square foot. Across the United States, median home prices were $427,250, down 1.3% from a month earlier. The median American home for sale had 1,875 square feet, listed at $220 per square foot. The median home list price the midway point of all the houses or units listed over a period of time is used more often in this report instead of the average home list price because experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market. In finding the average price, all prices of homes listed are added and then divided by the number of homes sold. This measure can be skewed by one low or high price. The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the Realtor.com residential listings database. The story was written by Mike Stucka and Sean Lahman. This article originally appeared on The Courier: Houma area homes for sale drop to $269,900 median price Kim Kardashian launched a new podcast, The System, to delve into wrongful convictions. Her first episodes focus on Kevin Keith, who was convicted in 1994 of a triple homicide in Bucyrus, Ohio. Kevin Keith's claims that he is innocent are explored in early episodes of Kim Kardashian's new podcast, "The System," which focuses on wrongful convictions. Keith, 59, was found guilty of three counts of aggravated murder and three counts of attempted murder after a Feb. 13, 1994, shooting at Bucyrus Estates on Marion Road in Bucyrus. Authorities said Keith, who lived in Crestline at the time, opened fire on a group of people in retaliation for a drug arrest he blamed on an informant related to the shooting victims. Three Bucyrus residents were killed in the shooting Marichell Chatman, 24; her daughter Marchae, 4, and Chatman's aunt, Linda Chatman, 39. Marichell Chatman's boyfriend, Rick Warren, and cousins Quanita Reeves, 6, and Quentin Reeves, 4, were wounded. Later that year, a Crawford County jury found Keith guilty and he was sentenced to death, but in September 2010, then-Gov. Ted Strickland commuted Keith's sentence to life without parole. Prosecutor: 'Overwhelming evidence' of guilt Keith has unsuccessfully appealed his sentence many times, a fact noted by Crawford County Prosecutor Matt Crall. In the 28 years since Kevin Keiths conviction in 1994, the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, the Third District Court of Appeals, the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Parole Board, the Federal District Court, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court have reviewed the trial testimony and any purported new evidence and have found 'overwhelming evidence' of Keiths guilt," Crall said in an emailed response to the Telegraph-Forum's request for comment on the podcast. "Because of these findings, no court has found it proper to disturb the unanimous verdict of the jury to whom Mr. Keith was tried. Kevin Keith is the subject of a new podcast by Kim Kardashian that explores wrongful convictions. In June 2017, after Keith's conviction was upheld by an appellate court in Lima, members of the court wrote: "Over the years in his numerous appeals and post-conviction petitions Keith has challenged many aspects of his case and the evidence against him, but one fact remains clear, the evidence against Keith was simply overwhelming." Story continues Kardashian took an interest in Keith's case in July 2019. In the podcast, which streams on Spotify, Kardashian said her success in getting one woman freed inspired her to bring other cases to the public's attention. She said in Keith's case, she spoke with "anyone who would talk to us" on all sides of the issue. Kardashian cites lack of physical evidence In the first 35-minute episode, she cites several factors supporting her position that Keith is innocent: a lack of physical evidence linking Keith to the crime scene; the fact that when the case went to trial in May of that year, none of the jurors were Black, like Keith; and that a report that surfaced years later highlighted another potential suspect. "And that's just scratching the surface," she added. "Maybe from hearing this, someone will come forward," Kardashian said in the first episode. "Maybe just by publicizing this." In July 2019, following Kardashian's initial Tweets regarding the case, shooting victims Quanita and Quentin Reeves told the Mansfield News Journal that the jury got it right. "She just wants to look good," Quentin said. "I want everybody to know what's going on." Both siblings said they have no doubt Keith, whom they already knew, was the shooter. "There was a knock on the door. It was Kevin," Quanita said. "No mask, no gloves. ... We knew him. We greeted him. We said: 'Hi, Kevin.'" Kevin Keith is the subject of a new podcast by Kim Kardashian that explores wrongful convictions. But others have doubts. "Kevin Keith's case should concern anyone who is concerned with the integrity of the system," said Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly, who gave an interview to Kardashian for the podcast. Donnelly said he agreed to the interview "to demonstrate the need to reform the post-conviction process in Ohio for those who claim they are wrongly convicted." "There are a lot of details that haven't been available to the general public," Kardashian said in concluding the first episode. "And that's my goal: To make sure that you can all hear the facts and make your own determination. Because sometimes, our system is not as trustworthy as we're led to believe." Keith remains jailed at the Marion Correctional Institution. He has been in prison since June 1, 1994. This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Kardashian podcast asserts Kevin Keith's innocence in Bucyrus murders Meet Me in the Bathroom Sets Theatrical, Cable Premiere Dates In 2021, Mikkel Eriksen and Tor. E. Hermansen the Norwegian record producers better known as Stargate who made a name for themselves with Mis-Teeqs jam One Night Stand debuted their Los Angeles Academy for Artists & Music Production (LAAMP) in Santa Monica. Like so many other grand ideas conceived that year, LAAMP was born of the mandated lockdowns. More specifically, the pandemic-driven solitude reminded the California-based duo just how integral collaboration is to the music-making process. Five years after their breakthrough 2001 hit, Stargate broke ground by co-writing Ne-Yos So Sick, an unforgettable chart-topping heartbreak single, opening up further opportunities for Eriksen and Hermansen to write and produce for artists like Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Celine Dion, and Beyonce among others. More from Spin: But today, the Trondheim twain is working on dialing in their one-year intensive and immersive music program for artists, producers, and songwriters. While Stagrate may be established, they want to use LAAMP to jumpstart the minds of budding creatives. LAAMP handpicks 45 artists each year for their on-site program where students spend a year taking advantage of 16 studios, a stage, classroom, outdoor dining area, lounge, kitchen and main office. Aside from the physical resources, the program features workshops, live seminars, high-caliber feedback sessions and celebrity mentorship (including names like Charlie XCX and Benny Blanco) that provide incomparable value. Through their partnership with Stand Together Music, LAAMPs incredible year-long program will reach even more students through the expansion of their lower-cost online program and enhanced curriculum helping students use their voice to drive impact on the issues theyre passionate about. LAAMP will also be offering scholarships to talented students who otherwise would not be able to foot the bill. Story continues Stand Together Music is an organization that acts as an extension of companies and programs looking to wield their influence for good. Through funding, operating support, marketing and more, their goal is to assist in quickly scaling the impact that an organization like LAAMP can have. According to the LAAMP founders, the hope of the partnership is to enable diversity to flourish both within the program and the industry as a whole. SPIN IMPACT spoke with Eriksen to learn more about the latest ongoings with the groundbreaking program. SPIN: What can you tell us about LAAMPs new scholarships with the help of Stand Together Music? Mikkel Eriksen: Were now offering scholarships! Stand Together Music is supporting our online expansion and the progression of our program, which ultimately allows us to provide these scholarships. Upon receiving an online scholarship, you would have access to the LAAMP curriculum through your computer. You would receive all of the same content and workshops, because everything is recorded and delivered in super high quality. The content is also published right after the lectures and events, and youll be put into groups in order to collaborate with other online students. Youll also get feedback on your work and access to our follow-up programs. How would interested artists go about applying for them? How do you decide whos granted a scholarship? Its the same process as applying for the program in general. You basically just submit your name, email, and your work or a link to your work. It can be a Spotify playlist, a YouTube clip, or anything that showcases your talent. We dont require any degrees and we dont give any degrees, because thats not really important in our sector. Its purely based on talent and if we think you would benefit from the program. Why did you start LAAMP? We wanted to give back to the next generation of creators, artists, songwriters and producers. We really wanted to build something that we wish we had growing up or while coming up in the industry. Now having run it for a year, we get so much back from doing this. Just being around the young energy and that level of talent has opened doors that we didnt even think about, so were super [grateful] we did this. The other reason for doing it is that we saw that there was nothing else like it. We saw that there was definitely something missing in this sector. How does LAAMP differ from other music institutes? The big differentiator is when you look at conventional colleges even music colleges its typically a four-year program that is incredibly spaced out and involves a lot of theory and history. Those things are really important, but we believe that our model is best if you already know you want to be an artist, producer or writer, because you learn by doing it and collaborating. We find this method far more effective than any other. Where do you see the program in a few years? I hope well have successful artists and producers come out of the academy who are making their mark in the industry. We also really hope to make an impact in the online space, so we can offer this program to as many people as possible who dont necessarily have the resources to attend such a program. Thats why collaborating with organizations like Stand Together Music is so important. They enable everyone to take part in this, find their own voice and develop their skills. Music is the greatest equalizer, because it doesnt really matter where youre from or who your parents are, where you grew up, or how much money you have. When you join with other musicians and artists, everyone is in it together. Its all about what you bring to the table, from your storytelling to your artistry and your ideas. We come from a small, small town in Norway. After a lot of hard work coupled with the right decisions and being around the right people weve now been able to work with some of the best people in the world and make a real impact. We know the benefits and we hope to continue providing them. What are some obstacles LAAMP has experienced thus far? Every time you build something, no matter what it is, its always more expensive and takes longer than you anticipated. So, of course, building everything we have 16 fully-equipped studios with the best gear possible took a little more effort than we thought. But were really proud of how it came out. Another really important obstacle to mention is that we unfortunately dont live in a dream world where every available spot in the school can be free. We require our students to pay tuition, and that can be a big financial undertaking. But, again, thats why were so grateful for partners like Stand Together Music. Considering that these scholarships could help diversify the program, what does industry diversity look like to LAAMP? Its incredibly important to us and to everyone in the program. Music is all about collaboration and being influenced by each other and people from different cultures and backgrounds. Thats why its our priority to facilitate that richness. We want our students to be a picture of the real music industry and the real music world. When you look at the music charts, there should be a ton of diversity there. Thats what were after. What are some other elements youre hoping to incorporate into LAAMP? We realize how important social media is today, so were definitely strengthening our social media presence. Apart from the music itself, social media is going to be our students biggest asset. But it can also be a double-edged sword, so were focusing on doing it right. Were also honing our marketing, content and technical things in the production world. Were trying to make the program interesting for everyone producers, writers and artists alike. Were also going to do a lot more artist showcases. We just did one with Breaking Sound and one at the Peppermint Club, and we definitely want to do something with Stand Together Music. To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here. The post Meet Me in the Bathroom Sets Theatrical, Cable Premiere Dates appeared first on SPIN. In 2010, Tame Impala the brainchild of Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker emerged into the spotlight with the release of Innerspeaker. Parkers debut album made him a sought-after act, garnering the young artist critical acclaim and setting him up for a year of touring in Australia, North America, and Europe. Parker had a lot riding on his follow-up, and fans and critics eagerly awaited his next work. The result was 2012s Lonerism. Listen to Lonerism right now. Its like Britney Spears singing with The Flaming Lips Parker began working on new material from his home studio in Perth almost immediately after the release of Innerspeaker, enjoying the flexibility and time to indulge in sonic exploration. A confident sophomore effort, Lonerism is a grand experiment in psychedelic pop, paired with eloquent, introspective lyricism. Deviating from the guitar-driven material of his earlier work, Parker utilized luscious, layered synths, samples, and ambient sounds recorded on a dictaphone. In a 2012 feature with Under The Radar, Parker described Lonerism as, A combination of nice sugary pop crossed with really f__ked-up, explosive, cosmic music. It's like Britney Spears singing with The Flaming Lips. As the title suggests, Lonerism revolves around themes of isolation and introversion, which makes sense given Parkers sudden rise to indie rock stardom, followed by non-stop touring. The artist also spent nearly two years recording the album, primarily alone, with the exception of two tracks, Apocalypse Dreams and Elephant, which bandmate Jay Watson co-wrote. In an interview with Australian newspaper Whitsunday Times, Parker recalled, We were touring so much and doing all these gigs and going to places with people. It reminded me of when I was a kid trying to be social and trying to be a people person and realizing that I'm not. Lonerism opens with an ASMR fetishists dream: Parker whispering Gotta be above it on a loop, followed by roughly-hewn drum beats (which get increasingly faster and twisted, thanks to digital manipulation). Bursts of dramatic synths build, as Parker offers the listener a peek into his psyche. He sings, I know that I cant let them bring me down/And I gotta bide my time as a face in the crowd. Its a relatable message, whether it harkens back to the first day of school or brings to mind a performer facing the realities of fame for the first time. Story continues Are you too terrified to try your best? From there, the audience is taken on a bouncy, fuzzed-out voyage with Endors Toi and led into the infectious beats of Apocalypse Dream, in which Parker asks, Are you too terrified to try your best? Parkers lyrics might be forlorn, but his dreamy, expansive soundscapes are utterly blissed-out, and, at times, joyous. Distorted melodies wash over the listener like a warm, sunny day on songs like Music To Walk Home By, Why Wont They Talk To Me and Feels Like We Only Go Backwards. Upon its release, on October 5, 2012, Lonerism was embraced both critically and commercially. It was ranked No.1 on several year-end lists and was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, as well as winning Album Of The Year at the Rolling Stone Australia awards. The album debuted at No.34 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum in Australia. Innerspeaker might have made Tame Impala a critical darling, but Lonerism took Parker to the next level. The artist would further develop his sound with 2015s Currents, moving deeper into the world of synth-pop, and embracing elements of disco and funk. Lonerism is a glorious step in the artistic evolution of Tame Impala and stands as a prime example of what a musician can accomplish, given the freedom and time to explore their creativity. Lonerism can be bought here. For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music. uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG. File photo - Shown is an illegal greenhouse containing mature, budding marijuana plants that the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office raided on June 25, 2020. A Siskiyou County man was sentenced Tuesday to nearly six years in prison on marijuana growing charges and for attempting to bribe former Sheriff Jon Lopey. Chi Meng Yang, 36, of Montague, and his sister, Gaosheng Laitinen, 41, of St. Paul, Minnesota, were sentenced Tuesday in connection to a bribery scheme aimed at "protecting" illicit marijuana grows in Siskiyou County from law enforcement, according to U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. Yang was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison. Laitinen was sentenced to time-served and a $50,000 fine. In March of this year, a federal jury convicted Yang of attempting to bribe Lopey, conspiracy to commit bribery and manufacturing more than 100 marijuana plants. Shortly before the trial, Laitinen pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to manufacture marijuana. Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey addresses the Board of Supervisors during a meeting in January of 2017. The attempted bribery happened during a series of meetings between Yang and Lopey, starting in May 2017, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Yang offered to make a series of payments to Lopey, including money for a charity, for his re-election campaign and in cash payments, according to the attorney's office. It started with Yang offering to give the sheriff $1 million toward the charity of his choice, in exchange for Lopey's friendship and his help lobbying to legalize medical marijuana in Missouri, officials said. Unsure what he meant by "friendship," Lopey called the FBI to join in an investigation. Yang told the sheriff he was growing marijuana on 10 plots of land owned by members of his family, despite a county ordinance banning outdoor pot growing, officials said. More: Siskiyou County sheriff, fed and state agents conduct large-scale pot raids Yang offered to pay Lopey $5,000 per parcel for "protection" and another $5,000 per parcel as donations to the sheriff's re-election campaign, officials said. Yang told the sheriff he wanted no enforcement on the properties or the two water trucks that he used to water the marijuana grows, officials said. Story continues The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office in Mount Shasta. The FBI recorded numerous telephone conversations and conducted video recordings between Lopey and Yang, officials said. Yang also met with Lopey in-person seven times. Yang and Laitinen gave the sheriff a list of eight properties and provided Lopey with $8,000 in cash for each of the eight properties. The FBI recorded the transactions on video, officials said. Catch up: Man convicted after attempting to bribe Siskiyou County sheriff $1M over illegal marijuana Yang also asked the sheriff to issue violation notices to other growers in the area so they would join the protection racket, officials said. He also wanted Lopey to "go out there and take care of it" with a rival marijuana grower, officials said. He also asked if Lopey could prevent the California Highway Patrol from enforcing the law against his water trucks. He also "asked for the sheriffs help concerning a family members DUI arrest," officials said. Yang was eventually arrested during a meeting on Aug. 31, 2017, at Lopey's office. After Yang's arrest, state and federal agents raided the eight "protected" properties and eradicated 1,168 plants found in the search, officials said. ICYMI: Raids underway in Siskiyou as 'bold' pot growers begin early harvest Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlights resources and environment reporter. He is part of a team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Siskiyou man sent to prison for trying to bribe former county sheriff Insider trading by members of Congress has been a big problem for a long time. So House Speaker Nancy Pelosis recent decision to block a vote on a bill that restricted stock transactions by politicians threw a gut punch into badly needed ethics reform. Pelosis decision to table the matter and work on it some more also turned into a sucker punch to Virginias 7th District representative, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, and her reelection campaign. Spanberger worked on the stock bill for months. She became one of its most vocal advocates. The bill would have banned members of Congress, their spouses and their dependent children from buying and selling individual stocks while the members served. The two-term Virginia congresswoman knew the bill needed support from both sides of the aisle to pass. She traded on her reputation as one of the most bipartisan members of the House of Representatives to get the bill ready for a vote. She touted her bipartisanship generally and the stock bill specifically in her reelection campaign. Spanbergers efforts set an example to be coveted rather than undermined. Republicans and Democrats willing to work together on critical issues in behalf of their constituents and the country are in desperately short supply in Washington these days. Those who make the effort deserve a pat on the back, not a kick in the butt. Pelosis decision to delay the stock bill vote as the House prepared to adjourn until after the November midterms actually betrays Democrats who hope to keep control of the House. The Speakers action elicited strong, but justified, criticism from Spanberger. This moment marks a failure of House leadership and its yet another example of why I believe that the Democratic Party needs new leaders in the halls of Capitol Hill, as I have long made known, she said in a statement Friday. Rather than bring Members of Congress together who are passionate about this issue, leadership chose to ignore these voices, push them aside, and look for new ways they could string the media and the public along and evade public criticism. As part of their diversionary tactics, the House Administration Committee was tasked with creating a new piece of legislation and they ultimately introduced a kitchen-sink package that they knew would immediately crash upon arrival, with only days remaining before the end of the legislative session and no time to fix it. Spanbergers proven willingness to find common ground with Republicans stands in contrast to what the 7th District is likely to get if Spanbergers Republican challenger, Yesli Vega, prevails. In a campaign that seems tailored to sending negative, angry messages to the most extreme parts of her political base, Vega looks to be channeling her mentor, 5th District Republican Congressman Bob Good. He is a member of the fringe-dwelling Freedom Caucus, where Vega could easily land. Rather than governing, the Freedom Caucus makes hate-filled statements about Democrats, offers mean policy proposals, votes against spending bills that bring money and services to their districts because Democrats offer them, and tell lies about election fraud. Congress and Virginianeeds no more of this kind of extremism on the right or the left. Pelosi spurned Spanberger in the interest of people who want to protect a shady political perk from which too many members of Congress profit. No matter how much they pledge not to trade on it, representatives, senators and their staffs receive near constant briefings on a slew of issues that they must understand to set policy. Lobbyists for industry sectors parade through offices pitching positions that best serve their clients. As they pass, they leave behind knowledge of trends and rumors. By simply doing their jobs correctly, members of Congress access information that helps determine the value of all kinds of stocks. They know before the public does about problems with products. They get hints, if not outright tips, about the likelihood of mergers and acquisitions before the public gets wind of them. It is a built-in, unfair advantage that demands a simple solution. Abigail Spanberger offered that solution. Nancy Pelosi shot it down. It would be the height of poetic justice if the Speaker lost her majority and her job because she did. Election Day is in about a month and involves races for multiple state, local and federal positions, including the New Mexico Attorney General. NEW MEXICO Democrat Raul Torrez of Albuquerque and Republican Jeremy Gay of Gallup will be on the ballot this November to become the state's next attorney general. The state's residents will select the new AG, who prosecutes cases on behalf of New Mexicans as well as serving as chief legal counsel for the states executive branch of government. The Office of the Attorney General also works with the 13 district attorneys offices across the state, to prosecute criminal charges. According to the AG's website, the office is responsible for a budget of about $18 million to $22 million each year via state appropriation. Roughly 200 employees serve the department. Outgoing Attorney General Hector Balderas, a Democrat, has held the position for eight years and is not eligible for reelection. Raul Torrez Torrez is the Democratic challenger in the attorney general race. He currently serves as the Bernalillo County District Attorney, a position he has held since being elected in 2020. He beat his fellow Democratic challenger in the state AG's race, current New Mexico State Auditor Brian S. Colon, in the June primary by over 9,000 votes. Torrez explained that his vision is a dramatic expansion of the litigation capacity of the attorney generals office. His plan includes investing in resources which will allow the office to be more proactive in the protection of consumers, the states natural resources and other investigative and litigious capacities. It's time for the size and scale of the agency to match what I think New Mexicans expect from the top legal officer in the state, Torrez said. Over the last several years we've become fairly reliant on outside counsel to drive and determine which cases are brought on behalf of the state, in part because we don't have adequate resources inside the office to really tackle the authorities and, frankly, the challenges that we've identified over the last 20 or 30 years. Two current programs Torrez highlighted as ones he plans to continue and expand on are, one, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives epidemic, and two, cracking down on organized retail crime. He added that the latter is an area in which the attorney generals office has taken a lead position on addressing. Story continues The crossing of jurisdictional boundaries when it comes to organized retail crime is something that Torrez said the AG office is inherently set to address. The same is true of human trafficking. We have a very serious problem with human trafficking, not only at the border, but especially in and around our major metropolitan areas. We know that there are women and young girls who are trafficked, who are held against their will, and people who, frankly, are not as easily and readily identified. We need to do a lot more in terms of helping to identify those victims and provide more directed law enforcement resources to those issues. As for working with the district attorneys across the state, Torrez emphasized his experience serving as the Bernalillo County DA and the close working relationship he has with each district. The person who holds (the position of AG) is going to have the ability to shape what we hold ourselves out as representing as a community, Torrez said. I think my longstanding ties to southern New Mexico and my understanding of the issues in that part of the state should give people a sense of what my priorities will be as attorney general and they should never have any doubt about my commitment to them and to their families. More information about Torrez's campaign can be found at www.raultorrez.com. Jeremy Gay Gay is the Republican challenger for the attorney generals office and is a resident of Gallup. According to his website, he served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer and judge advocate. He investigated and prosecuted felony criminal offenses while on active duty while also defending service members. He also has experience managing a legal assistance office where he worked to protect service members, veterans and families from consumer fraud. More information about Gay's campaign can be found at www.jeremygay.com. Gay did not respond to multiple interview requests from the Sun-News. Correction: This version states Hector Balderas has been New Mexico attorney general for eight years and is not eligible for reelection. Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on Twitter. More election coverage: This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Raul Torrez on what he would do as New Mexico Attorney General Students attending public universities will soon be eligible for $5,500 a year in scholarships through the Michigan Achievement Scholarship. LANSING In a bi-partisan effort to help students be able to afford the price of college tuition, the Michigan Legislature last week approved a $560 million bill that will give students access to more scholarships through the state. Decided at the final full body meeting before the Nov. 8 election, the senate and house both approved the bill, passing 33-0 in the senate, and 78-26 in the house. According to a press release from Gov. Gretchen Whitmers office, the set of students eligible for the money is the high school class of 2023, who will be able to receive: $2,750 a year if they attend community college $5,500 a year if they attend a public university 4,000 a year if they attend a private college or university Students attending out of state schools are not eligible for scholarships. According to the analysis of the bill, the program is expected to cost the state $170 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year, growing to cost more than $560 million per year for the 2027-28 fiscal year. Qualifications for the scholarship will depend on need, though it is expected that 75 percent of Michigan families will be eligible for the scholarship. Students that will qualify for the scholarships must be from families where the expected family contribution is less than $25,000. The contribution is based on household income and the ability to pay. Determinations for scholarship eligibility will be decided after completing FAFSA. An expected family income is determined by adding a parents contribution, students contribution and the contribution from assets. Expected family contributions are used by schools to determine how much federal aid students are eligible to receive. In Emmet County, the median household income between 2016-2020 was $55,947, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Charlevoix Countys median household income was $60,433 and Cheboygan Countys was $49,642. In Emmet, Charlevoix and Cheboygan counties, the rate of high school graduation is more than 90 percent for all three areas for people over the age of 25. Story continues Subscribe:Learn more about our latest subscription offers That number falls for the number of people with a bachelors degree or higher. Of people aged 25 or older in Emmet County, 34.7 percent have bachelors degrees or higher, with 32.4 percent and 21.8 percent being the rates for Charlevoix and Cheboygan, respectfully. Michigans current financial aid programs help around 60,000 students. With the implementation of the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, that number is expected to double. Contact education reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com or on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Michigan approves budget including millions in college scholarships hurricane Ian Aftermath Port Charlotte Flooded homes are shown after Hurricane Ian moved through the Gulf Coast of Florida on September 29, 2022 in Port Charlotte, Florida. Credit - Win McNameeGetty Images Three days after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 storm, Johnny Aburto arrived in Port Charlotte, a mostly white community of 64,000, popular with retirees, on the states southwestern coast. The town suffered extensive damage during the storm: roofs blown off, homes flooded, power lines downed. There is a lot of work to be done. Aburto, 42, is here to do it. Originally from Nicaragua, he is part of a large, informal, overwhelmingly immigrant workforce that travels the U.S. cleaning up after increasingly frequent climate-related disasters. Once a hurricane hits, these crews are bussed in by contractors desperate for workers, or they drive to the area themselves and wait in Walmart or Home Depot parking lots to be picked up for a days work. Aburto, a skilled laborer, was in New Orleans after Katrina in 2005, Baton Rouge after Louisianas floods in 2016, Panama City Beach after Michael in 2018, and Lake Charles after Laura in 2020. These kinds of events really affect people, he says. We do our bit to help them. In Port Charlotte, Aburto is now busy covering roofs with tarpaulinsa crucial first step to keep homes safe from future rain, so that power can be restored and residents can come back. Hes also cleaning out soaked debris from interiors. When that kind of work is done, he says, many of his colleagues will stay on to make more permanent repairs. Stedi Scuderi looks over her apartment after flood water inundated it when Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. Joe RaedleGetty Images Florida needs people like Aburto. Ian, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S. mainland, was not only deadlywith at least 101 victims recorded so farit was also hugely destructive. With homes torn open and farms devastated, insurance claims are expected to reach close to $60 billion, according to projections from risk modeling firm Verisk. And while Ian also hit South and North Carolina, Florida accounts for virtually all of the U.S. losses. It could be the most expensive storm in the states history, and rebuilding efforts will take months, if not years. Story continues Migrant workers face mixed reception in Florida But these workerswhich include a mix of documented and undocumented migrants, according to labor advocatesface a strange kind of welcome. Floridas Republican governor Ron DeSantis has spent the last year waging a crusade to keep migrants out of the state. DeSantis has championed a law enforcement crackdown on migrants who are in Florida illegally, and staged brazen political stunts using migrants to challenge the Biden administrations relaxation of Trump-era migration policies. More from TIME Read more: See the Devastating Toll of Hurricane Ian in Florida So far, the residents of Charlotte County, which voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump in 2020, are happy to see workers like Aburto showing up to fix their towns. But that may not last, says Daniel Castellanos, a 52-year-old director of workforce engagement at Resilience Force, a labor organization that advocates for disaster clean-up workers. [Port Charlotte] has a lot of older white people, and they dont understand the customs of Latin American people, says Castellanos, who came to the U.S. from Peru. They are accepting us right now because they need us, but later, [as migrants settle in for months or years of work] I think there may be some conflicts. In the wake of the storm, DeSantis has suspended a bitter feud with President Biden, with the pair set to meet on Wednesday as Biden visits towns decimated by Ian. Castellanos says he hopes the governor will offer migrants a similar break from hostilities. We arent in the U.S. to do bad things. We are not against him. Were here to help himto rebuild the cities of his state, he says. It is very important to us to help. But it is also very important to be respected. DeSantis crusade against migrants Over the coming days and weeks, thousands of migrants, originally from places like Central America and Venezuela, will arrive in southwest Floridas hurricane-ravaged towns. Since its staff arrived in the region on Sept. 29, Resilience Force says it has met migrant workers who have traveled from Miami, North Carolina, and Louisiana. On Sunday, the New York Post reported that vans had picked up dozens of migrants in New York City, with one driver saying he was hired by a water and debris company. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit held at the Tampa Convention Center on July 22, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. Joe RaedleGetty Images They are arriving less than three weeks after DeSantis used 48 Venezuelan migrants in a bold effort to draw the national spotlight to migration. On Sept. 14, DeSantis used taxpayer funds to pay for two planes to transport the migrants from San Antonio, Texas, to Marthas Vineyard, Mass., to the surprise of local officials there. The migrants had been recruited to join the flights with false promises of pre-arranged jobs and other assistance. Weve worked on innovative ways to be able to protect the state of Florida from the impact of Bidens border policies, DeSantis said afterwards. Even though these migrants werent anywhere near his state to begin with, he claimed that the scheme meant that the chance that they come to Florida goes down dramatically. Read more: How DeSantis Handles Hurricane Ian Will Shape His Political Future DeSantis flights followed similar moves by the Republican governors of Texas and Arizona, who together have bussed some 10,000 migrants from their states to Washington D.C. since spring. Political analysts say the transportations are an attempt to fire up an anti-immigration Republican base ahead of the 2022 midterms in Novemberwhen DeSantis faces re-election. Migration advocates say the governors actions revealed contempt for some of the most vulnerable people in the country. DeSantis, meanwhile, has pledged to arrange more flights. The Florida governors war on migrants goes deeper than political theater. In June, DeSantis signed a sweeping anti-immigration bill into law. It bans businesses in the state from working with companies that help the federal government to relocate undocumented migrants to Florida. It also forces law enforcement in Florida to collaborate unusually closely with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), deputizing local officers for some ICE tasks. Floridas climate resilience needs Such a hostile environment creates enormous difficulties for migrant workers doing disaster recovery work in Florida, says Saket Soni, a labor organizer who founded Resilience Force in 2015. (The group advocates directly for around 2,000 disaster rebuild workers, helping them to find jobs and avoid exploitation.) In 2018, during clean up efforts in Bay County, Fla. following Hurricane Michael, Soni says undocumented workers were routinely detained and transferred to ICE detention. Others were threatened with a call to ICE by their employers when they demanded payment for work. Workers have to override enormous fears to keep doing this work, Soni says. In this aerial view, a home burns after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 Joe RaedleGetty Images If workers cant override those fears in the future, it could be a problem for Florida. Even before Ian, the states construction industry was facing an acute labor shortage after a surge in activity following the pandemic. Now, demand is exploding, Soni says. We have been fielding constant calls from contractors who need skilled workers. Read more: Why Atlantic Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger Faster Than Other Storms The tension between Floridas post-disaster needs and its hostility to migrants may worsen in future. Scientists say climate change is making super destructive storms like Ian a more likely occurrence. Higher temperatures as a result of global warming allow air to carry more moisture and hurricanes to intensify faster. Rising sea levels, meanwhile, make storm surges worse. DeSantis has been clear that Floridaoften considered the most climate-vulnerable state in the U.S.must do more to prepare for those risks. During his mandate, DeSantis has allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to projects to make Florida more resilient to extreme weather, and appointed a chief resilience officer to oversee them. (At the same time, the governor has aggressively fought efforts to stop climate change from happening in the first place, banning both local governments and investors in Florida from pursuing clean energy goals, arguing that these discriminate against fossil fuel companies.) Soni hopes the post-Ian recovery, which will take years, could help DeSantis to see that his resilience agenda is not aligned with his migration agenda. People form new relationships after tragedies, he says, citing expressions of extraordinary gratitude from homeowners and local officials for immigrant workers in the wake of previous storms. I think this hurricane might make people in Florida, including Governor DeSantis and his circle, change their minds about the place of immigrants in their state. Items on display at previous The One Week Boutique at the Tucker Center. With the fall season upon us, many moms (and dads) are searching for new clothes and gear for children to cozy up. Angela Presley of Panama City is offering them one huge option this weekend. Presley is CEO of The One Week Boutique, which is returning to Tallahassee from Friday, Oct. 7, through Oct. 9 at the Tucker Civic Center. The event is expected to offer over 80,000 gently used items including baby gear, clothing, toys, and home decor priced up to 90% off. Toy store: ToysRUs returns to Tallahassee. Here's what we know. Exhibit: 'Marvelocity': Superhero celebration lands at Gadsden Arts Center Festival: FSU launches Festival of the Creative Arts to celebrate campus innovation The boutique is a large consignment sale held semi-annually at the Tucker Civic Center. As of Monday, over 600 consigners were registered to sell at the event. Angela Presley Its a great place for people to come and bring items, said Presley, who has worked with The One Week Boutique since 2011 and became CEO in 2019. The consigners choose their own pricing and its at super good deals, Presley, the mother of three, told the Tallahassee Democrat. All the families get 60% back in sales. Weekend event is free, but premium tickets available for pre-event sales While the event is free and open to the public Oct. 7-9, there are opportunities to purchase tickets to shop early and get first pick of available items. Items on display at previous The One Week Boutique at the Tucker Civic Center. Shoppers can purchase presale tickets online at theoneweekboutique.com. Presale shopping starts at 3 p.m. on Oct. 5. Tickets are $75. Diamond tickets will sell at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 for $40. Premier tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Oct. 6. for $20. Prime tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Oct. 6. for $10. First responders, veterans, current military, and new parents can shop presale for free. Laura Cochran I saw it on Facebook, and I knew nothing about motherhood so I went the first time just to look, said Laura Cochran, a first-time mom who will be returning to the event to shop for her 1-year-old daughter. Cochran, of Tallahassee, first attended the event in spring 2020 and bought gender-neutral baby clothes. Story continues Sunday is the last day of shopping, and all items are priced at 50% off. Consigners have the option to pick up any unsold items or donate those items to partnering charities. Kara Payne Kara Payne, a local mom, loves the option to donate her unsold items after the sale. "It feels good knowing that you can donate and it's going to another mom, dad or child in need, Payne said. Payne has a 2-year-old son and started shopping the event in 2019 and has consigned twice. This year she plans to consign through the Busy Mom Program Presley offers to ease the process of consigning for moms. "I can compile all my stuff and give it to another mom to tag and put out, Payne, 33, said. The Pregnancy Help and Information Center, 1710 South Gadsden St., has been an ongoing partner with the One Week Boutique and receives various baby items and maternity items from the donations. The PHI Center offers free services and support to pregnant women and young moms. We love the One Week Boutique because its giving back to its community, CEO Patti Tidwell said. Its one organization helping another, and we always welcome that. One Week Boutique, a seasonal consignment sale of gently used baby and children's clothes, toys and more, takes place Oct. 7-9 at the Tucker Civic Center. A chance to network, make a few bucks The event has become a network for mothers to connect, share tips and shop. Many of the staff are mothers who shop and consign with the boutique and share word of it to new mothers and mothers looking for discounted quality items like cribs and strollers. Its a really good place for new parents. I found out about it from other moms, Shakayla Thompson said. Thompson is from Tallahassee and has a 2-year-old son. "The staff was very friendly and helpful since it was my first time, I didn't know what to do. Thompson is revisiting the sale this year as a first-time consigner and plans to sell clothes, toys and shoes for children and adults. Its an opportunity to make a few bucks and whatever we dont sell, we donate, Thompson said. Contact Democrat writer Alaijah Brown at ABrown1@gannett.com and on Twitter at @BrownAlaijah. If you go What: The One Week Boutique When: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 7; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 8; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 9 Where: Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St. Cost to attend: Free Parking cost: Free Contact: questions@theoneweekboutique.com; 850-910-3491; visit theoneweekboutique.com This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: One Week Boutique offers discounts on baby gear, clothes, toys SEOUL, South Korea North Korea conducted its longest-ever weapons test Tuesday, a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that flew over Japan and could reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond, forcing the Japanese government to issue evacuation alerts and halt trains. The South Korean and U.S. militaries responded by launching fighter jets that fired weapons at a target off South Koreas west coast in a show of strength against North Korea. The North Korean missile launch was its most provocative weapons demonstration this year, as it pushes to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies with the goal of wresting concessions from those countries, some experts say. The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Diplomats said it is likely to be held Wednesday, but its not certain whether it will be open or closed. North Korea has test-fired about 40 missiles over about 20 different launch events this year as its leader, Kim Jong Un, refuses to return to nuclear diplomacy with the United States. The United States strongly condemned North Koreas dangerous and reckless decision to launch what it described as a long-range ballistic missile over Japan. The United States will continue its efforts to limit (North Koreas) ability to advance its prohibited ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs, including with allies and U.N. partners, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. South Korea and Japan earlier said the missile had an intermediate or longer range. If the launch involved a long-range missile, it could be a test of a weapon capable of targeting the U.S. homeland, some experts say. The launch is the fifth round of weapons tests by North Korea in the past 10 days. The testing spree is an apparent response to two sets of military drills -- one between Washington and Seoul and the other involving Washington, Seoul and Tokyo -- off the Korean Peninsulas east coast last week. Story continues North Korea regards such drills involving the United States as an invasion rehearsal. It was expected to react strongly this time because both exercises involved a U.S. aircraft carrier, which North Korea views as more provocative. Japanese authorities alerted residents in its northeastern regions to evacuate to shelters, in the first J-alert since 2017 when North Korea fired an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile twice over Japan in a span of weeks during a previous run of weapons tests. Trains were suspended in the Hokkaido and Aomori regions until the government issued a notice that the North Korean missile appeared to have landed in the Pacific. In Sapporo city, the prefectural capital of Japans northernmost main island of Hokkaido, subways were also temporarily halted, with stations packed with morning commuters. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters the launch is a reckless act and I strongly condemn it. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said North Koreas reckless nuclear provocations would meet a stern response from the South and the broader international community. His military separately warned that North Koreas repeated missile launches would deepen its international isolation and prompt Seoul and Washington to bolster their deterrence capacities. Later Tuesday, four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-15s conducted a joint strike drill in which one of the South Korean planes fired two precision-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition bombs into an island target. The exercise was aimed at demonstrating the allies ability to accurately strike North Korean targets with overwhelming force, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said. According to South Korean and Japanese estimates, the North Korean missile fired from its northern province bordering China traveled 4,500-4,600 kilometers (2,800-2,860 miles) at a maximum altitude of 970-1,000 kilometers (600-620 miles). Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said that it landed in the Pacific about 3,200 kilometers (1,990 miles) off the northern Japanese coast and that there were no reports of damage to Japanese aircraft or ships. South Koreas Defense Ministry said the missile flew farther than any other weapon fired by North Korea. Before Tuesdays launch, the 3,700-kilometer (2,300-mile) flight of a Hwasong-12 in 2017 was North Koreas longest. It has previously tested intercontinental ballistic missiles at steep angles so they flew shorter distances to avoid neighboring countries. The missiles flight distance shows it has enough range to hit Guam, home to U.S. military bases that have sent advanced warplanes to the Korean Peninsula in shows of force during past periods of tension with North Korea. In 2017, North Korea threatened to make an enveloping fire near Guam with Hwasong-12 missiles amid rising animosities with the then-Trump administration. North Korea last test-fired a Hwasong-12 missile in January. At the time, it said the launch was meant to verify the overall accuracy of the weapon. Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Koreas Science and Technology Policy Institute, said Tuesdays launch of a suspected Hwasong-12 missile would demonstrate a capacity that truly places Guam within striking distance. He said North Korea likely wanted to confirm the missiles operational capabilities as it is being mass-produced. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Seouls University of North Korean Studies, said North Korea could have tested the Hwasong-12 again, or even an intercontinental ballistic missile, closer to what would be a normal ballistic trajectory but shorter than its full range. If it was an ICBM, the purpose of the launch would be to test whether the warhead could survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry, Kim said. The missiles fired during the past four rounds of launches were short range and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Those missiles are capable of hitting targets in South Korea. Heo Tae-keun, South Koreas deputy minister of national defense policy, told lawmakers Tuesday that North Korea is preparing to test a new liquid-fueled ICBM and a submarine-launched ballistic missile, as well. He said North Korea also maintains a readiness to conduct a nuclear test in what would be its first such bomb detonation in five years and its seventh in total. Last month, North Korea adopted a new law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear weapons in some cases, a move that showed its increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine. Saturday, Yoon warned of a resolute, overwhelming response from South Korean and U.S. militaries if North Korea uses nuclear weapons. Some foreign experts say North Korea needs to master a few remaining technologies to acquire functioning nuclear-armed missiles. Each new test pushes it closer to being able to reach the U.S. mainland and its allies with a host of missiles of varying range. Some experts say North Korean leader Kim will eventually will return to diplomatic talks and use his enlarged arsenal to pressure Washington to accept his country as a nuclear state, a recognition he thinks is necessary to win the lifting of international sanctions and other concessions. Olivier Giroud has told his AC Milan team-mates of his pride at returning to Chelsea in the Rossoneri colours. Giroud stopped his colleagues midway through a Stamford Bridge walkabout, to tell them how buoyant he feels being back in west London on Milan duty. Milan could put Chelsea in all sorts of trouble with a win in London in Wednesday nights Champions League Group E encounter. Chelsea slipped to a chastening defeat at Dinamo Zagreb the day before Thomas Tuchel was sacked, with Graham Potter than overseeing a 1-1 home draw with RB Salzburg. And France star Giroud admitted geeing up his team-mates with a passionate address, ahead of his first return to Stamford Bridge since leaving for Italy in summer 2021. I told my team-mates right now when we were walking around the pitch that Im very proud to come here with the great Milan to play in the Champions League, to play in our colours and to defend our badge, said Giroud. Its going to be an atmosphere completely worthy of a Champions League game. Chelsea have played in big games and won big games. But were ready for it. The pitch here is also wonderful. So I think its going to be a fantastic game. Giroud proved a pivotal performer in Chelseas Europa League triumph in 2019 and also the Champions League win in 2021. Stefano Pioli, pictured, will take charge of Milan at Chelsea (Zac Goodwin/PA) The 36-year-old also helped the Blues win the 2018 FA Cup in his first season after leaving Arsenal. Story continues Giroud claimed Serie A glory with Milan last season and is now determined to help Stefano Piolis side push forward in Europes top tier. The World Cup-winning striker admitted apologising to boss Pioli for his lack of inside knowledge on Chelsea now that Potter is in charge instead of his former boss Tuchel. I hope to have a good welcome, because I spent a nice three a half years here with trophies, said Giroud. I left the club in good terms, so lets see. Hopefully. I know the boys, I played there with so many of them, but as the coach said they changed the manager so I dont really know how they are going to play. I could have helped him more if it was Tuchel, because I know how hes doing tactically. Olivier Giroud, right, and Stefano Pioli, left, met the press at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night (Zac Goodwin/PA) They are in a new project and I think its just a matter of time to get back to their best level. So I think Im not worried about that; they will do well in the Premier League. Giroud will go head-to-head with another ex-Arsenal forward in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Wednesday night. But the former Montpellier striker insisted there is no battle or rivalry with the Gabon striker. I only care that my team wins, said Giroud. Hes a very good striker, I know him very well. Of course we both played for Arsenal but thats the only similarity between us, because we are completely different players. But if we win tomorrow, its not going to be a question of one player making the difference. Well win with our team spirit and the entire team behind us. Sardis City Police and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency are investigating a two-vehicle crash Tuesday that claimed the life of a passenger and seriously injured a driver, according to Sardis City Police Chief Will Alexander. A dump truck collided with a Nissan Altima at about 11:45 a.m. on U.S. Highway 431 at Sardis Cutoff. The driver of the Altima was airlifted to Huntsville Hospital with possibly life-threatening injuries, Alexander said; the driver's condition was unknown. A passenger in the Altima was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the dump truck was not injured. Traffic was shut down for several hours and rerouted from the scene, with the help of Etowah County deputies. Medical attention was provided by Sardis and Boaz fire departments. Alexander said the help of all agencies that assisted. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Sardis City car crash leaves one dead, another with serious injures Princess Charlene of Monaco has made another rare and stylish appearance as she continues her return to the spotlight after a long and private health battle. On Oct. 4, the wife of Prince Albert II attended the Louis Vuitton Womenswear spring/summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week, sitting near celebs such as Janet Jackson, Jennifer Connelly and Cynthia Erivo, as well as Bernard Arnault, CEO of the luxury brand's parent company LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. Charlene wore a grey plaid blazer, white button-down top and black pants and matching booties. She accessorized with a diamond necklace and earrings, as well as a pair of oversized sunglasses. "Good to be back in Paris again !" the 44-year-old captioned an Instagram photo of herself wearing the outfit while sitting in a vehicle. This marked her second appearance at the current Paris Fashion Weekon Sept. 1, she attended the Akris spring/summer 2023 fashion show. Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Funeral Charlene has kept out of the public eye for more than a year after contracting an ear, nose and throat infection during an early 2021 wildlife conservation mission in South Africa, where she was raised and which she represented as a swimmer at the 2000 Olympic Games. The infection did "not allow her to travel" any further, according to a statement from the Monaco royal palace in May of that year, per Hello! magazine. Marc Piasecki/WireImage In August 2021, the palace said Charlene underwent a four-hour operation, per Hola!. The following September, the princess was rushed to a hospital to receive treatment "after collapsing due to complications from the severe ear, nose, and throat infection she contracted in May," the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa (PCMFSA) said in a statement to the outlet. A month later, the palace told People Charlene had undergone her "final procedure." In November 2021, Charlene returned to Monaco temporarily. The principality's royal palace later issued a medical update about her. Story continues "Their Serene Highnesses have both decided that a period of calm and rest is necessary to ensure the very best recovery for Princess Charlene's health," the statement said. "Having battled with poor health over the past few months, the Princess is currently convalescing and will continue to do so for the coming weeks, allowing her time to recover from a state of profound general fatigue. In order to protect the comfort and privacy essential to her recovery, the Princess' location will remain strictly confidential." Albert later told People that Charlene was in a treatment facility "outside of Monaco" and that he and their twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, would visit her "whenever we get the medical go-ahead." In the interview, Albert also denied rumors of marital strife, saying, "I'm probably going to say this several times, but this has nothing to do with our relationship. I want to make that very clear. These are not problems within our relationship; not with the relationship between a husband and wife." David Niviere /Corbis via Getty Images This past March, Charlene returned to Monaco. "As a result of Princess Charlene's encouraging recovery and Her doctors' approval, Their Serene Highnesses are delighted to announce that the Princess will now continue Her convalescence in the Principality, with Her Husband and children by Her side," the palace said in a statement to Hola! at the time. "The next few weeks should allow for Princess Charlene to further strengthen Her health, before gradually resuming Her official duties and commitments." On April 30, Charlene was accompanied by her husband and now-7-year-old children at the 2022 Monaco E-Prix, marking her first public engagement since returning to the principality. Over the next few weeks, she appeared at more events, such as the Grand Prix of Monaco as well as Monte-Carlo Fashion Week with her daughter. In September, she and Albert traveled to London to attended the state funeral of the U.K.'s Queen Elizabeth II. Charlene spoke out about her health battle publicly for the first time this past May, telling Monaco Matin she still feels "fragile," but "serene." "When I returned to the Principality, I focused all my energy on my children, my husband and my health because they are my priority," she told the outlet. "My state of health is still fragile and I don't want to go too fast. The road has been long, difficult and so painful. Today I feel calmer." Sign up for E! Insider! Unlock exclusive content, custom alerts & more! Photo credit: Netflix - Netflix Netflix's new historical drama, The Empress, dropped on Sept. 29, and it's already taken the No. 2 spot on the streaming service's charts. If you're a fan of Bridgerton and The Crown, this is the perfect show to satisfy all of your binging desires. And it's based on a true story. (It is in German, though, so you'll want those subtitles on!) The series focuses on Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, wife of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress of Austria from 1854 to 1898, and follows the spirited royal on her adventures within the Viennese court, The Cinemaholic reported. And while it's easy to get caught up in the romance, old language, and costumes of The Empress's world, it's important to distinguish between which parts of the show are based in fact, and which are fictional. Here's everything you need to know about the true story of the Austrian empress. What is The Empress based on? The new show is based on the life of the famed Austrian royal, Empress Sisi, or Elisabeth von Wittelsbach, who was married to Emperor Franz Ferdinand. The fictional retelling follows her adventures at court, with the first season diving into her early years of marriage. Who is Elisabeth, or Empress Sisi? The real Elisabeth von Wittelsbach was born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach on December 24, 1837, per Tatler. The rebellious royal, nicknamed "Sissi" or "Sisi," had an informal upbringing where her parents encouraged her to explore the countryside and enjoy creative activities. Sissi was described as free-minded and considered to be the first celebrity royal in Europe after she married Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, and claimed the title of Empress of Austria, per The Cinemaholic. She was later crowned the Queen of Hungary on June 8, 1867, according to Brittanica. She broke a lot of royal rules. Married at 16, Elisabeth was not a fan of the formal Vienna court life her marriage required, per Tatler. She found royal life to be boring and often rebelled against from the court's norms. She was a common topic of gossip thanks to her habits of smoking, riding, and doing vigorous exercises like gymnastics, according to Tatler and History.com. Story continues However, Elisabeth was beloved by the common people and was a popular figure throughout her entire adult life, per The Cinemaholic. When did she marry Emperor Franz Joseph I? Elisabeth married Emperor Franz Joseph I when she was 16 years old. Franz was 23 years old, per Britannica. Franz was originally supposed to marry Elisabeth's older sister, Helene, but when both sisters showed up at a party on his twenty-third birthday, Franz fell in love with Elisabeth instead, per The World of Habsburg. Their engagement was announced soon after they met, and they wed in Austria in 1854. Did Elisabeth and Franz love each other? The series definitely shows a very rosy and romantic picture of the couple, but it's not totally clear whether she really returned his ardor IRL. Photo credit: ilbusca - Getty Images Apparently, Sisi was surprised and even embarrassed by the whole switch-up-the-bride and sudden engagement, per Vogue. And her sister Helene was not happy about it either, falling into a depression. She is thought to have suffered from an eating disorder. She was idolized for her beauty and famous for her laborious beauty regimens and anti-aging concoctions. Photo credit: Grafissimo - Getty Images Indeed, Elisabeth was obsessed with her appearance, spending hours each day styling her (very long) hair and exercising to maintain her 19-inch waist, per History. It's commonly thought that the empress suffered from an eating disorder and fellow courtiers even described her as "graceful, but too slender," according to Tatler. Franz and Elisabeth had four children together. Elisabeth gave birth to three daughters and a son. Their first daughter, Sophie, was born in 1855, but she died in infancy, according to Tatler. She then gave birth to another daughter, Gisela, followed by their son, Rudolf, and a third daughter, Marie Valerie, per The Palaces of Europe. Sadly, Rudolf also lived a short life, and died by an apparent suicide with his mistress in 1889. He was just 30 at the time. Franz's mother, Archduchess Sophie, was very involved in her grandchildren's upbringing and would often take over the children's care. And true to the series, Elisabeth really did have a rather rocky relationship with her mother-in-law, Archduchess Sophie, according to Brittanica. Elisabeth was assassinated in 1898. Elisabeth was stabbed by an Italian anarchist named Luigi Lucheni while traveling to Switzerland. She died from the attack on September 10, 1898, at the age of 60, according to Britannica. She's been the subject of other movies. Elisabeth has been portrayed in various media forms long after her lifetime (remember, she was considered the first celebrity royal!). Actress Vicky Krieps is set to play Elisabeth in Corsage, a 2022 film premiering in December. The movie focuses on Elisabeth's relationship with beauty and her fear of aging. This isn't the first time she's been remembered for her looks in pop culture. In 1955, Romy Schneider played Elisabeth in the German film Sissi, which mainly focuses on the Empress's beauty and her love life. Is the Netflix show historically accurate? While the producers of The Empress took artistic liberties on some occasions, their goal was to be as historically accurate as possible, according to The Cinemaholic. They did not mess with timelines or shift events in history in order to create a more dramatic narrative arc. However, the show is called a truthful interpretation, and some situations and conversations were imagined when developing the complex relationships between characters. I know what's at the top of my watch list! Will there be a season 2? No word on that front yet! But I will be sure to bring you the good news once it's confirmed. So, for now, stay tuned, and brush up on your Habsburg family knowledge. You Might Also Like Starting this week, a super PAC that supports Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr Mehmet Oz will be running a $1.5m ad buy highlighting a highly controversial moment in the life of his rival, progressive Democrat John Fetterman. In 2013, while Mr Fetterman, the current Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, was serving as mayor of the town of Braddock, he chased an unarmed Black jogger with his car and stopped him at gunpoint, thinking hed heard gunshots nearby and the man might be responsible. My message to Black voters: Do your homework about John Fetterman, says a narrator in the ads, paid for by the Republican Jewish Coalitions political action committee. He didnt even apologise. And now he wants our vote? Not a chance. The videos are expected to air mainly in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, cities with substantial Black populations, and are an explicit attempt to peel off African-American support for Mr Fetterman, who has run on his progressive politics and record working to end gun violence in predominantly Black Braddock. The lieutenant governors critics on both the left and right have used the 2013 incident to attack Mr Fettermans bona fides. Heres what you need to know about what happened. In 2013, Braddock police responded to reports of gunshots in the area near Mr Fettermans home. According to Mr Fetterman, he was outside in his yard with his four-year-old son at the time. In a 2022 campaign video about gun violence, the lieutenant governor said he thought the gunshots came from the direction of a nearby school and was worried about another attack like the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. He saw a jogger, Christopher Miyares, running by in dark clothes and a face mask, and feared he could be responsible, so Mr Fetterman grabbed his shotgun, chased the man in his truck, and detained him until police could arrive. I realised I could never forgive myself if I didnt do anything, Mr Fetterman says in the video. Story continues The jogger was found to be unarmed, according to police reports. I believe I did the right thing, Mr Fetterman told a local news station in 2013. But I may have broken the law in the course of it. Im certainly not above the law. Miyares, who is Black, has a very different version of events. In his telling, Mr Fetterman chased after him and threatened him with fatal violence because of his race. He told the Philadelphia Inquirer in a 2021 letter from state prison, where he is incarcerated on unrelated charges, that the lieutenant governor lied about everything in regards to the 2013 event. Miyares says the gunshots the mayor heard were just kids firing off bottle rockets. (Mr Fetterman said Miyares invented this detail.) He knew my race, he wrote. The gun was aimed at my chest. Mr Fetterman has said that because of Miyaress face mask, he wasnt aware of the mans race. Nonetheless, Miyares, who never pressed any charges or filed a complaint against Mr Fetterman, said in the letter it is inhumane to believe one mistake should define a mans life and that the lieutenant governor has his support. Mr Fetterman and his family have done far more good than that one bad act or action and, as such, should not be defined by it, Miyares concluded. The 2013 incident has cast a long shadow over the political ambitions of Mr Fetterman, who has made public safety and reducing gun violence in working-class Black communities like Braddock a key part of his agenda. He has the dates of murders in the town tattooed on one of his arms. I put the dates of people that were taken by violence in my community as mayor because I never saw the media or the public at large caring about those lives, he said in the campaign video. Black lives mattering and these communities mattering. As mayor of Braddock, he worked with community leaders in the towns Black population on a community policing plan, and during the 2020 racial justice protests after the killing of George Floyd, he wrote an op-ed calling for police officers to fall on the side of de-escalation every time rather than resort to violence during stops. Nonetheless, critics argue the 2013 incident shows these commitments to racial allyship and reducing violence only go so far, and faulted Mr Fetterman for not making a full apology. Other Republican groups have called attention to the 2013 incident during the Senate campaign, and so have Democrats. They point to the interaction as a frightening instance of white vigilantism, a behaviour that can have fatal consequences. In chillingly similar circumstance in 2020, a group of armed white men chased Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery through a Georgia town in their truck then shot him to death, claiming they thought he was responsible for a recent break-in. I dont think this is about whether John is racist. Ive not known him to be, Malcom Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative who ran against Mr Fetterman in the Democratic primary for Senate, told the Inquirer this year . But I dont think we can have a system in Pennsylvania where somebody thinks they hear something and then have carte blanche to go chase down the next person they see with a shotgun. Im from North Philadelphia. I hear gun shots all the time, unfortunately, but we cant have people think they hear something and run and confront the next person they see. ... As a young Black man I know how traumatising that can be. Another Senate rival, Democrat Conor Lamb, also hit out at Mr Fetterman over the incident, calling it the elephant in the room. In 2020, Donald Trump Jr resurfaced a local news video about the incident to his millions of followers. Im not going to just sit here while a bunch of Republicans who have never given a damn about racial justice launch these bad-faith attacks from the safety of their gated communities, Mr Fetterman said in a statement at the time. Theyve never had stray bullets hit their home, or had a bullet whiz by so close that you can feel the air move. When I ran for mayor, I made a commitment to do whatever I could to confront this gun violence and thats exactly what Ive done. How much the 2013 incident, or the ads bringing it back to light, impacts Mr Fettermans campaign remains to be seen. He was re-elected in Braddock, whose population is mostly Black, shortly after the encounter, and only 11 per cent of Pennsylvania voters are Black. A USA Today-Suffolk University poll released Tuesday shows Mr Fetterman with a six-point lead over Dr Oz . Columbus Day Weekend, or Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend, depending on what youre recognizing and/or celebrating, is steadily approaching and in Newport it means the return of the Rogue Island Comedy Festival. Since 2015, the festival has taken place at various venues within Newport County and even featured a spring edition that started last year. Starting Thursday and running through Sunday, Oct. 6-9, an abundance of local and national comics take numerous stages and deliver a lot of laughs. Portsmouth native, New York City resident, funny comedian and Rogue Island Comedy Festival founder Doug Key says he's looking forward to this weekend. Were super excited for this fall lineup as it marks our 10th official festival now that we do this twice a year, he said. This will also be our first time ever hosting shows all over Aquidneck Island, including the newly renovated Ragged Island Brewery in Portsmouth, Diegos Barrio Cantina in Middletown and the historic Jane Pickens Theater in Newport. Doug Key is the founder of the Rogue Island Comedy Festival. "Youll get to see some of the funniest up-and-coming comics in the country mixed with nationally touring headliners. Were so lucky to have such loyal festival goers every year, and with vacationers coming into town over the holiday weekend, the shows tend to sell out so its best to get tickets earlier than later. Tickets can be purchased at rogueislandcomedyfest.com. Speaking of those up-and-coming comics and national touring headliners, here are five you won't want to miss at the Rogue Island Comedy Festival: Zoltan Kaszas October 6 at Ragged Island Brewing Company 54 Bristol Ferry Road, Portsmouth 6 p.m. & 8 p.m. 21+ $30 Born in Budapest, Hungary, and living in the United States since the early 1990s, Kaszas has been doing standup comedy since he was 19. Since taking on the artform, he has won numerous competitions, including the Seattle International Comedy Competition, the San Diego Funniest Person Contest and the Rockstar Energy Drink Comedy Throwdown. Story continues Funny business: How Jay Leno forged a relationship with a local comedy troupe at a small theater in Newport His bit known as Cat Jokes thats part of his Dry Bar Comedy Special has more than 60 million views on YouTube, and hes also heard regularly on SiriusXM. Paris Sashay October 7 at Ragged Island Brewing Company 54 Bristol Ferry Road, Portsmouth 6 p.m. & 8 p.m. 18+ $30 Sashay is a multi-talented artist from Washington, D.C. who is also an actor, writer and producer along with being a standup comic. Paris Sashay will perform at the Rogue Island Comedy Festival. She currently lives in New York City and has worked with the likes of Wanda Sykes, Michael Che, Dick Gregory, Lil Rel and Roy Wood Jr. while also performing at reputable establishments such as the Howard Theatre and the Kennedy Center in her hometown, Carolines On Broadway and the Comedy Cellar in New York City and the Hollywood Improv and the Comedy Store in Los Angeles. Cheers: As Ragged Island expands, a familiar face to Newport's craft beer scene is coming aboard For these two upcoming performances, Sashay will be co-headlining with Vancouver native and current fellow New Yorker Gavin Matts. Ahmed Bharoocha October 8 at Jane Pickens Film & Event Center 49 Touro Street, Newport 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. 18+ $30 Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Bharoocha has local ties to Rhode Island his family moved here when he was in high school and he attended the University Of Rhode Island. Ahmed Bharoocha During his time in the northeast, he frequented the Comedy Studio in Boston while eventually becoming a Comic in Residence there. After winning the Magners International Comedy Festival in 2010, he moved to Los Angeles and has been based there since while producing weekly web shorts for the Dead Kevin YouTube channel, performing on "Conan," Comedy Central and pursuing other comedic endeavors. Gordon Baker-Bone October 9 at Diegos Barrio Cantina 116 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown 7 p.m. 18+ $30 Gordon Baker-Bone is a comic from Newark, New Jersey, who is the co-host of the weekly podcast The Bad Advice Show with writer Melanie Dione and Cerrome Russell from the comedy troupe The Decepticomics. Screen time: Why you won't be able to view 'Hocus Pocus 2' at the Newport theater featured in the movie Hes been performing all over the United States while being featured on the AXS TV series "Gotham Live" and being voted one of Brooklyns 50 Funniest People in 2016. Baker-Bone also has written for MTV, and his comedy album Nobody? Just Me? that came out in 2018 is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. Rhode Island native Ray Harrington. Ray Harrington October 9 at Diegos Barrio Cantina 116 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown 9 p.m. 18+ $30 Closing out this edition of the Rogue Island Comedy Festival will be Warwick native Ray Harrington, who has become a staple of the festival over the years. Ive even included him in previous coverage Ive done of the festival, and hes a Rogue Island regular because of his hilarious wit and humor. Just check out his performance on "Conan" via YouTube from the beginning of 2020 and his 2016 L.A. Comedy Festival winning documentary Be A Man via Hulu to understand why. This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Rogue Island Comedy Festival: 5 can't miss comics Columbus Day weekend FISHERSVILLE Augusta County Sheriff's Office deputies and members of the Virginia State Police executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at multiple properties, including a home in Fishersville on Windsong Court. According to the supervisor on the scene, the warrant was executed around 8 a.m. The supervisor on the scene at Windsong Court would not disclose who issued the warrant or what the search was related to, but it is believed to be in connection with Nexus, an organization that has been mired in controversy and legal battles in the area. Two individuals to The News Leader's knowledge were detained, as is procedure according to the supervising deputy. They were in the property at the time of the execution, and will be released when the search has concluded, according to the supervisor. More information is said to be forthcoming from the Augusta County Sheriff's office, but you can check out more about the search in the story below. More:Law enforcement swarm Nexus Services Inc. and owners' home Akhil Ganesh is the Government Reporter at The News Leader. You can contact him at aganesh@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @akhildoesthings. This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: At the scene: Search warrant executed in connection to Nexus SEOUL, South Korea A South Korean ballistic missile malfunctioned and crashed into the ground early Wednesday during a live-fire drill with the United States, panicking confused residents of a coastal city already uneasy over increasingly provocative weapons tests by rival North Korea. The sound of the blast and subsequent fire led many in Gangneung to believe it could be a North Korean attack, concern that only grew as the military and government officials provided no explanation about the explosion for hours. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said no injuries have been reported from the accident, which involved a short-range Hyumoo-2 ballistic missile that crashed inside an air force base in the outskirts of the city. The military said it was investigating what caused the abnormal flight of a missile that is a key weapon in South Koreas preemptive and retaliatory strike strategies against the North. The military said the test was meant to be a show of strength by South Korea and the United States, following North Koreas firing of a nuclear-capable ballistic missile that crossed over Japan early Tuesday in North Koreas most provocative weapons demonstration in years. The launch extended a record number of North Korean launches this year as the country pushes to develop a fully fledged nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the U.S. mainland and its allies with the goal of being recognized as a nuclear state and wresting concessions from those countries. The South Korean militarys acknowledgement of the missile malfunction came hours after internet users raised alarm about the blast and posted social media videos showing an orange ball of flames emerging from an area they described as near the air force base. Officials at Gangneungs fire department and city hall said emergency workers were dispatched to the air force base and a nearby army base in response to calls about a possible explosion but were sent back by military officials. Story continues South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesdays joint drills with the U.S. also involved firing four Army Tactical Missile Systems missiles and another Hyumoo-2 missile that successfully flew. The allies earlier on Tuesday launched fighter jets that fired weapons at a target off South Koreas west coast. North Korea has fired nearly 40 ballistic missiles over about 20 different launch events this year, exploiting Russias war on Ukraine and a deepened division in the U.N. Security Council to accelerate arms development. The United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council over the latest North Korean launch. Diplomats said it is likely to be held Wednesday, but its not certain whether it will be open or closed. Stacey Abrams Covers Essence Magazine Gunner Stahl Stacey Abrams Covers Essence Magazine Stacey Abrams is opening up about her passion for voting rights, and the faith that guides her, as she covers the latest issue of Essence magazine. "We must elect candidates who see us, hear us, represent us, and have a commitment to passing legislation that ensures our communities have the opportunity to thrive," Abrams currently in a hotly contested race for Georgia governor told the publication. The longtime Democratic lawmaker narrowly lost the 2018 Georgia governor's race to current Gov. Brian Kemp, a loss that propelled her to become one of the country's leading voices on the importance of and challenges to voting rights. Stacey Abrams Covers Essence Magazine Gunner Stahl Stacey Abrams Two groups founded by Abrams the New Georgia Project and Fair Fight have been central to an enormous registration drive in Georgia in recent years, including some 800,000 new voters between 2018 and the 2020 election. Those voter-registration efforts set the backdrop for November 2020's presidential surprise, when some 5 million ballots were cast in Georgia, smashing the previous record. Joe Biden ultimately defeated Donald Trump in the state the first Democrat to win statewide there in decades. Two months later, Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock triumphed over Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Those historic Democratic wins seemed to shed light on Abrams' long-held hypothesis that that Georgia's electorate when given more opportunity to vote was more diverse than history made it seem. RELATED: What Stacey Abrams Is Fighting for Next, After a Historic Voting Year in Georgia: 2021 'Must Be Better' Speaking to Essence, Abrams noted how "devastating" it is to hear from those who believe their vote "doesn't matter." "Of course it matters. You may not win with your vote every time, but you make them work for it every time," she said. "That's the point. If somebody's got to work for something, they're not going to be as mean to you as they were. They're not going to ignore you the way they do." Story continues Stacey Abrams Covers Essence Magazine Gunner Stahl Stacey Abrams Abrams, meanwhile, seems willing to work. Following her gubernatorial loss in 2018, the activist focused on voting rights as well as her other passion: fiction-writing. Though a string of hit novels focused on romance, her latest released last May was a political thriller called While Justice Sleeps, which follows a young law clerk who becomes the power of attorney and legal guardian for a Supreme Court justice after he falls into a coma. RELATED: Stacey Abrams Says Voting Is the Best Way to Treat the Ills of Society: It 'Isn't Magic, It's Medicine' But even after the 2018 election, Abrams was widely speculated to run again. Last December, she announced she would, and officially launched another campaign for Georgia governor, writing on Twitter: "I'm running for Governor because opportunity in our state shouldn't be determined by zip code, background or access to power." In launching another campaign for the seat, Abrams again faces Kemp, who current polls show with a more-than six-point lead in the race. Abrams isn't one to be deterred, however, even when the odds are stacked against her. It's the voters, she told Essence, that keep her fighting. "[My parents] always reminded us that our faith should be a shield to protect and not a sword to strike down," she said. "This belief still guides me today as I fight to ensure that Georgians of all backgrounds are seen [and] heard." Summa Health is reorganizing and shaking up its top executive team. The Akron-based health organization on Tuesday announced it is creating a new chief operating officer position and others, while eliminating some senior manager jobs. Among the positions being eliminated are the presidents of the Akron, St. Thomas and Barberton campuses. Summa also announced it will be moving maternity services from its Barberton campus to Akron next month. The changes are being made to better align Summa with ongoing changes in health care, to become more efficient, and to streamline decision making, said Dr. Cliff Deveny, Summa president and chief executive officer. In some cases, Summa has named people to fill the new roles. In others, the system system will be seeking candidates with the hope to fill openings by the end of the year. The new senior leaders are: Ben Sutton, new chief operating officer, providers, effective immediately. He previously was chief strategy officer and president of ambulatory care and clinical service lines. He will be responsible for overseeing inpatient, outpatient and ambulatory operations for Summa Health, including the Summa Health System Akron, Barberton and St. Thomas campuses, outpatient medical centers, Summa Health Medical Group, medical education, research and service lines. Bill Epling, former president of SummaCare, is the new president of insurance and networks effective Oct. 9. He will be responsible for overseeing the operations of SummaCare, NewHealth Collaborative, Summa Health Network and Ohio Health Choice. He also will help develop and execute strategy around population health and associated networks and infrastructure. Michelle Bisson, vice president of marketing, has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing and business development effective Oct. 9. She will expand on her current marketing and communications responsibilities to include a key leadership position in growth, business development and consumer engagement. Story continues New positions being created include: President of Summa Health System Hospitals, responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Akron, Barberton and St. Thomas campuses. Vice president of hospital operations, providing support for ensuring the strategic priorities of the hospital campuses are identified and executed, with a specific focus on the Barberton Campus. Chief nursing officer, hospitals, responsible for managing the day-to-day nursing operations across the organization. The following positions are being eliminated: President of Summa Health System Akron and St. Thomas campuses, currently held by Dr. David Custodio. He will remain in his position through Nov. 18. President of Summa Health System Barberton Campus, currently held by Dr. Michael Hughes. He will remain in his position through Nov. 18. Chief nursing officer of Summa Health System Akron and St. Thomas Campuses, currently held by Lorie Rhine, whose last day at Summa is Oct. 26. Rhine recently accepted a new position outside of Summa. Chief nursing officer of the Summa Health System Barberton Campus, currently held by T.J. DeAngelis. DeAngelis has accepted the new position of vice president of hospital operations effective Nov. 20. Beacon Journal reporter Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summa Health revamps top leadership, creates new jobs and cuts others Welcome to Wednesday, readers. Shivering over here in New York City, I'm your host, Jordan Parker Erb. It's time to scrap everything you thought you knew about the Elon Musk-Twitter legal saga, because Musk just shook it up even further. The billionaire has offered (again) to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Twitter is still reviewing the offer, but seems likely to accept the deal. I've got the details on this, and more, below. Let's get to it. If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here. A picture of Elon Musk from the shoulders up. He's wearing a black t-shirt and clasping his left hand to his head with a calm expression on his face. Elon Musk.REUTERS/Adrees Latif 1. Elon Musk has once again offered to buy Twitter. In a surprising twist in his monthslong legal feud with Twitter, Musk said he'd purchase the social media company at the original $44 billion price point. Twitter said it intends to close the deal at that price. The letter, filed confidentially late Monday, is a straightforward renewal of Musk's agreement to take Twitter private at $54.20 per share. The letter is being reviewed by Twitter lawyers and the deal seems likely to be accepted. If accepted, the agreement would put a swift end to months of litigation between Twitter and Musk. Musk had agreed in April to buy the company for $44 billion, but backed out of the agreement in July. Twitter sued him soon after. Experts told Insider that Musk's decision is an attempt to dodge a likely court loss, as the pretrial discovery process showed his odds of winning were low. See what else experts said. Read Musk's letter to Twitter here. In other news: Amazon employees headquarters Employees walk through a lobby at Amazon's headquarters in Seattle.Elaine Thompson/AP 2. Amazon has kicked off a corporate hiring freeze for its retail division. According to The New York Times, the company's hiring freeze will last until the end of 2022. Everything we know so far. 3. A software engineer who ditched the Bay Area explains why she doesn't regret breaking up with Silicon Valley. Maricris Bonzo, a 28-year-old software developer working on web3 communities, moved to Sacramento after living in the Bay Area. Here, she discusses what the move has been like. Story continues 4. Elon Musk said he is "obviously" pro-Ukraine. Hours after he was blasted for parroting Russian President Vladimir Putin's propaganda, the Tesla CEO tweeted his support for Ukraine, adding that SpaceX has spent $80 million running Starlink in the country. More on his comments here. 5. A leaked Microsoft presentation sheds light on its Azure cloud revenue. Instead of reporting Azure revenue directly, Microsoft has opted to report overall cloud revenue. We got a look at an internal presentation that reveals how much US customers have spent on Azure $11 billion in its previous fiscal year. Everything else we learned from the leaked presentation. 6. An Amazon delivery driver describes what the job is like. Ulises Perez, 22, told Insider he mentally prepares himself every morning for the strenuous and hectic day ahead, but that he loves the flexibility and the connections he makes with people on his route. He shares what it's like to drive for Amazon. 7. What influencers should learn from Kim Kardashian's $1.26 million SEC settlement. Kardashian's settlement, which comes after failing to disclose how much she'd been paid to promote EMAX tokens, is a wake-up call for influencers and marketers. We outlined what influencers should do to comply with the SEC these are the six key takeaways. 8. America's "first solar-powered town" was a success story amid Hurricane Ian. As millions of other Floridians lost power, one community was left largely unscathed by the storm, CNN reported. Get a look at the solar-powered Babcock Ranch. Odds and ends: A side-by-side-by-side collage of the Hypervolt Go2, Anker 747 Charger, and Sony headphones. Hypervolt; Anker; Sony 9. Heading on a trip this fall? These gadgets will make your life easier. From a portable battery to noise-canceling headphones, we've got a list of tech that will help make sure you're ready for anything on your next trip. See our guide for must-have travel gadgets. 10. You can use secret Netflix codes to unlock hidden categories. If you're looking for something new to watch especially if your favorite genre is an obscure one you can use Netflix codes to find and watch titles that are hidden from the homepage. Here's how they work. What we're watching today: TechEx North America starts today in Silicon Valley. SpaceX's Crew-5 mission is scheduled to launch to the ISS. The EV World Congress kicks off in London. One year ago today, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before a Congressional committee. Keep updated with the latest tech news throughout your day by checking out The Refresh from Insider, a dynamic audio news brief from the Insider newsroom. Listen here. Curated by Jordan Parker Erb in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email jerb@insider.com or tweet @jordanparkererb.) Edited by Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London. Read the original article on Business Insider Ana de Armas just showed up at Paris Fashion Week and she's showing off her long, strong legs at the Louis Vuitton show. The Blonde actress donned a black minidress and knee-high boots that were ready for the runway. Ana is all about Pilates, and she tries to get active every day. Ana de Armas is living the globetrotting life right now following the release of her new Netflix movie Blonde. Last month, the actress, 34, was in New York City, and before that she was at the Venice Film Festival in Italy. And in another Instagram post, she called out all the other places she's traveled to for the film's promotion, which included "Deauville, Paris, Los Angeles, NYC and San Sebastian." The girl is definitely having *a moment.* And currently, Ana is back in Paris for Paris Fashion Week. She attended the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2023 show, sitting front row in a chic black minidress and knee-high boots that showed off her super long, incredibly strong legs. Here's the evidence: Photo credit: Marc Piasecki - Getty Images A big part of Ana's fitness routine is training for roles, andAna does her own stunts in her films. She told Vogue UK I have to prepare for this action film Im doing with really intense, physical work, training and choreographies, she shared. I do it from 9am to 2pm and then I get a break and then on the weekends I go to the shooting range and I practice shooting with firing arms that I have to use in the film. She also has done knife training, she said. In an Instagram post, Ana shared some behind-the-scenes clips of herself working on her stunts for The Gray Man, which included time in a gym rehearsing fighting choreo. She shouted out her trainer, Don Thai, who worked with her. And she has also worked with another trainer, Chili Palmer, who helped her prepare for various gun and action scenes in the film. And when she was shooting The Gray Man in Prague, Ana also shared that she really got into Pilates. Ive been going to this beautiful Pilates studio very close to my hotel, she told Vogue. Its in this gorgeous old majestic building on the top floor with windows to the river. Sounds delightful to me! Story continues Ana also shared with People that she tries to get active everyday. Exercise also makes me happy, but it has to be fun. I do something different every day one day boxing, the next spinning or weight training to not get bored. Keep it up, Ana! I'm loving this energy. You Might Also Like PANAMA CITY Natural disasters should not be used as a chance for people to clean out their closets and pantries. According to Brad Monroe, Bay County chief of emergency services, the best way for residents to help victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Ian is by donating money, not food, water, clothes or other supplies. "What these people need is money," Monroe said. "The downfall of (supply donations) is a lot of that stuff could be thrown away, (or) be ruined by the time it gets to the people." Better prepared: Did Hurricane Michael better prepare Bay County for future natural disasters? Though done with good intentions, an influx of non-cash donations can put additional stress on an area already grappling with catastrophic damages and property losses an issue Bay County experienced firsthand in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm that struck the Panhandle in October 2018. Monroe said Bay received so many supplies during that time it had to rent a warehouse in Tallahassee. This warehouse, and the surge of items it housed, required additional volunteers on top of those already needed for disaster recovery. "After the storm, we just did not have enough people to disseminate a lot of the stuff that was donated," Monroe said. "We wound up with a lot of stuff that people did not want, and that's one of the problems." Hurricane Ian: 11-year-old Hurricane Ian evacuee falls to death from Panama City Beach condo Cash really is king when it comes to hurricane relief While supplies such as water, food, plywood and tarps are needed immediately after a major storm, Gina Littleton, president and CEO of United Way of Northwest Florida, agreed with Monroe that it's best for the public to give money. Churches and nonprofit organizations with connections in the affected areas can more efficiently oversee supply donations. "It really is much easier if the public as a whole focuses on sending money," Littleton said. "That money can go to the organization, the county, the cities and the people who are living in those areas and need it the most. Story continues "It doesn't require storage, (and) it doesn't require (numerous) people to help unload it." Don't fall victim to scams. Give through reputable organizations. Headquartered in Panama City, United Way of Northwest Florida serves about 50 agencies across Bay, Gulf, Calhoun, Jackson, Holmes and Washington counties. The group recently created a Hurricane Ian Impact Fund for cash donations, which can be found at unitedwaynwfl.org. Another way to donate money to the disaster victims is through Volunteer Florida, a nonprofit organization based in Tallahassee. Monroe said donations can be made through volunteerflorida.org, or by texting "disaster" to 20222. He also said people looking to donate should be watchful of potential scams, including some GoFundMe accounts. Monroe said those who are adamant about donating clothes or other supplies should do so through local nonprofit organizations, including Goodwill, American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. "I'm not saying they cannot donate clothing and that sort of stuff, but they just (need) to go through an organization that has contacts (in the areas) that are ready to receive (those donations)," he said. American Red Cross donations for Hurricane Ian The American Red Cross is accepting donations online for Hurricane Ian victims and efforts. You can also: Donate by mail: American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839. Print a form. Donate by phone: 1-800-HELP NOW (800-435-7669). Espanol: 800-435-7669. TDD Operator: 1-800-220-4095 Other ways: Amazon Alexa; stock or mutual funds; wire, grants. Florida Disaster Fund for Ian recovery The Florida Disaster Fund is a private nonprofit that, according to its website, has waived all administrative and credit card fees so that 100% of every donation can be used to help Floridians recover from Hurricane Ian. To donate: Go online at www.volunteerflorida.org/donatefdf Call: 850-414-7400 Text: Disaster to the number 20222. Email: info@volunteerflorida.org Mail to: Volunteer Florida Foundation, Attn: Florida Disaster Fund, 1545 Raymond Diehl Road, Suite 250, Tallahassee, FL 32308 Are food donations accepted to help with recovery? Feeding Florida is a network of the national food bank nonprofit Feeding America. The organization is coordinating with food banks across the state to provide food to victims of the hurricane. You can donate at feedingflorida.org. Where can I volunteer to help with Ian victims in Florida? The Volunteer Florida website at volunteerflorida.org offers contacts for ways to help. How do I give blood after Hurricane Ian? The Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donations in the wake of Hurricane Ian, according to its website. You can find a blood drive in your area by searching your ZIP code at rcblood.org or by calling 1-800-733-2767. John Gallas of the USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: How to help Hurricane Ian: Cash donations help more than supplies The White House on Wednesday expressed disappointment following the announcement from OPEC+ that it would cut two million barrels per day from its production quotas beginning in November. The decision by the OPEC+ alliance, which includes Russia, is likely a response to oil prices dropping amid less demand stemming from a global economic slowdown. Oil prices currently hover around approximately $80 per barrel, down from the $100-plus cost it hit during late spring and early summer. Reducing supply will likely boost the cost of oil, which could raise the price Americans pay at the gas pump around the November midterm election -- and it comes just a few months after Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia in July to lobby Middle Eastern allies to increase production. PHOTO: Representatives of OPEC member countries attend a press conference after the 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 5, 2022. (Vladimir Simicek/AFP via Getty Images) "The president is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+ to cut production quotas while the global economy is dealing with the continued negative impact of Putin's invasion of Ukraine," the White House said in a statement from national security adviser Jake Sullivan and National Economic Council Director Brian Deese. The White House also said President Biden has directed the Department of Energy to release another 10 million oil barrels from the country's Strategic Petroleum Reserve next month, signaling the administration's effort to keep gas prices low with a month until the crucial midterms. The release was previously planned, according to an Energy Department press release. Biden offered little response when asked about the OPEC+ alliance's decision as he left the White House to head to Florida Wednesday morning. "I need to see what the detail is," Biden said in response to a reporter's shouted question about the decision. "I am concerned, it is unnecessary." Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the administration would continue to ensure energy prices are "kept low" in light of the OPEC+ announcement. The national average cost of a gallon of gas is currently $3.83, up about 62 cents from last year, according to AAA. Story continues After the president struggled to rein in record-high gas prices that peaked at over $5 per gallon this summer, he and his administration have touted falling prices repeatedly over the past few weeks. MORE: Why gas prices are continuing to hit record highs "And thanks to this president's efforts, we -- and his historic actions that he has taken, energy prices have declined sharply from their highs and American consumers are paying far less at the pump than they were several months ago," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday. "And again, it's because of the historic steps that this president has taken," she added. Jean-Pierre did not directly comment on the OPEC+ alliance's expected move from the podium. But the White House's move to take credit for relief at the pump is much different from the administration's messaging earlier in the year. The largely unsuccessful White House effort to counter damaging daily headlines about skyrocketing prices at the pump saw it blame Russia's invasion of Ukraine for high energy issues before floating federal action that never happened. And in July -- when gas prices eased some over their June high -- Biden traveled to Saudi Arabia, where he held a controversial meeting with met with Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salam. The Middle Eastern nation accounts for roughly 17% of the world's petroleum reserves, according to OPEC+. PHOTO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, welcomes U.S. President Joe Biden to Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP, FILE) MORE: Biden 'hoping' inflation cools as gas prices fall daily for more than a month "We had a good discussion on ensuring global energy security and adequate oil supplies to support global economic growth," Biden said during his visit to Saudi. "I'm doing all I can to increase the supply for the United States of America, which I expect to happen," he added. "The Saudis share that urgency, and based on our discussions today, I expect we will see further steps in the coming weeks," Biden said. Some saw the move as desperate, while others criticized Biden for his infamous fist-bump with a man accused of human rights abuses, including the 2018 death of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi. Wednesday's announcement from OPEC+ comes about a month after the alliance a 100,000 barrel per-day reduction to take effect in October. A similar cut in oil production also took effect in September. White House 'disappointed' with OPEC+ decision to cut oil production, will release more from US reserves originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Those who grew up listening to a favorite DJ on the radio now have the opportunity to become that smooth-talking, music-spinning FM star theyve always looked up to. KORC FM 105.9 is a volunteer-fueled community radio station in Corvallis that plays everything from local bands to Turkish jazz to Neil Hamburgers New Years Eve comedy special. Program Director Dan Crall helped grow the station from two DJs to 12. We really started to peak in the COVID days, he said. This is kind of that post-COVID renaissance. While the station is booming with 12 volunteers, Crall said he is looking for more. Interested people can volunteer in many capacities, he said, including writing and producing shows, public service announcements, website maintenance, public outreach and more. Volunteers should have some experience in, or be able to learn, audio production and editing. The station is cloud-based, meaning DJs record and upload their finished shows from home to be aired whenever theyre needed in the schedule. I'm a huge music nerd, Crall admitted. I'm always looking for crazy stuff to play. We play a lot of world music. I'm all over the place, and so are some of our other DJs. Crall plays ambient music interspersed with inspirational quotes every morning from 6 to 8. He records the weather report every morning in his tiny home-turned-studio he is renovating in his backyard. He joined KORC in September 2021 and has not taken a day off since, although he said it doesnt often feel like work. This is somewhat of a passion project for him. It's really cool how this has happened, Crall said. I very much value community and being able to do cool things without having to work for 'the man.'" His 8-year-old son Solomon is known as the KORC kid, who announces upcoming artists and public service announcements in a sweet kid voice followed by trap and bass music. Anyone who is interested in becoming a DJ on KORC can visit the website, www.korcfm.com. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Radio as a medium has started to die off in recent years, and Crall said even he is guilty of streaming music on Spotify instead of tuning into local stations. But radio is a space where people can discover new bands they might not otherwise hear on popular streaming apps, he said. The thing is, there's not a whole lot of radio space left, and it's really religious organizations and commercial stations that buy up the bulk of all this, Crall said. We want to exist as a community-serving institution so that outside interests don't buy up all the airspace. Meet the physicists awarded the Nobel Prize for work in 'spooky action at a distance' A trio of scientists won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in quantum mechanics. The award was split among Alain Aspect of the Universite Paris-Saclay and Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France; John F. Clauser of J.F. Clauser & Associates in Walnut Creek, California; and Anton Zeilinger of the University of Vienna, Austria. MORE: Meet the scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for evolution research Their research discovered how tiny particles of light barely visible to the naked eyed can be "entangled" and behave like a single unit, even when separated by large distances. The phenomenon was famously called "spooky action at a distance" by Albert Einstein, who dismissed the theory. PHOTO: French physicist Alain Aspect takes photos with wellwishers at a press conference after winning the Nobel Prize, on Oct. 4, 2022 in Palaiseau, France. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2022 was awarded jointly to Aspect, John F Clauser and Anton Zeilinger (Sam Tarling/Getty Images) "It has become increasingly clear that a new kind of quantum technology is emerging. We can see that the laureates' work with entangled states is of great importance, even beyond the fundamental questions about the interpretation of quantum mechanics," said Anders Irback, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, in a statement. Last year, three scientists won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in helping understand our planets. Each Nobel prize is worth 10 million kronor -- the equivalent of about $900,000 -- and is given to laureates with a diploma and a gold medal on Dec. 10, the date the creator of the Nobel prizes, Alfred Nobel, died in 1896. Meet the physicists awarded the Nobel Prize for work in 'spooky action at a distance' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The San Diego Wildlife Alliance made 41 tiny new turtle additions this summer, making it the first accredited North American organization to hatch the endangered species. During the summer, a group of Indian narrow-headed softshell turtles (or small-headed softshell turtles) hatched, the conservation organization announced Monday. The species is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, partially due to the international pet trade, human harvesting for food, environmental pollution, and destruction of sand-bar habitats. Scientists aren't sure how many of them are still living worldw, but they're working to figure that out. The latest hatchlings are part of a decades-long effort to restore the species, and the turtles have lived at the zoo for more than 20 years. During that time, wildlife conservationists have kept a watchful eye on the group looking for signs of breeding. According to the group, turtles can take nearly 10 years to reach sexual maturity, and they typically lay eggs overnight and cover them with dirt, making it hard to find a nest. Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle eggs at the San Diego Zoo. The rare and endangered turtle species has finally bred at the San Diego Zoo, as officials announced on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, the arrival of 41 tiny Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle hatchlings. Endangered species: World's tiniest sea turtle species discovered nesting in Louisiana for first time in 75 years Federally protected: Wolves spotted in federally-protected Cascade Mountains amid slowest growth rate since 2016 This Aug. 16, 2022, photo provided by San Diego Wildlife Alliance, shows an Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle at the San Diego Zoo. The team found two nests with 41 eggs this summer. Some of them had already hatched inside the nests, so the team "carefully removed" the remaining eggs and put them in an artificial nest incubator. The incubator allowed the team to give the babies the best chance at life, including proper temperatures and humidity for hatchings. The Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle is found at the bottom of deep rivers and streams in northern India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, the organization said. They are extremely large and can be as long as 110 centimeters, according to the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation. The largest recorded group of eggs for the species was 193, recorded in September 2008 near Etawah, India. Story continues This Aug. 16, 2022, photo provided by San Diego Wildlife Alliance, shows an Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle at the San Diego Zoo. The rare and endangered turtle species has finally bred at the zoo, as officials announced on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022, the arrival of 41 tiny Indian narrow-headed softshell turtle hatchlings. Scientists consider them an "indicator species" because they help determine the health of their environments. These turtles are higher-level predators within their native ranges, said Kim Gray, curator of herpetology and ichthyology at the San Diego Zoo, in the release. If they are thriving, that means the river habitats where they live are healthy and can support other species. And that includes humans, as some local communities depend on the same water source used by the turtles. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia the 757 and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas, and food. Follow her on Twitter at @Saleen_Martin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: San Diego nonprofit welcomes 41 endangered turtle hatchlings Babe Ruth and Roger Maris are in the rearview mirror. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit his American League record 62nd home run Tuesday. After nearly a week of waiting, Judge led off the second game of Tuesdays doubleheader with a towering shot to left field against the Texas Rangers. PHOTO: New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a solo home, his 62nd of the season, in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 4, 2022. (Lm Otero/AP) Maris held the AL record for 61 years -- hitting 61 home runs in 1961 -- after besting fellow Yankee Mickey Mantle in a duel to surpass the Babe. Ruth had hit 60 home runs in 1927. Judge tied Ruth with his 60th on Sept. 20 with a solo shot in the ninth inning against the Pirates. The homer sparked a five-run rally for the Yankees with a walk-off grand slam by Giancarlo Stanton. PHOTO: New York Yankees' Aaron Judge follows through on his 60th home run of the season, during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York. (Jessie Alcheh/AP) MORE: Aaron Judge Isnt The New Home Run King. Hes Something More. After seven games without a home run, including a series against the rival Red Sox in the Bronx, the Yankees slugger broke through in the seventh inning Sept. 28 in Toronto to tie Maris. The two-run home run broke a 3-3 tie with the Blue Jays and came one night after the Yankees clinched the AL East title. Barry Bonds holds the MLB record with 73 home runs in 2001. MORE: Cashing in on Yankees stars historic run Judge, 30, has had a magical season as he pursues what will now likely be a bank-breaking contract extension. Judge turned down the Yankees' final offer in spring training and said he would not negotiate during the final season on his current contract. Instead, he's done all the negotiating necessary with his eye-popping stats. In addition to hitting 62 home runs, he's in the hunt to win the AL triple crown -- leading in homers, batting average and runs batted in. He leads by a wide margin in home runs and RBI, and is locked in a battle with Minnesota's Luis Arraez for the batting crown. Miguel Cabrera was the last player to accomplish that feat when he did so in 2012. Cabrera was the first to win the triple crown since 1967. PHOTO: New York Yankees' Aaron Judge follows through on his 60th home run of the season, during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, in New York. (Jessie Alcheh/AP) Judge could lead both leagues in all triple crown categories, something that hasn't been accomplished since Mantle in 1956. Story continues Judge is only the sixth person to hit 60 home runs in a season. Bonds, Mark McGwire (twice), Sammy Sosa (three times), Maris and Ruth have all crossed the plateau, but Bonds, McGwire and Sosa have all been tainted by the so-called Steroid Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Maris' family, including his two sons, Roger Jr. and Kevin, attended games at Yankee Stadium to catch the record-breaking homer. Roger Jr. made the trip to Toronto to see Judge hits his 61st home run, sitting one row behind the Yankees' dugout with Judge's mother. Judge also got the attention of President Joe Biden for his AL home run record. "History made, more history to make," Biden tweeted. ABC News' Justin Ryan Gomez contributed to this report. Yankees' Aaron Judge sets new American League record with 62nd home run originally appeared on abcnews.go.com What kid doesnt look up to their grandfather with admiration when he tells stories as a veteran of the U.S. Army? My grandfather, Hector, swore an oath as a United States citizen to protect and defend our Constitution. I am proud of his service to our nation. He served during a season of U.S. history when we would have read headlines about indigenous soldiers in southeast Asia aiding U.S. soldiers in their efforts to bring peace. Today, those headlines arent that different with the exception that those aiding the US these days are the valiant people of Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of evacuated Afghans have resettled in the United States, where Americans have shown a heartening desire to welcome and help them. But resettled Afghans still face uncertainty, and potentially a very long road to full lawful permanent resident status and eventual citizenship. Unless Congress passes legislation, most evacuated Afghans will have to claim asylum or obtain a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), which will place tremendous strain on already overwhelmed and significantly backlogged asylum, SIV and immigration court systems. Additionally, many Afghans were forced to destroy important documentation (or had their documents destroyed by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul) in order to avoid Taliban violence while waiting to be evacuated, further complicating their asylum claims. The Afghan Adjustment Act, recently introduced in Congress with support from Republicans and Democrats, will help offer a certain future to evacuees. To integrate into our communities quickly and effectively, parolees need to be able to adjust their status quickly, avoid asylum backlogs stretching years and limited options for those who may not qualify for asylum or other immigration relief. Encouraging quicker integration will have additional benefits: It will reduce the risk of radicalization among newcomers and limit the influence of the minority of Americans whose message is one of hate rather than welcome. Story continues Hafisa Momand, an Afghan refugee, feeds her child at the Extended Stay America hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa, on May 16, 2022, in West Des Moines. Momand recently suffered an apparent heart attack. In the months since more than 600 Afghan families began arriving in the Des Moines metro area, crises demanding attention -- medical emergencies, families without enough food or assistance -- have been been a challenge for both the agencies who receive federal money to help resettle them and the volunteers on the ground trying to assist. Congress has done this multiple times in the past: 1960s Cuban Adjustment Act and various post-Vietnam adjustment enactments for those from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia in the 1970s and 1980s. And today, the National Immigration Forum's map shows how communities throughout Florida and across the U.S. are poised and ready to help people arriving from Afghanistan. While the Biden administration is still struggling to honor their goal of resettling refugees, the governments efforts to help Afghans seem to have moved more readily. Resettlement challenges have allowed local communities and states to step up in ways they havent before. State and local partners continue to welcome Afghan evacuees with compassion. Even still, the U.S. should have a legal, secure process to take in people from not only Afghanistan but also other oppressed or war-torn countries where the United States has been engaged throughout the years. This is our moral obligation as the land of the free and the home of the brave. Veterans like my grandfather made deep sacrifices for and commitments to this nation. Leave no man behind can be heard from battlefields throughout the world. Not leaving our Afghan allies behind means more than just evacuating them we must also help them rebuild their lives safely. Without the Afghan Adjustment Act, Afghan parolees could eventually lose their jobs or be subject to deportation from the U.S. back into the hands of the Taliban. I am proud of my grandfather. If he was with me today, I feel like he would want us to honor him and veterans just like him by asking our elected leaders throughout Florida to take a stand, finish the job, and see the Afghan Adjustment Act through to the end. Melbourne High School graduate Loki Mole, a senior at the University of Central Florida, is studying political science and Latin American studies. After graduation in December, he will be serving with the U.S. Peace Corps in South America. Mole is a volunteer immigration advocate for the National Immigration Forum in Washington, D.C., and Mosaic Compassion in Melbourne. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: The United States must welcome our Afghan allies | Opinion Photo credit: Barry King - Getty Images Angelina Jolie has filed court papers against her ex-husband, Brad Pitt. Jolie accuses him of drunkenly attacking her and their children aged 8 to 15 at the time during a private flight in 2016. She says the alleged altercation prompted her to file for divorce. New details of the accusation came to light during Jolie and Pitt's ongoing lawsuit over a French winery. The pair have been battling it out over Chateau Miraval SA, a home and vineyard in the south of France that they acquired together. Pitt argues that he and his former wife had agreed not to sell their stakes in the venue without the permission of the other. On Tuesday, Jolie's legal team filed papers (detailing the alleged attack) as part of the lawsuit. Jolie claims that Pitt grabbed her by the head and attacked two of their children whilst the family was on a private jet in 2016. She alleges that he also verbally abused and poured alcohol on his family during the flight from France to Los Angeles. Pitt has denied the allegations made against him. Jolie's lawyers allege that the Fight Club actor began shouting, accusing her of being "too deferential to the children". Just a short time into the flight, Pitt "pulled her into the bathroom" in the back of the plane, the papers claim. "Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall," the filing adds. "Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom." Photo credit: GVK/Bauer-Griffin - Getty Images The papers then say that after one of the couple's children verbally intervened, Pitt "lunged at his own child". According to the filing, Jolie then "grabbed him from behind to stop him". "To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane's seats injuring Jolie's back and elbow," the legal filing continues. "The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face." Story continues Jolie's lawyers say she and her children "sat still and silent under blankets" for the remainder of the flight. "Pitt periodically emerged from the back of the plane to yell and swear at them. At one point, he poured beer on Jolie; at another, he poured beer and red wine on the children," the filing concludes. A source close to Pitt told the BBC that his ex-wife's claims are false. "She continues to rehash, revise and reimagine her description of an event that happened six years ago by adding completely untrue information each time she fails to get what she wants." The incident was investigated by the FBI in 2016, but authorities decided not to press charges. Last year, a judge awarded joint custody of the children to both parents. Refuges National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247, is available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for free, confidential specialist support. You can also click here to request a safe time to be contacted or to access live chat (live chat available 3pm-10pm, Monday to Friday). You Might Also Like Apple's alleged union busting has prompted federal action. As The New York Times reports, the National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against Apple following accusations it broke multiple laws trying to thwart union organizers at the World Trade Center store in New York City. The Communications Workers of America (CWA) union claims Apple surveilled and questioned staff, limited access to pro-union fliers and made employees listen to anti-union speeches. The NLRB found enough merit in two of the claims. A judge will hold a hearing on December 13th if there's no settlement. We've asked Apple for comment. In a statement to The Times, a spokesperson said the iPhone maker disputed CWA's allegations and was anticipating "presenting the facts." In the past, Apple has maintained that unionization would hinder labor improvements and prevent "direct engagement" between the company and store workers. Apple told staff it would increase pay, but also that unionization could lead to fewer promotions and fixed hours. There's no certainty the NLRB complaint will lead to change in Apple's labor practices. However, it comes as teams at multiple US stores have made unionization bids. While people at an Atlanta location gave up their efforts, Towson, Maryland workers voted to unionize this spring. Oklahoma City employees vote next week. There's mounting pressure on Apple to act, if just to minimize similar complaints. Gucci, meanwhile, shared its stance via Instagram stories. Will other brands follow suit? Exterior of the Balenciaga store in Munich, Germany in 2022 Photo: Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images Following the heartbreaking and tragic murder of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran's "Morality Police," and ensuing protests, fashion brands have been slow, some might say, to take a public stance on the pressing global issue. On Wednesday, however, a couple of brands took to social media to show their support for the freedom and life of Iranian women. On Instagram Wednesday, Oct. 5, Balenciaga uploaded a black-and-white image of the phrase "Woman Life Freedom" on its feed and Stories, writing the caption, "Balenciaga, Kering and the Kering Foundation have always supported the fight for womens fundamental rights and freedom. We stand with all Iranian women, in memory of Mahsa." It comes as a surprise (and honestly a relief) that a major fashion brand is not only raising awareness and voicing its support for Iran's women's rights movement which quite literally concerns what women wear but also completely wiped the rest of its Instagram page just days after its Spring 2023 showcase at Paris Fashion Week to further highlight the message. Joining the conversation is Balenciaga's parent company Kering and the Kering Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to combat violence against women since its inception back in 2008. "As Kering and the @keringfoundation have always supported women's fights for their fundamental rights and freedom, we stand with all Iranian women. #mahsaamini #_," the company's latest Instagram caption reads. Milan-based Gucci, also part of Kering, went a less permanent route in voicing its support, writing on Instagram Stories: "As a House, and through our Chime for Change campaign to unite and strengthen voices in the fight for gender equality, we stand with all Iranian women." At press time, fellow Kering brands Saint Laurent and Alexander McQueen had yet to post anything. Online support continues to flood social media over the death of 22-year-old Amini, who died in the custody of the country's "morality police," as described in a recent report by The Cut. Story continues As Danya Issawi writes, "For Muslim women, the choice to wear a headscarf is intended to be a deeply personal one, and Iran's overarching dress code has been a point of contention since its adoption after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Women have long been arrested for pushing back against modesty laws, including in 2017, when 29 women were arrested for going without their hijabs in public." In light of the news, protests have spread across the country, with women ripping off their headscarves and waving them in the air and some burning them in large fires and dancing in celebration. Celebrities have also shown their solidarity for Amini and protestors, like supermodel Bella Hadid, who wrote on Instagram: "...Our sisters are being murdered for the right to be. The right to exist in all their freedom. The freedom of choosing of their sovereignty over their own bodies. Unarmed, facing with police and their weapons. How can women make a militarized dominant majority so threatened and insecure? The control of our bodies is the same need to control our lands our earth. Patriarchy is the disease." Here's hoping we see more influential fashion entities use their platforms to spread awareness and put their money where their mouth is at the very least. Want the latest fashion industry news first? Sign up for our daily newsletter. Yennys Hernandez Molina (left) and Annery Rivera Velasco married in September. (CNN) Cuba has legalized same-sex marriage after Cubans voted in favor of a family code that increased protections for minorities on the island, the countrys National Electoral Council announced on Monday. The Electoral Council said 74.1% of those eligible to vote in Sundays national referendum had turned out to cast their ballot. With 94 percent of the votes counted as of 9am ET on Monday morning, 3,936,790 had voted in favor and 1,950,090 against signaling an overwhelming support for the new law. The new family code extends greater protection to women, children and the elderly, as well as allowing LGBTQ couples to marry and adopt children. For decades, LGBTQ people in Cuba faced official discrimination on the communist-run island. In the early 1960s, after Fidel Castro took power, many gay people were sent to government work camps alongside political dissidents. Though homosexuality was legalized in Cuba in 1979, many gay men and women said they still faced open discrimination. Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban president Raul Castro, has openly advocated through a government-funded center for improved rights for gays, lesbians and transgender people. But the push for greater equality faced stiff opposition from both outside and from within the Cuban government. In 2018, Cuban legislators abandoned provisions that would have legalized same-sex marriage amid fears that a homophobic backlash would have lowered turnout for a referendum to approve a new constitution. The following year, Cuban police broke up a peaceful LGBTQ rights parade saying the marchers did not have permission to hold the rally. Cubas growing evangelical community in particular had openly advocated against approving the family code. But in the weeks before the referendum, the Cuban government made a full court press in favor of the new family code across state-run media, arguing the new code is proof the islands now more than six-decades-old revolution is capable of adapting to the times. (See the other countries where LGBTQ+ marriages are legal here) The-CNN-Wire & 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below." Mickey Ashmore founded the footwear brand Sabah, which, you guessed it, produces a footwear style called Sabahs, and another mule-esque backless style called Babas. The brands styles take their inspiration from traditional Turkish slippers, but innovate on those shoes to fit a hole in the market Ashmore detected. Theyre ungendered and potentially ubiquitous, once a cult classic that, at this point, is no longer flying under the radar. The shop in SoHo is a gem; the staff is extremely kind and knowledgeable, and theres also a section of clothes and home goods by makers Ashmore believes in deeply. With a brand as cool as Sabah, its no surprise Ashmore has some great style of his own. Below, Mickey and I discuss Sabah and its inception, how he grew the business with individual customer experience in mind, the benefits of opening a factory in El Paso while maintaining production in Turkey, his current list of favorite brands, and plenty more. Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Lets start with Sabah. Does the name mean anything, and why did you choose to start the brand? What were you doing prior to founding the company? Sabah means the morning time in Turkishmy favorite time of the day, and one of my favorite words in Turkish. Thats a big question, but if I had to distill it down into a few ideas, I started my own business because I wanted independence, and an opportunity to express myself through my work. Prior to starting Sabah, I had spent two years living and working in Istanbul for Microsoft as an expat, doing finance & strategy work. It was an incredible experience! How did you get Sabah off the ground and grow it to the business it is today, well-known internationally with five retail locations and a domestic factory? One pair a time, and with a lot of energy, and consistency. With a real strong focus on getting to know our customers, and putting care and attention into every interaction. My goal wasnt to reach every single person as quickly as possible, but to make sure that everyone who came into our orbit, we did our best to make them a customer for life. Thats been a really rich approach to business for us. And I think its what drives us at Sabahthose long, meaningful relationships that transcend the transaction. Story continues Early on, I decided I wanted to create an independent venture, not raise money, and therefore be able to do it my way. And a large part of that was working with a long-term perspective, and realizing great things take time to build. And that journey can be a lot of fun if youre not in a rush. Building Sabah has been an absolute blast. Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Speaking of that factory, you just opened it in El Paso, Texas, and prior your shoes were being produced in Turkey. Is your production solely in America now? What are the advantages to opening a domestic factory? We are still producing the majority of Sabahs in Turkey, and we always will. Thats the heart of Sabah. Opening in El Paso was about expanding our capacity as we grow, and more importantly, expanding our capabilities so we could experiment with new materials and develop new products. That was hard to do in Turkey given the distance and the way that workshop had developed. Our workshop in El Paso is as much production as design studio and laboratory. Finally, El Paso presented us with an exciting challenge to show that American manufacturing can work, and be able to replicate the success, the opportunities, and the beauty of what weve built in Turkey, right here in the U.S. Thats an exciting challenge, and a story still to be told. Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Is there a specific kind of customer that wears Sabahs, or does your brand cover a wide range of folks? How do you think Sabahs are meant to be worn? Sabahs are for everyone, worn by all types, and used in so many different situations, and thats how we like it. And how are they meant to be worn? Regularly and with joy. What does personal style mean to you, and how do you display yours? What are some of your favorite brands to wear with Sabah, and why are they favorites? The only thing that is important about style is that its a true independent expression of oneself; thats what makes style interesting. Bad style is simply when you dont have your own style. I am always a bit disappointed when someone suggests that they cant pull that off but you know they want to. For me, more and more lately, my style is born from function rather than fashion. I like a suit because its practical, I wear a jacket or blazer because its versatile and gives me pockets. And I use accessories to give myself a bit of flair. My favorite clothing brands: Save Khaki, Boglioli, Drakes, RTH Shop, Tintoreria Maria Romero, Savant Studios, and Imogene + Willie, to name a few. Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore What are some core tenets of Sabah as a brand? What influenced how you approach Sabah from marketing and production standpoints? Our most important idea is that we want to uplift everyone we encounter through our work. We do that by being generous, creating valuehopefully high valuefor customers, colleagues, craftspeople and our communities, having fun and being playful, doing things by hand, caring to know peoples names and remember them, and lastly operating with an independent expression, voice, and ownership structure. Realizing that there are so many versions of success, and that scale and size isnt the only goal. Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Photo credit: Christopher Fenimore Men probably care about their style more now than at any other point in human history, and its all over the map. Has this shift, and even the pandemic, changed your customers behaviors? Well, now that you mention it, we are seeing a lot more men buying Sabahs and Babas than before. We used to sell more to women, and now its just about split fifty-fifty. I think the biggest difference is more men buying our Babas, which are our backless slippers. Maybe its because theyre at home, working from home, enjoying home more, and Id like to think they are few better home slippers out there than a pair of Babas, especially our shearling ones come winter. But they're also great for all those European beach vacations everyone took this summer, too. Win-win! You Might Also Like By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli The Azerbaijani community in Toronto, Canada, held a picket in protest against the recent provocations of Armenia and its aggressive policy, Azernews reports via Azerbaijani State Committee for Work with the Diaspora. The action took place in the crowded Mel Lastman Square with the support of the Vatan Center for Culture and Arts. The compatriots waved Azerbaijani and Turkish flags, and also chanted "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!", "Azerbaijan wants peace!", "Armenia, withdraw your illegal armed formations from Karabakh!", "Armenia, sign a peace treaty!", "Armenia, stop the occupation policy!", "Armenia, don't be a provocateur in the region, stop military provocations!", "Mines laid by Armenians kill the civilian population!", "Armenia, stop the occupation of our lands!", "Armenia, provide Azerbaijan with information about the fate of our missing citizens!", "Armenia destroyed the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in Yerevan!". Azerbaijanis, who took part in the protest handed out "Azerbaijan wants sustainable peace" booklets, containing information about the occupation policy of Armenia in the historical lands of Azerbaijan, to the residents of the city. During the picket, a car with an LED screen was moving along the central streets of Toronto, which displayed information about the reality of Azerbaijan. The slogans "Azerbaijan wants peace, Armenia wants war!", "Armenia distorts the facts, deceives the world community!", "Mines laid by Armenia are a war crime!", "No to Armenian soldiers on Azerbaijani soil!", "Armenia destroyed the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan in Yerevan!", "Armenian mines kill civilians", "Armenia, sign a peace agreement!" and images covering these topics. Representatives of friendly peoples, including members of the Jewish and Turkish communities, attended the picket. Azerbaijani diaspora organizations operating in 30 countries of the world held various actions in protest against the provocation committed by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on September 12-13 and sent appeals and statements to international organizations and world leaders. To recap, units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions on the night of September 12 leading to 13. The Armenian sabotage groups mined land and supply roads linking the positions of the Azerbaijani army units in different directions, taking advantage of the area's steep topography and existing ravine gaps. The clashes that erupted led to military losses between the sides, in which 79 armed forces personnel of the Azerbaijani armed forces were killed. On the other hand, Armenia lost 207, 293 were wounded, and 20 soldiers were taken as prisoners. The rise of anti-government demonstrations in Iran after Mahsa Aminis recent death on Sept. 16 for showing a bit of her hair in the street has embarked on an important question globally; is it the end of the Islamic Republic? Mahsa Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who got arrested by Iran's morality police in Tehran and died three days in custody after a stroke and cardiac arrest. Since her death, hundreds of students, reformist activists, intellectuals and protesters have been arrested in 80 major cities, but with the ongoing internet blackouts and inaccurate governmental reports, its not possible to estimate related killings. An estimated number puts it at 56, according to foreign reports and Western-based Persian media. In the aftermath of the 1979 revolution, women and LGBTQ+ people have been the main targets of a theocratic regime that implemented various measures aimed to control women and LGBTQ+ peoples bodies, physical appearance and their entire life, both in public and private spheres. With the rise of more grievances and defiance against the government, the state has intensified persecution of Bahai's who suffered systematic violations of human rights, assault, murder, incarceration, exile and house demolitions for several decades. In July, hundreds of riot police closed the roads to the Roshankuh village in northern Iran, detained members of the Baha'i faith, raided and demolished their homes. But discrimination and violence against minority groups are not limited to religious minorities. The republic has gone beyond religion, targeting ethnic groups especially Kurds, Balouchs and Arabs. Such harsh treatments have led to the escalation of phobias toward these people. On Sept. 26, Irans revolutionary guards dropped a surge of drone and heavy weaponry strikes, targeting Kurdish separatists in the north of Iraq after the death of Mahsa, the Kurdish woman in custody. The catastrophic death of Mahsa Amini is a reminder of historical oppression visited not only on women and LGBTQ+ people but the entire nation. What can you do as an Oregonian to support the current protests in Iran? This is an important question everyones asking in the streets of Corvallis and across the United States. One of the critical and steady arguments flowing among Iranian nation in Iran and in Iranian diaspora is that its time for the United States and the West in general to rethink, shift and rejuvenate their narratives and theories on women and LGBTQ+ rights in Iran on a political and academic level and listen to the voices of people chanting, Death to Dictator, Woman, Life, Freedom while protesting religious apartheid and demanding their basic rights in the streets and in cyberspaces. If you are interested in supporting the ongoing movements for freedom in Iran, here is a list of suggestions for you: 1. Write to OSU and other universities in Oregon to provide opportunities for Iranian students to talk about their fears and hopes. 2. Write letters to Oregon senators and representatives to use their political power to take actions and condemn the horrendous human rights violations in Iran. Encourage peace, humanitarian aid, and civic solidarity and discourage military interventions in Iran. 3. Prepare banners to show your solidarity with Iranian people, and use them to create awareness. 4. Attend Corvallis Freedom Rally for Iran. 5. Wear protest T-shirts with prints exhibiting your support. Robert Berchtold allegedly committed horrendous crimes and supposedly no one stopped him, despite a seeming plethora of evidence against him. The almost unbelievable, surreal story of his kidnapping of Jan Broberg is dramatized in the Peacock limited series "A Friend of the Family, streaming now. In the series, Berchtold deceives the Broberg family time and time again. He kidnaps their daughter, not once but twice, and even has an affair with both Robert and Mary Ann Broberg. But what happened to to the real life Berchtold after the events portrayed in A Friend of The Family? Berchtold, a close friend of the Brobergs, had allegedly charmed his way into a favorable position with the family in the early 1970s. The children in the clan considered Berchtold a second father, so much so that when he fled to Mexico with a 12-year-old Jan by his side in August 1974, the family was initially unwilling to consider it a kidnapping. Whats more, during their stay south of the border, Berchtold convinced the girl that she was the scion of an ancient alien race, tasked with saving the species by procreating with him. She was told that should she ever stray from her task, she would face punishment. RELATED: A First Look At Peacock's Much Anticipated True Crime Drama 'A Friend of the Family' Basically I had all these rules that I was supposed to follow that had been given to me from the aliens," Jan told the BBC in June 2019. "I couldn't have anything to do with boys. If I did, my family would die." Berchtold was eventually forced to return Jan but avoided charges after convincing the Berchtolds sign an affidavit stating they had given him permission to travel with their daughter. Berchtold had even managed to manipulate the Brobergs so thoroughly that he was able to temporarily abscond with Jan once again in August 1976. When Jan was finally returned to her family, Berchtold managed to beat several kidnapping charges by arguing he had a mental defect, landing him in a mental institution for less than six months, according to Deseret News. Story continues A still from Peacock's A Friend of the Family Jake Lacy as Robert "B" Berchtold Photo: Fernando Decillis/Peacock While Jan was reluctant to discuss her alleged kidnapping the first time it happened, she told investigators what Berchtold allegedly did to her the second time around. I wasn't able to talk definitively or explicitly about the sexual abuse. It was really hard for me to do, Jan told the BBC. Jan said that, since sharing her story, six women contacted her to allege that they, too, were molested by Berchtold. In 1986, Berchtold was found guilty of the rape a child and spent one year in jail, according to Deseret News. In adulthood, Jan and her mother, Mary Ann Broberg, would go on to write a book titled "Stolen Innocence" about the family's harrowing experiences. Jan and Mary Ann went on a nationwide speaking tour in the hopes of raising awareness about the prevalence of sexual abuse but were repeatedly interrupted by none other than Berchtold himself, who publicly denied several of the claims made against him. A police hand out of Richard Emery Jan eventually filed for a restraining order against Berchtold, who continued to assert her story was filled with lies created to sell books. When questioned by Berchtold about her motives in a hearing for a restraining order against him in 2004which, according to the documentary Abducted in Plain Sight, was their first direct encounter in almost three decadesJan responded by saying, "My goal, Mr. Berchtold, is to educate the public about predators like you." Jan would go on to explain to "Good Morning America" what she believed were Berchtold's motives at the time. "I think he's desperate because he knows our story has come out," she said, according to ABC News. "They're trying to make a buck," Berchtold countered to the news network. Oxy App Berchtold was later found guilty of simple assault, criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct after getting into an altercation with a BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse) demonstrator, who was protesting his appearance at Jans events, according to ABC News. Fearing prison and rejected by the object of his obsession, Berchtold died by suicide in November 2005, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, just before he was due to be sentenced. "Bob had gone to court that day and been found guilty," explained Berchtold's brother, Joe, in the documentary Abducted in Plain Sight. "He says, 'If it's one day in prison, it's going to kill me. I'm not going there.' He had taken all his heart medicine and drank Kahlua and milk. He drank that and died." Jan serves as an executive producer on A Friend of the Family, explaining at the start of episode one that she hopes her story serves as a warning to other families. A Friend of the Family is available to stream on Peacock Oct. 6. A Hartford father was found guilty of manslaughter for his involvement in the death of his 7-week-old daughter in 2018, according to the States Attorneys office. Edwin Babilonia, 28, of Hartford, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor on Sept. 29. The charges stem from the death of his newborn daughter, Emily Babilonia, in May 2018, the States Attorneys office said. In the early hours of May 24, 2018, Emily woke up crying and Babilonia and the babys mother, Ashley Perez-Rivera, spent hours trying to console her, according to court testimony, the States Attorneys office said. Eventually, Babilonia took the baby into the bathroom and attempted to console her. He allegedly then shook the baby and caused her to have a massive brain bleed and spinal cord injury. The mother said she heard water running through the partially open door, and heard choking and gurgling sounds, and then heard Babilonia telling the child to keep calm and shut up numerous times, the police report says. The mother said she heard a thud similar to the sound of someones body striking a surface, the report says. Hartford police were called to Connecticut Childrens Medical Center on May 24, 2018, for a report of an infant in acute distress from suspected abuse. Emily Babilonia was in the pediatric intensive care unit with injuries that would claim her life days later. Emily Babilonia died on May 28, 2018 from her injuries, the states attorneys office said. While authorities have previously said the baby was 6 weeks old, the states attorneys statement said she was 7 weeks old. Doctors found bruises on her arms, abdomen and neck, bleeding inside her skull, six left rib fractures and five on the right side and a fracture to her left clavicle. The medical examiner determined the babys cause of death was acute and chronic blunt injuries with brain hemorrhages and rib fractures and determined the manner of death to be homicide. Police interviewed both parents and subsequently arrested them on May 25, 2018 for their involvement in her death. Perez-Rivera pleaded guilty to risk of injury and criminally negligent homicide, the States Attorneys office said. A farm in Chicago has celebrated the 60th anniversary of the James Bond franchise on the silver screen with a tribute in the worlds largest corn maze. The trail, located at the Richardson Adventure Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois, is 10 miles long and spans 28 acres. Famous Bond actors such as Roger Moore, Daniel Craig, and Pierce Brosnan, appear in the tribute. The Bond films seem to have just the right amount of action, romance, intrigue, and plot twists, without being brutally bloody. They are always enjoyable, George Richardson, who operates the farm, said. Sign up to our newsletters. A 23-year-old man who allegedly assaulted a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was later paid by the Virginia Republican Party to campaign for now-Gov. Glenn Youngkin, HuffPost has confirmed. Joseph Brody was arrested by federal authorities last month near his home in northern Virginia for his alleged role in the insurrection. He is charged with multiple felonies, including: assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers, causing bodily injury; interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder; and obstruction of an official proceeding. According to an FBI affidavit, Brody attended the riot as part of a contingent of young men affiliated with the America First white nationalist movement. Brody allegedly pushed a metal barricade into a police officer, knocking him over. He also allegedly entered Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosis conference room, where he briefly removed an American flag from its holder, and the U.S. Senate chamber, where he took photos of documents on senators desks. After exiting the Capitol, Brody allegedly joined other rioters in destroying media equipment. A famous photo from that day Time magazine called it one of the best of the year appears to show Brody in a suit and tie, with an American flag neck gaiter pulled over his mouth, standing arms outstretched on the buildings steps as he surveys the crowd of rioters breaking into the Capitol. Later in 2021 according to evidence unearthed this week by the anti-fascist group Anonymous Comrades Collective and online sleuths known collectively as Sedition Hunters Brody was hired by the Virginia GOP to help campaign for Youngkin. Brody, according to the Fairfax County GOP website, had an official state Republican Party email address. He appears to have given a YouTube tutorial on phone banking for campaign volunteers and staffers. And he provided door-knocking training for volunteers. Story continues Joseph Brody, left, is shown campaigning for Glenn Youngkin. (Photo: Facebook) Joseph Brody, left, is shown campaigning for Glenn Youngkin. (Photo: Facebook) Social media photos show a man bearing a strong resemblance to Brody as seen in insurrection photos obtained by the FBI campaigning for Youngkin and other Virginia Republican candidates. In one picture, the man who appears to be Brody holds a Youngkin campaign sign. In another, hes wearing a Youngkin t-shirt. Mr. Brody was employed by the party as a door-knocker for one month last fall. He has not been employed by the Republican Party of Virginia for over a year, a party spokesperson, Ellie Sorensen, told HuffPost on Wednesday. The confirmation was first reportedTuesday on Twitter by Ben Paviour, a journalist for Virginia public broadcaster VPM. Mr. Brody never worked for or with the Youngkin campaign, Kristin Davison, a political strategist who shaped Youngkins successful bid for governor, told HuffPost in a statement. Davison seemed to be drawing a distinction without a difference, suggesting that Brody had not worked for the campaign because he was paid by the state party. She did not respond to a request for clarification. Brody is among at least 919 people arrested for their part in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. His relationship with the GOP is just the latest example of the political partys embrace of insurrectionism. His mother, Maureen Brody, also attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally that turned into insurrection; she once posted on Gab, the white supremacist-friendly social media platform, that she got near enough to the Capitol that she and others were targeted with tear gas. Footage found by anti-fascist researchers also appears to show her on the buildings steps a restricted area. Months later, Maureen Brody was named as the Republican nominee for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. During her campaign on June 21, 2021 she posted a photo to Gab showing her standing behind a table draped with an America First flag. She was running in a heavily Democratic district and lost in the general election by 30 points. Maureen Brody, a 2021 Republican nominee for the Virginia House of Delegates, poses with a flag for the America First white nationalist movement. (Photo: Screenshot via Gab) Maureen Brody, a 2021 Republican nominee for the Virginia House of Delegates, poses with a flag for the America First white nationalist movement. (Photo: Screenshot via Gab) Maureen Brody also appears to have helped in Youngkins bid for governor, according to the Fairfax County GOP website, by coordinating a door-knocking campaign. Neither Davison, the strategist for the Youngkin campaign, nor the Virginia GOP responded to requests for comment about Maureen Brody photographing herself with the America First flag. Joseph Brody and Maureen Brody also did not respond to a request for comment. According to the FBI affidavit, Joseph Brody showed up to the Capitol on Jan. 6 with four other men affiliated with America First, all of whom have been arrested. The five men illegally entered the Capitol, the FBI alleges, at 2:16 p.m., moving throughout the building. After entering Pelosis conference room, Brody removed an American flag from its stand and then replaced it when one of his friends communicates something to him, according to surveillance footage. Joseph Brody, far right, was arrested on a slew of felony charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. (Photo: Justice Department) Joseph Brody, far right, was arrested on a slew of felony charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. (Photo: Justice Department) In the Senate chamber, he appeared to hold a cell phone in his hand and photograph documents and other information on senators desks, the FBI says. On the north side of the Capitol, the affidavit says, Brody could be seen lifting a metal barricade and pushing it against a police officer who had been attempting to use a fire extinguisher to hold back rioters. After leaving the Capitol, Brody and his America First crew watched as other rioters destroyed equipment belonging to journalists reporting on the insurrection. Brody then allegedly joined in on the destruction, damaging a corded phone, per the affidavit. He was arrested on Sept. 15 in Springfield near his home. He appeared in court and was released pending further court appearances. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. If youre delivering booze to your buddies in a war, street smarts can be helpful. Thats the most fascinating aspect Zac Efron found about John Chickie Donohue, the real-life guy he plays in The Greatest Beer Run Ever (now streaming on Apple TV+). In 1967, the merchant seaman, then 26, brought his suds to his neighborhood pals serving in Vietnam. In the movie, members of the military assume hes with the CIA, and Chickie doesnt correct them as he makes his improbable trip. The onscreen character mostly maintains his cool. But Efron? I would be terrified, the actor confesses. I would cave in seconds. Director Peter Farrelly agrees: That's probably the craziest thing, that he would do that. I'd be afraid they'd blow my brains out. More: 'Greatest Beer Run Ever' takes Zac Efron 'outside of my comfort zone' and into Oscar territory Zac Efron (left) and John "Chickie" Donohue attend "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Ask Donohue about how he pulled it off, and he credits his mustache. The military don't have facial hair at least they didn't in those days, he tells USA TODAY. I don't remember the letters CIA ever mentioned, but they thought I was some sort of federal agent. And when I was forced to tell them actually who I was, I'd tell them I was a merchant mariner. Most of them didn't even know what the term meant, so they just left me alone. The crazy true story of Beer Run based on Donohue and J.T. Malloys 2017 memoir was the stupidest idea I've ever heard of, Farrelly says, explaining why he had to direct the film. This is like Dumb and Dumber meets Apocalypse Now. But it did actually happen, and Donohue, 81, attended the recent premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival with all four friends he brought beers to on his epic quest. It was like the ultimate old man's Disney World: surrounded by beautiful women, no lines to wait in and everything paid for, he says of his big night. Donohue breaks down the facts (and occasional fiction) of key Beer Run moments: Story continues Was Chickie's far-fetched mission really inspired by a stirring bar speech? The Colonel (Bill Murray) delivers a rousing speech about the boys over in Vietnam in "The Greatest Beer Run Ever." In the film, Chickies out with his friends at their local hangout when their bartender, The Colonel (Bill Murray), takes issue with anti-war protesters calling American soldiers baby killers and murderers. It was a scene that also played out in real life. It affected me. That, in addition to so many funerals and so many young guys who had already died, Donohue says. When the Colonel wished he could bring beers to the boys over there, I said, All right, I can do that, Donohue recalls. And because of his experience as a former Marine and knowledge of military lingo, I knew I had a good chance of getting there. Did Chickie (played by Zac Efron) actually haul a duffel bag of beer all the way to Vietnam? Chickie (Zac Efron, left) comes bearing Pabst Blue Ribbon cans for servicemen in the war dramedy "The Greatest Beer Run Ever." Efrons Chickie packs up a duffel bag with Pabst Blue Ribbon cans, heads to Vietnam and quickly finds his pal Tom Collins (Archie Renaux) partying all night with his fellow MPs. But in reality, the original stash didnt make it. Donohue took a job in the engine room of a World War II Victory ship for the monthlong voyage to Vietnam. After a shift, I would go upstairs and have a couple of beers. So if I had two beers for 31 days, that's what, 62 beers? That's a lot of beers, he says. But he knew where to get more once he arrived: I went to the enlisted men's clubs and refurbished the beer. The visiting civilian almost sat in a pile of elephant poo John "Chickie" Donohue (center, with sister Christine) at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of "The Greatest Beer Run Ever" with the men he delivered suds to in Vietnam: Kevin McLoone, Rick Duggan, Bobby Pappas and Tom Collins. In the movie, Chickie is on a road late at night when a pack of elephants inexplicably walks in front of him. Next thing he knows, a Jeep approaches; it turns out to be his friend Kevin McLoone (Will Ropp), whos shocked to see Chickie in the country. In real life, Donohue randomly ran into McLoone, but I didn't actually see elephants, he admits. That said, an earlier scene in which Chickie found pal Rick Duggan (Jake Picking) and went to sit on what he thought was a rock actually happened. He said, That's not a rock, Chickie. That's elephant (poop). I said, What the hell, there's no elephants here. So he says, Oh yeah, (the Viet Cong) use them to carry their artillery and their heavy weapons. Russell Crowes photographer is an amalgam of personalities Arthur (Russell Crowe, left) and Chickie (Zac Efron) get caught in a dangerous situation caused by the Tet Offensive in "The Greatest Beer Run Ever." In Saigon, Chickie meets photojournalist Arthur Coates (Crowe), who helps him when things get hairy during the Tet Offensive and wants Chickie to tell folks back in America whats really happening in Vietnam. Coates is a composite of people Donohue met there, including journalists and also a businessman who sold computers to the Vietnamese government. As in Beer Run, Donohue would often talk with them at the rooftop bar of the Caravelle Hotel. I had a concern about them throwing a hand grenade or something into the restaurant, (but) I didn't know anybody even playing for the Yankees who could throw a ball that high, Donohue says. Chickie saw the truth of war up close and personal Chickie (Zac Efron, left) realizes he's in over his head visiting his friend Rick (Jake Picking) in "The Greatest Beer Run Ever." The film is mostly a lighthearted adventure until Chickie visits Rick, has to run for his life during an ambush and spends the night in a foxhole. Like his onscreen counterpart, Donohue felt in danger for the first time. I realized this might have been a dumb thing to do (but) there was no turning back, he says. The whole bonkers trip gave Donohue a new perspective. His initial attitude of duty for to country became a big distrust of what our government and every government says. It was clear that we weren't defending the United States of America. It was purely political. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Greatest Beer Run Ever': Zac Efron's real counterpart fact-checks King Charles has lived in the public eye ever since he was born into the Royal Family. However, since the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth, and his rise to the throne, all eyes are on his every single movement. But curiously enough, his most recent controversy doesn't have to do with another person, but a writing instrument! Just days after he transitioned from Prince to King, Charles had an encounter with a pen, the media has hilariously dubbed Pengate. This week, the King seemingly made light of the moment during a recent public appearance. 1 The King Visited Dunfermline On Monday, the King attended his first in-person event since the funeral of his dear mother. He visited Dunfermline with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, to celebrate its new city status. He visited many parts of the newly minted city. 2 He Made a Joke Referencing Pengate During one of his stops, he was asked to sign a guest book and reportedly poked fun at Pengate, while holding a pen. "These things are so temperamental," he joked about the writing instrument. 3 Pengate Involved a Leaky Pen He was seemingly referring to the September 13 incident when he and his wife stopped at Hillsborough Castle near Belfast, Northern Ireland. According to footage, he was signing a visitor's book when he noticed he wrote the wrong date. Then, we went to allow his wife to sign the book, he realized the pen leaked on him. 4 His Public Outburst Went Viral "Oh god I hate this (pen)!" he spat. Camilla added the ink was "going everywhere," making him even more annoyed. "I can't bear this b****y thing! Every stinking time," he said walking away. The clip went viral and many memes were made at the King's expense. 5 This Wasn't His Only Infamous Incident with a Pen This wasn't his only pen encounter. During his ascension council, as he prepared to sign a document, the new King appeared to chastise one of his staff members for failing to clear his desk, feverishly gesturing to have his employee remove a tray of pens to make room for him to sign documents. Lize Cheney tore into former President Donald Trump for his recent comments about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, former Trump Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The outgoing Wyoming Representative slammed Mr Trumps comments as an absolutely despicable, racist attack and said that Mr Trumps incendiary remarks could prompt more violence. The vice chairwoman of the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot on January made the remarks when she was attending an event at Syracuse University on Monday. When you see former President Trump just in the last 24 hours suggesting in a pretty thinly veiled way, using words that could well cause violence against the Republican leader of the Senate, saying he has a death wish and then, you know, launching an absolutely despicable, racist attack against Secretary Chao, Leader McConnells wife, and then you watch the fact that nobody in my party will say thats unacceptable, she said, according to The Hill. And everybody ought to be asked whether or not thats acceptable, and everybody ought to be able to say no, that is not acceptable. They ought to be required to say that, Ms Cheney added. Ms Chao was the Labor Secretary in the administration of President George W Bush before joining the Trump administration. She resigned after the insurrection on January 6. Mr Trump went after Mr McConnell on Friday in a post on his platform Truth Social. Is McConnell approving all of these Trillions of Dollars worth of Democrat sponsored Bills, without even the slightest bit of negotiation, because he hates Donald J Trump, and he knows I am strongly opposed to them, or is he doing it because he believes in the Fake and Highly Destructive Green New Deal, and is willing to take the Country down with him? In any event, either reason is unacceptable. He has a DEATH WISH, Mr Trump said. Must immediately seek help and advise from his China loving wife, Coco Chow! the former president added. Story continues Mr Trumps statement came after Congress voted through a continuing resolution to fund the US government until 16 December, avoiding a shutdown. The bill was passed with support from both parties in both chambers, including the support of Mr McConnell, The Hill noted. But House GOP leadership told their members to vote against the bill. Ms Cheney is one of few Republicans willing to criticise Mr Trump, and she lost the GOP primary for her seat earlier this year against Harriet Hageman, who was endorsed by Mr Trump. Ms Cheney was ousted from House GOP leadership last year after she refused to stop pushing back against Mr Trumps lies that the 2020 election was stolen. The chairman of the January 6 committee and the House Homeland Security Committee, Democrat Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, said in a statement that former President Trumps inflammatory and racist attacks directed at Senator McConnell arent helpful to the nation or our democracy. Worse yet, they could incite political violence, and the former President knows full well that extremists often view his words as marching orders. The editorial board of The Wall Street Journal wrote that we live in a polarized political age when rabid partisans dont need provocation to resort to violence. This makes Donald Trumps latest verbal assault against Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell all the more reckless. The death wish rhetoric is ugly even by Mr Trumps standards and deserves to be condemned, the board added. In depictions of ancient Rome and Greece, the pinnacle of luxury is being hand-fed grapes, ideally while also being held aloft by beautiful, strong men (because walking and feeding yourself are activities only for peasants). Now, you can at least carry out the first part of that fantasy. Bacchanalia, a forthcoming London restaurant, has hired what it calls the citys first grape feeder, the New York Post reported on Tuesday. The new spot, which will serve Greek and Italian fare, is hoping to be as much an experiencea feast for the senses, its website saysas it is a place to grab dinner. More from Robb Report On Sunday, the restaurant took out a full-page ad in the United Kingdoms Sunday Times to advertise the role, which was quickly filled. A few of the requirements included gorgeous hands (obviously) and a basic grasp of Greek and Latin (authenticity is key). The grape-feeding employee would get to enjoy perks such as regular manicures (to keep those hands gorgeous) and the finest food and wine. Some people seem to have been confused by the ad, wondering whether it was promoting an actual job, but it does appear that the grape feeder will be a real employee at Bacchanalia. Caprice Holdings Restaurants, the parent company, also owns the London outpost of New Yorks Balthazar, along with something called Sexy Fish, which should give you an idea of what sort of restaurant experience its selling. Bacchanalia will fit right in. And while we feel a little sad for the poor soul who will have to feed grapes to drunken revelers, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to live out your Roman god or goddess dreamsif thats the sort of thing youre into. Story continues Culinary Masters Dont miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Reports Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information, visit RR1. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Former President Trumps penchant for violent language has bubbled to the fore again in his feud with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Trumps latest salvo was the ominous assertion that McConnell must have a DEATH WISH merely for supporting some legislation that was backed by Democrats. The remark, posted on the Truth Social platform Friday, has drawn some degree of condemnation beyond the ranks of liberals and Democrats. The comment will also deepen the toxicity of a political atmosphere in which many lawmakers are already taking security measures in response to increased threats of violence. The editorial pages of The Wall Street Journal, which are reliably conservative, condemned the DEATH WISH comment as ugly even by Mr. Trumps standards. Trump, the Journals editors wrote, always puts himself first, and with this rhetoric, he may put others at genuine risk of harm. Other, more predictable voices also blasted Trump. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), speaking at an event at Syracuse University on Monday, called the former presidents remarks an absolutely despicable, racist attack. The assertion of racism was in reference to language from Trump in the same post targeting McConnells wife, Elaine Chao, who was born in Taiwan. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the House select committee on Jan. 6 on which Cheney also serves called Trumps comments inflammatory and racist. Thompson, too, warned that they could incite political violence. Those are grimly realistic warnings given that the nation is already seeing an upsurge in threats and worse against lawmakers and other political figures. Within the past few months, one man has been charged with the attempted murder of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative, and another with felony stalking of Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). Another man attacked Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), a gubernatorial candidate, at a campaign event. Story continues In the Jayapal case, Brett Forsell allegedly showed up at Jayapals home armed and shouting obscenities. He has pleaded not guilty. In the Kavanaugh case, 26-year-old Nicholas Roske was arrested having traveled cross-country to Kavanaughs home, allegedly in possession of a pistol and ammunition. He, too, has pleaded not guilty. A New York Times investigation published Saturday noted that recorded threats against lawmakers had risen about tenfold between 2016 and 2021. The Timess analysis of threats that resulted in indictments found that more than one-third came from GOP or Trump supporters against their ideological opponents, while almost one-quarter came from Democrats and were aimed at Republicans or conservatives. The rest could not be ideologically categorized. The Timess report also quoted lawmakers across the political spectrum expressing alarm. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told the newspaper that her office receives an astronomical number of threats and that she worried the broad problem would not get the attention it merits unless someone gets hurt. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told the Times, I wouldnt be surprised if a senator or House member were killed and lamented that there had been erosion of any boundaries of what is acceptable behavior. McConnell has been a frequent target of Trumps ire, as the former president has railed against him as an old crow and a hack politician, among other things. The Senate minority leader and his inner circle almost never respond to Trumps barbs, believing that doing so only fuels the fires of media outrage upon which the former president thrives. Republican elected officials have, for the most part, avoided rejecting Trumps remarks. Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.), the head of the Senate Republicans campaign fundraising arm, told CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday merely that he was going to try my best to bring people together. Scott also told CNNs State of the Union that Trump likes to give people nicknames, though he did say that it is never ever OK to be a racist. The extraordinarily mild pushback from the Senate GOP against a former president raising an implicit threat against its leader would have been unthinkable in the pre-Trump era. But as with much else over the past six years, everything has now changed. Its just one more example of the belligerent, dangerous language that Trump is willing to use, said Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. Once again, he is using violent language against other people and its appalling. Beirich invoked the French concept of a cordon sanitaire essentially, a consensus that certain ideas, ideologies or threats have to be excluded from the political discourse for the common good and said that it has just collapsed, and collapsed mostly on the right. Allan Lichtman, a professor of history at American University, asserted, We have never seen anything like Donald Trump. We have never seen a president or a former president being so willing to threaten and incite violence. Lichtman argued that bothsidesism was flawed when it comes to the threat of political violence. Attacks aimed by the left at Republicans, Lichtman argued, are not instigated by a former president, and I dont see that they were incited by any major Democratic leader. Conservatives contend that the linkage between Trumps rhetoric and actual violence is exaggerated. They also argue that Democratic leaders have contributed to a coarsening of political debate and dangerous hyperbole, as when President Biden recently equated elements of Trumps MAGA populism to semi-fascism. But however the blame is exactly proportioned, the picture is bleak and getting bleaker. Beirich asserted that credible threats of political violence predominate on the far-right extremity to a huge level. But I do think we have normalized that violence in politics is somehow an OK thing to talk about, she added. The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. afael Eduardo (left) an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela hugs another immigrant outside of the Saint Andrews Episcopal Church, on Marthas Vineyard. We may finally know the identity of the mysterious Perla who, Venezuelan asylum seekers told news outlets, lured them in with promises of opportunities, only to trick them into flying to Marthas Vineyard. For weeks, reports have flooded in from the dozens of Venezuelan asylum seekers who say they were tricked into boarding flights from San Antonio, Texas to Massachusetts as a part of a program spearheaded by Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. And while DeSantis obviously bears a lot of responsibility here, its clear he had help. Read more Enter Perla, a shadowy figure who, migrants told the New York Times, offered them a free flight, free food, and a free place to stay at the LaQuinta hotel only for them to find out everything wasnt as it seemed. On Sunday, the New York Times identified Perla, who only ever gave migrants her first-name, as Perla Huerta, a former combat medic and counterintelligence agent who was discharged from the US Army in August. According to The New York Times, a person familiar with the sheriffs investigation into the flight scandal first identified Huerta as a part of that investigation. The New York Times says it later confirmed her identity with a migrant who says Huerta had unsuccessfully sought to sign her up for the free flight program. According to the New York Times, her instincts were right. Migrants who took Huerta up on her offer to stay at LaQuinta were handed an apparently fake refugee brochure reportedly riddled with inaccuracies, according to the Times. For starters the Massachusetts flag tucked under the words Massachusetts Welcomes You, on the brochure was inaccurate. And so-called refugee benefits offered in the pamphlet didnt apply to the Venezuelan asylum seekers in San Antonio, according to The New York Times. Story continues Upon their arrival in Marthas Vineyard, things continued to fall apart. Accounts from another migrant, identified as Jose, who spoke to the Washington Post, illustrates the absolute chaos among the migrants upon realizing theyd been tricked. People wanted to run away, Jose told the Washington Post. However once they had a moment to look at the map, they realized we were surrounded by pure water. As awful as these accounts are, the New York Times story is likely just the beginning in our emerging understanding of what happened and whos responsible for the dozens of migrants left stranded in Massachusetts. The Linn-Benton Community College Board of Education is looking to fill a vacant board seat by appointment. The new member would represent Zone 2-3A, which includes Albany and some of the surrounding areas. The position will need to be filled through June 30. The appointee may run again in the May 2023 special district elections to fulfill the remainder of this zones term through June 2025, according to a news release. The appointee must live within the zone to be considered. Candidate applications are due noon Monday, Nov. 7, and can be emailed to drosche@linnbenton.edu. They will be forward to all board members for consideration at the Nov. 16 board meeting, during which the candidate will be selected. Here is what each application must include: Personal information, including name, address, phone and email. A brief description of the reasons for wanting to serve on the LBCC Board of Education. A brief description of any professional work and education history. A brief description of any current and/or previous community. involvements and voluntary service, especially in an educational and/or budgetary capacity. A brief description of how the applicant might be able to further the LBCC boards commitment to equity. A brief description of how the applicant would demonstrate a commitment to LBCCs mission, values and three strategic goals. The board may interview candidates during this meeting if members decide it necessary. The meeting will take place in the LBCC Lebanon Health Occupation Center, 300 Mullins Drive.span class=print_trim> More mid-valley education coverage Phoebe Gates, the youngest child of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and current sophomore at Stanford University, has been interested in fashion for as long as she can remember. While studying abroad in Johannesburg, South Africa, she recalls meeting a fellow student who was a fashion designer and being struck by the possibility. I was like, wait, you can do that at this age? And I remember being so excited, Gates says over the phone from Palo Alto, California, where shes already back in the swing of classes. Ive always been interested in sketching and design and Im a huge writer. More from WWD She spent this past summer internering at British Vogue, rotating between the publishing, features and fashion teams and it was there that she connected with the staffs sustainability editor and ended up traveling to Copenhagen for its fashion week in August. It was super interesting, and it was where I was like, OK, I want to do a bunch more stuff, she says. Her interest in sustainable fashion then made a friendship with Stella McCartney a natural fit. Her and my mom are actually good friends, Gates says of McCartney and her mother Melinda Gates. Even when I was little she would send me stuff and little notes and Id be so excited. Ive been asking my mom forever and ever if I could meet with her. The two finally got together this summer while Phoebe was in London for her internship, and we instantly hit it off, she says. I felt very connected to her, I feel like because shes been able to use the platform she had, because of who her dad is, and then she took that and instead of being like, oh, people define me by this, she took it and she was like, OK, I have this immense privilege, now Im going to use it to leverage something, and what she chose to leverage is to launch a brand that is completely sustainable. So I think we are really deeply connected because thats a lot of what I think about: OK, Im my parents daughter, that gives me immense privilege, but its not what Im defined by. I want to have my own identity, I want to be my own person, I want to branch away from that, but how do I do that in a way where I can yield some sort of change? Story continues Since they met this summer she and McCartney have remained close through texts and the designer invited Gates to attend her show in Paris, her first trip to Paris Fashion Week. For the occasion Gates did a fitting in New York and ended up selecting a pair of white pants with a hummingbird print, a black bra and black (faux) leather jacket. They had a ton of different options and they put outfits together, but I was like, I kind of want to do something more va-va-voom that stands out, Gates says. I went through the stuff and I was like, I think itd be really fun to do a bra with the leather jacket. So I did that and I love the hummingbird pants so much, they are so sexy and fun. The rest of her fall quarter will likely be spent on campus, though she hopes to travel to Los Angeles for the occasional fashion event and remains in contact with British Vogue and McCartneys team, with hopes to collaborate in the future. As soon as I could get an internship in the fashion industry, I jumped on that, but I also wanted to be careful and do it in the right way, because fashion has so many different lanes you can go in, Gates says, but there is some toxicity in the industry and I have a huge interest in womens health as well, so I wanted to work somewhere where it didnt feel like those were confounding with each other. So I really liked British Vogue because of Edwards [Enninfuls] work and hes so progressive with the magazine, so that was a huge choice for me. My amazing makeup artist Tobi Henney matched my eye shadow to the green birds on my screen-printed trousers. Paris brings an undeniable energy, which I need! Jetlag is killing me, but I cant wait to see all the looks today. I woke up like this. Texting my mom we talk 24/7. I love when my hair has volume. Having naturally straight hair, set with pins, helps ensure my blowout doesnt immediately fall flat. Cant start the day without some caffeine. Every lobby is a runway. Stellas spring 2023 collection is all about, confidently wearing what you want and I am here for it. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. EVANSVILLE Indiana residents convicted of a crime and serving time in jail or prison cannot cast a ballot in this year's general election. But a criminal conviction does not impact a Hoosier's right to vote once they're released. And if they haven't been found guilty in court yet, a pre-trial detention in the Vanderburgh County Jail can't get keep from voting either. That's especially relevant this year, as two of the biggest races in the Vanderburgh County election are sheriff and prosecutor. Republican Jeff Hales and Democrat Noah Robinson are both vying to run the jail and sheriff's office, while Republican Diana Moers and Democrat Jon Schaefer are looking to take over the Vanderburgh County Prosecutors Office. All have ideas about the way the system works, whether that includes changing aspects of it or keeping them in place. For Vanderburgh County residents who have personally experienced that system, by spending a night in the Vanderburgh County Jail or being convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, Indiana law still allows them to have their voice heard in an election. Heres what to know about voting with a criminal conviction. More:Here's where Vanderburgh County sheriff candidates stand on diversity in the office Who cannot vote in Indiana? Indiana residents cannot vote while they are incarcerated for a crime. This includes both felony and misdemeanor offenses, meaning after a person has been convicted and is actively serving time. Who can vote in Indiana? Indiana residents are immediately eligible to vote as soon as they are released. The only thing they need to do to get their right-to-vote back is to make sure their voter registration is active. Being on probation or parole does not impact a persons right to vote in Indiana. Neither does being in jail awaiting trial. People who have not yet been convicted of a crime, but are being held on some form of pre-trial detention, are still able to vote. Story continues Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said a group comes into the jail to offer eligible inmates the chance to cast a ballot. More:Accusations of lying, exaggerations mark contentious race for Vanderburgh prosecutor How to register to vote in Indiana There are multiple ways to register to vote in Indiana. The deadline in the 2022 general election is Oct. 11. To register in person or by mail, voters need to complete the voter registration form and return it to their local countys voter registration office or the Indiana Election Division. The form is available in Spanish as well. Residents can also apply in person at the voter registration or county clerks office, or at any license branch if they're obtaining a new drivers license or identification card. A person can also register to vote at a public assistance office if they're actively applying for service or assistance. Residents can visit indianavoters.in.gov, as well. There, voters can register with a valid Indiana drivers license or Indiana state-issued identification card. More assistance in understanding voter eligibility Voters can find the Indiana Voters Bill of Rights online on the Indiana Secretary of States website. It is available in both Spanish and English. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Voting in Indiana: Can you vote with a criminal conviction? a cut out photo of Nabeela Syed with a map in the background In 2022, were witnessing the first wave of Gen -Z candidates running for Congress. But were also seeing the first wave of Zoomers running for state and local offices to effect change in their own backyards. Chegg Life sat down with a series of candidates under 30 who will be on the ballot this November. We asked them about the problems theyre running to fix, the importance of local politics, and cynicism among young voters. View the whole series here. Nabeela Syed was in high school in Palatine, Illinois, during the 2016 election. As the editor in chief of her school newspaper, she was assigned to write the front-page story for a Trump victory, while her co-editor wrote the story for Clinton. Like many, she thought it was unlikely that Trump would win so she didnt write a word. Once the votes were counted, she spent a miserable all-nighter writing through tears. As a young Muslim, Indian-American woman, Trumps rhetoric was personal to Syed, now 23. So, after graduating with a political science degree from the University of California at Berkeley, she noticed several far-right candidates who mimicked his talking points were running for school board in her hometown. She sprung into action, managing campaigns for progressive candidates. They won, and she never looked back her political career had begun. In 2022, she crushed her opponent in the Democratic primary for state house in Illinoiss District 51 with over 72% of the vote. In November, she will face a Republican incumbent, with hopes of flipping her district blue. How did you become interested in politics and government? The turning point for me was Trumps presidency, as it was for a lot of people. It really scared me. It made me feel that this country was not welcoming of me despite the fact that I was born and raised here and dont know any other country. Just feeling like people in this country didnt like me. That was when I decided: We need to force ourselves into political spaces. I have just as much of a right to be involved in politics, to advocate for things that affect me. Story continues When did you decide to run for office? During the pandemic, and the unrest after the death of George Floyd, I managed school board races for my high school district. Students were upset about the lack of culturally responsive curriculum and mental health services. I helped manage campaigns for three incredible candidates, who were up against conservatives talking like there wasnt a virus, talking about getting kids back in school immediately, with no regard for science, echoing Trumps rhetoric. Seeing that kind of leadership feel so emboldened to run in my hometown was really scary. We won those races, and then in April of 2021, I was looking for someone else's race to support. My friends and family were like Why dont you just do it? Why dont you run? What has it been like running as a young person? The most common response to my age is excitement, people saying, We need young blood in office. We need new leadership. We need young people who are excited to take bold action. That was surprising because so many people tell you that age is an obstacle. But the reception of people at their doors and at the polls has been really welcoming. Then there are some people who need to be convinced, but I understand that because voters need to be as informed as possible. Have you had people criticize your age or your choice to run? Definitely. We had robo calls sent out about my age, how young I am, whether or not I have the experience to take on a Republican in the general. I primaried another Democrat, and we are in a suburban community that has been represented by Republicans. So there has been some: Oh, can a young woman of color have enough appeal to voters? Some people did tell me: You cannot get older white people to vote for you. And I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. Because when I go to the doors, this demographic is very excited about my candidacy. They're giving me high fives; they're giving me fist bumps or patting me on the back. Because they are excited about me showing up at their door and asking for their support and asking about what issues matter to them, asking about what their day-to-day life looks like, and how we can help. There were times where I was like, Are these people just being nice to me because Im young? But I think when we won with 72% of the vote and got over 7,000 votes, it became clear that our message was resonating. So there has been some ageist sentiment. But those people were in the minority. And that was more early on. I think its become clear that this is a serious campaign, and we are doing the work it takes to flip a district blue. While Gen Zers are generally politically engaged, some are still cynical or just exhausted with politics. What would you say to them? I understand being cynical. Its not fair to young people to brush that concern aside. Change in the government is a lot slower than we'd like it to be. But theres a reason why Illinois has great access to reproductive health care. There's a reason so many people are coming to our state seeking health care. Its because we voted in leadership into office who will stand up for the right to choose. I do believe that the Democratic Party needs to work a lot harder to engage and excite young voters. Its frustrating for young people to keep seeing nothing done about gun violence. But Im optimistic. What has been the most challenging moment on the campaign trail? Fundraising is often the most challenging aspect for any campaign. Frankly, a huge obstacle for young people running is always going to be fundraising. No matter how great of a message you have, no matter what endorsements you get, what kind of support you have, you need to be able to communicate that message. Young people dont have access to a network of folks who will rally behind you. My friends arent rich. Its not like everyone has a lot of money to go around, especially when there are so many important races up and down the ballot. I've been fortunate to have been trusted by the many people whove donated to this campaign. Fundraising is not an easy task. And sending those emails is not fun for me. We dont do it weekly, just every now and then. Young candidates are viable if you put in the work to support them. Its easy to cast young candidates aside if youre unwilling to donate to them or dedicate time and energy to volunteer for them. But if you do it, of course, the candidate and the campaign will not be viable. Thats how we got 72% of the vote in a primary, where people did not think we would even get 10%. View the original article at Chegg Life and signup for the Chegg Life Newsletter Related... Photo credit: Simon Watson As a younger man Jay Krehbiel moved from Chicago to New York City to take a job at the management consulting firm Bain & Company, and when he called home for the first time to share his new address, his father, the electronics tycoon Fred Krehbiel, was horrified. Lexington, he said, isnt thatfringe? Today Jay tells that story not only to gently roast his late dad but to underscore the familys most recent accomplishmentone that has taken them much farther east than anyone would ever have imagined. When Fred Krehbielwho made his fortune in electrical conduits and sold the family business, Molex, to the Koch brothers in 2013 for $7.2 billiondied suddenly in the summer of 2021, he left the bulk of his fortune to his sons, Liam, 46, and Jay, 44. But perhaps more pressing than the matter of Freds money was that of his legacy. Fred had served on the boards of numerous corporations and nonprofits over the years, including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago White Sox, but his most ambitious endeavor in retirement was the restoration of a 19th-century Regency manor some 60 miles southwest of Dublin. The 35,000-square-foot home on 614 acres had most recently been a school before falling into disrepair. Fred spent more than nine years nursing the estate back to liferestoring floors, shopping for period-perfect furniturebefore finally opening it as the 15-room hotel Ballyfin Demesne in 2011. Photo credit: Simon Watson Were sitting at the hotel bar in late April for the brothers first joint interview since their fathers passing. Its a poignant moment but it comes with, it must be said, a stunning backdrop. Ballyfin is at the end of a mile-and-a-half-long driveway and set against the largest recreational man-made lake in Ireland (a feat of engineering that nearly bankrupted the homes original owners). And the hotel transformationwhich included adding six bedrooms and is rumored to have cost more than $50 millionattracted a wild guest list. George and Amal Clooney rented out the entire property in 2019 for a reunion of Georges Irish cousins. In happier days, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West stayed overnight at Ballyfin on their honeymoon; they presumably enjoyed the gilded plaster ceilings and the chandelier once owned by Napoleons sister. Story continues After Freds sudden death (he had cardiac arrest in June 2021, a day before his 80th birthday party, and died two days later) some friends and longtime staff members wondered what would become of the property. A regional newspaper, the Leinster Express, suggested that Freds death raised questions over whether the family will stay involved. It was a reasonable concern. His sons live in Chicago, and both have school age children. Besides, Liam had been very clear about wanting to sell, becoming even more outspoken once the hotel became profitable. Dad would joke, The fun part was rebuilding it. Now Im just dealing with personnel issues, Liam says. Photo credit: Simon Watson Fun is one word for it, but its the kind of fun you can have only if you have a deep love of architecture and even deeper pockets. (In 2015, the Krehbiels were 139th on a Forbes list of wealthiest families in America.) The home was originally built in the 1820s for the Coote family, descendants of Sir Charles Coote (an Elizabethan adventurer who came to Ireland in 1601). The architects were celebrated locals, Sir Richard Morrison and his son William, and they had the perfect client in Lady Caroline Coote, a woman who spared no expense. Her motto was Cost what it may, and she meant it. The inlaid floor in the rotunda was modeled on the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. By the time Fred purchased Ballyfin from the Patrician Brothers, a Catholic teaching order that had run a school on the site, the homes Victorian conservatory had a tree growing in it and its iron was so rusted the whole thing had to be sent to England for restoration. Meanwhile, the saloons ebony and oak floorsbuilt by the queens cabinetmakerlay in pieces in the attic like a jigsaw puzzle. But the new owner was lucky in one sense. As Jim Reynolds, a celebrated Irish landscape architect and Freds partner on this project, explains, The house had not been altered internally since it was first built. Some rooms had the original coat of paint. Knowing that we didnt have to undo a great Victorianization or Edwardian workoverbasically cleaning up someone elses bad tastemade all the difference. Photo credit: Simon Watson Once construction began in earnest, Krehbiel and Reynolds scoured auctions for artwork and silver that had belonged to the Coote family, returning these artifacts to their original home. A series of family portraits, including John Hoppners portrait of Sir Charles Coote, which had spent many years in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, would once again hang at Ballyfin, in a stunning hall with a cantilevered stairwell. The thing about the art world, Jay Krehbiel says, is that everyone knows everyones business. As word spread about Freds new hobby, anything with a Coote provenance was being taken off the wall and offered to be sold to Dad, Jay adds. His father often obliged. And like Lady Coote before him, he spared no expense, famously moving a fountain at Ballyfin two feet to the left to align it with the view from the librarys central bow window. As kids, Liam and Jay often spent summers in Ireland visiting extended family. Their mother Kay is from County Kerry, where the family maintains a home. And she is one of 12 children. As much as Liam loves Ireland, he says that initially he really did want to sell Ballyfin, but after his fathers death he had a change of heart. I just looked at this place in a different light, he says, taking in the sight at dusk. I felt a really strong connection to him. Upon hearing this, Jaywho manages the family fortune and inherited his fathers love of Irish artsmiles victoriously, as if he expertly played the long game with his brother. I always wanted to keep it, he says. I was just very glad that Liam saw that light. The Krehbiel brothers havent just decided to keep Ballyfin Demesne, theyve gone all in. Their father and his partners created a gorgeous living museum; staying here feels much like being a guest in a friends 19th-century home, down to the archery and clay pigeons. The task now, it seems, is to focus on more modern guest experiences. Mission one is to reimagine and renovate the lower-level bar room, the lone afterthought at an estate that has been restored to within an inch of its life. To redesign the bar, which also includes a gorgeous if underused stone patio, the brothers are in discussions with a number of design firms, including Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, the London-based firm credited with reimagining Annabels in Mayfair. The hope is to create a perfect spot for a Sunday roast, with construction to begin as soon as this winter. Photo credit: Simon Watson I hate the word casual, says Jay, a self-described snob. But he can appreciate the appeal of a cozy weekend watering hole that reminds him of summers spent visiting cousins in Kerry, enjoying steak-and-kidney pie with a side of live music. Mission two is a larger endeavor that hints at the brothers ambitions. Ballyfins eight acres of garden currently supply something like 90 percent of the vegetables for the propertys restaurant, which is run by chef Sam Moody, who earned a Michelin star at the Bath Priory hotel in the English countryside. Every morning Moody sends a WhatsApp message to Ballyfins gardeners, ordering up the days vegetables and herbssuch as Jerusalem artichokes, sweet corn, garden peas, and microgreens, all cut and hand-delivered. Its an impressive operation, and the food is stellar. Moodys Pork Two-Ways (pork belly served beside a roast loin, with a bit of soy to bring out the sweetness) is a marvel, and I find myself thinking about it weeks later. But Jay envisions pushing the operational side even further, imagining Ballyfin as a spiritual cousin to Blue Hill at Stone Barns but with an Irish brogue. Already the lamb served at dinner is from a farm just five miles away. But what if they produced their own? Jay broached the idea with his father more than once. He would say to me, Are you saying that someones going to go down and look at Miss Fluffy the pig and then expect Miss Fluffy to end up on the dinner plate that evening? I said, Thats exactly what our generation wants. But Fred, a lover of Diet Coke and Yoplait yogurt, didnt see it. (For the record, Jay believes Ballyfin is worthy of a Michelin star, saying, Im not going to pretend, Oh no, we dont care about those things. ) Photo credit: Simon Watson Fred Krehbielwho enjoyed walking the hotel gardens in the morningnever pushed his sons to join the original family business, Molex, which was founded by their great-grandfather in 1938, perhaps because he had been forced into it by his own grandfather. Fred studied at Georgetown in the 1960s with an eye toward becoming a diplomat, but his grandfather called him home to join the family business. Dad had total wanderlust, Liam says. He wanted to travel the world. To Freds fathers credit, he realized Dad had interests and talents that didnt fit the mold of what Molex was then. So Gramps created a role for him to go and follow some of those dreams. Fred launched the companys international division, opening the door to sales in Japan in the 1970s; in the first year, Molex International generated just $54,000 in revenue. Four decades later business had ballooned to over $2 billion, with Molex operating in Mexico, South America, and China, among other far-flung places. Liam was impressed by his fathers accomplishments, but he figured out early on that Molex wasnt for him. At 16 he spent a summer interning at the company. This was pre-internet, he says. I was working in the sales department. I manned 10 fax machines. I couldnt keep up with the stack of papers, the constant chaos, and the fear that I was falling behind. The sales team was furious with me. I gave myself the title of Fax Boy. Photo credit: Simon Watson Hearing this, Jay, who actually did a proper two-year stint at Molex after a brief tour at Bain & Company, says, I think youve identified the difference between usin that I would have been Fax Manager. Rules of the Manor DO NO HARM Spare future generations having to unmake regrettable choices. "The house was saved," says Jim Reynolds, who led Ballyfin's restoration. "It had not been altered internally since it was built." HUNT FOR TREASURE Mine the auction houses and track down descendants, as Reynolds and Fred Krehbiel did, for original furnishings. "The Cootes were willing to sell back the family portraits," Reynolds says. GET READY TO SPEND As Lady Caroline Coote, who commissioned Ballyfin in the 19th century, said, "Cost what it may." REMAIN ANONYMOUS Have a friend make inquiries to avoid gossip about your deep pockets. The brothers have an easy rapport. Liam (who enjoys afternoons in Ballyfins library, with its 4,000 books and dueling fireplaces) is outgoing and warm, a natural fundraiser. Jay (who prefers cocktails in the aptly named Gold Room) has more of a dry sense of humor. Both studied at Taft, then Dartmouth, and both earned MBAs from Northwesterns Kellogg School of Management, but they have distinct interests. Liam founded the nonprofit A Better Chicago, which focuses on equitable education for low income children. (Fred was the organizations first seed donor.) Jay, meanwhile, is a proud conservative and co-chair and CEO of Hindman Auctions, a fine art house based in Chicago. He spent a portion of the pandemic with his wife and children in Palm Beach, though he insists he is part of the Volkswagen contingent, not the new Maserati crowd. (He also tells me about a recent trip to Lake Como with his Italian-born wife during which he and his mother-in-law were chased to their boat by a restaurant manager. It seems each had assumed the other had taken care of the bill.) Fred certainly taught his boys to enjoy the finer things in life, but the man also put a premium on hospitality, wanting everyone to feel at home. On one visit to New York, Liam mistakenly persuaded his father to stay downtown (gulp) at the hip Mercer Hotel. The brothers had to hear about it for the next 20 years. Jay recalls Dad complaining that hed apparently looked so out of place in his coat and tie that one of the staff came up to him and said, Sir, maybe youd be more comfortable in your room. Whether it really happened that way or not well never know. Every Dad story was maybe a little bit embellished, Jay says with a smile. Though their father enjoyed arranging parties, he would often sneak away early in the evening, leaving Kay to hold court. Dad would tell people he had to call Japan, Liam says, because it was morning in Japan. But it was a lie. Hed just go to bed. It was important to him to make sure the party continued. Which, in a way, is what his sons are doing now. This story appears in the October 2022 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW You Might Also Like Oct. 4CONCORD Democratic nominee for governor Tom Sherman claimed the state could lose maternal fetal medicine specialists who deal with difficult, later-term pregnancies due to criminal penalties in the state law that made abortions illegal after 24 weeks. Sherman, a licensed gastroenterologist, said he believes the two medical providers offering this specialized care Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon and Elliot Hospital in Manchester will not be able to recruit replacement staff since Gov. Chris Sununu signed the ban on abortions once a pregnancy has reached six months. "It's very unlikely they would come to New Hampshire while Sununu's felony under the abortion ban remains on the books," Sherman said during a virtual press conference on Monday. The ban on abortion after 24 weeks carries with it a felony charge for any doctor who performs one unless the mother's life would be in danger without the procedure. DHMC has seven specialists but four of them are nearing retirement, according to Sherman. Elliot has two of these medical experts who must complete three extra years of training to provide care for women with complicated or high-risk pregnancies. This specialist care is the core of the OB-GYN network in the northern parts of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, Sherman said. "We not only have the potential of losing the fetal maternal medical care but basic gynecological services," Sherman said. Governor's campaign calls Sherman claim 'outlandish' A spokesperson for Gov. Sununu's reelection campaign said Sherman's statements amount to false scare tactics. "Let's be clear: the governor has repeatedly stated he supports removing the criminal provisions in the legislation," Benjamin Vihstadt said. "This outlandish statement could not be further from the truth and is a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that as state senator, Tom Sherman sponsored an income tax, voted to increase electric rates, and supported keeping schools closed (after the governor lifted the COVID-19 state of emergency)." Story continues Sherman said he'd veto a state sales or income tax. Sununu has pointed to Sherman's support for a mandatory paid family leave program that would have let employers deduct an employee's wages to help pay for it. If elected, Sherman said his first act would be to sign an executive order to prevent the prosecution of women who come here from more restrictive states to get care. Sherman would then ask lawmakers to fast track legislation to repeal the ban on abortions after 24 weeks and enshrine in state law abortion rights that existed until the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. During the press conference Monday, Lisa Akey of Brookline spoke in support of Sherman. Last spring, Akey had to deliver two twins, one who could not survive, because she had learned one of her daughters had a fatal fetal anomaly too late to get an abortion. In response to her story and others, the Legislature passed a bill adding an exemption from the abortion ban for a fetal anomaly. "Sununu takes credit for it but I know who did the work," Akey said. Later she added, "I am incredibly proud her (late daughter's) legacy helped change the law in New Hampshire." Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, and state Rep. Amanda Toll, D-Keene, also took part in Monday's event. klandrigan@unionleader.com A Colorado woman's home was allegedly wrecked by squatters while she was out of town. She's since spent months living in her car and in a homeless shelter. "My life has not gone well at all," she told The Denver Gazette. "I blame myself." Read on to find out how the unusual situation unfolded, why the woman had no choice but to move into a shelter, and if she'll be able to resume living in her house anytime soon. 1 Couple's Retirement Plans Go Awry Lin, a woman in her 60s, bought the newly constructed home with her husband in the late 1980s. The couple frequently traveled for work but planned to live in the home full-time once her husband retired from his job with a government agency four years ago, Lin told the Gazette. In preparation, they hired a remodeling crew to fix up the house. It was there that their troubles began. 2 A Good Deed Leads to Trouble Cropped image of estate agent giving house keys to man in office One member of the remodeling crew was having financial problems and didn't have a place to live. Lin felt sympathy for him and let him stay in the home's basement apartment, she said. But he brought a relative and a girlfriend to stay with him, and when Lin found a hypodermic needle, she asked them to leave. One problem: She had given him a key and didn't ask for it back or change the locks. 3 Husband Abandoned House, and Squatters Moved In Lin and her husband began having marital problems and moved temporarily to Florida in 2018. There, she was injured in a car accident, which delayed her return. Lin thought her husband was living in the house, but he abandoned the property and disappeared. (Authorities still have not been able to locate him, the Gazette reported.) In the meantime, illegal squatters moved into the house, racked up $18,000 in utility bills, and caused major damage to the house between 2018 and last May. At one point, 30 homeless people were staying in the house, neighbors said. Drug use and arrests were rampant. 4 Property Condemned In June In June, the city condemned the house and boarded it up, forcing 15 people staying there to leave. "It was completely filled with trash, rodents, debris," Chase Kinter, a code enforcement officer with the city of Colorado Springs, told the Gazette. "Things were scurrying everywhere. The damage that had been done was extensive and required a huge load of work to clear out." That's when Lin returned and discovered what had happened to her house. At first, she stayed in her car across the street. Then she moved into a homeless shelter. The city billed Lin for the cleanup; she's still paying it off. "It is beyond my power, beyond my budget to do this," she said. A family member has already paid $35,000 to gut and clean the destroyed interior. Story continues 4 In Colorado, Squatters Can't Be Arrested After 24 Hours The longer squatters stay in a place that doesn't legally belong to them, the harder it becomes to remove them, the Gazette reported. Police have the legal authority to remove someone within the initial 24 hours of squatting, but after that, police cannot arrest them. If squatters establish residency by putting utility bills in their name or receiving mail at the address, then they must be formally evicted. "It's difficult to get people out," said Kinter. "The law has vague definitions and is so different than other states." 5 How to Prevent This From Happening To You To avoid a similar situation, Kinter recommended that if you're planning to leave your property for an extended period, have someone you trust check on it, and maintain a formal lease agreement with any tenant. For now, Lin is staying in the homeless shelter while she works to clean up and renovate to make the home habitable again. "It's rare you see anything this tragic," a neighbor said. One reason for the educator exodus are the long hours. Former principal Nadia Lopez says she worked 14-to-16 hour days at Mott Hall Bridges Academy, the school she founded in 2010. (Photo from Nadia Lopez) On World Teachers Day, U.S. educators are sounding the alarm about post-pandemic burnout, huge staff shortages and staggering statistics linked to the current exodus of educators. Nadia Lopez, a former principal made famous by a blog post on Humans of New York, understands the current climate all too well. The founder of Brooklyns Mott Hall Bridges Academy made the difficult decision to leave her job in 2020. I just didn't have any more to give, she tells MAKERS. My body couldn't sustain the constant scrutiny and lack of regard for my health and the lack of support to do this work. THE EXODUS OF EDUCATORS For many educators like Lopez, the added stress of pandemic disruptions made an already-difficult job even more unsustainable. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a net loss of 600,000 public educators between January 2020 and the beginning of this year. Among the teachers that remain, more than half are thinking about leaving or retiring from the profession, according to the National Education Association (NEA). And its not just teachers. A recent study found that nearly 4 in 10 principals are also expected to exit within the next three years. Everyone is trying to put out fires. Everyone is running the rat race. Everyone is just trying to get through another day, says Lopez. We are getting teachers in and we're cranking them out. But we don't care about the casualty that comes with that. And the ones who lose the most are the children. Founder Nadia Lopez at the 2010 opening of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood. (Photo from Nadia Lopez) In 2010, Lopez founded the Mott Hall Bridges Academy, a STEAM-focused (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) public middle school that primarily serves low-income families and underprivileged kids. I saw the school as a place like a community hub, educating these young people so that they could impact what was going on in their households, says Lopez. The school gained national recognition in 2015 when Principal Lopez was featured in the popular social media account, Humans of New York. It went viral, launching Lopez and her school into the spotlight and even earning her a trip to White House for a meeting with President Obama. Growing up, Lopez says her immigrant parents didnt have a lot of money, but they still made her education a top priority. They felt that providing me with a great education would offer way more benefits and give me access to having those opportunities to create my own wealth, Lopez says. When it came time to choose her career path, Lopez says teaching was never really on her radar. But once she became a mom, she realized that outside of her family, the people who had made the biggest impact on her life were her teachers. I just wanted to be exactly what they were for me, for other children." A DIFFICULT DECISION Lopez poured her heart and soul into her job as principal, often working 14-to-16-hour days. But by 2019, her health had declined to a level she could no longer ignore. She says the increasing stress of her job and lack of support from the Department of Education exacerbated her condition and triggered an autoimmune kidney disease. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking I had chest pains, says Lopez. It felt like I was having a heart attack. Lopez took a leave of absence to recover, but then, the pandemic hit. She found herself, once again, working around the clock to help her teachers and students transition to a virtual learning environment. Lopez says doctors told her if she continued at this pace, one of three things would happen: You will have to endure dialysis, a kidney transplant or prepare for early death. Lopez made the choice to resign from the school she founded and loved so dearly. Her tweet announcing her departure read: Unfortunately my resignation isnt because I didnt love what I do, its because school leaders deserve to be treated better. Unfortunately my resignation isnt because I didnt love what I do, its because school leaders deserve to be treated better. We give our entire lives to educate, guide, & protect children. Our responsibility is their success & well-being, but who ensures the same for the leader? https://t.co/3xOGi6ufxd Dr. Nadia Lopez (@TheLopezEffect) July 7, 2020 In addition to the many challenges presented by the pandemic, teacher pay has declined over the past two decades in more than half of U.S. states in some states it has declined by 15 percent. Meanwhile, a tight labor market means dissatisfied workers have the opportunity to seek better jobs and better work environments. Why should I stay in this profession when now there are corporations who will value my skills? says Lopez. Our work sets the foundation for where children have the potential of going, but there is such a lack of regard of what our influence and impact really look like. We prepare children for every industry that exists today. Former principal Nadia Lopez with her "scholars". (Photo from Nadia Lopez) IT TAKES A VILLAGE What can be done to reverse the exodus of educators? Lopez says it needs to start with collaboration and action. Change doesn't come by just complaining about it. Get like-minded educators and teachers onboard to talk about what the problems are and then [get them] engaged in how to find solutions, says Lopez. Administrators need to encourage their teachers to engage in these types of conversations and be open to hearing what they're saying and provide the levels of support that's needed. Lopez says things like investments in professional development and mental health resources can help teachers feel respected and valued. The NEA also stresses the need for long-term strategies for recruiting and retaining teachers such as raising salaries, beefing up health care benefits and improving working conditions. In order for us to shift what's happening in education, it's going to require a concerted effort from the collective, Lopez says. And that includes parents, administrations, the community, all in partnership with the teachers. Nadia Lopez will share more of her story at the MAKERS Conference October 24 through October 26. Photo credit: Fiskars "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below." Nestled in the densely-wooded Uusimaa region of Finland lies Raseborg, the home to Fiskars Village. But don't be mistaken by the off-the-grid locationwhile it may be hidden, you've seen Fiskars everywhere (yes, the iconic orange scissors). The industrial ironworks town has been running for generations! Founded in 1649, the brand is one of the oldest businesses in Europe with a legacy of excellence, sustainability, and creativity. Over 30 historic boutiques and workshop buildings make up the village: mills, a clock tower, the Granary, a foundry, Suutarinmaki (worker's houses), a fire station, the Manor House, and more. Though the outside of each building seems preserved in a moment in time, it's the artisans living in the town who brought it to life. The village is a playground for creatives who love history and innovation. Fiskars has remained strong in its roots while making space for a community of design lovers to tell new stories about the idyllic town. You'll find the storytellers opening their shops and studios for a variety of services like candle making, woodwork, exhibitions, and dining. Today, the bustling village (an hour away from Helsinki) not only serves as home to 600 residents, but has become a must-see tourist destination receiving close to 200,00 visitors a year. Read below to learn how Fiskars has maintained its magic in an ever-changing world and what's to come for the legendary brand. Fiskars Artist Community Photo credit: Fiskars Village The strength of Fiskars Village is found in its community and human-centered progressive spirit. In the early 2000s, the brand offered affordable housing to artists in Helsinki and since then, the village has benefited from welcoming creatives and entrepreneurs around the world. Some of the artists are members of Onoma, a collective that lives in Fiskars Village to keep the art community alive. Onoma is in charge of hosting exhibitions and showcasing their crafts in a store for purchase. Story continues The cooperative recently launched Fiskars Village Art & Design Biennale, showcasing the best of Finland's up-and-coming designers' work from architecture to contemporary art. The exhibit featured portable tiny houses, a holistic museum dedicated to multisensory artwork, and a loft showcasing the history of textiles, fabrics, and ropes. Desico Brands aligned with Fiskars's mission have also joined the community. Entering Desico's candle shop and studio is a trip to heaven for candle connoisseurs. The olfactory experience will wake up your senses without feeling overpowering. Choose from hundreds of natural candles scented or unscented, available in numerous sizes and colors. Nikari Photo credit: Fiskars Village Staying true to the heart of Finnish design, Nikari utilizes certified wood in the area to make high-quality, design-forward wooden furniture. Founded in 1967, Nikari moved to Fiskars village in 1993, powering their studio from Fiskars River. The shop is pristine and minimalist style, allowing the work to speak for itself. Where to Eat in Fiskars Village Photo credit: Fiskars The village also engages with food as art by hosting food festivals and markets that center on local produce year-round. Restaurant Kuparipaja Located in the Copper Smithy, Kuparipaja offers a contemporary take on traditional Finnish dining with seasonal and organic produce. Cafe Bar Pesula Whether you're in the mood for coffee or a light lunch, the Pesula has a rustic (vegan-friendly) touch to satisfy your taste buds. Indulge in a gluten-free chocolate cake after your meal, you won't regret it! Fiskars Wardshus Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Wardshus inn for a homestyle meal. Since 1836, the inn has operated as a go-to for guests to dine. You don't have to drive far after dinner if you choose to book a quick stay in Hotel Tegel or a room above the restaurant. Activities in Fiskars Village It's impossible to take a stroll through the village without stopping to poke your head in every building. The infrastructure remains strong, some supported by iron and cement blended bricks (an idea sparked from making use of leftover materials). Visitors can walk or bike through the village to explore. Fiskars Shop: Look (and shop) through an elevated gift shop featuring iconic brands like Fiskars, Iittala, Hackman, Wedgwood, and Arabia. Agras Distillery: Savor the tradition of a Finnish craft distillery. The signature spirits include gin, whisky, akvavit, and digestif. Biking: Fiskars Village Trail Center offers various bike paths with access to lakes, rivers, and forests. Cafe Antique : Stop by for a pastry as you shop for vintage pieces or enjoy a book Humina Design Shop: Shop vintage and admire handmade crafts like mugs or stationery. JALO: Visit Timo Mustajarvi's studio filled with silver, gold, and gemstone jewelry and accessories. You'll notice a pair of scissor-shaped earrings and smile instantly. Candle making : Tour through the candle store or sign up for candle making workshop to create your own candle. Bianco Blu: Participate in a glass-blowing course or admire a performance by skilled artisans. Fiskars continues to uphold its heritage and push into the future with cutting-edge consumer goods like gardening essentials, pro tools, clothing, and even cookware (we awarded its Hard Face Saucepan in our annual Live Better Awards). The beauty that emerges from the idyllic village is one you don't want to miss. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram. You Might Also Like U.S. citizens planning to go on an international trip may want to take the time to check online as the State Department issued new Travel Advisories for Italy, France, Belize and other countries on Tuesday. In total, 81 new Travel Advisories were posted, including four "Level 4" Travel Advisories for Russia, Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Belarus. This level of advice warns Americans to "not travel" to these places because of "greater likelihood of life-threatening risks." There were 10 new "Level 3" Travel Advisories for people to "reconsider travel" due to "risks to safety and security." These countries include El Salvador, the Cayman Islands, and Colombia. TRAVELING TO MEXICO? US citizens warned of 'kidnapping risk' in some parts of Mexico State Department recommends to 'exercise increased caution' Twenty-five countries also received a "Level 2" Travel Advisories telling travelers to "exercise increased caution" and to "be aware of heightened risks to safety and security." Italy travel warning Among them was Italy, which has been seeing "increased caution due to terrorism." The State Department said that terrorists could attack high-profile public events like sporting events, clubs, public transportation systems and other public areas. The agency also said that those behind the attacks are using "less sophisticated methods" such as knives, firearms and vehicles to hurt crowds. There is also a "moderate rate of crime" in Italy for U.S. citizens, specifically for theft and economic crimes, not so much violent crimes. These types of crimes include not validating metro tickets properly and being fined or buying counterfeit goods. People traveling to Italy should be aware of their surroundings when in public or crowded places and monitor the local media for breaking events. GOING TO THE US? Not everyone wants to come to the US:Gun violence, safety concerns are keeping travelers away Story continues TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS: 17 CIA tips on how to think like a spy and stay safe while on vacation France travel warning France was another country issued with a "Level 2" Travel Advisory due to terrorism and civil unrest. The State Department warns that, like in Italy, terrorist attacks can happen with little to no warning in popular tourist locations. French police and military are patrolling public spaces, so U.S. citizens should be prepared to go through security inspections at public venues and other businesses. Thousands of people have recently taken to the streets in Paris to protest Iranian leadership after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died while detained by Iran's morality police for not properly wearing her hijab on Sept. 16. Police responded to the demonstrations with water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas. People face riot police as they take part in a demonstration in support of Iranian protesters in Paris on Sept. 25, 2022. With these demonstrations expected to only continue for the next few weeks, the State Department warns people to avoid travel to Paris and other major French cities. Belize travel warning Belize was also issued a "Level 2" Travel Advisory by the agency due to increased crime, like armed robberies and sexual assault, especially in the south side of Belize City and other remote areas along the country's borders. These crimes are mostly gang-related and even take place during daylight hours and in popular tourist areas. "Local police lack the resources and training to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents," the agency wrote. "Most crimes remain unresolved and unprosecuted." Tourists are often targeted by criminals at resorts and roads, and crimes can range from the more violent to pick-pocketing or extortion. San Pedro is one of the areas where there is thought to be a credit card fraud ring, so tourists should be careful of cash and credit card theft while there. Victims of overseas crimes should report what happened to the local police and then contact the U.S. Embassy who can help assist the local authorities. As a reminder, the U.S. Embassy is not a law enforcement agency. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: State Department warns about violence in Italy, France and more A Chinese vase described as quite ordinary turned out to be anything but after selling for almost 4,000 times its estimated value over the weekend. Originally expected to fetch between 1,500 and 2,000 ($1,470-$1,960), the Tianqiuping-style porcelain vase sold for more than 9 million ($8.8 million) at the Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, France on Saturday. While the house thought it was offering a relatively mundane 20th century vase, the 30 bidders from mainland China believed Osenat had a rare 18th century artifact on its hands. More from Robb Report The blue-and-white vase measures 21 x 16 inches with a spherical body and long cylindrical neck. Its also decorated with swirling clouds and nine ferocious dragons to boot. It was brought to auction by the daughter of the former owner, Osenat president Jean-Pierre Osenat told The Guardian. Reportedly, she lives abroad and didnt see the vase before arranging for it to be taken from her mothers home in Brittany, northwestern France. She inherited it from her mother who in turn inherited it from her mother who was a big Paris collector in the last century, Osenat claims. The vase was in the former owners possession for 30 years and according to a valuation expert, it dates from the 20th centurydeeming it not rare. But that didnt stop 300 to 400 people from expressing interest in bidding on the piece. From the moment the catalogue was published we saw there was enormous interest with more and more Chinese people coming to see the vase, says Cedric Laborde, an Osenat director. Eventually, the auction house limited the number of bidders down to 30, all of which had to pay a deposit to bid on the vase. Story continues By Saturday, the bidding frenzy kicked off with 15 telephone bidders and 15 collectors in house driving up the price. Osenat claims 10 people were still bidding after the price passed the 5 million mark. The vase eventually was sold to an unidentified Chinese buyer for the grand total of 9.121 million ($9.02 million), including fees. Our expert still thinks its not old, states Laborde. In fact, Osenats expert claims if the vase had been 200 years older it would have been extremely rarepresumably without a doubt. Despite this, its clear that the mainly Chinese bidders for the piece saw value in the lot. I have faith in the hammer, which is to say that I think the law of supply and demand determines the market price, Osenat told CNN. The view of an expert cant outweigh that of 300 people. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. A state police organization has filed an election law complaint against Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan, alleging she listed inaccurate information in her voters pamphlet information. The Oregon State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police filed the complaint with the Secretary of State Elections Division on Sept. 26. The letter, written by Portland-based attorney Daniel Thenell, asks the Elections Division to investigate Duncans alleged violation of an Oregon Revised Statute that states, A person may not knowingly make a false statement, oath or affidavit when a statement, oath or affidavit is required under the election laws. The complaint claims Duncan misled voters regarding her work history. Under occupational background, Duncan said she has been with the Linn County Sheriffs Office from 1997 to present. According to Department of Public Safety Standards and Training records, Duncan left the sheriff's office and joined the Salem Police Department in April 2001. She left Salem PD and rejoined LCSO just a few months later in July 2001. In a September interview with Mid-Valley Media, Duncan said she was living in Mill City at the time and working as a resident deputy in 2001. She said multiple people she had arrested, including a convicted murderer, knew where she lived with her family. Her son was 2 years old at the time, and Duncan said she wanted to keep her familys safety in mind. But after a short time in Salem, Duncan said she missed the family atmosphere at the Linn County Sheriff's Office and promptly returned to the agency and never looked back. The complaint alleges Duncan is in clear violation of the law by not acknowledging her time in Salem. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Albany Democrat-Herald. We respectfully request that the Elections Division investigate this matter and seek appropriate correction to ensure the integrity of our elections, Thenell wrote. Secretary of State campaign finance records show the local lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police located in Harrisburg and known as Central Valley Lodge No. 16 donated $5,000 to Jon Raymonds campaign, Duncans opponent. The group is also listed as an official Raymond supporter on his voters pamphlet information. Duncan said she did not include her time at Salem PD in the voters pamphlet because it was not a significant amount of time in the span of her career. She said she is not trying to hide the fact she left the agency for a few months. Duncan said she has spent the majority every year since 1997 with LCSO. She added that she believes the complaint is retaliation from a former sheriffs office employee who was unhappy with the agency and is now a leader within the Fraternal Order of Police. Thenell said the complaint does not have any biased intent and the group voted to file the complaint. Duncan said she sent her response to the Secretary of State and is awaiting their decision. "Elections officials do not edit the contents of a voters pamphlet statement except in a few specific situations, and this is not one of them," Ben Morris, communications director for the Secretary of State, said in an email. "Candidates are responsible for the content of the statement, and they may request an edit up until the filing deadline, which was Aug. 30. Duncans statement will remain as-is." He added that an investigation had not been completed. Related stories: This article originally appeared on Outside Update: October 12, 2022: President Biden officially designated Camp Hale, marking the first new national monument under his presidency. President Biden may soon designate his first new national monument, some sources predict as early as this month. What is Camp Hale, why does it need protection, and how did we get to the point where the Executive Branch might take action? I reached out to Senator Michael Bennet (D--CO), who wrote to Biden requesting the designation, to find out. What's Camp Hale? Constructed in 1942 as a training facility for the Army's 10th Mountain Division, Camp Hale played a critical role in the creation of the U.S. ski industry--and subsequently, the larger outdoor recreation world. "Many of the soldiers who trained at Camp Hale during WWII came back to Colorado to help start the outdoor recreation economy and now, veterans of the 10th Mountain Division come back to Colorado to find peace on our public lands," Senator Bennet tells Outside. He's referencing the recently passed, bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, which recognizes the benefits outdoor recreation has on mental health, and provides significant funding to help veterans get outdoors. Camp Hale's location between Red Cliff and Leadville, Colorado, in the Eagle River valley, is what made it special. With an elevation of 9,200 feet, Camp Hale is situated right in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. The Army used those mountains to train troops in alpine and nordic skiing, winter survival, and mountaineering. At the time, those skills were unique among world militaries, and the 10th Mountain Division would go on to put them to good use, climbing a treacherous ridge in Italy's Northern Apennines to surprise Nazi troops, and dislodge them from artillery positions that were preventing allied troops from continuing their invasion into northern Italy. In that, and subsequent actions, the 10th Mountain Division experienced 4,072 casualties during WWII--992 killed and 3,134 wounded--nearly 30 percent of its entire strength. Story continues After the war, many veterans who had trained at Camp Hale returned to Colorado with a newfound passion for winter sports. Tenth Mountain Division veterans became ski instructors and patrollers, outdoor educators, and recreation pioneers. Notable veterans of Camp Hale include Senator Bob Dole, Vail Ski Resort founder Peter Seibert, National Outdoor Leadership School and the Wilderness Education Foundation founder Paul Petzoldt, Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club David Brower, legendary mountaineer Fred Beckey, National Ski Patrol founder Charles Minot Dole, at least two Olympic athletes, and many more. Camp Hale's importance to the ski industry cannot be overstated. The 1996 documentary about the 10th Mountain Division, Fire on the Mountain, credits its veterans with creating 62 American ski resorts, and says 2,0000 veterans who trained there would go on to become ski instructors. The Division's surplus skis were a big part of what made skiing accessible to normal Americans after WWII. Senator Bennet, along with Senator John Hickenlooper (D--CO), Colorado Governor Jared Polis, and Representative Joe Neguse (D--CO) are requesting that Biden use his powers under the Antiquities Act to permanently protect 28,676 acres around Camp Hale, along with 17,122 acres in the the nearby Tenmile Range where the 10th Mountain Division trained, to create the Camp Hale Continental Divide National Monument. The areas are currently managed by the United States Forest Service. A formation of soldiers in Camp Hale. (Photo: Denver Public Library. ) Why Does Camp Hale Need Protection? Today, only a few ruins remain of the former training base, but Camp Hale's legacy forever altered the Eagle River Valley's ecosystem. To create a flat, level area on which to construct Camp Hale, the Army Corps of Engineers brought in millions of cubic yards of soil. The Corp also turned miles of the meandering Eagle River into a straight, uniform ditch, and drained surrounding wetlands. Asbestos, and unexploded ordinance, remain hidden in the valley's soil. The changes to the area pose a threat to visitors, make the valley prone to flooding, and impair the environment's capacity to support wildlife. Proposed restoration efforts would attempt to return the river to something approximating its original course, restore wetlands, and make the area safe for visitors, while preserving what remains of Camp Hale's structures. The National Forest Foundation even suggested retaining portions of that featureless ditch to help maintain the site's character. Proposed efforts would enhance the area's ability to support visitation and increase the site's educational facilities so that future generations could better learn about the 10th Mountain Division's legacy. Right now, Camp Hale lacks even a visitor center, and pollution from the area is able to simply wash downstream into the Colorado River. A national monument designation would increase the funding sources available for restoration and facilities, while protecting the surrounding landscape from encroachment by residential and commercial development, and oil, gas, or mineral extraction, and would improve the health of the watershed. The neat thing about national monuments is that each is able to operate on its own, unique set of rules, while maintaining access for historic or current recreational uses. The area is popular with snowmobilers and off-roaders, for instance, and the plan put forward by Bennet, Hickenlooper, Polis, and Neguse specifically calls for all current motorized trails to be retained in their current forms. An historic recruitment poster for the 10th Mountain Division. (Photo: Colorado Snowsports Museum) What's Been Done to Protect Camp Hale so Far? Coloradans have been working to protect Camp Hale for over a decade. In that time, the Continental Divide Recreation, Wilderness, and Camp Hale Legacy Act, the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, the Thompson Divide Withdrawal and Protection Act, and the Curecanti National Recreation Area Boundary Establishment Act have come together to form the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act. The CORE Act was first introduced to the Senate by Senator Bennet and House of Representatives by Representative Neguse in January 2019. It passed the House with 222 Democratic and 5 Republican votes in October of that year. It was then re-introduced to the Senate in February 2021 by Senator Bennet, but has since stalled in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, stonewalled by Republican senators. That's led the CORE Act's supporters to pursue Executive action. "This legislation has been built from the ground, up with years of dedicated stakeholder engagement and enjoys bipartisan support," Bennet, Hickenlooper, Polis and Neguse write in a letter to the White House. "Regrettably, progress in Congress has stalled despite strong support in Colorado. The time has come to take the next step in protecting the key landscapes within the CORE Act and we need your help." "Specifically, we urge your action under the Antiquities Act to designate Colorados Camp Hale and the Tenmile Range as the Camp Hale Continental Divide National Monument," the letter continues. The history of this area, including the role it played in preparing the 10th Mountain Division for some of the most difficult moments of World War II, makes it the ideal candidate for a national monument designation. Many of the veterans of the 10th Mountain Division returned to Colorado after the war to establish our state's outdoor recreation economy by starting the ski areas that Colorado is known for, further establishing the role Camp Hale and its veterans have played for our state and nation." USACE transformed the once meandering Eagle River into this ditch. What Do Opponents Say? "For years, partisan big-city Democrats--with the full backing and support of the far-Left green energy cartel--have attempted to implement massive new land grabs through the so-called Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act," writes Represenative Lauren Boebert (R--CO), in a letter to President Biden opposing the designation. The letter is co-signed by eight other Republican Congresspeople, including representatives from Texas and Arizona. "Radical Colorado Democrats are now calling on you to weaponize the Antiquities Act--an outdated 1906 law that permits the President to designate certain lands as national historic monuments--and apply it to key provisions of the CORE Act...We don't support the efforts of extremist environmentalists who are seeking to hijack this historic place to create a new land designation--a designation that literally does not exist--to prohibit timber harvesting and mining on nearly 30,000 acres of land." Three soldiers ski above Camp Hale. (: Denver Public Library) What's Next? While Bennet hopes that Biden administration will follow recommendations put forward in the CORE Act, the Antiquities Act grants the President final authority in designating national monuments. We won't know the exact areas included, or the nature of the protections that will be established, until the designation is made. If it's made at all. And, if recent history is anything to go by, any new national monument created by a Democrat will likely to face legal challenges from Republican politicians. If the designation is made, one thing's for certain: An intense spotlight will turn onto the history of the intersection between the military and the outdoor recreation world. And that's going to add to a growing recognition that two are often intertwined in ways that benefit people, the environment, and our society. For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today. Editor's note: This report has been updated to correct scholarship information. University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson promised to bring even more success to the campus in the 2022 State of the University address. "We will build on this," she said, citing the university's accomplishments. In a nearly 30-minute speech last week, Wilson said the phrase kept echoing in her head as she reflected on the state of the university. "There's tremendous momentum here. There's so many things that are going well in El Paso and for UTEP," Wilson said. "We're going to build on this. We're as good as we've ever been. And now we're just going to keep getting better." Wilson highlighted the university's record fundraising efforts, increase in student engagement, record research activity and being a leading Hispanic-serving institution. Here are four takeaways from Wilson's addresses: Significant increase in fundraising efforts UTEP has seen a near 50% increase in last year's fundraising efforts of $26.9 million to $38.9 million this year. This money will support scholarships, fellowships, facilities and faculty, a UTEP news release stated. UTEP also received a $55 million endowment from the University of Texas regents to increase scholarships for students of modest means, Wilson said. A total of 36% of undergraduate students had their tuition and other fees fully paid for this semester though a variety of grant and scholarship funds. Also, 25 UTEP faculty and staff have the opportunity to donate $10,000 for future scholarships for students. Each gift will be matched by $15,000 by an anonymous donor, Wilson said. UTEP a leading research, Hispanic-serving university During the 2022 fiscal year, UTEP received 254 new awards that will support $117 million in externally funded research projects, Wilson said. UTEP has contributed research in Hispanic health disparities, advanced manufacturing and water research. Story continues "We are one of the top research universities in the country," Wilson said. "And certainly in the state of Texas." Wilson noted the two major efforts that focus on serving the university's large Hispanic population. The university initiated the Dr. Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success and hired national thought leaders Anne-Marie Nunez and Jacob Fraire to lead the program, Wilson said. Wilson highlighted the university's contributions of training and teaching health care professionals in El Paso. In El Paso hospitals, 60% of nurses are UTEP graduates and 90% of undergraduates with bachelor's in nursing sciences stay in the region. "We are training the healing hands in El Paso," Wilson said. Increase in student engagement UTEP has seen an increase in freshman students, celebrated its largest graduating class and is noting an increase in student engagement. This fall UTEP saw its largest first-time college students in university history with approximately 3,600 students, a previous UTEP news release stated. The previous freshman record was set in fall 2019, when 3,400 freshmen enrolled. This freshman student enrollment record comes after UTEP's largest graduating cohort with 3,126 spring and summer 2022 graduates in the university's history. UTEP also has seen its largest graduating health care professionals class with 1,110 graduates. Records in engagement throughout the university also were highlighted in Wilson's speech. "Students are also getting involved on campus and reclaiming the connections and activities that were put on hold during the pandemic," Wilson said. Over 1,700 students participated in at least one campus activity during the year, a 18% increase in student activity from before the pandemic. "We are deeply committed to opening doors of opportunity to those who have historically been underserved by higher education," Wilson said. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP President Heather Wilson vows to build on university's successes WASHINGTON A large swath of law enforcement agencies have yet to submit complete data to the FBI's national crime tracking system, raising questions about the utility of a new report in assessing crime trends across the country. The FBI reported a 4.3% estimated increase in murders in 2021 and a negligible 1% decrease in overall violent crime Wednesday, relying on an alternate reporting system. At the same time, officials acknowledged about 48% of the country's eligible police agencies, or 9,700, had not submitted 12 months of data to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) by the March 14 deadline. Some of the largest agencies in the country, including the New York Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Phoenix Police Department, had yet to submit any data to the system, the officials said. Federal authorities said all of the jurisdictions have committed to providing the information, yet some agencies are operating on timelines slowed by a lack of funding, personnel shortages or delays in acquiring technology. Report has 'blind spots' But analysts immediately urged caution in ascribing meaning to the new report. "With so many agencies failing to report a full year of data for 2021, this years annual crime data release will have significant blind spots," the Brennan Center for Justice said in an analysis of the report. "It will probably be impossible to speak of a precise 'national' murder rate or 'national' violent crime rate for 2021... Policymakers will have to exercise great care when using this limited data," the Brennan analysis concluded. More: FBI: Record surge in 2020 murders; nearly 30% increase drives spike in violent crime Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, raised similar concerns. "When only 62% of agencies have provided one-year of data and you have to estimate for the others, that's a problem," Rosenfeld said. Story continues "Clearly, there is uncertainty surrounding the data released today. Let's hope this is a one-year blip." Incident-based reporting The FBI's incident-based system is designed to provide a deeper examination of crime in the United States that has been long dependent on a summary form of tracking in the agency's Uniform Crime Report. In addition to reporting major violent crimes and property offenses, the NIBRS system is expected to capture demographics of victims and offenders, while attempting to measure other offenses such as human trafficking, simple assault, bullying or intimidation. Historically, policy analysts and lawmakers have relied on the data to develop new crime fighting strategies or allocate additional resources, including more police officers, to jurisdictions in need of assistance even as some communities have feared that reports of rising crime could draw unwelcome national attention. Despite the limited data submissions from police agencies in Wednesday's report, federal authorities expressed confidence in the methodology. But authorities also offered their own clear caution, saying that the significance of the year-to-year changes were unclear given the limited participation of reporting agencies. "In most instances, differences in the comparison of 2021 data to 2020 do not meet the criteria for statistical significance," the report said. "However, it should be noted that the main contributor to that finding is the large amount of variation...that is measured in the 2020 data due to low coverage of participating agencies. As coverage increases, the FBI will be able to improve its ability to measure these critical metrics for the nation." The slight overall decrease in violent crime recorded in 2021 was driven in part by a nearly 9% decline in robbery, according to the report. Though the 4.3% murder increase follows a 29.4% surge in 2020. More: Homicides down but violent crime increased in major US cities, midyear survey says The new report comes in the midst of a super-charged election cycle in which communities across the country have been struggling to contain troubling outbreaks of violence and as local officials are seeking clarity in addressing the root causes of crime. The Major Cities Chiefs Association, a consortium of police officials representing the nation's largest law enforcement agencies, reported in August that overall violent crime was up 4.4% in its 2022 midyear survey of 70 cities. While the association reported a dip in homicide from the midyear totals in 2021, this year's report showed a 50% jump compared to 2019. These shocking numbers demonstrate how the sustained increase in violent crime has disproportionately impacted major urban areas," the association said in its August report. With the approaching election and crime surging, Adam Gelb, president and chief executive officer of the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice, said there is hunger for a meaningful accounting but he described the new report as "disappointing." "It's as clear as a glass of milk," he said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2021 FBI crime data lacks information from major police agencies Alex Jones, right, is seen outside of Waterbury Superior Court in Connecticut. REUTERS/Mike Segar Alex Jones was scheduled to return to the stand in the Sandy Hook defamation damages trial on Wednesday. But on Tuesday, Jones' attorney said the shock jock decided not to testify and was flying back to Texas. Earlier in the day, Jones complained that the judge wanted to put him in jail for telling "the truth." Alex Jones has decided not to testify in his own defense at the second Sandy Hook hoax trial, his lawyer said Tuesday. The trial taking place in Waterbury, Connecticut, is the second of three trials stemming from Jones' repeated claims that the mass school shooting was staged by the government as a pretext to restrict gun ownership. The first trial wrapped up this summer with a Texas jury ordering Jones to pay the parents of one of the victims nearly $50 million. The third trial has yet to be scheduled. In the Connecticut case that is ongoing, attorneys for the plaintiffs had called Jones to testify earlier in the trial, but Jones ended up snapping several times, going on tangents about "liberals," and saying he was "done" apologizing to the parents. He was set to return to the stand on Wednesday, once his attorney, Norm Pattis, began presenting Jones' defense. But in a sidebar between the judge and the attorneys at the end of the day Tuesday, Pattis said Jones had decided not to testify and was heading back to Texas. Pattis also added that he will not be presenting a defense, so the case should be with the jury soon. Chris Mattei, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said the prosecution planned to rest its case early Wednesday. Pattis made sure to hedge about whether Jones would testify on Wednesday. "What if he calls me tonight and says I've changed my mind? What then?" Pattis asked. "Well then I guess we'll be ready to go," Mattei said. "I don't think that's going to happen," Pattis said, before trying to assure Mattei that "no games" were afoot. Earlier in the day, Jones held a press conference outside the courthouse and threatened to back out of testifying. Story continues Jones complained about being limited in terms of what he is allowed to say on the stand, according to Raw Story. Because he already lost the defamation case, he can't talk about how he's fighting that ruling something he's framed as a First Amendment issue. In reality, he was found laible by default because he repeatedly refused to follow court orders to turn over certain company records during the discovery process, therefore losing the right to argue that his Sandy Hook comments constitute constitutionally protected free speech. "I am strongly considering tomorrow when I get put on the stand looking at the judge and saying, 'You've barred me from saying I'm innocent. This isn't a real court, so I take the Fifth Amendment!'" Jones said, according to Raw Story. "Not because I'm guilty but because she says if I tell the truth, she'll put me in the Waterbury jail for six months! That's what she can do." "Top lawyers have looked at it and said, 'No, she wants to put you [in jail] if you tell the truth,'" he added. "Well, I tell this judge and all the rest of the new world order, I am innocent! And you are guilty of tyranny!" Jones did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Tuesday. Read the original article on Insider President Biden on Tuesday bashed the University of Idaho over its new guidance against offering birth control for students, arguing contraception shouldnt be controversial in this day and age. Folks, what century are we in? What are we doing? I respect everyones view on this personal decision they make. But, my lord, were talking about contraception here. It shouldnt be that controversial, Biden said during a meeting of the White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access. This is what it looks like when you start to take away the right of privacy, the president added. The new policy by the University of Idaho also advises employees not to speak about reproductive rights at work and warns they could face a felony conviction for promoting abortion, The Washington Post reported. Biden said that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will look at steps to protect college students and school employees in Idaho or other states where access to contraception is at risk. The policy follows Idahos trigger ban, which went into effect months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade and prohibits abortion after conception except when the mothers life is in danger or in instances of rape or incest if the crime is reported. Biden and Vice President Harris both attended the second meeting of the White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access, which came about 100 days after the Supreme Courts ruling. Biden warned other universities to not enact the same policies. My message to any other colleges considering enacting policies like this: Dont. Please dont. Were not going to sit by and let Republicans throughout the country enact extreme policies to threaten access to basic health care, and thats why were all here today, he said. Biden offered support in his remarks for people during the post-Roe era. My message to folks across the country who are worried about what were seeing is first that we have your back. Were not going to step back from this. And, second, weve heard your voices, he said. The administration on Tuesday announced it will provide more than $6 million in new Title X grants and other grants to protect access to reproductive health care. And the Department of Education is set to release guidance to universities that will reiterate the Title IX requirement that institutions must protect their students from discrimination based on pregnancy, including pregnancy termination. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) Protesters waving Russian flags gathered in Burkina Faso's capital where West African regional envoys were meeting Tuesday to press the country's latest coup leaders to swiftly return the country to civilian rule. The meeting Tuesday in the capital, Ouagadougou, comes amid fears that the second coup to hit Burkina Faso this year will further delay democratic elections and a return to constitutional order. Mediators from the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS have already spent six months this year trying to persuade the previous junta regime which seized power in January to commit to a timetable for new elections. Then last week a group of soldiers led by Capt. Ibrahim Traore overthrew the interim leader and declared themselves in charge. ECOWAS has also been pushing for a return to democracy in neighboring Mali for more than two years. The regional bloc imposed stiff financial sanctions but later lifted them even though new elections have not yet been held. ECOWAS has little leverage or credibility now after the failure of its hardline approach toward Mali," said Michael Shurkin, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a director at 14 North Strategies. It was and is clear that the threat of sanctions gave neither Damiba nor Traore pause. The same is true too for Guinea, the third ECOWAS country hit by a coup in recent years, he added. Part of the problem is the wide perception that ECOWAS serves French interests, which makes it easy for leaders to resist in in the name of pan-Africanism and sovereignty, Shurkin said. After an ECOWAS delegation arrived Tuesday in Ouagadougou, an armored personnel carrier guarded the government building where they met as crowds waited nearby. Journalists were not allowed inside. Burkina Faso's capital remained tense after a weekend of unrest when demonstrators attacked the French Embassy in Ouagadougou after leaders of the new junta alleged that the ousted interim leader was sheltering at a French military base. France vehemently denied it and Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba later arrived in the neighboring country of Togo after agreeing to resign. Story continues France's ambassador to Burkina Faso, Luc Hallade, put out a statement advising the 4,000 registered French citizens in the country to continue sheltering at home. I would like to salute the composure you have shown throughout these days of crisis, Hallade said. Of course, we all hope that the return to normalcy that seems to be taking shape in the last few hours will be confirmed. But until the situation becomes stable again, I invite you, once again, to stay at home unless there is a compelling reason or an urgent need for supplies. Traore, Burkina Faso's new coup leader, has said he plans to keep the commitments made by the previous junta to ECOWAS, including holding new elections by 2024. We hope that the return to normal constitutional order will take place even before that date, if the situation allows it, Traore told Radio France Internationale in an interview that aired Monday. Some of Traore's supporters are calling on him to get Russian mercenaries to help end the Islamic insurgency that has killed thousands and forced 2 million to flee their homes in recent years. Neighboring Mali took a similar move after a coup d'etat there in 2020, though those forces from Russia's Wagner Group have been accused of committing human rights abuses. In January, Damiba came to power vowing to improve Burkina Faso's security but the jihadi violence continued unabated during his tenure. Traore is promising to do what his predecessors could not, pledging to improve conditions for soldiers in the field and to control the insurgents' violence. ___ Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Istanbul and Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed. The Cook Political Report on Tuesday moved Pennsylvanias Senate race back into its toss up category, less than two months after moving the contest into the lean Democratic column. The nonpartisan election forecaster cited recent polls showing a tightening race between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz. An Emerson College Polling-The Hill survey released last week showed Fettermans lead over Oz shrinking from 4 points in August to 2 points in September. However, a USA Today-Suffolk University poll released on Tuesday showed Fetterman leading Oz by 6 percentage points, at 46 percent to 40 percent. The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Fetterman leading by 4.3 points. Ozs campaign also reported a significant fundraising boost in the third quarter. On Tuesday, the campaign announced it brought in $17.2 million during the reporting period, including a personal loan of $7 million. The latest fundraising numbers mark a major improvement for Oz, who reported raising $3.8 million in the second quarter. Its not clear how much Fetterman raised this quarter, but last quarter his campaign brought in $11 million. Our momentum is building every day and were uniting Republicans, Independents, and Democrats who want to see a change in Washington. Were proud of our success this quarter and were just getting started, said Michael Adams, national finance director for Ozs campaign. But Taylor notes the change in rating for the race does not necessarily mean Ozs campaign is out of the woods. There are still plenty of red-blinking warning signs for Republicans. Ozs own approvals may have gotten a tad better in some polls, but hes still underwater. And while Fettermans positives have been driven down, he still has clung to a lead and is right-side up, albeit narrowly, in many surveys, Taylor writes. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Election Day is fast approaching. Do you know who you're voting for? All eyes are on Pennsylvania as voters choose a U.S. senator to replace retiring Republican lawmaker Pat Toomey, and the state's new governor. The first general election since new legislative and congressional maps were drawn will also see voters choose who they'll send to Washington and Harrisburg in the new year. To help you make informed decisions at the polls, the Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer sent questionnaires to candidates running in the Pennsylvania election, asking them their stances on issues from abortion and gun control to voting rights and the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Read on to learn more. Fetterman, Oz square off in contentious Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and celebrity Dr. Mehmet Oz have been locked in a heated battle for Toomey's seat in the U.S. Senate. Democrat Fetterman has held a lead over Oz in the polls, while the Republican has hammered his opponent for ongoing health issues and his stance on crime. Read on:Your guide to the candidates for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania Voters to choose between Mastriano, Shapiro for Pennsylvania governor Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro faces Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano in the election for Pennsylvania's next governor. The race pits the two-term attorney general, who touts his record on crime and consumer protection, against the state senator from Franklin County, who rose to prominence during COVID shutdowns and has found support in the far right. What the candidates say:Your guide to the candidates for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania In 1st District, Fitzpatrick faces challenge from Ehasz U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Middletown, is running his third re-election campaign against a challenge from Democrat Ashley Ehasz. Ehasz, a former fighter pilot and Bensalem resident, has taken aim at Fitzpatrick's stances on abortion, while Fitzpatrick has touted his bipartisan record. Story continues FItzpatrick vs. Ehasz:Your guide to the race for U.S. Congress' 1st district Who will represent Bucks, Montgomery counties in the General Assembly? Redistricting has shaken up the Pennsylvania Legislature, and many voters in Bucks and Montgomery counties will see new names on the November ballots either because they're now located in different voting districts, or their current legislator is retiring. Read on:Who you'll be voting for in Pennsylvania House, Senate races in Bucks and Montco What you need to know about voting in the Pennsylvania election Election Day is Nov. 8. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To check your registration status, or update your address, party affiliation or other information, visit vote.pa.gov. Not registered? You can do so online before Oct. 24, or visit any county voter registration office, county assistance offices; Women, Infants & Children program offices; PennDOT photo and drivers license centers; Armed Forces recruitment centers; county clerk of orphans courts or marriage license offices; area agencies on aging; county mental health and intellectual disabilities offices; student disability services offices of the State System of Higher Education; offices of special education in high schools; and Americans with Disabilities Act-mandated complementary paratransit providers. How do I vote by mail? Despite challenges to Pennsylvania's mail-in ballot expansion, the opportunity to vote by mail still exists. Registered voters can request a mail-in or absentee ballot online. Applications must be received by a voters county election board by 5 p.m. Nov. 1. "On demand" mail ballots also are available at Bucks County election offices in Doylestown, Quakertown and Bristol, or in the Montgomery County Voter Services office in Norristown. If you voted by mail in the last election cycle, in 2021, you need to re-apply for a mail ballot. Completed mail ballots must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Postmarks do not count. If taking advantage of a ballot drop-box, note that you can only deposit your own completed ballot. If you're unable to drop off or mail your ballot, you can fill out an authorized designated agent form allowing someone else to do it for you. If you have a mail ballot but decide to vote in person, bring the entire ballot, including security envelope, to the polls. If you don't have the mail ballot but still show up to the polls to vote in person anyway, you'll be able to cast a provisional ballot. But counting your ballot could be delayed until it's determined you didn't also vote by mail. Bucks County announced it would open its first three drop boxes on Monday, Oct. 17. They are: Upper Bucks Government Services Center, 261 California Road, Quakertown. 8 a.m. to 4 :30 p.m. weekdays Lower Bucks Government Services Center, 7321 New Falls Road, Levittown. 8 a.m. to 4 :30 p.m. weekdays County Administration Building, 55 E. Court St., Doylestown. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays These locations will also be open noon to 5 p.m. on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5. "Ballot drop boxes will open in the coming weeks at 11 locations throughout the county, including three boxes at county government buildings opening Oct. 17. Drop boxes will open the week of Oct. 24 at eight libraries located throughout the county," according to a news release. County library locations that open Oct. 24 are: Bensalem Library, 3700 Hulmeville Road. Bristol Borough Hall, 250 Pond St. New Hope Library, 93 W. Ferry St. Northampton Library, 25 Upper Holland Road, Richboro. Perkasie Library, 491 Arthur Ave. Riegelsville Library, 615 Easton Road. Open until 5 p.m. Warminster Library, 1076 Emma Lane Yardley-Makefield Library, 1080 Edgewood Road Hours vary at the library locations. All drop boxes are supervised by a Board of Elections employee while the boxes are in operation. Ballots are collected from the boxes at least once per day, and returned to the main Board of Elections Office in Doylestown where they remain secured and unopened until 7 a.m. Election Day, officials said. Voters may only return their own ballot unless they have been authorized as a designated agent for another voter. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Pennsylvania Voters Guide 2022: What you need to know at the polls Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Wednesday that it is unlikely but possible that Russian President Vladimir Putin will deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine. The more that Ukraine has continued to seize ground in the east and in the south, I think the more desperate Putin becomes, Esper told CNN. This has been a strategic failure in multiple ways since it began in February. I think Putin continues to paint himself in a corner and limiting his options to get out of this mess hes created. Esper estimated that if Russia were to use a nuclear weapon, it would likely be between 1 and 10 kilotons. For reference, he noted that the 15-kiloton nuclear weapon that the U.S. used in Hiroshima, Japan, killed 70,000 people and destroyed five square miles of territory. He said the U.S. and its allies could respond to the heightened threat by communicating to Moscow that if there is any indication they plan to use a tactical nuclear weapon, they will put an air cap above Ukraine and shoot down anything that could be carrying a nuclear weapon. Putin has ratcheted up his nuclear rhetoric in recent weeks, as Russian forces have been forced to retreat from parts of eastern and southern Ukraine. Just a day after Putin announced the formal annexation of four Ukrainian regions, Russian forces withdrew from the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region one of the four annexed territories after Ukrainian forces surrounded the city. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who dismissed Putins earlier nuclear threats as bluffs, has warned that the Russian presidents latest threats could be a reality. The countrys capital city of Kyiv has begun prepping evacuations centers in the case of a potential nuclear attack, complete with potassium iodine pills to help against radiation absorption. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Loretta Lynn performs at Roberts Stadium on March 25, 1977. EVANSVILLE Loretta Lynn didnt tell the Evansville audience about her missing teeth. The country star dazzled the crowd at Roberts Stadium on March 25, 1977, belting out hits such as Coal Miners Daughter and Fist City without a hitch. The only sign anything was wrong came halfway through the show, when she hinted at a recent mouth operation. The reality was much more dire. And it was one of several dramatic appearances in Evansville over the years that involved everything from birth control controversies to a fellow performer getting punched in the face. The music legend and Eastern Kentucky native, who died Tuesday at the age of 90, appeared in Evansville in 77 just three days after serious mouth surgery. Her son told the Evansville Press that night that doctors had discovered a cyst in her mouth that formed after an infection. Loretta Lynn passes away:Country music legend and 'Coal Miner's Daughter,' dies at 90 They ultimately removed several teeth and shot her full of Novocain. Even with all that, she took the stage on a dual bill with Conway Twitty. After she finished singing, aides lined her jaw with ice packs, Press reporter Jim Szymanski wrote. Then came the hard part. Loretta returned to sing a duet with Twitty that had the crowd clutching the stage to get a closer look. Born Loretta Webb on April 14, 1932, the "Butcher Holler" native died in her sleep at her home in Tennessee, her family said. She rose to fame in the 1960s and 70s, singing songs about everything from rural life to womens liberation all after raising several kids before she turned 18. In 1980, her life story was the inspiration for the film Coal Miners Daughter starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. Spacek went on to win an Oscar for her performance as Lynn. Between that she toured the world, hitting Evansville and the Tri-State several times over the course of her seven-decade career. According to Courier & Press archives, her last show here came in 2003. She was supposed to play The Victory Theatre in 2009 but canceled due to a scheduling conflict. Story continues Those cancelations were rare, though. She was much more likely to play a show no matter what. That was made starkly apparent during a string of shows featuring her and Twitty in Evansville in the mid-70s. In 1976, she performed at Roberts Stadium despite battling a nasty case of the flu. But the real drama came a year earlier. At the 75 show, a team of Boonville brothers were arrested after they reportedly leaped on stage and socked Twitty in the face while he was trying to sign autographs. And the unruly crowd extended to Lynns show, when people harangued her to play The Pill: her birth control anthem that had just been banned from country radio. Lets not talk about The Pill right now, she said. Well get to The Pill later on in the show. When she finally sang it, the crowd went crazy. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: In Evansville, Loretta Lynn battled missing teeth and a fight onstage Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty In 2016, when Donald Trump bragged that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and he wouldnt lose voters, few Republican leaders assumed he was talking about targeting them. Well, the MAGA chickens have finally come home to roost. Theyre super-sized, waving Confederate flags, doing one-finger Q salutes, and armed with AR-15s. Fast forward to 2022, the twice-impeached vulgarian posted over the weekend what any reasonable person would read as death threats against Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Not to be outdone, he also hurled ugly racist insults against McConnells wife, Elaine Chao, who had been Trumps first Secretary of Transportation. McConnell, apparently, offended the perpetually aggrieved Trump by working with Democrats to keep the government funded and open. Trump accused McConnellknown as the Senates Grim Reaper for being an avowed obstructionistof approving all of these Trillions of Dollars worth of Democrat-sponsored Bills. For this, and other perceived acts of insufficient loyalty, Trump wrote that McConnell has a DEATH WISH, and advised him to immediately seek help and advice from his China-loving wife, Coco Chow. Its Time to Call MAGA a National Security Threat On Twitter, I predicted that instead of condemning Trump, Republicans would instead line up and request insults for themselves and their spouses. On cue, Sen. Rick Scott on CNN defended Trump by saying, He gives people nicknames. Im sure he has a nickname for me. Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio would surely seethe with jealousy and nurse their broken hearts if indeed this were true. Regardless, we have sadly become numbed to expect a thank you, may I have another? from masochistic Republicans who voluntarily allow themselves and their wives to be humiliated by Donald Trump as part of their Faustian bargain for relevance and political power. However, it would be a grave mistake for Americans to simply chalk this up as one of Trumps latest examples of logorrhea, leading us to shrug our shoulders and move on to the next inevitable scandal. Story continues In the past month, Trump has openly embraced QAnonwhich the FBI calls a domestic terror threat, and which has radicalized several individuals who have committed violence in the belief that liberals are part of a global, Satan-worshipping, child-trafficking ring. Even Trumps racism, which is so commonplace now that it doesnt even merit headlines, has coincided with violence. During the start of the pandemic, Trump deliberately misidentified Covid-19, a virus with no ethnicity or zip code, as Kung Flu and the China Virus. Since then, theres been a spike in anti-Asian hate crimes in America. At the very least, Sen. Scott added, I dont condone violence, and I hope no one else condones violence. Except, of course, he condones Trumps violent rhetoric with his silent complicity. And Scott doesnt seem to be paying much attention to his extremist Republican colleagues, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Georgia congresswoman spoke at a recent Trump rally and recklessly incited the crowd by falsely saying, Democrats want Republicans dead. Theyve already started the killings. Greenes brazen lie coincided with a terrifying New York Times feature that reported a rise in violent political speech and threats against members of Congresswho have endured assaults, intimidation, and armed visitors. I wouldnt be surprised if a senator or House member were killed, said Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who added, what started with abusive phone calls is now translating into active threats of violence and real violence. And yet seven years after the ascension of Trump, Collins can only muster an occasional concern, shock, and disappointment whenever Trump or the RNC (which refers to the Jan. 6 insurrection as legitimate political discourse) doubles down on divisive lies, hate, and antisemitic conspiracy theories. Unsurprisingly, the three members of Congress who have received the most threats, according to the Times report, are the three women most frequently targeted by Trump: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was actively hunted by MAGA members on Jan. 6. The GOP Will Never Give Up on the Big Lie It is worth recalling that the insurrectionists also intended to hang Vice President Mike Pencearguably the most white, conservative, Christian man on Earthbecause he wouldnt go along with the failed coup attempt. For his part, Trump agreed they should kill him. If they were willing to kill Pence, imagine what theyd do to McConnell and his wife? The GOP has nurtured, enabled, and unleashed a violent monster for political expediency, one that now terrorizes them into submission and compliance. As we approach the 100-year anniversary of the March on Rome, which consolidated Mussolini's fascist power over Italy, we should recall that he couldnt have done it without the help of his violent brownshirts. Using his militia as enforcers, Il Duce stomped his fascist boots for two decades on the necks of critics, dissidents, and fellow allies who werent sufficiently obedient. To not look at Jan. 6when Trump unleashed his own MAGA brownshirts upon the nations capitol to usurp poweras a kind of reboot of the March on Rome is to engage in willful ignorance. At a 2020 presidential debate, Trump told the Proud Boysthemselves a neo-fascist street gang, with uniformsto stand back and stand by. They took him literally and seriously, and their leaders are currently being prosecuted for seditious conspiracy against the United States. Pro-Trump protesters carry guns at a rally near the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. Ryan M. Kelly/AFP via Getty When Trump places a target on his enemies, his base responds with violence. After the ex-president blasted the FBI for its perfectly legal search of Mar-a-Lago, threats against law enforcement skyrocketed, culminating with one unhinged idiot attacking an FBI office in Ohio. Journalists and reporterssome of Trumps favorite targetshave reported an increase in bullying and intimidation for the past seven years coinciding with Trump and right-wing media referring to them as fake news and enemy of the state. At the Jan 6 hearings, former Georgia election workers Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, tearfully testified that Trump targeting them resulted in death threats and forced them to quit their jobs and become reclusive. Law Enforcement Has an Extremist Problem in Its Own Backyard So what will it take for Republicans to condemn Trumps recent embrace of death threats and violent conspiracies? Nothing. Republicans have made themselves into cannon fodder. This is a toxic love story, a mutual death spiral with intertwined fates. However, Trump has multiple lives. GOP leaders and donors keep thinking theyll ride Trump and dump him for Govs. Ron DeSantis or Greg Abbott, but for now and in the near future, Trump is the dominant partner who humiliates and berates with impunity. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi depart the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Republicans like Sen. McConnell are learning that as MAGA extremism continues to overtake the party, he is no longer the lion, but instead a male kalutaa tiny marsupial who quickly dies after mating. Thats the price of mating with Trump. If I were Mitch, Id enjoy my cigarette, watch my back, tell Elaine Chao, Were on our own, and sleep with one eye open. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. GREEN BAY The Green Bay Packers play four of their next five games on the road, beginning this week with the mother of all road games, against the New York Giants in London. The average of lowest prices at 10 secondary market sites for that game is actually higher than the last two weeks, which is unusual. Prices normally fall as game time nears and ticket sellers get motivated, but likely reflect the continued interest in the game by United Kingdom and European fans. The price on Monday was $463, compared with $418 last week and $449 two weeks ago. Also remaining pricey is the national Sunday night game in Buffalo on Oct. 30. Like the 3-1 Packers, the Bills have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, and like the Packers they struggled to win their last two games. The game also offers the matchup of reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Bills' star quarterback Josh Allen. The average lowest price was $407 Monday, compared with $403 last week and $260 in August. Dec 1, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) on a pitch in the snow against the Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports The Packers return from London next week to play the third New York team on the schedule, the Jets at Lambeau Field. The Jets are 2-2 and pulled out a spirited victory against the Steelers on Sunday. Because it will be the first Green package home game in a month, is the only noon game at Lambeau Field this year and is a normally good time for watching games outdoors in Green Bay, the price is a healthy $212. That compares with $229 last week and $214 two weeks ago. Meanwhile, it is time to stop pointing out the ineptitude of the Detroit Lions. The Lions may be the most dangerous 1-3 team in the league. Their three losses this year are by a total of 10 points. Two of those three losses, including to Seattle on Sunday, were at Ford Field, but based on ticket prices, Lions fans for the first time in years have taken an interest. The average get-in price for the Nov. 6 game is $140, the first time in years games in Detroit sold for more than $100. That's double what it was in August. Story continues RELATED: Dougherty: Packers' shaky victory won't impress anybody, but it's still another one in the win column RELATED: Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he regrets 'emotional decision' to challenge Romeo Doubs' dropped touchdown in 4th quarter The Washington Commanders have become the Detroit of years past on the secondary market, and maybe on the field, too. The average get-in price for the Oct. 23 game in Washington is $89. Washington suffered its third consecutive loss Sunday against the Cowboys and already its season seems to be spinning out of control. Ticket prices The following are secondary market ticket prices as of Monday. For our look at Packers' tickets prices, we averaged the lowest ticket prices at 10 secondary market websites: Event USA, Gametime, Green Bay Ticket Service, SeatGeek, StubHub, TicketIQ, Ticketmaster, TickPick, Ticket King and Vivid Seats. Note that ticket marketplaces can add fees on top of listed prices, so actual costs might be higher. Several websites offer standing room only tickets for Packers home games. The Packers have designated the SRO tickets as being not available for resale, so buyers proceed at their own risk. If the ticket does not scan as valid, fans won't be admitted to the stadium, and their recourse for a refund is to contact the seller of the ticket. Oct. 9, 8:30 a.m., Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, New York Giants, NFL Network Face-price range: N/A Average lowest-cost seat: $463 Range of lowest-cost seats: $335-$559 Oct. 16, noon, Lambeau Field, New York Jets, Fox Face-price range: $123-$156 Average lowest-cost seat: $212 Range of lowest-cost seats: $160-$294 Oct. 23, noon, FedEx Field, Washington Commanders, Fox Face-price range: N/A Average lowest-cost seat: $89 Range of lowest-cost seats: $79-$105 Oct. 30, 7:20 p.m., Highmark Stadium, Buffalo Bills, NBC Face-price range: N/A Average lowest-cost seat: $407 Range of lowest-cost seats: $293-$551 Nov. 6, noon, Ford Field, Detroit Lions, Fox Face-price range: N/A Average lowest-cost seat: $140 Range of lowest-cost seats: $69-$176 Contact Richard Ryman at (920) 431-8342 or rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Packers at Bills ticket prices climbing, and Packers at Lions doubles Protesters chant slogans in downtown Tehran, Iran, on September 21, 2022. AP Photo, File Iranian schoolgirls have joined the latest wave of demonstrations, which have gripped the country. Videos show them shouting "death to the dictator" and removing their hijabs, according to the BBC. One human rights group said at least 154 people have been killed in the police crackdown. Iranian schoolgirls across the country are joining in on the latest wave of anti-government protests over its treatment of women. According to a BBC report, schoolgirls in Karaj, a suburb of Iran's capital city Tehran, took off their hijabs and flooded the streets in a show of solidarity with the movement. In Saqez, near the country's western border with Iraq, schoolgirls took to the streets and chanted "death to the dictator," referring to the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Schoolgirls were also photographed flashing their middle fingers at portraits of Iran's leadership. Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said in a Tuesday analysis that the ongoing wave of protests gripping the country is largely being led by students. The ongoing demonstrations were initially triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in mid-September while in government custody. Amini was arrested by Iran's so-called morality police for allegedly violating rules forcing her to wear a hijab. Since then, civil unrest has spread to dozens of cities across the country. Women have burned their headscarves and cut their hair in a show of defiance, while vehicles and police stations have been torched by other demonstrators. Iran's crackdown on protesters, meanwhile, has been brutal. The Norway-based Iran Human Rights non-governmental organization said Tuesday that at least 154 people including children have been killed in this latest wave of protests. Story continues "We are gravely concerned that the Iranian Government is intensifying its violent crackdown on peaceful protesters who are demanding their equal rights and demanding basic human rights and human dignity," US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said at a briefing Tuesday. He continued: "We're appalled by some of these crackdowns, especially as it relates to the crackdown on students." Read the original article on Business Insider STORY: At least six other Palestinians, including two journalists, were wounded by Israeli fire, medics at the scene said. Palestine TV released footage of the scene, with audio of journalists shouting as one of them was hit by gunfire. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday, a national holiday in Israel. The clashes began when Israeli forces surrounded the house of Salman Imran, who the Islamist militant group Hamas claimed as a member, in the town of Deir al-Hatab east of Nablus. Witnesses said dozens of Palestinian gunmen fired at Israeli forces in an attempt to foil their operation. The Palestinian Health Ministry said the man who was killed, 21-year-old Alaa Zaghal, was shot in the head. Palestinian medics said he was unarmed when Israeli forces fired at him near the town's entrance, away from where the clashes were taking place. The Israeli military has intensified its raids in the West Bank in recent months following a spate of Palestinian street attacks that killed 19 people in Israel and as a general election approaches on Nov. 1. More than 80 Palestinians, including gunmen and civilians, have been killed since January, in what the European Commission described as the deadliest year in the West Bank since 2008. Camila Behrensen (left) and Pablo Guzman-Palma were found dead in a Kansas City apartment by firefighters. Police said the pair had been shot and their apartment set on fire (Stowers Institute) Police in Kansas City are hoping to use data collected by an Amazon Alexa device to catch a killer. Camila Behrensen, 24, and Pablo Guzman-Palma, 25, were members of the Predoctoral Researcher Class at the Graduate School of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. On Saturday, they were found dead. According to a report obtained by KSHB, someone shot the researchers in an apartment building and then attempted to burn the building down. Firefighters were called out to battle the blaze and discovered the researchers' bodies in the process. They alerted the local police. Investigators told KSHB that they believed the shooter had been with the researchers for several hours before and after they were killed. Police are hoping that any conversations the killer may have had with the pair were captured on the apartment's Alexa device. Amazon's Alexa is a a virtual assistant that "listens" for voice commands using an always-on microphone. If the Alexa was recording during the crime, there is a chance the device captured the killer's voice, details about a possible motive, and could provide police with a clear timeline of events. If police manage to obtain the data, it would not be the first time a smart devices' recordings are used in a criminal investigation. In 2020, WIRED spoke with Douglas Orr, the head of the criminal justice department at the University of North Georgia about police requesting data from smart devices. Mr Orr said that police now request smart device data as often as they request smartphone dada. Raul Gonzales, who lived across the hall from their apartment, told KMBC the duo seemed like normal people. I just saw them hanging out, nothing really much beside that. Theyd sit on their deck and talk on the phone. I would get their mail in my mailbox on occasion, but besides that, they were just normal, he said. He knew the duo spoke Spanish and enjoyed hosting friends at their apartment. Both researchers were born in South America. Ms Behrensen was from Argentina, and Mr Guzman-Palma was from Chile. Story continues According to Stowers Institute, Ms Behrensen previously studied fruit fly metabolisms and hoped to one day finish her post-doctoral degree and start her own lab. Mr Guzman-Palma had previously worked on cellular regeneration and was also interested in starting his own lab later in his career. These researchers were members of our 2020 class and vibrant members of our Stowers Institute community, the university said in a statement. We want to honor and remember the joy, optimism, and exceptional work these two individuals embodied and all that they have accomplished. Kansas City police have made no arrests and have not released a cause of death for either of the researchers at this time. Kelli Ward gives an interview to the media during former President Donald Trump's Save America rally at the Findlay Toyota Center in Prescott Valley on July 22, 2022. Kelli Ward, the head of Arizonas Republican Party, declined to answer questions during her subpoenaed testimony before the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, a government attorney said in court on Tuesday. The revelation came as part of the attorneys argument that the Select Committee needed to view a log of call activity from Wards cellphone in the months leading up to the Capitol riot. An attorney for Ward said she testified before the committee and refused to answer questions to avoid self-incrimination sometime in the spring. Ward, who was not at the hearing on Tuesday, could not immediately be reached for comment. Election deniers on the ballot: Hundreds of elections deniers running for office nationwide in 2022 pose 'major threat' to U.S. democracy The committee sought a log of phone calls and text exchanges to Wards phone from Election Day on 2020 through January 2021. That span of time included when Ward was part of a group of Republicans who met and falsely asserted themselves as Arizonas presidential electors. The group of Republicans met at party headquarters and cast false Electoral College votes for former President Donald Trump, even though Joe Biden had won the state, according to the certified results. The group sent the paperwork to Congress and the National Archives. Republicans in other states sent similar documents to Congress, part of a scheme that would have had the official counting of the Electoral College votes on Jan. 6, 2021, delayed or upended. Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol during the count, sending lawmakers fleeing the chambers. The certification was delayed for hours. Attack on the Capitol: What exactly was Roger Stone's role in Capitol riot? The next Jan. 6 hearing could tell us Kelli Ward, head of the Arizona Republican Party, speaks to attendees during a get out the vote rally event put on my Turning Point Action on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Mesa. The committee had subpoenaed Wards cell phone provider, T-Mobile, for the information Ward then fought that subpoena in court. U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa ruled in September the committee had the right to get the logs. The hearing on Tuesday was over a motion filed by Ward asking that the phone records not be turned over until after Wards appeal of that ruling. Story continues The judge on Tuesday did not issue a ruling at the end of the hearing. She said one would be forthcoming. Reach the reporter at richard.ruelas@arizonarepublic.com This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kelli Ward refused to answer questions before Jan. 6 committee OLENA ROSHCHINA TUESDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2022, 13:23 Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, said that negotiations with Ukraine would have to wait for a change in the stance taken by the current President of the country, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, or for his successor. Source: Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti Quote from Peskov: "Well, what can we say now? We will either wait for a change in the stance of the current President, or we will wait for a future President of Ukraine, who will change his position in favour of the Ukrainian people." Details: This was Peskovs comment on the decree by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy implementing the decision by Ukraines National Security and Defence Council, dated 30 September, on the impossibility of negotiating with Russian President Vladimir Putin, on Ukraine's application to join NATO and on strengthening Ukraines defence capabilities. Thus, the Kremlin made it clear that they are not going to end the war, whilst Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, before the latest stage of Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territories, that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine was a condition for negotiations with the Russian Federation. Previously: On 30 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready for negotiations with Russia, but only with another president of the Russian Federation, not with Vladimir Putin. On that day, Ukraines National Security and Defence Council stated the impossibility of negotiating with Putin, and Zelenskyy approved this decision. Before that, Moscow had repeatedly accused Kyiv of withdrawing from negotiations, but in fact, Russia did not seem prepared for compromises, refused to withdraw from the captured territories, and put forward ultimatums, seeking the surrender of Ukraine. Since May, both sides have made it clear that negotiations will not help to stop the war, and they have sought to gain an advantage on the battlefield first. Story continues Background: On 21 September, amidst the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly supported sham referendums on the occupied territories of Ukraine and announced partial mobilisation in the Russian Federation. On 27 September, Russian-appointed puppets on the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts completed sham referendums on joining Russia. Their results were known in advance. On 30 September, Putin signed "agreements" on the accession of the annexed territories to Russia and declared that from now on, people living in the occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts would be considered Russian citizens. Russias Constitutional Court approved this package of documents, and the State Duma (lower house of the Russian Parliament) ratified them. The Russian government said that the transition period for the newly annexed territories would last until 2026. The occupiers are already planning parliamentary elections in the newly annexed territories in 2023. Neither Ukraine nor the worlds democratic community recognises the results of sham referendums or the "admission" of the above-mentioned oblasts to Russia, as was the case with Crimea in 2014. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! A skitch showing changes an interior designer would make to Mikhaila Friel's living room. Mikhaila Friel/Insider I moved into a furnished one-bedroom apartment in Glasgow, Scotland, in July. I asked an interior designer, Jordan Samson, to help with my open-plan living and kitchen area. Samson suggested a few ways to make it look bigger and brighter. I moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Glasgow, Scotland, in July of this year. Mikhaila Friel in her new apartment in Glasgow. Mikhaila Friel/Insider My boyfriend and I have been renting a one-bedroom apartment in Glasgow, the biggest city in Scotland, since July. The apartment is on the first floor of a building in the Merchant City neighborhood, which is known for shopping, restaurants, and bars. The apartment came fully furnished, but we added some design elements of our own. The open plan living and kitchen area in my Glasgow apartment. Mikhaila Friel/Insider Although the apartment is fully furnished, there are a couple of items we purchased ourselves in order to add a personal touch to the open-plan living and kitchen area. For example, we purchased a bookshelf, a TV, some plants, an ottoman, and a beanbag, as well as two bar stools and a couple of kitchen appliances. I recruited Jordan Samson, an interior designer who is well-known on TikTok, to help us make the space look more spacious and bright. Jordan Samson is an interior designer who posts videos on TikTok. Jordan Samson/TikTok Even after adding some of our own furniture, I felt that there was more that could be done to make the apartment look better. More specifically, I wanted to make the open-plan living and kitchen area look bigger and more homey. I also wanted it to look brighter, seeing as Glasgow can be dark and gloomy and there can sometimes be a lack of natural sunlight. I asked Jordan Samson, an interior designer who currently has more than 55,000 followers on TikTok, to help. I sent Samson several photos of the living and kitchen space, and he sent across his best tips in return. Samson suggests adding a rug to "anchor" the living area. An arrow showing where a rug could be added to the living area. Mikhaila Friel/Insider "With an open-concept room like this it really helps to visually define the spaces," Samson said, adding that having a rug in the living room would be a great solution. "This will anchor the space and define the living room," he said. Story continues Samson said the rug should be a light, neutral color to keep the "light and airy" feel that has already been achieved by the other furniture in the room. I've arranged my bookshelf all wrong, according to Samson. The bookshelf in Mikhaila's living room. Mikhaila Friel/Insider Samson said that my exposed bookshelf unit is "causing visual clutter" and essentially shrinking the living space. He said that next time I should consider a floor-to-ceiling bookcase with a hybrid of open and closed shelving, such as Ikea's Billy/Oxberg bookcase, which costs 130, or around $145. "This will draw the eye up, reduce visual clutter, and still give you a bit of space to display decor and personal items," he said. However, since I only recently purchased my current bookshelf (also from Ikea) I have no plans to replace it anytime soon. Samson said there are still ways to make it look more visually pleasing without buying a new one. For instance, he said I could alternate between horizontal and vertical stacks of books and also stack the largest items first, layering the smaller items in between to achieve a balanced look. Moving the plants from the windowsill would help allow maximum natural light. The windows in Mikhaila's living room. Mikhaila Friel/Insider Samson said that while he usually loves plants on windowsills, he doesn't recommend it for my open-plan living room and kitchen due to the fact that there are just two windows at one end of the room. Instead, he suggests moving the larger plant elsewhere or replacing it with a smaller plant to allow for maximum natural light. He also suggests swapping out the curtains with longer ones that meet the floor, which he said would elongate the walls and subsequently make the ceiling feel higher. Finally, Samson suggests adding wallpaper or a mirror to help define the kitchen area. The kitchen area. Mikhaila Friel/Insider My kitchen area has a built-in fridge and freezer, several storage cupboards, and a long unit which we use as a makeshift breakfast bar with our added bar stools. We don't have any decor on the walls, and Samson said using stick-and-peel wallpaper to create a feature wall would help to define the space as separate from the living area. Alternatively, he suggests adding a large mirror with a thin frame, which he said will make the surrounding space appear larger. Read the original article on Insider PROVIDENCE Dr. Daniel Harrop, a longtime Rhode Island Republican activist who ran unsuccessful campaigns for Providence mayor and the General Assembly, died Sept. 29. He was 68. The Rhode Island Center for Freedom & Prosperity, the conservative think tank of which Harrop was founding chairman, gave no cause of death but said his passing was unexpected. "Dr. Harrop lived a quiet and unassuming, but enormously influential life," Mike Stenhouse, CEO of the center, said in a statement. "His civic, religious, charitable, and professional accomplishments are among the greatest our state has ever seen. He was a mentor and friend to me and I am proud to have formed our Center under his tutelage. May God rest his good and holy soul." Election news: Ads roll out as abortion politics take center stage in RI races for governor, Congress Daniel Harrop in October 2014, during his third and final run for Providence mayor. He died Thursday at age 68. RI GOP officials pay tribute to 'good and faithful servant' In a statement, Sue Cienki, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Republican Party, described Harrop as a "beloved friend, brother and husband." "Dan was a founder and supporter of many conservative causes," she said in a statement. "Dan was a good and faithful servant. May he RIP." Allan Fung, the former Cranston mayor and Republican candidate for the 2nd District seat in Congress, said Harrop was a dear friend who was very close to his wife, state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, who represents Cranston. From dinners at the Boat House to political trips a many, his quick wit, his ability to find the silver lining in any situation, and that mischievous twinkle in his eye always made him one of the best to share an evening beside, they said in a joint statement. His generosity to the Catholic Church was endless, as was his faith in God. We both believe he got a standing ovation at the pearly gates, and we salute him with a tear in our eyes from down below. More news: Journal to co-host forums for governor, congressional candidates A onetime finance chairman of the state Republican Party and head of the Providence GOP, Harrop ran three times for the mayors office in Providence, twice against David Cicilline, in 2006 and again in 2010, before he dropped out to launch a bid for General Assembly. Story continues 2014 race for Providence mayor: 'The guy better than Cianci won.' His most high-profile race was his final push to become mayor, in 2014, when he faced Vincent A. Buddy Cianci Jr. and Jorge Elorza. Harrop made headlines for not only donating to Democrat Elorza, who went on to win the race, but also voting for him. Harrop, who garnered only 2% of the vote, said he was trying to prevent Cianci, a prominent former mayor and twice-convicted felon who was running as an independent, from taking charge of City Hall once again. I was never going to be mayor, Harrop said afterward. It turned out the best guy won. Well, I was the best guy, but the right guy won. Well, the guy better than Cianci won." Republican Daniel Harrop, right, squares off against independent Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci, left, and Democrat Jorge Elorza during a debate in the 2014 race for Providence mayor. Election 2022 Update: McKee, Kalus at odds over special legislative session to suspend electricity bill tax A West Warwick native, Harrop came to Providence as an undergraduate student at Brown University in 1972 and never left. He got three degrees from the school and lived in the city while working as either a practicing psychiatrist or administrator at hospitals in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for decades. He also held faculty positions at Brown and at Harvard University, according to the Center for Freedom & Prosperity. Along with his bids for the mayors office, Harrop also ran for state representative in an East Side district, against Edith Ajello in 2002, 2004 and, after dropping his bid for mayor, in 2010. He lost all three times. Harrop trailed badly throughout his mayoral campaign in 2014. He readily acknowledged that he had no chance of winning. But he believed it was important to represent the Republican Party. Providence Journal columnist Mark Patinkin described him this way during the race: I've never met an endorsed candidate for a big office having so much fun while being clobbered in the polls. When Patinkin asked Harrop how he wanted to be remembered, Harrop said he hoped people would follow his example and get involved in politics. That's the only way things get better," Harrop said. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Longtime Rhode Island Republican activist Daniel Harrop dies A Democratic candidate for a state House seat in Jackson is ending his campaign after social media posts pointing out past allegations of threatening to carry out a school shooting and using compromising personal pictures to pressure a person prompted prominent party leaders to pull their endorsements and financial support. In a statement, Maurice Imhoff did not address any specific allegation and did not agree to an interview. But he said he would end his campaign after "a lot of soul searching." "I've been suspended, arrested and convicted of things of which I am not proud," Imhoff said in a statement released to the Free Press. "Who I was is not who I am today, but I find myself confronting it on this campaign. ... I have decided to end my campaign." Lansing, Michigan, at the Michigan State Capitol during a wet evening. Over the weekend, a person posted to Facebook allegations about Imhoff, ranging from him threatening to carry out a school shooting to using images she sent to him as leverage against her. The Free Press was not able to immediately verify these allegations, and Imhoff did not address the Facebook post in his statement. The Free Press is not naming the person because the alleged misconduct occurred when she was a minor. She did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Police and court records detailing any interactions with Imhoff in the Jackson area were not immediately available. The Jackson Police Department and the Jackson County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to Freedom of Information Act requests filed Tuesday. Other media outlets, including the Detroit News, cite reports indicating Imhoff was charged with a "false report or threat of terrorism." The report did not indicate the resolution of that case, according to the News. After reports from the News and Gongwer on the allegations, prominent Democrats pulled their support of Imhoff. That includes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel and the House Democratic Caucus. "The allegations are serious and concerning. Governor Whitmer does not support Maurice Imhoff's campaign," said Whitmer campaign spokeswoman Maeve Coyle. Story continues Republicans blasted Whitmer and other Democrats for supporting Imhoff. Maurice Imhoff is a terrible candidate for public office, and he never should have been a centerpiece of the Democrat campaign, said House Speaker Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, in a statement Tuesday. Imhoff, 20, was the only Democrat to run in the primary election to represent the 46th District. Despite him ending his campaign, his name will still appear on the ballot in the general election and there's no mechanism for Democrats to swap in someone else on the ballot, said Angela Benander, a spokesperson for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. After redistricting, historical voting trends in the area indicated a Democrat would have a very slight advantage in the seat, according to an analysis from the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. While Imhoff was one of many candidates supported by high-ranking Democrats in Michigan, winning the Jackson seat would help Democrats as they seek to gain majority control in the state House. With Imhoff dropping out, Republican candidate Kathy Schmaltz will almost assuredly win the race. In his statement, Imhoff said he planned to donate his campaign funds to a Jackson nonprofit that he credited with helping him turn his life around. Contact Dave Boucher: dboucher@freepress.com or 313-938-4591. Follow him on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1 This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Democrat Maurice Imhoff exits race for Michigan House: What we know American actor David Koechner says "comedy can be goofy, funny and brilliant at the same time," and who better to define the term than the legendary comedian who has been in over 200 cult classic films and television shows? The Tipton, Missouri, native known for his roles in "Anchorman" and "The Office" has spent over 25 years in Hollywood, building a resume that contains more acting credits than some of the biggest names in the industry. This includes stars like Samuel L. Jackson (198), Anthony Hopkins (144), Robert Duvall (145) and James Earl Jones (187). However, Koechner, who is slated to perform at the Funny Bone in Liberty Township on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1., did not always believe he could be an actor. Here's a look at his story. Television:Jeff Christian Jr. spills the tea about his journey on 'Love Island USA' 'I love spooky season'Chrissy Teigen visited this haunted attraction while in Cincinnati How David Koechner got his start Koechner first realized his acting dreams during childhood when he would watch programs like "Abbott and Costello," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and "Saturday Night Live." "I could not believe what I was seeing. It was the most brilliant piece of work I'd ever witnessed and it inspired me," he said. Despite his love for the craft, it took several years for him to pursue a career in the field. He kept his acting dreams a secret because he didn't think he'd receive support from his small town community. Instead, Koechner studied political science at the University of Missouri. "This is all pre-internet and I'm from a very small town. I'd never met an actor. I couldn't conceive of how you would even go about that route," he said. Koechner pursued the degree with the hopes of helping people. He soon realized that meant becoming a teacher or a lawyer, neither of which he envisioned for himself. Story continues Upon graduation, he packed his bags for the Windy City, moving to Chicago to pursue a career in improvisational comedy. When Koechner arrived in Chicago, he joined the Second City comedy troupe. His stint on 'Saturday Night Live' "I always been a fan of Second City, 'cause I read a bunch of books by this point about 'Saturday Night Live' and found out a lot of people had started at Second City. And so I thought, well, 'That's what I need to do,'" Koechner explained. After graduating from the comedy troupe in 1994, Koechner landed his first gig on the late-night sketch comedy show. He spent just one year on it before his contract expired. It did not get renewed due to disputes with two unnamed producers. About his termination from "Saturday Night Live," Koechner said, "It hurt like hell that I didn't get renewed. Those two guys, they know who they are, and it doesn't matter. I don't focus on them. It gave me a leg up in show business and launched my career." After this setback, Koechner decided to travel further West to Los Angeles, where he quickly acquired three holding deals. Does he remember all his 207 acting roles? Now, with 207 acting credits under his belt, Koechner has appeared in a wide variety of films and television series. From raunchy comedies to family-friendly animation and critically-acclaimed dramas, Koechner has done it all. But does he remember every show and movie? The answer is no. A radio station once quizzed Koechner on all his work, and he said he "did not fair too well." Koechner explained it's common for actors who've amassed as many roles as he has to forget a character's name or a project title. As a working actor, husband and father of five, Koechner said there was a period in his life where acting was just about completing one job after another. "My life was pretty full," Koechner said. Although he cannot remember all his roles, a few stand out in his mind. In addition to Champ Kind in the "Anchorman" film franchise and Todd Packer from "The Office," Koechner is also quite fond of his reoccurring role as Bob Pogo in the Netflix series "F is for Family," Bill Lewis in "The Goldbergs" and his upcoming role as Pastor Royer in the horror thriller "Ganymede." "I've been so fortunate and so blessed. I'm happy. Usually happy with everything, sometimes there's a few in the road you'd go, 'Ah, if circumstances were different, maybe I wouldn't have done this, but somebody's enjoying it. So God bless,'" he said. Balancing acting and family Koechner said balancing the public and private spheres of his life is all about intentionality. "I'm gonna be the best dad I can, and I'm going to provide for my kids the best way I can," he said. Despite his love for acting, Koechner said his family is his top priority. While he tries to add new material to his stand-up sets, he doesn't usually have the time due to the demands of his personal and professional life. But he may soon get the best of both worlds since his eldest son, Charlie Koechner, is also interested in acting. "He's taking classes. We'll see what happens," Koechner said. Stand-up comedy vs. scripted comedy When it comes to stand-up vs. scripted roles, Koechner has no preference. "I love everything. I love doing live performance. I love doing TV. I love doing movies. Thankfully I don't have to choose one or the other," he explained. Stand-up comedy is an outlet for him to riff about the events happening in his life. He said his material is not inspired by political or social matters but reflects the stories and characters from his life. Political correctness, a hot topic of debate in recent years, is not of great importance to the "Anchorman" star. "I'm an entertainer. I'm here to entertain ... You look at the body of my work and/or the body of how I treat people. 'Is he a good human being?' That's what we hope for. I mean, that's what I hope for at the end of my day," Koechner said. Visit the Funny Bone website for more information on Koechner's upcoming shows. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Actor David Koechner looks back on his career before Cincinnati show Rep. Mike Johnson presented Republicans with a way to deny the 2020 election result without having to lean into more extreme claims of voter fraud. Susan Walsh/AP Rep. Mike Johnson told The New York Times he never supported false claims of mass voter fraud. But in past interviews, he touted "credible allegations of fraud" and "rigged" voting machines. Johnson gave the GOP a defense for rejecting the 2020 election that doesn't rely on extreme allegations. A Louisiana congressman who's responsible for one of Republicans' go-to defenses for denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election said he never supported claims of mass voter fraud, according to The New York Times. In an interview with the newspaper, Rep. Mike Johnson claimed that he never backed some of the more extreme allegations of voter fraud that were frequently touted by former President Donald Trump, including claims of illegal votes or a rigged election. "I never egged on any of that," Johnson told the newspaper. "I never was in that other camp, anytime, ever." "I was like a lone wolf crying in the wilderness: 'Guys, you don't have to worry about any of that,'" he said in the interview. "'They violated the Constitution!'" But Johnson previously stated on a conservative talk radio show that there were "credible allegations of fraud and regularity." The Times also reported that Johnson said he believed there was "a lot of merit" to claims that voting machines have been "rigged." The lawmaker became a key figure after he presented Republicans with a more lawyerly defense for casting doubt on the 2020 election vote without having to lean into Trump's more extreme claims or outright accepting the election result, The Times reported. Reminding his Republican colleagues about his background as a constitutional lawyer, Johnson pointed to what he called a "third option" object to how some states made changes to election procedures that aimed to make voting easier during the pandemic, such as modifications to early-voting or mail-in ballot rules, without getting approval from the state legislature. About three-quarters of the 139 House Republicans who voted to deny the Electoral College count relied on Johnson's rationale in formal statements explaining their decision, The Times reported. A spokesman for Johnson did not immediately return a request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider The anti-mask lawsuits that two groups of parents filed against the Millcreek Township and North East school boards have already cost the school districts more than $20,000 in combined legal fees. The costs are about to get bigger. In response to an Erie County judge's dismissal of the suits on Sept. 13, a lawyer representing the parents has appealed the ruling to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. The appeal was filed on Monday in Erie County Common Pleas Court, and court officials mailed the appeal notice to Commonwealth Court on Tuesday, according to court records. Commonwealth Court is a step below the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. It hears cases involving government agencies. Commonwealth Court's counterpart regarding appeals in criminal and civil cases is Pennsylvania Superior Court. Commonwealth Court will set a schedule for briefs and oral arguments. It likely will take months to rule, and its decision could be appealed to the state Supreme Court. Students wearing masks arrive at Belle Valley Elementary School in Millcreek Township on Jan. 5, 2021. A group of parents in the Millcreek and North East school districts are appealing an Erie County judge's decision on Sept. 13 that dismissed the parents lawsuits over mask requirements, which the respective school boards lifted in early 2022 as COVID-19 cases waned. The parents want Commonwealth Court to overturn Erie County Judge Erin Connelly Marucci's decision to toss the parents' request that she remove school directors in both the Millcreek and North East school districts. The parents want the directors ousted because they approved mask mandates and quarantine requirements to curb the spread of COVID-19. Both school boards set aside the restrictions earlier this year as the number of coronavirus cases waned and the state directives for school districts changed. But the parents sued anyway, claiming the masks and quarantine rules violated the rights of their children, including the 8th Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Connelly Marucci ruled against the parents in a sharply worded opinion. She cited a longstanding Pennsylvania Supreme Court precedent that said school directors have wide discretion in dealing with health concerns in their buildings. She refused to oust the school directors, who are elected, and pick their replacements. Story continues Costs of the anti-mask lawsuits for Millcreek, NE districts To successfully defend the lawsuits, the Millcreek and North East school districts spent a total of $20,392 in attorneys' fees and legal costs $15,328.50 for the Millcreek School District and $5,063.50 for the North East School District. The districts provided the amounts in response to requests the Erie Times-News filed under the state's Right-to-Know Law. The Millcreek School District responded on Monday, and the North East School District on Friday. The Millcreek and North East school districts use the same law firm, the Erie-based Knox, McLaughlin, Gornall & Sennett. A lawyer in the firm, Timothy Sennett, is the solicitor for both districts. Sennett is handling the districts' fight against the anti-mask lawsuits with his law firm colleagues Michael Musone, who argued the districts' case before Connelly Marucci, and Philip J. Seaver-Hall. A number of parents sued the Millcreek Township School District on April 25, and a group of North East parents filed a virtually identical petition on May 19. Connelly Marucci consolidated the cases, and her ruling covered both lawsuits. The legal fees for the Millcreek School District are believed to be higher than North East's because the Millcreek School Board was sued first, and the initial work the lawyers did in that case was used in the North East case. After the filing of the lawsuits, the school districts filed motions to quash the suits. Connelly Marucci heard oral arguments on both lawsuits on Aug. 4. She used information from that session to rule in favor of the school districts' and dismiss the lawsuits in a 10-page opinion she issued on Sept. 13. The parents who filed the respective lawsuits did so under the auspices of a group called Erie County PA Parents Protecting Children. The lead petitioner in the Millcreek case, Troy Prozan, initially represented himself, but a lawyer from Lebanon County, J. Chadwick Schnee, later took over the case. Schnee also took on the case of the lead petitioner in the North East case, Erin Beckes, who also initially represented herself. Demonstrators protest against COVID vaccinations and face masks during a School Board meeting held at the Millcreek Township School District's Millcreek Education Center (not shown) on Aug. 23, 2021. Some parents' anger over mask requirements led to lawsuits against the Millcreek and North East school districts. An Erie County judge tossed the lawsuits on Sept. 13, and the parents behind the suits have appealed the decision to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Schnee did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment about the appeal. Sennett, the school districts' solicitor, also did not immediately respond to an email about the appeal. Officials from the districts' lauded Connelly Marucci's decision to toss the lawsuits. In a statement she issued following the ruling, North East schools Superintendent Michele Hartzell said: "The court reaffirmed that the Board of Directors had the discretionary power to require masks and the quarantine of students in accordance with Pennsylvania School Code. This was an unfortunate situation, time consuming and cost our local taxpayers a lot of money." The lawyers for the school districts asked Connelly Marucci to order the parents who sued to compensate the districts for their legal costs. Connelly Marucci in her ruling declined that request without comment. Pa. Supreme Court ruling from 1894 key to judge's decision The North East suit sought the ouster of all nine school directors. The Millcreek case sought the ouster of seven of the nine school directors, leaving untouched a director, Michael Kobylka, who favored optional masking and a director who is new to the board, Kim Lupichuk. The North East School District, which includes North East High School, shown on Oct. 28, 2021, was hit with a lawsuit that sought to oust the school directors over COVID-19 mask requirements. An Erie County judge on Sept. 13 dismissed the anti-mask lawsuits against the school boards for the North East and Millcreek Township school districts, and the parents who sued have appealed the dismissal to Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. In filing the suits that requested removal, the parents cited a part of the Pennsylvania School Code, Section 3-318, that allows a Common Pleas Court judge to oust school directors who refuse or neglect to perform a duty. The law authorizes a judge to name replacements. The Millcreek School District has not required masks and quarantines for its 6,400 students since March 1. The North East School District lifted similar requirements for its 1,600 students on Feb. 28. In siding with the school boards, Connelly Marucci repeatedly referred to a 1894 Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that affirmed a school district's authority to require smallpox vaccinations. The ruling in the case, Duffield v. School District of the City of Williamsport, was never overturned and "remains good law today," Connelly Marucci said in her opinion. "The broad discretion of school districts to prevent the spread of infection and disease within their schools is a matter that has survived the test of time," Connelly Marucci said, referring to the Duffield case. Schnee, the parents' lawyer, raised a number of arguments in support of the request to oust the school directors. They included the claim that some fundamental Christians might consider the wearing of masks tantamount to participation in a satanic ritual and a violation of their rights to freedom of religion. The parents also argued the respective school directors should be ousted because, in requiring masks and quarantine through the beginning of 2022, they followed a September state Department of Health edict that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled invalid on Dec. 10. The state Supreme Court decision was based on procedural grounds, however, and the state Supreme Court never said school boards were prohibited from requiring masks. Connelly rejected the parents' arguments. She also wrote in her decision that the parents "lay out a myriad of legal claims; however, despite multiple reviews of the Petitions, it is unclear to the Court how to break down and logically separate the many claims." Contact Ed Palattella at epalattella@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNpalattella. This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: COVID-19 in court: Parents lose anti-mask suits against school boards American Airlines Tom Pennington/Getty American Airlines plane Passenger Xavi Santiago is calling out American Airlines for forgetting to load their $22,000 electric wheelchair on the plane. In a viral TikTok, Santiago, 23, shared their awful experience while traveling from Los Angeles, Calif. to Orlando, Florida, with a layover in Miami. After having to wait an extensive period of time to be helped onto the plane in Miami, Santiago was told their wheelchair was not there when they reached Orlando. The airline gave Santiago a manual wheelchair and assured their wife that Santiago's chair would be on the next flight leaving Miami. After failing to load it on the subsequent flight to Orlando, Santiago was forced to wait for almost five hours until the airline finally brought the wheelchair. RELATED: Department of Transportation Seeks to Bar Airlines from Charging Parents to Sit with Their Child American Airlines fleet of airplanes with passengers Getty Images In a statement to Insider, Santiago said, "The entire time, I had no idea if my chair was going to show up. If it was going to be damaged, what was going to happen. This is not a lost bag. This is my mobility. These are like my legs." Santiago says they were put on hold with customer service several times and was told something different by multiple people. At the Orlando airport, airline representatives would mainly speak to Santiago's partner, adding to their frustration even more. "I constantly have feelings of really not being seen as a person," Santiago said of the airline's poor communication. "I know it's a common feeling for a lot of disabled people is they think that because you have physical disabilities, that it means that you're any less capable or any less competent. And I sure as hell am not either of those things." RELATED: Twitter Users Roast Southwest Airlines for Giving Passengers Ukuleles on Flight to Hawaii Modern architecture and travelers in the Orlando International Airport. Getty Santiago also revealed they had originally booked a non-stop flight to Orlando but a layover was added a week before departure. Story continues "When I booked my flight, I booked a one-way potentially because I am very aware of airlines and how they treat disabled people. I know disabled people who have had their mobility aids broken, damaged, or lost by airlines," Santiago said. RELATED: Department of Transportation Seeks to Bar Airlines from Charging Parents to Sit with Their Child American Airlines responded to the incident in a statement provided to PEOPLE: "We want all of our customers to have a positive travel experience when they fly with us, including those who travel with wheelchairs and assistive devices." "We extend our sincerest apologies for our customer's recent experience as they waited for their wheelchair on a recent trip with us," they continued. "A member of our team has reached out to address their concerns and apologize." In Peacocks true-crime drama A Friend of the Family, Bob Broberg (Colin Hanks) pleads with his wife Mary Ann (Anna Paquin) to help him understand her egregious lapse in judgment. Dont you have better sense? It doesnt make any sensewhy would you do such a thing? Those also happen to be the questions bandied about on Twitter when Abducted in Plain Sight, a 2017 documentary about the Brobergs, went viral after landing on Netflix. According to what passes for consensus on social media, while the Brobergs endured a horrible ordeal, they bear most of the responsibility because of the unconscionable decisions they made. A Friend of the Family is written with an acute awareness of the backlash that met the Brobergs after they shared how they were manipulated and nearly destroyed by a malignant narcissist. It begins with a statement from the Brobergs daughter Jan, the primary victim in the story, who serves as a producer on Family along with Mary Ann. I know it may seem unbelievable, but we lived in a different world back then, Jan says. Im telling my familys story today because so many people believe it could never happen to them. As compelling and frightening as Family can be, it never quite makes the case that what happened to the Brobergs could happen to anyone. More from Variety To briefly summarize: Bob and Mary Ann had built a happy, unassuming life in southwest Idaho with Jan and her two sisters. In the mid-70s, they met Bob and Gail Berchtold, a couple at their Mormon temple with three kids, just like the Brobergs. The families became fast friends and integrated into one big family unit. Little did Bob and Mary Ann know that the other Bob nicknamed Brother B to avoid the name confusion had developed an obsession with Jan, then only 12 years old. That obsession only intensified until Berchtold kidnapped Jan and brainwashed her into thinking the survival of an imperiled alien civilization depended on her acquiescing to his sexual advances. Jan eventually came home, but not before Berchtolds indoctrination had taken root, making it impossible for Bob and Mary Ann to reconnect with her emotionally even once she returned physically. Story continues What makes the Brobergs story so fascinating and chilling is the way Berchtold seduced and destroyed the entire family as groundwork for his eventual plans with Jan. Not only did Berchtold groom Jan for abuse, he methodically exploited weak spots in the Brobergs marriage, driving a wedge between Jans guardians to render her even more vulnerable. Berchtolds parallel manipulation of Bob and Mary Ann better left unspoiled for those new to the story sparked the most confusion and judgment. Its one thing for an adult to prey on a child, but Berchtold was an equal opportunity predator and didnt mind destroying anyone in his path to indulge his sick obsession. Why did Bob and Mary Ann give Berchtold so many opportunities to exploit their family? Dont they have better sense? Family creator Nick Antosca, who previously dramatized weirder-than-fiction crimes in The Act and Candy, certainly seems to think they do. The series is brimming with empathy for what the family went through, and seems expressly designed to acquit some of Bob and Mary Anns more baffling decisions. To its credit, Family often does a better job of illuminating their thought processes than they did themselves in Abducted in Plain Sight. The Berchtold saga is so lengthy and complex that a 91-minute documentary didnt leave enough room for it to breathe. Not to mention, the story is told by the Brobergs, who recount it all with the affectless tone of trauma survivors who have fought hard just to view the events through an objective lens. The scripted version rips away the advantage of hindsight and drops the audience directly into the Brobergs vantage point. Each episode begins with an old-timey NBCs logo and features a title card rendered in a tall, curvy font seldom seen outside its 70s milieu. These were very different times, so different that the term pedophile had yet to assert itself into the mainstream lexicon. Director Eliza Hittman, coming off the stellar film Never Rarely Sometimes Always, renders the Brobergs sheltered existence in the same golden, gauzy look of 70s dramas and afterschool specials. Naturally, a story so hard to comprehend can only be sold through stellar performances, and Family is crammed full of them. Hanks and Paquin are terrific as always, and imbue the Brobergs with a fierceness their real-life counterparts only gained through this experience. As for Jan, her role is split between Hendrix Yancey (absolutely stunning here) as the younger version and the promising McKenna Grace as the older version of Familys true protagonist. But most surprising is Jake Lacy, who toplines as Berchtold, and is frightening enough to obliterate whatever memory of him playing affable sweethearts remains after his heel turn in The White Lotus. Watching Lacy reenact the storys most shocking moments drives home just how far Berchtold was willing to go to surgically remove Jan from her family. Second only to Lacy in the breakthrough performance category is Lio Tipton, who stars as Berchtolds wife Gail. Tipton arguably has the heaviest lift, given that Gail was equal parts victim and enabler of her husband, and her complicated psychology wasnt fully explored in the documentary. Tipton manages to anchor the character and lend her a twitchy, unsettling quality reminiscent of Lili Taylor. The writing is also strong, especially in an episode that shows Berchtolds insidious methods for turning the Broberg children against their father. But, as is often the case with scripted series adapted from true-crime documentaries, much of what makes the story inscrutable remains so, at least in the six episodes provided to critics. One piece of the puzzle, chief among the WTF were you thinking Broberg decisions, is folded into Family so subtly that the audience might not even pick up on it without prior knowledge of the events. If Antosca is trying to avoid the same victim-blaming that followed the documentary, its a noble goal. But in insisting that the Brobergs are like any other family, the show sacrifices the opportunity to explore why this family in particular made such a ripe target for Berchtold. Family certainly sheds some light on how such an awful thing could happen, but with the light only comes more shadows. The first four episodes of A Friend of the Family premiere on Peacock on Oct. 6, with new episodes then rolling out weekly. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The anti-war protester who stormed the set of Russias state-run evening news broadcast in March has escaped house arrest, she confirmed in a social media post on Wednesday. Marina Ovsyannikova, who was an editor at the Channel One station where she staged her internationally recognized protest, issued the update on Telegram, a chat app Russians have used to share information about the war in Ukraine after government crackdowns on other social media platforms. I consider myself completely innocent, and since our state refuses to comply with its own laws, starting from September 30, 2022, I refuse to comply with the preventive measure in the form of house arrest and release myself from it, Ovsyannikova declared in her post, written in Russian. Marina Ovsyannikova speaks from inside a defendants' box during a court session over charges of Marina Ovsyannikova speaks from inside a defendants' box during a court session over charges of "discrediting" the Russian army in August. (Photo: NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA via Getty Images) In a video posted to the app, Ovsyannikova gestured toward her ankle bracelet and called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to wear one as punishment for committing war crimes. The Kremlin has kept her under house arrest since August for staging a series of protests, including the one in which she held up a sign during the live broadcast reading: Stop the war. Dont believe the propaganda. They are lying to you. Ovsyannikova could face more than a decade in prison. Its unclear how she escaped, and her new location remains undisclosed. Her former husband Igor Ovsyannikov, who works for the pro-Kremlin RT network, told the station last weekend that hed alerted government authorities that she and their 11-year-old daughter had gone missing and he did not know where they were. Ovsyannikov did not appear for a Wednesday morning court appearance, her lawyer, Dmitry Zakhvatov, told Reuters. If the government finds her, shell be taken into custody immediately, he said, adding we hope, however, that this will not happen. Story continues This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... Police have made an arrest in connection to an exchange of gunfire on Rockne Drive last week where officials say an Indiana Excise Police officer was shot at by a suspect they were tailing and returned fire. Officers with Indiana State Police, who were investigating the case, arrested 20-year-old Ian Steven Austin Tuesday evening at Hickory Village Apartments in Mishawaka. On Wednesday afternoon, Austin was charged with attempted murder after court documents say he fired 18 rounds at excise officer Joseph Formato. Officer shot at The arrest stems from a Thursday evening incident where an excise police officer began following a suspect going northeast on Rockne Drive. The state's excise police typically enforce regulations from the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in addition to performing duties similar to other police agencies. According to newly filed court documents, Austin, who was driving a late 1990s or early 2000s model Honda Civic, went into the Eddy Street Food Mart and bought an item before leaving the store around 9:25 p.m. Officer Formato began following Austin's car going east on Madison Street before heading northeast on Rockne. Court documents did not say why Formato began following Austin as he left the food mart. Austin did not stop for a stop sign, documents say, and the officer was about to turn on his emergency lights to make a traffic stop, when Austin allegedly stopped near the area of Rockne and North Jacobs Street, go out of his car and began shooting at Formato. Ballistic evidence indicates Austin fired 18 rounds at Formato, with many striking the officer's car. Court documents do not say how many shots Formato fired, but it did not appear that either party was injured during the exchange. At the time the shooting began, only the officer's rear emergency lights were activated, documents say. Others are reading:Purdue student killed in residence hall; roommate in custody The trooper didn't pursue the suspect's vehicle after the exchange, police say, though investigators with ISP "continued to follow up on leads and gather evidence on this investigation nonstop since the incident." Police identified Austin by matching video footage and witnesses testimony from the food mart to South Bend police files from a previous crash the Honda Civic had been in, court documents say. Story continues Prosecutors charged Austin with attempted murder, criminal recklessness and battery on Monday, but sealed the documents until the South Bend resident was taken into custody. Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend man accused of attempted murder after police shootout An El Paso woman is accused of kidnapping the baby of a migrant woman who had recently crossed the border and holding him for ransom for several months. Jenna Leigh Roark, 45, was arrested in September on charges of hostage-taking and aiding and abetting, according to a federal criminal complaint. According to prosecutors, the FBI on September 26 was contacted by the St. Petersburg Police Department in Florida after a Honduran national told police that she had been separated from her infant son since May and was being extorted in exchange for the child's safe return. The woman, referred to as "VICTIM" in the complaint, was living in Florida at the time, prosecutors said. According to the complaint, the unidentified mother said that she had crossed the U.S-Mexico border in May and approached a man and a woman in an El Paso apartment complex to ask them for directions to the nearest Grey Hound bus station. The two then offered to give the mother a ride, the complaint said. The migrant woman said that during the ride, Roark, who identified herself as "Jane" to the mother, told the woman that she would be keeping her son. Roark exchanged numbers with the mother, telling her they would stay in contact, according to the complaint. "Jane would periodically send VICTIM pictures and videos of (her) SON, and VICTIM and (her) SON would speak on the phone two to three times a week," the complaint said. The complaint does not specify why the mother agreed to leave her child with Roark or any other details about the alleged abduction. Roark would initially demand $8,000 from the mother, but later dropped the figure down to $5,800, prosecutors said. Roark had been arrested on September 16 by the Texas Department of Public Safety on a separate human smuggling charge. Roark had stopped at a motel and picked up three undocumented people, the complaint said. When Roark was arrested, one of her daughters was in the front seat of her car, holding an infant boy whom Roark claimed was her other daughter's son. But when the daughter that Roark claimed was the mother gave authorities conflicting information about the child's identity, the infant was placed in the care of Child Protective Services and an investigation was launched, the complaint said. Story continues That child was later identified by the Honduran woman as her son. During an interview with Texas DPS, Roark claimed that her husband was in trouble with the Mexican mafia and said that there was a group of 29 migrants that she was supposed to pick up, of which she only picked up four, the complaint alleged. She claimed that the baby had been sent to her by a man in Mexico whom she called Richard, the complaint said. According to the complaint, Roark told Texas DPS that Richard had kept the child and sent the mother and her other two children to the U.S. "(The) SON was eventually brought to the United States by an unknown female and ROARK was supposed to care for the child until payment by VICTIM was made," the complaint read. Loretta Lynn, queen of country music, dies at 90 Elon Musk proposes closing Twitter takeover deal 2 more California cases linked to suspected serial killer Germany said Friday that mass fish deaths in the Oder River were a "man-made environmental disaster," blaming toxic algae growth sparked by the introduction of salt into the waters. Presenting a report into the disaster that saw at least 300 tons of dead fish pulled from the river in Germany and Poland this summer, the German environment ministry said the most likely cause was "a sudden increase in salinity." The "introduced salt" led to "massive proliferation of a brackish water algae that is toxic to fish," it said. A dead chub and other dead fish are swimming in the Oder River near Brieskow-Finkenheerd, eastern Germany, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022. Huge numbers of dead fish have washed up along the banks of the Oder River between Germany and Poland. (Frank Hammerschmidt/dpa via AP) / Credit: Frank Hammerschmidt / AP However, "due to a lack of available information, the experts had to leave open what caused the unnaturally high salt content," it added. German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said it was clear that "human activity" was to blame. Polish authorities had on Thursday released a separate report that also blamed toxic algae for the fish deaths. More than 500 firefighters took part in the efforts to clean up the mess on the Polish side of the river this summer. But the Polish report said the disaster had most likely been caused by poor water quality as a result of high temperatures and very low water levels over the summer. Poland and Germany have long been at odds over the disaster. Berlin initially accused Warsaw of failing to communicate the problem, while Poland slammed Germany for spreading "fake news" about the discovery of herbicides and pesticides in the water. A report in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine on Friday accused Polish authorities of failing to cooperate with their German counterparts to investigate the fish deaths. Polish authorities became "more and more reserved, in some cases almost secretive", Lilian Busse, the head of the investigation, was cited as saying. The Spiegel report said Greenpeace investigations had shown high salt levels at a copper mine in the city of Glogow may have contributed to the disaster. "It is obvious to me that the Polish government wants to cover up the causes of the fish kill in the Oder," Ralph Lenkert, environmental policy spokesman for the far-left Die Linke party, told the magazine. Story continues In August, Sascha Maier, a water policy officer at the BUND environmental organization, told CBS News that it was not only fish affected. Many other animals, including mussels and small vertebrates in and around the river have also suffered, Maier said. The ecosystem was already under great stress this summer, Maier told CBS News, thanks to extreme heat and hardly any rainfall. Those conditions very likely exacerbated the problem, at least, because the lower water volume means a higher concentration of any toxic substances present. "Because of the low water, we have a warm Oder River," he said. That alone can cause significant physical stress for many fish species, and "if pollution is then added, they are less resistant." A ranger with the Brandenburg nature guard, stands with protective clothing in the German-Polish border river Westoder, near the junction with the main Oder River, and removes dead fish, August 16, 2022. / Credit: Patrick Pleul/picture alliance/Getty Anna Noryskiewicz contributed to this report. U.S., European Union accuse Russia of sabotaging Nord Stream pipelines Ian barrels into South Carolina, causes major flooding and damage Average U.S. mortgage rate soars to 6.7%, highest since 2007 Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba unleashed a political storm with his tweets Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has asked Kenyans for "forgiveness" after his son - a senior military officer - tweeted about invading their country. His apology came a day after he sacked Muhoozi Kainerugaba as commander of the army's land forces. But Mr Museveni softened the blow by promoting him to the rank of general, and retaining him as his adviser. Mr Museveni has long been suspected of grooming the 48 year old to succeed him when he eventually steps down. Gen Kainerugaba has increasingly been entering the political arena, with his critics saying this was in breach of the military's code of discipline. His latest intervention came on Monday when he sent out a series of tweets - some serious, some in jest - about Kenya. He said he had spoken to Kenya's former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and expressed regret that he had stepped down at the end of his two terms in August. "My only problem with my beloved big brother is that he didn't stand for a third term. We would have won easily!" Gen Kainerugaba said. In a later tweet to his more than 600,000 followers, he said: "It wouldn't take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture [Kenya's capital] Nairobi." This led to an uproar on Twitter, with people accusing Gen Kainerugaba of being "reckless" and jeopardising relations between the neighbouring states. It led to him urging Kenyans to "relax". "I would never beat up the Kenyan army because my father told me never to attempt it! So our people in Kenya should relax!" Gen Kainerugaba tweeted. Although the Kenyan government did not comment, Uganda's foreign ministry issued a statement saying Uganda treasured its "strong bilateral relations" with it "brotherly neighbour". In the latest attempt at damage-control, Mr Museveni said he had spoken to Kenya's President William Ruto, and he was "very sorry" about his son's tweets. "I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for tweets sent by General Muhoozi, former Commander of Land Forces here, regarding the election matters in that great country. Story continues "It is not correct for Public officers, be they civilian or military, to comment or interfere in any way, in the internal affairs of brother countries," Mr Museveni said. He added that despite his son's "mistake", he had promoted him to the rank of full general because he could still make "many positive contributions". "I know for a fact that General Muhoozi is a passionate Pan-Africanist," Mr Museveni said. His son is known for his controversial tweets, including expressing support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and Tigrayan rebels fighting the Ethiopian government. He also tweeted that he would give 100 cattle - apparently as a bride price - to Italy's incoming far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for being "fearless and true". "I know Europeans give girls they like flowers? I have never understood it. In our culture you give a girl you like a cow," he added. You may also be interested in: UNITED NATIONS (AP) Israel continued its defiance of a 2016 U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate halt to all settlement activity in lands the Palestinians want for their future state, advancing plans for construction of nearly 2,000 housing units in the last three months, the U.N. Mideast envoy said Wednesday. Tor Wennesland told the council that no progress was made by Israelis and Palestinians on other demands in the resolution -- preventing all violence against civilians, refraining from acts of provocation, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric, distinguishing between Israeli territory and territories occupied since the 1967 war, and exerting collective efforts to launch credible negotiations. He did cite several positive steps during the three-month period ending Sept. 20 -- two contacts between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and high-level Israeli officials in July, Israels issuance of some 16,000 permits for workers and businesses for Palestinians in Gaza, and a 1.5% increase in imports and 54% increase in exports through the main Kerem Shalom crossing from Israel to Gaza compared to the monthly average for the first two quarters of 2022. But Wennesland said We continue to see little progress in implementing the resolution since its adoption in December 2016. The resolution was approved by the Security Council when the United States, in the final weeks of the Obama administration, abstained rather than using its veto to support longtime ally Israel as it had done many times previously. The Trump administration strongly opposed the resolution. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council Wednesday that from day one the Biden administration has supported a two-state solution, a position President Joe Biden reiterated to world leaders at last weeks high-level meeting at the General Assembly. She said many leaders made similar calls, praising Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapids "courageous and impassioned speech that articulated his vision of `two states for two peoples. Story continues The significance of his appeal for peace between Israelis and Palestinians should not be underestimated, Thomas-Greenfield said. And I also want to acknowledge president Abbas stated commitment to non-violence and reaffirmation of his support for a two-state solution. She said now it's time to turn these words into action and make real progress, stressing that there are no short-cuts to statehood. Speaking to reporters afterward, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, called for the Security Council to start implementing its resolutions. It should now propose practical steps to open the doors for a meaningful political process to begin implementing the global consensus for a two-state solution, he said. Wennesland warned that the absence of a meaningful peace process to end the Israeli occupation and resolve the conflict is fueling a dangerous deterioration" across the Palestinian territories, particularly the West Bank, and driving the perception that the conflict is unresolvable. Israelis and Palestinians must determine how they envision the future, he said. Negotiations can no longer be pushed indefinitely. The current course is leading us towards a perpetual state of violence and conflict, The Mideast envoy warned, and meaningful initiatives are needed quickly to turn this trajectory around. From Edward Snowden's government surveillance revelations through the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal and Twitter's recent security pitfalls, whistleblowers have been the driving force behind some of the biggest news stories of recent years. But whistleblowing isn't always about insiders shining a light on shady practices in governments or billion-dollar tech companies. Oftentimes, it's simply a case of a concerned employee wanting to report unethical or questionable activity at a relatively small scale, and raise their concerns with the right people internally to address issues before they become a public relations disaster. At its core, whistleblowing is a way for anyone directly connected to a public or private body to bring attention to practices they feel contravene some law or code of conduct -- no matter how big or small this contravention may be. And it's against that backdrop that the European Union (EU) is setting out to offer better protections for whistleblowers to report any misdemeanors they witness, anonymously and without fear of retribution. The so-called whistleblowing directive came into force back in 2019, forcing most larger companies to deploy a robust internal reporting system that allows whistleblowers to report any misdeeds in confidence or complete anonymity, while also protecting them from dismissal or any other form of retaliatory tactics. Businesses with 250 or more employees had to implement their system by the end of last year (2021), while those with 50 or more employees have until December 2023 to get their ship in order. With the deadline fast approaching, a new company has emerged out of Denmark to give businesses of all sizes the software they need to support all manner of whistleblowing activity, without compromising the identity of the complainant. Wrongdoings and irregularities Founded in 2021, the aptly-named Whistleblower Software has already amassed a slew of big-name customers in its 18-month history, including telecoms giant T-Mobile. And Dutch banking giant ABN-AMRO, meanwhile, offers four ways for whistleblowers to report "wrongdoings or irregularities," one of which involves hitting the "file a report" button on a dedicated application on Whistleblower Software's website. Here, employees, contractors or anyone witness to dubious activities can provide all the details in writing, or by filing a report verbally -- for this, Whistleblower Software automatically distorts the caller's voice to prevent them from being identified. Story continues Image Credits: Whistleblower Software The web-based platform includes a case management and secure messaging system, allowing managers to converse (anonymously or confidentially) with the person filing the report. In an age where being truly anonymous has become an arduous and often futile endeavor, this is where Whistleblower Software seeks to make its mark with the promise of full end-to-end encryption, logins via encryption keys and the ability to avoid IP tracking. "Actually being able to be anonymous is quite tough in today's online world with tracking everywhere," Jakob Lilholm, CEO and founder of Whistleblower Software, explained to TechCrunch. "Imagine just being able to log in without leaving any tracks?" Image Credits: Whistleblower Software In truth, there are numerous similar tools and technologies out there already, including legacy software from the likes of Navex and EQS, while there are newcomers such as Vault, which last year closed a round of funding from big-name backers including Google's Gradient Ventures. Lilholm says that they're setting out to differentiate through a number of avenues, perhaps chief among them being how it's distributing its software. While any company can sign up for its platform and pay a monthly subscription similar to any other SaaS, Whistleblower Software also offers a partner program that allows consultancies such as PwC, DLA Piper, Baker McKenzie and BDO to "resell" the whistleblower technology directly to their own customers. Not only does this help Whistleblower Software scale, but it hugely simplifies things for the consultancies, as they are able to manage multiple whistleblowing channels for different companies through a single interface. Image Credits: Whistleblower Software This all leads us to one obvious remaining question: Who actually receives a report once a worker submits it? The answer is a somewhat unsatisfying "it depends," given that the company itself sets up the flow for how a report is handled. However, if the company is deploying the software as it is intended, then it should give workers the option of selecting from a number of different parties -- or perhaps more accurately, it should allow workers to deselect specific recipients to avoid any conflicts of interest. A Whistleblower Software spokesperson says that based on its experiences, around half the time an external third-party is the recipient of the report, and the other half it's set up to be handled internally, such as HR, a compliance officer or C-level executive. Don't be evil To take things to the next level in preparation for the new EU directive, which will effectively cover some 400,000 companies across Europe by the end of next year, Whistleblower Software today announced that it has raised $3 million in a seed round of funding from investors including London-based VC firm West Hill Capital and Morten Brgger, who was previously CEO at Huddle and secure messaging company Wire. Brgger is also now joining Whistleblower Software's board of directors. The global governance, risk management and compliance (GRC) software market was pegged as a $1.3 billion industry last year, a figure size that's predicted to hit $1.9 billion within six years. While existing legislation such as France's anti-corruption Sapin II law, and new and emerging regulations such as the EU whistleblowing directive, are a big part of this anticipated growth, a greater sensitivity to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues is perhaps also at play here. In some ways, Whistleblower Software and its ilk could be helping companies do what Google once professed to do by not being evil, and appease a more socially conscious workforce. "ESG and the increased focus on whistleblower protection have driven new motives for companies to establish whistleblower units in their organizations," Lilholm said. "Essentially, the need for being perceived 'good' by employees, the need to comply with relevant local whistleblowing legislation -- [they] are all reasons that we see a big trend in the market right now." A funeral is held for Arnold Billy, who was a victim of COVID-19, at Tuba City Community Cemetery in Tuba City, Ariz., on May 22, 2020. A funeral is held for Arnold Billy, who was a victim of COVID-19, at Tuba City Community Cemetery in Tuba City, Ariz., on May 22, 2020. Credit - Brian van der BrugLos Angeles Times/Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that American life expectancy had taken a nosedive during the pandemic, with the biggest drop occurring among non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives. It was reassuring to see coverage of this terrible trend; but largely absent was the context and history underlying these disparities. The reasons why indigenous people were hit hardest by COVID-19 go beyond the fact that they also have very high rates of underlying comorbiditieslike obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Instead the roots of health disparities among indigenous people are inextricably linked with the complex history of our nations mistreatment of indigenous peoples. I cared for Native patients at Indian Health Service and tribal health facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, and Maine before the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw firsthand how the doctrine of Manifest Destinythe belief that colonial settlers had a divine right to eliminate indigenous peoples and appropriate their landshas been an engine for sickness and death, even today, centuries after our nation was founded. Manifest Destiny was widespread attack on indigenous lands and peoples. The U.S. military forced relocations of Native peoples disrupting native foodways of hunting, fishing, gathering, and farming. The military intentionally targeted indigenous food sources, destroying crops and livestock. We were seen as the enemy. And so we were fed like prisoners of war, said Martin Reinhardt, a professor at Northern Michigan University. The people were given measly rations of flour, sugar, salt, and lardthe ingredients to make fry bread, what many think is a traditional indigenous food, but is in fact a food of oppression, cooked up out of necessity. Later, the U.S. government would provide commodity foodsmystery meat, canned vegetables, and yellow cheeseto fulfill their treaty obligations. These commodity foods would become staples of Native kitchens and lead to sky-high rates of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease among indigenous peoples. Story continues In the 1800s and early 1900s, as settlers moved west, the federal government dammed rivers and built reservoirs, siphoning water away from the tribes. The Hoover Dam providing electricity, damming up Colorado River. So you have access to power, access to water. And this is how the West was created, said Amber Crotty, a Navajo Nation Council delegate. Water is a precious commodity, especially out west. Without access to safe water, indigenous people haul water by truck over long distances or turn to unsafe sources tainted by contaminants ranging from bacteria to uranium. They might not wash their hands or bathe as frequently, increasing their risk for various infections. Its hard to prepare food safely. They might drink diabetes-promoting sugar-sweetened beverages because theyre cheaper than bottled water. Indigenous lands have also been under the assault of extractive industries in search of natural resources like uranium and oil. Abandoned uranium mines now dot the southwest. The radioactive waste still hasnt been cleaned up. Native people exposed to the toxins suffer from higher rates of lung cancer and other cancers, scarring of the lungs, asthma and emphysema, blood disorders, birth defects, and more. In other parts of the country, the oil and gas industry has driven up cancer rates while also destroying the shoreline, displacing indigenous peoples yet again. Missing in the media coverage of dropping American life expectancy was that among indigenous people, deaths from unintentional injuries, mostly drug overdose deaths, were almost tied with deaths from COVID-19, followed closely by chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, largely related to alcohol use. Long before the so-called diseases of despairalcohol-related liver disease, drug overdoses, and suicidedrove down life expectancy among low-income, less-educated white non-Hispanic Americans at the beginning of the 21st century, these same afflictions were killing indigenous peoples. The causes are similar: the destruction of a way of life and the decline of family and community. Despair comes from the loss of meaning, of dignity, of pride, and of self-respect, write Anne Case and Angus Deaton in Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism. Family separations and the loss of cultural knowledge and identity caused an epidemic of despair among indigenous peoples thats been passed down over generations. The attack on indigenous peoples evolved over time. It began with overt genocidethe only good Indian is a dead one said General Philip Sheridan in the 1860s. Then came the era of assimilation. Kill the Indian in him, and save the man, said Captain R. H. Pratt, the founder of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which like so many other Indian boarding schools, sought to civilize Native children. Indigenous children were separated from their families and sent to boarding schools or fostered or adopted out to non-Native families. Later in the 20th century, more sophisticated tools were used to control the population, like contraception and even forced sterilization. Indigenous peoples have a fear that white doctors dont have your best interests at heart. And those are not fears that came from nowhere. Those are fears that were passed down from generation to generation, said Sarah Deer, a Muskogee Creek citizen and a professor at the University of Kansas. Just as mistrust has been a barrier to engagement with the health care system among other communities of color, so, too, is it among indigenous communities. The violence against Native peoples continues. They are twice as likely to be victims of homicide as other racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., and more than 40% of those murder victims are killed by someone of another race, in sharp contrast to homicide victims of other races who are largely killed by persons of their same race. About half of indigenous women experience intimate partner violence and sexual violence, with over 95% non-Native perpetrators. Non-natives, in particular white men, know they can come into tribal communities and they can hunt us as Native women with impunity, because they know that we cant touch them, said Lisa Brunner, an enrolled member of the White Earth Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota. Tribal reservations are often in remote places. The FBI doesnt go out to investigate unless a major crime has been committed, and even then, U.S. Attorneys Offices are far less likely to prosecute crimes perpetrated in Indian Country, including violent crime, than elsewhere. [I]magine your own community where certain people didnt have to abide by the law. And what does that do to a community, when that happens? said Alfred Urbina, attorney general for the Pascua Yaqui tribe. Victims of violent crime are more likely to adopt high-risk coping behaviors like alcohol and drug use. Theyre also more likely to experience poor mental health, chronic pain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions. Much of this history has been brushed aside and forgotten. What were left with are public health statistics taken out of context and medical diagnoses whose socio-pathophysiology we dont fully understand. And so, our prescriptions and treatment plans fail. Victor Lopez-Carmen, a Hunkpati Dakota-Yaqui student at Harvard Medical School, says hes often been told, [I]f we only will stop eating the bad foods, if well only stop smoking, if only stop drinking, if well only behave ourselves, then well have better health outcomes. But thats not why Native people are sick and dying. Construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir, a key component of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, has taken a big step forward. The Army Corps of Engineers announced Sept. 28 it had awarded a second large contract to construct its portion of the project in western Palm Beach County. The federal agency will pay between $308 million and $492 million to Forgen-Odin JV of Rocklin, California, to build the foundation for the reservoir's walls. EAA reservoir delay: New contract awarded after lawsuit halted Everglades project Everglades funding: Biden budget seeks $265 million for EAA reservoir Zero discharges: That should be the goal | Our View The contract includes the following features: Clearing Grubbing (shallow digging) De-mucking Blasting Foundation preparation Installation of a seepage cutoff wall Canal backfilling Construction of the walls a 17.3-mile-long embankment dam surrounding the 10,500-acre, 78.2 billion gallon reservoir will be awarded in a separate contract. The width of the foundation for the embankment dam will be 260 feet in the north, east and west; and 235 feet in the south. EAA reservoir progress The EAA reservoir has been at the center of controversy over the past year: A lawsuit over one of the many contracts was just resolved this summer. There is a pending lawsuit by sugar growing companies that claim they are being shorted water meant for them. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has called the reservoir the "crown jewel" of Everglades restoration projects, has complained that more federal funds should be dedicated to the project. Despite the issues, the Corps has said the construction timetable for the reservoir remains on track. This important component will reconnect Lake Okeechobee to the central Everglades and send additional water south to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay, said Col. James Booth, the Jacksonville district commander. Once completed in 2029, the reservoir and three adjacent stormwater treatment areas being built on 6,500 acres by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will encompass 16 square miles larger than Stuart and Fort Myers combined. Story continues The reservoir will have the capacity to store about half a foot of water from the 730-square-mile Lake Okeechobee, according to SFWMD Executive Director Drew Bartlett. About 46% of the reservoir water will come from the lake, he said. The total estimated cost of the entire project will be $3.9 billion. EAA reservoir timeline 2022: Complete design for reservoir and pump station 2023: Begin reservoir construction 2023: Award remaining reservoir contracts 2023: Complete marshes End of 2025: Marshes will be operational 2029: Complete reservoir Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. Sign up for his and other weekly newsletters at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Army Corps awards EAA reservoir contract to California company The Tigers have offered a defensive line commit for the 2023 class, but they might have to work extra hard to land him. The player in question is California product Deijon Laffitte, but hes already made up his mind at least for the moment. Laffitte is currently committed to the USC Trojans, a decision he made back in September, but that also hasnt stopped him from scheduling more visits and keeping his recruiting process generally fluid. Laffitte hasnt scheduled any visits to the Plains at this time. His next planned visit is to Bryan Harsins old school, Boise State, and hes scheduled to take that on Friday. Itll be hard to be as persuasive as Lincoln Riley and company, though, as Laffitte visited the Trojans on Sept. 17 and committed just five days later. At the moment, the Tigers are ranked No. 56 in the nation for the 2023 recruiting class. The team has two defensive line recruits in the class: Four-star Wilky Denaud and three-star Jamarrion Harkless. List The Full Auburn depth chart for Week 6 Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire Jackie Walorski Dead in Crash Jackie Walorski President Joe Biden met with the family of Rep. Jackie Walorski after a recent speaking gaffe called his relationship to the late representative into question. While delivering opening remarks at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health on Sept. 28, Biden mistakenly called out for Walorski, an Indiana Republican who co-sponsored a bill to fund the conference before her death. "Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie?" he asked, looking out into the audience of approximately 500 people. "She was going to be here." RELATED: President Biden Mistakenly Addresses Late Rep. Jackie Walorski at Hunger Event: 'Jackie, Are You Here?' Walorski died on Aug. 3 when her car crashed near Nappanee, Indiana. Walorski's communications director, 28-year-old Emma Thomson, and St. Joseph County Republican Party Chair Zachery Potts, 27, also died in the head-on collision, as did the driver of the other vehicle. Following the accident, the White House lowered its flags to half-staff and the Bidens issued a joint statement on her death, adding insult to injury when President Biden seemed to forget why she was not in attendance. UNITED STATES - MAY 20: Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., is interviewed by Roll Call in her Cannon Building office. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) Tom Williams/getty RELATED: U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski Dead at 58 After 2-Car Collision in Indiana Two days after the gaffe, Biden met with the Walorski family in the Oval Office to apologize, The New York Post reported. The meeting which included Walorski's mother, Martha Walorski; brother Keith Walorski; and husband, Dean Swihart lasted about a half-hour, according to the outlet. "He did apologize for the 'Where's Jackie?' comment and our family assured him we have no hard feelings," Keith told the Post. "We forgive him for his gaffe." As for Walorski's mother, "She said, 'Well, Mr. President, we can tell you where Jackie is. She's in heaven with Jesus,'" Keith recalled. RELATED: Biden Administration Lays Out Plan to End Hunger in the U.S. by 2030 Last week, shortly after the president misspoke, Keith shared with the Post that Biden called family members in August when Walorski was killed and "was very sincere" because "he knows all about" grief. Story continues "All I'm saying right now about the president is bless his heart for trying," Keith said. "Yeah, it was a big mess-up today. Inexcusable? No. Unforgivable? No. I'm not gonna hold it against him. I just feel sorry for him." 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. The White House did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment about the private meeting. Following the conversation, Biden signed H.R. 8656 into law, renaming a Veterans Affairs clinic in Mishawka, Indiana, the Jackie Walorski VA Clinic. Logo HSBC The Big Six banks would be the most likely candidates to pursue a takeover of HSBC Holdings PLCs high-earning Canadian operations, but not all have the same motivation to strike a deal, analysts said Tuesday after the British financial services giant confirmed reports it was exploring a potential sale of the unit. We are currently reviewing our strategic options with respect to our wholly owned subsidiary in Canada, a spokesperson for the bank said in a statement. Amongst the options being explored is a potential sale of HSBC Groups 100 per cent equity stake in HSBC Bank Canada. The review is at an early stage and no decisions have been made. While it is far from HSBCs biggest business line, the Canadian unit has been the third-largest contributor to commercial banking profits globally and Bloomberg News reported that it could be worth as much as US$10 billion. Analysts called the potential sale a rare opportunity to acquire a large Canadian lending institution, with National Bank of Canada analyst Gabriel Dechaine noting he expects every big bank to at least kick the tires though not all may be in the right capital position to throw their hat in the ring. Hard to see (the Bank of Montreal) and (Toronto-Dominion Bank) making a serious run, considering they are hoping to close large U.S. acquisitions later this year, Dechaine said. (Royal Bank of Canada) seems the most obvious given its large excess capital position, and the potential size of HSBC Canada relative to its market capitalization is far from a bet the farm situation. Bank towers in Torontos financial district. TD announced in February it would be expanding its U.S. footprint through an all-cash US$13.4 billion deal for First Horizon Corp. Previously, BMO had announced late last year that it was acquiring Bank of the West for US$16.3 billion in one of the largest transactions ever for a Canadian bank. In an Oct. 4 morning note to clients, Dechaine argued that RBCs $12 billion in excess capital towers over the roughly $2 billion that each of Bank of Nova Scotia, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and National Banks have on hand. However, RBC may face a higher regulatory hurdle than other banks due to competition concerns. Story continues While domestic banks would be considered the frontrunners, Dechaine did not discount the potential for a foreign player to covet the assets, though many have already scaled back in Canada. We do not believe any European or U.S. banks would be interested, as these players have more of a track record of exiting Canada, Dechaine wrote. If anything, we could see a large Chinese bank expressing interest. Dechaine added a Chinese bank may have more of a strategic appetite with fewer synergy costs concerns, though could face snags when it comes to regulatory approvals. Nigel DSouza, financial services analyst at Toronto-based Veritas Investment Research, does not believe an international bank would bother with the deal since competing with the Big Six has proven too challenging. DSouza said he too sees RBC as the best match, but believes the timing might be wrong given mounting macroeconomic headwinds. While RBC has sufficient excess capital to make the deal work, management may be risk-averse given building recession risks and may not be willing to acquire a book of business underwritten by another bank, DSouza said. The timing and size of this deal make a transaction unlikely but not impossible. DSouza added that HSBC Canada may need to split assets among several buyers to facilitate a deal. Recession fears or not, there could be big benefits to acquiring HSBC Canada, including the chance for a bank to expand its footprint geographically in areas like British Columbia, where HSBC has 35 per cent of its loan volume, far above the average banks volume of 16 per cent, Dechaine pointed out. That kind of opportunity, Dechaine said, could lead to more aggressive bidding than expected. Email: shughes@postmedia.com | Twitter: An attendee at Roots N Blues 2021 walks through the festival at Stephens Lake Park. Music is atop the menu at this year's Roots N Blues festival, set for Friday through Sunday at Stephens Lake Park. But festival vendors round out the experience, offering unique, portable feasts; as well as beverages to keep you moving from one stage to the next. Here are just a few options for festival-goers, according to Roots N Blues: Barbecue, biscuits and more BBQ used to be in the festival name, and Roots N Blues still offers some serious options for barbecue lovers. Among them this year: Columbia standout Big Daddy's BBQ and St. Louis-area staple SugarFire Smokehouse. Among the consistently great options at Roots N Blues is a Columbia vendor who knows how to serve up quality, Southern-style food whether from a food truck or at its brick-and-mortar restaurant, on a street corner or a festival midway. Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. will have heaping helpings for festival-goers. More:How Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. elevates a simple breakfast staple Pizza, ramen and other quality entrees Among the other enticing possibilities for lunch or dinner: HotBoxx WoodFire Pizza, based out of Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Springfield mainstay Skully's Ramen and Whatever, which typically serves ramen, wok bowls, wings and more; and another Springfield option, WookieDogs, which serves up Korean-style corn dogs. Get your caffeine fix from Fretboard Whatever the weekend's weather, Columbia's Fretboard Coffee makes excellent hot or iced beverages. Coffee especially comes in handy on a festival Sunday, when you need an extra push to endure and enjoy another full day of music. What's for dessert? Pie, of course. Another Columbia favorite Peggy Jean's Pies supplies delicious desserts to music lovers who need to complete their day with something sweet. Other food and beverages vendors at this year's festival include: Mais Noodls Kokomo Joe's Tacos J&S Pineapple Express Kindle Concessions Fresh Lemonade Co. The Spot The Big Cheese Cola's Kitchen 12 Baskets Kitchen Not'cho Ordinary Taco Sugaree's: Scoops, Smoothies and Shakes Story continues Roots N Blues is a cashless festival; festival transactions work solely through RFID (radio-frequency identification) wristbands that festivalgoers load and reload like a "digital wallet," as the festival website describes it. Visitors pay for everything from food and beverage to merchandise and more by tapping their wristbands at vendor booths. More:What to know as Roots N Blues returns to Stephens Lake Park Oct. 7-9 For more on this year's festival, visit https://rootsnbluesfestival.com/. Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Barbecue, biscuits and more: What to eat at Roots N Blues festival It's been nearly a year since it was revealed a government ethics board would be investigating Gov. Kristi Noem for her alleged malfeasance in helping her daughter receive a state real estate appraiser license. On Friday, the state's Government Accountability Board released dozens of documents unveiling how its investigation into the allegations unfolded. As we learn more, here's a quick look at how we got here: July 27, 2020: Gov. Kristi Noem summons Sherry Bren, head of the real estate appraiser agency, to the Governor's Mansion to discuss a plan for Kassidy Peters to obtain her state real estate appraiser license. Nov. 25, 2020: Peters is approved for the state real estate appraisers license. Dec. 1, 2020: Bren is asked to retire by the Secretary of Labor. Late December 2020: Bren files an age discrimination complaint. March 2021: Bren receives a $200,000 settlement agreement to withdraw the age discrimination complaint and leaves her job. Sept. 27, 2021: The Associated Press publishes a story alleging Noem summoned the head of the state real estate appraiser agency to the Governor's Mansion to intervene on Peters' behalf. Oct. 6, 2021: The Attorney General's Office refers the Noem complaint to the Government Accountability Board for investigation into misconduct. Nov. 1, 2021: Government Accountability Board votes to send complaint about Noem back to the complainant for more details. More: Lawmakers want to know when South Dakota cuts settlement checks to disgruntled employees Dec. 15, 2021: Government Accountability Board votes to give Noem time to respond to complaints against her. Feb. 3, 2022: Government Accountability Board votes to give Noem until April 15 to respond to the complaints against her. More: Lawmakers say Gov. Kristi Noem's closed-door meeting with daughter violated public trust April 15: Deadline passes for Noem to respond to complaints against her. Noem's attorneys file to dismiss the complaint. Story continues May 2: Government Accountability Board votes to bring in an independent attorney to help investigate complaints against Noem. Aug. 3: Government Accountability Board requests 60 days to continue investigating complaints. Aug. 22: Government Accountability Board votes to partially close and dismiss complaint against Noem that she misused her office to help her daughter receive a state real estate license. Second complaint concerning Noem's use of the state airplane is referred to the Attorney General's office. More: Ethics board investigating complaints against Gov. Kristi Noem extends probe another 60 days Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Timeline of ethics board investigation of Kristi Noem, Kassidy Peters Collierville Town Hall Collierville could soon appoint Town Administrator James Lewellen's successor. Collierville to offer town administrator job to Missouri city official The Board of Mayor and Aldermen met Tuesday afternoon in a work session to discuss applicants for the town administrator position. Lewellen said he will offer the position to Molly Mehner, deputy city manager in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Although he will offer Mehner the position, nothing is official until the board votes to appoint her, which could happen at the Oct. 10 board meeting or in a special-called meeting. Lewellen announced last year he planned to retire after turning 65 years old, so the town went on a search for his successor. Collierville Town Administrator James Lewellen A year later and the board is one step closer to appointing a new town administrator after 27 years with Lewellen. Collierville jobs:'It's a problem': Collierville sees highest job turnover rates in decades, 61 open positions Collierville business:'This is a great day': IMC Companies opens new corporate headquarters in Collierville Lewellen said the town received more than 40 applications for the position but the board narrowed the choice to two candidates Mehner and another option who recently dropped out. "I think y'all will like working with her," Lewellen said to the aldermen and mayor. "I didn't see any kind of abrasiveness... none of her answers kind of triggered a negative reaction anywhere along the way. This is all blind dating, you have no idea what you're going to get when she gets here but the folks in Cape Girardeau love her, and everybody has a lot of great things to say about her." The aldermen along with Lewellen seemed fond of Mehner, who has held the deputy position in the Missouri city since July 2015. "Molly would be really good P.R. wise," Alderman Billy Patton said at the work session. "I could see her being a better-polished version for the Town of Collierville... than the other guy." Patton also brought up that Mehner needs to be "strong-natured" and know how to say no sometimes. Story continues Collierville news:A year after Kroger shooting, Collierville remains strong but still in pain Kroger shooting in Collierville:We have to do something: Collierville Kroger shooting victims son asks for action "I do like Molly," Lewellen said. "I do think she's got the temperament and I think she has the knowledge... having to stand up to people and having to say no, she's been the city planner in Glendale, Arizona, that was growing 20 times faster than anything Collierville was doing... so she's got some battle scars." The other aldermen nodded in agreement with Lewellen's decision to offer the position to Mehner. Before officially hopping off his town government duties, Lewellen plans to help Mehner settle in and train her on her new position. Dima Amro covers the suburbs for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at Dima.Amro@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @AmroDima. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Collierville to offer town administrator job to Missouri city official A Ravenna man was killed after his vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle on State Route 5 in Paris Township Wednesday morning. The driver of the other vehicle suffered non-life threatening injuries. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said it is investigating after a Ravenna man was killed in a two-vehicle crash on State Route 5 in Paris Township Wednesday morning. More:Man pleads guilty in crash that killed motorcyclist in Streetsboro The highway patrol said Gregory M. Dean, 66, was westbound driving a 2014 Ford F-250 when the pickup truck crashed into the rear of a 2018 Chevrolet 2500, which was stopped to make a left turn. When emergency services arrived, Dean was unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the scene. EMS took the driver of the Chevrolet, a 43-year-old Indiana man, to University Hospitals Portage Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. More:Man and son remain hospitalized following Brimfield crash that killed boy, 11 The highway patrol said Dean was not wearing a seat belt and the Indiana man was wearing one at the time of the crash. The road was closed for about an hour. Paris, Palmyra and Newton Falls EMS and the Portage County Coroner's Office also responded to the scene. Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ravenna man dies in crash on State Route 5 in Paris Township Wednesday The MEA rough terrain cranes market is anticipated to grow by 2.0x in 2032, as compared to 2022. GCC countries are anticipated to grow at 6.0% CAGR in the MEA rough terrain cranes market during the forest period NEWARK, DE / ACCESSWIRE / October 5, 2022 / MEA rough terrain cranes market stands at ~US$ 302.5 Mn as of now and is expected to reach US$ 641.9 Mn by the year 2032 at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2022 to 2032. Future Market Insights, Inc., Wednesday, October 5, 2022, Press release picture Rough terrain crane comes across as a kind of hydraulic crane used to move, lift, load, and unload heavy materials all across construction and the other industry verticals. MEA rough terrain cranes market emphasizes on 6 regions - Northern Africa, GCC countries, Turkey, South Africa, Israel, and the rest of MEA. Rough terrain cranes are a preferred choice as far as off-road uses are concerned. This could be credited to their robust construction. Also, continuous improvisation is being done, so that they turn out to be apt for the rough terrain. The features like easy handling, flexibility on the count of placing on hard sites, the way they could be easily moved from a work site to the other, and ease with which they could be stored when they are not in use compel the key market participants to use them over lift trucks. Also, majority of rough terrain cranes have been designed such that both - labor and time are saved by minimization of operational costs. Emergency rescue features are also included herein, which simplify the task of lifting people from collapsing or dangerous work sites. Request a Sample @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ma-2571 Automated technologies are being implemented with the objective of reducing human interaction in the manufacturing facilities. This factor is expected to bolster MEA rough terrain cranes market's growth in the next decade. Several industry verticals have begun with adoption of automatic cranes due to the reason mentioned above. For example - Manitowoc, in February 2020, put forth Grove GRT8120 rough-terrain crane. Story continues Plus, the transportation and construction verticals are growing at a rapid pace. One of the trends is also that of an ever-increasing demand for rental rough terrain cranes. Adoption on their part has actually taken over the new units. This could be reasoned with higher cost of the rough terrain cranes. Telematics is also in its advanced stage. This is another factor expected to provide business opportunities. The end-consumers are asking for advanced rough terrain cranes with automation and diagnosis at advanced levels. Initially, rough terrain cranes used to comprise 2 exclusive engines to transmit power for transportation and cranes' operations. That used to be actually proportional to requirement of load. However, now the manufacturers prefer usage of a powerful engine that could efficiently perform both the functions. Along these lines, TADANO has come up with new-fangled models of cranes that enclose an eco-made system and a fuel-monitoring system that lessens fuel consumption and provides a much better control over the engine when it's idle. At the same time, the fact that higher capital investment could hamper MEA rough terrain cranes market can't be ignored. Also, the market is facing dearth of skilled professionals over here. Browse Full Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mea-rough-terrain-cranes-market Key Takeaways from the MEA Rough Terrain Cranes Market 50.1 - 75 tons rough terrain cranes are holding the largest market share. They account for more than 30% of the overall market revenue. This could be attributed to growing demand for lifting operations along with the versatility with respect to performing off-road and on-road construction projects. GCC countries account for close to 60% of the overall market share. Turkey and South Africa follow suit. "With urbanization increasing at an alarming rate, the demand for rough terrain cranes is bound to substantiate in the forecast period", says an analyst from Future Market Insights. Competitive Arena The Manitowoc Company, Inc., in February 2020, came up with Grove GRT8120 rough terrain crane. TADANO, in February 2019, completed acquisition of Demag mobile crane business from Terex Corporation for close to US$ 215 Mn. Liebherr, in February 2019, signed a contract with AI Faris Equipment Rentals. It implied delivering 12 cranes from novel LRT rough terrain cranes series worth close to US$ 25.8 Mn. XCMG, in July 2020, did launch 750 tons XCA750 eight axle all-terrain crane, which has a 7-section, 92-meter main boom, topped by heavy-duty hydraulically erected wind turbine extension. Its purpose is to undertake maintenance and repairs of wind turbine. Johnson Arabia, in May 2020, inducted 10 novel Grove rough terrain cranes into the fleet for targeting lifting projects in oil & gas sector. Thunder Cranes, in September 2022, announced reopening the operations in Middle East with new-fangled base in the UAE. Dubai Cranes & Technical Services LLC, in December 2020, tabled 8 novel models of the wire rope hoists that range from 3.2 to 40 tons. Liebherr, in July 2022, announced launching H2 direct injection for the heavy-duty combustion engines as it's conducive to heavy applications. Terex Corporation has inked an agreement with Galadari Heavy Equipment Division to distribute rough terrain cranes all over the Middle East. Ask an Analyst @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-ma-2571 Key Segments Covered in MEA Rough Terrain Cranes Market Analysis By Lifting Capacity: Upto 25 Tons 25.1 to 50 Tons 50.1-75 Tons 75.1-100 Tons More than 100 Tons By Boom Length: Upto 25 Meters 25.1-35 Meters 35.1-50 Meters More than 50 Meters By Sales Channel: New Sales Equipment Rental By Country: GCC Countries Israel Turkey South Africa Northern Africa Rest of the Middle East and Africa Table of Content 1. Executive Summary 1.1. MEA Market Outlook 1.2. Demand Side Trends 1.3. Supply Side Trends 1.4. Analysis and Recommendations 2. Market Overview 2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy 2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations 3. Key Market Trends TOC Continued! What does the Report Cover? Future Market Insights offers an exclusive perspective and various real-time insights on the dermatology devices market in its latest study, presenting historical demand assessment of 2016 - 2021 and projections for 2022 - 2032. The research study is based on lifting capacity (up to 25 tons, 25.1 to 50 tons, 50.1 to 75 tons, 75.1 to 100 tons, and more than 100 tons), by boom length (upto 25 meters, 25.1 to 35 meters, 35.1 to 50 meters, and more than 50 meters), and by sales channel (new sales and equipment rental). Have a Look at Trending Reports of Automotive Domain Off Road All Terrain e-scooter Market Share: The global off road all, terrain e-scooter market is estimated to reach a value of nearly US$ 2.5 Billion by 2032, increasing from US$ 1.53 Billion in 2021. Automotive Mufflers Market Size: According to FMI, the global automotive muffler market is projected to generate US$ 11,638.3Mn in 2022 and US$ 20,842.4 Mn by 2032. Electronic Power Steering Market Trends: The electronic power steering market size is set to expand at a 5.2% CAGR during the projection period to US$ 41,893.2 Million by 2032. Latin America Automotive HVAC Market Outlook: According to FMI, the Latin America Automotive HVAC market is estimated to be valued at US$ 7,270.6 Mn in 2022 and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.6% in the forecast period from 2022 to 2032. Automotive Wheel Bearing Aftermarket Demand: The automotive wheel bearing aftermarket is predicted to grow at a moderate CAGR of 4% during the forecast period covering 2022 to 2032. ABOUT FUTURE MARKET INSIGHTS, INC. Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries. Contact: Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Browse latest Market Reports: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports SOURCE: Future Market Insights, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/718975/Demand-for-Urbanization-backed-by-Simplification-to-take-the-MEA-Rough-Terrain-Cranes-Market-to-US-6419-Mn-by-2032-Future-Market-Insights-Inc What is going on among the Danish royal family? (Getty Images) Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has announced her intention to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, a decision that left some members of the Danish royal family shocked and saddened. The monarchs decision was announced in a statement shared by the royal palace on Wednesday, in which it was revealed that the children of the Queens second son, Prince Joachim, would no longer have prince or princess titles, nor His/Her Highness titles. The ruling will impact the Queens grandchildren Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, who, from 1 January 2023, will instead go by their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat. Speaking to reporters after the announcement, the Danish monarch, 82, revealed that she had been mulling over the change, which she believes will be in the best interest of her four grandchildren, for some time. It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason, she said, according to Hello Magazine. When the Queen was asked if the ruling was for the sake of her grandchildren, she replied: Yes, of course. In the statement shared by the Danish palace on Wednesday, it also noted that the Queen had come to the decision after witnessing similar changes to other monarchies. The Queens decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years, the statement said. However, the announcement has seemingly sent shockwaves through the Danish royal family, with the Queens son, her former daughter-in-law, and one of her grandchildren sharing their sadness over the decision in the days since. According to the monarchs former daughter-in-law, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, who shares Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix with her ex-husband Prince Joachim, the decision left the children feeling ostracised. We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock, Alexandra said in a statement from her press adviser to Danish magazine Se og Hr, according to People. This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracised. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them. Story continues Prince Joachim, 53, also expressed grief over his mothers decision, as well as the impact he believes it will have on the lives of his children. According to Joachim, who shares Prince Henrik and Princess Athena with his second wife Princess Marie, he considers his mothers decision to strip his children of their titles a mistreatment. We are all very sad. Its never fun to see your children being mistreated like that, he told the national newspaper Ekstra Bladet, according to People. They find themselves in a situation they do not understand. The prince also alleged that he had been given just five days notice about his mothers intention, as he said it differed from a similar plan he had been presented in May. In May, I was presented with a plan, which basically stated that when the children each turned 25, it would happen, the father of four said. Athena turns 11 in January. The same sentiments were repeated by the Queens grandson Nikolai, who told Ekstra Bladet that the siblings are very sad about the change. We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone, Nikolai said. I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this. According to the 23-year-old royal, who revealed that hed known about the Queens decision for a little over a week, the hardest part was when his grandmothers plans were made public. It is clear that it hits even harder now that it has been published, he said. Speaking to The Independent about the Queens ruling, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams noted that it follows almost exactly the decision made by Swedens King Carl XVI Gustaf, who announced in October 2019 that the children of Princess Madeleine and Chris ONeill, and Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, would lose their HRH titles. At the time, the Swedish royal palace also announced the Kings five grandchildren would no longer be expected to perform official royal duties. According to Fitzwilliams, both scenarios follow the idea that, if youre not directly the Crown Prince or Princess, that if you subsequently had a title, it would, in a sense, be an incumbrance. He made the comparison to Britains Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who decided not to bestow titles on their children, Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James Mountbatten-Windsor, Viscount Severn, who will not carry out royal duties. However, unlike in Denmark, the reaction from the Swedish royal family to the slimmed down monarchy was largely positive, with Princess Madeleine revealing at the time that she believed her and Chriss children, Leonore, Nicolas and Adrienne, would be getting a greater opportunity to shape their own lives as private individuals in the future. Prince Carl Philip also revealed that he saw the Kings decision as a positive, as he noted his children will have freer choices in life. According to Fitzwilliams, the differences in the way the Danish royal family has responded to the news of a slimmed-down monarchy shows what happens when you remove titles without agreement, as Queen Margrethe has clearly done. If you remove titles without agreement, as Queen Margrethe has clearly done, you risk being involved in an unedifying public row as she now is, he said. It is one thing not to grant a title. It is undeniably harsh to remove one without consent, when there has been no breach of etiquette or misbehaviour. However, not everyone in the Danish royal family has condemned the Queens decision, as Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who shares Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 11, with Denmarks Crown Prince Frederik, suggested that, while the change may be hard for her nieces and nephews, it is also the right thing to do. I can understand that it is a difficult decision to make and a very difficult decision to receive, Princess Mary told reporters on Friday, according to Hello Magazine. Change can be difficult and can really hurt. But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one. While the monarchs ruling will impact Princess Marys nieces and nephews, it will not affect the titles of her own children. However, she noted that that does not mean they will keep their titles forever, as she suggested she and her husband may consider removing their childrens titles when the time comes. We will also look at our childrens titles when the time comes, Mary said, referring to their eldest son Christian, who is second in line to the throne behind his father. Today we do not know what the royal house will look like in Christians time, or when Christians time begins to approach. While Fitzwilliams acknowledged that the thought process behind such decisions typically stems from the belief that a royal title can be a burden, he noted that a slimmed-down monarchy can also have its downsides. According to the royal expert, one such example is the number of patronages and charities that will benefit. The issue is, if you have a royal patron, it gives tremendous cachet to an institution, it helps attract donors, and it gives it a very good reputation, he explained, adding that, with slimmed down monarchies, many of these institutions will have to do without royals linked to them. It is the one debit of the slimmed-down process, and that is that fewer charities benefit, he said. He noted that this is likely true in families such as the British royal family, which has seen a decrease in the number of senior royals as a result of Prince Andrew being stripped of his titles and Prince Harry and Meghan Markles decision to step back. However, Fitzwilliams also acknowledged that there are positives associated with the decision to remove a royal title, such as less attention from the press and the public. The positive is that youre completely free without a title and the interest in you is much less, he said. While there are both upsides and downsides to a slimmed-down monarchy, Fitzwilliams noted that the statements from members of the Danish royal family condemning Queen Margrethes decision show that, in slimming down a monarchy, you dont please everybody. In a statement to newspaper BT, a spokesperson for the Danish royal palace said on Thursday: As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming. We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queens wish to future-proof the Royal Palace will be respected. As for whether the Danish monarchs decision will have any effect on the British royal family, Fitzwilliams said that it is unlikely, even despite the ongoing speculation about whether King Charles III will decide to bestow royal titles on his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, the son and daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. On the royal familys website, the couples children are still referred to as Master Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Miss Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, despite a Letters Patent issued by King George V in 1917 stating that grandchildren of a British monarch could be princes or princesses. According to Fitzwilliams, while the decisions among monarchies are totally separate, it doesnt mean that Charles hasnt got plans. Well have to wait and see what they are, he said. The former wife of George Wagner IV one of the four family members accused of killing eight people in what became known as the Pike County family massacre took the stand against her ex-husband at trial this week. Tabitha Claytor, 29, testified against Wagner on Monday and Tuesday, according to CBS Cincinnati affiliate WKRC-TV. Her ex-husband stands accused of helping his brother and parents commit the execution-style murders of eight members of the Rhoden family's circle in rural Ohio in April 2016. He maintains that he was not the triggerman in the mass murder. Prosecutors say the defendant, his brother, Edward Jake Wagner, and their parents, Angela and George Billy Wagner III murdered the Rhodens across multiple dwellings, motivated by a heated custody battle between the youngest Wagner, Jake, and 19-year-old Hanna May Rhoden. Tabitha Claytor who married George Wagner IV just after she graduated from high school in 2012 testified that she and her ex had gotten into a custody battle over their son, Bulvine (who was born in 2013), after she left the defendant, according to Law & Crime. A police handout of George Wagner IV George Wagner IV, one of four family members that had been arrested in the slayings of eight members of one family in rural Ohio in 2016. Photo: AP The custody battle between Claytor and George Wagner IV is pivotal in his trial for the murders, as prosecutors attempt to draw similarities between what happened to Claytor and the alleged motive for the 2016 murders: a contentious dispute between Jake Wagner and Hanna May Rhoden over their young daughter, Sophia. Claytor referred to her mother-in-law as "strange and controlling," accusing her of giving her son, George Wager IV, nightly back scratches while the couple was in bed, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. It was Angelas house and Angelas rules, Claytor told the court. RELATED: 2 Husbands, 1 Lover Shot Dead: Why A Baltimore Woman Was Labeled A Black Widow Story continues Claytor said Angela helped isolate Claytor from her family and prevented her from leaving the Wagner home when she pleased. She also allegedly dictated the terms of her son's sex life, according to WKRC-TV. Claytor testified that Angela allegedly said, You wasnt allowed to give blowjobs, or youd go to Hell, according to Law & Crime. Angela also allegedly prohibited Claytors own mother from meeting her grandson until Bulvine was about 18 months old. Claytor tried to convince her then-husband to move out of his mother's house, but he refused leading to her decision to end the marriage. Per the Cincinnati outlet, Claytor detailed the day she left her husband in November 2014, claiming that Wagner IV allegedly began beating her with a belt after she had words with his mother. She fought back by biting him and grabbing his groin, then ran out of the house. Media handout of family members arrested in connection with Pike County Murders Investigators arrest members of the Wagner family in connection with murders of eight people in Pike County, Ohio. Photo: Office of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine Angela Wagner allegedly became involved in the altercation by throwing a 2x4 piece of wood at Claytor and threatening her with a gun, per Claytors testimony. Claytor hid until she was able to ride her bicycle to a gas station and call her mom. She never went back. The couple divorced in January 2015. George Wagner IV kept Bulvine and with the alleged support of his family banned Claytor from having contact with their son for more than a year, according to WKRC-TV. After that, they agreed to 50-50 custody but she alleged he would rarely comply, and didn't tell her when the family moved with her son to Alaska in 2017. She regained custody of the child following the Wagners 2018 arrests, according to WKRC-TV. Jeffrey Tackett, a long-time friend of the defendants father, George Billy Wagner III, also took the stand on Monday, according to ABC Cincinnati affiliate WCPO. He referred to the Wagners as being very close like a cult, according to Law & Crime. Prosecutors had previously noted that the Wagner family was quite insular and said both sons were homeschooled by their parents. Kimberly Kessler featured in Snapped Tackett testified that, prior to the murders, he saw the elder Wagner in his bedroom with multiple firearms, bulletproof vests and 30-round clips. He also testified that he had warned Christopher Rhoden Sr. soon after Hanna May Rhoden and Jake Wagner began seeing one another, according to Law & Crime. If you have trouble with them, they will harm you or kill your family, Tackett said he told the Rhodens of the Wagners. Hanna May, who was 15, was soon pregnant with 20-year-old Jake Wagner's child. He wasn't the only one to warn the Rhodens: Claytors mother reportedly messaged Hanna May Rhoden and warned her not to sign custody of Sophia over to the Wagner family, according to Fox Cincinnati affiliate WXIX. I wont sign papers, ever, Hanna May reportedly wrote Claytors mother on Facebook. It wont happen. They will have to kill me first. Media Handout From Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation Rhoden Family Homicides Photo: Pike County Sheriff's Office/Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation Sometime between the evening of April 21 and the morning April 22, 2016, someone did. In total, eight people in the Rhoden family circle including Hanna May were shot to death that night in and around rural Piketon, Ohio that night. Other victims included Hanna May Rhodens parents, Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40, and Dana Manley-Rhoden, 37; her brothers, Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16, and Frankie Rhoden, 20; and her uncle Kenneth Rhoden. Christopher Rhoden Sr.s cousin, Gary Rhoden, 38, and Frankie Rhodens fiancee, Hannah Gilley, 20, were also shot to death. George "Billy" Wagner III has pleaded not guilty to charges connected with the murders and will be tried separately from his eldest son at a later date. Angela Wagner was initially charged with murder but pleaded guilty to lesser charges, including conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and burglary. She was sentenced to 30 years behind bars without the possibility of parole. Jake Wagner also pleaded guilty to a number of charges, including eight counts of murder, and is currently serving eight life sentences without the possibility of parole. In exchange for their cooperation including their upcoming, anticipated testimony in George Wagner IVs murder trial the death penalty was taken off the table for Angela and Jake Wagner. If convicted, George Wagner IV and his father could face execution. The case was the focus of the Oxygen original series, The Piketon Family Murders. NEW YORK, October 05, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA releases research on potential ABS exposure in our rated universe of consumer and commercial ABS to Hurricane Ian, which made landfall along Floridas southwestern coast on September 28 before making landfall a second time near Georgetown, South Carolina. Key Takeaways Consumer ABS transactions and some traditional commercial ABS asset classes, such as equipment and small business, typically benefit from obligor and geographic diversification. Borrowers are generally required to maintain physical damage insurance for secured assets during the term of the loan, which may result in a prepayment or reduce loss severity for damaged collateral. KBRA is reviewing the extent to which insurance may have a role in recoveries and prepayments in transactions. As in past storms, KBRA expects many servicers to implement hardship assistance programs for borrowers requesting temporary assistance through payment deferrals and forbearance. We will review the operations and strategy of servicers in managing the aftermath of the storm. Transportation segments are well diversified (aircraft and containers are globally diversified, railcars are domestically diversified), mobile, and should not be significantly impacted by the storm as operators may have had sufficient warning to relocate the assets out of the storms path. Whole business securitizations (WBS) typically comprise franchise restaurant locations (and some non-restaurant concepts) that may be impacted by the temporary or permanent closings of the locations that collateralize the transactions. KBRA will review all WBS ratings, focusing initially on those that may have larger concentrations in the affected areas in Florida. Click here to view the report. About KBRA KBRA is a full-service credit rating agency registered in the U.S., the EU, and the UK, and is designated to provide structured finance ratings in Canada. KBRAs ratings can be used by investors for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221005005619/en/ Contacts Rosemary Kelley, Senior Managing Director, Head of Global ABS +1 (646) 731-2337 rosemary.kelley@kbra.com Eric Neglia, Senior Managing Director, Head of Commercial and Consumer ABS +1 (646) 731-2456 eric.neglia@kbra.com Melvin Zhou, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-3191 melvin.zhou@kbra.com Alan Greenblatt, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-2496 alan.greenblatt@kbra.com Xilun Chen, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-2431 xilun.chen@kbra.com Business Development Contact Ted Burbage, Managing Director +1 (646) 731-3325 ted.burbage@kbra.com King Charles King Charles should attend the upcoming climate change conference COP27, the president of last year's summit and member of Liz Truss's cabinet has said. Alok Sharma was responding to a report which claimed the prime minister had "ordered" the King not to attend. Buckingham Palace later confirmed the King will not attend the summit in Egypt next month. Mr Sharma said the King had championed the environment for decades and other countries wanted him to attend. The former business secretary, who led COP26 in Glasgow last November and retains cabinet status, told BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight programme: "I would certainly like to see His Majesty attend and that is a message I am getting from countries around the world. "Of course, he is head of state in the United Kingdom but he is also head of state in other countries, some of which are very much on the front line of climate change." On Sunday, Buckingham Palace said the decision for King Charles not to attend COP27 had been made "with mutual friendship and respect" after the monarch sought the prime minister's advice. COP26 president Alok Sharma said King Charles had been a "huge global champion of the environment" before it was a mainstream issue Mr Sharma said he couldn't comment about the content of the conversations between the King and prime minister, but said the monarch had for decades been a "huge global champion of the environment and tackling climate change long before it was a mainstream issue". In his former role as the Prince of Wales, the King has been a staunch climate campaigner and made a speech during the opening ceremony of last year's summit. Last week, Egypt warned the UK not to "backtrack" on the global climate agenda. Ms Truss has not said whether she will attend COP27, suggesting that the UK may have neither a head of government nor a head of state in attendance. Mr Sharma said the prime minister had been clear on the government's commitment to reach a target of net-zero emissions by 2050. YORK (AP) Maine's state housing authority has halted new applications for emergency rental assistance while it waits to find out if a request for more federal money will be approved. MaineHousing said in a statement that an "unanticipated uptick in demand" and uncertainty about new revenue prompted the decision to pause applications. The program started in March 2021 and stopped taking applications at the end of the day on Sept. 29. The housing authority described the program as a temporary support that is funded via federal money through COVID-19 relief laws. The authority said the pause will allow more than 11,000 pending requests to be processed. Maine's state housing authority has halted new applications for emergency rental assistance. The program has helped more than 33,000 households and spent more than $275 million, MaineHousing officials said. The program is mostly used to pay rent directly to landlords. MaineHousing spokesperson Scott Thistle said the pause in applications is "a fiscally responsible and reasonable move that will allow us to ensure all who have already applied to this program get a fair opportunity to receive help." Dreams come true: Kennebunkport Heritage Housing Trust making homes 'attainable' The agency's staff notified key entities of its decision including the office of Gov. Janet Mills, legislative leaders and the 10 community action agencies across Maine that have worked to help administer this program. Maine was among the first states to open its Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program under the federal relief laws. Those who have been helped by the program include more than 25,800 children and 7,893 older Mainers. A miracle: Family gets new home thanks to Habitat for Humanity York County MaineHousing Director Daniel Brennan said the painful decision to pause the program was based on concern demand on the program would exceed available funding. "This temporary program, funded with one-time money from Congress, was meant as an emergency measure to help abate the economic backlash wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic in Maine," said Thistle. "It was not intended to be a long-term bandage, a permanent source of rental assistance or a solution to the state's ongoing affordable housing crisis. Simple math tells us that without replenishment this program cannot run indefinitely." MaineHousing's decision to pause accepting new applicants to the program puts the state among dozens of others who have paused or ended their ERA programs including New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine pauses rental assistance program launched in pandemic The November 2017 death of the Lincoln/Logan Chamber of Commerce got lots of ink in local newspapers and is still a topic of discussion among local residents. But the Lincoln area also has lost other organizations that improved life for local residents. The demise of those groups, although not as prominent as the chamber of commerce, have also created voids in the community as well. They may not get the morning coffee crowds still buzzing about their passing, but the holes remain unfilled. Remember the Lincoln Loyal Order of the Moose and its last Lincoln lodge? Its where Ace Hardware now peddles nuts and bolts, bird and squirrel feed and treats, all manner of tools for the workshop, a wide variety of household items, even a bit of lumber for those who are stuck on Sunday with a weekend project, in need of a board or two and no lumberyard in town open. Like lodges throughout the country and globe, when it was alive and well the Lincoln Moose organization supported Mooseheart, a child city in northern Illinois, and Moosehaven, a residential complex on 60-some acres near Jacksonville, Fla. for senior members of the fraternal organization. But, again like most Moose lodges, Lincoln Moose members actively and aggressively gave their support, both financial and physical, to several local efforts. It also had a female auxiliary, Women of The Moose, which was also a beneficial supporter of local causes. The Lincoln Moose lodge and WOTM, as the auxiliary was called, lost their headquarters at 2011 N. Kickapoo St. in October 2008. An article in The Courier trumpeted the sad news to the community. The Lincoln Moose Lodge is closing. At least temporarily, the short news article stated. The lodge recently lost its lease on that particular building. Mel Buse, who answered the phone at the Moose Lodge Tuesday, said the organization will remain intact and members will meet at the American Legion while they search for a new venue. Story continues End of story. And really the end of the Moose lodge in Lincoln, which didnt remain intact. If memory serves me accurately, I believe Moose International formally merged the Lincoln lodge with its counterpart in Bloomington. How about the Lincoln Jaycees? Remember those folks who did a lot for the community? Their last home in Lincoln was at 325 S. Chicago St., in a former hardware store adjacent to the railroad tracks that dissect downtown Lincoln. Like the Lincoln Moose lodge, the Jaycees had become a fixture in the Logan County seat. They seemed to be all about improving the lives of local residents. Arguably, the organizations most publicized annual event was creating and then hosting a haunted house during the Halloween season. It was held for several years at the Logan County Fairgrounds, but then moved to the Chicago Street address once the Jaycees inhabited that former retail space. But the Jaycees in Lincoln did more, much more, than try to scare the wits out of people who dropped some cash to tour the haunted house each fall. They made big marks on the benevolent side of things in Lincoln. The Jaycee membership adopted the Angel Tree project, which provides Christmas gifts to impoverished families during the holiday. They were an integral part each year of Relay for Life, a fundraiser for cancer victims and research. Each holiday season, Jaycees served a free holiday meal for hundreds of local senior citizens. The final post on the Lincoln Jaycees web page describes the reasons for the clubs death. Our organization has been serving the community as a local chapter of the Jaycees for the past 60 years, according to the post. Over the last several years we have seen membership decline and have been struggling to complete our community projects. 2014 will be the final year for our organization with the Angel Tree being our final project. We are sad to see it end but are proud to have served the community for so long. We would like to thank every past member of our organization, every volunteer, every community member, and every business who has contributed in some way over the past 60 years, which has allowed us to accomplish so many amazing things! Earlier in that final year, Jaycee members were adding feathers to their caps because of a prestigious honor. The organization had received notification from the Illinois Junior Chamber International that its nominee for The Outstanding Young Persons of Illinois had been selected to receive that very honor. It was the first time the Lincoln organization had submitted a nominee for the recognition. Only a few years after that, the recipient of the award, Seth Goodman, became Lincolns mayor. Before becoming mayor, Goodman was chairman of the board governing another organization that has departed the local landscape, Main Street Lincoln. That entity was affiliated with a statewide program and received government grants and some local tax money for its operation to preserve the vitality and historical character of Lincolns downtown. Main Street Lincolns official death notice was also posted on the Internet. Effective January 1, 2015, Main Street Lincoln will be permanently closed, it read. A number of activities and services previously provided by Main Street Lincoln will continue to be provided by the recently formed Logan County Alliance. The Main Street Lincoln Board of Directors would like to thank the businesses, organizations and residents of the City of Lincoln for their support of our mission throughout the years. It has been our pleasure to serve you! Main Street Lincolns demise was only a bruise in a fatal collision of Alliance entities that included Main Street, the local tourism bureau and chamber of commerce under one umbrella. Next to collapse was the Logan County Alliance itself, which always billed itself as doing business as the Lincoln and Logan County Chamber of Commerce. The Alliance, you might recall, instantly disintegrated into thin air with an abrupt announcement by the chamber of commerce that it simply no longer existed. The chamber eventually went the route of the Alliance and Main Street with shuttered doors. Only the tourism bureau, supported entirely by a local hotel/motel tax and some grants, survives. It now seems to wear more than one hat. An example is the bureaus sponsorship of Lincolns Christmas parade, once a chamber-sponsored event. In a previous column a few years back, I had already addressed the absence of Lincolns League of Women Voters, which no longer exists. The league provided a valuable service with its public candidate forums every time a local election rolled around. My point is this: The above organizations (with the exception of the Logan County Alliance) made Lincoln a better place to live, a better place to open and successfully manage a new business, a wonderful place to call home and raise a family. All walks of life were served by these groups and organizations. Sadly, I dont see much in way of replacements for these groups that once gave Lincoln healthy doses of true community spirit. Dan Tackett is a retired managing editor of The Courier. He can be reached at dtackett@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Lincoln Courier: The demise of community organizations in Lincoln leaves a void Will Smith's new film "Emancipation" will be released in December his first major project since he infamously slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in March. Smith posted a trailer of the movie on his social media pages and called it the "hardest movie I've ever made." "Blood, Sweat & Tears LITERALLY! Shoutout to Apple who doubled (and tripled) down on their commitment to deliver this epic story to the world," he wrote Monday. The movie centers around Smith's character, Peter, an enslaved man who escapes a Louisiana plantation and makes his way north. According to Apple, the film was inspired by the 1863 photos of "Whipped Peter." One of the images known as "The Scourged Back" shows Peter's bare back mutilated from whippings by his enslavers and it proved to be instrumental in shifting the public sentiment in opposition to slavery. "Emancipation" will be out in theaters on December 2 and available for streaming on Apple+ on December 9. The film premiered in an advanced screening during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 51st Annual Legislative Conference over the weekend. NAACP President, Derrick Johnson was in attendance and praised the movie. "I had the pleasure of watching the film #Emancipation and can't begin to tell how powerful this is for OUR community and OUR history. It's a story of adversity, of resilience, of love, and of triumph," Johnson tweeted. The announcement of the movie's release date comes more than six months Smith slapped Rock on stage during the Academy Awards ceremony. Smith hit Rock after he made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head. Rock likened Pinkett Smith to movie character "G.I. Jane" because she is bald due to a diagnosis of alopecia, which causes hair loss. Smith apologized to Rock publicly and the Academy announced Smith would be banned for 10 years from any of their events after the incident. While Smith also resigned from the Academy, he is eligible to be nominated and win. Story continues Experts warn of brutal upcoming flu season U.S. economy, labor market still rebounding from pandemic U.S. death toll from Hurricane Ian crosses the 100-mark The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is wading into tense territory with a new rule essentially making the agency an abortion provider, facing the wrath of GOP lawmakers and likely legal challenges. The VA has already started providing abortions to pregnant veterans and VA beneficiaries in limited circumstances set out in the rule, which took effect when it was published on Sept. 9. The landmark rule quickly raised questions about the infrastructure to handle demand, and the legal consequences of performing the services in red states where abortion is banned or severely restricted. But the VA has shown no signs of backing down from its rule which it says will cover about 1,000 abortion procedures per year and advocates are hailing it as a major step forward in health care for veterans. The reality is, women veterans didnt have access to the same reproductive care that patients on Medicaid, for example, had prior to the VA taking action, said Allison Jaslow, an Iraq War Veteran who co-founded Operation Liberty. From my perspective, the fact that women veterans have now equal access to care is a very important step forward, not just in the post Roe v. Wade. Veterans period, she continued. Meanwhile, Republicans have questioned the legality of the rule and promised to give the department a tough time if the GOP regains control of Congress in the fall. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), the ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, argued in a Sept. 15 hearing that the rule violates The Veterans Healthcare Act of 1992, which essentially prohibited the agency from providing abortions. He added that he was working with his House and Senate colleagues to sanction the VA over the rule. Following the law isnt an option, its a requirement. By ignoring the law, VA is violating the wishes and values of millions of Americans who dont want their tax dollars used to pay for abortions at VA or anywhere else, Bost said during the hearing. Story continues But the committees chair, Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), countered by saying the 1992 law was superseded by the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, which mandated the agency develop a national enrollment system to manage its delivery of health care services. That law didnt explicitly carry over the exclusion of abortion services from the prior law. The VA provides services to over 300,000 veterans of childbearing age. It currently provides reproductive health services like birth control, infertility and IVF treatments and maternity care. The VAs abortion rule applies to veterans enrolled in VA health care, as well as those who are enrolled in the departments Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), which covers the surviving spouse or children of veterans who have disabilities or are deceased. The rule would allow abortions for those who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest, or if a pregnancy endangered the life and health of the person seeking an abortion. However, there are still questions about how health will be interpreted. Lindsay Church, an abortion rights advocate and president of Minority Veterans of America, told The Hill that she doesnt support exceptions policy when it comes to reproductive rights, but applauded the inclusion of health in the final rule. When it came out, I think theres a level of optimism in the way that their definition is written that includes health, and not just you have to be in absolute critical dire straits to be able to get access to care, Church said. Lory Fenner, a retired Air Force veteran who is the director of government relations for the Service Womens Action Network (SWAN), said reproductive rights organizations would have liked to see the rule go further. But this is a pretty big step for this organization that wasnt doing these before, and theyll have to build some infrastructure and hire more providers in a weird environment, she said. Sean Timmons, a managing partner at law firm Tulley Rinckey PLLC, interpreted the health of the mother as a possible a catch-all term the VA is using to broaden the scope of who can obtain abortions. I understand that trying to limit it to health, but I think that description of health means the individual is asking for this procedure because its going to be the service that is going to assist in their health, he said. So, I dont see that as limitation. VA officials have said it will be up to veterans and doctors to determine whether health is endangered on a case-by-case basis. Another pressing question is how the VAs ability to perform abortions conflicts with state laws that limit the procedure, enacted in the wake of the Supreme Courts decision earlier this year to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Department of Justice has already given its seal of approval, stating that the rule is a lawful exercise of VA authority, and that states cant penalize the departments employees who provide abortions in accordance with the rule. But Timmons said this likely wont shield the VA from facing politically motivated lawsuits from states that are more aggressive in curbing abortion. I dont know how much merit it would have, but I know they would do it for a press release, or fundraising at a minimum, he added. But the concern about blowback in these states extends beyond the legal realm. When you have states that do have those severe laws, we have to think about the protests, we have to think about people that will wait outside of the facilities, said Deshauna Barber, an Army veteran who is the CEO of SWAN. So, I do think that there are measures that need to be in place to protect and support those veterans and states where there are severe restrictions being placed on reproductive care, she added. The anti-abortion group Students for Life said they have started a nationwide push to flood the agency with comments in opposition to the rule. The Biden Administration again proves that safe, legal, and rare is their ghost of abortion policy past while unlawful, unethical, and unlimited abortion is their present obsession, Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins said in a statement. The National Right to Life also blasted the move as an affront to federalism, with its president Carol Tobias saying the Biden Administration has made every effort to promote and pay for abortion on demand using taxpayer money. Jaslow of Operation Liberty said the VA would also face administrative hiccups that come with rolling out a new initiative in a massive bureaucracy, and the challenge of getting employees at health care centers on board with the divisive decision. Leaders of the VA have said they are ready for the challenges. VA Secretary Denis McDonough has said the department is working to bolster security at VA facilities and trying to avoid the politics of abortion. I dont want to get ahead of myself in terms of whats going to happen, in terms of the politics I wasnt very good at politics when I was the White House chief of staff, and I can guarantee you, Im no good at politics now, McDonough said at a media roundtable on Sept. 26. Our job is to keep our head down, do the work, make sure that work is executed well. Thats what we intend to do, and I have every expectation thats what we will do the rest of it will work itself out. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Oct. 4All three candidates for governor will take the stage tonight at the Franco Center in Lewiston for the first in a series of debates before the Nov. 8 election. The Portland Press Herald, Lewiston Sun Journal and Maine Public are sponsoring the event, which begins at 8 p.m. and will last 90 minutes. You can watch a livestream at pressherald.com and follow our fact checkers and analysts on the Press Herald's Twitter feed. This is the first time Gov. Janet Mills, former Gov. Paul LePage and independent challenger Sam Hunkler will be on stage together to answer questions and debate policies. Mills and LePage are among Maine's best known politicians. Before she became governor, Mills served as the Attorney General for six out of LePage's eight years in office. The two battled in the press, in the courtroom and in behind-the-scenes memos about policy and the role of the AG, who is appointed by the Legislature. Hunkler, by contrast, is unknown to Maine voters. The debate provides the physician from Beals an opportunity to introduce himself to voters. So far, the campaign has been relatively subdued except for the numerous television ads aired by Mills, LePage and their allies. Tuesday's debate could change all of that. Leveraging her incumbency, Mills has largely eschewed campaign events, opting instead to conduct the business of being governor, visiting businesses and communities throughout the state to announce various grants and new programs. She has been emphasizing collaboration and bipartisanship, releasing a new campaign ad Tuesday featuring Republicans, including state Sen. Kim Rosen and former state Sen. Roger Katz, who support her campaign. She has rallied with abortion rights demonstrators and last week held a press conference to announce Sen. Angus King's support for her campaign. Mills' campaign seems to be deferring to the Maine Democratic Party to take on her major opponent, and it has hammered LePage in a series of press releases seeking to remind voters of LePage's volatile temperament and policies. Story continues LePage, meanwhile, has been on the attack, holding a series of press conferences hitting Mills on the economy, inflation, opioid addiction, crime and education. He has previously criticized Mills' handling during the pandemic. LePage also has the support of the Maine Republican Party and the Republican Governor's Association, which has paid for ads attacking Mills. Mills has raised more than twice the amount of campaign donations as LePage, while also benefiting from millions of dollars in spending from outside groups attacking her Republican opponents. This story will be updated. Photo credit: Curt Borgwardt - Getty Images This article contains references of murder and sexual assault that some may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised. Ryan Murphy's DAHMER Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story shared a fictional retelling of Jeffrey Dahmer's life. The series examined everything from his childhood to becoming a notorious serial killer who drugged, raped, killed, and dismembered the bodies of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. The Netflix series has led many true crime enthusiasts on a journey to uncover new details about Jeffrey Dahmer and his family members. Questions have emerged about whether Jeffrey's father, Lionel Dahmer, is alive and how his brother, David Dahmer, was impacted by his unfathomable crimes. The fourth episode of the Netflix series touched on Jeffrey's enrollment in the United States Army, raising questions about whether or not he truly served or if that was fictionalized for the series. Read ahead to find out if Jeffrey Dahmer served in the military and why he was kicked out. Did Jeffrey Dahmer serve in the army? Six weeks after Jeffrey murdered his first victim, 18-year-old Steven Hicks, he enrolled in Ohio State University, where he was expelled after one semester. Jeffrey's father, Lionel, encouraged him to join the military as an alternative to college. According to Military.com, he worked as an Army medic at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He was later stationed with the 2nd Battalion, 68th Armored Regiment, 8th Infantry Divison at a base in Baumholder, West Germany, where he worked as a combat medic. Did Jeffrey Dahmer commit any crimes during his time in the army? Twenty-year-old Preston Davis accused Jeffrey of sexually assaulting him while they worked in the field together between October 5 and October 25, 1979. According to a letter Preston wrote on Protect Our Defenders, he was "sexually assaulted, which included penetration," during a three or four-day period while he was "isolated and alone" with Jeffrey, who he claimed was a racist. "He was a very racist individual, and once he started drinking, he became a very obnoxious individual," Preston told TheWrap. Story continues Preston believes he was drugged because he "lost time" and has "memory gaps." According to TheWrap, Preston confirmed that Jeffrey admitted to previously killing someone and would brag about it when he'd get drunk. "Jeffrey had killed his first victim a year before joining the military, and he would get drunk in the barracks and say, 'I killed the guy in Ohio," he recounted. Preston left the unit he worked in shortly after the assault, but his standing as an "outstanding soldier" was largely impacted. He received an honorable discharge in May 1986. Billy Capshaw was 17 years old when he met his roommate Jeffrey. Billy claims he was sexually assaulted, tortured, and controlled by the infamous serial killer for 18 months. According to Survivingjeffreydahmer.org, Billy alerted officials of the abuse by Jeffrey, who would often be drunk, but those in power often ignored it. He said Jeffrey beat him with an iron bar across his knuckles and shins. Billy said that he was often locked in their room because Jeffrey was the only one with a key and that Jeffrey intentionally made sure his family's mail and phone calls would go unanswered. Billy claims things got so bad that his status was changed to AWOL (absent without leave) when he had not left the base. "It was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," he revealed to TheWrap. "I was in a room I was scared to come out of. I would steal Jeff's money, thinking that if he didn't have any money, he wouldn't drink anymore and, therefore, wouldn't hurt me anymore. He beat me so badly for that, and to stop me from screaming; he hit me harder." Did Jeffrey Dahmer kill anyone when he was in the military? According to the Associated Press, police officials across Germany reviewed all cases of unidentified male murder victims or missing men after Jeffrey's arrest in 1991. German officials did not discover any links connecting Jeffrey to cold cases during his time in Germany. Why did Jeffrey Dahmer get kicked out of the army? One year before he completed an entire three-year enlistment, Jeffrey received an honorable discharge from the Army in March 1981. According to Military.com, Jeffrey's superiors believed his consistent drinking impaired his ability to function as a soldier. You Might Also Like Editors note: Explore contributor Gensheng Tian hiked the Wallowa River Loop Trail in August. This is the second of three installments. The scene at Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland, as viewed through the sculpture "Symbiosis" by Joshua Wiener. (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times, file) Supreme Court kicks off new term with North Idaho couple's case that could limit reach of Clean Water Act If you are sending a Letter To the Editor, please be sure to follow these rules: Letters have a firm 200-word limit and will be edited for grammar, clarity and accuracy. The person who signs the letter must be the author. Anonymous letters will not be considered. Letters must address the editor, not a third party. We will not print form letters, libelous letters, business promotions or personal disputes, poetry, open letters, letters espousing religious views without reference to a current issue, or letters considered in poor taste. Letters reflect the opinion of the writer. The Yakima Herald-Republic cannot verify the accuracy of all statements made in letters. Writers are limited to one published letter per calendar month. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. By Trend The Azerbaijani Army launched a counter-offensive operation, later called the "Iron Fist", on September 27, 2020 in response to the large-scale provocation of the Armenian armed forces along the frontline, Trend reports. The erupted 44-day Second Karabakh War ended with liberation of Azerbaijans territories from nearly 30-year Armenian occupation. Trend presents the chronicle of the tenth day of the Second Karabakh war: - President Ilham Aliyev announced that the Azerbaijani Army liberated Shikhali Aghali, Sarijali, Mazra villages of Jabrayil district and several strategic heights in different directions. - President Ilham Aliyev was interviewed by TRT Haber TV channel. - First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva on her official Instagram page urged everyone to share the truth about the Armenian aggression. - The Defense Ministry said that the territory of Azerbaijan was subjected to rocket fire from Armenia. Photos of enemy vehicles captured in Jabrail. - The Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan reported 24 deaths and 121 injuries as a result of the Armenian provocation. - The Armenian armed forces fired at Barda, Ganja, Goygol and Goranboy. - One person was killed, three were injured from fragments of a rocket launched at Barda. - The Ministry of Defense has spread video footage of the Azerbaijani village of Talish, liberated from the Armenian occupation. - In connection with the crimes of Armenia against Azerbaijan, 19 criminal cases have been initiated. - The Armenian Armed Forces has shelled the city of Agjabedi, there are wounded. 4 units of MLRS "Grad" of the Armed Forces of Armenia destroyed. Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. MP Grzegorz Braun plays into the hands of Russian propaganda In the video material, footage from the rally (participants chanting: "This is Poland not Brussels, Bandera* is not welcome here") is intertwined with separate close-ups of MP Grzegorz Braun recorded in front of the Polish Parliament. Braun looks into the camera and says: "Stop the Ukrainianization of Poland. Stop the depolonization of Poland. It's about making Poland Polish". He goes on to say that "the government's actions have led to the Ukrainization and depolonization of Poland". He also complains about the Ukrainian flags put on display in an act of solidarity with the Ukrainian people. The footage is edited in such a way that it looks like Braun gave an interview to the Russian TV channel. In fact, the material uses an excerpt from the internet where he invites citizens to participate in the anti-Ukrainian protest. The official slogan of last week's protest was "Stop the Ukrainianization of Poland". Similar gatherings organized by the extreme right took place in several cities across Poland. The events did not attract much interest, however. For instance, a few days ago in the town of Sanok, south-eastern Poland, not a single person showed up to the rally. The organizers spoke to themselves. In Warsaw, on the other hand, about 200 people participated in the anti-Ukrainian protest. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament: Your place is in Moscow!" In late September, Braun spoke in the parliamentary about "resettled migrants from Ukraine". At the end of his speech, he added: "Stop the Ukrainianization of Poland". The deputy speaker of the Sejm, Magorzata Gosiewska (Law and Justice party), who was chairing the session, remarked: "not resettled migrants, but war refugees fleeing Russian barbarism". When Braun tried to answer her, the deputy speaker told him: "your place is in Moscow, Moscow!". "And your place is in the cowshed" - the man replied. Grzegorz Braun's anti-Ukrainian rant featured on Russian state TV resonated on social media. Commentators suggested the Internal Security Agency (ABW) should look into it. REKLAMA "Polish MP as a tool of Putin's propaganda. This is a matter for the prosecutor's office. The Confederation and its Russian trolls should end up on the ash heap of history" - Bartomiej Ciazynski, vice-chairman of the Wrocaw City Council, wrote on Twitter. * [ed.] Stepan Bandera, a highly controversial Ukrainian far-right leader, considered by some a national hero and martyr, and condemned as a fascist and war criminal by others. He and his followers from the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists collaborated with Nazis and are responsible for the massacre of Polish and Jewish civilians. *** REKLAMA Every day, 400 journalists at Gazeta Wyborcza write verified, fact-checked stories about Polish politics and society, keeping a critical eye on the ruling camps persistent assault on democratic values and the rule of law; the growing cultural tension between religious fundamentalism and human rights; and the ongoing Russian invasion in Ukraine. Our journalists are on the front lines in 32 Polish cities, reporting from the streets, hospitals, and courtrooms about issues that move public opinion. We decided to make our service available to everyone free of charge in order to provide access to high quality journalism for expats and English speakers interested in Polish affairs. The access to information should be equal for all. Hungarys gas storage facilities are 75% full, and given their outsized combined capacity, the countrys gas reserves relative to its annual consumption are well above the European Union average, the minister of technology and industry told a conference on Tuesday. Speaking at the Portfolio Energy Investment Forum 2022, Laszlo Palkovics said the governments strategic objectives concerning energy supplies included reducing the proportion of natural gas in the countrys energy mix, which required measures to reduce demand, increase efficiency and promote electrification. Utilisation of alternative energies should be promoted, capacities for electricity production increased and networks further developed, he added. Concerning gas consumption, Palkovics said the government had prepared a comprehensive programme aimed at significant reductions by 2030, requiring investments of a combined 16 billion forints (EUR 38.3m) during the period. In an optimum case, a quarter of Hungarys gas demand could be covered from domestic sources, therefore the government is planning to increase the countrys gas extraction from the current 1.5 billion cubic metres a year to 2 billion by 2030, he said. At the same time, the proportion of electricity in the total energy consumption could increase from 20% to 26% by the end of the decade, he said, and noted the increasing role of solar plants. The Vatican and Germany, two highly important partner countries for Hungary, have recently appointed new ambassadors to serve in Budapest, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday. He said on Facebook that he had reassured Michael Wallace Banach, the apostolic nuncio assigned by the Holy See, that Hungary is proud of its Christian heritage and that it can identify as a country of Mary. Here, in our country, we have a government leading the country with a strong Christian-Democratic character which is often met with antipathy by the European left-liberal mainstream, Szijjarto said. But this is far from being reason enough for us to give it all up. As regards Germany, Szijjarto said economic cooperation between the two countries could be regarded as a success story. He said bilateral trade last year broke all previous records and German companies continue to invest in Hungary. We will continue cooperation with Ambassador Julia Katharina Gross in that spirit, the minister said. The House of Terror Museum is now presenting an exhibition dedicated to the Hungarian Gypsy heroes of the 1956 revolution. Opening the show on Tuesday, Attila Sztojka, the government commissioner for Roma relations, said the issue should not be whether a person is Roma or not, but how they can contribute to the good of the community and strengthen the economy. A common responsibility was to work towards such a future, he said. Two images of Gypsies their rich culture and poverty tend to flash up in peoples minds, he said. But unity achieved since 2010 has given them strength, faith and hope to overcome their hardships, he added. Sztojka cited the prime minister as stressing the importance of narrowing disparities between the mainstream and Gypsies through government-supported programmes. The exhibition has been mounted by the Public Foundation for the Research of Central and East European History and Society and the government commissioner responsible for Roma relations. The images on display have toured the country at 27 locations so far. Meanwhile, the commissioner paid tribute to jazz legend Bela Szakcsi Lakatos, a pianist and composer who died a few days ago. Bela Szakcsi Lakatos, an iconic figure of Hungarian jazz, died on Sunday morning, at the age of 79, the Hungarian Jazz Federation said. Multiple award winning Szakcsi Lakatos was a pianist, composer, holder of the Artist of the Nation title and a towering figure of Hungarian jazz, the federation said on Facebook. Szakcsi Lakatos received the highest state honour, the Kossuth Award in 2005 and the Artist of the Nation title in 2014. In 2019, he was the artistic director of the European Roma Festival Orchestra project. YORK Area high school students were exposed to a wide range of opportunities in the agriculture field at Careers in Ag Day hosted by Cornerstone Bank. According to the Nebraska Department of Education, agriculture is the number one industry in the state of Nebraska, which is why it has become critical to educate the next generation who will be filling big shoes in the industrys future. The Careers in Ag Day consisted of high schoolers learning from panels of local farmers, foresters, extension educators, and producers. Students learned about what schooling is needed to go into these fields, what a typical day looks for an agriculturalist, and what opportunities are available. Ty Heft from Cornerstone Bank said, We hope to show them that there is a much broader field of jobs than farmers and ranchers as it is typically assumed. We hope they can narrow down a career path after speaking with experienced professionals across many different agricultural occupations. If one looks around, York County is surrounded by agriculture and agriculture is the reason why smaller communities in York County continue to thrive. It is important to invest in the next generation as they will be the ones to continue this way of life, said Heft. After 32 consecutive years of putting on the event, there are a couple of factors that make the students want to come back. One of the key factors is the individuals who take the time to talk to students one-on-one about the different facets of agriculture from ag insurance to raising crops. Heft said, They all understand the importance of taking the time to show the students why they do what they do and how they got to where they are. Students were also able to listen to keynote speaker Hannah Klitz who is the owner and operator of Oak Barn Beef. Klitz shared how she got into entrepreneurship and what her day to day looks like as a cattle producer with her husband, Eric. She gave students tips on how to start a farm to table business. She stressed on the importance of starting small and figuring out financials first before starting a business. She also talked about marketing locally and how to build relationships with customers. She said her ultimate goal as an entrepreneur is to put a positive face on farming. Heft said Klitz was the perfect keynote speaker because she has an ability to relate to the students because it wasnt too long ago, she was in the students shoes. She has been extremely successful with her business, Oak Barn Beef, at such a young age and that is what we wanted the students to see, said Heft. Cornerstone thanks all of the following individuals and businesses for presenting: Cornerstone Bank, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Cornerstone Insurance Group, Wild Roots Greenhouse, Merrick and Hamilton County Extension, Kim Slezak from the Society of American Foresters, York and Polk Extension, Mike Frazier, the United States Department of Agriculture, Pioneer, Orthman Ag, Monsanto, Word and Deed Communications, Mike Bergen, Beauty View Dairy, Heartland Farm Partners, Poet Bioprocessing, Central Valley Ag, Central City Veterinary Clinic, Aurora Ethanol Plan Manager, Orthman Ag, Akrs Equipment. Cornerstone would also like to thank the Holthus Convention Center staff who helped with setting up and making sure everything ran smoothly. Cornerstone looks forward to another year of helping students discover opportunities in ag. Last, but not least, they thank the schools and students who are willing to attend the event. Heft said, There is no Careers in Ag Day without them. We look forward to them all next year. YORK As people drive into downtown York from the south, they now see a new, colorful public art display on the wall that sits along the curve of Grant Avenue off of Lincoln Avenue. The Now Showing: Downtown sign was designed by Annie Redfern with input from the Arts Around Town group and was produced by Wallingford Signs. Dan Brahmsteadt offered his wall, which sits at the entrance of downtown. The sign harkens to the old downtown theater district in downtown York. The sign was produced in part with a grant from the York County Visitors Bureau. Other sponsors include the City of York, York County Development Corporation, Greater York Area Chamber of Commerce, Cornerstone Bank, Henderson State Bank, York State Bank and Union Bank and Trust. Earlier this year an informal group of residents calling themselves Arts Around Town met to discuss an art project for the old parts store wall. This conversation was also part of a larger conversation about preparing for a York application for Creative District status with the Nebraska Arts Council. After considering costs and the challenges of the wall, it was decided that a sign on the wall would be a better artistic option than a mural. The result is the theater-themed sign on the corner where Grant comes off Lincoln. The sign design ties to the old theater sign that used to hang in downtown York and now sits at the north end of town. In 2019, the York County Development Corporation sponsored community conversations about what people would like to see in York. The ideas highlighted included adding murals. York Councilwoman Jennifer Sheppard was part of those conversations and recalls a discussion about a mural on the old parts store wall as you drive into downtown from the south. After a council meeting soon after Councilwoman Sheppards appointment, she and Cheree Folts, parks and recreation director for the City of York, were talking about what to do with the wall of vines that everyone passes coming into downtown. Sue Crawford, city administrator for York, joined the conversation and those community conversations fed into conversations with the Arts Around Town group who then made the mural sign happen. Councilwoman Sheppard, reacting to the sign finally being installed, said, I am excited to see this vision from the focus group becoming a reality! I cant wait to see what we can dream up next! Folts, who also joined in the Arts Around Town conversations, said, Community art and a creative art district are important aspects for our community. They create a vibrant space and point of interest within the city setting it apart from other locations. I am excited that York has progressed down the path of enhancing and developing community art opportunities and what a fun way to start the process than by bringing the iconic York theater sign back to downtown! The Nebraska Arts Council Creative District program allows communities to apply for designation of some part of their community as a creative area with a solid tradition of supporting and encouraging the arts as well as the energy and innovation for arts to continue to thrive. The designation qualifies the community for major cultural and arts grants from the state. Multiple community conversations about forming a creative district and applying for designation will begin in October. If individuals are interested in being a part of these conversations, they can contact Dr. Clark Roush, Endowed Chair for the Performing Arts at York University, at clark.rousch58@gmail.com. Offutt Air Force Base plays a key role in our nations national security. Located in Sarpy County, the military base serves as the headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command, or STRATCOM. Offutt also hosts the 55th Wing, which conducts important global intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions and we are proud they call Nebraska home. Since Offutt supports multiple military communities and their unique operations, the bases infrastructure is constantly in use. That includes the Offutt runway, which was originally constructed in 1941. Over eight decades, the runway experienced significant wear and tear. As the quality of the runway continued to deteriorate, something had to be done to ensure Offutt could continue to support STRATCOM, the 55th Wing, and our national security. I am pleased to say after many years of work, Offutts new runway was officially unveiled on Friday, Sept. 30. The event commemorating the occasion was great, and it was wonderful to see all the different individuals who contributed to this important undertaking. I first began working on the Offutt runway issue in 2013 when I had only recently joined the U.S. Senate. Speaking directly with the bases leadership at the time, it was clear the state of the runway was extremely poor, and that was compromising the 55th Wings ability to carry out their duties. In fact, at the time, the Offutt runway had one of the lowest ratings among all of Air Combat Commands runways. I immediately began working to alert the Air Force to the severity of the problem, as well as develop a solution to the problem. This included a number of meetings with the Secretary of the Air Force and other military leaders at the Pentagon. Once we were able to build consensus around the gravity of the situation, it was time to act. In my role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I directly contribute to the drafting of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an important piece of legislation that authorizes funding for the military and sets policy priorities for the Dept. of Defense. In the 2016 NDAA, I worked to authorize funding for the initial design work of the runway rebuild. This is when things really began to take shape. In the subsequent years as design work on the runway progressed, I continued to work with my colleagues to ensure Congress authorized and appropriated sufficient, flexible funding to cover the project. Thanks to our persistent advocacy, we were able to help the plan evolve from simply patching some portions, to repaving, to eventually an agreement to fully replace the Offutt runway in January of 2019. The physical rebuilding of the runway took over 18 months. During that time, the 55th Wing was relocated to Lincoln. As of Sept. 30, the 55th Wing has finally returned to Offutt Air Force Base. Since its original founding over 100 years ago during the infancy of aerial warfare, Offutt has helped protect our nation. With this new runway in place, the men and women of Offutt can carry out their vital missions for years to come. India is ready to celebrate Dussehra, the victory of good over evil today at various spots across the country. Hence, in order to avoid traffic jams in the national capital Delhi traffic police have advised commuters to avoid a few roads. Delhi traffic police took to Twitter to alert commuters about the same. Traffic Alert Kindly avoid Akbar Road, Teen Murti Marg, R/A Teen Murti, R/A Kautilya, SP Marg, Dhaula Kuan Flyover, and Gurgaon Road from 1840 hrs to 1920 hrs due to special traffic arrangements, read the tweet. Celebrations on the eve of Dussehra brought vehicular traffic to a grinding halt in parts of central Delhi on Tuesday. Traffic Alert Kindly avoid Akbar Road, Teen Murti Marg, R/A Teen Murti, R/A Kautilya, SP Marg, Dhaula Kuan Flyover and Gurgaon Road from 1840 hrs to 1920 hrs due to special traffic arrangements. October 5, 2022 Delhi Traffic Police restricted bus movement on Pahari Bhojla, Chitli Qabar, Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, Chawri Bazar, Hauz Qazi, Ajmeri Gate, Paharganj, Chelmsford Road, Connaught Place outer circle, Parliament Street, Rafi Marg, Sunehri Bagh Road, Tughlak Road, Aurobindo Marg and Jor Bagh. The restrictions were in effect from 2 pm to 9:30 pm. Traffic movement was also affected on Jantar Mantar Road, Ashoka Road, inner and outer circles of Connaught Place, near New Delhi Railway Station, Patel Chowk, and areas surrounding Red Fort. The vehicular movement towards AIIMS in south Delhi was also affected, the traffic police said. A senior traffic official said, "We have deployed extra staff to clear the jams and make way for vehicles. We had already issued an advisory since the Tazia procession was scheduled." "In areas of south Delhi, traffic is affected due to Durga Puja celebrations. However, we have made necessary arrangements." Also read: October 2022 to be BEST year for auto sales in this decade: Report Raisina Marg was also closed for traffic, leading to snarls on the adjoining stretches of Ashoka Road and Jantar Mantar, among others. Traffic was affected in the carriageway from Janakpuri towards Uttam Nagar due to ongoing work being carried out by the Delhi Jal Board under Janakpuri West metro station, a traffic police officer said and advised commuters to avoid the stretch. (With inputs from agencies) The compact SUV business is one of the most flourished ones for Indian automakers. The segment is blooming with sales, and it has enough to expand and offer more to carmakers. Also, consumers are loving this bodystyle, hence a slew of sub-4m compact SUVs are available on sale in India for under Rs 10 lakh, namely Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Nissan Magnite, Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Renault Kiger, Mahindra XUV300 and more. Well, the festive season has also approached us, and it is intended to bring more volumes to the tally. But what are the top 5 SUVs that you can buy for under 10 lakh? Do not worry. Just read on to find the answer. With a major mid-cycle update, the Maruti Suzuki Brezza is a scorer in terms of design and features. Of course, it comes with a potent powertrain that uses a 1.5L petrol engine with the mild-hybrid tech and automatic start-stop system to enhance frugality. Gearbox options on the Brezza include a 5-speed MT and 6-speed AT. Prices for the SUV start from Rs 7.99 lakh, ex-showroom. Tata Nexon The Tata Nexon held the title of the highest-selling SUV for quite some time. Well, it is loved for its 5-star GNCAP crash test rating, spacious interior, long feature list, and frugal diesel engine. The SUV gets two engine options - 1.2L turbo-petrol and 1.5L diesel, along with two transmission choices - 6-speed MT and 6-speed AMT. For prices, the Tata Nexon starts at Rs 7.60 lakh (ex-showroom), and it is available in a multitude of trim options. Being a high-selling model for the South Korean brand, the Hyundai Venue was due for a facelift update, and it has recently received one. It now looks fresh and does get a handful of more features. It gets a total of 3 engine options - 1.0L turbo-petrol, 1.2L NA petrol, and 1.5L diesel engine. The Hyundai Venue is a considerate package in the compact SUV segment, with its starting price of Rs 7.53 lakh, ex-showroom. Kia Sonet In the SUV business, Kia has managed to make some space for itself. It's the most-affordable offering - Kia Sonet, is highly loved by the Indian audience for its road presence and feature-loaded cabin. The Sonet is one of the most dynamic cars out there in its segment. Also, it has a rather affordable starting price of Rs 7.49 lakh. It gets similar engine options as the Hyundai Venue. Also read - 2022 Citroen C5 Aircross Facelift Review: Exterior, interior, features, & more - IN PICS Nissan Magnite The Nissan Magnite remains bread and butter for the Japanese carmaker in our market. With a starting price of Rs 5.97 lakh, it is one of the most affordable SUVs in the country, today. The Magnite has also received a 4-star crash test rating, and it can be had with either of the two powertrain choices - 1.0L NA petrol and 1.0L turbo-petrol. The SUV also comes loaded with features like a 360-degree parking camera, an all-digital instrument cluster, a wireless phone charger, and wireless Android Auto & Apple Carplay. New Delhi: After "Laal Singh Chaddha" and "Brahmastra", another Bollywood movie has run into rough weather, with "Boycott Adipurush" trending on social media, days after its teaser got released. The excitement for Om Raut's film "Adipurush" -- starring Saif Ali Khan, Prabhas and Kriti Sanon -- was quite high ever since it was announced. However, just a few hours after the release of the teaser, the netizens began criticising the film for Saif's "Islamic" look, unconvincing VFX, and also the costumes of the other cast were targeted. Comparisons are also being made with Lord Hanuman from Ramanand Sagar's serial "Ramayan" to "Adipurush". Actor Devdatta Gajanan Nage is playing the role of Hanuman in the movie. The netizens have claimed that Hanuman's look in the film also has similarities with the Islamic attire. A user tweeted, "Bollywood's Hanuman Looks Like A Musalman #BoycottAdipurush." Another one wrote, "After 35 years, gutter Bollywood converted the 'gracefulness' of arrogant Ravana and Hanuman ji into Mughals." "Hanuman in Ramayan. Musalman in #Adipurush, Note: No Hindu keeps a beard without a Moustache. This film should be banned... They are defaming our Ramayan. They are showing Ravana and Hanuman with beards as Mughals with no Tika on their foreheads," added one. Earlier, on Tuesday, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra reportedly expressed his anguish over the portrayal of the gods in the film. Mishra said that the Hanuman was shown wearing leather clothes while the description of his appearance is clearly given in the Hanuman Chalisa. "There are objectionable scenes in the teaser. Such scenes hurt religious sentiments. I am writing to maker Om Raut to remove these scenes. If he does not agree, there will be legal action," the minister was quoted as saying. "Adipurush" is a retelling of the Ramayana. Prabhas's character is termed as Raghav, which is another name for Lord Ram. Saif plays Ravana while Janaki (Sita) is played by Kriti Sanon. The makers of Adipurush have spent a fortune on the visual effects. The film has reportedly been made on a budget of over Rs 400 crore, most of which has been spent on the VFX but, it seems like the output is far from what the audience was expecting. Aurora Police Department interim police chief Dan Oates poses for a portrait on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at the Aurora Police Department Headquarters in Aurora, Colo. City officials announced Tuesday a new search for the city's new police chief would resume immediately. New Delhi: Elon Musk is ready to complete Twitter buyout deal on the same valuation of $44 billion as proposed by earlier, Twitter confirmed it on Tuesday. Tech billionaire Elon Musk sent a letter to Twitter saying he will complete the deal he signed to buy the platform for $54.20 per share. ALSO READ | Govt approves Rs 26,000 crore to install 25k mobile towers in 500 days In a statement, Twitter investor relations wrote, We received the letter from the Musk parties which they have filed with the SEC. The inention of the company is to close the transaction at $54.20 per share. This is another twist in a longtail 'Twitter buyout deal' saga which is hanging on a fine thread since the deal announcement at the starting of the year. Earlier, Musk had retracted from his Twitter deal with $54.2 per share saying Twitter misled him by not revealing the exact numbers of bot accounts. In that response, Twitter sued Elon Musk for cancelling the deal. The latest report on the Twitter buyout deal comes ahead of the Delaware Court hearing on October 17, where the two sides are expected to clash over the multi-billion dollar buyout deal. Late on Tuesday, Elon Musk tweeted that buying Twiter would accelerate his aim to create an everything app called X. Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 4, 2022 Twitter received Musk's letter and intended to close the deal at the original price. Meanwhile, Musk asked to dismiss the shareholder lawsuit against him regarding the cancellation of the deal and subpoenaing the social media companys former CEO. (With Inputs from ANI & Reuters) Vijayadashami 2022: Dussehra or Vijayadashami, is one of the festivals that is celebrated by people with great enthusiasm. Since the festival is here, preparations are in full swing to celebrate the day. Dussehra celebrates the victory of good over evil. According to Hindu scriptures, Ravana was killed by lord Rama which signifies that goodness alone shall prevail. The festival is a reminder to people that evilness has no place in the heart. In this modern world and fast paced lifestyle, we end up developing few bad habits unintentionally. Thus, you should also take an initiative and try to end your 4 bad habits this Dussehra. These four habits are: Learn to manage finances Since we lack financial literacy and how to invest and manage finances, we end up burning through our salaries even before the month end. Our investment plans are without any specific goals. We tend to ignore financial planning and end up creating an economic chaos around us. This Dussehra, we should start managing our finances. Moreover, we should also make some changes when it comes to planning our investments. Be health conscious While many of us live away from our homes and become occupied in various other stuff, health is what we start taking for granted. Consumption of fast food and poor lifestyle makes us sick, and we avoid going to the doctors and taking proper medication. This worsens our health conditions. So, end this bad habit of ignoring your health. Stay fit and healthy. Eating junk food Eating habits are the primary concern in todays generation. We often choose burger over salad or Indian meal. We do not give our body the meals they need to stay fit. It is high time you switch to wholesome organic food. Choose more natural products to eat and avoid eating junk food. Choose the right lifestyle The most important thing is to choose the right lifestyle. The world we are living in fast-paced and thus we also tend to adopt easy and quick lifestyle, which by the way, has some serious repercussions not only on us but the environment too. New Delhi: Today, Dussehra and Vijayadashami is being celebrated across the globe this year. There are various mythologies of our rich heritage and culture with many festivals celebrating humanity and solidarity. On Dussehra or Vijayadashami, we thought of sharing an unusual and less heard place where Ravana is hailed as the tragic hero and Lord Rama is not worshipped. RAVANA HAILED IN GREATER NOIDA VILLAGE Dussehra is celebrated as the victory of good over evil and Ravana was killed by the virtuous Rama. But in a village named Bisrakh in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh Ravana is the hero and not Lord Rama. It is believed that Ravana was born here and later he went on rule the golden city Sri Lanka. The people of Bisrakh idolise Ravana and mourn our country's two biggest festivalsDussehra and Diwali as a mark to pay respects to the Maha BrahminRavana. They mourn Ravana's death on these two festivals while the rest of India burns the ten-headed Brahmin's effigy along with Meghnath (his son) and Kumbhkaran (his younger brother). According to local legend, Ravana was born to Vishrava and Kaikesi. He was the grandson of Pulastya. It is believed that Bisrakh derived its name from Vishravas, Ravana's father, who worshipped Lord Shiva. He even spent his childhood in the village. The legend has it that Vishravas once found a linga in the forest and established the Bisrakh Dhaam, also known as an abode of God. Vishravas, a Brahmin was married to Kaikesi a rakshasa princess. Vishravas's elder son by the first wife was Kubera, better known as the god of wealth, who ruled Lanka until Ravana became the king. Interestingly, as per local belief, fire sacrifices or call it yajnas as you may please, are held during the festival of Navratri, praying to Lord Shiva's linga form as a homage to Ravana. Happy Dussehra or Vijayadashami to all! New Delhi: A major fire broke out at Gandhi Nagar Market cloth market in North Delhi on Wednesday evening, according to Delhi Fire Brigade officials. The fire started in a shop in Nehru lane where mainly garments and hosiery outlets are located. "A call about the fire was received at 5:40 pm and a total of 35 fire tenders was rushed to the spot," said Atul Garg, Director, Delhi Fire Service. Around 35 fire tenders and 150 firefighters were trying to control the blaze which broke out at around 5.40 pm, the officials said, adding the operation was still underway around 10.30 pm. Delhi | Fire breaks out in a shop in Gandhi Nagar's cloth market. 30 fire tenders at the spot. Further details awaited: Fire Department pic.twitter.com/UAgVGTefur ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 The operation was impeded by narrow lanes and the absence of a water source nearby. The fire tenders have to be parked far away from the site, he said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "This incident of fire in the textile market of Gandhinagar is very unfortunate. The fire brigade is busy extinguishing the fire. I am taking all the information about the incident from the district administration. May Lord Shri Ram keep everyone well." https://t.co/og5jcbvc9a Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 5, 2022 The officials said no casualties have been reported so far. New Delhi: Over 50 people onboard, 32 of whom died and 18 of whom were injured. According to SDRF, the rescue work has been completed. According to police, a wedding party bus carrying 45-50 people fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district on Wednesday. The bus was on its way to Kanda village in Bironkhal from Haridwar's Laldhang town when it crashed into a 500-metre gorge near Simri bend at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, according to witnesses. According to police, rescue operations continued all night. Twenty people were injured in the accident and were rushed to hospitals in Bironkhal, Rikhnikhal, and Kotdwar. According to reports, two of the injured died on the way to the hospital. On Tuesday evening, a rescue operation was launched shortly after the incident. However, the rescuers' efforts were hampered by darkness. Also Read: Uttarakhand tragedy: 25 dead in Pauri Garhwal bus accident; Police, SDRF rescue 21 According to eyewitnesses, villagers then used flashlights on their mobile phones to rescue those trapped inside the bus because there were no lights at the scene of the accident. Later, officials rushed to the scene and arranged for ambulances, lighting, and life-saving equipment. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who arrived in Kotdwar on Tuesday with former Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, met with those hospitalised. Dhami announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased's next of kin and Rs 50,000 for the injured. He hoped that all bodies would be found by the evening. On Tuesday night, Dhami went to the Disaster Management Authority office in Dehradun to assess the situation following the bus accident. New Delhi: AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday attacked Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena asking him to stop interfering in the Arvind Kejriwal-led governments works. Sisodia also wrote a letter to Delhi LG demanding a CBI probe into the alleged Rs 6,000 crore scam in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Sisodia also hit out at the LG for interfering in the government's works and conducting fake probes against the Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation. The deputy chief minister alleged that he had apprised the LG about corruption in the MCD two months ago, but he did not initiate any measure. I want to draw your attention towards my earlier letter in connection with the Rs 6,000 crore corruption in the MCD. You did not order a CBI probe into the matter which I raised two months ago. But you are setting a new record in ordering probes into fake cases in order to stop the government's works but you are unable to see corruption in the MCD. You are illegally interfering in the works of the elected government instead of paying attention to public issues... I request you to order a CBI probe into the MCD scam, Sisodia's letter to the LG in Hindi said. Further, he said the Constitution has entrusted the LG with the responsibility of streamlining the Delhi Police's functioning, but crime in the city has been on the rise. He also sought to remind Saxena that the LG, being the chief of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), has the responsibility of managing it but alleged that its land is occupied by the mafia. If you (the LG) show the same interest in stopping rapes and reducing crimes in Delhi, the people will feel relieved in just two to four months? If you get the land freed from the mafia, it can be used for public welfare schemes such as schools and hospitals, the deputy chief minister said. Sisodia also alleged that the LG had ordered a "fake" probe into the free electricity scheme. He said this probe will bear no fruit just as he claimed the officials found no wrongdoing in their investigations into the alleged irregularities in the excise policy and the procurement of buses by the Delhi Transport Corporation. (With Agency Inputs) Prayagraj: Allahabad University students demonstrating against the fee hike burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the occasion of Dussehra on Wednesday. The group of students are protesting the fee hike at the varsity, allegedly by almost 400 times for undergraduate courses. Students' Union vice-president Akhilesh Yadav told reporters that they burned the effigies of Modi, Pradhan and vice-chancellor Sangeeta Srivastava as a mark of protest on Vijayadashami. He also called them "arrogant". Yadav said they had been sitting on a hunger strike for 30 days but no heed was paid to them. Manish Kumar, secretary of the All India Students' Association's Allahabad University unit, said, "We burnt the effigy of the prime minister, education minister and the vice-chancellor against the way the fees have been increased." However, due to the Dussehra holiday, there were no students apart from those agitating on campus. Also Read: Allahabad University students dig pit, threaten to bury themselves over fee hike: Watch On Tuesday, the protesting students threatened to expand their agitation after talks with the university administration failed. The meeting between the university administration and the students' union over the fee hike, which lasted for about two-and-a-half hours, was a "complete failure", Yadav had said after the talks. Baramulla: In a noble gesture, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday briefly stopped his speech during a rally in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir after hearing 'Azaan' (Muslim call to prayer) from a nearby mosque. Just five minutes after the Union Home Minister began addressing the rally at Showkat Ali stadium in this North Kashmir district, he took a pause and asked those on the stage "if something was going on at a mosque"? When someone on the stage told him that 'Azaan' was going on, Shah stopped his speech, attracting a huge round of applause and chanting of slogans in his favour from the gathering. After a brief moment, Shah said the call for prayer has now stopped and asked if he would continue his speech. "Should I start or not? Say it loudly, should I start," he asked and then went on with his speech. The video of Amit Shah briefly stopping his speech during Azaan is being widely shared on Twitter and evoking positive reactions from netizens. Earlier, soon after his arrival, Shah started his speech much to the delight of the people who had been waiting for hours since early morning. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Jitender Singh, who were also present on the stage, did not address the gathering. During his half-hour speech, Shah ruled out holding dialogue with Pakistan and asserted that the Modi government will wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir to make it the "most peaceful place in the country". Shah also said that assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted with "full transparency" once the Election Commission completes the exercise of publishing the revised electoral rolls. Urging the youths to shun the path of violence, Shah said terrorism has claimed 42,000 lives in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1990s and asked whether it has ever benefited anyone. He blamed the families of the Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the lack of development in Jammu and Kashmir as they ruled the erstwhile state for most of the years since the country's independence. The Union minister lashed out at those advocating dialogue with Pakistan. Some people say we should talk to Pakistan. Why should we talk to Pakistan? We will not talk. We will talk to the people of Baramulla, we will talk to the people of Kashmir, he said. Shah said the Modi government does not tolerate terrorism and wants to wipe it out. We want to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful place in the country, he said. Coming down heavily on the three political families for the second consecutive day, the home minister alleged that their rule was full of misgovernance, corruption and lack of development. Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said. The home minister repeated what he had said at his rally in Rajouri on Tuesday that earlier, power in Jammu and Kashmir was with three families, 87 MLAs and six MPs. Now 30,000 people, who were elected representatives of panchayat and districts councils, are part of the governance process, he said. Shah said due to Article 370, there was no reservation for the SCs and STs but after its abrogation, quota benefits could be given to Gujjars, Bakarwal and Pahadis. Everyone will get their due share under the reservation. There will be no loss of share for anyone, he said. On Tuesday, Shah announced that ST reservation benefits will be given to the Pahadi community along with Gujjar and Bakarwal communities following a recommendation of the Sharma Commission. He said that Rs 56,000 crore investment has come to Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years, which will give employment opportunities to five lakh people, while just Rs 17,000 crore investment had come since independence. Srinagar: Union Home Minister makes a visit to the family of martyr SPO Mudasir Sheikh in Uri, saying his sacrifice is an inspiration. On Wednesday, he paid a visit to the home of Mudasir Sheikh, a police officer killed earlier this year in north Kashmir's Baramulla district in an encounter with terrorists. Amit Shah changed his route after speaking at a public rally in Baramulla to pay his condolences to the family of the martyred cop. The Home minister also assured the family members of the government's full support. Also Read: Amit Shah PAUSES speech during 'Azaan' from nearby mosque in Baramulla, wins applause Mudasir Sheikh, also known as "Bindaas Bhai," was involved in an encounter in Baramulla in May this year in which three Pakistani militants from the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit were killed. During his visit to the family, Shah stated that the martyr Mudasir's family is a great source of inspiration for the police and the youth of Kashmir, with their open condemnation of terrorism and celebration of their son's martyrdom as a national sacrifice. Exuding confidence about winning the assembly election in Gujarat with a landslide margin, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)s Gujarat co-incharge and MP Raghav Chadha on Monday said that wherever he is going in Gujarat, all that he can hear is a constant chant of 'Parivarthan'. He held a series of interactions with different sections of society, visited a diamond factory and had detailed discussions with workers about their problems. Chadha paid respects to Sardar Vallabhai Patel at Surat before addressing a jansabha in the city's Heera Bazar. He said that during this campaign, he has been visiting different towns and villages of the state and from everywhere he has heard people saying that they want only three things- Parivarthan, Parivarthan and Parivarthan'. His words struck an immediate chord with the gathered crowd which responded with thunderous applause. AAP is a party of common people. Earlier, the people of Gujarat did not have an alternative and were suffering a corrupt BJP government for 27 years. But now, they have got a good and, honest alternative. People want good work to be done in the state just like what has become possible in Delhi and Punjab. He reminded the people that in Delhi the electorate had been alternating between the Congress and the BJP for 15 years until the AAP formed the government in 2015. It used to be said that no other party except for the Congress can form a government in Delhi. But since the AAP formed its government, Delhi has not looked at any other party. Similarly, in Punjab, the people have freed themselves from a 50-year rule of alternating Akali and Congress governments. "If Punjabis and Delhites can show the way to right politics, then why should Gujaratis be left behind?, he said, adding that whenever the nation was in danger Gujarat has been at the forefront to fight against tyranny. Gujaratis started the revolution to uproot British rule from India, similarly, they are ready to uproot the BJP now. "This is nothing short of a miracle." Praising the people of Diamond City Surat, he said, I am blessed that I got a chance to listen to your grievances and share my views with all of you. Each one of you is a diamond who is working hard in respective spheres. I assure you all that we will work diligently to reform Gujarat. He accused the ruling BJP party and Congress of joining hands to defeat the AAP in the forthcoming State Assembly elections. He said that BJP is so baffled by the growing popularity of AAP and after this IBs report, that they even bulldozed a building where Arvind Kejriwal was to attend a meeting. The politics of hatred and revenge practiced by the BJP is unacceptable in a peaceful state like Gujarat. The MP said that after a report of the Intelligence Bureau suggested that if elections were to be held now, the AAP is most likely to win, "The BJP and Congress have begun to hold secret meetings with each other to find a way to stop our onward march. The BJP is now trying to encourage the Congress to strengthen its base so that the anti-BJP votes get divided and AAP wont be able to form the government in Gujarat. The BJP does not criticise the Congress nowadays, but only the AAP. They are not as scared of the AAP, as they are of the people of Gujarat, because once the ordinary aam aadmi rises, powerful rulers can be toppled in a democracy. He appealed to the people not to waste their votes by voting for the Congress, because that will only dent the AAP and make the BJP succeed in its strategy. He also attacked the BJP over the issue of free rewari' and said that on the one hand, they say there should be no freebies, on the other hand, they are extending free ration ahead of Gujarat elections. "So there are two models of 'revdis' in India today. The first is that of the BJP in which it gives lakhs of crores worth of loan waivers to their corporate friends. They give free electricity worth lakhs to their legislators and MPs, but have problems giving free education to the poor. But Arvind Kejriwal's revdi is providing free health and world-class education to the poor. BJP is an anti-poor party. "This is the time to choose which revdi you want. Vote for AAP to bring a Change in Gujarat this time," said Chadha. Chadha also participated in a padyatra where he met scores of people on the way who turned out to listen to him. He said that the people of Gujarat are aware of the extraordinary work AAP did in Delhi and Punjab under the AAP regime. The AAP governments are giving free electricity, world-class health services and education system, This model will be implemented in Gujarat too after AAP forms the government here, Chadha added. New Delhi: With Congress losing the chairmanship of the parliamentary committee on Home Affairs in the latest rejig announced on Tuesday, all key parliamentary panels -- External Affairs, Defence, and Finance -- lie with the ruling BJP. Besides Home Affairs, Congress was also not given the chairmanship of Information and Technology in the latest reconstitution of parliamentary panels, which happens annually. The chairmanship of two key parliamentary panels -- Commerce and Chemicals Fertilisers -- are yet to be announced and likely to be given to Congress, sources said. The number of committees are allocated in accordance with the strength of the party in either house of the parliament. In the latest reconstitution of parliamentary panels, notified by secretariats of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, chairpersons of several committees have been changed. Parliamentary Committees have been reconstituted for 2022-2023. Details of the composition of the reconstituted Committees are available in Bulletin Part - II dated 4 October, 2022 issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Link of the Bulletin is as follows:https://t.co/pKi1D0GhNN LOK SABHA (@LokSabhaSectt) October 4, 2022 Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been replaced by BJP MP and former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Brijlal as the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing committee on Home Affairs. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting the party's presidential polls, has been replaced by Prataprao Jadhav, a Shiv Sena MP from the Shinde faction, as the head of the Parliamentary Panel on Information Technology. Tharoor's committee was in news throughout the year for taking up several subjects which were critical of the government. The Trinamool Congress, which had the chair of the Parliamentary Panel on Food and Consumer Affairs, has not been given the chairmanship of any parliamentary committee after the reshuffle. The panel on food will be chaired by BJP MP from West Bengal Locket Chatterjee. "TMC is the third largest party in Parliament, also the second largest opposition party does not get a single chairmanship. The largest opposition party loses two crucial chairmanships of Standing committees. This is the stark reality of New India," TMC leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien said in a statement. Similarly, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Samajwadi Party also lost the chairmanship of the panel on Industry and Health respectively, left with no committee to chair. TRS leader Keshav Rao has been replaced by DMK leader Tiruchi Siva as chairperson of the panel on Industry, while BJP MP Vivek Thakur will head the panel on Health replacing SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav. BJP's erstwhile ally JD(U) has also been given a committee in the latest restructuring. Its Rajiv Ranjan Singh will now chair the panel on Urban Development. New Delhi: Delhi government has gone back to increasing the number of 'dry days' to 21 with the closing of liquor vends on such upcoming festivals as Dussehra, Diwali, Eid Milad-un-Nabi, and Valmiki Jayanti among others, officials said on Tuesday. Under the previous excise policy (2021-22), the number of dry days were cut to just three - January 26, August 25, and October 2. The Excise department in an order on Monday said that all liquor vends will be closed on Dussehra on October 5, Eid-Milad-un-Nabi, Maharshi Valmiki Jayanti on October 9, Diwali on October 24, Guru Nanak Jayanti on November 8, and Guru Teg Bahadur's martyrdom day on November 24. The licensees will not be paid any compensation for the dry days. They will exhibit the dry day order at some conspicuous place on their business premises, the order said "In the old Excise regime, the number of dry days was 21. It is the government's discretion to fix the dry days numbers. Traditionally, the list of dry days is issued every three months," the officer said. However, the hotels, clubs, and restaurants serving liquor will remain open, he said. The hotels, clubs, and restaurants are not allowed to serve liquor on three national holidays -- Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi Jayanti. The AAP government in Delhi had withdrawn its Excise Policy 2021-22 after LG V K Saxena in July this year recommended a CBI probe alleging irregularities in its implementation. The government reverted back to the old excise policy that was in operation before November 17, 2021, under which there were 21 dry days. BJP, the main opposition party in Delhi, had attacked the AAP over the reduced number of dry days in its policy, besides slamming it for encouraging liquor trade in the city with its liberal policies. Population imbalance is a big problem in India as it impacts the resources of the country and the lives of the common people. Population to a certain extent is beneficial for any country and is called the demographic dividend. The debate about the growing population in the country is not new. However, whenever there is a debate about population control, there is an attempt to give it an immediate religious colour. It is linked to the target of a particular community. While the truth is that increasing population is such a social problem, which directly affects our life to the economy of the country. In Today DNA, Zee News' Rohit Ranjan will analyse RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement on population control. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat on the customary Vijayadashami celebration in Nagpur on Wednesday said that "population imbalance leads to changes in geographical boundaries, adding that population control and religion-based population balance is an important subject that can no longer be ignored". Bhagwat said that population control should be seen from the lens of resources. Today, when Mohan Bhagwat expressed his opinion on population control, it is being criticized by the opposition as usual. Every person in the country wants to live a better life. The Constitution also gives him the fundamental right to a better life. But the question is how will this be possible in the way the population is constantly increasing? The increasing population is affecting the country's infrastructure. Due to it, the pressure on farming in the country increases. Food grains are not produced according to the needs of the people. There is a lack of proper homes and education. Not everyone gets good health services. Pollution is increasing, and pressure on the infrastructure increases. Economically, per capita income declines. And all this also has an impact on the development of the country. Today, Mohan Bhagwat also gave different examples that the imbalance of religion-based population leads to the division of the country. Therefore, there should be no imbalance in population and it is also necessary to stop it without any discrimination. DU SOL Admission 2022: Delhi Universitys School of Open Learning, DU SOL Admission 2022 for the newly launched Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses will begin from today, October 5, 2022. Candidates can enroll themselves in the subsequent admissions process starting today by visiting the official website. The School of Open Learning's (SOL) and Campus Open Learning's (COL) official websites, sol.du.ac.in and col.du.ac.in, respectively, will be used for the admissions process. The deadline to submit an application for DU SOL Admission 2022 is October 31, 2022. It should be mentioned that entrance to the new courses will be based on Class 12th results rather than CUET results. DU SOL Admission 2022: Schedule Course Starting date of admission Bachelor of Arts (Prog.) October 5, 2022 Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Political Science October 5, 2022 Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) English October 5, 2022 Bachelor of Commerce October 5, 2022 Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) October 5, 2022 Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) Economics October 5, 2022 Bachelor in Administration (Financial Investment Analysis) (BBA (FIA)) October 5, 2022 Bachelor in Management Studies (BMS) October 5, 2022 Bachelor of Library and Information Sciences (BLISc) October 5, 2022 Master of Library and Information Sciences (MLISc) October 5, 2022 Master in Business Administration (MBA) October 7, 2022 The University held a press conference on October 3, 2022, to introduce the six new courses. This comes after DU last introduced new courses 28 years ago. These programmes are designed to fulfil the needs of the modern learner and are career-focused. Students who are interested can start applying to the right programme from today onwards. Dussehra 2022: The nine-day Navratri celebration, during which each form of Goddess Durga is worshipped, concludes today with Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashmi. The celebration, which celebrates good triumphing over evil, is wildly popular across the nation. One of the great attractions of Dussehra is the execution and burning of Meghnad, Kumbhakaran, and Ravana's life-size effigies. Mumbai Police took advantage of the chance to promote road safety by sharing a clever post on Ravana, and online users are praising them for their originality. "Spare a thought for your safety, for you don't have ten heads to spare. Have a happy and safe Dussehra," read the caption of the video. In the video, a man dressed as Ravana makes a case for the value of helmet use in preventing accidents. You're sure to think about it after seeing it, and you might be inspired to raise awareness of it. Since being shared a few hours ago, the video has received over 11,800 likes and more than 100,000 views. The Mumbai Police's original concept to promote road safety was praised by many as well. A user commented, Superb, perfect message by Ravan. While another user wrote, Very creative..hats off. New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur. Thakur, while addressing the public, said, "Earlier, AIIMS meant going to Delhi. But PM Modi understood the pain of the people of Himachal and brought AIIMS to Bilaspur. This will always remind us whose leadership gave us strength." At the inauguration ceremony, Union Minister Anurag Thakur, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president JP Nadda were also present. HP | The development projects inaugurated today on the occasion of #Vijayadashami2022 will play an imp role in achieving the vision of a developed India by following the 'Panch Pran'. Today, Bilaspur has got the double gift of education & medical facilities: PM Modi, in Bilaspur pic.twitter.com/fiRY1srOgA ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 Later, PM Modi in his speech said, "The development projects inaugurated today on the occasion of #Vijayadashami2022 will play an imp role in achieving the vision of a developed India by following the 'Panch Pran'. Today, Bilaspur has got the double gift of education & medical facilities." In addition, he credited development in the state to the BJP: "Development in Himachal Pradesh possible as people have voted BJP to power both at Centre and in state." PM Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays foundation stone of multiple development projects in Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh pic.twitter.com/JIzrLUZZts ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 AIIMS Bilaspur is a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 speciality and 17 super speciality departments, 18 modular operation theatres and 750 beds with 64 ICU beds, that has been constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1,470 crores. Earlier, AIIMS meant going to Delhi. But PM Modi understood the pain of the people of Himachal and brought AIIMS to Bilaspur. This will always remind us whose leadership gave us strength: Himachal Pradesh CM Jairam Thakur at Bilaspur pic.twitter.com/wAGkFI0SC8 ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 Spread over 247 acres, the hospital is equipped with 24 hours emergency and dialysis facilities, modern diagnostic machines like ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI etc, Amrit Pharmacy and Jan Aushadhi Kendra and also a 30 bedded AYUSH block. The Hospital has also set up the Centre for Digital Health to provide health services in the tribal and inaccessible tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh. Later, PM Modi will inaugurate the Government Hydro Engineering College at Bandla, before participating in the Kullu Dussehra celebrations. The International Kullu Dussehra Festival will be celebrated from October 5 to 11 at the Dhalpur Ground of Kullu. The Festival is unique in the sense that it is the congregation of more than 300 Deities of the Valley. (With agency inputs) Brussels: A European lawmaker cut off her hair during a debate in the Parliament to express solidarity with Iranian women amid the ongoing protest in the country, following the death of Mahsa Amini. Addressing the EU debate in Strasbourg, Swedish politician Abir Al Sahlani said, "We, the people and the citizens of the EU, demand an unconditional and immediate stop of all the violence against men and women in Iran." "Until the women of Iran are free, we will stand with you," Al Sahlani said as she cut off her hair using a pair of scissors in front of members of the European Parliament, according to a video she posted on her Twitter handle. More than 100 people have been killed in nationwide protests over the death of Mahsa Amini, according to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO. Iranian schoolgirls and women have come out in huge numbers to demonstrate by removing their hijabs and staging rallies in protest over Amini`s death. Many women have even cut off their hair while chanting anti-government slogans. Also Read: Iran's supreme leader breaks silence on protests ignited by Mahsa Amini's death; blames US, Israel Abir Al-Sahlani, a member of the European Parliament, pointed out that three weeks of continuous courage have been shown by the women of Iran. "They are paying the ultimate price for freedom with their lives."Enough of the press releases now, enough of the mumbling, it`s time to speak out, it`s time to act. The hands of the regimes of the mullahs in Iran are stained with blood. Neither history nor Allah of god almighty will forgive you for crimes against humanity that you are committing against your people," she added. Amini, 22, died in custody after being arrested by Iran`s "morality police" in Tehran on September 13 for allegedly violating the strict dress code. She later fell into a coma shortly after collapsing at a detention centre and died three days later from a heart attack, according to authorities. Since her death, thousands have joined anti-government demonstrations throughout the country. Security forces have responded at times with live ammunition, and many people have been killed, injured and detained in the protests. Last week, the UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was becoming "increasingly concerned" about reports of the rising death toll. He said he had been following events closely, and he called on security forces to stop using "unnecessary or disproportionate force". Also Read: Mahan Air bomb threat update: Iran-China flight lands safely in Guangzhou, declared 'HOAX' Breaking his silence on the protest, Iran`s Supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Monday blamed the United States for the ongoing protest in the country. Speaking at a graduation ceremony in Tehran, Khamenei said he was heartbroken at the death of the 22-year-old girl in police custody. However, he did not approve of the large-scale demonstrations following the death of Amini."We were heartbroken, too. But the reaction to this incident, while no investigation has been done and nothing has been certain, should not have been this that some people come and make the streets insecure, cause the people to feel unsafe, harm the security, burn the Quran, remove the hijab of a woman, burn mosques and hussainiyahs, and arson banks and people`s cars," he was quoted as saying by news agency IRNA. New Delhi: India on Wednesday said that it has rescued around 45 Indians trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar. The information was shared by the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Arindam Bagchi who reiterated that India has been actively pursuing the case of Indians being trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar." Thanks to the efforts of @IndiainMyanmar & @IndiainThailand, around 32 Indians had already been rescued. Another 13 Indian citizens have now been rescued, and reached Tamil Nadu today," tweeted Bagchi. Arindam Bagchi also said that some more Indian citizens have been rescued from their fake employers and are in the custody of Myanmar authorities and legal formalities have been initiated for their return."Some more Indian citizens have been rescued from their fake employers and are in the custody of Myanmar authorities for illegal entry into that country. Legal formalities have been initiated to get them repatriated at the earliest," added Bagchi. The spokesperson further stated that the details of agents allegedly involved in this job racket have been shared with relevant authorities in various states in India for appropriate action. Notably, instances of similar job rackets have also come to light in Laos and Cambodia. The Indian Embassies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been helping in repatriating people from there."Sincere gratitude to all the agencies for ongoing cooperation in rescuing Indian nationals stuck in Cambodia," tweeted India in Cambodia. Bagchi further warned Indian citizens to cross-check before accepting dubious employment offers overseas and apply extreme caution against such jobs. Earlier in September, in an advisory to Indian citizens, the MEA had cautioned IT skilled youth who were the targets of such fake job rackets. "Instances of fake job rackets offering lucrative jobs to entice Indian youths for the posts of `Digital Sales and Marketing Executives` in Thailand by dubious IT firms involved in the call-centre scam and crypto-currency fraud have come to our notice recently by our Missions in Bangkok and Myanmar. The target groups are IT skilled youth who are duped in the name of lucrative data entry jobs in Thailand through social media advertisements as well as by Dubai and India-based agents," read the MEA statement. The victims were reportedly taken across the border illegally mostly into Myanmar and held captive to work under harsh conditions."Indian nationals are advised not to get entrapped in such fake job offers being floated through social media platforms or other sources. Before travelling on tourist/visit visa for employment purposes, Indian nationals are advised to check/verify credentials of foreign employers through concerned Missions abroad, and antecedents of recruiting agents as well as any company before taking up any job offer," added the statement. HSTES Counselling 2022: Haryana State Technical Education Society, HSTES has announced the second allotment result for the Haryana B.Tech and B.E Counselling. The seat allocation results for applicants who participated in the counselling procedure are now available on the official website, techadmissionshry.gov.in. Haryana B.Tech Counselling's second allotment result was revealed today, October 4, 2022. Candidates must enter their course, counselling registration number, institute name, and other information in order to verify their results. Candidates can use the steps below to check their HSTES Counselling 2022 Results for the second round of counselling. The results for the Bachelor of Technology and Bachelor of Engineering programmes have been released. HSTES Counselling 2022 - Heres how to check Visit the official website - techadmissionshry.gov.in On the homepage, click on the tab provided for Seat Allotment Result Select your course, counselling number and institute Your HSTES seat allotment result will be displayed on the screen Download and save the result for future reference. According to the Haryana State Technical Education Society's official timetable, candidates must report to the seats and institutions they have been assigned starting at 10 AM on October 6, 2022. The second seat allocation outcome reporting deadline is October 10, 2022 at 5 PM. October 25, 2022, at 11:59 PM, is the last day for all forms of admissions to Haryana institutions. New Delhi: The Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police has arrested a woman for allegedly duping her neighbours of over Rs 1 crore by running a kitty and inducing them to invest money to get high returns in a short period of time. The accused has been identified as Sarla Garg (52), a resident of Delhi`s Dwarka who used to operate kitty parties in her society. It has been alleged that the accused had duped more than 25 people by inducing them to get high returns in a shorter period of time. Also Read: Credit Card Payment: Follow THESE steps to prevent money losses, penalty & fraud A case was registered against the accused on the joint complaints of 28 people under sections 406, 420, 120(B), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The complaints alleged that the accused used to run a kitty scheme from her residence and had collected about Rs 1.01 crore from the victims."She had promised to return the matured amount within 15 months, but even after passing of the maturity period, she neither returned the principal amount nor paid any profit to the investors. After a few months, Sarla along with her family members left her address and shifted to some other unknown place," the victims had alleged. The accused used her WhatsApp mobile number to chat with the victims and send the kitty scheme messages. The victims unanimously stated that the accused had taken money from them in the name of kitty and promised good returns through lucrative schemes. Some complainants provided screenshots of WhatsApp chats to the police. "She made friendly relationships with victims in a short span of time and started operating kitty from her home. She induced victims, who were living in the same society and collected money," the police said. The police official said that one Mohammad Shoeb used to collect money from the victims on the behalf of the accused. Ghaziabad: A 16-year-old boy was killed and two others were injured on Tuesday when a wall-mounted LCD TV exploded, police here said. The boy, Omendra, was watching a show on the TV at the house of his friend, Karan, in the Harsh Vihar colony, when it exploded with a loud bang, SP City (second) Gyanendra Singh said. Karan's mother, Omvati, who was also working in the same room was also injured in the blast. The three were rushed to GTB hospital in Delhi for treatment where the doctors declared Omendra brought dead. (Damaged wall after LCD TV exploded in a house in Ghaziabad - PTI Photo) Karan and Omvati are undergoing treatment and the incident is being probed from all angles, Singh said. Autopsy has been conducted after completing legal formalities, he added. Gurugram: A lady tracked down a guy who stole her phone in Sector 23, Palam Vihar on August 28, and seized it back from him after hitting him in the head, police said on Tuesday. They added that a FIR in the case was only filed on Monday and the offender is yet to be nabbed. Pallavi Kaushik (28), a resident of Sector 23, Palam Vihar, who works as a senior merchandiser for a city-based organisation, was grocery shopping at the Huda market in her neighbourhood around 6 p.m. on August 28. According to her, a man continued peeping over her shoulder while she paid the bill over UPI, then snatched her phone and escaped. According to police, she raised an alarm, but no bystander intervened. She then began pursuing the man herself. She ran after him for about 200 metres, but he managed to escape. Pallavi then chose to follow her phone's whereabouts using her smartwatch, which continued beeping to signal that her phone was nearby. She spent almost three hours wandering the bylanes of Sector 23 until tracking the exact location of her phone about 9 PM. Finally, she found the man sitting on a parked motorbike using her phone. She went to him, punched him on his head and seized her mobile back as the man fled the site. The man had reportedly used her UPI PIN to move Rs. 50,865 from her bank account to other accounts, according to police. Police also said that they are trying to identify the man from the details of bank accounts of a private firm in Mumbai into which the he had transacted money using Pallavis phone. On Monday night, police said they launched an investigation based on her complaint and filed a FIR under sections 379 (stealing), 379A (snatching), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code. New Delhi: Political strategist-turned-activist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday (October 4, 2022) attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said that he has been able to hold on to his chair and thinks that "he is very smart". Kishor, who is on a 3,500-km-long 'pada-yatra' that would cover every nook and corner of Bihar, also claimed that he spurned a recent request by Nitish to "lead" his Janata Dal (United). "Nitish Kumar has been able to hold on to his chair and thinks he is very smart (mukhyamantri banke bahut hoshiyar ban rahe hain)," he said. "After losing the 2014 (Lok Sabha) polls, he met me in Delhi, begging for help. I assisted him in winning the 2015 assembly polls as the chief ministerial candidate of the 'Mahagathbandhan'. Today, he has the temerity to offer 'gyan' (wisdom) to me," Kishor added. "You all must have learnt through media reports that Nitish Kumar had called me to his residence about 10-15 days back. He asked me to lead his party. I said it is not possible. I cannot go back on the commitment I have made in return for any post," he stated. Kishor, who last week launched a public awareness campaign called 'Jan Suraaj', was apparently referring to Kumar's recent dismissive averment that he "did not know A, B and C" of Bihar's politics. "I am the son of a doctor, trying to work in my home state after having proven my mettle across the country," the former national vice-president of JD(U) said. He also hit out at JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan who had questioned the source of funding for his 'pada-yatra'. "Those wanting to know from where I am getting the money should know that unlike them, I have not indulged in 'dalaali' (brokerage)," Kishor said. "Politicians have for long been seeking my advice on how to win elections. The media has been full of praise for my track record as a political strategist. But never before have I asked anybody to lend me money," he said. "But today I am seeking donations. This is the fee that I am charging towards building this movement which entails expenses like the tent we have put up here," Kishor said. It is notable that Kishor was inducted into the JD(U) in 2018 by Nitish, who then headed the party, and got elevated to the national vice-president's post within a few weeks. However, a squabble with Kumar over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens led to his expulsion from the party less than a couple of years later. (With inputs from PTI) New Delhi: The demand for reviewing the Nehru-Liaquat pact is gaining pace especially for multiplying the visit of Indian pilgrims aspiring to pay obeisance at Sikh and Hindu religious shrines in Pakistan even as the Pakistan government is pushing to increase the day-long pilgrimage to Kartapur Sahib. With time, not only the population of India and Pakistan has increased, but Pakistan also has opened more religious shrines for Sikhs and Hindus for the Jatha. Earlier, Pakistan allowed to visit just five of the Gurdwara, now they have increased it to about 14 Gurdwaras, given the fact that there are about 200 historical Sikh Shrines in Pakistan. Notably, an agreement between the governments of India and Pakistan regarding the security and rights of minorities was signed between the former Prime Minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru, and Pakistani Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, also known as the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement, signed on April 8, 1950. The pact guarantees the rights of minorities in both countries following the Indo-Pak divide and under the pact Pakistan allows around 3000 Sikh pilgrims to travel to Sikh shrines in Pakistan on four religious occasions. Visa versa, India reciprocate the gesture by granting the same number of visas to pilgrims from Pakistan who wished to pay obeisance at Ajmer Sharif Dargah and some other religious shrines. While stressing the need of reviewing the Nehru-Liaquat pact, president of Nankana Sahib Sikh Teerath Yatree Jatha Swaran Singh Gill said the pact was signed in 1950 and it had been over 72 years now and since then the population has multiplied several times, there is a need to review the pact and make amendments accordingly. Besides Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), a few Sikh NGOs also take jathas to Pakistan on different religious organizations. A philanthropist Dr Avtar Singh opined that Sikh NGOs and religious bodies should come forward in leading the Sikh jatha to Pakistan on religious occasions. Fulfilling religious aspirations of faithful is a pious work and Sikh religious bodies should come forward and lead jathas to Sikh religious places in Pakistan and if required the Nehru-Liaquat pact should also be viewed to increase the number of devotees from India, said Dr Avtar Singh. Presently, India sends Sikh jatha to Pakistan on the occasion of Baisakhi, the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. However, two to three more jathas were sent to Pakistan depending upon the management of the Evacuee Trust Property Board. India also sends Hindu Jathas to visit Katasraj Temple and other historical Hindu temples situated in Pakistan. Interestingly, the Pakistan government had been stressing on increasing daily pilgrimage to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartapur Sahib via Integrated Check Post, Dera Baba Nanak since it levy a service fee of US $20 from every pilgrim visiting the neighbouring country which was not in case of pilgrimage to Pakistan via any other border. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday (October 5) where he will inaugurate the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bilaspur as well as lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3,650 crore, according to Prime Minister`s Office (PMO). The AIIMS Bilaspur, constructed at a cost of more than Rs 1470 crore, is a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 speciality and 17 super speciality departments, 18 modular operation theatres and 750 beds with 64 ICU beds, said the PMO statement. Spread over 247 acres, the hospital is equipped with 24 hours emergency and dialysis facilities, modern diagnostic machines like ultrasonography, CT scan, MRI etc, Amrit Pharmacy and Jan Aushadhi Kendra and also a 30 bedded AYUSH block, it added. The hospital, which has set up the Centre for Digital Health to provide health services in the tribal and inaccessible tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, will also provide specialist health services by the hospital through health camps in the inaccessible tribal and high Himalayan regions like Kaza, Saluni, and Keylong. It will admit 100 students for MBBS courses and 60 students for nursing courses every year. According to the PMO statement, "Prime Minister`s vision and commitment to strengthening health services across the country is being showcased again through the inauguration of AIIMS Bilaspur. The hospital, whose foundational stone was also laid by the Prime Minister in October 2017, is being established under the Central sector scheme Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana." Also read: PM Modi speaks with Zelenskyy, says 'there can be NO MILITARY SOLUTION' PM Modi will also lay the foundation stone of around 31 km long project for four laning of the National Highway from Pinjore to Nalagarh on NH-105, worth over Rs 1690 crore.The project road is a major connecting link for the traffic from Ambala, Chandigarh, Panchkula and Solan/Shimla going towards Bilaspur, Mandi and Manali. It said, "About 18 km stretch of this four-lane national highway falls under Himachal Pradesh and the remaining portion falls in Haryana," adding that the highway will ensure better transport facilities in Nalagarh-Baddi, the industrial hub of Himachal Pradesh, and will also give a fillip to further industrial development in the region, besides boosting tourism in the state. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Medical Device Park at Nalagarh, which will be built at a cost of about Rs 350 crore. A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of more than Rs 800 crore has already been signed for setting up industries in this Medical Device Park. The project will significantly enhance employment opportunities in the region. Later, PM Modi will inaugurate the Government Hydro Engineering College at Bandla. According to the PMO statement, "Costing about Rs 140 crore, the college will help make available trained manpower for hydropower projects, in which Himachal Pradesh is one of the leading states. It will help in upskilling the youth and providing ample job opportunities in the hydropower sector." PM Modi will take part in Kullu Dussehra celebrations The Prime Minister will also participate in the Kullu Dussehra celebrations, which will be held from October 5 to 11 at the Dhalpur Ground of Kullu. The Festival is unique in the sense that it is the congregation of more than 300 Deities of the Valley. On the first day of the festival, the Deities in their well-decorated palanquins pay their obeisance at the temple of the Chief Deity Bhagwan Raghunath Ji and then proceed to the Dhalpur Ground. Prime Minister will witness this divine Rath Yatra and the grand assembly of the Deities in the historic Kullu Dussehra celebrations. It will be the first time ever that the Prime Minister of the country is participating in the Kullu Dussehra celebrations. Notably, PM Modi's Himachal Pradesh now hold significance as the state will have the assembly elections this year along with Gujarat. (With ANI Inputs) Kullu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday sounded the poll-bugle for the upcoming assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh as he addressed a huge gathering at the International Kullu Dussehra Festival in Dhalpur Ground. The Prime Minister also attended the Rath Yatra of Bhagwan Raghunath, the region's chief deity, and sought his blessings. He extended greetings to citizens on the occasion and expressed his happiness as this is for the first time he would be a part of the Dussehra festival in Kullu. "The entire Himachal Pradesh including Kullu has changed with the passage of time, but I am satisfied that the people here have further strengthened their culture" PM said during his speech. Adressing the crowds at Kullu's Dhalpur Ground PM said, "Our real heritage is our culture and folk life, which have been motivating and encouraging us to move forward for thousands of years. Wherever we live in the world, this identity gives us our heritage". "Be it national unity or sense of civic duty, this cultural heritage of ours also acts as a link. This is the strong link, which connects not only the country but also the whole world with India", he added. "There is a great lesson for our politics in Himachal's Devniti. How in Devniti, with everyone's efforts, connecting everyone, the work is done for the betterment of the village-society, that is also a big inspiration for the creation of a developed India" PM further added. History and Significace of Kullu Dussehra The Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh is a weeklong festival celebrated in October, is a special occasion and an opportune time to witness different shades of the valleys vibrant culture. The Kullu Dussehra is however, markedly different from rest of the country as the weeklong festival begins on the day it ends elsewhere. Started in the 17th century, the tradition was established when Raja Jagat Singh installed an idol of Lord Raghunath that had been brought from Ayodhya at the palace temple in Kullu. Kolkata: Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday expressed regret over West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee "not praising" the Centre's initiative in facilitating the UNESCO heritage tag for Durga Puja, the state's biggest festival. Lekhi, who was talking to reporters after visiting the Santosh Mitra Square Puja pandal here, said the UNESCO distinction was possible due to the concerted effort of different central government departments and other stakeholders, but Banerjee chose to "overlook" the contribution of some of them. "Though it is the honour and pride that matters most, it would have been in the fitness of things if she (Banerjee) had acknowledged the efforts of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Ministry of Culture," Lekhi said. "Even acknowledging the PM's effort in one line would have sufficed. But, she did not," said Lekhi, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture. She also took a jibe at the Trinamool Congress chief's decision to provide Rs 60,000 as grant to each registered puja committee. "I salute the people of Kolkata for participating in the Durga Puja festival with great enthusiasm despite having witnessed such politics of murder and violence. They are creating such a beautiful ambience of aestheticism, celebrating our culture and keeping our heritage alive," she said. Highlighted the efforts of the PM @narendramodi Ji led government in getting Durga Puja inscribed to UNESCOs Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity through @MinOfCultureGoI , @MEAIndia and @EduMinOfIndia. #DurgaPuja pic.twitter.com/l6OiYe3HBr Meenakashi Lekhi (@M_Lekhi) October 5, 2022 Lekhi was alluding to the allegations of post-poll violence levelled by the BJP against the ruling TMC. The minister visited the Kumartuli Park Sarbojonin and said she was happy to be present at one of the oldest puja pandals of Kolkata. Patna: Smaller constituents of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar on Wednesday sought to step up the demand for the early formation of a coordination committee amid a perceived rift between the JD(U) and the RJD, the two largest parties of the coalition. The less than two months old coalition, formed after stripping the BJP of power in the state, appeared to be on the rocks recently when RJD state chief Jagadanand Singh said Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav would replace his boss Nitish Kumar by next year, and his son Sudhakar lost his job as the agriculture minister after repeatedly putting in the dock the very government of which he was a part. Yadav, on his part, tried to defuse the situation by asserting that he was "not in a hurry" to occupy the top post and getting Jagadanand Singh to issue a circular forbidding the RJD cadre from making any statements that placed the new coalition in jeopardy. Nonetheless, smaller allies, especially the Left parties, feel that it was high time that a "coordination committee" was put in place, an absence of which is often blamed for the disintegration of the NDA in the state. Also read: Mahagathbandhan a 'mismatched' alliance: Pashupati Paras asks Nitish Kumar to reconsider his decision "We met the Deputy CM soon after the resignation of Sudhakar Singh with the demand for the immediate formation of a coordination committee. We felt that the government was running fine and instances like the behaviour of Singh were having an adverse impact," Mahboob Alam, the legislature party leader of the CPIML(L), told PTI. "We had demanded the formation of a coordination committee and devising a common minimum program soon after the formation of the government. Our objective was to avert such misunderstandings. The need has only grown stronger," said the CPIML(L) leader, whose party is part of the ruling coalition but supports the government from outside. Also read: Sudhakar Singh resigns as Bihar agriculture minister over 'injustice' to farmers; BJP reacts He claimed that Tejashwi Yadav, whose party has the highest number of MLAs in the assembly, gave a patient hearing and seemed willing to act. "He asked me to come up with names of representatives whom my party would like to be a part of the coordination committee. I believe he is in touch with other alliance partners as well and we will see some headway," said Alam. Besides JD(U), RJD and CPIML(L), the alliance comprises Congress, CPI, CPI(M) and HAM of former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. However, all alliance partners realise that for the coalition to survive there must not be any rift between JD(U) and RJD, which together account for 124 MLAs, two more than the magic mark in the 243-strong assembly. This is the reason why other alliance partners too share the sentiments of the CPIML(L). CPI national secretary Atul Anjaan said, "Recent developments underscore the need for an early formation of coordination committee though our party had raised the demand at the outset. Our state secretary Ram Naresh Panday had met the Chief Minister to raise the demand and the latter did not seem averse." "With by-elections in Mokama and Gopalganj assembly seats round the corner, the formation of such a committee becomes even more critical. The by-polls will be an occasion for the multi-party coalition to demonstrate its cohesion," added Anjaan. Congress's Bihar in-charge Bhakt Charan Das, whose party is the third largest constituent of the Mahagathbandhan, seemed averse to comment on the recent turmoil but agreed to the need for a coordination committee. "There have been discussions regarding the formation of a coordination committee. It will materialise sooner rather than later," he said. Mumbai: In a major counter-attack on Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday said that the party founded by late Bal Thackeray is not anyone's private company and it belongs to all. Shinde, while addressing a rally at BKC's MMRDA grounds, said, "This is not your (Uddhav Thackeray) private Limited company. The Shiv Sena is of shiv-sainiks who have given their sweat for it. Not for people like you, who did partnerships & sold it". Replying to Uddhav's "traitor" remark, Shinde said that true gaddari (betrayal) happened in 2019, when then Sena put photos of Bal Thackeray along with PM Narendra Modi on banners and people voted thinking it will be a coalition. Retaliating to Udhav Thackeray's Kattapa reference from Baahubali, Shinde said," They call me 'Katappa'. I want to tell you, that even 'Katappa' had self-respect, was not double standard like you" Maharashtra | They call me 'Katappa'. I want to tell you, that even 'Katappa' had self-respect, was not double standard like you: CM Eknath Shinde responds to Uddhav Thackeray's comment pic.twitter.com/3erxU2RX9K ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 "Maharashtra voters elected you and BJP in Assembly elections, but you betrayed people by allying with Congress and NCP", said Eknath Shinde. The Maharashtra CM asked Thackeray to kneel down at Bal Thackeray's memorial in Mumbai and apologise for 'betraying' people of Maharashtra. Earlier, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing a rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai's Dadar called Shinde a ''traitor'' and someone who backstabbed him. The only thing I feel bad and angry about is that when I was admitted to the hospital, the people whom I gave the responsibility (of the state) became 'Katappa' and betrayed us... They were cutting me and thinking that I will never return from the hospital, Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing the mega rally. #WATCH | As per our yearly tradition, there will be a 'Ravana Dahan' ceremony, but the Ravana of this year is different. With time, Ravana also changes... He used to be 10-headed till now...how many heads does he have now? He is 50 times more betraying: Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/Sdubi0q6Fm ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 He went on to add, As per our yearly tradition, there will be a 'Ravana Dahan' ceremony, but the Ravana of this year is different. With time, Ravana also changes... He used to be 10-headed till now...how many heads does he have now? He is 50 times more betraying. The BJP, Thackeray insisted, had betrayed the Shiv Sena and this was why the alliance broke. "I swear by my parents that there was talk of half-term. Then Amit Shah said nothing of the sort was decided," Thackeray told the vast gathering. The BJP, he added, is now in the situation they tried to avoid by making Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister. "Why didn't you do it earlier?" he said. "How much should a man's greed be? He was given the Chief Minister's post. Now he wants the party too," he said, accusing the new Chief Minister of "stealing" his father's party. However, in a big setback to Uddhav Thackeray, his elder brother Jaidev Thackeray shared the stage with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the rebel faction's Dussehra rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray claim their faction is the "real" Shiv Sena. Shinde's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership had led to the collapse to the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June. Boulder Police arrested one of the suspects accused of shooting up The Hill early Sunday in Boulder, but are asking the public's help to find the other perpetrators. Police arrested Zakiyy Lucas, 22, on suspicion of two counts of attempted felony murder and one count of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Lucas is being held on $500,000 bond at the Boulder County Jail. An officer shot Lucas in the the arm after police broke up a gun fight where several suspects were firing, according to police. Investigators suspect at least three different guns were used, they recovered one. That officer is on paid administrative leave as per Boulder Police policy, according to police. Though the cause of the shooting is unclear, it appeared from the video the shooting happened after a expletive-laced shouting match. But thanks to security camera footage, eyewitness accounts, and police body camera footage, Boulder Deputy Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said the department is getting close to identifying the remaining suspects and applying for warrants. "We think some of the suspects had words with each other before the shooting," he said. "There is speculation that it was the result of partying, but we're narrowing that down by talking to witnesses." Investigators don't know why the suspects came to Boulder, but they have confirmed they were not University of Colorado Boulder students. He advised the public to proceed cautiously if they encounter the person of interest. "If you do see this guy, call 911 no matter where you are," he said. "Don't make contact with him and don't approach him; just let the cops come and take care of it." The shootings have prompted a wave of concern from CU students. Many have expressed differing levels of anxiety over what they say is an increasing amount of violence on The Hill. "Its terrifying, really," CU senior Jack Olsen told Denver Gazette's media partner 9News. "I shouldnt have to call my mom at 3:30 in the morning on the verge of tears because these people keep coming up to Boulder every weekend trying to cause harm." Students claimed several incidents have gone unreported by CU's emergency alert system. This prompted student organizations to start petitions on Change.org seeking greater accountability and transparency from the University regarding violence on The Hill. Currently, emergency alerts are only issued by CU if there is "a confirmed immediate threat" to the campus. This alert includes "active harmers" and "time-sensitive life safety concerns." A CU safety alert is sent out to notify the community of a crime "committed on or near campus" and includes criminal homicide, sex offenses, hate crimes and other offenses. The Hill is across the street from the CU Campus. "While this incident posed no threat to campus, we did share information provided to us by Boulder Police as they investigated this incident," it read. "CU Boulder amplified social media messages from Boulder Police as soon as we became aware of the incident and continued to share information about this off-campus incident throughout the morning." At least two suspects should be considered armed, Redfearn said, and the department considers them dangerous. Those with other information should call Det. Sarah Cantu at 303-441-4328. Mohali: In Punjabs Mohali, two female unemployed teachers climbed a water tank to protest against the state governments demand for a year-long job of Physical Training Instructor (PTI) in government schools. Sippy Sharma, a physical training instructor says that we were guaranteed jobs by the previous Punjab government but never got them. At that time the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had assured us of jobs but even after seven months of AAP government, we are still being given false assurances. Demanding jobs as physical training instructors in government schools for a year now, two teachers again climb a water tank protesting against Punjab government. The teachers climbed atop water tank near Singh Shaheedan Gurdwara in Mohali's Sohana at midnight on Wednesday. Physical training instructor teacher Sippy Sharma says, "We were guaranteed jobs by previous Punjab govt, but never got one. At that time, AAP assured us of jobs, but even after 7months of AAP govt,still false assurance being given to us." (Source:Selfmade video by Sippy Sharma) pic.twitter.com/oM7aTJLdII ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 Two women teachers, namely Sippy Sharma and Veerpal Kaur, climbed atop the water tank and threatened of self-immolation. Their supporters were protesting at ground along the airport road. Physical training instructor teacher Sippy Sharma said, "We were guaranteed jobs by previous Punjab govt, but never got one. At that time, AAP assured us of jobs, but even after 7months of AAP govt,still false assurance being given to us." Srinagar: Three terrorists affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit and one unidentified terrorist, in another attack, were killed in a gunfight at Drach village and Moolu village respectively in Shopian district in South Kashmir, as informed by police. "Three local terrorists affiliated to the JeM terror organisation were executed in an encounter near Drach Shopian," stated ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar. He identified the assassinated JeM terrorists as locals and stated that they were involved in the Murder of SPO and an Outside Labourer. "Killed terrorists Hanan Bin Yaqoob & Jamshed were engaged in the recent assassination of SPO Javed Dar on October 2 at Pinglana in Pulwama & an outside labourer from West Bengal on September 24 in Pulwama," stated ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar. In another encounter, an unidentified terrorist was killed at Moolu village in Shopian, and the operation is still ongoing. ADGP stated that his identification has yet to be determined since a gunfight is taking place in the neighbourhood. Also Read: Militants operating from Pakistan in J&K declared terrorists under UAPA Earlier a joint team of Police and army launched a cordon and search operation in the area. As the joint team of forces zeroed towards the suspected spots the hiding terrorists fired on the joint team, which was retaliated, and the encounter started, said a police officer. The security force has managed to kill 163 terrorists till now this year since January. Out of those killed terrorists, 41 were Pakistani. However, 20 security personnel and 21 civilians too have lost their lives. Meanwhile, Jammu Kashmir with other security forces has also managed to arrest 74 active terrorists mostly hybrid terrorists this year since January and have arrested 208 terrorist supporters in Kashmir. Pauri Garhwal: In an unfortunate incident in Uttarakhand, twenty-five people died as a bus fell into a gorge on Tuesday night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Uttarakhand. Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar informed through Twitter. "Twenty Five people were found dead in the Pauri Garwhal bus accident that took place last night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot. Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight; the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals," DGP Ashok Kumar told ANI. Earlier, a bus carrying a wedding procession of 45 to 50 people had fallen into a gorge in Simdi village in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district. "A wedding procession had left here on a bus, Laldhang, when an accident happened. Family members' information is being collected. Pauri Police and SDRF are presently on the scene conducting rescue operations," Swatantra Kumar Singh, Haridwar SP City. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended condolences to the victims' families and that the state government stands with them. Nagpur: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat participates in the annual Vijayadashmi programme at Reshimbaug here on Wednesday morning. The Vijayadashami celebrations programme is attended by mountaineer Santosh Yadav as the chief guest. For the first time in the history of RSS, a woman has been invited as the chief guest. Addressing the function at the RSS Headquarters, Mohan Bhagwat said that 'strength is the basis of peace', adding "We need to treat women with equality and empower them with freedom of making their own decisions." The RSS chief said, "We must empower our women. Society can't progress without women. Our prestige and credibility increased in the world. The way we helped Sri Lanka, and our stand during the Ukraine-Russia conflict shows that we are being heard." We must empower our women. Society can't progress without women. Our prestige and credibility increased in the world. The way we helped Sri Lanka, and our stand during the Ukraine-Russia conflict shows that we are being heard: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in Nagpur pic.twitter.com/ABTU6odGmH ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 Mohan Bhagwat said, "Our economy is returning to normalcy post-Covid and world economists are predicting that it will grow further. In sports also our players are making the country proud. Change is the rule of the world, but one should be firm on Sanatan Dharma." Maharashtra: #Vijayadashami2022 celebrations underway at RSS Headquarters in Nagpur. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis present Santosh Yadav, the first woman to climb Mount Everest, is the chief guest. pic.twitter.com/F1grkQkEu1 ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 He further said that "It's a myth that English is important for a career. The New Education Policy should lead to students becoming highly cultured, good human beings who are also inspired by patriotism this is everyones desire. Society needs to support this actively." The RSS chief said, ".... obstacles that hinder our Sanatana Dharma are created by forces who are inimical to Bharats unity and progress. They spread fake narratives, encourage anarchy, engage in criminal acts, foment Terror, conflict and social unrest." Notably, the police have tightened up security across the city and deployed 4,000 personnel in view of the Reshimbaug event, the "path sanchalan" or march by swayamsevaks, and a huge turnout expected at the Deekshabhoomi monument. A top police officer told PTI on Tuesday that police have made three-tier security arrangements, adding that at least 1,000 police personnel will be deployed on the routes of two Vijayadashmi marches to be taken out by RSS swayamsevaks in the morning. "Special security arrangements are also being made at Dragon Temple Palace where many VIPs are likely to attend the function. Three companies of SRPF, Quick Response Teams, and Riot Control Police will be deployed at Deekshabhoomi," PTI quoted Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar as saying. Lakhs of followers of B R Ambedkar are expected to attend the Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din programme at Deekshabhoomi to mark the embracing of Buddhism by the architect of the Constitution on October 14, 1956. The Dragon Palace Temple is a Buddhist temple situated in the Kamptee area of the city. The police commissioner said that 100 CCTV cameras will be installed in the areas near Deekshabhoomi. Similarly, special police teams will take charge at eight entry points. Three DCPs and eight ACPs have also been called from other districts for bandobast duties. The police commissioner said thousands of people would arrive from railways. Therefore, the police have beefed up the bandobast at Ajni and the main Nagpur railway stations. Barricades will be put up at the intersections around Deekshabhoomi. A total of 2,000 volunteers of Samta Sainik Dal will also help the police. (With ANI/PTI Inputs) New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a medical product alert on four cough and cold syrups manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd in India on Wednesday, These can be potentially linked to acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children in Gambia. WHO stated that it was conducting additional investigations with the company and Indian regulatory authorities. Maiden Pharmaceuticals did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. "The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, in India. WHO is conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India"-@DrTedros https://t.co/PceTWc836t October 5, 2022 Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, stated during a press conference, "WHO has today issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in The Gambia that have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children. The loss of these young lives is beyond heartbreaking for their families. The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, in India." Also read: AIIMS Bilaspur will be known as 'Green Hospital'; govt will promote medical tourism in Himachal: PM Narendra Modi "WHO is conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India. While the contaminated products have so far only been detected in The Gambia, they may have been distributed to other countries. WHO recommends all countries detect and remove these products from circulation to prevent further harm to patients," Ghebreyesus further added. (Inputs from ANI) New Delhi: With an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, changed his Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) party's name to "Bharat Rashtra Samiti" (BRS) on Wednesday (October 5, 2022). During the party's general body meeting in Hyderabad, president KCR read out the resolution and announced that the party's general body meet unanimously resolved to change the name from TRS to BRS. The party leadership now plans to reach out to people by pitching its "Telangana good governance model" to venture into national politics and effectively take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On its foundation day event in April this year, the party had resolved that it should play a key role in national politics in the interest of the country as the BJP is "exploiting communal sentiments" for its political convenience. In its outreach initiative, the party would now reportedly focus on welfare schemes being implemented in Telangana like 'Rythu Bandhu' support scheme for farmers and 'Dalit Bandhu' (Rs 10 lakh grant to every Dalit household to start any business or trade). It is notable that Rao's move to accelerate his political fight against the saffron camp coincides with the announcement of the schedule for the Munugode by-poll in Telangana by the Election Commission. The polling is scheduled to be held on November 3 and votes would be counted on November 6. Earlier in 2020, the BJP had emerged as a force to reckon with in Hyderabad civic polls and also won Assembly constituencies in by-polls held to segments including Huzurabad. The BJP leaders have also been vigorously focusing on Telangana as part of the party's efforts to expand its footprint in southern parts of the country. Meanwhile, "Desh ke neta KCR," "Dear India he is coming", and "KCR is on the way", were among the slogans prominently displayed on banners, that could be seen in Hyderabad. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Slamming the Election Commission's (EC) proposal to amend the Model Code of Conduct to ask political parties to provide authentic information to the voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, the Opposition parties on Tuesday (October 4, 2022) called it "a yet another nail on the coffin of democracy in India". While Congress said that this is "not the business" of the EC, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that providing electricity, water, schools and other facilities to people is the "core responsibility" of any government. The reactions came after the EC proposed amending the model code to ask political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, a move that came amid the freebies versus welfare measures debate that has triggered a political slugfest in recent weeks. In a letter to all recognised national and state parties, the Election Commission asked them to submit their views on the proposals by October 19. The EC also said empty poll promises have far-reaching ramifications, adding it cannot overlook the undesirable impact inadequate disclosures on election promises have on financial sustainability. "The Commission notes that the consequences of inadequate disclosures by political parties get attenuated by the fact that elections are held frequently, providing opportunities for political parties to indulge in competitive electoral promises, particularly in multi-phase elections, without having to spell out their financial implications more particularly on committed expenditure," the letter said. The poll panel's proposal comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi derided the "revadi" culture, a reference to freebies offered by political parties. Reacting to the EC proposal, Congress said that it goes against the very essence and spirit of competitive politics. "This is simply not the business of the EC. It goes against the very essence and spirit of competitive politics and will be yet another nail in the coffin of democracy in India. None of the welfare and social development schemes that have been transformational over the decades would ever have become a reality if such a bureaucratic approach had been in place," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told The Indian Express. "We will oppose this strongly," he added. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP said people pay taxes so that governments can provide them facilities such as electricity, water, schools, hospitals or public transport. "The AAP will submit its view (before the poll panel)," its national spokesperson Atishi told reporters when asked about the party's view on the EC's proposal. The AAP, however, "firmly" believes that public money should be spent on the public, she added. "People do not pay tax so that leaders can fill their pockets, deposit it in Swiss banks for their next seven generations and use it to make their friends the richest people in the world," Atishi said, without naming any political party. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed EC and asked whether it will seek accountability from those who came to power on lofty development goals. "Will the EC seek accountability from those who came to power on lofty development goals (jumlas) and job promised but ended up relying on MNREGA (monumental failure) and free ration schemes instead of promised jobs and prosperity," she said. (With agency inputs) Baramulla: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday ruled out holding any dialogue with Pakistan and asserted that the Narendra Modi government will wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and make it the most peaceful place in the country. Addressing a rally here, Shah asked whether terrorism has ever benefited anyone as the menace has claimed 42,000 lives since the 1990s in J&K. He also blamed the families of the Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the alleged underdevelopment of Jammu and Kashmir as they ruled the erstwhile state most of the time since the country's independence in 1947. Some people say we should talk to Pakistan. Why should we talk to Pakistan? We will not talk. We will talk to the people of Baramulla, we will talk to the people of Kashmir, Shah said. He said the Modi government does not tolerate terrorism and it wants to end and wipe it out. We want to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful place in the country, he said. The Union Home Minister further added, "Modi Ji's model of governance brings development and employment. While the Gupkar model offers stones and guns in hands of the youth. There is a lot of difference between Modi's model and the Gupkar model. Shah said some people often talk about Pakistan but he wanted to know how many villages in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have electricity connections. We have ensured, in the last three years, that all villages in Kashmir have electricity connection, he added. Coming down heavily on three political families for the second consecutive day, even taking their names, the home minister alleged that their rules were full of misgovernance, corruption and lack of development. Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said. For the last 70 yrs, Mufti & company, Abdullah& sons were in power here but didn't provide housing for the 1 lakh homeless people. Modi ji gave homes to these 1 lakh people between 2014-2022: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public rally in Baramulla, J&K pic.twitter.com/1NZhjzAuoN ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 Shah started his speech with a glowing tribute to the son of the soil, Maqbool Sherwani who was martyred fighting the tribal invaders in 1947. Shah interrupted his speech when he heard the 'Azan' (Call for Namaz) coming from a local mosque. He restarted his speech after the Azan was over. He said before his visit to J&K, former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had asked him through a tweet comment that he should give an account of what he has done for J&K. "Mehboobaji see with eyes wide open and also Farooq Sahib, see what we have done and what you had done. "In your rule, there were 87 Assembly members, six Parliament members and three families. "Modiji took democracy to Panchayat, block and district levels. Today there are more than 30,000 public representatives in these institutions", he asserted. He questioned both Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah about the investments they had brought into J&K during their rule. "In 70 years since 1947, Just Rs 15,000 crore worth investment came to J&K and from 2019 till date, Rs 56,000 crore worth investments has come which will give employment to five lakh locals. "You people made Kashmir a `terrorist spot` while Modiji has made Kashmir a `tourist spot`. "Till October this year, 22 lakh tourists came here. You gave stones and guns in the hands of the local youth and Modiji gave them laptops and mobile phones," he said. He said till 2014, J&K had just four medical colleges and now there are nine in J&K. "Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis could not get any reservation till Article 370 was here. Modiji removed Article 370 and now Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis will get reservations. Mumbai: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on his rival and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, calling him a ''traitor'' and someone who backstabbed him. The Shiv Sena chief made these remarks while addressing his factions mega Dussehra rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Mumbai. The only thing I feel bad and angry about is that when I was admitted to the hospital, the people whom I gave the responsibility (of the state) became 'Katappa' and betrayed us... They were cutting me and thinking that I will never return from the hospital, Uddhav Thackeray said while addressing the mega rally. #WATCH | As per our yearly tradition, there will be a 'Ravana Dahan' ceremony, but the Ravana of this year is different. With time, Ravana also changes... He used to be 10-headed till now...how many heads does he have now? He is 50 times more betraying: Uddhav Thackeray pic.twitter.com/Sdubi0q6Fm ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 He went on to add, As per our yearly tradition, there will be a 'Ravana Dahan' ceremony, but the Ravana of this year is different. With time, Ravana also changes... He used to be 10-headed till now...how many heads does he have now? He is 50 times more betraying. The BJP, Thackeray insisted, had betrayed the Shiv Sena and this was why the alliance broke. "I swear by my parents that there was talk of half-term. Then Amit Shah said nothing of the sort was decided," Thackeray told the vast gathering. The BJP, he added, is now in the situation they tried to avoid by making Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister. "Why didn't you do it earlier?" he said. "How much should a man's greed be? He was given the Chief Minister's post. Now he wants the party too," he said, accusing the new Chief Minister of "stealing" his father's party. "Those whom we gave everything have betrayed us and those who were not given anything, are all together. This Sena is not of one or two but of all of you. As long as you are with me, I will be the leader of the party," Uddhav Thackeray said. The Sena chief also performed 'Ravan Dahan' at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, on the occasion of Dussehra. #WATCH | Maharashtra: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) performs 'Ravan Dahan' at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, on the occasion of #Dussehra pic.twitter.com/NrESJIGE67 ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 However, in a big setback to Uddhav Thackeray, his elder brother Jaidev Thackeray shared the stage with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the rebel faction's Dussehra rally at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. Maharashtra | Balasaheb Thackeray's son Jaidev Thackeray shows his support for CM Shinde, says, "Dont leave Eknath Shinde alone. He is working for the farmers & commoners" pic.twitter.com/RaE4Kv84gR ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022 Jaidev Thackeray's estranged wife Smita was also present at the MMRDA ground in BKC, the rally site in suburban Mumbai, along with Nihar, the son of late Bindumadhav Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray's eldest brother. Champa Singh Thapa, a trusted aide of the late Bal Thackeray who served the Shiv Sena founder for 27 years, was also present at the event. Talking to reporters, Smita Thackeray said she was invited to the rally by Shinde, who heads the rebel faction of the Shiv Sena. Jaidev Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray, is said to share an uneasy relationship with his younger brother Uddhav Thackeray. The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction has organised its own Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai. Both Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray claim their faction is the "real" Shiv Sena. Shinde's rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership had led to the collapse to the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June. For the fifth year, students wanting to apply to a Colorado college or university can do so for free for a short period of time. Lucknow: Amid the ongoing controversy around actors Prabhas and Kriti Sanon`s upcoming mythological film `Adipurush`for "misrepresentation" of Ramayana, the deputy CM of Uttar Pradesh, Keshav Prasad Maurya has reacted to it, saying the film should be corrected before release. Talking to ANI, Keshav Maurya said, "First of all I want to wish everyone a very Happy Dussehra, I haven`t watched the teaser of `Adipurush` yet, but in any case, films that hurt the religious sentiments should not be supported, that`s wrong. It needs to be corrected and presented properly." "If you hurt the religious sentiments, then all the believers will not accept such things. And I also believe this, if such kind of film is being made then it needs to be corrected before presenting it in front of the audience,"he added. Earlier, while speaking to ANI, BJP spokesperson Malavika Avinash said, "I am saddened by the fact that the director let alone researching the Valmiki`s Ramayana, Kamba Ramayana or Tulsidasa`s Ramayana, or the umpteen numbers of interpretations of Ramayana that are available across board as far as Thailand where they do beautiful performances of the Ramayana. The least he could have done is research our own films; there are so many Kannada films, Telugu films, Tamil films, which show how Raavana looked." "He could have just looked up NT Rama Rao or Dr Rajkumar in `Bhookailasa` or any of these great actors, SV Ranga Rao in `Sampoorna Ramayana`, to understand how Raavana looked. The Raavana in the photograph that I see floating around is a guy who looks nothing Indian, who has blue eye makeup and is wearing leather jackets. This is our history they are representing; they cannot do it in the guise of creative liberty," she continued. Helmed by Om Raut the film stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Saif Ali Khan and Sunny Singh in the lead roles.Raut made this film with the dream of bringing the story of `Ramayan` to the silver screen but ever since the first teaser of Prabhas, Saif Ali Khan and Kriti Sanon-starrer `Adipurush` dropped, there has been a unanimously negative response from various quarters. People have largely been disappointed due to the film`s poor VFX and the unrealistic look of various characters including Saif`s Raavan. Seeing Saif donning short spiked hairs, long beard and kajal eyes, several netizens have compared the actor`s look in the film with that of Alauddin Khilji rather than Raavana.`Adipurush` has been produced by T Series and Retrophiles. It is slated to hit the theatres on January 12, 2023, in IMAX and 3D. Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Om, Prasad Sutar, and Rajesh Nair, the film will be released in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. Mumbai: Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt, on Wednesday, hosted a grand baby shower at her residence in Mumbai. Taking to Instagram, actor Anushka Ranjan shared a glimpse from the baby shower in which Alia could be seen flaunting her cute smile in a yellow suit, standing beside her friends Anushka, Rishika Moghe and her sister Shaheen Bhatt. Soon after the picture was out, it got viral on social media. The baby shower was attended by many big b-town celebs like Neetu Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor, Alia`s father Mahesh Bhatt, director Ayan Mukerji, Pooja Bhatt, Karisma Kapoor and many more. Here are some of the pictures from the baby shower: Alia and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot on April 14, 2022, after dating for many years, at Ranbir`s Mumbai residence in an intimate ceremony. After two months of their marriage, the couple announced in June that they are all set to embrace parenthood. She posted a picture which featured two lions and a lion cub. A day after announcing her pregnancy, Alia thanked everyone for their wishes. Talking about Alia`s work front, she was recently seen in the sci-fi action film `Brahmastra Part-1 Shiva` which received positive responses from the audience.She will be next seen in her Hollywood debut film `Heart of Stone` with Gal Gadot. The film will premiere exclusively on Netflix. Apart from that, she also has `Rocky aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani` along with Ranveer Singh, Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi. Helmed by Karan Johar, the film will be released in 2023. Washington: Angelina Jolie has filed a countersuit against Brad Pitt in the midst of their legal battle over Chateau Miraval, a French winery the former couple purchased more than ten years ago. According to Variety, in the countersuit, Jolie's legal team provides fresh information regarding an alleged altercation between Pitt, Jolie, and their children aboard a plane in September 2016. Jolie sold her share of Chateau Miraval without telling him, and Pitt then sued her, claiming she had violated his "contractural rights."Variety reports that in the countersuit, Jolie`s attorneys assert that negotiations with Pitt`s team about selling her stake in the business came to an end when Pitt insisted she sign "a nondisclosure agreement that would have contractually prohibited her from speaking outside of court about Pitt's physical and emotional abuse of her and their children." The countersuit claims that during the 2016 confrontation, "Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face" and "grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her." According to Jolie's attorney, Pitt accused her of being "too deferential" to their children, which sparked the argument. The two began to argue in the airplane's restroom. "Pitt grabbed Jolie by the head and shook her, and then grabbed her shoulders and shook her again before pushing her into the bathroom wall," the countersuit reads. "Pitt then punched the ceiling of the plane numerous times, prompting Jolie to leave the bathroom." According to Variety, the countersuit claims that after one of their children defended Jolie, Pitt made an attempt to physically assault the child."When one of the children verbally defended Jolie, Pitt lunged at his own child and Jolie grabbed him from behind to stop him," the countersuit states." To get Jolie off his back, Pitt threw himself backwards into the airplane`s seats injuring Jolie`s back and elbow. The children rushed in and all bravely tried to protect each other. Before it was over, Pitt choked one of the children and struck another in the face. Some of the children pleaded with Pitt to stop. They were all frightened. Many were crying." Variety further reported - Jolie then "arranged for separate transportation at the airport" to bring her and the children to a hotel without Pitt, the suit continues. "She then went to wake Pitt up and told him that she and the children were going to a hotel. Pitt once again screamed at her, and pushed her down yet again." According to Variety's August report, Jolie was the driving force behind a 2016 lawsuit in which the plaintiff claimed that her "then-husband" had raped her on a private plane. An FBI agent was contacted by the actor after she claimed that Pitt had "physically and verbally assaulted" her and their kids, and the agent later met with the assistant US attorney. After the agent said they would not press charges, Jolie secretly sued the FBI under the Freedom of Information Act to get access to records pertaining to the federal investigation into Pitt. According to Jolie's attorney, the FBI agent who looked into the claims "concluded that the government had probable cause to charge Pitt with a federal crime for his conduct that day." This is stated in the current countersuit. Dussehra 2022: On the auspicious occassion of Vijayadashmi, Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to cancel a total of 222 fully or partially cancelled trains on October 5. These trains include express trains and special train services. Indian Railways have cancelled these trains due to various reasons including maintenance and operational work which are to be held on railway tracks today. 197 trains were fully cancelled, while 25 trains were partially cancelled today. This comes a day after IRCTC cancelled over 200 trains on October 4. Further, Railway officials have decided to divert and reschedule several trains today due to various reasons. Hence, passengers are requested to check their trains' status before heading out for their journeys. The cancellation and other changes in the trains' schedule will have an effect on a number of cities, including Pune, Luchnow, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Delhi, Nagpur, Patna, Pratapnagar, and Gorakhpur amongst others. Check the full list of IRCTC's cancelled trains on October 5: Also read: Amit Shah Kashmir Visit: Baramulla-Budgam train service to remain suspended on October 5 Indian Railways tend to cancel train services every day due to various reasons, which includes work on trains, natural disasters and even derailment of trains. Full list can also be checked by going to the option of the exceptional train in the upper right corner on NTES website. Indian Railways is the most preferred mode of transport as it is economical and make passengers reach their destination on time with utmost comfort. Indian Railways has initiated special trains to accommodate passengers with convenience and comfort of travel during festivals like Navratri, Durga Puja, Dueeshra, Diwali, and Chhath Puja. Indian Railways commenced the service of special trains to manage the passenger rush before Navratri and Durga Puja started. It has however, further increased the platform tickets at several stations of South India. The Indian Railways has revised timings of the newly-inaugurated Vande Bharat Express at Mumbai-Gandhinagar route. The Indian Railways' Western Railway has further reduced the travelling time of the newly-introduced Vande Bharat superfast express train from today. According to a release issued by the Western Railway, the Vande Bharat Superfast Express will take five minutes less to cover Mumbai Central to Gandhinagar distance and it will arrive 20 minutes early at Mumbai Central from Gandhinagar. The Wstern Railway stated that the revised timetable will kick in from October 5. The train started its commercial run on October 1, a day after it was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar. Here's the revised timing of Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express train: There is no change in the departure timing of the train at 6:10pm from Mumbai Central and at 2:05pm from Gandhinagar. But the arrival timetable of the train at all the enroute stations and destinations is changed. As per the revised timetable, the Gandhinagar-bound Vande Bharat express will reach its destination at 12.25pm, instead of the current 12:30pm. It will reach Mumbai Central at 8:15pm instead of the current timing at 8:35pm. Also read: Dussehra 2022: IRCTC cancels over 190 trains on October 5, Check full list HERE Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express on September 30 that runs between the state capitals of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The Mumbai-Gandhinagar Vande Bharat Express is the third one for the country. Developed under the Make in India'' campaign, the Vande Bharat Express will connect every section of the nation, as the government plans to have a total of 75 such trains, confirmed PM Modi during his Independence Day speech last year. The Vande Bharat Express is a high-speed train with a top speed of up to 160 kmph, and it can attain a speed of 100 kmph from a standstill in just 52 seconds. New Delhi: Apple next series iPhone 15 probably won't have the conventional lightning port cable charger in order to complying the new rules of European Union. The company will have to introduce the standard USB-C charing ports for its iPhones from Autumn 2024. The European Union Parliament approved on October 4 single charger reform that demands tech companies to provide common charging ports for their devices from Autumn 2024. ALSO READ | Twitter confirms Elon Musk ready to buy platform on original price of $54.20 According to the new rules, tech companies cant create devices with their specific and exclusive charging points and chargers. For instance, Apple which uses its special lightning port charger. They need to follow the standard and compatible common charger like USB-C connectors for their devices. The deal also covers e-readers, ear buds and other technologies, meaning it may also have an impact on Samsung, Huawei and other device makers, analysts said. ALSO READ | Attention PNB customers! Check balance, statement, other services on WhatsApp However, there is a two-year exemption for the laptop charging ports. The companies need to change it for their devices from 2026. The move is aimed to reduce e-waste. Although smartphone users across the globe may be happy with this decision as it is easier to carry and use a single charger rather than investing and traveling with multiple chargers for several devices, Apple may have to make a big shift as it is the only major smartphone maker in the world that does not use USB-C ports. Apart from the European Union, India is also considering imposing a new regulation that will force tech giants to have a universal standard charger, including USB-C, by as early as 2024, a report by the Mint revealed. Europe and India are key markets for Apple and push towards adaptation of a common port will definitely impact a wide range of devices. New Delhi: Garena Free Fire releases redeem codes on an everyday basis. The 12-digit redeem code consists of alphabets and numbers. Players can get rewards such as skins for in-game weapons and characters to improve their gaming experience. ALSO READ | Twitter confirms Elon Musk ready to buy platform on original price of $54.20 Garena Free fire is banned in India. However, if you are located outside India, you can access the reward codes and redeem them. For that you will be required to visit official Garena Free Fire reward site and log in to your Facebook, Google, and Twitter IDs to access the Free Fire redemption page. Check out the Garena Free Fire Redeem Codes for October 5, 2022 YTF45BH67JNU 65432IUTFV2B 3H3SZYTX5RFV ABGVBCNJGOYK 6JM7UIOJ98GY FDTSRAEDQF12 GHU4RTGYVFVB RNJ6YI7JCXKI 5QRD12F3BH4J 5IGUYH1NMKO9 IHYGVXSA234T YGHBVDXFVBHJ IOI7Y6RFJMLO How to Redeem Garena Free Fire codes for today, October 5, 2022 Step 1: Go to the official Garena Free Fire redemption portal Step 2: Log in on the portal with either your Facebook, Twitter, Apple, Google, VK, or Huawei ID. Step 3: Enter a redeem code in the designated text box. Step 4: Click on the Ok button to get free rewards in your game account. (Disclaimer: Garena Free fire is banned in India. Hence we advise people to adhere to government rules) New Delhi: The White House on Tuesday (October 4, 2022) confirmed that President Joe Biden has plans to celebrate Diwali this year. At a media briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is an event that Biden thinks is "very important". On being asked whether the US President has any plans to celebrate Diwali with the Indian American community leaders at the White House this year, Jean-Pierre said, "Yes, he has plans to celebrate Diwali, just like he did last year. We don't have a date to share with you at this time. But it is an event that he thinks it's very important, as he sees a partnership with India, as well as Indian Americans here in this country." May the light of Diwali remind us that from darkness there is knowledge, wisdom, and truth. From division, unity. From despair, hope. To Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists celebrating in America and around the world from the Peoples House to yours, happy Diwali. pic.twitter.com/1ubBePGB4f President Biden (@POTUS) November 4, 2021 It is noteworthy that beginning with the Bush Administration, Diwali is being celebrated at the White House every year. Diwali this year falls on October 24. London: An orthopedic doctor from Andhra Pradesh, who was based in Ukraine when the conflict broke out with Russia, has appealed to the Indian government to help rescue his pet jaguar and panther left behind when he was forced out of the war zone. Dr. Gidikumar Patil, known as Jaguar Kumar after his unusual pets, says his topmost priority is to save the life of his "precious cat" Yasha, a male rare "lep-jag" hybrid between a leopard and jaguar, and Sabrina, a female black panther. Also Read: Ukraine 'will not conduct' any negotiations with Putin: Zelenskyy tells PM Modi on call The 42-year-old was forced to leave them behind with a local farmer when he left Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, a hotbed of conflict in the region, in search of alternate sources of income. With the Indian embassy in Kyiv unable to help, he said his message for the government of India would be to help him through his "conundrum". "My humble message is to immediately consider and rapidly act to fix this conundrum with the best possible solution, keeping in view of the exact current situation of the cats and an emphasis on their immediate safety," Patil told PTI from his refuge in Warsaw, Poland. "My feeling staying away from my cats is too intense; at times depression, wistful reminiscences of those fond memories and apprehensions about their well-being and fate overall," he said. As a Ukrainian citizen, Patil had been working in a now bombed hospital at Svavtove in Severodonetsk when the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out earlier this year. He had acquired his two unusual pets from a zoo in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv around two years ago and has been devoted to them ever since. Through his YouTube channel with over 62,000 subscribers, Patil has been streaming updates of his curious life with the big cats as pets over the past few months and says his dream project is to receive enough funding for a breeding project to help protect the endangered species. In fact, it was these videos that protected him from the Russian onslaught on his way out of Luhansk as they proved his neutrality in the conflict. For the safety of his pets, Patil says he is open to any solution that any friendly country is willing to offer whether it is closer to their current home in neighbouring western Ukraine or somewhere in Europe or India. "The principal issue is whether I can continue authorised access to them, which is crucial as this actually is a serious project. I'm not sure of the wildlife rules and legislations in India, whether they permit this kind of a thing," said Patil. "I'm pretty hopeful it works out, but first they should be moved to relative safety by the governments with immediate and effective action. Basically, the fundamental concept of raising these remarkable cats is to procreate these 'panther hybrids' by persistent breeding until they sire the desired hybrid, perhaps the first in its kind, which would then be raised and perpetuated into the wild," he said. Given the "imminent danger" the animals are in the conflict zone, the doctor says his foremost concern remains the "rapid safe evacuation of my highly beloved cats", with the other aspects of his project to be pursued in the future. As a middle-class man, the animal lover has exhausted most of his savings to feed and care for the big cats. From updates he has from the local farmer now looking after them in Ukraine, it would seem the bond is mutual as they are reportedly pining for him too. Patil is from Tanuku in the West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), which rules out holding any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky`s press service reported. The document, published on Zelenskyy`s website, on Tuesday said that Ukraine's NSDC deemed holding talks with Putin "impossible". With his decree, the Ukrainian President also instructed the government to prepare proposals for the creation of a multi-level security guarantee system designed to boost Ukraine's defence potential, Xinhua news agency reported. Also Read: Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29 On Sept. 30, the NSDC adopted a decision aimed at guaranteeing Ukraine`s security and restoring its territorial integrity following Moscow`s formal recognition of four Ukrainian regions, which are partially controlled by Russia, as Russian territory. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 29 Seoul: The United States and South Korea launched four missiles off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning, in response to North Korea`s provocative test launch of a ballistic missile over Japan. This test was the allies` second exercise within 24 hours, following North Korea`s launch of a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday morning, CNN reported. Earlier, on Tuesday, the US and South Korea initially responded to the launch with a precision bombing exercise, which involved a South Korean F-15K fighter jet firing two air-to-surface munitions at a virtual target in a firing range west of the Korean Peninsula, per the South Korean joint chiefs. "Through the combined flight of the air strike package and precision strike drills, South Korea and the United States demonstrated their will to respond sternly to any Northern threats as well as their capabilities to conduct a precision strike at the origin of provocations based on the alliance`s overwhelming forces," the JCS said in a press release. The allies typically respond to missile tests by North Korea with military exercises, according to CNN. According to CNN citing South Korean joint chiefs, in Wednesday`s launch, four ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) missiles were involved. The ATACMS are surface-to-surface missiles that can fly around 200 miles (320 kilometres). According to John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, the launch was designed to demonstrate that the US and their allies have "the military capabilities at the ready to respond to provocations by the North." "This is not the first time we`ve done this in response to provocations by the North to make sure that we can demonstrate our own capabilities," Kirby as quoted by CNN. "We want to see the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, (North Korean leader Kim Jong Un) hasn`t shown an inclination to move in that direction, quite frankly he`s moving in the opposite direction by continuing to conduct these missile tests which are violations of Security Council resolutions," he added. Tuesday`s missile launch was the first such missile launch in years, prompting a warning for residents to take cover in northern Japan. Last week, North Korea fired missiles in an apparent protest against joint naval drills involving the United States and South Korea. Under the Kim Jong-un regime, North Korea this year has tested a record number of missiles as it expands its weapons arsenal. Reliance Industries has signed a joint venture agreement with manufacturing solutions company Sanmina, a move to create a manufacturing hub in India and progress with long-term plans to domestically manufacture network gear. In a statement, Reliance detailed the partnership will create a subsidiary which will be a world-class electronic manufacturing hub in India. The company will produce 5G, cloud and data centre gear equipment at Sanminas 100-acre campus in Chennai. The campus can be expanded to support future growth opportunities and the company could expand to new manufacturing sites across the country. The Reliance Jio parent said the JV, through its subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Venture, will prioritise high technology infrastructure hardware in the above-mentioned technologies as well as, medical and healthcare systems, industrial and clean tech, and defence and aerospace. By Trend First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has shared a post on her official Instagram page. Here is what the post says, Trend reports: "Dear fellow compatriots! At a time when our courageous Army is conducting a successful counter-offensive operation to liberate ancient Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation, the enemy does not stop showing its insidious intentions. During the whole week of fierce fighting, Armenia has been unscrupulously circulating fake news. The Armenian diaspora, which actively misinforms the international community, plays a special role in this violent attack. Today we are all witnesses of truly historic events! However, we cannot simply observe what is happening from the outside. Each of us is obliged to do our best to bring the moment of the Great Victory closer. So we are all soldiers who are obliged to make every effort to expose the Armenian lies. I call on each of you to expose the fakes of the Armenian propaganda and convey the truth about the Armenian aggression to the international community from all possible platforms! Everyone who considers Azerbaijan his homeland must raise his voice and refute the lies of the Armenians! May Almighty God protect our Army, our people and our Motherland!" After blocking the sale of NuevaTel PCS in August, Bolivian regulator ATT (Autoridad de Regulacion y Fiscalizacion de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes) has now threatened to revoke the mobile operators licence. ATT Executive Director Nestor Rios stated: The sanction for an illegal transfer is the revocation of the licence. That is the procedure that is followed. The sale of NuevaTel PCS, which operates as Viva, was first announced in March 2022. As reported by CommsUpdate, the proposed deal would have seen the US-based owner Trilogy International Partners (TIP) transfer its 71.5% indirect holding in Viva to Perus Balesia Technologies, an infrastructure company with fibre and tower assets across Latin America, including Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. While the deal was set to close in the second quarter of 2022, the associated fee for the transaction was never disclosed. This lack of transparency was grounds enough for Bolivias regulator to block the sale of the operator in August this year. In a bid to rescue the deal, Balesia reportedly provided new documentation to the ATT in September, but this attempt was thwarted following reports that an unnamed Balesia spokesperson publicly claimed that the deal had closed during the ExpoCruz 2022 event that same month. Rios has told local media that Viva has outstanding dues to the government of BOB45.7 million (US$6.4 million). While some sub-Saharan African countries are making things difficult for telecommunications operators and equipment suppliers through new or increased taxes, Zambia appears to be taking a different route at least when it comes to infrastructure. According to the ITWeb Africa news service, in its 2023 national budget the country is now zero-rating the importation of telecommunications equipment, notably equipment used in the construction of telecommunications masts. Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane confirmed this in a statement that acknowledged the role of ICT in socio-economic development and job creation. The hope, evidently, is that such a move will attract investment, and enhance trade through the provision of e-commerce platforms in particular, as well as deepen financial inclusion. This initiative may also be a response to last months statement of concern from the Common Market for Easter and Southern Africa (COMESA) over the high cost of mobile phone services, including data. COMESA mentioned the expense of setting up telecommunications infrastructure and suggested member countries should consider subsidising the process to boost mobile networks and associated services. But thats not all. A national digital strategy is planned, along with a review of Zambias ICT Act, to encourage uptake of digital services and secure investment in infrastructure and digital platforms. The aim is to create what is described as an enabling environment for the adoption and application of science, technology and innovation. This is certainly an eye-catching policy announcement, especially considering that back in August the new government put an immediate stop to pending digital projects, including the phased implementation of digital terrestrial broadcasting systems, as it looked to avert a debt crisis. Whatever the outcome, these new measures and the recently announced tax delay in Nigeria are encouraging acknowledgements that, for some countries, ICT in Africa is a sector that should be encouraged, and not just regarded as a source of tax revenue. OZARKA former educator and church praise team leader will spend three years in prison and five years on supervised probation in connection with sex crimes against a child, a Dale County circuit judge decided after a nearly three-hour sentencing hearing held here Tuesday. You defiled the House of the Lord and you are a teacher, said Judge Kimberly Crawford told Kimberly Sonanstine. This is the maximum sentence that I can give you and know with certainty where you are, Crawford said. If you mess up, know that you will see me again. The sentencing hearing was requested by Sonanstine, 39, who pled guilty to two counts of traveling to meet a child for sex and eight counts of second-degree sodomy before Crawford on Sept. 6. She was also charged with some 30 charges of second-degree sexual abuse. At the time of her arrest, the second-degree sexual abuse charges were misdemeanor offenses, but state legislators have since elevated such charges to felony offenses, said District Attorney Kirke Adams at Tuesdays sentencing hearing. The former educator is heading to prison exactly 364 days after being arrested in connection with the charges stemming from allegations that she molested a child more than five years ago. She had been free on bond. Testimony during the hearing was that Sonanstine met the victim while the two participated in the music ministry with the church contemporary worship service. Sonanstine was described as a mentor to the teen. After the victims family moved from Ozark, Sonanstine continued to contact the victim, send her gifts and travelled to visit her. The victim, now 21, her parents and sister each described for the court the traumatic impact the crime had on their family. The victim and her mother told the court that even after the family left Ozark Sonanstine, pregnant at the time and with a baby at home, traveled to meet the victim. During the hearing, Sonanstines husband testified on his wifes behalf. He said that during the period in which the incidents that his wife pled guilty occurred, their life was stressful. He said he loved and supported his wife and asked the judge to allow her to come home on probation to him and their 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter. A man who had known Sonanstine since they were both in the third grade also asked the court for probation instead of prison. I really know her, he replied when asked why he thought she would not be a repeat offender. During the sentencing hearing, one side of the Dale County Courtroom was filled with Sonanstine s supporters, 18 of whom had written letters on her behalf to the court. Adams challenged the content of the letters noting that while prayers were asked for Sonanstine, not one of the letters mentioned prayers for the victim who had been 14 at the time the offenses occurred. She had a position in the church and used that position to molest a child, Adams said The judge concurred with Adams observation about the lack of prayer requests for the victim. She noted that instead the prayers were requested for the prey-er. If this was a 32-year-old music leader and youth mentor who was a man, this community would have put him under the jail, Adams said, motioning to the side of the courtroom filled with Sonanstines supporters. It is such a double standard. Sonanstine took the stand on her own behalf, apologizing for her actions that she attributed to emotional turmoil at the time. She said actions speak louder than words and asked the judge to allow her the opportunity to show through actions that she was remorseful. The victims mother reminded the court was Sonanstines actions not words that resulted in everyone involved being in court Tuesday. Kimberly Sonanstine had a position in the church and used that position to molest a child, Adams said. Today, Kimberly goes to prison and (the victim) escapes her prison. Dothan police officers responded to the 2100 block of Montgomery Highway on Monday around 7 p.m. after being dispatched to a call of a male threatening a female with a gun, according to the Dothan Police Department. The female victim told officers that an argument took place between the suspect and victim, and the suspect began threatening the victim with a gun, held her against her will, and forced her to comply with his orders. One of two remaining suspects in a two-state double murder has been apprehended. Davante Laquae Williams, 32, of Dothan was taken into custody in the early-morning hours Tuesday. U.S. Marshals, assisted by the Dothan Police Department, responded to a residence in the 700 block of Third Avenue in Dothan, according to information released by the Dothan Police Department. Williams is the fourth suspect arrested in a double murder investigation that began in July. He was charged with capital murder, kidnapping first degree, and abuse of a corpse. He has no bond. At the same time police apprehended Williams, 33-year-old Cherral Willis of Dothan was also arrested and charged with hindering prosecution first degree for assisting Williams with avoiding arrest. Her bond was set at $15,000. Willis is the third person charged by Dothan police for helping Williams. Police are still searching for a fifth suspect in the double murder MacAuthur Mike Hawkins. He is wanted for one count of capital murder, one count of kidnapping first degree, and one count of abuse of a corpse. Spurred by a July 11 missing persons report for Damien Bell and Shauna Terry, Dothan police and the Holmes County Sheriffs Department began working a double murder investigation. Two bodies were found in Holmes County, Florida, in late July, and investigators identified five individuals as suspects. Of the five suspects, Dothan police first arrested Sheena Marie Thurman, 35, of Bonifay on July 28 and charged her with one count of murder. About a week later, police apprehended and charged David Allen Bastian, 37, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, with one count of capital murder, one count of kidnapping first degree, and one count of abuse of a corpse. Joshua Deavours Parks, 36, was taken into custody a few days after Bastian and charged with capital murder, abuse of a corpse, and kidnapping first degree. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of MacAuthur Mike Hawkins is asked to call the Dothan Police Department at 334-615-3000. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 334-793-7000. The Dothan Police Department will protect the identities of all those who wish to help in an anonymous capacity. Two men arrested in Baldwin County will also be charged for stealing diamond jewelry earlier this week from a Dothan business. According to the Dothan Police Department, on Monday around 2:15 p.m., a white mail suspect entered a jewelry store inside Wiregrass Commons Mall posing as a potential customer. While looking at several pieces of diamond jewelry the clerk was showing him from the display case, the suspect snatched several pieces of the jewelry and ran out of the store. The suspect entered a black vehicle with dark tinted windows and the vehicle fled. Information was obtained during the investigation that made officers think the suspect and vehicle could possibly be from another state west of Alabama. This information was disseminated to all surrounding law enforcement agencies. Several hours later, an alert deputy in Baldwin County, Alabama, was looking for a vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description while working on Interstate 10. The deputy stopped a vehicle that was later determined to be the suspect vehicle from Dothan. The vehicle was occupied by two individuals: Colby Allen Ladnier and Alberto Esquivel II, both of Houston, Texas. A probable cause search of the vehicle led to the recovery of evidence related to the jewelry theft that occurred in Dothan earlier in the day. Baldwin County Sheriffs Department had charges related to their encounter, and the Dothan Police Department will be obtaining warrants for both individuals for theft of property first degree. It is unknown when Ladnier and Esquivel will be transferred to Dothan to be formally charged. WASHINGTON The Supreme Courts conservative majority appeared open Tuesday to making it harder to create majority Black electoral districts, in an Alabama case that could have far-reaching effects on minority voting power across the United States. The justices heard two hours of arguments in the latest showdown over the federal Voting Rights Act, with lawsuits seeking to force Alabama to create a second Black majority congressional district. About 27% of Alabamians are Black, but they form a majority in just one of the states seven congressional districts. The courts conservatives, in a 5-4 vote in February, blocked a lower court ruling that would have required a second Black majority district in time for the November elections. A similar ruling to create an additional Black majority district in Louisiana also was put on hold. Conservative high-court majorities have made it harder for racial minorities to use the Voting Rights Act in ideologically divided rulings in 2013 and 2021. A ruling for Alabama in the new case could weaken a powerful tool that civil rights groups and minority voters have used to challenge racial discrimination in redistricting. Some conservative justices seemed sympathetic to Alabamas arguments that the court should insist on a race-neutral approach to redistricting and should make it harder for people claiming racial discrimination in voting to clear an early legal hurdle. Against pushback from Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and the other liberal justices, Justice Samuel Alito said its too easy for people suing over discrimination in redistricting to win because the first bar in the legal test is too low simply showing that another political district could be drawn in which minority residents make up a majority of voters. In practice, Alito said, will not the plaintiffs always run the table? The outcome appears to rest with Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. Their questions suggested they may be open to a more narrow win for Alabama than the broadest outcome the state is asking for, which might even allow states to dismantle existing districts where racial minorities make up more than half the voters. Even the states least far-reaching argument, as Alito put it, would result in many fewer districts drawn to give racial minorities the opportunity to elect their candidates of choice, the courts three liberal justices said. Jackson, the courts first Black female justice who was hearing her second day of arguments, disagreed with arguments made by Alabamas lawyer, Edmund LaCour Jr., that redistricting has to be done without regard to race. Constitutional amendments adopted after the Civil War were intended to give a constitutional foundation for a piece of legislation that was designed to make people who had less opportunity and less rights equal to white citizens, Jackson said. The Voting Rights Act by its plain text is doing that same thing. Justice Elena Kagan referred to the Voting Rights Act as not only an important statute but one of the great achievements of American democracy while acknowledging that recent Supreme Court cases have cut back on the law. Now, in recent years, the statute has fared not well in this court, she said. Youre asking us essentially to cut back substantially on our 40 years of precedent and to make this, too, extremely difficult to prevail on, so whats left? Kagan said to LaCour. Partisan politics underlies the case. Republicans who dominate elective office in Alabama have been resistant to creating a second district with a Democratic-leaning Black majority that could send another Democrat to Congress. Two appointees of President Donald Trump were on the three-judge panel that unanimously held that Alabama likely violated the landmark 1965 law by diluting Black voting strength. The judges found that Alabama has concentrated Black voters in one district, while spreading them out among the others to make it impossible for them to elect a candidate of their choice. Alabamas Black population is large enough and geographically compact enough to create a second district, the judges found. Alabama argues that the lower court ruling would force it to sort voters by race and the state insists it is taking a race neutral approach to redistricting. That argument could resonate with conservative justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts. He has opposed most consideration of race in voting both as a justice and in his time as a lawyer in Republican presidential administrations. Roberts said little Tuesday to telegraph his vote. Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch also had little or nothing to say in court, but Thomas in particular has voted consistently to limit the reach of anti-discrimination laws. The arguments were the first Supreme Court case involving race for Jackson. A challenge to affirmative action in college admissions is set for arguments on Oct. 31. A decision in Merrill v. Milligan is expected by late June. Thang Tran Phenh's paintings "Choi Bai" (The Card Game) and "Xem Boi" (The Wizard) sold for 780,000 euros (US$773,700) and 715,000 euros at an auction Tuesday by Lynda Trouve. They were offered at the "Indochina -Chapter 14" auction in Paris live on the company's website. French auction house Lynda Trouve had predicted a price range of 30,000-50,000 euros for each painting. Collector Pham Hoang Viet, who had tuned in, said there was much back-and-forth between two collectors, before "The Card Game" went for 600,000 euros (excluding surcharges). "Both the paintings are quite large and look stunning on silk. Phenh frequently depicts traditional Vietnamese activities like playing the Tam Cuc card game and fortune-telling in his work. His major silk paintings are even rarer. "In 2000 Hong Kong auction house Sotheby's auctioned off one of his silk paintings. The prices of his paintings have increased since then as a result." 'The Card Game" by Thang Tran Phenh. Photo courtesy of Lynda Trouve Art researcher Ngo Kim Khoi said this is the highest price that Phenh's paintings have ever fetched. "The piece obtained a premium price since it was introduced at the prestigious Paris Colonial Exhibition, and Phenh's silk paintings are extremely rare." "The Card Game," created in 1931-32, depicts two men and three women dressed in traditional attire engaged in a game of cards. The artist's signature, seal and two lines of ancient writing can be seen on its top left corner. Scholar Chau Hai Duong translated the lines as follows: "On a leisurely spring day playing cards / Whoever wins or loses, don't laugh." "The Wizard" emerged at around the same time. It shows three figures seated around a platform with a plate and three incense sticks. A male fortune teller in the middle is holding up a porcelain plate while two women are watching him work. The ancient characters in the top left corner of the image read: "Women seeking fate / fortune-teller making predictions." The auction house claims the two silk paintings belonged to Leopold de Stabenrath, a press correspondent in Hanoi from 1975 to 1997. "The Wizard" by Thang Tran Phenh. Photo courtesy of Lynda Trouve Due to moisture and the passage of time, some mold has developed in the artworks. The auction house first attributed it to another late painter, Tran Binh Loc, because of the ideograms "Tran Binh" in Sino-Vietnamese in the bottom left corner. They later credited Phenh after learning it was his pen name. Before the auction, Khoi revealed that he had assisted Sebastien, a representative at Lynda Trouve, in determining that the true author was Thang Tran Phenh. The auction company also updated a photo caption to reflect the correction. Thang Tran Phenh (1895-1972) is one of the most well-known artists of the Vietnamese fine art village of the late 19th and early 20th centuries along with painters Le Huy Mien and Nam Son. From an early age, he had an aptitude for art. He was awarded the fine art prize by the Tien Duc Enlightenment Association in 1923. In 1926, at the same age as famous fellow artists like To Ngoc Van and Vu Cao Dam, he was accepted into its second batch by the Indochina Fine Arts College. Two oil paintings and a silk painting by Phenh are currently on display at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi. Many of his works, including "The Card Game" and "The Wizard", were taken to France and Italy in the 1930s to be displayed at the Paris and Rome Colonial Exhibitions. In 1931, after completing his studies, the artist decided to focus his efforts on creating works specifically for stage performances. He then took a troupe on a nationwide tour of Hanoi, Hai Phong and Nam Dinh before shutting it down in 1943. The artist joined the resistance movement against the French at the end of 1946, moving his family to Bac Giang Province so that he could work for the 10th inter-Department of Information and Propaganda. He and his family later moved back to Hanoi in 1954. The Azerbaijan National Urban Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda as engines of post-conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation has got underway in Aghdam in partnership with the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of Azerbaijan and with the organizational support of the ADA University. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony of the Forum. The head of state made a speech at the event. Speech of President Ilham Aliyev Dear Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Dear guests, Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Aghdam. I am very glad that we organized Azerbaijan National Urban Forum here in the place where Aghdam city once was situated. Now you can see that nothing left from what used to be, a city full of life. It was destroyed during the times of occupation. Id like also to express gratitude to our guests from different countries. We have representatives of more than forty countries attending our Forum for being with us, for coming here to see what has happened to the biggest city in Karabakh region which Aghdam used to be and to see what we are doing and what we are planning to do in the coming years to return former IDPs to their homeland. Aghdam was as I said already destroyed during the years of occupation. It was not destroyed during the first Karabakh war. It was destroyed after for almost 30 years, stone by stone. All the buildings have been ruined and dismantled. Stones have been stolen and sold out. You may see the only half destroyed building was a building of Juma Mosque, but the reason why it was not destroyed along with other mosques which Armenians destroyed in the former occupied territories was that they were using the minarets for observation to see potential movement of Azerbaijani armed forces. But we have video and photo evidences of desecration of Aghdam Mosque, where Armenians kept pigs and cows in the mosque. Total 65 out of 67 mosques which existed on the liberated territories were totally destroyed. Two of them, one here and one in Shusha were half destroyed and desecrated. What you see here in Aghdam you can see in every single village of Karabakh area. I know that our guests came here by plane to newly-built Fuzuli Airport. So, Fuzuli city is totally destroyed, not a single building, Jabrayil is the same. Qubadli, Zangilan are the same. The only places where not all the buildings have been destroyed were Shusha, Lachin and partly Kalbajar. But the reason for that was that the Armenian state was conducting a policy of illegal settlement of Armenians from different countries to settle on the occupied territories and this is considered to be a brutal violation of international law and Geneva conventions. So now, we are facing a tremendous challenge to return as soon as possible former refugees and IDPs to their homeland. But one of the biggest complications apart from a large-scale reconstruction program are landmines. Since the war ended two years ago, almost two years ago, we have almost 250 Azerbaijanis who have been killed or seriously injured as a result of landmine explosions. Unfortunately, the figure is growing every week. Just last week we had two killed and three seriously injured. Armenians have planted more than one million mines during the times of occupation. And this policy of terror against Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijanis continues. Relatively recently we have discovered and neutralized more than 1.400 landmines which have been planted in Lachin district by Armenian armed forces in the period after the second Karabakh war ended. So, aggression against Azerbaijan, terror against Azerbaijan continues. Our nation suffered a serious humanitarian crisis. Because as a result of Armenian aggression and occupation more than one million Azerbaijanis were totally ethnically cleansed from their native land in Karabakh, in Zangazur and also in todays Armenia. And when it happened the population of Azerbaijan was less than eight million people and, can you imagine, one million became refugees and IDPs. And we are very grateful to international organizations especially, institutions of the United Nations, for support to our refugees and IDPs especially in the early years of independence when we needed the support seriously. Results of the Armenian occupation and aggression is now seen by everyone who visits the liberated territories and since the second Karabakh war ended there have been thousands of foreign visitors, journalists, politicians, representatives of civil society who came here and saw it with their own eyes. The scope of Armenian barbarism and vandalism actually is so impressive so that many people who come to this part of Azerbaijan really feel absolutely exhausted morally. And you can imagine the feelings of us, of Azerbaijanis and especially those who used to live in Aghdam, in Fuzuli in other part of Azerbaijan which was under occupation when they come here. They cannot even find the place where their house was situated. Because everything is totally destroyed. Armenia conducting the policy of occupation had main target as to change de facto situation on the ground, and to make then negotiation process with Azerbaijan endless. That was the reason why negotiations lasted for 28 years, without any results. The result was actually zero. Despite the fact that the leading international organizations such as the United Nations, the OSCE and others adopted resolutions, decisions demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian troops from Azerbaijani territories, particularly four UN Security Council resolutions which remained on paper for almost 30 years. And despite all our appeals to impose sanctions on Armenia we did not succeed. So, international community decided in a way to turn a blind eye on the humanitarian catastrophe of Azerbaijani people. The most regrettable is that the structure which had a mandate from the OSCE, the so-called Minsk Group and its co-chairs visited occupied territories many times, witnessed the brutal devastation of all the cities and villages, witnessed illegal settlement of Armenians on our lands, but did not condemn Armenia. Throughout 28 years of their so-called activity there was not a single word of condemnation of Armenia by them. Of course, now when we see some efforts to revitalize this Minsk Group, we, of course, cannot be supportive to that. Because they did nothing to implement their mandate. The only thing they did actually to a certain degree, they tried to legitimize the Armenian aggression. They tried to create a balance between aggressor and the victim of aggression. Therefore, now, when Azerbaijan itself restored international law, implemented UN Security Council resolutions, used UN Charter, particularly the paragraph which talks about the self-defense, and restored our national dignity, we do not need any other mediation. We made a proposal soon after the second Karabakh war ended. Despite all what you see in Aghdam and what anyone can see in the territory of more than 10.000 square kms totally destroyed by Armenians, despite the human sufferings of our people we proposed peace to Armenia. We announced publicly five basic principles of international law which should be the basis for peace agreement, particularly mutual recognition of territorial integrity of countries, refrain from territorial claims in the future, refrain from use of force or threat of use of force, delimitation of state border and opening of communications. All this are actually the basic principles of international law, and I think peace agreements or any kind of agreement between countries which trying to normalize their relations must be based on that. With respect to Armenian population who still lives in Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, are our citizens and we are not going to discuss how we are going to organize their life on our territory with any international player. Karabakh is Azerbaijan. The Second Karabakh War proved it on the ground. During the times of occupation no country in the world, including Armenia recognized this artificial structure. Therefore, issues related to our internal affairs we never discuss with international institutions or with any country regardless the size and potential of that country. We have certain optimism with respect to the peace process, because just recently several days ago the meeting of foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia, first meeting of that kind, particularly with agenda of preparation of draft of peace agreement. We hope that it will not take long time. We know the tactics which Armenians usually use when they dont want to come to an agreement like negotiations on Karabakh conflict for 28 years. If that continues then we will have no peace. If this is a choice of Armenia that means that they will make another serious mistake. They underestimated us, they underestimated our will, the will of people of Azerbaijan, the potential of Azerbaijan. They had to pay the price for that. The war which happened two years ago, was conducted on the territory of Azerbaijan. So, this once again proves our position and demonstrates that despite that, despite the suffering of more than a million of our countrymen, we want to put an end to hostility, mutual hatred, and we want to open a new page of peace. Whether we will succeed or not, we will see. I am not sure but at least we are moving in that direction. At the same time we have hopes that two corresponding commissions on border delimitation, the Azerbaijani and Armenian commissions will not lose time either, and to work actively on defining the border between two countries which actually do not exist. During the times of occupation which lasted for almost 30 years, that border was totally under the Armenian control. So, when occupation ended, we came to the border which we consider to be the border and settled there. Therefore, in order to define this border which is more than 400 kms, of course, we need to have very active work based on historical documents, based on historical maps, and based on international practice and certain methodology. So, this process is moving but again how successful it will be, it is difficult to say. So, this is actually what happened during the last period of time. Now we are facing the new challenges but very pleasant challenges to rebuild Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, to return people, to return life and to create much better conditions for former refugees and IDPs which exist anywhere else in Azerbaijan. And I am sure that these people deserve that. They lived in difficult conditions for many years despite the fact that we resettled more than 300 thousand IDPs providing them with new apartments and flats. And during numerous meetings with them when we were inaugurating this new housing projects they were expressing gratitude for that but at the same time saying that we want you to return us back. And I promised them all the time that I will do it and I am very proud that we managed to do. And already the program of Big Return have started. Relatively recently, this May the first village in Zangilan region was already built and the first IDPs are already back. And I am really very proud, I am sure all the people of Azerbaijan, that not only those who used to live there are going back, but also their children, their grandchildren. This September the school in Zangilan opened and the young Zangilanis are already starting school. They have never seen that land. Because they were born after occupation but it shows that the people of Azerbaijan are strongly committed to their roots, to their native land. And really its a source of national pride that based on the survey which we conducted among former IDPs with the question are they going to go back or not in order for us to know what should be the scale of housing project, absolute majority responded that they want to go back even those who had never seen those lands. So, this of course creates a very special atmosphere in our society and the feeling of national pride, the feeling of victory, the feeling of restoration of justice, restoration of dignity of the people. These feelings cannot be measured by any scale. This is something which you have to feel. We feel it and we are happy about that and now what we are doing here in Aghdam, in other liberated territories is that we concentrated and mobilized all our potential in order to return the former IDPs as soon as possible. Large-scale infrastructure projects are underway. You have seen Fuzuli International Airport which was built in 8 months. This month we are planning to inaugurate Zangilan International Airport and in 2025 International Airport in Lachin. The railroad from Barda to Aghdam will be operational next year. Yesterday I laid down the foundation of the new railway station. Thousands of kilometers of highways and thousands of kilometers of village roads are being constructed now. According to the investment plan which has been already approved in the liberated territories of Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur there will be 33 tunnels with the total lengths of more than 50 kilometres. There will be 84 bridges with the length of 12 km. These are only part of what we are now doing. We fully restored the electric supply to all the liberated areas and hopefully soon in Jabrayil we will start the construction of the solar power plant capacity of 230 megawatt. In general, we have evaluated the potential of renewable energy in the liberated territories and preliminary analysis show its almost 10.000 megawatt. We already inaugurated several hydro power stations and total capacity of hydro power will be more than 500 megawatt, and the rest will be the solar and wind. This area will not only accumulate its people who had to leave in different parts of Azerbaijan during the years of occupation, but at the same time will be a driving force for Azerbaijans economy in the future. We have huge water resources here, which we have been deprived of during the times of occupation, because Armenians did not only occupy our cities, they occupied our resources. There have been illegal mining, illegal activity of cutting us from water. We were not able to irrigate hundred thousands hectares of land. So, now we are back to our rivers. We are back to our soil, and all the master plans of the cities have already been prepared by leading international companies and approved. So, we already started here in Aghdam several housing projects. I was here yesterday at the groundbreaking ceremony of three villages, Khidirli, Kangarli, Sarjilai. Several thousand people will live in these villages maximum in two years. In the city of Aghdam we are already building the school for almost one thousand children which will be ready maybe this year, maybe next year, hospital and several housing projects. And this is only Aghdam the same is more or less is going in Fuzuli, in Qubadli in Zangilan. In the city of Lachin, where we returned just two months ago, we plan to restore it by the end of next year. Because as I said there was illegal settlement there. So, not all the buildings have been knocked down. We already sent a group of specialists there. So, we will rebuilt Karabakh and Zangazur. We have no doubt about that. No matter how expensive and costly it will be, this is our national idea. Our national idea before was to return to our lands to restore justice and to restore our territorial integrity. All the people of Azerbaijan united and were preparing themselves for that. And young generation which sacrificed their lives of almost three thousand victims we had during the war, and thousands of those who celebrated our victory, this is really modern Azerbaijan. This is new Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan now which is free from that label of being occupied now is just raising and will, I am sure, be one of the most successful countries not only in the region. Once again, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being with us. This forum for us is really very important. Im grateful to Executive Director of UN Habitat. She visited us six months ago, we had a very good meeting with her. And afterwards we were invited to World Urban Forum in Poland and our representatives participated. Now we organize National Urban Forum and I am grateful to UN representative for being with us, to the mayors and deputy mayors and representatives from all the countries who are together with us. So, this is actually the beginning of international, I would say, ties of Aghdam. We hope that Aghdam and many cities of the world will become sister cities. You know Aghdam during the Soviet times was the biggest city in Karabakh, a city full of life. Everybody in Azerbaijan knows it. After we liberated the territories and foreign experts, journalists came here, they gave several names to Aghdam. One was victim of Urbicide, which is absolutely correct and other was ghost city, also absolutely correct, and also it was named Hiroshima of the Caucasus. But unlike Hiroshima the devastation and demolition was not as a result of atomic bomb. But it was as a result of vandalism and barbarism of our neighbors. But now we are back, we came back by force. We came back using international law norms and we came back to live here and to live here forever. Thank you. *** Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Maimunah Mohd Sharif then made a speech. Speech of Maimunah Mohd Sharif Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Your Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Honorable ministers, Mrs. Vladanka Andreeva, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, Dear delegates, ladies and gentlemen. Good morning everyone. Good morning (in Azerbaijani). I hope I have pronounced it correctly, I did my best, Mr. President. It is a great honor for me to be attending the first National Urban Forum organized by the government of Azerbaijan under the patronage of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev. This is particularly important because we are currently in the month of Urban October, and for the first time the World Habitat Day was celebrated on the Eurasian continent, in the city of Bal?kesir in Republic of Turkiye two days ago. The theme of Mind the Gap means that no-one and no place should be left behind. Mr. President, I was very pleased with your invitation to the first National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan being held in Aghdam. This conference hall, Fuzuli Airport and construction projects demonstrate your government's commitment and dedication to post-conflict urban recovery efforts. You are building a better future for your citizens. I congratulate you. As UN Secretary General Mr. Antonio Guterres has said, there are no winners in wars and conflicts, there are only losers. According to the 2022 UN Human Settlements Programmes World Cities report, more than 70 million people live below the poverty line due to conflict. In 2021 alone, 84 million people were displaced by violence, threats and the effects of climate change. For example, most of the 26 million refugees in the Arab region are concentrated in cities. Heavy floods in Pakistan have recently displaced 33 million people from their homes. For us at the UN Human Settlements Programme, peace and stability are key factors in development. It is for this reason that our Executive Committee at its March 2022 meeting asked me to expand our work on post-conflict and post-disaster urban resilience. The UN Human Settlements Programme supports internally displaced persons and refugees in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan and Yemen by providing adequate housing and essential infrastructure. We also rehabilitate public spaces, restore them by creating conditions for land ownership and property rights. The UN Human Settlements Programme is also developing an urban crisis program to support cities in Ukraine. We also support the integration of Venezuelan migrants into host communities in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama and the Dominican Republic through the neighborhood promotion integration program. The challenges of COVID, climate and conflict disproportionately affect settlements and cities. In many cases, the negative impact of the COVID pandemic on cities persists. Wars and conflicts drive refugees to cities. For this reason, the UN Human Settlements Programme operates in 36 countries and has established a City IQ network of more than 1,000 cities to help those on the front lines in their recovery efforts with regulatory guidance and technical support. Honorable delegates, we can only do better in recovery and addressing the gap in basic shelter and housing services if we have information on how to strategically allocate resources. Thanks to the UN organizing such a national urban forum, member states and city mayors are better able to collect and analyze information that informs their decisions. The 11th Sustainable Development Goal is the foundation for all other sustainable development goals. This goal covers several areas, enabling central and local governments to be better positioned to ensure the implementation of national development policies that have a positive impact on the ground. To date, the UN Human Settlements Programme has assisted 49 countries in organizing national urban programs. We operate in all regions of the world and have organized national urban forums of 17 African, 13 European, 7 Latin American and Caribbean, 7 Asian-Pacific countries and 5 Arab countries. A regional urban forum was held in three regions, including the Asia-Pacific region, the Caribbean countries and the Marmara sub-region. The focus of this new cycle of national urban forums is to promote a paradigm shift that would transform this forum into national urban policies. Since 2016, a total of 167 voluntary local reviews have been published. Thirty-seven countries have developed at least one voluntary national opinion, and 133 countries have done so at the local and regional government level. Mr. President, I call on Azerbaijan to prepare its voluntary local opinions and submit to us a new national report on the implementation of the new urban development agenda. Based on that report, we can make evidence-based decisions and gain people's support to help put policies into practice in order to achieve a positive impact on the ground. Mr. President, please allow me to express my gratitude to the government of Azerbaijan for supporting sustainable urban development at the high-level meeting dedicated to the implementation of the new urban development agenda held in New York in April this year. Also, the delegation of Azerbaijan, which participated in the 11th session of the World Urban Forum held in Katowice, Poland, made a very good impression. At the same time, I do hope that Azerbaijan will participate in the meeting of the Ministers on Cities and Climate Change, Housing and Urban Development, which will be held within the framework of COP 27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on 17 November. Mr. President, as we promised, we have prepared the country program document of the UN Human Settlements Programme for Azerbaijan, and I will present this document to you today. Please allow me to thank the chairman of the State Urban Planning and Architecture Committee and various ministries who have contributed to the preparation of this document. Let me also express my gratitude to my sister Vladanka Andreeva, Resident Coordinator of the UN in Azerbaijan. She has ensured the coordination of support from the UN delegation in the country. The UN Human Settlements Programme looks forward to joining national efforts to build a better future and regenerate cities and communities from an urban perspective. The World Cities report 2022, presented at the World Urban Forum held in Katowice by the UN Human Settlements Programme, shows that humanity is at a crossroads. Although urbanization is an unstoppable mega-trend, without integrated planning and multidisciplinary cooperation at central, local and regional government levels, our urban planning future would look bleak. Therefore, I am very grateful to His Excellency President Aliyev for supporting this first National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan. Your presence here today has raised this platform to a higher level, allowing all partners of the new urban agenda to discuss and formulate policy recommendations for sustainable urban development. This includes intellectuals, the private sector, civil society, youth, women and local communities. I call on them to forge partnerships and take action to support the implementation of the new urban agenda within our common agenda at the UN. I really admire the dedication and resources devoted to rebuilding Aghdam. I am confident that if we dedicate ourselves to this goal, we can ensure the realization of His Excellency the President's vision that no-one and no place should be left behind in an urbanized world. Thank you. *** The forum continued with sessions. The National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan, joined by more than 130 representatives from 44 countries and more than 400 people in total, will create new opportunities for international and multilateral cooperation on the regeneration of cities, identify challenges and discuss solutions to overcome crises in urban areas. It will also serve as a platform to exchange knowledge and experience. The National Urban Forum of Azerbaijan, held in the city of Aghdam for the first time, is a rare and successful platform in terms of sharing experience among experts from different countries in the field of urban planning and expanding cooperation in the interests of sustainable development. We recall that President Ilham Aliyev, in a video address to the 11th session of the World Urban Forum held in Katowice, Poland, on the theme of Let's change our cities for a better future on 27 June this year, stated that Azerbaijan was interested in hosting one of the next sessions of the World Urban Forum and was ready for it. The World Urban Forum is held by the UN Habitat Programme (UN-HABITAT) every two years. Vietnam requested that the South Korean drama "Little Women" be removed from the Netflix Vietnam application due to historical falsification of the Vietnam War. The agency had submitted a request to Netflix to remove "Little Women" from its film movie library Monday and that the deadline for this request is Wednesday, said Le Quang Tu Do, director of the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information. Netflix has asked for more time to take down the movie and said it would be done this week. Do claims that the film violates media and cinema laws due to the actors' inaccurate statements about the Vietnam War in episodes 3 and 8. Netflix is not susceptible to an administrative penalty since it doesn't have a legal standing representative in Vietnam. The K-drama Netflix series, an adaptation from the classic novel "Little Women" but with a new refreshing and sinister spin to suit Korean taste, premiered in September. The film, directed by Jung Seo Kyung and produced by Kim Hee Won, follows the impoverished three sisters, Oh In-Joo (Kim Go Eun), Oh In Kyung (Nam Ji Hyun), and Oh In Hye (Park Park. Ji Hoo). In-Joo's life is shaken up when her friendly yet mysterious colleague Jin Hwa-Young (Choo Ja-Hyun) dies, leaving her two billion won and a trail that leads to a more sizable slush fund of a whopping 70 billion won. While they wish to purchase an apartment, they also worry that the money has been stolen and will have an impact on the future. At the same time, they must contend with the forces seeking to reclaim the money. Last July, Netflix withdrew six episodes of its spy drama "Pine Gap" after regulators found it contained "illegal images" of the infamous "nine-dash line". The nine-dash line represents Chinas fraudulent East Sea claims in flagrant violation of Vietnamese sovereignty over its waters. It claims 90 percent of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, which has been met with strong opposition from the international community. In July 2020, the movie "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" was also found using China's "nine-dash line", which violates Vietnam's sovereignty. After the Department of Radio, Television, and Electronic Information demanded that erroneous information concerning Vietnam's sovereignty be reviewed and removed, Netflix edited the sequence with the image of the "nine-dash line". A similar infringement occurred in August 2020 when Vietnam's ancient Hoi An Town was dubbed a Chinese landmark in Netflix's American political drama TV series "Madam Secretary". Air Macau to return to Vietnam next week People walk past Casino Lisboa in Macao, Dec 21, 2019. Photo by Reuters/Jason Lee Air Macau has said it will resume flights to Japan and Vietnam next week after a hiatus of nearly three years due to Covid-19. There is one weekly flight between the territory and Hanoi on Wednesdays. Macau, a casino hub, still requires visitors to undergo a seven-day hotel quarantine. Vietnam has allowed quarantine-free entry since March and fully reopened its borders to foreign tourists. No media source currently available The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Mahsa Aminis appalling death in police custody was condemned by the United States, the European Union and the United Nations. The risk of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity is upon us, according to the United Nations. Today, 345 million people in 80 countries are marching towards starvation. We can clearly see how conflict is causing hunger across the world, said U.S. Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Four areas in particular are now projected to face widespread and catastrophic levels of food insecurity: Ethiopia, northeast Nigeria, Yemen, and South Sudan. In Ethiopia, 20 million people are facing food insecurity. Farms have been damaged and looted. Harvests in Tigray, for example, produced half their typical output last year. And supply lines have been severely disrupted. We call on the Government of Ethiopia, the Tigrayan authorities, and all parties to allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian relief, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. In northeast Nigeria, over four million people will experience high levels of food insecurity. The severity in some areas is the highest weve seen in almost a decade. Farmers are worried about being attacked. Theyre abandoning their farms. That means fewer farms and fewer crops, and more displacement and more suffering. In Yemen, the truce has brought some relief to civilians, but it has not been enough to reverse one of the worlds most desperate humanitarian crises, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. Over 19 million are facing food insecurity. In South Sudan, over 60 percent of the population will experience crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity. Almost eight million people in a country that is rich in resources. We call on the government of South Sudan to issue a decree mandating the free, unimpeded, and unhindered movement of humanitarian assistance and protection for humanitarian workers. It is time for all parties to end hostilities. Finally, parts of Somalia are teetering on the edge of famine. For our part, since February, the United States has provided over $5.7 billion in humanitarian assistance to food security operations. But we know we cant do this alone and we know its not enough, said Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. We will continue to use every diplomatic tool in our arsenal to tackle the food insecurity crisis head on. And we call on every other country to do the same. While the challenge can feel overwhelming, we must remain focused, and we must stop famine before it happens. With its brutal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, threatens the heart of the UN mission to safeguard international peace and security. So said President Joe Biden in his recent address to the General Assembly. Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter, declared President Biden, none more important than the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force. In February 2022, shortly after the start of the Kremlins full-scale invasion, the Security Council voted on a resolution condemning Russias aggression and calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. Given the facts on the ground and the principles of the UN Charter, the resolution should have been easily adopted. However, despite the support of 11 Council members, the resolution was defeated following a single no vote from Russia. Such is the veto power of any one of the five permanent members and it can be a source of grievous distortion of international norms when one of the members blatantly ignores those norms to pursue its own reckless interests. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield recently noted that since 2009 Russia has cast 26 vetoes, 12 of which were joined by China, while the U.S. used the veto only four times. Any permanent member that exercises the veto to defend its own acts of aggression loses moral authority and should be held accountable, she said. During his address to the General Assembly, President Biden called for measures to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the Security Council. Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, he declared, should consistently uphold and defend the UN charter and refrain from the use of the veto, except in rare and extraordinary situations. President Biden also announced that the United States supports an expansion of the Council, in both its permanent and non-permanent members. During his address, President Biden called for permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean as well. The time has come, said President Biden, for this institution to become more inclusive so it can better respond to the needs of todays world. . . .The United States is committed to this vital work. WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. Interior Department on Monday launched a set of new policies that would require thousands of law enforcement officers to wear body cameras, ensures the release of footage in some critical incidents and restricts the use of so-called no-knock warrants. The announcement comes after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland launched a task force last year aimed at further building trust between law enforcement and the public. It also follows an executive order from President Joe Biden that focused on federal law enforcement agencies and required them to review and revise policies on use of force. The policies apply to the thousands of law enforcement officers who work for the Interior Department, in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. The agency has about 3,100 permanent law enforcement officers. While some federal agencies have already started launching body camera programs including some park rangers, park police officers and Fish and Wildlife officers the federal government has lagged behind many local police departments whose officers have been using body cameras for years. One of the new policies specifically requires all Interior Department law enforcement officers who are patrolling or engaging with the public to carry body-worn cameras and sets out the departments intent to expedite the public release of video after an incident that results in serious injury or death. Under the policy, officers or agents are required to activate the body-worn cameras at the earliest possible opportunity of an interaction and should capture as much of the event as possible, starting with the decision to engage an individual or vehicle. The camera should remain running until the event is over, the policy states. The policy says the Interior Department will strive to expedite the public release of footage after incidents that involve serious bodily injury or death in order to promote transparency and accountability. The Interior Departments law enforcement arms have faced scrutiny in recent years, particularly the U.S. Park Police who were faulted in an inspector generals report after officers used smoke grenades and pepper balls to clear racial justice protesters from an area in front of the White House in 2020. The agency also faced scrutiny over its lack of cameras after two U.S. Park Police officers fatally shot an unarmed motorist in northern Virginia in November 2017. Another of the policies restricts the use of no-knock warrants, which allow law enforcement agents to enter a home without announcing their presence. A no-knock warrant, as its name implies, is an order from a judge that allows police to enter a home without prior notification to the residents, such as ringing a doorbell or banging on the door. In most cases, the law requires that officers must knock and announce themselves before entering a private home to execute a search warrant. The updated policy similar to the policy implemented by the Justice Department for its officers last year follows the March 2020 death of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in her home during a no-knock warrant and whose death led to months of mass protests over racial injustice in policing and the treatment of Black people in the United States. The policy curtails the use of no-knock entries to instances where announcing the presence of federal officers would create an imminent threat of physical violence to the agent and/or another person, the Interior Department said. It also requires agents to first obtain approval from supervisors and a federal prosecutor before seeking a no-knock warrant. The new policies also provide additional guidance on use of force incidents, laying out that its policy would meet or exceed the policies set out by the Justice Department. It also requires the law enforcement agencies to collect and report data about the number of use of force incidents and reiterates a ban on carotid restraints and chokeholds, except when deadly force has been authorized. Every single day across the country, the Interior Departments law enforcement officers risk their lives to safeguard our communities, public lands and waters, and critical resources, said Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau. In reforming policing practices, the Department is helping strengthen the unique connection that law enforcement officers have with the communities that they serve and move the nation forward towards community-focused law enforcement. An aerial view of Truckee Meadows Community College, one of the institutions within the Nevada System of Higher Education. (Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash) Policy, politics and progressive commentary The Nevada Board of Regents is a 13-member nonpartisan board that approves budgets and policies for the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), which consists of four community colleges, two universities, one research institute and one state college. This November there are five open seats three districts (6, 7 and 13) in Southern Nevada and two districts (8 and 11) that embody parts of northern and rural Nevada and a sliver of Southern Nevada. Here we will focus on the candidates for Districts 8 and 11. District 8: Shelly Crawford vs. John Patrick Rice Currently held by Cathy McAdoo, a former nonprofit direct who won the seat by default in 2016 when she was the only candidate to file, District 8 consists of Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Lincoln, Nye, and White Pine counties, as well as two slivers of Clark County. McAdoo did not seek reelection. Michelee Shelly Crawford and John Patrick Rice collected the most votes out of the six candidates in the June primary. Both candidates are educators. Crawford, a principal at the Title-1 C.C. Ronnow Elementary in the Clark County School District and a member of the national guard in Northern Nevada, said her motivation to run stems from the struggles she saw in educational paraprofessionals trying to get licensed. Crawford, a former foster child, was the first in her family to finish high school and pursue higher education. She received an associates degree in psychology from the College of Southern Nevada, a bachelors degree in teaching English as a second language from Sierra Nevada College, a masters degree in curriculum and instruction from UNLV and currently is pursuing a doctorate in leadership and education administration from Taft University. Both of my parents didnt graduate from high school, she said. The hardest thing for me being first generation that Ive noticed from my experience compared to my colleagues who had parents who went to college is that I didnt really know where to start. She believes she would be the first Latina elected to the board. She said her main policy focuses if elected would be to create more pathways in education for paraprofessionals to get the requirements they need to advance their careers in the classrooms and help expand access to trades (her husband is a 5th generation union ironworker) and to help high school students work towards college credits similar to the program she benefited from at CSN. According to campaign finance reports filed with the state, Crawford raised $13,150 for her campaign, as of June 30. Her opponent, Rice, raised $25,990. Rice is a professor of fine arts at Great Basin College and served three terms on the Elko City Council. He received a bachelors in theater arts from Viterbo University, a masters of fine arts in theater-acting from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and a doctorate in philosophy in education from Capella University. The needs of higher education are unique and we need to have more professionals leading the Board of Regents so were able to guide the institutions we represent in the most effective way, Rice said. Ive dedicated most of my professional life to higher education in Nevada and feel like this is a great way for me to use those skills. If elected Rice said he would focus on improving the funding formula to support some of the smaller institutions in the NSHE, improve cross-collaboration between different colleges and universities in the state, improve salaries for higher education professionals and improve the relationship between the Board of Regents and the state legislature. There is a lot of concern about how the Nevada System of Education is governed by legislators and we need to work to rebuild their trust, said Rice. District 11: Jeffrey Downs vs. Steve Laden Currently held by Jason Geddes, who cant run after reaching his term limit, District 11 includes Sparks, northern Reno, and Humboldt, Pershing and northern Washoe counties. Neighbors Jeffrey Downs and Steve Laden are competing for Geddes board seat. I have nothing negative to say about Steve, Downs said. He lives around the block from me. What Ill say is we approach it from a different perspective. He has a financial background and he sees the world through that lens, and I see the world through the lens of higher education. For the last 18 years, Downs has taught math at Western Nevada College, where he served as interim vice president of student success and support for over two years. He previously was a guest lecturer at the University of Reno and taught at the high school level. He believes that its important to have a faculty voice on the Board of Regents when the policies directly impact people like him. Downs focus as a regent would be to improve the relationship between the Board of Regents and the Legislature, including hiring a permanent chancellor that works well with legislators, NSHE and businesses in Nevada, improving access to education by expanding dual enrollment, and developing curriculum that helps train people for industry jobs like welding and auto maintenance. While the national Republican Chamber of Commerce endorsed Downs, he said he is always willing to listen to others views. Im a math guy, and I have that perspective, Downs said. If elected I want to hear their voices and address their concerns. If there is something that isnt working for them, please bring it to me. Downs raised $416 for his campaign. His opponent, Laden, raised $13,981 for his campaign and brings his expertise as a businessman and educational advocate to the table. For me, its very personal about academic achievement, student access to campus and the college experience and affordability, Laden said. My wife, who grew up impoverished in rural Appalachia, her parents finished fifth grade and eighth grade no one knew anything about college or universities, she got on a bus with $10 in her pocket and went to college in West Virginia. It changed, not just her life, but our familys life. Ladens policy initiatives as a regent would be to ensure higher education is affordable, accessible and relevant to students by finding other ways to fund the costs of NSHE without raising the costs exclusively for students and improving communication on scholarships, grants, and work-study opportunities to students on campus. Laden said he wants to work with Nevadans to build a myriad of higher educational opportunities. Our community colleges play a hugely vital role in developing our workforce, giving our students an opportunity to pursue careers outside of the traditional four-year university environment, he said. These are great careers, theyre in many cases very well paying and they contribute mightily to our community and our economy. While Ladens professional background is in finance, he does have experience on education boards. He served on the Education Alliance of Washoe County/Education Collaborative for 11 years and the State of Nevada Council to Establish Academic Excellence for eight years. At the reception (Photo: VNA) He made the statement during a reception for Director of the Asia-Pacific region of UNFPA Bjorn Andersson, on October 3. During the meeting, Deputy Minister Ngoc expressed his delight that the 10th National Program on Cooperation between the Government of Vietnam and UNFPA for the period 2022-2025 (CPD10) was approved in early 2022 with key areas of activity including sexual and reproductive health; population; youth, and gender equality and women's empowerment. He emphasized that despite many achievements in the field of population and development, Vietnam still faces many challenges such as population aging, widening gap between rich and poor, and the poor health system, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the Deputy Minister suggested that UNFPA continue to cooperate and support Vietnam in the coming time to effectively implement the CPD10 program. For his part, Mr. Bjorn Andersson highly appreciated Vietnam's outstanding achievements in socio-economic development, as well as Vietnam's close cooperation with UNFPA in recent years. He shared the focus areas of the UNFPA's Strategic Plan for the period 2022-2025 including youth and teenagers; issues of population aging, sexual and reproductive health, especially among vulnerable people and ethnic minorities; gender equality and women's empowerment. He also emphasized the importance of addressing the issues of population aging and promoting reproductive health, especially among Vietnamese women and children in the coming time, and affirmed that UNFPA will continue to cooperate with Vietnam in these key areas./. ZNPP worked, will work in Ukraine Energoatom on creation of JSC for operation of plant by Rostatom The decision to create the Joint Stock Company Operating Organization of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant by the Russian Rostatom state concern is null and has no effect, the plant has worked and will continue operating in the power system of Ukraine, National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom has said. "Ukraine and the entire civilized world know that ZNPP will continue operating in Ukraine, in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, in the Ukrainian power system," Energoatom said, commenting on the decision of the Russian state concern, calling the decision null and void. "This is the agony of the imaginary crazy world of the aggressor country, in which they have now reached the point of creating pseudo-enterprises with the names of Ukrainian companies," Energoatom said. They also expressed great respect to the Zaporizhia nuclear scientists, saying that they "feel this madness every day, but continue ensuring nuclear and radiation safety." In the Russian unified public register of legal entities on October 3, at an address in Moscow, JSC Operating Organization of Zaporizhia NPP was registered with a charter capital of 2 billion rubles. The parent company with 100% of the management company is the Rostatom state corporation, the director general is Oleg Romanenko. Type of activity is production of electricity by nuclear power plants, including activities to ensure the operability of power plants. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev called President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on October 5. The head of state congratulated the Tajik President on his birth anniversary, and wished him the best of health and new successes in his activities for the prosperity of the people of Tajikistan. Emomali Rahmon thanked President Ilham Aliyev for the attention and congratulations. During the conversation, the heads of state hailed the development of friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries, and exchanged views on prospects for bilateral cooperation. U.S. President Joe Biden, during a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday, informed him about the provision of a new package of military assistance for Ukraine in the amount of $625 million, the White House press service has reported. "President Biden pledged to continue supporting Ukraine as it defends itself from Russian aggression for as long as it takes, including the provision today of a new $625 million security assistance package that includes additional weapons and equipment, including HIMARS, artillery systems and ammunition, and armored vehicles," the press service said. The press service said that President Biden also affirmed the continued readiness of the United States to impose severe costs on any individual, entity, or country that provides support to Russia's purported annexation. "He welcomed the success of the agreement that has allowed the safe export of Ukrainian grain to global markets and the need to ensure that continues," the White House said. In addition, President Biden noted the ongoing efforts of the United States to rally the world behind Ukraine's efforts to defend its freedom and democracy, as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris also joined the conversation. On Wednesday, October 5, Russian invaders launched a missile attack on Zaporizhia, the Ukrainian air defense is working, Head of regional military administration Oleksandr Starukh has said. "Attention! The enemy launched a missile attack on the regional center. Air defense is working. Stay in shelters. There is a risk of repeated attack," he wrote on his Telegram channel. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky discussed with US President Joe Biden additional sanctions, a situation on the battlefield and the importance of maintaining exports of agricultural products by sea. Zelensky wrote about this on the Telegram channel. "We coordinated efforts before joint international events. The international community must give a common and decisive response to the brazen attempts to annex Ukrainian territories," he said. Zelensky thanked the US president and the entire American people for "sustainable defense and financial support." "I was pleased to hear the words of President Biden that our military inspires the whole world, our people inspire the whole world. Indeed, our victory in this war will show how much Ukraine can give to the global strength of freedom, the global strength of democracy," the president wrote. The press service of the President's Office also reported that the head of the Ukrainian state thanked for the strong support of Ukraine, consistently demonstrated by the US government. "Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted the last two packages $1.1 billion in aid and almost $12.4 billion in support of our state," the message says. He highly appreciated the principled and firm position of the United States on the non-recognition of pseudo-referenda held by Russia in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. "They are insignificant and do not change reality. The territorial integrity of Ukraine will be restored," Zelensky said. In this context, the leaders discussed the coordination of efforts at the UN and other key international venues. "The head of the Ukrainian state informed about the course of the operation to liberate Ukrainian territories and noted that the success of the defense forces was due to the courage of Ukrainian soldiers and weapons provided by the United States," the message says. Separately, the importance of implementing the grain initiative was noted, which contributes to maintaining food security throughout the world, and the need for its further implementation is also emphasized. "The presidents positively noted the release of American citizens who were in Russian captivity. The leaders highly appreciated the effective work of the existing bilateral interaction formats, including diplomatic teams," the press service notes. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky again called for the creation of a Special Tribunal to investigate crimes of aggression against Ukraine. He stated this on Tuesday evening, speaking via video link to the participants of the public debate War and Law, which takes place as part of the Night of Law, initiated by the President of the French Constitutional Council, Laurent Fabius. "A Special Tribunal should be established for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. So that it can punish those who, unfortunately, cannot be reached by the International Criminal Court and all other available judicial institutions of the world," he said. Zelensky noted that "you and I do not have a constitutional basis to hold the Russian political and military leadership accountable for the crime of aggression." We, he said, have the International Criminal Court (ICC). "Ukraine fully supports the activities of this court, Ukraine recognizes the jurisdiction of this court in relation to all events that took place on the territory of Ukraine," the president said. "I believe that the International Criminal Court will be able to create a historical precedent of an absolutely legal response to the crimes committed by the Russian occupiers, as large-scale as the Russian war against Ukraine. But for the original crime of armed aggression to receive a fair answer as well, we must supplement the activities of the International Criminal Court," the president said. According to him, "the project for the creation of the tribunal was presented to our partners." "When we conclude an agreement and establish a Special Tribunal for Russian aggression, the very fact of preparing indictments and issuing arrest warrants for those who planned and ordered the beginning of this aggression will be the most powerful signal to all other potential aggressors in the world," Zelensky said, inviting "France, in particular, your Constitutional Council to actively join the negotiations on the establishment of the special tribunal." Ukraine to receive ammunition, 4 HIMARS, 32 howitzers, 200 MaxxPro armored vehicles as part of new military aid package from USA Pentagon As part of a new U.S. military assistance package announced on Tuesday by U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukraine will receive thousands rounds of ammunition, 4 HIMARS missile systems and associated munitions, 32 howitzers, and 200 MaxxPro mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles or MRAPs, the Pentagon press service has reported. Included in the latest package are four 16 M777 155 mm Howitzers; 75,000 artillery rounds for the Howitzers, as well as 500 M982 Excalibur precision-guided rounds; 1,000 155 mm rounds of remote anti-armor mine systems; In addition, the package includes 16 105 mm Howitzers; 30,000 120 mm mortar rounds; 200,000 rounds of small arms ammunition; obstacle emplacement equipment and Claymore anti-personnel munitions. "In total, the United States has now committed more than $17.5 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including more than $16.8 billion since the beginning of Russia's invasion on February 24," the U.S. Department of Defense said. The United States will continue to consult closely with Ukraine to meet its evolving battlefield requirements in coordination with our allies and partners to provide Ukraine with the capabilities it needs. In October, Ukraine will present to the UN a draft resolution of the General Assembly on the payment of reparations by Russia for the unleashed war. This was stated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking on Tuesday evening via video link to the participants of the public debate War and Law, which takes place as part of the Night of Law, initiated by Chairman of the Constitutional Council of France Laurent Fabius. "Already now, in October, we offer everyone who values international law to support a fundamental resolution at the UN General Assembly. A resolution confirming Russia's international legal obligation to pay reparations for this war and recognizing the need for a compensation mechanism through which such an obligation can be implemented," the president said. "The aggressor must fully pay for the cruelty and destruction he unleashed. And although it is not easy in the case of Russia, it is quite possible," Zelensky said. The EU countries have reached an agreement on the eighth package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said. "I welcome the Member States' agreement today on the 8th sanctions package. We have moved quickly and decisively. We will never accept Putin's sham referenda nor any kind of annexation in Ukraine. We are determined to continue making the Kremlin pay," von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. EP Head: No sham referenda to ever change fact that Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Crimea are, will remain part of Ukraine No fake referenda will ever change the fact that Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia, as well as Crimea, are and will remain part of an independent and sovereign Ukraine, head of the European Parliament (EP) Roberta Metsola has said. "On September 30, after Russia staged a series of sham referenda, it illegally annexed the occupied territories of Ukraine, in what is a blatant violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and international law. On behalf of the European Parliament, let me reiterate: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia - just like Crimea - are and will remain part of independent and sovereign Ukraine. No sham referenda can ever change this," Metsola said at a plenary meeting of the European Parliament on Wednesday. President of the National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom Petro Kotin has assumed the duties of the director general of the Zaporizhia NPP, the company told Interfax-Ukraine. Kotin announced this decision in a video message to ZNPP employees. "In accordance with the current legislation, permits and regulatory documents, I have decided to take on the duties of the director general of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant," he said. According to Kotin, the administration of the plant has been moved to Kyiv since the kidnapping of ZNPP Director General Ihor Murashov: "All further decisions on the operation of the plant will be made directly at the central office of Energoatom." He also said that the technical issues of the operation of power units will continue to be resolved by the technical staff of the nuclear power plant in agreement with the central office of the company. "Of course, our work, our destiny, our homes and our future are with Ukraine, as always. We will continue working in accordance with Ukrainian legislation, in the Ukrainian power system, in Energoatom. Do not doubt it!" Kotin said. The Embassy of Japan in Ukraine has officially resumed its work in Kyiv. "We are back and ready to work together with Ukraine for the sake of victory! On Wednesday, October 5, the Japanese Embassy in Ukraine officially resumed work in Kyiv. Japan will further strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and Japan and help restore and rebuild Ukraine. Japan together with Ukraine!" the embassy said on its Twitter page on Wednesday. It is emphasized that the consular section of the embassy is still closed. A foundation stone has been laid for Kangarli village, Aghdam district. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony. Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except Shusha district) Emin Huseynov informed the President and the First Lady of the work to be done in the village. A video on the development plan of the village was screened. 2626 people (639 families) are planned to be settled in Kangarli village, which is 6 kilometers far from Aghdam city. The total projected area is 177.2 hectares. President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation stone for Kangarli village. Construction works in the village will start on October 10, this year and is scheduled to be completed on April 10, 2024. Zelensky to participate in inaugural summit of European Political Community via video linkup President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will participate via video linkup in the inaugural summit of the European Political Community, which will take place in Prague on October 6. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will represent Ukraine at the event. "Zelensky is expected to participate via video linkup. Prime Minister Shmyhal will be present in person," a senior European official told reporters. The summit will bring together 44 political leaders. Head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev expelled head of the Cassation Economic Court as part of the Supreme Court Judge Bohdan Lvov from the staff of the court, the Supreme Court informs. "The Constitution of Ukraine defines that the powers of a judge are terminated in case of termination of citizenship of Ukraine or acquisition of citizenship of another state by a judge. In such circumstances, the chairman of the court has the right to expel from the staff of the court in accordance with the law of Ukraine On the Judicial System and the Status of Judges," the Supreme Court said in a statement posted on the court's Facebook page on Wednesday. The message notes: "In accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law of Ukraine and the relevant law on the judicial system, the head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev issued an order to expel Bohdan Yuriyovych Lviv from the staff of the Supreme Court from October 5, 2022 on the basis of information from the Security Service of Ukraine, in which the Security Service of Ukraine confirmed that B. Y. Lvov has citizenship of the Russian Federation according to the registers of the Russian Federation." In the message, the court quotes Knyazev's comment on this matter. "This is an unprecedented decision for the judicial system, because these provisions of the Constitution and the Law are applied for the first time. But in times of a full-scale war with the Russian Federation, when our best citizens are dying at the front and in the rear, we cannot allow even the slightest doubt in the objectivity, independence and impartiality of the Supreme Court and all its judges." According to the head of the Supreme Court, despite the fact that Lvov himself denies having a Russian passport, "his actions and the situation itself are already seriously harming the authority of the Supreme Court, causing public distrust of the decisions of the Supreme Court, which should never happen." Kniazev emphasizes that "even the vacation of judge Bohdan Lvov does not solve the problem of his Russian citizenship, because the vacation does not deprive the person of authority, but creates the impression that Bohdan Lvov still has the powers of a judge of the Supreme Court and the head of the Cassation Economic Court of the Supreme Court." The head of the Supreme Court points out that the court in its actions "relies on the information of the Security Service of Ukraine until they are refuted in the manner prescribed by law, therefore Bohdan Lvov is not deprived of the right to prove that he does not have Russian citizenship." Earlier, the Supreme Court reported that according to the results of the SBU audit, the Russian citizenship of the head of the Cassation Economic Court as part of the Supreme Court of the judge of Lvov was established, and the assembly of judges will consider the issue of his early release from office. At the meeting of judges, there were not enough judges to dismiss Lvov from his post. Vice-President of Cote d'Ivoire Tiemoko Meyliet Kone announced the decision of his country to join the Crimean Platform, Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has said while summing up the results of his meeting with Kone as part of a tour to African countries. Kuleba passed a personal message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to President of Cote d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara, according to the press service of the Ukrainian government. The minister also expressed gratitude to Cote d'Ivoire for its support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders against the background of Russia's aggression, as well as noted active cooperation between Ukraine and Cote d'Ivoire within international organizations. "Ukraine and Cote d'Ivoire have common foreign policy priorities peaceful coexistence of countries, non-intrusion in interior affairs, mutual respect, sustainable economic development. We are also fighting against common challenges the Wagner fighters, the food crisis, the climate change. Together, we will fight for peace and prosperity of our peoples," Kuleba said. Kone stressed that Cote d'Ivoire opposes Russia's war against Ukraine and supports efforts for restoring peace in Ukraine. The officials discussed steps aimed at reviving cooperation between their countries in the spheres of security, trade, agriculture and education. As reported, the First Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform is planned to be held on October 25 in Zagreb, Croatia. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky held another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on Wednesday, during which the issue of countering new types of weapons used by the Russian army were considered, as well as information on the situation on the front and on the preparations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for the winter season was heard. "The morning started with another meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Representatives of the intelligence, the General Staff of the AFU and chiefs of the operational commands reported on the situation on the front," Zelensky said on the Telegram channel. The other important issues for consideration included the stabilization in the recently de-occupied territories of Ukraine, further liberation of the Ukrainian territories from the Russian occupiers, fight against new types of weapons used by the Russian troops, and the preparations of the AFU for the winter season, the president said. The participants of the meeting also analyzed the urgent needs of the defense forces in material and technical support and the course of preparation of the troops for the winter period, according to the president's press service. The meeting was attended by Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Valeriy Zaluzhny, Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Kyrylo Budanov, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, heads of law enforcement agencies and security agencies, as well as Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, his deputy Roman Mashovets and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov. Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commander of the Khortytsia joint strategic group of troops Oleksandr Syrsky, Commander of the West Operational Command Forces Serhiy Litvinov, Commander of the South Operational Command Forces Andriy Kovalchuk and commander of the Kherson joint strategic group of forces Oleksandr Tarnavsky joined the meeting via videoconference. On Friday, October 7, at 11.00, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency's press center will host a discussion entitled Situation with queues of vehicles on Ukrainian borders. Measures to increase capacity of border crossings. Introduction of e-Cherha electronic service." Participants include Deputy Chairman of the State Service for Transport Safety Nikita Lahunin; President of the Association Ukrcondprom A.Baldiniuk (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot. Details by phone: (066) 785 9456. KYIV. Oct 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) Almost 20% of Ukrainians have close relatives with whom they have lost contact as a result of the Russian invasion and do not know where they are. This is evidenced by the results of a survey conducted under the project of the NGO Center for Assistance to the Volunteer Movement Volunteer.Org: Assessment of damage caused by Russian war crimes in Ukraine. "Almost 20% reported that they have among their close relatives those with whom they have lost contact and do not know where they are now. Some 5% have among relatives those who died because of the war, 3% those who were forcibly deported to Russia or to the occupied territories of the east or Crimea. Some 7% of respondents noted that they personally or their close relatives were injured, mutilated due to military operations," the results of the survey, presented on Wednesday at the Interfax-Ukraine press center, say. Every tenth respondent indicated that their housing was either completely destroyed (2% of respondents) or damaged (8% of respondents). Another 5% said they did not know the state of their housing now. For 85% of respondents, the housing situation did not changed. "About a third of those whose house is located in the de-occupied territory or the territory of hostilities noted that their housing was damaged. Also, every fifth respondent of those who still have housing in the zone of occupation does not know what condition it is in," the results say. It is also noted that 95% of those surveyed did not contact law enforcement agencies in the past six months on issues related to the full-scale Russian invasion. At the same time, special courts with the participation of national and foreign judges (63%) and international institutions (23%) are considered the most effective mechanism for Russia's war crimes. "A third of the respondents are ready to personally participate in lawsuits in order to demand compensation for lost property/health in courts and international courts," analysts point out. According to Oleksandr Kopyl, co-founder of the consulting company K&K Group, head of the Nurnberg-2022 volunteer initiative, which has been collecting and cataloging the crimes of the Russian army against the Ukrainian population since the first day of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the Nurnberg-2022 initiative alone published more than 3,000 facts of war crimes. "In addition to informing the public, all the facts are sent for further work to the relevant law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, as well as to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. We are sure that thanks to the cooperation of public initiatives and state authorities, war crimes will be investigated, and all war criminals will be fairly punished," Kopyl noted. The survey and the report were prepared under the project Urgent EU Support for Civil Society, implemented by the Initiative Center to Support Social Action Ednannia (Unity) with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the NGO Center for Assistance to the Volunteer Movement Volunteer.Org and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union. Expert support and advice during the study was provided by representatives of the Coalition Ukraine. Five in the Morning. The survey was conducted among the population of Ukraine aged 18 years and older in all regions, except for the temporarily occupied territories of Crimea and Donbas, as well as territories where at the time of the survey there was no Ukrainian mobile communication. The survey period is from September 15 to September 19, 2022. Results are weighted using up-to-date data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine. The sample is representative in terms of age, gender, and type of settlement. Sample population: 2,000 respondents. Survey method: CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews - telephone interviews using a computer). The error of the study representativeness with a confidence probability of 0.95: no more than 2.2%. The largest European crypto exchange WhiteBIT and the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The upcoming collaboration is part of WhiteBIT's global efforts to popularize and spread blockchain. "The WhiteBIT company is moving step by step towards the realization of its main goal the mass adoption of blockchain technology and the expansion of the cryptocurrency community. The technological future is already coming, and soon the blockchain will completely change the life of every person in Ukraine and the world. In order to take advantage of all the opportunities that are open to humanity, the young generation of Ukrainians must acquire comprehensive and professional knowledge of the latest technologies in a timely manner. That is why WhiteBIT and Mohylyanka have agreed on the creation of an educational ecosystem, thanks to which students and all those who are interested will acquire relevant modern information and skills," - Volodymyr Nosov, the CEO of WhiteBIT said. In particular, within the framework of the Memorandum, WhiteBIT and NaUKMA will carry out joint activities in the field of development of blockchain technologies, regulation of virtual assets and circulation of cryptocurrencies. First of all, it is about the development of certified educational programs, master's programs, thematic events and other scientific, methodological, educational and informational interaction. "The Kyiv-Mohyla Academy remains true to its leadership traditions. Having signed a memorandum with the WhiteBIT company, we are starting work on creating the first master's program in blockchain technology in Ukraine and Eastern Europe, as well as the corresponding certificate program. Together with our partners, we are intensifying the educational process, helping young people to master the latest technologies together," - Serhii Kvit, the president of the National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" says. Reference: WhiteBIT is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in Europe. Meets all KYC and AML requirements. It is among the top 2 security exchanges in the world based on Hacken's independent audit and has a AAA rating. The WhiteBIT team unites 500+ participants. The National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" is an institution of higher education in Ukraine. Founded in 1615. The National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" operates: 77 educational programs of three levels of higher education, 6 faculties, 35 departments, 27 scientific centers and laboratories. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN high level climate change champion for Egypt, stressed on Monday that the five regional forums and the resulting projects are translating the Egyptian presidencys vision for the 27th UN Climate Change Summit (COP27) into action. The Palestinians on Tuesday hailed Australia's decision to reverse its recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital despite fierce criticism by Israel. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Hassan Abdallah met in Cairo on Monday to review a raft of economic files, chief among which was the themes and topics to be discussed during an economic conference the government will hold soon pursuant to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's directives. The conference is expected to explore a set of visions and proposals for shoring up all sectors of the national economy and dealing with current challenges. Last Thursday, El-Sisi called on the government to organise an economic conference by the end of the month to discuss the latest developments and future of Egyptian economy. Madbouly outlined preparations for the event, including ongoing coordination among relevant bodies to set an agenda that covers several topics and files of significant importance to the national economy, such as exports, industry and investment opportunities, Cabinet Spokesman Nader Saad said. The prime minister highlighted the pivotal role played by the CBE to streamline investment-related measures that stimulate investors to embark on more projects in various sectors, especially the manufacturing, infrastructure and energy industries. The meeting also touched on key fiscal policy indicators, as well as the recent measures taken by the government and CBE to weather the impact of the current global crises in a way that ensures full integration between the fiscal and monetary policies of both sides. It also tackled the latest developments related to Cairo's ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in addition to the efforts exerted to secure the funds necessary for purchasing strategic commodities as per El-Sisi's directives. In August, PM Madbouly stated that the ongoing talks with the IMF were in their final stage. Search Keywords: Short link: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have attended a groundbreaking ceremony for internal road and communication network of the city of Aghdam. Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except Shusha district) Emin Huseynov informed the head of state and the First Lady of the work to be done. The 4-lane Barda-Aghdam highway connects with the intra-city road network of Aghdam. The total length of intra-city roads is 191.1 kilometers. President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation stone for internal road and communication network of the city of Aghdam. President Joe Biden on Monday said the United States would place "further costs" on Iran for its violent crackdown against nationwide protests sparked by outrage over the death of Mahsa Amini. Amini, 22, was pronounced dead on September 16, days after the notorious morality police detained the Kurdish Iranian for allegedly breaching rules forcing women to wear hijab headscarves and modest clothes. Anger over her death has sparked the biggest wave of protests to rock Iran in almost three years, with security forces in Tehran cracking down Sunday night on hundreds of university students. "This week, the United States will be imposing further costs on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protestors," Biden said in a statement. "We will continue holding Iranian officials accountable and supporting the rights of Iranians to protest freely." Biden added he was "gravely concerned" about reports of the intensifying repression of protesters and said Washington stood with "all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their bravery". Biden gave no indication of what measures he was considering. Iran is already under crippling US economic sanctions largely related to its controversial nuclear programme. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier on Monday stressed that the "problems with Iran's behaviour" are separate from efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear accord, which Washington will pursue "as long as we believe" it is in US national security interests. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had accused arch-foes the United States and Israel of fomenting the upheaval. The riots "were engineered by America and the occupying, false Zionist regime, as well as their paid agents, with the help of some traitorous Iranians abroad", the Islamic republic's leader said. "Incredible" courage In his first public comments on Amini's death, 83-year-old Khamenei stressed that police must "stand up to criminals". Khamenei said "some people, without proof or an investigation, have made the streets dangerous, burned the Koran, removed hijabs from veiled women and set fire to mosques and cars". He added that "this is not about hijab in Iran", and that "many Iranian women who don't observe the hijab perfectly are among the steadfast supporters of the Islamic republic." Concern grew over a night-time crackdown on students at Tehran's prestigious Sharif University of Technology where, local media reported, riot police carrying steel pellet guns used tear gas and paintball guns against hundreds of students. "Woman, life, liberty" the students shouted, as well as "students prefer death to humiliation", Mehr news agency reported. Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights posted videos apparently showing police on motorcycles chasing students running through an underground car park and taking away detainees, their heads covered in black cloth bags. In one clip, which IHR said was taken at a Tehran metro station, a crowd can be heard chanting: "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! We are all together!" In response to the university protests, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the courage of the Iranians was "incredible", and that the "regime's brute force is an expression of sheer fear of the power of education and freedom." British Foreign Minister James Cleverly said the violence against protesters was "truly shocking", and summoned Tehran's top diplomat in London, while Canada imposed new sanctions citing "the egregious actions committed by Iran's so-called 'Morality Police'". Protests were also reported at other universities, including in the central city of Isfahan. Iran has repeatedly accused outside forces of stoking the protests and last week said nine foreign nationals -- including from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland -- had been arrested. "Help me" The parents of Italian woman Alessia Piperno, 30, from Rome, said they had lost contact with her after speaking to her on Wednesday -- her birthday -- but then received a phone call from her on Sunday apparently from detention. "I'm fine but there are people here who say they have been inside for months and for no reason," she told them, according to Il Messaggero, Rome's daily newspaper. "I fear I won't be let out again. Help me." Italy's foreign ministry has so far made no comment on the identity of the Italian held. At least 92 protesters have been killed so far in the Mahsa Amini rallies, said IHR, which has been working to assess the death toll despite internet outages and blocks on WhatsApp, Instagram and other online services. Amnesty International said earlier it had confirmed 53 deaths, after Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said last week that "around 60" people had died. At least 12 members of the security forces have been reported killed since September 16. Search Keywords: Short link: Cairo Steps released a new music video Dahab on their YouTube channel on Wednesday. Related Cairo Steps and Sufi chanter Sheikh Ehab Younis collaborate in new video The video features music by Basem Darwisch, with visuals presenting the beauty of Dahab, a small Egyptian town and a popular touristic spot on the southeast coast of the Sinai Peninsula. Darwisch dedicated the composition to his wife Katharina who passed away on 27 May of this year and whose birthday falls on 5 October. He told Ahram Online that Katharina was instrumental in the production of Dahab. "Without her support it would not have been possible to establish Cairo Steps," Darwisch said. It was Katharina who chose the name and location of Dahab, he revealed. With Darwisch on oud, the music walks us through Dahab's atmosphere, with a pensive melody line accompanied by the band members: Rami Attallah (piano), Stefan Hergenroder (e-bass), Rageed William (duduk and nay), Ragy Kamal (kanoun), Max Klaas (percussions) and Hany El-Sawaf (oriental percussions). In the arrangement created by Rafeek Gamal, Cairo Steps are accompanied by a plethora of known Egyptian string musicians, violins (Aziz Georg, Emad Azmy, Shereen Azmy, Shady Abdel-Salam, Nehad Gamaleddin, Ahmed Tarek, violas (Aziz Georg, Emad Azmy), and cellist Jan Boshra. "The mixing and mastering of Dahab was done by the renowned sound engineer Amir Mahrous," Darwisch adds. The composition comes as one of the hallmarks of Darwisch's musical style, where he explores his Egyptian and Arab roots with oud, while setting the music within harmonies that resonate to Western and Middle Eastern ears. The soft passages, even if harmonically expected, create a soothing sensation of peace and calm found in Dahab, while the video directed by Mohamed El-Alfy presents the musicians at the backdrop of the most beautiful locations of this small town. The newly released video sees yet another collaboration between Cairo Steps and the team of video creators. The team has been working together on Naeim Redak (The Blessing of Your Approval), that joined Tomaso Albinoni's Adagio in G-minor and Sufi singing, and released in April 2022. Naeim Redak was partly shot during Darwischs stay in Sinai. On the other hand, Dahab is Darwisch's tribute to the beauty of the Egyptian unique nature shining with many colours of the desert-dominated plains. He has various compositions in his repertoire such as Siwa, Dance of the Nile, among other works representing what seems to be his longing to the home country's beauty or a contemplation of a Germany-based musician captured through creativity. In each composition, those emotions become musical paintings even when not supported by the visuals, managing to speak strongly to the listeners. Such emotional journey is also evident in his latest Dahab. In fact, music videos are among the novelty on Cairo Steps' YouTube channel, which until recently relied mostly on presenting audio recordings of Darwisch's compositions and some footage from his many concerts. With over 50,000 subscribers to Cairo Steps' channel, the compositions gain high viewership, while Darwisch's concerts attract large audiences to Cairo venues. Founded in 2002 as a collaboration between Darwisch and German pianist Matthias Frey, Cairo Steps has performed extensively in Egypt and Germany, and on many other international stages. The band brings together numerous music genres traditional Egyptian and Oriental grooves, Sufi traditions, Western classical music, European ethnic music, and jazz improvisation into one melting pot. The final blend is a unique combination of compositions from Eastern and Western musical cultures. In 2018, Cairo Steps received the German Jazz Music Award for their album Flying Carpet, created with Quadro Nuevo. This collaboration also saw the participation of well-known flutist Ines Abdel-Dayem. In 2021, Darwisch and the jazz music ensemble Quadro Nuevo were honoured with a German Gold Award. The award was given for the album Mare by Quadro Nuevo, which includes Darwischs track Cafe Groppi, a composition inspired by the iconic coffee shop in downtown Cairo, as well as to Darwisch himself and the sound engineer. Search Keywords: Short link: Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait has tasked a high-level ministerial committee to simplify all procedures of customs release and Value Added Tax (VAT) refund for the thousands of guests of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27, which will be hosted by Egypt in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh 6-18 November. This committee will have the authority to make all necessary decisions to facilitate temporary customs release for all equipment and machines accompanying the UN secretariat, official delegations, and international briefing delegations who will participate in the conference, explained Maait. A simplified customs procedures manual has been developed in both Arabic and English that includes import customs procedures under the temporary release system; advance customs clearance procedures; and VAT refund procedures for foreign departing passengers, added Maiit. "The manual will be circulated, uploaded, and published on the COP27 official website, the finance ministry website, and other concerned authorities' websites," he added. As of end of August, 35,000 have registered worldwide on the UN website for COP27, putting the upcoming UN climate change conference in Sharm El-Sheikh on track to possibly become one of the most attended COPs, according to the Egyptian Earth's Climate for Sustainable Development Foundation (EC4SDF). The committee will comprise top finance ministry officials, including the heads of the Tax Authority and Customs Authority and the VAT Affairs Department at the ministry. It will also include the director-general of Sharm El Sheikh Customs; the director-general of Air Imports and Exports Customs at the finance ministry; and the director-general of Public Relations at Cairo International Airport. The committee will follow up on facilitating all customs procedures related to imported items and VAT refund to foreign departing passengers who participated in the conference, according to Maait. El-Shahat Ghatouri, the head of the Tax Authority and Customs Authority, explained that the committee will make decisions on the temporary release of equipment, machines, devices among all items imported to the COP27. The committee will coordinate with the concerned officials at the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to release equipment and other items related to the United Nations Climate Conference Secretariat, items accompanying foreign media correspondents, and items accompanying all delegations participating in COP27," Ghatouri added. Search Keywords: Short link: As the sun beats down on Iraq, most people swelter in their concrete homes -- but not the inhabitants of one mountain town known for its ancient and cool stone houses. Tracing its roots back 2,700 years, the picturesque Kurdish town of Akre says it is better adapted to the modern-day perils of climate change than other parts of Iraq. "Stone houses are far more resistant" to the rising temperatures and also preserve the town's unique character, said Mayor Baland Reda Zubair. "Cement radiates heat, raises temperatures and affects the environment," said Zubair of the building material that is allowed only in outlying neighbourhoods. Many of Akre's narrow alleyways can only be navigated by donkeys and wind through a historic city centre bathed in the pale yellow and brown hues of the locally quarried stone. Oil-rich Iraq is the world's fifth-most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change, according to the United Nations. The Kurdistan region where Akre lies suffers from heat and water scarcity like the rest of the country. But while Iraqi authorities have done little to address the challenges, Akre, a city of 100,000 residents about 500 kilometres (311 miles) north of Baghdad, believes sticking with the old ways will help it adapt. Since 1991, when Kurdistan gained de facto autonomy from Iraq, it has declared concrete off limits for construction and renovation in the old city of Akre. - No air-con - An impressive building welcomes those entering the old city. Dating to 1853, it is a remnant of the Ottoman Empire that once ruled the area. "It's an old military barracks," said Jamil Siddik, a 63-year-old engineer who oversees renovation works in the city. The limestone used for renovation is sourced from the mountains that surround Akre, he explained. For its residents, "limestone is easy to use. It's cheap and available," Siddik said. It also provides great insulation. "Concrete blocks may only be 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) wide, while the stones are 40 or 60 centimetres wide," he said. Bewar Majeed, 37, lives in the old city. By his doorstep, kittens were playing in the sun, as the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). But inside the house, the rooms are nice and cool thanks to its limestone walls. "I don't need an air conditioner," he said. "I have a small air cooler, which is enough for me, and it's less expensive." The city's policy promoting stone over concrete relies on public financing. For years after 2011, public funds paid for the renovation of 25 old houses and a mosque. In 2014, however, funding was suspended "because of the financial crisis", said Mayor Zubair. Now, he added, old city residents may renovate or build with their own money, so long as they avoid concrete, or "eventually cover it with stone". - Tourist draw - On top of the environmental benefits, Akre's conservation efforts aim to preserve its heritage value and attract tourism. According to the regional tourism board, 1.7 million visitors came to Iraqi Kurdistan during the first quarter of 2022, the vast majority of them Iraqis. The autonomous region has cultivated an image of stability, distancing itself from the violence that has engulfed other parts of Iraq in recent years. Still, Kurdistan hasn't been entirely spared the sounds of battle. Neighbouring Turkey regularly carries out military operations there in its fight against the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been designated a "terrorist" group by Turkey and its Western allies. In July, artillery bombardment several dozen kilometres away from Akre killed nine civilians, most of them Iraqi holidaymakers. Baghdad blamed Ankara, which denies the Iraqi claim. But Akre's residents shy away from politics. Ali, an ice cream vendor, said tourists who are drawn to the town bring him "joy". "We get Iraqis, Germans and French," he added. "They like our historic city centre." Search Keywords: Short link: The UK embassy in Egypt has launched the Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) a technical assistance programme funded by the UK government to help low-carbon projects in Egypt access the funding they need. The programme was launched during a celebration held on Tuesday by the UK embassy in Egypt under the title one month to go to mark one month until the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP27), which is set to held in the Egyptian Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh in November. The CFA operates in Nigeria, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, Mexico, Peru, and Pakistan and seeks to expand in Egypt with the aim of encouraging the flows of finance required to deliver on countries ambition to limit global warming to 1.5C. In Egypt, the CFA will bring together the key actors in the climate finance investment chain, including project proponents and developers, finance providers, and policymakers. CFA Egypt is initially looking for around 10 projects at the pre-feasibility stage that are seeking investment of at least $1 million, and aims to improve the flow of green finance or climate finance in Egypt. These projects will receive support from various experts to accelerate their project development and optimise their chances of securing the financing they require, the embassy clarified in a statement ahead of the event. The projects will be selected by Egyptian and international experts based on four main criteria: climate mitigation potential, project maturity, financial structuring, and gender equality and social inclusion. Application for the programme is available online until 16 October. Minister of the Environment Yasmine Fouad, who is also the Ministerial Coordinator and Envoy for the COP27, and Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat participated virtually in the launch ceremony. During the event, British Ambassador in Cairo Gareth Bayley said the CFA programme is making changes on the ground in African countries and worldwide as far as climate action is concerned. In a recorded speech aired during the celebration, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly underscored the necessity of having all countries join efforts to reach a common goal to limit global temperature rise to well below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Minister Cleverly said he would be attending COP27. Cleverlys announcement comes amid reports that the UKs King Charles III, known for his environment support, will not travel to next month's COP27 climate summit. The reports claimed that this was upon advice from the UKs newly appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss. The reports highlighted concern's that the UK new prime minister who was appointed by the late queen two days before the monarchs died may scale back the countrys climate commitments. However, other reports said on Wednesday that Russ will attend the event. Hopes are pinned on COP27 to push developed countries to honour their pledges to finance climate adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing countries. The late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles addressed the climate summit in Glasgow last year. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran said Wednesday it had summoned British ambassador Simon Shercliff to hear a protest over "meddlesome statements" on the unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. A wave of unrest has rocked Iran since the 22-year-old Kurd died on September 16 after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran for allegedly failing to observe the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. The street violence has led to the deaths of dozens of people, mostly protesters but also members of the security forces. Tehran "rejects and strongly condemns the interference of the British foreign ministry in Iran's internal affairs by resorting to fake and provocative interpretations," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Unfortunately, by issuing unilateral and selective statements, the British side shows that it has a share in the scenarios of the enemies who are active in Britain and are acting against the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Iran will consider possible options for a reciprocal response to any unconventional actions by the British side," the ministry said, adding that it had made its protest on Tuesday. Also on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned the European Union of a response a day after its foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the 27-member bloc is considering sanctions on Iran over Amini's death. "If the EU wants to take a hasty and ill-considered action with a double standard approach, it should wait for the effective and reciprocal action of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone call with his Italian counterpart. "During the recent events, foreign interventionists, organised agents and terrorists, especially in Zahedan and the west of Iran, pushed the path of peaceful gatherings of people towards violence, riots and killing of innocent people, the police and security forces." Earlier in the day, in an Instagram post, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani accused "Western governments" of meddling in Iran's affairs. "The interfering behaviour and open support of some Western governments for the recent disturbances in Iran and the continuation of their provocative behaviour proved that whenever they see an opportunity, they will not hesitate to take direct and indirect action against the stability, security and establishment of our country and system," Kanani said. On Monday, the British foreign ministry summoned Iran's top diplomat in London to criticise the way Iranian authorities are handling the protests. "The violence levelled at protesters in Iran by the security forces is truly shocking," foreign minister James Cleverly said. "We will continue to work with our partners to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their flagrant human rights violations," he added. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended on Wednesday a ceremony held by the country's religious endowments ministry on the anniversary birth of the Prophet Muhammad (Moulid El-Nabi). In his speech during the ceremony, El-Sisi called for following the morals of the Prophet Muhammad, such as honesty, faithfulness, fulfilling promises, mercy, solidarity and compassion, and translate them into practical behaviours. The president asserted that one of the most important lessons learned from the Prophet is confronting difficulties and challenges with determination and tirelessness. Celebrating the Prophets birth is a good occasion to contemplate the essence and purpose of his tolerant message and to follow his noble morals, El-Sisi said. The president also warned of the danger of spreading rumours, saying that rumours are a crime against the security of society. Those who spread them commit crimes against religion and society, seeking disorder and chaos, he added. Therefore, we must all be watchful of the weak souls who do not seek constructive criticism to rebuild and reform, but rather seek to ignite sedition and spread lies to demolish and spread corruption, the president stressed. Furthermore, El-Sisi asserted that Egypt is experiencing a juncture characterised by sheer dedication and productivity, and that the country is pursuing the path towards development. During the ceremony, which was held at Manara International Conference Centre in New Cairo, El-Sisi honoured a number of distinguished scholars in appreciation of their relentless efforts in disseminating the moderate teachings of Islam inside and outside Egypt. The event was attended by Al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayyeb, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, state officials, and religious scholars. The anniversary of Moulid El-Nabi which comes every year on 12 Rabie El-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar falls this year on 8 October on the Gregorian calendar. The Prophet Muhammads birthday is designated a public holiday in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Ethiopia's government said Wednesday it has accepted an African Union invitation to hold peace talks with Tigrayan rebels after a flare-up in fighting in the nearly two-year war in the country's north. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's national security adviser Redwan Hussein said on Twitter that the government had "accepted this invitation which is in line with our principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the need to have talks without preconditions". Both sides have been invited to talks in South Africa this weekend, according to a letter written by AU chair Moussa Faki Mahamat, and forwarded to AFP by the foreign ministry in Pretoria. The Government Communication Service said in a statement that the AU had set "both the date and the venue" for the talks but did not elaborate. AU spokeswoman Ebba Kalondo declined to provide information about when and where the talks would take place, telling AFP: "We will communicate details as and when appropriate", adding that the process remained "on track". The deepening conflict has raised international alarm, with the United States this week announcing that its special envoy to the region, Mike Hammer, would be making his second visit to Ethiopia in as many months to seek a halt to the fighting. The latest upsurge has also drawn Eritrean troops back on to the battlefield in support of Ethiopia's federal and regional forces, which are fighting the TPLF on multiple fronts in the country's north. 'Troika Of Negotiators' A diplomatic source told AFP that the AU talks would be mediated by "a troika of negotiators" including the bloc's Horn of Africa envoy Olusegun Obasanjo and former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta. Another diplomatic source said South Africa's former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka would serve as the third negotiator. The warring sides were previously at odds over who should mediate negotiations, with Abiy's government pushing for Obasanjo and the TPLF wanting Kenyatta to broker dialogue. They have also sparred over the restoration of basic services such as electricity, communications and banking in Tigray -- a key precondition for dialogue according to the TPLF. The region of six million people has been facing desperate shortages of food, fuel, medicines and other emergency supplies, with the UN's World Food Programme warning of rising malnutrition even before the latest fighting halted aid deliveries. The US State Department on Monday announced that special envoy Hammer would travel to Kenya, South Africa and Ethiopia this month. The visit, which will include meetings with federal government and African Union officials, comes on the heels of an 11-day trip by Hammer to Ethiopia last month, with the State Department saying it was aimed at supporting the launch of AU-led peace talks. The war, which erupted in November 2020, has killed untold numbers of civilians and triggered a deep humanitarian crisis, and all sides to the conflict have been accused of grave abuses against civilians. The TPLF dominated Ethiopia's ruling coalition for decades before Abiy took power in 2018. After months of rising tensions, Abiy sent soldiers into Tigray to unseat the TPLF, saying the move was in response to attacks on federal army camps. Search Keywords: Short link: Detained US citizen Baquer Namazi has been allowed to leave Iran and his son has been granted furlough from prison, the State Department said Wednesday, confirming their release. Namazi, a former UNICEF official, was detained in February 2016 when the 85-year-old went to Iran to press for the release of his son Siamak, who had been arrested in October of the previous year. The United States has been pressing for the release of these two men and two other Americans amid efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major Western powers. "Wrongfully detained US citizen Baquer Namazi has been permitted to depart Iran, and his son Siamak, also wrongfully detained, has been granted furlough from prison," a State Department spokesperson told AFP. It added that the older Namazi "was unjustly detained in Iran and then not permitted to leave the county after serving his sentence, despite his repeated requirement for urgent medical attention." "We understand that the lifting of the travel ban and his son's furlough were related to his medical requirement." The United Nations said last week that the pair had been allowed to leave Iran, after an appeal from its Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Both were convicted of espionage in October 2016 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Baquer Namazi was released on medical leave in 2018 and had been serving his sentence under house arrest. At least two other American citizens are currently held in Iran. Businessman Emad Sharqi was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison for espionage, and environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who is also a British national, was arrested in 2018 and released on bail in July. A drive to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal resumed in late November last year, after talks were suspended in June as Iran elected ultra-conservative President Ebrahim Raisi. The 2015 deal -- agreed by Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany -- offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. But the United States unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under president Donald Trump and reimposed biting economic sanctions, prompting Tehran to begin rolling back on its commitments. On Sunday, the United States rejected Iranian reports that Tehran's release of US citizens would lead to the unfreezing of Iranian funds abroad. "With the finalization of negotiations between Iran and the United States to release the prisoners of both countries, $7 billion of Iran's blocked resources will be released," the state news agency IRNA said. But the State Department dismissed any such link as "categorically false." Billions of dollars in Iranian funds have been frozen in a number of countries -- notably China, South Korea and Japan -- since the US reimposed sanctions. Search Keywords: Short link: The EU is "ready to discuss" a price cap on gas within the bloc to bring down soaring energy costs, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. Her comment, to the European Parliament, signalled a shift in tone after powerhouse EU country Germany had expressed worries that a broad price cap might divert supplies for Europe. It comes after 15 EU countries -- more than half the bloc -- made a joint call for the EU to impose a price ceiling on how much it would pay for gas piped or shipped in, as the northern hemisphere winter sets in. Europe is facing an energy crunch as the price of electricity generation skyrockets because of a massive surge in the price of gas. Russia, which used to be Europe's main gas supplier, has turned off the taps after being hit by EU sanctions over the war in Ukraine that, while not touching gas, crimped sales of its more lucrative oil exports. "We are ready to discuss a cap on the price of gas that is used to generate electricity," Von der Leyen told MEPs sitting in Strasbourg, France. "This cap would also be a first step on the way to a structural reform and overall reform of our electricity market." She added that "we also have to look at gas prices beyond the electricity market". - Still being 'fleshed out' - Her spokesman, Eric Mamer, later explained that the proposal was still being "fleshed out" and would be detailed in a letter to EU leaders ahead of a Friday summit in Prague. But he did say that the idea was "related to the wholesale market of gas trading in Europe" and not directly on the price paid for imported gas. He acknowledged however that "there are links between the price of gas traded within Europe and the price of the gas that we buy from outside". Brussels has been amenable to a cap on pipeline gas to hurt Russia and deprive it of cash for its Ukraine invasion. But it has resisted a cap on liquified natural gas (LNG), fearing that sellers might simply divert to higher-paying markets, further starving Europe of gas. Germany, traditionally the biggest beneficiary of Russian gas, had also rebuffed the idea. But it has come under pressure from other EU countries after it announced a 200-billion-euro ($199-billion) fund to shield its own consumers from soaring prices. Von der Leyen admitted a price cap "entails drawbacks in terms of security of supply of gas". But she argued that "the situation has critically evolved" and now, "more member states are open for it and we are better prepared". She noted that Europe's stockpile of gas for winter had reached 90 percent of capacity, exceeding a target set. She also said any price cap would be "a temporary solution" and that "exceptional times require exceptional emergency measures". Search Keywords: Short link: A foundation stone has been laid for City Hotel Agdam in the city of Aghdam. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony. CEO of PMD Projects Nariman Topchubashov informed the President and the First Lady of the hotel to be constructed. Conference, and banquet halls, fitness and spa centers, restaurant and outdoor terrace will be created in a five-story hotel building that will feature 130 rooms. President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation stone for City Hotel Agdam. The Swimmers, a Netflix sports drama by Egyptian-Welsh director Sally El-Hosaini will have its MENA Premiere at 44th Cairo International Film Festival scheduled to take place between 13 and 22 November 2022 The Swimmers opened the 47th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), marking the international premiere of the film. The film is directed and written by Sally El Hosaini, co-written by multi-award-winning screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne, and features a cast of well-known Arab and international actors, such as Lebanese sisters Manal and Nathalie Issa playing sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini; Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek; Syrian actress Kinda Alloush; as well as Matthias Schweighofer (Germany); Ali Suleiman (Palestine), and James Krishna Floyd (UK). According to Reuters, the film is "a dramatisation of a true story of two sisters who fled their home and endured a harrowing journey before rebuilding their lives and, for one of them, making it to the Olympics." "Sisters Yusra and Sara Mardini, played by real-life sisters Nathalie Issa and Manal Issa, fled Syria's war-torn capital Damascus to seek a new life in Europe. They crossed into Lebanon and Turkey and braved an often lethal crossing for migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, helping to get their over-crowded dinghy to shore." "They made it to Greece and continued to Germany. Yusra Mardini was selected to compete for the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and competed again in 2020. Her sister Sara, meanwhile, became active helping refugees," Reuters added. Her debut feature film My Brother the Devil (2012) won international awards, including at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, 2012 Berlin International Film Festival, 2012 BFI London Film Festival Awards, and the 2013 Evening Standard Film Awards. El-Hosaini's short films include The Fifth Bowl (2008), Henna Night (2009), and Green Zone (2010). She directed three episodes in the TV mini series Babylon (2014), among other works as a director, screenwriter, actress, and producer. The 44th Cairo International Film Festival will run between 13 and 22 November 2022. The festival's president is Hussein Fahmy with artistic director Amir Ramses. Search Keywords: Short link: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered his government to take over operations at Europe's largest nuclear power station in the Russia-annexed region of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine. "The government will ensure that the nuclear facilities at the plant... are integrated as federal property," the executive order said. The power station has been occupied by Moscow's forces since March and is close to the front line. Putin's decree came as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said he was travelling to Ukraine for talks on the Zaporizhzhia plant. Grossi will "continue his consultations" on setting up a nuclear safety and protection zone around the power station, the IAEA said Tuesday. Ukrainian state nuclear agency Energoatom said earlier Wednesday, after the plant's operating company was moved to Moscow, that Russia was "creating pseudo-enterprises with the names of Ukrainian companies". "It's just a pity that they are trying to involve Ukrainian nuclear professionals, who have been heroically working under... occupation for more than seven months" at the Zaporizhzhia plant, Energoatom said on social media. Russian forces detained the chief of the power station, Ihor Murashov, for two days before releasing him on Monday. But Grossi said his detention and release posed "no risk at all" to operations at the plant. Shelling has hit in the vicinity of the power station in recent months, with Ukraine and Russia blaming each other for the attacks that have raised fears of a nuclear disaster. Search Keywords: Short link: "We're here to express our anger at the humiliation, arrogance and racism endured by many of our compatriots whose visa requests have been rejected by EU states," said Aziz Ghali, one of the organisers and head of the AMDH rights group. Ghali accused EU states of limiting the number of visas issued and rejecting applicants despite the fact they met the criteria. "Depriving visas is discriminatory and racist," one placard read. Protesters also criticised policies such as refusing to justify rejections or refund processing fees. Following a call by the AMDH and the LMDDH rights group, around 50 people attended the protest, many chanting: "Yes to freedom of movement, no to colonial agreements!" Schengen visas issued to non-EU citizens allow the holder to travel freely among 26 EU countries. AMDH activist Khadija Ryadi said Moroccan applicants for the visas faced "unacceptable and unjustified" rejections, despite having legitimate reasons to travel to EU countries, "particularly France". In 2021, France decided to halve the number of visas it issues to Moroccans and Algerians, citing those countries' reluctance to repatriate their citizens living clandestinely in France. The decision has sparked ongoing public anger in both countries and tensions between Paris and their governments. A French official however accused Moroccan media and social media users of exaggerating the rate of rejected applications, insisting that the number of student visas issued in 2022 was similar to that of last year. ELN commander Antonio Garcia read out a statement in Caracas stating that the two parties would re-establish "the dialogue process after the first week of November 2022" with Venezuela, Cuba and Norway acting as guarantors for the talks. Dialogue started in 2016 under ex-president Juan Manuel Santos, who signed a peace treaty with the larger Marxist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group that subsequently lay down its weapons and created a political party. But those were called off in 2019 by conservative then-president Ivan Duque following a car bomb attack on a police academy in Bogota that left 22 people dead. President Gustavo Petro, who in August became Colombia's first ever leftist leader, has vowed to take a less bellicose approach to seeking an end to the violence wrought by armed groups, including both leftist guerrillas and drug traffickers. Reaching out to the ELN was part of his "total peace" policy. The resumption of talks will kick-start the "agreements and progress made since the signing of the (peace) agenda on March 30, 2016," said Garcia. Talks will be hosted by Venezuela, Cuba and Norway on a rotating basis. The ELN peace talks delegation spent four years based in Cuba as they had been barred from returning to Colombia by the previous government. They left Cuba for Venezuela on October 2 to begin the new talks promised by Petro, himself a former urban guerrilla. The ELN is the last recognized rebel group operating in Colombia, although FARC dissidents that refused to sign the 2016 peace deal remain active. The largest FARC dissident splinter group said last month they were prepared to halt attacks against security forces to help ceasefire talks. "It is safe to anticipate that the company is constantly under pressure from the Chinese government to meet its demands," Wei told VOA. "We don't know what exactly lay behind Google's decision to pull its translation service from China. Fifty-three-point-five million is not a small number," he said, referring to the figured quoted by South China Morning Post. Wei Jingsheng, a leading Chinese dissident living in exile in the United States, told VOA in a phone interview Monday that in his view, Google has been trying to put on a "balancing act" -- maintaining its reputation and credibility as a global internet giant operating around the world while finding a space to operate in the highly restrictive environment in China. While the Associated Press reported Monday that "it is not clear how many users were using Google Translate in China," the South China Morning Post cited an international data tracking company's figure of 53.5 million visits to the platform in the month of August alone. AP noted that "the translation feature built into the Google Chrome browser also no longer functions for users in China." "The Google Translate mobile app was also discontinued a year ago in 2021," a Google spokesperson told VOA on Monday in response to a request for further details on the company's decision. The translation service had been available to mainland Chinese users since 2017. Google has ended its Google Translate service in mainland China, citing "low usage" of one of its flagship products by mainland China users. The move surprised users, who said they first noticed not being able to access the function over the weekend. Difficult Foothold Google said its mission is to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." But as various media have reported, the California-based internet giant's path to spreading its wings in mainland China over the past two decades has not been smooth. The company pulled its search engine from the Chinese market in 2010 after the company became unwilling to abide by China's censorship rules, AP reported on Monday. Chinese platforms must "strictly" abide by Chinese authorities' censorship rules and "censor keywords and topics the authorities deem politically sensitive," AP said. AP added that China later moved to block other Google services such as Gmail and Google Maps and noted that Google was not alone in being blocked or otherwise restricted. Chinese users are also not allowed to have Facebook accounts. Media outlets including TechCrunch -- which was the first to report Google's shutdown of the translation platform -- noted that Google's decision came two weeks before the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, scheduled to begin on Oct. 16. "The Chinese government has previously blocked Google services around major political events and politically sensitive anniversaries like that of the Tiananmen Square massacre," the online publication of high-tech news said. Google did not respond to VOA's question about any potential connection between the translation service being discontinued and the Communist Party Congress. Although China boasts the world's largest internet market, when it comes to political topics, Chinese authorities are known to impose strict limitations as to what information Chinese citizens can access or have the freedom to discuss. Official versions of political events like the upcoming Communist Party Congress are routinely disseminated from national media down to provincial, city, county, township and village levels through a vast network of state media. Wei explained that Chinese citizens often turn to foreign sources to get a fuller picture of what goes on behind the scenes at the Congress and other news about their own country, due to a lack of trust in official media. "They can just copy and paste foreign-language text" and get it translated into their native language with Google Translate, he said. "People often feel that there's better privacy protection when they use Google and other foreign companies' products," Wei added, since Chinese domestic companies are uniformly obligated to comply with government requests for user information. State Institutions Taking Notice Although Google Maps and now Google Translate are not accessible to ordinary Chinese users, Chinese state institutions, including state media, have been paying attention to Google's capacity. On April 18, two months into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, People's Daily Online, one of China's leading state media, posted on Weibo -- a Twitter- and Instagram-like social platform -- a China Central Television report that Google Maps provided satellite imaging of "all of Russia's military and strategic assets with the highest definition." That post received 123,000 "likes," and was reposted more than 5,200 times. A commentator under the name of "boyfriend of the nation" wrote, "Look everyone, this is what we will encounter later on." Hyundai Glovis has acquired a 100-percent stake in car-auction company Greater Erie Auto Auction as it seeks to make inroads into the U.S., the automotive logistics company said on Tuesday. Hyundai Glovis is involved in the secondhand car business in China and Germany, but this is its first foray into the used-car auction market in the U.S. It did not disclose the acquisition price. Founded in 2003, GEAA is a Pennsylvania-based company that deals with trades of some 200,000 used cars a year. Hyundai Glovis plans to shift GEAA's current conventional offline auctions to online ones. Hyundai Glovis believes the U.S. used-car market has huge growth potential. According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, 40.8 million secondhand cars were sold in the U.S. in 2019, more than double the sales of new cars, which stood at around 17 million. "The technology development goal down to 1.4 nanometer and foundry platforms specialized for each application, together with stable supply through consistent investment are all part of Samsung's strategies to secure customers' trust and support their success," said Choi Si-young, head of Samsung's foundry business. The Korean electronics giant announced the goal at an event in San Jose, California on Monday. Around 500 people from client companies and other businesses attended the first offline event Samsung hosted since the coronavirus pandemic. Samsung aims to start using 1.4 nanometer technology for foundry production of computer chips by 2027 and secure the top spot in the global foundry business. Foundries are facilities where one company -- in this case Samsung -- makes the computer chips and others build the required circuits so as to spare them investment in their own factories that may not be fully used all the time. Samsung was the first chipmaker to use 3-nanometer technology in June of this year, three months ahead of rival TSMC of Taiwan. It hopes to start using 2-nanometer technology in 2025. But so far it lags way behind TSMC in securing client companies for its foundries. According to market tracker TrendForce, TSMC accounts for 53.4 percent of the global foundry market as of the second quarter of this year, compared to Samsungs 16.5 percent. Industry watchers believe Samsung is having a tough time due to its small output capacity. To remedy the problem, Samsung came up with a strategy focusing on building production facilities first before bringing other companies on board. That way it hopes to more than triple output capacity by 2027. "The proportion of people with new types of side jobs such as delivery workers, social creators or bloggers was 2.8 times higher than those holding traditional second jobs like translating or part-time work," a KB researcher said. In a poll by KB Financial Group of 2,000 single people aged 25 to 59 in Seoul and five other big cities, some 42 percent said they have one or more side jobs, and 14.1 percent of them said they need the extra money to bolster their income. But some 31.5 percent said they want to save up money for the future and 19.4 percent just have free time on their hands. Single Koreans in the big cities find their situation increasingly difficult, and many need to juggle several jobs to make ends meet, often in the gig economy. The number of single households continues to rise. According to Statistics Korea, it rose from 5.40 million in 2016 to 7.17 million last year and is expected to hit 9.06 million by 2040, which is four times more than the number of traditional four-person households. The biggest group are elderly people living alone, but the proportion of singles in their 20s (19 percent) and 30s (17.1 percent) is also rising. Yet many are unhappy with their lot. Some 40.9 percent of respondents said they only plan to live alone for another one to four years, up around 4.7 percentage points from the same survey conducted two years ago. Some 21.7 percent said they hope to stop living alone five to 10 years on, up 1.9 percentage points over the same period. However, 37.4 percent said they will keep living alone for more than 10 years, down 6.7 percentage points. The biggest proportion of singles or 36.2 percent live in apartments, and 82.9 percent of them are smaller than 82 sq.m. But the proportion who live in bigger homes has grown from 14 percent two years ago to 17.1 percent. Singles also seem to have become smarter in the way they manage their money. They spent 44.2 percent of their income on consumption and about the same amount was set aside as savings. The proportion of income they spent fell by 13.4 percentage points from the previous survey, while the ratio of savings increased 9.8 percentage points. What was particularly striking was an increase in the proportion of liquid assets out of total financial assets from 25.4 percent to 41.8 percent. The proportion of income invested in stocks that can be readily converted into cash increased from 12.3 percent to 19.1 percent. Wealthy young singles in the top 10 percent of the income bracket are even more active in investing their money. Some 37.4 percent of their monthly savings of W2.04 million went into stocks, bonds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), compared to 25.1 percent for other single young people who earn less money. Fly-by-night justice minister Cho Kuk's wife was freed from jail for one month on Tuesday so she can have urgent back surgery. Chung Kyung-shim was sentenced in January to four years in prison on charges of financial misconduct and forgery to smooth her daughter's admission to medical school in 2013. In a board hearing, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office decided to let her out for one month for medical treatment. Back in August, Chung asked for a stay of execution because she needed urgent surgery for a ruptured disc, spinal stenosis and paralysis, but her request was turned down. Alongside her husband, she is also standing trial at the Seoul Central District Court on a separate charge of academic fraud involving their son. "It's good for her to get proper medical treatment at last," her lawyer said. "She'll make sure that the ongoing court case proceeds as scheduled while she receives medical treatment." KYODO NEWS - Oct 5, 2022 - 13:18 | All, Japan Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno apologized Wednesday for the malfunctioning of the government's J-Alert early warning system in nine of Tokyo's island towns and villages after a North Korean ballistic missile launch the previous day. North Korea on Tuesday morning launched a ballistic missile over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years. Information about the launch was mistakenly sent to residents of the towns and villages, although the missile did not fly over the communities. The J-Alert satellite-based system enables authorities to swiftly send alerts regarding natural disasters or attacks on Japan directly to residents via television, radio, smartphone and other devices. "We apologize for causing concern to residents in the nine towns and villages," Matsuno, the top government spokesman, said at a regular press conference, adding, "We will promptly improve the problem in the system and work to prevent a recurrence." Former Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said at a meeting of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Wednesday, "In order not to unnecessarily disturb the public, we have to thoroughly consider" how the government sends alerts in emergencies. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Tuesday that North Korea's missile flew 4,600 kilometers, the longest distance ever for one fired by the country, and reached an altitude of 1,000 km. Related coverage: North Korea fires longest-range missile yet, 1st to fly over Japan in 5 yrs FOCUS: North Korea's missile over Japan may prod Tokyo to review strategy North Korea media silent on Oct. 4 firing of ballistic missile A groundbreaking ceremony has been held for a residential block to be constructed for former IDPs in the city of Aghdam. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the event. Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except Shusha district) Emin Huseynov informed the President and the First Lady of the block. Under the project, 4-7 story residential buildings will be constructed. The buildings will feature 1.139 apartments. Some 3.068 people will be settled in the residential block. President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation stone for the residential block. KYODO NEWS - Oct 6, 2022 - 18:25 | All, World, Japan North Korea fired two ballistic missiles early Thursday from near Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan, the sixth round of launches since late September, after a U.S. aircraft carrier was redeployed to the waters, the Japanese government and the South Korean military said. The launches came just two days after Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over the Japanese archipelago for the first time in five years, and a day after the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan was redeployed to the Sea of Japan for a joint drill. The United States, South Korea and Japan conducted the drill in waters off the Korean Peninsula on Thursday in response to the North's missile provocation, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The North Korean projectiles fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone and flew between 350 and 800 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 50 to 100 km, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters, adding there were no reports of damage to Japanese aircraft and ships. The JCS said two short-range ballistic missiles were launched near the Samsok area in Pyongyang between 6:01 a.m. and 6:23 a.m. The first one travelled about 350 km while reaching an altitude of about 80 km at a speed of about Mach 5 and the second one flew about 800 km at the maximum altitude of about 60 km at a speed of around Mach 6, it added. Speaking to reporters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida slammed North Korea's repeated firings of missiles over a short span of time as "absolutely unacceptable." Tokyo lodged a protest with North Korea through its embassy in Beijing, Hamada said. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to protect his people through his nation's strong alliance with the United States and security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo. The U.S. State Department also condemned the missile tests, saying North Korea's launches were in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and posed "a threat" to neighbors and the international community. While reiterating its call for Pyongyang to engage in dialogue, a department spokesperson said in a statement that U.S. commitments to the defense of Japan and South Korea remained "ironclad." North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement early Thursday saying it "strongly condemns" the United States and other countries for referring Tuesday's ballistic missile launch to the U.N. Security Council, state-run media reported. The ministry said Tuesday's launch was part of "just counteraction measures" in response to the U.S.-South Korea drills that were "escalating the military tensions" on the Korean Peninsula, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. As for the redeployment of the U.S. aircraft carrier, North Korea was "watching the U.S. posing serious threat to the stability of the situation" on the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity, the report said. The JCS said South Korea's Sejong the Great guided missile destroyer, Japan's guided missile destroyer Chokai and the U.S. aircraft carrier were deployed for the joint drill held in South Korea's eastern waters on Thursday. The JCS said it expects the drill to reaffirm operational capabilities against North Korea's ballistic missile provocations. The Ronald Reagan participated in joint drills with South Korea's navy from Sept. 26 to 29, before joining the first anti-submarine exercise in five years in the Sea of Japan held by the United States, South Korea and Japan, on Sept. 30. The carrier's home port is Yokosuka, near Tokyo. Thursday's launches by North Korea marked the sixth round of firings since Sept. 25. The missile on Tuesday covered the longest distance ever for a launch by Pyongyang. Since the start of the year, North Korea has conducted more than 20 rounds of ballistic missile tests in violation of Security Council resolutions. Concerns have been growing that Pyongyang will conduct its seventh nuclear test and first since September 2017 in the near future. In response to the latest move, Takehiro Funakoshi, head of the Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, reaffirmed close cooperation in phone calls with his U.S. and South Korean counterparts Sung Kim and Kim Gunn over boosting deterrence and handling the matter at the U.N. Security Council. On Wednesday, the Security Council failed to take unified action on the North Korean missile launch over Japan, with China and Russia criticizing the recent joint military drill conducted by the United States, South Korea and Japan. In New York, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations Kimihiro Ishikane said Thursday's missile launches showed Pyongyang was "taking advantage of inaction of the U.N. Security Council." In May, China and Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution drafted by the United States seeking to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea following its ballistic missile tests this year. It was the first rejection of a Security Council resolution aimed at preventing North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and missiles since 2006, when the first sanctions were adopted. KYODO NEWS - Oct 5, 2022 - 14:55 | All, Arts Japan reopened its embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday following a seven-month closure due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said, as the security situation has improved. Staff at the embassy had been transferred to a temporary liaison office set up in the western city of Lviv in March. But as Russia's invasion intensified, they left Ukraine later that month. Through reopening the embassy, Japan aims to enhance coordination with other Group of Seven nations in areas such as reconstruction assistance for Ukraine. The six other G-7 members -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States -- re-established their embassies before the summer. "We decided to reopen the Kyiv embassy, judging it can operate by taking sufficient security measures," after taking into account the current situation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference earlier in the day. For the time being, the Kyiv embassy's operations will be limited to information gathering as well as liaison and coordination with Ukraine and other nations, as it has reopened with a minimum number of staff, including Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda, due to the need to ensure safety, the ministry said. Consular services will continue to be provided at the Japanese Embassy in Warsaw and its liaison office in the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow, where the government has been supporting Japanese nationals living in Ukraine since embassy staff completely left the country. Following the reopening of the Kyiv embassy, the temporary office in Lviv was shut down. In Kyiv, attacks by Russian forces have eased, and many citizens displaced inside and outside Ukraine have returned. Related coverage: Japan host Ukraine in beach soccer friendly Russia annexation pushes Ukraine's NATO accession bid as war rages on Japan sees Russia annexation a violation of int'l law, PM tells Zelenskyy KYODO NEWS - Oct 6, 2022 - 00:35 | All, Coronavirus, Japan Japan's health ministry on Wednesday granted special fast-track approval to U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc.'s updated coronavirus vaccine tailored to protect against the now-prevalent BA.5 subvariant. The ministry also approved the administration of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine targeting the original strain to children aged between 6 months and 4 years old, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine available in Japan for the age group. Pfizer applied in September for approval of its bivalent vaccine, which works against the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 and earlier strains. The Japan unit of Moderna Inc. said Wednesday it has requested that the ministry green light a similar vaccine. Both companies' updated vaccines have already been rolled out in the United States after receiving emergency use authorization. To stem the ongoing seventh wave of COVID-19 infections powered mostly by the BA.5 subvariant, Japan started giving Omicron booster shots made by Moderna and Pfizer in September, but they are tailored to the BA.1 subvariant. Pfizer's vaccine for children aged 6 months to 4 years targets the original strain of the virus that emerged in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, with the United States granting it, along with Moderna's vaccine, approval for emergency use in June. Related coverage: Japan gov't selects 17 projects to support vaccine manufacturing Japan begins giving Omicron booster shots to stem 7th COVID wave Takeda apparently to become 1st Japan's firm to sell vaccine abroad KYODO NEWS - Oct 5, 2022 - 21:39 | All, Japan South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hold phone talks on Thursday afternoon, two days after North Korea launched a ballistic missile in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, South Korea's government said Wednesday. The leaders of the two nations are expected to confirm close cooperation in response to Pyongyang's military threat, rekindled Tuesday by the first firing of a ballistic missile over the Japanese archipelago in five years, according to Japanese government sources. North Korea's latest missile launch came after Japan, South Korea and the United States on Friday held anti-submarine drills in international waters adjacent to the Sea of Japan, the first such training in five years. The projectile, which may have been a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, flew 4,600 kilometers, which is the longest horizontal distance achieved by a missile from the nuclear-armed country, while reaching an altitude of 1,000 km, the Japanese government said. The distance is enough to reach the U.S. territory of Guam, where key military bases are located. Following North Korea's launch on Tuesday, Kishida agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden over the phone that the two close security allies will boost their deterrence and response capabilities. Relations between Tokyo and Seoul deteriorated to the worst level in decades over wartime labor and territorial issues under the government of Yoon's predecessor, the left-leaning Moon Jae In. However, there have been signs of a thaw in ties recently since Yoon, known for adopting a hard-line stance on Pyongyang, was inaugurated in May. Yoon has pledged to take a future-oriented approach toward Japan. In late September, Kishida and Yoon reaffirmed their countries' aim to restore "sound bilateral relations," in a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, which was fully closed to media and described by Tokyo and Seoul as "informal." The in-person, sit-down talks were the first between leaders of the Asian neighbors since December 2019. Related coverage: Japan apologizes for J-Alert malfunction after N. Korea launch U.S. aircraft carrier to return after North Korea shot missile over Japan North Korea media silent on Oct. 4 firing of ballistic missile KYODO NEWS - Oct 5, 2022 - 21:58 | World, All Myanmar's military government will not attend the summit or other related meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to be held in Cambodia next month, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. The Cambodian government requested Myanmar, which has been under military rule since February 2021, to send non-political representatives to the biannual summit, but the country replied that it will not send anyone to the event, the sources said. The ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, has said it would be difficult for ASEAN to invite Myanmar to the regional group's key meetings without progress in implementing the member states' consensus such as ending violence against the military junta's political opponents and civilian protesters. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Myanmar's military toppled the democratically elected government of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 and has since violently suppressed pro-democracy protesters. Related coverage: Myanmar's Suu Kyi, Australian adviser given 3-year prison sentences Bar junta envoy from attending Abe funeral, axed Myanmar diplomat says Liking opposition on Facebook can land you in jail: Myanmar junta KYODO NEWS - Oct 6, 2022 - 04:00 | All, Japan, World Koichi Wakata embarked on his fifth space mission, marking a new record among Japanese astronauts, aboard a U.S. SpaceX ship that was successfully launched from Florida on Wednesday. The 59-year-old is one of the four astronauts taking part in NASA's fifth crew rotation mission to the International Space Station using the U.S. commercial spacecraft. The team will travel to the orbiting laboratory for a six-month science and technology research mission. "It was a smooth ride and I see all the three happy faces here," the veteran Japanese astronaut, clad in a sleek white spacesuit, said after the liftoff. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a press release that missions like Crew-5 are "proof we are living through a golden era of commercial space exploration." Hiroshi Sasaki, vice president of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, told a joint press conference with NASA and other officials later that he hopes Wakata's "rich experience in space" will be shared with the other crew members and help bring a "fruitful outcome." Wakata's four previous space flights include U.S. Space Shuttle flights in 1996, 2000, and 2009, and a Russian Soyuz flight in 2013. It will be his third long-term expedition at the ISS. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., founded by tech billionaire Elon Musk, developed the Crew Dragon as a successor to NASA's costly Space Shuttle transportation system that was in service for 30 years through 2011. The SpaceX system seeks to reduce costs by reusing its spacecraft and rockets. Following its first manned test flight in May 2020, the Crew Dragon has continued to send astronauts to the ISS. Two other Japanese astronauts -- Soichi Noguchi, 57, and Akihiko Hoshide, 53 -- have been on board previous flights. The other members of the latest SpaceX Crew-5 mission are two NASA astronauts -- spacecraft commander Nicole Mann and pilot Josh Cassada -- as well as Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. It is the first spaceflight for Mann, Cassada and Kikina, according to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Wakata and Kikina will serve as mission specialists. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock autonomously to the ISS at around 5 p.m. Thursday. During their stay in the orbiting lab, the crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations, including studies on printing human organs in space and better understanding heart disease, according to NASA. Related coverage: Russia to withdraw from int'l space station project: reports Japan, U.S. to cooperate on Moon landing by Japanese astronaut U.S. spaceship lifts off for 1st all-private astronaut mission to ISS KYODO NEWS - Oct 5, 2022 - 15:26 | All, Japan A court has granted a temporary injunction on an immigration agency decision to strip a Japanese language school of its certification over an incident in which a former staff member physically restrained a Vietnamese student last October, the agency said Wednesday. The injunction was issued by the Fukuoka District Court as of Sept. 30, and the Immigration Services Agency of Japan said it will carefully review the court's decision and respond appropriately. On Sept. 7, the agency stripped the certification of the Nishinihon International Education Institute in the southwestern city of Fukuoka after it found the staff member restrained the student for several hours using a chain and padlock wrapped around his belt. The decision resulted in the school being barred from accepting new students for the next five years. The school has argued the staff member acted alone and not as a representative of the organization and has filed a suit at the Fukuoka court to have the agency's decision repealed completely. The staff member, who resigned in the wake of the incident, was referred to prosecutors on Sept. 22 on suspicion of abduction and confinement. The decision to remove the language school from the agency's list of approved institutions was the first of its kind since 2016 when stricter regulations on the industry were applied. Related coverage: Japanese language school decertified over abuse of Vietnamese student 30,000 foreign students entered Japan since COVID border curbs eased Record 54% of Japan students not eager to study due to COVID: survey BRUSSELS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- The ministers of finance and economic affairs of the European Union (EU) member states, meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday, agreed to include energy self-sufficiency in their national recovery and resilience plans. REPowerEU, a plan proposed by the European Commission in May, aims at strengthening the Union's strategic autonomy by diversifying energy supplies, thus weaning the bloc off its dependency on Russian fossil fuels. It also aims to boost energy saving and the production of clean energy. "In practical terms, the proposal seeks to add a new REPowerEU chapter to EU member states' national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) under NextGenerationEU (the EU's economic recovery package) in order to finance key investments and reforms, which will help achieve the REPowerEU objectives," according to the EU Council. An additional 20 billion euros (19.9 billion U.S. dollars), originating 75 percent from the Innovation Fund and 25 percent from frontloading EU Emission Trading System (ETS) allowances, will be included in the Resilience and Recovery Fund's financial envelope. The allocation key related to the distribution of the extra 20 billion euros will include factors such as cohesion policy, member states' dependence on fossil fuels and the increase in investment prices. The REPowerEU proposal will now have to be discussed by the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council. HARBIN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The city of Suihua, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is seeing a bumper harvest on over 1 million mu (about 66,667 hectares) of fresh corn. "We can harvest about 3,000 ears of fresh corn per mu, and the yield of high quality fresh corn is around 2,600 ears per mu, 400 ears more than last year," said Li Xuebin, director of the Haitao farmers' cooperative in Wangkui County. "Fresh corn nets a profit that is four to five times that of conventional corn," Li said, adding that the cooperative expects a profit of 12 million yuan (about 1.69 million U.S. dollars) from its 6,000 mu of plantation this year. Corn, a traditional staple food in China, has come in new varieties with greater sweetness and higher water content. Farmers in Suihua started to grow fresh corn two decades ago. Now Suihua has become a brand name for fresh corn, thanks to the advances in machinery and techniques. In Changfeng Village, in the city of Hailun under Suihua, large harvesting machines are gathering the fresh corn from the fields. Each of the machines can harvest 100 mu of fresh corn per day, equivalent to the manual labor of 100 farmers. Once collected, the corn is quickly loaded onto trucks and sent to be processed. "The harvested corn must arrive in our processing workshops 30 minutes after being harvested, or it will lose its tender texture and flavor," said Zhang Tinghui, general manager of Heilongjiang Yuanye Food Co., Ltd. In the workshops, the corn ears are boiled for 15 to 20 minutes, cooled down and frozen, and then vacuum-packed before being prepared for delivery. "The whole process takes about three hours, which ensures that the corn on your table tastes like it was freshly picked," Zhang said. In Zhenghuangyi Village, Beilin District, the Tianyuan vegetable processing and planting cooperative strictly controls the growth cycle and the harvest time to ensure that each batch of fresh corn is similar in size and taste. "We expect to produce 11.2 million ears of fresh corn this year, and the corn stalks will also be purchased for silage by nearby farms," said Guan Lichen, head of the cooperative. This year, the total production of fresh corn in Suihua is expected to hit 1.1 million tonnes, yielding a value of about 3.4 billion yuan, according to Guo Hongxiang, deputy director of the agricultural and rural affairs bureau of Suihua. The plantation area of fresh corn in Suihua currently accounts for over 50 percent of the province's total. In 2019, Suihua issued its fresh corn standard, with strict requirements for soil organic-matter content, corn varieties and field management. AMMAN, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday secured a 100-million U.S. dollar loan from OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) to finance the country's emergency food security project. The loan aims at securing strategic reserves of wheat and barley and enhancing the food security system in Jordan, said Jordanian Planning and International Cooperation Minister Nasser Shraideh, who signed the agreement with OFID Director General Abdulhamid Alkhalifa. It also seeks to help Jordan avoid any risk that might arise as a result of fluctuations in the supply chains and prices resulting from current global challenges, the minister said in a statement. Shraideh also expressed the government's aspiration to continue its cooperation with OFID in the next stage to help Jordan implement its economic modernization vision. Alkhalifa, for his part, voiced OFID's aspiration to enhance future cooperation with Jordan in all fields, confirming that the loan would contribute to enhancing food security in Jordan. A foundation stone has been laid for Sarijali village, Aghdam district. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the groundbreaking ceremony. The head of state was informed of the work to be done in the village. Sarijali village is planned for 1.720 people (425 families). The total projected area is 101.9 hectares. President Ilham Aliyev laid the foundation stone for Sarijali village. By Xinhua writers Yin Xiaosheng, Duan Jingjing HANGZHOU, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cruiseboats glide along the Grand Canal in the historic city of Hangzhou, while the loud speakers are announcing the famous attractions: Gongchen Bridge, Xinyifang, Wulinmen. There is no shortage of traffic along this waterway in the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, with visitors keen to sample the architectural delights of a city dubbed "Heaven on Earth." Among the captains is Song Guangqi, who has steered his boat under the Gongchen Bridge, at the southernmost end of the canal, tens of thousands of times over the years. These days, as he takes his boat past the confluence of two tributaries -- the Yuhangtang and Xitang rivers, he is pleased to find that a deserted industrial oil depot had been transformed into waterfront parks. With a history of more than 2,500 years, the Grand Canal connects Beijing and Hangzhou, serving as a significant transportation artery in ancient China. In 2014, a stretch of the canal measuring 1,000 km was declared a world heritage site. Built in the early 1950s, Xiaohe Oil Depot is representative of the city's old industry. It once supplied the energy to boost industrialization on both sides of this section of the Grand Canal. The depot is now defunct, but three oil tanks have been preserved as a memorial to the city's industrial heritage. Thousands of holes of different sizes have been drilled into the industrial remains as part of the process of reinforcement and renovation. Song said his job on the Grand Canal allowed him to witness the development of the Hangzhou section over the decades. "When I came to Hangzhou in 1999, I followed my relatives working on boats on the canal, doing everything as a sailor, boatman and factotum. Later, I obtained the certificate to become a boat captain," said Song. In 2010, the transport company Hangzhou Waterbus started recruitment for their cruiseboats, and Song became an employee. "The ancient city of Hangzhou was laid out along the Grand Canal. During the period of Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907-979), Hangzhou entered a period of rapid development, relying on the transport of the Grand Canal, and became a famous city in the southeast," Song said. He often reads books about the Grand Canal's history, so that when tourists on board ask him about the canal, he can provide accurate commentary. Jiang Weimin, a senior Hangzhou resident, remembers when the canal was not so charming. More than 20 years ago, he set a record by paddling a kayak along the Grand Canal by hand, together with his partner. Passing along the waterway from the south, he was saddened by "black pollutants floating on the canal water." Since the 1950s, industrial and warehousing enterprises had packed the banks of the canal, taking advantage of the waterway transport. In the 1980s, hundreds of tributaries feeding into the canal brought more industrial and domestic sewage. There was a popular saying at that time: "If there's a stink in the air, you're in Hangzhou." Since then, the municipal government has sought to tackle the problem, carrying out comprehensive water treatment measures and landscaping along the canal. Over the years, the water quality of the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal has been improved from Class V to Class IV, or even Class III in some areas. Hangzhou has realized the goal of restoring the canal, with clear water, green trees and beautiful scenery along its banks. In addition to the canal's ecology, a number of deserted industrial sites along the waterway have been transformed through industrial heritage protection, as well as cultural and economic development. To the west of Gongchen Bridge, a number of museums have emerged on former industrial sites, such as the China Knife, Scissor and Sword Museum, the China Fan Museum and the China Umbrella Museum. The cultural cluster has added new tourist resources to the canal tours. "Industry moves out and culture moves in," said Chen Jiang, deputy director of the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal (Hangzhou Section) Comprehensive Protection Commission. "This is the vivid practice of combining the protection of industrial civilization with the inheritance of urban culture." He said that in the process of exploring, displaying and reshaping the canal culture, people along the waterway have regained cultural confidence and faith, and found new forms of development. In the eyes of Zhang Tiantian, a watercolorist, the protection and utilization of cultural heritage should be related to people's lives. He frequents the Grand Canal to capture details with his ink-painting, such as cruiseboats passing, old men fishing and women washing clothes. "Culture is neither a fossil nor a specimen, but a continuity of life," said the young artist, who has become well known for using his brush to promote canal culture. "I have a we-media studio near the canal, which works to attract tourists to the canal through my recording of canal life," he said. Now in his 60s, Jiang often thinks about paddling up the canal again, confident that this time he would find the experience more pleasant. "The changes along the canal are a microcosm of China's development," he said. "I look forward to finding more stories on the clear water of the Grand Canal." Enditem (Xia Jinjin contributed to the report.) UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy warned Tuesday against making Iraq a geopolitical battleground. "With its strategic location, as well as ethnic and religious diversity, Iraq should become a propeller of regional cooperation, not an arena for geopolitical competition," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Dai said that China commends Iraq for developing good neighborly and friendly relations with countries in the region and promoting regional integration. "We support Iraq, in its joint efforts with Kuwait in achieving progress in the search for missing Kuwaiti nationals and property. China has always stood for the full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, Iraq included, and has always stood for common security through cooperation," he said. "At present, Iraq is at a crucial political phase, facing such major tasks as forming the new government. We sincerely hope that the parties in Iraq will strengthen unity, properly settle their differences, and within the constitutional and legal framework conduct dialogue and consultations to seek consensus on next steps of political arrangements, with a view to laying a solid political foundation for lasting peace, development and prosperity," said the ambassador. Noting that Iraq has made huge sacrifices in combating Da'esh and recovering the territories originally occupied by terrorists and extremist organizations, Dai said that the international community must continue its support to Iraq in eradicating the remnants of terrorism and consolidating the hard-won counter-terrorism results. Turning to UNAMI, Dai said the mission and other UN agencies must channel more resources and attention to supporting Iraq's national development priorities. "UNAMI's human rights-related and humanitarian work must strictly follow the mandate, closely communicate and coordinate with the Iraqi Government, and improve screening and verification of information," said the envoy. BEIJING, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of Chinese delegates to the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition -- a global professional skills promotion event -- departed from Beijing on Wednesday bound for Switzerland. The European nation is hosting 14 work-related skills competitions this year, and the Chinese delegates will compete in six contests: carpentry; fine woodworking; furniture making; graphic design techniques; print media technology; and electronic techniques. Sixty-two skill competitions will be held in 15 countries and regions between September and November. The event will be the official replacement for WorldSkills Shanghai 2022. The 146-person Chinese delegation comprises 36 contestants who will compete in 34 matches. With an average age of 22, they all come from Chinese vocational schools. Following close behind the first batch, other delegates will set out in succession to attend the contests in Germany, France, Finland, the Republic of Korea, Japan and Austria. DAMASCUS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A total of 14 people, mostly military personnel, have been killed in separate attacks in Syria's southern province of Daraa since the beginning of October, a war monitor reported on Wednesday. Since Oct. 1, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented 20 security incidents that include attacks and assassinations, which have resulted in the killing of four civilians, eight soldiers, and two former rebel fighters who were reconciled with the authorities through peace deals. The Britain-based watchdog group said the number of security incidents has increased since early October, stopping short of identifying the parties behind such attacks. Daraa province, which is close to the border between Syria and Jordan, was the birthplace of the anti-government movement that began in 2011. In 2017, the Syrian army managed to retrieve Daraa from the rebel groups. However, security incidents continued in parts of the province. HARBIN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- A new national soybean yield record has been set in a high-yield soybean production competition in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which was assessed by an expert panel authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. According to the assessment results made available on Sunday, the 854 Farm Co., Ltd. of the Beidahuang Group achieved 311.2 kg of soybean yield per mu (0.07 hectares) on a contiguous 100-mu field, taking first place in the provincial contest. The farm planted "Kennong 34," a soybean variety developed by Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University. Li Kun, an agricultural technician on the farm, said that the weather this year was suitable for soybean growth, with sufficient rainfall. Meanwhile, the company's unified supply of agricultural materials and the application of technical measures such as inoculation of rhizobia and the use of organic fertilizer also contributed to the bumper harvest. Heilongjiang organized the competition in order to fully tap the potential of soybean production, attracting growers from 619 farming plots covering 385,600 mu of soybean plantation. The province is China's main soybean production base, contributing to more than 40 percent of the country's total soybean planting area. It has achieved its target of adding 10 million mu of soybean plantation this year, with its total soybean growing area exceeding 68.5 million mu. According to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs, as of Sunday, soybeans have been harvested on more than 34 million mu. Syrian businessman Abdul-Rahman Dari poses for photos at the venue of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 17, 2019. DAMASCUS, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- For Abdul-Rahman Dari, doing business in China wasn't on his to-do list when he was a university student in Damascus, but his good luck has led him to unexpected success. Dari graduated from Damascus University in 1994. At the time, he never imagined that he will be going to China. But being an A student, Dari went to China in pursuit of further education three years later and got to know Chinese lifestyles and businesses before starting to visit factories and companies. By the time his term finished, the man had already decided to start a business in China. Speaking to Xinhua in Damascus after years of working in China, Dari recounted how fortunate he was to have started his own company there. He started his firm in China, which serves as a business link between Arab companies and Chinese factories. Dari quickly gathered a team that would work with him, and "most of whom were Chinese who possess communication skills and searching for resources," said the businessman. Aside from the facilitation to have a quick start, Dari, a father of four children, posited that there is a positive work environment, which is conducive to the success of businesses in China. "There are legal facilitation as well as the ease in obtaining information and getting supplies. The international fairs in China are also a plus in promoting the businesses," he said. As a businessman and engineer fascinated by the rapid development of China, Dari said he had been observing the fast-rolling wheels of economic and social development in China. "The economic development in China covered the entire country in the north, south, and center. All of the developments went in parallel lines, meaning that the economic and social development moved forward hand in hand," he told Xinhua. His observations have also touched upon the improvement in people's livelihoods in China, saying the living conditions were getting better. "The living condition in China has become notably high year after another, hence, we are shedding light on the matter of the decline in poverty, which has resulted in fast development," the engineer said. Technology-wise, Dari said the speed train in China is an example of how fast the country is moving forward. "The difference between the normal bus and the speed train has impressed us in China due to the fast speed of the train," he said, adding that the economic development of China is as fast as the speed train. The China-aided Addis Ababa Riverside Green Development Project Phase II, including a well-designed science museum and a children's playground, has been handed over to the Ethiopian government. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, during the National Day holiday in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, during the National Day holiday in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, during the National Day holiday in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, during the National Day holiday in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, during the National Day holiday in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin) Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, during the National Day holiday in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xin) KIEV, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree to put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), which rules out holding any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zelensky's press service reported Tuesday. The document, published on Zelensky's website, said that Ukraine's NSDC deemed holding talks with Putin "impossible." With his decree, Zelensky also instructed the government to prepare proposals for the creation of a multi-level security guarantee system designed to boost Ukraine's defense potential. On Sept. 30, the NSDC adopted a decision aimed at guaranteeing Ukraine's security and restoring its territorial integrity following Moscow's formal recognition of four Ukrainian regions, which are partially controlled by Russia, as Russian territory. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators held the latest round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul, Turkiye, on March 29. BUDAPEST, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Hungary has secured exemptions from crude oil and nuclear energy sanctions at an EU Heads of Missions meeting in Brussels, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Facebook. "As a result of difficult negotiations, a price cap on crude oil will not be applied to pipeline deliveries or to emergency replacement seaborne deliveries," the minister said Tuesday. Szijjarto said the Hungarian exemption also applies to constructing a new nuclear power plant in Paks, a central Hungarian city. Russian nuclear giant Rosatom is to build the plant. Szijjarto added that institutes important to cooperation in nuclear energy research and development are also exempted. "As we have already said many times before, the Hungarian government will not support any sanctions that cause harm to Hungary or the Hungarian people," he stressed, following the meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU. Late Tuesday night, EU ambassadors reached a preliminary agreement on the 8th round of sanctions against Russia, including a price cap on Russian oil sales. Hungary, however, is highly dependent on Russian oil and gas and has always been opposed to energy sanctions, calling them a "red line." By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov A trilateral format telephone call was initiated by US State Secretary Antony Blinken with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in presence to mull the normalization of ties, Azernews reports, citing the ministry. The October 4 phone call was a follow-up to the meeting in Geneva on October 2 that was held as the foreign ministers were tasked by their leaders to draft the wording of a peace treaty as agreed by the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders in Brussels on August 31 under the auspices of European Union Council President Charles Michel, the ministry elaborated. The telephone conversation also underlined the importance of the September 19 meeting between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers, organized by the US Secretary of State in New York on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly session, as well as the September 27 meeting held between Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev, and Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan, mediated by Jake Sullivan, US Presidents National Security Adviser, in Washington, DC. During the phone call, Bayramov underlined the details of the Geneva meeting, as well as his expectations for the continuation of discussions on the document comprising the provisions of the peace treaty submitted by Azerbaijan during the Geneva meeting. The minister appreciated the scheduling of the next meeting of border delimitation commissions in October, as well as the discussion of pertinent topics for the resolution of current border tensions. Bayramov emphasized Azerbaijan's commitment to regional peace and stability, as well as its willingness to sign a peace deal. At the same time, the minister stressed that efforts would continue in the post-conflict period to reintegrate the population of Armenian origin residing in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. Blinken has underlined the need for avoiding military conflicts, hastening discussions on the aspects of the proposed peace treaty, and continuing work within the delimitation commission's framework. Blinken expressed his gratitude for the significant efforts Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking toward a long-term peace accord. In a week that has been marked by too much violence, including the deaths of Armenian soldiers and Azerbaijani civilians in landmine explosions, he welcomed the meeting between the ministers on October 2 as an important step forward in the peace process. The Secretary commended the release of POWs and reiterated our commitment to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve issues peacefully and underscored that diplomacy is the only way forward, US Department of State reported. During the trilateral phone call, the parties discussed various areas of the normalization process, and it was agreed to maintain communication in order to achieve significant progress on the issues. To recap, Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Mirzoyan met to negotiate a draft peace treaty in Geneva on October 2. Bayramov stressed the importance of efforts on normalizing interstate ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia and negotiating a peace treaty in the post-conflict period. The minister called Armenia's attention to the peace treaty provisions based on Azerbaijan's five principles in this respect. Taking into account the recent tensions on the undelimited border, Bayramov proposed conducting the next meeting of the bilateral commissions on delimitation in October, rather than November as originally scheduled. UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla to seize opportunity for ending deadly conflict. Through a statement issued by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the top UN official "strongly commends the decision announced today by the government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army to resume peace dialogues." Guterres urged both parties "to fully seize this opportunity to bring an end to a deadly conflict that has lasted for decades, and whose resolution is critical for expanding the scope of peace in the country." The secretary-general "is hopeful that Colombians can demonstrate once again that even the most entrenched conflicts can be resolved through dialogue," said the statement. Peace talks between the Colombian government and the ELN began in 2017, but were suspended in January 2019 after the guerrilla group carried out a car bomb attack that killed over 20 people. A woman is seen with her child outside a tent donated by China in Matli town of Badin District in southern Pakistan's Sindh province on Sept. 29, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) The chairman of Hussain Shah Bukhari Welfare Trust, a Pakistani charity organization, appreciated China's support for Pakistan in the fight against the flood and humanitarian aid in relief work, which is facilitating the country in providing basic education and health services to the affected people. by Ali Jaswal BADIN, Pakistan, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Syed Ali Haider Shah Bukhari, chairman of Hussain Shah Bukhari Welfare Trust, a Pakistani charity organization, was distributing school bags, shoes and candies to the kids studying in a tent school. The kids were the flood-affected internally displaced people (IDPs) living in a newly established tent camp using China-donated tents, in Matli town of Badin district in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. Bukhari appreciated China's support for Pakistan in the fight against the ongoing disaster and humanitarian assistance in relief work which is facilitating the country in providing basic education and health services to the affected people. "China's tents are playing a good role in our society because still sometimes there is rainfall over here and sunshine is also very intense," Bukhari added. Flood-affected people are seen outside their tents donated by China in Matli town of Badin District in southern Pakistan's Sindh province on Sept. 29, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) Talking to Xinhua, Noor Ahmed Khahro, Assistant Commissioner of Matli town, said that the China-donated tents are waterproof and heat resistant, and are designed in a way that cross ventilation easily takes place inside them. Sindh has been the worst-hit province of the country where at least 759 people died and 8,422 were injured due to the floods since mid-June and over 366,000 people are currently living in camps, according to the figures released by Pakistan's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Khahro said that Matli is one of the most low-lying areas in the Badin district so most of the schools in the area were also flooded and consequently damaged. To save the academic year of these children, they have been provided with the education facility utilizing the spacious and well-ventilated Chinese tents and assigned a couple of teachers to the tent school, he added. Mangan, a young teacher who lives in a nearby village, volunteered himself and asked officials to provide him with some facilities to teach the students of the tent camp for free. Aerial photo taken on Sept. 29, 2022 shows a tent camp using China-donated tents in Matli town of Badin District in southern Pakistan's Sindh province. (Xinhua/Jiang Chao) The local authorities hired him for the tent school on a reasonable monthly salary. "All these students here are poverty-stricken and are very good learners. They are good at reading, writing, and learning. Because of these spacious tents, we are going to teach these kids here," Mangan told Xinhua. Around 95 tents were installed in the area where 581 people are currently living, including 379 children. One of the biggest challenges the flood-affected people, including the tent camp IDPs, are facing is the rapid spread of water-borne, vector-borne and viral diseases. According to a health official, almost all IDPs are malnourished and presently suffering from dengue, skin infections, headache, body aches etc. As their overall health conditions are not good, even a mild fever can become a serious issue for them. In the wake of the health crisis, a clinic has also been established in the Matli's tent camp using two China-donated tents. One of the tents is being used for patient examination while the other is a pharmacy where all medicines are provided free of charge to the IDPs. Flood-affected children attend a class in a makeshift shelter built with tents donated by China in flood relief aid in Matli town of Badin District in southern Pakistan's Sindh province on Sept. 29, 2022. (Str/Xinhua) Khahro said that these tents are very productive for providing health facilities since they have all necessary features and protections, as they can be completely closed using attached zips, preventing mosquitoes from entering. "These China-donated tents are the best quality tents, among all the tents I have seen up till yet being currently utilized for the relief work," he said. Thanking China for its support, Khahro said that it was one of the few countries that came to help Pakistan soon after the floods hit the South Asian country. "Chine extended their help in terms of goods, and as you can see this tent city has also been established with their cooperation and assistance," he said. "I would like to express my gratitude to the people of China, to the government of China because China has always been Pakistan's long-lasting friend, has always helped Pakistan in terms of crisis, particularly whenever a disaster has struck Pakistan. I also wish and hope that this cooperation between the two counties will continue in the future," Khahro said. KABUL, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan has received a batch of 40 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian cash aid for bolstering its economy, said Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country's central bank in a statement on Wednesday. This is the second batch of 40 million U.S. dollars in cash aid sent to Afghanistan by the international community over the past week. "As part of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan a batch of 40 million U.S. dollars in cash reached Kabul Tuesday and was transferred to one of the country's commercial banks," the statement said without naming the bank where the cash has been deposited. The war-town and economically impoverished Afghanistan received a similar amount on Sept. 22 as part of support to raise the country's foreign reserve, which has reached more than 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- UN special envoy for Iraq, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Tuesday called on Iraqi leaders to engage in dialogue to end political impasses in the country. "It is time for Iraq's leaders - all of them - to engage in dialogue, collectively define core Iraqi needs and pull the country back from the ledge. In other words, all leaders should assume responsibility and return the spotlight where it must be: on the people of Iraq," the special envoy told the Security Council meeting on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). The absence of a functioning government in Iraq one year after elections were held is hard to justify, the top UN official in the country said, urging political leaders to put aside their differences for the common good. Their protracted inaction has sparked protests and counter-protests, culminating in deadly clashes this past August, she said. "These tragic developments are indisputably the result of the inability of Iraq's political class to cast the die," she added. "In other words: actors across the spectrum failed to place the national interest first. They left the country in a prolonged impasse, further fueling already simmering anger." Hennis-Plasschaert said the situation remains highly volatile. Although parliament resumed in late September, clashes occurred between protestors and security forces, among other acts of violence. "And we have not seen the end of it yet. Last night, after three days of rocket attacks, Basra witnessed intense fighting, while smaller incidents were reported in other southern governorates," she said. Despite renewed calls for elections, she wondered what guarantees are in place to ensure they will not again be held in vain. Oct. 1 marked three years since thousands of Iraqis took to the streets in nationwide anti-corruption protests. Several hundred people were killed and many more were severely injured, abducted, threatened, or intimated. The protests resulted in the previous government stepping down, and in early elections held last October. "In other words, and I said it often: last year's elections were extremely hard-earned. And with this in mind, the absence of a functioning government 12 months later is hard to justify," she said. Hennis-Plasschaert, who also heads UNAMI, has been supporting national dialogue. While reluctant to discuss initiatives publicly, the envoy revealed that she has held "intense engagements" with the parties, including holding bilateral meetings on potential roadmaps and conducting shuttle diplomacy. "Believe me, we tried. Non-stop. That said, we do not have a magic wand. Ultimately, it all comes down to political will," she told the council. All sides have made "strategic mistakes and miscalculations" in the period since the election, she said, and they have missed valuable opportunities to resolve their differences. Regarding solutions, Hennis-Plasschaert highlighted the need for "genuine and timely dialogue" alongside willingness to compromise. Delivering a functioning government is merely the first step to overcoming the current crisis, she said. TEHRAN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian foreign minister slammed on Wednesday "meddlesome stances" by certain European officials regarding recent developments in Iran, warning of "effective and reciprocal" action if the European Union (EU) continues its "double-standard behavior." Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, in which the two sides also discussed the latest international developments, bilateral ties and talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, according to the official news agency IRNA. Commenting on the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, Amir-Abdollahian said that "we, based on our rules, show responsibility in dealing with the death of one of our children and are dissatisfied with the stances and interference of some European officials with regard to the recent events (in Iran)." He gave the assurance that Amini's death is being investigated "carefully, justly and seriously." The Iranian minister noted that Iran, with a firm and practical belief in democracy, has always paid due attention to its people's peaceful demands, but "some foreign powers, organized elements and terrorists" have caused the peaceful protests to deviate from their right course and shift toward violence, riots and killing of innocent people and police. Turning to bilateral relations, Amir-Abdollahian said the two countries agreed on a new roadmap for developing ties during his recent trip to Rome. For his part, the Italian minister said Rome attaches importance to its ties with Tehran, expressing strong support for Iran's efforts to reach a lasting agreement on the revival of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Di Maio said Italy will continue its efforts to prepare the ground for the achievement of the nuclear agreement in the shortest possible time. Stressing that his country respects Iran's government and laws, Di Maio maintained that peaceful demands are different from unrest and terrorism and should be responded to differently. On the same day, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned British Ambassador to Iran Simon Shercliff for the second time in less than two weeks over "London's interference in Tehran's domestic affairs," according to the ministry's website. RABAT, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and Saudi Arabia pledged on Tuesday to boost trade and economic cooperation at a bilateral economic forum held in Casablanca, the commercial hub city of Morocco. Morocco aims to increase its trade with Saudi Arabia to 5 billion U.S. dollars in the next five years from the current amount of 1.7 billion dollars, said Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade Ryad Mezzour at Morocco-Saudi Arabia Economic Forum, also attended by Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi. There are various investment opportunities in both countries, Mezzour added, urging businessmen to give new impetus to bilateral trade through various projects. Al-Qasabi, for his part, said the current trade volumes are not up to the ambitions of the two countries, adding Saudi Arabia will inaugurate a new trade representation office of Saudi Arabia in Casablanca to help the private sector overcome difficulties and attract new investments. ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government on Wednesday reiterated support for the African Union (AU)'s invitation for peace talks with the rebel Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). In a press statement, the Ethiopia Government Communication Service said the entities leading the AU peace talks have made an official invitation for talks to begin and have announced both the date and venue. "The African Union's official invitation is consistent with the Ethiopian government's prior positions," the statement said. The Ethiopian government had previously expressed its position that peace talks should only be mediated by the AU and should be held without any pre-conditions. The Ethiopia Government Communication Service said the federal government remains committed to adopting all possible measures to resolve the conflict in a manner that ensures lasting peace, and territorial integrity of the country and will continue upholding this commitment. Meanwhile, Redwan Hussien, the national security advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister with a rank of a minister, also on Wednesday confirmed the Ethiopian government's commitment to the AU's peace initiative. "The government of Ethiopia has accepted this invitation, which is in line with our principled position regarding the peaceful resolution of the conflict and the need to have talks without preconditions," Hussien said via Twitter post. Conflict resumed in late August, in which the Ethiopian government accused the rebel group of resuming fighting, saying the move by the rebel TPLF demonstrates its stance against any potential peace process. The TPLF, on the other hand, accused the federal government of starting the attack on its forces, an accusation rejected by the government who described the accusation as a pretext by the rebel group "to continue its warmongering behavior." Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat had previously expressed his deep concern over the renewed military confrontation in northern Ethiopia and urged de-escalation. "The chairperson strongly calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urges the parties to resume talks to seek a peaceful solution," an AU statement read. Faki reiterated the African Union's continued commitment to working with the parties in support of a consensual political process in the interest of the country, the statement said. CANBERRA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australia's national science agency has announced it will create a DNA library of every known native species as "a game-changer" to improve environmental monitoring. The National Biodiversity DNA Library (NBDL), revealed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on Wednesday, aims to document the DNA reference sequences of every known Australian animal and plant species. The data will be collected through environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, which allows species to be cataloged from traces left in their environments. Jenny Giles, director of the NBDL, said the technique has the potential to revolutionize biodiversity monitoring. "Monitoring biodiversity and detecting pests are extremely important, but it's hard to do and is expensive in a country as large as Australia. eDNA surveys could change that by allowing us to detect animals, plants and other organisms from traces of DNA left behind in the environment, but only if we can reliably assign this DNA to species," she said in a statement. "eDNA surveys are increasingly being used to detect and monitor species, but only a tiny fraction of Australian species have sufficient reference data available to support this approach. This means most eDNA we collect can't currently be assigned to a species." She said the NBDL aims to provide this missing data through an open access online portal, which will allow Australian state and federal governments, industry and researchers to take full advantage of this technique to describe and detect changes in the environment. The first species added to the library are expected to be some fish and others including whales, turtles and aquatic birds, with eDNA analysis already being undertaken by the Minderoo Foundation. The foundation, which was founded by mining magnate Andrew Forrest, has partnered with the CSIRO to fund the first part of the library. "We're proud to support this powerful conservation tool - the surveillance of marine ecosystems using eDNA provides an exciting and non-invasive means to measure biodiversity and monitor the health of our oceans," Steve Burnell, Minderoo Foundation director of the OceanOmics program, said. NEW DELHI, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 20 people were killed and 20 others injured after a bus fell into a gorge in India's northern hilly state of Uttarakhand late Tuesday, local police said on Wednesday. Twenty dead bodies have been recovered so far and the injured have been admitted to a hospital, the police said. The ill-fated bus was carrying guests to a wedding when it fell into a 500-meter-deep gorge, the police said. About 45 people were on the bus when the accident occurred near the Dhumakot area of Pauri Garhwal district. Rescue work continued through the night, though it was hampered due to darkness. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a heart-rending accident. "In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway. All possible assistance will be provided to those affected," the prime minister said on Twitter. UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- A UN spokesman said that an explosive device on Tuesday killed three Bangladesh members of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR). Their vehicle hit an explosive device overnight during a patrol, 5 km from the mission's temporary base in Ouhadm-Pende prefecture, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. A fourth peacekeeper, seriously injured, is being treated in Bouar. The explosion took place near Koui, northwest of Bouar in the northwest of CAR. "The secretary-general conveys his deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers and to the people and government of Bangladesh," Dujarric said. "We wish, of course, the wounded peacekeeper a speedy and full recovery." The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations reported on its website that as of Aug. 31, seven Bangladesh peacekeepers assigned to the CAR mission, known as MINUSCA, had been killed since the Security Council established the mission eight years ago. The current mandate expires next month. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijan has returned 17 Armenian servicemen to Yerevan, proceeding from the principles of humanism, Azernews reports. The servicemen were apprehended during recent large-scale provocations carried out by the Armenian armed forces near the Azerbaijani border on September 13-14. The handover was agreed upon with the Armenian government through international mediation. Four of the 17 Armenian servicemen were injured and were later treated in Azerbaijan. US Presidents National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has welcomed the return of the Armenian servicemen. We welcome Azerbaijans return of the 17 Armenian POWs from the recent violence. The United States continues to support ongoing efforts to reach a lasting peace agreement, he tweeted. Azerbaijan has repeatedly repatriated detained Armenian military personnel. The most recent transfer occurred on September 8, 2022, when Azerbaijan transferred five Armenian personnel to the opposing side. Following the recent border clashes, the bodies of 133 Armenian troops were transported to Armenia. The major border clashes since the 44-day war (2020) erupted between the sides on the night of September 12 leading to 13, when units of the Armenian armed forces carried out large-scale provocations along the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border in Dashkasan, Kalbajar, and Lachin directions. Meanwhile, another mass grave of Azerbaijani military personnel, killed by the Armenian armed forces in the first Karabakh war (1988-1994) was found in Khojavand Districts Edilli village, Azernews reports. Another mass grave with remnants of 12 people tied with wire and rope, as well as signs of torture were found in the formerly occupied village of Edilli in Khojavand. Around 4,000 Azerbaijani civilians and POWs are still missing and no condemnation against Armenian perpetrators! Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry wrote on its Twitter account. The previous mass grave in the same village was discovered on February 24, Zaur Ismayilov, a member of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons Working Group reported earlier. During the search, the commission discovered additional mass graves near the liberated cities of Aghdam, Fuzuli, Khojavand, and Shusha, Ismayilov said. "One of the mass graves is located in Edilli village of Khojavand region. According to preliminary data, the remains of 15-20 people were found there. The State Commission has data on several mass graves, GPRS coordinates are determined. As the territories are cleared of mines, the graves will be gradually discovered," he added. MOSCOW, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin signed federal laws Wednesday formalizing the accession of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Putin also signed federal constitutional laws on forming new regions within Russia. The relevant documents have been published on the country's official legal information portal. Russia's upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, and the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified accession treaties earlier this week. On Friday, the Kremlin held a treaty signing ceremony to incorporate Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson into the Russian Federation. COPENHAGEN, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- After months of speculation, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Wednesday finally called a general election in Denmark for Nov. 1, 2022. "I am proud of the accomplishments of this administration in less than three years. And now we're asking for a new mandate on November 1," she told journalists outside Marienborg, her official residence. "The government does not resign in conjunction with the announcement of the election," a press release from her office said. The country's current Social Democratic minority government expects to remain in power as part of a ruling coalition. "The time has come to test a new form of government in Denmark," Frederiksen said. "We are ready for both compromises and cooperation. We would like to put ourselves at the head of a broad government with parties from both sides of the political middle." The campaign, according to the prime minister, will be focused on "security," and the most important political task now is to get Denmark through the crisis successfully. "The 2022 parliamentary election will be a security election. Security for individuals, families, finances and daily life, as well as security for Denmark, Europe and the world," she said. The Danish Parliament is reelected at least every four years. The most recent election took place on June 5, 2019. The political parties will compete for 179 seats in the Folketing, or Danish Parliament: 175 in Denmark proper, two in the Faroe Islands and two in Greenland. The "mink scandal," which saw the country cull 17 million mink in late 2020, has cast a long shadow over the current administration since this July, when an independent panel reprimanded the minority government for its role but did not impeach it. The Social Liberal Party, one of the government's three supporters, demanded that Frederiksen call elections no later than when the new Parliament convenes in October, or face a no-confidence vote. LINZ, AUSTRIA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese tech giant Huawei said on Tuesday that it will deepen its partnership with leading Austrian drone maker Dronetech in 5G-powered smart farming. The two companies, which began their cooperation in the field in 2021, said their collaboration is entering a second phase called "Digital Sky." In this phase, Huawei will provide cloud computing services on top of 5G to support real-time artificial intelligence (AI) analysis. Meanwhile, Dronetech's drones, equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, will survey the land and objects to capture images and data that will be processed by AI and provide instant findings to the users, according to a press release by Huawei. The Chinese tech company said the technology will help farmers detect small insects, monitor crop status, predict harvests and optimize the use of water, chemicals and pesticides. Erich Manzer, deputy CEO of Huawei Austria, said "using drones in combination with AI and 5G can solve many resource-intensive operations such as maintenance or area monitoring." David Hopf, CEO of Dronetech, said that the partnership with Huawei will help enhance farming efficiency, cut labor costs and make food supply chains more sustainable, according to the release. PRAGUE, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Czech Republic and Qatar signed on Wednesday an agreement on economic cooperation and, pending approval by the European Commission, agreed to sign an agreement on investment protection. Czech President Milos Zeman met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Prague Castle on Wednesday, according to a press release from the president's office. The two countries will also establish an intergovernmental commission to facilitate cooperation on joint projects. Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela said that talks "are already underway between CEZ (a Czech state-owned energy company) and the Qatari state enterprise Qatar Energy, and the opening of a CzechTrade foreign office in Doha is being prepared." The Qatari side also said that it would establish an embassy in the Czech Republic within the next several months. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also met with the emir later Wednesday to discuss air transport, business support, investments and energy. Fiala said that his country is looking for a reliable liquified natural gas (LNG) supplier in Qatar, adding that Doha is also looking to Prague as a partner in LNG extraction in the North Pole. He said that the two sides will discuss this issue at the level of working groups soon. OTTAWA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Tuesday the creation of the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund. The fund will provide up to an additional 300 million Canadian dollars (240 million U.S. dollars) over two years to help those impacted by the storm and to support long-term recovery efforts, Trudeau said in a news release. The new fund will provide support for costs that may not be covered by existing federal programs, including the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA). Through the DFAA, the federal government covers up to 90 percent of eligible provincial expenses following a disaster, including providing transportation, emergency food, and shelter, and restoring or replacing uninsurable dwellings and items, the release said. Since the storm, up to 850 Canadian Armed Forces members have been deployed to remove debris to assist in the restoration of transportation links and the power grid, as well as perform wellness checks in affected communities, according to the release. After making landfall on Sept. 24, Fiona brought intense, hurricane-strength winds and torrential rains to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Quebec's Magdalen Islands in eastern Canada, leaving half a million homes and businesses without power and prompting municipalities to declare a local state of emergency. United States: Former US President Donald Trump on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to step in, in his battle with the Justice Department over classified documents taken from his Florida home as part of a criminal investigation into the handling of government records. asked for In an emergency petition, Trump asked the Supreme Court to overturn part of a lower court's ruling that had called for an independent arbitrator, known as a special master, to review more than 100 classified documents. which were out of 11,000 records. Agents took it from the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach on August 8. Also Read: Ukraine war: Russia's New round of nuclear threats On September 21, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta overturned a decision by U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon, which had temporarily prohibited the department from reviewing confiscated classified documents until Special Master. , which Trump had asked to attend, did not weed. out of anything that could be considered privileged and withheld from investigators. According to filings from Trump's attorneys on Tuesday, the Justice Department "attempted to criminalize a document management dispute and has now strongly objected to a transparent process that provides much-needed oversight." Court authorizes a federal investigation into whether Trump improperly kept records from the White House after an unsuccessful bid for re-election in 2020 after leaving office in January 2021 and whether Trump attempted to obstruct the investigation , which led to the discovery of Mar-a-Lago. Also Read: Australia on track to unveil nuclear submarine plan in early 2023 The purpose of the investigation is to identify who accessed the sensitive information, whether it was compromised, and whether any users are still missing. Documents bearing the classified markings of Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret were under question in the 11th Circuit decision. The investigation was interrupted when Cannon, who was presiding over Trump's trial, halted review of all confiscated materials, in order to limit the Justice Department's access to the seized documents, and called for a special review of the records. appointed master. Also Read: Xiaomi says it will protect its business interests after India's asset freeze of US$682 million On September 15, Cannon whom Trump appointed to the bench rejected the Justice Department's request to lift its order relating to classified materials partly because it would reduce the risks to national security from the government's possible unauthorized disclosure. hindrance in efforts to reduce Two judges on the 11th Circuit panel were chosen by Trump and the third by former President Barack Obama. SINGAPORE, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific Company ("AG&P"), a leading downstream LNG and infrastructure development company, today announced the appointment of Sandeep Mahawar as the Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group. Mr. Mahawar comes with over 25 years' experience in the LNG and natural gas industry and will be focused on developing and optimizing AG&P's LNG and downstream projects and driving market development strategies. Sandeep Mahawar, Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group Mr. Joseph Sigelman, Chairman and CEO of AG&P Group, said, "As AG&P continues to develop downstream LNG terminals and associated city gas networks in key markets across South, Southeast Asia and beyond, we are privileged to welcome Sandeep Mahawar as our Chief Commercial Officer for our LNG business. Sandeep has earned great respect from his years of experience building great businesses and AG&P is excited to see his leadership in action in the years ahead during this most exciting and revolutionary time in our industry." Mr. Sandeep Mahawar, Chief Commercial Officer of LNG Terminals & Logistics, AG&P Group, said, "I am truly impressed by the talent and dedicated team at AG&P that has demonstrated a proven operational track record in India and the Philippines. I am honored to join the team as it continues its momentum of completing the first LNG terminal in the Philippines and assist with all AG&P's initiatives to support the energy transition goals of the region and the new and emerging markets." Mr. Mahawar previously served as Senior Vice President and a member of the Senior Management team at Singapore LNG Corporation Pte Ltd ("SLNG"), primarily responsible for leading the transformation of Singapore into an LNG Hub and ensuring energy security. Since joining SLNG in 2013, Mr. Mahawar took on managerial responsibilities within commercial, operations, finance and strategy divisions, and worked closely with the SLNG Board to align company strategy with business execution. Through Mr. Mahawar's 9-year tenure, under his leadership, SLNG expanded its portfolio of infrastructure services and recorded significant growth in both revenue and operating profit since the start of commercial operations. Story continues Prior, Mr. Mahawar was with BG Group, a UK headquartered multinational oil and gas company acquired by Shell in 2014. He was responsible for driving cross-functional projects, including M&A and global commercial and business expansions and worked across Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa for over 15 years. Mr. Mahawar also served as Chairman of the ASEAN Gas Consultative Committee in 2016 by the ASEAN Council of Petroleum ("ASCOPE") to represent Singapore and as the Vice Chairman of one of its subcommittees on Gas Advocacy from 2017 to 2020. He was a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and the Chairman of its Singapore Chapter. In 2021, for his long-term, exceptional contributions to Singapore's LNG sector, Mr. Mahawar received the 'Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Standards Council Commendation Award'. About AG&P Group Atlantic Gulf & Pacific (AG&P) develops LNG import and regasification facilities as well as downstream city gas networks. AG&P also provides engineering and project management services for LNG and other infrastructure. AG&P is part-owned by Osaka Gas, JBIC (the Japan Bank of International Cooperation) and Asiya, a publicly-traded Kuwait fund, as well as its management. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agp-group-appoints-sandeep-mahawar-as-chief-commercial-officer-of-lng-terminals-and-logistics-301641028.html SOURCE AG&P Group As European consumers may soon be able to use just one charger for all mobile phones and tablets, the question looms: Will your iPhone here in America also soon get a USB-C connector? The European Parliament approved Tuesday a law requiring a uniform charging cord for all smartphones and mobile devices, which would force companies like Apple to ditch their unique chargers. (Looking at you, Lightning ports.) The new rules would require all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold across the European Union's 27 member states to feature a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024 and would extend to laptops in the spring of 2026. The guidelines were provisionally agreed upon in June and still need the final approval from EU member states before becoming official. Heres what you need to know about the cable reform: EU agreement: EU to require uniform charging cord, possibly forcing Apple to replace Lightning port What did the EU decide? The new rules would make the USB-C port the new standard for portable devices sold in the EU, meaning consumers will be able to use a single charger for small and medium-sized portable electronic devices. The rules, which have been more than 10 years in the making, aim to reduce electronic waste and help relieve the financial burden on consumers. The European Commission estimated that switching to a single charger would save about 250 million euros (roughly $247 million) per year for consumers. The common charger will finally become a reality in Europe, Alex Agius Saliba, a member of the European Parliament, said in a press release. This future-proof law allows for the development of innovative charging solutions in the future, and it will benefit everyone from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment. Apple debuted iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus in September. Can Apple chargers be used in Europe? The law would effectively force Apple to switch its proprietary Lightning charger to USB-C on iPhones. Story continues Apples current iPad models and MacBooks are already equipped with a USB-C port. If Apple wishes to maintain its market in Europe, it will need to change the design of iPhones, iPads and even AirPods and similar solutions because the current design does not allow for a seamless transition into this USB-C domain, said Vahid Behzadan, an assistant professor of computer and data science at the University of New Haven. While enforcing a single physical connection for charging or data transfer may be convenient for users, Behzadan said, it may limit the space of innovation and new solutions. The tech giant had previously expressed concern that the rules would limit innovation and hurt consumers. Bloomberg reported in May that the company was testing iPhones with a USB-C port. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said the EU Parliament's approval made it inevitable that Apples iPhone 15, expected to be released in 2023, will have a USB-C port. This is a victory for common sense, Wood said in a statement. Although Apple has a huge installed base of lighting cable powered devices, the ubiquity of USB-C across all consumer electronics products means that harmonizing on USB-C makes perfect sense. Apple iOS 16 is available now: What to know about latest software update for iPhone So what does this mean for the US? Although the new regulation would not directly apply to the United States, Behzadan said, updated Apple products may reach the U.S. market if the company decides to change its devices to comply with the European law. For iPhone users who may have to ditch the Lightning charging cables, this may not be a huge loss, as USB-C is stronger, Behzadan said. "The users who may need to switch from a Lightning-enabled device to a USB-C enabled device will not be losing anything on the technical side they will they may even gain enhanced capabilities in terms of data transfer and charging," Behzadan said. After the EU agreed on the new rules in the summer, three U.S. senators called on the government to adopt a common charging standard. In a letter sent to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts urged the agency to develop a plan to address the lack of a universal charger, noting costs for consumers and build up of e-waste. The EU has wisely acted in the public interest by taking on powerful technology companies over this consumer and environmental issue, the Democratic lawmakers wrote. The United States should do the same. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Apple iPhone may shift to universal charger after European Union vote Arcadis N.V. Continue to accelerate Arcadis 2021-2023 Maximizing Impact strategy: Strongly positions Arcadis in the high growth and resilient Life Sciences and Semiconductor manufacturing sectors Creates a full-service advisor for high-tech industrial manufacturing clients, combining DPS and Arcadis complementary service offerings Opportunity to leverage DPS strong capabilities, experience and long-standing client relationships with the worlds largest pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturing companies Increased size drives scaling opportunities and cost synergies from improved operational efficiencies and rationalization of organizational design Amsterdam, 5 October 2022 Arcadis, the leading global design & consultancy organization for natural and built assets is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement to acquire DPS Group, a leading consultancy, engineering and construction management company for Life Sciences and Semiconductor facilities. DPS has a strong presence in North America and Europe, and long-standing client relationships with the worlds largest pharmaceutical and semiconductor manufacturing companies. With this acquisition, Arcadis will achieve a leading global position in the two high growth manufacturing markets and create a further enhanced and integrated full-service offering. Peter Oosterveer, Arcadis Chief Executive Officer said: The intended acquisition of DPS marks another significant milestone in the implementation of Arcadis 2021-2023 Maximizing Impact strategy and our focus on scaling our business and delivering an enhanced service offering to clients. Together with DPS team of 2,850 talented consultants, process engineers and program managers across the U.S. and Europe, we can build on Arcadis success in the delivery of high-tech facilities. Our ambition is to be a global leader in the high growth and resilient Life Sciences and Semiconductor manufacturing markets. The combined strengths of both our organizations will allow us to improve the quality of life for the communities we all serve, while amplifying our ability to deliver a full service and seamless offering to new and existing clients across the world. Frank Keogh, DPS Chief Executive Officer said: Today marks an important step in the evolution of DPS. Over the past years we have grown our business into a leader in the Life Sciences and Semiconductor manufacturing sectors. I am proud to be joining forces with Arcadis. Together with Arcadis we will be able to offer a more comprehensive set of solutions for our clients and continue to grow our business. SIGNIFICANT VALUE CREATION FROM REVENUE AND COST SYNERGIES DPS is headquartered in Ireland with over 2,850 highly skilled employees in the U.S. and Europe. It generated 289 million of net revenues in 2021, with a net revenue growth CAGR of 21% between 2019 and 2021. It is a leading provider of project services to global leading clients in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, novel therapy, medical technologies and semiconductor manufacturing. These sectors are expected to achieve double digit growth in years to come following public policy driven investments - such as the European and the U.S. Chips Acts - and private investments, as clients look to increase manufacturing capacities across the globe, resulting in large investments in the U.S. and Europe specifically. DPS consultancy, engineering and construction management activities are highly complementary to Arcadis; Arcadis Places currently provides Life Sciences clients with services including the management of capital expenditure programs for workplaces, R&D facilities and utilities and Arcadis Resilience supports Life Sciences clients in site restoration, sustainability advisory and net zero solutions. DPS offers services across the different project phases and is particularly strong in manufacturing engineering and process design. The Arcadis-DPS combination will provide clients with a one-stop shop, full-service provider. The increased size will drive higher win rates on larger projects, in a market that increasingly prefers to deal with a single trusted advisor, given the complex, regulatory driven market requirements. In addition, Arcadis is expected to leverage DPS manufacturing engineering skills to industrial manufacturing clients such as the high growth EV battery gigafactories. DPS and Arcadis have a history of successful collaboration, which was demonstrated by the delivery of multiple large pharmaceutical clients facilities. Cost synergies are estimated at 8 million, or 2.8% of the 2021 revenues, expected to be fully realized within three years after the closing date, and driven by improved operational efficiencies and rationalization of organizational design. DPS will become part of the Arcadis Places GBA creating a future-proof and more resilient business area whereby over 80% of its clients net revenues (pro forma) will be related to industrial manufacturing, life sciences, technology, semiconductor, automotive, aerospace or government sectors; providing services across a range of asset classes such as manufacturing facilities, R&D, logistics, data-centers and public buildings including universities, transport hubs, hospitals and defense facilities. TRANSACTION DETAILS The acquisition of DPS for a cash consideration of 232 million or an enterprise value of around 295m represents 8.1x DPS estimated 2022 EBITDA, or 6.7x post synergies. The transaction will be fully debt financed. The existing bridge loan facility for the acquisition of IBI Group has been increased, next to drawing from unused committed credit facilities and utilizing available cash. Pro forma for the transaction Arcadis expects to be around the upper end of its targeted financial leverage range of 1.5x 2.5x net debt / EBITDA, by the end of 2022, and to de-lever in 2023 given its solid cash conversion track record and strong order book. As part of its financing strategy, Arcadis has engaged with Standard & Poors to obtain a credit rating and expects to receive an investment grade credit rating, pro forma for the IBI and DPS transactions. The transaction is subject to customary completion conditions, including regulatory approvals. Arcadis expects the transaction to close before the end of 2022. CONFERENCE CALL Arcadis will hold a conference call at 10:00 hours CET today, during which Peter Oosterveer (Arcadis CEO) and Virginie Duperat-Vergne (Arcadis CFO) will discuss the acquisition. A live audiocast of the conference call can be accessed through this link or found on the Arcadis Investor Relations website. A replay and transcript will be available within 24 hours following the call. ABOUT ARCADIS Arcadis is a leading global Design & Consultancy organization for natural and built assets. Applying our deep market sector insights and collective design, consultancy, engineering, project and management services we work in partnership with our clients to deliver exceptional and sustainable outcomes throughout the lifecycle of their natural and built assets. We are 33,000 people, active in over 70 countries that generate 3.8 billion in gross revenues (based on 2021 full year pro forma figures). We support UN-Habitat with knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world. www.arcadis.com. ABOUT DPS GROUP DPS Group is a global consulting, engineering and construction management company, serving high-tech industries around the world. We have 2,850 industry experts in key locations in the U.S. and Europe, bringing world-class resources and the latest innovative technologies to every project. https://www.dpsgroupglobal.com/ FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: ARCADIS INVESTOR RELATIONS: Christine Disch | Mobile: +31 (0)6 1537 6020 | christine.disch@arcadis.com ARCADIS CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS: Chris Wiggan | Mobile. +44 7966 404889 | chris.wiggan@arcadis.com REGULATED INFORMATION This press release contains information that qualifies or may qualify as inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements included in this press release that are not historical facts (including any statements that assume the completion of the transaction, the benefits of the transaction, the timing and ability of the companies to satisfy the conditions to closing the transaction (if at all), statements concerning investment objectives, other plans and objectives of management for future operations or economic performance, or assumptions or forecasts related thereto) are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and are not guarantees. Actual events or the results of our operations could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the inability of the companies to satisfy the conditions to closing the transaction on terms announced (or at all). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as may, will, should, expect, could, intend, plan, anticipate, estimate, believe, continue, predict, potential or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations, plans, estimates, assumptions and beliefs that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Assumptions relating to the foregoing involve judgments with respect to, among other things, regulatory approvals, the ability of the companies to complete the transaction on terms announced, future economic, competitive and market conditions and future business decisions, all of which are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many of which are beyond our control. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our actual results and performance could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Attachments CHICAGO, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of global market infrastructure and tradable products, today reported September monthly trading volume statistics across its global business lines and provided guidance for selected revenue per contract/net revenue capture metrics for the third quarter of 2022. (PRNewsfoto/Cboe Global Markets, Inc.) The data sheet "Cboe Global Markets Monthly Volume & RPC/Net Revenue Capture Report" contains an overview of certain September trading statistics and market share by business segment, volume in select index products, and RPC/net capture, which is reported on a one-month lag, across business lines. Average Daily Trading Volume (ADV) by Month Year-To-Date Sept 2022 Sept 2021 % Chg Aug 2022 % Chg Sept 2022 Sept 2021 % Chg Multiply-listed options (contracts, k) 11,277 10,092 11.7 % 10,464 7.8 % 10,649 9,932 7.2 % Index options (contracts, k) 3,453 2,228 55.0 % 2,715 27.2 % 2,676 1,904 40.6 % Futures (contracts, k) 237 259 -8.6 % 192 23.6 % 227 231 -1.8 % U.S. Equities - On-Exchange (matched shares, mn) 1,511 1,436 5.2 % 1,409 7.2 % 1,664 1,684 -1.2 % U.S. Equities - Off-Exchange (matched shares, mn) 79 72 8.8 % 84 -6.9 % 94 83 13.4 % Canadian Equities1 (matched shares, k) 113,199 42,801 164.5 % 115,819 -2.3 % 76,198 52,096 46.3 % European Equities (, mn) 10,629 8,180 29.9 % 8,377 26.9 % 11,107 7,343 51.3 % EuroCCP Cleared Trades2 (k) 124,220 112,404 10.5 % 105,537 17.7 % 1,152,338 899,111 28.2 % EuroCCP Net Settlements2 (k) 859 844 1.8 % 883 -2.7 % 7,851 7,275 7.9 % Australian Equities3 (AUD, mn) 760 887 -14.3 % 706 7.6 % 806 N/A Japanese Equities3 (JPY, bn) 155 107 44.9 % 164 -5.5 % 153 N/A Global FX ($, mn) 46,909 34,890 34.4 % 38,031 23.3 % 40,957 33,956 20.6 % 1Canadian Equities data include MATCHNow and NEO from June 2022 onwards. Before June 2022 it included MATCHNow only. "Net capture per 10,000 touched shares" refers to transaction fees divided by the product of one-ten thousandth ADV of shares for NEO and MATCHNow and the number of trading days for the period. 2 EuroCCP figures are totals (not ADV) for the months and years-to-date. 3 Australian Equities and Japanese Equities data reflects Cboe's acquisition of Cboe Asia Pacific (formerly Chi-X Asia Pacific) effective on July 1, 2021. September and Third-Quarter 2022 Trading Volume Highlights U.S. Options For the second consecutive month, total U.S. options volume reached an all-time high with volume across all four Cboe options exchanges of 309.3 million contracts in September, up two percent from the previous record in August. Trading in S&P 500 Index (SPX) options reached an all-time high, setting multiple records, including: In addition, records were set in SPX options expiring on the trade date (zero-days-to-expiry), including: ADV in Mini-S&P 500 Index (XSP) options surpassed 40,000 contracts, the highest month since March 2020. ADV in Cboe Volatility Index (VIX) Weeklys options reached 36,000 contracts, a new monthly record since March 2020. Global FX ADV of $45.8 billion in Spot was the highest month this year and $990 million on Cboe SEF (NDFs) was the highest month on record. European Equities and Derivatives Cboe Europe Equities had an overall market share of 24.9 percent in September, its highest market share since January 2016, making it Europe's largest stock exchange for the third consecutive month. Cboe BIDS Europe, Cboe's European block trading platform, had a record 36 percent share of the LIS (large-in-scale) market, making it the largest platform of its type for the sixth consecutive month (Source: big xyt). EuroCCP, Cboe's pan-European clearing house, cleared a record 6.5 million sides on Euronext's stock exchanges in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Lisbon under the preferred clearing model, beating the previous high of 6.1 million sides cleared in July 2022. Australian Equities Cboe Australia's continuous market share was 17.4 percent, its best month since February 2020. Cboe Australia's continuous market share in the Australian ETF market was 35.4 percent, its highest on record, and total market share was 41.7 percent, its second highest month on record. Third-Quarter 2022 RPC/Net Revenue Capture Guidance The projected RPC/net capture metrics for the third-quarter of 2022 are estimated, preliminary and may change. There can be no assurance that our final RPC for the three months ended September 30, 2022, will not differ materially from these projections. (In USD unless stated otherwise) Two-Months Ended Three-Months Ended Product: 3Q Projection Aug-22 Aug-22 Jul-22 Jun-22 Multiply-Listed Options (per contract) 0.063 0.061 0.061 0.064 0.066 Index Options 0.897 0.895 0.892 0.884 0.883 Total Options 0.244 0.233 0.236 0.238 0.233 Futures (per contract) 1.709 1.708 1.699 1.677 1.677 U.S. Equities - Exchange (per 100 touched shares) 0.023 0.023 0.024 0.022 0.020 U.S. Equities - Off-Exchange (per 100 touched shares) 0.113 0.115 0.111 0.108 0.108 Canadian Equities (per 10,000 touched shares) CAD 4.32 CAD 4.36 CAD 4.17 CAD 4.80 CAD 5.67 European Equities (per matched notional value) 0.231 0.226 0.226 0.229 0.231 Australian Equities (per matched notional value) 0.168 0.168 0.169 0.171 0.171 Japanese Equities (per matched notional value) 0.259 0.256 0.261 0.261 0.258 Global FX (per one million dollars traded) 2.683 2.724 2.713 2.704 2.704 EuroCCP Fee per Trade Cleared 0.008 0.009 0.009 0.009 0.009 EuroCCP Net Fee per Settlement 0.848 0.852 0.856 0.825 0.808 The above represents average revenue per contract (RPC) or net capture based on a three-month rolling average. For options and futures, the average RPC represents total net transaction fees recognized for the period divided by total contracts traded during the period for options exchanges: BZX Options, Cboe Options, C2 Options and EDGX Options; futures include contracts traded on Cboe Futures Exchange, LLC (CFE). For U.S. Equities On-Exchange, "net capture per 100 touched shares" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments and routing and clearing costs divided by the product of one-hundredth ADV of touched shares on BZX, BYX, EDGX and EDGA and the number of trading days for the period. For U.S. Equities Off-Exchange, "net capture per 100 touched shares" refers to transaction fees less OMS/EMS costs and clearing costs divided by the product of one-hundredth ADV of touched shares on BIDS Trading and the number of trading days for the period. For Canadian Equities, "net capture per 10,000 touched shares" refers to transaction fees divided by the product of one-ten thousandth ADV of shares for MATCHNow and the number of trading days for the period and includes revenue from NEO from June 2022. For European Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in British pounds divided by the product of ADNV in British pounds of shares matched on Cboe Europe Equities and the number of trading days. For EuroCCP, "Fee per Trade Cleared" refers to clearing fees divided by number of non-interoperable trades cleared and "Net Fee per Settlement" refers to settlement fees less direct costs incurred to settle divided by the number of settlements executed after netting. For Australian Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in Australian Dollars divided by the product of ADNV in Australian Dollars of shares matched on Cboe Australia and the number of trading days. For Japanese Equities, "net capture per matched notional value" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments in Japanese Yen divided by the product of ADNV in Japanese Yen of shares matched on Cboe Japan and the number of trading days. For Global FX, "net capture per one million dollars traded" refers to transaction fees less liquidity payments, if any, divided by the Spot and SEF products of one-thousandth of ADNV traded on the Cboe FX markets and the number of trading days, divided by two, which represents the buyer and seller that are both charged on the transaction. Average transaction fees per contract can be affected by various factors, including exchange fee rates, volume-based discounts and transaction mix by contract type and product type. About Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE), a leading provider of market infrastructure and tradable products, delivers cutting-edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to market participants around the world. The company is committed to operating a trusted, inclusive global marketplace, providing leading products, technology and data solutions that enable participants to define a sustainable financial future. Cboe provides trading solutions and products in multiple asset classes, including equities, derivatives, FX and digital assets, across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit www.cboe.com. Media Contacts Analyst Contact Angela Tu Tim Cave Kenneth Hill, CFA +1-646-856-8734 +44 (0) 7593-506-719 +1-312-786-7559 atu@cboe.com tcave@cboe.com khill@cboe.com CBOE-V Cboe, Cboe Global Markets, Cboe Volatility Index, VIX and XSP are registered trademarks and Cboe Futures ExchangeSM is a service mark of Cboe Exchange, Inc. or its affiliates. Standard & Poor's, S&P, SPX, and S&P 500 are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC, and have been licensed for use by Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Any products that have the S&P Index or Indexes as their underlying interest are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Standard & Poor's or Cboe and neither Standard & Poor's nor Cboe make any representations or recommendations concerning the advisability of investing in products that have S&P indexes as their underlying interests. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates do not recommend or make any representation as to possible benefits from any securities, futures or investments, or third-party products or services. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. is not affiliated with S&P. Investors should undertake their own due diligence regarding their securities, futures, and investment practices. This press release speaks only as of this date. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. disclaims any duty to update the information herein. Nothing in this announcement should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell any securities or futures in any jurisdiction where the offer or solicitation would be unlawful under the laws of such jurisdiction. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes tax, legal or investment advice. Investors must consult their tax adviser or legal counsel for advice and information concerning their particular situation. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates make no warranty, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, any warranties as of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, completeness or timeliness, the results to be obtained by recipients of the products and services described herein, or as to the ability of the indices referenced in this press release to track the performance of their respective securities, generally, or the performance of the indices referenced in this press release or any subset of their respective securities, and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies, errors. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. and its affiliates have not calculated, composed or determined the constituents or weightings of the securities that comprise the third-party indices referenced in this press release and shall not in any way be liable for any inaccuracies or errors in any of the indices referenced in this press release. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all market participants. Prior to buying or selling an option, a person should review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (ODD), which is required to be provided to all such persons. Copies of the ODD are available from your broker or from The Options Clearing Corporation, 125 S. Franklin Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60606. Futures trading is not suitable for all investors and involves the risk of loss. That risk of loss can be substantial and can exceed the amount of money deposited for a futures position. You should, therefore, carefully consider whether futures trading is suitable for you in light of your circumstances and financial resources. You should put at risk only funds that you can afford to lose without affecting your lifestyle. For additional information regarding futures trading risks, see the Risk Disclosure Statement set forth in Appendix A to CFTC Regulation 1.55(c) and the Risk Disclosure Statement for Security Futures Contracts. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading or clearing volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes or changes in tax regimes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security risks, cybersecurity risks, insider threats and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; fluctuations to currency exchange rates; factors that impact the quality and integrity of our indices; the impact of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to minimize the risks, including our credit and default risks, associated with operating a European clearinghouse; our ability to accommodate trading and clearing volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products or for whom we clear transactions; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; our ability to maintain BIDS Trading as an independently managed and operated trading venue, separate from and not integrated with our registered national securities exchanges; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations and our ability to make payments on or refinance our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; the accuracy of our estimates and expectations; litigation risks and other liabilities; and operating a digital asset business and clearinghouse, including the expected benefits of our ErisX acquisition, cybercrime, changes in digital asset regulation, losses due to digital asset custody, and fluctuations in digital asset prices. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC. We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cboe-global-markets-reports-trading-volume-for-september-2022-301642017.html SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva has urged the international community to take necessary measures in response to Armenia's war crimes, such as the mass burial site just discovered in Khojavand District. The appeal noted that another mass grave was found in the liberated Edilli village of Khojavand District, with the remains of 12 people, whose hands and feet were tied before the killing. The items found near the remains suggest they were servicemen. This proves once again the torture and murder of Azerbaijani prisoners of war by Armenia. Aliyeva stressed that the discovered remains are likely to belong to Azerbaijani servicemen, who went missing during the first Karabakh war, whose fate is still unknown. She highlighted that despite repeated appeals, Armenia refused to provide information on the fate of the missing, as well as on mass grave locations, in order to conceal its war crimes from the world community. This confirms Armenia's infringing upon the requirements of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its ethnic hatred policy towards Azerbaijanis, she said. The ombudswoman added that the perpetrators of war crimes must be held accountable. Spokesperson of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva recalled that another mass burial site of Azerbaijanis was also found in the Edilli village back in February 2022. "To the attention of those, who talk about war crimes: since the first Karabakh war, 4,000 Azerbaijanis went missing, many of them were tortured, killed, and buried in mass graves," Abdullayeva wrote on Twitter. Similarly, Presidential aid Hikmat Hajiyev wrote that Edilli was used as a concentration camp for Azerbaijani hostages by Armenia. "Mass grave of tortured/killed Azerbaijani militaries by Armenia during the 1st war identified in Edilli village. Edilli was used as a concentration camp for Azerbaijani hostages by Armenia. 4,000 Azerbaijani militaries/civilians remain missing. Armenia refuses to provide mass grave locations, Hajiyev tweeted. It should be noted that over 4,000 Azerbaijanis went missing as a result of the First Karabakh War. It is believed that the vast majority of them were systematically killed and buried in mass graves. China has joined a handful of countries in banning flavored vapes to combat underage use of nicotine. Starting October 1, e-cigarette companies are only allowed to sell tobacco-flavored vapes in the country, an effort by the government to "standardize" the production, sales and consumption of the novel tobacco product. China's e-cigarette makers had a short-lived boom before regulators began reining in the lucrative industry around three years ago. First, it was a ban on the online sales of vapes. Then in May this year, a set of comprehensive regulations went into force, effectively subjecting e-cigarettes to the purview of China's tobacco authorities. The ban is long in coming and investors anticipated the change. Relx, which as of 2020 commanded 70% of China's pod vape market, has lost over 95% of its stock value since its debut on NYSE in January 2021. Shares of Smoore, a major manufacturer of vaping devices based out of Relx's home city of Shenzhen, are down 90% since hitting an all-time high in January 2021. A ban on flavored vapes is like a death knell to the vaping industry. Tobacco-flavored products accounted for only an insignificant amount of e-cigarette sales, according to a survey conducted by Landong, a Chinese media publication focused on the vaping industry. Other major measures from the regulations include a tobacco tax on e-cigarette sales and stringent new requirements on how a vape is made, from its battery, ceramic coil and nicotine content to fragrance. Meeting all these criteria could cost a fortune, which means the shoddy, scruffy type of vape sellers that were crowding the market before will struggle to survive. Well-funded Chinese vaping startups such as Relx and Myst have long begun international expansion to diversify their revenue streams. In 2020, Relx kickstarted the costly and time-consuming ordeal of obtaining FDA approval in the U.S. Myst, which was co-founded by a former Juul scientist, had entered Malaysia, Russia, Canada and the United Kingdom as of May last year. Story continues China's clampdown on vaping flavors stems from the same concern shared by other jurisdictions: health risks for young people. In a notice from 2019, the country's tobacco authority had this to say: "The current electronic cigarette market in China is chaos. The quality of products varies substantially, and a large number of them has safety issues around unsafe additives, leaky e-juice, and shoddy battery. In particular, some companies are casually adding addictives to change the flavor and color of e-cigarettes to make them more appealing, but this is causing severe damage to underage users' mental and physical health." In 2019, the U.S. government was getting ready for a policy to ban flavored e-cigarette products. In June, European Union lawmakers are proposing to ban flavored heated tobacco products. As the world's largest producer of vaping devices, China's e-cigarette factories will likely see their demand shrink as regulators around the world continue their battle with the vaping industry. Adroit Market Research With an increase in the speed at which social media impacts are used and numerous efforts, the Asia Pacific market is anticipated to have the largest yearly growth. Dallas, Texas, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global crowdfunding market reached a value of US$ 15.37 Billion in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 27.96 Billion by 2029, exhibiting a CAGR of 13.66% during the prediction period of 2022 to 2029. The free social media promotion is one of the key factors that will favorably affect market growth throughout the projection period. Social networking is a prominent technique that many crowdfunding initiatives utilize because it allows for tracking of website referral traffic. Social media might therefore be utilized by companies to promote products without investing any money, which is anticipated to drive the global crowdfunding market throughout the forecast period. The usage of campaigns as platforms for crowdfunding is a significant factor in the growth of the crowdfunding market share. One of the major factors promoting the development of crowdfunding globally is the rising frequency of chronic illnesses among the general population. Additionally, a number of steps done by the governing authorities to reduce healthcare costs are promoting market expansion. As social media makes it possible to track website referral traffic, many crowdfunding campaigns employ it as a distribution channel. A business can now freely support an idea on social media as a result, which is expected to stimulate the expansion of the global crowdfunding industry throughout the course of the predicted year. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/336 Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2022-2029 CAGR 13.66% Historical Data 2019-2020 Segment Covered Deployment Model, Industry, End-Use, Regions Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa Key Players Profiled Crowdfunder, RocketHub, IFunding, GoFundMe, Teespring, Crowdcube, Wefunder, Patreon, and Kickstarter. Crowdfunding is the practice of soliciting modest donations from a large number of people in order to raise money for a certain cause or project. It is done using social networks online, which makes it simpler for supporters to spread the word about a cause or initiative. It can be used to generate money for a worthwhile endeavor, a creative undertaking, the launch of a business, college tuition, and other costs. The need for crowdfunding is growing globally because it is a scalable, adaptable, and effective method of raising money. Equity investment, donation-based, reward-based, peer-to-peer lending, and hybrid models are just a few of the ways it offers financial assistance. Usually, it takes place online on websites and forums for social networking. Without the assistance of banks or venture capitalists, crowdfunding enables direct market access. It is seen as a flexible, scalable, and successful alternative to conventional fund-raising strategies. Story continues In 2021, the P2P lending segment dominated with majority of the share. Throughout the anticipated term, the segment will maintain its dominant market share. Numerous international government programmes that assist the expansion of the market in this sector can be blamed for the market's growth. P2P lenders liquidate the fund before the loan's terms expire, enabling borrowers to get access to the funds sooner for planned expenses. APAC will be the most revenue-generating region during the anticipated period. Due to increased Internet and smartphone penetration in APAC during the projected period, the global crowdfunding industry would grow there. Interested to Procure The Data? Inquire here at: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/researchreport/purchase/336 In May 2020, BuildHer, a UK-based crowdfunding platform for women of African descent, will formally launch. BuildHer, a company that was founded in 2018, says it trains underprivileged young women in Kenya in licensed construction skills, which boosts their financial well-being, modifies masculine attitudes, and advances gender equality in the sector. Table of Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Research Methodology 3. Market Outlook 4. Crowdfunding Market by Deployment Model, 2019-2029 (USD Billion) 4.1. Cloud-based 4.2. On-premise 5. Crowdfunding Market by Industry, 2019-2029 (USD Billion) 5.1. Technology 5.2. Healthcare 5.3. Cultural sector 5.4. Product-based 6. Crowdfunding Market by End Use, 2019-2029 (USD Billion) 6.1. Donation 6.2. Equity Crowdfunding 6.3. Reward-based Crowdfunding 6.4. Equity Investments 6.5. P2P Lending 7. Crowdfunding Market by Price Range, 2019-2029 (USD Billion) 7.1. Starter 7.2. Mid-range 7.3. Enterprise 8. Crowdfunding Market by Region 2019-2029 (USD Billion) 9. Competitive Landscape 10. Company Profiles 11. Appendix Get Discount on this Report: https://www.adroitmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount/336 Access research repository of Upcoming Reports @ https://adroitmarketresearch.com/upcoming.html About Us: Adroit Market Research is an India-based business analytics and consulting company incorporated in 2018. Our target audience is a wide range of corporations, manufacturing companies, product/technology development institutions and industry associations that require understanding of a markets size, key trends, participants and future outlook of an industry. We intend to become our clients knowledge partner and provide them with valuable market insights to help create opportunities that increase their revenues. We follow a code Explore, Learn and Transform. At our core, we are curious people who love to identify and understand industry patterns, create an insightful study around our findings and churn out money-making roadmaps. Contact Us: Ryan Johnson Account Manager - Global 3131 McKinney Ave Ste 600 Dallas, TX 75204 Email ID: sales@adroitmarketresearch.com Phone No.: +1-9726644514, +91-9665341414 Connect with us: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Sentencing of former Theranos boss Elizabeth Holmes has been delayed as a judge considers whether the testimony of a key witness in her high-profile trial was truthful. Holmes requested a new trial after claiming that federal prosecutors presented misleading evidence. She was convicted in January on four of 11 counts of defrauding investors in the blood-testing firm. The decision marks the latest twist in a case that has gripped Silicon Valley. Holmes entered the "motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence" regarding former Theranos laboratory director Adam Rosendorff, court papers showed. Holmes' lawyers said that Mr Rosendorff appeared at her home in August to express regret over his testimony in the trial. This latest development comes after her lawyers last month failed in an attempt to get the conviction overturned. Holmes, who is currently free on bail, had been due to be sentenced on 17 October. In January, a jury found Holmes guilty of defrauding investors after a months-long landmark trial in California. Jurors found her guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud against investors and three charges of wire fraud. She denied the charges. Prosecutors said Holmes knowingly lied about technology that she said could detect diseases such as cancer and diabetes with a few drops of blood. The firm promised that it would revolutionise the healthcare industry with the test. But these claims began to unravel in 2015 after a Wall Street Journal investigation reported that its core blood-testing technology did not work. Her ex-boyfriend and former Theranos President Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani was found guilty in July on similar counts, as well as defrauding patients. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month. Theranos was once the darling of biotech and Silicon Valley, valued at $9bn (7.9bn) at its peak. Holmes was able to raise more than $900m from billionaires, including media magnate Rupert Murdoch and technology mogul Larry Ellison. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and ATHENS, Ga., Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and Piedmont today announced they have been awarded a certificate of need to build a freestanding, 40-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Athens, Georgia. The hospital will be located at 1083 Parkway Boulevard. (PRNewsfoto/Encompass Health Corporation) The hospital will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, and complex orthopedic conditions. Complementing local acute care services, the future hospital will offer physical, occupational, and speech therapies and 24-hour nursing care to restore functional ability and quality of life. The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies, and activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, pharmacy, and therapy courtyard. "We are excited to expand our partnership with Piedmont, a forward-thinking and wellrespected healthcare leader that has been serving Georgia residents for more than 100 years," said Ronnie Wagley, President of Encompass Health's South Atlantic Region. "We look forward to providing even more access to highquality care for Athens-area residents in need of rehabilitative services through this future hospital. By leveraging the strengths of both organizations, we will help patients regain their independence through our coordinated and connected care." "Through our partnership with Encompass Health, we have experienced the value that they can bring to our patients, and we look forward to adding another access point for patients and their loved ones that will provide care close to home," said Michael J. Mandl, Piedmont Executive Vice President. Encompass Health currently has five inpatient rehabilitation hospitals in Georgia and has announced plans to open an additional two hospitals in the state over the next three years, including Atlanta and Columbus. Story continues About Piedmont Piedmont is empowering Georgians by changing health care. We continue to fuel Georgia's growth through safe, high-quality care close to home an integrated health care system that provides a hassle-free, unified experience. Every year, we have over 30 million visits to Piedmont.org, more than 450,000 appointments scheduled online by patients and over 100,000 virtual visits. We are a private, not-for-profit organization that for centuries has lived up to our purpose to make a positive difference in every life we touch in the communities we serve. Today our organization is supported by a work force of more than 37,000 who care for 3.4 million patients across 1,400 locations and serving communities that comprise 80 percent of Georgia's population. This includes 22 hospitals, including three inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, 65 Piedmont Urgent Care centers, 25 QuickCare locations, 1,875 Piedmont Clinic physician practices and more than 3,000 Piedmont Clinic members. Piedmont has provided $1.4 billion in uncompensated care and community benefit programming to the communities we serve over the past five years. In 2022, Forbes ranked us No. 166 on its list of the Best Large Employers in the United States. In 2021, the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that rates hospitals on safety, awarded Piedmont more A grades than any system in Georgia. For more information, or book your next appointment, visit piedmont.org. About Encompass Health Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) is the largest owner and operator of rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. With a national footprint that includes 153 hospitals in 36 states and Puerto Rico, the Company provides high-quality, compassionate rehabilitative care for patients recovering from a major injury or illness, using advanced technology and innovative treatments to maximize recovery. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For and Modern Healthcare's Best Places to Work in Healthcare. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Encompass Health's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, the regulatory review and approval process, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against the Company; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays; the ability to successfully complete this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; disease outbreaks, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health in response to disease outbreaks; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; the hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's information systems; Encompass Health's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on Encompass Health's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2021 and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Encompass Health contacts: Piedmont contact: Media contact: Danielle Hall | 205-970-5912 Media contact: Sarah Teach | 404-550-6932 danielle.hall@encompasshealth.com sarah.teach@piedmont.org Investor Relations contact: Mark Miller | 205-970-5860 mark.miller@encompasshealth.com Piedmont logo Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/encompass-health-and-piedmont-announce-plans-to-build-a-40-bed-inpatient-rehabilitation-hospital-in-athens-georgia-301641955.html SOURCE Encompass Health Corp. An advert- and tracker-free search engine launches in the UK, France and Germany on Thursday. Neeva has 600,000 users in the US, where it launched last year. Creator Sridhar Ramaswamy, who worked at Google for 16 years and ran its ad business, told BBC News the technology sector had become "exploitative" of people's data, something he no longer wanted to be a part of. Trackers share information about online activity, largely to target adverts. Neeva has raised $77.5m (68m) from investors. It offers free-to-use search, with other features such as password-manager access and virtual-private-network (VPN) service to be made available on a subscription basis. Users are asked to create an account, to build subscriptions at a later date. And the UK price was likely to be about 5 per month, Mr Ramaswamy said. "We felt the traditional search engines had become about advertising and advertisers - and not really about serving users," he said. "Google has a dominant position in the marketplace - and the incentive for them to truly innovate, to truly create disruptive experiences, is not really there. "And then also as a company they feel obligated to show more and more revenue and profit to their shareholders, so they just keep increasing the number of ads." Trying out Neeva Search the word "migraine" on both Google and Neeva, and the first page of the results are fairly similar - links to news articles and factual information. Neeva creator Sridhar Ramaswamy But with a brand, the difference becomes more stark. When I try "BMW", both search engines lead with links to the carmaker's website and Wikipedia entry. But while Google follows with a map, social-media feeds and links to used-car dealers, Neeva sticks with different BMW official pages. Google certainly has more variety - but it is also blatantly pushing me towards buying a car. Neeva's Chrome browser extension lists the trackers installed on web pages visited. I tried a few: the Daily Mail had 351 trackers. the BBC four, two of which were internal tools Tesco five Sainsbury's 10 parenting forum Mumsnet 27 the front page of Reddit three Amazon three - all its own Story continues And almost all - but not the BBC - had at least one belonging to Google, meaning Google is receiving anonymised information about users visiting those pages. While I had the extension activated, no ads displayed around the editorial content. But ultimately, none of Neeva's other rivals has dented the dominance of Google search. "To Bing" or "to Duckduckgo" - another privacy-focused service - are not verbs in the way "to google" is. And asked if Mr Ramaswamy could ever topple his former employer, Steph Liu, an analyst at Forrester specialising in privacy and search, said: "Realistically, no. "It's a sort of David and Goliath story. Google has too many users, it has too much revenue. "The ultimate goal is to offer an alternative for the consumer base who are worried about their privacy, who don't want Google hoovering up their data and targeting ads based on their search history". NASHVILLE, Tenn., October 04, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FB Financial Corporation ("FB Financial" or "the Company") (NYSE:FBK) announced today that it will release its 2022 third quarter results of operations on Monday, October 17, 2022, after the close of market trading. The Company will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Central Time on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, to discuss its third quarter results of operations. For investors or analysts who want to attend the call, the dial-in number is 877-883-0383, confirmation code 3293769. A telephonic replay will be available approximately two hours after the call through October 25, 2022, by dialing 877-344-7529 and entering confirmation code 8838274. A live online broadcast of FB Financials conference call will also begin at 8:00 a.m. Central Time, on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at FBK 3Q22 Webcast. An online replay will be available on the Companys website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call and will remain available for 12 months. About FB Financial Corporation FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK) is a financial holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. FB Financial Corporation operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, FirstBank, the third largest Tennessee-headquartered community bank, with 81 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and North Georgia, and mortgage offices across the Southeast. FirstBank has approximately $12.2 billion in total assets. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221004005939/en/ Contacts MEDIA CONTACT: Jeanie M. Rittenberry 615-313-8328 jrittenberry@firstbankonline.com www.firstbankonline.com FINANCIAL CONTACT: Michael Mettee 615-564-1212 mmettee@firstbankonline.com investorrelations@firstbankonline.com Fomento Economico Mexicano MONTERREY, Mexico and MUTTENZ, Switzerland, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA; BMV: FEMSAUBD.MX; FEMSAUB.MX; NYSE: FMX) today published the definitive end result of its public tender offer (Offer) by FEMSAs wholly-owned subsidiary Impulsora de Marcas e Intangibles, S.A. de C.V., to acquire all publicly held registered shares of Valora Holding AG (Valora; SIX: VALN) at a price of CHF 260.00 net in cash per share as pre-announced on July 5, 2022. 4,234,923 Valora shares were tendered into the Offer until the end of the additional acceptance period. Taking into account the tendered Valora shares, the Valora shares acquired by the offeror outside the Offer during the additional acceptance period and the Valora shares held by the persons acting in concert with the offeror, FEMSAs participation amounts to a total of 4,252,410 Valora shares in aggregate, corresponding to 96.87% of the issued share capital and voting rights of Valora. FEMSA appreciates this strong support for joining forces with Valora by the Valora shareholders. FEMSA has received all required regulatory clearances and the settlement of the Offer is therefore scheduled for Friday, October 7, 2022. The settlement of the Offer is subject to certain other customary conditions as set forth in the Offer Prospectus. After the settlement of the Offer, FEMSA intends to initiate a squeeze-out procedure and to delist the Valora shares from trading on SIX Swiss Exchange. The definitive notice of the end result is available at https://femsa.gcs-web.com/valora-transaction. FEMSA contact: Juan Fonseca Phone: +52 81 83 28 6229 Investor Relations Director E-mail: investor@femsa.com Mauricio Reyes Phone: +52 81 83 28 6000 Corporate Communications Director E-mail: comunicacion@femsa.com Valora contact: Christina Wahlstrand Phone: +41 61 467 24 53 Head of Corporate Communications & Branding E-mail: media@valora.com Annette Carrer-Martin Phone: +41 61 467 21 23 Head of Investor Relations E-mail: ir@valora.com Proxy Advisor contact: Morrow Sodali Phone: +44 20 31 48 97 80 Information Agent E-mail: valora-offer@investor.morrowsodali.com Hotline for private shareholders Phone: +41 43 550 72 52 About FEMSA FEMSA is a sociedad anonima bursatil de capital variable organized and existing under the laws of Mexico, whose shares are publicly listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores) and the New York Stock Exchange. FEMSA owns a diversified portfolio of companies, having direct operations in 13 countries. FEMSA operates the largest convenience store chain in Mexico and Latin America (OXXO), with more than 20,000 units, as well as more than 3,600 pharmacies in four Latin American countries (Cruz Verde, Yza and others). FEMSA also owns the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world in terms of sales volume (Coca-Cola FEMSA), and is the second largest shareholder of the Heineken group (with an economic interest of 14.76%). The FEMSA Group also owns a variety of smaller companies involved in several adjacent activities to those of its main businesses, including logistics and distribution, point-of-sale (POS) refrigeration, distribution of products used by foodservice providers, and plastics solutions. FEMSA has more than 320,000 employees and reported revenues of more than USD 27 billion in 2021. Story continues More information is available at www.femsa.com. About Valora Each and every day, around 15,000 employees in the Valora network work to brighten up their customers journey with a comprehensive foodvenience offering nearby, quick, convenient and fresh. The around 2,700 small-scale points of sale of Valora are located at highly frequented locations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The company includes, among others, k kiosk, Brezelkonig, BackWerk, Ditsch, Press & Books, avec, Caffe Spettacolo and the popular own brand ok. as well as a continuously growing range of digital services. Valora is also one of the worlds leading producers of pretzels and benefits from a well-integrated value chain in the area of baked goods. In 2021, Valora generated annual external sales of CHF 2.2 billion. The Groups registered office is in Muttenz, Switzerland. The registered shares of Valora Holding AG (VALN) are traded on SIX Swiss Exchange AG. More information is available at www.valora.com. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words "aims", "believes", "estimates", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", "plans", "should" or similar terminology. These forward-looking statements include or describe matters that are not historical facts or which may not otherwise be provable by reference to past events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and/or depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Legal Disclaimers Important Additional Information This release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute, or form part of, any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer, to purchase or subscribe for any registered shares or other equity securities in Valora Holding AG, nor shall it form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefor. This release is not part of the offer documentation relating to the tender offer. Terms and conditions of the tender offer have been published in the offer prospectus regarding the tender offer dated July 26, 2022. Shareholders of Valora Holding AG are urged to read the tender offer documents, including the offer prospectus, which are or will be available at https://femsa.gcs-web.com/valora-transaction. Certain Offer Restrictions The Offer is not being made and will not be made, directly or indirectly, in any country or jurisdiction in which the Offer would be considered unlawful or otherwise violate any applicable laws or regulations, or which would require FEMSA or any of its direct or indirect subsidiaries, including Impulsora de Marcas e Intangibles, S.A. de C.V. (the "Offeror"), to change or amend the terms or conditions of the Offer in any material way, to make an additional filing with any governmental, regulatory or other authority or take additional action in relation to the Offer. It is not intended to extend the Offer to any such country or jurisdiction. Any such document relating to the Offer must neither be distributed in any such country or jurisdiction nor be sent into such country or jurisdiction, and must not be used for the purpose of soliciting the purchase of securities of the Company by any person or entity resident or incorporated in any such country or jurisdiction. According to Swiss law, Valora shares tendered into the Offer may not be withdrawn after they are tendered except under certain circumstances, in particular in case a competing offer for the Valora shares is launched. The tender offer is subject to the requirements of Section 14(e) of, and Regulation 14E under, the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "U.S. Exchange Act"), including amendments to the terms and conditions of the tender offer, extensions of the tender offer, purchases outside of the tender offer and minimum offer period, and is otherwise being made in accordance with the requirements of Swiss law. Accordingly, the tender offer is subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to withdrawal rights, settlement procedures and timing of payments that are different from those applicable under U.S. tender offer procedures and laws. Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any securities commission of any State of the U.S. has (a) approved or disapproved of the tender offer; (b) passed upon the merits or fairness of the tender offer; or (c) passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of the disclosure in the offer prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the U.S. The communication is not being made by, and has not been approved by, an authorised person for the purposes of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The tender offer is not addressed to shareholders of Valora whose place of residence, seat or habitual abode is in Australia, Canada or Japan, and such shareholders may not accept the tender offer. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 4, 2022 / Grounded People Apparel Inc. ("Grounded" or the "Company") (CSE:SHOE), a fair wage and sustainable vegan shoe company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, dedicated to reducing the harmful impact of the global fashion industry on the environment, is pleased to announce that its common shares have been approved for listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") and will commence trading at market open on Wednesday, October 5, 2022, under the stock ticker symbol "SHOE". In connection with its listing on the CSE, Grounded has upgraded its corporate website to include an "Investors" section comprised of investor focused information about the Company. Grounded People Apparel Inc., Tuesday, October 4, 2022, Press release picture "The listing of Grounded's common shares on the CSE is a significant milestone for the Company and all of its shareholders," stated Maximillian Justus, CEO of the Company. "Grounded aims to create social change and promote a sustainable future, not just in the fashion industry but also through a number of different charity initiatives. This listing provides people who share our values, and want to make a difference, the opportunity to join our community and become a part of this Company. We are excited to see what the future holds and remain steadfast in our efforts to enact change and create long-term value for our shareholders." For further information concerning Grounded and its business, please view the Company's long form prospectus dated September 28, 2022 (the "Prospectus") and CSE listing statement dated October 3, 2022 (the "Listing Statement") supporting Grounded's listing on the CSE. A copy of the Prospectus and Listing Statement have been filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. ABOUT GROUNDED PEOPLE APPAREL Grounded People Apparel Inc. is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada based innovative apparel company focused on delivering high-quality products to its customers that are 100% PeTA - APPROVED vegan. The Company is primarily engaged in the business of fair trade, sustainable and earth-conscious fashion. The Company's initial products, which launched in the fourth quarter of 2021, are its high-top and low-cut canvas sneakers, which are made from sustainable, ethically-sourced and produced materials, and are manufactured by fair-trade workers, in a 100% vegan manufacturing facility which is located in Brazil. Story continues In addition to its commitment to a fashion industry that reduces waste and environmental impacts, the Company aims to create a meaningful positive impact on the world through its L.A.C.E.S. campaign. The L.A.C.E.S. campaign provides consumers an option to select a specific set of shoelaces to accompany their footwear purchase the colour of which is associated with one of the charities the Company has committed to support, whereby all profits from the sale of shoelaces are donated correspondingly. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Maximilian Justus" Maximilian Justus Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Email: investors@groundedpeople.com Telephone: 1-844-673-6753 The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to the social and financial objectives of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, and uncertain capital markets. Readers are cautioned that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Grounded People Apparel Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/718948/Grounded-People-Apparel-to-Commence-Trading-on-the-Canadian-Securities-Exchange-on-October-5-2022 Photo credit: Theophilio / Philip-Daniel Ducasse "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below." Theophilio designer Edvin Thompson has an immense amount of pride for his West Indian roots. The founder's runway collection for spring/summer 2022 was inspired by his first flight on Air Jamaica two decades earlier, and Rastafarian color palettes and Kingston-inspired silhouettes have remained a through line within the brand's designs. Now furthering his mission to close the gap between his home country and the rest of the world, Thompson and his team have teamed up with Luxury Stores at Amazon to give the mega retailer's shoppers the full Theophilio experience. "I love representing the place where I am from," the Brooklyn-based creative tells BAZAAR.com. "My culture, my heritage, is always embedded in everything that I do, as it is a fundamental part of my identity. It was important to me to include Jamaica in the collection, because the Amazon customer is different from the Theophilio customer, and I wanted to take the chance to bring these new customers into the [brand's] universe. I believe the most honest thing I can do as a designer is to not only speak about where I am going, but where I am from." Photo credit: Theophilio / Philip-Daniel Ducasse The creative director and his team recently traveled to Jamaica, using the lush, tropical landscape as a backdrop for a campaign photographed by Philip-Daniel Ducasse. "The opportunity to bring Theophilio back to Jamaica and shoot the campaign there felt so personal and raw," Thompson tells us. "My team, a.k.a. my second family, was able to join me for the trip down there, and we all really lent our hearts to this project. [] Going back home to admire the place I'm continuously inspired by helped bring the storytelling full circle." Photo credit: Theophilio / Philip-Daniel Ducasse Each style in the lineup is filled with influences from the designer's home country. From a mesh beaded midi dress Thompson says is the first thing that came to mind when thinking of Jamaica to the collection's "camp-cut" shirt and long striped shorts inspired by his childhood school uniforms, the eight-piece capsule is rich with culture. Story continues Photo credit: Theophilio / Philip-Daniel Ducasse If there's anything Thompson hopes shoppers will take away from this Theophilio capsule, it's the designer's pride in his heritage and brand. "I want them to use the clothes and wear the clothes as a form of extending and celebrating Jamaica in all corners of the world," he says. "I always thought of Theophilio as building a bridge from Jamaica to the world. I want consumers to experience being a part of that bridge." You Might Also Like As unrest grows, Iran restricts access to Instagram, WhatsApp Protest over the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul (Reuters) -Iran curbed access on Wednesday to Meta Platforms' Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the last remaining social networks in the country, amid protests over the death of a woman in police custody, residents and internet watchdog NetBlocks said. Last week's death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested by morality police in Tehran for "unsuitable attire", has unleashed anger over issues including freedom in the Islamic Republic and an economy reeling from sanctions. NetBlocks also reported a "nation-scale loss of connectivity" on Iran's mail mobile telephone provider and another company's network. WhatsApp's servers have been disrupted on multiple internet providers, hours after Instagram's services were blocked, London-based NetBlocks said. The group's data shows a near-total disruption to internet service in parts of Kurdistan province in west Iran since Monday, while the capital city of Tehran and other parts of the country have also faced disruptions since Friday when protests first broke out. Two residents in Tehran and southern Iran said they could only send text and not pictures on WhatsApp and that Instagram appeared to be completely blocked. Iran has often curbed internet access to make it difficult for protesters to post videos on social media to generate support and also to obtain reliable reports on the extent of the unrest. In 2019, the government shut down the internet for about a week to help stifle fuel protests which turned political, sparking the bloodiest crackdown in the 40-year history of the Islamic Republic. Protests have been particularly intense in Kurdistan where Iran's Revolutionary Guards has a history of suppressing unrest. Iran's minister of communications said earlier on Wednesday he had been misquoted after news outlets cited him as saying the authorities might disrupt internet services for security reasons. Social media websites such as TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are routinely blocked in parts of the Islamic Republic, which has some of the strictest internet controls in the world. But tech-savvy residents bypass curbs using virtual private networks (VPNs). Meta and Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta, Shinjini Ganguli, Anil D'Silva and Jonathan Oatis) By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The Azerbaijani Military Prosecutors Office has filed a criminal case into the discovery of a mass grave in Khojavand District, Karabakh, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijan Prosecutor-General's Office. The Military Prosecutor's Office has initiated a criminal case in connection with the discovery of a mass burial site of presumably Azerbaijan army servicemen in Khojavands Edilli village under Articles 115.4, 120.2.1, 120.2.7, and 120.2.12 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, the report reads. It was established that during the first Karabakh war (1988-1994), military units of the Armenian separatist regime, which illegally operated in Azerbaijan, along with the Armenian armed forces grossly violated the norms and principles of international humanitarian law, including the requirements of Article 17 of Geneva "Convention (I) for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field (12 August 1949). In 1993, some 25 prisoners of war, presumably servicemen of the Azerbaijani army, were killed and buried massively on the basis of national hatred by Armenians in Khojavands Edilli village, the prosecutors office added. Following an inspection of the territory of Edilli village, the remains of seven individuals were discovered and taken from a mass grave on February 23-26, and the remains of 18 more people were located and removed on September 14-30. Samples were gathered from the bone remains and submitted to forensic molecular-genetic study after assigning the required experts in the case. Shamsi Shikhaliyev of Fuzuli District resident, who witnessed the event and was in captivity in Armenia from 28.08.1993 to 14.12.1994, was identified as a victim. The relevant investigation measures on the criminal case are currently underway, the Military Prosecutors Office concluded. On October 4, another mass grave of Azerbaijani military personnel, killed by the Armenian armed forces in the first Karabakh war (1988-1994), was found in Khojavand Districts Edilli village. In the same vein, the Military Prosecutor's Office has initiated a criminal investigation into the discovery of landmines in Dashkasan District, the Prosecutor-Generals Office said in a separate report. On October 1-2, in Dashkasans Bugdadag area, some 452 E-001 ? anti-personnel landmines of Armenian production, which were buried by Armenian sabotage groups, were discovered and defused by the Azerbaijani Defense Ministrys engineer-sapper units. It is assumed that the landmines were buried following the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, the report added. Elon Musk may have said the deal is back on, but his legal fight with Twitter is still producing some eleventh-hour twists and turns. In a late Monday filing with the Delaware Court of Chancery, Judge Kathaleen McCormick weighed in on Twitter's request for additional discovery around potential messages between Musk's inner circle and the Twitter whistleblower, former head of security Peiter Mudge Zatko. While Zatko has stated under oath that he did not contact Musk or his team, Twitter wants to keep looking in light of a mysterious email from May 6 that turned up in the files of Quinn Emanuel, a legal firm that represents Musk. Specifically, someone reached out with an anonymous ProtonMail account on that date purporting to be a "former Exec at Twitter leading teams directly involving Trust & Safety/Content Moderation." In the email, the sender suggests that Musks team get in touch on another platform (through alternate secure means) in order for them to provide information about Twitter. Musk's team wanted to limit any additional search for possible messages with Zatko, while Twitter pushed to search any digital communications, including texts, instant messages and printed documents, from a wider swath of Musk's close contacts. In the new letter, Judge McCormick rejected Musk's legal team's argument that Zatko's denial makes additional discovery irrelevant. She also shot down the argument that because the email, which was sent to Musk lawyer Alex Spiro, wasn't forwarded to anyone else that there's nothing else to learn from additional searches: "Defendants interrogatory answers do not obviate the need for Plaintiff to test those answers through document discovery; if they did, document discovery would rarely be permitted. Zatkos testimony, while sworn, is not susceptible to a credibility assessment at this stage and is therefore not dispositive. Moreover, Defendants statements concerning the May 6 email raise more questions. For example, Defendants do not state whether anyone replied to the May 6 email or took any steps (successful or otherwise) to determine the senders identity. The timing and the contents of the May 6 email render it at least plausible that Zatko was the author." Story continues McCormick notes that because Musk relies heavily on new revelations from Zatko, Twitter has the right to figure out if he had any prior contact with Musk or Musk's team that hasn't come to light. Ultimately, she says that Twitter can search "beyond emails," using 15 search terms of their choosing to find what they're looking for, including in paper files. Musk's team was ordered to provide the additional documents by this Friday, October 7. Spiro would also be required to explain what he did after receiving the anonymous email in an affidavit that should be filed by this Wednesday, October 5 but that's assuming there's still a trial. In his letter to Twitter, filed with the SEC, Musk says that he'll proceed with buying Twitter as promised, but only if the Chancery Court will "adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related thereto pending such closing or further order of the Court." With anyone but Musk, we'd assume a letter of intent filed with the SEC would mean a done deal, but this entire saga has never resembled anything approaching a done deal. The timing of Musk's decision to suddenly put the deal back on the rails is curious and so is the mysterious May 6 email that we may never have answers about, assuming the trial indeed does get called off. It's impossible to know if his about-face has anything to do with the Mudge intrigue or the realization that new intel from the whistleblower might not carve him a clear exit out of the deal, but this is Silicon Valley's most mercurial man we're talking about it's just as likely that miscellaneous rich men sliding into his texts or an unscientific Twitter poll about complex and sensitive geopolitical events tipped the scales the other way. Letter Addressing the Parti... by TechCrunch Leveraging research insights, L.L.Bean and Mental Health America extend partnership to fund outdoor programming focused on resilience and connection. FREEPORT, Maine, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in celebration of its 110th Anniversary, iconic outdoor retailer L.L.Bean unveils new, proprietary research findings that experiencing awe in the outdoors makes us more resilient and strengthens relationships. L.L.Bean is turning these insights into action with partner Mental Health America (MHA) to fund programming focused on improving mental well-being through time spent outdoors. L.L.Bean is turning insights into action by partnering with Mental Health America (MHA) to fund programming focused on improving mental well-being through time spent outdoors. "My great-grandfather founded L.L.Bean over a century ago on the belief that nature brings out the best in us," says Shawn Gorman, Executive Chairman, L.L.Bean. "With stress levels at an all-time high, the restorative power of the outdoors is more important than ever. This research proves what we've known intuitively, and we're excited to work with MHA to support community based programming that ensure those benefits are as accessible and inclusive as possible." Research shows that awe the experience of being in the presence of something so vast or beautiful in nature it shifts our perspective has a positive physiological effect on the human condition but little was known about its effects on mental health. L.L.Bean partnered with University of California Irvine (UCI) Associate Professor of Psychological Science Dr. Paul Piff to better understand why the outdoors makes us feel better in hopes the knowledge would empower more people to get outside more often and with greater intention. The research found: Experiencing awe outdoors is linked to more resilience in the face of life's challenges. Those who experienced the highest levels of awe outdoors were 42% more likely to strongly believe they were equipped to "better handle difficulties." Shared experiences of awe in the outdoors deepen our relationships. Those who spent time outdoors in company of others and reported the highest level of awe said the experience was 28% more meaningful and 37% richer. Story continues "Awe is a profound and transformative experience yet, until today, science knew little about how it affects our mental health and social relationships," says Dr. Paul Piff. "Now, thanks to generous support from L.L.Bean, we have exciting evidence pointing to a significant link to increased resilience in the face of adversity and deeper, more meaningful social connections." Mental Health America Grant Program L.L.Bean and MHA earlier this year announced a two-year partnership to bring the power of the outdoors to those that need it most. Now, using the research findings as a guide, L.L.Bean and MHA are kicking off a two-year grant program that will award $200,000 ($100,000 each year) through a total of 10 grants to MHA affiliates across the country to support outdoor programs that focus on resiliency and foster connection. Over 150 affiliates across 42 states are eligible to apply for funding. Grant applications for year one will be reviewed through November 2022, and recipients will be announced before the end of the year. To learn more, visit www.llbean.com. About L.L.Bean, Inc. L.L.Bean, Inc. is a leading multichannel merchant of quality outdoor gear and apparel. Founded in 1912 by Leon Leonwood Bean, the company began as a one-room operation selling a single product, the Maine Hunting Shoe. Still family owned, Shawn Gorman, great grandson of Leon Leonwood Bean, was named Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2013. While its business has grown over the years, L.L. Bean continues to uphold the values of its founder, including his dedication to quality, customer service and a love of the outdoors. In 2020, L.L. Bean donated over $6 million to 100+ outdoor and community-enriching organizations, many of which focus on increasing access to outdoor spaces. L.L. Bean operates 54 stores in 19 states across the United States, along with 25 stores in Japan. The 220,000-sq. ft. L.L. Bean retail store campus in Freeport, ME, is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and welcomes more than 3 million visitors every year. L.L.Bean can be found worldwide at www.llbean.com, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. About Dr. Paul Piff Paul K. Piff, Ph.D., is an associate professor of psychological science at University of California Irvine, where he also directs the Morality, Emotion and Social Hierarchy Lab. Dr. Piff's research examines the origins of human kindness and cooperation, and the social consequences of economic inequality. In 2015, Dr. Piff was designated as a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science in recognition of his outstanding early contributions to the field of psychology. About Mental Health America Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation's leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all. MHA's work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need them; with recovery as the goal. Learn more at MHAnational.org. Media Contacts: Amanda Hannah L.L.Bean Head of External Communications ahannah@llbean.com Alejna Kalavik Porter Novelli alejna.kalavik@porternovelli.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/llbean-x-university-of-california-irvine-research-finds-time-outdoors-increases-resilience-strengthens-relationships-301641071.html SOURCE L.L.Bean RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ - Mazda Canada Inc. (MCI) today reported September sales of 4,896 vehicles, representing a decrease of 12.9 percent versus September 2021. Sales year-to-date (YTD) are 40,011, which is a decrease of 23.7 percent compared to the same period in 2021. Mazda Canada Inc. (CNW Group/Mazda Canada Inc.) In September, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) announced that the 2023 Mazda CX-50 crossover, has been added to the list of Mazda vehicles that earn its highest award, the 2022 TOP SAFETY PICK+. The all-new CX-50 joins the 2023 Mazda3 and Mazda3 Sport, CX-30, CX-5, and CX-9 vehicles as 2022 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award recipients. SEPTEMBER 2022 SALES HIGHLIGHTS: CX-5 had a record September in sales, achieving a second consecutive monthly high tally MX-5 records best September sales in the past 5 years, with sales increasing 89.3 percent vs September 2021 CX-9 sales were up 11.1 percent from August 2022 September September YOY YTD YTD YOY 2022 2021 Change 2022 2021 Change Mazda3 530 1,085 -51.2 % 6,454 9,442 -31.6 % MX-5 53 28 89.3 % 533 965 -44.8 % Passenger Car 583 1,172 -50.3 % 6,987 11,709 -40.3 % CX-3 15 429 -96.5 % 3,050 4,755 -35.9 % CX-30 864 1,179 -26.7 % 5,509 9,956 -44.7 % CX-5 2,739 2,498 9.6 % 18,768 21,942 -14.5 % CX-50 247 0 0.0 % 1,671 0 0.0 % CX-9 380 342 11.1 % 3,404 4,080 -16.6 % MX-30 68 0 0.0 % 622 0 0.0 % Light Truck 4,313 4,448 -3.0 % 33,024 40,733 -18.9 % MAZDA TOTAL 4,896 5,620 -12.9 % 40,011 52,442 -23.7 % Mazda Canada Inc. is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer service, and parts support of Mazda vehicles in Canada. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Mazda Canada has a nationwide network of 163 dealerships. For additional information, visit Mazda Canada's media website at www.media.mazda.ca. Story continues SOURCE Mazda Canada Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/05/c7000.html Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com Click here and subscribe today. A 47-year-old Mississippi man was charged with DUI manslaughter after the other driver in a two-vehicle crash last month, died, Florida Highway Patrol investigators reported. Bryan Keith Holifield was initially charged with DUI and serious bodily injury to another after highway patrol investigators were called to a Titusville crash at U.S. 1 and Dairy Road on Sept. 25. The 20-year-old unnamed driver in the other vehicle, was pronounced dead at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne on Monday. North Brevard route shut down due to flooding, St. Johns under flood warning after Ian Read more: Two Titusville residents airlifted to hospitals after DUI wrong-way crash on U.S. 1 Florida Highway Patrol troopers say a Mississippi man has been charged in crash that led to death of Titusville man, who was driving this car. Troopers said Holifield was driving his Toyota SUV and was traveling north toward Dairy Road. The driver of the second vehicle was heading near the intersection of Dairy Road when the front left of Holifields SUV struck the Mitsubishi, causing it to overturn, records show. The driver suffered a skull fracture and other head injuries, records show. A passenger in the Mitsubishi was also seriously injured. Holifield later told officers at the hospital that he had had several beers and other drinks. He also said that he may have fallen asleep and rolled into the wrong lane, reports show. The crash remains under investigation. J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop. Support local journalism. Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Titusville man injured in wreck dies, Florida Highway Patrol reports MIAMI, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicklaus Children's is collaborating with Miami-Dade College (MDC) to implement a scholarship program for students accepted to MDC's Associate of Science in Nursing Program. The Nurse Scholars Program, sponsored by Nicklaus Children's Health System, is administered by Edcor, a third-party service, and features tuition scholarship awards of up to $10,000. (PRNewsfoto/Nicklaus Childrens Health System) The Nurse Scholars Program includes four semesters of didactic and clinical experiences as a student and Student Nurse Intern (SNIP). The SNIP is a per-diem employment opportunity for nurse scholars to be hired as care assistants to gain insight into the field of pediatric nursing. Pediatric and practicum experiences will be completed at Nicklaus Children's Hospital and 10 participants will be accepted during each fall and spring semester. "Nurses are essential to our mission of providing amazing patient care to the children and families we serve," said Shannon Odell, Nicklaus Children's vice president and chief nursing officer. "It's an honor for us to assist future nursing colleagues as they pursue their training and prepare for careers in this incredible profession." Students accepted into the Nicklaus Children's Nurse Scholars Program are provided a scholarship towards school tuition of up to $10,000, with payment made directly to the school. Recipients are responsible for additional fees applied by the school. After completion of the program, eligible graduates may be offered employment into the Horizon Nurse Residency program at Nicklaus Children's Hospital to fulfill a two-year agreement within the organization. The graduating nurse scholar is required to complete a RN to BSN program after completion of the ASN program if hired as a Horizon RN. For more information about Nicklaus Nurse Scholars Program, visit https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/medical-professionals/for-students Nicklaus Children's Hospital will be attending the MDC onsite orientation on November 9 to promote the ASN Nursing Scholar program to students accepted to their nursing program. Story continues About Nicklaus Children's Hospital Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with approximately 800 attending physicians, including more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. In the 2022-2023 ranking, the hospital tied with two other hospitals as the number one children's hospital in Florida. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org For more information: Rachel Bixby 305-898-9165 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nicklaus-childrens-health-system-offers-scholarships-for-students-in-miami-dade-colleges-associate-of-science-in-nursing-program-301640985.html SOURCE Nicklaus Childrens Health System NowVertical Group Inc NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NowVertical Group Inc. (TSXV: NOW) (NOW or the Company) is pleased to announce the closing of its previously announced marketed public offering (the Public Offering) of 4,569 senior unsecured convertible debenture units of the Company (the Debenture Units) and its concurrent private placement of 500 Debenture Units (the Concurrent Private Placement and, together with the Public Offering, the Offering) at a price of $1,000 per Debenture Unit for total gross proceeds of C$5,069,000. The Offering was conducted on a best efforts agency basis by Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. (the Agent), as sole agent and bookrunner. Each Debenture Unit consists of one 10% senior unsecured convertible debenture of the Company (each a Convertible Debenture) having a face value of C$1,000 (the Principal Amount) and 715 Class A subordinate voting share purchase warrants of the Company (each a Warrant, and collectively the Warrants), representing 75% warrant coverage. The Convertible Debentures will mature 36 months from the date hereof (the Maturity Date). The Principal Amount per Convertible Debenture shall be convertible, for no additional consideration, into Class A subordinate voting shares of the Company (each a Subordinate Voting Share) at the option of the holder (with the exception of the Company Conversion as set out below) in whole or in part at any time and from time to time prior to the earlier of: (i) the close of business on the Maturity Date, and (ii) the business day immediately preceding the date specified by the Company for redemption of the Convertible Debentures upon a change of control at a conversion price per share equal to C$1.05 subject to adjustment in certain events (the Conversion Price). Each Warrant is exercisable for one Subordinate Voting Share at a price of C$1.25 per Subordinate Voting Share for a period of 36 months following the date hereof. The Company has received approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV) to list the Warrants issued under the Public Offering under the symbol NOW.WT.A. The Warrants are expected to commence trading on the TSXV on the date hereof. Story continues The Company will be entitled to force the conversion (the Company Conversion) of the Principal Amount of the then outstanding Convertible Debentures at the Conversion Price on not more than 60 days and not less than 30 days notice (i) in the event that the daily volume weighted average trading price of the Subordinate Voting Shares on the TSXV is greater than C$1.60 per share for 10 consecutive trading days of the Subordinate Voting Shares on the TSXV preceding such notice, or (ii) in connection with an equity or similar financing (either qualified by a prospectus or by way of private placement) involving Subordinate Voting Shares, or warrants exercisable for Subordinate Voting Shares, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of not less than C$12,500,000 (the Qualified Financing), in each case subject to the Company Conversion being permitted under the policies of the TSXV for any trading of the Subordinate Voting Shares at that time. If a Qualified Financing is completed at a price per security that is lower than the Conversion Price (with such Conversion Price being calculated, in the case of warrants, by adding the issue and exercise price), the Conversion Price will be reduced to equal the greater of $0.10 and the closing price of the Subordinate Voting Shares on the TSXV on the day before the press release announcing the Qualified Financing is disseminated, provided that, among other things, the conditional approval of the TSXV is obtained. The Company filed a prospectus supplement dated September 26, 2022 in respect of the Public Offering, which supplemented a short form base shelf prospectus of the Company dated January 21, 2022, each of which was filed with the securities commissions of each of the Provinces of Canada, except Quebec. The prospectus supplement and the short form base shelf prospectus are available on the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. There have been no changes to the material terms of the Debenture Units since the press release issued September 22, 2022 disclosing the pricing terms of the Offering. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for (i) deferred payments related to acquisitions, (ii) working capital, and (iii) general corporate purposes. The Convertible Debentures and Warrants issued in respect of the Concurrent Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period and are therefore not freely tradeable until February 6, 2023. In connection with the Offering, the Company paid the Agent an agency fee comprised of a cash fee of $354,830 and the issuance of 337,933 broker warrants, with $35,000 of such cash fee and 33,333 of such broker warrants being paid or issued in respect of the Concurrent Private Placement, as applicable. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About NowVertical Group Inc. NOW is a big data, analytics and Vertical Intelligence (VI) software and solutions company growing organically and through acquisition. NOW's VI solutions are organized by industry vertical and are built upon a foundational set of data technologies that fuse, secure, and mobilize data in a transformative and compliant way. The NOW product suite enables the creation of high-value VI solutions that are predictive in nature and drive automation specific to each high-value industry vertical. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information about the Company, visit www.nowvertical.com. For further information, please contact: Daren Trousdell, Chief Executive Officer e: daren@nowvertical.com t: (212) 302-0868 or Glen Nelson, Investor Relations e: glen@nowvertical.com t: (403) 763-9797 Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain forwardlooking statements (within the meaning of applicable securities laws) which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe", "anticipate", "project", "expect", "intend", "plan", "will", "may", "estimate" and other similar expressions. These statements are based on the Company's expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections and include, without limitation, statements regarding the proposed use of proceeds from the Offering, and the future success of the Company's business. The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on certain assumptions. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to control or predict (such risks include, among other things, the failure to use the proceeds of the Offering as set forth herein). A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers, therefore, should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Interim results from the phase 1/2 GOBLET study's pancreatic cancer cohort to be presented in a poster on November 11th and discussed during a key opinion leader webinar on November 14th at 10 a.m. ET SAN DIEGO, and CALGARY, AB, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW/ -- Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC) today announced the acceptance of two abstracts for poster presentations at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 37th Annual Meeting, which is taking place both virtually and in-person at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, MA, from November 8 12, 2022. Oncolytics_Biotech_New_Logo Both abstracts will be published by SITC at 8:00 a.m. ET on November 7, 2022. Additional details on the abstracts and corresponding poster presentations are shown below. Title: Pelareorep combined with atezolizumab and chemotherapy demonstrates encouraging results as first-line treatment in advanced or metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients Interim results from the GOBLET study Abstract Number: 650 Poster Session Date and Time: November 11, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. 8:30 p.m. ET Poster Session Location: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Hall C Title: The oncolytic virus pelareorep in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor activates T-cell functioning in early breast cancer patients immunophenotype results from AWARE-1 study Abstract Number: 548 Poster Session Date and Time: November 11, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. 8:30 p.m. ET Poster Session Location: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Hall C Key Opinion Leader Webinar on Pancreatic Cancer and Interim Phase 1/2 GOBLET Study Data Oncolytics will host a key opinion leader (KOL) webinar to discuss the current treatment landscape and unmet medical need in pancreatic cancer, as well as the interim GOBLET study results that will be presented at the SITC conference on November 14, 2022 at 10 a.m. ET. The webinar will include both formal presentations and a live question and answer session. Story continues To register for the webinar, please click here. About GOBLET The GOBLET (Gastrointestinal tumOrs exploring the treatment comBinations with the oncolytic reovirus peLarEorep and anTi-PD-L1) study is a phase 1/2 multiple indication study in advanced or metastatic gastrointestinal tumors. The study is being conducted at 14 centers in Germany. The co-primary endpoints of the study are objective response rate (ORR) assessed at week 16 and safety. Key secondary and exploratory endpoints include additional efficacy assessments and evaluation of potential biomarkers (T cell clonality and CEACAM6). The study employs a Simon two-stage design with Stage 1 comprising four treatment groups expected to enroll a total of approximately 55 patients: Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel in 1 st line advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer patients (n=12); Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab in 1 st line MSI (microsatellite instability)-high metastatic colorectal cancer patients (n=19); Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab and TAS-102 in 3 rd line metastatic colorectal cancer patients (n=14); and Pelareorep in combination with atezolizumab in 2nd line advanced and unresectable anal cancer patients (n=10). Any cohort showing an ORR above a pre-specified threshold in Stage 1 may be advanced to Stage 2 and enroll additional patients. About Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Oncolytics is a biotechnology company developing pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immunotherapeutic agent. This compound induces anti-cancer immune responses and promotes an inflamed tumor phenotype -- turning "cold" tumors "hot" -- through innate and adaptive immune responses to treat a variety of cancers. Pelareorep has demonstrated synergies with immune checkpoint inhibitors and may also be synergistic with other approved oncology treatments. Oncolytics is currently conducting and planning clinical trials evaluating pelareorep in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies in solid and hematological malignancies as it advances towards a registration study in metastatic breast cancer. For further information, please visit: www.oncolyticsbiotech.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws (such forward-looking statements and forward-looking information are collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements regarding Oncolytics' belief as to the potential and benefits of pelareorep as a cancer therapeutic; our plans to advance towards a registration study in metastatic breast cancer; and other statements related to anticipated developments in Oncolytics' business and technologies. In any forward-looking statement in which Oncolytics expresses an expectation or belief as to future results, such expectations or beliefs are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the statement or expectation or belief will be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause Oncolytics' actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the availability of funds and resources to pursue research and development projects, the efficacy of pelareorep as a cancer treatment, the success and timely completion of clinical studies and trials, Oncolytics' ability to successfully commercialize pelareorep, uncertainties related to the research and development of pharmaceuticals, uncertainties related to the regulatory process and general changes to the economic environment. In particular, we may be impacted by business interruptions resulting from COVID-19 coronavirus, including operating, manufacturing supply chain, clinical trial and project development delays and disruptions, labour shortages, travel and shipping disruption, and shutdowns (including as a result of government regulation and prevention measures). It is unknown whether and how Oncolytics may be affected if the COVID-19 pandemic persists for an extended period of time. We may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of our control, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition. Investors should consult Oncolytics' quarterly and annual filings with the Canadian and U.S. securities commissions for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Company Contact Jon Patton Director of IR & Communication +1-858-886-7813 jpatton@oncolytics.ca Investor Relations for Oncolytics Timothy McCarthy LifeSci Advisors +1-917-679-9282 tim@lifesciadvisors.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1762876/Oncolytics_Biotech_New_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oncolytics-biotech-announces-upcoming-presentations-at-the-society-for-immunotherapy-of-cancer-37th-annual-meeting-301641488.html SOURCE Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2022/05/c6088.html I am Rodney Long, your candidate for the newly created Florida Senate District 9 seat representing Alachua, Marion and Levy counties. There is no incumbent in this seat. I am running for this office for the following reasons: Protecting our democracy: I opposed House Bill 1 The Anti-Rioting Act. This bill makes it a crime for two or more individuals to assemble on public rights-of-ways during a protest if it is deemed by law enforcement to be for an unlawful purpose. Rodney Long I opposed Senate Bill 90 The Voter Suppression Bill. This bill makes it a crime if a person takes more than his/her ballot and one other family members ballots to the elections office. It reduced the hours of the Supervisor of Elections Office. It eliminates drop boxes and makes it a crime to provide water or other substance to voters in line on Election Day. I opposed race-neutral legislation that eliminated two congressional minority seats in Florida. And I opposed HB-7 The Stop WOKE Act- which bans discussion of race in our schools and workplaces. Education: The Florida Constitution says that education for our children is paramount. Yet Florida ranks 45th in state education funding. We are ranked in the bottom percentile with Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia. Florida ranks 48th in the nation in funding for teachers. As your next state senator, I will work to increase funding for public schools and teachers salaries with a goal to reach the top 10 percentile over the next decade. In addition, I will hold non-public schools that receive public funding accountable to the same standards as public schools. As a licensed real estate broker, I am a staunch supporter of affordable housing. Currently the state is short more than 400,000 affordable/workforce units. Florida is facing some of the fastest-rising housing costs in the nation. Floridians are losing their property insurance. In a previous special session, insurers received a $2 billion bailout but consumers received no relief from being dropped by their insurance companies. As your next state senator, I will work to repeal SB 2512 and to fully fund the Sadowski Trust Fund for homeownership and rental housing assistance for local governments and housing providers. Story continues Health care is a major issue in our state. Florida is one of 12 states that have not expanded Medicaid to 2.6 million eligible Floridians. Florida is 49th in the nation when it comes to funding for people with disabilities. More than 20,000 people with intellectual and developmental disability services are on a waiting list. As your next state senator, I will fight to increase funding to reduce the waiting list. And work hard to expand Medicaid. I support a womens right to make her own personal health care decisions. As your next state senator, I will oppose any legislation that further restricts a womans personal freedoms and rights, including reproductive rights. I oppose building a toll road in Levy and Marion counties. As your next state senator, I will vote to defund any future dollars for the study or construction of the toll road. Finally, I support protecting our environment, equality for all, local government home rule authority and criminal justice and police reform. Please visit my website at www.rodneylongsenatedistrict9.com to review my campaign issues, qualifications and experience. On Nov. 8, I ask that you vote for A Voice For The People. Vote Rodney Long, Florida Senate District 9. Rodney Long is running for the Florida Senate, District 9. This piece is part of a series of opinion columns written by candidates for office that are being published before November's election. Join the conversation Letters to the editor present the opinions of readers on news stories and other pieces published by The Sun. Share your opinions by sending a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com. Letters must include the writer's full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly/sunopinionguidelines. Journalism matters. Your support matters. Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com/subscribenow to sign up. This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Rodney Long: My campaign platform for Florida Senate District 9 Russia is having internal discussions over continuing its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) beyond 2024, despite statements made earlier this summer that the country will pull out of the station program by the middle of the decade. Sergei Krikalev, head of human space programs at Roscosmos, said Monday that the Russian space agency is in discussions to extend its participation in [the] ISS program with our government and hope to have permission to continue next year. The about-face comes just a few months after Roscosmos head Yuri Borisov announced Russias plans to leave the station after 2024, and instead construct its own orbiting station. The ISS is operated in partnership between the space agencies of U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe. America has committed to operate the station through 2030. However, Krikalev admitted that a new Russian station may not be ready by 2025. We know that its not going to happen very [quickly], so probably we will keep flying [on the ISS] until we have any new infrastructure that will allow us to do continuous human presence on low Earth orbit, he said. He made his comments during a NASA media briefing on the Crew-5 mission, which is scheduled to take place on October 5. During that mission, SpaceX will launch a crew of four -- including cosmonaut Anna Kikina -- to the ISS. It marks the first time a cosmonaut will fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, part of a recent astronaut transportation exchange deal between the U.S. and Russia. American astronaut Francisco Rubio launched to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft last month as part of the deal. This type of exchange will increase [the] robustness of our program and we will continue this practice to make our program more reliable, Krikalev said. While Russia and the U.S. have collaborated on the ISS for decades, tensions between the two countries have been mounting since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February. Despite this strain, NASAs manager of the ISS program Joel Montalbano said during the media briefing that American staff are still in Russia working with Roscosmos at Mission Control Center Moscow and other locations. He added that NASA is in frequent contact with the American Embassy in Moscow and that he anticipates no impacts to the next Soyuz launch that will carry an American astronaut. EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. and PARIS, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 3rd, 2022 TEMPO France (TEMPO Money Transfer, TEMPO Payments) and Orokii opened a remittance corridor between 27 countries of the EU region, the Philippines, Ukraine, and the United States of America. Download the Orokii App from Google Play today and signup! Send money cross-border with speedy delivery and save on transaction fees. This partnership brings an excellent opportunity for a payout system between Europe and the United States. It aligns with our shared values of providing cross-border blockchain-based money remittances, lowering customer transaction costs, reducing delivery time, and promoting financial inclusion. Orokii is glad to ally with Tempo as its strategic partner for delivering low fees remittance payments to most corridors of the world. As part of this partnership, soon, Orokii will deliver payments for Tempo customers in the US. Alla Zhedik, CEO, TEMPO Payments, on this innovative project: "We look forward to this breakthrough partnership and opening a fast and secure money flow between Europe and the US. Tempo France was the first money remittance company to build international remittances based on blockchain solutions. We are happy that Orokii shared the same values of the innovative remittance approach. Using blockchain technologies to achieve the best performance regardless of borders and continents!" Bisi Adedokun, CEO of Orokii: "We are very excited about this relationship with Tempo because of the shared value of providing financial inclusion to the unbanked and underbanked." Tempo is convinced that through uniting with our finance market partners, we can facilitate money remittance and blockchain systems to perform the best possible results for our customers and expand the geographical reach. Let your money transfers become truly borderless with Tempo and Orokii! About Tempo TEMPO is a payment institution and the principal EU anchor for Stellar blockchain payments. TEMPO provides payment services for businesses worldwide as cross-border transactions and settlement operators. The company's mission is to build a unique payment ecosystem, allowing entrepreneurs to take their businesses to the next level of growth by adopting disruptive fintech solutions and helping individuals fully benefit from the next-gen financial services. Story continues About Orokii Orokii is a US-based company that provides a P2P and B2B payment solution that enables individual users and businesses to send money domestically and internationally, lowering customer transaction costs, reducing delivery time, and promoting financial inclusion. Orokii issues fiat tokens, USDO a one-to-one USD-backed token (stablecoin) and maintains fiat reserves equivalent to the value of the issued tokens. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/send-money-cross-border-with-speedy-delivery-and-save-on-transaction-fees-301641115.html SOURCE Orokii, Inc. By Trend A press conference dedicated to European Youth Days that will be held in Azerbaijan as part of 'European Year of Youth' took place in Baku on October 5, Trend reports. Ambassador of the European Union to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko, Country Coordinator of Young European Ambassadors Nazanin Javadova, European Youth Ambassador Leyla Taghiyeva, Project Director Idat Erdener and representatives of Azerbaijani media participated in the event. The event touched upon such topics as the role of youth in society, the conditions created for the professional development of youth, etc. Within the framework of the new EU campaign 'European Year of Youth' it's planned to implement 13 projects. The Republic of Iceland Government Debt Management An agreement has been signed between the Government Debt Management on behalf of the Treasury and Fossar Investment Bank hf. regarding Issuance and Market Making in Treasury securities. The agreement takes effect on 13 October 2022 and from that day five financial institutions will be acting as primary dealers in Treasury securities. They are Arion Banki hf., Fossar Investment Bank hf., Islandsbanki hf., Kvika banki hf. and Landsbankinn hf. The agreement with Fossar Investment Bank hf. is identical to the agreements concluded with other primary dealers 18 March 2022. Further information can be obtained from Bjorgvin Sighvatsson, head of the Government Debt Management at +354 569 9600. Company Logo Global Single-cell Analysis Market Global Single-cell Analysis Market Dublin, Oct. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Single-cell Analysis Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report by Product (Consumables, Instruments), by Application (Cancer, Immunology), by Workflow, by End-user, by Region, and Segment Forecasts, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global single-cell analysis market size is expected to reach USD 15.22 billion by 2030, according to this report., expanding at a CAGR of 18.5% from 2022 to 2030. Technology advances, expanding applications in cancer research, and higher government funding for cell-based research are the main drivers of the market. In addition, the market is advancing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in January 2021, according to the American Journal of Physiology, variations in the peripheral blood mononuclear cellular profiles of COVID-19-infected patients were examined by using single-cell analysis (SEA) through mass cytometry, which supplemented the industry growth. Government agencies around the world have increased funding for vaccine development and production in response to the ongoing pandemic's economic and social costs, which has increased the use of SEA tools for COVID-19 research. In order to develop better prognostic and diagnostic indicators and establish suitable therapeutic approaches for people with serious disease presentation, it is essential to know the host immune response throughout pathogenicity. Therefore, the market is positively impacted by COVID-19 because single-cell analysis helps in the assessment of peripheral immune function in the disease and makes new contributions to the study of the disease's pathophysiology and treatment possibilities. Single-cell technology aids in the molecular level examination of pathways and processes as well as the assessment of cellular heterogeneity. This technology is developing rapidly with uses in oncology, immunology, and other fields. Further, the development of sophisticated tools that make transcriptomic and proteomic processes simpler is boosting the use of SEA methods. Story continues Researchers are now able to comprehensively examine previously unstudied uncommon cell types owing to developments in scRNA sequencing (scRNAseq). The application of single-cell genomic/transcriptomic analysis in the biomedical area has been greatly expanded by the development of microfluidics technology. Furthermore, cell dissociation and tissue digestion have been adapted for a large range of microfluidic devices, which have increased the adoption of SEA technology and further boosted industry growth. The rising investment flow in R&D in this space is reflected in the rising number of research publications. For instance, in April 2020, A USD 2 million funding round was headed by the venture capital firm i&i Biotech Fund for Sampling Human, a young life science technology startup that has created a diagnostic platform that uses genetically modified cells to examine other cells in their environment (i&i Bio). Further, R&D and business growth will all be advanced by the investment. Moreover, these expenditures indicate a better growth opportunity for this market because R&D efforts serve as the foundation for innovation. Additionally, scientists are analyzing geographic variability in gene expression profiles at the single-cell level, which is expected to increase the demand for consumables and equipment for analysis, thus propelling the industry's growth. Market Dynamics Market Drivers Expanding Application Scope Disease Diagnosis Drug Discovery & Development Lucrative Growth Of Sequencing Technology Technological Innovations In Single-Cell Analysis And Cell Isolation Rising Incidence Of Cancer Market Restraints High Cost of Instruments Higher Penetration of Conventional Mode of Gene & Cell Analysis Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Methodology Chapter 2 Executive Summary Chapter 3 Market Variables, Trends & Scope Chapter 4 Clinical Trial Analysis Chapter 5 Competitive Analysis Chapter 6 Product Segment Analysis Chapter 7 Application Segment Analysis Chapter 8 Workflow Segment Analysis Chapter 9 End-user Segment Analysis Chapter 10 Regional Outlook Chapter 11 Company Profiles Companies Mentioned Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. QIAGEN N.V. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Illumina, Inc. Merck KGaA Becton, Dickinson & Company Fluidigm 10x Genomics, Inc. BGI Novogene Corporation For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9fwb9w Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Reports of shots being fired at a South Carolina high school were fake and part of a TikTok challenge, police have said. The Richland County Sheriffs Department responded to Blythewood High School around 10.25am after receiving calls from an individual claiming there was an active shooter on school grounds, News19 reported. Authorities secured and canvassed the area but ultimately determined there was no threat. Richland School District Two Superintendent Dr Baron Davis said the call was prompted by a TikTok challenge. Nobody was injured and there were no shots fired during the incident, but students were visibly shaken and were picked up by parents after the hoax, said Even though it was fake, the emotions were real and the fear they felt was real, Mr Dvais said at a press conference after the incident. Im heartbroken that people continue to take this as a joke and continue to put our students and our employees in harms way for whatever reason. Law enforcement plants to prepare for potential additional hoax calls made in the near future, Sheriff Leon Lott said. The school released a statement following the ordeal. This morning law enforcement responded to a call from an unknown caller that shots had been fired on the Blythewood High School campus. The Richland County Sheriffs Department responded immediately, it read. The school was placed on lockdown while law enforcement searched the building. RCSD has determined the call was one of three hoax calls made to South Carolina schools this morning. There is no evidence of any gunfire or injuries at the school. In recent days, several schools across the country have been placed on soft lockdowns after threats of shootings have been made on TikTok, raising alarm about the growing trend. On Tuesday, a 16-year-old posted on TikTok that he was going to shoot a school in an Alaska school district, KBBI reported. KXLY also reports that in Sandpoint, Idaho, a student was criminally charged after he made similar threats this week on the social media platform. Partly featured in James Bonds No Time to Die, the rugged Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic and their 53,000 inhabitants, were the setting and main inspiration for Trom, the first ever Faroese TV series, majority produced by Denmarks REinvent Studios. The crime shows creator Torfinnur Jakupsson and joint-producer Jon Hammer have now used the international success of Trom, commissioned by Viaplay and co-produced by Arte/ZDF, to up their game. More from Variety The duo has launched Torshavn-based GRO Studios, the first film and television studio of its kind in the Faroe Islands, covering development through production and sales. Jakupsson, who acts as CEO and head of development, said his joint venture with Hammer focuses on local talent and local stories with a strong sense of genre and setting, written and produced for a global audience. Our goal is to help develop the Faroese film and series industry to a global standard, while working closely with the Nordic and international industry, added GRO Studios head of production Hammer, who first cut his teeth at the Danish powerhouse Zentropa and also runs his own shingle KyK Pictures. Hammer said the Faroese audiovisual sector is still only at development level but he feels very optimistic for the future. Great positive changes have occurred in the last few years, noted the producer, referring to the setting up in 2018 of the Faroese Film Institute and introduction of the 25% reimbursement scheme to attract foreign shoots. Jakupsson for his part cited the many great [Faroese] talents, both behind and in front of the camera, many great local stories yet to tell, as well as the proven success of Trom. The show was sold by REinvent to a slew of territories including the BBC for the U.K. and claimed a best actor and Special Jury Prize at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in June. GRO Studios first project will be the geo-political thriller series Tinganes, currently in development. Story continues The four-hour returnable show will be pitched for the first time Oct. 5 at the industry showcase of the Reykjavik International Film Festival, running until Oct. 9. Tinganes is based on the 2019 political crime book Vit, Froya folk, the debut novel by the first-ever Faroese public prosecutor Bjrk Maria Kunoy. Writer-creator Jakupsson said that the title of the series refers to the corridors of power of the Faroese government and one of the oldest parliaments in the world. The story is partly inspired by real events, he explained. In its 1946 independence referendum, the Faroese people went to the voting booths to decide whether the Faroes should be a part of the Danish Kingdom, the only time this has happened. Even though a small majority chose independence, this democratic outcome was not recognized, with the Danish King ultimately dissolving the Faroese Parliament in favor of a new election. This series questions whether history might soon repeat itself, Jakupsson observed. The project has already received interest from local and international partners and Hammer is betting on a combined broadcasting and streaming financing model, although nothing has been signed as of yet he insisted. With our company being based on the Faroe Islands, it leaves us outside the public funding systems of the Nordic and E.U. countries as a majority partner, so we have to work differently, Hammer explains. Trom was a combination of local Faroese funding and a majority of foreign funding via Denmark, and a similar setup is possible, though we hope to encourage more local funding on this project, as well as direct funding from international players, he said. Tinganes is expected to start production in 2023. Among GRO Studios other projects is the feature film Ly, penned by Jakupsson as a Nordic neo-Western. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. In a new letter filed with Delaware's Court of Chancery, Judge Kathaleen McCormick says it's still game on for now at least. In the letter, sent a day after news broke that Elon Musk would seek to seal the deal with Twitter under the original terms, Judge McCormick is weighing in with an important observation: The trial will still move forward unless either party does something to formally change that. "The parties have not filed a stipulation to stay this action, nor has any party moved for a stay," Judge McCormick wrote. "I, therefore, continue to press on toward our trial set to begin on October 17, 2022." The bulk of the letter explores Twitter's concern about "allegedly deficient production of text messages and other instant messages to and from Elon Musk." In other words, Twitter thinks that some key conversations were not turned over in last week's trove of Musk's texts with a laundry list of Silicon Valley hotshots. So, Twitter wants to compel the billionaire to cough up all relevant messages from January 1 to July 8. Twitter went so far as to accuse Musk of intentionally deleting or withholding "damaging messages. Judge McCormick heard arguments about this specific subset of the broader drama on September 27. Apparently, this includes messages that may have been sent over encrypted messaging apps. "With respect to Signal, Plaintiff argues that Musk sent or received Signal messages during the relevant period and that their deletion or non-production amounts to sanctionable spoliation," McCormick writes. She goes on to order Musk's team to provide a complete copy of his phone records in a format that's easier to search and sort. Judge McCormick also orders the Musk camp to produce a set of 19 texts between Musk and his lawyer Alex Spiro the same lawyer who received an anonymous tip from a Twitter insider through ProtonMail. She also mentions some texts between Musk and Oracle founder Larry Ellison coordinating to set up a call, and the timing lines up with Musk's announcement that the deal was "temporarily on hold." Story continues There are still even more holes in the communications that Musk's team handed over, Judge McCormick wrote. "Defendants have produced no Musk text messages between May 24 and May 30, nor between June 1 and June 7. These periods were important to the parties dispute, and I share Plaintiffs concern that Musk produced no responsive text messages from these periods," she writes, noting that Musk uses other chat services including Signal, particularly for "personal financial matters." "With respect to Signal, Plaintiff argues that Defendants failure to produce Signal messages (other than one screen shot discussed below) raises an inference that Musk deleted relevant messages that he was obligated to preserve," McCormick writes. Third-party discovery found that Elon Musk had corresponded with investor Marc Andreessen via Signal as well -- the venture capitalist had contacted Musk on April 25 with interest in becoming an equity partner in Twitter. When Twitter's team found out that Musk was talking about major elements of the deal via Signal, they pointed out that this makes it seem more likely that other key conversations were happening on the encrypted app too. Musk said in an affidavit that he didn't recall using the Signal app to talk about the deal in any instance other than his conversation with Andreessen. But discovery revealed yet another instance of Musk using Signal to talk to his advisor, Jared Birchall. It isn't clear when these relatively routine Signal messages were sent, but it's suspicious enough that Judge McCormick said it "seems unlikely" that these two exchanges were the only times Musk used the app. "At this stage, it is unclear to me whether deletions occurred when Defendants were under a duty to preserve documents," McCormick wrote. "If Defendants deleted documents after they were under a duty to preserve, some remedy is appropriate, but the appropriate remedy is unclear to me at this stage." Since the evidence is not yet clear, McCormick will not rule on this matter until a pending post-trial briefing. Musk's lawyer says he's never spoken to Mudge, the Twitter whistleblower In his second termination notice to Twitter, Musk leveraged whistleblower complaints from Twitter's former head of security Peiter "Mudge" Zatko to justify pulling out of the deal. Like Musk, Zatko claims that Twitter is hiding information from its investors. Twitter's lawyers theorized that Zatko may have anonymously contacted Musk's lawyer, Alex Spiro, in a mysterious, anonymous email sent on May 6, which was found in discovery. McCormick has said that because Musk relies heavily on new revelations from Zatko, Twitter has the right to figure out if he had any prior contact with Musk or Musks team that hasnt come to light. Shortly after Judge McCormick filed her letter today, Musk's lawyer Alex Spiro submitted a two-page affidavit addressing these concerns. In the affidavit, Spiro declares that he does not recall reading the May 6 email when he received it, since he gets so many anonymous emails about Twitter on a weekly basis. "It is not my habit to review those emails, and the May 6 Email did not stand out in any way," Spiro wrote. "Reading it now, the May 6 Email appears to be from an individual looking to 'Support [] Elon's Twitter Transition' by asking for a job." Spiro said that he didn't reply, forward, print, save or communicate with anyone about the email. To date, he says he has not attempted to reach out to the person behind the email. "I can confirm that I have never met or communicated with Mr. Zatko, nor did I communicate with Mr. Zatko through any sort of intermediary," Spiro added. "I had no knowledge of the existence of his whistleblower complaint, or the allegations therein, prior to August 23, 2022." As of now, Judge McCormick has ruled that Twitter can continue searching for evidence of contact between Zatko and Musk's team. The Musk camp is also expected to provide any requested documents on the matter by Friday. Why Musk's sudden change of heart? It came as a surprise to many yesterday when Elon Musk suddenly backtracked months of legal sparring to say that he's just going to pay up and buy Twitter. But this swerve isn't as random a decision as it seems. In his letter to Twitter, filed with the SEC, Musk says that hell proceed with buying Twitter as promised, but only if the Chancery Court will adjourn the trial and all other proceedings related thereto pending such closing or further order of the Court. Twitter thinks Elon Musk is hiding something. Musk won't prove that he's not hiding anything. What does a trial do? It makes you reveal what you're hiding, under oath. If Musk really was using Signal to talk about making this deal and backing out of it, then it wouldn't be a stretch to believe there's something he doesn't want Twitter or Judge McCormick to know. However, Musk has been known to change his mind often, and since the reasoning behind his actions is not transparent, there could be other elements at play. Elon Musk was supposed to be scheduled for deposition last week, but he was able to delay the trial, citing a potential COVID-19 exposure. If nothing massive changes, Musk's deposition will now take place on Thursday and Friday, meaning that he will have to give testimony. But if he is that adamant that he doesn't want to try his luck under oath, then... prepare for some end-of-week chaos. UPM-Kymmene Corporation (UPM, Helsinki, 5 October 2022 at 15:00 EEST) UPM inaugurates today its new pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay. This investment of approximately USD 280 million is a fundamental part of UPMs USD 3.47 billion growth investment in Uruguay that includes a state-of-the-art pulp mill in Paso de los Toros, new eucalyptus tree nursery as well as local community investments in Paso de los Toros. This is a significant milestone in our growth project in Uruguay. The new pulp terminal with direct connections from the new pulp mill and to the global markets plays a key role in the growth and competitiveness of UPMs pulp business, says UPM President and CEO Jussi Pesonen. The public infrastructure investments to the deep sea port and railway improve the competitiveness of all export sectors in Uruguay. The new pulp terminal is located in the newly developed deep sea port in Montevideo, and it will have a direct rail connection to the new UPM Paso de los Toros mill. In the future, all UPM pulp from Uruguay will be shipped with fully loaded ocean vessels directly from Uruguay. This is a significant change to the current logistics that have depended on the deep sea ports in Brazil. The new direct connection from Uruguay to global markets increases efficiency and supply security. UPM will operate the pulp terminal as a long-term concession holder. The terminal will operate 24/7 with an annual operating capacity of over 2 million tonnes of pulp and approximately 100 ships per year, creating a 60% increase in the total annual cargo exported from the port of Montevideo. The terminal will employ approximately 100 people, with another 200 people working in the loading and unloading of cargo ships. The terminal includes a large storage warehouse of over 50,000 square meters, a control room, logistics spaces and offices. UPMs new 2.1 million tonne greenfield eucalyptus pulp mill near Paso de los Toros in central Uruguay is scheduled to start production by the end of Q1 2023. Story continues For further information please contact: In Uruguay: Florencia Herrera, Director, Stakeholder Relations, UPM Fibres, tel. +598 99 711 933 Other countries: Saara Tahvanainen, Vice President, Stakeholder Relation, UPM Fibres, tel. +358 40 589 0223 UPM, Media Relations Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00 EET tel. +358 40 588 3284 media@upm.com UPM We deliver renewable and responsible solutions and innovate for a future beyond fossils across six business areas: UPM Fibres, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Specialty Papers, UPM Communication Papers and UPM Plywood. As the industry leader in responsibility, we are committed to the UN Business Ambition for 1.5C and the science-based targets to mitigate climate change. We employ 17,000 people worldwide and our annual sales are approximately EUR 9.8 billion. Our shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. UPM Biofore Beyond fossils. www.upm.com Follow UPM on Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | #UPM #biofore #beyondfossils The White House this morning unveiled what its colloquially calling an AI Bill of Rights, which aims to establish tenets around the ways AI algorithms should be deployed as well as guardrails on their applications. In five bullet points crafted with feedback from the public, companies like Microsoft and Palantir and human rights and AI ethics groups, the document lays out safety, transparency and privacy principles that the Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) -- which drafted the AI Bill of Rights -- argues will lead to better outcomes while mitigating harmful real-life consequences. The AI Bill of Rights mandates that AI systems be proven safe and effective through testing and consultation with stakeholders, in addition to continuous monitoring of the systems in production. It explicitly calls out algorithmic discrimination, saying that AI systems should be designed to protect both communities and individuals from biased decision-making. And it strongly suggests that users should be able to opt out of interactions with an AI system if they choose, for example in the event of a system failure. Beyond this, the White Houses proposed blueprint posits that users should have control over how their data is used -- whether in an AI system's decision-making or development -- and be informed in plain language of when an automated system is being used in plain language. To the OSTPs points, recent history is filled with examples of algorithms gone haywire. Models used in hospitals to inform patient treatments have later been found to be discriminatory, while hiring tools designed to weed out candidates for jobs have been shown to predominately reject women applicants in favor of men -- owing to the data on which the systems were trained. However, as Axios and Wired note in their coverage of today's presser, the White House is late to the party; a growing number of bodies have already weighed in on the subject of AI regulation, including the EU and even the Vatican. It's also completely voluntary. While the White House seeks to "lead by example" and have federal agencies fall in line with their own actions and derivative policies, private corporations aren't beholden to the AI Bill of Rights. Alongside the release of the AI Bill of Rights, the White House announced that certain agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, will publish guidance in the coming months seeking to curtail the use of damaging or dangerous algorithmic technologies in specific settings. But these steps fall short of, for instance, the EU's regulation under development, which prohibits and curtails certain categories of AI deemed to have harmful potential. Still, experts like Oren Etzioni, a co-founder of the Allen Institute for AI, believe that the White House guidelines will have some influence. "If implemented properly, [a] bill could reduce AI misuse and yet support beneficial uses of AI in medicine, driving, enterprise productivity, and more," he told The Wall Street Journal. The political advertising agency behind Glenn Youngkins successful bid for Virginia governor, which created his branding and specializes in work for Republican candidates, received a $268,600 contract from a state agency to produce a tourism video that heavily features Youngkin himself. The ad will appear in Virginias airports and welcome centers at a time when Youngkin is considering a run for president and is seeking to boost his national image. The contract between the state tourism department and Richmond-based Poolhouse is its first such contract for the state agency. The advertisement features Youngkin at the Richmond Raceway, his voice also narrating the ad. Poolhouse specializes in digital advertising for Republican political candidates. It was formed in 2013 and has never before performed marketing work for the state before the Youngkin tourism advertisement. Its website says Poolhouse also has done work for companies such as General Electric and Honda. Virginia Tourism Corporation reached out to two advertising companies on May 5, offering them a chance to bid on the state tourism commercial as well as seven large billboards designed for display on airport walls. The competition for Poolhouse, which branded Youngkins logos and images in his successful 2021 run for governor, was limited. In the case of what it called the Governors Welcome Project, Virginia Tourism Corporation reached out to Poolhouse and The Martin Agency, based in Richmond; and then on May 10 to Arlington-based Henninger Media Services, after a Martin Agency representative said the company couldnt bid, according to Virginia Tourism Corporation. State tourism officials reached out to Virginia-based entities it believed could produce a high-quality product within a short time frame, Mike McMahon, Virginia Tourisms vice president of operations and finance, said by email. Poolhouse responded with a bid on May 5, the same day Virginia Tourism Corporation sent the request, according to state records obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. The states May 5 bid request includes several phases with tight turnarounds for work, the records show. If Poolhouse or Martin Agency were interested in the work, they were to bid no later than May 12. The deadline for final approval on a script and list of shots was May 25, two weeks later. The pre-production deadline was June 17, and all work for the advertisement was to be complete by Aug. 2. (The deadlines were later for Henninger because it was offered a chance to bid five days later). The deadlines for work apparently were too short for The Martin Agency, which is Virginia Tourism Corporations agency of record, meaning Martin handles Virginia Tourisms advertising work. According to state records, The Martin Agency responded four days later, saying it couldnt meet the scope of the work or the deadlines. A Martin Agency representative emailed back May 9 to say the project timeline was too short given the agencys existing workload with a Virginia Tourism Corporation campaign. She also said theyd need to choose a partner to sub-contract with. That is not achievable by the deadline provided for a response on May 12, she wrote. The Martin Agency is known for national work for companies such as GEICO and Old Navy and for creating the Virginia is for Lovers slogan, which records show will be incorporated in the new airport wall panels. Henninger, the other firm, did not respond. So Poolhouse won the contract at its bid offer of $268,600. Virginia procurement law doesnt apply to the Virginia Tourism Corporation, which has the discretion of whether to publicly offer a chance to bid on state work. Will Ritter, the co-founder and CEO of Poolhouse, confirmed in a phone call that the Governors Welcome Project was the first Poolhouse work with Virginia Tourism Corporation. POOLHOUSE is thrilled to partner with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to brag on the state we love and call home, Ritter said in an emailed statement. We were ecstatic to win the bid and get a chance to showcase our favorite people and places in the Welcome to Virginia campaign. We look forward to more opportunities to make top-shelf creative work for Virginia. Asked if Poolhouse had done any other work for a government agency, Ritter said yes, but said he needed to check details, and didnt follow up with more information Tuesday. A Martin Agency spokeswoman didnt immediately respond to an inquiry about the tourism ad contract and a representative of Henninger Media did not return a phone call. Poolhouse was instrumental in Youngkins successful bid for the GOP nomination for governor, and ultimately his win over Democrat Terry McAuliffe last year. According to Poolhouses website, One of our first tasks was to design an iconic logo to represent a once-in-a-generation candidate running a different kind of campaign. The announcement was coming up fast, so our team accelerated our process to produce a variety of logo directions. This facilitated a conversation that not only helped us finalize an awesome logo but also brought clarity to the way wed introduce Mr. Youngkins campaign. Youngkin has continued using the firm, paying through his political action committee, as he considers a 2024 presidential run and travels the country to campaign for Republicans and boost his national image. Virginia Tourism Corporation posted the state-funded Governors Welcome Project ad on Twitter Sept. 6. After the Richmond Times-Dispatch published a story about the contract on Richmond.com on Wednesday morning, state Democratic leaders called for investigations. Del. Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, the state House minority leader, said the tourism video was a campaign ad for Youngkin and on Twitter called for the FBI to investigate how the governors political associates received a huge state contract windfall. I would like to welcome Mr. Mark Taylor, Spotsylvania County's new superintendent of schools. He arrives here with years of experience as a county administrator but has absolutely no experience, training or college degrees in the realm of public school education, administration and educational leadership. While the Virginia Board of Education granted him a Virginia Superintendent's License by virtue of Virginia Law 8VAC20-23-630Division Superintendent License (Option IV)it behooves the citizens of Spotsylvania County to consider his questionable history, qualifications, and path to the superintendent position, including the following verifiable facts: 1. Known conflicts of interest with current School Board Chairman Kirk Twigg 2. Taylor's use of highly inappropriate Facebook posts 3. Nefarious backchannel behaviors exercised between Twigg and the national school superintendent search firm GR Recruiting to circumvent Taylor's late application without the knowledge and approval of the school board. According to an employee of the search firm, GRR had paired down (using a matrix) the large superintendent applicant pool to 10. Applicant Taylor was included. The board then selected five semifinalists and interviewed two finalists, one of which was Taylor 4. Twigg's initial and fraudulent request of the VBOE to license Taylor 5. Based on Taylor's background and ethics in law, shouldn't he have abided by our school board's application requirements and procedures throughout this process? I encourage individuals to watch video from both the Sept. 15 Virginia Board of Education meeting and the Sept. 15 Spotsylvania School Board meeting for perspectives and facts behind Taylors hiring. The blatant red flags are all over this appointment. Do what's best for the kids in this county, and become vocal in our public schools. William Scheff Spotsylvania By Trend The EU continues to support Azerbaijani youth in the fields of education and employment, Ambassador of the European Union to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko said during a press conference, dedicated to European Youth Days, Trend reports. According to him, the EU, in relation to this, started a youth campaign in Azerbaijan. "Several events have been held for the youth. The EU declared 2022 'Year of Youth' after two difficult years of the COVID- 19 pandemic. The EU plans to create equal educational and employment opportunities for young people through the campaign," he said. Michalko pointed out that in the field of education in Azerbaijan, record success has been achieved. "In the period before the pandemic, scholarships to 3,500 Azerbaijani students were provided as part of the Erasmus+ exchange program. This year the figure has significantly increased. Last year, 500 educational institutions took advantage of loans under the loan program," he said. He also said that the program will be implemented not only in Baku, but also in the regions of Azerbaijan. "More than 10,000 children and parents in the regions were involved in the early childhood development awareness program. Also, 885 people from the regions received professional training," Michalko added. A year after cutting its tax asking and tax levy, Burt County Board of Supervisors last week approved an increase in both for the next fiscal year. The board passed resolutions setting its tax asking at $4,610,306 and set a tax rate of 24.5362 cents per $100 of valuation. The budget for 2022-23 showed just over $20 million in proposed spending, more than twice the actual amount spent in 2021-22. The spending line also showed nearly $3 million in the countys Inheritance Fund and nearly $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act money. The budget shows only the General Fund and the Building Fund being supported by tax dollars. The tax asking is funded through a total valuation of $1.879 billion. The board also passed a resolution transferring $300,000 from the Inheritance Fund to the General Fund to help reduce the property tax burden. The resolution also approved the transfer of $200,000 to the new Capital Improvement Fund which will help capture funds for future road projects. The budget also includes a one-time increase of $100,000 for the countys cash reserve. The increase was sought due to proposed changes in how counties are allowed to use Inheritance Fund dollars. Burt County, like many counties in Nebraska, currently uses its Inheritance Fund like a cash reserve, but a change in the law could limit the funds use. The measures were adopted quickly as public hearings had been held during the boards Sept. 13 meeting and the public was given a second chance during a joint public hearing held June 26 as required by a new state law, LB 644. In other business during its brief Sept. 28 meeting, the county board: Approved requests for a renovation grant and a demolition grant as submitted by Burt County Economic Development Corp. Riverside Auction and Sales was granted $14,501 to help pay for improvements to its building at the south edge of Tekamah. Decatur woman Lisa Peltier was granted $5,250 to help pay for demolition of a home on West 12th Street in the village. The grants pay 50 percent of the low bid on a project. While the applicant can still choose which bid to accept, BCED will only fund half of the low bid. A cap of $15,000 is placed on any single project. BCED Executive Director Patty Plugge said renovation grant applications require multiple bids, but demolition grants only require one bid. She said that was the case because when the program started, there were few contractors who could do the work. From here, I think we should change the guidelines, she told the board. We now have more companies who do demolitions. Approved a contract with Mary Loftis to provide State Health Insurance Program counseling services in the county. Nebraska SHIP educates people with Medicare, empowering seniors and people with disabilities to make informed decisions about health insurance. The Nebraska SHIP is a division of the Nebraska Department of Insurance. SHIP does not sell insurance nor does it endorse any insurance company, product or agent. Under the contract, Loftis will be able to use her old office in the county Extension office. Loftis has contracts to provide the same service in Washington and Dodge counties. Burt County will pay her $11,274 for the service, the highest of the three counties she serves because most of her work is done here. She said 27 events already are planned during the upcoming open enrollment period for Medicare, 16 of them are in Burt County. Approved a contract with SEI Security to provide additional security measures for the courthouse. The $30,000 contract calls for better access control, panic buttons for each office and an enhanced video surveillance system. Approved changing the employment status of Highway Superintendent Ann Chytka. She now becomes a salaried employee, and, as such, is no longer subject to wage and hour requirements such as overtime pay. Her new pay schedule is $61,006 per year. She also was made the full-time Zoning and Floodplain Administrator, work which will pay her an additional $15,000 per year. The Fremont Fire Department will be hosting its annual open house from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at the station, 415 E. 16th St. The event is free and open to the public. Visitors will be able to meet Fire Pup and see inside the fire trucks, police cruisers and 911 simulator. Guests will be entered to win a fire extinguisher donated by Municipal Emergency Services. Fire Chief Todd Bernt looks forward to the annual event and says it gives the community a chance to see and feel our fire trucks and the equipment we carry on our trucks, tour the fire station, and visit with the firefighters. An open house gives us an opportunity to answer any questions the community may have about what we do. The Fremont and Dodge County Communications Center and Fremont Police Department will also be here for the community to visit with. The open house kicks off Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15. Fire Prevention Week is sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association. 2022 marks the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week. During this week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires. During Fire Prevention Week the Fremont Fire Department also partners with Fremont schools to provide the Junior Fire Marshal Program. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade work with their families to fill out and return home safety checklists. The school with the highest checklist return-rate is awarded the Junior Fire Marshal Program traveling trophy for the year. In 2021, Clarmar Elementary School received the trophy with 84% of checklists completed and returned. SOUTH SIOUX CITY A $77 million, 20-acre veteran-centric development is being planned in South Sioux City. Veterans Victory Housing and Small Business Center, described in a press release as a campus where veterans can "live, work and play," is a 500,000-square-foot facility spread across eight buildings. The site is adjacent to the recently built RiverPointe apartment development in South Sioux City. R Perry Construction, which has built a number of multi-residential buildings in the area, is the general contractor on the project. Six buildings on the campus will house 300 apartments. Another two buildings will be used as a small-business center and a nonprofit center, said Kim Kuhle, founder of Veterans Victory, the for-profit developer behind the project. Roughly 40,000 square feet of the campus will be set aside for veteran-owned businesses and the nonprofit resource center, according to a press release. Kuhle told the Journal that anyone can apply to live at the apartment complex, though the campus is calibrated to the needs of veterans. "We welcome the veterans, and there will be any number of programs that can help veterans," she said. Veterans Victory also has a similar project in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Residents will have available to them on-site financial education, small business training, collaboration and networking opportunities, according to a press release, in addition to physical therapy, mental health services, yoga, hiking trails and social events. Groundbreaking is planned for February, with a target completion date for some of the apartments in December 2023. The project would add significantly to South Sioux City's housing stock, which, in common with many other places in the U.S., has lagged behind the community's needs. Private funding for the project was made possible by the "Opportunity Zones" program -- lower-income or economically distressed census tracts where tax incentives are available to developers -- which was created under the 2017 federal tax-code rewrite, Kuhle said. A blast has hit a mosque in Afghanistan's capital in the vicinity of the heavily fortified Interior Ministry compound, Taliban officials said, killing at least two people and wounding 18, according to medics. "Unfortunately there was an explosion inside a(n) ancillary mosque where some Interior Ministry workers and visitors were praying. Will share the details later," ministry spokesman Abdul Nafy Takor said on Twitter on October 5. Takor said the mosque was frequently used by employees of the ministry for prayers. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast, which is being investigated, he added. Italian NGO aid group Emergency, which runs a hospital in Kabul, said on Twitter it received 20 patients from the blast, two of whom were dead on arrival. The blast comes after a suicide bombing on September 30 killed 53 people in a Kabul classroom, including 46 girls and women, according to a UN death toll. No group has so far claimed responsibility for that attack, which Taliban authorities said claimed only 25 lives. The Islamic State militant group, which considers Shi'a to be heretics, has carried out several deadly attacks in the same area targeting girls, schools, and mosques. The hard-core Taliban militant group, which returned to power last year in Afghanistan, has pledged to protect minorities and clamp down on security threats. However, attacks have ramped up in recent months. With reporting by AP and AFP The Taliban, struggling to navigate Afghanistan through an economic and humanitarian crisis as its rule over the country remains unrecognized by the world, has found willing partners in two countries whose trade is severely restricted by international sanctions -- Russia and Iran. Moscow joined Tehran on the short list of capitals willing to deal with the Taliban under a preliminary agreement signed last week. Afghanistan will get 1 million tons of gasoline, 1 million tons of diesel fuel, 500,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas, and 2 million tons of wheat a year, Taliban Commerce and Industry Minister Nooruddin Azizi announced last week. With the deal, "Russia joins that small number of countries which are willing to do business with Taliban, in terms of export and import," said Narendra Taneja, a prominent economist who chairs the Indian-based Independent Energy Institute. What Russia will get in return from its cash-strapped partner is much less clear, but it appears that agricultural goods and the prospect of future access to Afghanistan's natural-resource wealth could be on the table. The Taliban, which like Russia is essentially cut off from the global banking system, has said that it will pay for the commodities in Russian rubles. But Taneja suggests that is unlikely, considering Afghanistan's difficulties in obtaining the Russian currency through trade. "It seems to be more like a very informal kind of deal, a barter kind of deal, where Russia will supply oil and gas and [Afghanistan] will supply whatever they can in return," Taneja told RFE/RL from New Delhi. Russia, like the rest of the international community, does not recognize the Taliban government and officially considers the hard-line Islamist group to be a terrorist organization. But Moscow on multiple occasions hosted Taliban officials amid peace talk efforts prior to the group's forcible takeover of Kabul in August 2021. Since then, Moscow has maintained an embassy in Kabul and a special representative to Afghanistan. President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would take steps toward removing the Taliban from its terrorism list and instructed the country's media to stop identifying the group as such, as required by Russian law. Just ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, which was attended by a Taliban delegation including Azizi, Putin allocated grain exports to the drought-ravaged country "if necessary." The new deal comes after weeks of discussions in Moscow that transpired after a visit last month by Azizi. Moscow's special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, confirmed to the Russian state news agency TASS that a "preliminary" agreement had been worked out and Azizi has said that a longer-term deal will be forthcoming if both sides are happy with the arrangement. Azizi said that Afghanistan would be receiving the commodities at a discount, and the fuel supplies will reportedly be delivered by road via Central Asia. The Taliban commerce and industry minister also said that Afghanistan had received gas and oil from Turkmenistan and Iran. In late August 2021, Tehran lifted barriers to the export of fuel to Afghanistan that had been introduced earlier this month out of safety concerns amid unrest in the country. Iran reportedly exported about 400,000 tons of fuel to Afghanistan from May 2020 to May 2021, and prior to the Taliban takeover Turkmenistan was the leading supplier of gasoline to Afghanistan. "A country...shouldn't be dependent on just one country, we should have alternative ways," Azizi told Reuters last week. The deal with Russia is seen as one of the Taliban's largest trade deals and has raised questions about what the militant group can offer. To date, the export of and custom duties from coal have been a key source of revenue for the Taliban. Much of the coal has been trucked to neighboring Pakistan. Aside from coal and agricultural goods such as fruits, nuts, and medicinal herbs, Afghanistan's untapped resources appear to be a potential trade chip. The poverty-stricken country is believed to hold a wealth of mineral resources, including copper, iron ore, gold, lithium, and cobalt, as well as a host of rare-earth elements. U.S. government agencies have placed the value at more than $900 billion, while the former Afghan government placed the number at $3 trillion. Afghanistan's potential has attracted keen interest from China, India, Russia, and other countries, and has led the Taliban to pursue the resumption of China's Aynak Copper Mine project while also cautiously negotiating over the mining of lithium and cobalt, two key components to the batteries that are fueling the world's green-energy drive. Afghanistan also has untapped reserves of oil and natural gas, according to Taneja, but has not been able to exploit the resources commercially. "I think the significance of the deal between the Taliban and Russia is that this is the beginning of something, and this something may grow into bigger things, such as mining of rare minerals in Afghanistan, or maybe mining of natural gas," Taneja said. While he says that Afghanistan might want to use the opportunity to promote the development of a pipeline, it is too early to say whether that could become a reality. The completion of the TAPI pipeline, a major project that was intended to transport natural gas from Turkmenistan to Pakistan and India via Afghanistan, has been stalled for years, although the Turkmen leg was completed in 2019. In November 2021, Turkmen officials engaged in discussions with the Taliban aimed at completing the Afghan section of the pipeline, which began in 2018 and was intended to provide Afghanistan with 5 billion cubic meters of gas annually, more than enough to cover its annual use of 200 million cubic meters. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February led many Western countries to impose sanctions on Russia, including on its petroleum and gas exports. The deal with Afghanistan, however, would effectively evade such punitive measures. "Since the sanctions against Russia's oil and gas, Russia is looking for new markets, looking for new countries where they can sell their oil," Taneja said. "So, Afghanistan may not be a big buyer -- it is a very small buyer of oil and gas -- but nevertheless, it is another country which seems to be interested in Russian oil and gas. And as you know, the Taliban government is not recognized by any country, practically. So therefore, they escape the sanctions." Continued fuel deliveries by Russia could encounter other obstacles, however, with Taneja listing the need to find companies willing to insure cargos, the establishment of reliable payment and delivery mechanisms, and the risk of attracting sanctions in the future. Moscow's dealings with the Taliban have led to criticism, and the new agreement to export oil and gas is no exception, as evidenced by the number of social-media posts noting the Taliban's official status as a terrorist organization in Russia. But with Afghanistan suffering from a massive humanitarian crisis brought on by drought, floods, and war -- leading to its recent designation by the United Nations as a "hunger hot spot" -- Russia's delivery of wheat is being viewed as a positive development. "Keeping aside politics, what's happening over Ukraine and between Russia and the West -- I think it's important for us as humans, to make sure that not a single person in Afghanistan starves," Taneja said. "The people are not Taliban, the rulers are Taliban. And the people are starving. So, they should be helped by every country." With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Radio Azadi, and Radio Farda A Southwest Airlines jetliner sits at a gate on the C concourse of Denver International Airport on Wednesday, Oct. 6. A Southwest Airlines pilot is suing the company, her union and a former colleague who pleaded guilty last year to stripping naked in front of her during a flight on Oct. 5. The city of Colorado Springs is weighing whether to gate Old Stage Road to reduce late-night shooting across private property, vandalism, lighting fireworks, dumping and other illegal activity. You voted: By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov The Azerbaijani and Turkish special forces are conducting joint drills in Turkiye, Azernews reports, citing the Turkish National Defense Ministry. The joint SAT/SAS drills are being held between 3-14 October at Aksaz Naval Base Command, the ministry said. The drills seek to strengthen naval forces' cooperation by increasing interoperability between Turkish and Azerbaijani SAT and SAS units for naval special operations. Experience in ground operations and light weapon shooting training is being exchanged during the drills, which are taking place both on land and at sea. Two Turkish naval teams (SAS and SAT) are attending the drills. Furthermore, Azerbaijan and Turkiye periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units. Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations. On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation. The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijans victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defense cooperation. After decades spent fighting to receive the Silver Star Medal he earned for gallantry during combat in World War II, 107-year-old Harold Nelson believed to be Colorados oldest WWII veteran can finally close the chapter on the longest battle of his life. The Denver resident received the medal Tuesday at a ceremony at Fort Carson, surrounded by family, friends and fans, including Maj. Gen. Charles D. Costanza, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart in Georgia. Im honored and honestly humbled to have the privilege to present the Silver Star to a fellow Dogface Soldier, said Costanza, referencing the affectionate nickname that came to be especially associated with members of the Armys 3rd Infantry Division after the war. Before presenting the long-belated medal, among the Armys top awards for valor, Costanza gave the audience a thumbnail of Nelsons bio, wartime exploits and acts of heroism. Starting his time in combat during WWII, First Sgt. Nelson was shot three times, survived artillery bombardments, grenade explosions, German Tank fire and exploding landmines, said Costanza. The 3rd Infantry Division served for 635 straight days in combat, and took over 35,000 casualties during WWII, he said. A division in WWII only had 15,000 soldiers. So think about that, Costanza said, calling Nelson an example for all of us, of leadership, courage, determination and selfless service that we expect from all our soldiers today. Nelson was among the oldest of his fellows when he entered service in 1941, at age 26, the first person in Nebraska drafted into the Army, said his daughter, Carolee Soden, of Grand Junction. A two-time recipient of the Purple Heart, Nelson was among just seven members of his company to make it home from the war, said Soden, whose father survived six beach landings in Africa and Europe and, beyond that, everyday conditions that would break even the heartiest of souls. He served four years in the infantry division and he was in the war zone for two years, living in a foxhole with no roof over him, Soden said, in a February interview with The Gazette, ahead of her fathers 107th birthday celebration. What he survived even when he wasnt fighting for his life ... its difficult to even try to imagine. Nelson learned hed been recommended for a Silver Star in a May 1944 letter his commanding officer sent to his mother, who passed it on to him. He just kind of put it away, because for a long time after he got back from the war he didnt want to talk about any part of it, said Soden. Even as children, we never heard any of his war stories. It would be years no, generations before those stories fully came out, but when they did they flowed like a river. Among the history to bubble up was the long-ago Silver Star letter. Nelsons fight to receive the medal he was due hit a wall after a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis destroyed 16 to 18 million files dating back to 1912. Every so often dad would say, What do you think about my Silver Star? Soden said. I talked to him one day, and said, You know your family knows that you should have this, and thats the important part. You dont have to have the Star. He said, Well, Id really like to have the Star. After years of pleading with the military of countless calls and letters she and her dad eventually gave up hope. We had tried every route we knew and didnt know where else to turn, Soden said. Connections theyd made with the Forgotten Heroes Campaign a nonprofit that champions the causes of veterans who were awarded medals they never received kept at it, though. Daddy called me one day (in June) and said, Well, I guess the Army finally decided to give me my Silver Star, said Soden. She counseled her father not to get too excited about the packet he got in the mail, because its probably a prank. It wasnt. I have been trying for many, many years to find a way to get this for him, and with the help of many others its finally happened, said Soden, who spent part of Tuesday's ceremony dabbing at happy tears as she sat beside her father. I am having trouble realizing it is really happening. School District 49 may formally oppose measures to legalize recreational marijuana sales in Colorado Springs and a statewide measure to decriminalize possession and use of psychedelic mushrooms. The proposed resolution states that approving the ballot questions could increase students' access to harmful psychoactive substances. Recreational marijuana is legal across Colorado for adults over 21 and available for sale in nearby communities such as Manitou Springs, Pueblo and Denver. Colorado Springs voters will decide in November whether to allow the existing 115 medical marijuana shops in town to have the option to add or fully transition to recreational sales. A second question asks voters to add a 5% special tax to recreational marijuana sales to fund public safety, veterans services and mental health programs. Geographically, District 49 is split between the city of Colorado Springs and El Paso County. However, 75% of its schools are within the city limits, and the percentage is expected to grow as the city expands eastward and annexes more of unincorporated El Paso County, district spokesman David Nancarrow said. The state question asks voters to decriminalize psychedelic mushroom possession for those older than 21. The mushrooms could be sold at healing centers that receive a license from the state. D-49's proposed resolution states that legalizing recreational marijuana sales could increase students' exposure to higher potency THC products that can impact the developing minds of children and teenagers. Board Secretary Lori Thompson said she has seen first hand the effects of high-potency products and expected they could become more readily available if the measures pass. "I think the prevalence will increase," Thompson said in a recent board work session. Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana sales have pointed out in the past that recreational marijuana possession is legal throughout the state and Colorado Springs has lost out on $150 million in tax revenue by blocking sales for 10 years. The state has worked to limit access to high potency products by limiting how much concentrated marijuana a customer can purchase in a day. In 2009 prior to recreational marijuana legalization, 24% of high school students reported using marijuana within 30 days of taking the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. In 2019, about 20% of high school students across the state reported using marijuana within 30 days. Use dropped dramatically in 2021 likely because of the pandemic. Current data for El Paso County students is not available because not enough students participated in the survey. The district also argues in its proposed resolution that decriminalizing mushrooms could increase exposure to hallucinogens that can create "psychotic-like" episodes. The Natural Medicine Colorado campaign backing mushrooms says it shows promise in treating conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. The board is expected to vote on the resolution on Oct. 13. The city of Colorado Springs is asking westside residents from Stratton Meadows to Mesa Springs to help shape a vision for their neighborhoods as part of a comprehensive neighborhood plan. "We want to know what their vision of a vibrant future looks like," said Daniel Besinaiz, the city's senior comprehensive planner. Once complete, the Greater Westside Community Plan will guide growth and improvements across nine neighborhoods including the Westside, Old Colorado City, Midland, Gold Hill Mesa, Skyway, Ivywild, Stratton Meadows, Mesa and Mesa Springs. IF YOU GO The kickoff meeting for the Greater Westside Community Plan will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the City Administration Building, Room 102. The plan is one of 12 the city is planning to write and the second one to get underway. The city staff started with southeast Colorado Springs, but it has not released a draft version of that plan yet. During the first meeting for the greater westside the staff hopes to identify what is important to neighbors. For example, the city found southeast residents wanted to see better sidewalk connectivity and healthier food options, among other improvements, said Morgan Hester, planning supervisor. During the meeting on Wednesday, the staff expects to explain the planning process and allow residents to provide comments on the seven key goals identified within the city's comprehensive plan, such as a thriving economy, vibrant neighborhoods and majestic landscapes. The plan may have general statements about the entire planning area, which covers 7,741 acres and has a population of almost 40,000 people. It is also expected to include more specifics for individual neighborhoods, Besinaiz said. Dianne Bridges, chairwoman of the Historic Neighborhoods Partnership, said representatives from her group from neighborhoods within the planning area expect to be involved. She would like to see balanced plans for the neighborhoods that include historic preservation. "The city wants to do these plans, which then will become approved and adopted. Any development that occurs within that area has to abide by that plan. ... We want to influence that," she said. The city's current draft zoning code would also require neighborhoods to complete this comprehensive neighborhood planning process before applying for an area design standards overlay. The overlays could help preserve the architectural consistency of a neighborhood by setting specific development standards such as front yard setbacks. Bridges said her group is concerned about that requirement because each neighborhood plan could take between a year to a year and a half to complete, meaning it could be 16 years before they are all finished. The southeast neighborhood plan was started in October 2020 and it could be completed in the middle of next year, said Mike Tassi, assistant planning director. A student brought a handgun and ammunition to class at Evans Elementary School in east Colorado Springs on Tuesday morning, according to District 49 spokesperson David Nancarrow. A parent of a student at the school, located at 1675 Winnebago Road in the Cimarron Hills neighborhood, told a staff member that their child had seen another student with one round of ammunition, according to a message sent to parents by Nancarrow and Evans principal Marcia Case. The staff member then reported the information to the El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the school district's security team, the message said. A search of the student's backpack yielded a handgun and more ammunition, which has been "secured." "There is no indication the student intended to threaten, or harm, students or staff," Nancarrow said. "After speaking with the student and the students parents, we believe this incident is more reflective of a misguided attempt to impress friends. EPSO will conduct a thorough investigation into how the student obtained the handgun." All students and staff are safe, and following the investigation, the school will "determine the appropriate next steps for the student involved," the message said. No further information is available, as the investigation is ongoing. Brandon Runnels, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, often kicks off his undergraduate mechanics course by showing images from engineering disasters. In 1981, a walkway at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Kansas City, Mo., collapsed, killing 114 people and injuring an additional 216. In 2018 and 2019, two Boeing 737 Max airliners crashed, killing a total of 346 people and forcing the aerospace company to ground the aircraft. Six people were killed at Florida International University when a pedestrian bridge collapsed in 2018. Runnels doesnt give this grisly demonstration because of some macabre obsession with deadly accidents, but because he believes many of these catastrophes were avoidable. If we engineers do things right, and carefully, and precisely, a lot of these disasters can be avoided, he said. Runnels research project, for which he recently received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, could save countless lives by determining when, how and why certain structural materials fail. Ideally, the long-term goal is that we want to build with materials that are more reliable, and less likely to fail, he said. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is one of the most prestigious grants available to early career professors and was just one of a host of research grants and gifts the University of Colorado system garnered in the past year, according to a news release. The university system attracted $1.46 billion in research funding over the past year, officials said. UCCS received $9.3 million in research funding during that period. The funding, which came from federal, state and international sources, cannot be used for anything unrelated to research, officials said. Runnels CAREER-funded project is called A Multifunctional Convolutional Neural Network Framework for Prediction of Damage Nucleation Sites in Microstructure. In laymans English, this means his research will focus on answering the questions of how and why things break and developing faster and more reliable techniques for predicting material damage. The project will concentrate primarily on materials designed to support a lot of weight, like bridges, the wings of an airplane or the chassis of a car, Runnels said. If successful, it could have far-reaching implications, like improved protective armor for the military, tanks that are more resistant to explosives and satellites that are better equipped to withstand possible collisions with space junk, he said. These are important problems, and I like working on important problems, Runnels said. The research will take place over a five-year period and will focus on fundamental not applied research. Any practical applications will take place years from now, according to Runnels. It will be a long time before we are able to take what we learn here and turn it into something youre going to see on the streets, or on the battlefield, he said. I always say that if I ever get into a lab, Im just going to break things. So Ill leave the experiments to people who know what theyre doing. Aided by a graduate research assistant (whose tuition, and a stipend, will be paid by the grant funds), Runnels also intends to broaden the impact of the project by developing interactive online tools to get younger students and citizen scientists involved. If the project is successful, years from now a combat soldier could return home in one piece, or a planeload of passengers could avoid a crash, without anyone knowing the name of the professor whose research saved their lives. And thats just fine with Runnels. When we learn why (engineering disasters) happen, we can hopefully use that knowledge to make things better, he said. Thats what makes this project exciting for me. FILE PHOTO: An image of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who died after being shot by Alec Baldwin on the set of his movie "Rust", is displayed at a vigil in her honour in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S., October 23, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/File Photo FILE PHOTO: A Russian reservist bids farewell to relatives before his departure for a base in the course of partial mobilisation of troops, aimed to support the country's military campaign in Ukraine, in the town of Gatchina in Leningrad Region, Russia October 1, 2022. REUTERS/Igor Russak/File Photo By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva and Estonian Chancellor of Justice Ulle Madise discussed prospects for cooperation, Azernews reports. The meeting took place within the framework of Aliyevas official visit to the capital of Estonia, Tallinn. During the meetings, the sides exchanged views on the competencies of the bodies they represent. Aliyeva gave information about the activity of the institution, the round-clock Call Center. She also said that the silence of the international community over crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan and its failure to take punitive action against Armenia resulted in new crimes. During the meeting, detailed presentations were made on the monitoring visits conducted by the Chancellor, control over the collecting of information, and functions in the field of protection of childrens rights. The sides also discussed the activity in the field of protection of the rights of convicts. Later, the Ombudswoman? ?met with Chairman of the Constitutional Committee of the Estonian Parliament Eduard Odinets, and informed him of the work done by the institution and its effective cooperation with the parliament. Noting Armenias policy against Azerbaijan, Aliyeva stated that Azerbaijan is always in favor of peace, but Armenia hinders this process, by continuing its sabotage and mining until today, which contradicts the peace initiatives. She also touched upon the mine problem, which impedes the return of the internally displaced persons, and the uncertainty, so far, about the fate of almost 4,000 Azerbaijanis, who were reported missing during the First Karabakh War. At the end of the meetings, Aliyeva presented the institutions printed educational materials translated into foreign languages, as well as reports, statements, and appeals concerning human rights violations, committed by Armenia during the war and in the post-war periods. Azerbaijan and Estonia cooperate in different sectors of the economy and 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two nations. The trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $6.1 million in 2021. By Azernews By Vugar Khalilov Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud discussed economic cooperation, as well as the regional situation in Baku on October 4, Azernews reports. Bayramov recalled that Saudi Arabia was among the first nations to recognize Azerbaijan's independence, expressing satisfaction with the two countries' ties, which had reached the level of strategic partnership in the past 30 years. High-level meetings between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia were stated to have created the framework for entering a qualitatively new stage of cooperation in a variety of sectors. In this context, the need for frequent political consultations for the future growth of bilateral cooperation was highlighted. The Azerbaijani top diplomat stressed that the two nations demonstrate mutual support within multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. As one of the important platforms for regional cooperation, the development of a partnership with Saudi Arabia within the Gulf Cooperation Council was highlighted. He said that the 7th meeting of the Joint Commission for Cooperation between the governments of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, which is planned to be held in Baku at the end of 2022, will stimulate the development of economic relations. Bayramov added that the two nations have jointly fulfilled successful projects in several domains, including energy, alternative energy resources, and there are numerous opportunities for these endeavors to be expanded. The opposite side was provided thorough information regarding Azerbaijan's efforts to advance the peace agenda in the post-conflict period, as well as Armenia's provocations and impediments to the process following the 44-day war in 2022. The large-scale rehabilitation and building projects in the liberated regions were highlighted, and the prospect of cooperation with Saudi Arabia in this area was considered. Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud remarked that relations between the two countries have grown well in the last 30 years, and there is considerable potential for future development of ties. In this context, he emphasized that restarting the work of the bilateral intergovernmental economic commission might provide a variety of opportunities. The Saudi minister highly appreciated the cooperation with Azerbaijan on many international platforms, as well as the country's initiatives as chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement. The parties also exchanged views on issues on the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and processes taking place at the regional level. Prior to the meeting, an event exhibition was held at the ministry to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. Bayramov, along with the Foreign Ministry leadership, as well as the Saudi foreign minister, and staff of the Saudi embassy in Azerbaijan, attended the ceremony. In his remarks at the ceremony, Bayramov expressed his delight in the ties between the two nations, which had progressed to the level of strategic cooperation in the past 30 years. Bayramov added that, in addition to Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia's bilateral connection, there is valuable cooperation in regional and international formats, and the two nations continue to assist each other through a variety of organizations. Bayramov emphasized Saudi Arabia's continued support for Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing that the current visit will help to deepen relations in this regard. Azerbaijan acts as a supporter and initiator of the regional peace-building process, as well as independently promotes the peace agenda on most topics, Bayramov added. Addressing the event, the Saudi top diplomat conveyed his congratulations to the participants. He highlighted the successful implementation of a number of joint projects between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, adding that there is potential for further development of cooperation between the two countries in various fields. At the end of the event, the participants got acquainted with the exhibition dedicated to the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. Bishop Michael Sheridan will be remembered Thursday with a vigil, followed by a funeral Mass on Friday. Sheridan died at the age of 77 on Sept. 27. Lt Col Jahara Matisek (Ph.D.) is a U.S. Air Force pilot, now teaching at the US Naval War College. Rob Rogers is an Air Force veteran and space technology professional who recently published The Cradle of Space Technology. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not reflect the official position of their companies, institutions, US Air Force Academy, Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense, or US government. By Trend Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva made an appeal to the international community over the mass burial site discovered in Khojavand district, Trend reports citing the Ombudsman's Office. According to the appeal, another mass grave was found in liberated Edilli village of Khojavand district, with the remains of 12 people whose hands and feet were tied before death. The items found near the remains suggest they were servicemen. This fact proves once again the torture and murder of Azerbaijani prisoners of war by Armenia. As the appeal noted, the discovered remains are likely to belong to Azerbaijani servicemen who went missing during the first Karabakh war, whose fate is still unknown. Despite repeated appeals, Armenia refused to provide information on the fate of the missing, as well as on mass grave locations, in order to conceal its war crimes from the world community. This fact confirms Armenia's infringing upon the requirements of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and its ethnic hatred policy towards Azerbaijanis. The mass burial site of Azerbaijanis was found in the Edilli village in February 2022 as well. Thus, the international community should take necessary measures in response to Armenia's war crimes, and the perpetrators must be held accountable, the ombudsman said. With only a month remaining until Election Day, Democratic candidates are still winning the money race in all but one of the most competitive elections for the Colorado House of Representatives. Campaign finance data released Tuesday shows that Democrats are out-fundraising their Republican opponents in nine of the 10 House races projected to be the most competitive, according to reports from the Secretary of States Office. In all nine of those races, the Democratic fundraising advantage has increased since previous campaign finance reports from Sept. 19. The greatest disparity in fundraising is in the race for House District 13. Democratic candidate Rep. Julie McCluskie has raised over $183,000 so far, compared to her Republican opponent David Buckleys $19,700. HD 13 is technically an open seat after Democratic Rep. Judy Amabile was drawn out of it and McCluskie of District 61 was drawn into it. In addition to holding the largest fundraising advantage, McCluskie widened her advantage by around $23,000 since last month. However, McCluskies spending has only slightly outpaced Buckleys, with the former spending around $21,000 and the latter $12,500. HD 13 including Grand, Jackson, Lake, Park and Summit counties and parts of Chaffee County has a considerable 5.4% Democratic advantage according to the redistricting analysis, but an over 1,000-voter surplus in Republicans compared to Democrats. The only competitive race that financially favors the Republican candidate is that for HD 19 in Boulder and Weld counties. Republican candidate Rep. Dan Woog has raised just over $67,000, while Democratic candidate Jennifer Lea Parenti has raised just under $61,000. Though Woog has the money advantage, this is the smallest difference in fundraising by far for any of the top 10 most competitive House races. Parenti also narrowed the gap since last month, going from a $13,000 deficit to less than $7,000. HD 13 is another technically open seat due to the departure of Republican Rep. Tim Geitner and Woog being drawn out of his HD 63. Both the redistricting analysis and voter registration results point to a small Republican advantage, with redistricting favoring Republicans by 1.5% and voter registration showing 712 more Republicans than Democrats. However, the more than 30,000 unaffiliated voters assure that the election could go either way. Other notable races include HD 38, where incumbent Democratic Rep. David Ortiz has raised over $198,000 the highest fundraising total for any competitive House candidate. Though Ortiz is financially dominating Republican candidate Jaylen Mosqueira, who has raised over $53,000, HD 38 has a slightly larger Republican population, with around 700 more Republican voters than Democrats. The race for HD 25, which features two current lawmakers drawn out of their districts, shows Democrats pulling ahead. Democratic Sen. Tammy Story is leading with nearly $123,000 to Republican Rep. Colin Larsons $66,700. Story has increased the fundraising gap in recent months, going from $12,000 in her favor in August, to just under $36,000 in September, to over $56,000 now. HD 25 leans slightly Republican in both the redistricting analysis and the voter registration. Here are where the remaining top 10 most competitive House races stand for fundraising: House District 26 Meghan Lukens (D): $137,903 Savannah Wolfson (R): $76,431 House District 59 Barbara McLachlan (D): $145,060 Shelli Shaw (R): $66,159 House District 61 Eliza Hamrick (D): $117,573 Dave Woolever (R): $28,574 House District 18 Marc Snyder (D): $114,583 Shana Black (R): $16,790 House District 16 Stephanie Vigil (D): $54,171 Dave Donelson (R): $42,085 House District 28 Sheila Lieder (D): $60,330 Dan Montoya (R): $27,547 This comes as the November election has the potential to bring big changes to Colorados House of Representatives. Last year, the state redrew its district boundaries, moving many sitting lawmakers, changing the political balance of each district, and making several House seats competitive for the first time in a decade. While Democrats arent at risk of losing control of the chamber enjoying a whopping 41-24 majority Republican candidates have a shot at flipping a substantial number of seats to create a nearly evenly split Legislature, though Republican candidates will now have to overcome a significant fundraising deficit in all but one of the most competitive races. Colorado Politics identified the most politically competitive state House districts by looking at the estimated competitiveness from the Independent Redistricting Commissions report, in addition to the most recent active voter registration numbers from September. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Colorado U.S. Rep. Jason Crow to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday. Created in 1955, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly brings together legislators from all 30 nations in the Atlantic Alliance to facilitate dialogues on defense and diplomacy. Currently, the assembly consists of 269 members, 36 of whom represent the U.S. Ive spent my career safeguarding our country. We know America is stronger and safer when we build alliances in support of security, human rights and democracy, Crow said. Im proud to be appointed by Speaker Pelosi to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to represent Americas interests with the alliance. Crow, a Democrat who represents Colorados 6th Congressional District, is a former Army Ranger and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee and Intelligence Committee. Crow led recent efforts to strengthen Americas ties with international allies, including introducing legislation to improve the ability to assess the will of allies to fight; to allow U.S. contributions to NATO to be used for improving climate resilience of military installations; and, to establish a pathway to permanent legal status for Afghans evacuated to the U.S. Crow has also been involved in responding to Russias invasion of Ukraine. In December, Crow led a U.S. congressional delegation to Kyiv, and, in April, he joined Pelosis visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss continued U.S. economic, humanitarian and military support for the country under siege. The NATO Parliamentary Assembly is a separate institution from NATO, but it serves as a link between NATO and member nations, in addition to integrating parliamentarians from countries seeking a closer association with NATO. IOWA CITY The state has agreed to pay a North Liberty couple nearly $4 million after their almost 2-year-old son died in 2018 from an undiagnosed strep infection following days of visits to University of Iowa-affiliated clinics and facilities including a UI Quick Care and the UI emergency room. The State Appeal Board on Monday unanimously approved a $3.99 million settlement with Scott and Melissa Keating, who in 2019 sued the state, UI Children's Hospital and its affiliated Pediatric Associates and then in 2020 sued a UI nurse practitioner and UI Community Medical Services for negligence in the same incident. UI Physicians a UI Carver College of Medicine-based medical and surgical clinical practice including 1,000-plus physicians will cover two-thirds of the settlement, or $2.7 million. The $1.3 million balance will come from Iowa's general fund, according to the settlement. "The defendants and their employees and agents that interacted with and provided medical evaluation, assessment, care, treatment and advice to (the child) and the Keatings with respect to (his) medical condition were negligent and violated the standard of care," according to the couple's lawsuit. The family's concerns started in February 2018, when Jack Keating who was just days away from his second birthday came down with a fever and raspy breathing, according to the couple's lawsuit. They took him to a UI Quick Care in North Liberty on Feb. 15, 2018, where he was seen by an advanced registered nurse practitioner and diagnosed with croup. The boy received a dose of a steroid at that time and went home. That night, at 1:25 a.m. Feb. 16, the child awoke with a fever topping 104, prompting his parents to call a UI nurse line. A UI-affiliated doctor advised the couple to rotate giving their son Tylenol and ibuprofen, along with cool baths, according to the lawsuit. In the morning, at 8:30 a.m., the parents took him to UI-affiliated Pediatric Associates, where a physician diagnosed him with "fever" and possible constipation and sent him home with instructions for a liquid laxative. That evening at 8:12 p.m., according to the lawsuit, the Keatings called another on-call nurse about ongoing symptoms and received no new directions. A registered nurse on that call voiced no concerns, according to the lawsuit. "Because JPK was showing no improvement and his cough was in fact worsening, the Keatings took JPK to the UIHC emergency department at approximately 2:30 p.m. on February 17, 2018," the lawsuit reported. "After an examination by doctors in the emergency room, the Keatings were advised that JPK's lungs were 'great' and there was 'no concern for pneumonia or any secondary infections.'" The family went home around 3:30 p.m. with a diagnosis of "upper respiratory infection" and a dose of ibuprofen. The parents were told to keep rotating Tylenol with ibuprofen until the illness ran its course, according to the lawsuit. Not a full two days later, at 6:08 a.m. Feb. 19, the Keatings phoned an on-call nurse over concerns the boy was struggling to breathe. They were told to either call 911 or drive the child to the emergency room, "if they felt they could safely." The parents immediately started driving Jack to the UIHC emergency room, and he became unresponsive on the way. His mom tried to resuscitate him, and when they arrived at 6:27 a.m. the child was in "full cardiopulmonary arrest." "Resuscitative efforts were unsuccessful and JPK was pronounced dead at 6:49 a.m. on February 19, 2018," according to the lawsuit. His cause of death was "overwhelming undiagnosed Group A Streptococcus infection," which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports can manifest in minor to deadly illnesses from strep throat to toxic shock syndrome or rheumatic fever. The Keatings in their lawsuit accused UIHC and its employees of negligence and failure to, among other things, properly assess, examine, test, diagnose and treat their son in a timely manner. With the settlement, the Keatings released UIHC and its medical personnel from any and all liability related to their son's death. According to the agreement, the payment doesn't constitute an admission of liability. The new Center for Manufacturing Advancement is open, and the U.S. Navy is launching a manufacturing project there. Announcement for the projects in the Cyber Park were made by Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday morning in the atrium of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. Good morning, everyone, an enthusiastic Youngkin shouted to hundreds of officials in the atrium, as well as regional governors school students gathered above him in the balcony. How fun is this? He gave the announcements during the second annual Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Summit at the Institute where attendees met to discuss topics related to closing skills and workforce gaps within the naval defense industrial base. The $28.8 million, 51,250-square-foot Center for Manufacturing Advancement, a state-funded project, will provide state-of-the-art space for industry partners looking to expand and manufacturers hoping to move to a new site to the Dan River Region, according to the Institute. The facility was built in cooperation with Virginias Division of Engineering and Buildings, with financial incentives provided the Economic Development Administration, the Institute and the Institutes foundation and the Danville Regional Foundation. I am very glad to see such a commitment to Virginia, and such a commitment to Danville, Youngkin said during his remarks. Pointing to the citys economic growth and revitalization, Youngkin said, It is especially exciting when you see what Danville is and has become. The vision for revitalization, the vision for transformation is absolutely extraordinary, and it is the story of grit and determination. The Cyber Park, where the Institute and the new center are located, is owned by the Danville-Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority. The center is located on the Institutes campus in the park. Included in the two-story center are: Rapid-launch facilities enabling new businesses to begin limited operations while waiting for their permanent factory location to be built and fully equipped; A certified inspection lab with inspection capabilities required to validate product quality; Process improvement labs enabling new and existing businesses to improve their processes more quickly for global competitiveness; An industry integration and training lab that will support future manufacturing requirements; A platform allowing manufacturing companies, technology companies and engineering students to work together to discover, integrate and showcase emerging technology; A concierge service providing wrap-around support needed by companies new to the United States during their start-up phase. During his announcement Wednesday morning, Youngkin marveled at the cutting-edge technology involved. Its the Jetsons come alive, he said, referring to the animated sitcom that was set during an imagined future. The center announced Wednesday is one of the necessary steps to establish Virginia as the place for cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities, Youngkin said. But, we also have to take the steps to create the workforce in order to accomplish that goal, and thats whats most exciting, he added. Youngkin also announced that the U.S. Navy would be opening three bays in the center to serve its Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence. What this does, it enables us to have students who are being trained on how to do things and then to be able to actually go do them, real-time, in a value-added moment that we need the capacity and capabilities to do it, Youngkin said during his remarks. Think about the expertise thats being gained, not just taught, real-time, in this amazing facility. The Navys facility is the first project partnership for the Center for Manufacturing Advancement. Also a first for the Navy, its Additive Manufacturing Center for Excellence will provide a platform for training a skilled workforce through partnership with the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing program, according to a news release. The accelerated training program is a rigorous and focused schedule that graduates students every four months in disciplines critical to the defense industrial base. It will train 800 to 1,000 workers per year by 2024. Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing is going to meet a need were behind in, he said. Industrial manufacturing partners include major shipbuilders such as General Dynamics Electric Boat, Huntington-Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding and Austal USA and several industry expert companies including FasTech, Mitutoyo, Master Gage & Tool, Phillips Corporation, Industrial Inspection and Analysis, according to a news release. The three bays used by the Navy at the Center for Manufacturing Advancement will be for accelerating and scaling additive manufacturing parts and qualification processes. By Trend Very remarkable holidays are sometimes marked in different countries of the world, and these aren't always harmless curiosities, Trend reports. So, for example, Bolivia, which lost access to the sea as a result of the Second Pacific War at the end of the 19th century, keeps its fleet on Titicaca lake and annually marks the Day of the Sea as a message to everyone (and, above all, to itself) that it didnt accept the defeat and still expects to retake the lost territories. However, mono-ethnic Armenia has been celebrating the Day of National Minorities in recent times. Its clear that this was done under the influence of a successful information attack by Baku, and first of all, after the words of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who compared mono-ethnic Armenia with a one-color carpet, drawing the attention of the international community to the mono-ethnicity of Armenia, surrounded on four sides by poly-ethnic Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkiye and Iran, where sometimes residents of neighboring villages speak different languages. The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has even published a special message on this occasion where he made hypocritical statements such as "the national minorities of Armenia, as part of the family of the peoples of the world, constitute an integral part of the population of Armenia, enriching Armenia with their original identity", "by securing this day in the list of holidays of our country, we wish to draw public attention to a small but important part of our country: representatives of different nationalities living side by side, to their identity, recognition and problem solving", and others. They only forgot to indicate whether these national minorities exist in Armenia. Of course, to depict violent activity, for example, Rimma Varzhapetyan can be displayed in the media as the head of the Jewish community, but in reality, Armenia is one of the few countries where its impossible in principle to get an education in a language other than Armenian. There is a school in Fioletovo village of Armenia where teaching is conducted in Russian, but this educational institution is under the patronage of the Russian embassy and teaching there follows the Russian curriculum. Under frank pressure, Russian classes were opened, but they only accept children who have at least one parent who isnt Armenian by nationality. However, one fact is far more important. Armenia was created on the lands of the Azerbaijani Iravan Khanate, and before the Turkmanchay Treaty, signed in the first half of the 19th century, there was no noticeable Armenian presence there. The resettlement of Armenians began already on the basis of the Turkmanchay Treaty. Nevertheless, even in 1828, taking into account the escape of tens of thousands of Muslims to Iran and the Ottoman Empire and the resettlement of 120,000 Armenians from there to Iravan, Karabakh, and Nakhchivan, the arrival of the Russian army in Iravan with its convoy, the share of Muslims in the population of the Iravan Khanate exceeded 70 percent. That is, the Armenians themselves were a national minority in these lands, but then... Biologists, or rather, ornithologists, know this well: cuckoos, barely hatched from eggs thrown by their mother, immediately throw their native chicks out of the nest. The Armenians who resettled to the lands of the Iravan Khanate behave in exactly the same way. First, against the backdrop of resettlement, a massive seizure of lands that belonged to the indigenous inhabitants, the Azerbaijanis, began. In 1918, against the backdrop of the collapse of the Russian Empire, Armenian nationalists committed mass ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis in Zangazur, and the leader of the Armenian gangs, Garegin Nzhdeh, who later served the Nazis, called this destruction of villages as liberation. In the Soviet years, deportations of Azerbaijanis took place, and after 1988, the indigenous Azerbaijani population of Armenia was completely expelled from there. At the same time, there was an ethnic cleansing of toponymy. On the maps compiled by Russian military topographers, not Armenian, but only Turkic and Azerbaijani names of rivers, villages, cities, mountains, and lakes were indicated. To date, all historical toponymy on the maps of Armenia has been erased. Istisu became Jermuk, the Zanga river - Hrazdan, Goycha lake - Sevan etc. No less barbaric was the ethnic cleansing of architecture. In this regard, the destruction of the historical buildings of Iravan - six of the seven mosques, the Khan's palace, and the Iravan fortress can be reminded. As a result, Yerevan doesnt have its historical center, and then the same thing happened in the Azerbaijani Karabakh during its Armenian occupation. Everyone who wasnt born an Armenian - Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Greeks, and Russians - was also expelled from there. As a result of continuous ethnic cleansing, about one million people became refugees and internally displaced persons. In Karabakh, 65 out of 67 mosques, residential buildings, museums, schools, and cemeteries were destroyed. Armenized names were given to Azerbaijani cities and villages: Jabrayil became Jrakan, Lachin - Berdzor, Fuzuli - Varanda etc. Armenia, which turned into a xenophobic mono-ethnic island surrounded by a multi-ethnic South Caucasus, pursued the same policy in Karabakh, and now the Armenian authorities have decided to make a kind of rebranding by declaring Day of National Minorities in their country, but who, besides professional lobbyists, will buy into this cheap trick? Two Helena-area residents were charged with multiple drug-related crimes after being pulled over Sunday for having fictitious license plates. A 22-year-old woman from East Helena, Courtney Renee Mcalpin, the owner of the vehicle, is being charged with one felony and five misdemeanors. The charges include felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor counts of criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, driving a motor vehicle while privilege is suspended or revoked, displaying fictitious license plates, operating without liability insurance in effect and habitual offender operating a motor vehicle. A 23-year-old male from Helena, Paris James Hazlitt, who was in the passenger seat, is being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. During the traffic stop near Butte and Harris avenues, an officer spotted multiple small baggies, a smoking device and a torch lighter in plain view. The owner of the vehicle gave consent to have it searched. The officer located two small baggies containing a white crystalline substance under the armrest between the driver and passenger seats. A clear glass smoking device with a round bulb at the end was also located. Mcalpin did not want the officer to continue to search the vehicle. Mcalpin and Hazlitt were placed under arrest. State and federal mine regulators must redo the research that led to the approval of a 70.8-million-ton expansion of Montanas Rosebud mine, a federal judge in Billings has ruled. Judge Susan Watters, in a recent decision, affirmed a February special magistrate ruling against the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, giving the agency 19 months to correct its violations of the National Environmental Policy Act, or live with the revocation of its mine expansion permit. At issue is Rosebud mines proposed expansion into Area F. Westmoreland Mining LLC owns the mine, which fuels Colstrip Power Plant. Montanas Department of Environmental Quality was also faulted for greenlighting the expansion without considering the environmental consequences of burning another 70.8 million tons of Rosebud coal. Included in the consequences disregarded were the negative impacts of drawing another 176,000 to 400,000 acre-feet of Yellowstone River water needed by the steam-electric generator to burn Area F coal. Rosebud is the sole source of coal for the power plant, with much of the coal from the mine transported by a conveyor system directly to the plant. The power plant burns the coal to boil water to produce electricity. Of the environmental concerns taken into account by regulators was the impact of the power plant on the Yellowstone River. Between 22,000 and 50,000 acre-feet of water is drawn from the Yellowstone River withdrawn annually to satisfy the power generation in Colstrip. Watters affirmed that the state and federal agencies leaned on the economic benefits of expanding the mine, while ignoring the environmental consequences, particularly greenhouse gas emissions. When the OSM and the Montana DEQ disregarded the environmental requirements, the Montana Environmental Information Center, Indian Peoples Action, 350 Montana, Sierra Club, and WildEarth Guardians filed the lawsuit in 2019. Bond has been set at $500,000 for Cheyenne Rae Dawn Petersen, who was arrested on suspicion of trying to kill someone Sunday night in Helena. She was charged with two felony counts of attempted deliberate homicide and a misdemeanor count of obstructing a peace officer or other public servant, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in Lewis and Clark County Justice Court. If Petersen posts bail, she will have to check in with Helena Probation and Parole. Her arraignment is set for Oct. 25 at 8:30 a.m. in District Court in Helena. Around 11 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of Edwards Street for a report of a disturbance. According to a press release from the Helena Police Department on Monday, the residents would not answer the door, and it appeared the door was barricaded from the inside. They observed someone inside the residence with injuries, so they entered. Officers located a male with serious bodily injuries. Petersen was found hiding in a bedroom and had blood on her with no visible injuries. She was found sitting next to a knife and a puddle of blood, according to court reports filed Tuesday. (Petersen) admitted to striking the victim several times with several different blunt objects before pepper spraying and stabbing the victim with two different knives, the reports say. Petersen told officials that she wanted to murder the male so he wouldnt be able to tell the police what happened. Court documents say that when she heard police at the door, she returned to the bedroom to see if the male was dead. She stated dead people cant snitch," court document say. Petersen said she was not assaulted by the male, nor did she feel threatened by him before she allegedly assaulted him. The male was transported to Benefis Health System in Great Falls with possibly life-threatening injuries, the press release said. Petersen was placed under arrest and booked into Lewis and Clark County Detention Center on Monday. Currently, this is an ongoing investigation, Helena Police Chief Brett Petty said in the press release. This was an isolated event between the arrestee and the victim and there is no threat to the Community." All charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Helena Food Share, through the city of Helena, has applied for a $750,000 community development block grant to help offset the cost of a proposed larger facility. The grant, administered through the Montana Department of Commerce, is an integral part of a larger funding package that includes nearly $1.5 million in new market tax credits and a half million dollars in Lewis and Clark County American Rescue Plan Act funds. The nonprofit also hopes to raise $5 million through a capital campaign expected to conclude early next year. Helena Food Share hopes to build the more than 20,000-square-foot facility, dubbed the Community Food Resource Center, at 1225 Boulder Ave. "HFS currently serves one in seven community members and has seen an increase in the number of people needing to access for services," a Helena Community Development Department memo states. "The current facility is being utilized beyond its functional capacity and does not give HFS the space it needs to meet the ongoing and future needs that are anticipated." In an interview ahead of the commission's approval Monday evening, Helena Food Share Executive Director Bruce Day said the need in the community is outpacing the rise in population. Helena Food Share currently serves about 1,500 households a month or about 120 people per day. The current facility's confines allow only seven people at a time to pick up food for their family, resulting in long lines every day. "We're just way beyond the point of having enough adequate space to be able to provide the kind of services we're providing to the community," Day said. Helena's Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator Ellie Ray told the city commission Monday the need for the nonprofit's services was also "in no small part exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic" and noted that it serves more than Helena residents. "They serve the tri-county area, so it's a broad cross-section of the population in the region," Ray said. Since moving into the current building in 2000, Day said the number of services offered to the community have increased by 2,600%, including delivering 1,100 meals for Helena area school children each week in addition to food specifically for seniors and unsheltered people. The sharp increase in services and a larger staff made it necessary for the nonprofit to rent two additional spaces, a warehouse for food storage and some office space within about four blocks of the food pantry, which helped temporarily alleviate the pressure, but Helena Food Share has long outgrown those as well. "Our staff has to look hard to find a place to put a pallet with soup on it," Day said. "With this project we'll try to combine all of our operations, all of our services to the public as well as our food storage and processing and space for staff all under one roof." The additional space will allow the pantry to store additional food it might receive from the United States Department of Agriculture or Montana Food Bank Network. It will also be better suited to make bulk purchases. The food pantry's budget will also benefit from the proposed facility. "There's definitely going to be cost savings from the amount of money that we're spending every year to rent those spaces that will be able to go back into the new building," Day said. The city commission unanimously approved sponsoring the grant application, a requirement for applicants. The $750,000 ask is the maximum the commerce department will award, and Helena Food Share noted in its application the funds would be exclusively dedicated to construction activities. "It's clear the impact that this organization has on this community," City Commissioner Emily Dean said. "Particularly during the pandemic for school kids whose lives were turned upside down. They're the most heavily impacted when there's this kind of disruption... Very grateful for your work and very excited to support this." Day said his organization is grateful for the city's partnership. "We greatly appreciate the city's work on this," he said. "City staff has been great in providing us support, helping us prepare and get this grant ready to submit." Ray thanked Helena Housing Coordinator Kara Snyder, the Helena Food Share board and its staff for their work in the application process. The other critical component in Helena Food Share's more than $8 million funding package is its $5 million capital campaign. Day said the campaign began September of 2021. "We're well over halfway to that $5 million with a number of funding requests out and in the pipeline that we expect to be positive, so we've just been kind of taking it piece by piece and doing the best we can to raise that money," he said. "It's coming from a lot of different sources, public and private, individuals, businesses, foundations. We think that by early next year, we'll have the resources needed to be able to move forward and start construction." The plan is to break ground by spring or early summer of 2023 and complete construction in the summer of 2024. The commerce department awards community development block grants to projects based on criteria related to community planning, overall need, technical design, community efforts, citizen participation and benefit to low and moderate income persons, among others. "I wouldn't say we're celebrating yet, but it's getting close to becoming a reality," Day said. "The community has just been really supportive and we know will continue to be supportive as we move forward with this, so we're feeling pretty good." The Montana Jewish Project is hosting a celebration and community opening of historic Temple Emanu-El and for the holiday of Sukkot from 4-6 p.m. Sunday at 515 N. Ewing St. in Helena. All are welcome Jewish and non-Jewish to attend. On Aug. 25, MJP finalized its negotiations with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena and bought back the oldest synagogue in Montana. This returned the building known as Temple Emanu-El to Jewish community use for the first time in 87 years. More than 2,000 individual donors and several Helena businesses donated to make this come to fruition. Beginning at 4 p.m., MJP will offer guided building tours, which will explain the history of this landmark building and the community who built it in 1891. They will offer arts and crafts activities for children, and light refreshments. At 5 p.m., Rabbi Ed Stafman will lead a celebration of Sukkot outdoors on the lawn next to the building. There will be music and materials to help everyone follow along. Sukkot is a Jewish harvest festival that is held outdoors (its perfect for children, organizers say). MJP is a Helena-based nonprofit that is creating a statewide Jewish community center inside the historic synagogue. Their mission is to foster Jewish life across the state, collaborate with existing Jewish communities, work to combat rising antisemitism, and conduct interfaith outreach. Gov. Greg Gianforte said Wednesday that raising the exemption on taxing equipment will be among his priorities during the next legislative session. The governor, speaking from an agriculture equipment dealer in Kalispell, called for further slashing Montanas business equipment tax by raising the exemption level. In 2021, Gianforte signed a bill that tripled the exemption from $100,000 to $300,000, meaning owners of equipment valued up to $300,000 did not pay tax. The legislation affected about 3,400 businesses in the state. The governor said additional reforms are needed to relieve the burden of simply owning equipment. The result is a disincentive to invest in equipment like this and a disincentive to invest in Montana jobs, he said of the taxs impact on businesses. Gianforte spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said the governors office has not proposed a new exemption level and is still crunching numbers. The governor plans to roll out additional policy priorities over the coming year, she said. Gianforte campaigned on reforming Montanas tax laws and cutting taxes. Last year he signed new laws cutting the states top income tax rate and creating new lower tax brackets starting in 2024. On Wednesday, he touted GDP growth in the states economy as ranking seventh highest in the nation. The governor was joined by several Republican legislators and equipment industry representatives Wednesday. "Republican lawmakers broadly support cutting taxes for Montana businesses and are excited to hear more about the governor's proposal to build on the good work done in the 2021 legislative session reducing business equipment taxes, said Kyle Schmauch, a spokesperson for legislative Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour said Democrats looked forward to seeing the fiscal note on this and other proposals Gianforte is expected to bring next session, along with pursuing their own priorities. As Democrats, our top priorities on taxes are meaningful property tax relief and ensuring that the ultra-wealthy are paying their fair share, she said. Montanas tax policy should benefit everyday Montanans and small businesses across the state. Unfortunately, the Governor so far has been focused on helping big corporations and the wealthy. According to fiscal analysis provided in 2021 by the Montana Department of Revenue, House Bill 303 raised the exemption to $300,000 and was projected at the time to reduce annual tax revenues from about $4.4 million initially and then to $6.6 million by the 2025 fiscal year. The legislation reimburses local governments for any lost property tax revenue with money from the state's general fund. The state currently sits at a projected $1.7 billion surplus heading into the next session. A former state supreme court justice warned that if Republicans get a supermajority in the Montana Legislature in the 2022 election, and he thinks they will, it could pose a serious threat to the state constitution. James Nelsons comments came as part of a four-member panel discussion on Montana's constitutional right of privacy during a webinar Monday sponsored by the Montana League of Women Voters of the Helena Area and Lewis & Clark Library. The panel also included former Supreme Court Justice Patricia Cotter; Raph Graybill, the former legal counsel to then-Gov. Steve Bullock; and Mae Nan Ellingson, an attorney who was among the delegates at the 1972 constitutional convention. A supermajority consists of two-thirds of the full Legislature and would allow a unified party to place proposed changes to the Montana Constitution on the ballot. Some fear Republicans will try to make changes to parts of the state constitution, such as the right to privacy. Nelson said the Legislature could call for a limited constitutional convention and place items on the ballot for people to vote on or place a referendum to revise portions of the constitution. He said all those protections would be on the chopping block and up for grabs. For those of you who have seen Shark Week, think feeding frenzy, Nelson said. He said rights would be jeopardized in an effort to make the Legislature the most powerful branch of government. Those rights include the right to a clean and healthful environment, a right to dignity, a right to participating in government and a right to reproductive autonomy. In 1999, Nelson authored a state supreme court ruling in Armstrong vs. Montana, that the privacy provisions in Montanas Constitution ensure women can access pre-viability abortions. The panel spoke through much of the hourlong discussion about threats to the privacy provision, which states: The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest. Ellingson said the provision was among the least debated during the 1972 constitutional convention. How lucky we are in Montana to have a strong declaration of rights as we do, particularly the right of privacy and citizens are not at the mercy of the ever-changing supreme court to abolish the notion of (abiding by earlier court decisions), she said. Cotter said a right to privacy is a fundamental right of Montana law. She said attacks have been made on privacy since the last legislative session. Cotter said privacy is purely an individual right designed to protect people from an overbearing government and extends to many facets of a persons life, including the right to make their own medical judgment. Graybill said the Republicans winning the governors race and retaining majority control of the Legislature unleashed a slew of laws legislators wanted passed for some time. Graybill, legal counsel for Planned Parenthood in Montana, said there are a series of challenges dealing with the extent the Legislature can regulate access to abortion in Montana. He said Planned Parenthood is challenging four laws passed by GOP lawmakers. One law bans abortion after 20 weeks, another places restrictions on medication abortion, another requires providers to give an ultrasound image to someone seeking an abortion and one bans certain kinds of insurance coverage. Graybill said he has gotten preliminary injunctions from the courts to pause the laws from going into effect. He said the state has decided to appeal and has asked the court to overrule the Armstrong case. The state supreme court has agreed the cases should remain paused. Cotter said she is concerned by attempts to politicize the Montana Supreme Court and have justices elected by districts and make it regional. I dont like the idea of politicizing the court or the idea of how people are elected to the court, she said. Cotter said the Legislature seems intent on taking away privacy rights and having control over our personal medical decisions. She said if some of these rights are taken away, Montana will go back to the good old days of repression and persecution. Ellingson said the majority of the majority party of the Legislature seems to want no limitations over what they can do. I think there is a basic unwillingness to accept the constitution and something that controls the legislators' ability to act, she said. Ellingson said she has been told that some legislators have been told bills they want to introduce are unconstitutional, and they introduce them anyway. They dont like the notion the constitution limits them, she said. And they dont like the courts interpreting the constitution, which is what the courts job is. Nelson urged people watching the webinar to stand up and defend the constitution. Democracy is not a spectator sport, he said. Every one of us must do our part. Weve got to vote, we have to support candidates that support our vision of the constitution. He said people need to speak up for the constitution. If we dont fight for the constitution and our rights, then well lose it, he said. Watch the webinar on HCTV at https://www.helenacivictv.org/on-demand/4033. By Trend The mass burial found in Khojavand is another evidence of crimes committed by Armenians against Azerbaijani people, Member of Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) Jeyhun Mammadov told Trend. He noted that crimes against Azerbaijan peoples were committed both at the beginning of the last century and after Azerbaijan gained independence. "The fate of almost 4,000 Azerbaijani citizens, who went missing during the years of the first Karabakh war is still unknown. Barbarism, massacres of Azerbaijanis have become the state policy of Armenia," Mammadov said. He noted that,unfortunately, international structures are not reacting to this. "This approach of international structures, their indifferent attitude and even some cases protection of Armenia, statements in its support encourage Armenians to commit new crimes. Therefore, international organizations also bear a very serious responsibility. They must be on the side of justice, not succumb to fake information of Armenians, resolutely condemn the aggressive actions of Armenia, impose sanctions against it," Mammadov said. A mass burial was found in Adilli village of Khojavand district yesterday. The remains of 12 people were found in it, who were presumably servicemen. A broad range of policy changes are needed to address Montanas affordable housing crisis, according to a state task force convened by Gov. Greg Gianforte. The Governors Housing Task Force on Monday released a preliminary draft of recommendations and strategies to increase the supply of affordable, attainable workforce housing. "Everyone on both sides of the aisle would agree that the housing crisis is likely the largest issue of the next session (of the state Legislature)," explained state lawmaker Ellie Boldman, a Democrat who represents Senate District 45 in Missoula and who is a member of the task force. "We are clearly, as a state, going to have to work together to solve this problem." The recommendations include: Use state fiscal recovery funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act to incentivize the development of rental housing by subsidizing partial or full waivers of planning, permitting and impact fees or water/sewer infrastructure costs for large-scale development projects that are building workforce housing units and for any large rental housing developments Develop a Montana State Tax Credit Program to further incentivize the private sector to build diverse housing options for communities Create property tax incentives to reduce the tax burden on properties that support a target public policy housing goal Create legislation establishing criteria by which certain eligible entities, such as public universities, can sell certain parcels of land at below-market prices in order to increase the density of housing supply Create legislation that would limit local governments authority to require large lot sizes for new housing Add staff to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to process on-time, defensible permitting for subdivision and public water supply applications Require localities to allow accessory dwelling units on all single-family lots that are served by public sewer and water systems Prohibit localities from enacting an owner-occupancy requirement for property owners who wish to rent out either their ADU or primary dwelling Enact a state Affordable Housing Tax Credit tied to local zoning reform Amend state law to enable streamlined local adjudication of development applications, including removing requirements for redundant public hearings Allow duplexes where single-family residences are allowed in cities of at least 5,000 residents Allow duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes where single-family residences are allowed in cities of at least 50,000 residents Many of the recommendations in the report were focused on reducing regulations that prevent housing density. Over 70% of primary residential areas in Montanas most in-demand communities either outright prohibit or penalize affordable multi-family housing development, the report states. These strict local zoning regulations exclude low and middle-income residents and worsen Montanas housing shortage. This pro-housing reform will give landowners the option to create new dwelling units where they are needed most at no additional cost to taxpayers. In Missoula, more than two homes are prohibited on 75% of primary residential areas due to single-family zoning and minimum lot size requirements, according to a Libertarian-aligned think tank called the Frontier Institute, which had a representative on the task force. Minimum lot size requirements mandate sprawling development that prevents walkability and make transit and bicycle infrastructure difficult to provide, the report continues. Larger lots require more infrastructure for streets, sidewalks, lighting, sewer and water for each household, requiring more local government spending and higher taxes as a result. The reports authors conclude that minimum lot size mandates that match lot sizes on the ground prevent neighborhoods and localities from accommodating more households over time. As demand for housing increases, new housing construction eats up agricultural land or open space at the outskirts of cities and residents of new housing have to drive farther to reach job centers and daily necessities, the report says. There are dissenting options on many of the recommendations. For example, the dissenting opinion on the recommendation to limit the authority of local governments included a statement that some members of the task force and members of the public oppose state limitations on local authority to regulate land use. Sean O'Callaghan, the chief planning officer for fast-growing Gallatin County, said the report needs a lot of work, in his opinion. "In general, there's an implied bias in my opinion in the report that local governments and their development regulations are the primary cause of the housing shortage," he said. "And there's a strong sentiment in there about preempting local governments' land use regulations. I'd like to see a lot more data on that to defend it and I think it's misplaced." He said local governments certainly have a role to play in both creating and solving the housing shortage. "But I don't know that we're the primary driver," he said. "There's a lot to go through in the report, and a lot of things that might result in additional housing being built, but very little to ensure that it is attainable housing." For example, he said, there's nothing in the report that ensures that incentives for building ADUs or relaxed requirements on them will ensure they're used for affordable housing rather than being exploited for profit in other ways. O'Callaghan also said that he doesn't believe any practicing planners were on the committee or were invited to talk at any of its meetings. He noted that some of the recommendations would invite sprawl in rural areas, and that some of the recommendations seemed to ignore the fact that many residential lots are in places where the existing pipes are not in good enough shape to support a huge increase in density. Sen. Greg Hertz, a Republican state legislator from Polson, is a member of the task force. He said he hopes local governments will enact many of the recommendations in the final report before the next session of the Legislature. Although he said he doesn't like to reduce local control, if local governments fail to act then the Legislature may look to implement the recommendations. "I look forward to taking input," he said. A spokesperson for Gov. Greg Gianforte sent a statement on his behalf. "Governor Gianforte is grateful to the members of the Governor's Housing Task Force and the dedicated staff of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality who have poured their time and energy into developing innovative ideas to make housing more attainable for Montanans, and he looks forward to receiving their first of two final reports by October 15, the statement read. The report noted that there are 137,320 renter households in Montana, which is 31% of all households. Of those, 41% are considered very low-income and 24% are considered extremely low-income. A big chunk of renting households pay more than a third of their income to housing. The committee is made up of state officials, elected officials of both parties, business executives, housing advocates, real estate association representatives and nonprofit leaders. The group convened in July, met several times and took public input. "Driven by a shortage of housing supply, Montana faces a crisis that poses substantial challenges for hardworking Montanans seeking to live, work and raise families in our state," the report states. Many elected officials in Montana of both political parties, municipal planners as well as housing-focused nonprofit leaders were contacted for comment for this story but all either didn't respond or said they hadn't had time to read the report yet. State Sen. Mike Hopkins, a Republican from Missoula, said housing is a statewide issue. He agrees with many of the recommendations in the report, including tax credit proposals, suggestions to streamline permitting and the idea to hire more staff members at the DEQ. However, he is wary of any proposal that would burden taxpayers. Hopkins is not a member of the task force but he believes they talked to a lot of different stakeholders. "The task force, and the way it's put together, is going to be valuable," he said. To view the full draft preliminary report, visit online at bit.ly/3fETOhq. A recently released nationwide survey on "employee engagement" by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs showed the Montana VA Healthcare System received comparable ratings to several other regional VA services in five key areas. The key areas include decisional involvement, innovation, skill development, senior leader ethics and talents. In terms of the VA being a good place to work, 67% of Helena workers agree. For comparison, Boise scored 73% and Salt Lake City and Denver both got 61%. The VA All Employee Survey (AES), posted late last week, was launched in 1997 and rebranded with its current name in 2001. It has more than 60 questions that cover workplace experiences and leader behaviors According to the scale used in the five key areas, 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = neutral, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree and 6 = do not know. For innovation, in terms of employees feeling encouraged to come up with new and better ways of doing things, Montana scored 3.81, Idaho got 3.92, Utah got 3.82 and Colorado received 3.65. For employees who think their skills and talents were used well in the workplace, Montana scored 3.82. That was 3.91 in Boise, 3.71 in Salt Lake City and 3.59 in Denver. In the senior leader ethics score, Montana got 3.58. Idaho got 3.95 and Utah and Colorado each got 3.37. In terms of developing skills in the workplace, Montana scored 3.82. In Idaho it was 3.94, Colorado was 3.71 and Utah was 3.85. For employees who said they were involved in decisions that affect their work, Montana scored 3.82. That number was 3.76 in Idaho, 3.41 in Colorado and 3.59 in Utah. All employees were invited to participate and responses remain anonymous. Results are shared with all VA employees. Montana VA Health Care System officials said Tuesday that 1,004 employees volunteered to take the survey. They said the information will help the Montana VA in its efforts to improve operations. Hopefully, we will see deficiencies so we can correct them and highlight successes so that we can duplicate them, Montana VA spokesman Matt Rosine said. He said past results have been used to get feedback from employees to help find ways to improve. Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled veterans with a staff of 1,400 at 18 sites. As Montanas food banks deal with record demand in the wake of soaring food costs and other everyday expenses, the Town Pump Charitable Foundation said in a news release Tuesday it is matching $1 million to help raise $4 million during its annual fundraising campaign for food banks. The Butte Emergency Food Bank, the Butte Rescue Mission and the Montana Tech Foundation Food Pantry are participating in the fundraising campaign. Over 100 food banks statewide are participating this year in the Be A Friend in Deed campaign, which began in 2001. The campaign has raised over $44 million for Montana food banks in 20 years, including about $9 million in matching grants from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. Organizers of the campaign, which runs through Nov. 30, hope to raise $4 million for the food banks this year. Locally, the Foundation is matching up to $50,000 on behalf of the Butte Emergency Food Bank, another $50,000 on behalf of the Butte Rescue Mission, and $5,000 for the Tech Food Pantry for a total of $105,000 in the Butte community. The money is frequently used to purchase perishable food items such as milk, bread, fruit, and vegetables. Also, the funds are becoming more crucial in helping many food bank organizations simply stay open through payment of rent, utilities, and space for storage, refrigeration and freezing. The Butte Emergency Food Bank is so grateful for Town Pumps help in funding our organization, said Kathy Griffith, the food banks director. We are seeing more individuals coming in due to higher pricing at grocery stores, and thanks to Town Pump we can continue to serve those who are hungry. Brayton Erickson, co-director of the Butte Rescue Mission, said his organization in 2021 served nearly 70,000 meals and over 600 unduplicated individuals. The Town Pump Foundation and its 'Be a Friend in Deed' campaign are an integral part of how we are able to serve the homeless of southwest Montana every day, he said. Increases in the cost of food, housing and other supplies often force families to make decisions between food, shelter, clothing, or health care. Partners like the Town Pump Foundation are a lifeline to organizations like ours that survive on the generosity of our neighbors. Rising costs of groceries and other household items is pushing more families than ever before to our local food banks, said Bill McGladdery, of the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. Please join Town Pump and our dedicated food bank partners in making a difference in the lives of our hungry neighbors by donating today at our businesses or directly to the food banks. Food insecurity can happen to anyone. Donations for the campaign are being collected at the Butte Town Pumps; the Lucky Lils, Montana Lils and Magic Diamond casinos; the Comfort Inn, and the Flying J. Donations also can be sent directly to Butte Food Bank, 1019 E. Second; the Butte Rescue Mission, 610 E. Platinum; or the Montana Tech Foundation Food Pantry, 1300 W. Park. Who should get to decide how Montanans elect their state Supreme Court justices: Montanans or the justices themselves? Recently, the seven justices made the decisions for us and shamefully they did it to protect their own jobs. Sponsored by Rep. Barry Usher of Billings, House Bill 325 would have allowed voters in November to choose if Montana should elect Supreme Court justices by district instead of statewide, as is currently done. If approved by voters, the state would be divided into seven Supreme Court districts and require candidates to run within one of them. Shockingly, not only did the justices look the other way ignoring their glaring conflict of interest in determining how they campaign for their own jobs, Justices Gustafson, McGrath, McKinnon, Sandefur and Shea deprived every Montanan of their right to decide how we as Montanans elect our Supreme Court justices. The five concurring justices argued that Justices are tasked with applying the law fairly and uniformly statewide and forbidden from representing any constituency or its interests. Even a cursory review of decisions in recent years makes it laughably obvious they are content to twist our constitution and laws to meet the needs of the trial attorneys, radical environmentalists, abortionists and other special interests whose political philosophies align with their own. Not content with patting themselves on the back for their self-declared impartiality, the majority also took it upon themselves to patronize Montanans while depriving us of the right to decide how we elect the state Supreme Court justices. Theres nothing quite like five people in flowing black robes looking down their noses at what they clearly see as rubes and rabble spread across our state to tell us they know whats best for us. Mercifully, two justices disagreed with the majoritys ruling. Quite simply, we should not be advising on the constitutionality of a measure that has not become law when there is no present threat to disenfranchisement as there was in Reichert. Instead, in an ironic turn, the Court denies Montanans the right to vote so that they cannot be denied the right to vote, Justice Beth Baker wrote in her dissenting opinion, which was joined by Justice James Rice. Even though Baker and Rice got it right, not even they should have ruled on this case. Montana requires judges and justices to disqualify themselves when they have an interest in the outcome of a case. Additionally, the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct reads: A judge shall disqualify himself or herself in any proceeding in which the judges impartiality might reasonably be questioned. As each Supreme Court Justice held a clear, direct and personal interest in the outcome of the case, each of them should have recused themselves which I formally called on them to do months before their decision. They held on because every single Democrat in the Montana House of Representatives voted to keep this question off the ballot and opinions from the state Supreme Court have become little more than the rubberstamping of Democrat Party policies with a thin veneer of poor, tortured judicial reasoning. The case is clear and the Montana Supreme Court blew the call: they should never have ruled on the case in the first place, and they should have let Montanans decide how to elect our Supreme Court justices. While the choice to change how Supreme Court justices are elected wont be on the ballot this year, two justices are. I encourage every Montanan to do their research before they vote, to read up on the decisions and opinion these justices have written throughout their career. And if you disagree, let them know with your vote. The state has spent billions in marketing to convince people to move here to work, live and play. Now they are here, and we can no longer afford to live in our own communities. DECATUR The Decatur Police Department is seeking help from the public in solving a robbery, this weeks crime of the week. Decatur police officers responded to the call at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 25 at an address on North Drive. According to the police report, the officers arrived at the scene and spoke to the victim, an elderly, disabled man, who advised he was sitting on his front porch when a man approached and began asking for money. "The suspect walked onto the victims front porch and pulled the victim to the ground and kicked him," the news release stated. "The suspect removed the victims wallet and left on foot running southbound on West Drive." The suspect was described as a dark-skinned Black man, 30 to 40 years old, approximately 5-feet-7-inches to 5-feet-8-inches, weighing 180 pounds. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt and blue colored pants or jeans. Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers at 217-423-8477 (TIPS). Crime Stoppers will pay $500 or more for information leading to an arrest. SPRINGFIELD Secretary of state candidates Alexi Giannoulias, a Chicago Democrat and former state treasurer, and Dan Brady, a Republican state representative from Bloomington, each spent 45 minutes before a panel organized by the Illinois Associated Press Media Editors in recent weeks. Here are some of their stances and statements regarding elections, libraries and other topics. ELECTIONS: In Illinois, the secretary of states office doesnt have much to do with elections, aside from administering the states automatic voter registration program. Most election administration is done through the Illinois State Board of Elections. Giannoulias said he would like to make the automatic registration system one that voters have to opt out of when they get a drivers license or ID, rather than one they must opt into. Hed also like to pass legislation allowing pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. On the topic of election integrity, he said his office would continue to push back on dangerously false election deniers. Brady, meanwhile, said hed like to coordinate the secretary of states death record database with its drivers license system and voter rolls to purge those systems of information on deceased individuals. Hed also like to partner with local election authorities to ensure elections and mail-in voting run smoothly. He said he didnt believe there was rampant voter fraud and he believed Joe Biden to be the rightly elected president. But he also said the secretary of states office currently provides signatures to election authorities so they can match them with a voters signature, and hed look to provide drivers license photos with those signatures. Certainly, we have to have permission which that voter would allow, an individual would allow, a picture from their ID card or their driver's license, he said. But that would certainly give a more enhanced visual for an election judge and, secondly, would cut down on any type of discussion or debate, if you will, on whether that's truly his or her signature. LIBRARIES: The secretary of state is also Illinois chief librarian. Brady said hed like to see libraries as a remote site for driver service facilities. Giannoulias said hed like to see kiosks and pop-up offices in those facilities as well. Giannoulias said hed try to work with lawmakers to give the office authority to negotiate fees charged by publishers to libraries for the use of their materials. He said as secretary hed do everything in his power, whether it requires legislation, whether it's using the bully pulpit of our office, to eliminate book bans. Hed also try to visit as many of the states libraries as possible. ORGAN DONATION: One of retiring Secretary of State Jesse Whites major initiatives was increasing organ and tissue donation participation. Brady said he worked with White on issues such as expanding that program to 16- and 17-year-olds. His experience working with the secretary and serving as coroner in McLean County and as partner in a Bloomington funeral home give him insight as to how he can improve the program further, he said, noting efforts to educate the public could be improved. Giannoulias said education could improve there as well, especially in minority communities that don't really trust the system or there's a stigma culturally in certain communities. So I think getting out to these communities and reinforcing the power of organ donors and how it can literally save lives will be crucial, Giannoulias said. SAFE DRIVING: There were more than 1,300 fatal crashes in Illinois in 2021, the most since 2005. Brady said hed consider changes to the drivers education curriculum, perhaps partnering with private entities that provide dangerous scenario-based training. He said hed also like to send secretary of state police officers to drivers education courses throughout the state to aid in education. He said he also sponsored a law allowing seniors to take certified driver safety courses online, potentially qualifying themselves for insurance discounts and improving road safety. Giannoulias said hed look to use the bully pulpit of the office to better educate Illinoisans on safe and distracted driving, but he also noted hed consider working with lawmakers for new, unspecified laws to improve safety. Otherwise, he said, much of it comes down to enforcing current law. 75-PLUS DRIVER TEST: Both candidates said they would consider changes to Illinois law as it pertains to mandatory on-road driving tests for individuals aged 75 and older. I have certainly said that I would look at that particular policy barring some type of medical issue with those individuals, Brady said. Giannoulias said hed examine studies on this issue, but road safety would be paramount. OTHER ISSUES: The secretary of state also operates a police force and bomb squad, polices securities fraud, oversees registration of businesses and registers lobbyists. And the operations of the office, from the index division to just trying to become a notary public, to Capitol security we're talking about, there's areas and room for improvement, Brady said. And I think it really starts with having a secretary who's going to be engaged and involved on a daily basis on some of these major issues. He noted hed solicit advice from current employees, which he said hes learned in the General Assembly often have the best ideas for improving things. Giannoulias specifically noted hed like to hire more investigators, auditors and lawyers in the securities division. Hed also like to improve ethics laws when it comes to lobbying and spouses of elected officials lobbying. While Giannoulias said hes a believer in requiring more transparency from elected state officials, he doesnt plan to release tax returns, because my wife and I have some things that she wants to keep private, which I respect. He noted hed fill out all required disclosure reports. Brady said he would release tax returns, but he had not done so as of Wednesday. Giannoulias said hed also like to make it as easy as possible to start a business by improving the states business services division. He also said hed look to repeal a law making it illegal to hang objects on a rearview mirror and look to make it easier for people exiting prison to obtain a state ID. BRISTOL, Tenn. Bristol, Tennessee, is seeking state funding to extend Pinnacle Parkway. On Tuesday, the City Council gave its approval to submit an application to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for a State Industrial Access grant. If approved, the grant would cover 100% of roadway construction costs and 50% of right-of-way acquisition costs associated with extending the parkway from its intersection with U.S. Highway 11-W to the intersection of Walnut Hill Road and Island Road. The purpose of the proposed project is multi-faceted. Extending the parkway is expected to alleviate congestion in the I-81 Exit 74 area of West State Street, prevent drivers from cutting across traffic onto U.S. 11W from Island Road and also create an industrial access way for Tennessee Hills Distillery, which has relocated its headquarters to Bristol and is building a new distillery at the former American National University campus. Tom Anderson, director of economic development for the city, said the Pinnacle Parkway extension project would make the area a lot safer, but would also come with a pretty good price tag, he said. According to Anderson, travelers would not be impacted by future construction. The construction will happen where there is no traffic, at this point, so itll be happening basically where it wont affect the public at all until its complete, Anderson said. According to Brian Ramsey, director of engineering for Bristol, Tennessee, extending Pinnacle Parkway could be the first accomplishment in a much larger undertaking the Bristol North-South Connector project which would connect 11-W to 11-E from The Pinnacle to Bristol Motor Speedway, but that is still in the planning phases, he said. Its a big step toward getting that North-South Connector started, Ramsey said of the SIA grant. Bristol is eligible for the grant because of the manufacturing component of Tennessee Hills Distillery, which is constructing a $21.3 million, 35,000-square-foot distillery just off the parkway that is going to be capable of producing about 50 barrels a day. Tennessee Hills officials have said they intend on taking their brand national. HICKORY RHF Investments Inc., the parent company of Century Furniture, Hancock & Moore, Hickory Chair, Jessica Charles, Highland House Furniture, Maitland Smith and Cabot Wrenn, is hosting a collection drive to benefit Florida residents impacted by Hurricane Ian. Century Furniture will park a tractor trailer in the parking lot of Valley Hills Mall on Saturday, Oct. 8, and staff it with employee volunteers who will be accepting donations of water, diapers, baby formula, personal hygiene products, pet food, and other non-perishable supplies that will go directly to Florida for help in relief efforts there for local residents. A collection site has also been established at Catawba County United Way (2760 Tate Blvd., Hickory) where donations may be dropped off during business hours through Friday, Oct. 7. The devastation in southwest Florida is immeasurable, and our hearts go out to the people impacted by Hurricane Ian," said Alex Shuford III, president of RHF. We have been in touch with our partners in Naples and are trying to ensure that we do everything we can to help their communities as they try to recover. Donations will be accepted at Valley Hills Mall on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. By Trend The United States is pushing OPEC+ nations not to proceed with potential deep oil output cuts, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters, as President Joe Biden seeks to prevent US gasoline prices from rising, Trend reports. Washington is arguing to OPEC+ nations that economic fundamentals do not support an output cut, the source said. OPEC+, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, is working on cuts in excess of 1 million barrels per day, sources told Reuters this week. The cuts could spur a recovery in oil prices. The White House declined to comment. HICKORY Come to Patrick Beaver Memorial Library at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15, to meet author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, an enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians who lives in Qualla. Clapsaddle authored the popular novel "Even As We Breathe," which was released by the University Press of Kentucky in 2020, a finalist for the Weatherford Award and named one of NPRs Best Books of 2020. In 2021, it received the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. "Even As We Breathe" is about 19-year-old Cowney Sequoyah who yearns to escape his hometown of Cherokee. When a summer job at Ashevilles luxurious Grove Park Inn and Resort brings him one step closer to escaping the hills, he sees it as an opportunity. With World War II raging in Europe, the resort is the temporary home of Axis diplomats and their families, who are being held as prisoners of war. When the daughter of one of the residents goes missing, Cowney finds himself accused of abduction and murder. Clapsaddles work has appeared in Yes! Magazine, Lit Hub, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine, South Writ Large and The Atlantic. After serving as executive director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, she returned to teaching at Swain County High School for more than 12 years. She is the former co-editor of the Journal of Cherokee Studies and serves on the board of trustees for the North Carolina Writers Network. Clapsaddle now works as an independent contractor and consultant. Registration is required for the program. To register call 828-304-0500 or sign up online at https://www.hickorync.gov/calendar/events/category/library/. For more information, call 828-304-0500. Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is located at 375 Third St. NE on the SALT Block. All library programs are free and open to the public. Often, tour sites arent what you expect. When I visit a famous place, Im often surprised at how the site is larger or smaller than I imagined. Often our imaginations are a Hollywood version of reality. Take Graceland, home of Elvis Presley. On my first drive-by, I was stunned to see the colonial-styled house was wedged between housing tracts, neon signs and businesses including a cheesy motel across the highway. That was in 1970, when the King of Rock n Roll was still in residence. Even so, Graceland was far from the sweeping, grandiose property I expected. These days it has been Disneyfied, with shuttle buses, a parking lot and various tours to lighten your wallet. I hear that The Alamo in San Antonio is much smaller than what one expects. Ive never seen it in person, though another Texas landmark surprised me: Dealey Plaza in Dallas. The place of President Kennedys shooting is remarkably smaller than I thought it to be. The Grand Canyon, on the other hand, lives up to its billing. Ive seen it from both rims and agree that its pretty grand. What I didnt realize was the elevation above sea level is 6,800 feet. That is something to think about if youre susceptible to altitude sickness. Historic Williamsburg is decidedly larger than what some of you might suppose. If you think its about the size of Old Salem over in Winston-Salem, youd be wrong. Williamsburg is about 300 acres; Old Salem, a mere 75. Foreign places are no exception to misperception. The Vatican is a fairly large space to visit, much larger than the dot on the map gives it credit. St. Peters Basilica alone covers more than 5.5 acres. The entire Vatican City is 100 acres, a tad larger than Old Salem, though it seems bigger in person. A couple of weeks ago I found myself in Cairo, Egypt, in search of the ancient pyramids and the Sphinx. Like you, Id seen these iconic structures in textbooks and documentaries, the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World. As our bus sped through the Giza suburb, I spotted a gigantic block structure looming outside our bus windows. Sure enough, it was the Great Pyramid and its sister Khufu Pyramid. I wasnt expecting the monuments to be so close to town. Usually photographers capture their images from an angle that depicts them on a vast sandscape, much as they would have appeared some 4,500 years ago. The pyramids are huge, as much as 460 feet high. The Sphinx, the famed figure with a human face on a lions body, not so much. At 66 feet tall, its far from miniscule, but nowhere near close to the size of the pyramids. To give you an idea of scale, think of a Barbie doll in front of a big chest of drawers. The Sphinx faces east, not south as Id imagined on my mental map. And the Sphinx faces not at dunes, but a neighborhood of restaurants and souvenir shops less than a block away. Driving past the back and side view of the monument, you can see that the ancient figure was carved from bedrock, not built from stone blocks as were the pyramids. Its debatable who carved the Sphinx and when. Some researchers think it may be far older than the pyramids, which may be the biggest surprise of all. In response to recently filed proposals to remove some 25 books from the libraries of Catawba County schools, a group of concerned citizens, each of them with strong family values, formed the Catawba Freedom Readers. The group stands in support of school librarians and educators who are tasked with selecting appropriate material for our students, and who should, in the words of the Catawba County Schools Board of Education policy: place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the selection of material of the highest quality in order to ensure a comprehensive collection appropriate for the users of the media center. In the face of proposed censorship by someone who has not read the books in question, the Catawba Freedom Readers held a Read-in/Read-out event at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Catawba Valley this past weekend. Participants were invited to read to the assembled group, either from books that have been censored or from books that have particular meaning to them. Starting in April 2022, the group has been an active and vocal presence, speaking against censorship at board of education meetings. Speakers have addressed freedom of speech, equity, process, among others aspects of providing educational resources for our students. We feel strongly it is important to communicate to the board of education and to our neighbors, that censorship has never served societies well. What is censorship? According to the American Library Association (www.ala.org): Censorship is the suppression of ideas and information that some individuals, groups, or government officials find objectionable or dangerous. Would-be censors try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate, or offensive and objectionable, on everyone else. Censors pressure public institutions, like libraries, to suppress and remove information they judge inappropriate or dangerous from public access, so that no one else has the chance to read or view the material and make up their own minds about it. The censor wants to prejudge materials for everyone. It is no more complicated than someone saying, Dont let anyone read this book, or buy that magazine, or view that film, because I object to it! The modern world has experienced censorship in many forms. For one, the Nazi party began its dominance in German politics by asserting that books were being used by intellectual elites to subvert the will of German youth. The German Student Union, under guidance from Joseph Goebbels, organized mass burnings of books deemed inappropriate. Books with any sexual content were particularly targeted in initial censorship moves. Later targets included books that denigrated the spirit of the New Germany. In another example, by the end of the Cultural Revolution in the Peoples Republic of China, the Communist Party under Mao Zedong banned almost all books, except those that supported Maoist/Leninist ideology. In any community, people have a need for information, so a black market in books arose. Readers exchanged hand-bound copies of subversive literature. We hope that by communicating the failures of censorship, and by standing up for and alongside our librarians, we can promote intellectual freedom for our students. As author Judy Blume said: I believe that censorship grows out of fear, and because fear is contagious, some parents are easily swayed. Book banning satisfies their need to feel in control of their childrens lives. This fear is often disguised as moral outrage. They want to believe that if their children dont read about it, their children wont know about it. And if they dont know about it, it wont happen. The Catawba Freedom Readers will continue to speak up as advocates for our children and for excellence in education. A recent survey concluded that North Carolina is home to the finest public high school in America (the North Carolina School of Science and Math). That is proof that we are capable of greatness. We should devote our energy to extending that greatness to more of our communities. In my recent move to Northern Virginia, I have read the many sources of local news here to learn more about the community outside D.C., and in doing so, come to appreciate my hometown newspaper, The Hickory Daily Record. This is because I realized the job of local news is to hold community institutions, like government, the school system, and other organizations, accountable by using their platform to ask questions relating to the public interest. Without local news, residents would not know about potential concerns relating to a service provided or how a public-funded agency is spending their tax dollars. Accountability is often times simply asking questions and then allowing the other party to respond and consider a way forward. I can give a personal example: I still manage a small nonprofit in the Hickory area and I have a board member who asks good questions to ensure the best job is being done. Because of the questions, sometimes just the anticipation of questions, I make sure to go above and beyond in my job performance. Accountability makes things better, and as Hickory has only one local newspaper that provides community coverage solely on Hickory issues, I hope all will appreciate the journalistic work the HDR team does to hold local institutions and elected officials accountable. Aaron Kohrs Alexandria, Virginia SHS Student Awarded Academic Honors SPEARMAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AWARDED WITH ACADEMIC HONORS FROM COLLEGE BOARD NATIONAL RECOGNITION PROGRAMS Spearman ISD Spearman High School senior, Aubrey Beck, has earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These National Recognition Programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on college and scholarship applications and connect students with universities across the country, helping them meaningfully connect to colleges and stand out during the admissions process. Colleges and scholarship programs identify students awarded National African American, Hispanic, Indigenous and/or Rural/Small Town Recognition through College Boards Student Search Service. Aubrey is being recognized for the National Rural and Small Town Award = NRSTA. We are thrilled that Aubrey has earned this recognition. We are very proud of her for her achievements in the classroom and on College Board assessments, said Krista Baird, Spearman High School Counselor. These programs help students from underrepresented backgrounds stand out to colleges during admissions. Students who may be eligible have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and have excelled on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10, or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams; and are African American or Black, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, and/or attend school in a rural area or small town. Eligible students are invited to apply during their sophomore or junior year and will be awarded at the beginning of the next school year. Students will receive their awards in time to include them on their college and scholarship applications. We want to honor the hard work of these students through the College Board National Recognition Programs. This program creates a way for colleges and scholarship programs to connect directly with underrepresented students who they are hoping to reach, said Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture. We hope the award winners and their families celebrate this prestigious honor and it helps them plan for their big future. Aubrey is the daughter of Brian and Alexis Beck. Her future plans include attending college to study biology and later become an optometrist. The Farm Workforce Modernization Act had gained significant momentum when it passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a 59% margin last year. However, the momentum did not carry over into the Senate where congressional leaders have not been able to reach an agreement. When looking at the remaining legislative calendar, it appears that the bill could die at the close of the 117th Congress. That would mean the entire process would need to start over on solving agricultures labor woes. Even though 30 Republicans supported the bill in the House, there has been trepidation among the Republican cohorts in the Senate due to the issues at the U.S. and Mexican border. That was the situation in 2021 when Senate discussions first took place on the bill. Fast-forward to the present and apprehensions at the Southern border have reached a record pace. Due to this situation, there is little to no chance that the bill will be brought up in the Senate prior to the November 8, 2022, election. After citizens cast ballots in this falls election, there is only one week on the legislative calendar before the Thanksgiving recess. Then, three weeks remain in December before the adjournment of the 117th Congress. That means the farm workforce modernization effort would have to start anew in January 2023. Theres good reason that over 300 agriculture groups signed on for support of the bill. While the Farm Workforce Modernization Act was far from perfect, the measure would provide a clear employment structure for immigrant workers already in the U.S., address agricultures need for year-round farm labor, and clearly outline employer obligations. In short, the measure represented the best opportunity the farming community has had in decades for resolution to its labor woes. Learn more by reading the Hoards Dairyman Intel, What the Farm Workforce Act could mean? In making her final appeal for passage in the House of Representatives, Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) placed that Hoards Dairyman Intel into the Congressional Record. For those who contend immigrants dont improve Americas fortunes, one must remember this fact of all the new jobs created in the United States, only 8% have been in rural America as of late. When farms founder, the food manufacturing jobs coveted by native-born rural residents often disappear. That further weakens rural economies. Thats the very reason we should begin calling workforce modernization a food security measure. For a deeper discussion on that concept, read the Hoards Dairyman Editorial Comment, Lets call it food security. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2022 September 29, 2022 Wednesday, October 5 The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome. Thursday, October 6 Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500. Cabarrus County Extension and Community Association (ECA ) is partnering with True Care Pharmacy to offer a free, Community Outdoor Flu Clinic from 10 a.m. to noon at NC Cooperative Extension , Cabarrus Center, 715 Cabarrus Avenue, West , Concord. This clinic is planned for adults. The flu shot needed for adults 65 years and older will also be available. You are encouraged to call 704-920-3310 to reserve your spot, though walkups will be accepted. Please bring an identification card and your insurance information. In case of rain the Clinic will be offered indoors. Friday, October 7 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846. Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Boger Reformed Church Annual Lords Acre Sale will be held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with BBQ, Grilled Chicken Plates, Desserts, Crafts, Canned Goods. For more information on day of yard sale call 704-782-4019. The church is located at 7313 Gold Hill Road, Concord (at Watts Cross Roads). Saturday, October 8 The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products. Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785. 2022 Community Connections presented by Cabarrus Recovery Alliance will be held from 3-7 p.m. Find you path to recovery at the resource and education event at Atrium Ballpark, 210 Oak Ave., Kannapolis. For more information and support, visit cabarrusreccoveryalliane.org. St. Stephens Wesleyan Church, near Georgeville off Hwy 200, will hold its 51st Annual Bazaar and Harvest Sale from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Breakfast biscuits 8-10 a.m., Hotdogs 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Chicken Noodle dinner 4-7 p.m. Many baked goods, jams/jellies, Christmas decorations, fall items, crafts, quilts/blankets, plants and much more will be for sale. Silent Auction on specialty items. For info call 704-782-6677 before day of sale. Food orders and day of sale, call 704-723-1143. Boger Reformed Church Annual Lords Acre Sale continues with a yard sale, ham biscuits and BBQ. Eat in or take out. For more information on day of yard sale call 704-782-4019. The church is located at 7313 Gold Hill Road, Concord (at Watts Cross Roads). Monday, October 10 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Tuesday, October 11 TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St. Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome. Wednesday, October 12 The Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary for a League of Mercy is hosting a workshop at 9:30 a.m. to make favors for nursing home residents. The workshop will be held at The Salvation Army of Cabarrus County headquarters at 216 Patterson Ave SE, Concord,. Visitors are welcome to participate . There will be pre-owned books available for sale, with proceeds to be used to buy new books for the Christmas Angel Tree project. Please plan to wear a mask during the workshop. Thursday, October 13 Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500. Friday, October 14 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846. Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 15 The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products. Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785. New Gilead Reformed Church is hosting a BBQ Chicken dinner from 11 a.m. until sold out. Plates, including a half BBQ chicken, beans, slaw, roll, chips, drink and dessert are available for $11, dine in or carry out. Whole BBQ chickens are $9; quarts of slaw are $5. The church is located at 2400 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Concord. Sunday, October 16 Piedmont Prime Time Community Band is presenting a concert titled "Twenty Years of Excellence" at 4 p.m. at the Hickory Ridge High School Auditorium in Harrisburg. This concert is celebrating the band's twentieth anniversary by inviting back all former directors as guest conductors: Jon Hutchinson, Laurence Marks, Christopher Wilson, and Jason Partridge. Admission is free. Donations are gratefully accepted. Monday, October 17 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Tuesday, October 18 TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St. Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome. The Cabarrus County Retired Nurses Luncheon will be at Punchy's Diner at 11 a.m. until. If you are a former employee (not just nurses everyone) of Cabarrus Memorial Hospital. Please come and renew old friendships If you have questions contact Gayla Spears 704-786-0333. Wednesday, October 19 The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome. Thursday, October 20 Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500. Friday, October 21 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846. Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 22 The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products. Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785. Epworth United Methodist Churchs Quilt Show and Bazaar will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by the Epworth United Women in Faith, the Quilt Show and Bazaar will feature beautiful quilts, crafts, homemade baked goods, and One More Time Around items. For more information, contact Jewell Parker, 704-918-7250. The church is located at 1030 Burrage Road, Concord. Cold Springs United Methodist Church will hold its 69th Annual Barbecue and Brunswick Stew with serving begins at 9 a.m. Plates, sandwiches, and items sold in bulk will be available. Everything will be carry-out. For more information, please call 704-782-1811. Cold Springs UMC is located at 2550 Cold Springs Road E, Concord. Monday, October 24 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Tuesday, October 25 TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St. Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.. Thursday, October 27 Epworth UMCs famous hot dogs and taco soup, 9:30 a.m. -2 p.m. 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. For free delivery call 704-786-5500. The Concord Friends of the Library host the annual Deana Irvin Symposium, at the Cabarrus Country Club, featuring North Carolina native, Jason Mott, National Book Award Winner for fiction 2021. Mott will be discussing his novel, Hell Of A Book, which was released in June 2021. Doors open at 11:30, lunch served at 12:15, $30.00 per person. Reservations can be mailed with checks payable to the Concord Friends of the Library, PO Box 795, Concord, NC 28026. Deadline for reservations is Oct. 17. Friday, October 28 The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination. Heavenly Hot Dogs at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 301 Mount Olivet Road, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free delivery for orders of more than $15, and takeout is available. Homemade desserts and chicken noodle soup are available. For more information, visit www.mtochurch.com or call 704-782-8846. Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, October 29 The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products. Hot Dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union Street S, are offered on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call in orders are welcomed. 704-782-1785. Got news or events? Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com. KANNAPOLIS Dr. Svati H. Shah spoke to partners at the North Carolina Research Campus about her vision for the future of Duke Kannapolis at the 350-acre translational science hub focused on human health and nutrition. The Duke University School of Medicine has created in Duke Kannapolis a full-service research site that manages a wide variety of clinical and translational research projects to inform a deeper understanding of health and disease and to accelerate population health research. This is Dukes investment in the NCRC, Shah said Sept. 15 at the campus, located just north of Charlotte. We embrace the mission of this unique scientific community working together collaboratively to empower human health through research, and we are extremely proud to be one of eight universities on the campus. Her talk marked the first time that Shah has presented to NCRC partners since being named to direct Duke Kannapolis. Shah spoke about the history and capacity-building of Duke Kannapolis, part of the Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). Founded in 2007 by Robert Califf, M.D., MACC, now commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Duke Kannapolis has reached 22,339 total enrollments by 13,886 unique participants and counting. Our community of engaged research participants are our most valuable asset, with many enrolling in multiple research projects, Shah said. Built on the foundational MURDOCK Study and Project Baseline Health Study, Duke Kannapolis has 58 funded research projects with 110 Duke faculty, as well as dozens of collaborations with investigators and institutions outside of Duke. Current areas of work include COVID-19, pain, mental health, smoking cessation, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, aging, chronic kidney disease, and more. Shah welcomed new projects and collaborations with NCRC partners and encouraged attendees to explore the MURDOCK Study storefronts, which summarize data and samples at a glance for populations of interest. Duke Kannapolis has also streamlined access to biospecimens with a new biorepository transformation initiative, she said. We measure collaboration by relationships, and every project is an opportunity to strengthen these relationships through research, Shah said. Duke Kannapolis has developed a high level of community engagement by utilizing community advisory boards, marketing and communications, bilingual staff, events, and community partners including civic, church, and health organizations. Noting proven strategies for recruitment, retention, and engagement across diverse participant populations, Shah also attributed the success of Duke Kannapolis community engagement to bidirectional communication and 15 years of building trust with residents. We see participants as partners, and we prioritize personal connections with the community and open information flow to and from participants, she said. Vision for the Future Shah thanked NCRC partners for warmly welcoming Duke University President Vincent Price recently during his first visit to the campus. Key takeaways from in-depth discussions with Price included the importance of success through collaboration and shared goals, as well as the need to address disparities impacting research, health care, workforce development, and more. Shah defined her vision for the future of Duke Kannapolis as harnessing innovations in contemporary precision medicine integrated with implementation science, education, and clinical infrastructure to accelerate discovery and transform patient care. Ultimately, we want more precise diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic decision-making for the individual person, Shah said. And we are thrilled to work with this collaborative, interdisciplinary scientific community toward that end. MATTOON The city of Mattoon and the Elevate CCIC, Inc. are set to partner on a new microloan program for local entrepreneurs. Elevate Executive Director Carlos Ortega said the program that the Mattoon City Council approved Tuesday evening will provide loans of up to $10,000 each to entrepreneurs to help with purchasing start-up equipment such as laptop computers, providing gap financing for costs not covered by bank loans, and other needs. The council voted to allocate $100,000 from the city's revolving loan fund to help Elevate create its own small start-up business revolving loan fund. The city uses its revolving loan fund to promote economic development and it replenishes the fund with payments from previous loans to businesses. "I'm really excited about the opportunity to start this," Ortega said on Wednesday, noting that Elevate's microloan program might be able to begin accepting applications later this fall. Ortega said a screening committee will interview the applicants and assess the financial feasibility of their business plans. He said the loan recipients will then be required to complete a training program through Elevate to help them get ready for starting their businesses. Elevate opened in 2020 in renovated space on the north side of the Cross County Mall with the help of Google grant funding. This facility offers a variety of entrepreneur support services, including office and conference space, highspeed wireless internet connections, and advising from business professionals. In other matters, the council voted to allocate $17,900 in motor fuel tax funds to The Upchurch Group of Mattoon to design a sidewalk improvement project on Western from Noyes Court to 43rd Street. The project is will be designed to help serve pedestrian traffic to and from Riddle Elementary School, located at 43rd and Western, and will be partially funded by an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Safe Routes to School Grant. The council also voted to sell 59 square feet at the northwest corner of Illinois Route 16 and 16th Street on the Mattoon Public Library's campus, 1600 Charleston Ave., for $600 to IDOT. The ordinance reported that IDOT will use this property as part of its plans to construct roadway, traffic signal, and sidewalk improvements on Route 16 (Charleston Avenue) from Lake Land Boulevard to Swords Drive. In addition, the council heard a report from Fire Chief Jeff Hilligoss about the Sept. 23 fire at the Lee's Famous Recipe restaurant, 800 Charleston Ave. He said the flames were burning very hot, but crews did a phenomenal job of quickly containing and extinguishing the fire. Hilligoss said when he was standing inside the burned out kitchen at Lee's afterwards, he was surprised to hear that customers were still pulling into the parking lot and asking if they could order food there. "When you looked at (the building) from the outside, it didn't even look like there was a fire," Hilligoss said. By Trend The US and South Korean military fired four ground-to-ground missiles on Wednesday following North Koreas presumed launch of a Hwasong-12 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Tuesday, Trend reports citing TASS. According to the South Korean Yonhap news agencys report, the United States and South Korea each fired two Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) guided missiles. CHARLESTON A former Charleston police officer has pleaded guilty to a charge of official misconduct in return for three sex-related charges being dismissed. David Iwaniw was originally arrested in 2013 on two charges of criminal sexual assault and one charge of child pornography. In 2014, Iwaniw failed to appear in court and was arrested in January 2022 by the U.S. Marshals Service after living in Mexico for several years. Iwaniw was accused of raping a minor in his residence and threatening to hunt her down if she told anyone what happened and that if she told, no one would believe her because he was a police officer," according to a police report filed at the time of his arrest. The report also stated that Iwaniw told the then 17-year-old to say she was 18 as he recorded the rape. The new charge states Iwaniw, while employed as a police officer, engaged in a sexual act with a minor "which he knows is forbidden by law to perform." He recently pled guilty to violating his bail bond, a charge stemming from his failing to appear in court in 2014. Judge James Glenn accepted the plea deal during a hearing Friday and will sentence Iwaniw on Nov. 21. The new misconduct charge carries a possible sentence of two to five years in prison or probation. Iwaniw's attorney, Evan Bruno, said his client has professed his innocence against the rape allegations from day one and that his goal is to help Iwaniw return to his life. "Our position in this case is that the sexual assault did not happen, and so he took a plea for official misconduct. Our goal is to wrap up this case and that's his goal so he can return to his life of service. He's a military veteran and is disabled after his military service," Bruno said, "and we intend to show at the sentencing hearing that he spent his life helping people and that the original accusations made against him were not accurate." Bruno said prosecutors approached him with the deal and that both he and his client believe it is a fair outcome. "We were prepared to have a trial and they've made an offer that, I think, was a much more accurate of a reflection of what would be appropriate in this case compared to the sexual assault and child pornography charges," Bruno said. "That's going to allow us to argue for a probation sentence and he's been the Coles County Jail since January so hopefully, at the end of this case, he is able to walk out and get on with his life." Special prosecutor Lorinda Lamken said she was unable to comment on the pending case. CHARLESTON A new Charleston ordinance will require low-speed gas bicycles operating in the city to be registered with the Charleston Police Department. The new ordinance, which requires an annual inspection and payment of a $50 registration fee, takes effect Nov. 1. Once registered, owners will receive a tag that will serve as proof of registration. Not registering the bicycles or violating rules regarding registration can result in fines of $100 to $750, as well as the bike being impounded. The original ordinance would have required both low-speed electric and gas bicycles to register, but was amended after concerns were raised by those who use electric bikes for exercise. Electric bikes are powered by the pedaling of the rider, whereas gas-powered bikes do not require the same effort of riders. Charleston Mayor Brandon Combs said the city is conscious of those who use the bikes for exercise, especially with the number of citizens who bike recreationally in the city. "Certain people that have different conditions, say they have a hip condition or they have a knee condition and different ailments, they can still use their bike when they're on flat surfaces but they use that electric part to maybe get up bigger hills or to help them if they start to get tired along the way," Combs said. "... Being a bike-friendly community and a bike city, we wanted to make sure that we were able to help them out and not deter people from using them because the majority of them don't use the electric all the time." Another difference is the is sound the bikes emit. Following the ordinance being placed on file for public inspection in September, Charleston Chief of Police Chad Reed said most issues and complaints stem from gas-powered bicycles. "We've been having a lot of complaints about, especially the gas-powered ones, loud exhaust, riding on sidewalks and cutting in traffic and pedestrians, things like that," Reed said. After seeing the success with a similar ordinance in Mattoon, Charleston officials sought to recreate the ordinance to best suit the needs in Charleston. For both Combs and Reed, their main concern is safety. "It's become a safety issue for the people that are on the bikes, as well as just people in their cars. So we just felt that it was definitely time to move on this ordinance from an overall safety perspective that needed to be done," Combs said. "As the word gets out of, citizens will see it has our tag on it and they won't be as worried about it," Reed said. "It all boils down to safety; safety of citizens, safety motorists and safety of bicyclists." During Tuesday's Charleston City Council meeting, the mayor also announced Trick or Treat Hours will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31. In other Halloween-related matters, the council approved street closures for Scare on the Square, which will take place Oct. 28 from 4:30 to 9 p.m. The council also approved: - A bid for chain link fence construction at a Sister City Phase II Facility; - Payment of a surcharge on concrete materials; - A change order for the wastewater treatment plant nutrient removal project; - A proclamation recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; - A proclamation recognizing the week of October 2-8 as National 4-H Week; - Two street closures for outdoor band events at the Uptowner; - Street closures for Eastern Illinois University's Homecoming Parade on Oct. 15; and - The mayor's appointment of Chelsie Doughty and Deborah Cuddy to three-year terms on the Charleston Carnegie Library Board of Trustees. The council will meet next on Oct. 18. SHELBYVILLE An Oregon man caught driving in Shelby County with an illegal gun and 8 pounds of cannabis was sentenced to eight years in prison. A news release from Shelby County States Attorney Nichole Kroncke said Joshua Hicks, 40, was pulled over for a traffic infraction on Illinois 16 on Jan. 17. Shelby County Sheriffs Office Deputy Brennan Atkinson said Hickss vehicle had a heavy odor of cannabis and a strange arrangement for unlocking the trunk. Kroncke said Atkinson noted the trunk had been altered so it could not be unlocked from outside and had to be released by pulling a rope threaded through an opening in the backseat. Upon gaining entry to the trunk, Deputy Atkinson observed a 9mm handgun in a book bag next to packaging materials for cannabis distribution as well as 3,917.3 grams of cannabis (8 pounds), said Kroncke. Hicks was sentenced Sept. 30 after being convicted of possession of cannabis with intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Kroncke said Hicks has a previous conviction for bank robbery. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has received another victory in its legal battle with ITG Brands LLC over who is responsible for annual Master Settlement Agreement payments on four traditional cigarette brands in Florida. In June 2015, Reynolds divested Kool, Salem and Winston, while Lorillard Inc. divested Maverick, to gain federal regulatory approval of Reynolds $29.25 billion purchase of Lorillard. Reynolds and Lorillard sold the four brands to Imperial Brands Plc, ITGs parent company, for $7.1 billion. The four brands have represented about 7.5% of the U.S. market share for traditional cigarettes since ITGs acquisition. The annual MSA payments for the four brands in Florida have been estimated at about $30 million. Shortly after the megadeal was completed, the manufacturers began disputing MSA payment responsibility in both Delaware and Florida state courts, with ITG tending to gain legal victories in Florida and Reynolds in Delaware. The Reynolds-Imperial deal included language that called on ITG to use its reasonable best efforts to reach an MSA settlement with Florida, which ITG has said it was unable to do. On Sept. 30, vice chancellor Lori Will in Delaware ruled that ITG is responsible for those payments. The ruling lists the disputed amount at more than $170 million. After considering the plain language of the asset purchase agreement, I conclude that the agreements unambiguous terms support the interpretation advanced by Reynolds, according to the ruling. ITG agreed to assume the type of liability imposed by the Florida judgment, and it must indemnify Reynolds for losses due to that assumed liability. However, Will added that the extent of ITGs indemnification obligation to Reynolds is left to be determined. Reynolds declined to comment on the latest Delaware court ruling, while ITG could not be reached for comment. Background The largest U.S. tobacco manufacturers agreed in November 1998 to pay at least $206 billion over 20 years to the 46 states to help pay for health-care expenses related to smoking. Some payments are required to be made in perpetuity. The payment amounts are based primarily on sales and market share of individual brands. The payment amounts are based primarily on sales and market share of individual cigarette brands. However, Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi and Texas are the four states that reached its own MSA agreement with Philip Morris USA, Reynolds and Lorillard in perpetuity. Reynolds legal position has been that ITG purchased the brands and should be making the MSA payments. Imperial has countered that it did not agree to assume the payments, and that it was relieved of payment responsibility since it couldnt reach an agreement with Bondi before the closing of the simultaneous purchases. As the legal dispute simmered, Pam Bondi, Floridas attorney general when the Reynolds-Lorillard megadeal was completed, sued both manufacturers. Bondi obtained a judgment that Reynolds must continue to make settlement payments based on ITGs sales of the four brands unless and until ITG joins the Florida settlement agreement. In November 2017, the Delaware court ruled ITG has not met its obligation to use its reasonable best efforts to reach an agreement with Florida on assuming responsibility for the MSA payments. However, Judge Jeffery Gillen of the 15th Florida Circuit Court ruled in December 2017 that Reynolds still has liability obligation for the brands even though ITG is getting the revenue from their sales. Bondi said her legal action made clear (the state) does not claim that by closing on the asset-purchase agreement Imperial automatically assumed liability for the payments. The sale of major, pre-existing tobacco brands to another company for billions of dollars does not cause the payment obligations to vanish like a puff of smoke. Gillen agreed with Bondi and Imperial, ruling that Reynolds is still obligated to make the payments pursuant to the Florida agreement. Gillen said it is up to the Florida legislature to pass legislation making Imperial legally responsible for making the MSA payments on the four brands. In a September 2019 ruling in Delaware Chancery Court, ITG was ordered to indemnify Reynolds by $93 million at that time. In August 2020, a three-judge District Court appeals court in Florida ruled that Reynolds remained obligated to make annual payments In December 2020, the Florida Supreme Court declined jurisdiction to hear Reynolds appeal. In May 2021, Reynolds and ITG reached a financial settlement with the state of Texas. The main development was that ITG accepted as of Jan. 1, 2021 all future payment obligations to the Texas MSA agreement. As part of the Texas settlement, Reynolds agreed to pay $173.38 million toward annual MSA obligations for the brands for 2015 through 2020. ITG agreed to pay $19.05 million for the same period. SAM has heard from readers recently who are getting calls about buying a warranty for their cars. And those readers are right to be worried: Such calls are often used by scammers to get personal information. The Federal Communications Commission offers these tips to avoid being scammed by car warranty offers: Dont give the caller any personal information unless you can verify you are dealing directly with a legitimate company that you have an established business relationship with. Telephone scammers are good at what they do and may imply that they work for a company you trust, according to the FCC. If you have caller ID, screen all incoming calls. Legitimate telemarketers are required to transmit or display their phone number and the name and/or the phone number of the company theyre representing, according to the FCC. The display must include a phone number that you can call during regular business hours to ask that the company no longer call you. Be cautious. Even if the number appears to be authentic, criminals engage in caller ID spoofing, using technology to disguise their identity. Its best not to answer a call at all, or if you do, to hang up immediately. Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with Yes. A scammer may record that answer and use it fraudulently to make it sound like you have agreed to a deal they are offering. If a call comes from someone claiming to represent a company you deal with, hang up and call the phone number on your billing statement, not the number that just called you. If you answer a call or recording that asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets, the FCC warns. Check with your phone company to see if they have any call-blocking tools or apps that you can download to your mobile device to block unwanted calls. Be sure you are registered with the Do Not Call List (www.donotcall.gov), since legitimate telemarketers consult that list to avoid calling people who dont want to be called, and then you will know the odds are stronger the caller is not legitimate. Q: I noticed that a lot of places are charging a fee for using a credit card. Can they do that? C.P. Answer: Yes, merchants can charge a fee for using credit cards. Businesses are charged a processing charge by their credit-card processing company for accepting the credit card, said a spokesperson for the N.C. Retail Merchants Association. The average credit-card processing fees range from about 1.3% to 4%, plus the payment processors cut, which can vary depending on the processor. To process credit card payments, merchants must pay interchange fees, assessment fees, and processing fees. There is not a federal or state law prohibiting the ice cream eatery from charging the surcharge which is similar in nature to a gas station charging you a lesser price per gallon for cash versus credit. However, businesses must process credit cards in accordance with their merchant processing agreement with Visa/Mastercard/American Express which may or may not restrict these charges. A 33-year-old man was shot in the leg early Wednesday in the parking lot of Second & Green Tavern, Winston-Salem police said in a news release. Officers responded at 2 a.m. to the business at 207 N. Green St. where they say Christian Joshua Coleman, a customer, became involved in a physical altercation with unknown people in the parking lot. Coleman was treated at a hospital for a non-life-threatening injury, police said in the news release. Police are not releasing additional information at this time. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at 336-773-7700, Crime Stoppers at 336-727-2800, or in Spanish at 336-728-3904. PETA is targeting fans of chicken meat in North Carolina this week. The organization has its "Hell on Wheels" truck scheduled to roll through Greensboro, playing recorded sounds of bird cries and covered in images of actual chickens crowded in crates on their way to a slaughterhouse. The graphic, life-size "chicken transport" truck is expected to drive past the Viva Chicken restaurant, UNC-Greensboro, the citys coliseum and the High Point Food Truck Rodeo from Thursday through Saturday. In addition to squawking chickens, it will broadcast a subliminal message suggesting people go vegan, says People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Behind every rotisserie chicken or fried chicken bucket is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a news release about the Hell on Wheels tour. The truck has "staked out" chicken restaurants in West Virginia, Kentucky, New York City and other locations, PETA says. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova A campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book" will operate within the 8th Baku International Book Fair, Azernews reports. Around 93,212 books have been collected so far within the project, initiated by the Culture Ministry. Akif Marifli, head of the ministry Department for Book Circulation and Work with Publishing Houses said this at a press conference. After the liberation of the territories, Azerbaijan set out to revive libraries in Karabakh. In 2021, the Culture Ministry launched a campaign "Let's go to Karabakh with a book" in partnership with the Azerbaijani National Library. The Turkish Professional Union of the Authors of Scientific and Literary Works (ILESAM) donated 10,000 books to the fund of libraries to be restored in Karabakh. Around 500 books were donated by People's Writer Elchin Afandiyev as well. The Institute of Education also joined the book campaign, presenting some 5,263 copies of 300 books. The embassy of Kazakhstan handed over books on science, culture, history as well as anthologies of Kazakh proses and poetry. Among these books are the works of Kazakh writers published by the Kazakh embassy and translated into Azerbaijani, including "The Kazakh Khanate: origins, traditions and heritage", a collection of scientific articles "Alash Orda", the Kazakh folk-heroic epic "Koblandy Batir", "The Creativity of Mukhtar Auezov: From tradition to innovation" by N. Mammadova-Tagisoy, "The Day the World Collapsed" by Rollan Seisenbaev and others. The head of the ministry Department for Book Circulation and Work recalled that the organizing committee of the book fair will present awards in the nominations "Best publishing house" and "Best book". The publisher, which provides the release of the best book, dedicated to Shusha, in terms of content and polygraphy, will be awarded a Commemorative Badge, established on the occasion of the 270th anniversary of Shusha. Allo Communications has announced plans to expand its service offerings to Sarpy County. Lincoln-based Allo said this week that it plans to offer internet service with speeds up to 10 gigabytes in Gretna, La Vista and Papillion by next year. The company said construction on the network is expected to begin in the next few months, and service should be available to the cities' nearly 45,000 residents by the middle of next year. Connecting hospitals with their patients, schools with their students, businesses with not only their customers, but now also their work-from-home employees, further develops these already outstanding communities," Allo founder and President Brad Moline said in a news release. "Our stated goal was to make Allos regions the most connected in the United States, and Papillion, La Vista, and Gretna are important steps in eastern Nebraska. Allo, which has been serving Lincoln since 2016, has since expanded to a number of other cities in Nebraska, Colorado and Arizona. The new expansion marks its first large-scale move into the Omaha metro area. Over the past couple of years, the company has expanded to Grand Island, Kearney, Fremont, Valentine, Wayne, Ashland, Milford, Seward, Sidney and York. Last month, it also announced plans to expand to Waverly. A Lincoln developer has plans for an innovative mixed-use project in the heart of the Antelope Valley area. The project, at the southwest corner of 23rd and R streets, would combine first-floor commercial space with nine apartments on two upper floors, possibly some of them reserved for low-income renters. The innovative part of the project is two-fold, said developer Ben Kunz. The plan for the first-floor commercial space is half a dozen "micro-restaurant suites," ranging in size from less than 300 square feet to more than 700 square feet. Kunz said he envisions the spaces being perfect for "new and emerging food businesses." That might be food truck owners looking for their first brick-and-mortar site or food professionals who want to take a chance on their own startup restaurant, he said. Kunz said the concept is based on a project he's familiar with in Portland, Oregon. He said the aim is to offer lease terms that would be shorter than the industry standard, providing flexibility to "meet businesses where their needs are." Kunz said it's too early in the process to have commitments for the spaces yet, but he has talked to some potentially interested parties. "We've been talking to people and there's certainly been interest, so we're optimistic," he said. The other innovative part of the project, Kunz said, is energy efficiency. He said he plans to make the residential portion of the project net-zero, meaning it generates as much energy as it uses. To accomplish that, he plans to use energy-efficient building materials and appliances and will install solar panels on the roof to generate electricity. "The hope is that this project proves that both of these (concepts) potentially will work in the Lincoln market," Kunz said. He said he has a timeline in mind for starting construction on the project but does not yet want to discuss it publicly because of the current condition of the economy and supply chain issues. Kunz has already had another project in the area delayed, a mixed-use building less than a block away at 2230 R St., because of issues getting necessary electrical equipment. He also still has to go through a lengthy city approval process, which began Tuesday with a public hearing before the Urban Design Committee, a necessary step because Kunz is seeking tax-increment financing, which would allow him to use future property taxes the redevelopment generates to pay for certain upfront costs. TIF would likely help pay to demolish the existing structure on the site, which is the former home of Fish Tackle & Supply. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the project, and several of them mentioned how much they liked it. "I think it's a pretty cool project, and I think the neighborhood is really going to like it," committee member Gill Peace said. Dead Boys with The Briefs, Suzi Moon, The Beat Seekers, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Bourbon Theatre. Fresh out of Cleveland, Dead Boys blew into CBGBs in 1976, stirring up punk rocks ground zero to the point where owner Hilly Kristal became the bands manager. Recording the classic raw album Young, Loud and Snotty, with its best-of-punk anthem Sonic Reducer, Dead Boys were at the peak of their excitable form. But after another album, the group refused to change its sound and style to appeal to the mainstream audience, were dropped by Sire Records and broke up in 1979. Dead Boys, now led by guitarist Cheetah Chrome legendary wild man vocalist Stiv Bators died in a car accident in Paris in 1990 are back, having first united for a 40th anniversary celebration of Young, Loud and Snotty and continuing to tour since. Theyll hit the Bourbon on Wednesday, bringing along three openers for an old-school punk must-see show. Boombox Cartel, 8 p.m. Friday, The Royal Grove. Blending electronic music with hip-hop and Latin influences, Boombox Cartel has, in the last decade, become an international dance music force, playing clubs around the world and festivals like Lollapalooza. Boombox Cartel will bring music from its latest guest-filled album to the Grove. Aaron Watson with McKenzie Jalynn Band, 9 p.m. Friday, Bourbon Theatre. Aaron Watson has become a Lincoln staple, regularly playing the Bourbon Theatre and, three years ago, doing one of the best-ever Lincoln on the Streets shows. The first artist to go the top of the Billboard country charts with an independently released album will be bringing his Red Dirt country back to the Bourbon. Jon Wolfe, 7 p.m. Saturday The Royal Grove. Jon Wolfe proudly cites George Strait, Alan Jackson, Merle Haggard and fellow Okie Garth Brooks as major influences on his brand of traditional country, which hell bring to the Grove. He started his career playing open mic nights in Houston, put together a band and has recorded a handful of albums, including last years Dos Corazones, recorded in a west Texas casita during the pandemic. Here Come The Mummies with Saxsquatch, 8 p.m. Sunday, Bourbon Theatre, Nashvilles bandage-wrapped funksters are back in Lincoln, where over the last decade, theyve become a favorite by playing to thousands at Ribfest. The 10-member group of studio pros, who mummify to preserve their anonymity, bill themselves as the worlds premier undead funk ambassadors. Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Zoo Bar. Soul-jazzers Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio turned heads this summer opening for Jack White at Pinewood Bowl. Theyre back in Lincoln, bringing their best live band in Seattle show to the far-smaller Zoo Bar. The trio, founded in 2015, has released a couple of albums of its 70s soul-influenced music and played the Monterey Jazz Festival. Sicard Hollow with Root Marm Chicken Farm Jug Band, 8 p.m. Thursday, Bourbon Theatre. Nashville-based four-piece progressive bluegrass band Sicard Hollow is about to release Brightest of Days, its second album, and is hitting the road to preview that record, which is filled with their mix of punk-pop melodies, psychedelic instrumental breaks and fearless improvisation. Despite a significant decline in COVID-19 cases in Lancaster County, the county's COVID-19 risk dial will remain in the mid-yellow range. The risk dial moved to mid-yellow last week after being in elevated-yellow for several weeks. Even though COVID-19 cases in the county declined 40% last week, from 280 to 200, their lowest level since late April, other indicators were mixed. The seven-day average of hospitalizations rose from 31 to 34 and the number of virus particles detected in wastewater also rose. It's widely accepted that many COVID-19 cases are not being reported, either because people are using home tests or not testing at all. However, the percentage of official tests that are registering positive continues to decline. Last week, it was 11.7%, which was down from 13.3% the previous week and is the lowest weekly reading in Lancaster County since May. The numbers in Lancaster County mirror those in Nebraska as a whole. Last week, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the state had 1,224 new COVID-19 cases, down 200 from the previous week. Hospitalizations are also trending down, with the average daily total of 125 in Nebraska down 23% from the week before. One area where local numbers diverge from statewide numbers is deaths. Nebraska recorded 35 last week, while there were none in Lancaster County. In fact, the county had only three COVID-19 deaths in September, which was fewer than in either July or August. The vast majority of people who die from COVID-19 are either unvaccinated or not up to date on their vaccines, and experts say getting vaccinated and taking precautions would eliminate nearly all deaths. If we had everyone fully vaccinated and were taking precautions (like indoor masking) to reduce spread in high-risk environments, we would not be seeing very many deaths at all," said Dr. James Lawler, co-executive director of the University of Nebraska Medical Centers Global Center for Health Security. Vaccines have proven highly effective at reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, often turning the infection into little more than a mild cold. The latest data from the CDC shows those who arent vaccinated are more than 10 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who have stayed current on vaccinations. But vaccination rates were never strong, and theyve only lagged further in the past year as additional boosters have been recommended. While 76% of Nebraska adults ultimately got their original vaccination series, fewer than half have received even one booster shot. Among the age 65-and-over population, while 94% received initial vaccinations, only 74% received a booster and only 34% got the recommended first two boosters. Those numbers are slightly better in Lancaster County. And county residents have been slow to get the new bivalent booster that is available to specifically target the omicron variant that has sparked most recent cases. There was a small increase in the number of COVID-19 vaccinations in Lancaster County after the new booster became available, but numbers have since leveled off to below 300 doses per week. The local Health Department was hosting vaccine clinics at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Tuesday and again Wednesday. Lawler said a general pandemic fatigue among the public has no doubt contributed to the failure to sustain both vaccination efforts and masking in crowded indoor settings. Everyone wants it to be over and wants to believe were out of it, and that whatever vaccinations they have gotten are enough, Lawler said. The decline in cases over the past couple of months has some projecting that this fall and winter may be different than the past two years, when cases surged after the weather turned cold and people gathered inside. But Lawler is not among them. He noted that cases are already starting to climb in the cooler climes of northern Europe. Ive heard those victory declarations many times now, he said. I think the odds that we avoid that are very small. The Omaha World-Herald contributed to this story. A federal jury has found a 44-year-old Lincoln man not guilty of assaulting immigration officers who were arresting his son outside their mobile home near 37th Street and Cornhusker Highway. Santos Hernandez was charged with assault on a federal officer for what happened the morning of July 12, 2021. After deliberating for less than two hours, the jury acquitted him at the end of a trial in U.S. District Court last week, and the case against him was dismissed. His 24-year-old son, Balmore Hernandez-Castro, faces sentencing in December for assault on a federal officer. He has pleaded guilty. In court records, federal prosecutors said Homeland Security Enforcement and Removal Operations officers learned Hernandez-Castro was illegally in the United States, saw him getting into a car with his father near their home and went to arrest him. They said Hernandez-Castro refused to get out and grabbed parts of the car to try to prevent himself from being removed from the car. He kicked at one of the officers and bit another's arm. Prosecutors alleged Santos Hernandez tried to pull a federal officer away from his son and stomped on the officer's hand. Police say the 15-year-old Lincoln girl they arrested Monday for the killing of her father had planned it with her boyfriend for a week before she stabbed him. Prosecutors charged Sallie Gilmer with first-degree murder, accusing her of killing 70-year-old Jesse Gilmer Jr. purposely and with deliberate and premeditated malice. She and her 16-year-old boyfriend, Isaac Honigschmidt, who is accused of aiding and abetting the murder, both made their first court appearances on the charges Wednesday afternoon via video feed from the Lancaster County Youth Services Center. Family members hugged in the courtroom, consoling each other, before court started and in the hallway after. Sherri Gilmer, Sallies mom and Jesses wife, declined to comment. In separate hearings, Deputy County Attorney Eric Miller asked that Gilmer and Honigschmidt both be held without bond on the charges, which could get them life in prison if they're convicted. Lancaster County Court Judge Joseph Dalton agreed to the request, citing the seriousness of the charges and Nebraska's constitution, which denies bail on certain murder cases. In an affidavit for their arrests, Lincoln Police Officer Jason Grager said Sallie Gilmer called 911 just after 4 p.m. Monday saying she had returned home from school to their apartment near South 40th and Nebraska 2 to find her father stabbed. Grager said officers found Jesse Gilmer Jr. with multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took his daughter and Honigschmidt to the police station for interviews. At a news conference Tuesday, Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins said a motive remained unclear. "Obviously, a daughter killing her father is difficult to understand. And so were trying to piece that together. We dont have a solid answer as of yet," she said. In court records filed Wednesday, police gave new details. Grager said they believe the two started planning the killing a week earlier and decided earlier in the day Monday to carry it out after school. Police believe Honigschmidt drove Gilmer home to stab her father, then they went to Lincoln Southeast High School for a short time before coming back to the apartment so she could "discover" him dead. Grager said Gilmer allegedly was stressed out from her parents' constant fighting and his mental abuse. He alleged she used a knife Honigschmidt had given her for her protection, and she gave it back to him after the stabbing. Both Sallie Gilmer and Honigschmidt were students at Lincoln Southeast High School. Jesse Gilmer Jr.'s death marks Lincoln's 10th killing this year and the 12th recorded in Lancaster County, where there were eight in all of 2021. OMAHA The chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center has been inducted into an elite group of fellow educators. Dr. Jeffrey Gold was inducted Friday into the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators. The academy, which has 301 members, works to advance the science and practice of education across all surgical specialties. Gold was nominated for the honor before undergoing a peer review process. He was one of 64 members inducted this year. I was very humbled by the nomination, Gold said. Ive been teaching not just in the classroom but in the operating room for decades of my life. To be recognized with this incredibly prestigious award is really humbling. Gold, who joined UNMC as chancellor in January 2014, stressed the importance of surgical education. Its a field that requires textbook learning as well as technical skills training that emphasizes hand-eye coordination. A very important part of my role is to inspire people who want to be the future master educators, Gold said. I spent 25 years of my career in the operating room caring for patients but at the same time working very hard to educate the next generation. The recognition, Gold said, also speaks highly of UNMC. Gold thanked his students, residents and fellows, many of whom have gone on to become department chairs or highly regarded educators. Gold has been certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, specializing in adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. Omaha firefighters rescued a man from the roof of a burning house Monday night despite his efforts to thwart them. Fire crews were called to a two-story vacant house at 2512 Binney St. about 7 p.m., according to an Omaha Fire Department spokesman. Firefighters arrived to find flames shooting from the rear of the house. A man was found on a first-floor roof near the flames. He refused rescue by pushing ladders off the roof, the spokesman said. Firefighters eventually were able to get the man onto a ladder, but he became "combative with fire crews," the spokesman said. The man, whose name was not released, was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center for observation. The house, valued at $44,100, was deemed a complete loss. Grappling with nation-leading prison growth, Nebraska officials are looking at ways to expand the state's problem-solving courts as a potential solution. The Nebraska Legislature's Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday to learn more about the obstacles to expanding problem-solving courts. Committee Chairman Steve Lathrop of Omaha said the idea arose while the Legislature was considering LB920, his failed criminal justice reform effort. "At least my bill last year has people coming together to talk about how do we expand the problem-solving court capacity," Lathrop said. Problem-solving courts are intensive supervised treatment programs for high-risk, high-need felony offenders that seek to change their behaviors and reduce recidivism and incarceration rates. According to Nebraska Supreme Court Justice Jeff Funke, the state has 32 problem-solving courts representing a range of issues, including mental health crises, veteran treatment, young adult crimes and drug abuse. Currently, Funke said about 4.2% of Nebraska's felony offenses are dealt with in problem-solving courts, but that rate could go up to 10% or higher. "There's obviously some huge room for improvement," Funke said. One of the biggest barriers to that expansion is a limited capacity of judges. Problem-solving courts are overseen by district judges who volunteer their time for the cases. Typically, judges are asked to devote a half-day to a full day per week for problem-solving courts, Funke said, but if they opt not to do it, there may not be a problem-solving court offered in their jurisdiction. Funke said district judges already have heavy workloads and are one of the most challenging positions in Nebraska's judicial system. On average, he said a judge will devote about 683 minutes of their time on each case in a problem-solving court. A group of criminal justice officials working on the issue brainstormed possible solutions to the problem. Funke said one proposal was to bring in other court staff, such as magistrate judges, to oversee problem-solving courts. However, he said some judges were concerned that this would minimize the program's effect. Funke said another option was to provide "enhancements," such as magistrate assistance, to reduce district judges' workloads and increase their availability for problem-solving courts. A third possibility Funke proposed was tied to increasing the demand for problem-solving courts. He said if Nebraska got up to 10% of felony cases going through these courts, it would require six to eight additional judges, relieving some of the pressure on existing judges. One potential concern with that option is how to divide the workload between judges, as Funke said many judges find their work in problem-solving courts rewarding. Another obstacle to increasing the use of problem-solving courts is that most offenders don't even know it is an option following their arrest, he said. "They don't know about it, so they don't take advantage of it," he said. Funke proposed increasing the amount of expediters working in state jails to communicate the option to recently arrested individuals who are eligible for the program. No legislation was proposed during the hearing. Funke said the same group studying the issue is also planning to research the resources available. They will eventually return to the Judiciary Committee with recommendations that may lead to legislation. By Azernews By Sabina Mammadli Azerbaijani Media Development Agency (MEDIA) and Turkish Demiroren News Agency (DHA) representatives discussed the prospects for cooperation between the two countries. The meeting was attended by Executive Director of the Media Development Agency Ahmad Ismayilov, Director General of DHA Celal Korkut, Coordinator of the Demiroren Media Education Projects Group Nuran Cakmakci, Chief Human Resources Officer at Demiroren Media Group Elif Karacaoglu, and Director-General of the Trend News Agency Ilgar Huseynov. Ismayilov informed Turkish colleagues about the steps taken to develop the media sector in Azerbaijan, support programs for print media and news websites, as well as other initiatives. Cakmakci and Karacaoglu provided information about the project of the Demiroren Media Vocational and Technical High School, created in Turkiye. "Today the high school accepted the first students. They will study the media profession together with us, and their training will definitely help them find a job in this area after graduating from the school," Korkut noted. Azerbaijan and Turkiye collaborate in a variety of economic sectors and have completed major energy and infrastructure projects, such as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars, and TANAP. In 2021, Azerbaijan and Turkiye signed the Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations, which focuses on defense cooperation, promoting regional stability, and prosperity by establishing new transport routes. The two countries set up a goal to bring the mutual trade turnover to $15 billion in 2023. As of 2021, the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $4.6 billion. So far, Turkiye is Azerbaijans second-largest investor followed by the UK. Additionally, Turkiye was one of the first countries that expressed its interest and readiness to participate in the restoration of Azerbaijans liberated territories. KENOSHA Lemon Street Gallery, 4601 Sheridan Road, is hosting an opening reception for its latest featured artists show. The free reception is 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. The featured artists are Mary Dwyer, Jayne Herring and Jill Zgorzelski. Dwyer is a watercolor artist who had a piece in the 2022 Watercolor Wisconsin exhibit earlier this year at Racines Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. Herring works in hot glass and fused glass. Her work can be seen in several area art shows. Zgorzelski works in acrylics. The artists works are on display in the gallerys Brick Room and will be featured through Oct. 16. Admission to the reception is free; refreshments are available. Regular gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to lemonstreetgallery.org or check the gallerys Facebook page. RACINE The Racine Police Association and the city will come to the bargaining table Wednesday, nearly two years after the last contract expired. Negotiations have been on hold since early 2021 while a contract dispute worked its way through the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, which finally issued a declaratory ruling in July. According to the city, the meeting Wednesday is a mediation to determine whether the two parties can come to a voluntary agreement with the assistance of a third-party mediator. Scott Letteney, city attorney, explained the city and union are trying to determine if a mediator can assist the parties in moving forward. Letteney, however, does not represent the city in the negotiations. For that, the city has hired outside legal counsel. Police leader, council president, weigh in Alderman John Tate II, president of the Racine City Council, expressed his hope the parties will be able to reach a consensus. He said it was important to the counsel that public safety is not treated differently than any other city department and that the police officers have all the same benefits negotiated for non-represented city employees, such as paid family leave and the city resident pay differential. We want them to have all of these things, he said. We want them to live and thrive in the community. Jim Palmer, executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, expressed doubts. I don't think anyone on the union side has high expectations for much to be accomplished, he said. The union members will enter with an open mind, but the city appears poised to offer something like a 1% increase, and that's simply untenable. According to Palmer, Racines police officers are paid around 8% less than comparable departments in southeastern Wisconsin. Dispute Racine police officers are operating on a contract that technically expired on Dec. 31, 2020. The dispute between the city and its public safety wing stems from changes made to the benefits package that impacted insurance coverage and retirement benefits, changes the city said were necessary in the face of a budget shortfall that was anticipated to be in the millions. Critics of the move argued promises were made to those close to retirement that would not be kept, and it would have been better to phase the changes in over a period of time. Those changes were only allowed without negotiation with the union because of changes to state law made in 2011 under Act 10, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's signature union-busting legislation, and related law changes that followed Act 10. The RPD has been bleeding personnel while officers continue to work under the old contract. The cost of living has gone up substantially since 2020, but officers' pay will not be increased until a new contract is negotiated. According to numbers released by the police department, the city currently has 169 sworn officers, eight of whom are still in the academy. The RPD has a budget of 189 officers, making the department 20 officers short. There are no vacancies on the command staff. The cap of 189 officers is down from a previous cap of 200, which was in place just two years ago. It should come as no surprise that officers are leaving in droves, Palmer said. That is a dynamic thats going to get worse with time. Leaders within Mayor Cory Mason's administration have said the budget constraints that have led to the cuts could be alleviated if the state legislature stops cutting the amount of revenue it provides to municipalities. In 1994-95, 12.5% of the states total general fund budget was devoted to shared revenue. By 2016-17, shared revenue made up just 5% of the states general fund. Palmer said he agrees that the state legislature needs to make more money available to municipalities. But, he said, "I'm sure the city is going to basically point fingers at the state that shared revenue has not increased ... On that proposition, we would agree. But with that said, we see communities across the state seeing difficult situations like Racine, but they are prioritizing public safety in a way that Racine is not." Tate said that the right to collective bargaining comes with a responsibility to negotiate in good faith. He added the only way to have ones say is to be engaged in the process until both parties are satisfied and employees are getting the benefits they bargained for. Added Letteney: Our hope is that we can negotiate an agreement regarding the matters that we are legally required to negotiate." History The city and police union met before and after the expiration of the last contract in December 2020 but did not find common ground. The union claimed the changes should have been part of the bargaining process. The city contends they cannot be part of the bargaining process under state law. According to Letteney, early in 2021 both sides agreed to put negotiations on hold and seek a declaratory ruling from the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission on the disputed aspects of the contract. Both sides submitted their arguments and a hearing was held. On July 6, 2022, WERC issued its declaratory ruling in which it primarily sided with the city. The Wisconsin Professional Police Association has filed a request for review in the Dane County Circuit Court. Palmer said he expects the union will prevail over the city, which will be costly in litigation costs that he believes could have been better suited to have been spent on public safety. The court has ruled it will allow the International Association of Firefighters Local 321, AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) to join that case as WERC issued a similar ruling for the firefighters as it did for the Racine Police Association. Acts The Wisconsin Legislature has been limiting the ability for unions to negotiate contracts for more than a decade. In the current matter, the city has argued its changes to benefits could not be part of the bargaining process because that would violate state law. Just as one example, the first issue to be raised was one of medical coverage. Act 32, passed in 2011, prevents public employers from bargaining design and selection of health care coverage plans along with the wages, hours and conditions of employment. A subsequent law, Act 20 adopted 2013, held Act 20 "significantly restricts bargaining over all of the elements of health insurance coverage plans other than employee premium contributions. Adam Rogan of The Journal Times contributed to this report. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy RACINE Racines Mobile Election Unit could be used as a legal polling place, but it is not legal right now because it is not ADA compliant, despite the accommodations the city had in place for disabled voters. The ruling was issued by the Wisconsin Elections Commission last week. City Clerk Tara McMenamin confirmed use of the MEU was on pause and its future use was up in the air. The MEU has been used in the last two elections as an early voting location. The city touted use of the voting van because it saved effort for poll workers and made it easier for residents throughout the city to cast ballots. By not having to move equipment just the vehicle more voting locations on more days were available to City of Racine residents. However, the vehicle was not wheelchair accessible. The Wisconsin Elections Commission ruled that the accommodations the city had in place to compensate were not sufficient. WECs decision, signed by Administrator Meagan Wolfe Sept. 30, came after a complaint was filed March 9 by Racine resident Sandra Morris and former city alderman/mayoral candidate Sandy Weidner. Of course I was happy when they ruled in my favor. I was wondering why it took them six months to do it, Weidner said in a phone interview Tuesday. The WEC should have made a decision back in March There have been two elections since then when (Racine Mayor) Cory (Mason) was able to use a polling place that was not ADA compliant. Due to unprecedented numbers of complaints being filed with WEC since the 2020 presidential election, there remains a backlog of complaints filed many months ago that are only now being addressed by the commission. So, what now? The mobile election unit will be on pause for the general election, McMenamin said in an email. But dont expect the vehicle to disappear. Many residents may still see the MEU out and about while we help all voters outside of the MEU to submit their in-person absentee ballots, and to be in compliance with the ruling of the WEC, McMenamin continued. As always I believe voting should be accessible for all those legally able to vote, and we want to ensure we are following the letter of the law and providing accessible voting through ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, while still providing access to the polls. So, might the city sell the vehicle? Or outfit it in a way that would make it ADA compliant? Its unclear right now. At this point in time I am focusing on the November election and how I can help voters now. Ill reevaluate after this November, McMenamin said in a follow-up email Wednesday. Multiple important contested statewide and regional elections including for Assembly seats, U.S. Senate, governor and attorney general are on Racine County ballots for the Nov. 8 election. Why isnt it legal? The city had aimed to make the vehicle accessible to all by setting up a doorbell outside that could be pressed by those needing assistance because they could not enter the vehicle itself, which the city attested made the vehicle ADA compliant. WEC said that wasnt enough. WECs decision noted numerous benefits to democracy that could be provided by such a mobile voting unit while still concluding it was not in compliance with the law. The precinct may even increase the participation of disabled voters by providing a mobile service that can be stationed at care facilities and in neighborhoods in which such voters reside, giving them access to registration and voting services that do not require accessible vans or other forms to transit, the decision said. Despite all of the benefits of the mobile precinct, and an analysis of the equivalent and private voting experiences of all voters, the Commission concedes that the ADA and HAVA (Help America Vote Act) still necessitate absolute compliance with polling place facility requirements, even for mobile units that may benefit voters with disabilities. The law requires that those who cannot enter a polling place due to a disability are given an equally effective opportunity to vote. The mobile voting unit, according to WEC, does not achieve that standard. The complaint filed by Morris and Weidner noted there were federal requirements including that each polling location is required to have at least one ADA accessible entrance, while the van is practically impossible to enter with the use of a wheelchair the MEU does not have a wheelchair lift. City wins in second dispute In a second WEC decision, also issued Sept. 30 related to a separate complaint filed by Sandy Weidner and Sandra Morris, ruled in favor of the city. Weidner and Morris had unsuccessfully claimed that the use of CTCL grants, the citys VoteRacine.org website and the citys focus on hiring poll workers who are students were illegal. The citys advocacy for, and encouragement of, an increase in absentee voting by mail is a get out the vote effort which is impermissible under the Help America Vote Act, Weidner and Morris claimed, and further said that Racines stated goal to Expand Voter Education and Outreach to Disenfranchised Populations is unconstitutional. More explicitly, the focus on race and historical disenfranchisement as a determination of voter education and outreach violates equal protection rights guaranteed by the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. WEC rejected that argument. The Commission finds no probable cause to believe a violation of law or abuse of discretion has occurred with regard to the alleged violation of HAVA and the U.S. Constitution, relating to the (citys) website usage, get-out-the-vote campaigns, voter outreach efforts and hiring practices for poll workers. Conservative-led questions Conservatives have disparaged the Mobile Election Unit as a polling booth on wheels with partisan goals. The MEU was purchased using at least $250,000 of the $1.7 million the city received from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, the Chicago nonprofit largely funded by billionaire Priscilla Chan and her husband, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. While CTCL provided more than $10 million to more than 210 Wisconsin communities prior to the 2020 presidential election, the largest share of the money went to the states five-most populous cities, all of which vote primarily for Democrats, leading to conservatives painting get-out-the-vote efforts as partisan. No courts have concluded there was anything illegal about the grants. The Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a bill last year that would have made it illegal for municipalities to directly receive grants from private entities for the purposes of running elections, but the bill was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Democrats have pushed back against Republican claims. Democrats are saying that encouraging participation in democracy is unquestionably good and are dismissing conservatives attacks as undemocratic. A complaint filed Aug. 10 by Racine County GOP Chairman Ken Brown and the Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty law firm claims that the citys use of the vehicle unfairly makes it easier for liberals to vote. There has yet to be a resolution to that complaint. BURLINGTON Thirty years after environmental protests blocked excavation plans, developers are trying again with a 75-acre farm that has a hill loaded with valuable sand and gravel. Reesman Co. is asking the city to rezone the property and grant a permit so the hill can be flattened and the property then can be redeveloped as an expansion of the nearby Burlington Industrial Park. The same concept stirred controversy that prompted city officials in 1990 to reject Reesman after environmentalists objected to bulldozing the scenic agricultural site surrounded by trees. The episode led to creation of a new group, the Burlington Environmental Action Coalition, whose members celebrated their victory in working to preserve a part of the communitys natural beauty. But most of those protesters have since moved away or died, which has created an opening for Reesman to approach the city and make another overture for redevelopment. Gay Howe, a coalition member who now lives in Walworth County, said she is heartbroken to hear that the Burlington farm property might succumb to business expansion after all. Howe said the environmental group faded away after its hard-fought victory in 1990. That was a beautiful moment, she said of the earlier win. I cant believe just how things have changed. Burlington City Council members have met behind closed doors in recent months to discuss the farm property at 808 and 892 McHenry St., which was known for many years as the Sullivan family farm. If you go The Burlington Plan Commission is scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in the City Council chambers, 224 E. Jefferson St., to consider the Reesman Co. proposal. The meeting is open to the public. The Burlington Plan Commission is scheduled to meet Oct. 11 to consider a proposal from Reesman Co. to rezone the agricultural site and to issue a permit for quarrying and excavation activities. Company Chairman J.R. Reesman said if the city approves, his company would acquire the 75-acre farm and transform it into a productive commercial site, with a new road connecting it to the Burlington Industrial Park. The company would excavate the hilly farm to remove sand and gravel valuable for road construction and other industrial uses. The company then would redevelop the site as part of the neighboring industrial park. Reesman said the concept remains as appealing as it was 30 years ago, when his father was running the company and pitched the original idea to city officials. Nothings really changed, he said. It just makes sense. 32 years in the making The farm, which covered more than 100 acres at one time, was annexed into the city in 1990 from the Town of Burlington. But after approving the annexation, city officials heard loud opposition to the Reesman plan for redevelopment. At the time, the company forecasted that it would spend five years extracting 3 million tons of gravel and other building material from the site. Gravel has become an increasingly desirable finite but plentiful resource. According to the federal U.S. Geological Survey, in 2020, 960 million tons of sand and gravel worth $9.2 billion were produced across the country in an estimated 6,800 pits by approximately 3,870 companies. One of those stepping forward in the environmental protest was Robert Sullivan, who was related to other Sullivan family members making plans to sell the family farm to Reesman. Sullivan also served on the city Plan Commission at the time. Sullivan collected more than 100 signatures on a petition opposing the farm project, and joined with Howes environmental group to stop the redevelopment. Regional planners at the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission also designated the farm as part of an environmental corridor deserving special protection. The City Council voted 5-3 against Reesmans rezoning request in August 1990. Archives Do you want to read local history, from environmental battles in 1990 to pre-Civil War newspapers to the Green Bay Packers' Super Bowl victory in 2011? You can find all that (and plenty more) at JournalTimes.com/archives Sullivan, who still lives in the area, said his family has long since sold the farm property. He doubts that city officials eager for new development would deny Reesman again. Its kind of a different environment now, he said. Times have changed. Some of the site was taken over by state highway planners when the Burlington bypass was constructed. Owners want develop The farms current owners, Jim and Suzanne Hughes, bought the property from Sullivans family shortly after the successful 1990 environmental protest to protect the land. The Hughes family lived on the farm for nearly 10 years. Since, they have since been looking for ways to sell it. Suzanne Hughes said the couple has run into numerous obstacles and delays from city bureaucrats and others regarding any potential industrial or residential development of the property. Its been dragging on for a very long time, she said. About a year ago, the couple began discussions anew with Reesman representatives about the farm site. Burlington City Council members on May 17 cited unspecified business competition or bargaining issues as reasons for holding a closed-door meeting to discuss what was described simply as the Hughes property. Whatever the Plan Commission decides on the new rezoning and permit proposal will be subject to City Council ratification. Suzanne Hughes said she is not especially optimistic, but she hopes to see Reesmans new plans go through. It seems to be going around in circles for years and years and years, she said. Its been a long time coming. 1. Yes. Its important to cast my votes early and avoid the lines on Election Day. 2. Yes. With nearly two weeks of early voting, its a more convenient way to take part. 3. No. Its better to wait until Election Day, in case any last-minute information surfaces. 4. No. Im not planning to vote early or on Election Day. It isnt worth my time. 5. Unsure. It depends on how the campaigns are shaping up. Ill play it by ear. Vote View Results By Trend On the night of October 4, the first flight of Azerbaijan Airlines, departing from Baku, landed at Samarkand airport, Trend reports citing AZAL. The aircraft of the national air carrier was traditionally greeted with a water arch. Flights to Samarkand - the pearl of Uzbekistan and one of the oldest cities in the world - will be operated 2 times a week as part of the winter schedule. BOSTON A tender and touching letter that author John Steinbeck penned to his teenage son, offering fatherly advice after the young man confided that he was in love for the first time, is going up for auction. Boston-based RR Auction says the handwritten draft of a letter to his eldest son, Thomas then 14 shows the Of Mice and Men author's empathy: He refused to dismiss it as puppy love. While this letter offers an intimate, private glimpse into Steinbecks family life, it also expresses his ideas about love with profundity and eloquence, said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of the auction house. In the two-page letter, dated Nov. 10, 1958, the Nobel Literature Prize laureate told his son: If you are in love thats a good thing thats about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Dont let anyone make it small or light to you." Steinbeck, who won a Pulitzer for The Grapes of Wrath in 1940 and the Nobel in 1962 for a body of acclaimed work, showed he was no stranger to matters of the heart. The object of love is the best, and most beautiful. Try to live up to it, he wrote. If you love someone there is no possible harm in saying so only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration. Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also, he said. It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good." If it is right, it happens The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away," the California-born novelist wrote, signing his letter simply: Love, Father. John Steinbeck died in 1968, and Thomas Steinbeck died in 2016. The text of the letter has been published for worldwide audiences, including in 1989's Steinbeck: A Life in Letters, by Penguin Books. KEARNEY Composer Robert Gross identifies two necessary ingredients to make a living as a creator of music luck and perseverance. In an interview from his home in Indiana, he said, You have to be very willing and very open to writing a lot of music for different people. You cant ever say, No! I never write concert band music. I would never dream of doing that. You have to be very open. And you have to have that bone in your head thats willing to promote your own cause. Gross still struggles with self-promotion. Im getting better with that as necessity has forced me to improve, and thats fine, he said, noting that he quit his day job as a music therapist several months ago to completely focus on creating music. As a composer who works in many different genres, Gross thinks of music as interpersonal connection through sound. He cites the work of John Cage, who challenged the boundaries of what can count as a piece of music. I tend to be very ecumenical about what I consider to be music, he said. At the same time, I think there has to be some human framing we put a frame around sound and call it music. Thats probably enough to make it qualify as music. I tend to want to do a little more. I want to reach out, even in my most post-tonal compositions, and still want to communicate something with someone else. Kearney Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Alison Gaines, will premier Gross work, Modlin Songs, in concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Fine Arts Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building on the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus. Tickets are $13. The concert also includes Schuberts Symphony No. 8, Unfinished, and music from Verdis Aida. Gross has worked with Kearney area musicians before. His work has been performed as part of the UNK New Music Festival, and in 2019 the Kearney Symphony Orchestra debuted his saxophone concerto with professor David Nabb performing. For his current piece, Gross used three poems by Brad Modlin, UNK associate professor of English and Paul and Clarice Reynolds endowed chair of creative writing. I selected three poems that are about relationships, Gross said. The music will sound like the inner dialogue thats going on with the characters. If you imagine bad relationships in a romantic comedy movie, thats what my music will sound like. Its very accessible. Gross uses the term cinematic to describe the piece. When it comes to incorporating influences, Gross acknowledges the power of other composers. I really believe in pluralism, he said. I believe in pluralism in society and embracing different threads and different strains of influences. Im a big cheerleader for other composers. There are very few composers that I absolutely dont like. My tastes are very broad ranging. I really enjoy learning from composers who dont write in the same style I do. That gives me great room for growth and lets me challenge myself. Gross, 48, sees the downside as the inability to point to one particular piece of music and claim that it represents his style. His education includes studies at Oberlin Conservatory, Rice University, University of Bristol, University of Southern California and Texas Womans University. He grew up in a small town in Michigan. I was a late bloomer, he said of his introduction into the world of music. When I was an undergrad, during my freshman year, two other composers wanted me to hear this piece that I had never heard of before, by a composer I had never heard of before. It was the Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. We went to a dorm room where two of us poured through the score, and I was absolutely and completely lost. I could not follow the score at all. The complexity of the score was like nothing Gross had ever seen. I dont want to disparage growing up in a small town, he said. I had piano lessons with a very wonderful teacher who really believed in Bach and Beethoven. I played a lot of Bach and Beethoven and then branched out into my own little world. There are five apartments in the building, and the residents were able to escape the residence or were not home at the time. Firefighters rescued two dogs from the building. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages hunters to get their deer tested for chronic wasting disease (CWD) before consuming venison. As a precaution, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization recommend against consuming meat from deer that test positive for the disease. Because infected deer can look healthy, DHS encourages testing for the disease regardless of your harvested deers physical condition, especially in areas where CWD is known to be present. CWD is an always-fatal contagious neurological disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, moose and caribou. The disease can spread through contact with an infected animal's saliva, urine or feces. It can also spread indirectly through exposure to a contaminated environment. CWD prions are extremely resilient and can stay in the soil for a long time, making containment of an affected area a challenge. CWD testing made easy The DNR has made CWD testing easy and accessible to every hunter in the state by offering free testing and various options to make the sample drop-off process fast and convenient. By having deer tested, hunters help protect the states deer herd by providing the DNR important data needed to understand where CWD exists on the landscape to help slow the spread. Where to test for CWD The DNR offers four easy ways to submit a sample: 1. Self-service kiosks open 24/7. Kiosks have supplies for hunters to drop off their adult deers head with 5 inches of neck attached for testing. This is a great option for antlerless deer or any deer that has already been skull-capped or caped out by a taxidermist. Hunters can find a location near them by checking the DNRs CWD sampling webpage. 2. In-person with cooperating meat processors, taxidermists and other businesses. This is a great option for hunters with a deer they intend to mount. If your taxidermist is not a cooperator, ask for the caped-out head back so you can drop it off at a kiosk. Meat processors/other businesses can collect the deer head for sampling later or remove the lymph nodes at the time of drop-off. Use the interactive map on the DNRs webpage to find locations near you. 3. At-home lymph node sampling. These kits are available for those interested in collecting their own CWD sample and for hunters who are unable to stop by a kiosk or cooperator within a day or two of harvesting a deer. Hunters can extract the retropharyngeal lymph nodes using an instruction kit provided by the DNR or picked up at a self-serve kiosk and return them to the DNR or a kiosk for testing. 4. By appointment with local DNR staff. This is a good option for hunters who want to have a European mount done. Hunters can contact their local wildlife management staff to schedule an in-person appointment. When submitting a sample for testing, try the DNRs online CWD form to complete the process. Hunters can access the form in their Go Wild harvest history after registering their deer. The online form automatically fills in your name, contact information, customer ID number and harvest registration number and includes an interactive map to drop a pin on your harvest location. CWD testing, proper carcass disposal and following baiting and feeding regulations are three key ways to slow the spread. The DNRs guide to slowing the spread of CWD provides even more ways hunters can help. Thank you to everyone who helped to make our annual pork chop dinner a success! We again sold out, and we are grateful to everyone who donated, cooked, baked, served, bought, and ate. October is here, with its focus on Oktoberfest and German culture. In honor of that, German genealogy will be the theme of our next genealogy class, which will take place on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m., at the museum. The class will watch a webinar about researching German ancestors. Genealogy classes are held in the museums first-floor, wheelchair-accessible conference room. Classes are free for members of the Vernon County Historical Society, and $5 for non-members. New students are always welcome. Many German immigrants settled in Wisconsin in the mid to late 1800s. By 1900, Germans constituted 34% of the states population, but in Vernon County they were never more than 8% of the countys population. Most German immigrants in Vernon County settled in the Towns of Bergen and Hamburg, closest to the major German population in La Crosse. They tended to settle in tight-knit communities comprised of others from the same place in Germany. Local German institutions included churches, such as St. Johns and St. Matthews German Lutheran churches in Bergen, and the two St. Peters German Lutheran churches in Hamburg. Some country schools were also predominantly German, including Brinkman Ridge School in Hamburg. Former teacher Helen (Larson) Monson remembered that the students there spoke German, but were not allowed to speak it in the schoolyard. On the subject of country schools, heres something to put on your October calendar: Saturday, Oct. 22, will be the date of this years country schoolhouse road tour. The route will cover the eastern portion of Vernon County, passing by many former country schools. Some of the remaining buildings have been creatively re-used as homes or for storage, some stand empty, and some are gone although their former locations are known. The tour will begin in La Farge, travel to and from Hillsboro, and end in Rockton. A tour guide booklet will be for sale with a map, explaining the route and the location of the many schoolhouses along the way. The book, Country Schoolhouses of Vernon County, Wisconsin, will also be available for sale that day. More details to come soon about this exciting event. Throughout the month of October, the museum and archives continue to be open Monday through Friday, noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. Known for its exquisite cuisine, sophisticated cocktails, stylish parties and captivating beats, COYA has revealed its very own unique collection of NFT (non-fungible tokens) artworks, curated in honour of the brands 10-year anniversary. Further strengthening its art and design-focused DNA, the immersive 360-degree lifestyle brand is uniting digital artists on a global scale, who designed and created an NFT, or a collection of NFTs, that represent each vibrant COYA venue found in London, Paris, Monte-Carlo, Mykonos, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Doha. Officially launched on Monday, October 3, all the series of NFTs will be listed on the Art page of the COYA website, allowing NFT enthusiasts and tastemakers to purchase the exclusive collection. Filled with eclectic and unique NFTs, the project symbolises COYAs ever increasing commitment to supporting local, up-and-coming artists, and it also forms part of the global brands 10-year anniversary celebrations. Exciting project Yannis Stanisiere, Chief Operating Officer of COYA Restaurants & Pisco Bar explains: The 10-year anniversary NFT collection is one of our most exciting projects this year and it holds enormous significance for us. It symbolises our passion for art, and the fact that we are a progressive and forward-thinking lifestyle brand that is always eager to explore new trends and go boldly. Every art piece is distinctly unique, and each tells its own enrapturing story. The collection showcases the enchanting and fascinating cultures of the cities and countries that COYA is proud to call home. From our flagship location in COYA Mayfair to the recently opened COYA Riyadh, each branch has its own unique personality, but this project symbolises that all nine of our eclectic and sophisticated locations all share the same creative and artistic DNA. Matt Griff creates striking NFTs Starting in the UK capital, the flagship COYA Mayfair and COYA City have enlisted self-taught artist Matt Griff to create their striking NFTs. Born in France and now based in London, Matt also contributed to COYAs recent Pisco Jar Project art collaboration, and his contemporary, Picasso-influenced paintings are just as impactful in digital form as they are on canvas. Lukas Avalon designs NFTs for COYA Monte Carlo and COYA Paris Hopping over to Monte Carlo, Lukas Avalon is bringing his street art-style and Andy Warhol-inspired designs to the NFTs of COYA Monte-Carlo and COYA Paris. The Monegasque artist has created two uniquely designed NFT's that pay tribute to Grace Kelly, the peoples Princess of Monaco, and the legendary Karl Lagerfeld, a haute couture icon like no other in Paris. Samantha Lomas draws inspiration from Greek islands Moving to the blue seas and white sands of the Greek islands, COYA Mykonos has collaborated with Samantha Lomas, the talent behind the women-empowerment brand The Sassy Crayon. Passionate about uplifting female artists, Samantha paints in an abstract and realist style thats filled with playful wonderment and symbolic images. Her COYA collection combines traditional techniques with modern technologies to take viewers on a symbolic journey through Incan mythology that honours the past, present and the future. Each NFT represents a different Incan god, including majestic and awe-inspiring figures such as COYA Queen of the Incas and Mama Quilla - God of the Moon. The creative, Dubai-based artist made her head-turning, neon-coloured COYA collection using a fusion of mixed media, acrylics, gold leaf, spray paint and oils. Puja Tiwari merges COYA's vibrant values Over in the Middle East, UAE-based NFT artist Puja Tiwari channelled her colourful, whimsical and fantastical style into creating some unique curated pieces for COYA Dubai and COYA Abu Dhabi. Known as 1800.Weirdo, her works are inspired by her vivid dreams and nightmares. She originally started to invest in art as a creative release from her corporate job, and she now thrives on the power and endless possibilities of digital collage art. Driven by a desire to allow viewers to experience new and unusual feelings, her work has previously been shown at prestigious NFT exhibitions across Dubai and Bahrain. Influenced by the mystic tales of Peruvian culture, COYA's vibrant values and the history of the UAE, her tenacious yet playful NFTs for COYA symbolise the fine line between masculine and feminine. Like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, her pieces are built from the same values and ethos but still boast their own distinctive personality. Adorned with Aztec motifs in tribute to Peru and sand dunes in honour of Dubais natural surroundings, her female figure is an ode to COYA Dubai, while the male figures nautical theme represents COYA Abu Dhabis waterfront position on Al Maryah Island. Simon McNallys NFTs for COYA Doha In Qatar, COYA Dohas digital masterpieces will feature the talents of Irish artist Simon McNally. An experimental creative who favours varied materials such as charcoal and oils, he has even been known to use real rocks and sand in his work. Simon challenges himself to represent deep and meaningful emotions in every piece, and he hopes to use his collaboration with COYA to inspire a whole new audience of art lovers. Christopher Hunts bold patterns for COYA Riyadhs NFT Finally, established artist Christopher Hunt is collaborating with COYA Riyadh to bring his award-winning Distressed Design NFTs to the COYA 10-year anniversary celebrations. An internally acclaimed art director who has been recognised by the United Nations, his bespoke collection showcases the magical cultures of Peru and Saudi Arabia through bold yet minimalistic patterns made with patterns, leaves and colours that are inspired by both countries. Exploring the differences and similarities between the two nations and their beautiful natural landscapes, the pieces acknowledge fascinating historical aspects such as the importance of the traditional headdresses of Arabia, and the colonial patterns of Peru.-- TradeArabia News Service Putin signs annexation of Ukrainian regions as losses mount KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the final papers Wednesday to annex four regions of Ukraine while his military struggled to control the new territory that was added in violation of international laws. Ukrainian law enforcement officials, meanwhile, reported discovering more evidence of torture and killings in areas retaken from Russian forces. In Lyman, an eastern town liberated after more than four months of Russian occupation, residents emerged from their destroyed homes to receive packages of food and medicine. In a defiant move, the Kremlin held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine. Speaking in a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting residents who would be eager to embrace Russia. Peskov did not specify which additional Ukrainian territories Moscow is eyeing, and he wouldnt say if the Kremlin planned to organize more such referendums. North Korea launches more missiles as US redeploys carrier SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to Pyongyangs previous launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan. The latest missile launches suggest North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. Many experts say Kims goal is to eventually win U.S. recognition as a legitimate nuclear state and the lifting of those sanctions, though the international community has shown no sign of allowing that to happen. The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from the Norths capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometers (37 miles). The flight details were similar to Japanese assessments announced by Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, who confirmed that the missiles didnt reach Japans exclusive economic zone. He added that the second missile was possibly launched on an irregular trajectory. It is a term that has been previously used to describe the flight characteristics of a North Korean weapon modeled after Russias Iskander missile, which travels at low altitudes and is designed to be maneuverable in flight to improve its chances of evading missile defenses. Biden and DeSantis join together in Ian recovery effort FORT MYERS, Florida (AP) President Joe Biden surveyed the devastation of hurricane-ravaged Florida on Wednesday, promising to marshal the power of the federal government to help rebuild as he comforted local residents alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential 2024 foe. Biden praised DeSantis' handling of the storm recovery as both men who have battled over pandemic protocols and migration as the governor mulls a presidential bid put aside politics for a few days. The state is struggling to recover from the wreckage of Hurricane Ian, which tore through southwestern Florida last week and left dozens dead. Today we have one job and only one job, and thats to make sure the people in Florida get everything they need to fully, thoroughly recover, Biden said in a community that bore the brunt of Ian's assault. He warned that the rebuilding effort will take months or years. Its going to take a hell of a long time, hopefully without any snags in the way," he said as DeSantis stood behind him, hands folded as he squinted into the glaring sunlight. Later, after the television cameras have moved on, were still going to be here with you. The days after Ian's landfall in Florida have prompted a temporary detente between Biden and DeSantis, who had spoken on the phone at least three times to coordinate recovery efforts. They spent part of Wednesday meeting with area residents and, for Biden, absorbing the full scope of Ian's devastation. Twitter under Musk? Most of the plans are a mystery SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A super app called X? A bot-free free speech haven? These are some of Elon Musk's mysterious plans for Twitter, now that he may be buying the company after all. After months of squabbling over the fate of their bombshell $44 billion deal, the billionaire and the bird app are essentially back to square one if a bit worse for wear as trust and goodwill has seemed to erode on both sides. Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX and Twitter's most high-profile user since former President Donald Trump was booted from it, has shared few concrete details about his plans for the social media platform. While he's touted free speech and derided spam bots since agreeing to buy the company in April, what he actually wants to do about either is shrouded in mystery. He could own one of the world's most powerful communications platforms with 237 million daily users in a matter of weeks, though the deal is not final. The lack of clear plans for the platform are raising concern among Twitter's constituencies, ranging from users in conflict regions where it offers an information lifeline to the company's own employees. Both users and advertisers are understandably anxious about whether the move will fundamentally change the culture of the platform, said Brooke Erin Duffy, a professor at Cornell University who studies social media. And so, Musk will need to decide whether he wants to quash their concerns by retaining core features (the content moderation system, for instance) and keeping the company public or whether he will undertake a full-scale overhaul. Appeals court orders another review of revised 'DACA' NEW ORLEANS (AP) A federal appeals court Wednesday ordered a lower court review of Biden administration revisions to a program preventing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal district judge in Texas should take another look at the program following the revisions adopted in August. The ruling leaves the future of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals up in the air, with current DACA recipients protected for now but new applicants barred. President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was disappointed in the ruling, noting, The courts stay provides a temporary reprieve for DACA recipients but one thing remains clear: the lives of Dreamers remain in limbo. People protected by DACA are commonly referred to as Dreamers, based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act. The president added, And while we will use the tools we have to allow Dreamers to live and work in the only country they know as home, it is long past time for Congress to pass permanent protections for Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship. The advocacy group Families Belong Together said in a statement, It is beyond time for Congress and Biden to act on their promises. Barges grounded by low water halt Mississippi River traffic The unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in mud and sand, disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line. Lack of rainfall in recent weeks has left the Mississippi River approaching record low levels in some areas from Missouri south through Louisiana. The U.S. Coast Guard said at least eight groundings of barges have been reported in the past week, despite low-water restrictions on barge loads. One of the groundings happened Friday between Louisiana and Mississippi, near Lake Providence, Louisiana. It halted river traffic in both directions for days to clear the grounded barges from the channel and to deepen the channel via dredging to prevent future groundings, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Sabrina Dalton said in an email. As a result, dozens of tows and barges were lined up in both directions, waiting to get by. The stoppage also brought a halt to a Viking cruise ship with about 350 passengers on board, said R. Thomas Berner, a Penn State professor emeritus of journalism and American studies, and one of the passengers. The Viking ship was originally supposed to launch from New Orleans on Saturday, but the water there was so low that the launch was moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Berner said. At 15 least dead as 2 migrant boats sink in Greek waters ATHENS, Greece (AP) At least 15 people have died as two boats carrying migrants sank in Greek waters late Wednesday, and rescuers were looking for dozens still missing, authorities said early Thursday. The coast guard said 15 bodies had been recovered near the eastern island of Lesbos after a dinghy carrying about 40 people sank. Five people were rescued and three had been located on a rocky outcrop near the site of the sinking. A second rescue effort was launched several hundred kilometers (miles) to the west, near the island of Kythira, where a sailboat carrying about 100 migrants hit rocks and sank late Wednesday. Officials said 30 people had been rescued after that boat hit rocks off the village port of Diakofti on the east of the island. Winds in the area were up to 70 kph (45 mph). We could see the boat smashing against the rocks and people climbing up those rocks to try and save themselves. It was an unbelievable sight, Martha Stathaki, a local resident told The Associated Press. All the residents here went down to the harbor to try and help. Fire service rescuers lowered ropes to help migrants climb up cliffs on the seafront. Local officials said a school in the area would be opened to provide shelter for the rescued. Navy divers were also expected to arrive Thursday. Most migrants reaching Greece travel from neighboring Turkey, but smugglers have changed routes in recent months in an effort to avoid heavily patrolled waters around Greek islands near the Turkish coastline. Fan who caught Aaron Judge's 62nd HR offered $2M for ball The owner of a sports memorabilia auction house says he has offered $2 million to the fan who caught Aaron Judge's American League-record 62nd home run. JP Cohen, president of Memory Lane Inc. in Tustin, California, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has texted and emailed Cory Youmans, the man who caught Judge's milestone shot Tuesday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Cohen says Youmans has not yet replied. I feel the offer is way above fair, if he is inclined to sell it, Cohen said in a telephone interview with the AP on Wednesday. Youmans grabbed the historic souvenir on the fly as it sailed into the front row of section 31 in left field. The homer pushed Judge past Roger Maris for the AL season record a mark many consider baseball's clean standard because the only National League players who hit more have been tarnished by ties to steroids. Youmans, who is from Dallas, works in the financial world. He was asked Tuesday what he planned to do with the prize while security personnel whisked him away to have it authenticated. Nobel Prize for 3 chemists who made molecules 'click' STOCKHOLM (AP) Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of snapping molecules together that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely. Americans Carolyn R. Bertozzi and K. Barry Sharpless, and Danish scientist Morten Meldal were cited for their work on click chemistry that works sort of like molecular Lego. Its all about snapping molecules together, said Johan Aqvist, a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Sharpless, 81, who previously won a Nobel in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the prize twice, first proposed the idea of connecting molecules using chemical buckles around the turn of the millennium, Aqvist said. The problem was to find good chemical buckles, he said. They have to react with each other easily and specifically. OPEC+ makes big oil cut to boost prices; pump costs may rise FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) The OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries decided Wednesday to sharply cut production to support sagging oil prices, a move that could deal the struggling global economy another blow and raise politically sensitive pump prices for U.S. drivers just ahead of key national elections. Energy ministers cut production by a larger-than-expected 2 million barrels per day starting in November after gathering for their first face-to-face meeting at the Vienna headquarters of the OPEC oil cartel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group said the decision was based on the uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks. Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman stressed the groups stated role as a guardian of stable energy markets. We are here to stay as a moderating force, to bring about stability, he told reporters. Oil is trading well below its summer peaks because of fears that major global economies such as the U.S. or Europe will sink into recession due to high inflation, rising interest rates and energy uncertainty over Russia's war in Ukraine. The OPEC+ decision could help member Russia weather a looming European ban on most of Moscows oil, but its impact will have some limitations because countries in the alliance already cant meet their quotas. Dane County says an experimental technology involving bacteria has been used to clean up toxic forever chemicals at the Madison airport, though county officials have not released any evidence. The county and Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs issued a news release Tuesday claiming a nine-month pilot remediation project removed 97% of two fluorinated compounds from groundwater. The chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, are found in firefighting foam used at military bases and airports and have been linked to cancer and other health problems. County officials did not provide data to support the claim or say whether the treated water meets state or federal guidelines. Dane County Regional Airport spokesperson Michael Riechers said data would be released after it is presented to the state Department of Natural Resources, but did not say when that would happen. But airport director Kimberly Jones said the pilot will be expanded to other parts of the airport, including one of two former training areas, known as burn pits, that the DNR identified in 2018 as potential contaminated sites. DNR officials did not respond to questions about the results or whether the county has been authorized to expand the project. The projects cost is also unclear. According to the county, the test cleanup was done by Orin Technologies, of Verona, and a Canadian company known as Fixed Earth Innovations, which have formed a new joint venture called Onur Solutions. The process, according to materials on Orins website, entails injecting a mix of chemicals and bacteria into the soil along with electrodes that generate oxygen. The idea is to trap PFAS so the microbes can break them down. After 10 weeks at an unnamed Midwest airport, the company said, the total PFAS concentration in groundwater below a 1,600-square-foot area had been reduced by more than 96%. But the company did not specify concentrations of individual chemicals, and the resulting PFAS concentrations were still thousands of times higher than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says is safe for drinking water. Studies urged Treating the final 4% becomes exponentially harder, said Christy Remucal, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UW-Madison. Remucal said treating groundwater in place is typically more effective and requires far less energy than pumping it out and through filters, which then must be buried in special landfills. But Remucal said theres little scientific evidence that biodegradation works on PFAS, whose strong molecular bonds make them difficult to break down and which tend to transform into other harmful substances. Remucal wants to see controlled lab studies before the technology is tested in the field. You kind of need to see the data to see if thats really happening, Remucal said. Microbes dont like to eat them. Theyre not a good food source. To date, most PFAS remediation involves the use of filters to trap the chemicals. Destruction is another matter. New frontier This is really where the frontier is, said Brittany Trang, a science writer who discovered a new method for destroying PFAS using solvents at relatively low temperatures as part of her Ph.D. research at Northwestern University. Trang said the only method used at the municipal level is incineration, though if the temperature is not hot enough, that can result in formation of other fluorinated compounds or just spread the PFAS into the air. All the other ones are pilot-scale or lab-scale investigations, Trang said. The method we developed is not ready for prime time in any sense. Trang said a reputable study would account for what substances went in and what was recovered. Show that it didnt become something else that we have to worry about, she said. 4 years on Its been more than four years since the DNR notified the county, along with the city of Madison and the Wisconsin National Guard, that they were responsible for PFAS contamination at the airport, where tests of groundwater and stormwater confirmed concentrations of two compounds thousands of times higher than state standards and millions of times what the EPA considers safe for consumption. The airport drains into Starkweather Creek, which flows into Lake Monona, where health officials have warned anglers to limit consumption of fish because of the chemicals, which have been linked to illnesses including high blood pressure, low birth weight, developmental delays and cancer. The city and county have deferred to the National Guard Bureau, which is investigating contamination at Truax Field under a federal process that could take a decade for actual cleanup work to begin. This summer, after learning that the Pentagon did not include the burn pits in its remediation plan, the DNR again ordered the city, county and guard to submit a cleanup plan for the burn pits. Jones responded earlier this month saying the county and its partners are working to come up with a plan to do more testing of the burn pits and alluded to promising results from the pilot program, which the DNR previously said was not successful at reducing PFAS in stormwater. We trust that the additional time it is taking to gather that data is a worthwhile investment to assure all concerned that the remediation technology will succeed, Jones wrote. We also trust that the Department recognizes that past efforts once characterized as failed are in fact part of the robust scientific process that have led to these hopeful developments. In Rolling Stone Interview, Roger Waters Says He Is on a Ukrainian Kill List Oct. 4, 2022 (EIRNS)Under the above headline, today, Rolling Stone published a wide-ranging interview with British rock star Roger Waters, who is now on both Ukraines Myrotvorets death list and Kiev regimes updated National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) list of would-be information terrorists, for his outspoken opposition to NATO, the Wests policy of arming Ukraine to the teeth, and the extreme nationalists who have taken over Ukraine. Rolling Stone interviewer James Ball was clearly shocked at Waterss continued refusal to bow to the rabid anti-Russia narrative, but when he asked Waters if he really was denying all the accounts of Russian war crimes, Waters responded by pointing to Ukrainian government kill lists: Maybe.... Dont forget, Im on a kill list that is supported by the Ukrainian government. Im on the fucking list, and theyve killed people recently.... But when they kill you, they write liquidated across your picture. Well, Im one of those fucking pictures. And when I read stuff, which I have done in blogs and things, criticizing me ... I always go and look and see where it came from. And its amazing how often when Ive done the hunt and hunted it down, it is da, da, da.ukraine.org, he said, referring to a hypothetical Ukrainian web address. Rolling Stone admits that such a list exists, but downplays it, by denying it is a kill list, making no mention of its publishing its victims personal information or those who have been attacked and killed: Waterss claim isnt true, but it isnt completely false, either. There is a list maintained by a far-right Ukrainian organization that contains hundreds of thousands of enemies of Ukraine, from alleged members of the Wagner private military company to journalists accused of cooperating with puppet governments in the Donbas region. The site, which has been roundly internationally condemnedbut not taken down by the Ukrainian government itselfclaims not to be a kill list but rather information for law enforcement authorities and special services. Waterss charge has become big news, picked up by other media. Waters published a succinct summary of his own view for how to end the slaughter of both the Ukrainian and Russian peoples in this war, identifying the fascists (extreme nationalists) and Western warmongers as key problems, in an Open Letter to Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska on Sept. 4, which he titled: Did You Exchange a Walk On Part in the War for a Lead Role in a Cage? Simaat, the largest real estate property management platform in Saudi Arabia, has signed a technical linkage agreement with Ejar (rent), a comprehensive system launched by the Saudi housing ministry in line with its efforts to develop the kingdom's residential market. The agreement was signed in the presence of Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majid bin Abdullah Al Hogail, Digital Government Authority Governor Engineer Ahmed bin Muhammad Al Suwayan and senior government officials and other key stakeholders. The integration of Simaat platform with Ejar network will help boost efficiency by simplifying documentation procedures. It has come to allow property management companies to save time to add operations, document the contract, and reduce the user experience period from 15 minutes on average to less than one minute. "The signing of this agreement comes in line with digital transformation, one of the main pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which was announced by HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to unleash the creative energies of Saudis in various fields," remarked Dhaifallah Al Hassani, the CEO of Simaat platform. "By virtue of this agreement, the Simaat platform will become the first real estate property management platform linked to a rental network for direct documentation of rental contracts on the Simaat platform," he added. Executive Vice President Sami Al Sharekh said: "The Simaat platform is the largest real estate property management platform that has succeeded in documenting contracts executed on the platform whose value exceeds SR2.5 billion and it is the only platform specialized in real estate endowments." "Simaat platform supports the real estate development and investment sectors and real estate technologies supported by artificial intelligence, and it is a flexible platform according to the needs of the client,Al-Sharekh added. Al Sharekh pointed out that the Simaat platform is linked and integrated with various government agencies such as the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Commerce, Sadad and Mada. It provides innovative real estate technology solutions to automate operations in companies and real estate offices, which in turn transforms their work into paperless offices, he stated. "This is also our contribution to preserving the environment, as these solutions contributed to reducing operating costs by 49% and also accelerated the companies business 300%, which is a qualitative precedent in this field," he added.-TradeArabia News Service EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5, 2022 What Vision, What Purpose, Will Animate the Revolutionary Transformation the World Is Undergoing? Oct. 4, 2022 (EIRNS)The world has entered a period of a fundamental, revolutionary transformation, said Vladimir Putin on Sept. 30, as he stood at the Kremlin with the leaders of Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye. New centers of power are emerging, he declared. They represent the majoritythe majority!of the international community. Earlier, speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summits extended heads of state meeting in Samarkand on Sept. 16, Putin had asserted, Global politics and economy are about to undergo fundamental and irreversible changes. In Beijing in their Feb. 4 joint statement, Putin and Xi Jinping said, Today, the world is going through momentous changes, and humanity is entering a new era of rapid development and profound transformation. ... there is increasing interrelation and interdependence between the States; a trend has emerged towards redistribution of power in the world; and the international community is showing a growing demand for the leadership aiming at peaceful and gradual development. What form will this now ongoing redistribution take? Will the world be subjected to a multipolarity of feuding states, each seeking to expand its own empire and sphere of influence? Or can multipolarity of an entirely different sort altogether obtain in the coming world? Where the blinkered slaves of the Anglo-American/NATO world order see only the imagined projections of their own purposeless pursuit of power, those living in a new paradigm see a community of sovereign nation-states, each committed to the actual well-being of its citizens and of the world community, recognizing that through peace comes security and through the improvement of others comes lasting happiness. The LaRouche movement has for decades worked for such a vision, through an application of physical economic principles and through engaging in and fostering meaningful dialogue among leaders and citizens around the world. Were the drive for war defeated, and its emotionally defective promoters provided different, more salubrious pursuits, the world stands on the edge of the greatest Renaissance it has ever seen, a humanity brimming with potential. It is the power of that vision to move people, that leads the evil and blind old paradigm to attempt to crush its exponents. Hence the attacks on those who seek peace, on those who promote cooperation along the World Land-Bridge. These attacks, directed from Anglo-American centers, are carried outas are military operations against Russiathrough Ukrainian footsoldiers, such as the Center for Countering Disinformation and the Myrotvorets hitlist. The LaRouche movement is coordinating efforts to expose and render powerless this operation, through events on Oct. 6 and 7, and through a future- and youth-oriented conference next Saturday, Oct 15. Join us in shaping the fundamental, revolutionary transformation of the world! LEXINGTON An Elwood woman has been charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder after she allegedly tried to arrange the murders with an undercover Nebraska State Patrol investigator. Valerie Miller, 39, is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder, both are Class 2 felonies. Miller appeared in Dawson County Court for arraignment where Judge Jeffrey Wightman advised Miller of the charges against her and that the maximum penalty is 50 years in prison for each charge. Miller requested a court appointed attorney. When discussing bail, Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman asked for a high bail amount stating that Miller is a dangerous individual and lives could be in danger if she posts bail. Judge Wightman set Millers bail at 10 percent of $500,000. A preliminary hearing has been set for Monday, Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. The investigation began the last week of September when the Gosper County Sheriffs Office received a report from a concerned citizen regarding suspicious comments made by an Elwood woman. The Gosper County Sheriffs Office notified the Nebraska State Patrol. According to court documents, on Monday, Oct. 3, an undercover investigator with the Nebraska State Patrol had been in contact with Miller through a social media app. The investigator made arrangements to meet Miller in the Lexington Walmart parking lot. The investigator made contact with Miller, where she allegedly asked if he could get her a revolver. When asked why she wanted the weapon, Miller said she wanted several individuals, not living, according to court documents. Miller then attempted to hire the investigator to carry out the murder of two individuals. Following the conclusion of the meeting, Miller drove for approximately two miles, where troopers performed a felony traffic stop. Miller was taken into custody without incident. She has been lodged in Dawson County Jail. LINCOLN Today, Governor Pete Ricketts announced that all U.S. and Nebraska flags are to be flown at half-staff this weekend in observance of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service on Sunday. Flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise on Friday, Oct. 7 until sunset on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022. As Americans gather for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Washington, DC, Nebraskans honor and remember the brave men who made the ultimate sacrifice in the state this year. Lincoln Fire Inspector Donald Gross Jan. 4, 2022 Elwood Volunteer Fire Chief Darren Krull April 7, 2022 Retired Cambridge Fire Chief John JP Trumble April 22, 2022 Purdum Volunteer Fire Assistant Chief Mike Moody Oct. 2, 2022 In Nebraska, there are 478 fire departments with over 17,000 firefighters who courageously serve to protect their communities. More than 15,000 of these firefighters provide unpaid, volunteer service. During this years national memorial service, two Ponca Hills Volunteer Fire Department firefighters will be honored: Dennis M. Bender and Bob J. Kneifl. UAE-based Azizi Developments has signed an agreement with Istanbul Electrical Ware Trading for the supply of facade lighting for the second phase of Riviera, the developers master planned, French Mediterranean-inspired waterfront lifestyle community in MBR City, Dubai as well as Creek Views I, located in Dubai Healthcare City. Istanbul Electrical Ware Trading was established in 2005 with a focus on delivering the highest quality lighting options that meet and exceed global standards in design, innovation, and durability. Azizi is doing so as part of its efforts to further beautify its projects, raising the value for its investors, according to its top official. "Our newly formed partnership with Istanbul Electrical Ware Trading, one of the leading lighting providers in the region, is yet another testament to our relentless efforts in exclusively sourcing products from the creme de la creme of suppliers in the region," said its CEO Farhad Azizi. "Their customer-centric approach is well aligned with ours, with them being extremely devoted to assuring client satisfaction and producing some of the very best, eco-friendly, long-lasting, and beautifully designed lighting products," he stated. "This procurement effort underlines our ever-lasting commitment in meeting the evolving demands of our valued clients. We cannot wait to see the new, enhanced facades of the second phase of Riviera and Creek Views I, with lighting making a significant difference in the visual aesthetics," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Local featured top story Partners for Rural Impact to continue talks today about helping youth thrive JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Mike Hogg of Partners for Rural Impact on Tuesday explains the organizations hope to help children thrive and lead a meaningful life during a meeting at the T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Kelli Moore of Partners for Rural Impact on Tuesday explains the process used to assist children thrive and lead meaningful lives during a meeting at the T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library. DIBOLL Representatives from Partners for Rural Impact spent Tuesday at the T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library having conversations with Diboll parents, caregivers, youth, teachers, school staff and leaders. Through these conversations, Partners for Rural Impact a national nonprofit organization committed to helping rural children and youth succeed hopes to ensure every child in Diboll thrives and leads a meaningful life, according to Mike Hogg, the organizations vice president for place-based partnerships. Partners for Rural Impact believes that students in larger cities often receive more attention than those in rural areas, Hogg said. Because of this, the organization works to give those students in smaller cities a voice. Its not that we dont want the kids in Houston and Dallas to be successful, but we think theres plenty of resources to go around to support more kids and families, he said. Wynn Rosser, the president and chief executive officer of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, convinced Dreama Gentry, the president and chief executive officer of Partners for Rural Impact, that the organization needed to visit Diboll, Hogg said. Because the foundations mission is to create a thriving East Texas, it fit with the organizations mission of ensuring every student is successful, he said. So there was an opportunity for us to do good work together, he said. Partners for Rural Impact applied for a planning grant from the foundation that would allow them to work with Diboll community members to develop an action plan that is community-driven, Hogg said. As such, the organization wants to hear from local families, school leaders and businesses about what it would take for Diboll to be a place where every young person thrives. We just want to ask folks, What would that look like and what are your hopes and dreams? Hogg said. Were just listening and putting together a framework for the community based on the things the community says ought to be happening. On Oct. 17, the organization will return for a professional development day at Diboll ISD, which will allow them to talk to students. They also will facilitate additional conversations in November and December, Hogg said. Partners for Rural Impact believes in the power of community and that it takes an entire village to raise a child. Everyone has a contribution to make for students to be successful, Hogg said. We want to gather data as many ways as we possibly can to make sure that everybodys voice is heard. Sessions will continue today at T.L.L. Temple Memorial Library from 8:30-10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Interested participants can register by going to DibollCommunitySessions.eventbrite.com. Those who cannot attend sessions can add input by completing a survey at tinyurl.com/29ryredn. The sleepless nights endured by Laura Herschleb over the last few months are understandable. The Germantown native, who now lives in DeForest and has been affiliated with World Dairy Expo since her college days with the Badger Dairy Club at UW-Madison, is in charge of Dane Countys largest convention after being named general manager of the event in February. The Expo brings thousands of people and cows from North America and visitors from around the world to the 164-acre grounds of the Alliant Energy Center, although the six-day event is still trying to recover from the pandemic that canceled the 2020 show and decimated attendance in 2021. But once this years show concludes on Friday, the sleep will likely come easier for Herschleb, her staff and the 300 volunteers who help make the Expo hum. Attendance is expected to blow past the 48,502 number from last years event and could approach 60,000 people, while the more than 3,300 dairy cows being housed on the grounds are the most since 2016, when there were 2,434. Prior to the pandemic, the Expo would typically draw more than 2,300 international visitors from more than 90 countries. But in 2021, there were just 401 visitors from 48 countries. That number is also expected to be much higher this year and only helps fuel the international atmosphere. Its paramount. Its such an important dynamic to the flavor of the overall event, Herschleb said. World Dairy Expo is the meeting place of the global dairy industry. It is critically important to have our international guests and international companies participating in the trade show. The trade show consumes the 225,000-square-foot Exhibition Hall and hosts 650 companies from around the world that include Wisconsin firms ABS Global, Dairyland Laboratories, Organic Valley and Vita Plus. Out-of-state exhibitors include Udder Comfort from Ontario, Canada; Normande Genetics of Minneapolis; the Ohio-based National Hay Association; and Madero Dairy Systems of Houston, Texas. The Dane County Coliseum serves as the show ring while the two New Holland pavilions, constructed in 2014 and totaling 290,000 square feet of space, host the majority of the cows. However, due to the increased number of animals at this years event, two massive dairy cattle tents have been erected just to the north of the pavilions. Feels like home One of the businesses in Pavilion 1 this week is Woodmohr Jerseys of Bloomer, located in Chippewa County north of Eau Claire. The farm brought 12 head of its herd to Madison where they were being attended to by Tracy Mitchell, who has been coming to the Expo for 11 years. The setup included nameplates for each cow, such as Monet, Martini and Memoir, along with burgundy curtains, wood trim and paintings of past champion Jerseys. Some of the herds milk makes it into cheese curds produced by Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. We have to set up a home away from home for these cows to make them the most comfortable so they eat and drink and we kind of simulate home for them as much as we can, Mitchell said. Its a beauty contest for cows, is what it is. Theyre beauty queens. To facilitate the agrarian glamour, the Woodmohr setup includes a beauty parlor where electric clippers, scissors and a blower are used to prep cows for their Coliseum showings. On the other end of the stalls was a tailgating tent that housed a full-size refrigerator, coffee pot, slow cookers and a pantry stocked with granola bars, apples, Gatorade and a huge bag of homemade puppy chow, a mixture of peanut butter, chocolate and Rice Chex, to fuel Mitchell and others who have been caring for the cows since they arrived late last week. For a lot of the breeders here, this is a marketing opportunity, Mitchell said during a break from sweeping. You get visitors from all over the world and all over the country. Even if youre not the winner of the class, and people like your genetics and like your breeding, thats what they come here for. Humbling mission Herschleb succeeds Scott Bentley, who had the position from 2013 until his retirement earlier this year, and taking the reins as general manager was a career goal. Herschleb is a 2001 graduate of UW-Madison, where she studied dairy science, agricultural journalism and business. Her professional career began as a director of agricultural programs for the Fond du Lac Area Chamber of Commerce before she joined Alltech as a marketing manager from 2006 to 2008. The former member of the Badger Dairy Club spent five years as World Dairy Expos Dairy Cattle Show manager in the late 2000s before working in marketing and public-relation positions with Badgerland Financial in Prairie du Sac and Compeer Financial in Sun Prairie. Since rejoining World Dairy Expo in 2018, Herschleb has assisted with projects related to education initiatives, attendee services and the trade show. Now she oversees the entire operation, which includes a four-channel video-streaming service that brings the shows, seminars and other events to a global audience. Its a humbling experience to be in this role and Im very, very honored, Herschleb said during an interview from the media center that overlooks hundreds of stalls in Pavilion 1. But truly, theres just a sense of pride. Its like a symphony orchestra coming all together for this amazing event that were planning 365 days a year. Its pretty darn special. Talks to come But challenges exist. Dane County and the Expo Board of Directors are expected to begin talks in the coming months on a contract designed to keep the Expo at the Alliant Energy Center for years to come. If the board were to take the show elsewhere, it would bring a whole new host of issues for Herschleb to tackle. Meanwhile, shes hoping attendance is on the rebound. In 2014, attendance at the Expo hit 77,204 people, with 3,248 from 94 other countries and 2,334 cows housed on-site. But attendance has been on a downward slide since that point and dropped to 62,240 people in 2019 with about 1,000 fewer international attendees and 2,331 cows. This years growing numbers could help reset the trajectory. It says that the interest for exhibiting cattle and marketing dairy cattle genetics is high, Herschleb said. It reiterates the importance of the global dairy industry and the importance of World Dairy Expo to the global dairy industry, to the state of Wisconsin and to the Madison area. A Colombian restaurant is coming to Madisons East Side. Yineth Herrera, 26, is opening La Pollera Colombiana with her husband, Urbano Rivera, and her sister-in-law, Araceli Rivera. In Spanish, La Pollera is a hencoop, chicken run, or basket for chickens. Herrera and her husband had a Colombian restaurant in Sunnyside, Queens, that they sold to one of their three partners. La Pollera Colombiana is going into the former OM Indian Fusion Cuisine, which closed in early 2019 after almost three years at 3579 E. Washington Ave. OMs owners extensively remodeled the building, which had previously held a China Buffet, and was most famously home to Shakeys Pizza Parlor. Herrera said she and her husband came to Madison about three months ago at the urging of her sister-in-law, who has lived in Madison for about three years. Its very good, very quiet, Herrera said about Madison. Its a nice place, different from New York. Herrera said she moved from Colombia to New York about 10 years ago. I was very young, she said. I tried something different. I liked New York and stayed in New York. Her husband and sister-in-law are from Mexico. She said shell take care of the front of the house with help from her sister-in-law, and her husband will be in charge of the kitchen. They plan to hire cooks and servers. Herrera said the pandemic hit her New York restaurant hard because they had recently expanded into the neighboring storefront and had gone from about 15 tables to 45. For a few months, while restrictions were in place, they could only do carryout orders. She said she expects La Pollera Colombiana to open in about a month. They are just waiting on a health department inspection. The restaurant will have 15 to 20 tables to start, she said. Herrera said theyve painted the walls, replaced the tables and chairs, made small changes to the kitchen, and added Colombian decorations. The restaurant will serve exclusively Colombian food: chicken, beef and pork dishes with rice and beans, Herrera said. While theres no other Colombian food in Madison, Herrera said her menu will be closest to the Venezuelan cuisine served at La Taguara, also on the East Side. But the way that I make it is totally different, she said. A lot of people say, Yeah we need Colombian food, Herrera said. Authorities have identified the man killed in an OWI rollover crash on Highway 12 on Friday night. Dayton P. Quaerna, 42, of Janesville, was pronounced dead at the scene and preliminary results of a forensic examination on Saturday confirmed that he died of his crash injuries, the Dane County Medical Examiners Office said in a statement Wednesday. The crash happened about 8 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway AB. Gregory Ewel, 60, who was injured in the crash, faces a first offense OWI, though that could change pending the Wisconsin State Patrols crash investigation, Madison police spokesperson Ryan Kimberley said in a statement. The Zoe Bayliss Womens Cooperative has found a new home, rescuing one of the last student housing cooperatives in Wisconsin from impending demise. After partnering with UW-Madison for almost 70 years, the cooperative will move just off campus next fall, to a home at 636 Langdon St. The co-ops current building at 915 W. Johnson St. is slated for demolition next year, making way for the universitys new $95 million Humanities building thats scheduled to open in fall 2025. The move to the Langdon Street property comes after months of searching and meeting with a handful of real estate companies, Zoe Bayliss Strategic Planning Officer Angela Maloney said. A lot of people, including myself at some points, didnt even think it was possible for us to find a new house, considering the situation with affordable housing and how just, like, jam-packed everything is on the Isthmus, she said. (It) makes me really emotional to think about the people that weve impacted because weve been able to find a new building, and ... we didnt give up on our community, and we persevered and we cared. Housing co-ops such as Zoe Bayliss offer students cheaper rent in return for sharing kitchen and cleaning duties. Hired chefs cook two meals a day, which is included in the cost of rent. This year, a double room at Zoe Bayliss costs each person $5,158, or about $570 a month for a nine-month lease. A single room costs between $6,400 and $7,500. With the move, Zoe Bayliss will be collaborating with the Madison Community Cooperative, or MCC, a nonprofit that has 11 homes in the city. The Langdon Street property was built as a sorority house in 1928, and MCC had been renovating it with the intention of establishing another co-op there. MCC approached Zoe Bayliss about partnering this summer, Maloney said. MCC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The last of five housing cooperatives at UW-Madison, Zoe Bayliss has leased space from the university since the 1950s. Its building, along with Davis Residence Hall, has been marked for demolition for nearly a decade under the universitys master plan, which includes replacing the deteriorating Humanities building. University Housing and Zoe Bayliss hit an impasse last year when the co-op rejected the universitys offer to renovate a space in Phillips Hall, 1950 Willow Drive. Co-op members said they were concerned the new facility would increase costs and reduce the co-ops capacity. The move off campus will sever the financial connection Zoe Bayliss had to UW-Madison through its lease agreement. University Housing Director Jeff Novak said he wished the co-op well in the new location. Glad to hear they found something in the community, he said. We tried to work hard together with them to find something suitable here on campus and thought that we had a great option for them, but (its) very positive to hear that they are able to secure something. Novak added that UW-Madison is gauging student interest in establishing a new cooperative and is considering scholarships for a couple dozen lower-income students. Zoe Bayliss President Sara Hartke said finding the co-op a new home has given her a sense of relief and lifted the burden she felt of possibly ending the co-ops history. To some degree, I felt like it would fall on us as the current members of the co-op (as having) the shame of being the closing group of the house, she said. I feel like it was also a big moment of joy and celebration of people coming together and putting in the work to put together, you name it, whatever we needed, to find a new place. Expanding options Disconnecting Zoe Bayliss from UW-Madisons lease will allow the co-op more freedom to structure its leases. Zoe Bayliss has only been able to offer nine-month leases that required residents to find summer housing in Madison through sublets or short-term leases, Maloney said. At Langdon Street, they hope to offer full-year leases so that students can stay in one home, she said. Every summer I have to find someplace else to live, which is just always tedious to literally move your stuff, she said. The building is home, but it makes it feel less homey when for ... almost four months of the year, you have to go and live someplace else. By disconnecting its leases from UW-Madison, Zoe Bayliss will also be able to open leases to any college student, including those at Edgewood College and Madison Area Technical College. An ideal location Zoe Bayliss leaders wanted to keep a prime location near campus, but they didnt expect to find one. Despite being in the right location, other options near Camp Randall and Langdon Street were ruled out because they needed extensive renovations, such as an industrial kitchen. But MCC was already working on renovations to the Langdon Street house that fit the co-op style. And while the house isnt on campus, its about as close as it could get: Its across the street from the Pyle Center and a few minutes walk to Lake Mendota and the Memorial Union. Honestly, I dont think we really dreamed that we would find such an ideal location, Hartke said. The Global Health Exhibition 2022, in Riyadh from October 9 to 11, is expected to attract more than 10,000 specialists from 30 countries and more than 250 companies. The prominent event in the regional healthcare sector, hosted by Saudi Arabia at the Riyadh International Expo Centre, is held under the patronage of Fahd Al-Jalajel, Minister of Health, Saudi Arabia. The exhibition provides a variety of opportunities for visitors to meet with fellow health professionals, doctors, and policymakers, with access to the latest technologies in the field. Large investments The exhibition coincides with large investments announced by Saudi Arabia recently to transform the entirety of its healthcare sector with the aim of providing higher quality services and greater reach under the country's national Vision 2030. The forum will host five simultaneous conferences, with titles varying between public health, integrated care, and the future of medical laboratories and radiology. This year's event will witness the launching of the Leaders Forum, which aims to enable meaningful dialogue between thought leaders and government officials in the medical field towards advancing digital transformation and enhancing the overall efficiency of the system. Previous sessions of the exhibition, pre-pandemic (2018-2019), and virtual (2020-2021) attracted thousands of attendees, as the exhibition is an important outlet for global healthcare companies, and a platform for digital conferences accredited in Continuing Medical Education (CME).-- TradeArabia News Service Before he was hired for a role on this years Talking Spirits living history tour, Madison actor Desmond Hawkins had never heard of Notley Henderson. But here was Hawkins on a beautiful October morning in the historic Forest Hill Cemetery, dressed in the simple clothes of a 19th-century farmer, mesmerizing a group of Anana Elementary School fifth-graders as he performed the role of Henderson, a Civil War veteran and one of Madisons first Black landowners. Now, I know I don't need to tell y'all how bad slavery was, said Hawkins, leaning on a shovel and speaking with an accent that evoked Hendersons Kentucky birthplace. Hawkins went on to describe Hendersons days in the Union Army, mostly digging ditches and fortifications, and how the war seemed to go on forever, but it did finally end, and I came out to Wisconsin to start a new life. Though Hawkins grew up in Madison, learning about some of the citys early Black settlers like Henderson wasnt a part of his education, he said. Henderson was a formerly enslaved man who welcomed newcomers to his Madison farm, especially Black Civil War veterans and other formerly enslaved people. This week, about 3,000 cemetery visitors will get to know Henderson, via Hawkins' performance. This is the 24th year for the annual Talking Spirits tour sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. Traditionally, the tour is built around a historical theme. Henceforth and Forever Free is this years title, a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation, first issued by President Abraham Lincoln 160 years ago, on Sept. 22, 1862. It went into effect 100 days later, on Jan. 1, 1863. The Talking Spirits on this years tour held for school groups during the week and for sold-out public tours on the weekend evoke the histories of formerly enslaved people who came to Madison and are buried in the historic cemetery, a city park established in 1857 and located at 1 Speedway Road. We chose the (Emancipation Proclamation) theme because that document affected people in Madison and beyond, into the future so were telling stories of people into the 20th century, museum communications specialist Jen Stevenson said. Bruce Bradley, a longtime actor, playwright and musician from Spring Green, wrote the scripts for the four historical reenactors on the tour and served as director. He based the actors monologues on research done at the Veterans Museum, information found on newspapers.com and ancestry.com, oral histories and books focused on Civil War life. At the last minute, Bradley also stepped into this years tour to perform the role of Frank Newton, a white captain in Company H, 29th United States Colored Infantry, paying his respects to Howard Brooks, who is buried in the cemetery. An African American actor slated to play the role of Brooks had to cancel when he had to leave town for his job. One of the difficulties is that we just dont have a very large pool of nonwhite actors in Madison, said Bradley, who as Newton wore a blue Union coat studded with brass buttons and a Union Army cap. Though its in a cemetery, the Talking Spirits tour really brings (history) to life, Bradley said. Once students are engaged in that experience, I think they take it in more easily than if it was something just read to them in school. Weve had schools come back year after year, so we must be doing something right. Thats good to see. Miller family Down a winding cemetery path, actor Hawa Bah enacted the role of Anna Mae Miller who, with her husband, William, was a key member and activist in the Madison community. The Millers home, built in 1853, was moved to East Dayton Street in 1908 and is a Madison landmark. Performing the role of Miller, a founder of the Madison chapter of the NAACP, is just so moving, Bah said. You can just tell how much she loves her husband, who was an aide to Gov. Robert La Follette for 19 years and a longtime associate of W.E.B. DuBois. How much she admired him. His accomplishments were her accomplishments, and vice versa. The vignettes for each 2022 Talking Spirit will be videotaped in the cemetery and available online by the end of next week, Stevenson said. A virtual cemetery tour from 2020 and 2021 is online at wisvetsmuseum.com/madison-cemetery-tours. In this years Talking Spirits, actor John Kremm, of Spring Green, portrays John Wayles Jefferson, the grandson of Thomas Jefferson and one of Jeffersons enslaved servants, Sarah Sally Hemings. His monologue addresses the complicated web of relationships between Jefferson and the slaves he held. The vignette also speaks to how John Wayles Jefferson had to hide his true identity and pass as white while serving as an officer in the Civil War and as the co-owner, with his brother, of the American House Hotel in Madison. Madison offered more opportunities for whites than for Blacks, Kremms character explains to justify his fears of having his family history exposed. 'Another level' For dual-language teacher Michele Jaen, bringing her Anana Elementary fifth-graders to see this years Talking Spirits tour was a must. I had been here before, and I completely fell in love with this, she said. The story of John Jefferson having to hide his mixed-race identity was particularly striking, she said. I think they went to great lengths to represent the African American community and the rich history they played here in Madison, Jaen said. If you look at my children, theyre all different colors, so its great to see them represented. Talking Spirits got high marks from Jaens students, too. I loved the actors, said Samara Teran, who described the cemetery setting as super calming and peaceful. They took it to another level, agreed Ana Lopez-Romero. I liked how it had lots of history, added Emma Kirk. And I liked the actors, because even though I knew it wasnt real, half the time I believed it was." Wisconsin attorney general candidates Eric Toney and Josh Kaul are scheduled to debate at the State Bar of Wisconsin headquarters in Madison later this month. The debate has been set for 4 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the bar's headquarters at 5302 Eastpark Blvd. in Madison. The debate is scheduled to last an hour. The State Bar, WISC-TV in Madison and WisPolitics.com are sponsoring the event. The event will be open to the public. WISC-TV will air the debate as well as livestream it at Channel3000.com. WKBT-TV in La Crosse also will televise the debate. Toney, a Republican, is currently serving as the Fond du Lac County district attorney. Kaul, a Democrat, is trying to win a second term as attorney general. Toney has been working to portray himself as a tough-on-crime prosecutor. Kaul has built his campaign around a lawsuit he filed seeking to undo Wisconsin's 1849 abortion ban as well as his efforts to advance gun control legislation. The debate is the only one scheduled in the race so far. The election is Nov. 8. A conservative Wisconsin law firm on Tuesday sued to stop federal student loan forgiveness, saying President Joe Bidens loan forgiveness plan is discriminatory and constitutes taxation without representation. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Libertys federal lawsuit asks a judge to immediately block student loan forgiveness until the lawsuit plays out. The president has no authority to order a wholesale forgiveness of student loans, costing taxpayers up to a trillion dollars. Whether this plan is good for America is for Congress to decide, said Rick Esenberg, the institutes president. Biden enacted the debt relief plan under the HEROES Act, which was passed after the Sept. 11 attacks sparked an American-led military campaign aimed at terrorism. The act gave the executive branch authority to forgive the student loan debt of those participating in military operations or responding to national emergencies. The president cited COVID-19 as reason to invoke the act, a move the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Libertys complaint argues is an overextension of executive power that improperly circumvents Congress. The complaint also alleges that Bidens plan is discriminatory because he has said it will help to narrow the racial wealth gap and support Black borrowers. A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. But White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed resistance to loan forgiveness in a briefing on Tuesday. Its a shame that you have Republicans out there Republican groups, Republican states that are trying to stop Americans from getting a little bit of a breathing room, she said, adding, Were talking about 40 million Americans that could benefit from getting student loan relief. It is shameful that they are siding with the special interests. It is shameful that they are not siding with the American people on this. WILL sued on behalf of the Brown County Taxpayers Association against Biden, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, the Department of Education and the Office of Federal Student Aid and its chief operating officer. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states. In Indiana, a libertarian group is arguing that Bidens plan creates additional tax burdens for students who would have their loans forgiven by other means. Six Republican-led states also filed a lawsuit in Missouri last week raising specific objections to loan forgiveness for federal loans that are owned by private banks. The Biden administration quickly removed eligibility for the estimated 770,000 borrowers with such loans. The Department of Education estimates that student loan cancellation alone will cost around $300 billion over the next decade. But an analysis by the University of Pennsylvania, cited in WILLs lawsuit, projects a cost up to $519 billion and says that could exceed $1 trillion depending on details that havent been released yet. The one-time loan forgiveness plan includes income requirements aimed at low- and middle-income families. It provides up to $20,000 in debt relief to students who received a Pell Grant and up to $10,000 in assistance to students who did not. The Biden administration has said applications for loan forgiveness will open in October, but officials have yet to provide a specific date. Applications will be accepted through Dec. 31. Associated Press writer Seung Min Kim contributed to this report from Washington. Many customers of independent pharmacies in Wisconsin recently got letters saying they have to switch to other pharmacies, but new letters going out next week should clarify that they dont have to change, pharmacists say. The confusion stems from contract negotiations between Navitus Health Solutions, a Madison-based pharmacy benefit manager largely owned by SSM Health, and AlignRx, an Oklahoma company that represents many independent pharmacies in Wisconsin. On Sept. 22, Navitus sent letters to members who use independent pharmacies, including many state workers, saying the pharmacies would no longer be in the Navitus network after Dec. 31. We recommend transferring your prescriptions to another participating pharmacy right away, the letters said. After members received the letters and started contacting the pharmacies, Navitus and AlignRx reached an agreement Sept. 30 to keep the pharmacies in the network through the end of 2024, according to owners of affected pharmacies in Mount Horeb and Fitchburg. AlignRx said Navitus will soon send letters letting customers know they can keep using the independent pharmacies, the pharmacy owners said. The Sept. 22 letter was premature and should not have been sent until there was an agreement reached, said Jennifer Weiland, co-owner of Mount Horeb Family Pharmacy. A lot of people are understandably concerned, Weiland said. Were really fighting to be seen as equals here because we feel that we go above and beyond what some of the chain stores can offer. Thad Schumacher, owner of Fitchburg Family Pharmacy, said AlignRx was concerned the proposed Navitus contract was not transparent and included variable rate reimbursement. It doesnt take very much business sense to know that a variable rate reimbursement contract is not a good contract for anyone to sign, he said. You wouldnt buy Netflix if you didnt know how much they were going to charge you each month. The final contract was more transparent and addressed some of the variable rate concerns, Schumacher said. Mark Lawrence, vice president for network management at Navitus, said in a statement that the final contract was the same as what was presented to AlignRx in April. The contract included clear pricing based on the size of the plan to which the member belongs, he said. Lawrence said Navitus has been trying since June to contract with the pharmacies directly and the Sept. 22 letters were not premature. AlignRx didnt respond to requests for comment. Weiland said other pharmacies affected include Forward Pharmacy locations in Cambridge, Columbus, Cottage Grove, Deerfield and McFarland and many Hometown Pharmacy locations around the state. Navitus handles pharmacy benefits for the state Department of Employee Trust Funds and other Wisconsin clients, including Alliant Energy, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Kwik Trip, Johnsonville, Lands End, Marquette University, MercyCare Health Plans and Trek Bicycle. As a pharmacy benefit manager, or PBM, Navitus acts as a broker between drugmakers, insurers, employers and pharmacies, helping to determine which drugs people can take, where they can get them and how much they will pay. JEROME A local man was recognized Tuesday for bravery and selflessness when he saved two people from a burning vehicle in August. Martin Munoz received the Citizens Award from Jerome Mayor Dave Davis during the City Council meeting on Tuesday night. We want to thank him for his bravery and selfless act, Davis said. Really, he didnt give a thought for his own wellbeing in this case. Fire Chief Mike Harrison and Police Chief Duane Rubink joined Davis to present the award to Munoz, who was joined by his two children. A car bust in to flames on August 18 on West Main Street in Jerome A car bust into flames on Aug. 18 on West Main Street in Jerome. Martin Munoz was in the area, and raced to help the people inside escape. On the afternoon of Aug. 18, Munoz reported hearing strange noises coming from a vehicle that appeared to be out of control while driving on West Main Street. As he watched, the vehicle burst into flames. Without hesitation, Muzos instructed his passenger to call 911 and ran toward the vehicle on fire, Davis said. Before the vehicle came to a stop, Munoz reached the passenger side door trying to help the occupants out of the vehicle. At this point, it appeared that the vehicle was almost fully engulfed in flames. Munoz helped the passenger, whose clothing, skin and hair were singed, to get out of the vehicle before returning to help the driver. I dont know if he jumped over the vehicle, you know, Super-Munoz or what, Davis said. In any case, he got over on the drivers side and he helped the driver exit the vehicle. Munoz saw that the driver was on fire. The driver was panicking, Davis said, and I suppose a lot of people may do that. Munoz tried to get the driver to drop to the ground to extinguish the flames. In the chaos, however, the driver was paralyzed with fear. Munoz removed his own shirt and used it to put out the fire on the driver, then assisted both occupants away from the vehicle. Both were transported to the hospital and were released after treatment. In the nearly two years that Richard Eggleston has been submitting columns to the Lewiston Tribunes Opinion page, he has challenged the conventional wisdom about COVID-19, its severity and the remedies to treat it almost half the time. In so doing, Eggleston speaks for a swath of readers who are skeptical about the governments and public healths handling of the pandemic. They either question the efficacy of public health guidelines or believe darker motives that the pandemic is an excuse for government overreach into their private lives. Were this a simple matter of contrarian speech, it would follow in the tradition of the First Amendment and the long-standing Tribune policy of giving vent to a robust exchange of ideas on the Opinion pages. What cant be ignored is the fact that Eggleston, a retired ophthalmologist, is facing disciplinary actions from the Washington Medical Commission that alleges he has engaged in disinformation. The commission cites these four broad allegations against Eggleston: He minimized the lethality of the pandemic. Eggleston argued most of the COVID-19 deaths were attributed to underlying conditions, leaving the actual death count at 35,475. The actual U.S. count at the time he wrote the column last year was 587,653. This statement is harmful to the public because it minimizes the mortal danger of COVID-19 and is especially dangerous because it attributes the death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection to other conditions, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 was only diagnosed accidentally during the evaluation and was not the cause of death, the commission wrote. He challenged the accuracy of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect COVID-19 infection. As opposed to home tests, this is the gold standard. To encourage people to disregard it is harmful to the public because it suggests that symptomatic persons should not test by PCR for COVID-19, and persons that test positive by PCR should not assume that they are contagious or need to seek care if unwell, the commission wrote. He argued that the COVID-19 vaccines do more harm than good and that it could alter a patients DNA. Neither the vaccine nor the virus that causes COVID-19 changes DNA, the commission said. At the same time, the vaccine has worked as promised substantially reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. These statements are harmful to the public because they can create distrust and fear regarding vaccines that have been demonstrated to be safe and effective for the prevention of death and severe illness caused by COVID-19, as well as the reduction in the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2, the commission wrote. He promoted ivermectin as a remedy for COVID-19, calling it the standard of care. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved invermectin for that purpose. Meanwhile the manufacturer of ivermectin Merck & Co. has advised health care providers against using the drug for COVID-19 relief. This is harmful because people may delay or avoid receiving effective therapy for COVID-19 and seek or take ivermectin instead. In addition, it is harmful because people may decline vaccination against COVID-19 assuming that they can take ivermectin instead following exposure or infection and that it will protect them, the commission wrote. In response to the commission and again elsewhere on this page Eggleston defends the validity of his information. Were this a conventional public policy debate, that would be one thing. Eggleston would respond to his critics in the marketplace of ideas. If it were attorney Eggleston or accountant Eggleston, engineer Eggleston or educator Eggleston, his opinion would be part of the mix. But the M.D. behind his name lends him a cultural authority available to no layperson when it comes to discussing the worst pandemic in a century. It is for this commission to decide, like it or not, whether Eggleston can retain his status to write as a medical authority. The commission is alleging Egglestons credibility as a licensed physician could give some of his readers a false sense of security which could not only contribute to the severity of their own illness but further the contamination of COVID-19 among the broader public. The medical commissions allegations cast this matter in a different light. If the commission is correct and it could be six to nine months before it holds a hearing then Eggleston has engaged in dangerous speech and the Tribune has been a party to that by giving him a forum. To continue doing so until these allegations and Egglestons status as a licensed physician are resolved would be reckless. This is a time to err on the side of reason. Until the commission renders its decision, todays column will mark the last time Eggleston discusses COVID-19 on this page. SHOSHONE The Lincoln County Sheriffs Office apprehended an adult male on Tuesday who attempted to entice a child for sex by cellphone. According to a statement from Sheriff Rene King, the office became aware a week ago of an inappropriate text conversation between an adult male and a juvenile female. The cellphone was turned over to law enforcement for further investigation, the statement said. A deputy took on the role of the minor and continued to engage in conversation with the suspect, who ultimately requested to meet the minor for sex. Once a plan to meet was established, King went undercover to follow the suspect from his residence to the victims location. The suspect drove more than 2 hours and nearly 200 miles to meet the minor for sex before he was apprehended by a team of undercover deputies and detectives. The adult male was taken into custody for violating Idaho Code 18-1509a, Enticing a Child with a Telecommunication Device. The Sheriffs Office urges parents to guard their children. This could have ended drastically different, the statement said. Talk to your children about these things because if you dont, somebody else will. HEYBURN Two Minidoka County students are headed to a national journalism convention this fall. Sarah Pelayo, the yearbook teacher at Harrison High School, will be taking two of her journalism students to the JEA-NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis in November. The students, senior Marcus Steadman and junior Holden Wolfe were selected by Pelayo to join her at the convention. They will participate in leadership, press freedom, broadcasting and social media boot camps, photography and design workshops. The cost per student is between $600 and $800, including flights, tours, food and spending money. The two students will also be selling Crispy Creme donuts to raise funds for the trip. Anyone who would like to support the students can send checks payable to Mt. Harrison High School, Phoenix Publishing. Elon Musk is offering to go through with his original proposal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. The offer comes just two weeks before Twitters lawsuit seeking to force Musk to go through with the deal goes to trial in Delaware Chancery Court. Twitter said it intends to close the transaction after receiving Musk's offer. Heres a look at some of whats transpired between the billionaire Tesla CEO and the social media platform: January 31: Musk starts buying shares of Twitter in near-daily installments, amassing a 5% stake in the company by mid-March. March 26: Musk, who has 80 million Twitter followers and is active on the site, said that he is giving serious thought to building an alternative to Twitter, questioning free speech on the platform and whether Twitter is undermining democracy. He also privately reaches out to Twitter board members, including his friend and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey. March 27: After privately informing them of his growing stake in the company, Musk starts conversations with Twitter's CEO and board members about potentially joining the board. Musk also mentions taking Twitter private or starting a competitor, according to later regulatory filings. April 4: A regulatory filing reveals that Musk has rapidly become the largest shareholder of Twitter after acquiring a 9% stake, or 73.5 million shares, worth about $3 billion. April 5: Musk is offered a seat on Twitters board on the condition he amass no more than 14.9% of the company's stock. CEO Parag Agrawal said in a tweet that it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board. April 11: Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal announces Musk will not be joining the board after all. April 14: Twitter reveals in a securities filing that Musk has offered to buy the company outright for about $44 billion. April 15: Twitters board unanimously adopts a poison pill defense in response to Musks proposed offer, attempting to thwart a hostile takeover. April 21: Musk lines up $46.5 billion in financing to buy Twitter. Twitter board is under pressure to negotiate. April 25: Musk reaches a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion and take the company private. The outspoken billionaire has said he wanted to own and privatize Twitter because he thinks its not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech. April 29: Musk sells roughly $8.5 billion worth of shares in Tesla to help fund the purchase of Twitter, according to regulatory filings. May 5: Musk strengthens his offer to buy Twitter with commitments of more than $7 billion from a diverse group of investors including Silicon Valley heavy hitters like Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. May 10: In a hint at how he would change Twitter, Musk says hed reverse Twitters ban of former President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, calling the ban a morally bad decision and foolish in the extreme. May 13: Musk said that his plan to buy Twitter is temporarily on hold. Musk said that he needs to pinpoint the number of spam and fake accounts on the social media platform. Shares of Twitter tumble, while shares of Tesla rebound sharply. June 6: Musk threatens to end his $44 billion agreement to buy Twitter, accusing the company of refusing to give him information about its spam bot accounts. July 8: Musk says he will abandon his offer to buy Twitter after the company failed to provide enough information about the number of fake accounts. Twitter threatens to sue Musk to uphold the deal. July 12: Twitter sues Musk to force him to complete the deal. Musk soon countersues. July 19: A Delaware judge says the Musk-Twitter legal dispute will go to trial in October. August 23: A former head of security at Twitter alleges the company misled regulators about its poor cybersecurity defenses and its negligence in attempting to root out fake accounts that spread disinformation. Musk eventually cites the whistleblower as a new reason to scuttle his Twitter deal. October 4: Musk offers to go through with his original proposal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Twitter says it intends to close the transaction after receiving Musk's offer. Dubai Chambers is providing four new business incentives for outstanding companies and workers who are recognised Taqdeer Awards winners. The incentives provided by Dubai Chambers as a strategic partner for the Award include the following benefits: application for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce CSR Label (workplace category), participation in ENGAGE Dubai corporate volunteering initiatives, publication of company achievements in the CSR Al Youm digital magazine and free access to meeting rooms and event spaces at Dubai Chambers head office. The Award, held every two years under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and the introduction of new incentives aim to strengthen Dubai's reputation as the best city to live, work and invest in. Labour sector Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) and Chairman of the Taqdeer Award, expressed deep appreciation for the Dubai Chambers support for the Award. He said: We are pleased with our strategic partnership with the Dubai Chambers to promote a culture of leadership in the labour sector in Dubai. This initiative by the Chambers will raise the number of government agencies supporting the Award to 11, which provides more than 59 incentives for outstanding companies and workers, thereby helping them save millions of dirhams annually in the form of special facilities, advantages and discounts. He added: We are moving forward on the path to achieving our lofty goals, and, thanks to the support of the public and private sectors, we have made great strides towards building a distinguished labour sector on more than one level. Favourable environment Hassan Al Hashemi, Acting President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said that ensuring a favourable environment for businesses in Dubai remains a top priority for Dubai Chambers and noted that the organisations strategic partnership with the Taqdeer Award and the new incentives help companies enhance their competitiveness and raise industry standards, and motivate other companies to adopt best CSR practices. Al Hashemi added that CSR is an essential part of the strategies adopted by the awarded companies. as it creates far reaching benefits for business, customers and the wider society. In a step that is considered the first of its kind in the world, the Award's management launched two types of cards, the first being the Golden Card, which is granted to the distinguished companies winning in the 4-5 star categories. This card allows companies to obtain the 59 government incentives, including preference in obtaining some government projects by some government agencies, in addition to granting their CEOs long-term golden residency. The cards provide millions of dirhams annually in the form of special discounts offered by more than 60 shops in Dubai.-- TradeArabia News Service McDowell County will receive $3.87 million over an 18-year period from the massive $26 billion settlement with drug companies over opioid misuse. The money can only be used to address opioid addiction and substance misuse in McDowell. As part of this process, officials from McDowell County, the city of Marion and the town of Old Fort are required by the state to hear an overview of the opioid settlement. That overview was given Monday evening at the McDowell Senior Center in Marion. Both the McDowell County Commissioners and the Marion City Council were present to hear the details about this settlement money. County Manager Ashley Wooten said officials from the town of Old Fort were invited to this discussion but they did not attend. The county will share this information with them, he added. The $26 billion global settlement with Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen the nations three major pharmaceutical distributors and Johnson & Johnson was announced in July of last year. More than 3,300 lawsuits, largely by state and local governments, are pending seeking to hold those and other companies responsible for an opioid abuse crisis that led to hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths, according to online sources. McDowell County was one of those many local governments throughout the nation that agreed to participate in this multi-billion dollar settlement. Wooten said the county was first approached about this in 2018 by attorney Harold Seagle, a McDowell native who practices law in Asheville. Seagle also approached Mayor Steve Little about participating in this massive legal action against the drug companies. In March 2018, the commissioners agreed to participate in this lawsuit. More than 3,000 local governments have done the same thing. McDowell County is expected to get $210,000 a year, on average, for an 18-year period from the $26 billion opioid settlement. This equates to a total of $3.78 million and it has to be used for opioid/substance misuse needs within the community. Already this year, McDowell has received $465,083 but the yearly payments will go down over time. For example, from 2032 to the final year of 2038, McDowell County will get just $166,983 a year. So the concern among local officials is to invest this money wisely now where it will have the most impact on our opioid problem. We have to worry about it now and invest those monies when they are worth more, said Wooten. During the meeting, McDowell EMS Deputy Director Adrienne Jones gave a PowerPoint presentation about the local opioid problem. She said there has recently been a big increase, 43%, of McDowells first responders using Narcan for treatment of overdoses. Emergency Services Director Will Kehler, Police Chief Allen Lawrence and Danny Hampton, director of Freedom Life Ministries, were present for this meeting so they could share their insight. The most recent state statistics about overdose deaths comes from 2020. The overdose death rate in North Carolina was 28 out of 100,000 people. This represents 2,975 people in North Carolina who died from overdoses in 2020. The overdose death rate in McDowell County was 18 out of 100,000 people in 2020. This means eight people in McDowell died of overdoses that year. Fentanyl is the No. 1 opioid drug on the street right now, according to EMS leaders. Jones said she expects the numbers for 2021 and 2022 to be much greater. Overall, we are showing high in ER visits for overdoses, she added. Under the settlement, local officials have to establish a special revenue fund, which cannot be commingled with any other money or funds of the county. Before the commissioners spend the opioid settlement money, they must authorize it in a budget or in a resolution and that must include certain specific details such as the amount, time period and strategy for the spending of the money. County officials have to spend the opioid settlement money on opioid remediation activities authorized by the state. They also have to file an annual financial report for accountability. The settlement agreement lists 12 different types of programs that are authorized to receive this money, including addiction treatment, recovery support, housing for people in treatment or recovery, employment support services, naloxone distribution and addiction treatment for incarcerated persons. The McDowell County Commission has endorsed collaborating with Freedom Life Ministries and the McDowell Substance Use Coalition on a facilitated, broad-based planning process for the money coming from the national opioid lawsuit. We want to hear from everybody, said Hampton. We want everyone to have a voice. County Attorney Fred Coats said these lawsuits are not over. Major pharmacy chains like CVS, Walgreens and Walmart could face a massive legal action as well. Hampton said the $3.78 million has to be used carefully now so there will be an impact on our local opioid addiction problem. That sounds like a lot of money, he said. Thats not even going to scratch the surface. If you invest it the right way, it can have an impact. Hampton said he and other members of the Substance Use Coalition are looking at investing in order for McDowell to qualify for much larger funding opportunities. There are people dying in the streets, he said. God cares about that. We should care about that. Jones said 75% of people who are addicted to opioids started off with prescription drugs. Doctors are now under pressure not to prescribe so many opioids to patients. Mayor Steve Little asked about the role that HCA Healthcare and Mission Hospital McDowell are playing in this long-range process. No action was taken by local officials during this meeting. But county and city leaders were reminded of the serious problem that exists here and how McDowells people can overcome it. They heard the personal story from Jacqueline Fox, who is recovering from substance abuse. Im Jacqueline, I was born here in McDowell County and have lived here most of my life, she said to county and city leaders. My story isnt much different from a lot of other folks who are or have struggled with mental health or substance use. Fox said she grew up in a broken home and was picked on in school. She never really fit in anywhere and started using drugs at age 13. The disease of addiction got progressively got worse through the years, she added. I was in and out of jails and institutions and ended up homeless with nothing or no one around, she said at the meeting. I went through all the systems you can think of: DSS, probation, court. I lived at the Friendship Home for six months and moved out on a housing voucher. It wasnt until I found a community of people who struggled with similar things that I did and that accepted me without judgment that I started to heal. The opposite of addiction is connection, thats why I love the idea of peer support specialist, a person who has struggled with substance use and/or mental health that is trained and certified to provide support to those struggling with similar issues. As of Sept. 23, she has been in recovery from opiates and other drugs for 11 years. I have three beautiful kids and I own my own home, said Fox. I work as a peer support and get to come alongside folks who struggle with addiction and all that comes along with it every day. Its a blessing. Ive met some of the most amazing people. And when I get to see them heal and begin to love themselves again, its so rewarding. I love what I do and I pray that we can continue to grow a strong recovery community in McDowell with easy access to needed resources and where people like me can be met with open arms and love because we all need each other from time to time. And we are a community, which means with unity, as one of my old friends used to say. A study done by the Study and Research Center of the Catholic University of Angola (CEIC) says that the country will need annual investments of $35 billion to achieve true diversification of the economy by 2030. The economist and CEIC coordinator, Alves da Rocha, said that by 2025, 2030 we did an exercise to find out the cost of economic diversification in terms of annual investments, for the economy to be classified as diversified, where the agriculture sector represents 20 percent of GDP, manufacturing and construction 31 percent of GDP, and services 32 percent. That, he said, will require an average annual investment of around $35 billion. Another economist, Damiao Cabulo, points the same way stating that it is necessary to moralize the society and starting with the leaders. The corruption installed in Angola has already done more damage than the civil war itself, he said, stating that the fight against corruption requires changes in institutions. The issue of corruption is so serious that the way to fight it is a utopia, It is necessary to de-bureaucratize the institutions, which goes through the immediate de-participation of them, he said. Serra Bango jurist and president of the association justice peace and democracy considers that it is necessary that there are measures to encourage investors to our economy. Luxembourg has voiced support to the autonomy plan proposed by Morocco in 2007 for a lasting and peaceful resolution of the Sahara regional conflict. In a joint statement released following talks he held Tuesday in Rabat with Moroccan foreign minister Nasser Bourita, Luxembourgs top diplomat Jean Asselborn hailed the autonomy plan as a serious and credible effort made by Morocco saying it is a good basis for reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the Sahara issue. He also reaffirmed his countrys firm backing to the UN-led process seeking to find a realistic, pragmatic and lasting political solution to the Sahara dispute. In the joint statement, Luxembourg insists on the UN exclusive role in the political process and supports the UN Security Council Resolution 2602 which calls on the parties to the Sahara conflict to move towards a realistic, practicable, enduring and mutually acceptable political solution based on compromise. The two ministers reiterated strong support to the efforts made by UN Sahara envoy Staffan De Mistura to advance the political process on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions. Several European countries including neighboring Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Romania, Portugal, Serbia support Moroccos autonomy plan offered for the Sahara under its sovereignty. On the day when Mozambique marks the 30th anniversary of the General Peace Agreement, personalities from all walks of life defended the preservation of peace and an increasingly deep-rooted culture of reconciliation. The central celebration took place on Tuesday, October 4, at the Heroes Square in Maputo, and began with the usual laying of wreaths of flowers in honor of the heroes and all those who fought for peace and democracy in Mozambique. In his speech, the President of the Republic went through the history of the civil war between the government and Renamo, which started in 1976, not forgetting the involvement of the then regimes of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Filipe Nyusi also highlighted the efforts of successive governments to end conflicts and reconcile the Mozambican family. Throughout our 30-year journey, our peace has known some situations that tried to harm the peaceful action and coexistence between Mozambican brothers, affecting the central zone, specifically in the provinces of Sofala and Manica, he stressed, pointing out, however, that the only conclusion we can draw from the 30 years of the AGP is that peace is worth fighting for; and Mozambicans are, in this respect, resolute. Nyusi spoke of the implementation of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Renamo Men process, which should end later this year. The General Peace Agreement was signed in Rome on October 4, 1992, by the presidents of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, and Renamo, Afonso Dhlakama, and by representatives of the Community of SantEgidio, Italy, which served as mediator. West Africa has become increasingly a transit zone for drugs produced in Latin America and destined for Europe. Liberian authorities, with the help of the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, seized 520 kilograms of cocaine worth an estimated $100 million, the Justice minister and the U.S. embassy said. For several years, West Africa has become a transit zone for drugs produced in Latin America and destined for Europe. I am here to confirm a major seizure that was conducted on October 1, 2022, which led to the taking of $100 million worth of pure cocaine, in Topoe village on the western outskirts of the capital Monrovia, Liberian Justice Minister Musa Dean said during a press conference. A Guinea-Bissau national has been arrested and is in custody, as is a Lebanese national, he added. The National Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) confirmed the two arrests, saying that other accomplices were still at large. It did not confirm the information shared on social networks that the drugs were stored in containers of frozen fish. The investigation is ongoing, she said. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Anti-vaccine legislation in Texaseven when it doesn't become lawposes a threat to public health, according to a report from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. "One of the goals of the anti-vaccine movement is to marginalize discussions about the benefits of vaccination," wrote Kristin Matthews, a fellow in science and technology policy and lead author of the report, and co-author Rekha Lakshmanan, a contributing expert at the Baker Institute's Center for Health and Biosciences and chief strategic officer at The Immunization Partnership. "Their view is that any discussion about vaccineswhether it's about creating new access points to get vaccinated or the advantages of immunizationis coercive and therefore should be curtailed, penalized or even outlawed," they continued. Texas lawmakers introduced more than 100 vaccine-related bills in 2021, over 60% of which proposed diluting or eliminating pro-vaccine policiesmore anti-vaccine legislation than was introduced combined in the years since nonmedical exemptions became available in the state in 2003. Legislators' aims included limiting the scope of policies set by health care professionals and employers and removing school vaccine requirements. Simply the act of introducing an anti-vaccination bill increases skepticism and hesitancy and erodes trust in science, scientists and government institutions, the report argues. Such resistance can lead to vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, creating ripple effects throughout the public health ecosystem. "Bills that move through the legislative process, regardless of whether they are passed into law, legitimize anti-vaccination beliefs and rhetoric and undermine science," the authors wrote. "Even more concerning is the fact that legislators, in attempts to be perceived as balanced, have given anti-vaccine bills a platform through committee hearings. Lawmakers have felt compelled to give 'both sides' a say, which leaves a false impression that both sides are equal and legitimizes anti-science policies. This also allows testimony that uses questionable, misleading or factually incorrect data to be presented as fact." Texas' 2023 legislative session is expected to be similar to 2021 because anti-vaccination bills that did not pass last time are likely to be refiled, according to the report. "How vaccine policies are handled here could have spillover effects into other states," the authors wrote. Explore further Expert: Vaccination myths must be debunked Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Fruithurst is your quintessential small town. Located in Cleburne County, Alabamajust five miles on the other side of the Georgia state lineonly a few hundred people call it home. Christy Hiett is one of those people. Born and raised in the tight-knit community, she now serves as principal of Fruithurst Elementarythe same school she attended as a young girl. "Fruithurst is a very small community where the school is a large part of the community, and the community is a large part of the school." That's why Hiett became concerned when a growing number of people, including her students, were diagnosed with cancer. "When children started being diagnosed with leukemia, people in the community looked to me for answers," she said. "I became passionate about this issue because it was impacting children, and children are my passion. This tugged at my heart greatly." With dogged determination, Hiett began searching for answers. "I'm a person that wants answers to our problems, and I typically take the lead in finding those answersnot waiting on someone else to do things for me. Therefore, I started researching." But this was a major undertaking, and Hiett couldn't do it alone. At her urging, an interdisciplinary team of geoscientists and sociologists from the University of Kentucky, the University of Alabama and Auburn University began collaborating to learn more about the possible cause behind the high cancer prevalence rates in Cleburne and the neighboring community of Muscadine, Alabama. "Communities are gatekeepers of the most important knowledge to take on cancer clusters," said Loka Ashwood, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Sociology in the UK College of Arts and Sciences. "They can and should be incorporated into research." "As a scientist, I am driven by the service to society. My research group uses science to inform society about environmental issues," said Natasha Dimova, Ph.D., a hydrogeologist with expertise in radioactivity from the University of Alabama. "This project had a direct connection to a vexing social and health problem, and we were grateful to provide data to help understand the scope of the issue." Through a study titled, "Rural and Community-Based Cancer Cluster Research," the team launched a community-wide project. Together, they conducted surveys, and through that research, they learned prevalence rates for 16 types of cancer in the Fruithurst Elementary School District were higher than national ratesparticularly for melanoma (6.7 times the national average) and lung cancer (9.2 times the national average). Further results confirmed the communities' fears. "We identified a relationship between pesticide exposure and the drinking of well water as statistically significant in a model of environmental exposures," Ashwood explained. "Our rapid response water and soil samples also uncovered contaminants." According to the study, the wells showed higher than acceptable levels of heavy metals and semivolatile organic compounds linked to cancer. The contaminants also included an industrial chemical, Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, at levels that exceeded federal limits for municipal water systems. As a result, Hiett and community members launched an activist groupCleburne Cancer Concerns. "Residents have been able to pursue direct action, such as the installation of reverse osmosis systems to reduce exposure," Ashwood said. "Cleburne Cancer Concerns is also advocating that county commissioners end spraying the herbicide MSMA Target 6 Plus on roadsides." "Working on this project has helped me understand how community-based participatory research actually works in practice and what outcomes are possible when researchers and community members draw on their knowledge and skills for social and environmental change," said KC Vick, a doctoral student in the UK Department of Sociology. A paper on the research was recently published in Environmental Justice. "Our research provides a helpful explanation of how communities and researchers can work together to do more relevant cancer cluster research that works toward change and enables action," Ashwood added. "Our research also provides a template for other communities seeking to address cancer cluster research but not sure how to engage with researchers." The common saying goes"knowledge is power." Now, the community of Cleburne is equipped with the data needed to tackle this challenge and bring about change. "I could not have accomplished anything related to the cancer research if it had not been for the researchers with whom I collaborated. I desperately tried to find answers on my own prior to meeting Dr. Ashwood, but I was met with roadblock after roadblock," Hiett said. "I am forever grateful for the help I received and for the help we were able to provide for my community." Explore further Methods to increase cancer screening awareness in disparate populations More information: Loka Ashwood et al, Rural and Community-Based Cancer Cluster Research, Environmental Justice (2022). Loka Ashwood et al, Rural and Community-Based Cancer Cluster Research,(2022). DOI: 10.1089/env.2021.0118 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The fear of missing out (FoMO) on rewarding and fun experiences is something that most people feel at some point in life. Among college students, the degree to which someone experiences FoMO is associated with their risk of participating in maladaptive behaviors including academic misconduct, drug and alcohol use, and breaking the law, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Paul McKee of Southern Connecticut State University, U.S., and colleagues. For many students, college is a major transition that can facilitate either psychological growth or maladaptive behaviors and psychological problems. Previous studies have found an association between FoMO and disruptive/harmful social media use. A greater understanding of how FoMO influences individual behavior is important to reducing FoMO's negative influence. For the new study, 472 college students completed a hard copy questionnaire packet assessing FoMO levels, unethical and illegal behavior while in college, and demographic variables. The researchers analyzed this data both by using standard statistical approaches and by applying a supervised machine learning approach. With the first analysis approach, the team discovered associations between FoMO and nearly all the behaviors they examined. Higher levels of FoMO were found to be correlated with higher rates of classroom incivility (p<0.001), plagiarism (p=0.003), greater weekly alcohol consumption (p<0.001), lower age when beginning drinking alcohol, increased use of cannabis (p=0.007), stimulants (p<0.001), depressants (p<0.001) and hallucinogens, as well as illegal activities including giving away drugs (p<0.001) and stealing (p<0.001). The machine learning algorithm found similar associations and highlighted the modifying effect of living situation, socioeconomic status and gender on several of the relationships. The authors suggest that brief FoMO assessments, including just 10 questions, may be valuable risk prediction tools for counselors focused on assisting students in the transition to college or university. The authors add: "Using fear of missing out (FoMO) and demographic information, we were able to predict class membership (offender/user vs non-offender/non-user) of college students across multiple domains (alcohol and drug use, academic misconduct, illegal behavior) well above baseline (e.g., 50% at baseline vs 87% for academic misconduct). These results suggest that FoMO exists not just as an aversive phenomenon, but it also leads to concrete consequences for individuals and society." More information: College student Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and maladaptive behavior: Traditional statistical modeling and predictive analysis using machine learning, PLoS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE College student Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and maladaptive behavior: Traditional statistical modeling and predictive analysis using machine learning,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274698 Comparison of disease status on days 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after the index date (hospital admission) between molnupiravir recipients and their matched controls (A), and between nirmatrelvirritonavir recipients and their matched controls (B). Credit: The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2022). DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00507-2 A research team including members from the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, School of Public Health, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), and Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health (D4H) have conducted one of the first real-world studies to explore the inpatient use of oral antivirals during a pandemic wave dominated by the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. Initiation of novel oral antiviral treatments in hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 not requiring oxygen therapy on admission showed substantial clinical benefit to reduce mortality, disease progression, and achieve lower viral burden. The findings are now published online in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Background Use of oral antivirals in patients with COVID-19 may lower their risks of hospitalization and death and reduce the burden on health care systems. Clinical trials observed no clinical benefits with molnupiravir use in the inpatient setting among patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, and reported reductions in the hospitalization or death with oral antivirals use (30% for molnupiravir and 88% for nirmatrelvirritonavir respectively) in non-hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. However, real-world evidence of oral antiviral use in patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant is insufficient. Research findings The study analyzed data from a territory-wide retrospective cohort of patients in Hong Kong who were hospitalized with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection between 26 February and 26 April 2022. Among 40,776 patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the study period, we selected patients who were eligible to receive oral antivirals. This analysis included 1,856 early molnupiravir recipients (i.e. receiving molnupiravir within the first two days of admission) and 1,856 matched controls, and 890 early nirmatrelvir-ritonavir recipients and 890 matched controls. A lower risk of all-cause mortality was observed in molnupiravir recipients versus matched controls and in nirmatrelvirritonavir recipients versus matched controls. Oral antiviral recipients also had lower risks of the composite disease progression outcome and need for oxygen therapy than controls. Time to achieving a low viral burden was significantly shorter among oral antiviral recipients than matched controls. Significance of the study "Current guidelines are now prioritizing the distribution of oral antivirals to those who do not require supplemental oxygen but at the highest risk of disease progression. Our study cohort reflected such a prescription pattern in real-world clinical practice, consisting of mostly older people with multiple pre-existing comorbidities and who had not been fully vaccinated," said Dr. Carlos Wong King-ho, Assistant Professor of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, HKUMed. "The antiviral effect and mortality benefit observed in this patient cohort support the use of oral antivirals in patients with COVID-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen on admission during a pandemic wave of the omicron variant." In conclusion, this retrospective cohort study of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who did not initially require supplemental oxygen showed that early initiation of oral antivirals was associated with significant reductions in risk of all-cause mortality and disease progression, and with reaching a low viral burden faster than non-use, during an epidemic dominated by the SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.2 subvariant. These findings support the use of these antivirals in this population. As both oral antivirals are currently indicated for non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who are at high risk of disease progression, ongoing research will inform the safety and effectiveness of oral antivirals in specific patient populations, drug combinations, and health care settings. Explore further Bebtelovimab appears reliable for COVID-19 during Omicron epoch More information: Carlos K H Wong et al, Real-world effectiveness of early molnupiravir or nirmatrelvirritonavir in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 without supplemental oxygen requirement on admission during Hong Kong's omicron BA.2 wave: a retrospective cohort study, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2022). Journal information: Lancet Infectious Diseases Carlos K H Wong et al, Real-world effectiveness of early molnupiravir or nirmatrelvirritonavir in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 without supplemental oxygen requirement on admission during Hong Kong's omicron BA.2 wave: a retrospective cohort study,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00507-2 Aramex, a leading global provider of logistics and transportation solutions, today announced that it has successfully completed the pilot phase of its Future Delivery Program in Muscat, Oman. The test flights were conducted in partnership with US-based UVL Robotics, a technological leader offering cutting-edge drone-based solutions with AI for logistics. The drone testing is part of Aramexs Future Delivery Program aimed at leveraging the next generation of last-mile delivery solutions including drones and autonomous vehicles to boost delivery efficiencies, improve customer satisfaction, and generate cost savings in last-mile delivery, a statement by Aramex said. In addition, the usage of drones is in line with Aramexs commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as it yields environmental benefits including a reduction in carbon emissions and traffic congestion. This test is the first of a multi-phase programme as Aramex embarks on its vision to fully transition its fleet to emission-free electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The pilot focused primarily on testing a fully autonomous drone to deliver parcels safely and efficiently across various terrains, distances, and weather conditions in Muscat. Alaa Saoudi, Chief Operating Officer Express at Aramex, said: Rolling out the Future Delivery Program demonstrates Aramexs market leadership in last-mile solutions in the region. We believe the next generation of last-mile solutions, including drones and autonomous vehicles, will be a game-changer as it ensures efficient delivery while being eco-friendly. Through the successful drone delivery testing with UVL Robotics, we have proven that these automated modes of delivery will enable us to further enhance the speed, accessibility, and reliability of package deliveries, especially to remote areas with hard-to-reach terrain. In addition, the program will support our sustainability ambitions to significantly cut our greenhouse gas emissions and reach carbon neutrality by 2030. Angad Singh, Global Director - Innovation of Aramex, said: The success of the pilot drone delivery is a remarkable milestone of our Future Delivery Program which is a key program in our innovation and sustainability roadmap. The autonomous drone technology provided by UVL Robotics could potentially cut transit times by half in complex routes, which means we can now add more value for our customers and consignees as we can accelerate the delivery of packages across different sectors including e-commerce, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals amongst others. We look forward to scaling up this product for our customers and deploying it across all markets where we operate. Moosa Al Balushi, Regional Director for UVL in the MENA Region, said: We strongly believe that last mile delivery by drone is the important part of future logistics and one of key goals in business sustainability strategy. Drones produce 26 time less CO2 emissions than cars, which has a positive impact on the region's ecology. Moreover, use of drones can significantly reduce operating costs and almost triple the time it takes to deliver a package to hard-to-reach locations. We are looking forward to scaling up our collaboration with Aramex as a recognized industry leader increasing the number of routes and the share of drone delivery in the total number of shipments. Aramex plans to expand its drone delivery testing across the Middle East region, as well as other core markets where it operates. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, the company plans to test a multi-modal approach that will include a combination of drones and other electric and autonomous vehicles for last-mile deliveries. As a global industry leader, Aramex continues to invest in technology-driven solutions to optimize delivery routes, improve visibility of shipments, shorten delivery times, and enhance customer service. In addition, the company continues to make significant strides in accelerating its climate action goals and embedding sustainability practices across the business. Since 2017, Aramex has been testing and adopting electric vehicles as a greener alternative to its fleet. Currently, its Jordan operations have deployed electric vehicles with continuous electric vehicle testing across Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt. Aramex plans to deploy an electric fleet across its core markets as a part of its wider sustainability mandate.--TradeArabia News Service Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Recent evidence has shown people across the UK are dying younger as a result of austerity, with people living in the poorest areas hardest hit. A new study published today now quantifies the scale of these deaths. The study, led by the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) and the University of Glasgow, and published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, reports that compared to what previous trends predicted, an additional 335,000 deaths were observed across Scotland, England and Wales between 2012 and 2019. Statistical analyses demonstrate that previously improving mortality trends changed around 2011-2013 in both Scotland and England (following the implementation of austerity policies in 2010). Among females living in the 20% most deprived areas of England, death rates increased by approximately 3% between 2010/12 and 2017/19 (i.e., prior to the COVID-19 pandemic), after having declined by around 14% in the previous decade. In Scotland, among the 20% most deprived population, rates of premature death increased by 6 to 7% among males and females (after previous decreases of 10-20%). The study adds to the growing evidence of the profound and deeply concerning changes to mortality trends observed as a result of UK Government economic 'austerity' policies. These have slashed billions of pounds from our public services and social security system with devastating impacts. Without support, people have been swept up by a rising tide of poverty and dragged under by decreased income, poor housing, poor nutrition, poor health and social isolationultimately leading to premature death, now quantified by this new study. Credit: University of Glasgow A set of policy recommendations aimed at UK, Scottish and local governments and spanning macroeconomic policy, social security, work, taxation, public services, material needs, obesity, and COVID-19 recovery have been made. These would reverse the death rates and reduce the widening inequalities we are seeing. Without urgent action, the tragic figure of 335,000 excess deaths shown in this study will keep growing. Dr. David Walsh, lead author of the paper and Public Health Programme Manager at the GCPH stated, "These figures are not only shocking but shameful. And we must remember that these are more than just statistics: they represent hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been cut short, and hundreds of thousands of families who have had to deal with the grief and aftermath of those deaths. The tragic thing is that these deaths did not have to happen. In the words of the United Nations, in a society as wealthy as the UK, 'poverty is a political choice'. The UK Government needs to understand the damaging impact of austerity and respond with policies that put us back on the path of improving, not worsening, life expectancy for all." Co-author Prof Gerry McCartney, Professor of Wellbeing Economy at the University of Glasgow, said, "As the UK Government debates current and future economic direction, it needs to understand, and learn from, the devastating effects that cuts to social security and vital services have had on the health of the population across the whole of the UK. The Scottish Government must also do everything it can within its devolved powers to mitigate the effects of these UK Government policies and help protect people from the disastrous consequences." Co-author Prof Ruth Dundas, Professor of Social Epidemiology at the University of Glasgow added, "This study shows that in the UK a great many more deaths are likely to have been caused by UK Government economic policy than by the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to reverse the austerity policies and protect the income, and therefore the health, of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society." Explore further The devastating cost of austerity on health across the UK More information: David Walsh et al, Bearing the burden of austerity: how do changing mortality rates in the UK compare between men and women?, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (2022). Journal information: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health David Walsh et al, Bearing the burden of austerity: how do changing mortality rates in the UK compare between men and women?,(2022). DOI: 10.1136/jech-2022-219645 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Although New Jersey and federal law both prohibit merchants from selling tobacco to customers under the age of 21, a Rutgers study finds high rates of non-compliance. Underage buyers aged 18 to 20 visited tobacco retailers in New Jersey and successfully purchased cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products in more than 40 percent of store visits. In a study to be published in JAMA Network Open, researchers said that while buyers in this age range were carded in 65.9 percent of purchase attempts, they were still successful at purchasing 14 percent of the time, and stores sold them the requested products even when buyers used a valid driver's licenses that clearly showed them to be under 21. Independent (non-chain) convenience stores and gas kiosks carded less frequently than chain convenience stores. The strongest predictor of an underage sale was failing to card. "The takeaway is that current conditions may prevent some easily discouraged buyers from acquiring tobacco products, but underage buyers who want tobacco products will have no trouble acquiring them," said lead author Mary Hrywna, an assistant professor at the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies and Rutgers School of Public Health. "Despite the law requiring stores to sell only to buyers at least 21 years of age, underage buyers are likely to find a store that will sell to them." The study team recruited and trained five people aged 18 to 20 as buyers and then sent each of them, individually, to more than 80 stores within a 25-mile radius of New Brunswick. Attempted purchases took place between 2019 and 2020, well after the passage of both a 2017 New Jersey law that raised the age for tobacco purchase from 18 to 21 and a 2010 federal law that requires merchants to card anyone who looks younger than 27. Effective Dec 20, 2019, the US also passed a federal law increasing the minimum age of tobacco purchase to 21. Study buyers were instructed to ask for tobacco products but never to lie about their age and always to present their real driver's licenses to stores that asked for identification. Licenses issued to NJ residents under 21 are vertically oriented, so cashiers who asked for identification could immediately see, without having to do any math, that would-be purchasers were underage. The study is the first to highlight Tobacco 21 disparities by tobacco retailer density, defined as the average number of tobacco retailers per 1,000 people. As tobacco retailer density increased, so did failure to ask for ID. Cristine Delnevo, director of the Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies and principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute grant that funded this work, said, "This is an important finding because we also know that greater tobacco retailer density is more common in low-income neighborhoods and young people are more likely to use tobacco when they live in neighborhoods with a high density of tobacco retailers. We could do more to reduce the retail availability of tobacco products by limiting the number of tobacco retailers and sales to minors." Future studies from the same group will conduct similar observations in North Carolina, where tobacco restrictions have traditionally been less stringent, and in New York City, where they have traditionally been more stringent. This follow-up work is designed to see how much the willingness to sell tobacco products varies across different policy environments. "A better understanding of how the problem varies from place to place will increase our chances of solving it or, at the very least, minimizing it," Hrywna said. "Efforts to delay tobacco usage are important because the younger people are when they begin experimenting with tobacco products, the greater their chance of becoming addicted and suffering serious health problems down the road." Explore further Corner shop tobacco sales halved in three years More information: Retailer Compliance With Tobacco 21 in New Jersey, 2019-2020, JAMA Network Open (2022). Journal information: JAMA Network Open Retailer Compliance With Tobacco 21 in New Jersey, 2019-2020,(2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35637 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Suicide rates in the United States have surged over the past two decades, but the number of physicians, nurses, and other health care workers who can provide mental health care is getting smaller and smaller, leaving the majority of US counties unable to meet this need in their communities. Now, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers has found that this shortage of mental health care may contribute to an increase in suicide-related events (SREs) among veterans, a population that is burdened by suicide at a greater rate than the general population. Published in the journal Health Services Research, the study examined changes in mental health staffing services at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and SREs among veterans, and found that an increase in mental health staffing led to a reduction in SREs. The findings indicate that targeted efforts to expand the mental health workforce at the VAand more broadly throughout the health care systemwould likely reduce suicidality and improve health outcomes for veterans and other patients. "This is an especially important finding, because policymakers are actively looking for ways to reduce suicidality," says study corresponding author Kiersten Strombotne, assistant professor of health law, policy & management (HLPM) at BUSPH, and an investigator at the VA Boston Healthcare's Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center (PEPReC). "There are of course many individual-level and socio-economic predictors of suicide, but what factors can be easily changed by policymakers within a system of care? Our results suggest that increasing staffing is a clear, effective option." The new findings fill gaps in previous studies on mental health staffing and health outcomes, which have used incomplete measures of staffing and have not accounted for multiple factors that may influence outcomes. This study is the first comprehensive measurement of provider staffing levels that uses a quasi-experimental method to explore effects on SREs. For the study, Strombotne and colleagues analyzed health and administrative data from 125 VHA facilities, the US Department of Defense, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, providing information on more than 100,000 veterans who had recently completed active service between 2014-2018. They controlled for individual, facility, and county-level characteristics that may have influenced patient outcomessuch as veterans' year of separation from service, previous use of mental health services, insurance coverage, income, VHA facility size, and average veteran health status per facilityas well as several other factors that may have biased the results or indicated a reverse causal effect. SREs among veterans included suicidal self-directed violence, suicide attempts, suicide, and self-directed violence with undetermined intent. The staff positions that the study examined included social workers, psychiatrists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. The results showed that, from 2014-2018, the probability of an SRE per pay period was 0.05 percent, and a one percent increase in mental health staffing reduced SREs by 1.6 percentage points. The findings also indicated that this effect was most concentrated in VHA facilities with the lowest staffing levels, with the effect diminishing among facilities as staffing levels increased. "It's worth noting that the VHA is relatively well-staffed with mental health providers already. Other systems and areas with less staff might see even bigger payoffs," says study lead author Yevgeniy Feyman, a Ph.D. candidate in Health Services Research at BUSPH and a data analyst at the VHA. This study lends important implications for the VHA, other US health facilities, and for policymaking, the researchers say. Increasing mental health providers within other health systems facing similar staffing limitations would likely improve patients' health outcomes. "The major implication here is that retaining and increasing mental health staffing will have substantial benefits for veterans, especially in the most capacity-constrained facilities," Strombotne says. Explore further COVID-19 outbreaks pose staffing challenges to nursing homes More information: Yevgeniy Feyman et al, Effect of mental health staffing inputs on suiciderelated events, Health Services Research (2022). Journal information: Health Services Research Yevgeniy Feyman et al, Effect of mental health staffing inputs on suiciderelated events,(2022). DOI: 10.1111/1475-6773.14064 Graphical abstract. Credit: Kidney International (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2022.07.032 Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication associated with various diseases and particularly affects patients on intensive care units. However, the mechanisms underlying AKI are incompletely understood. Just recently, an interdisciplinary research team has used single-cell sequencing techniques to uncover the molecular processes associated with AKI. Reporting in Genome Medicine and Kidney International, they describe novel gene expression patterns of injured kidney cells that may lead to new therapeutic approaches and strategies for biomarker discovery. The studies were conducted in close collaboration between ChariteUniversitatsmedizin Berlin; the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) of the Max Delbruck Center; the German Rheumatism Research Center Berlin (DRFZ), a Leibniz Institute; and the Hannover Medical School. The kidneys are among the most important organs in the human body. They filter waste products from the blood, control body fluid composition and blood pressure, influence energy metabolism, and produce vital hormones. If kidney function is impairedas is the case in AKIthere can be severe consequences. "AKI is a frequent and serious complication in critically ill patients, affecting about half of our intensive care unit patients," says Dr. Jan Klocke of Charite's Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care. "The condition is often underestimated, despite the fact that AKI is associated with increased mortality and patients can suffer permanent damage, even complete loss of kidney function." AKI can accompany a wide range of diseases. It often occurs in conjunction with cardiovascular diseases or severe infectious diseases such as COVID-19, but also after surgical interventions or in association with drug treatment. There are often no concrete treatment options. "We try to stabilize affected patients, but so far it is usually not possible to reverse the destructive processes in the kidney with targeted treatments," says Dr. Hinze, who played a key role in supervising one of the studies at Charite and the Max Delbruck Center and now works at the Hannover Medical School. "Up to now, little has been known about which mechanisms are at play in the kidney cells. The aim of our studies was to shed some light on this, with the long-term goal of improving the treatment provided to our patients in the clinic." AKI is often triggered by an insufficient supply of blood to the kidneys, causing the cells there to no longer receive sufficient oxygen and nutrientsand to react with stress. The cells go into a kind of alarm mode and produce signal substances that can lead to inflammatory and remodeling processes (fibrosis) in the surrounding tissue. It is known from animal model studies that epithelial cellsthe cells that line the fine renal tubulesare involved in these inflammatory and fibrotic processes. This was demonstrated using a novel state-of the-art method called single-cell sequencing, which enables researchers to create a detailed profile of the molecular gene expression profiles of thousands of individual cells. But what happens on the cellular level in human AKI? This is the question that research teams led by Dr. Hinze and Dr. Klocke set out to investigate. The two recently published studies are among the first to ever investigate the molecular processes in AKI using single-cell technologies in human kidney cells. The scientists examined cells taken from tissue and urine samples of more than 40 patients and analyzed the molecular patterns of more than 140,000 cells using state-of-the-art bioinformatics approaches. "Single-cell sequencing allows us to virtually zoom into each cell and see which genes are active in that cell at that point in time," explains Dr. Hinze. "From this, we can determine whether that particular kidney cell is currently functioning normally, is under stress, or is about to die. This cutting-edge technology gives us an understanding of AKI in unprecedented detail." The team was also able to show that different cell types of the kidney react quite differently to AKI, with the strongest response observed in the epithelial cells of the renal tubules. These are the smallest functional units of the kidney and consist of several segments. It was known from animal models that epithelial cells of a specific early renal tubule segment were mainly affected by AKI. However, the results of the latest studies on human kidney cells have revealed that the epithelial cells of almost all tubule segments are involved in the injury processes. "This illustrates once again how important it is that we study human systems and learn to understand them better," says Dr. Hinze. "In the different types of epithelial cells, we were able to identify certain molecular patterns that occurred in all patients with AKI, but at individual abundances. In the future, these findings could help doctors to better assess the risk for severe disease progression." In clinical practice, physicians ideally need a fast, non-invasive, and precise testing method to clearly diagnose AKI at an early stage. In order to get closer to this vision for the future, Dr. Klocke started searching for epithelial cells in urine samples. Hardly any cells are found in the urine of healthy people. But in those with AKI, epithelial cells detach from the renal tubule and are excreted into the urine. However, since cells do not survive in urine for long, there were initial doubts as to whether the cells would still be intact and whether their molecular state could even be measured using single-cell sequencing. "We processed the urine samples within four to six hours, and it actually worked very well," says Dr. Klocke. The researchers were able to determine from which segment of the renal tubules the cells came from and which genetic programs they had activated in response to kidney damage. "The information provided by the cells from the urine samples matched that of the corresponding cells from tissue samples," says Dr. Klocke. "Thus, urine provides us with an uncomplicated and patient-friendly method of obtaining sample material for further investigationsin order to identify biomarkers and, in the long term, perhaps reduce or even replace kidney biopsies." With the two current studies, the research team has provided completely new insights into the cellular mechanisms in AKI using single cell sequencing as well as promising approaches for future diagnostic procedures and personalized therapies. In further studies, they plan to enroll a larger number of patients, investigate the cellular responses in different underlying diseases, and uncover other fundamental molecular mechanisms of AKI using cell cultures. Explore further Researchers present new mathematical model for studying kidney cells More information: Christian Hinze et al, Single-cell transcriptomics reveals common epithelial response patterns in human acute kidney injury, Genome Medicine (2022). Christian Hinze et al, Single-cell transcriptomics reveals common epithelial response patterns in human acute kidney injury,(2022). DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01108-9 Jan Klocke et al, Urinary single-cell sequencing captures kidney injury and repair processes in human acute kidney injury, Kidney International (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2022.07.032 Journal information: Kidney International , Genome Medicine Credit: CC0 Public Domain From schools and malls to city streets and suburban homes, incidents involving firearms have caused injury and death across America and ignited a national conversation about how to reduce the toll. In fact, firearm injuries now kill more children and teens in the U.S. than anything else, even car crashes, according to University of Michigan research published this year in the New England Journal of Medicine. Other research, including studies from the U-M Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention (IFIF), has indicated that firearm incidents, including suicides, increasingly affect Americans of all ages, living in all kinds of communities. The toll has spurred lawmakers at the state and federal level to act, including the passage of a bipartisan law this past summer that's the first of its kind in decades. But policymakers aren't the only ones who can act. U-M experts say there are many things that firearm owners, and even people who do not own guns, can do to prevent tragedy in their homes and communities. "There's a lot that individuals can do to reduce the risk that someone they know will get hurt or die because of a firearm," said IFIP co-director Patrick Carter, M.D., an emergency physician and researcher at Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center. "Responsible gun owners, and people who don't choose to own guns, can all take steps now." 1. Safe Storage: Keep firearms locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition More than 4 million children and teens in the U.S. live in a home with a loaded, unlocked firearm. Firearm owners can take simple steps to help reduce the chance that anyone living or visiting their home will be harmed, either accidentally or on purpose. If you own firearms, store them in a locked safe, case or vault, if at all possible. Keep the key so that it's accessible only to adults trained in firearm safety. Use a gun lock, which requires the firearm to first be unloaded. Keep the key for the lock separately. Many police departments and county sheriff's offices offer these locks for free; ask the one near you. No matter how you store your firearms, it is safer to have them separate from ammunition and to store ammunition in a locked location. After using a firearm, make sure to unload it before returning it to storage. If you have received a license to carry a firearm in a concealed manner, keep it unloaded to avoid accidental discharge. When you are done carrying, return the firearm, unloaded, to locked storage and keep ammunition separate. 2. Include firearm storage as part of your 'safety check' conversation before your child visits someone new Allergies. Pets. Sunscreen. Pools. Adult supervision. If you're a parent, and your child or teen is going to spend time at a friend's home or sleep over for the first time, you know it's common to connect with the hosting parent or guardian about these and other safety-related matters. It's time to add firearm safety to this conversation, experts say. That could reduce the chance of injury if children get curious about a firearm at a home they're visiting, or if the friend they're visiting wants to impress them by showing where their parent's firearms are. (Researchers have reported that many children know where firearms are hidden in their home.) In fact, Michigan Medicine and its C.S. Mott Children's Hospital have joined a national campaign called Hospitals United, to urge parents to ask about unlocked guns at places their children might visit. The campaign's website offers helpful tips and information on how to do this. As you go down the safety check list with the other parent, tell them your child can be really curious, and ask about whether there are firearms in their home and how they're stored. If the other parent is not willing to say, or expresses concern that you have asked about this, be ready to suggest a different location for the children to get together or sleep over. If you're the host, volunteer information about your own firearm ownership status, and storage practices if you own firearms, to the other parent. If you have a teen who babysits, tell them you want them to add firearm storage to the list of safety-related things they ask about when preparing to sit for a new family. 3. Find out how to raise firearm concerns with authorities If you have a concern that a person with access to firearms might harm themselves or another person, even if it's a temporary concern, it's critical to speak up and seek help. Contact local law enforcement for an urgent situation. Or if it's a more general worry, alert the person's parent, spouse, partner, physician, therapist, teacher or principal, and talk about next steps. If you're concerned about someone who may be suicidal, you can contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 from any phone or using the chat feature on their website, or call their services for people who speak Spanish or need to use the TDD service because they are deaf or hard of hearing. Some states have extreme risk protection order laws (also known as red flag laws) which allow people to petition a court to legally restrict an individual's gun possession based on a serious credible concern about that person's behavior. More states may adopt these under the new national law. Even if your state does not have one of these laws, it's better to say something to authorities who will know what options they have. If you are a firearm owner and you discover that a firearm has been lost or stolen, report it immediately to local law enforcement. Keep your firearms' serial numbers on file in case you have to make such a report. 4. Know when and how to remove firearms from your home As the risk of death and injury by firearms rises, it is vital to know when to intervene before that harm happens. More than half of all suicide deaths in the U.S. in 2020 were the result of firearm injuries. While suicide rates declined slightly in the past few years, they are still much higher than they were a decade ago. If you suspect or know that your child, spouse or someone else who lives with you may be depressed or struggling, it may be time to place your firearms with a trusted friend or relative, or the police. Anyone who may be showing signs of frequent sadness, irritability, withdrawal from friends and family, financial distress, relationship issues and/or increased use of alcohol or drugs could be at risk of harm from a firearm. In fact, Michigan Medicine's psychiatric emergency department makes sure to ask every patient about firearm access and provides free gun locks on the spot to those who want them. 5. Talk to children and teens about firearm safety If you are a firearm owner and you have childrenor if grandchildren or other young people are regularly at your homehave conversations with them about firearm safety and treating firearms with respect, including not touching a firearm without supervision. If you have firearms, it's especially important to keep them unloaded and locked when children are around. Even if you aren't a firearm owner, talk to your children about the importance of avoiding firearm use except if an adult is supervising (for instance at a firing range or out hunting). Urge children to tell you or another adult if any of their friends or acquaintances are showing off or fooling around with firearms. Also, explain the importance of reporting someone who is posting on social media about hurting themselves or othersthey should not just scroll past or think it's a joke. 6. Be cautious of childproof firearms Some firearm manufacturers are introducing technology that aims to make firearms more difficult for children to operate. None of these are foolproof solutions, U-M experts say. Even if you do purchase a firearm with such technology, properly secure it to prevent access by children or others at risk of self-injury or violence. 7. Inquire about your school district's efforts to reduce violence and suicide risk In response to school-based violence and threats over the past decade, many schools have added security measures and embedded security officers at schools and other facilities. Most now conduct lockdown drills to help students and staff practice for unsafe situations, and train teachers and staff in how to respond to rumored or actual threats. Some school districts are sharing safe firearm storage information with families who attend their schools, and training teachers and other staff to recognize the warning signs of suicide risk and other mental health concerns. Even if you don't have children in school, as a voter you can find out what your local public school district is doing and urge the school board to adopt programs to prevent firearm injury and death. In Michigan, anyone with information about a possible threat to a school, student or school staff member can use the OK2Say system to report it anonymously. Nationally, the Say Something anonymous reporting system, the federal illegal firearms activity hotline (1-800-ATF-GUNS, or 1-800-283-4867) and the federal Reportit app are three ways to report concerns about firearm-related threats or other possible violence. 8. Engage kids, teens and young adults in violence prevention If you notice that a child, teen or young adult is displaying violent or erratic behaviors, or has had violent encounters with others, think about getting them involved in a violence prevention program. Researchers have been focused on how to intervene during the critical window when young people are at elevated risk for violence, but before they are in a perpetual cycle with devastating consequences. One example of an evidence-based intervention is SafERteens, which was designed by Michigan Medicine researchers to work with teens in emergency department settings to reduce involvement in violence. The intervention was both shown to be effective and translatable to primary care clinics. Such programs can be invaluable when trying to reduce the risk of firearm violence. Mental health professionals, school counselors and law enforcement agencies should know what options are available near you. 9. Don't forget that older adults have special risks for firearm injury and death, too Children are not the only group at heightened risk of injury and death from firearms. In fact, Carter said in a lecture to older adults earlier this year, nearly 33% of people who die from firearm injuries in the U.S. are over 50. About 84% of firearm deaths among older adults are suicides, with another 14% being homicides, including domestic violence. Carter and colleagues did a study and found nearly one-quarter of firearm owners over age 50 regularly store their firearms loaded and unlocked, which increases risk of accidental or intentional injury. Suicides among older adults tend to be linked to depression or a long-term physical impairment, and dementia is also a risk factor for homicide and suicide in older adults. For these reasons, older adults and their loved ones should communicate with one another and health care providers about steps to reduce those risks. If you have a concern about an older adult, share that concern with their doctor or other regular health care provider. They can help identify signs of increased anger, domestic violence risk, or suicidality, and intervene. Carter offers more tips specific to older adults. Explore further Planning can help gun owners age safely More information: Jason E. Goldstick et al, Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States, New England Journal of Medicine (2022). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Jason E. Goldstick et al, Current Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States,(2022). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2201761 Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A single chip is wreaking havoc in school districts across the country, sending children home sick and sometimes even to a hospital. The "One Chip Challenge," which has over 850 million views on TikTok, is making a bold return with kids back in class. The One Chip Challenge, invented by the chip company Paqui, dares people to buy a single "eye-watering, curse-inducing chip made with the hottest peppers on the planet" that comes in a coffin-shaped box, Paqui's website says. It also warns to keep out of reach of children. "Those two peppers (in the chip) have been rated as 2 million Scoville units and jalapeno is somewhere around 5,000 so they are around 400 times hotter than a jalapeno," Dr. Bret Christiansen told CBS in early 2022. School districts are feeling the heat again this semester. Clovis Municipal Schools in New Mexico said about 30 students experienced issues after trying the chip at school in September, KOB reported. Many were middle schoolers, but some elementary schoolers got their hands on the chip, too, the school told KOB. "Maybe like five students have reported eating the whole thing but some of them just take an eighth of it and have had full-blown symptoms where they're having to leave school," Krystal Gutierrez, director of Health and Related Services of Clovis Municipal Schools, told KOB. "That's when we really felt compelled to say, 'Hey parents, we need your help, we don't want these on campus for sure.'" McClatchy News reached out to Clovis Municipal Schools on Sept. 27 and was awaiting a response. Treulten Middle and High School in Georgia also reported almost 20 students fell ill due to the chip challenge in September, WMAZ reported. "I had one in my office a couple days ago, they were really red in the face. ... As they were explaining what was happening it was tough for them to get it out because they were panting, crying," Treulten principal Brandon Tucker told WMAZ. Paqui advises that those who are pregnant, have medical conditions, or have allergies to peppers, nightshade or capascian should avoid eating the chip. Challenge-seekers should wash their hands with soap after touching the chip and not touch eyes or sensitive areas, Paqui warns on its website. If a person experiences trouble breathing, fainting or extended nausea, they should seek medical help. Sometimes children react so severely to the chip that they have to go to the hospital, McClatchy News reported in January 2022. Three students from Lodi High School in California were sent to the emergency room after eating the chip, and nine others became sick the same week from trying the challenge. Lodi High School moved to ban the chip from campus, and other districts, including Huerfano School District in Colorado, followed suit. "Students across the nation have been hospitalized as a result of a reaction to the heat index of the chips," the school wrote on Facebook on Sept. 14. "We encourage our parents and guardians to speak with their children about the dangers of participating in this and other potentially harmful internet challenges. Notice: Students will be suspended for bringing these to school let alone trying to encourage others to take the challenge." "The Paqui #OneChipChallenge is notoriously hot, as our branding implies, and the product should be handled with extreme care," the chip company told McClatchy News in a statement in January. "Our #OneChipChallenge includes a safety disclaimer that it should not be ingested by individuals who are sensitive to spicy foods, allergic to peppers, nightshades, or capsaicin, or who are minors, pregnant or have medical conditions." School officials and medical professionals urge parents to monitor their children when it comes to trends and challenges such as the One Chip Challenge, and have a conversation about the consequences. "Awareness is the best betto get that information out there to parents who may not be aware this $5 thing in the grocery store their kid asked for may be causing harm to their kid or other kids at the school if they share," Gutierrez told KOB4. 2022 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The block diagram of identifying PD from HC using sustained phonemes. The model is trained and tested using 72 PD and HC participants. Credit: IEEE Access (2022). DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3203973 A new screening test app could help advance the early detection of Parkinson's disease and severe COVID-19, improving the management of these illnesses. Developed by a research team of engineers and neurologists led by RMIT University in Melbourne, the test can produce accurate results using just people's voice recordings. Millions of people worldwide have Parkinson's, which is a degenerative brain condition that can be challenging to diagnose as symptoms vary among people. Common symptoms include slow movement, tremor, rigidity and imbalance. Currently, Parkinson's is diagnosed through an evaluation by a neurologist that can take up to 90 minutes. Powered by artificial intelligence, the smartphone App records a person's voice and takes just 10 seconds to reveal whether they may have Parkinson's disease and should be referred to a neurologist. Lead researcher Professor Dinesh Kumar, from RMIT's School of Engineering, said the easy-to-use screening test made it ideal to use in a national screening program. He said the team had developed a similar test for people with COVID-19 to reveal whether they need clinical attention, including hospitalization. "Early detection, diagnosis and treatment could help manage these illnesses, and so making screening faster and more accessible is critical," Kumar said. "This research will allow a non-contact, easy-to-use and low-cost test that can be performed routinely anywhere in the world, where the clinicians can monitor their patients remotely. It could also promote a community-wide screening program, reaching people who might not otherwise seek treatment until it's too late." The research results are published in IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, IEEE Access and Computers in Biology and Medicine. How the technology works The voice of people with Parkinson's disease changes because of a combination of three symptoms: rigidity, tremor and slowness (known as bradykinesia). Expert clinicians can identify these symptoms, but this assessment can be challenging due to the large natural differences in people's voices. Kumar said previous attempts to develop a computerized voice assessment to detect Parkinson's had been inaccurate due to these significant differences in people's voices. "As part of our research, we used voice recordings of people with Parkinson's and a controlled group of so-called healthy people saying three soundsA, O and Mwhich is similar to the Hindu meditation chant," Kumar said. "These sounds result in a more accurate detection of the disease." In patients with pulmonary disease symptoms from COVID-19, there is also a change in the voice due to lung infection, Kumar said. "Again, due to large differences in people's voices, pulmonary disease is difficult to recognize in its early stages," he said. "We have overcome this limitation with the choice of those same three sounds and the AI method of analysis we've developed." Prior to being used, the system is trained to identify the disease. Once trained, it performs an instantaneous analysis of the voice. The software then compares the results against existing samples of voices of people with Parkinson's against those who do not. Co-researcher Dr. Quoc Cuong Ngo, from RMIT's School of Engineering, said the new technology was faster and better than any similar AI-based approach. "Our screening test App can measure, with great precision, how the voice of someone with Parkinson's disease or person at high risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 is different from healthy people." The team wants to perform a larger, observational study to detect the progression of Parkinson's and pulmonary diseases. "We are also keen to test the efficacy of this technology for other diseases, such as other neurological conditions and sleep disorders," Kumar said. "We are looking for a commercial partner and clinical partner ahead of a clinical trial planned for next year." Explore further AI-powered glaucoma screening test delivers rapid results More information: Nemuel D. Pah et al, Voice Features of Sustained Phoneme as COVID-19 Biomarker, IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine (2022). Nemuel D. Pah et al, Voice Features of Sustained Phoneme as COVID-19 Biomarker,(2022). DOI: 10.1109/JTEHM.2022.3208057 Mohammod Abdul Motin et al, Parkinson's Disease Detection Using Smartphone Recorded Phonemes in Real World Conditions, IEEE Access (2022). DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3203973 Mate Hires et al, Convolutional neural network ensemble for Parkinson's disease detection from voice recordings, Computers in Biology and Medicine (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.105021 Black Hat, the most respected informational security event series internationally, is gearing up to bring together the top minds in information security to Riyadh this November, as part of an iconic 3-day event. Taking place from November 15 to 17 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition Centre, Black Hat MEA is set to welcome 30,000 visitors to Riyadh, making it the largest cybersecurity event in the region while featuring the most powerful speaker line up of any technology show in its first edition. Following the success of @Hack, Black Hat MEA will host over 250 exhibitors and more than 200 speakers this year. The event will also host international tech giants including Cisco, IBM, Spire, Infoblox and more. Cybersecurity The event is the result of the partnership between Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) and Informa Markets, the largest events company in the world. This strategic partnership highlights the kingdoms investments and growth in cybersecurity and the digital space, while being a testament to adaptation of modern technology in the region. @hack set the bar for cybersecurity events across the region in 2021, surpassing our expectations across all measures. This success reflects Saudis position as growing centre of global cybersecurity excellence & the global ecosystems confidence and curiosity in what we are building from the grassroots up, said Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman, SAFCSP. The credibility of evolving @hack to Black Hat MEA is a powerful indicator of our intentions within the cybersecurity space. This partnership will spark innovation, supercharge our capacity building and develop investment opportunities which we are excited to share with the world in November. Data breach costs IBM recently reported that a data breach in 2022 can cost a company an average of $4.35 million. This cost is at its all-time highest now and sits at a 12.7% increase from 2020. In todays digital powered world, this is an alarming situation for all of us, but especially for those who are not aware nor possess the tools needed to protect their sensitive data. This is where Black Hat MEA comes in and cements its position as a must-attend event to generate awareness, create understanding around the importance of cybersecurity and educate on how to safely use tomorrows digital space to its maximum potential. Mike Champion, Regional Executive Vice President of Informa Markets, added: Last year we launched the largest infosec show of 2021, worldwide. This year, its grown even more - more than 25,000 visitors have seen with their own eyes, there's now only one event that gives you so many elite hacker and CISO speakers, so large a community, such a variety of hacking tools, so much prize money, such a big buzz - and that's Black Hat MEA in Riyadh. Event attendees will get the chance to hear testimonies about cybersecurity and its implications from an exciting line-up of world-renowned speakers from leading companies including CISOs of Equifax, Boom Supersonic and Lufthansa; Jamil Farshchi, Chris Roberts and Naby Diaw respectively, as well as Dr Alissa Abdullah (Dr Jay), Deputy Chief Security Officer, Mastercard, Ira Winkler, Chief Security Architect, Walmart and Timothy Brown, VP & Global Chief Information Security Officer, SolarWinds among others. Demonstrations The event will also welcome David Colombo, CEO of Colombo Technology and the teen tech genius, the world-renowned cyber security expert who hacked into Tesla cars. The show will also be home to demonstrations and product launches of the latest cutting-edge security solutions, from across all areas of the industry including software, services and training. Black Hat MEA will also feature several different themes and tracks to cater to the diverse audience, including Trainings 23 bespoke training sessions by 30 Black Hat approved trainers in a hands-on environment with training partners like Offensive Security, we45, Orange Cyberdefence and Madiant; Executive Summit: The exclusive conference with over 200 senior leaders in information security, including CISOs and senior decision makers in charge of influencing and implementing security strategies; Arsenal A developer space where the latest open-source tools and products are showcased by developers along with a hands-on experience; Briefings Where infosec experts present research on industry trends, hacking tools and security vulnerabilities; and Capture The Flag a jeopardy-style hacking tournament for over 1,000 participants to enhance their ethical hacking skills at different difficulty levels for a SR700,000 prize fund. Bug Bounty Cup Other competitions include the Bug Bounty Cup with a prize fund of SR300,000 ($79,806), a Start-Up competition where the top pitches present to seasoned judges, angel investors, tech experts, and government stakeholders for a cash prize of SR90,000. The event will also host a merchandise design competition for talented and unique digital artists where they can create artwork exclusively for the Black Hat MEA Cyber Heroes. The winning design will also be printed as a limited collection.-- TradeArabia News Service The Montana Department of Transportation is inviting the public to two virtual open houses on Oct. 13 concerning the MT 200 Bridge Preservation Project. At these meetings, MDT will present information on plans to rehabilitate a bridge on MT 200 over Montana Rail Link, located 2 miles south of Noxon. The bridge, constructed in 1957, was inspected by the MDT Bridge Bureau in 2020 and plans have since been in development to replace the bridge deck and guardrails. The virtual open houses will beheld via Zoom on Oct. 13 from 12-1 p.m. and from 6-7 p.m. The open houses will present the same information in each meeting. To register and read more information regarding the project, visit mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/mt200bridge. At these virtual open houses, the public can learn more about rehabilitation efforts and engage with MDT during a live Q&A. A plan that would create greater biking and walking connectivity outside the city got a green light from the Missoula Planning Board Tuesday. The Missoula County Pathways and Trails Master Plan is intended to create connections between and within communities throughout Missoula County for non-motorized users. Our focus for this master plan is to understand the extent of the shared use path needs outside of the urban core, said Travis Ross with Missoula County Community and Planning Services. The plan looks at what it would mean to construct and maintain shared-use trails for transportation across the county. One focus point of the plan is regional connector trails like the proposed Peoples Way Trail that extends from the Wye to the Tribal lands of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Another component of the plan is local enhancements to trails within communities like the Piltzville Trail heading to Turah. The funding goals for the plan are lofty, according to Ross. The plan projects trail maintenance costs 40 times higher than the current budget. The county currently spends $10,000 per year on trail maintenance, but the plan calls for $400,000 to complete that work on the expanded trail system. Annual trail maintenance currently costs approximately $8,500 to $11,150 per mile. The county hopes to utilize grant funding to cover some of the cost increase, but there could be limitations to that strategy. Our current model is looking to grants often and those dont necessarily align with the needed maintenance to keep these things going long-term, Ross noted. Planning Board member Dori Gilels recommended the county look to creative partnerships as a funding option as well. She suggested collaborating with local businesses to build the trails. I just want to urge us to remember that government alone isnt going to be able to do all this and theres only so many grants out there, Gilels said. Planning Board member Brady Potts wanted to know what teeth the plan has in terms of its implementation, and Ross explained the primary method of using the master plan would be through future development decisions. It also helps determine prioritization for the countys project and grant applications, he said. Another Planning Board member, Josh Schroeder, brought up the concern expressed by some public commenters that the prioritization of projects in the plan was done without objective, data-driven methods. Ross stood by the countys use of Montana Department of Transportation crash data and public engagement numbers. Its really hard to deviate from that methodology without compromising the rest of the evaluations, he said. Despite this reservation, Schroeder was supportive of the plan. I think we definitely need this tool as a long-range planning tool to make sure were building these where they need to be and connecting people as they should, he said. Others on the board were equally supportive. I have been and continue to be really impressed with and proud of the work that we do as a city and county on trails and alternative transportation and sort of documenting the vision for that because I think its so important to have these visions and plans on paper as a guide for us so that we dont lose sight of what we want, said Gilels. The Planning Board unanimously recommended the plan to the county commissioners, who will take it up on Oct. 27. Pat Beckwith, director of the Military and Veterans Services office at the University of Montana, wants UM to become the most military-friendly university in the nation over the next 10 years. Its an ambitious goal, but one that the Army veteran is prepared to undertake. After two deployments in Afghanistan and one in Iraq, plus the award of a Bronze Star along the way, Beckwith has developed the experience and fortitude to realize his far-reaching plans for UM. Beckwith cultivated a passion for education while serving in the Middle East. When I served in combat, I could tell one of the No. 1 issues that brought a lot of these nations into conflict was education and access to education by everyone in the populace and the ability to reach out for higher education, he said. I realized just the benefit of those opportunities that we have here in the United States. In particular, Beckwith noticed the way military service opens doors for service members and their families, from tuition assistance to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Our society has done very well for military members in creating education benefits for your service, Beckwith said. Still, he observed ways that education could be more accessible and better utilized by military-affiliated students. Beckwith, who attended an Educational Leadership program at UM, sought to improve educational opportunities for this unique student body in Missoula. UM is well-positioned to serve military-affiliated students for a variety of reasons, Beckwith explained. Montana boasts a robust veteran population, Beckwith noted. At UM, he said, we have an incredibly large military-affiliated population, estimated over 13%. That equates to more than 400 students with military backgrounds at the university. When those students graduate, they have the chance to integrate into a state culture that values military service, according to Beckwith. They know theyll have relatability and can find connections here, he said. And, perhaps most importantly, the administrative makeup of UM as an institution caters heavily toward military-affiliated students. President Seth Bodnar understands where his students are coming from thanks to his own background in the U.S. military. Bodnar served in the 101st Airborne Division and the U.S. Armys First Special Forces Group. He was a member of the Green Berets, commanded a Special Forces detachment on multiple deployments around the world and later served as a special assistant to the Commanding General in Iraq. Its critical that you have leadership supporting student veterans on campus, Beckwith emphasized. My office and my capacities would be marginalized if I didnt have the backing of the leadership. Thats really what sets the University of Montana apart from any other university in the nation. Beckwith also credited Mary Kreta, associate vice president for enrollment, for her commitment to serving military students. Beckwith aims to utilize UMs strong military commitments to create a more supportive and empowering culture for veterans and their families. The first priority for Beckwith is to influence student culture to embrace military students, and the second prong of his approach is to secure career pathways for military-affiliated UM graduates. Beckwith hopes military students will be accepted, supported and most importantly, empowered on UMs campus. Many of them bring diversity and maturity to the campus, and Beckwith hopes classmates appreciate the contributions of their military-affiliated peers. Its a privilege to receive all of these military-affiliated students, he pointed out. On this campus, how do we harness their skills and capabilities to make this campus better and to enable them to make our entire community better? He also wants to line up post-university plans for military-affiliated students, who follow a tricky career path from having an occupation in the armed forces, then attending classes and finally pursuing a second career. Beckwith wants to expand opportunities like the ambassadors program that operates in UMs Forestry Department among student veterans. The program leverages networking and career connections to empower veterans to pursue diverse forestry careers. In his role as director of the Military and Veterans Services office, which was established last fall, Beckwith prioritizes handling military students financial benefits so they can simply focus on their education. I just want to do everything I can to help them take advantage of this, Beckwith said. One of the Democrats on Montanas redistricting panel stepped down this week, and is being replaced by former Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau. Joe Lamson, one of five members of the Districting and Apportionment Commission, on Monday sent his resignation letter to Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour, citing health reasons. Lamsons resignation was first reported by the Montana Free Press. The commission, comprised of four partisan members and a nonpartisan chair selected by the Montana Supreme Court, has about three months left to conclude the bulk of its once-per-decade job drawing new legislative districts. It completed work drawing a new congressional district last year. There is an awful lot of extremely hard and time-consuming work ahead, and I wanted to resign to provide enough time for whoever my replacement was to be able to participate in that, Lamson said in an interview Tuesday. Following a three-year battle with cancer that extended into the oft-heated congressional redistricting process last year, Lamson, now 72, said his cancer is now in remission. Im getting to an age where I need to take a little better care of myself, he said, noting the long hours involved in the redistricting process. It takes a lot out of your body. Lamson has been a fixture in Montana Democratic politics for decades, including a stint as the partys executive director in the early 80s, more than a decade working for former Congressman Pat Williams and roles in the administrations of governors Brian Schweitzer and Steve Bullock. His redistricting work stretches back to 1980, when he worked as a staffer for the commission. He was appointed by Senate Democrats to serve on the commissions that met in 2000 and 2010. Compared to the computer-driven process of drawing districts in the modern age, Lamson said the technology when he got his start was limited to hand calculators and the irons commissioners used to flatten the poster-sized maps of census blocks that would arrive from the printer rolled up in tubes. He said hes confident passing his role to a new generation, including his Democratic colleague on the commission, Kendra Miller. I just think on a more general philosophical level, all political parties right now are undergoing generational shifts and weve got to move aside and not just hold onto things because were there and can do it, he said. Reached Tuesday, Cohenour said she accepted Lamsons resignation Monday and appointed Juneau later in the day. Elected in 2008 as the states top education official, Juneau was also the first Native American to win a statewide office in Montana. She served two four-year terms before running unsuccessfully for Congress in 2016. Cohenour said Lamsons institutional experience will be missed, but expressed confidence in Juneaus leadership skills and ability to quickly learn the process. Shes very intelligent, and shes going to bring a wealth of background to advocating for Indian Country and a lot of these communities shes already spent decades working with, Cohenour said. We have two Montana Supreme Court races this year, each, as always, extremely important. One of those races however, demands even more urgent attention than our judicial races normally requirenamely the election involving Justice Ingrid Gustafson and her challenger, Republican Public Service Commission Chairman, James Brown. In 2003, Republican Governor Judy Martz appointed Gustafson to the Yellowstone County District Court after 16 years in private practice. That was a year before her opponent finished law school. In 2017, Judge Gustafson was appointed to the Supreme Court by Democrat Governor Steve Bullock, and retained her seat by a vote of the people the following year. Gustafsons opponent has been a lobbyist, counsel to the Montana Republican Party, and presently serves as the Republican chair of the Montana Public Service Commission, having initiated his first and only term less than two years ago in 2021. The separation of powers and the Rule of Law embodied in our constitutions is unequivocally indispensable to the life of a democratic republic. In Alexander Hamiltons words, there can be no liberty if the power of judging is not clearly and completely separated from the legislative and executive functions. Having neither the power of the purse or the sword, a free people cannot and will not exist without the complete independence of the judiciary. Thats why federal Article III judges have lifetime tenure and why the elections of members of the judiciary in Montana are nonpartisan. It is also why the Montana Code of Judicial Conduct provides in Rule 2.4 that a judge is prohibited from conveying, or permitting others to convey the impression that any person or organization is in a position to influence a judge. In addition, the Code also provides in Rule 3.1 that a judge shall not participate in activities that would appear to a reasonable person to undermine the judges impartiality. And finally, Rule 4.1 prohibits a judicial candidate from seeking, accepting or using endorsements from a political organization, or partisan or independent non-judicial office holder or candidate. Both of Gustafsons appointments to a judicial vacancy were based upon the recommendations of the Judicial Nomination Commission, a seven member body designed to provide judicial independence and created in 1973 to examine applicants for judicial vacancies and then forward three to five names to the governor, who would then appoint one of the nominees to serve until the next election. Regrettably, after 48 years of serving to protect and defend the impartiality and independence of the judiciary, the 2021 Montana Legislature passed, and Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed, a bill that eliminated the Judicial Nomination Commission in favor of allowing the governor to directly fill judicial vacancies between elections. Important to note as well, there were an astounding 18 bills introduced by Republicans in the 2021 Legislature focused upon reshaping and controlling the judiciary in Montana, including bills to require the partisan elections of judges and the election of supreme court justices by politically gerrymandered" districts instead of statewide. Brown made it publicly known early on in the Supreme Court race that Governor Gianforte had called and asked me to consider running for the state Supreme Court of Montana because of the Governors concern that what were seeing in Montana is were seeing the court systems acting as a shadow Legislature. In addition, according to a June 7 Montana Republican Party press release, Brown has been endorsed by Governor Gianforte, Senator Daines, Congressman Rosendale, Attorney General Knudsen, the Montana Republican Party and over 80 Republican legislators. That release has been followed by Republican Party campaign materials distributed throughout Montana emphasizing the same endorsements listed above. Apparently, the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, required by the Montana and United States Constitutions, and without which our democracy cannot survive, cannot compete with the desire of the aforementioned Republicans to control all three branches of state government. Sadly, that approach fulfills neither the express promise, nor the spirit, of the constitutional oath of office taken by each of the aforementioned officeholders. Having been appointed by both Republican and Democrat governors, Gustafson has served, as a district judge and Supreme Court justice, with fidelity, integrity and tireless dedication to the people of Montana for 19 years. Throughout, she has abided by her oath to impartially and independently support, defend and protect our constitutions and the Rule of Law. Based on the foregoing, I would urge my fellow Montanans to once again place their trust in Justice Gustafson and reelect her to the Montana Supreme Court. VALDESE Bluegrass at the Rock returns for the 2022-23 season with crowd favorite, Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out. This performance will kick off an impressive lineup of talented groups set to take the Old Rock school stage October through April. IIIrd Tyme Out are no strangers to Valdese, having performed at least 15 shows at the venue. The group has generated a great deal of interest from long time Bluegrass at the Rock supporters. Morrissa Angi, director of community affairs and tourism, looks forward to their return. Our patrons are always elated to see IIIrd Tyme Out on our season lineup, she said. We are certain they will get our 22-23 season off to an excellent start. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. As it turns out, while many bands have come and gone since that May in 1991, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out have endured. In the process, theyve managed to climb to the top not just once, but twice winning a slew of IBMA vocal awards, including two Male Vocalist of the Year honors, in the mid- and late 1990s, then persevering through rough times to see Moore recapturing the Male Vocalist trophy for the three more years, according to their website. Along the way, theyve made a whole new generation of fans, and with the release of Timeless Hits from The Past BLUEGRASSED by Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and their latest self-produced album, Its About Time, the quintet is poised to deliver their distinctive kind of music more widely than ever. For Moore, its been a long journey from his childhood Texas home. Reared in Pasadena, near Houston, he heard a lot of country music growing up. I was 5 miles from Gilleys right during the Urban Cowboy craze, he said. But it was bluegrass that really turned his head as he moved into his teen years. Bluegrass was accessible, he recalled. The bands, the musicians, they were so approachable and even though we werent in the bluegrass mainstream geographically, I was able to see artists like Bill Monroe, Larry Sparks and the Lewis Family, and you could just be around them. That was intriguing to me. Within a few years, Moore was playing mandolin in a regional band, and by the time he was in his early 20s, he had teamed up with a couple of like-minded youngsters to create Southern Connection, making the move to North Carolina to pursue bluegrass success though it turned out that when he first found it, it was as a guitar-playing sideman. Joining Bluegrass Hall of Famer Doyle Lawson and his legendary band, Quicksilver, Moore quickly found himself in the bluegrass forefront, remaining there with Lawson through six years and as many bluegrass and bluegrass gospel albums. And though his tenure with Quicksilver barely overlapped the establishment of the IBMAs awards, Moore shared in the first of many to come when the group took home the Song Of The Year crystal in 1990 for The Little Mountain Church House. Still, a desire to make his own mark impelled Moore, along with bandmates Mike Hartgrove and Ray Deaton, to take the bold step of creating their own group in 1991. Naming themselves IIIrd Tyme Out a reference to the number of professional bands theyd already been in, complete with a memorable twist on spelling the group hit the ground running, releasing three well-received albums on the venerable Rebel Records label in just four years. We werent immune from the same things that any other band starting up has to endure, Moore said. You have to prove yourself you have to let people know that youre sincere, and that youre going to work hard. But once we were able to get enough show dates that we didnt have to have day jobs, we felt pretty good that as long as we continued to work hard, put the music out that we knew we were capable of, be personable and humble and appreciative we felt that we could continue on if we chose to. Tickets are on sale at a presale price of $25 at concertsattherock.com, by calling 828-879-2129, or in person in the Old Rock School Tourism office. Tickets also can be purchased at the door the night of the show for $30. Concert attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the charming downtown district Valdese has to offer. Enjoy dinner at locally owned restaurants or browse the unique shops and boutiques. Its not too late to get your season tickets. Save money and enjoy all seven shows from your reserved seats this season for $150. The city of Morganton joins more than 70 public power communities in North Carolina and more than 2,000 across the country in celebrating Public Power Week through Saturday. Public Power Week is an annual opportunity to shine a light on the value cities and towns that own and operate their electric system provide their customers and their communities. Our locally owned and operated electric utility provides far-reaching value, like affordable and sustainable power, unmatched reliability, excellent local service, and essential local jobs, said Sally Sandy, Morganton city manager. We are proud and excited to celebrate that value and our local utility employees who are committed to serving our customers here in Morganton. Public power cities and towns in North Carolina provide safe, affordable, and sustainable electricity with a reliability rating of 99.98% more reliable than other power providers. In fact, public power customers in North Carolina experience 40% fewer outages than other power providers customers. And when the power does go out, public power lineworkers restore power faster than other providers. Because public power providers are locally owned, locally operated and locally controlled, they answer to their local customers not to shareholders. They make decisions based on whats best for their customers and their communities. Public power utilities also provide jobs that support their local economy. Morganton has been powering its community since 1899. It currently employs 24 people who operate 225 miles of distribution lines and five substations to serve its 8,460 residential and business customers. Since public power providers are not-for-profit, any funds generated by residents paying their power bills go back into the community. The strength of public power is the value it provides its customers and communities, said Roy Jones, CEO of ElectriCities, a nonprofit organization that provides services and support to public power communities in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Public power providers are essential community assets and dependable institutions that provide excellent service, valuable energy solutions, and a commitment to community. Each October, public power communities across the nation celebrate the value of owning and operating their electric system. In Morganton, local officials are celebrating the value of public power and honoring utility workers with a series of special events and activities: A customer appreciation table in the lobby of Morganton City Hall with pens, lollipops and coloring books A selfie station in the Morganton City Hall lobby which will qualify you for prizes Random drawings for electric credits on your Morganton electric bill Energy kit giveaways Learn more about the value of public power at www.electricities.com/benefits. Butte police reports Wrong response On Monday afternoon, Brianna Rose Lucas, 37, of Butte went to the Butte Rescue Mission, 610 E. Platinum St., to allegedly pick up some mail. Lucas was told that she was no longer welcome at the facility and to leave. That didnt sit well with Lucas, who reportedly got upset and responded by urinating on the deck and then the sidewalk. Officers arrived and arrested her for the misdemeanor offenses of disorderly conduct and criminal trespass to property. Felony DUI A Montana Highway Patrol trooper arrested Kevin Richard Wroblewski, 52, of Butte just after 5 p.m. Monday for felony driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent offense). The Butte man was traveling eastbound on I-90, near Continental Drive. He was also jailed for felony probation violation and a misdemeanor warrant out of Gallatin County Caught and jailed Just after 4 p.m. Monday, there was some heavy traffic in the front and the back of a residence in the 700 block of South Main Street. So much so, officers decided to investigate. As Auldin Joel Peek, 39, of Butte exited a vehicle, he saw the officers and began running, even reportedly making an attempt to enter a home to elude them. Officers were able to catch him and he was taken in on a warrant for felony parole violation. Theft warrant Powell County officials brought Anna Josephine Rainville, 42, of Butte to the Butte Detention Center late Monday afternoon. Rainville had a warrant out for her arrest from Butte Justice Court for felony theft. Additional reports A pistol was stolen from inside a car parked in the 700 block of East Second Street. A 2007 Chevy truck that was reported stolen a few days ago was recovered at the corner of Excelsior and Caledonia. Meanwhile, a work vehicle belonging to McManus Transport, which also happened to be a 2007 Chevy truck, was stolen while parked in a gravel lot near the Town Pump at 1000 Grizzly Trail. An ongoing feud between neighbors living in the 1100 block of South Main Street escalated and an officer was called to the scene. After talking with the officer, the two neighbors went their separate ways and decided to agree to disagree. A woman had her cell phone stolen from her car while parked at the Town Pump, 531 S. Montana St. A man living in the 1300 block of West Granite Street observed a prowler in his back yard. When officers arrived, the prowler had left the area. Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE, has been awarded Best Airline Staff Service in the Middle East by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The accolade recognises the care and attention to detail the airlines teams give to customers needs throughout their journeys. Mohammad Al Bulooki, Group Chief Operating Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: The Etihad family is grateful for this recognition from Skytrax which underlines the ambition to offer an unmatched proposition for travellers. As air travel comes soaring back this year, Etihads award-winning service aligned with a deep-seated commitment to sustainability, is proving to be a popular combination with guests. The prestigious award follows Etihad being named Environmental Airline of the Year 2022 in the annual Airline Ratings, marking Etihads industry-leading strategy to improve aviation sustainability for both the airline itself and the entire industry. In addition, the airline also won Best Cabin Crew and Best First Class at the Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2022. Etihad operates to more than 70 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with the backbone of the fleet being the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Earlier this year, Etihad also introduced the fuel-efficient Airbus A350-1000 to connect with New York, Chicago and London. In the first half of 2022, Etihad carried 4.02 million passengers, over three million more than the same time last year. TradeArabia News Service Gov. Greg Gianforte said Tuesday that Butte was leading the state in local efforts to combat the fentanyl scourge thats claiming lives across Montana. I think fentanyl and drug addiction is the largest issue facing communities across the state the disintegration of the family, the property crimes, violent crimes, just the tragic loss of life, Gianforte said. You are leading the state in community-based efforts. The Republican governor spoke to more than a dozen people who are part of a community action team working to fight the fentanyl epidemic locally. They met at the Emergency Operations Center in Butte Tuesday morning. J.P. Gallagher, Butte-Silver Bows chief executive, established the group last month after talking with Father Patrick Beretta, parish priest at St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception churches. The team includes law enforcement, local health officials, school administrators, medical professionals and others. Besides discussions with Gianforte on Tuesday, the group learned that the Town Pump Charitable Foundation was committing $100,000 to a shock media campaign on the dangers of fentanyl that will be rolled out in the coming weeks. Bill McGladdery, director of the foundation, said its still being formulated but will include messages on several social media apps and sites, including Device ID, YouTube, Spotify Audio Advertising, Snapchat and Hulu. Those will be aimed at people aged 10 to 30, he said. Fentanyl overdoses have taken their toll on the Butte community, McGladdery said. We have had young people die because of one poor choice. With fentanyl, there is often no time for intervention. The campaign will also include a website as a landing page with information and links as well as a Facebook page, the latter because it also has a lot of adult users. We need to reach grandparents, we need to reach parents, we need to reach aunts and uncles, so we want the tool to be able to do that, McGladdery said. Gallagher said at least five young people have died from fentanyl in Butte-Silver Bow County this calendar year. Gianforte said law enforcement in Montana was working hard to confiscate fentanyl, a statement backed up by Sgt. Dave Oliverson with the Butte Division of the Montana Highway Patrol. Our job is to intercept that stuff before it gets to our kids, Oliverson said. Gianforte said the last biennial state budget included $25 million in a new Heart Fund for community-based programs on addiction recovery and mental health. The grants are targeted primarily to nonprofit organizations and churches, he said, and the $25 million was the largest, single new expenditure in the budget. But Gianforte said he attended the meeting mostly to listen and to see if the state can help Butte in its local efforts to combat fentanyl. Beretta said as governor, Gianforte was able to get a respected voice and message out on the issue. He also urged the governor to keep the effort from being politicized. Politicization of any effort just fragments the movement and takes the energy out of the room and makes our lives those of us who are trying to make a difference so much more difficult, Beretta told him. They have to put all their energy where it doesnt belong and I think you have the ability to keep it well above so we are very united in this battle. Gianforte agreed with that sentiment but later, in responding to a question and comment from Gallagher, he ventured briefly into a subject that is a highly contentious political issue today the southern border. Gallagher said there used to be a big presence of FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Butte and given the fentanyl crisis and the intersection of Interstates 15 and 90 in Butte, he asked if Gianforte could advocate for more federal resources here. Gianforte said hes done that and more than a year ago, he and a majority of governors asked for a meeting with the current administration, meaning that of Democrat President Joe Biden, about securing the southern border, and we still havent gotten a return phone call. He said most precursors used to make fentanyl are produced in China, shipped to Mexico, and the cartels there manufacture them into pills and ship them across the border. He mentioned previously in the meeting that fentanyl was just flooding across our southern border and in response to Gallagher, said, Securing the border would help. We need to look at all the ways we have available to cut off the flow of these drugs into our communities, he said. But that was the extent of discussions with any political bents. Most of the meeting was focused on Buttes efforts regarding fentanyl and Gianforte said Butte was to be commended for it. I applaud you for coming together as a community, he said. Awareness is a big important part. Gallagher and others, in turn, thanked Gianforte for coming and being part of the discussion. What is the secret to a century-long life? Eat three good meals a day, said Helen Mae Meyer, 100, of Anaconda. Even if youre not hungry, she said, never skip a meal. She also advises those looking to lengthen their lives to exercise regularly and stay active. Meyer said her father instilled the value of never skipping a meal into her, and that she listened to him and always cleaned her plate. I was a good little kid, didnt talk back or anything like that, she said. Not like some sassy little kids now. Meyer and five other Montana centenarians people who are 100 years old or more were present at a celebratory luncheon at the 53rd Annual Governors Conference on Aging Tuesday at the Copper King Hotel & Convention Center. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services recently asked Montanans who will be 100 years old on or before Dec. 31, their secret to longevity, the most amazing event in their life, a favorite quote and various other insights into their lives, according to a press release from the department. Those who submitted their information this year will receive a recognition proclamation from Gov. Greg Gianforte, who attended the celebration with his wife, Susan. He presented the proclamations to the centenarians in attendance. Thirty-two Montana centenarians were honored in total, including three posthumously, according to a booklet handed out at the event. The oldest centenarian honored is 106, from Lebo, Montana. Gianforte, who referred to the centenarians as birthday kids at the conference, thanked them for their contribution to Montana and wished them a happy birthday. Meyer said she doesnt feel 100 years old, closer to 50, and she doesnt know why, but that the celebration was a great, great day. Her daughter, Joyce Billquist, said she also thought the celebration was great. I think its amazing, Billquist said. We need to honor and care for our elderly more. I think they get forgotten. The number of centenarians in Montana, as well as the rest of the country, has increased over time as people are living longer. In 2010, there were 53,364 centenarians in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This is a near 66% increase from 32,194 centenarians in 1980. In 1950, there were 2,300 centenarians in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau. Audrey Virginia Anderwald, who will be 100 years old on Dec. 10, said shes shocked she lived this long. Anderwald has lived in Opportunity for 77 years, and said that her friends and a good support system are part of whats helped lengthen her life. Anderwald lives by herself, but has a community of friends around her who help care for her. She also has her daughter, Karen Crittendon, who lives in Butte and goes to Opportunity five or six days a week. Wildflower Peery, whos known Anderwald for seven years and helps care for her, said she radiates sunshine. Shes kind and happy, rarely has a mean word, she said. She added that Anderwald got up at six in the morning in preparation for the celebration. She didnt want to be late, Crittendon said with a smile. Anderwald said she was surprised at the large size of the event. I didnt expect this, she said. Anderwald also remembers when the first street cars came though Opportunity. Before she got married, she went to California for school to give air and sky reports to pilots. When she returned to Montana, she would drive every day from Butte to Dillon and Butte to Whitehall to give the pilots daily reports of the sky and clouds, her daughter said. I remember the happy, happy days, she said of her days relaying the air and sky reports. We write this letter with the hope of reaching as many Montana veterans and their family members as possible regarding the recent passage of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act sponsored by Senator Jon Tester. The PACT Act is a historic new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans and their survivors. It recognizes toxic exposure as a "cost of war" by addressing the full range of issues impacting toxic-exposed veterans. Native American Veterans serve their country at a higher rate per capita than any other demographic and have done so for decades, yet they utilize their earned benefits at the lowest rate of any demographic. This legislation is poised to have significant reach in Montana, a state with one of the highest percentages of veterans per capita in the country. Its estimated that there are 66,000 Montana veterans who were exposed, mostly through burn pits. Senator Tester, chairman of the US Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Committee, authored the PACT Act to cover the toxic exposure as a cost of war. That bill almost didnt make it, largely because of disagreements over the expense of taking care of our veterans. Representative Rosendale objected to the bill and voted against it in congress. Instead of being supported for their service, every generation of veterans has had to fight for their benefits upon returning home. Rural veterans often have trouble accessing care because VA facilities in MT are either far away or backlogged or both. It can take several months to get an appointment which usually requires hours of travel, only to be seen by non-native, non-veteran doctors, and therapists. We need to provide our veterans with caring, experienced health professionals that are also veterans and/or Native Americans, who can relate to the patients situation and gain their trust. Patients should be able to keep their doctors and have greater access to appropriate care at more convenient locations. Veteran care should also focus on improving mental health, expanding telehealth, and increasing outreach for rural veterans, Tribes, and tribal organizations. We need to show them that good help is available and that it is OK to reach out for help. Unlike Senator Jon Tester who always fights for MTs veterans, our other congress members voted against the PACT act and are an embarrassment to Montana. As they fist bumped their united lack of support on the floor of Congress, veterans are suffering from exposure to burn pits, lack of proper health care and most shameful of all, a lack of respect. Montanas veterans deserve better than the current Republicans are willing to give. And if we cant afford to support our veterans, then we shouldnt be sending them to war (and the inevitable burn pits) in the first place. If you support veterans and their families vote Democrat. We need to expand services to our Native and rural communities rather than selling out our Montana veterans. And to those veterans who were lucky enough to return home from their tours of duty, thank you for your service, and please take the first step in getting the VA health care you have earned and deserve. WAPELLO After nearly 25 years of operation, a licensed child care center in Columbus Junction could face closure, depending on the outcome of meetings later this month, the Louisa County Board of Supervisors was told Tuesday. According to previous discussions and reports, the Columbus Community Childcare Center was originally established in 2000 when the Bob and Marilyn Schlutz Foundation of rural Columbus Junction built the $350,000 facility. However, over the last few years, the center has struggled with a reduced enrollment, inability to attract staff and funding. Earlier this year, the centers board subcontracted the operation over to 4Cs of Johnson County, an Iowa City-based child advocacy organization. Missie Forbes, the executive director for the Iowa City group, met with the supervisors last July to review the situation and also notified them of the possible need for future funding support. Forbes met again with the board Tuesday and renewed that request. My initial intention was to come here and ask you guys for around one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars to support the center, she said, explaining the funding would go to hiring either an assistant or a center director in a competitive way. Forbes suggested the countys distribution of America Rescue Plan revenue could be tapped for the expense. She said the person hired would be quickly tasked with recruiting staff for the facility. We just cant keep staff, she told the board, referring to a problem she had raised even before mentioning the funding proposal. According to Forbes, the limited pool of workers in the area is causing strong competition among potential employers. She said even if a worker begins at the center, they often are not staying. She said one center worker had stayed on the job for two days before leaving for a job at the nearby Tyson Foods plant and twice as much pay. Currently the center is closing at 3 p.m. on the days it is open; and its enrollment has dropped from 42, when 4Cs assumed its operation, to possibly 35. It is licensed to handle 101 children. Forbes said two things now needed to occur before it would be clear if the center can stay open. She said the first would be a strong demonstration of community support and commitment to the center; followed by an infusion of cash. Although discussions have been ongoing, Forbes said 4Cs officials would be meeting Wednesday with the centers current board to gauge the level of the community commitment. She suggested those discussions could eventually reach the point where 4Cs would turn the operation back over to the center board, which would then have to decide on possibly closing the facility. The supervisors acknowledged the problem, although they stopped short of promising any immediate financial help. Supervisor chair Brad Quigley suggested seeking a long-term solution and said the state needed to provide guidance and assistance. He said affordable daycare was a necessity to keep people in the workforce and a long-term solution seemed possible using funds currently available through Iowa Workforce Development. Forbes said a general community meeting will likely be held later in the month and Quigley said he would try to attend it and the meeting on Wednesday. In other action, the board: Approved a resolution authorizing the sale of an undeveloped parcel of the Hoover Nature Trail to Blacks Bluff; Approved a $3,000 interfund transfer from Public Health Insurance to the Flex Account; Approved $210,056 in claims. MUSCATINE This weekend, New Era Lutheran Church, located at 3455 New Era Road in Muscatine, will be welcoming in guests for a good meal and a fun show. New Era Lutheran will be holding three different dinner theatre performances of the musical, Church Basement Ladies: Oct. 7-8 at 6 p.m. and Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. Originally, director Bill Turner had planned on performing this show in 2020. Unfortunately, it was forced to be postponed due to the pandemic. But while the wait may have been long, Turner was happy to share that his enthusiasm hasnt waned any. We lost two and a half years, but now were back on track, Turner said. Its been fun working on this show. Its a small, tight-knit cast and theyre all looking out for each other and working together and thats exactly what you want for a theater production. Ive been doing these since 1999, and this has been one of the most fun shows that Ive had the privilege to work on. Set in the mid-1960s in rural Minnesota, Church Basement Ladies is a musical-comedy that focuses on four women who work as volunteer cooks for the various meals that their Lutheran church hosts. There are four scenes a church supper, a funeral, a fundraiser and a wedding so its all things that people can relate to, Turner said. Theres also some great humor and the songs have phenomenal harmonies. As for the dinner part of this dinner theatre experience, the meal features 1960s-inspired cooking a hamburger hot dish, gelatin salad, green beans, dinner rolls and a dessert. Tickets for both the meal and the performances are $30 for adults and $20 for children. For those who want to skip dinner and are just looking for a show to enjoy, adult tickets are $15 each. To reserve a seat for Church Basement Ladies, residents can call 563-299-4710 or 563-263-0881. Reservations can be accepted up until the morning of the selected performance, with payment being accepted at the door. Both cash and checks made out to the church will be accepted. IOWA CITY About 1,800 meat packing plant workers in Columbus Junction, West Liberty and Washington will get a $600 relief check thanks to a $1.2 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, according to Escucha Mi Voz. On Tuesday the USDA announced the award recipients of a new Food and Farmworker Relief Program grant to give relief checks to thousands of meatpacking plant workers and farmworkers who incurred out-of-pocket expenses during the COVID-19 medical emergency. Among the recipients was Catholic Charities USA, for more than $9 million. Catholic Charities application was made up of subgrant proposals from several national farmworker organizations, including Escucha Mi Voz. News of the grant came the same day as The Rev. Guillermo Trevino Jr., who helped found Escucha Mi Voz was presented the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Cardinal Bernardin New Leadership Award for his work leading Escucha Mi Voz. He will receive the award Nov. 15 in Baltimore. Thanks be to God, we plan to identify and distribute $600 relief checks to 1,800 meatpacking plant workers and farmworkers in Columbus Junction, West Liberty and Washington, Iowa, Trevino, of St. Joseph Catholic Churches in Columbus Junction and West Liberty, said. Trevino started two Escucha Mi Voz core teams at his parishes last year and the groups have been a constant presence at local and county government meetings, asking for rescue funds to go to workers who were excluded from receiving stimulus checks. Escucha Mi Voz has more than 35 institutional members and 500 individual members in Eastern Iowa and recently received more than $3.2 million in assistance for 2,238 excluded workers in Johnson County. The City of West Liberty also voted to give $147,000 in Rescue Plan money to the organization, but recently Escucha Mi Voz raised concerns that no progress is being made on the plan. With the announcement being made on Tuesday, Oct. 4, Trevino said he does not know how the checks will be distributed or who will be eligible. He commented as far as he knows, the USDA had given the grant to Catholic Charities USA without any stipulations for how the money could be distributed. He said there will be meetings Sunday of the leadership board and he believes the members will decide how to distribute funds. It means a lot, Trevino said of the grant. It gives the people a lot of hope and show that if they keep going various farm workers kept the country going (during the COVID-19 shutdown) because we have to eat, especially during a pandemic. We owe a big thank you to them for what they did. Celebrate the harvest season with the annual Old Mill Days Oct. 15-16 at the Bale Grist Mill. Get a glimpse into history with a recreation of the scene when the Bale Grist Mill first went in operation in 1846. At this time the Napa Valley looked much different. Instead of grapes, the crop of choice was wheat. The mill was a lively place to be during the harvest season as farmers brought their wheat harvest to the local grist mill to be made into flour. Old Mill Days is a family-friendly living history event at the Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. Visitors can participate in traditional farm chores such as woodworking, corn husking and shelling, wheat threshing, butter making, pressing apples for cider, hand sewing, and rope making. Children can enjoy making corn husk dolls, planing wood slabs, hand-washing clothes on washboards, sifting flour, and playing traditional games. Many artisans will be present who enjoy sharing their crafts with others. Learn more about the process of old-fashioned textile-making like lacemaking, wheat weaving and spinning. Musicians play old-time music throughout the day and millers provide tours and demonstrations of the water-powered grist mill, which is still in operation today. Admission is $5, and free for children under 2. The St. Helena Historical Society is partnering with the Napa County Historical Society on a new exhibit celebrating Napa Valleys Latino culture. The art and fabric exhibit is called Hilos Visibles/Visible Threads. The visible threads are the fabric squares that students and other community participants have created as interpretations of what it means to be Latino in the Napa Valley. The exhibits grand opening celebration is on Sunday, Oct. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hilos Visibles is part of our larger effort to build a comprehensive permanent exhibit about the Hispanic influence in the Napa Valley, said Stephen Taplin, former president of the historical society. While Hilos Visibles will run through March, parts of the exhibit will contribute to our permanent exhibit on the Hispanic culture in the Napa Valley. According to quilt artist Arlene Correa Valencia, the quilt square artwork "untangles the invisible threads that tie us all together to make visible the individual stories of our community. This communal exhibition encourages participants to think about their history, their familial and cultural threads and bring them to life through art." For those attending the Harvest Festival on Oct. 15, plan to swing by the Heritage Center for a tour of the museum from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Visible Threads grand opening on Oct. 16 will include music and food. Monday, Sept. 26 0648 Police took a report on an incident involving a juvenile. 0954 Police cited a driver near Main/Dowdell. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. 1255 Police took a report on identity theft. 1307 Report of loud amplified music near Mariposa Lane. 1326 Report of a large red semi trying to turn left from Silverado Trail onto the Pope Street Bridge. 1843 Police cited a driver for using a cell phone near Madrona/Spring Mountain. 1932 Police cited a driver near Allison/Brown. 1944 Police took a report on a fraud case. 2222 Police checked on an occupied vehicle near Library/Adams and told the occupant that camping is prohibited. Tuesday, Sept. 27 0947 NEWS asked police to check on a local student. 1027 Police cited a driver for driving without a valid license near Charter Oak/Main. The vehicle was towed. 1138 Police marked an abandoned vehicle on Church Street and sent a letter to its owner. 1218 A 3-year-old boy was briefly reported missing from Meadowcreek Circle, but he was found safe inside his house. 1446 Report of a car blocking the road near Vallejo/Crane. Police determined it was legally parked. 2116 A dark brown female cat was reported missing from Voorhees Circle. 2317 Report of an altercation on Hunt Avenue. Police responded and determined the dispute hadnt gotten physical. Wednesday, Sept. 28 0239 Police responded to a non-injury solo vehicle accident on Main Street and arrested a 34-year-old St. Helena woman on suspicion of DUI and possession of an open container of alcohol while driving. 0649 Police cited a driver near Pratt/Main. 0928 Police cited a driver near Main/Mitchell. 1238 Medical aid on Park Street. 1319 Report of a person being pushed into a door by a caregiver on Redondo Court. 1807 Someone surrendered a firearm to the police. 1845 A small white dog resembling a Chihuahua was reported missing from Pope Street. 2058 Report of a water leak at a house on Pinot Way. 2125 Police contacted a cyclist riding without lights near Main/Dowdell. Thursday, Sept. 29 0836 Report of people changing and having coffee inside two RVs near Adams/Allyn. An officer contacted the people, who were on a road trip and had pulled over to rest. They were finishing up and getting ready to leave. They were advised to look for campgrounds. 0929 Police cited a vehicle near Britton/Main. 1514 Police cited a driver near Grayson/Crane. 1840 Someone appeared to be trying to break into a car with a coat hanger on Chiles Avenue. Police contacted the person, whose wife had locked the keys in the car. 2016 Police were asked to check on a house with its front door wide open near Spring/Stockton. The homeowner was just letting some fresh air in. 2100 Report of a reckless driver speeding and passing on the shoulder on Highway 29 near Mee Lane. Police stopped the car at Main/Britton and arrested the driver, a 20-year-old American Canyon man, on suspicion of a felony warrant from Contra Costa County, as well as possession of fentanyl for sale. A passenger, a 20-year-old Vallejo woman, was cited on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. 2336 A woman reportedly cut her head open in a Main Street bar. Friday, Sept. 30 0414 An intoxicated woman knocked on someones door on Valley View Street and talked to the resident before walking away. Police detained the 24-year-old Santa Rosa woman on suspicion of drug possession. 0618 Report of a possible fight inside a moving pickup on Highway 29. 0959 Police were asked to patrol Mitchell Drive during lunchtime due to student drivers speeding. 1045 An iPhone was found on Spring Street. 1249 Police helped with the Homecoming parade. 1316 Police cited a vehicle parked in front of a fire hydrant near Railroad/Hunt. 1339 Non-injury accident blocking the intersection of Main/Dowdell. 1412 Multiple callers reported two trucks trying to cross the Pope Street Bridge. 1434 Police cited a driver on Main Street. 1519 Report of a tree down across the railroad tracks near Grayson Avenue. 1618 Police cited a driver on Main Street. 1739 Police issued a parking citation on Grayson Avenue. 1743 Police checked on a pedestrian at Lewis Station Park and arrested the 25-year-old St. Helena man for an outstanding felony warrant. 1944 Report of a car blocking a driveway on Grayson Avenue. Police contacted its owner, who moved it. 1946 Medical aid on Del Campo Court. 2042 Report of a fight by the buses on Grayson Avenue during the Homecoming game. Police arrested a 13-year-old St. Helena boy on suspicion of felony assault and resisting arrest. 2351 Police removed cones from the Oak/Spring intersection. Saturday, Oct. 1 0520 Police cited an unlicensed driver and towed their vehicle following a traffic stop on Main Street. 1804 Police were asked to check on a vacant house with its garage door open on Spring Mountain Court. Police checked the interior and made sure everything was secure. 2021 A tenant on Crinella Drive reported being threatened by his landlords daughter, who has a large dog. 2311 Report of a possible drunk driver on Main Street. 2317 Police stopped a driver for speeding on Main Street. The driver was also cited for driving without a license or proof of insurance. Sunday, Oct. 2 0051 Police cited a driver near Main/Vintage. 1824 Police were notified of a child custody issue. 1827 Report of a verbal altercation on Springbrook Court. Police responded and determined there had been a verbal dispute between a tenant and a homeowner, but it hadnt gotten physical. The parties agreed to stay separated for the rest of the night. 2057 Police cited a driver for speeding near Main/Crinella. 2118 Police cited a driver for speeding near Main/Elmhurst. 2305 Police cited a driver near Highway 29 and Whitehall Lane. 2319 A person asked to talk to an officer about a child custody issue. Monday, Oct. 3 0300 Police cited an unlicensed driver following a traffic stop near Highway 29 and Zinfandel Lane. 0521 Police cited a driver for reckless driving on Main Street. 1813 Construction plates had slid out of place near Main/Charter Oak. PG&E was notified. 1829 Police released a dog to its owner. 1905 Police assisted with a child custody exchange at the police station. As St. Helenas grape harvest is winding down, the harvest of local emails is ongoing for mayoral candidate Eric Hall, who communicates with me as a friend and supporter. I am neither. Having perhaps borrowed my email address from communications with city council, he asked Do you have the need for speed? by way of inviting me to RSVP to a free movie at the Cameo. (A good way to harvest more emails.) Since Hall is clearly following the give-them-bread-and-circuses playbook described by Roman poet Juvenal, Im holding out for the free lunch. Adam Boukadida (fifth from left) and members of the finance team Etihad Airways has picked up top honours at the prestigious 2022 Airline Economics Middle East, Africa & Islamic Aviation 100 Awards. The carrier won the coveted Middle East & Africa Airline of the Year Award, with Chief Financial Officer Adam Boukadida receiving the Middle East & Africa CFO of the Year award for the second consecutive year. Now in their 11th year, the Airline Economics awards are held annually to recognise exceptional businesses, individuals and financial transactions in the commercial aviation industry. Boukadida said: Were incredibly proud to be named Airline of the Year by Airline Economics, which comes just before our 19th birthday at Etihad Airways. This award goes to our entire organisation and stands as a testament to the success of our transformation, in which every member of the Etihad family played an important role. This is a great way to celebrate our fantastic performance over the first nine months of 2022. Airline Economics recognised Etihad for its successful turnaround, which led to the airline posting a record-breaking core operating profit of $296 million for H1 2022, with EBITDA improving by more than $600 million to $691 million in the same period. The judges also considered the profit, debt, load figures, RPK, orders and routes for the Airline of the Year award. The CFO of the Year award criteria included financing deals over 12 months, consistency of performance and the deals book for Etihad Airways, as well as feedback on the company and finance function from key regional and global counterparties and strategic partners. In October 2021, Etihad Airways raised a groundbreaking $1.2 billion loan, the first sustainability-linked loan tied to environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets in global aviation. The airline has picked up numerous awards for this transaction, including: Sustainability Finance Overall Deal of the Year at the Airline Economics Aviation 100 Deals of the Year Awards 2022 ESG Loan Deal of the Year from Bonds, Loans and Sukuk Middle East Awards 2022 Treasury Project of the Year - Sustainability Initiative at the Association of Corporate Treasurers Middle East Treasury Awards 2022. -TradeArabia News Service Napa Valley Film Festival has announced its plans to present Film, Food & Wine Showcase at the CIA at Copia in Napa on Nov. 10 to 13, comprising four nights of movies along with culinary experiences evoked by each film. The festival will announce the line-up "shortly," the press release read. "After two years of virtual films, the festival said its upcoming screenings of 2022 films and tributes reflect some of this years most talked-about films and performances." Rick Garber, chairman of Cinema Napa Valley, which produces the film festival, said they are excited to continue the partnership they have been building with the Culinary Institute of America through events like the recent "Iron Chef" show and dinner. We are eager to reconnect the Napa community to storytellers," Garber said. "This one-of-a-kind weekend will reestablish our commitment to honor our legacy of connecting film, food and wine. The four-day event will be produced by Jeromy Zajonc, who recently joined the NVFF team after spending 13 years at the California Film Institute, where he helped produce and popularize the Mill Valley Film Festival and DocLands Documentary Film Festival. Tickets will go on sale in mid-October. See www.napavalleyfilmfest.org. Napa Valley Writers meeting on memoirs Napa Valley Writers presents: "Piecing together Yuba City, Hollywood, and Napa: Co-creating a Memoir" with actress Charlotte Stewart and writer Andy Demsky on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. Stewart, a veteran actor of TV and film, worked with Demsky to write her memoir "Little House in the Hollywood Hills," published by Bear Manor Media in 2016. Stewart and Demsky will discuss their process for creating the book, offering approaches that worked for them to write and publish a successful memoir. Stewart portrayed the schoolteacher Miss Beadle on "Little House on the Prairie," Mary X in David Lynchs cult classic, "Eraserhead," and Betty Briggs in Lynchs iconic TV series, "Twin Peaks." She has worked with leading men from Jimmy Stewart and Elvis Presley to Kevin Bacon and Kyle MacLachlan. Today she lives in Napa. Demsky also co-authored "A Vineyard in Napa" with Doug Shafer and "Unleash Your Inner Tudor," a mock-self-help book written in the voice of Henry VIII, based on Demskys popular Twitter account: @KngHnryVIII Peggy Prescott will be Octobers member reader. Prescott has been writing with Solstice Writers (formerly George Stratton's class) since retiring from teaching. She has won numerous awards in Jessamyn West contests in fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her book "Neruotic's Guide to Retirement" was published in 2010. Her primary focus now is trying to find out what to do with all those folders filled with years of poetry. Napa Valley Writers, a branch of the California Writers Club, holds meetings at Napa Valley Unitarian Universalists, 1625 Salvador Ave., Napa. The cost is $5 for members, $7 for non-members, and free for students with ID. For more information, contact lenorehirsch@att.net or see napavalleywriters.online. The Napa Valley Chamber Orchestra (NVCO) launches its second season with a fundraiser at Grgich Hills Estate Winery on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 4:30 p.m. This will be followed by the orchestra's first concert of its new season on Oct. 16. Violet Grgich, president of the winery, accomplished harpsichordist, and frequent guest soloist with Napa Valley Chamber Orchestra, will host the fundraiser. Im excited to be able to host this special fundraising event at the winery," Grgich said. "We welcome the community to join us for the NVCO Classical Crush Fundraiser to enjoy a beautiful setting, delicious wines, and of course, delightful music by some of the talented NVCO musicians. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are still available for the Oct. 13 event. To learn more, visit napavalleychamberorchestra.com. The orchestra was established in 2021 to give local professional musicians the opportunity to join together to play music. Ellyn Elson, member of the Napa Valley Chamber Orchestra board, attended a concert and knew she wanted to be part of a group of community members who wanted to do something for the community. There are many high-priced music programs but for many that isnt affordable," she said. "Napa needs more opportunities for people to enjoy classical music. The Napa Valley Chamber Orchestra started in the home of Lois Decius and quickly expanded to 21 members of an all-volunteer orchestra with musicians who range in age from 24 years old to 90 years old. Napa resident violinist Matthew Vincent serves as the concertmaster. They held their first concert in Grace Episcopal Church in St. Helena to a standing room only crowd. The first season continued with additional concerts held throughout the valley. They play music for the most experienced classical music lovers as well those just interested in hearing music created for a small chamber ensemble. To allow everyone to enjoy the gift of live music, all concerts are free and open to all. It is through the generous support of donations and sponsors that funds venue rentals, soloists honoraria and travel stipends. I have played classical music for my whole life and coming out of the pandemic there was a huge void for both local musicians and local music lovers. It is wonderful to have classical music back in Napa, being played by musicians of the valley, said violinist Lora Levin, who is also a board member and personnel manager. "Over the last 20 years, Napa has become a destination spot for many performers from outside the area, and Im happy to see a return to a locally supported, managed and staffed orchestra. Based on the outpouring of support and attendance, the Napa Valley also appreciates the return of a local orchestra. "Playing with a chamber orchestra and working without a conductor is a much different experience. Our musicians are collaborative, cooperative, and concerned that our enthusiasm is communicated to the audience," Levin said. The NVCO second season kicks off with the first concert on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 1:30 p.m. at Napa High School Little Theater, 2475 Jefferson St., Napa. All are welcome, and there is no charge for attending. The program includes favorites by Mozart, Arenskys Tschaikowskys variations, a Gustav Holst favorite, and a rarely played work by Carl Nielsen. Facing federal sentencing for a plot to firebomb Californias Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento, Ian Benjamin Rogers also is dealing with bomb and firearm charges in Napa County, where he is scheduled to enter a plea next month. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. At a brief hearing Tuesday morning in Napa County Superior Court, Judge Mark Boessenecker scheduled a Nov. 3 plea setting hearing for the 46-year-old Rogers, a former Napa mechanic, on 28 charges of possessing explosive devices and guns that were illegal, unregistered or illegally modified. Rogers, who is being held at the Santa Rita jail in Alameda County on federal charges in the case, did not appear at the two-minute hearing. The Napa County charges stem from his arrest on Jan. 15, 2021, when authorities said they recovered the weapons and bombs from his home and at his shop, British Auto Repair of the Napa Valley on Action Avenue. The Napa County Sheriffs Office reported recovering five pipe bombs, 48 firearms and 15,000 rounds of ammunition. After the arrest, the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Francisco filed federal charges against Rogers for possessing unregistered explosives. On May 27, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy for plotting to attack the John L. Burton Democratic Headquarters in Sacramento, as well as explosives and firearm counts. A second suspect, Jarrod Copeland of Vallejo, earlier pleaded guilty to his role in the plot. Federal prosecutors described the firebombing plot as Rogers and Copelands response to former President Donald Trumps loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election, citing text message exchanges such as Rogers stating I want to blow up a democrat building bad and the dems need to pay. Rogers defense lawyer has dismissed such statements as bloviating and bravado stemming from his clients excessive drinking. Judge blocks plea deal for Napa business owner Ian Rogers in bomb plot A federal judge on Wednesday blocked a plea deal that would have sentenced Ian Rogers to seven to nine years in prison for a plot to blow up Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento. Rogers appeared in U.S. District Court on Sept. 28, when he was scheduled to accept a plea deal worked out during months of negotiation to serve seven to nine years in federal prison, compared to the 20-year maximum he could have faced. But Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer nixed the offer, saying Rogers actions were so dangerous and his remorse so minimal that both lawyers in the federal case should be required to return to court Oct. 27 to justify the plea deal. Breyer zeroed in on statements Rogers gave to federal probation officials compiling a pre-sentencing report such as I feel very bad for putting myself in a bad situation that allowed the government to destroy my life which the judge said indicated Rogers was less concerned about apologizing for his actions and more regretful about being caught. Rogers rescheduled federal sentencing is now set for the same day as Copeland, his co-defendant. Updated at 5:08 p.m. Wednesday SALINAS Jury deliberations began Wednesday for the father of the man accused of murdering Kristin Smart, a college freshman and former Napa resident who disappeared near Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in May 1996. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Closing arguments for Paul Flores concluded Tuesday afternoon and were followed by closing statements for his father, Ruben Flores. Jury deliberations for the father began at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Santa Barbara television station KEYT reported about a day after deliberations started in the separate and parallel trial of his son. Deliberations were continuing as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. Paul Flores is on trial on suspicion of raping and murdering 19-year-old Kristin Smart after an off-campus party, and Ruben Flores is being tried as an accessory to the murder on suspicion of helping hide Smarts body. The two have been on trial for more than three months. San Luis Obispo County sheriff's detectives arrested Flores at his San Pedro home in April 2021, decades after identifying him as a person of interest in Smart's disappearance. His father, Ruben Flores, was taken into custody last year at his home in Arroyo Grande and charged with being an accessory to the crime. Prosecutors say he helped hide Smart's body before moving it in 2020. Smart was 19 when she vanished 26 years ago after walking toward the dormitories with Flores. Her body has never been found, but she was legally presumed dead in 2002. Smart graduated from high school in Stockton before enrolling at Cal Poly, but previously spent her junior year at Vintage High School in Napa. Her father Stan Smart was the Vintage principal at the time his daughter disappeared. Witness says Paul Flores admitted to killing Kristin Smart: He was 1,000% serious Even after decades, his eyes are what made me believe it wasnt a joke, Jennifer Hudson testified Thursday during Flores' murder trial on connection with Smart's 1996 disappearance. Her disappearance and the subsequent murder investigation left an indelible mark on the Central Coast college town. Billboards appealed for evidence to convict her killer. The killing was the subject of a true-crime podcast. And it spawned a cottage industry of investigators. San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle made his final case Wednesday morning for the guilt of Paul Flores father. "One thing you'll have to find is in order for someone to be an accessory to a crime, there needs to be a crime," Peuvrelle told the jury on Wednesday, before highlighting evidence that he believes shows Paul Flores' guilt. Phone records Peuvrelle presented to the jury show Paul Flores called his father twice the week Smart went missing once on the morning of May 26, 1996, the morning Smart's roommate first realized she never came home and again on May 28, 1996, after San Luis Obispo County sheriff's Detective Mike Kennedy interviewed Paul Flores in his dorm room. Peuvrelle noted that Kennedy testified Paul Flores was nervous, with his "heart pounding underneath his T-shirt," according to his report, despite being "cool as a cucumber" when interviewed earlier that same day by a Cal Poly Police officer at his work. The prosecutor said the only logical reason for Paul Flores to call his father immediately after being interviewed by Kennedy is to warn him that investigators were onto them, "which tells you Ruben Flores would do anything to help his son, and tells you, the jury, that Ruben Flores has been helping him for 26 years." Guilty or not guilty? Attorneys lay out cases at start of Kristin Smart murder trial As the Kristin Smart murder trial opened Monday, prosecutors introduced jurors to the missing college student and laid out the timeline of her disappearance 26 years ago. Peuvrelle also noted Paul Flores did not call 911 because "the help he needed was not from when 911 would arrive the help he needed was to get away with murder, which is why he called Ruben Flores." A search warrant carried out at Ruben Flores home found a "smorgasbord of items" relating to Smart, Peuvrelle said. The items were found in his bedroom and were not hate mail as the defense claims, the prosecutor said. Items included Smart's missing posters, an essay contest to honor Smart's memory and a copy of The Tribune newspaper from 2014, with a headline that the case was "back on the county's radar." Also found in Ruben Flores' bedroom was what resembled a to-do list, with the phrase "dig the yard" at the top, Peuvrelle showed the jury. The prosecutor went on to say that underneath Ruben Flores' deck is "the perfect hiding spot," adding that the soil anomaly found there was the only one with a surface disturbance. In response, Ruben Flores defense attorney Harold Mesick denied his client had dug a grave for Smart or committed any crime, and attacked a prosecution case that he asserted lacks physical evidence such as blood, bones or hair. Mesick also described Paul Flores as a socially awkward 19-year-old while at Cal Poly (who) didn't kill Smart, but instead did a good deed of walking the student home on the night of her disappearance, KEYT reported. Earlier, lawyers on Tuesday made their closing cases for Paul Flores guilt or innocence on the murder charge. "Paul Flores murdered her and buried her under his father's deck. It is that simple," San Luis Obispo DA Peuvrelle said in his closing arguments. Paul Flores' attorney, Robert Sanger, finished his closing arguments by telling jurors that "there is no evidence of a murder so that is really the end of it." Peuvrelle said Flores, 45, raped or attempted to rape and eventually killed Smart before hiding her remains with the help of his father. Sanger told jurors that they had been told "a bunch of conspiracy theories not backed up by facts" by a prosecutor intent on making them hate Paul Flores. Peuvrelle, he claimed, had witnesses testify about remarks Flores never made about Smart. "He is trying to bootstrap a murder where there is no evidence of murder," Sanger said. Peuvrelle rebutted that claim Tuesday, saying, "The people's case is not a conspiracy theory." He added, sarcastically: "So some 50 witnesses spanning 26 years are part of the conspiracy." Among the witnesses, the prosecutor noted, were three police dog handlers who testified their cadaver dogs each had sought out Flores' room from more than 120 rooms in the dormitory and signaled they had detected the scent of death. Peuvrelle told jurors that Paul Flores should be found guilty under the state's felony murder law since he allegedly committed the killing in his dorm room as part of a rape or attempted rape of an intoxicated person. A San Luis Obispo County judge earlier ordered the Flores trials be moved more than 100 miles north to Monterey County to ensure fair legal proceedings. Peuvrelle told jurors that Flores, a fellow Cal Poly student, had "hunted" her for months, frequently appearing where she was, including her dormitory. The night of the party, he appeared out of the darkness to help her walk home after she had passed out on a lawn from drinking heavily, the prosecutor said. Two women testified last month that Flores drugged and raped them decades after Smart vanished. The women used the pseudonyms Sarah Doe and Rhonda Doe, and alleged Flores sexually assaulted them in Los Angeles in 2008 and 2011, respectively. During his closing arguments, Sanger tried to undermine the testimony of the two women, noting that Rhonda Doe attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1996 and 1997, when Smart's disappearance was getting much publicity. He said it was too much of a coincidence that she came forward with rape allegations in 2020. The judge said both verdicts will be read together. After the first jury decision is reached, it will be held until the other jury reaches a verdict. With reports from San Luis Obispo Tribune reporter Chloe Jones, Los Angeles Times reporter Richard Winton, and Napa Valley Register city editor Howard Yune. All four candidates for the Napa County Board of Supervisors this fall have topped the $200,000 mark in their overall campaign fundraising efforts, and two have raised more than $300,000. That money is carrying them through a two-part quest. They made it past the June primary and are appearing on the Nov. 8 runoff ballot. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Napa County Planning Commissioner Joelle Gallagher and attorney Suzanne Besu Truchard are running for the 1st District seat. The district includes much of downtown Napa and the Carneros areas and since 1999 has been held by Brad Wagenknecht, who didnt run for re-election. County Planning Commissioner Anne Cottrell and Yountville Mayor John Dunbar are running for the 3rd District seat. The district includes the heart of Napa Valley and since 2003 has been held by Diane Dillon, who also did not seek another term. Under county law, donors may give no more than $4,900 to a candidate for an election. However, any donor who reached that limit for the Board of Supervisors primary race in June can donate up to $4,900 to the same candidate for the runoff election. Its a separate election, county Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said. Candidates filed financial information for the reporting period from July 1 through Sept. 24 with the county, as is required by California law. They must reveal the identity of anyone who contributed more than $99. Here is a look at fundraising for each race as reported by the campaigns to the county Election Division. Totals include both cash and non-cash contributions. 1st District Gallagher raised $56,700 during the latest reporting period. She's raised $127,037 for the year in addition to $99,059 last year. Thats a total of $226,096 for last Junes primary race and the Nov. 8 runoff. Contributions to Gallagher from July 1 to Sept. 24 include $4,900 apiece from Andrew Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards, Service Employees International Local 2021 PAC the union that represents many county employees and Leslie Richmond of Napa; $4,500 from Phillips Family Farming of Oakville; and $2,500 from David Moffitt of Yountville. Truchard raised $69,705 during the latest reporting period. She's raised $107,587 for the year in addition to $212,126 last year. Thats a total of $319,713 for last Junes primary race and the Nov. 8 runoff. Contributions from July 1 to Sept. 24 include $4,900 each from Re-elect Fiona Ma for State Treasurer 2022, Meaghan Becker of Napa, John Truchard of Napa, Robert Hudson of Hudson Vineyards, vintner Betty Woolls and vintner Charles J. Wagner. 3rd District Cottrell raised $83,593 during the latest reporting period. She's raised $148,515 for the year in addition to $169,166 last year. Thats a total of $317,681 for last Junes primary and the Nov. 8 runoff. Contributions from July 1 to Sept. 24 included $4,900 apiece from Michael Olson of Berkeley, Andrew Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards, David Moffitt of Napa, Kit Crawford of Pope Valley founder of Clif Bar & Co. Cottrell herself, her husband Doug Cutting and Launce Gamble of Gamble Ranch. Dunbar raised $14,850 during the latest reporting period. He's raised $117,679 for the year in addition to $120,982 last year. Thats a total of $238,661 for last Junes primary and the Nov. 8 runoff. Contributions from July 1 to Sept. 24 include $4,900 from Russell Bay of Henderson, Nevada; $2,400 from Boisset Collection; and $2,000 apiece from winery owner W. Clarke Swanson of Oakville and Michael Lescure of Napa. FAIRMEAD As California's drought deepens, Elaine Moores family is running out of an increasingly precious resource: water. The Central Valley almond growers had two wells go dry this summer. Two of her adult children are now getting water from a new well the family drilled after the old one went dry last year. Shes even supplying water to a neighbor whose well dried up. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Its been so dry this last year. We didnt get much rain. We didnt get much snowpack, Moore said, standing next to a dry well on her property in Chowchilla in Madera County. "Everybodys very careful with what water theyre using. In fact, my granddaughter is emptying the kids' little pool to flush the toilets. Amid a megadrought plaguing the American West, more rural communities are losing access to groundwater as heavy pumping depletes underground aquifers that arent being replenished by rain and snow. More than 1,200 wells have run dry this year statewide, a nearly 50% increase over the same period last year, according to the California Department of Water Resources. By contrast, fewer than 100 dry wells were reported annually in 2018, 2019 and 2020. The groundwater crisis is most severe in the San Joaquin Valley, Californias agricultural heartland, which exports fruits, vegetables and nuts around the world. Shrinking groundwater supplies reflect the severity of Californias drought, which is now entering its fourth year. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 94% of the state is in severe, extreme or exceptional drought. California just experienced its three driest years on record, and state water officials said Monday theyre preparing for another dry year because the weather phenomenon known as La Nina is expected to occur for the third consecutive year. Napa County declares tree die-off emergency Napa County wants state and federal help dealing with local conifers that are dying by the thousands. Water shortages are already reducing the regions agricultural production as farmers are forced to fallow fields and let orchards wither. An estimated 531,000 acres of farmland went unplanted this year because of a lack of irrigation water, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As climate change brings hotter temperatures and more severe droughts, cities and states around the world are facing water shortages as lakes and rivers dry up. Many communities are pumping more groundwater and depleting aquifers at an alarming pace. This is a key challenge not just for California, but for communities across the West moving forward in adapting to climate change, said Andrew Ayres, a water researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California. Madera County, north of Fresno, has been hit particularly hard because it relies heavily on groundwater. The county has reported about 430 dry wells so far this year. In recent years, the county has seen the rapid expansion of thirsty almond and pistachio orchards that are typically irrigated by agricultural wells that run deeper than domestic wells. The bigger straw is going to suck the water from right beneath the little straw, said Madeline Harris, a policy manager with the advocacy group Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability. She stood next to a municipal well thats run dry in Fairmead, a town of 1,200 surrounded by nut orchards. Municipal wells like this one are being put at risk and are going dry because of the groundwater overdraft problems from agriculture, Harris said. There are families who dont have access to running water right now because they have dry domestic wells. Residents with dry wells can get help from a state program that provides bottled water as well as storage tanks regularly filled by water delivery trucks. The state also provides money to replace dry wells, but theres a long wait to get a new one. Not everyone is getting assistance. Thomas Chairez said his Fairmead property, which he rents to a family of eight, used to get water from his neighbors well. But when it went dry two years ago, his tenants lost access to running water. Chairez is trying to get the county to provide a storage tank and water delivery service. For now, his tenants have to fill up 5-gallon buckets at a friends home and transport water by car each day. They use the water to cook and take showers. They have portable toilets in the backyard. Theyre surviving, Chairez said. In Mexico, I used to do that. I used to carry two buckets myself from far away. So we got to survive somehow. This is an emergency. Well drillers are in high demand as water pumps stop working across the San Joaquin Valley. Ethan Bowles and his colleagues were recently drilling a new well at a ranch house in the Madera Ranchos neighborhood, where many wells have gone dry this year. Its been almost nonstop phone calls just due to the water table dropping constantly, said Bowles, who works for Chowchilla-based Drew and Hefner Well Drilling. Most residents have had their wells for many years and all of a sudden the water stops flowing. His company must now drill down 500 and 600 feet to get clients a steady supply of groundwater. Thats a couple hundred feet deeper than older wells. The wells just have to go deeper," Bowles said. You have to hit a different aquifer and get them a different part of that water table so they can actually have fresh water for their house." In March, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to slow a frenzy of well-drilling over the past few years. The temporary measure prohibits local agencies from issuing permits for new wells that could harm nearby wells or structures. Californias groundwater troubles come as local agencies seek to comply with the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed in 2014 to prevent groundwater overpumping during the last drought. The law requires regional agencies to manage their aquifers sustainably by 2042. Water experts believe the law will lead to more sustainable groundwater supplies over the next two decades, but the road will be bumpy. The Public Policy Institute of California estimates that about 500,000 acres of agricultural land, about 10% of the current total, will have to come out of production over the next two decades. These communities are going to be impacted from drinking water supplies and loss of jobs," said Isaya Kisekka, a groundwater expert at UC Davis. Theres a lot of migration of farmworkers as this land gets fallowed." Farmers and residents in the Valley are hoping for help from above. Hopefully we get a lot of rain, Chairez said. Theres a big need: water. We need water, water, water. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell found himself in an uncomfortable position during the debates at the European Parliament, during which Azerbaijan's latest military aggression against Armenia was discussed. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) raised questions about the EU's double standards when it comes to Armenia and Azerbaijan, there were calls to abandon Azerbaijani natural gas, considering that Azerbaijan, as an aggressor country, only understands force, and therefore the EU also should go this way and show force. One MEP said that for the EU leadership, Azerbaijani natural gas is more important than the blood of Armenians. Borrell, however, was outraged by this comparison, which he called "absurd," and urged the lawmakers to ask questions. When asked whether the EU can play the role of a mediator in order to achieve stable and long-term peace in the South Caucasus, Borrell said he hopes so, but I cannot guarantee it. When asked if he is ready to discuss sanctions against Azerbaijan, the EU foreign policy chief said as far as he knows, none of the EU member states has raised this matter, and, as they know, the matter of sanctions needs to be raised by the member states. When asked whether he condemns the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani soldiers who shot unarmed Armenian prisoners to death, Borrell said, of course, and he always condemns war crimesregardless of where and by whom they are committed. The EU foreign policy chief said he has always condemned the violations of human rights, they called for an investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice. He said the respective videos are terrible and, of course, they require an investigation, and Azerbaijan has said that it will do so and that it is investigating these cases. Borrell noted that the EU and the OSCE have also announced that they are ready to investigate, that it was an attack on the territory of Armenia, the Azerbaijani troops have occupied a part of the territory of Armenia, there is a call for the withdrawal of these troops, and they have done everything depending on them to settle the situation. Borrell added that, naturally, they have announced the need to bring the perpetrators of human rights violations to justice. And speaking about Turkey's role in all this, Borrell noted that the EU uses all the tools at its disposal to try to have some bearing on Turkey's respective position. He said, of course, Turkey continues to help Azerbaijan, and it can use its influence to reduce the tension in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan and play a positive role in establishing dialogue between the two countriesand for the benefit of all the people who have suffered from the recent war. Price of gas in Europe drops to almost $1,200 per 1,000 cubic meters for first time since June Armenian Defense Minister meets with his Indian counterpart First images of damage to Nord Stream are published Erdogan's spokesman: Meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy is impossible now Peskov redirects question of drone purchases from Iran to Russian Ministry of Defense Secretary of Armenian Security Council presents consequences of recent Azerbaijani aggression to Brazilian ambassador Trial of Robert Kocharyan and Armen Gevorgyan is held in Yerevan IAEA chief says he wants to meet with Putin again Pashinyan: Azerbaijan creates fake news on ceasefire violations by Armenia US House of Representatives members visit Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan Taliban, Iran border guards fire at each other Another high treason exposed in Armenia Armenia MOD: Azerbaijan armed forces violate ceasefire in Sotk-Kutakan sector World oil prices on the rise Trump slightly ahead of Biden in New York Times poll Armenia defense minister heads for India Newspaper: Karabakh dissatisfied with President's Yerevan visit, meeting with Armenia PM Azerbaijan fires toward Armenia positions at night Zelenskyy: Ukraine needs much more modern air defense systems Liz Truss is called upon to resign EU to review relations with China White House accuses Iran of lying Poland may not receive 75 billion euros in regional aid from EU Crash of SU-34 in Yeysk captured on video SJC: Criminal case will be initiated against judge Arusyak Aleksanyan Germany fines Telegram more than 5 million euros Scholz instructs ministers to prepare to extend operation of Germany's remaining three nuclear power plants Two people killed in Yeysk after military plane crashed Saudi Arabia rejects U.S. accusations of supporting Russia amid war in Ukraine Only candidate for post of military prosecutor of Armenia is named Expert: Iran is preparing for scenarios in form of attacks on Azerbaijan and sending troops to Artsakh German intelligence service opposes Chinese company's investment in Hamburg port Fire area at crash site of Su-34 in Krasnodar territory is 2,000 sq. m. EU approves military training mission for thousands of Ukrainian servicemen Supersonic Su-34 fighter-bomber crashes in Krasnodar territory Elon Musk on likelihood of World War III EU Commission intends to propose 'dynamic' natural gas price cap this week Dmitry Medvedev: Supplies of weapons to Ukraine will ruin relations between Russia and Israel Charles Michel welcomes rapid deployment of EU mission on Armenian border Swiss MPs horrified by consequences of Azerbaijani aggression: We support Armenians European Union announces new sanctions against Iran Tehran Times: Iran remains vigilant about developments in South Caucasus region Natural gas supply to Armenia will be temporarily suspended Daily Beast: Biden must stop next Armenian Genocide before it's too late Pashinyan: Azerbaijan is looking for pretext to launch new military aggression against Armenia Turkish Foreign Minister: Baku insists on equal status of 'Lachin' and 'Zangezur' corridors Foreign Ministry: Iran has repeatedly stated that it has not sent weapons to either side of war in Ukraine U.S. House of Representatives delegation arrives in Yerevan IRGC commander: Changing regions geography is red line for Iran Uzbek officials banned from being dishonest and swearing on social media Lawyer: Erik Aleksanyan does not accept charges against him Erdogan to visit Azerbaijan on October 20 Baku reacts to Pashinyan's proposal: To suggest 3 unrealistic options is not a good policy Dollar, euro gaining value in Armenia Reuters: Chinese banks sell off dollars to support yuan Armenia MOD: Artillery presence toward Vardenis is linked to Azerbaijan additional forces movement Armenia official: Azerbaijan way of working radically contradicts EaP values, principles Belarus Armed Forces secure railroad, bridges and crossings on border Bird flu found in poultry in Britain President of Artsakh meets with representatives of political forces represented in parliament of Artsakh European Council approves 6th tranche of 500mn military aid to Ukraine Turkey FM expresses readiness to meet with Armenia counterpart Only 33% of Americans support Biden's re-election as U.S. president Norwegian Foreign Minister to pay working visit to Armenia Defense minister welcomes EU mission visit to Armenia (PHOTOS) Valery Brusov linguistics university students holding protest march in Yerevan Russia MOD: Armed forces struck Ukraine energy facilities The Daily Star: Turkey may once again resort to football diplomacy in relations with Armenia Karabakh presidential spokesperson: Delegation that visited Armenia will present details of its meetings there Parliament speaker to Brazil envoy: I call for strictly, targeted condemning Azerbaijan aggression against Armenia Opposition MP: Turkey demands from Armenia to sever ties with its diaspora European Council decides to deploy civilian monitoring mission on Armenia border with Azerbaijan Iran kicks off military exercises on Azerbaijan border NATO begins nuclear deterrence exercises PM: Armenia government waiting for positive reaction from Azerbaijan 8 injured in shooting near US university campus EU civilian mission in Armenia to have about 40 observers at initial phase Ukraine media inform about sounding air raid alarm throughout country Armenias largest taxpayer in first 9 months is Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine Mayor Klitschko reports about explosions in downtown Kyiv Azerbaijan fires at Armenia positions Scientists say humanity could begin to disappear from Earth by 2100 World oil prices going up 19Fortyfive: US strategy on Ukraine could lead to nuclear war Pet dog saves boy from diabetic coma in UK SVT: US will secure Sweden's borders during the NATO application process White House: U.S. supports protests in Iran Asia Times: Dollar's dominance is fast approaching its end Taiwan refuses to make concessions on sovereignty and democracy Netherlands has field capable of replacing gas from Russia Iran plans to connect national power grid to Russia Fire kills four inmates in Evin Prison in Iran Serbia temporarily closes its embassy in Kyiv: Staff of diplomatic mission sent to Belgrade Rallies against price rises take place in Paris Pope Francis calls for reform of international organizations Over 40 people killed in Nigeria because of floods Iran talks Biden's habit to 'fishing in troubled waters' Iraqi authorities open new international airport Sky News: Britain's Home Secretary wants to expand police powers to tackle protests Rogov: Ukrainian troops changed their plan to take over Zaporizhzhya NPP U.S. Senators James Risch and Sheldon Whitehouse believe that significant financial assistance to Ukraine can be provided through assets seized from the Central Bank of Russia and other Russian sovereign assets. The senators propose adding a bill on Russian elites, proxies and oligarchs (REPO Act 2022), to the U.S. national defense bill for fiscal year 2023, the Voice of America reports. Public records show that more than $300 billion in Russian assets have been frozen around the world. This is far more than the amount of all funds seized and confiscated from Russian oligarchs, said James Risch. Given the uniqueness and brutality of Russia's blatant, illegal war in Ukraine, it is only right that these funds be confiscated and redirected to help Ukraine win this war and rebuild its country. For his part, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse believes that the U.S. should make it clear to Vladimir Putin that if he continues his brutal invasion of Ukraine, there will be financial consequences in return. This measure will send that message loud and clear, Whitehouse said. Senators Risch and Whitehouse propose: - give the U.S. president the authority to confiscate Russian sovereign assets frozen in the U.S; - require financial institutions to report all Russian sovereign assets in their custody; - create a fund to support Ukraine and require that any confiscated sovereign assets be placed in favor of Ukraine; - give the U.S. Secretary of State authority to send confiscated funds to Ukraine; - give the U.S. State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination additional resources to work with partners and allies abroad to confiscate additional Russian sovereign assets in other countries. National Education Policy facilitates exclusion of students from marginalized groups, dismantles their right to education. By Aatika S. | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers Association has called for the universitys withdrawal from UGC-NTA common entrances (CUET) for all programs of study. The Teachers Association raised a host of issues including the severe marginalization caused by the online mode of education, the structural flaws of the National Education Policy (NEP), truncated yearly semesters, loss of admission seats, underutilization of research funds, delay in admission procedure, hefty loss of teaching hours et al. According to a few facts from the JNUTA data, there has been a loss of 378 Ph.D. seats, as well as 288-192 hours of teaching in 2021-22. Bishnupriya Paul, president JNUTA and professor at the School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU detailed a list of grievances jointly faced by the teachers and the students. She highlighted how the Common University Entrance TestCUET, implemented by the central government at all levels of university entrance examinations, has led to a mounting crisis and waste of resources. Moreover, no admission under UG, PG, or Ph.D. has taken place so far under the new system. The situation is similar for the part-time certificate and diploma courses. The time of CUET-PG examinations is also running behind the UG schedule. Solely MCQ-based entrance is not Globally Accepted Practice There has been no announcement of the academic calendar so far creating mass confusion and panic. This is even though the largest seat share is for entry into postgraduate programs. The faulty system has also compelled the faculty to adopt academically invalid practices. The situation has also considerably worsened after the recent implementation of MCQ-based exams for entry into research programs. According to the JNUTA report, there is no acceptability of a solely MCQ-based entrance procedure anywhere in the world. No Clarity when UG, Ph.D Admission will Start The report by the JNUTA highlighted many lacunas in the framework in detail. According to the report, It remains unclear as to when admissions to JNU will start and when classes for the UG program will begin. It is the same for the PG application. The worst affected is the Ph.D. program as the longest duration admissions are at the research level in JNU. In August, the National Testing Agency (NTA) reneged on its undertaking to JNU as well as twenty other central universities, from conducting a PhD-CUET. Instead, NTA asked all the universities at the last minute to conduct their examinations as was being done before. The policy is marred by many similar issues that have led to an inordinate delay in the admission process. The situation has worsened with the mushrooming of unaffordable private universities, systematic destruction of internal statutory bodies of many universities, as well as ongoing protests in many universities against arbitrary imposition of fee hikes that directly impact the right to education. On top of this, the continuing suppression of dissent by the government has completely rendered the idea of education moot. Half of JNU Students Come from Rural Areas According to the JNUTA, 50% of the students currently studying at JNU come from rural areas and 47% from families with a monthly income of less than Rs. 12,000 or even less. Women students constitute around 45% of the populace. The implementation of drastic criteria sets to impact them the most. There is widespread fear that such measures are ultimately leading to the privatisation of education in the name of self-financing models. There has been a drastic fall in the quality of teaching, student-teacher relationship, quality of learning, and the academic and overall environment of the university. UGC-NET Exams of 80 Subject Hasnt been Held To add to the misery of students and professors, the UGC-NET examination for over eighty subjects has not been held for close to fifteen months. Although the UGC-JRF examination is increasingly being pushed by the university administration and the government as the route to Ph.D. admission. The exam has also been delayed indefinitely many times, especially since the pandemic and isnt being conducted twice a year as per the rule. Along with this, JRF imposes an age limit hence many are rendered ineligible for higher education by such absurd rules. The structure enhances the deep caste and gender fault lines of the Brahmanical Indian nation. Students from Marginalized Groups Worst Sufferers The entire situation has led to extreme uncertainty, stress, and marginality amongst the students. The high levels of despondency reflect an undoing of intellectual and academic rigor. The CUET framework combined with the onslaught of NEP-driven online education has increased the barriers to the fulfillment of education and development. Many students belonging to marginalised communities end up as the worst sufferers of such oppressive changes. They battle manifold social and economic issues to avail education while continuously being discriminated against and ostracized. Denying Marks to Reserved Category Students in viva-voice for Ph.D. For instance, JNU teachers have been repeatedly accused of deliberately marking reserved category students extremely low marks in the viva-voice for Ph.D. admission. Despite protests on multiple occasions by the students, the administration is yet to implement the recommendations of the Thorat and Nafey Committees that would ensure basic levels of parity. Reduction in fellowships for SC, ST The role of research-led public institutions like JNU should be inclusive and affordable education. However, over time it has only seen a decrease in the number of fellowships and scholarships especially meant for SC, ST, and other minority students, delay in disbursal of research funding, dismantling of infrastructure, and an absolute quelling of students dissent. It is a cause of alarm that the situation remains more or less true for all the other universities across the country that opted for the CUET as mandated by the NEP. The one nation, one exam policy of CUET has disrupted the academic process and intellectual rigor of all participating central universities due to poor planning by the UGC and NTA.JNUTA allege that CUET entails the erosion of university autonomy and is an evisceration of the University Acts along with severely impacting faculty hiring and promotions. 9 in 10 women assistant professors are due for promotions. Reservations for OBC, PH, and ST have not been fulfilled. A higher proportion of faculty under the PH, SC, and ST category has not been promoted either, said the JNUTA report. There is also the loss of the multidisciplinary character of many courses. The release also mentions how with unsynchronized semesters, students in two intersecting semesters cannot opt for the entire range of courses being offered. The new system of CUET-NEP would ensure that many students are permanently pushed out of the education system. (Aatika S. is a fellow at the SEEDS-TCN Mentorship Program.) The majority of inhabitants of the European Union, namely 60%, are for further weapon supplies to Ukraine, in Germany this position is supported by 61% of the population. These are the data of the Eupinions poll released by the Bertelsmann Foundation (Die Bertelsmann Stiftung) on Wednesday, October 5, together with the Belgian King Baudouin Foundation, Deutsche Welle reported. According to the study, Italy is the only country in the EU, most of the Italians do not support the idea of further arms supplies to Ukraine. 42% of Italians approved of such a prospect. Poles, on the contrary, are particularly active supporters of this idea: 84% of respondents in Poland supported it. Supply of arms to Ukraine on behalf of the EU At the same time, the idea of supplying weapons to Kiev on behalf of the entire European Union finds more support among residents of all EU countries than the idea of sending weapons to Ukraine by their own country. Depending on the EU member state, where the survey was conducted, the difference in the level of approval of the inhabitants of one or another option of supplies was from 3 to 7 percent in favor of the first of them. The greatest approval of the idea of further arms supplies to Ukraine is found among groups of population aged 16-25 and 56-70. At the same time, the share of residents of the European Union who approve of the supply of weapons to Ukraine slightly decreased from March to June. It is most evident in France, where the decline in support left 8%. "In March everyone was in a state of shock and the desire to support Ukraine was very high. Three months later, the shock has passed, but the desire for support is still great, although the negative consequences (of EU sanctions against Russia) have become more visible in everyday life. This endurance is political capital that needs to be developed," Bertelsmann Foundation expert Isabelle Hoffmann commented on the results of the survey. Willingness to reduce dependence on energy from Russia According to the results of the Eupinions poll, 72% of the EU residents would like the EU to become independent from Russian energy resources. They would be ready to put up with personal difficulties in order to achieve this goal, stated the participants of the research. Most actively in support of this were the Poles (80%) and Italians (76%). At the same time, in Germany, whose dependence on Russian gas remains high, the share of those who would approve of an exit from this dependence even taking into account personal inconveniences was the lowest among all EU countries: 69%. Attitudes towards refugees from Ukraine in the EU As for the willingness of EU residents to accept Ukrainians fleeing the war in their countries, it remains high throughout the EU. 81% of respondents indicated that they approve of such an approach. By comparison, in March, immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this figure was even 5% higher. In France, the drop in support for refugees was 8, in the Netherlands, 7, and in Poland, 6 percentage points. "Our numbers show that Europeans support strong action to help Ukraine. At the same time, the burden is growing, and with it personal problems. There is a risk that the desire to help and the personal burden will come into conflict with each other and create the potential for political conflict," warns Isabelle Hoffman. What do the citizens of EU think about Ukraine's admission to the European Union? Two thirds of the survey participants (66%) stated that they would like to see Ukraine as a member of the EU. However the level of approval of this idea in different EU countries is not equal. Thus, in Poland 84% of respondents favored the European perspective of the neighboring country, while in Germany and France - 60% each. According to 71% of respondents, the EU already plays an important role when solving international issues. Meanwhile 77% of the interrogated stated that they would like to see the USA among their allies. Data for the Bertelsmann Foundation's tri-monthly Eupinios survey were collected in June 2022. A representative sample of 12,000 people across the EU took part in the survey. Special Correspondent | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles New Delhi: A 32-year-old man was lynched to death on Monday, October 3 near the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border in Gumla district. The deceased was later identified as Ejaz Khan a resident of Tigra village at Govindpur panchayat in Jharkhands Gumla district. The incident, according to the police, took place on October 3 night when he was spotted on a motorbike, carrying goats on a motorbike, near Neemgaon of Jashpur City Kotwali area. Suspecting him to be a cattle thief, a mob chased and caught him on the banks of a river near Paiku. He was so brutally assaulted that he died on the spot. His friend, Safdar, who was driving the bike, was also caught by the murderous but somehow managed to escape. Sources said people belonging to Patratoli village at Duldula tehsil in Chhattisgarhs Jashpur district were allegedly involved in the attack. The village is close to Barkadih, which is located in Jari police station area of Jharkhands Gumla district. Rubbishing the allegation of cattle theft, Sarwar said his brother had some dispute with a few people in Patratoli who attacked and killed him. His motorbike was also found burnt in the village. Though the police said a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), no arrest has been made so far even 48 hours after the incident. Ironically, the cops, instead of making attempts to apprehend the culprits, are saying that the deceased had cases against him. A case has already been lodged under relevant sections of the law, and efforts are on to nab the accused. Assistance has been sought from Chhattisgarhs Jashpur police in the case, Gumla Superintendent of Police D Ravi Shankar told TwoCircles.net, adding that the deceased had criminal antecedents He had earlier been sent to jail in cases of theft (Sections 379 and 414 of the IPC) lodged at Palkot, Dumri, and Jari police stations, he added. The police said the matter is being investigated to ascertain the reasons behind the attack that led to the killing. Forty-six mob-lynchings since 2016 Replying to a question raised by legislator Vinod Singh of the Communist Party of India (MarxistLeninist) during an Assembly session in March, the Jharkhand government for the first time admitted that the state has witnessed 46 incidents of mob-lynching in the state in the last five years. However, the government did not disclose the number of persons who have died in such incidents. With a maximum 16 in 2017, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam informed the House on March 16, the state reported 46 incidents from 2016 to 2021. While four mob-lynching incidents took place in 2018, the number stood at nine in 2019. The number went down to five in 2020. It rose last year and went up to eight. He further said 51 people convicted in 11 cases of mob-lynching have been awarded life imprisonment and a total of Rs 19.9 lakh has been paid to the aggrieved families as compensation. However, Singh said convictions are still awaited in most cases, and compensation is yet to be paid to the families of the victims. The government assured that it will expedite the process of compensating the victims families and also agreed to set up a fast-track court for the speedy hearing. Of the total 46 cases of mob lynchings in Jharkhand, convictions have been done only in two cases of Ramgarh (where bovine trader Alimuddin Ansari was dragged out of his van and killed by a mob at Bazartand on June 29, 2017, when he was carrying 200 kg of meat) and Latehar (where 32-year-old cattle trader Mazloom Ansari and his business partners 11-year-old-son Imtiaz Khan were mercilessly beaten and hanged from a tree by cow vigilantes in Jhabar village on March 18, 2016). But in both cases, all the convicts are out on bail. Governor returns the anti-lynching bill Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on March 18 returned the Prevention of Mob Violence and Mob Lynching Bill, 2021, which was passed by the Assembly during the winter session in December last year, asking the government to reconsider the definition of mob. The bill was sent back with two specific recommendations, reported the Hindustan Times, quoting two government officials who told the daily that the definition of mob as given in section 2(vi) of the bill needed to be reconsidered as a group of two or more individuals cannot be called a tumultuous crowd. The definition of a mob does not align with the well-defined legal lexicon or glossary. A mob is a large, angry, and disorderly crowd of people who are often uncontrollable or violent. Therefore, the state must visit the definition, said the official, quoting from the observation note. The other suggestion to the government, reported the newspaper, is related to rectification to bring the Hindi and English versions of the bill in symmetry. There is a mismatch between Hindi and English versions of the bill. Sub-clause xii in Sub-section 1 of Section 2 deals with the witness protection scheme in the English version of the bill. This Sub-clause xii is missing in the Hindi version, the officials have been quoted as saying. The bill has a provision of punishment for enforcing a hostile environment, attempt, conspiracy, or abetment to lynch, dissemination of offensive material, and obstructing legal process in addition to compensation for the victims as per the compensation scheme of the state government. The bill also has provisions for jail terms ranging from three years to life imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 25 lakh against those involved in mob lynchings leading to injury or death of an individual. Jharkhand is the third state after West Bengal and Rajasthan to have passed a bill against the crime. The Opposition (the Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP) had opposed the bill, demanding that it must be sent to a select committee for review. The main objection of the BJP to the bill was the definition of the word mob. However, the bill was passed and sent to the governor for assent. The bill is also being opposed by tribal community members who under the banner of Janjati Suraksha Manch met the governor on February 11, requesting him not to give his nod to the proposed law. They argue that the bill would undermine the special provisions in place for the tribal community by the Centre and state governments. Lynchings are not specifically recognized crimes under the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Sections 302 (murder) or 141 (unlawful assembly) are often used in such cases. The Supreme Court of India on July 17, 2018, passed strict guidelines to put a check on the new form of targeted mob violence. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia published the updated Ad Hoc Public Report on the consequences of the recent Azerbaijani military attack on Armenia. A special closed report was also developed, the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. In the Public Report, the Defender summarized and analyzed the war crimes committed by the Azerbaijani military forces, presented the results of the large-scale fact-finding activities. The Defender reflected on the videos disseminated in the Azerbaijani social networks depicting the physical violence, humiliating treatment, insult and mockery against Armenian servicemen, as well as inhumane treatment and torture of the bodies of the killed servicemen, which were highly encouraged and praised by thousands of Azerbaijani social media users. Other facts typical to the Azerbaijani policy of hatred towards ethnic Armenians and Armenophobia were also presented. The Defender paid special attention to the videos depicting the inhumane treatment of the bodies of female serviceperson, which were actively being disseminated in the Azerbaijani social networks and various platforms. The Human Rights Defender of Armenia recorded that the study of the videos allows to state that the violence against women, the torture of their bodies was carried out not only with the motive of ethnic, but also gender hatred. The Defender emphasized in the Report that the publications of the bodies/body parts of the killed servicemen are often accompanied by the posts of "the best Armenian is a dead Armenian" and "the best Armenian woman is a dead Armenian woman". Calls of hatred and violence were voiced both by social network users and by public figures, politicians and officials. The Report also presents that the hate speech is preached and propagated from schools to the speeches of state officials. Specific examples are analyzed. The Defender's fact-finding activities and the results of media monitoring show that Azerbaijani officials and public figures use the phrase "Armenian fascism" in their speech on the actions of the authorities, armed forces and even civilians of the Republic of Armenia. The idea that the Republic of Armenia is a "fascist state" has been repeatedly expressed by the President of Azerbaijan, and is based on the latter's claim that the current territory of the Republic of Armenia is built on "historical Azerbaijani lands". The Report also presents confirming facts regarding the intimidation of the population of the border settlements of the Republic of Armenia recorded by the fact-finding mission of the Defender in July-August 2022. It was justified that the acts of intimidation and damaging of the civilian population by the Azerbaijani servicemen motivated by ethnic hatred and coordinated by the command, were actually aimed at preparing basis for the September aggression, as they mainly targeted the communities being attacked in September. The next chapters of the Public Report reflect on humanitarian issues, displaced persons, the most vulnerable persons not being evacuated from the active zones, killed and injured civilians, damage to vital infrastructure, environment, as well as to tourism and economy. The facts of extrajudicial killings of Armenian prisoners of war, torture and inhumane and degrading treatment of servicemen, as well as the torture of the killed servicemen are analyzed in the second non-public Report and will be presented to competent international organizations and actors in due order. Trade and economic cooperation with Armenia demonstrates rapid growth, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said to the participants of the 9th International Industrial Exhibition EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA - 2022 and the 7th Yerevan Business Forum. "I am pleased to state that over the recent months trade, economic and investment cooperation between Russia and Armenia has been rapidly growing. The joint realization of the integration potential within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union also brings tangible results," he noted. The message, which was read out by Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin, also noted: "It is symbolic that 9th International Industrial Exhibition EXPO-RUSSIA ARMENIA - 2022 and 7th Yerevan business forum take place in the year of the 30th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Russia. Your business meeting organically complements the vigorous efforts to enhance bilateral practical cooperation. I am confident that the event will promote the launching of new promising initiatives for the benefit of the peoples of Russia and Armenia. Sergey Kopyrkin called it not coincidental that trade and economic relations between Armenia and Russia have always been very impressive and in recent years have shown unprecedented dynamism. Armenia has the potential to have its own powerful military-industrial complex within several years, Hayk Chobanyan, executive director of the Union of Advanced Technologies Enterprises, told NEWS.am. He said that Armenia has local arms production: these are the enterprises that have been engaged in this problem for a long time. "Part of it has been the personal investments of people whose dedication is the basis that we have been able to endure for so long and get to the level of production. The news is that lately the private sector has also been interested in investing in the military-industrial complex. It is mainly the Armenian circles, including those in the diaspora. We must say to the credit of our military industrial complex that we have this sphere. Yes, it is very weak, but it has serious development potential and the potential for the Armenian military-industrial complex to have its share in Armenia's technological sphere as soon as possible," Chobanyan added. Along with that, the Executive Director of the Union of the Enterprises of Advanced Technologies noticed that the enterprises of the military-industrial complex need serious support in development. They are not in a position to ensure development their joint investments. He explained that the military industry needs the support of the state by 5-10 times which is currently being provided to it. Since the sphere is of strictly strategic importance for Armenia, taking into consideration the military and political, geopolitical situation and the present situation, the policy towards those enterprises, according to the expert, should be such that they operate 24/7. "The production of the military-industrial complex is the most difficult and vulnerable direction in the sphere of high-tech industry, and our approach boils down to the following: all the enterprises must work to the full extent of their capabilities, and the state must ensure this work," he concluded. The Armenian civil society has made an appeal to the human rights institutions. The respective statement reads as follows: Just after midnight on September 13, 2022 Azerbaijan launched a large-scale attack and invasion of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia shelling civilians, civilian infrastructure, and other civilian objects along Armenias eastern border and deeper beyond the frontline. Planned beforehand, the Azerbaijani forces used combat drones, artillery, and large caliber firearms. As a result, Armenia has 207 killed or missing servicemembers, 5 killed civilians, and hundreds of wounded, more than 7600 civilians have been internally displaced. For a country with less than 3 million population, these numbers are significant. The decades-long state-sponsored propaganda of hatred and intolerance towards Armenians in Azerbaijan is evident here. Aside from the evidence of ill-treatment, torture, humiliation, mutilation, and execution of Armenian prisoners of war, during the recent attacks, Azerbaijani servicemen have also stripped naked, tortured, and executed female Armenian servicemembers. Dozens of graphic videos depicting the inhuman treatment and execution of Armenian servicemembers, and civilians have been voluntarily shared and disseminated on social networks by Azerbaijani servicemen, speaking to an absence of a fear of punishment. The especially horrific treatment of Armenian female servicemembers qualifies as gravest gender-based violence. The cause of this behavior is deeply rooted misogyny of Azerbaijani servicemen and society at large as proven also by the encouragement and normalization of these offenses on social media by Azerbaijani users. On September 16, 2021, Armenia filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Azerbaijan to combat Azerbaijans state-sponsored policy of armenophobia, from which Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia have been subjected to systemic discrimination, killings, and torture. On August 30, 2022, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination published its Concluding observations on Azerbaijan expressing its concerns and recommendations to Azerbaijan stating that (4) the Committee is deeply concerned about: (c) Incitement to racial hatred and the propagation of racist stereotypes against persons of Armenian national or ethnic origin, including on the Internet and social media, as well as by public figures and governmental officials, and the lack of detailed information on investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions of such acts. On October 2, a new video was disseminated on Azerbaijani Telegram channels, showing Azerbaijani soldiers executing Armenian POWs on Armenian territory. Armenias Ombudsperson has confirmed the authenticity of the video. We, the undersigned, are appalled by the silence and equivocation of the international community around this aggression and violence. This silence only serves to embolden the Azerbaijani government and makes the achievement of peace in the South Caucasus impossible. Human rights organizations have a particular responsibility to speak up against the impunity of the Azerbaijani government and hold it to account for its gross human rights violations, torture, and other breaches of international obligations. The undersigned civil society organizations of Armenia: Strongly condemn Azerbaijans recent attacks on the sovereign Armenian territory, and its armenophobic rhetoric and policies. Call on the Azerbaijani government to commence good faith negotiations for the sake of real, sustainable regional peace. Call on the UN Human Rights Council to send rapporteurs to visit and inspect Armenian towns and cities affected by the Azerbaijani incursion, and interview affected residents and witnesses to document and give a direct response to Azerbaijans violations of international law and hold it to account. Call on democratic countries internationally to condemn Azerbaijans incursion into the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and halt all military aid to Azerbaijan. Call for sanctions against Azerbaijan for its gross violations of international law Call on the EU and the US to stop enabling [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyevs regime amidst its gross human rights violations. Call on independent human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, to send an urgent mission to Armenia to independently confirm Azerbaijani war crimes and crimes against humanity. Welcome the calling out of the aggressor by various international organizations such as Freedom House, the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, several governments, politicians, and members of the human rights community. The statement is signed by: 1Yerevan Press Club NGO 2For Equal Rights Educational Centre NGO 3Union of Informed Citizens NGO 4Public Journalism Club NGO 5Restart Gyumri- Initiative Centre NGO 6Human Rights Research Centre NGO 7Media Initiatives Centre NGO 8Free Citizen CISC 9Women's Right House NGO 10Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO 11Centre For Community Mobilization and Support NGO 12Peace Dialogue NGO 13Law Development and Protection Foundation 14Helsinki Association for Human Rights 15Armenian Progressive Youth NGO 16Transparency International Anticorruption Center 17Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression 18Political Dialogue NGO 19Advanced Social Technologies NGO 20Disability Rights Agenda NGO 21Democracy Today NGO 22Civil Youth Centre Community Development NGO 23British - Armenian Human Rights Association 24Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women 25Granish Literary Community NGO 26Spitak Helsinki Group Human Rights NGO 27Womens Resource Center NGO 28Society Without Violence NGO 29Womens Support Center NGO 30Pink Human Rights Defender NGO 31Sexual Assault Crisis Center NGO 32Real World, Real People NGO 33"Agate" Rights Defense Center for Women with Disabilities NGO 34Human Rights Power NGO 35Cultural and Social Narratives Laboratory NGO 36Goris Press Club NGO 37Center for Perspective Development NGO 38Media Diversity Institute - Armenia NGO 39OxYGen Foundation for Protection of Youth and Women Rights NGO 40Freedom of Information Centre NGO 41"Region" Research Centre 42Open Society FoundationsArmenia 43"Bayazet" Armenian Analytical-Research Center NGO Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will leave for the Czech capital Prague Thursday, where he will attend the inaugural summit of the European Political Community. Pashinyan stated about this at Wednesdays National Assembly (NA)-government question-and-answer session at the NA. Within the framework of the aforesaid summit, a quadrilateral meeting is planned between him, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Emmanuel Macron of France, and President Charles Michel of the European Council. Pashinyan informed that a meeting with Turkish President Erdogan is also planned. "If nothing changes, the main meetings will be these that fit into the discussion of the peace agenda," he said, and added that after Prague he will go to Saint Petersburg, Russia, where he will participate in the informal summit of the CIS. Answering the question of how he assesses the situation around Armenia, the Prime Minister said that the situation around Armenia continues to be stable, but tense. "From the statements of the Ministry of Defense, it is noticeable that we see certain opportunities for easing the tension. But it should be emphasized that we also see an opportunity in this sense based on the content of the negotiation process," said Pashinyan, recalling the meeting of the Armenian Foreign Minister with the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister and US Secretary of State, the meeting between the US National Security Adviser, the Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia and the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, as well as the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was followed by a telephone conversation between them and the US Secretary of State. "It is clear that these conversations are not easy. But according to our analysis and my assessment, the discussions and diplomatic work of the last period have created a certain space for us to move forward. In this regard, I want to give the following assessment in which directions a certain space can be opened so that we move forward. I have repeatedly spoken about the concept of mutual recognition of territorial integrity by Armenia and Azerbaijan based on the agreement of December 8, 1991; there are signs that this approach can be mutually acceptable to the parties. There is a certain space for a conversation to take place and start between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, and I consider these two directions to be of cornerstone importance. We are essentially satisfied at this phase with the international response to the events that occurred on September 13, but we must continue our work so that the international community is consistent. The international community is giving a targeted assessment and an approximate roadmap draft on how we should resolve this problem, overcome the situation," said Pashinyan. A former FBI agent from the bureau's San Francisco office has been found guilty of accepting a bribe from an Armenian Mafia-linked lawyer in exchange for handing over "confidential information," the San Francisco Standart reports. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Babak Broumand, who was an FBI agent from 1999 to 2018, received about $150,000 in cash, private jet flights, hotel accommodations, prostitutes and even a Ducati motorcycle as bribes to help clients of the Mafia lawyer from 2015 to 2018. According to the documents, Broumand concealed his relationship with an unnamed attorney by pretending to be a confidential source. He wrote false reports to make his illegal database searches on behalf of the attorney and his clients appear legitimate. In 2015, the lawyer asked Browmand for access to an FBI file on Levon Termenjian, also known as Lev Aslan Derman. The U.S. Attorney's Office described Termenjian as a member of an Armenian criminal gang who was convicted in Utah federal court in 2020 for his involvement in a $1 billion biodiesel tax credit fraud scheme. Broumand also handled a number of other cases on behalf of the same attorney. In one case, the agent reviewed the FBI file of Sam Sarkis, who was under investigation for allegedly stealing $250 million from the state of California. Broumand warned the lawyer to stay away from Sarkis because he was under investigation. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Broumand, 56, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of bribery and one count of monetary transactions with property derived from said illegal activities. Broumand, who retired in 2019, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30, 2023, and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. He remains in custody. There is an idea of forming an international mechanism, which will be able to ensure the dialogue between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at the session of the National Assembly during the governmental hour today. The Minister particularly recalled Azerbaijan's five well-known principles on settling relations with Armenia, which were handed over to Yerevan back in March of this year. "Both the people of Armenia and the international community are familiar with them. We stated that for us there is nothing unacceptable in these principles. The proposals presented by Azerbaijan this time are based on these principles. Of course, there are moments which we are now analyzing and we will definitely respond," Mirzoyan said. According to the representative of the government, the Armenian side will be happy with some points during the negotiations and not with others. "There will be clauses which Yerevan itself will propose to include in the agreement. That is, the normal negotiation process will continue," the Foreign Minister explained. However, the FM pointed out that the five principles do not fully reflect the agenda. In this regard, Yerevan has shared its vision of the agenda related to Nagorno Karabakh with Baku. "This issue is a part of the negotiations. There is an idea of forming an international mechanism to ensure dialogue between Stepanakert and Baku. Discussions are going on. Certainly, we have our own approach, and Azerbaijan has its own. When we come to a mutually acceptable position, we will definitely inform about it," Mirzoyan assured. Germany's economics minister accused the United States and other "friendly" gas-supplying countries of astronomical prices, suggesting that they are profiting from the aftermath of the war in Ukraine. "Some countries, including friendly ones, sometimes achieve astronomical prices [for their gas]. Of course, that brings with it problems that we have to talk about," Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in an interview with Germany's NOZ newspaper, which was translated by NBC News. He called for more solidarity from the United States when it comes to helping its allies in Europe in need of energy resources. "The United States contacted us when oil prices shot up, and the national oil reserves in Europe were tapped as a result. I think such solidarity would also be good for curbing gas prices," he said. According to him, the EU should "should pool its market power and orchestrate smart and synchronized purchasing behavior by the EU states so that individual EU countries do not outbid each other and drive up world market prices." The power of the European market is "enormous," and it just needs to be used, he said. In Washington DC, Puri will co-chair the Ministerial dialogue of US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (USISCEP) to be held October 7 with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. The revamped USISCEP was launched in accordance with US India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden at the Leaders' Summit on Climate held in April 2021. The partnership continues to advance energy security and innovation, scaling up emerging clean energy technologies and deploying technical solutions. Puri will also hold discussions with CEOs of US-based energy companies during the course of his visit. --IANS ans/vd ( 141 Words) 2022-10-05-19:28:02 (IANS) 'Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! ', the upcoming Hollywood movie appears to put a stamp on fan speculation that the character of Velma Dinkley is attracted to women. According to The Hollywood Reporter, footage from the new HBO Max film has been making rounds on social media, with several viral posts focusing on fans' elated responses to scenes showing Velma, expressing interest in the female character Coco Diablo, voiced by Myrna Velasco. After Velma seems to be smitten by Coco, a fashion designer with a criminal past, Velma's long-time friend and fellow detective Daphne quips, "I didn't know convicted felons were your type." A flustered Velma replied by saying, "What? Type -- me? Please. Who has time for a type? We have our work cut out for us, and I am focused like a laser on ... OK, who am I kidding? I'm crushing big-time, Daphne! What do I do? What do I say?" In another clip, Daphne is shown trying to help Velma strike up a casual conversation with Coco by saying, "Now's your chance to talk to her." Daphne later pulls Velma aside when it's clear that Velma's small-talk skills could use some polish, reported The Hollywood Reporter. Velma first debuted as a pivotal character on 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!', the animated series from Hanna-Barbera Productions that premiered in 1969. The character, a long-time favourite of the LGBTQ community, has long been speculated by fans to be attracted to women. HBO Max is also developing an animated spin-off series 'Velma', in which the character will be voiced by executive producer Mindy Kaling, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, 'Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!', is now available for on-demand purchase and will start streaming from October 15 on HBO Max. (ANI) Taking to Instagram, the producer shared a poster of the film which he captioned, "10 years of English Vinglish :) To come back after a sabbatical of 15 years from films, with a timeless, magical performance that touched everyone's hearts - is something only Sri could do. This film will always remain special." https://www.instagram.com/p/CjU_FeuINjL/ Actor Janhvi Kapoor and her sister Khushi Kapoor also shared Boney's post on their Instagram stories. Helmed by Gauri Shinde 'English Vinglish' marked the comeback of veteran star Sridevi into films after 15 years. Apart from Sridevi, the film also starred Adil Hussain, Sujata Kumar, and also Amitabh Bachchan in a guest appearance role and received positive responses from the audience. Sridevi breathed her last on February 24, 2018, in Dubai, where she had gone to attend a family function. Born as Shree Amma Yanger Ayyapan in 1963, she's known for her iconic roles in Hindi movies like 'Chandni', 'Lamhe', 'Mr India', 'Chaalbaaz', 'Nagina', 'Sadma' and 'English Vinglish', among many more. The Padma Shri awardee also made a mark with her extraordinary performances in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada films. Her last film was 'Mom', for which she also received the Best Actress National Award, posthumously. Meanwhile, Boney Kapoor will be soon making his acting debut in Luv Ranjan's next untitled romantic comedy film alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. Apart from that, his next production 'Maidaan' is all set to hit the theatres on February 17, 2023 which stars Ajay Devgn in the lead role. (ANI) Goa Forward Party president and MLA Vijai Sardesai on Tuesday asked the state government to release the compensation of farmers before Diwali and not to make them beg. While Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on many occasions has appealed to farmers to grow vegetables and fruits to become self-reliant in these areas, an RTI finding posted by Sardesai on social media has revealed that the government has not yet paid Rs 1,25,70,527 compensation of crop loss to farmers. Sardesai, taking the opportunity, targeted the BJP government saying "our farmers are proud and hardworking, don't make them beg". "Dr. Pramod Sawant who spent Rs 6 crore of public money on his 18 minute swearing-in has been with-holding crop loss compensation to farmers since 2019. CMO Goa, treat them with dignity. Settle their dues before #DIWALI," he tweeted. "The government doesn't have money to give compensation but for 18 minute swearing in, it spent Rs 6 crore. What is the government's priority?" he questioned. According to him, the government always says that it wants to give justice to farmers, and questioned whether these farmers are not Goans. "Are these farmers not poor? Then why is the government not concerned about them. Is this government concerned only of its own," Sardesai questioned. He said that poor families should get justice and hence the government should release them compensation before Diwali. "If we increase local vegetable production, then the Horticulture Corporation will give a good rate (to farmers). In a few days, Horticulture Corporation will stop importing vegetables from other states and will purchase only locally produced vegetables," Pramod Sawant earlier had said. "Annually, a Rs 20 crore subsidy is being paid to farmers. To whom we give it (subsidy)? Farmers from other states and what type of vegetable they supply us? If I tell this (about quality) then reporters will publish it. (Hence) I will not tell," Sawant had said. "If you grow vegetables, then this subsidy can be yours," he had said. --IANS sbk/pgh ( 344 Words) 2022-10-04-20:44:03 (IANS) A Delhi based lawyer Vikram Chauhan has complained to the Union Home Ministry against Delhi police officials posted in South East Delhi including an IPS officer for allegedly restricting lawyers from entering the Lajpat Nagar police station and not letting them meet their client, who was placed under arrest despite having a bullet injury. Nauman Ali reportedly suffered a gunshot in an incident that took place inside Holy Family Hospital when two groups clashed there. A few clips of the incident had also gone viral on the social media. "Ali who is pursuing LLM from Faculty of Law, Jamia Millia Islamia University had got injured in the incident. My female colleague Tanisha reached the hospital after the incident to provide help to the victim. However, the police came and took Ali, who was on a wheelchair, with them. They also allegedly misbehaved with Tanisha. They took Ali to the AIIMS trauma centre and later to the Lajpat Nagar police station. Tanisha reached the police station, but was stopped whereas as per the law everybody has a right to speak to their counsel," said Chauhan. He said that he called the SHOs, Jamia and Lajpat Nagar. The SHO Jamia didn't respond to the calls, while SHO Lajpat Nagar said that he had no idea about what was going on. Chauhan said that the gates of the police stations were locked and nobody was allowed to go inside. He alleged that the police was acting under pressure to save an accused. However, contrary to his remarks, the police said that three FIRs were lodged in the incident, two with the New Friends Colony police station and one with the Jamia police station. The police said that they made arrests from both the sides and did not side with anyone. They added that the alleged accused was taken to Lajpat Nagar police station as there was tension in the area and they wanted to maintain law and order. --IANS atk/bg ( 339 Words) 2022-10-04-20:48:03 (IANS) Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Gudha on Tuesday once again advocated for appointing Congress leader Sachin Pilot the Chief Minister, while comparing the former deputy chief minister with Mahabharat character Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna who was killed by plotting a conspiracy. "If 5 MLAs going to Manesar can be made ministers, why can't Pilot be made the CM?" he said, claiming that there was a conspiracy against Pilot. "As Abhimanyu was killed by a conspiracy of big masters in Mahabharata, a similar plot has been chalked out against Pilot," Gudha said while addressing a programme in Udaipurwati. "If the MLAs do not not listen to the Chief Whip, then the membership goes away. However, those who (in an oblique reference to C.P. Joshi) have the right to end the membership of the MLAs conspired against Pilot and became a party to the other side (Gehlot camp). "However, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, her son Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi also lent their ears to Pilot. If he (Pilot) does something, he is called traitor, but if they repeat it, they want to be called as loyalist," Gudha added. "The language used for Pilot is wrong. When all people made him a target, I couldn't stop myself. I said this is wrong. Those who went to Delhi with Pilot entered the other camp and you made these five MLAs as ministers, then why can't Pilot be made the CM?" he wondered. --IANS arc/pgh ( 250 Words) 2022-10-04-22:30:06 (IANS) Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday held a protest against BJP-run Municipal Corporation, burning effigies of "BJP Ke Koode Ka Ravan" at 3,500 places on the eve of Dussehra. Blaming the BJP for the national capital's garbage, AAP leaders burnt the effigies as per the rituals of Dussehra where effigies of Ravan are torched as a mark of ending negativity. The protest was led by AAP MCD in charge and MLA Durgesh Pathak. During the protest, AAP leader Sanjeev Jha torched an effigy at Tiranga Chowk of Nathu Colony in his Assembly constituency Burari. Afterwards, senior AAP Leader & MLA Atishi torched an effigy in her constituency Kalkaji's IG Camp. "BJP-ruled MCD has turned Delhi into a city of garbage during its 15 year reign. Our protest is a wake up call to BJP which is sleeping like Kumbhkaran to come and see how their maladministration and apathy has caused all sorts of troubles to Delhiites," Jha said. Atishi said: "People want Delhi to be garbage free; burning of Ravana's effigy today is a symbol of how the public wants to free themselves from BJP's rule in MCD and oust them from power. People are proud that CM Arvind Kejriwal has transformed schools, hospitals, electricity and water supply in Delhi; they know that if AAP comes to power in MCD, Delhi will become garbage free as well." The BJP has been at the helm of affairs in MCD for the past 15 years and they have turned Delhi into a city of garbage. When someone enters Delhi, three humongous garbage mountains welcome them, she added. --IANS avr/vd ( 288 Words) 2022-10-04-23:00:05 (IANS) Under the influence of a low pressure area formed over Bay of Bengal, heavy rainfall occurred in many places of Odisha. Due to continuous downpour, the puja pandals, there were expecting heavy crowds, witnessed a poor footfall on Navami. People preferred to remain indoors for the heavy rain. There were also reports that rainfall affected puja pandals at Dhamana square in Bhubaneswar, Athagarh in Cuttack district and Vyasanagar in Jajpur district. However, people started visiting the puja pandals in Bhubaneswar city in the late evening when the rain stopped. "If the rain could have spared the puja, we would have been able to enjoy the festival, which is being celebrated after a gap of two years," said Nalini Sahoo, a devotee. Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan visited puja pandals at Saheed Nagar, Baramunda and Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar city and offered prayers to Maa Durga. As per IMD's bulletin, heavy rainfall of 7 to 11 cm is likely to occur at isolated places over the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Puri Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore and Bhadrak on Wednesday. --IANS bbm/pgh ( 220 Words) 2022-10-04-23:00:07 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that demonic tendencies are making the society hollow and promoting anarchy. Speaking after the grand procession of Vijayadashami at Ramlila Maidan, Yogi said, "The war between Ram and Ravana is a perennial battle that takes place in every era. Unjust and tyrannical forces arise in different forms in different times, sometimes as 'Adharma', sometimes as Ravana and sometimes as Kansa, Duryodhana, terrorism, Naxalism and corruption. These are all demonic tendencies, which are making the society hollow and promoting anarchy." Yogi said that the festival of Vijayadashami inspires Sanatan Hinduism to walk on the path of truth, justice and religion under every circumstance. "If we practice truth and walk on the path of justice and righteousness, the victory will surely be ours", he pointed out, adding that Vijayadashami is one festival that has been making people realise this since time immemorial. He said that an important aspect of any welfare government, system and society is that it connects with the problems and sufferings of the society and acts to resolve and end them. He added: "We have been told here that Ramo Vigrahavan Dharma: That is, if one wants to know about religion, then one must know about the character of Lord Rama. We worship Lord Shri Ram because, he presents an ideal way of life." CM said that this festival holds more importance for Gorakhpur and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, which have witnessed a demon in the form of encephalitis. Today UP has taken steps to get rid of the disease. "Five years ago, meningitis caused thousands of deaths. Today these deaths have almost come close to zero. It shows that our efforts are going in the right direction. It is the result of collectivism. When we make collective efforts, then we also have resulted in the 'Satvik' form. Government, administration, the general public as well as voluntary organisations united and implemented the schemes of the central and state government honestly and it yielded positive outcomes." CM said that though the health experts believed that it should be notified as an epidemic, no effort was made to find the causes of the disease. Vijayadashami is not only about religion and truth, but about respecting the mother's power. CM Yogi said that the festival of Vijay Dashami comes after worshipping the nine forms of Mother Bhagwati, the mother of the world, on the nine days of Sharadiya Navratri. "The festival of Vijayadashami is not just about religion and truth, but also about honouring the mother power. If Ravana had not invited his death by kidnapping Maa Sita, he might have been entitled to live for a few more days, but his sins reached their culmination after the incident and he had to die at the hands of Lord Rama," he added. CM Yogi said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for connecting the whole country with Panch Prana during the Amrit Mahotsava of Independence. "We also have to respect the heritage of India and let there be no sign of any kind of foreign tradition or culture. We have to cooperate in realising the vision of a self-reliant India by taking forward our heritage and tradition. There will be no village and locality in North India, where Ramlila is not organised. This sense of respect for heritage connects us with a spontaneous feeling every time", he remarked. CM Yogi also congratulated people on the occasion of Vijayadashami. (ANI) Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added. "Twenty Five people were found dead in the Pauri Garwhal bus accident that took place last night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot. Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight; the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals," DGP Ashok Kumar told ANI. Earlier on Tuesday, a bus carrying a wedding procession of 45 to 50 people fell into a gorge near Simdi village in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district. "A wedding procession had left in a bus from here, Laldhang; an accident occurred. Information is being taken from the family members. A rescue operation is still underway by Pauri Police and SDRF at the spot," said Haridwar SP City Swatantra Kumar Singh. "Around 40-42 people were on the bus, including women and children. We are in continuous touch with the Pauri police and villagers. So far, 15-16 people have been rescued and sent to the nearest hospital. No information on any deaths received yet," he had added. (ANI) Earlier according to reports, over 10 people sustained injuries in the incident when an ambulance and a car and some other vehicles were parked on the side of the road, preparing to take victims of an earlier accident to a hospital. A car being driven at a high speed came and crashed into the ambulance and three more vehicles as well as the car that was involved in the previous crash. Police have rushed to the spot after receiving information and relief and rescue operations are underway. Police took the injured to the hospital with the help of local people, The condition of many is very critical. The road from Bandra to Worli has been closed. Further details are awaited. (ANI) The Young Men's Christian Association in Telangana and Andhra has extended its support to K Chandrashekhar Rao's decision to float a new national party stating that the Chief Minister is doing so for the "development of minorities". The Association, which has nearly 250 units in both Telugu states comprising over 10 lakh members, passed a unanimous resolution. "We welcome CM KCR's entry into national politics for the development of minorities, We stand by CM KCR who is protecting the rights of minorities. YMCA members presented the unanimous resolution supporting CM KCR's national party to MLC Rajeshwar Rao," said a statement by the association. Earlier on Tuesday, a political row erupted after a TRS leader was seen distributing liquor bottles and chicken to locals in Warangal, a day ahead of the possible launch of the new national party by KCR. Slamming K Chandrashekar Rao after TRS leader Rajanala Srihari was seen distributing liquor bottles and chicken to locals, Congress leader Madhu Yashki on Tuesday called the Chief Minister a "brand ambassador of liquor". He alleged that KCR is "known for his drinking habits". Srihari distributed 200 chickens and liquor bottles to labourers. The cutouts of KCR and minister KTR were seen in the video. Speaking to ANI, Yashki alleged that KCR is trying to make the people and youth of the state "addicted to liquor and drugs". "KCR is a brand ambassador of liquor. He not only drinks liquor but is also involved in the liquor scam. So this establishes that the TRS party supremo is known for his drinking habits. His passion for drinking and the way he is promoting liquor sales in Telangana. Instead of giving jobs, he is distributing liquor," he said. Yashki cautioned the people of the country stating that the Telangana Chief Minister has "looted and cheated" the people of the state. "The people of India should be aware Telangana CM is a drunken chief minister. He looted and cheated the people of Telangana. Image if this person comes at the national level. They are trying to make the youth of Telangana addicted to liquor and drugs. The TRS workers are doing this to please their leader," he alleged. Earlier, the sources said that it is strongly believed that CM KCR will announce the name of his national party on the occasion of Dussehra. TRS meeting will be held on Dussehra, October 5 at Telangana Bhavan here, an official release from KCR's office said on Monday. (ANI) "Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that those who have been injured have a speedy recovery," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted on Wednesday. Five people died after a speeding car rammed into an accident site on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai in the early morning hours of Wednesday. Earlier according to reports, over 10 people sustained injuries in the mishap when an ambulance and a car and some other vehicles were parked on the side of the road, preparing to take victims of an earlier accident to a hospital. A car being driven at a high speed came and crashed into the ambulance and three more vehicles as well as the car that was involved in the previous crash. Police have rushed to the spot after receiving information and relief and rescue operations are underway. Police took the injured to the hospital with the help of local people. The condition of several injured is very critical. The road from Bandra to Worli has been closed. (ANI) Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday expressed confidence in the armed forces of the country and said that they are the "pride of the nation". "We are confident that our country is safe in the hands of our armed forces. The jawans of our armed forces and paramilitary forces are the pride of our country," Rajnath Singh said after performing 'Shastra Puja' in the presence of Army Chief General Manoj Pande at the Auli Military Station in Uttarakhand. He further said that India is the only country where "Shaastra" as well as "Shastra" are worshipped. Singh's remarks came while he was interacting with the Army jawans deployed at the forward post located on the China border in Uttarakhand. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1577501095462858753 He was also seen with the latest weapons and machines used by the Army in the forward areas. He performed the 'puja' to mark the celebrations of Vijayadashmi, which is celebrated to bid adieu to Goddess Durga representing a day that marks the triumph of good over evil. According to mythology on this day Goddess Durga annihilated the demon god Mahishasura after a fierce battle that lasted for nine days. The day is also celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Ram over the king of Lanka, Ravana. Dussehra is marked with religious enthusiasm across the country. Ramlila, the dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Lord Ram is staged for 10 days and concludes on Dussehra. Effigies of the ten-headed demon king Ravana, his brother Kumbhakaran and son Indrajit are burnt with fireworks to signify the destruction of evil. Rajnath Singh is on a two-day visit to Uttarakhand from Tuesday to celebrate the festival of Vijayadashmi with Jawans. Later, he arrived at Badridham and offer prayers at the Badrinath temple. On Tuesday, he also had 'Bada Khana' with the soldiers in Dehradun. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have each offered their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Pauri Garhwal bus accident in Uttarakhand district. Taking to social media, Murmu said, "Deeply saddened by the accident of many casualties when the bus fell into the valley in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I wish the injured a speedy recovery." PM Modi also on Wednesday expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the accident. "The bus accident in Pauri, Uttarakhand is heart-rending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway. All possible assistance will be provided to those affected," PM Modi said. Twenty five people have died after a bus carrying over 40 people of a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night, Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar told ANI. Police and state disaster response force (SDRF) rescued 21 people following an overnight operation and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added. Condoling the kin of the deceased, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the state government stands with the families. "Heartbreaking news has been received of many casualties in the tragic bus accident near Simdi village of Pauri district. In the overnight relief and rescue operation, 21 passengers have been safely evacuated by SDRF and the local administration and sent to the hospital for treatment," Dhami said, adding that in this hour of grief, the government stands with the bereaved family members. Earlier, Dhami took detailed information from the concerned officials about the incident during the review of the tragic bus accident. Haridwar SP City Swatantra Kumar Singh had said earlier that the wedding party had left in a bus from Laldhang in the district and information about the accident was received later. (ANI) Six mountaineers who were rescued by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) reached Matli in Uttarkashi on Wednesday where they are being provided with first aid treatment. These people were evacuated via chopper to the 12th Battalion ITBP in Matli, Uttarkashi. The first team of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel reached the base camp of Draupadi Ka Danda II mountain peak for search and rescue operations here. On Tuesday, four mountaineers lost their lives in an avalanche at Draupadi Ka Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarakhand while rescue operations were on for others, confirmed the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). The ITBP PRO had informed that at least eight members of the mountaineering team, trapped in the avalanche at Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi, were "immediately rescued". According to a release by the NIM, 41 people, including 34 trainees and 7 mountaineering instructors, were hit by the avalanche. The institute said that the as per the training schedule, the climbers moved to the mountain on September 23 after the revision of rock-climbing training at NIM and Tekhla rock climbing training area. "The course arrived at Base Camp on September 25. As per the training schedule on October 4, the course moved for High Altitude Navigation and height gain to Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II (5670m) at 4.00 am while returning from the mountain peak the Advance Mountaineering Course was met with an avalanche occurred above camp-1 in which 34 trainees and 7 mountaineering instructors were caught under avalanche at 08:45 hrs," said the release. "The rescue work is in progress and four bodies have been recovered as of now. SDRF, NDRF and Indian Air Force are helping in the rescue," it added. The ITBP, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force along with local police started the rescue operation as soon as they received the information about the incident. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday offered greetings on the occasion of Dussehra. Taking to Twitter, he wished courage, restraint and positive energy to everyone on this auspicious occasion. "Many many congratulations to all the countrymen on Vijayadashami, the symbol of victory. I wish that this auspicious occasion brings courage, restraint and positive energy in everyone's life," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted. Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu in her message on the eve of Dussehra said, "On the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens". President Murmu said that the festival of Vijayadashami is celebrated all over India as a symbol of victory of good over evil, truth over untruth, and morality over immorality. In North India, it is celebrated as 'Dussehra' and the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana is animated through 'Ravana Dahan'. Shri Ram's message of ideal conduct and propriety has been inspiring to people from generation to generation. "In eastern India, the 'Durga idol immersion' ceremony is celebrated with enthusiasm on this day. Thus, this festival is an example of the cultural unity of India, I wish that this festival continues to inspire us to imbibe the eternal life values of ethics, truth and goodness and to live a life of peace and harmony", she added. Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a major Hindu festival. It marks the end of Navratri year and this year it falls on October 5, 2022. Dussehra is celebrated as the victory of Lord Rama over Demon Ravana and Goddess Durga's triumph over the buffalo Demon Mahishasura. Meanwhile, Narendra Modi will visit Dhalpur Ground Kullu, Himachal Pradesh to participate the Kullu Dussehra celebrations. He will participate in the International Kullu Dussehra Festival and witness this unique Rath Yatra of more than 300 Deities. It will be the first time ever that the Prime Minister of the country will be participating in the Kullu Dussehra celebrations.(ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday reached Simdi village in Birokhal of the Dhumakot area of Pauri, where as many as 25 people were killed and 21 others were injured in a tragic bus accident. MoS Defence Ajay Bhatt is also present with CM Dhami. Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) had rescued these 21 people overnight and admitted the injured persons to nearby hospitals, Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar informed. The Uttarakhand Police on Tuesday informed about the bus carrying a wedding procession of 45 to 50 people fell into a gorge near Simdi village in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal. "Twenty five people were found dead in the Pauri Garwhal bus accident that took place last night in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot. Police and SDRF rescued 21 people overnight; the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals," DGP Ashok Kumar told ANI on Tuesday. On receiving the information, President Droupadi Murmu as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Pauri Garhwal bus accident in Uttarakhand. Taking to social media, President Murmu said, "Deeply saddened by the accident of many casualties when the bus fell into the valley in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. My deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I wish the injured a speedy recovery." PM Modi also expressed his grief over the loss of lives in the accident and said, "The bus accident in Pauri, Uttarakhand is heart-rending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. I hope those who have been injured recover at the earliest. Rescue operations are underway. All possible assistance will be provided to those affected." Haridwar SP City Swatantra Kumar Singh had earlier said that the wedding party had left in a bus from Laldhang in the district and information about the accident was received later. Condoling the kin of the deceased, Chief Minister Dhami said that the state government stands with the families and took detailed information from the concerned officials about the incident during the review of the tragic bus accident. "Heartbreaking news has been received of many casualties in the tragic bus accident near Simdi village of Pauri district. In the overnight relief and rescue operation, 21 passengers have been safely evacuated by SDRF and the local administration and sent to the hospital for treatment," Dhami said, adding that in this hour of grief, the government stands with the bereaved family members. (ANI) Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday offered prayers at Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand on the occasion of Dussehra. Singh is on a two-day visit to Uttarakhand from Tuesday to celebrate the festival of Vijayadashmi with the Jawans of the Indian Army. https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1577528822747959296?cxt=HHwWgMCo7eWGweQrAAAA On the occasion of the victory of good over evil, Singh performed 'Shastra Puja' at the Auli Military Station in Uttarakhand in the presence of Army Chief General Manoj Pande. He was also seen with the latest weapons and machines used by the Army in the forward areas. He expressed confidence in the armed forces of the country and said that they are the "pride of the nation". "We are confident that our country is safe in the hands of our armed forces. The jawans of our armed forces and paramilitary forces are the pride of our country. India is the only country where 'shaastra' (ethology) as well as 'shastra' (weapon) both are worshipped," he said. Singh's remarks came while he was interacting with the Army jawans deployed at the forward post located on the China border in Uttarakhand. He performed the 'puja' to mark the celebrations of Vijayadashmi, which is celebrated to bid adieu to Goddess Durga representing a day that marks the triumph of good over evil. According to mythology on this day Goddess Durga annihilated the demon god Mahishasura after a fierce battle that lasted for nine days. The day is also celebrated to mark the victory of Lord Ram over the king of Lanka, Ravana. Dussehra is marked with religious enthusiasm across the country. Ramlila, the dramatic folk re-enactment of the life of Lord Ram is staged for 10 days and concludes on Dussehra. Effigies of the ten-headed demon king Ravana, his brother Kumbhakaran and son Indrajit are burnt with fireworks to signify the destruction of evil. (ANI) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said that it is "neither the nature of the Sangh nor Hindus" to endanger the minorities while also adding that the RSS resolves to stand on the side of brotherhood. Notably, opposition parties including the Congress have accused RSS of trying to divide society and making people fight against each other. Addressing the occasion of the Vijayadashmi festival here, where mountaineer Santosh Yadav was the chief guest, Bhagwat said, "Scare-mongering is done among minorities that there is a danger to them because of us or Hindus. This has not happened in the past, nor will it happen in future. This is neither the nature of Sangh nor of the Hindus." He said that "neither threatens nor gets threatened" is the kind of Hindu society that is needed. "Self-defence and defence of our own become a duty for everyone against those who spread hatred, commit injustice and atrocity, and engage in acts of hooliganism and enmity towards society. 'Neither threatens nor gets threatened', this kind of Hindu society that is the need of the present times. This is not anti-anybody. Sangh resolves to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity and peace," he said. "The second type of obstacle that hinders our Sanatana Dharma is created by forces who are inimical to Bharat's unity and progress. They spread fake narratives, encourage anarchy, engage in criminal acts, foment terror, conflict and social unrest," Bhagwat added. The RSS chief said that the Sangh will "keep emphasizing the word Hindu". "The concept of Hindu Rashtra is being discussed all over. Many agree with the concept but are opposed to the word 'Hindu' and prefer to use other words. We don't have any issue with that. For the clarity of concept - we will keep emphasizing the word Hindu for ourselves," he said. "Temple, water, and cremation ground should be common for all. We should not fight over petty things. Talks like someone can ride a horse and the other person can't, should have no place in society and we've to work towards it," Bhagwat added. Asserting that English is not important for a career, he said that New Education Policy should lead to students becoming good human beings who are also inspired by patriotism. "It's a myth that English is important for a career. The New Education Policy should lead to students becoming highly cultured, good human beings who are also inspired by patriotism - this is everyone's desire. Society needs to support this actively," he said. The RSS chief said that people should raise their voices against wrongs, "but by acting within the framework of the law". "Raising one's voice against wrong should become normal...We all have to stay united as one," he said. Calling for a comprehensive policy on population, Bhagwat said that religion-based population imbalance is an important subject not to be ignored. "Population control and religion-based population balance is an important subject that can no longer be ignored...So a comprehensive population policy should be brought and should be equally applicable to all. Only then rules pertaining to population control will yield results," he said. Earlier today, Bhagwat inaugurated the Vijayadashmi festival and also performed the 'weapon worship' (shastra puja) on the occasion. (ANI) Both the accused and the victim were the residents of a chawl near an open plot in the area. The incident took place in the early hours of the day at JC Builders compound- where the deceased, 86-year-old Limbaji Kamble worked as a security guard. The accused, Shripat Dengle, allegedly in an inebriated state, allegedly beat up the old man with sticks after the deceased didn't allow him to drink liquor, officials said. The 58-year-old accused used to visit the compound- an open plot owned by a private builder near the Hiranandani Hospital in Powai. On the day of the incident, Kamble denied Dengle to consume liquor, which irked the latter. Around 4 pm on Tuesday Kamble assaulted Dengle with wooden sticks leading to the old man's death. "Shripat Dengle (56) allegedly hit his colleague with sticks and killed him on the spot following a brawl- which started after the old man denied the accused to consume liquor in an open plot on Monday," Mumbai Police said. After hearing Kamble's screams some locals ran to the spot and called up the security guard's son, who rushed his father to the Rajawadi Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Mumbai Police have registered a case on the statement given by the family members of Kamble against Shripat Dengle. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended greetings to citizens on the occasion of Dussehra and expressed his happiness to be a part of the International Kullu Dussehra Festival that is to be celebrated here from October 5 to 11 at the Dhalpur Ground in Kullu. The festival is unique in the sense that it is the congregation of more than 300 Deities of the Valley. On the first day of the Festival, the Deities in their well-decorated palanquins pay their obeisance at the temple of the Chief Deity Bhagwan Raghunath Ji and then proceed to the Dhalpur Ground. "I am elated to provide the citizens of Himachal Pradesh citizens with the gifts of projects of education, health, and infrastructure worth thousands of crores," PM Modi said adding that he will seek the blessings for the country by joining the Raghunath Ji Yatra. "I am very fortunate to participate in the Kullu festival after so many years," he added. The Prime Minister will witness this divine Rath Yatra and the grand assembly of the Deities in the historic Kullu Dussehra celebrations. It will be the first time ever that the Prime Minister of the country would be participating in the Kullu Dussehra celebrations. "The development projects inaugurated today on the occasion of Vijayadashami will play an important role in achieving the vision of a developed India by following the 'Panch Pran'. Today, Bilaspur has got the double gift of education and medical facilities," PM Modi said. PM Modi's remarks came after he inaugurated the AIIMS Bilaspur and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects here. On Independence Day, referring to the Amrit Kaal - the next 25 years till 2047 when India will be marking 100 years of Independence - the Prime Minister urged people to focus on 'Panch Pran' (five vows). He said the country has met various challenges in the past 75 years and there were certain unfulfilled dreams, "the next 25 years are very significant for our country". The first vow is for the people to move ahead with a big resolve for a "developed India". "We should not settle for anything less than that," he had said. The second resolve is that "in no part of our existence, not even in the deepest corners of our minds or habits should there be any ounce of slavery". The third resolve asked the countrypersons to feel proud of the heritage and legacy of India. He said the fourth resolve, which is equally important is unity and solidarity. "Amongst 130 million countrymen when there is harmony and bonhomie, unity becomes its strongest virtue. 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' - is one of the unifying initiatives to actuate the dream of the fourth Pran," PM Modi had said on August 15. PM Modi said the fifth vow is the "duty of the citizens, in which even the Prime Minister, Chief Minister cannot be an exclusion as they are also responsible citizens and have a duty towards the nation". (ANI) Eight more mountaineers, who were trapped in an avalanche at Draupadi Ka Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarakhand were airlifted to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Wednesday. A total of 14 injured in the incident have been evacuated till now. The mountaineers, who were rescued reached Matli in Uttarkashi today where they are being provided with first aid treatment. These people were evacuated via chopper to the 12th Battalion ITBP in Matli, Uttarkashi. "Deep Singh (Gujarat), Rohit Bhatt (Tehri Garhwal), Suraj Singh (Uttarkashi), Sunil Lalwani (Mumbai), Anil Kumar (Rajasthan), Manish Agarwal (Delhi), Kanchan Singh (Chamoli) and Ankit Singh (Dehradun) were amongst who have been rescued," the Uttarakhand Police said. The first team of ITBP personnel reached the base camp of Draupadi Ka Danda II mountain peak for search and rescue operations here. On Tuesday, four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche while rescue operations were on for others, confirmed the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). The ITBP PRO had informed that at least eight members of the mountaineering team, trapped in the avalanche at Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi, were "immediately rescued". According to a release by the NIM, 41 people, including 34 trainees and 7 mountaineering instructors, were hit by the avalanche. The institute said that the as per the training schedule, the climbers moved to the mountain on September 23 after the revision of rock-climbing training at NIM and Tekhla rock climbing training area. "The course arrived at Base Camp on September 25. As per the training schedule on October 4, the course moved for High Altitude Navigation and height gain to Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II (5670m) at 4.00 am while returning from the mountain peak the Advance Mountaineering Course was met with an avalanche occurred above camp-1 in which 34 trainees and 7 mountaineering instructors were caught under avalanche at 08:45 hrs," said the release. The ITBP, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force along with local police started the rescue operation as soon as they received the information about the incident. Earlier this morning, Uttarakhand police released a list of Nehru Mountaineering Institute trainees who were being searched for at the peak. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Himachal Pradesh's Bilaspur and said that the hospital will be called the 'Green Hospital'. "In the last 8 years, we have worked on ensuring development benefits reach the remotest parts of the country. AIIMS Bilaspur will not only increase access to affordable healthcare in Himachal but is also eco-friendly and will be known as 'Green AIIMS'," PM Modi said in his address in Bilaspur. Terming the inauguration of AIIMS a moment of pride in Himachal, PM Modi said that the state has played a crucial role in "Rashtra Raksha" and the hospital will now play a "pivotal role in Jeevan Raksha" adding that Himachal is one of the three states chosen for establishing Bulk Drugs Park that will ensure the access to affordable medicines in India. "Himachal Pradesh is also one of the four states chosen for Medical Device Park. The foundation stone that has been laid in Nalagarh, is a part of this," he said. He said that Medical tourism is another important sector needed to be promoted in Himachal so that when people from across the world would come to India, they shall visit Himachal for its holistic healing with world-class health facilities and a beautiful and healthy environment. To ensure the ease of living for the poor and middle-class sections of society, PM Modi said, "It is the Centre's attempt to minimise the expense on medicines and also to ensure that they get the required treatment without going to far off places." PM Modi also said that it is the priority of the "double-engine government" in Himachal Pradesh to ensure the dignity of the people. "It is the priority of the double-engine government to ensure the dignity of mothers and sisters by providing them with safety, security, respect, and health," he said. He further called the state "the land of opportunities" and said that tourism here provides immense opportunity for employment, fertile land for growing fruits and vegetables, and generating electricity. In his address, PM Modi said that the various development projects could be launched in the state only because of the people here and also lauded Chief Minister Jairam Thakur for his prompt functioning to bring the plans into action. "The inauguration of AIIMS Bilaspur, Atal Tunnel, Hydro-Engineering college (at Bandla), and Medical Device Park (at Nalagarh), it all could be possible because of your votes. It is because of you only that you bless me and when I bring development projects to the state, Jairam Thakur turns them successful," he said. (ANI) Telangana Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samiti President K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday launched the Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), the new name of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), marking his first step toward becoming a national party ahead of the 2024 elections. The launch took place at 1.19 pm today. It was done at the State General Body meeting of ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and district-level coordinators among other leaders at the party headquarters Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. K Chandrashekar Rao presided over the meeting. JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy along with 20 of his MLAs attended the launch event at the TRS headquarters. The party also made necessary amendments to its constitution in the same meeting and sent the resolution and the amended party Constitution to the Election Commission of India (ECI) which was accepted by the Commission. The TRS itself was launched in April 2000. From Tamil Nadu, 'Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi' (VCK) party leader, MP from Chidambaram and Dalit leader Thirumavalavan, along with a group of representatives, arrived at Pragathi Bhavan this morning. CM KCR , TRS working President KT Rama Rao cordially invited Kumaraswamy and his team as well as Thirumavalavan and his team and hosted breakfast for them. Ministers Harish Rao, Prashant Reddy, MP Santosh Kumar, TRS MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives were present on the occasion. Earlier in May this year, KCR in his bid to unite the Opposition to take on the BJP at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, held a meeting with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda in Bengaluru where he discussed an alternative political outfit to the BJP. The Young Men's Christian Association in Telangana and Andhra has extended its support to K Chandrashekhar Rao's decision to float a new national party stating that the Chief Minister is doing so for the "development of minorities". The Association, which has nearly 250 units in both Telugu states comprising over 10 lakh members, passed a unanimous resolution. Earlier on Tuesday, a political row erupted after a TRS leader was seen distributing liquor bottles and chicken to locals in Warangal. Slamming K Chandrashekar Rao after TRS leader Rajanala Srihari was seen distributing liquor bottles and chicken to locals, Congress leader Madhu Yashki on Tuesday called the Chief Minister a "brand ambassador of liquor". He alleged that KCR is "known for his drinking habits".Srihari distributed 200 chickens and liquor bottles to labourers. The cutouts of KCR and minister KTR were seen in the video. Speaking to ANI, Yashki alleged that KCR is trying to make the people and youth of the state "addicted to liquor and drugs". (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome as he arrived for the International Kullu Dussehra Festival today. He will be participating in the Dusshera festival here for the first time. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to citizens on the occasion of Dussehra and expressed his happiness to be a part of the International Kullu Dussehra Festival that is to be celebrated here from October 5 to 11 at the Dhalpur Ground in Kullu. The festival is unique in the sense that it is the congregation of more than 300 deities of the valley. On the first day of the Festival, obeisance is paid to the Deities in their well-decorated palanquins at the temple of the Chief Deity Bhagwan Raghunath Ji and then it proceeds to the Dhalpur Ground. "I am elated to provide the citizens of Himachal Pradesh with the gifts of projects of education, health, and infrastructure worth thousands of crores," PM Modi said adding that he will seek the blessings for the country by joining the Raghunath Ji Yatra. "I am very fortunate to participate in the Kullu festival after so many years," he added.The Prime Minister will witness this divine Rath Yatra and the grand assembly of the Deities in the historic Kullu Dussehra celebrations. "The development projects inaugurated today on the occasion of Vijayadashami will play an important role in achieving the vision of a developed India by following the 'Panch Pran'. Today, Bilaspur has got the double gift of education and medical facilities," PM Modi said. PM Modi's remarks came after he inaugurated AIIMS Bilaspur and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects here. On Independence Day, referring to the Amrit Kaal - the next 25 years till 2047 when India will be marking 100 years of Independence - the Prime Minister urged people to focus on 'Panch Pran' (five vows). He said the country has met various challenges in the past 75 years and there were certain unfulfilled dreams, "the next 25 years are very significant for our country". The first vow is for the people to move ahead with a big resolve for a "developed India". "We should not settle for anything less than that," he had said. The second resolve is that "in no part of our existence, not even in the deepest corners of our minds or habits should there be any ounce of slavery". The third resolve asked the countrypersons to feel proud of the heritage and legacy of India. He said the fourth resolve, which is equally important is unity and solidarity. "Amongst 130 million countrymen when there is harmony and bonhomie, unity becomes its strongest virtue. 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' - is one of the unifying initiatives to actuate the dream of the fourth Pran," PM Modi had said on August 15. PM Modi said the fifth vow is the "duty of the citizens, in which even the Prime Minister, Chief Minister cannot be an exclusion as they are also responsible citizens and have a duty towards the nation". (ANI) The Delhi Police have arrested two more members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) under the sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for their alleged involvement in the planning and conspiring against the government and the country. The case was registered at Khajuri Khas police station in the North district on Tuesday. "Two PFI members namely Ansar Ali and Muhammad Samun have been arrested who were booked under sections 120(b), 153(a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 10/13 of UAPA," the police said. The Delhi Police on Monday arrested four members of the PFI under UAPA, marking the first arrests after the central government banned the organisation on September 28. The arrested persons were Mohammad Shoaib, Habib Asgar Jamali, Abdul Rabb and Warish."The police got information that some suspicious activities were being carried out from these offices of the Popular Front of India. Then the police investigated three places and seized the property. Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police were continuously monitoring the situation," the police said. Police had registered a case against PFI under UAPA at Shaheen Bagh police station on September 29 after which action was taken against the properties of PFI under Section-8 of UAPA. Delhi Police also raided 50 locations and arrested 32 people linked with PFI with the input of central agencies. On September 28, the Government of India invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and declared a ban on PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect for a period of five years. "PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts operate openly as a socio-economic, educational, and political organization but, they have been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalize a particular section of the society working towards undermining the concept of democracy and show sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority and constitutional set up of the country," said a government notification. The notification had said that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been indulging in unlawful activities, which are prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country and have the potential to disturb public peace and communal harmony of the country and support militancy in the country. It had further said that some of the PFI's founding members are the leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and PFI has linkages with Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), both of which are proscribed organisations. There have been a number of instances of international linkages of PFI with global terrorist groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been working covertly to increase the radicalization of one community by promoting a sense of insecurity in the country, which is substantiated by the fact that some PFI cadres have joined international terrorist organisations, said the notification. (ANI) The building owner accused in Delhi's Mundka fire case has moved a revision petition challenging an order denying default bail to him by a trial court. The petitioner moved the application seeking bail over the non-filing of the charge sheet in the case. The application was dismissed by the court. Additional Sessions Judge Hem Raj of Tees Hazari Court listed the petition for further hearing on September 13 after hearing the initial arguments. Manish Lakra has moved the petition through advocates Pradeep Kumar Arya and Kapil Dhaka challenging the order of the Magistrate Court passed on August 6, 2022, denying bail to him. This case pertains to a fire incident in the Mundka area on May 13 in which 27 people were killed. An FIR was registered on May 14, 2022 under sections 308/304/120B/34 IPC, at Police Station, Mundka. The petitioner was arrested on May 15, 2022 and was produced before the court the next day. Thereafter he was sent to judicial custody. In these circumstances the petitioner is under custody since May 15, 2022, i.e. around 80 days, the petition stated. The counsels for the accused Manish submitted that in view of the investigations, only offence u/s 304 Part II is alleged to be made out against the petitioner and in view of the mandate of section 167 CrPC, the period of completion of investigation and filling of charge sheet is 60 days if the accused is in custody. Thereafter, according to Section 167 (2) Cr.PC, the accused is entitled to be released on bail. It is also submitted that the right of default bail is enshrined u/s 167 Cr PC, is the fundamental and foundational right of the accused as identified under the criminal jurisprudence of the land. The revision is pending before the court. However, a charge sheet has already been filed on August 13, 2022, and cognizance has also been taken. The magistrate court has also granted to bail to the wife Sunita Lakra and mother Sushila Lakra. They were summoned by the court after taking cognizance of the charge sheet. They were named as accused in the charge sheet but had not been arrested during the investigation. In this Varun Goyal and Harish Goyal are also accused along with Manish Lakra, his wife and mother. (ANI) The Supreme Court has said that granting compassionate employment is intended to enable the family to tide over the sudden crisis by providing a source of livelihood and should not be considered as a right. The apex court's remark came while setting aside a Bombay High Court order which directed to appoint the respondent woman, who was married and youngest daughter of the deceased, on compassionate ground in the Water Resources Department in Maharashtra. The top court observed that the respondent woman cannot be said to be dependent on the deceased employee, i.e., her mother. The court observed that compassionate appointment is an exception to the general rule of appointment in the public services and is in favour of the dependents of a deceased dying in harness and leaving his family in penury and without any means of livelihood, and in such cases, out of pure humanitarian consideration taking into consideration the fact that unless some source of livelihood is provided, the family would not be able to make both ends meet, a provision is made in the rules to provide gainful employment to one of the dependants of the deceased who may be eligible for such employment. "The whole object of granting compassionate employment is, thus, to enable the family to tide over the sudden crisis. The object is not to give such family a post much less a post held by the deceased," a bench of justices MR Shah and Krishna Murari said. The court observed that the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal, as well as the High Court, have committed a serious error in directing the appellants to appoint the respondent on compassionate grounds. "The judgment and order passed by the Tribunal confirmed by the High Court directing the appellants to consider the case of the respondent for appointment on compassionate ground after a number of years is unsustainable," the top court said while setting aside the judgment and order passed by the Bombay High Court dismissing the writ petition and confirming the order passed by the Tribunal. Bombay High Court on January 7 2019, dismissed the writ petition preferred by the State of Maharashtra and confirmed the order passed by the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal directing to the appointment of the respondent on compassionate grounds. The facts of the matter are that on the death of the deceased employee - the father of the respondent, who died in harness, the mother of the respondent was given an appointment on compassionate grounds. The mother of the respondent died on March 28 2006. That thereafter the elder married sister of the respondent made an application for an appointment on compassionate grounds, which came to be rejected in the year 2011 on the ground that being a married daughter, she cannot be said to be dependent on her deceased mother and therefore, she is not entitled to the appointment on compassionate ground. That after a period of seven years from the date of death of her mother, again, the respondent being the younger married daughter made an application for an appointment on compassionate grounds in the year 2013. At that stage, the State of Maharashtra noted that the respondent is the second married daughter and the application made by her elder married sister was already rejected earlier in the year 2011 therefore rejected the application of the respondent for appointment on the compassionate ground came to be rejected vide order dated April 23 2013. The respondent's daughter challenged this decision in Tribunal, which allowed her plea. Later, State of Maharashtra moved to the Bombay High Court, which rejected the state plea. The State of Maharashtra challenged the Bombay HC order in the Supreme Court. (ANI) A day after four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche in Uttarkashi with several still missing, the survivors narrated their horrific experiences on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday conducted an aerial inspection of the rescue and relief operation being carried out to find the mountaineering trainees who were hit by an avalanche yesterday in Uttarkashi. In a tragic accident on Tuesday, four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche at Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi on Tuesday while rescue operations were on for others, confirmed the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). 14 have been rescued so far. The mountaineers, who were rescued reached Matli in Uttarkashi today where they are being provided with first aid treatment. These people were evacuated via chopper to the 12th Battalion ITBP in Matli, Uttarkashi. "Deep Singh (Gujarat), Rohit Bhatt (Tehri Garhwal), Suraj Singh (Uttarkashi), Sunil Lalwani (Mumbai), Anil Kumar (Rajasthan), Manish Agarwal (Delhi), Kanchan Singh (Chamoli) and Ankit Singh (Dehradun) were amongst who have been rescued," the Uttarakhand Police said. On Tuesday, about 41 trainees and instructors of the Nehru Mountaineering Institute were in the grip of Draupadi's avalanche in Danda of Dokrani Glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. Out of which, according to Nehru Mountaineering Institute, 27 people are missing and bodies of 4 people have been found and 14 people have been safely rescued and brought to Uttarkashi district headquarters. Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, told ANI that as he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, suddenly the avalanche came. Due to this, he fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep with his companions, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours. Thakur told that a NIM instructor took him out of the crevice and saved his life. Another survivor, Akash Lalvani, a trainee from Mumbai, told that he was only about 100 meters below the summit of Draupadi's danda, the only plan was to summit the peak and get down after being photographed above, because the weather was also clear. But the sudden avalanche has left an unforgettable sorrow. In another tragic incident, 25 people were found dead and more than 20 people sustained injuries after a bus carrying over 40 people of a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night, Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar told ANI. Police and state disaster response force (SDRF) rescued 21 people following an overnight operation and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced financial assistance to the kin of the deceased in the Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal tragedies which occurred on Tuesday. "An amount of Rs 2 lakh for deaths, Rs one lakh for serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for normal injuries will be given to all those affected by these two tragedies," officials informed. (ANI) The incident had taken place last year when the lady officer had come to Sikkim for a river rafting course in the 17 mountain division area where she was staying in an official accommodation. In the court martial convened by the 17 Mountain Division in Sikkim, the Havildar has been accused of using criminal force while attempting to outrage the modesty of the female officer belonging to the Military Nursing Service, Army officials said here. The second charge against the NCO was that after forcefully entering the room of the officer, he made 'sexually coloured' remarks, they said. Once the incident happened, the lady officer managed to escape from the room and complained to the authorities there about the incident. The Army authorities acted swiftly and the NCO was put through a trial process where he was found guilty. The court martial took place in 617 EME battalion in Sikkim and the jawan has been recommended to face one-year jail term along with dismissal from service last week. The President Officer in the case was Lt Col Deepak Shahi while the prosecution counsel was lawyer Akshit Anand. Indian Army has been very strict with cases of moral turpitude and financial misappropriation. In the last few years, several officers and men have been dismissed from service in these cases. (ANI) Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, who is in Karnataka to participate in Bharat Jodo Yatra, on Wednesday visited Bheemanakolli Temple in Begur village to offer Dussehra prayers. The Congress chief was accompanied by village panchayat members and local Congress leaders. Rahul Gandhi is currently leading Bharat Jodo Yatra, the 3,500-km march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering as many as 12 states. The Yatra which entered its Karnataka leg on September 30 via Gundlupet in Chamarajanagar district, reached Mysuru on Monday. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to join the yatra on October 6. The Padyatra (march) is covering a distance of 25 km every day. The march was aimed to cover as many as 12 States in five months. It recently reached Karnataka on Friday and will be here for the next 21 days before moving north.According to Congress, the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation and political centralisation. Notably, all the party MPs, leaders and workers along with Rahul Gandhi are staying in containers. Sleeping beds, toilets and AC are also installed in some of the containers. During the journey, the temperature and environment will differ in many areas. The arrangements have been made keeping in view the intense heat and humidity with the change of places. The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles. (ANI) Teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Nehra Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) reached Advance Base Camp to rescue the trainees of NIM Uttarkashi, who were hit by an avalanche on Draupadi's Danda Parvat 2 summit. Giving information to ANI, SDRF Commandant Manikant Mishra said that the three teams would first reach the Intermediate Camp and 1.5 km away at the avalanche site tomorrow to rescue 26 trainees and four bodies trapped at the avalanche site. "The Indian Air Force had deployed 2 helicopters from Sarsawa and Bareilly for the rescue operation. Several mountaineers were rescued from Base Camp located at about 12,000 ft to Matli helipad", said the IAF officials. A day after four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche in Uttarkashi with several still missing, the survivors narrated their horrific experiences. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday conducted an aerial inspection of the rescue and relief operation being carried out to find the mountaineering trainees who were hit by an avalanche yesterday in Uttarkashi. In a tragic accident on Tuesday, four mountaineers lost their lives in the avalanche at Draupadi's Danda-II mountain peak in Uttarkashi on Tuesday while rescue operations were on for others, confirmed the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). 14 have been rescued so far. The mountaineers, who were rescued reached Matli in Uttarkashi today where they are being provided with first aid treatment. These people were evacuated via chopper to the 12th Battalion ITBP in Matli, Uttarkashi. "Deep Singh (Gujarat), Rohit Bhatt (Tehri Garhwal), Suraj Singh (Uttarkashi), Sunil Lalwani (Mumbai), Anil Kumar (Rajasthan), Manish Agarwal (Delhi), Kanchan Singh (Chamoli) and Ankit Singh (Dehradun) were amongst who have been rescued," the Uttarakhand Police said. On Tuesday, about 41 trainees and instructors of the Nehru Mountaineering Institute were in the grip of Draupadi's avalanche in Danda of Dokrani Glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. Out of which, according to Nehru Mountaineering Institute, 27 people are missing and bodies of 4 people have been found and 14 people have been safely rescued and brought to Uttarkashi district headquarters. Deep Thakur, a trainee from Gujarat, who survived the accident while undergoing treatment at the district hospital, told ANI that as he was climbing to Draupadi's Danda Peak for a summit at around 9.45 am, suddenly the avalanche came. Due to this, he fell into the crevasses about 60 feet deep with his companions, where he struggled between death and life for about 3 hours. Thakur told that a NIM instructor took him out of the crevice and saved his life. Another survivor, Akash Lalvani, a trainee from Mumbai, told that he was only about 100 meters below the summit of Draupadi's danda, the only plan was to summit the peak and get down after being photographed above, because the weather was also clear. But the sudden avalanche has left an unforgettable sorrow. In another tragic incident, 25 people were found dead and more than 20 people sustained injuries after a bus carrying over 40 people of a wedding procession fell into a gorge in the Birokhal area of Dhumakot in Pauri-Garhwal district on Tuesday night, Deputy General of Police Ashok Kumar told ANI. Police and state disaster response force (SDRF) rescued 21 people following an overnight operation and the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals, he added. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday announced financial assistance to the kin of the deceased in the Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal tragedies which occurred on Tuesday."An amount of Rs 2 lakh for deaths, Rs one lakh for serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for normal injuries will be given to all those affected by these two tragedies," officials informed. (ANI) SDRF spokesperson said, "In the bus accident in Rikhnikhal, Dhumakote, a total of 32 are dead while 18 people have been injured." Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced financial assistance to the kin of the deceased in the Uttarkashi and Pauri Garhwal tragedies. "An amount of Rs 2 lakh for deaths, Rs 1 lakh for serious injuries, and Rs 50,000 for normal injuries will be given to all those affected by these two tragedies," the official informed. Condoling the kin of the deceased, Dhami said that the state government stands with the families. Earlier on Tuesday, a bus carrying a wedding procession of 50 people fell into a gorge near Simdi village in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal district. "A wedding procession had left in a bus from here, Laldhang; an accident occurred. Information is being taken from the family members. A rescue operation is still underway by Pauri Police and SDRF at the spot," said Haridwar SP City Swatantra Kumar Singh. (ANI) Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced Aatmanirbhar Gujrat Scheme for Assistance to Industries at Gandhinagar on Wednesday, read a statement from Chief Minister's Office (CMO). CM said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned an Aatmanirbhar Bharat by 2047, a year when India will celebrate 100 years of Independence. Under his leadership, India has risen as the fastest-growing economy on the global map. Given this opportune time, the scheme aims to attract industries and investors and thereby create large-scale employment opportunities. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' on 75 years of India's independence. The state is on a mission to fulfil the mantra of 'Aatmanirbhar Gujarat to Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. Giving details on the scheme, the CM said, "Gujarat is a land of entrepreneurs. The state is India's manufacturing hub. It is prepared to lead India in fulfilling Prime Minister's call of Aatmanirbhar Bharat". The CM also said that the scheme will be instrumental in providing special assistance needed by industries to enable them to become part of the global supply chains. The scheme will go on to encourage industries to transition toward green manufacturing practices and adopt decarbonization initiatives to remain globally competitive and also align with the "Panchamrut" principles laid down by the Prime Minister of India at the COP 26 summit. The "Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes for incentives to industries" shall go on to encourage budding entrepreneurs to fulfil their entrepreneurial ambitions not only by de-risking their investments by way of increased incentives, but also, encouraging youth to innovate and become job creators, thereby creating large-scale quality job opportunities. The employment-linked incentives to MSMEs, Large and Mega enterprises shall also facilitate the formalization of the industrial workforce of Gujarat. It will also create enhanced opportunities for the development of new manufacturing sectors and their ancillary ecosystem in Gujarat that shall set global examples in manufacturing, he added. On this occasion, Minister of State for Industries Jagdish Vishwakarma said, "33 lakh MSMEs of Gujarat have been key contributors to Gujarat's inclusive growth and generation of sustainable employment opportunities, particularly in semi-urban and rural India. Further, the state has established itself as a leader in various key sectors of the economy and has become the preferred choice of investments for investors." Under "The Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes for Assistance to Industries," incentives for MSMEs include capital subsidies of up to Rs 35 lakh for small businesses and net SGST refund to MSMEs up to 75 per cent of fixed capital investment over 10 years. He said, "While MSMEs are crucial for the development of a resilient industrial ecosystem, it is also important to encourage large-scale investments across sectors. Such investments have had a multiplier effect on the state and national economy as well as employment generation. These large-scale investments have also created substantial opportunities for MSMEs in the state for providing forward and backward linkages. With this objective, the Government of Gujarat has also launched the "Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Scheme for assistance to Large Industries"." Under "The Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Scheme for Assistance to Large Industries," incentives for large businesses include interest subsidies up to 12 per cent of fixed capital investment and net SGST reimbursements up to 75 per cent of fixed capital investment over a 10-year period. In order to be globally competitive, it is important to set up mega-scale manufacturing enterprises and build on economies of scale. With this view, the Government of Gujarat has launched the Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Scheme for assistance to Mega Industries. Under the 'The Aatmanirbhar Gujarat Schemes for Assistance to Mega Industries' include Mega Industrial Units in these thrust sectors with investment above 2500 Crore and employing more than 2500 persons shall be given incentives as well as Net SGST reimbursement to Mega industries upto 18 per cent of Fixed Capital Investment over 20 years. MOS for Industries expressed confidence that Aatmanirbhar Gujarat schemes for assistance to industries shall transform Gujarat's manufacturing landscape in the coming years. The scheme is expected to attract an investment of Rs 12.5 lakh crores generating employment opportunities for over 15 lakh people in Gujarat. Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister K. Kailashnathan, Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of Industries Department Raj Kumar, Industries Commissioner Dr Rahul Gupta and senior officers were present during the launch of this scheme. (ANI) "Prayed for the prosperity, progress and good health of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and the country at Gurdwara Chhenvi Patshahi in Srinagar. The sacrifices and teachings of Sikh Gurus will always inspire us for national interest and public welfare. Waheguru ji da Khalsa, Waheguru ji di Fateh!" tweeted Shah. Earlier on Wednesday, Shah met the family of late SPO (now Constable) Mudassir Sheikh who lost his life while fighting three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists at Najibhat crossing on May 25 in Baramulla. Late SPO Mudassir was part of a team who intercepted terrorists heading to target Amarnath Yatra. Shah on Wednesday held a security review meeting here and directed officials to strengthen the security grid to ensure zero fear of terrorists and separatists. The Minister also reviewed the working of the security grid and progress made on various items of the security agenda in previous meetings to reduce the incidents of terrorism and the stranglehold of the separatist networks over the system. Shah has been on a three-day visit to the Union Territory which would conclude today. Shah's direction came during the security review meeting earlier in the day. The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, and other senior officials of the Government of India, including the Army, Central Armed Police Forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the officials of the Union Territory attended the meeting. The Minister asked security forces and the police to pro-actively conduct coordinated counter-terrorism operations, to fulfill Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a prosperous and peaceful Jammu and Kashmir. Shah appreciated the efforts of the security agencies and administration of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for keeping the streets free from violence and significantly restoring the Rule of Law.(ANI) A Delhi Court on Wednesday granted one-day custody of six accused to Delhi Police for interrogation in connection with the alleged murder of a youth Manish in the Sunder Nagri area of North East Delhi. He had been stabbed multiple times before death on the evening of Saturday. Duty Magistrate Ajeet Narayan of Karkardooma Court sent Bilal, Faizan, Alam, Sajid, Mohsin and Shakir to one-day police custody in a case of the alleged murder of Manish. Investigation officer (IO) Inspector Karmveer informed the court that Sajid was arrested yesterday. Mohsin and Shakir were arrested from the jail. Faizan, Bilal and Alam were produced from judicial custody. IO submitted that Sajid is the brother of accused Mohsin. He met Mohsin in jail. Thereafter, he prepared Faizan, Bilal and Alam and provided them weapons to commit crime. The trio allegedly committed the crime of killing Manish. IO submitted before the court that a one-day police custody is required to confront the accused and get all the necessary clues related to his death. According to the police FIR, Mohsin and Shakir were arrested earlier in a case of attempt to murder of Manish. The deceased was the complainant and main witness in that case. He was being continuously threatened by the brother and family of Mohsin to withdraw the case and not to give a statement in the court. Manish and his mother had attended the court proceedings on 28 September and he was allegedly murdered on the evening of October 1. The Court on Tuesday remanded Faizan, Bilal and Alam to one-day judicial custody. The three accused were produced before the court after 2 days of police custody. The court granted two-day police custody on October 2. Manish was allegedly murdered by stabbing on Saturday evening in the Sunder Nagri area. This incident was captured in the CCTV. A case for murder and other relevant sections were lodged at Nand Nagri police station. The accused were arrested and produced before the court on Sunday. The situation in the area had become tense after the incidents. However, the Delhi Police controlled the situation. (ANI) On the sacred festival of Dussehra, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday gave a clarion call to people to eradicate the social maladies in the state for restoring its pristine glory, read a statement from Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The Dussehra festivities were held at Phase 8 by the Dussehra Committee Mohali (Regd). Addressing the gathering here, the Chief Minister greeted the country's people, especially the Punjabi living across the globe on the sacred occasion of Durga Puja and Dussehra (Vijaydashmi). He said that these two festivals, which symbolize the victory of good over evil, remind Indians of their rich cultural heritage. Bhagwant Mann said, "Our nation has an age-old tradition of celebrating both these festivals which play a vanguard role in promoting goodwill, peace and communal harmony in the society besides showing us the way of ideal living to carve out an egalitarian and harmonious society." The Chief Minister appealed to the people to collectively celebrate this joyous occasion by rededicating themselves for the promotion of peace, amity and brotherhood in the state. He said, "All of us must rejoice this festival with full religious fervour and gaiety by rising above the parochial considerations of caste, creed and colour." Bhagwant Mann said that these festivals give people a message of togetherness and brotherhood adding that on this day, they should vow to make the state frontrunner in the country by getting rid of all the social maladies. Congratulating people on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, "Punjabis were especially filled with pride over Dussehra, as the epic of Ramayana was written in Punjab, on the land of holy city Amritsar. He said that the festivities of Dussehra inspire us to remain grounded, keep our anger under control and stay away from hate. Bhagwant Mann said that these three factors became the reasons for the decline of even the most intelligent person adding that the festivities also teach us to remain with brotherhood." The Chief Minister further said that these festivals are not only sources of inspiration, but also help people to perpetuate the rich cultural heritage to their coming generations. He said that the true essence of Dusshera lies in fighting against injustice, evil and egoism with love, brotherhood and communal harmony. Bhagwant Mann called upon the people of Punjab to imbibe the teachings of these festivals in their daily lives to take Punjab to unprecedented heights. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also announced to use the Dussehra Ground at Mohali solely for the purpose of the Dussehra celebration. He said that no commercial activity will be allowed on this ground. Bhagwant Mann further said that the notification in this regard will be issued very soon. (ANI) Rahul Gandhi, currently on the Karnataka leg of his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', is spending time with his mother and interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over a two-day break amid the long walkathon. In his letter addressed to Bommai on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said, "The Congress President and I briefly visited the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve where we happened to come across the painful sight of an injured baby elephant, with its mother. The little calf has a severely injured tail and trunk, and is fighting for its life." While acknowledging the viewpoint that nature must be allowed to take its own course, Rahul Gandhi said that exceptions are often made in the case of endangered and iconic animals, in extremely severe cases such as the injured elephant calf. Throughout his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the Congress leader has been targetting the ruling BJP in the state over 'rising corruption' and 'communalism'. "I wanted to cross political boundaries and appeal to your sense of compassion to intervene and save the little elephant," Rahul Gandhi said. --IANS pvn/arm ( 216 Words) 2022-10-05-21:48:03 (IANS) According to Bloomberg, Musk has sent Twitter a letter offering to buy the micro-blogging platform at the originally proposed price. The move, if true, has created confusion in the minds of millions as the Musk-Twitter legal battle is set to begin in a US court from October 17. Twitter or Musk did not comment on the report. Trading of Twitter shares was briefly halted, reports The Verge. The new report came at a time when a new treasure trove of texts exchanged between Musk and Twitter executives like CEO Parag Agrawal and Jack Dorsey was leaked in the public domain. Twitter shareholders have already voted to approve Musk's $44 billion takeover bid. The vote came as Musk's lead team is in a court battle to get out of the deal. Twitter confirmed that a preliminary count shows it has enough votes to approve the deal. The approval meant that Musk and Twitter will proceed to an October trial in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The world's richest man also texted Oracle Chairman and CTO Larry Ellison all night before he decided to terminate the $44 billion Twitter takeover deal in May, the media has reported, citing a court filing. --IANS na/pgh ( 248 Words) 2022-10-04-22:42:05 (IANS) According to Piyush Goyal's Office, both sides discussed ways to expand trade and investment, giving further strength to the India-Swiss partnership. "Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met a business delegation led by Guy Parmelin, the Swiss Head of Dept of Economic Affairs, ahead of 75 yrs of India-Switzerland Friendship Treaty "Both sides discussed ways to expand trade & investment," the Piyush Goyal's Office tweeted on Tuesday. Since India's independence, Switzerland and India have developed warm and friendly ties based on their commitment to democracy and the rule of law. On August 14, 1948, both the nations signed a Treaty of Friendship in New Delhi, marking a significant defining moment in India-Swiss relations and one of the first of its kind to be signed by an independent India. The 70th anniversary was commemorated by Switzerland and India in 2018. Both sides have shared partnerships in areas including science and technology, tourism, railways, skill development, and climate action among others. Recently on June 22, India and Switzerland announced a new agreement to manufacture robotic cleaning equipment in Mysuru on June 22, following an increase in COVID-19 infections worldwide. The Joint Venture between Cleanfix Reinigungssysteme AG of Switzerland and Schevaran Laboratories Pvt Ltd will see the rollout of state-of-the-art Swiss Engineered made in India products. The one-of-a-kind factory will produce 20 different sorts of machines, from the most basic to those that can create sophisticated robotics. These devices provide automated cleaning solutions for a range of applications, from vast locations like warehouses, shopping centres, and railroad stations to smaller and more intricate ones like office buildings. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will kickstart his official visit to New Zealand and Australia from Wednesday. He will be in New Zealand and Australia from October 05. It is to be noted that the visit will be Jaishankar's first visit to New Zealand. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the EAM will participate in an event on October 6 in Auckland along with Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern to felicitate members of the Indian community for their exceptional achievements and contributions. Both leaders will release India@75 postage stamps to commemorate and showcase Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsavin New Zealand. Jaishankar will also launch the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery'. Also, a book showcasing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's special bond with the Sikh community 'Heartfelt - The Legacy of Faith' will be released. He will have a bilateral meeting with Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand in Auckland to discuss and review the entire gamut of our relations, added the release. Jaishankar will also interact with several Ministers, including Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for the Community & Voluntary Sector, Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, and Youth, who is the first person of Indian origin to become a Minister in New Zealand, Parliamentarians, members of the business community as well as Indian diaspora, including Indian students. In Wellington, he will inaugurate the newly constructed building of the High Commission of India. The leadership of both countries have shown significant interest in raising all aspects of the relationship to the next level. This is reflected in a series of high-level bilateral visits and meetings. Ardern and PM Modi had a bilateral meeting in New York on the sidelines of UNGA on September 25, 2019, during which they discussed steps to intensify political, economic, defence, security and people-to-people relations. Recently, the 4th Foreign Ministry Consultations between India and NZ were held in New Delhi on June 23 2022. Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) led the Indian delegation while the New Zealand side was led by Mark Sinclair, Deputy Secretary, Americas and Asia Group, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Reviewing the existing warm and friendly bilateral relations, including trade and investment, defence and security, people-to-people ties, counter-terrorism, cyber security, and disarmament, both sides expressed keenness to further enhance engagement and deepen ties in various areas. In Australia, Jaishankar will be visiting Canberra and Sydney. It will be EAM's second visit to Australia this year, the first was in February 2022 to attend the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne, said the release. EAM will be holding the 13th Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue (FMFD) along with his counterpart Penny Wong. He will also be meeting Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, said the release. He will also have interactions with the Australian Navy, the media and think tanks, including the Lowy Institute in Sydney. Recently, India signed a historic trade agreement with Australia, the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind- Aus ECTA). It is a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that India has signed with a major developed country in over a decade. The Agreement encompasses cooperation across the entire range of bilateral economic and commercial relations between the two countries. Strong Australia-India economic ties will also pave the way for a stronger Indo-Pacific economic architecture, that's not just based on flows of physical goods, money and people, but on the basis of building capacity-led connections, complementarities, sustainable commitments and mutual dependence across countries and sub-regions. (ANI) Keralotsavam is the biggest public art-sports festival in Kerala. The event was attended by several diplomats, representatives of Saudi companies, journalists and members of the Indian diaspora on Tuesday. "The Embassy celebrated "Keralolsavam" by displaying the Tourism, Commercial products, food and culture from the state of Kerala. The event was attended by diplomats, representatives of Saudi companies, journalists and members of the Indian diaspora," India in Saudi Arabia tweeted. India state Kerala is famous for its unique geography, tranquil backwaters, unspoiled beaches, art forms and spices. It is also renowned for its charming houseboats, sprawling tea plantations, unique eco-tourism, magnificent architecture, Ayurvedic treatments and unforgettable culinary experiences. India and Saudi Arabia's relations are defined by a forward-looking strategic partnership that encompasses all major areas of cooperation. Economic ties are a pivotal pillar of this partnership. India is the second largest trade partner of Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trade partner. Recently, India has received unusual praise from Saudi Arabia's World Muslim League for its policy of non-violence and tolerance towards all. The Mecca-based World Muslim League timed its praise for India's Global and National outlook on Gandhi Jayanti- something which Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Group has never done before. Hailing Mahatma Gandhi for being a pioneer of the philosophy of non-violence, the Muslim World League, for the first time, paid tribute to Gandhi on his 153rd birth anniversary and said that the day should be an occasion to spread the message of non-violence internationally. (ANI) Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calls for peace, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said that Kyiv will not conduct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. PM Modi earlier held a phone call with Zelenskyy and said that the endangerment of nuclear facilities amid the Russia-Ukraine war could lead to catastrophic consequences for the environment. During the phone call, the Prime Minister expressed his firm conviction that there can be no military solution to the conflict and conveyed India's readiness to contribute to any peace efforts. He again called for the cessation of hostilities and the need to pursue the path of diplomacy. Reacting to the referendum in four Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine - Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Zelenskyy noted that all the aggressor's decisions aimed at attempting illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories are null and void and do not change reality. Zelenskyy emphasized that under such conditions, Ukraine will not conduct any negotiations with the current President of the Russian Federation, and noted that our state has always been committed to a peaceful settlement through dialogue, said Zelenskyy readout. "However, Russia did not stand for dialogue and put forward ultimate instead deliberately undermining this process. During my speech at the session of the UN General Assembly, I outlined our clear formula for peace. We are ready to work together with our partners to achieve it," added the President of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy thanked PM Modi for India's support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and also emphasized the importance of the Indian leader's recent statement that now is not the time for war. During the conversation, the Ukrainian President emphasized the importance of strengthening the Ukrainian-Indian partnership against the backdrop of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Zelenskyy also noted the significant humanitarian aid provided by the government and the private sector of the Republic of India to Ukraine, added the readout. Both leaders separately discussed the issue of global food security. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine is ready to continue acting as a guarantor of the world's food security. In this regard, the support of the entire international community, in particular India, for further implementing the grain initiative is important. The interlocutors paid due attention to the issue of nuclear safety. "Nuclear blackmail by Russia, particularly regarding the Zaporizhzhia NPP, is a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the whole world," Zelenskyy said. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reiterated its deep concern about landmine explosions close to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). IAEA is also continuing its consultations and other efforts to agree on and implement a nuclear safety and security zone around the ZNPP as soon as possible. The Prime Minister's Office said Prime Minister Modi reiterated the importance of respecting the UN Charter, International Law, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. "Prime Minister emphasized the importance India attaches to the safety and security of nuclear installations, including in Ukraine. He underlined that endangerment of nuclear facilities could have far-reaching and catastrophic consequences for public health and the environment," the statement said. Separately, Zelenskyy and Modi discussed cooperation within international organizations, primarily the UN. During the conversation, the parties noted mutual interest in deepening regular full-scale Ukrainian-Indian contacts, as well as the implementation of tasks on the agenda of bilateral relations of comprehensive partnership. Further, Zelenskyy invited PM Modi to visit Ukraine. (ANI) The United States and South Korea launched four missiles off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning, in response to North Korea's provocative test launch of a ballistic missile over Japan. This test was the allies' second exercise within 24 hours, following North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday morning, CNN reported. Earlier, on Tuesday, the US and South Korea initially responded to the launch with a precision bombing exercise, which involved a South Korean F-15K fighter jet firing two air-to-surface munitions at a virtual target in a firing range west of the Korean Peninsula, per the South Korean joint chiefs. "Through the combined flight of the air strike package and precision strike drills, South Korea and the United States demonstrated their will to respond sternly to any Northern threats as well as their capabilities to conduct a precision strike at the origin of provocations based on the alliance's overwhelming forces," the JCS said in a press release. The allies typically respond to missile tests by North Korea with military exercises, according to CNN. According to CNN citing South Korean joint chiefs, in Wednesday's launch, four ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) missiles were involved. The ATACMS are surface-to-surface missiles that can fly around 200 miles (320 kilometres). According to John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, the launch was designed to demonstrate that the US and their allies have "the military capabilities at the ready to respond to provocations by the North." "This is not the first time we've done this in response to provocations by the North to make sure that we can demonstrate our own capabilities," Kirby as quoted by CNN. "We want to see the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, (North Korean leader Kim Jong Un) hasn't shown an inclination to move in that direction, quite frankly he's moving in the opposite direction by continuing to conduct these missile tests which are violations of Security Council resolutions," he added. Tuesday's missile launch was the first such missile launch in years, prompting a warning for residents to take cover in northern Japan. Last week, North Korea fired missiles in an apparent protest against joint naval drills involving the United States and South Korea. Under the Kim Jong-un regime, North Korea this year has tested a record number of missiles as it expands its weapons arsenal. (ANI)